Chapter 14: Cloud Nine
When Hawk Tail descended on Dawn’s hut later that day, he was surprised to find the mare sitting outside her door, a quill held in her magic quietly scratching away at something in a journal. He figured that the mare would’ve gone back inside to do… whatever it was that she normally did. That made him bite his lip; for as long as he’d been her friend, he knew surprisingly little about her personal life. He suspected Dawn preferred it that way.
A few powerful flaps slowed his descent just a few steps away from Dawn, and his wings swept up a small cloud of dust. Without looking, Dawn put up an orange shield of magic and swatted it aside. Meanwhile, the quill continued scratching along, even though the mare’s eyes were fixed somewhere else.
“Hey,” Hawk greeted, taking a few strides closer. “You wanted to see m—!”
He was cut off by the orange glow of Dawn’s magic clamping his muzzle shut. “Hush,” the mare ordered. “You’ll scare her.”
The ring of magic faded from Hawk’s muzzle, and he slid his jaw around a few times to get everything resettled. Taking more cautious steps, he slunk to Dawn’s side and knelt next to her. “What’re you doing?” he asked in a hoarse whisper. When Dawn didn’t answer him, he instead sought answers in the book she was working in. Instead of the notes he expected, he was surprised to find an incredibly detailed sketch of a robin tending to its young. “You can draw?” he asked, incredulous.
Dawn nodded. “Gets boring around here when waiting for experiments to progress. Nature is abundant. Plenty of things to practice with.” Squinting at the trees, she shifted her legs to a more comfortable position and continued drawing. She wasn’t even looking at her sketchbook as she worked.
Hawk blinked. The more he watched Dawn’s sketch come to life, the more he felt he was insulting it by thinking of it as a sketch. Following her eyes, he saw the robin and its fledglings in a branch high up in the trees. The mother—he assumed it was the mother, based off of Dawn’s warning earlier—was trying to encourage its children out of the nest, presumably to take their first hops and jumps towards flight. Given that Dawn was only using ink, the amount of detail she put into her work produced a likeness to the real thing that was decidedly uncanny.
Then the robin flew away, leaving Dawn to sigh and look at her work and Hawk Tail to wonder if that was the first time she’d done so since she started. “Have to fill in the details from memory…” she muttered to herself. Carefully propping the sketchbook against the doorframe, she angled it so the sun would set about drying the ink. “Will have to finish later.”
“Finished?” Hawk Tail asked. “What’s there to finish? It looks incredible!”
But Dawn simply shook her head. “Need to finish adding details and shadow to the plumage. Fledglings too need to be more defined. Also, branch not entirely to my liking. Will have to focus on later.” Looking over her shoulder, her eyes narrowed at Hawk. “Come.”
“Uh… sure,” Hawk said as he followed the mare into her home. Raising an eyebrow, he began to ask, “So what did you want to see me f—gods above! Was there a tornado or something in here? Or did you start Armageddon without telling the rest of us?!”
Dawn’s home was a mess, to put it lightly. It looked like somepony had tore through the house at a breakneck pace, pulling everything off the shelves and piling it all on a messy work desk or several in the center of the room. Clipboards and scrolls where strewn about the room seemingly at random, and several large gemstones lay scattered across heaping piles of journals. Several broken quills rested where they had snapped, and numerous vials of ink in varying stages of depletion were nestled among the papers. It was a madness only the mad could love, and Dawn seemed right at home in it.
“Been busy,” Dawn muttered. Her horn flared, and with a blinding light, everything was suddenly back in its proper place. Gone was the mess of just moments prior. The only signs of the former clutter were the broken quills and ink stains on the wooden tables.
Hawk stopped, his wings flared in surprise. “How did you…”
“Organizational spell,” Dawn answered with a wave of her hoof. “Very useful for anypony that tends to make a mess like myself. Helps for when you want to sleep by getting all the clutter off of your bed.”
“But don’t you just have to drag it all back out again?” Hawk asked. “You didn’t have to put it all away for me; I don’t mind, really.”
Dawn shrugged. “Not a problem. Spell functions by swapping between one of two states. Everything is either ‘home’ like it is now, or ‘away’. If I trigger the spell again, everything will revert back to exactly where it was, because that’s where I put it when I physically moved it away from its home state.” Trotting to the stove in the corner of the room, she filled a kettle of water and lit the element underneath it. “Tea?”
“Oh, uh, sure,” Hawk said. Finding a seat, he pulled it away from its table and straddled the back. “So, what did you want to talk to me about? At least, I assume you want to talk.”
