Author's Notes: I made a PMV (Pony Music Video) as a companion to this story. So, if you're interested in watching my less than stellar video editing skills, you can find it on my youtube channel which is linked on my profile BUT you might wanna watch it AFTER reading this chapter 'cause it has Rainbow Dash's song in it so, yeah, that would spoil the surprise.

Or you could go ahead and watch it anyway; either way, I don't care as long as you're happy. :D

ALSO CAN I JUST RAVE ABOUT SOME EPISODES OF SEASON 2 OF MLP:FIM?

MLP:FiM Season Two "May The Best Pet Win": I found this episode really surprising and funny just 'cause I had written this story's last chapter about a turtle (tortoise, whatever) and Rainbow Dash was SINGING. She was singing about finding a pet-of all the things she could sing about, I did not expect that. xD

MLP:FiM Season Two "The Last Roundup": I really love episodes where all the friends go out on an adventure, whether it's to talk down a dragon with smoking problems or catching a runaway Applejack.

MLP:FiM Season Two "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000": I totally spotted Roseluck. :D Oh, and the Mane Six teaming up with the Apple family to save Sweet Apple Acres? That was awesome. :3

MLP: FiM Season Two "A Friend in Deed": ROSELUCK, ROSELUCK, ROSELUCK- Ahem, sorry…I know I shouldn't be making such a big deal out of that scene just because she and Pinkie Pie breathed the same air and exchanged like two sentences-but still! Though whaaaat happened to her voice? That is not how she sounds in my head…hmm, anyway! I loooved the "Smile" song and Pinkie Pie's little firework explosion of joy at the end. It's just further proof that-never mind, I'm saving that for later. ;)

Okay guys, I'm going to say it now: This fanfic took place before Season Two even began so there won't be any allusions to any of those episodes. I think I might have mentioned Nightmare Night in one of the previous chapters but that doesn't necessarily mean the episode "Luna Eclipsed" has transpired yet in this timeline.

That aside, I feel like I'm gonna get so much hate for the song this chapter…(Scratch that, I know people are going to hate it. XD)

Nevertheless, if you must hate me for it, could you do it softly…please? D: I'm sensitive.

Chapter 7: The Showdown

~The Square Dance Party~

Pinkie Pie couldn't believe it. The days had gone by so fast and yet so much had happened. She wasn't attending the event with Rainbow Dash, like she had hoped, but instead was going with her friend, Roseluck, who had also been in need of a date. And then she'd had that dream…

But she was determined to enjoy herself anyway; she wouldn't let Rainbow Dash or a bad dream spoil a good party for her. So what if the other dream had sorta-kinda come true? That was just a coincidence.

Besides, this was the first "Square Dance" party she'd ever witness and experience; she wanted to soak it all in without any of her worries or feelings for certain pegasi bringing her down. Maybe she could even learn something, like how Applejack had drawn such a diverse and rowdy crowd. In fact, some of these ponies Pinkie Pie had never even seen before!

How did Applejack manage that, she thought to herself. I know everypony in Ponyville.

Maybe it was the flyers, she mused.

Pinkie Pie sidestepped an abandoned straw hat as she pondered some more on the subject.

Hmm, I should start sending flyers for my own parties; yeah! It'll say "Hi my name is Pinkie Pie and I'm throwing a party! Oh, and guess what? You've been invited! And there is going to be so much fun stuff to do, indeedity, and the only thing I ask of you is to bring your dancing horseshoes!"

…

…nah. Nopony will come if they don't see me in person!

Anyway, the whole party was at Sweet Apple Acres and a mass of ponies were milling around the locked in area; Applejack had actually used temporary decorative fences to keep the ponies concentrated in one place and prevent anypony from wandering off into forbidden areas of the farmland. The space allotted to the party-goers was generous enough and all the attractions were inside anyway.

And just like in her dream- which she had promised herself not to dwell on- everypony looked like they'd all stepped off a train from Appaloosa to get here, for there was an abundance of chaps, overalls, bandanas, boots, and not a single hatless head in the crowds.

Of course, she was the only one wearing a resplendent pink dress adorned with candy apple silhouettes lined up across the bodice.

Rarity had suggested a pink cowpony hat to complete the look but Pinkie Pie absolutely refused to wear any cowpony hat- no matter the color. She wanted to look her best for the Square Dance Party, after all, and she was completely and utterly convinced that cowpony hats made her look fat.

Besides, she was already satisfied with her look- for she couldn't stop looking down at her dress and grinning at it, almost like she couldn't believe it was really there.

Everypony had been giving her peculiar looks when they noticed her erratic behavior, what with her head nodding up and down for peeks at her attire, thinking she must have snuck in something illicit beneath the pretty framework of an otherwise innocent dress. Maybe even, Celestia forbid, she had smuggled her pet alligator, Gummy.

But Pinkie Pie's easy smiles reassured them that she had no devious intentions.

As for the Square Dance Party's setup, there was the, also temporary, shimmering wooden dance floor that was very …square, though Pinkie Pie had already expected that to be the case-this was a Square Dance Party after all- and was least six hundred square hooves wide.

But despite this, the spacious platform, sadly, had no leftover space for any other willing participants as it was already bustling with at least three different groups of ponies. And 'mild' west dance was certainly not what came to mind as Pinkie Pie gazed upon it…

And off to the side, stimulating the whole Square Dance, was a rostrum where the emcee Applejack, sporting the dress Rarity had designed for her for the Grand Galloping Gala, was directing the crowd with her southern drawl using a megaphone, "Swing your partner 'round an' 'round, an' turn your corner upside down." All of this while a mare known as Fiddlesticks played the fiddle energetically.

The ponies would curtsy or tip their hats to their partner up front and then they'd start playing hard to get as they stepped closer only to step back out of reach and then they would do the 'dosado', as Applejack had commanded it, though Pinkie Pie found the pronunciation so akin to 'dough' that she was at first confused as to why they weren't miming mixing a bowl of dough.

But she eventually chalked it up as weird southern vocabulary and continued to watch the festive bravura wistfully.

I can't wait 'til Roseluck gets here, it'll be so funtastic! Oh yes, fiddle dee-dee, this Square Dance Party is just the place for me!

And the food…she could just smell it!

And so, she hopped gleefully onward to the table where the source of the most alluring aroma had drifted from.

And while doing so, she also swept past a blue tent that very much reminded her of the one from her dream…except this one had no banner endorsing the Wonderbolts. In fact, in reality, it was much more likely to be used for storing excessive apples and other goodies instead of some legendary stunt team. Still…

She planned to stay as far from it as possible; no pony stampede would trample her this time.

But in her haste and enthusiasm, she failed to see the approaching pony in her path, whom was also preoccupied.

Inevitably, the pair collided with a slam.

"Oopsie, sorry; I forgot to watch for traffic," Pinkie Pie said, tittering at her own carelessness while rubbing her head sheepishly. When she saw who she had smacked into though, her eyes brightened and her lips curled up into a pleased smile.

"Twilight!" she exclaimed with no regard to personal space, as she bumped noses with the foresaid pony.

"Ah!" Twilight Sparkle winced, backing away in surprise. "Not so loud, Pinkie," She scolded as she massaged her ears she feared would presently need hearing aid.

"Oopsie, sorry." Pinkie Pie apologized again, mimicking Fluttershy's soft voice.

She couldn't keep the act up for long however, when she saw Twilight Sparkle's outfit for the Square Dance Party.

Her eyes shrank to pinpoints and her lips trembled before she finally granted herself the liberty of laughing out loud with the utmost zest, unfortunately right in Twilight Sparkle's face.

"Pinkie!" Twilight Sparkle hissed as she wiped away the spit that Pinkie Pie's laughing fit had entailed, feeling a sense of déjà vu as she did so.

Ignoring that, the unicorn then waited for the explanation to her friend's outburst, watching on in confusion as the pink pony started gasping for air between spurts of giggles.

"Oh, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie snickered, covering her mouth with a hoof as her body heaved with more, albeit smaller, giggles. "You look so silly…"

Twilight Sparkle's face froze in shocked indignation, and then she promptly scrutinized her attire that apparently was a laughingstock. She wore a brown ten-gallon hat that must have been as tall as she was, red-and-white plaid shirt under overalls adorned with patchwork and burdened with some rustic chaps, a black bandana tied around her neck, and heavy looking cowboy boots, complete with shiny spurs.

Yup, she didn't miss a single detail.

Satisfied she'd done a thorough inspection, she asked "How?" and swung her head up to face her friend's grinning face quizzically, still unsure why she thought she looked so amusing.

She continued, "I'm wearing exactly what the book said-"

Pinkie Pie's smile widened, "Well, I think you went a liiiittle overboard, Twi."

Twilight Sparkle frowned at the interruption, but then seemed to seriously consider Pinkie Pie's words and started swinging her head around to examine what everypony else was wearing. And then she looked down at her own apparel until embarrassed comprehension had alighted on her face.

"Oh…" she mumbled.

Pinkie Pie giggled again, "Oh, its okay, Twilight; I won't tell anypony."

Twilight Sparkle gave her a dull look as if to say "Yeah, like that'll help."

"Well, I'd love to stay and chit-chat some more, but there's some apple pie that's been dying to introduce itself to my mouth, soooo-" Pinkie Pie went to make a beeline for the food table again but then Twilight Sparkle seemed to remember something.

"Oh, Pinkie, wait!"

Pinkie Pie turned back around, impatience and mild curiosity etching her face. Would she ever have time for pie?

Having won Pinkie Pie's attention, Twilight Sparkle continued, "I wrote to Princess Celestia about the giant turtle mishap."

Pinkie Pie's mouth formed an 'o' as her eyes took on an enraptured shine and she waited eagerly for the inevitable tidbits Twilight Sparkle had to impart.

"Well, to the best of the Princess's knowledge, the aquatic turtle you had the misfortune of meeting would have to be some misguided unicorn's pet; well, before they'd operated an enhancement spell on it anyway. But not to worry, Princess Celestia is taking action, as we speak, to exterminate it and has expressed her eternal gratitude for having, unintentionally of course, located it." Twilight Sparkle was clearly pleased as she summarized all the information, and her voice had unmistakably took a rather fond tone when she mentioned the Princess.

But Pinkie Pie didn't know what to think, but she was pretty sure 'exterminating' the turtle was taking things a bit too far and Fluttershy would agree.

