Chapter 4: Love and War

Diving down from the skies above, Rainbow Dash zoomed through the streets of Ponyville, aiming right for Carousel Boutique to find Rarity. As she flew, blurs of pinks and reds passed by as couples lined the street with their special someponies. Like those below, she would rather be spending the day with Mac, but she needed to take care of some business first with her unicorn friend. Sure, she wouldn't normally want to go into town on a date, but seeing that it was the holiday and everypony had seemed curious about their status, she would not mind showing off her stallion. For once.

However, before she could get within sight of Rarity’s shop, a sudden weight came crashing down on her back and a loud voice deafened her for a moment.

“Dashie! I found you!” came the voice of the only earth pony Rainbow Dash had ever met that could possibly fly, Pinkie Pie. The weight of the pink mare drove Rainbow Dash towards the ground, causing instinct to take over as she shut her eyes tight and prepared for impact. She was no stranger to crash landings, but that didn’t mean she liked to watch it coming, and she held her forelegs in front of her, shielding herself from the upcoming blow.

But there was none.

She landed on something elastic that absorbed the shock of impact as the smell of rubber filled her nostrils; before she just bounced up again. Her eyes flew open instantly; instead of falling upon the hard ground of Ponyville, she was in one of those inflatable bouncy castles. Pinkie Pie was next to her, giggling madly as she bounded around the space, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Pinkie!? What the heck was that for?” Rainbow spat, trying to get her hooves under her, to crawl towards the exit of the castle, but Pinkie’s constant movement made it feel as though her hooves were trapped in jello.

“Matilda and Missus Cake wanted me to get you, silly!” Pinkie Pie said, as though it explained everything. Rainbow just cocked her head. She managed to roll outside of the castle and onto the ground of Ponyville with a grunt.

“What? What do they need me for?” As if to answer her question, two sets of forelegs latched onto Rainbow Dash and enclosed her.

“Oh, Rainbow, how exciting!” came the voice of Matilda, her voice practically fizzing as she started to pull Rainbow Dash away from the castle with the help of Cupcake.

“Indeed, Rainbow Dash! Oh, I wish we knew sooner; we have so much to tell you and so little time!” Cupcake added, as she looked over her shoulder at Pinkie Pie. “Alright Pinkie, you’re free to go! Mister Cake is looking after the shop and the twins till I get back, so enjoy your day!” she called out, right as Pinkie was doing a flip straight out of the bouncy castle.

“Goodie! Now to get this over to Caramel’s! I wanted to try out the Inverted Hot Fudge Sundae with him! Now, all I need is chocolate sauce, sprinkles, vanilla ice creams, bananas and chili peppers!” With that, Pinkie Pie was pushing the inflatable bouncy castle down the street towards Caramel's home, shoving any poor ponies that got in her way like a snow plow.

As she disappeared, Cupcake simply shook her head as she and Matilda pulled a struggling Rainbow Dash into Matilda's home. “That poor stallion, I wonder how he keeps up with her?” she asked, mostly to herself as she shut the door behind her.

“Once a mare has a stallion tied around her hoof it's hard to break free, especially if that stallion likes to be tied around it… or down.” Matilda laughed, causing Cupcake’s cheeks to redden as she giggled at the suggestion. A visible cringe went through Rainbow Dash as she pictured what Pinkie might do with that castle and what would become of Caramel.

Ponies had a hard time wrapping their heads around the idea that Rainbow Dash would like a pony that wasn’t a pegasus, or that the pony she had chosen was a warm, shaggy glacier. Yet, somehow, no pony seemed to have batted an eye at the couple that was Pinkie Pie and Caramel, whose things in common seemed to end with ‘breathing’. Caramel seemed happier following her around, coming out of that shell that he hid behind because of her. One thing that Mac had said about it all was that Caramel smiled a lot more now, and it was all thanks to Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow didn’t have time to reflect on Pinkie and Caramel for much longer, as she was pushed onto a living room sofa by Cupcake, and a cup of tea was shoved into her hooves by Matilda. Cupcake and Matilda then took seats across from Rainbow Dash, flowery china in hoof, and were smiling widely at her. Before Rainbow was a small coffee table with snacks set up, frilly plates of small sweets like mini cupcakes, wafer cookies, and fruit. Everything was set up like a morning gossip meeting between older mares, absolutely gagging to get the latest stories from around town, the latest rumors to spread. It was something Rainbow would never want to be part of.

