Scootaloo set her scooter at the base of the hill and put a lock on it, tying it to the fence around Tank’s pen. She looked down as the tortoise started making his way towards the wooden box in the centre of his pen, then up to Rainbow Dash. “Doesn’t Tank live with you?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Sure he does. He lives right here.”

Scootaloo frowned. “But doesn’t he fly up to your home?”

The mare trotted up the hill towards her cloud home, Scootaloo right behind her. “Sometimes, but he can’t be airborne all the time. Tank’s a tortoise, remember? He needs to keep his legs going, too. Can’t have any pet of mine getting out of shape.”

The pair stopped at the top of the hill and looked up to Rainbow Dash’s cloud home.

Scootaloo gulped, her wings trembled. Rainbow Dash flashed her a sympathetic smile. “You can’t fly that high, huh?”

Scootaloo let her head hang. “No.”

Rainbow Dash leaned down and presented her neck to the filly. “Then I guess I’ll just have to carry you.”

Scootaloo sighed and clambered up the mare’s neck. “Sorry, Rainbow Dash. I should have told you sooner.”

Rainbow Dash took off slowly and steadily. “What? That you can’t fly yet? I already know, kid, it’s hard to miss. It’s not like I haven’t carried you before.”

Scootaloo clenched her teeth together as she recalled their trip to Rainbow Falls. Rainbow Dash didn’t seem to notice. She just set down on the fluffy porch of her cloud home and smiled. “There we go. Welcome to my place. What do you think?”

Scootaloo’s grip tightened. She gulped again. “I-it’s awesome, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow turned her head as much as she could, but she couldn’t see the filly’s face. She noticed the tension, though. “What’s the matter, kid?”

Scootaloo didn’t answer. She just stared at the cloud door, at the cloud walls, at the cloud floor, they weren’t even inside yet and she was ready to bolt. Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Scootaloo? What’s wrong?”

Scootaloo jerked her head when she heard her name. “I-I’m… I’ve never been on clouds before. Not walking, at least.”

Rainbow Dash’s raised eyebrow was joined by its neighbour. “Never? Your dad never took you up to Cloudsdale?”

Scootaloo bit her lip. “Um, no. My dad’s a unicorn.”

Rainbow Dash turned her head away from the filly and thought. “Huh. Anypony I know?”

“You know Pokey Pierce?”

Rainbow’s ears perked. “Oh, blue guy, white mane, long horn? With a safety pin for a cutie mark?”

Scootaloo nodded nervously. “Yeah, him. He’s a paedo-something.”

Rainbow’s mind suddenly took a dip in the gutter, before she realised her first impulse was most likely wrong. “You mean he’s a doctor for kids.”

“Right, that.”

Phew. “So neither of your parents know how to fly? You don’t have any pegasus ponies in your family?”

Scootaloo tensed up again. “Nopony I’ve met. That’s kinda why I was hoping, you know…”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Yeah, I get it. So this is your first time up so high, huh? First time you’re setting hoof on a cloud?”

Scootaloo took a deep breath, but even that didn’t steady her nerves. “Yep.”

“Okay, so you’re scared to step on one. I can fix that.” Rainbow Dash sat down on her haunches and reached around to push the girl forward. “Crawl on over and stand on my legs. Try not to look at the cloud.”

Naturally, Scootaloo got a very good look at the fluffy, soft, and entirely insubstantial cloud substance that would undoubtedly break and send her plummeting to certain death as soon as she stepped on it. She did manage to stand stably on her hind legs, though, keeping her front hooves on Rainbow Dash’s shoulders while her hind hooves stood on the mare’s thighs.

Rainbow extended a front hoof to her. “Hold on to me. I’m gonna let you go down, back first. The important thing is you don’t see the cloud you’re landing on, at least the first time. Just remember: no matter what happens, I’ve got you. Understand?”

Scootaloo shook all over and looked behind her. “I-I don’t know, Rainbow Dash…”

“Look at me, kid.” Rainbow put a hoof under Scootaloo’s chin to force the girl to look at her. “You are not the only pegasus pony with parents who don’t have wings, and you’re definitely not the only pegasus pony who grew up on the ground.”

Scootaloo winced. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means even kids like you end up on clouds eventually, and they have to learn. It means there’s a procedure for letting kids like you get on a cloud gently. I’ve seen ponies do this on Flight Camp hundreds of times, it works fine. Now, grab on to my hoof.” She gestured with her hoof again.

Scootaloo wrapped her arms around the offered limb.

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Hold on tight, okay? As tight as you can. Even if you think the cloud can’t hold you, it’s holding me and I’ve got you. You ready?”

Scootaloo closed her eyes and nodded. “Ready.”

“Okay, good. Keep your eyes on me.” Rainbow gently let the girl fall backwards, making sure she wouldn’t slip by keeping her hind hooves steady as well. “Bend your knees if you have to, you’re just about halfway.”

