//------------------------------//
// Preparing for the Worst 
// Story: Raising Tempo 
// by Void Chicken 
//------------------------------//

The sound of the bedroom door closing distracted Rainbow Dash from her very important lounging in the Boutique. Rarity descended the stairs, with a stack of papers in her magical grasp.

Rainbow looked up. "Finished the dumb business stuff?"

"Yes, I have." Rarity reached the bottom step and dumped the papers on the table. "I was hoping to get started on some designs before we had to leave for Dodge Junction. However, it seems that the more frustrated I am, the louder I get. As a result, I have been evicted from Tempo's bedroom."

After a sigh to match her frustration, Rarity said, "I suppose that being a good mother who was a part of her daughter's life was nice while it lasted."

"Come on." Rainbow climbed off the couch and walked over to her wife. "You're still 'Mom' and she still loves you."

Rarity looked at the scattered drawings. "I know. It still feels like I've put far too much responsibility on your shoulders. If you truly are her favorite, at least you've earned it."

"Don't talk like that, babe. You do all the cooking."

"You do the cleaning. And the dishes."

Rainbow snuggled against her. "We both know you get all the spots I miss. And you pull in way more bits than I do. The Wonderbolts might as well be a hobby. And we do both save the world."

"Speaking of, I should tell the Cakes that they're babysitting tonight." Rarity walked towards the door.

"Hey, wait up." Rainbow hurried in front of her, wings spread. "Let me take care of this. You work on those dresses."

Rarity moved to go around. Rainbow moved to block her. "Rainbow, we just talked about responsibility. I insist that I handle this."

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow walked forward until she was nose-to-nose with her wife.

"Indeed," Rarity said, not breaking eye contact.

Rainbow took another step, moving her head to the side so their cheekbones touched. Tilting her snout up, she whispered into Rarity's ear, "You wanted more time with Tempo. You should stay."

"I wanted to be more responsible," Rarity whispered back. "I should go."

"Then I guess I don't have a choice."

Rainbow dropped her head to Rarity's shoulders, planting a kiss. She continued kissing her wife, working her way across the light gray fur and up Rarity's throat. Rarity stumbled back, but Rainbow was undeterred. Her lips found the underside of Rarity's jaw before she finally pulled back.

After one final kiss on the lips, Rainbow turned around and flicked her tail. "Love ya." She launched herself out the door and into the sky.

She chuckled to herself on the way across town.

A short flight brought Rainbow to Sugarcube Corner. The bell above the door jingled as she walked in.

A small pale yellow colt bounced up to her, his pink mane wobbling on his head. "Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, Auntie Rainbow! What tasty treat can I get you?"

"Hey, squirt," Rainbow said to Li'l Cheese. "Are Pound and Pumpkin home?"

He looked down at the floor, face screwed up in concentration. His eyes went back and forth. Then he turned around and called, "Mommy, Auntie Rainbow wants to know if Pound and Pumpkin are home!"

Pinkie Pie appeared through the door to the kitchen. In a flash, she closed the distance, swept up Li'l Cheese, and deposited him on her back. "Hey, Rainbow! It's Bring Li'l Cheese to Work Day!"

Every day was Bring Li'l Cheese to Work Day.

Rainbow looked between Pinkie and her son. "Yeah, sure. Are the twins home?"

"I'll check!"

Pinkie trotted up the nearby stairs, Li'l Cheese hanging on like his mother was a mechanical bull.

Moments later, Pumpkin Cake came down the stairs. "Oh it's you. Hang on, I'm working on my mind reading spells."

Pumpkin closed her eyes and put her hoof to her forehead. Her horn lit up. "I'm sensing... that there's a scary monster attacking Equestria... and you need me and Pound to babysit Tempo while you're away... overnight." She opened her eyes. "I get it?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Amazing. You'll be stealing Princess Celestia's secrets in no time."

"Well Pound is off in New Cloudsdale with Dad for the weekend. There's some dumb weather workshop he had to go to. He had to find a 'casual suit' and everything."

Pinkie Pie trotted back down the stairs, Li'l Cheese clinging to her tail. "I couldn't find Pound Cake."

Turning around, Pumpkin told her, "Pinkie, I've told you four times now, he's in New Cloudsdale."

"Oh yeah!" She gasped and looked behind her. "Cheesy, do you know where New Cloudsdale is?"

Li'l Cheese paused, still attached to his mother's tail. "Up?"

"Up!" Pinkie jumped and flicked her tail, launching her son into the air. She caught the giggling toddler and carried him into the kitchen.

Pumpkin blinked. "So yeah. It's just me tonight. But I can handle Tempo no problem."

"Cool. She'll be at her friend's house for most of the day. The big one by itself near the forest, can't miss it. But once Rarity and I head out, you can chill at the Boutique until she gets home. She's supposed to be home by sunset, but she's always late. Give her an hour or two before you go looking for her."