“Alright Rainbow, we want to know everything!” Cupcake said, taking a noisy sip of her tea.

“Yes! We need every detail! Oh, how lucky you are!” Matilda added, as she took one of the small cupcakes for herself and took a dainty bite from it.

“Start from the beginning. What was—”

“Mac didn’t propose to me!” Rainbow snapped, slamming her cup of tea on the table, causing the liquid inside to slosh over and stain several doilies. “Mac and I are not engaged! I didn’t turn him down! He is not stepping out on me! We are not getting married!” Rainbow felt a cyclone of questions rumble through her head. How dare these ponies shove their noses in like this? Why on earth did they think she was getting married, or even that she was considering it? Who were they to presume that about her, and about her stallion? Could Mac even do something that uncool? Why was she so angry about this? Would it even be a bad thing?

Wait...

Rainbow pushed that question to the very back of her mind; she didn’t even want to know where it came from. She was perfectly happy with her relationship right now, and she didn’t need some hunk of metal through her ear to prove that she loved Mac. That was for insecure fillies, not a strong mare like her!

Right?

“Oh, we know, dear,” Matilda said, not even flinching when Rainbow slammed her cup down. Instead she simply leaned over and grabbed the teapot, filling the cup again. Rainbow raised an eyebrow at her, cocking her head slightly as she did.

“You do?”

“Oh yes!” Cupcake laughed, as she took a wafer from the table. “If Mac had proposed, then I am sure you would have told all your friends about it before even saying yes to Mac.” Cupcake took a large bite of the treat before washing it down with some tea. “This is why we wanted to talk to you.” Matilda nodded in agreement, sipping from her cup and then setting it down on her saucer.

“About what?” Rainbow asked, her brain feeling like cotton wool. If they didn’t want to talk about how Mac had proposed to her, even if he hadn’t, what could they possibly want to talk to her about?

“Why, on how to accept his proposal!” Cupcake said, her voice high and full of cheer that was followed by a bout of giggling like a school filly. “Rainbow, this is going to be one of the most challenging moments in Mac’s life! You must accept him properly, or else he could have doubts later on.” Cupcake waved a hoof as though what she was talking about was common knowledge, or else something to be passed on by those in the know.

Rainbow cocked her head to the side even more now. She looked to Matilda, as though the donkey would clue her in on what was going on. Matilda just nodded, but was not directed at Rainbow, more a little over hear head. Craning her neck, Rainbow looked above her to see the picture of Matilda and Cranky on their wedding day. The pair of them were smiling at the camera after the kiss, and even though it was a happy occasion Rainbow found Cranky’s smile to be off putting. Something about that donkey smiling didn’t seem natural, like he was fighting against where a frown was always meant to be. It was disturbing to see him smile, even on his own wedding day.

For just the briefest of moments Rainbow saw herself there, draped in acres of white dress while Mac stood next to her in a suit, smiling that easy smile that he reserved only for her. Everypony's attention on them as they stood before one another, waiting to say those two simple words that would bind them together for all time. That single moment where their lives would be forever intertwined, and everypony would know that they belonged to one another.

Rainbow’s eyes shrank, and she quickly shook her head, trying to get the thoughts to clear. This was not the kind of thing she thought about; it was not what she was about! Her mind should be concentrating on only important things like flying, Wonderbolts, cider, and what she and Mac might do that day! Thinking about weddings and that sort of crud was for other mares— no, fillies! She was too cool for any of that!

