The Triangle

Chapter 1: New Pony in Ponyville

It was a calm, cool day in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash had been busy clearing the sky as everypony noticed. When suddenly an odd occurance happened with Pinkie Pie's "Pinkie sense" her tail wiggled and then she fell over. This had never happened before, except when a new pony came into town. Sure enough everypony was waiting in the town square to greet the new pony. After waitng nearly an hour for this new pony that wsa supposedly coming.

"Hey big siss?" Apple Bloom asked her big sister Apple Jack, "Whats that over the orchard?" Sure enough the new pegasus pony came flying over Ponyville with speed that even their own Rainbow Dash couldnt keep up with.Even with such great speen the new stallion was able to stop in an instant. He was a deep Burgandy with a red and yellow mane and a tail to match. Truly even according to Rarity a sight of which nopony had ever seen before. Beutiful to even her he touched down in the square and said,

"Hello everypony, I am Red Charge. You may all call me Red for short." His Cutie mark was a yellow lightining bolt surrounded by a bright red circle, so it seemed appropriate that he was such an overwhelmingly fast stallion, he continued, "I have come here to request the accompinance of the pony i have heard is the most beautiful, charming, and polite pony, in all of Equestria to go with me to this year's Grand Galloping Gala."

Rarity, not thinking of what she was doing, raised her hoof in the air slowly at first but then shot it up after she thought she was sure that it was her she was talking about. Red turned around the audiance to look for which pony had thought that highly of themselves.

"Are you the one whom they call, Fluttershy?" Red had asked, Rarity with a look of near anger at her being overshadowed by Fluttershy once again pranced off back to the Carosel Boutique, she would claim that bussiness was calling. When Red had mentioned Fluttershy, she tried to hide herself from the dashing pony, but unfortunately for her the crowd opened up on her to reveal her. Red Charge immediately trotted up to her and asked, "Are you Fluttershy, miss?"

"Y-y-yes I am, pleased to meet you Mr. Charge"  she managed to choke out.

"No need to be scared m'amm I'm only trying to find you to ask you to be my date for the-" by the time he had re-opened his eyes to see her face she had flown away. Feeling dissapointed he went to the flower shop to buy some roses for the mare of his dreams, or at least whom he thought would be, her quiet nature, her magnificent beauty and most of all her modesty in the crowd.

"That'll be six bits please" the earth pony requested.

"Sure thing" Red said looking through his saddlebag for where he left his money.Unfortunately he had only brought 24 with him, he still needed to find board and food. At that time Apple Jack had come into the store

"Well howdy there Mr. Charge." the earth pony said to Red

"I hope youre not tryin' to scare poor ol' Fluttershy, she's a bit timid there, Oh my yer proly wunderin who ah am, my names' Apple Jack. I work up at Sweet Apple Acres with mah brother Big Macintosh and mah sister Apple Bloom" the  earth pony's speech must have tired her out becasue she was gsaping for breath.

"Well it's great to meet you Miss Apple Jack, you said you work at the apple orchard I flew over? Are you looking for any kind of help m'amm?" Red tried to be as courteous as possible to this new friend he hoped to make.

"Why yes ah do Red, and we are in need of someone to dust our crops, ah'd love to pay ya as much as ya need cause it looks like yer almost plum outta money" Apple Jack was obviously good at noticing things like that.

"I'd appreciate that alot Ms Apple. I'll see you at the orchard first thing tommorow morning."

Chapter 2: Work, Fun and Ladies

It was 4 in the morning when Red Charge woke up in the attic of the flower shop that Ms. Miter was kind enough to let him stay in. He left 4 bits on the counter of the flower shop and trotted out the door up to Sweet Apple acres.

"I hope Apple Jack can pay me enough to get me some lunch and a place to stay long enough to convince Fluttershy to be my date."

He trotted up the flower sided path to the orchard to meet Apple Jack and Big Macintosh. It was about 4:30 in the morning before he finally arrived. Still he was the first one up so he waited patiently for the others to wake up. He ended up falling asleep for about an hour. When he woke up a large male pony was looking down on him.

