A Year of Seasons

by The Rising Tide of Night

A Cave in the Moonlight - Autumn

The Whitetail Woods was a large, bountiful forest, teeming with life of all kinds. It was generally a calm place, not like the chaos and danger of the Everfree Forest, but a place where a pony would be able to visit for an afternoon for a picnic or a walk. It was especially beautiful in autumn, when the bright green of the leaves was replaced by the fiery reds, crisp oranges, and soft yellows of the season.

Both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy loved coming to the forest in autumn, though for different reasons: Rainbow loved the Running of the Leaves, and still entered every year, while Fluttershy loved the peacefulness of the area and often visited in order to help the local animals get their winter nests ready. Today, the two lovers were visiting the autumn woods as a vacation to celebrate Rainbow’s retirement from the Wonderbolts, but unfortunately, neither of them was particularly happy to be there at the moment.

Today, the forest was on fire. And the cause of the fire was a little too happy to see the two ponies.

Fluttershy stared wide-eyed at the large red dragon watching her and Rainbow from across the burning clearing. Roughly twice the size of the dragon costume Rarity had made decades ago, its eyes shimmered in the flames, staring at them with a hungry, haughty look. Smoke was trickling out of its nostrils and its open mouth, small puffs rising into the sky with each breath of its bellows-like lungs. Its jaws hung open in silent laughter, dagger-like teeth glistening with saliva, and its razor-sharp claws dug deep into the loam of the forest floor.

The two of them had been enjoying their campout for the past few days, with plans of staying for most of the week before moving on to a visit to Cloudsdale, followed by a possible trip north to the Crystal Empire. However, the peaceful afternoon of their third day had been shattered by the roar of a nearby dragon, followed by a sudden explosion of fire as the dragon had let loose with a blast of flame that engulfed their campsite and the nearby trees. Luckily, the two of them had been heading to the nearby pond for an early picnic dinner and some swimming, and had avoided the initial blast.

Now they found themselves being eyed as a potential lunch ticket.

Rainbow snorted as she glared at the dragon. “What’s your problem, buddy?” she snapped with her usual bravado. “Whaddya got against the trees?”

The dragon laughed loudly before giving Rainbow a toothy grin, and Fluttershy felt her hackles jump to attention. “I have nothing against the forest, pony,” it replied, its booming voice ringing in their ears. “I was simply bored.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened in disbelief, and she shook her head. “Bored? You were bored so you set the forest on fire?” She flared her wings as she prepared to launch herself into the air. “Geeze, you need a hobby or something. Now I gotta do something to put the fire out. You better get outta here before I come over there and kick you into next week for being so stupid.”

The dragon chuckled once more, its razor-sharp teeth flashing in the flickering light. “I think not, pony. You see, when I get bored, I tend to want to eat. And roast pony is a tasty dish that I have enjoyed on many occasions.” With that, the dragon lifted its head, drawing in a great breath before letting loose a blast of flame that flashed across the clearing to where Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were standing.

Rainbow, her reflexes honed from years of training and trick flying, reacted quickly. Knowing that Fluttershy’s fear of dragons would keep her paralyzed, she shoved Fluttershy off to the side and away from the fiery breath. Rainbow rolled away from her across the grass, doing her best to steer clear of the burning trees.

Fluttershy found herself lying disoriented on the grass, her side aching from where she’d landed on her saddlebags. Looking up, she let out a squeak as she saw the dragon staring down at her. Or, more accurately, staring at the jeweled butterfly clip in her mane. A grin split the dragon’s face, and she cringed at the sight of those shining teeth. “A lovely trinket you have there, pony,” the dragon rumbled, greed causing its catlike eyes to narrow. “I think I’ll take it for myself.” With that, it reached over to her with those razor-sharp claws, and she let out a tiny scream as her entire body froze.

Another cry split the air as a rainbow-colored blur flashed across her vision, striking the dragon on the jaw. The dragon recoiled, off balance, and glared up at the little pony that had dared assault it. Rainbow glared back as she hovered in the air, her breath coming rapidly. “I don’t think so,” she growled, before swooping in for another strike. “Fluttershy!” she cried, dodging a swipe from those claws and swiftly striking the side of its head with her hoof. “Get outta here! I’ll keep it busy!”

