(SiC) Part 6 - How Much Do You Really Love Me?

Chapters

Having Some Fun With Dungeons and Dragons
That Special Day on the Beach
Soarin' Stumbles
Their First Kiss
Finding Comfort for a Hurting Heart

Having Some Fun With Dungeons and Dragons

I got yer back, Fluttershy! Just be ready to heal me if I may get hit. This one's a biggie! I'm gonna try to use my super buck ability on him. Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my legs fer war, and my hooves fer battle." Applejack picked her dice and got ready to roll.

Fluttershy let out an "eeep!" and burrowed her head into Applejack's chest. "I'll heal you if you get a boo-boo, but just please don't let him hurt me. I'm very weak and sensitive. Do you think that maybe we could tell this creature about the goddess that I worship in the game, Melora?"

Applejack had a disturbed look on her face. "Hey Fluttershy, I know it's fun to get into this game and everythin', but I think yer over reactin' a bit. These demons and monsters here are just little figurines. They ain't really gonna hurt ya. This creature does lots of damage, but ya were even afraid of the 'lil minions that do like one hit point worth of damage if Spike rolls a twenty. And no, I don't think this demon creature is going to care about the godess that you follow in the game. We need to kill him."

"Can we tell him about Jesus then?" Fluttershy asked.

"No!" Applejack yelled at her. "Play the game and stop worryin' so much 'bout every little detail 'bout it."

"Fluttershy picked her head up and looked at Applejack, and then back to her friends. "I'm so sorry. This game is just scary and I heard a lot of bad things about it. I don't want to sacrifice my soul to a dark god when my character dies in this game. Do you all remember that one pony who killed himself after his character died in the game? That was terrible and tragic!"

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes and said, "Fluttershy, relax! This is a great game and some ponies even use it as a part of their missionary work. You are acting like we are practicing Satanic worship or some kind of voo-doo magic. Saying that a make believe fantasy game is responsible for death is like saying that video games or inanimate objects kill ponies. It's so silly, and ponies who have many deep issues or obsessions probably should not play this game. Try to relax and have fun. This is a great game and it helps improve our imaginations. I even taught the youth group at our church how to play this game. This is almost as ridiculous as the time when you threatened to leave our group because we were playing Magic The Gathering. Table top and card games are fun." Twilight Sparkle let out a laugh and began to list the names of the characters from the Bible and what alignments they would be.

Fluttershy let go of Applejack and nervously watched as Applejack began to roll the dice.

Pinkie Pie giggled and said, "Hey Dashie! Do you think your pet Tank would be good at this game? Maybe Tank could out tank Applejack."

"Very funny Pinkie," Applejack said. "Maybe ya could git closer to me on yer next turn by usin' yer special teleportin' spell so ya can be ready to cast some spells on this abomination of a creature. She tossed out the dice and rolled a twenty. "Alright! I landed a critical strike, girls!" Applejack looked at her special list of skills and abilities. "Hmmmm. It looks like if I use this skill first, that I get a magical aura that will give ya'll a boost in armor, but I won't do as much damage to this creature. If I use my favorite super buck ability, I'll do tons of damage, but ya'll won't have that special protection. Applejack looked at Twilight Sparkle. She had a massively long scroll that had all her notes written on it. "Uh, Twi? Please don't tell me that entire list is yer plans fer just yer next move?"

"I need to know all of the possibilities and mathematical calculations, Applejack," Twilight replied.

"Yer such a geek," Applejack said.

"No offence taken!" Twilight replied.

Spike, the dungeon master, rolled his eyes and hoped that one of the players would step on the little shiny symbol on the floor to trigger a flood attack of zombie-like creatures. He also had special plans for them to meet a character named, Splug.

Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash who was sitting right next to her and said, "Hey Rainbow, I know yer the damage expert here and ya roll next after my turn, but would ya like me to do some extra damage to this demon thingy, or do ya want extra shield on yer turn? I wanna see ya blast this beast with yer special sonic rainboom ability as ya go soarin' through the air."

Soarin'. That word echoed through Rainbow Dash's mind a few times. "Holy horse apples!" she cried out. "Girls, I don't have time to play this game anymore! I forgot about Soarin'. We have a special date planned today."

Twilight Sparkle face hoofed and said, "Rainbow Dash, I know this stallion means so much to you, but can't you reschedule and at least finish our campaign? These games take days and days to finish playing and we are already well into it."

"I'm sorry, but he's a bit more important to me than this game. Can't you all just have something happen to me in the game like I take a cloud nap and then catch up with you all later?"

Spike sighed and said, "Ok, this is what's going to happen. During battle, Pinkie Pie accidently hits Rainbow Dash with friendly fire because her character is so crazy and manic because she is chaotic neutral in the game and also because Rainbow Dash is currently positioned in front of Pinkie pie. Rainbow Dash is now unconscious because the spell effects ponies differently than the demons you are fighting."

"We can't come up with a more creative story?" Twilight asked.

Spike put his claws on his front hips and said, "No! I want you all to press on and not waste time because I have an extra secret surprise for you." Spike put on a magician's top hat and a mustache and rubbed his front claws together greedily.

"What are we going to do with an unconscious pony?" Rarity asked.

"Applejack is the strongest one out of our little group here," Twilight said. "Applejack, do you still have your rope?"

Applejack took out a lasso and twirled it around in the air. "I do!"

Twilight Sparkle laughed and said, "I meant in the game, Applejack."

Applejack looked at her notes and said, "E-yup! I still got it."

Twilight looked at Spike and asked, "Spike, would it be okay if Applejack tied Rainbow Dash to her back and carried her through battle?"

Spike put his front claw under his chin and said, "Hmmmm. I'll allow it as long as Applejack loses the ability to move up to two movements since she is wearing so much armor already."

"That's fine with me," Applejack said. "I put the whole team on my back anyway."

"Ok, Rainbow Dash, you're free to go now. We hope that you'll play again soon," Twilight said.

"And please don't sacrifice your soul to Satan!" Fluttershy called out.

Twilight Sparkle face hoofed and laughed that Fluttershy was still afraid of this game.

Rainbow Dash thanked them and began to head out. Before she walked out the door, she stopped in front of a mirror and tried to fix up her mane a bit.

Rarity giggled and asked, "Rainbow Dash, are you trying to make yourself look pretty?"

"What!?" Rainbow Dash cried out. "Of course not! I was just, uh...Aw hay, I won't hide it anymore. Yeah, I want to look at least a little bit more presentable."

Rarity smiled and said, "You must really love him if you would be so willing to try to fix up your mane in front of us like that. Would you like to come to my Carrousel Boutique, and I can fix you up a bit?"

Twilight Sparkle looked at Rarity sternly and spread her front legs apart sideways as if to say, "NO WAY!" with her body language.

Rainbow thought how ridiculous it would be to sit in a chair for hours and have Rarity do all sorts of crazy things to make her look more pretty. Although knowing just how much she loved Soarin', she would do it just for him if it made him happy. She looked down and said, "Thanks for the offer, but I think you should enjoy your game and I'll try to pick up where I left off later."

Twilight sighed a breath of relief that they wouldn't need to alter the game anymore than it has been to compensate for the inactivity of Rainbow Dash.

"My offer still stands if you ever decide to stop by. I think it would be fun to do some experiments on you," Rarity said.

"Thanks, Rarity, we'll see in the future though. Take care all." Rainbow Dash walked out the door and then popped her head back in. "And don't let Fluttershy sacrifice her soul to Satan because she's playing this game," she said with a sly smirk on her face and winked her eye.

"Oh don't worry, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said. "I have some rope and holy water nearby in case we may need to perform an emergency exorcism on Fluttershy if the demons enter her body."

Fluttershy was not amused.

Rainbow Dash laughed and then was on her way.

