Through her train car's window, Rainbow Dash watched the bright autumn landscape speeding by in a riot of reds, yellows and oranges. Sugar maples the color of ripe watermelons dotted the woods, competing with the still-green oaks and evergreen pines for her attention. In a few more weeks they would begin to brown, and it would be time for the Running of the Leaves Festival. She sighed quietly, lost in the memories the thought provoked. Had it really been nine full years since that race?

She was still reminiscing when the train pulled into the Ponyville station, announcing itself with a cheerful blast of its horn. Ponies crowded onto the platform to welcome the new arrivals, and within minutes the train had emptied. Dash waited for the rush to subside and then stepped outside.

No one was waiting for Rainbow Dash, but then, it would have surprised her if anypony had. She hadn't told anypony her plans except Rarity, and the unicorn wasn't due back in Ponyville until tomorrow. A few ponies, mostly younger pegasi, recognized her and pointed or waved. She put on a smile and waved back. Rainbow Dash the Wonderbolt had to be polite to her fans.

So, Ponyville. She took a deep breath and looked around. Not much had changed in the year or so since her last visit. Maybe a few more ponies filled the street, maybe a few more buildings on the edge of town, where farmland once stood. On a hill in the distance, she could see the bright red barn that was Sweet Apple Acre's trademark, and around it vast orchards of apple trees now yellowing with autumn's touch.

It was time to meet some old friends. She hopped off the platform and trotted down the crowded street.

A bell rang as she pushed open the door to Sugarcube Corner, surprising her with its silver tinkle. Had that always been there? She had some very clear memories of sneaking into this shop in the past, and there had never been a bell to give her away. She looked up at it curiously, then shrugged and stepped into the bakery. As always, the smell of baking bread and frosting assaulted her, setting her mouth watering with anticipation. Perhaps a snack wouldn't be out of the question.

“Just a moment!” a male voice called from inside the kitchen. True to his word, a moment later Mr. Cake appeared behind the counter. As soon as he spied her, his face broke into a grin.

“Well, if it isn't Rainbow Dash! How you been, kiddo?” He stepped around the counter and held out a hoof. She shook it automatically—a habit gained from a hundred shows and appearances with the Bolts. He looked the same as she remembered; perhaps a bit older, but then, having twins could do that to a stallion. She wondered absently where Carrot and Pound were.

“Hey, Mr. Cake,” she said. “Great, now that summer's over. Busiest time of the year for the Bolts.”

“I can imagine.” He started to say something, then stopped abruptly. When he spoke again his voice was quieter. “By the way, I'm sorry about what happened. We all are.”

She gave him a small nod. The first thousand times ponies had told her they were sorry for what happened, sorry for her loss, sorry for whatever, she'd gotten choked up. Now it barely warranted an emotional response. The words were sincere, she knew, but the well of her appreciation had run dry long ago.

“Thank you.” She paused to clear her throat. The air must have been dryer in Ponyville than Fillydelphia. “Is Pinkie here? I was hoping to say 'hi' and see—”

“Dashie!” There was a pink blur, and somehow Rainbow Dash found herself on the floor, wrapped in a giggling mass of mane and earth pony. It was good to see that Pinkie Pie hadn't lost any of her enthusiasm or joy. Also, she was fairly sure her ribs were now bruised.

“Pinkie,” she wheezed. “Little air?”

“Oh, sorry!” Pinkie sat back on her haunches, looking down at Dash with the world's largest grin. “I was just so excited when I heard my name! And then I realized it was you—” she reached out and poked Dash in the chest—“I just couldn't help myself! It's been ages since you were here!”

“I was here last year, Pinkie.” Still, Dash couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face. Some friends were impossible to not be happy around.

“I know! A whole year!” Pinkie gasped. “Do you know what this means?”

Dash was pretty sure she did. “A par—”

“A party!” Pinkie continued, rolling right over Dash's answer. “A Welcome-Back-To-Ponyville-Rainbow-Dash Party!”

Now it was Dash's turn to grin. “Actually, Pinkie, that name won't work at all.”

Pinkie blinked at her. The tips of her ears wilted. “It won't? But, why?”

“Because Rarity's coming back tomorrow, too.”

A remarkable transformation overcame Pinkie Pie, one that would have shocked any pony not already accustomed to her eccentricities. Her eyes widened as the full realization settled in. Her mane somehow grew poofier. She began to inhale, and she didn't stop.

