Soaring over the Rainbow

Pieces Together

"You don't mean it, do you?" Apple Jack asked.
"Well I don't know. Don't you wanna know where your flying friends are?" Thunderstar asked.
"Well sure, but what about the other three?"
"They seem pretty distracted anyway. We won't be long."
"How do you know?" A.J. asked sternly.
"Because I know where ponies go went they're an emotional train wreck."
"Pardon?"
"Just come with me. Let's just say I know where Rainbow is."
"For sure?" A.J. said walking along with her.
"Not exactly but close enough. Pick up your feet. It's bad enough you can't fly."
"Well excuse me for being born an earth pony."
To Apple Jack's surprised, Thunderstar laughed a little. "I kinda dig those mannerisms of yours. I've never actually met an earth pony before."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I don't meet a lot of ponies. But maybe I should, you seem compatable."
"You sayin' you wanna be friends?"
"I dunno." Thunderstar said quickly going back to a flatter tone.
Apple Jack decided to say nothing and kept up following her out of the camp site.

"Fluttershy! Are you nuts!?" Rainbow yelled.
"No, I'm serious." Fluttershy spoke gently the first time since she appeared before Rainbow Dash.
"I can't go down there and tell Soarin I love him."
"Yes you can."
"But I'll get rejected. I know it. I'm only interesting to him at all because I'm a flyer."
"Rainbow," Soarin said appearing in the air next to her.
"Eehhck, Soarin." Rainbow freaked.
"You really think I only like you because you can fly?" His eyes turned sad.
"Um..." Rainbow peeped out.
"Maybe your not as full of yourself as you carry on to be..." Fluttershy said.
"Can we just stop talking about my problems please?" Rainbow buried her face in her hooves. "I need to go think." Neither Soarin nor Fluttershy could say anything to her before she flew off to a cloud to pout on.
"Guess we should leave her alone for awhile..." Soarin said.
"Yeah, she's got a lot going on."
"I know, and I feel like I'm only making her problems worse... she doesn't even think I like her..."
"She's just insecure about it because of how much she likes you." Fluttershy smiled.
"What do you mean? How much does she like me?"
"You could always ask her yourself."
"Are you sure I wouldn't annoy her?"
"I don't think so. You guys need to talk about it."
"About what? What are you getting at?"
"You know what I'm getting at," Fluttershy said almost into a laugh.
"Is everything between you and her okay?"
"I hope so. I thought I explained myself pretty well. She's got a lot of mixed feelings right now, so I understand if it takes her awhile."
"Yeah... I really think I should tell her something. Something that might actually help her mixed feelings..."
"Then go tell her."
Soarin let out a nervous laugh. "But it's not just anyth-"
"Go tell her right now. She needs to hear it."
"But-"
"Go on already, she's waiting."
Soarin sighed in defeat. "All right, I'm going to her."
Soarin flew up slowly to the cloud Rainbow sat on as he took several long breaths on his way to her. He viewed her over before lightly landing on the cloud. Rainbow Dash heard him but ignored it.
"Rainbow, girl...is it okay if I talk to you? Right now?"
"Just say what you want to say." Rainbow said mopy.
"Okay... but it won't be easy..." Soarin waited for her to say something or at least turn around but she was sealed. "Rainbow... I've really come to like you as a pony. Not as much a flyer. I mean, I'm always impressed by your flying, but I'm more moved by... by your laugh, your different smiles, that spark in your eyes when you're excited about something. I even love you at your low states... like, right now I guess. I can see you are truly a caring pony. And that's one I want in my life. A fun, adventurous pony to care about me so I can care about her..."
"Soarin..." Rainbow said finally turning around. "What on earth are you saying?"
Soarin dropped his eyes but then looked back up at her as his cheeks filled pink. "I'm saying I love you, I want you. I want you to be my very special some pony... I really love you..."
Rainbow's face flushed as her ability to speak left her larynx. She just stared into those glowing, green eyes. Those glowing, green eyes that she wanted to stare at forever.
"Really..?" She said in almost a whisper.
"Yes Rainbow Dash. I love you more than anything. You're my dream pony. A beautiful dare-devil with a secret big heart. I love everything about you."
"There's no way..." Rainbow hushed.
"It's true. I'm in love with you Rainbow Dash... I...hope this doesn't mean rejection..."
"What?! No! Soarin, I love you! I love you too. Ugh. I've had feelings for a long time and they'd only feel stronger every time I see you. I honestly hate it because I don't understand what's happening to me anymore... but even Fluttershy says it's just because I'm in love with you..."