“R-Rainbow…” Fluttershy stammered, willing her body to move with all of her might. Despite all of her intentions, her limbs remained locked and her wings remained closed. Her entire body trembled as she watched her wife battling with the fearsome dragon, her breath coming in short, quick gasps. She felt the panic attack strike, the terror worming its way into her heart and squeezing with all its might, freezing her mind.

Suddenly, Rainbow slammed down in front of her, rolling across the ground after being clipped by the dragon’s massive tail. Rainbow slowly got to her hooves, spitting out a glob of blood and shaking her head. She was breathing heavily and favoring her right side a little. “Buck it, I’m getting too old for this,” she groused as she readied herself once more. Glancing back, Fluttershy saw a brief flash of fear before it was quickly swallowed by her normal bravado. “Fluttershy, come on. I know I’m awesome to watch, but you need to get outta here now.”

Fluttershy shook her head slightly, and Rainbow began to panic a little more. Glancing back at the dragon, which was slowly picking itself up from the beating she had given it, she gulped and quickly turned back to Fluttershy. “Ok, ok, Flutters, you gotta listen to me,” she pleaded, trying not to let the terror creep through to her voice. “Hey, over here, ok? Look at me, ok? Nothing else, just look at me.”

After what seemed like an eternity, Fluttershy finally looked over at Rainbow, who gave her an encouraging smile. “That’s right, just look at me, ok?” she repeated, trying to soothe her wife’s terror while doing her best to ignore the sounds of the rising dragon behind her. “We’re gonna get outta this, got that? But I need you to do something for me. I need you to turn around and run, ok? Trust me, it’ll be fine.”

Rainbow kept talking, saying whatever she could think of to keep Fluttershy’s attention to her and away from the dragon. For a time, it seemed like it was going to work. Fluttershy was moving backwards and out of the clearing, locking eyes with Rainbow with a desperation borne of a need to see them both safe.

The dragon roared once more, breaking the spell. Fluttershy froze again, and Rainbow quickly turned to see the dragon rushing at them, claws outstretched. Disregarding Rainbow, it went for the one it perceived as weaker, striking out at Fluttershy. With a strangled cry of “NO!” Rainbow launched herself in front of the dragon, taking the blow meant for her love. She felt the claws rip through her side, felt something snap deep within her, and she was falling into blackness.

---

Fluttershy saw the dragon lunge, saw Rainbow leap in front of her, and saw the claws bury themselves deep in Rainbow’s body. Rainbow’s blood sprayed into the air, slowly drifting down in tiny red droplets reflecting the burning forest on one side and Fluttershy’s face on the other. Fluttershy stared into that tiny reflection, seeing herself terrified and motionless while the love of her life took the blow meant for her.

She stared at that terror, and the terror stared back, mocking her. How can you call yourself her wife? it asked. You stand there, powerless, putting yourself in danger so that once more she has to come save you. Can you truly take care of yourself without somepony else always coming to your rescue?

She flushed under the scrutiny of her inner self, feeling anger and worthlessness welling up inside of her. Rainbow was badly hurt, possibly dead, and all because of her. It was the dragon in the cave all over again, but the stakes were much higher this time around. She had conquered her fear then, and she would now. Wouldn’t she?

Last time the dragon just wanted to be left alone, she thought. He didn’t really hurt anypony, just bullied them. This is different.

Isn’t it?

She looked down at Rainbow’s motionless body, blood pouring out of the deep cuts. Rainbow would die if she didn’t do something, anything, to save them.

She made her decision.

Looking up at the dragon standing over her, a lopsided grin on its face, she felt the familiar stirrings of anger from deep inside of her. “How dare you,” she whispered, her eyes setting with the familiar hardness that signified the Stare. The dragon cocked its head slightly, curious as to what this little pony thought it could do.

