//------------------------------// // A Calming Rain // Story: Rain // by Nightroad //------------------------------// The next morning when Rarity woke up, she was disappointed to find that Rainbow Dash wasn't in bed with her. “Perhaps she's still out looking.” The fashionista rolled out of bed and went into the bathroom to bathe and perform various other morning activities. When she had finished, she stepped out of the room with a flourish, towel flowing out behind her. “Ahh... much better.” After drying and styling her mane, Rarity left her room and headed downstairs. She was about to walk into the kitchen when she heard a soft creaking noise. The unicorn turned her head and saw that the front door was slightly ajar. Fear rose through Rarity's body, but she quickly beat it back to a dull roar within her mind. 'It's alright. The rain is coming down kind of hard. I'm sure the door just wasn't shut all the way and got blown open a bit. Or perhaps Sweetie Belle left and didn't close it all the way is all.' Rarity took a few steps towards the door, but stopped when she saw mud tracking into her house. Her eyes followed the muddy hoofprints until the stopped at the couch...which held a wounded Rainbow Dash. The fashionista's mouth opened in terror as she looked her lover over. Blood was freely pouring from multiple lacerations that were all over the cerulean body, staining it crimson. Her left foreleg was bent in a way it shouldn't be bent, with a part of bone sticking out. However, what horrified Rarity the most was Rainbow left wing. The feathers were all askew and the bone seemed broken, but the pale mare couldn't tell. Finally, her voice caught up with her mind and she screamed in fear as she ran over and began to lightly shake Dash, trying to wake her up. “Please Dash, wake up!” “R-Rarity...?” The addressed unicorn turned and saw Sweetie Belle standing at the bottom of the stairs, fear written on her face. “Sweetie Belle! Go to Twilight's and tell her Rainbow's been hurt.” The filly hesitated for a moment before she took off towards Golden Oaks Library. Rarity took a few shaky breaths as she picked Dash up within her magic. “Don't worry Rainbow. It'll be okay... you'll be okay. Oh please be okay...” The unicorn was on the verge of tears as she spoke, but knew she had to be strong, at least for now. So, she took a breath to steel herself before she placed Rainbow on her back. She grabbed the biggest coat she had and draped it over her weakened lover before running out the door and into the mud and rain. Rarity was by no means slow, but never before had she run faster in her life than at that moment as she made her way to Ponyville Hospital. ~~~~ The door to Ponyville Hospital was thrown open as four mares and a filly burst through the entrance. “What room is Rainbow Dash in?” a lavender unicorn asked quickly. “Room 305.” The receptionist replied, nearly scared out of her wits at the sudden entrance of the group. She breathed a sigh of relief when they rushed down the hallway. When the group had arrived outside the room, they all took a moment to catch their breaths before they entered. “Okay...we need to be strong for them, especially Rarity. I'm sure she's not entirely herself, so we'll need to be very careful with how we talk around her. Understand?” Twilight said, looking at each of her friends in turn. Her sight lingered on Sweetie Belle for a moment longer than anypony else. The filly looked near hysteric when she had came to the library to get her. She didn't look much better now with the exception that she wasn't covered in mud like she had been. “Alright... let's go.” Twilight whispered. She slowly opened the door and took one step inside before the door was tossed open and Sweetie Belle ran inside. Rarity turned her head and they could all see the extent of her fear and sadness. Her eyes were almost completely bloodshot, her mane was disheveled and dirty, and she still had traces of mud on her hooves. She opened her forelegs and caught Sweetie in a hug, the two of them crying into each other's coats. Twilight ushered the other four back out to give the sisters a moment of privacy. An hour later, when the sound of crying had died down, Twilight peeked her head in and saw that Sweetie Belle had passed out in Rarity's hooves and the elder mare simply sat there, stroking her mane while softly humming what Twilight assumed was a lullaby. The lavender mare nodded to the others and