The rest of the day was uneventful. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Star Weld all had sweet potato collard green burritos for dinner… As she chewed slowly, ponderously, she gazed absently at her indistinct reflection on the glass of a framed ukiyo-e painting showcasing a delicately blooming lotus. The meal had absolutely grossed Dash out at first. She only put on a brave face for Shy. Yet, after two bites she decided she liked them.

Her tongue erupted with rich flavors. The earthy sweetness of the potatoes. The complex savory taste of the collard greens. It was like her brain was being rewritten. It was bizarre. She was even embarrassed how much she was enjoying her new diet so far. She’d half expected to have a massive crash in energy or other crazy things happen to her body… But honestly, she felt good. Great, even.

Physically, anyway.

Mostly.

When it came time to watch a movie, there was some debate as to what they would watch. Fluttershy, as expected, wanted to watch a cute animated movie about talking cats that could visit the spirit world. Rainbow Dash stifled a laugh at how her girlfriend’s eyes lit up when a fluffy tabby flexed a paw at the screen and said, “Mah!” Star Weld, on the other hand, was fiending to watch an ultra violent martial arts revenge film. He waggled his eyebrows at them and pointed at the screen. Rainbow pursed her lips and held up a thumbs down just as Fluttershy hid behind her drawn up knees and squeaked out a tiny, “Sorry!”

When it came time for Rainbow to pick, she tapped her chin as she browsed the options on the streaming platform.

Her eyes lit up, as she pointed and looked to the brother and sister next to her. “What about this one?”

Star Weld squinted with a crooked contemplative mouth as the trailer began to play. Colorful flashes created shadows across his stubbled, handsome face. Fluttershy did another one of her adorable head tilts as the screen reflected in her big blue eyes, her lips puckered with consideration.

Rainbow stifled a laugh when they both lifted their eyebrows at the trailer’s conclusion, little smiles on their lips. It never ceased to amuse her how different they were as people, but when it came down to their expressions and mannerisms they absolutely looked like brother and sister. Both turned to her, almost in unison, and nodded.

“Seems doable!” Star Weld said with a lazy grin and a thumbs up.

Fluttershy smiled demurely and nestled into Rainbow’s side. “It looks pretty,” she murmured with a little flirt of her lush eyelashes.

The film in question? An animated superhero flick about a boy in a black and red suit with spider powers who engaged in elaborate fights with his alterdimensional selves on a heartfelt quest to save his father from a destined death. It used high concept art styles that varied wildly, but were all in some way vivid, expressive, and in odd turns beautiful and adorable at the same time. Rainbow felt pretty smug that she found something they all could enjoy. She put her arm around Fluttershy’s shoulders and glanced over–

Just in time to catch Star Weld’s chilly gaze and arched eyebrow at her as he crossed his arms. His big, muscular arms.

She swallowed and removed her limb from around her lover, making Fluttershy pout up at her. Rainbow didn’t feel as smug anymore. She sank in her seat and sighed. What a drag.

The movie was really good, at least. Rainbow was grateful they’d turned off the lights for the film when it ended. The room plunged deeper into darkness as the final credits rolled.

“Pretty good movie. I liked the action. It was funnier than I was expecting, too!” Star Weld said before succumbing to a loud yawn. He stood to his feet, the floorboards creaking as he shuffled into the kitchen for a drink.

Fluttershy sniffled and blew her nose in a tissue. “Such a beautiful ending!” she said, her voice creaky from emotion.

Rainbow gazed around at the walls, trying to turn her face away as fat tears leaked from her eyes. She thought about the main character’s friends all prepared to follow him. Out of love. She noted the unsettling shadows the knick knacks and curios cast along the walls, and her mind’s eye flashed with visions of the dark alternate world the hero had found himself in. She had wanted so badly for him to find victory, and instead she got a cliffhanger. A good one, mind you, but it really hit her where it hurt most.

She hadn’t meant to pick a tearjerker. What was the deal with all of these emotional cartoon movies? Who the heck were the creators? She just wanted to talk.

She was pretty sure Star didn’t notice her wiping at her face, but Fluttershy took her hand and kissed one errant tear away, making Rainbow chuckle bashfully, color touching her cheeks.

There just was no use in pretending with Shy. She was too perceptive. And by this point, Rainbow was fine with it.

Mostly.

That night, after they went to bed, she and Shy shared a moment of profound intimacy. The rhythm of their connection was slower, more tender than usual. It was the kind of closeness that enveloped Rainbow in a sense of safety and care, leading her into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When Rainbow’s phone alarm went off, it was four-thirty in the morning. She sat up and rubbed at her face, shivering a little at the feel of the cool air. Peering over her shoulder, she was relieved to see Fluttershy was still asleep on her side, her back to Rainbow. Angel Bunny was asleep, nestled in the crook of his owner’s neck, Flutters’ pink hair silkily wreathing about him like some angelic nest.

Rainbow frowned at the sight of the rabbit, initially annoyed by his intrusion into their intimate moment. Yet, she reasoned, he had likely seen Fluttershy in various states countless times. What did one more naked girl matter to him? It’s not like the little guy woke up worrying about clothes at all.

Rubbing at her neck, she stooped down to pick up her clothes from the floor. She pulled them on wearily. It was stupid, but she was half afraid she’d run into Star Weld in the hallway on her short trek to the bathroom. Rainbow wasn’t interested in getting up at all, but she knew she had to work out. Skipping training days was bad.

It was bad, it was bad, it was–

Man it really was bad if she had to turn a fact into a chant.

Going to her packed bag in the corner of the room, wincing with each creak of the floorboards, she retrieved the freezer-gallon bag packed with her toiletries. As quietly as she could manage, she left the room and went to the bathroom.

Shutting the door and turning on the light, she stripped her clothes off again and took a moment to start the shower to let the water heat up… Then stopped.

On the back of the door was a full-sized mirror. Her eyes became drawn to what it had to show, like looking at a car crash.

On her left arm was a distinct bruise from where her father had grabbed her and jerked her back so hard she’d nearly fallen. She could see every digit on her inner bicep. Where his thumb had dug in around the muscle, the skin was a faded purple. Had her teammates noticed? Surely they must have. Crap. Maybe they even guessed her dad was the cause. That may have been why they were so happy to cheer his departure from her life. She’d need to wear long-sleeves today or she’d suffer unnecessary questions from people who didn’t know better.

Crap. Damn it!

Rainbow’s eyes tensed as she stared balefully at herself in the mirror, her reflection steadily fogging as the steam from the shower filled the small space. Her right hand was looking better than when she’d first injured it, but the skin was an angry red around her knuckles, and it was still sore. She held up her hand and flexed it, her lip curling at the pain that flared down to her wrist. Why had she punched that wall?

I’m such a moron…

Rainbow pressed both hands into her face and took a deep breath. No, she had to stop doing that. She’d been dragged through enough sports counseling sessions and sports lectures by Blaze and her coach to know that all areas of health mattered—and that included mental health. If she kept thinking of herself as a loser, she would start acting like a loser. A defeated mind lost games.

So she had a few bruises? So what.

So freaking what.

With a stiffened lip and her back a little straighter, Rainbow glared at her reflection for a moment longer before turning around and entering the shower. She could get through the day. She believed that.

Mostly.

---

She went to her old gym, a vain hope lingering in her mind. Could she squeeze out one more day there? However, when she scanned her gym card at check-in, she was told that the card had been reported stolen. The man at the front desk looked apologetic as he took the card from her. At her panicked expression, he assured her that they knew she wasn’t a thief and her father had said he wouldn’t press charges, but the gym’s policy dictated that the account holder had the authority to revoke access at any time.

With her skin flushed with fury and embarrassment, Rainbow told the gym worker she understood through thin white lips. She left in haste.

With significantly less time to do her workout, she rushed to the campus gym. It was just as she’d feared. There was less space at this gym, and they didn’t have all the same equipment she’d come to rely on. But it was still something.

Rainbow gritted her teeth and blinked the sweat from her eyes as she pushed herself to the point that her muscles burned, spots hit her eyes, and she thought she’d boot. Blaze could suck an egg if he thought this would make her crawl back to him.

She felt nauseous as her mind dredged up a dark night from when she was eight. Her mom, Windy, had been away on a business trip. That night, Rainbow had trouble sleeping. The shadows of her room had seemed so deep, and they twisted into tormentous shapes with the moonlight. Outside the wind howled from a great gust that swept through their neighborhood. Still under the covers and shivering, Rainbow heard her mother arrive home late. She heard her father go to her, but there wasn’t the warm greetings one would expect between people who loved each other. Their words were low and she nearly couldn’t hear them. Nearly.

