Crystallized Rainbows

Chapters

The First Night
Wonderbolts Headquarters
Love Between Two Lovers and the Crystal Empire Princess
Breakfast and a Meet and Greet
The Second Story (A Somewhat Rewrite of Newbie Dash and an Aftermath)
The Third Story (How They Came To Be)
The Newest Crystal Pony and the First Story (A Canterlot Wedding)

The First Night

A royal guard was flying over Equestria towards Cloudsdale where he was supposed to be giving a letter to a familiar rainbow-maned mare. As he reached Cloudsdale, he flew in the direction of the Wonderbolt Headquarters. He ended up finding her sitting on a lone cloud out in the open. He flew towards her. She must have heard him because her ears twitched and she looked up at him.

“Ms. Dash, I presume?” The mare nodded then noticed his armor.

“You’re from The Crystal Empire. What are you doing here?” The stallion guard took out a scroll and handed it over to her.

“I have a message from Princess Cadence. She needs your assistance for something important.” The Wonderbolt mare opened the scroll. It said:

“Dear Rainbow Dash,

You’re probably wondering why I’m sending you a letter and not to Twilight. Well, according to Princess Luna, she told us you sung a lullaby that ended up accidentally put all of Cloudsdale to sleep. It surprised us when we heard about it and that’s why I’m giving you this letter. You see, Flurry Heart has been having trouble sleeping and cries pretty much throughout the entire night. All of the ponies in the empire have gotten very little sleep due to this situation. This is why we need you. Luna had also told us that you had sung a lullaby that caused all of Cloudsdale to sleep, hence, the idea of sending you this message. Shining Armor and I believe that you could be the one that if you could pull that off, you could put her and the rest of the empire to sleep which would mean the world to them. Perhaps even us too. This is a request that you do not need to do, but if you do, you would be the empire’s greatest savior. Please take your time in thinking this through. We don’t want to rush you into anything knowing your crazy schedule.

Hope to either hear from you or see you soon,

Princess Cadence.”

It took a moment for the young mare to absorb all the information from the letter. She was required at the Crystal Empire to put the new princess to sleep and help the other ponies do the same.

‘Shouldn’t be too hard.’ She thought to herself. ‘But the question would be if the young princess would stay asleep. It would take some time to make sure she gets to sleep and follows that schedule. That would mean that I’d be there for quite some time. I could pack a few things, but they’d probably have some things ready for me if I say yes. You know what, forget it. I’m going to the empire. End of story.’ She turned towards the guard.

“Tell her I’ll be arriving at the empire as soon as I can.” The stallion guard nodded and took off in the direction of the empire. The mare nodded and looked back towards the other fast-flying pegasi below her. She spotted her captain and flew over to her. Spitfire noticed her and turned around.

“There you are, Crash. We’ve been looking for you.” Rainbow blinked. She pointed towards the cloud above them.

“I’ve been right there the entire time.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I’m gonna have to take some time off for, well, some time. I’m needed in the Crystal Empire by Princess Cadence for an emergency that I’m personally needed for.” The orange pegasus blinked before shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, but did you say you got a message from Princess Cadence?” The rookie nodded. The captain sighed. “Alright, you can go, just be back as soon as you can.” Spitfire looked up at the rainbow maned mare in front of her who nodded her head and smiled. Rainbow brought Spitfire into a hug which surprised the captain, but she melted into the embrace. The captain chuckled.

“Alright, alright. Let go. You need to pack and get ready for your trip.” Before Rainbow could respond, another voice cut in.

“Since when is Crash able to get free vacations and we’re not?” The two looked over to see Fleetfoot, Soarin, and the rest of the ‘bolts behind them looking at the two mares. Spitfire facehoofed.

“If you get a letter from a princess who requires your help, then sure. If not, no. The reason why I’m letting Crash go is that she got a message from Princess Cadence saying that she needs her help with something in the Crystal Empire. That enough info for you, Flatfoot?” The mint-coated mare only blinked in response. Rainbow giggled while Spitfire rolled her eyes. The orange mare looked over at the newbie. “Go pack up.”

Rainbow saluted her captain while walking into the building, hips swaying with each step, making a certain sky blue stallion drool. The others noticed it and either giggled, snorted, or chuckled in amusement. After a few minutes, she galloped out of the building and took off at rainboom speed while actually performing one once she got a good distance away from Cloudsdale towards Ponyville to grab a few other necessities. (Tank was staying at Fluttershy’s house so there was no reason to worry about him). If she continued in the direction of the Crystal Empire, which was West of Ponyville, she would make it there by 6 pm. She got ready for the cold weather up in the Crystal Empire which lay ahead.

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Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire (a few hours later)

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The Princess of Love paced back and forth, waiting for a response from the pegasus mare when a guard walked in.

“Your Highness.” He bowed. “I have a response from Ms. Rainbow Dash. She says she’ll be arriving at the Empire soon.” Cadence calmed down.

“So she agreed to come. Thank goodness we really need her help. I don’t remember the last time I had a good night's sleep.”

“You could say that again.” Cadence looked over at her husband, Shining Armor who looked just as tired as she was. “Flurry’s having a really hard time going down to sleep. I hope this helps.” He was carrying the baby princess on his back. Cadence turned to one of the guards.

“Prepare a room for Rainbow Dash. We don’t know how long she’ll be staying, so we need to be prepared.” He bowed.

“Yes, Your Highness.” He said and left the room.

The young princess, who was still sitting on her father’s back, caught a glimpse of a rainbow in the distance and she smiled. She teleported off of Shining Armor’s back and to the window where she could see the rainbow streak clearly.

“Ooh!” She giggled. “Wainbow! Wainbow!” She looked back at her mom. “Mama!” She pointed towards the window. “Wainbow!” Cadence looked outside to see a beautiful array of colors shoot across the sky being made by a single pegasus.

“Oh, thank Celestia. This just makes this situation a whole lot better and easier.” She teleported herself in front of the castle as the rainbow mare began to descend. A sudden BOOM was heard and all the ponies in the empire immediately exited their homes to see a rainbow ring shining miles away with a rainbow streak coming right for the empire. Everypony broke out into cheers as the mare came into view. She skidded to a halt in front of the crystal princess.

Rainbow looked up to see ponies cheering at her, which made her slightly confused. She looked at the princess.

“What’s going on, exactly?” The princess sighed.

“As you probably read in the letter, Flurry’s been having a hard time going down to the bed and this caused other ponies to be restless as well. That’s the reason why everybody’s excited that you’re here.” The young mare nodded.

“Where’s Flurry right now?”

“She’s in her room playing, but we’re all hoping that she can get some sleep soon. Would you like to see her?” Rainbow nodded again and followed the older mare into the castle. As they were walking in the castle, the rainbow mare realized that she hadn’t been in the empire for some time. They heard giggling close by and they peeked into a room to see flurry heart jumping on top of her father’s back. Shining Armor laying flat on the floor. He looked up to see his wife and Rainbow Dash holding back their giggles.

“Nice to see you again, Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus mare snorted.

“Nice to see you too. Seems like you got yourself in a bad situation.” The union stallion snorted in return.

“Gee thanks.” Cadence levitated her daughter off her husband’s back so he could stand up. “Besides that, how are you doing lately?” Rainbow shrugged her shoulders.

“Things have been good. Same old Wonderbolts workouts and practices. Nothing new.” The royal guard nodded. “How about you? Anything outstanding lately?” Shining Armor rolled his eyes.

“Very funny. Flurry Heart has been one major thing. Other than that, we haven’t really had time to do anything else.” The mare nodded in understanding. While they were talking, the baby princess had managed to get away from her mother’s grasp and started flying around the room. Shining Armor and Rainbow Dash looked up from their talk to see the baby princess flying around. As she flew around the room, the foal saw the young mare looking at her. She stopped flying around and landed gently in front of the cerulean mare. The two continued eye contact until Flurry began nuzzling the mare’s leg. The young mare smiled ran her other hoof through the baby’s mane. Flurry giggled. Rainbow looked out the window to see that the sun was already setting. Cadence, Shining Armor, and Flurry all followed her gaze. The four ponies walked onto the balcony and watched as the sun sunk into the horizon and the moon took its place in the sky. They all smiled at the beautiful scene before them. The baby princess had shifted her position so she was clinging to the rainbow mare’s neck. Rainbow looked down and smiled at the foal. The two adults let out small laughs.

“I’m assuming that you would like some dinner? Unless you already had some.” The young mare nodded her head.

“It’s probably best to eat something before putting this little monster down to sleep.” The two parents rolled their eyes but knew what she was talking about. The unicorn, alicorn, and pegasus all walked over to the main dining room of the castle. After a nice salad and a few slices of cake, (with Flurry Heart still clinging onto Rainbow Dash), it was time for everypony to head to bed, (and hopefully Flurry Heart included).

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After placing her saddlebag in the room she was staying in and brushed her teeth, she walked over to the bedroom chamber of the baby princess. Rainbow sighed softly and smiled down at the princess who looked back up at her. She nuzzled the baby’s head and she giggled in return. She sat down in a rocking chair with the foal in her arms. She held her close as she began to sing.

“All Is Found By Evan Rachel Wood- "Frozen 2" (Lyrics)YouTube · EFG LyricsNov 30, 2019”

“Where the North wind meets the sea
There's a river full of memory
Sleep, my darling, safe and sound
For in this river, all is found”

Flurry let out a small yawn

“In her waters, deep and true
Lie the answers and a path for you
Dive down deep into her sound
But not too far or you'll be drowned”

Rainbow held the little princess close as she fell asleep in her arms.

“Yes, she will sing to those who'll hear
And in her song, all magic flows
But can you brave what you most fear?
Can you face what the river knows?
Where the North wind meets the sea
There's a mother full of memory
Come, my darling, homeward bound
When all is lost, then all is found”

Rainbow smiled at the foal who slept soundly. She quietly flew over to her crib and gently laid her down. The mare covered her in a blanket and began walking out of the room, only to hear a whimper. She froze, remembering something about her past. When a foal cries, or even comes close to crying, it’s best to stay close to them. Her mother and father always stayed close to her and hugged her softly when she had a hard time sleeping. Or even slept with her. With that thought in mind, the young mare carefully lifted the foal into her wings and quietly walked towards her room. She smiled as she watched the princess snuggle up to her. She carefully climbed into her bed, hugged the foal close to her body, and went to sleep herself. Unknown to her, the lullaby was loud enough for the entire empire to hear which put everypony to sleep. She smiled at the thought of what would come tomorrow.

