The Friendship Express’s loud whistle blew as it pulled out of the Ponyville train station.
Inside, Rarity settled onto a cushioned seat. “See, dear?” she said with a delighted sigh. “I told you that it was folly to settle for less than first-class.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash answered, throwing herself into the seat next to Rarity’s and crossing her forelegs over her chest. “Whatever.”
“Oh don’t be like that.” Rarity glanced out the window, where the countryside was moving by faster and faster as the train picked up speed.
Rainbow scowled and turned away. “Like what?”
“Like that,” Rarity said. Her hooves came up to rub Rainbow’s shoulders. “You’re sulking, darling.”
“I’m not sulking,” Rainbow muttered.
Rarity leaned forward. “You are so.”
“I said I’m not sulking.” Rainbow’s voice lashed out like a whip, making Rarity flinch. “I mean, why would I be sulking when you’re taking me to Fashion Land?”
“Sarcasm doesn’t become you, my love,” Rarity said primly. “And I’ll have you know that Fashion Land is—”
Rainbow cut her off in a mocking voice. “Fashion Land is Hoofington’s premiere destination for cultured ponies the world over.”
“Cultured ponies like myself, namely.” Rarity’s eyes were starry, glistening in the compartment’s dim lighting. “Oh the fashion shows, the boutiques, the tea shops—this is the amusement park I’ve always dreamed of visiting.”
“Yeah, that isn’t a real amusement park,” Rainbow said. She glanced at Rarity askance. “A real park has rides that make you feel sick and junk food that makes you feel sicker.”
“Oh you’re just tiffed because you couldn’t go to that—that—” Rarity waved a hoof through the air as she sought out the proper words. “That Insane Tusslers rubbish.”
“It’s called Wrestlinsanity,” Rainbow said with a glare. “And it’s only supposed to be the coolest event ever. Why did you have to pick this weekend to go to stupid Fashion Land?”
Rarity tossed her mane to the side. “Because up until yesterday I had that massive project taking up all my time, and I thought it might be nice to take a break with my marefriend.”
“Yeah, but why today?” Rainbow’s voice rose into a whine. “Why not next weekend? Applejack had tickets to Wrestlinsanity, for crying out loud!”
“And now she gets to go with her sister instead,” Rarity shot back. “Rainbow Dash, you promised I could plan what we do after my schedule freed up, and this is what I chose. Frankly it sounds like you would rather spend time with Applejack than me.”
“Okay, you know that’s not true.”
“Then hush up and look forward to Fashion Land like I am!”
Rainbow turned away and propped her head up. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.”
Over the next half hour, neither mare said a word to the other; Rarity sat staring out the window and humming to herself while Rainbow kept her eyes trained in the opposite direction. Finally a voice came over the intercom and broke the monotony.
“We will be arriving in Hoofington in five minutes. All passengers disembarking, please have your possessions gathered.”
Rarity’s ears perked up, and she prodded Rainbow in the back. “Darling, that reminds me—I prepared the most delightful outfits for us.” A quick spell had a pair of beige garment bags floating out of the overhead compartment. “As soon as we find a dressing room, we simply must change into them.”
“Are you kidding me?” Rainbow snapped, spinning on Rarity. “I have to walk around this dumb park in a dumb frilly dress?”
“I would have put it differently, but…” Rarity shrugged.
Rainbow groaned loudly and threw the door open.
“Where are you going?” Rarity asked as her marefriend stormed out.
“For a walk!”
“But—” The door slamming shut cut off whatever Rarity had been about to say.
Rainbow stomped down the corridor, face contorted by a deep scowl. Ponies bustled by her on either side. Why was the train so crowded? She shook her head and pushed the thought from her mind. It wasn’t like it mattered.
The thick carpet swallowed her hooves and muffled every angry step, which only made her expression darken further. There was little point in stomping if it made no sound. She growled and glanced into the next compartment.
A mare and a stallion were giving each other exasperated looks while a colt bounced on the seat between them. He wore a ball cap that read “Wrestlinsanity” in large, jagged letters. His parents tried to calm him, but he hopped from his seat and up onto the one across from them. A wide grin was plastered across his face.
“Ugh!” Rainbow tried to stomp further down the corridor, then gave up when she remembered that the carpeting made that pointless. With all the ponies in the corridor, the temperature was beginning to go up, so she made for the door at the end of the corridor. It led to a room with a few booths and a bar behind which stood a bored-looking unicorn mare selling snack. One of the booths held a trio of young ponies talking to each other loudly. As Rainbow walked to the bar, she couldn’t help but overhear the conversation.
“So you think we’ll be able to get a room?” asked one of them, a stallion.
A second stallion threw a hoof-full of bits onto their table. “Yeah, probably. We should be fine.”
“We need two rooms,” the third, a mare, said. “I’m not staying in a room with you two.”
"Why not?” asked the first pony.
“Uh, because I’m a girl?”
Rainbow glanced their way, only to scowl when she saw that they all wore black t-shirts with “Wrestlinsanity” blazoned across the chest.
"Okay, fine,” said the second stallion. “Maybe Bristle can sell a kidney or something so we can afford a second room.”
“Hey!”
“Um…” Rainbow stepped up to their table and waved. “Hi.”
“Hello!” said the young mare cheerfully.