“Back already?” Blaze. His tone sounded smug.

“You canceled my cards,” Windy returned. Her voice was thick and laden with frustration.

“My cards,” He answered coldly.

Rainbow heard Windy whimper. “Let go!”

She sat up in bed and stared wide-eyed at the door. “You think I don’t know about you two?” He snarled. The framed posters on Rainbow’s wall rattled a little. “Take your shit back to the room before you wake up Dash!”

In the present, Rainbow had to take a moment to retreat to the bathroom. She leaned on a sink and stared pale-faced at her own reflection. Had that really been a memory? How could she have forgotten something like that?

She splashed her face with cold water.

Gotta get my head right.

She used the rage the memory filled her with to push hard in the last leg of her workout, blinking away tears.

After, she returned to Fluttershy’s house. Flutters didn’t have class or work that day, and Rainbow beamed upon laying eyes on her, snatching up the shorter girl in a sweeping hug that made them both laugh.

This girl was her sanctuary.

Her lifeline.

Old memories be damned.

They had breakfast together. Oatmeal mixed with walnuts, bananas, and blueberries. Rainbow devoured it hungrily, her spoon scraping the bowl for every gooey morsel.

“Did you have a good workout?” Fluttershy asked with a worried look. “I noticed you seemed quite stressed.”

Rainbow sighed and rubbed roughly at her eye as she leaned heavily on the table. Once again, her girlfriend pierced to the heart of the matter. She’d hoped her smile upon arriving would have been enough to convince her that everything was fine. Rainbow was just going to have to admit she had no poker face. “My dad canceled my gym membership.”

Fluttershy gasped, her hands going to her mouth. She clasped them to her chest, her gaze softening with sympathy. “I’m very sorry, Dashie,” she said earnestly. “Were you still able to work out on campus?”

“Yeah.” Rainbow threw a hand up into the air before letting it clatter back onto the table, making the spoons rattle in their bowls. “It’s whatever. Maybe when I talk to the coach today, he’ll have a solution for me. I don’t think the campus gym is gonna cut it, though.”

Fluttershy reached across the table and took her hand. When their eyes met, Rainbow could see the devotion gleaming in her girlfriend’s eyes. “It’ll be okay, Dashie.”

Rainbow made herself smile and squeezed her hand.

With their meals finished, Rainbow took their bowls and washed them in the sink. Fluttershy took time to care for Angel and Tank. These chores done, they set into studying.

They sat as they had a few nights ago, in Fluttershy’s room with her girlfriend on the bed, and Rainbow in the old chair. They weren’t focusing on her project. They had other classes to pass after all. Rainbow stayed on task. Sort of. Her mind kept wandering to unpleasant thoughts about the future and the past. The impotent anger in her mother’s voice from that long ago night. The threat in her father’s. Every now and again she’d find reprieve thanks to her cute girlfriend and the critters next to her.

Fluttershy was lying on her stomach taking notes from her Zoology textbook. She had one dainty finger twirling a silky pink lock and a pencil held in her mouth as she read a page on what looked like invertebrates. She seemed so engrossed in the work, that Rainbow didn’t feel self-conscious taking a moment to appreciate her openly. Just looking at her really did calm her down. It was weird. She could feel a sense of comfort come over her mind and body, like being wrapped up in a warm and fuzzy blanket and knowing she didn’t have to get up from her comfy place for a long time.

Next to Fluttershy, Angel Bunny and Tank played on the bed. It was some cute version of ‘popcorn’ with Angel thumping the mattress hard enough to make Tank bounce a little in the air. The tortoise snorted every time in what was some reptilian form of laughter. Fluttershy didn’t seem remotely distracted by this, even when Angel bounced Tank into her side a few times, making her thigh and butt jiggle. Her lips did curl up ever so slightly, though.

Rainbow smiled absently when it happened again. Even without realizing it, Fluttershy created comfort and safe haven. She seemed entirely unaware of the dangers of the world. The ugliness in it. Rainbow’s skin crawled as she recalled the way Gold Fang had leered at her, like she was meat to be devoured. How much worse it would feel to have that slime ball do the same to Shy.

She didn’t doubt that she could kill to keep that from happening.

When lunchtime came, Fluttershy set about making food. She eyed Rainbow while she set out her ingredients from the fridge. “Rainbow?”

Rainbow looked at her from where she was sitting at the table. She’d been texting Sassaflash. They’d been discussing the upcoming meeting for that day. She eyed her girlfriend with curious warmth, a small smile on her lips. “What’s up?”

She watched patiently as Fluttershy worked up the nerve to ask something. She pressed her lips together and shuffled her feet, her slim fingers delicately tapping out an uneven rhythm on the counter. When the other girl finally spoke, she did so carefully. “I was thinking about your psychology project…”

Rainbow’s stomach tightened and she set her phone down slowly. “Yeah?” Her smile shrank some.

“I was thinking…” Fluttershy twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, her gaze nervously meeting Rainbow’s. “Maybe we need a little help?”

“Like what kinda help?” Rainbow couldn’t help her voice roughening a little as her brow tensed.

Fluttershy tugged on her ear and cringed. “Twilight Sparkle…?”

Rainbow arched an eyebrow, her lips thinning. “Is that a question or a suggestion?”

Fluttershy pushed her index fingers together and smiled nervously. “Both?”

Rainbow exhaled harshly and gestured at herself. “Look, I know I’m struggling, but Twilight kinda feels like the nuclear option, if you know what I mean.”

Fluttershy leaned on the counter, her pretty blue eyes pleading. “Dashie, I just feel like what we’ve been trying so far hasn’t been working. Twilight knows far more about studying techniques than I do!”

Rainbow groaned and leaned on the table. “I mean…I guess.”

“Can I ask if she’s free to help us tonight?” Fluttershy clasped her hands under her chin and smiled nervously.

Rainbow slouched in her seat with a little groan. “Ugh…fine. Go ahead, I guess.” Twilight Sparkle could be tons of fun, but studying was not Rainbow’s favorite way of spending time with her.

A few minutes went by. She filled the time by browsing social media. She was honestly so busy, she didn’t post much. Her Ponygram had been neglected for months now. Her phone beeped with a text notification in the middle of a video showcasing Bulk Biceps weightlifting two hundred and thirty pounds. Pouting, Rainbow opened the text. It was from Sassaflash.

>S: Lunch?

Rainbow’s expression cleared as an idea struck her. She fidgeted in her chair as she leaned eagerly onto the table. “Hey, Flutters?”

Fluttershy looked up from chopping an onion. She sniffled a little, her eyes blinking rapidly from the vapors. “Yes?” she sounded a little stuffy.

Rainbow pointed at her phone. “Can Sassaflash come over and have lunch with us? Usually, this is when we go out to eat together, but I don’t really wanna go blowing all of my money too quick.”

“Of course!” Fluttershy said, her teary eyes lighting up. She wiped delicately at one of them with the edge of her wrist, then winced, trying to blink the onion vapor from her gaze. Rainbow watched her with amusement as her girlfriend tried valiantly to survive making them lunch. “We did invite her for dinner after all,” Fluttershy eventually continued with an embarrassed little giggle. “I suppose lunch would do just as well! Do you have any idea what meals she likes? Maybe I can make it?”

“Don’t worry about it. You already started. She’ll love whatever you’ll make.” Rainbow smirked a little as she texted Sass.

>RD: Come over 2 Fluttershy’s. We’ll eat grass 2gether.

She sent the address to her friend. Not even two seconds later her phone buzzed.

>S: Can we have Fluttershy for dessert? >:D

Rainbow rolled her eyes but grinned.

>RD: Dude, she’s MY dessert, and I’m not sharing.

>S: Boo!

Chuckling, Rainbow put away her phone. Fluttershy peeked at her, smiling curiously. “May I ask what has you so amused?” she asked with a little tilt of her head.

Rainbow blushed and stood to her feet. “It’s just Sass screwing around. Want some help chopping?”

Twenty minutes later they were wrapping up the meal when there was a knock on the door.

“That’s her,” Rainbow said, rubbing her palms on her pants nervously. She wasn’t sure why she felt anxious. She knew Sassaflash and Fluttershy got along.