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The next morning, the empire woke up to the sound of birds chirping and the wind giving a slight breeze. Realizing that the young mare’s song had worked and put the foal to sleep, they all burst into cheers. The commotion was loud enough to wake the prince and princess awake. They looked out the window to see ponies celebrating from their good night’s sleep. Sleep. The thought of her daughter popped into Cadence’s head. She ran to her daughter’s room to find it empty. She gasped. Shining Armor, who had accompanied her, did the same. They heard someone clear their throat and turned to see a guard approach them.

“Ms. Dash took the young princess to her room with her. If that’s what you’re wondering.” He bowed and turned away to continue his shift. The married couple walked over to the young mare’s room and saw the open door. They entered and saw something memorable. The rainbow maned pegasus was sound asleep with the baby princess sleeping on her chest. The two parents sighed in relief.

“Perhaps we should let them sleep.” Cadence turned to her husband who nodded his head in agreement, but before they left the room, a quiet groan and yawn were heard. They turned around to see the baby princess sit up and rub her eyes. She looked over at the rainbow mare and hugged her, leading her to fall asleep again. The two adults smiled and walked out of the room.

Wonderbolts Headquarters

Soarin sighed as he opened his private locker and stripped from his suit. He sighed in relief as the fresh air hit his skin. He was tired from practice and felt,... was it,.......lonely? He sighed and banged his against the locker. The others in the room looked at him. It had been a week since Dash had left, and the stallion wasn’t feeling any better. In fact, he felt worse. He remembered that sometimes, when he was feeling upset, sad, or even angry, a pair of arms would wrap around his chest and the pony would rest their chin on his shoulder. Dash was always there when he needed her. He needed one of those hugs. He needed her! He sighed again and his ears flopped down, almost gluing themselves to the sides of his head. He felt a hoof rest on his shoulder. He grunted.

“What?” He growled.

“Woah! Easy, Clipper. We just want to talk.”

“Yeah?! Well, who’s “we”?” He turned around to see Spitfire and the other mares behind her. They looked at him with concerned faces. He only glared. “What do you want?!” Spitfire seemed to be losing her cool.

“Alright, Soarin. What’s going on? You never get this bothered. I know the only thing that can calm you down is your “hug”, so why don’t you get it?” Soarin puffed his cheeks out.

“Must I remind you that she’s in the Crystal Empire!! I can’t get my “hug” when she’s all the way over there. She’s my comfort, Spitfire! Without her around to calm me down, this happens! I thought I already told you that?!” Spitfire flinched and took a step back. She sighed.

“Get some rest, Soarin. You need it.” The stallion nodded while glaring and walked out of the room. The mares look at one another, concerned.

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Soarin grunted as he slammed his door open, thus, doing the same when he closed it. The stallion flopped down onto his bed. He needed her! He needed Dash!

“Oh, Celestia. Answer my prayers and give me Dash. Even if it’s just for one night. Please.” Tears rolled down his cheeks and he hugged a pillow that was next to him. He clung onto the pillow, crying himself to sleep.

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Soarin woke up later that evening to see that the sun was setting over Equestria. He sighed and made his way to the bathroom. He grabbed a washcloth to refresh his face from the earlier incident. He sighed.

“I really wish you were here, Dash.” He walked back to his bed and flopped down in it, but not before hearing a knocking sound on his window. He turned to see a very familiar face that belonged to one particular pony. He opened the window, and in flew Rainbow Dash. Soarin blinked and shook his head a few times to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He walked towards her and placed a hoof on her cheek.

“Dash?” The mare smiled and brought him into a deep hug.

“It’s okay, you goof. I’m right here.” Soarin squeezed her back, making sure she wasn’t leaving him. Tears began welling in his eyes and he buried his face into her mane. He cried on her shoulder, his body shaking for the mare to calm him down when he decided to slap himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Apparently, when he did, the mare was gone. Soarin’s ears feel flat against his head. He crawled back onto his bed roiled onto his side so he was facing the window, and buried his face into a pillow, crying softly. He clutched the pillow to his chest, his heart aching for attention and love. He heard his door open but didn’t turn to see who it was. He just held the pillow in his arms, picturing that it was the mare he loved. He stared out the window at the stars. Tears began rolling down his cheeks again and he felts a hoof on his shoulder. He wanted it to be Dash’s hoof, but he knew she was all the way in Northern Equestria, in the Crystal Empire. He sighed. He felt the hoof on his shoulder begin to shake him.

“What!” He snapped.

“Easy, Clipper. We just want to talk.” The stallion rolled over to see six mares on the side of his bed. Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Misty Fly, Blaze, High Winds, and Surprise. The moment they saw his face, their facial expressions changed. Misty Fly stepped forward.

“Soarin. What happened?” He turned his head away.

“Why bother asking. You can’t grant my wish. Nopony can.” He rolled over so he was facing the window again. It took a few moments for the mares to process what he was talking about. The mares all looked at one another when it hit them. He wanted the mare he loved. Rainbow Dash. The only problem was that Dash was all the way in the Crystal Empire which was too long of a trip to take, especially at this time of day. They sighed, and before any of them could ask him another question, he spoke.

“Just, leave me alone. Please.” They were about to speak but realized that the sky-blue stallion needed his space. Spitfire sighed.

“We’ll talk tomorrow, Soarin. Good night.” Those two words. He remembered very well. Rainbow, on some occasions, would come in, ruffle his mane, give him a good night kiss, then whisper “good night” to him. It made the stallion’s heart swell. How he’d do anything to feel that again. He first claimed that he could wait a month for his love. Well, he was wrong. He’d wait till next week, then leave. He was in deep pain and needed her. He looked over his shoulder at a picture on his nightstand. It was one with the two of them laughing along with Spitfire and Fleetfoot. The four of them were close friends, almost family. He took it off the nightstand and held it to his chest. ’ You mean everything to me, Dash. Why can’t you come back, even if it’s just for one night.’ He sighed and looked at the photo again. The four of them were laughing. Soarin on the left, Spitfire on the right, Dash in the middle with a large smile on her face, and Fleetfoot in her lap was looking up at her, the back of her head buried in her chest. He smiled at it. It brought back fun memories.

It was a month after Dash’s first show. What a way to finish it. He smiled a little bit, remembering that moment and the last day of the month that she didn't need to have probation anymore. She went to her locker to prepare her things and get ready for practice when Fleetfoot came up behind her and gave her a tight hug from behind. The polychromatic mare was in shock but was even more surprised when the rest of the 'bolts had come into the locker room and had welcomed her with open arms and ignored the whole probation situation. Hell, even Spitfire had ignored it. When Soarin walked in, he had brought the mare into a tight hug. She was hesitant at first before she melted into it.

Soarin remembered that day like it was the best day of his life. A few weeks after that, he'd asked her out on a date, and what had surprised his, was that she said yes. The two had gotten a lot closer from that day on and whenever the stallion felt down, she'd bring him to his room, up to his bed, and have him lay his head on her chest so he could listen to her heartbeat as well as so she could stroke his mane in a calming manner. He always felt safe in her arms. Even if she was a rough, tough, ego-headed showoff and tomcolt, she still gave him her soft side. He loved that about her. Her warm touch made him melt and relax after a long and stressful day of practice.

The stallion closed his eyes and looked out the window. 'I hope she's alright.' He said to himself. He knew she was a tough mare and could handle herself very well, he just wished that he was by her side so he could know that she really was alright. He sat at the edge of the bed and watched as Celestia lowered the sun and Luna rose the moon. The pink, red, and orange lights filled the sky as the sunset and stars started sprinkling across the night sky. But something caught his eye. Off in the distance, in the North, pink, purple, and blue lights filled the sky. He smiled to himself.

The aurora borealis. Such a beautiful sight. It reminded him of the cerulean mare and her polychromatic mane. Out of nowhere, a beautiful voice started singing.

“All Is Found By Evan Rachel Wood- "Frozen 2" (Lyrics)YouTube · EFG LyricsNov 30, 2019

“Where the Northwind meets the sea
There's a river full of memory
Sleep, my darling, safe and sound
For in this river, all is found”

Soarin let out a yawn

“In her waters, deep and true
Lie the answers and a path for you
Dive down deep into her sound
But not too far or you'll be drowned”

His eyelids began to feel heavy and he slipped under the blankets.

“Yes, she will sing to those who'll hear
And in her song, all magic flows
But can you brave what you most fear?
Can you face what the river knows?

Where the Northwind meets the sea
There's a mother full of memory
Come, my darling, homeward bound
When all is lost, then all is found”

The stallion had found himself in a deep sleep with a smile on his face. He didn't notice the window slowly open and the figure of a mare slip into the room. She walked over to the bed and stroked the stallion's cheek with her hoof. She leaned over and kissed the stallion on his forehead.

"Goodnight you goofball. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. You should know that by now.” The mare stepped into Luna's light to reveal a familiar rainbow mare. Rainbow smiled. "I hope to see you soon." With that, she left a small note on his bedside table and slipped back through the window, closed it, and flew back to the Crystal Empire.

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Soarin opened his eyes to Celestia's blinding light. He groaned to himself, remembering that he had forgotten to close the shades the night before. He rolled onto his side to place the picture back onto the nightstand that he had held to his chest throughout the night when he noticed the small note on his nightstand. He sat up and grabbed it. His eyes widened as he saw who it was from. It read:

"To my goofball,

Hey Soar, I just wanted to let you know that I'm fine. Everypony in the empire is kind and caring. I know you can get very worried about what's happening to me so I just wanted to let you know. How did this note get to you? Well, I came and dropped it off last night when you were sleeping. I promise to see you soon. But hey, maybe you can come and visit me instead. I love you big goof.

From, the one and only,

Rainbow Dash

PS: I love you more than you'll ever know."

Soarin smiled at the note and held it to his chest. He noticed that there was something on the back. He flipped it over and saw that it was a picture of the one he loved lying on her stomach, propped up on her elbows, her front hooves under her chin, and winking. Soarin blushed and put it in the drawer of his bedside table. He sighed and flopped onto his back. To take a deep breath in and let it out. He owed an apology to the six mares who tried to help him the day before. He looked over at his alarm clock which read 9:00 AM. He nodded his head and got ready for the day.

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Soarin walked into the mess hall and sat at one of the empty tables. He was hesitant to go and straight-up apologies for what had happened. He sighed and shook his head. He heard hoof steps beside him and a hoof on his shoulder. He looked up to see Spitfire wearing a concerned face.

"Hey, you okay?" Soarin took a deep breath. He shook his head and spoke as she sat down in front of him.

