>We've known each other for years.
>My best friend, Rainbow Dash.
>Poor guys ad some seriously doped out parents to give him a name like that.
>I still remember when we first met.
>It was third grade for us.
>Rainbow Dash had just moved to my neighborhood.
>As we waited for the bus, we began talking and became fast friends.
>That year, we constructed 'Fort Booger' a tree-house in his backyard... With the help of his dad.
>Then, to top it all off, we hung a sign that read 'No Girls Alowd'.
>This wasn't a tree-house for dolls and tea-parties.
>No, this was a boys club.
>Even though the club consisted of us two.
>Since then, we had been inseparable, all the way up to High School.
>And now we were on track to graduate at the end of the month.
>So with CHS being the super cool school that it is, the Apple Family had allowed their oldest daughter to host a party in their barn.
>It was sure to be an epic night.
>Nothing could ruin this night.
>Right?

"Dude, hurry the fuck up, I swear you're like a chick you take so long."
>"Hey fuck you, I'm doin' something."
"What, beating your dick like it owes you money? Come on, I wanna get there early. We've got a lot of drinking to do."
>We always went back and forth like this.
>What was some lighthearted banter between best buds, right?
>I finally heard the doorknob jiggling and watched as he stepped out.
"Took you long enough."
>One thing I never understood though, ever since Freshman year he had this weird haircut. It was like a mohawk... 
>But it wasn't, it was like he just went to get his haircut ad said 'yeah, just buzz the sides'.
>He looked like some kind of gay pride advertisement.
>I had to admit though, it looked pretty cool.
"You seriously need a haircut."
>"Yeah, okay dude. Like you're any better, Anon? You don't even have hair."
"Captain Picard rocked it and so will I," I countered.
>"Whatever, let's go."
>With that, we headed outside and hopped into his truck. 
>One thing we always agreed on was that if it's not a Dodge, it's not a truck.
>Dash had gotten a summer job last year and every paycheck went directly into this behemoth.
>Everything from the turbocharger to the sound system he did himself.
>The guy was a whiz when it came to working on his truck.
>Hell, if I didn't know any better, I'd say everybody at school was a bit jealous of it.
>Every morning we heard him roaring up to school way before ever actually seeing the blacked out beast.
>Even the entire police force knew exactly who the truck belonged to.
>Rainbow Dash stuck out like a sore thumb to everybody.
>Which was fine by him, he loved the attention.

>As we rolled up to the Apple Family Farm, we saw Applejack leaning against a fence post laughing and shaking her head.
>So Dash pulled up next to her and rolled down the window.
>"Ah swear, y'all couldn't sneak up on a rock in a blizzard in that thing."
>Dash wasted no time firing back.
>"That's the idea, I want everybody to know I'm coming before they see me!"
>"You're some character, Dash. Heya, Anon, gone deaf yet?"
"WHAT? SORRY, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" I joked.
>"Go park that darn thing and help me bring some barrels into the barn."
>So we did, Dash made it obvious we had gotten here first by parking his truck right by the barn door.
>Then we helped Applejack bring a few cider barrels from the cellar nearby and stacked them inside the barn. 
>"So AJ, your parents really cool with us drinking?"
>I set my end of the barrel down as Applejack wiped some sweat from her brow.
>"Yup, so long as nobody leaves until mornin' they don't see any harm in a bit of fun."
>Damn, Applejack had some cool parents.
>"Speakin' of which. Dash, gimme them keys. Ah'm holdin' on to everyone's keys tonight just to be safe."
>Dash rolled his eyes and tossed the keys to AJ who promptly stuck them into a jar which she put inside her own truck to make sure nobody could get their keys without going through her first.
>"Anon, could ya'll head inside right quick? Ah need to talk to Dash here for a moment if'n that's alright with you."
"Yeah sure, careful dude, AJ might be confessing her love to you."
>With that, Dash flipped me off and I headed inside the barn to grab a drink.
>Tonight is gonna be a good night.

