Rainbow had the stare. The kind of stare that has seen things that couldn't fathom what she witnessed. The kind of stare that has learned what it means to lose oneself in the vast expanse of eternal nothingness. She had the thousand-yard stare.

It was sorta' funny, looking at the blank face of the rather cute Pegasus while she shakily nursed a cup of tea. Her hooves shook like she hasn't snorted the white powder in a while and was suffering from withdrawal. It was also a little sad.

The poor mare had her worldview destroyed in mere seconds, she fainted in front of her hero, and to top it all off, she was in my house. It didn't help that she was staring at a picture of me as a filly wearing a few sizes too big Wonderbolt Suit, with a pair of aviator goggles covering half of my smiling face. In the picture, I was being cuddled by Spitfire and Aunt Fleetfoot in front of the Wonderbolts Academy. I was five years old in that picture, it was also my Moms favorite in the house, well, the second favorite. The first favorite was a group picture with me, Dad, and Mom. Rainbow will see it when I take her to my room. It hangs on the wall between my room and Moms in between all of the other family pictures that we've taken over the years.

Speaking of my room, I sneaked out of the guest room while Rainbow was distracted and went there. I had some paperwork for Rainbow on my desk. I meant to give it to her earlier, but she fainted.

Quietly, I opened the door to my room, the golden handle turned without a sound, revealing my holy sanctuary. My room was the second largest in the house. The largest being the master bedroom. My messy queen-sized bed sat in the far corner with a million pillows laying haphazardly on top of it. There was a little end table beside the bed that separated it from my control center. My control center was a giant, black desk with several Gem Monitors on top. There was a few odd cups that I should have set downstairs last night for cleaning, but I was too lazy.

My VR headset sat in its usual place on top of my electric blue glowing keyboard, that, for some reason, works without fingers. How do hooves work? That is life's greatest question. Next to my keyboard was a small, deformed ball that looked like it was cut in half with a rusty spoon. That was my mouse, and it was strangely comfortable in my hooves. Sitting next to my desk against the wall with two venting grates was my computer. It was easily as big as me if I didn't have a head and I stood next to it. The machine was recently completed thanks to my winnings from the Lightning Cup last season. My old computer sat forever alone in my walk-in closet.

Resting against the opposite wall to my bed, and in between my closet door and control center, was my dresser. It wasn't large since most of my clothes were in my closet for when I had to go to formal events that Mom would drag me to from time to time. The only things that I keep in the dresser were my sex toys, lingerie, and jewelry. Sitting on top of my dresser was a sizeable vanity mirror.

Oh! I almost forgot. All my porn, video and VR games found their home in a pull-out drawer underneath my bed, as well as all of my other gaming consoles when I feel like the PC master race needs some time off.

'But where did I leave...Ah! There it is!'

I trotted over to my desk with a smile. The forms to apply for the Lightning Cup and the Divisions were waiting where I left them. I needed them for my master plan on grooming Rainbow to be one of the best fliers in Equestria, however, as I grabbed them. I quickly realized that getting Rainbow into racing shape was going to be difficult.

Her wingspan was that of a Pegasus, so any race involving endurance like Sprints, Marathons, and Mega Circuits were going to be her weakest areas while maneuverability races like; Relays, Obstacle, and Rings were going to be her best, but from what I saw on the schedule for Divisions. Most of the races were going to be endurance-based with all the qualifiers being a Sprint or Marathon. So we were going to have to work on that.

Then there was Drifting, my worst venue to fly in. Even though I had a huge wingspan in comparison to my body, I sucked at gliding. Drifting was all about gliding as fast as possible through a constructed route without flapping your wings once. If you do flap, you automatically loose, and there was plenty of Drift on the schedule as well.

'If only Razor would talk to me then I could get him to help Rainbow in that area,' I thought with a sigh.

