On The Wings of Love

Dash walked over to Fluttershy's couch, wiping her tears away as she sat down, she looked up as Fluttershy sat next to her. The proximity was comforting in a way.

"Well..." Dash said with a sigh "I guess here goes nothing."

Fluttershy smiled, comfortingly placing a hoof on Dash's own hoof.

Dash closed her eyes and started letting the memories come back. This was going to hurt and she knew it.

"Well, you remember back in Flight school how I was Captain of the mares wingball team?"

"Yes?"

"Well, being the Captain, I was in pretty good shape for back then. Got a lot of attention from the colts and all. There was only one colt that had my eye though. Do you remember Firestar Blackwing?"

Everypony who was within three grades of Firestar had known who he was. He was bar-none THE HOTTEST colt in Cloudsdale Flight School at the time!

"Yea, I remember him. You two were together for a long time right? Even after flight school?"

Dash tensed up. Fluttershy may have been even shyer then than she was now... but she had obviously been very observant.

"Uh... yea... we were...." Dash said, turning her gaze away.

"Dash... what happened between you two?"

Slowly turning her head back to face Fluttershy, Dash couldn't help herself. Tears welled up in her eyes as she replied.

"Everything."

She then started to unleash years worth of hurt.

"We started out just hanging out. He was a great friend, got a little cocky sometimes because he knew how good he looked, but I liked that about him. He was confident, cool, and just a great guy to be around. We officially "hooked up" the second part of our junior year. Everything was great, ya know?"

Fluttershy only nodded, she hadn't been in any relationships during flight school.

"Well, we were just taking things easy up to senior year when we started kissing. We promised that we wouldn't take it past that until after we got married if we ever did."

This somewhat shocked Fluttershy. She had heard all sorts of rumors about Dash throughout their school years. Anything from Dash being an outright whore to her using Firestar as a cover because she was a fillyfooler. She hadn't exactly helped that image with the amount of flirting she did before getting with Firestar. She'd heard and seen that Dash was a real wing-tease for stallion and mare alike.

Dash caught on to her surprise.

"Yea, figured that one would come as a bit of a shock to ya. There were a lot of rumors floating around while we were in school. Even heard one saying I was skipping school because I got pregnant. That was when I had that strained ligament in my wing first part of junior year and went to a specialist. I was out that week for rehab. The coaches wouldn't let me back until the doc cleared me." Dash rolled her eyes.

Fluttershy had heard the rumor. "So you planned to stay... pure, until your wedding night? That's pretty admirable Dash. I know a lot of the other mares on the wingball team were sleeping around."

"Yea, they were... I remember when Flitter had a pregnancy scare because she went into heat the day after her and some stallion from Trottingham shacked up at a party."

"Flitter had a pregnancy scare?" This was news to Fluttershy. She head heard a lot of gossip having sat in the shadows for most all of her years in school, but she'd never heard that one.

"Yea, we kept it on the down-low though. Turned out she wasn't pregnant but it made me want to keep my flanks shut! Too much at stake ya know?"

"Yea."

"Anyways, after a while of just kissing, hugging, cuddling... all that romantic stuff. Firestar started pushing a bit. I told him that I was going to wait until marriage and he said he could respect that and left it alone for a while..."

"But he didn't stop pressing for long... did he?" Fluttershy asked.

Dash shook her head.

"Nope. He didn't. After we graduated, he started pushing again. I still wasn't going to go for it. That's when he started... questioning us. Our relationship... how much I loved him."

"How much you loved him?" Fluttershy asked cautiously.

"Yea" Dash said, nodding slowly. "He started asking me "Don't you love me Rainbow?" and started saying that every mare he knew had given it up. That what I was doing was old-fashioned, that nobody was doing it anymore. I found out later that he even went as far as getting mares who he knew to start asking me if I'd given it up yet."

Fluttershy couldn't say a word, she could only listen as her friend poured out her story.

"Anyways, one day... we went out for a few drinks. He just kept pushing and pushing, got me plastered. Anyways, we got back to my place and he... he-" She started crying

"He STOLE me!"

Dash had just dropped a bomb. She had been raped. Raped by the stallion nopony, not even Fluttershy, would have ever suspected.

Scooting over to Dash, Fluttershy pulled her into a comforting hug. Wrapping her wings around the weeping pegasus before her as her protective instincts started to kick in.

