Winds of the Past

by Fantasia

Days 327 - 331 - Friends Forever

Day 327

Rainbow reacted swiftly, throwing one of her forelegs around Twilight's withers, and the other around her chest, grabbing her as she stumbled forward.

They had only just stepped out from their hot-air balloon when she had taken her first step onto a cloud, and promptly lost her footing.

Twilight gulped, staring down at the clouds beneath her trembling hooves, before directing her gaze back up at her girlfriend, and smiling gratefully. "T-thanks."

Rainbow grinned back at her. "No problem."

"I, I-I had no idea what walking on clouds would feel like... but I never imagined it would feel, well... steep—l-like I'm walking up the side of a mountain."

"Lucky for you then that we're only a few steps away from the docks," Rainbow remarked, nodding towards the docking bay, where other ponies were getting off.

"A few steps," Twilight repeated with a nervous laugh. "Right..."

"You know," Rainbow said, as they moved carefully, one step at a time, "we could have parked the balloon at the docks so that we wouldn't have to be doing this right now."

"Yeah..." Twilight agreed, "but then I wouldn't have been able to try out my cloud walking spell. You know I've been itching to."

Rainbow rolled her eyes before jutting forward suddenly, finding both of Twilight's trembling forelegs wrapped securely around her neck and withers, the unicorn chewing her lip even as they remained a few steps away from solid ground.

Despite this, Twilight remained wrapped around her... unwilling to let go.

Rainbow sighed, glancing back at her with a dry look in her eyes.

"You know, you aren't going to fall through, Twi," she teased.

Twilight gulped. "I j-just... like holding onto you, alright?" She feigned a smile rather unconvincingly back at her.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes, then shook her head hopelessly.

In a lightning-fast display of speed, she scooped Twilight up, and flew her onto the cobblestone docks... setting her down gently.

"Better?" she asked, keeping a wing around her as she gained her footing.

Twilight breathed out shakily. "Much—er, I-I mean! I was doing just fine, Rainbow."

Rainbow, in turn, raised an eyebrow skeptically. "If you say so, Twi..." She looked on ahead, to the glorious city that awaited them. "Anyway... Looks like we made it."

Twilight turned to look at what her girlfriend was seeing... and her eyes instantly widened.

"And what a sight it is..." she murmured in breathless awe, the early morning sun working to bask the entire scene in a heavenly glow.

Just beyond the docks was a widening market street stretching as far as the eye could see, brimming with ponies. They entered in and out of the various brick and marble shops and cafes at a leisurely pace, completely unlike the hustle and bustle of Canterlot. Bells chimed whenever one of the doors opened, and their arched windows and columns bore an ancient sort of look—a look that Twilight was quick to appreciate.

Militaristic... yet modern, paying homage to the glory days of Cloudsdale... I... "I love it," was all that passed her lips as she continued looking around in awe.

"It is pretty incredible," mused Rainbow, then nudged her side. "So where to first?"

The question caught Twilight off guard, and she turned to Rainbow in confusion. "What do you mean, 'where to first,' Rainbow? I thought we were going straight to your parents."

"Well... I just thought, since this is sort of a new experience for the both of us... that you'd like to see the sights is all."

Twilight pointed a hoof into her girlfriend's chest. "You're not trying to get out of seeing them, are you?"

At that, Rainbow gulped at the accusation. "O-of course not, Twi! I just... We have some time to kill... so why not check out some of the local cuisine in the meantime?"

Twilight narrowed her eyes, feeling her resolve slowly start to weaken. "I have always wanted to explore pegasus culture..." She bit her bottom lip, the offer too tempting to resist. Even if this was some sort of ploy by her girlfriend to stall for time—and seeing as her girlfriend was Rainbow Dash, it was more than likely... They were here for the whole day...

And she had always wanted to visit the Cloudeseum...

Twilight sighed, bowing her head and smiling up at her in defeat. "Alright, Rainbow, you win."

Rainbow's face lit up, pumping her hoof in victory. "Yes!"

Twilight giggled, seeing her reaction... and before long, the two were roaming the crowds, checking out every store window and outdoor kiosk.

"Hey Twi, look." Rainbow touched her shoulder, grabbing her attention as she proceeded to point to a tall, circular display, filled from top to bottom with what appeared to be clouds in glass containers. "Miniature storm clouds!" she exclaimed. "Betcha these would make for a neat souvenir."

"Hm..." Twilight brought a hoof to her chin, looking at them with a critical eye. Some seemed to ripple with electricity, while others frosted their glass as snowed sprinkled down from the inside.

They reminded her a little of snow globes, in a weird sort of way. "Maybe on our way back, Rainbow," she decided. "I'd hate to have to carry it around with me."

Rainbow looked back at her, her expression softening in understanding as she gave her shoulders a shrug. "Eh, fair enough. On our way back then." She smiled assuredly, Twilight nodding in agreement.

The two carried on, eventually coming across a neon sign that caught their attention.

"How about some cloud candy?" Rainbow suggested, turning to her girlfriend.

"Dipped in real rainbow..." Twilight's brow furrowed, and she turned to Rainbow in puzzlement. "Real rainbow?"

"Well... rainbows are manufactured, right? Guess the coloring agent they use is also edible... Who knew!"

The two of them stewed in silence for a moment, before Rainbow turned to her with a challenging look in her eyes.

"I'll give it a try if you will," she said, Twilight looking back at her in surprise for a moment before garnishing a daring smirk.

"Oh, you're on, Rainbow."

A couple minutes went by, and the bell above the door rang as the two stepped back out into the fresh air, each holding their own paper cone filled with artificial cloud and rainbow syrup.

Twilight acted first, taking a tentative bite.

"Mm, I'm not really tasting anyth—"

She proceeded to eat her words as the flavor kicked in, and she instantly began fanning her mouth.

"Hot hot thot thot thoooooooot!"

Rainbow chuckled. "I take it that it's hot?"

"Not funny, Rainbow..." Twilight grumbled, narrowing her eyes.

"Heh, well... luckily for me," Rainbow proclaimed proudly, "I don't mind a little spiciness!" She smiled and raised the snack to her mouth, when another pony bumped into her shoulder, knocking it from her hoof.

"Smooth, Rainbow Crash," murmured a voice, quietly and among himself.

The pony beside him bumped his hoof. "Nice one, Hoops," he remarked in a snide tone, the two of them looking over their shoulders briefly, each with a smirk before disappearing out of sight.

Rainbow stared ahead of her, at a loss for words. "What... what was that all about?"

"I'm not quite sure, Rainbow," Twilight replied curiously, looking on as well. "Let's try and not worry about it though. Here you go, by the way."

Rainbow smiled, accepting the paper cone from her magical hold. "Thanks," she added, leaning in to give her girlfriend a thankful nuzzle. "It's times like these that I'm super grateful I'm engaged to a unicorn."

Twilight pulled away, skeptical of her girlfriend's choice of words. "Oh? So there's times when you aren't grateful?"

Rainbow blinked in slow realization, swallowing hard as her brow raised in panic. "D-did I say 'times?' I meant to say all the time."

Twilight giggled, her lips forming a pleasant smile. "That's more like it."

Rainbow breathed out a sigh of relief, Twilight's ear twitching at the sound of it.

"You know I wasn't really annoyed with you," she teased, ruffling her girlfriend's feathers as her face broke out in a blush.

"I, I-I knew that," Rainbow swiftly defended, her voice shaking.

"No you didn't," Twilight replied simply... and at that, Rainbow's head and shoulders slumped.

"I hate how much you know me sometimes," she grumbled in defeat.

Twilight giggled, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "Love you too, Sweetheart," she teased in reply.

---

"This looks like the place."

Rainbow peered away from the home's address, turning instead to face Twilight, who nodded reassuringly. A couple hours had passed since their arrival in Cloudsdale, and after visiting its Cloudeseum and weather factory, they decided there was nothing more for them to see.

That it was time to pay her family a long overdue visit.

She let out a deep breath to relax her nerves before forcing a smile to her lips. "Okay... now to knock."

She looked back ahead and lifted a hoof, but didn't take the step forward.

Instead Twilight did, noticing as her girlfriend swallowed nervously, and set her hoof back down.

"Would you like me to, Rainbow?" she politely offered.

Rainbow snapped back to reality, looking back at her with a thankful smile. "Could you?"

Twilight nodded, smiling softy as she conjured up some magic to make a few knocking notions on the door, silence soon proceeding them.

Rainbow swallowed again, her breaths becoming more shallow and shaken as trembles traveled down her forelegs, when all of a sudden they lessened... Twilight setting a hoof over her right one.

And feeling her touch, Rainbow's nerves vanished almost instantaneously... a few butterflies remaining in her stomach.

She lifted her hoof off the ground slightly, and wrapped it as much as she could around her girlfriend's just as the door itself finally opened.

The two quickly separated, looking away in embarrassment from each other before peering up sheepishly at the pony in the doorway.

Twilight's mouth slowly fell open, taking note of an older stallion as he stood before her.

She swore he looked almost identical to Rainbow, save for his amber-colored eyes and cutie mark, which resembled a horseshoe and rainbow that was more of a streak than a bolt.

Rainbow's eyes meanwhile, slowly widened, and grew a little wet at the pony who was unmistakably family.

The stallion's brow lifted, seeing who it was at the door. "Dash?" Rainbow's eyes darted to the ground at the sound of her name as it called her back to reality—to hide the fact she had let out a few tears.

His voice had the same, familiar rasp that Rainbow herself had, and his demeanor seemed a bit off, like he wasn't sure how to go about this.

I... can't imagine how long it's been since these two have talked, Twilight thought sorrowfully, switching between her girlfriend, and the older pony, anxiously chewing her lip.

"I... I haven't seen you in years. Come in, come in." He stepped aside to make room for them. "What uh, w-what brings you back here?" Rainbow opened her mouth to explain when she was suddenly cut off. "Wait, don't tell me, don't tell me... I saw you two holding hooves for a brief second there when I opened the door." He looked between them, Twilight and Rainbow gazing shyly at the other. "I knew it..." Rainbow gazed up apprehensively at who she assumed was her father. "Congratulations!"

Huh? Her eyes widened for a moment before she furrowed her brow a little in confusion.

Her dad continued, a genuine twinge of excitement in his voice. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever find a special somepony, but here we are!"

Rainbow exchanged a quick glance with Twilight, Twilight being the one to speak up first.

"You're... pretty fast to notice something like that," she noted simply. The older pony softly grinned.

"Oh, well... Fast runs in the family," he boasted, somewhat bashfully. "O-of course Rainbow surpasses me, her mother, and like, our entire family lineage when it comes to speed."

"She is a pretty good flier," Twilight agreed, turning to Rainbow with a smile in admiration. Even if her speed does gets her injured sometimes.

"Of course she's a good flier," the stallion proclaimed proudly. "I taught her everything she knows, back in the day. Even apparently, how to pick the right mare."

Twilight blushed at the remark, lowering her gaze.

"You have her mother's eyes too. I guess it's true what they say about ponies who fall in love with those who resemble their parents in one way or another. I take it Rainbow's at the very least a little bit like your own father?"

"I... suppose in some ways she is, Sir. B-but honestly I... just fell in love with your daughter because she's so... one of a kind, and sweet." Rainbow looked away a little flustered, a blush staining her blue fur as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Not to mention awesome."

He smiled at that.

"I can already tell you have a good heart, Miss...?"

"O-oh, um..." Twilight silently berated herself for forgetting such a thing. "Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle."

"Now that's a unicorn name if I've ever heard one." He held out a hoof for her to shake. "You can call me Bow."

"Thank you for the honor," replied Twilight, returning the gesture. "You know your daughter thought it was pretty funny when we first met. My name, I mean."

Bow turned to his daughter, surprised. "She did?"

Rainbow's ear twitched, and she brought her attention back to the two of them. "W-well! Geez Dad," she scrambled to explain. "I... I didn't know it was some prideful unicorn name or whatever. It just sounded kind of corny, and my head wasn't really all there, y'know?"

"I suppose you always have had sort of an odd sense of humor..." Rainbow's cheeks reddened further, and she rustled her feathers, her body language growing visibly distressed to those around her. "Kidding, kidding..."

I see being fast isn't the only thing that runs in the family, Twilight mused, watching the scene before her with a humored smile.

Hey, hold on a minute. Rainbow looked around the room, a worrying thought crossing her mind. Where's...? She frowned. Is Mom out doing stuff? she wondered before turning to her dad for an answer. "Hey, Dad? Can I see Mom? I'd like to introduce her to Twi."

"I'm sure she'll be pleased to meet her." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "You still remember where to find her, right? It's the large park right down the street. Just keeping heading the way you came to get there."

Rainbow formed a lopsided grin. "Of course I still remember her, Dad. What... kinda daughter would I be if I didn't?"

"Just making sure," he replied. "It's been some time since your last visit... Oh, and be sure to take one of these as well." He gently wrapped his hoof around the stem of a rose—one of many in a vase atop a small cabinet—and held it out for his daughter to take. "You know she loves it when you bring her one."

Rainbow shrugged and nodded slowly, taking the stem carefully between her teeth. "Okay!" she muffled out.

The two waved goodbye, promising to be back soon, before walking back out into the street.

---

"Is this the place?" Rainbow asked—well, as best she could anyway, with a rose between her teeth.

Still, Twilight got the gist of what she was asking.

