Rainbow Dash sat in the waiting room outside Celestia’s private chamber. For some reason, today it felt different. When she had been summoned here alone, right after the defeat of Nightmare Moon, she had been proud, even a little smug. Today, she couldn’t stop the shaking in her hands. Today was September 27th, her eighteenth birthday. But Princess Celestia had not summoned her so suddenly for that. Yesterday, she had given Dusk a full confession of Gilda’s crimes back in Fight School. Yesterday, she had admitted her feelings for Dusk. Yesterday, Gilda had defiled Dusk’s magic with that silver ring, the same silver ring now in a tightly sealed leather pouch in her lap. She still remembered the way the tears soaked his cheeks as he drew on some magic to put a sealing spell on the knot of the bag, ensuring it could never be opened by anyone weaker than him. He had refused to admit it, but she had seen him straining against the pain caused by those deep gouging wounds in his horn.

Today, she faced Princess Celestia’s judgement for keeping Gilda’s secrets for so long. A powerful hand wrapped around her two fidgeting ones, the voice that joined it was tender, if dry. “Calm down, Dashie. Princess Celestia’s justice may be strict at times, but it is always fair. And I’m here, we will get through this, together.” She wasn’t alone. Rainbow Blitz’s strong grip brought that back to reality, and calmed some of her fears.

The calming presence of Blitz's hands and voice was interrupted, as the two stallions on duty before Princess Celestia’s private chamber suddenly snapped to attention, the doors between them opening. Dash couldn’t help but look up, to see who had been with the princess before her, even this early in the day. The leathery bat wings and simple style of dress told a better story than any name badge, but Dash’s trained memory for observing things made her account for every button on her shirt and the way she brushed her hair. Stepping forward while shoving a rolled up parchment under her arm, the mare walked straight to Dash and Blitz, offering a small smile. “The Princess will see you now.”

Unable to help herself, Dash stood up and gave the bat pegasus a grin in return. “I remember you, you were with Princess Luna when she came to look in on Applejack’s harvest.”

The mare had started to turn to walk away but pulled up short, arching an eyebrow high. “Oh my, impressive. A good eyesight and a keen mind. Maybe I should have fought him harder for you.” When Dash’s confused expression bloomed wide, the mare laughed and turned to walk off, calling warmly back over her shoulder. “If they let you go, consider writing me. Your stallion friend knows how to get in contact with me. I could always use a mare with good eyes.”

Confused, but memorizing every facet of the mare, from the way she walked, to the small battle scars that she wore with pride, Dash remembered the keen hint of her phrasing, and shivered. “If they let you go.” But she had no time to dread over that possibility. Stepping up in front of her father and clutching the small leather pouch close, she stepped into Princess Celestia’s sitting room.

“I don’t see any reason to recall her. You said her report made it clear that the Emperor doesn’t care, and the mollen is no blood relative of his. Everything she taught me about their politics and power plays shows it has made their ambassador weaker in his eyes. But mother? It shouldn’t change a thing about what they think of her.” Shining armor stood at Princess Celestia’s desk, the two pouring over a rather heavy tome. Even Rainbow Dash could sense the thick magic pouring from the book. Oddly, it reminded her of the tingle she felt every time Barb sent a letter to the princess for Dusk.

Princess Celestia was… radiant in the glow of morning sunlight. Her room must have been planned for just this reason, the open balcony facing the rising morning sun. Wearing a simple, yet pure white silken dress, Dash realized the goddess needed no jewelry, a beam of sunlight on her radiant ethereal hair did the same job, and left Dash feeling dazzled, leaving faint after-images of brilliant hues in Dash’s vision. Looking up, and flashing a brief smile to the pair as they entered, the princess turned to look at her captain, giving him a smile in turn. “Very well. If that is settled, let’s move on to the next item on our agenda.” She paused only long enough for him to nod before turning to face Dash again, her voice calm but very serious now. “Rainbow Dash. I have read my student’s report. I have also read his apology, his confession, and his application for equal punishment. I have even read his research paper on how he would apply what he has learned these past two days to prevent a future scene, such as the one that happened yesterday in Ponyville. I have seen your confession, and the transcript of Gilda’s crimes. Can you justify why you did not reveal them all to me when I offered you her pardon?”

Standing at full attention, Dash winced at that question. But she had expected it, she knew that it was coming. Clutching the bag in her hands tighter, she felt that odd blob of magic in the knot digging into her palm, reminding her of Dusk. Leveling her gaze on the princess, she shook her head, at last forcing herself to find her voice. “I… I can not, your Majesty. I was a foolish mare who had been offered a chance to see her first lover again. I can only throw myself at your feet and beg that your justice does not take me away from my real friends.”

Shining Armor had a look in his eyes, it was bugging Dash from the second he had turned to look at her. She recognized it, yet she wasn’t sure what it really was. When she stepped forward, a hand extended, she tried to study it closer, it reminded her… “Dusk’s eyes. When he was trying to tell us not to bother, to leave him behind during Nightmare Moon’s endless night. Determination.” She was sure of it now, but what had made the stallion think that way? Stepping forward, he offered a hand out to her. “The ring?”

Dash swallowed, but put the leather pouch into Shining’s outstretched palm, her voice soft. “He put a knot spell on it. Said only you or the princess should be able to open it up again. Even showed me it was safe by trying to cut the pouch open with a knife. It ended up breaking when Applejack tried to cut it open on her turn.”

Both serious figures had to smile at that short story. Shining’s pale white horn began to glow a soft rose hue, while the pouch’s knotted strings took on that familiar raspberry hue of Dusk’s own magic. A few seconds of silence passed before the captain frowned, his lower lip curling into his teeth. He then proceeded to bite down on his lip while focusing in frustration. Just as the princess turned to look at him, there was a small shattering feeling of the magic breaking, and the stallion blushed, stammering an apology. “I- err, sorry, Princess. He must have been practising this spell lately. I couldn’t unlock it, so I had to break it.”

Rather than be annoyed, Celestia held out her hand for the pouch, smiling gently at her guard. “I think we now know the outcome of Dusk’s checkup today. Now you won’t have to wait half the day outside my door for his letter to arrive, will you?” When he blushed, she grinned wider, accepting the ring as he poured it from the pouch into her hand. Unadorned, the silver ring was hardly polished, and the inside groove still held faint purple scrapings of ‘dust’. Gilda’s keystone had been easy enough to find, but the crude cut of the ring and the violence of her application of it had left Dusk with an unsightly scar running the length of his horn. The princess inspected it for several minutes in silence before passing it back to Shining. “Give it to Silken. Her network is better setup for this kind of matter. No word of it until the smith is found.” She was silent as he offered a nod, only to look back at Dash and then Blitz. “You are old enough. Were you at the battle, the Night of the Red Sun?”

At once, both shocked and honored, Blitz stepped forward, smiling to the princess. “I was, your majesty. At that time, I was second lieutenant of the Wonderbolts. I lead the first wing in the counter raid.”

Shifting a little, Celestia looked deeper into the stallion’s eyes, searching for something before relaxing, and sitting down on her plush chair. Waving to the guards standing inside her door, she spoke with a lingering exhaustion. “Do you think I did the right thing? I remember consulting so many of my advisers leading up to that day. I might have even asked you, former 2nd lieutenant.”

The guards she had signaled were suddenly placing two deep and heavy chairs before the princess’ desk, signaling them to sit. Shining Armor had left with the ring while they talked, and the two guards were soon out of sight. Realizing this, Dash and Blitz sat, daughter now enthralled by her father's war record, father remembering a past long gone. “You did, Princess. Even promoted me a week after the war was done. Made me the youngest full-captain in the Wonderbolts. You said it was because I brought everyone back alive, but I wasn’t responsible for that, it was only thanks to how you-.”

Celestia raised her hand, and the old man stopped talking. “I remember now. You tried to refuse the medal. Said your wing deserved it far more than you did. Was that really thirty years ago?” When Blitz gave her a nod, the princess shook her head. “Dash. before that one day war, the griffon’s raids had become unacceptable. We were losing food, workers, and friends. I had to make a choice that day. But no matter how many keen minds I asked, the answer was the same. A war. And many deaths. In the years since, the griffons have respected our border, though we have kept a stronger guard on it than ever before. I’ll ask you what I’ve asked a hundred people before that day. Was the death of a few thousand griffon’s and twenty pagasi worth it?”

Suddenly on the spot, Dash’s eyes went wide. So deep a question, so serious a matter! Fidgeting in her seat, she looked up to the goddess, and mauled over the idea in her mind. An answer spoke up, the only one she could accept. And she gave it. “I was not there, Princess, but I can see it only one way. If you had hesitated any longer, their raids might have discovered your plan, and the loss of life in Equestria could have been far worse. I’ve read the history in Flight School, and I can’t see any better answer. A few died to prevent a war from killing far more. Justified? It’s brutal and sad. But I think you made the best choice.”

