"Of Females and Feathers"
Chapter 11
It was snowing.
In a few hours to come, the entire town would be covered in the white fluff of a new season. Winter was here. And Ponyville had the weather team members who'd actually shown up, as well as their little polychromatic helper to thank for it. Rainbow had succeeded with flying colors, quite literally, and it was only then that Rainbow Dash and the weather ponies flew back down to earth, officially finished with their day's job.
Rainbow was still in a little bit of a daze, simply from the result she was now witnessing. As soon as she landed, she was immediately met by a circle of other ponies, including the friends who'd ushered her to help out to begin with, and not to mention, a lot of ponies were still cheering. Though Rarity, Scratch, and Pinkie came to a stop, Pinkie bouncing in place joyfully with them, Fluttershy and Applejack didn't hesitate to tackle the blue Pegasus to the ground in happy excitement.
"Rainbow Dash, you did such a good job!" the shy one ecstatically giggled her greeting.
Applejack added, "We sure knew you could do it, too!"
Now tackled by both of her closest Ponyville friends, Rainbow only stifled a still-partially-shocked laugh of her own, unable to keep from smiling as her cheeks reddened from the flattery. She still couldn't completely believe she'd done it as well as she had, even if the reality of it was right in front of her. With a few more stifled giggles at the embrace Fluttershy now had her in, she tried to catch her breath to respond, though couldn't find too many words at the moment.
"Thanks…" was all she breathed out, again through a small, flattered laugh.
It was definitely awkward being surrounded by ponies who loved her efforts, even if she'd always only dreamt of such a thing. The crowd who'd watched her wasn't exactly that big, but nevertheless, it wasn't like she'd ever been loved by this many ponies who didn't even know who she was. She'd had some fans back in flight camp, but…that was a little different than this. Quite literally, Rainbow only knew a small handful of the ponies who were complimenting her now, and thanking her; and even if there weren't hundreds of them or anything, it was still a lot more than she was particularly used to.
While the situation was just a little more than Rainbow was prepared for, it didn't take too long before everypony had taken to playing in the falling snow rather than keeping around her and the others of the weather team. Rainbow was quite fine with this, though, as the snow was something she'd been waiting for just as much! With the job done, and the ground becoming more blanketed by the minute, it was definitely time to enjoy the product of winter's first day's work. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Scratch didn't hesitate much longer before diving into the now-forming piles of snow along with the other ponies.
"Though this is lovely, I can't believe I forgot to bring my scarf!" Rarity spoke, pouting just a little as she watched the snowflakes continue to fall to earth, glad to enjoy the beauty of the season over anything else.
Pinkie Pie only giggled, rolling around in the afternoon snow as Fluttershy attempted to create a snowpony. Applejack was making snowballs instead, and Rainbow Dash had taken a moment to lie down, also watching the snowflakes fall, and again being reminded of home. Seeing snow from earth was just as beautiful as she remembered it, and being with her friends in it made it even better. At this point, Rainbow was indeed torn between staying in Ponyville even longer, or going on home in the next few days as she'd planned. A lot of the ponies in Ponyville liked her now, and her reputation was a good one, despite the secret she still held from all but one. But most importantly, she had Fluttershy here, as well as Applejack, who were now the closest friends she'd made since Gilda, and she felt safe again. Maybe she should just write another letter and stay a few more weeks…
Shaking the thoughts out of her mind, though, Rainbow decided to worry about that tomorrow. The rest of this afternoon was for fun, and experiencing winter in Ponyville! Besides, she'd definitely be visiting this town a lot more now. What was there to worry about?
As if on cue with her thoughts, a snowball flew in out of nowhere, hitting the blue Pegasus on the side of the head and with it, bringing a startling flinch to her. Eyes wide, Rainbow looked over to the direction the snowball had come from, only to see Applejack grinning stupidly at her. Just what she needed. Grinning back, Rainbow got to her hooves, and hurriedly began rolling a few snowballs of her own. It was time for a snow duel of epic proportions!
