Fanfic / Rainbow in the Dark

Our couple, mares and gentlecolts

Cover drawn by Sayer (The original writer).
Used with permission.

Rainbow in the dark is a My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fanfiction story describing the romance between Rainbow Dash and Brownie, a new pony who recently moved to Ponyville. At first Brownie and Rainbow Dash act like friends, but it doesn't take long before the main character develops a crush on Rainbow Dash. Brownie soon finds himself trying to fit in a town full of crazy ponies while trying to win her heart in the process. Not to be confused with the famous song by Ronnie James Dio.

Sayer and Kalash93 said that it is possible that Rainbow in the Dark exists in the same universe, although perhaps not in the same continuity as Racer and the Geek. Small nods, links, and references are present. This is still completely nebulous.

Has a sequel/spinoff clopfic: Through The Prism. Warning: This story is NSFW. Read under your own judgment!

Also comes with the side story Hitmane: Agent 3.14.

This fanfic doesn't have any relation with the popular song by Ronnie James Dio aside from the title, though the author confirmed that it was inspired by the song.

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Rainbow in the Dark and its spinoffs provide examples of:

• Anger Born of Worry: Rainbow experiences this once she learns that Brownie pushed himself too hard in the running of the leaves.
• Affectionate Nickname: Brownie calls Rainbow Dash "Dashie" in a few occasions. She doesn't like to be called that.
  • In the Daring Do book from chapter eight, Bones (a new character) calls Daring Do "magpie".
• All Just a Dream: Chapter seven starts this way, making the reader think that Rainbow Dash never discovered the truth. Then Brownie wakes up and realizes it really happened.
• Arc Words: Rainbow in the dark.
• Armor-Piercing Question: Delivered by Mecha to Rainbow Dash.
  "If you don't have feelings for him, then why are you getting so defensive? And why are you acting jealous at the idea of him being with me? You wouldn't be doing this if you didn't have feelings for him. Admit it, you like him."
• A Threesome Is Hot: At the end of Through the prism, Brownie asks Rainbow Dash if Mecha could join them for a threesome another day. She says yes.

• Beware the Nice Ones: Upon finding out about Brownie lying to Rainbow Dash even Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy have a few angry words for him.

• Bilingual Bonus: Brownie says a few sentences and words in Spanish. The most important one is "Arco iris en la oscuridad" (Rainbow in the dark).
• Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: During chapter four Brownie thinks the only way he won't come in dead last is if "one of the participants was a turtle. Or a snail. Or a creature fusing a turtle and a snail."
• BSoD Song: Brownie gives us one in chapter seven.
• Canon Immigrant: Mecha was a character that first starred in another fic by the same author, but she turned into a secondary character because the story was cancelled and he didn't want to waste her character.
• Caught with Your Pants Down: Rainbow Dash catches Brownie in the act during a dream sequence.
• Celeb Crush: That's the plot of the story.
• Character Development: Brownie starts as a stallion with almost no social skills nor friends, and ends up with a collection of good friends and wrapped in a romantic relationship with Rainbow Dash.
• Continuity Nod: "Draw me like one of your french mares".
  • There's also Derpy explaining how she was moved to earth deliveries after an incident where she accidentally dropped her cargo over somepony.
  • Apple Bloom claims that the Cutie Mark Crusaders are expanding through Equestria. Applejack reminds her that the only member outside Ponyville is her cousin Babs Seed.
  • And later in the same chapter, Twilight explains to Brownie how the Cutie Mark Crusaders won a comedy award with their musical number in school.
  • They mention too that Twilight turned into an alicorn and is now learning her duties as a princess in Canterlot.
• Crash-Into Hello: How Brownie and Pinkie Pie meet.
• Covers Always Lie: The scene shown on the cover made by Sayer never happens in the story.
• Deadpan Snarker: Brownie, especially in the first two chapters, which were the most heavily edited.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: Brownie does his best to win Rainbow Dash's heart. It finally pays off.
• Erotic Dream: Happens to Brownie until it suddenly turns into a nightmare and Rainbow Dash when she takes care of Brownie after he falls ill.
• Exiled to the Couch: Rainbow Dash replaces the couch with Spike's basket, far too small for Brownie to sleep inside. She then feels pity for him and allows Brownie to sleep in the bed with her.
• Expy: The character Bones from the Daring Do book has been confirmed as a expy for Brownie and Nathan Drake as much as Daring Do is a Expy for Indiana Jones and Rainbow Dash.
• Fainting: Brownie has one due to exhaustion in chapter four.
• First Kiss: Brownie never kissed a mare in his entire life, until the last chapter where Rainbow Dash gives him a combination of a "Shut Up" Kiss and Big Damn Kiss.
• Friendless Background: Brownie suffers from this, altough he had friends back in Hollow Shades. The only problem is that they're very few.

