Rainbow Dash's eyes slowly opened as the morning light flooded into the barn. She let out a long squeak as she stretched out as much as she could, but she couldn't really move around that much. She smiled as she felt the arms still holding her tight.
Her eyes opened again and she could clearly see Soarin's face directly in front of her's. He was still sound asleep, but with a small smile still on his face. His arms continued to shift, seemingly pulling Dash as tightly to him as he could even in his sleep. Dash felt her heart swell as she remained still, savoring this little precious moment with the stallion she had fallen in love with.
Of course, her thoughts soon drifted to what would happen next. Where could they go? Pretty much every major city in Equestria had at least one Wonderbolt and one Shadowbolt chapter in it. No matter where they went, they would probably still be stuck in the feud, whether they wanted to or not.
But almost as quickly as the thoughts entered her head, as soon as she focused back on Soarin, all of it vanished. She knew it was tough, but she was tough, and Soarin was tough. As long as they were together, Dash didn't care about the danger they may soon be in. As long as she was with him, she knew she'd be safe.
After another few minutes of silence, Soarin began to stir and he released a long groan and a yawn before his eyes opened. He looked over and saw Dash's smiling face in front of his and he smiled back, happy that they were still together, happy that they managed to get away the night before.
"Morning." Dash whispered, leaning in to peck Soarin on the cheek. Soarin felt his smile get wider before he stopped her from leaning back and placed a kiss on Dash's mouth, keeping her drawn in.
Dash let herself melt into the kiss, it felt like forever since the two had gotten a real chance to be together, with all of the conflicts having gone down, but now they could just be together, for these special moments, no matter how short they were.
Soarin and Dash finally pulled away from one another and stared into eachothers eyes. Both not saying or really doing much, just taking in the sight of the one they loved more than anything.
"Did you sleep well?" Soarin whispered, still looking longingly into her uniquely colored irises. Dash let out a yawn and shuffled to get in a more comfortable position.
"I'm not used to sleeping in the hay, but it wasn't so bad. Good thing you're so comfortable." Dash whispered back with a wink. Soarin chuckled.
"Oh am I? I didn't realize." Soarin joked. The two began to slowly lean in again, almost in an automatic way, like they didn't realize it. They were still enraptured in eachothers eyes, until a voice spoke...
"So, are you guys gonna kiss again? Or should I just leave to let you...you know..."
Soarin and Dash quickly pushed away and looked over at the other side of the barn. Scootaloo was awake and up from where she was sleeping. She had her head resting in her hooves with a smug grinning look on her face.
"Uh, how long have you been watching us Scoots?" Dash asked with a nervous chuckle and a blush emerging onto her cheeks as she and Soarin got up from their laying positions.
"Oh, about an hour. I even saw you wake up Dash." Scootaloo said with a snicker. Dash frowned, her blush growing.
"How did neither of us notice her?" She asked Soarin. He simply shrugged and held in a laugh at Dash's state of how embarrassed she was.
"I've mastered the art of invisibility." Scootaloo said in a fake dramatic tone. Dash scoffed and walked over to her. She wrapped her hoof around her and gave her a noogie.
"Little eavesdropper." Dash said as Scootaloo struggled and laughed. Soarin started laughing as well. Eventually, Dash let Scootaloo go and the three looked at eachother.
"So, what now?" Scootaloo asked. Dash and Soarin looked at eachother. They hadn't really gotten a good chance to discuss what the plan was next. Dash didn't really have any ideas about where they could go. They'd need bits, and to get bits, they'd need a job somewhere. Before Dash was a Wonderbolt, she worked a minimum wage job with the weather patrol in Ponyville, but now that was out of the question, so they needed something else.
"You got any idea Soarin? Cause I've got nothing." Dash said with a defeated look. Soarin stood up and began to fold up the makeshift bedding that Applejack had given them the night before. Dash and Scootaloo joined to help.