"Looks like it, I... think." Rainbow nodded and galloped on ahead in excitement while Twilight stood back apprehensively, taking in every detail about this place. Tall trees covering the park in shade, benches, water fountains... several rows of headstones—she gulped, the knowledge of them doing nothing to ease her mind—and just by the entrance, to her right as she hesitantly turned her head, stood a wooden sign with the words, Clousdale Memorial Park...

Twilight read them aloud in her head, her eyes widening and her body extending a sudden hoof out in Rainbow's direction. "Rainbow, wait!"

She ran ahead, hearing Rainbow muse aloud, "What's with all the graves?"

"Rainbow!"

Rainbow froze as Twilight called her name a second time, but she didn't turn around. Something else had captured her attention...

"Rainbow?" Twilight's gallop slowed to a series of hesitant steps, the unicorn pausing to catch her breath as she turned to see what had caught Rainbow's attention.

Her heart sank and ears flopped... seeing that it was her mother's grave.

'Beloved wife to Bow Hothoof,' it read. 'Cherished mother of Rainbow Dash.'

Rainbow fell back on her hind legs before the gravestone, her forelegs falling limp at her sides.

"No..."

Twilight stood off to the side, looking on silently, her heart aching at the sudden sight.

She bit her lip before taking a step forward, wondering as she did what she should say and do, if anything at all.

Rainbow's eyes grew heavy as an ache built in her chest, causing her to feel a little sick.

Her eyes squeezed shut as her body began trembling, muttering a string of "No"s under her breath.

The last word got caught in her throat and she jumped at the feeling of fur on the back of her sweatshirt. Twilight's forelegs snaked their way over her shoulders, while her chin came to rest on her left.

"Hello, Rainbow's mom."

"T-Twi?" Rainbow uttered in confusion, her ear perking up a bit at the sound of her voice. "What're you...?"

Twilight smiled warmly, running her right hoof across her mare's chest in a loving manner.

"Go on," she pressed, lifting her head a smidgen and kissing her cheek. "Talk to her."

Rainbow sniffled, glancing out of her peripheral at Twilight. "T-talk to her...? W-whut're are you talking about, Twi? She's—"

"She's right here with you, Rainbow. In here." Twilight's right hoof came to rest over the spot on her chest that concealed her heart, the organ hammering once at her touch. Rainbow peered down in question. "As cliché as it sounds, I'd like to think that it's true." Her hoof dropped from her girlfriend's chest, taking hold of her hoof instead and nuzzling the underside of her chin.

"Your words will reach her, Rainbow," Twilight assured her, before pausing for a moment. "Remember when you asked what your parents would think of you dating me? I told you that your parents would just be happy to know that you've found somepony who loves you. Well, your dad's happy for us. Now let your mother know."

Rainbow shut her eyes again, letting out only a small, hiccuping sob... doing her best to stifle her tears.

Gently, Twilight let go of Rainbow's hoof, resuming her embrace as she threw her foreleg back over her girlfriend's shoulder, lightly kissing a spot on her jawline as her hooves interwove over the pegasus's chest.

Rainbow cleared her eyes with a swipe of her foreleg, wiping away the last of her tears with her hoof, and blinking a few times to clear away the blurriness in them.

She turned her head a sliver and gave Twilight a weak but thankful smile before focusing her attention once more on her mother's grave, breathing out heavily.

"Oh... kay, uhm... H-hi, Mom! It's, um... b-been a while, I, I g-guess..." She smiled briefly at her own foolishness. "I... can't even remember the last time we spoke, or how it ended between us, but... almost a year ago, I got into a pretty bad accident."

"She crashed through my window, Mrs. Whistles," Twilight elaborated, chiming in. "She's better now though... and don't worry, I don't hold it against her." She nuzzled Rainbow's cheek. "Anymore."

Rainbow rolled her eyes, feeling her mood lifting, and a genuine smile spreading from her girlfriend egging her on.

"Mom... m-meet my girlfriend, Twilight Sparkle. I hope you like her." She turned to face Twilight with an affectionate smile. "She's the best thing to ever happen to me."

---

It was early in the evening as Rainbow leaned against Twilight, the two of them walking the street back to her dad's house.

"Think you could... find out how she died, for me?" Rainbow asked out of the blue, her voice a low murmur.

Twilight peered back at her, for a moment taken aback, before hurrying to assure her.

"Of course I will, Rainbow. Hay, if I didn't," Twilight supposed, "then your dad would know something was up..."

Rainbow softly nodded, her heavy heart weighing down her every action.

Twilight turned to her with a sympathetic smile, resting a hoof on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Rainbow; I'll find a way of asking him. Truth be told, I'm curious too, because she's my family as well."

Rainbow lifted her head, enough so that she could meet her girlfriend's kind and loving gaze, and flashed a brief, thankful smile back at her.

The two walked alongside the house, and up the winding pathway that lead to the front door.

Twilight gave it a light push, and, as the two stepped inside, Rainbow walked over in favor of taking a seat on the couch.

She sank back and breathed out a sigh, closing her eyes for a moment with a look of contemplation.

Twilight gave a soft smile in her direction.

"I thought I heard the door open," Bow's voice remarked as he stepped into the living room from the kitchen, a look of concern written all over his face. "You kids took longer than I expected... Everything go okay?"

Twilight looked back at Rainbow briefly before answering. "Things got a little emotional, Sir—more so than we thought they would."

"I see..." Bow's face took on a quick look of understanding.

"Um... your daughter's a little drained at the moment, so..." Twilight bit her bottom lip and averted her eyes, holding a hoof along her other foreleg. "If it's alright with you, Sir... while she rests... I'd like to learn more abut her mother."

Bow was taken aback by this, looking back at her dubiously.

"Rainbow didn't tell you anything?"

"No no, she ah, she did!" Twilight hurriedly assured, holding out a hoof. "She let me know what an awesome mother Windy was, but she's still a mystery to me, Bow, and... she was my girlfriend's mother as well."

"Hm, well... that's fair, I suppose... So what it is then, that you would like to know?"

"A-anything really," Twilight answered. "If you have a picture of her too, I'd... like to know what she looked like."

"Lucky for you then that we had a habit of photographing everything!" He smiled proudly, winking down at her. "Come with me."

Bow motioned for her to walk with him, waving his hoof forward as he turned and walked down a hall that divided the living room and kitchen.

Twilight cantered up beside him.

"So I noticed my daughter gave you one of her feathers," remarked Bow. "She must be pretty serious about you, to do something like that."

"A-actually, Bow," Twilight began, explaining sheepishly, "she didn't give it to me per se. I, um... kinda just ended up with it, and began wearing it around because I liked the way it looked. We, uhm, didn't begin dating formally until a few days after that, and that was when I began treating it as a symbol of our relationship, having learned about its significance and whatnot."

"I see..." His ears flopped as he turned to look down at her worriedly. "You are still serious about one another though... aren't you?"

Like you wouldn't believe, Twilight mused, before returning her attention to him, cheeks blushing. "Y-yes, very much so."

"Well, that's good." He looked back at her with a relieved smile. "It's good to know my daughter has ponies like you looking out for her."

The two carried on, Twilight continuing to make small talk as she observed the walls around her.

"You know my parents had the same habit," she remarked, noting how the hall they were in seemed to be lined with family photos. "Still do, actually..."

Bow gave out a light chuckle. "That just means they're proud of everything you are, Twilight."

Twilight blushed as she gave the idea some thought... when out of the blue, her legs grew wobbly, and she began to lose her footing as her head grew light.

"Are you alright?" she heard Bow ask despite the ringing in her ears, reaching out his hoof to try and help.

Twilight however, held out a hoof of her own reassuringly.

"It's just the altitude," she insisted, breathing in and out until the nauseating feeling faded. It's just the altitude...

"If you say so..." A skeptical look remained on his face however, as he took her word for it, slowly drawing back his hoof. "Well, in either case..." He nodded his head towards one of the framed pictures. "Here's one that I think you'll like."

Twilight peered up and immediately saw what he was talking about.

A large, framed portrait hung before her eyes, consisting of two older ponies and their filly. The male in the photo, and his filly, she both knew; but the mare remained unfamiliar to her.

Is this...?

She bore a light-blue coat of fur, with round, magenta eyes and an orange mane with bangs, a couple darker stripes down the front. Freckles dotted her cheeks.

"I really did have her mane..." Twilight uttered in awe, softly bringing a hoof to her own bangs before turning to face Bow. "She was a beautiful mare, Bow. I see now where Rainbow gets it from."

Bow, in response, smiled and chuckled halfheartedly. "Yeah, she got her mother's looks and charm... and all I had to give was my mane, coat, and speed."

"Which she and I are both very grateful for. I for one love the rainbow mane."

"Other than Windy, you'd be the first." Bow's smile softened as he began to reminisce. "You know, for the longest time... Windy was so dead set against going out with me because of this mane. She said she knew, eh... knew my barn door didn't swing her way, and that I, ah, only wanted her to pose as my girlfriend."

His expression turned sheepish as he brought a hoof to the back of his head, and laughed meekly.

Twilight had the opposite reaction.

"That's awful!" she exclaimed... then shrunk back, surprising Bow with her outburst. "S-so, uh..." She scuffed a hoof along the carpet and lowered her voice, now blushing a little. "H-how did things end up changing between the two of you?"

"She had never been considered beautiful before," he explained simply, thinking back. "At first she thought I was pulling her leg."

Twilight's embarrassment vanished from her face, and she smiled softly, remembering her own past.

"I felt the same way about your daughter at first, never knowing whether she was playing with me or not."

"Guess that also runs in the family then," Bow remarked, smiling in good humor.

A moment passed between the two of them as Twilight silently worked up the nerve to ask her next question.

"Bow... How did she die?"

Bow's expression turned grim, the question giving him pause. "I figured you'd ask that sooner or later."

Twilight looked up at him worriedly. "Are you alright with me asking?"

He averted his eyes and nodded solemnly. "Y-yeah, yeah, I... I-it's just not easy to talk about..."

Twilight waited with bated breath as he got his thoughts in order.

"Some... I dunno, lowlife... crossed paths with her one night, and... had I only been there—!" His shoulders dropped in dismay. "Had I only been fast enough..."

A pang crossed Twilight's heart as silence set in, and she looked up woefully at Rainbow's dad.

I had expected something tragic, sure... but that... Her ears fell flat. "I'm... so sorry to hear that, Bow. I... I don't think I need to comment on how... awful that is, but, it's just... I dunno, hard to believe such acts of violence could exist in modern times..."

"You'd be surprised," he said, without stopping to consider what he was saying. He noticed Twilight grow more distressed by his words, and scrambled to steer their conversation.

"I-it was years ago though, a-and Equestria's become a considerably more peaceful place!" He placed a hoof on her shoulder and flashed her a soft smile. "You kids are lucky. Danger will only find you if you go looking for it."

Twilight bit her bottom lip, then looked up at Bow, undeterred. "If it meant protecting your daughter, as well as my friends... I'd search the ends of the world for it, and charge at it head on."

Bow's expression turned wary. "It's that way of thinking that could get you seriously hurt, or worse," he noted.

Twilight shook her head, pursing her lips.

"It's that way of thinking that will keep them safe, Bow."

---

Rainbow lied on her side on her old home's couch, gazing deeply into the fireplace.

Lying here waiting is getting me nowhere... She sat up, and leaped down from the cushions, taking a long look around the living room. There's gotta be something around here that'll trigger a memory...

She wandered idly into the kitchen, along the way picking up on her dad and Twilight talking down the hall.

There was nothing out of the ordinary that stood out immediately to her, her family's kitchen looking similar enough to hers and Twi's from their own home back in Canterlot. A counter top wrapped around the inner wall to her left, cabinets dotting the wall above, and cupboards lined below the counter.

Come on, Rainbow, think!

She sighed in frustration, eventually taking a seat around the dinner table, and drumming her hooves on the surface.

"Rrrgh..."

She set her head down on the table, her forelegs wrapping over her head.

"Maaan," she groaned. "Nothing's coming to me—"

"Hey, Dad?" a voice in her head asked. "When's Mom coming home?"

Wha...? She blinked, sitting up and looking around. Was that—?

"A sonic rainboom! We're so very proud of you, Honey," said her mom, leaning down to nuzzle her filly self's cheek.

Her younger self blushed, gazing away in annoyance.

"To think our daughter pulled off the impossible today!" her dad chimed in. "Not that we ever doubted you had it in you."

"Daaaaad," she whined in protest.

"Oh we just have to celebrate. We'll invite Fluttershy, and Gilda... and we'll order the largest cake!"

"I, I don't even like cake!" she replied, her voice cracking as her embarrassment levels rose. "Cake's for fatties."

Her mom looked down at her, taken aback. "I thought you liked cake... Don't worry, Honey. I'll be sure to get the fat free kind."

"Mooommmmm!"

Rainbow smiled fondly as the memory played itself out in her head, cutting to some time in the evening.

"No way," her dad uttered in amazement. "You mean Princess Celestia herself was actually there to see you pull it off?"

She rolled her eyes, smiling incredulously at the idea. "I doubt she was there to see me pull off the sonic rainboom, Dad... but yeah. I swear I saw this winged unicorn outta the corner of my eye, hovering in front'a the sun, and when I blinked... she was gone! I just know what I saw though! I mean... Equestria only has one princess... Right, Dad?"

"It used to have two," her dad corrected, sparking her curiosity. "Her name was Luna."