Smiling quietly to herself, Celestia gave a nod, and snapped a quill from her inkpot, scribbling rapidly at the bottom of the paper before her. “Then we are finished here. This is your sentence. I expect you to serve it willingly.”

Tossing streamers towards the balcony, Pinkie’s practised arc made decorating a quick, easy, and chaotic job. While there was no real style to her design, the colorful array of streamers made for quite an eyeful for anypony who entered city hall. “You know… someone should really make a decoration launcher, like some way of just making an explosion of decorating happen all at once!” Muttering to herself and amused at the idea, Pinkie took a minute to notice Fluttershy’s silent arrival.

Enthralled by Pinkie’s dance of decorating, she stood silent for a minute, simply watching the way her friend worked. As she leaned over against the doorframe of Town Hall, Pinkie began to string up the banner, words in towering blue type, hued like Dash’s feathers, read out “Happy 18th Birthday, Rainbow Dash!” with the center of the a’s, b’s, d’s, p’s, the o and the r as well as the 8 were all colored in to match Dash’s hair. Upon reading it, Fluttershy couldn’t help herself, grinning widely she murmured, “Aww!!!”

Pinkie paused, a silly grin spreading wide as she gave a rapid wave to her friend. “Hi, Fluttershy! I’m almost done, just give me two quick minutes!” Hopping off where she hung from one balcony, she rolled with her landing, her tail’s fluffy mass snatching up the string for the other side of the banner. With surprising ease, she climbed up to the other balcony, lashing strings into place to properly support the banner. Teetering backwards, she let go, dropping to the ground and bracing herself for the landing, and again rolling with her impact to soften the blow. Popping up to her feet and flashing Fluttershy yet another grin, she clapped her hands together, strolling to her friends side. “Ok! What can I do for you, Fluttershy?”

Impressed with Pinkie’s clowning around, Fluttershy grinned warmly and gave the mare a soft round of applause. “Way to go, Pinkie! You were great!” As soft spoken as she was, Pinkie blushed at the ‘boisterous’ cheer. Realizing that Pinkie was still waiting for an answer, Fluttershy blushed, taking a step forward. “Oh, right sorry. Um… you see, that is to say, if you don’t mind, Rarity wanted you to be there for Dusk’s horn exam, to show support. If… um… if you’re done here, that is.”

Laughing at Fluttershy’s continued stammering and polite phrasing, Pinkie wrapped her up in a hug, planting a kiss on the mare’s cheek. “Sure, Fluttershy! That’s a great idea! Should we go now? I’ve got things finished here until the food and drinks arrive.”

Shocked at Pinkie’s affectionate attention, Fluttershy half collapsed into her hug, but smiled as she gave a nod, turning to walk back towards town. “That’s great, Pinkie! Let’s go now, his appointment is right away.” Her arm wrapping around Pinkie’s hips, Fluttershy found herself enjoying Pinkie’s hug, and was glad when Pinkie moved her hand to mimic the soft grip on her own hip. Walking together with arms crossed over one another’s back, ‘Shy nuzzled against the top of Pinkie’s head, releasing a happy coo.

Dusk lay in silence on the cold metal exam table. Something about the way the sterile metal beneath his bare back bled away the screaming pain that still emanated from his horn. Once again, Dr Horse and Nurse Redheart leaned in, the magnifying plate having been set up to help highlight the deep scar in his horn’s keratin, running from a starting point an inch from the base to the very tip on the underside.

Dr. Horse picked up the sanitary swab, applying the black-brown solution to the tip before using a soft touch to drag it over the scar from the tip to the base in three slow applications. Dusk was shocked, realizing that this did not hurt, but instead helped to numb the aching pain in his horn. Releasing a sigh and letting his eyes roll back in his head, while his jaw went slack.

That tiny sigh made both doctor and head nurse freeze up for a moment, waiting to make sure he would go still. “Dusk, you need to hold as still as possible. I am going to apply a kind of glue to your horn, to seal off the exposed veins. It should reduce the pain you’re feeling, but it can cause numbness in the horn, and occasionally it does cause a loss of magic power.”

The doctor’s words had a chilling effect, forcing him to act. Dusk pulled one hand to cup the doctor’s closest arm, squeezing his wrist. “Then don’t. I can live with the pain if necessary. I need my magic, it is what I do, it is who I am. It is my special talent and my cutie mark. That black liquid took the pain away, can’t you continue to use that?”

A look of worry was impossible to hide at Dusk’s suggestion. Dr Horse winced, and put down the swab in his hand, looking to the younger stallion’s eyes in hopes of getting how serious this matter was across to him. “I understand your fear, Dusk, but you should know already: horns don’t heal. Even in the rarest of cases where they do, the pain of having so many exposed nerves drives even the strongest stallion mad. We don’t have to do this today, but pain killers won’t work forever. The longer you put this off, the stronger your bodies tolerance for the painkillers will get.” He paused, looking to Nurse Redheart for some support.

Her hand slipped to squeeze Dusk’s own, while she looked into his eyes in turn when Dr. Horse pulled away, yet rather than support his word, she smiled quietly to herself, and shook her head. “I’d tell you to think about Scootaloo, Dusk, but I can see it would be a waste of our time. Talk to Rarity about it, she might be the best support you can have for something this dangerous. I think I know why you’re saying no, but please consider it. Until then, I’ll fill out a script for painkillers.” When the doctor took a step back, arching a brow high, she offered him a shrug. “He marched into the Everfree Forest with bruised ribs and a dislocated shoulder, doctor. I don’t think anything we say could convince him better than a week dealing with the pain.”

Giving a snort, the doctor put a hand on Dusk’s shoulder, giving him a squeeze. “Alright, but you’re going to have to learn to keep it clean and sanitary. Nurse Redheart, make sure to include sanitary swabs and cleaning alcohol, we don’t want something to fester in the wound.”

Applejack and Rarity leaned against one another outside of the operating room, AJ’s fingers continued to stroke in a slow roaming path across the older mare’s ribcage. It had stopped her quiet sobbing and simply felt good to continue over the last twenty minutes since he had gone in alone. A question had been bugging her, and at last, she simply had to ask. “Sugarcube, I’ll admit I’m a little ignorant. I get that horns channel your magic and all, but if I break my fingernail, and I give it a few weeks and a good cleaning every day, and the nail grows back and heals up. Are horns this sensitive?”

Looking up to Applejack, Rarity shook her head, curling into her younger lover’s arms while she folded her hands over one another to keep them busy. “It’s… There's more to it, AJ. The truth is, unless you’re very lucky and are a descendant of Princess Celestia, horns don’t grow back. As far as I know, she has only ever had four children, and their family tree’s are very carefully guarded secrets. That said, Dusk is not one of her children.” When Applejack stiffened up, Rarity put a finger to her lips, preventing her from talking. “His family tree is very old, I was bored one day and researched it back. In over fifteen hundred years his ancestors have never come close to one of Princess Celestia’s known children.”

Applejack relented, relaxed and gave a soft nod. “And he bleeds magic, not a wonder why you two are so scared, and now I am too…” Falling silent for a moment, she shook her head, then gave Rarity a soft kiss on her horn, smiling at the way it made her shiver. “So, what, it’s painkillers?” Rarity gave her a small nod, curling into her side and pulling her knees up against her chest. “Don’t worry, hun. You said the glue rarely costs a unicorn their magic, so if we need to, we-”

The door before them opened, and alone, Dusk stepped out, still straightening his pale white dress shirt's collar. Pausing as the mares looked up, he offered them a smile and stepped forward, holding his hands out to the mares. “We decided to give it a few days. Never know, maybe my blood is a little more blue than history thinks.”

Stepping through the door with Nurse Redheart, Pinkie and Fluttershy each carried a small bag. Offering Dusk a clipboard, she pointed to the bags. “One month’s supply of the liquid painkiller. One months supply of rubbing alcohol. Two hundred individually-wrapped sanitary cotton swabs. Signature?”

Accepting the board and quill, Dusk did as asked, offering the nurse a half smile. “Thank you for smoothing things over with the doctor. If I find some other solution in my research, can I trust you to help?”

Rolling her eyes, Redheart gave a sigh. “And when you give up, will you at least let me perform the operation? You’ve pulled off enough miracle's this year, Dusk.” Rather than wait for Dusk’s answer she swept off, muttering quietly.

Stepping up to his side, Fluttershy looked up, inspecting the thin line of black liquid that had dried into the scratch in his horn. “Isn’t that essence of Blood Tulip? Is the pain that bad, Dusk?” Normally quiet, the mare sniffed at the air while inspecting his horn, her own concerned look a deep frown.

