Rainbow Dash trotted through the streets of Canterlot. She was heading to Canterlot Boutique, being observed by the ponies who had obviously saw her awesome performance this afternoon. Rainbow had something very important to ask Rarity, who was going to stay in Canterlot for a few more days to hang around with her prissy friends that lived there. Rainbow never liked that idea; those ponies didn't have any of Rarity's generosity and they loved to brag about themselves.
Rainbow couldn’t just make her leave her friends though.
But what she was actually going to do was thank Rarity for clearing her name and reputation and… reward her with something quite special that night.
As soon as the pegasus arrived in front of the Boutique, she knocked the door and was received by a smiling Sassy Saddles.
“Oh Rainbow Dash! Good to see you again. I heard quite a bit about your performance at Princess Celestia’s royal garden opening this afternoon and from what I heard I bet it razzled everypony’s saddles! C’mon enter, enter,” Sassy said, bouncing a little in place as Rainbow entered and looked around the Boutique. She was wearing her usual dress and her happy grin on her face. “What brings you here? I thought you were going back to Ponyville right after your performance.”
“Yeah I was, but I have stuff to deal with with Rares after all she did.” Rainbow scratched the back of her head nervously. Sassy chuckled at her action, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh! So you’re looking for Miss Rarity? Let me call her.” Sassy winked and walked to the little room below the stairs. After a few moments, Sassy trotted out being followed by Rarity, talking about something with her.
Rarity stopped in front of Rainbow with a kind smile. “Rainbow Dash, darling, what brings you back here? Don’t tell me that you’ve been accused of a crime you didn’t commit again? Or maybe you’re looking for a fine dress?” Rarity sat back and beat her hooves together, excited.
“Dress? Pfft, I’m not that kind of pony Rarity!” Rainbow exclaimed with a head shake, “Uh… Sassy, could leave the room for a bit?” she turned to the other mare and asked with a nervous grin. Sassy gave Rarity a little push and Rarity looked at her confused.
“Of course. It’s almost night anyways so I think I can go now...” Rarity nodded to Sassy who was already heading to the door. “Thanks, Rarity. Now… I think I’ll go.” With this the mare left Rarity and Rainbow alone.
The white mare turned to Rainbow again. “Then if you’re not looking to dress in style, what are looking for, darling? I thought you were going back to Ponyville tonight.”
Rainbow sat scratching her chin. “Eh… I kinda wanted to stay and thank you for what you did earlier. I mean I could have gotten kicked out of The Wonderbolts, after trying so hard to get in. I just wanted to-”
Rarity let out a little giggle, “Say no more, dear! I couldn’t see you being kicked out of somewhere you've always wanted to be. That’s what friends do for eachother! I may be the Element of Generosity, not of Kindness, but I like to be kind too. And I was being generous too. After all, I gave you the happiness of flying in there. That’s something priceless to me,” She said, leaving Rainbow a little dazed for a moment. Rarity really did care about her…
“Actually… I gotta say something else. After all you did, Rares, I thought I'd never find a way to thank you properly, but I think I've got just the thing.” Rainbow smiled in a coquettish way, something that she was trying to avoid. Rarity raised a eyebrow.
“And what’s that, darling? You've got me curious.” Rarity leaned in a little.
“I thought you could go a walk with me to the Canterlot Hills tonight. It’s a really important place to me and… Yeah, I thought we could just have a walk and I could show you there. It’s awesome and a shame that almost nopony has time to go there!” Rainbow explained with a lowered head, but when she raised it Rarity blinked a few times with a shine in her eyes and then she coughed. “Oh, eh… It’s just a walk between friends, I mean I wouldn’t-”
Rarity didn’t like to get her hooves dirty with mud or soil, but she couldn’t be a thankless mare, could she? Rainbow was just returning the favour by being generous to her. Then she smiled, “Oh Rainbow, you don’t need to worry, darling, I would be very happy to accompany you.”
“Really?” Rainbow asked, confused.
“Do I like dresses?” Rarity answered her with another question that made Rainbow lean in and give her a tight hug, letting her go a minute after and blushing a little, trying to avoid Rarity’s smirk.
