The New Black.
by SPark

"Why do I have to do this again?" Rainbow Dash shifted impatiently.

"Hold still," said Rarity. "You have to do this because you volunteered to help Sweetie Belle and her friends with their play."

"Yeah, well, I didn't know I'd have to go through all this frou-frou nonsense," she groused. "And why is the robe pink? I thought I was going to play an evil alicorn?"

"You are," said Rarity, floating another pin along. "I'll make a black robe tomorrow. This is just to see how this pattern drapes on you and what modifications I need to make. Pegasi don't usually wear robes you know."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"There." Rarity stepped back and nodded. "Just right. Although I simply do not agree that pink is the new black. It clashes terribly with your mane."

Rainbow Dash looked down at the violently pink robe she was wearing and shuddered. It was hideous. "What is this 'new black' stuff anyhow? Isn't black just black? How can some other color be 'the new black'?"

"It's because black is the universal, elegant color, darling. It can look good with any complexion and any hair color. It goes with everything." She smiled and batted her eyelashes as Rainbow Dash. "I myself, as you well know, look positively ravishing in black."

Rainbow blushed a bit, Rarity's eyelashes tended to have that effect on most ponies, but she couldn't help but grin. "I think you look ravishing in anything. And even better in nothing at all. If you catch my drift." Rainbow Dash never flirted in public. It would cause far too many problems. But in private...

"Why Rainbow!" Rarity laughed. "Are you suggesting something?"

"Maybe." Rainbow glanced out the windows, eying the angle of the sunlight. "If you're done pinning this thing maybe you could... help me out of it?" She waggled her eyebrows and grinned. "It's pretty early, and we still have an hour or two before we'll be disturbed, after all."

Rarity grinned back and winked. "That is a fabulous idea, my dear. Why don't you come back to my workroom. I just got a shipment of faux fur that's simply luxurious, I might mention. It's so delightful to the touch. Once we get you out of that robe I thought I could spread it out on the floor and, well..." She leaned in and whispered in Rainbow's ear. Her suggestion made the pegasus blush even brighter, and grin even wider.

Rainbow adjusted her wings, nudging a few wayward feathers back into place, as she left Rarity's boutique. Her mane and tail were as wild as ever, and nopony would guess what she had just been up to. Which was exactly how she liked it. She was not exactly in the closet, oh no, but given the complexities of her friendships, it was simpler to keep certain things private.

Just as she was spreading her wings to take off, something thudded into her, sending her sprawling.

She looked up to see Pinkie Pie sitting on top of her.

"Hi!"

"Uh. Hi there Pinkie. Mind getting off of me?"

"Oh! Sorry." Pinkie climbed off, and Rainbow got to her feet. She shook dust out of her mane and eyed the bright pink pony with a rueful smile.

"Oh hey! I wanted to tell you!" Pinkie looked around, then leaned in and said, with a conspiratorial whisper, "I got... something new today."

Rainbow raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yes. A very interesting something new. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more, say no more." Pinkie wiggled her eyebrows wildly, and Rainbow giggled.

"I... see."

"So what do you say to a party for just the two of us?"

"I say that it sounds like a lot of fun."

Quite a bit later a sweaty and happily tired out Rainbow Dash was toweling herself off. An equally sweaty and slightly less energetic than usual Pinkie Pie lay sprawled on the bed, with a blissful grin plastered on her face.

"That was a lot of fun, Dashie."

Rainbow chuckled. "Yes it was. You have good taste in toys."

"I'll be sure to throw another party for two next time I get one in! Although I still think a party for three would be ultra-super-duper."

"You know why I don't do that, Pinkie. Ponies get jealous."

"But I'm really good at sharing, Dashie. I don't mind that I share you with some other pony. I'd like to share the some other pony with you too, is all!"

"You're sweet, Pinkie. And maybe you wouldn't be jealous, but that some other pony might be. And wouldn't you hate to ruin a friendship with jealousy?"

"Aha! So the other pony is a friend of mine?"

Rainbow laughed. "Pinkie... every pony in Ponyville is a friend of yours. That doesn't narrow it down much. I know you just want to share, but I'm not going to tell you. It's be all awkward and stuff. And if you want to see some other pony yourself I don't mind. I'm not the committing kind, you know that!"

