Having an office, Rainbow Dash had decided, was pretty sweet.
Having two offices, by that logic, ought to be twice as sweet. It did make scheduling office hours weird sometimes, though. (At least she could usually make that Twilight’s problem. And what about any of their schedules wasn’t weird, these days?)
… Unfortunately, it also meant twice the paperwork.
She sighed, planting her face on her desk. Signing off on flight plans could wait until tomorrow, right? Spitfire had only gotten on her case once so far, and the show wasn’t for weeks–
“Hey, could you help me with–sorry, is this a bad time?”
“What? No!” Rainbow shot into the air, grinning at the cadet in front of her. “It’s a great time! What can I help you with?”
Anything had to be better than paperwork.
“So uh, I know the Academy isn’t back in session until next week,” Sky Stinger said, rubbing at the back of his neck. “But Vapor and I’ve been practicing; we want to keep ourselves in shape, you know?”
Rainbow nodded encouragingly.
“Except since about a week ago, Vapor’s been refusing to leave her house? She claims that she’s not upset, but …” He scuffed a hoof against the floor. “I thought, maybe, you could talk to her? Find out what’s actually wrong?”
Rainbow blinked.
“You helped us before.” Sky Stinger scuffed his hoof again. “And if there’s anything I can do–if I really did make her mad again somehow–”
Where was Starlight when Rainbow needed her? The best part of her office back at the school was being able to suggest that ponies with personal problems talk to the guidance counselor instead of her.
On the other hand, Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail were two of the most promising cadets in their class (and Rainbow definitely didn’t think that just because she and Twilight had helped them out), and that did sound like pretty strange behavior …
Eh. At worst, it’d probably still be better than doing paperwork. “I’ll see what I can do.”
It took about thirty minutes of her best “talking to fans” behavior and a few thinly veiled references to Wonderbolts Business, but eventually Vapor Trail’s parents agreed to ask if she’d be willing to see Rainbow Dash. Her mother disappeared upstairs and, after several awkward minutes of her father asking if Rainbow would like more tea and speculating about the weather, reappeared to say that she would.
Vapor’s mother put a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder as they passed each other on the stairs. “Be kind,” she said. “This is very hard on her.”
Rainbow gave her best Real Bona Fide Wonderbolt grin. “Of course, ma’am!”
Vapor Trail’s room reminded Rainbow of her own in her parents’ house: full of medals and trophies and pictures – except the medals were mostly second place, and the pictures featured Sky Stinger more prominently than Vapor.
The only thing she didn’t see in the room, in fact, was the pony herself.
“Uh … hello?”
“Hi,” a voice from under Vapor’s bed said, muffled and miserable-sounding.
It’d probably make things worse if she lifted the bed, right? Right. “So uh, you’re probably wondering why I came to visit …”
“Did Sky Stinger ask you to? I told him I was fine.”
Rainbow would admit, under duress, that maybe she wasn’t always the most insightful pony in Equestria. But whatever this was, she didn’t think it was fine.
“Yeah actually. He’s worried you’re mad at him or something.”
“Oh no,” Vapor said, nearly inaudible. “I told him I wasn’t!”
“You also told him to go away and then stopped talking to him,” Rainbow pointed out.
“That’s different,” she protested.
What would Starlight say right now? “What would you think if he did that to you?”
“... That he was mad at me.” A pause. “But I’m not. Mad at him, I mean. Can’t you go tell him that? Um, please?”
“Why don’t you tell him yourself?”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Vapor Trail erupted from under the covers, her mane and tail tangled, blackened, and partly sheared off, like she’d been caught on the bad end of several thunderstorms. “Because I look like this,” she wailed.
Everypony–well, every pegasus–well, maybe not Fluttershy. But most pegasi got tangled up in a thunderstorm occasionally. The frizz settled, your mane grew back out, it wasn’t that big a deal.
But Vapor looked pretty upset, and Rainbow’s inner Starlight was trying to tell her something about seeing the other pony’s point of view and, well, she supposed it did look pretty bad right now.
