"I take you in, and you spend all my damn money and make a mess out of my house!"

There are tears in her eyes now. She screams, "I hate you, Ivan! You're so bucking selfish! Why can't you ever think about anyone but yourself?!"

"Hahaha. Now, isn't the pot calling the kettle black?"

She looks into the kitchen where a pot is sitting on the ground, probably knocked over from all the ruckus. For a second, you think she's going to throw it you. Instead, she bolts out the front door in a streak of rainbow.

You run out after her. All she is now is just a speck in the sky.

"Yeah, and good riddance to you too!" you scream. Your eyes start to water, but you fight it back. Not a tear will be shed for that inconsiderate little prick.

Ponies are looking at you now. Angry and a bit embarrassed, you slam the door shut. You just want to be alone.

You walk back to the couch and look around the room. Yours and Rainbow's crap is scattered everywhere. You begin cleaning up, placing your belongings back in their places and throwing all of hers in a haphazard pile by the door. During your cleaning, you happen upon a rolled-up paper on the ground, likely a poster. You unroll it and are presented with a large, flashy picture of the Wonderbolts. Your heart feels like a lead weight as memories, brought to mind by the image, flash through your mind.

A soft tapping echoes through the empty house, breaking you from your thoughts. Sighing, you toss the poster in the pile with the rest of Rainbow's stuff as you go to see who's at your doorstep.

Without checking to see who's there, you inch the door open. A little pink maned, butter yellow pegasus stands at your doorstep.

"H-hi Ivan... May I come in?"

You don't really feel like talking to anyone, Fluttershy being no exception... You're about to tell her you're busy, but a lump in your throat makes it difficult. You take a glance back into your livingroom, and again you're hit by a fresh wave of anger, sadness, and a thousand other things wrapped up in a whirlwind of emotions.

Realizing you could use a break from your thoughts, you dedice to invite Fluttershy inside.

"Sure, come in."

After some adjusting of the cushions, you both settle down on your couch.

She surveys the damage that has been done to this room alone. "Wow."

"Yeah," you concur, "wow."

"So it's really that bad, huh?"

You mutter, "Oh, you don't know the half of it..."

A pause. "So..." Upon catching your gaze, Fluttershy shifts a little. "I know you may not be in the mood to listen right now, but... Well, are you in the mood to listen?"

For the first time in what seems like a while, you genuinely smile. "Sure."

She smiles nervously, as if unsure of what she's about to say. "Okay, good. Just... can you promise me something?"

You raise an eyebrow. "Sure. Uhm, promise what, exactly?"

Her eyes dart around the room for a second, as if someone were listening. "I have something to tell you, but you can't tell anyone I said this. Especially not Rainbow Dash. Okay?"

She has your interest now. "Alright. Deal."

She sighs. "Okay, so have you noticed Rainbow acting a little, funny, lately?"

"You mean besides being a little b-"

"That, among other things."

You nod. "Yeah. I mean, she's never exactly been the most polite pony, but recently it seems like she's been trying to get on my nerves." You shake your head. "We used to get along so well together, too. I still blame the whole Wonderbolts fiasco."

"Maybe that's part of it..." Fluttershy hums thoughtfully. "You know, she was really excited to move in with you. This probably sounds weird, but it was almost as if she was happy about what happened to her house. After everything that happened, this was the one good thing that came out of it. For her, at least."

"Okay," you say, feeling a little bad about what you were about to call the cyan pegasus, "So what are you getting at?"

She twiddles her hooves. "I guess I'm just trying to help you understand what she's thinking... She's not trying to doing this on purpose."

You pinch the bridge of your nose. "I know, I know... Look, I get it. It's terrible what happened, and I tried my best to help her. This isn't easy, you know; she's my best friend!" You groan. "I just can't deal with this!" You gesture to the wreck that's become of your home.

"I understand that. You've been patient with her beyond what most ponies would put up with, and as a friend who deeply cares about the both of you, I appreciate that." She looks you in the eye. "That's not what I'm getting at, though."

You raise an eyebrow. "Okay, then what is it?"

"I- Let me put it this way. You know that Rainbow cares about you, right?"

You give a reluctant grunt, but agree.

"...And the longer you know someone, the more you care about them?"

"Go on."

"...And sometimes those feelings grow into something different."

Silence hangs in the air. Despite her funny, roundabout way of saying it, her meaning hits you hard and clear.