>Shortly after I gabbed my drink, Vinyl Scratch arrived and I helped her unload her equipment and get everything set up.
>I just hoped she would play some good music this time around, I never was a fan of her 'Popular Playlist'.
>Little by little, the rest of our class began to arrive.
>Even some of the not so socially inclined ones like Twilight Sparkle made it.
>As usual, those that belonged to some club or team arrived in groups with a couple of stragglers arriving on their own.
>An hour had passed until I saw Dash again.
"Damn dude, what the hell took so long? Did you wanna make sure she came first or something?"
>"Fuck off, we were just talking about some stuff."
"Oh yeah, like what?" I asked as I handed him his own cup of cider.
>"Don't worry about it," he replied before taking a drink.
>There was no way he wasn't tapping that.
>Applejack, despite her rustic nature was easily one of the hottest chicks at school and with how often her and Dash were together, you'd swear they were a couple.
>Opposites attract and everything.
"Tonight's already going pretty well. So what's the game plan? We gonna try and score or what?"
>"I'm not really feeling it dude." Dash hung his head a bit, something was off for sure. "You go ahead though."
"Alright, spill it dude. What's got your panties in a bind?"
>"Nothing, just some stuff. Don't worry about it, let's just focus on having a good time alright?"
>His demeanor was way off for what tonight was supposed to be.
>But honestly, I didn't know what to do.
>Usually whenever one of us was feeling out of it, the other would crack a joke or whatever and everything would go back to normal.
>Not this time though.
>So I brushed it off, he should come around in a few minutes.
"Okay, well." I raised my cup to his and I saw a hint of a smile play out as he raised his back.

>In unison, we began.
>"To Fighting, Stealing & Killing: May we fight for what we believe in, may we steal a young girls heart and may we kill a bottle with friends. For though our paths may stray, we'll live to meet another day. Here's to your health, a long life and an easy death for you!"
>We touched cups, drained them and raised them high.
>"Friends forever?"
"Forever friends."
>Thus, the night began.
>Drinking, dancing, playing and fighting.
>We did it all.
>Then, at the end of the night, those that were sober drove their friends home, and those hat could not, found somewhere to sleep.
>Some in their cars and some in the barn and even still, some outside in the cool night air.
>Dash and I had retired to his truck laughing all the while.
>We had managed to get the wall-eyed girl Ditzy to hook up with Bulk Biceps and every part of our being found it hysterical.
>We sat in the bed of the truck staring at the sky and letting our drunken bodies rest a bit.
>I was close to passing out when Dash elbowed me in the ribs.
>"Hey Anon..."
"Yeah buddy?"
>I turned over and propped myself up on my elbow.
>"I uh..."
>He trailed off, looking out into the shadows of the orchard.
>The moonlight barely illuminating his face.
>"I've got some stuff I need to say."
"Shit, I've got a lot of hings I wanna say too. What's up?"
>He stayed silent a moment before he sighed and looked at me.
>He seemed to be trying to read my thoughts with his mind.
>"You remember the day we first met?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I? We were waiting for the bus, I said I liked your shoes cause they lit up and we were instantly friends."
>He nodded and continued.
>"That day, you never asked and I never told you something very important. And every day since then, I've been living a lie."
"Wait, are you coming out of the closet? If you are dude, don't worry. I totally support you, one hundred percent. I kinda had a feeling anyway, what with your hair and all."
>"No, it's not that at all."

