YouDashby CapulusChaptersChapter 1 - Welcome To Ponyville!Chapter 2 - Would You Rather...Chapter 3 - Wake Up Sleepyhead!Chapter 4 - That's The Spirit!Chapter 5 - It's About Time!Chapter 6 - ConfessionsChapter 7 - You Have Got To Be KIDDING MeChapter 1 - Welcome To Ponyville!As you fly through the airspace in between Cloudsdale and Ponyville, you have to hold back your laughter. You are happier than you have been in years! You just left the Wonderbolts, not even four hours ago. During your last show you announced publicly that you were quitting. You hadn’t told your teammates, Spitfire and Soarin’, so, needless to say, they were surprised. You hadn’t told them because you knew that they would talk you out of it. They were your two closest friends, and as such, you tended to cave when they tried to change your mind. You had been in the Wonderbolts since you were 20, and four years later, you hated every part of being famous. The fact that everything you said was eventually used against you, the less than flattering photos in Mare’s Weekly along with all the gossip made for an unhappy Wonderbolt. So you decided to quit. Four hours ago, you announced publicly, in the middle of a full Cloudaseum, that you were leaving the prestigious flying group. Three hours ago you had left most of your money with your family, who had moved to Cloudsdale when you started making money. --a massive improvement from the original two bedroom apartment in Manehattan that barely held your parents, two brothers, sister, and pet cactus-- Two hours ago you used the rest to buy a house in Ponyville, and one hour ago you had bade your two closest friends farewell, telling them to visit you anytime. You never wanted to see Cloudsdale again. Not because of the dark rumours surrounding it --The Rainbow Factory, or some other nonsense like that-- but because of the fact that everypony there always wanted to get your autograph/photo/hair/spit/first born child and you hated it more than anything. So you decided to move to Ponyville, and get a --moderately-- fresh start. As you fly, you close your eyes, thinking back to the training Spitfire gave you when you first met just after you joined the Wonderbolts. Everypony had seen her public persona --lighthearted, fun to be around, nice-- but when she was training she pushed the one she was training to their limits. She was tough, unyielding, but, somehow, still fun to be around. You remember how she taught you to fly without seeing. By reading the air currents, and telling if you were close to the ground, or if you were about to hit a cloud. --The one disadvantage of being a pegasus is that clouds go from fluffy air to floating brick walls-- Unfortunately, she never taught you how to know if somepony was about to hit you, and you wished she had as something hits you in the side. Your eyes shoot open, and you see a blue mare struggling to get away, --your legs being tangled in a way that brings a blush to your face-- and you realise why when you see the ground rushing up to meet you. Acting on instinct, you wrap your hooves around her, --prompting her to start trying to push you away-- and your wings snap out. The air pushes against you, and you both touch down softly. You let go of the mare and she stumbles backwards as your legs untangle, an angry look on her face. “What the hay was that for? We could have been hurt!” You take note of the ‘we’, not the usual ‘me’. “We weren’t, were we?” You say, a mischievous smile on your face. She looks taken aback, but rallies quickly. “Why were you even flying with you eyes closed in the first place? If you hadn’t of, I wouldn’t have hit you!” “I’ve been taught to, and I felt like honing my skills. I don’t really get much of a chance when I’m training.” “Training? Are you an athlete?” “Kind of.” “Do you want to be an athlete?” “Not really.” “Then why do you train?” “Always good to keep in shape.” “Well, that’s what I was doing! A spot opened up on the Wonderbolts a few hours ago! One of them quit after a show, and now they’re advertising a spot!” You smile at the speed the owners of the Wonderbolts recovered. "Are they now? I hadn't heard the news." "I know! It's awesome! I may get to join the Wonderbolts! Yes!" She jumps up and down in excitement. Then she stops and looks at you. "I haven't seen you around town before. Are you new?" "Yeah, this is my first day here." "Well, maybe I can show you around some time! Funny though, because I felt I've seen you somewhere before..." You don't want her knowing right away, so you quickly change the subject back to what you were originally talking about. “Of course. And maybe we could get to know each other? I’ve never been to Ponyville. You could introduce me to some ponies, if you felt like it.” “Yeah, I’d love to!” She then facehoofs and says; “Oh yeah, I promised a friend of mine I would help her set something up, so I’ll see you later, okay? My name is Rainbow Dash.” “Of course. Goodbye, Rainbow Dash.” You say, as she flies off, and you think how fortunate you are that you almost always wore the Wonderbolt getup in public, thus making it harder for ponies to recognise your face. You sigh with relief, and continue into Ponyville. As you walk into town, you relish how quiet it is, compared to almost everywhere you have been with the Wonderbolts. You can also smell nature, which is definitely unfamiliar in the cities around Equestria.You can smell something baking, also unfamiliar in the city. Usually the smell of thousands of ponies put together overrides the smell of baked goods. You haven’t actually eaten home cooked stuff since your days of living in Manehattan as a young colt. You smile as you remember playing on the streets, and trying to get away from school. --or at least, your mother, as school had been a luxury you couldn’t afford-- But those days are behind you now. As you walk through the colourful streets, past the groups of contented ponies, you find yourself feeling more comfortable than you have in years. You haven’t felt like this since... Since... Your mind pulls out a blank card. I’ve never felt like this... No wonder it’s so strange. You eventually find yourself at your new house, and pull out the key you received from the real estate agent in Cloudsdale. Slotting the key into the lock, you feel a slight sense of apprehension. Why? You take step back and look at the house. Seems fine, but... A bit too quiet. Almost as if the house itself is hiding something... You shrug and push the door open. Suddenly you are blinded as the lights flick on and a large crowd yells; “SURPRISE!” You step backwards, but recover and blink to clear your eyes. --A tip from Soarin’ after you asked what happens if the sun blinds you while flying-- When it clears, your view of most of the room is obscured by a violently pink pony, who is bouncing up and down, a huge smile on her face. “My name is Pinkie Pie! I’m the Party Pony! Did I surprise you? Did I? I just thought, that if somepony bought this house then they must be new, and if they’re new, they don’t know anypony yet, and that means that they have no friends, and if they have no friends, they must be lonely, and I just can’t stand seeing lonely ponies!” She says this all in one breath, and you wonder how she does it. But then you realise she is looking at you expectantly. “O-oh yeah. Thank you... um... Pinkie. You did surprise me... Thanks.” She smiles and bounces away. You see Rainbow Dash standing on the edge of the crowd, --that is quickly aiming for the food and music-- a smile on her face. You walk over to her. “Thanks for helping to set this up, Rainbow.” “I was happy to. Happy to help somepony new to town!" “Thanks. Nice to know somepony likes me. I have a feeling we're going to be good friends. If you want to be mine, of course.” “Hey, everypony needs friends.” “So that’s a yes?” “I guess it is.” She smiles and you feel something odd at the edge of your mind. It felt like something giving it a kick. You mentally shake yourself and say; “Well, do you want to introduce me to anypony?” “I think you would like my friends! Come on!” She grabs your hoof and leads you through the crowd, to a small group of six ponies sitting at your dinner table --Five mares, Pinkie Pie, a lavender unicorn who has an air of intellectuality about her, a white unicorn with a curly purple mane, an orange earth pony with a Cowfilly hat perched on top of her head, and a yellow pegasus, who is barely speaking. And one colt, who is sitting next to the yellow pegasus, and you see he is holding her hoof under the table--. You suppress a laugh as you say; “Nice to know you feel so at home in my home.” They all jump with surprise and you have to hold back another laugh at the unison of it. “Don’t worry. I’m hospitable. If somepony will direct me to the kitchen and teach me how to make it, I’ll get us some hot chocolate, alright?” You all laugh lightly, and the lavender unicorn says; “Alright, enough of that. I’m Twilight Sparkle. This--” She gestures to the other unicorn. “--is Rarity.” She nods. “Hello, nice to meet you.” You give a little bow, eliciting another chuckle from the group --You know this type of mare-- “This--” The Cowfilly. “--is Applejack.” “Howdy, nice ta meet ya.” You smile warmly. Your kind of mare, --Not like that-- she looks athletic. Perhaps she likes to race. I guess we’ll see. “This--” The yellow pegasus. “--Is Fluttershy.” She looks away, hiding her face in her mane. The colt looks at you apologetically. “Sorry. She isn’t used to strangers. Admittedly, she warmed up to me pretty fast, but, we all know why that is.” The mares nod slowly, with the exception of Fluttershy --Who is still staring at the floor like she would at a long lost sibling-- and Rainbow Dash, who you notice looks almost mournful for a moment. But then it passes, and Twilight says; “And I’m guessing you already know Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. Apparently you two had a little run in earlier.” “Yeah, I wasn’t watching where I was going.” You smile nervously. “I'm glad I didn't hurt her with my foolishness." "Hey, you were doing pretty well though. You dodged that cloud as if your eyes were wide open. The only pony I've ever seen do that is... Spit...Fire... Wait! That's where I know you from! You're the Wonderbolt!" Your face falls as she says this. Ah well, so much for a fresh start... It was only a matter of time before somepony recognised me. You think. "What do you want signed, then?" She looks at you with confusion. "What do you mean? Why would I want anything signed? I think it would be more awesome to be your friend." "Thanks. Spitfire and Soarin' are good friends, but they're kind of far away in Cloudsdale." "Wh-what? You're friends with Spitfire and Soarin'?" "Yep. They were the best trainers you're ever likely to meet, and I eventually became friends with them. It wasn't hard. I spent most of my time with them." "Well, would you mind training me sometime? It would be so awesome to be trained by a Wonderbolt!" "Ex-Wonderbolt. But, I'll still train you, if you're fine with my regime." "I don't care what it is, if it means I might be a Wonderbolt some day!" "Alright then." You sit down and sigh with relief, glad that you haven't been rushed by the ponies in the crowd, as that is usually what ends up happening. And your wings are killing you, so it's nice just to be able to collapse into a chair and relax. You love flying, but flying for that long can be a bit tiring. It’s nice just to sit and rest for once, without worrying about Spitfire finding you and making you train more. “So, what do ponies do for fun in Ponyville?” Twilight bites her lip as she thinks, then says; “Well... Lot’s of things!” The other mares nod in agreement. “Applebucking!” Says Applejack. “Shopping!” Says Rarity. “Reading!” Says Twilight. “Umm... Looking after animals.” Squeaks Fluttershy. “PAAAARTIIIIES!” Cries Pinkie Pie. “Anything else?” You ask, a little disappointed. “Racing!” Says Rainbow Dash. “Ah! Now you’re talking!” You say. You love racing, but never really did much as a Wonderbolt. It was more just shows and things. There were never enough challengers. “We’ll have to have a race some time. Maybe, later today?” “Rainbow! He only just got into town!” “This may be the only chance I ever get to race against a Wonderb-- Ex-wonderbolt, Twilight.” She corrects herself when you frown at her. “Yeah, I want to see what you can do. And, how about now? I haven’t raced in years.” “What about my party?” Pinkie asks. “I doubt anypony will notice if I leave. Come on, Rainbow. Let’s go.” You stand up and hold out a hoof. She takes it, and, ignoring Pinkie’s protests, you sneak out through the back door and take off into the sky. A/N --Alright, here we go. This is not the finished version. I just wanted to get this out, so that people would know that, yes, I’m working on YouDash at last. Hope you enjoy it.-- Chapter 2 - Would You Rather...As you and Dash return to your home after the impromptu race --Which Dash swore she won, although it was clearly a tie-- you realise how much you enjoyed spending time with her. It was nice to just race with somepony, and not have to worry about them thinking they’ll insult you if they win. It’s nice to race with a real competitive spirit. You walk into your new home, still arguing with the stubborn pegasus about who won. You finally just give up as you realise it’s no use. You both walk into the living room, and the first thing you notice is how empty the place is. You were both racing for a long time, and the party has died down quite a bit. Now there are only ‘Dash’s five friends and that colt sitting on the couches on the living room. They are talking and laughing occasionally. You go with Rainbow and collapse onto the couch, sighing with relief. “That was actually almost tiring. Good work ‘Dash.” “Thanks. I train as often as I can. I still can’t believe I beat a Wonderbolt!” Her eyes glaze over as she contemplates the meaning of this. While her attention is elsewhere --far off into the future, judging by her blissful expression-- you look at the others and mouth ‘tie’. They nod to show they understand, and you can tell they knew already anyway by the smiles on their faces. As Rainbow shakes herself and comes back from her daydream, you ask the others; “So, what were you doing when we got here?” Twilight answers with; “Oh, Rarity had an idea for a game! We’re playing one of our old favourites: Would You Rather? It’s the one where you ask--” “Yeah, I know. I played it quite a few times when I was younger. Whose turn is it?” Pinkie jumps up happily. “Mine! Alright... Hm... Twilight, this is for you. Would you rather... Would you rather go out with Rarity or Applejack?” The entire group freezes as the pink mare closes her mouth, a huge grin on her face. Rarity, who had been sipping some tea, chokes, and Rainbow Dash thumps her on the back, laughing uproariously. Twilight stops moving, her eye twitching slightly. Pinkie still has a look of blissful ignorance to the quiet chaos she is causing plastered on her face. Fluttershy squeaks and hides her face, for whatever reason. The other colt is obviously trying to hold back laughter. Applejack, out of all six, is the only one that actually looks interested. “Go on, Sugarcube. Answer th’ question.” Rainbow Dash raises an eyebrow. “Wanna know if you have a chance, AJ?” “No! Ah’m just curious, alright?” “Yeah, sure you are.” AJ looks at her irritably, and then turns her attention back to Twi’. “Well?” Twilight shakes herself and says, quietly; “Umm... I... I think... I would choose Applejack...” The last few words come out with a squeak, but it didn’t make her any harder to hear. Applejack smiles smugly, and Rarity looks at Twilight with hurt in her eyes. “You would choose her over me? Why?” Twilight blushes heavily and says; “I just don’t really think we would work as a couple... That’s all... And I think AJ would be more fun...” Rainbow, who had just calmed down, falls off the couch as her laughter starts again. You hear a squeak from the colt, and then he starts laughing like mad as well. Rarity still looks hurt, and now AJ is actually blushing slightly. “N-not like that! I mean on dates and things! Not like... that...” Rarity continues to look hurt. “So what, I’m boring then?” “N-no! You’re just not my type!” “Well, thank you for that, Twilight. Nice to know we are so incompatible, even though we spend so much time together.” “Wh-what?” Rainbow Dash stops laughing for a few seconds to push out; “I... I think... Somepony’s interested...” She then starts laughing again, falling back onto the ground, next