This was going to be loud, Rainbow Dash realized. Totally worth it, though.

“YIPPEE!” Pinkie's shout of joy could be heard clear across town.

It took a while, but Rainbow Dash eventually managed to extricate herself from Pinkie Pie and the Cakes (including Carrot and Pound, who had shown up and insisted on riding “auntie Dash” around the room until Mrs. Cake could finally corral them for nap time). They loaded up a sack with every kind of doughnut and pastry and cookie and honey-slathered treat she could imagine, and made her promise to return for more when those were done.

Such friends. She couldn't get the smile to leave her face.

It was a bit of a hike from the center of Ponyville to Sweet Apple Acres, but the air was crisp and pleasant against her coat. The warm sun offset the gentle bite of the wind, and for a while she simply enjoyed the rustle of leaves overhead, the crunch of dirt beneath her hooves, and the soft earthen scent of autumn.

I should have come back long ago.

The Bolts wouldn't have liked that, though. They had a schedule. They had appearances. They had fans who wanted to see The Rainbow Dash posing for pictures and signing autographs on posters and snapshots and Official Wonder Bolts Hoofball Caps, only 15 bits in the gift store, limit five per customer.

Screw the Bolts.

She winced. That was unfair – the Bolts had given her everything. Even the things she'd lost, she never would have had in the first place without them. Without them, she'd be just another weather team pegasus, plowing the skies all the year round.

A small footbridge arched over the stream separating Sweet Apple Acres property from the rest of Ponyville. She stepped onto it and paused to look over the edge at the water below. Minnows darted beneath the surface, swimming away from the shadow she cast onto the water. She crumbled up the remains of a pastry and tossed it in, and then returned to the path.

Countless apple trees extended in rows on either side. She knew they were countless because she tried counting them and gave up after fifty-seven. Counting trees was boring.

Eventually, the countless rows ended, and she stepped into the wide clearing surrounding the Apple Family farm. The same old arched gate, always open, welcomed visitors to the one part of Ponyville that never changed. As the Acres were, so would the Acres always be; only the ponies changed.

Dash could hear ponies at work in the barn. She looked between it and the house for a few seconds, then shrugged and trotted toward the barn. Knowing Applejack and her brother, they would still be hard at work this early in the day, carrying out the dozens of chores that, to Rainbow Dash, seemed like far more effort than they were worth.

But then, Rainbow Dash didn't have a barn. Maybe the Apples were on to something.

“Hello?” She stuck her head into the open doorway. Slanting rays of light pierced the darkness of the barn from windows above, bouncing from a million motes of dust floating in the still, hot air. “Anypony home?”

There was a loud *thunk*, as of something large and metal being set down on the wood floor, followed by heavy hoofsteps that could only belong to one pony. Sure enough, within moments Big Macintosh trotted out from behind a stack of barrels (filled, she assumed, with apples). He stopped as soon as he saw her, grinned, and trotted to the entrance.

“Well, ah'll be. Hello Rainbow Dash.” He looked no different than the last time she had seen him – as big as any three of her friends put together. His mane was matted with sweat, and his normally bright red coat was dusted with tiny bits of hay and dirt. The wages of hard work, she could only assume, as hard work was something she generally tried to avoid. It was a pegasus tradition.

Still, she didn't mind the dirt, and she stepped forward to give him a quick hug. He returned it with the same gentleness that always managed to surprise her.

“Hey man, long time. How you been?”

“Eyyup. Good, thanks.” He looked it. Big Macintosh had always been rather laid back for a pony. Laconic, as Rainbow Dash's Word-a-Day calendar might have said. But now he seemed truly happy, somehow so satisfied with life that he radiated contentment.

Married life must be working out for him, she mused.

“One sec, let me get Applejack,” he said. He took a breath, then yelled. “Hey, Applejack! Yer friend's here!”

Applejack's voice returned from outside the barn, a few seconds later: “Tell Pinkie ah'm busy!”

“It ain't Pinkie!”

“Tell Twilight...” The voice trailed off. There was a pause. Eventually, they heard footsteps approaching from the far side of the barn's interior, and a perplexed-looking Applejack poked her head around the same pile of barrels Big Macintosh had emerged from.

“Rainbow Dash?” Applejack's face broke into a wide grin as she trotted forward. “Why, what a surprise! When did you get to Ponyville?” She leaned forward to give Dash a hug that was much, much firmer than her brother's.

