"Rainbow Daaaash!"
Twilight paced through the busy intersection of Ponyville's main street calling out her friend's name. It was midsummer, and the blistering sun rarely surrendered the sky before eight or nine in the evening. The last few days had been particularly hot and muggy, and Twilight avoided leaving the library. She hadn't seen much of her friends.
While staring out the window today she'd noticed a brown leaf at the end of one of the library's branches, swaying delicately in the breeze. She inspected the library further and found a number of other brown spots. The whole tree looked ready to crack from dryness and heat.
That's when she realized that she hadn't seen a drop of rain on the library in nearly a week. Summer was supposed to be a wet season in Ponyville – it was through constant rain that they kept the town vibrantly green despite the heat. In fact, Twilight had asked Rainbow Dash specifically to keep the library wet this year.
Someone wasn't doing her job.
"Rainbow Daaaash!"
The pegasus could be a bit lazy sometimes, but Rainbow did take pride in her work, and it wasn't like her to completely ignore something important for so many days. Twilight ducked into Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie was scooping out a ball of ice cream for a little colt while his mother watched, carefully taking note of how much she was giving him. Behind them was a line almost a dozen ponies long.
"Oh hey Twilight! You're here for some ice cream, aren't you? They've been selling like hotcakes lately... or cold cakes I should say!" She giggled.
"Actually, I was wondering if you've seen Rainbow around anywhere. The library is getting dry, and it needs some fresh rain soon."
"Rainbow... Rainbow... Sorry, I can't help you. The Cakes have me working overtime this week thanks to the high ice cream demand." Pinkie handed the little colt his ice cream cone and smiled as he eagerly licked it up.
"And Rainbow hasn't come in for ice cream?"
Pinkie shook her head. "No. Applejack and Fluttershy were in here today, and Rarity came with Sweetie Bell yesterday. No Rainbow though."
"This is really strange. Nobody's seen her anywhere in town. Where could she have gone?"
The earth pony lowered her head and thought for a moment. "Have you checked the clouds?"
Wow, I can't believe I didn't think of that. Twilight smiled. "Good thinking, Pinkie. Thank you!"
"You sure you don't want any ice cream?" Pinkie called, but Twilight Sparkle was already out the door.
Twilight had been scanning the clouds for nearly half an hour. Now the sun finally began to dim. It was empty up here – in the summer, pegasi tended to hang out on the ground to avoid the heavy sunlight. She'd called Rainbow's name at least two dozen times. She was getting ready to turn back and head home.
When I find her, I'll really give her a piece of my mind.
Just as she was about to head for the ground, she heard the unmistakably loud, guffawing laugh she’d heard many times. Only one pony laughed like that. Caught ya! It was coming from the other side of a particularly fluffy cloud.
"Rainbow Daaaash!"
She flew past the cloud, turned around… and found her friend lying belly-up, with a look of utter horror on her face...
...wrapped up in the wing of a blue male pegasus.
“Rainbow Dash?”
The pegasus blinked, making no effort to get out from under the other pony's wing. "Uh, hey Twilight. Good to... see you. This is my, uh, friend. Ocean."
"Sup," said the stallion. “Ocean Breeze.”
Twilight took a moment to study Rainbow Dash's new friend. His coat was blue, though several shades darker than Rainbow's. His mane and tail were white and very closely cropped. He had a lean athlete’s body, but his wings were not quite as strong as other flyers Twilight had seen. Instead, his muscle was concentrated in his legs and upper body. She couldn't quite make out his cutie mark from behind the cloud fluff.
She looked back at Rainbow Dash now, and the three of them stared at each other for a long, uncomfortable moment. The little voice in Twilight's head told her to fly away and think about it later.
"Uh, so Dash," she found herself saying, "I was kind of looking for you because the library needs some, uh, rain. I mean with all the heat."
"Heat?" Rainbow glanced up at the sky. "Oh! As in the sun. Right, yeah, my bad Twilight. I promised you I'd see to it and I forgot. I'll, uh, send some rain clouds over first thing tomorrow."
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Okay then. Bye." Twilight flew off as quickly as her young wings would take her.
She flew straight home, her mind running at a million miles per hour. It wasn't until she got inside that she started clearly analyzing what she'd just seen. Rainbow Dash called that pony her friend, but there was no mistaking that she'd walked into something else.
Ocean... Ocean... Twilight had definitely never seen him before. He'd barely said a single word. They both looked quite embarrassed.
A date. They were on a date. No doubt about it, Twilight had interrupted a romantic entanglement.
So, Dash was on a date. So what? Good for her. That’s awesome! I’m her friend, and I should be very, very happy for her.
So how come Twilight got a weird feeling every time she thought about it?
Ocean Breeze, huh? She tried to remember what the stallion looked like from the brief glance she’d gotten. Short mane, underdeveloped wings, body like an earth pony. There’d been something odd about the way he spoke, too. It wasn’t quite an accent, but he definitely wasn’t from Ponyville.
Boy, he did not seem like Rainbow’s type.
Then again, what was Rainbow’s type? She’d never seen Rainbow date, or even express interest in another pony. In fact none of her friends ever really had, aside from Rarity obsessing over her latest crush, or the occasional off-color remark from Pinkie Pie.
Rainbow had been missing for five days now. Was she with him the whole time? How come she hadn’t told any of her friends about it?
She’s your friend, and it’s her business. Forget you saw anything. Besides, he didn’t seem like such a bad guy.
But as much as Twilight tried to cast it from her mind, she found herself drawn back to the image of Rainbow Dash cuddled up on a cloud with that stallion, giggling and blushing and staring into his eyes. The very idea seemed un-Rainbowlike.
So she decided to consult the most knowledgeable expert she knew on such matters.
She made her way to Carousel Boutique.
For once, Rarity wasn’t hard at work when Twilight walked in. She was downstairs with her mane in a towel, flipping through a magazine. Her head perked up as her friend approached. “Oh, Twilight. What a pleasant surprise. I was just about to pour a cup of cocoa before bed. Would you like some?”
“Actually I was here to... yeah, a cup of cocoa sounds great.”
