The rural town was unusually quiet for this time of year. Instead of carols drifting through the windows of the straw roofed huts and filling the streets, silence reigned. Not even the wind dare blow.
Wreaths were hung on doors and in windows, trees covered in small glass balls, red, blue, green, yellow, pink, orange, purple... They all hung on limp branches, grayed in darkened houses. Save a small cottage on the edge of the small village.
The windows glowed with firelight coloring the whole room gold. On the floor, not five feet from the fire lay a butter colored Pegasus, her body shaking with sobs. A small bunny sat curled up in the crook of her neck stroking her mane with his little white paws, his face one of concern and sadness.
The mare lifted her head from in between her forelegs, tears streaking down her cheeks. She lifted herself up off the floor and shook some blood into her front legs which had fallen asleep. Her sobbing had died down into little gasps and whimpers as she trotted towards the cals fer near the door.
"December 24th" she read "great way to start a holiday".
The ironically named "Angel" bunny has slid down her mane and onto the wooden floors of he cottage. The mare looked over her shoulder at the small clock on the mantle which read 10:35.
"Great, it's getting late." She sighed, letting her eyes drift to the other objects on the mantle, a small statue of a lion that Rarity had gifted her a long time ago, a whistle she always kept there to let her animal friends know when their meals were ready, a book on butterfly migrations that Twilight had given her and a picture of a certain cerulean Pegasus.
At the sight she teared up again and broke into another sobbing fit. She grabbed a scarf and hat from the stand, flung the door open and galloped into the night. The snow making a soft 'puff' every time her hooves struck it leaving small circular tracks in its otherwise untouched surface. She screamed in her head that she wanted to see her life long friend one last time to say goodbye, and to hold her one last time.
Rainbow Dash had been doing some crazy stunt and wasn't watching where she was going, smashing into a wall. Ponies rushed her to the hospital where she fell into a coma, later succumbing to her injuries.
Fluttershy had galloped for a good five minutes before slowing to a trot on account of her burning lungs. She closed her eyes, tears freely flowing down her muzzle and falling into the snow. One of her hooves landed in something cold and wet causing her to let out a surprised 'eep' and leap backwards, landing on her flank, eyes shooting open.
She had almost walked right into a lake. She got up and walked right up to the waters surface and drank until her lungs screamed for oxygen and her teeth nearly froze. The Pegasus sat down in the snow gasping for air.
'Weird' she thought 'the water isn't frozen, it's freezing out here!' She lifted her head to look at the water and nearly fainted.
There on the other side of the lake was Rainbow Dash! Except something was different about her, Fluttershy couldn't really put her hoof on it from this distance. After all the other side of the lake was a good 75 meters away.
Rainbow Dash saw the shocked Fluttershy and lifted into the air gliding across the water, dragging a hoof on the mirror like lake. Little ripples carved their way across the glassy water.
The cerulean mare dropped down in front of her friend with a shy smile and in a less confident than usual voice said "Hey Fluttershy." Noticing her friend's pupils were the size of saucers she added "Now don't go faintig on me now..." With a sly grin.
That last remark caused the timid mare to surge forward and wrap her front legs around the other pony.
"DASHIE!" She sobbed "I missed you so much! PLEASE tell me I'm NOT hallucinating!"
The rainbow maned mare replied with a chuckle "Hehe nope! I'm right here, I missed you too Flutters..."
The yellow mare squeezed harder for a few seconds then held her friend at arms length, wearing a wobbly-lipped smile from ear to ear. "How did you...I mean how are you..." She cried.
"Shhhhh..." Cooed the other mare, stroking the back of her friends head "I'm here because one of the princesses heard your thoughts a little bit ago."
"Really!?"
"Yeah. It was actually Princess Luna. You know being the guardian of the night and all... Anyway, she did some weird magic thing and appeared next to me and asked if I wanted to come here and see you again. I couldn't really say no."
"Thank you" Fluttershy sobbed as she buried her head in her friends shoulder. She smelled like rain, meadow flowers and cinnamon. "Thank you for coming back, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't!"
Rainbow just let her friend sob into her shoulder, wrapping her wings around her friend to keep her as warm as possible and running a hoof along the back of her neck. After her sobs died down Fluttershy pulled back and realized why Rainbow had looked different. Dash's mane was somewhat opaque and the full moon shone through it casting rainbows on the snow beside them. Her wings had also become fuller and whiter than anything she had ever seen.
"Listen Fluttershy, I came to say goodbye and it's been great beyond words seeing you again. But I have to go now."
"NO NO please don't leave again! Please Dashie I'm begging you, don't go again!" Sobbed Fluttershy.
"Hey hey, it's ok... I'll ask Luna if I can come visit you and the girls whenever I can."
Fluttershy sobbed even harder "I don't want you to go please stay here!"
"You know I can't stay forever Flutters, but I promise I WILL come back." Rainbow said in the 'I'm trying not to cry' voice as a tear fell down her cheek and into the snow.
"Pinkie promise?"
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. I wouldn't lie to you Shy... But I have to go now, I swear I will come back you have my word!" Rainbow said as she started to fade.
"Bye Rainbow Dash, I'll see you soon..." Shy sniffed.
"Goodbye Fluttershy, I'll be back when you need me!" She said as she disappeared completely.
Fluttershy stood by the lake and looked up at the stars, and to her amazement they started to move! She stared in amazement as they spelled out "Come see me when you girls have the chance
-Princess Luna"
Authors note: this took me about 1 1/2-2 hours to write and is my first fic. I hope you like it and I hope to write more soon if this gets good reviews!
