Soaring over the Rainbow

Spaghetti

Dusk came around and Rainbow Was just about to leave her camp site.
"I hope you have fun Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy smiled.
"Thanks, I know I will." Rainbow smiled.
Thunderstar stood near them. She had a frown facing at Rainbow, then looked away.
"Hey Star, what's the long face for? Aren't you gonna pick on me because I'm going out with Soarin again?" Rainbow asked flying up.
Thunderstar moved her bright sky blue eyes under her half closed eyelids.
"No. I won't. You're going to go have fun now, so go on."
"Oh...um, we'll okay. I'm glad you understand now."
"Yeah, at least I understand what's happening."
"What does that mean?" Rainbow asked confused.
"You're going to be late, so you better get going." Thunderstar said turning and walking away.
"...okay...then..." Rainbow Dash was still confused but flew out the door.
"Thunderstar, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked stepping up to her.
"And you said she holds the element of loyalty?! Fluttershy! Don't you see what's wrong here!?" Thunderstar yelled turning to her.
"Uh-uh-um.. No, I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean..." Fluttershy said crouching down as she was a bit intimidated by Thunderstar's anger.
"She hasn't been treating you right at all! Ever since she's been invited to hang out with those Wonderbolts, she's been completely shoving us aside! She hasn't been treating you like a true friend at all." Thunderstar lowered her head trying to take a deep breath and calm herself.
"But, this is a rare opportunity for her, she's living her dreams."
"Fluttershy, she doesn't even care anymore. Now that she's at the top, she doesn't need, nor want us anymore! She's the complete opposite of loyal of you ask me! She never wants to do any fun night things with us. No, She has to hang out with those Wonderbolts. Its not like her true friends matter anymore!" Thunderstar said upset as she paced around. Fluttershy just watched her, not knowing of anything to say.
"Just, never mind... I think I need a walk..."
Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was flying around in the cool air waiting for Soarin.
"Rainbow, hey! Sorry I took a while." Soarin said flying up to her with a smile.
"Nah, that's okay. I understand that you don't fly as fast as me."
"What?"
Rainbow Dash laughed. "You I know I'm kidding."
"Darn right you are." Soarin smiled. "So what are we doing tonight?"
"How about that little restaurant? I'm starving." Rainbow said.
"All right, sounds great, let's go, Wonderbolt trainee." Soarin said with a wink. Rainbow blushed a little and the flew out of the camp area. Thunderstar was on the ground below. She sighed deeply after hearing everything.
"Honestly, how did I think she was so cool..." Thunderstar said to herself.
Soarin and Rainbow Dash flew side by side until they got to their favorite restaurant.
The cute light pink mare was there to greet them again. "Welcome back," she smiled. "Table for two?"
"You got it." Soarin smiled.
"This way," the pink pony smiled as she walked to a nearby table.
"Our special today is our large spaghetti."
"That sounds great," Soarin and Rainbow said at the same time. The two looked at each other and blushed with a grin.
"All right, one large spaghetti coming up." and the pink mare trotted away.
Rainbow Dash noticed a picture on a mini advertisement on the table. There was a cute yellow pony with dark pink hair and a big black bow. It made Rainbow think of Fluttershy, and Thunderstar and Blossomforth...
"Hey Rainbow, you okay?" Soarin asked with a concerned look.
"What? Oh, yeah... Just thinking..."
"About what? You don't seem to happy."
Rainbow Dash sighed. "I'm not... I've been a terrible friend lately... I shouldn't hold the element of loyalty... I'm not a loyal friend at all..."
"What could possibly make you think that?"
"I've been completely forgetting about my friends, just because I had the chance to hang out with the Wonderbolts. I've shoved my friends to the side. I've been treating them so poorly lately... And I'm making their time here a waste..."
"Gosh...well, it can't be that bad."
"I promised Fluttershy I'd spend tons of time with her to help her become a better flyer. Now, I hardly even see that pony! I'm terrible!" Rainbow Dash groaned sadly as she plopped her head down on the table.
"Come on Rainbow, we all make mistakes like this. I'm sure they understand where you're coming from. I mean, I'm a really cool guy." Soarin tried to reassure. Rainbow lifted her head to him, giving him an odd look. "Yeah, I know, it's not about me. I'm sure if you tell your friends how you feel they'd forgive you."
"But what if they don't? Or what if I can't make it up to them? Why did I have to love hanging out with you so much..." Rainbow said sadly.
Soarin raised his eye brows. "Gosh, I'm sorry if I'm actually putting a wedge between you and your friends..."