Shaking his head, Dusk offered her a smile, speaking softly. “It is under control Fluttershy. But, your concern is very ki-”

Pinkie stepped forward and interrupted him, her arms wrapping around Fluttershy’s hips, keeping low to avoid rubbing the bruise on her ribcage from the day before. “I’m sorry, Dusk, but I have to ask, will you be able to come to Dash’s birthday party? I have town hall all set up, but if your headaches are that bad, you could wait for the end of the night. I’ll make Dash come visit you on her way home so you don’t have to deal with all the noise…”

Wrapping an arm around Rarity’s hips as she stepped up to his side, Dusk shook his head at the still bubbly, yet warmly concerned way Pinkie tried to offer help. “I’ll come to the party, Pinkie. I’ve reviewed the rules for this medication and I’m allowed alcohol, so a few drinks might help, and if they don’t I can always go sit in the balcony to get away from the noise.”

As he hugged her, Rarity smiled, and leaned up to lightly kiss Dusk’s horn. “I got the items you requested with Barb’s help. Her gifts are all in order, as well. Just let me know when you need some quiet or a back massage, okay?”

Dusk was shocked, the thrilling shiver that rippled through his body as Rarity’s lips touched his horn made him weak in the knees for a moment. Groaning out a happy sigh he nuzzled her cheek in return, flashing her his warm smile. “Keep that up, and I’ll ask for more than just a massage.”

With some of the tension dissipating, Dusk lifted his free arm, cocking a finger at Pinkie. “Care to walk with me, Pinkie Pie? I wanted to talk about what you and Dash said yesterday.”

Befuddled, Pinkie stepped in on Dusk’s other side, curling into his body and slipping a hand into the hair of his tail, teasingly stroking through the tail hair while humming softly to herself. “What? Did we bring something up yesterday?” Giggling to herself she winked over at Rarity under his other arm.

Rarity tittered as Pinkie attempted to play coy, “Oh my, Dusk. It appears we might have misunderstood what Pinkie said. And here I thought you might have a chance to at least take some silly young mare out for dinner. If she isn’t interested in a free meal with a handsome stallion, I’ll just let Fluttershy join him for dinner instead.”

Shocked, Fluttershy whimpered, slowing her pace and falling behind the group as they walked out of the clinic. Leaning against the doorframe, she closed her eyes, breathing deeply and trying to calm the rapid, light and fluttery feeling in her heart.

Applejack put a hand on the mare’s shoulder, squeezing down with her powerful grip. “You alright, sugarcube? I don’t think she was serious, we were gonna offer you the same opportunity is all. Rarity thinks it’d do you some good.”

Whimpering as she realized she wasn’t alone, before quickly slipping into Applejack’s arms, nuzzling into her chest, openly whimpering and shivering in her arms. “Oh, Applejack! I-.. I just... “ She fell silent and clung close to her taller, stronger friend, shivering and whimpering in near silence.

Tenderly stroking at the frightened mare’s hair, she attempted to soothe her with gently spoken and reassuring words “It’s ok. If you tell Rarity no, she would never make you do something you're uncomfortable with. Besides, with everything that’s happened of late, there's no question things have been moving fast.”

Relaxing under AJ’s hands, she flushed, smiling up at the tall farmhand, nodding once. “Maybe in a few months when things are calmer? Do you think mistress will understand?”

Applejack laughed and lightly tapped Fluttershy’s nose, grining down to her and nodding. “I’m sure Rarity will sympathize. Things have been hectic lately. Maybe after Dash’s birthday tonight, things will finally calm down for us.”

A hand overturned the pages of notes collected on the desk, the mare sniffling once as she shook her head. “Not a single note. No hint or clue at all. Why does he have to make it so hard!” Frustrated, the book was hurled at a nearby wall, the mare collapsing to her knees and sobbing for a moment, losing herself for a moment in overwhelming despair. The sudden sound from downstairs- a key unlocking the door- made her freeze up, panic welling up again. Reaching out, she found a single stallion was entering her range. She could…

Shining Armor slipped his key back into his pocket, looking around Dusk’s observatory for a moment before shaking his head. “A good thing you wrote me, brother, this place is in no shape for a mare to visit, even if it is only for a night.” Shuffling a pile of books left in a stack by the door, Shining laughed gently to himself. “You’ve always been a bit of a mess, Dusk. You’re lucky Barb does such a good job looking after you.”

Walking up the staircase, silently itemizing things to have cleaned, fixed, or moved, he never noticed he was not alone until the creek of wood behind him on the steps echoed through the silent house. Snapping around and rushing to the staircase, Shining Armor caught a faint hint of a mare rushing down the stairs and around the corner, out of sight. The sound of rapid footsteps in flight, rushing across the main floor and the bang of the front door being thrown open. Shocked at the intrusion, Shining Armor lept over the balcony, summoning his shield sphere beneath his feet, using it to absorb the impact of his fall before bolting towards the open door. Outside, he found no footsteps, and except for a brisk wind blowing across the empty school campus, the guard captain saw no sign of whoever had been with him.

Saturdays in Ponyville could be boring for a filly with few friends, and Scootaloo sat against the fence by the school, tapping her foot nervously in the dirt while she watched the sky, waiting for any sign of Rainbow Dash’s return. “Why’d they let her go alone? Couldn’t someone have gone along… I know Dusk’s hurt, but I’d have gone along.”

Looking around the open field, the sight of a few other fillies playing catch with a ball made her stop and wonder once more: What was it that made it so hard to go say hi, and ask if she could join in? But soon, the light, tittering laughter of a familiar classmate made that line of thought uncomfortable. Diamond Tiara was directing the small game, and even as Scoots looked over the other girls, she felt those eyes watching her in return, sending a chill down her spine.

Suddenly, the group turned, and while Scootaloo couldn't hear what the other fillies were saying, the realization that they were all heading her way gave Scootaloo the impression something was about to happen. Balling her hands into fists and standing taller, she puffed her chest out, and leveled her eyes on the violet-haired filly. Calling to her as they came closer, Tiara’s eyes were hungry. “Oh, Scootaloo! What you doing here alone? Is there something you're waiting for?”

Tightening up, Scootaloo twisted her gaze away from Tiara’s, her mind wandering back to the way Gilda had attacked her in this very same spot only two days ago. Pulling her head up, she flashed a grin, before offering the other fillies a shrug. “Well, it depends on Rainbow Dash. We have our workouts, you see. And today, I was hoping she’d help me get a grip on clouds. After she used one to fend off that griffon, Gilda, who wouldn’t want to know more about how she did that, right?”

From the crowd, Aura stepped forward, her own eyes bright. “You’re so right, Scootaloo! And you're lucky, too, as a pegasus, you can really touch clouds.” Pouting a little, she looked at the other girls in the crowd, shaking her head. “All of you are lucky.” For a moment, the three other fillies all appeared to beam for a moment at the way the mayor’s daughter gave them attention. A gentle stroke to the ego really went a long way.

Scootaloo saw her opening and took it, stepping forward before Diamond could react, smiling up to Aura and offering her a grin. “Oh, come on! You gotta admit, being an earth pony is pretty great. Have you seen Applejack? She can pull a cart with twenty barrels of apples and not even break a sweat! I wish I was half as strong.”

As Aura and Scootaloo giggled, Diamond Tiara fell back from the crowd as the conversation turned to other impressive things they had seen adults in town manage. Her moment lost, she turned to Silver Spoon, pouting. “It’s like they don’t realize she’ll never fly.” When Spoon gave an indifferent shrug, Tiara huffed, turning and walking away. “Let’s go back to my place, Daddy said we were getting a new shipment of dresses in sometime this afternoon, maybe we can try to look fabulous like Rarity.” And so, obsessed with her own amusement, Tiara went back to her home with Spoon following suit.

It took a few displays to get the girls to take her seriously, but now Scootaloo looked over the line. Aura and three others stood back to back, while Scootaloo took a moment to make sure they weren’t too far apart. Then turning to face away from them, she lifted her hands and bent her knees. For a moment, even the chatty fillies went quiet while Scootaloo closed her eyes, bent her knees and then, she leapt. At the highest point of her arc, Scootaloo shot her wings out as wide as she could manage and beat them furiously in the air, the whole time sailing over their heads, soaring high over the heads of her classmates. Struggling to keep her flight level due to the distance she was attempting to travel.

Impacting heavily on her right foot, the impact pressure was more than she prepared for, causing her to stumble a few feet, beating her wings as she struggled to get her balance back. She was proud of the fact that she had managed this long jump, crossing over nearly twelve feet in the process. But the real shocker was the sound of clapping, not from one of the other files but rainbow Dash herself, who hovered just over the gathered girls. Shocked to realize that Dash had suddenly arrived while she was busy showing off, Scootaloo blushed and looked away, biting down on her own lip, but Dash’s words pulled her attention back up again. “Way ta go kiddo! You really are continuing to improve! Need to work on beating your wings evenly so you land with better balance, but otherwise, you’re doing a fantastic job.”