That Special Day on the Beach

Rainbow Dash flew through the skies. It was a very cold day and it was much too cold to have a race with Soarin' or to do something together outside. She probably should have brought her scarf or her ear muffs, but Rainbow Dash's pride on acting like the tough girl always seemed to get in the way of that, even if she wasn't as tough or as strong as her friend, Applejack. As much as she loved playing this new little role playing game, called Dungeons and Dragons, that Twilight Sparkle was teaching her and her friends, she wished that they would play it on days that were rainy or freezing in temperature. She had Soarin' on her mind so much because she really loved him very much. They had been together for a while now and she was very happy with him. She was so crazy about him, that she modeled her very own Dungeons and Dragon's character after him.

While Soarin' was pacing around his house waiting for his special filly friend, both his and Rainbow Dash's minds began replaying the memory of how they first met.

Rainbow Dash was at the beach with her friends and was hoping that there would be something for her to do. Rainbow Dash sighed as she looked around for something to do. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she said, "Oh my gosh! There's an arcade! You'll know where to find me. See ya!" Rainbow Dash sped off and that left Fluttershy and Rarity together.

Rainbow Dash raced inside the arcade and began eyeing each machine with approval. Arcades weren't terribly common in Equestria and were quite the rarity to find one with good games. Rainbow Dash already had a large bag of bits with her to spend on food, games, and other things since this was her vacation and celebration time for Fluttershy's hoarding obsession that she was now free from. Rainbow Dash walked up to an arcade cabinet. "Oh sweet! They have Killer Instinct! This game is amazing!" Rainbow Dash dropped her bag of bits on the floor and bent over to pick out a bit to insert into the machine.

Soarin' was spending the day at the beach again. He was wearing a saddle bag and he had a bag of bits and a gallon of water with him. He loved to come here because of the atmosphere and the arcade here carried some of the best games, even if it was quite a travel for him to get there. He loved to play video games at the arcade in his spare time when he wasn't busy training or touring with the Wonderbolts. Many of the games were shipped from another place far off in another part of Equestria and most of these games were created for arcades only. Surprisingly, for being a celebrity, Soarin' wasn't bothered too much by fans or ponies who recognized him. He would sign an occasional autograph for fans that took notice of him, but he really wasn't bothered all that much. Soarin' happened to walk in and saw Rainbow Dash bent over fumbling for change. Soarin' took immediate notice of her. He had seen a lot of pretty mares in his day, but this mare was entirely different. There was something about her that was very different and he couldn't quite put his hoof on it. Maybe it was the fact that her tail and mane was colored like that of a rainbow. Rainbow manes and tails really weren't too common, or maybe it was her very awesome looking cutie mark that she had on her flanks, or maybe it was how well her body was conditioned. Soarin' knew a good athlete when he saw one. He didn't even have to see a pony perform to know if they were strong and fast or not. Still, this pony was unique and it was almost as if she was not of this world. He was already studying her body in a rather lustful manner. Maybe it didn't help that she was bent over right in front of him.

Rainbow Dash picked out a coin and plunked it into the slot of the machine.

"Killer Instinct!" the arcade speakers blared out.

Rainbow Dash hit start and began looking through the roster of fighters.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pony get down low and insert a bit into the machine.

"Killer Instinct!" The arcade speakers blared out once more.

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash said. Both her and Soarin' made contact with each other's eyes as he stood up.

They both gasped when they realized who they were looking at.

"Rainbow Dash?" Soarin' asked. "You're the pony who saved my life at the best young flyers competition years ago!"

"Soarin'? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I'm like your biggest fan ever and you're by far my most favorite Wonderbolt! What are you doing here?"

"I come here as often as I can. I love this arcade and they get special games that normally wouldn't be around. I hope you don't mind me butting in and playing a game with you."

Rainbow's heart went pitter patter in her chest. Of course she would be excited to have any Wonderbolt stand next to her side, but this was by far, her most favorite member of the Wonderbolts and that made things all the more exciting to her. She had to keep her cool though, she could very well be vulnerable when it came to being kind of a rabid fan girl when it came to him. She didn't want to scare him away. "Hey, no problem," she said. "I hope you're ready to break some combos."

Soarin' hit the start button and they began scrolling through the characters.

Rainbow Dash giggled and said, "Wow! They really over did it when they designed B. Orchid's chest, didn't they?"

Soarin' laughed at that thought.

The two ponies selected their fighters and prepared to battle. Rainbow Dash and Soarin' played against each other for a few matches. She couldn't even win one game against him.

Rainbow Dash didn't like losing and she felt like if she kept losing, then Soarin' would get bored of her. After her third loss she said, "Well, it looks like I won't be beating you in this game. I think I'm going to try another game. Want to play something else?"

"Sure!" Soarin' said.

"Don't you want to finish your game against the A.I.?" she asked.

"Nah," Soarin' said. "I'd rather play something else with you. Soarin' turned to see a little colt gawking at the screen. "Come on, kid. Take my game." Soarin' pushed over a little stepping stool that was near the side of the arcade cabinet and the little colt quickly hopped up onto it and grabbed a hold of the joystick.

"Thanks mister!" the little colt said. "My Mommy and Daddy never give me coins to play so I usually just end up watching other ponies.

Soarin' reached into his bag and gave the little colt a small mound full of bits.

"Wow! Thanks Mister! You're the best!"

"You're welcome kid," Soarin' said. "That should last you quite a while." Soarin' turned to Dash and said, "Hey I have two major favorite games here that I love to play. Do you mind getting sweaty?"

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash said. "A video game that makes you sweat? I guess I can try it out," she said.

Soarin' got quite excited and picked up his gallon of water and bag of bits. He grabbed her by the hoof. "Come on! It's so much fun!" he said as he pulled her over to where his two most favorite games were.

Rainbow's face was bright red with blush because she was holding Soarin's hoof. She looked up at the two cabinets that were near the back of the arcade. There was a giant industrial fan on top of each cabinet. "In the Hooves Two, and Pony it Up?" she asked.

"Yeah. Soarin' said as he placed his bag of bits and gallon of water on the side of the In The Hooves Two arcade cabinet that had a ledge because of the cabinets design. "These games actually help me stay conditioned without having to use my wings. It's nice to move your legs too and these two games are just all kinds of fun. All you have to do is step on the panels that correspond with the arrows that scroll up on the screen. Step on them when the arrows overlap the top hit zone arrows at the top of the screen. We can start with the four panel game. It should be easier for you to read."

Rainbow Dash stepped on the platform. The colors on the screen were hypnotizing to her and the flashing lights on top of the cabinet got her adrenaline going. She noticed the gallon of water he had and asked, "What's up with that gallon of water?"

"It's for the game," he replied.

"I think the game runs on bits, right?" she asked.

"Soarin' laughed and said, "No, what I meant by that was that it's for when I play the game, I need to drink a lot of water."

"Oh," Rainbow Dash said being rather unsure.

"You'll see what I mean soon," he said.

Both ponies took off their saddle bags and hung them up on the red bars. They then plunged some bits into the machine and Soarin' began to teach her how things worked in the game.

They both played for hours together. Soarin' couldn't wait to show her couples mode where they could work together as a cooperative team in Pony It Up. He felt that he would have to let her learn the game a little more before attempting that mode with her. Playing couples mode with Rainbow Dash was a really cute and fun idea in his mind and he figured that she would probably love it too.

Rainbow Dash picked up quickly on this game. This was her first rhythm game that she ever played and she really enjoyed it. Much of Soarin's sweat would fly off his mane and splash upon Rainbow Dash, especially when he had to twist and turn on the cross over steps that made his body turn sideways. Rainbow Dash didn't mind the droplets of sweat that hit her. This pony meant so much to her. She was able to give him a challenge on the easier levels, but she would need to practice both games. It was a bit confusing for her to go from four panel to five panel on the other game because the five panels were in the exact opposite place that the four panels were in. She didn't really care about losing. She saw that Soarin' was happy and Soarin' noticed that she was happy playing. This game would be something that she'd have to practice, not just because she enjoyed it, but also to win Soarin's heart. Maybe she could be his gamer girl. Video games weren't too popular in Equestria, but there was a following for competitive game play. She realized why he brought that gallon of water with him. He practically drank half of it after about two hours of playing.

