Just Because She Likes Mares...
...Doesn't Mean She's a Lesbian
6:50 PM. Just ten more minutes to get the thunderstorm ready. Rainbow Dash was still on schedule, despite being down one Pegasus. Thunderlane was notorious for calling in sick, but today he simply hadn't showed.
"Hey, Cloud Kicker!" Rainbow beckoned. Cloud Kicker finished gently moving a nimbus cloud into place and flew over to greet Rainbow.
"Ma'am?" She saluted playfully.
"Where's Thunderlane today?" Rainbow asked. Cloud Kicker looked around and pointed a hoof in the direction of an approaching back Pegasus.
"Here he is now!" Cloud kicker exclaimed. Thunderlane wore a hazy expression, smiling goofily.
"What the hay is he so happy about?" Rainbow asked.
"I heard he went on a date with his new fillyfriend last night!" Cloud Kicker explained. "Hey, Thunderlane!" She called. "Come tell us about your date!"
Rainbow was immediately uncomfortable. She wasn't really interested in anything romantic. She wasn't that kind of pony.
"Oh, it was great." Thunderlane began. "First I took her out to dinner, then we went to see the meteor shower. It was so cool! She's so awesome."
"Ooh, the meteor shower! I love those. All the bright lights, and the meteors are so fast." Rainbow Dash chimed, subtly uneasy.
"Yeah, and going with my special somepony made it a hundred times better." Thunderlane cooed.
Thunderlane seems really happy. Rainbow thought. Come to think of it, the new Daring Do movie was coming out that weekend, and there was a new restaurant that just opened up in town, and she had been meaning to try it out. And why shouldn't she find somepony special to go with? There were plenty of ponies she liked. She had always thought dates were romantic and emotional, but according to Thunderlane, that wasn't always the case.
It was settled. Rainbow knew what she had to do.
She was going to get a fillyfriend.
***
There were ways to find a special somepony, no doubt, but Rainbow knew nothing about it. So she'd come here, to Fluttershy's cottage, as she was close by. She brought a hoof to the door and gently knocked.
Fluttershy answered the door cheerily.
"Hello, Rainbow Dash!" She greeted. "What are you doing all the way out here?"
"Oh, I was just in the area, working on the weather, and I wanted to ask you a question." Dash explained.
"Why don't you come inside?" Fluttershy politely offered, backing into her house and allowing Rainbow entry. Rainbow sauntered over to a red armchair and sunk into it. It was good to finally relax; she had gone directly to Fluttershy's cottage after weather duty.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Fluttershy called, nearly inaudibly, from the kitchen.
"Yeah, a water would be great, thanks!" Rainbow replied. Seconds later, fluttershy emerged with two glasses of water, and set them down on the table.
"So what did you want to ask me?" Fluttershy inquired.
"Right! Well, Thunderlane was talking to the me and the other weather ponies, and he spent the day yesterday with his new fillyfriend. And it sounded awesome! I want to do that kind of thing." Rainbow explained, with a tinge of bravado.
"Oh! You want to find a special somepony?" Fluttershy asked. She took a drink of her water.
"Yeah! So how do I find a fillyfriend?" Rainbow asked nonchalantly. Fluttershy stopped drinking and made a quiet choking sound.
"A...fillyfriend?" Fluttershy asked, taken aback. . Rainbow nodded eagerly, oblivious to Fluttershy's surprised demeanor.
"Well," Fluttershy continued. "I don't really know much about that. But I'm glad you're so comfortable with your feelings!" Fluttershy sang softly. Rainbow raised a brow.
"Uh, thanks? So you don't know anything about it. Maybe Twilight will. She knows everything!" Rainbow said, sitting up in the cozy red armchair. "Thanks, Fluttershy!" Rainbow shouted as she walked briskly through the front door.
***
As evening came, the skies were a dark gray, and Rainbow had just arrived at the library. She brought a hoof to the door and knocked. The door creaked open and Twilight stood, a puzzled look on her face.
"Rainbow Dash? What are you doing outside? There's about to be a storm!" Twilight said, backing into the library. "Come inside, quick!"
Rainbow walked inside, and shortly after heard the trickling of rain in the leaves of Twilight's home.
"I'm glad you got here before it started raining." Twilight said, walking towards the stairs. "I was just reshelving my room when you knocked."
Rainbow took it as a gesture of invitation and followed Twilight upstairs. As she reached the top, she found Twilight sitting in front of a pile of books, which had been taken from off the shelf in front of her.
"So to what do I owe the pleasure?" Twilight asked, still sorting through her pile of books. Rainbow hopped onto Twilight's bed, resting her hooves behind her head.
"Well, I wanted some advice." Rainbow began, looking at the ceiling. "Earlier today, Thunderlane was telling me about a date he went on."
"And so you came to me for dating advice?" Twilight guessed. Rainbow's eyes widened in surprise, blinking rapidly.
"Uh...actually, yes! Well, sort of." Rainbow explained. "I'm not actually dating anypony right now."
Twilight turned to face Rainbow Dash, a puzzled look on her face.
