Ugly Rainbows?

>You are anonymous, local oddity to ponyville, freak to some, friend to others.
>And you're sitting in the local bar, somewhat dumbfounded and mulling over the rumor you just heard in through the grape vine.
>Well, maybe not a rumor, but more of a statement or 'fact'.
>Looking to your left, you see the stallion that had just said something that really caught you off guard.
>The real question is why?
>You had heard the mention of the elements of harmony from the pair of stallions who were minding their own business a few minutes ago and decided to start eves dropping, scooting slightly over in your own seat to get a little closer to hear more.
>What they were talking about, you really didn't expect.
>Their conversation happened to be about the attractiveness of your six best friends.
>Really, you hadn't thought much on what would be considered attractive in this world of ponies, both because the fact that you weren't very interested in the idea of a significant other at the moment and because the six ponies you spent the most time with never really talked about that kind of thing.
>Sure, Rarity would talk about the latest fashions or stallions she found attractive from time to time, but there was never really any talk of 'feminine beauty' or whatever it consisted of from your friends.
>Listening in a little closer, you heard them talk back and fourth, one arguing from the standpoint of 'true, natural beauty', that being Applejack, and the other for the more glamorous, sophisticated look of Rarity.
>You smiled a little bit at the fact that the farm pony, who you had seen many times doing what you would guess is very unflattering, dirty work, might not look so nice to the stallion who's support was for her.


>After a few minutes of back and forth, and another drink for you, they started to move onto the rest of the group.
>Really, it was very interesting to hear what they had to say.
>You were kind of curious how the girls were viewed in Equestria.
>They went one by one down the list, commenting and nitpicking for a few minutes, arguing back and fourth about somewhat frivolous things.
>That is until they agreed on the statement you had just heard.
>'That Rainbow Dash though, she's one hell of a freak.'
>While you had somewhat toned them out during the last few minutes of their conversation, this statement had really caught you.
>It was something you really didn't expect.
>With that, you lean in a little closer towards them to listen in as best you can.
>"Yeah, you can say that again," the brown stallion with dark brown hair replied.
>The two start to sling insults about RD back and forth.
>"That nasty, mangled, rats nest of a mane,"
>"Those outrageous mane and tail colors,"
>"Her cracky, ugly, rough voice,"
>"That musty smell,"
>"Her horrible and aggressive attitude and stance on everything,"
>At that point you decide it's time to stop listening to them insult your friend.


>And as much as you really would like to talk to them for a few minutes on the matter at hand, maybe with your hands/fists, you feel like it wouldn't be such a good idea to get thrown out of a bar considering you’re still somewhat watched by the paparazzi and Equestria at large.
>Shifting in your seat to the right, you look towards the wider pony standing behind the counter, the bartender.
"Hey, would you mind giving me my tab total? I gotta get going."
>Grabbing a small slip, he brings it over to you, dropping it out of his mouth, a small amount of the paper still a little wet from his saliva.
>"Even without finishing that?" he asks, a warm smile on his face as he points to the half a cup of beer sitting in front of you.
>With a quick movement, you grab it and gulp down the sweet liquid, slamming the cup on the table as your other hand reaches for your bit bag.
"I guess you're right, can't not drink your brew Hopps, it would be a waste," you reply with a small laugh placing the bits you owed on the table.
>With that, he bursts out in laughter, the gruffer exterior of his face and demeanor disappearing, the two ponies who were rudely talking about one of your best friends at the end of the bar looking up to see what the commotion was.
>"That'a boy Anon, no one can do it like you," he says picking up the tab and bits, walking them back to the money box.
"See you later Hopps," you say with a wave as you pick up your umbrella and make your way out of the small, homely establishment.


>Once outside, you look at the slowly fading colors of the sun as it dips down from its high spot in the sky, knowing that on the other end of it is the large pony Celestia guiding it down slowly, giving a beautiful light show to everyone in Equestria as the bright and always full moon begins its ascent into the sky, bringing with it a blanket of stars.
>You also see the lingering of some clouds from what was a small storm that you had traversed earlier to get to the bar as well as the light dew look on the grass from the rain.
>Giving a deep inhale, you take in the warm smell of summer tinged with the sweet rain that had just fallen, one of your favorite smells.
>As you begin to walk back towards your home, your mind wanders as it tends to when walking about in Equestria.
>For some reason it focuses on the thought of the clouds that still remained in the sky and why the pegasi hadn't completely cleaned up.
>Really, lingering clouds hadn't angered or 'distressed' you like it did some of the ponies considering the world you came from had weather that was sporadic and non-controlled.
>The line of thought finally gets you to something you hadn't wanted to think about.
>The weather team, headed by Rainbow Dash.
>The one and same that you had just heard insulted and berated into the ground by two random ponies.
>Clenching your fists in anger, you think more about what they said.
>And then decide that it's probably for the best to calm down about it.
>Really, they were just two random assholes in a bar.
>Right?