Nervous and embarrassed, Scootaloo lifted a hand to scratch through her own hair and shuffled her feet, but she was delighted by the attention before the other girls. Aura stepped quickly up to Dash’s side as she landed, unabashed, she held her hand out. “Mother said you were going to see the princess, I can see under your arm, you have parchment from her majesty. Can I see it? Or is it private?”

Shocked at how forward the filly was, Dash looked down at the letter tucked into her armpit, shaking her head a little and offering a shrug before holding it out to the young girl. “It’s long, and a bit boring, but the short story is I’ve gotta start unpaid classes here at Ponyville’s school teaching flight classes, as well as gym for you girls.”

Pausing as she started to unfold the letter, Aura’s jaw dropped, her own bangs falling heavily over her eyes. “But… unpaid? For how long? I mean, you’re the head of our weather team, but?”

Dash offered her a shrug, laughing out of her own nervous worry. “The next five years, unless I’m pardoned by Princess Celestia, I guess.”

Scootaloo gave a shaky sigh, unsure of what to feel. Stepping up beside Aura, she leaned in to look over her shoulder at the letter she was reading. Shaking her head softly at the complex and finely written script. “Maybe Dusk can..?”

Dash offered a lazy shrug, smiling. “Don’t worry about it, kid. I deserve this, working with you has been fun already and it’s an easier punishment than I’d ever expected.”

“We’ve been over every inch of this place, Shining, and whoever she was, she did a fantastic job of leaving almost no sign of her presence. In the end, we found only three clues. I found a very long hair in the shower, pale and cornflower blue. Plus, she must have had a good reason to hide, because his ice box was empty, even the meat he kept stored and inventoried in there for Barb, so she was scared of going out; or maybe simply hiding from someone? Lastly, she was reading all of Dusk’s diaries and correspondences with Princess Celestia. Does he have anyone you can think of who might have had access to the observatory?”

Shining Armor shook his head, looking over the pile of letters, notes and assorted journals. Silken Flight and her team had been fast, very detailed in their work, leaving him to only watch and worry. “As far as I know, only one mare ever had a key to his home besides her majesty herself. That was Sunset Shimmer, and she has been missing for years now. Besides that, her hair was a blend of yellow and red, not blue.”

Silken Flight overturned the most recent letter from Dusk to Celestia they could find. Frowning to herself, she poked the page, her voice showing actual, clear worry. “None of these notes give away that he is living in Ponyville now, so we have some time to figure out who she might be. For now, I’ll inform my agent to look out for new mares in town with pale blue hair.” She fell silent for a moment, shaking her head. “In fact, I think I’ll send a second one. This is worrisome.”

Shaking his head, Shining turned around, walking towards the door. “I’m going to report to Princess Celestia, she will want to know all of this.” Pausing at the door to her office, the stallion shook his head gently, turning to look back at her over his shoulder. “And.. Thank you, Silk. You took me seriously and have been a massive assistance. I’m glad we can work together; you see things I miss.”

Snorting, Silk rolled her eyes. “You’re a stallion, your kind always miss the little details.” When he started to rear up to fire back, she broke down and really laughed. “Oh, you’re priceless, Armor. Go talk to the princess, I have agents to debrief. We will have another drink and you can tell me what she said after you’re done.”

Scootaloo panted heavily. Attempting to keep up with Rainbow Dash had been a real workout, leaving her soaked and exhausted while Dash just smirked. She looked just as fresh as she did before they started. “Great job, Squirt, you really will make some fantastic competition. I’m sure Redheart will be just as impressed.”

Blushing as Dash gushed with praise, Scootaloo leaned over and put her hands on her knees, panting to catch her breath, gasping for air, giving the blue winged mare a thumbs up and a tired grin. “You kidding? I can...go on for longer, this was hardly a warm up… I swear.”

Dash’s amused chuckle at the filly’s courageous nature was cut off suddenly, as Pinkie’s voice rang out from behind her, offering her a polite warning. “Don’t freak out, Dashie-poo. I’m just here to kidnap you!” Blindfold in hand, Pinkie jumped Dash from behind, lashing the cloth over the girl’s eyes and tying it off.

Both shocked and amused, Dash didn’t fight, as Scootaloo followed along. The mare leaned back into Pinkie’s arms, unable to help herself but lightly snort with laughter. “Pinkie, you’re one heck of a party planner, but I’d have to be blind not to see half of town heading to the hall over the last few hours.”

Pouting, Pinkie would step up and push a cold water bottle into Scootaloo’s hand, winking to the filly. “Drink up! You look like you need it.” Turning back to Dash she pouted despite the taller mare being blindfolded. “Aww… Well, could you at least pretend to be surprised for everypony’s sake? I wouldn’t want them to think their hard work was a waste!”

Shaking her head, Dadh put out a hand, blindly groping at the air before her fingers found Scootaloo's shoulder. Gripping down, she leaned in mock whispering to the filly. "You'd better guide me to town hall. I've got a feeling that if I left it up to Pinkie, I'd end up somewhere in Rarity’s drawing room before really reaching the party."

Scootaloo couldn't repress a snort of laughter and Pinkie’s pout was lost on Dash’s blinded eyes. Moving out towards town hall, the weight of Dash’s grip on her shoulder almost made Scootaloo's heart skip a beat, giving her the excuse to walk closer to the sweet smelling mare.

"Surprise, Rainbow Dash!"

"Happy birthday, Dash!"

"Great to have you back in town!"

Dash had a powerful ego, but when she realized that nearly a third of Ponyville had piled into town hall for her birthday, she had to take a moment to drink it all in and shake off a flustered blush that been creeping in. Giddy, she darted forward, leaping into the air and crying out above the din that filled the room. "Yes! It’s as awesome as you've ever managed, Pinkie!"

Laughing at Dash’s display, Pinkie quickly ran up and tackled her from behind, giving her a tight hug around the ribs, and lifting her from the ground, shaking her gently back and forth while Dash’s legs kicked wildly. "Happy eighteenth birthday, Rainbow Dash! I hope you're excited for your super special birthday surprise!"

Giddy with laughter, Dash had to hold her gut as Pinkie set her back down. With shaky knees and watery eyes, Dash took a minute to catch her breath. The sound of familiar voices in casual conversation sent a shiver down her spine. "... and after that, I challenged the mastery exam. Thanks to Barb’s help with studying, I passed the written section with a flawless grade and my practical was waived due to previous examples of my talent. But it was Princess Celestia's last question for bonus marks that caught me off-guard, and led me to obsess over the Mare in the Moon foal tale."

She winced as Dusk prattled on to her dad an endless tale of his background, and told it in the most boring style. Groaning and burying her face in her hands, she turned to Mayor Mare who stood at her side talking to Pinkie. Interrupting them, she plead for mercy. "Mayor, can't you appeal my sentence? Princess Celestia is sure to take pity on me if you argue in my favor."

Startled by the mare's sudden outburst, the mayor took a few steps back, her confusion ringing out in her voice. "But Rainbow Dash, Princess Celestia was already so lenient on you. Surely you can't expect more?"

Shaking her head, Dash pointed to Dusk and Rainbow Blitz who stood talking beside a table covered with presents. "Not from the princess! From them!"

Realizing Dash’s real meaning, the mayor looked over at Dusk, still in quiet, polite conversation with a stallion whose hair instantly reminded her of Dash. Unable to help but laugh gently, she put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. “Don’t get too worked up, darling. You’re lucky, your stallion has a good job, and is both popular and well known. When I introduced mine to my father, he didn’t even have his cutie mark yet!”

At her side, Davenport winced, shaking his head. “Yes, but we were both young, dear.” The mayor murmured, leaning in and giving him a kiss on the cheek, still lightly laughing to herself as they turned and walked into the crowd, arm in arm. Dash could hear his protests soften, but continue. “Besides, I got my cutie mark two weeks later when your dad’s easychair broke!”

Rainbow Dash straightened up and walked over to the stallions, a relaxed expression glued to her face by sheer force of will. Giving her father a nod, she leaned against Dusk’s side and jerked a thumb at him. "Don't get too bored with his stories, dad, he really is a decent dude. Can almost keep up with me on a good jog, and has a hell of a lot of fight in 'em when he’s facing the impossible."

Drawing a sip from the heavy leather tankard of rich brown cider, Blitz’s strong and quiet demeanor was broken. Chest shaking with unrestrained laughter, the stallion lightly punched Dusk’s other shoulder. "She must like you, next thing you know she'll be quoting statistics like your hundred yard dash, or how many miles you can run." Turning to his daughter, Blitz offered her his hand, shaking it gently. "Dusk’s an alright stallion, dear. We already talked about your work to get him back into shape after the drastic weight loss from overworking his body while dealing with Nightmare Moon. And I told him about my time with the Wonderbolts, as well as how I met your mother."

