30 Minutes of TwiDash

(The Prompt (by Lucrious from IRC #MLP@quakenet [45 minutes]): "Rainbow Dash is falling")

Never

The evening sun was gently penetrating the clouds high above Sweet Apple Acres and met determined magenta eyes as some blue feathers were playfully dancing in the wind.  It was a nice, warm day, almost no wind was blowing and the small air currents were soft and optimal for any kind of flying – it was the perfect day for attempting the eightfold-double-spin-loop-sonic-rainboom.

Still, something felt... off. In fact, it didn’t feel right at all. A startled voice coming from the hot air balloon floating a few meters above the sky blue pegasus shouted out her name. All of a sudden the familiar voice seemed to change into an echo and move away quickly as a strong sensation hit the her chest and made her body feel numb while the world was slowly losing its color.

What happened? Where am I? Am I flying? Why is the air feeling so cold all of a sudden?

A threatening growl displaced the peaceful silence, that loud that even two princesses far away in Canterlot spilled their afternoon tea in fright. Still, Rainbow Dash didn’t take note of it. Her ears seemed to shut as her view steadily turned to black.

Why are my eyelids so heavy?  I’m falling, aren’t I? Why am I falling?

The pegasus’ body was motionless and without perceiving it she was falling, faster than probably ever before, passing the clouds with rapidly increasing speed. It was like a dream to her as memories about her foalhood, her time at flight school and finally her time in Ponyville started crossing her mind, like a movie featuring the most precious moments of her entire life played in front of her dull eyes.

She could clearly remember how she met and became friends with Fluttershy back at flight school, how she earned her cutie mark by pulling off her first sonic rainboom, how she become acquainted with all of her other friends and how she even confessed love to one of them. It may have been a short, but it was for sure a perfect life she lived. If she could, she wouldn’t change a single thing. Except for falling of course.

“Rainbow Dash!”

There was that voice again, the same one from the hot air balloon wasn’t it? It’s certainly familiar to me, but who does it belong to?

More memories were suddenly rushing her mind as she envisioned her travel to Canterlot earlier this year. It was for a special occasion and also the first time she and her marefriend went officially into public as a couple. She remembered how happy she was when her very special somepony introduced her as her partner and also how everypony else was happy for both of them. It was the most magical night of her life.

A hoof desperately tried to grab one of hers, but instantly slipped away again.

What was that warm feeling I just felt for a second?

She remembered the day princess Celestia visited the couple a few weeks before. It was uncommon for royalty to meet somepony on a private matter and even more if she took the long way from Canterlot to Ponyville just to do so.

Even if Rainbow Dash was able to keep it secret from her marefriend as it was thought as a surprise for her birthday the following month, the princess had comprehended what was going on – the fact that there was a new life growing inside the pegasus’ body – within a few minutes and gave her a royal promise to not reveal it.

This time however, the foreign hoof got a hold on Rainbow Dash and pulled the blue pegasus close into a soft embrace.

There it is again, this warm feeling of security, soothing my mind as it spreads through my entire body.

All of a sudden the film which was playing all the memories of her life was torn apart. There was no need for Rainbow Dash to lazily watch her life fade away as long as she could regain control of it. If it would have stopped at that very moment, there would’ve been too many things left unfinished. She was opposed to leave everything... everypony... one special pony... behind just like this. There was no way she would let that happen.

“Rainbow...,” the quivering and sad voice said her name once more.

It’s close. Very Close. And It certainly called my name. I feel my weariness slowly going away.

Rainbow Dash slowly reopened her eyes, which as she did so, met violet sparkling ones. Tears were running down from the corners of those beautiful orbs, but were instantly carried away by the strong wind.

“What are you...?” Rainbow Dash wanted to ask her marefriend what she thought that she was doing and why she jumped off the balloon, but at the same time realized that she did so because of her. Amazed by the unicorn’s courage and the risk the other mare took just to be there for her, she wasn’t able to find any more phrases. There was no way that words could possibly describe her emotions.

“I came for you, Rainbow,” the loving voice broke the silence again, “To be with you.”

“But... why do you risk your life... if I can’t... we‘re both...” In the sudden panic that overcame her and in want to comprehend the other mare’s action, she tried to formulate a sentence, however was shushed in an instant by a lavender hoof that with a gentle and swift movement was placed on her quivering lips.

Within a blink of an eye, the other mare’s expression completely changed. The tears stopped streaming from her eyes and all the sadness and worries were gone as a wide and relaxed smile suddenly replaced the frown on her muzzle. “You wouldn’t let me fall, would you?” the unicorn trustfully asked while she put her hoof around Rainbow Dash again and tightened the embrace pressing herself against the mare she loved.

“Never...” Rainbow Dash responded after a few seconds with a convincing determination as the blur in her eyes faded away. Raking together all of her focus and remaining strength, the blue pegasus spread out her numb wings and started beating them in haste, resulting in wild and uncoordinated appearing movements. Uncertain if what she was doing was actually right, doubting her very own flying skills, she deeply looked into the other mares violet sparkling orbs which were filled with nothing but faith.

She had no choice, there was no permission she could give herself to fail, not with nothing less than her beloved marefriend’s life being at stake. Pulling herself together and focusing on each single muscle of her wings, she called her first days in flight school back to her mind and started flapping again. With all her remaining strength she beat her wings like never before, this time clearly able to account that her movements worked; that she obtained grip using the air currents and was able to slow down the fall with every little motion.

A few seconds later, as the couple were just a few meters above the ground, Rainbow Dash managed to regain complete control of the situation and slowly leaded both of them to the ground, carefully setting Twilight down in front of her.

After having verified that the unicorn was unharmed, a relieved sigh made its way up through the pegasus’ throat. Considering her marefriend’s beautiful gleaming, but at the same time horrified eyes, Rainbow Dash looked down her own body and realized that she in fact was severely injured. With the knowledge that something else precious was most certainly lost, the world suddenly started to fade to black.