“HOW DARE YOU!” she screamed, letting her anger flood out of her, catching the dragon’s eyes with her own and letting the power of the Stare snare it. She dug her mental claws into the dragon’s very being, forcing it to bend to her will and locking their gazes together. “Do you always do this? Just go around terrorizing little creatures just for fun? Is this your idea of fun? It’s horrible! How would you feel if some big mean thing came up to you and said it was going to eat you?”

She Stared into the dragon’s eyes, not noticing that she was slowly moving closer to the great beast, cowing it with the power of her gaze. “Because of you, a lot of animals have gotten hurt and have lost their homes and their winter food stores!” she screamed, her voice beginning to grow raw from emotion. “Because of you, this forest is going to be destroyed! Because of you, Rainbow Dash got hurt!”

At those words, she began to falter slightly, her voice losing some of its force. “B-because of y-you,” she stammered, fear breaking through the anger. “I-I might lose h-her. I-I might lose m-my love…” Her eyes lost some of the hardness, but her eye contact never wavered, even as the tears began falling. Somehow, she found herself inches away from the great dragon, looking down into terrified eyes. A part of her knew she should feel some measure of pity for the beast, but the rest of her – the part that was devoted to Rainbow in every way, shape, or form – felt satisfaction at the fear she was seeing.

“Just go away,” she said softly, for once not apologizing for using the Stare. “Leave us. You’ve done enough.” Closing her eyes and turning away, she ran over to Rainbow Dash, scooping her up as quickly and carefully as she could, laying her over the saddlebags on her back. She then ran through the forest, away from the fire and from the cowed dragon, who could only watch as the most powerful and frightening pony it had ever encountered vanished from sight.

---

Running through the forest, Rainbow’s unconscious and bloody form weighing her down, Fluttershy’s mind was oddly blank.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t panicked, or angry, or scared. She was frightened out of her wits, worried beyond belief, and angry beyond all reason. It was like all of those emotions filled her to the brim, forcing out every possible thought she could have and leaving nothing behind, allowing her to focus on her current predicament with unusual clarity.

Need a place to take care of Rainbow, she thought. Can’t fly back. Too hard to carry Rainbow that far. Running back would take too long. Need someplace to stay for the night.

Her eyes darted this way and that, searching for suitable shelter, but saw only trees surrounding her. A feeling of hopelessness started to creep up on her, but she shook her head, driving it away. I can’t give up, she chided herself. Rainbow needs me. This time, I can save her.

Suddenly, she stumbled out of the forest, coming upon a path in the middle of the trees. Pausing in the middle of the path to catch her breath and fighting through the stitch in her side, she glanced around, a glimmer of recognition coming to her. I know this place! It’s the trail for the Running of the Leaves! She and Rainbow had walked the path a few times when Rainbow had wanted to show her the beauty of the trail before the race occurred, knocking down the colorful leaves.

She peered up and down the path, searching in the fading sunlight for a familiar landmark that would give her an idea of just where she was in the trail. Rainbow would know exactly where we were, she thought with a pang of apprehension before catching sight of a nearby rock formation. There!

She dashed down the path, coming up to the rocky hills in the middle of the Whitetail Woods. Rainbow had pointed out a small cave during one of their walks that Fluttershy vaguely recalled being in this area. A quick search of the side of the hills revealed the entrance, and Fluttershy carefully brought Rainbow into the cool darkness of the cave. Laying her down as gently as she could, Fluttershy finally did what she had been unconsciously avoiding – she inspected Rainbow’s wounds.

What she saw brought a lump to her throat and a weight in her gut. Carefully lifting Rainbow’s right wing revealed three deep gouges running parallel along her side, one passing directly through the wing joint. Blood was flowing freely from each gouge, following the rise and fall of her side with each shallow breath and staining her beautiful cyan coat an ugly, sticky red. Here and there she got a glimpse of the ugly white of bone peeking out from the dark red, though she did her best to ignore it.

Fluttershy stared for a long moment, eyes glued to the horror that was her love’s side. Thoughts raced through her mind at lightning speed as she fought to process what she was seeing. Panic! No, no time to panic, can’t panic. Must panic! Need to fly, need to get help, find something to bind the wounds. The campsite! No, can’t, it’s on fire. Panic? No, no panic.

