ADOR Chapter 13: The Perfect Day
#13 of A Dash Of Recklessness
THE BEACH: ONE HOUR BEFORE SUMMER SUN FESTIVAL.
"I don't know." I said, looking out at sea.
"You don't know what?" Red asked, holding his arms around me as I leaned back against his shirtless body, who in turn was sitting up against a large rock that was poking out of the sand.
"How long I have left." I continued.
"Dash.." He said, a small tinge of worry in his voice.
"I know I know..." I said, "I shouldn't be focusing on it. I just can't stop thinking about it. Sure I might get my mind off it for awhile, but it always comes back to me. How's it going to happen? Are my organs going to shut down? Maybe my brain will explode?!"
"Rainbow Dash!" He said, snapping me out of my rant. "Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow isn't here yet. We have only today."
I leaned my head back, looking up at him as he stroked my hair.
"I just never want this moment to end... " I said, trying to hold back a tear, to no avail.
"I don't want to lose you. Life without you is like a broken pencil, pointless." Red replied. It wasn't until he said that, that I realized he was shaking. I looked up at him to see a smile, along with tears sliding down his face. He gripped me tighter, as if I was about to slip away.
"How can you lose me?" I said, "You've had me from the first moment I saw you."
He buried his face in my hair, holding me close. We sat there in each other's arms, never wanting to move from this spot. This perfect spot, on this perfect day.
THREE HOURS LATER: Rainbow Dash's POV
"BULLSEYE!" I yelled, hitting the target on the mark.
"Congratulations! You win again. Pick an animal off the shelf." He said, pointing to the assortment of stuffed animals lining the shelves.
"Hmm.." I said, placing a hand on my chin, "How about you pick this one Red?"
"Mmhmfm." I heard a muffled voice say. I turned around and looked at Red, who was holding about 8 different toys / stuffed bears and rabbits, piled up to his face.
"What was that?" I asked, taking the one covering his face.
"I said, shouldn't I be the one winning these for 'you'?" He said
"Well that would be nice, if you hadn't lost the last 3 in a row." I said with a giggle.
"Shenanigans I say!" He said aloud, before I stuffed the animal back in place.
"I'll carry this one. Come on let's go back to the ring toss, they have the biggest rewards there." I said rushing down the sea of people. I heard a loud sigh of defeat from Red as he ran, trying to keep up. I stopped when I saw a familiar face.
"Fluttershy!" I said, causing her to glimpse over to me and smile.
"Rainbow Dash!" She said happily, making her way over to me.
"How's it going?" I asked.
"Good.. I'm just trying to find angel, have you seen him?" She asked.
"Uhhh... No sorry." I said. It was then that I realized Red was still running to catch up.
"Red watch out!" I said too late, as he collided head on with Fluttershy. I'm surprised he made it this far with the mountain of toys he was carrying obstructing his vision. They both slammed into the ground, the stuffed animals scattering around. Fluttershy shook her head, recovering from the impact. She looked down at her lap and shrieked, seeing a decapitated rabbit's head sitting there.
"It's stuffed Fluttershy it's stuffed!" I said, snatching it off her. She stopped and looked at it, breathing a sigh of relief. It was then that I realized several people in the crowd stopping and staring at us.
"Fluttershy are you alright!" I heard someone say, turning to see Twilight quickly approaching, along with Rarity and Spike.
"Yeah.. I'm fine." Fluttershy said as we helped her to her feet.
"Hey guys, how's it going?" I asked, brushing dirt off of Fluttershy's clothes.
"Pretty good." Twilight said.
"Where's Applejack and Pinkie?" I asked, looking around.
"Applejack has her own stand, selling... Apple... related food." Rarity said.
"And Pinkie is helping with the entertainment. Rides, games.." Twilight said, "You know, Pinkie stuff."
I turned to Red, seeing his face distorted.
"Ah..." He started, holding a hand up, "AHHH CHOO!" He sneezed, a cloud of cotton stuffing from the stuffed animals shooting from his mouth. We all paused for a second, processing what just happened. Spike was the first to laugh, causing us all to join in as Red sniffled.
"So where are you guys headed?" I asked.
"Well me and Spike were headed to get a bite at Applejack's stand.?" Twilight said, Spike clinging to her back.
"Apple pie..." Spike said, drooling onto her shoulder. Twilight raised her hand and pushed his hanging jaw up, halting the flow of saliva.
"Yes well this is all very nice, But I should be getting back to my own stand." Rarity said.
"Really? you have your own stand? What could you possibly sell?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I will have you know, that I am selling the finest quality of earrings!" She said defensively.
"Uh huh.." I said.
"Just you watch. By the end of the festival my stand will be empty." She said, turning and walking away.
"Good luck with that!" I shouted to her.
