My Little Rainbows 2: Rainbow Harder

by The PatioHeater

7 Years

“I don't want to go though, Mummy.”
Rainbow quietly swallowed her anger and her bad language. Shine had been complaining since they left the house, and she had grown tired of it at the first instance. And now they had arrived. It was the first of its kind. An air show that showed off those who weren't Wonderbolts as well as the history of flight in all respects, from leisure to competitive to military. It was without a doubt Dash's idea, but Rainbow was sure they would all find something to join.
“Shine, if you don't stop complaining I'm going to sell you to the air show and you'll have to spend all your time here,” she whispered menacingly. It almost wasn't just an empty threat.
“You can't sell Ponies. It's against law,” she retorted.
“Don't... just don't,” Rainbow sighed with a shake of her head. “Just try to have fun. Dash didn't like the zoo but she barely complained at all. She just accepted her fate and moved on. You will too.”
Shine looked at her hooves in defeat. It wasn't just the idea of an air show she didn't like, as flight held little interest in her, but also the fact it was on the ground. It was hotter, harder to breath, and the hard ground felt weird under her hooves. She took a drag on her inhaler and continued on strong.

They passed through the gates with more fuss than any of them wanted. Rainbow hadn't got the correct change, Swirl hadn't noticed they stopped and had already gotten herself lost, Shine had voluntarily collapsed and Dash had got so angry that they restricted flying to professionals only that she threw up, meaning a the hoard of Ponies trying to get in had to be funnelled into just two lines instead of four while they were cleaning up the mess and that wasn't good for anyone. It wasn't a good start to the day. Once they found Swirl, who had managed to get into the security booth and was bothering them immensely with questions, they set about having a whale of a time.

It was a real hodge-bodge of an event. There were stalls of food and merchandise, as expected, as well as the aero-acrobatic displays, live music, a few random games that ponies could pay extortionate amounts to play, and finally a few booths of interesting things to do with flying. Plenty to keep them occupied but it didn't seem to fit together very well. It was obvious that this was the first and they were still trying to find themselves.
“So girls, what do you want to do first?”
Dash was overcome with choice she just couldn't think. An older pony nearly tripped over her. Swirl was just happy to be there, as was Ticker. They found the sky so much more mesmerising when not in it. Shine was being miserable, but Rainbow was ignoring her as it would only make her angry if she were to acknowledge it.
“Can we watch the fast flyers, Mummy?” Dash asked hopefully, and of course Rainbow nodded. Dash blasted off in the direction of the toilets, not noticing for sometime that it wasn't the correct one. It wasn't long before a security guard wrangled her out of the sky and returned her to her mother.
“This yours?” he said in his gruff voice that did not sound like the jokey comment he wished it had.
“We've barely been here and she's already got in trouble. That's fast.” Rainbow took her daughter from the guard.
“Of course it was fast because I'm fast.” Dash dropped from her mother's grasp and began trotting around excitedly.
“Thanks officer...? guard...? My good man.”
“Keep her on the ground. There's fast ponies flying everywhere and I wouldn't want her to get hurt now. Lots of paperwork.”
Rainbow hopped in the air and plucked Dash from it. “I'll try my best.”
“'scuse me but where are the ponies who do tricks?”
“If you head towards those trees you'll find the area they're performing in.”
Dash was off, but on the ground this time, and Rainbow walked after her, head buried in the brochure they were given at entry, scrutinising the timetable and not being very impressed. She hadn't heard of any of the groups that were performing. Names ranged from the ridiculous “Flappy Crew” to the edgy “Black Destroyer Squad 13”, with every base covered in between.
“Dash, get back here! The shows don't start for another hour!”

Dash had calmed down and Shine had perked up once Rainbow insisted they get a history lesson. There was a small, fairly popular tent to one side with a few items of interest and some reading material about the history of the Wonderbolts and some other, less impressive history about competitive flying. Rainbow, being a lifelong fan, loved the detail they went into and Shine was just happy to be out of the sun. Dash spent the little while sat on her mother's tail, being dragged along, waiting for the real show to begin.
“MUMMY!” screamed Swirl as she and Ticker ran to the tent. “Look what we won!”
Rainbow saw the cheap pairs of plastic flight goggles they were both wearing with great pride. With a hoof on her chest she made a noise and hopped slightly as it was too cute for her. “Where did you get them from?”
“Hook-a-duck!” They both shouted as loud as their mouths and wings could go. “We also won a really big bag of candyfloss but we already ate that.” Now that they had mentioned it Rainbow could see the sugar coursing through their veins and the slight look of regret in Ticker's eyes.
“I didn't know there were games!” Dash screamed. “I want candyfloss,” she mumbled through her mother's tail.

[Some more with Swirl and Ticker]

The tannoy system hissed and pierced the ears of the patrons with a loud, screeching noise, followed by the muffled interference that barely passed for an announcement.
“C'mon, Dash, let's find your sister,” Rainbow said excitedly, “the main show is about to start.”
Dash perked right up. Ears pricked and wings fluttering. “Finally!”
After finding their group they made their way to the front, using Dash's insistent enthusiasm to barge through the crowds, and waited for the first flyers to start. Of course, they were running quite far behind schedule.
It was a poor start, as expected. Thunder Hooves, the first act of five ponies, tried to combine body popping and complex flight moves. It didn't match up in the slightest. The dance moves weren't in time with the music and the flying was unimpressive and felt very out of place. There wasn't even a crash to liven things up. Dash loved it though, and Rainbow laughed at her for it, but she couldn't blame her. After all, it was Dash's first time seeing something like this.
“Just you wait,” Rainbow muttered under her breath, shooting her daughter a sly glance.
As the day went on and the other acts came out it was clear they were saving the best until last, so long as it followed the pattern. So far each act had been significantly better than the last, even those Rainbow was hesitant about. Flappy Crew turned out to be a clown troupe, just to mix things up a little, and had been surprisingly entertaining. Rainbow even found herself doubled over in fits of laughter, and, to her delight, she found her daughters were not afraid of clowns.
Fireball, as the name would suggest, liked pyrotechnics. Rainbow wasn't a fan of him for two reasons, firstly that he looked like an escaped mental patient who had been given access to fire, and secondly the way the flames danced in her children's eyes and the trance they were in sent shivers running through her. She would definitely be hiding the matches in a more confusing place from now on.
Dash had been loving it. All of it. The adrenaline. The heart pounding in her chest. The amazing feats. The fire. All her senses were overwhelmed. Her cutie mark felt as though it was burning in her flank. The need to fly and fly fast was becoming too much. She hadn't noticed but her wings were mimicking the moves as she swung on the rope barrier before her.
The tannoy, which had now been fixed of the interference issue, blasted over the crowd. “Good afternoon! I hope you've all been enjoying the shows today.” This was met with a loud cheer and high pitched screams from the audience, with Rainbow and Dash being the loudest. “Glad to hear it. But sadly, even good things must come to an end.” The crowd groaned. “Now don't sound like that. I thought we would end on a high. Save the best until last. Now, introducing to the field, after a long retirement...”
Rainbow pricked her ears. A retired flyer? She couldn't think who it would be.
“... An ex-Wonderbolt from the A Squad...”
Rainbow felt her heart jump. And ex-Wonderbolt? This was going to be good.
“JET STREAM!”
The crowd went wild as a brown stallion appeared in the field out of thin air. Nothing but a trail of dirt and dust to his side. Rainbow was silent. Jaw touching the ground and heart beating so fast she couldn't feel it. It couldn't be him, could it? Her favourite Wonderbolt? Here?
Jet Stream waited, biding his time, for the crowd to grow quiet again, just to let the anticipation build just right before it became boredom and confusion. He flared his wings up, ruffling the old, experienced feathers and smiled. He could feel their excitement through their stares and bated breath. He missed it. He loved it.
His wings came down in one, strong beat and launched him into the sky. The air pushed back at those at the front. Dash fell to the ground, and stayed there, in awe. Rainbow felt it pass over her, sending a shiver through her. The fur on her back stood on end and her wings flared of their own accord with the excitement.
Jet Stream looked down and bathed in the gasps and the whistles and the screams. He felt at home again. After a second of letting them guess what he was going to do next he locked his wings and dived straight down. He was like a missile, cutting through the air, driven by gravity towards the hard earth beneath. The wind sped passed him, whipping at his mane, pulling the air from his lungs and bringing a tear to his eyes. The sensation of flying fast like this, with a baying crowd to watch, was like a drug to him, one he hadn't felt in a decade. His Wings popped out and twisted under the pressure, launching him skywards once again. The force hit Dash square on the nose, but she was already hooked. An actual, real Wonderbolt performing just for her!
At the top of the arc he looped round and remembered how to make clouds. Another beat propelled him through the sky, right over the crowd and past the sun, leaving a thick cloud stream in his wake that fizzled away into nothing. Even Shine was enjoying this.
He took a sharp turn and jerked himself into a sharp spin. He found himself laughing. Out of the spin he spiralled up, pulling the cloud up into a tight tower. He took another run around, adding to it, making it tighter and tighter a spiral. He got to the top, hidden from view and everyone trying to find him. He pierced the thick blanket of cloud and it unravelled and dissipated. The crowd grasped. Jet Stream was shooting down into them, right on top of Rainbow. It was a split second reaction. He saw her, jaw dropped. She saw him with absolute terror in her eyes. He quickly winked and she smiled. Before it was too late Jet Stream rolled over and blasted through the crowd at head height. The ground rumbled under him as he took to the sky once again. Rainbow couldn't shake him from her mind, it was terrifying but exhilerating.

