Variety Is The Spice Of Lions

Rainbow Dash didn’t hate dresses; She just had an odd relationship with them. Maybe odd wasn’t quite the right word… Uneasy, perhaps. She didn’t hate dresses, like, as a concept; sometimes they could even be pretty cool, like the dress she wore to the gala. It might not have been her favorite thing ever at first, but she’d actually found a lot to like about it once she stopped to appreciate what it was. She’d never admit it to Rarity, of course, but sometimes, wearing dresses could even be cool.

So, no, Rainbow Dash didn’t hate dresses.

Rainbow Dash just hated this dress. It was too tight, except at the neck, where it was loose and bagged up like a scarf for some reason she couldn’t fathom; The holes for her forelegs and wings were so narrow she could feel the fabric uncomfortably pinching every time she moved, and her hind legs couldn’t stop tripping over the skirt because for some reason it went all the way down to the floor.

At least I was able to convince Rarity to make it black, Rainbow thought. Black was cool, after all, even if this dress was a logistical nightmare.

“Are you feeling okay, Rainbow?” Fluttershy’s voice came, pulling her back to reality. Rainbow sighed. Of course she couldn’t avoid thinking about it forever, eventually she’d have to acknowledge what was happening.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, casually tossing her mane.

“Are you sure?” Fluttershy’s voice was small, concerned. Rainbow didn’t like the way it sounded. “We can go home if you want. I already saw everypony I was hoping to see.”

Rainbow grunted noncommittally. Fluttershy frowned.

“We could go dance, if you want. Take your mind off things?”

Rainbow sighed. “No, it’s okay. I think I just need some air.”

“Umm… Okay. If you’re sure.” Fluttershy leaned in to give a quick peck on Rainbow’s cheek, which Rainbow returned before walking off towards the balcony.

The old flight school was everything she remembered it being; a massive construction of clouds, bent and wrought into a completely unnatural shape. She was bigger now, but it was still just as oppressive and looming as it was back then.

Truth be told, Rainbow never would have seen herself coming to a class reunion. For one thing, she dropped out of school as soon as she was old enough to live on her own; that was enough to guarantee she never got invited. But Fluttershy wanted to go, and she needed a plus one. What was Rainbow going to do, tell her marefriend to go alone? That would be cold even if it was a pony who liked social events, much less a pony as shy as… well… Fluttershy.

So she’d agreed to go, and she tried to have a good time, she really did. But this wasn’t her element, standing around and talking and pretending to be interested in who started working where and who married whom and all this other crap. Rainbow Dash was a mare of action, and when that failed, she at least appreciated it if somepony would ask what she had been up to lately.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Dashie? I don’t–”

“I’m fine!” Of course Rainbow had been so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t even hear Fluttershy step out onto the balcony with her. “I’m totally fine, Flutters. I was just enjoying the view.”

Fluttershy didn’t respond to that, instead opting to put her forehooves up on the railing and watch the stars.

“I know you don’t need me to look after you, but sometimes I get worried. I know how much you like being the center of attention, so I can see how this could be hard for you…”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “It’s not hard for me. I just… I’ve had to reintroduce myself to, like, half our old classmates! Nopony even remembers me! I know I dropped out kinda early, but still, you’d think they’d at least remember my name, or maybe my mane would ring a bell.”

Rainbow watched the breeze play with Fluttershy’s mane until the yellow mare finally spoke up.

“I’m sorry that not everypony remembers you, Dashie.”

“Like I give a buck.” Rainbow snorted. “These ponies are all small potatoes anyway. They’re all ‘Ooh look at me, I’m a manager at a weather factory,’ and ‘I sell big cloud mansions to fancy ponies in Cloudsdale,’ who cares? I’m about to be a Wonderbolt. Formal education’s a joke.”

The breeze picked up momentarily, and Rainbow felt a shiver run down her spine. Summer was ending, and the approaching cold was already making its presence known.

“I know. And I’m very proud of you for that, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said idly. “I know this isn’t how you wanted to spend your night, but… I really appreciate that you came with me anyway.”

“It’s no trouble.” Rainbow shivered again before she felt something warm and soft cover her back. She craned her neck to see Fluttershy’s wing draped across her, and a smile came to her face.

“I love you, Rainbow. You know that, right?” Fluttershy spoke softly as she leaned her head against Rainbow’s shoulder.

“That, too. Not only am I going to be a Wonderbolt, but I have a hotter marefriend than than any of those stallions in there.” Rainbow grinned as she wrapped her foreleg around Fluttershy’s neck.

Fluttershy giggled and blushed lightly. “That’s my Dashie.”

Rainbow nodded. Fluttershy was right; So maybe Rainbow hadn’t left quite as big an impression on this school as she’d thought she had, but did that really matter? She had great friends, a great career ahead of her, and she had Fluttershy, the greatest marefriend she could ask for.

“Say, Flutters, you still wanna dance?”

Fluttershy lifted her head from Rainbow’s shoulder and smiled. “Umm, maybe. Only if you want to.”

Rainbow grinned. “I think it’s about time we show these ponies how a real couple works the floor.”

“Oh, Rainbow, you’re so romantic,” Fluttershy teased as they began walking back inside.

Rainbow giggled. “And don’t you forget it.”