The Distance We Fall From
Starlight glittered off Rainbow Dash's eyelashes as they opened. She blinked, her ears serenaded by crickets and cool wind through the fir trees. Feeling a chill, she did the first thing she could think of for warmth: she hugged the body next to her tightly.
The mare blinked.
Rainbow craned her head up, her ruby eyes squinting down at the figure lying beside her. She stretched a hoof, tracing the end of it around a soft brown chin and muzzle.
Roarke's body lay still, stirring every so often with calm breaths. The starlight glinted off her dormant lenses, as well as the ringlets at the end of her scarlet braids.
Staring intently, Rainbow touched one ringlet after another. She took turns, rubbing her hoof down the length of each braid, feeling the ticklish fibers like fine red rope. The metal ends clattered gently with one another, and Rainbow giggled lightly. A gentle warmth spread through her cheeks. She rested her head against a bed of pine needles and gazed sideways at Roarke's neck and chest. Eventually, her eyes found their way to one of the mare's many metal plugs—as did her hoof. She traced a circle around the former bounty hunter's punctured chest, marveling at how seamlessly the skin blended with the prosthetics.
"Hmm... how funny," she murmured lightly. "All this time, I never realized you'd be..." She lingered, then smiled even more. "... so soft." Another giggle.
"I'm awake, you know," Roarke's lips suddenly moved.
"Gah!" Rainbow jerked back, curling her hooves to her chest. Once she caught her breath, she rolled her eyes and groaned, "Luna poop, girl! Somepony should put a bell on you!"
"Hrmmmfff... not sure there's any room at this point for more metal."
"Yeah, no kidding. I was just... uhm... admiring it all myself," Rainbow said.
"Indeed."
Silence. Dead silence.
Roarke's lips moved again. "Nopony told you to stop."
"Oh. Uhm..." Rainbow giggled breathily. "Alrighty, then..." She stroked her hoof gently down Roarke's chest and lingered at a pair of plugs. "They're a lot bigger than I thought..."
"Most ponies don't ever get close enough to notice," Roarke said.
"Still... just... kinda freaky, y'know?" Rainbow bit her lip. The mare's ears folded as she glanced up. "Did they hurt? Going in, I mean?"
Roarke's nostrils flared. "Every single one."
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't be," Roarke murmured. "I'm not. They've since been of priceless use to me all my life."
The edge of Rainbow's muzzle twisted up. "They didn't prove to be very helpful a few hours ago."
"Yes, well..." Roarke stirred slightly. "...none of me proved very useful a few hours ago."
"Hehehehehehe!" Rainbow chuckled raspily. "Yeah." She rolled her eyes, blushing furiously. "Yeahhhhhhhhhhh..."
"That's twice now you've kicked my ass," Roarke muttered. "I'm rather fond of the second bout."
"Snkkkt—Hehehehehe!" Rainbow curled against Roarke, clenching her eyes shut as her cheeks went even redder. "Heh heh heh... whewwwwww... I... uhm... it's just that... that... uhhhhhh... I'm... uhmmm..."
"I'm not complaining," Roarke said. "I won't complain." She gulped. "You're still here."
Rainbow blinked at that. "...why wouldn't I be?"
Roarke's teeth clenched hard. There was a slight stirring to her lenses, but her body remained still.
Rainbow continued to gaze at her. She traced a hoof up, running it gently over the contours of Roarke's ear. The fuzzy lobe flicked once or twice, then relaxed under the pegasus' gentle caress. "Celestia, you're so friggin' adorable," Rainbow blurted. "For so long, I couldn't... I-I mean I didn't even bother to--"
"It's okay," Roarke said. "I didn't let you."
"Yes you did."
"Hrmmmph..."
"You totally did!" Rainbow inhaled sharply. "Roarke, you gave me so many opportunities to let you in. And I did the exact opposite."
"You couldn't be blamed."
"Couldn't I?" Rainbow sighed. "You came back after I yelled at you. You saved my friends... empowered them."
"You would have done the same for them in time."
"I could have. But would I?" Rainbow gulped. "You're the loyalest pony there is. You filled in all the gaps. I... I just..."
"Rainbow..."
"I'm not worthy..." Rainbow murmured. A gulp. "And yet here you are." She slowly shook her head. "I just... I..." A fidgeting. "I can't say anything."
"Pretend that you can."
"I'm so lucky. So friggin' lucky." Rainbow exhaled with a shuddering smile. "Thanks for showing me."
"Hmmm..." Roarke's ears twitched. "Thanks for letting me see stars."