Scootaloo’s heart pounded. She breathed quicker and quicker as she went, getting ever so close to a horizontal position.

Something touched her mane, then the back of her head, something cold and soft, only not that cold. As she went further, the thing underneath her made contact with her whole head, letting her sink in slightly, and she realised what it was she was feeling. Fresh. It’s like fresh air. Fresh, solid air.

Her head supported, she forced herself to stop shaking. She still had a rigid grip on Rainbow’s hoof, she was still held steady. Her shoulders met with the cloud, then she relaxed and let her back touch its surface. Rainbow let her go lower, but that only made her arms bend, since she was supported now. Slowly, gently, Rainbow Dash let Scootaloo’s body slide off her legs and onto the cloud, making sure the filly could keep her vicegrip on Rainbow’s arm.

Rainbow smiled down at her. “Now spread out your wings, get a feel for it.”

With a dopey smile, Scootaloo let her wings unclench and feel the soft, ghostlike texture of a cloud on her body for the first time. She looked up at Rainbow Dash. “Can I let go now?”

Rainbow nodded. Scootaloo let go of the arm, then carefully patted the cloud supporting her. Her head remained facing the blue afternoon sky, her wings wriggled to explore this new yet somehow familiar sensation. “It’s weird, kinda like jelly.”

Rainbow Dash kept on smiling as she opened the door. “Yeah, you get used to it. And don’t worry about bucking it or busting it by accident; you need to try hard to do that kind of thing.”

Scootaloo spread her arms, then folded them to her sides, trying to make a cloud angel. It worked, but the cloud material flowed right back into shape afterwards. To her relief, it didn’t make her dig into the stuff, either, so she wouldn’t be making a hole. A slight pounding started in her head that went all the way into her eartips, but she paid it no heed. After all the stunts she’d done on the scooter, that adrenalin rush was pleasantly familiar, actually.

Rainbow Dash cocked her head at the girl. “You wanna come in now, or do you need a minute?” Poor kid. Maybe I went too fast. Maybe I should just let her pitch up a tent down below.

Scootaloo jumped up excitedly and dashed in. “This is gonna be the best sleepover ever!”

Rainbow Dash shook her head to clear it. Or maybe she’s just fearless, like me. Scootaloo’s voice came out from near her bed. Given the mostly wall-free architecture of her home, Rainbow Dash had never bothered with any sort of privacy issues. Scootaloo’s call, however, made her blush.

“What’s this tube-shaped vibrating thingie for?”

Twilight sighed. The basement had been cleaned up, with all the dust removed and all the seat cushions washed and dried. Still, something felt off about her surroundings.

Empty book cases.

She’d set up the shelves herself, of course, and loaded them with some new additions to her personal collection. She had books with stories about lesbian dominatrices, stallions who brainwashed innocent mares to be their slaves, and of course a manual on rope bondage, though she didn’t quite see the need for that particular one, it just came with the publisher’s introductory package. She was, however, quite interested in her issue of ‘The Eroticon, Third Edition’, particularly the parts on magical constructs. She couldn’t quite understand why more ponies didn’t know how to conjure basic rubber costumes, though, since at the very least the stuff made for a good emergency tourniquet.

She pondered her next move, summoning the letter that had come with her order.

“Dearest customer,

we thank you for your interest in BRB Publishing, and hope you find your order satisfactory. Should you wish to procure the items in our specialised range, our contact information is provided below, our catalogue can be delivered discreetly and anonymously. However, if you prefer to collect such items in pony, we recommend a visit to one of our stands at the various gatherings we frequent.”

Twilight put the letter down. It wouldn’t hurt to try. I could ask Rainbow Dash, if she still feels like hanging out with me. I do like doing all of this, I’d have to get some serious reference material. Even if Rainbow Dash isn’t that into it, I guess I am. No better way to make sure than to show up for one of these events.

She enveloped another piece of paper in her magic. It was a signup form, though unlike the ones she was used to it didn’t ask for her name, just her alias. So these guys pride themselves on anonymity, and they only send the tamest works to the regular publishers. If they’ve only sent me their tame stuff… I’m gonna need to know how other ponies handle this kind of thing.

She found her quill and put it to the paper. I just need to fill in an alias, a name I can answer to easily, but that doesn’t betray who I really am. “Mistress… Purple… Prose. That should do it.” Her eyes wandered to an addendum to the signup note. “Disguises optional, but recommended? Preorder at a discount? What do they mean by that?”

She frowned, fetching the Eroticon book. I’m sure I saw something in the index about protocol at meetings… ah, here. She leafed through the book and found a segment called ‘Milk Masks’.

Take two units of regular bovine milk and add one tenth of a unit of zap apple vinegar, one tenth of a unit of weeping wine vinegar. Mix with food colouring, roll into ball and chill, then heat up… what is all this for, why would it- She flipped some pages back and found the start of the chapter.-oh. Oh! Oh. So this section is for disposable costumes, then, for ponies who can’t afford a full outfit. But... that? Really? Is it… it’s all of them, even the magical ones. Why would they... ooooh.