As her mind filled up with worries and fears, she did something that she had never done before: forced the panic to stop. Slamming a wall down in front of her racing thoughts, she brought everything to a screeching halt, allowing her to focus on what needed to be done. She glanced outside to see the sun finish its descent behind the horizon, plunging the land into darkness that was lit by the orange glow of the burning trees. A soft squeaking from above caught her attention and she looked up, only to have a smile cross her face at the sight of a colony of bats hanging from the ceiling.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she whispered to herself before flying up to the colony. The bats were all in the process of waking up, preparing for another nightly sojourn to find food, and thus unprepared for the sudden appearance of the pegasus. After a brief moment when the bats all swarmed around her in confusion, she managed to calm them enough to get their attention. “Please, I need your help,” she pleaded. “I need you to fly to Ponyville and find Princess Twilight. You need to tell her we’re in trouble and to come as fast as she can.”

For a minute the bats chattered amongst themselves, and Fluttershy was afraid that she hadn’t gotten through to them. She hadn’t spoken to this colony before, after all, and sometimes new animals took extra time to befriend until she learned to understand their particular dialect. Finally, one of the bats turned to her and chattered back an affirmative. “Oh, thank you so much,” she breathed with relief. “Please, tell her to come as soon as possible. It’s an emergency.”

The bats nodded, and a group of them flew out into the darkness. Before the rest of them could fly away, she stopped them with a question. “Can you please tell me if there’s any water nearby? I need some for Rainbow Dash.”

Another minute of chattering and she was given directions to a nearby stream. She thanked the bats profusely before turning her attention back to Rainbow. She found herself looking into a magenta eye that was filled with pain and gratitude, and quickly hurried over to her side, apologizing profusely. “Oh, Rainbow, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for you to get so hurt, I just couldn’t move and I was so terrified and –”

Her apologies were cut off by a weak chuckle coming from Rainbow. “T-that’s my Flutters,” she breathed with a smile. “A-Apologizing for something I w-would’ve done anyway.” She slowly gathered her hooves under her, and before Fluttershy could stop her, tried to stand up before letting out a cry of pain and collapsing back to the ground, triggering a fresh flow of blood. “O-oh, that’s gonna hurt tomorrow. I-I knew I was getting too old for this.”

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy exclaimed, carefully pushing Rainbow down on her uninjured side. “Please don’t move; you’ll only make it worse. I don’t have anything to bind it with, so the more you stay still, the better it will be.”

Rainbow chuckled, the motion causing her to wince. “Got it,” she breathed, a trace of amusement in her voice. “Doctor Fluttershy’s orders, right?”

Fluttershy nodded quickly, doing her best to keep the tears from spilling out of her eyes. The more that Rainbow could see that she was going to be ok, the more likely she would be to listen to her. “L-listen, Rainbow, I need to go get some water to wash out y-your w-wounds,” she stammered, trying to keep her voice level. “J-just please stay put, ok? I’ll be back as quick as I can.”

Rainbow gave her a cocky grin shadowed with pain. “Gotcha, Flutters. I’ll be here.”

Fluttershy hesitated, torn between her unwillingness to leave her love in such a vulnerable position and the need to do something to help as much as possible. In the end, the need to help outweighed the worry, and she stepped out of the cave and into the silver moonlight of the night. Following the bat’s directions, she quickly found the stream, but ran into a new problem that triggered another bout of panic. She hadn’t brought anything to carry the water in.

Ohmygoodnessohmygoodnessohmygoodness, she thought rapidly, staring down at the swift-moving stream. What do I do? I don’t have a canteen with me at all. What if I can’t find anything? What if I can’t get Rainbow’s wounds clean? What if –

A wall slammed down in front of her thoughts once more. She took a deep breath, mastering herself. Rainbow needed her as calm and collected as she could be, and panic wasn’t doing them any good. She looked around for something, anything that she could use to carry water in, and smiled as she thought of a possible solution. My saddlebags!

She quickly took off the saddlebags, emptying them of their contents and trying to ignore the sticky redness coating the sides before slinging them back on. It wasn’t a perfect idea – they weren’t completely waterproof – but they would do for now. Wading out into the stream, she knelt down into the swift-moving water, filling the bags as much as possible before heading back to the cave, water dripping behind her.