• Gratuitous German: Mecha insults Brownie calling him a "Dummkopf".
• Gratuitous Spanish: A few examples are said by Brownie.

• Hospital Hottie: Rainbow Dash totally doesn't want to be this to Brownie when he's sick.
• I Can't Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me: Brownie can't believe Rainbow Dash could become his best friend, even less his first love and girlfriend.
• I Have This Friend: Upon meeting with Derpy Hooves, Brownie mentions to himself that one of his friends back in Hollow Shades named Bright Eyes is blind.
• I'm Cold... So Cold...: Invoked by Brownie as he sings a song in chapter seven.
• Incredibly Lame Pun: An early chapter gives a few of these surounding Brownie's name.
• Innocent Innuendo: When Rarity shows her collection of fainting couches for her emergencies, Brownie thinks she offers special services for stallions.
• Interspecies Romance: In the extras chapter, Word of God confirms that Mecha's girlfriend is a bat pony.
• Like an Old Married Couple: Brownie and Rainbow Dash show some hints of this during the story, but it's fully played in the last chapter.
• Love Confession: Brownie finally confesses his feelings to Rainbow Dash. She delivers her own to Brownie in the last chapter.
• Love Hurts: Brownie falls into a great depression after Rainbow gets mad at him shortly after confessing the truth about having asthma.
• Magically-Binding Contract: Brownie signed a contract with Mecha, and one of the clausles says that she can fire him "for being a whiny ass". Not entirely magical, but it's still considered legal.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Brownie suffers from this after Rainbow gets angry at him for lying to everypony, especially her.
• Mythology Gag: Several. There's so many that the author and the editor released a ninth chapter containing information about the characters and such during the development of the fanfic.
  • The reason Brownie wears clothes is that during the development phase his body was full of scars from an attack by timberwolves when he was a foal. This is referenced in chapter seven.
  • The reference to the Afghneighnka in chapter six is related to a similar story by the author's editor called Racer and the Geek, where that is a common military uniform.
• Never Accepted in His Hometown: The Mane Six barely have any recognition in Ponyville but they're famous all over Equestria.

• Noodle Incident:
  Brownie: And I thought that I was a force of destruction after that incident with the skateboard and the fire extinguisher.
• Oh, Crap!: Brownie's reaction when Rainbow Dash finds out about his web of lies.
• Opposites Attract: Brownie and Rainbow Dash could not be much more obviously dissimilar at first glance.
• Put on a Bus: This happens to Twilight after becoming a Princess.
  • The Bus Came Back: But she makes a comeback to help Rainbow Dash and Brownie to solve their problem.
• Putting the Band Back Together: Brownie brings back what's left of the Mane Six after Twilight's absence since she became a princess makes them too focused on their work to meet each other, thus damaging their friendship.
• Recognition Failure: Played with. The Mane Six are famous all over Equestria, but their real appearances are unknown. Brownie only managed to recognize Rainbow Dash thanks to her Meaningful Name.
• Relationship Upgrade: The story starts with Brownie and Rainbow Dash as simple friends, and by the end they finally become a couple.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Discussed between Brownie and Twilight during his train ride to Ponyville.
• Rule 34: Sayer and Kalash93 worked together on a clopfic that can be found here: Through the prism. Warning! This story is NSFW, so read under your own judgment.
• Sequel Hook: Word of God says at the end of chapter eight that he's planing a sequel. Also on the author's profile page, the story is placed in a section called "Rainbow in the Dark saga" implying there will be at least one sequel.
• Slice of Life: The fanfic centers around Brownie's life, starting with his arrival to Ponyville and ending with his first kiss.
• Set Right What Once Went Wrong: Brownie tries to fix the mess he caused, but his plan doesn't work. Fortunately, Twilight comes back with a plan that makes Rainbow Dash forgive him.
• Shared Universe: Sayer and Kalash93 said that it is possible that Rainbow in the Dark exists in the same universe, although perhaps not in the same continuity as Racer and the Geek. Small nods, links, and references are present. This is still completely nebulous.
  • And now Brownie appears in the cover for Racer and the Geek, as seen here: Racer and the Geek.