>He sighed and brought his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them in the process.
>"You never asked if I was a boy or a girl, you didn't care then. At least not right away. We built Fort Booger and made a sign saying no girls were allowed. Ever since then, I was afraid to tell you the truth. We're best friends... And I didn't wanna ruin that."
>Then I saw it, the little drop of silver rolling down his cheek.
>He quickly wiped it away and continued.
>"But ever since I met Applejack and told her the truth, she's been harping on me to tell you before it's too late. And you deserve to know the truth, Anon."
>I sat up completely giving him my full attention.
>"What is it? What are you trying to say."
>He sighed heavily, another tear rolling down his cheek.
>Again, he looked me in the eye, as if he thought he could find something there.
>"I'm a girl..."
>What?
"Bullshit. Fuck off dude, no you aren't. Stop messing around and tell me what's up."
>He sad nothing, opting to bury hide his face.
>Silence.
"You can't be serious."
>Again, he sat silent.
>There was no way he could be a girl. 
>I've known him forever, if anybody would know, it'd be me... Right?
"I don't believe you."
>"Huh? Why? It's the truth!"
"I've known you forever, I think I know a girl when I see one."
>"Have you ever seen me naked?"
"No."
>"Then how do you know?"
>He was right about that.
>I had no proof.
>"There's something else..."
>Something else?
>Like what?
>He turned to face my this time, crossing his legs in front while fiddling nervously with the strings of his hoodie.
>"I love you, Anon. I have for a long time. And not like a brotherly love or a best friend kind... Like, really love you. Like marriage an junk..."
>What the fuck?

>I was stunned to say the least.
"So let me get this straight... You're a girl, and for the past ten years you never bothered to tell me? And somehow, in the midst of all this, you also decide that you love me? What the fuck is going on dude? You've got to be kidding. There's no way, this is just some prank you and AJ are trying to pull isn't it? Let me guess, she's hiding next to the truck trying to keep from laughing."
>I made a point of looking over the bed of the truck to see if maybe Applejack was sneaking around down there.
>But she wasn't.
"No, dude. I don't..."
>Dash said nothing.
>He just wiped some tears from his eyes then let out a frustrated sigh.
>He took off his jacket.
>Then his shirt.
>Finally he undid the wraps around his chest.
>And my best friend, the guy I'd known for so long.
>Was a girl.
>A rainbow haired, mechanically inclined, biological girl.
>We sat there, staring at each other.
>Neither of us quite sure what to say or do...
>Finally, she crumpled up her chest bindings and tossed them to the side and redressed herself.
>Sure, she looked just like the boy I'd grown up with.
>But now I knew.
>And I wasn't quite sure just what I should say.
>But slowly, bit by bit.
>Everything started to fall into place.
>Her androgynous features.
>Her slim, yet athletic figure.
>Her boyish, but not quite masculine voice.
>I didn't know what to say or do.
>How do you react to this?
>What do I say?
>Dash looked at me, the magenta pools of her eyes begging me to say something.
>Do something.
>Anything!
>But I couldn't.
>And I didn't.
>I just stared at her.
>Numb.

>"Anon... I'm sorry."
>What did she have to be sorry for?
>For lying to me all these years?
>She was scared.
>She is scared.
>Afraid that I might reject her outright.
>But I couldn't.
>She was my best friend.
>Is, my best friend.
>So why wasn't I doing anything?
>Then, she grabbed my hands.
>Holding them in her own.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
>"I was afraid... I didn't want us to stop being friends just because I'm not a guy."
>She shifted uncomfortably.
>"I'm still the same Rainbow Dash you've always known... Just... A girl."
>Her face was freely flowing with tears now.
>And she broke down.
>Openly crying.
>So I did the only thing I could think of.
>I hugged her
>Holding her as she trembled.
>Letting out all the years of stress and worry.
>And what did I do?
>I just held her.
>Saying nothing.
>Just thinking.
>Eventually, her crying stopped.
>We said nothing.
>But slowly, I came to accept it.
>It was hard, I won't lie.
>But if I'm being honest with myself.
>It felt right.
>Who was I to tell Dash who she was or wasn't?
>Especially if I'd seen the evidence myself.
>And I smiled.
>Who better to love than your best friend?
>Even if he always thought you were a guy, just like him?
>Who better to take a chance on than the girl that knew everything about you?
>All your quirks, faults, secrets and lies.
>The girl who had been right by your side through it all.
>The girl I held now in my arms.
>Rainbow Dash, the girl who's face hovered, mere inches from mine.
>Her eyes puffy and unsure.
>Then opening wide in surprise as I kiss her.
>And finally, closing.
>Tears flowing once more.
>Happiness we would share for years to come.
>Smiles as we separated, looking into each other's eyes.
"I love you too, Rainbow Dash."