"I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to treat you that way. I was stressed, tired, and wasn't in the right mindset at that moment. I'm sorry for snapping at you and the rest of the mares on the team. You were just trying to help me, and I was being a complete ass." He looked up at her. "I'm sorry, Spitfire." The captain blinked in surprise at this but smiled. She placed a hoof on his

"It's okay. we shouldn't have pushed you either. It was wrong of us to push you while you were already having a hard time with something. I should be apologizing as well. I accept your apology. Can you accept mine?" Soarin looked up at her, surprised that she was apologizing when he had yelled at her, but she was right. She did push him a little bit then he wanted her to so he understood it. He smiled.

"It's fine. I accept your apology, Spits." She looked up at him and smiled. She chuckled.

"Heh. Thanks, Clipper." Soarin shook his head at the use of his nickname. The two continued talking as they ate their breakfasts. Spitfire turned around so she was facing in the opposite direction to him. "Alright, 'Bolts. Get ready for practice because we have to get ready for our next show. It's in two months from now so I don't understand why Crash isn't back, but besides that note, let's get a move on it." There was a chorus of "yes ma'am"'s and everypony got ready for practice. Soarin got up and got ready for the day's practice and the stress it would bring. He sucked in a breath through his teeth and walked towards the stallion's locker room. He slipped into his flight suit, his goggles, and snapped them onto his head. He sighed aloud a took a deep breath turned around towards the doors of the main entrance/ exit. He shook his head, walked outside, and shot out into the sky.

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Soarin groaned and flopped onto a stray cloud in the sky. Was Spitfire trying to kill them today? He stuffed his face into the cloud, relieved at the cool water droplets touching his face. He took his head out of the cloud and flipped onto his back so he'd stare up at the sky. He remembered the times where he'd do this and Rainbow Dash would lay on his chest so she'd stare at him, smiling. "you goof" she'd say as a joke and nuzzle her head into his chest after they'd taken off their flight suits. A tear rolled down the stallion's cheek. How he'd wish he could do it again. He swore to himself that if she didn't return in one week, he'd fly off to the empire and find her himself. He needed her touch as soon as he could receive it. He sighed again and took off to headquarters. Instead of flying through the front doors, he decided to fly through the window in the stallion's locker room He stripped off his suit, put it in his locker along with his goggles, and walked into the showers. He turned on the tap and let the water run over his body. He sighed as the water relaxed his body. He felt a pair of eyes on him and he looked up to see Wave Chill looking at him.

"Yes?" He asked. Wave sighed.

"What's going on Soarin? You haven't been yourself throughout the entire week." The sky blue stallion felt more eyes on him and turned to see all the stallions looking at him. He sighed.

"Alright. I know I haven't been the same. I just miss Dash. Yesterday I yelled at Spitfire and the other mares because I wasn't in the right mindset which caused me to be a complete ass. The only pony who can calm me down in that situation is Dash. I don't know why, but she just does. It's been a week since she's gone and I haven't been the same since she left." He leaned back and sighed. "I wonder when she's gonna come back." Before any of the stallions could respond, Spitfire walked up to the edge of the showering room. She looked at Soarin.

"You've got a message from Dash. I left it on your bed for when you return." The stallion nodded and the mare left the room. The six stallions all looked at one another before going back to showering. Soarin wrapped up quickly so he could read the letter.

"Hey Clipper." He turned around to see Wave and the other stallions approaching. "Mind if we come along?" Soarin blinked in confusion.

"Why?" The stallions chuckled. Rapidfire wrapped an arm around Soarin's neck.

"So we can see what your mare's up to."

"Mind if we join as well?" The six stallions turned to see six mares approach them.

Love Between Two Lovers and the Crystal Empire Princess

Previously

"Hey Clipper." He turned around to see Wave and the other stallions approaching. "Mind if we come along?" Soarin blinked in confusion.

"Why?" The stallions chuckled. Rapidfire wrapped an arm around Soarin's neck.

"So we can see what your mare's up to."

"Mind if we join as well?" The six stallions turned to see six mares approach them.

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Soarin's brow ran flat. He puffed his cheeks out and rolled his eyes. While the five stallions and six mares glowered at one another, Soarin took the advantage to slip away and walk off to his room. He sighed as he entered and locked the door so they couldn't enter. Soarin cracked his neck and looked at his bed to see a letter on top of it. He smiled, jumped onto his bed, and tore the letter open. He took the letter out of the envelope and read what was written down.

"Look out the window" it read. So he did and gasped at what he saw.

The head of a mare, who was upside down so her rainbow mane fell. Soarin smiled and walked over to the window and opened it. The mare flipped so she was right-side-up and flew into the room while closing the window behind her. Soarin could only stare at the beauty before him. She walked a little closer and he tackled her to the floor. She nuzzled him under his chin so he felt her touch. He sat up and pulled her with him. He cupped her cheek and she nuzzled into it. Soarin's heart was rattling in his ribcage. She removed his hoof from her cheek and squeezed in a loving gesture.

She rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes while wrapping her arms around his neck while he wrapped his around her waist. She pulled him in for a deep kiss. The stallion tilted his head so he could bring the kiss deeper. He pressed his tongue against the mare's lips and she gladly opened her mouth for him. Their tongues danced together he pulled her closer by putting a hoof on her back. She moaned in pleasure as the stallion slipped his tongue out her mouth had begun peppering her neck with kisses. Soarin opened his wings and lifted the two pegasi onto the bed. Rainbow Dash shivered when the sky-blue stallion began sucking hard on her neck. She threw her head back and arched her back, giving him more space for his hooves to roam her body. He let go of his mare and she flopped back onto the bed. She opened her eyes and the two looked into each other's eyes. Rainbow reached her arms up and touched his cheeks with her hooves. She giggled.

"Somepony missed me." They nuzzled each other's noses and Rainbow propped herself up on the pillows of the headrest. Soarin immediately took that as a note for him to lay down. He flopped now and placed his head on her chest. The mare smiled and stroked his mane with a hoof. He sighed and she smiled. "How have you been?" She asked. The stallion sighed.

"Not well." Rainbow frowned.

"Why? That's not normal for you. You do an amazing job, even when I'm off to save Equestria." The stallion sighed. "Soarin. What's wrong? You know that I don't like it when you act like this." A tear rolled down his cheek and she knew something was up. She let him speak his mind.

"I know that you have to leave and do lots of things, but, normally I don't feel this bad as when you go off to save Equestria from crazy things. I missed you, Dash. Even though it's only been a week, I just really miss being in your comfort." The polychromatic mare was surprised by the words coming from the stallion's mouth. He wanted to be with her. Not just that, but to be in her arms, her comfort, her presence. She continued to stroke his mane. She paused for a moment to think of the words she could use next. She looked down at the stallion in her arms who wore a frown on his face. He needed support. Especially from her. She nodded.

"Alright." He looked up at her. "You're gonna come with me." His eyes widened. "I see your discomfort and the only way for you to get rid of it is for me to stay by your side. The only problem is that I'm needed at the Crystal Empire." She looked out the window. "It's up to you if you want to go or not." She looked back at the stallion. "It's your choice, Soar." Soarin paused. He could stay and be with the 'bolts, but if he did, he'd lose his confidence and feel as if he couldn't breathe if the mare he loved wasn't around. If he left for the empire with Dash, he'd get all the comfort and love he could ever want and remain in her arms and the touch of her warm body that relaxed him whenever he felt tight and tense. He looked up at the mare and sighed.

"I'm going with you. I can't stand being away from you when I feel like my body's going to collapse. I need you, Dash." Rainbow was touched. It may not have been a lot of words, but she understood clearly what he wanted. The stallion snuggled deeper into her chest, taking in all the heat that radiated off of her body. Rainbow placed a small kiss on his head and continued stroking his mane. She heard the sound of a door being unlocked but paid no mind to it. Her only focus was the stallion wrapped and “sleeping” in her arms. She heard a quiet gasp and looked up to see the other eleven bolts looking at her. She gave them a soft smile before returning her gaze to the sky-blue stallion. Soarin groaned and pushed himself up so he had his head under her chin. She saw a smile spread across his lips as she ran her hooves through his mane. The mare looked back at the other pegasi in the room.

"Can I help you?" She whispered, making sure she didn't “wake” up the "sleeping" stallion in her arms. Spitfire stepped forward.

"Where have you been all this time?! Soarin's been worried sick!" The polychromatic mare sighed.

"Like I told Soarin, I've been busy in the Crystal Empire. I was called for something small, but then it grew and now all the ponies in the empire need me to help them with different things. Cadence had sent out a guard to see how you guys were doing, but when he came back and told us the news about Soarin's strange behavior, I decided to take a closer look myself. The guard was right and the goofball had a hard time coping with things while I was gone." Fleetfoot rolled her eyes.

"Ugh! You have no idea. He yelled at uth yethterday! For abtholutely no reathon. I thwear, at thith point, I had a feeling that he wath going to punch one of uth. What the hell wath that for!!" Dash tried to interrupt her, but it was too late. Soarin groaned and pushed himself closer to Dash, trying to find a more comfortable position. His body shook a little bit but eventually calmed down. The rainbow mare looked up at the mint mare and glared. Said mare gave a sheepish smile. "Heh heh. Thorry." Rainbow shook her head.

"I think that you should leave us in peace. He needs his rest." Blaze was about to interrupt, but Spitfire put a hoof up to stop her.

"I agree with Dash. Let's let Soarin be. He's had a tough time already." There was a quiet chorus of "yes ma'am"s and the eleven pegasi left the room. The polychromatic mare sighed in relief before squeaking in surprise when she felt something pull on her neck. Something soft and warm traveled up her neck and she immediately knew what it was. Soarin's sucking on her skin continued and she gave no resistance to it. His kisses rose, up to her jaw where he started nuzzling her. Rainbow moved her head so she could look at him.

"You sly stallion." He smirked at her.

"Did my acting fool them?" The mare smirked back and she placed a kiss on his nose.

"It sure did. Come here you goof." Soarin climbed up over the mare and crashed his lips upon hers. While eating each other's faces, Soarin's hooves began roaming over his mare's body. The strong athletic build was natural for fast fliers like the Wonderbolts. Dash, for one, had a killer body. Her fine-toned muscles weren't rock hard, but they were shown to a point that they were visible when she'd flex. They broke the kiss and panted heavily. They smiled. Rainbow looked out the window and gasped. It was already almost sunset. She sat up as Soarin sat down. She looked over at him.

"Hate to break it to you, but if we want to make it to the empire before midnight, we're gonna have to leave now." Soarin nodded and went to pack a few things. After a few minutes, he returned with a full saddlebag, his goggles wrapped around his neck, and a smile on his face. Rainbow smiled back and nodded. The two leaned in for a sweet passionate kiss and enjoyed the feeling of each other's presence. They broke the kiss and the two pegasi lept out of the window and into the sky.

