Prompt:
“We’re running just as fast as we can,
Holding on to one another’s hand,
Trying to get away into the night.
And then you put your arms around me
As we tumble to the ground,
And then you say,
‘I think we’re alone now.
There doesn’t seem to be anyone around …’”
Rules: No Romance. (Heresy! Heresy I say!)
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“Come on, ‘Shy!” The blue bolt tore through the sky ahead of her, the desperate laughter in her voice echoing out behind her as she went. “They’re gonna catch us if we don’t pick up the pace!” There was urgency in her words – but there was also joy of the kind that was only ever there in these moments. That overwhelming, all consuming passion and love of life that was a part of everything that Rainbow Dash did – or at least everything Rainbow ‘Danger’ Dash, the name Fluttershy had given to this side of her, did. Not, she thought with a quiet whimper, that there had been that much difference lately.
“Get back here, you dweebs!” Came the roar from behind her – right behind her – and she felt panic rise in her chest, her heart beating faster as the world slowed down. Her wings began to lock up, and she realised she was going to fall. She would freeze, and she would fall – miles and miles down until she fell into that dark and terrible nightmare. Or rather, fell onto it. Because when she hit the ground there wouldn’t really be much left of her to explore it and she would die and no one would miss her except Dash anyway but she didn’t want to die and she didn’t want to leave Dash alone and she certainly didn’t want to be eaten by a hungry griffon and…and…
Then Rainbow Dash was looking back over her shoulder, a grin on her face and her eyes, a fire in them like she had rarely seen, locked firmly onto Fluttershy’s own. Her grin faded, a little, and her eyes narrowed. Fluttershy knew what was coming next – they had done this a thousand time in practice, and it was almost instinctive. A moment passed, and she heard the flap of powerful wings in her ears. She kept flying. She heard the screech of the griffon, echoing all around her and rattling her to her core. She bit her lip, and fought back tears. She kept flying. She sensed the sharp, terrible talons reaching out for her and – there.
Rainbow Dash jerked her head to the left, and Fluttershy’s body moved on instinct – she veered to the side just as the griffons talons snapped closed, sending the griffon sailing past her, victory cry turning to one of frustration – and then she saw blue. The other Pegasus veered in the air and barreled at full speed into the griffon, knocking the wind out of her – as the griffon – Gilda – gasped in pain and swept a talon out towards her assailant, the tiny blue blur spun past her and slammed her rear hooves into the griffons face.
Fluttershy watched as Gilda fell, eyes wide and frightened, and crashed into a soft blanket of clouds – clouds that, according to the weather schedule, should never have been there. Rainbow Dash had planned this moment out, precisely and perfectly. It was the work of weeks, and now it was happening. Even as the guilt and shame of what they’d done rose up inside her she couldn’t help but feel a little thrill of victory too. They had done it. They had won. And she had been so brave – she hadn’t just let Gilda push her around.
A hoof tapping on her head brought her back from her thoughts and she turned her gaze to Rainbow Dash with a small smile – only to find that Rainbow Dash wasn’t smiling back. “Are you nuts?” Her friend cried, frowning a little, “Her friends are gonna catch up any minute! We gotta move, ‘Shy!”
Her friends. The other griffons. The ones who had beaten her up and called her names and insulted her for as long as she could remember. And she had forgotten them – for a moment, some part of her wanted to stay, to make sure they found their friend, but then she was being dragged through the sky at top speed by a rainbow.
For what felt like an age, they didn’t speak. They soared through the sky together, wearing matching smiles, until they finally set down on a high cloud – one they had hollowed out earlier, specifically. As they set down, Rainbow Dash turned to her, grinning and spoke. “That. Was. AWESOME! Did you see that!? We totally did it!”
Her smile faded, just a little, when Fluttershy looked away. And it disappeared when she spoke “They’re going to come after you now.”
She didn’t know what she had been expecting, but Dash’s laughter hadn’t been it. “Let ‘em!” The Pegasus said, eyes shining and a smirk on her face. “We’re not alone anymore, ‘Shy. We got each other – and between the two of us, there’s not a thing in the skies that can hurt us!”