"Snkkkt-Heeheehee!" Rainbow Dash curled up against Roarke again. "Is that all it comes down to?"
Roarke was silent.
"...Roarke?"
"Would you... uhm..."
"Hmmm?"
Roarke bit her lip and finally said, "Would you t-touch my braids again?"
Smiling, Rainbow complied, running her hoof through the mare's braids. She flounced one after another, letting the ringlets collide and make clinking sounds like gold coins. "Heh... they're so cool," she said. "I should have mine done just like these."
"No." Something rumbled in Roarke's chest as her lenses pistoned out. "Keep your mane as it is."
Rainbow shrunk inward a little. "Y-yes, ma'am." She nevertheless continued to toy with the braids, collecting as many as she could around her fetlock. "Heh... I love these darn things, but I can't help but wonder what you look like with it all hanging out."
"Is that what you wish?"
"Huh?" Rainbow blinked. She chuckled nervously. "Pffft! I-I was just thinking out loud, Roarke—"
"You know, Rainbow," Roarke spoke suddenly, "I have shared a bed with many partners in my life."
Rainbow couldn't help but cringe. "That's... n-not exactly something you should be t-talking about right now, ya think—?"
"Rainbow..." Roarke stretched her forelimbs out for the first time and grasped Rainbow's hoof. She leaned forward. "...I have never had a lover before."
Rainbow stared at her.
"I have never... never..." Roarke winced in mid-speech. She tilted her head down at Rainbow's hoof. "Searo's womb, I should just stay silent..."
Rainbow leaned in and gently nuzzled Roarke's cheek. Roarke exhaled calmly, her body going limp as Rainbow continued to rub the side of her muzzle against Roarke's. Rainbow leaned in even further, stroking the curve of her neck against the side of Roarke's head and then over her mane. She then slid her face down, kissing along Roarke's forehead and towards her nose, finally ending with a feather-light contact of their lips. She leaned back, stroking Roarke's hooves with her own.
"Like that?" she said.
Roarke quivered. She sniffled and nodded timidly.
"Now..." Rainbow Dash leaned in again, pressing her cheek against Roarke's. "Forget Searo... and just say anything."
Rainbow could feel the heavy heartbeat in Roarke's body. After a prolonged silence, the mare eventually spoke.
"I've b-been falling apart for a long t-time," Roarke stammered. "Even before I met you. Before I met Imre. I knew that once everything had peeled loose, I'd have have to meet my end. I just... d-didn't expect that there'd be a new me on the other side. I would never admit it... but... but I was frightened, Rainbow. I've been very frightened..."
"Yeah..." Rainbow silently nodded, nuzzling the mare. "...I sorta figured."
"But... but it's not as b-bad as I thought..." Roarke clenched her teeth, seething slightly. "It... it hurts to admit it. Because it feels like weakness. But it's something else... the complete opposite, perhaps?"
"Mmmmhmmm..."
"Rainbow..."
Rainbow sat up so she could look down at the mare.
A pair of lenses reflected Rainbow's face twice over. "Whether you knew it or not... whether you meant to or not... you caught me as I fell through. And... and I-I can't stop dwelling on it... thinking about it." Roarke gulped. "I-I'm sorry for being so distant in Durandana. Lately, I've been out of grips with myself, and I blamed it on you..."
"It's okay..."
"No, it isn't. You deserve—"
"I deserve exactly what's come to me," Rainbow said, gently stroking Roarke's cheek. "And that's why there's no way in heck that I'm mad at you." Her lips curved. "Especially right now."
Roarke leaned her cheek into Rainbow's caressing hoof. She exhaled heavily as her body went limp.
Rainbow smiled even more. Her hoof trailed around the edges of Roarke's lenses.
"Hrmmm... clasp the sides."
Rainbow blinked. "Huh?"
"Clasp both sides simultaneously and lift," Roarke said. "They'll come off very easily."
Rainbow's lips pursed. "But.. but..." She fidgeted. "I mean... you have those things on all the time. Like... will it h-hurt?"
Roarke clasped one hoof around Rainbow's forelimb. "Nothing can hurt me now."
Silence.
Rainbow took a deep breath. With careful grace, she reached down and clasped both sides of the metal mare's lenses. There was a distinct snapping sound, followed by a brief hiss. They felt incredibly heavy in the pegasus' grip, but that didn't stop her from lifting them off and dropping them in the bed of pine needles beside the two ponies. Rainbow leaned over, staring intently.
At first, Rainbow thought she was gazing down a deep well. Twin silver-blue pools quivered, like tiny slits that rippled with each touch of starlight as Roarke strained and struggled to look back at her. The mare visibly winced, but firmly murmured. "I d-don't even know what they look like," Roarke said, another tear or two straining loose. Her muzzle bravely formed a smile. "Could you describe them to me?"
