//------------------------------//
// III 
// Story: Fall Down 
// by PresentPerfect 
//------------------------------//

Fall Down
by Present Perfect 

III

"This plan should have been perfect!"

Twilight's voice was whipped away by the furious winds.

"Everything should have worked!"

Thunder crashed in her ears as her wings pumped desperately against the maelstrom.

"Okay, well, at least it shouldn't have gone this wrong!"

Her words were swallowed by the howling storm.  The grey clouds churned all around her, blocking any sense of up, down, near, far.  The rain pelting her from every angle distracted her from her magic.  All four of her legs kicked as her wings flapped and flapped, but the storm won out.  Twilight was pulled, kicking and screaming, into its hungry, black center.

A hoof reached out and caught hers.

Heart in her throat, Twilight snapped her eyes open and saw the familiar, beautiful blue face, teeth gritted, looking up at her.  Rainbow mouthed something she couldn't hear and turned, struggling against the storm every bit as much as Twilight.

But Rainbow Dash's athleticism was precisely the edge they needed.  Twilight kept flapping as, little by little, Rainbow pulled them away from the roiling tempest.  It was all Twilight could do to hold on for dear life and keep flapping.

But she held.

She held fast to Rainbow's hoof, and she held fast to the way rain droplets sluiced off her wings as they drove through the storm.  She felt the storm pounding through her bones and laughed at it.  Her aching muscles filled with the warmth of Rainbow being right there when she needed her most.  The feeling of warm cocoa trickled through her every fiber as she watched Rainbow's matted tail and mane flap in the tempest, and she tightened her grip.

The winds broke.  They were safe on land.  The storm howled above them.

They collapsed against each other, panting.  With one look, they broke out into laughter, gulping air as they hung on one another.  They laughed until they could no longer stand.

Twilight brushed Dash's mane out of her eyes and smiled at her.

"Thank you."





In the room Celestia had so graciously given them for the night, Twilight could hear their hearts beating.  Dash's beat in her chest, against which Twilight's ear was pressed, while Twilight's beat somewhere in her throat.  Rainbow lay on her back, only turning her head when Twilight tightened her grip.

"Hey.  What's up?"

Twilight felt foolish.  The silence, so easily broken, pressed down heavily against her.

"J-just..." She tried to swallow.  Her words were parchment.  "Five hours ago, we were fighting for our lives.  And now..."

She gestured to the room.

"It's quiet," Dash said, and moved to stare back at the ceiling.  "Isn't it?"

"Yeah."

Twilight closed her eyes and stroked Dash's chest.  A breath caught short in her throat, and she began to sob quietly.

"Whoa, wait... What?" Dash turned in Twilight's grip and brushed her mane with a hoof.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow."

"Twilight..."

Twilight buried her face in the crook of Rainbow's leg and wept.

"If I hadn't back-traced your letter, if I hadn't come to help you, to see what you were doing, then I wouldn't have put us in danger--"

"Twilight..."

"I almost died!" Twilight hiccupped.  "And you almost died saving me!  After what Celestia said..."

"Twilight, no." Rainbow's hesitation broke and she lifted Twilight's chin so they could look into each other's eyes.

"I said I was glad you were there, and I meant it.  Sure, it was supposed to be recon, not a fight, but we cut out the middlemare and kicked that monster's tail." Rainbow smiled at Twilight, and she felt the tears begin to recede.

"But..."

"The important thing--" Dash's gaze never wavered-- "is that we made it through together.  We're here, now, and we're not dead or even really hurt.  We're here, together, and we get to share this bed, which is just awesome."

Twilight's cheeks flushed and she found she couldn't meet Rainbow's gaze.  "I wish our first time had come under slightly less dire circumstances."

"First--" Rainbow's whole body stiffened and she released Twilight's head.  "I-I didn't mean it like that!  I mean we don't have to--"

Somehow, despite all the puffiness creeping into her face and the harsh rime of salt around her eyes, Twilight found it in herself to smile.  "I know." She leaned up and kissed Rainbow gently on the cheek.  "We're not moving too fast, are we?  Our relationship?"

Rainbow relaxed, a small smile gracing her features.  She propped her head up on one hoof and with the other touched Twilight on the cheek.  "Nah.  You can't move faster than the Rainbow Dash."

Twilight laughed, the sharp sound ringing off the bed posts.  She took Rainbow's hoof in hers and nuzzled against it.  The act of laughing was just as cathartic as crying, but far more enjoyable.

Feeling flush and buoyant, and somewhat sleepy, Twilight wrapped her forehooves around Rainbow Dash, who pulled up the covers.  She pressed herself against her partner, pushed her head up under Rainbow's chin, and sighed.

"I knew you were gonna say that."

Rainbow Dash laughed.  And a few minutes later, her laugh died down, and all was still and silent once more.