It was some time before Dash stopped crying.

"I've never told this to anypony before... even lied to Applejack about it. Guess I got so good at lying about it that even... Even she couldn't see through it." Dash said as she sat up, sliding out of Fluttershy's grasp.

Fluttershy's eyes widened a bit at that. Almost nopony could lie to Applejack.

"Anyways..." Dash continued with a deep breath. "When I woke up, I knew what had happened. I broke up with him and kicked his sorry ass out."

Dash looked away. She didn't want to say it, to have to say the words that had hurt her the most. Steeling herself as best she could, she said them anyways.

"I had loved him. I thought he loved me back. But in the end... All he wanted was to get between my flanks. And I let him get what he wanted. I should have seen what he was doing."

Dash looked back to Fluttershy.

"And ever since that day, I've questioned other ponies... and myself."

"Yourself? Why do you question yourself?" Fluttershy asked

"Because... we may have been out of flight school but I guess i was still thinking like a love-struck filly. Something Rarity might have been proud of... I always thought I'd find this great guy and we'd wait, get married... maybe have some foals eventually. Now... now I don't know. I guess I'm worried that it was just an infatuation with him. Me trying to keep him was desperation... There's no easy way of putting that. I was desperate to keep him. I wanted to live that dream."

Dash sighed after her last sentence.

"That's when I started really training for The Wonderbolts. Helped to get my mind off things... for a while"

Fluttershy nodded sagely.

"Didn't work for long though... just kept on eating at me." Dash said shaking her head. "It really hit after I found out that he'd had another marefriend while he was with me..."

"What?!"

"Yup." Dash said. "I know because she came and told me. She had always been jealous that she was his "dirty little secret" and she wanted me to hurt. She told me that maybe a month after we had "broken up". Apparently... he'd left her not long after I kicked him out."

"And how did that go over?"

Dash looked up, staring flatly at the wall as she said "I bucked her so hard she lost three teeth when her jaw cracked."

Fluttershy's eyes snapped wide. She was horrified, yet, in a way... she was proud.

"After that," she continued "I wasn't big on getting with anypony. Every stallion I met seemed like he was after the same thing Firestar was. That just turned me off to all of 'em."

"So... when did you... cross the street... as it were?" Fluttershy asked hesitantly.

Dash looked at her briefly before having a contemplative expression cross her features.

"If we're gonna get into that story... I'm gonna need a drink." Dash said as she rubbed her temples.

Fluttershy nodded and headed towards the kitchen.

"Applejack Daniels ok?"

Try "its my most favorite drink EVER!!"

"Yea, that'll be great." Dash said.

Fluttershy returned moments later with two glasses of the strong drink along with the bottle. She wasn't kidding about not going anywhere. Handing one off to Dash, Fluttershy sat back down on the couch and sipped at her own glass.

"Bottoms up." Dash said, gesturing before she downed the whole glass. That didn't surprise Fluttershy in the least. One of the rumors about Dash when they were in flight school that turned out to be true was how she could handle her alcohol.

"So... about how you-"

Dash held up her hoof, pouring herself another glass then downing that one as well. Having done that, and pouring herself another glass, she leaned back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling.

"Well, I take it you know about my thing with Gilda then?" Dash said

Fluttershy downed her own glass and filled it back up before replying.

"Yes... I know about Pinkie Pie too."

Dash's head snapped to look at Fluttershy, a look of surprise on her face.

"How?!"

"Well... Rarity and I kinda walked in on her and Twilight... well..."

"Uh... yea... same here Flutters. Talk about awkward right?!" Dash said, absent-mindedly scratching the back of her head with a hoof.

Fluttershy nodded and downed another glass. "A little bit... but they just seemed so..."

"Horny?" Dash asked jokingly.

"Happy." Fluttershy said, giving Dash a sidelong smirk. "They seemed really happy together.

"Yea... Anyways, I was good friends with a few mares from flight school that were fillyfoolers. While we were in school it never really appealed to me but after Firestar, I started to just not like stallions. But at the same time, I wasn't exactly attracted to mares ya know?" Dash was sipping on her glass, the burn of each drink giving way to a slight apple after-taste.

"Yea, I can understand that." Fluttershy said, circling her hoof around the rim of the glass.

