A Skip and a Dash

This is probably my favourite chapter so far. :D I hope you enjoy it, and sorry for the wait. :)

P.S. if anyone would like to make some fanart for this fanfic, e.g. Blazedart, or Blazedart and Dashie romance :D, feel free to ask me and do it! :)

***

Celestia’s warm yellow sun was perched in the blue carpet of sky, sending a gentle light over Ponyville. Blazedart slept silently on the cloud, his front hooves dangling lazily over the edge and his head settled into his forearms. He could sense the gentle warmth of the sunlight above him, making a quiet mumbling sound and twitching his head slightly, but he didn’t open his eyes.

Before he could relax and fall back to sleep, he felt a whoosh of air ruffle his mane and a hoof nudging him.

“Blazedart!”

Rainbow Dash was hovering above him, hissing his name while prodding the back of his neck in an urge to jolt him awake.

“Wh-wha…?” Blazedart murmured, his voice muffled by the cloud his head lay on.

“Wake up, you sleepyhead!” Rainbow Dash growled, “You’ve gotta come down and see this!”

“Rainbow Dash…” Blazedart mumbled irritably, looking up at her with eyes he was struggling to keep open, “it’s early morning…what happened to getting extra sleep?”

“It’s nine o’clock, I’ve had enough sleep! Now, come on! I’ve gotta show you something!”

She yanked one of his front hooves impatiently before fluttering down towards Ponyville, leaving Blazedart with no option but to follow her. She’ll only get annoyed if I don’t, he thought to himself.

He got to his feet reluctantly, stretching out his stiff forelegs, and hopped off the comfy cloud, catching up with Rainbow Dash as she made her way through the sky and towards the ground below.

“What is it anyway, Rainbow?” Blazedart asked her sleepily, “It better be important.”

“Twilight’s trying out this big new spell! It’s apparently gonna help Fluttershy’s wing power grow stronger, but you have to be a really powerful unicorn to pull it off! Twilight’s never tried anything like it before.”

“Oh…” said Blazedart, “so…is Fluttershy not a strong flier then?”

“Well, she’s not as strong as most other Pegasi. And I’m glad that Twilight’s offered to help her and everything, but hardly anypony has managed to do this spell. I just hope Twilight can do it.”

The two Pegasi were soon flying just above Twilight’s tree home. Blazedart could see several ponies gathered just outside the tree on the green grass: Twilight, who was facing a nervous-looking Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie, all ponies he recognized from the party.

They gently landed on the ground and trotted towards the gathering.

“Have you done the spell yet, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked, as she and Blazedart stepped beside Applejack and Rarity.

“No, Rainbow. I’m just about to try it,” Twilight said, looking edgy, “I need to concentrate for this to work… oh! Hello, Blazedart.” she added with a smile.

“Hi again, Twilight,” the stallion said, his friendly smile appearing on his face, “Rainbow Dash told me about this spell that you’re trying?”

“Yes, it’s a  rather difficult one for me. I’m hoping to help Fluttershy with her flight abilities.” Twilight nodded at the shivery Fluttershy next to her.

Blazedart then received a hearty nudge from Applejack. “I’m sure bettin’ Twilight can do it. I’ve seen ‘er pull off dozens of amazin’ things!”

“Oh, AJ,” Twilight giggled, a blush appearing on her cheeks, “I haven’t done THAT many amazing things.”

“She will be okay, won’t she Twi?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Fluttershy, I mean. This spell won’t harm her, right?”

“Of course not, Rainbow,” Twilight said with a reassuring smile, “she’s in capable hooves.”

“I…I trust you, Twilight.” Fluttershy said, nodding her head, although the look in her eyes was uncomfortable.

“All right. Here goes.”

Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut, gulping in a huge breath of air and holding it, as Twilight’s horn began to sparkle. Silence fell on all the ponies; only the sound of Twilight’s magic could be heard. Eventually, it flared up with a loud crackle and shot towards Fluttershy’s delicate body.

The Pegasus was lifted up into the air inside a thick purple bubble, her eyes swerving around in panic. Twilight’s whole body was scrunched up as she forced every bit of magic inside her to do her job. She winced a little as the magic around Fluttershy grew stronger, a glow forming around her wings.

Blazedart, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie watched in awe as the fizzling sounds of magic grew louder until…

BANG!

Fluttershy landed on the ground with a gentle thud as the bubble around her exploded into thin air. Nothing appeared to have changed. There was a moment of curious silence, before Rainbow Dash said, “Well? Did it work?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight said, taking in a few mouthfuls of air, “there’s only one way to be sure. Fluttershy, can you try and fly for me?”