He took a brief moment to wipe the sweat from his brow and breath deeply. A huge smile spread from ear to ear as the crowd didn't stop cheering, even though he was doing nothing for a solid ten seconds. However, one wasn't cheering. A rainbow maned mare was staring at him, smiling back at him with something more than the normal adoration he was used to. It was enough to make him blush.
While he would have continued basking in the crowd's love he had to continue flying, as he still had a few tricks in his feathers, whatever they were he didn't know as he hadn't planned this as much as felt what was natural. So he started flying to his left, hoping to find inspiration with the wind. Yet the image of the mare in his mind kept him smiling and not thinking about what he was doing.
“Hey!” a small voice squeaked.
Shocked, Jet Stream looked around for its source, which turned out to be a tiny rainbow maned filly circling him. “Oh... hi?”
“You're really awesome!”
“Thanks! You're not too bad yourself. Say, you looked bigger down there.”
“Oh? Oh yeah, that's my mum.”
Jet craned his neck downwards at the crowd to check. The rainbow maned mare was easy to spot in the midst of such a dull looking crowd. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Does she know you're up here?”
By now the crowd had noticed the second body flying with him, although they could barely make out the blue pony against the sky, and were mumbling to themselves about who could it be? Rainbow was still blissfully unaware that her daughter had ran off.
“No, I just need to fly fast!” Dash shouted as she flew in faster circles.
“I don't know, I might be too fast for you.”
Dash squared up to him, nose practically smushed into his. “No one is too fast for me. I did a sonic rainboom!”
“That was you?!” he was genuinely impressed. “Alright. So you can go fast, but can you handle the Gs?”
“Yeah! I can do all the letters!”
Jet laughed. “Then show me what you got!”

He blasted off, leaving the tiny filly in a wake of wind and in awe. Dash felt the surge of adrenaline pump through her. She couldn't think straight. Couldn't see straight. But her wings erupted from her sides and propelled her after him, catching up with ease.
“How are you doing that?” Jet shouted over the wind. “That rainbow stream? It's so cool! And the crowd are loving it!”
Dash smiled smugly but didn't answer. She didn't know herself.
“Alright kid, let's see some Wonderbolt moves. Follow my lead!”
Jet banked to the side, but Dash easily followed him in formation, throwing a spin in there just to show off.
The crowd was cheering again, watching the two ponies flying together in an impressive synchronisation. Jet stream flew with the power, but the little one seemed to use the slipstream to rocket around him, shrouding him in a rainbow trail, making it seem all the more impressive.
Rainbow was enthralled, entranced. It took a very hard tug at her mane by Swirl, Shine, Ticker and the guy next to them in the crowd who saw the urgency in the fillies' eyes to get her attention.
“That's Dash!” they shouted together, except Ticker, who used her wings, and the guy, who didn't know what they meant.
Rainbow suddenly realised that of course it was Dash. Who else could fly with a rainbow following them? Also, she wasn't standing upfront. She was briefly overwhelmed with admiration of her daughter before being overwhelmed with panic. She charged the field with such speed the security didn't stand a chance.
“You're doing great kid!” Jet shouted to his partner. “Ready for the big finish?”
There was no answer from the filly. That's when he noticed the rainbow was no longer flying with him, and the loud collective gasp of nearly 200 spectators.
Frantically he looked around for the filly, only to see a small body falling limp from the sky. A panic filled him. What was once a cool head burned hot and he couldn't think. Again instincts took over without a moment to spare.
With a huge, powerful beat of his wings he shot towards her like a missile. Faster and faster he flew, wind burning his eyes, obscuring his vision. All he could see was the ground growing clearer and a small, blue blob in front of him.
He got close and rolled into her, taking her into his hoof. He managed to spin his body round and his hooves slammed into the ground. The crowd felt the tremor of the impact.
They all waited. Not moving. Not making a sound. Waiting.
Jet Stream placed the filly on the ground. She was breathing normally, no injuries or damage, just an exhausted filly passed out in the grass. Triumphantly, he held her in the air.
The crowd gasped.
Jet Stream took a second to add, “She's okay!” to the display, afterall it did seem he was holding a lifeless, limp filly.
The crowd cheered for everthing they had just seen.
“Dash?” spoke a frantic, dishevelled mare, looking like she had seen a world of horrors.
“Dash?” Jet repeated. “Good name. She your daughter, I take it?”
Rainbow ignored him and grabbed her filly in a tight yet careful embrace.
“She's okay, don't worry,” he knew it was a stupid thing to say. Of course she was going to wory, she was a parent afterall. He placed a caring hoof on her shoulder. “She did amazing. You've got yourself a future Wonderbolt right there.”
Rainbow let out a laugh which portrayed a whole mess of emotions, from relief to genuine laughter.
“She's just passed out with exhaustion. Not many could keep up with a Wonderbolt like that, so you really should be impressed. I know I am.”
“Thank you so much.” Rainbow started crying.
“It's nothing. Really.”
“It's everything.”
Jet smiled to himself, he couldn't help it. He liked this mare, and it was nice to feel this way again.
“Mummy?” said a small voice from behind him. It was a little confusing to see the filly two more times at once, plus an extra. “Is Dash okay?” she sniffled.
Rainbow nodded.
“She's fine. Just tired. Did you see her up there? It was so cool!” Jet cooed.
Swirl rubbed her eyes. “Yeah but she fell.”
Jet felt a twinge in his heart. He could see and feel that fear they had had for their sister. This one was on the verge of tears, while the other was solelmnly quiet.
“I'm so sorry. I should have brought back down to safety at the start. I got carried away, just like her.”
“That's okay. It's Dash's fault. She stupid,” Swirl moaned, as if it wasn't the first time, before darting to her mother for comfort, followed shortly by the other.
Jet almost joined in. He felt awful. But a tap at his hoof brought him round.
It was the other filly, the extra one, wearing a girlish grin.
“Oh, hi.”
She smiled harder.
“You don't talk much, do you?”
She shook her head. Swirl butted in with, “she can't speak!”, from her mother's mane.
“Oh really?” Jet siad with a cocky eyebrow. He raised his wings and flapped a little, dropping the filly's jaw in the process. “Hello. How are you?” he asked in shoddy, ill-practiced wing language.
Ticker almost exploded, little squeaks found their way out of her as she replied with her adoration that was flapped so fast she took off from the ground. It was unreadable.
“You're a little too fast for me. It's been a few years.”
Ticker couldn't say it again. It burnt her cheeks bright red just to say it in her mind. Instead she hugged him hard.
Taken aback, Jet hugged her back and ruffled her mane. The filly squeaked more.
Rainbow giggled. “I think someone has a crush.”
Jet forced a chuckle out as the filly would just not let go.
“Listen, shall we get you home? I'll take you. I feel awful for what happened. Also really pumped because it was amazing.”
Rainbow looked up. “That would be lovely, thank you. It's a long fly to Cloudsdale though. Not sure if you can after that.”
“Ha!” Jet blurted arrogantly. “That's nothing. I once flew for 27 hours straight!”
“No?” Rainbow was in disbelief and awe. “Really?”
“Yep. I did loads of endurance training as a Wonderbolt. Only touched the ground for water, no more than 30 seconds a time. Still hold the record.”
“Wow.” Rainbow blushed. “I um... I actually err... knew that,” she mumbled sheepishly.
“Oh?”
“You were my favourite.” She had to look away. “I had a big poster of you on my wall.” She admitted like it was the worst of it. The pictures she drew would remain her secret.
Jet smiled wide. “W-well. I don't know what to say. Thank you.”
There was a silence. Rainbow and Jet didn't move. Swirl pried Ticker from his leg.
“Shall we get going?” Shine asked. “Dash needs a bed, stat!”
“Of course! C'mon, I'll give a couple of you a-” he hadn't finished speaking before Ticker latched herself to his neck, Swirl joined her, thinking it the most appropriate pairing.
“I'll sit with Dash,” Shine stated, “so I can make sure she doesn't fall off.”
“Good idea, Shiny,” Rainbow said.
“All set, everyone? Yeah? Okay let's go.” Jet took off quickly, making Ticker giggle like a fangirl, while Rainbow did everything slightly more carefully than she would usually.
They headed back to home.