Rarity disappeared up the stairs and came back a minute later with two mugs of delicious-smelling cocoa floating before her. Twilight took hers and drank eagerly, letting the marshmallows run down her tongue. “Mmmmm.” It was just what she needed.
“You look like you’re here for a reason, Twilight.” Rarity studied her. “Come on, out with it!”
“Yeah, I kind of wanted to talk to you about something. Have you seen Rainbow Dash lately?”
“Have I?” The white unicorn racked her brain. “No, not in the last few days. I haven’t really been out of the store much since this latest heat wave hit. Why?”
“I hadn’t seen her either. I went looking for her today and, well... I found her.”
Rarity slurped a mouthful of cocoa. “And?”
“Rainbow Dash was... with a guy.”
“WHAAAT!” Rarity dragged out the word as she said it. “Surely you’re joking! Oh, you must tell me everything.” She squealed. “Was it somepony we know? Oh, it was, wasn’t it! I knew it. Tell me tell me tell me!”
“It was a pegasus I’d never seen before,” said Twilight. “I kind of stumbled upon them. They were... in the middle of something.”
“Oh dear, please don’t tell me you caught them in a compromising moment!”
“Well, not that compromising. They were just snuggled up on a cloud. I’m not really sure what they were doing. I heard Rainbow laughing and I guess I figured she was alone, so I approached. They both looked really embarrassed.”
“Oh, the poor dear. She must be mortified.” Rarity dropped the empty cocoa mug down on the table, and did the same with Twilight’s.
“That’s the problem. I don’t get why she would be. I mean, I guess it would be uncomfortable to get interrupted on a date, but why’s she been hiding this from us for so many days? If it was me, I think I’d want to tell my friends immediately.”
Wouldn’t I? Twilight considered the idea. The truth was she’d never really been on a date, so she didn’t know how she’d react.
Maybe I would want to keep it under wraps. At least at first. Until I know it’s going somewhere.
Rarity smiled brightly. “I agree with you, Twilight. You know how I get with my infatuations. I proclaim my feelings from the mountaintops before I’ve even met the pony. But that’s not always the wisest way to go about it. Maybe Rainbow Dash has the right idea.”
“Maybe.” Twilight’s eyes dropped to her hooves as she thought about what to say next. “Hey, Rarity. Can I ask you something?”
“Of course, dear.”
“We should be happy for Rainbow, right?”
“Well, tell me the stallion is attractive, at least.” She giggled to herself.
Twilight sighed. “I don’t... I don’t think I like him.”
Rarity gasped. “Oh, you must tell me why. Is he rude? Is he unkempt? Don’t tell me he did something inappropriate! No friend of mine is going to date some lewd pr—”
“No. I mean, I don’t think so. I barely said two words to him. He seemed nice enough. But I just... really don’t like him.”
“Ah, I think I know what’s going on here.” Rarity smiled and ran a hoof down her friend’s mane, a friendly gesture. Twilight smiled and pushed her weight into it eagerly. “You’re being protective of your friend. You know Rainbow deserves a great partner, and you won’t settle for anything less than the best for her. On that I agree with you.”
“You do?”
“But I think we should give this gentlecolt a chance. We barely know him. He might surprise you yet.” She got up and picked up the cocoa mugs with her magic, heading for the stairs. “Rainbow knows you saw her, so talk to her about it. See if you can convince her to let us meet him. Trust me, if he’s not good enough for Rainbow Dash, I will be the first to tell her.”
Her friend’s words made sense. A lot of sense. And though the mysterious bad feeling hadn’t left Twilight completely, she decided she was satisfied with what she’d heard. “Thanks, Rarity. You sure know how to make me feel better.”
“Glad to hear it. And please, do keep me updated on what you find out.”
“Of course.” Twi smiled. “You’re the only friend I know who has… experience with this kind of stuff. I’m glad I came to you.”
Rarity let out the softest giggle at the top of the stairs, so faint it was almost inaudible. “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that. But do come to me in the future. Anytime, Twilight. I’m happy to listen.”
Not so sure about that? What did she mean? Oh, well. Twilight was tired, and she at least felt like she’d be able to get some sleep now. She said her goodbyes to Rarity and headed for home. Tomorrow would bring more answers.
She awoke to the music of raindrops.
Lingering in sleep for a few extra moments, she imagined a cloudy sky pierced with rays of sunlight. The clouds shed their moisture in a canvas of multicolored water droplets. Rainbow rain poured down onto the earth, and she pictured herself flying through it, feeling the moisture on her coat. Up she flew, toward the sky. Eagerly she broke the cloud cover.
And there was Rainbow Dash and Ocean Breeze, dancing on the clouds, spilling rainbow rain with each hoofstep. He twirled her, and jerked her body toward him for a kiss. His wings wrapped around her. She squealed in delight. He tossed her onto the ground and pinned her down with his forelegs…
…Twilight awoke with a start, and shook the sleep from her eyes. What kind of a dream was that? The details were already slipping from her memory.
As she dragged herself out of bed, she looked out the window and saw the clouds gathered over the library. Only the library. A personal rainstorm just for her. She was pretty sure she knew who was behind it.
Rainbow Dash sure was up early.
Was she doing this because of some newfound dedication to her work? Or was she just trying to get it done early to avoid Twilight?
Not going to happen, Rainbow. You and I are going to talk. Twi walked across the library and opened the window on the other side. No rain was coming down on this side. She climbed up on the window and flew out into the crisp morning air.
There was Rainbow Dash, standing atop the collection of grey clouds over the library, stomping on them to coax out the rain. When she saw Twilight she took an involuntary step back.
“Good morning, Rainbow.”
“Uh… good morning. I, uh, didn’t think you’d be up this early.”
“I guess your rainclouds woke me up.”
“Oh. Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine.” Twilight lowered herself onto the cloud and stood next to her friend. “I’m glad they did, actually. It gives me a chance to talk to you.”
“You want to talk?” Rainbow Dash lowered her gaze.
“Sure I do. I didn’t want there to be any awkwardness after yesterday.” A moment of heavy silence passed between them. “Your friend seems nice.”
At that, Rainbow looked up and met her eyes. “Oh. Yeah, he is.”
“How did you two meet?”
