Rainbows And Firestorms
Trouble Arising
Written by Dragon Genesis
Spitfire groaned as a bright light shone through her window an into her eyes, arousing her from her peaceful slumber. She grumbled and pulled the furry object in her hooves closer, sighing as it's warmth engulfed her.
"Spitfire, I really need to pee, so can you let go?" Spitfire's eyes opened and her vision was filled with cyan. She blushed as she realized she was holding her wife, who apparently had go take a piss, in a death hug. She let go and tried to hide her blush by sinking into her pillow.
Dash got off the bed and quickly made it into their master bathroom, closing the door behind her. Despite her previously awkward situation, Spitfire giggled at her wife and made to get out of bed, a few back joints popping as she did so. After the chorus of pops died down, she sighed in relief and hopped off the master cloud bed. At that same time, a certain rainbow maned Pegasus walked out of the bathroom.
"Well hey there sexy." said Spitfire with a smirk. Rainbow rolled her eyes and pecked the orange mare on the cheek.
"Hey yourself. Scoots up yet?" She asked, stretching out her wings, earning satisfying pops in response. Spitfire shook her head as she looked herself over in the vanity mirror.
"Nope. Your 'potty break' woke me up so I haven't been able to check." replied Spitfire, picking up her brush to fix her bed mane. Dash walked over to the bed side and examined the clock ontop of it.
"9:30. Well, we know she will be awake in three..." started Dash.
"Two..." continued Spitfire.
"One." They finished together. Putting their hooves over their ears, they were able to muffle the sound of a particularly high guitar note that usually woke up the third and final member of the Dash family. This went on for a few seconds before the probably temporarily deaf teenager turned it off.
"It's surprising that filly still has hearing." said Spitfire as she went back to combing her mane. Rainbow Dash decided to grab her own brush and work on her wife's tail.
"Yes, well, you were surprised when I told you I never once got a concusion considering my record of crashing into shit." said Rainbow, earning a smack on the flank. "What was that for?!" She cried out.
"I thought we agreed on two things when we got married three months ago. One, you were going to stay away from enlisting, one family member in the guard is bad enough then the two of us. Second, you would clean that mouth of yours." said the orange mare, glaring at her wife. Rainbow went to reply but thought better of it. Instead she just grumbled and went back to the section of fiery tail she was working on.
"You do know why I can't let you enlist, right?" Asked Spitfire after a few moments, breaking the silence.
"Because we don't need the extra assistance. You get enough from the guard for being a captain of the Guards elite Air Force. Yeah yeah." grumbled Rainbow.
"I said no because I know what war does to you." said Spitfire, causing Dash to pause. "If you remember your Wonderbolt history correctly, I was deployed into the Gryphon/Pony war as a teenager.
"I was so excited to help for the better of the country I loved, to help it from the threats of the Gryphon Empire. I was nearly ready to shoot into the sky when I got the message that I was being deployed to one of the cities for a capture mission. Luna, was I disappointed.
"You don't know the mere definition of gore until it's splattered across the walls and streets, soldiers fighting away but getting mowed over by enemy weapons. Both pony and gryphon air forces getting shot down by anti-air weapons and spells. Shit, Rainbow, one of those can turn a Pegasus into a fine blended smoothy in one single shot.
"I was forced to kill the soldiers that came to me. They haunted me, yes, but they weren't the worse. It was the suicide bombers. Celestia. They were kids, mothers, running at you with bombs strapped to them and some sort of detination that went off once they were killed or when they hit a button. I had to shoot at them with cross bows before they got close to the line. Even from that distance you could still see their eyes stare at you with anger, sadness, rage. Those eyes bore into me every time I had to kill." She stopped and looked at the mortified cyan Pegasus next to her and sat in front of her, cupping her face in her hooves.
"I don't want you to expierence the horrors of war, Rainbow. I've seen pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies commit suicide from the depression of war, not able to handle what they saw any longer. Others were driven insane. And others can't watch fireworks without thinking about the shells that tore apart pegasi. I don't want to see you broken like that." The crying Pegasus mare wrapped her wife into a death hug, the cyan hesitant to return. "Please, please for the love of Luna, stay away from the enlistment booths." cried the mare.