“Do it again!” Swirl shouted, both for herself and Ticker.
Jet rolled his eyes but with a smile. He cocked his wings and rose and twisted into the air, coming back around in a huge, fast loop, making a point to circle Rainbow, and came back just where he started.
The baying crowd cheering for him was one thing, but nothing when compared to the giddy screams and giggles of the two fillies on his back. He could do it all day.
Rainbow watched him with a smile. It wasn't an impressive trick, as she made a point of when see saw guys using it to pull mares as a student by repeating it only better, but she saw that glint in his eye when he heard the fillies laughing and she could see why he did everything he does.
They had been flying for some time now. The evening was slowly encroaching.
“How much longer, mummy?” Swirl asked. “My stomach is hungry.”
“Not too much further. About half an hour until we see Cloudsdale, if I've got it right.”
“You have,” Jet assured.
“This is nice,” Rainbow remarked, mostly to herself but if anyone picked up on it she didn't mind.
“It is, isn't it?” Jet replied. “Not just... flown, y'know, with somebody.”
“Yeah. It's good to have another pony to give lifts. There's usually a lot more arguing on long journerys.”
“Oh.” Jet avoided letting on that he was picking up the wrong signals.
“But yeah. Grown up company is nice too. Thanks again, by the way.”
“What for?”
“Well, taking me home, of course. Got to be out of your way, surely?”
Jet shook his head. “No. I live in Cloudsdale too.”
Ticker gasped with delight and nuzzled into his neck, which was weird the first time but this was far from the first time.
Rainbow, too, gasped. “Really? How did I not know my favourite Wonderbolt lived in my city!”
“Well, I'm not really that famous anymore. I'm just a brown pegasus whose look was stolen by every other stallion. I made this look, you know?” He cockily ran his hoof through his swept back mohawk.
“I know. It was so cool. I remember stallions slowly copying you after a couple months. None could pull it off like you though.”
“Damn right they couldn't.”
“So whereabouts do you live? Just curiosity, not so I can spy some pictures or anything. Hehe,” she chuckled nervously. It was a joke, but it had given her the idea.
“North quarter, out near the edge.”
“Ooh get you, mister moneybags.”
“You're rich?” Swirl asked innocently.
Jet laughed. “It's nothing too fancy, I assure you. A few bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage, whatever that is.”
“Bigger than mine.”
There was a little silence. Swirl was talking to Ticker with their wings, clearly a secret conversation, probably about Jet Stream and his wealth. Dash stirred but remained firmly asleep, with Shine resting on her back as she too dozed. Getting a ride the whole way was nothing short of luxury.
“So what is it you do?” Jet asked. Not in a small talk way, as the silence wasn't awkward, but like he was interested.
“I work in the post office. Nothing fancy, but it pays the bills. I would rather stay looking after my little ones but the benefits were starting to... you know, get a bit shit,” she whispered the last word.
“What?”
“I was a single mum since before they were born. Husband left me when I was preggers. Which is good because he never deserved these special things.”
Jet couldn't say anything. Even if he could, what should he say?
“It's a bit stressful- very stressful, but I wouldn't give up a single moment.”
“I bet not.” Jet looked down. Wings flapped a little slower.
“What about you? Ey?”
“What?”
“Got a Mrs Stream around?” she asked coyly.
“No.” His answer was short and blunt. There was clearly much more to the story but nothing he wanted to get into, and Rainbow knew not to press it any further.
“What have you been up to then? It's been, what, ten years since you retired?”
“Thirteen almost, actually. But yeah, not much really. Just... flying around. Handing out lessons to people who ask. Instructing at a couple clubs. Went travelling for a month before realising I didn't much care for it. Tried my hoof at writing a biography but... nah. Not for me.”
“Well I'm glad you're back. That was so amazing today. Not felt a rush like that since... I can't remember when.”
“It felt good to be back. There's one thing doing tricks on your own, but another entirely when there's an audience.”
Rainbow could see him glance slightly to his back at the fillies sat there. She could guess that was audience he meant.
“And your little Rainbow Dash. I mean, wow.” He was still in awe. “There's not many who could keep up with me for that long, but she's only what? Seven?”
“I'm gonna tell her you said that. I know I shouldn't feed her ego but I can't resist. That look she gets when her head grows in size is just...” She gasped with adoration “So precious.”
“Your other daughters seem very nice to.”
“Too right we are, mate!” Swirl chipped in aggressively. “We are the best! And Ticker says she is too!”
Jet laughed to himself.

