Amor Caecus Est
“I know you’ve probably heard this countless times already, but... well done. You deserve this.”
The warm words washed over Rainbow Dash as she stood in the corridor, a pair of imposing double doors formed from dense clouds looming over her. In front of the portal stood a yellow pegasus, her brown eyes crinkled in amusement.
“Wow. I think we’ve actually broken you with all the celebrations,” Spitfire continued.
Rainbow shook herself out of her stupor. “Wh—uh, sorry, Cap’. Still can’t believe I’m really here.”
“Cap’?” The other pegasus shook her head. “I’m just Spitfire to you tonight. This is the clubhouse, after all. This is where you’re required to kick back and relax,” she said with a grin. With that, she reared up and gave a mighty shove to the doors, pushing them open. The open doorway revealed a large room, with a roaring fireplace at its far end. Various sofas were scattered about the chamber, and in the centre, gathered around a mahogany bar, were ten other pegasi. The Wonderbolts.
Rainbow barely had time to register the situation before the crowd rushed over to them, surrounding the pair and congratulating her. She received at least three noogies before Spitfire came to her rescue, laughing and gently admonishing the other ponies. “Okay, okay! Breathing space!”
The pegasi obeyed their captain, drawing back slightly from their newest member. Rainbow was left in the middle of the ring, flustered and grinning, her wings half extended. Soarin’ walked forward from his comrades and almost postrated himself in fron of the cyan pegasus in a mock bow.
“Miss Rainbow Dash! I understand that you have passed the each of the great initiation trials of the Wonderbolts!” he cried. Rainbow nodded mechanically.
“Uh, yeah. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. Last few days are a little bit hazy,” she said, vaguely recalling the literal gallons of hard cider that she’d consumed in that time, whether she liked it or not. “Pretty sure I’m not gonna be able to touch cloud gin for a while...”
“Then welcome to the clubhouse,” Soarin’ said with a grin.
Rainbow waited for a moment, before replying, “Wait, you don’t have any more ‘trials’? No dunking me in a cloud? No contests where we drink til’ we pass out?” Her grin grew wider with each question.
“I guess we could do that if you wanted... But no, that’s it. You’re part of us now!” Soarin’ said amiably.
“Yeah. You’ve done the hard work, and now, everyone here wants to get to know you as a pony, not a set of wings,” Spitfire said with a wink. “So, let’s get this party started, shall we?”
Soarin’ moved over to the bar, and began passing round mugs of fresh squeezed cider from a keg marked with Sweet Apple Acres, something Dash took a small measure of pride in. As the drinks were passed about, the Wonderbolts gradually dispersed into smaller groups, chatting, dancing to the music that played from a gramophone and lounging on the sofas.
Despite her normal confidence, Dash found herself sticking near Spitfire. She barely knew most of the Wonderbolts, having met them but once on that fateful day when the Sonic Rainboom was unleashed. But in the years since then, fate and ambition had conspired to give her a transient relationship with the captain, sometimes as a welcome guest, sometimes as a pegasus of a lower rank. Whatever the case, she counted the flame-maned mare as a friend.
However, as time wore on, Rainbow realised this was acting to her detriment. She’d had five close friends for years; now suddenly there were eleven ponies vying for her attention, a group she would need to learn to trust quickly to make headway. However, this was the same group she had been, and still was, in complete awe of. All she could do was stick close to the one pegasus she already knew.
“...and you’re an Element of Harmony? You must have had a pretty big following for a while!” Rapidfire said. Dash realised she’d zoned out a little, and stared blankly at the other Wonderbolt. Her wings flared slightly in embarrassment.
“What? Oh, uh, kinda. I had a fan club back in Ponyville...” She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly as Rapidfire grinned and nodded. I bet he had one as well! “But we played the whole Elements thing cool. We’re just six friends. We hang out a lot and occasionally save the world.” The remark was met with laughter from the other pegasi, although Rainbow couldn’t tell if they were going along with her modesty or laughing at her naivety. “Although I guess we’ll be hanging out a bit less now...”
“Hey, don’t worry about it! We’re all friends here; you’ll be in good company when you’re away from Ponyville too!” Rapidfire said, with nods from the other three pegasi listening.
“Oh, uh, yeah. ‘Course.” Rainbow took an exaggerated swig from her mug of cider, emptying it. “Hey, does anypony else need a refill?” A series of shaking heads met her enquiry. With that, the cyan pegasus fled the conversation, almost cantering over to the bar.
She had almost filled her mug to the brim with foaming cider when Spitfire sidled up to her and leaned on the bar. “Something on your mind?” she asked.
“Not really...”
“‘Not really’? Dash, I haven’t seen you this jittery since the final tryouts.”
The younger pegasus gave a lengthy sigh. “I guess it’s just hitting me now about how I’m based up in Cloudsdale now, while my friends are down there.” She pointed to the floor.
Spitfire looked up in the air. “How long is a flight from Cloudsdale to Ponyville?”
“Uh... about twenty minutes?”
“And what’s the team policy when not on tour?”
“Outside of training and planning sessions, Wonderbolts are free to do what they will, in particular cultivating physical and mental wellbeing,” Rainbow said in a bored, sing-song voice.
“Wow, you actually remembered that word for word?” Spitfire exclaimed.
“Yeah, make me read something enough times and I can parrot it any time you want.” The two pegasi shared a good-natured chuckle.
“Well, anyway. What I mean is Ponyville’s not a million miles away, and you have plenty of time to go visit your friends.”
Rainbow shuffled her hooves. “That’s... not entirely what I’m worried about, Spitfire. It’s more you guys. Saying we’re friends, but I barely know any of them except you.”
“Heh. It won’t happen overnight. Don’t you worry.” Seeing that there was still a look of mild distress upon her recruit’s face, Spitfire looked up at the clock. “Well, it won’t be too long before we start packing up and calling it a night, and I notice there’s one ‘Bolt you haven’t spoken with yet.” She nodded over to a sofa in the corner, where a blue pegasus lounged on a sofa, her face half-obscured by a scruffy, bone-white mane. Three silvery circular arcs formed her cutie mark, each one larger than the one to the left. Soarin’ leaned against the sofa arm, chatting with her. “And after all, the last time you spoke to her was after plucking her out of the sky at the Best Young Fliers’ contest, right? No better way to strike up a conversation, right?”
“I... I guess...”
“Go on. You’ll feel better for it, I guarantee it.” The yellow pegasus gave her a gentle but firm push with her hoof, and Rainbow began walking over. As she did so, Soarin’ finished his chat and moved off, and the blue pegasus moved her head, causing her mane to fall back and expose her eyes. Dash felt a tiny pang as she saw that the dark green irises and pupils were almost completely obscured by milky whiteness, belying the sightlessness of the pony they belonged to. For this was Fleetfoot: arguably the most celebrated pegasus to rise to the position of Wonderbolt in modern times, for one extraordinary characteristic: being completely blind.
“Uh, hey, Fleetfoot...” she said. Yeah, way to sound enthusiastic, Dash. The other pegasus’ ears perked up.
“That voice... Oh! Rainbow Dash!” Fleetfoot exclaimed. “Hi! I was wondering when I would get a chance to talk to you. Been a while since that Young Flier’s competition, huh?”
“Yeah! Long time, no see!” Rainbow clapped a hoof over her mouth a second too late, her poorly chosen words already out. The other pegasus picked up on the awkward silence, and chuckled good-naturedly.
“It’s okay, Dash. You don’t need to walk on eggshells around me,” Fleetfoot reassured her.
“Oh... um, if you’re sure.” Rainbow rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.
“Of course I’m sure! After all, you did save my life after your friend socked me in the face.” The blind pegasus let out another laugh. “A unicorn who smells like she ran headlong into a perfume shop gains wings, falls out of the sky, and you rescue her and three unconscious Wonderbolts while performing a Sonic Rainboom. How Spitfire didn’t pick you that day, I’ll never know.”
“C’mon, she wanted to give the other pegasi a fighting chance, at least,” Dash said mirthfully, relaxing a little at Fleetfoot’s aggrandizing.
“I’ll bet. So, how’s it feel?” The blue mare cocked her head to one side in questioning.
Rainbow frowned in confusion. “How does what feel?”
“Making it to the top. Becoming a ‘Bolt.”
Dash fell silent for a moment. She didn’t want to be seen to be whining about her unease to every teammate, and besides, Spitfire was right, wasn’t she? Her friends weren’t that far away... The cyan pegasus gave a nervous laugh and said “Great! Really great! I mean, you must know from when you joined, right?”
Fleetfoot pursed her lips in a small smile, and narrowed her sightless eyes. “You know, I really think I do, Rainbow Dash. Maybe more than you think.”
The younger pegasus simply stared at her, trying to process the enigmatic remark. She took a gulp of cider in place of an answer. Fleetfoot continued, “Everything you ever dreamed, and something more, I’m guessing?”
Dash nodded in agreement, before realising that the other Wonderbolt wouldn’t be able to see the gesture. “Yeah,” she said. “Sounds about right.”
Her mind still roiling from Fleetfoot’s remarks, Rainbow made polite conversation with the blind pegasus, becoming more animated as they discussed flight patterns and favourite stunts. Her interest was further piqued as the older pegasus began describing how she managed her flying without vision.
“It’s kinda difficult to explain, but... imagine seeing just the outlines of things. That’s pretty much what my echolocation supplies me with. I can’t appreciate a pretty portrait, but it gives me more than enough information on what I might bump into. Of course, I have the advantage of it being my cutie mark talent,” Fleetfoot said. “At very high speeds, I usually rely on air turbulence more, as we can get pretty close to supersonic on some of our more strenuous routines.” She stopped, her ears perking up.
