Chapter 16: Let Love In
Rainbow's cheeks felt a little warm as Sky Fire's hoof touched her cheek. If she had to be honest, she wasn't expecting him to even come back to her. What with Sandra being back, she thought he would have spent more time with her instead of Rainbow.
What really surprised her though was how firm he sounded. Since he returned, he hadn't really taken that kind of tone with anypony. The last time he did was when he was in charge of the weather patrol team. She was nearly speechless from his tone alone.
"Really?"She finally found her voice, "But...what about...?"
Before he could answer her, one of the balls she was bouncing rolled into his front legs. The white pegasus glanced down at the ball with a quirked eyebrow. Sky Fire sighed as picked it up before placing it back on the self closest to them.
"You never did hide your feelings well, Dash." He said, his tone still firm and strong, "You know that, right?"
Another faint blush came across Rainbow's cheeks. What was it about that tone he was using that made her feel embarrassed just by hearing it?
"...What's your point? She asked lowly. Sky Fire frowned.
"My point is that I saw you looking at me and Sandy when I was leading her to her new room."
Rainbow flinched at those words. If there was one thing Sky Fire was, it was being very observant. That was another trait of his that she nearly forgot. She knew what was coming. Deep down in her heart she always knew that he would approach her about this subject someday. She wanted to cry out in frustration. Why did he have to do it the day his girlfriend came back?
"...I-It's not like I'm JEALOUS or anything." She quickly said, trying to avoid his gaze. She knew that it wouldn't help much, but she didn't want to see the look in his eyes.
"Rainbow, we both know that's a lie." He said. Rainbow's ears flattened. The only time he ever used her first name was when he was serious. Her heart felt like it was about to fall apart when he said that.
Sky Fire walked up to her slowly. Rainbow prepared herself for the worst. Normally this would be the part where a colt would tell her to leave him alone. But what made it even worse was that it was going to come from her best friend. Her eyes almost began to water up as he stood in front of her. Rainbow full expected him to tell her off.
However, he gently placed a wing on her neck.
"And I know how you feel...about me."
Rainbow's eyes shrunk in shock. He knew? What gave it away? She kept it to herself for such a long time that she thought she didn't have to reveal it unless she was ready to. But she knew Sky Fire. He always found a way to figure things out. Slowly, she turned her head back at him. Her lip quivering.
"I...I thought you DIED back there, Sky Fire!" She squeaked, "If...If I lost you, just after seeing you again...I-"
Sky Fire just smiled as he gently head butted her head back. Rainbow's cheeks felt like they were on fire at how close his face was to her own. She began to feel weak in her hind legs. Something that she never felt before.
"I know." Sky Fire said, his own cheeks turning a bit pink as well, "But I told you that it wouldn't die that easily...and honestly..." He nuzzled his face against her own. Rainbow's heart felt like it was about to explode. "I feel the same about you..."
Her eyes widened in shock at that confession. He admitted that he felt the same way to her. No pony had ever done that for her before. She was always so pushy, bossy, and sometimes rude to everypony that came near her that she couldn't imagine one feeling the same for her. Once again, she found her voice to speak.
"S...Seriously? But...but I'm a bi-"
She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. Sky Fire had gently pulled her into an embracing hug. His eyes closed slightly while she stood in his front legs. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Not just from being nervous, but from a feeling of joy as he held her. Slowly she returned his hug, closing her eyes as well.
"...Sky Fire, I... I...I never was the best at this kinda thing, but," A smile came to her face, "...I really...c-care for you."
"I know..." He says, smiling as he leans his neck on her. "I've always cared for you as well...ever since we graduated Flight Academy together..."
Rainbow's bliss almost ended as she remembered Sandra. She didn't pull away from his hug, but the question was eating her away.
"W-What about Sandra? D-Don't you..."
Sky Fire exhaled a sigh. Rainbow could tell that it was a choice decision that he had to make. But what she didn't know was the story behind it. The white pegasus leaned his neck on her own softly.