They reached the house as the sun began its long descent. Immediately Rainbow went to tuck Dash into bed.
“Swirl,” Jet started, “can you get Dash a glass of water. Like, a really big glass.” He gestured a glass that would have been ridiculously big.
“Okay,” she sang happily.
Jet entered the bedroom just to see Rainbow plant a delicate kiss on her daughter's cheek, lingering a moment by her side. “You should wake her up.”
“What?” Rainbow harshly whispered.
“She needs to drink something, otherwise she isn't going to sleep well, and that's how you get ill.”
Rainbow nodded. “Okay. Hey, Dashie,” she whispered as she began poking her. “You've got to wake up for a bit.”
“OI!” Swirl shouted as she fluttered in with the biggest glass of water she could carry. “Wake up, stupid!”
Dash groaned and rolled.
“No, sweetie, you've got to, just for a bit.”
Reluctantly Dash opened her eyes. “Ugh?”
“Drink this,” Swirl ordered. “Jet told me to tell you.”
Dash, not wanting to refuse an order from a Wonderbolt, drank steady from the glass until it was empty. Clearly she needed it.
“That was so COOL! Flying like that. I thought you was gonna die!” Swirl squeaked.
“Okay baby,” Rainbow whispered. “You can sleep now. And in the morning you can have a big breakfast. You're gonna need the energy. Whatever you like!”
Dash barely listened as her eyes shut for the night. Rainbow left her with another kiss.
Downstairs the remaining fillies took seats on the sofa, as if the flight was tiring for them despite not actually flying.
“Make sure she eats something full of energy when she wakes up. She's really gonna need it. Her body is going to ache for days! She needs to repair it. Not porridge or long term energy, she needs the immediate boost. Beans on toast is what she needs. With hacon. And like, a mountain of cheese! That would do.” He suddenly felt hungry for breakfast.
“She hates cheese.”
“Excuse me? And I thought she was cool.”
“I know right?!” Rainbow said in relief. “No one else thinks it's weird. Cheese is the best! I would sooner eat a cheese and pickle sandwich before crisps and chocolate.”
“Yes! Finally, someone who sees the truth.”
There was a frantic flapping behind them.
“Ticker says she like cheese too, but I don't know why she's saying that because she's aller-.” Swirl was stopped by a viscious hissing from the mute filly.

It came time for Jet to leave, which was a harder task than anticipated as Ticker was latching onto his legs. It took Swirl's ferocious strength to claw her off him.
Rainbow saw him off.
“Thank you again,” Rainbow said happily.
“I keep telling you, it's alright.”
“Not for that-not just for that. It's been a nice afternoon. It's been a while since I've spent time with a grown up I'm not related to. Especially since my neighbour moved out. I miss her.”
“It's been great for me to. Spending time with a lovely mare and her kids was just... nice, y'know? It made me feel good.”
“Same.”
“Well, I'll see ya around,” Jet waved as he jumped up into the air, but he stopped as he got to the end of the garden path. He turned back shaprly. She was still stood there.
Neither knew what was happening. Neither looked directly at each other, and only for a second if they did.
As the setting sun bathed them in twilight, neither of them knew what to say.
“W-whe...” Rainbow whispered. Jet was all ears. “When will I...”
“I'm sure we...” he gulped. “We live here so, like, we will bump into each other.”
“Can we... we bump on purpose?”
Jet moved closer slowly, taken by the breeze to her. “Yeah.”
“Next sunday?”
“In the centre?”
“At midday?”
“I can't wait.”
He was floating in front of her, just out of reach, not sure if he should move closer. Not sure if he could. It was a rush he had never experienced before. The shaking in his legs, the pounding in his chest, the dry in his mouth.
Rainbow smiled. “I'll see you then.”
She ran back inside. Jet looked on, smiling just like her. He flew off in a daze, letting it sink in. Was it really happening?
Rainbow sat against the door, hoof to heart. The shaking in her legs, the pounding in her chest, the dry in her mouth. She could feel her heart in her throat and the heat in her ears. It was new. A rush she had never felt. It was amazing. Was it really happening?
“Are you okay, mummy?” Swirl asked. “You got wet eyes.”
Rainbow didn't know what to say, so she laughed.

“How do I look?” Rainbow asked her daughters. Sunday took too long to come.
“Beautiful,” Shine praised.
“Awesome!” Dash shouted.
“You've got something in your teeth,” Swirl said after some deliberation.
Rainbow returned in a flash from the bathroom. “Is this better?”
“Perfect!” Swirl chirped.
“Good.” Rainbow took a deep breath. “Alright. You three behave, and don't make trouble for Fluttershy's mum. What was her name again?”
Dash shrugged. How was she to know? She wasn't friends with the mother.
“And Swirl, do be careful with Ticker. I know you like your mischief.”
Swirl's smile became a serious look. “Of course. We will only mischief if it's safe to do so.”
“That's my girl. Come here. I need a hug for luck.”
A brief hug later and Rainbow left the house towards the city centre, her children to their friends' houses.

She waited in the centre for him, early as usual. It shouldn't be hard to find her, a mass of colour against a dull white floor, so she wasn't worrying about that. Instead she was worried about seeing someone else in the crowd. Someone's she related to. That would be awkward.
“Rainbow!” shouted a familiar voice. And with that it was too late. Her father had spotted her, and he always won hide and seek.
“Hi dad,” she said like she was busy.
“It's good to see you,” he said with a hug. “What are you up to today? Where are the little Rainbows at? It's odd not seeing you together.”
“Oh um... lots of things. That's why they aren't here. Gone out with their friends. Too busy to...” she trailed off as a brown stallion was spotted speeding in her direction.
“Sorry I'm late,” Jet said despite being right on time. “Not been waiting too long have you?”
The grin on her father's face was slow to spread but boy did it go wide. The glee inside was almost trickling out.
“Lots of things to do? Ey?” Thunder nudged her with his elbow. “Sent the girls off? Too busy?”
Rainbow froze in response, only her face quickly reddening was any sign she was taking this in.
Jet looked between them, clearly confused.
“Not gonna introduce us, Rainbow? I raised you better than this.” He turned to the new stallion. “Hi. I'm Thunder, Rainbow's father.”
Jet looked between the two of them in disbelief. Rainbow was significantly taller than him and far more colourful. Very little resemblance.
“Really?”
“I know what you're thinking, but if you see my wife you'll see where she gets it from. Say, do I know you?”
Jet shook the hoof that was offered him, a cocky smirk firmly on his face. “I think you do. The name's Jet Stream.” He almost struck a pose.
“Nope. Sorry.”
The smirk vanished. “R-really? But I'm... I'm Jet Stream.”
“Mate, I got like five Jet Streams at work. One looks a bit like you actually. Hang on, you don't work down the council, do you?”
“No. I'm... a Wonderbolt.” Jet couldn't believe this.
“Sure you are.” Thunder teased sarcastically. “And I'm Princess... Oh my gosh you are! You're bloody... Whats his face. Jet Stream!”
“Yes!”
“Fastest accelerating stallion in the world! Naught to sonic boom in a single flap of your wings!”
“You know it!”
“It's great to meet. Big fan of the 'bolts. What are you doing here anyway?”
“I'm here for... her. Your daughter. Rainbow.”
“Oooh,” Thunder half laughed. “She had a massive crush on you when she was younger. You should see the fan art!”
Jet blushed in the silence that followed, the only sound between them a strange, restricted whimper from Rainbow.
“I can tell I'm not wanted here,” Thunder started. “I'll leave you two alone. Besides, I've got to tell Blaze about this. That's her mother. You kids have fun!” He flew off laughing.
Rainbow exhaled loudly, almost like she hadn't breathed for a few minutes. “I'm so sorry. I didn't expect my dad to turn up.”
“That's okay. He seems like a nice guy though.”
“Oh he is. Great dad.”
“Fan art, though? Really?” He was intrigued.
“I'm a professional!” Rainbow blurted out. “It's my talent and I needed something to paint.”
“I would love to see them.”
Rainbow didn't answer. Torn between letting him and burning the paintings.
“Shall we get going? I know a great little cafe where we could talk about better things than dads and fanart.”
“Sounds good. Lead the way.”