She pecked Fluttershy on the cheek, making the other girl squeak with delight before she hurried out of the kitchen, vaulted over the couch, and dodged the coffee table to answer the front door. Sassaflash beamed holding up a bottle of what looked like pale orange juice. “Yooo! I am beyond stoked to be here! Thanks for inviting me, Dashie!” her voice was even a little hushed, like she was at the royal palace or something.

Rainbow just smiled bemusedly at her. “Uh, hi? Geez, you do look stoked.” She gestured at the bottle with her chin. “What’s that?”

Sassaflash held the bottle up to her cheek and donned a sultry, pouty look. “Fresh pressed orange and pineapple juice from the juice bar near campus. It’s to die for.”

Rainbow felt a hand on her arm and shifted aside enough to allow Fluttershy to squeeze in with her in the doorway. She was wiping her hands on a towel, a broad smile on her face. Rainbow put her arm over her girlfriend’s shoulders as Shy delicately offered her hand, her other hand clutching the towel to her chest. “Hello, Sassaflash! Did I hear that you brought juice?”

Sass blushed as she shook Shy’s hand before handing her the bottle. “Sure did! Here you go.” She clasped her hands under her chin and flirted her eyelashes. “Gosh, thanks for having me over, Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy hugged the bottle to her chest and Rainbow did a double-take when her girlfriend fluttered her eyes, too. “Oh no, thank you for joining us. Please, do come in,” Fluttershy said, shuffling to the side.

Rainbow stepped back as well, and Sassaflash entered, her eyes immediately sweeping over all of the various trinkets and curios lining the walls.

“I apologize for the cramped space,” Fluttershy said as she nervously wrung her hands. Rainbow shut the door and stood behind her, rubbing her shoulders.

Sassaflash looked at her with bright eyes and shook her head quickly. “You don’t have to apologize! I think your home looks lovely.” She gestured at the shelves on the walls. “You have a lot of crazy cool stuff!”

Fluttershy bowed her head, letting her hair curtain forward, but she at least tucked one side of it behind her ear. “It was my parents. They traveled the world a lot before they had Star Weld and me. They passed away a few years ago, but I can’t bring myself to pack these up.”

Sass looked at her with surprise. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry to hear that.”

Fluttershy shook her head, a kind smile on her pretty lips. “It’s all right. I’m in a good place about it, now.”

Rainbow hugged her around the shoulders from behind and kissed her exposed ear with a grin. “You’re in an awesome place,” she murmured to her.

Sassaflash pressed a hand to her heart and cooed. “You guys are freaking adorable!”

Fluttershy, who blushed red from the scalp down, pointed toward the kitchen. “Are you hungry?” Her voice quavered a little. Rainbow growled playfully and gently bit her ear.

Rainbow felt Fluttershy reach between them and tickle her belly. She jumped back with a yelp. “Okay, okay! I’ll behave!” she laughed.

Fluttershy looked at her with a mild version of her stern Stare, but her lips were tugging up at the corners. “We made hummus and veggie wraps!” She said to Sassaflash with the sweetest voice. “They’re sitting on the counter next to some plates and napkins.”

Sassaflash started for the kitchen, rubbing her hands. “Sounds delici–” she broke off, halting midstep. “Wow!” she gasped, her eyes landing on something on the shelves. “Is that a real krone?” She pointed at a framed banknote.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “You know what that is?”

Sass stepped closer to the frame on the wall. Rainbow scowled and stepped forward to peer over her friend’s shoulder for a closer look, too. The banknote featured a woman in an oval frame on the right side. The left side had the words:

HUNDERTKRONEN

IN GESETZLICHEM METALLGELDE
WIEN 2.JANNER 1912

Underneath was what looked like a coat of arms.

Sassaflash nodded eagerly, her smile growing. “Yeah! My family and I did a tour through Europe before I went to middle school. I wanted to snag one of these before we left, but I kinda missed my chance to.”

“What country does it belong to?” Rainbow asked with a little scrunch of her nose.

“Austria-Hungary,” Fluttershy chimed in with a little smile. “My parents backpacked in Europe before going to college together.”

“The country doesn’t exist anymore. It collapsed at the end of the First World War,” Sassaflash said with a bright expression. “It’s easier to find these over there, but after so many decades they’re becoming scarcer.”

Rainbow whistled. “Geez, I didn’t know you knew so much about that kind of stuff.” She pointed at a shelf that housed miniature pyramids and a golden Somnambula figurine. “I knew you liked Egyptian stuff, but I had no idea you were a world history buff.”

Sass snickered. “Wanna know a secret?” she asked with an arched eyebrow.

Rainbow glanced at Fluttershy, who had an uncertain grin on her face. She looked back at Sass. “Sure. What’s the secret?”

Sassaflash giggled and cupped her hands around her face. “I majored in History and minored in Archaeology my freshman year.” Then she turned her hands to cover her face.

Rainbow blinked. Then her eyes widened. “Hold up, that’s what you studied freshman year?!”

Sass let her hands slide down her face, pulling at her features. She bobbed her head slowly, a light tinge coming to her cheeks. Exhaling hard through loose lips, she put her hands on her cocked hips a shy grin still on her lips. “I wanted to learn about the world. People are wacky and tragic and amazing, so it makes for a pretty riveting story! If I ever got that undergraduate degree, I’d hoped to get a graduate degree in Egyptian History.” She turned and started for the kitchen again. “I’d have kept up with it, but…”

Rainbow furrowed her brow as she and Fluttershy followed her. “But you signed up for soccer.”

“I’m sorry, I’m not following,” Fluttershy said, her cheeks lightening even as her brow wrinkled. “Why would her joining the soccer team affect things?”

“Because I’m not on a sports scholarship like Dashie,” Sassaflash said while she put together her plate. She looked at Fluttershy with a little smirk. “Alot of people think that all college athletes are covered because of what they can do on the field. I got into college because of my academics.”

Rainbow leaned on the counter, her mouth screwing to the side. She recalled their conversation the previous Friday, where Sass had asked her, “Do you remember what I used to major in before I joined the team last year?”

That was right. Shortly after Sass had been promoted to Vice-Captain, she’d told Rainbow. That had been months ago. Why did she forget?

“You told me what you majored in before,” Rainbow admitted aloud. She looked at Sassaflash with a hangdog expression. “You’re right. I wasn’t putting enough energy into getting to know you before. I don’t have a good excuse for forgetting. Sorry, dude.”

Sassaflash’s bottom lip pushed up as she reached across the counter and patted her hand. “Forget about it. Even I have trouble remembering all the crap I used to do. I’m kind of a jack-of-all trades like that.”

“Yeah, but usually a jack-of-all trades doesn’t excel in just about everything they pick up,” Rainbow pointed out with a little grin.

Sassaflash winked. “Well, Dashie, I’m nothing if not competitive.”

Fluttershy glanced up from the plate she’d put together. This she handed to an eager-eyed Rainbow. “I’m afraid you have me curious, Sassaflash! Won’t you share more about yourself?”

Sass fluttered her eyes at her. “Ooh! Anything for you Fluttershy!”

Rainbow gawked when Fluttershy tilted her head and flirted her eyelashes back at her.

What the heck? Is Sassaflash hypnotizing Shy or something??

She eyed Sassaflash suspiciously as her teammate went to sit at the table. She spoke around a bite of food. “Mmm! This tastes great! Thank you, guys!”

Rainbow took a bite of her food as well. Her eyebrows lifted.

Geez, this grass-eater stuff just keeps getting better!

“Would either of you like some juice as well?” Fluttershy asked, holding up the juice jug Sassaflash brought.

Rainbow set her wrap down and placed her plate on the counter. “Here, lemme do it. Go sit.”

Fluttershy smiled her thanks as she handed Rainbow the juice.

“So, as far as other stuff I’ve done in my life…” Sass shrugged. “I’ve done dance, gymnastics, karate, cup stacking, and–”

“Cup stacking?” Rainbow said with a short laugh. She brought the others their drinks, then stood by Sass with her arms crossed and a teasing smile on her face. “This is in addition to the rock, paper, scissors competitions?”

Sass tilted her chin up at her, a cool grin on her face. “I was also going to say I’ve done some circus school.”

“I didn’t realize there were schools for that sort of thing,” Fluttershy said with wide eyes.

“Oh, sure!” Sass said before taking another bite. She covered her mouth and spoke around her food again. “It’s learning how to perform physical comedy, how to juggle, and how to do some of the common circus acts you see in most big tents!”