Not to say it's not a bit... incredulous. "Are you serious? She's into me?"

She gives a slow nod.

"Buh... what? She's spent, like, the past month terrorizing me! How does any of this make sense?"

Fluttershy shifts a bit. "She has a funny way of showing things. She was probably trying to get your attention, but just didn't know how."

In a strange way, it does make sense. Dash has never exactly been the touchy-feely type, always becoming embarrassed in the face of anything the slightest bit emotional. Hell, she could hardly admit to being your friend for at least a month after the two of you started hanging out.

Added to the growing maelstrom of emotions welling within you is guilt. You just inadvertently shot down the closest pony to you, in perhaps the worst way possible.

"Ugh... I feel a headache coming on."

"It's a lot to take in," she says, nodding. There's a quick pause, before you feel a warm body press against yours and two forelegs wrap around your midsection. You almost smile, returning the gesture.

"Thanks, Flutters," you say, smoothing out her mane. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"You're welcome, Ivan," she says, welcoming the gesture of approval.

The two of you sit there for a moment in silence. Somewhere in the hallway a clock ticks away, a constant reminder of the task now ahead of you.

After a bit, you break the hug. "So, I'm gonna be out of here in a minute. Catch ya later?"

"Sure thing, Ivan."

She hops off the couch and heads towards the door.

"Fluttershy?" you say as she's about to step outside.

She stops and looks over her shoulder. "Yes?" she asks, big blue eyes blinking innocently.

"Drop the candle."

"Wh-Wha?" She taps her hooves on the ground nervously. "I don't know what you're--"

"Not gonna ask again. Drop it."

She squeaks, then shakes her head. A single candlestick falls out of her mane.

"And the bits."

She does some maneuvering with her cheeks, and one, two, three, four coins fall out of her mouth and land in a neat pile.

"..."

"Sorry Ivan."

"It's fine. Just don't take anything else."

She blushes and nods, then steps out the door and closes it behind her.

How does she do it? You wonder.

You shake your head, then reach into your pocket for a sucker. You really need a sucker right now.

Your eyes widen in realization. No suckers.

You jump up with a start, run up to the front door, and fling it wide open. You step out onto your front porch and frantically look around.

No sign of Fluttershy.

"Celestia's meaty fucking-- How does she do it?!"

It's a bit later in the day. After Fluttershy's little visit, you took a nap to clear your mind. You walk through town now, on the lookout for the rainbow maned pegasus.

It's possible she skipped town, at least for a little while. It's happened before, over lesser things than this. Even so, you're placing your trust on the off chance that she's still here.

A half hour into the search, and you haven't found her. You decide to take a break and sit down at a park bench, quite disappointed with the results of your efforts.

You need to talk to her, but she's nowhere to be found. You look to the sky. It's afternoon now, maybe around five-ish. The sun will be setting soon. When it does, you'll have no choice but to call it a day.

What a way to spend your weekend. Paying bills, arguing with your best friend who seems to have spent half of your paycheck on booze and pointless crap, then going on a fruitless search for her once you realize why she's acting this way.

Maybe you should just go home. You've wasted so much time looking for her already. She might not even be ready to forgive you, and talking to her will just make it worse--

Your thoughts are interrupted by a sobbing coming from above. The source of the sound happens to be a cloud with a light blue hoof sticking over the edge.

"Rainbow?" you call without thinking.

The crying stops, and Rainbow's head peeks over the edge of the cloud. Her wide eyes reveal themselves to be bloodshot, but the tears are quickly blinked away and her eyes narrow into slits.

"What do you want?"

Her response nearly causes you to lash out at her again, but you manage to bite your tongue and do what you came here to do. "I want to say I'm sorry."

She's clearly taken aback. "You're sorry? I spent, like, half your money on pointless shit, and there's no way I'm gonna be able to pay you back! I trashed your house, which you may not even be able to afford anymore because of me, and now you're apologizing?"

You chuckle. Despite still having qualms about the whole thing, hearing her admit that cools you down a bit. "The house was already a mess anyways. As for money issues, I get a welfare check from the government every month for taking in a national hero. And even though it's not nearly enough to pay off what I've lost, I still have some very good friends that I know will support me financially, seeing what I'm--er, we're going through." You smile warmly. "Friends help each other. So why don't you come on down, and we can drink some of that cider you bought. Just like old times."