Dash let herself into the house, calling out to see if anyone was in.
“I'm in here, Dashie!” came her mother's voice from the kitchen.
“How was it?” Dash shouted as she shot to her mother and promptly took a seat on her back. “Did you kiss?”
“No. We didn't kiss. One day though. I think I'd like that.”
“Course you would! He's a Wonderbolt!”
Rainbow laughed. “Yep. But no, all we did was go to a cafe for tea and cake, and yes there's some for you before you ask, and we talked. It was lovely.” Rainbow could see Dash was scanning for the cakes. “On the table. Yours in the bag on the right.”
Dash flew off to eat the sweet treat. “Is that it?” she asked through a mouthful of cake. “Did you do anything else?”
Rainbow shook her head. “No. But it's what I've been craving, apparently. That kind of companionship.”
“But we companion you though,” Dash stated firmly.
“Yes, sweetie. You do, but it's something different altogether. When you grow up and get your first boyfriend you'll understand.”
Rainbow fell into a seat at the table across from Dash and watched her scoff the cake. A dreamy look in her eye showed she was looking far past Dash and into nothing, swimming in the memory of today. Her first date since Red. Her first proper date since always, she reckoned, as Red was never much for anything but cliches.
“Hopefully I will be seeing a lot more of him.”
There was a knock at the door before it opened. “Hello? Rainbow?” called her mother. “You in?”
Rainbow tutted. “Can't a girl have a secret?” she whispered to Dash who didn't respond. “In here, mum.”
Blaze appeared in the door to the kitchen. “I just saw your father. Apparently you were meeting a handsome stallion?”
“Did dad really say handsome?”
“Oh no, I'm just assuming. Now dish. Tell. me. Everything!”

---

The warm summer seemed ages ago as the cold weather of the new year settled in. No one wanted to be out of bed at such an early hour on such a crisp day, especially Dash.
“I don't wanna go,” she moaned.
“Yes you do. Now come and get up.”
“You only want to go so you can kiss a boy.”
Rainbow blushed but she didn't let that fact stop her. “No. It's going to be fun, I promise. We're gonna have a barbeque with all your favourite burgers. We're gonna get to see the Everfree Forest, and that's gonna be amazing.”
Dash only groaned and snuggled harder into the bed.
“His niece is going to be there.”
“So?”
“Well, she's in line to join the Wonderbolt academy in a few years.”
Dash's silence was all she needed. Dash was interested.
“And Jet has been telling her about you. About how you managed to fly with him at the air show.”
Dash still didn't speak, but she almost moved to leave the bed.
“And she's looking forward to flying with you. To see your awesome rainbow trail and teach you new moves. Not just any moves, but professional Wonderbolt moves taught by Jet Stream himself.”
Dash sat up. “Really?"
Rainbow nodded. “Yes, really. Now get up and ready. It's a long flight to the Everfree.”

She inspected her daughters before leaving, making sure they were warm enough and had everything they would need.
“Are you sure you're going to be warm enough, Shine?”
Shine was wearing only a thick jumper. “I don't get cold.”
“Take a scarf, just in case. And a hat.”
Shine couldn't argue with the logic.
Satisfied, Rainbow took them outside in the dull reds of a rising sun and they set off. “Now, it's a long flight, so if you need a break just hop on my back. And take turns if you need it.”
“I don't need breaks!” Dash claimed proudly.
“Sure, Dash,” Rainbow remarked. She knew her daughter's stamina better than her. “Let's go!”

It was a long flight, but a relatively uninteresting one. The sun had risen by the time they reached the clearing, just as Jet described to them.
“I must say I'm impressed, Shine. You flew most of the way here yourself!”
Shine smiled weakly. She was proud of herself too, but her body was craving energy. Fortunately the barbeque was raring to go.
“You made it!” Jet cheered, running over to hug Rainbow. Still a kiss was too far for them, but the hug was nice. He quickly high fived the kids as well. “How was the flight?”
“Long.” Rainbow put the saddle bags with Jet's. “How was the camp?”
“So fun. You should have joined us.”
“Ha!” Rainbow snorted. “Not in this weather. In the summer maybe. Oh, is this your niece?”
“Yep.” Jet pulled a young mare to his side. “This is Spark. Just turned thirteen this morning.”
Spark stood tall with a cocky air about her. Her coat was a dull blue and her dark mane had been braided into cornrows. “Hi.”
Dash immediately ran to inspect her. “You do seem fast,” she said as she played with the mare's wings.
“And you must be Dash.” Spark squared up to the filly. “The one able to keep up with Jet.”
“That's me.”
Spark nodded. “You defintely look the part. Look at that mane! So. Cool.”
“Do you want to fly then? Mummy said we were gonna fly tricks together.”
“Aren't you hungry?”
“Yeah. Hungry for speed!”
“Well I'm hungry for burgers so you'll have to wait.” She stuck her tongue out. Dash already liked her.