"Well I'm going to go now." Twilight said, "If I hold Spikes mouth closed any longer I think he's going to explode."
We laughed and went our separate ways. Fluttershy went off to find angel, Rarity went to her...Earring stand..? And Twilight and Spike went to visit Applejack. I guess it's only sensible to see how Pinkie is doing. I walked for a bit, asking around for Pinkie, heading to the main stage area.
"What are you talking about!" I heard screaming behind the main stage as I approached. I peeked around the corner to see Pinkie arguing with Vinyl Scratch.
"The party cannon is better!" Pinkie said, aiming it at Vinyl.
"It's nothing compared to the Wub Cannon!" Vinyl said, aiming what looked like several speakers fused together, sitting in a large wheel-barrow looking thing. Immediately Pinkie started to load confetti into the cannon, as Vinyl started pressing buttons on hers.
"Power up the bass cannon!" Vinyl said, pulling her goggles down around her eyes, followed by turning a few knobs. A loud monotone buzzing was heard from the speakers known as the "Wub Cannon."
"PARTY CANNON FIRE!" Pinkie screamed, pulling a rope on the back of the big metal gun. A large explosion of glitter was seen as a solid stream of confetti was launched toward Vinyl.
"FIRE!" Vinyl shouted, pressing a button. A deafening dubstep beat started, nearly blowing Pinkie off her feet. The confetti's trajectory did an immediate 180, being shot back by the pure power of the beats. The stream hit Pinkie, sending her sailing back into the wall. The force of the bass holding her in place, pushing her cheeks back into a smile with every beat. Vinyl turned it off and I watched as Pinkie slid down the wall on to the ground, landing flat on her ass. Vinyl pulled her goggles up, a surprised expression on her face. They stood there staring at each other for a moment.
"You okay?" Vinyl said, finally breaking the silence.
"DO IT AGAIN!" Pinkie screamed, jumping to her feet. I shook my head and turned around, seeing Red staring with me.
"When did you get here?" I said.
"Few seconds ago. What's going on?" Red said, standing behind me.
"Watching Pinkie and Vinyl argue about wh.......Are you wearing earrings?" I asked, looking at the two glimmering gems hanging off his ears. I looked around at the stands, seeing Rarity looking at me from her stand, she gave me a smug smile, waving at me.
"Red... We are going to have a serious talk later."
ONE HOUR LATER: Red's POV
"I'm a little hungry." I said, "How bout we visit Applejack. Maybe Twilight and Spike are still there."
"Sure, I could use a bite too." Dash said as we continued walking through the crowd.
"Are you really going to stay in that bikini the entire festival?" I asked, looking at her ass as it swayed back and forth.
"Why? Afraid people will stare?" She said. I looked up to see her peeking back at me, knowing full well I was staring.
"Nope!" I said, shooting my eyes straight ahead, blushing bright red. I looked around the crowd, noticing there were more women that I realized in their bathing suits, as well as guys in nothing but shorts. Well.. The festival is taking place near the beach. I turned my head to see someone mopping. An angry expression on his face as he cleaned the changing room. He made eye contact with me, causing me to snap my eyes forward, my pace quickened. A few minutes later we arrived at Applejack's stand. Although a 'Courtyard' is more accurate. There were several tables full of people, eating things from Apple's to Apple dumplings, pies, cakes. I noticed Twilight sitting on the end of one of the empty tables, reading a book as she took a bite of a hotdog floating next to her, a purple aura around it.
"Hey Twilight!" I shouted as I jogged over, Dash following in turn. She glanced over with a smile, waving to us. We sat down next to her, noticing spike lying on his back on the table.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked, poking Spikes stomach.
"Heamht aloht omood." Twilight mumbled. I looked at her, seeing her mouth was full.
"Swallow..." Dash said. Twilight gulped what she was eating down.
"He ate a lot of food." She said with more clarity.
"So...Much... Pie." Spike groaned, turning over on his side.
"He was stuffing his face with everything in sight. I had to pay for it of course.." Twilight said, rolling her eyes.
"Speaking of stuffing people's faces.." I said, smirking at Rainbow Dash, who was sitting next to me. That was followed by a sharp pain that made me cringe, as I realized she hand her hands on my balls and was squeezing.
"What was that honey?" Rainbow Dash said, returning a smile.
"I JUST THINK WE SHOULD GET SOME FOOD WHILE THERES SOME LEFT." I said quickly, every joint in my body tensing up. She released her grip.
"Yes. Let's do that." She said, a victorious smirk on her face as I put my face on the table, holding my aching balls as the pain slowly died down.
"I'll go get us a few pieces. You stay here with Twilight. And sweetie.." She said, causing me to turn my head. She leaned down to my ear.