Rainbow seemed to consider the question. “Uh, through work. He just moved to Ponyville from Los Pegasus and he wanted to apply as a weatherpony. I was… interviewing him.”
“Really? You’ve been interviewing him for five straight days?”
“Well no. He got the job. I’m, uh, training him now. That’s what you saw. I was just showing him how to move a cloud around.”
“Training, huh?”
Dash smiled. “Yeah, just training. It’s no big deal.”
“Come on, Rainbow. You don’t have to hide from me. You guys were on a date, weren’t you?”
The Pegasus grabbed her and covered her mouth with a hoof. “Okay fine, it was a date,” she said softly. “One date. That’s it. I don’t see what the big deal is. Just… don’t tell anypony, okay?”
“I agree, Rainbow. It’s not a big deal. So I’m not sure why you’re so determined to keep it a secret.”
“Just do this for me, okay Twilight? Keep it to yourself.”
“Well, to be honest I already told Rarity last night.”
“You what?” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Damn it, Twilight. You told the biggest blabbermouth in Ponyville. Now everyone’s gonna know.”
“If it’s really that important to you, I’ll go back and tell Rarity to keep it to herself.”
Dash sighed. “Don’t even bother. It’s been how many hours? All of Equestria knows by now.”
“Okay. I’m sorry I told Rarity. I really should have spoken to you first.” Twilight nudged her friend. “But Rainbow! You should tell us these things. We’re your friends and we want to know what’s going on in your life. I’m very happy for you.”
“There are some things I’d rather keep to myself,” said the pegasus.
“Come on, tell me all about him!” Twi grinned. “Do you likeeeee him?
At that, Rainbow Dash blushed a little. “Heh. Yeah, I think I do. It’s weird, I never thought someone like him would be my type. But he makes me feel all… uhhh.” She buried her head beneath her forelegs.
“Are you seeing him again, then?”
Rainbow nodded.
“Good for you! When?”
“Uh… now.” She chuckled. “Well, as soon as I finish watering the library.” She stomped on the cloud a bit harder now.
Twilight studied her. Really, now? Hasn’t she just been with this guy all day for the last five days? Geez, I would want a break at least. At least she seemed happy. This was the kind of excitement Rainbow Dash usually reserved for flying competitions or Daring Do books.
“You should bring him to meet your friends,” Twilight blurted out.
Rainbow kept stomping the clouds, unleashing sheets of rain down below. “Hmm. Maybe that is a good idea. Now that everypony knows anyway. Yeah, I’ll bring it up with Ocean and see what he thinks. Tonight at your place?”
“Yes! I’ll tell all our friends to come.”
“Awesome, Twi.” Rainbow wrapped a hoof around her friend’s neck. “Thanks for the talk. You’re making me feel better already. But I’ve gotta run. I told Ocean I was getting breakfast.” She froze as the words came out. “Uhh… yesterday. I told him that yesterday. That I’d be getting breakfast. And that’s why I’d be late. To meet up with him. Today. Okay, bye.”
And she was gone in an instant.
Twilight was left standing alone on the torrential raincloud. “Uh, Dash! Hold on, you forgot to… move the cloud.”
“Ohmigosh I’m so excited!” Pinkie Pie bounced from one side of the library to the other, ricocheting off the walls. “I’ve never planned a Meet Rainbow Dash’s Boyfriend Party before. It’s so rare nowadays that I get to plan a whole new type of party! I’ve already done the Twilight Finished Installing the New Bookself party… the Cutie Mark Crusaders all got A’s party… the Applejack Made a Particularly Delicious Batch of Cider party… the No Tornadoes in Six Months party…” and on the list went.
“I know yer excited, Pinkie, but don’t you think this is a little bit much?” said Applejack, staring at the banner draped over the library door. It read ‘Rainbow Dash and Ocean Breeze – Together Forever,' covered with hearts.
“I agree,” said Rarity, taking it upon herself to magic the banner down. “This is far too blunt. We’re bound to scare off the poor stallion. Besides, I don’t even know if they’re official yet.” She looked at Twilight with a questioning glare.
“Don’t look at me,” Twilight said.
Pinkie furled her brow. “Hmm. Maybe you’re right. Something low-key might be better. How about…” she extended her forelegs, “Rainbow Dash and Ocean Breeze – Together for Now!”
“Why don’t you leave the banners to me,” Rarity said. Pinkie shrugged, and went back to preparing the punchbowls.
“So Twilight.” Applejack walked up close and took a seat next to the alicorn. “Tell us a little more about this guy Rainbow likes so much. I have to admit I never thought I’d be saying those words.”
“What do you mean?” Twi asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I just always figured she went more… the other way.”
“The other way?” asked a puzzled Twilight.
“You know. With mares.”
Oh. Twilight hadn’t really thought one way or the other about her friends’ preferences. She knew that many different kinds of love existed in Equestria – Lyra and Bon Bon here in Ponyville were one of the best couples she’d ever met – but she’d never taken the time to think about what her friends might like. “I don’t know. I guess I haven’t heard Rainbow Dash talk about this stuff before.”
“Nor have I,” said Rarity. “Fluttershy, you’ve known her the longest. Back in Cloudsdale, did Rainbow Dash ever talk about what kinds of ponies she might be… into?”
The yellow pegasus shook her head. “Rainbow? Oh, no. Never. I remember the lecture she gave me when I told her I had a crush on one of the colts in our class. ‘Why would you want to waste time dating somepony, Fluttershy? You should focus on practicing to be the best flyer in Equestria, like me.’”
“Well, it’s not really our place to question it,” Rarity declared. “If Rainbow likes this Ocean Breeze, then good for her. I’m sure we’ll like him too.”
“As long as he’s hot,” said Pinkie from across the room. “He is hot, right Twilight?”
“Uh, I guess…” she tried to picture Ocean Breeze’s blue coat, his toned legs and thickly built chest. Was that what hot was supposed to be? It certainly didn’t do anything for Twilight.
“I’ll be the judge of that when I see him then. Nothing but the best for my Dashie.”
“You sound like you’ve got some experience with this, Pinkie Pie,” said Twilight.
Pinkie giggled. “Oh sure. I get laid all the time. Gotta go pick up the cake!” And with that she raced out of the room, leaving a trail of spilled punch behind her.
