The music was loud, louder than Rainbow Dash liked. Not that she was some kind of party-pooper or anything, but feeling the beat echo in her chest wasn’t a pleasant sensation. Pinkie Pie had really outdone herself this time. There must have been almost everypony in Ponyville there, dancing and laughing and gorging themselves on the seemingly limitless supply of cake and candy. Personally, Dash avoided that kind of food for the most part, she couldn’t afford to gain much weight, especially not if she wanted to remain the fastest flier in Equestria.
Fluttershy was huddled in the corner, dancing quietly to the music. She had her eyes closed and was completely immersed in the rhythm, a big smile on her face. Dash loved seeing the normally shy pony enjoying herself as she often skipped Pinkie’s parties if there were too many people.
Pinkies screams and shouts of joy were louder than even the music as the pink-haired pink-skinned pink-everything pony leapt wildly around the room. Dash laughed at her antics. Without Pinkie, these parties just wouldn’t be as good. She truly was the life of the party. And not bad on the eyes when Rarity got her to stay still long enough. Dash’s smile waned. Couldn’t she just go one day without thinking that way? She jammed a cupcake in her mouth to disrupt her thoughts.
Dash considered going over and dancing next to Twilight, Rarity and Applejack, who were somewhere in the middle of the crowded dance floor, but thought better of it. She had some serious moves, but they were more suited for the sky. Although now that she looked, there might be enough room for just one or two barrel rolls...
“Hey! Rainbow Dash!” a voice said from behind her. Mouth stuffed with cupcake, she spun to see who it was. A colt with a dark brown mane was standing next to her, attempting to look casual.
“Wur yufgh taughin t’ murgh?” Dash attempted to say, face going red. She swallowed her food and tried again. “Um...Sorry about that. I said are you talking to me?” The colt looked familiar, what was his name? Steer Clear? It definitely had a ‘st’ at the beginning.
“I don’t know any other Rainbow Dash around here!” he shouted over the noise with a grin, “I’m Arty Eyes, pleasure to meet ya!” Dash returned the grin, inwardly wondering where the heck Steer Clear had come from. They stood there for a few moments, giving each other a smile when their eyes caught each other and idly moving to the rhythm. Arty was the first to break the ‘silence’, so to speak.
“So...uh...” he began awkwardly, “Are you enjoying the party?” Dash had to strain to hear him.
“Yeah, I guess it’s pretty cool! It’s a bit loud though!” she called back. He nodded his head, either in agreement or just as acknowledgement, she wasn’t sure. A few seconds later, the colt seemed to gather himself up to ask, “D’you maybe wanna dance?” His eyes were full of hope and a bit of mischief. Dash was startled by the offer and found that she began desperately grasping for an excuse.
“Oh...well um...I’m not really much of a dancer...I do my tricks in the air, heh...” she rambled lamely. Dash couldn’t remember the last time she had been this tongue tied. She normally approached every challenge with extreme confidence and bravado (as befitted the fastest flier in Equestria), but now she just felt like a little filly again. Although when she thought about it, she was full of confidence and bravado when she was a filly too, so maybe that wasn’t the best comparison. She didn’t feel like herself. That sounded better.
“Well, uh, that’s fair enough. I’m not exactly smooth on my hooves either,” said Arty, “Not-not that you aren’t, of course! I’m sure you’re perfectly fine on your hooves! I just...urgh. Sorry for bothering you, Rainbow Dash.” Arty moved away into the crowd, quickly putting a few ponies between them.
Shame burns across her face. She couldn’t help but feel like she was supposed to say or do something before he left, but she wasn’t about to go chasing after him to make a fool of herself. A quick scan of the crowd to check for any watchers didn’t help; Rarity and Twilight were staring at her with open mouths and questioning eyes while Applejack danced on, oblivious. All Dash could do was shrug. This party is starting to feel uncomfortable and she wanted to avoid being interrogated by her nosey friends, so she began to make her way to the door. Sidestepping chatting ponies and a spilled drink, Dash shoved through the crowd and out the door.
The cool night air washed over her, sweet relief from the hot dance room. She realised she was panting and took a moment to sit down on the road.
“Now what’s a brave pony like yourself doin’ out here alone? Don’t tell me the music got to ya, ah won’t believe it. You’re one of the hardest partiers in this town!” Applejack said brightly as she sat down beside Dash, who quickly avoided the question.
“Why are you out here? Last I saw, you were rocking up the dance floor and not even looking my way.”
Applejack smoothly brought the question back to her. “To be honest, Twilight and Rarity sent me out here to see what was wrong. Ah think they’re worried that you’re angry at ‘em for watching your run-in with a brown-haired colt or somethin’. It was pretty loud in there. So what’s wrong, sugarcube?” She looked at Dash with concern.
“It’s nothing, really. My head just hasn’t been on straight lately,” Dash muttered.
“Was it that colt? Was he rude to you or somethin’? Because ah can drag him out here and buck him right outta town if that’s-“
“No no no! He was totally polite and friendly and all that. The problem was me.”
“Oh...” She could see that Applejack was dying to ask for more details, but was too polite to do it. Grudgingly, she elaborated.
“He asked me to dance. But instead of saying yes like a sane pony, I sorta made an excuse not to. Then he tried to keep talking but I couldn’t think of anything to say and he must’ve just got sick of me so he left,” Dash blurted out. Applejack chuckled lightly, making Dash a little annoyed.
“You find it funny, Applejack?” she asked accusingly.
“What ah find funny is that you of all people are reactin’ this badly! Bravest pony in Equestria, my flank!” the earth pony replied, laughing slightly harder. Dash was furious.
“I’m still not seeing the joke here!”
“The joke is that we all have trouble when we gotta talk to colts, sugarcube. Most of us don’t leave the building if it goes badly.” Applejack stopped laughing and gave her a sympathetic look.
“I don’t think talking to colts is my problem,” Dash muttered to the confusion of her friend.
“Whaddaya mean by that, Rainbow?” she asked.
“Don’t worry about it. I think I might go hit the sack, I feel pretty tired.” As Dash faked a yawn, Applejack shrugged and turned to leave.
“Well...Alrighty then. Y’know you can come to me with anythin’ and I’ll be happy to help, right?”
Dash gave her a small smile. “I know. Thanks Applejack.” The earth pony trotted back inside, hips swaying with each step...
Dash smacked her head against the ground as hard as she could. Her vision blurred with tears of pain, and her forehead would probably be bruised, but it definitely distracted her. Dirt clung to her rainbow mane but she didn’t care.
Extending her wings, she turned toward her homes general direction and with two flaps was rising above Ponyville. The majority of lights came from the party, though there were a couple of other pinpricks scattered through the town. The night air was freezing, but it didn’t bother Dash. The feeling of slicing through the clouds was refreshingly normal. It was a cloudless sky tonight, she had seen to that. It never rained on Pinkie’s party days unless there was a special rain scheduled. It was bad enough that Twilight had to keep reminding her which days didn’t need rain and which did. Just because Dash was too busy napping to check with the other Pegasus ponies about the weather plan didn’t mean she was bad at her job like the others kept telling her. Well, they didn’t outright say that, but she could see they thought it.
“That party was totally a waste of time,” she said to the wind. As usual, the wind neglected to reply.
“Why did I even bother going? I should just stay at home, like, forever.” The only response was a rush of wind through her hair as a gust sheared through her. The cold still wasn’t getting to her though. That’s one of the many benefits to being a Pegasus pony. She was born so high up in the cold sky that she got used to it pretty quickly. The downside is that she was more vulnerable to heat, at least according to Twilight. That purple pony knew everything about everything!
Dash hated reading. Where was the fun in sitting down for hours and hours just reading stupid words? Much better to be out doing stuff, she reckoned. Although her friend’s knowledge had come in handy a couple of times, Dash admitted to herself. Like when they all first met and Twilight knew how to defeat Nightmare Moon. That had impressed her more than she had let on.
Her mind finally caught up with...well, her mind and she remembered why she was trying to distract herself. That colt. That damn colt. He just had to come up and ruin her night. He asks her to dance and all of sudden she remembers how broken she is in the head.
Suddenly, an idea blazed brightly behind her eyes. She hadn’t been feeling right for a while now. Her stomach was always churning, she had trouble talking to people and now even flying didn’t seem as fun anymore. What if she was just sick? Dash hadn’t been ill for a while so surely she was due for a bit of disease. That was how diseases worked, right?
It was settled. The next morning, the smartest pony Dash knew would be getting a visit, and she wasn’t going to leave until she had finally settled what was wrong with her.
Determination ran through Dash's veins as she flew. The skies were still clear from the previous night, so it was just her and the open blue fields. She was feeling good about today. While she didn't know what her sickness was, she was finally doing something to find out. The first step to getting better is finding out what problem you have, or something like that. Quotes weren't her thing.
She dove suddenly, leaving her stomach high above. Feeling her cheeks stretch from the speed made her laugh. No noise came out since the wind filled her mouth as she giggled, but still she kept laughing. It was so good being able to enjoy flying again. Dash had even wondered if maybe her disease had cured itself without any help, but a quick trot through the town and several sudden meetings between her head and the ground had disproved that idea. However, Dash was staying positive. Her disease must be either slowly getting better or at least it will be after she visits Twilight.
Vaguely aware of her high speed nosedive, she pulled up at the last moment and began to glide over Ponyville. Her target: a large hollowed out tree near the center of town, home to the resident bookworm. It was fairly early in the morning but Dash was sure Twilight wouldn't mind. Spike might, but he slept enough already so there was no worry about him not getting enough sleep.
Descending quickly, she hit the ground at a gallop, slowing herself over the last few steps to Twilight's door. She misjudged the distance, however, and as her head collided with the door she wondered how much more abuse her poor face could take. Ignoring the snickering from a few early rising ponies behind her, she decided to play her crash off as an actual knock on the door, preparing a grin and waiting expectantly. A few moments later, after gazing into the perfect replica of her face splattered in dirt where she hit the door, she decided to skip the damn door and take a different route.