The fight carried on for a few minutes, snowballs being hurled everywhere, as Fluttershy tried desperately to protect her snowpony, and Rarity only tried to not be hit. Liking the idea, even Scratch had joined in. Pinkie Pie, however, only continued her rolling around, until a snowball came flying directly for Rarity.
"I'LL SAVE YOU!"
The pink puff jumped to her hooves instantly and dove in front of the unicorn, but rather than taking the blow, or blocking the snowball completely, she caught it with great accuracy, right in her mouth.
"Mmmmmmmmm! Snowy!" she continued after swallowing it down with a triumphant, giddy smile, and making sure to pose as if she'd saved Rarity from certain death, which was hardly the case.
And of course, the move only brought a surrounding pause amongst the other ponies. It would be Pinkie to take catching snowflakes with one's tongue to a new level. Though it wasn't too weird or something to do, the others who had tasted snow couldn't help but wonder if Pinkie actually enjoyed the taste of ice crystals that had fallen to the ground and been hoof-rolled. Rarity, whose life had been saved, even if she did find the means a little disgusting, tried her best to ignore said means, and focus on the act itself.
She said, "Ah…thank you…Pinkie Pie. That was very brave."
"Eh, it was nothin'!" she responded, still smiling from ear to ear.
Trotting away from the scene now, Pinkie only rolled her sapphire eyes, not really understanding why it was such a big deal to eat snow. Still, she ignored it, like usual, and made her way back over to Vinyl Scratch to join in on the fight that had resumed again. Soon, though, she left that too, and decided on helping Fluttershy with her snowpony: somepony had to help sweet, little Fluttershy, after all! Or so that was Pinkie's philosophy. And even if Fluttershy wasn't in dire need of assistance, she still appreciated the help quite a lot.
The afternoon progressed, and with it came the end of the snowball fight, and the finished product of Fluttershy and Pinkie's hooves. It was now Rainbow Dash who rolled around in the piles of snow, while the others giggled over the snowpony, who now had rocks and sticks for a face, and Applejack's hat for his only attire.
Pinkie announced, "Let's call him Mr. McSnowHoof!"
Again, the ponies laughed at the name, despite how perfect it actually was for a snowpony.
"You ain't gonna eat him too, are ya?" Applejack asked with a smirk. The pink one blinked a few times, meeting her green gaze with a look of near-surprise, as if she'd completely forgotten that she'd eaten the snowball to begin with. But quickly, she giggled again, grinning broadly at the question.
"Nah!" she replied. "I'll let him live!"
Affectionately, Rarity rolled her eyes, and Vinyl Scratch only grinned as well, while Fluttershy gazed happily at the finished concoction of snow, feeling quite accomplished that they'd completed him. Rainbow Dash also smiled at the snowpony, but momentarily looked upward to the cloudy sky from her place in the snow; she still rested on her back, and gave a silent sigh as her mind drifted again to just how much she loved moments like these now.
The giggles and joking conversation faded rather abruptly after a few seconds, though, bringing a silence that broke Rainbow's thoughts. Confusedly, she pulled herself up again to see what was going on, and at the sight, her eyes only widened, and she too froze for a second. A few feet away from them was the mayor, and none of them were certain how long she'd been there. The older pony only smiled, though, and took a few more steps forward.
She greeted, "Forgive me for interrupting, my little ponies. I just came to have a word with Rainbow Dash, if you don't mind."
There was another short moment of silence before Applejack gave a wide smile, followed by the others, who all were again reminded of the good job their friend had done earlier.
"Course we don't mind, Miss Mayor!" the orange pony answered her, and looked over to Rainbow who was now rolling over to stand up again and shaking the snow off her coat and wings.
Rainbow Dash finished getting the snow off herself, and couldn't even stop the light blush from coming to her cheeks again as she was too reminded of everything. She'd really no idea what the mayor wanted to say to her, but hopefully it was something good. The other ponies had all thought she'd done well; if she'd gone and disappointed the mayor, that was really something she'd rather not even know. Why am I even doubting myself, though? she wondered. She knew she'd done a good job! Shaking all the thoughts from her mind, she decided to not even think about it, just go.