"I think, the best course of action right now, is to drift. Go from place to place until we can find somewhere to be free, free from the Wonderbolts and Shadowbolts. I don't care if we have to travel the far reaches of Equestria to get away, but we WILL be free from them, I promise you two." Soarin explained as they finished folding up the blankets. Scootaloo and Dash gave eachother glances, looking for either to be skeptical or unsure of the plan, but only saw nods.
"It's better than no plan at all, so let's do it." Dash said confidently as she hugged Soarin. The two looked over at Scootaloo, inviting her to join.
"Aw, if she's in, then so am I." Scootaloo said as she embraced the two older ponies. Dash felt a realization hit her as she hugged the two back. Part of her life had just ended, her time in the Wonderbolts was over, but now, she had a new chapter in her life to look forward to, one she could hopefully spend the rest of it, with her little sister, and the love of her life.
The three slowly moved apart and gave eachother looks of confidence and assurance. Soarin smiled at the two of them.
"Well, let's go."
After giving the makeshift bedding supplies that they had been lent the night before, Applejack was nice enough to give them a few spare backpacks with some extra supplies so they could make it to wherever they decided to head to first. They said their farewells to the farmer and proceeded back to the town. Of course, they made sure not to go directly into town, but they were lucky, since all they needed to do was get to the train station, which was on the edge of town, far from the remains of the Wonderbolt and Shadowbolt mansions.
As they approached the station, they noticed a few townsponies around, and luckily, none of them recognized them. That is, until Dash noticed the yellow one waiting by the ramp leading up to the platform.
When Fluttershy noticed Dash and the others approaching she smiled wider than Dash had ever seen her smile and she flew up to Dash and hugged her tight. Dash was slightly surprised by the sudden embrace, but quickly moved to return the gesture and embraced her oldest friend. She suddenly heard a sniffle and something drip onto her neck as Fluttershy held her. She was crying. Dash slowly pulled away after a few minutes of hugging and Fluttershy wiped her eyes with a hoof.
"I had a feeling you'd be leaving." Fluttershy said with s sniffle. "Just....be careful, OK." Fluttershy managed to sputter out before hugging Dash again.
"I promise I will Flutters. And don't worry, I will see you again. I promise." Dash said as she embraced her best friend. She eventually found herself starting to shed a few tears. She let go of Fluttershy to wipe her eyes. "Darnit, now you've got me all sappy." Dash said through her sadness. Fluttershy giggled and reached into her saddlebag. She pulled out three paper bags, each with the threes initials on them.
"I made you lunches for the train ride. Where are you going?" Fluttershy asked as she gave them each their bag.
"We haven't decided yet, probably wherever's cheapest." Soarin said as he jiggled the coin bag on his back, showing how little bits were in it.
"Thanks for the lunches Flutters, I promise that wherever we end up, i'll write you a letter as soon as we get there. In fact, I'll write frequently." Dash said, giving Fluttershy one last hug. Fluttershy smiled as they separated one last time. She then turned to Scootaloo and gave her a hug.
"Stay safe Scoots, and good luck out there." Fluttershy said as she hugged the smaller Pegasus. Scootaloo nodded and Fluttershy finally turned to Soarin. She then, unexpectedly, pressed her hoof firmly to Soarin's chest and gave him a glare that Soarin didn't expect.
"Take care of them." Fluttershy said in a much harsher tone than Soarin had heard from her thus far, but it quickly faded and her usual soft tone returned. "Please." she said softly. Soarin smiled and nodded.
"I promise. I'll protect them no matter what." Soarin said. Fluttershy hugged him quickly.
"Thank you." She said one last time before grabbing her stuff and walking back towards the town from the station, waving back at them as she went. The three waved her off before turning back and climbing up the ramp to the platform.
"You two go take a seat, I'll go get the tickets." Soarin said, pointing to a bench. Dash and Scootaloo went and sat down while Soarin walked over to the teller.
"Good morning." The teller said happily to Soarin.
"Morning." Soarin simply responded.
