Chapters Rainbow Dash awoke suddenly as she sat up, her heart was thumping uncontrollably and sweat was gliding down her forehead. This would be the third morning in a row, in this week alone, where the cyan Pegasus would wake up all thanks to one really strange dream.
“Oh good, it was just that really bad dream.” She sighed as she wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead and recollected herself back into a calm state. Recently, Rainbow Dash had been having really strange and dark dreams like the one she had just awoken from. They all started off normally, with Rainbow flying over the calm and cool Equestrian landscape. Then, she would remember that she had made plans with Pinkie Pie to help her out with something. She would then change her flying course over to the pink party pony of Ponyville to help her friend out with whatever she needed help with.
Once Rainbow Dash arrived at Sugar Cube Corner, she would enter the Bakery and be greeted by a very excited Pinkie Pie. She would ask Pinkie what it was she needed her help with, and Pinkie would respond with a wide smile that she needed Dash’s help with baking. To Rainbow it seemed normal enough, Pinkie Pie was always asking for her friends help with baking in real life, so she didn't think anything of it when Pinkie told her that in her dream. Naturally, Rainbow Dash accepted to help Pinkie Pie out, and in return, Pinkie Pie would let Rainbow Dash try a sample cupcake she had made before Dash arrived. It was a really good cupcake, topped with the sweetest creamy and thick icing she had ever tasted in her entire life. It was super moist and almost seemed to melt inside her mouth. After taking another three or four bites, Rainbow began to feel drowsy and sleepy. Her eyelids would get heavy and she found herself fighting to stay awake, and in the background, she could hear Pinkie whispering, “Go to sleep”, in her ear.
That’s when the dream started to get weird. Rainbow Dash would wake up in a completely dark room, unable to move her arms, legs, and wings. She could hear Pinkie’s cheery laugh coming from somewhere around her, but she couldn't see where Pinkie was. Suddenly, a bright light turned on above Rainbow Dash and revealed to her that she was bound to one of those tables one would find in an Emergency Room in a hospital used to perform surgeries on. She would call out into the room asking where she was, but of course only heard Pinkies laughter. She would hear the sound of a heavy metal door, and the squeaking sound of a rusted moving cart. Pinkie Pie would suddenly appear from the shadows, pushing the squeaking cart with her and smiled creepily at Rainbow Dash. Dash would slowly begin to fall into panic. She would ask Pinkie if she was pranking her, only to receive a shocking answer from Pinkie Pie. Rainbow went from uneasy nervousness to uncontrollable fear, as Pinkie Pie lifted one of the scalpels she had on the cart and began to carve out her flesh. She would continue to carve out more and more of the cyan Pegasus, despite her agonizing cries and weeping pleads, until finally Pinkie Pie would carve out her heart, and the last thing Rainbow Dash saw was her heart in Pinkie Pies hands, before her life drained from her body. That would be the end of that strange dream and the cause of Rainbow Dash’s sudden wake ups.
“What a really strange dream, I have to really stop eating too much late at night.” She said to herself, as she took a quick glance at her alarm clock. The clock read 9 o’ clock in the morning, and it was set to ring at 9:30 in the morning.
“I guess I’ll just get ready now, rather than wait till the alarm rings.” She muttered as she stretched her wings out and flapped herself out of her bed and into the bathroom. She turned on the sink and grabbed a hold on her toothbrush. As she spread toothpaste on her toothbrush and brushed her teeth, she couldn't stop thinking about the dream she had a few minutes ago. She couldn't believe how comfortable Pinkie pie was by the gory mess she had made of her, how she took pleasure in dismembering her, how she played with the carved out flesh as if it were a toy.
“Ugh, let me stop thinking about that, I think I’m going to puke if I keep thinking back to that dream.” She spat as she finished brushing her teeth and flew over to the kitchen and grabbed herself an apple.
“Oh well, it’s time to start the day.” She sighed to herself as she then flew to the front door and flew into the open world around her, pushing her weird dream into the farthest corners of her mind.
“Now where in Celestia’s name is that Rainbow Dash! She said she’d be here with those rain clouds I ordered from the weather factory half an hour ago!” Applejack, Ponyville’s mighty working farm pony, grunted as she lifted a basket of freshly bucked apples and placed them next to ten other baskets, piled high, with all the other apples she had bucked earlier this morning. She stood by the baskets, scanning the horizon with her hoof to her forehead looking for the cyan weather Pegasus. As she looked out for Rainbow dash, she took the moment to enjoy the wind flowing through her blond mane and tail, providing her some coolness from the scorching rays of Celestia’s sun.
“Hey Applejack, Wasn't Rainbow Dash supposed to be here with the clouds you ordered by now? Do you think she might have forgotten about it?” a male voice called out as Applejack looked back towards the sound of the voice.
“Nah, I don’t think she forgot. I think that she is just being her lazy self again and is off sleeping on some cloud somewhere. I sure do hope she learns to stop being lazy and actually complete her job on time. Anyways, how are you holding up?” she asked the figure as she saw him approach her with a basket filled with apples, and place them with the rest of the baskets.
“I just finished picking some apples off of that tree over there, filled my final basket and now, I’m just waiting for them to get washed. Other than that, I’d say I’m doing fine.” The tall figure responded back.
“Great, well at least now we can take a break, this hot weather is starting to burn my alive!” He added as he sat down under one of the millions of apple tree’s spread out across Apple Family Farm, resting his back against the trunk and cooling off under the shade. Applejack sat on a tree stump and looked at her partner, as if she were a scientist studying a new discovered species. He was about six feet in height, barely tall enough to be at eye level with the mighty princesses of Equestria, yet tall enough to stand above the other ponies of the land. He had bare skin, instead of a fur coat like all the other ponies, and his skin color was absolutely one of a kind. It was a light tan color that got slightly darker on his arms and legs and he wore a blue and black button shirt with blue jeans. He had black short hair, and these handsome dark brown eyes. He had hands and two feet, rather than hooves or claws, and he also didn’t have a tail. Unlike every pony else, he wasn't a stallion, griffon, dragon, or animal. He was a human, the only one that Equestria had ever seen. He spoke like every pony else, making it easy for him to fit in, yet at times when Applejack would take him to the market to sell apples, he would have his moments where things would get weird. His name was Aaron, and Applejack was very thankful for having his help on the apple farm.
“I think I see Rainbow over there.” Aaron yawned as he noticed a blue figure moving a cloud in the sky.
“Finally, I thought she would never show up!” Applejack sighed as she looked over at the direction Aaron was looking at and saw the Cyan weather Pegasus.
“Sorry AJ, there were some technical difficulties over at the weather factory, some worker mixed up the wrong rain cloud.” Rainbow Dash apologized, as she brought over the grey rain cloud to the farm pony.
“It’s alright, just be a little more on schedule next time. Anyways, I need you to place that cloud over them apple baskets so that they can get washed and placed in the cellar.” Applejack told her and she nodded in return.