Rainbow frowned at the unexplained interruption, before turning her head. Spitfire stood behind her, a wry smile on her face. “I see you two are getting on well,” the yellow mare said. “We’re heading on home, but you can stay here as long as you like. Just don’t stay up too late, okay? I wanna start up training tomorrow. Think we need to get back into the swing of things.”
“So, that’s tomorrow afternoon, maybe, if you get up in time?” The blind mare said with an innocent smile, perching herself upon the sofa arm. Spitfire raised her eyebrows and smirked.
“You know me too well, Fleet. Anyway... goodnight, both of you.”
“Goodnight,” Rainbow replied, and the flame-haired mare turned and left with the other remaining Wonderbolts through the double doors they’d entered through, leaving the two pegasi alone in the cavernous room.
The cyan mare turned back to her conversational partner, who still wore her smile, her eyes closed in mirth. “Yeah, Spitfire’s never been too tight on timing after we get a new member. She wishes she could be half as strict with us as she is with the Academy recruits.”
“I dunno, she seems to prefer the laid-back approach anyway. I guess she knows we’re not gonna do something stupid to impress her,” Dash replied.
“Like creating a massive tornado just to clear some clouds?”
“Hey! That was not my idea!” Rainbow’s angry retort petered out as Fleetfoot grinned and stuck out her tongue.
“Oh, I know. Still, at least that little incident separated you from that little sociopath, huh?” the blind pegasus said. Dash loosened up a little at the description of Lightning Dust.
“Yeah, yeah... I guess it all worked out in the end.” The cyan pegasus rustled her wings and shivered a little. “Little chilly in here, isn’t it?”
Fleetfoot grimaced. “Yeah, it does get pretty cold in here sometimes. Wanna head back to my quarters? It’ll probably be warmer in there.”
“Sure, I...” Rainbow stopped as a sudden realisation hit her, causing her to groan in annoyance.
“Something the matter?” the blind pegasus asked.
Dash rubbed the back of her head. “Yeah, I was gonna sleep in my room here tonight, seeing as my house is all the way down in Ponyville. But Spitfire had the key somewhere and I forgot to ask her for it!”
“Hey, don’t worry about it. You can sleep on my sofa, if you’d like. It’s about the size of a bed, anyway. They really didn’t hold back when they furnished this place,” Fleetfoot offered.
“If that’s okay with you...”
“Sure it’s okay! C’mon!” The blind pegasus beamed, and took off from the sofa, hovering above the floor with lazy flaps of her wings. Rainbow followed her as she fluttered to a doorway at the end of the room opposite the double doors. Once they were through, Fleetfoot reached out with her right forehoof, tracing along wall. With every door her hoof touched, the blue mare counted quietly. At the count of ‘four’, she turned to the door and fumbled around in the cloud wall surrounding it, eventually pulling out a small key. “Best place to keep it, for me,” she explained.
The pegasus opened the door, followed by Rainbow. The room was dark, although Fleetfoot made her way inside without hesitation. “Uh, Fleet? Where’s the light switch?” Dash asked.
“Oh! Uh... to the right of the door. I think. I don’t really have much use for it, y’know? If you do find it, excuse the mess.” Rainbow groped around the doorframe with her hoof, before finding a small box on the wall. She prodded it, and the room was illuminated by a soft orange glow, enchanted crystals in the ceiling providing the light.
The chamber was about as large as Dash’s own living room, containing two large sofas facing one another, with a low table in between. The walls were lined with a couple of bookcases, a dresser and a chest of drawers. Two more doors were at the end of the room, presumably leading to a bedroom and a bathroom respectively. Despite Fleetfoot’s self-depreciation, the room wasn’t in a great state of disrepair, with only a stray Wonderbolt flight suit abandoned on the floor and a few dirty glasses strewn about.
The blind pegasus motioned to one of the sofas, and Rainbow sat down, folding her legs beneath her. As she did so, Fleetfoot moved over to the dresser and pulled out a bottle and two wine glasses.
“Want some?” the blue mare called. “I figure we won’t be bunking down for a while, and I’ve never been a big fan of cider.”
“Uh, sure...” Fleet put the pair of glasses down, and pulled the cork out of the bottle. She tipped the bottle carefully, tapping a rhythm with one of her forehooves on the wooden table. Her head jerked back to stop the flow, and she repeated the pattern with the other glass. Once that was done, the pegasus placed the bottle back down on the table and prodded one of the glasses experimentally.
“What do you think? Not too full?” Fleetfoot asked.
“It looks fine to me...” Rainbow said uncertainly. A sudden realisation hit her. “Wait, that tapping...”
“Yeah, when you can’t see, you have to get creative,” the other pegasus said with a knowing smile. “Usually, I can get it about right, but better safe than sorry, huh?” She picked up one of the glasses and offered it to Dash.
The younger mare took the drink in her hoof, swilling it about with trepidation. She was unused to such a... cultured liquor, and as she stared at the dark red liquid, Rainbow vaguely recalled that there was some sort of pretentious ritual to consuming wine. What would Rarity do? The thought made the pegasus’ lips twitch in amusement. Likely, she’d already done half-a-dozen things that would have upset the prissy unicorn had she been present.
In the end, Dash settled with sniffing at the wine, getting a noseful of spicy, fruity aroma. She took a tentative sip, getting a taste much like the scent, and a strong kick of alcohol. More firey than hard cider, but less overpowering than straight-up liquor like cloud gin. The pegasus took a full gulp, enjoying the flavours of the drink. Maybe Rarity was right about her classier choices of sustenance for once.
Fleetfoot let out a chuckle. “You’ve gone very quiet. Like it?”
“Yeah! It’s pretty good, actually. Never really had wine that much before...” The two pegasi settled back into the sofas, relaxing as they drank.
The blind pegasus leaned her head on a forehoof, her milky gaze on Rainbow. “So! I guess we’re alone now. There’s nopony to overhear us.”
The statement took Rainbow by surprise. She recoiled slightly, her wings extending in shock. “Wh-what’s that supposed to mean?!” she stammered.
Fleetfoot scratched the back of her head. “You didn’t come over and talk to me entirely of your own accord, did you?” she asked.
“Sure I did!”
“Rainbow...” The sentence was left hanging.
The cyan mare let out an irritated sigh. “Alright! Spitfire suggested I come and talk to you! What does it matter?”
“Well, Spitfire doesn’t call me the team’s agony aunt for nothing...” After a moment’s sullen silence, the blind mare continued, “My other senses have to pick up on things, what with me having no vision. And one thing I’m very good at is picking up on when somepony’s trying to bottle up some emotions.”
“So what?” Dash snapped. She realised her agitation was now obvious to anypony, but the sudden prying was setting her on edge.
“I guess you just sound anxious. More than a new recruit should. Something else on your mind?” Rainbow narrowed her eyes at the other pegasus. The conversation had gone sour very quickly, and she had half a mind to petulantly not answer the question. She’d had enough of ponies pretending to care about her that evening.
“Fine. I do. And before you start going on about ‘reading my thoughts’ or being able to hear exactly what I’m feeling from my voice, I’m not telling you about it. It’s none of your business,” Dash said in an annoyed tone.
The retort made Fleet’s eyes go wide, and she shifted back slightly. “I’m sorry if I offended you, Dash. I’m just concerned—”
“‘Concerned’? What? As my ‘friend’?”
“Well, yes, I suppose...”
The irritation that had built up in Rainbow all night finally burst out. “What do you know about being my friend? What do any of you know about being my friend?” She pointed a hoof toward the floor. “My friends are down there in Ponyville. I’ve known them for years. I’ve faced down ancient evils with them. What have any of the Wonderbolts done with me?”
Fleetfoot blinked, stunned by the tirade. A light blush adorned her cheeks. “Rainbow, I’m truly sorry if anypony’s offended you this evening. I just thought I could get to know you better as a team mate...”
Dash huffed. “That’s it, though. Everypony’s already describing me as a friend, despite me barely knowing them. They’re not trying to know me, they’re just assuming I’ll be falling over myself to be friends with them.” The pegasus crossed her forelegs in annoyance.
“You’ll get to know them in time, Rainbow. Is gaining more friends really a bad thing?”
Rainbow’s magenta eyes shifted toward the ground below. “Not by itself, but... I won’t be seeing my Ponyville friends so often now... what happens when I start spending more time with the Wonderbolts? What if I neglect them?” Fleetfoot said nothing, nodding in sympathy and letting Dash continue. “I might lose them... I might lose the best friends I ever had because I forgot about them... and then they forgot about me.”
Her eyes brimmed with tears. She remembered sitting in the library with Twilight, each of them entertaining the other over the latest book they were reading, and the times the unicorn had awkwardly reciprocated by trying her hoof at athletics.
She remembered dancing and smiling and playing at one of Pinkie’s parties, and playing pranks with the energetic pink pony.
She remember racing and competing with Applejack out in the orchards, the amiable rivalry tying her close to the steadfast farm mare.
She remembered talking up Fluttershy, instilling confidence in her oldest friend and the joy she felt as the other pegasus began to stand up for herself.
She remembered Rarity’s futile, but earnest attempts to make her a more cultured mare, everything from dressing her up to teaching her how to appreciate wine.
She remembered Scootaloo, the little sister she'd never had, teaching her how to fly, seeing the happiness in the filly’s eyes at being trained by her idol.
She saw them all, looking at her blankly. “Who are you?” one of them asked. “The Wonderbolt... I knew her once,” another replied. “She doesn’t care about us any more. Too busy up in the clouds,” a third said. “Go away. We don’t know you any more.” They faded into the distance, leaving the pegasus utterly alone.