As expected, most of the windows were open. Upon further inspection, both of the occupants were still fast asleep. She saw Spike snoring up a storm and, amusingly, Twilight snoring up an even louder storm. Dash giggled as quietly as she could as she flew in through the window and landed beside their beds. Books were scattered around Twilight's sleeping form, not really surprising, and the crumbs from gemstones were littered around Spike, also not surprising. Now was the difficult part. How do you wake a pony and a dragon up gently and not have them freak out because you're in their house? For Rainbow Dash, the answer came quickly.
"HEY TWILIGHT!" she yelled almost right into Twilight's ear. With a startled and hilarious snort, the purple pony shot up, sending her sheets fluttering into the air. Wide, red eyes darted over everything in the room as the she struggled to regain her senses. Impressively, Spike remained fast asleep. Dash made a mental note to ask him for tips later.
"Rainbow Dash?! What are...Huh?" spluttered Twilight, causing Dash to break into loud laughter at her expression. It was a solid minute before it decreased to just a little chuckle and by then Twilight had grasped the situation and had a very unamused expression on her face. Spike was still snoring softly in his little bed, completely oblivious to his surroundings.
"Are you done?" Twilight asked in a deadpan voice. Dash nodded, still with a large grin on her face.
"Sorry Twilight, I know you need your sleep what with staying up reading all night, but that was totally funny!" Her amusement seemed to rub off on the other pony, who cracked a smile.
"I guess I must have looked pretty shocked," she said with a laugh. Thanking her contagious laugh for getting her off the hook once more, Dash gestured to the table down near the entrance.
"Do you reckon we could sit down for a bit? I wanted to ask you about something," the Pegasus raised a hoof subtly at Spike, hoping Twilight would get her message.
"Oh...Sure, come on. Do you want anything to drink? I don't have much; we don't usually get many visitors this early." Dash refused with a shake of her head as they descended the short flight of stairs and took a chair each. Twilight fussed over the table, clearing books and scrolls.
"Sorry about the mess. Again, not many visitors."
"It's fine Twilight. Seriously. I'm not a neat freak like you and Rarity."
"Yes, I noticed. You know we can all see the pile of rubbish on your cloud, right?" Dash pretended to be offended.
"It's called art!" Now Twilight was the one giggling uncontrollably. Dash joined in after a moment, and their shared laughter echoed around the large chamber. After a time they trailed off, Twilight suddenly becoming serious.
"So what was it you didn't want Spike to hear about? Does it involve Rarity?" she asked. Dash quickly made motions to keep her voice down.
"Shh! It's nothing to do with Spike or Rarity; it's just something that I didn't want many ears to hear about." Twilight's interest was piqued now, she saw, leaning forward and nodding to encourage Dash to continue.
"It's...Well...The last few weeks I haven't really been feeling myself, like, I'm acting weirdly and thinking crazy things. I was just sorta wondering if you could check me out and see if I've got any disease you know of. B-by 'check out' I mean, like, medical doctor stuff-" Twilight cut her off with a chuckle.
"I know what you meant, Dash. There's no need to clarify. I would be happy to see if I can help you."
"Clari-what? Actually, never mind. How are you gonna do it?" Dash asked nervously. Twilight thought for a moment before replying.
"Well, when Spike got a cold and started sending everything he sneezed on straight to Princess Celestia, I researched a spell that let me tell when he was sick or about to get sick. So now I just quarantine him to his bed whenever I think he's getting sick and problem solved!"
"Quarun-what? Er, never mind that too. Well your spell sounds totally perfect to what I need, so...um...Bring it on?" Twilight walked around the table and placed a reassuring hoof over Dash's.
"No need to be so nervous, Dash! Trust me; I've done this spell a hundred times. Just stand over there and keep still." Dash slid her hoof out from under Twilights and stepped over to where she was told, in the middle of the room with plenty of room on each side. It didn't make her feel any less nervous knowing Twilight was keeping her away from the bookshelves in case they were damaged. Staying as still as she could but not able to keep a little shake out of her knees, she screwed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. Twilight's exasperated reaction to her behaviour was ignored as the Pegasus braced herself.
"Bravest pony in Equestria, huh? Alright, you might feel a little zap." From beyond her eyelids, a dim pink glow shone brightly. A tingling sensation gave Dash goose bumps as it ran over her body from head to tail and back.
"This feels weird," she muttered before being hushed by Twilight.
"Almost done, hold on." The tingles passed once more over her entire body before fading away. Dash kept her eyes jammed shut and continued to stay still.
"It's over, Dash. That wasn't so bad now, was it?" Twilight had humour in her voice, putting Dash at ease.
"I guess not. I was just a little nervous. So what do I have, doc?" she replied. Twilight had her eyes closed and seemed to be concentrating on something Dash couldn't see.
"Well, aside from an alarming lack of confidence, nothing. You're perfectly healthy. Oh, but you'll get a nasty stomach ache a few months from now, so better watch out for that." Twilight opened her eyes, apparently expecting Dash to be overjoyed. Her Pegasus friend was anything but pleased, however.
"You mean I have nothing? How do you explain all my weirdness? The stupid thoughts and the tongue-tied...ness!" she asked angrily.
"Hey, I just did the spell. It has always worked before; I don't see why it wouldn't work now. I agree about the weirdness though, you are definitely acting strange. I mean, the great Rainbow Dash's knees shaking for just a medical examination? That's not you." Dash sat down on the floor.
"Tell me about it," she muttered. Twilight sat next to her, empathy practically emanating from the unicorn.
"Actually, why don't you tell me about it? You know I'm very willing to listen if you're willing to talk."
"Well...It's... I'm starting to think..." she tried to explain, but the words just didn't form.
"Starting to think what, Dash?" Twilight asked quietly. But her nervousness was back, and with it her desire to escape.
"S-starting to think I should go and get something for b-breakfast," she tried to giggle as if she had planned it, but there was just a kind of sick desperation in her laugh that ruined her attempt at covering up. Twilight gave her a sympathetic smile.
"Well, I wish you could talk to me, but I can understand it's hard to open up. If you want my advice, when you have something to say that you never want anypony to hear, go to Pinkie Pie. She might be completely crazy, but she knows how to keep a secret." Dash thought she heard someone yell 'forever' in the distance, but she dismissed it.
"Thanks Twilight. I know nothing really got solved just now, but it's nice to know you're there for me," she said as they stood and embraced.
This was it. She was actually going to tell Pinkie everything. All her symptoms and thoughts, even...even the ones that had caused so many bruises on her head when she tried to stop them. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. All she was gonna do is completely open herself up to another pony. It's not like this particular pony had trouble taking anything she heard seriously or anything. And she certainly wasn't known for randomly yelling out whatever popped into her head.
But...Twilight did say Pinkie was good at keeping secrets. Twilight was a pretty smart pony, so Dash decided to trust her judgement. How much difference can there be between knowing someponies secret and helping them with it? I'm sure Pinkie Pie will be just as helpful as any other pony. She was so sure of it that she was on her third lap of Ponyville that coincidentally didn't go near Sugarcube Corner.
For a moment, she wanted to just forget about it and go back home. Or even better, Cloudsdale. Nopony she knew could reach her there except for Fluttershy, so it was the perfect hiding place. Maybe if she just waited long enough and avoided mares this would all go away...or get worse. Resisting the urge to reacquaint her head and the ground became a lot harder at the thought.
Everypony's gonna think I'm a freak if they find out! The thought, while definitely not new, still made her chest tighten and stomach churn. This level of nervousness was on a par with how she felt before the Best Young Flyer competition, if not worse.
Stepping into a shadowed alley between two houses so nobody would see, she curled up on the ground. Her confidence was now a mere shell, cracking as the first tear threatened to slide out from her eye. Blinking furiously and in vain to clear her eyes, a quiet sob was all it took to let the waterworks flow. She tried desperately to be quiet as she sobbed and pushed herself further into the alley, away from prying eyes.
The soft dripping as tears hit the ground grated on her ears as if it was the torrential flow of a waterfall. She had to be quiet or somepony would hear! If one of her friends, or even just a random pony came into the alley right now she would never live it down. They would mock her for the rest her life, she was sure. Rainbow Dash the crying filly. Her hooves scrubbed at her eyes to erase any evidence of her anguish. There was no way to be sure it had worked, but she couldn't stay in the alley forever. As she stifled a final, racking sob, the sound of hoofsteps behind her shocked her to the core.
"Rainbow Dash?" asked a familiar voice.
Without a second thought, the cyan Pegasus took to the sky, flapping her wings hard and fast as the pony below called out her name again. Higher, faster, leaving Ponyville far below. Her eyes watered again, but speed was the cause this time. Clouds littered her upward path and she shot straight through them, carving a road into the sky. The air began to thin as she breathed, the last layer of clouds rushing past.
She had to stop before she went too high. Even the sky has limits and as jumbled as her insides were she had no will to test them. Her momentum died and the Pegasus hovered, drifting. She stood at the top of the sky, watching white monoliths drift by.
There was nopony else with her, just endless blue and silver. She floated on the wind and let the air dry her eyes. She shivered, but it felt nice to be away from the town. Almost as if her troubles had remained behind in that alley.
But...She couldn't stay in the sky forever and avoid Ponyville for the rest of her life. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't abandon her friends and her life. The Element of Loyalty didn't choose her for nothing. She was the bravest, most loyal pony in Equestria. It was time to start acting like it.
Dash began her descent, eyes narrowed and the familiar rush of determination flowing through her body. She put the silver and cold behind her and took the green for her horizon. Expanses of forest speckled with lakes and rivers broke through the last of the skies mist. A grim smile slid across her lips.
Let them laugh at her. Let them see her cry. She was the Element of Celestia-damned Loyalty and no amount of shame would shake her resolve.
Ponyville became a growing jumbled of colours on the land below. She almost hoped that the pony who saw her in the alley was watching her approach so they could see that Rainbow Dash doesn't run from a problem; she kicks it in the face!
Buildings took form and distinction, Sugarcube Corner a gleaming beacon of colour and Twilight's tree dominating near the center of the village in a portrait of dark green and brown. Slowing dramatically, she landed with barely a thump atop one of the houses that walled the alley. Though she had been expecting it, a quick peek over the edge told her that whoever had snuck up on her was long gone. A few interested ponies had seen her land and, based on their expressions, they were wondering why she was on the roof. Thinking quickly, she struck a pose as if she had completed a trick and bowed as if they were applauding. That seemed to dispel any curiosity and she was able to glide down from the rooftop in peace.