"What'll it be?" The teller asked. Soarin glanced at the train arrival times and saw that the next train arriving was for Fillydelphia. While not the best place to end up, it was at least a starting point. If they were lucky, they could find a place similar to Ponyville, a small town that hopefully didn't have a Wonderbolt or Shadowbolt chapter in it yet. Soarin knew Fillyfelphia was a mostly Shadowbolt city, but hopefully that wouldn't be there for long.
"Three tickets to Fillydelphia please." Soarin said. The teller nodded and pulled out three tickets.
"That'll be 15 bits please." The teller said. Soarin took the coin sack from his backpack and opened it, counting out 15 bits, leaving only about a dozen remaining. The teller took the bits and slid the tickets over.
"Thanks." Soarin said as he picked them up with his wing. The teller nodded.
"Have a nice day now." He said with a wave. Soarin waved back. He remembered how nice most people in Ponyville were. If it weren't for the Wonderbolts and Shadowbolts in the town, the place would be perfect. Hell, after last night, things may get better for the town.
As Soarin walked back over to where Dash and Scootaloo were, he saw the two locked in a very interesting conversation, one that Soarin couldn't hear, but could see Scootaloo going on and on about something to Dash, involving many hoof motions and fluttering of wings. Dash was also laughing quite a bit at whatever Scoots was going on about. Soarin found himself smiling as the two interacted.
Most of his life, he didn't really have much of a family. Since his mother died, he was left in the care of Nightstalker. He was a rotten bastard, and the only reason Soarin stuck around was his sons. Thunderlane was the closest Soarin had to a brother, but now he was gone. But as Soarin looked at Dash and Scootaloo, he realized that he now had a new family, in a more of an abstract sense. He wasn't related to them, but they were two ponies he had to protect from the world that didn't like them. He loved Dash more than anything, and Scootaloo was an unfortunate kid who got dragged into all this. But he was going to make sure that they all got through, together.
Soarin walked over to the bench and sat down next to Dash. He gave them each their tickets. "So, what are you silly fillies talking about over here?" he asked. Scootaloo was quick to answer.
"I was telling Rainbow Dash about this time I did a pressure drop during one of my practice sessions a few days ago. It was awesome!" Scootaloo said enthusiastically. Soarin chuckled.
"I don't doubt it." Soarin said as he looked around the platform. There were a few other ponies their, but most of them were just normal townsfolk going about their daily business. That is, until Soarin saw a familiar face land by the ramp. He looked over and saw Rumble walking onto the platform holding something. Soarin stood up and waved Rumble over.
"Rumble, what is Celestia's name are you doing here?" Soarin asked. Rumble walked up with a tired look on his face.
"I....I wanted to give you something before you guys left.....and....." Rumble hesitated. He stopped talking.
"And?" Soarin asked. Rumble exhaled and looked over at Scootaloo.
"I wanted to say bye to Scootaloo." Rumble said. Soarin's eyes widened and he looked at Dash, both of the remembering their short talk the night before. Soarin looked back at what Rumble was carrying.
"What is that you've got for us?" Soarin asked. Rumble took it off his back and held it.
"Last night....the mansion caught fire during the fight. Most of the upper floors were charred.....and the basement was burned up pretty badly, save for this." Rumble said, taking the cloth covering it off. Soarin and Dash both gasped at what Rumble managed to drag out of Soarin's room.
It was Soarin's painting of Dash. It was still completely together, with no evidence of any damage to it. Soarin took it from Rumble and he and Dash looked at it in disbelief. Every brushstroke, line, bit of color, all of it was still intact, and still beautifully done.
"Rumble....I.....how did you find this?" Soarin asked. Rumble shrugged.
"I was combing the smoldering ruins for anything that may have survived the inferno, and I managed to pull that out of the basement. It was in your closet, and strangely enough it was the only thing in your room that wasn't destroyed. I can't say the same for the rest of your art stuff, sorry." Rumble explained. Soarin simply chuckled and looked back at the teenage colt. He quickly embraced him.