“Watch out guys, don’t want you guys to get shocked by lighting!” Rainbow Dash warned her friends as she began to pound the rain out of the cloud. The sound of soft pattering could be heard as the rain droplets landed on top of the baskets of apple. Once the rain cloud stopped pouring rain, the weather pony bucked the rain cloud out of existence and landed in between of Aaron and Applejack.
“Thanks Sugercube, its much appreciated.” Applejack thanked as she began to walk over to the wet baskets.
“No problem, AJ. Hey when do you guys finish working?” Rainbow asked curiously.
“Well, we have to take these baskets over to the cellar and after that; I guess we would be done for the day, why?” AJ responded.
“Oh it’s just that I was wondering if we could go get some lunch together, I don’t have anything else to do anyways.” Rainbow sighed, her boredom clearly showing her need for an activity.
“Well I don’t know about you, Applejack, but I’m down for some grub after work.” Aaron said, as he got up on his feet and brushed the sides of his jeans with his hands.
“How many baskets are there?” Rainbow asked him.
“Eleven baskets, we should be able to get most of them on the first trip.” He grunted as he stretched out his back and cracked his neck.
“Well then what are we waiting for! Baskets don’t move themselves, you know!” Applejack laughed as she ran over to two baskets and placed them on her back.
“Alright I’ll help out too, seems like you guys got a lot of weight to carry.” Rainbow said as she followed behind Aaron, who had grabbed a sturdy stick and placed two baskets on each end of the stick.
“You sure you can pick that up, I mean these baskets weigh a lot, on their own.” She questioned Aaron as she saw him walk to the center of the stick and grab a hold of it.
“I’m positive, don’t you worry your little pretty head about me, and I’ll be fine.” He responded back, as he lifted the stick, carrying four baskets at one time and jogging towards the cellar. Rainbow paid no attention to Aaron, as she picked up two baskets and followed after him.
Once they finished the first trip to the cellar, Aaron and Rainbow Dash walked over to the other three baskets while Applejack stayed at the cellar and organized it to make room for the new baskets.
“I call holding two baskets!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she ran over to the last three baskets remaining. She was about to pick up two of the baskets when Aaron placed himself in her way.
“Umm Aaron, What are you doing?” she asked him.
“I can’t let you do that, Dash.” He said to her as he picked up the two baskets instead.
“Hey wait a minute now, that’s not fair!” she complained as Aaron started walking to Applejack. He shrugged his shoulders at her and continued walking, while Rainbow Dash argued behind him.
“Come back with that basket, I called it fair and square!”
“Hey how about this, if you let me carry these baskets over to the cellar, I’ll pay for your lunch after we get done, deal?” He responded back to her, as he stopped walking and turned to face her. Rainbow thought hard on the offer, she was kind of tight on bits at the moment, and this was Aaron’s job after all, it would suck for him if some pony came and did it for him.
“Oh, Alright. But only because you offered to pay my bill.” Rainbow answered as she walked with only one basket on her back instead of the two she called. Once they had arrived to the cellar, Applejack placed the baskets in their new spaces and walked out of the heavy apple scented cellar.
“Alright, we’re done! Great job, you did Aaron. Now, Rainbow Dash, where exactly do you plan to eat for lunch?” Apple jack asked her as she locked the bolt door of the cellar.
“Let’s go to that diner in Ponyville just across your apple stand. I heard from a few of my friends that the food there is amazing.” Rainbow Dash suggested.
“Okay, so to Ponyville it is then?” Aaron asked the other two mares.
“Yes sir!” they responded as the group of friends started making their way into town.
“So, Aaron what do you think about Ponyville?” Rainbow Dash asked him as they walked to their destination.
“It reminds me of a lot of things I would see at home, only twenty times nicer.” He recalled as he passed his right hand gently over the top of a bush filled with beautiful bright red roses. While on their way to the diner Rainbow Dash had mentioned, she, Applejack and Aaron talked about their daily lives and enjoyed the beautiful cloudless day in Ponyville.
“Say, can you tell us about what you did back at your home?” Applejack asked him.
“Sure, back home, I was an Aerobatics pilot. I flew these machines called air planes, and did cool tricks in them in front of huge crowds of people. I was pretty good too, I would get paid good amounts of money and gained lots of perks just because I could do things that no other person could do.” He said.
“Wow, so you were like a Wonderbolt! That’s so cool!” Rainbow said in pure awe. Aaron knew that Rainbow Dash had a dream of becoming the best acrobatic flyer in Equestria, and understood her feelings towards her dream. That was exactly what he had done back at home in Earth. The friends continued their walk to the diner, and Aaron told them more about his life as an Aerobatics pilot.
“So how did you end up here, In Equestria?” Applejack asked him.
“I was practicing a flying routine I had made for an upcoming air show I was going to star in. the weather conditions weren’t really safe for flying, but at the time, I didn’t care if it were raining or snowing, I was going to practice my routine no matter what. Well, I got in my plane and started flying through the sky. The sky was filled with dark grey storm clouds, and I heard on my radio, that the area was prone to lightning strikes, but despite the warnings, I kept on flying. I was about to finish my routine with a awesome double barrel roll, when a bolt of lightning struck my plane, shocking everything inside and I blacked out. Next thing I know I wake up here and met you guys.” He explained to them as the continued walking.
Soon enough, the three friends arrived at the Diner Rainbow Dash had wanted to go to. It was a decent looking restaurant, the outside was painted a light pink and matching flowers decorated the window sills. It beamed its title with pride and dignity, “Sunrise Diner”, and the building was full of life. Aaron, Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked into the waiting lobby, taking in the smell of delicious food and quiet chatter of the customers.
“Good afternoon and welcome to the Sunrise Diner, how many will you be dining with today?” a storm gray stallion waiter asked the group.
“Just three of…” Applejack started to say, before she felt someone touching her from behind. She turned to see two familiar unicorns smiling at her. One unicorn had a nice purple coat, with different hues of purple on her mane and tale, and the other had a magnificent bright white coat, with one type of purple curled mane and tail.
“Hey Applejack, I didn’t expect seeing you over here so early in the afternoon, much less with Aaron and Rainbow Dash.” The purple coated one said.
“Oh yes, I didn’t either. We were thinking of inviting you for lunch but we thought you would still be working on the farm.” The white coated one said.
“Hey Twilight, Rarity, we just finished working not too long ago. Rainbow Dash wanted to go grab a bite, so we decided to go here.” Applejack greeted back to them as she returned back to the waiter.
“So will that be five seats ma’am?” the waiter asked politely.
“Yeah, it will be five of us.” Applejack responded back, as the waiter grabbed five menus and walked the party of five to their table.
“Oh that sounds wonderful, Aaron. I wish we could see the world you used to live in.” Twilight sighed as she finished her lunch and listened to Aaron's stories about his home.
