//------------------------------// // Chapter 15-Reunion // Story: In Love and War // by Rainbow_Danger_Dash //------------------------------// "You can't escape" There were red eyes glowing in the dark, hovering around her. "There is no hope" Everywhere. The same gaze was everywhere, watching her every move. "I will always find you" She curled up into a ball, shielding her face with her wing in a vain attempt to escape the constant glares. "Your life is mine" The ground beneath her vanished, and she was falling, the eyes still following her, all around her. "There is no escape" She flapped her wings in vain, only to find each time only increased her speed as she spiraled downwards. "Death awaits you" Everything turned to white as she smashed against a cold stone floor, the warmth of her blood tickling her fur. ------------------------------------------ Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to a blurred-out room, shades of white and silver overlapping. Clumsily she pulled herself up in the bed, barely noting the slight tug on her arm. Blinking several times, she made out the rough form of a needle in her foreleg, the end covered by a bandage. Muttering swears under her breath, she grabbed it in her teeth and pulled, wincing as it came out. Unable to fully control her strength, she threw herself off balance, rocking backwards before falling off the bed and hitting the floor head first. Dazed, she stumbled to her hooves weakly, legs wobbling as she tried to balance herself. Dash tried to spread her wings, but found them bound by a tight bandage, locking both to her body. "Damn." She said, half slurring the obscenity. Blinking several more times, Dash focused on what she made out to be a door. Half-stumbling, she made her way across the room, leaning on the bed for as support for as long as she could. Just as she stepped away, her hoof slipped and she fell face-first onto the cold tile. "Shit." Rubbing her nose, Rainbow Dash started off again at a much slower pace. Slowly she placed one hoof after the other, barely reaching the door before she slipped again, her hind legs giving out. "Fuck." Rubbing her now-sore posterior, she started to reach for the door handle when a noise on the other side startled her. Panic raced through her dazed mind as she struggled to plan any form of defense or see any makeshift weapon. She wobbled down to a crouch, her last resort for defense proving to be the only viable option. The time for the door handle to fully turn felt like hours as she tried to control the adrenaline-infused panic rushing through her clouded mind. The door swung open, the light from open windows steaming in, both blinding her and shading the intruder. Recovering as well as she could, Dash lunged. "Dash-" was all the stallion managed to get off before her wild swing connected with the side of his face. She fell to the ground as he staggered, pain reverberating through her hoof. She tried to push herself back up as the intruding stallion shouted for a nurse. 'Wait, what?!' As her scrambled mind began putting the pieces together, she saw a flash of pink and silver, then everything went dark. ------------------------------------------ Soarin sat alone at one of the wooden tables in the mess hall, nursing a fresh bruise on his cheek with his wing. He idly worked a knife into the soft wood, wedging it into a crack between boards. Frowning, he tried to wiggle it out, barely paying attention to the smack of a tray beside him marking the arrival of another pony. "Yo Soar, that's a nice hickey ya got there." Fleetfoot said with a snicker. "Cute, but not funny." "Aww, what's wrong with little baby Soarin?" She said, draping a wing around him before changing to a more seductive tone. "Is he all tuckered out from all that rough, steamy-" "You're a damn moron, you know that?" He shrugged her wing off of him and faced the other way, rubbing the tender bruise again. "Well you're no fun." "Yeah, you wouldn't be either if you just got decked by your marefriend out of the blue." His eyes widened as he realized he had just said too much to the wrong pony. "Wait WHAT?!?" Fleetfoot exclaimed before doubling over with laughter, falling out of the chair onto the floor. "You....you got...the shit smacked out you...by YOUR OWN MAREFRIEND!?" Soarin crossed his forelegs with a glare. "It's not funny." "No it's FUCKIN' HILARIOUS!!!" She fell back to the floor, pounding on it with a hoof. "Ya know, this is why nopony likes you." "Aww baby, you know you love me." Soarin opened his mouth to speak but quickly clamped it shut. There was no chance of her letting up any other way. He focused his attention back on working the knife out of the table. He didn't look up as Fleetfoot leaned closer. "Look man, let go a bit. Life's good! Your mare's back, the bugs are being quiet, and the bosses are content to chill behind our wall. The only thing we gotta worry about is the disturbing low quality of food we got here. I mean, we've had some bad stuff before, but this takes the cake. Speaking of cake..." Fleetfoot drifted off, glancing around. "Yeah, guess you're right." Soarin said with a faint grin. "Wait, what was that about cake?" "I heard Wave got ahold of some actual snack cakes. SNACK CAKES. Apparently someone shipped some from back home or some shit like that." "You're excited about snack cakes? Like the ones you got in your lunch as a foal?" "Who cares? It's actual food, right? You can sit with your adult 'food' and an empty stomach all you want, I'm gonna scrounge up some goodies!" "Yeah, you go do that. While you're at it, why don't you go ask to be hall monitor as well?" "Yeah? We'll