Truth or Dare

Truth or Dare
Chapter Four

It’s not as over-the-top as one of Pinkie Pie’s normal parties, but the seven of you enjoying a quiet little party in the library puts you in high spirits and washes away the sleepy feelings from looking after a quiet library by yourself for a whole day. Pinkie brings out a small cake (another mouth-watering triple-layered chocolate cake with chocolate fudge between the layers) with a single candle on it. You can’t help but feel joyful as the seven of you gather around the cake and start singing ‘Happy Birthday’, Twilight singing along.

Seeing her with her five friends and yourself, you see a more confident, relaxed side of her that you’ve never seen before, one you wish you could see more often.

“Happy Birthday, Twilight,” you say as you levitate the present over to her. Her eyes light up in wonder as the gift touches down gently on the tabletop beside the cake. Not bothering to use her magic (or neatly unwrap the present, as you thought she would), she rips apart the yellow wrapping paper with her teeth, revealing the box within. She nudges the lid of the box with her nose, revealing several scrolls of fresh parchment, a crystal inkwell with royal blue ink inside, and a dozen eagle-feather quills, with curious-looking purple nibs.

“Ugh!” Rarity scoffs. “Chestnut and purple absolutely don’t mix!”

“Rarity!” Twilight hisses.

“I made them myself,” you say defensively. “I happened to be wandering in the Everfree Forest one day when I met a purple sea serpent. He and I talked for a while, and I mentioned I wanted to make a present for a friend.” You look at Twilight, smiling warmly. “He gave me some of his scales, and he said that I could probably use them to make something ‘absolutely fabulous’,” you say, perfectly imitating the sea serpent. “When Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie came to me and told me that your birthday was coming up, it seemed a good enough time to give them to you as any.”

She wraps her forelegs around you in a hug. “Thank you.”

“Enough with the mushy stuff!” Rainbow Dash says, interrupting the moment. “Time for a party game!”

“Ooh! Ooh! I brought ‘Pin the Tail on the’…”

Once more, a sky-blue hoof stops Pinkie Pie’s sentence. “Nuh-uh, Pinkie Pie. I got a better idea.” She waggles her eyebrows suggestively.

“Oh?” Rarity asks, intrigued. “And what might that be?”

“Truth or Dare,” Rainbow Dash replies. “Except that no one is removed from play, and we all play to win.”

“Oh, um…” Fluttershy takes a reluctant step back. “…I think I’ll sit this one out, you guys.”

“You can’t do that, you silly filly!” Pinkie Pie says, appearing behind the yellow pegasus. “You’ll miss out on the fun!”

“Oh, it’s all right,” Fluttershy says in a low voice, trying to back away. “I’m not very good at Truth or Dare.”

“Nuh-uh, Fluttershy. You’re not sitting this one out.” Rainbow Dash reaches into her saddlebags and starts taking out bottles of yellow liquid, occasionally taking out small bottles of red liquid. “Now where did I put those peppermints?”

“Rrfff hrfff!” answers Pinkie Pie, appearing beside Rainbow Dash with a bag of mints in her mouth.

The blue pegasus just glances at Pinkie and sighs, taking the bag of mints in her hooves. “Thanks, Pinkie.” She places the mints by the bottles and sticks her head into her saddlebag, continuing to rummage through it.

You trade wary glances with Applejack and Twilight. “What in Celestia’s name is she up to?”

She starts placing shot glasses onto the floor. “Hey,” she calls out. “Any of you guys know a lie detection spell?”

“I could look one up…” Twilight says, her voice trailing off.

“I was reading up on one earlier, actually,” you say. “Lemme see if I can try it…” You close your eyes. Visualize a large circle, wide enough to surround yourself and whoever else needs to be in the circle, you mentally recall as you call forth your magic. Envision a sky-blue light enveloping anything and everything in the circle. You start to feel a bit of mental strain, but nothing that you haven’t experienced before. Finally, visualize a red light and connect all the necessary ponies to it with a green tendril of magic…

You open your eyes and feel a couple of beads of sweat on your brow. “I think that worked,” you say after a breath. “Try it now?”

“Hmm…” Rarity thinks for a moment. “I think orange and lime-green go perfect together with dark blue.” A buzzing noise cuts the silence and a red light flashes in the air above her.