"She isn't really going to kill it, is she?" Pinkie Pie entreated quietly, her eyes shimmering with sympathy for the turtle's fate.

Twilight Sparkle seemed taken aback by this question, looking to Pinkie Pie as if she'd missed the whole point.

But Pinkie Pie didn't say anything beyond that and instead waited anxiously for Twilight Sparkle's response.

"Um, well, yes. The turtle was a… faulty experiment, at best, and it would be …unwise to turn a blind eye on it. There would be disastrous consequences."

Pinkie Pie still did not look sold on the whole idea, "Couldn't they relocate it or something? Or even undo the spell?"

Twilight Sparkle really didn't like that they were second guessing Princess Celestia's decision on the subject and she felt her discomfort grow with Pinkie Pie staring at her like that…

"Well…" her voice took on a stern, defensive tone, "I hope you haven't already forgotten what the turtle did to you, Pinkie Pie; in fact, if it wasn't for my revival spell, which usually takes years to master, you wouldn't even be here right now! You're just lucky you weren't down there longer than you were and that I went ahead of my studies….ahem. So, you see its better this way, right?"

Twilight Sparkle looked back at Pinkie Pie after her little rant was over and immediately regretted her words. Sweet Celestia, is she…crying?

Pinkie Pie eyes were, indeed, brimming with unshed tears and she sniffed, "You're right, Twilight….you're always right. I'm sorry."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes squinted in distress and her face crimpled in guilt, "Oh Celestia, no, I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that; that was very insensitive of me. I'm sorry." She hung her head in shame and rubbed her hoof against her leg.

Next thing Twilight Sparkle knew, her lungs were being crushed as she was enclosed in a bear's grip. Bear hug, she recalled the term.

"It's okay, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie seemed to have gotten over Twilight Sparkle's tirade fairly quickly and now smiled earnestly at her.

Twilight Sparkle gave a tight smile back, yielding to Pinkie Pie's 'bear hug' as punishment for the way she'd acted.

Eventually, Pinkie Pie released Twilight Sparkle, much to her relief, "Well, my tummy is still being rumbly, so I'll talk to ya later, Twilight!" and then skipped off to do Celestia knows what.

Just as well…now I can get this ridiculous-

"Oh, and Twilight," Pinkie Pie stopped mid-skip and turned with an enigmatic smile at Twilight Sparkle, who had just been about to take off her ten-gallon hat, "I think the Princess should be more concerned about the cougar in the woods."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes enlarged at the word "cougar", also known by other names such as 'puma' and 'mountain lion', but they all registered in her brain as dangerous predators that stalk and ambush their prey.

And even though her brain had registered the message perfectly fine, her mouth couldn't seem to ask anything but, "W-what?"

"Oh, you know the woods around Sweet Apple Acres? Those woods," Pinkie Pie replied nonchalantly, her hoof waving around dismissively.

"No, I-I mean, what?" Twilight Sparkle sputtered but Pinkie Pie had already turned away and resumed her skipping.

"See ya later, Twilight!" she called over her shoulder before she took care to avoid bumping into other ponies, leaving a very confused and very concerned Twilight Sparkle behind to speculate her words.

~The Food Table~

Once Pinkie Pie had finally arrived at her long awaited destination, she gasped and pounded her hooves on the full table inaptly, her gaze flitting left and right from indecision on what to chow down first. And from the corner of her eye, she also noticed a white sign folded on the checkered cloth table that read "Please be considerate of other ponies and do not eat more than your fair share of food. (That means you Pinkie) Thanks."

The Apple family could be so silly sometimes! For as long as there was a party, Pinkie Pie would be there to make sure no good food went to waste.

Speaking of good food…

There were apple pies of every flavor, apple fritters, apple tarts, apple cobbler, apple dumplings, apple cinnamon crisp, apple fries, apple strudel, caramel apples, a big apple brown betty, and there was even bushels of various apples in color coordinated baskets.

Basically, there was everything you could make out of apples that was still edible.

Applejack had really outdone herself this time and Pinkie Pie hadn't even seen the beverages yet.

But just as she was opening her mouth wide enough to be of suitable size for say, that apple brown betty, a shout made her ears twitch back.

"Pinkie Pie! PINKIE PIE! Yoo-hoo!" cried a voice.

Pinkie Pie let her mouth go slack and she did a one hundred and eighty to see whoever called her out, bumping into Carrot Top as she did and ignoring the orange-maned pony's annoyed harrumph afterwards.

"Oh, hi Roseluck," Pinkie Pie said as cheerily as she could when she was just interrupted from snacking. Roseluck, donning a white Stetson, made her way around a mass of ponies to her, and all the while she kept ogling Pinkie Pie's dress. Not that she could blame her; Rarity had made it quite captivating.

"Wow, Pinkie," Roseluck breathed when she was close enough to be heard, "It's really lovely…and you're lovely." She added the last part so genuinely that Pinkie Pie felt her cheeks burn. "Aww, thanks, Roseluck," she said, fluffing her hair teasingly. "I like your hat," she added, feeling it necessary to give a compliment after receiving one.

But Roseluck just kept staring at her as if she hadn't said a word which made Pinkie Pie start to panic over the awkwardness that was swiftly creeping in.

"Soooo," she hedged, hoping Roseluck would get the hint and stop her creepy staring.

She didn't.

Pinkie Pie shifted uneasily-she hadn't realized the extent of power the dress had over other ponies. It would seem to be too much for Roseluck to handle…maybe she should take it off…

As if reading her thoughts, Roseluck suddenly snapped out of her sleepy-eyed leer. "Oh, almost forgot!" she exclaimed as she slapped a hoof to her cheek in self-reproach. She then reached up to pull her Stetson hat down and reveal a single stem rose atop her head.

Pinkie Pie gasped in awe at the ooh, pretty flower that had suddenly appeared amidst Roseluck's mane, "Wow, Roseluck! Did you grow that yourself?"

Roseluck's head lightly bobbed in answer, so as not to disturb the rose too much, and she swelled with pride, "I also went ahead and removed the thorns for you, that way you won't accidentally get pricked."

"For me?" Pinkie Pie's eyes enlarged in wonder and admiration as Roseluck took the stem from its place and held it out for her to take, "Aww, you shouldn't have!"

Despite saying this, Pinkie Pie easily took possession of the flower to sniff it with avidity. Roseluck chuckled at the comical faces Pinkie Pie made doing so and waited for the pink pony to have her fill of sniffs and snuffs of its rosy scent.

"Ah," Pinkie Pie sighed in satisfaction with a dreamy expression, the rose's petals now drooping over from her overwhelming enthusiasm.

But Roseluck wasn't the only one to notice the plant's sudden poor state…

Pinkie Pie gasped, "Oh no! I oversniffed it!" she cried in mortification.

"It's okay, Pinkie; I'm su-" Roseluck wasn't given the chance to finish though as Pinkie Pie went on into a state of hysteria.

"Don't worry, Rosy! I'll save you!" she promised the depressed & limp blossom and then frantically started squirting water from her white clown flower onto it.

This did not happen without consequence, as some sprays of water splashed into Roseluck's face.

"Ahhh!" she cried in surprise from the water whammy.

Pinkie Pie was too busy gazing upon the improved state of her gift flower before she noticed Roseluck's soaking wet and clueless face.

"Oops," she seemed to be saying that a lot lately.

Roseluck shook her short mane out, dislodging droplets of water. "It's okay, Pinkie." She reassured her friend with a sigh.

Pinkie Pie gave a brief tense smile before regarding her gift flower again. "Hmm," she rubbed her chin in thought, "where am I going to put you?"

Roseluck smiled coyly, "Why don't you put it in your hair?" she suggested.

Pinkie Pie was just about to respond when Roseluck's eyes, which had been drawn to Pinkie Pie's coiffure, suddenly caught onto something inconspicuous; inconspicuous, yet glaringly obvious in its displacement.

"Wait…what's that?" Roseluck demanded, gesturing to Pinkie Pie's bouncy hair.

Pinkie Pie blinked at Roseluck in consternation, "What's what?"

Pinkie Pie had tried to straighten her mane for the event, but it had just sprung back up into her naturally chaotic mass of hair immediately afterwards. And so, she had let it be…but maybe she should have tried harder-

"That blue feather in your mane," Roseluck clarified with evident disgust.

And now she was blushing intensely.

"Oh…that." She squeaked, inexplicably feeling guilty. She then tentatively reached a hoof up to touch said feather, to prove to herself that it was actually there and Roseluck wasn't imagining it to torment her.

Despite her wistful thinking though, her hoof did brush against a soft, rumpled feather. Roseluck's glare, however, was not soft and Pinkie Pie met the other mare's eyes timidly, swallowing a lump of shame in her throat.

She should have known better than to wear the feather to the Square Dance Party, but she couldn't help herself. She loved the comforting texture of it and how it carried Rainbow Dash's scent which, if Pinkie Pie were to describe, smelled like spicy morning dew with a hint of minty freshness.

"Well?" Roseluck pressed, waiting for an explanation.

But there was no explanation… not one that hid the truth. And Pinkie Pie really preferred not unveiling the truth, especially when the party was just beginning.

After all, she was supposed to have fun with Roseluck today. She was supposed to laugh with Roseluck today. She was supposed to forget the pony that meant everything to her, because the hidden truth hurt.

And now Roseluck wanted to hear a confession, which would surely ruin everything.

Pinkie Pie sighed mentally in dreadful resignation; she was wrong to think she could pretend everything was okay, even just for this one day, this one party. But now she was done pretending and Roseluck deserved to know the truth. Maybe she'd even have some advice…

"Roseluck, I have a confession to make…"

Roseluck lifted a brow, her expression neutral.

Pinkie Pie, slightly encouraged, continued, "Remember I told you how I used to like Rainbow Dash? Well… after everything that's happened..." Pinkie Pie's voice wavered as she ruminated on precisely 'everything that's happened'; starting with the cougar attack and how scared she'd been…

And then how one of her best friends, Applejack, and her dog, Winona, had managed to direct the cougar away by risking their lives, saving her in the end.

And afterwards, the impact of what had happened had finally sunk in. She realized the whole thing could have been avoided if she hadn't been lamenting over something as silly as a breakup. And so, she put it up to herself to ensure it never happened again. And what perfect timing it was to find Rainbow Dash right after the feline assault…

She had adopted a pointed, cold demeanor towards Rainbow Dash, forcing herself to move on and hoping the pegasus would get the hint to leave her alone and follow her example.