Shaking the doubt in my mind away, for the time being, I knew that I need to get a feel of Rainbows habits before we begin training, which meant a nice, long, intimate time nibbling her wings since preening was the best way to learn about someone else's lifestyle. I just hope that Rainbow was comfortable of the idea since preening is the most passionate way an Avian couple shows love to each other.

'Well, unless Rainbow gets her dating advice from Princess Cadence and her bullshit dating website on the Spidernet. Then preening was dirty and should keep to yourself. Fucking retarded pink whore.' In any case, with the papers in hoof, I walked back to the guest room to begin my master plan.

Rainbow didn't know how long she stared at the picture. A few seconds? A few minutes? Hours? She wasn't sure. One moment she was walking through the front door of Rose's house, the next she was in the presence of her hero, Spitfire, before waking up on a strange couch confused how she got there. Of course, Rose had to tell her that she fainted in front of the coolest mare in all of Equestria, ruining her chances of becoming a Wonderbolt before she even tried.

What bothered Rainbow, even more, was the fact that Spitfire was Rose's mother. Applejack said that Rose lied about her family, that she lied constantly about who she was and what she was capable of. Rose was supposed to be an ugly, vicious mare that kicked babies and stab kittens, not a sexy fox with good grades and had an amazing family!

Rose was supposed to be her villain that she had to fight to win back the affection of her best friend, Fluttershy! What's worse was that her "villain" wants to help her, to be her friend, and to be there for her. It was just wrong!

Now, Rainbow was in Spitfires house with a hot mare that was eyeing her up like a piece of meat and wanted to devour her whole. 'I'm not a filly-fooler! Those jerks in school were wrong! So stop thinking of Rose and her soft lips...enchanting eyes...Argh! Stop it brain!'

"You alright, Skittles?" Rose asked with an adorable tilt to her head. "I know when ponies meet my Mom for the first time that they sorta' break, but not as long as you have. Would you like some more tea? Water?"

The sudden noise brought Rainbow back to reality from her muddled thoughts of grandeur and away from her less desirable ones about the mare speaking to her. She had to blink a few times as staring at one spot for eternity wasn't good for your vision, and replied. "I'm good, thanks, and my names its Skittles. It's Rainbow Dash!"

"I'll call you whatever name suits you," Rose said with a smirk. "Besides, Skittles is one of my favorite candies." Rainbow didn't know if she should blush for being called one of Rose's favorite treats, or to groan in annoyance of the never ending flirting. She chose to groan.

"Please don't."

"Well, since you said 'please,' Rain," Rose smiled deviously. Rainbow shuddered.

"I'm...Never mind," Rainbow sighed in defeat. She remembered a conversation a couple days again about how Rose liked to tease ponies as a way of showing affection from a mare named Rarity. She quickly realized that the cutesy names were never going end and that she should give up before the names got too mushy and ridiculous.

"That's the spirit!" Rose cheered before reaching underneath the coffee table. Rainbow wasn't cheering, but she watched Rose pull out and place a few sheets of paper on the table with mute curiosity. "Now that Mom is out of the house or left a few hours ago. We can begin your registration!"

'Registration?' Rainbow thought slightly confused. 'For what?'

Looking on the coffee table in the center of the room, there was a small stack of paperwork waiting for her to read and sign. What purpose did the paperwork serve? She didn't want to find out, however. The mare sitting on the Lazycolt armchair next to the leather couch that she was sitting on waited patiently for her to pick the papers up and read them. Looking passed Rose, she could see that the room she woke up in was the least decorated room in the house.

There was the armchair that Rose was sitting on, and the couch that she was sitting on. There was a matching loveseat opposite to where the armchair was with a basic coffee table in the center. There was a large, flatscreen, Gem T.V resting on a black stand with a Mana-Ray DVD player tucked in one of the cupboards, and that's it. Rainbow thought that there would be more in the main room of the house, especially the main room of the Captain of the Wonderbolts, but she was clearly mistaken.

