//------------------------------//
// As We Walk in Fields of Gold 
// Story: Fields of Gold 
// by Flareice 
//------------------------------//

     A tear formed at the corner of Rainbow's eye.  She had never thought this moment would come.  How could she, of all ponies, cry?  She was supposed to be unimaginably cool, unfazed, untouchable.  She was supposed to be the most confident filly in all of Equestria.
Rainbow tried to hold it in.
Don't cry, she thought.  Hold it in.  You're the coolest pony in all of Equestria!  You can't be cool if you cry.  You're strong!  Crying is weak!  You're strong!  You're strong... You're... strong...
She was now racked with sobs, her lithe shoulders hunched, her head low, as she shook.  Her trembling legs could barely support her.  With a comparatively quiet wail of her cracked voice, she collapsed to the floor.
Rainbow shuddered uncontrollably as her tears fell to the ground, pioneering glistening trails across the bridge of her muzzle as they voyaged to the floor.  She felt as though her heart had cracked in two, each end taking separate memories of one particular pony.  She felt as though nothing could ever light a smile on her face again.


---


Fluttershy sat contentedly amidst the sea of barley, holding on one hoof a beautiful kestrel.  His plumage was nearly as amazing as Pastel's mane, with the upper parts of his wings a dull burnt-sienna and red mix, while the lower area was a dull yet light blue.  They were speckled and tipped with black.  The top of his head and all of his tail, which was also black-tipped, were a dull red.  His chest, golden, and speckled with black akin to his wings.  He truly was a sight.  Like Pastel, she thought.
A rustling in the golden scenery caught Fluttershy's attention, and she giggled softly.  He's so clumsy!
"Hi, Flutter," came a muffled voice from within the Barley.
"Hello, Pastel!" Fluttershy laughed.  The kestrel took flight, confirming the other pegasus's location by alighting upon his head.
A white hoof appeared between two stalks of barley, being followed by a matching body as Pastel Blitz walked heavily into the clearing in which his creamy-yellow fillyfriend sat.
Fluttershy frowned.    Something seemed... off about him.
Pastel smiled as though he knew her thoughts.  "Don't worry, Flutter.  I'm fine, but how are you?"
Fluttershy shook off her uneasiness and concern, grinning shyly back.  He could take care of himself.  "I'm doing well."
"Then let's go!" he replied as the kestrel spread his glorious wings and took flight.
They began their evening walk through the barley at a slower pace than usual, savoring the golden atmosphere the setting sun played out through the fields, as though coating it in a layer of stardust.  Their hoofbeats matched, hoof for hoof, as they went, weaving in between the stalks of barley but never leaving each other's side.  Fluttershy closed her eyes contentedly.  This is how it should be.  Maybe it will be this way forever, she thought.
She opened her pretty blue eyes again and looked back at him.  Her concerns from earlier washed over her again.
His rainbow-colored wings appeared to be in a mild state of disarray, and both his pastel-bright rainbowy mane and tail were slightly bedraggled and unkempt.  His usually snowy-white coat seemed to be losing its luster, fading into a light shade of gray.  The sparkle that usually lit his reflective, rainbow eyes had dimmed, giving them a dull sheen as if they were colored steel.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Fluttershy inquired, her concern for Pastel seeping through into her voice.
Pastel's gaze flashed towards her before he looked away again, appearing nervous.
"Pastel, what's wrong?"  Fluttershy's eyes were wide with worry, and desperation to know why he seemed so different from his normal self saturated her question.
He took a deep breath before responding.