they all quietly shuffled in, taking spots all around the room. Applejack stood near Rainbow Dash, her gaze altering from the unconscious mare to the rain outside. Twilight stood near Rarity, saying nothing while Fluttershy was on the other side of the distraught mare, offering words of comfort and offering soft strokes and gentle touches. Pinkie didn't really seem to know what to do with herself, her mane straight and blocking half of her face. So, she sat in the middle of the room, looking down at the floor. Finally, Twilight broke the silence, fearing that it would leave a painful mark upon them all. “So...what do you think happened? If there's something out there that's going to be hurting ponies, we need to get to the bottom of it.” Rarity sighed deeply and shook her head. “I'm not sure darling. She was already passed out on the couch when I woke up this morning. She hasn't woken up yet so I haven't been able to ask her what happened.” The pale unicorn took a few breaths and continued. “I'm just afraid that I didn't get to her in time. She obviously came in sometime last night, but I don't know when. The doctor said that she'd lost a lot of blood by the time they'd had a chance to look her over. Though... I'm glad that nothing happened to her wings. I was so afraid that her left wing had been broken or that something was wrong with it... but the feathers were just messed up is all...” Tears began to stream down Rarity's face. Twilight took Sweetie Belle and Rarity immediately turned and buried her face in Fluttershy fur, trying her best not to sob loudly. Time flew past them all, leaving them to sit quietly and somberly as the day continued it's natural course. Applejack had been the only one to do anything when she had left, telling them that she needed to get back to work. Everypony had simply nodded, not bothering to say a single word. It wasn't until sunset that everypony was shooed out by Nurse Redheart. Only Rarity had been allowed to stay, but it had taken a lot of pleading on Rarity's end for the privilege. The sleeping Sweetie Belle had been taken by Fluttershy, much to the relief of Rarity. So, Twilight and Fluttershy left first, followed by Pinkie, who stared at Rarity and Rainbow before she walked out, closing the door behind her. Rarity's head was resting on the bed beside Rainbow Dash, her hoof holding onto her lover's. Her tears had all been spent, so all she could do was sit there silently and hope Dash woke up soon. 'I shouldn't have let her go at night. I should've made her wait until morning... This is all my fault. I could've stopped her.' Rarity wanted to cry at the thoughts running through her head, but she simply couldn't. She had no more tears left to give to the world for the time being. As more and more depressing thoughts came into the fashionista's mind, she didn't even realize that she had fallen asleep. So she was rather surprised when her eyes snapped open to the sound of Dash mumbling. “Wha... Where am I?” Rarity sat all the way up and moved over to Rainbow's face. “Y-you're in the hospital dear.” Rainbow's eyes opened and lazily scanned the darkened room. “Rares?” “I'm right here darling.” Rarity gently turned the pegasus's face towards her, smiling softly when their eyes met. “There you are. C'mere.” Rarity leaned down at Dash's request and tenderly kissed her wounded lover. “You scared me, you know. Seeing you passed out on the couch all battered and bloodied.” The pale mare gave a short laugh, followed by a choked sob. “Hey now, you should know better than anypony that I'm nothing short of indestructible.” Dash said quietly, gently petting Rarity's mane. “I know but... but...” Rarity could say no more, instead breaking down into the tears she thought she had no more of. Dash moved over and helped her lover onto the bed, wrapping her good leg around her. “Shh... It's okay Rares. I'm here.” The two laid in the hospital bed for the rest of the night, neither of them daring to fall asleep. They never spoke a word apart from the occasional soft whisper offering comfort. It wasn't until Celestia's sun was starting to peak over the horizon that Rarity truly spoke. “What happened?” “I'm not entirely too sure Rares. One minute I'm flying near the ground to get a better look, and then the next minute I'm being flung around like a ragdoll. Whatever it was... it was big. Not overly big, but about as big as Sugercube Corner big. Other than that... I don't know.” The pegasus grit her teeth and hissed, “Next time though, it's not gonna get the drop on me.” “Next time?” Rainbow nodded. “Yea, next time. When that time comes, I'm gonna beat it to a bloody pulp.” Rarity said nothing, unsure of what to say as well as afraid to say anything. So, the unicorn stayed quiet, choosing the focus on her lover other than her lover's attitude. The unicorn ended up finally falling asleep while Dash managed to stay awake on sheer will alone. 