“I... I’m so scared of losing them...” Rainbow realised she was sobbing, hard enough to make her chest hurt. “I can’t let that happen! I can’t!” She felt a pair of forelegs wrap around her into a tight hug, and laid her head on Fleetfoot’s shoulder, weeping inconsolably.
“Shhhhhh... shhhhhh... it’s alright. I understand,” Fleet murmured soothingly. As Dash continued crying like a lost foal, a pair of wings gently stroked her back. The cyan pegasus gulped and hiccupped, trying to get her tears under control. After a few minutes, she was finally reduced to sniffling miserably, her sorrow mixed with mortification over breaking down, and worse, breaking down in front of another pony.
“Y-you won’t tell anypony a-about this, will you?” Rainbow asked quietly. “I don’t think I’ll ever l-live it down...”
“Of course not, Dash. Don’t worry. You let it all out?” the blind mare replied.
“Mmmhmm... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted... or cried...” she sounded more and more embarrassed.
Fleetfoot nuzzled her in reassurance before gradually moving away from her, sitting back on the other sofa. “It’s okay, Rainbow. You don’t need to apologise. It wasn’t easy bottling those feelings up tonight, I imagine.”
Dash sniffed, wiping away the last of the tears and taking solace by picking the wine up again. “No... it wasn’t. I... I guess I didn’t fool you for a second, huh?”
The blind pegasus looked thoughtful. “I knew something was up, but I didn’t know what. But now I do... I understand completely. I went through the same thing.”
Rainbow’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “You did? What happened?”
“It’s a long story. Get comfortable.” Fleetfoot sighed and took a long swig of wine. “I was born blind. When the doctors discovered it, they told my parents I’d be lucky to flutter along led by somepony else. Fortunately, they were wrong. Very wrong.” She patted her cutie mark in satisfaction. “So, I was able to live life with a degree of normalcy thanks to my echolocation, but that didn’t stop the words. The poisonous whispers from bystanders. The well-meaning ones who would try to help, only to insult me by thinking that having no vision also meant having no intelligence. The fun some of the other ponies at school made of me.”
“Did nopony stand up for you?” Dash asked. She shifted uncomfortably, thinking of some of the cruelty Scootaloo and her friends faced as blank flanks. How much worse had it been for a filly who was blind as well?
Her question raised a smile on the other pegasus’ face. “As a matter of fact, yes. I did gain a small group of friends over the years. Ponies who were kind, who understood when I needed help and when I could manage by myself. Ponies who always had words of comfort and support whenever I was feeling down. Ponies who were there for me when my impossible dream began coming true.” She sighed happily, leaning back in her seat. “I remember coming back from the Wonderbolts Academy. The captain at that time, Sun Spear, had given me a letter, and asked for it not to be read to me till I got home. I can still recall just how happy my friends sounded when they read it out, how Spear said I outclassed everypony in my group.”
Rainbow couldn’t help but smile as well at the fond tone in Fleetfoot’s voice. “So, what happened then?” Her face fell as a more melancholy expression appeared on the blind pegasus’ face.
“I was chosen to join the Wonderbolts,” she said simply. “Like that, my life was turned upside down. I had been around my friends for so long, I’d forgotten what it was like to be around ponies who didn’t know me. Weird, I know, but I’d taken them for granted for far too long. And of course, that meant all those little assumptions about me began again. Nopony was trying to hurt me, but... I guess they figured echolocation was a perfect substitute for sight. I felt like my dreams had come true, but the ponies I was with couldn’t care less about me.”
Fleetfoot pursed her lips, pausing to find the right words. She drained her glass of wine and continued, “Eventually, three months in, I snapped. I can’t even remember what exactly set me off; we were in Manehatten for a show, and the other ‘Bolts flew off, leaving me to try and figure out where they went.”
She stopped again, chewing her lip and hanging her head. Dash was considering returning the hug, when the blind mare shook her head, clasping her forehooves together. “I went to Sun Spear and told him that I was quitting; I couldn’t handle it any more.”
An icy shock ran through Rainbow. She still remembered the thrill and the awful, soul-crushing aftermath of slamming her wing pony pin down on Spitfire’s desk at the Academy. Threatening to quit had been the only way to stay true to her friends and satisfy her fierce loyalty, but the prismatic mare still woke up in a cold sweat sometimes, realising how close she’d come to ending her life’s ambition that day. And Fleetfoot had done the same?
“What did he say? I guess he must have convinced you to stay somehow...” the younger pegasus asked. To her surprise, Fleet gave a giggle.
“In fact, he called me an idiot. He pointed out that I was the first Wonderbolt ever not to be completely able-bodied, which made me a huge role model in and of itself, but also that I was throwing away something I’d spent my entire life chasing. Was I really unable to fix what was making me so unhappy?” She grinned and opened her wings a little. “Funny, really. I think the shock of hearing such harsh language completely knocked me out of self-pity.”
Rainbow frowned. “But it wasn’t your fault you were feeling that way. He didn’t have any right to use that language.”
Fleetfoot shrugged. “Maybe not, but Spear told me to give it three more months. Go home, visit my friends, talk to the other Wonderbolts and tell them why I felt the way I did.”
The cyan mare shifted and pulled herself up. “And then?”
“Everything took a turn for the better. My friends back in Fillydelphia were overjoyed to see me. The other ‘Bolts, once I opened up to them, became a whole lot more understanding. Come three months later, there was nothing I wanted more to than to continue being a Wonderbolt.” She crossed her forehooves on the arm of the sofa and laid her head atop them, facing Rainbow. “You see, Dash, I think you’ve got this the wrong way ‘round. When I went back to Fillydelphia, it was as though I’d left yesterday. Because friends — true friends — are never really separated. I guarantee, the next time you go back to Ponyville, it’ll be like you barely left. I don’t know your friends, but I know they will always be there for you.”
Rainbow thought back, remembering Pinkie jumping into her hooves after a week at the Academy, the normalcy of the conversation on the way back from Dodge Junction after they’d found Applejack. Her own words came back to her. I’ve faced down ancient evils with them. Compared to Discord or Nightmare Moon, what were a couple of weeks apart? She began to smile wider and wider.
“And as for us Wonderbolts... sure, you’re not as tight with us as your friends back home. But I think — I hope — you’ve made a new friend tonight,” Fleetfoot said, smiling at Dash.
“Yeah... you definitely have,” Rainbow said contentedly. The blind mare jumped up and hugged Rainbow again. The pair of pegasi embraced happily, and as they pulled away from one another, Dash began to notice just how pretty the other Wonderbolt was. Not a highly-maintained look like Rarity’s, but a more rugged beauty; a silky soft, ragged white mane that framed her blue face, round, rosy cheeks, a mouth that continuously twitched in amusement. Her milky eyes were strangely alluring in their own right, as well.
The cyan mare realised she was staring into those eyes, moving closer and closer at a glacier’s pace. She suddenly caught herself, relieved that Fleetfoot was unable to see her blushes. What am I doing?! Desperate to defuse her own awkward embarrassment, she cast about for another conversational topic.
“How do you do it?” Rainbow asked, cursing herself for the vagueness of her question.
“Do what?”
Dash rubbed the back of her head, casting about for the right phrase to use. “Well... everything. I mean, I can’t even begin to imagine how hard some things must be for you.” To her surprise, the other pegasus blushed slightly.
“That’s rather thoughtful of you,” Fleetfoot said. “It’s always a learning experience, but I can manage things well enough with echolocation and a bit of imagination.” She delivered the line with a wicked smile, causing Rainbow’s cheeks to burn.
“You don’t... mind it?” Dash stuttered.
“‘Mind it’? No. I long ago accepted that there was no miracle cure, no unicorn spell or zebra potion that would give me sight. Yes, I sometimes get frustrated that I find some tasks more difficult than a sighted pony would, but do I wish I was born sighted? Absolutely not.” The conviction in her answer took Rainbow aback. “I wouldn’t have the same drive, the same friends, the same life... I wouldn’t be me. I wouldn’t trade what I have now for sight. Not now, not ever.” She squeezed Rainbow a little tighter, causing the cyan mare to blush deeper. Did she mean me as well?
“Wow... that’s... I never thought of it like that...”
“Adapt and overcome. That was a favourite phrase of my father’s. He always knew how to break me out of one low points,” Fleetfoot said fondly. She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Y’know, you can forget sleeping on the sofa. My bed’s big enough to sleep half the squad. C’mon.” She delivered the offer with a gentle nuzzle to the nose.
Dash’s ears felt like they could ignite a candle wick. “A-are you sure? I mean, I’m fine staying out here...” The blind pegasus grabbed her forehoof in the crook of her ankle and led her toward the left door at the end of the room, ignoring Rainbow’s protests.
Once inside, the younger pegasus gasped at the sight. Fleetfoot hadn’t been exaggerating; the bed was huge. The blind pegasus leapt upon the bed with a giggle. “See what I mean? You could be Equestria’s most restless sleeper and I wouldn’t even notice!”
“I snore... a lot,” Rainbow said, in a final, futile attempt to separate herself from the tenacious pegasus.
“I have earplugs!” Fleet sang. Realising there wasn’t any other way out, Dash tentatively hopped onto the bed and laid down near the other pegasus, tucking herself under the covers and praying to Celestia that her sudden feelings of desire wouldn’t get the better of her. Despite the size of the bed, Fleetfoot seemed awfully content to lay barely a leg’s length away from her.
Rainbow simply laid there, facing the other pegasus. She felt the warmth of contentment flow through her as she realised that she genuinely did want to call Fleetfoot her friend. And then, a pang of alarm as, once again, a very different sort of warmth began to spread. Her cheeks and ears turned bright red in a flush of embarrassment, and the cyan pegasus began shuffling backward.
Fleetfoot heard the quiet rustling as Rainbow moved beneath the covers and frowned. “Dash? Is... something the matter?”
“What? N-no... um, I just, uh...” Rainbow cast her mind about for an excuse. “I need some space, that’s all.”
“Oh... I’m sorry.” The other pegasus’ face fell, and she closed her eyes with a sigh. “I tend to get a bit too close for comfort sometimes. Excuse me.” She indicated her milky oculars with a hoof.
If Rainbow had been feeling bad before, she felt positively awful now. The blue pegasus’ dejected look was like a dagger of ice in her heart. “Wait, Fleet.... I didn’t mean it like that. It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”
“Oh?”
Dash wriggled uncomfortably, thinking about how to articulate why she was acting the way she was. After all the kindness the other Wonderbolt had offered her that evening, the last thing the cyan pegaus wanted was to anger or humiliate Fleetfoot with her unwanted attention. Her frustration came out in a thunderous sigh.
“I guess I just felt a little... overwhelmed.” Rainbow was well aware that the blind pegasus would be picking up on every little tremble in her voice. Even if she didn’t outright say it, every last action was giving away her agitation.
“Really? How so?” Fleetfoot cocked her head slightly in curiosity.
Rainbow realised the distance between them had closed again, the other mare having pulled closer. Her face felt like it had reached furnace temperatures. Her impulses finally overcame her rationality, and she leaned in quickly, her lips brushing briefly against Fleetfoot’s. The cyan pegasus pulled back swiftly, her emotions roiling in an inner turmoil as the white-maned pegasus adopted a contemplative look. Oh no, ohnonono... What have I done?!
To Dash’s surprise, the corners of the blue pegasus’ mouth twitched upward in a smile. Fleetfoot leaned in and returned the kiss, pressing her lips against Rainbow’s. “I see... probably shoulda’ worked that out earlier,” the blind pegasus said, a hint of amusement weaving its way through her voice.
“I-I’m sorry, Fleet. I didn’t—”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m not turning you away.”
“No, it’s just...we’re supposed to be teammates, and this is what I start acting like?! What if this drives a wedge between—” Rainbow’s distressed rant was silenced by the touch of a hoof to her mouth.
“Dash, I’m comfortable with this. I want this, too. Besides, we’re a very close-knit group: this isn’t unheard of.” The hoof moved to the side of Rainbow’s face, caressing it in reassurance.
“I’m not in that group yet... And what does this say about me?” Dash asked quietly. Despite her best efforts, tears welled up in her eyes again, and she began shrinking back from the other mare, shaking like a leaf in an autumn gale.
“Rainbow?” When no answer was forthcoming, Fleetfoot reached out again. “Don’t be ashamed of yourself. You are part of the Wonderbolts and you are one of us. Trust me, we wouldn’t have made a fuss over you earlier if we didn’t feel that way.” She placed a wing over the younger pegasus, concern lining her face. “Please, Rainbow. We’ve been through this... it’s no crime to grow closer to another one of your teammates. Don’t be like me. Don’t push the others away because you’re afraid to expand. It’ll just hurt you more in the end.”
Dash gently nuzzled the edge of the wing, and let out a long sigh. “I... I believe you. I guess I just spent so long chasing my dreams, I didn’t think about how actually getting there would feel.”
“I think every last one of us went through that.” Fleet’s lips twitched upward in a smile. “And you bared your heart to me tonight. I... I really appreciate that, Rainbow.” Her wingtip traced along the cyan mare’s side, causing her to shiver slightly.
Rainbow hesitantly put her forelegs around the other pegasus’ torso, pulling her closer. She felt a pair of legs return the embrace as she laid her head against Fleetfoot’s chest, and began to smile a little.
“Thanks, Fleet... I just didn’t want to embarrass either of us,” she said carefully.
“Of course not,” Fleetfoot said quietly, stroking the prismatic mane of the other mare. She grinned. “Besides, it’s not like I’ll start being unable to look you in the eye. I never started doing that, anyway.”
A snort of laughter escaped Rainbow, and a little of the tension released from her body. She moved herself into a more comfortable position and the pair moved closer, planting sweet little kisses against the other’s lips. A faint croon of contentment emanated from the blue pegasus, and her wings twitched slightly. The kisses gradually grew deeper, tongue tips caressing one another.
Rainbow’s heart began beating like a drum as her partner rolled her onto her back, nuzzling her neck as she did so. Fleetfoot pulled back slightly and stood over the other pegasus, her shock of white mane dangling down.
“F-Fleetfoot... are we really...?”
“That’s up to you, Dash,” the blind pegasus said with an even expression. “If you want to do this, then I’m yours.” For a moment, Rainbow stared into Fleetfoot’s sightless eyes, gauging what had just been said. Then, she placed her forelegs around the mare’s neck, pulling her down into a deep kiss.
Rainbow let out a muffled moan as her tongue slid over Fleetfoot’s, and her wings extended fully. Her hooves slid over the other pegasus’ body as she did so. The older pegasus eventually broke the kiss and raised her head slightly. Dash followed her, trying to engage her again. But, as soon as she pressed her lips against Fleet’s, the blue pegasus would break again and raise higher.
“Fleeeeet....” she moaned. The blind pony finally gave her mercy, finishing her ascent and leaving Rainbow balanced precariously atop her outstretched wings, her forelegs once again wrapped tightly around Fleetfoot’s neck. They held the embrace as long as they could, tongues forming an intimate dance, before Rainbow finally collapsed back to the bed, the other pegasus atop her.
They both giggled, a thin string of drool connecting their mouths. Fleetfoot moved down, nipping affectionately at Rainbow’s neck.
“Rainbow?”
“Yeah?”
“If we are going to do this... is there something you could do for me, first?” The blind pegasus pulled herself up, and clutched Dash’s forehooves to her chest with her own.
“Anything,” Rainbow said with a smile, lost in thinking how adorable the other mare looked in her pleading pose, lips poised in a small smile and cheeks flushed and rosy. “What do you want me to do?”
“Well...” Fleetfoot cocked her head to one side for a moment in thought, before her expression brightened. “Maybe best I explain it through example. Now...” She let go of Dash’s forehooves, and pressed her own down onto the younger pegasus’ chest so she raised into a sitting position, her hindlegs astride Dash’s torso and her wings spread wide.
“I’m assuming that if you want to share a bed with me, you must find me attractive,” she continued. Her eyes narrowed alluringly, their sightlessness doing nothing to nullify their expressiveness. Rainbow stared back, paralyzed by the milky gaze. “Tell me, what do you like about me?”
For torturous, eternal moments, Dash laid there, mouth agape. The knowing smile continued to radiate from Fleetfoot’s face, and her hooves carried the weight of continents, pressing down upon her chest and squeezing every last iota of air out of her lungs. The stunned pegasus made tiny, strangled noises as she tried to respond. What? What do I say?!
“Well, I... I...” Rainbow’s mind tried desperately to come up with some answer, but all she could concentrate on how nopony had ever looked as much like a goddess to her than Fleetfoot did now, outstretched wings framed by light, her very presence pinning the cyan pegasus to the bed. “You look... awesome. You’ve got great wings, and a really cute face, and... and...” She almost choked on her own nervousness, and swallowed. “Amazing legs... and flank. A-and a nice mane...” Twilight practically shoved your face in a thesaurus, and still all you can come up with is ‘nice’ and ‘awesome’?!
Her floundering attempts to compliment the other Wonderbolt were cut off by an increase in pressure to her chest. “Okay, that’s enough. I’m not gonna torment you any more,” Fleetfoot cooed in a fond tone. “But... it proves a point.”
“Which is?!” Rainbow managed to yelp.
“Everything you like about me, you can see. Now, that’s no bad thing—” The increase in emphasis came with another press, stopping Rainbow’s retort before it even began. “—but, there’s a lot you’re missing out on. You wanna know why I find you attractive?” Rainbow managed a timid mmhmm. Fleetfoot looked thoughtful, another mischievous smile chasing over her features. “Well... you have a really incredible voice. It might sound kinda harsh to the untrained ear, but there’s so much emotion you convey. Your wing feathers are so pristine... I know you’re a Wonderbolt, but you must really take care of them for them to feel that silky. You smell wonderful, like fresh clouds—the puffy ones we put out on summer days, not storm clouds—and the way you shuffle about when you’re nervous is just adorable.”
“I guess I give a lot away, huh?” Rainbow was barely able to control her voice, its pitch almost running wild into a squeak. Fleetfoot’s eyes crinkled as she smiled.
“You do... and since we started, I found that you have a pretty amazing flank too,” she said, brushing a hoof against the corresponding body part.. “Not to mention that you’re a wonderful little kisser. I have something that might let you have the same experience.”
“A... blindfold?” the cyan mare said after a moment’s thought.
“Not quite. But close.” Fleetfoot hopped off of her chest and walked across the cloud mattress to the bedside table. Rainbow watched her rummage around in the drawer, absent-mindedly rubbing the spots where the older pegasus had stood atop her.
With a muffled cry of triumph, the blue mare raised her head out of the drawer, a deep red ruby held in her mouth. She brought it over, and placed it on Rainbow’s chest.
“Huh? What is this?” Dash asked.
“It’s an trapped enchantment. A spell cast by a unicorn gets held within, and is reactivated upon a certain action,” Fleetfoot explained.
“And what’s the enchantment?”
The blind pegasus reached down and kissed her on the lips. “Try it. Hold it and say ‘amor caecus est’. You’ll see. Or maybe you won’t,” she said enigmatically.
Rainbow frowned, and murmured the exotic phrase she’d been given. For a second, nothing seemed to happen. But then, her vision began to darken. She blinked, but it had no effect. A jolt of panic passed through her as her sight faded to nothing, endless darkness in front of her despite her wide-open eyes.
“F-Fleetfoot...” she whimpered, barely able to stop herself from crying out in fear, her shallow breathing at the very edge of hyperventilation. “I can’t see. I’m blind.”
“That’s exactly what the enchantment does,” Fleetfoot whispered. “Don’t worry; it’s perfectly reversible. Just say the phrase again.”
Barely keeping the tremble from her voice, Dash repeated the words, letting out a great sigh of relief as vision came flooding back to her. She blinked rapidly, looking up at Fleetfoot, who had returned to standing over her, a slightly concerned expression adorning her features.
“Dash... don’t worry about it. I don’t want you on the verge of a panic attack just for my sake.” Fleetfoot placed a wing against the cyan mare’s side, stroking her slowly. “It’s no big deal.”
Rainbow felt a sudden pang of guilt. Her panic arose from the shock of suddenly losing her sight without warning, but now she knew it would come back with no issue... “No. Don’t put it away. It was just a bit of a shock, that’s all. It’s just... why not a blindfold? Or why not turn the lights out?”
“You can slip a blindfold off. You can turn the lights back on with a simple push. This takes conscious thought to remove. It’s just... a little more meaningful.”
The cyan pegasus paused a moment, before replying, “If you want me to use it, then... I’m happy to.”
“Y-you would?” Fleetfoot looked overjoyed. Rainbow nodded, before remembering that the other mare couldn’t see her. Instead, she placed both a forehoof either side of Fleet’s lovely, blue face and kissed her deeply.
“Yeah. You’ve done a lot for me tonight: I want to give something back to you,” Dash said breathlessly, after another joyous, intimate embrace.
“Well, then. Let’s not waste any more time, shall we?” Fleetfoot whispered into her ear.
Rainbow smiled, turning her head to get one, last, lingering look at Fleet before she submitted to the darkness. She said the phrase with assertion, and gave a satisfied sigh as her sight melted away.
Fumbling slightly, she gave the gem back to Fleetfoot, who took it and placed it back in the bedside table. I hope she remembers where she put it...
“Now then,” the older pegasus said, once she’d regained her perch over Rainbow, lying atop her now. “Tell me again. What do you like about me? Take your time.”
With her vision now gone, Rainbow found herself experiencing her partner very differently. Her remaining senses hadn’t become any more powerful, but with the... distraction of sight removed, it was so much easier to focus on the other sensations.
She began relaying what she felt to Fleetfoot, eliciting giggles and little croons of affection from her. She was aware of Fleet’s hot, sweet breath huffing over her, the softness of those lips as she nuzzled then with her own. Rainbow’s hooves moved slowly over the other mare’s body, touching the silky feathers of her extended wings, stroking the curves and contours of her body, scrubbing against her scruffy mane.
The younger pegasus reached up and buried her muzzle in Fleet’s mane, deeply inhaling her scent. To her surprise, it smelled fruity, a scent of peaches interlaced with the sharper aroma of rain clouds. It reminded Rainbow of the perfumed shampoos Rarity would always use in abundance, and Fleetfoot chuckled when she suggested it.
“Yeah, you got me...” Fleet said softly as Rainbow began to nip gently at the soft skin beneath the mane. “You probably wouldn’t know it, but I’m a real sucker for anything that smells good. Although maybe not as much as your friend...” As the cyan pegasus pulled back, Fleetfoot gave her another brief kiss. “So... you wanna come a little closer?”
“Huh?” Aren’t we already—oof!” Rainbow was cut off as Fleetfoot planted her forehooves on Dash’s chest and rose up again. However, this time, she sat back, shifting her weight away and easing up the pressure. Instead, her forehooves hovered just above the younger mare’s torso.
Rainbow wondered what was expected of her, and began feeling around in front of her. As her hooves met Fleet’s, the blue pegasus caught them in the crooks of her ankles and pulled her upright into a sitting position. She felt a kiss press against her lips, then slide along the side of her face.
“Turn around...” Fleet cooed into her ear. Dash obeyed, gradually shuffling herself around. Once her back was to the older pegasus, Rainbow felt a pair of legs wrap around her again, and a pair of lips begin affectionately suckling the tips of her ears. She let out a contented sigh, leaning back into the embrace and staring into the void with her now-sightless magenta eyes.
Her peace was broken slightly as Fleet began sinking lower down her body, kissing the spot on her back between her wings. “Wh-what are you doing?” she asked breathily. Her wings trembled outward involuntarily, and the stimulation of the sensitive area made her shiver in delight.
“You never had anypony do this to you before?” the older mare asked, a note of incredulity in her voice.
“Not with the wings... a-ah!... I’m a little bit touchy about others playing with them. Most v-valuable part of me, y’know? That and I haven’t really been with any pegasi who are that... experienced.”
“Oooh, you poor thing... you have been neglected. Let me show you. Promise I won’t mess them up.”
“G-go for it...” Rainbow let out a slight moan, taken aback by just how good it felt to have her wing bases kissed. Fleetfoot’s lips and tongue sent little jolts of joy up her spine, and a wonderful, warm wetness began building on her back. The pegasus moved her attention to Dash’s outstretched wings, carefully nuzzling them. Rainbow wondered what Fleet was doing as she carefully felt her way along the appendage, until an errant feather was gently taken in the mouth and tugged back into place.
She’s preening me... The realisation made Rainbow feel a lot warmer than she would have expected to. She remembered seeing pegasi couples before doing this, and her own adamant rejections whenever a past lover had offered it. Is this what I’ve been missing out on? Butterflies erupted in her stomach as another secondary was pulled about. I’m being preened by a Wonderbolt!
Yet, as Fleet finished and switched to the other wing, it occurred to her that the peculiar method was born not just from intimacy, but necessity too. The older pegasus was blind and had to be utterly reliant on touch to service her own wings; echolocation would be next to useless on feathers. Dash didn’t want to even begin to think how difficult it must have been for Fleetfoot to learn how to preen herself, and now... now she was using her unique skills for mere pleasure. Confronted with sightlessness, however temporary, Rainbow truly appreciated for the first time how much she took her vision for granted, and how the mountain she had climbed to become a Wonderbolt was naught but a molehill compared to what Fleetfoot had had to face.
“...Dash? Is everything okay?” The quiet inquiry came as Rainbow felt tears shiver down her face. She’s so much braver than I could ever be. So much more capable... How did I ever deserve my place when somepony like her exists? She answered not with words, but by leaning her head back and giving Fleetfoot a deep, upside-down kiss. The older pegasus gave a surprised squeak, then settled into the embrace.
“Better than okay,” Rainbow whispered, rustling her wings, enjoying the faint, wet feeling from the traces of saliva left by Fleetfoot’s ministrations.
“I can tell.” There was a thread of amusement in her voice, and for a moment, Dash thought the mare meant her outstretched wings. Then, she shifted, feeling the heat in her nethers and the smell of arousal. She had been enjoying this...
Every thought in Rainbow’s head was obliterated as pleasure blossomed between her thighs, eliciting a great gasp of surprise. She let out a couple of shaky moans as an object combining both hard and soft, ridges and smooth, slid up and down across her marehood. With a surge of will, she managed to get herself under control, biting down hard on her bottom lip and taking great huffs of breath through flared nostrils.
“You don’t need do that,” Fleet crooned into her ear. “Cloud walls. Very good sound insulation.”
“I-I , it’s not—aaaahh!—that, I just like... l-like stayingquiettil’theend!” Rainbow bit down onto her foreleg to supress a scream. As she strained to keep herself from crying out again, she had to reach down and check that Fleet was servicing her with just a hoof and not some other enchantment she had hidden away. How is she so good?
“Practice, and a lifetime of using hooves in place of eyes,” she heard from behind her. Had the flush from arousal not already turned Dash’s face bright red, she would have blushed upon realising she’d vocalised her thought. “Now, I thought you wanted to stay quiet...?” The question tailed off as Fleet bit down upon her ear and redoubled her efforts, massaging the soft, pink flesh to stoke the inferno in Rainbow’s nethers.
Dash leaned back against her partner, Fleet’s lips pressing against her neck to reveal teeth that nipped and tugged at her skin and a hoof pressing its way into her most intimate area. Rainbow felt as though she was about to bite through her own lip as her jaw clenched and her eyes went wide once again. Despite her magically-induced blindness, psychadelic colours danced at the edge of her vision as the hoof guided her to the peak of her euphoria. Does she... does she see this? When she’s about to—
The brief thread of thought was swiftly overtaken as fresh wave of pleasure ran through Dash’s body, making her let out a loud, drawn-out moan, and flop her head back over Fleet’s shoulder. As she dangled back, not even caring for the noises she made any more, the older pegasus bent over, kissing at the front of her exposed neck. Her hips twitched back and forth with the rhythm of Fleetfoot’s stimulation.
Rainbow’s universe had become nothing more than the wetness at her neck and the heat and pressure between her legs, the fires within her nethers emitting scalding juices onto the divinly guided hoof. A loud gasp escaped her lips before Fleet finally sent her over the edge. She let out a set of sharp, staccato cries of arousal, her lower body spasming in time. Dash gradually came back to lucidness, her chest heaving and heart racing as she panted in great lungfuls of air. Her head still leaned back over Fleet’s shoulder, who was now nuzzling beneath her chin.
The younger pegasus melted back into her partner’s embrace, tucking her head beneath Fleet’s. She sighed blissfully, the pair of pegasi simply enjoying the other’s presence for a moment. With control of her wings returned to her after release, Rainbow stroked the chest of the pony sitting behind her slowly, and pulled up the hoof that had pressed against her, gently kissing it. Fleetfoot giggled and responded in kind by nibbling at Dash’s ear.
“Whoa... that was... not what I was expecting...” Dash murmured dreamily.
“You haven’t been with another mare before?”
“I have, I’ve just never had another pony do that to me before...” Rainbow’s lips twitched in amusement. “Guess I’m not at my most imaginative in bed.”
Fleetfoot chuckled and buried her muzzle in the prismatic mane. “Hey, don’t fix what ain’t broke, right?”
“Yeah...” The two mares quietly embraced some more, until Dash spoke again. “And thank you, Fleetfoot. For... everything tonight.” She heard a chuckle and felt a pair of lips brush against her cheek.
“My pleasure. I just wanted you to feel better, Rainbow.”
“Mmm... you definitely did that.” The younger mare shuffled. “So... I guess I better repay the favour. Any... preferences?”
“Hmmmmm...” Fleetfoot hummed thoughtfully for a moment. “I believe I said you were a wonderful kisser?”
“Oh? Oh!” Dash laughed as she realised what Fleet meant. “Alright... um... wanna lie on your back?” The older pegasus gave her affirmation and let go, falling down and wriggling back on the bed to rest her head on the pillows.
Rainbow turned, and began fumbling about, trying to find where Fleetfoot was. “Right here, sweetie,” came a voice from the darkness. She moved forward and gradually felt her way up the other pegasus’ body, past wonderfully curved flank and folded, silken wings, until she was stood right over the top of her.
The younger mare reached down and kissed Fleet deeply. The subject of her affection gave a deep murr and stretched up to stroke the sides of her face with her hooves. Rainbow then rested her weight fully on Fleet, running her forehooves down the length of the other pegasus’ body, feeling little shivers of delight in response.
“Mmmm, Rainbow, honey?” Fleet said in a brief pause between kisses. “Not that I’m not enjoying this, but... when I said you were a great kisser, I thought you might be doing it... somewhere else.” She let out a brief giggle.
“Hey, I’m getting to it, okay?” Dash said in mock indignation. She gave a final peck on the lips to Fleet, before beginnng to move further down her body, leaving wet little kisses as she moved. As she reached Fleetfoot’s torso, she hesitated, before moving to the side.
As she expected, an open wing awaited her on the mattress. Rainbow nuzzled the limb, before pausing. Wait, what am I even trying to do? I can’t preen while blind! She experimentally tried finding out-of-place feathers with just touch, but the tips brushed against her nostrils, tickling them and bringing her dangerously close to sneezing. Every attempt she made to tug at an errant feather was met with a quiet laugh from Fleetfoot, and eventually, she pulled back.
“Sorry... I must be really, really bad at this,” Dash admitted.
“It’s the thought that counts...” Fleet sang. “Don’t worry about properly preening me; my wings are gonna get plenty messed up tonight anyway.”
With that, Rainbow moved back to the wing, thinking on what she would want done to her if the roles were reversed. An idea came to her, and she seized up a small bunch of feathers in her mouth, before biting down and tugging hard. “AAAH! Dash!” the older pegasus cried. “That... that...” She let out another wicked little giggle. “That felt good...” She felt a hoof against her forehead. “I think I can wait a little longer... do that again, and you pull as hard as you want, ‘K?”
Rainbow nodded, and took up another mouthful of feathers, yanking at them as hard as she dared. Fleet gave a yell, her body convulsing. “Liar... you must’ve... done this... with some other pegasus,” she said in between pants.
“Nuh uh...” Dash tugged another feathery tuft, making her partner yelp again. The answer seemed to be enough to Fleetfoot, and the younger pegasus continued, pulling and pulling at the feathers. She lost herself in the task, in the wonderfully tickly feeling on her snout and tongue, and the cries and jolts of Fleet as every tug sent a spike of pleasure through her.
Eventually, Rainbow ran out of space, every feather of both wings matted with saliva, and so hopelessly out of place even she in her newly sightless state could tell that it would take hours to work them back to the right orientation. She would have felt guilty had it not been for Fleetfoot’s panting and the unmistakeable scent of a mare’s arousal filling the room.
“That... uhn... Dash...” Despite being barely coherent, Rainbow heard the edge in the older mare’s voice, practically begging her to finish what she’d started. She returned to the torso, and began tracing her lips down her partner’s body, further and further. The nipples she encountered received a little affection, but the pegasus was determined not to leave Fleetfoot hanging any longer. She reached the divide between the mare’s legs, the smell of anticipation almost overwhelming.
Positioning her own body on the bed, Dash let out a long, slow huff of breath over Fleetfoot’s nethers, receiving a coo of joy in reply. She grinned, before realising that, being blinded, she didn’t know exactly where to go. Her moment’s indecision caused the older pegasus to shift. “I don’t mind a bit of extra fumbling, sweetie... just...” Rainbow took the cue and put her head down.
As it turned out, she was some ways to the left of where she intended to be, but the pressure caused Fleet to let out a squeal of delight anyway. Her response gave Rainbow an idea, and she swiftly moved her lips to kiss to the right of the other pegasus’ nether lips. Then, her muzzle moved back in a pendulum motion, gradually kissing closer and closer to the opening, until finally her lips pressed against soft, wet folds.
Rainbow gently placed her mouth around Fleet’s marehood, and let her tongue slide back and forth slowly along the sensitive flesh. Her previous attentions were rewarded with a flood of juices that ran into her mouth and flowed down, soaking her chin. For a while, Dash kept the pace, savouring the other pegasus’ sweet, tangy taste and the feeling of her partner quivering in delight. She realised that with any other pony, she’d by now be taking a self-indulgent glance upward at the expression upon their face as she pleasured them. But even with the lack of sight, the sounds of wings stretching and shifting and soft, breathy moans were more than enough to satisfy her.
Let’s change the pace a little... She pulled away a little from Fleet. Now she’d gotten her bearings, Rainbow knew just where to go next. The pegasus poked out her tongue, and moved forward. As she’d expected, it pressed against a sensitive little nub just above the source of heat. What she didn’t expect was for the other mare to convulse and give out a loud squeak. Dash paused, and gave Fleetfoot’s clit another experimental prod, eliciting the same response. She couldn’t help but giggle at the reaction.
“Dash! It’s not funny!” Fleet said indignantly. “It’s really embarrassing, and I don’t—” She was cut off by Rainbow slipping the tip of her tongue across the bulb again. “Stop it!”
“‘Stop it’? Fleet, I’m not stopping,” Dash said with a grin, barely able to stop herself from laughing at the situation. “I’m gonna make you squeak all night long if I can.”
“What?! Nononononono - ah - ahhhhhh - !” Fleet’s protests were lost as Dash bent down and pressed through the slick folds, slipping deep inside her partner. She began making serpentine motions with her tongue, juices of arousal now flowing freely around her. On her back and unable to stop Rainbow, the other pegasus’ cries soon gave way to her helplessly squeaking for all she was worth. Oh Celestia, she’s utterly adorable!
She wrapped her forelegs around Fleet’s not-inconsiderable rump, and raised her wings to begin stroking the inner thighs of her partner. The squeaks raised in both frequency and volume, and Dash let out a satisfied moan of her own, lost fathoms deep in a boiling sea of passion. The pegasus began grinding her own hips against the bed, turned on again by the sounds and smells and tastes of sex.
By now, Fleetfoot was close enough to climax that half her squeaks weren’t audible, her hindlegs thrashing about and her wings as stiff as boards when Dash caressed them with a hoof. The younger pegasus pressed her tongue firmly against the other mare’s walls, before pulling out and wrapping her lips around Fleet’s clit.
She suckled the tender nub until Fleet let out a high-pitched moan, exploding into Dash’s mouth. The prismatic mare held herself there, riding out Fleetfoot’s spasms, only pulling back when her orgasmic tempest had petered out, replaced by a gale of sighs and deep breaths. A thick string of affection connected the two, until Rainbow broke it with her tongue. She licked her slick lips, enjoying the aroma of her partner as she rested her head on the pegasus’ belly.
“You... you utter... agh...” Fleetfoot gave a laugh. “I can’t stay mad at you. You’re a very lucky mare, Rainbow Dash.”
“You think I didn’t know that already?” Rainbow said fondly, nuzzling at the other pegasus. “You made me happy when I thought I was completely alone. I never imagined I’d find somepony the same.”
“Oh, Rainbow...” Fleet sighed in contentment. “You know, I really think you’re the sweetest pony I’ve ever gone to bed with.”
“‘Sweet’, huh? Don’t think I’ve ever been called that before.” Dash pressed her head against the other pegasus’ chest. “I’m acting a lot more sappy than usual tonight.” She felt a pair of hooves place themselves either side of her face and pull her up towards Fleet’s head. The two pegasi rolled onto their side, gently cuddling with their wings.
“I like it anyway. Although, you realise I will be getting my revenge for you making me nearly squeak myself hoarse,” Fleetfoot said, kissing Rainbow on the forehead. The cyan pegasus felt a thrill of excitement and apprehension run through her. There was a warm, buttery feeling in her nethers that she ached for Fleet to attend to, but at the same time, the word ‘revenge’ made her slightly nervous as to just what the Wonderbolt was going to do to her.