And it had worked…for a while.

But then she'd had a second encounter with the cougar, resulting in her running for her life. And when she'd run out of room to run, she'd fallen off a cliff and just barely prevented herself from tumbling all the way down to her death.

And it was as she was there, in her darkest hour, amid the deep fear clutching her heart, she found herself agonizing over how she would never be able to apologize on account of her strange behavior.

And then it seemed all the more worse when she realized she would also never see Rainbow Dash's smile ever again.

Even more worse though was the thought of how she would never hear Rainbow Dash's voice again, specifically saying her name, be it in irritation or concern-she would miss it all.

Her reflections darkening still, she also realized how she would never again get the chance to feel the ticklish sensation of the pegasus's wings twitching against her forelegs every time she caught her off guard with a surprise hug.

And it had seemed especially cruel that their first kiss would be their last.

Of course, she did also dedicate a moment to herself agonizing over the possibility she wouldn't ever get to eat delicious chocolate cake again. Or really anything served from Sugarcube Corner.

But then she was saved once more. Only this time it wasn't Applejack or Winona. It was Rainbow Dash.

Not good timing…

She was completely vulnerable & terrified from the circumstances and exposed herself to her former-girlfriend/savior through her tears and cries.

And then after that, she'd gotten herself ponynapped by a giant turtle, or so she was told. She didn't exactly remember what had happened. But what she did remember was that she woke up with Rainbow Dash's stricken face hovering nearby.

And she had taken some satisfaction from that; if Rainbow Dash was worried about her, then it meant she at least cared for her a little and that was enough for Pinkie.

But then when she was told the whole story, she felt like bursting with pure joy. Rainbow Dash had saved her? Twice?

It had to have meant something, right?

"And after everything's that's happened…?" Roseluck suddenly sought Pinkie Pie's attention again with an urgent expel of air, her mouth a thin line. Her tapping hoof also transmitted the message that she had been waiting awhile now for Pinkie Pie to finish her sentence.

Pinkie Pie dropped the thornless rose as her face morphed from blissful reverie to disturbed surprise, "Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed guiltily, both for dropping the flower and for zoning out, "Wow, you must think I'm a total ditz now." she murmured abashedly

Roseluck giggled, her mood instantly transformed, "Oh, it's alright. Now…as you were saying?"

Pinkie Pie blinked, "Oh…right."

Roseluck waited some more for Pinkie Pie to shake off her state of musings in anxious anticipation.

"Roseluck, I-" Pinkie Pie suddenly felt like she had just eaten a tub full of peanut butter as she struggled to make words come out.

"Please, call me Rose," Roseluck interjected warmly in an attempt to mollify the pink pony. This must be something important, Roseluck reasoned to herself as she braced for Pinkie Pie's confession.

"Rose," for some reason, Pinkie Pie didn't feel comfortable calling her that and it made the imaginary peanut butter in her mouth thicken. But she had to get this out and no amount of, however nonexistent, sticky substance was going to stop her.

Roseluck plastered on a big smile as inspiration but she never would have anticipated what Pinkie Pie said next…

"I…I think I'm in love with Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie finally burst out at an unexpectedly high volume, causing a few passing ponies to turn their way curiously.

Immediately after she'd confessed her sin, Pinkie Pie's eyes started to simultaneously seek out a hiding spot & dodge everypony's stares while Roseluck gaped at her like she'd suddenly sprouted wings

Which would be really convenient to have right now; that way Pinkie Pie could just fly away and never have to answer to Roseluck's look of betrayal and…wait, was she mad?

"Pinkie Pie," Roseluck said in a totally yes-I-am-mad-at-you tone of voice, "you aren't in love with Rainbow Dash."

What?

"Huh?" Now Pinkie Pie was gaping at her. "What are you, Cupid? How do you know what I do or do not feel?"

It was unbeknownst to the two ponies at the time, but they were starting to draw a crowd of ponies who had nothing better to do than eavesdrop.

Roseluck eyebrows knitted over her eyes menacingly, clearly not in the mood for half-hearted jokes… or anything for that matter.

Why does she look so mad at me? Pinkie Pie pondered to herself. And why does she even care if I love Rainbow Dash or not?

"You only think you love her, Pinks." Roseluck insisted patiently, still not giving an inkling of why she sounded so trenchant and angry with Pinkie Pie.

At this, Pinkie Pie bristled in outrage, "Okay, you can stop right there, Roseluck. You do not call me Pinks. Only-" she had just been about to say Rainbow Dash but caught herself before she did, "my friends call me that and, right now, you're not being very friendly!"

Roseluck grit her teeth in frustration and ire, "Ugh, did you even hear what I said? You don't love Rainbow Dash and if you would just admit that to yourself then we can go right back to being friendly."

Pinkie Pie still really didn't know understand why Roseluck was all the sudden being so…controlling.

And ruuuude.

Honestly, she had just gathered up the courage to confide in her (though, now that she thought about it, she kinda wished she'd done it somewhere more private) and now Nasty Roseluck was calling her a liar!

Well, implying that she was a liar…but still!

Pinkie Pie had figured she'd set the other mare straight as she infused her voice with sarcasm saying, "I got a better idea, Roseluck; why don't you kiss my big, pink-"

But she didn't get to complete her insulting suggestion as that was the moment Roseluck decided to brusquely lean over and violently smash her mouth against her own, making Pinkie Pie's whole body freeze up in shock and the surrounding group of witnesses to gasp at the sudden turn of events; some even watched on in unrestrained delight at the public display of unshared affection and others turned away in appalled disgust.

Of course, Pinkie Pie hadn't expected Roseluck to interrupt her, much less take the crude expression she'd been about to finish so seriously.

But the most unexpected thing that Pinkie Pie did not expect in that moment was what happened next.

Off in the not-so-distant distance, hooves were suddenly stomping on the now empty wooden dance floor to a beat nopony understood yet, a drumset was being, well, drummed, and an outburst of bass accompanied with an electric guitar caused everypony in the gaping crowd to turn and gape some more at this ruckus that deeply contrasted with the hoedown's earlier music.

And then…

"Hey, hey! You, you!"

Roseluck finally broke the forced kiss to see where the source of the clopping, drumming, strumming, and now singing were coming from, while also feeling as if she were caught committing a major offense and that the impromptu singer was making a point in publicly incriminating her-though that feeling might have had something to do with only how furious the lyrics had sounded.

And once Pinkie Pie's lips were released, she retched in the most obvious manner of expressing the message oh-I-did-not-enjoy-that-kiss-at-all.

But she too was quite curious as to what the "boom, clop, boom, de clop de clop" tune was all about that had sneakily segued from the original hoedown number; was it some new live song Applejack's brought to the dance floor?

It certainly wasn't from the same genre as the fiddle ditty and, when she finally started to pick up on the singing, she felt her ears prick at the familiar voice.

Can't be...

She turned her head to the platform Applejack and the fiddler were playing on earlier to confirm that, yes, Rainbow Dash had somehow gotten her hooves on a snazzy, red guitar, to which Pinkie Pie could only describe as having two pointed ends like a pitchfork, and was now slamming on it as she head banged and then said, no, sang, "I don't like your girlfriend! No way, no way-I think you need a new one."

And even through all her initial befuddled shock, Pinkie Pie was pretty sure Rainbow Dash was looking straight at her as she sang that last line.

What is going on here? Am I dreaming again?

…

Since when can Rainbow Dash play guitar?

All these questions whirled in her head in time to the catchy beat of the song that was making the whole place vibrate with thumps and she found herself lowering her skirted rump to watch the performance from a sit.

Although Pinkie Pie had no other reason, or desire, to observe anypony besides Rainbow Dash on the makeshift stage, she did notice the pegasus's entourage of musicians and back-up singers.

Albeit she didn't recognize them.

There were a total of three back-up singers, all pegasi, who were crooning into their individual microphone stands and repeating little phrases Rainbow Dash sang to give off the impression that they had way more meaning behind them then they actually did. But the effect, overall, surprisingly did make the performance seem stronger.

Then there was a male earth pony, with a pale green coat and a bushy orange crop of hair atop his head, making all the drumbeats with his drumsticks, his face downcast as he focused on his exigent work.

There was even another pale green female earth pony with the same hue of orange in her thick, unkempt mane as the drummer; giving off the impression that they were potential siblings. But this pony was attending to a different instrument; shouldering a black guitar with a strap and plunking it with such intensity Pinkie Pie feared their hoof would come flying off.

Pinkie Pie also noted that this guitar had a cord attached that traced back to a black box, but Pinkie Pie wasn't very knowledgeable in the inner workings of guitarists and their thingamajigs so her eyes slide past it without a second thought as to what it was or did and instead wandered to the sidelines where a different pair of siblings were the cause of all the stomping.

It was Applejack and Big McIntosh, clopping their front hooves heavily on the wooden dance floor, even in the absence of Rainbow Dash's singing, and keeping up a steady rhythm & beat.

Ooookaaay, what is going on-

"Hey, hey, you, you!" Pinkie Pie jerked back to attention at the commanding shout, her eyes automatically fixing on Rainbow Dash whose rosy eyes were darkened with mascara and were already, startlingly, fixed on her.

But she couldn't believe that trill had come from Rainbow Dash until she said, no, sang again, (she had a funny feeling she would probably have to keep reminding herself this), this time singing:

"I could be your girlfriend," with a suggestive wink which Pinkie Pie was totally unprepared for and spurred the thought that Rainbow Dash really shouldn't go winking suggestively like, ever, cause Pinkie Pie was sure it would, however unintentional, break the hearts of any oblivious onlookers with forlorn longing.

Well, it was just a thought…

And then she was singing, "Hey, hey, you, you, I know that you like me!" and, holy saucy ravioli, Pinkie Pie was positive that, without a doubt, Rainbow Dash had just heard her thought and it made her feel more vulnerable than she had on that fateful day at the cliff.

Stupid sexy Rainbow Dash.

And then the back-up singers cried "No way, no way!" in mock shock and Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes saying, singing, "You know it's not a secret."

And then it was "Hey, hey, you, you, I want to be your girlfriend!" all over again with Rainbow Dash clearly pointing her hoof in Pinkie Pie's direction, which in turn made Roseluck snap her head back to stare at the pink pony accusingly.