“Uh…o-okay…” Fluttershy flexed her wings, looking at them with an unsure expression.

Trying to ignore her muscles trembling, she lifted her hooves off the ground; her wings only made quiet flapping sounds as she hovered in the air.

Her friends watched her intently, as if something amazing was going to happen. As Fluttershy began to flail her wings in a desperate attempt to impress, she squeaked. She landed back on the ground with a loud thump.

Humiliated, she heaved a sad whimper, covering her face with her hooves. Twilight sighed; all of her friends had disappointed looks on their faces.

“Sorry, you guys,” the unicorn groaned, “I guess it didn’t work.”

“Awww, never mind, sugarcube.” said Applejack sympathetically.

“It was a wonderful attempt, Twilight.” Rarity pointed out to her friend.

“I just wish I could have managed it.” said Twilight, looking sad, “I’ve been wanting to do a spell like that for ages, and it would have helped a friend at the same time.”

“Don’t worry about it, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, getting back onto her hooves, “it really doesn’t matter anyway.”

She walked up to Twilight, putting a reassuring hoof around the dejected unicorn. “Thank you for trying.”

Twilight stared at the ground for a moment, and then looked up at Fluttershy with a smile. “That’s okay, Fluttershy. It was worth a shot.”

“It was a really hard spell, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash piped up, “I would have been surprised if you’d pulled it off. So…don’t let it get you down, hey?”

“It’s all right, Rainbow, I won’t.” Twilight said, looking happier than she had before.

But Rainbow Dash knew just how much magic meant to Twilight, and knew she would still feel unhappy about her failure. Words from her friends, though, seemed to cheer Twilight up.

“Why don’t you guys stay for a while?” she said brightly, “Spike and I could do with a little company.”

“Ooh! Ooh!”

Pinkie Pie started hopping up and down, in her usual hysterical way.

“If we all stay at yours, does that mean…we could have a PARTY?”

“Err, a party?” Twilight repeated, her voice not sounding keen on the idea, “In a library?”

“Well, why not, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie squeaked, skipping up to her, “Seeing as we’re all here, and a party’ll help cheer you up! Yes, it will definitely cheer you up! Parties always help cheering ponies up, they always cheer ME up at least, but it’s bound to cheer you up as well, isn’t it?”

“Uhh, I guess so.” Twilight rolled her eyes at Pinkie’s excitement, “Okay, Pinkie. We’ll have a little party if you really want one.”

She smiled at her pink friend. A party wouldn’t have been her ideal evening, but it was sweet how Pinkie Pie just wanted to make her friend feel better.

“Woohoo!” Pinkie Pie leapt once into the air, causing a few ponies around her to jump back in surprise.

“This is gonna be lots of fun, guys! I’ll go and get some balloons up!”

And then she disappeared off into Twilight’s house in a blur of pink. She sometimes seemed as fast as Rainbow Dash when she was in her excited party mood.

“Err, well…” Twilight stroked the back of her neck with her hoof, “you all don’t mind staying for a short party, do you?”

“Fine with me.” said Rainbow Dash.

“It’s a great idea, honey,” Applejack said, “and besides, Pinkie’s right. It should cheer ya up a bit.”

The orange pony patted her friend on the shoulder before trotting into the house, wanting to help with preparations.

“You…you don’t mind if I stay, do you, Twilight? “ Blazedart asked, “I don’t want to feel like I’m intruding.”

“Of course not, Blazedart!” Twilight said with a smile, as if the idea was absurd, “You’re welcome to stay with us. Any friend of Rainbow Dash is a friend of ours.”

Blazedart gave Rainbow Dash a smile, but she just rolled her eyes, looking embarrassed. Blazedart could see a tiny smile forming on the corners of her mouth…

“I’ll be back in a little while, Twilight!” Rarity called to Twilight, who was just outside her front door, “I’m just going to change into one of my new dresses at Carousel Boutique!”

“Okay, Rarity!”

“Um…I think I might pop home quickly too,” Rainbow Dash said to Blaze, raising her wings up, “just to check on things before I stay at Twilight’s.”

Blazedart looked up at her with his friendly grin, which Rainbow couldn’t help returning.

“Don’t take too long?” he said, raising his eyebrows cheekily.

Rainbow Dash snorted at that.

“Err, I’m Rainbow Dash, remember? I never take very long.”

With a sparkle of mischief in her magenta eyes, she took off into the sky. Blazedart heard an unmistakable sound of chattering and noticed Pinkie Pie running out of the house, giggling with excitement.

“I haven’t got my party balloons with me! Silly me! Back in a mo!”

She bounced off, her mane and tail bobbing up and down as she went. Blazedart smiled as he heard her humming to herself as she disappeared into the town.