“I swear I can never tell when she’s bein’ serious.” AJ snickered. “And this time I’m not sure if I want to.”
“Well, I’m certainly stepping into new territory with this,” Twilight said, unembarrassed. “I’d appreciate you guys’ advice on how to approach it. I’ve never had to meet a friend’s, uh, interest before. How about you Applejack? Do you have any experience with this sort of thing?”
“Oh, some.” The earth pony looked away. “But that’s a story for another day. For now let’s concentrate on Rainbow Dash. Just try to get to know her new friend, Twilight. Make him feel welcome. Treat him like you would any other friend-of-a-friend.”
“Okay, that makes sense.” Twilight nodded. “No special treatment.”
They spent another hour waiting for Rainbow, getting the party set up and making small talk to pass the time. Pinkie finally gave into Rarity’s insistence that they forego the banner this time. They kept the punch – one bowl spiked, of course. Just as a few of them were growing impatient, there was a knock on the library door. Twilight all but ran over to open it.
“Hey,” said Rainbow Dash. “Uh, we’re here.” It was one of the softest voices Twi had ever heard her friend speak with.
She took a moment just to observe the scene in front of her. Rainbow was half-leaning on Ocean Breeze’s flank, her neck lowered, a dark blue wing draped over her back. She smiled sheepishly. On his face, a blank and distant look. Twilight could finally see his cutie mark now – a red-and-yellow surfboard.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rainbow this timid, Twilight thought. She must be nervous. I’d better help make her comfortable.
“Hey guys! Come on in.” Twilight looked at Ocean Breeze and smiled. “Hi there. It’s good to properly meet you. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and these are Rainbow’s other friends – Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie.”
“What’s up,” he said curtly. “I’m Ocean Breeze.”
They walked into the library wing-in-wing, everyone watching them nervously. The mood in the room seemed to grow more awkward by the second as they sat down together on one of the couches, Rainbow leaning her weight against him noticeably. “So… these are my friends,” she said. “Umm. Fluttershy I’ve known the longest. I grew up with her in Cloudsdale. She takes care of a lot of animals here in Ponyville.”
The yellow pegasus approached him, nervous but eager. “Pleased to meet you.” She extended a hoof.
“Same,” said Ocean.
“Pinkie Pie over there works at Sugarcube Corner, the sweet shop.” Rainbow chuckled. “She’s, uh, a lot of fun.”
“Hey hey!” Pinkie waved a hoof. “I planned this party right here. I love planning parties. Do you guys want some punch?” They both nodded quickly. “Spiked or…”
“Yeah, spiked,” said Ocean Breeze.
Pinkie eagerly brought them both cups.
“One cup is fine. We’ll share.” He glanced down at Rainbow. “Right babe?”
“Uh… sure… Anyway, that’s Applejack. She runs Sweet Apple Acres just outside town. Makes a delicious cider.”
Applejack shook his hoof. “Pity I didn’t have any ready for tonight. Next time, you’ll just have to try it!”
“Okay.”
“Rarity owns Carousel Boutique,” Rainbow continued. “She’s a great seamstress. And this is Twilight. She lives here in the library. You already met her.”
“Wait,” said Ocean Breeze, staring at Twilight. “I’ve seen you before. You’re not Princess Twilight Sparkle, are you? Whoa, I guess you are. Not too many alicorns walking around.” He looked down at Dash. “You didn’t tell me you were friends with a princess.”
“You didn’t?” asked a puzzled Twilight.
How has she not told him about her friends? What else could they have been talking about for five straight days?
Rainbow looked embarrassed. “Uh, it’s just been… well I mentioned you.”
“Yeah, you probably did. I must’ve forgotten.”
Twilight took a seat beside them and gave Ocean Breeze a warm smile. Alright, Twilight. Get to know him. Make him feel welcome. “So… Dash tells me you just moved here from Los Pegasus. What’s it like there?”
“Los Pegasus is hella tight!” he said eagerly. “Love that place. Warm all year, great beaches, sick nightlife. Everypony there is so progressive and beautiful. We all stay in shape.”
“I’ve never been to that part of Equestria,” said Twilight. “What did you do there?”
He shrugged. “Surfing and chilling, mostly.”
“No, I mean… what did you do for work?”
“Ohhh. You know, depends on the season. Worked at a couple restaurants. Six months as a bartender. Did one summer at a smoothie stand. I was a lifeguard for a few years until they fired me for some stupid shit. Last year I couldn’t really find a job, so lots of surfing and lots of chilling.” He grinned. “Last year was dope.”
“How interesting!” said Twilight. “Tell me, what brought you to Ponyville?”
Ocean took a very long sip of his punch before passing it to Dash, almost empty. “I ran out of money. Needed a job.”
“Well, that’s no good. How do you like living here so far?”
“It’s whatever,” he said, glancing at his hooves. “Job pays great. I save a ton of money by crashing at Dash’s place. There’s nowhere to surf though. I’ll probably just be here for the summer, then go back home when I’ve got some money saved up.”
Rainbow gaped at him.
“What’s up babe? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing, it’s just… this is the first I’ve heard of you leaving.”
“Oh. Well we’ll see. Maybe I’ll find a reason to stay.” He nuzzled her lightly, and then glanced at the empty cup in her hands. “Let’s get some more punch.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get it for you!” She nuzzled him back and took off, soaring over to the punchbowl. She was back beneath his wing in fifteen seconds.
The evening passed on much the same. Rainbow’s friends took turns asking Ocean Breeze all sorts of questions about himself. He answered them happily, but asked very few questions of his own. When he did ask, it was obvious he wasn’t paying much attention to the answer.
It seemed he only had eyes for Rainbow Dash.
They stayed entangled on the couch for most of the night, as if they couldn’t stand to be apart. Rainbow spent even more time staring at him than he did at her. She barely spoke all night – only when she was spoken to. Even when Applejack brought up the story of how they both lost to Twilight at the Running of the Leaves, Rainbow Dash stayed silent. She always argued when that story came up. Always.
It was still pretty early in the evening when Rainbow started yawning and making exaggerated stretching moves. She rested her head on Ocean’s neck and narrowed her eyes. A few minutes later, she yawned loudly again.