>Your mind keeps turning the possibilities of what they had said being true, your body just taking you along the normal rout home, pretty much in auto-pilot.
>Opening your door, you snap back to your senses and decide that you should probably just stop worrying about it right now.
>The best course of action has to be talking to the girls about this.
>As you begin to cook dinner, you pause your thoughts a moment taking care not to slice your fingers as you slice up the various fresh vegetables you had purchased a few days back in the market.
>Afterword, you thoughts move back as you pull out your pot, turning on the burner and lighting it.
>Even if you don't want to think about it, your mind is drawn to the idea of weather or not Dash is 'ugly'.
>Really, there had been plenty of women like her back in your world.
>Strong, capable women who had their own ways of showing off.
>Some of them tom-boyish, some strong headed.
>Not very many though with the same voice.
>But everyone is one in a million, right?
>You know, the whole everyone is different, no one is exactly the same.


>Figuring the pot had enough time to heat, you pick up your container of olive oil and almost jerk your wrist about, the oil pouring out of the spout and into the pan.
>There's nothing wrong with that type of person.
>It just has to be their tastes right?
>Everyone has different tastes.
>That has to be it.
>Dash isn't ugly, you're sure of that.
>Letting out a small sigh, you toss the sliced vegetables into the pan along with some peanuts.
>You need to stop freaking out about this.
>Who should you talk to first though?
>With the dish finally done, you grab a bowl and dump it in, turn off the stove, and toss the pot into the sink.
>You start to eat thinking on who to talk to and if you should even talk to more than one or two of the girls about it.
>And then it hits you.
>You're not sure how you didn't think of it, but of course Rarity would be the best choice for something like this.
>She knows what ponies like when it comes to anything aesthetic.
>First plan of action tomorrow is to talk to Rarity. Good shit.
>Finishing off your food, you spend the rest of your night just relaxing and watching TV, feeling good that you'll put all this worry behind you in the morning when Rarity sets it straight.

>You shoot up from your bed, covers almost flying completely off and onto the floor in front of it as your hand shoots out to shut of the alarm that's pounding a nail into your skull.
>With a moan and a small rub of the eyes, you look over to your clock to see that it's just a little after 12 in the afternoon.
>Maybe that brandy wasn't such a good idea last night.
>Slowly, you get up and in the shower in a daze.
>As the warm water flows softly against you skin, you start trying your hardest to think anything at all.
>And the first thing that comes to mind is the conversation you heard last night.
>Again.
>You've been doing a lot of thinking about that conversation that you eavesdropped in on.
>And about what your goal should have been today if you hadn't wasted half of it from the night before.
>Hopefully Rarity isn't too busy right now that she won't mind talking to you for a few minutes.
>Finished with your shower and drying off, you let out a sigh.
>You're not 100% sure why this really affected you so negatively.
>Maybe it's because if you had to pick one of the girls that you were closest to, it would probably be Dash?
>I mean, when you do anything with another living being, it usually ends up involving at least her if not just her.
>Shit, that's right, you still have to grab some snacks for later tonight, Dash was coming over and you were going to watch the latest Daring Do movie that came out on DVD with her.
>You quickly dry off and get dressed just to almost dash out of the door towards Ponyville, ignoring your growling stomach.


>It doesn't take you too long to get to Carousel Boutique at the speed you were going at, but you do take a second to catch your breath as you lean against the building.
>After calming down, you knock on the door, hoping the owner would be home and able to talk.
>A few seconds go by before the door opens, revealing a disheveled looking Rarity.
>"Welcome to Carousel Boutique. I'm sorry, but we're closed for the day," she says in a somber tone, eyes closed.
Well that’s good, because I'm not here for clothing.
>Quickly she opens her eyes to see who it is.
>"Oh Anonymous, what brings you to my lovely establishment?" she asks pensively.
>You shift a little and put on a small smile, the look of surprise on Rarity's face cute.
"I was just wondering if you had a few minutes to talk about something."
>Her facial features mold into an inquisitive state.
>"Hmmm, I suppose so," she nods for you to follow her in, the door shutting behind you once you are fully in her home.
>She quickly leads you to the kitchen, offering a chair for you.


>"Please don't find this rude, but I've just woken up and I desperately need something in my stomach," she says as she takes a seat, levitating a plate of food next to her.
"No no, really, it's fine. Wait, you said you just woke up? That doesn't sound like you."
>She shifts a little in her seat with a small laugh before levitating her fork up in the air.
>"Hmmm, yes. Normally I would be up a little earlier, but I had quite a large order I had to finish last night. You know, client deadlines and whatnot," she states before the fork reaches her mouth with food.
"Ah, makes sense. Who delivered it for you?"
>Rarity takes a few moments to respond, making sure there's no food left in her mouth.
>"I may have taken a little gamble by letting her, but Sweetie did with her friends. I sent them off at about 7. I'm sure they'll be fine though."
>Her face cracks a small amount of worry as she talks.
>"But I guess I should be asking you about what exactly you needed to talk about. New cloths? A nice formal suit?"
>You wave your hands in front of you.
"No, no, I have plenty as it is, thanks for the offer."
>Her left eyebrow rises slightly at you.
>"So, what is it that you needed to talk about?"
>You shift in your seat slightly, nervous about how Rarity might react to the question.
"Well, I guess I should tell you a story before I get to the question, but I'm guessing you'll know by the end of it."