The clearing was on the edge of a frozen bog. What wildlife there was wasn't there today. It was eerily quiet. A breeze creaked the trees and there was the occasional rustle of a critter through the dead leaves and twigs. Other than that the baron landscape was oddly peaceful. Rainbow enjoyed watching the world go by.
Her and Jet sat on a warm blanket on the ground, doing nothing but enjoy each others company.
“This is lovely,” Rainbow said dreamily as she lay into Jet's shoulder.
“Yeah. I've always loved this place.”
“How often do you camp here?”
“Past few years. Since she was ten. Her parents used to come but they did not like it in the slightest. But they don't mind it just the two of us.”
“Spark is great little filly. Dash already loves her. Look at them.” Up in the air, a little ways away you could make out the two fillies flying circles around each other, showing off their best tricks.
“She's great. Really means a lot to me. Like she's one of my own.”
“I can tell. There's something there more than just an uncle.”
“She saved my life.”
Rainbow jumped and stared at him. “Really?”
“Yeah.” Jet sighed. “I was in a dark place. When she was born.”
“Oh?” Rainbow pressed lightly. She was curious.
“I had a wife.” Jet hung his head down, eyes already damp. “I've been meaing to tell you. I feel like I can tell you.”
“I'm all ears.”
Jet took a deep breath. “This is going to get heavy real quick. But basically, I fell in love with one of my fans.”
“You have a habit of that,” Rainbow teased with a smirk.
Jet let out a very forced laugh. “We were together for five years. Married for four of them. Had a baby on the way.”
Rainbow felt her stomach drop. She could see where this was going. The way he looked when he mentioned her showed she had not left him of her own accord.
“She was... perfect. I loved her from the beginning.”
“What was the beginning?”
Jet froze, eyes wide with shock. “That's a little embarassing. Let's just say um... fans get past security sometimes and we have been known to err...”
“A bit of how's your father?” Rainbow suggested in jest, clearly just as embarassed by the situation as well.
“Yeah. And that's how I met her. Anyway. We stayed together. She followed us on tour and it made it better to perform. With her around.
“We got married. Lived a life of luxury in a nice house. I still toured and she still joined me, until she got pregnant. She was two weeks due.”
“Oh.”
“When it happened.”
“Oh no.”
“Something went wrong. I rushed her to the hospital as fast I could but...” he took a deep, shaking breath.
“Hey. Hey hey hey,” Rainbow whispered softly as she patted his shoulder. “That'll do. I think I can guess the rest.”
But Jet was already gone. He wept quiet tears, trying to hold it back.
Rainbow wasn't sure how to treat a crying, full grown stallion, so she treated him as a filly.
“Oh, boo. What you crying for?” she asked in a babying voice as she smushed his cheeks. “Getting your eyes all wet is not gonna help.”
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I don't know how to stop grown ups crying. Only fillies.”
Jet laughed before drying his eyes. “It seems it worked though. I'm so sorry. It's still hard to think about.”
“That's okay. But carry on. I want to know how Spark comes into all this.”
“Oh yeah. So I retired and, well I couldn't go home. Not after... y'know, that.”
“Naturally.”
“So I stayed with my brother the other side of town. At that point Spark was only a couple months old. I didn't sleep properly. Just laid awake on their sofa, not sleeping. But one night, Spark escaped her cot, came to me and demanded I pick her up. So I did. I held her so tightly. And I cried. Like, properly cried. I hadn't been able to, because, like, it's a really hard emotion to express. But after that I slept for 14 hours. They tried to take Spark off me so I could sleep better but she refused to budge, so they let her stay.”
Rainbow touched her chest, tears welling from the cuteness of it all. “That's so sweet.”
“So I became their housetaker and babysitter so they could work. We bonded and now we're... unseperable.”
Rainbow grabbed him in a tight hug as she needed to smush something. “That's adorable. Not the sad bit, but the bit after. And thanks for telling me.”
“That's okay. I think were even now, considering the first thing you told me when we met was about your husband leaving you.”
“Yeah. We're definitely even now.”
Rainbow didn't leave the hug. He was soft and warm and small. It felt good. So good in fact Jet joined in.

“You've got potential, kid,” Spark said with pride. “Got some good tricks. And you know how to use your wings better than most.”
“Yeah! The trick is to roll your wings too, not just flap.”
“Totes.”
“Totes?” Dash asked but never got an answer.
“What I'm gonna teach you now, because you're ready, is how to make a cloud trail.”
“Why would I do that, stupid? I already make the awesomest rainbow trail!”
“Well duh, because it's a neat trick. And not many can do it.”
“I can!”
“Prove it. C'mon. Let's land for a minute and I'll explain.” On the land she continued. “Right. So. It's easy really. You're just whipping air, like what you do with eggs.”
Dash stared at her. “I've never whipped eggs.”
“Oh. Then, you just do this.” Spark, using her wings, manage to whip up a quick cloud. “See? It doesn't last long though as it's not a real cloud.”
“Just like eggs!” Dash stated confidently.
“No. nothing like eggs. Give it a go!”
Dash did. She tried for so long. It felt unnatural to move her wings in such a way. And after minutes of tiring wing spinning, she had accomplished nothing and sat in a humph.
“You'll get it. It's a bit dry here. Plus it's easier at speed.”
Dash perked up at the word. “Then let's do it up there! I saw a lake, that's got to be wet.”
“I don't know,” Spark worried, staring towards where the camp was. “We shouldn't go too far.”
“It's only over those trees.”
Spark considered for moment before agreeing. “Yeah. Why the hell not!”
“You can't say that word. Mummy will tell you off.”
Spark got close to Dash with a sly grin. “Mummy ain't here though, is she?”
Dash's eyes lit up with mischief and a need to do something she had needed to do for a few seconds. She mustered up the volume to shout the worst word she could think of. “SHIT!”
“That's the spirit.”

Shine and Swirl had gone on an adventure. It was all Swirl's idea, and Shine felt more dragged into it rather than agreeing to it, but as they walked further into the woods where the trees got thicker it was Swirl who was regretting it. Shine was loving it.
“I think we should turn back soon.” Swirl looked around. It was too dark for her, and this was a place where things actually hid in the shadows.
“Not yet!” Shine ordered in an uncharacteristic tone of leadership. “We got to keep going. We've got to see something cool soon.”
Swirl was jumping at every slight movement and sound. “Like what?”
“I don't know, but this is the Everfree Forest. There's supposed to be really cool animals here, like ones you've not seen before.”
“But we've seen all the animals before. And what if we get lost?”
“We can fly. Just go up and find the camp.”
Swirl couldn't argue with that, it made too much sense, and that made her very uncomfortable.
“I don't like it, Shine.” Swirl was almost in tears with fear.
Shine turned around, placing a comforting hoof on her sister's shoulder. “It's okay. We'll be fine.”
“I don't like it!”
“You go back then.”
“I can't go without you!”
“Just a bit further, okay? I have a feeling about something.”
“No, Shine,” Swirl wanted it to sound more authoritative more her voice whimpered and she started stepping backwards. “It's too dangerous.”
“I'm gonna keep going though. And it's more fun with you here.”
“Not for me.”
Shine had had enough. “I'm going.”
Swirl stood still for a moment, watching her sister walk off in front of her. She did seem to be able to handle herself down here, Swirl thought. Maybe she would be alright? Swirl turned and left, only she didn't know where she came from.
She took to the air, but the canopy was too dense. The branches intertwined so complexly that not even Swirl and her tiny body could squeeze through. A panic started setting in. She darted through whatever gaps she could fit through, hoping one would lead to the sky, but it only led to her getting more lost, and eventually stuck.
She wriggled as hard as she could, feeling the branches loosen with each twist of her body and flutter of wings.
Her eyes frantically scanned the small area she was in. What little light filtered through the leaves showed something moving. Lots of somethings. Some big, some small. Crawling about the branches. Crawling on her. She managed to make out their shapes. Eight legs that were feeling their way about her. A freeze shot through her spine and she froze with it, only taking in sharp, ragged breaths as her mind raced.
She felt one lower from above onto her head, slowly making its way down, stepping lightly from her mane to her forehead. It past over her eyes as it stepped down further, placing one leg in her mouth.
She screamed of death. Loud and shrieking. Piercing through the silent forest.
She panicked harder. Twisting her body against the wood, feeling it dig into her skin and draw her blood. She had to get out of there, but she couldn't. The tree was wrapped around her, pinning her between branches. In her flurry the spiders moved more, almost agressively.
But the canopy broke open. Light poured in and burnt her eyes. The spiders scattered.
Her mother's hoof wrapped itself around whatever body part it could and wrenched her free, but she kept screaming.
“GET THEM OFF!” Swirl screamed over and over as Rainbow swatted violently at anything that moved. They were all gone but she didn't stop screaming violently squirming in the air.
Rainbow took a leaf from her own book and, pressing her face against her daughter's shouted as loudly as possible, “SWIRL!”
Swirl stopped, still in a clear panic but she was listening.
“They're gone. They're gone. It's okay. You're safe. I've got you,” Rainbow spoke softly over and over again until the fear in her eyes had gone.
Swirl erupted into tears and buried herself into her mother, needing her comfort more than ever.
“It's okay. It's okay,” Rainbow whispered as she hugged her and played a hoof through her mane. “Let's go back to the camp.”
They flew calmly back, Swirl still crying in her mother's hoof, and Rainbow placed her on the warm blanket, and wrapped her up warm.
“What happened?” Jet asked, full of concern. “You just... exploded.”
“Did you not hear her scream?” Rainbow said quietly, not wanting to trigger her daughter.
“No. Did you?”
“Yes. Clear as day. Must be a mother's instinct I guess.”
“What was wrong with her?” Jet asked as he affectionately rubbed the filly's cheek dry.
Rainbow mouthed, “spiders.”
“Oh. That's fair. Creepy buggers.”
Swirl curled up into her mother, whimpering softly.
“Where's Shine?” Rainbow asked calmly, stroking her baby.
“She's still out there. She's okay though. She's not scared.” There was almost a shame in her voice.
“That's okay, baby.” Rainbow said, placing a kiss on her forehead. “It's okay.”