to the colt. “Wh-What? No. I’m not. I just want to know why Twilight thinks I’m so disdainfully boring.” “I-I didn’t say that! I just meant your interests are more catered to somepony interested in fashion.” Rarity still looks hurt, but she concedes with; “Alright, fine.” you hold back a smile at this little exchange, and Twilight says; “Alright, my turn now. Hmm... Alright, Dash. Would you rather... be at the top of a ferris wheel for 24 hours, or be stuck on a roller coaster for three hours?” You have to stifle a laugh at the sudden change of the subject, in relation to the last question. But the others don’t seem to notice. “Hmm... I love being up high, but not moving? Nah, I want the roller coaster!” “Okay then, Dash. Your turn.” “Alright then... Ha! Rarity, would you rather be forced to stop designing forever, or have all of your hair fall out?” “Oh, come one darling! That’s just plain vindictive!” “Answer the question, ‘darling’.” Rainbow says this with an evil smile. “Hmm... Well... If I stopped designing but got to keep my hair, I could arrange fashion shows. But all of my ideas would go to waste. If my... hair fell out...” Rarity almost gags on the words. “I could design a nice... hat... or something. So... I would choose...” She looks wretched as she says; “I would... Have my hair fall out.” Rarity concedes, wretchedly. Rainbow sits back with an evil smile. “My turn, then? Very well... Applejack, would you rather... Give up your hat, or wear a pink frilly dress for the rest of your life?” Applejack freezes; “Now that’s just plain mean, sugarcube.” “You know the rules, Applejack.” “Fine. Ah would... Ah would... Take the dress, keep mah hat, then burn th’ dress when Ah got home!” Rarity visibly flinches at this. “Y-you would... B-burn it?” She looks as though she is about to faint from this crime against fashion. “Aw calm down, Sugarcube. Ah was just joking. I would take th’ dress and keep mah hat. Now, mah turn, right? This is... for you, new guy. Would ya’ rather... Hm... Would ya’ rather be in a pool wit’ hundreds of snakes, or a million flies?” “That’s it? Easy. Snakes. I like them.” AJ blinks in surprise at the suddenness of your answer. “So, my turn, right? Hmm... Rainbow Dash. Would you rather be a Wonderbolt, or be with the love of your life?” You can tell something is wrong as the colt’s face falls, and his eyes dart towards Fluttershy for a moment. There is something approaching... Fear in his eyes. Fear? Why? Then you look at Rainbow Dash, and you can see something in her eyes as well. You can swear you see tears on the edge of her eyes when she stares at the floor says, quietly; “I would be with the Wonderbolts...” You are thrown off by this, and you notice that the temperature in the room seems to have dropped. But, only Fluttershy’s coltfriend and Rainbow seem to know what’s going on. The others look just as confused as you feel. Twilight then breaks into a nervous grin, and says; “Well, it’s getting late, isn’t it? I think maybe we should leave our new friend to his devices, and let him get some rest.” There is a murmur of quiet agreement from the rest of you, and the other seven ponies depart, heading for their various homes. As you watch ‘Dash fly away, you wonder what it was that provoked her to change moods so suddenly. You just shrug it off, and decide to ask her about it in the morning. You decide to explore the house tomorrow, and collapse onto the couch, where you quickly drift of to sleep. A/N --Alright, chapter 2 is here at last. Sorry for such a large gap in between now and when I first posted this. I’ve been busy with other things. But I’ll try and update it sooner as time goes on. We’ll see. As always, let me know what I’ve done right, and what I’ve done wrong. All advice is appreciated, whether calm, rational, and well spelt, or angry, over the top, and misspelt. I take everything to heart. Thanks yet again for alkapwnz, for helping me with what to do with the party. I was stuck for ideas. Huzzah!-- E/A/N Chapter 3 - Wake Up Sleepyhead!As you jerk into consciousness you look around blearily, half expecting to see Spitfire’s enraged face inches from your own. But there is nothing but the white roof of the living room. This is one of the first times you have ever woken up late. You look around, and see the clock hanging from the wall. 5:03, three minutes after your usual wake up. Well, that’s better than nothing. You think, as you roll off of the couch and stand up, stretching your entire body as you do so. You decide to take a few minutes to have a look around the house, before going to get Rainbow Dash for the training you promised her. As you stretch every part of your body --It pays to be thorough, after all-- you remember the aftermath of last night’s game. What happened there? You wonder. Rainbow had gone all quiet after your question, and the fear in that colt’s eyes were odd. I guess if I give it time I’ll find out. I should just focus on what I’m dong. An explanation will find it’s way to me in good time. You straighten up and shake your entire body. You decide to start with the bedroom. From the floor plan you saw in the real estate agent’s office, it was at the far end of the house. So you could start there and work your way back to the living room. Down to the bedroom you go, taking in the smells so often associated with new houses. The quietness of the place is a little eerie, compared to the loud Dubtrot that had permeated the place last night. The bedroom is... Okay. Not the best, but at least the bed is suited for pegasi. You turn around, and take a look at the study next. It’s a little better, but the bookcase will have to go. You have never really been one for reading, and as such don’t really see the need to have a bookcase. Alright, enough exploring, I feel like just getting out of here and getting to Rainbow’s house She’s probably waiting for me right now. You remember her pointing her house out to you last night just before the race --As it had been one of the checkpoints you set-- and you remember it vividly. It was certainly one of the most interesting houses in Ponyville. It wouldn’t stand out --in fact, it would be overlooked-- in Cloudsdale, or any of the other major Pegasi capitals, but here it was a sight to behold. You go into the bathroom to freshen up first, taking in the strong smell of soap, and other cleaning products. You brush your teeth quickly --The toothbrush and toothpaste a housewarming present from the resident dentist, Colgate-- and fill the basin while you shake out your mane. When the basin is full, you do what Spitfire taught you, and dunk your head in, holding it there for as long as you can. You pull your head out, relishing the new feeling of clarity. There was something about almost drowning that woke the body up, for some reason. You quickly run a brush through your mane, and then shoot out the door, slightly frustrated that you were wasting time. You made sure to remember to apologise to Rainbow for being so late. You had seen the time on a clock in the bathroom, and saw that it was 5:10. Not exactly a very Wonderbolt-ish time. If Spitfire was here, I would already have been through all of my pre-morning exercises. As you fly through the air above Ponyville, you decide to get a little more practice in, and close your eyes. You can feel the air currents pushing past you, and can tell that there is a large cloud on your left, --Dodge to the right-- a small raincloud --Fly under and shake off-- and from there it is clear skies. You open your eyes, letting the crisp, fresh air wake you up the rest of the way. In the cities, there is always a kind of... Fog on the edge of everything. It tends to block out the fresh air. But your enjoyment is cut short when you hear somepony yell out, then are hit by a large grey blur. You spin away, and your wings shoot out, lest you fall to the ground, so far below. You look around in confusion, wondering what it was that threw you off. You fins your answer in a grey pegasus pony, with a blonde mane, and, more noticeably, crossed yellow eyes. “Oh, sorry! I didn’t see you!” She says. “Never mind, it’s okay. Neither of us were hurt, were we?” “Well, that’s good then. Why are you out so early?” “Well, I promised I would help Rainbow Dash with the Wonderbolt tryouts later on this week.” You hold back a laugh as you remember finding this out from rainbow Dash last night, after the race, while she was bragging. You had been slightly offended that they had arranged them so quickly. But, you had rationalised, they needed somepony for the spot, as your departure had been quite unexpected. Your attention is brought back to the pegasus when she says; “Well, good luck with that!” She bursts into a fit of giggles, turning over in mid air. You thin about asking her what is so funny, but she would probably laugh harder. She slowly stops, then says; “Well, my name’s Derpy! Nice to meet you!” She turns and flies away, letters slowly slipping out of the mail bag at her waist, and gently floating down to the ground. You smile and turn around, continuing towards ‘Dash’s house, hoping she isn’t too angry with you for being late. You land on the cloud that her house is perched on, and can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia. You lived in a cloud home for most of your teenage life, or at least you spent your time in cloud hotels. But, this place seemed more... Welcoming. But, it was oddly quiet. If Rainbow Dash wants to train, shouldn’t she be up? You frown, and knock on the door. It rings with an oddly hollow whump. Hm... I always hated these doors. You can never get a good knock. You decide to try something different. “Rainbow Dash! You up yet?” You yell. Knowing the lack of soundproofing clouds have, she would most likely hear. And yet... Nothing. Could she be sleeping in today? You fly around the side of the house, to what you guess is the bedroom, judging by it’s placement. You knock on the windowsill, --Pegasus windows never having glass, as thy never stayed in place for long, and became a danger to anypony on the ground-- and look inside. “Rainbow Dash?” You whisper. The room is dark, and you can hear quiet snoring. You scan the room, and see the cyan mare curled up on her cloud bed. “Rainbow Dash!” You hiss. She starts and looks up groggily. Her bleary eyes focus on you, and she says; “Wstfgl.” You can’t help but feel slightly disappointed. You had expected her to be up and ready; If this was her normal wakeup time, Spitfire would probably end up killing her. Ah well, it took me ages to get used to the wake up, too, You think. She shakes her head slowly and looks at you with slightly more focus. Then she looks past you, at the horizon. “Sun’s down.” She states. You are getting a feeling that she isn’t very happy. “Yep. It’ll be up soon. Remember that we were going to train?” “Sun’s down.” She repeats. “Yes. And?” “S’all dark.” “One of the best times to train. Come on!” “Should be ‘sleep.” “Not if you want to be a Wonderbolt.” The statement has an amazing effect on the groggy mare. Her eyes shoot open, and she sits bolt upright in her bed. She still looks tired, but Rainbow Dash’s determined air is definitely back. “O-of course...” She yawns loudly and shakes her head. “I’ll be out in about ten minutes.” “Alright. But as a Wonderbolt you’re going to have to be able to get ready quickly. We-- They wake up at 5:00 sharp. I’ll be waiting.” You fly around to the front of the house and sit down to wait. About half an hour later, you realise that Rainbow still hasn’t come out. Frustrated, you fly back to her window, and you land softly inside. You walk up to the bed, and decide to take a leaf out of Spitfire’s book. You stomp a hoof, --although the effect of the moment is ruined by the soft whump, not the loud thud which you had learned to get used to-- and roar at the sleeping figure; “RAINBOW DASH! DO YOU WANT TO BE A WONDERBOLT OR NOT?” She jerks into consciousness, and looks at you in shock. You feel yourself blush slightly, as you never normally raise your voice that much. But you ignore it, and lock eyes with her. “Well, now that you’re up, should we get to training?” She blinks a few times in confusion, then nods slowly. “M’kay... Sorry... ‘Fell ‘sleep.” “I know. Come on, let’s go.” You go to leave, but remember just in time that you did that half an hour ago. You turn around, and see her asleep again. You sigh. This is going to be a long morning. Chapter 4 - That's The Spirit!As you and Rainbow fly through the crisp morning air above Ponyville, you have to fight the urge to call the session off and let ‘Dash get some more sleep. She is obviously exhausted, and this is confirmed by the deep bags under her eyes. She is obviously not used to waking up this early. You remember your first training session. You had fallen asleep in the middle of a complicated drill Spitfire was trying to teach you and almost broke your neck. Hm... What can I do to avoid that? Aha! You slow down and stop. Rainbow Dash does the same, and looks at you with bleary eyes, saying, in a tired voice; “Why are we stopping?” A yawn covers up the last syllable, and you smile as you realise you couldn’t have picked a better time for what you’re about to do. She looks tired enough to fall asleep now. “I just want to get a drink. Come on, I see a lake down there.” You point with your hoof, and then dive towards it immediately. She follows you, at her own slow pace. As you land, you go over to the water and start to drink, waiting for Rainbow to land. You hear her hit the ground and stumble a bit, but she is soon standing by your side. You straighten up and pretend to stretch as she starts to drink. Then, as if not realising it, you move your right hoof around and knock her into the lake. She lets out a shocked little gasp as she falls forward into the cold water. She immediately starts trying to get out, and you can see two things, both of which bring a kind of sadistic joy only known by trainers and teachers. Firstly, she is definitely not tired anymore, and secondly, she looks very pissed off. She finally gets out, shivering, then fixes you with eyes that would make a Manticore turn and run. You spread your wings and shoot into the air, laughing. “Come on, ‘Dash! Come catch me! Or would you rather swim?” You yell. She growls and takes off after you. Without waiting for her to catch up, you turn and shoot off. Well, she’s definitely awake now! You think, a grin on your face. You look behind you and see Rainbow not far behind. Hm... Let’s ramp this up a bit. You suddenly start yelling at the top of your lungs; “HELP! HELP! SHE’S GOING TO KILL ME!” You can see ponies on the ground look up and start pointing. You risk another glance backwards and can see Rainbow speeding up, trying to catch you. She looks down for a moment and you take the chance to do a sharp turn and hide behind a cloud. She keeps going for a few moments, but stops when she realises you’re gone. “Where are you?” She yells, at the empty space. You drop towards the ground, holding in your laughter. You land, and throw yourself behind a boulder, and let it all out. You can barely breath as you laugh, chuckle, giggle, and all things in between. But you stick your hoof in your mouth when you hear hoofsteps approaching. You are relieved, though, when instead of a homicidal Rainbow Dash, it’s Fluttershy’s Coltfriend, with an amused look on his face. “I hear Rainbow Dash is trying to kill you. Any reason why?” He asks, a grin on his face. You decide to have a little fun with your answer; “I think she likes me. She just wants a piece of this.” You gesture to yourself, and smile suggestively. The colt laughs, and winks. “I know what you mean.” Suddenly, you feel yourself thrown backwards onto the ground. Rainbow Dash doesn’t look very happy with you. The colt winks at her --With a bit of hesitation, you notice-- and says; “I’ll just leave you two... Alone.” He smiles mischievously and turns around. Rainbow looks at you. Then at him. Then back at you. Then realisation dawns. She recoils, and lands on her rump in front of you. “Nonononono! I was just-- We aren’t-- He couldn’t-- WE WEREN’T!” She yells, her cheeks bright red. The colt starts trotting away, and says over his shoulder; “Suuuuure. See you two... Later.” Rainbow looks like she is about to chase after him, then turns to you and kicks you playfully. “And why did he think that?” She says, a mix of frustration and confusion in her voice. You laugh and say; “I don’t know. Never mind. Back to training? You certainly look awake now.” She looks surprised for a moment, then nods slowly. Then her