"I-I promise." muttered Dash, stroking the fiery mane of her lover. Spitfire chuckled.
"Now cheer up. I don't think its good for you to be moody." said Spitfire, poking her wife's belly. The slightly growing bump was soft to the touch, almost giving away what was hidden inside. Dash giggled at the touch.
"Hey now, we are both ticklish, or at least, it is. I'm still thankful Twi was able to find that spell." said Rainbow, pecking her wife's cheek before standing. "Now, I need to get breakfast made and hope I don't burn it."
"Hey, you haven't burned anything in three years!" Spitfire called after the retreating mare. She chuckled and went back to brushing out her mane. She was quite content with her life after the Sunny Skies incident. Celestia has been battling against her nobles while also trying to weed out the more corrupted. She had also been married three months ago and declared a mother to be. In her eyes, it has been a good three months.
"Mom! There is somepony at the door for you!" Shouted a thirteen year old filly. Spitfire sighed and kept working on her hair. She just figured it was for Rainbow. Scootaloo never really made a difference between the two of them when she addressed them. It was confusing.
"Spit, I think you should come down here." came Rainbow's voice. She sounded...worried? Concerned, Spitfire put down her brush and walked out of their bedroom and started her way down the spiral stairway.
"What is it, Rai-" Spitfire cut herself off as she caught sight of the Pegasus at the door. He wore the golden Armour of the Equestrian Royal Guard and had his helmet removed. He had a scroll tucked under his wing. She could easily guess what it was.
"Captain Spitfire?" Asked the stallion.
"That is me." She responded, still shocked as to why she had a guard on her front porch.
"You are requested under military order to come to Canterlot for mission briefing from the princess." said the guard.
"I don't do battlefield or operative missions anymore. Haven't in years." said Spitfire.
"I understand that, Captain, but the princess insists that you come to Canterlot right away." Spitfire bit her lip.
"Alright, but I'm brining my family." The guard was about to argue when he remembered he was dealing with higher authority and nodded plainly.
"Of course, Captain. I will escort you when you are ready." Spitfire nodded and walked back into the living room and sat on the couch with a sigh. She placed her head in her hooves and rubbed her temples.
"Please tell me you can at least fly to Canterlot without hurting the child." said Spitfire, looking over to the concerned Rainbow Dash.
"I believe so." The cyan Pegasus bit her lip and put a hoof on her wife's shoulder. "You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah. Let's just get this over with." said Spitfire with a sigh.
~~~~~~
The group made their way through the halls of Canterlot Castle, Rainbow leaning against her wife as she caught her breath from the flight from Ponyville to Canterlot. Spitfire was wishing that the meeting was worth it or she would have put strain on a pregnant mare for now reason.
It was only a matter of time before Spitfire found herself staring at the massive golden doors that led into the throne room. She had traveled here many times before but it felt....different this time. It felt more...foreboding, the doors.
The doors swung on well-oiled hinges, letting in the group of pegasi into the grand throne room of the princesses of Equestria. Celestia herself sat upon the throne, the indigo alicorn Luna and a nervous looking Twilight Sparkle stood on either side of the regal alicorn.
"I would have liked to meet you two again on better terms." said Celestia as the four, including Scootaloo who hopped off Spitfire's back, bowed. "But, fate is too cruel for that. But I will say congratulations on the fourth upcoming member of the family." said the alicorn with a smile.
"If you were happy for us, why are you insisting on sending me back into active duty?" Asked Spitfire. Celestia had to give it to her. She withheld all venom in her voice even if it was nice and clear in her eyes. The white alicorn sighed.
"Our relations with the Gryphon Empire have been....falling apart, if you will, over the last few years.."
"Don't tell me we started another war with them." said the orange Pegasus with a groan. Celestia shook her head.
"No, but they seem to be wanting to start one."
"And why do you say that?" Asked Rainbow Dash.
"They captured the Wonderbolts during a scout flight over the Empire." said Twilight. There was a silence as this settled in.
"Do you have status on their current condition?" Asked Spitfire, growing worried.