"Yeah, I guess it might be all awkward. I don't know anypony else that's as much fun as you, but I might meet some other pony someday."

"I hope you do. But I have to get going. I promised Applejack I'd give her a hand on the farm this afternoon, and I don't want to be late."

"Okie-dokie-lokie!"

Rainbow flew fast enough to leave her trademark rainbow streak behind her as she zoomed over the fields towards Sweet Apple Acres. Though she was, maybe, a hair slower than usual. It was barely past noon and it had already been a long day.

But a very good day, thought Rainbow Dash with a grin. She did a loop, just because she was feeling good, then continued on her way. She dipped down lower, weaving in and out of the apple trees, and then nearly crashed as an unexpected orange pony suddenly loomed up in her path. Her swerve sent her careening wildly, narrowly missing one tree and clipping a second with a wingtip before finally getting herself under control. At a more reasonable pace she circled back to see Applejack picking up her hat.

"Uh, sorry about that AJ."

"Think nothin' of it, sugarcube." Applejack smiled at Rainbow. It wasn't Rarity's suave and gracious glance, but the rough and honest affection in her gaze made Rainbow blush even harder. If she'd had to pick just one of her many lovers, she might well have picked Applejack. There was just something about the cowpony that Rainbow couldn't shake off. They got on like a barn fire, sometimes with a competitive heat, and sometimes with a different sort of heat altogether.

"So what's on the schedule for today?" asked Rainbow. "Am I going to buck some apples for you, or am I going to," she winked, "buck some apples for you?"

"Well now sweetheart," said Applejack, her smile growing wider, "Big Macintosh is off makin' some deliveries, Applebloom is still in school, and Granny Smith has her hearing aids turned off while she's takin' an afternoon nap. So I think ya'll are goin' to have to buck some apples right good and hard while we've got the chance."

Rainbow laughed. She was going to be pretty well done in by the time the day was done, at this rate, but she couldn't say no to Applejack. "Then let me show you my awesome new rainbow-buck technique. I think you'll like it."

Rainbow was not flying fast enough to leave a streak behind when she left Sweet Apple Acres. In fact she was going quite slowly, and without any loops or rolls or anything. As she flew she saw Big Macintosh walking down the road below her, an empty cart behind him. For a moment she considered swooping down and at least saying hello. She tended to prefer fillies, but there was something to be said for a big, masculine stallion. And Big Mac was definitely a stallion. She knew that from experience. But she was just too tired. Big Mac would have to wait.

She flew only a bit further before she spotted and snagged a passing cloud. Flopping down on it, she settled in for a nice little nap. After the kind of day she'd had so far she definitely needed to rest and recuperate. "Not that I'm complaining" she murmured to herself as she began to drift off. "Nope, nuh-uh, noooooooo way." She fell asleep with a smile of blissful contentment on her face.

She woke up with a jolt to find that her cloud had drifted into a tree. She blinked drowsily at it, trying to clear her sleep-fogged mind and figure out what was going on. She hadn't been anywhere near the Everfree forest... But as she came slowly awake she realized that she'd drifted into town and collided with the Ponyville library.

"Hi there Dash," called Twilight from a nearby balcony. "Have a nice nap?"

Rainbow yawned hugely. "Yeah. What are you up to?"

"Just studying as usual." Twilight smiled wryly. Dash chuckled. Twilight was such a nerd, but it was kind of cute. "Actually," added Twilight, "I read something earlier today that maybe you could, uh, I mean I kind of wanted to try, it, er, sounded interesting, if you, uh, are interested in, uh, I mean I know you've helped me with this kind of, uh, thing before, and..." She was blushing furiously.

Rainbow giggled. "Hey, it's okay. Chill. I'd be happy to help you try out something new. I like new things. That last book idea of yours was pretty fun."

"Yes it was." Twilight blushed if anything even harder, but she was also smiling. "Why don't you come in then?" She stepped back, making room for Rainbow to land on the balcony.

