Rainbow’s feather by >>36451585


                                            >https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/36451086/#36451585


                                            >"A-Anon! Wait-"

                                            >"Look, I know we joke around and stuff but, umm...would- would you accept my primary feather?"

                                            "Oh, woah! That's a big feather"

                                            >"F-for you"

                                            >You boop her snootle before grabbing the feather

                                            >The blue feather strands almost have a rainbow shine as light passes its thin oily surface

                                            >Be it from preening saliva or sweat, you can't help but be mesmerised by its beauty

                                            >Moving it around, you can't help but watch as the rainbow moves along its entire length

                                            >Rainbow's giggles take you out of the trance as she asks

                                            >"Did...did you really like it that much?"

                                            "If I liked? This is the prettiest thing I've seen in Equestria"

                                            >"Wow, so the egghead was right after-"

                                            "Umm?"

                                            >"N-nothing, nothing, just uuh, that was my first ever primary you know, been caring for it since I was a filly and, and...and I'm glad that you like it"

                                            "That I sure do, I will treasure this for the rest of my life"

                                            >Rainbow Dash beamed at that comment, an smile so big you must've contracted diabeetus

                                            >Ruffling her mane, she gets back down on fours as you guide her to the door

                                            "Thanks again for the present man, you'll be the first to know when I get some idea where to keep it"

                                            >"Uh? Oh, you must be... tired, from the surprise, yea, let's not rush this or anything, haha"

                                            >You notice her kick with a rear leg before making a circle with it

                                            "Is everything alright?"

                                            >"Of course, everything is fine, why wouldn't it be fine, you certainly seem fine"

                                            >She answered that a tad too quickly

                                            >But this is Rainbow Dash, so you suppose that's one of her quirks

                                            >Always wanting to be the fastest

                                            >What a silly pony


                                            >"So I'll be at Fluttershy's while I heal, want me to come pick you up for breakfast? Or we can meet at Sugar Cube Corner so"

                                            "Wait, what was that?"

                                            >She looked at you uncomfortably, as if she had said something wrong

                                            >"W-what was what? Picking you for breakfast?"

                                            "No before that"

                                            >"I'm staying with Fluttershy?"

                                            "Yea that, why are you staying with Fluttershy instead of flying back to your home in the clouds?"

                                            >"Helloo" - she singsongs, unfurling her wings - "it's a primary?"

                                            >There's a huge empty space on the top where this feather should be

                                            >And you think you can see a bit of red from where it must been taken out

                                            >Not only that, but her wing looks a lot smaller without it

                                            >"I can't fly without that, but don't worry big guy, it should be healed in a few months tops"

                                            "Few months!?"

                                            >She stumbles back at your outburst

                                            "Dash, please tell me you're joking"

                                            >"Why would I be? Besides-"

                                            "But you love flying, why would you give that up for a mere gift!?"

                                            >"But-"

                                            "No buts, I can't believe you'd give away what you love most for a mere gift!"

                                            >"But-"

                                            >You boop her, pinching your nose with your other hand as you sigh

                                            "Dash, I won't lie I love this, but I don't want to be reminded that the reason you're not up there enjoying yourself is because you decided to give me a gift"

                                            >"B-but..."

                                            >This time you didn't even cut her, but all her will was visible focused in controlling her tears


                                            >Seeing the cyan mare trembling, you crouch down to give her a hug

                                            "Look, all I'm saying is that you shouldn't have done something so stupid for me alright, I'd much rather see you in the skies doing what you do best"

                                            >You separate from the hug and you don't think you ever saw Dash so broken in your life

                                            >She's not even trying to put a strong facade

                                            "Hey, cheer up, stupid as it was, you can be assured that I still loved it"

                                            >Gently grabbing her chin, you lift her head so she's staring at you

                                            "And if you ever need anything I will be right here for ya gal, what are best friends for?"

                                            >"Y-yea, haha, best friends"

                                            >Ruffling her mane, you get back up and show her a big smile, hoping she'd reciprocate

                                            >Her smile is somewhat crooked, but considering her state not long before, it's certainly an improvement

                                            "So I'm gonna get back on that pegasi book from purple, don't know why she's forcing me to read it, but she must have her reasons"

                                            "You know where to find me if you ever need anything right?"

                                            >"Y-yea" - she replied while not raising her head from the ground

                                            "Good, catch ya later"

                                            >"Yea, later..."

                                            >She doesn't move from her spot as you slowly close the door

                                            >Raising the feather, you once more move it there and fro, watching the rainbow sheen

                                            >You can't imagine how lucky your are to have a friend like Dash

                                            >Even if she's kinda weird at times...


                                            >The rest of the night went by swiftly

                                            >The book chapter went on about pegasi history

                                            >And all throughout it you felt like you were back in school studying for a test

                                            >...

                                            >Man fuck this, you'll continue tomorrow

                                            >You put a bookmark on the next chapter and go to sleep

                                            >You can't help but feel watched

                                            >Blue cunt can't fly though, so you doubt it's her on the window like other times

                                            >You hate how much of early risers these ponies are...

                                            >You have been getting up rather late since arriving in Equestria though

                                            >Wait, it's bright already

                                            >With a grunt, you try to open your eyes to notice the sun coming through your open blinds

                                            >And out the window, you find a bunch of birds sitting there

                                            >Silently watching

                                            >Judging your every move

                                            >Jesus, you thought they were supposed to be cute, not creepy

                                            >Rolling to your other side, you try to get comfortable again

                                            >You can't believe how hard you crashed yesterday

                                            >Though the book was pretty boring

                                            >Wait, didn't Dash want to have breakfast with you today?