“So you’re just going to hide here until your mane grows back out?”
“... Maybe.” Vapor looked like she wanted to disappear back under the bed.
“You’d miss weeks of training.”
Rainbow’d been on the wrong side of more than her fair share of thunderstorms, okay? And Vapor’s mane was longer than hers.
“... I know.”
“Couldn’t you just cut it? I hear short manes are 'in' this season.”
She was pretty sure Rarity had said something like that at their last Friendship Council meeting, at least. She might have been slightly distracted thinking about the super sweet maneuver she wanted to integrate into her next show.
“I tried,” Vapor wailed again. “It just made it worse.”
If Rarity were here, she’d know what to say. Maybe she should take Vapor to see her – no, that wouldn’t work, Rarity was in Manehattan this week. Something about some important show that was make or break for her new dress line?
The point was, she’d probably be mad if Rainbow showed up at her doorstep with a request for fashion advice.
Rainbow stared around the room again. So many pictures of Vapor and Sky, Vapor and her family, and a few group shots with a bunch of other ponies who looked sorta like Sky. His family? She thought she remembered Vapor saying he had a lot of siblings.
That ... actually gave her an idea.
It was a terrible idea. But … maybe it was the best one she had.
Rainbow sighed. “I think I might know somepony who can help.”
After reporting back to a worried Sky Stinger that she was working on it–distracting him long enough for Vapor Trail to sneak below the clouds–Rainbow Dash led her to a small white-and-red shop in a quieter part of Ponyville. The storefront was decorated so welcomingly that Rainbow almost wondered if she’d come to the right place. She knew Fluttershy had said it looked good, but–
“Rainbows!”
Rainbow smiled through gritted teeth, shoved Vapor Trail forward, and said, “This is Zephyr Breeze, he does mane therapy, he should be able to be help, I’ll be back in an hour, bye!”
“Thank you thank you thank you!”
Rainbow Dash barely had time to dogear her current page in the latest Daring Do novel before a pale blur tackled her through her cloud. She disentangled herself, the blur resolving itself into an ecstatic Vapor Trail with–“Hey, that’s not bad at all!”
Even being friends with Rarity this long hadn’t gotten Rainbow to retain more than the most basic fashion vocabulary. But Vapor’s mane looked … really good, actually.
“Zephyr’s amazing! I can see why you like him so much!”
Rainbow froze, dropping about a foot before she could force her wings back into motion. Vapor brought a hoof to her mouth. “Oh no, was I not supposed to say anything? I promise I won’t tell anyone else, but really, he’s very sweet. I’m sure it’d go well if you confessed.”
This was a nightmare.
Like, this entire situation? Definitely not her strong suit. But this, specifically? She’d had this nightmare. (Not with Vapor Trail and Sky Stinger, though. That part was new.)
“Sorry, was I not supposed to say that either? Um, I guess I shouldn’t be giving that sort of advice, you’re my coach–”
“I don’t like him!”
Oops. That had been … louder than she meant to say that.
She uh. Probably shouldn’t have said that in front of Vapor.
“I mean. He’s fine. It’s … fine.”
Vapor did not look convinced.
“He’s Fluttershy’s brother. So. You know.”
Even Rainbow didn’t know what she was saying anymore.
If this really was a dream, it was even worse than the one about the singing flowers.
Vapor frowned, took a deep breath, and said, “I think he might like you too. Or, you know. Like you. If you don’t like him. So, um. If you don’t like him. I think you should probably tell him.”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Vapor bit her lip. “It was obvious that you were avoiding him?” she offered. “But I think he thinks you’re just, um, shy?”
“Me? Shy?” Rainbow threw her hooves up. “We’ve known each other since we were foals! I’m the least shy pony in Equestria! How could he not know?”
Right. Yelling at cadets, still not the best idea. Rainbow took a deep breath and sat back down on the cloud.
“Um. Sky and I have known each other since we were foals, too,” Vapor offered hesitantly. “And I used to think he knew about me helping him. But I think he didn’t see it, because he didn’t want to?”
She glanced down. “And not telling him just made it hurt worse when he did find out, I think. You and the Princess taught me that.”
… They had, hadn’t they. Rainbow sighed. Maybe Vapor was right. “Go on, go show off your rad new mane style and tell Sky Stinger you’re not mad at him.”
Vapor Trail hesitated. “But what about–”
“I’ll catch up. I guess I have a conversation I should have first.”
It couldn’t possibly be worse than admitting to Pinkie she hated pie, right?
Rainbow Dash hesitantly pushed the door to the shop open again. A little bell tinkled as she entered; glancing up, she was surprised to realize she recognized it: a bit of pottery Zephyr had shown off at dinner several years ago, from one of his many abandoned hobbies.
A pale orange unicorn looked up from behind the chair to the left, scissors hovering, and smiled at her. “Hello! Welcome to the Mane Event. How can we help you today?”
“Rainbows! Back again so soon?” Zephyr burst out of the back room. “Did you bring me another client? It was so sweet of you to think of me! That poor mare!”
Rainbow forced a smile. “No, it’s just me this time–”
“Oh, of course, of course–don’t tell me, let me guess, our favorite Wonderbolt is looking for a change, and you knew just the place to come!”
“No, I–” Courage. Remember the pie. “Zephyr, can we talk?” She was suddenly aware of all of the other ponies in the room. “Alone?”
Zephyr grinned and threw his foreleg over Rainbow’s shoulder. “Anything for my number one fan!” He tossed his head. “Seeya in a few, everypony!”
Rainbow really, really hoped that she hadn’t actually just heard somepony say ‘Go get ‘er, tiger!” And hoped even harder that Zephyr hadn’t heard that, either.
This was the literal worst.
As soon as they left the salon, Rainbow Dash ducked out from under Zephyr’s leg and took to the air, looking for a conveniently private cloud. Once found, she settled and waited for Zephyr to catch up.
“There’s that Wonderbolts speed for ya,” he said, huffing slightly. He considered the cloud for several seconds and kicked some of it upwards into a chaise lounge-esque shape, then flopped sideways across it, propped his cheek on a hoof, and looked up at her. “So what did you want to talk with me about?” He dropped his tone, and waggled his eyebrows at her. “Just the two of us … alone?”
Rainbow cringed. “That, actually,” she said, before her brain caught up with her mouth. “Look. Zephyr. This might be hard to hear, but the truth is, I should probably have told you a long time ago. I–”
He leaned in and touched her hoof. “Hey,” he said, surprisingly gently. “It’s okay. You know I know how you feel, right? I’ve known for a long time.”
She blinked. “You have?” He nodded. “Then why all the –” she gestured vaguely.
He leaned back and winked at her. “Hey, what can I say? You’re cute when you’re bashful.”
Bashful. Bashful? “I am not–!” She buried her face in her hooves and tried not to scream with frustration, because it was either that or do–well, something that would make Fluttershy very upset with her, probably. Even more upset than once she learned Rainbow had broken her brother’s heart. She took a deep breath, lowered her hooves, and said, “Look. I don’t like you. Like that. Okay? I’m sorry I didn’t say it before. But I don’t!”
He blinked, his smile faltering so briefly Rainbow almost wondered if she’d imagined it, then leaned in again. “It’s okay, you can be honest with yourself. This is a safe spac–”
She snatched her hoof away just before his would have landed on it, and it felt almost as good as winning her first race. “I am being honest with you! You’re just not listening!”
“But what about–” he gestured vaguely, “–our electricity?”
Suddenly, more than anything, Rainbow just felt tired. “I didn’t want to embarrass you in front of your parents,” she said. “Or … hurt you, I guess. I kept hoping that someday you’d, I don’t even know anymore. Take the hint? Find somepony else?”