She figured that there would be trophies, medals, ribbons, more family pictures of Spitfire and Rose displayed on all the empty walls of the living room. The only decoration she saw was a beige curtain that blocked the large window that she saw walking up to the house. Even though there was little to see aside from the boring paperwork that sat in front of her. She knew that the room was intentionally left empty to keep crazy ponies from breaking in to steal their stuff. That's what she would do or will do once she becomes a Wonderbolt. They're some ponies in the world that are crazy enough to steal from a celebrity to get famous. Thank Faust she wasn't that crazy.

At most, she would take a few pictures, and that was it. Okay, she might take a few pictures of Spitfire in the shower to sell on the Spidernet, but nothing else!

Her perverted plans of voyeurism aside, Rainbow eyed the papers waiting for her approval with a worried glance. She didn't like the thought that Rose was trying to kick her down even more from her embarrassing display in front of Spitfire earlier, but the look of excitement on the Vixen said otherwise. Hesitantly, Rainbow grabbed the first page and read the first few lines.

Lightning Cup; Divisions Registration/Application form.

'Oh,' Rainbow gulped.

"Yep, that's right. I got an extra copy lying around because this will be my last year racing," Rose beamed with a cute flutter of her wings. "Mom printed four copies thinking that I would participate in all four years, but I'll be joining the Guard at the end of this season. So I figured that since you are such an amazing flier because you beat me in a race. I think that you would dominate all of the other racers in Equestria! Plus, I still have to do my registration, so I also figured that maybe I could help you write yours out?"

Rainbow didn't know what to think, her train of thought shot out the station and exploded in a ball of fire. Just looking at the paperwork for the Racing League that she never heard about in her hooves forced an entire bag of rocks down her throat. She didn't know what to say or how to respond! Just looking at the first page; Age restrictions, Mandatory Medical Exams, Minimum Calorie Intake of at least five thousand a day. A Day! She wasn't supposed to each that much according to her diet! Let alone every day during the season!

She wanted to put the form down, to walk out the house and never see Rose again, but she couldn't. This was an obvious challenge from Rose, to truly prove herself as the best flier in Equestria. She knew that something was off about that race with Rose a few days ago. The way she flew was sluggish and practiced. Like she practiced being bad to let somepony win when they clearly shouldn't have. Just looking at Rose's toned body and wings. The way that Cloudchaser looked at her after she won. The way that everypony in town looked at Rose after she lost.

'I'm so bucking stupid,' Rainbow spat within her conscious. 'Rose threw the race to make you feel better, Dash. She just wanted to pick you up so she could kick you down in front of millions of ponies worldwide. She's only showing you all of this to prove that she is better in both status and training. I knew her kindness was all for show. I should have seen it sooner.'

'Mom and Dad were right. There will always be somepony that will be better than you in everything. Always.'

Rainbow let out a sigh, her eyes threatened to release tears, but she didn't let them. She couldn't, not again. Not in front of that cruel bitch named Hawkfire sitting beside her with a smug grin plastered on her face like a drunken idiot hopped up on power. She thought that Rose was different than the ponies that picked on her in school for most of her life. She thought the Fluttershy was right when she said that Rose was the most loving and caring pony that she would ever meet, but that was a lie. It only took her a week to figure it out.

'Applejack was wrong in a lot of places, but she was right calling Rose a scoundrel.'

"I get it. Haha, very funny," Rainbow spat while placing the form back down on the coffee table. She wasn't going to be made a fool again by a mare she thought she could trust. The last time that happened was back in school. It was one of the main reasons she left as soon as she got her cutie mark, and she was going to make Rose regret ever treating her like an invalid!

"What's funny?" Rose asked with a slight frown much to the ire of Rainbow Dash.

"Oh, you know, picking me up just so you can kick me down twice as hard," she hissed a reply. "I fell for it once, but I'm not going to fall for it twice!" Rose eyes widen in shock as Rainbow stood up with flared wings and teary eyes. She watched, frozen in her chair, as Rainbow stormed out of the guest room and into the hall.