“Heh, good to see you too, AJ.” She gave Applejack a friendly chuck on the shoulder as soon as she was free. “Just got in. Pinkie's already planning the party.”

Applejack had an odd look on her face. Very different from the surprised grin she had just worn. “Are you doin' okay, sug? You felt a bit tense, there.”

“Pff, me?” She made a dismissive gesture with her hoof. “I'm fine, AJ. Just training, is all. Gotta be in shape if you're gonna be a Wonder Bolt.”

Applejack didn't respond. She just looked up and down Dash's frame. If it were any other pony, Dash might've suspected they were checking her out. Fat chance with Applejack, though. She was just about the last pony that—

“Mhm. And how've you been?” Big Macintosh asked. They both started and turned to him in surprise – for such a big pony, he was very easy to forget about sometimes. “Haven't seen you in a bit. Not since the funeral.”

The funeral. She was hearing that a lot, lately. Eventually, she supposed, she would run out of friends to hear it from, and they could go back to marking the time with something more normal than funerals. Another sign, perhaps, that she should have returned to Ponyville long ago.

“Like I said, I'm doing fine.” She smiled at them. “Been doing some travel, now that the season is over. Things have been really great. Really, really great.”

One thing she liked about Applejack was that her emotions were always plain as day upon her face. You could read her like a book, and right now she looked dubious. Dash was about to make another attempt at calming their concerns when Big Macintosh spoke again.

“You know who'd love to see you again? Fluttershy. C'mon, she's in the house gettin' ready for dinner.”

Fluttershy's face lit up like the sun the moment Dash walked through the door. She barely made it another step into the room before Fluttershy had her wrapped in a hug. For a long minute they simply held each other.

I should have come back long ago.

Should have, could have. She gave the pegasus another squeeze, then stepped away, blinking back tears. “Hey Fluttershy.”

“Hello Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy gave her a smile that, while not as large as Pinkie's, somehow conveyed a level of joy that could only be described as transcendent. “Welcome home.”

Home.

Did she even have a home anymore? The Bolts spent most of the year in the air, flying from one city to the next. Since joining the team, she'd spent more nights in hotel rooms than her place in Cloudsdale, and when she was home it was usually to collapse in bed the moment after walking in the door. Half her stuff was still sitting in boxes in the spare room, waiting to be unpacked.

She looked around the room. This was a home. Every inch of space was filled with some personal treasure, every wall covered with pictures and portraits of family. The furniture was sturdy but well worn, almost as familiar as old friends themselves. Ponies lived here.

“Thanks. It's good to be back.” Her voice was a little rougher than normal. Damn dry air. “How have you been? You're looking pretty good...” She trailed off. Fluttershy was looking a little too good. She smiled with her entire face, looking more serenely happy than Dash could ever remember. But she seemed a little heavier than usual, and her belly was definitely a bit on the swollen side...

“No way.” Dash grinned a silly grin. “Are you...”

“Yes. Almost five months, now.” She brushed her belly with a hoof. “The doctor says it's probably a pegasus.”

“Wow. That's, just... wow!” Dash reached over and gave Big Macintosh a punch on the shoulder. It was a bit like hitting a tree. “Congrats, big guy!”

“Aw, shucks.” He ducked his head. “She's doin' all the work.”

“Yeah, but... wow!” She sounded foolish, she knew. But it didn't matter. To think: Fluttershy would be the first one of her friends with a foal. Dash had always though it would be Pinkie.

“Well, why don't you two catch up for a bit,” Applejack broke in. “Big Mac and I need to get washed up.” Despite the dust covering her from a long day of work, she stopped to give Fluttershy a quick nuzzle as she passed. She whispered something Dash couldn't quite make out, and then she was dragging her brother back outside.

Dinner turned out to be roasted apples with corn-on-the-cob, pumpkin baked with butter and marshmallows, lightly seared squash garnished with fresh grass clippings, and toasted oats. Fluttershy, it seemed, had developed a talent for cooking at some point after Rainbow Dash left Ponyville.

They quickly pulled up a fourth chair for Dash, and Fluttershy set down plates laden with food. Applejack got up to whisper something in Fluttershy's ear again, and when Fluttershy returned to the table she set an extra plate of veggies in front of Dash. She had more food even than Big Macintosh.

Huh.

They made small talk, mostly focusing on Fluttershy and Big Macintosh's plans for the foal. Big Mac, predictably, was hoping for a colt. Applejack wanted a filly. Fluttershy said she'd be happy as long as it had either four or six limbs.