When she arrived at the moonlit cave, she was greeted with silence, a silence that chilled her to the bone. Nearly dropping the precious water she had gone to so much trouble to collect, she hurried over to where Rainbow Dash was lying, her eyes closed and her body still. “Rainbow?” she called, her voice shaking with fear. Receiving no answer, she brought her ear as close as she could to Rainbow’s mouth, relief flooding through her as she heard the shallow breathing.

Wasting no more time, she gently prodded Rainbow’s cheek, hoping for a little help cleaning her wounds. Rainbow groaned in response, opening her eyes halfway before closing them again. “F-five more minutes…” she moaned before Fluttershy prodded her again.

“Rainbow, I need your help,” Fluttershy said. “Can you lift your wing, please?”

Rainbow’s eyes opened once more, focusing on Fluttershy for a brief moment with one of the most frightened and pain-filled looks Fluttershy had ever seen on her love. “N-no need for that,” she said with a smile that didn’t match her eyes. “I-I’ll be fine. Thanks anyway.”

“Rainbow, please,” Fluttershy begged, her eyes pleading. “I need to clean your wounds. Can you please lift your wing?”

“Fluttershy…” Rainbow began before Fluttershy cut her off.

“No, Rainbow, please lift your wing,” Fluttershy said, her voice rising with panic. The saddlebags were getting very heavy, and the water was slowly dribbling out onto the cave floor. “Please, Rainbow, I need –”

“I can’t!” Rainbow burst out, the words echoing through the cave and ringing in Fluttershy’s ears.

“What do you mean, you can’t?”

Rainbow took a deep, pained breath. “I… I can’t feel my wing anymore.”

Fluttershy’s mind went blank. All thoughts were driven from it the moment Rainbow’s confession came out, and all she could do was stare numbly at her love. “…O-oh,” was all she said, her voice carrying little inflection, but her stammering giving away the effect those words had had on her. “T-Then I-I’ll have t-to do it m-myself.” She slowly knelt down next to Rainbow’s side, gently lifting the lifeless wing with her hoof. She used her other foreleg to carefully pour some water over the ugly wounds as Rainbow looked on in concern.

“Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked softly. “Are you ok?” She winced as Fluttershy did her best to cleanse the wounds, the pain shooting through her entire body.

“W-why w-wouldn’t I b-be?” she replied, her voice shaking even as her body was still. She finished pouring the water over Rainbow’s wounds, gently lowering the wing back down. She brought the bag over to Rainbow, carefully tipping some water into Rainbow’s mouth. “H-here, d-drink. I-it’ll h-help…”

Rainbow drank as Fluttershy watched. She felt like her insides were shaking like a leaf in a windstorm, and it was all she could do to hold herself up. Rainbow’s words were echoing through her mind, beating against her sanity, threatening to wear her down and finally crack.

She looked down at Rainbow. The silvery moonlight creeping in through the cave entrance spilled across her, washing her out and highlighting just how old she had become. In the moonlight, her coat was no longer a bright, vibrant cyan, but a dull, pale grey. Her mane, normally filled with the colors of the rainbow, was faded and dull. Even the streaks of silver that had popped up the past few years – streaks that Fluttershy secretly adored, since she felt they gave Rainbow a daring, rakish look – were highlighted in the moonlight, turned a ghostly white.

The windstorm inside of her finally broke through her restraint, and she felt her emotions run out of control. She felt the hot sting of tears spill down her cheeks, and she sobbed openly, much to Rainbow’s surprise. “H-hey, Flutters, it’s gonna be ok, you know?” she tried to reassure her, only to find Fluttershy wrapping her head in a hug.

“Why did you do it?” Fluttershy cried as she pressed her forehead to Rainbow’s as best she could, her tears dripping onto Rainbow’s cheek. “You could’ve just grabbed me and flown away. Why didn’t you?”

Rainbow gave her an incredulous smile before carefully reaching up and brushing her soft mane, hoof briefly resting on the clip resting there. “He was gonna take this,” she said simply. “I… kinda lost it when he said that.”

