Rainbow paced anxiously in her tent.
Lightning was fast asleep, and she didn’t even budge when Rainbow asked her an overload of questions. She just mumbled about a stick and a chicken when Rainbow did. It wasn’t helping.
Beads of sweat rolled down her face, already pale with fear. Where could she have gone?
Rainbow knew she should’ve kept watch; then the circumstances could at least brighter, and she should’ve told Scootaloo the dangers of running off. Especially in a war.
“Commander Rainbow Dash?” Cloud Chaser’s head poked through the tent flaps.
“Yes?” Could Scootaloo be back? If she was injured, it was still better than her fate being unknown.
“Captain Spitfire would like to see you. She says that she needs to finalize the plan for attack.”
“Thanks for telling me, Cloud Chaser.” Rainbow replied, her hopes crashing down low. Why was the meeting, of all times, at such a time like this? It seemed that fate had something against each and every one of them.
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“So squad 108 will be attacking from the north, where the Crystal army’s supplies are located, and the rest will be attacking from directly northeast. Am I correct?” Rainbow asked, gesturing to the map.
“Yes.” Spitfire replied, jotting down her brief notes. “We’ll have to be quick though. That army’s a snake; if you don’t attack it quick enough, it’ll turn around to bite you, and we certainly do not want that happening.”
“And when will that be?”
“Two months after the Winter Solstice.” Spitfire said, flipping her notebook to a page. “Celestia herself said that the army would be the weakest then, since it is before Sombra’s so called ceremony. We will win this.”
“Of course.” Both mares cracked a smile. Either way, they still had a friend. Surprise was long dead, but luckily Spitfire had the good fortune to find a new friend.
Some things were better left unspoken.
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“I swear on it, Scoots, I won’t be mad!” Rainbow called. The single hour of rest they had, was turned into a frantic hour of searching, and the desperation that overtook Rainbow was getting stronger by the second. “How? How is this possible?”
“I don’t know.” Lightning didn’t have sibling either, and had came to take both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo as sisters. It was heartbreaking for her as well.
“Where could she have gone anyways?” Rainbow wore a look of confusion as she scanned the plains, the rocky landscape, and just about everything. She knitted her eyebrows before sighing. “How?”
“I really don’t know.” Lighting let out an exasperated sigh as she sat down on the ground. “And I have a feeling that it’s not a good thing to know either…” She trailed off, unable to comprehend what their worlds will turn into if the worst happened.
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“Rainbow Dash?” Soarin asked quizzically. He still went to the cove as usual, even with the knowledge that she wouldn’t be there. But why was she there?
“We –” Rainbow couldn’t get another word out, as a flood of tears erupted from her. All day, all night, the pressure was increasing. The pressure was gone, but the awful choking sounds she was making were a testament to how she felt right then. She knew sooner or later she would have to break down, but at what cost? Her reputation, or the heart of the army, as everyone would look to her when they were down, broken or depressed. If she were like that, then who would they have?
Soarin stared in shock. He had witnessed her breakdown more than once, but this was the first time it had been so sudden and almost to the point of being dramatic. His mind blank, he wrapped his wings around her softly and gently, giving her some comfort. It wasn’t the only time, and he did notice how she calmed down a bit after he did that, so it became an automotive response. It was strange, how much he cared for her, when the war had numbed most of his feelings.
Rainbow wasn’t sure how to feel. Part of her wanted to enjoy the warmth Soarin offered her, but the other part didn’t. She had too many responsibilities, too many lives at stake, and if she couldn’t balance everything, she may as well as destroy their chances of victory.
She knew what she was feeling right then.
Love. Destructive during war, but it could bring just about anything in one neat little package. You never knew what you would find with it.
Perhaps, just a little wouldn’t do any harm. Rainbow relaxed, resting her head on his chest, hearing the steady sound of his heart beating, feeling his chest rise with each steady breath. She closed her eyes, the world before her fading, turning into the one she had knew for much longer.
The sky was blue, not gray. The smiles ponies had wore every day were genuine, not just for the sake of reassurance. The ground was green with spring grass, or perhaps dotted with small blossoms of color, not brownish gray. Instead of the few burnt stumps left in the camp, there would be lush forests that she could spend her day in, doing nothing but resting and flying. The air would not be pungent with the scent of blood, sweat, and the dying, instead the soft fragrances of floret and blades of spring grass.
There wouldn’t be any pain, any sorrow, and her wing would be back. There would not be any agony to bear, no one’s screams to diminish. Perhaps, some of these things she held dear would return…
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“Soarin, we need to talk.” Spitfire’s stern voice disrupted Soarin from his thoughts.
“What?” Soarin turned around lazily. He was generally more casual and relaxed compared to most of the others.
“You were back late countless times.” She started. “Do you think we would tolerate this? It is important for all of us to maintain discipline and order. Otherwise, how would we win this war?” Spitfire was glaring very hard unintentionally. “Sombra’s army is loosing, because they don’t have any, but their powers are something to be reckoned with. If we don’t keep what we have, we will lose!”
“Sorry, ma’am, but I have a life outside of this as well. A few minutes is not a tragedy.” Soarin replied.
“You don’t understand.” Spitfire turned around, walking away. “You’ll never understand.”
It was breaking her heart to say those words, but she had a job to do. She did care for Soarin, but her career, and everything at stake, were more important than love.
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“Lightning?” Rainbow whispered.
“Yeah?” Lightning Dust yawned.
“Do you think we can find Scootaloo?” Rainbow asked quietly. A tear slipped and landed on the floor, the moonlight illuminating the tiny trail that followed. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and asked again, this time clearly. “Do you think we can find Scootaloo?”
“I…” Lightning started, her eyes darting around, contemplating what to say, but she couldn’t finish, as Spitfire barged into the room the instant she opened her mouth.
“Rainbow Dash!” She exclaimed, panting. Spitfire hastily ran a hoof through her mane.
“What?” Rainbow was utterly confused. Spitfire was very professional, strict, and her life basically revolved around her job, but what do any of those have to do with her current demeanor?
“We…” Spitfire took a deep breath. “We…”