“Sounds like Dash is getting tired,” he said.
“Yeah,” she agreed, yawning again. “Tired. Really tired. I think it’s time to call it a night.” She flew straight for the door. “Okay guys, glad we could do this. Bye.”
They were both gone before any of the others could return their goodbyes.
Among Twilight and her four friends, several long, quiet moments passed. They all kind of stared at the walls, thinking of what to say.
It was Fluttershy who spoke first. “Well I thought he was nice.”
“Yeah, he wasn’t…” Applejack measured her words carefully… “bad.”
“And he really seems to like Rainbow Dash,” said Rarity. “That’s important. We know he’s serious about her.”
“He definitely is nice. And he definitely is into her,” Twilight agreed. More moments of silence. “It’s just that he’s—”
“Boring as hay?” offered Applejack.
“Seriously!”
“My goodness, I’m glad I wasn’t the only one,” Rarity squealed. “If I ever hear another conversation about surfing in my life it’ll be too soon.”
AJ shook her head. “I know Dash is a bit lazy sometimes, but that stallion ain’t got no ambition. Workin’ at a different restaurant every year. Months of unemployment. Sittin’ around all day. How could anyone live like that?”
“We tried to show real, genuine interest in him,” said Fluttershy, “and I just don’t feel like he returned it.”
“Yeah, he couldn’t have cared less about us. He and Dashie were too busy making googly eyes at each other.” Pinkie growled. “I don’t like him!”
“Now that’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?”
“I don’t care. I don’t like him!” Pinkie Pie left the library in a huff.
Twilight stared out the door behind her. “Oh my. I didn’t think he was that bad. I mean, if Rainbow likes him, we should like him too right?”
“We tolerate him, I guess,” said Applejack. “Long as he treats her right.”
“We’ll treat him with the same kindness we would treat anypony else,” added Fluttershy.
“But I just don’t see myself ever being friends with him in my own right,” said Rarity. “I gather the feeling is the same for the rest of you?” They all nodded. “Well, that settles it. Rainbow Dash is an adult and free to make her own decisions. We’ll support her, keep an eye on her, and make sure she knows we’re still here for her whenever she needs us. Agreed?”
Fluttershy agreed. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“Next week is the Apple Family lake trip,” said AJ. “I was gonna invite y’all. I’ll invite Rainbow, and tell her that Ocean Breeze is welcome too. It ain’t no beach, but he might like it.”
“Sounds like a brilliant idea, Applejack. Until then, we’ll just keep reaching out to Rainbow as per usual.”
The other ponies left shortly thereafter, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts. Ugh. I don’t get it! There was nothing particularly wrong with Ocean Breeze. If she met him at a party or on the street, she knew she’d regard him as a perfectly nice guy.
So why did she so hate the idea of him and Rainbow Dash together? She tried to think back on the night…
…Rainbow was half-leaning on Ocean Breeze’s flank, her neck lowered, a dark blue wing draped over her back. She smiled sheepishly…
…”One cup is fine. We’ll share.” He glanced down at Rainbow. “Right babe?…”
…“You didn’t tell me you were friends with a princess…”
…“Don’t worry, I’ll get it for you!” She nuzzled him back and took off, soaring over to the punchbowl…
The Rainbow Dash who’d been here tonight was simply not the same pony she knew and loved. Twilight had never seen Rainbow act so… gosh, what was the word?
Feminine.
The summer sun was bearing down on them so hard that she could practically see the mist rising from the lake. She felt sweat beading on her coat, and imagined how good it would feel to jump into the crisp blue water. To join Applejack, Applebloom, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Big Mac, who were entertaining themselves by passing a beach ball erratically in a circle. She watched AJ’s little sister miss the ball wildly, lose her balance, and fall back into the water, emerging sopping wet and giggling.
“Come on in, you two!” Pinkie screamed. “The water’s so cool.”
Rarity sat underneath the shade of a nearby tree, eyes invisible behind a pair of shades. “Pinkie, you know very well how long it takes me to get my mane right every morning. The moment I get in that water all my work will be ruined. I’d have to start all—”
She was cut off by a huge splash of water crashing into her face. Applejack collapsed into hysterics and fell below the water line.
Rarity got to her feet, soaking wet. “Why you little…” and the rest of it was drowned out by splashing as she threw herself in.
“Twilight, you’re there all by your lonesome now,” said Applejack. “Why don’t you come on in?”
“Huh?” The sound of her name distracted her, and she turned back to face the lake. She’d been staring in the direction of Ponyville this whole time, only slightly paying attention to her friends. “Oh… yeah. I’ll go in just a minute.”
Four hours since they’d gotten to the lake. Eight days since the “party” at the library. No sign of Rainbow Dash. She’d only glimpsed her friend twice since that night – first when she and Fluttershy flew up to Rainbow’s house to personally invite her to the lake.
“Oh, uh… sure. We’ll be there. Thanks.” She’d closed the door in front of her, making no move to invite them in. Twilight didn’t have to guess the reason why.
The second time had been accidental. She was at the Ponyville market square buying some dinner for her and Spike. The sun was just about to set. She looked away from the food stalls to watch it go down… and noticed two blue pegasi sitting on a cloud over the town, the mare warmly wrapped up in the stallion’s wing. Their backs were to her, and their tales intertwined. They watched the sunset like timeless lovers.
She let out a sigh. I don’t have to like who you date, Dash. But I can’t stand to lose you either.
“Hey Twilight!”
She came crashing back to reality, with a pair of huge blue eyes staring down at her. “Oh, Pinkie. You startled me.”
“It’s been a minute.”
“Huh?”
“I said it’s been a minute.” She smiled. “I’ve been counting. You said you’d come in a minute. Well, it’s time!”
Twilight glanced past her and saw her friends busy having fun, barely paying them any attention. None of them seemed to be bothered by Rainbow’s disappearing act either. Why weren’t they? Didn’t they miss her too?
“I don’t feel like swimming today, Pinkie.”
The pink pony laughed softly – the most serious laugh Twilight had ever heard from her – and took a seat next to her friend. “Come on, Twilight. What’s bothering you? You can tell Pinkie anything.”
