Bellesmith and Pilate stood with muzzles agape. After a collective breath between them, Belle gulped and was the first to speak.
"And..." She fought the urge to sniffle. "You are sure about this, darling?"
Kera nodded quietly. "I've been sure of it since we left Archer Point." She paced forward across the courtyard while Golden Happenstance, Beau, and a few other ponies watched in gentle silence. "I just haven't had the guts to own up to it until just now. I... uhm..." She rubbed one forelimb with the other, blushing slightly. "I'm sorry for running off like I did. It was totally uncool of me."
"You needed to clear your head," Pilate said in a quiet tone. "That's understandable." He winced. "It's just..."
"You could have at least told us, darling," Belle said, leaning forward to nuzzle the filly. "We understand if all of this is weighing on you to the breaking point."
Kera bit her lip. "I'm not the only one."
"Kera...?"
Kera glanced over the ponies' shoulder at the scattered members of the Jury. Eagle Eye, Props, Ebon Mane, Zaid, and even Josho craned their necks to best observe the ensuing conversation.
She stifled a giggle and said, "It's really super sweet how you guys are all concerned about me n'stuff. I really didn't mean to pull a stunt just so you could all get freaked out over me. I just..." She took a deep breath, then gazed down at her fidgeting hooves. "I've been afraid, y'know? I don't like being scared, and I hate owning up to it even more."
"That's okay, Kera."
"No, Belle, it's not." Kera gazed up with hard eyes. "Because holding back is only going to hurt ponies. It'll hurt me and it'll hurt you guys. It'll a hurt a lot harder than the truth." She gulped. "And the truth is that I've only ever had one home. It's not in Xona. It's not in Ledomare. And, as much as it stinks to admit it..." She shook her head. "It's not in the clouds."
"We can..." Belle bit her lip, hesitated slightly, and said, "We can make it work, Kera..."
"Beloved..." Pilate quietly murmured.
The mare hung her head, trembling, fighting back tears.
Kera leaned up to nuzzle her again. "Maybe for a little while, you could. But... for a long time? And with all the stuff we'd be flying into?" She smiled. "Heh... believe me. I want nothing more than to bring it on. I think about what's past the mountains over there—" She motioned with her head eastward. "—and I'm pumped! I'm pumped for what's to discover and find out n'stuff. I totally envy the Noble Jury big time. But... I've had my fill of awesome already. Throwing my head into the blender again may be fun while it lasts, but you and I both know it's not what I need right now." She gritted her teeth. "And it's not what my Momma and Pappa would have wanted of me."
"But..." Pilate's metal brow furrowed. "What of what you want, Kera?"
"Pfft." The filly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. This town's stuffy and full of old ponies and gray skies." She sighed heavily, her lips forming a gentle curve. "But there's something in this place that I haven't felt anywhere else." She gulped. "Memories... and—well—me. This town is me. I left it a long time ago, and now that I'm back in the place that gave me the taste for crickets and high grass, well... I-I would be tearing something out of myself by leaving it."
"Kera, not that we doubt your decision, but are you certain that this is what you want?" Pilate asked. "After all, we've been here less than a week and—"
"I've been here a great deal longer," Kera said. "And even if I left this place, I'd remain here. And it wouldn't be fair to myself or the ponies around me if I stayed split in two places, y'know?"
Pilate bit his lip. He turned towards Belle. Belle sniffled, and the couple nuzzled each other with melancholic smiles. As Belle leaned on Pilate, the zebra tilted his head towards the filly.
"You are wise beyond your years, Kera."
"Yeah, well..." She giggled lightly, her tattooed face rosy. "I had a couple of really nifty ponies around to buckstart my head, ya dig?"
"All we ever wanted was for you to have a good, healthy life," Belle said.
"And you gave me that, guys..." Kera's green eyes glistened. "You totally gave me that and more. You saved me a million times over. And now I gotta make something of that life. For you, for Momma and Pappa, and for myself." She smiled, a tear forming along the edges of her lashes. "That's the loyal thing to do. Right?"
"Most certainly," Pilate said with a nervous chuckle.
"I assure you two," Golden Happenstance spoke up. "If she stays here, she will not be alone."
"I'll protect her," Beau said, then smiled. "We'll all protect her."
"We'll let her trot her own path," Hap continued. "But we won't let her walk alone. We'll be with her every hoofstep of the way."
Beau trotted over and lowered his face so that it was at level with Kera's. "And if someday you decide to leave and live out your adulthood elsewhere—"
"Pfft..." Kera rolled her eyes. "I got it, buddy. I've blown bigger popsicle stands."
