Memoriesby CharmingChaosChaptersHope for the FutureOld DreamsThe BirthOne Summer NightHope for the FutureRainbow Dash sighed as she watched her three foals tumble and play together on the cloud-lawn outside her house. Daring Dash and Rainbow Shine, the two fillies, appeared to be preparing an ambush for their brother, SoarinDash. The two little pegasi struggled to carry a huge pile of cloud between them, creeping towards SoarinDash on silent wings. Rainbow Dash glanced away, brushing a tear from her cheek, unable to hide the sadness in her heart. How she had loved Soarin, with his big dopey grin and his almost unnatural love of pie. She laughed bitterly to herself. Of course Rainbow Dash would have the same fate as her mother. Forced to raise triplets as a single mare, Rainbow Dash had only one difference from her mother: she didn't hate her husband. No, marrying Soarin was the best thing that ever happened to her. Until he left. Dash knew she shouldn't be surprised. Of course he left. He was a Wonderbolt, and Wonderbolts got what they wanted, when they wanted, and when they didn't want whatever poor mare or colt they had toyed with, they left her, tearful and forgotten, like an old rag too ugly and worn to be saved. Maybe she should call Ditzy to babysit and leave Cloudsdale for a day or two, Rainbow Dash thought. Maybe visiting her friends in Ponyville would cheer her up. But no, memories of her past life with Soarin were still too fresh there. Too many days were spent there, waiting and waiting for a stallion who never had any intention of coming back. In her mind, Dash went back to the day her foals were born. Rainbow Dash was at Sweet Apple Acres, keeping Applejack company. She couldn't help with the apple-bucking, her swollen belly made sure of that. But Applejack insisted she come anyways, because, in her own words, "Even pregnant ponies need comp'ny, Sugarcube." Rainbow was happy her friends had allowed her to tag along, but she was a trifle embarrassed. All the other ponies could help buck apples, even Twilight Sparkle, and she was carrying her own filly, Midnight Sparkle, on her back. Spike usually took care of the dark blue filly, but today he said he was "just too busy with Rarity." So as Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Applejack moved across the orchard, Rainbow Dash lounged on a cloud feeling ridiculous and watching Fluttershy giggle and try, without much success, to keep Big Macintosh from kissing her in front of everypony. Eventually, Dash grabbed a branch in her teeth and propelled her cloud toward her friends. She hated not being able to use her wings, but refused to let AJ tie her cloud to onto one of the carts to be towed around like a filly. "hey girls--oof!" Rainbow Dash grunted. "Somethin' wrong, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked, a frown forming on her flushed face. "Just... kicking... no big--ow!--deal." Rainbow Dash gasped. Still, this felt worse than usual. She struggled to hide a grimace and yelped involuntarily. "Really..." she whispered. "I'm... fine." "You don't seem very fine to me. Dashie, what you need is some chocolate cake!" Pinkie Pie squeaked. The pink pony jumped up and down like she had springs on her hooves to try to see Dash on her cloud. The idea of chocolate cake made Rainbow want to vomit, but she struggled to keep her face its normal cyan color. "I don't think this is the right time for chocolate cake, Pinkie. We need to get Rainbow to the hospital, and fast!" Twilight grasped the little cloud in her magic and trotted off towards the hospital,pushing Rainbow Dash ahead of her. Dash stuffed her ears with cloud, trying to block Pinkie's painfully high-pitched ambulance noises out of her skull. Somewhere along the way, Rainbow Dash must have passed out, because the next thing she knew, she was in the hospital. The sound of beeping equipment made her refuse to open her eyes. She probably wasn't supposed to be awake.Twilight's anxious voice reached her ears, talking in urgent half-whispers to the doctor. "Do you think she'll be all right? What about the foals? Will they make it?" Dash couldn't pretend to be asleep any longer. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, then yelped in pain and slumped back down. "What happened? Are my foals ok? And why is Twi so scared? "Good, you're finally awake. Your foals are most likely going to be fine. You have two fillies and a colt, they're all over there with Nurse Silver Light. We had to drug you because the birth was very difficult, the colt was stuck. But you were awake the whole time, you just won't remember anything." As the doctor rambled on, Rainbow's mind wandered. She was kind of sad she didn't remember the birth, Twilight and Fluttershy both cherished the memories of theirs, but she was glad her foals were alright. She went back to listening to the doctor. "You have Twilight here to thank for all this." He was saying. "Without her, you might not have gotten here on time." Twilight smiled gently and said, "We've all been so worried about you. the others are in the waiting room, except Pinkie. She's not allowed in the maternity ward because of the incident with the Cakes. Shall i tell them they can come see you?" "Can I see my foals, first? I want to name them before the meet everypony." Rainbow Dash was anxious to make sure there was nothing wrong with her foals, and that they really were ok. "Of course," said Twilight. "Nurse? Can you bring the Dash triplets, please?" Silver Light wheeled in a cart with the three foals in it. Their little armbands all said "Dash" on them, and they hung loosely around their scrawny hooves. But Rainbow Dash didn't care how scrawny or weak her foals looked. "They're beautiful," she breathed softly. "Thank you, Nurse." "You made them," Silver Light laughed. "Shall i leave you two to decide the names?" "I'll go get the others," Twilight moved toward the door. "No, wait!" Dash called after her. "I want you to help me name them." "Well, most mares name their foals after people they love or admire. Why don't you try that?" Twilight suggested. "Hmmmm," Rainbow Dash stared hard at the three. One of them, the colt, looked just like Soarin. "He's SoarinDash, after what everypony called us." Rainbow looked at the other two fillies. They looked exactly like her. She pointed a hoof at the middle one. "That one is Daring Dash. Just look how fierce and brave she looks." Daring shifted with a soft coo. The last filly, Rainbow Dash noticed, had a particularly shiny mane and tail, and looked even more like Rainbow Dash than her sister. "And you." She mussed the last filly's mane. "You look just like me. I think I'll call you Rainbow Shine, because of how shiny your hair is." "Mummy? Mummy, my doll