Title:           Slowing Down p16 "She's Dancing"
Author:          Hellmeister
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/F4h1YNRC
First Edit:      Tuesday 2nd of February 2016 05:22:31 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Tuesday 2nd of February 2016 05:22:31 PM CDT

AJ'S POV
 
>Flying always feels...Weird.
>As an earth pony, you have a natural understanding of where the ground is at all times.
>Which is great for things like, knowing up from down, or being able to keep your footing on uneven terrain.
>And having the earth beneath your hooves, coupled with this sense, is a feeling you can't get enough of.
>But...Let's just say you're glad Rainbow isn't doing any loop-de-loops.
>Between your hangover, and the ground below, you're not sure your stomach could take it.
>You groan.
>Your head hurts, your stomach's filing a complaint, and you're STILL not any closer to the ground.
>You're getting a little antsy.
"Hey, Rainbow...Ah appreciate yew goin' slow an' all, but, are we gonna land soon?"
>You can feel her growl through your back where her chest is.
>"Yeah, yeah, soon."
>You chuckle.
>Nice to know that even though her company with Anon has changed her a bit, she's still her.
>It would've sucked if you met up with her after all that time, and it turned out she changed so much, that she couldn't be your friend anymore.
>Even now, though, it's a little sad.
>Sure, you experienced her slowly gravitating more and more to Anon as time went on, but you never saw what made her...Softer.
>You mean, it's as clear as a day in summer that she's smitten with him, so it's only natural that she'd change to make him happy.
>But the important thing is, you weren't around to see it. It must've been hard on her, and you weren't there.
>You've known her for the better part of 8 years now, give or take.
>When she up and went, it...Hurt.
>You've been to hell, back and beyond with her, and she just...Walked out. Like none of that meant anything at all.
>If she'd've sat still for a few seconds, you could've caught up and said something.
>But...It was almost like she was avoiding you.
>In the end, you just stopped trying to catch her.
 
>Heh. It's funny.
>Before you met her, you could get by just fine. You've lost friends before. Family, too. Either by disagreement, or by...No choice of their own.
>But with her, she didn't say anything, and you never knew why. You still don't.
>You're not going to ask her though. It's not that you want to risk a second chance, it's just that it doesn't matter.
>She's back, now. You don't need a reason, she just is. And that's just fine.
>It feels like you can...Breathe again.
>Speaking of feeling reassured, she, uh...Doesn't remember what happened last night, right?
>You mean, you don't know how you got to Rainbow's house. You passed out before that happened.
>But, for some reason, you kept some of the drunk parts of your memory.
>...S-she doesn't need to know.
>It's for the best. In more ways than one.
>...
>Your thoughts are disturbed by a sigh from Rainbow Dash.
>"See? We're almost there, now!"
>What?
>Oh, yeah. You can see it in the distance.
"Heh. So we are."
>"...You're pretty heavy."
"Am not."
>"You ever had to lift yourself up and fly you from my house to yours?"
"...Uh, no?"
>"Well, then!"
>...You leave it be.
>That answer was stupid enough to win an award, let alone the argument.
>'Sides, the ache in your head is advising against arguing today.
>You gotta get home.
>Your family's probably worried sick.
>On the other hand, you're expecting a few choice words for your actions last night.
>At least Applebloom wasn't present at the 'party'.
>...You think.
>Rainbow begins to descend in preparation for the landing.
>Again, you're thankful she doesn't just swoop down like she normally does when she lands.
>As impressive as that is, you don't think you'd be able to appreciate it as much.
 
