The Line

by Sooks

Ch.19 - Rendevous

Constellation greeted the mail stallion at the box, as she usually did every morning. He gave her their mail with a smile, and was off with a tip of his hat. The chiroptequus mare trotted inside, leafing through the envelopes with general disinterest. As usual, nothing important, except for a bill and-

A peculiar letter had been addressed to them, stuffed in a fine envelope. Had Constellation noticed, she would have found the letter bore no stamp, but instead the seal of a royal postage pardon. Such seals were rare to come by, and often contained some manner of important document. The gold trim along the edges of the envelope also would have been quite the surprise as well.

But the mare’s gaze was fixed on the hastily scrawled “Mum and Papa” over their address. Dropping the other mail, she tore open the envelope and threw herself into the letter.

Hi Mum, Hi Papa,

I’m not really sure what I wanted to say I hope you’re both well. I wish I had the chance to see you, but I don’t. By “classified means of travel” I made it back to Canterlot tonight, but I have to leave again. The war isn’t going well, but we might have a chance to end it. I need to help. And I need to find my friends if they’re alive.

I’ve missed you every day since I left. I wish I was back home, and all of this was a bad dream. But I can’t come home yet, not until I know you’ll be safe.

I’m sorry, and I love you both. I’ll see you soon.

Love,
Comet

Nebula glanced down the hall to see where his wife was, only to find her hunched over a letter, adding her tears to the already dried splotches. He hurried to her side, comforting her, but when he saw the letter, it wasn’t long before he joined her silence.

~*~

The ground below rushed past at harrowing speeds as the Cumulus and the Nimbus risked flying themselves apart to make the rendezvous. Every mile was another that Comet wished she could take back, or at least stop and enjoy for a moment, but it was gone, as was the next, and the next, and the next for the entire day, and the next. As Celestia had requested, she remained the princess’s personal escort, following her almost everywhere. Nopony questioned who she was, nopony got in her way, and nopony asked her anything. Part of the filly wanted to get to know the crew of the Cumulus, but she had already gone through that once.

She had had a ship, and it was gone now. She wasn’t about to start all over again.

With all of her old equipment destroyed and discarded, the filly was given a brand new set. She tried it on, fitted all the straps and buckles for her size, and examined the helmet to make sure it was all in order -- first time checks she had not performed in months. The sight of the polished, gleaming surface filled Comet with anger. It felt like all of her experience had been stripped away, and she was a green recruit again. She reached for one of the armorer’s files and tried to gouge the surface, but the stallion grabbed her foreleg with his own.

“Easy, Sergeant,” the armorer said, “you’ll want every millimeter of metal you can get when the shit hits the fan.” Comet snorted at him. “Look, I get it. I was at Fort Solaris when we got demolished.” That softened Comet’s gaze. “Most of us got rotated after the battle for some R&R, but if Equestria needs me, back to the lines I go. I know what a fresh suit of armor seems like. But you’ll want it to be fresh for as long as possible, right?”

“...Right.”

“Good, now why don’t you give me that,” he took the file from the chiroptequus,” and I’ll give you these.” He hoisted a pair of sheathed sabres for her to take. “I heard you cracked your old ones.”

“Shattered, actually.”

“Damn, both of them?”

“Both of them.”

“How in Tartarus did you pull that off?”

Comet snorted amusedly. “Dragonfire.” She thanked the armorer and took her equipment back to her bunk. She checked each of her sabres, sharpened them for a bit, and went to find where Celestia had gotten to. Nine times out of ten, the filly could find her on the top deck or on the bridge. When both of those proved fruitless, she was left to wander the ship, checking anywhere she thought the princess would have reason to be.

She might have found out Princess Celestia was in the galley sooner if she had stopped to ask somepony. Admittedly, it was close to dinnertime, but for some reason it had never occurred to Comet that the alicorn would need to eat. Old idols die hard, she supposed. The audience was awkwardly divided between the ponies that were too bashful to address their princess, and the ponies that couldn’t join the former since she had addressed them directly. Comet quietly grabbed her own dinner, a thick oat steak and salad, and sat down at a respectful distance. But nothing seemed to escape the solar monarch.

“Sgt. Shimmer,” Celestia sang, “I was wondering where you had gone.”

“Just getting a new suit of armor fitted, Ma’am.” The filly felt some stares fixing on her, but continued to eat her dinner quietly.

“Hmmm, that’s right. Well, best to be prepared, yes?”

“As you say, Ma’am.”

Celestia’s warm smile faltered for a split second. “Well why should she be open to you? You know she hates you, at least she’s honest about it.” Celestia took a bite of her steak and chewed slowly. “It’s a wonder you have anypony on this ship that doesn’t. It is, after all, your fault that they’re here.” The princess tried to chat with the ponies sitting next to her. “Imagine their curses as they die. If your little gambles fail, nopony is going to leave alive. And all of it will be your fault . Again.”

“Won’t that be fun? Will that set the record for your greatest failure, or will I still hold that honor?”

“Would you all excuse me for a moment?” Celestia set down her knife and fork and strode away from the table. Comet watched her pass, a hint of concern invading her mind. She set down her own utensils and followed the princess out. The two made their way up to the top deck in silence, Celestia not regarding Comet’s presence, and Comet not making it known. Even when they had reached the bow, and Celestia held her head high, listening to the wind tinkle in her mane, the two of them said nothing.

Without opening her eyes, Celestia said, “I think I would like some time alone, Comet Shimmer.”

“...Do you?” Celestia spun around to face the little filly. “If I had to guess, you’ve been dealing with something for a long time on your own, and it doesn’t seem to be working.”

“Hmm,” Celestia frowned, “you speak from experience.”

“I tried dealing with my problems by myself, and it just caused more damage. If I hadn’t had my friends, I wouldn’t be here.” The two ponies watched each other for a long time, looking to see who would yield first. “If you really don’t want to talk about it, then fine. But we need you if your plan is going to work. Whatever you need to do to make sure that happens, do it.”

Celestia’s gaze contracted for a moment, but she smiled in defeat. “Would you like to hear a story, Comet Shimmer?”

The filly tilted her head. “I rarely turn down a good story.” She sat down, her wings fluttering at her sides.

“...I have a sister, you see.”

Comet interrupted, “Scholar mentioned a pony named ‘Luna.’ So there are two of you?”

“Yes, there were. She was a lovely girl, mischievous, but kind, and full of life and love. She was an artist, and her canvas was the moon and the stars.” Celestia looked up at the winter sky. “On clear nights like tonight, she would shower the skies with diamonds. I would always marvel at her work. I loved it, and I loved her.” Her gaze fell. “But I did not show it.

“We had worked so hard to make Equestria safe, my only concern was to make sure it remained so. She needed me, but I was not there for her. A bitterness grew in her heart, a longing for somepony to love her work as she did, but nopony requited her feelings. Her sorrow turned to rage, and she became something… dark.”

Comet’s jaw slowly dropped. “...Your sister…”

“Became the Nightmare Moon you’ve read stories of, yes.”

“But that would make you-”

“Comet Shimmer,” Celesta interrupted, “I am very careful with this information, not for myself, but for the memory of my sister. I do not want her to be thought of as a monster, but rather the kind, loving mare she was before. You will tell nopony, I trust?”

“I won’t.”

“Thank you.” Celestia smiled, but her eyes revealed the pain that dredging up such ancient memories had caused. “You asked me before, how I could understand your suffering. Imagine if all the pain you and your friends had befallen, you had caused.”

Through it all, the princess had not faltered in her regal composure. For a thousand years, Comet realized, her princess had learned how to hide pain, how to put duty before desire. And it had cost her dearly. The filly shuffled up to the alicorn and nuzzled her chest. “I don’t think she blames you, Princess.”

“She does, little one, but I appreciate your faith.”

~*~

Comet’s first thought, when she saw dozens of dots on the horizon, was that the dragons had beaten them to the rendezvous point and had come for them. As they sped closer, she could make out the balloons from the bodies, and the dozens of dozens of sails that shone with the early morning sun. All the remaining airships of The Line drifted above a camp many hundreds of yards across. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of tents sat in nice rows, starting from within the woods and leading all the way up to the river fork -- a natural line of defense against the dragon armies. Sharpened stakes and magic pillars had been set in the soft river banks to give the ponies as much of a chance as possible.

A few airships pulled up alongside the twin flagships, extending their walkways to allow the land-bound crew across. Celestia greeted them on the bridge, her six personal escorts at attention behind her.

“Your Highness,” Admiral Merry Weather saluted, “it is an honor to have you here. Pity that it should be under such dire circumstances.”

“Indeed it is, Admiral. How go our preparations?”

“We’re pulling together everything we can, Princess.” One of the admiral’s assistants unfurled a map and laid it out on the table. “Our ground forces are set along the northern bank of the river fork. Many of the dragons will be too small or too weak to swim the river, so that should cover us for some, but…”

“Yes, Admiral?”

“Well, Ma’am,” Merry Weather gulped, “our estimates of their numbers are rough, but based on our experiences, reconnaissance reports, and the known size of some longtails, we estimate that they will have piled enough of their corpses by the end of the second hour to dam the river.” Nopony had a response, and they sat in silence and processed the thought. Somepony coughed awkwardly, which was enough to break the spell. “As an attempt to counteract that, we’ve placed barrels of firework powder underground here and here,” she pointed, “so that we might be able to blast open the rivers should that happen. We’ve placed similar traps farther out to try to thin their numbers.”

“Where did you find firework powder out here?”

“There was a manufacturer just west of here making fireworks without a permit. Forgive me, your highness, but I guaranteed him a pardon in exchange for his stores.”

“A wise decision,” Celestia assured her. “And for the air?”

“Nothing quite so ingenuitive, I’m afraid.” Merry Weather conjured illusionary board pieces for their airships. “Our ships will fan out into a two tier crescent, trying to group the dragons into attacking the center. With any luck, we will be able to catch them in the crossfire and increase our effectiveness.”

“I understand your plan, but won’t that make the airponies’ work impossibly dangerous?”

“It will. Our plan is to expend our ballistae ammunition before the combat wings engage. Once they have, our ships shall reconfigure for magic barrages and assisting with ground targets.” Merry Weather dispelled her pieces. “I won’t lie, your highness. It’s a longshot at best.”

“It is, Admiral, but you and the others have done well with what you have available,” Celestia said. “Luckily, I have brought a plan of my own that shall be taking the lead.”

“What formation does it call for, Your Highness?”

“It does not call for one at all. If my plan should fail, yours is our immediate fallback.” Celestia smiled knowingly. “Thank you, Admiral. I will be here, preparing things on my end. Comet Shimmer,” she looked over her shoulder, “I believe you have a company to locate. Best be quick about it. When you find them, bring them to me as soon as possible.”

“Your Highness.” Comet saluted and raced out of the room. Before the filly had even thought where she should start searching, she was over the side of the ship. She basked in a moment of freefall before her wings unfurled and she made her way to the ground in a more controlled manner. The camp seemed almost comfortable in a way; it was still chilly from the remnants of night, ribbons of fog rolling along the ground between tents, but the day promised a pleasant warmth. It was nowhere near as dry as their desert camps had been, but not humid either. Why hadn’t they been able to fight the war in such a pleasant place?

The denizens of the camp, however, reminded her that they were. Every single pony was on edge, ready to fly off the handle at the first sign of trouble. Some watched her go by, but others were too deep in their own goings on to pay the chiroptequus any mind. The mending of armor, sharpening of blades, and priming of foci created the melodic prelude to the final hours of their war. But she needed one specific tent amongst the hundreds, and after a few directions and redirections, she found it.

Logistics was situated in a barely larger tent near the treeline, roughly halfway between the shore and the back of the camp. A pastel green earth pony was checking off lists when Comet walked in, and barely looked up when she stopped at the desk. “Inquiry?”

“I’m looking for the 265th Airborne Division, 2nd Battalion, C Company. Their battle group was sunk while trying to retreat north, and I need to know if anypony made it back.”

“265th, hmm? Let’s see, let’s see.” The earth pony pulled up four days worth of logs and began sifting through them. “Hmm, no, no, no… no. No… no.” Comet caught herself grinding her teeth, and could not decide if it was from the anticipation or from the sheer number of no’s the secretary was saying. “No, no, no- hmm, this might be.” She pulled a log from the stack and laid it down for Comet to see. “Seems Admiral Silk Screen picked up some rescues on their way northeast. Strike Group Eight, it says.”

“That’s them!” Comet grabbed the mare. “Where are they!?”

“Um, on the Adjudicator with the admiral. Him and his ships, anyway. The Valiant, the Brilliance, look for those, I think they’re overseeing the east block.”

“Thank you!” Comet was already out the tent. She barely had open air over her head before her wings were unfurled and she was airborne again. Among so many identical airships, the Adjudicator was hard to find. It’s name was nearly hewn away, and if it weren’t for the more intact name scrawled on the Valiant’s hull, she might have missed it entirely. Holding her breath, Comet looped up over the side of the ship and skidded across the deck. Her hooves slid to a stop, depositing the filly a scant yard in front of Firefly.

Neither of them could decide who looked more stunned.

“...I… Ma’am,” Comet sniffed, “you’re alive.”

“I am, Shimmer… Didn’t expect the same from you. Reports said you were dead.”

“They exaggerated. It’s a long, classified story... Excuse me, Ma’am,” Comet managed before she pulled the fuschia mare into a huge hug. She felt the pegasus’s legs wrap around her in return.

“You are the first pony to ever be crossed off my KIA list,” Firefly whispered. Comet laughed, and could not stop laughing. The scene stopped a few ponies dead in their tracks. Willow and Rain sprinted over and wrapped Comet up in a second wave of embraces, while Night Light and the twins ran below deck to find the others. Some of them took a heap of convincing before they came up top to behold it with their own eyes.

Comet Shimmer was back from the dead.

“You,” Rain managed between sniffles, “are the luckiest, most reckless pony I have ever known. We thought you were dead!”

“I thought you all were too. How did you escape?”

“After the sparklefang showed up, the dragons scattered and never came back. Admiral Silk Screen found us the next morning.” Willow rubbed his mouth in disbelief. “But you, everypony said it had killed you. Lily was screaming bloody murder when-”

Rain stopped in the middle of ruffling Comet’s mane. “Wait, where’s Lily?”

“She’s ok?” The weight just kept lifting from Comet’s shoulders.

“She’s not, Egghead,” Thunder said. “After you… died, she fell apart. She’s…”

“What Ogre's trying to say,” Stratus cut in, “is she needs to see you, now.” The filly nodded and followed her friends below deck. Before she disappeared down the stairwell, her head popped back up.

“Oh, Captain,” she called to Firefly, “Princess Celestia told me to bring you all to her if I found you. So… We’ll need to head to the Cumulus soon.” Before the mare could respond, she had disappeared below deck.

The sight she beheld on Lily’s bunk was eerily familiar. A small, pink ball of fur and feathers was curled up beneath a blanket. For a brief moment, Comet could not find any sign of life, until the soft rise and fall of the blanket indicated her wingpony was still breathing. Rain touched Comet lightly on the shoulder before corralling the rest of their company and leading them out. Comet crept up to the edge of the bunk and put a hoof on Lily’s back.

“...Lily?” The breathing froze, and Comet felt every muscle tense through the blanket. Slowly, as if moving too quickly would make her vanish, Lily looked over her shoulder. Her pupils shrank as she saw her friend standing over her. “...Hi.” For a long while, the two of them just stared at each other, completely unable to think of anything to say.

Lily Nimbus punched Comet Shimmer across the cheek. There hadn't been any warning, just a quick sucking of air. But the punch was plenty real, and the indigo filly sprawled against the floor in a daze. Before she could register that she was on her back, pink hooves slammed down on either side of her head. Lily hit her again.

“You stupid,” smack, “bucking,” hit, “idiot,” Lily screamed as she continued to barrage her friend. “You died! You bucking died! You turned to ash right in front of me, you bucking idiot! I said I’d keep you safe, I promised, and you went and bucking died! What is wrong with you!? You… You…” The pink filly collapsed against her wingpony and bawled, screaming about how stupid Comet was and how much she hated her. The filly only held her tighter as tears rolled down her own cheeks.

After delivering a few bruises, Lily finally slowed down and looked Comet in the eye. The chiroptequus thought she had been surprised when her wingpony had punched her, but when Lily brought her head down and kissed her, well, that proved her entirely wrong. The contact lingered for the briefest moment before the pink filly pulled away and held her tight.

“I thought I’d lost you. I thought I’d screwed up and lost you.”

“I’m sorry, Lily…” The pegasus’s embrace was honestly too tight, but neither of them would dare let the other go.

~*~

Returning the favor, Comet got Lily cleaned up and as fed as her stomach could handle, and when she was arguably presentable, Cyclone Company departed for the Cumulus. There were so few of them, between the casualties and those too injured to present themselves. It was a wonder they could muster an entire platoon, let alone the two they had bunched up into. Rainbow Blaze had to fly slowly to avoid aggravating his cracked rib, which caused Firefly to slow down to match him, which in turn made the rest of the company slow their pace.

They found Princess Celestia on the top deck, clad in her usual regalia, and arranged themselves in mid air to address her. They landed in tight, even rows, with their officers in front. Though she was near to the back, Firefly caught Comet and pulled her forward, who in turn yanked Lily along with her. The pink filly's cheeks flushed red; her first time meeting the princess, and she looked like she'd rolled through Tartarus.

"Princess," Comet Shimmer saluted, "May I present Cyclone Company, of the 265th Airborne."

"A pleasure." Celestia smiled at them. "Sgt. Shimmer has told me of your ordeals in the south, and of the camaraderie and trust you treat each other with. It is good to know such valorous ponies exist. I understand that this atmosphere is thanks to you, Captain Firefly?"

"Ma'am," Firefly saluted, "just doing what I believe to be best for my ponies, Ma'am."

"And I believe it has paid off. But I have not called you here just to commend you for your fibre. I trust you have heard the plan for our defenses?"

"We have, Your Highness," Firefly said.

"I have brought a plan of my own that we shall be attempting first, and I require you all for it work." She smiled at their confused gazes. "Unfortunately, nopony can give away the nature of our strategy, so I must play this one close to the chest. I trust that you will all be by my side when we meet our foes?"

"You can count on us, Your Highness." Cyclone Company saluted together.

"Excellent. You may bring your belongings over to the Cumulus to save on time. There is more than enough room; we did not have any combat wings to accompany us south. Additionally, I understand that the remaining crew and combat wings of the Adamant, the Starfall, and the Equinox are with you as well? See that they know to make their way here. I intend to have the Cumulus spearheading this operation, and I would have all the experienced, trusted ponies I can muster." Celestia gave Comet a stern glance. "I will see all of you soon."

"Ma'am." They lowered their hooves, turned, and departed. The lot of them made their way back to the Adjudicator, but the twins just couldn't make it that far.

"What did you do!?" They both squealed. "Why is the princess regarding your sorry flank on, y'know, a familiar level? And you’re a sergeant? What the buck?"

"I... kind of sort of... teleported into her war chamber." The filly smiled bashfully.

"Shimmer," Firefly said flatly, "I hope you realize that you'll have to explain this to all of us."

"Absolutely, Captain," Comet replied, "everything except the parts the princess made me promise not to. But I'll tell you, once we find the others." The crews of their old airships were scattered across the ships that had rescued them, and it was just shy of two hours later that the last of them stepped onto the Cumulus.

Comet found a cabin large enough to seat them all, made sure they were alone, and told them of her after death adventure all the way up to her departure from Canterlot. Some refused to believe she had actually spoken with Scholar, seeing as he was, well, a dragon, but her squad backed up her story of their maelstrom rescue. Much like her, none of them had heard of a changeling, and she had to describe the insectoid creature to them as best as she could remember.

"So they can impersonate dragons?" Rain gasped.

"Yes, but normally they can't due to their size. Scholar thinks the changelings have something that's augmented their power."

"And you trust him?" One of the pegasi near the back spat.

Comet glared. "Are we still on this, Bomber? He saved all of us at the maelstrom. If he wasn't trustworthy, you'd be dead too. The changelings have enslaved the dragons and are using them to invade Equestria."

"And I take it this is what Princess Celestia's secret plan is related to?" Firefly said.

"Yes." Comet flattened her ears. "And I can't tell you what it is. I'm sorry."

"Obvious question," Stratus raised his hoof. "If changelings can imitate other creatures, how do we know you're not one?"

"Because I know you were Sgt. Thunderhead's favorite punching bag, Screwup. I know Gale Force earned his nickname for nearly blowing chunks all over Lily. I know you two," she pointed at Willow and Rain, "used to be at each other's throats every day. And you," she pointed at Rainbow Blaze and Firefly, "helped me believe joining the Guard wasn't the biggest mistake of my life. You also made me drink... a lot." The mare shrugged innocently. "Changelings take shapes, but they can't take memories. Celestia told me that." A few ponies, Firefly included, seemed to relax. Their comrade wasn't a fake then. "To be honest, I don't entirely know what Celestia's plan is. But she's been honest enough with me that I trust her. And I trust all of you."

"Good enough for me," Firefly said. "So for now, we're on the same track. All of you, rest up and get ready. Whatever the drag- changelings bring for us, we need to be ready to beat back. Our scouts should have an ETA before sundown, but be ready for anything, anytime."

"Yes, Ma'am," her company barked and dismissed themselves. Firefly turned to her second in command.

"Rainbow... I don't want you to fly."

"I'm not letting you go up there alone, Fly. Don't expect me to." His jaw turned to stone. “Don’t ask me to.”

"I won't be alone, you big lug. I'll have my entire company, and we'll be a tail's length behind the bucking princess. But your rib... I saw how hard it was for you to fly over here. Look me in the eye and tell me you can fly combat maneuvers." He couldn't. He tried, he really did, but he couldn't lie to her. "I want you with me, but I'd rather you be safe. Will you wait for me?"

"Until the end of time." He kissed her, a fleeting gesture to avoid attracting the attention of their peers. She didn't let him get away that easily.

Comet watched from the door, her mouth scrunched to one side. Quiet as a shadow, she slipped out of earshot before she muttered, "Should have seen that coming."

~*~

The scouts came rushing north as fast as the wind could carry them. The dragons were close, they reported, no more than a day away. They were crossing the Beaverhearth River when the scouts had spotted them.

"So by the speeds you saw, they should be here," Admiral Merry Weather traced a line across her map, "Just after sunup tomorrow."

"At least we will not be waiting long." Celestia turned to the scouts. "Excellent work, all of you. Go get some rest." The pegasi saluted and made their way out. "Admiral, I think it would be best if everypony knew. I don't want anypony unable to fight tomorrow if they can."

"Will it come to that, Your Highness?"

"I should hope not," Celestia frowned, "but I've been wrong before."

~*~

Cyclone company and its "honorary members," the survivors of their ships and the other companies from Strike Group Eight, were the only ones who seemed at all jovial at dinner. Maybe Comet's return wasn't really, all things considered, a real reason to celebrate, but when your greatest accomplishment is not dying in the middle of the desert, anything positive is a boon.

Lily was back to eating proper food, and even cracked a few jokes and smiles with the rest of them. Comet tried to respond to everypony, but she never drifted too far from her wing. It was haunting how much Lily was a pink doppelganger of how she had been after Fang's death. The memory stabbed a fresh wound in her heart, but her main concern was the pink filly beside her.

It was her concern when they pulled out the cider, it was her concern when they went through round after round of singing, it was her concern when half the company was either already passed out or too tired to carry on. When Lily decided she'd had enough for the night, Comet excused the both of them. That didn't stop some from continuing their topside festivities.

"Night Light," Thunder Clap droned, "we got any more cider?"

The unicorn tapped the side of the keg. "Dry as a bone."

"What about ale?"

"Out of that too."

"Damn, we drank it all?" Stratus hopped down from his crate. "I guess the party's over."

"What? Buck that. If this is my last night in this world, I'm gonna bucking enjoy it."

"Clap, you're down an eye. You're really gonna fly?"

"Damn right." The green pegasus tapped under his good eye. "Faust saw fit to give me two. I'm not sticking around here when I can be of use up there."

"Fine,” the charcoal colt sighed, “just stick close to your squad, alright? No use getting killed because you have no peripheral vision."

"Aye boss." Thunder Clap gave a wobbly salute and wandered off to find something else to continue his evening with. The twins would have followed, but they were both too tired to even stand.

"Who knew Clap would turn half decent by the end of all this?" Sun Ray muttered.

"All it cost him was an eye," Moon Beam replied sweetly. She leaned against her sister and smiled. "Sis?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're with me."

The yellow twin wrapped a wing around her sister." Idiot, that's my line. I signed up first, y'know... You didn't have to come along."

"Yes I did. As if I was gonna let you do something so stupid and so dangerous by yourself." She closed her eyes and smiled. "We're a team. Always will be." Sun Ray hugged her close and whispered something in her ear, but the snowfall blue pegasus was already asleep.

~*~

Willow Wisp lay on his side and tried to catch his breath. His heart was going a mile a minute, but when he pressed his chest against Rain, he felt hers beating even faster. He nuzzled her neck, leaving light kisses wherever he went. She mewled affectionately at his butterfly touch.

"As far as last nights go, this has been a pretty good one," the lemon yellow colt panted. The brick red filly beside him giggled.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. For a moment, I wasn't sure." Sarcasm laced her tone.

"Did you not?" Willow made to say more, but she rubbed her nose against his.

"I enjoyed it very much. Such a gentlecolt you can be, when you want to." She rolled on her back. "Who would have thought it, back when we first met?"

"Life has a way of leaving surprises for you," he said. "...Silver."

"Willow?"

"I know, right now, things are really uncertain, but," he took her hoof in his, "I want you to know I love you. You mean everything to me, you do. And if we make it through tomorrow, I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. So... what do you say, Silver Raindrops?"

The brick red filly stared at him incredulously. Her eyes began to sparkle with gathering moisture, and Willow was sure he had blown it. “You, mister,” she huffed, “have terrible timing.” But she was giggling behind her mask of disapproval. The filly rolled over and scooted up to her colt. She stopped when their noses were almost touching. "If we make it through tomorrow?" She leaned in and captured his lips with hers. Even though they were both out of breath, neither one of them dared break the link, until finally she pulled away and whispered, "Every day."

~*~

Even though she had not asked her to, Comet's bunk remained empty for the rest of the night. Instead, Comet lay in Lily's bunk, holding the filly close. A long time ago, the pink wingpony had promised to keep her safe while she slept. It was only fair that she do the same.

"Comet?" Lily said.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you."

The chiroptequus laughed. "I kind of deserved it." Lily frowned. "Not just because I made you worry. You worked so hard to be strong for me. You were always around when I needed you to be, always ready to help me out, even when I didn't want you. I made you work so hard for my sake, and I couldn't do the same for you." Comet buried her face in the bouncy curls. Her father was right: they were like a wild storm. "So, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

Lily wrapped her forelegs around her friend. "I never held it against you, Comet. You gave everything you had, and I gave everything I had. That's what friends do, right? I just... didn't know how much I'd miss you until you were gone." Her embrace tightened. "I thought I'd let you down. I thought that, when it had really come down to it, you'd died for me, and I didn't want that. I wanted you to be alive, and happy, and to be my friend."

"I am, Lily. I'm alive, and I'll always be your friend." Comet squeezed her. "My brother would be lucky to have you."

"Yeah, he would." the two of them laughed. "But I don't know how he'd feel, having to share me with you all the time."

"Well, the two of us have always been pretty close. I'm sure he'd understand."

"Ew, Comet, what?" Lily pushed her back. "You're siblings, what the hell?"

"What? We've always spent a lot of time together, even when we were little. What did you-" Comet gasped and hit Lily on the shoulder. "You are terrible!"

"Hey, you said it."

"I did not!" The chiroptequus turned an ever more brilliant shade of red.

"You implied it!" Lily managed before Comet grabbed her pillow and hurled it in her face. Red faced as she was, she was still laughing. Lily pulled the pillow away to reveal her own smile. "I was referring to platonic activities. You were the one who got all weird with it."

"That was entirely you, you pervert." Comet yawned. Lily roped her back down to bed and nuzzled up against her. "If you marry my brother, we'd be sisters."

"I love package deals," Lily mumbled as she drifted off. Comet barely heard her say, "Love you, Comet," before the pink filly was fast asleep.

"Love you too, Lily." Comet made herself comfortable and drifted off herself. Tomorrow, they might all die. Tomorrow, Equestria could fall. Tomorrow, everything they had ever known could be lost.

But for tonight, for just a couple hours, nothing could touch them.