“Don’t think we didn’t notice that, Dashie,” Cupcake’s voice broke Rainbow’s train of thought, and she turned to glare at the blue mare. Cupcake didn’t seem the least bit phased by Rainbow’s attempt at heat vision, but instead sat there smiling at her, as though she could see past Rainbow’s eye and right into her mind and what she had just imagined. Rainbow’s face turned red as she looked away, puffing out her cheeks.

“See what? I have places to be, you know!” Rainbow huffed out, folding her hooves over her chest, and continued to look away. Cupcake and Matilda shared a look, before breaking into a fit of schoolfilly-like giggles. This just caused Rainbow’s face to grow a shade darker in embarrassment and anger. “What?!”

“Oh, nothing, dear,” Matilda said, hiding her mouth behind her hoof as she continued to titter. “It’s just that you look so cute!” With that, the pair of them broke into another storm of chortles, causing Rainbow’s face to turn a shade of red that matched her favorite pillow.

“Whatever! You two do whatever it is you do, because I’m gone!” Rainbow started to get up, wings at the ready, but before she could Cupcake was already out of her seat and placing a hoof in front of her.

“Calm down, Rainbow. We were just having a little fun,” Cupcake said, her voice soft and caring. “We want to make sure that Mac’s proposal is a magical moment for the two of you,” Cupcake assured her, pushing Rainbow back onto the sofa and offering a slice of lemon cake.

Rainbow looked down at the tasty treat, already licking her lips before she even realized it. She had loved lemon cake ever since Mac had made it for her so long ago. He was just amazing at seemingly everything: cooking, baking, cleaning, and just being him. There were so many ways they were different from one another, even if you didn’t include the most radical of it all, that she was a pegasus and he was an earth pony. They were like water and oil, and yet they mixed so perfectly.

As Rainbow looked down at the cake, she didn’t notice the look that went between the mare and the jenny as they observed her. After several long seconds of silence, Matilda was the first to break it. “Now then, if what we have heard is correct, Mac is setting up a special dinner tonight.”

That really knocked Rainbow out of her thoughts and sent her looking up at the two wives in the room, her jaw not knowing whether to clench or flop open. “How did you two know about that?! Mac wrote me a note about that this morning! There is no way anypony could…” The dots in Rainbow’s head connected, as she remembered a certain white unicorn reading that particular note that morning. Rainbow started to grind her teeth at the thought of Rarity blabbing about her personal life with anypony that would listen. “Rarity…” Rainbow growled, her wings already itching to take her to Carousel Boutique. She needed to teach her a lesson about butting into other people’s business!

“Regardless,” Cupcake said, looking to Matilda, both sharing an uneasy expression at Rainbow’s face. “Mac is going for a very private proposal, so it could mean that he’s nervous about what your reply might be. He doesn’t want to make it all public, with the chance of rejection.”

“Or,” Matilda intervened, casting a glance at Cupcake, “he feels assured that you are going to say yes, and he wants to make it as romantic as possible between the two of you. He wants to keep your privacy intact and allow you to share all the emotions you want without fear!” Matilda sighed dreamily at that, her cheeks taking on a light shade of pink.

“That could also be the case, but if he is nervous about it he might be shaking a lot and stuttering. He could go off on random avenues of conversation, so as to avoid asking the question.” Cupcake gave a sigh of her own as she placed her hoof upon the earring Carrot had given to her for his proposal. Matilda rolled her eyes, before looking back to Rainbow with a wide smile.

“Yes, that is the case for some proposals, but we all know that Mac will be fine. I am sure he won’t miss a step, and after some casual talk he might move on to the future and what it might hold for the two of you.” Matilda ran a hoof over her own earring as she remembered a suave Cranky proposing to her in front of the entire town.