"Really?" her younger self asked, leaning toward her dad as her interest grew. "Do you know what happened to her?"

"Uh..." His expression panicked as he racked his mind for an answer. "M-maybe it'd be better if I didn't."

Her filly self frowned, and sat back, crossing her forelegs indignantly. "Come on, Dad."

"Perhaps when you're older."

"Man... No fair," she groaned, slumping forward onto the table. Her head rested on her cheek as she stared ahead bored. "Hey, Dad...? When's Mom coming home?"

"I... honestly don't know, Rainbow."

She peered up at her dad, only to find him with a concerned look on his face as he sat gazing into the living room—one she had never seen him wear before.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she heard a rapping at the door.

"Mom?" Her head shot up from its resting spot.

"H-hey, slow down, Rainbow," her dad called out after her, but her younger self ignored his advice, skidding around the corner to open the door to their home.

"Mo—!"

A couple of policeponies stood where she had expected her mom to be standing.

She shrunk back, intimidated by the strangers' presence.

"—om...?"

The two policeponies—one a stallion, the other a mare—looked at one another, having not expected there to be a child.

"Erm..." The female officer spoke softly as she crouched forward. "Is your dad home? We, um, have to speak with him."

"I-I..."

Rainbow gulped as she stared into the shades of the policepony, unable to read her emotions. D-did something bad happen? I... I-I don't...

"Rainbow? Who is it at the door?" Her dad rounded the corner. "Who—?"

He saw the two policeponies, and froze, his face turning deathly pale.

"We're sorry, Sir..."

Rainbow sat up from the table, having had just about all she could take from the memory. She turned tail, her breaths shaky and cheeks stained with tears.

Her heart ached as she ducked out the front door, slamming it shut behind her just as her fiancée and father reemerged from the hall.

Twilight looked at the door with a curious expression. "Was that Rainbow?"

"I don't see who else it could have been..." Bow looked towards the door with a wistful expression. "She sure has been acting funny... n-not that I can blame her. Truth be told... I'm still amazed she even came to visit, considering everything that happened in the past between us..."

Between us?

Twilight raised an eyebrow back at him, pondering his words briefly before placing them in the back of her mind for the time being.

"...I'm gonna go check on her, Bow. Don't worry, it... shouldn't take long!"

"I'll be here," he remarked cheerily, raising a hoof assuredly as she turned for the front door, softly closing it behind her.

---

A gentle breeze wafted through the air, and through Rainbow's mane as she sat staring idly into the empty street.

The sun was only just beginning to dip over the horizon, casting its warm, golden light over the street and illuminating the buildings opposite where she sat in a shimmering light.

The door to her house shut softly behind her... her girlfriend's voice snapping her from her reverie.

Twilight walked up beside the bench, gazing up at the setting sun admiringly.

"You know..." she began, as she reminisced, "ever since I befriended you... I always imagined what it would be like to see the sun set from the city of clouds..." She peered away, letting out a disheartened sigh. "Too bad it couldn't have been under better circumstances..."

She smiled apologetically up at her girlfriend, who returned it with a slight one of her own.

"H-hey, Twi," she greeted in a bit of a hoarse voice, reminding Twilight of just how much her girlfriend had been crying earlier.

It sent a pang across her heart... seeing her in so much pain, and yet... remaining so strong through and through. She walked further up, grabbing a seat beside her girlfriend, and smiling over at her warmly.

"How're you holding up, Rainbow?"

"Oh, y-you know... other than my mom being dead, being unable to remember a single thing about her, and having to keep it all a secret from Dad... I'm doing okay."

"It's for the best, Rainbow," Twilight consoled, gently wrapping her forelegs around her shoulders, bringing her into a warm, comforting embrace. "I love you."

Rainbow couldn't help but smile a little, nuzzling Twilight's cheek in return. "Thanks for being here with me, Twi," she murmured into her girlfriend's fur.

"Of course."

"S-so, ah... d-did Dad tell you how she died? I just... really need to know."

Twilight stared back at her for a moment, her lips softly parting. "It might be better if I don't," she confessed, her gaze shying away.

Rainbow nodded understandingly, blinking away a couple of growing tears. "It was that bad, huh?" she remarked with a soft, humorless laugh.

Twilight bit her lip, hesitating for a moment more, before pulling her back in for a second hug.

"...But it's because I love you that I won't keep this a secret from you," she continued, murmuring softly into Rainbow's shoulder. "You deserve to know."

Rainbow turned to her slightly, a worsening feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

Twilight tightened their embrace, squeezing her own eyelids shut

"It... was another pony, Rainbow."

A moment of silence passed between the two before Rainbow eventually reacted, and for Twilight, it was the longest, most agonizing moment of her life.

The pegasus backed out immediately of her girlfriend's embrace... an incredulous look written all over her face.

"Whu-w-what...?"

A small, momentary grin broke through her uncertainty. "What do you mean another pony? I... I don't...?"

"Another pony took your mother's life, Rainbow," Twilight repeated, as much as it pained her.

She needed her girlfriend to accept it.

Rainbow stared back at her like she was in a state of shock. "Is that even possible...?" she muttered. "Ponies can be jerks sure, but... that kinda crime only ever happens nowadays in Daring Do..."

Twilight picked up on a change in her breathing as she spoke... becoming shorter, more panicked...

Her ears flopped as she stared back at her sorrowfully.

"Oh, Rainbow... I'm here for you—"

"No!" exclaimed Rainbow, pushing away from her harshly. "I-I mean, no Twi, I... Geez, I... just really want to be alone right now."

"Why?" pressed Twilight, a look of betrayal in her eyes. "I want to help you, Rainbow. I won't say a word if you don't want me to, but please just let me be here for you!"

Rainbow squeezed her eyelids shut... a tear trickling down, and dripping from her cheek.

"No!"

The air around them grew thicker, replacing the once cool breeze with an unbearable mugginess. Her wings unfurled themselves at her sides, flapping mightily... and stirring up powerful gusts of wind.

Twilight winced as the sudden wind threatened to push her back, but she prevailed, grabbing around her body in the nick of time as Rainbow took off into the sky.

She sniffled, choking back sob after sob as her mood began to affect the very weather itself. Her wings flapped slower than usual from Twilight's added weight... but that didn't stop her from pushing to go faster.

Anything to help clear her mind... and to help find some clarity.

The air around her grew windier, the sky a light grey... reflecting her current state of mind as another memory of her family became all-encompassing, ensnaring her thoughts as it rushed to the forefront of her mind.

Her eyes widened, remembering it as though it were yesterday...

She stood staring with an emotionless gaze as the funeral service lowered her mother's casket into the ground. Her breaths shallow and ragged, and eyes red... She stood on the verge of tears, being hit all at once with so many thoughts and feelings that she could barely think straight.

Fluttershy stood beside her tentatively. Whereas everypony made the decision to give her space... She was not about to abandon her friend in her darkest hour. She stayed quiet, knowing her friend like a sister, and knew she wouldn't want to speak, but... knew she wouldn't want to be alone, either...

She knew, more than anything, how much her friend hated being all alone...

Their parents talked in the background, about things neither of them necessarily cared about, nor understood... and went unnoticed for the most part, until they were both ushered along, the funeral eventually coming to a close.

"We can't stay here forever, Rainbow," her dad murmured.

Rainbow continued to stare for a moment more before tearing her gaze away with a frustrated sigh, turning sluggishly towards her dad.

Fluttershy bit her lip, her brow creasing in concern for her downtrodden friend... wishing there was something that she could do for her.

"You too, Fluttershy," her dad said, grabbing her attention. "Come, it's time we headed home."

"U-uhm... Oh— o-oh kay... "

She continued to peer sadly in the direction of her friend however, her heart yearning to somehow make everything okay again...

Rainbow trotted a short distance behind her father, her head hung low as an uncomfortable silence set in between them.

Why was he acting like this was all her fault? she wondered. He was so proud of her the other day too... and now he was treating her like a complete stranger...

So her mom, and his wife passed away...

That still didn't change how she felt about—!

"Dash."

Rainbow blinked, dumbstruck.

Huh?

She looked up at the sound of her name being called in surprise. Her brow lifted, her spirit rising as a slight, hopeful smile tugged at her lips. "Y-yeah, Dad?"

Her dad seemed to hesitate for a moment however, as he stood unflinching, peering on ahead.

"I had a talk with Fluttershy's parents. They... agreed to take you in for the foreseeable future."

What...?

Rainbow stared back at her dad in disbelief... her heart slowly breaking in two.

"Whu... w-whut do you mean, take me in?" she stammered out angrily.

"Exactly what I said!"

Rainbow's breath stuttered, startled by her father's sudden outburst. She shrunk back as he turned his head a bit, enough to look back at her with a slight glare.

"I can't be who you need me to be anymore... alright? So... you'll be moving into a more stable household in the meantime."

Rainbow felt her body go cold, as she continued to stare up at her father.

He had turned back ahead, but the image of him remained... his unshaven face, and cold glare, baring down on her.

It was like she barely recognized him anymore...

She averted her gaze, staring bitterly down at the street. "Why?" she spat. "S-so you can just drink yourself to death... guilt-free?"

She prepared herself for the worst—for her dad to do something he'd regret... but what that was never came.

Instead he said something that hurt her even worse.

"Windy may still be alive if it weren't for you..."

He had muttered the words under his breath... but his daughter always did have exceptional hearing...

Tears now welled in her eyes as she stomped her hoof, screaming at him, "Fine! I-if that's h-how you feel, then... good riddance!"

Bow's eyes widened ever so slightly as she turned and ran in the opposite direction, leaving him shaken... the weight of her words weighing heavily on his already aching heart.

Darn it, Bow... What did you just do...?

Rainbow ran as far as her little hooves could carry her, her eyelids squeezed tightly together as tears continued to fall from her face... the clouds on both sides of the street growing darker, and rumbling with thunder with each step she took...

The sky now rumbled with thunder as the evening sky darkened... reflecting the storm currently raging within her own head.

She soared over a series of rooftops, Twilight's hind hooves touching down and being forced to run along as she clung desperately to her girlfriend's barrel.

Rainbow let out a grunt, feeling herself being dragged down by her girlfriend's hooves as they attempted to find some traction.

"Nngh... Let go, Twi!"

Twilight shook her head.

"I'm not leaving you like this!" she yelled over the howling winds.

Tch... Rainbow grimaced, focusing her thoughts elsewhere as her memories—now flowing freely—compounded her mood, flashing their way through the foremost front of her subconscious.

"Well, uhm... make yourself at home, Rainbow Dash!" Mrs. Shy said, as she finished up going over the last of the house rules.

Rainbow looked off indifferently, an air of nonchalance about her.

A pair of shades sat loosely upon the bridge of her muzzle... keeping her true feelings a mystery to the older mare.

"Uh-huh."

Fluttershy's mom pursed her lips for a second, then crouched down to her level, bearing a kind smile. "Um... I know this is hard for you... b-but just know that we're all here for you. I'm sorry about your father, Rainbow Dash... but please try to understand. He really does love you, he just thinks that... you'd be better off with us for the time being."

"Whatever."

Her friend's mom softened her gaze as she stood back up. "I'll just give you some time alone then. To adjust, t-that is."

She walked off, looking back at her worriedly for a moment more, before leaving her all alone in the quaint, and cozy living room.

Or so she had thought.

Fluttershy silently crept up beside her, apprehensive at first before mustering up the courage to say something.

"He... H-hello..."

Wha...? Rainbow turned startled towards the source of the meek voice, coming face-to-face with her longtime friend.

"Oh..." She gave a half-smile in her direction. "Hey, Fluttershy."

The two stood looking at one another for a moment, the silence between them growing increasingly uncomfortable by the second.

"Hey, so... um, Flutters..."

"Oh, I'm just so sorry to hear what happened to you, Rainbow!" her friend cried out.

Rainbow stifled a gasp, and tensed up as the meek and timid filly leaped forward, embracing her around her withers.

She gulped, unsure of what to say, or how to react.

"I-it's no big deal, Flutters, really..."

She feigned a smile as she turned her head slightly to look at her. a faint blush staining her cheeks, and... she would never admit it to anypony, but... being in her friend's hooves like this...

It felt exactly like what she needed.

Fluttershy nodded reluctantly, stepping back and rubbing a hoof along her foreleg, peering away.

Rainbow sighed as she pushed the shades she wore back up her muzzle, quick to regain her composure.

"Still, I-I have to say..." Fluttershy peered back at her with a soft smile. "It'll be nice to have you here. It'll be like having an actual, real sister to play with!"

Her wings buzzed excitedly, her face lighting up at the thought.

Speaking of... Rainbow looked around before turning back to her inquisitively. "Got anything to do around here?"

"O-oh, um..." Her friend snapped back to reality, scrambling to reply, "W-we've got l-lots to do!"

"Really?" Rainbow urged her on. "Like...?"

"U-um...! Well, uhm... f-for starters, we have lots of games that—!"

"Pass," she replied plainly, without a second's hesitation. "I'm not really in the mood for games..."

"Oh." Fluttershy shrunk back, her face once more becoming obscured by her mane. "Okay."

An awkward silence fell over the two, Rainbow bringing a hoof to scratch the back of her head, and biting her lip, looking off.

Fluttershy all the while, gazed at her longingly... wanting nothing more than to reach out, and spend time together—like they used to...

She knew her friend was hurting, but even so, couldn't understand why she was being so distant with her...