The Pegasus took a few steps forward as well, and attempted a smile of her own as she tried to forget that all her friends were watching. The mayor looked over to them again before she began, knowing they all had no doubt she was here to give good news. Which, she was. Looking back to Rainbow, she let her smile grow.
"Rainbow Dash. I just came to personally thank you, for all the help you provided today," she told her. "You…made it seem like we hadn't even lost any of our weather ponies. And I really appreciate it. I'm not even sure how to properly repay you, but…I hope words count for something."
It took Rainbow a moment to gather a response, mostly from the relief that she'd really done well, even to the mayor's standards. Of course, she still didn't quite know why that was surprising her. Had all this shit she'd gone through lately really changed her this much? No. If it had, it was only because she'd allowed it to. With a silent sigh, she closed her eyes a second or two, opening them again to give a dumb grin. What was she even thinking! She was the best!
She answered through a stifled chuckle, "Words are great… I'm…glad I could help."
Yeah…smooth.
But the mayor only stifled a laugh too at the response.
"I hope so. I'm still not sure what happened today with the other Pegasi, but, again, thank you for fixing that for us. You really are a great flier," she kept her smile, giving a small bow of the head once her words were finished.
Once she'd given her gratitude, the older one bade the group of ponies farewell, and went along her way again. It was getting fairly late in the afternoon, reaching evening now, though, and the mayor wasn't the only one who needed to be heading back home. With her leave came another round of the other ponies tackling Rainbow Dash with congratulations, and finally, the first snow day of the season coming to its end. As the ponies got ready to take their leaves, of course, they stayed in conversation, especially Rarity, who simply couldn't get over how irresponsible the handful of weather ponies had been that day.
She said, "I do hope those other Pegasi get around to explaining themselves to poor Mayor, though. Just think if I went around doing that to my customers! She was very lucky to have you, Rainbow Dash."
"Yeah..." Rainbow smiled slightly, both in agreement, and grateful for the commending.
"Wait!" Pinkie Pie suddenly jumped into the conversation, blue eyes wide with both surprise and confusion. She paused before continuing. "…Pegasi?"
The others quieted again, giving weird looks to the question, while Pinkie only genuinely awaited a response. Of course Pegasi. That was what the whole issue of today had been about, and the reason Rainbow Dash had helped out to begin with. Even Vinyl Scratch seemed confused at Pinkie's interruption. But finally, Applejack answered her.
She said, "Uh…yeah. The mayor was short five of 'em today. Where you been?"
Blinking a few times, the earth pony's blue eyes widened with even more surprise, as if she'd had some kind of huge epiphany. The other five, including Rainbow and Scratch, only kept their confused silence. Had she really not even realized how big a deal Rainbow's success had been today?
"Uh…Pinkie?" Applejack asked again.
The curly-maned pony flinched a little, the inquiry getting her attention back. But after looking over the confused faces, she only grinned, quite nervously, and gave a stifled laugh before edging away from them a few steps.
"I mean! Yeah! Pegasi! I knew that! Duh! …But yeah, it's late! I should…ya know…go. Goodnight, girls! Great job, Dashie!"
And with that, Pinkie Pie bounced away, dashing away from her friends and hurrying home, apparently. Stunned silence followed the act, as nopony really even understood what it was about. Until Vinyl Scratch gave a sudden, small gasp, her jaw dropping open. The same realization that hit her best friend had finally come to her as well. There was no way… She remembered it as well as Pinkie did, though, and couldn't even believe it'd taken this long for both of them to realize what they'd done.
"…No way… PINKIE, WAIT UP!" the musician galloped after her, knowing exactly why Pinkie was hurrying away from the situation now.
The remaining ponies only kept the exact demeanor as before, as well as the same dumbstruck expressions. Obviously this was something only the two party animals understood. And hopefully for them, it would stay that way. Unless, of course, those Pegasi actually wanted the mayor to know that they'd stayed up all night getting drunk off spiked punch, instead of preparing for the first day of winter.
Finally deciding to ignore the weird secrets of their partying friends, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity began their trips home as well. The day was nearly over, and it only became colder as the sunlight slowly faded. With winter finally here, it'd be a great night for warm fires and hot chocolate before bed. Which was exactly what Fluttershy had in mind to share with her best friend before she'd leave for Cloudsdale within the next few days.
