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Chapter 1 - Meetings in Midnight1,151 words
Chapter 2 - Friends1,392 words
Chapter 3 - Memories1,164 words
Chapter 4 - Search? A Plan?1,262 words
Chapter 5 - Everyone Has Their Issues1,609 words
Chapter 6 - One and a Half Truths1,275 words
Chapter 6 ½ – The Other Half585 words
Chapter 7 - Forgiveness1,339 words
Chapter 8 - Alternates1,367 words
Chapter 9 - Alternates (Pt. 2)1,222 words
Chapter 10 - Inner Thoughts (Pt.1)1,161 words
Chapter 11 - Inner Thoughts (Pt.2)1,215 words
Chapter 12 - A New Face1,094 words
Chapter 13 - What is the Past?1,112 words
Chapter 14 - What is the Present?1,310 words
Chapter 15 - Is there a Future?1,136 words
Chapter 16 - Truths and Truths1,175 words
Chapter 17 - Stranger to Reality1,092 words
Chapter 181,243 words
Chapter 19 - Breached1,022 words
Chapter 20 - Twenty1,359 words
Chapter 21 - Questions and Answers1,339 words
Chapter 22- Confession1,255 words
Chapter 23 - Too good to be true?1,587 words
Chapter 24 - The End?1,177 words
Chapter 25 - Once upon a time1,181 words
Chapter 26 - Dreams that Cannot Be1,227 words
Chapter 27 - Partings1,563 words
Chapter 28 - Surviving1,452 words
Chapter 29 - Lost1,020 words

Chapter 7 - Forgiveness

“I’m sorry, Dash.” Scootaloo said softly.

“It’s okay.” Rainbow replied, smiling. “I understand how you were feeling. I know it didn’t feel good to have someone ignore you.”

“I shouldn’t have held that grudge. I’m sorry!” Scootaloo couldn’t control her tears as they rolled down her cheeks. Rainbow held her gently as the sobs continued to rack her body.

“It’ll be alright. Everything will be. Soon.”

Even if it was a lie, it was one out of kindness. Scootaloo did not deserve the burdens war and Rainbow’s past would put on her.

“Please don’t leave me alone. Dash.” Scootaloo opened her eyes.

“I won’t, don’t worry.” Rainbow smiled softly as she shifted her chair closer to the filly’s bed. “Please get better.”

Seeing that she would not be alone, Scootaloo sighed contently as she lay down, her hooves tucked under the covers and her eyes fluttered shut. Her rather fast breathing slowed down as time went on, the heartbeat steady and strong.

Rainbow couldn’t describe what she was feeling. Being with her daughter, getting to spend time with her, and the mutual bond that they had shared was comforting, perhaps because she still had family left.

And she was aware of that.

But how would she tell Scootaloo? Too many questions would arise, and it would not help during war.

Mentally, Rainbow reminded herself to tell Scootaloo the truth.

But she could keep the façade, at least for now.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Soarin, what has gotten into you lately?” Spitfire asked, concerned.

“Oh no I’m fine, I’m healthy, and no bandages, see?” Soarin held up a hoof. “Oh, and no burns.”

“You haven’t answered my question.” Spitfire resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“Nothing has gotten to me lately. Obviously.” Soarin raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Spitfire was talking about.

“Then why are you acting so strange?”

“Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo’s injuries. And the hell of the nightmare that life puts everyone through.” Soarin listed. “But I don’t think that’s the worst.”

“It probably is.” A sharp pain passed through Spitfire, and was most prominent at the chest.

“We’ll just have to wait and see.” Soarin’s voice was devoid of emotion.

“Sure.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

It felt like forever since Soarin had gotten to spend time with Rainbow Dash.

The past few weeks had been a flurry of activity, pain, and hope mingled together, with pain distinguished easily and the others faint, only traces of them in their memories.

As the two of them hobbled to the cove – Rainbow weighed down with the biscuits and soup she brought – and Soarin with his injuries – they were hoping to get to spend a day where it didn’t feel like war. Instead, they hoped they could spend a day as if the war never existed.