“Wow. That’s perfect,” Rainbow Dash says. She takes one last shot glass out of her saddlebag and looks at everypony with a sly grin. “I remember playing this version before I moved to Ponyville. Everypony gets into a circle and gets a shot glass.” She glances at you and Twilight, and the two of you start placing shot glasses in front of yourself and the others as they gather into a circle.

“Now, where did that thing…” Her gaze darts left and right, and she finds what she was looking for: an empty bottle. She picks it up and places it on the center of the circle. “Seeing as I know how to play, I’ll go first.” She bats at the bottle and it starts to spin. Everyone’s attention is riveted as the bottle stops, its mouth pointing at Twilight. “Okay, now Twilight, I get to ask you: Truth or Dare?”

You and Twilight glance at each other. She breaks contact first and sighs. “Truth, Dash.”

“Okay!” She thinks for a minute. Her face lights up with an idea and she looks at Twilight. “I’ll start with something simple.” She closes her eyes and raises a hoof. “Did I or did I not clear up the sky in ten seconds flat when you thought I couldn’t do it?”

Twilight nods. “You did.” A green light immediately appears over Twilight, followed by a dinging sound. Rainbow Dash opens the bag of wrapped mints, picks one up and tosses it to Twilight.

“All right!” Rainbow Dash says, her voice laced with excitement. “So, Twilight gets the first point.” She looks around. “The first person to have fifteen mints wins the game.”

“Seems easy enough,” you say.

A mischievous glint in Rainbow Dash’s eye tells you otherwise. “Oh, really?” She looks over to Pinkie Pie, who’s on her left. “Your turn, Pinkie Pie.”

“Okee-dokee-lokee!” She bats the empty bottle enthusiastically, and it spins for a full minute before it slows and, as you expect, it points to you. She looks up at you. “Truth or Dare?”

You look Rainbow Dash in the eye. “Dare,” you say in a challenge.

Pinkie Pie hops up and down. “Oh, goody goody!” She suddenly stops and thinks for a moment. “Umm…” All eyes are on her as she continues to think of something. “Ooh! I got one!” She points to Rarity. “I dare you to use your magic and turn her hair green!”

You turn to Rarity, who is sending you the nastiest glare you’ve ever seen. It’s plain to see that she could do some long-term damage, with or without her magic, but you slowly start to visualize her hair turning forest green. You’re about to call forth your magic when you notice that Rarity’s own horn is glowing, a red aura about it.

“Um…” Twilight starts, tapping your shoulder. “I wouldn’t, if I were you…”

You can see that Rarity’s ready to go through with whatever she has planned. Defeated, you let go of the image in your mind. You shake your head. “I can’t do it.”

Rainbow Dash chuckles smugly as she uncorks one bottle containing yellow liquid and one bottle containing red liquid. She fills your shot glass up with the yellow liquid and pours three drops of the red liquid into your glass. She waggles her eyebrows as soon as she places the smaller bottle down.

“Drink up,” she says. You pick the shot glass up with your teeth and knock your head back, popping the mixture into your mouth. As soon as you place the shot glass onto the floor in front of you, the vilest taste wreaks havoc on your tastebuds and your tongue feels like it’s on fire. It doesn’t show any sign of abating as you swallow it.

“Aww!” you manage to sputter. “What in the name of Celestia’s back left hoof was that?”

“Lemon juice and tobaschoof sauce,” the blue pegasus answers matter-of-factly.

“What?” All eyes turn to Rainbow Dash. She nods casually.

“Yup,” she answers. “You can use the mints you earn to clean your mouth, but that means one less mint to your total.” She looks at you. “You have to have fifteen uneaten mints to win the game.”

“Rainbow Dash, this has to be the worst possible version of Truth or Dare that I’ve ever played,” Rarity says.

“Aww, come on, Sugarcube, it’s not that bad,” Applejack cuts in. “’Sides, it’s mah turn.” The orange earth pony bats at the bottle, sending it spinning.

“Oh, I forgot to say, if it points to you, then you get to spin again,” Rainbow Dash says as the bottle starts to slow down. "And if the lie detection spell goes off, that counts as a penalty and you have to take a shot."

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

The game continues innocently enough for another forty-five minutes. At this point, Pinkie Pie has three mints, Applejack has nine, you and Fluttershy have six, Twilight has four, Rarity has eight, and Rainbow Dash has twelve. You’ve only gone through one bottle of lemon juice and a third of a bottle of hot sauce. Fluttershy spins the bottle and it comes to a stop in front of Applejack.

“Truth,” Applejack says.