Rainbow blinked. That actually sounded kind of cool. She gazed back at her friend with great interest as she walked back to retrieve her cup of juice and plate of food. “What did you learn?”

“I was only there for a few months,” Sassaflash admitted with a wince. “Buuut, I can juggle and walk the high wire!”

“Nice!” Rainbow flipped the third chair on the end around so that she sat on it backward. “Though, I’m kinda hearing a trend here, Sass.”

Sass sighed and rubbed her knee, a wry smile on her lips. “Is it about me constantly quitting stuff?”

Rainbow snapped her fingers and pointed at her. “Yep!” She turned over her hand and frowned briefly. “What’s the deal with that, dude? It’s like you get really good at something, then you just give it all up!”

“In my defense, I didn’t quit making clothes and modeling because I chose to stop! My mom pulled me out.” She picked up her juice and took a quick sip of it. Licking her lips, she added, “Quitting RPS tournaments was partly because Pinkie beat the snot out of me. Switching majors? I did that because I couldn’t keep up with it whilst doing soccer, and I needed my scores to stay up. I picked Criminal Justice because it was more agreeable with me playing sports.”

“Is soccer somehow part of your long-term goal?” Fluttershy asked with an innocent tilt of her head.

Sassaflash’s eyes grew large, and she dropped her gaze to her plate. “Um. Not exactly.” She looked sidelong at Rainbow, who gazed at her in confusion.

“What? What do you mean? I thought you wanted to make soccer your career?” Rainbow asked with sharp eyes. “Why else did you prioritize that over History?”

Sassaflash’s face bunched and she leaned her head to the side. “Yeah, you’re right.” She looked at Rainbow and smiled. “The truth is, I don’t really have a plan. Part of the reason I quit my major to begin with was because I was dissatisfied with the program and the people teaching it. Soccer just kind of became my thing after that. But I’m open to doing something else if that makes sense?”

Rainbow nodded slowly. She wasn’t sure why, but this really bummed her out. Maybe it was the thought of not having Sassaflash around to goof with on the field. Maybe it was her freedom in being able to change and explore so many plans.

“Sure,” Rainbow said with a forced smile. “That makes sense to me.”

---

They left together in Rainbow’s car. Fluttershy stayed home to resume studying. She also promised to call Twilight Sparkle.

“I’m sure she’ll have some great insights for us!” She gushed. Rainbow suspected she was also just excited to have an excuse to call their mutual friend. This made her smile absently. It was sort of weird how all of a sudden they were seeing their old group more and more often. Over a week ago, it had become normal to not see or hear from any of her friends apart from Sunset Shimmer until their monthly dinner swung around.

While she drove, Rainbow played some mainstream hip-hop. She liked to hear the larger-than-life lyrics to get her into a winning mindset. It was an important state to maintain, even for team meetings. She needed to be an example for the whole team. After her meltdown in the locker room, she knew she needed to restore everyone’s faith that she had her head in the game.

“Hey, Dashie?”

Rainbow looked at Sassaflash curiously. Her friend was looking at her with a tense expression.

“You’re not upset with me for saying what I did back at Fluttershy’s, right?” Her light finger tapped a rapid beat on her thigh.

“About maybe quitting soccer?” Rainbow asked, glancing at her with an owlish blink.

Sassaflash winced. “Yeah.”

Rainbow shrugged and shifted gears as the vehicle climbed a hill. “I’m not going to hold that against you. Honestly, dude? If I could’ve chosen what I’d go to college for, I would’ve preferred being a music major.” She reached over and put a hand on Sassaflash’s shoulder. “So you do you. I’ll just miss you if you go.”

Sassaflash stared, her mouth agape.

Rainbow retracted her hand like she’d been burned, her eyes wide with uneasiness. “What, why are you staring at me like that?” she asked edgily.

“That’s a super mature thing you just said.” Sassaflash’s voice was hushed with awe.

Rainbow squinted one eye. “I guess?”

Sass grabbed her arm, her expression pinched with sudden desperate need. “Do you think if I kiss Shy, I’ll grow up, too??”

Rainbow bared her teeth in what barely resembled a smile. “If by ‘growing up’ you mean becoming a red stain on the ground, then yes!”

Sassaflash laughed, holding up her hands. “Okay, okay! I get it, you don’t wanna share.” She grinned impishly. “All I’m saying is, your girl has me bi-curious!”

Rainbow’s eyebrows lifted. Was she serious?

Then could she…?

“Do you mind country girls?” She ventured, looking back and forth from the road to Sass. “I have this friend. She’s pretty muscular. That’s your thing, right? Buff bods?”

Sassaflash considered this seriously. Rainbow’s heart sped up as she gawked at her friend. Was this really happening?

Eventually, Sass shrugged. “I dunno. I think maybe I’d like to stay single for a while, y’know? Focus on what I’m actually going to do with my life.” She leaned on the car door, her expression blank. Seldom did Sass wear such a look—a hint to Rainbow that she wasn’t all that jazzed about what she was saying. Her friend’s gaze took on a distant, glazed look as she sighed a little. “I really like soccer. Even if I don’t get signed onto a pro team, I could probably get into the amateur leagues easy. Maybe coach if I wanted to. You can make a living that way… right?” She scowled out the window.

Rainbow furrowed her brow. Dang, she’d really hoped her friend would be open to try dating AJ. “That’s a lot to think about,” she said instead, her tone careful.

“Yeah,” came the non-committal response. Sassaflash’s gaze remained fixed on the passing scenery of the city. The high angle of the early afternoon sun slanted through the windshield, landing on her friend’s moving neck as she swallowed hard.

They rode in silence for a while. Rainbow eyed the tall buildings they passed, trying to shed her disappointment. Canterlot City wasn’t the largest city, by any stretch, but it was certainly big enough that whole sections felt like little towns in of themselves. The area they were passing through was near campus and the neighborhoods were rich with murals and artistic sculptures, giving it a decidedly bohemian vibe. She grinned as they passed her favorite mural. It was a large painting of a blooming lotus sprouting from a pretty girl’s mouth on the side of a hotel.

“Can this special friend of yours benchpress me?” Sass asked suddenly, her legs stretching to their full extent before snapping back, her feet almost tucking under her seat.

Rainbow looked at her with a stretched expression of shock. She hadn’t expected her friend to resume the conversation. “Uh… Yeah! Yeah. Easily.”

Sassaflash gave her a pursed smile. “Then maybe I could consider meeting your friend.”

Rainbow laughed, feeling her heart race as she leaned toward her friend. “Seriously? You’re serious right now??”

Sass giggled and shoved her shoulder. “I said maybe!”

Rainbow tried to keep from driving up onto the sidewalk as they entered campus. Her hands were sweating.

This could fix a massive problem!

“I think I’d miss penises too much…” Sassaflash lamented. Then her nose scrunched and her eyes turned up with annoyance. “Ugh, I hate that I have to say ‘penises’.”

Rainbow snickered. “You know that you can get one in a box, right?”

Sass waved the thought away. “It’s not the same!”

“Look, I’m just following up on what you said!”

“But what if I’m into femmes like Fluttershy?”

“She’s off-limits,” Rainbow said sternly. “If you want femmes, I can’t help you. I don’t know any available off-hand.”

Sassaflash pouted at her. “But Shy’s so cuuuute!”

Rainbow parked. They were at the parking lot near the soccer field. “Look, the friend I’m talking about is a soft masc. You know what those are, right?” She knew Sass frequently used alot of queer slang. Maybe that should have been a hint in the past? She was a little dismayed at the small headshake she got in response, though. Rainbow tugged at her ear as she shut the engine off and pulled her car keys out of the ignition. “Um… It’s like she’s masculine, but still with some girly traits. Y’know, most people would just assume she’s a tomboy, not necessarily gay.”

“Are you more butch than she is?” Sass asked with a rapid blink of her amber eyes.

Rainbow thought about that seriously for a moment. She didn’t really try hard to look or act like a guy, but if she had to put her and AJ on a scale… “Yeah,” she nodded her head confidently. “She still bothers with skirts and makeup. And like… I dunno!” She narrowed her eyes, racking her brain. How did Applejack behave? “She still does these little moves that are kinda femme, but most of the time she moves really assertive. Like a confident dude.” Rainbow scratched the back of her head and looked at her friend. “Does that make more sense?”

Sass pushed her lower lip out in thought. After a few seconds she arched an eyebrow. “I think I’m picking up what you’re putting down.”