                                            >You rush up to check the clock

                                            >You sigh with relief, finding that you didn't overslept

                                            >Much

                                            >And since she can't fly to your window, you wager she would've knocked on your door already

                                            >Maybe you can still meet her at Sugar Cube Corner

                                            >You should definetly treat her after she gave you such a gift

                                            >Maybe you should take the feather as well, show how much you liked it

                                            >Calling the stupid may not have been the best of moves

                                            >But imagining her being grounded, that's just wrong

                                            >What was she thinking?

                                            >Eh, can't go back in time to erase the past, may as well enjoy the present with your best friend

                                            >And after doing your morning routine, you pick the feather and go outside

                                            >Its even prettier under the sunlight, leaving a prismatic shadow underneath

                                            >And now you're just feeling bad

                                            >You caress the feather, enjoying it's effects

                                            >It's then that a idea creeps up

                                            >Perhaps a visit to Twilight's later would be in order

                                            >If someone can help Dash, that's certainly the mare


                                            >Perhaps there's a way to put this feather back in place?

                                            >With a nod you resume your way inside the city

                                            >As you walk, you notice the looks of wonder some ponies have been giving you

                                            >Well perhaps it's the feather, not you

                                            >The "Ooh"s and "Aah"s certainly was a fitting reaction to have at it

                                            >You tilt it in the air so ponies can enjoy the prismatic effects as well

                                            >That is, until your eyes lock right into Lyra's

                                            >Another great friend of yours

                                            >Although her semblance isn't a happy friendly one, much less one filled with awe at this feather prettiness

                                            >A look of shock is plastered all over her face

                                            >And very quickly tears start building up on her eyes as well

                                            >You hadn't even noticed Bon Bon there until the mare got between you two

                                            >She gives you a sad look and a slow shake of her head before nuzzling into Lyra, who happily accepts it

                                            >You finally notice that Bonbon wasn't just nuzzling but also gently pushing Lyra away

                                            >You have no idea what just happened, but you feel like you'll be hearing quite an earful for whatever you did

                                            >Maybe...maybe you shouldn't be sharing and showing everyone how pretty this feather is?

                                            >Though, everypony else seemed entranced by its beauty just like you

                                            >Unsure what to do, you decide to stop showing it out and try to get a low profile

                                            >Ponies still see you carrying it and watch you walk by with big smiles on their faces, but you contain yourself to try not make another scene


                                            >At last, the delicious confectionery smells attack your senses as you get to Sugarcube Corner door

                                            >And opening the door, you're immediately assaulted by a bright pink poofy hair

                                            >"Gasp! Is that? That is it, isn't it? THE feather. That's the feather. I can't believe you got the feather. I'd recognize it anywhere! I'm so happy for you two~. No wait, a party, yes, this needs a party, wait here"

                                            >And just like that she is gone to the kitchen

                                            >You get to the counter and look around, searching for Rainbow

                                            >But rounding every table, you find sweets, deserts, and happy ponies chatting away

                                            >Yet, not a single of them is your rainbow maned friend

                                            >"I'm back, my pinkie sense feels a extremely sad pony in need of some joy and I've been making this big blue cake to cheer her up tonight, so can your "Dash finally got the courage to give Anon her first ever bestest feather" party wait until tomorrow?"

                                            >It takes a while for you to process the word torrent that is this mare, but finally an answer starts to materialise

                                            "Uh, oh sure ponka. By the way, did-"

                                            >"Great! You better not miss it. Oh and Dashie is not here today, which is weird since she always comes here on wednesdays, but she must've been quite tired after such grand gift, huh? Huh? No. Don't tell me. Some things are better kept secret, but I feel like you should be going for Fluttershy's from here, so could you send her this package? It's dashie's favourites. Thanks, no, no need to pay, this one the house, oh the cookies should be ready!"

                                            >And with that a pink cloud is left in her wake

                                            >This mare...

                                            >Looking down at the counter, you find a neatly packaged bag and a large cupcake besides it

                                            >Just like the one you were going to ask for but at a larger size and decorated with a brightly smiling pony face

                                            >This fucking mare...

                                            >You can't help but smile at it all

                                            >Shaking your head, you decide to listen to her advice

                                            >Not having found Dash, giving Fluttershy a visit shouldn't hurt


                                            >Thus, grabbing the bag and the cupcake, you leave the shop towards your next destination

                                            >Fluttershy's home is past the castle and at the outskirts of the town

                                            >You also pocketed the feather for now, one hand being busy with the bag and the other with your cupcake

                                            >And holy shit this thing is massive

                                            >It didn't look so big, but by the time you got past by the crystal tree you weren't even half done

                                            >It was certainly one of the best cupcakes you ever had though

                                            >And as you walk away from the city, you don't feel sick of the amount of sweets in this cupcake nor bloated from its size

                                            >If anything, you feel ready to tackle the day

                                            >Like you had received a boost you didn't even knew you ever needed

                                            >And finishing a few metres away from your destination, you tuck away the cupcake paper and grab back the feather

                                            >No matter how many times you look, it never stops amazing you

                                            >How can a pony can make something so pretty like this, so magical

                                            >Perfect in every sense of the word, one upping everything you ever saw in Equestria to date, Dash...