The approach to Sugarcube Corner was daunting, but she held her head high. She began to imagine what she would say to Pinkie to make her act seriously. Was Pinkie even capable of acting seriously? Well, she was about to find out. As she neared the store, the door opened and Twilight walked out. Worry was printed on her face and she paused for moment, deep in thought. When the unicorn spotted Dash she jumped slightly, seemingly startled. With a show of teeth that may have been an attempt at a casual smile, Twilight quickly trotted away.
Oh no. Was it her who called her name in the alley? Please oh please not Twilight! She always wants to fix everything! Dreading the situation she would find inside, Dash pushed through the door and into Sugarcube Corner. What greeted her was a scene of sudden silence. Pinkie stood beside Mr and Mrs Cake who had their mouths open in mid speech. Dash broke the uncomfortable silence.
"You ever get the feeling you were being talked about when you walk in a room?" To her surprise, there was a layer of anger on her tone that made Mr and Mrs Cake jump.
"Nonsense, dear...Oh, I think we left the kitchen on fire. Please excuse us!" said Mrs Cake, dragging Mr Cake out of the room before Dash could reply.
Pinkie, true to form, seemed oblivious to the tension that had developed, greeting Dash cheerily.
"Hi Dashie! Did you come to visit me? That is so nice of you! What do you wanna do?" Dash felt her resolve crumble under the innocent pony's gaze.
"I, uh... is there someplace we can go where we can't be overheard? I want to talk to you about something secret."
"Sure! I'm really good at keeping secrets! I keep them FOREVER!" The pink pony replied with glee, making to lead Dash upstairs.
"That's...That's great." She followed Pinkie up the stairs and into Pinkie's massive bathroom. There were, to be frank, a lot of party supplies stored in the bathroom. Boxes and piles of streamers and balloons littered the entire room. Since the entire room consisted of the whole floor, that was quite a large amount. Pinkie took no notice of the mess, bouncing happily up the next flight of stairs to her bedroom. When Dash finally reached the top, she found herself in a veritable pink explosion. Sure, she had seen Pinkie's bedroom before, but it still shocked her every time. How did the pony not get sick of the colour?
"Have a seat Dashie! I'm alllllll ears!" Pinkie said as she sat atop her bed, leaning forward and resting her head on her hooves, a deeply interested expression ludicrously painted on her face. Dash awkwardly lowered herself down on a huge red cushion beside the bed.
Here we go. Bravest pony, bravest pony, bravest pony! Say it! Just say it!
"I like mares." In the silence that followed, Dash stared straight at the floor, not daring to meet Pinkies eyes. The desire to take it back overwhelmed her.
"I mean, I think I do," she continued, "I was just-I-I mean..." She sunk her head into the cushion, face turning bright read from shame. She had to get out of there but there was nowhere to go! Just say something, Pinkie! Please!
"Aww, really? That's adorable!" squealed the earth pony. What?
"It's what?" Dash whispered, raising her head to see Pinkie beaming at her. She was positively bouncing up and down on her bed with excitement.
"Adorable! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Oh I bet you were really nervous!" Dash was confused, but happy she wasn't being kicked out of the store.
"Well yeah, I was really nervous. I thought you would be disgusted with me or call me names like the others will if they find out." The words flowed easily, and Dash felt better each second.
"Why would anypony be mean to you about that?" Pinkie seemed genuinely confused.
"You know that ponies like...me... aren't really loved by everypony. You know the name they call us. F-fillyfoolers." The name hurt her just saying it; she was not looking forward to when the rest of the town adopted it. Pinkie gained a serious look about her when Dash said the name.
"Don't say that, Dashie! I bet everypony in town wouldn't mind if you told them you liked mares."
"They aren't all as nice as you, Pinkie," Dash replied grimly.
"Oh but they can be! If we throw a party and you tell them at the party they will be having too much fun to be mean to you!" The earth pony's suggestion brought a smile to Dash's face.
"Parties aren't always the answer, you know. Plus I kinda wanna keep it just between you and me for now, if that's ok?" Pinkie Pie nodded solemnly at the request.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" she said, waving her hooves around to match her words.
"Thanks Pinkie Pie. That actually means a lot to me." Pinkie then dove at her in a violent tackle-hug, knocking both of them off the cushion and onto the floor where she held on tight.
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me! I love you for trusting me enough to tell me though!" The pink pony's words made Dash blush a deep red, and Pinkie Pie quickly leapt off her.
"...Not like that, Dashie." She giggled at the Pegasus' discomfort before beginning to hop around the room singing.
"You like me, you like me, you liiiiiiiiiike me!" Dash reddened even further, burying her face in her hooves while still lying on the floor.
"I do not! I was just...shocked by the hug!" Pinkie stopped jumping and gave her a wink.
"If I liked mares you would be my first choice, trust me."
"T-Thanks?" Dash spluttered, "But I also wanted to ask you for advice on what to do now. I know you're not the type to really give out helpful tips that don't involve parties, but my brain alone just gets all muddled up." Pinkie looked thoughtful for half a second (even that was disconcerting) before replying.
"You're right about me not being good at advice. I've never had to deal with anything like that before, so I don't know what to suggest."
Dash sat in stunned silence at the well-reasoned response.
"Y'know Pinkie, sometimes I think I don't know you at all." Pinkie stuck out her tongue and waggled it around, her laughter spraying spittle.
"I have an idea!" said the earth pony, "Why don't you go relax and take your mind off your troubles for a little while in Cloudsdale? I know how much you love it there and, seriously, you look like you need to relax." Dash considered it. There wasn't any important weather to take care of for a few days, why not take a few hours off? "That actually sounds like a good idea. I have been kinda frazzled lately. Even more than Twilight was the last time Celestia visi-" she stopped mid sentence, remembering Twilight's odd behaviour outside the shop. She had to ask or it would bug her all day.
"Hey, Pinkie, what was Twilight doing in your shop earlier?"
"Oh not much, she just said she saw you crying in an alley and you flew off, she wanted to see if you had spoken to me," Pinkie said brightly. Dash felt the familiar tightness in her chest return.
"And...And she said that in front of Mr and Mrs Cake?" Twilight I am going to kill you!
"Nope! They walked in near the end and only heard something about you being upset."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep! Because Twilight asked them what they had heard. She can get very scary when she tries."
"I guess that's ok then. I just really don't want many ponies knowing something is wrong," Dash said, sighing in relief.
"Nothing is wrong, Dashie. You'll figure that out sooner or later."
What the heck is that supposed to mean? Since when does Pinkie give out sage advice?
Rainbow Dash felt her heart lift as soon as Cloudsdale came into sight. Those misty towers, that rainbow stream, it all felt well and truly like home. Her birthplace had changed very little since the last time she saw it. Though considering that was just a few weeks ago, she wasn't too surprised. Pegasus ponies flitted around the floating city like bees around their hive, buzzing about their daily duties. Oh, how she envied them.
As she approached, a large storm cloud was pumped out of the weather factory, drifting lazily in the direction of Manehattan. Around twenty Pegasus ponies flew by its side, guiding the unthinking mist with little nudges and prods. Dash smiled as she imagined the prim and proper ponies of Manehattan getting soaked, especially their shocked expressions and cries of "I say!" and "Goodness me!" The nobles could use a little rain on their parades, in her opinion.
The antlike Pegasus ponies grew larger, and soon she was amidst the bustling crowds and white roads. The design of Cloudsdale was, quite simply, ingenious. Several massive clouds had been joined together hundreds of years ago by a determined group of ponies. They numbered less than fifty, but the spirit of the old colonists lived in their hearts.
Ponies had spread across Equestria and settled every type of terrain imaginable, but nopony had ever tried to settle the sky. It took two years to finish the base of the city and another six months to finish the original buildings, grand halls and auditoriums with gleaming pillars. A city carved from the clouds themselves, it quickly attracted some wandering bands of restless Pegasus ponies who were delighted to finally have a place befitting their ability. Even Canterlot paled in comparison at the time.
Over the following decades, the growing number of residents built their own little houses out of the ample cloud, slowly becoming the city it was meant to be. Dash knew all this thanks to flight school. Most of the stuff they tried to teach her was boring as hay, but the history of Cloudsdale struck a chord in her. She felt like the ancient builders were her brothers and sisters, their tale of boldness and dedication was part of what made her who she was today.
And that was why, when entering a quiet cafe, she felt so relaxed and peaceful. Pinkie was right; this was exactly what she needed. She ordered an apple pie and sat down at an inside table, tucked into the corner of the cafe. The pie would likely not compare to Applejack's in quality, but that was to be expected. What she didn't expect as the pie was delivered, however, was that her particular choice of food would attract the most unlikely of ponies.
"You gonna eat all of that, Rainbow?" said Soarin' as he approached her table. Dash's jaw dropped.
"Or should I call you Dash?" he continued, either unaware or unfazed by her stunned silence. Dash's mouth worked, attempting to say something, anything, but all it emitted was a crooked, high pitched whine. Soarin' smiled at that, sitting down beside her without invitation. Not that Dash was in any state to object.
"You weren't this star struck at the Best Young Flier competition, and that was much more stressful than sitting in a cafe. What's up?" The Wonderbolt casually shoved a large piece of pie into his mouth.
"I-you...What are you doing here?! I-I don't mean that in a disrespectful way or anything, but this cafe seems a little low-key for someone of your...godlike...status..." Dash finally replied. Soarin' shrugged nonchalantly.
"This is where I grew up. My ma and pa own the shop, you see. So really, I should be asking you that question. The great Rainbow Dash, only pony ever known to do a Sonic Rainboom, sitting in my parent's cafe eating pie." All of a sudden, Soarin' lost that celebrity aura. She was able to look past the rose-tinted idolisation she had associated with him and saw the Wonderbolt for what he really was. Just a friendly guy looking for a chat and some lunch. She grinned, awkwardness forgotten.
"I just thought I'd pay Cloudsdale a visit and chill out for a few hours, you know?" She took a piece of pie for herself. Soarin' nodded as he chewed.
"I can respect that. To be honest, the whole celebrity lifestyle is starting to get a little...superficial."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know, but Spitfire sounded mighty angry when she said it," he replied with a smile that Dash returned. They ate comfortably in silence for a few moments, savouring the flavour. It definitely wasn't as good as Applejack's, but it sure came close. Soarin' finished a mouthful with a satisfied burp and wiped his hoof across his mouth.