“Okay,” the yellow pegasus says quietly. “Umm…” Her cheeks go red and she looks down at the floor. “Have you…” She cowers a little. “Have you…everhadyourfirstkiss?” She immediately hides under her forelegs.

Applejack looks around nervously. “Well, uh…” She smiles shyly. “…No?” A green light appears on her head and a dinging sound rings in your ears.

“Really?” Rainbow Dash asks as she tosses Applejack a mint.

“Now don’t go gettin’ any funny ideas in yer head, Dash,” she warns her. “Yer treadin’ inta dangerous territory.”

Rainbow Dash just waves it off and turns to Rarity. “Your turn, Rarity.” You notice the small wink that passes between them.

Rarity spins the bottle, and, as some form of fate would have it, it points to you.

“Well?” she asks expectantly, her eyes shimmering with mischief. “Truth…or Dare?”

You narrow your eyes. “Truth,” you say.

Rarity grins. “Now, darling, seeing as Applejack has never had her first kiss, if given the opportunity, would you be the stallion to offer her that?”

You look at everypony, their eyes riveted onto you.

“Oh, come on, darling!” Rarity says, rolling her eyes. You give a sad look at Twilight Sparkle before lowering your head.

“I would,” you say quietly. The dinging in your ears feels hollow and you feel two pairs of eyes staring into your heart and soul as you hear the crinkling of a mint wrapper at your front hooves. You close your eyes, afraid to make eye contact with either Twilight or Applejack as the bottle spins again.

“Oh,” was Fluttershy’s only reply as you open your eyes and see the bottle point at her.

Rainbow Dash grins. “Well, Fluttershy? Truth or Dare?”

She stares at the mouth of the bottle. “Well, um…” Her eyes dart up as her gaze travels towards yourself and everypony else. “…Truth,” she answers quietly.

“I noticed you sneak out of the party with some food,” Rainbow Dash says with a grin. “Where’d you run off to?”

Her gaze immediately flicks to you, and you’re fairly positive that everypony noticed. With a gulp, she shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t do it.”

Rainbow Dash fills Fluttershy’s shot glass with lemon juice and hot sauce with a shrug. The yellow pegasus reluctantly picks up the shot glass with her teeth and knocks her head back, downing the mixture in one gulp. She starts coughing as soon as she swallows, and immediately she unwraps a mint with her teeth and hooves and pops it into her mouth.

“Dash, I think this game is getting out of hand,” Twilight says carefully. “Seeing as you have the most mints, can’t we just finish the game here and say you were the winner?”

“Oh come on, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash says, “it’s just a game.” She looks down at the bottle to see that it’s stopped spinning and is pointing at her.

“Truth or Dare, Dashie-Pie?” Pinkie asks excitedly, and in the exact next second, her face turns into one of surprise and she covers her mouth with her hooves. Rainbow Dash suddenly blushes and her eyes widen.

“Pinkie Pie!” she says quickly, her eyes nervously darting around the circle. Twilight suddenly starts to giggle beside you. You turn to her, a question in your eyes, and she points with her gaze at the blue pegasus. You look and see that her wings have unfurled and her blush starts to brighten.

Applejack’s the only one to break out into laughter, though everyone is either smirking or giggling silently. Applejack straightens up and puts a hoof to her lips to try to contain her amusement, but she fails miserably and bursts into laughter again. Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes and looks down in embarrassment.

“Dare,” she says with a sigh.

This one seems too easy, you think. I’m not sure if Pinkie Pie believes in karma, but…

“Okay! I dare you to ask anypony in the circle to help you with your wings,” the pink earth pony states bluntly.

…But she sure has no idea of subtlety, you finish thinking as there is a collective gasp from around the circle.

“Pinkie Pie, that’s out of the question!” Rarity pipes up, much to everyone’s surprise. “I’ve heard of…” She pauses, thinking of a roundabout way of avoiding using a more blunt term for Rainbow Dash’s current condition. “…I’ve heard of these things happening to pegasi, and it’s a natural but embarrassing thing. It’s also just as embarrassing to have to ask someone to help…relieve them….of their problem.”

Rainbow Dash shakes her head and waves Rarity’s objection away. “Naw, it’s okay, Rarity. I chose ‘Dare’. I gotta either deal with it or face the punishment.”

“We can make an exception to the rule, Rainbow Dash…”

Her gaze is icy as she whirls to face the snow-white unicorn. “I said it’s fine!”