“How are the cities? Are they huge and crowded or is everything calm and collected?” Rarity asked him curiously.
“Oh the cities are way too fast paced, and everybody does the same thing. Wake up, eat, walk, work, walk, eat and then sleep. I could never stand living such a boring old life. Plus people over in the cities are jerks and only care about themselves and their pockets.” Aaron answered, placing the spoon that once contained some apple pie down.
He had to admit it, this diner had some of the best apple pies he had ever eaten, but none ever beat those made from Applejack and her family. He looked at the other plates and saw that mostly everything was gone from them. He would have had some other meal on the menu, but the fact that the food was mostly made from hay and wild flowers limited his options for lunch.
“Eeyup, that’s the city life for you. I always loved the peace and quiet life of the suburbs. It makes me appreciate the little things in life that you can’t see in the city.” Applejack agreed along with Aaron, after chewing down the last remnants of a basket of hay fries she had ordered.
“Speaking of which, it has been rather quiet around Ponyville, hasn’t it? I haven’t heard a crazy wild noise yet! Does any pony know where Pinkie Pie has been lately?” Rarity asked, wondering where Ponyville’s party pony could be.
The mention of Pinkie Pie’s name brought a certain thought to stir in Rainbow Dash’s head. A thought concerning the weird dream she had again for the third night in a row. The dream honestly freaked Rainbow out; she had never had a dream like that, where she was brutally butchered by one of her friends, and much less have it repeat for three nights in a row. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash felt a weird sensation in her arm, startling her and making her snap back to reality.
“Whoa Dash, are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.” Twilight asked her as she put her hoof on Rainbows arm and saw a worried expression on Rainbow Dash’s face.
“Yeah…sorry, I was thinking about something stupid. I haven’t seen pinkie pie at all today either.” Rainbow Dash responded. She tried her best to not let her friends see any sign of worry in her facial and body appearance.
“Alright then, if you say so. So, is anyone doing anything later today?” Aaron asked, not even thinking twice about Rainbow’s weird blackout. Aaron saw each one of his friends nod their heads no, and a sudden idea popped inside his head.
"Who's up for a day at the lake?" Aaron asked, smiling at each one of his friends sitting at the table.
"Oh yes! Today is just absolutely wonderful for a day at the pond! In fact, we could even make it into a picnic of sorts, with Applejack bringing her signature apple tarts and beverages, count me in!" Rarity said.
"Yeah, we could all bring a little something' ya know, the more the merrier!" Applejack agreed
"Ok then it's settled, after we leave this place, we all gather up our things and spend a day at the lake." Twilight added, the idea of a relaxing spot on the pond under Celestia's warm sun began to excite her.
"Will this be separate or all together?" the waiter, carrying a tray of dirty dishes, asked as he passed by the table.
"Together!" Aaron responded, before anyone could say the opposite. The waiter nodded and left while Aaron began to fish out his wallet from his pocket.
“Now Aaron, you didn't have to pay for all our meals, surely the others didn't mind having to pay for their meals?" Twilight said, looking at the others for their approval. The others nodded their heads in agreement at Twilights statement.
"No, No, No. Lunch is my treat; I have more than enough bits left over anyways. So, Applejacks bringing the food, and some drinks, Rarity your bringing plates and napkins, Twilights bringing the cups and I'm helping Rainbow Dash with the chairs and stuff, is there anything else we need for the lake?" Aaron asked, as he reviewed what his friends had discussed with each other.
"Yeah that sounds about right, we should all meet up by the little dock once we have gathered everything we need okay?” Twilight answered, and they all agreed to meeting up at the little dock.
“Okay Aaron, are you ready to go?” Rainbow Dash asked him as they both waved off the other three friends, getting ready to prepare for their day at the lake.
“Yes I am, just lead the way.” Aaron said to her as he stretched himself out.
“Uh Aaron, you do know that the only way to get to my house is by flying, right?”
Aaron quickly stopped what he was doing and realized what Rainbow Dash was trying to tell him. He looked at her with a nervous expression and Rainbow could tell that Aaron was feeling a little uncomfortable.
“You mean, I have to ride you to get your place?” He asked her, trying hard not to let his face redden.
“Eeyup.” She responded back.
“How are you doing back there, Aaron?!” Rainbow Dash shouted back, as she flew over Ponyville’s landscape.
“Shit, I’m barely hanging on!” He yelled, trying to overpower the sound of the roaring wind rushing past his face. He was quickly losing grip on Rainbow Dash, and he was already whispering his final prayer to himself.
“For god’s sake Rainbow Dash, slow down!” He shouted, but unfortunately wasn't heard. Rainbow Dash seemed only to speed up, and he was slowly slipping off of her, it was only a matter of time before Aaron would fall off to his doom. Suddenly, as if his prayer had been answered, Rainbow began to slow down, enough for Aaron to re-position himself on her back.
“We’re here!” Rainbow shouted happily as she landed softly on a cloud, no sign of fatigue escaping her voice from the rapid flight she had just finished. Aaron slowly got off of Rainbow’s back and tried to calm himself down before doing anything else.
“Hey, are you okay?” Rainbow asked him. She noticed that he was shaking a little and she could hear him taking in deep breaths, as if he were trying to calm himself down.
“Despite almost being flung off your back from the intense force of the wind and falling about two hundred meters to my death, I’m doing fine.” Aaron said with whatever composure he managed to keep.
“Well, why didn’t you just tell me to slow down? I would have easily gone slower for you, I mean you've flown at those speeds before, or so you said you had.” She responded back, placing a hoof on Aaron's back.
“I did but you couldn't hear me, and yes I have flown at those speeds before, but I was strapped into a seat with no gusty winds trying to force me off my plane. Anyways, this is where you live, in the clouds?” Aaron asked her as he scanned the horizon and saw nothing but clouds.
“My house is over here, just follow me.” Rainbow told him, as she began to walk towards her home. Aaron followed close behind her, and within a few footsteps, he could see a white cloud-like house that appeared to be at least two stories tall. Aaron couldn’t help but feel awestruck from the complexion on the cloud structure. The structure seemed to sway along with the wind in the sky, almost like a hot air balloon. Every time Aaron would take a step, he could feel the floor morph into his step, as if he had just stepped on really light puddle of mud.
“Welcome to my humble home. I shouldn't take long, so if you’d like, you can sit down on the couch over here in the living room.” Rainbow spoke, as she opened the door and let Aaron inside the cloud house.
“Whoa, this place is amazing.” Aaron gasped, taking in all the things happening around him. Inside the house, the walls appeared more solid than those on the outside part of the house, decorated with vast majority of rainbow colored decorations and picture frames. Every single piece of furniture in the house matched the cloud like environment inside the house, even the bright cotton white color.