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The flight to the Crystal Empire wasn't rushed. It was a smooth, relaxed, and casual ride. No sonic rainbooms were pulled. No quick jumpstarts were given. Just two pegasi on a causal flight till they reached their destination.

An hour and a half had passed and they were about to hit the destination of the Crystal Empire. Then, Soarin noticed something sparkling in the distance. He squinted and saw a tall building that looked like a castle. He looked over at the rainbow mare who smiled. She flew down in the direction of the empire and Soarin was surprised at what he saw. Quite a few ponies walked through the streets of the markets. Buying all sorts of things that would please them. Soon they reached the bearer of the empire and what happened next astounded him. As soon as the polychromatic mare walked through the shield, her coat and mane crystalized as if she were a...

"...crystal... pony?" Soarin was beyond confused. Rainbow noticed it and giggled.

"Oh. Right. I forgot to tell you. How about we talk about it in my room back at the castle." Soarin couldn't speak so his only response was a nod and he followed his mare through the streets of the empire. Even though it was early evening, there were still quite a few ponies wandering the streets. As they passed by, ponies waved at the rainbow mare and said a little good evening to her. She returned the gesture. Soarin spoke.

"So, Is it a random thing for you to get waves from ponies in the empire? I mean in Cloudsdale you're a Wonderbolt so it's not that bad but, I still find it strange that that's happening here." Rainbow smiled.

"I'll give you more info in the morning. Besides, being out in the open during the day is worse than the night. You'll see how crazy ponies get with me wandering the streets." Soarin was about to speak but shrugged it off. As soon as they reached the bottom of the castle, the polychromatic mare opened her wings and lifted off into the air, which made the sky-blue stallion follow, not knowing where to go. She leads him through one of the castle's many windows and lands in a room. The two heard giggling and Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Oh boy. This is the fun part." Soarin gave her a confused look.

"What is?" Rainbow smiled.

"How about I show you where to put your things and then I'll show you what I mean." Dash lead him to a medium-sized closet to set his things down and the bathroom that could fit two ponies. With that, she left him to unpack while she left the room to grab something. Once he was finished unpacking his things, he heard more giggling and a sigh of frustration. What he saw surprised him. The cerulean mare entered the room with the baby princess biting and pulling on her mane. Soarin blinked in surprise before laughing and falling onto his back on the queen-sized bed while kicking his legs up and shaking them. Rainbow rolled her eyes before smiling. She fluttered up onto the bed and sat down next to him. She pulled the foal off of her head and onto the bed. Flurry bounced playfully and smiled up at the rainbow mare. It took a minute before the sky-blue stallion controlled himself. Flurry looked up at the stallion in surprise.

"Ooooo." She cooed at him in wonder. Soarin booped her nose and she blinked before giggling. Rainbow smiled at the interaction between the two. Flurry turned her attention back to the mare and reached her arms up. Rainbow gladly reached down and picked the foal up and flopped down on her back while placing the foal on her chest. Soarin scooted next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him so she slid over. Rainbow was surprised for a moment before nuzzling her head under her coltfriend's chin. She heard a whine and turned back to see Flurry with watery eyes. The mare quietly gasped and pulled the foal into a hug. Feeling the warm embrace caused the baby princess to relax. Something draped over her back and looked to see the stallion next to the mare wrap a wing over her back. Rainbow shifted so she was laying on her side with Soarin's wing draped over both of them. The two pegasi shifted once more to pull the blanket over the three of them. Flurry snuggled in the warmth of both pegasi and fell asleep. Rainbow stroked her mane and nuzzled her head under her coltfriend's chin. She felt him kiss her upon her before she fell asleep like a candle running out of wax and its wick.

Breakfast and a Meet and Greet

Sunlight streamed through the window in the rainbow-maned mare's room, shining bright on her face. Rainbow Dash groaned as a beam of sunlight hit her right in the eyes. She shifted and sat up before looking out the window at a clear cloudless day. Shifting sheets were felt next to her and she turned to see Soarin waking up next to her. She smiled at him. He looked up at her and smiled. She returned it. They both looked down at the mare's chest to see the foal still sleeping peacefully. She shifted slightly before opening her big eyes and looked up at the two pegasi. She smiled and giggled in excitement. Soarin looked over at her.

"Morning, beautiful." Rainbow smiled and returned the gesture.

"Morning, handsome. How'd you sleep?" Soarin smiled and draped a wing over her back.

"Best sleep I've had in the past week." Rainbow sighed.

"Right. You said that you haven't been sleeping well because I haven't been around to help calm you down. Sorry." Soarin nuzzled her and Rainbow nuzzled back. Flurry nuzzled deeper into the mare's coat. The mare looked over at the stallion and planted a kiss on his lips. He would have loved to push deeper, but there was still a foal in between them and they didn't want her to get caught in between the two of them. Soarin cleared his throat as he began to think of something to eat.

"Just thinking about meals and breakfast, do you know any good places we can go to ?" Rainbow smiled. She took a deep breath and looked out the window. She chuckled.

"Heh. I, for sure know lots of awesome places to go to. Plus, there are tons of them. I'll be glad to show them to you." The stallion smiled. Any place would be good for him. All that matters is that he needed was for him to get food in his stomach. He was hungry.

"I'm fine with anything, Dash." The rainbow mare smiled.

"Great! Let's get ready to go then." By then she was dragging him to the window with Flurry still in her arms. Soarin chuckled and spread his wings and lept out the window, the mare following after him.

"Alright. So where is this awesome place?" Rainbow smiled.

"Oh, you're going to love it. Especially its apple pies." Soarin's eyes widened at the thought of apple pies. Rainbow rolled her eyes and flew the two of them toward the center of the town. They landed on the crystal ground and walked towards the restaurant. Once they stopped, Soarin stopped in front of the sign.

"Crystal Diner." Rainbow smiled.

"Don't worry. It's more than just a diner. They serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. I love their food. And I'll have to admit. I never really liked pies, but when I tried the apple pie here, I realized that this place had the best food in all of Equestria." Soarin stared, hearing that his marefriend had told him that this place had the best apple pie and food in all of Equestria.

"So, can we go in?" Rainbow smiled and nodded. As soon as they entered, they found the place packed. This place must have been very popular. The two walked into the diner and were greeted by a blue-coated mare with a two-toned mane of midnight blue and violet behind a small podium. She looked up and smiled once she saw the polychromatic mare.

“Rainbow Dash! Such a pleasure to see you again!” Rainbow smiled.

“A pleasure to see you too, Violet. Do you by chance have a table for two? Also a high chair?” Violet smiled and nodded.

“Of course. Follow me.” Soarin smiled.

“I gotta admit. You were right about these ponies being nice.” Rainbow smiled back.

“Told ya.” Soarin rolled his eyes and sat at the table Violet had given them. She’s also gotten a high chair for the baby princess. Violet turned to the rainbow mare.

“Let me know when you’re ready to order something.” The two nodded and the crystal mare walked away. The stallion looked down at his menu and was surprised at the options. He looked up at the mare who smiled at him. He set down his menu.

“Any suggestions? There are a lot of things here.” He asked. The polychromatic mare nodded and pointed at an item on the menu.

“I recommend that one.” The stallion took a look at it and read the description. His eyes shined and he nodded.

“I think I’ll go with that.” He looked up at his marefriend. “What about you?” She pointed to another item.

“I like this one a lot.” He nodded, but his thoughts shifted over to the foal sitting next to him. Rainbow knew what he was thinking. “She’s having some mashed peas. Shining Armor and Princess Cadence can never get her to eat it. I, on the other hoof, can. It just takes practice and patience.” Soarin blinked before smirking.

“Rainbow Dash? Patience? How do those two fit? Never heard of that before.” The mare covered her mouth to suppress her laughter. The stallion bounced his brows and the mare snorted. They heard some babbling and turned to see Flurry sucking her hoof. Soarin cleared his throat. “So... are we ready to order?” Rainbow nodded and lifted a wing, signaling a waiter to come over. When they arrived, Soarin was surprised to see that it was the same mare who sat them down at the table. The mare smiled.

“I take it that you’re ready to order?” The two pegasi nodded and told her what they wanted for themselves and the little princess. It took about 15 minutes for the pegasi to receive their meal while the food for the princess came within minutes. So, as they waited, they talked about how things were going while the polychromatic mare fed the foal who was sitting in her high chair. Soarin watched as his marefriend played with the foal sitting next to her. Flurry looked over at him and giggled while smiling widely with mashed peas around her muzzle. Soarin rolled his eyes at the foal who continued to giggle. The princess turned back to the mare and continued to play with her. Rainbow looked over at him, watching his reaction to what she was doing. He looked up at her.

"What?" He asked. The mare shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"Nothing, just noticing that you keep looking at me when I’m playing with her." As soon as she said that, Flurry turned to the stallion once again and giggled. The two adults sighed. They couldn't do much about it because she was a foal and foals smile and giggle a lot so that's just the way it was. As soon as their food arrived, Soarin dove into his meal. Rainbow rolled her eyes and took bites of her food before turning to feed the foal sitting on her left. The mare smiled. She was like a second mother to the baby princess. What surprised her though was that Flurry seemed to be drawn more to her than Cadence. She shook her head before going back to eating her breakfast. It took Soarin ten minutes to finish his meal while his marefriend took her time to eat her meal and feed the foal who was surprisingly not whining for more food. He pushed his plate away and watched the two ponies in front of him. Correction, the mare in front of him and the foal on his right. They looked over at him and smiled while he winked at them. The foal burst into a fit of giggles and the mare set the spoon down and made a reaction that made Soarin laugh. She puffed up her cheeks and squeezed them with her hooves. Soarin threw his head back, laughing. Flurry also looked over at her and laughed. Rainbow shook her head and went back to eating her meal. About ten minutes later, the mare finished feeding the foal sitting on her left as well as her meal. They called Violet over and she took their plates away and they paid for their meal. The waitress waved to them and wished them a good day. They returned the gesture and exited the restaurant. Soarin took a deep breath of fresh air once they stepped outside and he turned to his marefriend.

"So, where to next?" Dash smiled.

"Well, a few days ago I did promise a large group of fillies and colts that I'd be meeting them in the park today and I don't want to disappoint them. They may also be excited that I brought a Wonderbolt with me. Care to join?" The stallion smiled.

"I'd love to. It would be fun to be surrounded by little fans and I mean literally." Rainbow puffed her cheeks out to prevent a laugh. Flurry wasn't paying attention to them and sat on Rainbow's back, humming and chewing on her mane. Soarin draped a wing over the mare's back and the two walked to the park where they would be waiting for a large group of kids to see and hang out with the mare. When they arrived, they sat down and waited on the grassy field, Flurry sitting on Dash's lap after the mare had to remove the foal from her back and eat her mane. The mare's ears twitched as she heard the sound of a stampede and turned around to see a large group of fillies and colts running towards the mare. Soarin stared while Rainbow Dash smiled. The stallion looked over at the mare next to him. "Is this normal?" Rainbow smiled.