Those stupid sunglasses certainly weren't helping any, either...

Fluttershy's gaze turned pensive, biting her lip anxiously before speaking up.

"H-hey, Rainbow? I-if you d-don't mind me asking... w-why are you wearing s-sunglasses indoors?"

Huh? Rainbow turned back to her, taken aback... her brow raised. "I see... It's that obvious, huh?"

"Mhm." Fluttershy softly replied, barely nodding.

Rainbow's lips tightened as she debated telling her friend the truth... when she took another look into her friend's longing stare, and she instantly caved in.

She sighed, motioning for Fluttershy to lean in a little closer.

Fluttershy herself cocked her head in confusion, before doing as her friend instructed.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Shy," she whispered. "These are pret-ty useful at hiding how you really feel."

"How you... really feel?" Fluttershy repeated in question.

Rainbow nodded. "This way, you'll look brave to everypony you meet!" She put on a convincing grin. And, she solemnly thought, hide just how weak you really are...

Oh, Rainbow... Fluttershy took on a sorry expression. You've always been brave. To me, anyway...

She stored the thought in the back of her mind as another thought occurred to her right then.

"Where did you get those anyway? I-I didn't think you owned any sunglasses..."

At that, Rainbow cracked a sly grin. "That's 'cause I stole 'em!"

Fluttershy gasped. "S-stole them?"

"Mhm! Off of some policepony when she set 'em aside." She adjusted them with a wry smirk, looking into the stunned look on her friend's face.

Her expression soon changed however, into one of disapproval, as her eyes steadily bore into her.

Rainbow herself frowned. "What of it, Shy? Life's unfair, so why not break a few rules?"

She let out an indignant scoff, tearing her gaze away just as Fluttershy's brother entered the room... his face lighting up upon seeing who it was making such a commotion.

"Well if it isn't Rainbows!" Zephyr said in a suave and flirtatious, slightly grating tone of voice. "I hear you'll be staying with us for the foreseeable—"

"I think I'm gonna hit the town," she murmured, making a beeline for the front door... never once looking back. "Don't wait up."

"Youch. Talk about being given the cold shoulder... Ah well." He shrugged indifferently, walking off. "I'm sure she'll come around eventually..."

Fluttershy paid her brother's words little mind, her attention still focused on the fleeting image of her friend as she opened the door to her home.

I know we're each thinking this for separate reasons, but... She watched sorrowfully as the door shut behind her friend... leaving her all by her lonesome once more.

I hope so too, Zephyr... I really do...

Twilight's hooves ran out of runway, once again becoming airborne as the wind around them grew ever more fierce.

Rainbow's heart lurched as she gritted her teeth, shutting her eyes tight.

"What do you know about loss?" she growled out accusingly. "About losing a family member? One that... that you can't even remember!"

Her dad stood on the sidewalk outside, within the dim glow of the indoor light as it shone from both the front door and windows.

Mr. Shy stood in the doorway, facing him with a sorry expression. "We would love to let you see her, Bow! Unfortunately..."

He averted his eyes nervously, cuing her dad to assume the worst, grabbing him by the shoulders in a panic.

"You're telling me that you lost my little girl?"

Fluttershy's dad leaned back, holding a hoof up assuredly. "T-technically that's not the case! Y-you know her, Bow, she's... free-spirited... and going through a rough patch in her life," he noted as he finished, giving her father an accusing look.

Bow himself looked off ashamedly, letting out a humorless chuckle. "R-right..."

He straightened up, staring back at the other stallion directly.

"W-which is why I want to see her!" he pleaded. "I've got my priorities straight, m-my life in order! Please..." His gaze lowered, his voice quivering. "I just want to be a dad to her again..."

He bowed his head, a long moment passing between them.

Mr. Shy gave him a long, serious look, before setting a hoof over his old friend's shoulder.

"We've known one another since flight school, Bow... so I know you, and can tell when it is that you're being sincere. When Windy passed... it hit us all hard, and I understand you needed time alone, but... you also said some things to your daughter that you can never take back. I'm sorry, Bow, I... I'm not trying to keep your daughter from you. But she needs to be the one to decide whether she wants to see you again, or not..."

Bow nodded begrudgingly, sighing out in defeat. "I...! I understand, Sorry, I..." He peered up at him weakly. "C-can you at least tell her that I was here... and that I'd like nothing more than to just speak with her again?"

"Of course, Bow, but... I can't guarantee she'll reciprocate the notion..."

He nodded once more, the two saying their goodbyes before he walked away dejectedly, unwittingly being spied upon by a dark figure on the residence's rooftop.

His daughter sat there, forelegs wrapped around her hind legs as she watched him walk away with a bitter stare.

You haven't changed one bit, Dad, she thought, sourly. You can forget it. I'm never going back...

Twilight's brow creased at her girlfriend's accusation, her gaze peering away pensively.

"Maybe you're right, Rainbow... but, before you came along, I... forgot what it was like to even have a family!"

Rainbow's eyes snapped open, Twilight's confession giving her pause.

"I... I never considered visiting my brother, o-or my parents until you came along—I hadn't seen them in years!" she continued, slipping deeper into thought. "I... I was even neglectful towards Spike... and all I ever really wanted was to be alone!"

A moment passed, the only sound being that of occasional thunder, and heavy raindrops as they fell all around them.

"Maybe it is different for me, Rainbow. Every member of my family is still alive and I can visit them whenever I like, but... I've also felt what it's like to be away from them for as long as I was, and... when it hit, it hit me hard, Rainbow."

Rainbow's shoulders fell as she continued to slow down... the growing storm slowly dipping in ferocity. "The pony who's responsible is still out there, Twi! I... I c-can't just..." Her eyes darted back and forth longingly. "I can't just let it go..."

"So, your mind's really made up, huh, Fluttershy?"

She stood beside her oldest friend in an empty, open field on the edge of Ponyville.

A homely cottage sat not far from where they both stood, a 'For Sale' sign out front, and connected by a winding pathway... leading to a short bridge that sat over a narrow creek.

The field itself was alive with the many different sounds of buzzing insects, chirping birds... and the frivolous chatter of her little forest friends.

"Hm?" Fluttershy lifted her gaze to meet her friend's, brushing her mane from her face, and in doing so, revealing just how thrilled she seemed to be. "Oh yes. I've been in love with this very town ever since I fell to earth in this very spot!"

Her expression softly turned amorous, as she gazed fondly into her friend's eyes.

Rainbow's feathers ruffled, an embarrassed blush staining her cheeks as her whole body tensed up.

"W-what're you looking at me like that for? If y-you're looking for an apology, y-you can forget it!" She huffed, peering away defensively. "It wasn't my fault..."

"Oh heavens, no, I...!" Fluttershy lifted her brow, holding a hoof out assuredly. "I actually wanted to thank you, because had it not been for you, I... never would have met all of these little guys."

She allowed a little squirrel to scurry up her foreleg, lifting her close to her face, and nuzzling her sweetly.

The squirrel hugged her cheek, returning the affectionate gesture.

"Er..." Rainbow stared back at her friend, at a loss for words. "Y-yeah," she finally stammered out, "uh... anytime."

Fluttershy giggled, setting the squirrel back into the grassy field.

"Isn't this place wonderful, Rainbow? Oh, let's live down here together, just the two of us... away from all the mean old bullies."

"You mean meatheads like Hoops, right? Yeah... I wouldn't mind getting away from them myself... and really," she added with a shrug, "where else do I have to go?"

"W-well... You could always—"

"No," Rainbow cut her off, "don't finish that sentence, Flutters. My dad decided long ago that he didn't need me in his life, so..." She shook her head indefinitely, her mind made up. "I'm never going back."

Oh... Fluttershy shied her gaze away, softly chewing her bottom lip. "Okay," she agreed simply.

"Hey, come on... Chin up, Flutters. I don't need him, 'cause I got you, and you have me!" She reached out, giving her a light tap on the foreleg. "We don't need nopony, so long as we have each other!"

Fluttershy smiled back at her halfheartedly... barely nodding her head.

"I'll see if I can go find a photographer." She flew up off the ground, grinning down at her. "A moment this awesome deserves to be immortalized!"

"Yes you can, Rainbow!" Twilight insisted, shouting back over the rumble of thunder, and sopping rain. "If you obsess over this... then nothing good will come of it! You'll grow bitter, a-and detached! Think about how that would make me feel!"

"I-I am! I'd never dream of hurting you, Twi, I...! I..."

The rain now slowed to a drizzle, the roar of thunder calming.

"Then look at what you do have, and the family that you're going to have, with me, a-and Spike! You have a loving father and fiancée, and friends who all expect you to be stronger than this. Rainbow!"

Rainbow's gaze faltered, her ears folding as she bit her lip.

She smirked, swiping an apple with a flick of her tail from a marketplace fruit stand.

She snickered to herself as she and Fluttershy walked out of view, before tossing it with her tail over her head, and directly into her waiting hoof.

"Neat trick, huh, Shy?" She took a bite, explaining with a sly wink, "Learned it from Gilda some time ago."

"Rainbow... You know I don't approve of you stea—"

"Shh!" Rainbow raised a hoof to her own lips suddenly, cutting her off. "What are you doing, Fluttershy?"

Her eyes fixated themselves into a glare as she continued to lambaste her friend.

"Are you trying to blow my—?"

"Hey!"

Rainbow jumped at the loud voice, that seemed to be addressing her directly.

"Cover..." She deadpanned, breathing out a sigh. "Great."

She turned with a peeved look in her eyes.

"Can I help you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," the salesmare mocked. "Am I bothering you? Because ponies like you stealing from honest, hardworking ponies like myself really bothers me."

The marketplace quieted, some ponies turning towards the scene, their curiosity piqued.

Rainbow glared back at her, when she felt something touch her foreleg.

She peered to her right, finding it to be her friend's hoof, attempting to grab her attention.

"Rainbow, please..." Fluttershy cautioned. "Just pay the pony—"

"Hold that thought, Shy." Rainbow glared back ahead, stepping forward in a confronting manner. "What do you mean by ponies like you? What do you even know about me, huh? I would love to hear it."

"I know you're somepony who likes to take others for a ride, and cheat them out of their money."

Rainbow narrowed her gaze further, her feathers rustling. Who did this pony think she was? Challenging her like this...

In public, no less!

"Whatever," she finally said with a snort, cocking her head coolly, You want it back? You can have it."

Before the other mare had the chance to react, Rainbow threw it near her hooves, splattering it against the ground.

Her action only garnished more attention, seeming as though all eyes in the marketplace were now on her and Fluttershy.

Fluttershy herself shrunk back, hiding behind her mane, but Rainbow stood tall... standing her ground.

"Wasn't ripe anyway..." she muttered.

The pony opposite stood facing her, left a little shaken by the display.

She gulped, managing to put on a brave face.

"A-actually, I... want the bits that you owe me, but that's fine. I-I'll just add that to your list of criminal offenses."

"Criminal offenses? There's a laugh! And what exactly am I guilty of?"

"How about harassment?" one pony said, coming forward.

"Vandalism!" another pony put forth.

"Public endangerment!" a third exclaimed.

Rainbow stepped back, taken aback... her heart beating faster with each accusation thrown her way.

"You've been nothing but trouble since the day you arrived!" one last mare, with curly pink and blue hair declared. "We've all tolerated your antics for as long as we care to remember... but no more!"

"Pfft... w-whatever!" Rainbow deflected, her voice stammering. "Good luck even proving any of that!"

She turned away bitterly, motioning for Fluttershy to follow her with a wave of her hoof. "C'mon, Fluttershy."

"...No."

What? Rainbow turned back to her incredulously. "Excuse me?"

Fluttershy gulped... feeling her hooves go numb as her friend gazed at her angrily.

She trembled, averting her eyes for a second before swallowing her nerves, and glaring back at her sternly. "I-I s-said no, Rainbow Dash."

Fluttershy...

She swallowed hard, swiftly putting on a nonchalant front, staring daggers into her friend.

"You're siding with them?"

"...I've tolerated a lot that you've done, Rainbow Dash, because I knew you had your baggage... but I always held out hope that you'd one day return to the kind and noble pony you once were when we were fillies. And for a moment, it felt like you were starting to... But these ponies are right, Rainbow Dash. You've taken things too far!"

"Oh, y-yeah?" Her mask of bravado faltered, quickly finding herself on the end of a losing battle.

Still she held her ground.

"S-since when did you grow a backbone, Shy? You never spoke up about any of this before!"

"B-because, Rainbow! We... w-we're supposed to be friends... a-and friends treat one another with kindness—"

"Kindness, yeah," she scoffed. "What does kindness get you, other than stepped on?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "That's not true at all, Rainbow! Being kind isn't a weakness, it... i-it's a virtue! Being able to forgive somepony, no matter their mistakes... makes you strong, Rainbow! Not some... stupid pair of sunglasses!"

Rainbow stared back at her in stunned silence, brow raised.

Fluttershy realized what she had said, as silence fell over them... and brought a hoof to her lips as she shrunk back, hiding her face partially behind her mane.

"...What are you suggesting, Shy?" Rainbow asked warily.

"U-um.." Fluttershy chewed her lip, mustering up her courage as she blurted out, "Y-you n-need to learn to f-forgive your da—!"

She flinched, recoiling and shutting her eyes as Rainbow scowled, raising a hoof as if to strike her.

The crowd of townsponies gasped, and before Rainbow could act... a bright, turquoise glow emanated from deep within the crowd, hitting her directly and causing her to stumble backwards... blinking her eyes several times.

"W-wha...?"

She glanced all around her, her mind basked in a deep fog.

Unfamiliar ponies stood surrounding her, murmuring things she couldn't understand.

Are they... talking about me...? Wait... who even am I...? Her heart skipped as it dawned on her. Why can't I remember my own name?!

Fluttershy tentatively opened an eye, peeking at her old friend, before widening her gaze at the sheer look of terror on her face.

R-Rainbow...?

She furled her brow, cocking her head as she took a step forward.

Rainbow saw as she took a step towards her, and began to panic.

"S-stay back!"

Fluttershy froze mid-step, looking at her worriedly. "Rainbow, it's... i-it's me, Fluttershy."

Rainbow brought a hoof to her head, feeling so lightheaded... the world around her starting to blur.

Am I Rainbow? she wondered, her breaths growing deeper. I don't... Fluttershy...? W-who's...?

"Rainbow... are you feeling okay? Please," Fluttershy insisted, reaching out her hoof, "let me help y—"

"D-don't touch me!" Rainbow cried desperately. She swatted her hoof away, scrambling further back as she unfurled her wings.

She turned without wasting another moment, and took off into the sky, a rainbow trail blazing behind her as she flew off in search of something she recognized... leaving Fluttershy with nothing more than an outstretched hoof... and her friend's name, as it softly died on her lips...

"You have to let it go, Rainbow, like you've always managed to do up until now!" Twilight continued to exclaim, before drifting off... her voice becoming that of a low murmur. "Because if you won't..."

Twilight slowly loosened her grip on her girlfriend's body.

Then...

Her hooves slipped free, her eyelids falling shut.

I may as well...

Rainbow snapped back attentively, her mind on full alert the second she felt Twilight's hooves slip.

Her breath caught in her throat, her heart sinking and pupils shrinking at the sight of her girlfriend—her best friend and love of her life—falling through the sky... and fastly approaching the ground.

"Twilight!"

She sprung into action, descending through the sky in a blur of color, and scooping her up in her hooves, holding her tightly against her body.

Twilight's eyes snapped open from the sudden thrust, finding herself now staring bewilderingly in her girlfriend's own frantic expression... feeling the pegasus's rapid heartbeat pounding wildly against her chest.

"Are you crazy?" she screamed, voice laden with tears. "Geez, Twi, I... just lost my mom, I-I don't wanna lose you too! I mean... what were you thinking?!"

Twilight blinked, slowly taking in her girlfriend's distress.

She swallowed nervously, shrinking back with a sheepish grin.

"T-that you'd hopefully catch me?"

Rainbow's jaw hit the clouds.

"Well, yeah I'd catch you!" she exclaimed incredulously, rolling her eyes. "And not just because I love you or anything. I may have gotten worked up back there, Twi... but not enough to let you fall!"

She flew herself and Twilight down to the ground, the dusk sky breaking through the stormy weather as it slowly dispersed, cloud by cloud.

Their hooves touched down, Twilight taking a few, anxious steps back.

Rainbow, in turn, reached out worriedly, placing a hoof over her fiancée's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Twilight however... stared back at her in shock, taken aback.

"Am I okay?" she exclaimed, exasperated. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

Rainbow leaned her head back, her brow raising. "I... y-yeah, I... I'm fine now, Twi, really."

"Really really? Because..." Twilight bit her lip, clutching her foreleg. "You nearly caused a potentially devastating storm up there, and—"

"I know, Twi..." Rainbow's gaze saddened as she lifted a hoof, resting it over hers comfortingly. "I know..."

"Well... if you don't mind me asking, Rainbow... What snapped you out of it?"

"Heh..." She cracked a soft grin. "You did, Twi. The stuff you said to me up there, it... really rang true. I should be valuing what I still have... rather than stewing over what I lost."

Twilight garnished a tender smile, bringing a hoof to softly cup her girlfriend's cheek. "What happened to your mother was wrong, Rainbow, but... please don't let it consume you. Be somepony your mom can be proud of... okay?"

Rainbow chuckled, resting a hoof of her own over her girlfriend's, and reciprocating her loving gaze. "I know, Twi... I promise I'm not going to lose myself a second time. Especially with you being in my life this time around. I'll never push you away..."

"And I won't ever leave you either, Rainbow... even as we stand here..." She leaned in, her gaze softening as she brought her muzzle in to lightly nuzzle her cheek. "We can just stay here for as long as you need, and you don't need to talk or say a word... I'll just be here for you."

"Heh... Thanks, Twilight," Rainbow replied, returning the nuzzle. "You really are the best thing to ever happen to me..."

"As are you, Rainbow." Twilight smiled warmly.

She drew her head back, staring sympathetically into her girlfriend's dewy-eyed expression.

Rainbow smiled back at her briefly, before taking a moment to dry her eyes.

She sniffed, breaking the silence between them.

"...H-hey, uhm... Twi?"

Twilight tilted her head inquisitively. "Yes?"

"There's, um... something else I really ought to tell you."

"Which is...?" She urged her fiancée on. "You know you can tell me anything."

Rainbow nodded slightly, averting her eyes for a moment before turning back to face her, a serious look on her face.

"I remember, Twi," she confessed, in a pensive tone.

Twilight's lips softly parted, staring back at her in disbelief.

"I remember everything..."

---

"Well, I... honestly can't say I was expecting any of that..."

The two sat side by side on a sidewalk bench, Twilight listening intently as Rainbow told her everything.

"So, ah..." Rainbow looked off, fidgeting anxiously as she stole the occasional, nervous glance at her girlfriend. "H-how do you feel about me, n-now that you know the truth?"

She swallowed hard, silently cursing the fact that Twilight had to be such a deep thinker at times like these...

"Hmm..." Twilight tapped her hoof against her chin, furrowing her brow. "I don't understand, Rainbow... Am I supposed to feel any different?"

Rainbow stared back at her, exasperated.

"What do you mean, Twi? Of course you are, I mean... I was a total jerk to everypony—!"

"Yeah," laughed Twilight in agreement. "Including me. Remember when we first met?"

"Er..." Twilight's remark gave her pause. "H-how could I forget?"

She smiled meekly at her girlfriend's own amused expression.

"The important thing," Twilight continued, reaching over, and setting a hoof on her foreleg, "is that you recognize the mistake, and realize that what you did was wrong. We all make mistakes in life, Rainbow... but seldom are we ever actually capable of owning up to them. You did though, Rainbow... and I couldn't be more proud. "

She leaned over to kiss her girlfriend's cheek, eliciting a soft chuckle out of the pegasus at the ticklish feeling.

"T-thanks, Twi."

The two gazed fondly at the other for a brief moment... another thought occurring to Rainbow right then and there.

She peered up solemnly towards the night sky. "I really ought to apologize to Fluttershy when I get the chance..."

"Really?" Twilight cocked her head, brow furrowing in confusion. "But I thought the two of you were on good terms."

"Oh we are, but... I realize now that that's only because of how kind she is..." Rainbow turned back to face her with a determined look. "I still wanna make things right with her, y'know?"

"I see..." Twilight's expression softened into a look of admiration. "Well, maybe you can, the next time you're in Ponyville."

"Totally." Rainbow nodded, grinning softly. Man... I never imagined myself actually looking forward to going back there...

The two sat comfortably in silence for a few moments more, simply enjoying the company that the other provided them.

"You know, your dad's probably worried about us..." mused Twilight aloud.

"Then I think it's about time that we made our way back," agreed Rainbow. "Hey, um... Twi? Before we do... I could really use your help with something."

Twilight perked up, turning towards her girlfriend in interest.

"Really?" she asked. "With what?"

"N-nothing major, just... I wanna tell my dad something."

"Oh, well... Why do you need my help then? Do you need help finding the right words? Because if so, I think we both know that I have quite the encyclopedic vocabu—"

"Actually, Twi," she interjected with a dry chuckle, "I was sorta just hoping you could be there for me. Y'know, for emotional support."

Oh.

Twilight blushed, faintly scratching a nonexistent itch on her cheek "I see. W-well, that... may not have been what I was expecting, but..." She smiled reassuringly. "I'd be happy to."

The couple hopped down from where they had been sitting, before turning in the house's direction, and galloping off towards it with a renewed sense of clarity.

---

They reached the front door within minutes of running, Rainbow looking back at her girlfriend and taking one of her hooves in her own.

Twilight beamed, happily reciprocating the gesture as Rainbow turned back ahead, and a made a series of quick knocks on the door.

Only a couple moments had passed before the door was whisked open, her dad standing there in the open doorway with a frantic expression.

Relief washed over him in an instant, seeing his daughter and her girlfriend standing side by side, hoof in hoof before him, both safe and sound.

"Hey, Dad!" his daughter exclaimed.

"Rainbow, you're... y-you're okay!" He smiled thankfully, placing a hoof over his worried heart.

His daughter formed a lopsided grin. "I'm better than okay, Dad!"

"I should have known as much... S-sorry, it's just... you two were gone longer than I was expecting, a-and I heard a storm raging outside, and...!"

Rainbow cut him off, letting go of her fiancée's hoof in favor of embracing her father.

Bow himself, bore a look of astonishment... staring straight ahead in stunned silence as his daughter wrapped her forelegs as far as she could reach over his broad shoulders.

"I know things have been sorta awkward since I showed up today, Dad... and I know that it maybe feels like I've been avoiding you, but... t-that isn't the case! The real truth is..." She nuzzled him affectionately, her dad growing a bit teary-eyed as his heart beat heavily in his chest.

Rainbow pulled back with a teary expression of her own, and a sorry smile on her lips.

"...I forgive you, Dad. For everything."

She peered off ashamedly, sniffling as she dried her eyes with a foreleg.

"S-sorry I was such a featherbrain—"

Her dad hugged her back, cutting her off and leaving her speechless, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

---

Day 328

The night had passed by quickly for the three of them, exhausted from the drama that the previous day had brought.

The sun eventually rose over the horizon, rousing both father and daughter from their slumber, and Twilight, who remained asleep, was gifted a few extra hours of shuteye from her girlfriend as she lay in her hooves.

Rainbow silently crept out of bed, then proceeded to spend the next few hours helping her dad around the house, letting him handle breakfast, and instead simply lending a helping hoof wherever she could.

Twilight's muzzle crinkled, and her eyes fluttered open to the smell of something good wafting through the air.

Mm... She rubbed her eyes, sitting up and taking in everything about the spare room she and Rainbow had fallen asleep in... recalling the events of the day before.

Getting out of bed, she cantered out into the hallway, following the delicious smell.

Is this Rainbow's doing? she wondered, then smiled at the silly thought. Couldn't be. She and I are terrible when it comes to cooking...

She entered the living room, when she heard the rasp of her girlfriend's voice, calling out to her excitedly.

"Twilight! You're awake!" She waved her on over. "Over here! My dad and I made breakfast!"

"Really?" Twilight asked, dubiously. "The two of you?"

"Er..." Rainbow quickly backtracked, rubbing a hoof along the back of her neck. "Well... I helped."

"Ah, don't be so hard on yourself, Rainbow!" her dad chimed in. "Remember your old man wasn't much of a chef either, back in the day. Give it time, and you'll learn."

"Heh..." Rainbow blushed, averting her eyes with a bashful smile. "Y-you think?"

"Well, I certainly believe so!" He grinned proudly. "You're awesome at everything you do."

Twilight's expression softened, smiling admiringly towards the two.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Bow asked excitedly, looking between them. "Let's eat!"

---

"Well, here you are, Rainbow," her dad said. "Nice and warm, fresh out of the dryer."

Rainbow beamed, happily accepting her sweatshirt back into her hooves.

She threw it over her head, the article of clothing itself feeling so warm and cozy against her body. She popped her head out the top, giving her head a quick shake before turning towards her girlfriend with a playful smile, for her opinion.

"How do I look?"

Twilight in turn, smiled warmly at her. "Like the most beautiful Wonderbolt."

Rainbow softly grinned at her little callback.

"S-sooo," her dad interjected by clearing his throat, beginning to feel a little awkward. "You sure you girls can't stay a little longer?"

The two mares blinked as they turned to look at the other... their ears flopping ashamedly.

"Sorry, Dad," Rainbow began, "but... we really ought to be getting back to Canterlot..."

Her dad sighed, half-expecting that to be her response as he nodded, somewhat begrudgingly. "I understand... You do have a life of your own now, after all..." He held a hoof up a moment later however, assuring the two, "Please don't get the wrong idea! I-I not trying to guilt you into visiting or anything!" A nervous laugh followed suit.

Rainbow and Twilight gazed at the other, sharing a look of understanding.

They turned back to him, Rainbow nodding assuredly. "We know, Dad," she said, coming up to hug him goodbye. "And w-we'll certainly try to."

---

The two soon left out the front door, waving goodbye one final time before closing it behind them, carrying on their way.

They had only just reached the end of the walkway however, when Rainbow leaned over, lovingly nuzzling her fiancée.

Twilight giggled at the sudden, ticklish maneuver. "Y-you're acting more affectionate than usual, Rainbow. N-not that I necessarily mind..."

She closed her eyes in bliss, returning the loving gesture. "Mm... any particular reason?"

"I just... love you so much, Twi. You're just... such an awesome mare, and it's times like these I can't believe that you're actually mine..."

Twilight gulped, blushing lightly as she turned her head to face her girlfriend's.

"I'll always be yours, Rainbow," she promised softly, leaning in to kiss her lips.

Rainbow mirrored her, and after a long moment, pulled back... gazing amorously at the other.

"So, whaddya say?" Rainbow asked, staring deeply into her fiancée's eyes. "Wanna head for home?"

Twilight's face lit up. "Mhm! O-oh, but first!"

"First?" Rainbow cocked her head, crinkling her brow.

"There's a place I wanna stop by before we reach the hot-air balloons."

Rainbow remained no less confused however, as Twilight insisted on keeping her in the dark, a coy smile forming on her lips.

---

Twilight hummed happily, standing with Rainbow in their hot-air balloon's basket as it leisurely descended through the sky... holding in her magic a souvenir storm cloud, encased in glass.

I really should have known, mused Rainbow in thought. She did say she'd think about it, on our way back...

"So, what do you think, Rainbow?"

What do I...? Twilight's voice snapped her from her thoughts, a faint blush of embarrassment staining her cheeks. "Uh... y-you know I like just about everything you pick out, Twi. Still, I... have to ask. Why a snow one?"

Twilight smiled back at her, as if it were obvious.

"Because it was wintertime when you proposed to me."

"Ohh... right. How could I forget?"

Twilight grinned, setting her storm cloud down beside her, on the floor of their balloon.

"I just wanted to have a little something to remind me of the night when that foolhardy pegasus who crashed through my window... made me the happiest mare in Equestria." Her grin turned lopsided. "That's me being hyperbolic of course... but still."

"Heh..." Rainbow's expression softened in awe of her words. "You made me happy too, Twi, don't forget."

"I would never." Twilight smiled lovingly.

The two stepped over to the wall of the basket, leaning up onto their hind legs, and slouching forward... their forelegs resting folded on the basket's ridge.

A refreshing, midmorning breeze blew gently through their fur and manes as they stood by each other's side, staring out idly at the sea of white clouds.

Twilight peered over at her girlfriend after spending a moment in silence, lowering her eyelids as she leaned closer, planting a kiss on the pegasus's cheek.

"...Thank you for the wonderful trip, Rainbow," she said softly, as she drew her head back. "Even if not everything went as planned, and I may have nearly died getting you to come to your senses... b-but!"

Rainbow deadpanned back at her.

"I nevertheless enjoyed getting to see Cloudsdale for the first time... meeting your family, learning more about you, your past... And speaking of..." Her face lit up excitedly. "You finally remembered your past!"

She leaned over once more, embracing her girlfriend around her shoulders.

"Y-yeah... I only wish I knew why they chose to show up now, I mean... I've received little flashes here and there before, but..." Rainbow looked off pensively. "Got any ideas, Twi?"

"I'll admit, it is a tad strange... Then again," she teased, "you are a strange pegasus."

Rainbow glanced back at her, a dry look in her eyes. "I'll try not to take offense to that, Twi."

"Please don't." Twilight smiled, nuzzling her deeply. "It's one of many reasons why I love you."

Rainbow chuckled under her breath, rolling her eyes as she turned to look back ahead.

"B-back to the matter at hoof! I believe that they may have chosen to return to you at this point in time because, well... you were forced to confront your past, and all of the painful memories that came with doing so."

"I was hit with a lot, all at once..." Rainbow gave it some thought. "Huh. You know, you may be right, Twi... It could have just been my brain, trying desperately to find answers."

"Well, either way... Now that we know your past... we can now start building properly towards our future!"

Rainbow grinned broadly.

"Heck yeah!" she cheered, pumping her hoof down by her side.

Their balloon eventually reached Canterlot, the two docking at the hot-air balloon rental bay.

Rainbow nudged her girlfriend's side, before crouching forward and urging her to climb aboard.

And after a short flight, arrived at the doors to their tower home.

"Guys!" Spike exclaimed excitedly at the sound of the front doors opening, and their voices filling the room. "You're back!"

He ran down the short stairwell, coming up to greet them properly, a multitude of questions running through his head. "How'd your trip to Cloudsdale go? Were you able to meet your family?"

"Er..." Rainbow bit her lip, her and Twilight exchanging a brief, hesitant look.

Spike continued. "Did you tell them about your engagement?"

Our...

Their eyes slowly widened.

Engagement...?

They simultaneously gulped as they stared into one another's eyes... a sinking feeling coming over them as their hearts sunk into the furthest pit of their stomachs.

"We forgot!" they both exclaimed, in dreaded realization.

"Aw, man..." fretted Rainbow. "How could we forget to tell him? That was like, the whole reason we went up there!"

Spike switched between his two friends with a worried expression.

"Well, hey... look on the bright side, Rainbow," said Twilight. "We do have well over a month before our wedding day arrives, so... we have more than enough time to pay him a second visit. You did say how we'd try and pay him another visit, after all."

"...I guess you're right, Twi." Rainbow turned with a relieved smile in her girlfriend's direction.

Twilight always did know exactly how to put her nerves at ease.

"Yeah..." She looked ahead with an air of determination, a confident grin softly parting her lips.

"We'll just have to tell him when we see him again!"

---

Why today?

A pony—a young mare, bearing a green coat and a messy, even greener mane moved hurriedly through the bustling, midday Ponyville streets... all the while muttering a distressed string of "No"s under her breath.

Why? she fretted, glancing over her shoulder anxiously. Why did it have to be today?

Her hoofsteps grew more frantic, her already brisk pace picking up speed as she shoved herself past several ponies in the marketplace... hoping to lose her pursuer deep within the crowd.

I'm invisible... Nopony even knows I exist... a-and I even made sure that she wouldn't remember me! So then why... w-why is she following me?

Could the spell have been broken?

Did she seriously have a change of heart?

Her steps broke out into a mad dash, keeping her head down as her feelings worsened.

I never meant for things to turn out the way they did, I... I wish I had never found that... that stupid rock!

She threw the door to her home open, slamming it shut behind her as she looked around in a panic.

I'm gonna have to leave this all behind, a-and leave town! Oh, but first...

She scurried over to one of several planters filled with dirt, and scrounged her hoof around within the soil, digging out a stone with unique carvings akin to an eye in its center.

I'll need to bury this, back where I first... where I first unearthed it.

She sat back, brushing the dirt off with her free hoof, and held it close to her hammering heart... The stone itself emitting a pale green light.

I can feel it... Something about the stone, it's... different... I-is it possible that her memories really have left—!

A sudden series of knocks came at her door, causing her to jump, letting out a breathless gasp.

S-she found me? No... no no no no, no! I could have sworn I lost her, I...

She turned her rigid gaze fearfully towards the source of the noise, feeling her entire body go numb.

She held her breath in anticipation, the air around her becoming deathly still.

Tears welled up the corners of her eyes.

"Wallflower," the voice spoke sternly. "I know you're in there... Open up."

S-she knows my—! How...? she wondered desperately. How does she know my name?!

"Wallflower, please," the voice persisted. "I... remember what you did."

She truly does remember... She swallowed hard, standing up in resolve. I'm gonna have to leave out the back, make a break for the train station... She shut her eyelids tight, choking back a sob. I-is this my punishment? Being forced to run... a-after forcing her away...?

She made a beeline for the backroom, when another series of knocks at the front door gave her pause... her heart skipping a beat.

"Wallflower... Please open up, I... just want to talk," the soft voice once again spoke up. "I'm not mad with you, I... I-I only wish to know why you did what you did, so... please. Won't you open up?"

I...

Wallflower bit her lip, standing halfway between her front door, and the backroom. The voice sent a pang across her heart, slowly urging her forward.

What am I doing...? W-what if it's all a ruse, a-and she's here with a few police ponies, ready to take me away!

Her hoof trembled as she reached forward, reluctantly taking hold of the door handle.

No, she assured herself with a nervous gulp, there's something in her voice telling me that... she's for real...

Her door creaked open, sunlight pouring in, and a warm breeze wafting on through.

There, in the doorway, stood a mare with a butterscotch coat, and flowing pink mane... bearing a kind, sympathetic smile as she met her own fearful gaze.

"Hello... Wallflower."

Wallflower could only stare back in disbelief... her eyes heavy and gaze quivering.

She broke down before her visitor, collapsing on her hind legs, and sobbing uncontrollably.

Fluttershy stepped forward, quick to console her as she embraced her ever so gently.

"There there," she soothed. "I forgive you... Wallflower."

---

"S-so, uhm..."

Fluttershy idly played with a lock of her hair, twirling it anxiously as she sat beside Wallflower on her living room sofa.

Wallflower herself fidgeted awkwardly, staring down with red, puffy eyes... her muzzle sniffling every now and then.

Fluttershy smiled meekly. "M-my name's—"

"Fluttershy," Wallflower said, cutting her off. "Your name is Fluttershy. You live in that cottage on the edge of town."

Fluttershy blinked in surprise, slowly letting her hoof fall. "How did you—?"

"I was there when you first moved in. You were too soft spoken to grab anypony's attention in town hall that day, so I filed the paperwork for you. Since I was volunteering there at the time, anyway."

"That was you?"

Wallflower deadpanned back at her.

Fluttershy blushed, hiding behind her mane with an embarrassed smile.

"S-sorry... I-it was so long ago that I suppose some of the details are a bit hazy..."

The two sank back into uncomfortable silence for a couple of moments... mulling over what to say next.

"Still, I... guess I should thank you, because had you not stepped forward... I doubt anypony would ever have noticed me..."

I know the feeling... Wallflower lamented in thought as she sniffled, before peering over at her sadly. "How can you still thank me? You know what I did! To both you and Rainbow Dash! I used that stone, and I—!"

"You stole our memories... I know, Wallflower."

Wallflower simmered down, looking back at her no less distraught.

"I had followed you home that day because I had noticed a strange glow emanating from your hoof. I think everypony else was too caught up in themselves that day to notice, but..."

Fluttershy reached out after Rainbow as she dashed off in a hurry, in the direction of the woods just outside of town.

"R-Rainbow, wait!" she exclaimed in a soft voice, looking after her worriedly.

Some of the townsponies noticed her distress, remarking snidely, "I can't believe she actually cares for that pony..."

"Well you know what they say: losers of a feather flock together," the other pony snickered.

Fluttershy glanced at them from behind her mane, her gaze saddening. She chewed her bottom lip pensively... mulling over her next course of action.

Should she give chase?

No... She knew her limitations, and knew that she would never be fast enough...

Rainbow had no family she could alert to her disappearance that would actually care either... And what friends did Rainbow have other than herself?

The authorities would no doubt drag their hooves because they too, knew about Rainbow's antics... And what would she even tell them...? That her friend flew off to... Celestia only knows where?

I'm useless... Fluttershy whimpered, a few tears dripping from her face as she stood, helpless... gaze downtrodden in the darkened street.

The other ponies all began to disperse, happy with themselves to finally be rid of such a menace... but not Fluttershy, who stood shaken, softly crying.

She clutched her foreleg, thinking to herself, Should I just stand here, waiting for her l-like I... I a-always d-do...? Or, should I perhaps maybe...?

No... she solemnly decided, sniffling as she wiped her hoof across her face, drying her tears. I have my little animal friends who depend on me... I can't just... up and leave...

With her mind made up, she sluggishly turned towards her home, her gaze sullen... when it all of a sudden perked up at the faintest turquoise hue, coming from further up the street.

Her eyes widened slightly in curiosity. What is...?

A young mare, with a green coat and mane, moved anxiously from the scene, keeping her head low, and clutching something... close to her chest.

Something emanating an eerie, turquoise glow that she seemed to be trying to smother.

Fluttershy leaned her head forward, increasing her own pace in hopes of keeping up with this mystery pony. She furled her brow, listening in on what this stranger of hers seemed to be muttering.

Something about this not being good... and... a memory stone...?

She continued to eavesdrop, following closely behind the mare as an uneasy feeling grew in the pit of her stomach.

Is this pony... the reason Rainbow began acting so funny?

She stayed on the stranger's trail, carefully following her until she came to an ordinary house she believed must have belonged to her mystery mare.

Fluttershy turned her head away, pretending to walk in a different direction for a moment as the pony she trailed glanced around swiftly, before ducking inside.

Fluttershy swallowed her nerves, turning back ahead and coming to grips with what she had to do.

She approached the house, hesitantly lifting a hoof before knocking on the front door a few times.

Her knocking was met with a few, loud obscenities, mouthed in startlement from the other side of the door.

And then nothing.

Fluttershy stood startled, unsure of her next course of action.

Should she try knocking again? Or maybe try saying something?

Her gaze sunk disappointingly "...M-maybe I should just head home—"

The door all of a sudden creaked open, causing her to hesitate, turning back with a hopeful expression.

"H-hel-lo—?"

A blinding, turquoise light shone forth from within the darkness, shining brightly in her eyes... and leaving her dazed for a couple, long moments.

The door slammed shut, snapping her out of her reverie.

W-what j-just—? She blinked several times, bearing a confounded look on her face. What am I doing here? I... I-I remember walking with Rainbow... and I remember her having to leave unexpectedly, but...

She shrugged, putting the thoughts aside, and instead prioritizing the last thing she did remember.

Maybe I should just head home...

Fluttershy walked off, Wallflower watching as she left from the front window, as she peeked out from behind the curtains.

Phew...

She breathed out in relief, turning and slumping back against the wall... holding a stone in her hoof that softly illuminated her hammering chest.

"...I call it the Memory Stone. I just used it to erase little things at first. You know, like embarrassing exchanges, or moments of clumsiness... I never meant for things to turn out the way they did, honest!"

Fluttershy all the while, sat beside her, listening politely... and as she finished, turned to her with a kind smile.

"I believe you, Wallflower," she said simply.

Wallflower turned to her guest, incredulous.

"H-how can you believe me? Y-you barely know me, which, by the way... How did you even find out my name?"

"Oh, that was my friend Pinkie Pie's doing. She knows everypony in Ponyville, though... even she had to admit that she didn't know very much about you. Only your name."

"Figures... That pony is always prying into everyponies' private life..."

"O-only because she wants to plan parties a-around the interests of those that she's p-planning for!" Fluttershy assured her. "S-sorry, she... doesn't mean to be so intrusive."

"Well, if you say so... I-in either case, as I was saying... How can you trust that what I'm even telling you is the truth?"

Fluttershy tilted her head.

"You mean you were lying?" she asked.

Wallflower bit her tongue. "Well, no, but...!"

"Then I believe you, regardless of whether or not you're a friend of mine," she explained simply, giving Wallflower a warm smile as she finished.

Wallflower stared back at her in frustration for a moment more... before caving in, letting out a sigh as she lowered her guard.

"I do still have one last question, though."

Wallflower instantly tensed back up.

"Why did you steal our memories in the first place?"

Why? Wallflower stared back at her, dumbfounded. "Because Rainbow was going to hit you, that's why!"

Fluttershy's eyes widened at her outburst, before returning to normal... a steady smile beginning to spread across her face.

To Wallflower's amazement, the pegasus softly began to giggle, holding a hoof to her lips.

Is she... laughing? She stared at her guest with a flabbergasted expression. "I'm sorry," she began, "but how in Equestria is that funny?"

"B-because, Rainbow, she... would never hurt a fly. Sure, she may talk big, get angry, cause mayhem, provoke others—"

"You know you aren't exactly helping her case..." Wallflower deadpanned.

"M-my point is!" Fluttershy held out a hoof, blushing profusely. "Rainbow may be a lot of things, but physically abusive isn't one of them. She would never take her aggression out on anypony. Even if she sometimes comes close, she always stops herself. Why... I-I only reacted the way I did because, between you and me... I get scared easily... I, uhm, don't know if you've ever noticed, I... hide it pretty well."

Yeah, thought Wallflower, with a roll of her eyes, very well...

"She's really a big softie," Fluttershy went on to explain. "She's just... guarded when it comes to her emotions, and puts on an act to fool others, and I think even herself into believing that she's strong... when she always has been—t-to me, anyway!"

She shrunk back as Wallflower contemplated what she had just been told.

"Okay, so... maybe I reacted without knowing all of the details... b-but you heard the townsponies' complaints! She's caused so much trouble that I felt like I just had to do something! So I asked the stone to steal away her memories, and return them to her if she only ever truly changed. It must have worked too, seeing as you're here, memory in tact."

"Hm..." Fluttershy furled her brow in thought. "That can't be right..."

"Fluttershy?"

"I-it's just... I met up with her not too long ago, a-and she seemed like an entirely different mare to me..."

"Maybe she was lying to herself?" Wallflower suggested.

"No... I don't think that's the case. Wallflower, are... a-are you absolutely certain that you know how that stone's magic works?"

"Hm? Beats me." She shrugged her shoulders. "It didn't exactly come with instructions."

"Hmm... Well, what if... what if it takes more than a change in attitude to break the spell? Like... what if she needed to accept who she truly was deep down... in order to break it for good..."

"If that's true, then... something big must've happened recently, to remind her of who she was," agreed Wallflower, snorting in amusement. "You know... I'm sorta surprised there was even a spell to break. I would have assumed that actually breaking this would be the only way to set her memories free..."

"Speaking of..." Fluttershy motioned towards the stone itself. "Do you think we should, um... you know..."

"Break it?" Wallflower smiled softly. "You read my mind, Fluttershy. Nopony should have this kind of power... and it was foolish of me to ever wield it in the first place..."

The two got up from the couch, Fluttershy reaching out to her reassuringly once they set hoof on the floor.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Wallflower," she said, Wallflower's eyes widening for a short moment before she averted them away. "I mean, sure..." she continued, "it was wrong of you to steal away her memories, but... if you hadn't, then she never would have met Twilight and turned her life around, so... it wasn't all entirely a bad thing."

"I guess..." Wallflower supposed with a halfhearted shrug. "Say, um... you're not going to tell Rainbow about this... are you? I mean, I'll understand if you do, a-and really you should, I just—!"

Fluttershy cut her off with a shake of her head.

"It isn't my truth to tell, Wallflower," she said. "Though, Rainbow lives in Canterlot now, and has her memories back, so, I think... we should let bygones be bygones, and just... leave it in the past. Though, that doesn't mean that I condone not telling her, i-if the opportunity ever presents itself—"

"Y-yeah, no, I... I understand." Wallflower nodded assuredly. "If I ever meet her again, I'll... think about telling her."

Fluttershy smiled, nodding back at her before turning, the two finding themselves heading for the house's backdoor, where Wallflower kept her garden.

"So, um... Who's Twilight?" Wallflower asked, making small talk as they walked.

Well, that, and... she had to admit, she was a teeny bit curious.

"Oh, she's Rainbow's very special somepony," explained Fluttershy, Wallflower looking back at her in disbelief.

"Really...? And here I thought that mare only loved herself... Guess she really has changed for the better..."

The two opened the door leading into her backyard garden, Wallflower herself walking a short distance before dropping the stone into the grass by her hooves, then turning... making a beeline for her tool shed.

She reemerged a couple moments later with a mallet slung over her shoulder.

"Alright..." She breathed out, motioning for Fluttershy to step back, and readying her strike. "Time to do what I should have done all along..."

The mallet came crashing down, expecting a loud crack as the stone shattered into dozens of little pieces.

Instead there was a soft plop as it hit the soft dirt and grass.

Wallflower slowly blinked, exchanging a puzzled look with Fluttershy, before glancing down curiously at where the stone was supposed to be.

A hissing, purple smoke wafted out from under the hammer's head, softly dissipating into the air... and leaving them both mystified.

"It... evaporated?" Fluttered questioned.

"No... no no no, that can't be!" Wallflower drew the mallet back, looking frantically at the spot where the stone should have been. "I... I-I know it was an actual rock when I found it!"

"Then... does this mean that this one was... fake?"

The last of the smoke vanished into the air, leaving them each wondering the same thing. If this one was fake, then...

What happened to the real one?

---

Day 330

Twilight could hardly contain her excitement, prancing giddily down the sunlit street beside the pony she loved more than anypony in Equestria.

"I can't believe I'm finally reuniting with Cadance after all these years...! It feels almost unreal..."

Rainbow smiled over at her, silently admiring her excitement.

"I'm happy for you, Twi, really... but let's not forget that we're meeting up with her for a specific purpose," she noted, giving her girlfriend pause. Although, she supposed in thought, I wouldn't mind chatting with her a bit myself. She did want to hear all about our trip to Cloudsdale, come to think of it...

Twilight slowly blinked, the reminder turning her smile upside down. "Right, right..." She drooped her shoulders, letting out a small sigh of disappointment. "Because who better to decide our honeymoon destination than the Princess of Love herself? Still," she added, looking on the bright side, "I get to see her, even if it's related to our wedding plans!"

"That's more like it, Twi!" Rainbow grinned.

Twilight nodded happily. "Mhm! So," she asked, the two continuing on their way, "which do you think she'll like better: a beachfront with a cliffside hotel that overlooks the ocean, or—and this is the one I'm leaning towards myself... A honeymoon in the clouds."

"A honeymoon," Rainbow restated skeptically... "in the clouds? Twi—" She shook her head in disbelief. "—we just got back from Cloudsdale, and I don't think I need to remind you how stressful it was up there."

"That's all in the past, Rainbow," Twilight insisted, then pleaded, "Pleeeaaase? Just imagine how beautiful it would be..." She sighed amorously. "Soft, marshmallowy clouds, bathed in a radiant, orange hue..."

The two soon came in full view of Canterlot Castle, the castle itself towering over them in all of its regalia, for a moment stealing their attention away with thoughts of the princesses, and their meeting to come.

Twilight tore her gaze away as she winced and brought a hoof to her forehead, stopping as her breaths all of a sudden grew shorter... a searing pain wracking her brain.

"Yeah, well... We'll just have to see what Cadance has to say, won't we?" Rainbow continued, looking over her shoulder with a humored smile.

Her smile then fell from her face as she noticed her girlfriend standing still, some feet behind her with a pained expression... clutching her head, her breaths rugged.

She spun the rest of the way around to face her, her brow furrowing instantly in worry.

"Twilight?"

Twilight felt nauseous, the pain pounding at her skull as a pressure seemingly built up within her horn... the world itself spinning around her...

It'll pass, she told herself. This is... j-just like all those other times... It'll pass. It'll—!

Rainbow gasped, taking a few steps back, and shielding her eyes as Twilight's own went white. A beam of magic expelled from her horn, into the sky, where it crackled and fizzled out... disappearing high above the clouds.

Rainbow had followed the magic with her eyes, staring up mystified at the layer of clouds over them. "What was...?"

Her attention snapped back to Twilight, catching her as she began stumbling forward, her eyelids rapidly falling shut as the last of the light drained from her eyes.

Rainbow's breath froze in the back of her throat.

She passed out in Rainbow's hooves, her head falling flat against the pegasus's upper chest... her horn expelling a few, short cracking sounds as rogue magic rippled for split seconds like bolts of electricity.

Rainbow stared down at her girlfriend with a fearful gaze.

"Twi...?" she barely managed to utter out.

She swallowed hard, forcing her gaze away from Twilight, and glancing around her desperately.

Turning back to Twilight, she nudged the unicorn up onto her back... before galloping off for the nearest hospital.

---

Twilight softly winced, letting out a muffled groan as she slowly came to.

She opened her eyes, then instinctively squinted as she was met with the bright, white glow of a ceiling light.

Where am...?

She paused as she picked up on a gentle, loving feeling that seemed to stroke her left hoof.

She'd recognize that feeling anywhere...

"H-hey," she greeted, turning her head slightly to greet her girlfriend as she stood at her bedside, hoof resting over her own. "What... h-happened?"

"You passed out in the street, Twi," explained Rainbow, her voice a little shaken. "I was honestly pretty freaked when it happened, a-and wasn't sure what to do other than take you to the first hospital that I could find..."

"So that's where I am..." Twilight peered down at the bedsheets covering her body, then to the remainder of her surroundings, and door on the far side of the room. Everything about the decor indeed seemed to give her hospital vibes— "Wait."

Her eyes widened, staring up at the pegasus with a fretful look. "I passed out?!"

"D-docs say you overexerted yourself," Rainbow continued, holding a hoof out reassuringly. "They said you were spreading yourself so thin that your magic wasn't flowing properly, and that..." She lowered her voice, gazing off pensively. "There was too much of a magical buildup inside of you."

Rainbow finished her explanation, but Twilight remained no less at ease, staring ahead of herself in contemplative thought.

"That doesn't sound right... I mean, I do remember feeling a little sick, but... I felt like I've had a pretty good handle on my magic, this whole time..."

"But doctors are usually right... aren't they, Twi?"

At that, Twilight turned her head away. She focused on her horn, only for nothing to happen.

"Can't even teleport..." she grumbled.

Rainbow smiled down at her apologetically. "Your magic reserves need time to recover, Twi, sorry."

"Mmrgh..." She stared up in frustration, piquing her girlfriend's curiosity.

"Something wrong?" Rainbow asked.

"Oh I don't know, Rainbow. I mean, it's not like I hate hospitals or... that I just lost control of my magic again."

Rainbow stared down at her for a moment, taken aback by her confession.

She bit her lip, averting her eyes for a second before insisting, "It may as well be my fault that you lost control, Twi! Traveling to Cloudsdale was like, the last thing either of us really needed, thinking back..."

Twilight sat up immediately, arguing, "B-but it was my decision for us to go in the first place—!"

"Because of me, Twi." Rainbow set a hoof against her left foreleg. "Sorry, but... I dunno, I just... got real worried, having you collapse in my hooves like that..." She looked off, ears folding against her head. "I thought something seriously bad may have happened, and that, I don't know... that this was it for us, and it was because of me that—!"

Rainbow tensed as Twilight reached her hoof up to cup her cheek.

"Don't blame yourself, Rainbow," she implored, in a sweet voice. "I mean... hay." She smiled assuredly. "I'm still kicking, right?"

"Yeah..." Rainbow supposed, shrugging halfheartedly. "For now, anyway..."

Twilight frowned at her fiancée's dreary remark, once more insisting, "I just got exhausted, Rainbow... That's all."

"If you say so, Twi... Sorry, it's just... you know how much I love you, and... it's sorta hard for me not to worry."

"I know, Rainbow... and I promise that if something truly was the matter, I would tell you. As far as I can fathom, however... it was a complete mishap."

Rainbow nodded slightly, proceeding to take a seat beside her on the edge of her hospital bed. "Well, look on the bright side, Twi," she said. "You have me to keep you company!"

"Why?" She cocked her head while bearing a confused stare.

Rainbow met her gaze with a deadpan look.