Dusk smiled, quietly slipping a hand around Dash’s hips. He was amused as she accepted it and slipped in closer to his side, but wasn’t surprised. Pulling two jacks of the dark, thick, mulled apple cider from the platter carried by a passing serving mare, Dusk offered one of the steaming mugs to Dash. "Your mother sounded like a wonderful mare. Shame. Come, drink up. You've earned it, crazy as these last few days have been."

Shocked as she finally realized Dusk's hand was about her hips, Dash accepted the mug, ending the handshake with her father and looking deep into the steaming cider. Smiling quietly, she nodded to the stallions, a distant memory distracting her. "Thanks, guys." Realizing she was still the center of attention, she attempted to restart a less painful direction for their conversation. "Did dad tell you about the princess' judgement?"

Dusk chuckled a little at the mare's question, nodding a bit. "He filled me in on the rest. So now you are Ponyville’s head weather mare, officially rather than temporary, and you have to serve as a teacher at the school for five years of community service? Good thing Scootaloo has already prepared you for dealing with foals."

Two hours passed in a flash and with dinner served and cake passed around, Dash realized Dusk had disappeared. Turning around and searching for him, the realization that none of her friends were around began to sink in. Turning back, she spotted Mrs. Cake, still handing out plates of ice cream to a massive army of foals. Making her way through the herd massed around her table, Dash leaned in, yelling to be heard above the pestering foals. "So, did you see where Dusk and the others went? I must of lost sight of them when I walked Dad outside!."

Offering her a playful cuff on the chin, Mrs. Cake pointed to the second story balcony. The staircase was roped off, but Dash could make out a whisp of Rarity’s hair around a chair setup facing away from the main floor. Wearing a giddy grin, the older mare leaned in closer. "I think it must be time for your birthday presents. The personal ones that is."

Caught off guard, but pleasantly pleased at the suggestion, Dash suppressed a giddy outburst, if only just. Rushing up to the balcony, the sight she found wasn't so exciting.

Dusk sat leaning back in his chair, a heavier wooden mug of the rich apple cider held loosely in his right hand. Still steaming, the smell had some added spices she didn't recognize. Fluttershy sat on the arm of his chair, fingers resting on his temples.

"What's wrong? Noise get too much for you, Dusk?" Rainbow asked as she walked to his free side. The stallion opened his eyes and took a long slow sip of his cider, smiling to up to her.

"Not too badly, but I figured we should have some time in private to talk together." He replied, while patting the chair beside his own. Dusk then gave Rarity a nod. "If you would please? Like I showed you earlier."

The fact Dusk asked the other unicorn to cover them with a privacy spell worried Dash, opening new questions about how well his checkup had really gone. As Rarty’s magic formed a thin and nearly clear blue sphere around them, Dash realized it looked just like the shield spell, just thinner and a lighter color. As the noise of the room around them drained away, Pinkie stood up first offering Dash a small wrapped box.

"Happy birthday, Dashie! I hope you don't mind being an adult now."

Laughing along with her friends, Dash opened Pinkie’s present, finding three coupons inside. The top read 'One free Pinkie Pie deluxe 18th birthday bash.' beneath it, the second card offered 'A best friend for life!' with the last being a 'Free custom cake' voucher from the Cake’s bakery. Looking up, Dash realized Pinkie was blushing. Standing up and wrapping her friend in a hug, Dash pressed the second card into Pinkie's hand.

"Thanks, Pinkie. Think I'll redeem this one right now!"

Blubbering but happy, Pinkie accepted the friend card and hugged Dash back, glad her sappy gift and broke wallet hadn’t been a drag on Dash’s birthday. Pushing Dash to sit back down in her chair, Pinkie taped her playfully on the nose.

"No problem, Dashie! But remember!~~ No substitutions, exchanges or refunds!"

Fluttershy, stepped up next, placing a shoebox sized package in Dash’s lap. Sitting down on the arm of her chair, she pointed to the card on the box.

"It's not much, but your dad thought it might go over well."

Opening the box, Dash discovered a pair of old-fashioned stunt flyer goggles sitting upon a silk cushion inside. Looking past the new leather strap and freshly cut lens, Dash knew these goggles, knew them too well. Turning to look up at Fluttershy, she struggled to keep her voice under control.

"These are Fir-"

In an unusual display, Fluttershy cut off Dash, a finger to her lips. Nodding gently, she offered her a small shrug.

"From the day you stood up to the colts in flight school and challenged them to a race? Yes, I know how much they meant to you, so I figured I'd get them restored. Dusk even promised to research a way to make them stronger, so they can take the pressure better!”

Wrapping her arms around the older pegasus, Rainbow Dash buried her head in Fluttershy’s ample bosom, trying to suppress a sob. Her mother’s aviators had shattered when she hit the sonic barrier, but now she had them back. Dash's attention was pulled back to the box by Pinkie's voice.

"What's this, Fluttershy? A coupon for a home-cooked meal? You didn't steal my idea after I told you what I was giving Dashie, did you?"

Everypony laughed at the accusation in her tone, as well as the embarrassing flush growing in Fluttershy's cheeks. The timid mare looked down and mumbled her reply.

"It's just... well, your idea was so good and I'm sure it's been at least a year since she had a proper Cloudsdale homemade meal. You see how much she eats out."

"Yay! I knew I had the best gift idea!"

Excitedly clapping her hands together, Pinkle tackle hugged Fluttershy, before snuggling together with the stunned mare after they hit the carpeted balcony floor.

While everyone relaxed, Applejack gave Dash a receipt she had Big Mac make up. Unlike the first two mares, AJ was more serious as Dash inspected Mac’s crisp handwriting.

"Mac’s delivering you two small kegs of his prize cider, Dash. No free refills, but that's twenty liters of the best cider around. Don't go making a fool of yourself and make me regret it, alright?"

"The good stuff in the oak kegs he brews in the basement? The stuff you only let me have two cups of when we were having that fancy grub with Granny Smith?"

Applejack rolled her eyes at how excited the younger mare had become over the suggestion of alcohol. Lightly petting AJ on the knee, Rarity gave a her a gentle shrug. “Don’t worry, dear. She is a pegasi, they aren’t exactly heavy drinkers.”

Rainbow Dash leaned back into her chair, pouting a little while she turned to face Rarity again, crossing her arms over her chest. “Oh, come on! You didn’t warn me how strong that wine was, is all! If I had known one glass of that fruity stuff was as strong as three or four ciders, I’d have been WAY more careful.”

Hiding her mouth behind her hand and tittering quietly, Rarity shook her head and pointed to the largest box on the top of the table as she offered a shrug. “You might as well get started on my gift, darling, I used your measurements from two or three months ago, so we might need to make some minor adjustments to make sure it’s perfect.”

Lifting the lid off the box with one hand, Dash’s eyes shot open wide and was quickly on her feet, pulling the silver flightsuit from the box. Fully muted by shock, she inspected the silk reinforced spandex bodysuit, fingers stroking lovingly over the lightning bolt design over the chest crossing over one shoulder to her hip. Holding it up and pressing it close, she looked over how well it hung over her body. Pulling herself back together at last, she looked down at Rarity. “It’s like a Wonderbolts high aerial performance suit! Proper stitching, and insulation, I could practise in this for years without risk of catching a cold!”

Smiling lightly, Rarity gave a shrug to the overwhelmed mare. “Fantastic to hear I did a decent job, darling. Sadly, the Wonderbolts keep their trade secrets heavily under wraps, so I was forced to make the design based off memory and what Dusk could piece together from what few details we could research.”

Dusk’s turn was up,and he drew a thin, longer package, about as wide as his hand from his jacket pocket, placing it upon the table before Dash and gently lifted one hand. "There is a second gift to go with what is inside, Dash, but it should be easy to guess once you see this one. Applejack and Rarity chipped in as well, so I hope it goes over well.” His intent was to tease, Dash’s joy at the presents so far made it clear they had chosen well.

Hesitant for once, Rainbow Dash’s hand shivered as she hovered over the box, looking from Dusk, to AJ, and finally to Rarity. With a worried hand, she lifted the lid from the box.

She looked up to the stallion, her lip quivering, once she saw what was inside. “These are box seats. For the Wonderbolts. I… I can’t accept these, Dusk they must have cost a thousand bits.”

Looking over her glass, Rarity flashed her a wicked grin. “Oh no, darling, you’ll take them!” Rarity interjected, taking Dash’s attention off Dusk. “You owe Dusk that much at the very least. And besides, Shining already cleaned up Dusk’s observatory in Canterlot. That’s the second part, Dusk’s hired a few mares to turn his place there into a bed and breakfast." She suddenly gushed with barely suppressed amusement, the humor spurred on by a flash of inspiration. "Just think. You can sleep in, get fed a nice breakfast and get a manicure. Such a wonderful vacation!" As the image of Dash taking a day in at a spa sank in, the others all joined her in laugher.

