A change in Life

Fluttershy opened her cottage door to find Rainbow Dash standing on her welcome mat, an uncomfortable look on her face. “Oh, good morning Rainbow Dash.....what can I help you with?” asked Fluttershy before her friend approached towards her, forcing her to back up inside her cottage. Rainbow kicked the door closed before walking over to the couch and taking a seat.

“Fluttershy do you think that.....being gay is wrong?” Rainbow asked hesitantly, this brought a look of curiosity and confusion to the yellow pegasus’ face. “Be honest,” Rainbow demanded, not raising her voice but using a stern tone, keeping her eyes cast down at the floor which currently had animals running all around the cottage, playing or just exercising.

“I don’t, I also don’t believe you would have told me if you thought so....” Fluttershy replied before her friend looked up to her friend.

“Uh......Fluttershy....I didn’t really tell you, remember?, 3 months before Twilight arrived in Ponyville you came over one day, I didn’t answer my door so you flew up to my window, looked through the window and saw me and Blaze?” Rainbow asked before a bright blush came to her cheeks. Blaze had been Rainbow Dash’s ex, 3 months before Twilight came to Ponyville, the two had broken up in a bad fight. Rainbow had only seen Blaze once more at the best fliers competition. The two had said a few friendly words and then said their goodbyes.

“Oh...right.....that...was awkward....” Fluttershy commented.

“I am glad you don’t think its wrong fluttershy....it means alot...” Rainbow said gratefully before continuing. “I came to ask....what you think the others will think....what the princess’ will think of it....” Rainbow said slowly. She felt weak and silent like fluttershy right now, no matter how hard she wanted to she could not act like the normal boastful and proud Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy thought about her friends question. Canterlot was against gay stallions and mares she knew that clearly. Though the princess’ said that everypony was welcome in Canterlot and would never in a million years be refused a residence, the nobles made it horrible. About 1,000 years ago before Princess Luna was banished to the moon, a book was written by a member of royalty who was a unicorn. He was not related directly to the princess, he gained his royal title in his service and was named a prince by Princess Celestia. The book contained many rules of social behavior and etiquette that nobles to this day in Canterlot followed. The book was so influential that all of Equestria began believing it was true. The prince however was executed by princess Luna 3 days after its publication on the charge of causing hatred, discord and darkness among the ponies of Equestria. Her sister Celestia found this to be unjust and cruel of her sister to inflict a punishment of that degree unto him.

The paragraph in the book mentioned homosexuality being as dark as King Sombra and an abomination to all pony kind. This is where homosexuality in Equestria became ‘wrong’ and in modern times a lot of the population in Canterlot and Cloudsdale viewed it in the negative zone.

“I don’t think anyone will be bothered.” Fluttershy replied though she could tell her friend was unconvinced.

“Twilight is from Canterlot, she could have had it fed into her head that it is evil, knowing her she probably has read the damn book, what about Rarity?! she’s OBSESSED with Canterlot” argued Rainbow before sighing sadly. “I just don’t want them to be like my parents, I believe Applejack could understand it after a few minutes and Pinkie Pie is so silly that she would accept anything, Twilight and Rarity I don’t know though....” Rainbow said, looking back down at the floor. Fluttershy could hear her animal friends outside wondering where she and the food was but they would have to wait for a few more minutes.

“Um.....is it honestly...that bad between you and your parents?” Fluttershy asked her friend who seemed to stop breathing for a moment. ‘Oh darn...’ Fluttershy thought to herself.

“I’m Celestia and my parents are Chrysalis.....lets say that” Rainbow replied.

“I’m sorry...”

“Can you please stop pitying me!?” growled Rainbow, resorting to anger instead of tears. She felt pathetic that something this simple bothered her so much. I don’t need parents for Celestia’s sake!

“I’m sorry.”

Rainbow noticed the pained look on her friend’s face which made her feel worse. “Forget it Fluttershy, I am...sorry” Rainbow said after she felt the shame from her outburst.

