Chapter Ten.
For the better.
Rainbow Dash looked at Soarin', he was kneeling and presenting the ring he himself had chosen. Her mind was blank, she wasn't prepared for this. In all of her life, this moment had never come up. And now her stallion of her dreams was asking the ultimate question. She didn't know what to say. "Soar...I...I." Was all she said before she took of.
If she could se the heartbroken face of Soarin' she would turn around in an instant. But she didn't look back, in fact she didn't even think. She was flying on autopilot right now. Marriage was the last thing she would think of when she was with Soarin', she wanted to spend all of her time with him. But she never thought of this, it all felt so wrong and still so right.
Meanwhile, Soarin' sat exactly where he was, frozen. This wasn't the answer he had hoped for. He had never done this before but still expected to hear her say 'Yes'. Maybe he had been reading to many romance novels.
He decided that he couldn't sit there and do nothing, so he took flight after the mare of his dreams.
Scootaloo was watching from a bush nearby, with her was Applebloom. Although Soarin' had told her not to tell a living soul about his proposal, he had conviced her to ask Sweetie Belle to sing one of her songs while he proposed.
"What just happened?" Scootaloo asked.
Rainbow Dash wasn't called the fastest flier in Equestria for nothing and she reached the home of Twilight Sparkle in minutes.
Not bothering with knocking she barged in, all of her friends looked at her in surprise. She didn't that they where there, she just needed to talk to somepony that was married and she wanted to talk to Twilight because she wasn't likely to pressure her about details like Rarity. But she quickly noticed that indeed Rarity was there.
"What's the matter? Why barge in like that?" Asked Twilight.
"Yeah, what in tarnation is wrong with ya?" Applejack continued.
Rainbow Dash had a look of sheer panic of her face. "Soarin'... On the hill... Proposed!" Was all she managed to say between her breaths before she was in the middle of a group hug.
"OH! How wonderfull!" Rarity almost shouted when they finally released Rainbow Dash.
All of her friends looked at her and she couldn't even look them in their faces. In all of her life she had never thought of getting married. Sure Soarin' was pretty cool and she loved him to bits, but there was something that halted her. Was it because she was bullied in school. 'Look there goes Rainbow Crash! I bet she goes after fillies!
No it couldn't be that, they got what they deserved after all. Perhaps it was because her parents had separated when she was young.
Fresh memories of her mother walking out the front door and never coming back flooded her mind, she never understood why.
She held back the tears.
"Rainbow Dash please tell us, what's the matter." Said Twilight
Finally managing to look up from the floor and she saw Twilight. She couldn't take it anymore and hugged Twilight, it didn't matter anymore, the tears flowed freely.
"I don't think I can do it." Rainbow Dash said. All of her friends looked at her.
None of the others was prepared for this, all of them was used to see her as brash and confident.
"Rainbow Dash. Please. Talk to us." Twilight said.
She released Twilight and took a deep breath.
"When I was young... My mother left me and my father only to never return." It took a while for Rainbow Dash to continue.
"She was the coolest pony i knew back then, but she just left. I never got an explanation why she left, even my dad never knew."
The room was in complete silence when she finished talking. Everypony was waiting for her to continue, thunder could be heard in the distant.
Rainbow Dash continued. "After she left, my dad changed, he started drinking and stopped caring for his job. I lived with that shell of a pony for years before i finally moved to Ponyville."
Rainbow Dash was silent once more And Twilight took the opportunity. "I can see you have had some tough times in the past. But what does this have to do with you and Soarin'? Do you think you will do the same as your mother? Rainbow Dash look at me. You will never do that, you are the element of Loyalty!" Twilight looked Rainbow Dash straight in the eyes. "You do love him right?" Rainbow Dash nodded. "And you believe for one moment that you would ever leave him?" Twilight continued.
That question made Rainbow Dash think. "Would i ever leave him like mom? NO! I refuse to believe it! I would never leave him!" She stood up and started walking towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Asked Twilight. Rainbow Dash looked back, her eyes full of determination. "I have a question to answer."
She was about to fly off when she was stopped by Twilight. Rainbow Dash continued to struggle. "You can't leave now! Don't you see the storm!?"