Fluttershy looked down at her blankly, before her own hoof reached up to touch the clip. “B-but Rainbow, it’s just a clip. We could’ve gotten another one.”

Rainbow let out a snort, followed by a wince. “Really, Flutters? After I fought so hard to keep that one? Fat chance. Besides, you won’t be getting rid of me this easily.”

Fluttershy stared down at the love of her life, who was now hanging between life and death, all because of her and her clip. Her mouth worked silently as she tried to come up with the words she so desperately wanted to say, but couldn’t shape in her mind. Finally, she gave up, letting out the first words that came to mind. “You big dummy,” she said with a bittersweet smile. “If I’d known you were this much of a romantic, I might not have married you.”

“Well, you did say for better or for worse,” Rainbow said, her eyes drooping slightly. “Just don’t let it get out, you know? I still got an image to maintain.” Her breath was becoming labored, and she let out a gasp as a sudden wave of pain struck her. “Ooh, yep, that’s gonna smart later,” she breathed. A moment later, she let out a wheezy chuckle. “G-good thing I r-retired already,” she stammered as her body shivered with pain. “I’d hate to see what Rumble would think of me right now.”

“H-he’d probably s-send you off w-with full h-honors and a b-big party,” Fluttershy sobbed with a wan smile, thinking of the Wonderbolt’s new captain.

“Y-you kidding? He’d drum me out f-for being so s-stupid.” She let out one last chuckle before falling silent, eyelids drooping even further. After a long, tense silence, she spoke once more. “Hey, Flutters?”

“Y-yes, Rainbow?” Fluttershy replied, holding her love’s head close.

“I love you, you know?”

“Y-yes, Rainbow, I-I do. I love you too.”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, and silence reigned in the moonlit cave, broken only by Fluttershy’s soft sniffles as the night wore on.

---

Rainbow Dash slowly opened her eyes, voices echoing in her ears, fading in and out of coherency. Her vision swam with colors, moving blurs that shifted back and forth even as she tried to focus on one. She could see light shining in the room from a nearby window, the bright golden light of the sun and not the silver light of the moon. She slowly turned her head, trying to focus on one of the nearby colors when a loud familiar voice nearby arrested her attention.

“Hey, everypony, she’s awake!”

Rainbow turned towards the voice, her blurry vision still clearing as she beheld the orange form of one of her best friends. “A-Applejack?” she asked, her voice dry and raspy, barely more than a croak.

Suddenly the room was filled with more colors: purples, whites, and pinks surrounding the bed she was lying in, all clamoring for her attention. All but the one color she wanted to see. “Fluttershy?” she asked in her wisp of a voice.

“She finally fell asleep an hour ago, the poor darling,” Rarity replied as her form slowly shifted into focus. “Don’t worry, we’ll wake her soon. She was exhausted.”

“She’s ok?” Rainbow asked as she tried to push herself up and see her wife, wincing as her movement pulled at her side. She glanced down to find her torso completely wrapped in bandages, and gentle testing of her muscles told her that she had plenty of stitches to take care of. Her left wing hung freely, while her right was tightly bound up against her body.

“She’s just fine,” Twilight said with a smile, pushing her back down and passing her a glass of water, which Rainbow drank greedily. “She’s just been up this whole time keeping an eye on you.” Twilight shook her head in exasperation, her wings ruffling slightly. “You’re both lucky I had been studying a spell of animal translation when those bats showed up at the castle. Otherwise I might not have gotten there in time. She keeps forgetting that I can’t normally speak with animals.”

Suddenly, the door burst open, and an exhausted-looking Fluttershy rushed into the room. “I-I’m here! I heard – Did she – Is she…?” Her voice trailed off as she saw Rainbow in the hospital bed, eyes open, looking over at her. Her expression immediately changed to tearful joy, and she flew over to the bed, her hooves barely touching the ground as she launched herself at Rainbow.

Rainbow grimaced as her wife wrapped her in a great hug, water splashing out of her cup and pain radiating from her side. “H-hey, Flutters, ease up a little, will ya? I told you I was gonna be sore in the morning.”