The traditional Apple Family whiskey was out of the question, what with Fluttershy's condition. Instead they finished dinner with a round of ciders pulled from the cellar. They were as frothy and delicious as Dash had come to love all those years ago.

By the time they finished the sun had long since set, and only a sliver of moon remained low in the sky. A few dark clouds blotted out the stars in passing, a sign, Dash knew, that the weather would soon be changing. The comfortable, balmy door of autumn was beginning to close.

“Hey, uh, it's dark outside,” she said. Best to state the obvious up front. “Too dark to walk back to town. Would it be alright if I stayed here tonight?”

Silence answered her. Applejack and Fluttershy glanced at her in surprise, then at each other. Big Macintosh just raised an eyebrow.

“Well, of course, sug,” Applejack said. Her drawl was a bit slower than usual, as though she were carefully selecting her words. “If you'd rather not fly back, there's a room upstairs you can use. Already has a bed and everything.”

Fluttershy rose to her hooves. “I'll take her,” she said to Applejack. “Come on, Dash.”

They trotted up the stairs together. Down below, Dash could hear Applejack and her brother engaged in muted conversation. Even from a floor away, Big Mac's bass seemed to shake the floorboards. Fluttershy opened the first door in the dark hallway, and Dash stepped in. Only the faint light of the moon showed her path around the bed.

Wait... “Hey, is this Grannie Smith's old room?”

Fluttershy's mane bobbed in the dark. “Yes. Is that a problem?”

“No... I mean, is it?”

Fluttershy moved, and suddenly her cheek was pressed against Dash's. Her mane smelled like wildflowers. “It's not, Dash,” Fluttershy whispered in her ear. “Four generations of the Apple Family have lived in this house, now. Someday, when I am gone, my great-grandfoals will sleep in this room. We're all just guests.”

Oh. Dash let out a shaky breath. How could Rainbow Dash, who slept in a different city every night and hadn't even unpacked half her belongings, possibly conceive of such a thing? Of such a home, shared by generation upon generation? When she didn't even have one pony to share it with?

She blinked rapidly. Her eyes threatened to water. “Hey... Fluttershy?”

“Yes?”

“What... what's it like? You know?” She reached out to lightly brush her hoof along Fluttershy's abdomen.

Fluttershy was silent for a while. When she finally spoke, it was with more conviction than Dash had ever heard in a pony's voice.

“Oh, Dash. It's wonderful.”

The bed was already made. It was almost like they expected somepony to move into the empty room at any time. Dash climbed aboard and settled down on top of the covers with a sigh.

So, Ponyville. Rarity was right – it was good to see her friends again. And tomorrow, Rarity would be back, and together they could drag Twilight out of the castle and off to wherever Pinkie was planning their party, which by now was probably well on its way to being one of the largest of the year. The Elements of Harmony Reunion Party. She chuckled quietly.

The bed was soft, and when sleep snuck up to seize her, she surrendered without protest.

“Not bad, lieutenant. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually practiced for that last stunt.”

Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder with a smirk. She stood, holding her legs stiff, and angled a wing in mocking salute. “Sir, a Wonder Bolt practices for every maneuver!”

“Now I know you're lying.” Soarin reached out with a wingtip to swat her; she ducked it easily, then danced away before he could try again. “Still, good job out there.”

She shrugged. “It was a good crowd. We should come here more often.” Her eyes followed him as he disappeared behind the partition that separated the mares' changing area from the stallions'. When he emerged a few minutes later, he had ditched his flightsuit and goggles and looked for all the world like any pegasus on the street. Larger, perhaps, with toned muscles that came from hard flying, but nothing that screamed “Wonder Bolt.” She lingered on those muscles for a bit longer, and nearly missed his next question.

“Have you been to Fillydelphia before?” Soarin asked. He walked to the edge of the cloud their team had borrowed and peered over the edge at the city below. Fillydelphia stretched out for miles in all directions, a concrete and steel dream filled with hundreds of thousands of ponies. Above, a smaller cloud city mirrored the conglomeration on the ground, home to the pegasi of Fillydelphia.

She walked up beside him. Her front hooves balanced on the edge of the cloud, above the thousand foot drop to the city below. “No, never had the chance. I've only been to a few of the cities we've stopped at this season.”

“Hm.” He nodded, his gaze fixed on the city. Lights were beginning to come on as the sun neared the horizon. Its golden glow filled the western sky with fire and gave his bluish-gray coat a rosy tinge.