“Yeah, everyone who comes here to visit say’s that about the house. I had it custom built, thanks to the benefits of working in the weather factory over in Cloudsdale.” Aaron heard Rainbow’s voice respond to him as she began gathering her things.
He jerked his head in a silent laugh as he took a seat over at the couch Rainbow had told him about, and instantly felt like his body was placed on the world’s softest mattress. He felt absolutely relaxed and at rest. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back as he enjoyed the blissful seat he had taken. After about three minutes of his enjoyment, Aaron reopened his eyes and looked at the variety of pictures hanging on the wall. They all were photos of Rainbow Dash; some even included all of her friends having a great time together. He especially liked one photo of Rainbow Dash flying in the air, a large rainbow trail chasing behind her as she zoomed passed in the bright blue sky.
“That was me in my young flyers competition.” Aaron heard Rainbow Dash’s voice say from behind him.
“Oh yeah, did you win the competition?” Aaron asked her as he turned to face her.
“Yeah, it was my first competition, and I was the youngest contestant to ever win the competition too.” She responded as she pointed wither her head where the trophy was.
“Wow you must have felt extremely accomplished winning that competition, Dash.” Aaron said.
“Yeah, it was actually the best day of my life; I also managed to complete my first sonic rainboom. I can still remember the cheers of the crowd; I loved every minute of it. Anyways, you ready to go?” Rainbow Dash asked him, smiling as she remembered the young flyers competition.
“Yeah, I can carry the things while you fly. By the way, what’s up with the cooler? I thought Applejack was bringing the drinks?” Aaron questioned, as he saw a few beach chairs, two towels, and a small red cooler next to dash.
“Yeah she is, but I thought I would bring a little something special, something that I have been saving up for this occasion.” Rainbow Dash answered.
Aaron shrugged his shoulders and didn’t bother to ask any other questions. He walked over to the things Dash had gathered and began to accommodate them on his body. He noticed that the beach chairs had body straps on them, so he placed the strap over his shoulders. Since the chairs weren't so bulky, he was able to carry the three chairs all on his back. He placed the two towels in between his right arm and then bent over to pick up the small cooler next to him.
“Alright, let’s go to lake.” Aaron smiled as he followed Rainbow Dash out through the front door.
“Okay Aaron just like last time, get on my back.” Rainbow Dash told him.
“Ok, just don’t speed off like you did coming here; remember I won’t be able to hold on to you as much, since I’m holding this stuff.” Aaron suggested, as he slowly placed himself on her back and made sure he was ready for the ride.
“Okay, I’m ready.” He said as he pulled himself forward, and wrapped his arms over Rainbow Dash’s shoulders, making it look like he was laying down on her, but ensuring him that he would be able to hang on to her.
“Great day at the lake, here we come!” Dash shouted as she soared off into the air, and Aaron smiled as he rode to the Pegasus to their destination.
“There you guys are! We were beginning to worry about the two of you!” Applejack greeted Aaron and Rainbow as they landed on the soft sandy shore at the lake.
“Sorry AJ, I had to slow down a bit so that Aaron wouldn't fall off of me.” Dash explained to her as she looked over towards the water.
“It’s alright, Dash. You’re here now, and that’s what counts!” AJ said as she helped Aaron and Dash set up the chairs.
Soon enough, they finished up setting up the chairs and the picnic table. Aaron stood as he looked over to the water, and saw Twilight walking near the water’s edge, alongside with Rarity. He let out a relaxed sigh as he stretched himself out and nodded his head in approval.
“Hey Twi, how’s the water?!” Aaron shouted out to her as he finished stretching.
“It’s great, not to warm, not to cold!” She responded back to him, and Aaron nodded yet again.
“Hey AJ and Dash, Are you guys getting in the water now?” He asked them.
“I am sure as hay going in the water!” AJ responded to him as she checked up on the apple tarts she had made for the picnic.
“Not me, I’m going to catch some rays before I go in. I don’t like getting wet right away.” Rainbow Dash responded as she lied down on one the beach chairs she had brought. Aaron looked over at Applejack with a “is she serious” look and she responded with a nod in her head. Aaron looked over at Rainbow Dash lying on the beach chair.
“Okay, but don’t you start feeling left out now. It’s going to be a lot of fun out there and we don’t want you to miss it.” Aaron tried to persuade her.
“That’s okay, I won’t feel left out. Plus, I’m way too cool for swimming anyways.” She responded back to him, clearly not planning to go out to the water with them. Aaron just nodded in disappointment and headed over to the others with Applejack.
“Rainbow Dash always does this when we go to the lake.” Applejack said to Aaron as they approached the others.
“Oh yeah, then let’s do something about that, Rainbow Dash is going swimming today, if she likes it or not.” Aaron said, a sinister smile painted his face, as he began to plot Rainbow Dash’s encounter with the water.
Once Aaron and Applejack reached the other two mares by the water’s edge, he kept the plan to himself but he had intensions of sharing his plan with the others.
“Why didn’t Rainbow Dash come with you, Aaron?” Twilight asked him as he stood next to her in the water.
“She said she’s too cool for swimming, and that she wants to catch some rays.” He responded back, enjoying the warm water flowing past his toes.
“Oh that Rainbow Dash sure does know how to be a mood killer, oh well that’s her fault.” Rarity said as Aaron finished his response.
“Never mind her, she’ll come over eventually, how’s about we head over to the dock?” Applejack quickly said, trying to change the topic to something more enjoyable.
“Sure in fact, let’s make it a race. First one to the dock and in the water wins!” Aaron shouted as he began running towards the dock which wasn't too far from where they were.
The other three mares agreed to the race and chased after Aaron, who had a surprising lead over them. While the others raced over to the dock, Rainbow Dash stared blankly in to the sky. She was trying to still make sense of the dreams she’s been having. Each time she thought about them, she would only find more questions without any answers. Why would she dream of one of her friends butchering her, or make food out of her. She couldn't help but feel a little worried about the dreams, and not to mention a little fear. Are they a vision of the future, would Pinkie Pie be crazy enough to kill someone, much less one of her friends. She had thought many times before if she should tell her friends about her dreams, but time after time she would talk herself out of that idea. She was sure that the dream was only a coincidence, and soon she would be back to her normal dreams.
“Ugh, I can’t believe I’m flipping out over a stupid dream.” She sighed in frustration.
She re-positioned herself on the beach chair so that she was facing the sandy ground. She passed her hoof on the surface of the sand and carved out a little crater on the ground, trying to distract her mind from the world of thoughts she was rushing through. As she continued to make the crater on the ground larger, sudden flashes of the dream began to appear right in front of her. The flashes contained the most gruesome and agonizing parts, and they began to overwhelm her. Each flash containing more gore and blood than the other.
“Stop, Please just stop! Leave me alone!” Rainbow panicked, as she began crying softly and curled herself into a ball.
“Umm, Dash, Who are you talking too?” she suddenly heard Aaron's voice call out. She reopened her eyes to see a soaking wet Aaron looking down at her.
