Pinkie Pie trotted along the dirt road, humming and singing to herself, cheerful as could be. Her eyes were bright, her mane was bushy. Everything in the world seemed in harmony this morning. Pinkie Pie took in a deep breath and sighed luxoriously.

"What a beautiful da-"

With a clash of thunder, rain began to fall heavily above her, instantly flattening her mane. She jumped back in surpirse, then looked up.

Rainbow Dash grinned impishly from the grey cloud and laughed. "Got ya!"

Pinkie Pie couldn't help but join in. "Oh my gosh!" Pinkie laughed. "I was all like, what a beautiful day- then you were like- ka-blamo! Talk about a bad hair day!"

"I think I like you better with a straight mane," Rainbow Dash commented. Rainbow Dash turned and gave the rain cloud a big kick, sending it far away.

"You do?" asked Pinkie Pie, hopping on the tips of her hooves.

Rainbow Dash landed on the ground and smiled up and Pinkie Pie. For a moment, she was at of words to say. She pawed at the ground, questioning her own actions. Why was she so nervous?

Pinkie Pie stood there, smiling. Quiet. Patient. What was going through her mind?

"Um. What are you doing later?" Rainbow finally asked.

"Me? Absolutely nothing!" Pinkie Pie cried. "But if you're doing something fun, I'd love to tag along."

"Nah, I'll just be cleaning out Tank's shell. You'd be surprised the amount of stuff he collects in there."

"Ooo, that does sound like fun! If I brought Gummy along we could make it a date!"

Rainbow Dash stared. "A date?" she repeated. "O-oh, you mean play date... Sure. Why not?" She gave a shrug of her shoulders. "Meet me back here after you collect Gummy and I'll fly you up to my house."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie dashed out of sight.

Once Pinkie Pie found Gummy she did as instructed and stood in the same place she was rained on. Rainbow Dash flew down and wrapped her arms around Pinkie's wasist and flapped her wings hard, lifting her off the ground. After a minute or two of this, they arrived at Rainbow's cloud house.

Rainbow dropped Pinkie Pie down in a path of fluffy whiteness. Pinkie Pie fell back in the cloud, giggling, and rolled back and forth like a happy dog. "This place is so much fun!"

Rainbow Dash smirked slightly. "If you think that's fun, you're going to go bonkers on my indoor rainbow slide."

"You have a slide?!" cried Pinkie. "Made from rainbows?!"

"Yep and yep." Rainbow Dash turned and walked towards the front door; Pinkie Pie lept to her hooves and followed at her side.

Pinkie Pie looked around at the clouds and the streaks of brilliant color all around them. "This place is really cool; it's the highest I've ever been off the ground, but I'm not scared of heights one bit!"

"You sure talk a lot," Rainbow commented, pushing open the front door. Rainbow Dash lead the way to the indoor slide; a huge, colorful rainbow arnched inself into a patch of clouds. Without asking for permission, Pinkie Pie ran to the slide and climbed to the top. Gummy wiggled out of the satchel and tumbled down the slide first.

"Wait for me!" Pinkie shouted, then slid down the rainbow. "Weeee!" Pinkie Pie snatched up Gummy and ran around the slide to do it again.

Rainbow Dash let the two of them play while she searched for Tank. She located the tortoise sleeping beside her collection of Daring Do novels. These books she had borrowed from Twilgiht's library. She had discovered the wonders of reading thanks to those books... She wondered if Pinkie would sit still long enough to hear a story.

Pinkie Pie slid down the slide on her back, laughing and hugging her pet close like a doll. Once she hit the bottom, Pinkie stood up and ran over to Rainbow Dash. "Guess how many times I went down?" asked Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow Dash picked up Tank and looked at her friend. "Ten times?"

Pinkie gasped. "How did you know! Have you been spying on me? Oh! I know; you've been counting the number of times I laughed. Or-"

"It was just a lucky guess." Rainbow answered.

"Or you have eyes on the back of your head!" Pinkie Pie rushed forward and started pushing Rainbow's mane aside, feeling for eye sockets.

Rainbow froze as Pinkie's hooves were on her. It felt so nice. Almost like a massage. No. Even better; It felt like the familiar touch of a mother, calming, warming...

Rainbow Dash backed up quickly. "I don't have eyes on the back on my head, silly." she said.

"Oh." She lifted up her crocodile. "Gummy says he wants to play with Tank now."

"Well, here. Set him beside Tank." Rainbow Dash watched Pinkie obey, then added, "Now let's go stand over here and let them play together."

"Ohhh," Pinkie Pie followed Rainbow over to a cloud wall. "I get it now. We're giving them some... alone time..."

"Yeah," Rainbow nodded. "And so we can be alone to talk."

"Okay. What'd you want to talk about?"

"I'm just going to lay it all out for you, Pinkie Pie..." Rainbow Dash sighed. "I think I might be a tiny bit sort of in love with you. Maybe."

Pinkie Pie's eyes lit up. "Are you sure? How serious is it?"

"What do you mean?"

Pinkie Pie stepped up close to Rainbow Dash. "Is it worst when I do this?" She slid herself even closer and kissed Rainbow on her lips.

Rainbow Dash's legs trembled; she crumpled to the ground, her heart fluttering like crazy. Never in her life did she expect that to happen; such a wonderful, magical moment...

Seeing as though Rainbow was on the floor, Pinkie laid down as well and nuzzled Rainbow Dash gently on her nose. "I always felt something for you, too." she told her. "I just thought you knew already."

"How could I know something like that?" asked Rainbow. "You're nice to everypony."

"Yes, but I'm extra-extra nice to you."

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and thought privately, How could I not see this sooner? Pinkie Pie has always been there for me. It's partly my fault she is the way she is; my sonic-rainboom... How could I have ever called her anything less than my best friend?

"Pinkie..." Rainbow breathed.

"Yes?"

Without a word, Rainbow Dash opened her arms and pulled Pinkie Dash close. "I love you..."

"I love me too!" cried Pinkie Pie. Her mane, by this time, had dried back to it's fluffy consistency.

"That's part of what makes you so remarkable." Rainbow replied with a smile. "You do the impossible, every day. Your spirit always rises above the rest. You're just so... awesome."

"Well, I cant be happy every day. It's mostly because I have such good friends!" Pinkie Pie leaned forward and kissed Rainbow on the forehead.

Rainbow Dash scooted closer and wrapped a wing around her friend. They stayed there in each other's arms for a long moment, each battling their own private thoughts and insticts. What is deemed appropriate and what is not? What should be said, and what should be silenced?

Meanwhile, Gummy and Tank sat in the clouds; the tortoise stayed in his shell while the toothless crocodile gummed on him harmlessly. They weren't enjoying each other's company, but at least they weren't fighting.

Finally, Rainbow Dash broke from the hug and stared at Pinkie. "What about the others? Rarity, Applejack, Twilight... What if they don't agree with what we've done?"

"Rainbow," Pinkie Pie said softly. "When you and I are together, there are no others."

Rainbow Dash's heart melted. Of course; the others didn't matter; it didnt matter if they were laughed at, scolded, exiled... As long as they were together, all would be well. They would protect each other till the end. Starting now. And always.

Because that is what best friends are for.