Chapter Nine
At first, it just seemed like an act. A stupid act, but an act nonetheless.
Like a rock of feathers and colored light, Rainbow Dash fell through the sky. Rarity watched it happen, at first with a smirk and roll of her eyes, then with a frown and furrowed brow. What purpose would this trick serve anyway? Show off that she could fall fast? Rarity doubted the Wonderbolts would be looking for that quality.
Of course, Rainbow could’ve been doing it to show that she could pull out of a chaotic fall without being disoriented, but even that seemed doubtful. Mainly because Dash’s facial expression only held two emotions: fear and confusion.
The crowd filled the stadium with a weighty anticipation. Rarity could almost hear their thoughts: ‘What’s she trying to pull?’ ‘Do you think it’ll be another Sonic Rainboom?’ ‘Oh man, what if it’s a DOUBLE Rainboom?!’ On a raised platform, the Wonderbolt judges—eyes covered with thick goggles, expressions obscured by the hoods of their flight suits—observed the tumbling pegasus with the same way they’d observed a contestant pulling off a basic loop. Even Princess Celestia watched on with bated breath, oblivious to the torrent of sheer panic that only two ponies seemed to notice. Rarity’s heart sunk like a stone. Her throat clenched. It was a curse, being the only one capable to read a pony’s emotions like a book.
She turned to her right to find Fluttershy. “Do something!” she yelled. Fluttershy didn’t respond. She simply stared at Rainbow’s fading form, a small smile on her lips, as if she were watching two kitties play instead of her longtime friend plummeting to certain death. It felt wrong. All of this did.
To her left was Twilight. Visions of a day long ago—though it felt so near—filled Rarity’s mind. “Twilight, do the spell. The wing spell!” Rarity cried. Twilight didn’t even look in her direction. “Twilight!” Again, Twilight said nothing, her face nearly identical to Fluttershy’s—oblivious, lifeless. Panicked, Rarity grabbed Twilight and shook her. “Twilight! The spell! Rainbow’s in...” She let the words drift off; Twilight didn’t even blink. In fact, her eyes seemed more like a doll’s eyes than those of a pony.
Rarity felt something clamp around her gut. She looked down over the cloud. Rainbow was but a speck against an endless pane of green.
It was up to her.
“Might as well return the favor,” Rarity mumbled before taking a deep breath and throwing herself off the cloud bank.
Had she taken the time to think about it, Rarity would punch herself dead in the nose for doing such a stupid thing. But love tends to make ponies do the stupidest, strangest things.
The air tore at her skin, pulling her lips back, stinging every inch of her skin. She wondered what it would be like to hit something at this speed. It was a pointless and morbid thought. At the same time, in Rarity’s lifetime, her ‘luck’ had always seemed to hang out on the ‘bad’ side of the spectrum. If there were a bird within hitting distance, she’d most likely hit it. Not like I have a chance of making it out of this alive, she thought, even her own thoughts muffled by the air roaring in her ears.
Her eyes stung. Rarity thought they were going to pop at any second. Tears flew from the corners of her eyes, and she couldn’t tell the ones of fear from the ones the wind squeezed out of her. That she could still see Dash was a miracle; Rarity hoped it wasn’t the only one.
Closing her eyes and holding her breath, Rarity thought.
She thought about wings. Long and majestic. She thought about floating, much like a feather floating through the sky. She thought about flying, soaring, the pure grace and beauty of the feat. And, most of all, she thought about Rainbow. She had to save her.
A bright light shone against Rarity’s clenched eyelids. Slowly, she cracked them open, and was nearly blinded. White light surrounded her; she could feel its heat pressing down on her. Normally, she would have worried about sweat running her makeup and matting her mane. These were not normal times.
The light faded. Something felt... off. It came from her back, a sense of something touching her. She tried to glance over her shoulder to see what it was. Bad move. The wind caught her just right, and she began to spiral and tumble through the sky, screaming all the way. The blue and green and white blurred into a most terrifying masterpiece. A self-portrait of catastrophe.
In that moment, Rarity was certain she was going to die. Splatter all across Equestria like a broken flowerpot. She spun and spun, and with each passing second Rarity swore she could hear the ticking of a clock, counting down.
And then, in that moment of greatest doubt, it happened. A spark. Rarity threw her legs every which way, trying to steady herself. If that helped, it wasn’t noticeable. She thought of what a pegasus would do: spread their wings was the only answer she could think of. Not the safest, nor the sanest, but it was all she could think of. In a moment of sheer delusion, Rarity imagined herself as a pegasus, and ‘spread her wings...’