“And that time you got all dressed up for me, when I was a Royal Guard?”
Rainbow cringed. “That was Rar–” she stopped herself, and forced herself to really look at Zephyr. “No. It might have been Rarity’s idea, but I agreed to it. I was flirting with you then, but it was only because we needed a distraction.”
She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I took advantage of you like that. It was … a really awful thing for me to do to a friend.”
“A–friend?” Zephyr said slowly, like that was the most puzzling thing she’d said yet.
“... Yes?” Rainbow squinted at him.
“I’m … your friend?”
“Zeph, I’ve known you since we were foals. If we weren’t friends, do you really think I’d have helped Fluttershy fish you out of–”
“It’s fine we don’t need to talk about that!” Zephyr yelped, and Rainbow couldn’t help it; she laughed.
“... So if we’re friends, I still have a chance, right?” he said after a moment. “Like, there’ve clearly been some misunderstandings, but now that we’ve set the record straight–”
Rainbow waved her hooves frantically. “No! No chance!”
He flinched, and she winced. “Is it because I keep moving back in with my parents? I’m a real working stallion now! I’ve got my own apartment and everything!”
“Didn’t Fluttershy say that you were renting it from the owner of the salon at a deep discount?” As soon as she saw her words strike home, Rainbow regretted them.
“... I could change that! Get another place, prove that I can–”
Rainbow shook her head, raising a hoof. “It’s not about your apartment. Or your job. It’s not something you can change. It just is.”
“But–if you don’t–what now?” He stared at her, wings limp, somehow looking even more pathetic than when she and Fluttershy had found him camping in the Everfree.
She leaned over and nudged him gently on the shoulder. “Now you find somepony who likes you for you, instead of waiting around for me.”
“What if I’d be okay waiting?”
Rainbow grimaced. “I can’t stop you, I guess?” she said, then shot him a serious look. “It wouldn’t work, though. And I’m not going to pretend anymore.”
He somehow slumped even further. “... What if there isn’t anypony who wants a loser like me? What if it doesn’t work out? What if–”
“You’ll never know unless you try,” she interrupted. “Take that first step, remember? Then you’ll find you can walk–”
“–then run, then fly,” he finished quietly, smiling weakly. “If only I was as good at flying as you or Fluttershy.”
Rainbow tossed her mane. “At actual flying? Absolutely no way, I’m the best for a reason.” She kicked a bit of cloud in his direction. “But if you mean at trying again, well. Let me tell you about the time I would totally have failed the Wonderbolts Reserves exam if not for my friends–”
Rainbow Dash soared above Cloudsdale, feeling like she’d ditched a set of training weights she’d been wearing for years. She’d dropped Zephyr off at the salon halfway through telling him the real story behind the whole Mysterious Mare-Do-Well … thing, which he’d made her promise to finish later. Seemed like a fair trade for dinner at the Shys’ the next time she dropped by. She thought she might even almost be looking forward to it.
Like, he’d still tried to hug her when she left. But when she stepped back, he’d actually stopped. Maybe … just maybe … it’d actually be fine. And even if it wasn’t, at least she didn’t have to pretend anymore.
She tossed herself into a barrel roll for the sheer joy of feeling the wind whistling through her feathers.
“Hey!”
“Rainbow Dash!”
She looked down and saw Vapor Trail and Sky Stinger waving up at her, and spiraled down to meet them. “Looks like practice is back in session.”
They grinned, and Sky Stinger nudged Vapor Trail. “Well, we need to make sure someone gets used to compensating for the reduced drag from her new style before next week.”
Vapor nudged him back. “Hey, why don’t you show her the new trick you just figured out.”
As Sky flew off, Vapor said quietly, “Thanks, for … you know. Everything.”
“Eh, it was nothing,” Rainbow shrugged it off, looking upwards as Sky blazed past overhead. “And, hey. You gave some pretty good advice, too.”
In the end? Yeah, this had been way better than paperwork.
