5:00 am
The clock inside Soarin's head turned on. Waking up at the same time almost every morning will do that to you, it was just something that came along with the job. To be the best you have to make sacrifices sometimes, like waking up at a normal hour. Soarin rotated his head around toward the nightstand, confirming his suspicion. The bright red letters read "5:00".
He turned back in bed, resting his head upon the pillow again. More than anything in the world he just wanted to sleep. Screw early morning practice, the others could wait. There were more important things to attend to. Soarin shuffled his hooves beneath the warm sheets, rubbing up against another set. He could come in late, Spitfire wouldn't care too much.
The Wonderbolt readjusted his wing, pulling the pony next to him deeper into his chest. Her smell filled his nostrils, it was intoxicating. Over the past couple months he had come to know that scent and love it. Now it was hard to imagine a night without it. Heat rose off her back, warming his stomach with her natural body heat. Her coat was smooth as silk, unlike anything he had ever felt. Peacefully, the other pegasus slept deeply breathing, a sure sign she must’ve been still asleep. Their breathing was slow and timed, with each heartbeat he could feel her chest rise and fall.
To anyone outside the bed the separation between the two was almost impossible to see, with their light blue blending gently into another. Soarin tucked his head, carefully coming to rest on the mare next to him. The scent of her freshly cleaned mane filled his nostrils, he remembered showering with her the night before. It was sweet like lavender, and soft as a newborn filly’s.
He loved being this close to her, as she did to him. For the past couple of months both of them had become inseparable, spending any spare time together. Soarin having to leave early in the morning and being away all day, while she had to attend to weather patrol. Most nights he would come home to an empty house or one full of cute snoring. But no matter what happened during the day, and how crazy their lives got, they always met each other every night in the same bed. This was their time together. Soarin had come to love sleeping even more because of whom he had the privilege of being with. It wasn’t for that long they had been in this setup, and every night felt like the first. Never again did Soarin want to sleep alone, just the idea was unheard of in his mind.
Moonlight shone in through the window adjacent to the bed, giving him a better view of his partner. The stallion just laid there, showing no intention of moving whatsoever. The mare meant more than the world to Soarin. Leaving her every morning alone in bed felt terrible, but it was for his job. Someday they were going to spend all morning together with no interferences. But that day wasn't today, unfortunately.
The scent emanating from her hair continued to trickle up Soarin’s nose. He looked down, seeing every color of the rainbow underneath his chin. Moonlight was outlining each individual color of her mane. He knew he really had to get going but being five extra minutes late couldn't hurt. The sheets were so warm and inviting.
By this time the alarm in his head was pounding. One day..., he thought. With a spare hoof Soarin pulled back the sheets. Trying to get out of bed everyday without waking up your partner was hard. Carefully he slid off the smooth sheets onto the floor, the cold air floating around the cloud home instantly hitting the stallion like a train. The protection of the blanket quickly faded away leaving his coat riddled with goosebumps. An indentation had been left back on the bed under where he slept. His partner's cyan back was exposed from under the blanket, her rainbow mane spilling all over.
Gently, he grabbed the blanket, bringing it back over the mare. The urge to just hop back in with her was at its peak. He signed a contract and knew what was at stake when he joined the team. Now he understood how the veterans felt everyday at practice, always wanting to leave early and go home. Well, the rookies didn't really care about staying extra late and working more. Most of them spent their whole lives flying for one goal and one goal only: to make the team. He had been the same way. Soarin never had time to be a normal colt, there was always another competition or tryout the next day. When you make the team you really don't realize just how much you miss out on with family and friends.
Most of the new guys think the older ‘Bolts are just lazy and don't like to fly anymore; he had been one of them. But now he understood their pain of waking up every morning before the sun had even come up, and returning home to a sleeping family. Ever since Rainbow Dash came into his life he had been the same way. He never used to care about how late he had to stay at practice, because every night Soarin would come home to a practically empty apartment. He couldn't get out of there fast enough now. Dash had asked him to move in with her only a couple months ago, and ever since then he always looked forward to getting home. It took a while to come up with the words because of the trembling legs and voice, but he couldn't say ‘yes’ fast enough.
His apartment sold fast, seeing as it was close to the Wonderbolts stadium and within a few weeks he was fully moved in with Rainbow. It was weird at first, adjusting to living with somepony again, the last pony before Dash had been his mother. No longer did he have his own closet or man cave. But that was alright, he had her. Most ponies on the team still didn't believe that he lived with Rainbow Dash, and that she was his marefriend. Everyone on the team knew her, Spitfire herself recognized Dash for her flying abilities. Everypony knew it was really only a matter of time before she would come a Wonderbolt herself.
A lot of his teammates were a little an angry and disappointed that they didn't ask Rainbow out first. Nopony expected Soarin of all ponies to make the first move. He was Equestria renowned for being terrible with mares. She had been Soarin’s first real special somepony and he would like for her to be the last. When Rainbow was at the Wonderbolts Academy he made his move. He had practiced for hours in front of the mirror in his old apartment, but there was really nothing that could have prepared him.