"Besides 'Alive' no, we don't. For all we know, 'alive' could mean beaten within an inch of their lives. Spitfire, as much as I hate to admit it, you are our best chance at getting them out safely and we have to put your family aside and put them on priority." said Celestia, biting her cheek, though it was barely visible.
"What does that mean?" Asked Scootaloo. Spitfire cleared her throat and looked down at the filly.
"It means too much thought into the consequence this has on me and my family. But she doesn't want it to be that way." said Spitfire.
"Then why is it that way?"
"Because Spitfire is outranked and thus lower priority to the military in the comparison to the Wonderbolts. It's been like that since she dropped out three years ago." answered Celestia. Spitfire sighed and rubbed her temples.
"I always hated how athourity was highest priority. Anyways, they only want me out there because of my knowledge of the Gryphon's war tactics?" Asked the orange Pegasus. Celestia sighed and shook her head.
"Not entirely. Your Wonderbolt training and expirence is a huge factor as well. They figured that you will be less likely to be scared, however..."
"They forgot I'm married and expecting." finished Spitfire. Celestia nodded.
"They were persistent and I was forced to accept. Again, Spitfire, I would love to leave you out of our military. I just..." Spitfire raised a hoof to stop the princess. Celestia blinked at the Pegasus as she took a deep breathe.
"I will accept the deployment. However, I still want to be able to contact my family and Canterlot. And when I've been out for six months, bring me back in. I know too well that these things will take awhile with the Gryphon's holding the cards." said Spitfire. There was a silence as Celestia thought it over. Finally, with a heavy sigh, the goddess spoke.
"Captain Spitfire, you are to report to Canterlot three days from now to receive your briefing and equipment. May the sun be in your favor." Celestia stood, saluting the mare. Spitfire saluted back. The two lowered their hooves and Celestia closed the meeting, allowing the family of three to leave.
"May it rest in your favor, Spitfire." whispered Celestia as she watched them leave. "You'll need it."
"Damnit, wings! Fit into the fucking dress!" Shouted Rainbow Dash, struggling to fit her cyan wings into the white dress she was somehow required to where. She huffed and shot her wings out, finally able to get them into the slits they were meant to go through. She sighed once her wings were free of the fabric.
"Maybe I should have made the holes a tad bigger." said Rarity, humming in thought. Rainbow threw her a deadpan look.
"No shit, Sherlock. I nearly broke my wings trying to get in this thing." said the Pegasus. Rarity tsked to herself as she grabbed a pair of scissors and walked up to her.
"Even a smart Alec as she is about to be married." said the mare, cutting the fabric just blow and above her wings to provide more room to get the in and out. Rainbow Dash sighed contently as the pressure left.
"Well, I'll be a smart ass until I die so get used to it." said the cyan Pegasus, fluttering her wings a bit before looking herself over in the mirror.
A white wedding dress was over her figure, hugging to her body appropriately while her train was a good three to four feet long. A head dress sat on her head, siting ontop of her braided rainbow mane. Either than the braid and dress, Rainbow didn't let anything else get near her. No makeup.
"I still don't understand why I'm the one in the dress when I was the one who proposed." said Dash with a huff. Rarity rolled her eyes as she went about doing her mane in a bun.
"We have told you before, Rainbow. Because she is still a member of the guard, albeit inactive, she is still requiered to attend her wedding in her uniform. Medals and all." said the white unicorn.
"Hey! I went to the Wonderbolt academy, I should at least be able to wear my uniform!" Said Rainbow defensively.
"Rainbow, darling, you dropped out before you were given the guard forms. You don't have a uniform." said Rarity, turning to face her. "I told you that you should have waited, even of it was just to get military benefits. But, of course, you didn't listen."
"Fine, maybe I will join in a few months, go to basic, and get benefits, happy?" Asked Rainbow, careful not to wrinkle her dress as she sat down.
"That is something you want to talk to your future wife about. Remember, Rainbow, she has the choice to refuse deployment, you don't. Not until you served for at least four months on the line." said Rarity. Rainbow winced. She knew what going out to war did to ponies and their families back home, it was never pretty.