Twilight pondered it, wondering if it was a good idea. In the end she couldn’t shake the feeling. “You made it pretty clear that you didn’t like Ocean Breeze last week, Pinkie.”
“I did.”
“Did you change your mind or something?”
“Nope!” She giggled. “Still don’t like him.”
“So why aren’t you more upset that Rainbow Dash isn’t here today?”
“Oh Twilight.” Pinkie snuggled up to her friend. Twilight snuggled back. “Sure I’m a little bummed out. But it’s not like she’s gone forever. She’ll be back soon.”
“You sound very sure of yourself. What if she doesn’t? I’ve never seen Rainbow act so… domesticated.” Twi felt anxiety rising in her chest, and the thought she’d been feeling but hadn’t been putting to words finally came pouring out. “Pinkie, what if she marries this guy? What if all we see of Rainbow Dash from now on is at town gatherings and when she asks us to babysit her foals!”
Pinkie Pie almost keeled over laughing. “Silly Twilight! You’re joking, aren’t you? Rainbow Dash isn’t going to do anything like that!”
“How can you be sure?”
“Well… I guess I can’t be totally completely super duper sure. But I know. Cause I know Dashie. She’s not going to marry this doofus. And even if she did, things wouldn’t be like this forever.”
“They won’t? What do you mean?”
Pinkie pondered it. “You know who you need to talk to, Twilight?”
The alicorn blinked.
“Applejack!”
“Applejack?”
“Yep, Applejack.”
“Why should I talk to Applejack about this?”
“Trust me, Twilight. Talk to Applejack. Has Pinkie Pie ever steered you wrong?”
“Uh…” she decided not to answer.
“Talk to Applejack. Later, when everypony else has gone home. You’ll feel better. Until then, you will come and you will enjoy the water with your friends!” Suddenly Twilight felt herself lifted off the ground by earth pony strength. Pinkie launched her headfirst into the lake, where she plunged into the crystal blue water.
“Everyone splash Twilight!” yelled Pinkie Pie as she came tumbling in after.
The only ponies left at the lake were Twilight and the Apple family. The others had excused themselves one by one, and now that the sun was almost gone, the water was getting too cold to swim much longer. Truthfully, Twilight would have left much earlier if she could’ve. They’d been swimming all day. She had to admit she did end up having a good time. But the whole afternoon she’d been stealing glances at Applejack, trying to figure out what the orange pony could know that would make her worries disappear.
“Alright y’all,” she called. “I think it’s time to call it a night. Twi, you mind walkin’ Applebloom home while me and Mac pack our things up?” She stared at the collection of beach chairs, cooking supplies, and empty plates from all the food they’d eaten. “This is gonna take a while.”
Twilight jumped at the chance. “Applejack, let Big Mac take his sister home. I’ll stay back and help you out. He worked hard enough bringing all this stuff out.”
“Mighty kind of you, Twi. You good with that, Big Macintosh?”
“Eeeeyup.”
With Twilight’s magic, packing everything onto the cart was an easy enough task. It was the pulling that required the real effort. The alicorn offered to wear the harness first.
“You sure are bein’ helpful tonight, Twilight,” said AJ.
“Really, it’s my pleasure.” She stared down the road, where Big Mac and Applebloom were but tiny specs in the distance, barely visible. “It was a great day out on the lake, Applejack. Thanks for inviting us all. Your pies were delicious as always.”
The earth pony smiled. “You know my friends are always invited to an Apple family funday.”
“Too bad Rainbow Dash and Ocean Breeze didn’t make it…”
At that AJ stumbled a little mid-trot. “Yeah. Uh… pity.”
“They sure seem to be into each other, huh?”
A long pause on AJ’s side. “They do.”
“I mean he’s already living with her. They’ve barely known each other two weeks. They’re moving really fast, aren’t they?”
“One could say that.”
Twilight thinned her eyes in concentration. She was trying to get on the topic of Rainbow organically, but it didn’t seem to be working. She considered her next words. Ask her directly? Say something outlandish? It appeared Applejack wanted to avoid the conversation.
Twi sighed, and decided to just tell the truth. “We never get to see her anymore. I miss her, AJ.”
“Aww, sweetie.” Applejack trotted up close to her and gave her neck a light nuzzle. “Someone told you to talk to me about this, didn’t they?”
“Pinkie thought I looked upset, and I told her why. She said I should ask you about it.”
“Maybe I should’ve talked to you from the start,” Applejack said. “I didn’t realize this was the first time one of your friends got really serious about somepony.”
Twilight nodded. “It is. My brother’s been dating Cadence since I was a little filly. I barely remember what he was like before he met her. Other than that…”
“Yeah, our group tends to be strong and single,” AJ said. “Nothing wrong with that. But it ain’t gonna be like that forever. Some of us are bound to get wrapped up in relationships just like Rainbow. It’s something you gotta expect from your friends.”
“Especially you all. We are pretty great mares.” Twilight chuckled. “So why did Pinkie tell me to come to you?”
“Probably because I’m the only one of us who’s been in a long, serious relationship.” Applejack stared at the coming sunset. “Rarity dates around, and Pinkie is, well, Pinkie. But they’ve never been too serious. A long time ago, long before you came to Ponyville, I was pretty… involved.”
“You were?” Twilight gasped. “Was it somepony we know?”
“Err, probably. You know of him at least.”
“Who was it? Who was it?” Twilight was dying of curiosity.
AJ gave her an awkward grin. “Alright, but promise you won’t laugh.”
“Promise.”
“It was a pegasus. I’m not sure if you’ve met him. His name is… Bulk Biceps.”
Twilight instantly broke her promise. “What?!? Bulk Biceps! That huge hulking pegasus from the Ponyville relay team?”
“Hey, no laughing!” AJ shoved her lightly with a hoof. “And yeah, ah know what you’re thinking. He’s really gone off the deep end with that bodybuilding stuff now. He looks grotesque. But back in the day…” she stared off into the distance, wistfully. “Twilight, if only you coulda seen him at his prime. He was strong and ripped, but lean. Ah mean he was built right. I ain’t never seen a stallion with a better body than he had when we was finishin’ school. And he was nice too, Twilight. The gentlest soul. Not always the smartest, but he had little ways of showin’ you how much he cared.”