...Only to have her body jerked back upwards. Her back felt like a bunch of hooks had been poked in it, and were now being pulled. Hard. Gritting her teeth, she tried to look over her shoulder again, preparing herself for another wave of tumbling and chaos. She had barely turned her head at all before her vision was graced with a jaw-dropping, heart-stopping sight.
Wings. And not those butterfly ones. White-feathered, honest to Celestia wings.
For a long while, those gorgeous wings were the only thing that existed in Rarity’s eyes. They were so beautiful, so powerful, so perfect. Oh, how she wished she could just stare at them forever!
Then she snapped to. She blinked, shook her head, and looked back down towards Rainbow. She was farther away than ever now, a mere dot that Rarity had to squint to see. Time was of the essence; Rarity had to get going. Fast.
Without fixing her disheveled mane or even the slightest hint of hesitation, Rarity dove after Rainbow Dash.
What had once been a roar was now silent. Rarity could barely feel the air clawing at her face. The ground below was but a blur. The only thing Rarity saw was Rainbow Dash.
“Get to her,” Rarity said to herself. “Get her, grab her, fly her to safety. It’s what she did for you. Return the favor.”
The distance between her and Rainbow closed, but not nearly fast enough. Any second now, Rainbow would hit the ground.
“I have to get her,” Rarity muttered through her teeth. “I have to!” She hoped that maybe, just maybe, the more she wished, the more she hoped, the more that something out there would listen to her, and make the gears of fate turn in her favor for once, but even when the world is zipping by at a hundred miles per hour, one can see when the odds were against them. Rarity wasn’t going to make it in time. She knew that.
Rainbow Dash seemed to know it too.
All of a sudden she stopped tumbling. Slowly, she turned in the air until her back was to the ground and her eyes were dead-set on Rarity’s. In those beautiful rose eyes, Rarity could see many emotions: sorrow, pain, acceptance, and forgiveness.
Silence reigned. Even the thundering of Rarity’s heart dimmed to nothing. “No, Dash,” she wanted to say. “I’ll save you. I promise!” But the words just wouldn’t come out. Honesty may not have been her element, but in times like these no words beat a flat-out lie.
Tears sprung from Rarity’s eyes, and vanished into the ether behind her. She wasn’t sure what they were. Sadness or frustration? It didn’t much matter. She had failed Rainbow. She had failed herself.
She had failed. Plain and simple.
She looked back at Dash, prepared to at least mouth an ‘I’m sorry,’ but something about Rainbow’s gaze trapped those words in her throat. Dash smiled at her. Rarity couldn’t believe it: Rainbow was about to die, and yet she was smiling at her?! Still, these thoughts didn’t even register on Rarity’s face. For a brief moment, there was serinity—the split second of silence before the crash. Rainbow smiled, Rarity stared back, and all seemed peaceful in the world.
A tear rolled out of the corner of Rainbow’s left eye, and flew right against Rarity’s cheek. Rarity didn’t even think of wiping it off. And then, Rainbow’s lips parted, slowly but calmly.
“I love y—”
“Get up!”
Before the words could even register, Rarity felt something tug on her foreleg. It pulled her up with what felt like the strength of a hundred oxen. The world around her was shadows, and her body didn’t feel like her own. She stumbled and fell, but didn’t feel it, and was quickly and violently tugged up once more.
Rarity had no idea where she was. A cold wind blew against her face, but was immediately replaced by an unbearable heat. Her legs wobbled around like rubber. Her head bobbed and swayed. Which way was up? She couldn’t tell if her hooves were touching ground anymore.
The more time she spent getting pulled along, the more clear the world became. The pitch blackness brightened to a dull gray, and shapes became apparent. Rocks, mostly. The occasional tree branch... from trees that seemed to be following her.
A howl suddenly tore through the night. She blinked and shook her head, her blood as cold as ice. Were those... No. No, they couldn’t be.
The world now clear to her, Rarity glanced around, hoping against hope that her fears were simply that; conjurations of a frenzied, drowsy mind. That howl could have just been her brain playing tricks on her. It did have a habit of messing with her far too often.
Rainbow Dash pulled her along, and that mere sight made Rarity feel safer... only to do a complete one-eighty and send a chill down her spine. Dash was running from something; she never ran away from anything. Whatever was going on was freaking the pegasus out, which almost made Rarity’s legs lock up. Dash was scared too. That meant that she wasn’t imagining things. They were in danger. Serious danger.