'Fuck! This wasn't supposed to happen!' Rose screamed in her mind as she too shot up from her chair once she was out of her stupor and chased after Rainbow. 'We were supposed to sign that paper, start a training montage, and have surprise butt sex! Not emotional drama! That was scripted to happen at the end of the first arch!'

"Rainbow wait!" Rose begged, but there was no response. Fear filled her heart as thoughts of fucking up the Element of Loyalty to the point of no return filled her mind, but as she rushed out the guest room thinking Rainbow was already gone. She found her, staring in both anger and sorrow, at the largest picture on the wall.

'Alright, there is still a chance to fix this. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to resort to Plan C, but I guess there is no other choice.'

Rainbow didn't know what to think about the picture she was glaring at. It was clear that it was one of the most cherished memories of Rose and her family. The pure joy held within the smiling faces in the picture threw her for a loop. She couldn't understand how such a horrible mare could be so happy! Rose shouldn't be smiling with the innocence of a foal! Just looking at the happiness made her angrier the longer she stared at it, but the Griffon confused her.

Laying down in front of a cherry blossom was a large Griffon with a soft, loving smile on his face. His bird-half was the purest white that Rainbow has ever seen, while his cat-half was as black as could be. Rainbow could tell that the Griffon in the picture was a pure-breed aside from color. His lion tail was tipped with a white flame while the top of his head had short, scruffy, black fur. His golden eagle beak and talons showed a lot of pride as well as having noticeable scars from fights that she couldn't even imagine, and he had the same intense blue eyes that Rose has. His Crest, however, was strange. Even for a Griffon.

His chest adorned the same symbols that Rose's cutie mark had—Three black triangles, two pointed up with one pointed down in the center and below. Above the triangles was a pair of simple, black wings with a black circle in between—Rose's cutie mark had a heart, not a circle, and there was a large azure rose in the center of the shield.

The confusion part about his Crest was the fact that most Griffons didn't have such a unique pattern. The odd shape, or shapes sure, but nothing that the Griffon in the picture had. What confused her further was Spitfire with her mane combed down, nuzzled against the Griffons side with her head resting against his shoulder. Both were looking down with loving smiles on filly Rose, who was sitting between them both with the largest smile that she has ever seen on a mare. When she looked at the bottom of the picture, she saw three names.

"That's my dad if you were wondering," Rose said abruptly, cause Rainbow to jump slightly. She didn't realize that Rose followed her into the hall nor did she notice that the room she was in wasn't the living room, but a guest room. "You've probably met my uncle, Gale Steelwing. He is the Captain of Ponyvilles Militia. If not, then you've definitely Rex or 'Razor' Steelwing. He placed fourth in the Lightning Cup last season. Though, when he isn't racing, he works with Ponyvilles weather team."

"Ookay?" Rainbow said indifferently. She didn't care at all what the bitch had to say. All she wanted to do was get out of her house and never talk to her again, however. The sudden lifeless tone that Rose adorned like a black haze was intriguing. If there was something in the world that could destroy Rose in the same way that Rose tried to destroy her. Then she will use it as part of her plan for payback.

"Razor doesn't talk to me anymore," Rose sighed, making Rainbow wonder the purpose of this sudden, one-sided conversation, but she listened nonetheless. "We were close, he even called me his baby sister at one point, but now? He refuses to look me in the eye."

"He used to be my protector growing up when Dad and Mom weren't there. Back then, almost everybody called me a Demon from Tartarus because of my eye," Rose continued much to the annoyance of Rainbow, but she couldn't find it in herself to leave right then and there. The last part that Rose said didn't sound right and she wanted to know why that is.

'How was she bullied? She is the daughter of the Captain of the Wonderbolts?! Plus she is the kind of mare that has a million friends! Right?'

