-------------------------------------
As he left the hayloft, Joshs spirits felt higher than ever. Someone had helped clear his name of that slanderous article Champagne had gotten printed and now he was going on a date with the love of his life. He knew there was quite a bit he had to do to get ready beforehand, including a trip to the boutique and a shower... but there were two things he had to do first... and one was something he never imagined himself doing....
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As he flew down towards Fluttershy's cottage and landed gently on the ground, he couldn't help but hope Fluttershy and Meowth would forgive him for his attitude. He'd seen a letter during the night back at the castle reading that Meowth was staying with Fluttershy and needing time to calm down, although the words were slightly runny from the teardrops that had fallen onto the paper, the sight making the human feel even more embarrassed of letting Champagne's lies get under his flesh. But as he approached the garden in front of the cottage she called home, he couldn't see either her OR his cat-pokemon companion anywhere, just Angel Bunny angrily pulling up some of the vegetables with a shovel. Tentatively, Josh walked up to the rabbit fully aware from Fluttershy that he had a VERY volatile temper and was extremely protective of his owner.

"Um... hey, Angel Bunny...", he said sheepishly. The bunny didn't respond other than to look up and give him a cold glare before resuming his chore. "Look, Angel, I know Fluttershy's upset with me and I bet Meowth is too... But I need to go talk to them!"

Angel just set the shovel down, stood in front of the wooden door, and glared again at the teen, as if to say "Why should I let you???"

"Look... I screwed up and let that prick Champagne get under my skin... But the truth behind what happened has been revealed and I'm ready to help take that bastard out. I'm even gonna take Dashie out to dinner as a way of apologizing for how I've been acting... But before I can even begin to get ready... I need to let them know I'm sorry.... Please... let me through..."

The hot-tempered rabbit looked at Josh's face, trying to discern any more hostility from the human. But seeing only genuine sorrow and shame in his face, he sighed and walked back over to the shovel he'd been using for his chore, allowing the teen access to the entrance.

"Thank you..", Josh whispered as he approached the door and raised his fist to knock on it. But a tap on his back caught his attention and he turned around, looking for whoever was seeking him and inwardly praying it wasn't Thoroughbred again.

"Hello----"

That was as far as Josh got before a sharp agonizing pain ran through his body, starting right at his crotch. His eyes grew wide as dinner plates and he fell to his knees, clutching himself as he yowled in agony, his voice now as high and squeaky as Fluttershys.

"Ooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The last thing he saw before he collapsed into a fetal form from the sheer pain was Angel standing there... patting the handle of the shovel against his paw after using it to crack Josh right in his nuts. He could hear the door open behind him, his yowl alerting Fluttershy and Meowth and he struggled to speak to them.

"..uttter.h..y.. M..e.e.w.t..h..", he grunted, looking up at the sideways forms of the yellow pegasus and the Cat-pokemon staring at him.

The two of them struggled not to laugh at the pained expression on Josh's face as he held his privates, covering their mouths with their paws and forehooves, but soon they both found themselves falling backwards and convulsing with laughter to the point where their bladders were close to releasing all over Fluttershys floor. Through his agonized tears and sideways vision, he could make out his friends holding themselves laughing and the sight did not even remotely amuse him.

"I AM REALLY HURT HERE!!", he moaned, "I think one of them popped!!!!"

That was all it took for the two to laugh so hard they wet themselves, their convulsive laughter coming to an abrupt stop as they felt themselves become moist with their own urine stream and they both blushed in sheer embarrassment at having had such an accident.

"I... I think I just peed myself...", Meowth whimpered.

"I think I did too....", Fluttershy gulped in shock.

"Urgh..", Josh groaned in pain, struggling to get to his knees while still holding his scrotum, "Can... can either of you... get that cleaned up... then PLEASE HELP ME ICE THIS!!!!!!! If this is my punishment for yelling at you two, I get it! I'm sorry!"

With their faces reading a mix of understanding and sheepishness, they gave the teen a hug and helped him crawl into Fluttershy's cottage. But as Angel Bunny watched the door shut behind them, he couldn't help but rub the scoop of the shovel proudly, knowing he'd made his message clear to Josh not to mess with Fluttershy's feelings... ever again.
----------------------------------------------------
It took about an hour for Josh to be recovered enough to where he could stagger out of the cottage, an ice pack and special lotions applied now to his crotch to help the pain still coarsing through his abdomen from Angels nut shot, and limp his way to Rarity's boutique. Since he was gonna take Dashie out to a nice dinner, he wanted to see if the fashionestra unicorn could whip him up something nice. But as he let Rarity measure him with her magic and ruler, even she couldn't help but voice her concern over Josh's discomfort.

"Why don't you just settle down into a bed and just snuggle?", she asked gently, "I'm sure Dash would just be happy to do that instead of a fancy dinner!"

"Rarity, this is Rainbow Dash we're talking about! She doesn't just "settle down and snuggle". Even when she's gaining weight she wants to have fun... and I get the feeling right now fun to her would be eating a nice big meal. She very well can't fly right now!"

"This is true, darling. Her flanks are growing at an insane rate and I can imagine Twilight Sparkle alone would be boggled to see her aloft!"

"Speaking of which.. has anyone SEEN Twilight? Last I heard, she was traveling to Gryffindale to pick u----"

His question was cut abrupt by the Boutique door flying open and Rarity and Josh finding themselves staring at a beat-up and pissed off lavender unicorn, their mane half-shaved and their eyes blackened to a near-point of blindness.

"Twilight! In Celestia's name, what happened?!", Rarity gasped.

"Good fucking lordy begordy!", Josh yelped, "What the hell happened to you?!"

Twilight merely snorted before she spoke, her voice enraged and full of piss and fury. "WHERE... IS.... THAT... BIRD?!?!?!?!?!? I... AM GONNA... KILL HER!!!!!!!!!"

"Honey, calm down! Just tell us what happened!!"

"I.... I got her bucking groceries.... and I got.... the shit.... BEAT OUT OF ME.... THAT MEDAL WAS AS USEFUL AS ONE OF THOSE GODDAMN BIRDHOUSES I MADE!!!!!! Tell me where she is.... NOW!!!!!"

"I... I don't know....", Josh sputtered. Not believing the teen for a second, Twilight used her magic to crunch Josh's already sore testicles to the point where they were close to exploding.

"Tell me NOW... or I will bucking POP them!!!!"

"I-I SWEAR!!! LET ME GO!!! I DON'T KNOW!!!!!!", Josh screamed, his voice high enough to where he could have passed easily for a soprano.

"Twilight, calm down!!! He doesn't know!!! He already got his crotch cracked by Angel Bunny, he's in MORE than enough pain!"

"Tell me!!! I swear to Celestia I will make it so you NEVER have offspring!!!"

"Ugk.... Come on... please.... let me go!!!! It hurts!!!"

"Oh you think THAT hurts?! I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT HURTS!!!!"

The unicorn let out a roar and her normally purple mane turned a bright flame red, her eyes growing the same blazed hue as a burning sensation was shot into Josh's nether regions and making bloody tears come out of his eyes, his tearducts still badly damaged from his injuries.

"Twilight stop!!! Please!!!!", Josh whimpered.

"DO YOU... HAVE... ANY IDEA... WHAT KIND OF LIVING HELL I GOT PUT THROUGH!?!"

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE, STOP!!!", Rarity yelled in the same voice she had used against Fluttershy, Josh, and Pinkie Pie nearly a week before, "LOOK AT YOURSELF! YOU'RE ACTING LIKE I WAS! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!!!!"

Looking at Rarity looking at her in utter shock and then as Josh screaming and holding himself and his burning crushed scrotum, she felt her anger diminish a little and she groaned and released her hold on Josh's privates, allowing the teen the ability to gasp for air, dry-heaving from the severe pain going through him.

"I gotta find her....", Twilight groaned, "I gotta find her... I'm sorry, Josh... I'm j---"

"It's.. it's ok.", Josh sputtered, "Just... please go.... All I wanted was a nice outfit for dinner tonight... NOT to have my nuts burned like bacon!!!"

Twilight nodded and stormed out, bumping into a wall-eyed mailmare coming in at the same time.

"Derpy?!", Rarity gasped, "What are you doing here??"

"I-I was just picking up Hammerhead's new coat! What happened HERE?!", Derpy replied in amazement. Even she could tell something insane had just happened.

"Twilight going nuts.... and Rarity the voice of reason...", Josh groaned, "Has Equestria gone mad!?"

"I didn't think a town could go mad! I mean it's not really a living thing! I mean the ponies in it are living, but a town??"

The look Josh and Rarity shared bore the same bewildered expression, almost as if they were awestruck at Derpy Hooves spaciness. But seeing Derpy there brought Josh's attention back to what he had planned to do before he'd gotten his nuts cracked by Angel.

"D-derpy?", he stammered, still gingerly holding himself with one hand and placing his other palm on the floor to where he was barely able to sit spread-legged to allivieate the pressure on his gonads, "W-w-when you were telling me that story before... you m-mentioned being able to open jelly jars without your hooves... what do you mean???"

The pegasus giggled at remembering herself telling that to the teen. "Well if Rarity has a jar, I'd be glad to show ya!"

Curious herself as to what Derpy had in mind, Rarity trotted into the kitchen and came back with a small jar of what appeared to be grape jelly, using her magic to levitate it in front of Derpy.

"Go on, show us Derpy! I want to see this!"

Cheerfully, the gray pegasus turned around to where her flank was facing Rarity and Josh. What she did next... would be etched into their minds for a LONG time.

Wiggling her big flanks, she spread her cheeks apart and fastened them around the lid of the jar, her hole almost pressing against the tip. Grunting with effort, she manipulated her big cheeks into turning the lid until it popped off with a small POP and then used her round orbs to pick up the lid and toss it aside before turning around and giving the two horrified bystanders a smile, picking up the jar, and pouring some of the purple goop inside into her open mouth, licking the excess off greedily before holding out the jar to Rarity and Josh with a jelly-stained smile.

"Anyone else want some?"

Rarity's stomach immediately went into reverse and she began retching, having to cover her bulging cheeks with her hoof, and rushed into the bathroom, soon filling the air with the grotesque sounds of her revisting her breakfast. Nonplussed, Derpy just held out the jar to Josh with a big grin, eliciting another reaction from the pained teen...

Fainting.

Watching Josh fall backwards into a heap, Derpy just shrugged and left the boutique, sounds of Rarity vomiting filling the empty studio.... well empty sans for one unconcious human.
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It took an hour for Josh to regain his senses and by now his crotch was in enough relief thanks to more of Fluttershy's lotions for him to take to the sky and head back into the cloud castle he now lived in. As soon as Rarity had staggered out of the bathroom, Josh had quickly given her an idea of an outfit he'd like to be decked out in for his and Dash's dinner and taken off, wanting to get a shower after what he'd seen...

It wasn't as much seeing Derpy's flankhole pressed against the lid of the jar that had made him pass out as it was just seeing her eating the jelly afterwards as well as one other stark realization that had hit him.

All those cartoons he remembered other kids talking about, where ponies were all sunshine and rainbows and singing.... none of them were true. Equestria's ponies had jobs and strengths and lives just like any one of the humans he knew.... and now he was on his way out to dinner with a pegasus he'd made love to, a pony he'd lost his virginity to! What cartoon could have depicted that?!

As he strolled through the large castle on his way to the upstairs bathroom, his mind couldn't help but drift back towards that journal... the one that had revealed her bed-wetting wish. He couldn't help but wonder what else it held, even as he turned on the shower main and let the hot water begin its descent onto the sky-blue tile floor and walls. He knew it'd take a little while for the water to get just right and the temptation was too great. Before he knew it, he'd gone back into the bedroom and come back out holding that white leather book, the same one he knew held some of Rainbow Dash's deepest secrets. Plugging in a small waterproof radio onto the counter, a habit he'd picked up back in his own world for while he showered, he sat down on the sky-blue toilet, opened the book, and began to read, letting the metal music play... it words seeming to echo into the pages themselves....

Water creeps
Through the windows, up the stairs

Chilling rain
Like an ocean everywhere

Don't wanna reach for me do you
I mean nothin to you
The little things give you away

And now there will be no mistaking
The levees are breaking

All you've ever wanted
Was someone to truly look up to you

And six feet under water
I
Do

Each passage that passed before his eyes gave the teen more info than he could ever thought possible about the cyan pegasus. All of it was beyond spellbounding, things he would never have been able to imagine.

Hope decays
Generations disappear

Washed away
As a nation simply stares

Don't wanna reach for me do you
I mean nothin to you
The little things give you away

But there will be no mistakin
The levees are breakin

All you've ever wanted
Was someone to truly look up to you

And six feet under water
I
Do

All you've ever wanted
Was someone to truly look up to you

And six feet under ground now
I
Now I do

More and more he read the book, time flowing by as the shower continued to pour behind him. It took a little less than an hour to read through the book, breathtaken by all the information it bequeathed to him. From secret desires to fears to habits to kinks to her wildest dreams... it was like reading her life story. Every bit of secretive info about the pegasus was revealed to him... except for one thing...

There was nothing in it about her parents. Not one mention of who it was that brought her into the world... in fact there was no mention of family at all. It was like she had no one else in the world... and suddenly what she had told him before began to take a whole new meaning...

""Yeah, well when I saw you get fried... maybe part of my bravery died a bit.... knowing I had something to lose...."

At first he thought it was her expressing how much he meant to her... but now he began to get the feeling that she really HAD no one else to look up to. Not even the glory of the Wonderbolts, no matter how many times they had been mentioned in the diary, had rivaled the glowing entry she'd put in about him. He'd almost all but forgotten what it felt like to be adored.

Little things give you away
Little things give you away
Little things give you away
Little things give you away
Little things give you away

(Little things give you away)

Finally, he put the book back down and slipped his clothes off to head into the shower. But now hs mind was abuzz with what he had just learned and even as he stepped in and let the hot steamy water cascade over his body, he just kept thinking about what he'd uncovered and how he could help her live out some of her desires. He began to realize that her tomboyish, athletic demeanor... it was only half of what her true soul was and her desire for the Wonderbolts was only a speck compared to the scope of her other wishes. He wanted to make her happy in every way he could and he knew this contest alone wasn't just about showing up Champagne and saving Ponyville... nor was it about getting revenge for himself nearly being killed by his hoof...

It was about allowing her walls to break a little and let her real self; the snout-picking, bed-wetting, carefree pegasus with not a worry in the world be set free. It was about examining who she really was inside.

And as he let the water pour down onto his flesh, he knew that he would be the key to helping Rainbow Dash find herself.

All you've ever wanted
Was someone to truly look up to you

(Little things give you away)

All you've ever wanted
Was someone to truly look up to you

(Little things give you away)

All you've ever wanted
Was someone to truly look up to you

(Little things give you away)

All you've ever wanted
Was someone to truly look up to you

(Little things give you away)

All you've ever wanted
Was someone to truly look up to you

(Little things give you away)

All you've ever wanted
Was someone to truly look up to you

"Dash.... I won't fail you... We will win this... and then I'll set you free..."

(Little things give you away)
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The song in the chapter is "Little Things Give you Away" By Linkin Park off their album Minutes to Midnight.

Dedicated In Loving Memory of Chester Bennington.
3/20/1976 - 7/20/2017
We'll miss you. Rock on.