Unable to help herself, Pinkie jumped into the momentary lull. "That's almost as unlikely as Applejack going to the twins for "The Full Package" makeover." AJ's response was all they needed to burst out in fill laughter.

Once the majority of the laughter had started to die down, Dash twisting to face Dusk once more. Having a hard time keeping herself under control. “I… Dusk. I know I’ve caused you quite a headache as of late. Why would you want-”

Leaning forward, Dusk cupped Dash’s free hand, smiling up to her and squeezing her hand. “Dash, you make life interesting. You’ve got almost as much energy as Pinkie, and a competitive spirit that’s invigorating. I am no good with these things, but after what you and Pinkie said yesterday, I would like to ask you to go out on a date with me.”

Realizing what Dusk was saying, Dash looked over at Pinkie where she still sat on Fluttershy’s lap upon the carpet. Her voice was hardly able to lift above a whisper. “Did… he ask you too?” When Pinkie gave her a massive, and enthusiastic nod, Dash looked up at AJ and Rarity. “I… I know you three have formed your own little herd. I don’t want to become some third wheel and make things uncomfo---”

Applejack snorted with delight at Dash’s attempt to give them any excuse to let her off. Leaning in, she gave the younger mare a light punch in the shoulder, giving a coy smile. “Oh come on, you know we talked over it and made sure we were all okay with it. Just go out for the date, you goof. If nothing else you’ll get to watch the ‘bolts up close, get a free dinner and maybe even get to know a friend a little better. If things go well, maybe you’ll admit your feelings for him.”

Rubbing her arm and looking back to Rarity before returning to look at Dusk, Dash had trouble looking up into his eyes and rubbed her knees together, before nodding softly. “A… Alright. I’ll take you to the Wonderbolts, Dusk. But you better not embarrass me in front of them, I’ll toss you off the tallest tower in Canterlot if you do!”

Holding out his hand to Dash, Dusk laughed sharply. “It’s a deal. Just remember to wait for Princess Celestia to leave the castle, or she might be a tad annoyed, using her balcony just because you didn’t like a birthday gift.”

Pinkie excelled at having and supporting a real wild party, and Dash's birthday had to be a real humdinger. It was late when she noticed it. As much as Dash laughed and smiled, there was something to the mare’s behavior that screamed uncomfortable to Pinkie. Pouting internally, her investigation was launched.

It was around an hour after midnight when she finally got a proper clue. Nurse Redheart had come after her shift and a shower, allowing Scootaloo to stay a while later than otherwise. When at last Nurse Redheart had her fill of the dance party, Scootaloo rushed past Pinkie Pie and gave Rainbow Dash a sudden strong hug on the dance floor, holding her mentor around the hips.

"Sorry, Dash, but Redheart's got a shift in the morning! I hope you had a great birthday!" While the mare walked the foal to the door, Dusk and AJ joined them in preparing to leave. That meant since Fluttershy, Rarity and Sweetie Belle had already left, the party was probably over. While she started to move closer to join them, the noise of the party was too loud, preventing her from making out what Dusk was whispering in Dash’s ear. But, the way she shivered and at the same time went stiff as he stepped in close and gave her cheek a kiss sent off a dozen red lights in Pinkie's mind.

"Has Dash never even had a coltfriend? Has she never kissed a stallion?" As realization dawned, so to did a sinful grin, stretching from ear to ear. "Oh, Fiddlesticks! If I'd only realized earlier, I could have had Dusk or Rarity prepare me properly. Oh well, improvisation time!"

Sidling her way through the thinning crowd, Pinkie kept up a casual nature, acting natural and mixing with other ponies as she waited for a chance to catch Dash alone. With so many leaving at once, it gave her plenty of time to prepare for the conversation to come.

Letting the door swing close, Dash at last gave a gentle sigh. With the last of the party-goers gone, it was really only her and four mares who were busy cleaning up. "Well, Pinkie is still around here somewhere. I'd better say goodnight to her and go crash."

Even as the thought sank in, the sudden pressure of a hug wrapping around her ribs from behind came about. Standing up on her tiptoes, Pinkie nipped suddenly at the tip of Dash’s earlobe, her voice low and lustful. "Dashie, I know everypony’s already given you birthday presents, but I was thinking of a second present we could both enjoy..."

Something in the way Pinkie let her voice drop off made Dash’s spine tingle with a low thrill. Leaning back against her strong friend’s arms, Dash felt the last lingering roar of her dying heat flare up at Pinkie’s affectionate assault on her earlobe. It was hard to say no to the bubbly mare, and after what happened with Gilda? The thought of finding something else to keep her mind busy was doubly tempting. "Alright, Pinkie. You wanna come back to my place then? Don't want'a disturb the Cakes, right?"

Giggling, Pinkie leaned in, gently kissing Dash on the cheek from the side and giving her a warm nod. "You go grab your presents. I'll give the key to town hall to the cleanup mares, and catch up with you at your place, kay?"

Before Dash could second guess her or get in another word, the mare was off bolting over to chat with the mares on cleanup duty. Shaking her head and laughing to herself, she turned to head for the pile of gifts by the door. "Pinkie, you're so random!"

With the labor board mares to clean up after her party, Pinkie was off at a run, rushing to her room at the Cake’s bakery. Moving with as much stealth as she had mastered, she slinked into her bedroom, pulling her toy chest from under the bed. A silver key unlocked the heavy oak box's iron lock, and peering inside, Pinkie found all three pieces of equipment waiting for her, exactly where she had left them. Delicate fingers opened a silk bag, and the soft sound of her fingertips dragging over the rubber inside made her hips shift and grind against one another while she suppressed a moan of delight. Whispering into the bag, she couldn't suppress her joy oozing into her words. "It's your big night, Jill! I get to introduce you to my bestest best friend, Rainbow Dash! Won't that be fun?"

Dash hadn't bothered to rush home, knowing that Pinkie clearly had some plans and probably needed some time to prepare. With the help of one of the labor board mares, Dash loaded a few boxes into a spare cart, and strolled home, letting the cool autumn breeze filter through her feathers, splaying her wings wide open to their fullest extent, enjoying the way it helped drive off the flushed heat in her cheeks. "Maybe Rarity is right. A few drinks and I feel so warm and fuzzy."

Approaching the house Ponyville had provided her, the shock of seeing Pinkie Pie standing at her door and rocking back and forth on her heels made Dash’s jaw drop. “How did you beat me Pinkie?? Your place is… way…” Slowly letting her voice drift off, Dash shook her head and smiled to the other mare, flashing her key from her pocket. “Go on in, Pinkie. I’ll just hit the shower, ‘K?”

Unable to suppress an ear-to-ear grin, Pinkie stepped in and gave Dash’s ass an aggressive squeeze. Batting her eyelashes in the best mimic of Rarity’s come hither style. “Why, my darling Rainbow Dash! Saying something like that really makes a humble, innocent mare like me worried for my celibate lifestyle!”

Pressing back into Pinkie’s hand, Dash couldn’t resist letting her enjoyment escape as a low and lewd moan. Her well-groomed tail lashing to playfully swat at that aggressively groping grip, she at last pulled away and dragged the small cart into her house, already planning to leave it for the morning. Winking back over her shoulder, she left the other mare to make up her mind, heading straight to the bathroom.

After reaching into the shower and twisting on the hot water, Dash took a step back, looking into the mirror while she peeled off her shirt, and the clinging sports bra beneath. Her nipples still ached from the recent addition of her own birthday present, her erect nipples were still puffy from the fresh piercings, yet already she loved the way the tiny steel studs stood out against her bright pink areola. “It’s a good thing that piercer in Canterlot never asked for ID. Two or so months early, but now? They look great!”

Bending down and sticking her ass out toward the door, just in case Pinkie passed by, Dash took her time in slowly peeling off her shorts and panties. Even as the cool air hit her wet folds, she couldn't help herself, the tips of her fingers plunged into the walls of her own folds and began to twist and thrust inside her wet depths. Her exploring fingers quickly got that dimming coo of her own heat cranked back up to a full-out roar of lustful need. Realizing that if she went on any longer, she probably end up making enough noise to make Pinkie jealous, Dash forced herself to stop, standing up and stepping into the rush of hot water.