"You got it." Pumpkin turned away. "You wouldn't happen to know the applications of Starswirl's Second Law of Stellar Alignment, would you?"

Rainbow shrugged. "Never heard of it."

"Figures." She ascended the stairs back to her room. "Miss Cheerilee always giving us the hard stuff over the weekends..."

"Thank you!" Rainbow called behind her.

She left Sugarcube Corner and took to the skies again. 

Rainbow looped twice, popped up through a hole in the cloud layer, and let herself fall backwards onto its top.

Time passed as the sun soaked Rainbow's belly. If she was going to fight for the ponies of Dodge Junction, it was crucial to be well-rested. As much as she hated to admit it, Twilight was right and the Nightgrasp was dangerous. And a total jerk for keeping her away from her kid.

She shook the thought out of her head. It was time to relax, not time to be mad. Rainbow took a deep breath and let it out. She crossed her hind legs and gently kicked the air. Everything was going to work out. It always did.

After a thorough sunning, Rainbow rolled off the sheet of cloud and glided back home.

She entered the Boutique to find Rarity waiting for her.

"Ah, dearie," Rarity said, "I've been waiting for you to get back. Did you inform the Cakes?"

"Just Pumpkin tonight, actually." Rainbow walked past as casually as she should.

"One moment, dearie." Rarity turned and called up the stairs, "Tempo! Can you be a dear and come down for a minute?"

A few seconds later, the bedroom door opened and their daughter came downstairs. "What is it, Mom?"

Rarity levitated an outfit from behind the table.

Grinning, Rarity said, "Rainbow has decided that she would like to play dress-up today!"

Rainbow looked at the dress. The bright turquoise one with all the gems and frills, of course.

Tempo's laughter over the next half hour made it worth it.

---

Rainbow, Rarity, and Tempo stood at the train platform. Nearby, Li'l Cheese was crying.

"Mommmyyyyy don't goooooo!" Tears ran down his face as he clinged to his mother.

"I don't wannaaaaa!" Pinkie's face matched her son's.

Rainbow cleared her throat. "So. Kid. We're uh, off to save the day."

"Yup." Tempo was clearly trying to not look at the other mother-daughter separation.

"You got your present for Dapple?" Rainbow looked at the small box at Tempo's feet.

After looking at it for a second, Tempo said, "Oh yeah! I'm going to go straight to his place and finish the painting! You're going to love it!"

"I'm sure we will," Rarity said. "But not as much as we love you." She kissed Tempo's forehead.

Looking across town, Rainbow said, "It's just Pumpkin babysitting you tonight. Be home before sundown so she doesn't worry. Dapple can finish the painting tomorrow if he has to."

"Okay," Tempo whined.

Both of Tempo's parents reached down to hug her. "Don't give Pumpkin too much of a hard time," Rarity said.

"I won't."

Rainbow stood up and walked into the train. She turned and called, "Pinkie, pry yourself away from your kid or you're walking there!"

With great reluctance, Pinkie left her son behind. "I'll miss you!" she cried from the train.

Before long, all the elements of harmony, along with Spike, were en route to Dodge Junction.

Rainbow settled into the seat next to her wife. "Odds of Tempo being home by sunset?" Rainbow asked.

"Negligible," Rarity said.

"The painting's of her, isn't it?" Rainbow looked out the window at the edges of the Everfree Forest going by, the train taking a long circle around it on its way to Dodge Junction.

"She must be there for Dapple to paint it, so that much is clear."

Rainbow settled down, laying her wing across Rarity's back and snuggling their sides together. She felt her wife's chest move as she breathed.

"If he puts half the care into it as the one he did of her eye," Rainbow said, "it'll be quite the portrait. That colt's talented. I wonder if he has a cutie mark yet."

"You couldn't tell?"

"I didn't get a very good look at him."

The landscape went by, with only the quiet conversations elsewhere in the car and the clacking of the train's wheels as background noise.

Rainbow shifted to get more comfortable against the warmth of Rarity's body. "Dodge Junction's pretty close to Ponyville. I wonder why Twilight couldn't teleport us."

"You could ask her."

"I'm too comfy. You ask her." Rainbow set her head on the window sill and closed her eyes.

Rarity stood up.

"Ugh," Rainbow groaned at the sudden lack of a warm, loving pony to lean against. "I didn't mean it." She turned her neck to watch.

Rarity walked over to where Twilight and Fluttershy were sitting. "Twilight, darling," she started, "not to sound ignorant or ungrateful, but Dodge Junction is so close to Ponyville, especially in a straight line through the Everfree. Whatever reason did you have for taking the train instead of sweeping us there with your magic?"

Twilight looked at her. "While it's true that I have enough magical energy to teleport us across such a distance, it would still take several spells to traverse the length of the forest. Sending all of us would significantly deplete my reserves. I would much rather take the train there so I can face him at my full strength."