The cyan pegasus had just completed a 500 lap workout and was done for the day. Instead of going straight for the dining hall after the grueling end of practice workout, Dash decided to hit the showers before everyone else. That was his chance.
He caught up to her right as she was entering her housing unit. Before this, Soarin had barely ever talked to her let only seen her. The only thing he had ever said to Dash was something about saving his pie. Now he had to ask her out of the blue. But he had to, all his friends and teammates knew of his crush, because it was all he really could ever think or talk about. It wasn't his fault he had had fallen head over hooves for her. Soarin called out her name and ran up to her, Dash knew who he was, almost everypony did.
He looked into her eyes and completely forgot everything he had practiced. Those magenta pools erased everything that was going on in his head. His mouth fell open helplessly and she stared back in confusion. That was the second time he had ever looked at her face to face, again seeing her full beauty. Nothing could have prepared the stallion for the sight that stood before his eyes. Yes, she was sweaty and tired from a grueling workout, but, dear Celestia, nopony can look that good. If that had only been 500 laps then he would like to see 1000 laps next time.
It took him a couple of seconds to get back on track, his legs shook a bit as he tried to summon his voice. Those were the hardest six words of his life, "Will you go out with me?" It only took three attempts and many stammering words to get it right. Sweat had already began to build on his face while he gave the most innocent smile he could muster.
Rainbow knew him, she had seen him around and even saved his life. He was a different kind of stallion: weird, shy, clumsy, and goofy, he was perfect. Soarin’s smile could win over any heart, and it sure won over hers. How could anypony say ‘no’?
Ever since that day life had only seemed to have gotten better and better. Their first date was right after Dash got showered. Sure, it wasn't entirely romantic eating in the Wonderbolts dining hall where the food was shoddy at best. But it turned out to be one of the best nights of Soarin’s life, his first date ever. With the mare that most only dreamt about. The two talked all night, not even wanting to touch the food, ponies left and came through the dinner shift. But both stayed the whole time until the cafeteria pony told them that they had to leave. Even after that they didn't quit, Dash and Soarin sat on the steps outside and continued. In his wildest dreams he never thought the date would go so well. Rainbow laughing with and at him, listening and telling stories about everything from being on the Wonderbolts and living in Ponyville nothing was left out. The truth was it wasn't her first date, but Dash didn't say anything. She didn't tell Soarin at the time, but it was her best so far. Stallions always sought to be with her, but she never felt any true connection. Somehow she did with this goofball klutzy stallion. It was like nothing Rainbow had ever felt before, and she loved every single second.
Celestia's sun began to rise upon the two pegasi before they called it a night. Both of them had talked all night long, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Soarin insisted on walking with her back to Rainbow’s quarters, not that she really needed it. Dash, who would have normally declined such a silly offer, didn’t hesitate to accept this one. Soarin walked beside her the entire journey home, apologizing about keeping her up all night. When they finally arrived the mare stood at her door. From the late practice the night before, the morning workouts had been pushed back till around noon, giving her just enough time to catch a couple hours of sleep.
Neither knew what to say next after a night like that, ending it with a simple ‘goodbye’ or ‘see ya’ didn't feel right. Both nervously stared at each other in dead silence, Soarin giving that innocent I-don't-know-what-to-say-or-do smile. It had been a crazy 24 hours; hours neither Soarin nor Dash would ever forget. Without giving so much as warning the cyan pegasus grabbed the stallion on the back of the mane and pulled him close. Connecting onto her lips, he didn't know what to do nor did he even suspect anything. It was all happening so fast that there was no time to think or act, but as quickly as it happened it ended. Rainbow opened her door and shuffled in, leaving Soarin speechless in front of her room. It took him a few minutes to get control of his hooves again.
Their relationship flourished as time went on, Soarin was in off season and had extra time, which he used every last moment trying to be with her. The commute had always been the hardest thing, having to fly from Cloudsdale to Ponyville every night and day. He would have flown thousands of miles if had to be with her, Rainbow Dash fixed that issue. Some of Soarin’s other friends started calling him lover boy, and he came to like the name. He had fallen head over hooves for her.
Everypony loved off season; the team still had to practice and train but not nearly as much as they normally had to. Ever since he had started dating Dash he knew that he would have to go back on tour, it was only a matter of time till he did. He liked to push the idea away most nights, but the problem didn’t go away. This had been his second to last night with her, tomorrow morning around the same time he had to wake up and head for the train station. Their schedule was packed for the next three months.
Leaving her alone in this bed every morning already felt like a crime, but leaving it for three months was much worse. Every fiber inside him screamed every time he had to leave, but all good things have to come to an end, right? He knew she was the Element of Loyalty, all of Equestria knew her as such. Three months is a long time to go away for though, and many things can happen in that time. Soarin noticed how other stallions looked at her when she walked by. If he hadn’t have acted, somepony else would have by now, leaving him with no guarantee. He knew that Rainbow would never leave him but the doubt deep down in his mind remained and scared him everyday.