ith broken. Thoarin did it. Mummy, wake up." Rainbow Dash was shaken out of her daydream by Rainbow Shine's plaintive, lisping voice in her ear and her tiny hoof prodding her mane. SoarinDash and Daring were fast alseep at her feet, and only Shine stared worriedly up at her mother. Her rose-colored eyes, so like Dash's own, looked up pathetically at her. Shine held up the now torn pegasus pony doll which Rarity gave each of the foals at their birth with a look of pure despair on her little face. Rainbow Dash cuddled her daughter close. "It's ok," she said softly. "I'll get Rarity to fix it tomorrow. Ditzy can babysit you. You love Ditzy, don't you?" Shine rubbed her face on Dash's coat, drying her tears, and Dash was overcome with love for her foals. They wouldn't be foals forever, but she'd love them with all her heart for as long as she lived. If their father never came back, Dash was prepared to love them twice as much. For both of them. "Your dad would have loved you kids, if he'd stayed around long enough to meet you." Rainbow Dash noticed that Shine, too, had fallen asleep. She nuzzled each foal's head affectionately, and then secures Daring and SoarinDash under her wings, took Shine delicately in her mouth, and carried them into the nursery. As she tucks each foal into the crib, She whispered, "you're the best foals a mare could ask for." Rainbow Dash flew quietly out of the room and let her children sleep away the afternoon, oblivious to all the pain and hardship of the world around them. Old DreamsRainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat in Dash's kitchen, enjoying some tea while Dash's three pegasi foals and Fluttershy's two explored the attic, apparently looking for "ancient remments," because no-one had the heart to tell them it was remnants. Muffled shrieks and bursts of laughter could be heard, and with the rain pouring down outside, the scene was altogether very peaceful. Rainbow Dash had invited Fluttershy to her home in Cloudsdale because Big Macintosh was on a business trip to Appaloosa with Applejack, and besides it was raining in Ponyville, and sunny above the clouds in Cloudsdale. "... So, as I was saying, Rarity offered to make us an all new Nursery Set for Caramel Apple, but Big Mac said no, because the Apples always reuse things 'til they're plum worn out, and..."Fluttershy's soft voice gradually made its way into Raibow Dash's thoughts, chattering on about her simple home life on Sweet Apple Acres with Big Macintosh. poor thing, Rainbow Dash thought to herself.She probably hasn't had anyone to talk to, what with all the Apples so busy and Twilight in Canterlot and the rest of us never free for a chat. She shifted her attention to her shy, yellow guest.Fluttershy was going on now about how Angel Bunny refused to eat anything but cherries, which naturally deeply insulted the Apple family, and what was she going to do, because she didn't want him to starve, but she just couldn't let him eat cherries when they lived on an apple farm. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes when Fluttershy wasn't looking, wondering how she had changed from Miss Awesome Cool-pants, as Pinkie called her when they were younger, to a mare who would invite Fluttershy over on a rainy day for a chat and a cup of tea. "Well, I should really get going," Fluttershy said finally. "Angel Bunny needs his dinner, and I promised Granny Smith I would help her with the canning.Bye, rainbow Dash. Come Visit soon." Rainbow watched as Fluttershy called upstairs to her two foals. Green Apple and Sugar Tart came bounding down, bot bothering to use their wings, despite their mother's soft complaints. Green Apple tumbled to a stop at Fluttershy's feet, a little gold horseshoe clutched in his mouth. "Look what we found, Mama! Look, Auntie Rainbow Dash!" Sugar Tart and the other foals fluttered forward as well. "What is it, Mummy?" asked Rainbow Shine. That was a prize I won in a flying competion when i was just a little filly. See? It's even signed by the Wonderbolts." Soarin's name always stood out to Rainbow Dash on the little trophy, which was why she kept it packed away instead of displayed with the others. "SoarinDash, go put it back where you found it. I wouldn't want it to get lost." Fluttershy gently guided her foals towards the door. "Bye Rainbow Dash. See you soon." she said quietly. The foals cheered and shouted goodbyes for as long as they could hear each other, but eventually Dash herded them inside for their afternoon nap. She stared at the little gold trophy, which SoarinDash had forgotten to put away, and traced her hoof along her missing husband's name like she used to as a filly. She sighed as she thought of the first time they had spent time together, after the Best Young Fliers competition. Rainbow Dash was only eighteen at the time, and Soarin was twenty four, but she didn't care. The two of them ditched the other Wonderbolts and chose instead to spend the afternoon in Applejack's hay-loft, talking and drinking hard cider straight from the barrel. Rainbow Dash's whole body shook from both the closeness of their bodies and the sheer willpower it took to keep it cool and not scream like the fangirl she was. Keep it cool, Dashie, she thought to herself. You don't want to screw this up, do you? The hay-loft was a scratchy, pokey place, but the puffs of cloud Soari kept dragging in combined with the large amount of alcohol they had consumed softened it to a relatively comfortable hideout. Rainbow lay on her back next to Soarin, perfectly relaxed and feeling oddly triumphant. Her thoughts were hazy from the cider, and she wasn't quite sure where they were, or what they had done. Pinkie Pie's high-pitched voice cut through the haze, jostling Rainbow Dash back into reality and leaving her wit a pounding headache and an inability to see straight. "So, as i was saying, AJ, I think we should throw Dashie and the Wonderbolts a surprise Party!" Pinkie squawked. "And as Ah was sayin' Ah think we should leave 'em alone." Applejack spoke through a mouthfull of Pinkies curly tail, holding her back and gently but determinedly leading her away from the barn.Dash sat up slowly and prodded Soarin with her hoof. "I think we should get out of here," she whispered. Soarin looked up at her with a glazed-over expression, uncomprehending. "I think we should leave," Dash repeated. "My friend Pinkie Pie almost just found us, and she can be a royal pain." Irritated that his drunken stupor prevented Soarin from moving without help, Dash tugged his mane until he got up and followed her to the window. When she looked down, Rainbow Dash saw the ground start to sway. She hesitated to fly, but Soarin plunged out taking her with him. He rolled onto his