Hi! My name is Ponder Memoir; better known by everypony as Ty. About a month and some change had gone by since Twilight and I had begun our relationship. So far, it’s been amazing, with me being able to visit her every weekend. During our time together, we'd enjoyed spending time getting to know one another and making efforts to strengthen our connection. Most of the time, however, I’d help her in some scientific experiments wherein she’d have me perform various tasks or hook me up to some devices in her basement I had no idea even existed in Equestria to run tests on me. From all of this, she was gaining a vast array of knowledge on the human body (or at least, MY human body), albeit in small increments. Sometimes, we’d even spend a good amount of time trying to discover a lesson or two on friendship. Once we were done, Twilight would cast the spell that transformed me into pony form. From there, we’d either spend some quality time with one another, or she’d have her schedule tied up to the point where she’d be busy all day; in which case, I’d either be watching over the library or I’d take it upon myself to wander around Ponyville for a while.

Sometimes, I’d do so to gain some insight on the everyday life of the average pony or to just talk to some of the townsfolk. Other times, however, I was on the lookout for a certain rainbow-maned pegasus who more-than-occasionally liked to sneak up on and ambush me during my travels. Ever since that showdown we’d had in Canterlot, Rainbow Dash and I made a sort of game out of getting into surprise wrestling matches. If I remember the score correctly, I’d say she was up three to five as of yet.

Despite that, I hadn’t been able to get her to hang around long enough for me to sit her down for a discussion regarding her situation like Twilight told me to do. Each time I’d try to get her to stick around after one of our bouts, she’d make up an excuse such as ‘I have to get back to work,’ or ‘I think Fluttershy needs help with her animals,’ or even something as ridiculous as ‘My bear friend is on vacation and he wants me to look after his cave,’ before she raced off without letting me get a word in edgewise. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was seriously having second thoughts about this chat and/or she was much too embarrassed to talk to me about it. Rainbow clearly had no plans of admitting this problem of hers to me herself and I wasn’t going to force her, so one morning, I consulted Twilight for a proper course of action…

“Okay, Twi, she only sees me t’ fight me, but then once we’re done, she races off like she forgot t’ do her laundry or somethin’… I don’t understand it…” I said as I broke into a jog on the treadmill I was wired to.

“I have to say, that’s unusual… even for Rainbow Dash…” the purple unicorn concurred as she scribbled some notes on a clipboard. It’s worthy of note that she was wearing her mane up in a bun and was sporting a lab coat and reading glasses. She wore this particular outfit and hairstyle whenever she experimented on me. I didn’t exactly know why, but I didn’t mind it either; she was actually really cute when she dressed up like that.

“I guess I shouldn’t blame ‘er, though… we don’t exactly know each other that… well, an’ I guess I’d be as scared… as she was if I was in her place…”

“Still, it’s not like her to be THIS frightful to admit that she has a problem. She usually comes around after a little while. This in particular is taking a bit longer than I expected it to, though…”

“Did you try bringin’ it… up to ‘er at all durin’… the past couple weeks?” the treadmill’s pace sped up, prompting me to speed up into a steady run.

“Sorry, Ty… I haven’t exactly had the time to talk to her. If it isn’t some meeting with Mayor Mare about various structures around town needing touch-ups or a weekly book study session/discussion with Cheerilee, I’m usually keeping myself busy with either my secondary job here as Ponyville’s librarian and my duties as Spike’s dragonsitter all the while trying to discover lessons on friendship to report to Princess Celestia, or I’m planning ahead for the next month or so on how I run my daily schedule…”

“Why keep yaself so busy all the time? I mean, i'ss... been a month since I got some... insight on your schedule, but... I hardly ever see you takin' any sort of a break... Is there... somethin' you LIKE... about bein' this tied up with errands?”

“Well... It’s partially because I like the sense of accomplishment in getting mundane tasks done throughout the day. I’m not one who normally likes to sit around and do nothing. With my schedule as Ponyville’s event planner and organizer, as well as the librarian, not to mention being Princess Celestia’s most faithful student, I wouldn’t have the time to sit around anyhow. And I’d like to think that if there’s time to sit around, there’s time to offer my assistance to somepony who might need my help with something…” That O.C.D. she inadvertently let me know about was showing pretty clearly. It almost seemed like she HATED having free time; like she had to be doing SOMETHING, so long as it kept her occupied and gave her something to be satisfied with once she was done.

“Jeez, Twi… I’m sure there’s SOME kinda… break time for ya, ain’t there?” I’d been introduced to the mare’s hefty work schedule within the first week or so of our relationship, and DAMN did she keep herself busy… I could hardly keep up with her and most times, I’d wind up slowing her down, which is why I’d volunteered to either watch over Spike and the library or roam around town when she was preoccupied.

“Yes, of course! I allow myself about a half hour of studying every four hours or so per day… and if I manage to clear things up by the time you come to visit, I allow us an entire day’s worth of… *ahem* ‘Twi-Ty time…’” At that, Twilight’s cheeks turned a light pink as she looked away smiling coyly and scratched her head. I couldn’t help but smile and let out an amused exhale as I continued my stride on the treadmill.

“You’re so cute… y’know that?”

“Yes, honey…”

“Which reminds me: wha’ss with the scientist look you got goin’ on here?”

“This is how I usually dress when I’m performing a scientific study. My mane needs to be this way so as to avoid any hair-related accidents when I’m working around chemicals and open flame, and the lab jacket is for protection of my coat from the same materials. You can step off of the treadmill now.”

“And the glasses?” I asked with a raised eyebrow as I hopped off of the machine and proceeded to take the wires off of me.

“I… thought they looked cute on me…” she admitted with a titter.

“Well, I think you’re right,” I said as I kneeled down to give the unicorn a small kiss. “How’s your schedule lookin’ for today?”

“Very busy, as usual…” I was a little disappointed to hear that, but I expected it. “Today, I agreed to help Pinkie run the bakery. She told me that somepony had ordered an unusually large supply of specially-made pies and cupcakes and that she really wouldn’t be able to handle it by herself. I’m meeting up with her and Applejack pretty soon.”

“I guess I’m on dragonsittin’/librarian duty, then?”

“Nope. Spike actually left to help Rarity in locating more jewels for her designs a while ago. He’ll be spending the day with her. The library usually isn’t very busy at all today— or most days, for that matter— so I guess you’re free to do what you want while we’re gone.”

“Got it. But my mission is tryin’ t’ get Dash t’ stay an’ have that talk with me. What should I do t’ keep ‘er from leavin’?”

“Oh, right... follow me.” With that, we walked up stairs into the library where she’d magically lifted a book off of a shelf and levitated it towards me.

“Daring Do and the Precarious Pendant of Peril…?” I was almost confused at why I needed this, but then I remembered that this book series was apparently Rainbow’s favorite.

“Take it with you when you leave to explore the town. If Rainbow decides to attack you while you’re out there, show it to her. From there, you can see what she does, and try to engage in a conversation with her that might bring the issue out.”

“Ohh, I see…”

“She hasn’t read that one yet and I haven’t had the time to rent it out to her, so this is kind of a two for one deal that benefits all three of us. But I have to get going before I’m late to my appointment at Sugar Cube Corner, so I’ll probably see you tonight,” the unicorn informed as she took off the lab coat and glasses before undoing the bun in her mane to let it fall into its usually straight-but-slightly-curved form.

“Okey doke,” I agreed as I set the book down to undergo the transformation. The unicorn took a couple of seconds to gather up her magic before hitting me with a magenta-colored beam of light that enveloped me and changed my body into that of a stallion once again. “Good luck with that order, hon,” I said once the transformation was complete.

“See you later, sweetie,” she bid as she trotted up to me to give me a warm goodbye kiss and hug. “I made you a dandelion sandwich, by the way. It’s in the kitchen,” she added before we eventually separated.

“How sweet of you… Thanks. But I’m gonna be SOOO lonely without you…” I melodramatically joked. “Whatever shall I do without my better half…?”

“Oh, you’ll live. Besides, if our luck is good for today, we’ll have the majority of the afternoon to spend together, handsome…” she teased as she turned around, flicking her tail to have it brush under my chin. I was caught off-guard by the flirtatious gesture, but intrigued at the same time.

“Oh, you’re good…” I praised with a smirk.

“I know…” she replied as she turned her head to wink at me. “I’ve learned a thing or two since we’ve been together.” Before I could ask her what she meant, she cast a teleportation spell on herself that sent her off to Ponyville’s bakery.

“She’s just full o’ surprises… somethin’ new every time… *sigh* I hope this plan o’ hers works, though…” I mumbled as I grabbed the book off of the floor and placed it on my back before I went into the kitchen. I hadn’t had another dandelion sandwich since our first trip to Canterlot, as I mainly chose to eat fruits and sweets whenever I visited Equestria. I still remembered the awfully bitter taste of the original sandwich I’d had... like somepony spread liquid soap all over it… I figured the taste might possibly need to be acquired. Not giving it much more thought, I grabbed the sandwich and took a bite of it to test my theory.

“Hm… this is actually pretty sweet,” I thought. “No kinda bitterness at all… Almost nothin’ like the sandwich I ate before… Wha’ss up with that…?” Before I could think into it, I finished the surprisingly delicious sandwich before I was out of the door…

I wandered around town for the remainder of the morning and into the early afternoon conversing with a handful of the townsfolk. Most of them were pretty similar to strangers I’d talk to in my world; typically managing to start a conversation related to a certain topic and once enough had been said, we were both on our separate ways, parting with a ‘have a nice day,’ before I continued my trek and hoping that one way or another, I’d run into li’l ol’ Dashie.

She never was one for launching preemptive strikes within the same timeframe on consecutive days, as far as I could remember from our past experiences. I walked around aimlessly, but slowly, waiting for Rainbow to strike. At one point, I’d made my way past a schoolhouse that was just letting out. I would’ve stopped to see all the little school foals making their way home, but I had a mission. Despite that, three fillies with eager, excited looks on their faces caught sight of me and ran towards me, stopping directly in my path.

“Well howdy there, newcomer! Welcome t’ Ponyville!” greeted one of the fillies. This one was an Earth pony that had a yellow coat, straight-yet-puffy red hair, orange eyes, a giant pink bowtie in her mane, and a country accent that sounded exactly like Applejack’s.

“Hey, how ya doin’? I’m not really new here, but wassup?”

“Not new here? I sure haven’t seen you before…” pondered the second filly. This one was a pegasus pony that had a dark orange coat, purple eyes, and unruly, spiky light purple hair. Her voice kind of reminded me of Rainbow Dash in how… not-girly it sounded.

“Funny… I’ve seen you before…” I remembered the first time I toured around the town. This filly was the one who rode by on the scooter, if I wasn’t mistaken. “The first time I came here, I saw you ridin’ on a scooter…”

“I see my awesome scooter skills are becoming well known already…” she bragged, striking a heroic pose. “Scootaloo’s the name. Maybe you’ve heard of me?” Her name rang a bell, but seeing that she had that same cocky attitude as the pegasus I was looking for, I decided to humor her.

“Yes, actually. Your name does sound familiar. I hear you’re related to Equestria’s Fastest Flier, the incredible Rainbow Dash… she’s mentioned you before.” At that, she lost her brash attitude and replaced it with a bashful one.

“Eh, that’s kinda stretchin’…” she admitted with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of her head. “I’m actually just her number one fan. But she’s mentioned me to you before??” her eyes lit up in an adorable show of inspiration.

“Yep.”

“Awesome!” the filly cheered with a hoof pump.

“Wait, I’ve seen you before,” the third filly spoke up. “I saw you and Ms. Twilight coming out of my big sister’s Boutique one time…” this filly was a Unicorn with swirly hair of a mix of royal purple and pale light pink, and eyes of a similar green to Spike’s. It actually came as little surprise to hear that she was related to Rarity. They looked kind of alike. “You’re Ms. Twilight’s new colt-friend, aren’t you??” the filly asked with a level of excitement that made her voice squeak.

“That would be me…” I answered with a small chuckle. “The name’s Ponder Memoir. Nice t’ meet y’all!”

“I’m Apple Bloom,” the yellow filly introduced herself. “Applejack’s ma big sister.” I figured as much…

“And I’m Sweetie Belle,” the white filly added. “My big sister is Rarity.”

“Of course, you already know me,” Scootaloo added with a smirk. “But what you don’t know is that together, we’re…”

“THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!!!” all three fillies cheerfully shouted at a volume that almost rivaled Princess Luna’s bullhorn voice. I found myself massaging my ear in pain.

“That’s cute!” I praised. “I notice none o’ y’all has a Cutie Mark yet, so I guess you’re gonna try an’ earn ‘em together?”

“That’s right!” Apple Bloom confirmed.

“Well ain’t that nice? Hey, now that I think of it… it’s Saturday. Why is there school on Saturday?” I asked.

“There wasn't. I, along with some classmates, had to come in because we needed help on our spelling and grammar homework,” Scootaloo answered.

“Sweetie an’ I were jus’ waitin’ for Scoots t’ get done so we could go crusadin’ again,” added Apple Bloom.

“I see…” I said before I realized I was getting sidetracked. “Excuse me for bein’ short, but i’ss ‘bout that time for me t’ be hittin’ the ol’ dusty trail now… I’m actually in the middle o’ somethin’…”

“What is it?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“I’m lookin’ for Rainbow Dash right now. I have this book here t’ give to her.”

“Rainbow Dash needing a book? Fat chance,” Scootaloo skeptically said. “She told me books are for eggheads!” I remembered that story Twilight told me during that picnic about Rainbow wanting nothing to do with books until she read one, and raised an eyebrow at the filly as I smirked.

“Well then I guess Rainbow’s an egghead, because she told me that she loves this book series called ‘Daring Do.’”

“She did??? Well in that case, we can help you!”

“Oh? And how’s that?”

“We can take the book and give it to her ourselves, thus saving you time to go and play with Ms. Twilight!” Scootaloo suggested.

“I get the strangest feelin’ that they’re prolly jus’ tryna do this for some means o’ their own…”

“Thanks, but no thanks,” I respectfully declined. “This is somethin’ I gotta do myself.”

“Well, can we at least help ya find ‘er?” Apple Bloom asked, taking on a look that seemed to be of hope. I REALLY didn’t need their help to find the sonic pegasus mare, but how could I say ‘no’ to such adorable creatures?

“*sigh* If you insist…” I acquiesced.

“Yes!” Scootaloo cheered.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADER PONY FINDERS!!!” the trio screamed again.

“We won’t let you down, Mr. Memoir, sir!” Sweetie Belle assured with a smile.

“Well gee, you sure s—!”

“There’s no time to waste! Let’s go!” Scootaloo ordered. I gulped, fearing that I’d just agreed to something terrible…

“Follow us, Mr. Memoir! We’ll find Rainbow in no time!” Apple Bloom said before she grabbed my hoof.

“Yea okay, bu—!” before I could object, all four of us took off, with me following behind the rambunctious fillies. The search started off innocently enough; with the three girls practically dragging me throughout town as they bombarded random ponies with questions that of course got no definitive answers… but then it started getting insane when they somehow managed to get their hooves on a wagon and a megaphone. Time and time again, I’d try to get them to calm themselves down so we could continue the already-unnecessary group search in a more tranquil fashion. My pleas fell on deaf ears and hard heads as they’d assure me that they knew what they were doing. Once they got their hands on the wagon and the megaphone, however, the shit hit the fan…

“ATTENTION PONYVILLE!!” shouted Apple Bloom through the megaphone whilst standing in the wagon with Sweetie Belle that was being pulled by Scootaloo on her scooter.

“WE NEED YOUR HELP!!” Sweetie shouted after being handed the device. “WE ARE LOOKING FOR RAINBOW DASH!! WE HAVE A SPECIAL DELIVERY FOR HER!!”

“Girls, wait! This ain’t really necessary!” I called after them as I chased their wagon. They were speeding through the town as they made their public service announcement. I found it surprisingly difficult to keep up with them, given that they were on wheels while I was on hoof trailing behind them.

“RAINBOW!! IF YA CAN HEAR US, WE HAVE A BOOK T’ GIVE YA!! IT’S… It’s… um…” Apple Bloom shouted before she took on a look of cluelessness before turning to me as I raced after them. “MR. MEMOIR, WHAT WAS IT??” she asked using the megaphone.

“Daring… Do…!” I breathlessly replied. “But we don’t hafta—!”

“Got it, boss!” Sweetie Belle answered before I could voice my opinion. She was then given the megaphone by Apple Bloom. “WE HAVE DARING DO FOR YOU, RAINBOW DASH!! IT’S YOUR FAVORITE BOOK SERIES!!”

“Rainbow’s gonna have my head for this…” Although I was never explicitly told to keep Rainbow’s love of books secret, I kind of had a hunch that she didn’t want the whole town to know. Thanks to these ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders,’ however, her possible secret was now public knowledge.

“There she is!” Scootaloo announced as she pointed towards a rainbow-colored streak of light passing us by. The fillies kicked it into high gear after the speeding pegasus mare as she zoomed by, prompting me to do the same.

“Rainbow Dash! Hey! Rainbow!” Scootaloo called. Rainbow, apparently not hearing any of us, kept flying forwards at a speed none of us could keep up with. That didn’t stop this dedicated trio of troublemakers, though. They sped up even more, forcing me to break into a full sprint after them.

“Here, hold… that thing… towards me…!” I asked Sweetie Belle as I caught up to the wagon.

“WHAT WAS THAT, MR. MEMOIR!??” the unicorn filly screamed through the device, almost causing me to trip over my own four hooves.

“I said hold it towards me!” I ordered, visibly annoyed by the filly’s charming incompetence.

“Oh, okay!” she pressed the button and held the back end of the megaphone towards my mouth.

“HEY!!! DASHIE!!! SLOW YO ROLL!! I GOT SOMETHIN’ T’ Give you…!” I was shocked to see that the wagon had made a sharp left. Within a fraction of a second, I glanced to the left before looking ahead revealing that I was barreling towards the door to Sugar Cube Corner immediately ahead of me. This was not going to end well...

“Well, at least I get t’ see Twilight a bit earlier…”

I tried to stop myself, but it was too little too late as I went crashing into the door of the bakery.

*BOOM* The door flew open as I unceremoniously tripped and barrel-rolled through the entrance, tumbling into the display case and knocking over a pie that happened to be sitting on top of it. Seeing it heading towards me, I quickly clamped my fore hooves around the sides of the tray it was resting in as it fell to keep it from meeting with my face. I sighed with relief before I turned the pie right side up and placed it on the floor before picking myself up and shaking off the pain.

“What in tarnation’s goin’ on out here!?” A feminine country voice shouted as its orange-coated, blonde-haired owner charged out of the kitchen wearing a chef’s hat and an apron. She also had spots of flour and cake frosting all over her. “Ty?”

“Oh, hey Applejack. What up…?” I greeted, rubbing my forehead.

“What happened to ya?”

“Three fillies and a pegasus happened to me…”

“Ty?” I heard Twilight call before I caught sight of the mare stepping into the room, also wearing a chef hat and apron. “What are you doing here?” Before I could answer, the front door slammed open, prompting me to turn around and see Rainbow Dash, looking none too happy, with the Cutie Mark Crusaders in front of her.

“We found her for you!” the three fillies cheered before checking their flanks, seeming to be looking for a Cutie Mark. Of course, they were disappointed to see nothing there.

“Yeah, you found me…” Rainbow Dash irritably remarked. “You’d better have good reason to have these three running around town shouting through a bullhorn about Daring Do and it being my favorite book series…”

“I do, actually…” I said as I saw the book lying on the ground. I walked over and picked it up to show Rainbow. Her magenta eyes lit up with a sense of excitement comparable to the fillies when I stupidly agreed to let them help me.

“The newest Daring Do is out!?? YES! Finally!” she rushed over towards me to grab it out of my hoof. I quickly moved the book away, shaking my head. “Hey, what gives?”

“You an’ I need t’ have a talk. You’ve been avoidin’ me for some reason, an’ I wanna know why.”

“What?? No I haven’t!” she denied in a bit of a rushed, defensive tone. “We see each other all the time for our wrestling matches, don’t we?”

“Nice try, but as soon as we finish, you always fly off like you’re scared o’ me. Tell me why, and then you can have ya book.”

“Oh… Okay… Um… well… y’see…” Rainbow seemed to be unable to come up with a valid reason as to why she’d been avoidant of me. Deciding to spare her the embarrassment of a possible awkward moment, I spoke.

“Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo… Thank you for helpin’ me find Rainbow Dash, but I think I need t’ talk to Rainbow alone now, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” the three girls responded in unison, although I saw a look of slight disappointment on the orange pegasus filly’s face.

“Hi, big sis!” Apple Bloom called to Applejack as the two waved to one another before they were out the door, presumably contemplating another way to discover their special talents.

“Well?” Twilight asked. “What happ—!”

“Girls! Stop standing around outside like statues and help me!” I heard a shrill voice call from inside the kitchen. “These cupcakes aren’t gonna frost themselves, y’know! Let’s get these pastries lookin’ tasty!”

“Coming, Pinkie!” Twilight called.

“I’ll tell ya when ya get home, alright? Y’all seem like y’all got a lot t’ deal with right now. Oh, an’ here’s this pie that almost fell on me when I crashed in here. Sorry ‘bout that…” I picked the pie up and slid it back onto the counter.

“Y’all can have that if ya want,” Applejack offered. “That was s’posed t’ be our lunch, but Pinkie got the numbers on the order wrong…”

“We’ll be overstocked about five pies and seventeen cupcakes once we’re finished here,” Twilight added. “More than enough for lunch.”

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* the smoke detector went off. Never a good sign when cooking.

“Twilight! Applejack!” Pinkie hollered again, seeming to be losing her patience very quickly.

“Oops! Gotta go!” Applejack said as she rushed back into the kitchen.

“See you at home, honey!” Twilight said before rushing back into the kitchen to abate the issue, leaving Rainbow Dash and me alone. I turned to my new 'client'.

“Why don’t we go somewhere less noisy t’ discuss our business, huh?”

“Yeah…” With that, I grabbed the pie and placed it on my back alongside the book before Ms. Dash and I departed from the bakery for a quick stroll around the town…

“So Dashie… wha’ss been goin’ on?” I passively asked.

“I thought I told you not to call me that…” she admonished, clearly unhappy with my use of her nickname.

“And I thought I told you I do what I want. But tha’ss beside the point. What I wanna know is why you’re always in such a hurry t’ leave after our little sparrin’ sessions…”

“I tell you every time,” she dismissed.

“Yea, an’ what you tell me is always a load o’ manure,” I shot back. “I mean really; a bear on vacation who needs a cavesitter? Honestly, who’d be dumb enough t’ fall for that?”

“…Pinkie Pie…” she muttered. I almost broke into a laugh, but regarding that I finally had the opportunity I was looking for, I just barely refrained from doing so.

“Okay, well I’m not dumb and I’m sure Pinkie ain’t either. Now tell me why you run away as soon as we’re done fightin’.”

“... *sigh* There's no pulling the wool over on you, is there?" Rainbow rhetorically asked, to which I nonchalantly nodded my head toward her as a response. "Well, since you FINALLY got me where you want me, I'll come clean..."

"Alright then. Wha'ss goin' on? Why have you been so distant recently?"

"It’s because… because… *sigh* I need help…” she finally admitted. FINALLY we were getting somewhere.

“Help with what?”

“Help with… um… ponies… and stuff…” she mumbled.

“’Ponies an’ stuff? Could ya be more specific?”

“Someponies, okay?” she irritably conceded.

“Oh… of… the special variety?” I asked, playing dumb.

“Yeah…”

“Well if you had a problem with that, then why not ask somepony for advice?”

“I asked Twilight before and by now, I’m pretty sure she’s already told you. According to her, you’re apparently a love doctor.” At that, I shot her a look of both amusement and perplexity.

“I… wouldn’t go that far. I jus’ give advice. I’m apparently pretty good at it.”

“Great. So you can help me then, right?”

“Sure, so long as you let me know your problem.” As I gave my answer, my stomach began to growl. “Why don’t we talk over a freshly baked pie in the park, though? I’m gettin’ hungry…”

“Alright…” with that, Rainbow and I strolled to the park and found a nearby bench to sit on before I took a slice of what appeared to be an apple pie.

“So where do you wanna begin?” I asked. She hesitated to answer as she looked down, rubbing the back of her head with a fore hoof. We sat in awkward silence before she finally had an idea of what to say.

“Do… do you think I’m… pretty?” she shyly asked, which took me by surprise for more than one reason.

“Pretty? Well you definitely got a specific uh… how can I say this… charm to you. Sure,” I answered, unsure of how to approach it.

"Are you saying that just to make me feel better or do you mean it?" she asked in a tone of urgency which only made things just a TEENSY bit... eccentric, to say the least.

"Rainbow... Believe me, you're a very cute girl. I mean it," I assured her, trying to sound as fervent as possible while also hiding my growing discomfort as my face heated up.

“Okay… If… if say, Twilight WASN’T your special somepony… would you… be interested in me…?” I wasn’t very shocked by the sky blue mare's forwardness, but it was still kind of unbelievable to be asked such a thing by someone like Rainbow. I felt the air around me get a little thin as I took a deep breath before constructing an appropriate rebuttal.

“Um… I suppose… Forgive me if I sound nervous about answerin' this..."

"It's cool. I just want your honest opinion," she stated, her face showing signs of nervousness herself. This whole situation thus far felt like I was on a blind date and neither of us knew how to appropriately spark a conversation.

"Okay... Well, uh... Maybe...? But given how we met, I’m sure you’d reject me on the spot…”

"True... But what if we DIDN'T get into that fight...? Like, if we were just introduced regularly... would... would you find me... attractive...?"

"WOW... She's dead serious. She mus' really be upset about this... Still, i'ss pretty hard t' answer this when she knows I'm not a pony..."

"Well... ignorin' the fact that you know I'm not naturally a pony... I... guess. Of course, it'd take a bit o' me gettin' t' know you better, but at first glance, you're fairly appealing..." I answered with as much honesty as I could muster. "Why? What's with these questions? They seem... very personal."

“Sorry... It's just that my problem is… is that nopony seems interested in me…” she dejectedly admitted, hanging her head low. Rainbow Dash: headstrong, proud, athletic, and seemingly carefree… and here she was, looking like she’d lost someone special to her. Seeing her like that actually hurt.

“Rainbow… I’m sure there’s tons o’ ponies around town interested in you. Why wouldn’t there be?”

“I don’t know… I guess… maybe it’s because they don’t find me very appealing…”

“Nonsense. I mean, you’re cute and funny, you definitely do what you love and love what you do, and you’ve accomplished a lot as far as I know. Plus, you’re a tomboy. I’m sure some ponies here LOVE tomboys.”

“I’m… gonna guess that’s human-speak for ‘tomcolt.’ Still, all that coming from you of all ponies doesn't mean much when you've already got somepony special and you're giving me advice on how to find somepony myself... Sorry to be blunt, but..."

"Worth a shot t' boost your self-esteem... Excuuuuuse me..." I merely nodded, a little offended by her rejection of my compliments.

"As for the 'tomcolt' thing, though... That kinda ties into another problem I have, but I couldn’t find it in me to tell Twilight…”

“Another problem…? Like what?”

“Some ponies think I’m… I’m…” she trailed off as I noticed her beginning to tear up. I knew what the next word was going to be, but I didn’t want to hurt her further by finishing for her.

“They think you’re… what?”

“A filly-fooler…”

“Well, at least I knew what she was implying…”

“Um… filly-fooler?” I could only guess what such a term meant. But to clarify it, I asked.

“Yeah… It’s what they call mares here who prefer other mares as special someponies… I get called that a lot because of how I am…” The unkempt rainbow-colored mane, the attitude, the voice… I could definitely see how the assumption could be made, but it’s still pretty messed up that she had to deal with such stereotyping.

“I see… well forget about them and their offensive name-callin’. They’re not you, nor do they know you. And please don’t take this the wrong way when I ask this, but… are you?”

“NO! Of course not!” she hastily and defensively shouted at me.

“Well, with an answer like that, I can’t say I’m too convinced… Listen, whether you do like other mares or not, I really don’t care. All I need to know is do you?”

“Well… not really. I mean… I don’t really know… I haven’t really met any stallions that interest me around here… almost none of them seem to be very bright or have much of a personality… No offense.”

“None taken, seein’ as I don’t actually live here. But still, really…?”

“Yeah… I get along with other mares much better than I do with stallions. Not to say I don't get along with stallions as well, but... I feel... conflicted sometimes. Talking to other mares, I can be myself. My honest-to-Celestia self just about all the time. With stallions, I don't have a problem talking to them, but... I don't feel quite as comfortable..."

"Oh?" I commented, prompting her to elaborate.

"Like... I don't feel like I can be my true self around a stallion all too often. Not unless I REALLY know I can trust him... Sometimes, I feel like I HAVE to put on the 'Fastest Flier, Supreme Athlete' bravado to make sure I don't come across as weak or insecure... I don't worry about that when I'm with other mares."

"Wow..." I was amazed to really get insight on Rainbow's personal feelings. It certainly helped me to understand her much better as a pony than I could've imagined.

"Plus, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but there’s a lot more mares and fillies here than there are stallions and colts…”

“Hmm… now that you mention it… there really ain’t a lotta guys around these parts… But unless the difference is THAT huge, tha'ss irrelevant.”

“True. Still, the stallions I do talk to are either taken or they’re not my type… not like it matters if they’re my type or not anyway… they all probably think I’m a lesbian…” Ignoring my surprise at hearing the word ‘lesbian,’ I was getting curious.

“Now now, don’t beat yaself up. If tha’ss what they think, then that jus’ means they don’t know you. While we're on that subject, tha'ss unfortunate that you feel you can't be 100% you all the time. That the gender o' the pony you talk to seems t' make you act a certain way. With that in mind, why IS it such a big deal t' you?"

"Ty, I WISH I knew the answer to that..." she lamented. "It's just... how I feel. The way I grew up, I was-- and still am-- into things most girls don't care to be into. Competitive flying, sports, extreme exercise... That got me made fun of when I was little, but it made me happy to express myself. I didn't care too much about what other ponies thought about me when I was little, but as I grew up, it started to hit me that colts tend to go after certain types of fillies... and I found myself missing their standards. A LOT. Would you believe me if I said I've never been in a serious relationship?" My eyes grew wide.

"Really?"

"Nope. I've dated in the past, but my relationship never lasted. The one time I had a colt-friend a long while ago, it was over before anything other than simple kisses happened. Apparently, I was too... boyish for him."

"Which I bet translated int' you bein' in better physical shape than him an' bein' able t' beat him in everything?" I teased to make her feel better.

"Hah, definitely!" She readily agreed, finding humor in my quip. "Still... that was the only relationship I'd been in thus far. And for it to end so badly, it... it hurt me. I sometimes wonder if I really AM too boyish to have a stallion by my side... If I'd really be happier... with another mare... seeing as I'm so much better at doing 'colt' things than actual colts and stallions. Still, since then, I've been livin' it up being single and focusing on my job and my aspirations to be a Wonderbolt. Oh, and saving Equestria."

"Astoundin'... I can see why you feel the way you do now. I totally get how outside influences-- especially that breakup-- would bring harm t' your self-esteem. Other than that, I understand how and why your lifestyle might make you worry sometimes about who you'll find as a special someone... Don't let it getcha down, though. I'ss all a matter o' personal preference and I'm certain there's somebody out there who'd be VERY lucky t' be with somebody as uniquely amazing as you."

"W-wow... Thanks, Ty..." the mare bashfully lauded, blushing and smiling with glee.

"I'ss the truth... But I gotta ask: What exactly IS your type?”

“Good question... Um… I haven’t really put much thought into it, but generally, I’d like somepony who’s not intimidated by me… somepony who likes things that I like; especially flying at high speeds. If not that, then at least running. I want somepony who can at least keep up with me and be perfectly fine with me being faster. Plus, it’d be nice if… if I had somepony to cuddle with…”

“Interesting… and would you care if that somepony were a mare or stallion?”

“I… I don’t know…” she pondered. “I mean, I like stallions but… Is it wrong for me to say that I find other mares at least a LITTLE attractive, too? Not that I know any in particular that I'm interested in right now, but...”

“Not at all. It’s your preference and no one’s opinion on that matters but yours. That said, has bein' attracted to both genders always been a thing for ya? Or is it recent?”

"Hmm... Well, I can't say for sure..." she began. "By the time I hit my teens, I was primarily interested in stallions. Although, during those times, I've had... passing thoughts about certain mares I'd seen, but considering how little same-gender relationships happened back in Cloudsdale, I always kept my thoughts on that to myself. That and when they did happen, there was waaay too much pressure and unnecessary attention placed on the ponies in the relationship, which definitely made me keep my mouth shut on the subject."

"I see..."

"Yeah. I'd say I haven't been exclusive about which one I'd preferred for at least a few years. So no, it isn't recent, but it's still something I'm trying to understand for myself. As for now, I'm fairly sure I like both. I'd say my preference still leans toward stallions despite everything that's happened to me, but at this point, I think I'm at least a little more open to possibly dating another mare."

"Wow... Well, no matter what happens from here on out, I wish you the best in finding a special somepony..." She simply nodded before she lowered her eyes, seeming to be deep in thought. We went silent for a moment before Rainbow looked at me and spoke again.

“Thanks, Ty,” she said with a warm smile, which threw me off a little.

“For what?”

“For listening to me and not making a hasty judgment…”

“Oh, no problem,” I replied, smiling back. “But your issue seems t’ be that you’re not entirely comfortable with your public image versus your own feelings…”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you said nopony finds you interestin’ an’ that some even speculate that you’re a homosexual. But then, you’re not comfortable with your preferences. On top o' that, it seems like you have an issue with how others perceive you as a mare whose passion is in athletics. Generally, if somethin' about your personality turns ponies away from you, you might have to change somethin' dependin' on how many ponies seem t' not be interested in you; not t' mention their reasons for their opinions. The only thing I think you'd be good changin', though, is t' get more comfortable with yourself so that you don't hafta keep feelin' like you put on facades dependin' on who you're talkin' to. The more comfortable you are with yourself, the less awkward or worried you'll feel around others; stallions especially, in this case. Plus, the more confident in yourself you'll be-- in EVERY aspect-- and as a bonus, the more attractive other ponies might find you. You gotta love yaself before you love somebody else..."

"I... I totally get it!" she agreed. "That makes a lot of sense."

"Glad you do. I also think it'd be good t' give ponies a chance to get t' know you better. If after that, they don't seem interested, pick yourself up an' move on. Nothin' about what I'm tellin' you is gonna be easy, so give yaself as much time as you need t' consider my words. As for your preferences, I’m not gonna lie; where I come from, homosexuality and bisexuality aren’t all that common an’ are subject to a lotta criticism from those ignorant t' such lifestyles, mainly because they don’t understand it an’ find theirselves unable to. I’m gonna guess that i’ss just about the same here. Me in particular, I jus’ try t’ see people— or ponies, in this case— for who they are before I make a judgment.”

“I see… Hey, what did you think of me when we met?” she asked. At that, I chuckled.

“Well… At first, I thought you were an obnoxious attention seeker,” I teased.

“Oh thanks, you jerk!” she sarcastically responded with a punch to my shoulder.

“Ow! Heh, but now I think you’re a really great mare."

"I'm glad you ackowledge greatness when ya see it," she taunted. "But did you think I was...?" she trailed off, seeming not to know how to word her question.

"That didn't really cross my mind at the time, t' be honest," I answered, knowing what she meant. "I was too busy goin' on that crazy adventure with Twilight t' really ponder it... The only time I did think about it, though, was when you refused t' hug me goodbye... But I jus' chalked it up t' you not wantin' t' show emotion to a stallion."

"I... don't blame you for that. Looking back, it was pretty ridiculous of me to refuse to say goodbye to you in the way I should've at first."

"Eh, i'ss all good. If anything, I still never told anybody about how hard your heart was beatin' when you gathered up the courage t' hug me..."

"And you're gonna keep it that way or else...!" she playfully threatened. "Anyway... is there anything... specific you noticed about me since we met?"

"Of course. A lot of things. But the biggest one is that you’re unique in that you seem t’ be the only tomboy I’ve met so far in the few times I been here.”

“You really find me being a tomcolt that interesting?” she inquired with utmost curiosity.

“Hmm, you could say that… but I like t’ see it more along the lines of you doin' what you like an' not bein' afraid o' who knows it. I'ss part o' what makes you... you. The fact that you exercise, fly competitively, an' play sports despite what other girls are quote-unquote 'supposed' to do, I'd say makes you... well, attractive in your own right. I'ss especially cool that, even though some ponies might get the wrong idea about you, you still do those things because you love doin' 'em, no matter what they might say or do t' try an' make you feel less than acceptable. I know by now that their judgments get t' you sometimes, but don't let it discourage you from doin' what you want t' do. I'ss crucial t' never lose yourself in the perceptions of other ponies."

“Yeah… yeah! What the hay do I care if they think I’m a filly-fooler? I could kick their flanks anyway!” she announced as she took flight.

“Heh heh, you don’t gotta beat ‘em up. Jus’ keep doin’ you. And remember: Self-Acceptance equals Self-Confidence equals Comfort Around Others equals Bein' 'Attractive.'” She gave a lighthearted smile at that, descending and planting her hooves on the ground.

“Yeah, you’re right. Y’know, you’re a pretty cool guy, Ty.”

“Well thanks, Dashie!” I smirked, expecting her to react to the name negatively.

“Hey, that reminds me… Why do you prefer the name ‘Ty’?” She surprised me a little with her question.

“Congrats. You’re literally the second pony to ever ask me that so far, the first being Twi’s older bro. But since you already know what I really am, i’ss because it’s short for my real name…”

“And what would that be?”

“Tyshawn.” At the mention of my actual name, the pegasus mare burst into laughter, falling on the floor guffawing at me, much to my chagrin. “Wha’ss so funny?”

“Ha! That’s such a weird name!” she rudely answered as she snickered.

“Well I don’t find nothin’ wrong with it, RAINBOW DASH! Seriously, what the hell kinda name is that…?”

“My name basically describes me and what I do. YOUR name… no offense, but it sounds… like somepony sneezed when they named you.” She continued her raucous laughter at my expense. Rather than dignify that with a verbal response, I got a funny idea…

I got up off of the bench, took the half of pie left out of its tray, and proceeded to drop it on my rudely-cackling client as she was on the ground.

*Splat* “Hey!” she complained.

“Not so amusin’ now, is it?” I taunted out of spite.

“Oh, I’ll show YOU amusing!” with that, Rainbow got up and lunged at me, dragging me down for another wrestling match. We spent a good, lengthy amount of time rolling around in sticky apple pie remains and getting blades of grass stuck to our bodies as we struggled for dominance. I eventually gained the upper hand, managing to clamp my hind legs around her sides, thus disabling her wings as I moved to get her in a headlock.

“Gotcha! Now what?” I taunted as I held her firmly.

She freed herself when she elbowed me in the stomach and flipped me onto the ground before she moved to put me into a fierce ankle lock, trying to get me to tap out.

“Ow ow ow OW!” I shouted in agony.

“You should give up now,” she teased. “There’s no way you’re getting outta this one!”

“We’ll— OW! See about that…!”

I managed reach far enough to wrap my foreleg around her neck and pull her into another headlock, this time using my other fore hoof to rub across her head. She let go of my hind leg and tried taking flight as she struggled to get out of the noogie, to no avail.

“Who should be givin’ up now, huh!?”

“It sure as… hay won’t be… me!”

Just when I expected her to surrender, she planted her hind legs into my back, forcing me to let go. I got up to ready myself for her next attack, but she was quick to take advantage of my momentary weakness by wrapping her forelegs around my waist. In a surprise show of strength, the pegasus lifted me up and brought me down to the ground with her. Thinking quickly, I reached behind my back to grab one of her wings. She flinched, letting me go. I quickly belly flopped onto her while she was down and counted to three before I got off of her.

“Yes…!” I tiredly cheered. “I… win this time…! Hah…”

“You cheated…!” she complained, just as fatigued as I was. “Hah… my wings are sensitive to the touch in a certain spot… and you touched it…!”

“Too bad, Dashie. You still got dat flank whupped… but thanks… for the tip on where your weakness is…”

“Well I’m still on top four to five, TYSHAWN.”

“Hmph. Enjoy the lead while it lasts… cuz it won’t last for long. But le’ss go get cleaned up, shall we? I’m not really feelin’ like walkin’ around covered in grass an’ pie goo…”

“On it,” she said. Before I could ask what she was about to do, she flew into the afternoon sky to grab a cloud and dive into it. I saw the cloud rumble for a few seconds as if she were eaten by it and trying to escape before she burst the cloud, revealing herself to be completely clean again. She then moved to grab another cloud and bring it over top of me. Dash proceeded to stomp repeatedly atop the cloud, causing a strong downpour of rain to spill all over me, washing the pie residue and grass blades off of my body, but soaking my hair to the point where it sagged over my eyes and felt much heavier by the time she was done.

“Hold still,” she instructed. “I’ll get you all dried up.” With that, she proceeded to fly really quickly around me, putting me into her own rendition of a dryer’s spin cycle for a few seconds before I felt all the water on my body evaporate. I was surprised at how warm the air felt when she performed the trick, but I was even more surprised to see that my mane and tail had poofed out to be even loopier than Pinkie’s. “Wow dude… you have a LOT of hair…” she said, laughing.

“Yea yea…” I flatly stated, moving to grab the Daring Do book off of the bench and handing it to her. “For your troubles, my dear.”

“Oh, I forgot you had that…” Rainbow calmly took the book out of my hoof. “I cannot WAIT to crack this baby open… but I think it can wait a while… there’s still some things I wanna cover with you first…”

“Oh, alright. I’m about t’ go back t’ the library t’ see if Twi’s back. Comin’ with?”

“Sure. I want to thank her for the book.” With that, Rainbow and I began our journey back to the Golden Oaks Library, conversing with one another along the way.

“Hey, Rainbow?”

“Yeah?”

“I know you said you find yourself interested both mares AND stallions, and… forgive me if this sounds a bit intrusive… but I wanna know; do you find any o’ the girls interestin’ t’ you at all?”

“Who? The rest of the gang, you mean?”

“Yea.”

“Hmm…” She pondered the question for a moment. “Nah.”

“Why not? I mean, I know all of you are best friends; sisters from other misters, even… but say if you all WASN’T that tight-knit a group…?”

“Sisters from other misters?” she asked with an amused giggle. “That’s new… but let's see... I suppose I'll start with the most familiar pony to me, Fluttershy. Fluttershy’s been my best friend since we were fillies. I wouldn’t change that for any reason, even if I found her attractive. Rarity, I feel would be too frou-frou girly for my taste. Applejack… she’s definitely one of the only ponies I know who can compete with me, even though she’s an Earth pony. Plus, she's... cute, I guess. But I just don’t see her that way. Not to mention she’s stubborn as a mule sometimes and we’d probably fight a lot. Even now, I find myself getting into a spat with her every once in a blue moon. And I don’t think I’d be able to deal with Pinkie’s antics without getting a headache after a while if I was with her… No offense to her, but I think she might be more than just a little out there…”

“How so?” I asked, wondering how Pinkie could be any crazier than I perceived her to be.

“There was this one time, where she had a birthday party for her toothless pet baby alligator, Gummy... she invited all of us and we had a blast. The party was amazing and we let her know that. She kinda let that go to her head though... She decided to throw another party the very next morning…”

“Jeez, two parties in succession like that? That sounds like a huge headache…”

“Yeah, but get this: the day she decided to throw that after party was actually her own birthday. She actually wound up completely forgetting her own birthday!”

“Wooooow…” I said with a chuckle. “Forgettin’ your own birthday over a party?”

“Something I’m sure only Pinkie’s capable of… but yeah, she tried inviting the rest of us, but we were throwing her a surprise birthday party at Sweet Apple Acres. We all had to make excuses for not showing up to the party she was throwing. And let me tell ya, Ty… that was NOT easy…”

“I can only imagine…”

“Yeah. She actually wound up spying on us until she spotted me carrying her birthday cake. I ran for it. All over town, and even to the top of a mountain! But no matter HOW far I got, she always wound up beating me to where I was going! I still can’t figure out how she’s THAT much faster than me!”

“Wow… she did the same thing t’ me when you, her, an’ Applejack were chasin’ me down in Canterlot. I figure she mus’ be part unicorn or somethin’, because she is FAST!”

“Tell me about it. But anyway, I eventually got away from her so the rest of the girls and I could set up her surprise party. When I went to Sugar Cube Corner to pick her up, I found her acting REALLY weird…”

“Weirder than normal?”

“Much weirder…” Rainbow assured. “She was talking to a sack of flour, a pile of rocks, and a bucket of turnips… that and her whole body was darker than normal. Her hair was completely straight and hanging down, and she was really angry at me. She somehow got it in her head that we didn’t want to be friends with her anymore and started acting completely opposite of herself… she was even pretending that the stuff she was talking to was alive and she was changing her voice up, talking for them.”

“Jus’ when I think Pinkie is crazy enough, she turns out to have a mental disorder… I am watchin’ myself around her from now on…”

“O-kay… She definitely sounds like she could be schizophrenic…”

“I guess… After she constantly refused to go to Sweet Apple Acres with me, I had to drag her there… and MAN is she heavy…”

“I should know,” I remarked.

“Heh heh, yeah. Eventually, I got her there and she finally cheered up after we told her why we were avoiding her all day. Since then, she’s been… as normal as she can get, I guess I should say.”

“Wow… That’s insane…” I said, shaking my head. “Hey, what about Twilight?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“Are you kidding? She’s an egghead.”

“Hey!”

“Don’t get me wrong. I mean, I love her just as much as I love the rest of the girls and even Spike, but I feel like she’d bore me half to death with lectures and lessons straight out of her books whereas I’d prefer to spend more of my time practicing new tricks to show to the Wonderbolts. But then again… Twilight usually IS always open to new things… and given what I know about her, she’d probably be pretty fun to spend time with…”

“Tell me about it… Twi’s really fun, especially when you introduce her t’ somethin’ she can learn from. In return, she can teach you a thing or two…”

“Interesting… How about you? How do you see us?”

“Hmm… You’re all really cute in your own special ways, lemme say that. Buuut… Individually, I don’t find myself all that interested in Rarity because she seems like a real drama queen... and a gossip, considerin’ that rumor she an’ Spike spread about me an’ Twilight..."

"Rumor?" she questioned, perplexed.

"Oh, right... yea, um... Twi an' I weren't ACTUALLY datin' the first time I arrived here..."

"Get out...! Seriously??"

"Yea, seriously. We really WERE jus' friends. We didn't become more than that until after Celestia delivered her verdict the first time we went t' Canterlot. I'll go int' detail later, but before I get sidetracked, lemme keep goin' with what we were talkin' about. Where were we?"

"You were saying you weren't interested in Rarity because of her habit of being too chatty..."

"Right, right..." I concurred. "Next up... Applejack, I’d be afraid of because I’ve seen what she can do t’ trees…”

“Psh, she isn’t THAT strong…”

“Strong enough to make me watch myself around her. Plus, her hugs HURT! But yeah, as for Fluttershy… she’s definitely got somethin’ goin’ on with how cute she is… but I kinda feel like I’d sooner have her as a… a best mare friend than a special somepony. She gives off too strong an air of childlike innocence…”

“True…”

“Yea, an’ after what you told me about Pinkie… Two words: No way!”

“What about me?” Rainbow asked.

“You… you are somethin’ else, lemme tell ya. I haven’t gotten a chance t’ know you too well up till now, but you’re really interestin’… But I wouldn’t be right for you. I jus’ know it. I’m sure that if you ain’t workin’ ya weather patrol thing, you’re prolly trainin’ nonstop to join that Wonderbolts team…”

“Not really, actually… I only do that on occasion. Most times, you can find me lounging around on clouds during my job. It’s waaay too easy, to the point of boredom…”

“I see… Still, I’m sure I ain’t one t’ be able t’ keep up with you in a race. Hell, I’m surprised our wrestlin’ matches turn out like they do… I find myself more interested in the bookworm type anyhow… somethin’ about that vie for intelligence jus’… draws me to ‘em…”

“Heh, is that why you like Twi so much, egghead number two?” she mused in humor.

“Hmph. Tease all you want, but she's got it goin' on in my eyes. She’s just… so adorable in how passionate she is about learnin’ new things… not to mention how open-minded she is about things she might not know about. She has her moments where she might overdo it, though... Like how she used to experiment on me all the time without my permission before and even after we started goin’ out… I told her that I was okay with the experiments, just as long as it ain’t the only reason she’d keep me and that she lets me know what she wants to test out.”

“Wow… that is SO Twilight…” my traveling companion chuckled. “But now I wonder… what does she see in you?”

“Oh boy, it’s a LONG story… But you remember what I told you at the picnic, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve still got some questions for you on that… but go ahead.”

“Gotcha. When she brought me here an’ turned me into a pony so she could show me around, she said she admired a lot of the things I did while I was here the first time, like standin’ up for her when you snapped at both of us after I made that stupid mistake— sorry about that, by the way…”

“It’s cool.”

“Good, good. But yeah, she also liked how I was able t’ get along with everyone here so quickly— especially with Fluttershy, seein’ as all three of us shared stories with each other when we ran int’ her, an’ she likes my sense of humor. That an’ in my human form, she REALLY likes the massages I give ‘er.”

“Massages, huh?”

“Yea. She says she likes the feelin’ of hands much better than hooves. Also, we talked in Canterlot about relationships an’ special someponies. I guess that kinda ignited the fire in both of us, cuz we ran int’ Cadence the apparent Princess of Love a short time later, which was a perfect opportunity for Twi t’ get some advice on her feelings. Tha’ss exactly what she did because she sent me an’ Spike t’ go run around the castle for a li’l bit while she an’ Cadence caught up. After we saw Celestia an’ she decided t’ ban me, Twi jus’ kinda sprung it on me that she liked me on the way back.”

“Heh, what did she say? Something really wordy and unnecessarily longwinded, right?” Rainbow asked in an amused tone.

“Surprisingly… no. She… kissed me.” Rainbow’s smirk dropped into slack-jawed shock.

“Seriously??”

“Yea. She actually tried t’ tell me, but she was so scared o’ how I’d react that she couldn’t get it out. But I guess she felt like if she wasn’t gonna be able t’ see me again, she might as well lemme know how she felt about me… in the most cutely impulsive way possible.”

“Wow… I’d never expect her to do something like that…”

“Neither did I until that point. But one thing led to another, we got to know each other a LOT better in the time she spent with me in my world thanks t’ you gettin’ her sick, which made her get me sick too…”

“Ooh… probably from the way I got her to Canterlot in the first place, I bet... sorry.”

“Don’t be. I actually have you t’ thank for that,” I informed as I smiled at her. “But yea, you know the rest on that story… Also, thanks for accompanyin’ Twi on the trip t’ Canterlot she took to change Celestia’s mind.”

“Anytime! But wow… you two do seem pretty good together. But I’m sure you’ve been introduced to how busy she is all the time…”

“Ugh, yes… but I don’t blame her for it. We still find time t’ do stuff together. She specifically schedules it.”

“Heh, of course she does…”

“Yea… hey, seein’ as I answered your question… how do you see me?”

“You? Hmm… well at first, I thought you were a complete pervert for what happened that day…” I found it in myself to chuckle.

“Understandable.”

“But then, you did wind up proving to be a good guy by the time Celestia changed her mind about you coming here. And despite you and I getting into that fight in Canterlot over that Pinkie Promise you broke, and you letting the Cutie Mark Crusaders announce that I like reading Daring Do books… you seem like a kind of guy who’s definitely approachable. You’re a lot smarter than most of the stallions around here, too. But you and me as a couple? Nah. I can see what Twilight sees in you, but I don’t think we’d match up quite as well. Other than that, I don’t think I’d be able to tell my colt-friend that mares catch my eye, too…”

“I see… that brings me to THIS question: Are you gonna tell anypony else about your preference?” At that, Rainbow Dash went silent for a moment.

“I… I actually don’t know…” she answered. “I’ve… never had a good enough chance to explore it myself…”

“Really now…?”

“Kind of… Like I said before, the only relationship I was ever in at this point was with a stallion and it didn't last long. Aside from that, not many ponies have ever really made an effort to get to know me other than the gang… and you. And I’m not exactly the smoothest talker when it comes to showing interest in somepony, shockingly enough…”

“Hm… well in terms of seein’ someone you’re interested in, treat them like they were another pony; because they are. Don’t get scared of ‘em because you like ‘em. Jus’ be cool, calm, collected, an’ casual. In terms of how to let the others know about your orientation… I gotta admit, you got me stumped. I haven’t exactly ever had that problem… maybe Twilight can help us?”

“How would she be any help?”

“She’s gotta have some kinda book or notes somewhere in the library… an’ speakin’ o’ the library…” I trailed off as Rainbow and I approached the tree that doubled as a library to see that there was light inside. “Twi mus’ be home. Do you wanna tell her? I’ss up t’ you.”

“Mmm, I REALLY don’t want to… but I guess if you don’t have an answer, she might…” With that, we walked in through the front door to see a familiar purple unicorn at a desk, her nose buried in a book. She turned to see us and smiled.

“Ty! Rainbow! Hey!” she greeted as she cantered over towards us.

“Hey, Twi!” Rainbow and I greeted back in unison.

“How was your time at the bakery?” I asked.

“It was good. We were definitely overstocked, but not by quite as much as I’d calculated due to us accidentally burning a batch of cupcakes… Nice of you to come by and visit me, by the way,” she said, smiling as she trotted towards me to give me a peck on the cheek.

“Heh, what kinda colt-friend would I be if I didn’t?” I asked with a smile.

“Good point. But now you can tell me about the stipulations of your unannounced visit.”

“Oh yeah… It was cuz I was lookin’ for Rainbow when I ran int’ those three little fillies…”

“Ohhh, you finally met the Cutie Mark Crusaders, huh?”

“Yea… an’ I talked to ‘em until I figured I was wastin’ time. So I told ‘em I had to go look for Rainbow. They volunteered their help, which I accepted, thinkin’ they’d only stick around for a few minutes… and WOW, was I wrong. From there, all hell broke loose. Are the three o’ them ALWAYS that hyper??”

“Trust me… you’ve only gotten a diminutive sample of their shenanigans…”

“Gee, thanks for the heads-up…”

“But I notice you two seem pretty friendly now, considering you came here together… how was your discussion?”

“It was awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “You were right, Twilight. Ty’s a great talker.”

“Aww, well thanks, Rainbow!” I said, smiling at her.

“No problem,” she happily replied.

“I assume you got your dating problem sorted out, then?” At that, Dashie’s disposition changed to one of uneasiness.

“Uh… yeah… about that…”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Um… I… I don’t really know how to say this, but… I…” Twilight began to get concerned about Rainbow’s sudden apprehension.

“What is it, Rainbow?” Twilight asked as she came closer to her troubled friend.

“I… um… I… I kind of…”

“Rainbow Dash, you know you can tell me anything. What’s wrong?”

“I… Ikindoflikebothmaresandstallions…” Rainbow finally blurted, taking Twilight by complete surprise as she gasped.

“Rainbow Dash… you’re...?”

“Yeah… But I didn’t know how to tell anypony… especially with how frowned-upon filly-fooling is…”

“Rainbow, that’s not a very acceptable term. But… it’s your preference, not everypony else’s,” the unicorn assured her friend.

“I know… Ty told me that… but you don’t think I’m weird or gross or anything because of it?”

“Of course not, Rainbow Dash! You’re my best friend! Nothing is going to change that.”

“Thanks, Twi… I just… I don’t know if I should tell anypony else or keep it secret…”

“Rainbow, whatever you do is completely up to you,” Twilight began. “I’m positive Ty and I will be behind you one hundred percent of the way. But if it were up to me, I’d take some time to come to terms with it before I told anypony.”

“Okay… but what if I do that and then tell somepony who might not like what they hear?”

“Tha’ss jus’ them, then,” I answered. “If they don’t like or accept it, then tha’ss solely how they feel. Don't let that discourage you.”

“Yeah, but… what if the pony who doesn’t accept it is somepony I know… like one of the girls…?” She raised a good point there.

“There’s no way the other girls would see you any differently,” the unicorn assured. “I mean sure, it’d be news to them just like how it is to me… but at the end of the day, you’re still the Rainbow Dash we all know and love.”

“Wow… thanks, Twilight!” Rainbow replied, perking up with a warm smile.

“You’re always welcome!” Twilight responded as the two mares shared a warm hug with one another.

“And thank you, Ty…” Rainbow Dash said as she and Twilight separated before she walked up to me to hug me, to my surprise.

“No problem, Dashie,” I replied, hugging her back. “I thought you said you didn’t like hugs from stallions, though…”

“Well, consider yourself a sort of exception. You helped me out a lot… That doesn’t mean I’ll be hugging you all the time, though…”

“Hmph. Figures…” I remarked with a short laugh.

“Oh, and one more thing…”

“Yea?” I asked as we separated. Rather than answer, she simply stared at me with a look I’d only ever seen Twilight give me; that strangely enticing smile where her eyes were halfway closed. She already told me I wasn’t her type, so she couldn’t have been showing interest in me… I wondered if she was trying to challenge me to a staring contest or something. After a few seconds of this uncomfortable silence, she finally spoke.

“Hey, what’s that over there?” she asked, pointing to her right.

“Wha?” I asked, looking in the direction she was pointing her hoof in.

*THWACK*

“Ow! What the f—!”

“That’s for letting the whole town know about me liking Daring Do books! My rep’s gonna suffer for that,” she scolded. She smacked me upside the head because she was holding a small grudge against me for accidentally letting slip a secret that wasn’t even worth hiding. “Oh, and consider that motivation for our next match, tough guy!” she jeered with a smirk before taking flight, the Daring Do book I’d given her in hoof. “I think I’ll go and enjoy this now. I also think I have something to write to the Princess about. Thanks for the book, Twi!”

“Anytime, Rainbow!”

“And thank you both for helping me!” she said before she rocketed out of the doorway, slamming the door shut and leaving her trademark polychromatic aural trail behind. She also left behind a snickering Twilight and an agonized me as I rubbed the back of my head, feeling pretty sour about the cheap trick she pulled on me.

“Well now…I sure hope you enjoyed your day,” Twilight said, still giggling at me.

“Actually… yeah, yeah I did,” I answered as I simmered down. “I’m jus’ glad she an’ I are on better terms now that we got that talk outta the way. Plus, we both learned somethin’ about each other. She might’ve even learned somethin’ about herself. But what did she mean about havin’ somethin’ t’ write to Celestia about?”

“You don’t know?” Twilight asked in surprise. “It’s not just us who have to discover lessons on friendship. Rainbow, Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and even Spike are able to share their knowledge with her, too.”

“Oh, what a relief!” I praised. “I was gettin’ worried about havin’ t’ constantly look for things to write down about friendship…”

“Nope. There’s eight of us employed as friendship students so far; seven of them, you included, honorary.”

“Tha’ss good.”

“Mm-hm. Say, I think I’ve gotten everything I needed to done for today…” That statement piqued my interest immediately.

“Is that right?” I asked, smiling as I approached her. “In that case, how’s about you an’ I get some ‘Twi-Ty’ time in?”

“I’d love to,” she replied as we nuzzled our noses togehter. In that moment, I heard something suddenly growling, causing the unicorn to pull away. “…as soon as I get something to eat. Pinkie gave me some of the extra cupcakes we made, but I hadn’t given myself the time to eat. Want some?”

“Sure…” I answered when a thought suddenly occurred to me. “Quick question while we’re on the subject of food: That dandelion sandwich you made for me earlier… It tasted a LOT different than the one you gave me back in Canterlot. Did you make it differently?”

“No. Why?”

“That’s odd… how are dandelion sandwiches supposed to taste?”

“Unusual that you’re asking me that, considering you’ve had two of them before, but… they normally taste lightly sweet. Why? Did that first one I gave you taste that different?”

“Yea… a LOT different. If I remember, it was REALLY bitter…”

“Bitter?” she asked in confusion. “Dandelions shouldn’t taste bitter…” her eyes suddenly widened as if to have realized something. “…unless somepony put something in that sandwich… I remember my saddlebag strangely being open when we left for Canterlot that day… If I’m not mistaken, Rainbow and/or Pinkie probably tried to prank me by putting something in the sandwich you wound up eating. They’re notorious for being a pair of practical jokesters at times.” I felt a wave of vindictive annoyance overtake me.

“Oh, She is gonna ge—!” I found my thought process interrupted when Twilight pressed her lips against mine for a brief moment.

“It’s nice to see that you’re willing to spare my feelings, but if there was something wrong with the sandwich, you could’ve told me,” she informed with an adorable smile. I couldn’t help but return the gesture.

“Noted,” I concurred with a nod.

“Good. Now come on. I’ve been waiting all day to eat something, and those cupcakes look and smell delicious…” With that, we trotted into the kitchen to enjoy the cupcakes she, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie had cooperatively baked. We reflected on my discussion with Rainbow Dash and hoped that she was able to come to terms with and be content with her self-discovery. I also couldn’t wait to see her again because I had two bones to pick with her: One for smacking me upside the head and the other for the possibility that she sabotaged that sandwich. Nonetheless, I was glad to have gotten to know the sky blue pegasus mare a little better…

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned that just because a pony might be interested in something that other ponies might not be, doesn’t make that pony any different from the rest. For a while, I’d been hiding something I’d been feeling ashamed of because of the fact that it’s been talked about as ‘bad,’ or ‘unusual.’ After finally being able to tell somepony about my problem, he told me that instead of denying or hiding it, I should accept it as a part of who I am. As of right now, I’m still not quite sure how to accept it, but I definitely feel more confident about myself than I did before.

Your Loyal Subject,

Rainbow Dash

“Now that that’s done, it’s time to kick back, relax, and dive into some Daring Do adventure…” I thought aloud before crashing onto my cloud bed and eagerly getting started on Daring Do and the Precarious Pendant of Peril...