There was indeed a storm raging outside. It was one of the big storms planned for the year, but Rainbow Dash didn't care.
"Let me go! I have to find Soarin'!" The pegasus shouted. "I can navigate a storm anyday! Let me GO!"
But Twilight didn't let her go. Struggle as she did was no use, even being the fastest pegasus in history was no match for the power of an alicorn.
She continued for a bit until she stopped. "Please Twilight. I have to go."
"Rainbow Dash, I don't want you to do something stupid like flying in a big storm. Come on, wait until the storm passes."
Twilight was concerned for her friend. While the others didn't say anything, Twilight could not bear to see one of her friends getting hurt.
Rainbow Dash looked at her silent friends, all of them look concerned for her. Just a moment ago she was crying more than she had in years and now she was about to go out in one of the biggest storms they have seen in a long time. She then looked at Twilight. "Please...I need to see him. Knowing him, he is probably out there looking for me."
Twilight sighed and released Rainbow Dash. "Fine! But don't do something stupid."
In a flash the pegasus was gone.
"I hope i did the right thing."
Fluttershy took the moment to speak.
"Don't worry, she will be fine."
This did little to calm Twilight.
"Lets hope you are right."
The Storm was indeed a big one. Thunder was heard every few seconds and the rain was fierce. She had flown through alot of storms before, but not like this.
Dodging the thunder wasn't easy, but she had to find Soarin'. If she couldn't fly through a storm to find him, then she could never be sure that she stay with him.
No this was something she had to do.
Her first target was the hill where she last had seen him.
She wasn't flying as fast as she had before, the rain was to intense.
The hill came into view as she was almost hit by lightning.
However. When she came closer, there was no sign of Soarin'
"SOARIN'! Where are you!"
No answer.
"SOARIN'!"
Still no answer.
"SOARIN'! I am sorry!"
"Rainbow Dash!?"
She turned around and saw the stallion she was looking for. But as she was about to fly to him everything went silent. Time came to a standstill.
Then came the sound.
And then the pain.
And then everything went dark.
She was struck by bolt of lightning, and was now free falling towards the ground.
"RAINBOW DASH!" Shouted Soarin'
He took out to catch her before she hit the ground. Flapping his wings harder than he ever did before, he didn't have any time to lose. She was falling fast.
Flapping his wings harder and harder he started to realise that he was coming in to fast. He could catch her but they where both going to crash.
He got closer and closer to catching her. And just before they would hit the ground, he managed to catch her. He wrapped his arms around her and prepared for impact.
The only thought on his mind was keeping Rainbow Dash as safe as possible. He landed on his back and skidded along the ground. The pain was intense but he ignored it for now. As long as the mare in his arms didn't suffer more damage he could ignore the pain.
When they both stopped he looked at Rainbow Dash. She had some nasty burns along her left side of the body, some of the feathers where burned. Even her normally colorful mane was partly black and burned.
He placed his ear to her chest, she was alive!
They both laid there for a while until he heard her speak.
"Soarin'?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"Everything."
"Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry about."
"It hurts."
"I know."
She looked him in his eyes, even he was clearly in pain pain he still had a smile on his face.
They both became quiet again. Even the fierce storm started to lighten, almost as if it had decided to leave them alone.
"Soarin'?"
"Mm."
"Yes."
"What?"
"My answer. Yes i will marry you."
Soarin' reached his arms around her neck and pulled her down for a passionate kiss.
Rainbow Dash woke up, and before she opened her eyes she could hear a faint beeping sound. A sterile smell invaded her nose.
When she opened her eyes she was greeted with white walls, a hospital.
She was about to sit up, but the pain forced her back. The memories started to flood back, the storm, the lightning, waking up in his arms. And most of all, the answer.
Suddenly there was a noise beside her, she turned her head to see Soarin' in the bed beside her. Memories of the last time they had been in this situation came to her. But that time none of them had any real injuries.
He was lying on his stomach and his back was wrapped in bandages.
She could feel that she was also in bandages.
But nothing of that mattered right now. She had made her decision.
End of chapter ten.