“For... uhm...” Twilight gulped, floating a few feet off the bluff overlooking crashing waves. “For what it's worth, Rainbow, I think... I-I think you and you friends brought light into Imre's life.” She tried smiling. It came out in a small, feeble curve. “It's a real shame what her father did to her, but I... I-I really can't imagine she'd have all that prosperous of a life if she was left to waste away with those heartless warriors in Searo's Hold.”
“I get what you're trying to do, Twilight,” Rainbow muttered, gazing upon the waves. “Or, rather, what you're trying to say. And, believe me, I've thought the situation through and through in every way possible.” She slowly shook her head. “There's no telling where Imre would have been if I hadn't crossed paths with her. Maybe she'd be in a happier place. Maybe she'd be in total misery. All I know is—thanks to her—the rest of my friends got away in time to live another day... heck... the rest of their friggin' lives.”
“And this... this Noble Jury of yours...” Twilight cocked her head to the side. “Did you make it out of that horrible continent safely?”
“It took a great deal of trial and error. Lots of bad things happened... and lots of good stuff too.” Rainbow Dash's nostrils flared as she gazed down at the crashing waves. “Take Shell, for istance. He... he did many horrible things... and to many innocent ponies.” She gulped dryly. “And none of it would have happened if I-I hadn't led him to where their paths crossed... if I hadn't goaded him on...”
“You can't say that, Rainbow—”
“No, I can.” She turned to glare at Twilight. “You don't know because you weren't there, Twilight.”
The floating unicorn bit her lip. She avoided Rainbow's gaze only momentarily. “Wasn't I...?”
Rainbow sighed. She said, “Not in the way I was. And... for the most part, I think it's better that way.”
Twilight floated closer, gazing firmly. “Why do you say that?”
“I'm not kidding when I say a lot of bad stuff happened.”
“Would it help you to be more specific?” Twilight asked. “I know it would help me.”
Rainbow opened her mouth. She blinked, her lip pressed against the edge of her teeth. Eventually—as her ears folded back—she said: “No.”
“But Rainbow—”
“It's the good things that I wish to remember. The positive stuff that came from all this... from my travels.” Rainbow looked across the waters. “I've brought countries out of wars, and saved others from starting new ones. I've helped entire cultures see the light, or crawl out of the darkness. There were times when I doubted the truth, but eventually came to accept it—that I never stopped being a beacon for Harmony.” She glanced back, winking. “And a pretty awesome one at that.”
“Well, there's no denying that, Rainbow. It's just that... that...”
“Hmmm?”
Twilight grimaced slightly. “You've... you've gone through more than I'd ever want any of my friends to experience.” She sighed. “And you did so alone.”
“Heheheheh...”
Twilight arched an eyebrow.
Rainbow smirked. “Not alone.”
“Heeheehee... awwwwwww...” Twilight leaned her chin on her forelimbs as she floated upside down above Rainbow Dash. “That sounds like such an adorable moment.”
“Yeah, before it turned into a super sad one,” Rainbow muttered. She glided low over the waves as sunlight rippled across the waters. “But hey... they were all going on to better lives. I can only be happy for them, y'know?”
“Did they really get married on the spot?” Twilight asked.
“They decided to do it overnight,” Rainbow said with a nod. “Though nopony was surprised. Celestia knows I wasn't.” She twirled about, flying upside down as she faced Twilight against the dimming sky above. “There's just one weird part that always gets me.”
“What's that?”
“I really don't think the minister was used to binding two ponies of the same sex together.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Though, for a changeling, I suppose Ebon leaves something to be defined... technically...”
“What makes you say that?” Twilight asked. “About the minister, I mean.”
“Well, he kept referring to the union as a 'matrimony.'” Rainbow squinted past Twilight. “Is that really supposed to work with two dudes?”
“Heehee...” Twilight smiled. “I think the term 'patrimony' would work better.”
“What's the difference between 'mat' and 'pat?'”
“Eh...” Twilight shrugged. “I guess it doesn't matter.”
“Yowsers. Am I really talking to the same egghead?”
“I'm a bit out of sorts, Rainbow,” Twilight muttered. “Not to mention out of body.”
“Oops... my bad...”
“No. It's okay. Please...” Twilight smiled. “Tell me more about the friends you made while I was gone.”
“Erm... well...” Rainbow fidgeted in midair.
“Go back in time a bit,” Twilight said, her voice soft and foalish. “Share some memories that don't involve the last day you saw them.” A nervous titter. “If you d-don't mind.”
“Did you really need to hit him all the time?!” Twilight asked.
Rainbow yawned, sprawling across the bed again as starlight shimmered outside the window. “Mrmmff... well... if you knew the cheesehead yourself... you'd hit him too.”
“Yeah, but why?”
“The things he'd say...”
“Like what?”
“Well...” Ranbow rubbed her tired muzzle, squinting the floating unicorn's way. “If he was standing right here, looking at you, he'd probably say something like 'Hey babe, did you just swallow a coat rack or are you happy to see me?'”
Twilight's hoof swatted instinctively in Rainbow's direction.
The pegasus simply smirked as the limb phased through her. “See what I mean?”
“So crazy that he actually got together with the blonde Pinkie Pie.”
“Whew...” Rainbow rolled her eyes towards the dim ceiling. “Don't get me started.”