"Despite being Spitfire's daughter, I was bullied, especially when she wasn't around. Fillies and Colts threw rocks at me, parents shot me down and kept those that liked me far away. You've met the worst one out of all my tormentors too. Though, nowadays, Applejack is too afraid to piss me off or pick a fight with me like she used too," Rose continued, her eyes looking over each frame on the wall with a little smile parting her lips.

Rainbow couldn't help but feel a little shocked about this sudden honesty if it was the truth and Rose wasn't lying again. If she was indeed telling the truth, then where was Spitfire? Where was her Dad or Razor? The worst she got was her mane and tail being shaved off and getting sent to the nurse's office after getting beaten up, but not this?!

'Getting rocks thrown at you must have hurt if they managed to hit you,' thought with a little bit of sympathy, but only a little. This sudden life lesson was interesting if not pointless. It did give her ammo to use later, but the look that Rose was giving to one of the frames told her that there was something she was hiding.

'Rose was bullied? Why? Just because her eyes were miscolored doesn't mean she is evil! I've seen many ponies around Cloudsdale with the same problem, and they don't get it as rough! It's not like this town is superstitious or anything?'

'Oh.'

"I know what you're thinking, Rainbow," Rose chuckled sadly, her eyes looking over all the happy moments in her life on display in her home. "Where were Mom and Dad? Well, because Mom was just entering the Wonderbolts which meant she was gone most of the time. Dad didn't come into my life until I was five, but that didn't stop the ponies at daycare from picking on me. Dad was the Captain of the Militia before he died in action protecting me and mom, so he wasn't around all the time to keep me safe. Razor didn't come into my life until I was nine, so I spent plenty of time crying under a tree, bleeding, bruised and miserable."

"Then there was Zonya," Rose said darkly. "Ask Applejack what she did to her and you'll understand why no one trusts her word anymore."

Rainbow winced at the end knowing what that was like. She too spent days in solitude, licking her wounds and crying for someone to save her from the torment. The difference being that she hid in the cloud layer underneath her school rather than a tree. It wasn't until Junior Speedsters Flight Camp that Rainbow got her protector in the form of a Griffon named Gilda, and her first real friend named Fluttershy.

Gilda was nervous being around so many ponies when they first met. She just moved into Cloudsdale's orphanage after the orphanage in Griffinstone shut down due to a fire. Rainbow, at the time, thought that because Gilda was a Griffon, then she wouldn't know anything about pony stereotypes, and she was right. She and Gilda picked each other up when they fell down, they kicked ass and ruled the school. It was because of Gilda that she took up Karate, and it was also because of Gilda that Fluttershy had to patch them up after a more even fight on multiple occasions.

Their friendship didn't last long, though. Gilda was adopted into a wealthy family from Canterlot. The Black Talons is their name. They were a Griffon family that specialized in Smithing and were damn good at it too. So much so that they made most of the armor and weapons used by the Pegasi Regiments in the Royal Guard. Though, when Rainbow came to visit her in Canterlot, Gilda was never there. Her new parents always said that she was off flying with the big leagues, wanting to be the best of the best. Now that she thinks about it, Gilda was probably flying in the racing divisions in her age group, while she sat on the factory line making clouds.

'I bet she made it to the Lightning Cup and flew with Rose. Maybe if I take her offer, then I could see Gilda again and keep my promise to her,' Rainbow thought solemnly. 'But then there is Rose. What is her deal anyway? One moment, she's a total backstabbing bitch, the next she is giving me her life story. Not that I care or anything, even though we both had it rough. All she's doing is giving me tools to get back at her later.'

'And who is Zonya?' Rainbow wondered. When she walked through town, talking to the locals, learning their history, and trying to figure out how her touch screen MP3 player worked with her hooves and not once has she heard of a mare named Zonya. The made plans to ask Applejack about her later.

"Skittles, are you okay?" Rose asked with that Celestia forsaken head-tilt that made her look cuter than a button.

"Yeah, peachy," Rainbow responded with a roll of her eyes.