They were silent for a while. The aftermath of a show was a hectic thing, filled with fans and autographs and more hooves than she could shake in a lifetime. Moments like this, alone and quiet, had become precious things to her since joining the team.

“Hey,” he said. “Are you tired?”

She considered the question before answering. Her wings were a bit sore, but no more than after a normal practice session. “Nah, not really. Why?”

He gave a little shrug, then leaned forward and tipped over the edge of the cloud. His wings spread as he fell, and he soared away from her without answer.

Huh. She stared after him. Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her, and she jumped off the cloud as well.

“Well?”

He glanced over at her, a vague smile on his face. Their wingtips were just inches apart as they soared through the evening sky. “Well, what?” he asked.

She scowled. “Well, this?” she had to raise her voice over the sound of the air rushing past.

“Just a leisurely flight.” He flipped over onto his back and stretched his legs. His course didn't deviate by an inch.

“Since when do you do leisurely flights? I thought naps were more your speed!”

“It's too late for a nap.” He flipped back over and angled his wings slightly, banking around a plump cloud. She followed his lead unconsciously. “Besides, I thought you enjoyed flying.”

Dash rolled her eyes. Soarin had a gift for needling ponies, as Spitfire had assured her the day she joined the team. “I enjoy it more than you!” she countered.

“Mhm.” He beat his wings, pulling away from her as they banked around another cloud. When she completed the turn, he was dozens of yards ahead.

She caught up with him effortlessly. The wind was louder now, to the point that they'd have to scream at each other to be heard. Her wings found a nice rhythm, and she felt herself relaxing, the strains of the day melting away.

Soarin glanced over his shoulder at her. His wings beat faster, and once again she found herself in his wash.

Oh, are we racing? Her heart beat faster at the mere thought, and she zoomed forward, a wicked grin on her face. It. Is. On!

She leaned forward, her wings blurring out of sight as she picked up speed. Within seconds she caught him again. They traded positions a few more times, faster and faster, until the clouds became white streaks zipping by their sides. Soon they were flying faster than any show, so fast that the wind was like a hammer in her face. Her bones vibrated from the force of cutting through the air, and she stretched her hooves out in front of her. A cone began to form at the tips of her hooves as the air piled up, unable to escape, waiting for her to break it apart.

And just like that, Soarin was gone. She angled her wings and banked around, eventually spotting him atop a cloud near the edge of the city. Leisurely now, she flew toward him, and when she landed he gave her his trademark grin.

“Okay, okay, you're faster,” he said. “But there's more to flying than speed.”

She smirked at him. “That sounds like something a slow pony would say. What else is there?”

“Maneuverability, for one.”

“Ha! You think you're more maneuverable than me? Than The Rainbow Dash?” Her breathing had nearly slowed back to its normal pace.

“One way to find out!” He reached out with a hoof and booped her on the nose. “Tag!” With that he jumped into the air and flipped backward over the edge of the cloud, disappearing into the air below.

For a full second, Rainbow Dash stood unmoving. Stunned.

Did he just...?

Yes, he did. She stomped a hoof, then charged over the edge of the cloud in pursuit.

Rainbow Dash was not accustomed to being humiliated in flight.

In Ponyville, she had always been the best flyer. Bar none. Not even a contest. None of the other pegasi were in her league when it came to aerobatics. Even as a filly, they had whispered the words “Wonder Bolt” when watching her fly.

When she finally donned that prestigious uniform, she was still the fastest. The other Bolts were fast, sure, but speed was her thing. She became The Rainbow Dash, the fastest pegasus in Equestria, the only one in decades to master the Sonic Rainboom. Her ego, never inconsiderable, only grew as cheering crowds chanted her name at each show.

And so it was rather frustrating to be outflown in a game of tag by a pegasus nearly twice her size. Every time she used her superior speed to catch up with him, right as she was about to reach out and thwack him with her hoof, his huge wings would extend, cup the air like it was something physical to grasp, and zoom away in a completely different direction, leaving her to soar onward, her wings flapping furiously as she tried to adjust.

“Stop that!” she shouted as her latest pass missed by a hair. Soarin laughed in response, already cartwheeling through the air. He was as fluid as water.

“Are you sure you're The Rainbow Dash?” he called. “And not some imposter? She's supposed to be a good flyer!” His wings snapped down as she zoomed toward him, and he shot upwards, well above her flailing hooves.