Fluttershy let out a soft squeak, immediately loosening her grip, but not fully letting go. “Sorry, Rainbow,” she replied. “I-I didn’t mean…”

Her apology was cut off by Rainbow drawing her into a deep kiss, causing Pinkie to let out a loud wolf-whistle and Applejack to blush mightily. Rarity absently bopped Pinkie on the head as she gazed with admiration, and Twilight just smiled. After what seemed like a brief moment to the two lovers but an age to the onlookers, Rainbow released Fluttershy with a soft smile. “Don’t worry about it, Flutters. Everything’s gonna be ok, right? I’m here, and I always will be. Got that?”

At those words, instead of looking relieved, Fluttershy looked heartbroken. Rainbow recoiled from her love’s change in demeanor. “F-Flutters? What’s up?” she asked, hesitantly.

“N-not everything’s going to be ok, Rainbow,” she replied softly. “Y-your wing… they said… the nerve had been severed, a-and with the joint damaged there wasn’t any way they could reconnect it that would allow you to fly again.” Her last words spilled out in a rush, as if saying them faster would make the moment go by any quicker.

Rainbow stared, wide-eyed. “…Wait, what did you say?”

“We’re sorry, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight spoke up, drawing Rainbow’s attention. “The doctors did all they could, but nerves are tricky things. It just… wasn’t possible.” She grimaced as if the words themselves caused her physical pain.

“I… can’t fly anymore…?”

Twilight shook her head, and the jovial mood that had been present mere moments ago was completely gone. “I’m sorry…” Twilight breathed as she hung her head.

Rainbow stared around at all of her friends, each of them wearing a similar, grief-stricken expression. Finally, her gaze settled on Fluttershy, who was looking equal parts relieved, grieving, and guilty. Rainbow’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Fluttershy, who took an unconscious step back from her lover’s hard gaze. “R-Rainbow…?” Fluttershy said apprehensively.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said bluntly.

The entire room fell silent as they all tried to take in Rainbow’s words. “Umm, are ya sure ya didn’t hit your head or something, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked. “Whaddya mean, ‘it doesn’t matter?’”

“It doesn’t matter,” she repeated confidently. “It’s gonna be all right. I’m here. Fluttershy’s here. I’m gonna make it. That’s all that matters. We said for better or for worse, right?” Fluttershy nodded absently. “Well, this is definitely in the ‘worse’ category. ‘Sides, now I’ll have a really good excuse to spend all my time on the ground with you.” She gave Fluttershy a hard look tempered with her cocky grin. “And don’t you dare go blaming yourself for this,” she ordered. “I’d take on a hundred dragons for you, and you know it.”

“That’s… awfully mature of you, Rainbow,” Twilight said with admiration and a tinge of disbelief, while Applejack gave Rainbow a hard look.

“Gimme some credit here, Twilight,” Rainbow said with exasperation. “I can be mature when I need to be.”

A loud guffaw greeted this pronouncement, and the group quickly looked over at the culprit. Rarity had the decency to look ashamed, her cheeks painted a bright red as she clapped a hoof over her mouth. “I’m sorry, did I do that out loud?” she said meekly. She cleared her throat before assuming a regal pose and spoke once more. “I do apologize for my outburst, Rainbow Dash,” she repeated, “it’s just that ‘maturity’ has never really been your thing, if some of Fluttershy’s stories are anything to go by.”

Rainbow gave Fluttershy a hurt look and Fluttershy blushed brightly, tears still glistening in her eyes. “Y-you do tend to be a little foalish when you’re at home…” she said softly, her mane falling like a curtain in front of her face.

“Really?” Rainbow replied with an exasperated tone. “I spent how long as the Wonderbolts captain and manager, and none of you think I can be mature now and then? I mean, with friends like you guys…” She gave them all a mock glare and they laughed in reply. A moment later, she nearly dislocated her jaw with a loud yawn, which elicited another giggle from everypony. “Wow, guess I’m still pretty tired. Pain meds must be catching up with me. You guys mind if I get some sleep? I wanna get outta here as soon as I can before I go stir-crazy.”