>After what seems like forever, your hooves touch down on familiar soil.
>Ah, good old solid, supportive land.
>Gets you in a working mood.
"Thanks fer takin' me home, Rainbow. Must've sucked fer yew tuh haveta've gone slow like that."
>You look up to check that she's still around.
>Yep. She's still there. She's being all kinds of polite today.
>She tosses your hat back down onto your head.
>Was she wearing it?
>"Eh, don't mention it. I-I didn't feel like going fast anyway."
>You laugh.
"Weyll, that's a furst."
>"H-hey! I like to go slow sometimes!"
"Since when?"
>She seems to be thinking out what she's going to say next.
>"...S-since I woke up feeling like crap this morning." She nods, pleased with her excuse. "Duh!"
"Eh. S'pose that's reasonable enough."
>She's lying. It shows.
>You didn't get called the element of honesty for nothing.
>"Anyway, I've gotta find Ano...Uh..."
>She looks around.
>Looks like she's remembered something important.
>"Hey, AJ, what time is it?"
>What? Why is she asking you? You haven't looked at a clock since yesterday.
>Not being one to disappoint, you look at the sky, looking for the sun. It's not hard to miss, and you try to judge it's position.
>You don't actually know the accurate time, but you've worked long enough to recognise that it would probably be the end of break.
>...Maybe asking you wasn't such a bad idea after all.
"I'd say it's, uh..." You put it into terms that are relevant to her. "Anon's break should be ending round about now."
>"What?! Awh, shoot." She looks disappointed. "I gotta be somewhere. See ya."
"Uh, wher-"
>Nope. She's gone.
>You sigh, smiling.
>Never change, Rainbow. Never change.
>"EEEEEE~!"
>What the he-
>Pinkie Pie pops out of a nearby bush. Looks like she's just woken up.
>She groans, and looks disorientated for a few seconds, before shaking the twigs out of her hair and looking around.
>You start to walk off, in an attempt to not draw her attention, but she sees you.
>"OH! Hi cuz!"
 
>Pinkie's a good, upstanding citizen of Ponyvile, and a close friend of yours.
>You know her well.
>Which is exactly why you wanted to leave. She's a chatterbox. A Hyperactive, automated, rapid fire chatterbox.
>No offence to her, you know she means well, but you've got a headache already.
"Uh, hi Sugarcu-"
>She springs out of the bush, and you don't even know if she landed.
>It looked like she was going to for a second, but she sped on over to you the instant she touched down.
>"That was SOME party last night, huh? I didn't even plan the party! I know! I was talking to Fluttershy about Gummy, when a bunch of ponies started SCREAMING! 'Celestia's here!' and I was like, *GASP* and 'no way, Celestia's here? WHERE?!' So I ran as fast as I could, and-"
>She doesn’t seem to be aware of you being in pain.
"F-fer petes sake, Pinkie, slow down!"
>She blinks a few times.
>"Huh? Whadaya mean?"
>Great. At least you stopped her from talking you to death.
>Few more sentences, your head might've actually exploded.
"Ah don't mean to sound rude, sugarcube, but, uh, wut where yew doin' sleepin' in that bush, there?"
>"Oh? That? Well!"
>Shucks.
>"I was there at the party and I, was, MOVIN'! And I saw Celestia, hanging out over at the punch bowl with Anon, and-"
"Wait, wait, Pinkie-"
>"Yes, Applejack?" Her voice laced with toxic innocence.
>You try to think of something to ask her to cut her story into pieces.
"...Punch bowl?"
>"Yeah, silly, a punch bowl! A bowl full of punch! And that punch PACKED a punch!" She throws a few punches at the air, emphasising the pun.
"Y-yup, I know, sugarcube, but...Where, did it come frum?"
>She looks at you, as if what you asked was obvious.
>"Oh, come on, Applejack! I ALWAYS have a punch bowl handy! Along with confetti, balloons, streamers, and a sink! From my kitchen!"
>You can't understand why she'd need the sink, but it's probably for one of her gags.
>...Or was what she just said the gag?
>What are you supposed to be laughing at?
 
>"So, ANYWAY! I was on the dance floor, and I see Celestia, and I'm like." She pulls in uncomfortably close to your face, and whispers; 'What if I ask her to bust a move with me?'"
>She pauses, as if expecting a reaction from you.
>What is she looking for? 'Cos you've got nothing.
>But no, she moves away as quickly as she approached, and continues to act out what happened.
>"So I go over to her, and I'm like 'Hey! Princess! Dance with me!' And guess what? GUESS WHAT?"
>She looks over at you, grinning widely.
"...She, uh...Said yes?"
>"She TOTALLY SAID YES! YES! She didn't say 'yes, yes', that was just me saying 'yes' because YES!"
>She pauses again, hooves in the air, then continues.
>"So she said 'Yes, I'd be happy to,' and ohhhhh, could she DANCE! Best. Dancer. EVER! She did it so well, that she didn't even NOTICE when she kicked me out of the window!"
>She leaps about 20 feet into the air at an angle to demonstrate this.
>"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-"
>She lands in the bush.
>"And I landed in the bush, and realised I was SUPER TIRED! So I fell asleep in the bush and I had a dream about fighting lobster pirates on a sea of PUNCH! That's when YOU showed up!" She finishes, proudly.
>Well, that answers one question, but leaves so many others.
>You're as sure as the sun will rise that you're not gonna ask about ‘em, though.
>...What were you doing here again?
>Oh. Right. Your family. The farm.
"That's, uh, great, Sugarcube. A-anyway, I got some work ta do."
>"OK, cuz! See ya later!" She disapears back into the bush.
>You're finally able to walk away.
>Phew!
>You're glad that's over.
>Time to get back to work.
>...You can't help but wonder where RD went.
>She never used to plan meet-ups with anypony before.
>She's wasn't that kind of pony.
>Of course, you don't know if that's what she does NOW, but...She didn't seem to have changed that much.
>What the hay would be so important to her that she'd be willing to show up on time?
 