He grabbed the corner of the sheet, sliding it across Dash’s body back across the bed. Rainbow shifted in bed, pushing herself back to where Soarin had just been. But there was nopony behind her any more. The mare snagged the sheets with a hoof and curled them tightly against her body. Soarin couldn't stand to look anymore, a couple more seconds and he would have ran and jumped back in with her. He would see her at the end of the day in the same exact place for one last night together, that was the only thing keeping him going at this point.
Lying in the corner of the room was a saddlebag with his cutie mark stapled on the side, it contained his gear. Without really thinking, the light blue pegasus grabbed that bag, throwing it up atop his backside. It was going to be a long day. Soarin quickly trotted back over to the bed and he could feel a slight warmth still coming off the sheets just inviting him back in. He leaned over and carefully kissed Rainbow Dash atop her head.
“One day.”
He was already more late than usual, Spitfire was sure to have his head. His legs almost refused to work while he tried walking toward the door. With each step he knew that he was going one step farther away from her, farther away from his favorite pony in the world. Soarin caught one more glimpse before exiting the door, she was peacefully resting snuggled up in the sheets. It was a picture perfect moment, he couldn’t help but just smile. Rainbow Dash was so adorable, she was everything.
The mood throughout the training complex was full of excitement and a little dread. Going out on tour was always somewhat exciting, it was fulfilling to see your hours of hard work and practice come together to make something beautiful. Making fillies’ and colts’ mouths drop helplessly to the edge of their seat never really got old. The new guys on the team were more than stoked to go out on their first tour. It was an exciting time for them, Soarin remembered it as if it were yesterday. The only thing he had to focus on was himself and his flying, nothing else in the world really mattered. Normally his head was clear and free of distractions, but now he couldn’t help but daydream of Rainbow.
At any time of the day, his mind would just wander free and start thinking about being with her. He would recall their last conversations, their last intimate nights spent together. Some times even mind flight he would lose himself almost smashing into a wall or another pony. He understood the veterans completely now, he had now become one. Soarin had somepony to go home to everyday, no longer could he just up and leave and do what his heart desired.
It was his last night with her before leaving, he was less than 24 hours away now, and yet he still didn’t even have plans figured out. He wanted to make the night something special for her. Soarin had tried for the past couple of weeks to put something together but refused to start because it got him thinking about leaving.
The day before tour was always a light training day followed by speech after speech from Spitfire. Flying laps in the circle was about the most exciting thing that you could do during the day. She would stand up on a podium in front of the team wishing all a good and safe tour. Talking about how they were suppose to behave on trips, don’t party to late, don’t drink too much, travel with a buddy, and just about every little fine detail down to what exactly you should pack and how it should be packed. Needless to say it was quite possibly the worst day ever.
About the only benefit to the day was that when the endless speeches finally did come to close, you got to go home earlier than normal. Which meant you got to leave the stadium while the sun was still up in the sky, starting to set, but it was better nothing. Any extra time was precious gift that was rarely given by the staff members.
Soarin sat laid back in his seat, half asleep while listening to Spitfire drone on. This never really got any easier with time, it still was terrible no matter how many times you went through it. His hoof propping up his chin was the only thing that kept some of Soarin’s attention on Spitfire. Words seemed to blur together as he tried to concentrate. Ponies around him weren’t faring too well either, even the rookies whose excitement had been so strong, evaporated at around the third speech somewhere.
“Now, I want you all to get a good nights rest tonight and be prepared for tomorrow. We leave for Los Pegasus tomorrow at 6 AM, be at the train station no later than 5:30. I have said all that needs to be said, you're all dismissed.”
Soarin’s ears perked at her last words, the ones he had been waiting for all day. Immediately he and many others sprang from their chairs, making a mad dash toward the door. Nopony wanted to be there any longer, sitting in a chair for a couple hours listening to lecture after lecture will do that you. They all moved quickly toward the exit, trying to get home and far away as possible.
This was his last night with Dash and he didn’t even have plans, it was time to just wing it. Maybe a last minute dinner date at her favorite restaurant in Cloudsdale, or maybe Ponyville. Whatever he was going to do, it had to be now. Ponies filled out of complex through the front doors, a beautiful sunset just starting to form. Its golden and red waves already starting to hit off the clouds below them, coating the city in a warm light.
Without wasting any time Soarin took off, flying at almost full speed just trying to save as much time as possible. The streets of Cloudsdale were starting to peak with activity, many ponies coming out to enjoy the warm spring night. It wasn’t a long flight but it was a little out of the way, her home was secluded away from most others which was a good thing. There were no nosey neighbors to worry about all the time, no party animals living next door. Every morning you could wake up to the sweet sound of silence.