"Let's just keep what happened in the changing room between us okay?" She said, planting a kiss on my cheek and walking off towards Applejack.
"Gotcha.." I said, my voice cracking.
"What happened in the chang-" Twilight started,
"Don't... Just don't." I said, regaining my composure.
Rainbow Dash's POV:
I walked to the stand, watching as Applejack and Big Mac ran around cooking. It was actually amusing to watch Big Mac bake. Although what he was doing was not really considered 'Baking'. He was just running around in a sweat, trying hard to follow Applejacks instructions.
"Hey Applejack." I said. She turned, lighting up as she saw me.
"Well I'll be darned. What brings you to my stand Dash? Hungry?" She said, reaching back and pulling out a display tray.
"Yep, me and Red are pretty hungry. What do ya got?" I asked, looking at the tray. Applejack shivered, finally noticing the cold after stepping out of the hot outdoor kitchen.
"Brrr!" She said, "It's colder than a witch's tit in a brass bra in January!"
".....Sure let's go with that." I said slowly. I chose a few things and she gave me a bag full of food. I gave her the bits and she turned around.
"Dag nabbit!" She shouted, "That's too much darn flower!"
I slowly backed away as Applejack ran over to berate her older brother. I turned around and headed back to the table.
"Hey Red I got the foo-" I said before feeling a sudden stab of pain in my chest. I dropped the bag, falling to one knee. I grabbed my chest as it got hard to breathe.
"Dash!" I heard a shout from in front of me, seeing Red and Twilight sprinting towards me.
"Are you okay?" Twilight said, coming down to my level. I got up, my breath slowing.
"Yeah..." I said, the pain subsiding. "It just... Got hard to breathe for a second."
Red and Twilight shared a worried expression as they looked at each other.
"Maybe you should sit down?" Red said as he guided me to the table. This isn't the first time this has happened. I knew it was from the damage spreading. I never told anybody because I didn't want anyone to worry.
"What happened?" Red asked, holding my hands. I sighed, knowing I would have had to tell him eventually.
"I've been getting these pains... In my chest." I said
"What kind of pains?" Twilight said.
"Well.." I said, looking over at Spike. He was fast asleep. "You know what the doctor said. The nerves are degrading, and it's supposed to get worse. I've been having these bouts of.. pain."
"How bad is it?" Red asked cautiously.
"I... I don't want to talk about it." I said, pulling my hands away.
"Rainbow Dash..." Twilight said.
"There's nothing that can be done about it, you know that! So why worry about it?" I said, standing up.
"Come on, let's go on the Whip Lash again. They said they turned up the speed so the coaster should be 3x faster!" I said, walking in the direction of the roller coaster. I stopped and turned around when I realized they weren't following me. They were still sitting at the table, staring at me.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go before the line gets too long." I said, motioning them to follow.
"Dash.." Red said, a worried look on his face. "Can we just sit down and talk for awhile?"
"No, no more talking. Let's do something already!" I said impatiently, knowing full well he wasn't going to drop this. I turned around and started to walk away, only to be stopped by Red, who had grabbed my hand.
"Please.." Red said, looking me in the eyes as I turned my head back. I sighed, walking back to the table to sit.
"So.. When did it start?" Red asked.
"A few days ago.." I said
"How bad has it been?" He asked, rubbing my hands gently.
"The one early was the worst so far. They've become more... Frequent." I said, avoiding his sultry and caring gaze.
"Why have you been hiding this?" Red asked curiously.
"Why do you even care?" I said half heartedly.
"Rainbow Dash, let me tell you something." I said in a serious tone, holding her hands tighter.
"Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you've never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can't wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it's like being young again. Colors seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn't exist at all. A morning conversation helps to get you through a long day's work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there's no need for continuous conversation, but you find you're quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there's a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that's so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life." Red said, finishing his speech.
"Are you part of my life?" He asked, putting his hand on my chin and turning me to face him.
"Yeah.." I said weakly, a tear sliding down my face. He moved his hand up to my cheek, introducing a smile to my face. I stared into his eyes, and in his eyes I saw something more beautiful than the stars. We leaned in and our lips met, a moment that would last forever. My eyes wandered slightly over, seeing Twilight tearing up from his monologue.
"Yuck!" Spike said, startling us back to reality. "I go to sleep for a few minutes and this is what I wake up to?"
"Shouldn't you be shoving pie down your gullet?" Rainbow Dash said, poking his stomach, causing it to rumble loudly.
"Ohhh man.." Spike said, holding his stomach. "Where's the bathroom!" He said, diving off the table and sprinting off.
"Spike wait!" Twilight shouted. "I'll see you two later."
I watched as she ran off after him and disappearing around the corner. I turned back to Red, who had a happy look on his face.
"What are you smiling about doofus?" I said, punching him in the shoulder.
