Over The Rainbow

by Kwisatz-Haderach

Rating: teen
Tags: Sad, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Comedy, Romance, Sex, Spitfire, Slice of Life, Wonderbolts
Length: 36497

Rainbow Dash is in heat and her Wonderbolts acceptance ceremony is tonight! What will she do?

Now with its own sequel! (http://www.fimfiction.net/story/62215/Hybrid-Rainbow.)

Rainbow Dash is one of the seldom few Ponies who know she's a lesbian and due to painful memories dating back to her time in High School, she plans on keeping it that way, bottling up emotions deep inside her. Unfortunately, mating season has started today and tonight's the big night: Her Wonderbolts initiation party! What is she going to do? Will she continue to keep all these turbulent feelings inside her like she has every other year? Will she be able to keep her cool in front of her idols, if not her hero, Spitfire? Will she seek help from her friends in this time of need? Will she have the courage to finally come out of the closet? And will she be able to conquer her fear of feelings and explore the eldritch, terrifying vistas of this terrible ancient power called love?

Read inside and find out!

RATING WARNING: There is no explicit sexual activity in this story. However, the dialogue gets remarkably suggestive at certain points. Viewer discretion is advised. Read it, it's funny.

Cover art by moi.

Published 2012-08-27 04:04:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-10-25 23:23:50 UTC

Rising Heat.

Over The Rainbow

By Kwisatz-Haderach.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic does not belong to me and is owned by Hasbro, The Hub, Studio B and the Great Lauren Faust. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter I: Rising Heat

Lifted by Celestia’s power, the sun rose above the Equus Mountains; its sunlight rolling down its sawtoothed granite peaks and into the verdant Dream Valley below, marred only by a large, bunched-up cluster of thatch-roofed cottages with the perplexingly generic name “Ponyville.” Such was yet another day that had dawned upon Equestria since time immemorial, an event that spurred the citizens of the humble mountain town into performing the usual morning rituals of preparing breakfast, opening up shop, waking the children up and in some cases, hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock with a heavy, well-placed hoof.

Off beyond the mountain range and high above its most treacherous, knife-edged slopes, was a brilliant white city of Greco-Roman and Steampunk design called “Cloudsdale”, which was, through unknown means, built upon a bedrock of clouds that watched over nearly all of Equestria. In one of the many countless cloud-villages violently stippled across the lazuli sky like a Pollock painting, was a tall, lighthouse-like tower of white plaster and smoked glass windows. If one looked into this particular dwelling, past the obstacles of chairs, tables, a large pillowy couch, exercise equipment, Wonderbolts memorabilia and the occasional flying trophy, they would find a soft, steel-blue bed with a slumbering cyan Pegasus nestled within, still sleeping soundly.

Or so they would assumed...

Rainbow Dash was tossing and turning restlessly in her sleep, wrapped in a veritable cocoon of comforters and linens as she gently thrashed about. At first glance, it looked like she was in the throes of a terrible nightmare, but upon closer inspection, she was in the throes of...something else.

“Ohh...ohh...ohhhh...yes...” She moaned softly, speaking to an unknown pony she saw through those closed eyes. A pink blush airbrushed her face as the occasional bead of sweat dripped down from her forehead. Dash was lying on her side for only a couple minutes and was soon lying belly-first on the bed as she rolled herself over again, putting all her weight against the bed.

“Ahh...Ohhh...please, take me...take me!” She moaned again at whoever she was seeing in her dream. Sweat continued to moisten her fur as her body temperature rose from rolling around so much, wrapped in all those heavy comforters. There could be a few interpretations as to what was going on in her mind right now, but as soon as she started to grind her hips against the mattress, there was no doubt at this point, let alone subtlety...

“Ahhh! Ohhh, yes! I love you! Yes...!”

Rainbow Dash was lost in her own little erotic fantasy early this morning, offering her body to whatever invisible pony that would receive it.

In reality, nopony would have her, save for one made of frigid Linoleum.
“Ah, yes! Ride me like a--WAAH!!”

*THUD*

While tossing and turning around like a Pony in a straightjacket, Rainbow Dash rolled straight off of the bed and onto the cold floor below, the covers spilling over and cushioning her fall. Unfurling herself from her downy-soft wrapping, Dash shook her head and let her eyes spin around in their sockets for a moment before groggily walking over to check the calendar on the wall.

With glazed eyes, she lazily scanned through the various dates and their events. Her lunch with Pinkie Pie had come and gone, her doctor’s appointment’s a thing of the past, the Wonderbolts race had passed, her quality time with Tank was history and her sleepover with Scootaloo was thankfully over. There was just one event left in the month of May - Mating Season.

Upon reading those last words scrawled onto her Wonderbolts calendar in red marker, their exact meaning hit Rainbow Dash like a frisbee to the forehead. Her eyes bolted open with shock, her pupils dilating and eyebrows catching little beads of sweat.

“Oh. My. Gosh... Is it?! It can’t be! Mating season is already here?!” Exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “Oh no, no wonder I’ve been so horny lately, I’m in heat! What am I going to do??” Dash began to pace back and forth, trying to keep her cool. “I’ve been so busy with that appointment, that show and that annoying little runt so much, I forgot that it was coming up so soon!”

Rainbow Dash began to panic a bit as unpleasant images passed through her train of thought. “What am I going to do? Oh man, this is so uncool...This came up so suddenly, I had no time to prepare at all. And my heat feels more intense than every previous year, too! Oh, I just hope I don’t loose my- Oh NO...”

As if failing to mentally and emotionally prepare for a rather intense estrus wasn’t bad news enough, tonight was the big welcome party for Dash after she had finally been accepted into the Wonderbolts. Her acceptance ceremony, which was held in the ornate Cloudsdale Sky Pavilion, was little more than a month ago and was officially the happiest day of the life of Rainbow Dash. It was an evening of free-flowing champagne, ecstatic fans, long-winded dialogues, live music and lavish desserts that practically vanished in the blink of an eye, thanks to Soarin’. Spending a good 3 hours hanging out with Soarin’, Fleetfoot and Spitfire was a dream come true for the Cyan Pegasus.

But now that she was in the grips of an unusually strong estrus, Rainbow Dash feared that tonight would be a living nightmare.
 “What if I don’t control myself?” Dash asked herself with fear deep in her voice. “What if I end up doing something totally uncool in public?! What if everypony finds out I’m a filly fooler?!” Dash then let out a gasp of pure terror. “What if I end up throwing myself at Spitfire?!”

Terrible images of Rainbow’s past flashed before her eyes. Years ago, in Cloudsdale High School, she made the terrible mistake of bringing her diary along to write in after class. A stray basketball accidentally hit her while she was writing, knocking her diary out of her hooves. The local bullies found it literally right in front of them, much to Dash’s terror. After being forced to hear her deepest secrets read aloud in a mocking voice as the other bullies pinned her down, almost everypony within earshot laughed at her, hurling homophobic taunts and insults at her. The secret revealed against her will that she was a lesbian was officially the worst day in the life of Rainbow Dash. It was from that moment on that she would never reveal her emotions in public ever again.

Dash was on the verge of the verge of tears before she came to her senses. Shaking herself back into rational thought, Rainbow’s resolve returned to her.

“No!” She declared, shaking off any tears that may have welled up. Her back stiffened as she snapped into a rigid posture that would not look out of place in an army training center. Looking in the large sheet of mirrored glass leaning against the wall towards her workout equipment, she saw herself staring back at her reflection with a scowl of determination; Like a soldier unwavering in her duties.

“Get yourself together, girl.” She said to herself, pointing at the cyan filly in the mirror. “You are Rainbow Dash: future Wonderbolt. You have gotten through periods of estrus without breaking a sweat before and by Celestia, you can get through this one, too! You are the Element of Loyalty and you will stay loyal to your duties and your friends even if it kills you! No ifs, ands or buts about it!” Dash then struck a pose of self-confidence - chin lifted high, back straightened and hoof on her chest. She felt invincible if not made of reinforced steel so great was her resolve! She envisioned herself as one of her fearless heroines, Daring Do, bravely making her way through the treacherous, trap-filled temple of hormones to retrieve the legendary amulet of...something she hasn’t figured out quite yet, but she figured that “The Amulet of Not-Being-So-Horny” would have to do for her fantasy’s McGuffin for now. She felt ready to take on the world!

That is, until she heard feminine giggling outside her house.

Opening a ruby-colored eye towards the window without breaking her pose, she saw Lyra and Bon Bon sitting on the ivory terrace of a nearby cafe, gossiping and giggling in shifts. Why they were in Cloudsdale of all places was a mystery to her, but there they were: Ponyville’s most popular lesbian couple, rubbing noses and blushing bright shades of rosy pink. Although their conversations were difficult to hear at best, Rainbow Dash could clearly tell from the tone of Lyra’s upbeat voice and Bon Bon’s thick Manehatten accent that whatever they were talking about, it sure was juicy.

The sight and sound of the two flirting made Dash’s heart pound like a Taiko drum, making her face scrunch up and bleed beads of cold, nervous sweat. It reminded her of what her heart had been missing out on: being in the arms of another mare. Somepony to share her life with, to have and to hold, to feel hot kisses trailing their way down to her-

“NO!!”

Rainbow Dash panicked; startled by her own outburst and leaning against the window that she just boarded, nailed, riveted, glued, locked and welded shut within the span of ten seconds flat. Panting heavily, her lungs shrank and swelled with deep gasps for air as she feared losing control over her hormones; bathwater-cold chills jolting through her body like a tesla coil.

“I...I gotta...Maybe I should go talk to Twilight.” Breathed Rainbow Dash between forced intakes of air. Frigid sweat rolled down her coat. “Yeah...That’s, that sounds like a good plan... An egghead like her should know what to do in a time like this!”
 Dash blushed, realizing just who she was speaking to.  “Oh man, now I’m talking to myself...I gotta get some air!”

And on that awkward note, Rainbow Dash bolted out an open window with a flash of color and the force of an F-14 Tomcat, soaring through the cold morning air down to Ponyville, ignoring the postal worker who got stuck in her mailbox...again.

“Is that you, Rainbow Dash? I got stuck again and my plot’s starting to feel funny!” Called Derpy.

So what do you think? Please drop by and leave a comment! And please stay tuned for the next chapter!

Reassurance.

Chapter II: Reassurance.

Gliding on slivered gusts of wind above the rolling greens of Dream Valley, Rainbow Dash made her gradual descent down to Ponyville, casually scanning the activities in the dirt streets below.

Unlike most towns in Equestria, Ponyville had no real physical boundaries like walls, rivers or coastline to define its city limits. Instead, its jurisdiction was spread all over the valley, its thatch-roofed buildings scattered about haphazardly like seeds sown by a giant farmer. Like a fractal pattern, the buildings themselves were surrounded by the typical rural satellites of water wells, signs, billboards, woodpiles, barrels, animal pens, propane tanks, sheds and the odd swimming hole. Most of the buildings were heaped in a big ring-shaped pile centered around town hall, not unlike iron shavings to a magnet. Outside of the town center were a few smaller parodies of its courtyard, focused around landmarks such as Sugarcube Corner, the marketplace, the Gondola leading up to Cloudsdale and the Ponyville Library: Rainbow Dash’s destination.

Landing softly on the library’s bedroom balcony, Rainbow Dash turned herself towards her immediate surroundings and took mental note: Around her was a panorama of old, Trottingham Revival-style houses grouped together to form great heaps of semi-rural accretion and spaced apart to form dirt roads partially flooded with its Equestrian residents. Even though it was technically mating season, there was nothing all that much different from any other day, save for the fact that there were many shop signs that catered to cute couples or singles, with the occasional placard advertising “Discreet Wares”, with arrows pointing to the doors of shops that foals were strictly forbidden from even going anywhere near them. The small niches between buildings were occupied by small shrines to Cadence, their concrete likenesses of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza almost completely obscured by flowery garlands and rosaries; votives left by lonely bachelors or scorned lovers.

As for the citizens of Ponyville, the only things out of the ordinary were the numerous couples of all orientations and ages rubbing noses and exchanging dreamy stares, the many Ponies that had much more energy than normal (Some even giving Pinkie Pie a run for her energetic money), the occasional mare and stallion that really needed to get a room and the rare Pony that looked suspiciously similar to Somepony Rainbow Dash knew. She even did a double take when she noticed that there were two Bon Bons at the same storefront. Changelings weren’t always known for their intelligence.

But in spite of these differences, everything was (relatively) ordinary in Ponyville. Equestrians were sentient beings perfectly capable of overriding instinct with free will after all, so in spite of numerous public displays of affection, it wasn’t like there was an orgy on every street corner every three or six months.

Well, except for that one time...

Meanwhile, a very giddy-looking Twilight Sparkle entered her library/home carrying a very bulky-looking saddlebag on her back and followed by a visibly exasperated Baby Dragon. Closing the door behind the two, Twilight happily trotted up to her room with Spike trudging along behind her.

“What’s the big deal, anyway? I mean, it’s just a big book, Twilight.” Said Spike, entering her room.

In a flash of pink energy, Twilight teleported right in front of Spike, staring at him with a shocked and offended expression as if to say that he beat up Sweetie Belle. Spike recoiled from her sudden reappearance in front of him, even though he was well used to her losing her cool on a couple of very memorable occasions.

“‘Just a big book?!’” Twilight responded, echoing her assistant’s remarks. “This isn’t just any book! This is a rare book from the Star-Swirl The Bearded Wing of the Royal Canterlot Library and is almost always checked out by somepony else!”  
“Bookworms...” Spike muttered under his breath before Twilight levitated the five-inch-thick book right in front of his face. The book was a particularly old one, even by the standards of Twilight’s personal collection of antique manuscripts. It was a hefty stack of moldy, age-yellowed parchment sandwiched two great sheets of Red Cedar upholstered in Dragonskin and held shut by a gold-buckled strap of leather.

“‘Transeuclidean Paracosms of The Higher Paradigms?’” Said Spike, carefully reading the gilded words on the book’s cover with a puzzled tone of voice. “What is this, even?”

Twilight simply smiled in response, letting out a cute “Squee” noise. “I don’t know, either!” She said ecstatically to her confused purple apprentice. “All I know is that whatever is in this book must be some of the most advanced fonts of knowledge in the field of magical studies! I can only imagine having the very fabric of the universe bend and warp like putty to my touch! Ohhh, this is going to be more fun than the time Celestia let me disassemble her old Antikythera device!”

“Riiiight...” Said Spike unenthusiastically, rolling his eyes in exasperation. Even if you were the best friend and assistant to a Unicorn with a combination of OCD, Paranoia and Asperger’s, you too would have those kind of days. Especially if you lived in a magical land of talking Ponies that was almost always under siege by monsters of some kind, but hey - no place is perfect.

“So if you would be so kind, I would like it if I could read this in peace. I need to concentrate on such a juicy-looking book!” Said Twilight, making her way to her bed with her gigantic tome. Spike casually turned and walked away, leaving her in peace.

“Might as well.” Spike said, shrugging. “I had to go to the market anyway. See ya.” The dragon made his way down the carved wooden stairs and towards the door. "Need anything, Twilight?"

"Just some more Oolong Tea, please!" Called Twilight. "We're almost out!"

"Hear you loud and clear!"

“And please remember to pick up some Green Zebra Tomatoes this time! They’re not overly ripe, they just look like they are!”

“I got it! Thank you!”

The door opened and slammed shut, the signal Twilight was looking for to let her know its time to read her brand new, musty old book. Like a child that couldn’t wait to play with a new toy, she giddily climbed into her bed and nestled herself halfway under the covers, levitating the ten-pound book slowly and comfortably into her lap. After letting out a soft sigh of contentment, Twilight perked up after hearing the sound of a hoof softly rapping on the glass of her window. After magically pulling back the curtains, she let out a startled yelp upon seeing a worried-looking Pegasus on the other side of the glass, leaping a solid three inches into the air and sending her book flopping heavily onto the bed.

“Rainbow Dash, what in the world are you doing here?” Said Twilight, taking note of her cerulean friend’s anxious expression and flushed face. “Is something wrong?”

“T-twilight?” Asked Rainbow Dash, blushing a bright red and shedding the odd drop of sweat. “Can you help me...Can you help me out with s-something?”

“Of course I can!” Said Twilight as she opened the window for the cyan mare. “As a good friend, you know that you can always count on me to help you with whatever issue that you may have! Now come inside and we’ll have a chat. After all, what are friends for?”

“Gee, thanks, Twilight...” Dash said nervously, climbing up the window ledge and leaping onto the bed. As Twilight closed the window behind her, she couldn’t help but notice an...unusual scent in the air. It was a subtle, yet somewhat slightly kind-of sort-of distinct fragrance that could be best described as “flowery”. Whatever it was, it made a part of the Unicorn’s brain feel funny, but Twilight paid it no heed, as Rainbow Dash clearly had something on her own mind. Rainbow simply sat there hunched over, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Twilight, save for a couple quick glances over the shoulder as she nervously pawed at the comforter beneath her. This really worried the Unicorn, as this was behavior she’d expect from Fluttershy coming from Rainbow Dash of all ponies! A long, awkward minute of stillness ensued before Twilight broke the silence.

“Rainbow Dash?” Asked Twilight Sparkle, her face and voice soft with worry.

“...Yeah?” Replied Dash, looking at the lilac mare out of the corner of her eye.

“Is there something you need to tell me?”

“Yeah, kind of...”

“Well, it looks like there’s something really bothering you... You’re acting like Fluttershy when I first met her, you’re sweating...” Twilight reached out and placed her hoof on Rainbow’s forehead before quickly yanking it back in recoil. “Ouch! And you have a really bad fever too, you’re burning up! Your face is redder than Big Mac’s rear end...”

“I know...”

“Are you sick?”

“No.”

“Are you allergic to something?”

 “No...”

“Is an imbalance of hormones hyperstimulating your pneumogastric nerve?”

“What?”

“Err...Nevermind.” Twilight said nervously, blushing a bit herself. “Are you...afraid?”

Rainbow Dash sighed heavily, swiveling around on her tailbone towards her friend. “Yes...”

“So what is it that you’re afraid of?” Twilight asked, levitating a clipboard and pen closer towards her after pulling it straight out of hammerspace a few seconds ago. “Knowing you, it must’ve been something really hair-raising.” She said as she quickly jotted down notes onto the board’s sole sheet of paper, reminiscent of her foalhood therapist.

“Well...*gulp*...I’m in heat.” Dash replied, giving a dry, throaty gulp.

Momentarily surprised, Twilight’s mood turned from worried to sheepish. “Well, obviously!” She said, staring at Rainbow Dash in a perplexed, wide-eyed “you’ve gotta be bucking kidding me” kind of way. “It is the start of mating season for most ponies after all, so you must have a crush on somepony!” Her mood brightened a bit, eager to hear who her object of affection must be. “So who’s the oh-so-lucky stallion you’re interested in? Lemme guess: it’s Soarin’, isn’t it?”

“No, it isn’t Soarin’.” Replied Rainbow Dash forlornly.

“Is it...Big Macintosh?” Twilight asked.

“No.”

“Is it Braeburn?”

“No...”

“Meadow Song?”

“No...”

“Caramel?”

“No...”

Twilight paused. “...Donut Joe?”

“NO!” Rainbow Dash shouted, raising her voice enough startle both of them.

“It’s okay, Dash, just calm down...” Said Twilight, trying to keep the Pegasus from getting overly emotional. “...So then, who is it?”

Rainbow Dash knew it would come down to this. She hung her head in defeat, slowly closing her eyes and awaiting the dark results of what she was going to say next like a condemned criminal walking up the stairs to the gallows, looking like she just wanted to fade away like an afterimage. She then softly gave her answer to Twilight, fearing that those next few words will end their friendship forever.

“It’s Spitfire...” Dash then relaxed her shoulders, letting her head hang completely loose in surrender, awaiting Twilight’s inevitable revulsion.

“I...kinda had a feeling you were into mares...” Said Twilight. Dash screwed her eyes shut tight, little saline beads of tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

“I know. I’m a filly-fooler.” Dash said in defeat. The last time she made a confession like this was when she had to admit that she loved reading. As embarrassing as the experience was, it was nothing compared to the soul-bearing stress that she was going through right now and her hormones certainly didn't help.

Twilight knew what she had to do. She took a strong, firm hoof and...

...gently placed it under Rainbow Dash’s chin, lifting it up so their eyes met - Soft violets staring into tearful rubies.

“Rainbow Dash, there’s no need to be ashamed of being a lesbian at all.” Said Twilight reassuringly.

Dash blinked, drying what few tears she had. “But I’m supposed to be a world-class athlete, not a mare-chaser...I have a reputation to uphold!”

“You said the same thing about reading and do you see anypony calling you an egghead? I think not...” Replied Twilight, letting a bit of her snarky side take over. “Besides, we have like at least three lesbian couples in town!” Twilight let go of Dash’s chin, letting her keep her own head up in the conversation. "So it's not like you're having the spotlight of attention focusing on you."

“B-but that’s different!” Dash stammered. “This is my big shot at the Wonderbolts! The initiation party is tonight at the Canterlot Royal Ballroom! You and I both know that! W-what if I lose my cool and end up trying to scissor my idol??”

“Just be strong and keep it together..." Twilight said.

"I'm not sure if I can." Rainbow Dash replied timidly.

"I know you can. You are Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash. If you can pull off a Sonic Rainboom, then I'm sure that you can keep it together and make it through in one piece."

Rainbow Dash paused, coming to her senses and steadily rebuilding her confidence. Slowly reclaiming strength, she took a deep breath and decided to get her head back in the game.

"You're right, Twilight." Said Dash. "If I was able to pull that off, then surely I'll be able to make it through the party easily!" Even though her self-confidence was back to normal, she still felt shaky and edgy after having to confess her secret to Twilight, leaving her resolve strong, yet brittle at the same time. The day might be a very awkward one, of turbulent feelings and social discomfort, but Rainbow Dash felt ready to take on the day anyway!

"Thank you so much for your help!" Rainbow Dash pulled Twilight in for a warm, friendly hug, squeezing her arms tightly around the Unicorn's back and chest, making her blush.

"Not a problem, Dash!" Said Twilight, smiling nervously and ignoring the discomfort of the Pegasus's hoof-shaped vice grip around her. Hesitantly letting go, Rainbow blushed and smiled in the same way Twilight did during their impromptu, one-sided hug.

"Heh...Guess I don't know my own strength..." Quipped Rainbow Dash, letting out a nervous chuckle.

"Not a problem." Twilight replied, smiling warmly before her eyes shot open upon remembering something in the back of her head. "Say, we still have a little bit of Oolong Tea, so would you like to stay a while and have some? I know it's your favorite..."

"Uh, no thanks, Twilight..." Dash replied sheepishly, already hovering a couple feet above the bed.

"But I picked it out for you... Plus, I have plenty of...err...soft comforters to recline on and read Daring Do!"