“Come on in, Blazedart!” Twilight called, poking out from the doorway, “You can help me tidy up a bit.”

Blazedart politely obliged, walking into Twilight’s welcoming home, and it wasn’t long before he entered that Applejack and Spike, whom he figured was Twilight’s assistant, went out of the door to collect party food. It was just him and Twilight alone together.

“So how are you, Blazedart?” Twilight asked, as she walked around the room putting several books away, “Adjusting well to life in Ponyville?”

“You could say that.” said Blazedart, beaming.

A large book lay open on a nearby desk that Twilight trotted up to, using her magic to flick through the pages.

“I remember finding it hard to fit in when I first moved here. But then I found out the ponies are just so easy to make friends with.”

“You’d be surprised.” Blazedart replied, biting his lip to hide a chuckle.

Twilight turned her head around with a knowing smile on her face.

“Well,” she began to admit, “not necessarily everypony.”

She laughed, and then Blazedart changed the subject.

“I have to say it was brave of you to try out that spell, Twilight. I mean, not just ANY unicorn would attempt something that advanced.”

“Yes, it was quite a challenge. But you see, my magic can be quite powerful. I’ve been studying on how to use it since I was just a filly. It’s my number one hobby.”

“I can see that.” Blazedart glanced at the large book Twilight had her eyes on; it appeared to be full of all sorts of spells.

“Right now, I’m going to find something else that I can practice. You just never know what could come in useful one day.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Blazedart agreed, “and even thought that spell didn’t go to plan, I’m sure you can manage a different one, without a doubt.”

“Oh, Blazedart…” she sniggered, her cheeks turning pink again, “you don’t need to say that. But thanks for having confidence in me. I really hope I can manage it.”

At last, she turned away from her book, the cover closing behind her.

“Well, I can worry about magic another day. This party will be great. I hope you enjoy spending time with us.”

“Sure will.” Blazedart returned Twilight’s friendly beam.

“I’ve noticed you and Rainbow Dash are hanging around quite a lot.”

For some unknown reason, Blazedart tensed up at the mention of Rainbow Dash.

“Um…you have?” he asked, with slight embarrassment.

“Of course I have,” Twilight laughed, “how do you find her?”

“Err…well, she’s…” Blazedart paused to consider that question, “an interesting pony.”

‘An interesting pony’. Yes, that was about right, Blazedart thought.

Twilight gave him another smile, but this time with an attentive sparkle in her eyes.

“I know just what you mean.”

“In a good way!” Blazedart said quickly, before shuffling his hooves awkwardly, “I-I meant…in a good way.”

“Yes, I understand, Blaze.”

There was something about Twilight’s warm smile that made Blazedart feel comfortable and happy. He could definitely see a growing friendship between the two of them.

Twilight then looked around at the piles of books that lay around the room, not tidy enough for her liking.

“Ah. This may need some sorting. You don’t mind helping me, do you?”

“’Course not.” Blazedart picked up a book near to him and settled it onto his outstretched wing, “I’m ready to get started.”

Twilight was pleased by his enthusiasm, and soon the two of them had worked hard enough to put every book on its correct shelf, leaving the room almost spotless.

It wasn’t long before Pinkie Pie returned, carrying a small bag in her mouth. Blazedart wondered how so many balloons could fit in the tiny thing.

When Rarity arrived, she was in another one of her gorgeous dresses. This one was filled with a gentle blue colour, much like the blue on Rainbow Dash’s coat, and encrusted with several gleaming diamonds.

As for Applejack, she had brought with her plenty of food choices: sandwiches, toffee apples, buns, cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner, and a small collection of crumpets, which were carried by Spike.

Lastly, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash entered. It was easy to tell that Fluttershy had given her mane a brush, but Rainbow Dash still looked her normal tomboyish self. No one was bothered though.

This party was just as good as the previous; Blazedart loved the company of these mares, they made any get-together a great one. Pinkie Pie, of course, arranged fun things to do: joke-telling, collecting prizes from a piñata, and even singing along to karaoke songs. Despite all the noise in the normally quiet library, Twilight didn’t seem to mind at all.

The fun went on for about an hour, but then all the loud games and music began to die down. The room was now a calm atmosphere with only the sound of pleasant conversations in the air. Blazedart was feeling quite washed out from all the energetic activities.

While he sat himself down in the corner to rest, Rainbow Dash kept her eyes pinned on him. She was soon sure he wasn’t paying any attention to her, and she quietly trotted up to Twilight’s side, who was holding a small cup of punch in her purple hoof.