"Well hello there Mr, is there somthin' ah kin do fer ya?" he seemed to bellow the words but Red knew better than to insult the monolithic pony.

"Why yes there is, I'm waitng for Apple Jack-"

"An' whaddya' plan on doin wit MA sis'?" This time he was bellowing the words with a great loud voice unmatched by any other pony.

"Nothing, but i think it's safe to ssume that you are Big Macintosh?"Red said carefully to avoid insulting the already defensive pony

"Oh are you the new pony that's gonna be helpin us 'round the farm fer the season? AJ toldme 'bout chu, you must be Red Charge, pleasent to meet ya."

"And you too Mr.Macintosh. When will your sister be ready?"

"Oh she's inside right now havin' some breakfast with Apple Bloom. y' kin join em' if ya want." The gigantic pony was much nicer than first glance would percive him as.

"Thanks Big Macintosh", "Y'kin call me Big Mac, er jus Mac if ya please."

'Big Mac certainly lives up to his name and judging by his cutie mark he must also be an apple farmer like Apple Jack' Red Charge thought to himself as he entered the farmhouse. Apple Jack was having apple fritters with who was presumably Apple Bloom. The farmer pony was very civil in her consumption and manners.

"Well hello there Mr Charge. An how'r ya today?"She said with a rather unusual accent, but Red thought not to question it.

"I am doing wonderfuly, and for future reference you can just call me Red." Red Charge hadn't noticed how beautiful Aplle Jack's green eyes were when they had run into each oher earlier, but he most certainly did now.

"Well come have some breakfast Red, we don't want our only crop duster goin' down fer a crash landin' on the first day." She was so sincere to him and he could almost feel an unfamiliar emotion coming up.

"By the way I never asked ya earlier, where ya from Red?" The question startled Red becasue he never really did live anywhere before, he would always stop at a hotel, even as a young colt he was always moving with his father's "bussiness" being a crime lord he was always on the run. He was wondering what to say when suddenly,"I  come from just up in cloudsdale." Red had avoided one akward conversation  just to have another, "Oh then you must know Rainbow Dash." 'Of course she knows someone that I have only heard about' "Actually I don't think that I've had the plesure of meeting Ms. Dash."

Apple Jack gasped, "You've never met Rainbow Dash?! Everypony knows her!","Well I mean I came here from Cloudsdale but I was raised in Fillydelphia." which was only partially true ' I can't let anypony know where I'm really from, they'd all reject me or worse call the authourities on me' Apple Jack took the ruse and let the issue lie.

"Well ah suppose it's 'bout that time, let's head out to the feilds, oh Red, Big Mac set up a little somethin t' help ya with the dustin'. Just head out to him when yer ready" Apple Jack  had the most beautiful mane that he had ever seen. It was long enough to go past her front hooves. It was the most pure of blondes  and her orange coat was equally as beautiful.  ' I can't think like that, remember I'm here for Fluttershy and nopony else' but he couldn't help facing the fact that he might have feelings for Apple Jack. As he went out to Big Mac's tool shed he thought he saw another Pegasus fly overhead, perhaps the one Apple Jack was talking about? 'What was her name, Rainbow something.' rahter than stress out about who she might be Red went ata full gallop to the tool shed.

"An there ya are, jeeze almost late on tha firs day?" As Red Charge looked more and more scared, knowing that Big Mac easily had nearly a ton on him "Ah'm jus messin witcha, here's the doohickey ah put together last night to help ya wich yer dustin'." It looked like two canvas bags tied together with rope and a peice of tape that could be pulled off to disperse the repellent. As Red put this on Big Mac was sharpening his pitchfork 'What have i gotten myself into?' Red thought. To some degree he was being well paid for the job but at the same time he was might have to encounter this Rainbow character in his work. He had heard  her called things like "The scourge of the skies" and "Rainbow- Oh buck- GET OUTTA THE WAY" and other names similar to that he later recalled one filly named Rainbow Dash he had met in Junior Speedster's flight school when he was just a colt, She also got her cutie mark for her amaizing speed. But he didn't think that this could be the same pony. ' She must be with the wonderbolts somewhere, why would she end up in Ponyville' he was finally assured that it couldn't be her.  He took off ready to spend his whole day in the air, and to his avail, "oof, hey watch where...youre...go...in. Oh my gosh, is that-" Red had bumped into Rainbow Dash as soon as he took off 'Celestia why have you forsaken me?!' "YOU BUCKING SONOF A-" before Rainbow could finish Red Charge had already sped off Apple Bloom looked at the two ponies and called up to Rainbow Dash,