"It's just that.." He started.
"Yeah? What is it?" I asked.
"There's no line for Whip Lash." He said, sprinting off towards the ride.
"Bastard!" I yelled, sprinting after him. I tackled him, sending us both to the ground. We rolled around in the grass, laughing and wrestling with each other. People walking past us trying not to trip, some giggling and laughing at the scene unfolding. We were stopped by a sudden explosion. I looked up in time to see a trio of flying teenagers fly past me.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER EXTREME JET PACK ADVENTURES!" I heard them simultaneously say as they flew circles around us.
"Where did you even..." I said, scratching my head. I watched as Scootaloo landed in front of me.
"Hey Rainbow Dash! How did I do?" She said, excitedly waiting for my response.
"Uhhh... Well.." I said as I heard a loud crash, followed by a scream.
"MY EARRINGS!" I heard a familiar voice yell.
"Sorry Rarity!" I heard Sweetie Bell yell as she zoomed past me. I turned around to see Rarity walking towards me, earrings littering her hair and clothes.
"Hey Rarity, you know Christmas isn't for a few months right?" I giggled.
"Not...another...word." She said, storming off to where Sweetie Bell went.
"So Rainbow Dash. I know you can't fly, so I was wondering... Did you want a try?" Scootaloo said, taking her jetpack off and handing it to me. I stared at it, a rush of excitement flowing through me as the idea sunk in.
"Um... Sure!" I said, putting it on. I put my hand on the remote and pressed a button. "So how's this wor-" I was interrupted by a sudden shock of force, sending me flying. After a few seconds of regaining my sense of direction, turned the stick and started heading straight. The controls were pretty simple. A smile formed as I felt the wind on my face for the first time in awhile. I almost started crying, if it weren't for the cheering below me. I looked down to see the entire crowd chanting, "Rainbow! Rainbow! Rainbow!"
I cranked up the speed and started performing tricks, looping all over the festival as people cheered for me. This is the most excitement I've had all day, no all week! I zoomed up into the sky and through the clouds, hovering there as I saw a view I have missed. I sat on the edge of the clouds, looking down at the festival. I sat there, taking in the sight as I relaxed on the cloud. I couldn't help but laugh. I'd better get back, hope they didn't miss me! Before I jumped, I felt a sting of pain shoot through my body, causing me to black out.
Everything was dark.. I was alone, looking for someone. I don't know who.. Then I heard something, no.. someone, calling my name. Color began to fill the void, as I noticed I was in the air, falling. Sound flooded back to me as I heard screams. I looked down to see the crowd screaming and pointing at me as I plummeted toward them.
"Shit!" I said, remembering what happened. I pressed the button on the jetpack, but was met with a fizzle as it died. "SHIIIT!" I yelled. I closed my eyes tight as I waited for the impact.
"I love you so much Red.." I said to myself. "I'm so sorry.."
"Sorry about what?" Red said. My eyes shot open. I was floating above the ground, a purple aura around me. I turned my head to see Twilight Sparkle standing there in a sweat, holding me a few feet above the ground with her magic.
Then suddenly I was dropped, landing on my hands and knees. Red pulled my to my feet and yanked the jetpack off.
"More fuel next time." He said, handing it to Scootaloo, who nodded in return.
"So what happened up there?" Twilight asked, panting.
"I felt another one of those pains.. I guess I blacked out." I said
"Well I suppose we have had enough excitement for today. How about we take a break on the Ferris Wheel?" Red said, motioning to the ride. I looked around at the crowd, which was gathered around me, clapped, and went back to doing their own things.
"Yeah.. That sounds nice." I said.
"You're in no condition to be walking though." He said before lifting me up and carrying me in his arms. I giggled, holding on to him as I nuzzled my head against him. After a minute of walking, we arrived at the Ferris Wheel. He set me down on one of the seats and paid the guy up front, whispering something to him, followed by a nod in reply. We sat together as it started, slowly rising to the top. After we got to the highest point, it stopped.
"It's a nice view." Dash said, leaning into me.
"It's about to get better." Red said, pointing out into the sky as fireworks lit up the dusk night.
"Whoa!" I said, marveling at the patterns of colors blanketing the gloomy twilight. We sat there gazing at the stars, the occasional firework catching our eye.
10 MINUTES LATER: Red's POV
I sat there, holding her in my arms as we stared off the Ferris Wheel in peaceful harmony.
"Listen Dash, it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard. We're going to have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday." I said, looking out into the sky.
"I can't..." Rainbow Dash said.
"I know... I know. But I will be there every step of the way, always with you. For however long that is." I said, beginning to feel sorrow build up in me.
"I can't..." She repeated.
"What do you mean?" I asked, looking down at her. She was holding her chest.