“Ah. Yes. That.” Dawn hummed to herself for a few seconds while she gathered the herbs and leaves she needed to make her tea. “Not so much talking for my personal entertainment or benefit. How much I hate talking should be rather obvious. Still, figured it’d be best to talk with you.”
Hawk raised an eyebrow. “Talk with me about what?”
“You and Rainbow Dash,” Dawn answered. She didn’t notice Hawk’s surprised blink as she pulled out two mugs and checked on the water to see if it was boiling yet.
“Me and… what do you mean?”
Dawn actually smiled at him, a sly and knowing little thing. “You know exactly what I mean.”
Hawk shook his head and waved a hoof. “You’re wrong. It’d never happen.”
“No?” the mare asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
“I don’t know, it just wouldn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“Because why?”
Hawk threw his hooves in the air. “I don’t know! Because—”
“Because she’s too good for you?” Dawn teased and raised an eyebrow. The kettle began to whistle as it came to a boil, and she quickly took it off the stove with her magic and poured out two mugs of tea. Mixing the contents together, she brought the tea back to the table and let it steep.
Hawk bit his lip and took the mug between his hooves. He fidgeted with it, sliding it back and forth across the polished wood, but said nothing.
“Give yourself credit,” Dawn said, swirling the contents of her mug through magic alone. “You’re attractive. You’re caring. You’re hardworking. You’re intelligent and helpful. What’s missing?” Hawk opened his mouth to answer, but Dawn stopped him with a pointed poke at his ribs. “Self-confidence, that’s what. Without that little shot of confidence, sometimes opportunities… slip away.”
Hawk shook his head, chuckling quietly to himself. “I don’t believe you.”
“Believe it,” Dawn said. “Take it from a mare who’s had no self-confidence of her own for the past eight years. I may not know how to talk with ponies, but I know how to read them.” Nodding, she took a sip of her tea and watched Hawk with a lazy yet focused stare.
The stallion sighed. “What if she says no?” he asked, his voice timid and hesitant. His eyes finally left the mug, and when he looked at Dawn, there was a twinge of uncertainty and anxiety in them. “What then? Will things ever be the same? I… I don’t want to lose her friendship. I don’t want to lose her.” His eyes fell to the tea in his grasp again.
“Hawk Tail.” The pegasus looked up at his name to see Dawn giving him a quiet, confident smile. “You worry too much. Just like me.”
Hawk raised an eyebrow. “Like you? What do you mean?”
The mare sighed and turned towards the window, staring at her own faint reflection in the glass. “You know what I did, why I can’t go back.”
Hawk mouthed her words to himself. Frowning, he narrowed his eyes at the orange mare. “Dawn, you know that’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?” she asked, not looking at Hawk Tail. Pausing for a second, she shook her head. “I understand your fear, worry, et cetera. At first I hid away because I was afraid. Came to terms with it eventually. Comfortable now. Regrets, a few.” Turning away from the window, she fixed Hawk with a pointed stare. “Way I see it is you act now before you make your mind up the other way. Not everypony gets a second chance.”
Hawk was quiet for a minute, staring into his tea but not really seeing anything. Eventually, he turned to Dawn with a wary resolution in his eyes. “Okay,” he said, nodding once. “What do I say? What do I do?”
Dawn took a sip of her tea. “Have you tried asking?” she asked with a faint smirk.
He shook his head. “How do I even know she’s interested?”
“She’s interested,” Dawn replied. “I can see it when you two are together. You both may be blind, bumbling idiots, but the attraction’s there.” She grinned at Hawk’s frown. “I’m serious. The way she looks at you. The way she talks around you. Don’t believe me?”
“No, I believe you,” Hawk said.
“You have doubts.”
“…Yeah, a few.”
Dawn sat back down across from him. “How does Rainbow Dash act around us?”
Hawk shrugged. “I don’t know… Loud? Brash? Cocky? Boisterous?”
The mare nodded. “Exactly. Now, how does she act when she’s alone with you?”
He already knew where Dawn was going before he even answered her question. “Quieter… shy even.” He looked at her again. “You really mean it, don’t you?”
Dawn waved her hoof. “Always meant it. You just didn’t believe me.” She narrowed her eyes at Hawk’s tea. “You haven’t drank your tea yet.”
Hawk Tail picked the mug up. “Sorry.” Taking a sip of it, he nodded and fluttered his wings. “It’s good. Thanks.” Taking another sip, he set the mug back down. “So what do I say? You’re a mare; help me out.”