"It took a wakeup call from somepony to let me know..." He said solemnly, "And Sandy made it clear to me...
XxXxX
Twenty Minutes Earlier
"It's so great to see you again..." Sky Fire said as he laid beside Sandra, nuzzling her face. "When Amducias 'killed' you I felt like my heart was shattered..."
Sandra smirked as she returned the nuzzle to him. She knew Sky Fire all too well to know that he could barely contain his emotions. She smiled at him before leaning her face on his neck gently.
"Heh...you always were the type to keep your emotions bottled up." She said with a smirk.
Sky Fire had tried to hide it in the foyer, but it was slowly starting to escape. Finally unable to hold it back anymore, tears run down his face. Tears of both anguish and joy at his reunion with Sandra. It felt like a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders as he smiled tearfully.
"I missed you so much, Sandy...I'm so sorry that I-I c-couldn't stop him..."
"Hey now, big guy, easy up. I'm here now." She said with a smile, looking out to the hallway "And besides, it looks like you've already moved on in a way."
Sky Fire looked at her with a confused look. What did she mean by that he moved on in a way? He felt like an idiot as he realized what she had meant.
"Who? Rainbow? Well, she's a really good friend...I mean, you're back now. And-"
Sandra placed a hoof over his mouth. A somewhat disappointed look in her eyes formed as she pulled her hoof away.
"Sky...you know you could never lie to me successfully."
Sky Fire sighed. There was no point in hiding it from Sandra. He couldn't even convince her that when he arrived in Rainyville that it was just to visit for a friendly tour. She had some kind of way to drag the truth out of anypony she talked to. A key trademark of her's. The real issue though was what she was expecting him to say. If he lied, she would know it. But if he told the truth he could have hurt her.
"...Ok, maybe I do...love her." He sighed, "But I just can't...I can't just leave you for her...you just c-came back and...I can't just do that to y-you..."
Sandra frowned as she leaned in close to his face. Her eyes looking straight into his own as the subject continued.
"Sky..." She said, "Are you honestly going to stand there and tell me, after all you've been through with her, growing up with her, having a life with her in her town, you're just gonna abandon her for a street mare you've known for six years?"
Sky Fire bit his lip some, now at a true difficult crossroad. In his heart, he loved both of them dearly. He had known Rainbow for nearly all his life. But he and Sandra went through so much that it evened out between the two of them. They had fought to end a massive crime wave in Rainyville, that was something that held them together. How could he just break that bond? He glanced down to the ground.
"I..." He stammered, "I just don't want to break either of your hearts...I just can't..."
Sandra frowned slightly as she placed a hoof on his shoulder. It wasn't an easy decision for him to make. She knew that. She had a hard time deciding on it herself the moment she saw Rainbow Dash.
"...Sky, even when you were with me, I could tell you barely ever took your mind off her." She said with a warm smile. Some tears formed in her eyes as well.
"S-Sandy..." He said, nearly trembling now. "I...I love you...you know that..."
The pink earth pony just kept her warm smile as she lightly patted his shoulder.
"Yeah...but you know and I know that I could never replace her." She glanced over to the hallway again, watching Rainbow head towards her own room, "Speaking of which, don't you think you should go see her? You were awfully quick to leave her hanging back there."
Sky Fire's ears flattened. Now he felt like a complete jackass. He was so wrapped up about seeing Sandra again that he had left Rainbow alone in the foyer. He glanced back to the foyer, watching her walk to her room. What made it even worse was seeing the tear run down her cheek. His own eyes started to well as well. He never wanted to see Rainbow Dash cry over him. He had to make it right.
"...Go get her, tiger. And take good care of her." Sandra said with a smile, "You deserve her far more than you do me."
Sky Fire closed his eyes tightly at those words. His mind knew that she was right, but his heart was about to split in half at the truth. What mattered more? Seeing Rainbow happy or filling his own selfish desires? Finally giving in to what was right, he turned back to Sandra. He gently kissed her one last time, the former returning it as well, before pulling away.