"It all starts with me going to Hopps,"
>She gives a dis-satisfied grunt.
>"That place really could do with a makeover,"
>You ignore her and continue.
"I take my normal spot at the bar and a little while later, two pegasi stallions walk in and take a seat at the end of the bar."
>As she continues to eat, she nods.
"Well, being at the center of the bar, I tend to hear little bits and pieces of conversations,"
>"Hmmm, I can already guess where this is going. What kind of juicy gossip did they have Anonymous?" she says with a sly grin, pausing from eating.
>You shake your head a little at that with a small chuckle.
"That's why I'm here, I need to find out if it's true or not and I think you're the best pony for that."
>She smiles at your offhanded complement.
>"Oh how right you are, do continue,"
"So, I heard them say something about 'Element of Harmony users' and I got a little more interested in what they were saying,"
>Rarity's checks turn a little red at you saying that.
>"I can guarantee whatever it is they said about me is a lie," she blurts out a little flustered.


"So you aren't the best looking pony out of the six of you, because one of them seemed to think so,"
>Her jaw almost drops, but she regains her composure quickly.
>"Hmm, while I don't really like to compare myself to the girls, there is no denying that I do have the best sense of fashion and therefor have should have the best looks. Even then, we're all beautiful,"
>Way to save face. Gotta get that humility down.
"That's not really the important part of all this, there's something else that I wanted to ask you, but I'm not sure how you will take it given your last statement."
>"I promise you Anonymous, anything you say I will not take negatively," she says shifting a little closer to you, her face reverting to one of seriousness.
"So they went on talking and I was kind of interested in what they had to say, and they got to one pony in which they both agreed on,"
>You pause for a moment to bring yourself to ask.


"And that pony was Rainbow Dash. So my question for you is in Equestria, is Rainbow Dash considered an ugly mare?"
>Rarity becomes a little gloomy at this question, a tinge of sadness inflicting her usual proper tone.
>"I have a question for you before I answer yours Anonymous,"
>You nod.
>"In your home world, did they have the saying 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'?"
>You give her another nod.
>"Hmm, that is fortunate. Really, Rainbow Dash is a beautiful mare in her own special ways. I will admit to you that in the standard of beauty here, Rainbow Dash is... she is not very high on the list,"
>You can see her just deflate as she says this.
>"But, I will tell you that just because someone in Ponyville or Equestria or wherever does not see it, Rainbow Dash's qualities are beautiful,"
>You let her continue, not wanting to interrupt her or upset her even more.
>"She's strong willed, more so than I could ever be. She is kind to those ponies"
>She pauses for a moment before her gaze gravitates downward.


>"And people that are close to her. I'm sure you've seen her softer side before, and while it doesn't come out often, it is something that I consider truly beautiful."
>"And while she doesn't have the feminine grace that some of us are born with, she still has her own stance and power that I could never have being me."
>She looks back up to you, her blue eyes meeting yours.
>"Just because ponies say she is ugly does not mean she is. They couldn't be farther from the truth. They just don't understand or know the Rainbow we do. Does that make sense?"
>At the small pause you know what's true.
"Yes"
>She gives you a reassuring smile.
>"Hmmm, now that that is out of the way, I will ask you to do the same as the other 4 of us do and not talk much if at all about looks around Rainbow. Depending on her mood, it can get rather... er, explosive."
>You give her a small nod.
>"Well, I really should get done eating, I still have cleanup to do. I assume you know the way out?"
>Standing up, you take that as your 100% cue to get out.
"Yep, and thanks Rarity."
>You turn around and start walking towards the front and the door, giving her a small wave behind you.
>"Anything to help friends dear," she says, her voice trailing as you get closer to the door.
>Well, that was an interesting talk.


>Making your way out of the Boutique, you've got a lot to think about now that it's pretty much been confirmed.
>It's not like it changes your view of Rainbow at all, because to you she's just Rainbow, no different than any of these other oddly colored ponies.
>Without thinking you find yourself on the doorstep of Sugarcube corner, your stomach doing more of the leading instead of your brain.
>Since you're here, you figure you should maybe talk to Pinkie about it if she isn't busy.
>Even though you've never brought up the conversation of Dash's looks with Dash herself before, now that you know why no one else does either, you're brains just going to think of it even if you don't want to.
>Hopefully Pinkie will know how to handle it. She'd probably be the best at it especially with those Pinkie Pie secrets.
>Walking in, you're hit with a blast of sweet smelling air with a hint of blueberry.
>And also with your stomach almost crippling you in pain.


