//------------------------------// // Sunset // Story: Surviving Sand Island // by The 24th Pegasus //------------------------------// Rarity lied on her belly, watching the tiny waves ripple in and out of the lagoon. Above her, the skies had shifted to a brilliant amber, and hazy clouds drifted across the horizon from seemingly random directions. The hair on her face stood stiff with dried salt, a testament to how much time she’d spent in the water today. If she ran her tongue over her lips, she could taste the salt clinging to them. Her left ear pivoted behind her, where she could hear Rainbow and Chirp having an argument of some kind. Rainbow had probably caught the macaw digging through their fruit supplies and was trying to scold it, for all the good that would do. Rarity didn’t know if the bird was a glutton or was simply taking advantage of the hard work she and Rainbow had done earlier that day. At the very least, Chirp seemed like he enjoyed their company, and when he wasn’t raiding their food supplies, the bird could usually be found comfortably perched on Rainbow’s shoulders or hindquarters. Rarity’s ivory hooves pawed through the sand and she gently shook her head. If only she had paper and something to draw with. The two of them would’ve made a pretty picture. The surf was like a lullaby as it washed over the beaches like silk on glass. If it weren’t for the fact that they were stuck here without the means to leave whenever they wanted, Rarity could almost imagine this was paradise. Almost. Bring some amenities of civilization and some bug repellant, and then it’d start looking like one. Plumbing, electricity, imported luxury foods, they’d all turn this little island in the middle of nowhere into a dream come true. She flinched as she felt a tiny needle scrape at the flesh on her flank, and she swatted her tail at the offending monstrosity. Actually, forget everything else. She’d be more than content with the state of affairs if she just had some damn fly repellant to keep the shiny green devils away from her. They were carving her beautiful body up like an all-you-can-eat buffet. The bites she’d gotten over the past few days already itched horribly, and it took all of her willpower not to scratch at them. The telltale buzzing of another abomination near her ear was enough to get Rarity to stand up and splash her hooves into the water. At least they didn’t follow her once she started getting wet. Unfortunately, she wasn’t a seapony, so she couldn’t spend all her time in the water. Maybe if Twilight was here, but no. She put a hoof to her chin and thought for a moment. When she got back home, she was going to get Twilight to teach her some more useful spells. Sure, she knew how to cast minor illusions and prestidigitation, but teleportation, sending spells, even something to keep the Celestia-forsaken flies away would be invaluable. With even just one of those spells, she could’ve made her time on this island much more tolerable. Her horn flared on instinct, and a razor of pain drilled into her skull. Shivering, Rarity massaged the end of her broken horn, felt the crack in the tip with her hoof. At least it was finally healing. Another few days and she should be able to start casting spells again. Simply being able to use the invisible hand of telekinesis would be a godsend out here. She certainly wasn’t as good with her hooves and mouth as Rainbow was, and even then, their shelter could benefit immensely from Rarity’s intangible touch. A stiff sea breeze blew through Rarity’s tangled mane. She looked to the south, between the two rocky ridges that protected the lagoon from the rough seas just beyond. The island she’d seen from the hill was barely visible beyond the curve of the world; at least that gave her a sense of how far away it was. It’d probably be a half day’s flight by wing for Rainbow, once hers was finally mended. Maybe they’d find something useful there. Maybe it’d be just as empty and desolate as this one. Maybe it wouldn’t even matter. The growing shadow from the west ridge finally overcame Rarity. She pivoted about and looked at the rocky face of the ridge, picking out a simple path of ascent. It certainly wasn’t as sheer and treacherous as the east ridge, and besides, she knew she’d get a better sunset from that rocky line. She figured it was about time that she finally caught a sunset from this lonely haven in the middle of nowhere; she certainly never saw them from their shelter on the east side of the island. Back on the shore, Rainbow Dash lied on her side, dozing in the shadows of the palm trees. Above her, Chirp simply watched Rarity, his beady eyes like tiny black stones from this distance. Rarity briefly rolled through the water on her way back to Rainbow, hoping that’d be enough to keep the flies away, and gently nudged