The sky over ponyville was calm in the early saturday morning. A few errant wispy white clouds the weather team had left were dotted lazily around while the sun bathed the town with its charming warmth. The air was silent, calm and serene, one could almost hear the sound of winds in the trees.

“Oh for fucks sake!”

Or the sound of a disgruntled human.

Andrew bellowed loudly, delivering a swift boot to the rusty old lawn mower, quite ticked off with the way that the rotating blades were clogged with grass clippings. With a grumble, he bent down to pick at the offending greenery that was seizing the bearings.

“A little less volume would be nice, dear!” Rarity commented, waving her hoof to get Andrew’s attention from her spot by the sun seats at the back of Andrew and Rainbow’s home.

A swift yet silent middle finger was his reply, causing Rainbow who was sitting on her own chair to giggle. “That thing he does with his hand got way funnier after he explained it to me.”

“I take it that’s another one of his strange insults then?” Rarity asked, picking up a small nibbly with her magic.

“Yeah, heh you should hear him when he catches Eureka pissing inside the house,” the pegasus giggled again, taking a sip of her strong tea.

“My goodness, Rainbow. You know since you and Andrew became an item, your vocabulary has taken a vile downturn,” Rarity grimaced.

“Well in my defense you can’t spend as much time as I have around him to not pick up on all those funny sayings that he has,” Rainbow replied.

“I suppose you're right. What was it he said the other day? Wayne-Kerr?”

Rainbow snorted, making that kinds of laugh where its more of just one long noise. “Close. Wanker.”

“Who’s a Wanker?” Andrew quipped from the lawn.

“You are sweetie, now go back to mowing!”

Andrew growled whilst Rainbow settled back into the recliner, blowing on the hot tea in her hooves.

“He has the patience of a princess to deal with you Rainbow,” Rarity remarked snidely.

Ignoring the jab, Rainbow giggled. “Hehe, Princess Andrew.”

“You know I’ve noticed something Rainbow,” Rarity began, looking down into her drink. “You’re a different mare when you’re alone with him.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well... It’s an observation that I’ve made. Remember when we took the train to the Crystal Empire?”

“Yeah?” Rainbow confirmed, setting her cup down.

“When we were all awake and talking, you were your usual rough and tumble self. But when we all went to bed... Well, I still had one eye open, and I saw you two.”

Rainbow giggled nervously. “Hehe, you’ve been getting free shows?”

Rarity shook her head, not seeing the humor. “I’m serious Rainbow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so... cuddly.”

Rainbow batted her hoof in Rarity’s direction. “Pfft, I’m not cuddly!”

“Oh ho ho, don’t you try to deny it. I saw you nuzzling up to him, I even caught some of what you were whispering to one another.”

“Alright alright! I get it! So I love him, and I get a lil’ affectionate in private. Is there a problem with that?”

“Oh, quite the contrary Dash, I think its absolutely wonderful! It’s a welcome change from how you were acting when you two first started dating.”

“What do you mean?”

“You seemed to shy away from any affection he gave you. I’m not sure what you two were like alone back then, but you were always so fidgety and easily embarrassed.”

Rainbow fiddled with her forehooves for a moment. “Yeah... I guess I was like that.”

Rarity nodded, waiting for Dash to continue.

“I’m not sure if you know this Rares. You probably do though, knowing you, but before Andrew, I’d never been in a serious relationship,” Rainbow said, looking over to Rarity who simply nodded once.

“Like, I mean I’d had some colt friends and that, but that was just for the sake of flight school. Looking cool and all ya know?”

“Don’t get me wrong, back then I might had crushed on those stallions a little but... It’s nothing like what I have with him,” Dash smiled, looking over to her man, who was still struggling with the weeds.

“One time, I did try and get close to a colt. I think he meant well, but it really fell apart.”

“That wasn’t that one DJ fellow was it?” Rarity enquired.

“How did you know about that?!” Rainbow squeaked.

“Loose lips sink ships darling. I have my sources,” Rarity smirked, sipping at her tea.

“It was Andrew, wasn’t it?” Rainbow deadpanned.

Rarity rolled her eyes, clinking her cup down onto her saucer, “Oh fine, yes it was. Can’t a girl have a little fun?’

“As I was saying...” Rainbow continued. “After that, I never really opened up to another stallion. I became a bit withdrawn when it came to boys. It made it really hard to start showing my feelings to others.”