determined air comes back. She pulls off an exaggerated salute and says, in a fake guard voice; “Aye aye, boss!” You smile and spread your wings. “Let’s go then! Time for some real training.” Rainbow looks shocked, then says; “That wasn’t the real training?” You remember you had the exact same reaction when Spitfire said the same thing, so many years ago. You nod happily. “Yep! Come on. Let’s go!” You take off and smile as you hear her flying behind you. “Come on! We’re going for a fly through Ponyville!” Without waiting for any indication that she has heard, you turn sharply towards the ground, and fly through a course you had planned out on your way to Rainbow’s home. It looked complicated, but you know that Spitfire wouldn’t have a problem with it. --In fact, the fiery Wonderbolt would probably do it with her eyes closed-- But it should at least be a bit of a challenge for Rainbow. From what you knew, she just did stunts. She wasn’t used to obstacle courses. Or, so you thought. You have to hide your shock as you see the familiar rainbow-coloured mane slowly pushing ahead of you, matching your turns and flips with almost picture-perfect moves. She is still slightly behind, but only because you are the one leading the way. You finish the course you had set, and slow to a halt. Rainbow looks tired, but not enough to stop training. “So, I’m guessing you’ve had experience with obstacle courses?” You ask. “More or less. At Junior Speedster’s Flight camp we did them about three times a week.” “Ah. I never knew.” She looks at you questioningly. “You didn’t go?” You shake your head sadly. “No, I grew up in Manehattan. I never even saw Cloudsdale until I became a Wonderbolt.” “What? Really? That must have been boring...” “Ah, I found ways to make the city fun.” “Like what?” “That’s a story for another time...” You say, not meeting her eyes. Maybe when she trusts me enough to know why. You shake your head, trying to think about other things while Rainbow looks at you with confusion. “Now! Back to training!” You say, with false joviality. You take off, trying to figure out a new course for you both to take. You hover for a few minutes, high in the air. You don’t notice when ‘Dash catches up, floating around you on a cloud. You are jerked out of your thought, though, when she throws a small piece of cloud at your head. It bounces off and floats away lazily. “Hm?” You mumble. You had been thinking about something important, you know that... But now... It was gone. “Come on! I thought we were supposed to be training!” Says Rainbow Dash. “Not just sitting here thinking!” “Oh, sorry. Yeah. Let’s go. Hm... How do you feel about a rematch for last night?” “Haha, unhappy about losing?” You roll your eyes. “Of course, Rainbow. Come on, let’s get moving!” You cry, getting ready to take off for the horizon. Rainbow Dash smiles and says; “Um... We need a place to race to, don’t we?” You facehoof as she says this. “Of course...” You say, sheepishly. “How about... The farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres?” You say, pointing in what you think is the general direction of it. Rainbow smiles and flies over next to you. She takes your hoof and moves it to the left. “That’s where it is.” You look her in the eyes for a moment, and she stares back. Then she shakes her head and releases your hoof. “S-so, Sweet Apple Acres? Alright then, 321go!” She shoots off, and you realise too late you’re giving her a head start. You shoot off, trying to push the moment that has just passed from your mind. Alright, clear my mind like Spitfire told me to... Let’s do this! Chapter 5 - It's About Time!As you fly towards ‘Dash’s house, you think about the last few weeks training her. You two have become quite close, to the point where ponies had started a few rumours about you both going out. In fact, three fillies calling themselves The Cutie Mark Crusaders had come up with an exceptionally dirty one, that had actually made you do a double take when you found out it’s origin. But that had passed when Rainbow Dash had told a colt who was harassing her that, no, it wasn’t true, you were just friends. Strangely, when she said this, you actually felt disappointed, and, for some reason, insulted. You had sat up the entire night thinking about it. You still are, now, as you fly towards ‘Dash’s house. You fly up to the windowsill, expecting her to greet you, as she had been doing every day for the last week. You had finally gotten her into the habit of waking up early, with the help of several buckets of iced water --Which is why you knew that your freezer definitely worked, and that Rainbow Dash could hit really hard when she was annoyed-- and a small air-horn. But, today, she was absent from the window. Confused, you fly up to the sill, and lean your head in. You can hear talking. You strain your ears, and recognise Rainbow’s voice. She is arguing with somepony, judging by her tone. Then the other one speaks, and you recognise it as Fluttershy’s coltfriend. “Dash, I went through this with Fluttershy. It’s obvious that--” “Nothing is there? I know!” “No, Rainbow. It’s obvious that you--” “Have to finish getting ready for training? I know!” “Rainbow Dash! I went through this too, alright? Admittedly, I didn’t deny it like you, but I know how you feel. Lov--” “--ing this conversation? Hardly.” “Would you let me finish--” “Getting ready? I was going to say the same thing.” “Rainbow! It’s obvious that you love him!” Silence. Your mind reels as you think about this. Of course... She was so adamant that we weren’t together... And he, or, in this case she, who denies the truth most is the one who believes it, and fears it, as Dad used to say. You are pulled away from your thoughts when you hear Rainbow speaking again. “I... I...” “Love him? I just said that.” “But... I can’t...” “What do you mean, you can’t?” “I... I loved Fluttershy... I’m into mares, not colts... Right?” Once again, your mind reels. Wh-what? Woah... Hm... That could be interesti-- WHAT THE HAY? You slap yourself to put those thoughts out of your mind. But... Rainbow Dash likes mares? I never would have expected it from her... I mean, yeah, she’s a bit boyish, but that doesn’t mean she’s a fillyfooler... Without realising, you let out a sigh of frustration. The pegasi stop talking as the sound of the sigh reaches them. You grab a piece off of a passing cloud and stick it in yur mouth, to prevent further outbursts. Then the colt starts talking again. “Rainbow... It’s possible to like both, you know.” “Wh-what?” “That’s right. But, back to the matter at hoof. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, too. There’s something between you two. I can tell. But neither of you know the other’s feelings. Well, you know now.” And so do I... You think. Now that I think about it... I do love being around Rainbow Dash... I’m always happy to hang out with her... And that feeling of disappointment and offense... Of course. It’s so obvious. “But... Why would I love him?” “Why did you love Fluttershy?” Silence again. “I... I... I...” “Am totally lost for words? That’s right. You loved Fluttershy because you knew her for so long. There was a spark when you first met. Maybe just a small hint of... Infatuation. Her mane, her voice, her personality. All of these are reasons for you to have felt this. Then it grew...” He sighs. “I know that feel. The same thing happened with him. But it seems you fell in love faster, like me. And I’m pretty sure he feels the same way. You should talk to him.” “Alright. Fine. But, if you’re wrong--” You hear a grunt and a muffled thump, then Dash speaks again, her voice filled with malice. “--And my heart is broken again, what I did then will seem like nothing.” There is a small grunt, and he says; “Don’t worry, ‘Dash. It’ll be okay, I promise you.” There is another muffled thump, and you hear his soft hoofsteps as he walks to the door. “I hope you do tell him, Rainbow.” “I will. Just go before he gets here, alright?” “Goodbye, ‘Dash.” The door opens, and closes. You hear him fly away. Then you realise ‘Dash is coming for her bedroom door. Never in your life had you ever gone from a hovering stop to a top speed dive so quickly. You dive for a few seconds, then pull up, narrowly missing knocking Granny Smith over. The gust of wind that follows you blows a few leaves off the trees nearby. Then you fly back, not only to make it look like you had only just arrived, but so you would be getting there ‘on time’ as well. You reach the window sill with a few seconds to spare. Luckily your time with the Wonderbolts meant you had a lot of stamina, so all you had to show for your desperate dive was a small bead of sweat that was slowly running down your forehead. You wipe it away just as ‘Dash sticks her head out of the window and waves. “Hey! I’m up early again!” Rainbow was definitely proud of that fact. “Good! Spitfire hates late risers. Come on! Let’s get to it!” “Alright, let’s go!” You are thrown off by this. “Uh... You don’t have anything to say?” You ask. Rainbow Dash looks at you suspiciously. “No... Why?” “Oh, you just look like you have something on your mind, that’s all!” You say, realising that she might figure out that you had heard her argument. “Well, I do, but first let’s get to training! I’ll tell you after, alright?” You nod in agreement. She flies out the window, past you. You turn around and smile. Then you both go about the normal warmup routine, and from there, you take her through your next course. It was a sort of challenge between you two. You had to set a course that she would have trouble with. She hadn’t lost yet. After a long training session, you and Rainbow fly towards Whitetail Woods, and look for a place to rest, as both of you are exhausted from the training. The course you had set had been the most complex yet, and both of you had been flying through it again and again for the past few hours to perfect it. Now you both collapse under the shade of the nearest tree, and you smile at her weakly. “Well, that was a workout, wasn’t it?” You say. She nods, breathing heavily. “It... Certainly was...” You realise how this sounds, and burst out laughing. Rainbow frowns at you. “What... What’s so funny?” “Think about how what you just said would sound out of context.” You say. She screws up her face as she thinks, then starts laughing as well. You both lay there, in the grass, laughing your heads off. As you catch your breath, you look over at Rainbow Dash. “You wanted to tell me something, right? What was it?” Her smile disappears, to be replaced with a look of nervousness. She turns her body away from you, giving you a nice view of her wings. “I-it was nothing. I figured it out.” She mumbles. “It doesn’t seem like it was nothing, Dash. Tell me.” Her only response was a slight trembling of her wings. You place a hoof on the side of her body. “Please? Rainbow?” She turns around, and you’re taken aback by the traces of tears in her eyes. The tears make her look… younger. More vulnerable. “I-” She shuts her eyes and opens her mouth to speak. “I love you, dammit!” Her eyes widen as she says this. So do yours. You had known, of course, but it was a shock to hear her say it. You are about to answer when she rolls to her hooves, spreads her wings, and shoots off into the sky. “Rainbow Dash!” You yell. You spread your own wings, and take off, in pursuit of her. She is flying pretty fast, but she’s tired and you slowly catch up to her. You reach her just as she slows down and lands, exhausted. She spins around as you approach, a blush threatening to set her face on fire. But you barely slow down as you reach her and hug her tightly. She freezes at the sudden contact. You both go tumbling around on the ground for a bit as your momentum carries you forward. When the world stops spinning, you discover that you are on top of her in a somewhat awkward position. She doesn’t complain, however. After a moment, you sit up. The two of you stare into each other’s eyes for a long moment. Then, through an unspoken understanding, you both lean in and kiss. You stay there for what feels like an eternity, just enjoying the embrace. But then you break away when you realize you need to breathe. You both take in gulps of air, then she looks at you, a smile on her flushed cyan face. You open your mouth and speak the words that had been preying at the edge of your mind for weeks. “I love you, Rainbow Dash.” She kisses you again. “Say that again.” “I love you, Rainbow Dash.” “One more time.” She leans in to kiss you again, but you place your hoof on her mouth. You stare into her eyes with all the love you could muster, then speak. “Rainbow Dash, I won’t say that I love you again.” Her eyes widen and start to water. “That’s because words aren’t enough, and they never will be. I just can’t tell you how much you mean to me. You’re the color of my world.” Her tears flow freely as she grabs you with both arms and brings you in for a gentle kiss. But you feel like throwing something and screaming when you hear the voice of one of the three fillies whose rumours had mares and stallions all over Ponyville in fits of laughter ring out across the forest. “Hey girls! GIRLS! WE WERE RIIIIGHT!” You look to your left and see the filly Applebloom jumping with joy. “RAINBOW AND... Uh... THIS GUY, SITTIN’ IN A TREE! BEE-YOU-CEE-KAY-EYE-EN-GEE!” You spring up, and look at the foal with a ‘shut up now look’. She smiles cheekily and bolts off. You turn around, and hug Rainbow again. She hugs you back. She whispers in your ear; “Do you really mean it?” You tighten your forehooves around her as you whisper back; “Of course, Rainbow. Why wouldn’t I? You’re perfect. I’d be proud to call you my Marefriend, if you want me too.” You feel her stroke you neck as she whispers back; “Of course, and it’d be awesome to have an Ex-Wonderbolt as my Coltfriend. I guess I’m just that awesome that you just have to have me.” You both chuckle quietly. Then you pull away and smile at her determined grin. “So, I’m guessing practice is pretty much done for the day, huh?” She says, as you let go of each other. “Yep. Wanna go and get something to eat? We were training for longer than I meant to today.” “Yeah! Let’s go. I’m starving. I wonder if Pinkie’s cooked up anything special? Maybe she’ll have those special Cupcakes again?” “Hm. Yeah, maybe. Hey, wanna race? Loser has to pay for the food.” She smiles cheekily and kisses you again. The suddenness of it surprises you, and ‘Dash had obviously planned this, as she uses your moment of surprise to spread her wings and take off, heading for Ponyville. You smile dreamily for a few seconds, then shake your head and realise you’re already losing. You spread your own wings and take off after your new marefriend. A/N --Alright, sorry it took so long to get this out. I’ve been starting a lot of new things, namely RP’ing on Bronynet and Tumblr. I’ve also been on DeviantArt, and Minecraft has been taking up my time, as well as a thing at school recently. But, things are settling down, and I hope to get back into updating regularly for y’all! Now, just one last thing. I have two people to thank, (Because of their help with this chapter, in particular) AlkapwnZ (Read his story, NOW dammit.) and PhysicalSound (Read his TOO, dammit.) with their help in getting this out. If it weren’t for you two, well, this would have taken much longer. Thanks, guys. Chapter 6 - ConfessionsA/N --WOO! New chapter. I'm really sorry if it seems a bit rushed. It kinda is. I was listening to some really fast songs when I was writing it, and when I listen to fast music, I type fast. Sorry. Anyway, ENJOI.