Pinkie Pie displayed her best "What? I didn't tell Rainbow Dash to try and win me over with a song" face, though she truly thought she'd never have to use that one.

And she wasn't sure how she thought about it either.

And then, on stage, Rainbow Dash suddenly decided to forcibly hammer her red guitar down onto the floor with splinters flying, earning a chorus of shocked gasps from the crowd, including Pinkie Pie's exaggeratedly prolonged one, and then smirking at their reactions.

Oddly enough, the musicians that were still onstage continued uninterrupted, as if it was only to be expected of Rainbow Dash to destroy her instrument in such a dramatic fashion. In fact, the music didn't even seem to have lost any harmony, almost as if…

Almost as if Rainbow Dash was never actually playing the guitar in the first place.

After that shtick of violence, the aforementioned pony gracefully leaped down from the stage; making the audience instantly part for her admittance as if she were Princess Celestia in a red bandana and then letting her saunter on down the aisle of gawking ponies.

It would seem the audience had caught onto rockstar Rainbow Dash's intentions fairly quickly because they all edged away from Pinkie Pie and Roseluck so that she was permitted a good view of them as she made her way toward them.

And all through this, Rainbow Dash continued singing as if it were as natural as breathing and was merely upholding a casual conversation, in fact sometimes Pinkie Pie couldn't tell whether Rainbow Dash was actually singing versus talking in the naturally scratchy voice she adored, "Yeah, I think you're fine, and I'm here to make you mine. So, whaddya say? Let's fly away!"

Surely, this was all some kind of deliberate, sick joke…

And if it was, it most definitely served its purpose because Pinkie Pie was sure her face was all kinds of funny; hey, even she wanted to know what it looked like!

And Roseluck-oh my gosh, Roseluck. How is she taking all of th-?

"'Cause I'm here to let you know, I wanna be your very own rainbow."

That did not just happen.

Pinkie Pie felt her knees lock in denial of this new development- or maybe it was trepidation; she hadn't bother to analyze her feelings thoroughly.

Because of that one little verse, the memories of the old days came flooding in full colors & surround sound when she and Rainbow Dash used to date.

Specifically, she was recalling the time she had remarked how her former girlfriend was like her "very own rainbow", which had made the pegasus back then gag in distaste and prompted her to saying that she much preferred being called "Dashie", if anything at all. And so, Pinkie Pie kept it to herself, never mentioning it again.

And now she was bringing it up in a SONG?

She just couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe Rainbow Dash would go to such lengths to carry out such an elaborate prank, or whatever this was, and she even started to anguish in sardonic thoughts of her backstabbing former best friends, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy giggling behind an apple barrel somewhere while this all took place.

She had understood and eventually accepted that Rainbow Dash didn't return her affections but why did she have to go and defile the best months of her life by exploiting something she had shared with her privately?

She felt like running away in humiliation but at the same time she couldn't turn away because she was so transfixed on this surreal scenario that she, not even in her wildest dreams, would have envisioned.

Well…maybe she would have…but she certainly wouldn't have imagined it ever coming true, even if her dreams had been playing out as foreshadows lately.

And then, without her realizing it until it was too late, Rainbow Dash was upon her in all her awesome glory, wearing a one hundred watt smile to boot, too.

And then, that sly little sneak, smoothly transitioned to sashaying around her, mimicking the procedures of a square dance in an arch manner. Except it was Rainbow Dash doing it so it was nothing like how they did it on the floor.

And it was so much better for that.

And while Rainbow Dash flaunted her swagger, or whatever it was that made Pinkie Pie's breathing ragged, the party pony vaguely conceived that they were, at the moment, the cynosure of the whole Square Dance Party and it was with resolute determination that she decided then that she would not give the others the satisfaction in knowing that she was falling apart inside.

In order to accomplish this, she yielded to humoring herself with assuring thoughts that Rainbow Dash was singing in earnest and meant every single word she sang and every step she danced.

And so, with these fantasies motivating her, she counterbalanced their evil scheme with exaggerated joy and coy smiles galore in order to hide the pain and devastation she knew would wreck her later. But for now, she would pretend that this wasn't pretend.

She even started to nod her head with the beat and sway side to side, with occasional accidentally-on-purpose bumps inflicted on Rainbow Dash's side.

And then, seemingly pleased with Pinkie Pie's positive reaction rather than disappointed, Rainbow Dash kept playing her malign game by uttering the following lines with the utmost confidence and assurance "I can tell you like me too and you know I'm right,"

For some reason, the back-up singers found that particular utterance worthy of repeat as they murmured "I'm right, I'm right, I'm right,"

And then Rainbow Dash was suddenly not by her side anymore as she swooped off to sling a foreleg around Roseluck's shoulders like they were good ole chums, though what she said, sang, next proved otherwise, "'Cause she's like, so whatever," Rainbow Dash further pronounced her degrading declaration to be on poor Roseluck's behalf by jabbing a hoof in front of the startled earth pony's face.

And so, with that affirmed, she shot away from a now seething Roseluck to claim her spot by Pinkie Pie's side again with a mischievous grin. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie struggled to retain a happy, carefree facade.

"And you could do,

So much better,"

Waaaaait a second, Dashie thinks me and-?

Pinkie Pie's train of thought was then promptly dashed when Rainbow Dash thrust herself in her view with a simper, "I think we should get together now,"

Hypnotized by those accented rose-colored orbs, Pinkie Pie's eyes followed Rainbow Dash's as her prismatic head inclined toward their surroundings, "And that's what everypony's talkin' 'bout!"

Pinkie Pie's eyes now regarded their audience, who were either looking on while bearing intrigued countenances or gossiping to each other in inconspicuous whispers.

"Hey, hey, you, you!"

Wha-I only looked away for one second!

"I don't like your girlfriend," Rainbow Dash indicated Roseluck again with a dismissive hoof and then used it to gag in disgust.

"No way, no way," There were those back-up singers chiming in again.

"I think you need a new one," Rainbow Dash advised via her singing.

But I don't have a girlfriend, Dashie!-was what she wanted to scream, but she had to remind herself that everything Rainbow Dash sang was all a ploy, a lie, an attempt at provocation.

"Hey, hey, you, you- I could be your girlfriend!" Rainbow Dash suddenly abandoned her respected position on the ground, flaring out her wingspan to fly up like a bullet- precisely at the guitar's solo- causing Pinkie Pie's mane to flutter in the aftermath of her capricious takeoff.

Once her mane had flopped back into its normal hairdo, she searched the sky for where Rainbow Dash had flown.

"Hey, hey, you, you," Suddenly, somepony poked her from behind and she squeaked in surprise, turning to see, you guessed it, Rainbow Dash.

It was quite unnerving to know that Rainbow Dash could surprise her-that was usually her job and she would have greatly appreciated having their roles switched back.

"I know that you like me," Rainbow Dash boasted with another one of those heart-stuttering, belying winks and Pinkie Pie turned her head away before the blood colonizing in her cheeks could betray what she thought of the gesture.

"No way, no way," the back-up singers tried to discourage Rainbow Dash's advances, or at least, that's what Pinkie Pie hoped they were doing because she could suddenly very easily picture throwing herself into Rainbow Dash with amoral intentions. And that could NOT happen. No, she must banish the thought completely. Forever.

"You know it's not a secret," Rainbow Dash taunted knowingly.

That is soooo unfair.

"Hey, hey, you, you, I want to be your girlfriend," Rainbow Dash sang for the second time but Pinkie Pie still didn't believe it. No, she had to face the real music; that this was all just a ruse and she wasn't Rainbow Dash's muse, no matter how convincing Rainbow Dash's smiles and words were to her eyes and ears.

But for now, Pinkie Pie stared at her unabashedly, wondering what other nonsense would come out of her mouth next.

Apparently Rainbow Dash noticed her staring and a smirk played out on her lips, "I can see the way, I see the way you look at me," she said in an I-see-all way and Pinkie Pie felt her left eye twitch before swiftly turning her face away. Had she been too obvious?

"And even when you look away, I know you think of me," she continued.

Okay, so maybe faking smiles wasn't such a bright idea…it seemed to have only fueled Rainbow Dash's ego.

"I know you talk about me all the time again and again," she added, her tantalizing smirk deepening.

The back-up singers seized this opportunity to coo into their microphones again, "Again, again,"

"So come over here and tell me what I wanna hear," she suggested enticingly, with a curled hoof around her ear before dropping it dramatically, "better yet, make your girlfriend disappear!" her rosy eyes flipped over to Pinkie Pie's supposed girlfriend now, who looked as distraught as ever.

Then Rainbow Dash trained her eyes back on Pinkie's as she steered her razzmatazz towards the pink party planner, "I don't wanna hear you say her name ever again, and again and again and again,"

At eye contact, Pinkie Pie's heart started doing jumping jacks in her chest again and she started to back away-only to bump into a wall of ponies, preventing her escape.

Rainbow Dash took Pinkie's retreat as a way of asking, "Why?" and so proceeded to explain her thought process of why Roseluck was such an atrocious girlfriend in song. Again…

"'Cause she's like so whatever and you could do so much better," Rainbow Dash rationalized, "I think-"

Pinkie Pie knew where this particular verse was headed so she was quick to butt in with a "And I think you should STOP SINGING!"

The outburst did the trick; Rainbow Dash's mouth clamped shut, looking as if she'd been slapped in the face, the music skipped the decrescendo and instead came to an abrupt halt, while the rest of the ponies encircling them looked just as shocked as Rainbow Dash, although certainly a little more detached.

Pinkie Pie hadn't meant to strain her voice as much as she had and couldn't stop herself from breathing heavily afterwards; but with everypony's eyes honed in on her, she knew she had to explain herself, quick, "I-I can't take it anymore; you've got me going bonkers over here… But I guess that's why you're doing all this, isn't it?"

She was met with bewildered expressions of all kinds of colors on the faces of the overlooking crowd; even Rainbow Dash didn't seem to know what to think.

Then, somewhere in the back, she heard Applejack say, "…Ah told ya ta write a sappy ballad about the color of her eyes or some other hooey. But ya just had ta-"

"Not now, AJ." It was as sharp of a reproach as if Rainbow Dash had told Applejack to shut her pie hole and it was effective enough to have her do just that.

But their little repartee had already discombobulated Pinkie Pie, "Wait…but…this is all a prank…isn't it?"

Rainbow Dash stared at her as if she'd spoken in Applenese, "You-you think this was all a…a prank?"

