While the village had been nothing but delightful, the actual swamp of Haysead was a dreadful place that, despite its relative warmth, had Rarity missing the damn Everfree, of all things.
Of course, perhaps such unpleasantries could be overlooked with the right companionship, but Rainbow Dash had been growing more pensive and irritable with each passing hour that the two spent fruitlessly searching for the cragadile.
The sun was setting now, casting a golden orange glow that filtered through the canopy of trees over the swamp that Rainbow looked like she had half a mind to burn to the ground if it meant finding this damn cragadile faster.
Rarity felt a knot in her stomach that was only tightening with each unbearably silent hour she spent with Rainbow, until she simply couldn’t stand the silence any longer and asked, “Rainbow, will you please tell me what’s bothering you?”
Rainbow stopped, and the only sound either could hear were the steady flaps of Rainbow’s wings as she kept herself hovering in the air. Rarity tried to decipher the pegasus’ expression, the fearsome frown that marred her face, but all Rarity could see was that Rainbow was irritated, which told her nothing; Rarity was irritated too, and she doubted their feelings stemmed from the same cause.
“Rainbow, please. I’m worried about y—”
“I can read, y’know.”
“P-pardon?”
Rarity took a step back as Rainbow looked over her shoulder at her. Whatever Rarity was expecting Rainbow to say, it certainly wasn’t that.
“Yesterday,” Rainbow growled, “you said a thing, made a joke, about me not being able to read. I can read.”
“Yes, I—” Rarity stuttered, unsure of what Rainbow was getting at or just why she was so angry over what Rarity had perceived as merely some lighthearted teasing between friends. “I didn’t actually think you couldn’t read, Rainbow. I was making a joke.”
“It wasn’t funny.”
Rarity blinked, and a scowl crept onto her face.
“I apologize,” she muttered, eyes darting away from Rainbow, teeth grinding against each other. “I didn’t realize I had hit a nerve, though I’m curious why you’re only bringing this up now.”
“Look, you’re really lucky,” Rainbow hissed, and the hairs on Rarity’s neck stood on end. “You’re soooo lucky to have a big gay crush on the librarian, I’m really happy for you, Rarity.”
“What does that have to do with—”
“It must be SO GREAT, to be able to just have the hots for somepony without having to be like ‘oh man, am I gonna make myself look like a huge idiot to her’ or ‘yeah if she knew I was into her she’d be creeped the hell out’ or my personal favorite ‘literally everyone would laugh at you if you told them you were into that girl, she’s way out of your league’.”
Rarity clenched her fists and glared daggers into Rainbow. Rainbow had no idea just how many times those exact thoughts had crossed Rarity’s mind in the past, and how guilty she was already feeling for having a crush on a woman she just met, and now here Rainbow was rubbing salt into her open wound.
“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity’s tone was measured and remarkably calm, considering her ever increasing frustration, “I am sorry that I hurt your feelings, but you are being needlessly uncivil right now. What exactly is your problem with me?”
“I don’t have a problem with you¸ Rarity!” Rainbow screamed, turning around and facing Rarity as she threw her arms in the air. “I have a problem with all of it! You aren’t the only one who’s almost died on the job for being ‘reckless’ y’know! You aren’t the only one who’s super exhausted and just done with ALL of this!”
Rarity took a step toward Rainbow, and the pegasus jolted back, flying over a brackish pond so that Rarity couldn’t pursue her. This conversation— if you could even call it that— was over.
Rarity took a deep breath. She tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that whatever was grinding against Rainbow’s nerves, her anger was likely not actually aimed at Rarity. But then again, perhaps it was. And perhaps Rarity deserved that anger.
Either way, Rarity had a cragadile to find. Dealing with Rainbow’s outburst would have to wait.
An explosion of water erupted from the pond Rainbow hovered over, taking both women completely by surprise. Rainbow looked down to see what had happened and Rarity tried to yell at Rainbow and tell her to get away from the water.
Before she could bring her voice to bear, or before Rainbow could react at all, the cragadile leaped out of the water and clamped its jaw down on Rainbow Dash’s leg, a piercing scream coming from the bleeding pegasus’ mouth.
Rarity drew her axe and ran toward the water, but the cragadile disappeared as quickly as it came, dragging Rainbow into the water with it, and disappearing.