As if on cue, something off to Rarity’s right moved, towering yet lumbering. She turned her head, but only slightly. It didn’t take much movement to see it—or rather, them.
Timber wolves. Dozens of them. They surrounded Rarity and Rainbow Dash, standing atop jagged rocks, their razor-sharp teeth bared. Saliva dripped down from their mouths, and their ravenous green eyes glowed in the dark. Even the shine of their eyes made bile rise in Rarity’s throat.
For a moment, the world was once again a bunch of shadows and spots. When it came back into focus, it was a wonder Rarity didn’t faint right then and there. The timber wolves were close enough that she could feel their rank breaths blowing against her neck. She turned to her left and right, and her vision was filled with wooden claws and hungry eyes. She looked before her, and wanted to shriek. The abominations had blocked the path. There was no way out.
Her mouth fell open. She could have used that precious air to scream for help, or at least relieve her quaking stomach and burning throat, but instead she chose to speak. After all, they could very well be her last. Yes, she had to make this matter. She closed her eyes, thought hard, took a breath, and let the words roll right from her heart.
“I told you there were wolves!” she yelled straight into Rainbow’s ear. “But, no! You didn’t heed my warning! ‘It’s fine, Rarity’ you said! ‘We’ll be alright’ you said! ‘No wolves are going to attack us' you said! Well, good job, Rainbow Dash. You should have listened to me, but noooooo, you just had to build that fire! ‘It’s going to get cold...’ Better cold than dead! Now look at us, Rainbow Dash! We. Are. Going. To. Die!”
Rarity expected Dash to shoot back at her. In fact, she kind of hoped that she would. An argument was a good way of distracting you from the fact that you were about to be torn limb-from-limb by a bunch of eldritch abominations in the middle of nowhere—or so Rarity believed.
However, Rainbow Dash remained silent, body halfway between a lowered, pouncing state, and perked and attentive. Her ears lay flat against her head, and Rarity could have sworn she heard growling. Not the deep, throaty growls of the wolves, but raspy and very, very familiar.
It didn’t take a psychic to see what Dash was preparing to do, and any bit of rage Rarity might have still had in her veins evaporated in the blink of an eye, replaced by shaky hesitance and a hoof-prod to the side or ten.
Rarity wanted to tell Dash to calm down. To not do anything drastic. To not anger the wolves and make their inevitable death even more painful and violent. To not only make matters worse. But she kept her mouth shut. The words caught in her throat, and besides, she couldn’t stop Dash even if she wanted to. Rarity knew Rainbow well enough to know that Rainbow did what Rainbow did. Any words or actions otherwise would either be ignored or end in a hoof to the face—possibly both. Try to cage a fighter, and the only thing one could be assured of was bent and broken bars.
Still, Rarity was not the type of pony to let her concerns go unheard.
“Um... Rainbow Dash?”
That was as far as she got. In a flash, Rainbow was twenty yards away, foreleg splintering a timber jaw. It took Rarity a few moments to get her wits about her, and blink her mind back into reality. By that time, Dash had already taken care of five other wolves. Bark, leaves, and limbs lay strewn upon the rocky outcropping. Bits of timber wolf already covered Rainbow’s mane and coat, and Rarity couldn’t help but mourn. No mane, especially not one so majestic, deserved such suffering.
Her vision now clear, Rarity watched Rainbow dart around, kicking, hitting, and outright destroying any timber wolf that so much as snarled at her. Nothing within spitting distance was safe. Splinters rained down, and green dust filled the air, covering the area in a ghostly haze.
All the while, Rarity stayed back, watching but not lifting a hoof. A lady didn’t start fights. Rarity had no qualms with defending herself—she was rather proud of her hoof-to-hoof combat skills, and was more than willing to beatdown anypony who made unwanted advances on her. However, she was not going to go looking for a chance to show off these skills. Days in which she could avoid getting her beloved mane tussled or her well-maintained hooves chipped were her favorite kind.
Luckily for Rarity, the timber wolves weren’t asking for a strike—at least, not from her. The few that were behind her walked straight past, attracted to the sparring pegasus like moths to a flame. Are they hungry, or just trying to defend their territory? she thought. No answer came to mind.
