The sound of flapping wings was a very familiar sound to Rarity. Three of her closest friends had wings, after all, and Rainbow Dash, the avid flyer that she was, insisted on never touching the ground unless she absolutely had to. It was a rather shocking thing to realise that Rarity herself was one of the few things that could actually inspire Rainbow to put her hooves on the ground.
So, while she was working on a very special dress, Rarity was not surprised to hear the sound of wings beating just outside. She simply smiled, and made sure that the door was unlocked, before returning to her work.
A moment later, the bell above her door tinkled.
“Miss Rarity?”
Rarity paused. That wasn’t Rainbow Dash’s voice. She turned, and standing just inside her doorway was a Wonderbolt. Spitfire, if she remembered correctly.
“Can I help you, Captain Spitfire?” asked Rarity, pausing her work with her needle and thread for a moment.
“Actually, yes. I have news about Rainbow Dash.”
“Oh?” said Rarity, her voice suddenly choking.
“She wanted this letter delivered to you, Miss Rarity,” said Spitfire, shifting on her hooves, and handing an envelope to Rarity. As Rarity’s magic ensconsed the letter, she caught sight of the writing on the face, in the usual near-indecipherable scratch that Rainbow Dash called hoofwriting.
‘To Rarity, deliver in case of supreme awesomeness,’ it read, and the welcoming smile dropped from Rarity’s face. Something about the wording was ominous, and Rarity preferred to trust her instincts.
‘Heya Rares. Figured I should write this down, while I still have a chance to. If you’re reading this, it means I was so awesome that the world decided there needed to be a little less awesome in it. You know, to balance it out, or something. If you hadn’t figured it out, that means I’m dead. Now, I know what you’re saying to yourself. You’re going, “Rainbow Dash, you sexy beast, cease this dreadful prank, come out of your hiding spot and come and ravish me.” Sorry, Rares, but this isn’t a prank, as much as I wish it was. I’m not planning on going any time soon, but with me starting to fly as a Wonderbolt Reserve these days-’
Rarity reeled back. Rainbow had had this letter written since that affair with Wind Rider? Rarity shook her head to clear it. Rainbow was often smarter than she let on, and this was just another example of that, to recognise that it was possible that one day, she wouldn’t come back. With another shake of her head, Rarity focused back on the letter.
‘-I know it’s a dangerous gig, and the Wonderbolts wouldn’t have picked me if I weren’t totally up to it, but things can go wrong. So this is just in case. Anyway, that’s pretty much it. I know that one of the Wonderbolts will have delivered this, so you can ask them about how I went. I don’t know, obviously. I just hope it was awesome.
Your friend,
Rainbow Dash.
P.S. Don’t worry about Fluttershy. She can take the news. Just tell her the truth.”
For a moment, the only sound was a steady sniffle, and the occasional drip as tears rolled down Rarity’s face, causing her makeup to run, though Rarity was past caring. Spitfire stood there, shuffling on her hooves, trying not to look at Rarity.
“How?” asked Rarity, with a sniff, “how did she?”
“She broke the sound barrier saving a pair of young ponies whose cloudwalking enchantment failed at the wrong time. She couldn’t pull up in time, or wash off speed fast enough. The foals are safe,” said Spitfire, edging towards the door of the Boutique.
****Time****
“Thank you, Spitfire,” said Rarity, “I shall not keep you any longer. No doubt you have things to arrange.”
Spitfire nodded, and vanished out of the door of the boutique quickly enough that the bell above to door didn’t stop ringing for a full thirty seconds. Rarity, however, didn’t notice, because she was staring at the half-finished dress that would now never, ever be finished. The dress that she was going to wear when Rainbow Dash returned from her latest excursion with the Wonderbolts, and Rarity asked for Rainbow’s hoof in marriage.