Even if it was going to be of next to no use, and cost them time that could’ve been used for training, the normality of the situation was what convinced them to go. Nothing could be normal during war, but they were as close as they could get.

The familiar sight of the cove greeted them, and Soarin felt Rainbow relax at the sight. It was unchanged, save for the dull yellow layer of dust rested upon the shrubs and rocks.

Brushing away some of the dust, Rainbow lay the two spare sheets she had to mimic a picnic she had once had with her friends. But out of the six, two are dead, one is missing, and the other three are struggling. If only it could all be over…

“Are you alright?” Soarin asked, concerned.

Rainbow nodded. She continued setting up the utensils and took out the flask of warm soup. As she was setting up the picnic, a question popped into her head.

“Soarin?” Rainbow asked quietly.

“Yes?”

“Have you ever wished that things could go back to normal?” Rainbow looked down, afraid that the question would awake some distant, painful memory that Soarin had hidden in his heart.

“Yes. More than just once.” Soarin said softly. “I didn’t want to see the grey sky again. I wanted the blue one that we see only in pictures back. And I don’t want to see blood again.” Soarin finished, looking to his side. “You?”

“I…I don’t know.” Rainbow stammered. “There’s just too much that I want back, but even if things go back to normal, nothing will be completely the same.”

“I agree.” Soarin said.

The two sat in silence. Rainbow’s words were harsh, but true.

“So do you want to get started?” Rainbow asked, breaking the silence.

“Sure!” Soarin’s enthusiastic reply stopped their minds from wandering back to the words Rainbow had spoken earlier.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

An hour later, the food was gone. Both Rainbow and Soarin were lying on their backs, watching the golden sun illuminate the sky in various shades of brilliant crimson.

The sight was strangely saddening, as the color of the sky was a reflection of just a fraction of the blood split on the battlefield. But how much more blood would be shed?

It was definitely a question with no certain answer.

Unknowingly, Rainbow leaned closer to Soarin, feeling his wing wrap around her protectively. When the sky faded from a deep maroon to a vivid midnight blue, Rainbow knew it was time to go.

Unwillingly, she stood up, and mentally reminded herself that she had no place in the world called love. She had chosen to stay out of it, to prevent the hurt that would come a time like this.

“Soarin?” Rainbow asked.

Soarin did not reply. Almost as if he could sense her urge to leave, her pulled her closer and rested a hoof at her side.

“Please don’t leave.” He murmured.

Rainbow didn’t know what to do. Part of her told her to leave; yet the other told her to stay. When would she get another chance at this ever? She went with staying, contently leaning against Soarin’s body and the December weather disappeared almost disappeared immediately, replaced with a feeling of warmth.

As Soarin wrapped his other hoof around Rainbow’s frame, she felt a familiar thought nagging her at the back of her mind, the one that told her never to fall victim to love. Ever.

Just ignore it. She thought.

But pesky thoughts were not so easy to drive away.

However, as she allowed her eyelids to grow heavy, she allowed her mind to grow blank as she focused on what she had right then.

She had a friendship at the very least. But was there anything else?

It wasn’t something she really wanted to think about, something that would ruin her mood.

Between the temptation of warmth and comfort, and the temptations of sanity, she knew that she couldn’t have both, but one would always remain for her.

But which one would it be?

It was no time to be thinking of that.

If only the war was over.

Yet as she felt Soarin’s hoof brush her mane gently, she felt a slight twinge of hope. Perhaps not all hope was lost. Perhaps, she still had a chance.

But all such matters were for future Rainbow Dash to deal with.

For the moment, maybe, she had the chance to experience care and friendship that one could only dream about during such a brutal war.

Rainbow allowed the dreams and embrace to carry her away from the harsh reality. Instead the vision of a day with Soarin, his coat smooth, without the scars. Pinkie and Maud would’ve been there for a picnic…

The light of the sun would be brighter than ever, and a swim would be for a casual day out, not for the sake of your life, and the rigorous training would be replaced by short naps and a light job. Furthermore, the smoke would never even cloud the air…

Author's Note:

Whew!

A long awaited fluff chapter for me, and an update for you!

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