'I can't believe I got beaten so easily... I've gotta go out and find whatever did this to me and give it back in spades.' Dash was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear anypony come in. “Miss Dash?” “Huh?” The pegasus snapped out of her mental trance and saw Nurse Redheart standing beside her bed. “What's up Nurse?” The nursemare handed a clipboard filled with numbers and various other things to Rainbow. “I just wanted to show you the results of the tests is all. All the cuts you had should be healed up by the end of today. As for your broken leg, it actually only looked bad. It should be all healed up and ready for use by the end of the week if not a few days after that. Though, I would really recommend not using it for anything until then. Otherwise, it could become even worse than it is.” Rainbow nodded and looked over the paper a few times before handing it back. “It said I also had a blood transfusion? What's that mean?” “Well, you had lost a lot of blood by the time Miss Rarity had brought you to us. So, we had to give you blood.” The fur on the back of Dash's neck stood on end as she spoke. “I have the blood of another pony in me?” “Yes, but don't worry. It won't affect you in any way other than to keep you alive. You see, when we do a blood transfusion, we have to give you blood that matches your own blood. Now that would've been hard considering your rare blood type.” “What is it?” Dash interrupted. Redheart gave a small frown at being interrupted, but took it in stride. “Eighty percent of ponies have either O or B type blood, and fifteen percent have A type. The last five percent have AB type blood. You are one of the five percent. With blood that rare, we normally would've had to order it from a bigger hospital which wouldn't have been good for your health. Thankfully though, there is a pony in town who shares your blood type and had been donating for the past several years now. And before you ask, it's Miss Heartstrings.” Dash's jaw hung open in disbelief. “R-really?” Nurse Redheart nodded, a bemused smile growing on her face. “Wow...Who woulda guessed?” The pegasus mumbled absently, her eyes drifting over towards the window, wondering if she'd see the eccentric mare out in the rain. Instead, she saw a single grey stallion going on his merry way as if there weren't a cloud in the sky. “Weird...Anyways, does that mean I can leave early?” Redheart sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Against my better judgment and no small amount of favoritism on Doctor Stable's part, yes. He's said you can leave tomorrow if you so wish.” Rainbow smiled and resisted the urge to punch her good hoof into the air in a victorious fashion. The earth mare couldn't help but smile at the sheer joy on the pegasus's face, so with that Nurse Redheart turned and walked out, closing the door quietly behind her. Dash lowered her hoof and placed it on Rarity's shoulder, ready to wake up her lover so she could share the news with Rarity. However, she couldn't bring herself to interrupt Rarity's slumber. Even though the fashionista looked slightly disheveled and ungroomed, her face told quite the opposite. The look of serenity was what was etched upon Rarity's face and Dash felt it would've been a crime to wake up her sleeping beauty before she was truly ready to be awoken. Instead, the cerulean mare softly stroked her lover's foreleg, closing her eyes as she did. 