>Looking around, there aren't many ponies in the dining area, which would make sense seeing as it's around 2 pm.
>Walking up to the counter, you give the bell a small tap letting out the lightest ring.
>You never knew how any of the Cakes or Pinkie could hear it, but they did and almost immediately Mrs. Cake was standing in front of you.
>"Oh hello Anonymous! How are you today?" she asks with a cheery smile.
>You just give a small shrug.
"Not too bad, and not to be rude, but is Pinkie around?"
>She gives a small nod.
>"Did you need to talk to her?"
"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind. Also, can I put in a small order of pancakes?"
>"Of course it's no trouble at all dear," she replies as she turns to head back into the kitchen, her warm smile never fading.
>A few minutes of you mulling around the counter go by as you wait for Pinkie when she bursts through the double door, pancakes on her back, bouncing up and down with a skip and a bubbly smile.
>"Nonny!"
>With a quick motion, she jerks the plate off her back and onto an empty table, almost instantly on you with a hug.
"Hello Pinkie," you say laughing, returning the hug with a pat on her back.
>A few moments go by before she lets you go and rushes to offer you a seat at the table.


>"So, what are you doing around here so late? Rough night?" she asks with a small giggle.
>You take the offered seat, the smell of the pancakes, butter, and small amount of syrup wafting to your nose.
"How'd you guess?"
>She rolls her eyes in a knowing way.
>"Old Auntie Pinkie Pie knows everything," she replies with a tap to her head before sitting down across from you.
>"Plus, you're here pretty late and I've never seen you order those for anything other than breakfast."
>"So, what did you need me for Anon? Oh, and feel free to eat, I don't care about talking with your mouth full like that old stick in the mud Rarity?"
>You give her a warm smile as you pick up your fork and begin to dig into the breakfast, not wanting it to get cold.
"So, I had heard a thing or two about one of our friends in a bar last night and had a little bit of a talk with Rarity about it."
>Her eyebrow raises at your statement.
>"Which one of our friends Nonny?"
"Rainbow. Let's just say they didn't have a lot of nice things to say about her and Rarity confirmed that it's not just those two who view her like that."
>You can see Pinkie tense up a little.
>"What a bunch of meanies," her almost constant smile fading to a frown.
"So, I guess what I came to ask you since I know you have your Pinkie Promise is, do you and the others have a rule not to talk about that kind of stuff in front of Rainbow?"
>Pinkie lets out a small sigh and you see her mane deflate just the tiniest bit.


>"Nonny, can you Pinkie Promise you won't talk to Dashie about this? Please?" she asks, her eyes pleading with you.
>"Really, the last time someone mentioned anything about her looks, it wasn't pretty and I really don't want to see one of my bestest friends hurt like that again."
>Curious, you push the subject just a little bit further.
"Wait, what happened when someone mentioned it to her?"
>Pinkies face shift to look at the ground, her hoof trailing a little circle on the wood of the floor.
>"Well, a long time ago before the first Gala we went to as a group, I may have mentioned something about Dash getting prettied up to impress a colt like Rarity. It just kind of slipped and she took it the wrong way and ended up not talking to me for a few weeks before the others convinced her I wasn't trying to be mean."
>She pauses for a second and lets out a small sigh, a tear forming in her eye.
>"I mean, I even went and tried to cheer her up with balloons, cakes, cards, candy, everything. I tried it all and she just stayed as far away from me as she could."


>You give a small rub on her head.
"From the sound of it, you did everything you could Pinkie to make up for the misunderstanding, there wasn't much more you could do. And it turned out alright in the end."
>She lets out a small sniffle before her mane gains the little bit of bouncy-ness that it had lost.
>"Thanks Anon, you really know how to cheer a mare up," she says giving you a weak smile.
>"Promise you won't bring up anything like relationships or looks up around her, ok Anon? I don't want to see some of my bestest friends not be friends anymore."
>You nod.
"I Pinkie Promise," you say with a laugh hoping she's finally cheered up completely.
>She lets out a small, weaker laugh with you.
>"Do you think she's pretty Anon?"