-- E/A/N You and Rainbow walk into Sugarcube corner, arguing again. “I won! It was so obvious!” She says. You grin and say; “Well, I don’t know where you learned what winning means, but usually it isn’t when both racers cross the finish line at the same time.” “You don’t know that!” “What? Never mind. Look, if we call it a tie, we both win. Isn’t that good enough?” She smiles and says; “Nah, I won. That’s that.” You sigh and kiss her on the cheek. “Whatever you say, Rainbow.” You walk up to the counter and are greeted by the violently pink Pinkie Pie. “Hiya! What can I get for you two today? Anything special for you two lovebirds?” You and Rainbow wince in surprise as she says this. You say, weakly; “A...And how did you know we’re going out Pinkie?” She laughs and says; “I didn’t until you just said so, silly! Keep up!” She laughs again, and rainbow looks ready to gut her. You put your hoof around her and lead her away from Pinkie Pie, right out the door. Rainbow looks really angry all of a sudden, and you’re slightly worried that she may have hurt Pinkie if you two had stayed. You nudge her once you’re at a safe distance from Sugarcube Corner, and say; “Hey, ‘Dash. What was that about?” She throws off your hoof and starts to trot away. You catch up to her. “Rainbow! What’s wrong? You looked like you were ready to kill her in there. What did she do? It was just a bit of fun.” “Not for me. I wanted to tell everypony myself, not have it spread through her.” “You don’t know that she’s going to tell everypony!” “Hmph. Maybe she won’t, and that’s a big maybe, but somepony else will have heard.” “Why does this mean so much to you?” “Because... Because you’re the first pony I’ve ever gone out with.” “I’m the first to go out with you? You, the awesomest Pony ever?” “Yes, alright! I never went out with anypony else because... Because I was in love with somepony else...” Of course... I’m such an idiot. You think, remembering what you overheard at ‘Dash’s house. “You’re probably wondering why, right?” You want to say no, but you have a feeling she needs to vent. So you decide to play it safe. “Only if you’re willing to tell me, Dash. Otherwise I’ll forget it now.” She looks at you, and bites her lip. Then she spreads her wings. “Follow me.” She says. Then, not waiting for a response, she takes off. You quickly follow her, wondering where you’re going. You fly towards a small cloud on the edge of town, and land on it, next to Rainbow. She looks wretched, as if fighting some kind of internal battle. You hug her tightly, and kiss her. When you break away, you look her straight in the eyes. Then, you make a decision. “Rainbow. I know.” Her eyes widen, and she opens her mouth to speak. The she shuts it, and closes her eyes. Then, with barely controlled anger, she says; “Know what?” You take a deep breath, and say; “That you loved Fluttershy.” You close your eyes and brace yourself as she slaps you. You open them again, and say; “Alright, I deserved that.” “Hell yes you did! You eavesdropped on me! You... You knew... And yet you were still willing to make me say that to you...” “Look, how can I make this up to you? Tell me, and it’s done.” “There’s nothing you can say. You had a happy foalhood. You probably grew up in a big apartment in Manehattan, and never had to worry about any of this shit!” You can’t help yourself. You let out a bark of laughter. She looks at you with malice and says; “And what the buck is so funny?” “Hmph. I just realised I haven’t told you about my foalhood. Most of my earliest years were spent begging for bits with my brothers and sister. And we didn’t exactly live in a big apartment. No, more like a small two bedroom place. The building it was in was so small... Well... Let’s just say we were lucky to have a separate bathroom and kitchen.” She gasps. “I... I’m sorr--” “Don’t be. Just let me finish, alright? Well, when I learnt to fly, I knew I had talent. I really had talent. Then, one night, when I was about sixteen, I found out about this street race. It was illegal, and I knew it. But I went, and raced. Well, somehow, I won. And I have to say, my mother never looked happier than when I brought that huge bag of bits into the house. They didn’t care how I’d gotten it. All that mattered was that we had money. We had been close to eating the towels. So, I kept racing, and kept winning. Then, when I turned twenty, the race I was in was crashed by the police. Almost everypony got away, but I was one of the ones they caught. When mum finally found out how I’d been getting the bits, well, she looked heartbroken. I had told her when she had finally decided to ask that I had gotten a good job. Well, as for what happened next... The only way to explain it is that Celestia was feeling generous. Spitfire had been visiting a cop friend of hers, and, for a reason she still hasn’t told me, she came over to where me and mum were arguing, and told me that she had heard about the circumstances I had been arrested in. She then turned to my mum, and said that if I was willing to do some honest work, I could come to the next Wonderbolt tryout, and see about getting a place with them. I still don’t know why she did that, but I went, and they liked my flying, and that’s when I became a Wonderbolt. But I’ll never forget those days of racing. Or, more accurately, nights.” You take a deep breath as you stop talking, feeling light headed from telling such a long story. Then you look at Rainbow, fearing her reaction. A few emotions cross her face, including anger, disgust, and pride. But then she settles for a warm smile. She hugs you, and whispers in your ear; “You did what was right. I can’t judge you for that. And it all turned out okay, so that’s great.” Then she breaks away. “But it’ll still take me a while to forgive you for eavesdropping on me!” “Well, I didn’t know what I was eavesdropping on. I promise that I’ll only listen in to unimportant discussions from now on. If I have a feeling it’s important, I’ll stop, alright?” She smiles, then punched your shoulder softly. “Ha ha, smartass. Look, now that we’ve dealt with the sappy moment, can we go and get something to eat?” “You mean like we were going to do before you looked ready to kick Pinkie’s head in? Sure!” “You know why that pissed me off!” “Good point. Hey, how about a rematch? I feel like another race to Sugarcube Corner.” You stand up on the cloud, and stretch your wings. But Rainbow Dash falls onto her back. “Oh man, another race?” She whines. You’re surprised by this, but sigh and flop down next to her. “Alright, maybe later.” She smiles and says; “Let me finish. I was going to say: Another race to Sugarcube Corner? You’re on!” She leaps up and shoots off. “Oh, dammit!” You roll off of the cloud, and fall into a dive. Then your wings shoot out, and you pull up, trying to use your momentum to catch up with the cyan mare. Bloody hell, Rainbow... You could give Spitfire a run for her money. You think, remembering the fiery pegasus using similar tricks in races. You smile at the memory, and speed after Rainbow. Chapter 7 - You Have Got To Be KIDDING MeA/N --Alright, I’m putting that line in this chapter, seeing as it is my last chance for it.. Hope you can find it! If nopony can find it in... Four days, I’ll just... Forget the idea. Okay, now, bring on the hate.-- “That’s it ‘Dash! You’re getting it!” You cheer the cyan mare on, as she flies through the air, her eyes shut tight. “That’s it! Just remember to... Watch the clouds...” You trail off as she hits one head on, and floats back, her cheeks red. “Let’s try it again, I guess...” She looks over at you and pulls off a mock salute. “Aye aye, boss!” She turns and goes back to the start of the course you had set, and takes off again. You look around, thinking about the last week, and wondering how it had gone so fast. Rainbow and you had gotten even closer, and now spent most of your time together. Rainbow had been wanting to train so much, even you had started to feel a bit tired. But ‘Dash had demanded that you train even more as the Tryouts approached. Now you were both in Cloudsdale, and training in the Cloudaseum, being cheered on by her friends. You remember being shocked at the fact that the two unicorns and two earth ponies had been able to walk on the clouds as though they were normal ground. But you were used to it now, and were thankful Rainbow Dash’s friends were there to give her confidence. She had been a bit on edge, despite your efforts to keep her calm. Now it was showing in her performance. As she flew, you could see that she was concentrating as hard as she could. She flew, dived, flipped, turned, and finally, at long last, reached the end of the course with her eyes shut firmly tight. Rainbow lands on the cloud at the end of the course and opens her eyes, looking around in surprise. You fly over to her and hug her; “You did it! Great job!” You break away and give her a small kiss on the cheek. She looks at you and smiles; “I couldn’t have done it without your help...” You look at the clock above the Cloudaseum, and smile as you see the time. You pat Rainbow’s shoulder. “It’s almost time to go and get ready, ‘Dash. I can just feel that you’re gonna blow ‘em away!” She smiles and gives you a kiss on the cheek; “Thanks...” Then she spreads her wings and looks around. “Should we maybe do one more sessi- But ‘Dash is interrupted as you hear two familiar voices calling out to you. You look up, and smile when you see your two closest friends flying down to meet you. “Soarin’! Spitfire! I haven’t seen you two in weeks!” As Spitfire lands you smiles as she grabs you in a tight hug. She had always been one for hugs when she was in her ‘private persona’ and not training you ‘til you collapsed. She breaks away and Soarin’ offers his hoof. You shake it happily. “So, how ya been, guys? Has it been boring without me around?” Spitfire laughs and says; “Haha, it’s been quieter at least. So, what about you? Used to waking up late yet?” You chuckle and say; “Ha! I’ve been waking up normal time, every day. I’ve been training Rainbow Dash for the past few weeks. She really wants to be a Wonderbolt.” You say, pointing to the blushing cyan mare. “Oh, you mean the Best Young Flier?” Spitfire asks, looking at Rainbow and smiling. “Yeah, the one who did the Sonic Rainboom.” “Well, I’m pretty sure she has a good chance, with skills like hers.” Spitfire winks at her. “That’s great! And she’s gotten into the habit of waking up early, too. So that’s one thing you don’t have to worry about.” “Like I did with you? If I remember right, it took about a week, and a bucket of ice cold water every day.” You laugh quietly as you remember using the same technique. Rainbow chuckles awkwardly, and you notice she is trying not to look at Soarin’. “So, found anypony special yet?” Spitfire looks at you curiously. “Uh... Yeah, actually. Rainbow Dash.” Soarin’ raises his eyebrows, and looks at ‘Dash, a small frown on his face. “Hm... Hey, Rainbow, I think I might have a few tips for you to fly a little faster. Mind talking to me in private for a minute?” He says, and you are surprised with the sharpness of his tone. ‘Dash nods weakly and follows Soarin’ as he flies over to the stands. You look at Spitfire in confusion, and are surprised to see her looking at you the same way. “What’s that about?” You ask Spitfire. She shrugs. “I dunno. Soarin’ didn’t look very happy...” “Which means he was incredibly pissed off.” You say, remembering seeing that side of the normally laid back stallion only once or twice over the years. “That’s right. But why?” “Don’t ask me, you’re his marefriend, Spitfire.” “Ex-marefriend. I broke up with him when I found out he was cheating.” “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Well, the last few weeks with us you were kinda... Out of it.” “Because I wanted out of it, I guess... Why’d you break up with him?” “He was cheating on me. She broke up with him, and that’s when he decided to tell me. Hah.” Spitfire laughs humourlessly. You sigh. “Sorry to hear that, Spitfire.” “Don’t be. We’re becoming friends again, slowly... But it’ll be a long time before I trust him again...” Spitfire looks over to the stands, just as Soarin’ and ‘Dash return. Rainbow has tears running down her cheeks. She turns to you, and you are shocked at the look in her eyes. Before she can open her mouth, you grab Soarin’s mane and drag him away, with him crying out in surprise as you do. Once you get far enough away from the shocked Spitfire and still-crying Rainbow, you slam Soarin’ against the wall. “What did you say to her?” You yell. Soarin’ tries to get away. You have to resist the urge to punch Soarin’ in the face as he squirms to get away. “Soarin’! Why is she crying like that?” You say again. He looks you right in the eye. “I was trying to stop you getting your heart broken, man!” He says. You do a double take, stepping backwards and releasing Soarin’, who looks at you, gritting his teeth. “What?” You say, trying to make sense of his statement. “I don’t wanna see you get hurt! That blue... Monster already ruined my relationship with Spitfire!” You wince as he says this. “H-how...?” You ask, afraid to hear his answer. “She seduced me... Then, after we had been... Seeing each other for a few weeks... She tried to use me to get into the Wonderbolts. When I told her that I couldn’t do that, she broke up with me...” Soarin’ says, with a deep sigh. Needless to say, you are shocked. “S-so... She was just...” You break off, not wanting to say the words. Soarin’ puts a hoof on your shoulder. “Using you, man... She doesn’t love you.” Soarin’ says sadly. You grit your teeth, trying to fight back tears. “B-but...” “She fooled me too. Hell, we probably aren’t the first she’s tricked.” He says. “I’m sorry, man... I wish I didn’t have to tell you this... You don’t have to worry. I confronted her, told her that she wasn’t fooling anypony.” “Except me!” You yell. Soarin’ looks taken aback. “Wh-what? It’s just... Just a dating thing, right?” You grit your teeth. “N-no... I fell in love with her, dammit!” You yell, again. Soarin’ winces. “Listen man... I’m sorry.” You scowl. “Don’t be. This is just as well. This way I can end it... So she doesn’t break my heart by just leaving.” Before Soarin’ can say another word, you turn around and gallop off, heading back to Spitfire and Rainbow. As you approach, a scowl still on your face, Rainbow is hugging Spitfire, crying still. As you get closer, Rainbow sees you, and runs towards you. She tries to hug you when she reaches you, but you step away, causing her to hug empty space. ‘Dash looks at you, confused. “Wh-what’s wrong?” She asks. You look away. “You can drop the act. Soarin’ told me everything.” “Wh... What? Wait! No!” She looks at you, her eyes pleading, walking towards you slowly. “Drop it, Rainbow! I now you’re just using me! I can’t believe I loved you!” You say, before spreading your wings. “I hope you enjoy tryouts, ‘Dash. Good luck.” You say, snarling. Before she can say another word, you take off and fly away, tears streaming down your face as you fly. “DAMMIT!” You scream, as you fly as fast as you can away from Cloudsdale. “I CANNOT BELIEVE I WAS SO STUPID!” You yell, as loudly as you can, forcing ponies on the ground to look up in shock. You fly for miles, until you finally arrive at Ponyville. Not wanting to go to your house, you change course and head towards Whitetail wood. You land heavily in a small clearing and close your eyes, taking a few deep breaths. “Th-that... E-evil...” Your growl as you think about ‘Dash. After an hour or two of quiet brooding, you look around and fly up, landing on a cloud and lying down, wanting to sleep for hours after such a draining few hours. As you close your eyes, you remember the times spent with ‘Dash, and tears roll down your cheeks. You lay there for what feels like hours, although it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes, before finally drifting off into an uncomfortable sleep. As you wake up, to the setting sun, you look down as you realise there is a familiar weight on you. Rainbow Dash is snuggled close to your chest, her eyes red, her cheeks wet with tears. You are about to throw her off when she starts muttering under her breath, not realising you’re awake. “Sorry... So sorry... Never felt this way... Don’t hate me... I love you...” She says, crying as she speaks. Your eyes widen as she continues. “Not even Fluttershy made me feel this way... I’m so sorry... I... I wanted that at first... B-but... I fell in love...” You surprise her when you lean down and tilt her head up with a hoof, pulling her into a deep kiss. Her eyes widen and she smiles softly as you pull away. She hugs you. “I’m so sorry... I...” You put a hoof on her mouth, silencing her. “‘Dash... I know... I... I... I’m still hurt, though...” You say, with a sigh. She sighs as well, and rolls off of you, kneeling next to you. You do the same, and she looks into your eyes as the sun sets. “Why d’you think I’m here?” She asks. You look at her, confused. “To... To apologise?” You say. She groans. “Remember your first night here?” She says. You think back a few weeks. “Yeah, we played ‘Would you rather.” Why?” She looks right at you. “What question did you ask me?” She asks. Thinking harder, you say; “Would you rather... Rather be with the Wonderbolts or the love of your life.” You say, your eyes widening as you realise what she means. The tryouts... She only could’ve gotten here in time if... Rainbow leans in and kisses you. As she breaks away, she stares deeply into your eyes. “I finally have an answer.” The end.
