What About Love?

Rainbow Dash was walking down a gravel road.

She observed the landscape; barren ground that seemed to go on endlessly, obstructed only by a gloom of fog. Even the sky seemed lifeless, dull and gray, without a single cloud.

Looking to her left, she saw Rarity traveling beside her. “Hey, Rare. What’s up?”

“Nothing is ‘up’ Rainbow, and nothing has been since the last five times you asked. Just the two of us ambling along.”

That suited her fine. If there was one pony she wanted with her, it would be the stunning fashionista. Rainbow Dash greatly admired and had secretly been absolutely smitten with her for a long while now.

“Don’t you mean walking,” she commented, eager to keep up conversation.

“Yes, but that doesn’t sound as pleasant.”

Dash looked down, listening to the crunch under her hooves. “It’s gravel. It’s not gonna sound good no matter how you step.”

“No, I’m talking words.”

She gave Rarity a funny look. “So am I.”

“How the words sound.”

“Oh.”

She uneasily tried to flex her wings, but something blocked her movement. A scan of her cyan side revealed she was carrying a weathered tan saddlebag. It had rusted clasps and an emblem on it that looked to be a cutie mark, but not any she recognized.

“Hey, whataya think’s in this bag?” Her pace slowed in contemplation.

“I don’t know. Whatever you packed, I suppose.”

“Open it with your magic,” Dash said, her hooves currently occupied.

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “You should already know what’s in it. You brought it.”

“I don’t think I packed it.”

“Then where did you get it? And you never bothered looking before?”

She strode erratically, curiosity overwhelming her. “C’mon, just open it already!” There better be food in it.

“Ugh, fine,” Rarity sighed as she engulfed the saddlebag in her light blue glow, magicking it open.

She got a telekinetic grasp on the contents and levitated them out, revealing two daffodil sandwiches and a water canteen.

“Score!”

Rarity looked on amusedly. “Are you sure you didn’t pack these?” she asked, examining the cantine floating before her.

“As far as I know,” Dash said, giving a shrug.

“Very strange. Well, do you want to eat them now?”

She thought a moment.  “Naw, I’m not hungry yet, you?”

“Not really, merely being polite.”

“Let’s save ‘em for later then. Can you put them back?” She glanced pointedly to her hooves.

Rarity made it so. Looking about, she commented, “Just dreadful. There’s not a single inspiration for dress designs out here.”

“It’s not like you’d be able to make any, anyway,” Dash mentioned.

“Obviously, but I could make notes for later.”

“With what? Unless you got a quill up your plot,” she teased.

Rarity stared at her in shock and gasped, “Rainbow Dash! Don’t be so vulgar.”

“Lighten up, I’m just kidding,” she said, wiping sweat off her brow.

The humidity was beginning to get to them, and the pace of their stride had slowed in response.

Her chic companion took notice and asked, “How is my mane?”

“Eh, it looks fine”

Rarity began adjusting it.

She raised her voice. “Hey, what gives? I said it was fine.”

“Oh I can’t rely on your perspective. You don’t know the subtleties of mane styling,” Rarity said, waving her off with a hoof.

Aww c’mon, I’m like the expert of cool. ” Look, it’s good, okay? Beautiful.”

“Aww. That’s rather sweet of you, Rainbow,” the prim unicorn grinned, and Dash’s heart skipped a beat.

She looked away, blushing. “Why do you care so much if you won’t be able to see it anyway?”

“That’s irrelevant. It’s a matter of how I present my self to the world.”

 “But no one else gonna see it out here, either.”

“Still, doing so makes it part of who I am,” Rarity explained.

“But you’re already stylish.”

“It’s my actions toward remaining fashionable that define me as it, regardless of who sees. And I’ve always wanted to be a fashion designer,” the fashionista flamboyantly replied.

“Mmm,” she muttered. You picked a sharp one, Dash.

Rarity curiously asked, “What about your dreams?”

Odd question. “Nah, I never remember ‘em.”

Rarity gestured, “What happened to the Wonderbolts?”

Alarmed, she asked, ”Something happened? Are they okay?! Is Soarin’ in the hospital from eating too many pies again?!”

“No no, nothing happened. I mean to say, I thought you fantasized of joining the Wonderbolts?”