"I'll...I'll always love you, Sandy..."He said with a hiccup.
"I know...and honestly, I'll love you too...as a friend." She said, giving him one final nuzzle for old times' sake.
Sky Fire smiled weakly as he stood up. With great difficulty he took a step towards the door. Now or never. As he took one more step, he glanced back to Sandra. Just to see if she had decided on changing her mind. She simply nodded at him, not budging an inch on the subject. Sky Fire wanted to turn back, but he knew that he couldn't. Sandra was right. Rainbow needed him more than she did.
The white pegasus walked out of her room slowly. Stifling a sob as he approached Rainbow's room, right before the Nightmare Moon clone's attack, he had to get composure over himself. Behind him, Sandra kept her same warm smile.
"...Take care of her, Sky." Sandra said with a smile. Before she could get up to move though, she was suddenly being grabbed from behind, "Hey, what the-?"
She glanced behind her to see who it was. It was Rarity. Sandra let out a sigh of relief, she thought something was trying to kidnap her again. The white unicorn smiled as she looked over Sandra.
"Darling, you are simply a mess!" She said, "This cannot go on! What you need is a warm bath!"
Sandra chuckled sheepishly as she was dragged away from her room. She was not much of a girly girl, but even she admitted that she needed a wash up. As Rarity took her up the stairs, Sky Fire glanced back to the two one more time.
"...Thank you, Sandy." He said. His smile vanished however when he heard Rainbow cry out in shock. Narrowing his eyes, he ran towards her room.
XxXxX
As Sky Fire finished his story, he just smiled. Even though tears ran down his face, he was better than he was before. The entire time he talked, he still held Rainbow gently in his legs. Not once did he let her go. He made that mistake once when he left Ponyville. He would never make it again.
"Sky Fire...thanks...for coming back." Dash said. Finally letting herself cry on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry for...for leaving you like that." He said, tightening his hug. When he spoke again though, Rainbow's heart had a sudden surge of joy flow.
"I...I love you, Rainbow..."
Those were the four words she always wanted to hear from a colt's mouth. But never once did she imagine that it would have been her best friend saying those words. A wide smile grew over her face as she nuzzled his face.
"...Ohhh...and I love ya too, ya big oaf..."
Sky Fire grinned as the two shared soft intimate nuzzles. After a minute of sharing nuzzles with one another, he made a bold move. Before Rainbow could do anything, he gently kisses her lips once. Something that he admits only to himself that he wanted to do for some time. He could hear his own heart beating happily as he did so. Rainbow's eyes grew wide at the kiss. She didn't expect it to happen. She hadn't been kissed by anypony before in her life. It had taken her by such surprise that her wings stood up. The kiss at first felt alien, a part of her worried if she should have pulled away. But she didn't resist. Rather, she closed her shimmering eyes and accepted the kiss, returning it as well.
Since the event with Storm Rider and the attack on Ponyville by Amducias, she had forgotten what it felt like to be happy. Sky Fire opened one eye and saw her expression. With a slight smirk, he pulled back, ending the kiss. If there was one thing he had learned with his time with Sandra, it was to not make the first kiss too long. If he didn't, he wouldn't have made the desire for more to come. Based on Rainbow's reaction, he could tell that she wanted more.
"How was that, Dashie girl?" He jokingly asked, "Good enough for your first kiss?"
Rainbow stood in silence for just a bit before a smile came to her face. Taking the advantage, she playfully pinned him to the ground. This time Sky Fire's cheeks went red as she smiled down at him.
"...Yeah. Better, actually." She said.
She leaned down and silenced him with another kiss before he could make a joke. Sky Fire didn't argue back, returning it quietly as the two pegasai shared the quiet moment together. In the back of both of their minds, they didn't care if any of their friends came in. Just as long as they could be together was a fair price to pay for the slight teasing from their friends.
And that's all that really mattered.
To Be Continued.