"It's alright, Twilight. But thanks anyway for offering..." Dash blushed a slight shade of red. Her hormones were kicking in a bit from the Unicorn's barely suggestive offer. "...But I have to go and get...ready for tonight's party and I can't leave Spitfire hanging, so I'll go see what...Pinkie Pie's got going on. Gotta dash!"

And with that clever motto, Rainbow Dash bolted out the window like a caffeinated Flying Squirrel, scattering a couple loose papers Twilight had lying around. Her musk lingered for a bit before dissipating, giving the Unicorn a good whiff of the pheromone-filled fragrance.

After Rainbow had left the building, Twilight Sparkle sighed heavily in resignation, getting back into bed and back to reading her book, her eyes half-lidded.

“I hope by ‘Spitfire’ she meant ‘Twilight Sparkle...’” She muttered. "...But I guess I'm just not cut out for her..."

A Day in The Life.

Chapter III: A Day in The Life

Laying back on a windowside cushion, Spitfire took another bite out of the apple she held in her hoof, staring lazily at the aerial vista of Dream Valley as a few beads of the apple’s juices dribbled down her chin. It was another one of those “do-nothing days” at the Wonderbolts Mansion when the team didn’t have practice runs, air shows, meetings or races to keep them busy, which allowed the the yellow-coated mare to sit on the “bed” by one of the building’s five two-story plate-glass windows and veg out. On days like these, much of the team usually were out running errands or going window-shopping in Canterlot, leaving Spitfire and Soarin’ behind to finish paperwork or enjoy a favorite hobby. It there wasn’t one thing to do, it was another - If the paperwork’s done, watch TV. If nothing good was on or the antenna was on the fritz, there was reading. If Soarin’ was reading the latest issue of Equestria After Dark in the bathroom for a solid half-hour, then fly around outside. If the weather was crappy, then you could try watching TV and so on and so forth. There were plenty of things to do around the mansion, thanks to the team’s income, but sometimes all the pool tables and dartboards in the world couldn’t stop such numbing boredom.

This time around, Spitfire spent her time looking out the window at Ponyville, daydreaming as she tried to see if she could see anything happening down below with her binoculars. It was an strangely comforting past-time for her, being able to look down at the little figures in the streets go about their business. It was like admiring a miniature model of town, seeing all the ordinary and out of the ordinary things happening around Ponyville with such a god-like perspective, all played out by those ant-like Equestrians. She often kept a journal with her to catalogue the occasional scene that was either beyond the realm of possibility or just simply made her chuckle. There was one really memorable moment where she saw a strong-looking red Stallion leaping around like Pinkie Pie, tied to a house he was gleefully dragging behind! That really made her day.

Briefly reminiscing about that scene, Spitfire gently placed her half-eaten apple on a nearby plate and pressed her eyes into the small end of a pair of sturdy black binoculars, taking a look at what was going around town this time. There were the usual things you’d see around Ponyville and Ponyville during mating season in this case, but there were a couple of things she found fairly interesting. Holding the binocs in her left hoof and a pencil in the other, Spitfire got out her “Observation Journal” and wrote down what she found.

May 22nd, 1003 AN, 11:34 AM. Sunny, partly cloudy. 21% humidity. 8% chance of rain. High: 89 F. Low: 71 F.

Mating Season has begun for this year in Equestria. Typical lovey-dovey stuff going on in Ponyville and Cloudsdale. Nothing really out of the ordinary.

Spotted three little fillies attempting to hang-glide at the Northwest edge of town. Looks like Cheerilee and a couple of other ponies are yelling at them. This is just too rich! Speaking of names, I don’t quite remember who those girls are, save for the orange one. What was her name again? Scout? Scooter? Agh, it’s on the tip of my tongue...
Checked out the Amusement Park in Canterlot. Couples having fun as usual. I see that one Stallion, Doctor...Damn, I forgot his name, too! Why does your memory have to be so crappy, Spitfire?! Oh well, that’s life. Looks like he’s going into this little blue booth. Never saw that when I was there. Must be an outhouse. There’s a really bright flash coming from it all of a sudden and-- It’s gone! I’ve never heard of a teleporting outhouse before! This is all too weird...

I should really check out Ponyville more often. Especially since it’s the only town around here with a really good bakery. Man, their eclairs are to die for! And it’s a place I should really head to first whenever Soarin’ has one of his occasional “eating-while-sleepwalking” episodes. Lovable weirdo...

Speaking of weird, it looks like another Changeling got caught - He’s fleeing from a mob of Ponies. That’s the third time today and it’s still morning! They must be getting desperate after the Royal Wedding last year. That was really something else.

Well, it looks like that’s about it for this morning. I guess I’ll take a break-- Hello, what’s this? Looks like Rainbow Dash is out flying again. It looks like she’s worried about something. Did something bad happen? I hope not. I would absolutely hate for something awful to happen to that sweet mare. Especially since the party’s going on tonight in Canterlot.   It’s not like her to look so...anxious like that. Dad always told me it was very rude to butt into other ponies’ business, but my gut feeling tells me something’s a bit off. Oh well.

Spitfire closed the book and put down her binoculars. She always prided herself on her ability to write with good penmanship and watch something at the same time - strong hoof-eye coordination is vital for any self-respecting Wonderbolt. She contemplated the upcoming party for a couple seconds before noticing Soarin’ walk into the living room with a slice of buttered toast firmly gripped in his teeth before eating it one bite.

“Hey, Soarin’?”

“Yeah? What’s going on, Spitfire?”

Spitfire leapt down from her cushion and trotted up to her teammate. “Is the party set up yet over in Canterlot?”  “Eeyup! Just about!” Soarin’ happily replied. “It’s in Ballroom C, West Wing on the fourth floor, right next door to the coat check that’s next door to Security Room 3E.” He grinned sunnily. “See, I remembered this time!”

“Heh, glad you did!” Chuckled Spitfire. Soarin’ was known for his excellent flying abilities, but not for his not-so-excellent attention span, which was shorter than his wingspan. It’s unfair and untrue to call Soarin’ stupid, since even though he was easily distracted when not in flight, he was remarkably smart, graduating from Las Pegasus University with a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics. That, and he was a pretty sensitive guy; every now and then he’d sleep with Spitfire in the middle of the night due to anxiety-induced insomnia. Tabloids can do that to a celebrity like Soarin’. Spitfire never complained about it much, since she was a very open-minded mare. Plus it also helped her to know if he started sleepwalking or not.

“But there’s something I need to talk to you about, Soarin’...” Spitfire added.

“Oh really?” Said Soarin’. “Is there a problem or something?”

“Well, no...at least not any that I know of.” She replied, rubbing her arm with her left hoof, eyes drifting away from Soarin’. “But I am kind of worried about Rainbow Dash...”
“Really? Why is that?” Soarin’ cocked his head in confusion.

“Well...When I was looking out the window, I noticed Rainbow Dash flying off somewhere with a look of what appeared to be severe anxiety on her face. I’ve never seen her so stressed out before; it’s as if she was fearing for her very life. Now I may be overreacting a little bit and even though it was just a brief glimpse, but there was something about her expression that gave me a gut feeling that something was wrong.

“Maybe she’s nervous about the party.” Soarin’ suggested. “You know how our fans can be.”

“She can’t possibly be that nervous!” Said Spitfire. “She’s met us more than a few times before, so why would she even freak out about this?”

“Do you think there was something bad happened to her in the past that?” Asked Soarin’.

“Hmm...” Spitfire placed the tip of her hoof on her chin, trying to think. “I remember Twilight Sparkle once told me during the reception party after the wedding that Rainbow Dash has gone through a lot of bullying during her school days, leaving her with quite a few nasty memories. One particularly awful moment in her life, she said, was on the last day of High School. Apparently, a couple of bullies found her diary after school and forced her to listen to them read it out loud in front of everypony, all of them laughing at the poor filly. I asked Twilight if she knew what kind of things they said about her, but she didn’t know either. And that it was really none of my business.”

“Poor mare.” Said Soarin’, looking down, pawing at the floor with one hoof. “Nopony deserves to go through any of that...”

“I know. If that’s the case, I really wish I could help... Maybe I should go pay her a visit.” Spitfire rubbed her haunches together.  “No offense, Spitfire, but I really think you should stay out of Rainbow Dash’s business...” Said Soarin’, scratching the back of his head. “You have kind of...sort of a tendency to be a bit nosy sometimes...”

Spitfire shot him an icy glare, causing the Space Wolf Grey-coated stallion to freeze up.

“And just what is wrong with feeling concern for a new recruit, exactly, Soarin’? Snapped the mare, her face turning a light shade of carmine.

“Oh! Uhh...*sniff* Nothing! Nothing at all!” Soarin’ the stallion stammered. “It’s just that...she may need to have a bit of personal space, since she may be in hea-” Soarin’s words stopped dead in their tracks as his eyes flung wide open in realization.

“What is it?” Spitfire asked.

  “You don’t...” Soarin’ said, starting to sweat.

“I don’t what?”

“You don’t think Rainbow Dash being so anxious may have something to do with it being the start of mating season, do you?”

Spitfire’s mood began to change from irritable to surprised. “Soarin’, are you saying that...Rainbow Dash has a crush on me?” She said, blushing brighter.

“Well...she did save our lives...” Said Soarin’. “...and the life of my pie. Plus, she always to be especially interested in you.”

“Just because I’m her hero and her idol doesn’t mean she’s...my crush- Err, I mean...that I am her crush...” Sputtered Spitfire, looking a bit flustered. “I don’t even know if she’s even interested in mares!”

“You’ll never know...” Soarin’ shrugged, saying those words with a snarky tone of voice.

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!” Said Spitfire in a raised voice.

“Oh nothing!” Soarin’ quipped smugly, walking down towards the nearest hallway. “I’m just saying that her feeling towards you may be...mutual...” The stallion sniggered before bolting down the corridor gleefully like a mischievous colt that just ended somepony’s window pane with a well-aimed slingshot.

“Grrr, you get back here!!” Snarled Spitfire, leering at the hallway Soarin’ ran down like an angry guard dog. Abandoning her aggressive posture, the mare let out a heavy, exhausted sigh before sauntering off to her bedroom door at the opposite end of the hall.

“Maybe she does have a crush on me...” She said to herself before slipping past the wooden door to her cozy bedroom. “Phew...Why is it so hot in here?”

Stupid Cupid.

Chapter IV: Stupid Cupid

Flying thirty feet above the dirt roads of Ponyville, Rainbow Dash was not feeling like a happy camper at the moment. Not at all. In heat, in distress and unsure of what to do at speeds of fifty miles an hour, Dash was struggling to find a solution to her estrus issues before seven o’ clock tonight without embarrassing herself, without getting knocked up and without losing her sanity in a town full of excited, attractive and semi-attractive mares. She had learned a powerful lesson in empathy within the very back of her mind, now understanding what Twilight was going through during what the Ponyville Express called “The Smartypants Incident.”

Clock is ticking, Dash... She thought to herself, sweat flying off her body like water off duck’s arse. Clock...is...ticking!!

Rainbow Dash’s hormones were colliding against the coarse grain of repressed feelings, canceling each other out and creating a maelstrom of emotions, making her estrus abnormally powerful. The cool spring air whipping against her contours would’ve normally cooled down any mare in heat, but the veritable space heater inside of her would not die down, instead creating an uncomfortable mix of an internal inferno and an external cold snap, making the shadowed bottom of her stomach clench in a most uncomfortable way. As if that wasn’t enough, the hormonal storm inside Dash’s skull was doing a brain chemical tango all day long, starting with anxiety, then sadness and now panic.

Coincidentally, “Brain Chemical Tango” was the name of Vinyl “DJ PON-3” Scratch’s latest dance mix, in stores now.

Dash kept her eyes focused on the town below, quickly bolting from place to place looking for anypony she knew that would give her more advice on how to deal with her current predicament, scanning every street, alley and sign for friends and the places where they were usually found at.

Rainbow Dash was focusing so much on the task at hand in addition to converting her heat into extra energy to keep her concentrated, that she failed to detect a hard, solid something in mid-air above Carousel Boutique. Colliding with it headfirst, Dash reeled from the impact, her head throbbing with pain from the inside out like a wedding bell, eyesight clouded with blindingly bright stars and their bruise-purple afterimages. Landing straight into the ground like the thing she flew into, Rainbow Dash found herself with a face, body, wing and hoof full of dirt...

...and pain.

“Ooogh, my aching head...” Groaned Dash as she clutched her head, shaking stars out her eyesight. Were it not for the fact that there was a mattress somehow buried in the thick layers of clay and dirt to cushion her crash, the impact would’ve hurt a lot more. As she climbed out of the cartoonishly deep pit she left in the ground, her blood turned cold upon seeing a giant, animate mound of dirt rise out of the other crater ominously, casting a long, dark shadow above the cyan mare like a thing of mythology as its ochre limbs fumbled their way out of the pit. Dazed and confused, Rainbow Dash was left at the utterly muddy monstrosity’s mercy, briefly thinking that this may be her last moments on Earth until the abomination let loose its terrifying call:

“Mrrphrrphrr, Mrrphrurdurph?” The creature said in a muffled, vaguely midwestern lilt.

“Huh?!”

The creature’s outer hide of dried mud and cold, damp clay crumbled apart in thick slabs all at once to reveal its true, grey-coated final form, staring back at Rainbow Dash with piercing gold eyes.

“I said ‘are you okay, Rainbow Dash?’” Said the creature again.

Dash let out a heavy sigh of relief, wiping her brow. The eldritch soil golem that had loomed over her mere seconds ago turned out to be nothing more than Ponyville’s favorite esotropic postal worker, Derpy Hooves. The mailmare’s mane and coat, much like Rainbow Dash’s, was thoroughly soiled by soil and grass stains. Very tough to clean off, they were. Both climbing out of their respective craters, the two Pegasi stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before Dash decided to break the silence.

“Umm...Hey.” Said Rainbow Dash bashfully.

...

“Hi!” Said a cheerful Derpy.

...

“Say...do you have a minute of your time?” 
“Sure, I do! I’d love to chat with you, Rainbow Dash.” The grey mare replied, her crooked eyes looking into Dash’s very soul with the happy-go-lucky innocence of an innocent, happy-go-lucky grey mare. It’s hard to compare somepony like Derpy to anything else, really. You may as well try comparing apples to oranges, or in Derpy’s case, wisdom teeth and African Land Snails.

“Well...*gulp*...it’s mating season and all, and I couldn’t help but notice that you and that one guy, Doctor Whooves, have sort of a...relationship going on.” Said Dash, on the verge of almost kind-of slightly forcing those words out of her mouth. “And was wondering...if you had any kind of advice on dating and relationships. You know, since...you two seem to be really...seem to work well with each other. And even though I don’t usually ask about anything romantic and that this question may sound a bit stupid, but...what exactly is love?” Rainbow Dash blushed; she couldn’t believe she was asking somepony these kinds of questions. She always made it a priority to be tough and look tough while being tough. She wasn’t the kind of girl to ask about any kind of namby-pamby dating advice, even though Namby-Pamby was a great dating advisor...

Derpy blushed, letting out a heart-warming chuckle. She smiled, scratching the back of her head with one hoof.

“Eheheh...I never thought you’d ask anything like that, Dashie.” Laughed the mare. “You’re in luck, since the boss let me off from work early today, so it’s a great time for us to talk! A lot of ponies think I’m kinda dumb, but I think I’m smarter than them for knowing things too basic for any of them to really know. I mean...I may not be a smart mare, but I do know what love is...”

“Well, I’m glad to know that you can...enlighten me on the subject...” Dash said sheepishly. Not in a thousand years would she see herself asking Thunderpeal “Derpy” Hooves of all ponies for advice. Just as the postpony was about to inhale the breath needed to give Rainbow Dash her response, the front door to Carousel Boutique, a building that looked like a Kremlin rotunda that got repainted by a 19th Century Circus performer, swung open to reveal a very flustered-looking Rarity.   “Celestia H. Faust, how can anypony work with such noise going-- AAAHHH!!!” Rarity shrieked, nearly fainting from shock upon seeing two mud-caked Pegasi sitting in front of her destroyed front walk.

“Umm...hi?” Said Rainbow Dash, grinning as innocently as she could while bracing her ears for another one of Rarity’s trademark temper flares.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Bellowed the posh Unicorn. “My front yard has been ruined, there’s topsoil and dirt everywhere and you two are just sitting there, engaged in idle chit-chat covered in filth like some peasant?! Get in here now, BOTH of you!! Wipe your hooves off at the doormat and carefully make your way to the bathroom for the scrubbing of a lifetime! Now MARCH!!”

Before they could react to Rarity’s brutal tongue lashing, Derpy and Dashie found themselves magically yanked into the doorway of the boutique like a couple of misbehaving children. The two were momentarily caught in the door while being brought in at the same time, leaving big dirty smears of dirty dirt onto the gaudy doorframe.

“And when I’m done with you two, I’ll make sure that both of you pay Big Macintosh for the refilling and reseeding of those holes you ruffians dug for yourselves! I mean, how in the world can I run such a dignified establishment with a trench out in front?! I have customers to serve, just like that gorgeous hunk of stallion, Big Macintosh... Ohh, he’s such a rebel, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, a real renegade...” Quipped Rainbow Dash after enduring another of the Unicorn’s blistering rants.

“Out of the frying pan and into the fire...” She thought. “Or in this case, the bathtub...”

The Concept of Love.

Rainbow Dash cringed as she was forced to endure the soft, yet abrasive scratch of bristles from the wooden scrub brush being manipulated by Rarity, who was sitting outside on a white bathmat, leaning against the edge of her white porcelain bathtub with her back facing the white Unicorn. Despite being in heat, cleaned by one of her best friends and in a hot soapy bathtub with another mare, she was feeling a mixture of exasperation and defeat, wondering just where it all went wrong.

Ever since she fell out of bed this morning, the whole day had been spent zipping from one point to another, seeking help from friends and repressing her emotions in an estrus-induced anxiety. During that time, she often felt genuine fear, remembering all too well the humiliation she had to go through after what happened at the last day of high school; the taunts, the laughter, the homophobic epithets and chants... Even though she knew well that she was best friends with the five other mares that bore the sacred Elements of Harmony and that she was far from being the only lesbian in town, Rainbow Dash felt that the slightest error or slip of the tongue would open up those old wounds.

As if to say that fate had not dealt her a cruel enough hand, Rainbow Dash's Wonderbolts Initiation Party was only 5 hours away, having been pushed to the beginning of mating season due to bureaucratic complications, she was in heat and about to meet her secret crush:

Her idol and Captain of The Wonderbolts: Spitfire.

"Rarity?" Asked Rainbow Dash. "What do you know about love?"

"Hmm? Love? What exactly about it?" Rarity replied, magically rinsing the blue Pegasus off with a small bucket of water.

"Well..." Dash's brain strained as hard as it could to force out a proper way to phrase her question in the least awkward of ways. She knew that Rarity was a bit more...conservative when it came to love. She was not homophobic or bigoted, mind you, but she never could quite grasp the idea of a wedding with two brides. She always grew up with the classic "fairytale wedding" trope, so hearing about Lyra and Bon Bon's wedding when it happened more than a year ago was a bit of a culture shock. "...well, what is it like to be in love?"

Rarity was taken aback a bit, knowing full well that Rainbow Dash would never say such a thing. "W-what?! Rainbow Dash, I-I thought you always hated mushy stuff like romance! Why would you ask something like that?" She said as she began to scrub the Pegasi's back.

"Well, it is mating season and...erm...seeing so many couples together..." A lump formed in Dash's throat, forcing her to gulp. She looked back over her shoulder towards Rarity to talk to her, revealing the blood that began to flow into her cheeks. "...it kinda made me wonder what it would be like to be in a relationship, since I've never been in one."

Rarity smiled and giggled, letting the brush magically continue scrubbing between Rainbow's wings as she talked. "Well...I'm flattered you asked me that! As a sophisticated pony, I always feel that it is pertinent for mares to be well learned in the arts of romance and sexuality..." She blushed upon saying that last word.

"S-sex...?" Dash stammered, her wings unfurling a bit as her blush intensified. She cursed herself for somehow maintaining eye contact with Rarity after she said that magic word.

"Of course, darling!" The Unicorn replied, turning a stainless steel knob to let in a brief flow of hot water. "Why shouldn't a mare know about how things should happen under the covers? After all, an active and healthy sexual lifestyle is vital for a long term relationship between two mutually consenting adults!" She said, drizzling extra soap on Dash's back, letting the pink-colored goo run down and get mashed into suds upon contact with the moving bristles.

"Eheh...yeah, how stupid of me not to know about that..." Said Rainbow Dash, smiling sheepishly. Dash then rolled over to face Rarity to both prevent the brushing from exciting her too much (which was any excitement at all at this point) and to ease , only to have her wing collide with the instrument, dragging its bristles against her wing. The sudden jolt of pleasure and discomfort felt like a hot copper wire sending a current straight into the Pegasi's brain, triggering a voice cracking shriek. Dash slid against the wet porcelain like a rogue bar of soap, flipping rumpfirst off of the tub's wall and into a thrashing somersault, flailing her arms and legs in a panicked attempt to right herself and splashing soapy water everywhere - with most of it landing on Rarity.

"AAUGGH!!" Cried Rarity. "Rainbow Alberghetti Dash, what is the matter with you?!" She yelled, scolding the Pegasus the same way she scolded Sweetie Belle earlier today for nearly crashing a hang-glider into her bedroom window. "I was barely even touching your back and you start thrashing about like a little foal! What's wrong with you?!"

For what felt like thirty minutes, all Rainbow could do was lay on her back in shock, staring at a wet and offended Rarity glaring at her as she felt her heart slamming itself against her sternum. After about three seconds of vacant staring, Dash regained her composure and laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

"Whoops! Heh...I guess I...just don't know what went wrong!" She replied, blushing.

"Hey, that's my line!" Cried Derpy, suddenly emerging from beneath the soap-clouded water wearing a scuba mask and snorkel. Her sudden appearance startled the other two mares, causing Dash to buck her legs out, splashing Rarity with even more water. The unicorn glared at the grey mare, letting out a low, but audible and very frustrated growl.

"Where the heck did you come from?!" Shouted Rainbow Dash, still a bit freaked out.

"Ah dunno." Said Derpy in the most casual tone of voice. Blowing a stream of bubbles out of her snorkel during the ensuing awkward silence, the blonde-maned mailmare ended it with a question of her own. "So watcha guys talking about?" She asked.

"We were talking about what love was, Derpy." Said Rarity, blushing as she shook her head violently to rid her hair of excess moisture. "I'm sure you would know plenty about the subject, err...right?" A nervous drop of sweat ran down the Unicorn's forehead.

Derpy took off her scuba mask and snorkel before nodding her head in response. "Oh, I sure do!" She said happily. "As I always say: 'I may not be a smart mare, but I do know what love is!'" Rainbow and Rarity both gave the esotropic postal worker a nervous smile, neither of them imagining Derpy Hooves of all ponies to be the one teaching them.