Rainbow smiled in relief. “Sweet. Yeah, so imagine, she’s all that and ripped.”

“Like Bulk Biceps ripped?”

Rainbow shook her head quickly. “No, no way. Not that much. She’s like she’s a pin-up fitness model. Y’know. Pretty face, hard bod, hour-glass shape? Like a superhero.”

Sass blushed and bit her knuckle, letting out a low squeal. Rainbow laughed. “Can I see a pic?” Sass asked with a nervous wince.

Rainbow hesitated. She didn’t want to out her friend against her wishes. “Um… Lemme ask if she’d be up for it. She hasn’t come out of the closet, so I just wanna make sure she’s cool.”

The other girl nodded. “Sounds fair.” She held up a hand like she was asking Rainbow to stop and listen. “But really, this is a big maybe, okay? It probably won’t go anywhere!”

“I dunno, man. You might like her!” Rainow wagged her eyebrows. “She’s a champion, too.”

“Oh yeah? In what?” Sass asked as she opened the passenger door. She slipped out.

Rainbow exited the car and leaned on the car roof. “Rodeos,” she said with a smirk before she shut the door.

Sassaflash grinned and shut her door as well. “Dang, really?”

Rainbow screwed her mouth to the side and held her hands out. “Come on, would I hook you up with a loser?”

They started for the soccer fields. Their team meeting was going to be held in the sublevel locker rooms.

Sassaflash was blushing really hard now. “Oh my god, I said it was maybe, okay! Don’t get so excited!”

Rainbow laughed again. “But you’re thinking about it! I never thought you’d even consider it!”

“Dashie, I did cup stacking and became a regional champion within a year. I’m pretty much willing to try anything once and take it seriously if I have a chance.”

Rainbow crossed her arms. “Oh, so you didn’t have a chance to try before because of Caramel?”

Sassaflash held up her hands, her smile turning more muted. “I guess. Funny, huh? The one thing I couldn’t quit was a crappy relationship. Can you imagine all the opportunities I lost just because I was saving myself for that jerk?”

“So this is something you’ve thought about in the past? Dating girls, I mean?”

Sass looked at her sidelong. She looked around them quickly, as if making sure no one was close enough to listen in. She kicked at a rock on the ground and peered sidelong at Rainbow. “Did you always think I was joking with you before?”

Rainbow felt her heart jump a little as her cheeks colored warm. “Uhhh… yes?” She shoved her hands into her pockets. She could feel her armpits kick into overdrive. “Anyway, I uh, thought you liked femmes?”

Sassaflash nodded slowly, her lips pursed. “I think I do.” She looked at Rainbow and smiled. Her gaze was earnest. “I decided I like having you as a friend, Dashie.”

Rainbow let go of the breath she’d been holding. “Oh good!” she said as she exhaled. She grinned sheepishly. “It’d be weird to date you now.”

“No kidding!” They went a few steps before Sass bit her lip and glanced at her. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“I know this might sound pretty ignorant, but I just gotta know… You have some pretty hot friends.” She held her hands up. “What’s stopping you from wanting to date them all?”

Rainbow furrowed her brow and shrugged. “Well, why do we wanna stay friends?”

Sass put her hands on her hips and looked at her teasingly. “Cuz you’re a pain in my butt.”

Rainbow chuckled, “And you’re a pain in mine!” She pointed between them. “At the end of the day, it has to do with preference and interest. We might have fit each other’s preference, but you didn’t try to do anything physical with me, and I didn’t with you, right?”

Sassaflash nodded assertively. “Right.”

“Cuz we weren’t interested!” Rainbow circled a finger through the air, her cheeks warming as she shared her insight. “You hook up with people for more than just looks. There’s a bunch of reasons why people might not get involved. I know for me, it’s because I was just so freaking busy, and the only thing I was interested in was kissing and ditching.” She grimaced as she scratched the back of her head. “For one thing, you were my teammate. So there wasn’t gonna be any ditching involved. For another, I really had fun with you as a friend. I didn’t wanna lose that.”

She wasn’t an egghead, but when she’d been trying to sort out who she was in high school, these kinds of things were all she could think about. Sass was right. All of her friends were hot, and her junior and senior year had been spent suffering through horny feelings during really inconvenient times. She supposed she still was horny, but it wasn’t nearly as bad now. Rainbow hadn’t had to consider these observations in a long time, but hearing them now, she fidgeted at how weirdly insightful she sounded. The words almost felt ill-suited for her mouth.

Rainbow shrugged one shoulder. “It’s the same with my friends. I got this, like, bond with them, right? But I know most of them aren’t interested in me, so I don’t bother. Then after a while, the friendship just becomes too valuable.” She turned over a hand, her eyebrows lifting high. “Seriously! It’d suck to have this great friend, then you cross that line with them and suddenly things go south so that bond you had is lost forever.”

Sassaflash hummed and looked at her knowingly. “Like your fears with Fluttershy.”

Rainbow glared at her sharply. “Not fears. Concerns.”

Sassaflash giggled. “Sure, okay.” She stretched, then folded her hands behind her head as she looked up at the sky. “I just want it simple, y’know? If it can’t be simple, I’d rather stay single. I’d hate to go experimenting only to hurt myself and somebody else. I’m just… I’m not sure.” Her eyes tensed as her voice took on a conflicted tone. “That’s kinda scary, Dashie. I’ve always known for sure what I wanted to try. This is the first time I’ve had anything ever be a ‘maybe’.”

Rainbow chewed her lip. She didn’t know what else to say. She’d always thought her friend was solidly straight. It was taking quite a bit of effort to not freak out more, but Rainbow wanted to very badly. Given her own experience with coming out, she figured if Sassaflash was serious, then her making a big deal about it wouldn’t feel too good.

“You… still want me to text my friend?” She asked haltingly.

Sassaflash’s eyes slid sideways toward her. She thought about this seriously for a bit. Then she smirked. “Do it.”

Rainbow returned the smirk. “All right, bet. Gimme a sec, I’ll text her,” she said, pulling out her phone. Pulling up her chat thread with Applejack, she typed–

>RD: Dude, I talked u up 2 a good friend of mine on the team. she says she might b up 4 meetin u if she can see a pic! up 4 it? i might have 1 if ur busy, but a new 1 wud b gud.

Especially because the last pictures she had of Applejack were from before she’d bulked up like she had in the last year. Every time Rainbow saw her, she’d wanted to ask what exercises she’d been doing. Not that she wanted to do the same. More muscles meant more weight, and that would be harder to move quickly with on the soccer field. Still, she had a professional curiosity. She knew Applejack didn’t go to the gym. Could it really just be her farmwork?

She doubted she’d get a quick reply from her friend, so she put her phone away and steered the conversation with Sass into something more mundane instead. “All right, Sass. I had a few notes for the team. Wanna tell me what you think?”

Sassaflash, still pink-cheeked, nodded. “Sure. Lay it on me.”

The rest of the short walk was spent talking soccer. They made it to the locker rooms on time. Spitfire was already there along with most of the team. Rainbow, Sassaflash, and Spitfire sat at the front of the meeting room. A projection screen was pulled down and the projector displayed a slide that said, “Griffonstone: MVPs, Tactics, and Weaknesses.” The picture displayed the opposing team, clad in their silver and royal yellow jerseys. Standing in the middle towards the front was Gilda. She had short white hair with long feathery bangs that fell into her bright amber eyes.

Rainbow smirked at the picture. She looked forward to competing against her old friend. They were close buds from kindergarten through second grade till Gilda’s family moved away. They’d since reconnected a few times, mostly through soccer competitions. They weren’t as close, but the friendship was still there. Rainbow hoped Gilda would be free to catch up afterward. She hadn’t seen her in over a year.

When her teammates had all settled into seats, their coach appeared at the front. He was a slim black man, wide at the shoulders, with a short white beard and blue eyes. Under his baseball cap his head was shaved clean. His name was Laurel Frost, though seldom did Rainbow or her teammates actually call him this.

“All right, ladies. Listen up,” he said, tapping a clipboard against his leg. The chatter in the room died down. “Kage Ribbon had a few announcements to share, then we’re going to resume our study of our next opponents.”

Next to him was his assistant coach, a young Japanese woman with soft plum hair peppered with black and rich purple eyes. She cleared her throat and spoke carefully, her words accented but clear. “Hello, everyone. I hope you are all doing well.” She gestured toward the locker room. “I see we have been doing a better job picking up after ourselves. This makes me very glad…!”