Chapter 1 - Welcome To Ponyville!As you fly through the airspace in between Cloudsdale and Ponyville, you have to hold back your laughter. You are happier than you have been in years! You just left the Wonderbolts, not even four hours ago. During your last show you announced publicly that you were quitting. You hadn’t told your teammates, Spitfire and Soarin’, so, needless to say, they were surprised. You hadn’t told them because you knew that they would talk you out of it. They were your two closest friends, and as such, you tended to cave when they tried to change your mind. You had been in the Wonderbolts since you were 20, and four years later, you hated every part of being famous. The fact that everything you said was eventually used against you, the less than flattering photos in Mare’s Weekly along with all the gossip made for an unhappy Wonderbolt. So you decided to quit. Four hours ago, you announced publicly, in the middle of a full Cloudaseum, that you were leaving the prestigious flying group. Three hours ago you had left most of your money with your family, who had moved to Cloudsdale when you started making money. --a massive improvement from the original two bedroom apartment in Manehattan that barely held your parents, two brothers, sister, and pet cactus-- Two hours ago you used the rest to buy a house in Ponyville, and one hour ago you had bade your two closest friends farewell, telling them to visit you anytime. You never wanted to see Cloudsdale again. Not because of the dark rumours surrounding it --The Rainbow Factory, or some other nonsense like that-- but because of the fact that everypony there always wanted to get your autograph/photo/hair/spit/first born child and you hated it more than anything. So you decided to move to Ponyville, and get a --moderately-- fresh start. As you fly, you close your eyes, thinking back to the training Spitfire gave you when you first met just after you joined the Wonderbolts. Everypony had seen her public persona --lighthearted, fun to be around, nice-- but when she was training she pushed the one she was training to their limits. She was tough, unyielding, but, somehow, still fun to be around. You remember how she taught you to fly without seeing. By reading the air currents, and telling if you were close to the ground, or if you were about to hit a cloud. --The one disadvantage of being a pegasus is that clouds go from fluffy air to floating brick walls-- Unfortunately, she never taught you how to know if somepony was about to hit you, and you wished she had as something hits you in the side. Your eyes shoot open, and you see a blue mare struggling to get away, --your legs being tangled in a way that brings a blush to your face-- and you realise why when you see the ground rushing up to meet you. Acting on instinct, you wrap your hooves around her, --prompting her to start trying to push you away-- and your wings snap out. The air pushes against you, and you both touch down softly. You let go of the mare and she stumbles backwards as your legs untangle, an angry look on her face. “What the hay was that for? We could have been hurt!” You take note of the ‘we’, not the usual ‘me’. “We weren’t, were we?” You say, a mischievous smile on your face. She looks taken aback, but rallies quickly. “Why were you even flying with you eyes closed in the first place? If you hadn’t of, I wouldn’t have hit you!” “I’ve been taught to, and I felt like honing my skills. I don’t really get much of a chance when I’m training.” “Training? Are you an athlete?” “Kind of.” “Do you want to be an athlete?” “Not really.” “Then why do you train?” “Always good to keep in shape.” “Well, that’s what I was doing! A spot opened up on the Wonderbolts a few hours ago! One of them quit after a show, and now they’re advertising a spot!” You smile at the speed the owners of the Wonderbolts recovered. "Are they now? I hadn't heard the news." "I know! It's awesome! I may get to join the Wonderbolts! Yes!" She jumps up and down in excitement. Then she stops and looks at you. "I haven't seen you around town before. Are you new?" "Yeah, this is my first day here." "Well, maybe I can show you around some time! Funny though, because I felt I've seen you somewhere before..." You don't want her knowing right away, so you quickly change the subject back to what you were originally talking about. “Of course. And maybe we could get to know each other? I’ve never been to Ponyville. You could introduce me to some ponies, if you felt like it.” “Yeah, I’d love to!” She then facehoofs and says; “Oh yeah, I promised a friend of mine I would help her set something up, so I’ll see you later, okay? My name is Rainbow Dash.” “Of course. Goodbye, Rainbow Dash.” You say, as she flies off, and you think how fortunate you are that you almost always wore the Wonderbolt getup in public, thus making it harder for ponies to recognise your face. You sigh with relief, and continue into Ponyville. As you walk into town, you relish how quiet it is, compared to almost everywhere you have been with the Wonderbolts. You can also smell nature, which is definitely unfamiliar in the cities around Equestria.You can smell something baking, also unfamiliar in the city. Usually the smell of thousands of ponies put together overrides the smell of baked goods. You haven’t actually eaten home cooked stuff since your days of living in Manehattan as a young colt. You smile as you remember playing on the streets, and trying to get away from school. --or at least, your mother, as school had been a luxury you couldn’t afford-- But those days are behind you now. As you walk through the colourful streets, past the groups of contented ponies, you find yourself feeling more comfortable than you have in years. You haven’t felt like this since... Since... Your mind pulls out a blank card. I’ve never felt like this... No wonder it’s so strange. You eventually find yourself at your new house, and pull out the key you received from the real estate agent in Cloudsdale. Slotting the key into the lock, you feel a slight sense of apprehension. Why? You take step back and look at the house. Seems fine, but... A bit too quiet. Almost as if the house itself is hiding something... You shrug and push the door open. Suddenly you are blinded as the lights flick on and a large crowd yells; “SURPRISE!” You step backwards, but recover and blink to clear your eyes. --A tip from Soarin’ after you asked what happens if the sun blinds you while flying-- When it clears, your view of most of the room is obscured by a violently pink pony, who is bouncing up and down, a huge smile on her face. “My name is Pinkie Pie! I’m the Party Pony! Did I surprise you? Did I? I just thought, that if somepony bought this house then they must be new, and if they’re new, they don’t know anypony yet, and that means that they have no friends, and if they have no friends, they must be lonely, and I just can’t stand seeing lonely ponies!” She says this all in one breath, and you wonder how she does it. But then you realise she is looking at you expectantly. “O-oh yeah. Thank you... um... Pinkie. You did surprise me... Thanks.” She smiles and bounces away. You see Rainbow Dash standing on the edge of the crowd, --that is quickly aiming for the food and music-- a smile on her face. You walk over to her. “Thanks for helping to set this up, Rainbow.” “I was happy to. Happy to help somepony new to town!" “Thanks. Nice to know somepony likes me. I have a feeling we're going to be good friends. If you want to be mine, of course.” “Hey, everypony needs friends.” “So that’s a yes?” “I guess it is.” She smiles and you feel something odd at the edge of your mind. It felt like something giving it a kick. You mentally shake yourself and say; “Well, do you want to introduce me to anypony?” “I think you would like my friends! Come on!” She grabs your hoof and leads you through the crowd, to a small group of six ponies sitting at your dinner table --Five mares, Pinkie Pie, a lavender unicorn who has an air of intellectuality about her, a white unicorn with a curly purple mane, an orange earth pony with a Cowfilly hat perched on top of her head, and a yellow pegasus, who is barely speaking. And one colt, who is sitting next to the yellow pegasus, and you see he is holding her hoof under the table--. You suppress a laugh as you say; “Nice to know you feel so at home in my home.” They all jump with surprise and you have to hold back another laugh at the unison of it. “Don’t worry. I’m hospitable. If somepony will direct me to the kitchen and teach me how to make it, I’ll get us some hot chocolate, alright?” You all laugh lightly, and the lavender unicorn says; “Alright, enough of that. I’m Twilight Sparkle. This--” She gestures to the other unicorn. “--is Rarity.” She nods. “Hello, nice to meet you.” You give a little bow, eliciting another chuckle from the group --You know this type of mare-- “This--” The Cowfilly. “--is Applejack.” “Howdy, nice ta meet ya.” You smile warmly. Your kind of mare, --Not like that-- she looks athletic. Perhaps she likes to race. I guess we’ll see. “This--” The yellow pegasus. “--Is Fluttershy.” She looks away, hiding her face in her mane. The colt looks at you apologetically. “Sorry. She isn’t used to strangers. Admittedly, she warmed up to me pretty fast, but, we all know why that is.” The mares nod slowly, with the exception of Fluttershy --Who is still staring at the floor like she would at a long lost sibling-- and Rainbow Dash, who you notice looks almost mournful for a moment. But then it passes, and Twilight says; “And I’m guessing you already know Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. Apparently you two had a little run in earlier.” “Yeah, I wasn’t watching where I was going.” You smile nervously. “I'm glad I didn't hurt her with my foolishness." "Hey, you were doing pretty well though. You dodged that cloud as if your eyes were wide open. The only pony I've ever seen do that is... Spit...Fire... Wait! That's where I know you from! You're the Wonderbolt!" Your face falls as she says this. Ah well, so much for a fresh start... It was only a matter of time before somepony recognised me. You think. "What do you want signed, then?" She looks at you with confusion. "What do you mean? Why would I want anything signed? I think it would be more awesome to be your friend." "Thanks. Spitfire and Soarin' are good friends, but they're kind of far away in Cloudsdale." "Wh-what? You're friends with Spitfire and Soarin'?" "Yep. They were the best trainers you're ever likely to meet, and I eventually became friends with them. It wasn't hard. I spent most of my time with them." "Well, would you mind training me sometime? It would be so awesome to be trained by a Wonderbolt!" "Ex-Wonderbolt. But, I'll still train you, if you're fine with my regime." "I don't care what it is, if it means I might be a Wonderbolt some day!" "Alright then." You sit down and sigh with relief, glad that you haven't been rushed by the ponies in the crowd, as that is usually what ends up happening. And your wings are killing you, so it's nice just to be able to collapse into a chair and relax. You love flying, but flying for that long can be a bit tiring. It’s nice just to sit and rest for once, without worrying about Spitfire finding you and making you train more. “So, what do ponies do for fun in Ponyville?” Twilight bites her lip as she thinks, then says; “Well... Lot’s of things!” The other mares nod in agreement. “Applebucking!” Says Applejack. “Shopping!” Says Rarity. “Reading!” Says Twilight. “Umm... Looking after animals.” Squeaks Fluttershy. “PAAAARTIIIIES!” Cries Pinkie Pie. “Anything else?” You ask, a little disappointed. “Racing!” Says Rainbow Dash. “Ah! Now you’re talking!” You say. You love racing, but never really did much as a Wonderbolt. It was more just shows and things. There were never enough challengers. “We’ll have to have a race some time. Maybe, later today?” “Rainbow! He only just got into town!” “This may be the only chance I ever get to race against a Wonderb-- Ex-wonderbolt, Twilight.” She corrects herself when you frown at her. “Yeah, I want to see what you can do. And, how about now? I haven’t raced in years.” “What about my party?” Pinkie asks. “I doubt anypony will notice if I leave. Come on, Rainbow. Let’s go.” You stand up and hold out a hoof. She takes it, and, ignoring Pinkie’s protests, you sneak out through the back door and take off into the sky. A/N --Alright, here we go. This is not the finished version. I just wanted to get this out, so that people would know that, yes, I’m working on YouDash at last. Hope you enjoy it.--
Chapter 2 - Would You Rather...As you and Dash return to your home after the impromptu race --Which Dash swore she won, although it was clearly a tie-- you realise how much you enjoyed spending time with her. It was nice to just race with somepony, and not have to worry about them thinking they’ll insult you if they win. It’s nice to race with a real competitive spirit. You walk into your new home, still arguing with the stubborn pegasus about who won. You finally just give up as you realise it’s no use. You both walk into the living room, and the first thing you notice is how empty the place is. You were both racing for a long time, and the party has died down quite a bit. Now there are only ‘Dash’s five friends and that colt sitting on the couches on the living room. They are talking and laughing occasionally. You go with Rainbow and collapse onto the couch, sighing with relief. “That was actually almost tiring. Good work ‘Dash.” “Thanks. I train as often as I can. I still can’t believe I beat a Wonderbolt!” Her eyes glaze over as she contemplates the meaning of this. While her attention is elsewhere --far off into the future, judging by her blissful expression-- you look at the others and mouth ‘tie’. They nod to show they understand, and you can tell they knew already anyway by the smiles on their faces. As Rainbow shakes herself and comes back from her daydream, you ask the others; “So, what were you doing when we got here?” Twilight answers with; “Oh, Rarity had an idea for a game! We’re playing one of our old favourites: Would You Rather? It’s the one where you ask--” “Yeah, I know. I played it quite a few times when I was younger. Whose turn is it?” Pinkie jumps up happily. “Mine! Alright... Hm... Twilight, this is for you. Would you rather... Would you rather go out with Rarity or Applejack?” The entire group freezes as the pink mare closes her mouth, a huge grin on her face. Rarity, who had been sipping some tea, chokes, and Rainbow Dash thumps her on the back, laughing uproariously. Twilight stops moving, her eye twitching slightly. Pinkie still has a look of blissful ignorance to the quiet chaos she is causing plastered on her face. Fluttershy squeaks and hides her face, for whatever reason. The other colt is obviously trying to hold back laughter. Applejack, out of all six, is the only one that actually looks interested. “Go on, Sugarcube. Answer th’ question.” Rainbow Dash raises an eyebrow. “Wanna know if you have a chance, AJ?” “No! Ah’m just curious, alright?” “Yeah, sure you are.” AJ looks at her irritably, and then turns her attention back to Twi’. “Well?” Twilight shakes herself and says, quietly; “Umm... I... I think... I would choose Applejack...” The last few words come out with a squeak, but it didn’t make her any harder to hear. Applejack smiles smugly, and Rarity looks at Twilight with hurt in her eyes. “You would choose her over me? Why?” Twilight blushes heavily and says; “I just don’t really think we would work as a couple... That’s all... And I think AJ would be more fun...” Rainbow, who had just calmed down, falls off the couch as her laughter starts again. You hear a squeak from the colt, and then he starts laughing like mad as well. Rarity still looks hurt, and now AJ is actually blushing slightly. “N-not like that! I mean on dates and things! Not like... that...” Rarity continues to look hurt. “So what, I’m boring then?” “N-no! You’re just not my type!” “Well, thank you for that, Twilight. Nice to know we are so incompatible, even though we spend so much time together.” “Wh-what?” Rainbow Dash stops laughing for a few seconds to push out; “I... I think... Somepony’s interested...” She then starts laughing again, falling back onto the ground, next to the colt. “Wh-What? No. I’m not. I just want to know why Twilight thinks I’m so disdainfully boring.” “I-I didn’t say that! I just meant your interests are more catered to somepony interested in fashion.” Rarity still looks hurt, but she concedes with; “Alright, fine.” you hold back a smile at this little exchange, and Twilight says; “Alright, my turn now. Hmm... Alright, Dash. Would you rather... be at the top of a ferris wheel for 24 hours, or be stuck on a roller coaster for three hours?” You have to stifle a laugh at the sudden change of the subject, in relation to the last question. But the others don’t seem to notice. “Hmm... I love being up high, but not moving? Nah, I want the roller coaster!” “Okay then, Dash. Your turn.” “Alright then... Ha! Rarity, would you rather be forced to stop designing forever, or have all of your hair fall out?” “Oh, come one darling! That’s just plain vindictive!” “Answer the question, ‘darling’.” Rainbow says this with an evil smile. “Hmm... Well... If I stopped designing but got to keep my hair, I could arrange fashion shows. But all of my ideas would go to waste. If my... hair fell out...” Rarity almost gags on the words. “I could design a nice... hat... or something. So... I would choose...” She looks wretched as she says; “I would... Have my hair fall out.” Rarity concedes, wretchedly. Rainbow sits back with an evil smile. “My turn, then? Very well... Applejack, would you rather... Give up your hat, or wear a pink frilly dress for the rest of your life?” Applejack freezes; “Now that’s just plain mean, sugarcube.” “You know the rules, Applejack.” “Fine. Ah would... Ah would... Take the dress, keep mah hat, then burn th’ dress when Ah got home!” Rarity visibly flinches at this. “Y-you would... B-burn it?” She looks as though she is about to faint from this crime against fashion. “Aw calm down, Sugarcube. Ah was just joking. I would take th’ dress and keep mah hat. Now, mah turn, right? This is... for you, new guy. Would ya’ rather... Hm... Would ya’ rather be in a pool wit’ hundreds of snakes, or a million flies?” “That’s it? Easy. Snakes. I like them.” AJ blinks in surprise at the suddenness of your answer. “So, my turn, right? Hmm... Rainbow Dash. Would you rather be a Wonderbolt, or be with the love of your life?” You can tell something is wrong as the colt’s face falls, and his eyes dart towards Fluttershy for a moment. There is something approaching... Fear in his eyes. Fear? Why? Then you look at Rainbow Dash, and you can see something in her eyes as well. You can swear you see tears on the edge of her eyes when she stares at the floor says, quietly; “I would be with the Wonderbolts...” You are thrown off by this, and you notice that the temperature in the room seems to have dropped. But, only Fluttershy’s coltfriend and Rainbow seem to know what’s going on. The others look just as confused as you feel. Twilight then breaks into a nervous grin, and says; “Well, it’s getting late, isn’t it? I think maybe we should leave our new friend to his devices, and let him get some rest.” There is a murmur of quiet agreement from the rest of you, and the other seven ponies depart, heading for their various homes. As you watch ‘Dash fly away, you wonder what it was that provoked her to change moods so suddenly. You just shrug it off, and decide to ask her about it in the morning. You decide to explore the house tomorrow, and collapse onto the couch, where you quickly drift of to sleep. A/N --Alright, chapter 2 is here at last. Sorry for such a large gap in between now and when I first posted this. I’ve been busy with other things. But I’ll try and update it sooner as time goes on. We’ll see. As always, let me know what I’ve done right, and what I’ve done wrong. All advice is appreciated, whether calm, rational, and well spelt, or angry, over the top, and misspelt. I take everything to heart. Thanks yet again for alkapwnz, for helping me with what to do with the party. I was stuck for ideas. Huzzah!-- E/A/N