“Huh?” Rainbow Dash moaned in confusion, as she woke up. To her surprise, she was facing the sky.
“What’s going on?” She asked as she still felt like she was sleeping.
“I just came over to ask you a question, when you suddenly began to flip out in your sleep.” Aaron responded.
“Oh, well what is it that you want?”
“Me the others were wondering if, you could go to the pier and join us for some sandwich’s Applejack made for us, and talk about stuff. Would you mind coming or not?” Aaron asked her as she shielded her eyes from the sun’s rays.
“Sure, I guess. I’m down for a sandwich.” Rainbow Responded, as she got up and stretched herself out.
“Great, so mind telling me what it was you were dreaming about?” Aaron asked curiously.
Rainbow Dash’s mind froze for a minute. She couldn't have asked for a better moment to tell one of her friends about her dreams, but she let her pride get in the way.
“It was nothing; I just dreamt that I was falling.” She lied, and she bit her tongue after saying that.
“Oh, I’ve had those dreams plenty of time, before. They can be a little frightening, right?” Aaron said, and Rainbow laughed a little nervously when he responded.
Soon the two were back at the pier with the others. Applejack was beginning to distribute her homemade sandwiches out to the others when she noticed that the two of them had arrived.
“Hey Rainbow, how was the nap?” Applejack asked her as she reached into the basket.
“It was good, I guess.” Rainbow replied, looking at all her friends eating their sandwiches.
“That’s great, why don’t you sit down by the edge of the pier and relax with us.” Applejack said, as she looked at Aaron and received his wink of approval.
“Okay, so what are the sandwiches made of?” Rainbow asked, completely clueless to what was going on.
“They’re my signature Peanut Butter and Zapple Jam sandwiches; I thought I would use the left over Zapple Jam from last week, here tell me what you think.” Applejack replied as she handed Rainbow Dash her sandwich.
“Okay, listen up; As soon as she finishes her sandwich, Operation Rainbow Splash is a go. Try not to give her the impression that we’re playing a trick until we’re done, understand?”
Aaron finally took the chance to let Applejack, Rarity and Twilight in his scheme to get Rainbow Dash into the lake. It was a simple plan, and all they had to do was get Dash near the edge of the pier and Aaron would spear her into the water when she least expects it.
“Understood.” The other three ponies said as they finished their little meeting and began their little tasks.
“So, Rainbow Dash, what’s been happening lately? Any new flying tricks?” Twilight asked, trying to start a conversation with the cyan Pegasus.
“Well, I have been working on incorporating my Sonic Rainboom into my flying routine, but that’s about it.” Rainbow replied as she sat down at the edge of the pier and began eating her sandwich.
“Oh really, that sounds cool. What are you going to call the routine?”
“I was thinking something like, Spectrum flash or something. Naming it is still a work in progress.” Rainbow Dash grunted, forcing her mouthful of Peanut Butter and Zapple jam sandwich down her throat.
“Um Applejack, the sandwich is good and all, but it’s sort of hard to swallow down. Do you buy any chance have anything to wash it down.” Rainbow dash asked as she finished the last of the sandwich.
“Sure thing, Aaron could you get Rainbow Dash something to drink?” Applejack asked, looking at him and nodding her head yes in agreement.
“Got it, the drink’s coming right up.” Aaron said casually, returning the nod and an evil smirk stretched across his face.
He took three steps back and steadied his breath, before finally deciding to bolt over to the other end of the pier. He made sure to balance his weight, trying not to make his footsteps noticeable before he completed his mission. Applejack continued to distract Rainbow Dash while Aaron sped closer and closer to her. She caught glimpses of Twilight and Rarity giggling as Aaron reached the final stretch, and Rainbow Dash remained clueless.
“Here’s your nice cup of lake water, Dash!” Aaron yelled as he extended his arms, wrapping them around Rainbow Dash’s Midsection and lifted her from the edge of the pier.
He felt Rainbow Dash jump at his touch and heard her gasp, as well as the other cheering loudly, celebrating a successful prank.
“AARON!! WHAT ARE YOU….” Rainbow Dash yelled as they both hit the water hard.
Aaron felt the cool lake water engulf him, the sound of the splash muting every other noise from the dry world above. A cloud of bubbles floated past his body, grazing every part of his skin. He moved his arms, allowing him to point his head towards the surface and looked at his prank victim. Her mane and tail floated gracefully in the water, a dancing rainbow underneath the water’s surface. For some reason, the graceful sight of Rainbow Dash in the water sprung a thought into Aarons mind, and he couldn’t help but watch her surface, her mane and tale trailing off with her. He snapped back to reality as he felt himself running out of breath. He started kicking his legs, propelling him to the surface.
“That, my friends, was flawless.” Aaron shouted with laughter as he broke the surface of the water.
“So much for not going swimming, right Dash?” Applejack joked as Rainbow Dash pulled herself out from the water, her mane and tail leaving large pools of water on the dock.
“Shut up, that wasn’t cool. I didn’t even get to finish my sandwich.” Rainbow Dash growled as she shook herself dry.
Soon, Aaron also pulled himself from the water and fist hugged the other three ponies in celebration, while a very pissed Rainbow Dash began to walk away from the crowd. Aaron looked at her as she walked away, the scene of him and Rainbow inside the water replaying in his mind. He began to feel bad that he had tricked her like that; after all he wasn’t the type of person to pull pranks out of the blue.
“Alright guys’, this was a job well done. If you don’t mind, I need to talk to Rainbow Dash for a minute.” He said as he thanked his conspirators and followed after the cyan Pegasus walking back to her beach chair.
“Dash, Wait up!” Aaron shouted after her.
Rainbow Dash ignored Aarons call and continued to walk towards her beach chair. She wasn’t really mad or anything, but she didn’t like that Aaron had done that to her. She was all about giving a good trick, but she hated it whenever somebody tricked her, it made her feel slow for not seeing it coming.
“Dash, where are you going?” Aaron asked, running up to her as she reached her chair and sat in it.
“I’m staying here, so that you won’t spear me into the water like that again, Douche.”
Aaron laughed at the insult. He was relieved that she wasn’t mad enough to ignore him. He took a seat next to her on the sand and ruffled his damp hair for a while.
“You got to hand it to me though, that was a very good trick.” He said as he chuckled at the thought of his actions.
“Whatever, just be aware that I’m planning something for you, and you won’t know when it’s coming.” Rainbow Replied as she rolled her eyes and looked at Aaron.
She honestly hated to admit it, but she sort of liked it when he pushed her into the water like that. She felt a certain way when he wrapped his arms around her body and got close to him, like it cleared her mind from all the thoughts she had, even the ones from the strange dream.
“Oh I’m so scared; Rainbow Dash is planning something for me!” Aaron mocked as he did his best scared impression.
“Oh, shut up.” Rainbow replied as she jabbed him lightly in his ribs.