"I know what I did was a low blow," Rose sighed, her eyes locked firmly on the ground. Her ears were flat against her head while she pawed the flooring nervously as if she was afraid what she was going to say next and sat down.

"No kidding," Rainbow spat, earning a wince from the mare sitting in front of her. She didn't want an apology. She wanted to leave the house then beat Rose in the Lightning Cup on her own terms and prove that she was the better flier without somepony pitying her like some lost puppy.

"But I did it to make you happy," Rose said staring into Rainbows magenta eyes, causing her to take a step back from the sudden wave of emotion held within.

"Bullshit," Rainbow hissed, unable to meet the gaze of the pony in front of her.

"I did it so I could see you smile," Rose spoke with a soft, kind tone that only Fluttershy could match as she stood back up with a flutter of her angelic wings.

"You did it to make me feel miserable!" argued at the top of her lungs.

"You're wrong!" Rose shouted back as she took a firm step towards the aggravated cyan Pegasus.

"Prove it!" Rainbow challenged as she also took a step towards the mare in front of her. "Race me again, but this time. No holding back and I'll show you that I-MMMNFFHHH!"

Rainbow's eyes widened in shock, her body locked in place. She didn't realize how close Rose was until it was too late. Now, the mare of her ire was pressed against her with her hooves wrapped around her neck for support. She didn't even notice that she fell on her back with Rose on top of her, preventing any attempts of escape.

The scent of snow-covered roses filled her nostrils with every breath she took. Soft, fluffy fur brushed against her own as Rose wrapped her smaller body in a tight embrace in a desperate need for affection. She felt Roes's insanely large, silky wings wrap her in a warm cocoon with her own, smaller pair instinctively doing the same.

'I'm not a filly-fooler! I'm not a filly-fooler! I'm not a filly-fooler!' Rainbow screamed inside her head as her body went limp in euphoria to Rose's touch, but no matter how many times she repeated it. It didn't prevent her from feeling the tender, sensual touch of Rose's lips against her own.

It didn't prevent her hooves from slithering down the small of Rose's back, earning a muffled moan from the Vixen as she locked them firmly in place on the carpeted floor.

It didn't prevent Rainbow from wanting this moment to never end. To never let the feeling of safety, the feeling of trust, the feeling of passion, affection, rivalry, anger, sorrow, regret, and so much more to end, but like all good things. It had to end.

Slowly, Rose pulled away from Rainbow with a light tug on her lower lip, earning a shameful moan of delight from the cyan Pegasus. Heartbroken from the sudden absence of contact, Rainbow returned to reality with bright, red, blush. She looked sheepishly into the laden eyes of the Vixen pinning her down and gulped when she saw her lips start to move.

"I did it because seeing you stare at the ground, dragging your wings filled my heart with shards of glass," Rose said as she buried her muzzle into the crook of Rainbows neck. "I couldn't stand seeing such a beautiful mare act like crap. I couldn't stand knowing that mare of my dreams never knew of happiness."

"S-Stop it," Rainbow stuttered, her eyes tearing up from hearing the confession of a pony wanting to be something more that friends with her. She tried to push Rose off of her, but for some reason. She couldn't. It was like her entire body refused to leave the warmth of the mare on top of her. "I-I'm not a filly-fooler. I don't swing that way. Plus, I want nothing to do with you! So stop this crap and get out of my life!"

"I know accepting who you are is hard, especially if you were bullied because of it, but in this town. No one cares."

"S-Stop it! I'm not like that!" Rainbow declared. "You drugged my tea! That's it! Y-You're going to jail!"

"Please, Rainbow, don't be afraid. I'll be here for you when it rains. I'll be there for you when it snows. I can help you reach your dreams and I can show you the light when the only thing you see is darkness," Rose sniffled into Rainbows neck. "Just let me be yours. Please?" Rainbow finally found the strength to push Rose off of her and she did so without hesitation, but when she stood up to bolt out of the house. She was stopped by the crestfallen gaze that Rose held in place of her once fiery eyes.