back and, after almost tipping over a few times, managed to lodge Rainbow on his belly for transportation. They flew erratically towards Cloudsdale, with Rainbow Dash steering by turning his head in the direction she wished to fly. Soarin seemed to like the idea of being a live flying machine, and at first he refused to allow her to get off when they got to her house. So Rainbow lead steered him to the bedroom window, and they landed with a thud and a puff of cloud on Rainbow's bed. They lay together for a while, silent, but soon Soarin passed out from all the cider, and Dash, suddenly hungry, made her way downstairs to find a snack. When Rainbow came back upstairs to go to bed, Soarin was still out cold. She wished they could have repeated their afternoon session, but simply curled up under his hoof and went to sleep, because what else could she do with him dead to the world? Rainbow Dash slowly flew upstairs and replaced the trophy to its shelf, still half-enveloped in her daydream. she remembered waking up with a powerful hangover, but no Soarin. Twilight had given her some kind of tonic from Zecora, which made her head feel almost normal and her wings about 90% functional, but all in all she didn't remember much of the next day. Dash shook her head to clear it of the daydream, and slowly made her way outside. She had promised to help Scootaloo with a new trick, and even at seventeen the stubborn filly would have her heart broken if Rainbow didn't show up. And as her official mentor, Rainbow Dash couldn't afford that. The BirthTwilight Sparkle hovered over her screaming friend's hospital bed. The doctor had said that Rainbow Dash was going to be fine, but that didn't mean Twilight wasn't worried. When Midnight Sparkle was born, Twilight hadn't been comfortable, but she didn't remember screaming quite this much. No doubt Applejack would tell her differently, but she wasn't here, so it didn't matter. The doctor left the room momentarily, and another uncharacteristically piercing screech was ripped from Rainbow's throat. Twilight couldn't stand it anymore. She hated to think that this would be what her friend would remember of her birth. She glanced around to make sure the doctor was still away, and then closed her eyes and directed a wave of soothing magic toward Rainbow Dash. Just as she finished the spell, she heard a sharp voice from the door. "Twilight!" said Nurse Silver Light, her face darkened with a frown. "What in Equestria do you thing you're doing?" Twilight hung her head. "I'm sorry, Nurse. But she seemed in so much pain, I just couldn't help it. You know how I am about people being in pain." Silver Light's face softened. "Alright," she sighed. I'll tell the Dr Hoof I put her on a tranquilizer." Twilight nodded, relieved, and sank back in her chair. Another howl erupted from Rainbow Dash, but Twilight knew that she wouldn't remember any of it. Dr Hoof came hurrying back. "They should be out any minute now," said the nurse. Twilight looked hard at her friend's sweating, pain-contorted face anxiously. Rainbow Dash moaned and an enormoous shudder racked her body as Dr Hoof extracted the first foal. Twilight gasped. The little Soarin-shaped colt came tail-first. His furry face, when it came into view, was paler than Rainbows own, and his breath wheezed in and out of him with great difficulty. Twilight was still worrying about him when the next foal flew out, thankfully face first, and landed neatly in the doctors outstretched hooves. She was light blue with a rainbow mane, like Dash, but she was scrawny and weak, and the nurse rushed off with her to hook her up to some machine to get her breathing. Rainbow Dash was screaming again, and Twilight moved closer and held her hoof. Rainbow squeezed it with such a death grip Twilight felt sure it would fall off. The cyan mare squeezed her eyes shut, pushing with all her might, but the third filly would not come. Dr Hoof pressed his hoof to Rainbow's still-swollen stomach and shook his head. Rainbow Dash gasped and, with a shriek, pushed the last filly out. Dr Hoof held the limp foal, looking sadly at her pale little face. "This one may not make it," he said finally. "She's not breathing yet." Twilight panicked. She simply couldn't let one of her best friend's foals die. She concentrated all her magic on the limp, almost white filly, pushing air in and out of her lungs, begging her heart to start beating. Finally, the little creature coughed and screeched weakly. Her coat slowly turned back to its normal cyan color. Rainbow Dash had passed out from exhaustion shortly before, so Twilight quietly excused herself from the room and went to announce the birth to the others, who were waiting impatiently. "They're out," she said simply. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack mobbed her almost before she got the words out. "Do you know if they're fillies or colts? Is Rainbow OK? We heard her screaming from all the way out here. Is she awake?" Then Pinkie Pie came bouncing in by some unknown entrance, shrieking and giggling madly like the walking explosion she was. "OhmygosharetheyOKdidDashiedogoodwhereisshewhencanIseeherwhereinEquestriaarethefoals!?!" Pinkie babbled. Twilight managed to explain that there were two fillies and a colt, yes, they were all fine, and no, Pinkie couldn't go see them because she wasn't allowed in the maternity ward, before Nurse Silver Shine drove her out of the hospital. "I'd better go see how she's doing before I can answer all these questions," said Twilight, extracting herself from the mob. "She may have woken up by now." Twilight bumped into Dr Hoof on her way back to Rainbow Dash's room. " What happened? Is Rainbow Dash OK? Is she awake yet? What about the foals? Will they make it." Twilight asked as she hurried into the room after the doctor. "Not yet," he answered wearily. "They fillies are off the machines now. The colt wasn't on any. He was relatively healthy, compared to the other two." Rainbow Dash woke and tried to sit up, then winced and sank back down. "What happened? Are my foals Ok? And why is Twi so scared?" Twilight shook her head to clear it, and went back to watching the four foals in front of her. Midnight Sparkle, being just old enough to go to school, was forcing Daring Dash, Rainbow Shine, and SoarinDash sit through a pretend lesson in geography. The little pagasi kept kept fluttering away, making it very difficult for their make-believe teacher to keep them in line, seeing as she had no wings herself. Midnight tried levitating herself into the air to try to catch the three, but she was far less agile then they, and soon gave up. Rainbow Dash swooped down and was immediately attacked by an ecstatic Rainbow Shine, who jumped into her mother's