Rainbow Dash had waited nearly a week before she'd decided it was time to leave Ponyville. She knew she should've gone before then (as she still hadn't written another letter, and at this point, she knew writing another would be pointless), but the fresh snow only continued to draw her outside on a daily basis, and more significantly, so did her friends. Even if she was planning to come back to the town, she'd fallen in love with it to the point where leaving even for a while didn't sound like something she'd enjoy. Still, she'd been away from Rigel and Breezie long enough; it wasn't fair for her to leave them wondering, and in the dark with the newest decision that was weighing in her mind.
It was something she hadn't even considered until two days past, but now that it was it there, entirely hers, she honestly couldn't help but view it as a possibility. One that the more she thought about, the more she wanted to happen. She just needed a couple second opinions, and hopefully, approval. So as she readied herself for the trip back to Cloudsdale – the trip she was finally taking – she ran over how exactly she was going to say this once she got there.
"So, um, how long are you gonna be staying once you get there?" her shy friend asked.
Looking to Fluttershy, the other Pegasus smiled with a silent sigh. It was something she didn't even know, herself. There was no way she could stay away from Ponyville too long, though: it was practically a second home to her now. When she didn't answer right away, Fluttershy took the chance.
She continued, "Ya know, you'll always be welcome here, at my cottage. Even if you aren't here all the time."
Rainbow hesitated another moment, taking in the words. She'd loved staying with Fluttershy; it'd been one of the best things about her vacation from home; but she knew more than anyone she couldn't stay with her forever. Nevertheless, the sweet offer was one she'd never forget, and visiting often was definitely on her second option list. She finally stifled a small chuckle, but rather than replying first, she jumped forward to pull the shy pony into a hug. Fluttershy, though surprised by the sudden gesture, didn't hesitate to return it.
"I know," Rainbow Dash told her. "I'll definitely be back here a lot! I could never just ditch you forever."
Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle at the statement, knowing better than anyone else how true it was. She and Rainbow had a friendship that would always remain as strong as it was now, and the memories to prove it. "Yeah…I'll miss you being here, though. Have a safe trip," she said.
With the last words, the two released the embrace, and Rainbow gave a nod. She'd already told all the others goodbye earlier, so there was nothing else left to do. It was time to get home.
In the near-three-month period spent in Ponyville, it was almost as if Rainbow Dash had taken another term of flight camp. If flight camp and Ponyville were to be combined, it was really the longest time she'd ever spent away from home. Then again, she had been home between them, so…did it really count at all? Well, regardless of the length of the trips, she was finally almost home now, and she only hoped her parents weren't devastated from her being away for so long. Especially since the possible new plan she'd been given depended on that, in a sense.
Rainbow Dash wasn't nearly as distraught as she'd been on the trip to Ponyville, so her trip back to Cloudsdale only took her around thirty minutes. On the way, she thought about the distance. It could've been worse. Just imagine if home was six hours away or something. She didn't even want to think about it.
Seeing her medium-sized cloud home again for the first time in months was again, awkward, just as it usually was. Perhaps that was because flight camp had always been something she'd done on a regular basis, ever since she was a filly. She was used to being away from home from time to time. Once she'd arrived, Rainbow Dash only stood outside for a moment, wondering how things would go. Would they understand? Would they be angry at her? Would they be sad? There was a possibility for each of the reactions, but…if there was one thing Rainbow knew, it was that her parents loved her. Rigel and Breezie had always made sure she knew that, above all else. So hopefully, even with a decision like this, they would respect it, and understand that it wasn't like she wouldn't be their daughter anymore.
Rainbow hesitated for another few seconds, but finally lifted her hoof to knock on the door. And just as she anticipated, it wasn't long at all before the door was opened, and she'd been pulled inside the house in a flurry of joy by her overprotective, sweet-as-honey mother. The action was always just a little uncomfortable, but it'd always been the thing she'd counted on to show her that no matter what, the family relationship they held hadn't changed. More than anything, too, she loved that confirmation, no matter how tight her spastic mom's hugs were.