"But you hardly know any stallions. How are you supposed to find one you actually like?" Twilight asked.
"Who said anything about stallions?" Rainbow answered.
Twilight's eyes flared in surprise, then settled to a curious expression.
"I didn't know you were a lesbian. Interesting!" Twilight chimed. Rainbow shot up and sat upright in Twilight's bed.
"Hey!" Rainbow shouted, clearly offended. "Don't call me that! That's what those jerks in flight school used to call me!"
"But Dash, you just told me you like mares instead of stallions!" Twilight defended.
"So? Just because I like mares doesn't mean I'm a lesbian!" Dash proclaimed. Twilight sat silently for a moment, dumbfounded. Then she giggled, which turned into a hearty laugh. Her laughter only angered Rainbow further.
"And just what are you laughing at?!" She demanded.
"Rainbow Dash, that's what the word lesbian means. It means a mare who is romantically attracted to mares instead of stallions." Twilight explained, now calm and amused. Rainbow didn't seem satisfied with the explanation.
"But...why would the guys from flight school tease me about that? It's not like I can help it. I didn't even know it was unusual." Rainbow pondered.
"Some ponies have a hard time accepting others who are different from themselves." Twilight proposed.
"Wow..." Rainbow said, looking dejectedly at the sheets beneath her. "That hurts."
Twilight gave a concerned look and stood, walking over to her bed, sitting next to Rainbow. She brought a comforting hoof to Rainbow's shoulder.
"Hey, those guys are just a bunch of jerks. I think the fact that you embrace who you are on the inside makes you the bravest pony I know." Twilight assured. "You could have any mare you wanted."
Rainbow gave a grateful smile.
"Thank you, Twilight. That means a lot."
A clap of thunder shook the library, and the two ponies tensed.
"Looks like you'll be staying here a little while." Twilight observed with a chuckle. "So let's get down to business. Are you the mare or the stallion in the relationship?"
Rainbow blinked, puzzled.
"What does that mean?" She asked, cocking her head to one side.
"Well, usually in a relationship, straight or otherwise, one pony takes on the dominant role, like a stallion, but not necessarily. The other pony is submissive." Twilight explained. "I'm guessing you're a stallion."
"Yeah, I'm not really the submissive type." Rainbow chuckled.
"So then you're probably not looking for someone just like you. You'd be a good match for a gentler mare." Twilight predicted with a small smile.
"You think so? Hmm." Rainbow said, placing a hoof on her chin.
"What were you thinking of doing with this fillyfriend, anyway?" Twilight inquired.
"Well, I was hoping I could take her out to see the new Daring Do movie, and to try out that new restaurant that opened up down the road, the...I forget what it's called."
"The Amore. I've actually been meaning to check it out." Twilight explained.
"Right! The Amore." Rainbow mimicked, with an exaggerated Italian accent.
"Well, if you want somepony to go see Daring Do and eat Italian food, then you'll need somepony whose interests match yours." Twilight explained. "Lucky for you, Daring Do is pretty popular, and so is Italian food."
"Yeah, you're right! Speaking of food, I'm starving. Mind if I raid your fridge?" Rainbow asked. Twilight gave a quiet chuckle.
"If you'd like, I can make us some dinner." Twilight offered.
"That'd be awesome! Thanks!" Rainbow answered with an excited smile.
***
The storm continued through the night, and Twilight insisted on Rainbow staying over. In the morning, Rainbow left the library with a renewed sense of confidence.
A gentler pony, Twilight had said. Someone who shared her interests. The answer was obvious:
Fluttershy.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy went way back, to flight school, when they began their friendship after Rainbow defended Fluttershy from bullies, and earned her cutie mark because of it.
She was certainly a gentler mare, perhaps the most gentle pony Rainbow knew. She was caring and cautious, and famously kind.
She reads, and has probably read the Daring Do series. Rainbow also knew she made a delicious ceasar salad, so there was no reason to believe she didn't like Italian food. It was perfect.
Rainbow arrived at Fluttershy's cottage shortly before noon. Her heart pounding in her chest, she brought a hoof to the door and knocked.
Seconds later, Fluttershy answered.
"Good morning, Rainbow Dash." She sang softly.
"Hey, Fluttershy." Rainbow said, expertly controlling her almost-shaking voice. "I had a question for you."
"Anything!" Fluttershy assured with a gentle smile.
"Do you wanna go see Daring Do with me, and check out that new Italian place down the road from Twilight's place?" Rainbow asked, her control over her voice faltering.
"The Amore? That sounds nice. I'd love to!" Fluttershy peeped. Rainbow's face lit up with triumph.
"Alright! So, I'll stop by here at, say, five o'clock?" Rainbow suggested.
"Sure! See you then!" Fluttershy said with a smile. Rainbow waved and turned to walk away. She heard the door close behind her and she thrust a hoof into the air.
"Yes!" She celebrated. "That wasn't so hard."
***
Five o'clock came after an agonizing wait, but as it finally came, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy made their way to the movie theatre. Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet was the second movie in the series, and it was just as good as the first. Fluttershy even buried her head in Rainbow's shoulder during one of the more intense moments, peeping "I can't watch!"