"I'll just go send Spike off on an errand..." Twilight trotted off, while Rainbow Dash stepped into the bedroom and slid the balcony door closed. She drew the drapes to provide a little privacy. Downstairs she could hear Twilight saying "...and after that why don't you go give Rarity this? I know she's been wanting to read it, and I'm sure you two could talk for a little while. You could lend her a hand in the shop if you like, I'm not too busy here so I can manage without you."

Rainbow grinned as Twilight came up the stairs. She was looking forward to this. Twilight's reading might be nerdy, but Rainbow had to admit that she'd picked up several of her favorite techniques from Twilight's books. And then there were the other benefits of doing a unicorn. The magic. And the horn. Rainbow's wings were already spreading out at the thought of what Twilight could do with her horn.

Twilight saw Rainbow's reaction and giggled. "Looks like you're ready for some experimentation."

"Oh yeah."

When Rainbow staggered out of the library some time later, she was definitely ready to go home. The nap had helped, but she was still pretty thoroughly worn out. She was also pretty sore. That last position had been entirely new to her, and it had strained muscles she hadn't even know she had.

"I should probably just fly straight home, but maybe..." She glanced towards the edge of town. It wouldn't be that far out of her way. And Fluttershy had never minded before...

With sore wings she flew over to Fluttershy's cottage. The quiet yellow pegasus was out in the yard, watering her garden. She squeaked adorably when Rainbow Dash landed next to her with a thud. "Hi Fluttershy!"

"Oh. Hi Dash. I didn't see you coming."

"Fast and stealthy, that's me!" Rainbow grinned.

Fluttershy giggled.

"So I was wondering," said Rainbow with studied casual cool, "if you were busy right now."

"Not really." Fluttershy smiled quietly. "I was watering the garden, but that's all I had left to do today and it's done now."

"That's good. I kinda had a long day. Lots of new moves to practice, that kind of thing, and I could reeeeeeally use a massage. You give the best massages!"

Fluttershy blushed at the compliment and glanced away. "O-oh. Thank you Rainbow Dash." She returned her gaze to Rainbow, smiling a little more surely. "Of course. Please come in." She led the way inside, past the birdhouses and little rodent dens that filled much of her home, and up the stairs to her bedroom. "Lie on the bed and relax," she said.

Rainbow flopped willingly onto the bed and sprawled out on her stomach. "Thanks for doing this, Fluttershy. I am so beat right now I don't think I could move! And so sore!"

"Well you just lie back and let me take care of you then," said Fluttershy, gaining more confidence as she moved into an area of expertise. Her hooves touched Rainbow's back, very gently at fist, then massaging more deeply.

"Ohh yeah."

Fluttershy started working near the base of Rainbow's wings. It felt very good, but... "Fluttershy, I wasn't kidding when I said I was really tired. I don't have the energy to-"

"Oh no, it's okay." Fluttershy's quiet voice was very firm. "Just lie still and I'll take good care of you." She rubbed right up to Rainbow's wings, and Rainbow lost track of what she'd been protesting. Even after everything she'd done today she felt her wings starting to pop up. "That's a good girl," crooned Fluttershy. Rainbow almost wanted to protest that too. She wasn't a good girl! But Fluttershy just kept rubbing right there where it was so sensitive, and all Rainbow could do was moan in pleasure.

"Ooo... Fluttershy..."

Then Fluttershy moved her hooves somewhere else entirely.

"Ooo Fluttershy!"

Rainbow Dash stumbled in the door of her house with a blissful sigh. She was most definitely relaxed now. And most definitely done for the day. The sun had set, and soon she would be in bed, and nobody else would be in the bed with her this time.. The grin plastered on her face was a sure sign that she hadn't minded her very, very busy day, but she was glad to be home. She ate a quick salad, then went straight to the bedroom without even brushing her teeth. Just as she'd pulled back the blanket and was about to climb in, there was a thud outside her window.

Hesitantly Rainbow stuck her head out the window to see what it was. She immediately found herself nose-to-nose with an elegant white alicorn.

"P-princess Celestia!"

"Hello there, my most loyal subject." Celestia smiled serenely at Rainbow, and winked.

Author's Notes:

The new black goes with everything, and so does Rainbow Dash.