"OH! RAINBOW DASH! MY SWEET BABY! OH, I MISSED YOUUUU! RIGEL! SHE'S BAAACK!"
"Hi, mom," she answered through stifled laughs and a muffled voice. She didn't even try fighting against the embrace; she didn't want to. It'd been nearly three months since Breezie had been able to hug her, and she knew better than anyone how much her mother had missed it.
The sound of calm hoofsteps was heard in the background of the commotion Rainbow was now in with her mother, and she soon heard the second familiar voice she'd been away from for quite a while. "It's about time you got back home," Rigel said. His daughter could practically hear the small smile that now graced his lips, and as Breezie finally released her from the hug, Rainbow galloped to Rigel for a second hug.
She hadn't even quite realized just how much she'd missed them, or just how happy seeing them again would make her. But it was definitely one of the greatest feelings she'd had in a while to be back, despite knowing that this might change entirely within the next few minutes, once she finally told them what was going on. A part of her wanted to forget the entire ordeal, but…she knew she couldn't do that. She was ready for this. Once the hellos and hugs were finally over, the real conversation began.
"Oh honey!" her mother started. "I know you wrote us a couple times, but it's been a while since your last letter! That's not a bad thing, is it? You still enjoyed Ponyville?"
Rainbow Dash grinned at the questions, finally taking a seat to have the first real talk with them she'd had in a while. She laughed. "Chyeah! I had the best time ever! Ponyville is the best place ever!"
"That's wonderful," Rigel answered, also stifling a laugh at his daughter's excitement. "Guess your mother had the right idea with sending you there for a while."
Yeah…she so did, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but think to herself. She honestly had no idea how she would've ended up dealing with her lesbian issues if she hadn't ended up in Ponyville with Fluttershy, spilling her heart out, and becoming best friends with her the way she had. Only a few times had Rainbow doubted her mother's intuition, and now, was just another of those times she'd been proven totally wrong.
Breezie continued, "Of course I did! I knew you only needed to spend some time with some ponies your own age, make some new friends. How many did you end up making?"
The young one paused to think about the question a moment, honestly having not expecting to be asked how many she'd made. Well, she definitely had Fluttershy and Applejack as friends. And she supposed the others counted as well, and if not all of them, Rarity definitely did. She gave a small nod at the thought, and smiled brightly again.
"I guess…five so far. Maybe."
"How wonderful!" Breezie echoed the word her husband had used earlier, and hesitated before she pulled Rainbow into yet another hug, though not as intense as the last one. "Ohhh! I'm sorry, baby! It's just so great to see you doing so well!"
Rainbow Dash only laughed, but stopped suddenly. Oh yeah. She'd completely forgotten that they'd been worried about…something. Her becoming a recluse had been the only thing she'd thought of. Now with it in mind again, she couldn't help but wonder if they were still worried about whatever it was. She again decided not to ask about it, though, as she had a feeling whatever it was, it wouldn't be an issue anymore after today.
Rigel added, "It really is… You didn't get into any trouble down there, did you?"
At the question, both Rainbow and Breezie paused in their hug for a moment, but quickly Rainbow giggled again, rolling her eyes as she broke the embrace and gave him a funny look.
"No!" she said. They all knew the question was a joke, but nevertheless, joke or not, Rainbow always answered them. Playfully, she hit him with a hoof, glad that everyone was in a good mood. The action finally brought a grin from the stallion, as he knew full well that while his daughter could be more on the mischievous side, she never did anything too bad. They'd raised her, after all: she was a good girl.
There was another short moment of silence between them before Breezie spoke up again.
"You did get to have some fun, though, didn't you? You were down there when the clou – oh! That's right! Rigel said one of the other factory workers saw you!"
Rainbow's magenta eyes widened suddenly at the statement; it hadn't even crossed her mind that they'd find that out. Now that it was, though, she felt quite dumb. Duh! She should've known her father would be informed about it! Blushing just a little, just from the slight embarrassment of being called out about it, she didn't quite know how to answer. It wasn't like it was that big of a deal, though: she'd been planning to tell them anyway. She just hadn't expected it'd go like this. Both of her parents were now waiting expectantly for an answer, so she hurriedly pulled one together.