"I will talk to her. But still, we are a family of three and Spitfire's savings won't last forever, Weather manager barely got me and Scoots by and the both of us working the weather team still barely helped us through. We need those extra benefits we get from the both of us serving." said Dash. Rarity sighed and placed a hoof on her shoulder.
"Just keep in mind that if you do, your making a trip to the next war, leaving your family behind for half a year. It would be a difficult and trying time for all of you." Rainbow nodded.
"I know, but it's worth helping my family make it through." said the mare. Rarity smiled and giggled slightly.
"Always putting others as first priority before herself. A true embodiment of loyalty." Rainbow smirked.
"I don't have the title because of my awesomeness, though that might have helped." Rarity laughed and punched her arm.
"Oh hush, Rainbow! Now come! You have a mare to marry!"
~~~~~~~
Rainbow shifted on her hooves as she waited outside the ball room doors, Scootaloo and the other crusaders in front of her. Scootaloo noticed her shifty and looked back at her, her mane falling into her eyes partially.
"Nervous, mom?" Asked the orange filly. Rainbow nodded.
"Yes. Thankfully I don't have to worry about changelings ruining mine, but still. You are just afraid of messing up in something. This big." said the mare. The teenage filly smiled.
"I'm sure you will do fine, mom." Rainbow smiled back down at her daughter.
"I'm glad the only trait of your fathers you inherented was his eyes." said the mare. Scootaloo giggled and nuzzled up to her.
"I'm glad too. Plus, I doubt he could ever be this cute." she said, putting on a puppy dog face. Rainbow faked grabbed her chest.
"Hnng! Weaponized cuteness! My weakness!" Exclaimed Dash, covering her eyes with a hoof. Scootaloo broke out in laughter, laughing at the mare. Their mirth soon disappeared as the music started to play, signaling that it was time for her to make her way to the alter.
"Alright, let's go." said Rainbow, ushering forward the three crusaders. The three fillies nodded and started their trek forward, marching onward. Rainbow took a deep breath before continuing forward herself.
The light of the room blinded her for a moment. She blinked and let her eyes adjust as she walked down the aisle, towards the waiting alter. On of which stood an orange mare, her fiery mane gelled back, her wings perfectly groomed, and her guard uniform slipped over her form. Spitfire smiled down at her as she made her way up the aisle. And Rainbow couldn't help but smile back.
She finally came to a stop at the alter, her wings fluttering in anxiety. Spitfire's did the same as the music finally died down, leaving the stage to Princess Celestia who casted a quick gaze around the room.
"Fillies and Gentlecolts, today we are gathered here to join the hearts of two young pegasi and help bring them into the next step of their lives. A step in which includes both of them in eternal love.
"Spitfire, will you please recite your vows." The orange mare nodded, her smile never faltering. She took a deep breath before speaking.
"I, Spitfire, vow to protect and hold you through the thick and the thin, to help guide you through you through the tough times. I will grow old with you, die with you, and stay by your side forever and always, there to hold." Celestia smiled and nodded.
"Rainbow Dash, your vows."
"I, Rainbow Dash, vow to protect you and your family through any hell, to always hold you when you feel sad or depressed, to comfort you through your rough times, to always stay by your side. I will grow old and die at your side, forever and always to hold." concluded Dash, tears starting to well up in her eyes.
"Now the rings, to symbolize the eternal bond that will connect these two till the end of their lives." announced Celestia, gesturing to Scootaloo to bring forward the rings. The orange filly stepped forward, the pillow holding the rings guarded by her wings. She stopped between the two and slowly lowered her wings. Taking a ring in a hoof, the two pegasi went and placed the ring over the others wing joint.
"Now, do you, Spitfire, take Rainbow Dash as your newly wed wife?" Asked Celestia.
"I do."
"And do you, Rainbow Dash, take Spitfire as your newly wed wife?"
"I do."
"Then with the power of the sun invested in me, I pronounce you mare and wife, you may now kiss your bride." The crowd cheered as they did just that. The two pegasi locked their lips into a passionate kiss, letting their tears free as they did so. They stood there for a few minutes, basking in the moment.
"I love you." whispered Rainbow when they did break apart, leaving her forehead leaning against her new wife's.
"I love you too."