"I'm..." Rainbow tried to say something to Rose to make it clear that she wasn't interested, but nothing came. The first pony to show interest in her in a romantic way was also a bitch that tried to destroy her career but did she really? Sure, she was a bit of a bitch... a hot bitch... a soft bitch... a nice bitc-no, she wasn't a bitch. Yes, she acted like one on that day, but if she didn't do it. Then would have Rainbow really be in the state of mind to work? Would she have been able to talk to Fluttershy again afterward? So many questions and she couldn't think straight to find the answers for any them!

All she could think about was the kiss, the confession, the real reason why Rose wanted to bring her to her house. It was all too much! She couldn't understand why she was feeling everything for Rose! She couldn't understand why Rose wanted to help her! Plus, Rose was her first... kiss. Rose, a mare, was the first pony that she kissed. Rainbow thought it would be that dark-gray stallion giving her looks on the Weather Patrol, not Rose!

She needed air! She had to go. She had to go, now!

"Rainbow?" Rose asked so softly, one could almost mistake her for Fluttershy for a moment. "I know I came on a little strong and that you hate me, but maybe can we start over?"

"I.." Rainbow gulped, her heart racing a mile a second as the need to hyperventilate kicked in.

"Yes?" Rose perked up, a look of hope entered her once dead eyes.

"I..." Rainbow took a step back and spotted the stairs just passed Rose.

"What is it?"

"I... I have to go." Before Rose could respond, Rainbow was already flying down the stairs straight for the front door, and as far away from the sexy Vixen as possible, despite the anguish of Rose's heart and her own.

Smooth jazz played its somber tune to the sound of silence tonight. The slow rhythm had only one partner, and that was a cold glass resting on top of a polished oak countertop. Trickles of condensation from the mildly temperate room slithered down the glass, only to stop at a decorative coaster underneath. A lone mare sat on a stool in front of the glass, taking a sip of the amber liquid held within to the beat of the song.

Another mare was in the dimly lit room with her. Her dark-gray coat matched the muted colors of the bar while her bright pink mane looked out of place. Her name was Cloudy Days, and she was the owner of the bar that the lone mare frequented when her mood turned sour.

"You have that look on you again, Winter. Thinking like an outsider to a story isn't very healthy," Cloudy impassively while cleaning a glass. I let out a sigh, knowing that she was right. Thinking in "third-person" wasn't a good idea. Before long, you would start talking in the third-person as well. I know of one mare that has fallen victim to such a curse, and she is currently in Las Pegasus performing on Main Street.

"I know, I'm just... lost," I admitted bluntly and in truth. I was. All of my plans with Rainbow Dash has backfired: Plan A was to lift her spirits up for Plan B, both failed when Plan B was in full effect.

I didn't think she would figure it out as fast as she did, the other Rainbow was a lot slower to pick up on things like that. Then again, my assumption that this Equestria's Rainbow was the same as the other one in that regard was foolish of me to test. I should have known that this Rainbow was smarter when I learned she gained a high ranking position with lots of responsibility. When I gave her the forms for Divisions, she made the connection and reacted. As for Plan C? I came on too strong, too soon. I don't blame her for wanting to keep her distance, at least she entered Divisions, giving me one last chance to ensure her place as the Element of Loyalty. I just don't know what to do now.

"Mare troubles?" Cloudy Days inquired. I gave her an honest nod before sipping my Whiskey with a slight purr of delight. "Talk to me, Babe. It's not like you to sulk over prey that ran away."

"Easy old, hot, and married," I let out a throaty chuckle. "It's not like that and how do you... never mind. You know everything that goes on around town."

"Well... when that rainbow-maned Pegasus bolted from your house with her tail between her legs. A lot of ponies knew that you struck out on that filly. What's it now? Forty-two mares that didn't want to roll in the hay?" Cloudy teased with a chuckle of her own. I raised a brow to the older mare and shoved my empty glass towards her for a refill.