"So what sort of problems could there be in Ponyville to cause a pony like yourself to get stressed? I admit, I always thought it was just non-stop fun and games for that particular town," he said. Dash was so relaxed she didn't even hesitate before answering.
"The town's fine, I'm just having some love life issues." Soarin's interest seemed to be piqued.
"Yeah? Some colt getting your insides a-tumble, eh? Happens to the best of us."
"Well... It's not really anyone specific; at least I don't think it is, not yet. And, um, it's not really the colts that are the problem." It felt oddly freeing saying that out loud. Soarin' went quiet for a moment, but she didn't take it back. She looked him straight in the eyes and found a glint of mischief staring back.
"It's cool, I get ya. I take it this is a new discovery for you?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Could you maybe keep your voice down a bit? I'm still sorta coming to terms with it," Dash kept her voice lowered as well, and gave a grateful smile when Soarin' nodded in understanding.
"So Rainbow Dash likes the fairer sex, eh?" he whispered, "I can see why..." He gazed around the shop at some of the mares, the mischievous look accompanied by a small smile. A waiter approached their table and Dash was surprised to realise the pie was gone. Soarin' watched the waiter leave with the crumb-littered plate, expression unchanging. Dash's heart beat a little faster.
"What did you mean," she began, "When you said problems with colts 'happen to the best of us'?"
Soarin' winked at her, exciting Dash even further. She leaned forward eagerly.
"Are you-" she started, but was cut off by a quick shh from the Wonderbolt.
"Easy on the volume, Rainbow!" he hissed.
"Sorry! But are you?" she couldn't resist asking again. Soarin' moved closer to her, whispering faintly so only Dash could hear.
"Don't make me say it. I don't like having to give it a name. I just...I don't see anything wrong with mares or colts. Both seem perfectly fine to me." Dash could barely contain herself at the other pony's admission, a big, dumb grin splitting her face. "Don't you go spreading my business around, ok? I have a reputation to maintain."
"You and me both, Soarin'. I'll keep yours if you keep mine?"
"Deal." They spat on their hooves and squished them together in the old earth pony way.
"Listen, I know you must be a little muddled up right now, so here's some advice," the Wonderbolt said, "It's fine to keep it a secret and just live day by day. That's what I do. If it keeps you happy and stress free, then there's no reason to tell everypony and risk getting a bad reaction." Dash thought that made sense. "But," he added, "if it starts to eat at you, or it becomes too hard to keep it secret then you have to let somepony know. It ain't healthy living like that."
"Thanks for the advice. You're a lot smarter than you look, Soarin'," Dash said with a smile that the other pony returned.
"I liked having lunch with you, Rainbow Dash. If I'm ever in town when you're in town again, then I'll pay for another pie." The pony stood to leave.
"I think that would be an awesome idea. I'll see you around, Wonderbolt."
"And I you, Rainboom." He gave her a final smile and left the cafe. With a puff of smoke, Soarin' took to the sky and lived up to his name. Dash took a moment to place a few bits on her table to pay for the food before exiting the shop and launching herself into the blue as well.
The sun had moved a fair amount since she arrived and it was only an hour or two away from setting. She decided to make for Ponyville straight away so she didn't get caught in the night sky.
Well today sure has been eye-opening. Soarin' has the right idea, though. Take each challenge as it comes, like a Wonderbolt.
The world grew brighter each morning. The days after her encounter with Soarin' just got better and better. Well, after she went and made Pinkie re-swear never to tell anyone. The pink pony told her it was redundant since she had already sworn once, but Dash was quite insistent.
She trotted happily through town, enjoying the newfound understanding in her life. Her 'little problem' couldn't get in the way of her life. She took Soarin's advice straight to heart, choosing to deal with issues as they presented themselves.
Pinkie had sought her out the day after her lunch with the Wonderbolt. While the pink pony had pretended it was just for fun, Dash could see the concern in her crazy friend's eyes. It made her realise the wisdom in her decision to confide in Pinkie first. They had talked for a while about inane subjects only Pinkie could think of.
"Have you ever tried eating clouds?" Pinkie had asked as they stood on the ground below Dash's floating house, "Or what about using them as an ingredient in a cupcake? Cloud cupcakes! The cloudiest cupcakes in Equestria!"
At that, Dash had burst out laughing, idly cursing her voice as it cracked from her enthusiasm. "I think I tried eating it as a filly, now that you mention it," Dash choked out in between chuckles, "I'll spare you the details, but trust me when I say that's not a ride I want to go on twice." It was Pinkie's turn to start laughing, inciting Dash into another fit. They had rolled on the ground gasping and wheezing, and Dash had a cramp in her gut by the time they stopped. Pinkie sprang upright suddenly, an idea forming behind her eyes.
"Hey! You know what I could do? I could make a list of all the mares who like mares in Ponyville and you could go through and see if you found anypony nice!" Pinkie beamed at her ingenuity, but Dash was taken aback, all thoughts of laughter gone from her head.
"Uh, Pinkie...I'm not sure I'm really at that stage just yet..." the Pegasus had replied awkwardly. Pinkie drooped a little, but then curiously asked,
"Soooo what stage are you at then?"
"Learning to live with it, I guess? Are there actually stages?"
Pinkie had giggled at that. "No, silly! Welp, you know who to ask if you're looking for somepony like yourself. I better get back to Mr and Mrs Cake!" With a knowing wink, Pinkie had turned to depart when Dash quickly stepped forward and hugged her, wrapping her forelegs around the pink ponies neck and shoving her face into her pink mane.
Pinkie Pie went rigid. Dash sighed in mild annoyance, pulling her head back for a moment.
"This is a friend hug, calm down Pinkie. I'm just...I'm really grateful for your help through this." She buried her face back in her friend's mane and hugged tighter, hoping her actions would speak louder than words. It had been a relief when Pinkie finally returned the hug full-force.
"Aww, that's ok Dashie. I think everyone needs a bit of laughter in their day!" They pulled back from the hug, but Dash felt like she needed to truly get across how thankful she was.
"It's not just today. It's how you were so nice when I told you and how you started suggesting things that you thought would help, like it was second nature to help a pony in need," Dash continued. Pinkie reddened at the praise, the only time Dash had ever seen her do so.
"You know the story of my Cutie Mark, don't you? I know just how much difference a bit of colour can make in someponies life."
The wisdom behind Pinkie's words echoed in Dash's mind even now, a week later. Strange that someone so random was so insightful as well. That was just the mystery of Pinkie Pie.
Dash's path through town took her to the alley she had cried in. It was still dark and narrow, but no longer deserted. Two young colts were chatting at the opposite end, laughing and joking. She turned to leave when something they said caught her attention.
"Friggin' fillyfoolers everywhere in this town. I wanna move to Canterlot, I heard they don't allow that kind of gross shit," spat one of them, whipping his short brown mane around to emphasise his disgust. Dash realised what they were talking about and hid around her corner of the alley. She knew she should go before they upset her but she couldn't help but want to hear the rest of the conversation.
"Nah man, you got it all wrong. Canterlot's the gayest city in Equestria. You ever wonder why Celestia doesn't take a husband?" replied the other, a dark grey coloured Pegasus.
His friend looked shocked. "No way! Are you for real? I always thought she had, like, a hundred stallions to mess around with when she got bored. Like them fancy royal guards that came with her when she came to see the Gay Gang."
It shocked Dash to hear somepony talk about Princess Celestia in such a horrible way and she clamped her hoof over her mouth to avoid unleashing a few choice curse words. And what's this Gay Gang? Surely they don't mean...
"Oh yeah I remember that. Maybe she goes both ways or some shit. My pa always said she was messed up in the head, banishing her own sister like that."
Dash wanted to step out from the corner and give the two colts a piece of her mind. Nobody should be allowed to insult the Princess like that! She forced herself to remain hidden though, knowing she would likely be biting off more than she could chew. Sure, she kicked a dragon in the face once, but that was with five of her friends backing her up.
"Ever since that bitch Twilight showed up, this place has been flooded with fil-" said the dark grey one, but was cut off by Dash. Adrenaline exploded in her veins as soon as he said Twilight's name and she didn't put a second thought into stepping around the corner.
"Hey! Don't talk about my friend like that!" she cursed her voice a thousand times for cracking. The two colts stared at her for a moment in surprise, before bursting into laughter.
"Come to defend your marefriend? How friggin' adorable," gasped the brown haired one.
"She's not my marefriend! And if she was, what's wrong with that?" Dash hoped nopony was listening in on their argument.
"Hm, let's see, everything? In case you hadn't noticed, mares and colts go together. Mares and mares don't," the dark grey Pegasus told her condescendingly.
Dash was furious. "Who made you the boss of love? Besides, all I can see here is two colts laughing and enjoying each other's company in a dark alley. What do you think that might mean?" She was proud of that one. The look the two gave each other was the most satisfying reaction she could have hoped for, until the one with the brown mane stepped forward menacingly.
"Are you callin' us gay? I ain't afraid to hit a girl, you know. Maybe you should fly on outta here before we make you eat every word you've said."
His Pegasus friend quickly flew over her and landed behind her. "I think that's too kind. Maybe we can beat the gay out of her. She'll thank us afterwards."
The brown haired one suddenly seemed uncomfortable. "Uh, dude, let's just go. I think she's learned her lesson."
"What's the matter Bone? Did your balls drop off?" Dash stared at the one called Bone, and noticed he was looking over her shoulder and past his friend. He had a frightened look on his face and before he could say anything another voice, female, angrily replied for him.
"They will if y'all don't get the hay outta here right now!" shouted Applejack.
The Pegasus colt spun around at her voice. His surprise didn't last long, however, and he began laughing even harder. "Another fillyfooler rescuing her marefriend, this is hilarious!"
Bone didn't share his friend's mirth, backing away from the situation. "Rusty let's just go, dude. Forget about these two."
"Afraid of two girls, eh Bone? You always were a sissy." Bone didn't reply, he seemingly cut his losses and made a quick exit from the alley.
Dash took the moment to circle around Rusty and stand beside Applejack. Her friend's presence restored her confidence somewhat, and she found herself making the threats. "You should run after your friend if you know what's good for you!"