Turning to look up into the downpour of warm water, the sound of the shower curtain being pulled open again made her laugh, but not bother to open her eyes again. “Well, hello there Pinkie! It’s always nice to ha-VVVVEEEE!!!!” The sudden pressure of hands cupping her ass and spreading it wide, combined with the probing thrust of Pinkie’s tongue into her ass was a wonderful shock. Pressed forward against the wall of the shower, and using it to brace her body, she thrust her ass back into those strong fingers. Pulling her tail to the side and giving the mare more access, Dash turned her head to look down at the mare behind her, she realized that Pinkie was kneeling on the floor, her knees pulled tightly together.

Pinkie continued to probe into the depths of Dash’s ass, her grip on both ass cheeks lifting and spreading them open while she teased the sensitive hole, testing just how far she could torment the pegasus. As Dash grew more and more worked up, she reflexively folded and flexed her wings in response to the pressure from Pinkie’s tongue. Having her fill of opening rounds, Pinkie reached out of the shower, fingers wrapping around the slick rubber of her already oiled secondary toy. Standing up and letting the shower’s rich water soak into her hair and flatten the fluffy mass across her cheeks. With her long straight hair framing her eyes, she leaned in, nipping at Dash’s ear while she panted to catch her breath. “Dashie!~~~ I brought two of my friends along to play. Wanna say hello to lil Jackie before Jill comes to visit?”

Still gasping to catch her breath while she turned her gaze back over her shoulder to look at the short, thick black rubber toy in Pinkie’s fist. As the realization dawned that it was a buttplug, Dash couldn’t resist the swelling heat between her thighs, twisting her knees in together and grinding her thighs against one another in anticipation. “I’d love to say hello to her, PinkiEEE!” The earth mare didn’t delay or wait, instead she aggressively thrusted the thick plug’s tip into the soaking entrance of Dash’s tailhole.

The sounds of Dash’s pleasure as the thick rubber bulb entered the ring of her ass made Pinkie a little jealous, yet so happy at the same time. Leaning in and giving a nip to the small of Dash’s back near her cutie mark, Pinkie began to slowly rotate the plug around while pushing it in as slowly as she could, feeding it in inch by inch, until the thick base of the rubber toy’s four inches was flush with the moaning mare’s ass cheeks. Standing slowly up while her hands slipped around Dash’s hips until her palms cupped her belly, a trail of soft kisses were planted across the curve of Dash’s left shoulder. Lifting her head up, she nipped at that sensitive earlobe again, her voice cooing. “You got your nipples pierced Dashie? They are so cute! Are they still really sensitive? Can I play with them?”

It had taken everything Dash had to hold herself together as Pinkie ‘introduced’ her to lil Jackie. With the thick bulb of black plastic firmly lodged in place, Dash found herself adapting, still panting for breath but finding her center again. Lifting her head slowly to press her body back into Pinkie’s touch, Dash pulled away and twisted around, cupping Pinkie’s head and farming the straight pink locks of her lover’s hair in her touch and pulling her chin up so she could plant a kiss to her lips, dropping her jaw and suckling in Pinkie’s lip, tormenting over the trapped flesh and raking teeth back and forth across it’s surface.

Happy to see how well Dash was adapting to her toy, Pinkie pushed into the kiss, and released her knees, allowing Jill to say hello to Dash’s belly. The gentle slap of lubricated rubber impacting the mare’s belly made Pinkie moan into Dash’s lips and shift her weight, adjusting her hips to get the ‘thumb’ side of the strap-on to a more comfortable spot inside her own sex. As Dash looked down while gasping, her eyes opening wide, Pinkie giggled, and picked up one of Dash’s hands, guiding it down between their bodies until the pegasus’ fingers were wrapped around the slick and oily member. “Say hello to Jill, Dashie! She’s a mare’s best friend!~ You’ll find she is shaped just like a stallion’s cock, from veins to balls. Isn’t she the best!!?”

Dash was simply overwhelmed by the phallic rubber mass against her belly. Darting her eyes up to Pinkie’s own, she struggled to find words to piece together some kind of response to the sight before her eyes. Stroking slowly back and forth across the slick shaft, only one experience she had ever had shot to the front of her mind. Picturing Dusk’s cock, she slowly sunk to her knees and swallowed once, before leaning in, and planting a soft kiss to the tip. Giggling nervously to herself, Dash shook her head before looking up into Pinkie’s eyes. “I… I’ve never been with a stallion before. You did all this, just to make me feel more comfortable, Pinkie?”

She Moaned as Dash’s soft kiss added pressure to the strap-on’s thumb and caused it to shift and wiggle around inside her sex’s folds, teasing her in return. Wrapping her hands around the back of Dash’s head, scratching her fingers though the short but wild locks of the mares hair and pulling her head back in towards the rubber cock. “It’s my pleasure to be your stallion, Dashie! I can’t wait to hear the sounds you make when Jill gets to say hello properly!”

Enjoying the way Pinkie’s fingers teased through her hair and the pressure of Jackie in her ass, Dash leaned in at Pinkie’s request, spreading her lips and letting her tongue drag across the slick underside of Jill’s black flesh, drifting ever lower across the thick vein that ran from the tip to base, her right hand cupping up the weight of the fake ball sack and milking them with massaging strokes between her playful fingers. The way Pinkie shifted, moaned and ground into Dash’s hand made her grin harder. “I think I’ll be good friends with Jill;she’s such a dirty, dirty girl!”

Pinkie grinned, playful fingers slipping form Dash’s hair and down to her left ear, giving the tip of the lobe a squeeze and pull. “Then maybe you should teach her a lesson, Dashie! She loves the feeling of your tongue and fingers. Can’t you feel her shiver and wiggle as you stroke her?”

Blushing, Dash let her lips spread open, and slowly accepted the tip of the black shaft into her lips, absorbing the thick phallus slowly, but just as she was starting to get comfortable to the pressure of the flesh in her lips, the sudden buck and thrust of Pinkie’s hips drove it past the first two inches she had already accepted, driving the length deeper into her mouth until the tip impacted with the back of her throat. Gagging on the sudden pressure, Dash felt suddenly light-headed and slapped her hands onto Pinkie’s hips, gripping down and twisting her nails into her friend’s flesh, and the leather straps that kept the strapon in place.

Moaning at Dash’s nails raking across her flesh, Pinkie shivered a little, but paused, giving her a minute to get used to the pressure and catch her breath. As Dash’s breathing calmed again, Pinkie curled her nails around to scratch tenderly over the edge of her jawline, offering the mare a warm smile. “Mmmm… Maybe we should get out of the shower, Dash?”

Letting the artificial rubbery flesh pop out of her mouth and turning her head up as Pinkie scratched tenderly over her jawline, Dash grinned warmly up at her, and gave a nod. “Sure. But can Jackie stay? I don’t want her getting cold.”

Unable to restrain a snort of laughter, Pinkie nodded enthusiastically while shutting off the taps and bending over Dash’s head in the process. With her tits hanging over Dash’s head, her thin gold hoop piercings swayed a little. That was all the encouragement Dash needed, as she leaned up and gave both a teasing twist and tug, showing her experience from last time, when Pinkie showed them off to Dash. As a surge of pleasure roared through her nipples form Dash’s tender play with her piercings, Pinkie grinned down to her. “Maybe I should have bought you a matching pair? That way we could be nipple piercing twins!”

Still amazed by Pinkie’s hoops, Dash shook her head, standing up and cupping her friend close, nibbling at her lower lip while the last of the water ran out of the shower. “Nah, maybe someday as a toy, but your birthday gift tonight was the best. Introducing me to Jill was the nicest thing you’ve done for me, Pinkie.”

Blushing, but pushing up into Dash’s body, Pinkie gave her another lingering kiss, while Jill returned to grinding lustfully against the slightly taller pegasus mare’s nethers, begging for her chance to join the party. As their aggressive, passionate kiss ended, Pinkie gave Dash’s ass a teasing slap, grinning and nodding. “Let’s go to your bed. Jackie’s had her turn, Jill should get a chance to say hello to your cute ass!”

Dash’s bedroom was a mess, indicative of her lifestyle. Clean clothing still sat in the basket it had been delivered in, while dirty clothing was piled wherever she had thrown it off. Unmade, her bedsheets were fresh, but only because the mare she hired to do laundry was insistent on changing the sheets for her every week. Glad she had cleaned up before Gilda’s arrival, Dash still felt guilty for leading Pinkie into such a mess. All thoughts of that nature died the second Pinkie stepped up behind her and gripped the still-extruding base of the plug, and with slow care, pushed Dash to lay face down on the bed, while at the same time, began to wiggle and twist at Jackie’s base, pulling it out at a painfully slow rate, forcing Dash to lay face down, and lift her ass while a low hissing sound followed by a pop, as well as the release of pressure, let her knew the still very-well-oiled toy had at last escaped, her last thought before the roaring pleasure of an overwhelming orgasm blew away whatever other thoughts might have been on her mind.