The light blue stallion pushed on, passing the outskirts of the town, after sitting for such a long time flying again felt fantastic. His wings were ready to go, just asking to be pushed to the limit. He would go through any amount of lectures or even desk work everyday if it meant coming home to Dashie every night. There was little in the world he wouldn’t give for her. Since the first date she had bewitched him, no longer could he look at another mare in the same way.
With a thud Soarin landed on the cloud front lawn, finally arriving home. Something was off though, there were no lights nor noises coming from their home. Didn’t Rainbow know it was their last night together? Quickly the stallion climbed the front steps leading to the porch. Glass slits around the door confirmed his suspicion, nopony was home. All the lights inside in the family room and kitchen were off. His heart sank, maybe he wouldn’t get the chance to be with her tonight after all. He had never made plans to do anything and now there was no chance of doing anything as well.
Hours of listening to lectures and training before the sun came up were for nothing. The door creaked open as he slowly pushed it open. It was completely silent inside the home. Soarin walked through the entrance making sure to close the door behind. All his excitement for the night ahead had been smashed and worst of all, it was his own fault. Dash probably thought he didn’t care and decided to go out with her friends or something. But that was far from the truth, he couldn’t force himself to think about his last day with her. That day had come, and he was going to spend it the way he dreaded so much, alone.
Carefully the pegasus closed the door, heading down the hall toward the light switch. The kitchen was just the way he had left it in the morning, everything was put away nice and neat just like Rainbow Dash wanted it. There were no plates set out for dinner, no glasses, and no drinks, not that he really expected it by this point. He felt so dumb for not doing anything, the one mare he truly loved and he couldn’t even make a plan to go out on a date.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted something flapping with the breeze coming through the window. Carefully Soarin approached the piece of paper taped to above the kitchen sink. It was an envelope, sealed with the Dash family seal. It wasn’t there in the morning if he remembered correctly. Soarin grabbed the letter, gently pulling the strips of tape off the wall. He flipped it over revealing the address, it was addressed directly to him. In the middle of the piece of paper it read ‘To Soarin’, followed up with a heart at the end.
Soarin turned the envelope again, trying to pry the flaps open. The seal made a pop while it broke. Inside laid a small seemingly blank piece of paper perfectly folded and creased on the sides. He picked up the note and set the envelope shell down back on the counter. Another strip of tape held the letter shut, carefully he ripped it open.
Sweet Apple Acres, 8:30’
Had Rainbow Dash been ponynapped? Who would have just left a time and place? Soarin didn’t think he had any enemies, should he call the police? The stallion took a step back, trying to regain his breath. Remembering who his special somepony was, there was no way anypony could catch her, and even if they did there was no way in Equestria they could subdue her. Soarin quickly glanced over the clock on the wall, 8:21, only nine minutes before he was supposed to be there.
He dropped the note back on the counter, hitting the light switch with his wing as he headed for the door. It wasn’t a very long flight but he would have to push it if he wanted to be there in time, the anticipation had already begun brewing inside him. Soarin reopened the front door, abruptly opening it and closing it as he left. He quickly vaulted down the steps, opening his wings mid jump.
Without much hesitation he bolted toward the farm. He was starting to get a grasp of Ponyville pretty well by now. He had grown up in Cloudsdale and never gone far his entire life. It was full of new ponies and new way of life as compared to Cloudsdale, and part of him fell in love for the little town. On his off days when they weren’t together in the house she would always take him all over Ponyville, showing him around and taking him along with her friends. None of them seemed to really mind his presence at all, although it got a little awkward for him at times. Rarity especially loved it when he came into town, because she would always use him to model clothing for stallions. She said that he had the perfect body and tone that she was looking for.
Rainbow Dash loved to see him in all these different crazy outfits, it was outright hilarious. One time Rarity had almost convinced him to put on a dress, telling him that it was meant to be stallion’s garment. The others were nice to him as well. Pinkie Pie had thrown a welcome party for him when he first moved in with Dash, which was quite possibly the craziest time of his life. The others had just come to know him and got used to him sticking around, they were all quite happy for Rainbow. On about the third or fourth visit, Twilight and the others except for the cyan mare sat Soarin down and questioned him about Rainbow and his intentions. They all loved Dash like a sister, and didn’t want anypony to harm her.
At first it was a little scary being approached by five mares who were the best friends of Dashie. They had never seen Rainbow this happy before in their lives, it was like she had a new spring in her step. She smiled much more often, and almost seemed to glow. None of them wanted to see her hurt in anyway, they just wanted to make sure Soarin was who he said he was, not just trying for a quick score.
All in all they got along quite well, he had gotten to know them and to a point had become their friends as well. It was a very tight group among the mares, a true bond that almost went past friendship into something else entirely. There was no way Rainbow could ever truly move away from Ponyville, she was stuck there till the end, all the mares were. Soarin wanted to be closer to practice with the Wonderbolts, but he knew asking ment making Dash decide between her best friends and him.