Twilight had stopped laughing. Though she failed to picture this “perfect body” her friend was describing, she didn’t need more explanation. If AJ liked him, he must’ve been pretty great.
“So you were serious with him.”
AJ laughed. “Yeah, you could say that.” A short pause as she considered her next words. “We were engaged, Twilight.”
“WHAT?!?”
“You heard me right. Engaged to be hitched. I was in love, Twi. Really and truly.” She chuckled. “Seems crazy to hear it now, huh?”
If there were ever a pony Twilight had a harder time picturing being in love than Rainbow Dash, it was the orange earth pony standing beside her. But, she had no reason to doubt the element of honesty. “Wow, Applejack. I never would’ve guessed it. What happened?”
“Heh. Granny Smith will tell you that I came to my senses.” She stopped momentarily as the sun reached the horizon. “Truth is I realized how crazy the whole thing was. I was much too young to be makin’ such a big decision. I’d barely discovered my own self. I told Bulk I wanted to hold off on the wedding. But he was even harder in love than I was, and he said it was now or never.” She sighed. “I chose never.”
“Gosh, AJ. I’m sorry.” She put a hoof on her friend’s back. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Aww, don’t worry about it. It’s been a long time. Took me a bit, but I’m well and over it. We can stand to be in the same room together now, though we certainly don’t talk.” She giggled. “Between you and me, I think he took it worse. It’s gotta be part of the reason he started goin’ hard with those weights. Poor Bulk.”
Twilight let the harness fall off and joined her friend to watch the sunset. “Well I’m glad you told me. I feel like I know you even better now.”
“Yeah. Don’t know why I never got around to tellin’ ya. It ain’t something that comes up easy.”
“No, I understand.” She paused. “Wait… you’re not saying you think Rainbow Dash is going to get engaged too, are you?”
“Rainbow? Shoot, no!” Applejack laughed. “I’m still shocked as any of y’all that she’s with a stallion at all. But I know Rainbow. She’ll be done with that buffoon before ya know it.”
“Pinkie said the same thing. How can you all be so sure?”
The sun was about halfway down the sky now, and Applejack yawned, leaning her weight against her friend. Twilight found it comforting. “Back when I was with Bulk I wasn’t too close with none of ya, except Pinkie. I had a few other friends too. But it was mostly just Pinkie Pie and my family. Me and Bulk got real serious about a year out of graduation, and shoot Twi, we were inseparable.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to see how that works.”
“Totally natural thing to happen early on. You can’t keep yer hooves off each other. I was spendin’ nights at his place and everything. My family saw less and less of me, and my friends barely saw me at all. Pinkie got real upset about it. She even called me out on it one night, real angry-like. She said she felt like she was losin’ me.”
Twilight felt a pang hit her chest. “Sounds… familiar.”
“I realized she was right and promised to spend more time with her. And I did… a little. But Bulk was still eatin’ up so much of my time. My family didn’t like it, but they didn’t try to stop me. They’ve always been supportive like that.”
“That sounds a lot like what’s going on with Rainbow now,” said Twilight. “You’re telling me it doesn’t get better?”
“Let me finish, Twi. I said he was still eatin’ up my time – at first. But six months in things started to cool down a bit. Not in a bad way or nothin’. We just weren’t as inseparable as we used to be. The honeymoon phase was over. That’s natural too, and in many ways it’s a relief.”
“Really?” Twilight watched her watch the sun. “But you said you were in love.”
“Oh, we still were. But all relationships cool down. Even the real good ones. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want to be spendin’ every waking moment of my life with the same stallion.”
Twilight nodded. She still couldn’t picture being with one stallion at all, but that might just be her.
“Six months in I started seein’ my old friends again. A year in, I had even more time to myself. I still spent loads of time with Bulk, but I slept at home most nights and made it a point to never miss family events.”
The last tendrils of sunlight disappeared now, and AJ sighed longingly. “I’m tellin you, Twilight. I coulda married him, and we’d have been happy. I’m sure it woulda kept him from goin’ off the deep end like he did. And if we had gotten married, guess what? I’d still be spending plenty of time with Pinkie, and my family, and Celestia willin’ I still woulda met all of you.”
“I sure hope you would’ve.” Twilight wrapped a foreleg around Applejack and held her tight. The closeness between them felt wonderful. “I think I get what you’re saying. But between you and me… I’m glad you didn’t get married.”
Both mares let out a long hearty laugh. “Yeah, ‘cause after marriage comes foals. And that is when you really lose your loved ones.”
The unicorn glared at her friend.
“Only kidding, Twilight. Sorta.” Applejack got to her feet and put on the harness without asking, dragging the heavy cart behind her. “Don’t worry about Rainbow. She doesn’t strike me as the settlin’ down type. I think you’ll be seeing plenty of her before you know it.”
“Thank you, Applejack.” She walked close beside her friend, nothing but the sound of their hoofbeats and the rolling carriage behind them. Slowly, the moon and stars were taking the sun’s place. “You know, of everyone I spoke to you’re the first one who actually made me feel better.”
“Heh. Sometimes old AJ’s got more wisdom in her head than you think.” The earth pony grinned widely. “Glad I could be of help Twilight. Anytime you need a little advice, bring it to my doorstep.”
They walked close together in silence the rest of the way home.
“Oh Rarity, it’s delicious!” Fluttershy licked another droplet of the thick, viscous liquid off her hoof. “I’ve never tasted anything so good.”
“Only the finest pomegranate-infused bee honey in the world, imported from Saddle Arabia,” said the white unicorn proudly. “I’ve been waiting for this package for weeks now. When it came in, I just knew I had to give samples to the two ponies who’d appreciate it most.”
Twilight lapped it up eagerly too. “Thanks, Rarity! It’s very generous of you. But I think Pinkie Pie would have liked to try this even more.”
“I said I wanted you to sample it, not chug the whole bottle,” Rarity said with a giggle. “Oh, but I suppose you’re right. I’ll save some for Pinkie. But first – peanut butter, rosepetal, and honey sandwiches for each of us!”
She got to work magicking all the ingredients together and spreading them on fresh slices of whole wheat bread. Twilight watched her work with fascination. Rarity could be a great cook when she tried.