Pinkie Pie's head bowed down, "Well, yeah! I mean, that's the only way any of this makes sense." She found it odd that she, Pinkie Pie, of all ponies was talking about things making sense but somepony had to do it.

But Rainbow Dash didn't seem to hear her, "She thinks this was all a prank…a prank…" she started muttering, a faraway look in her eyes.

"Dashie?"

Pinkie Pie might as well have jolted her awake with shock pads for the reaction she got, "Yes! Yes, this was all just a prank." Rainbow Dash reassured her urgently, desperate for an escape.

An escape…but from what? The crowd? From her? Who-

"Seriously?" Roseluck demanded just as Applejack said "Rainbow Dash, be honest now."

Ignoring Roseluck, Rainbow Dash turned around and stared through the crowd of ponies, who were all still engrossed in the soap opera taking place before them, mainly directing her words to Applejack who was still onstage, "It was all just a prank, alright? That's all it was..." she reaffirmed the situation for the ponies still looking on with questioning eyes.

"But-"

"No buts, AJ!"

A sigh. "Shoot, Rainbow. Ah thought ya-"

"What kind of pony plays a prank like that? You see, Pinks-you see how she really is? She was just playing with your feelings this whole time!" Roseluck interjected, suddenly pleased with the past affairs as she discovered a way to turn it in her favor.

A fresh batch of heated whispers overtook the crowd as they shared their thoughts on the scandal Roseluck had just claimed.

But once Applejack realized that Rainbow Dash was just going to take it, she jumped to her defense in the only way she knew how: through honesty. "If ya won't tell her, RD, ah will."

"Tell what?" Pinkie Pie cried, frantic for an answer, that didn't include Rainbow Dash intentionally tricking her, in this whole mess.

"That she-"

"That I want to be your GF!" Rainbow Dash suddenly yelled; tears now visible in the corners of her rose-colored eyes. "I mean, that's what the whole stupid song was about, right? It couldn't be more obvious! I made it so simple…it wasn't supposed to be complicated…you weren't supposed to read between the lines; I just wanted you to stop ki-dating Roseluck and date me instead! Is that so hard to understand? Is it?"

There was no doubt about it that everypony's eyes were now on Rainbow Dash's shaking frame, along with her swimming eyes, smeared mascara, and her clenched jaw.

But then suddenly, the source of this pegasus's misery spurt out a very inappropriate laugh, her pink head titled back to show off her grin, and everypony's eyes fixed on her instead.

"…and…and…and now…you're laughing." Rainbow Dash muttered the obvious, her head dropping down to hide her shame.

"Hehe! Oh, I'm sorry, Dashie. Its just-hehehaha*snort*-you thought I was dating Roseluck?" Pinkie Pie gasped out, her face incredulous.

"Well…yes…you are!" Rainbow Dash's head turned up now, confusion warring with relief. "Aren't you?"

"Nopey dopey!" Pinkie Pie grinned.

It was silent.

Unless you count the concerned stage whisper "We're still getting paid, right?" that everypony ignored.

Rainbow Dash blinked "Then…then…then why…?" she sputtered,

Applejack was quick to voice Rainbow Dash's question in her own words so the poor mare could take a breather, "Ya know ah usually don't operate on assumptions but considerin' the fact ya two were suckin' face a while ago ah reckon it's safe to assume ya'll had a thing goin' on."

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash agreed; her face flushed.

"Ooooh, yeah, I can see how that might be flummoxing," Pinkie Pie consented with a nod and then looked over at Roseluck darkly; "buuuut… the feeling wasn't mutual."

Roseluck winced as if Pinkie had struck her and then glanced away, her mouth line quivering like a worm snagged on a hook.

Rainbow Dash gave her head a good shake, "Wait, lemme get this straight. So, you aren't dating Roseluck?"

Pinkie Pie nodded slowly, yes, and the sky is blue, young grasshopper.

"And you don't like her?"

Pinkie Pie sighed, "Yes, Dashie; me and Roseluck are just good friends. Or," her eyebrows scrunched low, "were good friends."

"Oh…phew…well…okay…uh…so …does that mean…do ya…ya know… wanna try…that again?" Rainbow Dash spoke in anxious fragments, not quite meeting Pinkie Pie's eyes.

"For realsies?" Pinkie Pie gasped, the only one who understood what Rainbow Dash was implying while everypony else looked on in confusion.

"Yeah…for realsies." Rainbow Dash couldn't stop the smile from settling on her face as she spoke Pinkie Pie's choice of words. And then…

Thoomp!

"Pinkie…?" And then Rainbow Dash was left wondering where she'd gone wrong as she stared at Pinkie Pie's now prostrate body.

It was silent again.

"Did she just gone an' faint?" Applejack finally wondered aloud.

"Uh...looks like it." And it wouldn't be the first time. "Heh, I guess I just have that effect on mares." She tried to make a joke of it to ease the crowd's alarmed stares.

Applejack rolled her eyes as she descended the elevated platform, "Alright, folks; show's over. Ya'll go back to havin' a good time now an' be sure to buy yourself some of our appletastic treats."

The crowd lingered for a few spare moments, just in case Rainbow Dash decided to randomly break into song again, but eventually subsided until only Roseluck remained.

"Is she…going to be okay?" Roseluck asked, tentatively concerned.

"Yeah…just a little disoriented when she wakes up," Rainbow Dash answered as she positioned herself in a way that she could slink Pinkie Pie's lying form onto her back; she was also trying very hard not to think about who she was talking to.

Roseluck bit her lip and then sighed, a single tear trailing down her cheek as she said her next words, "Take good care of her, Rainbow Dash. I…I'm sorry it had to come to this." And, once she'd said her piece, Roseluck turned away to disappear into the mob of ponies.

Rainbow Dash felt a burst of sympathy for Roseluck and almost considered going after her; she had, after all, put Roseluck on the spot during her performance…okay, scratch that, she totally dissed her without a second thought.

But…Pinkie.

Rainbow Dash decided she'd do something about it later and instead focused on hoisting Pinkie Pie up on her back-without ruining her dress.

Once she'd finally managed to do this, she took a few minutes to get her wings comfortable with the added load while also being careful not to wake Pinkie Pie as she shifted beneath her.

And, as it turns out, walking with a pony on your back did tend to draw attention and ponies resumed whispering amongst themselves when she bypassed them.

But Rainbow Dash ignored it; besides, it's not like everything they said wasn't true. She was the mare who'd sang in "that rockin' concert", thank you, she was the mare who "slammed that poor filly to smithereens", as it were, and she was the mare who was "hopelessly in love with that pink pony."

Yes, it's all true.

Pinkie Pie woke up in a bed that wasn't her own.

She could tell from the cotton sheets that she now lay beneath and from the lack of springs infested in the mattress that this was most definitely not her bed.

She leaped up, as if the bed were full of spiders, and frantically looked all around, briefly grimacing from the wave of dizziness as she did so.

Oh.

This was definitely Applejack's room.

Pinkie Pie calmed down somewhat, her hooves clopping on the wooden planks as she took a gander at her friend's dimly lit room.

She'd never been in Applejack's bedroom before and she supposed it wasn't a far cry from what she'd have pictured of it.

Okay…maybe she had pictured more apples…

There was Applejack's rope slung over a nail beside the bed and a random hook beside that too-she guessed the hook must be where Applejack hung her Stetson for the night. There was also a night table, a pink cushion for Winona, and a framed picture of a random prancing pony above the wooden headboard of the bed. Then there were the apple ensigns on the door, the wall above the door, the hoofboard of the bed, and all over the pillows.

Besides that, there wasn't anything particular that stuck out to her. But Pinkie Pie figured that Applejack was too busy working the farm to accommodate her room and make it stand out.

I have GOT to get her a lava lamp for her next birthday; that green ceramic lamp is just way too boring.

Because Pinkie Pie's mind roamed over all the possible ways to give Applejack's room a makeover, she didn't hear the door creak open and something crash onto the floor.

"You're awake!"

Her eyes widened and she whirled to see a very happy Rainbow Dash at the threshold.

Pinkie Pie automatically smiled, "Hi-"

And was then promptly tackled to the floor by a streak of rainbow.

Pinkie Pie opened her eyes to see Rainbow Dash's beaming face, "Wow that was fast! You were only out for like fifteen minutes." Rainbow Dash remarked from above her.

In response, Pinkie Pie just grinned and Rainbow Dash's eyes suddenly glowed with an enigmatic emotion. "Just kidding, fifteen minutes is way too long."

Pinkie Pie giggled as Rainbow Dash then proceeded to lean down and nuzzle her cheek, "Dashie! What are you doing?"

At this, Rainbow Dash hastily leaned back to look at Pinkie Pie again, confused, "I-I-I thought…aren't we…?"

Pinkie Pie blinked, just as confused. "Thought what?"

Rainbow Dash stared at her for a couple more confused seconds and then looked off to the side, suddenly looking very sad, "You don't remember what happened…do you, Pinkie?"

Pinkie Pie's eyes widened, "Remember what?"

Rainbow Dash slid off Pinkie Pie to let her sit up, "The Square Dance Party!" Rainbow Dash spread her forelegs out to represent how big of a deal this was to her but when Pinkie Pie still stared at her quizzically she made one last desperate attempt, "The song? …please don't make me have to sing the song again…"

"What song?" Pinkie Pie asked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

Rainbow Dash groaned, "You're gonna make me sing it again, aren't you?"

Pinkie Pie waited.

"Okay…" a sigh "okay…um…hey, hey, you, you," she halfheartedly gestured at Pinkie as she mumbled the lyrics awkwardly, "I don't like your girlfriend…no way, no way…I think you need a new one…hey, hey, you, you-"

"I'd like to be your girlfriend!" Pinkie Pie finished for her in much higher spirits before eagerly leaping into the pegasus's forelegs, inevitably bringing them both down on the wooden boards again with her dress billowed out like a balloon.

Rainbow Dash stared up at her, "You- you remember?" she asked, apparently unfazed with the fact that she was now the one being pinned down by Pinkie Pie.

"Of course I remember! It only happened like fifteen minutes ago," Pinkie Pie said, rolling her eyes.

"Wait, you mean you remembered this whole time? Then why did you-"

"Just having a little fun," Pinkie Pie flicked Rainbow Dash in the nose with her free hoof playfully, "annnd…I wanted to hear you say it again, while we were alone." Pinkie Pie admitted.

Rainbow Dash waited for a heat wave of anger to hit her but it never did. She wasn't angry; maybe a little flustered, but not angry.

Another sigh, "Ah, Pinks."

Another giggle, "Awwwh, Dashie."

Rainbow Dash felt a grin tug at the corners of her mouth and Pinkie Pie's smile softened.

But as Pinkie Pie's head loomed closer, something suddenly caught her eye.

"W-w-wait, what's that?" Rainbow Dash asked, gesturing at something in Pinkie Pie's mane.

Seeming to already know what Rainbow Dash had indicated with her hoof, Pinkie Pie automatically lifted her foreleg up to reach for it, taking out a familiar cyan colored feather and bringing it to their eye level. She said nothing, letting Rainbow Dash drink it in while her mouth twisted from indecision on whether to frown or not.

"Its…its mine…it's my feather…but…h-how…?" Rainbow Dash looked up at Pinkie Pie calmly, her eyes bright and inquisitive.

Pinkie Pie sighed, "You left it behind after you saved me…" her eyes shined with the memory, "the first time." she added for further clarification.

Rainbow Dash stared at the feather again.

"But…why did you keep it?" she wanted to know.

"Because…it reminded me of you and…I missed you." Pinkie Pie confessed, shrinking into herself from embarrassment.

Rainbow Dash smiled, chuckling lightly, "And all this time I had thought you had hated me."

Pinkie Pie gasped melodramatically, "Never!"

Her face then grew serious and she smiled sadly, cradling the feather against her dress protectively, "I could never hate you, Dashie. I just…didn't know what else to do. You had told me you didn't see me like I saw you so…I just pushed you away."

Rainbow Dash made a sad smile of her own, looking down at herself to avoid eye contact, "Yeah…it's my fault, really. I was just so scared of what everypony else would think. I even tried to actually make myself hate you but…well, it didn't work… and you had Roseluck so I couldn't very well tell you how I felt after we'd broken up. I mean, I know now that you weren't actually ever dating but it was really confusing at the time and well…you know how it goes."

Pinkie Pie nodded, looking down at the feather longingly.

Rainbow Dash finally lifted her eyes to see the pitiful picture and took the liberty of reaching up and gently taking the feather away.

At this, Pinkie Pie's hoof went slack, letting the feather go without a fight.

Rainbow Dash gave a slight smile before lifting Pinkie Pie's chin up with her free hoof.

Pinkie Pie looked up numbly, her eyes shimmering shamefully.

Rainbow Dash then carefully placed the feather back in Pinkie Pie's mane, her hoof lingering on her fluffy hair before eventually dropping to her side. "It was always yours," she said simply.

Pinkie Pie gaped at her for a while, absently touching the feather with her left foreleg before grinning toothily.

Rainbow Dash's heart soared, knowing she was the reason behind her smile.

"Hey, Rainbow, how's-what in tarnation?"

Horseapples.

Rainbow Dash's blood rose to her cheeks and Pinkie Pie's head snapped back up in surprise.

They both looked over to see that Applejack was at the threshold, her foreleg hanging in midair from indecision on whether it was safe to walk in or not, as she gazed down at… an abandoned tray spilling out sticky caramel candy apples and apple pie crusts with their fillings lay bare for everypony to see.

…Oops.

After surveying the wreckage long enough, Applejack looked up with her freckled face set hard for interrogating the suspects.

Until she realized the suspects were an entwined Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

And then, before Rainbow Dash could explain the situation, Pinkie Pie had already disentangled her dress & limbs and was now sitting on her rump off to the side, looking over at Applejack like a puppy that'd been caught eating straight from the trash can.

Meanwhile, Applejack stood gaping, the messy litter Rainbow Dash had dropped residing on the floor completely forgotten, "Okay, now just what do ya two think y'all are doin'-in my bedroom?" Applejack demanded, and then she turned to Rainbow Dash who still lied on the cold floorboards, "Rainbow, ah said Pinkie could get some shut eye in here an' that's all ah meant by it."

Rainbow Dash sputtered, "But-but it wasn't like that!"

Applejack nodded knowingly, "Sure it wasn't." she answered.

At this, Rainbow Dash looked down, wishing she could sink through the floor by sheer force of will.

Applejack sighed before turning to Pinkie, "Well, it's at least good to see ya awake, sugarcube."

Pinkie Pie demeanor suddenly changed to glee once Applejack acknowledged her presence and she bounced in place, "Applejack, guess what! Rainbow Dash and I are girlfriends," she blabbed, as giddy as a school filly who'd just acquired their first boyfriend…err...girlfriend.

"Mmmmhmm," Applejack drawled with no change in expression.

Rainbow Dash laughed tightly, "Heh…yeah, well thanks for checking up on us, AJ, but I think we'll be going now." she said, grabbing Pinkie Pie and steering them towards the door.

"Woah there, featherduster, y'all ain't goin' anywhere just yet." Applejack said sternly, blocking their only exit and pointing back inside her bedroom, specifically at the spoiled foods. Now march.

Rainbow Dash sighed, releasing her hold on Pinkie's shoulders to make a U-turn; she had hoped the farm pony would cut them some slack.

"Alright, alright, I'm on it." Rainbow Dash griped, reaching for the broom standing all by its lonesome in the corner.

Applejack smiled, pleased with Rainbow Dash for taking immediate action with little complaint, "Great, ah'll see ya'll outside then once y'all are done here; an' no more funny business, okay?"

Having already dislodged the broom, Rainbow Dash made a frown at Applejack's last order of business, "I already told you it wasn't like that."

Applejack nodded again, amused, "Ah know…" then she finally seemed to notice Rainbow Dash was holding a broom. "Now just what are ya plannin' on doin' wit' that broom?"

Rainbow Dash flushed, "I'm going to clean up the mess; isn't that what you wanted me to do?"

Applejack slowly shook her head, "Ho, boy. Pinkie Pie, would ya mind teachin' Rainbow Dash the ancient art of the broom?" and then, without waiting for an answer, turned around and left the room.

After she'd left, Rainbow Dash let the boom slip from her hooves, huffing, "Does she expect me to summon a tornado in here just to vacuum?" before glancing over at Pinkie Pie.

Who was, of all things, reading a stray, wrinkled paper.

Rainbow Dash's heart rate quickened with recognition, "Pinkie, what is that?" Rainbow Dash tried asking as nonchalantly as she could while giving an askance look and experiencing a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"I found it under the bed," she replied instead, not looking up from the apparently very compelling piece of paper.

Rainbow Dash started to panic; the suspicion in her head were looking more and more promising, "Pinkie, what is it?"

Pinkie Pie finally pulled her eyes away from her reading, her countenance adorably confused as she looked up. "It's disgusting."

With her suspicion confirmed, Rainbow Dash had intended to race on over there and cover up the repulsive paper for damage control but she instead felt herself sway and take one unsteady step forward.

How was she going to explain this one?

Pinkie Pie looked down at the paper again and began to read aloud impassively, "'It's disgusting, how I love you, I can't take it, I should hate you.'"

"Stop it." Rainbow Dash muttered.

Heedless, Pinkie Pie continued, albeit a little more shakily, "'Cause you're messing up my name, gotta walk my talk my fame, but I just wanna touch your face, it's disgusting.'"

"Please, Pinkie…" Rainbow Dash tried again, louder this time.

And still Pinkie Pie kept on, even as her voice started to break, "'It's disgusting, how you changed me, from a bandit to a b-baby, I think I'm gonna have to change my name, if I'm gonna walk this walk of s-s-shame. Look at what you do to me…'"

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, struggling to remember a time when she didn't feel this ashamed and humiliated.

"'It's disgusting.'" Pinkie Pie finished softly, the words hanging in the air with finality.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to see that Pinkie Pie's countenance was now heartbreakingly confused and staring earnestly at her.

"Pinkie Pie…I…" Rainbow Dash still didn't know how to explain and her throat closing up wasn't exactly helpful.

"Do you really think I'm disgusting, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked, her eyes begging to be told otherwise.

Rainbow Dash, finally obtaining the ability to speak again, was quick to reassure her, "N-no…gah…no. That was just the other song I had written…uh…I was hoping you wouldn't ever have to see it."

And then Pinkie Pie opened her mouth but Rainbow Dash rambled on, "But…uh…it didn't pass Applejack's approval because I'm not really good at expressing my feelings and well uh 'round the time I had written that I was still confused about them and so that was the result. But by now I've realized that what we have is really awesome and I don't care what anypony else thinks anymore because you're really pretty and funny and fun and… I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash hunched over, as if she were expecting a severe whipping.

Pinkie Pie blinked quizzically, her eyes ping-ponging between the paper and Rainbow Dash's submissive posture, "Oh…well you didn't have to get into all that, Dashie." She laughed awkwardly, "I just wanted to know if you actually thought I was all icky-sticky because if you did then it would be really hard to kiss you and that would be terrible."

Rainbow Dash blinked, "You're not icky-sticky." she finally said hoarsely.

"Yay!" Pinkie Pie cheered and all was forgiven as she tossed the paper and let it flutter back under the bed where Rainbow Dash resolved she would find it later and let it burn.

"Now put that broom away and let's get all this cleaned up!" Pinkie Pie commanded, bouncing towards the pile of discarded food.

Rainbow Dash looked at the broom sulkily, "Why can't we use the broom?"

"Because brooms are for sweeping and you can't sweep caramel apples and pies or it will get even messier!" Pinkie Pie explained; bubbly as ever.

When Rainbow Dash just continued staring, Pinkie Pie whispered to reassure her, "Don't feel bad, I work at Sugarcube Corner so I have to know these things!"

Rainbow Dash groaned, "Then what do we use? We're gonna miss the rest of the party!"

Pinkie Pie's bubbly exterior sobered, "Oh, no! We can't miss the party!" she cried in distress and then frantically looked around the room for the solution before eventually shrugging and scooping up all of the food causalities with her bare hooves and gulping it all down in one swallow, "Done!" she managed through a mouthful.

Rainbow Dash stared at her, her eyes mere pinpricks as she tried to comprehend that the sullied apple based fare that had been there one second ago was now gone and consumed. "Uh…okay, now that is disgusting."

Pinkie Pie merely giggled, taking no more offense, "C'mon, Dashie! It isn't a party without Pinkie!" and suddenly Rainbow Dash was off the floor and outside the door in a blur of pink.