Sure Rainbow might have said yes, but taking her out of her element and farther away from her friends wasn’t right. She deserved to stay near her friends, it didn’t matter how far he had to commute to get home every night, if Rainbow was happy then he was happy.
The flight didn’t take all too long as he had expected, most of his muscles were still warm from the morning stretches and mild flight workouts. The air was starting to cool off a bit, the sun was beginning to nudge its way down onto the horizon. This was why he loved flying, a cool breeze and beautiful scenery, and nothing else. The only thing that could have made it any better were if Rainbow was here to share it with him.
Row after row of apple trees disappeared beneath him while the stallion flew through the air, the front gate just coming into view. Soarin slowed his speed down before making final descent, his wings felt great and relaxed. With a thud the light blue pegasus landed just outside the arch leading up to the farm. Unlike his special somepony, he liked to walk places some times, not going from point A to B in the quickest route possible. It was the journey between destinations that he enjoyed as well.
With a thud his hooves impacted the dry compacted earth, freshly cut grass flew up as his wings began folding underneath him. The smell was great, of all the places in Ponyville he could go, Sweet Apple Acres was one of his favorites. It was always filled with the scents of sweet apple pies and the smells of the outdoors. If he didn’t have a cloud home, this is where he would have wanted to live. Not that he would tell anypony that.
The farm was quiet, work in the fields had probably ended about an hour or two ago. The ponies who had worked had gone home or where simply not in sight. Celestia’s sun hit the horizon, coating the whole farm in a deep orange and golden light. Leaves in the trees almost seemed as if they had become something entirely different, it was a perfect evening. Soarin began trotting the path up toward the farmhouse.
As he got closer the smell of pie began to fill his nostrils, making him even more excited to find out what laid before him. Another perk to being Rainbow Dash’s special somepony was meeting and gaining a relationship with Applejack. She made the best pies in all of Equestria. Whenever she saw him, the orange mare almost always made sure to give him a pie. It got to the point that Dash had to tell her to stop feeding him so many pies, but he still got one every now and again.
Ever since that fateful day at the Gala, he was stuck on her pies. They reminded him so much of the ones his mother used to make on his birthday when he was just a little colt. Nopony could make a pie like his mom, they were the best gosh darn things in all of Equestria. That’s how his love affair for the soft confection started, every year on this special occasion she made him a special pie. And every time he would eat the whole thing all by himself, even when he was only five.
His mother had been the light of his life, she stayed home and took care of him well his father was at work. Now, his mother whom he rarely saw, only made a pie every two or three years. And not until he met Applejack did he taste one so similar in taste. Every time he smelled that scent it always got him thinking of home. His new home with Dash.
Soarin approached the farm house looking for signs of anypony. Granny Smith was in her usual spot on her rocking chair snoring away while she rocked back and forth. Beside her sat a small tan earth pony filly with a red mane, rocking in a smaller chair. Rainbow or any other pony for that matter was nowhere to been seen.
“Hiya, Soarin,” the small filly said. The Wonderbolt turned toward her and began walking up the front porch steps to the house.
“Hey, Apple Bloom! Dash around here?” He turned his head side to side, scanning the farm for any sign of her.
“Applejack, Soarin’s here!”
“Just a minute!”
Inside the house noises began to stir upstairs, sounds of drawers being opened and closed as somepony was looking for something. The stallion and the little filly waited together on the front porch as the sounds got louder and louder, quickly followed by frantic hoofsteps. What ever she was doing it sure was requiring a lot of effort, from the amount of banging, crashing, and some foul words said under her breath that she didn’t expect anypony to hear.
“Do you know what’s going on?” The light blue pegasus looked down at Apple Bloom who patiently sat beside him.
“Honestly?” Soarin nodded back to her. “I haven’t got a clue.”
With that the two ponies sat in silence staring off the front porch to the fields beyond. The sun, now perfectly set on the horizon before them, coating them a deep orange as well as blinding them. Apples glistened on their stems attached to the trees, a couple birds continued to sing while the faint sound of crickets could be barely heard. It was peaceful and beautiful but it lacked one thing. The presence of a pony, his special somepony. It almost felt like Rarity was getting ready upstairs, from the amount of time it was taking. But, Soarin was fine with just sitting in silence staring out at his last sunset in Ponyville.
“Do you love her?” The silence between the stallion and filly was broken, Soarin turned to look at her friends sister. He was quite honestly taken back by the abruptness of her question. He turned his gaze onto the small earth pony who returned it. The answer was simple. “Yes, more than anything else in the world. She is more precious to me than a million diamonds, or a billion awards. I would give anything for her.”
As quickly as the silence was broken, it was restored.
“Good,” Apple Bloom said, looking back at the sunset.
“Why do you ask?”
“No reason.”