Soarin smiled the sweetest smile at her. "That makes sense. I've never seen you so emotional before... but I'll admit it's attractive to me..."
"All right stop. This is too much at once."
"You...believe me, right?" Soarin asked still smiling.
"I... I think so... you sounded serious."
"I was..." Soarin said stepping closer. "I meant every word. Even the shaky nervous ones." He said sitting down in front of her.
"So that's still every word..." Rainbow grew a big smile. Soarin gave a light smirk. "Yeah whatever. But you believe it?"
"It honestly sounds a little too good to be true kinda thing..." Rainbow said looking away.
"Well I'll make it so good that it is true." He said lightly taking his hoof to her chin. Rainbow's heart was suddenly racing at his touch.
"It don't understand." Rainbow said referring to everything exploding inside of her.
"I'll explain..." Soarin said leaning in. His eyes slowly shut as his lips ever so lightly touched hers. He only pressed them against hers so much then pulled away slowly.
Rainbow looked in his eyes like she was about to cry but suddenly grew a big smile. She turned her head away, embarrassed. Soarin smiled at her blushing cheeks and rare, shy smile.
"You have to believe me now..." Soarin smiled.
Rainbow laughed. "Yes, I believe you Soarin..." she met her eyes with his and saw something beautiful. A magic she's never seen before. She felt a rush of pure happiness that flushed away all confusion in her mind. She couldn't help but smile bigger at him. She felt like she was smiling too big and she stuffed her face in his chest. Soarin smiled bigger too and rubbed his face in her hair. Soarin wanted to stay like that forever but Rainbow pulled away.
"I have to get back to Fluttershy."
"That's great..." Soarin said softly. Rainbow looked very shy before kissing his forehead and flying back to Fluttershy who was waiting on her own cloud. She smiled to Rainbow Dash as she approched her.
"Fluttershy, I'm going to fix things. I promise. I will make this up to you. I was foolish, and not living up to my element. Love really screws you up." Rainbow sat on the cloud with her. "It's the worst, best thing I've ever felt."
Fluttershy smiled. "I appreciate it Rainbow Dash. You're already doing better. Do you still wanna go back to camp? Our friends are waiting there."
"Yeah, I do."
Fluttershy laughed. "And by friends I mean our friends from Ponyville. They came to visit us..."
"What? Really?! Oh man, and I wasn't even there..." Rainbow spoke softer.
"It's okay Rainbow Dash, I actually totally ditched them to come talk to you. It was really rude actually... I didn't say anything to them..."
"Guess you see where I'm coming from in a way then..." Rainbow said with an awkward smile. Fluttershy gave her a reassuring one.
"Let's get Soarin and go see our friends."
Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Soarin flew back to camp together to see Apple Jack and Thunderstar on their way out.
"Where are they going together?" Rainbow asked. The three flew down and landed in front of them.
"Fluttershy..." Thunderstar said in shock.
"Rainbow Dash." A.J. added.
"I'm sorry for flying off like I did," Fluttershy started. "I needed to work things out with Rainbow Dash."
"I told them you needed time alone." Thunderstar said.
"I guess that was somewhat true, thank you. But you need to understand Rainbow too..."
Thunderstar frowned at her and said nothing. Rainbow Dash stepped up before Fluttershy could say anything.
"Thunderstar, you've got it right to hate me and think I'm a bad pony. I was, I was acting like one anyway. I was taken away by mixed feelings that I didn't understand or know how to respond to. I've never had a problem like this so I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry that I haven't been acting like a friend to any pony...besides...Soarin... love made me do stupid things... and I truly want to fix this..."
Thunderstar glared at her a while but thought it over. She lightened her scowl but not enough to smile.
"So... you're really...into love?" Apple Jack asked Rainbow.
Rainbow Dash turned red. "Y-yeah..." Soarin smiled at her.
Thunderstar looked at Fluttershy and she gave her a look of plead. Thunderstar dropped her eyes quickly, then looked back up to Apple Jack. "Well, we found Fluttershy and figured out stuff so let's head back."
"Sounds good. We better find Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie." A.J. said.
"Gosh, I wish all this didn't happen when you guys came to visit." Rainbow said.
"Hey, it was perfect. We're your friends, we solve friendship problems together. We came at just the right time." A.J. reassured.
Rainbow smiled. "Thanks Apple Jack..."