Chapter 3 - Wake Up Sleepyhead!As you jerk into consciousness you look around blearily, half expecting to see Spitfire’s enraged face inches from your own. But there is nothing but the white roof of the living room. This is one of the first times you have ever woken up late. You look around, and see the clock hanging from the wall. 5:03, three minutes after your usual wake up. Well, that’s better than nothing. You think, as you roll off of the couch and stand up, stretching your entire body as you do so. You decide to take a few minutes to have a look around the house, before going to get Rainbow Dash for the training you promised her. As you stretch every part of your body --It pays to be thorough, after all-- you remember the aftermath of last night’s game. What happened there? You wonder. Rainbow had gone all quiet after your question, and the fear in that colt’s eyes were odd. I guess if I give it time I’ll find out. I should just focus on what I’m dong. An explanation will find it’s way to me in good time. You straighten up and shake your entire body. You decide to start with the bedroom. From the floor plan you saw in the real estate agent’s office, it was at the far end of the house. So you could start there and work your way back to the living room. Down to the bedroom you go, taking in the smells so often associated with new houses. The quietness of the place is a little eerie, compared to the loud Dubtrot that had permeated the place last night. The bedroom is... Okay. Not the best, but at least the bed is suited for pegasi. You turn around, and take a look at the study next. It’s a little better, but the bookcase will have to go. You have never really been one for reading, and as such don’t really see the need to have a bookcase. Alright, enough exploring, I feel like just getting out of here and getting to Rainbow’s house She’s probably waiting for me right now. You remember her pointing her house out to you last night just before the race --As it had been one of the checkpoints you set-- and you remember it vividly. It was certainly one of the most interesting houses in Ponyville. It wouldn’t stand out --in fact, it would be overlooked-- in Cloudsdale, or any of the other major Pegasi capitals, but here it was a sight to behold. You go into the bathroom to freshen up first, taking in the strong smell of soap, and other cleaning products. You brush your teeth quickly --The toothbrush and toothpaste a housewarming present from the resident dentist, Colgate-- and fill the basin while you shake out your mane. When the basin is full, you do what Spitfire taught you, and dunk your head in, holding it there for as long as you can. You pull your head out, relishing the new feeling of clarity. There was something about almost drowning that woke the body up, for some reason. You quickly run a brush through your mane, and then shoot out the door, slightly frustrated that you were wasting time. You made sure to remember to apologise to Rainbow for being so late. You had seen the time on a clock in the bathroom, and saw that it was 5:10. Not exactly a very Wonderbolt-ish time. If Spitfire was here, I would already have been through all of my pre-morning exercises. As you fly through the air above Ponyville, you decide to get a little more practice in, and close your eyes. You can feel the air currents pushing past you, and can tell that there is a large cloud on your left, --Dodge to the right-- a small raincloud --Fly under and shake off-- and from there it is clear skies. You open your eyes, letting the crisp, fresh air wake you up the rest of the way. In the cities, there is always a kind of... Fog on the edge of everything. It tends to block out the fresh air. But your enjoyment is cut short when you hear somepony yell out, then are hit by a large grey blur. You spin away, and your wings shoot out, lest you fall to the ground, so far below. You look around in confusion, wondering what it was that threw you off. You fins your answer in a grey pegasus pony, with a blonde mane, and, more noticeably, crossed yellow eyes. “Oh, sorry! I didn’t see you!” She says. “Never mind, it’s okay. Neither of us were hurt, were we?” “Well, that’s good then. Why are you out so early?” “Well, I promised I would help Rainbow Dash with the Wonderbolt tryouts later on this week.” You hold back a laugh as you remember finding this out from rainbow Dash last night, after the race, while she was bragging. You had been slightly offended that they had arranged them so quickly. But, you had rationalised, they needed somepony for the spot, as your departure had been quite unexpected. Your attention is brought back to the pegasus when she says; “Well, good luck with that!” She bursts into a fit of giggles, turning over in mid air. You thin about asking her what is so funny, but she would probably laugh harder. She slowly stops, then says; “Well, my name’s Derpy! Nice to meet you!” She turns and flies away, letters slowly slipping out of the mail bag at her waist, and gently floating down to the ground. You smile and turn around, continuing towards ‘Dash’s house, hoping she isn’t too angry with you for being late. You land on the cloud that her house is perched on, and can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia. You lived in a cloud home for most of your teenage life, or at least you spent your time in cloud hotels. But, this place seemed more... Welcoming. But, it was oddly quiet. If Rainbow Dash wants to train, shouldn’t she be up? You frown, and knock on the door. It rings with an oddly hollow whump. Hm... I always hated these doors. You can never get a good knock. You decide to try something different. “Rainbow Dash! You up yet?” You yell. Knowing the lack of soundproofing clouds have, she would most likely hear. And yet... Nothing. Could she be sleeping in today? You fly around the side of the house, to what you guess is the bedroom, judging by it’s placement. You knock on the windowsill, --Pegasus windows never having glass, as thy never stayed in place for long, and became a danger to anypony on the ground-- and look inside. “Rainbow Dash?” You whisper. The room is dark, and you can hear quiet snoring. You scan the room, and see the cyan mare curled up on her cloud bed. “Rainbow Dash!” You hiss. She starts and looks up groggily. Her bleary eyes focus on you, and she says; “Wstfgl.” You can’t help but feel slightly disappointed. You had expected her to be up and ready; If this was her normal wakeup time, Spitfire would probably end up killing her. Ah well, it took me ages to get used to the wake up, too, You think. She shakes her head slowly and looks at you with slightly more focus. Then she looks past you, at the horizon. “Sun’s down.” She states. You are getting a feeling that she isn’t very happy. “Yep. It’ll be up soon. Remember that we were going to train?” “Sun’s down.” She repeats. “Yes. And?” “S’all dark.” “One of the best times to train. Come on!” “Should be ‘sleep.” “Not if you want to be a Wonderbolt.” The statement has an amazing effect on the groggy mare. Her eyes shoot open, and she sits bolt upright in her bed. She still looks tired, but Rainbow Dash’s determined air is definitely back. “O-of course...” She yawns loudly and shakes her head. “I’ll be out in about ten minutes.” “Alright. But as a Wonderbolt you’re going to have to be able to get ready quickly. We-- They wake up at 5:00 sharp. I’ll be waiting.” You fly around to the front of the house and sit down to wait. About half an hour later, you realise that Rainbow still hasn’t come out. Frustrated, you fly back to her window, and you land softly inside. You walk up to the bed, and decide to take a leaf out of Spitfire’s book. You stomp a hoof, --although the effect of the moment is ruined by the soft whump, not the loud thud which you had learned to get used to-- and roar at the sleeping figure; “RAINBOW DASH! DO YOU WANT TO BE A WONDERBOLT OR NOT?” She jerks into consciousness, and looks at you in shock. You feel yourself blush slightly, as you never normally raise your voice that much. But you ignore it, and lock eyes with her. “Well, now that you’re up, should we get to training?” She blinks a few times in confusion, then nods slowly. “M’kay... Sorry... ‘Fell ‘sleep.” “I know. Come on, let’s go.” You go to leave, but remember just in time that you did that half an hour ago. You turn around, and see her asleep again. You sigh. This is going to be a long morning.
Chapter 4 - That's The Spirit!As you and Rainbow fly through the crisp morning air above Ponyville, you have to fight the urge to call the session off and let ‘Dash get some more sleep. She is obviously exhausted, and this is confirmed by the deep bags under her eyes. She is obviously not used to waking up this early. You remember your first training session. You had fallen asleep in the middle of a complicated drill Spitfire was trying to teach you and almost broke your neck. Hm... What can I do to avoid that? Aha! You slow down and stop. Rainbow Dash does the same, and looks at you with bleary eyes, saying, in a tired voice; “Why are we stopping?” A yawn covers up the last syllable, and you smile as you realise you couldn’t have picked a better time for what you’re about to do. She looks tired enough to fall asleep now. “I just want to get a drink. Come on, I see a lake down there.” You point with your hoof, and then dive towards it immediately. She follows you, at her own slow pace. As you land, you go over to the water and start to drink, waiting for Rainbow to land. You hear her hit the ground and stumble a bit, but she is soon standing by your side. You straighten up and pretend to stretch as she starts to drink. Then, as if not realising it, you move your right hoof around and knock her into the lake. She lets out a shocked little gasp as she falls forward into the cold water. She immediately starts trying to get out, and you can see two things, both of which bring a kind of sadistic joy only known by trainers and teachers. Firstly, she is definitely not tired anymore, and secondly, she looks very pissed off. She finally gets out, shivering, then fixes you with eyes that would make a Manticore turn and run. You spread your wings and shoot into the air, laughing. “Come on, ‘Dash! Come catch me! Or would you rather swim?” You yell. She growls and takes off after you. Without waiting for her to catch up, you turn and shoot off. Well, she’s definitely awake now! You think, a grin on your face. You look behind you and see Rainbow not far behind. Hm... Let’s ramp this up a bit. You suddenly start yelling at the top of your lungs; “HELP! HELP! SHE’S GOING TO KILL ME!” You can see ponies on the ground look up and start pointing. You risk another glance backwards and can see Rainbow speeding up, trying to catch you. She looks down for a moment and you take the chance to do a sharp turn and hide behind a cloud. She keeps going for a few moments, but stops when she realises you’re gone. “Where are you?” She yells, at the empty space. You drop towards the ground, holding in your laughter. You land, and throw yourself behind a boulder, and let it all out. You can barely breath as you laugh, chuckle, giggle, and all things in between. But you stick your hoof in your mouth when you hear hoofsteps approaching. You are relieved, though, when instead of a homicidal Rainbow Dash, it’s Fluttershy’s Coltfriend, with an amused look on his face. “I hear Rainbow Dash is trying to kill you. Any reason why?” He asks, a grin on his face. You decide to have a little fun with your answer; “I think she likes me. She just wants a piece of this.” You gesture to yourself, and smile suggestively. The colt laughs, and winks. “I know what you mean.” Suddenly, you feel yourself thrown backwards onto the ground. Rainbow Dash doesn’t look very happy with you. The colt winks at her --With a bit of hesitation, you notice-- and says; “I’ll just leave you two... Alone.” He smiles mischievously and turns around. Rainbow looks at you. Then at him. Then back at you. Then realisation dawns. She recoils, and lands on her rump in front of you. “Nonononono! I was just-- We aren’t-- He couldn’t-- WE WEREN’T!” She yells, her cheeks bright red. The colt starts trotting away, and says over his shoulder; “Suuuuure. See you two... Later.” Rainbow looks like she is about to chase after him, then turns to you and kicks you playfully. “And why did he think that?” She says, a mix of frustration and confusion in her voice. You laugh and say; “I don’t know. Never mind. Back to training? You certainly look awake now.” She looks surprised for a moment, then nods slowly. Then her determined air comes back. She pulls off an exaggerated salute and says, in a fake guard voice; “Aye aye, boss!” You smile and spread your wings. “Let’s go then! Time for some real training.” Rainbow looks shocked, then says; “That wasn’t the real training?” You remember you had the exact same reaction when Spitfire said the same thing, so many years ago. You nod happily. “Yep! Come on. Let’s go!” You take off and smile as you hear her flying behind you. “Come on! We’re going for a fly through Ponyville!” Without waiting for any indication that she has heard, you turn sharply towards the ground, and fly through a course you had planned out on your way to Rainbow’s home. It looked complicated, but you know that Spitfire wouldn’t have a problem with it. --In fact, the fiery Wonderbolt would probably do it with her eyes closed-- But it should at least be a bit of a challenge for Rainbow. From what you knew, she just did stunts. She wasn’t used to obstacle courses. Or, so you thought. You have to hide your shock as you see the familiar rainbow-coloured mane slowly pushing ahead of you, matching your turns and flips with almost picture-perfect moves. She is still slightly behind, but only because you are the one leading the way. You finish the course you had set, and slow to a halt. Rainbow looks tired, but not enough to stop training. “So, I’m guessing you’ve had experience with obstacle courses?” You ask. “More or less. At Junior Speedster’s Flight camp we did them about three times a week.” “Ah. I never knew.” She looks at you questioningly. “You didn’t go?” You shake your head sadly. “No, I grew up in Manehattan. I never even saw Cloudsdale until I became a Wonderbolt.” “What? Really? That must have been boring...” “Ah, I found ways to make the city fun.” “Like what?” “That’s a story for another time...” You say, not meeting her eyes. Maybe when she trusts me enough to know why. You shake your head, trying to think about other things while Rainbow looks at you with confusion. “Now! Back to training!” You say, with false joviality. You take off, trying to figure out a new course for you both to take. You hover for a few minutes, high in the air. You don’t notice when ‘Dash catches up, floating around you on a cloud. You are jerked out of your thought, though, when she throws a small piece of cloud at your head. It bounces off and floats away lazily. “Hm?” You mumble. You had been thinking about something important, you know that... But now... It was gone. “Come on! I thought we were supposed to be training!” Says Rainbow Dash. “Not just sitting here thinking!” “Oh, sorry. Yeah. Let’s go. Hm... How do you feel about a rematch for last night?” “Haha, unhappy about losing?” You roll your eyes. “Of course, Rainbow. Come on, let’s get moving!” You cry, getting ready to take off for the horizon. Rainbow Dash smiles and says; “Um... We need a place to race to, don’t we?” You facehoof as she says this. “Of course...” You say, sheepishly. “How about... The farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres?” You say, pointing in what you think is the general direction of it. Rainbow smiles and flies over next to you. She takes your hoof and moves it to the left. “That’s where it is.” You look her in the eyes for a moment, and she stares back. Then she shakes her head and releases your hoof. “S-so, Sweet Apple Acres? Alright then, 321go!” She shoots off, and you realise too late you’re giving her a head start. You shoot off, trying to push the moment that has just passed from your mind. Alright, clear my mind like Spitfire told me to... Let’s do this!