Twilight looked up from the book, her mind awash with questions that even in her surprised state didn’t take long to answer.

A smile formed on her lips, which promptly became a confident smirk when she returned to the section on magical constructs, a section which was dedicated to summoning the same thing with unicorn magic. Everypony’s equal in their fetishes, after all. Earth ponies and pegasi can make this with fairly simple ingredients, it’s fair if I use my magic for it.

And Rainbow… oh, I hope Rainbow joins me for this. She’s going to laugh her tail off when she finds out we can do this.

Scootaloo looked up nervously at Rainbow Dash. The tubular object in her hoof was still vibrating. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “It’s a massager. You’re supposed to put the tip on pressure points, eases off the tension.” She took the vibrating object from the girl’s hoof, pressed it into a nerve point on her neck to demonstrate its purpose, then put it back in place on her nightstand. Good thing I don’t have any sex toys lying around the house. She then looked down at the massager and realised it looked thick, was capable of vibrating, and was also decidedly phallic in shape. Huh… funny how I never thought about using it down there. Does that make me more of a lesbian or less?

“Sorry, Rainbow Dash.” Scootaloo kicked the cloud floor idly, then thought the better of it when it made the floor wiggle.

Rainbow Dash just kept her gentle smile up. “That’s okay, kid. So, now that you’re up here, what do you wanna do?”

Scootaloo looked around the place. With hardly any inner walls, it all looked like just one giant hall with sections that blended seamlessly into each other. It made the structure look intimidating, which wasn’t a bad match with its owner. “Um, I’m not sure. I was kinda hoping maybe we could hang out?”

Rainbow walked up to the girl. “We’re already hanging out, Scootaloo. What do you want to do while we hang out?”

Scootaloo fidgeted in place. “Well…”

“Come on.” Rainbow Dash flew up and dropped herself on a couch, patting the seat next to her. Reluctantly, Scootaloo walked over and sat down next to the mare. She looked up at Rainbow, Rainbow looked down at her. Everything fell silent.

The filly sighed. “My mom told you, huh?”

Rainbow Dash looked away obliviously. “Told me what?”

Scootaloo’s ears drooped. “About the thing?”

Rainbow still smiled, then shrugged. “What thing?”

Scootaloo felt her wings bunch up. “Do I really need to say it?”

Rainbow Dash folded her arms behind her head and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “Isn’t that why you’re here? So you could talk to me about it instead of with your parents?”

Scootaloo took a deep breath, then heaved it out in a deep sigh. “Yeah, it is. I, umm, my mom and dad wanna take me to see a doctor in Canterlot. They want me to get my wings checked out, see if everything the works the way it should. My dad’s been keeping tabs on it, but he still thinks I should see a specialist. They’re worried something’s wrong with me.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Sounds like a good idea to me. So what’s the problem?”

Scootaloo threw her head back and nearly screamed. “I don't wanna go! Suppose there is something wrong with me? What if my wings are gonna stay like this forever?”

Rainbow Dash would have replied, but she stopped herself halfway. Instead, she unfurled a wing to curl around the girl’s shoulder. “Hold it right there. You think there might be something wrong with you because your wings are too small? Because you can’t fly?”

Scootaloo gulped. “Uhuh.”

Rainbow nodded, following the girl’s logic as best she could. “And that’s stopping you from seeing a doctor?”

The filly nodded. “I’m just scared.”

Rainbow scowled. “What kind of an attitude is that? How’s that gonna help anything? I thought you were braver than that, kid.”

Scootaloo pouted. “You don’t understand.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. If there really is something wrong with you right now, you should get it fixed right now. A doctor’s only gonna tell you to how to get better, not worse. You’re taking a big chance if you don’t go, your mom and dad will probably make you go even if you don’t want to.”

“I know.” The girl gritted her teeth. “I know, honest, but I can’t do it. I don’t wanna go, I’m scared of what they’ll tell me. I want to be like you when I grow up, I want to be like you right now, and I know I’m not, but... I’m getting closer, aren’t I?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled softly and nodded. “Yeah, you actually, sort of, are. You’ve gotten closer than you might think.”

Scootaloo smiled, though the glint in her eye betrayed the tear that was trying to find its way down. She gestured towards her idol. “See? That’s what I want, right there. I can walk into the doctor’s office and know I’m still cool, like you. But when I come out, I don’t want to walk out knowing it was all for nothing. And I really don’t know how I’m supposed to be brave like you and do it anyway. I don’t want to grow up… you know…”

“I know.” Rainbow patted the girl’s shoulder with her wing. “You’re right. It is a really scary thing to deal with, and I’m flattered you’d talk to me about this. Just don’t forget your parents are there for you, too, and so is Cheerilee. So are your friends, and Twilight, and Pinkie Pie, there’s lots of ponies you can ask for help. There’s lots of ways you can get help, lots of answers to any problem you might think you have, assuming you even have one. We have magic, you know. It can’t fix everything, but it can get pretty close, as long as you catch it when it can still be fixed. You know what I’m gonna say about the doctor, kid.”

Scootaloo nodded, resigned to her fate. “I should just suck it up and see the doctor. Guess I’m just a coward.”

Rainbow Dash sighed and pulled the girl closer into a hug. She grunted to herself as she fought the words coming up from her mind. In the end, she realised she might as well, given the circumstances. Talk about déjà vu. “Look, kid, I’m not gonna lie: things get scary sometimes, especially when you don’t know what comes next. Stuff happens when you grow up. Some of it’s gonna be bad, and it might even get so bad you start thinking you’ll never grow up to be what you wanna be.”

Scootaloo perked her ears and looked at the mare intently.

Rainbow Dash smiled and nodded at her. “But I promise all the bad things you’re feeling now will go away. One day you’re gonna realise you’ve grown up into an awesome pony, exactly the way you want to be, and to make it even better, you’ll see you’re still growing even after you’ve come so far. When you see that, you’ll see it was a different pony who felt all scared and hurt. You’re not the same pony you were yesterday, and tomorrow you won’t be the same pony you are today. It’s not a big deal if you think you’re scared or weak today, because… tomorrow, you’ll get to be a pony who isn’t.”

Scootaloo whimpered. “How do you know?”

Rainbow just shot her a confident glare. “Trust me, I know. You’ll see, one day.”

She turned out more stubborn than Rainbow’s younger self, clenching her teeth as she tried to work her mind around it. Eventually, she just took Rainbow’s word for it and chuckled. “I think I’m gonna enjoy that.”

Rainbow chuckled and ruffled up Scootaloo’s mane. “I know you will.” Oh, Twilight, what would I be saying right now if it hadn’t been for you? Did part of me know this would happen, maybe? Why couldn’t this kid ask a smarter pony to figure it out?

Scootaloo shook her head and clenched her eyes shut. “But what if it turns out I really can’t fly?”

Rainbow Dash looked away, thinking. Maybe I am smart enough for this kind of thing now. “Then you can get a hot air balloon and learn to fly that.”

Scootaloo frowned. “But then I won’t get to fly fast.”

Rainbow shrugged. “So we’ll strap a helicopter screw to your back, like we did for Tank.”

The girl shook her head dismissively. “But then I wouldn’t be flying with my own wings. I’d be cheating with a machine.”

“You can learn hang gliding, then. They’ve got competitions of that, too, with their own sets of rules. Hang gliding's got its own celebrities even the Wonderbolts look up to. There’s some real daredevils in that, and they go fast. Like, freefall fast, stunts and everything. You'd probably be good at that, and all sorts of ponies do it, whether they can fly on their own or not.”

Scootaloo shook her head, thinking. “But… but…”

Rainbow Dash hugged and squeezed the girl tighter. “Listen to me, Scootaloo, there is nothing wrong with you, nothing. You’re great on your scooter, I’ve seen you. You’re one of the best athletes in town, and anypony who disagrees either doesn’t know what they’re talking about or just wants to bring you down because you can beat them if they don’t. That’s just something ponies do, and they did that to me when I was your age, too. It hurts, but it happens, and it doesn’t mean anything. Nothing I’ve seen you do ever made me think you were handicapped, ever, and if your parents want you to see a doctor, it just means they’re looking out for you. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.”

Scootaloo stealthily wiped away that tear that was forming. She broke away from the hug to look Rainbow in the eyes. “But then why are my wings so small?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Probably because you’re a dodo.”

Scootaloo went quiet, and the maintenance pony in charge of running Scootaloo’s head kicked the computer that had gotten stuck whilst processing that last sentence. “What?”

Rainbow Dash grimaced at the girl’s confusion. “You’re a dodo, Scootaloo, or you look like one, at least. You never learned about pony breeds? Your dad never told you?”

The maintenance pony in her head gave that computer some more taps, but it didn’t seem to take. “Uh uh. Am I supposed to know it?”

The mare chuckled. “Well, I learned about it when I was your age, but maybe that’s a Cloudsdale thing, or a pegasus thing. See, ponies come in all shapes and sizes, not just Earth ponies, unicorns and pegasus ponies. Well, those and alicorns, but nopony really knows about alicorns, except for alicorns.”

Scootaloo blinked, surprised.

“Anyway, you get breeds of ponies, and you can tell which is which by how tall a pony is, how big their legs are, the colour of their mane, that sort of thing. They started naming them before the tribes united, so a lot of it sounds kinda silly. My breed’s called the peacock: we’re all bright colours so we stand out on a battlefield, we have pretty strong wings, and big lungs for barking orders. My breed’s a natural leader, you see, we’re supposed to stick out so ponies follow us easily. Your breed’s called the dodo: less bright colours, flexible limbs, good sense of balance, tiny wings, but really good runners, and extremely hard to catch. They were great scouts and fighters, especially in the woods, since their wings didn’t get caught on stuff, and they were known to be totally fearless.” Rainbow rubbed the girl’s back with a wing for comfort.

Scootaloo grimaced. “So does that mean I’ll never get to fly because I just got a stupid breed? You’re just making stuff up!”

Rainbow patted the girl’s head. “No, you don’t have a stupid breed, and I am not making stuff up. Ask Cheerilee about it sometime, she’ll tell you. But you should still get your wings checked out. At the very least, you should make absolutely sure which breed you are, so you know what’s normal. You have to get everything measured, answer a few questions, get your bloodwork done, and that’s all. I had to get my breed checked when I was your age, too, and I’m glad I did. You might have a problem with your small wings, but peacock breeds like me have to worry about their tails, it’s no different. Everypony’s got something that sets them apart, something about them they’re scared of going wrong, and not everypony grows the same way. That’s why we get it checked out. We need to know what to expect so we don’t get in trouble, especially us pegasus ponies. We wouldn’t want to fall out of the sky once we do learn to fly.”

When the maintenance pony in her head was finally done getting the processor to cool down, Scootaloo’s ears perked. “Wait, so do you know any other dodos? I mean, other ponies like me, the breed you think I am?”

Rainbow Dash looked away, grimacing awkwardly. “Err, sure? I think I know one who even made it to the Wonderbolts Academy.”

Scootaloo squeed. “Really? Who?”

Rainbow cleared her throat nervously. “You know Snow Flake?”

The maintenance pony in charge of Scootaloo’s consciousness groaned and kicked the central processor again. “Big guy, red eyes, not a big talker?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “And a grownup stallion with wings that aren’t any bigger than yours are now. He got into the Wonderbolts Academy just fine, doesn’t have any trouble flying. I know a lot of other ponies like you manage it. The Weather Patrol captain in Baltimare’s got tiny wings, never bothered her.”

Scootaloo wasn’t listening. When the image of Snow Flake had entered the girl’s mind, combined with the knowledge she might end up looking like that one day, it had caused a minor meltdown in her thinking. The maintenance pony in charge of her brain had given up at this point, and was currently looking into the newer models to upgrade around puberty.

Eventually, the information sunk in and met with some modicum of acceptance. Scootaloo sighed. “Okay, I guess if it is just my breed, I can handle it. And if it’s not -”

“-Then we’ll just have to find a way to work around it, and you’ll still get to fly, just not the same way everypony else does. You’ll have your own way to fly, and if I have to, I’ll show you every way I know until we find something you like.”

Scootaloo weighed that in her mind, then nodded and sighed. “Right. So even if my wings don’t work, I’ll still get to fly. I think I’m… not scared of that?”

“That’s the spirit. So, now that we’ve got that out of the way, how about we cut all this sappy stuff and have a little fun, huh? If you can’t think of anything to do, we could just go out flying together.” Rainbow Dash hopped off the couch and stretched her legs and wings.

Scootaloo frowned. “I’d rather not. It’s fun and all, but I kind of feel like a baby when you have to hold me up to fly.”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “Well, your wings can’t hold you up, but they can move you forward, can’t they? Your only problem is getting up and staying up.”

Scootaloo checked her sides. Her wings were still as small as ever. “Yeah, so?”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “How high up do you think you are now?”

The filly looked down at the floor, then suddenly realised she was not only talking to the most awesome pony in Ponyville, but also the captain of the Ponyville Weather Patrol. “Oooohhh…”

Rainbow’s smirk went wider. “Wait right there. I’m gonna go get us both some clouds to hold onto, and then we’ll get a good wing workout together.”

Okay, Rainbow. You've had time to think, Scootaloo had fun, she's back home. You did what you had to, you're still awesome.

Despite her apparent awesomeness, Rainbow Dash gulped as she stood before the library's entrance. Just go in. You don't need to turn tail and go check on Scootaloo again, she's fine. It's Twilight you need to worry about now. Quit stalling or ponies are going to notice.

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath to steady herself. She raised her hoof to the door of the library, then stopped. Should I really do this? What if it goes wrong?

Then she decided that the concept of romance had no place on that illustrious and selective list of things that managed to scare her. She opened the door and strode in confidently, finding the princess, as per the norm, reading a book in the middle of the room.

Twilight looked up. “Time for the talk, huh?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, I, err… Spike?”

Twilight gestured to the stairs. “Six-hour nap, won’t hear a thing as long as we don’t shout.”

“Owloiscious?”

“At Fluttershy’s, getting his nails done.”

Rainbow Dash walked over to the alicorn and sat down at the table. “Okay. Look, Twilight, I’ve had time to think, so have you, and I... “ She looked towards her friend, who was still shaking at the wingtips. “Maybe you should go first, if you think you can.”

Twilight smiled and bit her lip. She looked at the floor as she spoke, only occasionally checking Rainbow Dash’s response. “Thank you. I, umm… I’ve thought it over and I’ve come to the conclusion that I like controlling ponies the way I do. I like having power over them, and it’s not just a bad habit. Me trying to step in and fix everything is just how I show I care, as wrong as it might get sometimes. The ponies I meddle with the most are the ones I care for the most, and I’m just going to have to learn to live with that somehow. So I’ve decided I’m going to look into it, seriously. I’m going to see if there are ways to get a relationship that allows me to do what comes natural to me, that’s all there is to it. What about you? Do you really want to be a pet to somepony, even if it’s not me?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No, not just that. I had this talk with Scootaloo, and I said some things I didn’t realise I knew. I, err, I had to act like not me, and I’m really glad I could, because that would have made a huge mess.”

Twilight winced at the thought.

Rainbow took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Anyway, it made me realise I don’t want to be a slave, I don’t want to be a puppet you can toss aside. I want somepony I can cut loose with, I want to be somepony else sometimes, and I need that to come from somepony who’s okay with that. I guess I just want to be the kind of pony who isn’t as stupid or embarrassing as I can be sometimes.”

Twilight winced in sympathy. “That’s not true, Rainbow Dash, you know you’re better than that.”

Rainbow threw a hoof up and pointed to Twilight. “See? That’s what I want, right there. I don’t want to just be a dumb jock, or a serious captain, or some goofball. I wanna keep mixing it up, you know? I need to be ready for anything. I need to be smart sometimes, or a good listener, even if that’s not the kind of pony I usually am. I need to start looking out for all the different parts of me, not just the ones I think are cool, or else I’m gonna keep screwing important things up. And I want to be with somepony who understands that there’s more to me than what I show.”

Twilight chuckled. “So that’s the big attraction. You don’t want to be stuck as just one colour, you want to be a whole rainbow.”

Rainbow nodded, finally noting the odd connection with her mane colours. “Exactly.”

Twilight slowly strode closer, swaying her hips as she went. “So if I started, I don’t know, entrancing you more and making you do things for me, intimate things, that would make you feel better. You want somepony you can submit to and still feel safe with.”

Rainbow caught her breath. “Uhuh. I want to be with somepony who understands me, and I wanna do those things with a pony I love, and who loves me. But even if you like doing that sort of stuff with me, I can’t force you to love me, so if you wanna call it qui-” Rainbow froze. Her wings went erect, her face flushed, her ears perked, all over her body signals were getting mixed up. She felt the warmth flood her body, flow in, then flow back out.

The warmth was focused on her forehead. Twilight was kissing her.

The alicorn broke away, as flustered as Rainbow was. “I-I had a talk with Cadence, and she made me realise that I may have kind of, sort of, had a crush on you for a while. You know, on top of everything else.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, confused. “What do you mean, you had a crush on me?”

Twilight looked at the floor again. “There’s a lot of little things I do with you that I don’t do with anypony else, so little I never realised it. What I did, what I’ve been doing, it’s all just because I didn’t realise what I was feeling. The pet thing and me being in love, it’s the same thing for me, I just didn’t think that was possible. It’s confusing, and I’m still not sure how I’m supposed to deal with it. But I know now that I think you’re very attractive, Rainbow Dash, I really do. Your mane, your tight body, all that on top of a personality I just adore. The way you can inspire other ponies to do better, the way you can forgive even when anypony else wouldn’t, the way you always try to be better, you’re everything I ever wanted in a special somepony.”

Rainbow bit her lip and pulled away slightly. “But we’re both mares, Twilight. Does that mean we’re lesbians now?”

Twilight’s wings bunched up and rubbed nervously against her sides. “I don’t know. Does it matter? I mean, do you find me attractive?”

Rainbow blushed and smiled. “Yeah, you know I do. You’ve got the whole cute librarian thing going, you’re in really good shape for an egghead, and you put just as much effort into your magic as I do in my flying. We’re a lot alike, and the only reason we have to remind each other of that so much is because we’re just scared. On top of that, you’re the only pony I know who’s ever made me feel smart. You have no idea how big of a deal that is for me, not feeling like the dumb one for once. I don’t feel embarrassed around you, ever, not if it’s just you. It’s like you just know me, more than anypony else. I don’t know if I’m that into mares, but I’m into you, and you’re a lot of other things I do know I like. So no, it doesn’t matter that much to me.”

Twilight smiled. “Then I guess we can be together. But if we do this, we’d be a normal couple, too, not just Mistress and pet. We’d be in a relationship, with each other, and everything that comes with it. Is that okay with you? Can you forgive me for doing what I did?”

Rainbow Dash lunged for a hug. “Look, Twilight, you scared me. It’s gonna take a while for me to get over that completely.”

Twilight sighed, gently returning the hug and then backing away. “Of course. If you want me to keep my distance, I will. No hard feelings.”

Rainbow Dash squeezed her harder. “I didn’t say I wanted you to stay away. I don’t want you to be lonely just because you made one dumb mistake, I want things to be fun again, and I do lots of fun things that are scary, it’s no big deal. I wanna hang out with you, like I said I would when we first met. Just you and me, we could have so much fun together, we don’t need to get hung up on how stupid either of us can be. I can get over it, and we can work it out if we just keep our heads together.”

Twilight squeezed right back and wiped away a tear. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. I promise I’ll earn your trust back. I want to have fun with you, too.”

“Then we will. I’ll show you how to fly like a real daredevil, you can show me around those big, dusty libraries of yours, and I promise I’ll try not to fall asleep when you talk about history or something.”

Twilight grinned and stroked Rainbow’s mane. That hard chest on hers made her heart flutter, and they were close enough to be able to tell it was a mutual sentiment. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m sure I can come up with a post-hypnotic suggestion to keep you awake when I want. That is, if you still trust me with that.”

Rainbow squeezed her even tighter and chuckled, before breaking away. “I want to trust you with that, Twilight. It’s fun, and it doesn’t need to get out of control.”

Twilight planted another kiss on Rainbow Dash’s forehead and let off a sigh of relief. “It won’t. I’ll make sure you enjoy it every step of the way, and I’ll never cross the line again, ever.”

Rainbow Dash nodded and wiped away another tear from Twilight’s eyes. “So what happens now?”

Twilight looked away. “Well, since we’re both new to this, I was hoping to get some books.”

Rainbow Dash groaned in defeat. “Of course you were.”

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Hey, you might follow your heart easily enough, but I want to be as prepared as I can. I need to know what’s normal for ponies like us, or ponies like me. I need to know what kind of practical problems we might run into.”

Reluctantly, Rainbow Dash agreed. “Sounds fair. Anything else?”

Twilight put her hooves on Rainbow Dash’s shoulders and sighed. “Well… I’ve been thinking about doing an experiment with sex magic.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me? We have sex magic? Why have I never heard of this?”

Twilight blushed and looked away. “Yeah, turns out we do, but it’s not very well-documented. From what I can tell, it’s a very old discipline that’s mostly been lost over the years. Any source material is mostly coded in imagery, and you can’t really tell which is which if you don’t try. So… if it’s okay with you, I’d like to try and incorporate some of those images in our sessions together.”

“You want to put hypnotic images in my head, and you don’t know what they’re for?” Rainbow’s eyebrow remained up.

"No, but I can guess, based on what I do know. I’d have certain goals for you to achieve, so I would know if something is going wrong or right. I wouldn’t do anything I don’t know is safe, and it’s still just hypnosis, not spells being cast. Whatever happens, it would be all you, it would just make you stronger or faster in some areas, I think. And I’d have to keep you from remembering what the images are, or risk getting a placebo effect.” Twilight's ears had flattened, clearly anxious about the proposal.

Rainbow Dash winced. “So after what you tried doing to me, you want me to be a guinea pig?”

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think it would help. At the very least it’d increase your sexual energy, but without affecting your consciousness. It might just cure any intimacy problems right off the bat. But more importantly, it would give your body sexual healing. That’s what I need to know, that’s what I’m interested in: how sexual energy can strengthen a pony’s magic, and not just unicorn magic. I’d do it myself, but it’s just that I can’t with me knowing what to aim for and being… you know…” Twilight looked at her wing-adorned flanks.

Rainbow nodded slowly, looking those big wings over. “Yeah, I can see why that might be an issue. But why do you want to know? It sounds like you’ve got a good place to start, somepony else can research it.”

Twilight shook her head. “Actually, no. I’m the only pony who’s researched the magic of friendship seriously, I’m the only pony who knows how that magic works and how it feels when it transforms you. I’ve done all that work, I’ve gotten so much insight, but I can’t put that into words. I’ve learned so much and the only thing I have to show for it are friendship reports. That’s fine for when one of us forgets, but what about the next generation? If ponies have magic that’s powered by the sense of friendship, then at the very least we have magic that works through physical arousal. That’s something you can measure, that’s something you can replicate.”

Rainbow Dash relented. “That’s something you can leave behind for the future.”

“Exactly. Unicorn magic is documented, it’s written down, but Earth ponies and pegasus ponies get stuck having to figure everything out by doing, and they have been for centuries. That’s not right, somepony needs to step in and fix it. The only problem is that Earth ponies and pegasi don’t have a focal point. Their magic that runs through their whole body. The only way to come up with a proper protocol for that kind of magic is-”

“-To make their whole body work with the energy. And sexual energy’s something everypony can deal with,” Rainbow Dash concluded.

Twilight nodded. “Right. I want to write down what sort of erotic imagery triggers what, so other ponies can mend their own magic when it’s unbalanced. It wouldn’t be that invasive, but it would help. And… you know… it would also end up making you a better pet, a little heightened sexual energy should do you good.” Twilight blushed furiously at that last mention.

“I’ll do it.”

Twilight’s ears perked. “Really?”

“If this means that much to you, and if you really are doing it so other ponies can be happy, I’ll do it. Besides, it could be fun, even if it doesn’t end up working. And I do want to be good at this whole pet thing, I might as well try. But I’ll expect you to tell me when things are about to get weird, Twilight.”

Twilight broke away. “Of course. I promise you’ll enjoy it, you’ll get exactly what you wanted right from the start, it’s what I had in mind when I started, actually. I’ll keep a close eye on whatever happens, and I’ll make sure to stop if it goes too far. I’ll be going on a trip to shop for books, too, if you want to come. Err, ‘come’ as in join me, not the other kind. You don’t have to.”

“Shopping for adult fetish books? You?” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “No way you’re doing that alone. I’ll tag along for moral support. I just hope nopony recognises us.”

Twilight grinned. “I’ve got that covered, and I’ll tell you what, pet.” Twilight leaned in and slowly, gently rubbed over the inside of Rainbow’s thighs. “How about I just put a little suggestion in that pretty little head to join me when I leave? Keep the destination a surprise?”

Rainbow Dash blushed and shivered with excitement. “S-sounds good, Your Highness, I think I can trust you with that. You’ve been reading that Daring Do thing again, huh?”

Twilight squeed and withdrew. “Maybe. It’s a lot more fun to cut loose and get into character when you have a standard to follow. Oh, which reminds me, you never finished that draft. Here.” Twilight brought forth the manuscript that had started this whole predicament. “If you have the time for it, you can finally finish it.”

Rainbow Dash smiled and took the script, flipping pages to the point where she’d left off. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Twilight quickly trotted up the stairs. “I just need to check up on Spike for a moment, make sure he’s not eating his pillow again. Oh, and Rainbow?”

“Yes?”

Twilight lowered her head ever so slightly, embarrassed. “When we do, you know, play together, I’d actually prefer you call me ‘Mistress’, not ‘Your Highness’. It sounds all proper, and it was my idea to begin with, but it’s just that I grew up calling my teacher ‘Your Highness’, so it’s got a weird ring to it.”

Rainbow Dash looked up from the book. “Sure, no problem. You could just put that kind of thing in my head while I’m under, you know.”

“I know. But I’d rather just tell you while you’re awake.”

Rainbow Dash smiled and nodded, Twilight smiled back. She entered her sleeping quarters and ascended another set of stairs to sit down next to Spike’s little cot. She poked the baby dragon while her magic fetched an item from the saddlebag she kept handy next to her book cases. The dragon barely stirred. Twilight let her mind wander.

Wow. I never thought it would come to this. I finally admitted I love Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash loves me. She forgave me, at least partially. We’re both weird in the way we express love, sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real. And we’ve both really matured since we first met each other.

Right on cue, a hollar came from down below.

“She turned Daring Do into an alicorn?! This series is ruined forever!”

Spike shot up from his bed. Twilight caught him in mid-jump, placed him back in his bed, gave him the five bits she owed him for the bet he’d just won, then patted him on the head and strode off to let him sleep.

Author's Notes:

Stop. You, writing the comment. Stop for a moment. Are you about to comment on Scootaloo? No? Proceed, then. Yes? Does it involve quoting canon or remarking on her condition, whatever it is? No? Proceed. Yes? Check my blog on the Scootaloo flight thing before commenting, please. Look here, if you haven't yet: WARNING HERE

I am instituting a zero tolerance on Scoots-based drama. Violators will get comments deleted, repeated offenders will be blocked. Don't start ranting about canon. Do not even mention canon. You have been warned. That is all. I'm not going to say too much about Scootaloo in this chapter, mainly because I think it's all fairly straightforward. The point was to show Rainbow Dash in another role she's unfamiliar with, but isn't linked to sex. You know, add to the depth, sort of, show she's matured... but not that mature that she wouldn't be upset about Daring Corn.

I think I heard someone on QI remark that one of the reasons the dodo went extinct was just because the birds didn't flee from danger, they didn't know they had to run from the things that ended up killing them. Seemed like a nice little tidbit to make a pony breed called 'dodos' be fearless.

The sex magic thing... I've found a way to let it tie in and be resolved more or less adequately. It'll be slightly relevant and come with a good enough punchline to warrant its inclusion.

The Daring Do thing... it was too easy, I couldn't resist. I'm only human, after all... most of the time...

On a lighter note: the three-parter is coming next. Rubber will be involved, as well as, err, possibly a self-insert OC, you'll know him when you see him. I'm planning to do a custom Google Search to check what bragging rights I can claim. And brag I shall, if I can.

Prepare your bodies, folks, it's gonna be one fun trip. It was the most fun I've had writing anything since Flight Camp, so I do sincerely hope you all enjoy it at least half as much as I did. I'm probably not going to get away with any of it, but I don't care.

Stay tuned for next week. It will be glorious.