Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy stood on one of the many balconies of Canterlot Castle, looking at the rose-colored from the setting sun city below them. It was beautiful, and Rainbow Dash struggled not to let the sadness register on her face. She'd spent so many nights on balconies like this, after stiff formal occasions, with Soarin right be her side, keeping her warm.
Thinking like that only made Rainbow sadder than before. A tear traced down her cheek, and she quickly turned her face away from her friends. She was Rainbow Dash, after all. Not some little cry-filly who burst into tears at the slightest thing.
Twilight put a gentle hoof on her friend's shoulder.
"Just try to enjoy it," she said quietly, so the others couldn't hear. "If that scumbag left you, he isn't worth your tears."
"I'm fine," Rainbow Dash said. "I just need some time alone."
Twilight gave Dash's shoulders a little squeeze before calling the others. "Come on, girls, let's let Rainbow alone for a while."
They trooped down to the Gala again, and Rainbow Dash let herself cry her heart out over that useless, sweet, scumbag, darling, stallion who left her.
She cried until she had no more tears to cry. Then she simply lay on the ground, feeling as though even Rarity would have been embarrassed by what she had just done, and wondered how Ditzy was doing with her foals back in Cloudsdale.
The sound of hooves behind her startled Rainbow Dash out of her thoughts. Maybe Twilight was coming back to see how she was doing. Well, Twilight should just leave me to sulk, Dash thought mournfully. She refused to look back, kept her eyes firmly on the horizon. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blue hoof wind its way around her neck, gently massaging the tense muscles in her shoulders.
What's wrong, Dashie-Girl?" said Soarin, surprisingly gently, compared to his usual seductive ways. "Miss me?"
Rainbow Dash squirmed free of his too-gentle embrace, and slowly turned to glare at her old lover.
"You," she said, her voice deadly quiet. "You dirty, cheating, liar. You said you loved me. You said you wouldn't leave me for the world. You said--"
"I know what I said, and I meant it. I still mean it. I've missed you more than you could ever imagine." Soarin's blue-green eyes were unnaturally wide, like they always were when he was worried. But Rainbow Dash didn't believe him. She couldn't.
"I can't believe you! First you leave me to take care of three foals by myself, with no money, because, in case you don't remember, you took all that with you, and now, you come back and expect me to just leap into your arms like some stupid little-- oh, I don't know, like you never left!" Hot, angry tears streamed down Rainbow's cheeks, and she continued to shriek at her husband, who hung his head and took her torrent of insults meekly. Soarin took Dash's hoof in his own and held it, gently but firmly, so she would listen.
"I know you're angry--"
"ANGRY?!?" Dash shrieked as she propelled herself into the air above Soarin. "You go and leave me to melt, and you think I'm angry? How about furious! How about heartbroken! How about devastated and hurt beyond repair and so terribly angry and insane with grief that it took weeks of therapy and Fluttershy begging 'til she was hoarse just get me to eat again! How about--"
"QUIET!" Soarin roared, his voice ragged with tears. "I've got something to say, and you'd better listen. I missed you, too. And I didn't leave you for another mare, I left you for a top secret mission for the Princess. Ask her. Ask her anything, and I swear she'll tell you. Don't you remember how I kept looking at you strangely before I left. Don't you remember how I kept taking you to places where the paparazzi could take our pictures? That's because I wanted to remember you when I left, in case I couldn't come back. I've been back a while now, but I heard you were mad at me and was afraid to go back. Do you know how much I've been dying to see our foals? But I didn't come until today, and maybe I shouldn't have at all. Maybe I should have just stayed heartbroken forever. Is that what you want?"
Rainbow Dash looked up at Soarin through heavy, wet lashes, wishing Rarity hadn't forced her to where so much makeup. She probably looked a mess.
"How come I'm supposed to believe you?" she said carefully.
"Because I love you," Soarin said plaintively. "Isn't that enough?"
"No."
"But--"
"Come on, we're going to see the princess." Rainbow Dash gripped Soarin's mane in her mouth and dragged him toward the exit.
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"So, you mean to say he really was on a secret mission?" Rainbow Dash was incredulous.
"Yes, Rainbow Dash, Soarin was busy keeping Equestria safe." Princess Celestia said for the hundredth time. She had already explained to Rainbow Dash that Soarin had been away with the other Wonderbolts, making sure that the rumors that the changelings that invaded Equestria 10 years ago were coming back weren't true, and if they were, making sure they could foil the changelings' plan before it was too late.
"Thank you, Princess. I, um, think we'd better go now." Rainbow Dash gently displaced Soarin's muzzle from her mane until they left the throne room. "Not now. she whispered when he tried to put it back.
"I'm, uh, I'm really sorry I didn't believe you, Soarin," Rainbow Dash said awkwardly, looking at the ground. She never was any good with apologies. "I love you."
Soarin kissed her lightly on the cheek, letting her get used to him again before he went back to his old, playful ways. Besides, he'd changed since before the quest.
Rainbow Dash and Soarin flew down to the ground to find the others. Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity were waiting for them. Fluttershy was still in the garden, talking to the animals, which she had made friends with, finally, a few years back.
"He came back!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly. "He didn't cheat on me at all!"
"I know, Rainbow Dash." Twilight came up to her. "We all knew. Princess Celestia told me about the mission, but she thought you would be too worried if you knew what he had to do. So I agreed not to tell you, because we all thought it would be for the best. I'm sorry, Rainbow. Now I know how wrong I was."
"I can't believe you would do that! How in Equestria did you-- " Rainbow Dash was on the verge of another fit, but Soarin's gentle hoof on her shoulder quieted her. "No. It's OK. How were you supposed to know it would go this way? I forgive you all. We're back together now."
"When we saw Soarin moping around on the ground because he thought he'd never see you again, we told him where you were. Hope you don't mind." Rarity gave a mischievious grin as she said it, glancing sideways at Soarin, who was back to nuzzling Rainbow's mane sweetly.
"I think it's time we all headed back to Ponyville," said Twilight. "The Gala is nearly over and besides, I can think of at least one pony who has some foals to meet."
Applejack trotted off to find Fluttershy, and then the six mares plus Soarin found their chariot and they started towards home. Applejack, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy squeezed onto one bench, and Soarin and Rainbow Dash shared the other.Rarity rode up with Spike, because she "liked the fresh air," but no-one believed that was the reason.
The six inside fell asleep quickly enough, leaving Rarity to coo softly at Spike at how splendidly it all turned out.
"Look how sweet the look," she said, nodding at the two pegasi curled together in the seat behind her. "Aren't you just delighted that we got them back together?"
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"Just look at them. Aren't you proud?" Rainbow Dash sat cuddled in Soarin's lap on the front porch of their Cloudsdale home. Daring Dash, Rainbow Shine, and SoarinDash tumbled and played in front of them, practicing for when they were old enough to go to Flight School. Suddenly, Daring came fluttering over.
"Mummy, Daddy, look! Watch this!" The filly climbed a pile of cloud built by her brother and sister, and took a flying leap from it. She managed a couple of flips before landing, giggling, face-down in the cloud-lawn. Rainbow Dash clapped and cheered for her daughter's trick, but Soarin immediately flew down to make sure his precious filly was unhurt. Rainbow Dash heard a soft giggle from the gate. Fluttershy flew over the low, decorative fence and sat down next to Rainbow.
"He would be an overprotective father," she giggled.
"And I love him for it," Rainbow Dash replied. "After all, someone's got to be overprotective."