“So—if you don’t mind me asking, that is—what’s up with the squeaking?” she blurted out, eager to stop dwelling on what the other pegasus had planned for her. A twinge of anxiety erupted in Dash’s stomach as Fleet huffed and withdrew her wings.
“It’s... ugh. okay, if there’s no ambient sound, I echolocate by using clicks or squeaks. And if I get a little... overexcited, I make those noises whether I want to or not.” She let out a slight growl. “Probably have an ancestor who guarded Princess Luna. Batpony.” The insult was spat out in disgust.
Rainbow bit her lip at the harsh tone of Fleet’s answer. Oh great, I’ve offended her. Way to go, Rainbow Dash. “Fleetfoot, I—”
“I’m not mad at you, Dash. I’ve just been teased a lot over it. Y’know how some pegasi flare their wings when they’re surprised or excited or such? Imagine squeaking loudly when you do that as well. Kinda hard to make ponies take you seriously when you do that.” She let out a mirthful snort. “Just don’t start making terrible puns or anything like that, and you’ll be fine.”
Dash smiled and caressed Fleet’s shoulder. “I won’t. Besides, I don’t want to stop you doing it. It’s adorable.”
Her partner giggled and wrapped her forelegs around her. “So are you,” she whispered. “Before we go on, I want to do something with you.” She hesitated a moment. “I want to know what you look like.”
The request took Rainbow by surprise. She frowned and cocked her head. “Um... Fleet, don’t you kinda know that already?”
“Echolocation only goes so far. I know roughly what a pony looks like, but their face... well, I need to use touch,” Fleetfoot explained. “Except, obviously, I can’t fumble over everypony. So, I see it as a privilege. The only ones whose faces I truly know are the ponies I’m closest to. And...” she paused to caress Rainbow’s cheek. “I want you to be one of those ponies.”
“But, I, uh... ‘ponies closest to you’? Me?” Dash stammered.
“Haven’t I done enough this evening to convince you of that?” Fleetfoot asked quietly. “After all we’ve said? A-after all we’ve done?”
Rainbow felt another stab of ice through her heart from the hurt tone in the blind pegasus’ voice. She could feel Fleet quivering slightly, and she knew if she raised a hoof to those sightless eyes she would feel tears welling up. She’s just told you how much you mean to her, and still you pushed her away. You utter idiot, Rainbow. Her mouth flapped, forming the words “I’m sorry” once again, but her vocal cords refused to work. It wouldn’t be enough.
“Maybe... maybe I was wrong...” Fleetfoot sighed, on the edge of audibility. Dash blinked, then pulled the other pegasus toward her, kissing her deeply. Fleet gave another surprised squeak, before returning the affection, her tongue sliding deeply into Rainbow’s mouth. Both pairs of wings extended, and the older pegasus let out a long, low murr.
Rainbow hugged Fleetfoot’s neck, mussing her snowy mane and breathing in the peachy scent. The warmth that ran through her shocked her, more profound than she’d ever felt before. Fleet was right; she had done so much for Dash that night, and now there was nothing the younger pegasus wanted more than to please her.
They finally broke apart, chests heaving and hearts thumping. “I’m sorry, Fleet, I just—” Her apology was interrupted as the Wonderbolt seized her back, practically sucking Rainbow’s tongue into her mouth in her haste. Dash moaned in ecstasy, pushing back against her paramour. Fleetfoot flicked up her silken tail, brushing it across Rainbow’s flank as the pegasi embraced tightly, caressing and touching, entangling their limbs.
They eventually emerged onto the shore of their passion, gasping and huffing as though they’d just spent an age underwater, affectionately rubbing noses together. “Fleetfoot... I want you... And I want to make you happy...” Rainbow murmured, still floating in euphoria from the kiss. She felt another, light peck against her nose.
“And I want you, Rainbow Dash,” Fleetfoot cooed. She began nuzzling at the younger pegasus’ face, gradually scanning across her features. Dash giggled at the feeling, staying still to make the blind pony’s task easier. With every contour and feature her snout encountered, Fleet let out a little murr of affection, making the cyan mare blush deeper and deeper.
Rainbow felt a wonderful, warm feeling running through her alongside her arousal. Every little happy sound and motion from her partner increased the glow of contentment within herself. I want her. The significance of her words from earlier finally slid into place. I want to make her happy. And I don’t want this to end tonight.
“Neither do I.” Rainbow heard the whisper in her ear as she realised she’d vocalised the tail-end of her thoughts again. Fleet kissed her forehead. “You’re beautiful, Rainbow,” she added. “In every sense.” They cuddled for a while longer, Fleetfoot’s head tucked beneath Rainbow’s, caressing one another.
Rainbow smelled Fleet’s mane contently, before the older pegasus began to talk again. “Now...” She slowly slipped a hoof between Dash’s hindlegs, touching the hot wetness there and causing the pegasus to gasp. “I’m guessing you’re nowhere near done yet.”
“N-nope,” Rainbow stammered.
“Good. Because I have something I really want to do with you,” Fleet crooned. “Lie on your front, and raise your hips.” Dash obediently did so, rolling onto her belly and twitching her hindquarters upward. A hoof prodded at her flank. “Higher...” The younger pegasus responded, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy Fleetfoot, and the hoof shifted to her belly, pushing upward until her hind legs were fully extended.
Dash crossed her forelegs and laid her head atop them, trembling with anticipation. The very pose she was in raised the heat within her, the primal desire to be rutted yearning to be fulfilled. Although quite how Fleet was going to service her, she couldn’t quite say. A silly grin appeared on Rainbow’s face as she remembered this was exactly why she preferred the company of mares.
She let out a yell of surprise as Fleet grabbed her flanks and pulled herself atop Dash. With Rainbow’s tail stuck between the two ponies, the older pegasus wiggled her hips, causing the prismatic strands to brush against both their marehoods. Little shivers of pleasure ran through the cyan mare. Wait, she’s not actually gonna rut me somehow, is she?! Her question was answered as she felt a pair of lips press against that wonderful little spot between her wings, causing her to moan softly.
“Mmmm... you’ve really got a thing for feathers, haven’t you?” Fleet murmured between kisses, her wingtips caressing Rainbow’s shoulders.
“Maybe a little!” the younger mare gasped.
“But you haven’t really been with a pegasus like me before...? I find that hard to believe,” the blind Wonderbolt said in amusement, moving her snout to Rainbow’s wings and rubbing the tender spot with a wing instead. When Rainbow offered nothing but moans and sighs of pleasure, she nipped and tugged at a tuft of feathers.
“Aaaahhhoooohhh Celestiaaaaa...” Dash groaned, her feathered appendages extending fully. She panted before trying to answer. “Alright, there was one tiiiiiime—” She cut off as Fleet yanked at her wings again. “I knew a griffon at Flight School... we stayed in touch, and once, we were kinda fooling around... she pulled my feathers and it felt gooood—” Rainbow’s heart thumped, dangerously close to climax. “But I got scared and made her stop. Big, scary beak, y’know?”
“Heh, you’re a braver pony than me to do that with a griffon...”
“Uh huh. But then I figured it wasn’t worth getting turned on if I was gonna damage my wings. Guess I forgot that some pegasi know how to treat ‘em properly.” Rainbow said, her speech interspersed with little grunts and screams as her feathers were tugged.
“So you’re okay with me doing this?” Fleet said, still pulling at the younger mare’s wings.
“Yeah, you’re doing this just righ — ah —!” Rainbow gasped and shuddered as the orgasm tore through her, Fleet moving about on top of her in time with her spasms. She calmed, barely, still panting, still wet and wanting more, wiggling her rump to signal her desires.
“Whoa... didn’t think I could make you go all the way with that...” Fleet said in an amused tone. She moved out from her mounted position to stand behind Dash, and pushed her tail out of the way. Rainbow bit her lip as she realised she was now completely exposed to her partner.
The cyan mare let out a loud moan as Fleet’s tongue passed across her soaked nethers, and the older pegasus began stimulating her with her lips. Rainbow gasped as as the mouth withdrew, letting in a rush of cool air. She barely had time to think before a wingtip brushed against her nethers.
Dash clenched her eyes shut, letting out a long, undulating cry as the feathers traced against her slit. It felt so different from a tongue, light and tickly and so incredibly arousing. It was all she could do not to let her knees buckle and send her hips crashing to the bed. Another wing joined the first, pressing apart the glistening lips of her marehood. The feathers were soaked upon contact, making it even easier for Fleet to press her way in, penetrating her partner with her primaries.
Another yell escaped her as Fleet went back to her tongue, the Wonderbolt swiftly slipping herself inside Rainbow. This is too much, this is too much! The sensual overload caused floods of love juices to mix with Fleetfoot’s saliva, the hot fluid running down her legs.
All pretences of control left her as the older pegasus began alternating between mouth and wing, the mixture of sensations better than anything Dash had experienced before. One moment, wet, silky feathers would rub against her swollen lips and clit, before pulling back to give way to a hot, slippery muscle pressing its way inside to slide against her deepest, most intimate parts. As the wings came down again, Fleet pressed harder, pushing her feathers into the wet folds of sensitive flesh, crooning as she rocked back and forth.
Rainbow could feel a huge, volcanic heat buliding up inside her, far more vibrant than her previous releases. The pegasus held on just a bit longer as the tongue explored her marehood again, sending yet more tsunamis of pleasure through her. She knew she was about to come, and she wanted it to happen through the one method she’d never experienced before.