"No Soarin, it's not your fault at all. It's mine. I'm the idiot who chose you over them... I feel so stupid."
"Don't feel stupid Dash. It makes sense that you'd want to hang out with me. Let's enjoy a night together and I'll come back to your site with you to help fix the problem with your friends."
"You'd...really do that..?" Rainbow started to smile.
"Yeah, I really would." Soarin gave her a big, happy smile. Rainbow grew a bigger smile back.
"Thanks Soarin... That means a lot..." Rainbow said a bit sweetly as her cheeks went pink.
Suddenly the pink waitress came back with one big plate of spaghetti. Soarin and Rainbow happily dug in until it was gone. No coincidental noodle mistakes happened which somewhat disappointed Rainbow Dash.
After filling up the two pegases ponies took a light fly into the misty, twilight sky.
"Uh, the air is perfect out here..." Rainbow said.
"Yeah, I'd love to race in it, but I don't think my belly would like that as much..." Soarin grinned.
Rainbow gave a laugh. "Mine either..."
The fly back was rather silent the rest of the way to Rainbow's site. The two landed near the building.
"Hey Rainbow, could I quick tell you something before we go in?" Soarin said lightly tapping her arm.
"I already know we passed curfew..." Rainbow said thinking that Diamond could be just behind the door.
"No, I wasn't going to say that... Um, I just want you to know how much I really like hanging out with you... not just to practice flying. I just really enjoy your company. You make anything fun. I just want you to know you're important to me as a friend and not just as a Wonderbolt reseve..."
Rainbow stood in shock. She was briefly speechless. "Y-you really feel that way..?"
Soarin smiled at her surprise. "Yes, I do. And I really hope you'll hang out with me more. You know, outside of the Wonderbolt stuff."
Rainbow blushed at his adorable grin, and bright green eyes that sparkled in the light of the stars above them. Rainbow Dash looked away trying to grasp this in her head. She was more than shocked when Soarin took a hoof to her jawline in such a gentle mannerism. Rainbow looked back in his bright eyes. "You okay?"
"Y-yeah... I'm... I really need to go talk to Fluttershy."
"Right. Do you still want my company?"
"Um..."
"If you're more comfortable keeping me out of it I completely understand."
"Yeah, but...um...Maybe I do want you to stick around..."
Soarin upped his smile. "Okay, then I will."
Rainbow mirrored his smile back. "Thanks..."
Rainbow Dash led the way inside and thankfully Diamond wasn't in sight. Especially to see a stallion in the room. The first pony to see them was Fluttershy.
"Rainbow?" She questioned more towards the consern of Soarin there.
"Hey Fluttershy, I really need to talk to you..."
"Oh, um, with Soarin?"
Rainbow turned to her favorite stallion. "Would you actually wait outside the room for just a second..?"
"Of course not. I'm only here if you need anything." He smiled as he backed out the bedroom door and closed it.
"Ugh, I hate to ask him out of the room, but this needs to be more private a moment..."
"Rainbow, what's this about?" Fluttershy asked.
"It's about me running off with Soarin..."
Fluttershy gasped. "Oh no Dashie, you didn't did you?"
"What..? Oh, no. No, Fluttershy, no. I meant more so that I keep running off with him and leaving you, one of my best friends behind... I'm horible..."
"But Rainbow Dash, I understand. I know how much you like Soarin and follow in the lines of the Wonderbolts. This is good for you. I'm here to be a support, not to hold you back..."
"But Fluttershy, I'm not really accomplishing anything when I keep ditching you for a stallion. Sure he means everything to me but really, I love you more. I've treated you like dirt since we got here..."
"No you haven't. You stood up for me on the first day. Any non-true friend wouldn't have done that." Fluttershy smiled.
"Yeah? And any true friend wouldn't ditch you, even for...for Soarin..."
"Rainbow Dash, I know how special he is to you. Besides, I am become a better flyer here. And it's good for me to practice without you. Sure it's hard when I'm not in the comforts of a close friend, but that's what builds strength. I need to do things like that on my own. And you need private time for your relationships. I mean, having a man in your life is good. I'd hate to risk you loosing that."
"Are you even upset at all that I ditch on you? Even though you understand it?"
"Well I do feel a bit low sometimes, but I need more independence. Trust me, this is all good. But I do feel better that you talked to me to make sure I'm okay with it."
"But are you really?"
"Yes, I am. Now go get Soarin."
"Oh, right," Rainbow said going for the door. "But are you really sure?"
"Yes, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy reassured.