Rainbow Dash was staring at the screen as Soarin' was pressing buttons on the cabinet to change the speed modification of the arrow scroll rate for their next song. She felt a tug at her tail and looked behind her to see Fluttershy looking up at her with innocent eyes.

"Rainbow Dash, it's getting very late and we haven't eaten yet. Aren't you hungry by now?" the yellow mare asked.

"Oh, my gosh! I had no idea what time it was," Rainbow said as she looked at a clock on the wall. "Yeah, I'm coming along and I..." Soarin' butted in and cut her sentence short.

"Can I come too?" he asked.

Rainbow Dash's mind was racing with all kinds of fears because she was afraid that her friends would judge her for hanging around a stallion like this. She could only imagine Rarity's reaction to this because she had already told her that she had no desire to ever find a somepony special. This was true in a way because she never dreamed of the possibilities of hanging out with Soarin' like this before. It was bad enough that Fluttershy was here right now and she said a silent prayer that Fluttershy wouldn't pick up on the fact that she was interested in Soarin'. "I can't. I promised my friends that I'd have dinner with them and I'm sure there wouldn't be enough room for us all to sit at a table. How about you just play some games until I come back. I won't be too long, really."

"But I'm hungry too," he said. "I'll treat you to dinner and I'll..."

"I've got to go! I'll be back later!" she said as she took her saddle bag off of the red bar. She grabbed Fluttershy by her hoof and quickly walked out of the arcade with her.

Soarin' stood there on the platform with a dumb founded look on his face. He didn't understand.

"Rainbow Dash, that pony seemed to be awfully interested in you. Do you think he likes you or something?" Fluttershy asked.

"Of course not!" Rainbow replied. "I'm just naturally awesome and how could anypony not want to hang out with me? Why, I should also represent the element of awesomeness too, if there is such a thing as that. He was just a casual random arcade player that wanted to play a game that I was already in the process of playing." Rainbow Dash felt very bad for lying, but she let her pride and her fear of her friends possibly judging her get in the way once more.

"Oh, I see," her meek friend replied.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy gathered up the rest of their friends and quickly ate. After eating, Rainbow Dash sped back to the arcade. She said a silent prayer that Soarin' would still be there waiting for her. Thankfully, he was still there and was playing Pony It Up. Rainbow Dash stood behind him and watched his hooves strike against the panels in time with the beat of the music. She could feel the powerful vibrations in the floor through his stomping on the metal arcade pad. The feelings from the vibrations in her hooves felt good to her and made her want to play some more.

There was a step pattern with hold arrows that forced him to spin in a circle. The moment he turned his back to the screen, he saw Rainbow Dash. He got so distracted by her that he froze for a moment and stared at her.

Missing hold arrows in Pony It Up was very strict on draining the life bar and he failed the song.

The song stopped playing and a loud sound came out of the speakers. "Hey! Why don't you just get up and dance man?" The arcade speakers blared out.

"Hey, Soarin'," Rainbow Dash said. "I hope I didn't distract you from your game."

Soarin' shook his head quickly a few times as if he were dazed by looking at her. "Hey, no problem. Want to dance some more?"

"If you can call having your legs spaz out all over the place dancing, then yes," she said.

"It's probably no worse than when we danced together at the Grand Galloping Gala," he replied. "Hey Rainbow Dash?"

"Yeah?" she asked.

"You have food all over your face," he said.

Rainbow Dash perked up in alarm and wiped the food off of her face with her front leg. Sure enough, she did have food on her face. She must have been in such a rush to get back to the arcade that she ate more like how Applejack eats her meals. She wondered why Rarity didn't make a scene out of that, but maybe Rarity was so used to seeing Applejack scarf down her meals like a starving wolf that she became desensitized to it. Maybe she realized that she couldn't change her eating habits so it might not have bothered Rarity when Rainbow Dash did it too. "I'm really sorry about that," she said. "I just ate so fast because I-I-I..." Rainbow Dash stuttered. "I just wanted to come back and see you again."

Both ponies lost eye contact with each other when Rainbow Dash admitted those words. They both had blush all over their faces.

"Come on. Let's play some more," he said as he plunked some more bits into the machine for the both of them.

Rainbow dash stepped up on the platform and hung her saddle bag on the bar. She began to play with Soarin' once more. They went back and fourth between playing the two different dance games.

They were now back to playing In The Hooves Two and were looking through the song select menu.

"They have a song about a rubber ducky named Xuxa?" Rainbow asked.

"The music artist is named Smiley and does happy hardcore songs. He has a lot of other aliases in this game and actually had a major role in the development in this game."

"Happy Hardcore music," Rainbow said. "I can only imagine that Pinkie Pie knows everything about it."

The two played for a few more hours.

Rainbow Dash was surprised at Soarin's stamina, but then again, this was a Wonderbolt she was playing with. He could probably last all day on this machine without getting tired.

Rainbow Dash looked at the clock and realized that it was getting very late and the sun was going to set soon. When there last round ended, she looked at him and said, "Hey Soarin', do you think we could spend some time together on the beach or something?" It was painfully awkward to ask a stallion to do something like that. A romantic suggestion would normally be reserved for a pony like Rarity. Her face was bright red with both blush and embarrassment.

Soarin' looked at the clock and said, "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize how late it was. Of course we can spend some time out of the arcade for a little while."

Normally, Soarin' brought a towel with him to dry off, but the giant industrial fans on top of the dance game arcade cabinets did a pretty good job at keeping him dry when he stood on his tippy hooves and put his face by it to dry his mane off.

The smell of stallion sweat was kind of pleasing to Dash's nostrils.

Soarin' stood in front of the industrial fan for a few more seconds and then pulled his head back. The fans did a really good job of keeping a pony dry. "Come on, and let's relax a bit."

Both ponies grabbed their saddle bags and put them back on their bodies.

Soarin' got off of the dance pads and began to head out.

Rainbow Dash followed closely behind him.

Upon turning the corner, Soarin' bumped into a pony.

He was an Earth pony with a turquoise coat and had a streak of dark purple in his black mane and tail. His eye color was sky-blue and he had a red dance game arrow for a cutie mark.

"Hey Arrow Smash!" Soarin' said. "Don't take my high score on the song, Come Fly With Me. I worked hard enough to Tri-Star that without the bar."

"I can't make any promises on that, Soarin'," Arrow Smash said. "You know I tend to play doubles anyway, so you might hold the local machine record for a while, but don't be surprised to see my initials on the screen when I quad-star it. Who is the new filly friend you have following you there?"

"Oh, this is Rainbow Dash. We've met a few times in the past. She's really cool and she's good at the dance games."

Rainbow Dash nervously waved hi. It was awkward for her to be around a stallion that she really liked.

Arrow Smash looked at Rainbow and the back to Soarin'. "Well, as long as she doesn't snatch any quad-stars before I can, we're cool."

"You really should leave some of the easier levels for newer players to quad-star. You even have all the novice step charts quad-starred. I mean, what's up with that?"

Arrow Smash looked at his cutie mark and said, "It's my destiny to quad-star everything."

"Well, you could at least let others quad-star things at the arcade. You told me that you own your very own arcade dance game cabinets at home."

"Yeah, but it just feels so good to spread my achievements to every single arcade in Equestria."

Soarin' rolled his eyes and said, "Ok, we have got to get going. Good luck on quad-starring vertex squared on doubles. No pony in Equestria has ever gotten close to quad-starring that."

"One of these days, I'll get it. I will get it no matter how impossible it may seem. Ok, I'll catch you later. Enjoy your new filly friend." Arrow Smash turned and walked over to the cabinets. there was a bottle of window cleaner that he had the arcade manager keep nearby to clean the pads so they could be nice and have that special grip feel to them. It would also help too since Soarin' usually left small puddles of sweat on the pads and that made them as slippery as ice.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin' walked out of the arcade.

"What's a quad-star?" Rainbow asked.

"It's the highest score a pony can get in that one dance game. If you get a full fantastic combo, you will get a one hundred percent score in the game and get the glorious quad-star that just about every In The Hooves Two player craves. Like any video game, some ponies take scoring way too seriously. Getting high scores is nice and everything, but I tend to play more for the fun of it. I'm more than happy getting a star or a double star. Tri-stars are really hard for me to get."

Soarin' realized that he was very hungry right now and walked over to a dessert shop right by the arcade and said, "Hey Dash, I didn't eat dinner yet and I have to have some kind of snack. I'm starving."

The employee at the dessert shop said, "Soarin'.......always hungry after playing some video games, huh? Do you want the usual?'

"Yeah! I'll take that big apple pie!" he said as he pointed his front hoof at the treat. Soarin' turned to Rainbow. "Do you want something, Rainbow?"

Rainbow Dash looked at her bag of bits and the bag was empty. She had spent most of her money at the arcade. She looked up at Soarin' and said, "I don't have any more bits left, but I'm fine, don't worry."

"Come on," he said. "You clearly wanted a treat because you looked into your bag. I'll get you anything you want."

Accepting a gift from one of her friends was hard enough. Accepting a gift from a stallion was even that much harder. She didn't even like it when he paid for quite a few of their games together at the arcade. Rainbow Dash swallowed her pride and said, I'll just have a small vanilla ice cream cone, please."

"That's it?" Soarin' asked. "You don't want something more..." Soarin' paused for a moment when he looked at her mane and tail. "Colorful!? How about some rainbow colored sprinkles at least?"

"Sure," Rainbow replied. "Sprinkles are fine."

"Excuse me Miss," Soarin' said to the worker. "May I please have one small vanilla ice cream cone with some rainbow sprinkles for my filly friend, Dash? I'd like a dash of them for Dash."

"That pun, Soarin'," Rainbow said.

"I'm sorry, but I had to say it," he replied.

The employee came back with the treats and said, "That will be twelve bits please."

Soarin' looked into his bag of bits and realized that he just had enough to pay for this. He normally wouldn't have spent so much money at the arcade, but now he was often paying for his new filly friend. He spent way more time playing the game today because of being with her and he gave a good chunk of change to that little colt earlier. Soarin' pushed over the bag of bits and said, "Exactly twelve bits. I'll see you around!"

The employee thanked him and wished him well.

The two ponies were already near the end of the boardwalk. There they saw a flat rock in the sand right where the boardwalk ended.

"Let's take a seat on that rock," Soarin' said.

The couple walked over and sat on the rock together. Soarin' drove his entire face into the pie and devoured it within minutes. He was quite hungry because he had not eaten for a while.

Rainbow Dash took notice of his voracious appetite. He reminded her of how her friend, Applejack eats. She took a few licks of her ice cream cone as he went to town on that apple pie. When he was finished eating, Rainbow Dash leaned in a bit closer to him. She was about to take what was in her mind, a huge risk in the name of sweetness and affection. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

Soarin' was quite surprised and wrapped his front leg around her neck.

Together, they watched the sunset in silence for a while.

Even though Soarin' had asked a few filly friends out in the past, this was still awkward for him because he had never been with a pony like Rainbow before. There was something totally different about this pony that he could not figure out. "Hey Dash?" Soarin' asked

Rainbow Dash picked up her head and stared into his bright green eyes. "Yes, Soarin'?"

"Would you like to be my somepony special?"

Rainbow Dash picked her head up off of his shoulder and said, "What?! Really? I would absolutely love to be your somepony special!"

Soarin' kissed her on top of her head and said, "I haven't seen a pretty mare like you before. There's something very different about you."

Rainbow turned her head to the side and was blushing madly because a stallion had called her pretty. She felt that being called pretty was reserved for ponies like Rarity who would spend half the day putting on make up and making sure their tails and manes were combed perfectly. "I-I-I have never been called pretty before. I haven't even had a somepony special before. I never wanted one because I only dreamed about having you as a somepony special and I didn't expect that to ever become a possibility."

Soarin' didn't believe that she hadn't had a somepony special before. She was athletic, fun, incredibly pretty, and she had a sweet and affectionate side to her as well that only he had brought out in her. She seemed like a definite keeper to him. "You haven't had a somepony special before, Rainbow? I find that very hard to believe," he said.

"Nope! I was never really interested. So many stallions out there are just creeps and are in relationships just for the sex. I need to protect my heart and stay pure in the faith."

"What faith?" Soarin' asked.

"Oh, I'm a Christian," she said.

"Me too," Soarin' said.

"I can't believe this," Rainbow Dash thought to herself. "I get the stallion of my dreams. He's sweet, charming, handsome, and Christian on top of it all. This is almost too good to be true." Even if Soarin' was not of the same faith, she would still date him, which could be dangerous, but she wouldn't marry him unless he converted to her faith.

"Hey Dash, aren't you going to eat your ice cream cone?" Soarin' asked.

"Huh?" Rainbow said. She looked at the ice cream cone and expected it to have melted all over her hoof, but it was still perfectly in tact. "How come it didn't melt after all this time?"

"That's a special desert shop and they cast a special spell on the ice cream so it doesn't melt. Pretty cool, huh?"

Rainbow Dash took a lick of it and said, "That's awesome. I bet my friend, Twilight Sparkle would know how to cast a spell like that. Hey, when do you want to hang out again?"

Soarin' thought about it and realized that he had to get going because tomorrow was going to be a special training day for the Wonderbolts. It was very late in the day and this place wasn't exactly close to home. He wasn't getting a ride home and would be flying by himself. He would be going over some rather dangerous new stunts with his team so he needed to get home and get his proper rest as soon as he could. "Hey Dash! I almost forgot what day it is. I have to get home super fast because I need to rest up for a very important Wonderbolts training session. I didn't even realize how late it was. Can we write letters to each other? I'm sure you know my fan mail address, right?"

"Oh, I'm sorry if I made you forget. Yeah, I know your fan mail address, of course. I'll keep in touch with you," she said.

"I spent way too much time on the dance games. I'm going to be so sore in the morning," he said.

"Soarin' will be sore in the morning?" Rainbow Dash asked as she snickered.

Soarin' laughed at his little pun for a moment until he remembered something. "Oh, and one more thing," Soarin' said as he reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a ticket. "This is for you. It's a special back stage pass to the next upcoming Wonderbolt's show."

Normally, Rainbow Dash would nearly have a heart attack from being so excited in this kind of situation, but she was getting used to being in the presence of a Wonderbolt. She took the ticket and was given a hug from Soarin' before he turned to leave. Rainbow Dash shoved the ticket into her saddle bag and turned around. She was horrified that all five of her best friends were standing behind her. She was so startled that she dropped her ice cream cone on the boardwalk and let out a high pitched squeal. She stood there in shock and began to stutter. "I-I-I It's not what it looks like. I was just..." Rainbow's words trailed off as she stood there with red cheeks that spoke of embarrassment for her.

Twilight smiled and said, "It's ok, Rainbow Dash. None of us are going to judge you. We figured that there would be at least one stallion out there in the world that would be able to reach into your heart. He looked really familiar. Is he somepony we have seen before?"

Rainbow Dash nervously dragged her hoof across the wooden boardwalk. "Yeah, that was Soarin' from the Wonderbolts. I couldn't believe that I saw him here. I saw him at the arcade playing games. He recognized me and asked if I wanted to play his two favorite dance games with him, In The Hooves two, and Pony It Up. He also bought me an ice cream cone and gave me a backstage pass to the next Wonderbolts show. I-I-I hope you all think I'm still tough and not a softy. Do you all still think I'm cool?"

"Being a bit on the romantic side doesn't make us think any differently of you, Rainbow. You might not be as tough and as strong as Applejack, but you'll always be the coolest pony out of our group," Twilight said.

"And, you'll always be the fastest pony out of our group," Fluttershy added.

The lavender mare paused for a moment and then giggled. "Just don't be so speedy with him and remember to take things slow, Rainbow. I get the intuition that Soarin' really is a good guy though. We just don't want you to marry him overnight. Dating is one of the few things that shouldn't be like a race."

"Gee, thanks for not thinking any differently of me, girls. I never realized how much I like him until I had some fun with him today. I'll take things slow with him. Don't worry," Rainbow said. "I was just worried that this might ruin my reputation somehow."

"Not a chance, Rainbow Dash. Come on. We have to catch a taxi and get home before it gets too late," Twilight said.

Soarin' was on his way home. He could only imagine the jokes and teasing he would receive from Spit Fire when she found out that he had a new special filly friend.

The memories had faded from both ponies.

Soarin' Stumbles

Rainbow Dash was now standing on the steps to Soarin's home. She knocked on the door several times.

The door opened immediately and there stood Soarin' with a bouquet of flowers for her.

Rainbow Dash raised her front hoof in the air slightly and turned her head away for a moment. She was blushing greatly. She normally would not accept such a gift from anypony like this, but this was Soarin' and even though she always felt a bit awkward accepting gifts like this, she did accept it and was grateful for them. She came inside his house and kissed him. "I don't know why you keep doing such nice things for me like this. I'm not much of a mare who likes to be pampered. I'm satisfied just being with you alone and that's it. Thank you so much though." Rainbow Dash took the flowers and smelled them.

"I'd feel bad if I didn't get you something once in a while. I just want to show that I care about you and that you're worth it. Are you ready to make our day magical?" he asked

"Rainbow Dash put the flowers aside on a near by table. She blew on her front hooves and warmed them up as she rubbed them together. "I need to warm up before we play. I was actually playing this game called Dungeons and Dragons with Twilight Sparkle and I totally forgot that we had our own special day today."

"You were playing Dungeons and Dragons? I'm not much of a table top gamer, but I heard that you literally need to spend the entire day just to play. You could have stayed with your friends and played instead. We could have played another time."

"It's a really cool game, but I'd rather spend my time with you," Rainbow said as she nuzzled up against her companion.

Soarin' kissed her freezing cold mane on top of her head.

Rainbow's nostrils began twitching. "Did you get pizza?"

"I sure did and I got two boxes to share. I remembered to order extra basil and eggplant on them because you like that so much. It's right over there," Soarin' said as he pointed his front hoof over to the boxes of pizza on the floor near the giant bean bag chair that they would cuddle up and play games together on. There were two drinks and two game controllers next to each side of the bean bag chair. "I also have that apple pie you baked me waiting for us after that."

"You're the best Soarin. I couldn't ask for a better stallion than you," Rainbow said. She walked over to their little cuddle spot and then jumped into the air. She turned her back mid air and landed in the comfy, warm bean bag chair. "It's too bad the arcade is closed, down the shore during winter time. I really miss going there because that's how we first met and In the Hooves Two and Pony It Up are the best games there."

"We'll go again, don't worry. It's nice to play here too even though we can't play any rhythm arcade games." Soarin' said as he came over and pulled a blanket over her. He then got under the blanket and took out the remote control to turn his giant seventy inch television on.

Rainbow Dash greedily took a bite out of her pizza and said, "What game are we playing tonight? I bet we'll be playing Mortal Kombat again since it's Monday night and we like to call it our Mortal Mondays, right? I bet you won't be able to beat my Kabal this time. He's the top tier fighter in every single Mortal Kombat game. Kabal is the best pony in this game and I have beaten your Scorpion so many times with him. Why don't you try a different fighter like Sub-Zero or something? That would be an appropriate time to use him right now since it's so cold outside."

"Because I like to hook a cutie like you with my spear," he replied.

"Oh, Soarin'. A corny pun like that is usually reserved for Pinkie Pie," Rainbow said. "So is it Mortal Monday today?"

"Nah, we can play Mortal Kombat another time. Remember that game we played awhile ago? I want to pay that really cool game called Unreal Tournament. Prepare to have your meat giblets splattered everywhere," Soarin' said as he picked up his controller.

"Sweet! I love that game. I have a rocket with your name on it," she said.

As the game was loading, Soarin' opened up his box of pizza and ate half his pie in just a matter of seconds. Soarin' had an incredibly fast metabolism and he seemed to eat like a hard working earth pony like Applejack.

Rainbow Dash took another bite out of her pizza and then took a sip of her grape juice from the cup near her side. She picked up her controller and scooted a little bit closer to Soarin' in their ultimate little cuddle fort that they had together. She mentally prepared herself for this game. She was going to make him work hard for his wins in the Death Match Arena. "Don't screen peek," she said.

"Soarin' laughed and said, "I know, games like first person shooters should be played on separate screens, but if I ever peek while I'm playing, I'm actually peeking at you and not at the screen because it's hard for me to take my eyes off of you."

Rainbow sighed and leaned her head against his side. Comments like that, even if they were a bit corny, still made her stomach do flip flops when those words came out of Soarin's mouth. "You're killing me already, and we haven't even started killing each other in the game yet! Don't get a head start on me now!" Rainbow teasingly said.

"Guess who is going to steal the shield belt from you right before you get it again?" Soarin' asked.

"Oh no you don't!" Rainbow Dash said. "That last time you used the Stinger's alternative fire to push me back just before I was able to grab the Shield Belt was cruel. You do like to tease me like that, don't you?"

"I like to tease you both inside of the Death Match arenas and outside of them too," he replied.

Soarin' and Rainbow Dash chose their arena and they began to play.

"What!? How did you get a head shot with the Sniper Rifle while I was mid-air from propelling myself off that lift jump and was THAT far away from you?"

"This pony knows how to scope out the cutest pony in all of Equestria, even from a long distance. My eyes are only for you Dash," he snickered and then gave her a quick kiss on her cheek.

Rainbow Dash put down her controller quickly in order to take a bite of pizza. She then picked up her controller again and got back into the action.

Several hours later they were still playing this game.

"Oh, for Pete's sake! You stole the Shield Belt again and won the game because of that!" Rainbow Dash tossed her controller to the side and then wrapped her front legs around Soarin's body. "I think that's enough game time. I just want you now."

Soarin' put his controller down and then kissed Rainbow Dash passionately. He then pushed her back down into the bean bag and began to make out with her as he felt the back of her body with his front hooves and traveled all the way down to her flanks.

After a few moments, he picked himself up and stared into her eyes. "Hey Dash," he said.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Want to take it all the way tonight?" he asked.

"What do you mean by that?" she nervously asked him.

"We have been together for a long time now and I thought maybe we can have sex now," he said. "I have a condom on the table."

Rainbow's stomach did flip flops. She loved this stallion so much and he was incredibly handsome. Her flesh was lusting after him, but the Spirit was convicting her greatly right now.

"So would that be okay?" Soarin' asked as he leaned over her and was about to kiss her again.

"Yes," she said abruptly. "Wait! I mean no! I can't do it! I'm so sorry," she said as she gently pushed him away from her.

Soarin' looked shocked that she would deny him like this. "Why not, Dash? We have been together for so long. I have done so much for you and I want to do this to show you that I love you. I saved my virginity all this time for somepony special like you."

"I thought you told me that you were a Christian, Soarin'. We can't do that until we are married. Don't you remember that?"

"Yeah," he said. "My grandparents are Christian, so that makes me a Christian too, right?"

"No! It doesn't! I thought you knew that being a Christian involves surrendering your life to Christ and trying to stay pure in the faith."

"So you literally want me to wait until we get married to have sex? Is sex like evil or something?" he asked.