Rarity's smile turned from a forced one into a genuine one, unable to resist Mrs. Hooves' silly smile and endearing naivete. Rainbow Dash would have done the same, were it not for her trying to keep her eyes from wandering down to Derpy's nether regions (if she could even see through its foamy pink screen of bubbling body wash).

"So do tell us, Derpy, my darling." Chimed the fancy fashionista. "What ever do you know about love?"

Derpy pondered her question, pulling a bubble pipe out of the water and gripping it firmly with her teeth. "Well..." She began. The whole room began to blur and distort, reality pushing itself aside for the coming flashback...

A Derp in The Life.

"Love is a hard thing to describe. It feels good - really good, but at the same time it can feel bad when you're not with the Pony you're in love with. But from what I've heard from other Ponies is that love feels different for different Ponies, kinda like how some Ponies like radishes but hate oranges. Love is weird like that. Sometimes it feels warm, sometimes it feels tingly, sometimes it feels hot or cool or fluffy or squirmy or wiggly or sweet or sour or mushy or gooey. But you can't actually feel that physically - like on your body, since you can't touch love, but it feels like you are, only on the inside. Love is really weird like that. For me, it feels like I've got a bunch of grasshoppers in my chest, my wings feel numb, my whole body feels lighter and I feel really warm inside. Some Ponies say it feels like they have butterflies or frogs in their throats, but I don't know how they can tell if they're really butterflies and frogs or if they're just moths and toads.

I guess that's kinda weird, too.

But anyways, I still do remember the day when I first fell in love. It was six years ago, I think, with this really really cute guy named Chance, a Unicorn from the really rich part of Canterlot. He had these really lovely green eyes, a violet coat and a silky blonde mane like mine, plus an Abascu...Ab...Abacass...Cabascus...one of those weird counting thingies for a cutie mark. He was an accountant apparently, so I got the feeling he was really smart.

And really smart he was! He told me all kinds of things about the world, took me to so many fun events in Canterlot like the Grand Galloping Gala, a couple auctions, an opera or two and tickets to see the Wonderbolts racing against two other teams: The Supersonics and the Silver Bullets! He always told me how sexy I was, how sexy he was and how great he was. He really loved bragging about all the things he's done and how he managed to 'score' such a hot young mare like myself. I was 18 at the time, so yeah, maybe I was a bit young, even though he was just a year older than me. Come to think of it, he seemed to talk a lot about himself most of the time. I never felt so happy in all my life that night he took me back to his place...

But then, the night got even more better!

He made me put on this really lacy black outfit with really long socks and these weird goggles made of silk that you put over your chest. Feeling "in the mood" as he put it, I sprawled onto the bed, he climbed up onto the bed and well...heh heh...I dunno if I could tell you the rest about that part...

But the next morning, I woke up and he was gone. Turned out he wasn't in the house at all! I stepped outside and saw him on the street kicking and swearing at these two Royal Guards that were dragging him away for something called 'Larceny' or something. I think it had to do with stealing, since that fancy gold watch he always wore didn't look like it belonged to him. I was like, ten or sixty feet away from him and he never even noticed me. Then a bunch of Ponies who were watching the whole thing started whispering and pointing at me, giggling. I felt like a total idiot...I never did see Chance again....

Later that evening while running errands for Crate, I accidentally dropped the package I was carrying. Crate was mad at me, but forgave me because it was because I started feeling sick. Really, really sick. Like I was going to throw up at any moment, which I did a couple times.

He took me to the hospital and had me go in for a check-up with Dr. Caramel, which I liked, because he was a real cutie. I'd love to rut him any day... But he said it was that kind of thing that made me sick in the first place, even though tests showed that there wasn't anything wrong with me, save for my thick skull and crooked eyes. He then smiled in a really cute way and told me what was wrong with me, even though it wasn't anything wrong at all...

...I was pregnant! I was gonna have a baby! I was so happy, but at the same time, I was really nervous, too. Because Chance couldn't be a dad for my new foal and I was just living on my own, I wouldn't have had enough money to care for it, which would end up taking a big huge chunk out of my muffin budget! No wonder mom and dad always told me I should be married before I 'did it' with a stallion. This did not look good for Ms. Derpy Hooves... But luckily, Crate was nice enough to help me out with raising my baby, offering to teach me everything I know about foalcare. I thought it was so kind for him to travel all the way from his house to my apartment to help me, I gave him a biiiig hug as thanks! Well, that is until he told me that he lived in the place right below mine. And until I puked up a bit on him by accident. Oopsie.

The next nine months, the baby was growing so big, it made my belly get really really big! So much so that I kept getting tickled by the grass whenever I went to the park! How silly... The doctors eventually did some weird tests on me and told me that 'it' was in fact a 'she!' I was going to have a daughter! And a couple months later, I did! Now THAT was the happiest day of my life for sure! It was a little purple-ish pink unicorn with golden eyes and a blonde mane just like her mother, which was me, in case you didn't know. She looked so cute, so tiny and so little like a miniature version of me - a Dinky Derpy. So I decided to give her that name - thus unto the world, Dinky Hooves was born.

It was a bit of a challenge to raise a foal, but I quickly got the hang of it. Because of my klutziness, the Child Welfare Bureau of Ponyville stopped by to see if I was a danger to her or not. The very thought of harming my poor little Dinky always hurt me. Fortunately, they told me that I could not only keep her, but that I was somehow not-klutzy whenever she was around and that I was a model mother, whatever that meant! I was so proud...but at the same time, still sad that I didn't have a husband and that I heard from my best friend, Golden Harvest, that some Ponies were saying mean things about me behind my back, like that I was duped into having a baby with a guy like Chance or that I was dumb enough to abduct another child and call her Dinky. That really, really hurt me. I felt so bad, I sometimes felt like just...going away... But I would never do that, because then nopony would take care of her and everypony deserves a mommy of their own! So I didn't, just waiting for that very special somepony to one day come along and sweep me off my hooves.

And a year later, which would be last year to be precise, my wish came true.

It was a cold spring morning, grey and gloomy, and I was out delivering the mail as usual, letting Dinky sleep in my saddlebag. I was almost done with my rounds when I saw a bright flash of light over a nearby hill! It was so sudden and so strange, that I could not help but trot over there and take a closer look. What I saw was so scary, I thought my heart would stop! Thank Celestia that Dinky was a heavy sleeper or the poor thing would've had such awful nightmares!

Anyways, what I saw was really, really scary: It was a five-hoof-tall...mostly hairless...monkey-like...thing dressed in a fancy brown business suit. It looked just like those weird creatures that Lyra was always talking about - They walked upright on their hind hooves, almost-always wore shoes and yet were still part-Pony somehow. She said it was because they talked just like us and apparently called themselves "Bronies", which, on occasion, would visit our world for one reason or another. She even said that our whole race and whole world was created by a female Brony in another universe, but even she wasn't so sure about that. But let's get back on task! Anyway, it was lying face down in the dirt with big scorch marks on its back - blood was leaking from his body. What was really weird was that it looked like he walked out of this big blue outhouse before falling over and dying. It had the words "police" on it, so he must've been a detective with a really bad case of the Trots.

I was going to run and get help for the poor monster, but Dinky woke up and saw the thing. I was relieved that she was more curious than scared. She was always a little trooper. But then, something REALLY weird happened! And I mean really really REALLY weird kind of really weird! His...err...its body started glowing this really bright orange color, which was so bright that Dinky and I had to cover our eyes and stuff! And as soon as the light died down, something even weirder happened to it: it changed shape! And not just into any shape, but into that of a pony! And it was alive!

When he woke up, he was really shocked and confused, freaking out when he saw me and really freaking out when he looked at himself! He was pretty scared, too, and kept babbling about things like where Martha was and that the Daleks were coming or whatever. But above all, he was really angry and confused about being "regenerated" as a Horse, which I can't really blame him for reacting as such, since he used to be a Brony. We had a little chat and he took me into his outhouse, which turned out to be so much bigger on the inside than on the outside! And it was filled with so many cool looking gadgets and doodads! We continued our conversation, introduced ourselves and learned just who this strange stallion was:

His name was 'Doctor Who.' But since he was a pony now, I told him he should change his name to 'Doctor Whooves.' Which he so promptly did!

He took me under his wing, even though he was just an Earth Pony, as his personal companion and sidekick, along with Dinky, who was so excited by all this! I always knew my daughter was tougher than she looked. She and I were taught all about the places he's been to and all the stuff he's done, we went on death-defying adventures together, we spent time together and we eventually started getting that warm, fuzzy feeling inside us and soon started dating...and mating! He was a real hunk, lemme tell ya! Kind, funny and compassionate...he really does love me for who I am rather than how I looked. Sure, he's gotten really mad if I broke something or started pressing different buttons on his machines, but sweet Celestia, he was good with that 'instrument' of his...Tee hee!

And then one day, it hit me: love wasn't some feeling or some act or something to be made or something to be afraid of, it was an adventure! The greatest of any adventure ever, no matter how good or how bad it was! It was sweeter than a muffin and hotter than the very sun itself! And he told me that...*sniff*...it didn't matter what I looked like, what I was or even what I did with him, so long as the love I gave him was pure, consensual and honest. And even if I never see him again, I'll still love him because it's what makes the world go 'round! And if you're in love, maybe you'll be a part of that same adventure someday with your very special somepony, even after death, forever and ever! Wouldn't that be so awesome, Rainbow Dash?

Rainbow Dash?

Yoohoo, Derpy to Rainbow Dash..."

Derpy waved a hoof in front of Dash's face to get her attention, but to no avail. Despite how titillating the mailmare's long-winded epic was, she couldn't help but fall asleep from hearing such a lengthy yarn. She snored softly, sitting upright in the bathtub with her head leaning against the wall-mounted soapdish. The bubbles have dissipated and the water was now lukewarm at best, turning a thick, dark shade of burnt umber from the soil that encrusted the two from landing in Rarity's yard.

"I...think Rainbow Dash gets your point, Derpy..." Said Rarity, smiling yet another sheepish smile at the grey mare. "...Also, I think it might be a good time to dry off and get home. I have to get ready for Rainbow Dash's big event tonight!"

After Derpy said her farewells to the two and crashing straight through the front door without a single flinch, Rarity levitated the sleeping Pegasus out of the tub, dried her off and carried her off to the guest bedroom where she could have a decent nap. The Unicorn tucked her in and trotted off to greet Big Macintosh at whatever was left of the door.

As her head slowly sank into its feathery-soft cushion, Rainbow Dash stirred in her sleep, dreaming of that fiery-maned, fiery-tempered and fiery-hot mare which her heart and body craved so desperately, like a freezing mare to a flame.

Beautiful.

"Thank you so very much, Pinkie Pie. It means so much to us for you to help set up the party so...quickly..."

"You're so welcome, Spitty! Did you know that I designed the Party Cannon all by myself? Did you? Well, it's true! In fact, I even took night classes at Vanhoover Tech in Ballistics Engineering just to build it! And I took Metal Shop classes and how to write blueprints and how to fit cake into tiny spaces and--"

"Well, that is very impressive, but we really have to get back to work..."

"And did you also know that I received a grant from Canterlot University for creating such an invention? It's true! Hee hee, isn't that neat? You make something really really super duper awesome and cool and smart and stuff, and then they practically throw lots and lots of money at you! Isn't that just awesome?!"

"I'm sure they do and yes, yes it is awesome, but we have--"

"And did I ever tell you I--"

"YES, THANK YOU!!"

Spitfire, despite her best efforts to be courteous and polite in the face of her perky verbal barrage, had no choice but to practically slam the door on Pinkie Pie, timing it just right to make sure she didn't hit the pink Pony square in the muzzle or get her face caught in the frame - as if to say that would actually silence her for a split-pilosecond... The Wonderbolt then pushed her back to the door and slid down in relief, letting out a very audible sigh of exasperation.

"Okay, I guess you're done setting up the party! Thanks for hiring me!" Chimed Pinkie before happily bouncing down the outside hallway.

"No offense, Spitfire, but you really gotta work on your Pony skills..." Said Soarin'. "Sometimes you can't just be a little ball of fire all the time." She was indeed known for her red-hot personality and demeanor, but today, Spitfire felt like her fire was but an ember.

Soarin' quickly took notice of Spitfire's exhaustion, walking closer to her to make sure she was okay. "You alright, Spitz? Something wrong?"

The fire-maned mare let out another tired sigh. "Yes, I'm alright, Soarin'..." She said, shifting her gaze up from her belly and into Soarin's worried eyes. "...I'm just...tired."

"Tired from what? She did all this work for a relatively measly hundred Bits... What could possibly be the problem?" Soarin' gestured to the Canterlot ballroom before them. It was the exact same room where Rainbow Dash saved his beloved Apple Pie during the infamous Grand Galloping Gala fiasco two years ago, only now it was decorated with yellow and blue balloons, banners, party favors, buffet and cake - all courtesy of Ms. Pinkamena Diane Pie of Ponyville. Everything was ready for the guest of honor: Rainbow Dash, leaving Spitfire and the rest of the Wonderbolts in the room to chill out, chat, dance a bit and wait for the big event, which was only a mere two hours away. Celestia's sun dove down behind the mountain vista in the west, bathing Dream Valley in its fiery orange glow and even though the ballroom's massive windows were all facing northeast, they still poured vermillion cascades onto its diamond-patterned marble floor. The whole place was ready for its Rainbow-maned mare of action, but not even all the streamers and punch in the world could make Spitfire feel like it was ready; To her, it just seemed so...empty for some reason.

"I don't know, Soarin'. Maybe it's just...maybe it's just that I've been under a lot of stress lately..." Said Spitfire. As cool-headed and hot-blooded as she was, there was just something throwing her off her game today. She felt a knot tugging and twisting inside her gut, her muscles tensing over nothing and above all, her heart feeling cold and empty. She was very used to being in heat, being able to discreetly sooth those "lady problems" whenever she was in estrus, with or without Soarin' or any of the other team members, but today it felt like those defeated primal hormones were somehow gnawing at the mare's very soul. How could they if she had "relieved" herself only an hour ago?

"Maybe it's mating season." Soarin' suggested. "A mare's scent tends to throw me through the loop whenever I'm in heat..."

"No, it's not that." Spitfire got off of her rump and onto her four hooves, still dodging eye contact with her sky-blue friend. "Estrus is supposed to make me feel hot, not so...cold..." She shivered like there was a draft in the room. "I feel stressed, but I can't put my hoof on what it is exactly."

"Maybe you're just feeling excited about the party..." Said Soarin', who trotted over to the nearby buffet table to get a drink of punch with Spitfire following close behind him.

"I am excited, but I've gone through these sort of events so many times, I barely feel a thing...Stress-wise, that is. I just don't really know what I'm getting so nervous about." That was dangerously close to a lie - deep down, Spitfire's body and essence knew it so well, it was almost biologically manifest. Every little cell and volt of magic that made up the mare's body knew what was troubling her, but her consciousness did its best to make sure that their calls fell upon deaf ears. "Also, you should really use a cup next time, you've got punch dripping down your chin."

"Oh, sorry..." Soarin' grinned sheepishly. "...my bad."

Shaking off the excess droplets of punch like a wet dog, the blue stallion shifted his focus back onto Spitfire. Without even pausing to think about his next words or their repercussions, Soarin' - like so many times before - simply let his brain dump its contents into his mouth and off his tongue. "Maybe you've just got a crush on Rainbow Dash..."

Spitfire froze, tensing her muscles tightly in shock as her friend's suggestion, feeling her whole face fill with blood as she blushed with an almost unseen intensity. Even though she was known in some discreet circles as a very sexually liberated mare, having developed an underground reputation for promiscuity among her closest friends and team members, Spitfire was never really the type to simply settle down and engage in a romantic relationship. That kind of sappy, touchy-feely stuff was only for overly-hormonal teenagers and middle-aged empty-nesters, not for a hot-blooded free spirit like Spitfire; It just wasn't her Modus Operandi.

Noticing her intense blush and look of shock, Soarin' lowered his ears in humility, bracing himself for what might be the first time Spitfire ever really raised his voice at him in a long time.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Spitfire, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" He stammered nervously. Even though Spitfire was a firm, but fair Captain, if there was one thing Soarin' absolutely hated, it was being yelled at. He has hated it ever since his mother first caught him sneaking cookies from the pantry, being the strict disciplinarian she was. "Err, I meant to say, sorry if I embarrassed you or- I...err... Please forgive me! It won't happen aga--"

"It's okay, Soarin', you didn't do anything wrong..." Said Spitfire, raising her voice by only a couple Decibels in a stern, but forgiving tone. "...I'm just...frustrated..."

Soarin' let out a heavy sigh of relief, releasing the tension in his shoulders. "...You wanna talk about it?" He added. The Wonderbolt's unofficial team therapist, Fleetfoot, had always been there to talk to the Stallion about his concerns and worries, having had mother problems in her childhood herself. Since she would always remind him that talking about one's personal problems in a mature and private matter was a better alternative to bottling them up, Soarin' figured that he would do the same with Spitfire to help her out with her own issues. A team has to work as a team, after all...

"Yeah, I guess that wouldn't hurt..." Replied Spitfire. The two walked out of the ballroom and over to a nearby settee, which replaced benches in the opulent grandeur that was Canterlot Palace. The two sat down next to each other, very similar to the way Dash and Twilight did earlier today.

"So tell me..." Asked Soarin', placing a gentle hoof on Spitfire's shoulder. "...What's going on?"

The fire-maned Mare let out a tired sigh, looking down at her reflection in the tiled floor below. "Well...Even as a little filly, I never really had much interested in anything girly or flowery, especially when it came to things like love or romance. Some of the other kids at school remarked that I may as well have been born a colt... In college, after I discovered the joys of sex and sexual studies, I used that as a way to fill those holes inside me that even my later fame and fortune couldn't fill, no pun intended... It was also a way for me to not only 'bond' with you and some of the other Wonderbolts during periods of downtime as 'team-building exercises', but to also sort of rebel against all those bastards that I've met all throughout my life that kept insisting that mares like me shouldn't be flying around like a Scalectrix car when I could and should be stuck in a smokey kitchen cooking dinner for some pot-bellied slob and popping out foals every year."

"Ouch..." Said Soarin'. "You really feel hung up about that, huh?"

"Yep. Still do..." Replied Spitfire, giving the stallion a worried, zoned-out stare.

"So tell me more, Spitfire. I want to know what I can do to help you..." It was an interesting case of role-reversal; Normally, Spitfire is the one who has to help Soarin' out with his problems, not the other way around. He always saw her as the strong one - a kind of safety net to catch him whenever the spectre of anxiety came down and knocked him off balance. She was always there to reassure him whenever he felt down in the dumps or ashamed of himself for not always acting his age. With a repressed childhood like his, nopony could really blame Soarin' for spending his free time as an adult stallion for goofing off and fulfilling those simple, childish joys that his overly-controlling mother made him miss out on. But even though he loved the taste of homemade sweets and carefree carnival games, his nagging, self-conscious conscience cruelly labelled him as a "manfoal" all too often. It always struck his self-esteem down like a cold lead pipe, that inner voice often did.

"Hmmm..." Expressed Spitfire, contemplating her next words. "...Another thing I've been kind of hung up about lately is knowing that our biggest fan, Rainbow Dash, is going to be an official member of the Wonderbolts tomorrow and I was wondering how that would affect us in one way or another." The yellow mare folded her arms like she was cold, even though their flightsuits were designed to keep their bodies at a comfortable temperature. "She's feisty, she's fast, she's energetic, she's perky, she's athletic... Heck, she was practically born to be one of us! She and I are almost the same in personality and interests, she saved our lives, she's shown so much effort as a teammate and...and as a friend..."

"Go on..." Said Soarin', looking at her intensely. It was odd for him to stare at her like she had something crawling all over her face, but a peculiar fragrance seemed to turn all thoughts unrelated to Spitfire to grey, pasty slurry. No matter how many times it crossed his nostrils, its exact odor was difficult to pinpoint with the dull, blunt, primitive tool known as the English language. The only word that could come close was "fiery" - Not in the sense of the natural phenomena of fire, but rather the kind of searing-hot aura that Spitfire seemed to constantly radiate in a tangible form.

"I also just feel...so cheated. I mean, at the Gala, you and I really wanted to hang out with her as much as she did, but were denied by all those...dare I say...snobs that kept pulling us away for photo shoots and autograph sessions. I just wanted to spend time with her, but the unspoken duties involved in being a celebrity always forced me to please my wealthier fans rather than my biggest fan. I never really found the time to hang out with her at the event and when I did, she was nowhere to be seen. I remember once, when I was listening to some rich guy talk about being a sponsor for the Wonderbolts, I looked over to the side and saw Rainbow Dash leaning against the outside wall. She looked so...alone, so sad, so...betrayed, that she was left out even though I invited her to hang with us. I looked at that sad look on her face and I just couldn't help but feel like...a scumbag; It was like somepony stabbed me in the chest with an icicle. Rainbow Dash never deserved any of that and I still feel responsible..."

Spitfire's voice began to lower - waver, even; Her speech became much slower, like she was unsure of which word to use after the last one. Her tone switched from that of uncertainty to that of sadness. "...I mean, she's headstrong, yet kind-hearted, she's loyal to her friends, she's always helping them out..." She interrupted her sentence with a sniffle, her eyes glazing over in defeat. "...she has such lovely hair...her cute face..." The mare lowered her head in shame, guilt running through her conscience like a fever chill. "...her brash, yet innocent demeanor...she's..." Spitfire finally let it out with a penitent sigh. "She's beautiful, Soarin'. Dear gods, she's just so beautiful..."

"...So you have a big crush on her, huh?" Soarin' said, finishing her sentence. Spitfire only bashfully nodded in reply, blushing as she felt her chest tighten around her heart from the stress of admitting all of this.

"But what exactly does that have to do with your sex life?" Asked Soarin'. "I mean, you changed the subject from that to Rainbow Dash all of a sudden. Are you..." The stallion froze, interrupted by the shocking, sudden revelation that his brain made after connecting the dots: It's mating season, which means that Spitfire is in heat. Rainbow Dash is going to be a card-carrying Wonderbolt by next morning, which means that she will be traveling and touring with them a lot, often staying with them overnight. And last, but not least, Spitfire was not only going to be her Captain, but also her lover, which meant that...

"Spitfire..." Gasped Soarin'. "...Are you saying that you want to have sex with Rainbow Dash?" The blue colt couldn't help but feel his face burn red hot and wings harden from the thought of those two becoming intimate with each other.

Spitfire hung her head straight down in shame. "Yes, Soarin'..." She said, her voice flat with guilt. "...I love her. *sigh* And not in a strictly sexual sense - I really, really, genuinely love her. Yes, I know it's inappropriate for somepony of my rank and position to have those feelings for both a brand new recruit and our biggest fan, who we've only met eleven or twelve times for two years, but..."

"But what?" Soarin' interjected.

"But I don't just love her because I want her body..." Spitfire replied. "...I love her because I want her...heart." She couldn't help but cringe at how unbelievably corny that sounded. "It's what my own heart keeps telling me as well as my own body. This is something I've been fantasizing about her since we met at the Gala last year. And you know how I am with fantasies..." She felt so humiliated from admitting all this. She had a reputation for her indifference to all of that ooey-gooey mushy romantic crap and yet here she was, confessing that she was the exact opposite. She felt like a complete tool - lying to herself and others about that "tough girl" facade she always flaunted so feistily.

Soarin' blushed and chuckled, scratching the back of his head nervously with one hoof. "Yeah, you really are a wild animal, aren't you?" He said, smiling. Seeing her friend flash his trademark happy-go-lucky grin couldn't help but make Spitfire smile a bit herself, quickly dissipating that angsty dark cloud that loomed over her during her confession.

"Yeah, you know me: 'Spitfire: The Burning Beauty and Beast"..." She chuckled lightheartedly, remembering that extraordinarily corny nickname that the Ponyville Express gave her when she first joined the team.

"Yeah, you really live up to your name..." Soarin' said, smiling. "But seriously, there is really no shame in feeling so lovey-dovey about whoever you're...well...in love with! That's just natural. You and I both know that, so what are you so afraid of?"

Soarin's question bored into Spitfire's psyche, extracting a couple gems of truth from her mouth. "What I'm afraid of is...is what may happen if I come onto her and she says 'no' and I end up scaring her away..." Said Spitfire, who was as confused about her own feelings as much as Soarin' was. "...That's pretty normal, I guess. But it still feels like there are more things that I'm afraid of and I have no idea as to what they are."

A concerned frown grew from Soarin's face. "Well...I guess all you can really do is just...wait it out and...see what happens..." He said, unsure about how to respond to his friend's question, let alone properly express his own thoughts. "Maybe it's best if you just cross those bridges when you come to them; It's just like what our old coach used to say: 'You'll miss the target if you keep worrying about where it is.' Or something along those lines..." The stallion scratched his chin, reflecting on those words. "But aside from that, just know that it wasn't our fault that the Gala was full of stuck-up jerks that kept dragging us away for autographs. And you know that it was never your fault if it was never your intention..." Soarin' then gave the yellow mare the most heartwarming look of approval as "humanly" possible.

Spitfire gave him a weak smile. "Thanks, Soarin'..." She said, raising his body heat and stretching his wings with a gentle kiss on his nose. "...You're always wiser and smarter than you give yourself credit for."

"I..err...umm...Y-you're welcome, S-Spitfire..." Stammered Soarin', blushing furiously as the kiss sent blood rushing towards his wings, face and sensitive side.

"Now let's go and see if they brought in that Kareoke machine, okay?"

"Of course, Spitz. Lead the way!"

The two happily trotted back into the ballroom, their spirits enlivened and free of any doubt that this would truly be the best night ever for Rainbow Dash. Tonight, all eyes will be set upon her and Spitfire and nopony else. It was her night and there was absolutely nothing that could possibly go wrong...

The Dream.

Rainbow Dash felt herself in a vast, dark space with just enough light for her to make out her own features. Everything else was the darkest shade of black possible; It was like one solid, amorphous substance that seemed to absorb all light like a sponge to water with nothing even resembling a floor, a sky, a ceiling, ground, up, down, left, right or location. It felt like she was in the basement of the universe itself. A cold, bone-chilling wind heralded the spine-rattling shivers that wracked Dash's body like a lash. As her pupils widened to their very limit to drink in whatever little drop of light there was, she felt her heart freeze once she noticed her surroundings: A dirty, food-stained apron smothered the front of her body, covering her foal-swollen stomach with two singed oven mitts covering her front hooves. Surrounding her were seven giddy, rambunctious kids happily galloping around a toy-strewn living room and playing with whatever they could get their hooves on. In spite of their loud, cheerful clamoring, she somehow managed to clearly hear the approving comments of her mom and dad sitting on the couch to her left dressed as a stereotypical 1950's American couple.

"We sure are proud of our little Rainbow Dash!" Her father said enthusiastically. "I'm sure that a strong, feisty mare like you would make a great wife for a handsome stallion and a proud mother of his children!" Rainbow couldn't believe her ears; Dad was always supporting and understanding of who she was and what she was good at, he'd never say anything like that!

"Your father's right, Dashie!" Her mother chimed. "The Wonderbolts are great for a weekend of amusement, but the best future for you is to help raise the next generation of Pegasi to fly farther and faster than everypony before them! Mares like you and I were born with wombs and lady parts, so why not use those to start a nice, happy family?" That was not Rainbow Dash's mom at all! She knew damn well how much of an independent woman that Mom was, so why on Earth was she saying this? What's going on?! Dash was wide-eyed in shock and disbelief from hearing them say such sexist things. She opened her mouth to shout out her protests, but not a single sound was forced out; It was as if she was in the vacuum of space.

Barely a second after her futile attempts at expressing her discontent, she felt herself flying backwards across the floor, pulled by a cold iron cuff shackled to her left hind leg and connected to a long black chain. Cruelly dragged against the carpeting back into the murky blackness with enough force to dislocate her kneecap, Rainbow Dash now found herself held aloft in the hoof of an ugly, slovenly stallion nearly three times her height and size. She instantly knew this to be her husband - unloved and unlovable, staring into her sad eyes with his own hate-filled pair.

"Yew thank yew kin jus' trot off and munch carpet with some smelly dyke, yew dirty, lyin', cheatin' whore?!" Barked her "husband" in the harshest, phlegm-choked roar of a voice, which was loud enough to have the force of an F5 tornado. If Dash wasn't held upside down by a hoofcuff and chain, she'd be on the floor trembling and begging for mercy. What did she do to deserve any of this abuse? Trapped in a loveless relationship, knocked up with foals she never wanted and married to a stallion that nopony could ever like or love - surely, this could not be real!

"Lemme rimmand yew of yer place as a mare, alrat?" The brute growled in Dash's face. The rank stench of chewing tobacco and cheap whiskey from his mouth made Rainbow want to retch. "Yer s'posed t'be cookin', cleanin', sweepin' an' screwin' fer yer stallion, NOT fer some slutty mare y'met in some rinky-dink air show! IT AIN'T NATCH'URL!! Now git yer plot back in the kitchen and cook me my dinner BEEFUR AH GIT REAL ANGRY AND GIT OUT MAH BELT AN' WHALE ON YER SORRY ARSE!!!"

Rainbow Dash felt her heart shatter like a wine glass on concrete as tears streamed down her dirt-stained face. Why was this happening? Who was this veiny-necked monstrosity and how could he even find a mare that would marry him? It didn't matter if the couple was gay, straight or lesbian - nopony should ever treat their spouse, or anypony for that matter, in such an evil way and she damn well knew it! This was always a deep, hidden fear of Rainbow Dash: that she would be thrust into a cold, loveless marriage and kept far away from all the friends and folks in Ponyville that she was so loyal to, never to be seen again, save for her distant dreams. The idea that this kind of abuse even existed in Equestria was nearly impossible for Dash to even comprehend. Was this not a land of love and tolerance? Was this not an oasis of hope in a cold, dangerous world? If it ever was, then it would've been all a complete lie.

Her ogre-like husband was slowly raising a cold hoof right above her, preparing to smack poor Rainbow Dash into next century with a colossal punch that, given the size ratio between the Pegasus and the oversized hoof, would surely kill her instantly. She gulped hard, silently saying her final goodbyes to everything she ever loved as she knew that death was more than imminent. Rainbow Dash would have woken up from this nightmare in a cold sweat and screaming bloody murder were it not for what happened next.

Just as the cruel hoof started its one-way trajectory towards her face, Rainbow Dash felt her senses shattered by a sudden, space-rending Sonic Rainboom; its bright, blazing waves of color penetrating every imaginable spectrum of perception. Closing her eyes from the stabbing brightness of its supernatural glow, Dash assumed that this was the end of the road for her and she'd then spend the rest of eternity plucking a harp on a cloud with a florescent hula-hoop floating above her head.

Once she felt the light no longer pressing against her eyelids, she opened her eyes and found nothing but darkness, save for her own body. She felt no pain, her coat was clean, her apron was gone and she was no longer pregnant. Before she could react to her sudden revelation, she noticed a brilliant, golden light shining behind her. It was warm. Very warm. As if she was sunbathing on the beach during a summer's day. Daring to look over her shoulder, Rainbow Dash felt her jaw drop as she discovered the source of the light, the heat and the Sonic Rainboom: A big, brilliant blossom of golden light rimmed with dancing vermillion flames like a grand, cosmic Marigold; Each ribbony beam of light looked like it was made of hair-thin goldleaf. Celestia herself would be jealous of such a grand display! Soft shades of baby pink began to bloom along coronas of unfurling white lights, bringing with them flurries of holographic rose petals and a powerful smell of Lavender. The entire scene was utterly magical - Rainbow's brain could not believe the signals its eyes sent to it, let alone comprehend their stunning visual beauty. All of this would've overloaded poor Rainbow Dash's senses were it not for a golden, graceful shape that came into view through the very eye of this storm of light and beauty; Distant at first, then as its blurry contours shrank and lines became clearer, the look on Dash's face said everything about what it really was...

...That infernal beauty herself: Spitfire.

Rainbow Dash felt her heart swell full to bursting and her soul soar with admiration upon seeing the ethereal mare at her very zenith of beauty. The coat that enveloped her toned, athletic body looked like its every hair was spun from goldleaf, shimmering with the slightest bloom of light. Her mane and tail blazed a vibrant shade of orange, lush and alive like the very fire it emulated, helping highlight the flaming thunderbolt that was her cutie mark. Outstretched wings revealed golden, dagger-vaned feathers, mirror-like in their luster that bent and swayed with the slightest twitch and current. And her face: a softly-shaped muzzle, sultry amber eyes and a gentle, yet seductive smile adorning her visage. One look upon that face and Rainbow Dash's heart was aflutter, amorous heat filling her entire body.

Like a hawk diving towards its hapless prey, Spitfire spread her wings to slow her descent before deftly snatching Rainbow Dash off her hooves, cradling her in her arms like an infant, yet staring into her eyes hungrily with lustful intent. The yellow mare flew off with her mate in a tight embrace, flying off to take them both to a far-off land unknown. Aligning their erect wings together like a biplane, the two Pegasi had not a single idea nor care about where they were going, both knowing that it would a place where they could be together forever. Blushing and smiling like a bashful schoolgirl, Dash turned her head away from Spitfire's, finding her beauty too much to take in one sitting. Amused by her partner's shyness, Spitfire leaned her head forward by only a few inches, placing her mouth right in front of Rainbow's ear. A sultry voice whispered erotic secrets from her mouth followed by a blow of hot breath into Rainbow Dash's ear forced drawn-out moans of pleasure from the cyan mare's muzzle.

Powered by the forces of mutual desire, Rainbow Dash's muzzle turned towards Spitfire's lips for a kiss, mouths connecting like magnets. They both felt their memories decaying; Ponyville, The Wonderbolts, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike, Celestia, Luna, The Elements of Harmony and all of Equestria were forgotten - leaving only the searing heat of love for another remain in the minds of Spitfire and Rainbow Dash. Separating from each others lips for air, the two gazed into each others eyes, their bodies floating on ethereal currents - ready and willing to perform that ancient, timeless ritual and cling to another in primal rapture, intoxicated by their ecstasy.

Spitfire leaned towards Dash's face and whispered: "I'm..."

Her next words were lost - sucked out of the air by a bright, white light that came from everywhere and grew to envelope everything. Rainbow Dash, lost and bewildered by this turn of events, found herself alone again in this blinding white void; cast into a sea of sobriety and clarity. She then found herself in a familiar place; a room filled with billowing white shapes, soft shades of lavender and deep purple contrasted by portals of hazy orange light...

As if activated by the blazing orange ray of sunlight rolling over its lumpy, grid-quilted surface, the down comforter atop Rarity's guest room bed began to sluggishly come to life, writhing clumsily around from one-hundred pounds of groggy blue Pegasus inside. After having fallen asleep from Derpy's long-winded story and the steamy embrace of hot bath water, Rarity had pulled Dash out of the tub and dried her off before levitating the hormone-wracked mare into the boutique's guest bed and herself into her own bed with Big Macintosh. Gently disturbed by the distinct glow of the setting sun and muzzle-first into the crisp smell of fresh linens, Rainbow Dash's eyes slowly fluttered open, still mentally replaying that wonderful dream from last night. She had to do that if she wanted to keep it fresh in her memory as she stared blankly out of the little slit of light between the covers and the sheets.

Groaning with more exasperation than exhaustion, Dash dangled her hind legs over the edge of the bed and lazily looked at the clock. Her eyes jolted wide open in shock by what she found.

"4:26 PM?!" Cried Rainbow Dash. "Oh holy crap, I've been sleeping for two hours and the party is only three hours away!" The cyan mare panicked, running towards the bedroom door and opening it to find Rarity standing before her, clad in a wrinkled white bathrobe. "ACK!! Rarity!?" She shrieked in surprise.

Rarity jumped a bit, taken by surprise herself. "Oh! Good heavens, Rainbow Dash, I was just about to wake you up!" The refined Unicorn said. "I was worried you might sleep in too long and miss your big night! But not to worry, Rainbow, you still have plenty of time to get ready."

"Gee, thanks..." Rainbow Dash replied nervously. "Umm...where's Derpy and Big Macintosh?"

"Derpy and Big Mac?" Said Rarity. "Oh, Derpy left an hour ago and Big Macintosh is still in my bed. Oh, that stallion truly knows how to treat a mare..." She swooned, remembering their time together a couple hours ago.

"Yeah, I'm sure he does..." Dash said, her face contorting into a squeamish cringe.

"As if to say there's any doubt about that hunk?" Scoffed Rarity, somewhat offended. "Why, I can hardly fathom why anypony would doubt a gentlecolt like Big Macintosh's skill with the mares! His handsome face, those dreamy eyes, his humble demeanor, his thick, farm-toned muscles..." Rarity's voice began to shift its pitch into a lustful growl. Rainbow Dash was looking clearly uncomfortable. "...Those strong-yet-gentle hooves, that crimson complexion, his immense...Well, I can't really say that word in polite company, now can I, darling?" Rarity fanned herself with one hoof, her face redder than a beetroot. "Oh how unlady-like of me!"

Rainbow Dash smiled nervously, forcing a chuckle. "Heheh, yeah...He's a real dreamboat, I'm sure..."

"That's putting it mildly!" Quipped Rarity. "Oh, but I do ramble, don't I? Come downstairs, Rainbow Dash, I've got your dress cleaned and ready for the party..." Rarity cantered down the nearby flight of stairs past her room with Rainbow Dash cautiously trotting behind her. The noise from their hooves hitting each step did little to disturb Big Macintosh, eliciting only a twitch of the ear and a slight stir from the snoozing farmpony.

Turning around the corner into the front hall, Rarity pointed out for her spectrum-maned friend the dressmaker's dummy in the middle of the room, clad in an all-too-familiar dress.

"Remember this beauty?" Said Rarity to a very nervous Rainbow Dash. "Of course you do, it's your dress from the Grand Galloping Gala two years ago! Out of all of my creations, I must say that it is my magnum opus, don't you agree?"

"Yeah, of course...it is..." Said Rainbow, feigning enthusiasm. Although in reality, she absolutely loved the dress, but after the disastrous events of the Gala, it bore the shadow of her initially crushed hope of meeting with the Wonderbolts. The fact that her initiation party into the group was a mere 160 minutes away, this only intensified the veiled stigma it bore.

"Oh cheer up, we all know that Rainbow Dash dresses in style, darling!" Rarity chimed, sensing her nervousness. After realizing that her comment did little to lift Rainbow's spirits, Rarity began to understand that there was something more to Dash than simple anticipation-induced anxiety. "Is something wrong, Rainbow?" She asked.

Struggling to come up with the words she needed to properly describe her hormonal predicament, Dash pawed at the ground nervously until a slow, but noticeable wave of courage washed over her upon realizing that she's gone through this situation more than a couple times today without a hitch.

"Umm...Rarity?" Squeaked Dash, her voice cracking a bit from stress. "Do you know of anything that can help um...a filly in heat? Because...I'm...I'm kind of going through a bit of heat right now and I could really use some help..." Rainbow cringed after those last few words were uttered, fearing (yet somewhat hoping) that such a question would result in an intimate encounter.

"In heat, you say?" Rarity said. "Oh, that's quite easy, darling... You see, if you want to get a little control over your hormones, there's a discreet and easy way to get things under control."

"Please don't let it be sex, please don't let it be sex, please don't let it be sex..." Rainbow Dash thought, sweating nervously.

"You see, it's this little...marble that gets put into your...um...marehood...that, and I'm still not sure how it works exactly, keeps your hormones under control." Rarity said, blushing from trying to describe how the contraceptive worked in the most decent way possible. "But you can't just...insert it yourself, though. You need a gynecologist to do so, otherwise you may end up getting an infection. It may sound intrusive, but they are professionals and it is worth the trouble. After all, a healthy sex life is a happy sex life, right Rainbow Dash?"

Dash was blushing very hard, her face was almost literally glowing red. Keeping her hormones locked up like this was getting harder and harder to the point where every mention of the word "sex" made her feel sick to her stomach; It was like there was a caged beast thrashing about inside her and each pound of its claws bent the bars of its prison further outwards. It may be a fifteen-minute walk to the hospital, it may be difficult to talk about such private things in such a fierce estrus and it may be painful to go through all that trouble to get it, but a calm mind and a cool head would be well worth the effort from getting an IUD.

Rainbow Dash took a deep lungful of air, a hard gulp and a heavy sigh. "Right, Rarity." She said, calming herself down a bit, taking care not to stare too deeply into her eyes, which reminded her way too much of Spitfire's. "I'll...see what I can do about that."

"Say, um...out of curiosity, why did you pick my old dress from the Gala for tonight's party?" Asked Rainbow Dash.

"Why did I?" Replied Rarity. "Oh-ho, no I didn't pick it out, actually. It was Spitfire's idea."

"S-s-s-Spitfire?!" Cried Dash, her face heating up to the point of near-steaming.

"Why yes, it was her idea. She thought it looked so good on you, she insisted that you wear it again. That's not a problem for you, is it Dash?"

"No! Nope, not at all! There is nooooo problem I have with that."

"Are you sure about that?" Rarity began to become a bit suspicious of her friend's odd behavior. She was in an intense heat and all, but there was something about her and Spitfire that made her heart pound. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that Rainbow Dash was a lesbian! "You're acting a little...weird today. Something going on between you and Spitfire?"

"Nope! Not at all!" Dash replied, echoing her previous response.

She...She asked for Rarity to wear that dress?! She thought to herself. W-why would she even go out of her way to make that request? She couldn't possibly have a crush on me, could she?! Why me of all Ponies? Why am I even treating that like a bad thing, she's my hero for crying out loud! And how can even I hear myself talking when my lips aren't moving and I'm not actually hearing it?!

"Yoo-hoo...! You alright, darling?" Rarity called out, waving a hoof in front of the Pegasi's thousand-yard stare. "Oh Rarity to Rainbow Dash, come in, please!"

An awkward silence filled the air for what seemed like an eternity between the two, both mares waiting for each other's next response.

"Well...I'm off to the hospital and I'll be back to pick up the dress. Gotta dash!" And with that catchphrase, Rainbow Dash sped off like a rocket, leaving a small trail of flame behind here. Rarity couldn't help but stare, sensing something very suspicious about the athletic Pegasus.

"Something's...odd about Rainbow Dash today." Rarity said to herself. "But oh well, I'm sure she knows what she's doing and that this is probably just some wacky phase she's going through." The unicorn then moved on to more pressing matters, namely preparing for the upcoming party.

"Now where did I put that other dress..."

The Good Doctor.

"Here we are, Ms. Dash - St. Firefly Memorial Hospital! That'll be eight Bits, please!"

"Ugh...here you go..."

"Thank you kindly, ma'am! Oh, and just between you and me...Lighten up a little, won't you? We don't want frown-marks on that pretty little face of yours, now do we, sweet-cheeks?"

"JUST PISS OFF ALREADY BEFORE I MAKE YOU!!"

Rainbow Dash yelled at the stallion that pulled her taxi with such vocal force, he nearly fell under the wagon in his haste to run away. Being in an absurdly intense estrus was bad enough, but after getting harassed by some creepy colt because of her heat made it remarkable that she didn't buck him square in the cheek. Which was a good thing, since with the levels of adrenaline and estrogen coursing through her system, the resulting kinetic force would've killed the poor jerk - and murder is definitely not part of her style. After the taxi-pony was well out of her sight, Dash loosened her body and let out a tired sigh, slogging one hoof in front of the other on her way to the hospital's front door, anger turning into exhaustion and anxiety once more in today's hormonal roller coaster ride as she made her way up the building's gravel-paved path, the setting sun beating brutally down onto her. The very thought of going through yet another day like this was too painful to even consider; Every step felt like ten steps, her joints cramped and ached, her mind was going in several places at once, she saw innuendo in even the most innocent behavior and her body temperature was so high, she could probably make a skillet on her own forehead. At this point, Rainbow Dash didn't even care about the Wonderbolts - she just wanted this misery to be over...

Passing through the double doors with her head hung low in fatigue, Rainbow Dash let out a long, drawn-out groan of discomfort, bringing attention to everypony in the main lobby. Summoning the extra energy regained by the cool, breezy air of the hospital's cooling system, Dash sauntered up to the receptionist's desk and rang the bell twice.

"Y'don't need tah ring da bell, dahling, I'm roight heeya." Said the receptionist, Cherry Berry, in her usual perky Manehatten twang. Being a Showpony alone wasn't really cutting it, so a part-time desk job at the hospital was necessary if she wanted keep her bills paid. "Now how'kin oy be able t'assist you?"

Dash snapped out of her mental haze briefly enough to notice that CB was already there and had asked her a question. Shaking her head back into reality, Rainbow regained her focus as best she could. "Umm...c-can you please repeat that?" She asked, disorientation evident in her voice.

Cherry tried to keep a straight face, failing to not notice the rainbow-maned mare's tired, spaced-out expression. "Ugh..." She sighed. "Oy said 'how...kin...oy...be able...to assist youse?'" It has clearly been a long day for her as well.

Rainbow Dash scratched her head, keeping her thoughts together the best she could. "Err, is there a...doctor in the house?" She asked the pink-coated receptionist. She smiled sheepishly, realizing how stupid a question that was.

"Which one?" Cherry Berry replied flatly. "Oy ain't got all day, toots..."

Dash tapped her forehead with a hoof rapidly to get herself to think straight, knowing all too well by the stares she was given by the Ponies behind her. CB was mentally debating with herself as to whether or not she should call the cops until Rainbow finally gave her her answer.

"Ah! Got it! Sorry about that..." Declared Rainbow Dash, sweat-dropping from embarrassment. Some of the stallions behind her couldn't help but feel a bit antsy from the intense aroma her heat was giving off. "Ahem...I was just...wondering if...I could see a doctor about the problem I've been having with my...uh...marehood, lately." She said, whispering those last couple of words for obvious reasons.

"Walk-ins ah roight ovah in room 108 down da hawl to ya roight, ma'am." Said Cherry Berry, pointing a hoof towards Dr. Stable's office. One could easily tell by the glazed look in the mare's eyes that she had been losing her patience with the technicolor-haired Pegasus.

"Thanks, lady!" Dash said before trotting over to the doctor's office door. A few rapid successions of hooves against the wooden door quickly alerted the doctor inside to the needs of his next patient.

"Hello?" The doctor answered, opening the door to find his latest patient.

"Doctor Stable!" Cried Rainbow.

"Rainbow Dash?" He replied with surprise. "What in the world are you doing here and why are you wearing that dress?"

"Y'gotta help me, Doctor! I...I need your help really badly!" Pleaded Dash, trotting in place frantically.

"Well, come inside and have a seat on that bed if you please and we'll see what's troubling with you..." Said Caramel in his usual voice, deadpan with professionalism as always. Rainbow Dash followed him into his sterile examination room and promptly sat down on the paper-lined leather bench in the center, her eyes following him around as he fished a stethoscope and thermometer telekinetically out of a nearby cupboard, awaiting his next instructions with a look of worry.

"So what seems to be the problem, Dash?" Asked Stable. "Oh, let me guess: You're trying to steal back another copy of Daring Doo and the Saph--GYAA-AAAH!!" The doctor's sarcasm was cut short by his sudden, violent repulsion, which was shocking to the mare just as it was to him. Struggling to regain his balance and clutching his nose with a free hoof, Dr. Stable was teary-eyed and blood-red in the face after accidentally catching a particularly concentrated plume of Rainbow's musk, which frayed the poor doctor's nerves like a face-full of ammonia. "Princess Celestia, is...is that actually your estrus?!" Dash covered her face with her hooves in humiliation for her response.

"Yes..." She flatly replied. "Yes it is..."

"Good heavens, I have never smelled such an intense, concentrated...musk like that in fifteen years of my career!" Stable remarked between sniffles, the odor having been a ballistic assault on his sinuses. "How long have you been suppressing this heat of yours??"

"Umm...since I was 18." Dash replied hesitantly. "Which would make that around...four or five years?"

"Goodness gracious, Rainbow Dash, haven't you passed a single Sex Education class?!" Snapped the Doctor, his mood changing from shocked to aggravated.

"I'm...not exactly the most academic of my friends..." The Pegasus said nervously. "...is that a bad thing? To um...hold it in like that?"

"'Is that a bad thing?!'" Echoed Stable, shaking his head in frustration. "Do you have any idea...any idea at all of how unhealthy it is to restrain your periods of estrus for more than fifty days?!"

Dash gave a sad, negative nod of her head as her answer like a scolded Dog.

Doctor Stable couldn't help but cringe at Rainbow Dash's ignorance. This was the kind of information that was almost essential to know about when it came to sexual health. "Sigh...Prolonged suppression of hormones without the use of IUDs and/or prescribed pharmaceuticals during estrus cycles for more than fifty days can result in high blood pressure, sleep apnea, insomnia, irritability, migraines, sexual dysfunction, constipation, benign prostatic hyperplasia, hormonal imbalance, urinary retention, priapism, clitorism, vulvodynia, urinary infection, depression, mood-swings, infertility and in worst-case scenarios, sexual deviancy."

Rainbow Dash felt a chill dance down her spine; She had no idea such grim things can come from simply "holding it in" during mating season, even though she hadn't the foggiest clue what "benign prostatic hyperplasia" or "vulvodynia" was, nor did she plan on finding out. "But...But doctor, I've hardly had any of those symptoms from holding my estrus in like that." Said the mare. "Surely, that's a good sign, right?"

"Rainbow Dash, how long are you usually in heat for?" Asked the Doctor.

"For about a month, I guess..." She replied.

"Well, that is the good news at least. But the big question is why are you in such an intense heat? You were A-OK during your last check up two months ago, you live a healthy active lifestyle and you have no real hereditary issues, so why on Earth would you be this hormonal? Judging by your obviously high body temperature, it's clearly not magical in nature and this is only the first official day of mating season, so the only logical explanation would be that this problem is a psychosomatic problem. Is this true, Dash?"

"'Psychoso-what-now?'"

"'Psychosomatic.' It's when psychological problems affect you physically, correct?"

"I...I think so."

"Well, it has to be, since there is really no other explanation, right?"

"Sigh...yes."

"So what kind of problems are you dealing with exactly that would be causing all this?"

As vulnerable as she felt right now, Rainbow Dash might as well get it over with and explain what's been dogging her lately. Doctor Stable was a trained and licensed medical practitioner, so of course she could tell him anything; She did confess to petty theft in front of him and was left off the hook by security, so what the hay was she afraid of?

"Well..." She began, like all too many sentences she started with today. "...I've...always kind of been sort of afraid of sex..." Dash couldn't help but blush at the very mention of that horrible three-letter word - it made her feel so...weird. "...and my Wonderbolts initiation party is only two and a half hours away and I don't...want to humiliate myself in front of everypony."

Stable gave her an empathetic smile. "So you're nervous about sexual intercourse to the point where your pheromones are working overtime and giving you such an intense heat?" He asked. Dash simply nodded her head "yes" in response.

"Why would you be so scared of sex as to cause this? Are you absolutely sure that you were not sexually abuse as a foal? Because as you know, you are required by Celestial Law to report such abuse as soon as possible to a trustworthy adult and/or Pony of authority, is that clear?" Asked Dr. Stable, his voice becoming very stern when mentioning such a serious topic.

"Crystal, sir." Dash replied, giving a salute, much to Stable's mild amusement.

"Alright..." He said. "...So then what is the issue, exactly?"

The doctor's subtle shift in tone was a telltale sign that he was losing his patience, so Rainbow Dash had to be out with it sooner or later, so it might as well be right now. Swallowing her pride and the lump in her throat for perhaps the ten-thousandth time today, Dash decided to spill the beans.

.....

Two minutes had passed. "...And that's the whole story, doc." Dash concluded, sniffling. Having to bring up those awful memories again brought the poor mare to the brink of tears. And just like Twilight Sparkle did this morning, Dr. Stable gave Rainbow Dash a reassuring smile.

"Rainbow Dash, you don't need to be ashamed to love mares..." He said warmly. "...As a doctor, I will keep this information confidential and assure you that, no matter what some Ponies may say, that homosexuality is perfectly normal. And I do understand your anxiety regarding the subject, as well as your concern for your reputation as a soon-to-be-Wonderbolt, so I think I know of a quick and easy way to temporarily eliminate your estrus problems."

Rainbow's mood elevated like...well...an elevator, beaming with joy and fluttering a couple feet above the bench below her. "You do?!" She asked excitedly. "What is it??"

"Calm yourself down, Rainbow Dash." Stable replied, walking out towards his office door. "You'll know when she gets here..."

"She?!" Dash thought, plopping down onto the bench with a soft thud, blushing. "He doesn't mean...Oh man, this feels like something straight out of a porno, I just know it!" Recalling the many pornographic comics she kept, she knew that a scenario like this can only end in a hot mare dressed in a skimpy nurse outfit, a selection of various "tools", a bafflingly naive patient and a whole lot of hijinks. There was a very good reason why Dash rarely invited ponies over to her house. That, and the fact that she is a poor housekeeper.

"Wait, where are you going?" Said Dash, prompting the doctor to stop and answer her question.

"I'm just a physician, Rainbow Dash." He replied. "For your problem, you'll need a gynecologist - Dr. Redheart's her name to be exact..."

Dash watched the Doctor walk out the door, letting its mahogany frame slam shut with an echoing slam. Sweat began to drizzle down her forehead and her heart started pounding like she just drank a six pack of Red Bull.

"Oh crap, this IS straight out of a porno!"

Marble Madness.

On the bench, Rainbow Dash laid flat on her back with her legs apart, passing the time by staring vacantly at her marehood, her hind hooves hanging in the air. Her eyes fixed upon the number one thing that separated a filly from a colt, Dash contemplated on how such a seemingly minor difference in anatomy could cause her so much trouble and so much confusion for both today and her whole life, if not the lives of every mare in Equestria. It was a bizarre thing to do, really, but considering her current predicament and the fact that the only other option to pass the time was read three-month-old Equestrian Outdoors Quarterly issues from the magazine rack, what else could a mare do, save for philosophizing on their private parts?

"I just don't get it..." Rainbow Dash thought to herself. "...how can such a seemingly minor difference in anatomy cause me so much trouble and so much confusion for both today and my whole life, if not the lives of every mare in Equestria? Why is it that having a vagina means that you have to be treated differently than others? Why is it that having one means that you are supposed to do so much work around the home, office and workplace so that the stallions don't have to while protecting their towns from the monsters that surround them? I mean, that's how it used to be, as Twilight's history books often said; mares were in charge of leadership, maintenance and keeping things together while stallions were in charge of keeping the town from being destroyed or going bankrupt, usually by killing attacking monsters and selling the loot they'd find in their dens. But even if that was the way it used to be, does it still have to be this way? Is there some kind of law saying that girls should be meek and boys should be strong? Celestial Law certainly doesn't say anything about that, so is it just a matter of attitude? And if so, why haven't any of the princesses denounced it or had a say in it?"

Dash let out a heavy sigh. "And what of my marehood? I mean, I obviously know what its supposed to do: make love, make kids, et cetera et cetera... But does having one mean that I have to settle down and start a family? I know that Celestia always said that we should cherish and use the gifts we've been given, but do vaginas count as gifts? It's not really a gift or a reward, it's just...there... And if I was created to be a mare, then why was I created to think and act like a colt...or at least what society expects one to be like? Like how I've always shunned really lacy, sappy frou-frou crap like cosmetics and hooficures, instead embracing all things cool, awesome and radical like the stuff colts are often supposedly supposed to be into. And if I was created to be like that, why did I have to go through so much cruelty and hardship for my love of other mares? I've always been into mares instead of stallions. Unless of course said stallion was a Wonderbolt...Everypony's gay...or straight for them... Especially Soarin', mrowr... Or better yet, Soarin' and Spitfire at the same time... Ooh! Or every single Wonderbolt at the same time, that would be so awesome! Just me laying back, taking in all that-- NO! Calm yourself, Rainbow Dash, you're a strong Mare, you don't let something like stupid emotions push you around like that..."

"But what if I was supposed to go through all this emotional strife? Like it was some kind of test of bravery or strength? From my experience, tests are supposed to be a part of training or just training in another form or something like that... Wait, I've confused myself, lemme start again: If tests were, and they are, a part of training, which I always go through in one form or another, does that mean that there's some huge adventure coming up that's supposed to test both my loyalty and my feelings? And if so, who planned it? What if I was just all in some weirdo's story for other weirdos to read and that was my whole life?"

The mare put a hoof to her head in response to a sudden jolt of pain in her head. "Ow...All this thinking is making my brain hurt! I gotta just rela--"

"Rainbow Dash? Rainbow Dash, what on Earth are you doing?"

Startled by Nurse Redheart's entrance into the doctor's office, Rainbow Dash let out a loud yelp in shock, leaping into the air like an electrocuted squirrel and landing hard on her chest, chin and forelegs, her rear end pointed straight in the air. "Oww..." She moaned, in mild pain.

"Rainbow Dash, may I please ask why you were just staring at your hindquarters when I walked into the office?" Said Nurse Redheart in a soft, deadpan tone of voice.

"Umm...I was...bored." Said Dash, her cyan face gone crimson with flush.

"You certainly were." The nurse replied. "Heck, I don't really blame you at all. Those magazines are so old that some of them are starting to yellow." Redheart started rummaging and feeling around in her medical saddlebag with a free hoof, the sound of plastic, metal and cloth rubbing and clattering against each other with each twitch of an arm. "So I hear that you're going through quite the estrus, huh?"

"Umm...yeah, I guess I am..." Dash sheepishly replied. "I also have to go to a really important event in only an hour and a half, so will this be quick?"

"Oh, it most certainly will be!" Chimed Redheart, suddenly cheery instead of sarcastic. If Dash didn't know better, she could've sworn that she was in heat as well. Which was obvious since it was mating season after all, even though Ponies go into heat sooner or later than others. She remembered last year when Cheerilee was lively and perky on this very day and then started acting like she committed a murder or something - becoming shifty-eyed and being seen walking out of Big Macintosh's shed at odd hours looking remarkably exhausted. Heat affects all kinds of different Ponies very differently.

Lowering her plot downwards and raising her upper torso, Rainbow Dash looked over Nurse Redheart's shoulder to find her taking out a white paper bag, unfurling it and bringing out a small, shiny round thing of some sort. Taking the object and putting it into this odd little machine resembling a steampunk microwave oven, Redheart turned a few dials and pressed a couple buttons before throwing the weighty-looking electrical switch right next it. The device glowed a faint teal aura from inside it and emitted a low, monotone hum. After the sharp ting of its timer, the humming stopped, prompting the nurse to open up the small hatch on the machine and removed the small item from inside, placing it into a small wad of white gauze with a gloved hoof. With the cloth-wrapped object carefully clamped by its wrapping with her teeth, Nurse Redheart carried it over to her technicolor-haired patient, who gave it a bewildered look.

"What is this thing?" Inquired Rainbow Dash.

Carefully unfurling its gauze cocoon, Nurse Redheart showed her its contents: It was a smooth, shiny, colorless marble the size of a golf ball made of high-impact glass. Its surface was sterile and polished like some otherworldly pearl, marred only by the small black series of digits that formed its serial number.

"This is an Intra-Uterine-Device, Rainbow Dash." Said the nurse. "Better known as an 'IUD' for short. All we have to do is insert it into your womb and all your estrus problems will be as good as gone...temporarily, of course. You see, your body will think that the object is a small embryo and as a result, put your estrus on hold as long as it's in there."

Rainbow felt every cell on her face turn a bright carmine after hearing those words. She knew that such a device had to be inserted somewhere, but when it was done by a mare she found quite attractive rather than a sarcastic unicorn stallion that had to chase her down for stealing a book, she couldn't help but break into a cold, nervous sweat, hoping that her heart didn't explode like a bad melon from such an invasive ordeal.

"Umm...C-can't I just, um...put in myself or have you put me under an...anes-sthesia?" Dash stammered.

"And waste well-needed painkillers for mothers in labor or risk you getting an infection? Sorry, Dash, but it's gotta be done by a licensed gynecologist if you want to have this problem dealt with, alright?" Redheart replied, holding the marble with a gloved hoof.

Rainbow Dash sighed heavily with resignation, flipping her lavish, multicolored cape to the side to prevent it from getting in the way. "Well...alright, then. Let's get this over with..."

"Atta girl, Dash. Now just take a deep breath and hold still..."

.......

.......

.......

Hyperventilating, Rainbow Dash was flushed sanguine and with outstretched wings, sweating profusely. Although she was at long last out of heat for the time being, she felt very, very embarrassed that her estrus managed to make her that sensitive.

"Eheheheh...Sorry about that, nurse..." Dash said, laughing nervously. "But...at least the whole thing's over with, right?"

"Yes, it's over with, Rainbow Dash." Said an unamused Nurse Redheart. "But don't get so hard on yourself, this is most certainly not the first time this has happened with a patient receiving an IUD. Happens the most with mares your age, actually..."

"So...Is there any way I can get cleaned up before I go?" Asked the cyan Pegasus.

"Certainly." Replied the nurse, raising her voice over the sound of water hitting the stainless steel sink as she washed her hooves. "There's a complementary shower and laundry room for patients straight down the hallway and to the right of the vending machine and the emergency exit. Also, please remember not to engage in any high-speed maneuvers or violent movements and to return here to have the IUD removed within ten days, please."

"Will do, Ms. Redheart!" Dash chimed, bearing an adorable smile on her face. "Gotta dash!" The Pegasus then happily trotted down the hall, feeling like she's had the weight of a boulder lifted off of her very shoulders after a lifetime of carrying it. Feeling refreshed and renewed after a relaxing shower and a freshly cleaned and pressed dress, Rainbow Dash almost felt like she was born again, ready to spread her wings and fly gently down the hill towards town. And she did just that.

.......................................

Gliding down towards town square, Rainbow Dash slowed to a stop and folded her wings in, looking around for the other Elements of Harmony frantically - There was no way she was going to be late for this. True, she could've flown her way over to Canterlot in no time, but the G-force would probably force her IUD loose and end up going into heat all over again, so taking the train was the only option available. Cantering around town hall, Dash quickly glanced back and forth down streets and alleyways around her, disappointed to find only street vendors dismantling their stands, the occasional tourist and one poor, tearful stallion that clearly got stood up by his date - crouched down and weeping to himself trying to keep his nose from running. Rainbow silently prayed that she wouldn't end up like that poor guy with Spitfire someday...

Momentarily distracted by such a dolorous sight, Dash ended up colliding with a very non-dolorous, unflinching solid object. Shaking the stars out of her head as she got back up, Rainbow Dash let the pupils in her eyes stop spinning around only to nearly leap out of her skin once her vision cleared, which revealed that the solid object she ran right into was smiling, bright-eyed, and a very intense shade of pink.

"Dashie, where were ya?! We were looking all high and low and up and down and topsy-turvy for you!" Exclaimed Pinkie Pie, leaping repeatedly into the air with joy like an excited Guinea Pig. Rainbow regained her composure as soon as she realized just what happened. Pinkie had not come alone, either - the other five Elements of Harmony were standing before her, all six faces alight with anticipation and all six bodies clad in the same dresses they wore from the Gala. They were Rarity's finest work, so why let fine fashion like that go to waste?

"Phew! You startled me there, Pinkie Pie..." Said Dash, wiping her forehead and brushing herself off.

"We're so glad we found you just in time, Rainbow." Said Fluttershy, giving the other Pegasus of the gang a dreamy gaze. "We were so worried we might not be able to find you in time...That would be so horrible!"

"Why would I miss out on my own party?" Dash said, delivering a confident chuckle and flexing her toned biceps. "After all, by tomorrow night, I'll finally be a true, blue Wonderbolt!" She added, standing straight up and striking a dramatic pose.

"Well, we oughta git goin' before the train leaves, folks!" Said Applejack. "It leaves in 'bout thirty or so minutes, so let's move it!"

"Will do!" Twilight said. "But first, I say that we all propose a toast..."

As if it were rehearsed, the six mares positioned themselves into an inwards-facing circle - Earth Pony facing Earth Pony, Pegasus to Pegasus and Unicorn towards Unicorn.

"Everypony ready?" Said Twilight. "On the count of three: One...Two...Three..."

The Mane Six then leaped straight up in unison and, in mid-air and at the very apex of their height, each thrust a hoof outwards towards the center of the circle for the kind of six-pony hoofbump that only the Elements of Harmony could ever pull off.

"FOR THE WONDERBOLTS AND OUR RESIDENT HERO, RAINBOW DASH!!!"

Plummeting back down to Earth, all six ponies fell flat on their rumps hard before laying back and giggling with pure joy like mad schoolgirls. They tried and failed before, but tonight they were all sure that this night at the Canterlot will truly be the best night ever. Especially for a Miss Rainbow Alberghetti Dash, Notary Public. No heat, no Changelings, no Discord and certainly nothing to keep between her and her idol, Spitfire.

Arriving at the party.

The train ride to Canterlot was a normal one just like any other that the Mane Six had taken, save for the lack of dessert-based murder mysteries, assaults by native Buffalo tribes, having to share seats with a faceless white mare, an entire apple tree stashed into the caboose or the engine coming alive and trying to derail itself straight into the gates of Tartarus. None of that nonsense - only a smooth, ten-minute train ride up to Canterlot like so many times before. There was, however, that awkward moment where Applejack found out that Derpy made her home inside the angel seat of the mail car, but aside from that scene, everything was otherwise relatively normal.

But then again, Ponyville, if not all of Equestria itself, had a very odd definition of the word "normal."

Making their way through the painting-lined halls and arabesque, open-air transepts of Canterlot Palace, the thundering clop of hooves on marble belonging to the Mane Six had slowed to a stop before the lavender double doors of the ballroom where the initiation party was taking place. Nervously examining the door's chiseled, geometric facade, Rainbow Dash felt her heart pounding against her sternum, alive with anticipation for what has finally come. Finally ready to take on her fantasy headfirst, Dash pushed the door open with a gentle nudge of the hoof and beheld the glory that she and her friends found within.

Earth Ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns both common and elite mingled amongst another in the ethereal chill of excitement and wonder, engaging in long-winded and lighthearted conversations. Tables creaked with gaudy displays of lavish foods and desserts, with fine wine and champagne flowing into crystal goblets and filling the plates and bellies of nearly every attendee. Covered balconies and parapets carved into the third-story walls loomed over the partygoers like foreboding architectural sentinels, upon which nested the vigilant eyes of the Canterlot Royal Guard - the most esteemed military force in Equestria. Though they were a very common sight in the city's inner palace, nearly two-thirds of its hallowed ranks stood watch in this very room, for not only were the Wonderbolts in attendance, but also the Princesses Celestia and Luna themselves; the veritable gods of the world that their people lived and died upon.

Like a giddy schoolfilly, Rainbow Dash was jogging in place with utter excitement, her friends more than happy to see her in such an ecstatic mood. With six rolls of folded parchment in hoof, Twilight Sparkle handed them over to the guard watching over the roped partitions the separated them from the rest of the party.

"Hi, we're here for the party..." Said Twilight, magically unrolling and presenting the scrolls to the guard, who scanned them with glaring eyes to determine their authenticity. "...Well, actually we're here for the guest of honor here, Rainbow Dash." She continued, gesturing a hoof towards her hyperactive Pegasus friend.

Quickly recognizing both Celestia's hoofwriting and the guest of honor's beaming blue face, the barrel-chested guard unhooked one of the ropes, allowing for the six ponies to pass through. "Very well. You may enter." He said in a gruff, stoic voice.

"WAHEEEEE!! This is the happiest day of my life!!" Rainbow Dash squealed, her voice cracking in the fangirliest way possible, prompting the guards and her friends to recoil from such a high-pitched noise. "I cannot wait to finally and official become an official Wonderbolt! Spitfire, Soarin', Fleetfoot, Blaze and Surprise, here I COME!! Dash reared up on her hind legs with the vigor and fervor of a caffeinated puppy, galloping off into the crowd with her friends trotting behind.

"Umm...I really really wish you wouldn't startle me, err...us, Rainbow Dash..." Spoke Fluttershy, lowering her ears.

"She can't hear ya, sweetie, she's too busy bein' a big fan-filly o' them fancy Wonderbolt folks." Replied Applejack to her meek yellow friend.

The guard behind them hitched the rope back into its original position before rubbing a hoof into a sore ear. "'The Canterlot Royal guard always meets the best girls...'" He grumbled, quoting the numerous recruitment posters found plastered all around the city, his ears still ringing from Rainbow's excited squeal. "...Phooey."