Rainbow scratched the back of her head. “So this might seem like a really dumb question, but uh, why are you all wearing those shirts?”
“What, you don’t know about Wrestlinsanity?” the mare answered. “Isn’t that why the train’s so crowded?”
“Wait.” Rainbow took a step back, bumping into the line that had formed in front of the snack bar. “You mean it isn’t just that I can’t go, but now I have to watch everypony else be all excited for it too?” She let out a loud sigh. “This blows.”
“Why can’t you go?”
“I let my marefriend make plans,” Rainbow said, ears drooping. “And she isn’t really interested in that kind of thing. Instead, we’re going to Fashion Land.”
The two stallions glanced at each other. “Is that a new park?” one of them asked.
“I’ve never heard of it,” said the other.
“Apparently it’s some dumb park with all sorts of lame fashion stuff.” Rainbow glanced back in Rarity’s direction. “But besides her, I don’t know who would ever want to go to such a lame—” Something clicked in Rainbow’s head.
“You alright?” the mare asked when Rainbow stopped talking.
“No way,” Rainbow said in a hoarse voice. “I gotta go. Thanks for chatting.”
“Later on!” they called after Rainbow as she galloped back the way she had come.
Back in the compartment car, she looked out the window to the left and saw a banner with pictures of ponies decked out in colorful onesies and masks, making threatening poses at one another.
“No way,” she said again.
The train was coming to a halt, and she had to wade through a tide of passengers getting off. It took some effort, but at last she made it to her compartment only to find Rarity just leaving.
“Rarity!”
“Oh, it’s you,” Rarity said with a huff, luggage floating behind her. “Come along, I suppose.”
The two pushed and shoved—or more accurately, Rainbow pushed and shoved while Rarity pranced along in her wake—until they managed to make it out of the car and onto the station platform. Rainbow looked around, eyes wide; wrestling banners were on display everywhere.
She turned to her marefriend. “No way.”
“Figured it out, did we?” Rarity stared at Rainbow down her nose.
Rainbow heaved a sigh. “Alright, I know I acted like a jerk,” she said.
After a moment of silence, Rarity’s expression relaxed and she pulled Rainbow into a hug. “I forgive you,” she said. “Of course I am partially to blame as well for teasing you so, but you make it so easy!”
“So you aren’t making this up?” Rainbow said, hugging back. “We’re actually going?”
“Cross my heart.” Rarity collapsed into Rainbow’s chest with a sigh. “That project that kept me so busy these past weeks? I was in fact hired to design the costumes for this event, and one of the perks is a pair of front-row tickets. Wrestling might be barbaric, but at least these barbarians will look fantastic.”
Rainbow let out a loud cheer, ignoring the ponies around them that turned to give sour looks. “Oh geez, Applejack’s going to be so jealous.”
"She absolutely is."
"You know, sometimes I really love you," Rainbow said.
Rarity gave her a flat stare. "Just sometimes?"
"Well all the time," Rainbow said quickly. "But sometimes way way way more, like when you're more awesome than usual. You know what I mean."
“Oh, Rainbow Dash, you truly know how to make my heart race.” Rarity rolled her eyes.
"Racing's what I do best!"
"Yes, of course." Rarity stepped away and brought the garment bags floating over. “I took the liberty of designing something special for the two of us.” She reached in and pulled out a pair of masks, handing a yellow one with blue trim to Rainbow.
“Sweet,” Rainbow said, pulling it over her head. "I'm gonna have to figure out a way to make this up to you.
“Oh, I can think of a few things.” Rarity had already slipped her own purple mask on. She leaned over to Rainbow and whispered a few words into her ear.
Rainbow's cheeks suddenly blazed bright-red. "With my tongue?"
"Mm hmm," Rarity said.
"That's gonna take some practice."
"I don't mind letting you try it on me." Rarity gave a lewd wink, then giggled. “Now, you shall be the Multi-Hued Murderator, and I shall be Lady Lascivious.” She offered a foreleg. “Shall we?”
Rainbow cheered again and wrapped a wing around her marefriend.
A deafening roar filled the stadium as Applejack and Apple Bloom sat high in the stands and watched two costumed pegasi try to knock each other over.
“Popcorn?” Applejack asked, offering the bag to her sister. Apple Bloom shoved a hoof-full into her mouth and grinned.
Suddenly, the arena grew quiet, and a voice shouted out. “Hey, you can’t go in there!” Down below, two masked ponies leaped over the stagehands and into the ring itself. One of them, a unicorn, charged straight at the two wrestlers while the other, a pegasus, watched on in awe. A moment later, she, too, joined the fray. Other wrestlers rolled into the ring to help, and within seconds, a full-on brawl was taking place. One of the wrestlers tackled the masked pegasus, only to receive a sharp kick to the side from her accomplice. The silence was shattered as the crowd began to cheer once more.
The frenzied melee lasted a few minutes more until eventually only the masked ponies were left standing. Then, the unicorn leaped onto her partner and they shared a long kiss, accompanied by hoots and wolf-calls. Tuxedoed ponies hopped into the ring only for the masked pegasus to grab her partner and take wing, zipping straight for the exit.
“Sis,” Apple Bloom said, chewing popcorn slowly, “why did Rarity and Rainbow Dash beat up all the actors?”
Applejack shrugged. “Beats me, but at least they looked good doing it.”