After the movie was over, the pair walked to The Amore. There was no wait, and they were seated on the patio overlooking a beautiful stream, painted a vibrant palette of warm colors by the sunset. The food was some of the best they'd ever eaten, and after Rainbow paid, the two made their way back to Fluttershy's cottage.
The sun had set, and now a cool breeze swept across the grassy landscape, sending crispy red leaves floating through the air. A blue tint bathed the land in light from Luna's moon. The ponies arrived at Fluttershy's front door.
"Well, thanks again for the wonderful day!" Fluttershy sang happily.
"Yeah, it was pretty great, huh?" Rainbow said, her heart once again pounding. "Say, Fluttershy, can I ask you something?"
"Of course." Fluttershy assured.
"You remember what I was talking to you about yesterday, finding a fillyfriend and all that?" Rainbow asked sheepishly.
"Yes?"
"Well, I had a really awesome time tonight, and I was wondering..." Rainbow poked at the ground with a hoof, looking at Fluttershy nervously. "Maybe... That fillyfriend...could be you?" Fluttershy's eyes widened, darting back and forth.
"But--me?" Fluttershy stammered. "I had a really good time tonight, too, Rainbow, but...I'm just not a lesbian. I'm sorry." She peeped. Rainbow's heart stopped, and her stomach dropped.
"...Oh." Rainbow sighed, defeated. "I didn't even think of that!" She feigned a chuckle. "Awkward! Anyway, thanks again for the fun evening." She said with an expertly faked smile.
"Of course." Fluttershy said, obviously bothered by Rainbow's dejected demeanor.
"See you." Rainbow mumbled, turning to leave.
***
Rainbow's eyes seared with tears, and her heart ached as she walked ponyville's dark streets. There was no one in the quiet walkways, and Rainbow was utterly alone. She spoke aloud to herself quietly.
"How could I be so stupid?" She asked herself. "I didn't even think to ask if she was lesbian. I probably ruined our friendship. She'll probably tell all our friends how I came onto her, and how weird I was. I messed everything up! I should have just stayed home..." Rainbow grumbled.
Her home was miles away, and she was in no mood to fly. She looked around, and saw a light in the distance. It was Twilight's library. Rainbow didn't want to bother her at such a late hour, but she was in serious need of a friend.
Slowly dragging herself to the door, Rainbow brought a hoof to the door and knocked. Seconds later, Twilight answered the door.
"Rainbow! How'd it--" she began, but stopped as she saw Rainbow's red eyes and slumped appearance. "Oh no. Rainbow, come inside." Rainbow silently obliged, slumping inside.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Twilight offered.
Rainbow simply walked forward and buried her nuzzle in Twilight's shoulder. Twilight stood for a moment and sighed sadly. Then, slowly, she gently brought a hoof to Rainbow's back. Rainbow's figure started to shake, and Twilight could hear her quiet, muffled sobs.
"There, there." Twilight said, leaning her head on Rainbow's. "It's alright. Let it all out."
"I messed up big time, Twi." Rainbow choked out. "She isn't even a lesbian."
"Oh, that's no big deal, Rainbow. It's completely understandable." Twilight assured.
"I probably freaked her out! I ruined our friendship." Rainbow predicted.
"No, Rainbow. Fluttershy is the most compassionate pony we know. She'll understand."
"I'm no good at this whole 'dating' thing. Maybe I should just give up." Rainbow said, defeated.
"Rainbow Dash, give up? That's not the Rainbow I know. Besides, there's more to relationships than just going on dates. Having a special somepony is about always being there for her, and having her back. She'll have yours too." Twilight explained.
"I wish you weren't straight." Rainbow admitted under her breath, then winced with regret. Twilight was taken by surprise and tensed up around Rainbow. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"Actually... I've never told anyone this... But I'm bisexual." Twilight admitted quietly.
Rainbow took a step back and looked up at Twilight.
"What does that mean?" She said with a sniffle.
"It means I like both mares and stallions." Twilight said, a faint blush washing over her face.
"Well do you like...me?" Rainbow asked, her eyes wide and her heart racing, anxiously awaiting her response. Twilight brought a hoof to her chin and pondered for a moment, looking at the ceiling.
"How was the food at the Amore?" Twilight asked at last.
"Are -- Are you asking me out?" Rainbow asked quickly, with a faint smile on her face, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"What'll it be?" Twilight asked with a confident smile.
"Well, yes, duh!" Rainbow answered happily.
"Great!" Twilight said with a wide smile. "So, I'll pick you up at six tomorrow?"
"Sounds good!" Rainbow said. She stood silently for a moment, her eyes flashing across Twilight's face. Finally she embraced her in a warm hug, gently nuzzling Twilight's neck. Twilight chuckled softly.
"Rainbow, we haven't even gone on our first date yet." She teased.
"Thank you, Twilight." Rainbow sighed. "Thank you."
Author's Note
My first fanfic, hope you guys like it! My future stories will most likely not be so fluffy; I'm just getting my sea legs.