She said, her surprised look becoming another smile, "Yeah! I, um, I got to help bring the clouds in! The mayor needed some help with it, so I volunteered!"
Okay, so that wasn't exactly how it'd gone. But now that it was over, and she was home telling about it, she couldn't help but want to make it sound at least a little better. Besides, it was close enough! She smiled with a smug triumph, very glad she even had something like this to brag about now, especially to her father. And that wasn't all. Breezie gasped suddenly, overjoyed to hear such a thing, while Rigel's eyes only widened, though he was obviously surprised, as well as impressed.
"You DID!" her mother exclaimed. "Oh how wonderful! And it went well?"
Still smiling, Rainbow Dash nodded. She opened her eyes again after the nod, and paused a moment, her expression becoming a more nervous one. She really had no idea how her parents would take this, but there was no better time to voice it now. Swallowing down her uncertainty, she spoke again.
"I…well…I kinda have something to tell you guys…about that…actually…"
She gave her parents time to prepare for what she was about to say, as she watched their looks turn into ones more of surprise, and a bit of confusion. They obviously hadn't been expecting her quick change of tone and demeanor. But…she still wasn't quite sure how to tell them this.
"About the clouds?" asked Rigel.
Again, the young one nodded, and gave a silent sigh as she gathered the words together. She really hoped more than anything that they wouldn't mind this. Especially since after thinking about this option she'd been given, she'd truly come to the decision that it was what she wanted. At least, something she wanted to try. There was no telling if it would last, and even if it didn't, she'd still have her parents to come to. If they didn't mind. Rainbow averted her gaze as she finally spoke, her cheeks reddening again, just a little.
She continued, "Yeah… You see… They… They offered me a job…in Ponyville."
Rainbow Dash allowed the words to roll out, hesitating another second before forcing her magenta gaze back up to meet their own. There were so many wrong ways her parents could take this, so she had to choose her wording carefully. She wasn't trying to run away from them! Even she'd been surprised as hell when the mayor had shown up at Fluttershy's cottage a few days after the incident, telling her that if she wanted, a position on the weather team was all hers. Rainbow hadn't immediately wanted the job, but…after some consideration, she'd had a change of heart. She did need something like this, after all: now that she was done with flight camp (she'd officially decided not to return; she was an already an expert flier anyway), it wasn't like she had anything else to do. No more school, no more flight camp. By society's standards, she was practically an adult now. And she certainly didn't want to end up as a bum sitting around doing nothing, or a random house-wife. Of course, the latter wasn't even an option anymore, and even back when she'd thought it was, she still had never wanted kids of her own.
Just as the younger expected, both Rigel and Breezie took on even more shocked looks at the new information. Though Rainbow hadn't told them her decision yet, she knew they'd already figured out where she was getting at. She swallowed, refraining from continuing just yet; she wanted to see where this put them before she went on. When she said nothing else, the two of them exchanged glances, their gazes riddled with what looked to be some form of concern, but still the same surprise from before. It was finally Breezie who broke the new silence.
"…A job? …They want you to stay there?" she asked, in a very cautious tone, as if words alone could trigger some kind of disaster among them. The tone was almost frightening to Rainbow, and she desperately hoped it wasn't a bad thing.
"Yeah," she answered her, still calmly, and tried her best to smile, just a little. "…They want me to join their weather team. Well…the mayor does. I'll be the youngest one to do it, apparently, but…she says I'm one of the best fliers she's ever seen."
Now that was completely true: it was exactly what the older pony had told her. With the words in mind, Rainbow felt her cheeks growing warm again. She'd never been so complimented on her flying before, in a setting outside of flight camp, and knowing she was wanted for the skill only made her want to do it more, the more she thought about it. She still wanted to join the Wonderbolts one day after all, and would never give up that dream, but for now, having one town recognize her like this was a fine achievement until then.
Her father asked, "And you want to do it?"