see who's gonna be laughing whenever I'm swimming in sweet, sugary delights while you're still eating...whatever the fuck this is." Fleetfoot grimaced as she scooped up some of the green mush on her try before letting it fall off the spoon. "I rest my case. You can eat this slop if you want." Pushing her tray away, she slipped off the chair and ran towards the Wonderbolt's barracks. Soarin grinned as he watched her go. Despite the hell each of them had been put through, she seemed to be able to retain her old self. While he thought there was no chance of returning to his old life, perhaps there was a chance after all. Soarin was disturbed from his thoughts by a soft touch on his shoulder. He turned around, finding a nervous-looking nurse behind him. "Lieutenant Soarin? Is this a bad time?" He hesitated slightly, caught off guard by the question. "No, not at all. Why do you ask?" "It's Ms. Dash. She's awake, and asked for you rather...explicitly." He was on his hooves instantly, leaving the nurse behind. Kicking off the ground, he flew the short distance to the hospital before skidding to a stop in the small lobby. ------------------------------------------ Rainbow Dash anxiously watched the clock. Minutes felt like hours as she waited for the nurse to return. Only one thing-one pony-occupied her mind. It felt like an eternity in the making as she grew ever more impatient. The door creaked open, snapping Rainbow Dash out of her thoughts. He had already stepped inside, letting the door shut behind him. Part of her mind couldn't believe he was with her, safe at last. There was no more deception, no more fear. He was here, and she was safe. She tried to say something, but could only manage to choke out one word: "Soarin?" He stepped closer, half-smiling. "Hey Dash." Without another word, she pulled him into a tight embrace, lips locked. He pressed against her, forcing her back against the wall. She felt nearly crushed yet she dared not break away. Another kiss came, then another; neither holding back as waves of passion swept them. All they had thought lost had returned in an instant, engulfing them in unbridled love. Dash let out a slight moan as Soarin pressed the kiss even deeper. She wrapped her hooves around him and pulled him closer, just as the door smacked against the wall as it was swung open. They quickly separated, making immediate eye contact with the nurse who had burst into the room with a medical kit in tow. Dash's face broke out in a bright crimson blush as Soarin smiled sheepishly. The sounds of the clock's hand ticking away and the slowing heart monitor provided the only break in the silence as both parties stared at each other awkwardly. Slowly the nurse backed out of the door, closing it shut softly. Soarin looked back at Dash, who still stared towards the floor, blushing. He snickered, then broke out into laughter as he fell to the floor. "What's so funny?" Dash hissed, turning her glare to him. "I'm...I'm sorry. I just didn't know...you could turn that shade of red!" He broke out into another fit of laughter as she narrowed her eyes even more. "You're SO funny." "I'm sorry. Ya gotta admit though...it wasn't the worst thing to get caught doing. But maybe we should wait for later, eh?" "I guess so." Dash pouted. "Freakin' hospital shit." She slid over, tapping the bed lightly with her hoof. "Get your butt over here." "Hey that 'hospital shit' is important, ya know." He said as he lay down on the bed beside her. "Yeah, but it ruined my fun." She snuggled up close to him, laying her head on his chest. "Oh it did, huh?" Soarin grinned slightly as he slid his hoof near the base of her wing, watching the heart monitor's line began to increase in frequency. "Don't you dare, mister." "What? I wasn't doing anything at all." "Don't play innocent. You get us in trouble again and I'll kick your butt." "Aww, you're no fun." She grinned mischievously and poked him sharply in the side, causing him to jump slightly. "Yeah, I'm no fun at all." The smile faded from her eyes as she leaned in closer, kissing his cheek softly. "I missed you, Soar." She let her face slide into his shoulder, trying to get as close to him as she could. "I missed you so damn much. And...and I wouldn't have made it this far without you." "I missed you too Dashie. But you're back now. Forget about the past. I'm here; let's enjoy this moment." "Soarin," she began, looking down at the bandages covering her hooves. "They...they-" Soarin wrapped his wing around her, pulling her closer to him. "Don't worry Dash. I got you. I'm here now. I'm not gonna let go. You're safe now. You're safe." He gently rubbed his hoof along her back as he kissed her head softly. He didn't know what she had went through at the hands of the changelings or the return journey. Despite her playful actions just moments prior, he could tell something was off. Dash wasn't the mare she used to be. The cocky attitude and fearless persona was all but gone. Now she seemed almost terrified of the past and the future. He would help her by any means necessary, but that would undoubtedly involve brining up those memories that she had tentatively buried. Now was not the moment for such actions, nor would it be for a long time. Minutes turned to hours as Soarin simply watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she drifted off, surrounded by his warm presence. Her eyelids flickered as she pulled herself closer to him. "Don't let me fall asleep, you idiot." Her words were half-muttered, tiredness evident in her voice. "I wanna stay up with you." Soarin shushed her quietly, brushing some of her mane out of her face. "It's