                                            >Okay, better stop right there, you're starting to sound like a faggot


                                            >You shake your head to shoo the thoughts away before knocking on the door twice

                                            >There's some heavy wingflaps from inside approaching the door, so you just wait in place for the door to open

                                            >"P-please go away"

                                            >Okay that's not something you thought you'd ever hear from Fluttershy

                                            "I just wanted to talk with my bird, is Dash alright?"

                                            >"She is not a bird and most certainly not yours, please, just go"

                                            >You feel all that extra energy from the cupcake being drained away

                                            >To hear all that directed at you

                                            >It was nothing bad, you've had much much worse

                                            >But from Fluttershy?

                                            >Ouch

                                            "Can I...talk to her?"

                                            >But now you're only met with silence

                                            >You decide to continue, since you already walked all the way here

                                            "Hey Dash look, I haven't seen you all day and was starting to get worried alright? You know I'm not good with sappy stuff"

                                            >You pause a bit and can hear the same wingbeats from the other side

                                            >If she isn't stopping you, you suppose you're free to continue

                                            "I'm sorry if I called your present stupid, just, imagining you being grounded for months..."

                                            >You let out a sigh, an uncanny feeling that you had already overstayed your welcome

                                            "Look, I'm going to purple to see if there's any way we can help you alright? I don't know what I may have done to hurt you like so but I'm just, sorry"

                                            "And Pinkie sent a care package for you, I'm gonna let it by the door. See you girls around, I guess"

                                            >You start to walk away, hoping to see the door open to take a peek inside

                                            >But it never does, although that feeling from being watched never leaves

                                            >Guess going to Twilight is your best bet afterall


                                            >The walk towards the crystal tree feels longer than when going to Fluttershy's

                                            >You thought walks were supposed to feel quicker when deep in thought

                                            >Or maybe that cupcake was just that good

                                            >Either way, you cannot stop looking at the feather as you make your way back

                                            >Ever since Dash gave it to you, everything seems to have turned on its foot

                                            >Or its hooves considering where you are

                                            >You laugh to yourself at such awful joke

                                            >But deep inside you know its true

                                            >Taking your eye away from the feather for a second, you spot Roseluck staring at you with a faraway gaze

                                            >Just like the extremely happy ponies opening large smiles when seeing you with it

                                            >All of them but Lyra and Bon Bon

                                            >Are you missing something?

                                            >You keep watching her from the edges of your vision to not give yourself away

                                            >There aren't many ponies around, so her cream coat and rosey mane aren't too hard to keep track of

                                            >You try to wave the feather to show off the rainbow to Roseluck like you did before

                                            >But now that you're paying attention you see that she isn't looking at the feather

                                            >She may not even be looking at you

                                            >Like she's daydreaming or something

                                            >An idea comes to you, and you pocket the feather opposite to her so she cannot see it any longer

                                            >And surprisingly, not long after, she let's out a sigh and turns around to tend to her garden again

                                            >What the hell is happening?


                                            >You open the door to the public city library

                                            >Library that now turned into a castle

                                            >How the accommodations work is besides you, but wouldn't be the weirdest thing you've seen from these ponies

                                            >You're not here for the library though

                                            "Twilight, Twilight are you-"

                                            >Your mouth is instantly sealed shut by a purple aura

                                            >"What are you thinking screaming in a library like that Anon?"

                                            >You try to answer but your mouth just won't open

                                            >So you just follow her to where she is walking towards

                                            >She sits down on a table where a book is open with a cup on the side

                                            >You decide to sit down opposite to her before pointing to your mouth

                                            >With a roll of her eyes, her horn glows a bit before you see yourself free

                                            >You resist the urge to scream "I'm free!", knowing the results of the last time you attempted that joke

                                            >Also you have some important stuff to ask this time, can't get kicked off the library for nothing

                                            >"So?"

                                            "I just wanted to know if you were home, promise"

                                            >"Uhuh" - she pauses for a sip - "and you couldn't do that outside like a normal pony and away from the library because?"

                                            "Is this really the time for a lecture?"

                                            >"Yes, as a good friend I care about you fitting in you know, what if a filly is studying and her concentration is broken from that?"

                                            >"What if somepony is reading the last section of a Daring Do adventure and her immersion is ruined by your scream?"

                                            >"What if somepony comes hoping that the quiet from the library will help her finish her Celestia fanfiction and you-"

                                            >At once the book is teleported away and she turns her head to the side, blushing

                                            >"J-just tell me what you need!"

                                            >Sometimes you wonder how many of those she has done

                                            >And if Spike ever sent one of those away by accident

                                            >Definitively a prank to remember for later

                                            >But back to the now, you can't help but rub the back of your head uncomfortably

                                            "You see everyone has-been acting quite strangely, so I wondered if you could help"

                                            >"Strangely? Strangely how"


                                            "You see, everything started when Dash-"

                                            >Taking out the feather, you're promptly interrupted by a very happy pony

                                            >"Gasp, you accepted the feather! I'm so happy for you two"

                                            "That's the thing though, I have no idea what you're on about"

                                            >"You see Anon, when a mare and a stallion love each other very much..."

                                            "I know how babies are made Twilight"

                                            >"Then what's the problem?"