Still meeting both their gazes, Rainbow nodded again, a single, firm nod. She tried her best not to let them notice that her heart was beating quite rapidly now, as she really wanted them to be okay with it, even if she'd be moving away from home. Ponyville wasn't too far, and she'd definitely visit. Maybe even come home for weekends if her new job would allow it. Mentally, she begged for them to not assume the worst. And hesitantly spoke, "I…really wanna do it."
She wanted to explain herself further, but was lost for words beyond that, as well as still a little scared to add more just yet. Her parents hesitated a few seconds, and Breezie replied.
"And what brought this on?" she asked, almost breathed, too surprised to ask anything else. Her voice and the look in the pink eyes she shared with her daughter both were proof that she was worried now. At least partially. Rainbow only blinked, a bit confused at the tone, as there was also just a small hint of anxiety in it, that sounded almost as if she found the suggestion unfair. Just as Rainbow was hoping she wouldn't. She'd already given her parents the answer to that question, though, so she didn't know what else to say.
Nevertheless, hearing the tone Breezie used, Rainbow Dash couldn't even stop herself from panicking just a little.
She continued, ignoring the question. "I'm not trying to get away from you guys! At all! I-I just…I love Ponyville…and I need something like this to do! I'll write every day! A-and—"
"Rainbow! Baby, calm down!"
Breaking her daughter's words, Breezie suddenly pulled her close again, into another hug, though not as tight as the previous ones. She closed her eyes a moment, shaking her head, and fighting back the emotion that the surprise of the matter, and the matter itself was giving her. Neither she nor Rigel had expected this. But over the embrace, the older mare looked to her mate to gather what his thoughts were, and by his own gaze back, she knew they shared the same understanding. Rainbow tilted her head upward to look at her mother; her mother gave a faint smile, nuzzling her softly.
Breezie continued, "It's okay. We know you're not running…but…honey, this is a huge decision. Are you…really sure you're ready to be on your own?"
The younger looked away with a silent sight, very, very relieved to hear that they understood that much, at least. As for the question, though, she really didn't have a definite answer. For a moment, she remained silent, just resting against her mother.
"I don't know," she finally answered truthfully. She didn't know for sure. But she still wanted to try, to stay in Ponyville, with the new home-away-from-home she'd made, and the new first real job she'd ever had, if she could. It was a little scary, she supposed, but that didn't stop her from wanting it. At least wanting to see if she could do it.
"And if you're not?" her mother went on with her next question, and Rainbow really had no idea what to say to it. She knew Breezie wasn't knocking her decision, or trying to prevent her from it, but genuinely concerned about it. She wanted to know her daughter would be alright, if this was what she wanted to do, and hell, Rainbow couldn't blame her for that. She was their only child, after all. And despite how strong her mom was trying to be, she knew she'd prefer for her to change her mind, and stay home forever. Just knowing that Breezie was holding back from outright saying it, though, said a lot.
Rigel finally spoke with an answer to the question, himself. "If she's not, she can come back. We're not going anywhere."
Both completely surprised at the bluntness, Breezie and Rainbow looked to him, eyes wide. Obviously, the words were true, but still unexpected. Breezie met his gaze almost sadly, but looking back to Rainbow who was starting to light up again, she knew he was right, and couldn't help giving a small smile of her own. Their daughter was growing up, and had been for some time now. She was old enough to make her own decisions, and she was mature enough to know if she needed to come back one day. Rainbow, still in a near state of happy shock, only looked back and forth between her parents, still in a partial hug with Breezie. They were…really going to let her?
"…So you don't mind?" she breathed, eyes widened hopefully.
Breezie stifled a small laugh, mixed with the tears she was still trying to hold back as she hugged Rainbow Dash close again. "You better be ready for lots of trips back here. Because if you aren't, you'll be coming back home to stay before you even get there, little girl."
"PROMISE!"
Rainbow Dash didn't hesitate to practically tackle her mother, laughing joyfully. Once she was done with that, she did the same to Rigel, thanking both of them over and over again. The three ponies ended up in a weird family hug before the laughing and thank-yous were finally over, and just by their daughter's reaction, both parents felt content that they'd made the right choice in letting her follow her heart's desire, even if it did involve moving away from home. As Rigel had said, she could always come back if she ended up unhappy actually living there, and the new job as weather pony really would give her something to do besides sit around (not to mention, it would be a good experience, just as her father approved of). Rainbow was more than happy about the permission, but above all else, she was just thankful to have a family who really, truly trusted her. Even if…she still wasn't quite ready to tell them the whole truth she'd been hiding yet.