"We have to do it the right way if we want to be blessed as a couple. Sex is a wonderful creation by God and it's intended for a mare and a stallion to enjoy in marriage only."

"That's ridiculous!" Soarin' said. "We have been together for a while now and you're telling me that you won't let me have sex with you because God won't like that? I believe that sexual experiences are always beautiful and they should be done to love and to pleasure each other when two ponies truly love each other. I don't understand what the big deal is. How the hay are we supposed to know if we are even good in the sack if we don't try it before marriage? Don't you want to see how I perform first? Don't you love me? Don't you know that we were meant for each other? Do you know that I have the power to get you into the Wonderbolts? Don't you want to be a Wonderbolt like me?"

"This is flawed thinking, Soarin'. You're taking the most beautiful thing a stallion and mare can possibly do with each other and turning it into a cheap night instead of going out and doing something romantic with each other. If you really, really, loved me, then you would wait until marriage to prove that. You can't' be like those ponies who care about having sex so much. I'd much rather risk not knowing if my potential mate is not good in bed or has some kind of flaw, than to sin against God. If you really care for me and love me, then don't you think you would be humble enough to look over any flaws even if they are sexual!? I could care less how good you are in the sack. I love you for who you are regardless of what flaws you might have, even if you couldn't perform sexually at all. I know the lust of the flesh is difficult. I have already committed adultery with you in my heart. You know I want to be a Wonderbolt and that it would mean so much to me, but if it would mean giving up something that I'm called not to do at this moment in my life, then I'd rather never become a Wonderbolt."

Soarin' was getting desperate now and his hormones weren't helping him stay calm either. "But I have been waiting for so long and if we are going to end up getting married anyway then what's the difference? You seem very ungrateful toward me and I deserve your body after all that I have done for you. If this is what being a Christian is all about then I don't want anything to do with Christianity!"

"Soarin," Rainbow Dash said with tears in her eyes. "Please stop. You're hurting me very much. I already answered all of your questions. I saved your life in the past and this is how you're going to repay me? If you can't respect me or you are lusting after me, then I can go home so that we don't give into temptation."

"That's a good idea," Soarin' said.

"I'm sorry I have to leave, but we're doing the right thing by staying pure. The Bible says to walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. I have been going over some verses about lust myself lately because I am often tempted with lusting after you as well. We can meet up another time. I'll be praying for us as a couple."

"There's no need to do that Dash," Soarin' said. His voice now sounded dark and angry.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because I don't even want to see your face again and your God is ridiculous."

"Rainbow Dash's lips began to quiver and she broke down crying. "Please don't do this to me Soarin', I want to work with you and I love you so much. It would devastate me if you left me."

"I said get out and go find a sompeony special who will treat you as well as me. I know that you'll never find a stallion like me," he said.

"But..." Rainbow Dash said.

"Soarin' took his drink and hurled it across the room at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash was just barely able to dodge the glass as it shattered against the wall behind her.

"Get out of my house now!" he demanded.

Rainbow Dash opened the door as fast as she could and sped off into the night sobbing. This was not how she would have ever imagined Soarin' behaving.

Rainbow Dash's emotions were running wild. She wanted to get away from all of the hurt and find an isolated spot where she could mourn. She flew away to some woods nearby where Soarin' and Rainbow Dash would sometimes take walks through. There was a little pond that she hurried over to and sat down by it. She looked up and remembered the fireworks from when she had first been here. She remembered the weather being so perfect and that cool refreshing breeze that would sweep past her. She looked at the tree nearby that held great meaning to her. She couldn't bear to look at it now because of what had happened. The weather was now freezing and it made her mood that much more depressed. She looked down at the fish through the newly formed ice that covered the top of the pond. As she stared at them, her mind began to drift back to more memories of her former mate.

Meanwhile, at Soarin's home, Soarin' went up to his television and knocked his favorite picture of he and Rainbow Dash together, off the television stand. The frame that held the picture shattered against the wall. He walked over to it and then slammed his front hoof on top of it. He picked his front hoof back up and stared at the picture that was now destroyed. The memories also began to replay in his mind as well, from when he and Rainbow Dash had been dating. The story was recalled through both of their memories.

Their First Kiss

Rainbow Dash watched Soarin' head backstage after the show. Thankfully, he was still in one piece after the crazy stunts he was doing with the other Wonderbolts. Rainbow Dash ran up to him and threw her front legs around him. "You're the best, Soarin'! I hope one day to be a Wonderbolt just like you."

"Soarin' felt odd for getting her soaking wet with his own sweat. He didn't even get the chance to towel off and his sweat was sopping through his uniform. He patted her on the back and said, "You'll get there someday, Dash. I know that you are capable of being a Wonderbolt along with me."

Spitfire was standing by and heard that comment. "And then you two love birds wouldn't be able to take your eyes off of each other while performing stunts and crash into another team mate, right? I take it that this is your new filly friend, Soarin'?"

Soarin' let go of Rainbow Dash and turned to Spitfire. "Yeah, I told you about her before. You remember her, right? She saved our lives at the best young flyers competition."

"How could I forget?" Spitfire asked. "I remember that she saved something else that was of great importance to you as well."

Soarin' turned his head away and thought about that memory. "Yeah, she saved my big apple pie."

"I'd save you and your big apple pie any day of the week Soarin'," Rainbow Dash playfully added.

"So is your heart soarin' for Soarin', Rainbow Dash?" Spitfire asked.

"You would say something like that, wouldn't you, Spitfire?" Soarin' asked.

"Just try not to make him so love sick, Rainbow Dash. We work hard enough to keep his mind off of apple pies and video games. We can't imagine what a filly like you could do to him. I hope you don't play video games and learn how to bake apple pies too. You'd end up being his ultimate dream girl."

"I'll try not to get into his head too much, but thanks for giving me the ideas," Rainbow snickered. "At least I know his weakness."

Spitfire rolled her eyes. "I guess I'll let you two love birds be alone now. I hope she doesn't make you fall to pieces Soarin'. I can already tell that you're crazy for her just by the way you look at her. I'll catch you both later."

Soarin' watched the team captain of the Wonderbolts leave and said, "Hey Dash, let me get out of this suit and dry off and I'll be right back."

Rainbow Dash nodded her head ok. As she waited for Soarin' she looked at all of the other Wonderbolts. In the past, she would be going crazy because she was standing in the great presence of the Wonderbolts, but she really only cared for Soarin' now and her eyes were only for him.

Soarin' came back out and walked up behind her. He grabbed her by her front hoof and took her away.

"Where are you taking me?" Rainbow asked.

"I just want to be alone with you," he replied as he spread his wings for take off. "Come. Follow me."

Rainbow Dash followed Soarin' through the air

"Hey Dash! Look down at that pond way down there. I'll race you to it. The winner gets to make the loser do anything they want. Deal?"

Rainbow saluted him and said, "You're on! I can never back down from a challenge!" She positioned herself right next to his side as she hovered in the air with him.

The destination wasn't terribly far from where they were.

"Ready? Three. Two. One. Go!"

Both Pegasus ponies took off racing at full speed.

Rainbow Dash didn't have the time to perform a Sonic Rainboom since she would need to be at a greater altitude or else she would lose control and crash into the ground. Still, she gave it all she had.

Soarin' had touched the ground first by just a smidgen. Even though he worked hard performing and was exhausted from performing with the Wonderbolts earlier, he was still a top athlete and slowing him down wasn't exactly an easy task to do, especially when it came to racing against a mare as hot as Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof on the ground and said, "Aw shucks! I was so close!"

Soarin' smiled and asked, What would you have had me do if you won?"

Rainbow turned her head away and dragged her front hoof across the ground. Her face was blushing madly. "Maybe I would have made you give me a kiss."

"Then I'll forfeit my victory and let you have the win," he replied.