”Dammit Rarity, just cause I wanna join them don’t mean I clop to it.” What kind of mare does she take me for?

Exasperated, Rarity exclaimed, ”Rainbow Dash, you’re simply insufferable!”

“Hey, I’m not the one asking all these weird questions!”

Rarity ground the gravel beneath her hooves. “There was nothing weird, I only asked about your ambitions!”

Her ears folded back and she uttered, “Then learn to talk better!”

“It’s not my fault you’re too dimwitted to comprehend what I said!” Rarity snapped.

That struck a nerve. Dimwitted.. Is that really what she thinks of me? 

Tears welled up and Dash turned away. She sprinted ahead on the road in distress. Realizing her words, Rarity gave chase but could not contend against Rainbow Dash’s honed muscles.

The athletic pegasus looked back and noticed Rarity was out of breath. She slowed down but remained a distance ahead. They both kept to themselves; the sound of the gravel keeping them company.

Some time passed as they both cooled off. Staring at the road, Rarity felt miserable and eventually mustered up the nerve to apologize. “Rainbow... Rainbow Dash?” she began.

I’m not stupid. “What?” she mostly stated.

“Um, I apologize. What I said was absolutely reprehensible.”

‘I’m not stupid,” Dash huffed.

“Oh, I know, Rainbow, I don’t think you are! I was just very agitated and said something I shouldn’t have!” Rarity said, then paused. “..Apology accepted?”

She considered this and decided, I don’t really want to stay mad at her. “Apology accepted.”

“Thank you, Rainbow! It’s this heat if anything, simply unbearable,” Rarity remarked, giving a relieved laugh.

The sound of Rarity’s laugh warmed her. “You gotta get outside more. Ya ain’t seen nothing until you’ve raced a marathon on the hottest day of summer.”

“I feel like I’m already in one.”

“Yeah, seems like we’ve been walking forever.” She heard Rarity muttering “Gross” as she spit to the side of the path.

After a few steps, the indulged unicorn said, “Anyway, my feet are starting to tire.”

“Hmm,” Dash replied, grateful of her athleticism.

“Maybe we should stop walking for a bit. Take a break.”

“Sounds good to me,” she sympathetically acceded. A few minutes passed as they continued walking.

 Finally, Rarity asked, “Rainbow, didn’t we agree to take a pause?” They walked some more.

Oh, right. “Yeah, I think we did.”

“You didn’t stop.”

“You didn’t either,” she pointed out.

The unicorn blinked. “Uh, well, why was that?”

“I’m not in your head.” Though, that’d be awesome.

“Let’s really pause now, then,” Rarity suggested.

“Okay.” Their steps remained uninhibited. Oops. “Uh.. Are you gonna stop or not?” Dash asked.

“Oh yes, I meant to...” Rarity trailed off. She decided, “..Actually, let’s keep on. Is that fine with you?”

“Yeah. I kind of have an urge, you know. It feels comfortable.”

“Right. The exercise is invigorating,” the fashionista remarked in a contemplative tone, looking somewhat distressed.

“Hey Rare, everything okay?” she inquired concernedly.

“Not everything.”

“Tell me what’s wrong, I can help,” Dash said, drawing closer. Anything for you.

“It’s just that, doesn’t something seem.. off to you?” The unicorn looked at her expectantly.

Oh that’s all. She laughed it off, “Since when do you worry about that kinda stuff?

The fashionista feigned offense. “Hmph. There is much more to me than my love of fashion.”

“Yeah, you also love being uptight.”

“Pardon me for having some etiquette.”

“I’m just saying, you don’t have to act so fancy all the time.” You can relax around me, Rare.

“Did it ever occur to you just how I got, as you so quaintly put it, ‘fancy’? I may not be as outspoken as Twilight about it, but I am well-read, my dear.”

It always gave her tingles when Rarity called her that, made her feel special. “Hey, I read too!” Dash defended.

“Only those silly adventure stories. I’m talking of literature that stimulates the mind.” Rarity said, putting a hoof to her chest, then stumbling.

“Well don’t go all nerdy on me,” she snickered.

“I’ll have you know that intelligence is just as much a part of sophistication as style.”

“Then use your smarts and tell me how much longer ‘till we’re there,” the speedster challenged.

“That’s ridiculous. We don’t even know the length of this road, let alone the entire route.”

“Hmm...Where are going again?”