Shine carried on through the undergrowth. It had definitely become less fun on her own, even if Swirl was just moaning. It was just dark trees and not much else. The allure had all but worn off, but as she cut her way through a particularly thick bush she stumbled into a slight clearing, with a shaft of open light all the way out of the canopy.
“If she had just kept going a little bit she could have got out really easily. Oh well. I think I'm done.” She started ascending, taking a slight enjoyment in taking her time, lazily spiralling up the shaft, when something caught her eye.
There was an opening in the branches a little way up, and she could see into a little alcove, a mound of earth surrounded by trees with a beautiful flower growing all alone.
“Mummy would love that,” Shine said aloud as she drifted towards it.

Rainbow left the tent, leaving Swirl behind who had fallen asleep.
“Poor thing,” Jet remarked.
“Yeah. Must have taken it out of her. Never seen her so scared before.”
“Really messed her up. Did you see her when she spotted that web up there? I mean, I barely saw it and she focused on it like a laser.”
“Poor thing,” Rainbow said sadly before plonking hard down back by Jet's side, snuggling into him to once again enjoy the peaceful bog, only to be slightly ruined by Jet rummaging by his side and unscrewing something made of plastic.
“What's that?” Rainbow yawned, suddenly feeling how heavy her eyelids were.
“Tea. Would you like one?” Jet asked but he began pouring a second cup from the flask anyway.
“That would be lovely, thanks.”
“Sugar?”
“Yeah?”
“No. Do you want any?”
Rainbow laughed at herself a little. “Yes please. Three, if that's alright.”
“Of course.” He handed her the flimsy cup and she sipped lazily at the warm sugar, as did he.
It was just what they needed. The boost was felt almost immediately. In this cold it was more delicious than normal, even if it did taste slightly of flask.
“Y’know, this frozen bog in the middle of winter is surprisingly…” Rainbow couldn’t think of how to finish the sentence.
“Romantic?” Jet suggested hopefully.
Rainbow tittered. “Yeah, that’ll work.” She nestled into his shoulder more comfortably and sighed again. “Romantic.”
The small plastic cups were drained of all but the cold dregs of tea. Dash was still zipping about in the distance. Swirl still napped in the tent. Shine was still out adventuring, with Rainbow hoping for a lot of pictures waiting for her for when they got home.
“How long has it been now?” Jet started. “Four months?”
“Almost. Give it a week on monday.” Rainbow knew exactly what he was on about. It was a date she would remember, the one where she had met him.
“It's been good, hasn't it?” Jet asked, certain of what answer he'd give but wanted to know hers.
“It's been better than that.”
They looked at each other, and nothing else. Only they mattered anymore. Stomachs full of butterflies, but with clear minds, they got nearer. Slowly. Calmly. They were so close.
Rainbow couldn't sense anything else. Not the frozen air. Not the crashing of ice on the shore of the bog. Not the Hydra's footsteps rumbling in the ground.
Jet did. He pulled back and slammed his hoof over Rainbow's mouth, not the delicate kiss either of them were expecting. Rainbow was silently furious, about to make it loud, but the panic in Jet's eyes, the small shake of his head, the body quaking with fear, all told her that she had to be silent.
Her eyes looked across slowly and her stomach dropped and heart leapt. The huge claws of the Hydra were too close. Any movement could have set it off, shown them that there was something there, a small amount of food to help sustain it through the cold.
In the fierce silence they jumped at the sound of the tent zip, and out stepped Swirl. “Mummy? What was that...?” She never finished her sentence as the sight of a Hydra filling the sky sank in.
She screamed, which the Hydra challenged back with a great roar from its heads.
Rainbow sprang forward, shielding her daughter from the sound, the roar and the spit. It was foul to every sense. The stench of the hot air blasting her with the debris of a thousand innocent creatures from the depths of its throat. The sight of the mountains of fangs stained yellow and red with dirt and blood. The horror of the small inhaler on the ground, tied to a ripped string, a feather taped to its side and a name scratched into the hard plastic. It was Shine's.
Rainbow picked it up, delicate like it was a child, yet shaking with a racing mind. A fang had punctured it and blood painted it.
She wailed in agony as her heart shredded to pieces, clutching the inhaler, embracing it like she did once her daughter that owned it. She felt sick. Everything vanished around her as the world grew darker. How could this happen?
The Hydra came down at them. One of their mighty heads went to bite. Swirl screamed but Rainbow was frozen.
Jet came crashing into it, booming from the sides at an unbelievable speed, and shattered some of its teeth.
“RUN!” he yelled over the noise, but no one did. Swirl was paralyzed with fear as Rainbow was collapsed, doubled in pain and tears pouring into the ground. He couldn't see what had happened but couldn't worry about it. He needed to act before the Hydra could.
He sped towards the pair in an attempt to grab them, but Rainbow was adamant in staying.
“NO!” she screamed as she pushed him back and picked up the inhaler. It was then that Jet noticed what happened, but with the adrenaline of the danger wouldn't stop him.
“Move! We've got to get out of here!”
Rainbow didn't answer him, she was devoid of any response, but there was a whislte from above.
“HEY!” Spark shouted, waving for his attention.
“Get away!” Jet shouted back, waving her to leave immediately, but it was too late. She dove down to them, spinning and looping, making sure the Hydra couldn't follow her, and scooped Swirl into the her hooves, pulling her back up into the air and out of danger.
“I got her! You get mummy!” Dash screamed as she took her sister and took her higher to where the clouds were, out of any harms way.
Spark looped round and shot to the ground, right into the mass of necks of the Hydra. “I've got them. You get her!” she yelled amongst the chaos. The heads followed her every movement, only it made them confused and dizzy as they wrapped the necks through each other, knotting them together. It wouldn't hold them back for long but it gave them a better chance.
Spark landed heavily next to Jet. “We've got this,” she said as she grabbed the mare's stomach and began pulling up.
Jet got under her, wrapping his hooves around her waist and lifted her up, and in his grip she took to the sky with no resistance, as the inhaler was firmly in her grip. Spark flew alongside them.
“Here. Over there is where Dash and Swirl are. On the cloud. Quickly before the Hydra sorts itself out.”
Carefully, Jet placed the grieving mare on the cloud, and her other daughters crowded her, knowing full well that Rainbow was not afraid like them but something much worse.
“Where's Shine?” Spark asked. Her wings pulled her into the air as she was about to go on a rescue mission but Jet pulled her down.
With tears in his eyes he whispered to her what had happened. How the Hydra spat out a bloodied inhaler. How it must have eaten her. Spark didn't believe it.
“She's not dead til we find a body,” she said too loudly.
“Dead?” Swirl asked, full of innocence.
Jet stared at her. Full of anger for saying it and for getting herself into so much danger. But she was right.
“There's a town not too far from here,” Jet started. “I'll go inform the police there. Tell them what happened. Help them search. Hopefully they might be able to sort this out.” He had no hope for her, but he couldn't admit that. “Spark, lead them back to cloudsdale.”
“I'm coming with you.”
“No. You've got youself into enough danger today. It was reckless. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you.”
“But it didn't.”
“I know that. But what if?” His eyes drifted to Rainbow, an inconsolable mess crying over the loss of one of her own. Spark felt it. She saw how Rainbow was and how much pain she was in, and she could see how Jet was feeling, how it reminded him of his son.
“Okay. But you be safe too.”