"It's always like this. Hey, I've got an idea that could probably throw them off." Soarin rose a brow.

"Really? And what's that?" The mare started leaning in closer to him.

"Kiss me." Soarin blinked for a moment before understanding what she was doing. He wrapped a wing around her back and lifted her chin so she looked up at him. They leaned in closer, their lips centimeters apart. When their lips touched, fireworks went off in their chests and stomachs. A feeling they loved. The soft lips that belonged to the other felt wonderful and addicting. They heard that the sound of hoofsteps had stopped. They smiled in their kiss but kept it strong, then parted once oxygen ran low. They panted as they looked each other in the eye and smiled, resting their foreheads together and closing their eyes. They heard giggling from below and looked to see Flurry smiling at them as she rose her arms up the mare. Rainbow kissed her on the head before turning to the large herd of fillies and colts. They could only blink in surprise at what they had just seen. One filly stepped forward.

"Umm, Rainbow Dash." Rainbow nodded her head in a motion to have her continue. "Is he your coltfriend?" Rainbow smiled. ’ A correct answer on the first try. Wow.’

"That's correct, Hazel. Mr. Wonderbolt over here is my coltfriend." Soarin snorted and rolled his eyes. All the filly’s and colts' eyes widened. A colt stepped towards Soarin.

"Umm, excuse me, but, are you Soarin, the Wonderbolt." The Wonderbolt stallion smiled at the colt and ruffled his mane.

"That's me, kid. Why do you ask?" The colt hesitated. Rainbow giggled at how shy the colt was.

"Cloudy, you don't have to ask if you don't want to." The colt, Cloudy, or Cloud Jumper, looked up at the mare with puppy eyes.

"B-b-but I want to ask. If that's okay that is." Rainbow put a hoof to her heart at how cute he was. Soarin leaned in closer.

"Ask away, kiddo. What's up?" Cloudy, dug his hoof into the ground as if trying to remember what he was originally starting to say before it slipped away. He looked up at the Wonderbolt.

"What's it like being a Wonderbolt?" Soarin pondered the question. He looked over at his marefriend. She shrugged her shoulders. He cleared his throat.

"Well, honestly, I've never been asked that question. It's nice. I get to meet lots of ponies who are big fans of the Wonderbolts. Though, sometimes it can be bothersome of being crowded by too many fans. That's my thing. It's different for every member. What do you think, Dash?" The mare blinked. The question was being moved to her. Okay then. She put a hoof to her chin.

"Well, it is nice being well known, though, like Soarin said, it can be a bit overwhelming which makes me feel uncomfortable. That's mainly with the adults. When it's fillies and colts on the other hoof, it's easier to handle. Sure they'll jump on you, but they're not the same size as you which makes things a lot easier. That's my case." The stallion next to her nodded in agreement. The fillies and colts all smiled. A filly stepped forward

"So that means that you're not bothered by us?" The two Wonderbolts nodded their heads and the herd of fillies and colts erupted into cheers. Both pegasi chuckled and shook their heads. A colt jumped onto Soarin's head in excitement and a filly clung onto Rainbow's neck while being careful of the foal in her lap. The two spoke at the same time.

"We think that you two make an awesome duo and that you're the best fliers on the team." The mare and stallion looked at each other and rose a brow. They looked back down at the group in front of them in bewilderment.

"Really?" Every little head nodded. The two pegasi looked at each other and smiled before resting their foreheads against each other. The stallion wrapped a wing around his mare and pulled her closer. They rubbed their noses together before looking back at the large fillies and colts. "So, what do you all want to do today?" They all looked at one another before looking back up at the adults.

"Do you have any fun Wonderbolt stories?" A smirk crept onto Soarin's face and he quietly chuckled. Everypony looked over at him.

"I could tell you the story of when Dash became a member of the Wonderbolts." All the color in Rainbow's face drained once he said that and the group drew closer to the stallion.

"Tell us!" They cried and the mare let out a quiet scream but it was still heard. She looked over at the stallion.

"Soarin, please don't." The stallion shrugged his shoulders while shaking his head and giving her a small smile while looking at the pleading mare.

"Sorry, Dash. They're asking for it." The mare covered her face with her hooves and wings, which had turned bright red with embarrassment. She let out another quiet scream as her coltfriend began the story.

The Second Story (A Somewhat Rewrite of Newbie Dash and an Aftermath)

Author's Note

Just a heads up, I have decided to write a bit of the beginning of the episode and then jump to the end because I find the episode a bit too embarrassing myself. If you want to fully know the story that Soarin tells, it would be best to watch the episode before reading this chapter. Thanks everyone. Enjoy this hopeful good chapter.

The Second Story (A Somewhat Rewrite of Newbie Dash and an Aftermath)

"It all started a normal day when Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and I were looking for Dash back when she was in Ponyville. She was talking to her #1 fan when they heard us fly over them. Once we found her, Spitfire dove down to speak to her. Back then, Rainbow Dash was only a reserve. She was super excited once she found out that she'd become a full-time Wonderbolt, but that's only the beginning of the story.

"Once she got to Wonderbolt's headquarters, she'd been warned by Spitfire that you had to look both ways before crossing the runway and lots of other things. She was super excited once she got inside and put on her new Wonderbolt flight suit. Not long after, she walked onto the runway without looking at who was flying toward her. She managed to fly out of the way, only to pull off a stunt that caused her to fall into a garbage can. Every 'Bolt, including myself, laughed at her. I wished I didn't because it wasn't funny at all. Sure, every new flyer makes a mistake on their first day as a Wonderbolt, but the nickname we gave Dash was already a name she'd been teased with since she was a filly. She performed the same thing. She pulled a stunt as a filly and got the name Rainbow Crash which was the same name we gave her..."
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Rainbow exited the medical tent and Spitfire went nose-to-nose with her. The captain wore a scowl on her face.

"You gonna tell us what happened, Newbie?" Dash sighed.

"I'm so sorry." Her ears flopped down.

"I should hope so." Spitfire retorted. "You changed the routine without consulting and put other ponies at risk. I've drummed fliers out of the 'Bolts for less." Dash sighed and lowered her head.

"I know, and I'm ready for whatever punishment you want. You guys were right to call me "Rainbow Crash." She put a hoof up and continued explaining. "I've always been a standout flyer, but since I joined the Wonderbolts, I've only stood out for making mistakes." She sighed. "It's been my dream my whole life, but... I guess maybe I'm not Wonderbolt material after all." Every 'Bolt looked at each other and smiled. Soarin slid up to her and slapped his wing against her side.

"Are you serious?! You're the most talented flyer we've ever had!" Fleetfoot stepped up next to him.

"And you've thaved all of Equestria like a dozen timeth." Dash had no words.

"Uh, I-" She was cut off by Spitfire.

"Of course, you're supposed to be a Wonderbolt. We've been waiting for a spot to open ever since you joined the Reserves!" Rainbow gave her a confused look.

"But... you guys all called me Rainbow Crash." Dash looked up at Soarin as he spoke.

"Yeah, so? My nickname's "Clipper". You know why they call me that?" Rainbow gave him a confused look.

"Uh... 'cause you're as fast as a ship?"

"Because I clipped my wing on a flagpole as I was landing on my first day. Heh." Soarin scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Huh," Rainbow told herself before looking at Fleetfoot.

"Flatfoot. My first day, I misjudged my landing and came down right on Spitfire's hoof." Misty Fly, Surprise, and High Winds told her their nicknames.

"Dizzy."

"Slowpoke."

"Hoof-in-Mouth." Rainbow looked at Spitfire.

"You don't wanna know what they call me." She whispered her nickname into Rainbow's ear and the prismatic mare's eyes widened in shock.

"Whoa!" She exclaimed. "That is so much worse than Crash."

"Right?" Spitfire exclaimed.

"So does this mean I'm... still on the team?" Rainbow asked hesitantly.

"Do you think you can be a part of this team and not constantly try to showboat?" Spitfire pressed. Rainbow nodded vigorously.

"I promise! I spent my whole life trying to be a standout flyer, but now that I'm a Wonderbolt, it's time to be okay with fitting in!" Rainbow said proudly. Spitfire snorted.

"Good, because I really didn't want to miss the chance to tease you for years about this catastrophe! I mean, that crash was epic!" All the Wonderbolts around her laughed along with their captain. She instantly looked back at the polychromatic mare in front of her with a glare and pressed a feather into her chest next to the two band-aids on her chest that made an 'X. "But you're on probation for a month. Got a problem with that?!"

"No ma'am," Rainbow responded quickly. Spitfire smiled and passed the younger mare her pair of goggles. Rainbow smiled and stared up at the sky. Later in the evening, Rainbow Dash was sweeping the amphitheater and the mess she made. She heard her friends walking up behind her. Twilight spoke up.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash. We just wanted to check on you. Are you doing okay?" Rainbow smiled at her as she set down the broom she had been using.

"I'm doing great, thanks!"

"Sure you don't need any help?" Scootaloo asked, her voice full of worry.

"Nah. This mess is my responsibility, and I've got to clean it up. And after this, Spitfire's got me cleaning the Wonderbolt's compound for the next month." The mare went to pick up one of the banners that were laying on the ground with her mouth and tossed it into the trash can next to her. Her friends looked at her confused.

"So why are you in such a good mood?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow turned and smiled widely at her friends while spreading her wings wide.

"Duh! Because I'm a Wonderbolt!" With that, her friends smiled at her and left her to clean up the rest of the mess she had made. Rainbow sighed and flew around, either putting things back the way they were or throwing away the things that were just added to the show. Once she was finished, she looked around and sighed, satisfied with her completion. She heard hoof steps behind her and turned to see a familiar baby blue pegasus stallion walking towards her. She smiled at him before sitting on her flanks. She stayed like that for a few seconds before flopping onto her back and staring at the starry sky. She looked back at the stallion standing a few feet away from her.

"Can I help you?" She asked. Soarin shrugged his shoulders and took a few steps closer to her before sitting down next to her.

"Is it okay if I ask you a few questions about what happened for the past few days?" Rainbow blinked for a moment, before slowly nodding. Soarin took a deep breath through his nose and out through his teeth. He looked at the mare. "Rainbow Dash, what happened?" Rainbow rose a brow, not fully understanding his question. Soarin decided to shift his question to make it more specific. "I've seen you fly multiple times and what I saw for the last few days was nothing like what I've seen before. What happened that made your flying so, uhh, how should I put this, off?" Rainbow released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. Her ears flopped down as she tried to think of a way to explain what caused her to drop her usual confident self.