Rainbow Dash wasted no time in snaking and budging her way through the crowded clusters of attendees to locate her idols, relying on her keen sense of direction to find her way past the gossiping aristocrats and lower-class socialites and clearing a path for her friends trotting right behind her. As for her five friends, they found it to be a bit of a chore to keep up with Rainbow, keeping her technicolor cape just within eyesight. As tough as it was to chase after the future Wonderbolt, they found the experience to have a fun, if not rather...mystical feeling; Like chasing a holographic butterfly through a living, winding hedge maze of Ponies, the walls of their coats flickering past them like a colorful strobe light.

But then again, that feeling may have been the heat talking, even though Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were not yet in estrus, which affected different mares at different times.

Coming to a clearing, Rainbow Dash found herself dead center in the middle of the ballroom, which held the vast, round table where the Wonderbolts themselves sat, like the knights of Arthurian legend. Skidding to a stop and allowing her friends to catch up with her, Dash stood awestruck at the sight before her.

It was a white-clothed table big enough for the ring of seventeen chairs encircling it, in which the team of Pegasi sat, conversing, eating, laughing and overall having a good time, with seven empty chairs reserved for Dash and her friends. Platters of food and bottles of champagne in buckets of ice laid centered around the small, simple white vase that held but a single red rose, playing the role of centerpiece for the whole table. One would expect a tall, gilded statuette of a Pegasus with its wings outstretched, but then it would be far too distracting and none of the Wonderbolts would be able to concentrate on dining and socializing.

Still clad in their blue jumpsuits (which may or may not have been to blame for Rainbow's spandex fetish), the Wonderbolts' individual personalities shone simply through the way they interacted with one another. Blaze and Fleetfoot were leaning close to each other, gossiping in mischievous whispers, their context evident by the odd rush of blood to their faces. Silverback simply picked and probed at his food, listening to their conversations while Fire Streak next to him kept bragging about his accomplishments to a clearly uninterested High Winds, who busied herself by absent-mindedly balancing a dessert spoon on her hoof. Lightning Steak and Misty were in the midst of some heated political debate, paying no mind to the clearly intoxicated Wave Chill between them, while Rapidfire payed very close attention to Fire Streak's boasting. And last, but not least, Spitfire was having herself a very good chuckle, engaged in a lively conversation with Surprise, while Soarin' next to her simply stuffed his face in cherry pie almost immediately after finishing off his salad.

"Wow, they sure are casual for a bunch of celebrity heroes..." Rarity remarked, catching up with Rainbow Dash along with the rest of the Mane Six.

"Y'all can say the same thing about us six, Rarity." Applejack retorted.

"See, guys? The Party Cannon truly knows no bounds!" Proclaimed Pinkie Pie.

"I sure hope they don't mind if we join in. That is, if they will allow us to...if they so wanted..." Said Fluttershy.

"Relax, Fluttershy, you've met them before after that thing with the hurricane, remember?" Twilight replied before turning her attentions towards the significantly bolder Pegasus of the six. "I'm so glad you're excited too, Rainbow Dash. I mean, after all, it is your special day... Err, right, Rainbow Dash?"

"Uh huh. Yeah." Said Dash, still starstruck as she had her eyes fixed firmly upon Spitfire's soft, smiling face.

"Well what are y'all waitin' for?! Break the ice, gosh darn it!" Said Applejack, giving Rainbow a firm nudge on her plot to urge her forward. Dash let out a startled meep as she trotted forward a couple paces on reflex, "encouraged" by her orange-coated friend. The slight noise and motion grabbed the attention of the Wonderbolts' captain, her delicate face lighting up like a roman candle once her amber eyes instinctively shifted to the source of the sound.

"Heh heh ha! Goodness, Surprise, you sure are something else! We should to- Hey, whaddya know! The guest of honor has finally arrived!" Said Spitfire, her conversation along with everypony else's brought to a halt by the blue mare's arrival. The captain scooted out of her chair and happily trotted over to an ecstatic Rainbow Dash, throwing her arms open and outright embracing their new recruit and locking her in a tight hug. "How are you?" She added with a sweet tone in her voice.

Rainbow Dash's pupils dilated as blood rushed straight to her cheeks, illuminating them with a hot red glow. Had she not been so prepared for the event, the poor mare would've fainted from pure joy! The very idea of what was going on right now was repeating itself over and over again, trying to ensure that Dash was well aware of what had just happened.

"Spitfire, the greatest Pegasus in the history of Pegasi, is hugging ME."

Despite it being just a friendly hug, the seconds turned into hours as Rainbow Dash savored the blissful feeling of Spitfire's strong, athletic arms gripping her tightly into her warm chest, pressing firmly into the flesh on her back. Taking in the feeling of warmth coming from the fiery-maned mare, along with her hot, spicy scent, Dash reluctantly released herself from Spitfire's grip just as she was letting go as well. Returning to reality and coming face to face with the Wonderbolt once more, Rainbow Dash replied to her idol's friendly greeting, but not before letting a certain thought race through her consciousness.

"That powerful embrace...it's so warm. Just imagine feeling those strong legs in bed with her..."

"Uh...Uh, good! Very good! Excellent, in fact!" Replied a still-blushing Rainbow Dash. "Say, have you met any of my friends yet?" Dash gestured towards the friendly smiles of her friends behind her.

"Why, yes I have, in fact." The Wonderbolt captain replied, looking over Dash's shoulder. "However, I don't think any of us have really gotten to know each other much. Fortunately, we reserved six seats for all you girls, so you want to hang out and eat with us?"

"As if I'd say no?!" Said Rainbow. "Of course I- err, we would love to hang out with you guys, right gals?" She looked over her shoulder back towards her friends to see what they thought of Spitfire's idea.

"Why of course we would!"

"Abso-tooty-lutely!"

"I guess we can join you..."

"Yee-haw, it's chow time!"

"Why, that would be just lovely!"

"I guess that's a yes, then!" Laughed Spitfire. "Go ahead and pull up a seat, guys! The wild rice soup is to die for!"

Rendezvous with Destiny.

Beneath the moonlit night sky of the ballroom's opened roof, opulence and fine-dining was the order of the day for Rainbow Dash's Wonderbolt initiation party. There was an orchestral quartet led by Octavia on the left corner of the stage with Celestia and Luna discussing various political matters in two large armchairs stage right. The cool night air flowing into the room was complemented by the resonant drone of the crowds' incessant chatter and the harmonic uplift of the band's slow, symphonic waltz, completed by the giant "Welcome to the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash!" banner stretched from wall-to-wall over the stage - which lifted the mare of its namesake into a feeling of unmatched accomplishment and elation.

But below the ethereal haze of grace and glory sat the Mane Six and their Wonderbolt peers at the island-like VIP table literally in the middle of it all - an oasis of casual intimacy shielded by and from a sea of snobs and socialites alike. The mood was set for what was guaranteed to really be the best night ever, already in progress as evident by even the most fleeting glimpses into the delightful dialogues shared between the two teams.

"...But enough about me, more about you..."

"...Has it really been two years since we first met?"

"...Hey, did I ever tell you about my party cannon?"

"...That's okay, I think you already did, Pinkie..."

"...Don't say that, 'Shy, you really did do good in that hurricane..."

"...I must say that your uniforms are quite...dashing if I do say so myself..."

"...And this one time at flight camp..."

"...Soarin', please don't talk with your mouth full..."

"...Sometimes ah wish ah could be a Peg'sis like you, Soarin'..."

"...You guys should've seen the look on Rainbow Dash's face when I told her the good news!"

"...Um, may I have some more wine please, if that's okay with you?"

"This truly is the best night of my life!" Rainbow Dash declared, contently slouching in her chair after finishing off her soup with a satisfied burp. "Urp...I should probably start signing autographs come morning..."

The grin that crept across her face like a lost ant slid away in surprise as soon as she noticed that Spitfire was staring at her rather intently. In response, Dash panicked, sucking her stomach in and straightening her posture like an unfurling magazine centerfold.

"Y'know, Rainbow Dash, it's not polite to slouch like that in fancy company..." Quipped Spitfire, with a snarky smirk on her face. By the way she placed her chin on her hooves and that glare she gave, Dash would have surely known that she was checking her out had she not known better. The fact that it always looked like she had bedroom eyes whenever her eyes glazed over did not help at all.

Trying to make a comeback after regaining her composure, Rainbow Dash offered her attempt at a retort. "Yeah, well...you should...oughta...keep your elbows off the table!" She said, pointing out her fire-haired friend's hunched posture.

"Oh, does it really bother you that much?" Spitfire replied, giving the new recruit a very smug, punchable look. "Well, if that's the case, then I might as well take them off the table..." Which she did, slowly and deliberately. "...and help myself over to the last slice of pie!" With all deftness and swiftness, she stood up and loomed right over the rainbow-maned mare sitting next to her, quickly snatching the lonely, cherry-filled delicacy off its silver platter and planted her firm plot back in her own chair, holding her prize aloft like a barbel.

Caught off-guard by the captain's sudden, uncouth maneuver and mannerisms, Rainbow Dash was quick to point an accusing hoof at the yellow mare. "Hey, what gives you the right to do that?!" Hollered Dash. "I hadn't had a slice of pie yet!"

"Pie?" Spitfire said, feigning surprise. As a daredevil, hero and aerial acrobat, Spitfire knew many, many tricks - and her next trick was one that she learned at a very young age. With a look of brazen arrogance, the golden girl unhinged her jaw and violently crammed the entire slice into her mouth, cheeks swollen and taught with crusty, gooey goodness. "Ah uhn no 'out any pie!" She added, letting a couple crumbs drop from her half-shut muzzle.

Dash's face contorted with shock and disgust at such a despicable act of debased, dessert-based depravity; Spitfire's actions would not go unpunished! "You...You did not just eat that whole thing!" Choked Dash, trying her hardest to suppress a shout, if not an out-of-control laughing fit. "What the hayseed is wrong with you?!"

After a few seconds of careful chewing, Spitfire dumped the sugary contents of her cheeks into her gullet with a loud gulp, teary-eyed from such a gastronomical feat. "What? Can't a mare have a bit of fun?" Spitfire quipped, wiping her eyes and giving Rainbow a very bratty grin. "Besides, being a Wonderbolt means always expecting the unexpected and possessing lightning-fast reflexes..." Spitz paused, taking a quick sip of red wine. "...So are you really sure that you're Wonderbolt material?" She added with a teasing tone to her voice. "Wait a sec, where's the rest of my soup?!"

Her answer came with the sound of loud slurping, turning around to find Rainbow Dash gleefully swilling the rest of Spitfire's wild rice soup, letting a little bead of vegetable broth trickle down her chin. Finishing its contents, much to the Wonderbolt captain's ire, Rainbow daintily wiped her mouth off with a napkin-draped hoof, glancing back at Spitfire with the most dirt-eating smirk on her face that she could possibly pull off. "So I'm not Wonderbolt material, am I now?" She teased, her grin becoming more like that of a shark. "Maybe I'm the one who should be captain around here..."

"Ohhh no, I'm the one who calls the shots around here!" Retorted Spitfire, starting to get into the little game that Rainbow seemed to be playing. "And as the official captain of the Wonderbolts, that gives me special privileges. Like say, for example...oh, I dunno...wine privileges!" As soon as she said that, she carefully yanked Dash's goblet away from her and swilling its full-bodied contents, placing a hoof on the cyan mare's forehead to keep her from reclaiming her alcoholic prize, arms flailing towards the grail like a bullied foal.

"Ack...Hey! G-gimme that back!" Cried Rainbow Dash, reaching towards the ceramic goblet that held the last remaining drops of Chateau Punch 998, which slipped between Spitfire's soft lips and down the inside of her tender throat.

Setting the empty chalice down onto the table, Spitfire let out a petit hiccup, finishing off what remained of its contents, leaving only a little spot of sanguine liquid at the very bottom of it. "Gimme-gimme-never-gets, Dashie..." She teased, licking her lips.

Dash gave her idol an almost murderous look before softening into a mischievous gaze upon realizing that Spitfire was simply living up to her name - wild, feisty, sassy and with nary a fear in the wide world. Finally abandoning the sense of etiquette that Rarity had engrained so deeply into the mare's psyche, Rainbow Dash decided to join the game that her hero was playing; One without admins, moderators and plenty of cheats. "Okay, then..." She said deviously. "...if you're so keen on sharing, then why don't I help you get a little more fiber into your diet!" Dash then playfully inserted a bread roll into Spitfire's mouth, plugging her muzzle like a cork.

Either because of her moderate blood alcohol level or the fact that she and Rainbow were simply so wrapped up in faffing about at the dinner table, Spitfire tore off one half of the roll and ate the part that was in her mouth before happily stuffing part of the roll into the blue daredevil's jokehole. "See? I am keen on sharing, Dashie..." Chimed Spitfire. "...But in all seriousness, I think that's enough playtime for now." She added. As childish as their little food-skirmish had been, Spitfire had to admit that fooling around with her fan like that did turn her on a little. But then again, that may still be just the wine talking.

Chewing and swallowing the scrap of wheaty fiber forced into her mouth, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but let out an usually loud burp, turning her face a deep, wine-red color. "Whoops! I guess that is enough fooling around for tonight..." Giggled the mare. Spitfire soon failed to resist bursting into a fit of laughter, with Dash soon joining her and before long, they were both hanging an arm over each other's shoulders, chortling like a couple of drunken barflies along with Pinkie Pie, who simply invited herself over to laugh with them. Although the other Wonderbolts were busy chatting with the rest of the other Elements of Harmony, there were two pairs of eyes looking at the three mares across the table with exasperation.

"Honestly Applejack, have you ever seen a more uncouth couple of mares?" Scoffed Rarity between dainty sips of wine. "They're both talented daredevils - world-class athletes, at that! And yet there they are, snatching each other's food off their plates like this was a grade school cafeteria. This party's all about the, so don't you think they should be acting more their age?" She added. "Besides, Canterlot is a very esteemed and sophisticated place for esteemed and sophisticated Ponies, so they should at least try to act as such."

"Yep, ah do agree that they're not the couthest of Ponies..." Sighed Applejack, watching the two with a melancholy look on her face. "But then again, this is their big night, so ah suppose they have every right to fool 'round a bit." Jack continued to pick a bit at her salad, looking rather moody.

"Are you alright, Applejack?" Rarity asked, taking notice of her friend's somewhat gloomy demeanor. "This is a party to celebrate Rainbow Dash finally fulfilling her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt, so why the long face?"

The countryborn Pony let out another exhausted exhale. "I guess ah'm just worried that ah might never get to spend time with Rainbow Dash once she becomes a true, blue Wonderbolt. Ah s'pose ah'll miss those days where she'd sleep away the afternoon as ah bucked apple trees before they started goin' outta season. Or the times we'd play games on rainy days or wrestle 'round in the mud..." Applejack stared at her reflection on the nearly clean plate she ate her salad off of, taking note of her sad expression. "...Ah don't want the good times t'end just 'cause Dash became a celebrity. Ah wanna still hang out with her without havin' to go through crowds o' fans, bodyguards to ultimately find her too tired to do anything. Maybe ah'm just not cut out to be her best friend." The farmpony sniffed, holding back a couple tears.

Rarity placed a hoof on the workhorse's shoulder. "Don't ever say things like that, darling!" She said reassuringly. "You must never beat yourself up over things that aren't your fault at all! Rainbow's the element of Loyalty, so there's no way in Tartarus that she would ever abandon you, I or anypony else she's friends with, it's just not natural for her to do something like that. Besides, we all arranged for a special agreement when Rainbow Dash first signed her contract with the Wonderbolts so that she is free to do what she pleases until she's needed by the rest of the team, whom they'll call if they do. That way, you can have your cake and eat it, too! Metaphorically speaking, that is..."

"Yeah, ah s'pose you're right, Rarity." Said Applejack, looking back at her Unicorn friend, giving her a warm smile. "No matter where we go, we'll always have Rainbow Dash to be by our side through thick n' thin. 'Sides, ah really shouldn't scorn her fer followin' her dreams, anyway - She's got herself a rendezvous with destiny."

"That's the spirit, darling..." Rarity praised, giving Applejack a good pat on the back. "In the meantime, I'd like to chat with some of the Wonderbolts..." She looked over at some of the male members of the team, giving them a good scan with her sparkling eyes. "...they've got themselves some thick stallions that I'd just love to--"

Before she could finish her sentence, however, the loud, blaring clarion call of the Royal Canterlot Voice drew the attention of all partygoers save for the guards, who swiveled their heads to the source of its incredible treble and bass. Startling more than a few Ponies, the blistering thunder of the voice was almost loud enough to crack glass and Octavia's band slowly wrapping up their symphony as a subtle warning to what was to follow did little to prepare the ears of the poor souls that were closest to the stage.

"HEAR US, CITIZENS AND ARISTOCRACY OF EQUESTRIA!!" Boomed Luna, floating steadily above the edge of the stage on her navy wings, despite her voice practically being loud enough to shake a rivet loose. "YOUR TIME OF FEASTING AND MERRIMENT MUST BE POSTPONED FOR NOW, FOR THE WONDERBOLTS ARE TO ANNOUNCE THEIR NEWEST COMERADE, RAINBOW ALBERGHETTI DASH OF CLOUDSDALE!!! WILL THE WONDERBOLTS PLEASE TAKE CENTER STAGE IMMEDIATELY, FOR LADY SPITFIRE IS TO DELIVER HER WELCOME SPEECH IN HONOR OF THE ELEMENT OF LOYALTY!!!

Energy surging through their bodies with anticipation as soon as their names were announced, the ears of Spitfire, Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Wonderbolts perked up to a flawless ninety-degree angle. This was now the moment of truth - The time Dash would finally fulfill her lifelong dream of being among the greatest aerial aces of the Pegasus race.

"Ready for your big show, Rainbow Dash?" Said Spitfire, giving her a friendly smile.

"As if I wouldn't be?!" Dash replied. "I am ready to fly!!" She declared with a voice-cracking shout, rearing up on her hind legs to express her boundless enthusiasm and energy, laughing like a sugar-charged six-year-old.

"That's the answer I was looking for!" Assuming their launch positions, Dash and the Wonderbolts went down on a knee and two front hooves with their heads pointed towards the ceiling and wings erect, ready to take off. "Alright, Wonderbolts!" Barked Spitfire towards her teammates. "Form up on my wing, pattern Delta! U-turn at T+ two seconds and vert-corkscrew onto the stage facing audience! Wonderbolts...LET'S GO!!"

And with that shot, Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts rocketed into the air at breakneck speed, sending loose napkins flying and knocking down anything not nailed to the floor within a five-foot radius. Fortunately, the ballroom had a high enough ceiling to allow room for their stunts or else they would have left in an ambulance. Zooming higher and higher into the air and in perfect sync, the 'Bolts pulled upwards just before touching the ceiling until they looped and found themselves rocketing towards the stage before an amazed audience. With a sudden shift in weight, the Wonderbolts somersaulted en route to the hard marble floor and hitting it hoof-first facing towards the audience, delivering a shockwave that sent the nearby band onto their backs and beneath their instruments, Octavia getting a face full of bass and Lyra getting her head stuck in a harp. Thanks to her athletic abilities and years of practice, Dash pulled off such a breakneck stunt with ease, standing on her rear legs and hooves over her head in triumph along with the other Wonderbolts as their ears took in the wild cheers, screams and clops of applause of their audience, soon barraged by a full salvo of roses and nosegays.

Taking a bow and approaching the mic, Spitfire gestured Rainbow Dash to step forward, of which she gladly did so. "Thank you, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia for your support in making this all possible and for the...err...Royal Canterlot Voice." She said into the microphone standing before her.

"It was an honor." Said Celestia.

"We are most grateful." Replied Luna.

"Hey!" Cried a high-pitched voice from the central table.

"Oh! And thank you, Pinkamena Diane Pie, for using the Party Cannon to help set this all up so quickly..." Spitfire added sheepishly. "It is truly a breakthrough in...confection-based...ballistics..."

"Never leave home without it!" Pinkie added, prompting a hearty chorus of laughter from the audience and those on stage.

After allowing for the laughter to die down, Spitfire spoke again. "But above all, I would like to congratulate our newest member, Rainbow Dash..." The spotlight shone on an ecstatic, grinning Rainbow Dash standing tall and proudly before the wild cheers and applause of her audience, confetti falling upon her like fine snow. Cheeks turning rosy, Dash could not help but feel tears of joy well up in her eyes upon realizing that right now, right this minute, she had accomplished her lifelong dream after years and years of practice and achievement. She felt like climbing the tallest mountains in the world and shouting "I am a Wonderbolt!" at the top of her lungs atop their summits, unearthly strength and pride swelling up in her flesh and blood, feeling powerful beyond reckoning like the gods of ancient myths. This was her dream and this was her time and there was nothing that could possibly go wrong!

"...Who, by saving the lives of Soarin', Rarity and myself, demonstrating untold courage and bravery in the face of adversity, displaying feats and acts of heroism, skill and loyalty towards her fellow Equestrians, has earned her the title and privilege of flying amongst the greatest flyers the world has ever known: The Wonderbolts!" The crowd burst into another polyphonous round of thundering applause as Rainbow looked towards her hero with awe and admiration, adoring everything that Spitfire was and stood for.

Meanwhile, the guard in charge of bouncer duty, had ended his shift for the night, mainly because of a nasty earache caused by both Rainbow Dash's fangirlish squeal and Luna's trademark Royal Canterlot Voice. Walking down towards the exit by the left side of the stage to punch out for the night and head straight to bed, the guard groaned quietly from the toll that a day of guard duty, frisking, close observation and rigid posture had taken on his muscular frame, his many bones and tendons caught in painful knots of aches and cramps.

"Ugh...another day another Bit, I suppose." Moaned the guard. "At least posing for Equestria After Dark helps pay the bills. Sometimes I wish that I got a Cutie Mark for that instead of guard du--WHOA!!"

With a loud clang, the guard had slipped and fallen onto his back, cushioned only by the cold metal shell of his body armor. Getting back onto his legs and trying to shake off the many stabbing aches and cramps from both the his fall and workday, the toned Pegasus stallion clutched his head in pain.

"Owww...What in the hay did I slip on?" He said, still seeing a few stars. His question was soon answered by a small, shiny something he found on the ground. Realizing that this had to be what he slipped on, the guard walked closer to the mysterious object to investigate.

"Huh? What's this?" Picking up the source of his future back problems, the guard couldn't help but take a mental note of the object's curiously enticing odor.

"A marble? What in the world is a marble doing here?" He asked himself.

Boiling Point.

As Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts, gave her speech, the audience seldom deviated from their attention towards her; Barely a single word muttered from the many mouths it held. The spotlights on the third-story balcony shone columns of golden light upon Spitfire, Rainbow Dash and the rest of the team that looked on from behind the two, arranged in a perfect row like soldiers on parade.