Within what must have been two minutes at the most, Rainbow Dash had cleared away the wolves blocking the path. Unfortunately, the wolves to the side had, by this time, descended on her, leaving her as locked in combat as ever. Her movements were graceful, as if she were dancing in a ballet. Rainbow jumped atop one, backflipped over to a second wolf (kicking the first one square in the chin while doing so), grasped a branch that stuck out of its head like a horn, and flung the shocked beast into a third one. Without catching a breath, she scissor kicked two pouncing wolves, then thrust each foreleg outwards, suckerpunching two more.
Rarity just stared slack-jawed. Leave it to Rainbow Dash to mix beautiful moves and horrifying violence in a single mesmerizing display.
One by one, they fell in clouds of wood and dust. Though outnumbered, Rainbow was still gaining the upper-hoof. In fact, for a few shining seconds, it seemed like Dash would win the fight rather easily; her speed and agility overpowered the strong-but-lumbering timber wolves.
However, that weighty confidence seemed to find its way into Dash’s brain, and she started to get lazy. The spark didn’t seem to have much effect at first—even just using one hoof to punch and not bothering to pull off evasive flips didn’t seem to hinder Rainbow any. But the missteps began to pile up: a claw grazing her side here, a bite taking off a bit of her mane there. The tides of battle turned quickly, and before Rarity knew what was happening, the timber wolves were the ones standing on a higher ground. Sure, there were only a half-dozen of those monsters left, but Rarity knew how to read a pony, and she could see the truth in Rainbow—from her eyes to her back to her tail.
Rainbow wasn’t just getting lazy. She was tired.
With seven swings—two missing completely, and one hitting a leaf—Rainbow was only able to take down a single timber wolf. The other five lowered themselves, stalking closer. Dash swiveled around in the time it took Rarity to blink, and bucked with all her might. Her legs struck true, and two more wolves exploded in a shower of dust. The number was down to three, and once again Rarity began to get her hopes up.
And once again, they were doused like a candle in a torrential downpour.
The timber wolves had managed to get Rainbow into a most precarious position. Her back to the lip of the gorge—and the chasm below—they positioned themselves like a tight ‘V’, blocking her escape. Had both her wings been healthy, Rainbow Dash would have been able to fly right over them. However, had both her wings been healthy, Rainbow wouldn’t have found herself in such a position in the first place.
Snarling, the wolves closed in on the cornered Rainbow. Rarity screamed at her legs to move, but they wouldn’t budge. Rainbow’s in trouble, you fools! Move! she scolded. What she hoped would have rallied her shell shocked legs only made them quiver more. They were within biting distance of the fatigued pegasus now, and Rarity could feel her heart slowing to a stop.
No, was all she could think.
The one on the right lunged first, but Rainbow was able to duck underneath it. Attacker two came from the left, and luck was not on Dash’s side this time. The wolf slammed into her wing, head lowered. In a way, Rainbow was lucky; only the muzzle of the beast made contact, its sharp teeth not even coming close to tearing in, and her wing was saved from becoming swiss cheese. However, the force combined with her lingering injury, was more than enough.
A piercing cry filled the night. Had Rarity not seen Dash’s lips part and chest move, she wouldn’t have even guessed it was her who’d screamed. It was so pained. So fragile. It brought tears to Rarity’s eyes.
Rainbow collapsed to the ground, shaking and whimpering. The wolves moved in. Rarity couldn’t move, couldn’t breath—could barely think. The only thoughts running through her mind were about the dream.
Two days ago, she would have dismissed it as just that, a dream, but now she couldn’t help but wonder. Was it another premonition? No, it couldn’t be. The dream she’d had... was it minutes ago or hours? Rarity couldn’t tell anymore. Either way, in that dream Rainbow had fallen from the sky. During a competition. The situations weren’t lining up. No, that wasn’t a premonition; just her thoughts. But still... she hadn’t kissed Rainbow during a flying competition, like in that first dream.
The center wolf was leering above Rainbow now.
She’s about to die! a voice in the back of her head yelled. Who gives a damn about that dream?! She’s in trouble! Save her!
Rarity closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to do something, but what? How?! She wasn’t ‘strong.’ Strong-willed maybe, but in situations like this a strong-will only made one feel their limbs getting ripped from their sockets a little less.
You love her. You love her, and you’re just going to let her die?
A wave rushed over her body.
No...
Her eyes flashed open, shining like daggers.
Not today...
She rushed forward, the world moving in slow motion all around her.
Not ever...
Rearing back onto her hind legs, Rarity slammed her forelegs into the back of the center wolf. She didn’t even feel the contact. The wolf exploded into splinters, which flew over the edge of the gorge—a mighty beast reduced to dust in the wind in a matter of milliseconds.