Chapter 5 - It's About Time!As you fly towards ‘Dash’s house, you think about the last few weeks training her. You two have become quite close, to the point where ponies had started a few rumours about you both going out. In fact, three fillies calling themselves The Cutie Mark Crusaders had come up with an exceptionally dirty one, that had actually made you do a double take when you found out it’s origin. But that had passed when Rainbow Dash had told a colt who was harassing her that, no, it wasn’t true, you were just friends. Strangely, when she said this, you actually felt disappointed, and, for some reason, insulted. You had sat up the entire night thinking about it. You still are, now, as you fly towards ‘Dash’s house. You fly up to the windowsill, expecting her to greet you, as she had been doing every day for the last week. You had finally gotten her into the habit of waking up early, with the help of several buckets of iced water --Which is why you knew that your freezer definitely worked, and that Rainbow Dash could hit really hard when she was annoyed-- and a small air-horn. But, today, she was absent from the window. Confused, you fly up to the sill, and lean your head in. You can hear talking. You strain your ears, and recognise Rainbow’s voice. She is arguing with somepony, judging by her tone. Then the other one speaks, and you recognise it as Fluttershy’s coltfriend. “Dash, I went through this with Fluttershy. It’s obvious that--” “Nothing is there? I know!” “No, Rainbow. It’s obvious that you--” “Have to finish getting ready for training? I know!” “Rainbow Dash! I went through this too, alright? Admittedly, I didn’t deny it like you, but I know how you feel. Lov--” “--ing this conversation? Hardly.” “Would you let me finish--” “Getting ready? I was going to say the same thing.” “Rainbow! It’s obvious that you love him!” Silence. Your mind reels as you think about this. Of course... She was so adamant that we weren’t together... And he, or, in this case she, who denies the truth most is the one who believes it, and fears it, as Dad used to say. You are pulled away from your thoughts when you hear Rainbow speaking again. “I... I...” “Love him? I just said that.” “But... I can’t...” “What do you mean, you can’t?” “I... I loved Fluttershy... I’m into mares, not colts... Right?” Once again, your mind reels. Wh-what? Woah... Hm... That could be interesti-- WHAT THE HAY? You slap yourself to put those thoughts out of your mind. But... Rainbow Dash likes mares? I never would have expected it from her... I mean, yeah, she’s a bit boyish, but that doesn’t mean she’s a fillyfooler... Without realising, you let out a sigh of frustration. The pegasi stop talking as the sound of the sigh reaches them. You grab a piece off of a passing cloud and stick it in yur mouth, to prevent further outbursts. Then the colt starts talking again. “Rainbow... It’s possible to like both, you know.” “Wh-what?” “That’s right. But, back to the matter at hoof. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, too. There’s something between you two. I can tell. But neither of you know the other’s feelings. Well, you know now.” And so do I... You think. Now that I think about it... I do love being around Rainbow Dash... I’m always happy to hang out with her... And that feeling of disappointment and offense... Of course. It’s so obvious. “But... Why would I love him?” “Why did you love Fluttershy?” Silence again. “I... I... I...” “Am totally lost for words? That’s right. You loved Fluttershy because you knew her for so long. There was a spark when you first met. Maybe just a small hint of... Infatuation. Her mane, her voice, her personality. All of these are reasons for you to have felt this. Then it grew...” He sighs. “I know that feel. The same thing happened with him. But it seems you fell in love faster, like me. And I’m pretty sure he feels the same way. You should talk to him.” “Alright. Fine. But, if you’re wrong--” You hear a grunt and a muffled thump, then Dash speaks again, her voice filled with malice. “--And my heart is broken again, what I did then will seem like nothing.” There is a small grunt, and he says; “Don’t worry, ‘Dash. It’ll be okay, I promise you.” There is another muffled thump, and you hear his soft hoofsteps as he walks to the door. “I hope you do tell him, Rainbow.” “I will. Just go before he gets here, alright?” “Goodbye, ‘Dash.” The door opens, and closes. You hear him fly away. Then you realise ‘Dash is coming for her bedroom door. Never in your life had you ever gone from a hovering stop to a top speed dive so quickly. You dive for a few seconds, then pull up, narrowly missing knocking Granny Smith over. The gust of wind that follows you blows a few leaves off the trees nearby. Then you fly back, not only to make it look like you had only just arrived, but so you would be getting there ‘on time’ as well. You reach the window sill with a few seconds to spare. Luckily your time with the Wonderbolts meant you had a lot of stamina, so all you had to show for your desperate dive was a small bead of sweat that was slowly running down your forehead. You wipe it away just as ‘Dash sticks her head out of the window and waves. “Hey! I’m up early again!” Rainbow was definitely proud of that fact. “Good! Spitfire hates late risers. Come on! Let’s get to it!” “Alright, let’s go!” You are thrown off by this. “Uh... You don’t have anything to say?” You ask. Rainbow Dash looks at you suspiciously. “No... Why?” “Oh, you just look like you have something on your mind, that’s all!” You say, realising that she might figure out that you had heard her argument. “Well, I do, but first let’s get to training! I’ll tell you after, alright?” You nod in agreement. She flies out the window, past you. You turn around and smile. Then you both go about the normal warmup routine, and from there, you take her through your next course. It was a sort of challenge between you two. You had to set a course that she would have trouble with. She hadn’t lost yet. After a long training session, you and Rainbow fly towards Whitetail Woods, and look for a place to rest, as both of you are exhausted from the training. The course you had set had been the most complex yet, and both of you had been flying through it again and again for the past few hours to perfect it. Now you both collapse under the shade of the nearest tree, and you smile at her weakly. “Well, that was a workout, wasn’t it?” You say. She nods, breathing heavily. “It... Certainly was...” You realise how this sounds, and burst out laughing. Rainbow frowns at you. “What... What’s so funny?” “Think about how what you just said would sound out of context.” You say. She screws up her face as she thinks, then starts laughing as well. You both lay there, in the grass, laughing your heads off. As you catch your breath, you look over at Rainbow Dash. “You wanted to tell me something, right? What was it?” Her smile disappears, to be replaced with a look of nervousness. She turns her body away from you, giving you a nice view of her wings. “I-it was nothing. I figured it out.” She mumbles. “It doesn’t seem like it was nothing, Dash. Tell me.” Her only response was a slight trembling of her wings. You place a hoof on the side of her body. “Please? Rainbow?” She turns around, and you’re taken aback by the traces of tears in her eyes. The tears make her look… younger. More vulnerable. “I-” She shuts her eyes and opens her mouth to speak. “I love you, dammit!” Her eyes widen as she says this. So do yours. You had known, of course, but it was a shock to hear her say it. You are about to answer when she rolls to her hooves, spreads her wings, and shoots off into the sky. “Rainbow Dash!” You yell. You spread your own wings, and take off, in pursuit of her. She is flying pretty fast, but she’s tired and you slowly catch up to her. You reach her just as she slows down and lands, exhausted. She spins around as you approach, a blush threatening to set her face on fire. But you barely slow down as you reach her and hug her tightly. She freezes at the sudden contact. You both go tumbling around on the ground for a bit as your momentum carries you forward. When the world stops spinning, you discover that you are on top of her in a somewhat awkward position. She doesn’t complain, however. After a moment, you sit up. The two of you stare into each other’s eyes for a long moment. Then, through an unspoken understanding, you both lean in and kiss. You stay there for what feels like an eternity, just enjoying the embrace. But then you break away when you realize you need to breathe. You both take in gulps of air, then she looks at you, a smile on her flushed cyan face. You open your mouth and speak the words that had been preying at the edge of your mind for weeks. “I love you, Rainbow Dash.” She kisses you again. “Say that again.” “I love you, Rainbow Dash.” “One more time.” She leans in to kiss you again, but you place your hoof on her mouth. You stare into her eyes with all the love you could muster, then speak. “Rainbow Dash, I won’t say that I love you again.” Her eyes widen and start to water. “That’s because words aren’t enough, and they never will be. I just can’t tell you how much you mean to me. You’re the color of my world.” Her tears flow freely as she grabs you with both arms and brings you in for a gentle kiss. But you feel like throwing something and screaming when you hear the voice of one of the three fillies whose rumours had mares and stallions all over Ponyville in fits of laughter ring out across the forest. “Hey girls! GIRLS! WE WERE RIIIIGHT!” You look to your left and see the filly Applebloom jumping with joy. “RAINBOW AND... Uh... THIS GUY, SITTIN’ IN A TREE! BEE-YOU-CEE-KAY-EYE-EN-GEE!” You spring up, and look at the foal with a ‘shut up now look’. She smiles cheekily and bolts off. You turn around, and hug Rainbow again. She hugs you back. She whispers in your ear; “Do you really mean it?” You tighten your forehooves around her as you whisper back; “Of course, Rainbow. Why wouldn’t I? You’re perfect. I’d be proud to call you my Marefriend, if you want me too.” You feel her stroke you neck as she whispers back; “Of course, and it’d be awesome to have an Ex-Wonderbolt as my Coltfriend. I guess I’m just that awesome that you just have to have me.” You both chuckle quietly. Then you pull away and smile at her determined grin. “So, I’m guessing practice is pretty much done for the day, huh?” She says, as you let go of each other. “Yep. Wanna go and get something to eat? We were training for longer than I meant to today.” “Yeah! Let’s go. I’m starving. I wonder if Pinkie’s cooked up anything special? Maybe she’ll have those special Cupcakes again?” “Hm. Yeah, maybe. Hey, wanna race? Loser has to pay for the food.” She smiles cheekily and kisses you again. The suddenness of it surprises you, and ‘Dash had obviously planned this, as she uses your moment of surprise to spread her wings and take off, heading for Ponyville. You smile dreamily for a few seconds, then shake your head and realise you’re already losing. You spread your own wings and take off after your new marefriend. A/N --Alright, sorry it took so long to get this out. I’ve been starting a lot of new things, namely RP’ing on Bronynet and Tumblr. I’ve also been on DeviantArt, and Minecraft has been taking up my time, as well as a thing at school recently. But, things are settling down, and I hope to get back into updating regularly for y’all! Now, just one last thing. I have two people to thank, (Because of their help with this chapter, in particular) AlkapwnZ (Read his story, NOW dammit.) and PhysicalSound (Read his TOO, dammit.) with their help in getting this out. If it weren’t for you two, well, this would have taken much longer. Thanks, guys.