The air is thick with uncertainty before the pegasus sighs and moves towards the center of the circle. “Fluttershy…”

Fluttershy immediately raises her head. “Oh! M-m-me?” She shakes her head quickly. “But, I’ve…I’ve never had to…”

Rainbow Dash snorts. “It’s fine. I’ll teach you how to do it.” She glances at you for the briefest of moments before turning her head away. “And you can, too, I suppose. Fluttershy’s a little on the gentle side.”

You glance at Twilight, who shrugs. You shrug in return, get up and walk towards Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy cautiously steps to the fore.

“Okay…” Rainbow Dash says after taking a breath. “It’s different for every pegasus, but…” She looks around the circle. You look around as well, and everypony’s gaze is full of awe rather than ridicule. She closes her eyes but points her head in your direction. “You handle my right wing, it’s the less sensitive one. Fluttershy, take my left wing.” You and the yellow pegasus follow her orders.

“Like I said, it’s different for every pegasus. Start rubbing forwards and backwards at the base of my wings.”

You look around again, expecting anypony to say something, but their attention is anchored to what’s going on in the middle of the circle. Shaking your head, you return your attention to Rainbow Dash and slowly start to rub at the base of her right wing. Fluttershy’s face is completely red as she slowly starts to do the same, her wings starting to rise of their own accord.

Rainbow Dash lets out a stuttered breath. “Okay. Start moving upwards along my wings, still rubbing in the same direction.” Her eyes still closed, she turns her head in Fluttershy’s direction. “Umm, Fluttershy…”

“Y-y-yes, Rainbow Dash?”

“Could you…” She hesitates for a moment, her eyelids clenching shut. “Could you…al-alternate strokes?” She lowers her head shamefully. “Like, as he’s…going in one direction, you could move the…opposite direction?”

You and the yellow pegasus make eye contact, and all of a sudden her wings unfurl fully. She turns away. “If…if that’s what you…”

Rainbow Dash nods quickly, and you see Fluttershy watching you move your hooves. She quickly notices your rhythm and starts to rub Dash’s wing the opposite way. The blue pegasus nods slowly.

“Be…be careful towards the tips of my wings,” she says shyly. “They're the most sensitive parts.”

As the two of you get closer to her wingtips, Rainbow Dash nudges the empty bottle from underneath her and lies down, giving you and Fluttershy easier access to the tips of her wings. At the very touch, she hisses suddenly, and the two of you stop your ministrations in surprise.

“O-o-okay…” the blue pegasus says, her voice a little shaky. “F-from the t-t-tips, start rub-rubbing along…the wing…please.”

You and Fluttershy trade a passing glance and a blush as the two of you follow Rainbow Dash’s orders. You glance down at Rainbow Dash. Her eyes are still closed and sweat is starting to bead on her forehead, but she’s biting her lower lip in what seems to be reluctant pleasure. She shudders as you rub down along the length of her wing and pause at the base.

“Oh!” she says suddenly. “Wait! Rub in circles right…there…”

You start to rub in circles at the base of her wing, and slowly her wings start to point upward.

“Just like that…” she moans with a nod, her eyes still screwed shut. “Just…like that…”

Of your own accord, you start to massage in circles along her wing, gently pressing it down. Fluttershy looks at your hooves rather than your face and follows your pacing, also gently pressing the wing down. Rainbow Dash’s eyes suddenly fly open in surprise, though completely oblivious to the others.

“Oh!” Her entire body starts to shake. “A little more…” She starts to pant. “A little—”

As you and Fluttershy reach the tips of Rainbow Dash’s wings again, the blue pegasus immediately tenses up and her wings point upward and she shoots to her feet and arches her back, sending yourself and Fluttershy sprawling onto the floor. Her wings start quivering for a few seconds as she starts to gasp uncontrollably. Something seems to explode inside of Rainbow Dash as her wings convulse furiously once more and she arches her back and lets out a low, ecstatic moan.

As quickly as the image of Rainbow Dash in the throes of pleasure appears, it fades away as her legs give out and she collapses onto the floor, her wings laying completely slack at her sides. Her breathing is heavy but you can tell she’s satisfied.

“Oh, stallion…” she murmurs as her breathing slows to a more even pace. The entire room is quiet for a full minute before the tension is broken.

“Umm…”

You suddenly remember you have an audience as Applejack pipes up.

“A-are we still playing the game?”