“Stop dodging!” Alas, he wasn't taking orders from her. She missed again, and he vanished behind a small cloud. It was a gray mass seen in the dimming evening light. When she circled around, he was gone.

“Soarin?” No response. She hovered in place, scanning the sky for his light blue form. He might have been slippery, but he had to be around somewhere – he wasn't a ghost.

“Tag!” The voice came from behind her. She turned toward the cloud just in time for his hoof to break through the fluff and boop her on the nose. A moment later he exploded out the top of the cloud and soared away again.

I... what... he! Argh! Two could play at this game. She shot after him in pursuit, but waited until he flew within a few wingspans of a cloud. Instead of flying straight at him, as she had for the past several minutes, she banked her wings and turned, until the cloud was between them. Assuming he maintained his heading and speed... Yes, right there.

Rainbow Dash dove into the cloud and punched through it effortlessly. Her vision was lost in an endless whiteness, and a moment later she broke through the other side, just feet away from Soarin. He barely had time to start turning in her direction when she plowed into him at full speed. Their combined momentum sent them sailing across the sky in a ballistic arc untroubled by feathers or wings, eventually terminating when they crashed atop a large, flat mesa cloud. Twin fountains of white vapor shot out to either side as they skidded across the cloud's surface, still wrapped around each other.

“Ha!” Dash rose to her hooves a bit shakily. She looked down at Soarin, who groaned quietly as he rubbed his head with a hoof. “HA! Tag! Now you're it!” She rapped his snout with her hoof to emphasize each word.

He knocked her hoof away and raised an eyebrow. “So, that's how you want to play, is it?”

Uh-oh. She leaned back and started to step away when he moved. His wings flexed to push him away from the cloud, and he tugged her leg to the side, spinning her around effortlessly. She was still trying to figure out what was going on when he slammed her face down onto the cloud with one of her forelegs somehow bent behind her.

“Didn't have any brothers, did you?” He chuckled in her ear. “Never had to learn how to wrestle?” His chest, slick with sweat from their competition, pressed against her back and trapped her against the cloud.

She took a quick breath. Her lungs burned, her heart felt like it was about to burst from her chest, and various other sensations were toying with the lower half of her body. Sensations that insisted being trapped like this was a good thing. Powerful sensations, but not quite enough to overcome her competitive drive.

“Yeah, but you're forgetting something,” she said. It was difficult to talk with his weight on her like this. “I was a weather pony, once.”

The cloud beneath her was solid to pegasi, unlike other ponies who would plunge through it like the water vapor it was (most likely screaming all the way). Weather ponies, however, learned to manipulate the clouds, bending them this way or that, sometimes creating them out of thin air, other times dissolving them with a kick. It was the same magic as all pegasi were born with but honed to an expert edge.

And Rainbow Dash was one of the best weather ponies. With a thought, the cloud beneath her dissolved into mist, and she fell into the gap it left, kicking out with her now-free legs to spin in Soarin's grip. Before he could react, she had freed herself and was clinging to his back, her forelegs wrapped around his shoulders and neck in a vice-like grip.

“Oh, that's cute,” he said, sounding a bit strained as her forelegs squeezed his neck. Unfortunately, unlike him, she was was not large enough to pin her opponent to the cloud. He stood, easily lifting both their weights, then rolled onto his back, trapping her again.

Again! Dammit! Dash wiggled from beneath him and nearly escaped off the edge of the cloud when he grabbed her around the waist. She flapped her wings, dragging them a few feet toward the edge, and then he had her pinned again. Clearly, wrestling was a skill she should have invested some time in.

She tried reasoning with him. “Leggo!”

“Ha! Make me!”

Fine! She elbowed him in the snout, then used the brief moment when his grip relaxed to crane her neck around and lock her teeth on his mane. A vicious tug drew an angry growl from his throat and sent them both rolling across the cloud—

—and suddenly they were in freefall. The edge of the cloud receded into the sky high above as they plummeted toward the ground. Her left wing snapped open reflexively, but her right wing was crushed against Soarin's chest.

Soarin had the same reaction. His wings both opened, and their fall became a glide. With his mane still snagged in her teeth and his head twisted around as a result, their flight was an erratic experience.

Oh ho, what's this? One of his wings was right in front of her. She reached out with her free hoof and snagged it with her ankle. Their glide became a fall again.

“Gah, let go!” She could barely hear him over the rush of the air.

She spat out his mane to talk. “Make me!”

“We're falling!”