Standing over Dash’s prone body, Pinkie placed Jackie on the bedside table, oily tip up. Giggling to herself, she scooted over and pulled out the bottle of lube from her travel bag, starting to softly whistle to herself while she worked. First came a fresh coat of oil for Jill, as Dash’s attention in the shower had thinned out the clear lube. Then, moving with athletic ease, Pinkie vaulted onto the bed just behind Dash’s upturned ass, the bottle of cold lube hovering over the other mare’s tail hole. With her eyes glazed over and her jaw slack, Pinkie realized that she had probably gone a little too quickly for Dash, and had pushed her into a blissful orgasm. Giggling again, she paused and lightly teased at the rainbow hues of Dash’s tail. "Don't pass out on me now, Dashie!"

As the blissful tides of her orgasm washed away, Dash forced herself to blink a few times, bringing Pinkie Pie into focus again. The realization that Pinkie had more in mind ran right over the opposing realization that she was face down on her bed with her butt thrust into the air. Groaning at the empty feeling in her ass, Dash flicked her tail across her hip, giving Pinkie full access again. Wiggling her hips and swaying her ass, Dash picked up a hint of Pinkie’s giggles, pouting as she looked back at the other mare. "Please, Pinkie! Don't make me beg!"

Giving Rainbow Dash a firm nod, Pinkie gave the bottle a squeeze, squirting a thick layer of sloppy clear gel across Dash's ass cheeks, allowing it to pile up. The cold goo had an instant effect, spreading goosebumps over the mares toned flesh. With both hands cupping up Dash’s cute ass, Pinkie began to squeeze and rub the lube around her cheeks and into the hole. As her massaging play got more intense, Dash responded by beginning to moan and groan, flexing her ass and pushing back into her hands.

Sure that things were now well prepared, Pinkie shifted her weight to her knees and adjusted them until Jill's fat tip aligned with Dash’s asshole. With one hand on Dash’s hip for support, Pinkie took a firm grip of the shaft, and aligned the slick head with Dash’s drenched tailhole. Bending her knees, the initial gooey squelch sounded as rubber thrust painstakingly slowly between those tight cheeks. As she continued to rub her hips forward, Dash rocked her hips backwards, adjusting her weight and shifting her legs to better support the mare plunging that rubber cock into her sensitive ass.

Straining to stay careful and tender, Dash’s rocking hips sent the strap-on’s thumb grinding against Pinkie's slick cunt walls. Leaning forward, Pinkie braced her weight by gripping the headboard's reinforced metal frame. It was only when she felt the pressure of the fake balls rubbing against her thighs and Dash's ass, that Pinkie realized that Dash had taken in all eight inches of Jill’s dense rubber. Giggling again, a bit unable to resist the swelling heat between her thighs, Pinkie leaned down, before whispering into Dash’s ear. "Greedy! I haven't even gotten that close with Jill yet!"

Unable to help herself, Dash shook her head, her unsuppressed snickering interrupted only by her reply. "Maybe..." Dash giggle-snorted, face down into her pillow. "Maybe Jill just likes me better!"

Pinkie gasped but quickly joined in with Dash. However, with both of them relaxed, Pinkie took a firm hold of the headboard, and began rocking her hips, aggressively grinding against Dash and causing the strap-on to twist, run, and thrust back and forth between Dash’s ass cheeks.

Moaning out and feeling greedy, Dash twisted her torso, lifting her chest up just enough to let her hands slide under her body, cupping her breasts and the still tender nipple studs. Experimenting at first, Dash squeezed the tender pink nubs in rhythm with Pinkie’s thrusts. As the gaping need in her cunt grew more and more demanding, Dash found herself forced to abandon her right breast, that hand was needed far more badly elsewhere.

Sinking three fingers up to their second knuckle, Dash began thrusting and grinding those digits in time with Pinkie’s affectionate thrusting. With her tongue lolling out of her mouth and her hips bucking backwards, pressing against that hard rubber phallus. As the groaning pleasure of a second climax peaked in her, Dash's wings reflexively shot open, spreading as widely as they could manage. From behind her, the sound of Pinkie’s thrusts halted and a harsh, needy moan escaped the earth mare’s slack jaw, before collapsing forward, curling her body on top of Dash’s sweaty back.

For a while, both mares lay gasping and moaning atop of one another. As she at last began to regain her breath, Pinkie shifted her head to the side and leaned over until she found the curve of Dash’s throat, letting her lips part while she sunk her teeth down into Dash’s flesh. When Dash groaned and shifted in response, Pinkie giggled, slipping her hands around Dash’s chest until she found those nipple piercings, rolling them gently between her squeezing fingers. Exhausted, Dash attempted to groan again, shaking her head. “No more, a mare needs her sleep!”

Shaking her head and giving the small piercings another short series of teasing rolls between her deft thumb and forefingers. At last satisfied, Pinkie leaned up whispering softly into Dash’s ear. “Nuh uh uh! You never let me play with them earlier. I’ll get my chance now, cause these little studs are so cute~!”

Relishing in Pinkie’s attention, Dash gave a little giggle, relenting to Pinkie’s playful fingers. Letting her eyes slide closed, she gave a few small moans of delight, shifting her head and adjusting her pillow to get a little more comfortable. “Pinkie, you win, just go easy on me. You’ve way too much stamina and I can’t keep up with you forever!”

As Dash relaxed and let her eyes slip closed, Pinkie relented on her tormenting fingers, lowering her body to rest against the mare’s back, dragging her fingers lazily over Dash’s wings and across her ribcage. “My pleasure, Dashie!” Leaning in close, she gave Dash one last peck on the cheek, the two mares sharing a small laugh.

Standing alone on the arrival platform at Ponyville train station, the sharp bite of the fall wind was a stark reminder that the mare was still wearing the thin and silky blue dress from Dash's birthday party. But how could she have refused Pinkie Pie's unique invitation? Besides, its timing was perfect and it gave her a chance to eat and drink properly while still maintaining her surveillance. With Dusk confirmed to be safely in bed and both a mare and the baby dragon guarding him, she hadn’t had time to go home and change, in a rush to meet the train as it was. And right on time, Canterlot's midnight express roared into Ponyville. 3:00am sharp.

Unsurprisingly, like most nights except for Derpy collecting the postal drop, there was nopony else around. As the train roared away without stopping, the soft sound of an impact upon the paving stones at her side was the only clue anypony was around. Turning from the tracks she waved goodbye to the disinterested mail mare, who was sleepily lifting the postal bag from the mail hook before flying home for bed.

It was only as she walked the silent streets alone that her shadowed companion spoke up. "Report, Agent 12. They hardly had the time to fill me in on your cover identity, and the situation reports you've been filing took most of the trip."

Without breaking her stride, Agent 12 answered her superior, never once shifting her gaze from the easy walking path. "Situation is currently unchanged. He asked the fourth mare for a date to watch the Wonderbolts. Will be an easy assignment for someone in Canterlot's wing. Unless Night Mother decides to supervise the event. No sightings of any mares with hair matching the suspect. Any updates on a possible identity we can go on?"

The shadows that enveloped the figure were so fragile, it made anything more then slow movement risky to the fragile web. Even now, she whispered her reply. "Three. But we are focused on one, she is the most likely, knows your target personally, and the princess identified the hair as possibly hers. I will provide you her dossier but you need to burn it after reading. And prepare all your tranq drugs. If half of what's in the breakdown of her known powers is true, she is too powerful a mage to fight and too smart of a tactician to ambush. The current plan is to takedown on sight. Tartarus already has a cell for her. No names though, for now just know her by her codename, the Infinite Witch."

Something about the whole situation began to worry Agent 12. Stopping before her boarding house door, she looked to the shadow figure, her voice whispering but concern couldn't be hidden from her tone. "And what should I call you by, ma'am?"

Before the shadowy mare could answer, Bonbon flung open her door,a panicked voice calling out to her border. "Oh, dear! You didn’t have to walk home alone without a decent jacket on a night like tonight, Minuette!" Turning she looked to the other mare her jaw dropping. "Oh! Is that why you had to go to the train station? Well hurry inside and warm up, dears. And don't worry, I've a spare room your marefriend can use."

The panic of realizing Bonbon's interruption had broken Minuette’s superior’s shadow spell was replaced by an easy lie she had been building up carefully since arriving in town. It was just a shock to have to waste a cover this good this quickly. "See? I told you she wouldn’t mind, cousin! Now come inside, it's cold!" Turning back to Bonbon she smiled and offered a quick nod. "Thank you so much for being so understanding! This is my cousin, the one I've been telling you about, the one with an abusive stallion and no family? Bonbon, meet my cousin, Lyra."

Author's Notes:

And another Interlude is live! Huge thanks to Flamerz, Frankie and ShadowThunder for their help on this one. Can't wait to see what you all think! Until than? I'm off to bed. See you all in Chapter 7: Boast Busters