"Yeah? Or what?"
Applejack moved faster than Dash thought was possible, darting forward and spinning around to deliver the most brutal buck to Rusty's chest, sending him back a good distance into the alley.
"That's what!" yelled Applejack, "Now if ah ever catch you threatening one of my friends again, ah won't stop after the first kick!"
Receiving only a pained groan as a reply, the earth pony nodded satisfactorily and stepped out of the alley, Rainbow Dash in tow. The Pegasus couldn't help but grin at her friend as they quickly moved away from the alley. "That. Was. Awesome!"
Applejack gave her a small smile, a worried look on her face.
"What's the matter, AJ?"
"It's just, well, since when do you let yourself get cornered by anyone? Ah think you coulda taken them both on, but when ah found you it wasn't looking good. Did they say somethin' before ah got there?" the earth pony replied, glancing sideways at her.
"Kinda. They were saying mean stuff about us," Dash said, avoiding her friend's eyes.
"Us?"
"All of us. You, me, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity. At least I think that's who they meant. They were calling us the 'Gay Gang'."
Applejack snorted with laughter. "That's the dumbest nickname ever. Why in Equestria were they callin' us that?"
"You heard them, they don't like fillyfoolers. They think we, our group, are all... you know." She kept her eyes forward to avoid seeing Applejack's reaction and noticed that they were leaving Ponyville and heading down the road to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack, however, didn't seem to notice and kept walking. Fine by me.
"That's a right awful thing to say about somepony." Applejack kept walking, unaware of Dash tensing up beside her.
"Is it?" the Pegasus said quietly.
Applejack gave her an odd sidelong look. "Er...Yeah?"
Dash felt her temper flare. "Because being a fillyfooler is soooo evil, isn't it? We just go around being horrible to ponies all the time!" she said loudly. Applejack's jaw dropped and she stopped walking, staring at Rainbow Dash.
No. Nononononononono. Did I say 'we'? I'm so stupid! Stupid stupid stupid stupid! Now she thinks...Nonononono!
Dash backed away from the earth pony, stretching her wings and preparing to take flight-
Take each challenge as is comes, like a Wonderbolt.
She stopped. She raised her head high and looked straight at Applejack.
"Rainbow, are you saying you're a fi- you like mares?" There was no discerning her opinion in her voice.
"Got a problem with it?" she asked the Element of Honesty without a single voice crack.
"Er, no, as matter o' fact." Applejack said plainly.
The adrenaline and power left Dash in an instant. "Oh," was all she could manage.
With a chuckle, Applejack gestured for Dash to follow her. "Come on, you silly filly. I want to tell you about somethin'." Dash hesitated, but decided to hear her out and hurried to catch up.
A few minutes passed while Applejack collected her thoughts, and they found themselves leaving the road and climbing up a large grassy hill with a single apple tree on top. The tree cast a large shadow across the swaying grass that seemed oddly comforting.
"This is a really cool spot, AJ." Her words went unnoticed as Applejack walked up to the tree and rested a hoof on the thick trunk.
"Ah haven't been here in a while."
The world seemed so quiet and peaceful up on the hill. Dash reckoned it would be a great spot for a nap. A gentle wind flowed across the grass fields below, like a ripple in a pond. Applejack stayed silent, taking her hoof off the trunk and turning to face Dash.
"So what did you want to tell me?" asked the polychromatic pony.
"Ah heard you were in some sort of strife lately, and now ah think I know why. Your, um, fondness for mares is a new discovery, ain't it?"
Dash nodded and looked away. "I only fully realised a week or two ago," she replied quietly.
"You must have been awful confused. Ah felt the same a long time ago, like nothin' made sense anymore." That got Dash's attention.
"AJ, are you saying what I think you're saying?" She was excited, stepping closer to Applejack.
"Whoa there girl, hold up. Just let me tell the story, alright?" Dash sat down impatiently, motioning for her to begin.
"Alright, this happened when ah was a filly, not long after ah got my cutie mark. This hill-
-towered above Applejack as she slowly climbed it. A little sapling was swaying in a pot tied to her back. Her legs ached from the climb, but she was a determined little pony and didn't stop. She was gonna prove to Big Mac that she's up to the job of planting new trees, and to do it she was going to plant a big apple tree right on the hill in plain sight. That oughta teach him.
Applejack grinned triumphantly as she reached the top. No mountain was too high for her to climb it!
"And now, to mark mah victory!" she declared, taking the pot from her back. Carefully, she dug a little hole in the ground dead centre of the hill. She refilled it several times and tried again and again, not satisfied with the results.
"Ah think some of that snooty perfectionist behaviour rubbed off on me when ah was in Manehattan," she grumbled to herself.
The padding of hooves on grass approached from behind her. Applejack turned around and noticed a pink-maned Pegasus climbing the hill. She had her eyes closed as was humming to herself happily. She seemed to be completely unaware of Applejack, to the point she walked straight into her, slamming their faces together. A mutual cry of pain and surprise left them both and the Pegasus fell backwards, rolling down the hill. Applejack ran down after her as fast as she could, trying to catch the pink-maned tangle before she hurt herself. In a last ditch effort, she threw herself forward, leaping ahead to grab the tumbling pony. Seizing her by her dainty hooves, she dragged them both to a halt just over halfway to the bottom.
"You alright there, sugarcube?" she asked the pony. With a quiet squeal, she looked at Applejack, eyes wide.
"Hey now, I ain't gonna hurt you. You was just busy humming to yourself and walked into me."
"Oh," the pegasus whispered, "I'm sorry!"
Climbing to her hooves, Applejack grinned and stuck out a hoof to help the quiet pony up.
"No harm done. My name's Applejack, I live at Sweet Apple Acres, just up the road." Accepting the help, the messy-maned pony stood up delicately.
"I'm Fluttershy..." she said softly.
"That's a pretty name."
"Th-Thankyou..." Fluttershy turned red and Applejack laughed.
"Hold up," interrupted Rainbow Dash, "Is this going where I think it's going?"
"Just let me tell the story, RD!"
"Alright, fine!"
"Now, what happened next still surprises me to this day. Ah never would've believed that Fluttershy of all ponies-
-stepped forward in one motion and planted a little kiss on Applejack's cheek. The earth pony was shocked, but didn't recoil.
"What was that for?" she asked, feeling her face heat up.
"Y-You tried to stop me from falling, even though you could have hurt yourself," Fluttershy replied, quivering slightly from embarrassment.
"Ain't no problem, Fluttershy! Hey, ah was about to plant a tree on this hill here...Do you wanna-
-helped me plant the tree, and we became fast friends."
"Fluttershy KISSED you!?" shouted Dash. Applejack looked around frantically, motioning with her hooves to keep the noise down.
"Yeah, but shush up about it, y'hear?"
"This is...Wow...So does that mean you two are... the same as me?" Dash perked up, her smile growing into a grin.
"Well..." was Applejack's hesitant response. Dash leaned forward expectantly.
"Ah guess, maybe. The farm is very important to me and mine, so ah haven't really had time to think too hard about it. All I know is that Fluttershy and ah kissed a few more times after that day, and it never once felt wrong."
"That's...sort of encouraging, I think," said Dash.
"The point of me tellin' you all this is to show you that you ain't alone, even when you think you are. There are ponies out there just as confused as you, an' I'm sure not all of 'em have a friend to back them up when they're cornered, either by some dumb colts or by their own thoughts. You understand sugarcube?" Applejack patiently explained.
Dash was quiet for a few minutes, thinking over her friend's words. "I...I actually think I do. You're an amazing friend, AJ." Rainbow Dash stepped forward and wrapped her hooves around Applejack's neck, hugging tightly. The earth pony returned it whole-heartedly.
Their embrace continued for another minute. And then another.
"Um, RD, you can let go of me now," whispered Applejack, who had watched with amusement as the cyan pony's wings slowly stretched outwards.
"I think I might hold on a bit longer," she replied. Applejack opened her mouth to say something else when she felt a soft pressure on her neck for an instant.
"Did you just kiss my neck?" she said, and the vibrations from Dash's silent laughter gave it away.
"Nope."
Dash pecked at the earth pony's neck again.
And then again, and again, and ag-
"Rainbow!" Applejack forcibly extracted herself from the hug.
Dash smiled sheepishly at her. "Sorry! I sorta got distracted... Don't give me that look! Hey, those kinda feelings have been bottled up for a while now; I'm not responsible for my actions!" Dash blushed harder with every word, realising what she just did.
Thankfully, Applejack just chuckled and started walking down the hill. "Maybe later, sugarcube. Right now ah think you should go talk to Fluttershy and get her side of the story. She might be able to give you better advice than ah can, who knows?"
"Yeah, good idea. I'll just...um...I'll head over there now," Dash flexed her wings and prepared to take flight.
"Right, I'll see ya when ah see ya Rainbow Dash." Applejack looked back for a moment as she spoke before continuing her descent.
Dash flapped her wings and rose into the air in a flurry of disturbed twigs. Leaning forward, she quickly gained speed and left the apple tree behind. As she soared over the path below, she felt a nervous yet exciting tightness in her chest, and an unstoppable smile graced her lips.
Dash shook her head violently in attempt to loosen some annoying thoughts. Naturally, the motion did nothing. In the few minutes since she left Applejack by the hill, her mind had been racing as fast her heart. Does Applejack like me? She felt giddy with excitement at the idea, though it was tempered by the cold reality that before this day, Rainbow Dash hadn't thought of Applejack in that way.
Although, she hadn't thought of anypony in that way. Except for those few glances she stole at her friends, but they didn't count, right? Did she want to be with Applejack, or did she just want to be with somepony?
"Oh horsefeathers!" she swore, realising she had absent-mindedly overshot Fluttershy's cottage. A sharp turn later, she descended from the sky and skidded to a textbook halt right outside Fluttershy's cottage. Resisting the urge to strike a pose, she tapped softly on the door, not wishing to startle the timid pegasus.
A sing-song voice replied from within, "I'm coming!"
Moments later, the door opened to reveal the pink-maned pegasus, who smiled at the sight of Dash.
"Hello Rainbow! Please come in," she said, stepping back into the house so Dash could enter.