"Okay. So, you know the name you guys gave me, right?" She looked over at the stallion and saw him nod. Rainbow continued. "Back when I was in flight school, I did something that embarrassed and still embarrasses me to this day. I always said that I was a good flier before I got my cutie mark, but I never really meant it. I was probably one of the worst fliers until after I got it. One day I tried to perform a flip and did something that made all the fillies and colts laugh. I fell right into a garbage can. Well, they didn't start laughing until after the teacher stopped the garbage can from rolling away. There was a moment of silence before they all broke out laughing. Heh, even the teacher laughed. From then on out, I was called 'Rainbow Crash' throughout the rest of flight school. It wasn't until after I got my cutie mark that I started getting better at flying. It was my talent after all. But, when I pulled the stunt back at Wonderbolt Headquarters, it brought back flashbacks of what I'd gone through, and thought that I'd have to go through that same pain again. That's why I was so hurt by you guys calling me that name. That's why it affected my flying and my emotions. It's also why I changed the performance. I wanted to show you guys something that could change your minds about calling me Rainbow Crash. But, you saw what happened." She sighed as she finished explaining. Soarin sat there, his jaw had gone slack after she told him about her past and why she was affected so deeply by the nickname they had given her. His ears flopped down.

"I don't have to call you that if you don't want to be called that." The words came out faster than he expected. The mare's eyes shot over to him in surprise.

"Excuse me?" Soarin rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, seeing how hurt you were after we called you that, I realize that when the other 'Bolts and I call each other by our nicknames, they're jabs of fun. You were called that name out of embarrassment, not for fun. I might not know how you felt in the past, but now hearing how you truly feel about it, makes me feel like I'm a complete idiot or something. I should have probably asked why you were so offended by the name after we first called you that, but I was a fool and didn't. I'm sorry. So my offer still stands if you don't want me to call you that." Rainbow's cheeks turned a light pink.

"Y-you don't have to do that to me. I'm fine with it now knowing why you called me that. It's okay. I don't mind it anymore, especially when it comes from you guys." Soarin let her words soak in deeply before taking a deep breath. He felt a hoof clasp his. He looked down to see a cerulean hoof holding his. He followed the arm to its owner and saw Rainbow Dash smiling at him. She gently squeezed his hoof. He squeezed back. She squeaked in surprise as he lifted her from under her armpits and brought her in for a hug so her back was to his chest and his arms were around her middle. Rainbow was surprised by this action but relaxed into the embrace.

"You're quite the hugger, are you?" The mare joked to the stallion. Soarin smiled and pulled her closer.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. Rainbow shrugged.

"Eh. I've been better, but this is what I wanted to be ever since I saw my first Wonderbolt show. This wasn't how I expected my first Wonderbolt show would be, but... well... I don't know." Soarin rubbed her arm.

"Welcome to the team, Dash. This is how the first shows go for every new member. I found mine very embarrassing. You've also seen me clip my wing at the Equestria Games tryouts and you saw what happened after that. We all make our mistakes but we all learn from them and things get better over time. Say, it's getting pretty late. You live close by?" Rainbow nodded her head.

"Yeah. It's just a quick flight." Soarin smiled.

"Lead the way them." The mare smiled in return and flew off in the direction of her cloudomaium. Soarin stared at the sight before him. He looked at the mare.

"How much money did you get paid to get this house?" Rainbow snorted.

"You goof. I didn't buy the place, I built it. That's what happens when you're the head of the weather team." She smiled at him as he continued to stare at the cloud building before him and flew towards the door. He puffed his cheeks out before following the mare toward the front of her house. She opened the door for him and the two entered the large domain that belonged to the mare. The high ceilings and large columns fascinated him. To think that one mare could build such a thing made it very hard for him to believe.

"How long did it take for you to build this place?" Rainbow put a hoof to her chin.

"Well, Fluttershy came to Ponyville a while before I did, and after I did come to Ponyville, I crashed at her place because, during the day, I was busy building this place. It maybe took, like, six months or so. It took some time, but eventually, I got good at crafting and shaping exact detailed designs out of a cloud. I found it a habit before I joined the weather team." Soarin nodded in amazement. Rainbow cleared her throat. "There's a guest bedroom right next to mine which has a large Wonderbolt poster on the door. It's easy to find, and the bathroom is right across from it." Soarin smirks at her as she leads him to his room.

"Well, goodnight, Crash." Rainbow snorted and returned the smirk.

"Goodnight, Clipper."
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"And that's how Dash got her nickname on the team and the story of her first day as a Wonderbolt. Not one of her best days, but she learned her lesson about crashing in different ways." Soarin finished telling the story to the large group of fillies and colts around him. They all gasped and blinked for a moment before looking over at the polychromatic mare sitting on his right. A filly spoke up to the mare.

"That happened on your first day?" Rainbow nodded and bit her lower lip.

"Yes. That happened on my first day. Not the greatest thing I've done. But what happened, happened and there's nothing we can do to change it." There was no response from any of the fillies or colts in front of them. Rainbow looked over at her coltfriend. "We could tell the story of how we first started dating." There was a large cheer and a nod from the stallion next to her as the prismatic mare cleared her throat, ready to tell the story.

The Third Story (How They Came To Be)

Rainbow cleared her throat. "Okay. So this happened the day after I finished my one-month-long probation of cleaning the compound. Alright. Here we go. So, I was finishing cleaning the locker room..."
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Rainbow looked around the clean locker room with a smile. She'd gotten used to cleaning up after the other members of the Wonderbolts. Turns out, they were pretty sloppy with lots of things. Though, she began to think to herself that they purposely did that so she'd have more work to do. She shrugged it off and sighed in relief at not having to do any more work. She suddenly felt someone jump onto her back which caused her to fall to the floor.

"Gah!" She grunted. She looked behind her to see Fleetfoot hugging her from behind. Rainbow smiled. "Well hello to you too, Flatfoot." She joked. Fleetfoot got off of the cerulean mare's back and helped her stand. The smaller pegasus was bouncing on the tips of her hooves. "Alright. Out with it. What's got you so excited?" Fleetfoot puffed her cheeks out before smiling widely.

"Today wath your latht day of probation!!! You don't have to clean up the compound by yourthelf anymore! " Rainbow smiled as the teal pegasus in front of her kept bouncing in place. The polychromatic mare rolled her eyes. This mare reminded her of Pinkie though Surprise was pretty much Pinkie's twin. She shook her head as the other Wonderbolt mares entered the room. Just like Fleetfoot, Surprise jumped onto the mare which caused her to fall to the floor. Fleetfoot bounced in place before jumping on top of Surprise who was still on top of Rainbow.

"Oof!" Rainbow grunted again as she felt more weight pile on top of her. She heard chuckling behind her and turned to the other locker room door to see the stallions on the team enter. The prismatic mare felt more weight on her back and looked back to see that Misty Fly had plopped down on top of Fleetfoot. "Umm, guys? Kinda need to breathe here." Every member of the team laughed but the three ponies piled on top of the mare didn't remove themselves. Rainbow sighed gritting her teeth together as she pressed her hooves on the ground, trying to lift herself off the ground. The laughing around her had stopped and instead turned to gasps. The mare's muscles began to burn due to the amount of weight being put onto her back. Her legs shook violently as she slowly lifted her body off of the ground. She slowly spread her wings so they wouldn't get crushed by all the weight that was already piled on top of her. Rainbow's muscles burned. She'd never had to carry so much weight before. Sure she had to bring Rarity, Misty Fly, Spitfire, and Soarin back up to the cloudiseum at the incident of the Best Young Flyer's Competition, but she was flying while carrying them, so that was a different story.

Puffs of air exited the mare's nostrils as she lifted herself higher. 'Almost there.' She told herself. Her legs were almost at their normal length. She breathed heavily. She groaned as she felt bones pop in her spine. Without knowing, her legs had reached their full length with the three still upon her back. She wasn't going to manage to hold them for much longer due to how much her body was shaking. She heard three yelps and flopped into a pair of arms. She looked over to see Fleetfoot, Surprise, and Misty Fly in the arms of Spitfire, Blaze, and High Winds. The three mares who had piled themselves upon Rainbow's back had pushed their lower lips out, pouting. The three mares holding them shook their heads as if scolding them. Rainbow looked behind her to see Soarin seated behind her with his arms under her armpits. She slouched in his embrace, relieved that there wasn't any more weight being added onto her back. She sighed.

"Well, that's one way to end probation." Everyone in the room laughed. It sure was. Spitfire dropped Fleetfoot, who squeaked in surprise, and snatched Dash from Soarin's grasp. Rainbow yelped, not knowing what to do.

"Hey! What about a group picture?" Blaze called out. Rainbow blinked.

"Of who?" She asked. Spitfire smiled and sat on one side of the mare while Soarin sat on the other. Fleetfoot pushed herself onto Rainbow's lap and cuddled into her chest. Rainbow laughed as she was sandwiched between the captain and the co-captain of the Wonderbolts. The four pegasi all laughed and the photo snapped. Rainbow smiled as she was being welcomed into a new group of friends. A family maybe. 'Family', the mare thought. ' Yeah. That sounds nice'. She smiled. The hugging moment ended after the cerulean mare felt uncomfortable due to her cleaning the compound so she excused herself to take a shower. Another round of laughs rang out and all the pegasi parted ways. Rainbow took a breath as she headed towards the showers. 'This was the new life I'm going to be living and I'm already finding it fun.'

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Rainbow sighed as she got out of the shower and slipped back into the locker room to put on her flight suit. Once she finished putting it on, she shifted her shoulders to make sure that it was fully snug against her body. She nodded her head and walked outside to the runway, checking both ways, making sure that she didn't run into anyone and crash into a trash can again. She walked over to where the other members were sitting and they greeted her. Fleetfoot ran over to hug her, but Surprise beat her to it. Once the yellow-maned mare wrapped her arms around the prismatic mare, she stuck her tongue out at the teal mare and blew a raspberry at her. Fleetfoot returned it and soon Dash found herself in the middle of two mares who acted like fillies.

She sighed and managed to slip out of Surprise's hold and sit down by the rest of the Bolt's. Spitfire facehoofed as the two mares continued to act like foals. Misty Fly, High Winds, Blaze, and Rainbow all shook their heads at the scene while the stallions rolled their eyes and looked away. Rainbow looked around her to see two equal-sized pebbles and picked them up, one in each hoof. The others around her smirked and nodded once she looked their way. Rainbow returned the smirk and looked back at the two mares standing away from them. The polychromatic mare pulled her arms back before throwing them in the direction of the other two mares.