And on it went.

When the meeting was done, it was late into the afternoon. Rainbow started to rise up, but her coach appeared in front of her his cool gaze focused, but tensed. “Stay for a bit, Rainbow. Kage and I would like to talk with you.”

Rainbow grimaced but nodded. Sassaflash nudged her. “Don’t look so worried! He probably wants to just sort out the whole gym situation for you,” she said.

“Yeah, sure,” Rainbow replied unenthusiastically. It wasn’t so much them talking as how he said it. She felt like she was being held back for detention.

“We’ll wait for you outside, Cap,” Spitfire said, shooting her an encouraging smile.

Rainbow nervously cracked her knuckles as she watched her friends leave. She winced when she tried to crack her injured hand, the pain sharp and sudden enough that she curled over and had to breathe through it for a second with her eyes squeezed shut.

It took a few minutes of waiting for her other teammates to leave. Coach had to talk to a few of the other girls as well. When the room was finally cleared, Kage shut the door and Coach Laurel pulled up a chair so that he could sit facing Rainbow.

“So I heard what happened the other day,” He said, pulling off his cap and placing it on his knee. This same leg he leaned on and wiped at his face, drawn tight with concern. “That’s quite a lot, Rainbow.”

Rainbow snorted a little, leaning heavy on her chair’s armrest. She tried to ignore the ache that persisted in her hand. “A lot’s been going on. What did you hear?”

Laurel shrugged his mouth a little, then looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Heard you had a falling out with your dad and lost the fancy gym you’d been going to.” He glanced at her hand, which she hid under her crossed arms. “Heard about your hand, too.”

Kage sat down at her other side. Pressing her hands together, she looked at Rainbow with lips pursed with prim concern. “May I please see it?”

Rainbow pouted, her brow creasing. Reluctantly, she held her right hand out.

Kage examined it with a soft frown. With her hands, she gently touched Rainbow’s red knuckles. Rainbow just managed to keep her face from twitching at the uncomfortable twinges this caused. “Nothing feels out of place,” Kage observed. She clenched and unclenched her hand and looked intently at Rainbow. “Does it hurt a lot to make a fist?”

“Not a lot. Just a little,” Rainbow said, demonstrating slowly.

“Does it hurt if you do it faster?” Kage asked with a shrewd look.

Rainbow hesitated. She tried to squeeze her hand faster. Pain shot to her wrist and she couldn't hide the small flinch that flashed across her features.

Kage and Coach exchanged looks.

“What do you think?” Laurel asked her.

Kage exhaled slowly and looked back at Rainbow’s hand. “It is a little swollen and clearly sore.”

Laurel leaned on his knees, his forehead wrinkling. “Is it enough to bench her?”

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Woah, hold up. It’s just a small hand injury!”

“You know better than that,” Coach told her with a stern look. “When you gun for the ball, spills and tumbles happen, and you use these–” he held up his hands, his gaze piercing. “To break your fall. Can you honestly tell me that hand can stop your head from slamming into the turf and earning you a concussion?”

Rainbow drew her shoulders back, her lip curling with her indignation. “I’m telling you, I’ll be fine, coach!”

He shook his head adamantly, his mouth turned down in refusal. “As much as I wanna take your word for it, Rainbow, I have to follow safety protocol. You aren’t cleared to play until the team physician gives you the okay.”

Rainbow felt her heart sink as she groaned, “Not Loony…” Loony was the sports doc assigned to her team. She sat on the sidelines every game with her medical bag. Every time someone so much as tumbled, she’d jump up to look at them. Kage usually had to sit next to her to keep her from running onto the field during games.

“I’m afraid so.” He pulled a notepad from his pocket and wrote a number on it. “I’ll call ahead, but I want you to see her either Thursday or Friday and get an answer.” He handed her the paper. “I also added Mellow Petal’s number.”

“The sports shrink?” Rainbow couldn’t keep the disdain off her face now, her mouth falling open with her frustration. Great. Now people thought she was a basket-case.

“I was gonna say you were overdue for a visit with her anyway, Rainbow,” Coach said with a wry smile. “But Mellow can absolutely help you work through what you’re going through.”

“Do I have a choice?” Rainbow asked with a scowl, her tone sour.

Kage placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and Rainbow side-eyed her sullenly. Usually, her assistant coach had the soft word that got people to cooperate. She didn’t want to cooperate. There was nothing wrong with her–

“Rainbow, we only wish to help. We see that you are struggling. We only wish for you to take advantage of the resources you have available to you.” She held up a hand, her purple eyes softening with more than just professional courtesy. Kage really cared about her players. “Speaking to Mellow Petal may put things into a better perspective, and it would give much peace to your teammates. They worry for you, as we do.”

Rainbow clenched her teeth but said nothing.

“Just think about it, is all that we’re asking,” Coach said when she failed to answer. He sat back and crossed his arms. “As for your gym issue… Listen,” He pointed at himself. “I’m willing to cover the costs of your training for the remainder of the season.”

Rainbow’s face fell with shock. “You’d pay out of pocket for me?”

The man nodded with a pursed smile. “Yep. I sure will.”

She bounced her knee, her eyes searching the room as she thought. Did she feel okay letting her coach, someone she’d worked with closely for more than a year, do this for her? After a moment of thinking, she shook her head assertively. “No. I can’t accept that.”

“What’s the problem?” Coach asked sharply, his eyes narrowing and his light eyebrows lifting high. He clearly hadn’t expected her resistance.

“I’m not comfortable with you spending money on me, that’s all,” Rainbow answered honestly, her knee bouncing faster. She gazed at him somberly, her shoulders tight. “You aren’t doing that for anyone else on the team.”

“But Rainbow, you are our team captain,” Kage said earnestly, bouncing a little in her seat and splaying out her hands in her lap. “It is very important that you maintain your strength and conditioning!”

“Especially for this leg of the season,” Coach added with a slow nod and a grave look. “We’re only two games away from making it to nationals, Dash. We can’t afford slip-ups at this stage!”

“I don’t want to be a charity case, coach,” Rainbow said, her nostrils flaring as she lifted her chin.

“Well, unless you have another idea, I’m afraid we’re looking at a pretty dismal situation here, Dash!” Coach glared at her, his strong forearms tensing as he clenched his fists. “Is this really worth fussing about your pride right now?”

Kage leaned toward him with a lifted hand, like she were a student trying to get a teacher’s attention. “Frost-buchou, if I may suggest something?”

Coach stared Rainbow down a moment longer before sitting back and regarding Kage with a soft frown. “Go on. What are you thinking, Kage?”

Kage nodded in that characteristic way that made it seem as if she were bowing at the same time. She had a tiny smile on her lips. “Buchou, if you’ll recall, your wife mentioned she was sorely needing help at her restaurant.” She looked next at Rainbow. “Perhaps Rainbow could assist there for a short time? I’m sure whatever she earns would cover the cost of a gym membership until the season is through.”

Coach seemed taken aback by the suggestion, but then he laughed, slapping a knee. “Hot damn, Kage! That might be your best idea yet!”

“When the heck am I supposed to find time to work?” Rainbow protested, looking between her coaches like they were crazy. “My schedule is damn near ready to explode!”

“Has it changed much since we last went over it?” Coach asked, his brow furrowing.

She shrugged a little. “A little?”

He puckered his lips as he thought. “If I recall correctly, Mondays and Fridays were pretty open, right?”

Rainbow blinked slowly. “Um, yes?”

Coach snapped his fingers. “Then you’ll work for my wife on those days. Just a few hours. You oughta be able to handle that.” He groaned as he stood up, his knees popping. “In fact, you’ll get to keep whatever tips you earn! Fridays are the best for that.”

Rainbow opened her mouth to protest, but then she froze, her brain doing quick math.

Right now? She had no income and no gym.

But if she did this, she’d not only have earned her gym membership, but she’d even have extra cash for other stuff. Gas, her cellphone bill, food.

Rainbow sighed roughly. "Yeah, all right, I'll work at your wife's restaurant." She pouted. “We’ll see how long I last…”

Kage clapped, her expression quite relieved. "Yay, Rainbow! Ganbatte!"

"Great," Coach said whilst rubbing his hands. "I'll put her in contact with you. Expect to work this Friday, so get that appointment squared away with Loony before you nail down a shift."

"Joy," Rainbow said dryly as she stood and left the room. She really was relieved to have some kind of answer to her sudden money dilemma. But was she excited to have less free time? No.