Yes, that was certainly the case. She tried to estimate how far the ground was as they tumbled through space. About two thousand feet, she guessed. Plenty of time.

“You first!” she shouted back.

A pause. She could practically hear the wheels in his head turning. “No, you first!”

“You!” Fifteen hundred feet, now.

She felt him sigh. “This is silly,” he shouted. “We'll both let go on three, okay?”

It wasn't okay, but the ground was starting to get uncomfortably close. “Fine. One.”

“Two.” She saw his lips move, but couldn't hear him over the rush of air.

“Three!” They let go and pushed away simultaneously, their wings snapping open to arrest their fall. Neither said a word as they glided through the sky, landing on a cloud as the last rays of the sun vanished beneath the horizon.

They stood a few feet apart, both panting, their wings still flared. Dash's body shook with the aftereffects of adrenaline, the rush of falling, and of course the wrestling match. Her pulse pounded in her ears.

And she was really, really turned on.

Soarin stared at her, his sides heaving as he tried to catch his breath. A thin trickle of blood ran down his snout. She remembered elbowing him and felt bad for a moment. Then she remembered being pinned to the cloud, his body crushing hers, and the feeling went away.

“So, you hate losing, huh?” he asked. He took a step toward her. A certain feral light filled his eyes, visible even in the twilight.

“Heh. Yeah, you could say that.” She stepped to the side, circling him. “Sorry about your nose.”

“It happens.” He took another step forward, then another and another, until he was just inches away. Sweat glistened on his coat, and she could see his whole body vibrating with the same excitement she felt. He lifted a hoof toward her, then paused suddenly, an uncertain look on his face.

Stallions – damn chickens, every one of them. She closed the distance between them and pressed her mouth against his, her tongue thrusting aggressively past his lips and teeth. For a moment he was too stunned to respond.

Fortunately, it was only for a moment. He pushed forward with enough strength to shove her onto her haunches, and his tongue came alive against hers. The kiss became a form of combat, each of them striving to wrestle the other's tongue into submission. She felt his hoof reach up to her mane and grasp a clump of hair, twisting until it hurt.

Yup, definitely turned on now.

She moaned quietly, the sound lost between their mouths. In the back of her mind, the part of Rainbow Dash that remained rational considered simply surrendering to his lead, letting him twist and pull and bite her until she was a shivering wreck, begging him to take her. She imagined him pinning her to the cloud like he had before, and her helpless to resist, able only to cry out in pleasure as he mounted her.

The thought had a certain appeal. A lot of appeal, actually – she felt herself growing wetter just envisioning it. Unfortunately, though, it wasn't her style.

She kicked out with her leg, catching his knee with just enough force to fold it and send him down to the cloud. He yelped and rolled onto his back, but before he could respond she was on top of him, her legs planted on either side of his body and her mouth fastened back against his. This time the kiss lasted nearly a minute before they broke for air.

“Okay, first off,” he said, panting. His chest heaved beneath hers, and she found she rather enjoyed the sensation. “We don't kick other ponies, Rainbow Dash.”

“Meh.” She shrugged. The shoulds and should-nots of polite society had never troubled her too much. Besides, he didn't seem upset. She ground her hips against his.

No, he certainly didn't feel upset. She grinned at his reaction.

“Second,” he continued after a brief pause. “I like to be on top.”

“Really?” She could feel his cock straining against his belly. She rubbed herself against it for a leisurely moment, enjoying the feel of the smooth shaft against her crotch. “That's funny. I like to be on top, too.”

“Then we seem to have a problem.”

“No, you seem to have a problem,” she corrected him. “I'm doing just fine.” To emphasize her point, she leaned down and kissed him again. Kissing was better than talking.

They stayed unmoving for a while, him lying on his back, her perched atop him, both joined at the lips. She could feel him twitching beneath her, and she imagined the desperate passions playing out in his mind. Eager to have her, to take her. She couldn't help but grin at the thought. Around them, it was getting difficult to see in the gathering darkness; already color had fled the world, leaving mute gray shapes where ponies had been before.

The long kiss finally broke. “So, it's like that?” he asked.

“Mhm.”

“Okay. Just remember, you wanted it this way.” His body tensed beneath her, all the warning she had before he exploded upward, his wings shoving back against the cloud with enough strength to lift them both into the air. His legs caught hers and twisted faster than she could react, and when they hit the cloud an instant later he easily shoved her face-down into the soft, cottony fluff.