>You sit there for a second trying to figure out the words to use to describe how you feel about Dash in this new context.
"Anyone who thinks she's ugly for being a unique and individual mare with her own style and attitude is just, as you would put it, being a meanie. So if that means she’s pretty, then yes."
>Her smile gets just a little bigger at that.
>Standing up, you give her mane another ruffle and stretch a little.
"Well, I gotta get going Pinks, thanks for telling me the truth."
>She nods.
>"So what are you doing tonight Anon?"
"Well, Dash is coming over and I have to pick up a few things for us to snack on while we watch her Daring Do movie."
>Her smile grows a little bigger from hearing that.
>As you turn around, a large group of particularly loud fillies make their way in.
>You give a small wave to Pinkie from behind as you head around the herd and to the door.
>"You know Nonny, the two of you are pretty cute together," she says somewhat under her breath slyly.
"What was that? Couldn't hear you," you say pointing to the loud fillies.
>"Oh nothing."
>You really do wonder what she was saying because you could have sworn that when you turned around, her eyebrows were wiggling up and down.
>Oh well, fuck it. Time to pick up some snacks.


>Making your way to the cart section of the market, you start wandering around.
>Every cart you pass seems to be cleaning or packing up most of their items, which would make sense seeing as it was going on 4pm.
>But you know the exact cart that you're headed to.
>One cart in particular seems to be doing just the opposite of the others, the purple mare behind it beginning to take bottles and jars out of her packs and boxes.
>The exact cart you were looking for.
"What's up Berry?" you ask with a wave of your hand.
>The mare pauses her unpacking for a moment, a bottle currently in her mouth as she looks your way.
>"Whphh uff Anin," her words come out jumbled because of the bottle.
>She quickly sets it down on the cart and gives you a smile.
>"I mean, what's up Anon?"
>Stopping you lean over, picking up one of the few jars already out.
>It's filled with a clear liquid and has a crudely made label wrapped around it sporting the Berry Punch cutie mark.
"Got a new batch of shine for sale, huh?"
>You rotate the jar in your hand, the liquid swirling quite easily.
>"Yep, some of the best I've made!" she replies, beaming with pride.
>You give the jar a quick shake, bubbles forming and disappearing relatively quickly.
"Looks like it. Bubbles are disappearing pretty quickly,"
>A quick pop of the lid and a sniff makes your eyes water slightly.


>Closing the jar, you set it down to the side, away from the others.
"Glad you're finally getting it down Berry."
>Her head disappears with a small laugh before returning with a small jug containing a honey colored liquid.
>"Guessing you need this too?" she asks, her eyebrows raising inquisitively.
>You pull out your small pouch of bits you had on you, taking out enough to cover the two drinks.
"How'd you guess?"
>She gives you a knowing smile.
>"Really Anon? Other than your first few months here, I don't think I've ever seen you drink alone,"
>Raising your eyebrow, you set the bits on the counter.
"And how did you know that I needed this?"
>You give the bottle a small flick, a ring sounding out.
>She lets out another small laugh.
>"Who else do you drink with other than Rainbow?"
>You open your mouth to argue but realize she's right.
>Sure, you do hang out with the other girls from time to time, but nowhere near as much as Rainbow.
>And when you're with them, you're usually going out somewhere in a group.
>You may talk with the for a little while one on one like you did today, but you can't say you've ever just went 'wild' with any of them other than Dash.
>Closing your mouth and picking up the bottles, Berry smirks at you as she shuffles the bits into a box.
>"That's what I thought, plus she's a semi-regular here too and I know what she likes,"
>You give her a nod before turning towards your house.
>"See you later Anon, and have fun tonight! Don't go too hard on that moonshine!" she calls to you as you begin to walk away, jar and bottle in hands.


>In no time you find yourself home and in the kitchen storing away the liquor you had just purchased as well as changing into something a little more comfortable.
>Walking downstairs, you look out the window to see the sun starting to set, the night creeping into view.
>A quick check to your watch tells you that you have a little bit of time before Dash came over.
>Grabbing a watering can out of the storage closet, you go through the kitchen and stop at the sink to fill it before walking out the back door.
>In front of you is a small garden filled with various vegetables.
>It's nothing big or impressive, just a little something so you aren't completely leeching off of the Equestrian allowance system that Celestia included you in.
>Nothing on the level of sweet apple acres, but it was enough to feed you.
>You start to water the plants lightly, moving down the rows, just thinking about how sweet of a deal you really had.
>When Celestia had first told you about it, she said it normally was given to those of other sentient races who were just moving into Equestria, a way to entice others to come to Equestria.
>The one other use was for diplomats who ended up having an extended stay, although their payments tended to be a bit bigger seeing as they were guests who were invited by the Princesses themselves.
>She figured that giving you the same treatment considering you were visiting Equestria for an extended stay, the rest of your life, would fall under the need for the same allowance since you were technically a 'diplomat' from Earth.
>While it would have been pretty cool to just have all the bits you could ever need at your disposal, you convinced her that once you had a home, a much smaller amount was all you needed.
>You show a small smile as you continue to water, thinking of the first few months in Equestria.