She sniffs. "You hate drinking. You always watered everything down whenever we went out drinking..."

You smirk. "Well, I can't say you haven't rubbed off on me a bit. We'll seal our truce with some of that--what was it called? Angry Orchard?"

"Angry Apple."

"Right. Some of that. I'm willing to put this all behind us if you are. Come on, Dashie."

You hold out a hand. She smiles and wipes her eye, then flies down to take your hand. Together, you walk home.

"Ahh, pony feathers." You shudder as the lovely poison runs down your throat, burning the whole way down. "I remember why I used to hate drinking now."

"No orange juice yet! You gotta take one more shot! That's the rules!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." You look down at the last shot glass, your third one tonight. You brace yourself, then down the hatch it goes.

You gag a bit, then comment, "I didn't know cider came that strong. Now where the buck is my orange juice?"

"Here ya go, champ," she says, sliding over some Sweet Apple Acres old-fashioned, lightly sweetened non-alcoholic cider.

"Not what I asked for, but thanks," you reply, chugging it down enough to get the taste out of your mouth.

Dash really likes cider, it seems. She's had her fourth shot, and she's not even a little tipsy. She bends over, pulls a bottle of the stuff out from under the table, and starts chugging.

You shake your head. "Y'know, I'm starting to think five-hundred bits worth of alcohol won't be enough for tonight."

She slams down the empty bottle. "You're right! We should go get more!"

You know she's joking, and you both laugh heartily. You've stopped being mad at her, and hot-headed as she is, she's fairly forgiving.

It seems things may go back to normal.

Or, almost.

"Hey, Rainbow, I was thinking," you say, setting down your bottle, "before I get too drunk. I should pull out my guitar, maybe play some--oh, what about some songs from Earth? I know you used to like those."

She's in the middle of salvaging the very last drop by holding the empty bottle over her open mouth, tongue lolled out. Upon hearing you, however, she slowly lowers the glass container while eyeing you. Cautiously, she asks, "Earth songs?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I might be a little rusty, but ever since I lost my iPod, there's a few songs I've been dying to hear."

"Ivan, the last time you played that thing, you kept playing that "Hurt" song over and over. You couldn't stop thinking about ho- your old home, and you were crying the whole time. And about that little music player? You told Twilight to disassemble it, remember?."

You remember that. You had just found out that you would never make it home, and it was hard on you. You went on an "Earth binge," obsessing over everything that reminded you of your home. Pinkie wouldn't come near you when you had your guitar out, because of the one time she had heard you playing "Dust in the Wind" and started crying. Eventually, you got rid of or stored away your home world relics for the sake of your mental health.

"But things are different now. I've been living here for over a year, and I'm over the whole 'never going home' thing. Besides, there's more to Earth music than sad tunes."

Rainbow seems to be scrutinizing you, just to make sure you haven't relapsed into depression. After a few thorough scans, she concedes.

"There was this band I really enjoyed called Green Day. I happen to know a few of their songs on guitar."

Rainbow Dash watches you tune the guitar. The strings are all out of tune, and make awkward noises before they're pulled to just the right tightness. "Sounds lame."

"That's what a few of my friends said. It all depends on your taste in music, I guess." With the final string, the high E tuned, you strum each string individually but fast enough for the notes to meld together into sound. "Let's begin with a song called 'Time of Your Life.'"

You can tell that she doesn't like the idea of you playing songs from your old world, but she seems fascinated by the instrument. She gives a quick nod.

"Alright, here we go..." You warm up by playing the first chords in progression. Your fingers feel slow and unsteady, probably due to the cider finally setting in and the fact that you haven't played in forever. It's an easy song, however, and it all comes back to you as easy as riding a bike. You begin.

"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road... Time grabs you by the wrists, directs you where to go... So make the best of this test and don't ask why... It's not a question but a lesson learned in time... It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right... I hope you have the time of your life!"

You're getting into it now. Your hand swipes up and down naturally with the tune of the song. It's been such a long time since you've felt the rush of the music. It feels as if your throat is re-opening, shaking off the collective dust and awakening to the sweet flavor of song.

You open your mouth to sing, but instead are surprised by another voice sounding out the lyrics.

It's Rainbow Dash. "So take the photographs and still frames in your mind... Hang it on a shelf, in good health and good time..."