"Thanks Rumble, thank you so much." Soarin said before pulling away. Rumble looked back at Soarin with a faint grin.
"No problem Soarin." Rumble said. He then turned to Scootaloo.
"You...you can come with us Rumble, you can get out of this with us, we can get out of this together." Scootaloo tried to get Rumble to come with, but Rumble shook his head and took Scootaloo's hoof.
"I wish I could, but I need to keep watching my father. He survived the burning, and I hope and pray that I can get him to possibly change his ways. Maybe soon I can join you, but not now. With Thunderlane still recently dead, I need to be there for him. I'm sorry." Rumble explained. Scootaloo quickly leaned in and hugged Rumble.
"Just, be safe okay. I hope I'll see you again soon." Scootaloo said before pulling away. Rumble smiled and nodded.
"I hope so too, Scootaloo." Rumble said. He then turned to Soarin and Dash. "You guys stay safe, and I hope to see you all again soon." Rumble said as he spread his wings and turned toward the ramp.
"You stay safe too Rumble." Soarin said back to him. Dash waved as well, and Rumble took off back to town.
The three went and sat back down on the bench. Soarin and Dash both kept looking at the painting. It was still on the thick piece of canvas. Dash and Soarin both exchanged smiles as they admired the painting again. Hopefully, it would be around to symbolize their love forever, as the two ponies who took on a blood feud to find love in eachother.
Soarin eventually took the cloth and covered it again. Dash nudged him in the side.
"Maybe you can get a job doing art commissions somewhere." Dash said. Soarin shrugged.
"I'd need new supplies, since the rest of my stuff is now gone in the fire." Soarin lamented. Dash simply rested against his side, hoping to give him comfort that everything will work out.
After another ten minutes or so of waiting, a train pulled into the station and screeched on its brakes. The doors opened and out stepped several ponies. Once all the ponies arriving got off, the conductor stepped onto the platform with a whistle and a pocket watch. He blew the whistle and shouted.
"ALL Aboard the 10:30 train to Fillydelphia!" He shouted for the rest of the platform to hear. The trio quickly gathered their stuff and entered one of the cars. The took a seat near the rear of the car and all sat down. Soarin and Dash next to eachother, with Scootaloo across from them. The conductor went through the car, taking the tickets from them, before the train finally started moving.
Soarin looked out the window as the train moved along the landscape. He looked back and saw Ponyville disappearing in the distance. He finally left that place behind, that place that brought him so much loss and pain, but also the greatest thing he could have ever received. He looked over at Dash, who was resting her head on his shoulder, her eyes were closed, trying to get to sleep. He looked across at Scootaloo, she was lying completely down in the train seat, asleep. Soarin smiled.
He was heading towards the next part of his life, one that would hopefully end much more happily than what he had just escaped. He had a good feeling. He looked back over at Dash and started to softly stroke her mane. As long as she was by his side, he felt like he could take on the whole world, and nothing would stop him.
They may have been heading into the unknown, but he was ready. Dash was also ready, confident that she, Soarin, and Scoots could find someplace where they could all be happy. But only time could tell.
Dash opened her eyes again and saw Scoots already dozing off on her seat. She looked up at Soarin who was staring out the window. She reached a hoof up and stroked his cheek. Soarin looked over and smiled at her.
"Hey Soarin?" Dash whispered.
"Yeah Dashie?" Soarin whispered back.
"We'll get through this, juts like we did before. You, me, and her." Dash said, motioning to Scoots. Soarin nodded.
"I'm more than certain. As long as you're by my side." Soarin said, reaching over and pulling her closer to him. Dash smiled.
"I love you Soarin." Dash said.
"I love you too Rainbow Dash." Soarin said, and they leaned in and kissed, shivering with the great feeling they felt every time their lips connected.
The train continued to clatter and clink along the train tracks, heading towards Fillydelphia. The future uncertain for the two of them, but they were certain in their hearts that as long as they were together, they would pull through, no matter what blood feud got in their way.
FIN