Just as the filly finished her sentence the orange mare came trotting down the stairs. Soarin rose to his hooves and turned back toward the door, and he was in for a shock. He had known Applejack for the same amount of time as he was dating Rainbow Dash, never had he seen her like this. AJ was a simple mare, kinda like his own special somepony, not one for overly fancy froufrou dresses and gowns. They had their time, but were never overjoyed at seeing them nor wearing them. The earth pony strutted down the stairs in a small black form fitting dress. Light from the sun beaming off the silky fabric while she moved.
Soarin didn’t know what to think, he was here for Rainbow not her friend. His eyes focused on her as she opened the door, coming toward the filly and stallion. Even Apple Bloom was a little taken back at her sister’s appearance, the most she had ever seen her wear was her work outfit which consisted of a hat and sometimes an old pair of boots. Applejack let the screen door fall back into place, squeaking the whole way until the wooden fixture banged against the house. Surprisingly not even a slammed door could wake Granny Smith though she was only mere feet away.
“Sorry that took so long, this here dress is almost good for nothing. Oh, ahem...” Applejack cleared her throat. “Your dining partner awaits, follow me, Sir Soarin.”
Soarin didn’t have a clue as what to think, first this, now his dining partner. Did Sweet Apple Acres even have a restaurant or anything? And why would Dash pick here of all places, her favorite place to eat was in the middle of the Ponyville town square.
The orange mare began to trot down the steps, quickly followed by the filly and pegasus. Applejack turned and began heading toward the barn, Soarin looked around for any signs of Rainbow, but still were none to be seen. They walked along the outside of the big red barn while the sun continued to bath the surrounding countryside in a deep orange light. The crickets starting to chirp loudly.
AJ peeked around the corner, stopping her followers directly behind her. Soon after the orange pony turned the corner she looked back upon them. Both stood and waited for her command. Applejack bowed to her knees while pointing to her right around the edge of the barn.
“Your mare awaits.”
Soarin slowly creeped forward, not sure of what to expect. His head turned slowly, looking at the scene before him to which Applejack had pointed. The stallion’s eyes immediately opened, while his mouth helplessly felt out of place. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life. Better than making the Wonderbolts, better than winning races, and better than winning awards. His mind couldn’t comprehend what was unfolding before him, his mind refused to believe his eyes.
He pinched himself a couple times on the hooves, not taking his eyes away for a second and not really wanting to either. His mouth began to water with salvia quickly building up, this was gonna be the best night ever. This image was going to be forever burnt into his mind for the rest of his life, and Soarin loved it. Sitting in the middle of a freshly baked pie only a couple feet away was Rainbow Dash.
His legs refused to work as the shock overtook him, while he tried to fully grasp what was before him. Because this couldn’t be happening, he most definitely had to be dreaming. The cyan mare sat with pieces of a freshly baked pastry dripping off her rainbow mane. Gooey apples littered her mane and tail along with the soft and smooth crust. The pie was massive, well over a couple feet wide, it could have easily beaten the Equestrian pie record.
The pastry had already begun to cool but some steam continued to rise from the edges of the pie. It wasn’t just any pie, it was a Sweet Apple Acres apple pie, the best in this part of the world. And inside of it was the sweetest pony in the world. Drool from the Soarin’s mouth began to drip helplessly onto the dirt below, pooling more and more with each passing second. It was hard enough to believe that Rainbow Dash had said yes to their first date, but now she was waiting in a pie for him. Nopony was ever going to believe this, period.
Dash inside the pie smiled back to Soarin, giggling a bit from the weird sensation. It was his last day in town and she wanted to make sure it was going to be the best day of his life, and it was without a doubt. With a little help from Twilight and Applejack she had done it. The look on his face was priceless, one that she surely was never gonna forget. She was gonna miss him being away for a couple of months, but they still had one night left.
Soarin forced his leg forward, trying to overcome the sheer shock to move toward her. Trying to close his jaw was useless at this point, it wasn’t responding as were his eyes. Equestria could be falling apart right beside him but not even that could take away his attention even for a single moment. Each hoofstep was a great challenge, slowly he made his way closer and closer with a trail of drool forming behind him. His mind struggled to prioritize tasks, talk to Dashie, or eat the pie, or... there were so many decisions!
Rainbow blushed a bit watching her stallion slowly struggle toward her, creating a small grin on her face. Eventually the light blue pegasus made his way over to her, his taste buds already starting to fire up inside his mouth. Soarin looked down upon the delicious confection contemplating where to start. A pair of cyan hooves lifted his head, making him look directly into her eyes. Her bright magenta eyes sparkled right in front of his face, their radiance almost blinding. So many memories with those two little orbs, staring into them for hours on end, snuggling up next to them, talking to them. Almost like they were a pool and everytime he looked into them he drowned in a sea of beauty.
Her coat was covered in the scent of a freshly baked apple pie, the smell danced in his nostrils exciting nerves all over. The mixture with her own scent made the pastry irresistible. Soarin’s mind went blank all he could think about was pie. For the longest time his favorite flavour of the pie had been apple, then blueberry, raspberry, and peach following close behind. After today apple was no longer his favorite, it had been overtaken by the Rainbow pie.