RD POV
 
>Y'know, this isn't exactly how past you would've seen herself in the future.
>Past you thought you'd be a member of the Wonderbolts by now.
>Maybe Daring Do's sidekick, if you count 'more recent' past you.
>Nope. Instead, you're taking 'lady lessons' from Rarity.
>And Anon says you don't work.
>Oh, you work. You're doing this for HIM.
>...N-not like he's ever gonna know that you did this.
>Nuh-uh. Even if he ends up becoming your somepony.
>It's a secret, need to know basis.
>And NOPONY NEEDS TO KNOW!
>"Raaaainbow Daaaash~! Are you ready~?"
>You'll never be ready, but you're in this too far to back down now.
>Let's just get this over with.
"Y-yeah. I'm ready."
>A record magically slides onto the phonograph's turntable, and begins to play.
>https://youtu.be/65zmAulxJ1w?t=17
>She slowly descends the stairs, wearing an elegant, turquoise ballroom gown.
>You're wearing your dress too, of course. The one from the gala, this time.
>Her calm pace is making you a little anxious.
"Rarity, d-do you really have to take it so-"
>"Shh."
>D-damnit. You're really out of your comfort zone, here.
>"Now, Anon won't be wearing a dress, but if he's going to lead, he'll need to approach you, first."
>That's...Not gonna happen.
>If you ask him to dance, he'll just laugh it off.
"Wh-what if I wanna lead?"
>She stops, and giggles.
>"Well..." She seems to think it over. "I suppose we could...But I'll have to show you what to do, first."
>With that, she moves to the middle of her studio and extends her hoof in front of her drooping it enticingly giving you a patient smile.
>...Do you HAVE to?
>Opal watches you lazily from atop the back of a mannequin, silently judging your every move.
>She's the only audience you've got, you guess.
>OK. Nopony else is going to see you like this, you don't need to be embarrassed.
>Remember what you're doing this for.
>You take a deep breath, then walk up to her.
 
>Yeah, you're nervous.
>But only because she knows more about this than you do.
>If she didn't, though, you wouldn't've asked her to help at all.
>You don't know why you're so worried. It's Rarity.
>She'll understand if you screw up.
>You're now in reaching distance of her hoof.
>You've just gotta take her hoof. That's not hard.
>If Anon can do it, so can-
>D-damnit, no. Don't think about that, NO!
>Rrgh, too late. You can't stop.
>Rarity's waiting for you to make your move. She looks a little puzzled.
>OK, just bring your hoof over to hers, and lift it up.
>It takes some concentration, but you put the thoughts aside, and reach your hoof out to hers.
>You move it under, and move it upwards to touch the underside of her hoof.
>...And you can't go any further. COME ON!
>Stupid...Anon doesn't even HAVE hooves! Stop thinking about-
>You feel something touch the other side of your hoof, and gently lift it upwards.
>It's Rarity's other hoof.
>O-oh, no.
>Yep, you can't control the thoughts any more.
>You're now picturing Anon holding your hooves with both of his hands, smiling brightly at you.
>H-he really wants you to be here, with him.
>No, can't do it. CAN'T DO IT.
>You snatch your hoof out of Rarity's grasp, much to her surprise.
>You unconsciously back away from her, and try to calm down.
>Rarity takes the needle off the record with her magic, and goes over to your side.
 