Rainbow Dash blinked, allowing her brain time to adjust to their new surroundings.

They were outside.

Rainbow Dash shook her head in amazement, "How do you do it, Pinks?" she murmured, not expecting an answer.

Conforming to Rainbow Dash's expectations, Pinkie Pie practically shook with excitement as she instead began a stream of childish prattle, "Oh, I can't wait to tell the others that we're dating; even though we've dated before. But now everypony is going to KNOW and it's going to be so much better now that we don't have to be all secretive about it. I mean, being all secretive can be fun some times, but more times it can get really hard to keep it to myself and there was this one time I almost-"

Rainbow Dash suddenly placed her hoof over Pinkie Pie's hyperactive mouth, offering a soft smile, "I know. And we will. But first I want to-"

"Rainbow Dash!" And then there was Scootaloo.

Rainbow Dash sighed.

Scootaloo came to a standstill in front of them, her chest rising and falling rapidly in exhaustion, "I've been looking everywhere for you; I mean, I was starting to think you'd already left. Anyway, you gotta come quick!" Scootaloo urged.

"Hey, kid." Rainbow Dash replied, gesturing to Pinkie Pie, "Kinda busy right now."

Pinkie Pie nodded her head in agreement with this statement.

"But this is important!" Scootaloo insisted; confused as to why her idol wasn't leaping into action by now.

"Oooh, Dashie, I think the audience wants an encore!" Pinkie Pie guessed.

"Heh, well they're not getting one; seriously, if I never sing that song again, it'll be too soon." Rainbow Dash replied in turn.

"Huh? What song?" Scootaloo asked, confused all over again.

"The one Rainbow Dash sang to me earlier," Pinkie Pie answered simply just as Rainbow Dash said "You don't wanna know."

Scootaloo titled her head, "Huh?"

Rainbow Dash gave Pinkie Pie a look and Pinkie Pie grinned back obliviously.

"Um," Scootaloo watched them exchange expressions for a couple of more seconds before shaking her head in an attempt to focus, "Right…well, I just thought you'd like to know that the Wonderbolts are here and they're signing autographs at the blue tent…?"

Rainbow Dash gasped, her profile slowly turning to face the pegasus filly, "Oh my gosh, I completely forgot!"

Pinkie Pie blanched. Oh, no.

"Yeah you did!" Scootaloo semi-scolded and semi-agreed, "Come on; the line is already super long so we have to hurry!"

Rainbow Dash turned back to Pinkie Pie, "Pinkie, I…uh…"

Pinkie Pie stared back with a blank expression before forcing herself to say, "It's okay, Dashie. I'll just see you later."

Rainbow Dash's heart clenched.

If it's okay then why does it feel so wrong?

And then, as she stared into the depths of Pinkie Pie's sky blue eyes, she suddenly knew. She realized she was being tested; Pinkie Pie was testing her loyalty…

But I'll just be leaving her for a little while, she reasoned with herself. It's not like I'm outright abandoning her forever…

Still…it didn't sit right with her.

Rainbow Dash turned back to Scootaloo, "Scootaloo…uh…"

Scootaloo waited expectantly, her wings twitching in excitement.

Rainbow Dash smiled apologetically, "I'm going to have to pass."

Scootaloo's ears and mouth drooped to a frown, "Huh?" she said for the third time. "How come?"

"Well…" Rainbow Dash sneaked a look at Pinkie Pie, who was now smiling quietly at her with a relieved slump to her frame.

Scootaloo noticed this exchange too and immediately understood.

It was Pinkie Pie's fault for stealing away her role model.

Scootaloo sighed, "Okay, then. I guess…um, I guess I'll catch ya later then, Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo then proceeded to walk away agonizingly slow; all of this was done on purpose, of course, just in case it made Rainbow Dash change her mind.

And when Scootaloo felt a hoof tap her shoulder, she couldn't stop the smirk from creeping on her face. I knew she'd-

"Hey, Scoots, I know you're in a hurry and all, but you wouldn't mind getting them to sign this, would ya?" Rainbow Dash asked, holding out a red bandana that had been tied in her mane not five seconds ago.

From the way Scootaloo stared at the red bandana, you'd have thought Rainbow Dash had offered the key to all of Equestria's secrets and treasures.

"Oh, um, sure, Rainbow Dash; anything for you!" Scootaloo tried not to look too eager as she gingerly accepted the personal cloth.

"Thanks, kid!" Rainbow Dash said, mussing the filly's mane affectionately before she'd proudly run off with it between her teeth.

Rainbow Dash watched her leave with a smile.

"You know you're not going to get that back, right?" Pinkie Pie said, suddenly at her side.

Rainbow Dash chuckled, "Of course not."

~Skippy Dee Doo Dah~

It wasn't until later on that they had met up with Twilight Sparkle, their only other friend who'd attended the Square Dance Party since Fluttershy had graciously declined, saying that she was much too busy taking care of her animal friends- but everypony knew the real reason was because she hated crowded parties.

As for Rarity, she had declined participation as well, saying she was much too busy taking care of her clients-but everypony knew the real reason was because she wouldn't be caught dead at a "Square Dance" Party.

After Pinkie Pie had inevitably told Twilight Sparkle the news, the purple unicorn had reacted as much as they'd expected; once she had overcome her initial shock, she started asking questions.

Lots and lots of questions.

"How long have you two felt this way towards each other?"

"When did you decide to start a serious relationship?"

"What song?"

"Really?"

And all through it, Pinkie Pie was compliant to answer…but then the questions took a dark turn.

"How long do you think it'll last?"

"When do you plan on writing a letter to the Princess about your newfound relationship?"

"Do you plan on getting…physical?"

That's when Rainbow Dash knew she had to get them out of there and so feigned an overwhelming need to quench her thirst, dragging away a still babbling Pinkie Pie as she did.

Once they had dodged Twilight Sparkle's ammo of invasive inquiries, they started heading toward the dance floor which was, for the most part, empty. Probably had something to do with the line stemming from the blue tent at the corner of the whole party…

Then, just as they were mere feet away, Pinkie Pie suddenly ducked behind a bale of hay.

Rainbow Dash chuckled, "What are you doing?"

Pinkie Pie's bright blue eyes peered out from behind the hay bale meaningfully, "Hiding…and you should too."

Rainbow Dash lifted an eyebrow in confusion, "Why?"

Pinkie Pie's eyes rolled over to gaze at the dance floor and Rainbow Dash's own gaze followed suit.

Her eyes widened as she finally realized why Pinkie Pie was hiding.

Because there, out in the middle of the dance floor, stood Roseluck.

"Yikes," And suddenly Rainbow Dash was right beside Pinkie Pie, cowering behind the hay bale.

Pinkie Pie craned her neck to see around their shield of fodder, "Do you think she's mad at me?"

Rainbow Dash laughed, "Mad at you? Of course not! I'm the one she's mad at."

Pinkie Pie twisted her head back at Rainbow Dash, her eyes and mouth wide with surprise. "Dashie, look who she is with!"

Rainbow Dash worried at her lip, "Oh, no. Is she turning Applejack against us?"

Pinkie Pie shook her head, "She's playing Charades with Daisy!"

Rainbow anxiety disappeared to leave a blank expression on her face, "Wait, what?"

Pinkie Pie frantically pointed outwards, "Loooook!"

Rainbow Dash obeyed; stretching out her neck to take what was supposed to be a quick peek but eventually turned into a long stare, "Whaaaa...? Pinkie, she's not playing Charades with Daisy...she's kissing her."

Pinkie Pie crossed her forelegs in frustration, "Well, she was doing a great imitation of a fish just a second ago!"

Rainbow Dash broke her stare to give Pinkie Pie a funny look.

"Riiiiight…well, at least she's not making fishy faces at you anymore." Rainbow Dash pointed out with forced cheer; not that she wasn't happy that Roseluck had, apparently, gotten over her crush on Pinkie…it was just that she hated to think about their kiss.

Pinkie Pie shuddered, apparently feeling the same way, "Yeah…"

Awkward silence.

Realizing Pinkie Pie wasn't going to say anything more anytime soon, Rainbow Dash made the first move, "Uh…so, why don't we-"

And then, all in a blur, Pinkie Pie had suddenly leaned over and smashed her lips against Rainbow Dash's own.

Rainbow Dash eyes opened all the way and she made a tiny gasp into Pinkie Pie's mouth, while her wings sprang to life, flapping about and causing loose hay to stir & rustle.

Then, all too soon, Pinkie Pie ripped her mouth away; the stolen kiss couldn't have lasted more than five seconds.

Once the connection was broken, Rainbow Dash's wings went still and her eyes remained wide-open… before she narrowed them, "Why did you do that-I was just getting into it!"

Pinkie Pie giggled, strands of straw stuck in her mane, "Sorry…I just wanted to get Roseluck's taste out of my mouth..." she licked her lips contemplatively, "I think it worked." she grinned at a job well done.

Rainbow Dash grumbled, "I dunno what you're talking about because I didn't get a chance to taste anything." she pouted.

Pinkie Pie giggled, "Better luck next time!"

Rainbow Dash frowned, "Next time? Why not now?"

Pinkie Pie shook her head, "Nope!"

Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed further, "Oh, come on, Pinks! You didn't give me a warning-you have to give a pony a warning before you go kissing them."

Pinkie Pie laughed, "No way! Being surprised is way more fun."

Rainbow Dash had had her mouth open to argue more for her case but, once she'd heard Pinkie Pie's words, a mischievous twinkle sparkled in her eye instead and her lips slowly formed a sly smirk.

Pinkie Pie went on, "-except when the surprise kiss is from somepony you don't like, then it's no fun at all! But you probably already knew that. Oh, and then there are those kisses I've read about where-"

Rainbow Dash had begun to scoot closer to the oblivious pink pony, the smirk gradually widening into a malicious grin.

"-like, what's up with that? I mean, don't get me wrong, our kisses are really nice and all but I never feel-"

Rainbow Dash's heart started to quicken with the suspense, just a lil closer…

"-do you think we were doing it wrong? Ooh, maybe we should ask Twilight since she's such a smarty-smart pants."

Rainbow Dash suddenly ceased her progression, "Wait-Twilight? Pinkie, we are not bringing Twilight into this relationship."