It was two weeks since they had come back. The hope Rainbow had was dwindling, but she refused to let it die. The nights had been sleepless for everyone in the family.
There came a ring of the doorbell. As Rainbow opened it she was greeted by the worst. It was two police officers, hats off to her, and a solemn expression.
Rainbow broke down. She felt like she had died. She didn't even hear the good news until Dash screamed it in glee.
“She's alive?!”
“Yes, little one. We found her yesterday, alive but not well.”
Rainbow clawed at their shoulders. “Where is she?”
“She is being treated at a hospital near the forest. Specialists there that are trained for this kind of dealing. It wasn't a moment too soon.”
“How is she?” Swirl asked as she sped down the stairs.
“She's in a critical condition, but the best doctors are working her case and they have hope for her survival. The task now is stabilising her so they can treat her properly. The doctors will fill you in fully.”
“I need to see her,” Rainbow sobbed.
“That's why were here. We have an escort for you to the hospital. Should be there in a few hours.”
Rainbow and her children were already in the taxi.

She was a mess. Quarantined behind thick glass. Tubes going into various holes. Covered head to hoof in cuts and bruises. Her chest had two long red scars cut into her. They looked fresh but the doctors ensured her they weren't.
“She was found stumbling in the forest, just in the safe bit. She was very weak and ill but she should be okay now.”
Rainbow watched as ponies in hazmat suits did work on her.
“Are those necessary?”
“Very much so. She is highly contaminated with some powerful bacteria and poisons. Hence the dialysis to keep her blood clean.”
Rainbow felt her eyes well with tears. “Can I hug her?”
“Out of the question. She is far too delicate right now for even something as simple as a hoof bump, let alone a hug I have no doubt will squeeze her.”
Rainbow didn't like the answer but knew she could do nothing about it. “Okay. I'll wait then.”
“What's that tube for?” Dash asked curiously, as she had done with all the other tubes and machines. “The one in between her legs? It's weird.”
“That one is a catheter.”
“A cat heater?”
“Catheter. It takes the urine from her body, along with many toxins."
“That's her WEE?!” Dash screeched. “Eww!”

A month later Shine was moved to Cloudsdale general hospital, where she made a full recovery. The only marks to say it ever happened were the two huge red scars across her chest and the fact she had somehow been cured of her asthma.
She claimed it was a zebra who lived in the forest who had saved her, but that's prepostorous.

I have grown bored of writing this chapter. It's far too long but whatever. It's done. That's all you need to know.

I FORGOT ABOUT A WHOLE PART OF THE CHAPTER! God damn it. Whatever. It's been a couple months.

They got back to the house after a fun day out at a fun fair to find the front door had been broken into. Scared, they walk inside to find Red, Rainbow's ex-husband, sitting at the kitchen table, looking ominous and more scary than he had done before.
Threateningly Red starts to talk to Rainbow and the children, who were shocked to see who their father actually is. Needless to say they didn't like them. (fun fact, in the very original draft he convinces Swirl and Shine to go with him, and only Dash stays with their mother because loyalty. You can see why I didn't go for that.)
He continues to beat around whatever bush he had come to talk about, but when Rainbow demands him to leave he hits her. Swirl and Dash then attacked but are hit back as well. Limping and hurt they go back to their mother, cowering in her safety, with Shine doing her best to make sure they are alright.
Rainbow shouts at him again, clearly terrified behind her tears, and he goes to hit her again. Only he never did. Jet Stream had appeared at the door with a bunch of flowers and, seeing what was happening, performed his legendary feat of a standing sonic boom, launching both him and Red through the glass door into the garden.
An epic fight takes place, too epic for me to actually write because writing action is hard as you can't properly convey the urgency and speed of what's happening outside of a visual media. Jet consistently has the upper hand.
It ends with Red being slammed into the street, shattering the tarmac beneath him. Jet grabs him and screams in his face a threat that is very much not empty about ripping his wings off and kicking him off the edge if he ever showed his face again.
Red takes a letter from his coat pocket and passes it to Jet, saying it's divorce papers as they had never made it official before.
Jet cools down and heads back inside, swapping the papers for the flowers, and heads to Rainbow.
He checks her and the children over for injuries, performing some basic first aid to ensure they heal properly.
And then they finally kiss! It was good for both of them. It wasn't romantic, but it was comforting and that is what she really wanted.

Like seriously. That's what all this has been building up to. A stupid as hell cliché kiss.

God damn it.

I swear I'm actually alright at this. I just want this out of my head.

And are you satisfied? The cliff hanger from 6 years ago turns out to be this? A short few paragraphs that summarise the whole chapter? Happy? HUH?!

Worth the fucking wait, am I right?

3 fucking paragraphs! 6 years of waiting! That's a whopping paragraph every two years! What an amazing rate at which I was working!

Fucks sake. Whatever. It's better in my head. The emotion Rainbow has when receiving the kiss is a little more complex than just “it felt nice”. It's a much more touching moment than it's written but who fucking cares?!

I know I don't! I say as I continue to write this stupid fanfiction that is, by far, the longest thing I have ever written.

What am I doing?

Comments

[The PatioHeater]

8834263

Wait, are you here from the first version? NICE!

There's not that many changes, just mostly filled plot holes and better bits. Also it's actually finished (almost)!

Just need to upload and format.

ENJOY!

[Szalhi]

“Hook-a-duck!” They both shouted as loud as their mouths and wings could go.

y’know, this statement stumped me until i read it over completely five times.

I need to stop reading to sleep.