The two pegasi gravitated towards the kitchen table, and both took a seat without speaking. An awkward silence arose, and Dash said the first thing that came to mind, desperate to break it.
"Soooo... I heard you and Applejack kissed when you were little."
In lieu of a response, Fluttershy slid from the chair and under the table with a squeak.
"Um, Fluttershy? Are you alright?" asked Dash, peering beneath the table. The yellow pegasus had curled up in a ball.
"Oh please don't hate me Dash!" she whispered in a frightened voice. Dash raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Why would I hate you?"
Fluttershy moved one of her hooves slightly, revealing an eye wide with fear.
"W-Well nobody likes f-fillyfoolers..."
Dash smiled warmly. As good a time as any.
"Actually, I do," she said confidently.
Her scared friend slowly but surely emerged from beneath the table, fear turning to surprise. "You do? B-But you're the straightest pony I know."
Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head and blushed lightly. "Yeah...about that..."
__________
Fluttershy was lying atop her armchair while Dash took up the couch. Empty tea cups were perched on the coffee table between them, one placed delicately and the other on its side. An air of comfortable silence filled the room, and Dash smiled contentedly.
The last few hours had been spent with either pony sharing their respective stories, with days and months of pent up thoughts and hidden memories flowing from their mouths. Dash felt lighter with each word, finally being able to let go of the thoughts that had weighed her down.
She learned a lot about Fluttershy too, things even Dash found surprising. It turned out Fluttershy had become rather infatuated with Rainbow Dash after she defended her from bullies back in Cloudsdale all those years ago. Only after meeting Applejack did she realise her crush for what it was. To Dash's delight, Fluttershy admitted she had moved on from Applejack as well a couple of years ago, when she started to mature more.Fortunately, the yellow pegasus was overjoyed when Dash told her of her sudden attraction to Applejack.
As embarrassed as she was, Dash forced herself to tell every detail of her problem-but-not-a-problem and the last few weeks. She came close to tears a few times, but pushed past them with the gentle help of her friend. The tale of the two colts in the alleyway was one of those moments.
"They called us the Gay Gang," Dash had said sullenly. Fluttershy giggled.
"That's a very silly name."
"I know. What bothers me is that we seem to be proving them right."
"What do you mean?"
"Well you, me and Applejack are . . . gay, and who knows about Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie?"
Fluttershy had placed a hoof on Dash's shoulder.
"If they are, it's not a bad thing. Don't worry about what those colts said because they aren't your friends."
Dash remembered hugging her tightly, grinning.
"Thanks Fluttershy. You're the best." They parted and Fluttershy had a thoughtful look on her face.
"I do really hope that Twilight is gay though."
"What?"
"Nothing!"
The sun was beginning to descend in the sky, with light taking on a soft orange colour as it neared the horizon. In beams of carved air it entered through the windows, playing across the relaxed scene.
Fluttershy yawned at the same time as Rainbow Dash, making them both break into a fit of giggles.
"I just remembered something," Fluttershy said when she stopped laughing, "Pinkie Pie came by this morning to invite me to a party in two days. She said to invite you if I saw you since you weren't at your cloud home."
Dash nodded. "That must have been when I was with Applejack. Two days? Does that include today?"
"It's the day after tomorrow, silly filly."
"Oh right. Well, should be good. I could use a party right now." Dash pushed herself to a sitting position and stretched, yawning again. "Well maybe not right now. I never thought I could get so worn out from talking."
"That's what happens after a good therapy session. When you're emotionally tired, it makes the rest of you tired as well. Twilight told me that. Do you know how smart she is? She must know everything about everything! Sometimes when I sleep over her house I ask her to read to me."
The yellow pegasus reddened under Dash's knowing smirk. Rather than exerting her sudden power and making Fluttershy even more embarrassed, Rainbow Dash let it slide and changed the subject. "So how do you keep from going crazy?" She didn't elaborate on what she meant. After everything Dash had shared with the other pegasus, she already knew.
Fluttershy thought for a few moments. "I suppose...Once I knew for sure, I was almost like you. The difference is that I had Applejack to share my worries with straight away, and that really helped. After those first weeks, I just kept doing what I was doing. That's when I realised how little it mattered. I was still me, and as long as nopony paid too much attention to me I was happy."
Rainbow Dash let the words sink in.
She still loved to fly.
She still loved showing off.
She still wanted to be a Wonderbolt.
Was it possible that being gay hadn't changed her as horribly as she thought?
Dash woke up to heaven every day. When the morning light breached the horizon, it played across her cloudhome before anything else. The fluffy yet solid material seemed to absorb the sunlight, glowing and shining almost unbearably bright. Every morning Dash would walk tiredly through the halls of white and marvel in their splendour. Then she would eat breakfast in their splendour. Then laze around in their splendour. And slowly, as the day progressed, they lost their splendour. It seemed even something as beautiful as a cloud imbued with the rays of the sun couldn't stand up to the test of time and routine, that no matter how new and amazing something is when first discovered it quickly becomes just another part of existence.
The thought was simultaneously disheartening and emboldening, an oxymoron of emotion that left her head aching. For that reason, she decided to stay at home. Considering her house is made entirely out of the most comfortable substance in existence, she wondered how she ever managed to leave the bed. Of course that question answered itself with every breath of wind that wafted through her windows. The sky always called to her eventually, no matter how lazy she was determined on being.
But not that day. Dash was finally going to take a break from all the thinking and worrying that had occupied her life in recent days. Unfortunately, Twilight had other ideas. The interruption occurred at almost midday as Dash prepared for the first of many naps. The familiar tones of the bookish unicorn floated into the cloudhome and Dash couldn't ignore it. With a sigh, she heaved herself out to look down from her house.
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called.
"Yeah, yeah, I can hear ya. What do you want?"
The purple pony looked exasperated. "Can you come down? I can't shout this!"
With dread behind her eyes, Dash dove from the cloud and enjoyed the brief second of freefall before opening her wings. Flapping twice, she landed softly beside Twilight, who greeted her with a smile. "Hi Dash!"
"...Hey." The pegasus accepted the awkward silence that followed, having experienced a fair few of them now.
"So. Um. Oh yeah! I came here to check up on you. Er, because you weren't feeling well a few days ago." She paused, then quickly added, "As far as I know."
Dash sighed. "I know you're the one who saw me crying in the alley that day. Pinkie told me."
Twilight winced before replying. "Sorry about that. I wanted to talk to you but, well, you didn't seem to want to share your problem with me."
Don't think, just do it. "Oh, what the hay. Everypony else knows, you'll find out sooner or later. I like mares." Dash felt proud of how she said it, like it was old news barely worth mentioning. That, and her voice didn't crack once.
The unicorn cocked her head to one side. "Well of course you do. So do I," she said with a confused undertone.
"Fluttershy will be pleased to hear that." Dash cracked a grin.
Twilight just looked more confused. "I'm not following."
"Oh. Wait." The rainbow-maned flier remembered a very important aspect of Twilight's personality: complete lack of understanding of most social situations. Sure, it was endearing, but it was confusing the issue. "Alright Twilight, let me break this down so even an egghead like you can understand. I like mares. I really, really like them. As in, I wanna do stuff with them . . . and stuff. Romance stuff." The words made her cheeks burn but they were necessary.
The look of realization was priceless as Twilight let out a long 'Ohhh' and her face flushed. "I see what you mean now. So that's what you've been stressing about! Just a simple sexual orientation realizat-"
"Simple?! I don't think so!"
Twilight winced again. "Sorry, poor choice of words. I know it must have been tough for you. What I meant is I'm glad it's this and not a terminal disease or something."
"What's a terminal disease?" asked the flying pony.
"I have no idea," replied the magical unicorn. "But anyway, this presents an opportunity to study something I don't normally have access to."
"Me?" Dash suddenly wished she had stayed up in her house.
"Not you specifically, the idea that you represent." Twilight leaned closer and lowered her voice to an intense, scientifically focused whisper. "Lesbianism."
Dash took a step back. "Is that what it's called now? I might have to pass on the whole 'study me' thing."
Ignoring her, Twilight began to circle around, looking at her from every angle. "Hmm. Appears to be no discernable difference between the physical forms of ponies with different orientations. Further study is needed. Rainbow, what do you eat?"
"Food? Like, hayfries and stuff?"
"Fascinating. I must return to the library and draw up an experiment. On an unrelated note, are you busy next weekend?" Twilight stopped walking and stood in front of Dash once more.
"I am now," the pegasus replied.
"Oh well. By the way, what did you mean when you said 'Fluttershy will be pleased'?"
Letting out a hacking cough, Dash extended her wings. "Oh no, this fresh air does a number on my lungs. I might go lie down for a bit."
Her bookish friend bought the lie easily. "Hope you feel better soon! I'll see you tomorrow at the party!"
Dash waved and flew the short distance back up to her home. Despite the rather intrusive nature of the conversation, Dash was left feeling good about how it went. If she had a choice between being treated as a science experiment or being ostracised she would take the first option every time. When she thought about it, she should have expected exactly that reaction from Twilight. The egghead would have read all about fillyfoolers at some point, that was certain.
With a yawn, Dash decided to make up for lost time and curled up on her cloud.
------
With her nap over and no further distractions, Dash became restless. Spending the day napping had seemed like a perfect idea when she was tired and in bed, but now she was rested and full of energy with nothing to expend it on. There were no clouds in the sky and not a single storm due until the next week. She laid on the cloud irritably.
What she could really use was somepony to . . . fool around with. All this energy might as well be put to good use, right? As they often did, her thoughts drifted to Applejack. The earth pony was probably out in her fields this time of day working up a sweat and pulling carts of apples around with her hooves plastered in dirt. She would wipe the perspiration from her forehead with one hoof and sigh, a healthy flush on her cheeks and neck. She might even stand still for a moment and close her eyes, letting the breeze flow over her wet fur. Her mane would be untied, of course, and it would sway gently in the updraft. A single trickle of sweat would roll ever so slowly down her flank . . .
Rainbow Dash rolled over and groaned in frustration. This is just ridiculous. I should just go talk to her or something. But was it too soon after their chat?
Maybe later, sugarcube. Applejack's voice had been repeating that line far too often for it to be good for her. When was 'later'? Did she mean come by the farm later that day? Dash started breathing faster. She missed it! Now Applejack probably thought she was an awful pony to lead her on like that. There was only one course of action. Her wings were already extended for some reason as she stood up, so without a second thought she leapt into the sky.