                                            >You raise a brow before raising the feather again

                                            >Twilight eyes it intently for a little bit before blushing and looking away

                                            >"T-that's a big feather"

                                            "For you, and yea, I said the same thing"

                                            >You see Twilight try to quietly unfurl her wings and start looking underneath, taking peeks at the feather in your hand

                                            "Are you serio-...really?" - you say under your breath, pinching your noise

                                            >Is feather size something similar to dick size or something

                                            >You know what, you don't even want to know

                                            "Twilight, can you please work with me here?"

                                            >"Sorry it's just, I never thought Dash would be in the percentile with such a lithe frame...woah"

                                            >The mare then shakes her head and takes a deep breath

                                            >Not that it helps with the comparisons your brain has been making so far

                                            >You're not sure if this is too much info or if you want to know what's going on anymore

                                            >"Alright, so what about it"

                                            "Everyone's been acting weird ever since I got this feather"

                                            >"Everypony as in literally everypony or have you been showing it off?"

                                            "Well...I may have been carried away by its beauty"

                                            >"Then there you go, what's so bad about a mare daydreaming about getting a massive feather like that herself?"

                                            "Can you not?"

                                            >"What? What did I do?"

                                            "Nevermind, though that does answer why Roseluck and everyone else acted the way they did, you see..."


                                            >You tell Twilight about your day

                                            >The ponies attention, Lyra's breakdown, Pinkie's congratulations, but you get interrupted once you get to Fluttershy's

                                            "...and after I knocked she told me to go away, so-"

                                            >"Wait, I'm seeing a pattern here, what is that feather to you?"

                                            >You look down and see how it still as shiny as the day Dash gave you

                                            "A big feather?"

                                            >"Huge even, but besides that?"

                                            >You know Twilight is probing for something, but you have no idea what she's looking for

                                            "Well, the obvious is that its a present"

                                            >You pause, looking at her, who just twirls her hoof in a gesture for you to go on

                                            "A special present that she decided to give to a very close friend"

                                            >"Yes, and?"

                                            "And even thought I said sorry, I still think it was stupid of her to give away her flight like that"

                                            >Somewhere in the distance you hear a glass cracking

                                            >"W-what? Is this one of your bad jokes"

                                            "Never, in fact that's what I came to ask you about, is there a way to magic it back on Dash so she doesn't have to suffer being ground bound?"

                                            >Two hard hooves pin your head between them, before bringing your nose to her snootle

                                            >Her huge purple eyes look into your ones with a piercing stare, as if you had just asked something very wrong

                                            >"Do you have any idea what you just said?"

                                            >Yep, you asked something completely taboo on accident

                                            >Again

                                            >Sigh, better get it over with


                                            "Is it a crime to want her to be able to fly again?"

                                            >"Yes! I mean no! That's besides the point Anon"

                                            >She releases your head and holds her own as she sits back down, eyes closed

                                            >"Uuurgh, you're impossible, you don't just magic a primary back just like you don't return a soul scroll to another unicorn, that's just wrong"

                                            "I'm not even gonna ask"

                                            >Twilight let's out a very frustrated horsey snort

                                            >"Okay, okay, you're just someone with zero sociological awareness for "horse society" as you once said, but sure, we can work with-"

                                            "Hey, I'm not that bad, in fact-"

                                            >"Don't you dare cut me Anon, not now"

                                            >It's not often that Twilight uses her Canterlot voice

                                            >But when she does it always ends in a moment of silence

                                            >She drops right back to her previous position, head laid down in her forehooves

                                            >You can almost hear the gears in her head turning in the silence, as her frustrations start to pile up from the chat

                                            >But your brain is one step ahead...

                                            "You know this is a library right? To be screaming like that~" - you say, booping her nose

                                            >One step ahead...for better or worse

                                            >For a second you though you were dead

                                            >Cheeks red, one of her eyes started twitching as she stared you down


                                            >But when she got up, she started doing that breathing exercise Cadance once taught her

                                            >Sometimes you forget how scary these little ponies can be

                                            >"Fine, I'm okay, don't worry...sigh, let's run it from the beginning. Did you read the book I gave you?"

                                            "Yes and no"

                                            >"I'm sorry? What?"

                                            "I'm still reading, but haven't finished it yet, it's a lot denser than I expected"

                                            >"Okay, then how far into it have you gotten to?"

                                            >You point the generic part about captain Hurricane and the old pegasi history

                                            >And she gives you a roll of her eyes at that

                                            >"Of course you'd stop right before the relationship part, even after I convinced Dash to wait so long, just so you'd have more chance to have gone past it"

                                            "What?"

                                            >"That feather she gave you, it represents Dash giving the most important part of herself to you, no matter the pain or the hardships she has to go through, she wants to do it with you by her side"

                                            >Oh

                                            >OH

                                            >"From your reaction I hope you finally understood why casually "putting it back" was such a big deal"

                                            "But, what should I do now?"

                                            >"I don't know Anon, I really don't, princess Cadance would be much more helpful for this than I"

                                            "Yes but, she's your best friend, surely you know something that could help me"

                                            >"Best friend yes, but that's far removed from a lover"

                                            >>"What are best friends for?"