"I-I mean, how much longer do they plan on keeping me here?" she reiterated, then clarified. "I already feel fine enough to leave."

"You look it too," Rainbow remarked, triggering a faint blush to creep into her girlfriend's cheeks. "B-but, um... y-you know, docs want to make sure you're stable, and that your magic replenishes properly. They, um... need you to stay overnight."

Twilight's jaw hit the bed.

"Overnight?"

She stared back at her in exasperation, Rainbow's hoof urging her to calm back down.

"W-what about Cadance? I-I mean, we were supposed to meet with her today, and—!"

"And we will, Twi... I promise," Rainbow reassured, setting a hoof over one of hers. "Just... not today. I wrote to her after bringing you here, telling her what happened, and had Spike send it off."

"A-and Spike, he...?"

"Knows you're here. Again, don't worry about a thing, Twilight; I've got it all covered. Just focus on getting better... alright?"

Twilight pursed her lips, stubbornly doing as her girlfriend advised. She laid back, folding her forelegs as she let out a small huff.

"Still," she grumbled, "I hate hospitals..."

"Well, hey," Rainbow supposed, "at least it's only one night." She let out a short chuckle at the thought. "I mean, how do you think I felt when I was told that I'd be staying here for days? I mean, geez, Twi... I was willing to jump out a window and take my chances with the ground than be without you, out of sheer boredom!"

Twilight deadpanned, staring back at her with a dry look. "And it was sounding so romantic until the 'boredom' part."

Rainbow smiled meekly back at her in response.

---

Later that evening... the sky above Canterlot lit up for but a moment.

An object tore through the sky, leaving a trail of color in its wake... and alerting Celestia to its presence.

She ran out to the balcony outside her room, gazing up at the strange object as it blazed its way across the partly cloudy night sky.

There was no mistaking it... Whatever it was, was endowed with an unmistakable magical signature.

A shooting star? she theorized. No, it's... much too big, and would have burned up by this point...

The mysterious object flew overhead as it rapidly made its descent towards the forest that lay just beyond Canterlot Mountain. It eventually touched down, lighting up the surrounding trees briefly within an eerie blue light.

Celestia's heart sunk, recognizing the specific spot within the forest all too well...

Our old castle...

It couldn't be a coincidence, she decided. The days until her sister was released from her prison were growing ever shorter...

The timing was too perfect... too orchestrated.

If that truly was a lunar meteorite, then...

She gazed up wistfully, towards the moon itself.

What are you planning... Sister?

---

Day 331

"Celestia wants to see us?" Twilight exclaimed, disbelievingly. "Does the letter say why, Spike?"

Spike shook his head, redirecting his gaze back to the open letter that he held in his hand with a mystified look.

"No, it... just says that it's urgent."

Twilight shut her eyes tight, teleporting both herself and Rainbow to the castle and leaving Spike in the dust, momentarily stunned.

They reappeared outside the castle doors, already opened to them by the guards who had seemingly been expecting them.

Sharing a look of worriment, the two mares ran inside.

"Princess!"

Celestia's ear rose at the sound of her student's voice, and she turned, looking over her shoulder at the two ponies who had come barging into her private corridors with looks of concern etched into their faces.

"Twilight, Rainbow," she greeted, looking back ahead. "Welcome. Come, sit."

The two paused, exchanging quick glances with the other, before each doing a double take.

"Princess, we... thought you were in danger," confessed Twilight, looking up at her warily.

"Danger?" Celestia furrowed her brow, smiling in slight humor. "Why would you think that?"

"W-well, it's just... T-the letter you sent Spike said you wanted to see us because it was urgent." Twilight looked away in shame, down at her hooves. "I could only assume..."

"I see... Well, I assure you that I'm not in any danger, Twilight."

Oh, they both thought, looking back at her as a sense of relief came over them. Phew...

"Equestria however, might very well be."

Twilight and Rainbow both froze, their eyes slowly widening.

"What...?" they both uttered.

Celestia nodded solemnly, turning and walking towards her open balcony. A warm breeze filtered through, gently moving the curtains that separated her balcony from her main chambers.

"After I had finished raising the moon last night... an object of unknown origin fell from my sky. I sensed it was laden with magic."

Magic? Twilight wondered. "C-could it have been a meteor?"

"I have my theories..." Celestia looked again to the sky. "An explosion of light lit up the area when it crashed within the Everfree Forest... where my old castle still stands."

"I read about that," Twilight softly mentioned, thinking back... The castle you once shared with Princess Luna...

"Twilight Sparkle. You have always been my most faithful student. It's time now I feel, for you to take the next step in your studies."

"The next step...?" Twilight's eyes grew bigger.

"To send you out into the world, to learn about the different types of magic there, and continue of course," she added with a kind smile, "to help the ponies you meet."

Twilight lightly blushed, gazing towards the floor. "I wouldn't really say that I've... helped anypony, Princess—"

"Aw, don't be ridiculous, Twi!" Rainbow was quick to interject. "You've helped ponies, I mean—" She pointed both of her hooves at herself. "Hel-lo."

Twilight softly giggled before turning back to Celestia, silently asking the taller pony to continue.

"I would like to send the two of you to the Everfree Forest just outside Ponyville, to investigate this object and report back to me."

The... Ev-verf-free F-forest...? Twilight gulped, growing a little pale as her heart skipped a beat. "W-with all due respect, Princess," she stammered out. "That... sounds a little daunting, d-don't you think...? I-I mean, the... the E-Everfree is— I... I mean I've just heard stories that... it's kind of a dangerous forest... full of all sorts of horrible things!"

Celestia raised an eyebrow back at her. "So you aren't up to the task? I would have thought that, at the very least... with the aid of a friend, you'd be able to handle it. With friends, you know... you can accomplish amazing feats." She crouched down to her student's level while bearing a reassuring smile, managing to calm her worries a little as she added, "Even take down an ursa."

Twilight blinked, looking back up as her brow lifted a bit.

"Whoa, whoa... whoa," Rainbow cut in, a look of seriousness on her face, "who said anything about an ursa? And Twi, I know you pledge allegiance to Celestia and worship her every whim or whatever—"

Twilight groaned, her face, unbeknownst to her, all of a sudden turning beet red at that precise moment. "I do not worship her."

"You do too!"

Twilight looked back at Celestia, forcing a smile to her lips. "I have no idea what she's talking about."

Both her attention and gaze were torn away, drawn back to her girlfriend as Rainbow grabbed her by the shoulders.

"It's cool, and hey, I respect her too," she continued. "But! Being asked to journey to some potentially, danger-filled forest, to investigate who knows what! And especially," she added in a hushed tone, "when you just got released from the hospital yesterday."

Twilight's look of surprise faded quickly into a gentle look of understanding. "I can't let the princess down, Rainbow," she explained simply, with an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

"The concern you have for her is very sweet, Rainbow," Celestia interjected, grabbing their attention away from each other, "but you needn't worry. I was only joking about the ursas."

Rainbow narrowed her eyes.

"Ha ha, Your Highness," she sarcastically replied, only to receive a light jab from her girlfriend.

"I lived in that forest for many years, Rainbow, and I can assure you that it's in safe territory," continued Celestia. "The ursas I encountered there seemed... reclusive, and not openly aggressive towards me nor my sister. And besides... I figured, what with your wings, that you could make it there and back again before midnight."

Rainbow's face slowly lit up at the remark, a confident grin parting her lips.

"Heh..." She puffed out her chest, boasting, "I could make it sooner than that."

Celestia chuckled at the display. "I don't doubt it. Twilight has mentioned how fast you've become in her letters as of late..."

"She has?" Rainbow turned to her right, staring inquisitively towards her girlfriend. "You have?"

Twilight shrugged indifferently, peering off with an embarrassed blush. "I dunno, I... needed something to write about, and you're, well... " She turned her gaze back to meet her girlfriend's, smiling shyly all the while. "Pret-ty awesome subject material."

Rainbow gazed back at her, a little taken aback at first, before garnishing a loving smile.

They discussed their assignment for a bit longer before saying their goodbyes, Celestia remarking that the next train to Ponyville would be leaving soon.

So they left, chatting still, this time among themselves as they left her chambers.

Celestia paid little mind to any of it however, assuming it to be more talk about the Everfree, and what it would be like.

Twilight will be accompanied by a potential element bearer, so... she should be alright. It'll be a test, to see if she's capable of what I have in store for her, and... if it overwhelms them, I'll step in. I cannot do as much as I once could, but…

She directed her gaze back to the outside world, as she stepped out onto her balcony and into the warm, evening air.

She stepped over to the railing, watching listlessly as both Twilight and Rainbow eventually exited out the castle gates, lost in conversation as they hurriedly made their way to the train station.

Biting her lip, Celestia turned her gaze pensively towards the sky.

Please do not be wrong about this... Sombra.

---

? ? ?

That mare knew nothing about the power she wielded... The ability to steal away memories... and store them deep within a mere rock...

A pony—their voice wispy and indistinguishable—stood solemnly within the dark foyer of an unfamiliar castle... silently musing over the fact.

Their body remained encased entirely within a crystal suit of armor, from their hooves to the tip of their horn.

Had she not made foolish assumptions, and had only instead done the research... She would have known that, come sundown of the third day, those memories vanish for good.

They smiled down at the rim of a pool of rippling water, where the real memory stone sat before them... emitting a low, turquoise hue.

Well, fortunately for me... I was able to intervene before that happened, leaving a convincing fake in the real one's place... and delaying the inevitable, because luckily... They smirked behind their crystal mask. There is no sunset... on the moon.

"...And now," they began to proclaim, "thanks to the actions of that feeble-minded fool, I can now return Rainbow Dash's memories myself!" They sneered in eager anticipation. "She's currently in the middle of her trip to Cloudsdale, so... there's no better time than now... to begin my revenge."

They ignited their horn, levitating the stone into the air... before then flinging it against the far wall with incredible force.

The stone crumbled into pieces, falling listlessly to the floor.

The crystal-clad pony glowered at its remains, before straightening up, watching as Rainbow's memories, taking the shape of multicolored orbs, floated up out of the rubble... eventually leaving out the castle doors.

"I want you to remember everything you still have to lose, Rainbow," the pony growled out, "So that you'll be all the more distraught... when I rip it all away—!"

"Are you done monologuing?"

The crystal-clad pony whirled around, turning to face an older, much taller alicorn, leaning against the frame of the archway entrance, and staring dryly at the display.

Nightmare Moon...

They averted their eyes, muttering, "I'm enacting the first steps of my revenge."

Nightmare Moon stared at them for a moment longer before sighing, shaking her head as she came forward. "Yes. The revenge I assisted you with. Do not forget, that it was my underlings and I who fetched you that wretched rock in the first place... and told you all about Clover the Clever and the three day time limit."

"Hmph." The crystalline pony turned their head away indignantly. "If you're expecting gratitude... look elsewhere. You couldn't even get the color of the memory stone correct—"

Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes. "What I expect... is for you to stop obsessing over this Rainbow Dash. She isn't even the one from your reality—"

"I want her to suffer," the pony stated. "Plain and simple. Her and her friends." They glowered at the alicorn from behind their crystal mask. "If there existed another version of Celestia in this reality, and you had the chance to destroy her... Wouldn't you?"

The two glared at one another, a moment of silence hanging between them.

"...Get ready," Nightmare Moon said, as she turned to walk away. "Our plan to take over Equestria is bigger than either one of us, and I'll need you at your best if you intend on restoring your reality back from the brink of destruction. After all... I need your ability to wield the Elements of Harmony, and..."

She turned to look back at them with a wry smirk. "I am the only one aside from my foolhardy sister, who has the power to enact Star Swirl's time spell... and send you back from whence you came."

Author's Note:

Sneak preview for the next chapter.

Comments

[MLPFiMFTW]

Thank you blessed author, TwiDash shall reign eternal.
Now, if only my memory was flawless. I suppose I shall start again at the beginning.

[Resurgent Wanderer]

But it's bed time and that's another 40k words...

[Vaguely Demented]

A lot of questions answered. And just as many raised.

[Fantasia]

9742220
You wouldn't, by any chance, be referring to this line... would you?

The stones sparkle, shimmer, and just... glimmer so radiantly in the sunlight

I-I don't see what the problem is, no sirree! Hehe...

Aw, seriously though... why do I deserve a glare for that? Was it too cheesy even by this story's standards? Or do you simply not like Shim-Sham and Glim-Glam? Because I do... aaand I thought it was kind of a clever little reference.

[Lord Stratos Eclipse]

Woooooooooo, it’s back

[Midknight Defender]

Oh look. All caught up.

Just one question.

How's that lawsuit for causing mass diabetes going?

[Fantasia]

9752178
Eh, I'll pull through. I regret absolutely none of it though.

Also, it may have been unintentional, but I thank you for highlighting a technical flaw in the story within your previous comment. "Dragon's" is not supposed to include an apostrophe... It is now fixed.

[Midknight Defender]

9752861
I try (sometimes I fail though) to ignore typos unless I'm specifically looking to proofread something for someone these days. Otherwise I'd never do anything but comment on typos! *Breathe, Midknight, breathe!*

[Ri2]

9782004
Oh, I see. I just hope Twilight finishes reading those before the deadline. Assuming Rainbow doesn't distract her.

[Kichi]

Good story so far, I found it and liked it

[Velvet-Fresh]

Ah crud, since when Starlight got a crystal armor?