“Its okay, I think you should tell our friends though-it will be easier.” Fluttershy explained. Rainbow looked her friend in the eyes; for once her friend had confidence along with usual kindness in her eyes. Rainbow smiled lightly. She always had the softest eyes no matter what the condition was....except during the stare she made.

“What if...they don’t approve?” Rainbow asked her friend, her worry once again returning. “What if Twilight hates me after it, she’s always been there to help us Fluttershy” Rainbow said before a look of curiosity came to Fluttershy.

“Do you have a crush on Twilight, Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked and Rainbow froze.

“No!...W-well...y-yeah...a small one....since we all discovered the elements of harmony....she’s not gay, so of course I’ve never showed it” Rainbow explained, trying to finish this section of the conversation up before it got too awkward.

“How do you know that?”

“Does she seem like it?, does she ever look at mares the same way I do?, has she ever showed any signs at all of being a lesbian?” asked Rainbow who received a shake of the head from her friend.

“Maybe she is just better at hiding it?” Fluttershy offered and Rainbow growled with annoyance.

“Its one in 40,000 Fluttershy, I am not simply going to walk up to Twilight and ask ‘Hey Twi!, Question: are you gay? If so want to go out sometime?’ For Celestia’s sake Fluttershy!” growled Rainbow.

“I don’t know-its worth trying-right?” asked Fluttershy who got a blank stare from her rainbow maned friend.

“I’ll tell them but NO WAY IN EQUESTRIA am I asking that.” explained Rainbow before getting up off the couch and trotting out the door, leaving her oldest friend to tend to her animals.

“Heya Dashie” Applejack greeted her friend as she landed beside her. Applejack had been returning home from the Ponyville market when she saw her friend flying towards her.

“Hi Applejack, I need to talk to you about something important...now” Rainbow explained, a nervous look on her features. Applejack looked into her friends eyes to see her nervousness and fear, she nodded her head.

“Well alright, walk with me, no one is on the road” Applejack offered before the two friends began walking side by side.

“You know how I don’t like to talk about my parents....right?” Rainbow asked, receiving another nod. “Well....its because I am....different....I am in a very small category of ponies in Equestria....” Rainbow explained before earning a curious look from her friend, obviously wondering where Rainbow was going with this. “Well...you see...” began Rainbow before sighing. Spit it the buck out you coward! “I’m gay.”

Applejack stopped walking and Rainbow stopped as well, sighing and expecting her friend to criticize her, instead she was met with laughter. Not a mocking laughter but one of genuine humor. Rainbow looked up at her friend, her mind full of confusion at the sight of her laughing friend. “Thats it?!, Ah thought it was something serious like ya were maybe tellin' me that you were sick or somethin’ like that!, that stuff ain’t gonna bother me girl!” Applejack stated and Rainbow stared at her shocked.

“R-really?” Rainbow asked who received a 'mhm' from her friend as she nodded her head. “Its-its been my biggest secret for years” Rainbow explained.

“That's because your parents messed with your brain Dash, you yourself have began to think its wrong when its not. The nobles are cruel to everyone who is not them Rainbow, there even is a myth that Princess Luna is gay which is why she executed that prince a millennium ago for writing that damned garbage. Ya’ll need to stop hiding that, it aint healthy” explained Applejack.

“I...didn’t know....everyone else I’ve told before haven’t taken it so well....I guess the other 3 will take it easily eh?” Rainbow asked, gaining more and more confidence by the second.

“Of course!, and if they don’t they're gonna be answerin to mah hoof!” explained Applejack before smiling and Dash smiled back.

“Thanks Applejack” Rainbow thanked before jumping into the air and flying away.

“Hello Rarity” Rainbow said as she walked into the dress shop.

“Good day Rainbow Dash” Rarity greeted her friend before continuing to sew fabric together.

“I got something important to tell you” Rainbow explained.

“Thats nice Dash, what would that be?” the unicorn asked. Dash smiled to herself deciding to take Applejack's advice in the situation; finding the best source of the problem would be to say it as quickly as possible.