Props giggled from a distance, forcing a limp smile out of Ebon and Eagle Eye.
"I just... uhm..." Kera kicked at the ground as her body suffered a cold shudder. "I just hope that you guys don't feel... don't believe that the reason I'm choosing to stay here is because you've done anything stupid or haven't held to your promises or... or..." She gritted her teeth, her voice wavering. "I mean, you've done so much to save my silly head, and the last thing I wanna do is shove it all back in your f-faces..."
Belle immediately scooped the filly up in a hug, forcing a quiet yelp out of her.
"You've taught me so much, Kera." The mare whimpered. "And the biggest lesson of all is that I'll never run out of love to give." She nuzzled the mare's face, kissing her foreheads. "I'm glad that you're home." Her breath wavered as tears trickled freely. "Knowing that you're happy and safe is the b-best thing I could ever ask for, no matter how f-far I go or how long that I live."
Kera's face scrunched up, so she hid it in Belle's shoulder as she hugged her back. A tiny sob melted between them. "I-I never thought I would m-miss your stupid sap...."
Belle chuckled, shedding more tears as Pilate leaned down to join the embrace.
"Our hearts are with you, Kera," Pilate said, clenching his wet gray eyes shut. "You've brought us such joy and purpose. If this is what's best for you, then it's best for us as well."
Golden Happenstance and Beau stepped back from the scene to give the trio their space. With slowly trotting steps, the crew of the Noble Jury split up, trotting back towards the airship in separate clusters.
High above the scene, perched on a lonesome rooftop, Rainbow Dash gazed down at her friends. She took a long, solemn breath. Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted the Noble Jury in a low hover. Someone stood on the edge of the deck. There was a break in the clouds, and sunlight wafted across the vessel, glifting off two copper points of reflection. In a blink, the figure was gone.
Rainbow felt alone, even with the sounds of her sobbing companions wafting upwards to tickle her ears. With a shudder, she flapped her wings and tore herself away from the heart of Lerris, taking refuge in the high winds above the village.
"I had a little t-talk with Hap," Pilate said, clearing his throat to compose himself as he and Belle walked up the windy hill of waving high grass. The Noble Jury loomed in the distance, having touched down west of the town after a few hours of panicked flight earlier that day. "I figured we could spare a few more days here in town."
"That sounds wonderful, Pilate," Belle said in a breathy tone. Her eyes were fixated on some nebulous point in the distance. "I-I mean, not that I-I have any reason to believe that Kera would change her mind."
"My sentiments exactly," Pilate replied with a nod. "But even still, I don't think we'll necessarily have to spend the entire time saying our good byes."
"How do you mean?"
"Well, beloved." He bit his lip. "I... I c-can't read your mind, but I truly think there's still lots to... lots to..."
"What?"
"Well, to discuss. To mull over. To... to decide..."
Belle exhaled heavily. "Perhaps you can read my mind, darling."
"I would hate to presume."
Belle managed a light chuckle. "Then you hate yourself unnecessarily."
"Sometimes I wonder."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's just that I fear that I haven't been the most dependable stallion as of late. And at a time like this, perhaps it would benefit you and everypony else if... if I was more forward. I don't know. I never want to come across as a—" He shuffled to a stop, ears twitching. "Belle? Why'd you stop trotting?"
Belle lingered with her mouth agape. "Rainbow...?"
The pegasus stood a few steps ahead of them, facing west.
"Rainbow, we never did thank you properly for finding Kera like you did," Pilate said. "I assume you... you overhead what happened earlier."
Silence.
"Rainbow?" Belle gulped. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," Rainbow said in a dull tone. "Everything's just right." She slowly turned around, her ruby eyes glossy. "I'd be a blind idiot to try to pretend otherwise."
Belle gritted her teeth. "Rainbow, you're sc-scaring me. What's the matter?"
The pegasus slowly smiled. "That's just the thing with me, girl," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "I'm Rainbow Danger Dash. The only things that scare me is the stuff worth paying attention to."
Belle and Pilate were speechless.
Rainbow trotted slowly towards them. "And... uhm... I haven't been doing a very good job of paying attention to things as of late. Instead, I've been watching stuff from the sidelines, pretending like I can stay aloft. But sometimes I just gotta come down and level with the ones I care for... so long as I have a chance to care for anypony."