"Anyways, there was this one mare... her name was Dusk. Dusk Nightshade. She was probably my best friend after that all happened. She was there, listened to me, we actually wound up sharing an apartment in Cloudsdale before I built my house. She helped me heal a lot."

Fluttershy remembered Dusk. She was a pure black pegasus mare who was came in as the rest of the students left the school. Something about a night class for the pegasi who were on the night shift for the local storm watch bordering the everfree forest.

"Was she your first... well... your first mare anyways?"

Dash visibly blanched before busting out laughing, leaving Fluttershy confused.

"Ooohaha!! No, she wasn't." Dash said, still chortling.

"She was the one who did show me a lot though. Ya see, her marefriend was living with us. I saw how they cared for each other, how they loved each other, and I couldn't help but HEAR how they pleasured each other. That apartment had thin walls. We got more than a few noise complaints from the neighbors!" Dash said as she laughed again, the alcohol was obviously helping to lift her mood.

"So Gilda was your first... "mare" then?" Fluttershy asked. This was all starting to confuse her a bit.

"Yea." Dash said sheepishly. "She and I met while I was basically the third wing on one of Dusk's dates with her marefriend."

"What happened?"

We got so blitzed that we wound up going home together and-

"SHUT UP!!!"

"Well, things got a bit wild. We wound up going home that night and... well... yea." Dash downed what was left of her glass and promptly filled it back up.

"Oh, I understand." Fluttershy said, blushing a deep shade of pink.

"Yea... Anyways, after that she and I actually got together. She was nice, cared about me a lot. Heh, kinda kinky too." Dash said, her blush growing to match Fluttershy's.

"Oh..." Fluttershy said as her blush deepened.

"Yea... She started getting really protective of me after a while though. One time I'll never forget is when she broke Firestar's wing."

Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Firestar?! That's who's wing she broke?!" She covered her mouth with her hooves as the words left her mouth.

"Yea. You heard about that?" Dash asked lightly.

"Um... yea... I did." Fluttershy said lowering her hooves, trying to sound and act natural. She didn't want to give away that Pinkie had told her a bit about Dash's past.

"Yea, it was the craziest thing. I hadn't told Gilda anything about my past. One day we ran into him at the market, I got mad the instant I saw him but tried to be civil. Looking back I don't know why. Anyways he was trying to be a wise-ass and say my flanks had gotten too big. She walked right over to him, grabbed his wing, and just snapped it! I don't think I'll EVER forget that sound." Dash said, visibly cringing.

"Did she get in trouble over it?"

"Actually, she didn't. Turns out when he went to the hospital, he was arrested. He had three filed cases of rape against him. Just so happens one of the security ponies recognized him from a wanted poster. He's got life in Stalliongrad High Security Prison now." Dash said as she downed another glass.

That makes four. Fluttershy thought to herself. She had no idea why she was keeping track of how much Dash was drinking.

"Serves him right." Fluttershy said, momentarily surprised at her own callousness.

"Yea, yea it does." Dash said as she refilled her glass.

"Cheers." She said, lifting her glass.

Fluttershy clinked her glass against Dash's before they both downed their glasses. Both mares slamming them against the table in front of the couch as the alcohol burned its way down.

"So what happened between you and Gilda... To separate you I mean?" Fluttershy asked. She was feeling bolder and bolder as the warmth of the alcohol spread through her. An all-too-familiar feeling...

"Well, after she snapped Firestar's wing, she started getting really protective of me. Really physical too. She never hit me or anything but her kinks started getting a bit too... extreme for my tastes." Dash said, a light pink blush returning to her cheeks.

"Hmm..." Fluttershy nodded as she refilled both of their glasses.

"She and I wound up separated by my own hoof. I took a job on the Ponyville weather team just as she got one deep in the Griffin Kingdom. It didn't take long for us to mutually agree to split."

"How was that of your own hoof?" Fluttershy asked naturally, despite her knowing the answer already.

"Well, I knew she was getting that job in the Griffin Kingdom. I was wanting to split from her but I was... I was kinda scared to. When she can up and snap a pegasus stallion's wing like that... it tends to scare ya a bit. Anyways, I made it look like it was something already in the works when I told her. She accepted it easily enough though and it wound up working out ok until..."