The other two wolves were still focused on Rainbow Dash. Rarity used this to her advantage. She placed her forelegs firmly on the ground and twisted, channeling some of her magic down into them to make sure she was stable. A deep breath, and she bucked with all her might, twisting her body and forelegs as she did so.
Her hind legs tore through the head of the first timber wolf before it knew what had hit it, and the creature blew up like all the others. Much to Rarity’s relief, the first kick had taken away little of her momentum. She landed with her tail facing the final wolf. Without a moment of hesitation, she bucked her hind legs out again.
Instead of contact, she felt something grab her right leg. Rarity stole a glance over her shoulder, and her mouth fell open with a squeak. The timber wolf held her hind leg in its claw, and it looked at her with what she swore was a grin. The world returned to normal speed with the rapidly fading adrenaline. For a second, Rarity pondered: How’s it gripping me like that? Why is it smiling? I’m doomed, aren’t I?
She never did get the answers to those questions.
The wolf twisted her leg violently, flinging her against the ground like a ragdoll. Searing pain shot up her leg and through her whole body. Even her mane hurt. Coughing and groaning, Rarity lay still. The pain was too much to move. She watched the wolf approach her through a cloud of upturned dust. Her brain felt like it was a foal’s rattle, bouncing all over her skull. Through her blurred vision, she watched the shadowy beast leer above her, teeth bared. Rarity whimpered. She wouldn’t be able to see home. She wouldn’t be able to make her friends new dresses for a gala she’d now never see. She wouldn’t be able to tell Sweetie Belle that she forgave her for the whole teleportation accident.
She wouldn’t be able to tell Rainbow Dash that she loved her. Not in this life.
Still, a lady accepted her fate, and Rarity closed her eyes. She held her breath and counted down.
Do your worst.
Three...
She clenched her teeth so hard she thought they’d shatter.
Two...
The wolf’s fetid breath burned her nostrils.
One...
Her last thought, she decided, would last a lifetime. She thought of Sweetie Belle, of her parents, of Twilight, of Spike, of Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. And of the home she’d grown up in, all the happy ponies and lovely smells and sights it had to offer. She thought of her botique. But most of all, she thought about Dash. She hoped that Rainbow wasn’t looking. She didn’t want Rainbow to see this.
All the thoughts powered through as one, leading her into eternity.
Of course, if this was eternity, then why was her leg still hurting?
One... she repeated.
Nothing. Just wind, hoofsteps, and a sharp pain coming from her right hind leg.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, her entire body shaking. Oh, please tell me I’m not in that other place...
Rarity wasn’t quite sure what she had expected. What she was sure of, though, was that it wasn’t the sight before her.
Rainbow Dash stood there, one eye closed, a winning grin on her face. Rarity could see twigs and splinters all over Dash and the ground around her, and even thought she saw a green haze floating like a scrim between Rainbow and her. Once again, Rarity had been saved by Rainbow. What was it, the fifth time now? Did that one back at the farm count? Rarity supposed she could have drowned in that storm, but it didn’t really feel like peril on the level of falling from the sky or nearly getting eaten by timber wolves.
But... at the same time. She felt good—especially about the whole ‘not being dead’ thing.
Not sure what to do, Rarity locked eyes with Rainbow once more, and smiled. “Well, that was something.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled, sounding somewhere between mirth and anguish. “Yep... that it was.”
Rarity giggled and nodded, lifting herself up with her forelegs into a sitting position. She glanced down at her right hind leg and whimpered, another stinging jolt coursing through it. It lay limply at an awkward angle. Even in the dark, she could see a bruise beginning to form. There was no doubt in Rarity’s mind that it was broken. Badly.
And it hurt. Oh, how it hurt.
A shadow fell over her, taking Rarity’s mind away from her busted leg. Rainbow was inches away from her face, eyes wide. The smile was gone. Her mouth hung open. Rarity gulped. What in the name of Celestia and Luna is... She let her thought drift off as sounds began to crawl out of Rainbow’s throat, raspy and unintelligible. Eventually, words followed.
“You...” She covered her mouth with a foreleg and coughed a couple of times, and then returned to the same slackjawed state. “Rarity... you saved my life.”
Rarity waved a hoof. “Pssh, you’re the one who saved my—”
Her words, thoughts, and breaths were halted in their tracks as Rainbow’s lips covered her own. Rarity’s pupils shrunk to the size of a needle point. Dash pulled away only a second later, looking towards the ground, an intense blush covering her whole face, but to Rarity, it had lasted forever.