“I am gay, I never told everyone because until today I was afraid to say anything, Its been my deepest secret for a long time” Rainbow explained quickly before her friend turned around and looked at her, shock clear on her features. Dash felt her heart sink a little, maybe she had been wrong?

“THATS AMAZING!!, Your mane and tail fit that perfectly!” Rarity exclaimed and Dash blushed slightly before giggling a little nervously, her mental voice had been wrong again. “I am so glad how well it fits you inside and outside, I am also glad that you finally got that weight off your shoulders dear, they say the less stress the more your health improves” Rarity explained and Dash rolled her eyes at that. Rarity, the one pony who can take something like this and compare it to fashion and beauty.

“Alright...I’m gonna go tell Pinkie and Twilight now” Rainbow Dash explained and with that she turned and went out the door, not wanting to hear anymore about dresses and beauty from her friend.

“HeyDashiehowareyoudoingtoday?!” Pinkie pie wondered, seeming to appear out of nowhere. Rainbow Dash felt herself almost have a heart attack from her friend appearing directly in front of her. Realizing she had been holding her breath since Pinkies arrival she released it. Well I found Pinkie.

“Hi Pinkie, I am doing fine....listen I need to tell you something important” Dash said, each of her friends getting easier and easier to tell her secret to.

“Oh I love it when people tell me stuff!, What is it Dashie?!” the pink pony asked her friend, excitement beaming in her eyes as usual.

“Well, to put it simply I'm gay, I always have been, I’ve always kept it a secret because when I told my parents they....didn’t react too well” Rainbow explained before noticing her friend was staring at her and then went to open her mouth. Dash immediately covered it with a hoof so Pinkie didn’t scream it out for the entire town to hear. “SSSHHH!!!” scolded Rainbow before Pinkie nodded.

“Thats great!” exclaimed Pinkie, luckily not telling everypony what it was.

“I am glad” Rainbow said happily, each friend she told this to was lifting a weight of stress from her that she had bee carrying for years.

“Oh I know, I know!, We should throw a pa...” began Pinkie but Rainbow cut her off there.

“No, I am only telling you 5, I am not wanting everypony in town to know” explained Rainbow, this made Pinkie sad for a moment before her smile returned.

“Can I still bake you a cake?!” she wondered with excitement and Dash giggled.

“Of course Pinkie” Rainbow responded and Pinkie filled with excitement once more like a balloon.

“YAAAAY!!!” screamed Pinkie with joy, getting the attention of a few ponies trotting by before disappearing in a blink. Rainbow Dash stared at the place where her friend should have been at that second before shaking her head slowly and galloping away, off to find Twilight.

“Oh....hey Rainbow Dash” Spike greeted the Pegasus after opening the library door.

“Hello Spike, is Twilight here?” asked Rainbow who sadly, received a shake of the head for no.

“She went out to practice flying, she is in the field where you two were yesterday if you want to find her” explained the baby dragon before Dash took off in a blink, a rainbow streak following her flight.

Rainbow came across Twilight and giggled to herself when she saw her friend flying around and testing out all the different angles she had taught her the day before. She was getting much better, her flying actually was beginning to look smooth and natural to Dash.

“Hey Twi!” Rainbow Dash shouted, causing her friend to crash down against the ground from being distracted. Dash immediately flew down to her friend and landed beside her. “I’m sorry, are you OK?” Dash wondered before her friend looked up and smiled, giving a nod.

“Yep....listen Dash about yesterday I....” began Twilight as she rose to her hooves but Dash stopped her.

“No, I should tell you, as a matter of fact that is why I am here” Rainbow explained before sitting down and her friend did the same. “I finally realized today that I should not be hiding this from my closest friends. I have told the other 4 and now I am here to tell you......In truth I am telling you the full story” Rainbow said and her friend listened quietly.

Dash took a deep breath before beginning to tell this side of her life story.