"You see, Rainbow," Rarity said, turning back to her. "It's strategic. Twilight isn't being lazy at all."

"Hey!" Rainbow said back. "I didn't call her lazy!"

"Yet," Rarity finished with a smile.

Rainbow sighed and looked out the window at the lengthening shadows. "Let's just blast this guy and get back home."

---

The sun touched the western horizon beyond Dodge Junction. 

"Spike." Twilight nodded. "Watch the entrance to the Badlands. Make sure the torches at the gate stay lit and—"

"—yeah yeah, big flame into the air if I see anything." He walked away.

"As for you, Twilight," Applejack said, "I suppose it's time to do your thing."

"Right." Twilight took to the air and flew out over the center of town.

"Here it comes," Fluttershy said, wincing away.

"Creatures of Dodge Junction," Twilight's voice boomed out over the area. "I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, and your town is in danger. Soon, a creature known as the Nightgrasp will attack. Remain calm and get to your homes. Light the brightest lights you can, and do not venture into any dark areas, especially outdoors. Those with the ability to cast light spells..."

"Sounds like she has it memorized by now," Rainbow said as Twilight's warning continued. She turned to Rarity. "What do you think, one repeat or two?"

Rarity scratched her chin. "Dodge Junction is a small town, but she does tend to loop when she sees somepony not paying attention. Remember Baltimare?"

Rainbow chuckled. "Oh, right, the time she went on so long the attack happened during the speech. That was fun."

"I repeat, creatures of Dodge Junction..."

"In any case, I will say this is the only one," Rarity said.

Kicking the dirt, Rainbow said, "Shoot, I was going to bet on one."

Rarity kissed Rainbow's cheek. "Great minds think alike, dearie."

"Can we focus?" Applejack asked. "The sun's just about set and I'd rather not get nabbed by him or one of his friends 'cause you two were getting all kissy-kissy."

"Oh, Applejack," Rarity replied, "you haven't seen us get kissy-kissy."

After a second repeat and matching disappointment from Rainbow and Rarity, Twilight returned to her friends. The last sliver of sunlight disappeared below the horizon.

Twilight took a deep breath and illuminated her horn. Within seconds, her horn was blazing bright, creating a large puddle of light around the group.

"All right," Twilight said, motioning towards the outskirts. "We circle the town, then check the interior. Be on your guard, and stay close."

Rainbow followed Twilight as they started their patrol. She stared into the darkness, looking for any sign of the Nightgrasp.

Only the stars above and the various torches flickered in the night. Time passed as the group moved around the perimeter.

After a slow lap around the town, they returned to their starting point.

Twilight led them through town, down the streets, up and down alleyways. There were no ponies out in the darkness, and no Nightgrasp.

They circled the town again.

And a third time. They found the whistling of the wind, the mutters of indoor ponies, and the creaking of the boughs of the Everfree, but not their foe.

"Where is he?" Applejack was the first to ask.

"Something's wrong," Fluttershy said. "He's never waited this long."

"He's clever," Applejack replied. "You know that. He could be hiding, hoping we leave. Or mess up. Twilight, how's the light holding up?"

"Not a problem. I can sustain this all night if I have to."

Applejack scowled. "You just might have to—what's that sound?!"

The pitter-patter of feet running on dirt echoed in the otherwise silent night.

All six ponies spun to face the source.

"Careful," Twilight said. "It might be a distraction."

Rainbow opened her wings and lowered her stance at the approaching footsteps.

The creature reached the light.

"Spike?!" Twilight said.

"Check his eyes," Applejack ordered. "We don't need a repeat of that mare in Whinnypeg."

Rainbow grabbed Spike's head and started inspecting it.

"Twilight!" Spike struggled in her grasp. "It's Luna... she..."

"Hold still!" Rainbow said, holding his face to Twilight's light. "First I look, then you talk."

"But—"

"Spike," Twilight said, "you know how this works. We need to be sure we can trust you. The rest of you, eyes up. Make sure there's nothing else nearby."

Rainbow looked deep into Spike's eyes, searching for any trace of the Nightgrasp's influence. First his pupils, then his irises, then a close examination of his whites.

She let him go. "He's clear."

Spike staggered a few steps backwards.

"Now what were you thinking?" Twilight asked. "Why were you running through the darkness like that? Don't you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

Spike held up his right hand, which clutched a parchment. "Luna sent this..."

Twilight's magic took the page from him. She looked it over. "It's from Princess Luna all right."

She read it aloud:

Twilight Sparkle,

I have urgent tidings!

I do not know how, but I have been deceived. I swear to you, my vision of the Nightgrasp was in Dodge Junction, but I know now that it was false. The Nightgrasp's attack tonight will fall upon—

Twilight lowered the letter.

"Ponyville."

Pinkie trembled. "Ch... Cheesy?"

Rainbow's and Rarity's eyes locked on each other.

"Tempo!"