[Backdated to Friday/Open]

[elementofloyalty]

[Not everyone was off having a grand old time at the Homecoming Dance.]

[For example, take this pegasus pony, who -- after clearing the clouds out from around Balamb as promised -- has snuck a purloined cumulus into the Training Center. Not terribly deep inside, but high enough to be out of range of danger, she lies on her cloud and looks miserable.]

[She is, after all, clearly not cool enough to go to the stupid dance where no one wants her around anyone and it's not like she has anyone to impress so she gets an invite onto the Wonderbolts so why should she bother even showing up.]

[Stupid dance. Stupid Garden. She's way too cool for ANY of them.]

Comments

[elementofloyalty]

By being so amazing and cool that people can't help but sit up and take notice!

[rewritethis]

[So she's allowed to yell?! He settles for an exasperated noise.] Point is, the people who went to that thing weren't there to evaluate you. It was just about whether they'd want to date you. Nothing related. You remember that much, right? And you're... [He waves a hand at her vaguely.] you.

[elementofloyalty]

[She's the one with the problem! And she didn't make any promises!] But the two go together! By now everyone should think I'm so awesome and cool that they'd be racing to bid on me, like I said!

...but apparently being me means I'm not good enough, huh.

[Yeah, she took that last statement personally. If Ed had been video-taping this, he probably could have pinpointed the exact frame her heart shattered from that comment.]

[rewritethis]

Don't start with that! You know that's - [He stops and pinches the bridge of his nose. Can't she see how difficult this is for him? In a conversation with almost anyone else, he'd have given up by now, promises or not...] I mean, you know that's not what I meant.

[He lowers his hand.] I'm just saying, the two don't go together. It might look like they do, but then you're forgetting all the other factors involved. So the sooner you throw that idea out, the sooner you can quit beating yourself up over it.

[elementofloyalty]

No, I don't know what you meant. Because I didn't know there was more than one way to interpret, "No one will bid on YOU, Rainbow, because you're YOU."

[And no, she doesn't know how difficult it is. She's never really seen him interact with others, after all...]

[rewritethis]

[And the constant yelling at her wasn't a clue?

Screw it - if she's going to be obnoxious, there's no point trying to spare her feelings.] Do I have to spell it out? Because you're a pony.

[elementofloyalty]

...what does that have to do with anything?

[rewritethis]

[Hey, here's something he didn't promise not to do: grab her by the shoulders and shake her until she stops wallowing. It's not something he's doing just yet, but he's clearly thinking about it.]

And how many of those did you see at the auction? The date auction, Dash.

[elementofloyalty]

It's not like it was serious and I was gonna be bound to anyone for life, Ed. What does that have to do with anything?

[She isn't intentionally using his own logic against him! It's just a benefit.]

[rewritethis]

But it's still weird, isn't it? [This all seems really obvious to him...] So what if it didn't mean anything serious? For all you know, that could've just discouraged anyone who thought about bidding on you to prove some political point.

[elementofloyalty]

No, I don't think it's weird. [Humans REALLY need some exposure to more intelligent species, in Rainbow's opinion.] I bid on you, remember? Even if it was just to get you off the hook.

[rewritethis]

[Huh. He'd sort of assumed that was part of the prank.]

Fine, you don't think so. Most people would. That's the only thing that matters here. So maybe I didn't exactly conduct a survey, but at a guess? I'd say that's one hell of a lot more likely than everyone in the audience independently deciding "hey, she isn't cool enough, let's make her feel bad".

[elementofloyalty]

You... really think that matters that much?

[rewritethis]

You think the big, spontaneous conspiracy against you is more likely? You've got a brain. Use it.

[She can't have been asking what he personally thinks, right? He didn't bid on anyone.]

[elementofloyalty]

...I didn't say it was a conspiracy. I said I'm just not really cool after all.

[Which doesn't require a conspiracy, it just requires Rainbow to actually be awful. Which she can believe.]

[rewritethis]

[Okay, shoulder-shaking is now happening. It's a one-handed and mostly ineffectual attempt, since she's... kind of heavy... but the sentiment is there.]

What's it gonna take to get this through your skull? Cool doesn't mean popular! They're separate things! If you thought you were cool before, why should it be any different now?

[Eh, he hasn't laughed at her yet. One out of three ain't bad.]

[elementofloyalty]

[Hey! She's not THAT heavy. What are you implying, Ed?!]

[Actually, she looks at him in serious surprise at that shake. It's just so... surprising! She didn't expect it, anyway.]

[It's surprising enough that she actually admits something she might not, otherwise, have.

I'm... used to being unpopular, in school. I didn't WANT it to happen again...

[rewritethis]

[Somehow, that isn't so surprising.

He takes his hand off her, though. It was probably cold.]

Look, don't be so dramatic. I'm starting to wonder if you want to make yourself feel worse. [He pauses.] Hell, you aren't even unpopular here, are you? You never shut up about your friends. Just 'cause they wouldn't date you doesn't mean they don't like you.

[elementofloyalty]

...Ed...

[She rubs at her mane, trying to figure out how to say this. She wants to make some comparison between his alchemy and the Sonic Rainboom, but...]

[It IS true no one here doubts that she can do that. But that doesn't mean she's as accepted and beloved and honored as she wants. But maybe she's wanting it too much? She's been down THAT road before.]

[Suddenly a thought strikes out of nowhere.]

Hey wait, being a pony doesn't matter because I could've just chugged some of that potion and been human for the date!

[rewritethis]

[His eyes narrow a little.] No, you would've looked human. Not the same thing.

[Hey, isn't it her issues they're going over right now? Leave his out of it. There aren't enough hours in the day.]

[elementofloyalty]

If true awesomeness didn't transcend species, you wouldn't be my friend.

[But she leaves it at that, since, yeah, Rainbow's issues.]

Are you sure people don't think I'm lame?

[rewritethis]

Well, the only way you're gonna be sure is asking them, not me. ...But I don't know why they would. [If he hadn't said it so dismissively, that could almost have passed as a compliment. She'd better cherish it.]

[elementofloyalty]

[She can, and in fact does, recognize it as such. She stands up properly, turning to face him.]

You know, I'm sure no one has ever told you this before... but you're a pretty good friend, Ed.

[rewritethis]

[Yeah, he can think of a lot of things he's been called more often than that. Starting with "short", then his actual name, and working down from there.

He doesn't bat an eyelid. In fact, his vaguely grumpy expression doesn't change... apart from very faintly flushing.] Sure, why not? I'm talking to a pony. I think I could buy pretty much anything at this point.

[elementofloyalty]

You know, for a big dumb angry jerk.

[She has to say that, because she's reared up to give him a pony hug, so she has to make absolutely sure it isn't mushy or yucky or anything like that. Also to give him an excuse to yell and protest about it.]