The two of them continued to talk as they sat next to each other underneath the sun. They talked for hours about what they did when they were small and still didn’t have a clue of the world around them. They talked about what they wanted to do in the future, what jobs they wished to have and where they want to live. Aaron starting talking about of all the places he’s seen back in his home town, While Rainbow Dash continued to listen to his stories.
“So, did your hometown have any lakes like this one?” She asked, just out of curiosity.
“Are you kidding me, where I lived there was a lake in almost every neighborhood you went in. The people would go fishing, boating or swimming in them. I loved going swimming in the lake. It made me relax after a long week’s worth of school and homework.” Aaron smiled as he recalled the memory of where he used to live.
His smile slowly disappeared though, the countless memories he had forgotten about his town slowly began flooding his mind, and a feeling of homesickness began to show on his face.
“I guess all this talk about home got you thinking didn’t it.” Rainbow said, looking at the facial expression on Aarons face.
“Yeah, I really miss those times. I wonder how my family’s doing. I hope their doing fine.” Aaron said as he looked up at the sun, which began to set over the Equestrian sky.
“I bet they are doing just fine.” Rainbow Dash added, trying to comfort her friend.
She looked at him for a bit longer and did something that caught him off guard. She got off her beach chair and walked next to him, wrapped her arms around him, and gave him a hug. To Aaron’s surprise, Rainbow Dash’s coat wasn’t wet anymore, and it was very warm. He felt a sense of comfort from her hug and he couldn’t help but return the hug.
“Thanks Dash, you have no idea how grateful I am to have a friend like you here.” He said
“Hey that’s what friends are for. Anyways, I have something else that might lighten up your mood, you want a drink?”
Aaron nodded his head and looked as Rainbow Dash went over to the cooler she had brought over and pull out two green bottles out.
“What is it?” He asked as he received one of the bottles from Rainbow Dash.
“It’s some of Applejacks homemade apple cider. I paid her extra for her to save me a few bottles of it so that I could drink some any time I would like. I just thought I’d bring some over for the occasion.” She replied as she popped open the bottle and began to drink the cider.
Aaron popped open the bottle as well; hissing at him as he threw the bottle cap next to him. He sniffed the liquid content within the green glass bottle. It had nice sour apple smell to it, mixed with a half strong smell of alcohol. He closed his eyes before finally taking his first swig of cider. He let the tangy solution sit in his mouth.
“So, what do you think? Is it good, or is it good?” Rainbow said as she smiled at Aaron.
“Wow, AJ made this?” He said as he finished his first swig.
It tasted just like a fresh ripped green apple picked right from the tree. The drink was so sweet he hardly noticed the alcohol in the beverage, but it didn’t overpower the alcohol. It was the best drink he had ever tried.
“Yes sir, she did. She’s been making this cider ever since she learned how to buck them off the trees. And the best thing is, she only uses the best of the best apples in the entire apple orchard.” She replied.
Aaron nodded in satisfaction. He took another swig of the cider, this time not even bothering to let it sit down before he swallowed it. He had to give that farm pony her props, she knew what she was doing. He might even ask her one day if she could make him a few bottles.
“So how do I get my hand s on a bottle of this amazing cider, huh Dash?” He asked her, taking yet another swig
“You have to ask her around cider season. She won’t do it if you ask her now; the apples she uses aren’t ready yet.”
Aaron frowned. “Oh, when’s cider season?”
“Next year. She starts making cider around October.”
“Ok, guess I got to wait.” He said as tipped the bottom of his bottle towards the sky.
“Don’t worry; I won’t mind giving you a few bottles here and there.” Rainbow Dash smiled as she too put her bottle up.
“Well, I’m all out of cider in this bottle, you up for round two, Aaron?” Rainbow added as she went for two more bottles inside the cooler.
“You bet I am.” Aaron said as he received the bottle from Rainbow Dash.
Aaron let out very large burp escape from the inside of his body and slammed another empty bottle of cider on the sand. He tried to count the bottles of cider he had piled next to him but they all seemed to morph together, his vision blurring in and out and his head feeling dizzy. The only thing he could possibly think of was the fact that…
“I’m drunk, Dash. I am fucking (Hic) Drunk.” He laughed as he gave a hiccup midway in his sentence.
He looked at the sky, the sun was long gone and Luna’s moon was shinning way above their heads. The other three ponies had set up a small fire and were roasting snacks over it. Rainbow Dash and Aaron were only a few yards away from them, but far enough for the three not to hear anything stupid escaping their mouths.
“Yeah, I can tell. How many bottles of cider did you drink?” Rainbow asked.
She hadn’t drunk enough cider for her to be in Aaron’s level yet, even though she was considered a heavy drinker by her friends, but she did feel a little buzzed. She looked over at the pile of bottles next to Aaron and counted about four bottles, five including the one he had just finished.
“I (hic) think I drank about four bottles.” He said holding up three fingers in the air, showing it off to her.
She laughed a little to herself and began to walk over to the pile of bottles next to Aaron. She had to admit, she has never had a great time at the pond like this with any of her friends. Aaron was basically the only person she knew that wasn’t afraid to be himself around her and talk to her about virtually anything. He shared a lot of things in common with her; they both loved flying, competitive sports and were loyal towards family and friends. She picked each bottle up and placed it in a bag she had brought over for trash. They each made a clink sound as they piled up in the bag.
“Ooh, that sounds very (hic) pretty.” Aaron said as he reached over for the bag.
Rainbow looked at Aaron as he took the bag gently from her and slowly shook the bag. He began singing a very drunk version of some classical song. He would pause and shake the bag every two beats, a huge stupid smile stretching across his face each time he did it. She honestly couldn’t stop herself from laughing as he somehow managed to dance around her, shake the bag and not topple over like a ragdoll.
“Woo, do I feel great!” He yelled as he stopped his dance and fell on his back, letting the bag go and land on the soft sand with the sound of glass shifting inside it. He began to pass his arms and legs over the sand, making a sand angel.
“Aaron, you’re ultimately the most stupid drunk person I have ever met, even worse than Pink…” Rainbow said as she suddenly stopped in mid sentence and a face of worry slowly morphed in place of her smile.
The mere mention of Pinkie Pie’s name brought back the horrid memories of her dream, the dream she still no idea why they kept coming back.
“Who the hell (Hic) is Pink? Why don’t ever show me to your friends, Dash? Am I not awesome enough for them?” He said, hiccupping and slurring his words, lying down in front of her on the sand.
“No, I meant Pinkie Pie, sorry.” Rainbow Dash said as she took the bag from his hands and placed it back in her cooler.
Rainbow looked over to Applejack, Rarity and Twilight who had long finished eating their roasted snacks and were now making their way over to her and Aaron.
“Well girls, I have to admit I enjoyed this time we had together today at the pond.” Twilight sighed in happiness as she reached Rainbow Dash; she had no idea that Aaron was on the floor drunk as hell.