'The news can wait... for now though, I could use a nap.' Dash thought to herself just before she fell asleep, a small smile forming on her lips as she fell prey to sleep's bliss. ~~~~ “My goodness... The rain certainly has picked up, hasn't it?” Rarity asked, shaking her umbrella before setting it beside the door. “Yea, but it should've leveled out by now. It should clear up by tomorrow afternoon and we'll be done with rain for awhile.” Dash answered as she shook herself dry. “Well, that will be both a shame and a blessing all at once.” The unicorn said, flipping her mane out of her face before she walked further into the Boutique. “Sweetie Belle? Are you here?” The fashionista was silent as she listened for the tell-tale signs that her sister was indeed home. A few seconds later, both Rarity and Rainbow could hear the sound of the filly stumbling to her hooves as she thundered down the hallways and practically flew down the stairs. “You're home!” Sweetie exclaimed, stopping only for a moment to hug her sister before launching herself at Rainbow Dash. “H-hey!” Dash held open her good foreleg to catch the excited filly. “Are you okay? We were all so worried and concerned and-” Dash stopped the hyperactive little mare and chuckled. “Of course I'm okay. Nothing can keep Rainbow Dash down!” Sweetie Belle smiled brightly, bouncing around the pegasus asking question after question while Rarity just looked on in amusement. After a few minutes had passed, Rarity had sent Sweetie Belle away, stating that while Dash had been allowed to come home, she still needed to rest to help her broken leg. “Heh, I wish she'd fret around me like that. Perhaps I should go get injured myself.” Rarity joked, nudging her lover. “You know that's never gonna happen right? As long as I'm around, you'll never get hurt.” Rainbow said, nudging the unicorn back. The fashionista rolled her eyes with a smile and headed into the kitchen with the athlete right behind her. While Rarity began to make some sort of beverage, Dash hovered around the kitchen, her eyes occasionally flicking towards the window. She wanted to catch a glimpse of whatever had attacked her. Even though she had assured Rarity she would at least wait until her leg had healed, Dash still wanted a crack at the thing. Every time she thought about how easily she had been beaten, it made her blood boil with rage. Even now, she could feel her wings shivering with anger. “Rainbow? Is something the matter?” Dash looked at Rarity and saw the look of concern on her face. “Oh, y-yeah. My leg was just kinda crampin' up a bit. Nothing serious.” The pegasus gave a smile, hoping that it'd convince her lover. The unicorn looked skeptical, but nodded and went back to making the drinks. Rainbow sighed in relief and took one last look out the window before she settled on the ground and walked over to her lover, leaning her head on Rarity's. “So what exactly are you making?” Rarity turned to the pegasus and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Why, hot chocolate of course!” Rainbow laughed, kissing her lover back before heading over to the table to wait. “Actually, before you sit down, would you mind going upstairs to get Sweetie Belle? This is more for her than us. You should've seen her Rainbow...she looked about as bad as I did when she arrived at the hospital.” “And you just want to show her that everything's alright?” “Precisely.” The fashionista answered. Rainbow smiled softly and said,“You know Rares, have I ever told that I love you?” Rarity gave a small chuckle and said, “Once or twice, but I could stand to hear it again.” “Heh, I'm sure you could. I love ya Rares.” “I love you too Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus's wings gave a quick flutter before they picked her up off the ground and headed up the stairs. 'I don't think I'll ever get rid of this bubbly feeling whenever she tells me that... and I'm completely alright with that.' When the pegasus made it to the young filly's room, she gave a quick knock. “Yo, Sweetie Belle? Can I come in?” “Of course!” The cerulean mare opened the door and couldn't help but chuckle. Scattered all over the room were various things ranging from crayons to pulleys to safety helmets. 'Heh, reminds me of when I was her age.' The athlete thought quickly. “What's up with all the stuff? This all from past cutie mark hunts?” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Mhmm! I like to keep some of the stuff as a reminder about what we've done and the fun we've had.” “Very cool. Listen, Rarity's downstairs making-” A loud crash cut Rainbow's sentence short. “What the-” “Rainbow! HELP!” Rarity's scream cut through the air and Dash looked over at Sweetie Belle. Where she was calm and happy a few seconds ago, she was now scared and shivering. “It's gonna be alright. Just stay here.” She turned to leave, but stopped. “Actually, go run to the library and hide out there. I'll come get'cha when this is over.” Rainbow started walking again, but was stopped by Sweetie Belle tugging on her tail. The cerulean mare turned and saw tears streaming down the filly's face. “Hey...it's alright.” Dash kneeled and gave Sweetie a tight hug. “Be careful...I don't want something bad to happen to you. She may not say it, but you're the best thing to come into my sister's life.” Dash wanted to ask the young pony to explain, but knew she was short on time. So, she simply kissed Sweetie's forehead and said, “I'll be careful. Now go.” They both rushed downstairs, with Sweetie heading out the front door and Dash heading into the kitchen. What she saw stopped her cold. The mugs holding the hot chocolate had fallen to the floor and shattered, spilling the warm drink all over. The window and the area around it had been demolished, leaving rubble and broken glass to cover what the hot chocolate didn't on the floor. What caught her attention most though was the large purple scaled claw reaching for her unicorn, who was pressed up against the furthermost wall, barely managing to keep herself from fainting. 'That's the thing that got me...' Dash felt her rage rising up through her body again as she grit her teeth. “Get away from her!” Rainbow screamed, taking off immediately and shoulder charged the claw. Whatever it belonged to howled in pain and retracted it's arm back into the rainy day outside. “Rarity... Rarity look at me.” The fashionista was trembling, wrapping her forelegs around herself to keep herself as small as possible. “Rares, it's me. C'mon, look at me.” Slowly, the unicorn did exactly that and when she looked into the cerise coloured eyes of her lover, she burst into tears, wrapping her legs around Dash. “Hey...it's alright now. But listen, I need you to head over to the library okay? I need you to be safe, no...I need to know you'll be safe. I've already sent Sweetie Belle over so just-” “But what about you?” The question hung in the air for a moment before Dash answered. “I've got a score to settle.” Fresh tears trailed down Rarity's face and before she even said it, Dash knew what was coming. “Please don't...Rainbow, just come with me. I don't want to lose you.” Dash looked into the eyes of her lover, but closed her own after a moment, afraid that she too would end up crying. “I can't Rares, we both know that. But I swear to Celestia's sun and Luna's moon that I'll be okay. Now please... for me... go.” Rarity slowly nodded and stood up. “I love you Rainbow Dash. I love you so much...” Dash gave a small smile and rather than answer verbally, she pulled Rarity into a kiss. While it might not've been as hot or tender as their other kisses, it was just as passionate and just as caring. When they pulled away, Rarity took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I'll be back with help.” Dash nodded and flew out the hole in the wall to face the creature while Rarity took off out the front door like Sweetie had. “Alright ya big ugly thing, let's get this over with!” Rainbow shouted, looking at the silhouette of the beast. “Yes... let's.” It turned and faced Rainbow, it's eyes gleaming with hatred. 'Those eyes look... almost familiar. Why would they...' It wasn't until a flash of thunder moments later that she saw why. In front of her was none other than Spike. Except instead of being small and normal sized, he was about as big as Sugarcube Corner. “Spike!?” “That's right Rainbow Dash.” The dragon said, hissing her name through his teeth. “What's going on? Why're you attacking Rarity?” The pegasus asked, her voice full of anger and defiance. “I'm not attacked Rarity you feather-brained idiot! I'm trying to attack YOU!” As he spoke, he swung one of his claws at her suddenly and with speed faster than Dash could've guessed. Thankfully, instinct kicked in and Rainbow managed to get out of range. “Are you serious? Is your petty jealousy THAT bad that you have to attack me? You realize that if you did somehow manage to do major damage to me, Rarity would hate you forever.” “NO! She would love me for saving her from the likes of you! Sure, at first she'd still be a bit infatuated with you, but she'd come around.” Dash growled when he spoke the word “infatuation”, but otherwise kept her cool. She knew what the dragon was trying to do. He was trying to rile her up so she'd make mistakes, but two could play at that game. “Oh really? If she's just infatuated with me, then why does she love whenever I say her name?” Dash hovered around Spike's head as she spoke, trying to get the full effect of what she was doing. “Why is it that she absolutely melts under my touch? Why is it that she quivers whenever I kiss her?” Spike roared in fury, lashing out at the cerulean pony. 