Rainbow stared and stared. For several seconds, she hovered like a pale statue. At last, she collapsed, starting with her folded ears then down through a flushed red muzzle as her lips curved. "Honest," her voice cracked, and soon the world between them fogged. Rainbow sniffled and whimpered again, "So very honest."
Rainbow didn't realize she was falling until Roarke's forelimbs lifted up and folded around her. The petite pegasus curled up against her fuzzy brown chest, clenching her eyes shut as tiny sobs squeaked out of her smiling lips. With each shuddering breath, Rainbow retreated more and more into Roarke's embrace, and she found a warm place there to hide and melt.
"Thank you," Rainbow sobbed, curling her forelimbs over her eyes as she spoke in muffled little bursts against Roarke's neck. "Just... th-thank you, Roarke... thank you thank you thank you..."
"Mmmmmm..." Roarke kissed the mare's forehead. Shutting her eyes, she rested her neck and chin over the pegasus' head and held her tight. "After all you're flying, it's about time somepony caught you too."
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This was so sweet! Such an emotional chapter that's needed to happen for a while for these two.
While I still hope for Aj's revival and some AppleDash, I'll take Dash x Applejack 2.0
I will go down with this ship.
I didn't sign up for these feels.
Funny thing is, Roarke isn't even doing a 180 in her character, she's been like this for a long time, she's just been forced to shove it down by others until it was all she knew. But, if repressed emotions are a wall then love is certainly a wrecking ball.
Good job, girls.
I would love for one of our artistic jurists to give a crack at drawing Roarke without her augmentations, especially with the description of these eyes.
Well, there went my feels quota for the week. Ya done broke me Colon, and I'm quite happy for it.
Rainbow/Roarke
Props/Zaid
EE/Ebon
Floydien/Nancy Jane
Belle/Pilate
Josho/?
Kera/?????
*mansquee*
I loved every bit of this chapter.
I love this. I almost loathe the teasing to come.
Almost.
GUH! Right in the feels :D
Well, thank god that my fears were groundless. They don't seem to be about to have a l****s scale breakdown any time soon.
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbyllwfrXW1qa01uz.gif
4907405
Josho/Kera?!?!?!
Remove the mask, let me look upon you, my son.
Rourke never has to say, Youre Dead.
4907472
And then Josho was hurled overboard.
So much feelz. Roarke is also supremely adorable. I hope she doesn't kill me.
4907472
Booooo.
4907402
Silver irises I assume? I could give it a shot.
4907402
I would, but I kinda suck at drawing emotions. Plus, the idea of drawing a head full of braids scares me. Unless you want her mane down, which might make it difficult in general.
My heart is melting.
Atta girl.
That is all.
So much Fus Ro D'aww.
I'm betting all the other pairs will be cuddled up with their other halves when Rainboarke get back to the Jury. Belle and Pilate will smile and be happy that Rainbow and Roarke found and accepted eachother, Eagle and Ebon will just be a load of d'aww, and Props and Zaid will both have that smirk that says "We know" and cause both of our newest ship to blush furiously.
And then Josho will let out a belch, and the boomers will resume course after Kera tries to find out who won the wrestling match.
I didn't expect to tear up, but... Roarke's usual standoffishness in this scene was adorable.
I really hope Roarke lets her hair down. Eagle might go nuts.
This is so effing adorable!
I can't even hold all these feelings and emotions!
This moment is going to put a smile on my face for the rest of the week... maybe two.
I wonder if this mean Roarke is gonna start going around the Jury wearing less of her armor and augments.
4907376 What about the Applechangeling?
I've just won a bet with my best friend. She said that Roarke's eyes would be green, and I disagreed and said they would be blue. Now she has to buy me a chocolate.
Well she sure has pretty eyes. I've honestly been curious about the color for forever now.
Wow. I completely did not realize that we never knew what her real eye color was.
And I was totally hoping/expecting them to be green, and mildly disappointed when they weren't, but considering that expectation existed for all of 10 seconds, I think I'll live.
That, and ice-blue eyes are really pretty. Almost as pretty as light pink eyes.
Did I mention that I really miss Rayvinne?
Also, what's Roarke's build like? I always imagined her as being super-lithe and petite, but all her fanart portrays her as voluptuous and curvy.
4907405
Can you really do that? Can you ship a ship with a ship? On a ship?
4907378
Just don't take the rest of the ship down with it~
4907472
NO. You can kindly go fuck off now, thank you.