“I can see that. You wouldn’t have dared tell me this a few years ago,” Rarity commented.

“Exactly. Andrew has really helped me... open up,” Dash smiled. “Just another reason to love him I suppose.”

“Thats really sweet Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said, touched by her confession.

“You know Dash. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I never pictured you as a mare on the dating scene. I thought you would have spent all your time devoting yourself to flying.”

“Heh, yeah I know. Between, Flight school, colts and manestyling I’m amazed I had any free time at all.”

“I beg your pardon?” Rarity said aghast. “I believe I misheard you Rainbow, did you just say manestyling?”

Rainbow’s eyes bulged and her forehooves clasped over her mouth. She quickly shook her head, trying and failing to take back what she had just let slip.

“Manestyling?!” Rarity beamed, before a blue hoof was jammed in her gob.

“Not. A. Word,” Rainbow growled.

“Oh Rainbow Dash, please do tell! This sounds like quite the tale,” Rarity smirked.

“Alright. I’ll tell you, but nopony else hears a word of this alright?”

“I swear on Celestia’s sun,” Rarity vowed.

“Alright. Well... It wasn’t that I wanted to be a manedresser or anything. It just sorta happened,” Rainbow shrugged.

“Ya see, Flight school isn’t just for learning about flying. The place has a little bit of everything that a pegasus could study for. Think of it like a community college, with a couple different courses you can do.”

“Now, obviously, I wanted to only sign up for flying related courses to hone my skills. But my mom, while she was fully supportive of my plans, said that I had to take up another course just in case things went south, then I’d have something to fall back on.”

“I’m with you so far,” Rarity responded.

“I didn’t really care about what course I should pick out, with the one-track mind I had back then. So I just chose the one I thought would be the easiest. I mean come on, mane styling doesn’t sound all that hard, does it?”

Receiving no answer, Rainbow continued. “Turns out I was a little bit surprised by the coursework. It was a lot more different than what I was expecting, and I was so focused on my flight studies that I practically completely flunked out of manestyling.”

“And let me guess. You were overjoyed and dropped it then and there?”

“No, actually. When we got our first reports back, the teacher; stuck up whorse that she was, told me that ‘I should drop the course now and save myself the embarrassment.’ She thought I couldn’t do it. Me! The Rainbow Dash!”

“Well I made it my mission to prove her wrong. It was hard, but in the end I got to see that surprised look on that old hag’s face when I aced that class!” Rainbow grinned.

“Aced?” Rarity inquired.

Rainbow smile wavered a little. ‘Well... Not aced, but solid B’s and a few A’s. I’ve still got the certificate around here somewhere.”

“Rainbow,” Rarity said, her tone showing her obvious disbelief. “That means that you’re one of the most qualified mane dressers in Ponyville! Oh, we simply must get together one day! Can’t let all that study go to waste!”

“Whoa whoa whoa! Hold up Rares,I might have gotten top of the class, but it was still only my second choice. That part of life is deeply buried in the past now. The last time those ‘skills’ had ever been needed was back when Trenderhoof came to town.”

“Huh?”

“You know, when you and Applejack had that little spat? When you dressed up like a hick and Applejack brought out her ‘posh’ side?”

“Yes I remember.” How did your skills come about then?”

“Who do you think did Applejack’s mane?”

“That was you!?” Rarity screeched.

“Ssshhh! Yes it was! I made up a quick lie to cover myself, but if you tell her what I’ve told you it won't take long for her to put two and two together. So remember, not a word to anypony!”

“Good thing I’m not a pony then,” A voice said, as two hands slid around Rainbow’s barrel from behind.

“Hehe, hey sweetie...” Rainbow giggled nervously. “How much did you hear?”

“Oh, from about ‘Aced the class’” Andrew grinned devilishly at his mare.

“The same goes for you then. Not. A. Word.”

“Oh Dash, will you ever stop being full of surprises?” Andrew asked, leaning down and kissing her on the top of her head.

Rainbow smiled, pushing her head up to touch her nose against his. “Not while I’m alive I won’t.”

Author's Note

thanks to that one little greentext on /mlp/ that gave me the idea to finish this chapter! This chapter, like many was one of the half finished ones that don't get completed for one reason or another. Maybe I should look for outside influences more.