“Thanks, Rare. I guess I'll… Come around here later to get you so we can go,” Rainbow got up, walking slowly to the door. “Just make sure you don’t wear anything too frou frou, I don’t wanna hear you complaining about how your fancy stuff got dirty.” Rainbow winked.
“Oh don't you worry, Rainbow, I won’t wear anything ‘too much’! It will be just my scarf and… this hat.” Rainbow rolled her eyes with a chuckle, “What? You think that’s too much?” Rarity said with a worried tone, but Rainbow ignored her. Rarity would never stop being that prissy mare she was… It was actually kinda cute in Rainbow’s opinion, if a bit annoying.
“See you later, Rares.” With this the rainbow maned mare left Rarity alone in the Boutique with her thoughts.
Rarity bit her lip, thinking. “Oh well that was sure… a thing.” She sighed, “Now to close the Boutique and go.”
“Are we there yet, dear?” Rarity whined a little, making Rainbow roll her eyes. They had been walking for twenty minutes now, the sun had almost set, being taken by Princess Luna’s night. Luckily for Rarity, Rainbow answered what she wanted to hear.
“Yep. Here we are,” Rainbow exclaimed with a smile and a bright look in her eyes. It had been a very long time since she set hoof in this place. Happily, she took a quick flight around the place. Rarity chuckled at seeing the pegasus' excitement about being there.
She could see why.
The Canterlot Hills were, obviously, the hills at the side of the city, though a slightly higher. The mound in front of them was topped with an apple tree and the fields there were gold, contrasting with the last sunbeams of the day. A little stream ran through, the only sounds there the wind, the running water and the birds. It was a truly beautiful place.
“Heyo! C’mon, Rarity! Is your hat so heavy you can’t trot to me?!” Rarity blinked a few times, seeing that Rainbow was already at the top of the hill below the tree, mocking her face.
“Haha, very funny, darling.” Rarity said in a sardonic tone and trotted up the hill, taking five minutes to do so, and gave Rainbow a little push as she sat at her side, making Rainbow let out a giggle. “So darling… that is how you wanted to thank me?”
“Yeah, I mean isn’t it awesome?! Look at it,” Rainbow pointed a hoof towards the vast landscape in front of them. “It’s damn amazing!” she exclaimed, but Rarity was stoic, “Well to me at least, but I-”
“Oh no, darling, don’t worry, it’s truly beautiful. Anypony would love to spend some time here,” Rarity sighed dreamly. “I miss when we weren’t so busy and we could go into the fields of Ponyville to just talk. Now I have to come here every week, stay a day or two, work on my dresses in Ponyville, and go to the Spa. Twilight has her royal duties as a Princess, and though I know they’re difficult I wouldn’t mind a pair of wings myself!” Rarity admitted, making Rainbow laugh. Being a princess would never fit Rainbow for example, she knew it. “Applejack is too busy with her… apple business, Fluttershy usually has time to have tea with me, but she also spends a lot of her time taking care of her dear animals. Pinkie… Well she somehow finds time to do everything, so I guess she doesn’t count,” they laughed together. “And then there’s you. The Wonderbolts do shows in lots of places, important ones, and you get to go.” Rarity looked up at the sky, that was already dark with its first stars appearing. Rarity was trying to avoid Rainbow’s curious look.
“Yeah, I guess everypony is busy.” Rainbow leaned back on the tree, staring at the stars. “But I think it’s for the best. I mean everypony is doing what they love to do! Couldn't be better, right?”
“Yes I guess you’re right…” Rarity sighed, “But I’m happy to be here and see this. It’s even better that I’m with you.” She turned to Rainbow with a kind smile and a face that began to flush a little. Rainbow just let out a ‘hehe’. “So, darling, you said that you would also tell me something about why you loved this place so much. I’m curious, why is that exactly? I mean aside from the fact that it's beautiful.”
Rainbow coughed, “Well, you see, when I was a filly I came here a lot,” Rainbow began her story as Rarity set her hat to the side and lay down on the grass, staring at Rainbow, giving the mare her full attention. “My mom always brought me here. She loved to sit here on this hill and wait until the fireflies came and the ‘light show’ began. I used to chase them,” Rainbow giggled, “Good times.” Rainbow’s happy expression turned melancholic.