>All the teaching you had to go through, and man did Celestia look mad when you laughed at her when she told you she was bringing in an expert in friendship in Equestria.
>Little did you know that you would actually grow pretty close to those little ponies who came in to teach you about the society, the way magic worked, the science of Equestria, Cutie Marks, destiny, and a lot of other stuff.
>You spent a lot of time with them for those few months as they helped you adapt to the new world.
>Really, you owe all of them your calm life here in Ponyville too.
>Dash and Twilight were the forerunners for convincing the Princess to let you come live here in Ponyville with the others providing backup.
>When the Princess asked you if that was something you wanted, you almost laughed at her again, but you caught yourself remembering how upset she was when you laughed at her before and accepted the offer.
>A loud yell from right behind you makes you jump and lose your train of thought and drop your watering can.


>"Anon, what they hay are you doing?! We should be watching. Right. Now!"
>Picking up your can, you turn to see Dash hovering, and give her pissed off look.
"Did you really have to yell in my damn ear?"
>"Oh, sorry, just a little excited about seeing this movie," she give you a sheepish grin.
>"I mean, I've had it since three days ago, when it came out, and saved it for us to watch together,"
>Your frown fades as you nod towards the house.
"Yeah yeah, I know. Still, don't do that shit,"
>On the walk back to the house Rainbow zips around you, doing loops and flips, trying to burn some of her energy that her excitement was giving her.
>"Oh man, this is going to be so cool! Ever since the second one came out, the sales let them make the best of the best for action movies!"
>You just let out a small chuckle at her enthusiasm for the series.
>"I'll go get it set up so when you get in, it'll be all ready!" she says before Dashing in through a window in your kitchen and into the front room.
>You continue to take it at your pace, grabbing the cider bottle and two glasses for the two of you as you stroll through the kitchen.
>In the living room, you're greeted to the sight of an anxious Dash fidgeting in her seat on the left side of the couch, the movie looping the intro screen on the TV.
>"Come on slow poke, I've seen tank move faster than you,"
>You set the glasses and bottle on the small mahogany table in front of the couch and plop down next to Rainbow.
"Hasn't anyone ever taught you patience? Plus, a little bit of waiting always makes something even better."
>She looks over to you rolling her eyes.
>"Really, because I've never felt any better by waiting for something," she lets out a small huff.
>You just shake your head a little at her. That instant gratuity.
"I guess I can make up for making you wait the two seconds with what I brought," you say giving the bottle a tap of your finger.


>"Is that... what I think it is?" her eyes becoming wide at the sight of the bottle.
>You nod and look over at her deciding it might be better just to voice everything because she's so entranced by this bottle.
"Got it from Berry, only a few days old since its brew at Appaloosa and train trip here, making it nice and sweet like you like,"
>You do a double take when you think you see saliva dripping from her mouth, reassuring you it definitely was.
>With quick work, you have the cork off and are pouring two glasses worth.
>And just as quickly, Dash's glass is empty.
>You let out a small laugh.
"You might want to slow down a little Dash,"
>She blushes slightly and gives you an apologetic look.
>With a tip of the bottle, Dash's glass is filled again and the movie is started, the two of you leaning back in your spots on the couch.
>At the half way point of the movie, you take a glance at the bottle, seeing it two-thirds of the way empty and yourself feeling slightly warmer.
>Looking over, you see Dash leaning forward and almost squinting at the screen, her hair a little messier than at the start of the movie.
>She had been jumping around and even fluttered in the air for a bit, so you'll put it to that.
>But thinking of messy hair, your mind pulls you away from the movie and more towards Dash.
>Looking at her a little more intently, you look for what those stallions saw as 'ugly'.
>That is until she pulls you out of your thoughts for the second time that night, her magenta eyes shifting to meet yours.


>"Uh, Anon, why are you lookin at me all funny? Shouldn't you be watching the movie? You haven't seen it yet."
>You give your head a little shake, waking you up out of your funk, your brain trying to think fast and avoid the possibility of telling her the truth.
"Neither have you," you shoot back.
>A small blush of embarrassment tints her cheeks a light shade of pink, her gaze shifting to the side.
>"Well, uh, I maayyyy have watched it before I came over heheh," she stumbles out.
>Giving her a scolding look and satisfied that you avoided possible complications, you turn to start watching the movie.
>"What, I couldn't help myself. I mean I waited two whole days!" her voice cracks out.
>"Do you know what it's like to wait for something you've been waiting your whole LIFE for when you've got it right there?"
>Taking your eyes off of the movie, you see her just a little closer to you on the couch, pleading with you to understand, the light pink still not faded from her cheeks.
>You ruffle her hair a little bit.
"All right, all right you big drama queen, I get it."
>She smiles, satisfied she's won you back over and plops back down.
>"Gimmie another drink!"
>Shaking your head again, you pour her one more glass.
"Probably shouldn't drink more than that. Remember, you've got work tomorrow."
>Giving you a glare, she quickly downs the cider.
>"Is that some kind of challenge?"
"More like a warning," you say with a laugh.
>"I can do whatever I want," she says, hiccupping in mid-sentence.
"We'll see about that when I have to wake your lazy butt up and get you off my couch and off to work."
>After she finally settles down, she starts the movie again.
>By the end of it, the whole bottle is gone, most of the rest going to Dash.