"Ow!" The mares cried and looked back at the group of eleven pegasi. Rainbow had rested an elbow on Soarin's shoulder and looked away, whistling a tune. Spitfire kept her hoof to her forehead while smiling and shaking her head. The others had cracked up due to the mares finally stopping their childish acts. Fleetfoot and Surprise looked at Dash. Said mare looked at them once she felt their eyes on her. She blinked.

"What? It wasn't me." By then the Bolt's were dying of laughter, tears rolling down their cheeks. "Really. I'm serious." There wasn't a single serious face on the grass every member was sitting on. Rainbow rolled her eyes but squeaked in surprise when she felt a strong wing bring her in for a wing hug. She looked to her left to see Soarin smiling at her. She smiled and poked his right cheek. "Real smooth, goofball. Real smooth." He squeezed her tighter and she made no movements of objection to be released from his grasp. What surprised the stallion was that she pushed herself closer to him, rubbing her suited body against his. He smiled and rested his chin on the top of her head. He tilted his head so his muzzle was next to her ear.

"Wanna go somewhere else so we can start practicing?" The mare gave him a surprised look, but when Soarin usually wanted to "begin or start practice" with her, it meant that he wanted to speak with her privately. Rainbow nodded and the two pegasi walked away from the others.

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The two pegasi rounded the corner of the compound where it was quiet and calm. Soarin took a deep breath, relieved that there was only one pony beside himself that would hear the next few words that would be leaving his mouth.

"There's something that I've wanted to ask you for some time. So," Soarin took another breath and let it out as he spoke, "would you like to go out with me for dinner on Friday." Rainbow blinked, too many thoughts were going on through her head. Soarin's ears fell flat against his head. "S-sorry. That was a bit too quick and-" Rainbow cut him off by putting a hoof over his mouth.

"You goof. I didn't even respond. I paused like that because nopony's, well, asked me out before so it took me by surprise. But, I'd love to go out with you on Friday. I don't have anything to do after practice so it works for me." She smiled at him and he sighed in relief. She laughed and gave him a slight punch on the shoulder. Soarin chuckled at her actions and shook his head. He was about to head back to the others when he felt a sudden tug on the chest portion of his suit and found his lips being planted on the lips belonging to the beautiful polychromatic mare in front of him. The kiss lasted some time before the two had to part for air.

"First kiss?" The stallion asked the mare. Rainbow shook her head.

"No. I've been kissed by a few other stallions before but they were just ponies who liked me for my looks and not for me. Those guys were asses. Didn't even treat me like a mare. Just a toy. Sometimes even... used... me." Rainbow's ears flopped down and Soarin stared in shock.

"Stallions have used you?" Rainbow nodded.

"Didn't even ask me on a date. Just brought me to their bed and... well... I knocked out a few of them and others I just bucked square in the chest before anything else happened. It's probably why I'm nervous about dating other stallions. I get worried that I'm just going to get used as I have in the past." A few tears leaked from the mare's eyes. Soarin felt bad at what'd happened to her. Without thinking twice, he brought the mare into a hug. Rainbow buried her muzzle into the crook of his neck. She was afraid. ' Will Soarin use me too? Like others have done in the past? No. He's a Wonderbolt, and your friend. He wouldn't hurt me. I've saved his life twice after all.' Dash looked up at Soarin. She cleared her throat and he looked down at her.

"If I went on a date with you and dated you, would you use me?" Soarin stared in shock. 'Use her? Why would I use her? She's the most amazing mare I've ever met. If I did, that would be below something I've ever done. Spitfire would also either kill me or fire me for using our newest team member.' Soarin immediately shook his head.

"No! Dash, I'd never use you. You've done so much for me. Even Spitfire. You represent one of the Elements of Harmony. If I used you, it'd be all over the news. Spitfire would either fire me or kill me for doing something I'd never do. I'm not that kind of stallion, Dash. I've dated mares in the past but they only saw me for my fame and not my true self. It gets annoying that there's nopony that ever sees you as a normal pony except for your teammates who see you as their friends. You mean so much more to me, Dash. I would never do anything like that to you." He gave her a warm smile and she stared at him with watery eyes.

"Y-you mean it?" She sniffled. Soarin nodded and brought her in for another hug. This time, Rainbow let the dam break, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Th-thank you. Thank you so much, S-Soarin." Soarin soothingly stroked her mane as she took shaky breaths. He heard the sound of multiple hoof beats and turned to see Spitfire and the other Bolt's run around the corner. They stopped once they saw the prismatic mare crying on the baby blue stallion's shoulder. Spitfire was about to shout when something happened that surprised everypony. The crying mare lifted her head and turned to give the stallion a short kiss on his lips. Soarin smiled and caressed her cheek while wiping her tears away. She gave the stallion a strong hug and he held onto her as much as she did. Soarin felt his shoulder be shaken. He turned to see Spitfire standing next to him. She took a breath and cleared her throat.

"Seeing the state she's in, she's taking the day off. You're gonna take care of her so your day is cleared as well." Soarin nodded and smiled at his friend while mouthing 'Thank you' to her. She nodded and signaled for the other pegasi to follow her. As they flew away, Soarin lifted Rainbow's head off of his shoulder and looked at her.

"Spitfire's cleared our day. Wanna do something in our free time?" Rainbow smiled and the two lifted off to the clouds. Soarin held a strong grip on the mare's hoof as the two soared higher into the sky. As soon as the two sat down on a lone cloud in the sky, Rainbow pushed herself against Soarin. Today had been an emotional day for her and she needed a lot of comfort. Soarin planted a kiss on the mare's head and lovingly stroked her mane. Unexpectedly Soarin, Rainbow grabbed his hooves and wrapped them around her front as she held onto them. The stallion rested his head on top of hers while she pushed her back closer to his chest. The two closed their eyes and listened to the wind as it blew in their faces. Rainbow took a sigh of relief and smiled at the feeling of being in the arms of a stallion that would treat her like a mare and not a toy. No one would use her because of her body and actions versus caring about her because of her personality. The mare looked up at the stallion holding her and he looked down at her. The two leaned closer and their lips touched in a loving way versus the forceful ones she'd received when she was younger. They parted and they nuzzled each other's cheeks as they remained close to one another for the rest of the day.
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"And that's how we started dating." Rainbow finished the story to the group in front of her. Tears welled in the eyes of the fillies and colts sitting in front of her and Soarin. A filly named Rose walked towards the mare.

"You were treated that badly when you were younger?" Rainbow nodded sadly.

"Yeah. I felt that Soarin was the best pony to tell my past to. After that incident, we decided to have that date at the end of the day so I had more comfortable around me. After that, we became closer and became marefriend and coltfriend. Sometimes when the goofball here has a bad day or isn't feeling well, he comes to my room and hugs me throughout the rest of the night. But, we both have our problems and we solve them together. That's the whole point of being in love." The fillies and colts all stared in wonder at the strong words the mare spoke. Rainbow cleared her throat. "Alright. I think that that's the end of storytime for today." She got groans from the little ponies in front of her and the two adults let out a small laugh. "Don't worry. We'll tell you more stories, maybe, two days from now. How about that?" Cheers replaced the groaning and all the kids ran back to their destinations. The pegasi laughed. Soarin turned to his mare.

"You know, there's been something on my mind for a while." Rainbow rose a brow.

"And what's that?"

"What if we had a foal of our own? I mean, I've seen how you act with them here, so I think you'd be an excellent mother. Plus, you kind of already are with Flurry, but, I mean our foal with our genes." Rainbow was surprised at the statement. Soarin wanted to have a foal with her? Sure she didn't mind it because he'd be by her side, but was she ready to be pregnant and go through everything? There was a large lump in her throat.

"The idea would be nice, but would we be ready to have a foal of our own? Having a foal takes a lot of responsibility. " Soarin smiled at her and caressed her cheek.

"You know I'll be with you every step of the way. Don't worry about it." He gave her a quick kiss on her forehead and she smiled. She took a breath and looked up at him.

"I'm willing to take the challenge if you stay with me. But since you are, I say yes to your request on starting a family. We have been together for almost three years anyway, so... yeah. Let's do it." Soarin grabbed her and brought her into a deep hug. Rainbow was surprised by the action at first but melted into the loving embrace of the stallion she loved dearly.

"I love you, Dash."

"Heh. I love you too, Soarin." The two smiled and walked back to the castle.

The Newest Crystal Pony and the First Story (A Canterlot Wedding)

Rainbow chuckled as she was being dragged across the courtyard by five spa mares. “Really, it was nothing. I was doing what I was asked.” One of the spa mares shook her head.

“No. It’s our gift to you. Also, it was requested by the princess herself to make you a partial Crystal pony.” The rainbow mare knew that there was no getting out of this one now.

“Alright, so what’s the process to become one?” A different spa mare spoke.

“The process is pretty simple it just takes time for the crystallization to show.” She looked at the first mare who had spoken to her. “Lily, would you and Daffodil prepare the dew bath and massage table? They said mares got to work. She turned to the other two. “Dahlia, Honeysuckle, get the cream is ready for application. She looked back at the rainbow mare. “I’m Marigold by the way.” Rainbow nodded her head.

“Alright. Let’s get this process started.” Marigold nodded her head and lead the rainbow mare over to a massage table. “So... What exactly is the process?”

“Well, first we have to apply the first layer of cream onto your entire body and mane. Just a little heads up for you.” Rainbow nodded. That would mean her hooves and her... marehood. She sucked in a deep breath and nodded again as she made her way to the table and laid down on her front side.

“Are you ready?” Dahlia asked the nervous mare. Rainbow gave her a third nod and took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to relax as much as possible. The five mares looked at one another and all applied some of the creams on their hooves and began rubbing it onto the mare in front of them. Dahlia took her front hooves, Lily and d Daffodil at her back legs, and Honeysuckle and Marigold at her sides. A smile spread across the mare’s lips as the spa mares took control of her body. Honeysuckle and Marigold gently spread her wings so they could cream all the feathers so they too would have the crystal look to them. Once they reached her flanks, Lily and Daffodil gently rubbed her rump and inner thighs.

“The stallions are going to find her attractive after this.” They all laughed at Lily’s comment. By then, they’d finished with her back and had to flip the mare so she was lying on her back. Dahlia gave Rainbow a gentle nudge and the mare opened her eyes.

“Yeah?”