“Hey, Rainbow,” she said to the Pegasus with a smile, “you okay? You look a little edgy.”

“No, no, I’m not. I just…” Rainbow Dash quietened her voice, “don’t suppose you could keep Blaze in here for a while, could you? There’s something I’ve gotta do.”

Twilight stared at her friend with a look of confusion.

“What is it?” she asked, as Rainbow Dash sighed and started to whisper into Twilight’s ear.

Meanwhile, Blazedart sat comfortably in his chair, breathing out some air happily. He felt very content and at home, even though Twilight’s tree was nothing like his old home in the slightest. He was admiring everypony around him, all filled with laughter and gracious smiles. He received many kind beams from Applejack, an eyelash flutter from Rarity, which embarrassed him slightly, and plenty of hugs and sniggers from Pinkie Pie.

In the midst of his happiness, he realised that something wasn’t right about the room. It didn’t feel full enough. Getting up from the chair, he looked around more closely…

There were only five ponies instead of six. Blazedart noticed that there wasn’t a multi-coloured mane and tail in the crowd anymore. Rainbow Dash had gone.

Puzzled, he spotted Twilight nearby and went up to talk to her.

“Hey, Twilight. Um…have you seen Rainbow Dash anywhere? She hasn’t gone home, has she?”

“No.”

Twilight gave him a light-hearted smile, with a sparkle in her eyes much like the shape of her Cutie Mark. Blazedart could tell she knew something that he didn’t.

“I think I saw her go outside,” said Twilight, “she won’t be far away.”

“Erm, thanks.”

Blazedart wondered what Rainbow Dash could be up to, and why Twilight wouldn’t let it on. As she had said to him, Blazedart didn’t head very far from the house. He saw that the sky was quite dark due to the small mass of clouds that had gathered.

He thought that Rainbow might have been flying around, but he didn’t think he would have any chance of spotting her in this kind of sky. She wasn’t to be seen on the ground either, making Blazedart even more perplexed. Where was she?

Just then, his worried thoughts were broken. There was a deep, distant rumbling noise coming from above his head. At first, he thought it must have been thunder. Why else would it be so cloudy? But no. It wasn’t thunder.

Something was dropping at immense speed through the sky, growing into a larger shape as it got closer. Blaze stared more closely; it was a Pegasus pony. She was shooting downwards at such a fast pace that he could hardly keep track of her.

And then he saw her main feature: a beautiful rainbow coloured mane and tail.

No way, he thought, is that Rainbow Dash?

He could see that it definitely was Rainbow Dash. As her flying became faster, the rumbling grew louder until it almost pierced his ears, and he could see a white cone forming around Rainbow’s outstretched fore hooves.

Blazedart opened his mouth a crack, his eyes large and round as he stared in amazement. As Rainbow was enveloped in the white barrier, there was a humungous booming noise, sending a huge multi-coloured disc through the sky. A force of wind gusted through Blazedart’s mane, nearly pushing him off his feet. He recollected himself to gape at Rainbow Dash as she left the large boom behind her and created a wonderful rainbow arc as she trailed around the clouds.

The stunned stallion rubbed his eyes, wondering whether all that had been real or not. When his sight cleared up again, he couldn’t see Rainbow anywhere. The only thing he saw was the incredible rainbow perched in the sky, a patch of blue revealed from the disappeared clouds. But then, he heard an all too familiar voice.

“I hate to say I told you so, but…” Rainbow Dash landed on a single cloud not far from Blazedart’s head, “I told you so.”

She lay smugly on the cloud, her hooves dangling off the edge and her eyes looking into his with a look of arrogance and triumph. Her conceited ways didn’t bother Blazedart at all. He shut his mouth, which had been hanging open for so long, and smiled in admiration.

“Rainbow Dash… you ARE amazing,” he said, as she hopped off the cloud and landed in front of him, “in so many ways.” he added softly.

And then Rainbow Dash did something he did not expect: she blushed, an entire shade of crimson over her cheeks. She turned her head away, a timid smile on her face, fidgeting her front hooves.

This was a side to Rainbow that Blazedart had not seen before. He liked it a lot.

He took a step towards her, as she turned to meet his eyes.

“You up for another race?” he asked softly.

Rainbow Dash nodded, the shyness still in her eyes.

“Sure I am.”

They gave each other grins, before Blazedart shot up into the sky, Rainbow Dash following not long after. The two of them were not aware, however, that they had not been alone. Behind a nearby bush, there were two mares watching the Pegasus ponies flying off together. They were Twilight and Applejack.

Twilight’s eyes were shining, as if tears were going to fall from them.

“Wow.” she said gently, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rainbow Dash so happy before.”

“Neither have I.” Applejack said.