>Looking at her, she looks pretty rough, slouched out across the couch, her head lying next to your leg.
>You stand up looking back at her, turning off the TV at the same time.
"You going to be ok Dash? You're looking pretty rough."
>"Ugghhhh"
>Another one of those nights.
>You run to the supply closet and bring out a small bucket and a warm, fuzzy blanket.
>Returning to the couch, you see Rainbow flipped onto her stomach and crawled a little further forward on the couch, her face buried in a pillow.
>You lay the blanket over her and place the bucket on the floor near her head.
"I'm going to leave the bucket here if you need it, ok Dash?"
>"Uggghhhhh"
>Man, it's pretty bad to see her get like this.
>Giving her a small, encouraging rub on the back, you make your way upstairs as you hear her groan.
>Reaching your room, you set the alarm, change into your PJ's, and jump into your bed and drift off.


>After a pretty good rest, you're woken up by your alarm.
>Stretching, you make your way downstairs, through the living room with Dash still sleeping on the couch, and into the kitchen to make a small breakfast for the two of you before she has to leave for work.
>A few eggs and some toast later, you make your way back to the sleeping, snoring beast that is Dash.
>A quick look into the bucket shows that you'll have to do a little cleaning after breakfast, but it looks like she was courteous enough to only puke there.
>Turning your attention to her, you see the blanket moving up and down slowly with each breath, her face soft and relaxed compared to the usual tense nature.
"Dash, it's time to get up."
>You give her a small shake, trying to wake her.
>She starts to sleep talk.
>"Hmm, Anon? Let's just hhhmppphmm a few minutes more,"
"Come on Dash,"
>You give her another light shake.
>"Hmmmmppphhhmm,"
>Drastic times call for drastic measures you suppose.
>Readying your middle finger and thumb, you give her a small flick to the nose, instantly jolting her awake and causing her to bat your hand away.
>And man, she does not look happy.


>"What the heck was that for Anon?!"
>You give her a smirk.
"Maybe if you wouldn't have drank that much or didn't sleep so heavily, I wouldn't have to do that,"
>"Whatever, jerk,"
"Would a jerk make you breakfast before work so you wouldn't have to wake up any earlier?" you quip back.
>"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," she replies rolling her eyes at you.
>The two of you make your way to the kitchen, eating in relative quite.
>Rainbow is first to break the silence.
>"So, you doing anything later today? Want to hang out again,"
>You let out a small sigh thinking of the stuff you have to get done today, plus you want to pay a visit to Fluttershy.
>"Sorry Rainbow, got a few things I need to get done today. Don't have much time for goofing off,"
>She almost deflates at this.
>"Oh, ok. Well, I guess we can just hang out later this week then,"
>Shit, you didn't want to ruin her day.
"Hell yeah!"
>She seems to cheer up a little bit at you wanting to hang out later in the week.
>"Ok, cool. I gotta get going, so I guess I'll see you later Anon,"
>She stands up and waves at you with her wing, taking off through the window that was left open from last night.
>Guess it's time to get the cleaning done.

>After cleaning up the mess Dash made in the living room and the dishes in your kitchen, you make your way upstairs and take a quick shower.
>Debating on what exactly you wanted to do today, you absent-mindedly go to the closet and grab out the watering can.
>Filling it up in the kitchen, you make your way out the door to your little garden.
>Coming to the conclusion that you'll follow your word to Dash, Fluttershy will be your next stop after watering.
>As you move up and down the rows of vegetables, you stop at the carrots in particular.
>Looking down at them, you see a little white fuzzball pulling away at one of them, trying to get it out of the ground.
>Crouching down and inching forward, you try your best not to alert the creature to your presence.
>You give it a small rub on the head, causing it to jump in a startle.

"Hey Angel."
>He immediately backs away from your hand and points angrily at the carrot he was tugging at, stomping his foot on the ground.
>Laughing, you pluck it out of the ground and hand it to him, his greedy paws snatching it out of your hands.
>After he begins to munch on it, he gives you a small, thankful smile.
>As much as ponies tend to see Angel as a jerk, he doesn't seem to upset with you and as long as you give him what he wants, which isn't much anyways, he doesn't mess with you.
>The way you look at it, you'd rather hand over a carrot here and there willingly than end up losing a lot more due to the spite of a bunny.
>He happily bounces along behind you with his meal as you continue watering the garden, even following you inside your home.
"So Angel, is Fluttershy usually home around this time of day?"
>You figure it would be better to make sure since he tends to be around her a lot.
>He just gives you a small nod.