“Would you mind rolling onto your back? We need to start working on your underbelly.” Dash nodded and did as she was asked to do. She sighed as she felt the hooves travel on her body again. Dahlia was gentle as she added the cream onto her face she caressed it and began traveling her hooves up to the rainbow mare's mane. Dash shivered at the touch but relaxed her body as the mares continued their work. As they reached the rainbow mare's hind legs, Lily and Daffodil were gentle as they began rubbing her inner thighs. Rainbow let out a quiet moan which caused the five spa mares to giggle. Honeysuckle and Marigold were gentle as they cleaned up the mare's front hooves in the small hooficure. Seeing how sensitive the mare was, it was good that the five other mares in the room had lots of practice when it came to sensitive ponies. Pretty soon the rainbow mare had been covered from head to hooves in the cream. Something that surprised the other mares was that Rainbow had fallen asleep during the process. They all smiled and let the mare rest as the cream began to harden, which was the whole purpose of it. In the meanwhile, Lily filled up the crystal dew bath which would remove the hardened cream from Rainbow's body. After a few minutes, said mare woke up. She blinked a few times before remembering where she was. Marigold walked up to her.

"Don't tell me I fell asleep at the end of the massage." Marigold giggled.

"I'm afraid you did." Rainbow pouted but shrugged it off as Marigold helped her get off of the massage table and towards the dew bath. "Watch your step," the light yellow-orange mare spoke as Rainbow slowly stepped into the tub. The warm bath made Rainbow sigh as it released her tight muscles. She opened her eyes as Marigold spoke again.

"You'll be staying in here for about ten minutes or so while the dew will slowly remove the cream which should be crystalizing by now. I would also recommend dunking your head in a few times to make sure the cream gets removed from your face as well as your mane." Rainbow nodded and was left alone in the tub as Marigold walked towards the other four mares on the other side of the room who were getting ready for the final step of becoming a partial crystal pony. Feeling a wave of tiredness wash over her, Dash yawned and closed her eyes again as she relaxed in the tub.

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Meanwhile, back at Wonderbolts headquarters

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The practice had been cut short the day after Dash had left due to Spitfire having to meet with Princess Celestia. Soarin was in his room. He laid on his back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He heard the sound of a door opening but he didn't look towards it. He knew who it was.

"Somepony's definitely missing a certain mare. What's going on, Clipper." Soarin didn't respond at first. Too many thoughts were running through his head before he spoke to the pony standing on the side of his bed.

"Nice to see you too, Flatfoot. Now, what are you doing here exactly? I would like to be left alone right now." Fleetfoot pouted.

"You're no fun. Anyway. I wanted to ask what's gotten you down in the dumps. Never seen you this moody since you got your pies taken away from you for a week. So, what's up?" Soarin sighed.

"If I tell you, would you promise to keep this a secret?" Fleetfoot nodded. Soarin wasn't buying it but sighed and continued speaking. "I know it's only been a day, but I miss Dash. This isn't the first time. I just don't like it when she's not around HQ. She brings a lot of fun with her. The way she laughs makes me feel happy and it brightens my day. Her smile lights up her entire face and I feel like I can't breathe anymore. Then there's her mane. When the wind blows in the other direction from where she's standing, it just acts like a halo on her head. Even though she has a large ego, she's an amazing mare who's so easy to fall for. Sweet Celestia. What has she done to me? I just wish that she didn't have to leave so soon." He waited for his teammate to laugh or make fun of him, but she didn't make a sound. The stallion looked over at her to see that she was staring at him with big eyes. She then smirked.

"Wow. You got it bad, Clipper. Maybe we can see if she comes back soon and you can ask her out. If she doesn't, why don't you head over to the Crystal Empire yourself and see how she's doing. That may be a good idea." Soarin's eyes widened. He looked up at Fleetfoot and smiled.

"Flatfoot, you're the best," Fleet smirked at the stallion.

"Yeah, I know." Soarin snorted.

"Don't start acting like Dash. I can totally see her saying that." Fleetfoot laughed.

"She says that a lot you know." Soarin nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I'll leave you be for now. See you at dinner time." Fleetfoot left the room to leave the stallion in his thoughts. He spoke to himself.

"If she doesn't come back in a month, I'm going to go to the empire myself."

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Back in the Crystal Empire

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Dash had been laying in the dew bath for about fifteen minutes and the hardened crystal cream had melted off of her body. Marigold had to wake the mare again due to her falling asleep again. The two shared a laugh and they walked over to the massage table. Rainbow noticed that the other four mares weren't in the room.

"Where are the others?"

"They went on a lunch break. I had my break before them so I'm in charge of giving you a massage until they get back." Rainbow smiled.

"A massage does sound good. I think I could use one. I've been pretty stiff lately due to all the Wonderbolt practices after all." Dash laid down on top of the massage table and Marigold began massaging the rainbow mare's back. She could practically see the muscle knots. Most of them were underneath her wings which made sense because she was an expert in flying and used her wings a lot. Rainbow sighed as Marigold began working through the muscle knots, patiently loosening them up. Her hooves traveled right below her wing joints and Rainbow's eyes widened as her wings shot opened nearly knocking Marigold over if she hadn't moved just in time.

"Aaaiiii!" Dash cried in surprise and Marigold burst into a fit of giggles.

"You certainly had a strong reflex. How long has that been there?" Rainbow's cheeks tinted pink.

"The only ponies who know about that are my parents. Not a lot of other ponies know about it. I mean, sure, I get messages from time to time, but nopony has gotten to the point of touching directly underneath the wing joint. So you'd be the third pony who knows about it." Marigold smiled.

"Your secret is safe with me." Dash let out a sigh of relief and sighed back into the massage. Pretty soon her body felt like jello because of how relaxed and how loose she was.

"Wow. That felt awesome. I think I'm gonna need another massage like that every once in a while. Anyway. The last step?" Marigold nodded.

"Yes. I suppose we could get started without them, though it would take a little bit longer." Rainbow shrugged her shoulders.

"Eh. It's fine. Take as long as you need. I'm just enjoying the relaxation." Marigold let out another small giggle.

"I'm glad you like it. Now, let's get you finished up." Rainbow looked down at her hooves for a moment to see that they had a little crystal-like detail on them. She smiled and let Marigold do her thing. She added a bit of cream onto her hooves and set the bottle aside as she turned to face the rainbow mare who was laying down on the table. Rainbow let out a quiet moan as Marigold began digging her hooves into her back.

"I need to get massages more often. This feels awesome. Mmmmmmm..." The mare massaging her back smiled and continued doing her work. After ten minutes, the pegasus' upper and lower back was completely creamed. Marigold had left the room so the cream could harden. After another ten minutes, the light yellow-orange mare approached Rainbow again and began working on her hooves.

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About half an hour later

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Rainbow stood in front of a mirror with five other mares around her. The mare before her looked nothing like the mare she saw earlier this morning. The mare in front of her was a crystal mare with a rainbow mane that was in a beautiful updo. Her tail was slightly curled in a simple style that made her smile. There were no words for the cerulean mare to speak.

"It's beautiful." She spoke and turned around to face the five other mares. "Thank you." Tears of joy began leaking out of her eyes and the six mares gave a quick embrace. They pulled apart.

"Now," Marigold spoke, "I think it's time that you went outside and got some fresh air as well as show everypony your new style. I'm sure they'll love it. Find some eye-catching stallions along the way." The four other spa mares giggled and Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, but my heart's already been taken. Too bad he's not here. Oh well, I'll see when I can return to Wonderbolts HQ and enjoy my fun times with my friends. Thanks again." The mares embraced again before Dash headed for the door. She opened it and the fresh air quickly hit her like a wave. She took a deep breath and sighed. "Finally. Fresh air." She turned towards the castle and walked through the market to get back to the castle.

She was stopped along the way by a large group of fillies and colts.

"You look really pretty, Rainbow Dash." A filly spoke to the rainbow mare. Dash smiled.

"Thank you. It's a bit weird seeing myself this way, but I'll get used to it. So, what can I help you all with?" They all bounced in place and a colt walked up to her.

"Would it be okay if you joined us at the park? We were wondering if you could play with us. After all, you did save the Crystal Empire and we wanted to say thanks. Would it be okay if you did?" They all gave her puppy eyes and her heart literally melted.

"Why of course I would. I'm not the Element of Loyalty for nothing." The fillies and colts all cheered and pulled her along to the park and Rainbow laughed along the way. All the adults who were watching laughed at the scene. Soon the mare and foals reached the park and they immediately sat in front of her. "Alright. What is it that you'd like to know?" A different colt spoke up.

"Could you tell us about how you saved Equestria?" Rainbow blinked but smiled.

"My friends and I have saved Equestria multiple times. You'd have to ask about one in particular. There was the fight with Nightmare Moon, the royal wedding and the whole ordeal with the changelings, protecting the Crystal Empire when it came back and King Sombra attacked, the battle with Terek and when he stole all the magic from Equestria, and, umm, those are the only ones that come to mind right now. So, which one would you like to hear?" The group of fillies and colts put a hoof to their chins in thought, then chorused,

“The battle with the changelings.” Rainbow smiled and began the story.

“It started with my friends and I have a picnic back in Ponyville. We were enjoying our time when Spike came running over to us saying that he had a letter from Princess Celestia. The letter was about how my friends and I had to prepare for the wedding. Rarity had to make the dresses for the bridesmaids and the bride, Applejack was in charge of catering, Pinkie was in charge of the party, Fluttershy was in charge of the music, and I had to perform a Sonic Rainboom after the bride and groom said their “I do”’s and kiss in front of all of Canterlot. Anyway, we were all surprised, but we still didn’t know who’s wedding it was. Then Spike gave us a different letter which told us that it was the wedding of Twilight’s older brother, Shining Armor. Everypony was surprised and...”

“...she stormed in and we found out that there was a fake Princess Cadence which was the queen of the changelings, Queen Chrysalis. Due to the changelings attacking, the wedding had to be put on hold for the moment until everything had calmed down and the battle was over. So, my friends and I fought our way through and...”

“...and thanks to them, the changelings were thrown back into the Badlands so we could have the real wedding. Everything was planned properly this time with the real Princess Cadence. She liked Applejack’s food, loved the music from Fluttershy’s birds, enjoyed dancing with Pinkie, and was stunned with Rarity’s work on the dresses. So the wedding happened and everything went smoothly. Shining Armor and Princess Cadence said their “I do”s, they kissed in front of everypony in Canterlot, and I pulled off another Sonic Rainboom. The party went well and everyone was delighted. We enjoyed dancing and about two hours later, the party was over. I honestly think that it was the best wedding I’ve ever been to. More like the only wedding I’ve ever been to. Heh. Well, that wraps up the story.” All the foals in front of her let out an “aww” of frustration. “Don’t worry. We can hang out tomorrow if you want. Right now it’s late you should be getting home soon. I Pinkie Promise that tomorrow will be just as fun.” They all cheered and hugged her before dispersing in different directions to get home. Rainbow shook her head and flew back to the castle.