Three weeks had passed since the day she caught Rainbow Dash and Ocean Breeze on their private cloud. She hadn’t seen much of her friend. Rainbow had stopped by for a couple group lunches, Ocean Breeze coming with her. Twilight now had three real conversations with him – two were about surfing, but one could not complain about progress.
Maybe, just maybe, she could learn to tolerate the dark blue pegasus.
“Sandwiches ready!” Rarity proclaimed. Just as the three ponies prepared to bite into their dinners, a knock rang out against the door of the boutique. “We’re closed,” said Rarity.
Applejack’s voice yelled back, “It’s us, dummy.”
“Oh. Come in then. Let me prepare sandwiches for you. Two, is it?”
“Three,” said AJ. The door swung open and the orange earth pony filed in, followed by Pinkie Pie, and then a bored-looking Rainbow Dash.
“Rainbow, I wasn’t expecting you,” Rarity said with a bright smile. “You sure I shouldn’t make it four sandwiches?”
“Nah, just three,” said the pegasus as she curled up and took a seat by the table. “I dumped Ocean’s ass.”
Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight gasped in unison. “Oh Rainbow, are you okay?”
“Relax. Never been better.” She chuckled. “That whole thing was going nowhere. I think I finally woke up to what an idiot he was. Actually make it four sandwiches, I’m hungry. And something to drink.”
“Of course, my dear. Anything you desire.” Rarity trotted up and placed the plate with two sandwiches in front of her. “Does a martini sound good to you? How about ice cream? I find ice cream is great in… times like these.”
“No to the ice cream, yes to the martini.” Rainbow Dash took a huge bite of the sandwich. “And I told you, I’m fine. Not like I was really into him anyway. It was just a little fun, that’s all.”
Twilight stared straight at Applejack, who nodded once and got the message.
“Hey, Rainbow. We believe ya. It was nothing. But if you decide you do wanna talk it out a bit more – ya know, talk smack about him or whatever – we’re here to listen all night.”
“Yeah, let’s talk smack about him!” Pinkie squealed.
The mare of the hour just let out a long yawn. “Come on, guys. Let’s not make a big deal out of this. I’m serious.” She gulped down the first sandwich and started in on the second one. “Ocean Breeze was big and dumb. And all he talked about was surfing. And he’s moving away in a few months. And did you see his wings? It’s like he’s never flown a day in his life. And did you know he hasn’t held a single job for more than six months? AND! You know why they fired him from lifeguard duty in Los Pegasus?”
“Tell us, tell us!” said Pinkie Pie.
Dash grinned and whispered, “Drug test.”
Everyone in the room laughed, a bit harder than they should have.
“Let’s grab some drinks after this, Pinkie. I’ve got some stories just for you.”
But after the first martini, those stories just for Pinkie got blurted out pretty quick. Many of them brought a blush to Twilight’s face, and a few just left her confused. But she laughed pretty hard nonetheless. Rarity kept the martinis coming, and that certainly helped. By the end of the night, nopony in the room could’ve looked at Ocean Breeze without chortling in his face.
A few hours further into the night, as Twilight felt her head buzzing and the six ponies were wrapped up in conversations of their own, Rainbow Dash motioned her over with a wing. Twi walked up to her friend as steady as she could manage. She took a seat on the couch beside her. “What’s up, Rainbow?”
“What’s up is that I owe you an apology.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.” The pegasus sighed. “I do. I kinda disappeared on everyone these last few weeks, but none more than you. You were making a real effort to reach out to me and I ignored it.”
Twilight measured her words carefully. “I just missed you. That’s all.”
“I missed you too, Twi.” She smiled warmly. “Truth is this was my first, uh, relationship. Serious one anyway. If you can call it that.”
“I think you can call it that,” said Twilight, smiling back. “And I figured as much.”
“I guess I got a little carried away. I wanted space to do it on my own. I knew it wasn’t going anywhere from the beginning… at least I was pretty sure it wasn’t. Mistakes were gonna get made, and I wanted to make them myself.”
“That is totally reasonable. I’m sure you learned a lot.”
“Oh absolutely. Most important lesson – I am not doing that again for a looooong time.” Dash laughed loudly at her own joke, drawing semi-interested glances from the others. “And I guess the second most important lesson I learned was not to ignore my friends when I get into something like this. I’ve seen it happen to a lot of my Cloudsdale friends. Even Rarity gets a little crazy sometimes, and I miss her… sorta.”
Twilight ran a comforting hoof down her wing. “I’m glad to hear it, Rainbow. I think I learned something from all this too.”
“Really? You learned something from my crash-and-burn relationship?”
“Of course!” She smiled. “I learned that relationships are normal. I can expect my friends to get into them from time to time. I may like the other pony, or I may not be so crazy about them… but as long as my friend is happy and treated well, I should be happy for her!”
“Yeah, that is a good way of looking at it.”
“I also know that I should expect my friend to disappear for a while when they enter a new relationship. The honeymoon phase. It happens to everyone, and it’s totally normal. And it won’t last. I may miss my friend, and I should still make an effort to spend time with her. But seeing her less often for a little while is to be expected.” She thought about AJ’s sunset talk, and tried to picture the earth pony snuggled up with huge Bulk Biceps without laughing. “Even in the best of relationships, the honeymoon phase ends. And good friends always make time for each other.”
Rainbow took a long sip of her drink. “I love it, Twi! That sounds like a journal entry to me. Next time, I’ll be sure to take it to heart.”
“Yeah, it’s a lesson we all needed to refresh ourselves on,” said Twilight, feeling flushed with alcohol. “After all, we are pretty awesome! Next time can’t be too far off.”
She felt Dash’s wing wrap around her, and let the strong appendage drag her closer to her friend. “You’re right about that, Twi. We’d better enjoy each other’s company before one of us gets scooped up again.”
The warmth of Dash’s wing and body felt fantastic. She especially loved the way her friend’s feathers tickled her coat. They lay there in silence for a long time, watching their friends engage in animated conversation, pausing occasionally to sip their drinks.
So this is why Rainbow never wanted to leave Ocean’s side, huh? I guess I can see the appeal.