"Cool, you want a lift back home then? I've got a few things I need to talk to her about."
>With another small nod, you put your hand down close to the ground and let him hop on.
>Walking to Fluttershy's house, you decide to take the round-about way instead of through ponyville.
>You've learned that Angel loves the free ride as long as other ponies don't see it.
>Taking in the nice view, you lose yourself to the scenery as you lightly scratch the little furballs ears.
>A thumping feeling on your hand brings you out of your morning daze, realizing you almost walked past her house without even noticing.
>Lowering your hand, he jumps down and scampers ahead of you, pounding on the door before you're even up the drive.

>Just as you reach the doormat, the door opens up.
>"There you go Angel,"
>Fluttershy opens her eyes, lifting her head up, surprise flickering in her eyes as she sees you standing there.
>"Oh Anonymous, I didn't even notice you," the voice almost a whisper.
>Giving her a soft smile, she shift slightly in place, her head lowering again.
>"Did Angel try to take more of your carrots? I can get you some bits to pay for them,"
>You chuckle a little before giving her a warm smile.
"Don't worry about it Fluttershy, I'm just here because I wanted to talk,"
>Her cheeks tint a slight red from embarrassment.
>"Oh, I thought maybe he just tried to take your food again. Sorry," she shift slightly in the doorway making room for you to walk by.
>"Come in,"


>"I just got done making some tea if you'd like some," she offers behind you, following you to the kitchen.
>You just give a light shake of your head in response.
>Taking a seat and smelling the warm green tea in the air, you change your mind.
"Fluttershy, if you wouldn't mind, I actually would like a cup of tea, it smells wonderful,"
>You hear her let out a small laugh through the tea pot handle in her mouth before she flutters back to the table.
>Quickly setting your cup down in front of you, she flaps her wings and lands in her chair across the table.
>The two of you sit in silence, just enjoying the sounds of the animals roaming about in her home.
>You've come to realize that there really is never a boring moment here as there's always an interesting animal and its family moving through the small cottage.
>Swirling the tea, you take a small sip and slip back to when you first visited Fluttershy's cottage.
>The other ponies had told you that it did have its own 'unique' scent that might have been a little harsher than most other places.
>When you first entered your home, you had to stifle a slight gag reflex, the smells of Equestria already being a little earthier then, well, Earth, the cottage even more so.
>But after many visits to her home, the smell of Fluttershy's cottage only left a small tickle on your nose at most.

>Something snaps you out of your memories, bringing your focus back to the mare sitting in front of you.
>"Oh, uhm, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your though," Fluttershy says, pulling her head back slightly, her mane floating over one of her eyes.
>You set your cup down quickly and dismiss her worry with a quick wave.
"Oh no, I'm sorry, that was my fault. Got a little bit spacey. What was it you asked?"
>A quick glance at her cup being half empty makes you realize that you may have spaced out a little too long.
>"Oh, I was just wondering what it was you came over to talk about," she says before pausing.
>"I mean, that is if you still wanted to talk about it," her sentence begins to trail off at the end as her hair shifts slightly in front of her left eye.
>Thinking about it for a moment, you decide that it might be better to ease her into the main question about Dash that you wanted to know.
"You and Dash have been friends for quite some time right? At least I remember someone telling me that,"
>"Oh yes, we first met in flight school," she nods, "The first friend I really had."
>Just like you thought you remembered, they were close when they were younger.
"So you went to school together?"


>She takes a quick sip of her tea before replying.
>"Mhmm,"
"Did either of you have very many other friends?"
>Giving a weak smile, she looks to you instead of down at her cup, shifting her mane out of the way of her eyes.
>"Well, I'm a little shy, so I never really was interested in making too many friends, but I always felt a little bit bad for Rainbow Dash,"
>The smile turns to a more flat, forlorn look.
>"She was so nice to me and was my friend, and I think that that may have not done too well for her making friends with other students. Really, her only other friend was Gilda."
>You nod.
"Listen Fluttershy, I know it's rude to bring this kind of stuff up, but as an outsider to this world, I'd just like to know one thing."
>She looks at you curiously, a bit confused at what you're trying to get at.
>As much as you don't want to get to this part, you push yourself forward.
"Was it just because of that, or was it because other ponies didn't like Dash for her looks and style?"


>Her eyes sink and she looks down at the cup of tea for a moment before lifting her head to answer, a resolve coming over her features.
>"Rainbow Dash is a beautiful mare. Someone might tell you she isn't, but they're just too interested in the wrong things. They can't see someone for who they really are and just look at the top layer," she lets out with more force than you've ever heard before from her, her wings flapping lightly in what you could guess might be anger.
>If that's how she took that question, you're not too keen on your next one, but you push on anyways.
>Setting a hand on her shoulder, her wings settle down a bit.
"Trust me Fluttershy, I really do believe you when you say that. Dash is really beautiful and anyone who can't see past the small imperfections really needs to get a reality check,"
>With that, she calms down and takes her place back in her seat.