Rarity turned to her with a wry smile. “Really, Rainbow? You’ve forgotten that too?”

“Hey, usually you guys are the ones who keep track of that stuff,” she said.

“Fair enough.”

She repeated, “So where are we going, then?”

Rarity looked to the distance and announced, “Why, we’re on our way to..”

”Yeah?” she anticipated.

“On our way to..”

“Don’t be so dramatic!”

Rarity maintained, “I am not being dramatic.”

“Then just tell me where we’re going,” she impatiently said, examining the ground.

“I would if you didn’t insist on interrupting me.”

“Alright then.” Dash gave her some time, but nothing was coming. She gestured, “Well?”

“..Oh dear, um, I’ve seem to have forgotten as well,” Rarity said sheepishly.

“Not cool, Rare,” was all she had to say.

Rarity bristled, “You’re the one who forgot first.”

“Technically, we don’t know who forgot first.. but I’m betting it was you,” she teased.

“Alright, it does not matter who is to blame. The important thing is that we figure this out.”

Dash was unperturbed. “Not really, we’re gonna find out eventually.”

“And won’t you feel silly if we arrive and can’t recall what we were there to do? Or what if there is a fork in the road, and we go the wrong direction? Oh I would simply die of embarrassment!” Rarity somehow made even her stride appear dramatic.

She gave a chuckle and replied, “Okay, fine. Those are some good reasons. So where do you think the road leads?”

“Well it doesn’t seem to be anywhere in Equestria. There are no signs of life at all.”

“Someone had to have put this road here.”

“Maybe it’s abandoned,” Rarity said.

“Or we’re just in the middle of nowhere.”

“Well that’s a given.”

“So who’s nowhere is it?” she asked, shuffling her steps.

“Do you think we’re in dragon territory?” replied Rarity.

“Why in Equestria would we be there?”

Rarity glanced at her, “No, we already agreed we aren’t in Equestria.”

“It was just a figure o’ speech, Rare. I’m asking, what would we be doing in dragon country?” Dash explained, shaking her multihued mane.

“Oh. Maybe on diplomatic business?”

Dash shook her head again, “Nah, that’s more Twilight’s sort of thing.”

“Right, it does seem unlikely that they would send the two of us.”

There’s nothing unlikely about us being together! She quickly said, “Hey, I can do that sort of official stuff! It’s just not very awesome.”

“No need to be so defensive, Rainbow. I meant nothing by it,” Rarity assured.

Yeah, well.. She turned her mind back to the task at hoof. “So what would we be doing here?”

“Just about anything, I suppose.”

“Are we searching for something?” the pegasus wondered.

Rarity lit up. “Hmm, yes, I think that was it! It’s on the tip of my tongue, I can’t quite recall.”

Encouraged, she offered, “I think it had something to do with the princess.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I dunno, my thoughts just come. It’s not like I control it,” she said, spitting to the side.

Rarity pretended not to notice. “No, do you have any evidence? Something that led you to think that.”

“I guess it seems like something she would do. Send us on some kinda quest.”

Rarity’s ears disappointedly folded back at that. “But you don’t remember anything definite?”

“Hey, it’s in my gut. Instincts are definite,” Rainbow Dash insisted.

“Hardly,” she replied dryly.

This is going nowhere. Dash said, “It’s better than all your bright theories.”

“We have to start somewhere,” claimed Rarity.

“No, we don’t. We’re already somewhere.”

Rarity wasn’t impressed. “Rainbow, we’re in the middle of a desolate road and don’t remember why.” Don’t remind me.

She looked away. “Nevermind that.”

“What are we doing then?”

“I don’t know, nothing I guess.”

“What? We can’t be doing nothing. That’s simply not possible,” Rarity stated.

“Whatever. Look, we’re here now so let’s just have fun with it until we get there.”

“But where is there?” the unicorn anxiously asked.

Rainbow Dash groaned in response.

 “I’m certain I knew before. This is so frustrating. Why can’t we remember?” she said, making a face.

Dash stifled a laugh at that. Too cute.

“Oh? Now, what’s got you in such high spirits?” Rarity snorted.

She advised, “Just let it go, you’re working yourself up over nothing.”

“But I feel as if I can’t think clearly! Like my mind is befuddled.”

“It’s all in your head,” asserted Dash.

”Yes, that’s what I’m talking about.”

“No, I said you’re just imagining it,” she expressed, giving a frustrated sigh

“What if we are imagining it? Maybe this is a dream.” Then Rarity’s a start, but it could be better.

“Then how could we both be in it?” she asked.

Rarity pondered, then added, “Hmm, maybe you’re a figment of my imagination.”

I don’t wanna think about that. “Hey, if anypony’s a figment, it’s you!”

“Well I’m certainly not. I’m aware of myself,” Rarity scoffed.

Dash glanced at her. “Then that settles it, we’re not dreaming.”

“But-,” she started.

“Not dreaming,” Dash cut her off.

“Then tell me what you think.”

“We’re walking down a road,” she flatly said, but the only response was the gravel crunching beneath their feet.

The fashionista was staring at the ground, deep in thought. After a while, she came back with, “Do you think we’re dead?”

“Dead?” Dash repeated incredulously, ears folding.

“I asked, do you think we are dead?”

Oh, enough of this. “I heard the first time, it’s just a ridiculous thing to ask.”

“Well, I don’t remember being any place like this before,” Rarity rationalized.

“And your first thought is that we’re dead?”

Rarity said crisply, “No, my first was that we’re dreaming.”

Frustrated, Dash exclaimed, “Ugh! This is absurd!”

“The whole rotten thing is!” Rarity pouted.

“No, I meant you. Really, give it a rest already.” Her cyan-hooved steps were becoming agitated.

Rarity frowned at her. “I will not! I intend to figure this out to the best of my mental faculties!”

“It’s annoying! Go think about dresses or something.” Anything else.

“Pardon me, but I actually put my education to good use,” the unicorn said haughtily.

“You’re being a deciduous egghead!” Rainbow Dash spat, literally too.

Rarity narrowed her eyes. ”I believe the word you are looking for is despicable.”

“I’m looking for you to shut up!” she antagonized.

”At least I’m attempting to figure things out,” Rarity said coldly, voice rising.

She got in Rarity’s face, walking backwards. “Look, it doesn’t matter! There’s nothing to figure out so drop it!”

“Of course it matters! Now move, you’re blocking my perception!” Rarity lowered her horn instinctually.

Unmenaced, she drew closer and uttered, “It’s pointless! You're not getting anywhere!”

“Rainbow Dash! You are fouling this whole journey and only hindering any attempt at clarification!” Rarity shouted, stomping her hooves.

Nostrils flaring, she shouted back, “Oh yeah?! Then maybe we shouldn’t talk to each other at all! It’s only making things worse!”

“Fine,” Rarity curtly said.

“Fine.”

They recovered their side-by-side formation, but were careful not to look at each other.

Rainbow Dash felt upset to her stomach, filled with conflicting emotions.

This isn’t going how I wanted at all, she angrily thought. Here I am with Rarity -Rarity!- and we’re doing nothing but arguing. Stupid!..

I think I went too far.. but why did she have to push me? Constantly whining and complaining about stupid things. It’s not like I chose this... Why can’t we just enjoy each other’s company? ..Aren’t I good enough?

Their hoof steps gave a faint echo. What felt like an hour or two passed in silence, but Rainbow Dash couldn’t be sure. Can’t be sure of a lot of things. She purged that thought from her mind.

Finally unable to stand any more of the silence, Dash decided to say something.

“Rare?” she asked, but the unicorn paid her no heed. She repeated, “Hey, Rarity?”

A few more steps passed, then; “Please don’t bother me.” Success!

She said, “We’re stuck with all this time, we gotta fill it somehow.”

“What’s the point if it’s meaningless?” Rarity countered.

“Fun isn’t meaningless! It’s.. fun!” she weakly defended..

She waited for a response but none came.

Dash questioned impatiently, “Aren’t you going to say something back?”

“I’m trying to think now,” was all Rarity said.

“That’s boring. Why do that when we can talk?”

“Now look! You’ve gone and made me lose my thought,” Rarity accused, finally looking at her.

Dash ignored her tone and replied, “That’s a start but let’s talk about something awesomer.”

“Like this gravel?” Rarity asked sarcastically.

“No, I was thinking something else.”

“There is nothing else but us traveling this stretch of road.”

She suggested, “Well, how about we take a break?”

“Alright then,” Rarity agreed. Neither of them stopped.

“Rare, you didn’t stop.”

“Nor did you.”

“Y’know, I think we already did this,” she remembered.

Rarity gazed at her, “Really Rainbow Dash, doesn’t this disturb you?”  

She hesitated before saying, “We’re just travelling. It’s no big deal.”

“Think about it, where were we yesterday?” Rarity queried. If that’s what she wants to talk about, then fine. For her.

“At home, duh.”

“But what did you yesterday?”

Her pace increasing, Dash replied quickly, “I clear the skies everyday.”

“No, be more specific.”

She thought a moment. “Um, I guess I ate and took a nap after. That’s what I usually do.”

Rarity only had more questions. “And when was that? What did you eat for lunch and what was the date?”

“Geez, I don’t remember all of that,” Dash shrugged.

“This is important, Rainbow! How can we be certain if you can’t even recall your lunch?!”

Let’s not get all worked up again. “Because I do the same stuff every day,” she said, staring at the horizon.

“You’re making too many assumptions!”

“Well it’s not like your memory is perfect, either!”

Rarity looked down. “Oh my, that’s a very troubling thought. What if it’s all been our imaginations?”

“What’re you getting at?”

“I mean what if none of it ever happened? If we’ve always just been walking down this road?” Rarity was growing increasingly distressed.

“C’mon, quit panicking. That’s not possible,” she tried to reassure.

“But you can’t prove that!”

“Sure I can, uh..,” Dash searched for a suitable reason. “Here’s one: How do we both know about our friends, and the princesses, and all that?”

“Oh that means nothing! For all we know, we might’ve conjured it up telling stories to each other,” Rarity morosely explained.

Okay, I really don’t want to think about that. She looked to her side and remembered the saddlebag with food. Changing the subject, she asked, “So uh, how’s your stomach feelin’?”

“It feels like I’m floating in space,” Rarity quietly said.

“Come on, now you’re making me have doubts. I’m sure there’s a way we can prove what’s the truth,” she reasoned.

“Maybe there is no way. Like Stallion Hawking said, ‘theories can never be proven.’”

Dash wasn’t buying it. “No, he didn’t.”

“I’m telling you he did,” insisted Rarity, kicking up some gravel.

“No way.”

“Yes, he did!”

“He’s paralyzed. The poor guy can’t say anything,” she bluntly put it.

“Oh. Well, he wrote it then,” Rarity clarified.

“You really need to talk clearer, Rare.”

That earned a giggle from Rarity. “Oh, Rainbow Dash.”

She grinned, but it was fleeting. She gazed at her cyan hooves in contemplation and thought out loud, “When did reality become such a burden?”

“Must’ve been when we chose this path.”

“Instead of just following another,” Dash added.

“That sounds like something I would say.”

“And that sounds like what I’d say,” she said.

“But it’s not, because I’m the one who did,” Rarity returned.

“That’s not like you, Rare.”

“How could it not be like me if I did it?”

She shook her head, “This is getting confusing.”

“What we really need is the perspective of an outside source,” Rarity said.

“That wouldn’t do anything, we wouldn’t know if we could trust them. They could be just as mixed up as us.”

“Hmm. Maybe there are other ponies walking alone confused, just like us,” her companion responded, shuffling her hooves.

“What if there aren’t any other ponies?” the pegasus asked as she spat to her right.

Rarity dwelled on that. ”Well then, how is it that we know how a pony acts?”

“I guess we’re doing stuff, and we’re ponies. So that must be how ponies act.”

“Oh, that’s so romantic!,” Rarity gushed. “but then, you must stop spitting on the road, Rainbow!”

Puzzled, she asked, “What, why? I’ve got a bad taste in my mouth.”

“Think about what you said, the implications,”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “I know what I said. We’re the only two ponies here.”

Rarity became starry-eyed and nodded, “Exactly! There’s none but us to design ponykind! And I do not want ponies to act disgusting.”

Better intercept her before she gets herself all sad again. “Oh, so this bothers you?” She feigned spitting on the immaculate unicorn.

Rarity ran ahead. “Please! I’m trying to pursue that thought!”

“Pursue this!” she chased, giggling. Rarity is so cute when she squirms.

“Aah, Rainbow!” Rarity kicked gravel back at her playfully as they both laughed in mirth, relieving built up tensions. For a time, they continued to frolic while soldiering on.

The rumbling of Rarity’s stomach broke the silence. “Pardon me.”

“You don’t have to apologize for being hungry, Rare,” Dash chuckled.

She gazed at the sky. The fog had lifted a small amount, but she still couldn’t find anything in it.

“You’d think there’d be some birds,” she remarked.

“It is a considerably queer environment. Perhaps we are dead,” her darling unicorn considered.

Not this again, she thought. “If we were dead, do you think we’d be able to be hungry?”

Rarity shook her head. “Probably not. Oh my, unless this is Tartarus! That would be The worst possible thing!”

“Aww come on, at least you got me.”

“Rainbow, I hardly think that is any consolation if we are eternally condemned in Tartarus!”

Aren’t I good enough? “You probably died stitching yourself to a dress,” she sarcastically remarked.

Rarity missed her tone. “I still can’t recall dying at all. Is there any way we can tell that for certain?”

“I guess we could try killing each other and see what happens,” she suggested.

Rarity snorted. “Don’t be so morbid.”

“You started it with all-”

“Hold on, what’s that ahead?” Rarity interrupted.

Through the fog, a blurry shape took form.

That’s a good sign. “Some kind of shape,” Dash observed.

“Thank you for stating the obvious.. Do you think it’s the end of the road?” the fashionista questioned optimistically, and they both walked faster.

“It better be, I’ve been wanting to stretch my wings for ages,” she said, barely containing her excitement.

As they got closer, the details became more visible. It was a single tall, old willow with gnarled branches and situated a small distance left of the gravel path. There was still no wildlife to be found.

“Oh. I was hoping to take a bath,” Rarity expressed her disappointment.

At least I get to stay with her for longer. “It’s not so bad, is a nice tree.”

“I suppose it does have a certain charm about it.”

She asked, “Hey, you wanna eat lunch -or whatever it is- here?”

“Sure, that sounds rather nice,” Rarity consented.

They made their way to the base of the tree and Dash gladly took off the saddlebag, flexing her wings. She opened the bag and passed out the daffodil sandwiches, giving Rarity the canteen as well.

Taking it into her hooves, Rarity said, “It’s still very perplexing how we obtained these.”

She took a bite of her sandwich and said, “Maybe Twilight made them for us, she really likes these I think.”

“If there is a Twilight Sparkle,” the fashionista mused.

“I hope there is.. I really like her.. I think.”

“Hmm..Well, let us not dwell on that now,” she resolved, taking a sip from the canteen.

Dash agreed, “Right, now we’ve got this tree.”

“Mhmm,” Rarity muttered as she daintily chewed a bite. Dash gave her a questioning look. “What?” she asked.

“Really, Rare, we’re friends. Just be yourself.”

Rarity chewed it over, literally too. “Alright then. Thanks Dash, you’re truly a good friend,” she smiled, dropping her elegantly refined speech. In it’s place was left her natural wiscoltsin accent.

Dash grabbed the water canteen, grinning. “No prob,” she said as Rarity proceeded to scarf down her food. Oh... um, that’s.. charming, she thought as she grabbed her sandwich again.

In high spirits, they both finished eating peacefully, and she asked, “So, now what?”

“You know, we don’t have to leave right away. Let’s rest here awhile,” Rarity answered.

“Cool, mind if I fly for a bit?”

“Go ahead, I’ll watch,” Rarity encouraged. I better give her my best show.

She gave a stretch to work out the kinks, and took off flying. Dash soared through the air around the tree, careful not to stray too far due to the fog. Blissfully, she did a few tricks, dives, and other aerial maneuvers while Rarity cheered her on. Aww yeah, I still got it.

She finished with a final flourish, and carefully landed by the foot of the willow.

“Oh Rainbow, that was, um, awesome!” Rarity praised.

Dash proudly strode to the tree, and took a seat next to the unicorn. “Yeah, there’s nothing like a good flight.”

”I can imagine. I always feel at my best after completing a new dress.”

Their fur touched, and she felt a tingle. “See? Things are getting better.”

Rarity smiled and said “I guess you’re right.” She relaxed further, leaning into the pegasus a bit.

They lazily rested against the tree, occasionally drinking the water. Rarity gave a small sigh of contentment, and Rainbow Dash’s heart leapt. She was feeling euphoric in body and mind as she lay next to her beloved. The time felt right, everything did.

There might never be a better moment than this, she thought.

Determined, Dash sat up and turned to her. “Hey, uh, Rare? There’s something I’ve really been wantin’ to tell you.”

The object of her desire, Rarity, turned to her and brightly said, “Oh? Go on, you’ve got my attention.”

“Um.. Well.. It’s just that..,” she fumbled.

Rarity smiled encouragingly.

Now or never. Dash took a deep breath and blurted, “I’m in love with you, Rarity!” There, I said it.

That stunned her, and Rarity’s eyes widened in surprise. She blinked and carefully said, “..Rainbow Dash, that’s very sweet and I’m really flattered... but why? What about me is it you love?”

The pegasus nervously shifted. It’s not like I wrote a speech or anything. “Um, well you’re always so feminine and syphilis,” she started.

Rarity raised an eyebrow amusedly, “Do you mean ‘sophisticated’, this time?

“Hehe, I knew that..” Stupid Dash, stupid! Pull yourself together!

“But look, I’m not acting feminine now. I’m being the ‘real’ me as it were.”

“And you’re still totally smokin’!”

“Thank you, but what about me?” Rarity curiously clarified.

“Well.. you’ve got a beautiful mane, dazzling eyes, and you’re flank ain’t half bad, either,” she eagerly replied. That’ll get her!

Rarity blushed at that, and said,” No Dash, I mean my personality.”

“Um.. I love the way you laugh, and how you always make me smile!” she proudly exclaimed.

Yet, Rarity anxiously asked, “But what about love?”

“I need you, Rare! When we’re together, I feel like I can do anything! Like I can take on the world!”

“But what about love?” Rarity asked softer this time, looking rejected. Why is she hurt?! I’m telling her how much I love her!

Disconcerted, Rainbow Dash insisted, “Rarity! I love you so much it hurts! You’re all I can think about, I want you with me until the ends of time!”

Rarity flinched and gazed at the ground; that was not what she’d been hoping for. Her refined accent returning, she said, “I don’t think we've been talking about the same thing.”

That’s not true! Of course we are, we’re in tune! We’ve been spending the whole day together! Everything’s perfect now!, she fretted. “I love you,” Dash professed, voice wavering.

Rarity bit her lip, then softly replied, “I don’t think I’m what you want.”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes in distress, searching for a refutation. I just need to say something that’ll undeniably prove my love!, she thought. Something that’ll sort this whole mess, then we can be in each other’s hooves. She envisioned her darling unicorn; silky pristine, white fur, dazzling azure eyes, and exuding cultured generosity. The very epitome of beauty and grace, the pony she so desperately craved.

Reinspired, she opened her eyes.

And then Rainbow Dash looked at the pony before her and saw Rarity.

The sweat and grime that actually clung to her matted, tangled fur.

The genuinely dulled purple mane, encompassed with stray hairs and grease.

The irking twitches of muscle beneath her crooked facial expressions.

The repulsive way flesh wrinkled around her mouth as she formed words.

The stupidly carnal mass of idiosyncrasies and behavioral patterns that sat before her.

It suddenly occurred to her, What a disgusting creature.

And that knocked the wind out of Rainbow Dash and she felt nauseated and dizzy and shattered, unable to hold back her despair.

She threw herself to the ground and covered her eyes, but the accursed sights would not leave.

She moaned and pounded her hooves against the dirt.

She writhed in sorrow, and mustered a wail. “No!! ..Why did you show me this?! I loved you so much!” Dash sniffled and whimpered, “Now I can’t stand the thought of you!..Or even myself.”

She had wanted Rarity and now she had her all too well.

And Rarity forced herself to look away as Rainbow Dash mourned the death of her beloved. She sat dejectedly, staring at the willow’s branches, ruminating, and waiting until the pegasus had completed her catharsis. She felt so alone.

An undetermined amount of time passed like this; only the sound of muffled cries remained to fill the emptiness.

And eventually, Rainbow Dash quietly picked herself up. Wiping away the last of her tears, she put the tree behind her and the saddlebag on her back.

Tentatively following, the fashionista wearily murmured, ”Well... this has been awfully strange.”

They silently resumed walking the road.