                                            >>"You shouldn't have done something so stupid"

                                            >>"Cheer up, stupid as it was, you can be assured that I still loved it"

                                            >As soon you remember your words to Dash, you immediately feel like an ass

                                            >"The least you could do" - Twilight starts, bringing your attention back to her- "is perhaps to return it, at least she won't have a hole in her heart from it being gone without even a proper refusal"

                                            >If this was a fighting game, you'd just have received the finisher


                                            >Your grip around the feather tightens at the prospect

                                            "I, think I need some time"

                                            >"We all do from time to time, if you need an ear you can come talk to me"

                                            "Thanks, sorry if I get under your skin at times"

                                            >"I'd be worried if you didn't, probably start asking what did you do to that annoying human I knew. Now shoo, I still have a book to finish"

                                            >Getting up you start making your way to the door

                                            "Thanks again Twilight, also careful to not accidentally send those books to Celestia"

                                            >"Wha- I-I'd never...ANON!"

                                            "Shhh" - You say before closing the door behind you

                                            >A thud comes from the other side, Twilight probably having thrown something at you

                                            >You let out a giggle before looking down at the feather in your hands, all mirth instantly evaporating

                                            >Before a sign of wonder and beauty

                                            >Now, a weight you cannot even begin to describe thanks to your past actions

                                            >...you need a drink


                                            >Berry's shop is unsurprisingly empty for the time of the day

                                            >Although the time of day is surprisingly early for how many things already happened this morning

                                            >And all the events unsurprisingly come from a singular cataclysm

                                            >You take a chug of your drink before blankly staring at the feather

                                            >For such a pretty thing, this thing is a load of trouble too

                                            >You doubt Fluttershy will let you just waltz in to talk to Dash...

                                            >Another chug, catching Berry's attention this time

                                            >Maybe you should give this Sierra Crystal Nevada pale ale its due respect, instead of just trying to drown your doubts into it

                                            >Nah, you're certain other patrons do worse

                                            >"Hey Anon, how are you doing?"

                                            "To be honest I'd be better with a few more drinks"

                                            >"If you were planning on drowning something, perhaps you should've asked for something cheaper and stronger instead of something so refined"

                                            "Fine, hit me with your best shot"

                                            >"One Yak Bastard ale coming right up

                                            >You never ate lunch here, but suppose there's a first for everything

                                            "Do you have any grub to eat?"

                                            >"Nothing too fancy, but I could prepare some daisy and dandelion sandwiches for ya"

                                            >Darn ponies and their flowers

                                            "I'll try them out but no promises"

                                            >"I'm no Pinkie Anon, don't worry if you don't like the food, I'd be worried if you didn't liked the drinks though. Here"

                                            >Taking the filled cup from the counter, you immediately take a sip

                                            >You can't help but feel like your whole mouth was being assaulted by an angry mob, your taste buds and throat being burnt down, before leaving a sweet aftertaste

                                            "If you wanted me to tone down in the drinking you could've just told me, holy shit what was that?"

                                            >"Dash's favourite, packs the might of a yak, but it's just as sweet as they are after you get to know them."

                                            "She likes this?"

                                            >"Yep, takes all in one gulp, though I see you're more refined in your choices"

                                            "It's certainly not bad, but that thing could down a bull"

                                            >"Well, as I said, that's the idea" - she tells you with a big smile


                                            "I saw the feather and thought you'd like to experiment, is Dash preening on the open again and you found it around or is that, umm, did she..."

                                            "Yea, its a primary, she did"

                                            >"Damn, congratulations dude, consider these two and your next drink on the house"

                                            "You don't need to, truth be told I fucked up"

                                            >"Sounds like a history I'll get the sandwiches and you can tell me everything"

                                            "Berry wait..."

                                            >But she was already gone

                                            >You don't think you should tell literally everyone about it and become the talk of the town

                                            >But telling her the night where Rainbow gave you the feather should be enough

                                            >When she comes back, she has enough to feed you both, sitting down in front of you to eat as well

                                            >And you do as you planned, recounting the events of that very night

                                            >"Damn, that stings, and I wasn't even there. Why didn't you return the feather if you didn't wanted that?"

                                            "Its not that I don't want, I just didn't knew, it all seems so sudden"

                                            >"Do you have any plans?"

                                            "Find a way to get to her, say sorry, then improvise"

                                            >"Hmm that will not do, wait here"

                                            >Berry gets up and walks behind the counter

                                            >The sound of a beer glasses being prepared reaches you and you can only wonder what she has in mind

                                            >She comes back with five small barrels, no bigger than your head

                                            "Alright if I just picked for you it'd be boring, choose one"


                                            >1: Celestial Founders breakfast stout

                                            Best drank in small doses, has an alcohol by volume so high it rivals an alicorn tolerance to it, yet, unlike the Yak Bastard Ale, it's soft to the taste and many find themselves drunk before ever noticing how much they've already taken


                                            >2: Berry Punch's Berry Special

                                            A unique drink created by Berry herself, a rare berry mix lager that manages to rival the even best apple cider out there, although zap apples are still on a league of their own


                                            >3: Kirin Beer

                                            Cheap, but with a special flammable twist, often used on fire spitter shows, is very light on flavour and almost watery but with a spicy after taste


                                            >4: Zap Apple Cider

                                            Reason she rolled her eyes in the green, the one drink that was not her own, but since her clientele kept asking for it she decided to get her fair share to sell


                                            >5: Sierra Crystal Nevada pale ale

                                            A crystalline drink that almost sparkles as light hits it but otherwise having a dense rocky semblant, very light on alcohol but rich in flavour, the recipe was a most welcome gift from the Crystal empire to the world when they finally returned


                                            >You pick the fourth barrel and she rolls her eyes

                                            >"Of course you'd pick that, this one is for Dash though"

                                            >She turns around and slide another one she's carrying in her back onto the table

                                            >"She gave you something of important hers, why not give back the favour with something she likes?"