“Hmmm? What do you mean? On Zaid or the blonde?”
“Either,” Rainbow grumbled. “They were great flying buddies, but they could drive a pony up the wall.”
“Sounds like you were a good leader of the bunch.”
“Pffft...” Rainbow was caught between a giggle and a yawn. She snuck in a breath before wheezing: “I was no leader.”
“Of course you were!” Twilight twirled around and set her hooves down on the suite' floorboards—making phantom “contact.” She trotted back and forth in the starlight. “You took charge! You kept them from wringing each other's necks! I'm certain the only reason that 'Joshua' character didn't eat the entire food stock is because you threatened to rip his horn off...”
“'Josho,'” Rainbow muttered. “And you can thank Eagle Eye for that. If Josho did anything to make Ebon sad, Eagle Eye would have thrown Josho's fat ass off the Jury in a heartbeat.”
“Rainbow, honestly!”
“What, I'm being for real!”
“No, just... do you have to be so colorful about it?”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Please... I've been killed one and a half times and still you're gonna rag on me for that?”
Twilight stuck her nose up. “You can't use that card everytime, Rainbow! Don't forget, you're a living ambassador for harmony!”
“Yeah, well...” Rainbow fought another yawn. “Right now, I'm a living ambassador to sleepytown.”
“Oh, I'm so sorry!” Twilight winced. “I... I've kept you up all day!” She blinked. “Two days!” She brushed her bangs back, staring out the window. “I... I can't believe how much time has gone by...”
“Yeah...” Rainbow muttered into the bed covers, her body slowly rising and falling as she shut her eyes. “...it'll do that.”
Twilight stood in silence. After a long breath, she muttered, “...Rainbow?”
“Yeah... Twilight...?”
“… … … Do you believe any of the things Khao said?” Twilight turned to look over her shoulder. “Or the stuff you found inside 'Stratopolis?'”
Rainbow's eyes reopened dully. “What... Urohringr? Austraeoh? All that?”
Twilight nodded.
Rainbow rolled over in bed with a sigh. Stretching, she pointed a hoof straight forward.
Twilight blinked curiously at it. “What... what are you pointing at?”
“Yaerfaerda,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Wait... hold on...” Twilight rubbed her head in thought, muzzle scrunched. “I know this one. It's... it's 'foal yesterday.'”
“Very good, egghead...”
“Well, you only told me six hours ago or so.” Twilight leaned back. “It's the symbol that led you to the mines so you could save the ponies in Amulek, right?”
“Yup.”
“And...” Twilight smiled with a soft sight. “It's what led you to the Tower where you eventually found me.”
“Uh huh...” Rainbow stifled another yawn. “And I'm still seeing it.”
“Wait, what?” Twilight twirled around, blinking brightly. “How? Where?”
Rainbow stretched her hoof out further.
Twilight looked straight at a flat wall. “But... where? I don't see it?”
“That bothers me,” Rainbow muttered. “What's more... it's white now, and not lavender—as it always used to be.” She sighed out her nostrils. “That bothers me too.”
“What... what's that supposed to mean?”
“Right now? I haven't a clue. Beforehand?” Rainbow shrugged in bed. “It meant that something important would happen if I flew in that direction.”
“You'd... you'd regain your strength.”
Rainbow squirmed where she lay in bed.
“Right?”
“Something like that, sure,” Rainbow said. “Point is... my destiny isn't exactly my own anymore. Whether it's been hinted at by Whitemane or directed to me by Axan, I've been on this journey for more reasons than a daredevilish trip to the Midnight Armory.”
“And now that you've learned about the Herald... or the legacy of Commander Hurricane—”
“A previous pony has dodged the bullet before me,” Rainbow said. “But now... all things considered... it looks like Axan was right.” She gritted her teeth. “I am Austraeoh.”
“Then... then what happens next?” Twilight asked, lip trembling.
“I've no friggin' clue. Normally, I'd just keep on flying. But now?” Rainbow's eyes darted over. “Now that you're here...?”
Twilight stared back in blank confusion.
“I don't know what to do anymore, Twilight,” Rainbow said. “I'm not sure I'm supposed to do anything anymore. All this time, I was simply carrying myself forward. But now that you're back...” She produced a long sigh, shutting her eyes. “Nothing makes sense. I'm so friggin' glad to have you here, but... but it's so confusing. So darn confusing.”
“Just...” Twilight fidgeted, putting on a brave smile. “Just sleep on it, Rainbow. You've done enough thinking and talking for the day.”
“But... so much...” Rainbow muttered, deflating further and further into the bedsheets. “...so much to sort out...”
Twilight tried to pat her shoulder, only for her limb to phase through the bed. Undaunted, she took a deep breath and stated: “Let me do the sorting out. If nothing else, perhaps it's what I'm here to do.” She winked to the darkness. “I'm your personal pocket ghost egghead!”
“Heeheehee...” Rainbow cooed, drifting into unconsciousness. “...pocket ghost...” And then her lips pursed as she submerged completely into slumber.
Twilight gazed at her. Slowly, her eyes glazed over. She sniffled, turning about to gaze at the starlight. After several deep breaths, she calmed herself, then shut her lids so that she could float in place... peacefully and soundlessly.