What Does It Mean to be Friends?
The fart came out as a trumpeting blast, and as Rainbow Dash struggled to hold it back, it rose in pitch until it became a shrill whistle, finally reaching a squealing crescendo of crepitation. Normally, Rainbow Dash enjoyed such moments, but piercing blue eyed glare of the pearlescent unicorn made her feel very uncomfortable.
“Oh my gosh, I am sorry Rarity,” Rainbow Dash apologised. “You were squeezing me with that corset thingy… you can’t squeeze a pegasus like that and expect nothing to happen,” she added in a low raspy whine.
Rarity stepped back, her nostrils crinkling and her muzzle contorting in discomfort. “Think nothing of it, it happens to all of us at some point or another,” she said dismissively.
“Rarity, I can see that you’re kinda mad, I mean, you’re practically fuming… I really am sorry,” Rainbow Dash said insistently.
“Darling… I am not the one who is… fuming,” Rarity replied with a sniffle.
Rainbow Dash choked, covered her mouth with her hoof, and struggled to hold in her laughter. She sniggered a bit, and then finally her laughter escaped. She chortled and guffawed for a while, all too aware of Rarity’s furious stare.
“I fail to see what is so funny,” Rarity said in clipped tones.
“Makes me think of the other day,” Rainbow Dash said.
“What does whatever happened the other day have to do with this?” Rarity asked as she pulled a perfume bottle from a nearby drawer. She began to spritz the air and her nostrils remained crinkled.
“The other day, Derpy chased this unicorn, I can’t think of his name, and he had no clue what was going on. I mean, he was completely clueless. There was a big misunderstanding between the two of them. Now they’re a couple. I think. Or working on it. He’s sort of a dweeb and a great big snob, but he makes Derpy happy for some strange reason,” Rainbow Dash said thoughtfully. “Rarity, I wonder sometimes… how are we even friends? We’re so different. I mean, I am a pegasus, you are a unicorn, I think farts are hilarious, and practically everything I do as a pegasus offends your unicorn sensibilities in some way or another,” Rainbow Dash said.
Rarity stared at the blue pegasus, completely dumbfounded and unable to reply.
Unable to think of anything witty to say, Rainbow Dash fell silent and kicked her own hooves. She felt terrible for what she just said, and once again, she had opened her mouth and said something without thinking about what she had said.
“We came together for Twilight’s benefit,” Rarity said in a low trembling voice. “And then, I don’t know what happened,” she finished.
“Rarity… we are friends,” Rainbow Dash said in a low raspy whisper. “That came out sounding really bad. I mean, I am here helping you make dresses and I hate anything to do with dresses and you are using me to get the fitting right… oh horseapples I screw up everything I say,” she muttered.
“We are very different ponies,” Rarity stated.
“But we’re still friends… we can be friends. I just watched a pegasus fall in love with a unicorn and if they can be a couple, we can be friends. I am just very confused about our friendship,” Rainbow Dash explained.
Rarity moved around her shop, cleaning up random bits of mess, tucking away ribbons, putting away swatches of cloth, and arranging several spools of thread. She looked thoughtful as she moved about and restored order to the chaos.
“You like the spa, I hate the spa…” Rainbow Dash said weakly.
“I suppose you are wondering what do we share in common?” Rarity said thoughtfully, her back still turned to Rainbow Dash. She took a deep shuddering breath and struggled to keep her composure.
“I know I just hurt you and I don’t know how to fix it,” Rainbow Dash said in a panicky voice. “And if I keep talking, I am just going to make this worse,” she added as she sat down on the tiled floor with a loud plop.
“I find myself pondering that myself right now at this moment,” Rarity stated. “What we share in common I mean,” she clarified.
“Are we only friends because of Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked in a pained whisper.
“We are friends,” Rarity started. She paused after speaking and wiped her eye, still standing with her back towards Rainbow Dash. “We are friends because you saved my life when I was plummeting to my death. You broke through your own fear and insecurities to save me, and I think about it every day when I must face my own fear and insecurities. It is an inspiration to me,” she explained. “And that is only the beginning.”
“I… I didn’t know,” Rainbow Dash said in a husky whisper.
“And there was the time when Spike and I were plunging to our deaths together. You… you inspired Fluttershy. You gave her courage. She believed in herself and somehow, she kept up with you. And both of you saved me and little Spikey-Wikey. You are always there for ponies Dash, just like you were here for me today,” Rarity said in a strained voice.
Rainbow Dash made a soft cry but no words came out.
“You inspire everypony to be better. To be their best. You are so giving of yourself. Watching you with Scootaloo… it makes me want to be a better sister for Sweetie Belle. I just do not know how to act sometimes and the pressure builds and I can feel myself falling apart,” Rarity confessed.
“Oh this is getting mushy,” Rainbow Dash whined.
“And your confidence, which I wish I had. Your fearlessness,” Rarity continued.
“You know, normally I like it when somepony strokes my ego, but this is really uncomfortable,” Rainbow Dash said as she squirmed.
“I treasure you as my friend because I try to live by your example. We might have very different lives, we might do very different things, but we face the same struggles and we want the same things really… I am not talking about my fashion career or your future as a Wonderbolt… but what we fight for. I enjoy spending time with you, even during the things I am really not comfortable with doing, because it gives me a chance to spend time with you and learn to emulate your ways. And then I try to add your confidence to my poise,” Rarity explained.
“Oh geeze Rarity, I feel really awkward right now,” Rainbow Dash grumbled as she covered her face with her wings.
“All of my friends are like threads woven together to form a tapestry. They form something beautiful when woven together, but with my eye for detail, I like to study the threads individually and appreciate them for their beauty. To see how they affect the weave. You are one such thread,” Rarity said to Rainbow Dash, finally turning around.
Rainbow Dash looked up and saw that Rarity’s mascara was running. She felt an odd sensation deep within her barrel. She slumped in defeat. “Come here Rarity, give me a hug, you’ll feel better,” Rainbow Dash offered.
The two friends came together, embracing warmly, Rarity doing nothing to hide her sniffles. Rarity held her friend close, and the pair exchanged little squeezes.
It was a perfect moment until Rainbow Dash’s pegasus nature took over, and she gave poor Rarity too much of a good thing, squeezing her with the sort of bruising intensity that pegasi are known for.
The squealing blast pealed through the room and both friends froze, holding one another in the aftermath. The first giggle escaped Rainbow Dash, she had tried to hold it back, but giggles were far more slippery than any bar of soap.
Finally, Rarity gave a soft nervous giggle at her own embarrassing social faux pas, inspired by Rainbow Dash’s example.
Author's Note
This has been sitting around for a while now, partially finished and taunting me. It comes from a cut chapter in The Chase.
I decided to release it as a stand alone one shot.
If you see a typo, let me know, and I will fix it.
Also, feedback on the story is appreciated. I uh, always had trouble figuring out how Rainbow Dash and Rarity could possibly be friends, and I wrote this to get inside of their heads.
The reference to Bucky and Derpy in the beginning gives me the warm fuzzies.