Pinkie Pie blinked with an eyebrow quirked, "I didn't say we were! I said-"

Recognizing the beginnings of another stream of aimless chatter, Rainbow Dash used this window of opportunity to complete her maneuver and steal away Pinkie Pie's words with a surprise kiss.

The kiss was nothing at all like the others had been; it wasn't an experiment driven by curiosity or a desperate attempt to drive away bitter guilt. It was just a kiss.

Rainbow Dash's eyes were closed and the change was a welcome relief. She no longer cared what her wings were doing or what Pinkie Pie's face looked like that at that particular moment. Right now, it was just their lips.

And…was that Rice Krispies she tasted?

Rainbow Dash smiled against Pinkie Pie's soft mouth and she started to deepen the kiss, eager for anything else Pinkie Pie had in store.

After some further investigation, Rainbow Dash detected a hint of marshmallow in there as well; in fact, the sugary taste in every curve and corner of Pinkie Pie's mouth was starting to become suffocatingly sweet… yet she couldn't seem to get enough.

And then, without warning, something wet splashed onto her face.

Rainbow Dash's eyes flew open and she pulled back, startled as she was.

But she was even more startled to find that she was now staring down at Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow Dash blinked, finally realizing that she had been holding Pinkie Pie flush on the ground the whole time. When did that happen?

"Uh…surprise?" she panted.

Pinkie Pie giggled as droplets of water from the tips of Rainbow Dash's mane's strands rained down on her face, "Sorry! I think you accidentally activated my clown flower." she said, pointing out the accessory on her dress.

Rainbow Dash blinked at the offensive plastic flower curiously; how had she not noticed it before?

"It's too bad we had such a good kiss going on!" she lamented regretfully.

Rainbow Dash blushed, pushing off of Pinkie slightly yet still straddling her.

"Heh…it was, wasn't it?" she thought out loud loftily.

Pinkie Pie giggled, "It was rainbowtastic!"

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked, not sure if Pinkie Pie meant she had tasted like actual rainbow liquid (she would know) or if it was just an adjective she'd made up in honor of her name to summarize the whole thing.

Pinkie Pie nodded all the same. "Totally! Like, it was the best surprise ever."

Rainbow Dash grinned, inspired to share her own experience, "Ya know, I kinda thought you'd taste like cotton candy," she admitted.

Pinkie Pie cocked her head, "What do I taste like?" she asked curiously.

"Rice Krispies treats."

Pinkie Pie eyes brightened, "I sound delicious!"

Rainbow Dash laughed, "Yeah…" she trailed off, her mind already gravitating back to the kiss.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie waited patiently for Rainbow Dash to sort through her thoughts while she herself was content to stare straight at her, merrily at first, until eventually the corners of her mouth started turning down in a frown along with her eyes gradually widening to their limit before she finally gasped in realization, "Oh my gosh, Dashie!"

Rainbow Dash's mind was forced to the present, "What?" she asked uneasily, concerned.

"Your eyes!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed and then, squinting, added, "They look… different."

Rainbow Dash's brief panic subsided and she released a sigh of relief, "It's just the makeup, Pinks…"

Pinkie Pie shook her head fiercely. "No, it's something else."

Rainbow Dash didn't know what to say to that so she instead waited for Pinkie Pie to fill in the blank, steadily staring back at her.

Pinkie Pie gasped again, softly "They're…" she stopped herself, her eyes shimmering with clarity.

Rainbow Dash waited some more, her wings beating anxiously.

"Magenta." Pinkie Pie whispered so faintly that Rainbow Dash almost didn't catch it.

But, just to be sure…

"Magenta?"

Pinkie Pie nodded resolutely, "Yes."

Rainbow Dash blinked incredulously from the anticlimactic answer, "So?"

Pinkie Pie looked like she'd been struck, "So? So…so…so you've never had magenta eyes before! They've always been a rose color."

Rainbow Dash flinched and her gaze hardened, "A rose color?"

Pinkie Pie subtly nodded.

Rainbow Dash turned her face away, "I don't know, Pinkie. Nothing has changed about my eyes. Maybe it's you who's changed."

Pinkie Pie looked to be seriously considering that possibility, slowly nodding, "Maybe…"

"Besides, what's the difference? They're practically the same color." Rainbow Dash pointed out harshly, annoyed. Annoyed that Pinkie Pie was making a big deal about the exact hue of her eyes…annoyed that Pinkie Pie thought her eye color had resembled a rose in the first place…but, most of all, she was annoyed that she had actually gotten her to care about what she thought of her eyes at all.

Pinkie Pie smiled delicately, "Well, personally, I like magenta better."

~Mindless Fluff You May Disregard/Epilogue~

If Rainbow Dash had to choose the best thing that had come out of her relationship with Pinkie Pie, it would probably be her schedule change.

Of course, she had been annoyed at first for having to wake up early but now she realized what a good thing it was that her schedule had expanded to her actually being awake in the morning instead of snoozing it away on a secluded cloud somewhere until noon. Because now that it had, she was reminded of the sunrise's beauty again, the joy of a new day's beginning, and the thrill of all the possible turns the day could take.

And seeing Pinkie Pie first thing in the morning wasn't so bad either…

It had only been after much pleading and instances of the puppy dog face on Pinkie Pie's part that she had finally convinced Rainbow Dash to spend her first of many nights at Sugarcube Corner, right after the Square Dance Party. This one was under the pretext of a slumber party, of which the Cakes were skeptical of but nevertheless granted in the end.

The young couple were sleeping side-by-side in Pinkie Pie's four poster bed, which more than made up for Rainbow Dash's company.

But, oddly enough, the earth pony was the one who was wide awake, unlike the pegasus who slept as soundly as if she were curled up on a cloud.

Well, she was sleeping soundly until the earth pony poked her snout, hindering her peaceful snores into a pig-like snort.

Rainbow Dash's eyes opened groggily, "Huh? Pinkie? What ya do that for?"

"I'm just testing to see if you're real or not." Pinkie Pie reasoned.

Rainbow Dash eyes screwed up, "Well, I'm as real as I am awake when I am asleep, don't worry."

"I know…well…it's just…you know that princess story, where everything turns back to boring old pumpkins and mice at midnight?"

Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes, "Yeah…kinda like what Twilight did for the Grand Galloping Gala?"

"Yes! Well, its midnight now so I thought-"

Rainbow Dash smiled, amused, "You thought I'd turn into a boring, old pumpkin?"

"No! I mean…well…"

"Ya know I'm not a pumpkin, right?"

"Yes…"

It was quiet, excluding the faint crickets chirping outside.

And then Pinkie Pie burst out laughing, "I remember that train ride!"

Rainbow Dash only cringed a little and then smiled softly, "Well, since I've reassured you…" and then rolled over to face the other side of the room, awaiting sleep's returning embrace.

Pinkie Pie was quiet for only a little awhile longer, "That's how I felt about the Wonderbolts, too."

Rainbow Dash's ear perked at this casual acknowledgement, "The Wonderbolts? …You thought they'd turn me into a pumpkin?"

Pinkie Pie sighed, disappointed that Rainbow Dash had attempted to make a joke of it, "No…I thought they'd turn you into a Wonderbolt."

And for the longest time, Rainbow Dash didn't say anything.

"I still can't believe they were fake."

Pinkie Pie smiled sadly, "Would it have made any difference if they had been real?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged, which Pinkie Pie felt more than saw, "I don't know…but I guess I should have known the Apple family, great farming folks that they are, couldn't have afforded the actual Wonderbolts at their Square Dance Party."

Pinkie Pie sighed, "Only a true fan would have known they were fake though." She said pointedly.

Rainbow Dash frowned, just about fed up "Pinkie Pie, I'm not going anywhere."

Pinkie Pie didn't respond.

Rainbow Dash turned back over, creasing the comforter, and stared at Pinkie Pie savagely, her face glowing in the midnight, "I'm not, Pinkie. That won't be for a long time."

Pinkie Pie stared right past her, out through her window where the big, big world lay beyond.

Rainbow Dash reached over and tipped the pink pony's chin up, breaking her glazed expression and forcing her to look at her magenta eyes, "I'm here right now and that's all that matters, okay? Don't get yourself down over something that hasn't even happened yet."

Pinkie Pie sighed drearily, "Okay, Dashie."

In a last attempt to comfort her girlfriend, Rainbow Dash wrapped her forelegs around Pinkie Pie's shoulders fiercely, burying her head into the crook of her neck. "I won't leave you." she mumbled.

Yet.

Final Author's Note: What? You didn't actually think Rainbow Dash would come up with a cutesy-wootsy song about her feelings, did you? That's not her style! (Sorry if you were…)

At least I didn't end it with "And it was all just a dream." Haha. :p

Should I? o.o

And yes I did have to hook Roseluck up with somepony because I'd hate to have her be all by her lonesome. :( Besides, Daisy and Roseluck? Don't lie, you saw that coming.

Anyway, let me just say, this fanfiction was quite a surprise for me. I thought I knew where I was going with it most of the time but then it went places I never thought it would. I guess you could say this fanfic is more of an experiment than anything.

But you know what? I'm glad it is the way it is now; I think it is much better. And no one will even know what other ideas I had for it because it's all locked safely away into my brain! :D

But I really wish I had a Beta Reader before I published it because, when I looked back at the first few chapters, I found myself cringing. It really is amazing how naïve I seemed all those months ago and I wish I had held off on publishing since it clearly wasn't ready for an audience yet.

And it was as I was scouring through my own creation, I realized some things (read: a lot) desperately needed to be edited or just completely cut out.

So, if you're one of the first reviewers that I obtained somehow and you happen to want to reread "The Pinkie and I", you'll most likely notice the revisions.

By the way, there will be a sequel! But it will hopefully be way better written than The Pinkie and I.

No, you do not have to read the sequel.

But if you do want to read the sequel, which is going to be called The Rainbow and I (I know, totally original title, right? trollolololol), just know that it will tie up some loose ends in this fanfic. But things definitely get weirder… just a precaution.

Anyway, I don't own the lyrics from "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne (though if anyone is actually wondering, I did tweak a section of the lyrics to make it more…appropriate. This story is rated K+, after all…)

I also do not own the rejected song choice "Disgusting" by Ke$ha/Miranda Cosgrove (And it was rejected for good reason! Honestly, the last thing I would be is flattered if my boyfriend dedicated a song called "Disgusting" to me XD My head-canon Pinkie Pie is a lot more forgiving)