“Sure thing, Dashie!” replied Pinkie Pie. “You gotta rest up for your ‘I kicked a big dragon’s butt and now I’m outta the hospital’ party that I’m gonna throw for you!”

Rainbow chuckled weakly in reply. “You got it, Pinkie. I’m looking forward to it.”

Twilight reached over, resting her hoof on Rainbow’s. “Take care, ok? We’ll be by to check on you later.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” said Rainbow. “Thanks, everypony.” She watched them all go, filing out of her room one by one. Applejack gave her another penetrating look before leaving, but after glancing over at Fluttershy, whatever words she may have said died in her mouth. Instead, she simply tipped her old hat to them before following the others out.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Rainbow closed her eyes, doing her best not to think of anything. Her brief moment of peace was shattered by the sounds of sobbing and a sudden weight awkwardly encircling her, and she opened her eyes to see Fluttershy hugging her from the side of the bed. “Flutters…?”

“T-two days,” Fluttershy sobbed softly. “T-two days, Rainbow. That’s how long you were out. Y-you’d l-lost so much blood, a-and the s-surgeries, and you w-wouldn’t w-wake u-up…” She sniffled, her tears staining Rainbow’s bandages as they dripped from her cheeks. “I-I was so scared…”

“Fluttershy…” Rainbow replied, fear and regret coursing through her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you so much.” She carefully wrapped her sobbing wife in a hug, taking care to avoid stretching her wounds.

“A-and now they say y-you can’t fly anymore and I k-know how important f-flying is to you and y-you go and try to treat it like it’s nothing!”

Rainbow froze at this statement, and she felt the weariness and anger that she had been holding aside spill from her mental dam. “You always did see right through me,” she said softly. Fluttershy looked up at her, and Rainbow brought her up into another kiss. “Truth is, I’m really scared, Fluttershy. I’m angry. It’s not fair at all, and it makes we wanna go smack that dragon around some more. But I can’t. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life…” She trailed off as her voice choked up, and she shook her head.

“But one thing I said before was definitely true,” Rainbow continued after a moment. “I’d do it again for you. The only reason I know things will be fine in the end is because I’ve got you.”

“R-really?” Fluttershy replied, sniffling.

“I said I’d always be there for you, didn’t I?” Rainbow replied, her cocky grin back as a shadow of its normal self. “We still got a life together. As long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter that I c-can’t f-f-f…” She paused as a wave of panic overtook her, took a deep breath, and tried again. “…that I c-c-can’t f-f-f-f…”

Her eyes went wide, and she began to shake in Fluttershy’s grasp. Fluttershy, recognizing what was happening, drew Rainbow into a tight embrace, silently letting her lover release her pent-up emotions. Rainbow stared blankly at the wall as she held on to Fluttershy like a final lifeline. “…Oh, Celestia, it’s true, isn’t it. I can’t fly anymore…”

As the autumn sunlight slowly dimmed, plunging the hospital room into darkness, Fluttershy was vaguely aware of the door to their room opening and closing a couple of times, but nopony came to disturb them. The silver moonlight began to creep into the room, illuminating the two lovers in an effervescent halo. Fluttershy looked down at her brave, frightened, and bent but not yet broken wife, admiring the way the moonlight accented her beauty. Her mane, normally bright and vibrant, was subdued, bringing out the natural beauty of her face and giving her an almost otherworldly look. Her cyan coat was almost glowing, and the silvery streaks in her hair shone brightly.

She held Rainbow close, mindful of her wounds. She knew that together, they would be able to manage this. Rainbow had sacrificed much to ensure her safety, and the least she could do was stand by her through the difficulties to come. There would be hardships, frustrations, and adjustments to be made. But they were still together.

That was truly all that mattered.

Author's Note:

Autumn – A time of preparing for hardship, of ageing and withering. Of changing colors and bright moons.

Silly Twilight, everypony knows that every time it's needed, you've been studying just the right spell.

Comments

[There At The Close]

ooooooh man.
ALL THE FEELS!
~Wywint

[myxx]

This chapter gave me so much emotions