It was a short flight, but then when you're the greatest flier in Equestria everything is. The field of green speckled with a million tiny red dots was as familiar as Ponyville itself. Dash had once tried to nap in every single tree for fun. She made it to about the fifteenth tree before boredom destroyed that plan.
The big Apple family homestead looked as welcoming as ever as Dash swooped towards it. One particular red dot became a lot bigger upon closer inspection, taking the shape of Big Macintosh.
One magnificent landing later brought her face to face with the huge workpony. He didn't bat an eyelid as she blurted out her story.
Big Macintosh replied infuriatingly slowly. "Eeyup."
"WhereissheIreallyneedtoseeherurgently!"
He inclined his head towards the big red barn not too far from the house. Dash sucked in a lungful of air. "Sorry about that. Thanks for the help!"
Without waiting for a response, she trotted towards the open barn door. Curses were flying thick and fast from inside, their source revealed to be Applejack rolling a very heavy-looking barrel. The orange pony didn't seem to notice Dash entering the barn.
"Mah turn to do chores, he says! It's always mah darn turn!" she muttered, moving the barrel another inch toward where the others were stacked.
"Hey Applejack..." The pegasus made her presence known.
Applejack didn't turn around, still shoving the barrel with her shoulder. "Howdy RD! Ahm a mite busy at the moment, so you'll excuse mah poor manners."
Poor manners? Was that a jab at her for missing the . . . whatever it was supposed to be?
"Need a hoof?" she asked helpfully, hoping it might count towards an apology. A strained grunt was her only reply, so Dash stepped up next to Applejack and pushed against it with all her might. It rolled forward suddenly as if it were full of air. Dash wasn't expecting it, making her fall forward and smack her face on the hay-littered dirt floor.
Applejack was rolling on the floor laughing. "You were right, pranking ponies is fun!"
The polychromatic pony rose unsteadily to her feet. "The barrel is empty, isn't it?"
"Yup! Ah saw you coming our way and ducked in here," the earth pony climbed to her feet as well, still chuckling. Dash had to admit, it was a pretty good trick. "So what brings ya here, Rainbow?"
"Oh yeah. Er, you remember what you said to me yesterday after I started getting all . . . touchy-feely? Well, um, yeah..." she trailed off, not sure how to vocalise her worries.
Applejack seemed to interpret her words a different way, her eyes widening. "Now, Rainbow, y'all haven't come to me today with the chastest thoughts in mind, have you?" She smirked at Dash's reaction.
"I-No! I was only trying to – no, this is totally not what you – I would be way more subtle – not like that," the pegasus spluttered.
"Calm down RD, just tell me why you're here." Applejack put her hoof on Dash's shoulder, which surprisingly helped.
"The thing you said . . . I wasn't sure if you meant later that day, so I got worried I had let you down by not showing up."
The orange pony sighed. "Ah was teasing ya, sugarcube. Ah didn't really expect that you'd want to take me up on mah offer."
"Are you kidding? It's all I can think about!" Dash blurted.
"Oh is it now?" Applejack said slyly as the pegasus reddened. "Ah know you said you were bottled up, but ah didn't know it was this badly."
"That . . . That came out wrong." That came out exactly how I meant it because I'm an idiot.
The Element of Honesty stepped closer, putting her other hoof around Dash's neck. "Ya can tell me to stop any time you want."
Something had changed inside her last night. When thought became action, the immaterial became tangible, and it destroyed all previous opinions. No longer was being gay just an idea and a feeling. No longer was sex a future event to ponder about. Both concepts had manifested, taking the form of an orange earth pony winking at her from across the party. And Dash couldn't be happier about it, even if she did accidentally dribble some punch whenever Applejack looked her way.
The music was pumping as loudly as it always did, but Dash didn't mind. Her front legs bounced softly to the beat. There was something so relaxing and easygoing about the party, like all her worries were being washed away in the flow of music and noise.
A hushed conversation from the previous night drifted to the front of her mind. Applejack had been hugging her from behind as they lay together contentedly.
"Hey," Dash had whispered, "So . . . What are we now?" She was nervous, and despite what they had just shared she had been scared of having it torn away.
Applejack had snuggled closer. "Do we need to be somethin'? This just feels nice."
"But... is this just about feeling nice, or is there more?" Dash rolled over to face her then.
"Sugarcube..." The earth pony sighed. "Ah don't have all the answers, alright? Let's just start with this and see how it goes."
"Alright..." replied the disheartened pegasus.
Applejack immediately pulled her close and looked deep into her eyes, green meeting magenta. "Hey now, don't get like that. Ah wouldn't have done what we just did if ah didn't like you. It's just..." She sighed again. "Aw, heck with it. Maybe ah'm a little tired of putting mah farm 'fore everything else. Maybe ah think after workin' hard every day I deserve to have somepony to come home to. And... maybe ah want that 'somepony' to be you."
That was good enough for Dash. Sure, there would still be problems, like what to tell their friends and families, but they would be handled easily by her new philosophy, which Applejack had taken a liking to.
"Take each challenge as it comes, huh? Ah can do that," said the earth pony earlier that day during lunch. Rainbow Dash had just finished telling her about her trip to Cloudsdale (omitting a certain revelation from a certain Wonderbolt, of course).
"I figure if I try to prepare for everything and worry about all the things that could go wrong then I'll stop having fun." Dash had smiled broadly. "And that's just not an option."
"Ah hear that!" Applejack then raised her drink and Dash did the same. The chime that occurred when they tapped their glasses together echoed through the cyan pony's memory.
That single peal resonated as Dash watched the partiers. Rarity and Spike were dancing side by side, one of them giving the other looks of complete adoration. The white unicorn was either completely oblivious or very tactful. Probably the latter. Dash felt her heart go out to the hopeless baby dragon. He reminded her of Fluttershy, who was currently standing in the corner watching a particular purple unicorn from across the room.
She wandered over to the yellow pegasus and was greeted with a gentle smile. But then, everything Fluttershy did was gentle.
"Hi Dash. Are you having fun?" she said, voice barely audible over the music.
"Yeah, this party's pretty cool. Hey, Fluttershy, wanna hear something pretty awesome?" Dash leaned closer, a sudden uncontrollable desire to boast taking over. Fluttershy nodded happily, leaning her ear towards Dash to hear her better.
"Last night, me and Applejack totally did it!" she whispered the last part, her voice cracking from the excitement caused by her recollection of the night.
As expected, Fluttershy turned bright red in a manner of seconds, but didn't turn away. Instead she replied in an extremely low voice, curiosity getting the better of her but still trying to maintain some dignity. "W-What was it like?"
Dash's cheeks ached from grinning so hard. "Un. Freaking. Believable. Also really wet." She realised what she said and rushed to correct it, only to further exacerbate her own embarrassment. "N-Not wet like that – well, yeah wet like that, obviously – but I meant, like, sweat and saliva and oh jeez I'm just gonna shut up."
Fluttershy giggled at her discomfort before stepping forward and hugging Dash for a moment. "I'm glad you're feeling so much better. I was so worried about you."
The cyan pony felt a rush of affection for her childhood friend. "I've got your advice to thank for that. Honestly, without friends like you I would be a total mess."
The Element of Kindness grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Dash, you were a total mess."
"Heh, I guess I was. What I'm trying to say... without being too sappy... is I'm really glad... umm... I'm so grateful for... I... ugh, you know what I mean."
"I do. Now stop being sappy and enjoy the party!" Fluttershy commanded in a friendly yet stern tone.
"Gotcha!"
Dash spread her wings and fluttered over the crowd, dodging some of the pegasi who were doing the same. With the unerring skill that only the Best Young Flier could possess, she dropped into a free space amongst the ponies and landed next to Twilight. The unicorn had her eyes closed and was having some sort of fit. A few moments later, Dash realised she was dancing.
"Hey Twilight! Having... fun?"
The flailing of limbs ceased and she looked at Dash. "Absolutely! I love dancing!"
"I can see that. Hey," a devious thought crept into Rainbow Dash's mind, "Fluttershy told me she wishes she could dance like you. Maybe you could go over to her and teach her how? Who knows, maybe one day she'll be as good as you!" It was lucky the music was so loud so the barely contained laughter in her voice was hidden.
"She said that? I never really took her for the dancing type," replied a confused Twilight.
"Yeah, seriously, she wants to dance so badly. I bet if you took her by the hooves and showed her how to do it she would be really grateful."
"I better go do that then. Thanks for the heads-up, Rainbow!" Twilight merrily merged with the crowd.
Dash chuckled to herself. Things were about to get interesting.
A familiar presence made itself known beside her with a nudge and a laugh. "Y'all aren't playing a prank, are ya?"
Dash kept grinning as she turned to Applejack. "Who, me? I would never do anything like that."
"Sure ya wouldn't. Ah gotta say, Rainbow, ahm glad you've got your confidence back. All that moping around just wasn't you."
"Yeah, tell me about it. It helps that I got the mother of all confidence boosters last night." She gave a sly wink. For once, it was Applejack's turn to blush. Finally! Dash had been starting to think the earth pony had no concept of modesty.
"Good to hear you enjoyed yourself." Applejack stepped closer and the rest of the party seemed to dull and darken in comparison. "Though I think all of Ponyville heard that last night." Alright, so the earth pony really didn't have any notion of modesty. Dash cursed herself as her face became very hot all of a sudden. The orange pony took extreme delight in her reaction. "Aw, ain't that cute? The mighty Rainbow Dash turns to butter with just a couple of words."
"S-Stop that! That's not fair!" she spluttered.
Applejack just seemed even more amused. "Since when have you cared about playing fair?" Damn it, she had a point. "You are just too easy to mess with, RD. Ah'll let you cool off for a bit." With another blush-inducing wink, the earth pony strode away into the throng, tail flicking invitingly over her flank. She's with me. The thought made her incredibly happy.
In a blur of cotton candy and sweets, Pinkie Pie bounced past laughing. Dash watched her pass every group that was beginning to look tired, marvelling at how they seemed to recover their energy and continue dancing. The Element of Laughter certainly knew how to keep a party going.