'Got'cha.' Rainbow Dash dodged every swipe of Spike's claws easily and was about to taunt him when his tail came from behind and smashed into her, sending her straight into the ground. “Ugh... stupid tail.” She rolled out of the way as a large fist smashed itself into the ground where she had been before. The two stood still, glaring into each others eyes. Both pony and dragon had thoughts of anger, of defeat... and of victory at any cost. With a roar, they both attacked. Spike swung his tail around to try and bring the pegasus out of the air, but Dash back-flipped and lashed out with her hind legs, bucking the appendage. The purple dragon howled in pain and swung his claws around, catching Rainbow in the barrel like when he had caught her by surprise. “How did it feel? When I caught you off guard and just tossed you around like a toy?” Spike asked smugly, bringing his fist down upon the pegasus. 'Don't let him get to you.' Dash thought, rushing out of the way of the fist to come back around and buck at it. “What do you think all of our friends would think if they knew the great Rainbow Dash had been taken by surprise and beaten?” Dash turned and was about to shout some remark, but was hit before she could get a word out and was sent spiraling through the air until she hit a building. The cerulean mare coughed, the air in her lungs rushing out and leaving her breathless as she fell to the ground. She at least managed to spin around so she would land on her good side rather than the side with her broken leg. Thankfully, she wasn't down for too long. All the training in higher altitudes had helped Rainbow control her breathing and air intake and before long, she was back in the air, slinging insults and bucking at the dragon. The two managed to trade blows for awhile, tit for tat. “She's never going to love you ya big scaly idiot! So just give up now!” “NO!” Spike's fist lunged after Rainbow, right into his own gut. With the dragon stunned, Dash flew straight up and hit Spike's jaw with an uppercut. The pegasus grimaced at the feel of bones breaking under her hoof, but knew that he had brought it upon himself. Spike roared in pain as he reached up and snatched Rainbow out of the air and tossed her straight down, leaving a small impact crater in the earth. “Ooh...” Dash was about to sit up when Spike slammed his palm down, trapping her with her head sticking out between claws. He applied a little pressure and Dash couldn't help but scream in agony as he pressed down on her broken limb. She hadn't had time to readjust it and now was trapped between mud and dragon palm. “Aww, did that hurt?” He asked mockingly, pressing down once again to hear Dash scream. He lifted his claw up a bit when he was sure that Rainbow couldn't move and laughed, the sound reverberating throughout the town. “Give up Rainbow Dash! Nopony is coming to your rescue! They're all locked up in their homes, too scared to come out and investigate.” He finished his sentence with a quick jab, smashing his fist into the mare. The scream that came from her mouth was short lived. In the middle of the scream, her vocal chords gave out as her voice broke and disappeared. Rainbow coughed harshly, blood spattering on her stomach before she collapsed back down into the mud. “Poor baby Dashie. I thought you were supposed to be tough!” Spike thrust his palm back down, crushing the mare once more. She opened her mouth to scream silently as she felt more bones break in her body. “Well, as much fun as I'm having beating you to a pulp, it's about time I ended this. Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to kill you. I'm not that heartless. No, what I'm going to do is cook you so that you'll be stuck in a hospital forever, eating out of a tube. The great Rainbow Dash... forever stuck without motion.” The dragon nearly doubled over in laughter at the irony as the pegasus sighed in desperation. 'So this is it... I'll never get to be a Wonderbolt... I'll never get to fly again... I'll never get to truly share my mind, body, and soul with Rarity...' Rainbow Dash looked up and gave a small smile as the rain fell on her and trickled off in streams. It helped hide the tears that were pouring from her eyes. The monochrome sky above offered her some strange sort of comfort as she looked up into it. 