When she met Sassaflash and Spitfire outside, they both eyed her warily.

“What’s the problem now, Dashie?” Sass asked with a crooked mouth.

“Nothing,” Rainbow muttered. “Coach wants to make sure my hand is okay, so I have to see Loony within the next two days to get cleared for this Sunday’s game.”

Spitfire made a beckoning gesture with her hand. “Lemme see.”

Rainbow pouted but held her right hand out. Spitfire pulled her shades up and looked at it closely. Sass leaned in, too. “Hmm. I think it looks fine, Cap. I’m no doc, though,” the midfielder said. She put her shades back down, and Rainbow gingerly stuck her hand in her pocket with a small grimace.

Her hand hadn’t really been bothering her until she’d tried cracking her knuckles without thinking. It still throbbed. She wished she hadn’t been so careless.

“I understand why he wants you to do that, though,” Spitfire continued, crossing her arms. “They have to dot their I’s and cross their T’s, y’know? It wouldn’t be a good look for the school if you got hurt out there because you couldn’t break a fall.”

“It’s annoying, but I’m sure Loony will give you the green light,” Sass chimed in with a pert nod. “What did Coach say about your training situation?”

Rainbow shrugged one shoulder as she shuffled her feet. “Coach is gonna cover a gym membership for me, but I told him I didn’t want to be a charity case.” She let out a harsh breath and rubbed at her neck. “I’m going to work for his wife at some restaurant. Sounds like I start Friday. I need to call her and see what time I can go.”

“Corner Kick Cafe?” Spitfire said with a grin. “That place rocks.”

Sassaflash snapped her fingers, her eyes brightening. “The place that had the killer pumpkin soup, right?” She looked at Rainbow with envy. “Rainbow, you’re so lucky!”

Rainbow Dash felt her mood brighten with their positivity. She allowed a little smile to touch her lips. “I guess if the place is that good, it’ll be pretty cool.”

“You can dig for embarrassing stories about Coach, even,” Sass said with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.

“Sure,” Rainbow said her grin widening. “I’m sure that won’t bite me in the butt or anything.”

Together they left the locker room and began the familiar trek across the practice fields into the heart of campus.

“So Spitfire, when are you gonna pay Sassaflash back for that prank already?” Rainbow asked with a teasing lilt to her voice.

Spitfire grinned sharkishly, her glasses reflecting the glare of the sun. “Oh, I got something for her.”

Sassaflash peered at her shrewdly. “Can I get a hint?”

Her roommate pointed a finger gun at her. “You’re going to hate it.”

Sass put her hands on her hips and tilted an eyebrow. “Can I get a better hint?”

“Can do.” Spitfire pointed double finger guns at her. “You’re really gonna hate it.”

Sassaflash rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Spitfire.”

“You bet.”

Rainbow snickered as she listened to her friends' banter. It was really great to have people who were so ready to be with her and support her. She really couldn’t ask for better friends. In fact, she hadn’t realized it, but when had Spitfire become part of her inner circle? Just last week she’d been annoyed that her teammate had tagged along for Rainbow and Sassaflash’s normal lunch routine. Now she couldn’t imagine her not being around.

Rainbow smiled absently. Relationships were funny, she supposed.

As they entered the quad, Sassaflash paused, her eyes going wide. “Aw crap!”

Spitfire and Rainbow slowed to a stop to peer back at her curiously. “What’s up?” Rainbow asked.

Sassaflash pressed her hands together, her expression pulling back into an apologetic grimace. “I kinda forgot to drop off a paper for my criminology course. Can we swing by our dorm and make a quick stop at the Liberal Arts building? The paper’s due by five today and it’s already four!”

“Can’t you turn it in later?” Spitfire asked with a frown, a light groan slipping into the end of her sentence.

“Aren’t we going out to eat?” Sassaflash returned with a wrinkled brow. “We’d get back too late!”

Rainbow pouted. Their dorm was all the way across campus. She looked at Spitfire, who shrugged with resignation. She looked back at Sassaflash and wagged a stern finger at her. “You’re lucky I love you,” she said teasingly.

Sass batted her eyes and blew her a kiss. “I love you too, honey.”

Rainbow sweat a little, her cheeks coloring. Their old running joke suddenly felt a little too risqué. Was it actually inappropriate now that she knew Sass had once considered getting involved with her? They both said they weren’t interested anymore, so it shouldn’t be a problem, right? Still, it made Rainbow nervous. She’d meant what she’d said. She only wanted Fluttershy. If Sassaflash was going to explore dating girls, she didn’t want to give mixed signals.

Better quit with the sexy jokes, then.

Glancing at her friend, her blush worsened when she realized Sassaflash was side-eyeing her too. They looked away quickly.

Rainbow grimaced. Damn it! I really don’t need this awkwardness right now.

When they pivoted for Sass and Spitfire’s dorm building, Rainbow took a very timely moment to check her phone messages. It was always nice to have something that could readily distract her during embarrassing moments like these.

Her eyebrows rose. She’d missed some big texts, apparently. One was from Sunset.

>SSh: Hey every1. Star Glim got back 2 me about healing Rarity. She wants 2 meet at C-Hi 2morrow nite. We all need 2 b there 4 the spell 2 work. She said Sat could work 2.

That wasn’t even a question. She tapped out a quick affirmative and hit send. The next text was from Applejack of all people.

>AJ: Scootaloo was caught playin hooky w/ Sweetie and my sis 2day. They r safe and workin in the orchard. Thought u might wanna talk some sense in 2 her.

“Damn, Scootaloo. What the heck?” Rainbow muttered under her breath. She sent her a reply.

>RD: Thanks 4 the heads up. I’ll talk 2 her. Btw, still need an answer about that pic!

“Hey guys, can you go ahead?” Rainbow said to Spitfire and Sass. “I gotta make a phone call.”

“Roger, Cap,” Spitfire said over her shoulder, barely slowing down.

Sassaflash, on the other hand, slowed down and pointed at her. “Are you asking your friend if she’d be interested?” she asked.

Rainbow looked up from what she was doing. She had Scootaloo’s contact page pulled up and her thumb hovered over the call button. She smirked. “Chomping at the bit, huh?”

“I’m curious!” Sass whined with a coy grin.

“I sent her a text, but I can call her later, too,” Rainbow said with a small chuckle. “For all I know, she’s messing around with someone else. She’s hot goods, so I can’t promise anything.”

Sassaflash put her hands on her hips and cocked one as she arched an eyebrow. “Wow, Rainbow, you’re getting more devious! Slipping in a little ‘FOMO’, huh?”

Rainbow wiggled her fingers in the air. “Just call me the puppet master!”

Sassaflash rolled her eyes, giggling as she followed after Spitfire.

Rainbow hit the green call button, then pressed her cell phone to her ear.

It rang a few times before going to voicemail. Rainbow sucked at her teeth. She wasn’t sure if Scootaloo was just busy or if she was neglecting to pick up her call. She supposed it had been a long while since she last checked in on the girl.

She redialed and waited for the device to finish ringing. Just when she thought it would go to voicemail again, Scootaloo answered.

“Sup, Rainbow! Longtime no call.” The girl’s voice sounded languid. Rainbow would have expected her to be a little more tense than that considering what she’d been caught doing. It was one thing to skip a class. Another thing entirely to skip the entire dang school day.

“Hey, Scoots,” she said, scowling. She paused and stepped aside to the manicured lawn as a herd of students passed her on the concrete pathway. “Applejack let me know what happened.”

“Yeeeah,” Scoots said, almost like she were fending off a yawn. “She made a deal with Principal Celestia. We stay here and work for the rest of the day, and in exchange, we get just one day of detention.”

Rainbow crossed her arms. “Does it go on your record, though?”

She heard Scootaloo smack her lips. “Yep.”

“What were you three doing, skipping school?” Rainbow asked with a scowl. She tried to keep her tone light, but her displeasure slipped in at the end. She wasn’t an angel in high school or anything, but even she had the good sense to act guilty about it.

“Just Sweetie and I skipped. Apple Bloom was already suspended,” Scootaloo informed her with a tone that distinctly said, You have no idea what’s going on here, do you?

Rainbow stared wide-eyed at the grass she stood on. “Apple Bloom is suspended? For what?”

“Fighting with Diamond Tiara. I mean, we all have been, but she’s had it the worst.” Scootaloo laughed suddenly, “Oh, dude you shoulda seen the way AB stuck that bitch’s face in the cream corn! That was fire.”