Rainbow’s shoulder. The pegasus began to stir, and a few moments later, her ruby eyes opened. “Ungh… Rarity? What is it?” “The sun’s setting,” Rarity said with a soft smile. “I was going to go watch it.” “Oh. Cool beans.” Yawning, Rainbow tried to sit up but had to rely on her foreleg for support. “Celestia, I’m so friggin’ tired. I need a nap.” “Rainbow, darling, you just were taking a nap.” Rarity pouted and stuck her lower lip out. “You don’t want to watch the sunset with me?” Rainbow closed her eyes for a few seconds, then wordlessly stood up. “Okay, sure. Kinda can’t see it from here, though.” Rarity immediately brightened and brushed shoulders with Rainbow. “We’ll go up to the ridge over there,” she said. “We’ll have a great view of it.” “Works for me.” Rainbow looked up at the tree where Chirp perched. “C’mon, Chirp. Wanna see the sunset?” Chirp squawked and fluttered down from the tree, landing securely on Rainbow’s back. Giggling, Rainbow stuck her nose in the bird’s feathers for a moment before turning back to Rarity. “Lead the way, Rares.” Rarity stepped away, angling toward the ridge. She noticed just how torn up the sand around the lagoon’s center was, and how pure and flat it remained near the edges. For some reason, it made her feel wrong and horrible, like her and Rainbow had destroyed something perfect. She couldn’t help but step a little lighter as she crossed over into pristine territory, her shadow sending a little crab scuttling sideways into its hole in the sand. Thankfully the western ridgeline wasn’t too rugged, and it only took a little bit of threading between rocks to make it to the top. When they did, Rarity raised a foreleg to shield her eyes from the light of the setting sun. The fat, red ball barely rested on the ocean to the west, floating on the water between the two western islands so close yet so impossibly far away. A flock of gulls briefly crossed over the sun, flitting from one island to the other to roost for the night. Chirp let out a small titter himself as he preened his back feathers while resting on Rainbow’s shoulders. Rarity found a tuft of soft grass to lie down on, crossing her forelegs beneath her. Rainbow did the same, sitting just barely close enough that their stiff and salty coats brushed together. The calls of roosting birds added a soft melody to the rhythmic pounding of the sea on the shore. “I find it comforting that the sun still sets, all the way out here,” Rarity murmured. “No matter what happens to us, Celestia and Equestria are both still out there. Life goes on.” Rainbow shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “I think it’s kind of a downer.” “Why’s that?” “Because nothing changed even though we’re gone,” she said. “Call it selfish or whatever, but like, it makes me feel small and stuff. We could die out here tomorrow and nothing would change. Celestia will keep the sun moving, and ponies will keep living.” “I suppose I understand.” They fell into silence as the sun continued to disappear, turning the ocean into a rippling sea of fire. “But we are both still alive, darling. Really, that’s all that should matter, isn’t it?” “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Rainbow sighed and laid her head on her hooves. “I just… don’t want ponies to forget me, you know? I’ve worked all my life to be the best, because I want to be famous and I want to hear ponies cheering me on. I don’t want to be forgotten.” “Believe me, I know exactly how you feel.” Rarity shifted and rolled her shoulders some. “I’m a social animal. I will fully admit that I crave the recognition that comes with attaching my name to my dresses and watching my business and image flourish.” She chuckled. “We’re not so different, are we?” “Well, maybe apart from our opinions on fashion, I guess not,” Rainbow admitted. “It’s okay, darling, you can admit it,” Rarity said. A sly smile crept onto her muzzle, and she leaned in closer to her friend. “I know how much you secretly like wearing dresses. Why else were you always modeling for me?” Rainbow’s cheeks began to burn, so she hid them between her hooves. “That was like, one time, Rares…” “I seem to recall it differently. And I mean, you never complained about the dresses I made for you when we attended the Gala and such. As I recall—” “Shut up…” Rainbow mumbled, fidgeting uncomfortably. Rarity nuzzled Rainbow’s shoulder and hummed to herself. “If you say so, darling,” she said. “But you don’t have to hide anything from me out here. It’s just the two of us, after all, you can drop the tomboy act whenever you want.” “It’s not an act…” Rainbow feebly protested. Rarity giggled. “Of course it isn’t,” she said, stroking Rainbow’s salt-caked mane. To the west, the sun finally slipped beneath the waves, bathing the world in a slowly deepening shadow. “Of course it isn’t."