18 Have memories? Gotta dash!

Outside, Beta was greeted by Rainbow Dash. She came out to make sure he was ok. He looked devastated."What will Apple say?" Beta asked, spent and yet still preparing for the next battle. "She'll tell Fluttershy she was crying and that Fluttershy was comforting her. It's not too unusual for fillies to put their heads together like that... How are you Beta?" she asked, concern radiating from her.

"You... you should take it too..." Beta said halfheartedly. 'How can I loose Rainbow Dash too?' he wondered.

"No way" she said flatly.

"But...I see that it's bothering you too!" Beta protested. "You can just.." Beta tried to continue but Rainbow Dash had enough of his bravado. His self sacrifice was beginning to annoying her.

"Just WHAT?! Forget you!?" Rainbow Dash shot back angrily, tears beginning to form "Dammit Beta, it's bad enough I lost to Apple Berry, are you going to make me loose you COMPLETELY!?" she yelled, digging her hoof into the ground like she was ready to charge him, her wings outstretched in anger. "You can't just go around erasing ponies' memories because something might be difficult! Yes, Fluttershy is the exception, but she PROVES the rules! But don't you DARE try that with me!" she roared, tears streaming down her face, stomping her other hoof on the ground.

"Do you think I've had an easy life? Don't you think I've lost friends?!" Beta hasn't heard about this before. "Life in Cloudsdale isn't easy you know! A pegasus that can't fly can't.. can't..." Beta's eyes widened. And she looked up darkly "Not all pegasus live to become adults. Scootaloo is luckier than you can imagine, especially as an orphan!" she nearly growled.

"So, NO! No way in hell, Beta! I can live with the memory of that day..." as she began to falter" I can't... I... I don't want to forget you." she said weakly. Her beautiful, violet eyes staring into his blue ones. "If I have to remember horrible events so I can remember you... " she walked to him and put her hoof on his chest, tears running down her pale blue muzzle. "Then I can live with those memories. You... my friend... are worth it."

Beta pressed forward and kissed Rainbow Dash on the lips with every ounce of passion and affection he had for her. He slid his paws to her cheeks, caressing them. Rainbow Dash let her guard and wings down, leaning into the sweet kiss. Beta tasted her as her tongue slipped past her teeth and his. She was moaning ever so slightly. She'd wanted this, needed this for so long. Somepony who wanted her. Not because she was beautiful, or the fastest or anything like that. Somepony who simply loved her for being her.

Rainbow Dash had ,had feelings for Beta for sometime. Not because he was different, though there was an unmistakable sensual eroticness to how exotic he was. She loved him because of how he treated her. He respected her, responded to her. He took her and her dreams seriously. He didn't care that she was beautiful, many ponies were. Even Rainbow Dash admitted that many other mares were much more beautiful than she was. But he cared for her for who she was.

Then, she felt his long tongue unwrap in her mouth and... the bitterness of the potion! His paws clamped on the underside of her maw as he broke the kiss, looking into her wide, shocked, betrayed eyes! His were so sad, she almost forgave what he was about to do. It was killing him doing this. Oddly her last thought of him was 'I love you even more for this'. His sacrifice was not lost on her.

A year or two later something would happen and she would regain all her memories. Beta knew this. You can not simply ERASE memories from a sentient creature and expect them to be gone forever. Memory is stored in many, strange places in the brain. And sometimes it seems in our very DNA. "Genetic memory" is a concept that is fairly well accepted in the animal kingdom. The reason why animals return to one place to mate, to one stream, one pond, one clearing. The way animals know what is healthy to eat and what is not, even if they were not raised by animal parents.

Of course, Beta would have returned to Rainbow Dash's life by now, but without all those early memories and feelings, they would be good friends. One day her memories would return... and she would hate him for the rest of eternity. Beta also knew this about Rainbow Dash. She was an amazing and loyal friend... but break that loyalty...

Beta put his paw on the offered hoof on his shoulder and smiled and kissed it. Rainbow Dash blushed. "Go inside" he said. "She needs you more than I do right now... and thanks Rainbow Dash. You're an amazing and loyal friend. I will cherish that always." Blushing more, she smiled and turned to go back in the house.

Unseen to her, Beta spit the potion onto the ground. He had encapsulated it with nannites and held it in his cheek. The chance of loosing her friendship... of her possibly hating him forever, was more than he could bare.

He sat there for many minutes, not moving. Pondering what had just happened and what had almost happened.