alright, Dashie. Just rest." "No, I gotta-" she cut herself off with a groan as she stretched her forelegs. "-I gotta stay awake. I don't wanna waste this time." "It's alright Dash. You're not wasting any time at all." Soarin smiled slightly as he watched her struggle to stay awake. "Plus, you're cute when you're all snuggled up and asleep." "I'm not cute. I'm-" she cut herself off again, this time with a yawn, "-I'm too cool to be cute." "Sure you are. Now shush and go back to sleep." "You...you bet I am...moron." "Egghead." "Don't take my insults." "Whatever you say." Dash muttered drowsily under her breath as she adjusted herself slightly, eyes closed. Soarin smiled and kissed her forehead lightly. "Love ya too, Dash." ------------------------------------------ Soarin walked calmly through the Wonderbolt barracks, having left Dash asleep. He had heard rumors of a new operation , and despite his longing to stay with his marefriend he still had a job to do. He headed over to where Fleetfoot sat, guarding a small pile of crème-filled cakes. He raised his eyebrows in amusement, drawing a defensive "Hey, don't judge me," Fleetfoot said through the cake in her mouth. "Nah, more power to ya. I just can't believe you actually got them." He casually picked one off from the side, removing the wrapping and devouring the cake in one quick motion. Soarin looked straight ahead with a mischievous grin as he felt Fleetfoot's glare fix on him. "You're dead to me." She scooped her pile close to her chest, gaze still fixed on Soarin. He stuck out his tongue playfully as her eyes narrowed. Just as Fleetfoot opened her mouth to speak, she was cut off by Spitfire, who had taken position atop one of the tables. "Attention Wonderbolts. I know that we've been on our asses for a few days now, but new word has come in from up top. Hope y'all are ready to get moving." "Our mission, in accordance with the wishes of one Princess Twilight, we have been tasked as the security detail for the relocation of the remaining civilians to Canterlot for further medical treatment and recovery. "Now, our primary objective is simple. We guard the railcars all the way to Canterlot. Easy enough. I doubt there'll be any bugs, so it's more than likely going to be a smooth ride. Still, anything can happen, so its weapons ready till we hit the castle. We leave at 0500 tomorrow, so get all your shit ready to roll. Any questions?" She paused for a moment while she scanned the small crowd for any sign of confusion. "Good. It's an easy op, so let's not make it complicated if it doesn't have to be." "Furthermore, following the successful escort of the civvies, we are to be reassigned to Canterlot for an indefinite period. Command wants to rotate us out for more of the regs." First round of drinks are on me when we're in the clear. All of you have earned it." She stepped off the table and went outside, leaving the room still in their initial shock. No one saw her smile as the entire room burst into raucous cheers and laughter. ------------------------------------------ "Holy shit man! We're going home!" Fleetfoot shouted as she smacked Soarin in the shoulder. "We're getting out of this hellhole!" Soarin rubbed his ear, the proximity of Fleetfoot's shout making it ring. "Yeah, I heard her the first time!" "What, you aren't excited or something?! We're fuckin' out of here dude!" "Nah, I'm glad we're all headed home. Just got things to think about is all." "Wow, what a party pooper. You need some strong cider or something. Or-" she started, pulling out one of the small cakes from behind her. "-how about a snack cake?" Soarin laughed slightly while shaking his head. "I guess I'll have to take you up on that offer." He raised his cake towards hers in a mock toast. "To home!" ------------------------------------------ The morning fog still hung heavily by the small railroad station, covering the golden armor of the Wonderbolts in a layer of water. Everypony was quiet as the elite fliers guided the civilians onto train cars, making sure to look for suspicious activity. Glancing around, Soarin took note of the lack of Wonderbolts on the platform. Nearly half of the Wonderbolts deployed initially were being evacuated as wounded, while several others had bandages half-covered by armor. They'd went through hell to rescue Dash and Surprise from the changelings, and if Spitfire had the first round of drinks covered he'd damn well pay for the second. It was the least he could do for his second family. The train whistle blew once, signaling the beginning of the journey. Soarin jumped aboard, taking position near the head of the first car. All the pain he and Dash had went through was finally over. They were leaving this fight. Next stop...home. ------------------------------------------ "Is it ready?" "As ready as it will ever be, milord. You of all know how temperamental it can be." Solar Flare turned away from the Iron Guard, looking at the worn map on the table. "What of your troops?" "We are ready as well." "The auxiliaries?" "Paid and armed, milord." "Very good." He walked over to a small pool, his horn glowing as the waters shifted into five separate armored faces. "Are you ready?" "Shadow Battalion, in position." "Alpha Legion, all set." "Lords of Deception, ready to roll." "Hammer of Decay, all forces mobilized." "Hussar's Engineers, ready to blow shit up." "Very well. Prepare to move onto target location Alpha." The light around his horn faded, the water falling back into the pool. He strode down the torchlit halls of the castle, motioning to the Iron Guards that stood along his path. "Come my warriors; it's time to go home."