embrace with a little shriek, like a baby bird. The other two continued to tease Midnight, who sat down and claimed that pegasi in general were no fun, and that she would have nothing else to do with them in the future. Rainbow Dash gently set Shine on the ground and picked up the sulking Midnight. "Who are you calling 'no fun,' missie?" Dash said, tickling her. Midnight squirmed free, giggling, and playfully said, "You, Auntie Rainbow!" The pegasus swooped her up again, this time lifting Midnight up as she flew, so she couldn't escape. Twilight just had time to slap the cloud-walking spell on her daughter before Rainbow Dash, Midnight, and Dash's three foals rose too high to reach. "Be careful with my filly, you rascal!" She called after Rainbow Dash. But then she smiled. this would be the perfect time to get a nap. One Summer NightRainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy stood on one of the many balconies of Canterlot Castle, looking at the rose-colored from the setting sun city below them. It was beautiful, and Rainbow Dash struggled not to let the sadness register on her face. She'd spent so many nights on balconies like this, after stiff formal occasions, with Soarin right be her side, keeping her warm. Thinking like that only made Rainbow sadder than before. A tear traced down her cheek, and she quickly turned her face away from her friends. She was Rainbow Dash, after all. Not some little cry-filly who burst into tears at the slightest thing. Twilight put a gentle hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Just try to enjoy it," she said quietly, so the others couldn't hear. "If that scumbag left you, he isn't worth your tears." "I'm fine," Rainbow Dash said. "I just need some time alone." Twilight gave Dash's shoulders a little squeeze before calling the others. "Come on, girls, let's let Rainbow alone for a while." They trooped down to the Gala again, and Rainbow Dash let herself cry her heart out over that useless, sweet, scumbag, darling, stallion who left her. She cried until she had no more tears to cry. Then she simply lay on the ground, feeling as though even Rarity would have been embarrassed by what she had just done, and wondered how Ditzy was doing with her foals back in Cloudsdale. The sound of hooves behind her startled Rainbow Dash out of her thoughts. Maybe Twilight was coming back to see how she was doing. Well, Twilight should just leave me to sulk, Dash thought mournfully. She refused to look back, kept her eyes firmly on the horizon. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blue hoof wind its way around her neck, gently massaging the tense muscles in her shoulders. What's wrong, Dashie-Girl?" said Soarin, surprisingly gently, compared to his usual seductive ways. "Miss me?" Rainbow Dash squirmed free of his too-gentle embrace, and slowly turned to glare at her old lover. "You," she said, her voice deadly quiet. "You dirty, cheating, liar. You said you loved me. You said you wouldn't leave me for the world. You said--" "I know what I said, and I meant it. I still mean it. I've missed you more than you could ever imagine." Soarin's blue-green eyes were unnaturally wide, like they always were when he was worried. But Rainbow Dash didn't believe him. She couldn't. "I can't believe you! First you leave me to take care of three foals by myself, with no money, because, in case you don't remember, you took all that with you, and now, you come back and expect me to just leap into your arms like some stupid little-- oh, I don't know, like you never left!" Hot, angry tears streamed down Rainbow's cheeks, and she continued to shriek at her husband, who hung his head and took her torrent of insults meekly. Soarin took Dash's hoof in his own and held it, gently but firmly, so she would listen. "I know you're angry--" "ANGRY?!?" Dash shrieked as she propelled herself into the air above Soarin. "You go and leave me to melt, and you think I'm angry? How about furious! How about heartbroken! How about devastated and hurt beyond repair and so terribly angry and insane with grief that it took weeks of therapy and Fluttershy begging 'til she was hoarse just get me to eat again! How about--" "QUIET!" Soarin roared, his voice ragged with tears. "I've got something to say, and you'd better listen. I missed you, too. And I didn't leave you for another mare, I left you for a top secret mission for the Princess. Ask her. Ask her anything, and I swear she'll tell you. Don't you remember how I kept looking at you strangely before I left. Don't you remember how I kept taking you to places where the paparazzi could take our pictures? That's because I wanted to remember you when I left, in case I couldn't come back. I've been back a while now, but I heard you were mad at me and was afraid to go back. Do you know how much I've been dying to see our foals? But I didn't come until today, and maybe I shouldn't have at all. Maybe I should have just stayed heartbroken forever. Is that what you want?" Rainbow Dash looked up at Soarin through heavy, wet lashes, wishing Rarity hadn't forced her to where so much makeup. She probably looked a mess. "How come I'm supposed to believe you?" she said carefully. "Because I love you," Soarin said plaintively. "Isn't that enough?" "No." "But--" "Come on, we're going to see the princess." Rainbow Dash gripped Soarin's mane in her mouth and dragged him toward the exit. "So, you mean to say he really was on a secret mission?" Rainbow Dash was incredulous. "Yes, Rainbow Dash, Soarin was busy keeping Equestria safe." Princess Celestia said for the hundredth time. She had already explained to Rainbow Dash that Soarin had been away with the other Wonderbolts, making sure that the rumors that the changelings that invaded Equestria 10 years ago were coming back weren't true, and if they were, making sure they could foil the changelings' plan before it was too late. "Thank you, Princess. I, um, think we'd better go now." Rainbow Dash gently displaced Soarin's muzzle from her mane until they left the throne room. "Not now. she whispered when he tried to put it back. "I'm, uh, I'm really sorry I didn't believe you, Soarin," Rainbow Dash said awkwardly, looking at the ground. She never was any good with apologies. "I love you." Soarin kissed her lightly on the cheek, letting her get used to him again before he went back to his old, playful ways. Besides, he'd changed since before the quest. Rainbow Dash and Soarin flew down to the ground to find the others. Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity were waiting for them. Fluttershy was still in the garden, talking to the animals, which she had made friends with, finally, a few years back. "He came back!