Lead Hearts and Feathered Wings

by maddox078

Perserverance

"See ya girls, I gotta go get my place cleaned up before my parents show up for their visit, moms never let that kind of stuff go..."

A round of farewells sounded out from the library and chased after the retreating pegasus on a warm summer wind. Rainbow had been immensely grateful for the companionship she'd rediscovered in her group of friends; slowly but surely most of them came to respect her once again as they observed the honest changes in her demeanor. Over the past few months she had decided she must let go of her dream, for now, until she became more adept at balancing her life.

Rainbow had fallen into a lukewarm routine as of late, consisting of work, walks, and long talks with Twilight about everything her soul needed to communicate. It was incredible to find such a support network waiting for her, especially considering she really only spoke to Twilight in the past when she was teasing her.

She wasn't the only one who had accepted her back; after listening to Twilight share all of the personal and vulnerable things Rainbow had told her, Rarity softened up some. She would never really trust Rainbow entirely, but she became more understanding of Dash's situation while reflecting on her own occasionally poor balance of work and life.

AJ had never really turned against Rainbow herself throughout the whole ordeal, but when she heard about her hospitalization, she rushed over as soon as possible to apologize profusely and blame herself. Neither Twilight nor Rainbow let that thought continue for very long, and they soon soothed their terrified friend, assuring her she was not to blame.

Then there was Pinkie. She never really got involved in the whole incident, the girls all assumed she understood that perhaps she shouldn't be her usual self around the group for the time being. The mare instead opted to calmly listen to either of the feuding parties and offer a solemn embrace when she was at a loss for words.

The sun was an hour or two past its apex in the cloudless sky, and bore down on the residents below with only a gently warm touch. The season had been mild after a rather bitter winter and spring, in which Rainbow had made herself scarce around town for the majority of the duration. But here and now, she relished the warmth of the sun trickling through her fur down to her skin.

On her walk back to her home, she was constantly surrounded by the chaotic sounds of childish hedonism native to the season. Foals ran around lobbing water balloons at each other while parents rested on the patios of their homes, cooking, talking, and enjoying the company of friends and family. Though not her season of choice, Rainbow found a great deal of comfort in the scene.

After a few blocks, she finally turned onto her street, the sight of her home still some ways away. Her street was a bit quieter than the surrounding ones, most of her neighbors were a bit older and didn't have children living with them. Rainbow listened quietly to all of the sounds flowing down the shaded road; there was the sound of a low breeze causing the ping of wind chimes, a family of birds in a nearby tree, and the soft sound of a familiar laugh.

The laughter caused Rainbow to completely freeze in her tracks, icing her blood. At first she couldn't identify why the sound had such an effect on her, but after her mind figured it out, she immediately regretted it.

"Hehe, Pumpkin Spice you're terrible!" The gentle voice struck fear in the bold mare's heart.

"Ohhhh maybe a little, but you never ask me for my recommendations on coffee if you aren't prepared to stay awake for the next few weeks." The aforementioned mare giggled back.

The moth drew nearer to the flame, her insatiable curiosity pulled her like a magnet to a small dead end street to her left. Finally the pair was visible; sitting at one of the outdoor tables of The Roast was an amber mare of unparalleled beauty sitting across from a canary yellow pegasus who was the only one who could give her a run for her money.

There she was.

So many months futilely trying to erase every sight, sound, and smell of this mare, avoiding any place she might frequent with extreme care. Yet, here she was.

Having phased out for more than a few moments, the two mares sitting at the table now began to stand up, looking like they were about to say their goodbyes. They shared one last laugh over some joke that fell on Rainbow's deaf ears, and exchanged a long and meaningful kiss.

Feeling as if the ground had slipped out from under her hooves, the shaking mare began walking off at a pace somewhere between a walk and trot. Her mind was everywhere and yet she thought nothing. She wanted to cry but the tears froze before they could leave her eyes. Rainbow walked down the wrong street for a few minutes before correcting herself and heading once more to their, her, home.

She still had several blocks to go, but something began pulling at her before she could get too far. The feeling of panic and dread overwhelming her dropped away, she suddenly felt nothing, she let go. Her mind shut down and she didn't care, something was calling to her, she could feel it.

There were no voices carried on the wind, but something spoke to a part of her within. Without thinking, Rainbow flared her wings out and amped her trot up to a full run. The warming air was now rushing past her, rushing through her. She ran as fast as she could, leaving the dread weight behind her as she accelerated down the street. Before long, the balmy wind began pushing up under her wings, lifting her first above the trees, then the homes, and finally the town as a whole.

The pegasus simply closed her eyes and glided through the empty sky, feeling at home for the first time in far too long. She didn't know where she was going, but cleaning her home could wait. If only for this indefinite moment, she shed all the weight she had been carrying for so long, finally as light as the feathers keeping her aloft.

Up there, in her realm, there were no words, no complicated emotions, just a sense of belonging and inner peace.

Author's Note:

This has been a fascinating experience for me, I still remember when I got the idea to write this sooo long ago. Funny thing is, I've never read a FlutterDash fic before, but I bet I hit most of the tropes :p. Really though, thanks to everyone who read, favorited, and commented, it really means a lot to me. There are some things I'd do differently if I were to rewrite the story, but as it is I'm pleased with how it turned out, whether or not it's simply a fanfic. On that note, in finally getting back into the writing groove after a long absence, I've rediscovered how much I enjoy it. So yes, the next story should still be written, but no I can't offer exact timetables, we all know I'm bad about that. I'll post a blog entry when the first bit of it comes out. Anyway, thanks again for the support, take care ya'll.

Comments

[sneakpeak321]

Not the biggest fan of the ending, but overall the story was great, just the ending... I like happy ending.