“Hey, do you like it? I thought of you, and since it’s our last day together…” The cyan mare was interrupted by Soarin licking her face, it was even better than it looked. Each and every molecule excited all the taste buds in his mouth, creating a sort of mouthgasm. It was better than anything he had ever tasted before in his life, he knew what he had to do. Eat that pie. The light blue pegasus took another lick, lathering it up over the other side of her face all the way to the mane. With each stroke the flavor only seemed to get better and better, it was somehow tasting better!
“Soarin,” Rainbow Dash giggled, her face growing redder and redder with each second, “stop.”
Behind the scene unfolding Apple Bloom and Applejack stood to watch. The older mare pulled her little sister close to her, as they watched. The filly’s face scrunched and tilted, shaking her head a bit. AJ was happy, their hard work had paid off. Almost an entire day’s worth of work went into making that pie. It was all worth it though to see the end result, Soarin and Rainbow happy. In all the years that she knew Dash, never had she once seen her this happy. Rainbow loved him with every ounce of her heart, as did he to her. The orange earth pony looked down at her sister shaking her head.
“What?”
“Do you realize how weird this is?”
Applejack looked back at the two pegasi, Soarin continued licking her friend while she tried to push him playfully away. Sure, it was weird, really weird in fact. They had stuck their friend inside a pie for her coltfriend, who was obsessed with pies just as much as he was with her. The farmer looked on, the look on Dash’s face was priceless, blushing and enjoying every second of it. The two were madly in love, ponies all over Ponyville called them the crazy couple. Whenever they had time to spend with each other, they did. You would almost never see Soarin anywhere out in public without Dash and when he was, it was weird. It was almost like he was missing something, because he was missing his other half. The two of them together were inseparable. So who cares if it’s weird, they are happy, and isn’t that all that matters?
“Come on, let’s leave these two alone.”
And with that the two sisters left, leaving Dash and her special somepony to business of their own. Rainbow kept playfully pushing her lover away, but it was to no avail. There was almost nothing she could do to stop Soarin from pie, it was hopeless. Rainbow kept playfully sending his head back, only for him to quickly come back for another pass.
The cyan pegasus once again grabbed ahold of his face, bringing him up to eye level. Her face now bright red, she was blushing more and more by the second. Every inch of her was awesome, he knew because he pretty much licked it all. Rainbow pulled his head forward into hers, locking lips immediately. Soarin moved his hooves behind Dash’s head, slowly working his hooves up and down through her silky rainbow mane. Feeling each and every color, and the soft back of her scalp. He closed his eyes and let the moment take him.
Without warning Rainbow repositioned her hooves through his thick navy mane as well, leaning all her weight upon his neck. The sudden responsibility of not only supporting himself, but also his partner caught the stallion at surprise. Quickly, he opened his eyes trying to stay upright while Dash’s hooves were dug firmly in the back of his neck, they were going down fast. Soarin tried spreading his wings in a last ditch effort, but it was too late.
They collided into the pie, splattering the creamy confection’s insides all over both of them. Some pieces even going far enough to coat the outside door of the barn. The Wonderbolt rolled to the side off his partner and deeper into the pie, he could feel the warm goodness all over his body. Pieces of crust in the mane, and apples in the feathers, followed by more in the tail. He had to go out tomorrow night after arriving in Los Pegasus, so it was probably going to take hours of preening to get everything out. But the funny thing about preening is that it always seems more fun when you do it with somepony you love.
The light blue pegasus laid flat, his back dug into the pie. He was more happy now in this moment than he ever thought possible. How was their next date going to be any better than this one? Celestia’s sun started to creep out of sight, the orange light starting to fade out, replacing it with moonlight. The crickets were now chirping in full power as the moon peeked its head over the horizon. Slowly some stars began to sparkle, the number growing with each passing moment.
Soarin felt something wrap around his hoof, he didn’t fight it, but accepted it. Both pegasi lay looking up at the evening sky, side by side, holding each other’s hooves, and they wouldn’t rather be any other place than they were now. Their coats were covered with pie crusts and apples, the small bits of the confection scattered throughout.
Their hearts beat in sync, as they looked up at the few stars above. Each breath and exhale also perfectly in line with each other. It was their last night together, the last time for a couple of months that they were going to be together, and he wouldn’t have spent it any other way. She was the pie of his eye, his favorite and most loved treat he ever had.
In unison both ponies looked at each other, gazing into their partner's eyes and letting a small chuckle. They were both sticky, and they loved it. Rainbow couldn’t help but just smile, Soarin’s eyes were just as wide as they were when he first saw her inside of the pie. Her smile was contagious, and the stallion couldn’t help but blush as well. No mare, nor stallion for that matter, had ever gone through this amount of trouble for him, she was the one.