"We Wonderbolts - as proud and tenacious as we may be, must not and shall not forget that it takes more than skills, guts and speed to become one one us; It takes a kind heart, a faithful spirit, a loyal soul and unyielding, unselfish devotion to be of benefit to the world that we all live in. Rainbow Dash embodies all of these attributes and has demonstrated time and time again that she truly is our number one fan!" Declared Spitfire, standing before a podium adorned with the winged thunderbolt emblem of her team.

The audience resumed their roars and applause of appreciation, showering Rainbow Dash with the affection and adoration she so constantly desires - her cyan face curling a bashful smile and increasing in temperature. Even though the excitement from having her lifelong dream realized was too much for her to handle, there was something deep within her - primal, even; that gave her the numbness to endure such astonishment whereas she would otherwise faint in pure joy. Which she did when she first found out that she had finally been accepted.

"This is so awesome!" She thought to herself, as she has nearly non-stop whenever she got the chance to meet with the Wonderbolts or when her acceptance into their ranks was brought up. It was less of a thought and more of a broken record player. The sheer thrill of being onstage with Spitfire like this made her feel all tingly inside, so much so, that she could feel such spine-dancing shivers as a physical, tangible force.

The applause died down to a few scattered whoops and clops, allowing Spitfire to resume her speech.

"She has demonstrated her worthiness of such a title not by such vain matters like the amount of merchandise she owned or how many shows she's been to, but by testing her character, her body and her mind time and time again to prove that she was born to become a Wonderbolt even when nopony was watching - a true sign of integrity. She has often impressed us with tales of her strength, perseverance, endurance, feats of bravery and courage - Whether it was saving the life of a scared filly trapped in a dried-up well or saving the life of Soarin's freshly-baked apple pie at the gala, Rainbow Dash has many accomplishments big and small under her belt." Soarin' blushed with light-hearted embarrassment at the mention of his confectionary near-calamity at the Grand Galloping Gala two years ago, prompting another round of hearty laughter from the crowd.

"See? Sweet Apple Acres pie is that good. Just like it says on the flyer." Whispered Applejack to the food critic standing next to her, playfully elbowing the Unicorn mare.

"Whatever you say, but I'm sure it won't stand up to the goods that Canterlot's finest chefs are known for..." The critic quietly remarked in an estute voice. "But just you wait until May and I'll see for myself at the next bake-off."

"I'm so happy for Rainbow Dash now that she's going to be a true, blue Wonderbolt!" Twilight said to Pinkie Pie, who was busy crying melodramatically.

"Ohh, it's so beautiful, our little Dashie is finally all grown up!" Sobbed Pinkie, blowing her nose into a pink hankerchief, covering it with nasalborne confetti. "Sorry, I just get so emotional at times like this..." She sniffled.

"Remind me to ask you how you do that, Pinkie..." Twilight remarked.

"Oh, it's easy! I just take a bunch confetti and a funnel and--"

"Sssssshhh!!" Sushed an irritated upper crust stallion, giving Pinkie Pie the evil eye. "We're trying to listen!"

"Oh. Sorry..." Pinkie replied, sinking into her seat.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash started to feel a little too warm, beginning to sweat a little for some unknown reason and squirming a bit in discomfort without drawing attention to herself. "Sheesh...Is it hot in here or is it just me?" She thought. "These spotlights feel more like heat lamps! How do they not catch fire? How can Spitfire even handle that while wearing such...tight-fitting clothing?"

"Were it not for her admirable bravery and tenacity, Soarin', Misty and I would not be alive to be here tonight after being knocked unconscious by the panicked flails of a...garishly dressed Unicorn falling to her death before Rainbow Dash not only rescued and carried all three of us to safety, but performed the very first intentional Sonic Rainboom in recorded history while doing so." Spitfire continued, prompting yet another round of raucous applause. All Ponies attending were deeply impressed save for Rarity, who was instead deeply offended.

"'Garish?!' How DARE you call this mare 'Garish!" Why, as soon as I get my hooves on that obnoxiously bright heap of spandex you call a flight suit, I'll rip it into a million tiny shreds and use it as confetti for when I'm truly recognized as Equestria's final word on fashion!!" Snarled Rarity, causing a bit of a scene as Fluttershy and Twilight restrained her with both their arms. It would have steered all attention away from Spitfire were it not for the applause drowning her out.

"Rarity, get a hold of yourself, mare!" Twilight commanded, trying to ensure that the irate Unicorn could not thrash her way loose from her bear-hug.

"Please, Rarity, don't make a scene..." Said Fluttershy, her arms wrapped around Rarity's writing waist, her flailing causing her soft plot to repeatedly push itself into the Pegasi's poor, butter-hued face. Although the tightness of their combined grip and strength managed to successfully calm Rarity down, it was the hateful glare of a nearby Royal Guard that finally pacified the furious fashionista into silence. Slowly lowering herself back into her chair and her two friends cautiously releasing their grip on her as she calmly melted into the plush silk of her chair.

"How...unladylike of me..." Tittered Rarity, white facial features turning crimson as her eyes shifted to the left and right to ensure that nopony saw her embarrassing temper flare. Unfortunately, many of them did.

Speaking of "unladylike", Rainbow Dash started to feel remarkably self-conscious about herself, starting to shake a bit. She was doing her very best to keep her cool - and she was for the most part, but her train of thought kept getting interrupted by certain...urges brewing inside her consciousness. Her knees started to feel weak; like they weren't getting enough blood flowing to them and starting to fall asleep. Keeping her quivering joints straight as she could, Dash grinned and bore it, flashing the best pokerface that she could muster. Although unnoticed by most ponies in the audience, a couple eagle-eyed individuals began to see that something was amiss with Rainbow, even thought they were quick to dismiss their dilemma as mere stage fright.

"Aw, Rainbow Dash is so excited to be a Wonderbolt, she just can't hold still!" Giggled Pinkie Pie, watching her friend through a pair of opera glasses.

"It's not like her to act so nervous in front o' ponies like that..." Applejack remarked. "...Whatta you think, Fluttershy?"

"She does look a little scared...I think..." The canary Pegasus replied. "But I do have to admire her for her bravery. I could never be in front of so many ponies on stage like that..."

"Well, what about that play we all did on Hearth's Warming Eve?" Said Twilight.

"Oh, that was much different." 'Shy replied. "Most of the attention was directed towards Rainbow, not me..."

"Ah'm sure she'll be fine." Said Applejack.

"And who can forget the day Rainbow Dash saved more than a dozen lives from certain death in a single day? Not only do I owe my life to that strong, talented mare, but so do several tourists from Vanhoover, a ten-month-old foal, a filly by the name 'Aura', and a handful of Ponyville's wise population of senior citizens. With the sudden appearance of our one-time town hero, the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well doing the heroics shortly afterwards, it's as if Celestia herself rewarded Dash with a well-deserved break from saving lives and fighting crime! After all, even the strongest of us need time to relax our frayed nerves and strong, tense muscles like the ones on Dash's sleek frame..."

Rainbow Dash and Celestia both gave Spitfire and each other an awkward, confused look. Clearly, Spitfire was on tour during that moment in the town's history. Both ponies wondered if Spitfire was just making this all up on her own as she went...

"Come later that fall, Rainbow Dash once again failed to disappoint by proving that even the toughest and coolest of ponies can have a tender, sensitive side to them. When deep-rooted personal fears and painful memories prevented a timid friend of hers from helping Ponyville's Pegasi population kick-start Equestria's rainy season, Dash spared no time in helping her overcome her fears through patience, effort and compassion; offering inspirational oral support even in the chaos within the tornado itself. Rainbow Dash has once again demonstrates that even the toughest Wonderbolt has to have a soft, warm heart inside them."

"Now this is just gettin' plain cheesy..." Applejack remarked from the audience, cringing a bit.

"YEEAAAAHH!!" Cried a ridiculously muscular stallion not far from her, tears of joy in his eyes.

Rainbow Dash felt her heart pound and her head lighten. Cold sweat began racing down her coat as she anxiously stared at Spitfire's plot - toned and tightly wrapped in form-fitting spandex. Rainbow's imagination began to run wild, self-consciousness soon replaced by a maelstrom of ideas whirling around inside her brain; all of them having to do with all the naughty, unspeakable things she wanted to do to that rock-hard rear. She felt her daydreams carry her off as a way of coping with her stress until she violently shook her head back into reality.

"'A soft warm heart?' 'A tender, sensitive side?'" Thought Dash, reacting to Spitfire's curiously subtle emphasis on such sensual words. "Is she...is she hitting on me?! No, that can't be right at all! She just sees me as a fan, that's all! Nothing more! Oh, why do I feel so hot? It feels like I'm stuffed into an oven during a heat wave! It feels like I'm...Oh NO..."

A moment forgotten out of sheer excitement thrust itself out of the cold, dark depths of Rainbow's subconscious and into the stratosphere of her consciousness like a chunk of bedroom flung high into the air like a rocket.

"Also, please remember not to engage in any high-speed maneuvers or violent movements and to return here to have the IUD removed within ten days, please."

"...Those stunts! The high-five I did with the others! That bumpy train-ride! That's it: I've lost my marble!!" The terrible realization striking Rainbow Dash like the blunt end of an axe, the soon-to-be-Wonderbolt felt a deep, primal feeling of fear and terror well from within her, slowing time down from seconds to minutes as if she was staring the Grim Reaper himself dead in the eyes. Her muscles tensed and heart slammed against her ribcage, feeling like they were going to burst straight out or overtighten themselves somehow. Now clearly and visibly scared out of her wits and staring at Spitfire with animalistic fear as corticosteroids locked swords with pheremones, soon the whole audience took note, realizing that something was very, very wrong...

"What in the world is wrong with that mare?" Fancypants remarked to his wife from the audience.

"I have no idea!" His wife, Fleur-De-Lis replied. "This is clearly not normal behavior at all!"

After yet another round of filler commentary, Spitfire had finally come to the conclusion of her speech. "...And in conclusion and without further ado, I, Spitfire - Captain of the Wonderbolts, with this deed of membership and personalized jumpsuit, do hereby declare Ms. Rainbow Alberghetti Dash of Cloudsdale an official member of the Wonderbolts!"

At that very moment when Spitfire brought out a the framed proof of membership document and a neatly folded Wonderbolts flightsuit much to the deafening thunder of stomping hooves and hollers of joy and ovation, something within Rainbow Dash's brain had broken an escapement mechanism and came flying off of its axis. A sudden breeze from the open-air balcony behind them had blown a strangely enticing scent from Spitfire downwind towards Dash. The moment that smell graced her nostrils, all fear, stress, inhibitions and external stimuli were quickly replaced by the creamy, silken pastel dreamscapes of an erotic vision...

In this waking dream, Rainbow Dash found her hooves rhythmically propelling herself through a tall field of velvety aubergine grasses beneath a pale, hazy fuchsia sky adorned only by the brilliant glow of a goldleaf sun. Amidst the rushing whispers of disturbed blades of grassland and the lilting chirps of fluttering songbirds was the velveteen cry of her name from the silken lips of Spitfire, who stood before the cyan mare's ocular ponds of magenta shade - set upon a baby blue face carried by a chariot of four muscular legs.

Then, with all her love-filled might, Rainbow Dash thrust her hind-legs straight out with wings fully extended, carrying her through the air into the open arms of her saffron admirer. As she gleefully pounced upon the fire-maned mare, the deep, lust-fueled burning of desire's flame brought the embrace of rich heat through every cell in her body, prompting Rainbow to lower her lips towards the agape, inviting mouth of Spitfire for the kiss of a thousand lifetimes. Feeling the electric jolt of the pain of their fall and the pleasure of their company, the two were ensnared in an impenetrable cocoon of ecstasy. After what seemed like an eternity of white-hot, tongue-duelling passion, Rainbow Dash released her mouth from Spitfire's flower-soft lips upon feeling the odd sensation of cold hooves pressing against her side. Soon, all sounds were drowned; muffled by the increasingly loud, panicked voice of a familiar friend...

"Rainbow Dash?! Rainbow Dash!!"

With a loud yelp of surprise, Rainbow Dash turned her attention to the large, violet shape just on the periphery of her vision - the shocked, startled face of the source of that voice from her dream.

"Rainbow Alberghetti Dash, what in Celestia's NAME are you DOING?!" Cried Twilight, shaking sense into her disoriented friend.

"Huh?! What?!"

"Rainbow Dash, what on earth were you even thinking?! Do you have any idea what you have just done?!" The Unicorn reiterated.

"What are you talking about?!" Dash replied rudely. "I was just--" Before she could finish her sentence, Rainbow Dash was cut off by the sudden realization of her surroundings: She was now on the right side of the stage, just in front of the podium crouching down, whereas before, she was standing straight on all fours to the middle of the left side; her flight suit and framed PoM undamaged yet seemingly thrown across the stage. The entire room was dead silent; Everypony in the audience, the Wonderbolts, both Princesses and even the seemingly dauntless Canterlot Royal Guard were shocked silent, the look of shock and awe carved onto their every equine face - eyes all fixed upon her. Realizing that she must've done something terribly brazen, Dash silently wondered where Spitfire was. Feeling a solid something beneath her plot, Rainbow Dash dared to lower her head down to find out.

She wish she hadn't.

Despite releasing a sharp, despaired gasp of air into her lungs, it had felt like all warmth and all life had been sucked dry from Rainbow's body upon finding out what she was sitting on: The lower midsection of a startled Spitfire sprawled out on her back, panting heavily and staring into Dash's terrified eyes with utter shock, her face stained crimson with an intense blush. But most horrifying of all was what she found connected to the lips of both mares: A long, hair-thin strand of saliva.

"Rainbow Dash..." Gasped a breathless Spitfire.

Releasing a cry of terror as she scrambled off of the Wonderbolt on her front hooves and rear end, Dash hit her back on the side of the podium, noticing the concerned stares of the other Elements of Harmony who had come to her aid, along with that of Spitfire, who laid there still, save for lifting her head up to maintain eye contact with the Cerulean Pegasus.

"Umm...Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy meekly asked. "Are you alright...?"

Hearing those soft-spoken words echo meaninglessly through her skull, Rainbow Dash saw it all flash in front of her waterlogged eyes....

There she was, poor eighteen-year-old Rainbow Dash, curled up in a ball on the soft floor of clouds that made up the courtyard of the Cloudsdale High School campus, crying her eyes out like a frightened filly that had lost her mother in a shopping mall and surrounded by the cackling, jeering wall of young ponies surrounding her. The high school prom queen, Morning Star, had just finished reading the secret love fantasies found in Rainbow Dash's diary in a mocking tone, emphasizing the many romantic daydreams written about her fellow female classmates. Wailing like an infant before the faces of her former friends, now ripped ear-to-ear with pain-thirsting grins of pure malice and eyes that burned with heartless intent, all that the poor young filly could do was bawl in pure humiliation, hoping that her torturers would finally end their malevolent mantra:

"Rainbow Dyke! Rainbow Dyke! Rainbow Dyke's the high school bike! Rainbow Dyke! Rainbow Dyke! Rainbow Dyke's the high school bike! Rainbow Dyke! Rainbow Dyke! Rainbow Dyke's the high school bike! Rainbow Dyke! Rainbow Dyke..."

"Rainbow Dash? Rainbow Dash... Are...are you okay?" Spitfire asked, having gotten up and now sitting down to meet her eye-to-eye.

Rainbow Dash had her side pressed hard against the podium, her face bleached red with embarrassment, contorted and warped with a heartaching expression of pure anger, sadness, hatred and above all: fear; pushing her head against the wall the hardest, clearly looking towards Spitfire like she was some kind of monster. Her lower lip trembled in epileptic quivers, releasing pitiful sounds of faint, dry heaves and sobs. Her eyes pushed out heavy streams of hot tears down her cheeks as tiny droplets of mucus hung from her nostrils, neither of which seemed to show any sign of slowing down or stopping. With Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Spitfire and now Soarin', Celestia and Luna circling around her like the bullies so long ago - concerned faces replacing those of sadistic joy, Rainbow Dash trembled before them, letting out only a small, barely audible squeak.

"Itsnofair..."

"What did you say?" Asked Fluttershy.

"Itsnotfair..."

"Ah beg yer pardon?" Applejack inquired.

"It's not fair..."

"'It's not fair?' What isn't fair?" Queried Luna.

"It's not fair!"

"What ever is the matter, Rainbow Dash?" Asked Celestia. "What is it that's not fair? Tell us!"

None of her friends apparently getting the cryptic message she was sending them, Rainbow Dash collected the breath her lungs needed to release years and years and years of pent-up emotions in a single, bone-chilling scream...

"IT'S NOT FAAAAAAAAAAAAIR!!!!!!"

Finally forcing out the baleful, deafening scream of agony and frustration she so needed - which literally shook the very walls of the palace itself, Rainbow Dash found the strength to spread her wings and soar straight out from the balcony into the night sky, tears trailing behind her. Consumed by so much pain and so much shame from having succumbed to her estrus and emotions only to culminate in the realization of her worst nightmare, Dash flew off into the black of night, planning on never returning to Canterlot, Cloudsdale, Ponyville - or all of Equestria for that matter, ever again.

For what seemed like an eternity of stunned silence, the entire hall soon rang out with the shocked and confused conversations of nearly every occupant within.

"What in Celestia's name had just happened?!"

"What did she mean by 'it's not fair,' exactly?"

"My ears are ringing!"

"Such unladylike behavior! What a beast!"

"Heh...She can take me down like that any day!"

"What a horrible sound!"

"I hope the poor girl's alright! She must've been so ashamed!"

"And she should be ashamed! Mares loving mares is an abominable, unnatural thing!"

"How could she have done such a thing!"

Amidst the chaos, the Captain of the Guard himself, Shining Armor, had stepped forth before the two princesses onstage.

"Princesses Celestia, Luna and Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts!" Said Shining with a salute and his voice thick with authority. His fellow guardsmen soon stood by his side, their spears drawn. "I have witnessed the whole thing happen with my own eyes and in your names, I will not let Spitfire's attacker, Rainbow Dash, escape from Canterlot justice! I humbly request permission to pursue Rainbow Dash, arrest her and place her on trial for sexual harass--"

"PERMISSION DENIED!!" Barked Luna in a slightly reduced version of the Royal Canterlot Voice, scaring both Shining Armor and everypony in the room into silence. "We too, have witnessed what Rainbow Dash has done and we assure you, Shining Armor, that this was not an intentional act of malevolence, but an episode of severe emotional distress! Therefore, by divine order of the goddess of the moon, we hereby drop any and all charges against the Element of Loyalty, already knowing that this was of circumstances beyond her control! But one question remains: Where is she and who will join me in searching for her?"

"I'll go." Spitfire said with a flat tone of authority.

"Very well then, brave Spitfire!" Luna Declared. "Let us both make haste to find Rainbo--"

"No. I'm going alone."

"W-what?! Why?" Asked Shining Armor.

"Spitfire, we are her friends and fellow Elements of Harmony, we should be the ones responsible!" Said Twilight, the rest of the Elements standing by her side.

"No. I feel that I should be the one to find her." Spitfire boldly stated. "I'm her idol, her hero and the one that feels responsible for what happened." She sighed heavily. "She's a Wonderbolt, I'm a Wonderbolt, therefore, this is a Wonderbolt problem; And I have a problem to help her solve before it's too late.

Pausing only momentarily to let out another guilt-heavy sigh, Spitfire took off from the balcony, soaring off towards the direction Rainbow Dash flew in.

"Rainbow Dash...You hold a place in my heart. And I can't see you go like this..."

Dear Princess Celestia.

"Dear Princess Celestia,

Tonight I learned that you must never be ashamed of being gay, straight or bisexual, and that to bottle all of those emotions and feelings up inside of you because you're scared of how others will treat you, will only serve to hurt you terribly, as today's little...'incident' had proved. I've always been afraid of being in love, fearing that it will only bring you pain and heartbreak. And while it is true that love never went smoothly and that there will always be those uncool times of hardship, the rewards of being in a mutual relationship with somepony you admire will always outweigh its setback. Especially when that special somepony just so happens to be the coolest pony in Equestria: Spitfire.

After all, isn't love supposed to be what makes the world go 'round?

Your faithful student,

Rainbow Dash."

Hunched up in the covers of her bed with Tank happily snoozing away in his own, Dash rolled up her letter and wrapped it with a little strand of twine before tossing it into the alcove of a special, enchanted fireplace she bought a few months back, where it was quickly incinerated by a bright, brief plume of green fire, later materializing in the royal chamber of Princess Celestia herself. Sighing contently as she let her head melt into the plushness of her pillow, Rainbow Dash marveled at how a mare like herself could make it through so much emotional strife and suffering, only to find out that her own idol: Spitfire, Captain of The Wonderbolts, would have a crush on her as well. But was it all worth it? Was the simple knowledge that her hero admired her back the right reward for the price of nearly losing her sanity, her dreams and her almost flawless reputation all in a single day?

"Totally worth it..." She muttered to herself.

Saying her goodnights to her pet tortoise and plunging the room into total darkness with but a clop of her hooves, Rainbow Dash let out a blissful sigh of relief as her hooves still had one more thing to do before sliding into the abyss of dreamland, where the smooth, creamy nocturnal visions of a certain yellow mare was waiting for her with a wink and a smile...

"Spitfire..."

THE END.

CREDITS

Written by

Kwisatz-Haderach

Edited by

Kwisatz-Haderach

Voices

Tara Strong - Twilight Sparkle

Ashleigh Ball - Rainbow Dash, Applejack

Tabitha St. Germain - Rarity, Cherry Berry, Princess Luna

Andrea Libman - Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Derpy Hooves

Nicole Oliver - Princess Celestia, Nurse Redheart

Peter New - Big Macintosh

Andrew Francis - Shining Armor, Meadow Song

Scott McNeil - Dr. Stable, Guardsman

Marikye Hendrikse - Spitfire

Matt Hill - Soarin'

All of the above - Additional Voices

Special Thanks

BigMacDavis
TwilightClopple
Proteus-92
Enlistedpony
Andrew J. Talon
Primalcorn1
Scorpan
Hiroiyuki Imaishi
Lauren Faust

And YOU!

Spitfire To The Rescue.

Sailing through the cool breeze of the night sky, glitter-like stars shining down upon her, Spitfire scanned high and low for Rainbow Dash, silently praying that the poor Pegasus had not done anything rash.

"Please be okay, Rainbow Dash... Please be okay...."

Desperately searching every cloud, every road and every possible place that Dash could be, the Wonderbolt cruised through the hoof-built crevices of Ponyville's alleyways and the densest clusters of nimbus clouds high above, her mind racing faster than a microprocessor as she let her eyes feel through the cottage-spotted, tree-mottled lands below. Like a bird of prey, Spitfire briefly circled around each and every place where she might go to find solace if things were not going her way, moving from one landmark to another. But because she didn't know Rainbow Dash as well as her other friends did, much of her efforts were wasted by educated guesswork, the golden mare spending so much of her energy gliding a veritable cat's cradle across Dream Valley in the hopes of spotting her in someplace she might not expect. After roughly half-an-hour of searching, Spitfire caught her breath on a lone cloud above Froggy Bottom Bog, hoping that Rainbow Dash was not only nearby, but still alive.