“What? You’re looking for something poetic, romantic, something that will make her swoon and fall into your outstretched forelegs?” Dawn chuckled quietly. “You’re overthinking it. Might be expected of a noble, baroness, countess, anything ending with ‘-ess’. Those are games that ponies who think much too highly of themselves and each other play for the dramatic, for their own entertainment and the grooming of one another’s egos.”
The stallion frowned. “Really? So I just ask her out then?”
Dawn raised a hoof. “No no no, not what I’m saying at all. Although—hmm. In a sense. At least by comparison.” She paused and placed her hoof to her chin thinking. “Would personally turn down any stallion that came to me out of the blue with flowers and a proclamation of love. Rainbow’s made of similar ‘stuff’. So yes, ask her out, but not with formalities or other ‘romancy’ stuff. Have dinner with her, just the two of you. Plain and simple.”
Hawk nodded. “Okay, I get it. I’ll see if she wants to go to The Lights tonight when she wakes up.”
“The Lights?” Dawn asked, raising an eyebrow. “Never heard of it. Good restaurant? Or a diner?”
Hawk smiled and patted Dawn on the shoulder. “You really need to get out more.”
“I do; I spend most of my evenings in my hammock out back.”
“No, I mean go to town every once in a while.”
Dawn pursed her lips and stared at her mug. “Good tea,” she muttered, deflecting Hawk’s comment.
The stallion shook his head, abandoning the subject. “The Lights is a nice restaurant by the Run in the north quarter of town. It’s got tables almost right on the water, and a great selection of food from Mymis. When the sun goes down, everything’s lit by oil lanterns so it’s like the stars came down from the sky to float on the water.” Poking Dawn in the shoulder, he added, “Lanner and I should really take you there sometime.”
“Yes… that sounds… lovely,” Dawn grimaced. She took a second to smooth her mane and chase away the offending thoughts. “Although...” she began, tapping her hoof to her chin, “Don’t think she’d appreciate a place like that. At least not at first. Might not be the most poetic mare, there’s a part of her that wants to be treated nice. Buried under her athleticism and tomboyish nature. But not in that way.”
Hawk cocked his head. “So what would be a good idea, then?”
The mare thought for a moment. “Perhaps something less formal. Private. Relaxed. Airy. Know how much she loves the open sky.”
“So a picnic then?”
She nodded. “That would do.”
Smiling, Hawk stood up and embraced Dawn. “Thanks, Dawn.”
Dawn’s body stiffened like she’d been struck with a bolt of lightning. “Hawk! Space!”
The stallion withdrew from the orange unicorn, but the mirth in his smile was still there. “Sorry; I forgot.”
Dawn leered at him. “Right. Remember next time.” Her shoulders relaxed, and she was able to give the pegasus a twinge of a smile. “And you’re welcome. Figured I could do my best to help move things along.”
Hawk nodded. “And for that I’m thankful. I’ll let you know how it goes tonight, okay?”
“Right. Sure. Will be here if you need me,” the mare said, waving a hoof. “Now, where was I?” With a bright pop, the room reverted to its original state, leaving piles of notes where the two ponies had shared tea moments before. “Have to continue working on a counterspell for Rainbow’s curse. Hope to make some progress by the end of the week.”
The stallion watched her for a few seconds. “You really should come to town someday. We can meet up with you and have some fun.”
Dawn rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything. Hawk figured she was just tired of repeating herself.
Leaving Dawn to her research, Hawk gently shut the door behind him. The fresh woodland air brought a smile to his lips as he inhaled. Dawn sure had a nice home here. Even without her paranoia, Hawk figured that he’d hardly leave for town if it was his house. Besides, the solitude was nice, and suddenly trotting into town would probably be too big of a shock for the mare to handle.
His eyes fell on Dawn’s sketchbook lying right outside her door, the ink already dried in the sun. In that moment an idea came to him, a way to repay Dawn’s help and maybe help her work up the courage to return to town. Reaching down, he carefully tore the picture free of the rest of the sketchbook and very carefully rolled it in his hooves. Then, carefully tucking it against his chest, he spread his wings and took flight, aiming for the center of town.
The mare would probably be mad at him at first, sure, but he figured she’d like what he had in store for her.
-----
When Rainbow Dash finally opened her eyes, the sun was already an orb of orange hanging low over the horizon. For once, she actually felt well rested. Unlike many of her previous nights, there hadn’t been any terrifying images or half-remembered memories that jostled her from her sleep and left her sweating, panting, trying to make sense of what she’d seen. Instead, this time she’d simply been woken by the amber hues of the sun slicing through half-closed blinds to strike her in her face.
Yawning, she sat up straight and went to stretch both wings, only to remember with a wince of pain that her left was broken. She sighed, looking on the bandaged limb like it’d betrayed her. She’d just gotten her freedom back, and now she was grounded again by a broken bone? Uncool.
As much as she hated to admit it, it really was her own fault. Instead of taking Lanner’s advice, she’d pushed herself too far, trying to perform for the many citizens of Nymera that had come out to see her. Now she was just getting what she deserved.
Well, it wasn’t all that bad, Rainbow supposed. Okay, that was a lie, but she could still go running. Wrangler would be happy to have her back at the farm. Besides, Rainbow always knew she was more of a sprinter than an endurance flyer; maybe this would help make up for it.
Groaning, she rolled out of bed and onto her hooves with four solid clops, and briefly glanced at the mirror long enough to note that her mane was an unkempt mess. Grumbling, the mare leaned forward and flipped her hair over her eyes, then gave herself a vigorous shake. When she looked back in the mirror, the strands of color were all separated again, and her bangs hung in front of her in their usual roughshod shape. Grinning, she made a few poses and faces at her reflection to wake herself up and trotted out of her bedroom.
The house was quiet this late in the afternoon. Lanner’s singing was nowhere to be heard, and Hawk Tail wasn’t relaxing on a couch in the living room reading a book or otherwise preoccupying himself. Even the kitchen was empty, and it didn’t look like anypony was preparing food for the night’s meal. They all must’ve gone out to eat, Rainbow supposed.
Yawning once more, Rainbow walked back into the living room, whistling a tune to herself. She made to go towards the door, figuring that she’d walk into town and find where Hawk or Lanner were hanging out, but the glinting light off of a picture frame stopped her. Curious, the mare turned and picked up the painting in a wing.
It was a portrait of Red Tail and an ice blue mare standing side by side in front of their house. Red Tail had his gray wing draped over the mare’s back, who was leaning in close to rub her cheek against his. Atop her head, red, blue, and green bangs hung over her brow, ending with a roughly shorn end down her neck that reminded Rainbow an awful lot of her own mane, albeit even longer. The mare’s left wing was opened slightly in the joy of the moment. Both ponies looked so young, barely in their twenties, but Rainbow couldn’t think of a truer expression of love in Red Tail’s calm and stoic eyes and the mare’s happy grin.
There was another picture next to it which Rainbow picked up next. This one was more formal than the last, with Red Tail standing next to the mare in his military uniform. Rainbow could tell that the mare had tried to put on her best face, but her brow was creased with slight wrinkles of worry and her ears weren’t perfectly straight up. There was a slight bulge to her belly, and she held her legs in such a way that it was hard to notice at first.
Setting it down, Rainbow’s attention turned to the last picture she could see with the mare in it. In this picture, there weren’t one or two ponies, but three. Sitting atop his mom’s shoulders was none other than Hawk Tail himself, barely more than three or four. His parents stood together, wings brushing, with both their attentions fixed on the little foal. Hawk Tail’s mom in particular seemed absolutely exuberant, her eyes glowing as she helped the foal keep his balance with an outstretched wing.
“She was a good pony, you know.”
Rainbow started and nearly dropped the picture, managing to catch it at the last possible moment. Gently setting it down, she turned to see Red Tail standing in the hallway. There was a ghost of a smile on his face, which surprised Rainbow. She couldn’t remember seeing him smile at all in her time with them.
The stallion was silent as he walked closer, his muted hoofsteps across the carpet the only sound until he came to a stop right next to Rainbow Dash. The colorful mare fidgeted slightly but refused to take a step to the side so she wouldn’t offend Hawk’s father. Her ruby eyes watched him gently take the last picture and hold it close.
“I’m sorry,” Rainbow murmured. “Hawk told me she died years ago. She seems like she was a really cool pony. For something to happen to somepony like that’s pretty…” she made circles with her good wing as if trying to dig for the right word. “Pretty lame.”
Red nodded. “There were complications with Lanner’s birth, and Jetstream died minutes after she was born. There wasn’t anything the doctors could do for her; she was losing too much blood, too fast.” He sighed and held the picture against his breast, and Rainbow could almost see the memories crushing him. “She loved her children, even though she never got to see Lanner grow up. She had just enough time to hold her daughter... to cherish her, tell her she was loved...” He swallowed hard and looked away. “...and say goodbye before she was gone.”
Rainbow felt an involuntary shudder tear through her body, and she blinked several times to keep her emotions in check. “Wow, that’s… that’s really rough.” Shuffling her wings awkwardly, she studied the picture of Jetstream and Red Tail in front of their house. “What was she like? Err... if you don’t mind me asking.”
“Happy,” Red answered her, setting the picture down. “She wasn’t pessimistic in the slightest, and almost never got angry. That’s... it’s what I loved about her.” His voice quivered with emotion, and Rainbow briefly considered comforting him with a wing, before realizing that it most likely wouldn’t be appreciated.
“I would’ve liked to have met her,” Rainbow finally said, looking back at the picture. “From what you make it sound like, I don’t think I’ve ever met a happier pony... well, not that I really remember, anyway.” Her lips briefly flickered in a sad smile.
Red Tail smiled. “I think you’ve gotten more familiar with her spirit than you realize. Lanner really takes after her.” Raising a wing, he pointed to a happy picture of Lanner hanging from a tree branch. “Sometimes I feel like her soul lives on in Lanner. The filly’s every bit as happy as her mother ever was, and then some.” Chuckling, he shook his head. “I like to think if Jetstream were around today the two would be inseparable.”
“I’m sure they would be,” Rainbow agreed in a quiet voice.
Red Tail nodded, thinking for a few moments. Suddenly his wing extended and draped across Rainbow’s back, making the mare tense. “Come, walk with me,” he said, leading Rainbow to the door. The mare squirmed but was carried along by the taller stallion’s strides.
The setting sun blinded Rainbow for a moment, and she raised a wing to shield her eyes. When they finally adjusted, she was able to take a deep breath and enjoy the warm feeling of the summer sunset warming her coat. Finally withdrawing his wing, Red Tail led the two of them down the steps and onto the path leading towards town at a lazy canter. Rainbow hovered a little off to the side, letting her eyes wander across the countryside.
They were about halfway towards town when Red Tail spoke again. “Have you enjoyed your time with us so far, Rainbow?”
Rainbow blinked at the sudden question. “Uh… yeah, Mr. Tail. It’s been fun…” She chuckled. “Well, apart from the memory loss, broken wings, night terrors…”
The stallion hummed, nodding once. Rainbow saw him cast a glance at her over his shoulder. “Hawk’s really enjoyed having you over. Lanner too.” He made a sort of coughing noise that Rainbow figured was a quiet laugh. “It’s done wonders for the boy, honestly. He used to be fairly reclusive; still is, with the time he spends at the post office. But he’s been really interested in your health and is always eager to take you sightseeing in town or beyond.”
The colorful mare cocked her head. “Reclusive? Really? He always seemed pretty outgoing to me.”
“Yes… well, he had his circle of friends, and they’d see each other every so often, but they never really hung out together,” Red Tail said. “You’ve really brought them all closer together, whether you’ve realized it or not. Jubilee Day?” He shook his head. “I was happy to hear that they were all going together with you. Unfortunate it ended the way it did, but it happens.”
Rainbow nodded quietly. “Yeah, but I like being around them anyway. They’re all great ponies and great friends. Hay, they’re my only friends… or at least the only ones I can really remember.” Save one.
The stallion looked towards the horizon, his eyes focusing on something far away and long ago. “I’m glad. It’s good to have ponies you care about to share in your life.”
Heat built in Rainbow’s cheeks and brought a thoughtful frown to her lips. An easy quiet settled between the two pegasi as neither gave voice to their thoughts. Then Rainbow slid a few steps closer to Red Tail and gently extended her wing to pull him into a half-embrace.
“Thanks,” she said without looking at him. “You know... for the chat.”
Red Tail simply nodded, returning the hug with his wing. They lingered for a few uninterrupted seconds.
“I’m, uh,” Rainbow cleared her throat, withdrawing her wing and looking to the side, “I’m gonna go for a run.” And with that little excuse, she turned around and galloped back towards the house.
Shaking his head, Red Tail continued towards town with a slight smile drawn on his face.
-----
When Rainbow Dash returned to the house, Red Tail was but a distant speck on the hillside. Her cheeks still faintly burned, but at least she’d worked most of it off with the gallop. If anypony happened to ask, she could easily write it off as getting some exercise.
She was surprised to see Hawk Tail sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, chin perched on his hoof and his eyes watching something distant on the horizon. He almost didn’t notice Rainbow approaching until he heard her hooves clop on the worn wooden stairs. His ears perked, and he smiled as he saw the tired mare approaching.
“Somepony’s been out running?” he asked, gesturing to a rocker next to him as the colorful pegasus approached. “I thought you were dead tired this morning.”
“Well, I was,” Rainbow admitted. Her hooves slowly clopped across the boards in the deck, and with a groan, she settled into the rocker next to Hawk Tail. “But that’s what sleep’s for, you know?”