Her singing is beautiful. You can hardly believe that sounds coming out of her mouth, having gotten used to her usual scratchy voice.

You join in with her. Your voices complement each other perfectly. "Tattoos and memories and dead skin on trial... For what it's worth, it was worth all the while..."

She stops here, and watches you as you sing, "It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right... I hope you have the time of your life."

You strum the next chords wordlessly. You and Rainbow lock eyes with one another for a few seconds, until she turns away with a blush.

You smile, a hint of red coming to your cheeks as well. The morning's discovery of her hidden feelings had revived a few memories of your own. You were reminded of a time when you maybe, just maybe had had a slight crush on your best friend. Still plagued by Earth's taboos and assuming she wouldn't be into you anyway, you'd done your best to push it aside until you were sure the feelings were gone. But now...

Her lips barely move, but she sings the final words with you. Your voices again intertwine, "Something unpredictable, but in the end is right... I hope you have the time of your life."

You don't have time to play the ending. Before you even have time to inhale, her lips have locked with yours.

You let the instrument fall to the ground. You have no idea what is happening, only that it feels... so good.

You don't even get the chance to regain your senses before she bolts down the hallway and a door slams shut.

"Guh... Rainbow?"

You open the door to the guest bedroom, and there Rainbow Dash is, red as a beet.

She looks up at you from the tops of her eyes. They're a little puffy again.

You sigh, and sit down next to her. Neither of you say a word.

It's you who breaks the silence. "I guess this changes things, huh?"

She buries her face in her pillow. "You can kick me out now, if you'd like..."

You sit quietly for a little while longer, unsure of how to approach this. "So, have you felt this way for long?"

She looks scared out of her mind. Her mouth opens, but she doesn't speak. After a few attempts, she finally answers, "I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I... Yes."

"So you've liked me for a while, then?"

She nods. You see she's tearing up again.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" You don't mean it to be, but your voice is almost accusing.

She's found her voice. "I was really embarrassed. And nervous. Really nervous."

"...That makes sense."

She buries herself back into the pillow. "Celestia, I'm such an idiot..."

"You haven't even heard my response yet, though."

Her ears suddenly shoot up. She looks up from her spot, her teary eyes now brimming with hope.

"So... would you like to know what I think?"

She's paralyzed for a moment, but as she regains strength, her head bows in one final nod.

That's when you do it. It's almost close enough to be considered pouncing on her, but whatever it is, it's for Dash.

You put all your strength into that kiss. All other thoughts are blocked out as you focus all energy into making it as deep, as meaningful as possible.

Dash has recovered from the shock, and your lips are now being brushed by her incredibly soft tongue.

You can't get over how great this feels. You're seeing a whole new side of her, one you're sure no one has seen before. That fact alone, that you're truly special to someone, sinks in and makes you giddier than a schoolgirl. You try to break the kiss, but she just keeps pushing for more and more. This turns you on even more, weakening your resolve to distance yourself. Finally, when you do manage to separate, a strand of saliva connects you at the lips, and she's panting. Her hot breath tastes like cider.

She gives you just enough time to catch your breath, before she dives in for more. She misses, however, and ends up sucking on your cheek.

She seems content with that. You're actually enjoying it, until you smell a musk in the air.

She's wet. Celestia, she's wet.

"Rainbow," you urge, trying to push the lust-filled pegasus off of you. Her body is pressed tightly against yours.

"Rainbow, please," you beg, but she just sucks harder.

"Rainbow, stop!"

That seems to have gotten her attention. She releases the suction on the side of your face and stares at you, confused. A drop of spit hangs from her mouth. You chuckle and wipe it off, then bring the same hand to the back of her neck.

She suddenly starts giggling. "I think I'm a little drunk."

"You don't have to blame it on the cider, ya know."

She groans. You go in for another kiss, running your hands along her head, neck, shoulders, and through her hair.

You both eventually end up next to each other on the bed, her hind legs wrapped around your torso like a towel. You feel something wet soak through your jeans, and almost freeze upon realizing what it is. However, not wanting to ruin the moment, you decide instead to just not mention it.

"Wait," you say. You clap, triggering the on/off toggle for the magically-enhanced lamps in the house.

Two claps turns the ones in your room off.

Three claps, and the whole house is dark.

Author's Note

My editor: hwrogers

Like I said in the description, I'll continue this fic if you guys enjoy it.