//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Charity and Devotion // by FrostyDawn //------------------------------// The calming waves of the ocean slowly lulled Rainbow Dash from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes, and seeing the sun slowly creep over the horizon. “Morning, Dash.” A soft voice said to her. Rainbow looked down, to see Rarity still curled next to her. Rainbow Dash was a little surprised, because Rarity never called her ‘Dash’ before. “Hey...How long have you been awake?” Rainbow asked groggily. “Not too long. I just wanted to say thank you. For keeping me warm.” Rarity responded. “Uh... no problem.” Rainbow said, her cheeks reddening. She unfurled her wings and letting Rarity sit up, before her stomach rumbled. “Hungry?” Rainbow asked. “Well... I suppose so. But I couldn’t. Not after considering what you did yesterday.” Rarity said, looking at the huge bite mark in the side of the boat. “I said I was sorry. Besides, this thing’s still holding up fine. I bet another bite won’t hurt. A lady has to eat, doesn't she?” Rainbow cajoled, smirking. Rarity sighed. “Fine. You got me. But we really shouldn’t.” She said. Rarity grasped the side of the dinghy, and slowly cracked off a small piece. She slowly chewed it, savoring the gingerbread. She would have to make this last for quite a while. “See? We’re still floating.” Rainbow Dash said. “I told you it was gonna be fine.” Rainbow said in a ‘I-told-you-so’ manner. “Rainbow... you know we can’t eat the whole thing. Personally, I’d rather starve than drown.” Rarity asked sternly. Rainbow’s eyes sprang open with surprise. “Oh... well, I just didn’t...” “Didn’t what?” Rarity said, lowering her gingerbread and arching her eyebrow in curiosity. “Well... I didn’t think we were going to die out here.” Rainbow Dash said, sitting up straight. Rarity was rather shocked to hear Rainbow Dash’s reaction. “Are you serious?” She asked sincerely. Rainbow simply nodded. “I don’t want to sound pessimistic. But we don’t have a lot of options here. The best case scenario is that Twilight finds a way to bring us back to Ponyville, and everything’s better than it was before.” Rarity said, seeing the look of disappointment, regret and despair in Rainbow Dash’s eyes. “So? Twi will pull through. She always does, right?” Rainbow asked. “She hasn’t let us down before. But we don’t know what happened to her... I doubt she even knows what happened to us.” Rarity continued. There was a long pause, and both of them went silent. For the very first time, Rainbow Dash accepted her mortality. “I never thought I would die like this.” Rarity slowly picked her head up. “What about dying with a good friend?” Rainbow managed to look up at Rarity, her eyes watering. “Thanks, Rarity. You really are a true friend.” “As with you.” Rarity said. Rainbow Dash turned her head to the ocean, and rubbed the back of her neck. “Y’know, Rarity, there’s something I want to say to you.” “Really? And what would that be?” Rarity asked, listening intently. “You remember that day at the Best Young Fliers competition? The day I pulled off a Sonic Rainboom?” Rainbow asked. “Of course I do. I nearly fell to my death due to my arrogance and you saved my life!” Rarity said. “I don’t think I could ever repay you for such a feat!” “Well, that’s the thing.” Rainbow continued. “It was one of my greatest achievements, and the only other time I did a Sonic Rainboom was when I earned my cutie mark. Well, yours too. And the others.” She mused, scratching her chin. “But anyway, my only motivation to do it again was to save you. I realized how important you were to me, and how much I cared about you.” Rainbow explained. Rarity’s eyes slowly widened as Rainbow Dash explained. “What are you getting at?” She asked, half knowing the answer already. “I’m saying... that since we have nothing but time together, I might as well come clean.” Rainbow Dash said, looking Rarity straight in the eye. “I love you, Rarity. You always make yourself look beautiful and put your friend’s needs before your own. All I see when I look in your eyes is beauty and truth. If I hadn’t been there to save you... I couldn’t afford to live with that guilt.” Rarity sat in surprise, her cheeks reddening. She never figured that Rainbow Dash thought about her for so long. The Young Fliers competition was over a year ago. Did Rainbow Dash really love her for so long and never said anything about it? “Rainbow... I don’t know what to say...” She stammered. “It’s ok. I get it.” Rainbow Dash said, hanging her head. “You’d prefer a Prince Charming over a girl like me.” She sighed with disappointment. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” She grumbled, hitting herself in the head. Rarity paused for a moment, and let her thoughts mull over. “Rainbow Dash, I’m proud to call you my friend. You risked your life to save mine, and achieve what was nearly impossible doing so. I can’t possibly thank you enough. You had a lot of courage to tell me something like that. And we’re both here, together. If the last moments we spent together weren’t happy ones, it would be my fault.” Rainbow Dash picked her head up, and her eyes were beginning to leak tears. “And if I’m stuck here, with a girl as caring and loyal as you, I won’t need a Prince Charming.” Rarity continued. As she finished, she felt Rainbow fling herself at Rarity and wrap her arms around her, hugging her tightly. Rarity hugged back, and heard Rainbow Dash choke out a few sobs. “Thank you...” She whispered. A tear slipped out of Rarity’s eye as she herself struggled to speak clearly. “No, thank you. You’re the best girl anyone could ever ask for.” Rarity responded, knowing her friend was more joyous than she ever felt before. “I just want to make you happy.” Rainbow pulled away, wiping her eyes. “Rarity, you have no idea how much this means to me.” She said, her voice a little more confident. “Rainbow Dash, you’re my friend. I’m sure you’d do the same for me.” Rarity replied, smiling widely at Rainbow Dash. She too felt a great sense of joy come over her. She couldn’t tell what was more rewarding. The fact that her best friend became a lover, or that she made both of them happier than she ever anticipated.