"Rainbow Dash!" Called Spitfire, as if she was searching for a lost pet. "Rainbow Daaaaash! Where are you?"

No response.

"Rainbow Daaaash!" She cried out again. "It's me, Spitfire, where are you?"

Still no response.

"Rainbow Dash, come on out, I just want to talk with you! You're not in trouble, I just want to have a word with you!"

Letting her words be carried through the air, Spitfire waited a few seconds for another response and not a single one came. Remembering Twilight once telling her that she was a hardcore fan of the Daring Doo series of books, she soared over to the Ponyville Library in the hopes that either Dash or Spike might be there. Knowing Rainbow Dash's trademark speed and without a single lead, Spitfire figured that Twilight's assistant may provide an answer if not act as an eyewitness. Landing at the library's front door, the fire-haired daredevil noticed a small note attached to the door by a small sliver of masking tape.

"Hm. What's this?" Said Spitfire, taking a closer look at the message.

Gone to Donut Joe's.

Back eventually.

Love,

Spike

"Well that was helpful..." Spitfire flatly said to herself, already walking away to resume the search for her biggest-fan-damsel-in-distress. Letting out an exhausted exhale, Spitz spread her wings out and took off into the air with a great push of her hooves and a plume of dust in her wake. She was a mere thirty feet off the ground when something clicked within her brain.

"Wait a sec..." Thought Spitfire. "Donut Joe runs a Cafe, which is where Ponies go to unwind and discuss things...like a tavern. Hmmm....maybe Rainbow Dash went to the tavern to get her mind off of her problems like a lot of Ponies often do! That's it! Dash must be at Punch Tavern drowning her sorrows! After all, she loves that Sweet Apple Hard Cider! She has to be there!" Despite the additional concern that Dash may be an alcoholic, the rush of energy from her recent epiphany filled her whole body with hope that she was close by - and she could only hope that the invisible light bulb floating above her head wasn't going to die out soon.

A few minutes later, Spitfire found herself pushing aside the heavy oak door that divided Punch Tavern from the rest of Ponyville, snaking through the opening she made and letting the door's edge softly slide against her flank as it crept shut. The inside of the tavern was not much different than any other tavern she's been to throughout the many adventures of Spitfire - a cozy atmosphere kept in place by white plastered, half-timbered cottage walls dimly lit by smoked glass lanterns hanging by chains from the ceiling. Thick, sturdy rafters penetrated the ceiling from wall-to-wall, adorned with framed paintings and photographs of historical events or famed patrons above a small population of Ponies happily conversing with another over various topics. And there, behind the long, polished mahogany bar counter and in front of a veritable library of various spirits, wines and liquors was Berry Punch; The best winemaker and bartender Ponyville has had in over 25 years.

"Hey, Punch." Greeted Spitfire, making eye contact with the fuchsia-toned earth pony as she helped herself to a barstool.

"Well whaddya know, it's Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts herself!" Berry Punch exclaimed as she cleaned another tankard with a dishrag-coated hoof. "I take it ol' Rainbow Dash's welcome party into the Wonderbolts went as planned?"

"No, not exactly..." The Wonderbolt replied. "Look, this is a bit of an emergency; I don't have much time to explain what happened, but Rainbow Dash had a bit of a meltdown and flew off somewhere. Have you seen her?"

Gears of thought turned and turned inside the bartender's head. "Hmm... No, I'm afraid I can't say that I have, sorry..." Said Berry Punch. "But I will tell you this: a couple of ponies here at the bar said that they saw a shooting rainbow of all things flying across the sky northwest of here, so you might want to check there."

"Thanks, Punch. You're a real help." Said Spitfire, giving her a friendly smile.

"Sure you don't want a shot of Everfree to loosen up a bit?" Berry Punch offered.

"No thanks, I don't drink and fly, remember?" The Pegasus replied with a nervous smile.

"Oh right, I forgot all about that one time..."

"Well, I'm glad you did. Anyway, I'm off!" Said Spitz, hopping off of her seat.

"Happy hunting!" Said Punch, waving goodbye.

Spitfire trotted out the door to resume her search, letting in a brief draft of cool night air before it closed shut.

Nearly twenty-five minutes later, Spitfire was well-winded, asking the last pony she'd asked in the fourteen-house neighborhood where Dash had gone, standing at the door of a small wooden shanty at the very edge of town face-to-face with its owner.

"Nope. Sorry, I haven't seen Rainbow Dash at all tonight. Spent the whole day with my boyfriend, I'm afraid." Said Meadow Song. "But good luck on your search!" The wandering bard then shut the flimsy homemade door on the yellow Pegasus before returning to "quality time" with a stack of back issues of Playmare.

Tired and defeated, Spitfire sauntered slowly down the adjacent dirt road, reflecting on where it all went wrong with her and Rainbow.

Spitfire sighed heavily. "What in the world happened to you, Rainbow Dash?" She asked herself. "First you pounce on me and then run off absolutely devastated...Why? What happened that made you do such a thing? Was it mating season? Was it jealousy over Soarin' and I? And why were you so terrified of me afterwards? Why do you feel this way towards me?" Leaving matters into Celestia's hooves, the fiery mare slowly flew her way back towards her home in Cloudsdale, hoping that Rainbow hadn't ran away from Ponyville - or worse yet, committed suicide. She had just began her climb up to the cloud layer when she heard an odd noise high above her.

"That noise... It sounds like...crying, almost. Could it be...?"

Making her way to the source of the sound, Spitfire felt a cold lance through her heart once she was close enough to hear it clearly. It was a long, drawn-out, dolorous wail of despair and extreme emotional pain, punctuated by deep, heavy sobs of hurt and anger before resuming its almost infantile, heart-broken song of woe. Whoever it was that was crying like this must have been a Pegasus having the absolute worst day of his or her life. And then it struck her...

"Rainbow Dash?!" Cried Spitfire. Ascending as fast as she could to the source of the sound, she slowed down her approach, gradually decreasing her speed circling around a particularly dark storm cloud. Or rather, what was on top of it...

Spitfire found Rainbow Dash having completely fallen apart on the soot-grey cloud, sprawled out onto her side like a dying animal; her reddened face drenched with tears as she released another episode of unrestrained bawling, desperately crying out for help like an injured newborn. The poor Pegasus had felt like her life truly was over, wallowing in her grief as she silently begged Celestia to put an end to her suffering and let herself be swallowed whole by the blackness of oblivion. Thirteen years of her life spent obsessing over the Wonderbolts only to blow her chance, assault her idol and humiliate herself in front of everypony in Dream Valley was the cruelest hand that fate could ever deal to her. From the secret shame she had about being a mare that loved mares, to the cruelty she endured for it, to the years of bottling up emotions and all the way to the disaster that was today, the only thing that could possibly turn her life around was a complete miracle.

And fortunately, a miracle was about to touch down next to her.

Feeling the weight of another two pairs of hooves land softly on her cloud, a teary-eyed Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder with bloodshot, waterlogged eyes to find Spitfire looking back at her with a concerned smile on her face, hoping to reassure her. In response, Dash buried her head in her arms and continued weeping, refusing to let her idol see her like this.

"Rainbow Dash? Are you okay?" Spitfire calmly asked, even though she knew damn well that the answer was clearly a "no."

"Go away..." Dash croaked weakly, ending her response with a few sniffles.

"What's the matter, why are you so sad?" The yellow mare added, reaching a hoof out towards her rainbow-haired friend. Placing it gently on her shoulder, Spitfire gently started rubbing it in circles to calm Rainbow down, even though she recoiled from the touch. Sliding the tip of her hoof gently up and down Dash's back, she noticed that, despite her resistance, Rainbow Dash's muscles already started to loosen up from her gentle ministrations.

"Just go away..." Groaned Dash, slowly pushing Spitfire's arm away from her. "I'm not a Wonderbolt anymore - I hate the Wonderbolts... I hate you, I hate myself, I hate my life..." Rainbow exhaled. "...And after what I did to you, it's only fitting that you hate a filly-fooler like me..."

"I don't hate you..."

"Yes, yes you do! And I hate you!" Dash tearfully snapped.

"But Rainbow Dash..."

"Just go away and LET ME DIE!!" The poor filly shrieked.

Dash nearly would have bolted straight off of the cloud and flown away were it not for the captain's grasping hooves and powerful muscles chained around her breast, trying with all her might to keep her from flying off to who-knows-where, anchoring her hind legs firmly into the cloud's pillowy form to prevent her from getting carried away with her. Rainbow screwed her puffy, tear-soaked eyes shut tight as her wings flapped violently in vain to get away. Spitfire suffered a couple kicks to the cheek, nose and jaw as she tried to maintain her grip on the hysterical filly as she thrashed, bucked and kicked in her arms. Rainbow Dash struggled, strained and writhed to loosen herself from the Wonderbolt's muscles, but to no avail - Spitfire's grip was just too much.

Her wings simply gave up, as did the rest of her body as they both plummeted to the cloud below like a wet towel, hitting the wispy cushion beneath her. Almost instantly, Rainbow Dash swallowed a lungful of air before forcing it out into the cloud's muffling consistency in a tortured, drawn-out scream of raw despair, banging and flailing all four legs against the bevapored floor below her like a spoiled child.

Spitfire felt terrible. Seeing such a strong, devoted mare and fangirl reduced to a wailing and broken heap of agony simply tore her heart apart - feeling somehow culpable for this whole ugly mess. Was it something she said or did? Could she have talked to Rainbow before the show to calm her nerves? Was it because she never got to spend time with her at the Gala? A million questions flooded the captain's mind, all of them asking just what went wrong. Spitfire had enough of witnessing such an ugly scene and soon realized just what to do.

Gently picking her up from the waist with both hooves, Spitfire lifted Rainbow Dash off of the cloud and across her lap, letting her head and arms hang limply over her arm, jostled only by the infrequent heaves of her dry, mournful sobs. Raising a free hoof as the other one supported Dash's weight, Spitfire took to gently stroking her cape-lined back, sweeping it softly across the contour of her spine with firm, deliberate strokes.

"I could never hate you, Rainbow Dash..." Spitfire murmured. "...I would never even think of it..."

Rainbow Dash suddenly felt her heart, once heavy with agony, lighten a little from the Wonderbolt's words and . There was something about the softness and sensitivity of Spitfire's voice, along with its content that helped to calm her down - something that made her ask herself so many questions inside. Why did she spend such time and effort looking for her after forcibly pinning her down and kissing her in public? Why was she acting so gentle like this when she's known for the feisty, fiery attitude of her namesake? Why was she acting so...affectionate towards her?

"But...But I threw myself at you..." Quivered Rainbow Dash. "...And kissed you...In front of everypony..."

Spitfire responded by slowly lifting the cyan filly off her hooves and placing her on top of her with her head leaning on her shoulder, continuing the comforting ministrations of her hoof against her back. Rainbow, as utterly miserable as she was right now, felt her whole body slowly fill with a sort of...warmth - A kind that seemed to comfort and caress her from the inside out. A kind that made her feel like literally nothing could harm or hurt her in any way, shape or form...

"I know, I was there..." The yellow filly replied. "As inappropriate as it was, I still forgive you. We all make mistakes, Rainbow Dash and this was just one of them. I know how embarrassing it was for you, but deep down, I know that you are not a bad pony at all and would never do anything that you know would harm me, Soarin' or the rest of the Wonderbolts..."

Feeling utterly confused by Spitfire's intimate gestures and reassurances in spite of her humiliating faux pas, Rainbow Dash had no idea what to think of what her idol was doing or having in mind right now, torn between whether to feel pampered and forgiven of her actions or ashamed of herself for throwing herself at her personal hero. Overcome by shame and confusion, Rainbow felt tears well up in her eyes once more and began weeping softly into Spitfire's shoulder as she continued to stroke her back in reassurance.

"It's okay, don't hold back..." Cooed Spitfire into Dash's ear. "Just let it all out, Rainbow Dash - Everything is going to be alright..." Rainbow promptly did so, emptying whatever she had left in her tear ducts onto the soft spandex suit of her idol as she listened to the dull thud of her heartbeat. Cradled gently in the maternal embrace of her idol and hearing her whisper reassuring messages into her ear, it did not take long for the poor initiate to slowly feel the smooth, gentle creep of comfort blanket her being, its feeling contrasting brilliantly in the wake of such a disaster. After twenty minutes in the warm embrace of Spitfire, Rainbow Dash felt the urge to speak her mind about their present situation.

"Spitfire...?" She said, meekly.

"Yes, Dash?"

"Why are you doing all this?" Rainbow released her grip from Spitfire, now looking at her eye-to-eye; her own eyes no longer bleary nor bloodshot.

"Because you're my biggest fan, Rainbow Dash..." Replied Spitfire. "...and I'm your biggest fan, also. And I just..." She suddenly felt a knot tie itself in her throat; she knew exactly what she was going to say, but it felt like something was preventing her from doing so - as if her body felt that it wasn't time for her to say that yet. "...I just...I just can't stand to see you like this. It hurts..."

Slowly returning to her place on Spitfire's shoulder out of shyness, Rainbow Dash blushed a bright sanguine red, fully realizing how...intimate she was with her idol, captain and crush. She was as close to her as platonically possible, feeling the other mare's pulse, heartbeat and warmth resonate with her own.

"So tell me..." The golden mare started. "Why did you lunge at me like that in the first place?"

Rainbow was unsure of how to respond to the question directed at her, but now that she felt so secure in Spitfire's arms, she felt like she could fully disclose the confusion, panic and turmoil she had gone through from morning til' night and finally divulge her deepest, darkest secret to the her number one hero:

"I...I remember waking up this morning feeling very...aroused; like more so than I ever have since I had my first estrus cycle when I reached adulthood. It felt like I was drugged and pushed into a kiln; I felt so hot and I couldn't think straight at all. It felt like nearly every gesture that other ponies gave me were sexual in nature and I had to fight back these fantasies and daydreams that kept invading my mind. I knew that if I gave into them, I'd humiliate myself so badly and I would never be able to live it down. I'm a world-class athlete and I knew that I had to be tough in order to, well, be tough! I wanted to be tough just like you, Spitfire! Just like you! I hated getting sappy and emotional over really sad or mushy things, let alone showing interest in anything girly or romantic - I was an athlete! A hero! A Pegasus that would never let anything as lame as emotions prevent me from reaching my goals or making me look like a weakling! But I guess because I've kept all those feelings inside of me...they had to find a way out after building up for so long..."

Dash cringed, letting her head hang down in pure shame. Though she felt the intense urge to start bawling again, she would have to save that for later if she was going to get her message across - at risk of having her life's hero abandon her in her in disgust and perturbation.

"...And that way out was you..." Dash choked. "...Because Spitfire...I love you...Because..."

And then, sending all caution to the wind, Rainbow let her idol finally know the truth, no matter how hard she knew it would hurt.

"...I'm...I'm a lesbian..."

Spitfire looked back at a shameful-looking Rainbow Dash, mildly taken aback by such an...out-of-the-blue response. "You're...you're a lesbian?" She asked.

Dash weakly nodded, her eyes staring straight down and away from the fire-maned mare in guilt. "I was bullied in high school for loving other mares, so I just bottled up all those feelings until mating season came around today and...I just couldn't hold them in anymore...I'm so sorry..." She reiterated, as hot saline tears began to well up in her eyes again.

Much to the surprise of Rainbow Dash, Spitfire simply gave her nothing but a warm smile in response, gently lifting the blue filly's muzzle upwards so that their eyes met, Dash now blushing a heavy shade of pink on her cheeks. "Rainbow Dash, you should never bottle up feelings inside you like that... It's unhealthy! And the only shame you should ever have about your sexual orientation is to have any shame about it at all. In fact - I, Spitfire of the Wonderbolts myself, am bisexual; so I'm attracted to both mares and stallions equally! Not only that, but from you said, both you and I are polyamorous, so we don't have to feel guilty about being unfaithful so long as our other partners know and understand about it."

"'Poly-what', now?" Asked Rainbow Dash, puzzled.

"'Polyamorous.'" Spitfire clarified. "It's when a pony has feelings and relationships will multiple partners that he or she loves equally. You'd be surprised how many ponies are like that..."

"So the rumors are true, then..." Said Rainbow. "...that you've dated both Soarin' and Fleetfoot both separately and at the same time?"

"Precisely." The Wonderbolt responded. "Soarin' and I are just very close friends and the same goes for Fleetfoot, even though she's not exactly the most...talented behind closed doors..." Spitfire scratched her head and gave a nervous smile in the sort of "if you know what I mean" kind of way.

Rainbow went bright red after realizing what her hero was implying. "You...y-you mean..." She stuttered, shortly after letting out a shocked gasp. Spitfire humbly nodded "yes" as her answer.

"But...but wouldn't that make you..." Dash was struggling to find a proper word that wouldn't offend the beautiful mare she was holding right now. Failing to find the right term to use in her vocabulary, she gulped nervously, taking a risk by letting the word just creep out of her mouth and hopefully not creep her idol out. "...a slut?"

Spitfire cocked her head in a rather sheepish manner. "Well...technically, yeah... But to tell you the truth, every mare is like that, because no matter how sophisticated or conservative they may be, there's always a part of them that likes to be a slut every now and then when it's appropriate; and stallions are certainly no exception at all - It's just Equine nature! And if you deny that part of your nature without letting it off in a healthy way - letting it build up inside of you like that, it's...well...just downright unhealthy! Plus, it makes for a great...team-building exercise and helps to relax frayed nerves and reduce stress. Plus, it's a great way to spend a rainy day between racing seasons, too."

Rainbow Dash was just blown away, plain and simple. Feeling her wings stiffen a bit, as well as the slightest bit of sadness and regret that she didn't know about all this before, she simply stared at the glossy, coffee-brown pupils that Spitfire's sultry eyes held, along with the soft contours of her muzzle, which sported an innocent, yet suggestive smirk. Those details alone should have been a dead giveaway that this was a mare that she was a sexual animal with a heart of gold, hidden her laid-back, casual demeanor. If Dash wasn't so sure that this was all really happening, she would've been convinced that this was either a really vivid dream or that she simply went stark raving mad from her estrus some time ago.
Spitfire was so...perfect in her eyes, it almost felt like she was too perfect, even though she was far from anything resembling perfection.

"You don't have to stare at me that much, Rainbow..." Said Spitfire in a rather nervous tone. "It's embarrassing and...kinda creepy..."

"Oh! Uh...sorry..." Blurted Dash, quickly leaning back and turning her head away from her newfound friend, cheeks glowing a slight shade of pink. Daring to stare back at her out of the corners of her eyes, she saw Spitfire looking back with an amused expression.

"But you do look rather cute when you're shy like that..." Spitfire commented, prompting a weak laugh and a more intense blush from her colorful friend. "So are you feeling better at all?"

"Yeah...I guess..." Dash replied with a tone of uncertainty in her voice. "Uhh...thanks for...being there for me..." She added, her voice faint enough to be reminiscent of Fluttershy's.

"Don't sweat it, kid." Spitfire said, releasing her hooves from Rainbow Dash, save for a brief pat on the back. "You're much braver than you look - a trait of a true, blue Wonderbolt."

Rainbow's face lit up with a puree of shock, awe and happiness. "You...you mean that you're still going to make me a member of the team?!"

"Of course! You saved my life and you're the only pony in existence to pull off a Sonic Rainboom...on command. Besides, you're a real friend of mine, you know that?"

Dash felt her heart soar with confidence; This was proof that there was a chance that she could make her romantic fantasies involving Spitfire a reality, showing her happiness through the bright, sunny grin she now had on her face. No longer was her world now full of black clouds, heavy rain and black, thorny vines, but of bright, clear blue skies full of wonder and limitless potential - All thanks to that beautiful mare across from her, illuminated by the pale moonlight.

"In fact, Soarin' and I felt so terrible for being separated from you by those snobs at the Grand Galloping Gala..." Spitfire added. "We really, truly wanted to hang out with you, but our wealthier fans just...kept us busy! So I thought I'd make you a deal: Whaddya say you, Soarin' and I make up for lost time tomorrow night at Cafe Equus at seven? It'll be our treat!"

If Rainbow Dash's adorable smile got any brighter or cuter, it would probably blind poor Spitfire. Especially with those eyes of hers - they possessed enough sparkles to fill an entire issue of Hoof Beat magazine, which she enjoyed reading from time to time. Spitfire on the other hoof, couldn't care less; it was far too simple for her tastes, even going so far as to openly mock the magazine in one of its own interview articles! But that was besides the point; what really mattered now, was that Dash was looking and feeling like a true fangirl right now.

"Of..of course! I'd love to!" Dash replied, holding back a joyous squeal.

"It's good to know you're alright - you really were down in the dumps..." Said Spitfire. "...But I gotta head back to the ballroom and tell the others what happened exactly so they die of fright wondering if you're okay. Is that alright if I do?"

Dash nodded happily.

"Good to know! And Rainbow Dash? I just want to tell you one last thing..." Spitfire said, her voice becoming suspiciously softer and slower in its tone.

"W-what's that?" Dash nervously responded, watching with wide eyes the Wonderbolt slowly sauntering close by her.

Spitfire stopped right by Rainbow's side and leaned her head very closely towards her friend's twitching cyan ear, her muzzle only an inch away from its furry contours. As if that wasn't enough to send Dash's heart racing, she gently picked up and massaged one of her hooves, which were somewhat known for their sensitivity.

"...You have no idea just how much you really mean to me..." She gently hissed, before softly blowing her hot, wine-scented breath into Rainbow's sensitive ear. The cerulean Pegasi's eyes widened two-fold, their pupils shrinking to tiny slivers as her own breath became slow and heavy, her heart pounding like a jackhammer. Blushing the deepest shade of scarlet known to Ponykind, Rainbow Dash turned around to find Spitfire standing on the edge of the cloud; Wings outstretched and ready for takeoff, looking back at her with gentle eyes and a warm smile.

Rainbow Dash had her poor mind blown out of her head, nearly failing to form a complete sentence. "S-spit...Spitfire... D-does this mean that you..." She sputtered. "...that you love me, too?"

Her golden-furred idol blushed, trying to force out words of her own. "Well, You'll... We'll... You'll understand in time." She smiled nervously, leaving Dash frozen in wonder from such a thinly-veiled excuse.

"Well, I gotta get going." Said Spitfire, breaking the awkward silence between them. "I'll see you at the next Wonderbolts show this weekend! Gotta dash!"

And with that catchphrase, Spitfire took off like a bolt of her team's namesake, leaving behind both a contrail of billowing smoke and crackling electricity, along with a lovestruck Rainbow Dash, who gave only a gentle hoof-wave goodbye before watching her hero speed off towards Canterlot until she could not be seen anymore.

"Bye, Spitfire." Muttered Rainbow Dash, eyes bejeweled with tears of joy.

The newfound Wonderbolt reluctantly soared off towards her home in Cloudsdale, ready to end such a long day with a letter to Celestia and a good-night's sleep.