"I... don't know what you're talking about, Rainbow," Pilate said. "Belle and Eagle Eye both said they saw you on the rooftops of Lerris. Certainly you overhead what Kera said earlier—"
"What, that she's home?" Rainbow smiled gently. "That's super cool." She gulped and shuddered, "So is a promise that I made to some really swell ponies a long time ago. That... that I would get them a place to call home as well."
Pilate's brow furrowed.
"Rainbow?" Belle gulped and murmured, "What are you trying to say?"
"It'd just be bucking a dead tree to have to spell it out, don't you think?" Rainbow Dash asked. "You all look up to me as some sort of brave pony—a hero, even. But, as a matter of fact, I'm more cowardly than anypony on board the Jury." She took a deep breath. "And the bravest thing I can do is make a decision. But the crazy thing is that the only decision I have to make is the same one I've been following since day one."
Belle and Pilate stood in silence.
Rainbow stared at them, her ruby eyes glistening. "But I want... I hope that though I can't make the decision for others, I can tell them what I know is best for them... and trust that they'll be loyal to me as I have been to them and make the best out of... th-the best." She winced. "Okay, look, I'm not one for speeches. I never have."
"Just... speak from the heart, Rainbow," Belle said. "You're better at doing that than you give yourself credit for."
Rainbow gazed at her. A tear trickled down her fuzzy blue cheek. "You and Kera have something in common. Something that I don't have." She gulped. "A home." She shook her head. "And I would be a bad friend to keep you flying and looking for something that's right in front of you... that's right here, waiting for you... with the filly you love more than a daughter."
"You want us... to stay here?" Pilate asked.
"If days from now Floydien pilots the Noble Jury eastward and you two are on it?" Rainbow Dash bit her lip hard. "I'll protect those on board with courage, with awesomeness, and maybe even a joke spouted every other hour or two." She slowly shook her head. "But I won't be a happy pony. I won't be your happy friend."
"Rainbow Dash..." Belle's voice squeaked. "We're with you on this journey. Both of us! You know that!"
"Then make the journey here," Rainbow Dash said. "Make it in the safety of this valley. Make it with Kera and with all of the quietly awesome ponies who are accepting her—and you—in open arms." She smirked. "At least you guys can afford that much."
"We're not about to abandon you, Rainbow Dash," Pilate said, though his voice was wavering breathily. "It... I-I mean you've got so many trials ahead, and—"
"No. I don't." Rainbow inhaled sharply. "Let's not pretend otherwise."
Belle and Pilate merely hung their heads.
"I'll make sure Eagle Eye gets someplace where he'll be happy. I'll see what I can do about reuniting Props with her uncle. Josho and Floydien? I'll keep them from killing each other, at least." She chuckled. "I'll even make sure that Zaid gets to eat that cruddy sandwich he keeps rambling about. And Roarke..." She winced slightly, cleared her voice, and instead said, "You'll never have abandoned me. It simply isn't possible. Besides..." She sighed out a bitter smile. "I was abandoned long before I ever rolled into Aridstone."
Belle had a hoof held over her muzzle. She shivered, fought the crest of a sob, and smiled tearfully at the pegasus. "I... I had wanted to be there for you for as long as I could. And not a day goes by when I don't think... wh-when I don't dread the moment when you can flap your wings no longer..."
"Hey... hey hey hey... shhhh..." Rainbow Dash drifted forward and nuzzled her. She spoke warmly into her ear. "Only one soul on this friggin' earth can afford to be loyal to everypony, and that's not a spirit that's going to live forever." She leaned back and smiled at the two. "Let's not blame one another for what's over and done with, okay?"
Belle bit her lip. Pilate cleared his throat and bore a fractured smile. "It's just... it shatters comprehension. How will you even manage? Without us, I-I mean?"
"Don't break your brains so much about it," Rainbow Dash murmured. "Or for your hearts for that matter. I've been lucky in this life. Really, I totally have!" She smiled with fluttering blue feathers. "I've had myself best friends on two different occasions." She winked. "Now, there's a little filly in this town who needs to have best parents for the second time in her life. I happen to know two awesome ponies for the job."
At that, Belle and Pilate dryly chuckled, then gasped—for they found themselves at the receiving end of a full-winged hug. The three crowded together, sharing a collective nuzzle as their warm tears guarded them against the cold winds of the valley.
"You've g-given us so much, Rainbow Dash," Belle squeaked forth a sob. "And now this?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, Ding-Dong." Rainbow sniffed, but nevertheless smirked. "It's a lame substitute for awesomeness, isn't it?"
And once more, they laughed quietly against the blistering weather.