'Just like the day when Rarity and I first really bonded. At least I'll always have that memory to comfort me when I've been left all alone in a hospital.' Rainbow's eyes slowly shifted over to Spike, how was now towering above her. “Ready for your new life in the hospital?” Without waiting for a response, Spike reared back and Dash saw the green flame building in his maw. He turned his head down and opened his jaws, a torrent of flame rushing down to embrace Rainbow Dash. It seemed to happen in slow motion as the broken pegasus closed her eyes and accepted her fate. However, after a moment, Rainbow opened her eyes when she felt no sensation of burning. Around her was a sapphire barrier, keeping the flames from hungrily devouring her. “SPIKE!” The flames stopped and Rainbow turned her head and saw her friends standing defiantly, with Rarity's horn glowing brightly. “What in the name of Equestria is WRONG WITH YOU?” The fashionista screamed as she ran towards Rainbow Dash. However, she was stopped when Spike scooped her up. “What do you mean? I'm doing this for you!” He replied defensively. “For me? You're hurting our friend for ME?” Spike nodded quickly, a smile beginning to grow on his face. However, it disappeared when Rarity slapped him. “How dare you use me as an excuse for this! Surely you could've found somepony to talk to instead of resorting to... this.” The pale mare said, staring Spike straight in the eyes. “Nopony would've understood! Don't you see Rarity? I'm doing this because I LOVE you!” The dragon shouted. “That's still no reason to hurt somepony Spike.” Twilight said, teleporting up into Spike's palm next to Rarity. The dragon's gaze seemed to soften for a moment as he looked at the mares in his claws. “Yeah...” “Now apologize to Rainbow Dash. Then, we're going to have a long talk about what you've done.” Spike's eyes wandered from Rarity, to Twilight, then finally to Rainbow Dash. His gaze turned hard once his eyes focused on the cerulean pegasus and he scowled. “NO!” He tossed the mares out of his hand and with renewed fervor began to ready flame within his mouth. “Spike no!” Applejack already had her rope out and was about to throw it when the dragon took it and wrapped it tightly around the orange mare. “You big meanie! You aren't supposed to hurt friends!” Pinkie said from behind, her party cannon in front of her and pointed at the large dragon. “Oh? Then why are you pointing that at me? I can smell that it's packed full of hard, over-baked pastries. Don't you think they would hurt if you hit me?” The dragon reasoned through the flame growing in between his jaws. The pink party mare hesitated and that's all it took for Spike to take advantage and smash the cannon while swiping Pinkie away. The large creature turned his gaze back towards the cerulean pegasus that caught his ire. “Goodbye Rainbow Dash.” With a mighty roar, the dragon unleashed the flames, intent on ruining the pegasus once and for all. However, once again his fire never reached the pegasus. “Who dares now?!” Spike cursed, searching for the newest pony that was spoiling his revenge. “I do.” Above him, the clouds were torn open, revealing both the sun, and it's mistress. “C-Celestia?” The dragon, even though he was much larger, felt no bigger than a pebble when faced with the Sun Princess. With a flick of her horn, all of the clouds above Ponyville evaporated, leaving the blue sky for all to see. “Spike, do you know what you've done?” The Princess lowered herself down next to Rainbow Dash, enveloping the unconscious mare within the golden aura of her magic and lifting her onto her back. Crimson spilled onto the snow white coat of the Solar Princess, giving her an intimidating look. “I... I just...” Spike mumbled, unsure of himself and his plan. “You have harmed not just one of my subjects, but one of your dear friends. You realize that even though I've watched you grow and that you are like a brother to my prized pupil, that I cannot hold back any form of punishment?” “But I-” “No buts Spike. If you had been rampaging and all consumed with greed like you had been last time this happened, I may have been more forgiving. But since you are fully aware, I cannot be as benevolent.” The white alicorn's horn lit up once again and reduced the dragon back to his baby size. “I'll allow you to have a few words with Twilight before we return