“My first memories are my family, my father, my mother and my brother. I loved them all with all my being. My mother and I would go shopping together, my brother and I would play sports and my father taught me how to fly. My father and I both shared a passion, this was flying. Now you may think all Pegasi love flying and all that but it wasn’t like that. We loved fast and agile flying, the kind where your adrenalin kicks in and your heart beat reaches the moon, the kind of flying where you go so fast and work your body so hard that afterwards you collapse in glorious exhaustion” Rainbow explained, her eyes lighting up at the mention of her life's passion and talent, it only lasted for a few moments before she dropped her head.

“I was daddies little girl and he taught me everything I know today. He took me to the Wonderbolt shows and the two of us watched all the sporting events throughout Equestria when possible. Life was great till I reached my teens. In my early teens I began to notice something, I didn’t feel anything towards stallions, only friendship, disgust or hatred, depending who it was. Other mares began talking about the stallions at school, whenever I tried to socialize with them it became awkward for me. I didn’t know what they saw in them....at all, still don’t......instead I began feeling this way towards other mares” Rainbow explained and Twilight’s eyes widened a little with surprise and her mouth opened slightly with her shock. “I thought it was just a phase or something, but it didn’t go away. As I got into my mid teens I began to realize that I was a lesbian” Dash said, scratching the back of her neck with her right hoof nervously. “I wasn’t popular in school....I kind of was with the guys because I could kick their flanks in any sport they threw at me, but I was known as a friend, nothing more; but the mares hated me, I do not know why but they seemed to despise every fiber of my being. No one invited me to their homes as a friend except Fluttershy, I felt alone most of the time and usually found myself bored, this is when I met Gilda. Gilda had a badass personality that I soon mimicked off of her after we began to hang out.....this led to me dropping out of flight school. The day I did was the day I told my parents that I was gay” Rainbow Dash explained, tears rolling down her cheeks but she continued, despite the heartache these memories brought with them.

“At first they stared at me with shock, they then began telling me that I wasn’t and that it was a phase, I told them no. I had always been this way and they couldn’t understand that!.....my parents stopped doing things with me that they would normally do with me. Dad no longer took me to shows, my brother stopped caring and my mother....she rarely even talked to me. I began to fight with them on a daily basis and lastly they began calling me names and making fun of me. One day we got into a violent fight, my father at the end told me to get out and to never come back......I never did” Dash explained, her coat on her face now damp with tears.

“I left Cloudsdale and began searching for a new home, somewhere I could go where I would never risk running into my parents or family, somewhere I could start over. I finally got a job at weather management in ponyville and my life as a weather pony began. One by one I met my friends......and then you arrived in Ponyville” Rainbow said, facing her friend, her eyes now showing pure happiness and joy. “Twilight, you changed the atmosphere in Ponyville for all of us, though many ponies may ignore what you once were and now consider you a princess I still see you as the bookworm who came to Ponyville with a baby dragon on your back. I do not expect you to see me the same way but Twilight I have always had a major.....” began Rainbow Dash but was interrupted at the worst possible time.

“Twilight!, a letter from Princess Celestia!” Spike shouted, running down the hill as fast as he could, exhaustion clear on his face as he gasped in air. Twilight saw her friend look down at the ground, her teeth clenching with frustration. Whatever Dash had to say would have to wait till after the letter if it was so important that spike was running all the way out here.

Twilight grabbed the letter from spike with her magic when he came close and opened the scroll.

Twilight Sparkle.

I must inform you that your brother has been injured during a patrol on the borders of Equestria. He is stable and recovering well but thought that I should inform you. If you choose to visit the Crystal Empire I request that you come to Canterlot afterwards and do not return to Ponyville. If you do not go however then please take the train to Canterlot in 2 days time.

Princess Celestia.

“My brothers injured!” exclaimed Twilight, worry forming on her face.

“I am sorry Dash, I don't care what preference you have in that category, you’re still Dash to all of us, we must go to the Crystal empire A.S.A.P!” explained Twilight, standing on her hooves and beginning to run back to Ponyville in a full gallop. Dash stood and sighed before looking at spike with fire in her eyes.

“Could not have waiting for another 2 bucking seconds eh?, good job” Dash said in an angry tone before following her friend back to Ponyville, leaving a confused spike standing there for a moment before he too stood up and began running towards the small town.