"Until she showed up in Ponyville?" Fluttershy asked knowingly.

"Yea... I had no idea she was coming. I thought she had changed. That day we spent together... it was almost perfect." Dash recalled before her expression turned sour.

"Then I found out how she had been acting towards all of you. That tore it for me. You know I told her off in front of everypony at the party. What ya probably don't know is that she came back later and tried to make amends."

"I think Pinkie mentioned something like that when we were talking after we walked in on her and Twilight." Fluttershy said.

"Yea... Anyways, I was done and told her to buck off. I guess it hit her harder than I thought cuz she broke down and flew off. I haven't heard from her since. Probably for the best though." Another glass of the hard liquor was drained by Dash. She would probably be hung over tomorrow but didn't really care.

"So you got with Pinkie after that?" Fluttershy asked. She had drank this glass fairly quickly and had to refill her glass after Dash did. She could feel the effects of the alcohol now, if barely just.

"Yea... she and I talked a lot after that. I told her ALMOST everything. The only bit I haven't told her is that Firestar basically raped me. Or that I've been with a stallion for that matter." Dash said as she set her glass down, still full, on the table.

"Were you two together for long?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Not really. We were together for... three, maybe four months before we called it off?" Dash said, trying to consult now-fuzzy memories.

"What separated you two?" Fluttershy asked. She was genuinely curious about why they had decided to split up.

"Well, we didn't know how you guys would take it and well... I think we both started to get on each others nerves. So, before anypony got hurt, we decided to call it off. No reason to break each others hearts right?" Dash said.

"I suppose not." Fluttershy said, she downed her glass and set it lightly on the table.

"Anyways, since then I've been pretty happy. I think after the break-up with Gilda and the relationship with Pinkie, I got a lot of my old spark back."

"Yea..." Fluttershy said. She was stalling and she knew it. Dash had reached the end of her story, she just didn't know how to keep her here. She didn't want her to leave.

"Well, I guess I'll get out of your hair Fluttershy." Dash said before she pounded back another glass of Applejack Daniels. She got up and was about to walk to the door when a sudden tug on her tail stopped her cold, sending shivers up her spine.

"You're not going anywhere in your condition. You're staying here for the night Dash." Fluttershy said firmly. There was no way she was going to let her friend fly like this.

"Ok then, I'll sleep on the couch." Dash offered.

Fluttershy shook her head.

"Nope, follow me." Fluttershy said, still emboldened by the light effect the alcohol had on her.

Dash nodded dumbly and did as she was told, following Fluttershy to her room.

Upon reaching her room, Fluttershy nodded towards her bed.

"Go on, get in." She said without suggestion.

"Are you sure Fluttershy?" Dash asked.

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. Apparently, Dash had forgotten that Fluttershy had kissed her earlier.

"I'm sure Dash, now get in bed." She instructed.

"Ok Fluttershy." Dash said. She had to admit, she was feeling a bit drowsy.

Hopping up onto the bed, Dash slipped under the covers and was greeted by a comfortable cool sensation. Almost like slipping into a nice cloud. Feeling a slight movement of the mattress and a sudden warmth against her back, Dash looked to find Fluttershy snuggled up against her.

"Fl- Fluttershy?" Dash asked hesitantly.

"Go to sleep Rainbow." Fluttershy said as she snuggled against Dash.

"O- Okay." Dash said as she laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes.

A few minute passed before she heard a quiet whisper that made her chest tighten and her breath catch in her throat.

"No matter what happened in the past... I still love you Rainbow Dash."

Shortly after hearing the whisper, she felt the pleasant warmth of a light kiss on her cheek.

As Fluttershy settled back to go to sleep, Dash opened her eyes. Did she deserve love?

She seems to think you do... and just what's wrong with that?

"The fact that I'm not sure I loved Gilda or Pinkie. I'm..."

You're what? Not pure? I think you'll be surprised if you'll just accept that she loves you.

"I'm not sure I love her back."

You don't have to know right now Dash... just give this a chance.

"... Okay. I swear though, if this breaks my heart again, I'm going to a shrink. They'll shut you up permanently!"

Fine by me... just give this a chance. I think she'll surprise you.

"Yea, yea... I'm going to sleep so shut up."

Fine.

And with that, Dash fell into a deep sleep. It had been one hell of a day.