Dash felt the urge to catch up with her somehow so she could offer her thanks once again (and maybe to do a bit of boasting), but she decided against it. There would be time later for that, just like there would be time later to fill in Rarity on everything that had happened. The pegasus felt slightly guilty for not thinking about going to her earlier for advice. She made a mental note to visit Carousel Boutique the next day. In fact, the more she thought about it the more she wanted to see Rarity. If anypony could help her figure out what exactly was going on between Applejack and herself it would be the Element of Generosity. It was a well-known fact that Rarity had most of the colts in Ponyville tripping over each other to speak with her. If recent experience is correct, then there really wouldn't be much difference in their situations. Grudgingly, Rainbow Dash had to admit to herself that she was the one tripping over herself for Applejack. But maybe with Rarity's help, she could even the playing field.
And perhaps with some of Twilight's books she might learn how to make her earth pony melt like butter. A determined smirk formed upon her lips. Rainbow Dash was not going to just be a pushover in this... relationship. That's what it was, wasn't it? She was in an actual relationship. The thought made her giddy and excited like a little filly during Winter Wrap Up. I am in a relationship with Applejack. She resisted the urge to scream it barely.
"Hey Bone, did it just get gayer in here?" said a familiar voice behind her.
Dash groaned as she turned around. "How's your chest feeling?" she said icily.
"You said you were gonna drop it, dude. Let's not do this," Bone muttered to his friend. Rusty wasn't about to just leave, however.
"I think I want an apology from this fillyfooler before I drop it. Besides, none of her fag friends are nearby so chill out."
That was the final straw. Dash flared her wings angrily and took a step forward. There must have been something in her eyes because both colts swallowed and shuffled back. "Listen here. The only reason I haven't busted you and your coltfriend into the ground and stomped your brains out is because of my 'fag' friends. You should be grateful to them." She lowered her voice menacingly and looked into their eyes. "Now get out of here and pray that I don't meet you in an alley again." The unspoken promise of very bad consequences hung in the air like a thundercloud. They left without another word.
Dash watched them go, making sure they left the party. She puffed her chest out and grinned when the door slammed shut behind them. The Rainbow Dash is back!
"Ah saw that," whispered Applejack in her ear. "Ah'm proud of ya, sugarcube." She felt the earth pony nuzzle her neck and plant a trail of little kisses up to her cheek. An idea sparked to life in her mind.
She turned to look at the Element of Honesty. "Hey AJ, wanna dance?"
"Ain't you worried about the other folks seeing?" As a reply, Dash stepped forward and kissed Applejack deeply, holding it for a few seconds. A couple of encouraging whistles resounded from nearby ponies. She was slightly breathless when they parted. "Ah'll take that as a no." She chuckled. "In that case, Ah'd love to dance with you."
They let the rhythm flow through their bodies and moved as one, each twist and turn a mirror of each other. Around them, some ponies watched with wide eyes. It was very clear that this was not a friendly dance. Dash made sure of that purely by giving very suggestive looks to her partner... which were returned with enthusiasm.
Some of the faces around them were frowning, but they were eclipsed by the overwhelming number of smiles. A few other couples had started dancing near them as well. Like a ripple on the surface of a pond, the reaction propagated outwards from them until pairs of every type danced joyously together. Familiar faces, all smiling, moved together to the music. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo partied amongst a group of other fillies, probably completely unaware of what was going on. Fluttershy was dancing nervously beside a very enthusiastic Twilight on the far side of the room, making Dash's chest fill with a warm feeling. Spike had somehow managed to get Rarity to dance with him alone, leaving a wall of suitors looking disappointed.
When Rainbow Dash looked around the room, she saw something beautiful. Because of this party, nopony would have to cry like she did. Nopony would have to suffer. The residents of Ponyville were making it abundantly clear in a huge show of understanding that everypony was accepted in their town.
The biggest grin she had ever worn adorned her lips as she looked back at Applejack, staring into the eyes of her marefriend.
Some strange happenings were occurring in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash observed. Alongside the sudden influx of unique couples that had revealed themselves, Twilight Sparkle, star student of Princess Celestia, had apparently begun a joint study between Fluttershy and herself into a very different kind of magic.
The unicorn, when asked, would hastily explain it as a series of very serious scientific experiments that required Fluttershy's assistance. However, for the ponies that lived close to the library that was not the case. Reports of strange sounds and loud groaning would often flood the police station late at night and they were repeatedly the subject of hushed conversations and giggling.
Dash didn't know the truth. She was just happy that two of her friends had found a little joy together. The details didn't matter in the end, she supposed. Her own journey had twists and turns splattered with tears and hurt, and while those experiences tested her harshly she realised that she wouldn't change a thing. After all, what better result could there have been? Applejack was her marefriend going on seven months now and each moment with her was ecstasy... even when they weren't in the bedroom.
Every morning waking up beside her was another memory Dash tried to save forever. Adding to this was how Applejack seemed to feel the same way. Dash had listened to her speak in her sleep, or whisper in the morning when she thought the pegasus had yet to awaken.
"Ah love you so much Rainbow..."
The raw emotion in the farm pony's voice made her eyes sting with tears every time, until one morning when she couldn't take it anymore and pulled Applejack into an emotional hug. "I love you too Applejack... you have no idea how much," she whispered hoarsely. For a moment they simply embraced on the bed, but as the rainbow pony woke up completely her personality reasserted itself. She jammed a hoof into the other mare's chest. "If you tell anypony that I just cried and did that I will... I will... do unspeakable things to you!"
Dash felt Applejack vibrate with silent laughter. "But y'all are gonna do that anyway."
She had a point. "Yeah... well... If you tell anypony then I won't do unspeakable things to you!"
The earth pony gasped in mock horror. "Ya wouldn't dare!"
Dash pressed her forehead against Applejack's and eyed her with a dangerous smirk. "Try me."
In one swift movement, the orange pony flipped Dash over and pinned her against the bed. "Sounds like a plan!" she laughed as she leaned down, and the pegasus rose to meet her lips.
It was one of many such memories, filled with blushes and laughter followed by soft gasps and barely-contained moans. And yet, after them, the magic always took a different form, a strange warm feeling that flooded every inch of her being. When she lay panting on the bed and stared at the sweat-streaked face of her marefriend, it was no longer the fire in her loins that fuelled her attraction but rather a fire in her heart. There was a word for it that they had both taken to using. It was a simple and meaningful way to make it clear how much they meant to each other.
Love.
How strange that all those months ago it was a foreign concept, a mysterious and intangible idea that could never be understood. And now it had manifested, just as the concept of sex had on that fateful night, in the form of Applejack. From the little she knew about it beforehand, it seemed more of a burden than a gift, making ponies act in stupid ways for reasons that didn't quite make sense. Only now that she was head over hooves in it did everything finally make sense.
Love didn't weaken her, it empowered her. When she was tired and tempted to simply fall asleep in a tree, the image of Applejack spending the night alone would bring forth a reserve of strength to push her across the distance.
When she practiced tricks in front of her marefriend, something similar happened. It was more than a simple desire to impress her, though that definitely played a part, it was like a burst of inspiration and power that gave her the ability to perform amazing feats.
She had performed the Sonic Rainboom three more times simply because she could. With Applejack in the audience, there was no possibility of failure. Sports news ponies were already debating how long it would take for the Wonderbolts to offer her membership. Spitfire had been quoted, upon witnessing one of the Sonic Rainbooms (the first time she had ever done so while conscious) to say "What the hay was that and why isn't she with us already?!" Dash had that newspaper cut-out framed on her wall.
From the smallest cloud-bucks to the biggest aerial demonstrations, love drove her. It was a bottomless well of energy, a perpetual cycle that was renewed every time she laid eyes on Applejack.
As Rainbow Dash flew high above Ponyville, it became apparent that hers was not the only love enriching the town. Couples laughed and nuzzled in the corners, not from shame but from a simple desire for public privacy. A particular couple caught her eye, two stallions kissing softly on a park bench, shadowed beneath a big tree. One of the stallions looked familiar and a name rose to mind. Bone, the reluctant bully, had apparently made his own discovery. The unicorn he was locking lips with she had never seen before, but she felt an odd rush of affection for the two. Despite how he and his friend Rusty had treated her, she didn't feel bitter. There was no urge to drop down and call him out on it. If he was feeling what she felt when he was with his stallion, then nopony should be allowed to ruin that.
So she flew onwards over the young lovers, using the light cloud cover as camouflage to keep her observations hidden. A magazine page fluttered in the wind before her and she snatched it with lightning fast hooves. Slowing down slightly, she drifted across the sky as she read. It was a page from Mare's Monthly, one of those lifestyle guides that Rarity fawned over. Dash was about to toss it back into the wind when a word caught her eye.
'...sudden appearance of these fabulous couples can be attributed to the one and only Rainbow Dash, an up-and-coming young pegasus from Ponyville. Sources reveal that the fearless flier kissed and danced publicly with her earth pony marefriend in a gesture of solidarity with the repressed masses, unintentionally sparking some sort of sexuality revolution that quickly spread to neighbouring towns. Reports of similar behaviour from Fillydelphia to Canterlot are coming thick and fast, and an early press conference declared Princess Celestia to be "delighted" at the news. Experts are currently [continued on page 7]'
The memory of Rarity excitedly sharing inconsequential (or so Dash had thought) news at a dinner party floated to the front of her mind.
"Some of Manehattan's elite class are referring to Ponyville as the City of Love!" the white unicorn had squealed. "Finally, I can be a lady without worrying about the slightly-less than couth town I live in!" She paused and chuckled nervously. "Er, no offense." Her friends had just laughed.
Dash almost stopped flying, shocked as she was after reading the article. She knew that her actions at the party had rung in a new era for Ponyville, but she didn't know it was having such a large effect! Over the last few months, the echoes of her dance had radiated outwards as a beacon, showing the other ponies in Equestria what happens when love is accepted no matter what gender.
It seemed that one pony could really make a difference in the world, against all expectations. All it took was a few good friends and a spoonful of awesome.
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This bonus chapter was requested by a Deviant when I offered to do requests on New Years Day. I truly consider this a fitting epilogue or what-happens-after chapter for my story. The response to the story as a whole has been overwhelming and I can't thank you all enough for the amazing comments and feedback. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