“Oh your mother sounds absolutely lovely,” Rarity said with a grin, “Just like you.”
“Thanks…” Rainbow scratched the back of her head. “She was great.”
“Was- Oh.” As soon as Rarity realized what was going on, her ears lowered a little. “Sorry, darling, I didn’t mean to.” She started with her apologise, but soon heard Rainbow let out a little bittersweet laugh.
“No prob, alright? You didn’t know.” Rainbow turned to her again, “So… wanna see the really awesome ‘light show’ happen?” she raised her eyebrow. Rarity shrugged with a smile.
“I guess I came here for that, my dear. Show me your best.” With this, the rainbow maned mare smirked and took the white mare’s hoof, who let out a little surprised yelp as Rainbow pulled her to the fields. “Rainbow, you brute! My hat is still there!” Rarity exclaimed with a pout, receiving a ‘pfft’ from the the other mare.
“C'mon Rares, even here? What'd I said about your fancy stuff, huh? C’mon, worry about that later!” Rainbow let go of her hoof, “There’s some more awesomeness to see in three, two, one…” As she finished counting, Rainbow beat her hoof on the ground, making a huge group of fireflies rise out of the field and fly around illuminating the whole place.
Rainbow turned to the other mare. Rarity eyes were shining. “This is… incredible, darling.” She trotted around the fields, looking up to the little flying bugs gradually fading away into the night. “Now I see why your mother liked it here and I must admit darling, like you say, it’s ‘awesome’,” she winked at Rainbow.
Rainbow smirked. “Ya know, I got my tricks.”
“Oh don’t brag!” Rarity pretended to scold her with a laugh. “But I really mean it, Rainbow Dash… Thanks. For this, all of this,” she pointed to the fireflies wandering in the otherwise dark cloudy sky, where a storm was forming itself, “It's beautiful. If it wasn’t for you I don’t know if I would’ve come here so soon my dear.” Rarity turned to her, staring with her sapphire eyes at Rainbow for a moment and then leaning in to give her a little kiss on the cheek. “You really didn’t need to do all this, darling,” she whispered.
“Oh eh…” Rainbow was without words, quite a rare occurrence for the pegasus, and her face had a small blush. “Like I said, you deserve it. You helped me keep up with my dream,” she scratched the back of her head, nervous. “You’re awesome, Rares.” Rainbow smiled.
“Pfft, was there ever any doubt of that?” she mocked and Rainbow laughed.
They got quiet for a moment, enjoying each other's company, sitting there in the fields, talking about Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, about their parents, about their lives and about past stories. Some sad, but most of them happy, making both laugh every time.
“I mean didn’t I tell you darling? She really did burn the juice!” Rarity exclaimed, making Rainbow, who was now laid on the field ground laugh, Rarity following shortly after her. “Sweet Celestia, can you believe it?” she asked in middle of her laughing fit.
“Damn…” Rainbow said while trying to recover from her fit of giggles. “How did she even do that, dude? I mean burning juice? As Spitfire loves to say,” Rainbow coughed and began to imitate Spitfire’s voice, “That’s an academy record!”
Rarity laughed at the joke. “Oh, Sweetie can be a little bad in kitchen but she’s a sweetheart.” Rarity smiled kindly. “But since that day I always make sure to keep her out of kitchen!” she exclaimed and Rainbow let out a giggle.
“I’m not that good in kitchen either. But I bet you are!” Rainbow pointed at her friend who looked at her surprised.
“Me?” She blinked, “Oh no no no dear, I’m not much of a cook you know. Even if I do cook at home it’s not the best food around,” Rarity said shaking her head.
“Well… At least you’re an awesome investigator!” Rainbow exclaimed, pushing Rarity a little who just giggled, staring at the stars.
The white mare was really enjoying this. She was relaxed, Rainbow was being nice and the night was perfect. Rarity started to think why the mare at her side was being so nice with her. Is she trying to…? No. Of course not. She rolled her eyes. Even if she was, Rarity wouldn’t ask her, it was rude. She was lady, not a brute.