She gave Twilight a meaningful look with her eyes, smiling cheekily, before turning back to the house, Twilight accompanying her.

***

Rainbow Dash and Blazedart’s second race was not as competitive or energetic as the previous. They flew gracefully and quietly through the clouds, Rainbow Dash sometimes stretching her neck forward to get in front of Blazedart’s muzzle.

The race to Cloudsdale had been full of power and determination, but this time the two of them were flapping their wings gently with hardly any force from their bodies. It was more like an evening stroll than a race.

In the end, though, Rainbow Dash’s competitive side got the better of her. She fluttered her wings harder to propel her body slightly ahead of Blazedart. He smirked at her, and Rainbow knew he was about to do something.

He gave her a friendly nudge with his shoulder that sent her a tiny bit off balance.

“Oof!” Rainbow groaned.

She gave him a frown at first, but then grinned as she nudged him back. After receiving his nudge, Blazedart gave Rainbow Dash a naughty look, and before she could do anything about it, he flew at her, tackling her onto some nearby clouds.

They were in heaps of laughter as they wrestled each other, their bodies rolling down the clouds like a large ball. It was a friendly, gentle fight so neither of them hurt each other; they only tortured each other with tickles.

When they finally stopped moving down the clouds, Blazedart was on his back in fits of laughter with Rainbow Dash lying on top of him, also giggling. They stopped laughing after a few moments, looking into each other’s faces.

The two ponies’ heads were so close that their noses nearly touched. Rainbow Dash felt a flutter of butterflies in her stomach as Blazedart gazed at her with a tender smile.

“You have really pretty eyes.” he said softly, exploring every twinkling detail of Rainbow’s fuchsia eyes with his own.

Rainbow Dash said nothing; she only returned his smile, a nervous gulp forming in her throat. Her heart was beating uncontrollably fast and she could feel her cheeks growing warm. Why was she feeling like this? she wondered.

She was only halfway through her thoughts when she suddenly felt Blazedart gently stroke her cheek with his right hoof, and then slowly through her mane. Rainbow stared into his warm eyes, the shy prickly feeling surging through her veins. She questioned in her head why he was treating her in this lovely way…

When she suddenly became aware of his face edging closer to her own, nerves took over her.

“I think I’d better go home now.”

She jumped off Blazedart’s body, holding herself above him with her wings. Blaze looked sadly at her embarrassed face for a moment, before getting to his feet.

“Okay, Rainbow.” he said, smiling at her.

“This was a really fun race, Blaze.” Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her ear, the rosy colour not quite gone from her cheeks, “Th-thanks.”

“You’ll be around tomorrow, right, Rainbow?” Blazedart asked hopefully, “I wouldn’t mind racing you again sometime.”

“Y-yeah, sure. Why not?”

Still full of a warm and happy feeling, she gave him an affectionate gaze. She wondered whether she really wanted to go home, or would rather stay with Blaze.

“Bye then.”

Before she even made up her mind, she powered herself off into the distance, where her cloud home was waiting. There was an agonizing pinch of regret in her stomach, but she forced herself to ignore it.

She left Blazedart feeling slightly disheartened, but at the same time: happy and fulfilled. He breathed in the cool, crisp air through his nose, letting it out with a calm sigh. He thought he may return to the ground to see what everypony else was doing at Twilight’s house. But, just then, he felt a sudden vibration right underneath his front hooves.

He looked down. The area of soft cloud he stood on was bumping, almost like a frantic heartbeat. He could feel his very own heartbeat increasing as he realised what it was. Fearfully, he used his left hoof to clear away the beads of cloud, revealing a faint purple light beneath it.

“We hope you have good information for us, Blaze,” a familiar male voice said, somehow echoing from the cloud, “it’s been long enough now. We’ll be at Ponyville tomorrow afternoon.”

“T-tomorrow?”

There was obvious anxiety in Blazedart’s voice.

“I hope you don’t have a problem with that,” the voice said, teasing his apprehensive manner, “because I expect you to meet us in the sky at 2 o’clock sharp. You’d better not be late.”

The grey stallion swallowed hard, suddenly feeling like a weak child instead of his normal brisk self.

“I won’t.”

Nothing more was said; only the gentle sound of the cloudy hole closing up could be heard, and then the nervous Blazedart was left in silence. His heart thumped against his chest, his breathing rapid, but quiet.

He looked up at where Rainbow Dash had flown off… guilt flooded into his bones, and tears began to build up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away before they fell, taking a deep relaxed breath.

Blaze decided he didn’t want to return to Twilight’s house anymore. He slipped off the clouds and flew off to find a place he could spend on his own for the rest of the day.