Chapter 6 - ConfessionsA/N --WOO! New chapter. I'm really sorry if it seems a bit rushed. It kinda is. I was listening to some really fast songs when I was writing it, and when I listen to fast music, I type fast. Sorry. Anyway, ENJOI.-- E/A/N You and Rainbow walk into Sugarcube corner, arguing again. “I won! It was so obvious!” She says. You grin and say; “Well, I don’t know where you learned what winning means, but usually it isn’t when both racers cross the finish line at the same time.” “You don’t know that!” “What? Never mind. Look, if we call it a tie, we both win. Isn’t that good enough?” She smiles and says; “Nah, I won. That’s that.” You sigh and kiss her on the cheek. “Whatever you say, Rainbow.” You walk up to the counter and are greeted by the violently pink Pinkie Pie. “Hiya! What can I get for you two today? Anything special for you two lovebirds?” You and Rainbow wince in surprise as she says this. You say, weakly; “A...And how did you know we’re going out Pinkie?” She laughs and says; “I didn’t until you just said so, silly! Keep up!” She laughs again, and rainbow looks ready to gut her. You put your hoof around her and lead her away from Pinkie Pie, right out the door. Rainbow looks really angry all of a sudden, and you’re slightly worried that she may have hurt Pinkie if you two had stayed. You nudge her once you’re at a safe distance from Sugarcube Corner, and say; “Hey, ‘Dash. What was that about?” She throws off your hoof and starts to trot away. You catch up to her. “Rainbow! What’s wrong? You looked like you were ready to kill her in there. What did she do? It was just a bit of fun.” “Not for me. I wanted to tell everypony myself, not have it spread through her.” “You don’t know that she’s going to tell everypony!” “Hmph. Maybe she won’t, and that’s a big maybe, but somepony else will have heard.” “Why does this mean so much to you?” “Because... Because you’re the first pony I’ve ever gone out with.” “I’m the first to go out with you? You, the awesomest Pony ever?” “Yes, alright! I never went out with anypony else because... Because I was in love with somepony else...” Of course... I’m such an idiot. You think, remembering what you overheard at ‘Dash’s house. “You’re probably wondering why, right?” You want to say no, but you have a feeling she needs to vent. So you decide to play it safe. “Only if you’re willing to tell me, Dash. Otherwise I’ll forget it now.” She looks at you, and bites her lip. Then she spreads her wings. “Follow me.” She says. Then, not waiting for a response, she takes off. You quickly follow her, wondering where you’re going. You fly towards a small cloud on the edge of town, and land on it, next to Rainbow. She looks wretched, as if fighting some kind of internal battle. You hug her tightly, and kiss her. When you break away, you look her straight in the eyes. Then, you make a decision. “Rainbow. I know.” Her eyes widen, and she opens her mouth to speak. The she shuts it, and closes her eyes. Then, with barely controlled anger, she says; “Know what?” You take a deep breath, and say; “That you loved Fluttershy.” You close your eyes and brace yourself as she slaps you. You open them again, and say; “Alright, I deserved that.” “Hell yes you did! You eavesdropped on me! You... You knew... And yet you were still willing to make me say that to you...” “Look, how can I make this up to you? Tell me, and it’s done.” “There’s nothing you can say. You had a happy foalhood. You probably grew up in a big apartment in Manehattan, and never had to worry about any of this shit!” You can’t help yourself. You let out a bark of laughter. She looks at you with malice and says; “And what the buck is so funny?” “Hmph. I just realised I haven’t told you about my foalhood. Most of my earliest years were spent begging for bits with my brothers and sister. And we didn’t exactly live in a big apartment. No, more like a small two bedroom place. The building it was in was so small... Well... Let’s just say we were lucky to have a separate bathroom and kitchen.” She gasps. “I... I’m sorr--” “Don’t be. Just let me finish, alright? Well, when I learnt to fly, I knew I had talent. I really had talent. Then, one night, when I was about sixteen, I found out about this street race. It was illegal, and I knew it. But I went, and raced. Well, somehow, I won. And I have to say, my mother never looked happier than when I brought that huge bag of bits into the house. They didn’t care how I’d gotten it. All that mattered was that we had money. We had been close to eating the towels. So, I kept racing, and kept winning. Then, when I turned twenty, the race I was in was crashed by the police. Almost everypony got away, but I was one of the ones they caught. When mum finally found out how I’d been getting the bits, well, she looked heartbroken. I had told her when she had finally decided to ask that I had gotten a good job. Well, as for what happened next... The only way to explain it is that Celestia was feeling generous. Spitfire had been visiting a cop friend of hers, and, for a reason she still hasn’t told me, she came over to where me and mum were arguing, and told me that she had heard about the circumstances I had been arrested in. She then turned to my mum, and said that if I was willing to do some honest work, I could come to the next Wonderbolt tryout, and see about getting a place with them. I still don’t know why she did that, but I went, and they liked my flying, and that’s when I became a Wonderbolt. But I’ll never forget those days of racing. Or, more accurately, nights.” You take a deep breath as you stop talking, feeling light headed from telling such a long story. Then you look at Rainbow, fearing her reaction. A few emotions cross her face, including anger, disgust, and pride. But then she settles for a warm smile. She hugs you, and whispers in your ear; “You did what was right. I can’t judge you for that. And it all turned out okay, so that’s great.” Then she breaks away. “But it’ll still take me a while to forgive you for eavesdropping on me!” “Well, I didn’t know what I was eavesdropping on. I promise that I’ll only listen in to unimportant discussions from now on. If I have a feeling it’s important, I’ll stop, alright?” She smiles, then punched your shoulder softly. “Ha ha, smartass. Look, now that we’ve dealt with the sappy moment, can we go and get something to eat?” “You mean like we were going to do before you looked ready to kick Pinkie’s head in? Sure!” “You know why that pissed me off!” “Good point. Hey, how about a rematch? I feel like another race to Sugarcube Corner.” You stand up on the cloud, and stretch your wings. But Rainbow Dash falls onto her back. “Oh man, another race?” She whines. You’re surprised by this, but sigh and flop down next to her. “Alright, maybe later.” She smiles and says; “Let me finish. I was going to say: Another race to Sugarcube Corner? You’re on!” She leaps up and shoots off. “Oh, dammit!” You roll off of the cloud, and fall into a dive. Then your wings shoot out, and you pull up, trying to use your momentum to catch up with the cyan mare. Bloody hell, Rainbow... You could give Spitfire a run for her money. You think, remembering the fiery pegasus using similar tricks in races. You smile at the memory, and speed after Rainbow.
Chapter 7 - You Have Got To Be KIDDING MeA/N --Alright, I’m putting that line in this chapter, seeing as it is my last chance for it.. Hope you can find it! If nopony can find it in... Four days, I’ll just... Forget the idea. Okay, now, bring on the hate.-- “That’s it ‘Dash! You’re getting it!” You cheer the cyan mare on, as she flies through the air, her eyes shut tight. “That’s it! Just remember to... Watch the clouds...” You trail off as she hits one head on, and floats back, her cheeks red. “Let’s try it again, I guess...” She looks over at you and pulls off a mock salute. “Aye aye, boss!” She turns and goes back to the start of the course you had set, and takes off again. You look around, thinking about the last week, and wondering how it had gone so fast. Rainbow and you had gotten even closer, and now spent most of your time together. Rainbow had been wanting to train so much, even you had started to feel a bit tired. But ‘Dash had demanded that you train even more as the Tryouts approached. Now you were both in Cloudsdale, and training in the Cloudaseum, being cheered on by her friends. You remember being shocked at the fact that the two unicorns and two earth ponies had been able to walk on the clouds as though they were normal ground. But you were used to it now, and were thankful Rainbow Dash’s friends were there to give her confidence. She had been a bit on edge, despite your efforts to keep her calm. Now it was showing in her performance. As she flew, you could see that she was concentrating as hard as she could. She flew, dived, flipped, turned, and finally, at long last, reached the end of the course with her eyes shut firmly tight. Rainbow lands on the cloud at the end of the course and opens her eyes, looking around in surprise. You fly over to her and hug her; “You did it! Great job!” You break away and give her a small kiss on the cheek. She looks at you and smiles; “I couldn’t have done it without your help...” You look at the clock above the Cloudaseum, and smile as you see the time. You pat Rainbow’s shoulder. “It’s almost time to go and get ready, ‘Dash. I can just feel that you’re gonna blow ‘em away!” She smiles and gives you a kiss on the cheek; “Thanks...” Then she spreads her wings and looks around. “Should we maybe do one more sessi- But ‘Dash is interrupted as you hear two familiar voices calling out to you. You look up, and smile when you see your two closest friends flying down to meet you. “Soarin’! Spitfire! I haven’t seen you two in weeks!” As Spitfire lands you smiles as she grabs you in a tight hug. She had always been one for hugs when she was in her ‘private persona’ and not training you ‘til you collapsed. She breaks away and Soarin’ offers his hoof. You shake it happily. “So, how ya been, guys? Has it been boring without me around?” Spitfire laughs and says; “Haha, it’s been quieter at least. So, what about you? Used to waking up late yet?” You chuckle and say; “Ha! I’ve been waking up normal time, every day. I’ve been training Rainbow Dash for the past few weeks. She really wants to be a Wonderbolt.” You say, pointing to the blushing cyan mare. “Oh, you mean the Best Young Flier?” Spitfire asks, looking at Rainbow and smiling. “Yeah, the one who did the Sonic Rainboom.” “Well, I’m pretty sure she has a good chance, with skills like hers.” Spitfire winks at her. “That’s great! And she’s gotten into the habit of waking up early, too. So that’s one thing you don’t have to worry about.” “Like I did with you? If I remember right, it took about a week, and a bucket of ice cold water every day.” You laugh quietly as you remember using the same technique. Rainbow chuckles awkwardly, and you notice she is trying not to look at Soarin’. “So, found anypony special yet?” Spitfire looks at you curiously. “Uh... Yeah, actually. Rainbow Dash.” Soarin’ raises his eyebrows, and looks at ‘Dash, a small frown on his face. “Hm... Hey, Rainbow, I think I might have a few tips for you to fly a little faster. Mind talking to me in private for a minute?” He says, and you are surprised with the sharpness of his tone. ‘Dash nods weakly and follows Soarin’ as he flies over to the stands. You look at Spitfire in confusion, and are surprised to see her looking at you the same way. “What’s that about?” You ask Spitfire. She shrugs. “I dunno. Soarin’ didn’t look very happy...” “Which means he was incredibly pissed off.” You say, remembering seeing that side of the normally laid back stallion only once or twice over the years. “That’s right. But why?” “Don’t ask me, you’re his marefriend, Spitfire.” “Ex-marefriend. I broke up with him when I found out he was cheating.” “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Well, the last few weeks with us you were kinda... Out of it.” “Because I wanted out of it, I guess... Why’d you break up with him?” “He was cheating on me. She broke up with him, and that’s when he decided to tell me. Hah.” Spitfire laughs humourlessly. You sigh. “Sorry to hear that, Spitfire.” “Don’t be. We’re becoming friends again, slowly... But it’ll be a long time before I trust him again...” Spitfire looks over to the stands, just as Soarin’ and ‘Dash return. Rainbow has tears running down her cheeks. She turns to you, and you are shocked at the look in her eyes. Before she can open her mouth, you grab Soarin’s mane and drag him away, with him crying out in surprise as you do. Once you get far enough away from the shocked Spitfire and still-crying Rainbow, you slam Soarin’ against the wall. “What did you say to her?” You yell. Soarin’ tries to get away. You have to resist the urge to punch Soarin’ in the face as he squirms to get away. “Soarin’! Why is she crying like that?” You say again. He looks you right in the eye. “I was trying to stop you getting your heart broken, man!” He says. You do a double take, stepping backwards and releasing Soarin’, who looks at you, gritting his teeth. “What?” You say, trying to make sense of his statement. “I don’t wanna see you get hurt! That blue... Monster already ruined my relationship with Spitfire!” You wince as he says this. “H-how...?” You ask, afraid to hear his answer. “She seduced me... Then, after we had been... Seeing each other for a few weeks... She tried to use me to get into the Wonderbolts. When I told her that I couldn’t do that, she broke up with me...” Soarin’ says, with a deep sigh. Needless to say, you are shocked. “S-so... She was just...” You break off, not wanting to say the words. Soarin’ puts a hoof on your shoulder. “Using you, man... She doesn’t love you.” Soarin’ says sadly. You grit your teeth, trying to fight back tears. “B-but...” “She fooled me too. Hell, we probably aren’t the first she’s tricked.” He says. “I’m sorry, man... I wish I didn’t have to tell you this... You don’t have to worry. I confronted her, told her that she wasn’t fooling anypony.” “Except me!” You yell. Soarin’ looks taken aback. “Wh-what? It’s just... Just a dating thing, right?” You grit your teeth. “N-no... I fell in love with her, dammit!” You yell, again. Soarin’ winces. “Listen man... I’m sorry.” You scowl. “Don’t be. This is just as well. This way I can end it... So she doesn’t break my heart by just leaving.” Before Soarin’ can say another word, you turn around and gallop off, heading back to Spitfire and Rainbow. As you approach, a scowl still on your face, Rainbow is hugging Spitfire, crying still. As you get closer, Rainbow sees you, and runs towards you. She tries to hug you when she reaches you, but you step away, causing her to hug empty space. ‘Dash looks at you, confused. “Wh-what’s wrong?” She asks. You look away. “You can drop the act. Soarin’ told me everything.” “Wh... What? Wait! No!” She looks at you, her eyes pleading, walking towards you slowly. “Drop it, Rainbow! I now you’re just using me! I can’t believe I loved you!” You say, before spreading your wings. “I hope you enjoy tryouts, ‘Dash. Good luck.” You say, snarling. Before she can say another word, you take off and fly away, tears streaming down your face as you fly. “DAMMIT!” You scream, as you fly as fast as you can away from Cloudsdale. “I CANNOT BELIEVE I WAS SO STUPID!” You yell, as loudly as you can, forcing ponies on the ground to look up in shock. You fly for miles, until you finally arrive at Ponyville. Not wanting to go to your house, you change course and head towards Whitetail wood. You land heavily in a small clearing and close your eyes, taking a few deep breaths. “Th-that... E-evil...” Your growl as you think about ‘Dash. After an hour or two of quiet brooding, you look around and fly up, landing on a cloud and lying down, wanting to sleep for hours after such a draining few hours. As you close your eyes, you remember the times spent with ‘Dash, and tears roll down your cheeks. You lay there for what feels like hours, although it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes, before finally drifting off into an uncomfortable sleep. As you wake up, to the setting sun, you look down as you realise there is a familiar weight on you. Rainbow Dash is snuggled close to your chest, her eyes red, her cheeks wet with tears. You are about to throw her off when she starts muttering under her breath, not realising you’re awake. “Sorry... So sorry... Never felt this way... Don’t hate me... I love you...” She says, crying as she speaks. Your eyes widen as she continues. “Not even Fluttershy made me feel this way... I’m so sorry... I... I wanted that at first... B-but... I fell in love...” You surprise her when you lean down and tilt her head up with a hoof, pulling her into a deep kiss. Her eyes widen and she smiles softly as you pull away. She hugs you. “I’m so sorry... I...” You put a hoof on her mouth, silencing her. “‘Dash... I know... I... I... I’m still hurt, though...” You say, with a sigh. She sighs as well, and rolls off of you, kneeling next to you. You do the same, and she looks into your eyes as the sun sets. “Why d’you think I’m here?” She asks. You look at her, confused. “To... To apologise?” You say. She groans. “Remember your first night here?” She says. You think back a few weeks. “Yeah, we played ‘Would you rather.” Why?” She looks right at you. “What question did you ask me?” She asks. Thinking harder, you say; “Would you rather... Rather be with the Wonderbolts or the love of your life.” You say, your eyes widening as you realise what she means. The tryouts... She only could’ve gotten here in time if... Rainbow leans in and kisses you. As she breaks away, she stares deeply into your eyes. “I finally have an answer.” The end.