Dash reached out her hooves, wrapping around his mane once again, sliding herself through the pie. They locked again in each others grasp, Soarin pushed forward sloshing through the soft apples. Almost like instinct his hooves wrapped around her midsection while they continued to kiss. Moments later their legs and tails intertwined, pulling them even closer. Their acts of passion only covering them in more of the gooey confection, but neither of the of the two cared.
In less than 12 hours Soarin knew this all was gonna be gone, his marefriend was going to be hundreds of miles away, having to sleep every night alone in their bed. Their love would manage, because love like they had has no boundaries, no limits, no rules. He loved her more than anything else in the world. And one day he was gonna be with her every morning for the rest of his life.
They continued to lock lips, enjoying each other’s company in the cooling apple pie. This had become the best night ever.
The train was quite, most of the team was sleeping anyway because of the long trip and night they had ahead of them. There was a somber mood that hung over most the team, the veterans having a hard time saying goodbye to their family and friends, for yet another tour. It was tough but this was the life they chose, and the life they worked so hard to get. Because of their passion for flight and wanting to show it to the world.
Soarin looked around the cabin of the car they were in, all the others were completely asleep. There was no one to talk to, he wished that he could just fall asleep and pass the time like all the others. He couldn’t sleep, you can’t just resume everyday life after a thing like that. Your whole life changes from that moment on, there is no going back to the old routine.
Saying goodbye was always the hardest part, having to look at the pony you love and say that you have to leave them is difficult. Especially when it’s the only mare in the world that you have ever loved, or will ever love. Soarin would do anything for Dash, all she had to do was name it, and it would be done. He never felt like this before, it felt like he was lighter than air almost like he was lifted off the floor. And he loved every second of it.
Soarin looked out the window, watching the familiar countryside disappear before his eyes, heading toward the unknown and unfamiliar. With each passing second he was getting farther away from his Dashie, from his rainbow. It hurt knowing that he was going to be hundreds of miles away, and over a day of travel. The stallion closed his eyes, hoping for the sleep that would never come to find him.
The previous night’s events kept playing in his head over and over again, he was unable to get them out, nor did he really want to. Both of them laying down in a squishy delicious pie, watching the sky above fill with stars, the passion they shared between them as hot as fire. Just getting to hold her hoof and even touch her was a privilege. And to this day he didn’t quite fully understand nor did he probably deserve to. Rainbow deserved more, she deserved better, only something absolutely perfect was good enough for his Dashie. But he couldn’t give that to her, he could only try his best and hope.
A slight bump in the track caused Soarin to quickly come wide awake, he was never going to be able to sleep. The smell of apples still lingered around his mane and body, and he loved it. Once they finally decided to leave the farm last night they headed straight for the shower. They thought it best to save water, or so they said, so they only used one shower for the both of them. It wasn’t a very large bathroom or tub by any means, but somehow they made it work.
They spent over an hour in the hot steamy water working the pie out of each other’s mane, carefully preening their partner’s wings. But, cleaning wasn’t the only activity they participated in, spending only about a quarter of the time working on their manes, tails or coats. Not only had it been a dinner to remember it had been a shower to remember as well. Tumbling out of the shower while they continued their way to the bed, Soarin really only managed but a couple hours of sleep, and yet his mind wouldn’t stop processing the night before.
Another bump shook the train a bit, jolting the pegasus up again, sleep was something he could only hope for right now. Nopony else was even awake, he continued his gazing out the window. The sun that beamed deep colors of orange and red on them last night began to rise again, giving a little more light into the cable car. The train was mostly quiet except the occasional snoring, and the slight hum of train wheels contacting the steel lines below.
The stallion reached down below his chair, searching for something. Carefully, he picked up a small saddle bag embroidered with his cutie mark. Soarin took off the latch and began searching through its contents, a couple snack bars, mane brush, watch, small mirror, and other miscellaneous things. His hooves kept scanning through the bag, looking for something specific. Gently, the Wonderbolt pulled a small piece of paper out of the bag, setting his personal items back on the ground. With the little light that was coming in from the overhead lights in combination with the rising sun, he studied the picture.
Soarin embraced the picture near his chest, giving it a big hug while he watched the countryside pass by, the mare he loved slowly was getting farther and farther away each moment. What he wanted more than anything in the world was to just bust out and fly for her, zoom all the way home back to their cloud home, carefully sneaking through the house and back into to bed. No doubt Dashie was still sleeping. He could wake up with her, make her breakfast and cherish her. But, today wasn’t that day.
Against the stallion’s chest was a freshly printed picture, only a couple of hours old, containing the most precious moment in his life to date. The night he would never forget, but more important than that was the pony in the picture. It didn’t matter what they did, as long as they did it together. Soarin was smiling ear to ear, while Dashie held the camera and took the photo. Their manes were covered in apples and crust, and both of them would have it no other way.
Soarin pulled the picture in closer, staring out on the horizon beyond, watching the sun slowly rise above the land, coating the land in its life giving light.
Today was day one.
Author's Note
Edited by TheShadow.
Hope you all enjoyed it!