But, while we're on the topic, Kera deserves the mostest adorablest of puppy loves. I wonder if she'll find it in Val Roa...
My fears have subsided a bit. Thank you for the signs of possible longevity.
Anyone else wondering just how long the rest of the Jury has been hovering and potentially listening in?
4907856 Does that mean that Kera is going to meet a young Diamond Dog in Val Roa and hit it off?
Wait, is she blind? Or is there something else with those eyes?
I MUST KNOW MORE ABOUT ROARKE NOW.
4907925 Nope, but she doesn't seem very concerned about personal image, and she never seems to take off those lenses, so it's entirely possible that she's lived her entire life without once looking at a reflection of herself without her lenses.
beautiful, simply beautiful
4907472 That would be so wrong on so many levels.
Yeah she did. B)
Well, I have officially died. Does anyone know a necromancer?
4907497
Careful, might just bounce back up.
Blue eyes? RIP AppleDash. Was still expecting Dash to punch her or something.
From this point onwards I get the odd feeling someone on the Jury is watching.
4907652
I'd expect (and hope) Belle and/or Pilate to make some nudge-nudge-wink-wink-style comments as well.
Even better than the fact that these two have finally gotten together (and by god, I didn't expect them to be so cute together), is the fact that they seem so comfortable with their new arrangement. I was afraid there'd be more hemming and hawing and second-guessing and tsundering. I'm quite happy with this arrangement and how it's been handled. Let's hope that, whatever happens in Val Roa, these two at least have some happiness together for a time. Because damned if they don't deserve it.
I'm happy Rainbow Doarke is a thing now. The two of them seem perfect for each other... in a strange sort of way.
24
4907916 Zaid. Zaidy waidy Zaid.
Shut your face.
Our adowable wittle Kera isn't into nasty wasty Diamond Doggies.
...
...Skirts is totally gonna troll the fuck out of me based on this comment, isn't he...
also prior to this comment I was considering making a "doggy style" joke but that would be awful
4908425 If the previous one didn't convince him, this one surely did.
4908430 I hope your character dies a horrifying death in Val Roa.
4908435 Swanny, you're mean.
You're breaking my small, fragile, and cheesy heart.
IC, please avenge my death by making KeraxDiamond Dog happen.
4908448 You know, I was totally expecting you to make an "at least I have a character" joke, and I would have totally spent the next 20 minutes crying into my pillow.
But instead, I made that comment, and completely just #rekt myself by reminding myself that I don't have a character.
...Fuck. I don't have a character.
But, on the bright side, despite your pitiful inability to properly burn me, my opinion of you has risen, as I have realized that you are far less abusive to me than I am to myself. Congratulations!
also if Kera x Diamond Dog happens I will seriously cry.
4908466 Oh, I wouldn't do that to you.
Besides, as far as we know, the true ruler of Val Roa could be called Queen Swan Song, and at that point you'll be able to shove that on my face forever.
Also, would it technically be Kera x Diamond Puppy?
4908488
And sneak into the crew bay during your giggly lovemaking sessions with Props. jk I'm not that much of a creeper I think
oh there are things I'd shove on your face alrightBut then I'll probably be stuck in Val Roa forever. Which means I won't get to cavort along with you and the rest of the Jury.
Actually, maybe it's better that way. I'm pretty sure the crew would toss me overboard after about ten minutes.
I have an adorable little pet Maltese and this conversation is filling my mind with unpleasant images GODDAMNIT ZAID I HOPE YOU BURN IN HELL
4908541 Oh, who knows.
Maybe Princess Swan Song has grown resentful of her mother, who is being impersonated by Chrysalis, and wishes nothing more than to explore the world and live adventures.
And hey, maybe a rag-tag team of adventurers will arrive to the kingdom and will overthrow the plans of said impersonator, opening the eyes of young Princess Swan Song, who will take the mantle of leader of her people.
And once the Jury leaves Val Roa, Princess Swan Song will decide to leave the kingdom in the hooves of more capable ponies, thinking that monarchies aren't the best for her subjects, and fulfill her dream of seeing the world alongside Rainbow Dash and company.
And everyone will accept her as one of their own, and everyone will be happy together.
Especially Kera, who will hit it off with Princess Swan Song's young Diamond Dog servant and friend.
4908565 You know, that sounds positively glorious, but the fact that you stated it all pretty much guarantees that it won't happen. So, yeah! Thanks, ya jerk.
img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140426011353/mlp/images/c/c7/Rarity_ice_cream_promo_S4E23.png
But considering that last part of your prediction maybe that's a good thing