>"Wh-what is it? What's wrong?" She puts a hoof on your shoulder.
>Not reassuring at ALL. You back out of her touch.
"Hahh, gahh...I-it, I, N-n..." It's all you can manage.
>It's been a long time since you felt like this. You'd've thought that since you've got used to the feeling of having a crush, that this wouldn't happen again.
>Ragged breathing, hot face, tounge-tied, mind overloaded with thoughts of him and you...It's almost like a panic attack.
>THIS, is why you hate this crush.
>"Hold on, I'll get some water."
>No way is this how it is for any other ponies.
>If this was normal, who'd get into a relationship? Who'd ever bring themselves to MARRY somepony?
>WHY are you trying to be his marefriend, again?
>...You really need to calm down.
>Rarity comes back with a glass of water, and moves a cushion behind you.
>You sit down, and take the glass.
>"W-wait until you stop breathing so fast before you try to take a sip."
"Ra-Rarity..." You cut off, and try and catch your breath.
>She politely waits for you to recover.
>Eventually, you feel like you can speak again.
"I-I, thought too hard about...h-him again."
>You can't even say his name.
>"Oh. Was it...What I did? I...I'm sorry, Rainbow, I had no idea it would..."
"Y-yeah, I know, Rarity. It's cool, OK?"
>"But, no, I-"
"It's not your fault, OK?!", you manage to blurt out.
>Damnit, now you'll need to take a moment to breathe, again.
>A short silence passes.
"R-Rarity, I...I don't know about this. Being with Anon, It...I don't know."
>Rarity looks concerned, but a stern expression soon replaces it. "Rainbow...Trust me."
>She moves in to hug you, but pauses and looks back at you.
>"Is, is it alright if I...?"
>You nod.
>Reassured, she embraces you.
 
>"It WILL get easier, Rainbow. Believe me, there have been a few times in the past where I didn't want to invite somepony to dinner, or say yes when they asked me." She laughs. "I-I told some of them that I'd think about it. Sometimes I just left it, but, when I did say yes..."
>She pauses, and looks you in the eye, giving you a kind smile.
>"I never looked back. I know now that it's better to ask, or, say yes, just to know for certain if they are your true, special somepony. Whether it was meant to be, or not...It didn't matter. It lasted, and...I can't name any bad ones."
>You take in her words, trying to understand them through the emotional storm going on in your head.
>"I'm just here to help, Rainbow. It's your decision if you want to take my advice, or not try to ask Anon out, but...I can tell you from, ah, personal experience, that it's always worth it in the end."
>She...Why is she so...Nice?
>She doesn't need to be...
>No, no. Hold it together. No crying today.
"Th-thanks. Rarity."
>You hug her back.
>"Do you...Want to continue the lessons for today, or, would you like to, ah...'Call it quits', for now?"
>You laugh at her choice of words.
"Nah, I...I'm not gonna quit just yet. You're...Right."
>You don't usually agree with others when it comes to ideas. It's an unfamiliar sensation.
>You finish the glass of water.
"Let's uh...Tango."
>She giggles.
>"It's a waltz, Rainbow Dash."
"I knew that."
>Your grin tells her that you didn't know, and she laughs even more.
>It's contagious.
 
>Well, your mind is Anon-free again.
>You stand up, and walk into the middle of the studio.
>Facing her, you hold out your hoof.
>"Oh. I thought you wanted to lead."
>Crud.
"Uh...J-just roll with it. I'll lead later."
>She looks confused.
>"You sure we'll have time?"
>You look at the clock.
>It...Does look like if you spend some time doing that, you could be late to meet up with Anon.
>...Eh, you don't know where he is, anyway.
"Yeah. We'll make time."
>She smiles at you, then joins you in the centre of the room.
>You...Can dance. You're awesome at dancing.
>Just, with someone else...You're 4 left hooves with a brain.
>OK, 3 left hooves. You're not THAT bad.
>You tripped up a few times, fell over, stood on her hooves a few times...
>At the end of it though, you sorta got the hang of it. Sorta.
>At least you got to hang out with Rarity some more.
>A while back, you just thought of this as her helping you, and being nice to you, but...
>You actually want to come back.
>You've been spending a lot of time with her, and you've just kept getting closer and closer.
>Even if this doesn't go well, you've made a friend out of this crush.
>Maybe...You won't be completely done with everything.
>You'll have a pair of shoulders to fall back on, at least.