Rainbow had never kissed anypony before. She was hoping to save her very first kiss for the pony that she would end up marrying and even though their fledging relationship had just begun, she already envisioned them getting married someday. Rainbow licked her lips and stood on her hind legs. She pushed him backwards with her two front hooves against a tree that he was standing right under. She pressed her body tightly against his body and kissed him passionately.

They both closed their eyes and Soarin' wrapped his front legs around her body.

A loud bang was heard. Rainbow Dash opened one eye and saw that there were fireworks going up off in the distance.

Soarin' knew that ponies would be shooting off fireworks because they always did that after a Wonderbolt's show. He had heard and seen enough fireworks. He even flew by them mid-air as they were exploding with the other Wonderbolts during performance shows. He was enjoying this kiss and he could open up his eyes and enjoy the fireworks with Rainbow afterwards. Right now, the fireworks going off inside of his mind were far greater than the fireworks exploding in the skies.

A cool breeze had swept over them on this warm and beautiful night.

The endorphins running through her brain from her first kiss made her feel euphoric. Rainbow Dash pressed against him a little harder and then pulled back. She kept one front hoof on his chest and kept him pinned to the tree. "Thanks for letting me win. I'm glad I saved my first kiss for somepony like you."

Soarin' had felt bad that he hadn't saved his first kiss for her, but being such a big name like he was and dating a few other fillies seemed kind of hard to save his first kiss for somepony like Rainbow. He didn't even know fillies like her actually existed, but at least he had saved his virginity for somepony like her. Soarin' stared into her eyes and said, "Thanks for saving your first kiss for me. I hope you enjoyed it."

Rainbow Dash grinned and nodded her head yes proudly with her eyes closed. She opened up her eyes and grabbed Soarin' by the hoof. She pulled him closer to the little pond and sat down next to him.

Soarin' sat down with her and wrapped his front leg around her and drew her near.

They both watched the fireworks together.

Rainbow Dash would occasionally stare into the pond and watch the colorful reflections of the fireworks in the water. She could even see the fish swimming in the pond when the fireworks lit up the sky. The colors were hypnotizing to her. She rested her chin on Soarin's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "I know this is probably too early to say, but I love you already, Soarin' and I'm going to be loyal to the one I love. I'm not ever going to leave you."

Soarin' looked at her and kissed her on top of her mane. "I love you too and I hope we end up getting married someday. I love you, Dash."

The words of Soarin' echoed through her troubled mind. "I love you, Dash." The words replayed over and over again and it tormented her. She was now starting to blame herself that perhaps he acted like this because she said that she loved him too soon and she kissed him sooner than she had hoped to. Maybe it gave him the wrong idea when she told him that she would be loyal to him. Tears continued to stream down her face and she lied down on the ground and curled up in a ball beside the pond. She wanted to cry herself to sleep here even if she would probably freeze to death, she didn't care about going home to her nice insulated house made out of clouds. Her body was shaking tremendously because of the cold and she watched her hot breath dissipate into the frigid air. She wrapped her tail around her body, but it was of no use. She was still freezing cold. Her emotions were running wild and her mind kept telling her to stay here and mourn, but the Spirit inside of her was gently telling her to get up and seek comfort from her fellow sisters in Christ.

Soarin' walked into his bedroom and threw himself onto the bed. He was still full of anger, but he felt no conviction because he did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside of him. He felt as if his girlfriend had just ditched him because of Jesus's teachings. He struggled to fall asleep. He did his best to ignore his angry feelings and managed to drift off to sleep.

Finding Comfort for a Hurting Heart

Rainbow Dash's friends were still at Twilight Sparkle's library playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Pinkie Pie jolted up in alarm as she was having a bizarre Pinkie sense. "Girls!" Pinkie Pie cried out.

Twilight sighed and said, "No Pinkie, for the last time, you need to be quiet and let other ponies take turns playing."

"That's not it, Twilight!" Pinkie said. "I'm getting this crazy Pinkie sense that Dashie is hurt right now and that she needs our help."

"Pinkie, I'm sure Rainbow Dash is fine and that if there's a problem, then she'll come to us," Twilight said.

Pinkie Pie said a silent prayer hoping that wherever her cyan Pegasus friend was, that she'd be safe and that she would come to them. She had never felt a Pinkie sense this strong before. Whatever happened to Rainbow Dash must have been terrible.

Rainbow Dash picked herself up off of the ground. She made up her mind and was going to go to Twilight's library. She tried to flap her wings, but they were now so cold that she couldn't even get herself off of the ground because she did not have enough warm blood flowing through them. It would be a long travel for her to get to Twilight's library by hoof, but she knew that she had to get there. She needed her sisters in Christ, no matter how much she wanted to be alone right now.

Pinkie Pie could hardly focus on her game. She found herself pacing back and forth by the door. "We have to go get her, girls," she said. "I don't think my Pinkie senses have ever been wrong."

"Twilight was getting aggravated now because they couldn't communicate as a team with Pinkie Pie not sitting at the table. "Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash is fine! Get back here and sit your flank down on this chair so that we can find a place to set up our camp sight and rest for tomorrow."

Pinkie Pie sighed with sadness and sat back down at the table. Of course, her mind could not focus on the game because all she could think about was Rainbow Dash.

A few hours later, the door to Twilight Sparkle's library burst open and Rainbow Dash came running through.

All of her friends looked up at her with confusion written across their faces, except for Pinkie Pie. She knew deep down inside that something was seriously wrong.

Rainbow Dash thought that the she had cried every last tear drop outside, but when she saw her friends, her lips began to quiver and she fell down to the floor and began to sob uncontrollably.

Pinkie Pie rushed out of her seat and got low to the ground with Rainbow Dash. She had no idea what in the world was going on with her, but she somehow felt her hurt and she wrapped her front legs around her freezing body and began to cry into her shoulder.

All of her other friends looked at each other for a moment. They couldn't believe and never would have imagined that Rainbow Dash would ever break down crying like this. They had seen her get tearful in the past, but this was something that no pony had ever seen before. Her friends, including Spike, got up from the game and all came over to Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow Dash!?" Twilight asked. "What is wrong?! Are you hurt?"

Rainbow Dash could not speak because the anguish was so extreme.

"Oh, my," Fluttershy said. "Just try to relax and take your time telling us all about it."

Rainbow Dash laid there for a few moments unable to speak. In time, she spoke up in a quivering voice and said, "He hurt me. I never would have thought that he'd hurt me."

"Who hurt you, Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked.

"Soarin' hurt me," Rainbow admitted.

Everypony gasped. They would never have suspected that Soarin' would ever hurt her. He must have done something terrible for her to be this upset.

"Please tell us," Rarity said. "We need to know what happened."

"He tried to pull a move on me tonight and I said no," Rainbow said.

"Like as in sexual?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah," Rainbow said. "And when I said no, he tried to convince me that God is ridiculous and he acted like he deserved my body even though we weren't married yet. He thought that just because he treated me so well and that we have been together for quite some time now, that it gave him the right to have sex with me. When I still refused, he got so angry that he threw a glass at me and it just barely missed my head because I was able to duck it. I never thought he would become violent!"

Twilight Sparkle and the rest of her friends were shocked. "I know I told you that I felt that he was a good stallion, but this is just crazy! I thought you told me that he was Christian."

"I found out that he's really not. He thought he was because a family member of his was a Christian so he figured that it made him Christian as well, but he doesn't understand that if somepony in his family is a Christian, this doesn't automatically make him a Christian."

"Ah," Twilight said. "We have a worldly pony who thinks that just because they say they are Christian, doesn't really mean anything. For Jesus said, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."

"Twi, I don't really want to hear that right now. You don't understand. I'm not angry with him. I still love him and I promised that I'd be loyal to him. I am crushed right now and I am grieving."