Cupcake glared in Matilda’s direction for a fraction of a second before turning to Rainbow once more. “Maybe, but I’m sure that under his country exterior Mac is a big softy, who could be quite unsure about his feelings. So what you should plan to do is coax him into it, but not too much; you must let him feel like he willed himself to do it. It keeps their pride intact.” Matilda let out a laugh at the comment, making Cupcake whip her head around to stare at the married jenny.

Matilda had her hoof touching her lips, as if she had tried to keep it in, but the gleam in her eye betrayed her. “Oh I’m sure that Mac will have no problems like that,” she said soothingly. “Afterall, he is a farm pony, and, unlike some males, they are quite sure of themselves and of who they love.” Cupcake just glared at the oblivious donkey, a fire growing within her eyes. Her expression morphed to one of ease as she took a sip of tea, but the blaze was still there.

“Why, Matilda, it sounds to me if you are suggesting that my Carrot is not up to par with other males.” Matilda simply shrugged, taking a sip of her own tea, her own eyes closed, a smile tugging the corners of her lips.

“I think it’s just evident. If he couldn't propose without your help…” Matilda said, her voice taking on an icy edge to it. Cupcake continued to sip from her tea, not looking in Matilda’s direction as she began to speak again.

“I guess that’s because Carrot is more in tune with his feelings than others,” Cupcake said smoothly, turning to Matilda with a wide grin, which was more than obviously forced. “I must say, Matilda, I'm so envious of how dedicated Cranky was on tracking you down, spending his entire life looking for you. Carrot and I have been together for so long, I almost forget how young we were when we first met.” Matilda kept on smiling, her eyes closed as she sipped from her tea again.

“Why, thank you, Cupcake dearie. I must admit, I'm sometimes envious of you, too, and your two little ones, but they seem like such a hooful. I can understand why you've had to let some things go.” Cupcake was reaching for another sweet treat when Matilda spoke; she slowly withdrew her hoof without taking anything. Lines began to form in her face, as she started to grind her teeth slightly, tea cup rattling in her hold.

“At least my Carrot is gainfully employed,” Cupcake hissed, turning to glare at Matilda. The anger she had been trying to hold back now poured from her, filling the room with even greater tension.

"That's right! He is, isn't he? What's it like having to be his boss? He doesn't seem very good at taking directions. Always so flustered. I'm glad my Cranky is more relaxed than that," Matilda growled, her ear twitching as she glared back.

"At least Carrot doesn't have to wear a wig!" Cupcake screeched, getting to her hooves, letting the tea fall from her grasp.

"How dare you! It makes him feel more comfortable!" Matilda shrieked, dropping her cup, not noticing it thump on the carpeted floor and spill its contents everywhere. The two marched up to one another, their eyes sparkling as they each set to defend their husband and belittle the other’s. The pair of them had seemed to have lost sight of the original intention of the meeting, or the fact that a certain pegasus was still there and had watched the entire ordeal.

Rainbow Dash swallowed a lump in her throat, as she slowly got off the sofa and tried to avoid their attention. To the best of her ability; for all she knew, they could round on her at a muffled hoofstep and try to pull her into their growing war. That was something she had no intention of becoming the collateral of.

Slipping out the front hallway, Rainbow could hear Cupcake’s and Matilda’s voices growing louder with every passing second, the insults moving swiftly through rudeness and into obscenity. Rainbow had been in her fair share of fights and arguments, but she would rather be taking on the Changeling army head-on again than face those two when they were angered. Not even when she and Applejack got into it did they ever sound that mean. She hoped. She couldn't suppress the shudder than ran through her at the idea that she and Applejack could ever be that mean to one another.

Pushing open the door, Rainbow had never been so happy to see the overzealous decorations of Hearts and Hooves Day. Hearts filling every window, streamers going from building to building, the sheer explosion of pinks and reds, all of it was more than a welcome relief from the two arguing inside.

Author's Notes:

Sorry about not updating on Mondays like I normally do. Lots of things were going on this week, and next to expect some late chapters. I do hope you enjoy this, and though I feel like I might some hate for this... that's life.

Enjoy!