Hey, I've been here before. How did she escape last time? Oh, right – she swung a leg around, trying to smack him in the snout. He was better prepared this time and caught the blow with his shoulder. Well, shoot.

His bulk crushed her against the cloud, helpless. Her body shook as he chuckled, and he leaned his head down next to her ear to whisper. “Not so smug now, hm? Anything to say for—WHOA!” He jerked his head back just in time to avoid her teeth, which clacked together loudly on empty air. She craned her head around and snapped at him again, and again just barely missed. She was about to try a third time when his hoof pressed against her neck and shoved her head into the cloud.

She took stock. Okay, my wings are trapped. He weighs twice as much as me and has me pinned down. I can't hit him or bite him. I think he wins this round.

Of course, winning was a relative term. She flicked her tail up at him, brushing it against his shaft. The catch of breath and shiver it provoked from him were priceless. Maybe we can both win.

The hoof against her neck relaxed and lifted away, replaced a moment later by his lips. He nibbled gently at her neck, then fastened his teeth around her ear with a bit more pressure than was strictly necessary, pulling a long, low moan from her throat. His other hoof traced its way lightly down her side, across her belly and between her legs. When it finally brushed against her lips, she thought for a moment the sun had somehow miraculously risen anew.

She ground herself against his hoof. All thoughts of fighting him, of flipping him onto his back and mounting him, fled from her mind. This, this right here, this was good enough. Besides, he beat her fair and square – next time she would come out on top.

He tormented her with his hoof, sliding it up and down her lips, then pressing against that wonderful spot right at the top where they met. Another wave of pleasure wracked her body, and she wanted more.

She licked her lips. “Soarin?”

He paused, his hoof ceasing its tiny motions. “Yes?”

She threw down the gauntlet. “Are you going to tease me or fuck me?”

For a long second, he simply froze. Even his breathing, formerly hot and heavy in her ears, ceased. It was like being held by a statue – a hot, desperately aroused statue stuck in the process of bringing her to a climax, but a statue nevertheless.

When at last he moved, it was slow and deliberate. He planted his rear hooves on either side of her hips, and the head of his cock pressed between her legs. She crouched as best she could to receive him, her tail angled up and away to remove the last barrier between them.

He thrust, and as he penetrated her, his teeth bit down on the flesh where her neck and shoulder met. Not a little nip like his play before – a real, honest-to-Celestia bite that was going to leave a mark for days. The dual sensations of pain and utter pleasure drew a wail from her throat, slowly dying away as her breath escaped into the night.

When she recovered her senses, he was fully buried inside her. He had stopped biting her, and instead was showering her neck and the side of her face with tiny kisses, almost as if in apology. She choked back a laugh and wriggled her hips.

He took the hint. Still peppering her with kisses, he slowly pulled out until only the tip of his shaft was left in her, followed by a quick thrust that shook her whole body. He set an even pace, following the cues her body gave him, eliciting tiny, girlish gasps that would have appalled her, had she been thinking straight. She squeezed her eyes shut as the pressure built inside her, increasing with each stroke. The pressure became too much to resist, and a wave of pleasure burst within her like a thunderstorm sweeping across the plains, leaving all in its path battered and sodden and still.

He didn't last much longer. Egged on by the frantic spasms in her pelvis, he thrust one last time, harder and deeper and stronger than ever before. She felt another burst of heat deep within her, and then they both lay gasping and panting on the cloud.

She opened her eyes to see his face, just inches from hers. They stared at each other for a while, almost invisible in the darkness, with only the moon to light their forms. His mouth moved, and she edged closer to hear—

Rainbow Dash woke with a gasp and shot upright on the bed. A faint silver glow from the moon through the window cast shadowed squares on the quilted bed top. The moon had barely moved outside – she'd slept for less than an hour, she guessed.

She felt cold, and realized she was drenched in sweat. Sweat and other things. She snarled in frustration and jumped off the bed to tear the soaked covers away. Hopefully the Apples wouldn't mind the sheets, nor would they ask any questions. Shivers set in as she climbed back into the bed.

Rarity gets back tomorrow. We'll get everypony together and have a party. It will be just like old times. She repeated the sentences over and over in her mind until they became a mantra, and eventually the shivering subsided as the sweat on her coat dried. Her heart slowed, her breathing relaxed, and sleep crept up on her again.

There were no such things as ghosts, Twilight Sparkle would have said.

But ponies could be haunted nonetheless.