She opened her mouth. Maybe to say something. Maybe to catch her breath. Maybe just because it showed her that she was alive. She couldn’t think straight. The world spun around her like a tornado, and she felt like she was floating. The moon hung in the ground while rocks and sticks littered the sky.
And then Rarity blacked out.
When Rarity came to, it felt like she was floating on a cloud. Upon opening her eyes, she found that her weary mind hadn’t been far off.
She lay on something light blue and fluffy. Groaning, she lifted her head, and saw that she was riding on Rainbow Dash’s back. “Ugh...” she managed as she tried to lift her chin. Why did it feel like she had slept under a boulder for a century? Whining, she rested her cheek against Dash’s back once more.
“Somepony’s awake,” Rainbow said, her voice muffled. Not that it mattered; Rarity could feel the words through Dash’s soft back.
“How l—” A coughing fit seized Rarity. By the time she calmed down enough to catch her breath, Rainbow was already answering her.
“A few hours. Off and on. In case ya didn’t notice, we’re out of the gorge.”
“Huh?” Rarity blinked a few times, and the world suddenly appeared to her as it would a newborn foal. Spread out before her eyes were countless apple trees. She knew those trees, knew that familiar breeze, knew that smell of grass.
Were they home? After all this?
“Yep, that’s what you think it is, Rares,” Dash answered, even though Rarity was positive she hadn’t spoken aloud. “Sweet Apple Acres.”
All Rarity could do was grunt in response. Everything felt... strange. She had not the words to describe it anymore. Her thoughts drifted in a whirlwind. A familiar pain shot through her right hind leg, signaling her that she was alive. Whimpering, she glanced down at it, finding it splinted between two branches and what looked to be ivy. In the light of the morning sun, she could see just how bad it was: bruised and swollen. A part of her wanted to cry out. Oh goddesses! Am I destined to be a cripple the rest of my life? Woe is me-e-eee.
Maybe in another time she would have resorted to those dramatics, but not anymore. She was alive. Rainbow was alive. They were home. What else mattered?
“Just rest, Rares,” Rainbow said. “We’re almost to the hospital.” She laughed. “Sorry about the crappy splint job.”
“Better than I’d do,” Rarity mumbled, her mind and body feeling like they were adrift on the sea, bobbing with occasional wake. It was peaceful.
“Hey, Rare?” Rainbow said, her voice sounding like a recording more than something happening right then and there.
“Mhmm?”
“I’m sorry...” Rarity felt Dash’s posture slump. “...about kis—”
“Shh, shh.” Rarity reached forward with a foreleg, trying to place it over Dash’s mouth but instead clonking the poor pegasus on the head a few times. “Don’t apologize,” Rarity whispered. “You did nothing wrong—”
“But, I—”
“Hush! Let me finish!” She sighed and took a few breaths. With all her effort, she lifted her head, and looked Rainbow Dash dead in the eyes. Those gorgeous ruby orbs were filled with confusion, with guilt. Rarity couldn’t help but laugh; Rainbow always made the silliest, most adorable faces.
“What?” Rainbow said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
Rarity tried to think of the words, but they just wouldn’t come to her. What words properly expressed what she was about to say, anyway?
They’re not there.
Slowly, Rarity leaned in close to Rainbow and kissed her on the cheek. Her eyes went wide as she tried to sputter out something, but Rarity silenced her, this time succeeding in covering her mouth with a hoof. She smiled and let the silence take hold, their gazes saying all the words that needed to be said. Then, Rarity sighed and spoke, straight from her heart, for all the world to hear.
“I love you, Rainbow Dash.”
Before the pegasus could respond, Rarity had already laid her chin back on Rainbow’s back, a mixture of a sigh and a giggle escaping her lips. She was tired, and she had to admit that Rainbow Dash made a rather comfortable mattress.
As she drifted off, she thought about many things. She thought about what she would say to Sweetie Belle. She thought of how she would spend the next few weeks of gimpy gaits and wheelchairs. She thought of how it would be if her leg never healed at all. She thought of how her friends and family, not to mention the rest of the town, would react to the tale of their venture back home. She thought about what her newfound feelings for Dash would lead to.
But most of all, she thought about Rainbow Dash. Just Rainbow Dash.
And right as consciousness fell away from her, Rarity thought—no, she knew—she felt now-familiar lips kissing her on the nose.
The End