“I dunno if that’s worth a weeklong suspension, bro,” Rainbow said, her face tensing with concern. When did Scootaloo ever celebrate violence? Had she really been gone that long?

“Apple Bloom didn’t seem to care. This is the third time she’s gotten the hammer for it,” Scootaloo replied. Her tone was bored now. Rainbow wondered with a wince if she just sounded like every other authority figure trying to get through to the high schooler. “She’s out till next week,” Scootaloo continued. “Sweetie and I just wanted to keep her company. It’s not a big deal.”

Rainbow opened her mouth to say something but stopped. It was hard to think of sweet little Apple Bloom getting into a fight and getting suspended, let alone that happening multiple times. If she remembered Canterlot High’s policy correctly, you’d get three suspensions before a fourth incident got you expelled. Even Rainbow had only ever been suspended once.

Late junior year, well after Sunset’s reformation and the group’s reunion as friends, she’d been handed a week's suspension for giving Hoops a blackeye. He’d been trying to look up Fluttershy and Rarity’s skirts during a school rally. But even as justified as she’d felt at the time, she’d never wanted to get in trouble for fighting like that again. Especially when, a year later, she learned what it was like to be the one with a swollen eye.

Applejack must have been really struggling to get through to her sister if this was happening over and over.

“Scootaloo,” Rainbow rubbed at her face and tried to pick her words carefully. “Y’know I’m always down for supporting friends, but you can’t go breaking the rules like that. You have responsibilities too, man.”

“Rainbow, I haven’t heard from you for nine months,” Scootaloo said, her voice suddenly a little less breezy. “If you want me to give a crap about what you’re saying, maybe try smaller absences?” Her tone took on a sarcastic bent. “Three months sounds manageable for you.”

Rainbow flinched and bit back a retort. She knew she deserved that. “Scoots, I care. But I screw up too. I’m only just starting to figure that out. I’m sorry I haven’t been around as much. I dunno if anyone told you, but things have been crazy lately!”

“M’kay. Sure. Gimme a call when you figure out your bullshit.” Scootaloo hung up.

Rainbow pulled the phone away and stared at the screen. She heaved a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her life really was starting to feel like wack-a-mole. Just when she thought she had one problem fixed, another problem popped up to take its place.

What could she do about this? She supposed she could try and visit Scootaloo and have a real sit down with her… But when? At this rate she was going to have to start a freaking waiting list, she was getting so busy!

At least there was something simpler she could attend to.

Opening up a chat thread, she sent Sunset and Pinkie a text.

>RD: Rehearsal 4 the sorority party on Fri nite?

She figured if she had to work that day, she could try and get off before it got too late. With the sorority event coming up so soon, it definitely needed some attention from her. Especially if this was going to be Pinkie’s last hurrah with Everfree State University. Maybe she could even invite Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle to join them? That’d give her another chance to talk with her young friend.

She was pleased to see Pinkie respond quickly.

>PP: I’m down!

Rainbow waited a moment to see if Sunset would reply as well, but when she got nothing, she put her phone in her pocket and pushed into a jog. Seems she wasn’t the only one who was busy. She had faith Sunset would get back to her soon, though. Sunset was like Applejack. Reliable.

She didn’t have to go far to catch up with Sass and Spitfire. They were just entering the dorm building when she came up behind them.

“Everything A-okay?” Sassaflash asked as she held the glass door entrance open for a lightly winded Rainbow.

“Oh, y’know. Total crap show, as usual.” She ran a hand through her hair as she slipped by her. “There’s this girl I mentored in high school. I was kinda like her big sis for a while. I just got wind she was caught playing hooky, so I tried calling her, but it didn’t go so well.”

Sassaflash looked up wistfully. “Ah, ditching school! Good times.”

Spitfire looked at her critically from further in the common room. “What are you talking about? You still ditch all the time.”

Sass pouted. “It’s not the same!”

Rainbow sighed wearily. “I just wish I could get through to her. I think she holds it against me for not calling for so long. I kinda got caught up with college life and haven’t talked to her for months.”

Sassaflash flashed her a sympathetic smile. “You’ll get through to her, Dashie. Maybe next time you talk, just try and catch up? Who knows what’s happened since you guys last saw each other.”

Rainbow thought about this seriously as they entered the hallway leading to the first-floor dorm rooms. She smiled at her vice-captain with appreciation. “Y’know, you’re right. I shoulda just listened to her instead of trying to scold her.” She punched Sass’ shoulder lightly. “Thanks, dude. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

She followed her friends to their room. Once inside, she was content to let Sassaflash and Spitfire carry on talking while Sassaflash printed out her paper. Rainbow pulled her phone out again. Still no answer from either Sunset or Applejack. She put it away with a disappointed sigh.

Yep. They were reliable. Slow. But reliable.

More out of boredom than anything else, she reached into her back pockets. Sometimes she forgot notes or cash there, and it was a passing amusement to discover what she still had in them. She didn’t usually wash her pants right away unless they’d gotten really dirty somehow. It saved her trips to the laundromat.

Not long into her digging expedition, she felt the corner of a paper poke her hand.

Curious, she pulled this out…and froze.

This was the paper her father had given her. On it was her mother’s supposed address. The paper was misshapen and the material was fuzzy from having gotten wet and being shoved into her pocket. She hadn’t even realized she’d left it in her pants for so long, and she couldn’t remember shoving it back into her pocket.

She unfolded the paper. The ink had bled a little from the rain, but it was still legible.

1984 Paradise Estate Blvd.

She stared at it for a while. Then she crumpled it up and aimed for the waste basket by Sassaflash’s study desk. Her arm didn’t move, save for the slight tremor in her hand.

Just throw it, dingus. Her lip trembled a little and her eyes burned. Throw it away!

“All right,” Sass said as she gathered the finished papers from the printer. She stapled them together and then paused as she saw Rainbow with her arm raised. “Rainbow? What are you doing?”

Rainbow looked at her, blinking her vision clear rapidly, a little sweat on her brow. Swallowing hard, she put the paper into her front pocket. “Nothing.”

Spitfire thumbed toward the door. “Let’s get some grub. I’m starving.”

Sassaflash looked at Rainbow shrewdly. “You sure you’re okay? You look sweaty.”

Rainbow waved her off as they left the dorm room. “I’m fine.”

“Uh huh,” Sass said with a skeptical look. “Would you feel better if Fluttershy came with? She’s free today, right? We can go pick her up.”

Rainbow thought about that seriously for a moment. She patted her pocket, where the crumpled note sat heavy against her thigh.

She looked at Sassaflash and shrugged. “Naw. Spitfire said she’s hungry. It’d take longer to go and get Shy. Anyway, Flutters is studying. I’ll catch up with her later.”

“Speaking of food, where the hell are we going?” Spitfire asked, some impatience eking into her voice.

“To the Liberal Arts Building, dummy!” Sass responded cattily. When she passed Spitfire, she only narrowly dodged her roommate smacking her on the bottom with a low squeal.

“Keep taking that tone with me, and I’ll show you how they treated the grunts at basic!” she growled playfully as she chased her down the hallway.

Rainbow smiled absently as Sass screamed and sprinted for the main entrance. Ordinarily, the quick vice-captain would leave any pursuer in the dust, but Spitfire prided herself on her explosive sprints as a midfielder. She could hear Sassaflash’s alarmed shriek as far back as where she stood.

Her smile fell as she trailed after her friends.

Why hadn’t she wanted Fluttershy to come with? She loved having her girlfriend around. Fluttershy was probably the one reason she hadn’t gone overboard and done anything dumb. She was Rainbow’s voice of reason. Her anchor. The thing that kept her from flying over the edge.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the crumpled paper again. Her eyes narrowed as her jaw jutted forward.

Guess she had her answer, then.

When she caught up with Spitfire and Sass, they made their way to the Liberal Arts Building.

“Hey, guys?” Rainbow started, scratching her head. “Do you think, after we eat, we could make a quick stop somewhere?”

Spitfire and Sass looked at each other.

“I’m pretty free. Are you?” Sass asked with a little grin.

Spitfire shrugged, her expression neutral. “Free as a bird.”

Sass looked at Rainbow with a broad smile. “Sounds like we’re having a full day, girls! What’s this stop for, Dashie?”

Rainbow forced a smile. “I wanted to stop by and see family.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 36 Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours