//------------------------------// // Chapter 16: My Heart's Sacrifice // Story: This Bright Blazing Future // by Dynasty-Kaine //------------------------------// It was midday as Rainbow Dash prepped Harmony Breads and Cafe for her to run it in the next few days. She had worked hard during the weekend to get things set and ready for her chance to manage, and tomorrow she could open and operate the shop by herself. She was proud of her achievement, but there felt like there was a heavy feeling in her gut the whole day. Something was wrong, but what was it? As she walked out of the kitchen drying her hands her cell phone that was sitting on the front counter began going off. It was a generic ring tone, and she wouldn't normally answer it. Yet, in this case it could be Spitfire calling from somewhere else. Dash threw the towel aside and grabbed her phone. "Hello Rainbow Dash speaking, who is this?" the cyan mare said answering her phone. "Hey Dash it's Rapidfire, you know Spitfire's brother?" the stallion started sullenly. "You sound so depressed--Oh wait, did Twilight make you call?" she answered lightheartedly. "No she left last week Dash, this is about Spitty..." "What, is she okay?" the rainbow maned mare's heart instantly sunk. "Rapid, what happened to her?" "Dash she needs you." was the brother's simple reply. "Get out here as fast as you can, and I don't doubt that she will tell you exactly what happened." Rainbow's heart was pounding in her chest from sheer worry. Now she knew why she had felt so off this morning, and she had to go to Spitfire now. Looks like she wouldn't be opening the shop tomorrow after all. "I will be there in no time flat Rapid!" the cyan pegasus vowed as she hung up the phone. She worked quickly to put things away in the shop and turn the lights among other things off. The magenta eyes of the mare burned with urgency as she sped out the door, locked it, and launched herself into the sky full throttle. Within seconds she broke into the speed of a sonic rainboom, and she held onto the speed she was experiencing with all of her might. The world seemed to pass by her in a blur as she hurdled on towards Rapidfire's home. Normally it was a day long journey, but her golden mare needed her right this instant. The cyan mare was willing to push the limits of her muscular body to reach Spitfire within two hours if possible. She gritted her teeth as the strain began getting to her, she wouldn't give up now. She couldn't show that kind of weakness again! As the pain began to burn all over her body something happened she didn't expect. Her lungs began to feel like they were full of something, she began hacking and coughing. It broke her concentration while flying and she took a massive tumble from the skies and shot into a nearby lake, blasting the water everywhere and eventually ricocheting off the ground into a tree. As she landed on her hands and knees she continued coughing, covering her mouth, until finally something came out. The cyan mare lifted her hand to see it oozing with a mixture of her own blood and saliva. Her eyes went wide in fear at what she saw, but this fear was short lived as her entire body began screaming in pain. Her mind was quickly overwhelmed by this surge of stimuli coming from every direction. It felt like her body was breaking itself down to accommodate the huge surge of energy it had just used up. The pain she was experiencing was like nothing she had ever felt before. Why is this happening, is it because of how long I held the Rainboom...Or something worse? Despite this worry getting into her mind it was buried in seconds with a new wave of pain that elicited a scream of agony from Rainbow. She knew which lake she had just demolished, she was halfway to Rapidfire's home. She was so close to her Spitfire, and yet every time she moved it felt like a billion jagged sharp needles shot through her entire body. "Spitfire...Spitfire..." she managed to speak. "I...I will not...I can not...FAIL YOU!" Dash forced herself onto her legs, her body screamed in protest. Her stubborn, loyal willpower pushed her forward though as she took a step. She wasn't about to fail the one she cared so deeply for again, not so soon after the bond had been formed. The cyan mare would sooner die than see it happen again. She took another step, and another one after that until she was running with all she had. From within her shorts there was a light of magic shining out from roughly where her cutie marks sat upon her hips. Her loyal desire for Spitfire was giving her strength, and she could feel the pain ebbing away. It was as if her element of harmony could give her strength when her mind was perfectly in sync with who she was at the core, a loyal, caring, friend and lover. Somehow she managed to crouch down and leap back into the sky spreading her wings in flight yet again. Somehow there was no pain as her hips continued to shine. In the back of her mind she knew that once the effects of her element of loyalty faded, she would regret every bit of what she had done. For Spitty though, it was well worth the sacrifice. ________________________________________________________________________________________ A short time later... As she flew she saw the house and began to descend rapidly. She had done it, a day long flight in four hours flat. It wasn't two but she didn't particularly care as she saw a sight she didn't perceive as possible. It was Spitfire's golden body and blazing orange mane sitting on the front porch looking deflated. The second she noticed the rainbow maned mare approaching though she got up and ran out towards her. As Dash landed she saw the tears in the golden mare's eyes, but a smile on her face as she ran to her. The second she reached up to wave to Spitfire in relief, the world around her spun violently. She felt her body give weigh under her as she collapsed, and she expected a hard landing upon the ground. Instead she was caught in the soft, warm embrace of her mare. "Oh my god Dash, Dash are you alright?" the golden pegasus shouted frantically. "Now that I'm here, you have nothing to worry about Spitty..." the cyan mare mumbled as if drunk. "Of course I do you just collapsed, this is all my fault for letting what Misty said get to me!" the Wonderbolt cursed herself loudly, tears pouring from her eyes. "No really, don't worry about things." Rainbow continued muttering as she nuzzled closer to Spitfire's body. "We are together now, and that is all that really does matter." She quickly felt her consciousness subside as she slipped into a deep sleep. Celestia would have agreed, she needed the rest after that long bout of strength. As long as it was with Spitfire, Dash felt safe enough to pass out easily. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Later that evening... Dash groaned in pain as she came to again. Her body ached all over, but the soft texture of a bed beneath her helped ease her pains. Upon opening her eyes she saw she was in a plainly decorated room that was lit up by two lanturns near the door and a candle at her bedside. It must have been night time now, and she sighed in relief forgetting why she was here. In the next instant the cyan mare sat bolt upright, her eyes shooting open as she remembered why she was here. The reason she had absolutely broke through her own body's limitations. She looked around in vain seeing the golden mare nowhere in sight, her anxiety grew rapidly. "Spitfire?" Rainbow called out in her worry. In the next moment she heard hoofsteps rushing to her room, and then through the door came none other than the fiery maned mare. She looked just as worried as Dash felt, and for some reason it made her feel more at ease to know. To know that she was more worried about her than whatever happened to the golden flier earlier. "Dash are you alright?" the Wonderbolt said as she entered the room closing the door behind her. "You scared me half to death earlier!" "Yeah well that only happened cause your brother had me worried half to death that you had died or something!" the rainbow maned mare answered with a sheepish smile. As the golden pegasus got to the foot of the bed she reacted to what Dash had said, reaching up and grabbing her elbow with the hand opposite it. She could hear her kicking at the ground nervously as well. Spitfire's expression fell entirely as a frown formed on her lips, and her amber eyes seemed to lose their usual vigor. Whatever it was that happened earlier, it had seriously shaken the Wonderbolt. "Spits, would ya come here and lay next to me?" Rainbow said patting the open space beside her welcomingly. "Might be a little easier for us both." "What do you mean easier for us both?" the fiery maned mare shouted defensively. "Spitfire, this isn't the time for that and you know it." the cyan mare responded with a quiet compassionate voice. "Let's talk, okay?" The golden mare put her mental shield down after a moments hesitation, walked over and sat beside Dash. Despite this, she had kept her back to her as her legs hung from the bed. Spitfire had given some ground to her gentle words, but she was still resisting opening up about what had happened it seemed. It was silent between the two of them for a good long time as the Wonderbolt mulled things over in her mind. Spitfire began to shudder suddenly as sobs began to overtake her, and in that moment she knew whatever happened had put a dent in the golden mare's resolve. She reached over and grabbed the fiery maned mare and pulled her back onto the bed in a strong embrace. The mare quickly gave in to the embrace and pulled herself closer to Dash crying into her chest quickly moistening her shirt and fur beneath. Rainbow just held her and did all she could to calm the bold pegasus she so revered. They just laid there in one another's arms comforting one another in ways that could never be described in words. As Spitfire's sobs began subsiding she looked up at Dash with pain glazed amber orbs. "I-I helped her Dash...and all she did was throw my past in my face!" the golden mare lamented. "Who did hun?" the cyan mare cooed. "Am...Am I really just some five bit whore, who will do anything for a good time?" Spitfire shouted with a pain that brought her tears back. "Is there n-nothing th-that I can do...to undo my past?" There it was, the heaviest load that Spitfire had been carrying since she started her journey. Whoever it was, they forced her to confront the possibility that no matter what she did, not everything was going to be a perfect fix. That the smear on her life may never fully go away, even if she earned her redemption. Dash just stared back into her eyes kindly as she rubbed the mare's back. "Just let all the bad in your head out hun." she said softly. "I'm here to listen to you always, and when you're done...I'll take all those worries away again. I'll give you the strength you need to push forward." "But Dashie I--" "Hush now." she interrupted the golden pegasus by putting a simple finger to her lips. "You would do the same for me if this situation was reversed." Dash leaned in slowly as she said her last words, and gently kissed Spitfire's forehead. As she leaned back she saw the golden mare's eyes wide with surprise, but it was a warm surprise. Almost as if a fire was flickering back to life in her eyes. The cyan mare knew that she had the Wonderbolt's full attention now. With one action she restored her mare's resolve, and with one action she had moved her heart. This moment was almost too perfect for the two of them to take things farther than either was ready for. Spitfire didn't seem to care though at this point as she launched herself forward, connecting her lips to Dash's passionately. The cyan mare was surprised by this but slowly melted into the golden mare's tender lips as they kissed for the first time. They continued to kiss as long as their breaths would allow, savoring one another's passion toward the other. "Thank you Dashie...for everything..." Spitfire said softly as she broke away from the kiss, laying her head upon the cyan mare's chest. They weren't the most official of marefriends Rainbow felt, but she didn't care about the title all that much. It was just enough that she cared for Spitfire and that the golden mare cared for her. That night it was just enough that they cuddled close to one another, feeling the heartbeat and breath of the other was better than anything else on this planet. "Every time I'll catch you Spitty." the cyan blue mare said falling asleep again at the bliss of holding Spitfire close and safe next to her heart.