“Mmm, I suppose,” Hawk hummed. “I just figured you’d still be in bed when I came back.”
Rainbow scoffed. “You think I’m the kind of pegasus that can handle sitting around all day? I mean, I like my naps, but I get itchy just sitting still.” She wiggled her rump for emphasis as she settled deeper into the rocker. Yawning, she spread her forelegs out over the sides until she felt their joints pop and loosen up. “I figure if I can’t fly, I might as well go running.”
Hawk nodded. “Wrangler’ll like that. She told me she enjoys running with you.”
“She tells me that all the time,” Rainbow said. Closing her eyes, she pushed off against the ground and let her chair gently rock back and forth. “If only she wasn’t so busy with her ranch, then we could do more things together. As is, I can really only catch her in the early morning or during meals, unless I want to hunt her down when she’s herding the cattle.”
Hawk Tail dipped his head once, and he too kicked off in his rocker and set it in motion. The two pegasi simply sat in the rockers and watched the golden light of the early sunset fade into vibrant orange and pink hues. The clouds overhead decorated the sky like delicate veils, letting the sleepy sun paint them with their beautiful colors, while the first of the evening stars managed to pierce through the glow from the west. Soon enough the hour of twilight was upon them, casting long shadows over the porch and filling the air with the fresh chill of night. They doubtless would have sat like that a bit longer, but Rainbow’s stomach had other desires, which it made apparent to both ponies relaxing under the twilight sky.
Rainbow started, staring down at her stomach as if to make sure she was the one that made the noise, and then sheepishly smiled at Hawk Tail. “So… got any meal plans?” she said with a nervous laugh.
“Well, um, no. Not particularly,” Hawk answered her. “Or at least, nothing set in stone. Want to go somewhere?”
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I mean, sure, I guess…”
The stallion thought for a moment before stomping his hoof on the porch. “Aha! I got it!” Grinning at Rainbow Dash, he rose from his seat and took wing. “Stay right there, I’ll be back.”
Rainbow blinked as he disappeared in a blur of feathers. “Uh… sure?” she said to one brown plume spinning to the ground. Biting her lip, she kicked against the porch and set her chair in motion again, humming to herself as she waited.
The lulling back-and-forth of the rocking chair, the darkening twilight sky, and the buzzing of katydids in the prairie grass threatened to pull Rainbow Dash into sleep’s warm embrace by the time Hawk Tail returned. In fact, Rainbow was struggling to keep her eyes open when Hawk’s head suddenly peeking down from the overhang of the porch, like a bat no less, brought her back to the waking world.
“Hello!” Hawk practically chirped. Seeing Rainbow startled awake, the smile on his face replaced itself with a sheepish grin. “Oh… I didn’t wake you, did I?”
Rainbow smirked, chuckled, and shook her head. “Nah, I was just a little tired… and bored.” She yawned and arched her back, the vertebrae in her spine spitting forth a satisfying trio of dull pops. “Breaking a wing takes more out of you than you’d think.”
Hawk smiled, although with his mane hanging at gravity’s whim his expression still looked absolutely ridiculous, and Rainbow found herself fighting the urge to laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ve broken one or two,” he responded, either oblivious to the mare’s struggles or simply not caring. “Of course, Lanner had me fixed up in no time—which is why you should listen to her.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes and accompanied the motion with a wave of her hoof. “I know, I know. Like I said earlier: lesson learned.” Her stomach growled again, and after a quick glance at her blue belly fur, glanced back at the stallion. “So, what’d you run off for?”
“To find somewhere to eat,” he answered. With a grunt he slid off of the roof and caught himself in a hover on the other side of the porch railing. “I found someplace nice, airy, and about a mile off the ground.”
“Off the ground?” Rainbow asked, furrowing her brow. “You know that’s a problem… right?” She fluttered the only wing she could for emphasis.
But Hawk only smiled. “Oh, I’m aware,” he said, and turning skywards, he disappeared above the overhang, where Rainbow heard his hooves clop on the wood through the roof. “But I’ve got a solution!”
“Hey, if you can fix my wing, be my guest,” Rainbow shouted at him. “But if Lanner can’t do anything about it except tell me to wait, then I doubt you could—”
Her words caught in her throat and died in surprise as a fluffy white cumulus cloud drifted off the overhang and hovered over the stairs. With a dull thwumpf, Hawk jumped off of the roof and landed on the cloud, his weight lowering it to ground level. Stepping off of the cloud and onto the porch, he took Rainbow’s foreleg and pulled her to her hooves. “It’s not exactly a chariot, but I think you’d enjoy it a little more than solid wood.”
Rainbow was still gaping at the sudden appearance of the cloud. When she finally got her senses back underneath her, she turned to Hawk, beaming. “Enjoy it? It’s awesome!” At the last word, she practically tackled Hawk Tail in an embrace. It didn’t last long, however, before she swiftly released him and dived onto the cloud. Sighing, she rolled in the fluffy white condensation. “Ahhh…. Just what I needed to feel.”
Brushing himself off, Hawk Tail fluttered over and pressed his forehooves into the cloud. “Try not to fall off this time,” he said with a wink.
Finally sitting up straight, Rainbow smirked at him. “I wouldn’t want you to get bored now, would I?” Her cocky grin gave way to a more comfortable smile. “Besides, I bet you’d catch me if I did.”
“Supposedly,” Hawk said, coyly grinning back at her. “You sure you trust me?”
“Pffft. You couldn’t hurt a fly even if it bit you.”
“What are you talking about? I hate flies.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Right.”
“I’m serious. They all should die.” Grunting, Hawk flapped his wings and pushed the cloud off of the ground at a leisurely pace. Slowly, the two pegasi rose above the ground into the indigo skies, with little but the illumination of the city below them and the soft white glow of the moon above them to light the way. Far to the west, all that remained of the sun was a dull amber glow retreating beneath the horizon, already being swallowed up by the deep blue of the night.
“Doing good up there?” Hawk asked when they were a thousand or so feet above town below and still climbing.
“You have no idea.” Rainbow breathed a sigh of ecstasy. “It makes me feel like a real pegasus, not some ground pony.”
Her eyes caught a glow above them, seemingly on the clouds themselves. Turning to Hawk Tail, she raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“It’s where we’re going,” the stallion answered.
Rainbow blinked. “You didn’t…”
Hawk grinned back at her. “Like I said, I figured you’d like to eat someplace with altitude and privacy, especially after the rather dramatic ending to your airshow the other day.”
“Well,” Rainbow began, leaning forward on the cloud, “you aren’t wrong about that.”
In a few short moments, Hawk and Rainbow finally ascended to the level of the lights, and with a little nudge, the stallion brought Rainbow’s cloud to a stop. With a quick stroke of his wings, Hawk landed on the central cloud across from her, upon which rested a wicker basket flanked by two candles to provide light. Rainbow shuffled forward to the edge of her cloud and sniffed at the basket. The aromas of warm bread and fresh fruit flooded her senses, and her empty stomach practically flipped at the smell.
“It’s just something simple and quick I picked up from town for a few cyrs worth,” Hawk admitted, grasping the lid of the basket with his teeth and setting it aside. “But the bread’s from the best bakery in town, and the fruit was picked this morning, so it’s hard to get better than this.” Reaching into the basket, he handed Rainbow a warm loaf of bread, some apples and oranges, and a small bottle of cider. Taking his own meal out of the basket, he settled into the cushion of the cloud and smiled at her. “Enjoy!”
“You don’t need to tell me twice!” Rainbow exclaimed, tearing off a large chunk of bread to satisfy her ravenous hunger. Swallowing the morsel, she sighed and closed her eyes. “Mmmm… that hits the spot.” She immediately attacked the bread again, the flaky crust leaving crumbs that clung to the fur on her muzzle.
Hawk Tail, meanwhile, settled into his meal much slower, as he was trying not to laugh as he watched Rainbow conquer her meal. Only when the mare had scarfed down half of the bread did she stop to take a quick break and admire the sights.
Down below, River’s Reach glowed with the yellow lights of numerous lanterns and candles, the wooden buildings nearly indistinguishable from one another. Instead, the lights sparkled on the river as it flowed between the banks and around Cyr Island, like a piece of the night sky lay under them, resting on the surface of the world far below.
“What a view,” Hawk murmured. “I should go for night flights more.”
Rainbow looked at him. “You mean that you don’t?”
Hawk shrugged. “Too busy between the post office, the rookery, and taking care of things in town and at home.” He opened his bottle of cider and took a sip. A playful grin pulled at Hawk’s lips as he looked over at Rainbow. “Besides, you’re kind of a hoof full.”
Rainbow stuck her tongue out at Hawk before she picked an apple out of the basket and bit into it. It was sweet, crisp, and refreshing—but it was hardly perfect. Thoughtfully chewing on the flesh, she examined the fruit between her hooves. Her expression fell ever so slightly and her good wing tensed at her side.
“Something wrong?” Hawk asked, noticing her stare. “You want a different one?”
Rainbow shook her head. “No, it’s—it’s not that.” She frowned at the apple. “It’s a good apple, just not the best I’ve ever had.”
Hawk raised an eyebrow. “It’s the best you can get around these parts at least. All the really good apples go to Mymis; you’d probably love those.”
“It still wouldn’t be the best apples I’ve ever had,” Rainbow insisted. “My friend back… wherever… she used to grow the best apples I’ve ever tasted.” She smiled. “They were so good that there was a nationwide demand for them. And all I had to do was take a quick flight down to her orchard if I wanted one.”
“Do you remember her?” Hawk asked, his voice soft, gentle, and concerned.
“Only the tiniest bits,” Rainbow admitted. “I don’t know her name… what she looked like… how she sounded…” Again she held the apple before her. “But she was a farmer, and apples were her family’s specialty. She was kind of like Wrangler, I suppose.” Rainbow thought for a moment. “She always wore a hat—a Stetson, to be exact. But that’s all I can remember.” She laughed bitterly. “Funny that that’s what I remember about her. The damn hat. Like that’s the most important thing about her.”
Seeing Rainbow gnash her teeth together in frustration, Hawk quietly left his cloud and fluttered over to Rainbow’s. Placing a hoof on her back, her rubbed between her wings to try and comfort her. “It’s okay, Rainbow,” he said, his voice filled with concern. “Don’t worry about it now. It’ll all come back in time.”
Rainbow nodded, but was silent. Hawk rubbed her back a few more times before withdrawing his hoof and simply settling down next to her. Together, the two pegasi watched River’s Reach from high above, picking out the faint specks of ponies crossing one of its numerous bridges or walking along the banks.
“I can’t believe that just yesterday was Jubilee Day,” Hawk said, shaking his head. A small smile pulled at his lips, and his eyes wandered across the townscape below them. “Almost everypony that came to see it has gone already.”
“Psshh… you guys move fast out here, don’t you?” Rainbow asked.
“Only when it comes to the one holiday we have that makes us nationally important,” Hawk answered. He took another sip of his cider and stared into the stars reflected in the river. “Most of the time we’re just laid back and easygoing. But you already knew that,” he said, his eyes flicking to Rainbow.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Rainbow said. Stretching her one good wing, she looked at the fraying feathers; she’d need to preen them at some point. “I’m not usually one for coming down to earth and taking things slow, but you guys have a pretty great setup here.”
Hawk chuckled. “I thank you on behalf of River’s Reach,” he said, adding a sarcastic bow of his head into the mix. Rainbow laughed and shook her head.
“You’re so weird sometimes,” she said, her voice falling off to a soft murmur.
The stallion raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Is that a bad thing?”
Rainbow emphatically shook her head, her rainbow bangs flouncing back and forth across her forehead. “No, no! Not at all! It’s just… I dunno.” Looking for an escape, she grabbed her cider and took a sip to buy herself some time for the right words. “I don’t mind. I like that about you actually.” Her ruby eyes met Hawk’s umber ones. “It makes you fun to be around and stuff.”
Hawk smiled. “Heh, thanks. You’re fun to be around, too.” His rear hooves fidgeted on the cloud. “Honestly, these past few weeks since I found you half-drowned and bedraggled by a lake have been some of the best of my life. Stressful, yes, but also fun.” His smile turned sad. “I’m just hoping that your memories come back someday soon. You’ve probably got other ponies somewhere out there that are missing you terribly right now.”
“Yeah…” Rainbow said, staring into her drink. She shrugged her wings and looked back at Hawk. “But it’s been fun in the meanwhile—if you forget the rocky start, of course.” She bit her lip and turned her focus to the moon. It was a few seconds longer before she added, “Although I’m in no real hurry to get up and outta here… I’m pretty happy with what I do know right now, what I do remember.”
The stallion watched her face a moment. “I’m glad,” he said, his voice soft. His hoof twitched and started in Rainbow’s direction, but stopped, and he flattened his ears against his head. Biting his lip, he sighed softly and looked away. “But we’ll do our best to get you back on your hooves again… get you back to the ponies who love you.”
Rainbow hummed, her ruby eyes wandering across the countryside below. “I know you will,” she said. “Because I trust you guys. But for now…”
The touch of Rainbow’s shoulder against his surprised Hawk Tail, and he spun his head around to see the mare had slid closer to him. Their eyes met for just a moment, but broke just as quickly.
“For now, I just want to enjoy the night.”
Hawk smiled as Rainbow let out a breath and made herself comfortable. His right wing slid across Rainbow’s back, holding her close as they watched the moon rise higher and higher in the sky.
“Me too,” Hawk said. “Me too.”