In truth, the cold rush of air as Fleet withdrew her tongue was enough to break Rainbow’s control, but she clung on for just a few more precious seconds until slick wingtips pressed against her. She detonated, her raw yells loud enough to hurt her throat as they fought their way out, her lower body spasming so violently as to virtually make her buck. Had she not already been blind, Dash’s vision would have gone dark from her eyes rolling back in her head.
Wave after wave of pleasure crashed against her, her senses and body over taken by the roiling hurricane. Her lungs could barely suck in enough air to provide her vocalisations strength, leaving her as breathless as she would have been fighting against an ocean storm. Rainbow’s wings stood at full mast, utterly erect and trembling in time with their mistress’ cries.
Finally, agonisingly, the hurricane died down to a still sea, and the great, roiling waves calmed down to a constant buttery sensation. Panting for all she was worth, Rainbow’s hindlegs gave out at last, her hips crashing onto the matress. Juices of passion still oozed down, soaking her tail and her inner thighs, and the deadlock in her wings broke, leaving the muscles in her appendages limp and aching for standing stiff for so long. Fresh sweat dampened her prismatic mane too, which hung down over Dash’s face.
The cyan mare let out a feeble groan as she felt something wet against her rump, realising that Fleet was gently brushing her soaked wingtips along her body. A final, lingering kiss pressed between her wing bases, making Dash arch her back and let out a soft cry of pleasure.
“Oh, Rainbow...” Fleet sighed fondly. She lay her head atop the other pegasus’ shoulders, and the pair simply lay in their warm afterglow, Rainbow’s breathing and heart rate gradually coming back down to normal. The cyan mare rolled over onto her back, and the two pegasi cuddled affectionately.
“That was incredible...” Dash mumbled sleepily into Fleet’s chest.
“Wouldn’t have thought of using my wings if it weren’t for you, sweetie,” Fleetfoot replied, gently sucking upon the tip of Rainbow’s ear.
“Mmmm... totally worth it...” Rainbow sank into her paramour’s embrace, resting her head against Fleet. She realised that she was in danger of falling asleep, the sheer intensity of her climaxes having robbed her of her stamina. One part of her was content to curl up and slumber against her partner, while another yearned to give more pleasure to the pegasus who’d shown her so much affection that evening.
In the end, pleasuring won out over fatigue. Dash pressed her head upward against Fleetfoot’s chin. “Fleet... Are you...”
Her partner pre-empted her question, kissing her fondly on the forehead. “I’m happy,” she answered simply.
“I want to give you something back,” Rainbow murmured.
“Sweetie, you’re exhausted! Don’t worry yourself; we’re not ending this tonight.” Dash’s forelegs tightened around her, and her mouth twitched. “Well, if you really want to...” she crooned seductively. Fleet guided Rainbow’s forehooves with her own to her nether regions. The younger pegasus gave a murr as she felt Fleetfoot’s intimate warmth, and began gently rubbing back and forth with the edges of her hooves. “Let me do the work. Just hold them there.”
Rainbow wrapped her wings around Fleet tightly, and felt a pair of forelegs embrace her neck. The older pegasus began rolling her hips against her, moaning and sighing. She reached up and kissed Fleetfoot deeply, the older pegasus continuing to moan into her mouth, sending wonderful little vibrations down her throat.
The pair of pegasi pressed closer, Fleet’s arousal emitting scalding juices onto her source of stimulation. Rainbow cupped her hooves into a V shape, poking the tips between the swollen lips and letting the other pegasus rub her slit against the blunt edges. The forelegs around Dash’s neck tightened as Fleetfoot hit her rhythm, thrusting her body back and forth.
Rainbow began to feel re-invigorated once more. The deep, ongoing kiss was enough by itself, the taste and the texture of Fleet’s tongue sliding over her own enough to make her aching wing muscles strain again, the feathers shivering over the older pegasus’ body. And the wonderful, scalding wetness flowing over her hooves, the source of that heat, the shuddering moans and urgent thrusts... She couldn’t leave all the work to Fleetfoot.
Swiftly, the younger mare moved her forehooves, rotating one to massage Fleet’s swollen vulva with the softer, sensitive flat centre of her hoof, and using the other to give the odd flick to her partner’s clit. Fleetfoot registered her approval with a particularly loud groan, arching her back and flaring her wings.
The older pegasus broke the kiss finally, gasping and panting and pecking wetly at Dash’s nose. “Rainbow, Rainboooowww...” Fleet crooned, over and over again. The cyan mare moved down, kissing and nipping at Fleetfoot’s neck, pressing harder and rubbing in little circles with the flat of her hoof. As her other gave another prod to the sensitive nub above, Fleet gave a gasp and bit down on Rainbow’s ear.
“N-not too fast, sweetie,” she said breathily. “I want to last a little - oh! - longer...” The last word was delivered through gritted teeth. Rainbow complied, laying off on the flicking and slowing her massaging of the sensitive flesh. The younger mare stared into the void as Fleet’s breathing calmed a little, and nuzzled beneath her chin, feeling the bobbing of the apple in her throat with each little noise the older pegasus made.
Dash continued rubbing, savouring the feeling of Fleet’s soft folds against her hoof. Aware of her partner’s request, she tried to dial back her stimulation to a sustainable pace, but the shivering cries of pleasure continued to rise from the other pegasus, she realised there was no way Fleetfoot would last long enough to satisfy her truly. Rainbow withdrew her hoof, and instead moved her hindleg between Fleet’s hindquarters.
“Huh? What’re you — ooooh...” Fleetfoot cooed as the limb touched against her nethers. Rainbow wrapped her forehooves around Fleet’s rump and gave her a firm push against her buttocks. In return, the younger mare felt a leg push upwards between her own. The two pegasi shuffled about until their lower limbs were fully entangled, each one’s marehood pressed against the other’s hindleg. They shared another long, passionate kiss, and began rolling their hips against one another, each moaning softly.
Rainbow’s leg was soaked instantly by the contact, and it took mere seconds for Fleet’s limb to become slick as well. They tucked their heads over the other’s shoulder, pulling tighter and tighter in their their arousing embrace. The dual sensations of hot, swollen lips against her leg and wet coat against her own sex was enough to raise Dash’s heat one last time. She pressed her hooves firmly into Fleetfoot’s buttocks, rubbing in circles. Mmmmm, she’s got a really nice rump...
Rainbow’s thoughts were forgotten as Fleet pressed her head ever harder against the younger pegasus’ neck, moaning as she did so. Her thrusts became more and more urgent, and Dash knew she was close to climax. Not wanting to be left hanging, the prismatic pegasus shifted her hips so that every roll rubbed her throbbing clit against Fleetfoot’s leg. The slight change in position had its desired effect, and she found herself groaning through gritted teeth, ready to explode again.
After what seemed like a thousand years, Fleetfoot’s entire body tensed and her hips bucked violently. “Dashieeeeee~!” she squeaked, as waves of love juices ran down Rainbow’s leg. The wonderful wet sensation and the joy of Fleet crying out for her was enough to make Dash come with her, letting out her own yells of pleasure as the older mare’s forelegs strained at her neck.
Finally, once the spasms of muscles and fluids alike had ended, the two pegasi let out gasps and fell apart, panting and caressing one another. They lay there like that in bliss, legs hopelessly entangled, manes ruffled and wings gradually retreating from their erections.
“Rainbow...”
“Fleet...”
They sighed one another’s names, stroking manes and cheeks. Dash moved forward, gently rubbing noses with her new lover. She felt a new feeling burning in her chest, far more vivid than contentment, far deeper than arousal, one she had never truly felt before. I think I’m... falling... for her...
They pulled closer into their post-coital embrace, Dash tucking her head beneath the older pegasus’ and laying it against Fleet’s chest. She sighed happily, hearing the deep thrum of her lover’s heartbeat and her low, deep breaths, inhaling her warm, sweet scent. Fleetfoot buried her snout in Rainbow’s mane, nuzzling her gently.
Rainbow felt the welcome tug of sleep, energy spent by her night of passion. As her leaden lids drooped over her magically sightless eyes, she realised there was nowhere she’d rather be than here, gradually falling into slumber in Fleetfoot’s arms. Dash was disturbed slightly as Fleet shifted.
“Dashie?” the older pegasus murmured.
“Mmmm...?”
“I... guess you’ll be wanting your sight back, huh?” Her paramour began to break away from the embrace. Rainbow didn’t want the warmth to leave her, even for a second, but aside from that, she wanted to continue what she had: hearing, smelling, touching Fleetfoot, just how the older pegasus experienced her.
“A-actually... it can wait till morning. I like this. I want this,” Rainbow replied.
“Oh? Well then, no need for me to get up.” Fleet said, a note of happiness weaving through her voice as she settled back into the embrace, leaving a sweet little kiss atop Dash’s head. They lay there for a while longer, until Rainbow realised there was one last thing she wanted to ask before surrendering to sleep.
“Hey... Fleet? That phrase, for the gem? I didn’t recognise it.” She stifled a yawn. “What’s it mean?”
“Oh, that? It’s an old phrase my dad used to say to me when I was feeling lonely, when I thought other ponies couldn’t accept me for who I was,” Fleet said, squeezing Rainbow tighter. “I had the unicorn who made it use that as the activation phrase, in the original Zebrican.”
“And... what’s the translation?” There was a long silence as the older pegasus wrapped herself fully around her, embracing her with all six of her limbs and murring deeply. Rainbow felt another kiss on her forehead, before Fleetfoot whispered into her ear:
“Love is blind.”
Author's Note
The maddest props go to Flutterguy_6996 for pre-reading and for some very kind words of support.
Hope you enjoyed this read; I haven't really made a foray into this kind of writing before (although if you've made it as far as the Author's Notes, I guess it can't be that bad for you.)