“Yes indeed, it was so great to finally relax from making dresses all day.” Rarity agreed along with Twilight.
“I agree, I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a rest at the pond after working the apple fields. Sure did feel nice!” Apple Jack followed behind Rarity
“Well it’s getting late; I better get going back home, I bet Spike’s already in bed by now, See you girls later!” Twilight said as she said her goodbyes and began to walk back to her home.
“Same here; I reckon Granny Smith is worried sick that I haven’t gone home yet. You should come too Rarity.” Applejack sighed in exhaustion.
“Quite so, see you later Rainbow.” Rarity said as she turned tail and began following Applejack towards their home.
“OK, see you all later.” Rainbow Shouted back as she watched her friends disappear into the darkness of the night.
“Wait, where did (hic) everybody go?” Aaron asked as he slowly sat up.
“They went home, it’s getting late and they have things to do tomorrow.” Rainbow responded as she walked over to him.
“Oh…I guess your (Hic) going to leave too, huh” He said as he looked at Rainbow Dashes face.
“And leave your drunk self here? That wouldn’t make me much of a good friend now would it?” She smiled at him as she helped him get onto his feet.
He tried to stand straight up, but his body had other plans. Instead of staying standing, he fell over Rainbow’s back. He couldn’t help but laugh as he tried to stand back up, only to fail every time.
“I Bet I look (Hic) Stupid right now.” He said in between his hiccupping and laughing.
“A little, yes.” She laughed.
“Yeah well, we both know it’s the drink.” He said as he finally managed to stand on his own two feet.
He took a good look at Rainbow Dash’s face and he suddenly remembered the scene he saw when they were both underwater. He looked into the Purple Iris’s that seemed to glow on Rainbow’s face and he felt almost connected to them, although at first, he thought it was just the drink messing with his mind. He remembered how her mane and tail floated swiftly in the water current, how it looked like a rainbow fireball underwater and how much he actually liked how it looked messy like that. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to let her know what he felt for her but he didn’t know what she would think. After all, if he asked her, it would seem a hundred times more awkward because he was human and she was not.
“Fuck it… Rainbow Dash I want to tell you something (Hic).” He said.
“What’s up?” Rainbow Dash asked as she went towards the small little fire her friends had started.
Aaron stumbled after her, trying his best not to face plant into the sand shifting beneath his feet.
“I like you, Rainbow Dash.” He said, trying to keep those five words as plain as possible.
“I Like you too, Aaron. You’re a cool guy...”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean I like, like you.” He tried again.
Rainbow turned her head slowly over to Aaron. He was prepared for her to give him a face of disgust, to tell him that they were nothing more than just friends or something about how she was an entirely different living being than him, and they would never work being together. She opened her mouth; His anxiety began to kick on overdrive. He didn't know how he would react to whatever the response was to his statement. Every second she let escape; his heart would thump twice as fast. He saw her take a deep breath in, and he felt like he was going to explode.
“You know it’s whatever. I just thought (hic) that I would tell you now so that I wouldn't stress (hic) about how I never got to tell you that I (hic) liked you.” He suddenly burst out, cutting Rainbow Dash off from saying whatever heart ache she was about to say.
“Aaron, Relax. It’s cool. I understand exactly how you feel, and honestly… I like you too.” She smiled at him. She noticed Aaron’s body suddenly began to loosen up, especially his grip on his own leg, and he looked at her with stunned face.
“Are you serious? This isn't part of your (Hic) plan to get me back right?” He slurred suspiciously.
Aaron felt like he was going through so many emotions by what Rainbow had just admitted to him. He was extremely glad that she took it completely well, especially since she seemed to feel the same way about him. He was also just as confused. Didn't she think it was weird that he liked her?
“Yeah I’m serious, why would I prank you about that? I know it may seem weird, after all we've known each other for about a month now, but ever since you wrapped your arms around me, I felt this sense of security. I like that feeling. Plus, you aren't afraid to be yourself, that’s another thing I like about you.” She said as she looked him straight in his dark brown eyes.
Aaron let her words sink into his mind and let out a satisfying smile. He never thought Rainbow Dash saw him as close as she had just mentioned him. He never thought Rainbow would actually give him a chance, to even begin with. To him, Rainbow Dash was the straight up Tom-girl of the group, who never cared about relationships nor having feelings for a boyfriend, only in being the best at what she does. He admired that from her, her determination. She wouldn't take no for an answer, and would not stop trying if she failed.
“You know, this night means a lot to me, even though I’m sort of drunk. I love you Dash, you make me feel right at home.” Aaron said to her.
“Me too, and speaking about home, I thinks it’s time we start heading out, it’s starting to get cold out here.” Dash replied as she put out the fire and grabbed her cooler.
“Okay, you ready?” She added, as she lowered herself to the ground, and pointing her head behind her.
“Alright, but just don’t go too fast in the air this time, okay?” He said as he dragged his feet over to the cyan Pegasus waiting for him.
He slowly placed one leg over Rainbow’s back, careful enough not to topple over her and adjust his weight accordingly. He leaned forward and placed his arms over her neck, using her neck to keep a hold on her just in case anything happened.
“Are you good?” She asked him as she extended her wings, flapping them in the cool night air.
“Yeah, I’m good.” He responded, as he swallowed hard and hoped for the best.
Rainbow raised her body up and flapped her wings extremely hard, the wind from her flaps rustling the leaves from the trees surrounding them. She bent her knees a little before giving on final flap, and took off into the air. Aaron grabbed at his wrist’s, tightening his grip on them as the G-forces from Rainbow’s take off started pulling him back. He maintained a steady grip on her as she rose higher into the night sky, the cool wind brushing his face helped to maintain his composure.
Soon, Aaron felt like they weren't rising anymore. He looked around at his surroundings and saw that they were at cloud level, the dark outlines of the clouds giving the sky a mountainous landscape. The scenery looked like something from a dream, with Luna’s moon illuminating the cloudy plains. Out all the cool things about flying, the scenery was Aaron’s favorite part. He smiled has he looked at the world around him, he was definitely glad today had happened.
“Was that much better?” He heard Rainbow’s voice call back over to him, as she slowed down; her cloud home was just a few yards
“Yeah, that was a lot better.” He said to her as he sat up and loosened his grip on his wrists. He wasn't nervous anymore. He had no reason too, Rainbow would never put him in dangers way.
Rainbow landed swiftly at the front of her home and knelt down so Aaron could hop off of her. He carefully stepped off into the cloud floor, placing both of his hands on Rainbow’s back until he regained his own balance.
“You ok? If you need to, you can place your arm around me; I know you’re still a little tipsy.” Rainbow told him as she opened the door and looked at her partner standing awkwardly next to her.