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly. "He didn't cheat on me at all!" "I know, Rainbow Dash." Twilight came up to her. "We all knew. Princess Celestia told me about the mission, but she thought you would be too worried if you knew what he had to do. So I agreed not to tell you, because we all thought it would be for the best. I'm sorry, Rainbow. Now I know how wrong I was." "I can't believe you would do that! How in Equestria did you-- " Rainbow Dash was on the verge of another fit, but Soarin's gentle hoof on her shoulder quieted her. "No. It's OK. How were you supposed to know it would go this way? I forgive you all. We're back together now." "When we saw Soarin moping around on the ground because he thought he'd never see you again, we told him where you were. Hope you don't mind." Rarity gave a mischievious grin as she said it, glancing sideways at Soarin, who was back to nuzzling Rainbow's mane sweetly. "I think it's time we all headed back to Ponyville," said Twilight. "The Gala is nearly over and besides, I can think of at least one pony who has some foals to meet." Applejack trotted off to find Fluttershy, and then the six mares plus Soarin found their chariot and they started towards home. Applejack, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy squeezed onto one bench, and Soarin and Rainbow Dash shared the other.Rarity rode up with Spike, because she "liked the fresh air," but no-one believed that was the reason. The six inside fell asleep quickly enough, leaving Rarity to coo softly at Spike at how splendidly it all turned out. "Look how sweet the look," she said, nodding at the two pegasi curled together in the seat behind her. "Aren't you just delighted that we got them back together?" "Just look at them. Aren't you proud?" Rainbow Dash sat cuddled in Soarin's lap on the front porch of their Cloudsdale home. Daring Dash, Rainbow Shine, and SoarinDash tumbled and played in front of them, practicing for when they were old enough to go to Flight School. Suddenly, Daring came fluttering over. "Mummy, Daddy, look! Watch this!" The filly climbed a pile of cloud built by her brother and sister, and took a flying leap from it. She managed a couple of flips before landing, giggling, face-down in the cloud-lawn. Rainbow Dash clapped and cheered for her daughter's trick, but Soarin immediately flew down to make sure his precious filly was unhurt. Rainbow Dash heard a soft giggle from the gate. Fluttershy flew over the low, decorative fence and sat down next to Rainbow. "He would be an overprotective father," she giggled. "And I love him for it," Rainbow Dash replied. "After all, someone's got to be overprotective."
Hope for the FutureRainbow Dash sighed as she watched her three foals tumble and play together on the cloud-lawn outside her house. Daring Dash and Rainbow Shine, the two fillies, appeared to be preparing an ambush for their brother, SoarinDash. The two little pegasi struggled to carry a huge pile of cloud between them, creeping towards SoarinDash on silent wings. Rainbow Dash glanced away, brushing a tear from her cheek, unable to hide the sadness in her heart. How she had loved Soarin, with his big dopey grin and his almost unnatural love of pie. She laughed bitterly to herself. Of course Rainbow Dash would have the same fate as her mother. Forced to raise triplets as a single mare, Rainbow Dash had only one difference from her mother: she didn't hate her husband. No, marrying Soarin was the best thing that ever happened to her. Until he left. Dash knew she shouldn't be surprised. Of course he left. He was a Wonderbolt, and Wonderbolts got what they wanted, when they wanted, and when they didn't want whatever poor mare or colt they had toyed with, they left her, tearful and forgotten, like an old rag too ugly and worn to be saved. Maybe she should call Ditzy to babysit and leave Cloudsdale for a day or two, Rainbow Dash thought. Maybe visiting her friends in Ponyville would cheer her up. But no, memories of her past life with Soarin were still too fresh there. Too many days were spent there, waiting and waiting for a stallion who never had any intention of coming back. In her mind, Dash went back to the day her foals were born. Rainbow Dash was at Sweet Apple Acres, keeping Applejack company. She couldn't help with the apple-bucking, her swollen belly made sure of that. But Applejack insisted she come anyways, because, in her own words, "Even pregnant ponies need comp'ny, Sugarcube." Rainbow was happy her friends had allowed her to tag along, but she was a trifle embarrassed. All the other ponies could help buck apples, even Twilight Sparkle, and she was carrying her own filly, Midnight Sparkle, on her back. Spike usually took care of the dark blue filly, but today he said he was "just too busy with Rarity." So as Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Applejack moved across the orchard, Rainbow Dash lounged on a cloud feeling ridiculous and watching Fluttershy giggle and try, without much success, to keep Big Macintosh from kissing her in front of everypony. Eventually, Dash grabbed a branch in her teeth and propelled her cloud toward her friends. She hated not being able to use her wings, but refused to let AJ tie her cloud to onto one of the carts to be towed around like a filly. "hey girls--oof!" Rainbow Dash grunted. "Somethin' wrong, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked, a frown forming on her flushed face. "Just... kicking... no big--ow!--deal." Rainbow Dash gasped. Still, this felt worse than usual. She struggled to hide a grimace and yelped involuntarily. "Really..." she whispered. "I'm... fine." "You don't seem very fine to me. Dashie, what you need is some chocolate cake!" Pinkie Pie squeaked. The pink pony jumped up and down like she had springs on her hooves to try to see Dash on her cloud. The idea of chocolate cake made Rainbow want to vomit, but she struggled to keep her face its normal cyan color. "I don't think this is the right time for chocolate cake, Pinkie. We need to get Rainbow to the hospital, and fast!" Twilight grasped the little cloud in her magic and trotted off towards the hospital,pushing Rainbow Dash ahead of her. Dash stuffed her ears with cloud, trying to block Pinkie's painfully high-pitched ambulance noises out of her skull. Somewhere along the way, Rainbow Dash must have passed out, because the next thing she knew, she was in the hospital. The sound of beeping equipment made her refuse to open her eyes. She probably wasn't supposed to be awake.Twilight's anxious voice reached her ears, talking in urgent half-whispers to the doctor. "Do you think she'll be all right? What about the foals? Will they make it?" Dash couldn't pretend to be asleep any longer. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, then yelped in pain and slumped back down. "What happened? Are my foals ok? And why is Twi so scared? "Good, you're finally awake. Your foals are most likely going to be fine. You have two fillies and a colt, they're all over there with Nurse Silver Light. We had to drug you because the birth was very difficult, the colt was stuck. But you were awake the whole time, you just won't remember anything." As the doctor rambled on, Rainbow's mind wandered. She was kind of sad she didn't remember the birth, Twilight and Fluttershy both cherished the memories of theirs, but she was glad her foals were alright. She went back to listening to the doctor. "You have Twilight here to thank for all this." He was saying. "Without her, you might not have gotten here on time." Twilight smiled gently and said, "We've all been so worried about you. the others are in the waiting room, except Pinkie. She's not allowed in the maternity ward because of the incident with the Cakes. Shall i tell them they can come see you?" "Can I see my foals, first? I want to name them before the meet everypony." Rainbow Dash was anxious to make sure there was nothing wrong with her foals, and that they really were ok. "Of course," said Twilight. "Nurse? Can you bring the Dash triplets, please?" Silver Light wheeled in a cart with the three foals in it. Their little armbands all said "Dash" on them, and they hung loosely around their scrawny hooves. But Rainbow Dash didn't care how scrawny or weak her foals looked. "They're beautiful," she breathed softly. "Thank you, Nurse." "You made them," Silver Light laughed. "Shall i leave you two to decide the names?" "I'll go get the others," Twilight moved toward the door. "No, wait!" Dash called after her. "I want you to help me name them." "Well, most mares name their foals after people they love or admire. Why don't you try that?" Twilight suggested. "Hmmmm," Rainbow Dash stared hard at the three. One of them, the colt, looked just like Soarin. "He's SoarinDash, after what everypony called us." Rainbow looked at the other two fillies. They looked exactly like her. She pointed a hoof at the middle one. "That one is Daring Dash. Just look how fierce and brave she looks." Daring shifted with a soft coo. The last filly, Rainbow Dash noticed, had a particularly shiny mane and tail, and looked even more like Rainbow Dash than her sister. "And you." She mussed the last filly's mane. "You look just like me. I think I'll call you Rainbow Shine, because of how shiny your hair is." "Mummy? Mummy, my doll ith broken. Thoarin did it. Mummy, wake up." Rainbow Dash was shaken out of her daydream by Rainbow Shine's plaintive, lisping voice in her ear and her tiny hoof prodding her mane. SoarinDash and Daring were fast alseep at her feet, and only Shine stared worriedly up at her mother. Her rose-colored eyes, so like Dash's own, looked up pathetically at her. Shine held up the now torn pegasus pony doll which Rarity gave each of the foals at their birth with a look of pure despair on her little face. Rainbow Dash cuddled her daughter close. "It's ok," she said softly. "I'll get Rarity to fix it tomorrow. Ditzy can babysit you. You love Ditzy, don't you?" Shine rubbed her face on Dash's coat, drying her tears, and Dash was overcome with love for her foals. They wouldn't be foals forever, but she'd love them with all her heart for as long as she lived. If their father never came back, Dash was prepared to love them twice as much. For both of them. "Your dad would have loved you kids, if he'd stayed around long enough to meet you." Rainbow Dash noticed that Shine, too, had fallen asleep. She nuzzled each foal's head affectionately, and then secures Daring and SoarinDash under her wings, took Shine delicately in her mouth, and carried them into the nursery. As she tucks each foal into the crib, She whispered, "you're the best foals a mare could ask for." Rainbow Dash flew quietly out of the room and let her children sleep away the afternoon, oblivious to all the pain and hardship of the world around them.
Old DreamsRainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat in Dash's kitchen, enjoying some tea while Dash's three pegasi foals and Fluttershy's two explored the attic, apparently looking for "ancient remments," because no-one had the heart to tell them it was remnants. Muffled shrieks and bursts of laughter could be heard, and with the rain pouring down outside, the scene was altogether very peaceful. Rainbow Dash had invited Fluttershy to her home in Cloudsdale because Big Macintosh was on a business trip to Appaloosa with Applejack, and besides it was raining in Ponyville, and sunny above the clouds in Cloudsdale. "... So, as I was saying, Rarity offered to make us an all new Nursery Set for Caramel Apple, but Big Mac said no, because the Apples always reuse things 'til they're plum worn out, and..."Fluttershy's soft voice gradually made its way into Raibow Dash's thoughts, chattering on about her simple home life on Sweet Apple Acres with Big Macintosh. poor thing, Rainbow Dash thought to herself.She probably hasn't had anyone to talk to, what with all the Apples so busy and Twilight in Canterlot and the rest of us never free for a chat. She shifted her attention to her shy, yellow guest.Fluttershy was going on now about how Angel Bunny refused to eat anything but cherries, which naturally deeply insulted the Apple family, and what was she going to do, because she didn't want him to starve, but she just couldn't let him eat cherries when they lived on an apple farm. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes when Fluttershy wasn't looking, wondering how she had changed from Miss Awesome Cool-pants, as Pinkie called her when they were younger, to a mare who would invite Fluttershy over on a rainy day for a chat and a cup of tea. "Well, I should really get going," Fluttershy said finally. "Angel Bunny needs his dinner, and I promised Granny Smith I would help her with the canning.Bye, rainbow Dash. Come Visit soon." Rainbow watched as Fluttershy called upstairs to her two foals. Green Apple and Sugar Tart came bounding down, bot bothering to use their wings, despite their mother's soft complaints. Green Apple tumbled to a stop at Fluttershy's feet, a little gold horseshoe clutched in his mouth. "Look what we found, Mama! Look, Auntie Rainbow Dash!" Sugar Tart and the other foals fluttered forward as well. "What is it, Mummy?" asked Rainbow Shine. That was a prize I won in a flying competion when i was just a little filly. See? It's even signed by the Wonderbolts." Soarin's name always stood out to Rainbow Dash on the little trophy, which was why she kept it packed away instead of displayed with the others. "SoarinDash, go