"Nah, I was just trying to get on her good side," I half-lied. Cloudy wasn't convinced. "She met Applejack first."

"Is that right?" she hummed in thought while mixing my brew. "That must have cause some trouble on your behalf."

Taking my refilled glass of golden heaven, I knew that the Apple Family didn't like strangers moving into town. Ever since the Griffins moved into town a few generations ago, the Apple Family has been outright racist to them and anyone that wasn't a "pure" pony. Saying that meat eaters didn't belong in a place of peace and harmony, however, from what I have learned over the years. There are a few unique individuals that they have targeted meat eater or not.

I knew Applejack specifically targets me as her victim for reasons I cannot understand. If her Family has a sixth-sense on determining who is Human and who isn't, then I could get into some serious trouble if I'm not careful, but that can't be true. Right? As far as I know, I'm the only Human in Equestria, but if there are others. I wonder how they got here? If I meet another Human in disguise, I hope that it's a peaceful encounter. I don't want to draw my blade on a misunderstanding.

"A little bit. Applejack did fill Rainbows head with the usual crap she spouts. I tried my best to dispel them and half-succeeded."

"Ah, makes sense. I bet Rainbow is going to be your new rival now that Flash Sentry got a promotion and his own squad."

"What?!" I choked on my drink and spat the contents all over the freshly cleaned countertop.

"Yeah, I was shocked too when Sergeant Shining Armor was promoted to Captain of the Royal Guard a few days ago. After the ceremony, Flash got Sergeant stapled to his chest," Cloudy frowned before grabbing a rag to clean up my mess.

"Fuck me," I groaned in response to the news that faggot Pegasus got promoted and probably through family connections too. The only good to come out of this was the fact that he couldn't do anything to me other the other racers for a while with his new responsibility. I know he will want to ruin our lives after he lost the race as badly as he did. He is that type of stallion. Though, I do have ammo to use against him. His marefriend was particularly lovely to cuddle with. I just hope he isn't the type to kill a bitch out of jealousy.

"Speaking of fucking," Cloudy growled with a raised brow. I looked her way, wondering what she wanted and saw that she was no longer behind the counter, but beside me. I shivered at the thought of what she meant by that.

"Aren't you married?" I asked innocently.

"Caught him sleeping with another mare," she spat.

"And?"

"I know you're CrimsonRhapsody69 on True Apocalypse," she said, almost with a hungry purr. I shuddered again as I felt her hoof trace my spine from my shoulder all the way down to my dock.

"I didn't think you were the gaming type, and what has that got to do with anything involving your marriage?" I squeaked as she pushed my face down on the cold countertop with her superior Earth Pony strength.

'Wait, her voice sounds familiar, but where have I heard it?'

"I do play video games from time to time. Mostly VR, and mostly adult games when my husband can't perform in bed, but with my husband cheating on me. I thought I should do the same. To show him what he's missing."

"And you know me how?" I moaned in delight at the touch of her firm lips making their way up my neck and to my ear. Exactly how I like it.

"Squad Captain ViolentInferno42 reporting for duty my, Queen."

'Oh... My main Vanguard for Death Level Raids and the pony that always complains about her love life. Huh, why haven't I realized that? I've been going to her bar for the past two years! It's a small world.'

"Let me... Nyaa... Guess. Had... Fuuck... Enough?" I barely managed to say through all stimulation that Cloudy was giving me.

"You could say that my, Queen," she said as she laid me down on the counter-top as well as stopping her advances to give me a look of longing through my open legs, but before she did anything else. Cloudy had to close the bar early for the night. "So will you hit the Consent Pop-Up or do I have to force you to press it?"

"Your Queen orders you to be forceful," I replied with a devilish smile as I watched her lock the door to the bar.

"Yes ma'am," she turned and smiled back with a loud "click!" of the lock.

Author's Notes:

Happy 27th birthday Cloudy Days!