                                            "Holy shit Berry, how did I not think of that? You're a genius"

                                            >"Not really you just gotta show that you care you know"

                                            "That I do, thanks"


                                            >You rush back home, with the two small liquor barrels under your arms

                                            >Your mind aren't on either of them though

                                            >You need to give back a present

                                            >Something you couldn't live without

                                            >Something to show that you care about her

                                            >You never really thought of her as a lover to be honest

                                            >Brash, feather brained, often times hot headed

                                            >But behind all that an faulty amount of loyalty, tsunderish care and a great prankster

                                            >You never thought you'd think on a great prankster as a synonym of a good mate but here we are

                                            >You don't think you're ready to do this

                                            >But you don't have the luxury of time for doubts

                                            >Getting to your home, you put the barrels in the refrigerator before starting your task

                                            >But before you even began, you reached the end

                                            >You...really have nothing

                                            >Ever since getting to Equestria you never had something that was "Yours"

                                            >Everything you have has either been a gift or donation help from Twilight to get you situated

                                            >All it cost you was 10000 small donations of 30 bits per day

                                            >Or so you joke with her, she really asked for nothing in return

                                            >The fact remained that everything you have was the clothes in your body and whatever you had in those since the accident

                                            >Wait, what if

                                            >You move to your bedroom and start searching the nightstand

                                            >And there you find all your old, now useless stuff

                                            >House keys, pocket change, a wristwatch that doesn't work since day/night is whatever the ponies want it to be, your smartphone-

                                            >Gears on your hear start turning, as you pick the last device up

                                            >From all the things that suffered from the shock in culture, your phone was certainly up there

                                            >No way to communicate, no way to use, no way to charge

                                            >And yet you couldn't live without it before

                                            >...

                                            >It's perfect


                                            >You keep turning the phone in your hands

                                            >A sense of nostalgia for your old life

                                            >For other humans, as shitty as they may be

                                            >All of yourself packed into such a small device

                                            >Sitting on your bed, you stare up to the ceiling and release a long breath

                                            >You kinda don't want to give it up, so you can look back into these memories

                                            >Looking down at where your hand landed, you find the feather that started it all right beside where your hand landed with the phone

                                            >You must've mindlessly thrown there when you entered before looking into the nightstand

                                            >And so, you release the phone and look at them side by side

                                            >Wondering if primaries are so important to pegasi just like this phone was to you

                                            >She did say it was her first primary, having taken care of it since she was a filly

                                            >She got her cutie mark with it

                                            >She joined the Wonderbolts with it

                                            >She saved Equestria with it

                                            >Multiple times

                                            >Suddenly the feather didn't seem big just in the sense of the word

                                            >Nor did your phone seem like such a good gift, much less as important as it felt before

                                            >But it is still all you have, all you can give

                                            >What are you to a national hero?

                                            >Some kind of jerk, considering the circumstances

                                            >Finally understanding the whole meaning of the act, you grab your phone with one hand and the feather with another

                                            >Both so different, and yet the same

                                            >One a great tech marvel, with a mundane history behind it

                                            >Another a mundane part of one's body, yet carrying a great weight and prospects

                                            >But both carrying the whole story of the one who owned it beforehand

                                            >And even if she wasn't a hero, you cannot imagine the importance of something that has been with you since you got your cutie mark must have to a pony

                                            >Are you really going to do this?

                                            >Even if you don't, Dash still deserves a proper closing

                                            >What kind of friend would you be if you left her hanging afterall


                                            >You decide to relax a bit, being your free day from Applejack's farm work

                                            >Not only that but it gives you the chance to run through some possible interactions

                                            >Yet, every conversation you try to imagine turns out shit for you

                                            >And worse of all, most of times you're unable to even have a conversation

                                            >Fluttershy keeping you from seeing Dash right away, just like in the morning

                                            >Worse than that, you feel like your thinking from before ended putting Dash on a pedestal

                                            >Like an ant asking mercy to a giant hero

                                            >You don't want to go there and make an ass of yourself again

                                            >But trying to imagine a situation where you can drive the conversation your way is just making you feel worse

                                            >So, getting up, you throw your thoughts aside and decide to keep doing what you do best

                                            >Be honest to the other party, no matter what they think of you

                                            >Even if this other party can just squash you like an ant

                                            >No, fuck that, you're no ant

                                            >A boost of determination fills you, and you pick the feather and phone

                                            >Not only that, but you also grab the now cold barrels

                                            >Kicking your door(gently), you make your way outside

                                            >And holy shit its hot now

                                            >Looking up you cannot find a single cloud

                                            >It's almost like this part of the day was made to burn all your sins away

                                            >Damn it sunbutt, what the fuck were you thinking?

                                            >But you have a mission to complete, so you trudge on through this hell

                                            >You find no ponies in the way, probably staying inside

                                            >Not that you'd ever blame them with all that fur

                                            >You can't help but think on the barrels, hoping they barrels won't heat up much

                                            >Crossing the crystal tree, you take a moment to hide in its shadow

                                            >Not only that, but the crystal always feels cold to the touch

                                            >And with no pony out to see, you abuse that fact to lay your body against it

                                            >As much of an eyesore it may be, you'd never been happier for it to be around

                                            >Twilight is so goddamn lucky, you can only imagine the chill inside

                                            >Sadly you can't stay for long, with the barrels you been carrying


                                            >Before you even get close, that old feeling of being watched returns

                                            >You can't see anyone outside, and Fluttershy's cottage is pretty isolated from the civilization

                                            >Your arms are hurting from carrying both small barrels for so long

                                            >But at last, your destination appears on your sight

                                            >Fluttershy may just tell you to leave again, but at this point you're still going to give her and Rainbow the barrels

                                            >You're actually starting to get worried that they will just go bad in this heat

                                            >Trying to change your thoughts towards the booze doesn't help the worried feeling thats been slowly creeping up

                                            >The anxiousness of what may happen or if you will even be given a chance at all

                                            >Getting to the door, you take a deep breath before knocking two times

                                            >Ponies rap on the door when they want to be let in, so your knocks should already tell that its you waiting

                                            >You hear some faint clopping on the other side coming closer and get ready for whatever could happen next with the yellow mare

                                            >But from all your expectations, seeing a rainbow maned cyan pegasus right out the gate was never a possibility

                                            >Man, it's been only a day but she looks awful

                                            >Red eyes, bags on her eyes, unkept mane

                                            >No wait that last one is normal

                                            >"Yes?" - she asks, deadpan

                                            >Right, you have been staring

                                            "Uh hey Rainbow, can I come in?"

                                            >She walks aside a little so you can enter, but no answer

                                            >Well, still better than you expected

                                            >Now for the next part of "whatever you do, do not fuck up"


                                            >It sure is easy to think that, but achieving it...

                                            >You notice Rainbow had already closed the door with her good wing

                                            >So now you were just silently staring at her like an idiot

                                            "Soo...Fluttershy?" - you say, trying to break the ice

                                            >Real smooth...

                                            >"She went to my home grab a few things for me, you know..." - she said extending her wings

                                            "Yea, I have that feather with me" - you present her the feather with a slime - "haven't let go of it for anything"

                                            >Your big smile has no effect as she keeps her tired aura

                                            >And as she comes to walk past you, you try to reach with a hand to ruffle her mane

                                            >But she lowers her neck to dodge it and just keeps walking, raising it back up once past

                                            >"Can I get you some juice or perhaps some water?"

                                            "No I'm good, thanks, could lose these barrels though"

                                            >"Put them on my back and I'll store them for later, what are they for anyway?"

                                            "Nothing really, look, can we talk?"

                                            >"What is there to talk? You took my first, mocked me for it and didn't even let me take you to dinner"

                                            "Dash, I-"

                                            >"No, big dude, it's fine, I should've known better about this friendzone thing, used to think it was just a myth"

                                            >You leave the barrels on the ground before turning to the now trembling mare

                                            >"Just...I'm such a stupid pony, if only I listened to Rarity's warnings I wouldn't have just given away my first like...like a..."

                                            >You hug her gently, hoping that she wouldn't shy away like the petting

                                            >But this time, she lays her head on your shoulder before nuzzling your neck back


                                            >"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess"

                                            >Petting the back of her neck, you twirl her back mane under your fingers

                                            "You have nothing to be ashamed of Dash, that was all my fault"

                                            >Breaking from the hug, you stare her right on her massive magenta eyes

                                            "Be honest with me though, would you want this feather back?"

                                            >She can't keep eye contact and looks away

                                            >"I mean, not that I have a use for it anymore, I don't want to be that kind of pony"

                                            "Dash, look at me" - you say, gently grabbing her chin - "Would you have done all that again?"

                                            >Even with her chin held in place, her eyes dropped with sadness and wandered to the ground

                                            >"You...did say that you liked it and that it was pretty..."

                                            "Dash..."

                                            >"Fine, fine I would!" - she screamed in a burst, pushing you away

                                            >"What? Taking my first wasn't enough? You want my last drop of shame too? FINE! I love you. There, happy? Now please, if that's all then just leave me alone..."

                                            >Turning around she walked to the closest wall and sat down facing it with her head hang low

                                            "There's nothing to be ashamed about loving someone"

                                            >"Say that to the mare who got called stupid and whose stallion preferred to see her out there, flying alone, instead of being together"

                                            >Okay you walked right into that one

                                            >You swear love is a fucking minefield with all the emotional shit

                                            "I had no idea Dash-"

                                            >"Of course you bucking didn't" - She turned at once, pointing a foreleg at you - "you never do, you never answered any signals, you never give clear signals of your own, for one I don't know if your ear scratches are from being to want to be with me or just a friendly gesture..."

                                            >You notice how unconsciously you had laid a hand on her head and began scratching her ear

                                            >Immediately you stop, like someone had just called you out for that

                                            "I never meant to hurt you like this Dash"

                                            >"I know you didn't, and that's why I hate myself even more from feeling like this"

                                            >With that, she turned back to the wall again


                                            >You two just remain there in silence...

                                            >And while she may be the one staring at a wall, you feel as if you yourself were pressed to one by her revelation

                                            >As much she says she's to blame, it was you who caused so much strife to her

                                            >It's good to know that neither regret or the desire of getting her feather back ever went through her mind though

                                            >Which means that perhaps you still have a chance to get through to her

                                            "Hey, hey Rainbow..."

                                            >You wait, proding to see if it's safe

                                            >You don't want to hurt her even more by pushing her too far, but you still haven't been able to say your piece

                                            >She actually takes a bit to respond back though

                                            >"What...?"

                                            >Sounding merely unsure, not as if trying to look and sound strong

                                            >Yep, it's now or never

                                            "I wasn't lying when I said that I think this was my fault"

                                            >"Maybe, but I have just as much to blame if not more. What with all the stupid-"

                                            "No Dash, I mean it, everything just started going so fast..."

                                            "Look, no matter what I said, that was not stupid, I just didn't knew what everything really meant"

                                            >"Anon please, how could you not know? Everypony knows it, just like the stuff that unicorns and earth ponies do"

                                            "Everypony may know it, but I'm not a pony. Here, look at me"

                                            >She slowly turns around, but not completely, staring at you from the edge of her vision

                                            "So many things happened today because of that, mares staring at me waving the feather around, Lyra crying from seeing me with it, hell, Twilight had to almost draw it to me for me to get what was going on"

                                            >"Wait, you made Lyra cry?"

                                            "It's nothing like that, look, the point is that humans don't really have anything even remotely similar to that in our culture but...here, this is for you"

                                            >You give her your phone in all its dead glory, laying it down besides her forehooves


                                            >"W-what is that?"

                                            "Let's just say something similar to your feather"

                                            >"But I never saw you with this...thing, were you born with it?"

                                            "Not at all, and while it may not work here, it's the closest thing to hold a similar meaning, as I brought it with me everywhere I went, listened to songs, talked with friends, basically had all my life in it, unless you want the keys to my old house that is"

                                            >She gently patted the cold screen, feeling it with her hooves

                                            >Looking up to you, you can see her expression slowly start changing and brightening

                                            >"Anon, does that mean...do you really want"

                                            "I'm not sure Dash, you're a great friend, really, but things are moving so fast..."

                                            >"Do you know who you're talking to?"

                                            "Tsk, point taken ya silly mare. To be honest I'd be more than willing to try, see where it gets us"

                                            >You catch yourself too late, before noticing that you were already giving her ear scratches again

                                            >And as you stop, Dash's face morphs into a troubled expression, looking intensely at her good wing

                                            "What's wrong?"

                                            >Shaking her head of any doubts, she gets up and opens her wing wide

                                            >It's a majestic sight, her large wing making her lithe frame look much bigger

                                            >But as she turned her head to it, you couldn't help but cringe as you knew exactly what was coming

                                            >Biting hard on her top feather, she plucked it out of herself, closing her eyes shut

                                            "Dash, please"

                                            >She held a forehoof to you, as if to tell you to stop, tears forming on the edge of her eyes

                                            >You simply couldn't imagine the pain she was going through

                                            >And yet, when she opened her eyes back, all you could see was the brightest smile you ever saw on a mare


                                            >Pushing herself to stand on two legs, she grabbed your shoulder with a foreleg for balance

                                            >And with her other leg, she pinned the feather between her fetlock, before pushing it into your chest

                                            >"Well, this feather is not as old as the other one, but would you accept it as a sign of our restart and a new proposal?"

                                            >You put a hand on her back, taking care to not touch the lightly bleeding wing

                                            "Dash please, you didn't have to"

                                            >Arching herself back, she just stared at you with disbelief

                                            >"Are you seriously going to do the same dance as last time? If you don't want it just say no"

                                            "That's not it, just...well, as long you're willing to give me another chanc-"

                                            >You're unable to finish as your mouth is assaulted by a blue muzzle

                                            >Even without her flight, her push and tackle is strong enough to make you fall on your back and hit your head

                                            >But she keeps pressing herself on you and pinning you to the floor, not caring about the noise

                                            >Finally she decides to let go, immediately seeing your pained face

                                            >"How's that for your answer?"

                                            "Yea, I suppose that will do...ow"

                                            >"Heh, sorry, on the good side at least you will know how to properly answer me next time"

                                            >You hear a click as the door starts opening right above you

                                            >"Rainbow Dash, I'm ba-....ck..."

                                            >Well, at least it's just Fluttershy

                                            >"Ooh, hi Dashie, hi Anon, hope we're not interrupting anything~"

                                            >You just had to say it...


                                            Epilogue

                                            >Turns out Pinkie found Fluttershy as she was returning to her cottage

                                            >And having a cake delivery to make for a very sad pony, she decided to follow her friend back

                                            >Fluttershy on another hand was dead scared for the sight she came to

                                            >But a swift explanation from Dash quickly turned it into worry for her friend's newly hurt wing

                                            >Hearing about what happened, Fluttershy congratulated the two of you, before biting on Dash's ear and taking her somewhere else to administer some medicine

                                            >Panko herself stayed back with you, asking for your help to set a party table

                                            >And carrying behind her on her back, a blue cake just like the one she talked about during the morning

                                            >But instead of a plain blue cake, it also had green highlights

                                            >You have no doubts it was a nod to yourself....

                                            >You knew to never ask about her Pinkie's sense, but seeing it in action was scary

                                            >Worse ever was later when she decided to ask if you had brought the booze

                                            >Thankfully you were saved by Rainbow coming back, pointing to where you had left it

                                            >And with that done, everything was set

                                            >The cheering party didn't took long to begin, being mostly a talk between friends and focused on Dash

                                            >But as soon the day turned, she changed the party theme to "Dash finally got the courage to give Anon her first ever bestest feather" out of the blue

                                            >Just like she had promised

                                            >This fucking mare

                                            >But it's not like it mattered

                                            >You still had your best friend

                                            >And now, more than a best friend

                                            >You only hope there's no more culture shocks to be had...