Twilight Sparkle felt bad for quoting that verse. She forgot just how much Soarin' meant to her. "I'm really sorry if I came off too harsh, Rainbow. Twilight turned to Pinkie and said, "And I'm really sorry that I didn't listen to your Pinkie senses, Pinkie Pie. I make mistakes sometimes too." Twilight Sparkle turned back to Rainbow Dash and put her front hoof on her shoulder. She sighed because she now felt her pain and said, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Rainbow, let us pray for you."

"No!" Rainbow cried out. "Please pray for Soarin' instead. He needs it more than I do."

"You both need it, Rainbow Dash. Girls. Come closer and let's pray over our hurting sister."

Each pony came over and put their front hoof over Rainbow's body. Rainbow Dash was still shaking and crying on the floor.

"Can I pray over her too" Spike asked.

"Absolutely," Twilight answered.

Spike put his front claw on her body and Twilight looked at Fluttershy and said, "Fluttershy, I haven't heard you pray in a while. Why don't you start our prayer circle by praying first?"

Fluttershy was often nervous when it came to speaking out, even if she was talking to her closest friends. She really liked to keep her prayers silent and she liked to keep her prayer life to herself unless somepony asked her about it. She saw Rainbow Dash hurting and even though she was so very shy, she began to pray. "Dear Father in Heaven. We come before you because we have a hurting sister and we need your help to heal the hurt deep inside of her. Please comfort her and wipe every tear away from her eyes. Only you have the power to heal the hurt and change the hearts of others. We also pray for Soarin' because he is lost in lust and needs your guidance. Rainbow Dash really loves him, and if it is within your will, we pray that he may come to his senses and seek you as well as come back to Rainbow Dash. We pray for our sister and we pray that you may use us to comfort her. In Jesus's name I pray, amen."

Every other pony took their turn praying over Rainbow Dash. Spike was the last one to pray for her. Everypony let go of her and watched her.

Rainbow Dash laid on the floor curled up in a ball. She didn't move. She looked as if she had no life left inside of her. All that could be seen was the rising and falling of her chest as she breathed.

"Rainbow Dash? Aren't you going to get up?" Rarity asked.

"I just don't feel good," Rainbow replied. "You have no idea how much I am hurting."

"I have had my heart crushed before, but never in such a way when it comes to having a somepony special before, Rainbow," Twilight said. "But you have to be strong and get through this. Soarin' was being shady and he did not respect you. There are plenty of other stallions out there who would respect you for who you are. He said that he was a Christian, but he was just talking the walk and not walking the walk like so many other ponies out there. He was as they say, a worldly Christian."

"I don't want to move on," Rainbow said. "I hope you don't think I'm being weak and pathetic, but you know I don't represent the element of loyalty for nothing. I already had told him that I love him and that I would be loyal to him. He was the perfect stallion for me and we got along so well. I can't even recall a single fight between us. If we ever disagreed on something, then we would both work together and find a way around it. We usually end up laughing."

Twilight's ears perked up at what she just heard Rainbow admit. "But you didn't marry him, Rainbow! Just because you said that you loved him and that you would be loyal to him doesn't mean that you can't move on when he clearly cares more about his selfish sexual desires rather than you. I know you are loyal because you have proved it with our friendship, but you're taking this loyalty thing way too far! If there's a stallion you're dating that seems too perfect to be true, then that should be a red warning flag right there. Many ponies who try to fit so perfectly in line with their mates, end up hiding something or putting on an act just to try to get something that they want out of their mates."

"I'm not dating again unless I have him back. I feel like I'm being called to wait and I will wait for as long as it takes," Rainbow said.

"Rainbow, I think your emotions are getting in the way of reasonable thinking. I think it's best that you move on. Time will heal some of the hurt and I understand that you're grieving right now, but if you spend too much time like this, then you're not going to be able to pick yourself up and try again."

"I'm going to spend my time praying and fasting until he comes back. I need to do this," Rainbow said.

"If you really want to do that, Rainbow, then it's up to you. I don't think it's wise though and I certainty wouldn't do that if I were in your position."

"You're not me and we are all called to do different things in our lives," Rainbow said as she picked herself up off the floor.

"If you really feel that you are being called to do something like this, then I'm not going to stop you, but I really don't think it's healthy for you to do this," Twilight said.

"Do you girls still have my Dungeons and Dragons character?" Rainbow asked.

"Yes, he's still on the table," Twilight said.

Rainbow walked over to the table that they were playing on and picked up the little figurine that Rarity had sculpted for her.

Rarity was the one who brought this game to life with her art work and sculptures of demons and monsters as well as many other things.

"I hope you all don't mind if I keep him. I'd like to take him home. I based him off of Soarin' anyway," Rainbow said.

"That's fine," Twilight replied. "We'll keep you on hold in the game and you can feel free to jump back in whenever you want to. I'd let you make a new character, but we're already too far into this game to start over and everypony has spent hours customizing their characters and choosing their special skills and abilities."

"It's kind of hard for me to play when I based this character off of Soarin'. I'll come back to this game when he comes back."

Twilight Sparkle sighed and believed that Rainbow Dash would never come back to play with them again unless perhaps they started a new campaign and everypony decided to create new characters. Waiting for a stallion who tried to have his way with her and then nearly physically hurt her in his rage seemed ludicrous to her.

"Thanks for comforting me and for praying for me," Rainbow said. "I think I'll be on my way now."

"Would you like to sleep here for the night?" Twilight asked. "It's really cold out there and you'll freeze your flank off without any clothing. You didn't even bring a scarf with you."

Rainbow Dash walked over to the door and said, "I'll be fine. I may come back for prayer and support, but I feel like I need to have some intimacy with God right now. I need to pray and feel his comfort. I need for Him to keep me warm in this freezing cold storm. I'll be back later. I would appreciate it if you would all continue to pray for Soarin'.

Rainbow Dash left the library and headed home. Her travel was not far, but at least her wings were warm enough to carry her through the flight. When she got home, she went into her bedroom. She curled up in a ball on her bed and closed her eyes. She began to talk to God. "Dear God, I know that I am terrible with prayer. I wish I could pray as well as Twilight Sparkle does and I wish I could form my sentences as well as she can. No pony is nearly as intelligent as she is when it comes to our group, but I need to talk to You alone right now. I thank You for my sisters in You and I pray that somehow, someway You would come here and hug me. I need Your warmth, Your love, and Your affection. I hurt so much right now, and I'm sure that You must know what it feels like to be rejected. You were spat upon, mocked, beaten, whipped, thrown to the ground, and then nailed to a tree, all for the sake of rescuing me. There is and will never be a greater act of love than what You have done. You know that I love Soarin' very much and I know that You love him the same as You love me. You put him in my life for a reason and he means so much to me. Even though I love Soarin' so very much, I would rather be hurt and not please him if it came to sinning against You. I'd like to be loyal to him, but ultimately, I'd rather be loyal to You. Someway, somehow, I wish that Your love will be shown to him even though he hurt me very badly. I have forgiven him already in my heart and I want for him to be back in my life. I know that not everything goes my way, but I ask that You may consider my prayer. I would give my wings for him, I would even give my entire life just so that he may see Your unfailing love. I can't imagine sleeping tonight, even though I hadn't made the connection before that crying is exhausting. I'm so beat up and broken down and my mind is still racing with all kinds of crazy thoughts. I can't pull through this on my own and I just ask that You would hold me, hug me, and...." Rainbow Dash's words trailed off because she suddenly felt this amazing warmth cover her entire body and it made her body quiver with pleasure. Even though it was still very cold in her home and she had not pulled the blankets over her body, there was this super natural warmth that came over her and comforted her. It was from God and He was literally giving her that hug that she had asked for. Rainbow Dash hadn't felt so comfortable before and her mind quickly drifted off to sleep. He would be carrying her through her hurt and struggles. He would be carrying her just like He had always been doing all along.

The end.

Author's Note

This is part 6 in the series that I'm doing.

Part 7 can be read here and it is a direct sequel to this story.

http://www.fimfiction.net/story/133146/sic-part-7-can-you-take-me-back