Veiled Violet

Rainbow Dash shivered in the chill wind. The weather was just like it was supposed to be. How it had been scheduled. Even after waking up early she had done her job professionally.

The wind gusted again and she pulled her dress tighter.

Eyes on the sky she waited.

Three hours. Three hours of scrubbing, styling and being assaulted with cosmetics and accessories.

The end result had been startling. The blue pegasus actually looked like a pretty pony. It was weird. Almost as though the pony that looked back at her through the mirror had been somepony else.

She shivered again. Not because of the cold. Not really. But because she was stepping into foreign territory and doing something she had never thought she would. It was a little frightening. Even if she would never admit that to anypony.

Here on the roof of Rarity's boutique she waited. The fashionista had been appalled at this plan. But Dash had explained that when two pegasi wish to meet this was the best way.

Loitering on a balcony was practically inviting any pegasi that you knew to come by for a chat.

“I see you got yourself dolled up.”

“Hey Hoops.”

“Lets go grab some grub.”

With that the brown pegasus stallion took off like a shot. Rainbow Dash, being Rainbow Dash, raced after. Rapidly closing the distance.

Three laps of Ponyville latter, or almost enough to get her wings loosened up, they split off from the loop into a break neck dive into their allotted destination.

Hayseed's Travelling Hay Fry Emporium.

Stepping over empty food wrappers and discarded fries they made their way inside of the harshly lit late night shop.

The place was sparsely populated. It didn't look that popular. But that was good wasn't it? Without an audience to see her crash and burn she could relax a little.

They settled into a booth. Dash stopped to flick some trash out of the way first.

Her dress was torn. Probably from the race. She'd have to remember to apologize to Rarity about it. And to try and keep it toned down a little speed wise.

“So how have things been since you left Cloudsdale?” her date ventured.

“They've been... good.”

“huh.”

Silence, rich with awkwardness, reigned with an iron fist over the table.

“What's your order?” a plucky young earth pony waitress challenged the dominion of the silence and briefly tossed it into exile.

“Two orders of hay fries. Make them large. And two sarsaparilla, make them jumbo,” the stallion's eyes wandered over the waitress to come to a rest on her rump. The skirt of her uniform she was wearing was so short it half concealed her cutiemark. It was really more of a glorified saddle.

“That will be everything?”

“Yeah, sure,” answered Dash.

“That should do it,” finished Hoops.

Hoops watched intently as the waitress left.

The blue pegasus mare floundered. Maybe she should have worn something like that. Was it okay that her date was checking out other mares like that? Was she not being interesting enough? No she wasn't, she hadn't said anything. She rallied. She could do this. This was nothing.

“So, how's the career going? You ever get into, ah...” Rainbow stumbled. What was that silly team called again?

“Cloudsdale Draft,” he filled in for her. “I don't wanna talk about it.”

“Huh.”

Silence returned, it's rule absolute.

The food arrived. This time the waitress had pulled her skirt down further. Dash's date still persisted in leering intensely at her well rounded and full flank.

Not that she could really blame him. The food didn't look all that great. The fries hung limp and soggy, slowly staining the card board containers with oil.

Was it really too much to ask for him to look at her? Well it was better then him watching her fidget.

The two ate their meal in silence.

“I'll meet you outside, I just have to pay.” It wasn't entirely true. He could have left the money at the table. Dash didn't challenge though.

This was a test flight. This wasn't the time to try out any tricks. Just hold the course and make it to the finish line.

The blue pegasus stood in her ripped new dress under the moon and stars. She supposed it was romantic. She thought she remembered hearing other ponies call it that.

Back inside Hoops was talking to that waitress. They looked kind of serious.

Was he really trying to line up his next date? Just because she had a bigger rump and a shorter skirt? Hadn't Hoops expressed distaste for non-pegasus ponies?

Rainbow started in alarm when the waitress hiked up her skirt and showed him her rump. Or was it her cutiemark... A silhouette of a seated pony head rested on one hoof and apparently deep in thought.

Why would an athletic pegasus like Hoops be interested in an earth pony philosopher working in a fast food dive?

“There anything to drink in this town?” the foppish brown stallion asked tiredly as he exited the restaurant.

* * *

High in the sky where she was home. Seated on a small cloud under the stars. The raised edges of the cloud kept the wind off.

Rainbow Dash and Hoops lounged on their backs, looking at all the twinkly lights. Also passing back and forth a small bottle of applejack from Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack made the best applejack.

“You're quiet,” he accused. He gave a little snort. “But I guess I am too.”

He dropped the bottle off the edge of the cloud.

A gentle hoof stroked her arm. Testing her reaction.

Her breath quickened. This was fine, she reminded herself. This is what it's about. This was what the finish line looked like.

The hoof drifted down to her wing.

To say that Rainbow Dash tensed at this would be an understatement. What she did is more accurately described as convulse. Her mind filled with the urge to slap his hoof away, to pound his face in with her hooves. Rainbow Dash doesn't put up with that kind of garbage from anypony.

But no. She had to finish this date. She had to make it across the finish line. It was so close.

Now he was tracing her cutiemark with his hoof tip. His lips brushing across her neck.

She started to hyper ventilate. Her rage burned hot till it burned clear. The root emotion. Raw unbridled panic. It flowed too fast to be converted into more palatable anger.

Sweet Celestia, she was scared. It felt like her heart was about to burst. She'd never felt like this.

The stallion nudged her, rolled her onto her belly.

Dash couldn't breath. Her face was turning red. She had to, had to, had to...

A hoof touched her shoulder, she could feel him moving. In a moment he'd mount her.

...had to escape.

The finish line. Date completed successfully. She was about to finally cross it. Defy her fate.

The cloud exploded in a monochromatic splash.

Screaming, crying, furious and despairing a ribbon of rainbow twirled through the night sky.

Unreachable. Untouchable. Peerless in her glory.

And in desperate need of safe harbour.