• Shout-Out:
  • The Heavy Metal bands Brownie listens to are like Iron Mare, Hooves and Roses, Megaspell, Poniez, [Sabaton Saddleton]], Blue Berets and Maretallica.
  • The Ponyville arcade includes such games as Call of Cutie and Metal Bug.
  • A few books from the library that appear in chapter eight are from Harry Potter.
  • Mecha tells Brownie about a company called Gordian Knots.
  • In chapter eight Rainbow Dash says to "do like Samus Maran and turn into a morphball".
  • The title of the fanfic is itself a reference to a famous song from Ronnie James Dio.
• Show Within a Show: In chapter eight, Brownie reads the last Daring Do book and we are treated to a small portion of the book's chapter.
  • Through The Prism starts with Rainbow Dash reading a Daring Do book titled "Daring Do and Discord's Diamond". Whether it's the same book from Rainbow in the Dark or a different one remains to be seen.
• "Shut Up" Kiss: Rainbow invokes this in the final chapter.
  Rainbow Dash: Shut up and kiss me.
• Single Mare Seeks Good Stallion: Rainbow Dash and Brownie.
• Stealth Hi/Bye: Done by Pinkie Pie during a few of her encounters with Brownie.
• Suspiciously Specific Denial: In chapter five, while taking care of Brownie, Rainbow Dash ask to look in his Portfolio. He says yes, but it's totally not filled with mature stuff. It really isn't. Rainbow even mentions the trope word for word.
  • Also this little gem from Rainbow Dash:
  I'm the only one who can take care of him, like his personal nurse... No, take that back, take that back! I'm not a nurse! And that didn't sound totally fantasy-related.
• Their First Time: Through The Prism focuses on this trope. Warning: This story is NSFW. Read under your own judgment!
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech
  • Delivered by Rainbow Dash to Brownie, when she discovers that Brownie suffers from asthma, and he nearly ends up killing himself when trying to complete the Running of the Leaves with her.
  I'm not angry at you because of your asthma. What I really hate is that you lied to me instead of telling me the truth. You could have killed yourself because you were willing to risk your life rather than confessing that you shouldn't go too far. I've never lied to you. Why couldn't you do the same for me?
  • When the two go their separate ways as a result— leading to Brownie sinking into depression— he finally gets the courage to ask the rest of the Mane 6 for help on the matter after Mecha manages to cheer him up. They refuse and accordingly respond with various ones of their own, with Applejack dealing the harshest—
  Ya want to do something right, pardner? Forget her, pack your things and go back to where ya came from. You've done enough damage to her already.
• There Is Only One Bed: Occurs in chapter eight. Nothing sexual happens.
• The Reveal: The reason why Brownie was so exhausted as to pass out at the end of the Running of the Leaves and his race against Rainbow Dash is that he suffers from asthma. As he explains, his parents never allowed him to run and play like a normal foal, and this in turn caused him to have low endurance, stamina and speed.
• The Tease: Mecha has aspects of this. It's an act, mostly.
• The 'Verse: With the reveal of "The Rainbow in the Dark" saga, it's safe to assume that the author is aiming for this.
  • Confirmed with Hitmane: Agent 3.14, as it takes place during chapter five. Brownie makes an appearance and Mecha is mentioned once.
• Threesome Subtext: Mecha suggests this to Brownie to try and cheer him up. How serious she is is ambiguous.
• Throw the Book at Them: Brownie becomes afraid of this idea after Twilight keeps him and Rainbow Dash inside the library so they can finally solve their problems. The book is later changed to a knife when she starts cooking a salad.

• Training from Hell: In chapter four, Brownie fears Rainbow Dash's training offer will be this.
• Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Derpy crashing against Brownie's lawn.
  Brownie: The first time this had happened, I didn't know how I should react, but after the tenth time it became routine.
• You Wake Up in a Room: The story starts with Brownie waking up a train he took to Ponyville.
• What Did I Do Last Night?: Brownie has trouble remembering what happened yesterday after falling ill. He quickly remembers everything as soon as he finds his inhaler lying on his night stand.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Rainbow Dash delivers this to Brownie after he reveals that he has asthma and almost died of exhaustion because he kept is as a secret, afraid that she would dump him as a friend given how much she loves to race. Doubles as "The Reason You Suck" Speech.

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