He nodded his head yes, as he took his first steps into her house. He walked slowly, so that he wouldn't crash into anything inside the house. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash placed the cooler back into the kitchen and threw the plastic bag filled with empty bottles into the trash can. Aaron made his way into the living room. He planned on just crashing on the couch. He shuffled slowly around, his hands touching the walls and everything else in his surroundings until he finally reached his destination.
“Aaron, wouldn't you prefer to go upstairs?” Rainbow asked as she noticed Aaron lying on the couch.
“I guess, but I’m perfectly fine down here, Dash.” He moaned as he forced himself to get up, stumbling hard as he stood back up.
“Nah man, I can’t have you sleeping alone here, it’s cold and I believe your clothes are still damp. At least come up so you can dry off.” She said as she walked next to him and placed his arm around her for support.
They slowly made their way up the stairs and into Rainbow’s bedroom. She walked him to her bed and went inside the bathroom to grab a few towels. She went back to him with the towels and placed them next to him, while he took off his shoes and socks, exposing his wrinkled white feet.
“Damn it, I knew I should have at least, taken my shoes off.” Aaron sucked his teeth as he grabbed one of the towels and rubbed his delicate feet dry.
Rainbow watched as he dried his feet. She thought about how complex Aaron was, about how his body worked and thought about how her world would look like if she was similar to Aaron. When she first saw Aaron, she thought he was the weirdest looking thing in the world, that he was weak and probably not very self efficient. She also thought he was slow, only able to walk on two feet compared to a pony, which could walk on four legs. Of course, that was before she actually met him. He was a very strong being, as well as fast, able to harvest large amounts of apples and cutting work time in half. He was also very athletic, he was always in motion. She would often see him out on running’s or doing some type of physical activity that only he could perform, like climb rocks or trees to gather feathers for Rarity or something.
Aaron placed both feet on the floor, letting the soft cloud carpet shape into the soles of his feet. Luckily his jeans had dried already from the dip into the lake, so he didn't need to worry too much about his legs being wet. His shirt, on the other hand, was still damp and it bothered him that it stuck to his skin, so he had no other choice but to take it off and let it dry. He stood up and began to unbutton his flannel shirt. Rainbow looked as he worked his way down to the last button, and then uncovered his upper half to the open air. He laid the flannel shirt on the floor and grabbed another towel, passing over his chest and forearms. Once he was finished he sat back down on the bed and ruffled his black hair.
“Thanks Dash, do you want me to put these towels up or leave them here?” he asked as he finished drying himself off.
“What? Oh, yeah just leave them there; I’ll get them in the morning.” She replied as she snapped out of her thoughts and walked to the other side of the bed.
“Well, today was fun. Hopefully I won’t wake up feeling like shit tomorrow.” Aaron said as he laid himself out on his side of the bed, while Rainbow got into her side.
“Yeah, if anything, I have some pain killers I can give you if you need any.” She replied as she snuggled herself into bed.
“Good night, Dash. I’ll see you in the morning.” Aaron said as he scooted closer to her, wrapped his arm around her body and kissed her on her forehead.
“Good Night Aaron.” she replied back.
She closed her eyes and let the darkness carry her to sleep in Aaron's arms. She listened to Aaron’s soft breathing, felt his chest rise and fall with every breath he took. She was surprised at how warm Aaron actually was, despite having no fur what so ever. She opened her eye’s one last time to take a look at Aaron’s face, before closing them for the night. For the first night in weeks, Rainbow Dash fell asleep without a trouble in the world.
Rainbow Dash flew merrily into the bright blue sky. She would occasionally fly through patches of little white clouds floating by. She giggled happily as the clouds tickled her body as she continued to fly through them. She was on her way to go see Aaron at Sweet Apple Acres. She looked at her shadow, which trailed behind her as she flew over Ponyvill’s green pasture. She honestly never felt so alive in all her life, and was all thanks to Aaron.
She was approaching Sweet Apple Acres; she could see Aaron waiting for her by the white wooden fence near the Apple Family barn. She swooped down from the sky and landed right next to Aaron, who greeted her with a smile and approached her.
“Hey Dash, how you doing today?” He said, giving her a welcome hug.
“I’m doing just great, actually. I Just finished doing some practicing over at Fluttershy’s place. I can’t wait to show you my new moves!” she replied as she jumped for joy.
“Awesome, I’d love to see what new moves my beautiful pilot has to show me.” He said as he gave a kiss and hugged her in his arms.
They locked lips, their bodies melting with pure bliss stopping only to catch their breaths.
“Yeah but first, I need to go over to Pinkie’s. She said she needed my help with something.” Rainbow said as she suddenly remembered her plan with Pinkie Pie.
“Oh okay, do you want me to wait for you here?” Aaron asked her.
“Nah, you can tag along, she only needs my help with baking some cupcakes. It shouldn't take long.”
“Oh okay, let’s go. We don’t want to keep Pinkie waiting.”
Aaron walked along side Rainbow Dash, as they made their way to Sugar Cube Corner. Along the way, the two talked about their morning. They were greeted by their friends along way. Soon enough they arrived at Sugar Cube Corner. Rainbow Walked towards the entrance to the bakery. She knocked on it three times and waited alongside with Aaron. The door to the bakery opened up, and the curly haired pink party pony opened to the door.
“Hello Dashie, I’m so glad you made it. I have this AMAZING recipe that I want try out and I need your help to make it the very, very greatest batch of Cupcakes ever!” Pinkie greeted Dash, bouncing up and down with her normal explosive energy.
“Hi Pinkie, I’m sorry I’m a little late, I was just finishing up from practice and heading over to meet Aaron when I remembered about our plans. If it means anything, I brought Aaron along with me so he could make up for lost time.” Rainbow apologized.
Pinkie’s smile began to fade and her face suddenly became stern. Rainbow noticed the quick change of expression but didn't mention anything about it, as Aaron greeted Pinkie pie. She was beginning to think that Pinkie had wanted this plan between them to be some quality bonding time between the two of them, and she began to feel bad about Bringing Aaron along.
“Oh, hey Aaron…How are you doing?” The Party pony asked, letting out a little out a little annoyed sigh escape from her mouth.
“I’m fine, thank you.” Aaron replied. He didn't seem to notice Pinkies mood change.
“Um…Pinkie if you want Aaron can go…”
“Never Mind Dash, I just remembered…I’m all out of Flour and the next shipment comes in tomorrow.” Pinkie Interrupted Rainbow in mid sentence, and slammed the door to the bakery quickly behind her.
“…Ok then? That was really weird.” Rainbow whispered confused about what just happened.
“Yeah, something must be biting at Pinkie lately. Well, we better get going if we want to do all the things we have planned today, Dash.” Aaron agreed as he started turning from the bakery.
“Alright, let’s go.” Dash replied as she followed behind Aaron.
She looked back at the bakery and began to wonder what in the world was going on. The more she looked at the door, the weirder she felt, like something within the bakery was watching her closely.