"What was that all about?". "Apple Bloom, you werent supposed to see that," and by that time Apple Jack and Big Mac were both outside, "ummm hi guys sorry about that, just kinda ran into and old 'friend' of mine that I haven't seen in a few years." Dash blushed a little when she said this, "An you want me t belive that after that outburs, oooooh no sister, who was he?" Apple Jack demanded. "He was my ex- Fiance'"

Chapter 3 Trouble at home

As Apple Jack searched the orchard for Red Charge she noticed the glum look on her friend Rainbow Dash's face. "What's wrong sugarcube?" She asked with a great sense of sympathy, "Well I'm not sure, On one hoof that jerk left me alone at the alter on the day we were going to be married, but on the other, his abscence left me time to think, about who I wanted to be, and who I am. Without him leaving me I would've never come to Ponyville in the first place, so i would have never met any of my best friends. He was the only pony that got me at Junior Speedsters, we grew up always writing to each other, only seeing each other during the summer. His dad was always moving, but when he left home to stay in Cloudsdale...well I found that i loved him, and i thought he loved me, but after that day i just dont know."

"Well when we find him belive me you, were gonna have a talk." the orange pony was intenet on skinning him alive while Rainbow was only interested in finding out why.

Eventually Red Charge returned form the fields and he did this to a very upset Big Mac. The large red workhorse said calmly for the situaton "I need'ja to wait here pardner." He went into the farmhouse to get a much more angry Apple Jack. She was not even close to calm, "What's the big idea claimin ya didn't even know Rainbow Dash when ya almost got married to her?!" she screamed, "Look Apple Jack I know i lied and that was wrong but I had no idea that this was the same Rainbow Dash. And if I did I would have told you, regardless, the reasonI left her was becasue of a... stupid reason, LOOK YOU WOULDN'T GET IT!" Red was furious now for some strange reason. Rainbow Dash came out of the barn appearing to have been crying for hours. "Red!" she rushed over to her ex-lover's embrace, crying she asked "Why did you leave me there, alone, why didnt you come back, why why why?" Dash was howling. "Dash I never meant to leave you, at least not at first, My father had just been killed, and the ponies who did it were coming after me next." Red said now nearly in tears himself.

"I've got a hard time beliving that." Apple Jack said. 'Would this pony shut up! Celestia I've had a hard enough time without this critisicm but now I'm being called a liar'  Red was staring at Apple Jack with tear filled eyes and Rainbow leaning on his shoulder. "I'm telling you the truth all of you, I only ran because I was scared that I was going to be killed, I never meant to hurt you Rainbow Dash." he said as he stared into her eyes. "I know, and I'm sorry I flipped out on you earlier." Apple Jack was suprised becasue nopony had ever seen Dash apologise to anypony, certainly one that had hurt her so much. " And I also thank you for leaving me, without that i couldnt have found myself, Red I love mares, in a romantic way. And i could have only found that out if you had left me,  so again thanks" she said. Red could cross that problem off of his checklist. 'But now I assume you want me gone don't you Apple Jack', "Well if he's good by you he's good by me" Apple Jack said to Red's suprise."And everypony, let's keep today's events to ourselves, agreed?" everypony nodded in agreement. Apple Jack gave Red a letter and said "meet me here tonight around 8"

He opened the letter and it contained a small map of Ponyville with an X over the stream near the road to Canterlot. ' I've got a bad feeling about this, but for all i know she wants a romantic dinner, or just to give me to one of her griffin friends, or worse yet.'

Chapter 4: What happens at Sweet Apple stays at Sweet Apple, or does it?

Twilight Sparkle was dusting the bookshelves of the Ponyville Public Library when all of the sudden, who else but Rainbow Dash came crashing through the ceiling. "Twilight, just the mare I was looking for. I need some advice, an old Colt-Friend came by today er yesterday and, I'm twisted between a feeling of who I  am and my old love for him."

"Wait dash,you mean to tell me that you, a lesbian in a relationship no less has feeling for a stalion you dated however many years ago?" Twilight asked her lover withsome sense of distress in her voice.

"That's what I'm not sure about babe, if I even do have feelings for him or if that's just my longing for what I've missed from him." Twilight was almost beggining to tear up at the thought that the first pony she ever loved in this way, might be leaving her.

"But why dashie" her voice trembled as she began to cry "Why would you leave me?I thought our relationship was going somewhere special." Rainbow then told both sides of how Red Charge had hurt her and why. "But if he just left you there what's going to keep him from doing it again, I mean what if he turns out worse than you remember, what if he's as bad as Blueblood now? Dash as much as it would hurt me if this colt hurt you again that would hurt even more." Twilight would try to think of anything to keep Dash from leaving.

"Twilight I would never leave you, especially for him. He hurt me once and I told him that I would forgive him given the tragic circumstances for him and his family, but that I wasn't over it completely, even after all this time." Rainbow tried to remember the good times that the two of them had as young pegusi. She had always admired him, in fact even at that age she had strong feelings for Red, as he did for her. You could call it the early stages of love. They spent long days on flights alone, and at night they would sneak out to have a longer day of flying with each other. But Red always had somewhere to be at the end of the summer. She could remember the sadness she felt even then, similar to that of when he left her at the altar by herself. Crushed, suffocating, depressed, and even with all the negitive emotion she still felt hopeful that he would come back, with some kind of reason as to why. It was only today that she had finally learned what happened to her first love. And he did have a legitimate reason, he was scared for their lives. He wasn't as selfish as she had thought. He had cared for her all these years, but if he was scared for her, why could he come back now? Did he even know that she was here?Now that he did would he need to leave her again? Would she be heartbroken again by a pony she hadn't felt anything but anger for in 5 years? Why now? Why her? She didn't know why all this was happening. Rainbow had known that Red was never the most law-abiding pony in Equestria and neather was his father but just how bad were those two?

Chapter 5: Dinner in the river

It was about 7:45 when Red went to the spot on the map where he assumed Applejack would be waiting, and she was, her and all of her friends, Except Dash. She was obiviously too conflicted by the whole situation to show at this meeting.

"Well lookie here, yer a little early there arent chya" Apple Jack said seeming to look straight through the stallion, 'wow in the moonlight Apple Jack is even more beautiful than normally' now Red was almost as conflicted as Rainbow Dash, "Yeah I like to be early, so I take it this isn't just a friendly disscussion?" Red said, barely able to hide his nevousness.

"Red we just want to make sure your intentions won't hurt anypony"Twilight, whom Red hadn't met yet, said with a hint of sadness in her face. 'Oh boy am I in for it' the rhetorical question was answered by the pony who was in the square earlier, she was a white unicorn with three diamonds as her cutie mark, "I'm afraid you won't have enough time for me to introduce myself" she said as she kicked him into the river, for a seemingly rich pony she was certainly very strong. As Red landed in the river she shouted to him "And my name is Rarity darling! Don't forget it!"

'How could I? Wow for such  a hot pony she's got one buck on her'  Now even more conflicted than before he decided that he had to stay. 'Now I just gotta get rid of a few pesky ponies' he thought . Flowing down river he came to a bend that allowed him to get out of the current, as he washed up on shore and dryed his wings he made himself a kind of hit-list.

First was the Lieutenant of the Fillydelphia mob, he was the one that killed Red's dad Stormy Specter. Slinky, devious, all the bad things Red could think of to describe this guy. After that was Thunder Beard, Don of the Fillydelphia Mob, without him they wouldn't be able to function, he would have to move down the line until they were all wiped out.Next was Meteor Fist, the Capo that was just under Stormy Specter.After that he would move on to Nickle Tempest, then finally to the last one qualified to lead, Mullebery Beard. But before he could do anything about anyone he had to get a weapon. The best place was in Canterlot, he decided to leave a note explaining where he went, but not why, 'If anypony found out what I'm up to then I'd get banished to the moon' He sighned it with, I SHALL RETURN.He then posted it to the town message board. He knew everypony would see it, but it only mattered that Apple Jack, Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and that other purple unicorn. Her not as much but stillit seemed they were all friends so if one sees it then they'll all know. With that in mind he took off for Canterlot.

Chapter 6:Back at the river

"Dear Sweet Celstia Rarity what were you thinking?You just kicked him in a river!, we did'nt even get to start our discussion with him!" Fluttershy was upsetly saying to her friend. "Well I guess I justlost my temper, knowing how badly he hurt Dash. And who cares if he drowns, Dash told us herself, she's not over what he did." Rarity argued. Twilight finally spoke up "She did tell me that she MIGHT  still have fellings for him though." painful as that was to say,nopony else noticed. "Twilight returned to her home to find a note from Dash

'Dear Twilight,

I just needed to get out and think, I'll be back soon.

Love,

Dashie'

The idea that she needed to think so much about this issue hurt Twilight a little but she could understand. This was her first love, the one she hadn't seen in so long, now returning to her. Spike had been assleep when Dash left, being a sick baby dragon ,he needed his rest. She decided to write to her mentor, Princess Celestia.

'Dear Princess Celestia,

A new pony came to Ponyville a couple of days ago. This pony had hurt one of our friends a long time ago but she thinks she might have feelings for him still. He seems to be a bit of a trouble maker, or he was. He claims to have changed and so has she, SHE is Rainbow Dash and HE is a pegassus named Red Charge, they were old lovers and now he's suddenly come here and found Dash, the two had a bit of a confrontation and now Rarity kicked him in a river. I need some advice and you have always been there for me.

Your  always faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle'

She felt a little better now that she knew she could get help from somepony. But it was late, so she decided to turn in for the night.

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Dash was just coming in for a landing when she saw Twilight going up the stairs to bed. Being the prank loving pony she was, ad having cleared her mind to some degree, at least where she wasn't so disturbed by Red's presence in town, waited until she was all the way up the stairs, then she snuck in the front door, she noticed the scroll that Twilight was writing on, still wide open. As she read it she felt more and more saddened that Twilight couldn't talk about her feelings more with Dash. She trotted back out the door and into the town square, at a rather slow pace she went around town, when she came to the town board, she noticed a note. A note from Red Charge to her and to her friends.

' Dear Ponyville residents,

Sorry if you had more work for me but I won't be able to make it for the next few days. I'm going to be out of town on some bussiness. And to Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle, I'm sorry but it looks like our disscussion will have to wait until I get back.

Sincerly,

Red Charge

P.S.

The first part of this note was for the Apple family

Chapter 7: Getting Started

As Red flew over Canterlot in the dead of night, the time had reached nearly two in the morning. Thankfully the two ponie gaurding the exit were both asleep giving him a chance to make it in and out of Canterlot without being noticed. He needed to find his father's safehouse. It was a semingly generic house on the outskirts of town. It was occupied by an unknowing pony named Trixie, obviously being a mare he didn't want to hurt her.

'I'll sneak in through the basement and get into the secret room, simple as that and once I'm in  I can take my sword and get started on my list' it seemed rather cynical but it was something he had to do if he wanted to protect himself and what new, accomplices he had. When Red finally reached the safe house he noticed a pony's shadow dancing to a record. the lyrics weren't in any laguage he had ever heard. But this pony was obviously drinking that night as she tripped over herself many times in just a few minuites. The tune of the song was rather jazzy. He went around to the west side of the house, with the basement door. It was locked with some kind of magic, and he had nothing to pick it with. Hopeless he decided that he needed to find a back street dealer. Since he couldn't just waltz into any store, due to his identity and his father's, He only knew one pony that could help him, his name was Getit, and he was in the middle of the town, so close to the princess but he had never been caught. 'I guess the best place to do illeagal bussiness is right under the authorities nose. well I'd better hop to it' using his full speed he flew to the alley where Getit "worked". Arriving only moments later he took the few bits he had left, 18 bits and asked for the best he could get for that price,

"Sorry kid, all I got f' dat price is a rusty old sabre, belonged to some dead mobster named Northern Charge" 'MY DAD'S SWORD!' Red needed this sword to get his true justice, "I'll give you 12." Red, still needing to buy other things tried to haggle with the arms dealer, "Fine 12 bits it is then" the idiot fell for it, this sword was worth 400 bits in it's worst possible condition, it was enchanted to shoot fire but only work in his family.

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Dash hurried off to Canterlot to find Red, by the time she arrived  it was nearly 3 in the morning. She found him in a back alley with no idea why he had a sabre in his mouth. She landed just outside of the alley and waited for Red to come out and explain hinself. As the burgandy pony came out of the alley Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, "And what's that you've got there, Oh a beautiful sword, how quaint, and what's that for?" Red set down the sabre to try to explain himself, "Dash, why are you here? I mean It's dangerous around here you need to get going before someone sees you with me." Red tried to get her away so that she would think he was abandoning her again 'Well not abandon her but get her to go home'

"Red I know what happened, Twilight knows what you did too. How come you couldn't ever tell me? Were you scared that you would never see me again, or that you would go to jail? Just why couldn't you tell me?" Red decided that it was time for her to know the whole truth about his past, the reason he was never around, the reason he really had to leave, everything. He was even more scared that she would reject him worse than when they had first seen each other after their separation. "Red, it's ok, now I get it, and I am over it, but now I  know who I really love, you and Twilight." It was strange but Red realised at that moment that things might work out between them, and if that could work then it was worth even sacrificing himself to make sure she was safe, she was all that mattered to him,and he said to her, "Rainbow Dash would you marry me, again?" the mare's eyes lit up suddenly as she said "YES!". They were happier than ever before, even when they were dating origiall, even when they were just foals.

Chapter 8: Misery loves company

Back in Ponyville Twilight was watching the current events unfold before her very eyes on her crystal ball. "Well if Dash wants to leave me for that creep then fine! I'm going to report this crimal pair to Princess Celestia herself. SPIKE!" she yelled angrily to her assistant. "Let's do some homewrecking, but first we need to send a letter to Celestia"

'Princess,

There is a duo of criminals in Canterlot, their names are Red Charge and it turns out that Rainbow Dash is there in cahoots with him.

Please be careful,

Twilight Sparkle'

She grinned evilly and plotted what might happen to the new "happy couple". She had gone officially insane with jelousy for the new pony. As she turned gray from loss of the element she possesed, magic, she couldn't understand the magic of love and therefore she didn't deseve her element. She had been changed to an evil mare, worse than anypony thought Nightmare Moon was.

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A green flare appeared as the princess was sleeping in her royal chambers. She awoke to the scroll falling on her right flank. As she read she began to snicker "SISTER HAVE WE AWOKEN YOU?!" Luna said in her royal Canterlot Voice."No dear, now go back to sleep, I have some important bussiness to attend to."

Chapter 9: When Love and Hate collide

As Dash made her way out of town with her rekindled love, two of Celestia's royal gaurd came out in front of them in the sky, "STOP!" the first royal gaurd commanded, Red drew his sword ready for a fight, Dash just lunged at the one to her right, turning for a mule kick. Hit  him right  between the eyes, as he fell to the ground Red shot a fireball at the other, knocking the other gaurd to the ground as well. When they were both taken care of the duo took off full speed twords Fillydelphia. As they flew through the air it  reminded them of their childhood together. Their favorite time came to mind. They were both on the ground just walking, considering that their camp was not a co-ed one, so they snuck out every night to see each other. This particular night they went down to a stream that wasn't actually too far from Ponyville. They strolled into town and managed to get some free desert at SugarCube corners, this was before anypony that Dash knew lived in Ponyville. She was reminded of Twilight, and what kind of pain this would bring to her. What kind of attention would this bring to her around Ponyville? She didn't care, she was with her one true love. She uderstood that she didn't need to worry about more abandonment in her life. For the first time in a long time she was truly content with life.