//------------------------------// // 372: Don't Leave Me // Story: Thirty-Minute Pony Stories // by Silvernis //------------------------------// 372: DON’T LEAVE ME They stood on a cliff in the dark. The wind moaned around them, whipping their manes about. It might have been raining, or it might not; Twilight couldn’t tell, nor did she care. All she cared about was the blue pegasus standing before her. The other pony’s face was twisted in an ugly scowl instead of its usual cheeky grin, and the magenta eyes of which Twilight was so fond had become black, baleful pits. Twilight tried to meet them and shivered. “Why?” she whispered. The wind snatched away the word, but somehow the pegasus heard it, and laughed. It was a hard, ugly laugh that shoved its way into Twilight’s ears, clawed through her head, and reached down to bite her heart. “Why?” echoed the pegasus. “Why shouldn’t I? Nopony likes you. Nopony wants you. You’re pathetic, Twilight Sparkle. You’re just a pathetic egghead who cares more about her stupid books than anything else.” “That—that’s not true!” protested Twilight. She might have been crying; yes, she almost certainly was, icy hot tears that rolled down her face and neck and onto her heaving chest. “My friends like me! And I care about you, Rainbow Dash! I care about you more than anything!” The pegasus laughed again, and Twilight gasped as her heart began to break. “You care about me? You care so much you won’t even come see me fly?” “Dash, please, it . . . it’s not like that. You know I like watching your shows, but I’d already told Applejack and Pinkie Pie that I would help them with the barn!” “So a barn is more important than your marefriend?” sneered the pegasus. “A barn is more important than me?” “Dashie, no!” “Don’t ‘Dashie’ me, Twilight Sparkle. I see how it is. You don’t care about me. You don’t love me. Well, guess what?” “No! Please, don’t! Don’t say it!” “I don’t love you, Twilight Sparkle,” said the pegasus, low and cold and horrible. “I don’t want you.” The words were icy hammer blows, and Twilight screamed as her heart shattered into a hundred razor-sharp pieces. “Rainbow Dash!” she wailed, reaching out with trembling hooves. “Please, Dash! Don’t do this! Please! Rainbow Dash! I love you, Dashie! Don’t do this! Don’t leave me! Please don’t leave me!” But it was too late; the pegasus was just a glimmering rainbow blur flying farther and farther away until suddenly it was gone. Lightning boomed and thunder sparked, and Twilight sobbed as she sank to the squishy mud. “Twi?” “Don’t leave me,” she whispered into the empty darkness. “Please don’t leave me.” “Twi?” “I love you, Dash. Please don’t leave me.” “Twilight!” Suddenly everything tilted and spun and righted itself, and Twilight found herself sitting not on a cliff but upright in her bed, her blankets tangled around her, her sweat-slick mane plastered to her head. “Twilight?” asked a voice. It was a blessedly familiar voice, a little rough, but still gentle and concerned. Not quite daring to believe her ears, Twilight turned and saw a familiar blue pegasus sitting beside her. The pegasus was looking at her not with horrible black pits, but warm magenta eyes; her mouth was set not in a cruel scowl, but a worried frown; she was moving not to leave her forever, but to wrap a foreleg around her. “Rainbow Dash?” whispered Twilight. “I’m here, Twi,” said Dash, pulling her close. “You okay? Sounded like you were having one crazy dream.” Twilight shuddered and hugged her. “More like a nightmare. A really, really bad nightmare.” “It’s okay,” soothed Dash. She stroked Twilight’s sticky mane. “It was just a dream. You’re okay, Twi.” “Dashie?” said Twilight into the other mare’s chest. “Yeah?” “Are you upset that I didn’t come to the show?” “Huh? The show?” “Are you mad that I helped Applejack and Pinkie instead of coming to see you fly?” Dash chuckled. “Why would I be mad about that? I mean, yeah, I love when you’re there to cheer me on, but I don’t expect you to come to every show I’m in. This one was just a demonstration for the first-years at the flight school anyhow. Not like it was a big deal or anything. Besides, you already told AJ and Pinks you’d help. Gotta keep your promises, right?” Twilight sniffled, but nodded slowly against Dash’s chest. The pegasus suddenly leaned back a little and put a hoof under the unicorn’s chin, lifting her head so that they were looking at each other. “I’m not gonna leave you, Twi,” said Dash, quiet and serious. “Not ever. We’re gonna be old and grey together and argue about our dentures and yell at foals to get off our lawn and stuff, okay?” Twilight nodded again and smiled. Dash smiled back and kissed her. It was a soft, simple kiss, but Twilight felt the warmth of it flow from her lips into her whole body, and she felt herself relax against the other pony. “I love you, Twi,” said Dash, nuzzling her. “I love you, too, Dashie,” said Twilight, nuzzling back. They both slowly sank down onto the bed, twining their legs and tails together in a warm, comforting jumble of togetherness, and they closed their eyes once again.