Once the commotion had died down, her father had asked her, again in that lightly playful way he had amidst his seriousness, if she had anymore surprises for them to know about. She'd averted her gaze with a smile, her only thought being how ironic it was that she actually did, and told him no.
Well, other than the epilogue...this is it. The end. Sometime next week is when I'll post it; I hope you darlings don't get lazy on me, though, haha; I'd really love to hear your thoughts on the epilogue, as well as this chapter.
I can't believe this story is pretty much completed. I forget if I mentioned it, but it's been years since I've successfully finished a multi-chapter story. So yeah, I'm pretty hype. Hope you guys weren't too heartbroken that Dash didn't end up telling her parents yet. In time, in the sequel, that matter will be dealt with. But for now, she's still got a ways to go. You understand, I hope.
Now! Onto my thank yous:
More than anything, I'd just like to thank everyone who's stuck with this story: my reviewers, and my little whores who lurk & fav without a word (I use "whores" affectionately, I promise ;) - I love you guys, too). Individually, I'd like to thank Heart of Blades & SoundofRainfall for listening to me rant & reading a few things ahead of time for me when I was in doubt - you guys are the best. As well as the handfull of you who've reviewed most chapters without fail - you know who you are, and I can't appreciate it enough!
If you haven't reviewed yet, and you want to, I'd love to hear any overall thoughts. (:
Anddd now it's time for the soundtrack! If you don't care about the songs that have inspired me, you don't have to read this at all. For those who are interested, though, here ya go!
Soundtrack:
1. "Sexuality" by Ultraviolet Sound
The song that started it all. At this point, I don't even know if this song inspired the story, or if the story inspired me to put the song with it. Either way, they go hand in hand.
2. "One Step At A Time" by Jordin Sparks
I quote from a comment I found on songmeanings dot net:
"I see it about giving yourself time to grow. That you shouldn't beat yourself up through your frustrations of feeling as though you can't act or appear the way you want to. You're getting there, one step at a time, through all of the trials and frustrations."
Yep. Exactly that.
3. "Kamikaze" by Owl City
...Yeah, don't even ask. I just randomly ended up listening to this A LOT while writing the story, and for some weird reason, it makes me think of Rainbow. I think I was listening to it while thinking up a few scenes too, so, I can't just ignore it. In it goes!
4. "Honey Shot [Pyro Fighter Remix]" by Pyro Fighter
Oh, this one is so obvious it's not even funny. Make sure to listen to the remix if you listen at all!
5. "(You Drive Me) Crazy (Stop Remix)" by Britney Spears
Also obvious, as it was actually in the story. It's just the random party song.
6. "Face Up" by LIGHTS
This one might not be so obvious, so I'm gonna explain it. It's basically a Breezie & Rainbow song for me. Just about Breezie wanting her to overcome whatever she's going through and feel better about it. I know Breezie doesn't know what it is exactly her daughter is struggling with, but...she's still a mom. She can tell something's up. So yeah. Just something sweet for them.
7. "Quiet" by LIGHTS
Yep, another LIGHTS song. This one is for Fluttershy & Rainbow. I actually think it's meant to be kind of a love song, but...to me, it still fits them, as friends. It's basically about how Fluttershy is willing to be there for her, and go at her pace, waiting until she's ready to take the steps she needs to take. But it can also go the opposite direction, and be moreso about Rainbow feeling comfortable with her, and wanting to tell her all the secrets she has.
8. "Guns and Horses" by Ellie Goulding
This one, I won't be explaining just yet. But I will say that it applies to the sequel as well, and kind of hints at what one of the focuses will be. So here's your hint! :D Up to you to analyze it & make your hypothesis!
Guess that's it. Thanks again to everyone; stay tuned for the epilogue & the future sequel! I love you guys. (: