If Wishes Were Pegasi

As Rainbow Dash left her lover’s home, having said goodbye to all of her closest friends, she finally allowed herself to cry as she took flight and was sure nopony would see her. All at once, the reality hit her that she was leaving behind all those she cared for the most.

“Come on Dash,” she grumbled, flapping her wings ferociously as her sadness and anger at herself boiled over, “you’re joining the WONDERBOLTS! You’re going to live the dream! How can you possibly be sad!? Do you know how many pegasus ponies would give their left wing to be in your place?”

Dash became so lost in her own thoughts and trying to cheer herself up that she wasn’t really paying attention to anything else. A sudden updraft caught her wings, causing her to flip upside down and fall several feet before righting herself.

“What the hay!?” Dash exclaimed in annoyance as she shook her head. “That was a rookie mistake! Get a freakin’ grip, Dash!”

Hovering in mid-air, she quickly checked her saddlebags to make sure nothing had fallen out. She let out a small sigh of relief when everything was accounted for. Before closing them back up, she pulled out a picture and looked at it - a group shot of her and all her best friends, taken just shortly after they had defeated Nightmare Moon. She smiled, fondly remembering the day it was taken as clearly as if it were yesterday.

“I love you guys,” she said as she carefully put the picture back into her saddlebag, retrieving another as she tucked it away.

On this one was the image of a rather annoyed looking colt, sopping wet from mane to tail. Dash chuckled as she remembered the prank she had set up that day, leaving a full bucket of ice cold water perched precariously above his half-open front door. He had come home from work, only to find his front door partially open, somewhat afraid to step inside for fear of barging in on some intruder. That is, until he peered through the cracked door to see Dash lying on his couch in a seductive pose, winking at him when she noticed he was hesitantly peeking inside.

She burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter as she remembered how quickly he had flung open the door upon seeing her, the loud gasp and shocked yelp that emanated from him as he was drenched, simultaneously dazed by the flash of a camera she had set up to take his picture the moment the bucket fell onto him.

“He’s such a good sport,” she said to herself. Many times the unfortunate fellow had fallen victim to some clever prank she had set up, but not once did he ever show the slightest hint of anger at her, taking it in stride with a laugh. It had been the same for this prank. Though annoyance and surprise had initially flashed across his face, it was rapidly replaced by a loving smile as he laughed with her.

“Good one, Dash,” he had said as he trotted over to her and shook himself off like a wet dog, getting as much of the water on her as he could in the process.

Dash sighed as she felt an all-too familiar feeling take hold of her, remembering how shortly thereafter he had locked her in a passionate kiss. She gently pressed her lips to the picture as a tear rolled off the end of her muzzle and splashed lightly on one of its edges. She never did understand how he was able to make her feel this way, nor why he had been so devoted to her from the very beginning.

From the very first time she met him, it was painfully obvious the poor guy had a huge crush on her. Though when she had seen him for the first time she had thought he was kinda cute, she hadn’t really felt fireworks go off inside her or whatever it is you’re supposed to feel when you fall in love at first sight. She remembered how she had taken pity on him - perhaps if she just gave him an awesome private aerial show that would be enough. She had never expected things to go as far as they did.

She had been so annoyed and frustrated when she failed her Sonic Rainboom. Even more annoyed when the presumptuous colt had attempted to help her up after trying to break her fall. Like she was some kind of damsel in distress that needed a big strong heroic colt to rescue her. Being the brash, independent filly she is, it had enraged her. She hadn’t even considered the notion that he might have genuinely cared about her until she had made the impulsive, stupid decision to kick him.

She winced, remembering how she had put all of her frustration and anger behind that kick, and how painful it must have been for him. Rainbow Dash is by no means a violent pony, but something inside her snapped after the embarrassment of having failed her signature move in front of some silly awestruck fancolt.

That was the first time she had ever made a colt cry, and it had made her feel absolutely wretched. She felt the least she could for him was let him fulfil this fantasy he seemed to have of being her knight in shining armor. Let him have his moment, what harm could it do? She didn’t expect to be so comfortable with him “taking care of her” that she’d fall asleep lying on his back the way she did. She had felt a bit of a warm, fuzzy feeling as she drifted off to sleep from the gentle motion of his stride - had that been the first time she’d felt a little spark for him? She let the past continue to play in her mind as her wings began to slowly carry her forward once more, still looking down at the picture she held.

She remembered waking up in the middle of that night, smiling as she felt the warmth of another body pressed against hers. It had taken her a moment to realize where she was. She felt a warm breath on her neck and heard very light snoring behind her. Normally she felt uneasy about such close contact with anypony, she had never really been the touchy-feely type, but for some reason she hadn’t minded this... at least not at first. When the realisation hit her that she was in an unfamiliar colt’s home, and she had been fast asleep there for Celestia knows how long, she sprung off the couch in fear and confusion, causing him to fall onto the floor as she yelled at him, assuming the worst of his intentions.

She felt so strange when he had gently brushed away a bit of mane from her face, but a good kind of strange. Looking deeply into his eyes she could somehow feel his sincerity and how genuine his intentions were. When he had leaned in to plant his lips on hers, her heart had started pounding fiercely, her whole body trembling in excitement for her first kiss. That must have been it. That must have been the moment she fell in love with him.

What an intense night that had been! Even though she had felt conflicted the next day, deep down she knew she’d never be quite the same without him in her life. She was so terrified when she had stumbled upon him and Twilight arguing, terrified by the thought that their night together had meant nothing to him. That she had been used, and that all of those confusing yet wonderful emotions she had felt for him were meaningless. She shuddered at the thought that her own mistrust and misunderstanding had almost ended something wonderful before it had a chance to truly take off.

For the first time in her life, Dash began to have the slightest stirring of doubt about her desire to join the Wonderbolts. She had to ask herself, is this honestly still what is going to make me happy? If it’s going to take me away from the colt I love, is it worth it? Ugh. Why couldn't I have fallen in love with another pegasus pony?

She shook her head and grumbled, placing the picture back into her saddlebag.

“This is no time to be doubting yourself, Dash,” she said. “You gotta focus.”

By the time she finally reached Cloudsdale the sun had already set. The sight of the Pegasus capital always impressed Dash, despite having grown up there. She’d always marveled at the idea that an entire city filled with ponies could just float around in the sky. She smiled as she gently touched down on one of the sparse cloud roads that connected the nebular archipelago of the metropolis.

“Now, what did I do with those directions?” she asked herself under her breath. Reaching into her saddlebags she pulled out a piece of paper with the emblem of the Wonderbolts across the top. “Ah, here we go.”

Being as familiar with Cloudsdale as she is, Dash was able to find her way to the Wonderbolts’ training facility / living quarters in no time flat. She was somewhat taken aback at how grandiose the facility is, even compared to the rest of the architecture in Cloudsdale. She stood in awe for a minute or so, her mouth slightly agape before being interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Rainbow Dash, so glad you could make it!”

Dash turned to see a familiar yellow pony with a fiery orange mane standing nearby, somewhat surprised that she was lacking her uniform.

“Oh hey Spitfire!” Dash said, trying not to squeal like a little filly even though the dopey smile on her face instantly gave her away as she placed a hoof over her mouth. She could barely contain her inner fanmare even though she’d talked to Spitfire twice before. Spitfire walked over to Dash and extended a hoof, placing it on her shoulder as she smiled at her.

“It’s great to see you again, it’s been far too long. So,” she said as she led Dash inside, “why don’t you come on in and I’ll show you around.”

“AWESOME!” Dash squealed with glee, much to her embarrassment. “Uh, I mean, that’s cool I guess.”

Spitfire chuckled at the young blue mare as she walked alongside her, reminiscing about when she herself had first joined the Wonderbolts, and how her behavior had been quite similar to Dash’s. She showed her around the facility - the training areas, kitchen, dining area, personal quarters, recreational areas and the like. Dash was spellbound the entire time. Even with the Wonderbolts being the celebrities they are, she never dreamed that their accommodations would be so luxurious. After showing her around, Spitfire invited Dash to her personal quarters so they could talk in private, out of earshot of the other Wonderbolts. She motioned for Dash to take a seat as she closed the door behind them. Dash climbed up onto the luxurious chair as Spitfire took a seat in an identical one directly across from her.

“So tell me, Rainbow Dash. Have you had a chance to think about our offer?” She asked, foregoing any further small talk to get down to brass tacks.

“Well Spitfire, this is an absolutely incredible opportunity you guys are presenting me with. I’d be crazy to say no. But,” Dash said with slight hesitation, “I’m just really gonna miss my friends and my old life in Ponyville. I love them all so much... this will be the longest I’ve ever been away from all of them.”

“You’ve earned this Rainbow Dash. After seeing your spectacular performance at the Best Young Flier competition, and especially after heroically saving our lives, we’re very excited by the possibility of having someone with your raw talent join us,” Spitfire said as Dash blushed fiercely at having received such a compliment from one of her lifelong heroes. “However,” Spitfire continued, “We would understand if, for any reason, you decide to decline our offer. We know we’re asking for a huge commitment from you.”

Dash looked around uneasily, unsure of what to say. Spitfire stood up and approached Dash, motioning for her to scoot over, the huge chair having more than enough room for two ponies. She climbed up next to Dash and placed a hoof around her shoulder.

“I know your friends mean a lot to you, that much was obvious both at the Best Young Flier competition and at the Gala. We would never ask you to abandon them. In fact, we’d be thrilled to see more of them and you’re welcome to invite any and all of them to our performances. We’ll even let you have some VIP tickets to send them,” she said. Dash turned to look at her with an expression that, had it been anypony else, would have been accompanied by tears.

“But I also have to be honest with you, Dash - may I call you Dash?” the rainbow maned pegasus nodded silently at the captain of the Wonderbolts, pleased that her hero was already speaking on familiar terms with her.. “I have to be honest with you Dash, your schedule with us will leave little time for anything else. We train hard. We show hard. That’s why we’re the best. You’ll have time off to visit your loved ones, but it will be sporadic for the most part. As you begin training with us the most I can guarantee is one weekend per month. Even less when we have a lot of shows booked.”

Dash’s thoughts again turned to her lover. The pony that, at some point, she had expected to get married to. What would their future together be like if they barely got to see each other? She knew that he loved her, and she would always love him. But how unfair would it be to ask him to wait on her all the time? Come to think of it, if they were so in love, why hadn’t he asked her to marry him yet? Was he simply afraid of commitment? No, that definitely couldn’t be the case. He’d been undauntedly devoted to her throughout their relationship, even when it hit some rough patches. The heartfelt words he had spoken to her only days ago echoed in her mind.

I love you Rainbow Dash. I love you more than I could ever put into words. I could stand here for a thousand years describing my love for you and it wouldn’t even begin to scratch the surface. I can’t, and I WON’T ask you to deny a part of who you are for my sake. Your happiness is the most important thing in the WORLD to me. I want this for you, Dash. I want it for you as much as I know you want it for yourself.

It was becoming more and more difficult for Dash to hold back her tears, but she remained strong. She knew how true those words were. She couldn’t deny how much a part of herself her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt was, but could she remain loyal to herself and loyal to her lover with such a huge obstacle to face? Rainbow Dash was determined to shake her doubts off once and for all. After all, if HE had faith that they could overcome it, then so should she, right?

She smiled at Spitfire.

“Looking forward to it. So, where’s my room?” the cocky pegasus asked, trying to add a flare of attitude to her acceptance.

*   *   *

“Again.”

“Aw, c’mon Soarin’” Dash said as she lay sprawled out on a cloud, trying to catch her breath as sweat poured down her face, “I’ve practiced this move like a thousand times already, can’t we take a break?” she complained.

“What was that, recruit?” Soarin’ asked in a stern tone as he landed beside her.

“Ah, um, I mean YES SIR!” she said. Though she’d been training with the Wonderbolts for five days already, she still wasn’t quite used to the militaristic discipline in their approach. They had definitely been putting her through her paces, and she had to admit to herself that it was difficult to keep up with their training regimen sometimes, even for a pony of her skill and ability. She shot into the sky, zigzagging around, performing the same move that she’d just performed several times for her mentor though her lungs and muscles were beginning to burn from exhaustion. Upon completing the move, she once again collapsed onto a nearby cloud, panting heavily under the hot summer sun.

“Okay Dash,” Soarin’ said as he landed beside her again, “I wouldn’t want you to faint from heat exhaustion, I think you can call it a day. DISMISSED!”

Oh thank Celestia! Dash thought to herself. After catching her breath she made her way back to her living quarters, taking a few minutes to stretch and wind down from her workout before heading straight to the bathroom. She turned the shower head on full blast with cold water and stood beneath it, her overheated body initially cringing sharply as the icy cool sensation took her breath away, but slowly adapting as she inched more and more of her body underneath it. She moaned softly as she closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling, opening her mouth and taking a few huge gulps of water to quench her parched throat. She unfurled her sore wings and slowly rotated her body around to each side, making sure to allow the water to coat them generously.

She tilted her head slightly forward to allow the wonderfully soothing liquid to splash onto the top of her head and run down the back of her neck. After her mane was soaked and clinging to her neck, she turned around to do the same to her rear end. She let out a gasp as the cool water ran down her rump, over, around and underneath her tail, clenching her tail for a moment as its icy touch made contact with a very sensitive area, her whole body shivering in response.

Turning back around after allowing her tail to become thoroughly soaked, Dash looked up and noticed some writing on the shower head that she hadn’t noticed before. She’d always been in too much of a hurry to ever pay attention, but it looked like this one was adjustable. She read the various settings: Normal, which it was on now. Gentle Mist. Soak.

“Ooh, ‘Massage.’ That one sounds nice. I bet that’ll feel good after a hard day’s work,” Dash said to herself. With a few clicks the water went from a gentle soaking spray to a more concentrated, forceful, pulsating stream.

She closed her eyes and slowly rotated her body, allowing the sensation to pass over her tense muscles, moaning in contentment as the stress of the day slowly melted away. Between her wings, down her back, over her croup. Her eyes opened and she smirked impishly as she got an idea. She hadn’t been able to see her lover in days, and parts of her were going neglected that were used to being taken care of almost nightly. She lifted her tail, and positioned herself so that the powerful jets would strike her in the-

Dash bit her lip and squealed as the full weight of her upper body collapsed onto her knees and she stood on the tips of her hind hooves, her head swimming in this curious new sensation. She’d have to remember this next time she took a shower; it’d probably feel even better with hot water.

Dash stepped out of the shower, flapping her wings a few times to shake off the excess water as some of it streamed down her body and pattered onto the floor. She could dry most of her body fairly quickly just by flapping her wings, for the most part negating the need for a towel, though her mane often remained quite damp. She wrapped a towel around her mane and flopped down onto her bed, exhausted. She felt herself beginning to nod off as the luxuriously soft bed beneath her slowly molded around her, cradling her body perfectly. Her eyes snapped open suddenly as she remembered something she’d been meaning to do. She reached over the edge of the bed to a drawer in the night stand, pausing several moments to stare at a picture on the top of it - a picture of a colt she loved more and more every day - and pulled out a pencil and a piece of paper.

Sorry it’s taken me this long to write to you...