to Canterlot.” While Spike wandered off, Rarity ran up to the Princess. “Is she... is she going to be alright?” The unicorn reached out and held her lover's hoof in her own. “While she is within my magic, she will no longer be in pain or bleed and won't be susceptible to any further damage. However, whether she lives or not will be entirely up to her. I'm bringing her to Canterlot to receive the best medical attention, but in the end... it's up to her.” Rarity nodded, trying to hold back the flood of tears that threatened to spill forth. “Worry not my little pony. She is very strong in terms of willpower. I'm certain she'll make it.” “I know. Would... would it be alright if I accompanied you?” Celestia nodded and waited for Spike's return. ~~~~ It was a week later that Rainbow Dash first opened her eyes. “Where... where am I?” The cerulean mare looked around and could immediately tell she wasn't in the Ponyville hospital. The room was more... ornate and fancy looking. The next thing Dash noticed was that it was eerily silent in the room. “Hello?” The pegasus called out, ignoring how painful it was to speak. 'Did I die? Cuz if this is what Nirvana is, I want a do-over.' The athlete thought. With a large amount of effort and pain, Rainbow Dash managed to sit up. The first thing she did when she regained her breath was test her wings. Thankfully, they extended with no problem, and with no pain. “That's good...” Dash let out a relieved sigh at the knowledge that her wings hadn't been damaged. They were a bit sore, but otherwise were fine. Rainbow felt a wave of fatigue wash over her and she collapsed back onto her pillows. “Rares... Where are ya?” The cerulean pony closed her eyes and said Rarity's name over and over, hoping that it would summon her loved one. However, she was surprised when she heard the door open and the sound of hooves on marble. “Rares?” Rainbow heard a gasp and a flurry of hoof-steps before she felt gentle hooves wrap around her and pull her close. Dash smiled and wrapped her good hoof around the now sobbing unicorn. “I thought you weren't going to wake up.” Rarity cried, trying her hardest not to shake too badly. “Hey... it's alright. I may be a little beat up, but I'm no worse for wear.” Rarity said nothing, instead rubbing her face against Rainbow's coat, making sure this wasn't just another nightmare. An hour later, when Rarity had managed to regain her composure, she took a spot upon the bed beside her wounded lover. Rainbow was silent as Rarity retold the of the past week. The pegasus only vaguely listened to the words, content just to hear her significant other talk. The soft tones of Rarity's voice nearly lulled Rainbow back into the bliss of sleep, but a soft pattering noise kept her awake. Finally, Dash interrupted and said, “Do you hear that?” “Hmm?” Rarity stopped and listened, her ears occasionally twitching this way or that. “Now that you mention it... I do.” The unicorn hopped out of the bed and walked around the room, trying to find the source of the tapping noise. She neared the window and a smile formed on her face. With a quick flick of magic, she moved the large curtains away from the window and revealed that it was raining softly outside. “Is it... raining?” Dash asked, her voice edging on disbelief. “Have you never seen it rain here?” Rarity asked, a small chuckle leaving her lips. “No. I've seen it snow, but I've never seen it rain in Canterlot.” Rarity nodded and slowly wheeled Rainbow's bed over to the window, settling it straight in front of it so that they would have a view of the whole city. When she was satisfied, Rarity climbed back into the bed and snuggled close to her lover. “Rainbow Dash... I love you, but please... never ever scare me like that again. Do you understand how much I've been worrying this past week?” Rainbow nodded and tenderly kissed Rarity's forehead. “I'm sure Sweetie's no better.” Rarity shook her head. “She was absolutely devastated when she heard that you had to be brought here to Canterlot. She's staying back at the castle with the girls. She was absolutely adamant that she come with us. I'm sure she'll be pleased as punch to know you're awake and okay.” “I've no doubt about it. But for now... I want you to be the only one who knows I'm awake.” Rarity smiled and nuzzled Rainbow, resting her head under the cerulean mare's chin as they laid their, watching the rain. “I love you Rarity.” “I love you too Rainbow Dash.”