Rarity shook her head, letting go of her thoughts and frowned when she saw that a big black storm cloud was coming.
“Oh no darling, I think we should go. A storm is coming right this was and though I'm fine just lying here in the fields, mud isn’t exactly something I love being covered in.” Rarity got up with a grin. Except for that one time… Oh dear, how foolish I was that day, she remembered Trenderhoof's visit to Ponyville and bit her lip.
“Afraid to get wet, Fashion Princess?” Rainbow mocked while getting up.
Rarity gave her a little bump on the flank with a pout. Rainbow loved to see her with that raised eyebrow and that cute pout. She loved to see Rarity mad.
“Come on now, Rainbow Dash, let’s get my hat and get out of here.” She trotted up to the hill, followed by a flying Rainbow Dash, but as soon as she got her hat and they started heading on back to the Boutique, where Rarity would stay the night, it started raining. Rarity, of course, freaked out in middle of the road. “Oh no! My new hat! My gems! It can’t get wet, the fabric in this is so expensive!” she exclaimed, bouncing a little in place, but soon the rain stopped. “Wha- Oh. Thank you, darling.”
Rainbow Dash stretched one of her wings over Rarity as a makeshift umbrella. “You know I love to fly, but I don’t wanna hear you complain to me after this,” She mocked and Rarity blushed.
“What a gentlemare, isn’t she?” Rarity said with a smile, winking gracefully. “Again thank you. You know that a lady like me wouldn’t like to get wet, but what about you?”
Rainbow shrugged. “Meh, I’m used to it, now let’s walk you home.”
Finally, after a twenty minute walk — observing how the streets had not even a single pony in them — they reached Rarity’s Boutique, but only Rarity walked in, standing in the door with a grateful smile, the other mare chose to stay in front of the door in the rain.
“Again Rainbow Dash I don’t know how to thank you for all that.” Rarity sighed, “It was a wonderful time we had. And a wonderful talk too and… you acted as an umbrella to me, you gentlemare brute!” she exclaimed making Rainbow shake her head with an amused smile. “In other words my darling, this night was absolutely delightful. Don’t you…” Rarity tried to find some reason for her to stay. She didn’t even know why she wanted to make her stay anyways, “Don’t you want to spend the night? Isn’t it raining too much? You could always sleep here, you know.”
“Sorry, but I gotta head back to Ponyville. I got stuff planned with Pinks for tomorrow, but…” Rainbow kicked the ground, “You're coming back tomorrow night, right?” Rarity nodded. “So… I was thinking, tomorrow’s my day off so at night I don’t really have anything to do. Could you show me your amazing cooking skills?”
“Really? You want to have dinner at my house?” Rarity tried to avoid blushing, which she failed miserably in doing as Rainbow nodded with a smile. “Oh, okay then darling, I… I guess we can if you want. I know Sweetie would love it if you brought Scootaloo along too. But, like I said, don’t expect a lot from my food. It isn’t as great as you think, darling!”
“Don’t worry, Rares, everything with you is a surprise.” Rainbow winked at the mare. “So… I guess I’ should get going now. See you tomorrow night?”
“Yes.” Rarity nodded happily.
“Awesome!” Rainbow exclaimed, “I mean… thanks. I gotta go now. I'm just gonna get a train. I can’t fly in this stupid rain.” She bit her lip, nervously explaining with her hooves. Rarity giggled at her. “So see ya!” With that the mare took flight, as fast as always.
Rarity shook her head and locked the door, she turned and saw Opal staring at her. “You saw that, darling?” Rarity sighed and laughed, she set her hat aside and jumped onto a little couch in the corner. “I don’t know what that was… But it was… great. It felt great. It felt awesome, as she likes to say.” Rarity stared at the ceiling. “You know what?”
The room got silent, no response being given from the cat.
“I find her kinda cute.”
That night was going to be awesome and Rarity wondered if there was going to be more to come. Maybe even another walk by the hill, maybe just going to Sugarcube Corner to talk about random things… Rarity didn’t know. The only thing she knew was that for some reason, as long as Rainbow was there, it would be awesome.