put it back where you found it. I wouldn't want it to get lost." Fluttershy gently guided her foals towards the door. "Bye Rainbow Dash. See you soon." she said quietly. The foals cheered and shouted goodbyes for as long as they could hear each other, but eventually Dash herded them inside for their afternoon nap. She stared at the little gold trophy, which SoarinDash had forgotten to put away, and traced her hoof along her missing husband's name like she used to as a filly. She sighed as she thought of the first time they had spent time together, after the Best Young Fliers competition. Rainbow Dash was only eighteen at the time, and Soarin was twenty four, but she didn't care. The two of them ditched the other Wonderbolts and chose instead to spend the afternoon in Applejack's hay-loft, talking and drinking hard cider straight from the barrel. Rainbow Dash's whole body shook from both the closeness of their bodies and the sheer willpower it took to keep it cool and not scream like the fangirl she was. Keep it cool, Dashie, she thought to herself. You don't want to screw this up, do you? The hay-loft was a scratchy, pokey place, but the puffs of cloud Soari kept dragging in combined with the large amount of alcohol they had consumed softened it to a relatively comfortable hideout. Rainbow lay on her back next to Soarin, perfectly relaxed and feeling oddly triumphant. Her thoughts were hazy from the cider, and she wasn't quite sure where they were, or what they had done. Pinkie Pie's high-pitched voice cut through the haze, jostling Rainbow Dash back into reality and leaving her wit a pounding headache and an inability to see straight. "So, as i was saying, AJ, I think we should throw Dashie and the Wonderbolts a surprise Party!" Pinkie squawked. "And as Ah was sayin' Ah think we should leave 'em alone." Applejack spoke through a mouthfull of Pinkies curly tail, holding her back and gently but determinedly leading her away from the barn.Dash sat up slowly and prodded Soarin with her hoof. "I think we should get out of here," she whispered. Soarin looked up at her with a glazed-over expression, uncomprehending. "I think we should leave," Dash repeated. "My friend Pinkie Pie almost just found us, and she can be a royal pain." Irritated that his drunken stupor prevented Soarin from moving without help, Dash tugged his mane until he got up and followed her to the window. When she looked down, Rainbow Dash saw the ground start to sway. She hesitated to fly, but Soarin plunged out taking her with him. He rolled onto his back and, after almost tipping over a few times, managed to lodge Rainbow on his belly for transportation. They flew erratically towards Cloudsdale, with Rainbow Dash steering by turning his head in the direction she wished to fly. Soarin seemed to like the idea of being a live flying machine, and at first he refused to allow her to get off when they got to her house. So Rainbow lead steered him to the bedroom window, and they landed with a thud and a puff of cloud on Rainbow's bed. They lay together for a while, silent, but soon Soarin passed out from all the cider, and Dash, suddenly hungry, made her way downstairs to find a snack. When Rainbow came back upstairs to go to bed, Soarin was still out cold. She wished they could have repeated their afternoon session, but simply curled up under his hoof and went to sleep, because what else could she do with him dead to the world? Rainbow Dash slowly flew upstairs and replaced the trophy to its shelf, still half-enveloped in her daydream. she remembered waking up with a powerful hangover, but no Soarin. Twilight had given her some kind of tonic from Zecora, which made her head feel almost normal and her wings about 90% functional, but all in all she didn't remember much of the next day. Dash shook her head to clear it of the daydream, and slowly made her way outside. She had promised to help Scootaloo with a new trick, and even at seventeen the stubborn filly would have her heart broken if Rainbow didn't show up. And as her official mentor, Rainbow Dash couldn't afford that.
The BirthTwilight Sparkle hovered over her screaming friend's hospital bed. The doctor had said that Rainbow Dash was going to be fine, but that didn't mean Twilight wasn't worried. When Midnight Sparkle was born, Twilight hadn't been comfortable, but she didn't remember screaming quite this much. No doubt Applejack would tell her differently, but she wasn't here, so it didn't matter. The doctor left the room momentarily, and another uncharacteristically piercing screech was ripped from Rainbow's throat. Twilight couldn't stand it anymore. She hated to think that this would be what her friend would remember of her birth. She glanced around to make sure the doctor was still away, and then closed her eyes and directed a wave of soothing magic toward Rainbow Dash. Just as she finished the spell, she heard a sharp voice from the door. "Twilight!" said Nurse Silver Light, her face darkened with a frown. "What in Equestria do you thing you're doing?" Twilight hung her head. "I'm sorry, Nurse. But she seemed in so much pain, I just couldn't help it. You know how I am about people being in pain." Silver Light's face softened. "Alright," she sighed. I'll tell the Dr Hoof I put her on a tranquilizer." Twilight nodded, relieved, and sank back in her chair. Another howl erupted from Rainbow Dash, but Twilight knew that she wouldn't remember any of it. Dr Hoof came hurrying back. "They should be out any minute now," said the nurse. Twilight looked hard at her friend's sweating, pain-contorted face anxiously. Rainbow Dash moaned and an enormoous shudder racked her body as Dr Hoof extracted the first foal. Twilight gasped. The little Soarin-shaped colt came tail-first. His furry face, when it came into view, was paler than Rainbows own, and his breath wheezed in and out of him with great difficulty. Twilight was still worrying about him when the next foal flew out, thankfully face first, and landed neatly in the doctors outstretched hooves. She was light blue with a rainbow mane, like Dash, but she was scrawny and weak, and the nurse rushed off with her to hook her up to some machine to get her breathing. Rainbow Dash was screaming again, and Twilight moved closer and held her hoof. Rainbow squeezed it with such a death grip Twilight felt sure it would fall off. The cyan mare squeezed her eyes shut, pushing with all her might, but the third filly would not come. Dr Hoof pressed his hoof to Rainbow's still-swollen stomach and shook his head. Rainbow Dash gasped and, with a shriek, pushed the last filly out. Dr Hoof held the limp foal, looking sadly at her pale little face. "This one may not make it," he said finally. "She's not breathing yet." Twilight panicked. She simply couldn't let one of her best friend's foals die. She concentrated all her magic on the limp, almost white filly, pushing air in and out of her lungs, begging her heart to start beating. Finally, the little creature coughed and screeched weakly. Her coat slowly turned back to its normal cyan color. Rainbow Dash had passed out from exhaustion shortly before, so Twilight quietly excused herself from the room and went to announce the birth to the others, who were waiting impatiently. "They're out," she said simply. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack mobbed her almost before she got the words out. "Do you know if they're fillies or colts? Is Rainbow OK? We heard her screaming from all the way out here. Is she awake?" Then Pinkie Pie came bouncing in by some unknown entrance, shrieking and giggling madly like the walking explosion she was. "OhmygosharetheyOKdidDashiedogoodwhereisshewhencanIseeherwhereinEquestriaarethefoals!?!" Pinkie babbled. Twilight managed to explain that there were two fillies and a colt, yes, they were all fine, and no, Pinkie couldn't go see them because she wasn't allowed in the maternity ward, before Nurse Silver Shine drove her out of the hospital. "I'd better go see how she's doing before I can answer all these questions," said Twilight, extracting herself from the mob. "She may have woken up by now." Twilight bumped into Dr Hoof on her way back to Rainbow Dash's room. " What happened? Is Rainbow Dash OK? Is she awake yet? What about the foals? Will they make it." Twilight asked as she hurried into the room after the doctor. "Not yet," he answered wearily. "They fillies are off the machines now. The colt wasn't on any. He was relatively healthy, compared to the other two." Rainbow Dash woke and tried to sit up, then winced and sank back down. "What happened? Are my foals Ok? And why is Twi so scared?" Twilight shook her head to clear it, and went back to watching the four foals in front of her. Midnight Sparkle, being just old enough to go to school, was forcing Daring Dash, Rainbow Shine, and SoarinDash sit through a pretend lesson in geography. The little pagasi kept kept fluttering away, making it very difficult for their make-believe teacher to keep them in line, seeing as she had no wings herself. Midnight tried levitating herself into the air to try to catch the three, but she was far less agile then they, and soon gave up. Rainbow Dash swooped down and was immediately attacked by an ecstatic Rainbow Shine, who jumped into her mother's embrace with a little shriek, like a baby bird. The other two continued to tease Midnight, who sat down and claimed that pegasi in general were no fun, and that she would have nothing else to do with them in the future. Rainbow Dash gently set Shine on the ground and picked up the sulking Midnight. "Who are you calling 'no fun,' missie?" Dash said, tickling her. Midnight squirmed free, giggling, and playfully said, "You, Auntie Rainbow!" The pegasus swooped her up again, this time lifting Midnight up as she flew, so she couldn't escape. Twilight just had time to slap the cloud-walking spell on her daughter before Rainbow Dash, Midnight, and Dash's three foals rose too high to reach. "Be careful with my filly, you rascal!" She called after Rainbow Dash. But then she smiled. this would be the perfect time to get a nap.
One Summer NightRainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy stood on one of the many balconies of Canterlot Castle, looking at the rose-colored from the setting sun city below them. It was beautiful, and Rainbow Dash struggled not to let the sadness register on her face. She'd spent so many nights on balconies like this, after stiff formal occasions, with Soarin right be her side, keeping her warm. Thinking like that only made Rainbow sadder than before. A tear traced down her cheek, and she quickly turned her face away from her friends. She was Rainbow Dash, after all. Not some little cry-filly who burst into tears at the slightest thing. Twilight put a gentle hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Just try to enjoy it," she said quietly, so the others couldn't hear. "If that scumbag left you, he isn't worth your tears." "I'm fine," Rainbow Dash said. "I just need some time alone." Twilight gave Dash's shoulders a little squeeze before calling the others. "Come on, girls, let's let Rainbow alone for a while." They trooped down to the Gala again, and Rainbow Dash let herself cry her heart out over that useless, sweet, scumbag, darling, stallion who left her. She cried until she had no more tears to cry. Then she simply lay on the ground, feeling as though even Rarity would have been embarrassed by what she had just done, and wondered how Ditzy was doing with her foals back in Cloudsdale. The sound of hooves behind her startled Rainbow Dash out of her thoughts. Maybe Twilight was coming back to see how she was doing. Well, Twilight should just leave me to sulk, Dash thought mournfully. She refused to look back, kept her eyes firmly on the horizon. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blue hoof wind its way around her neck, gently massaging the tense muscles in her shoulders. What's wrong, Dashie-Girl?" said Soarin, surprisingly gently, compared to his usual seductive ways. "Miss me?" Rainbow Dash squirmed free of his too-gentle embrace, and slowly turned to glare at her old lover. "You," she said, her voice deadly quiet. "You dirty, cheating, liar. You said you loved me. You said you wouldn't leave me for the world. You said--" "I know what I said, and I meant it. I still mean it. I've missed you more than you could ever imagine." Soarin's blue-green eyes were unnaturally wide, like they always were when he was worried. But Rainbow Dash didn't believe him. She couldn't. "I can't believe you! First you leave me to take care of three foals by myself, with no money, because, in case you don't remember, you took all that with you, and now, you come back and expect me to just leap into your arms like some stupid little-- oh, I don't know, like you never left!" Hot, angry tears streamed down Rainbow's cheeks, and she continued to shriek at her husband, who hung his head and took her torrent of insults meekly. Soarin took Dash's hoof in his own and held it, gently but firmly, so she would listen. "I know you're angry--" "ANGRY?!?" Dash shrieked as she propelled herself into the air above Soarin. "You go and leave me to melt, and you think I'm angry? How about furious! How about heartbroken! How about devastated and hurt beyond repair and so terribly angry and insane with grief that it took weeks of therapy and Fluttershy begging 'til she was hoarse just get me to eat again! How about--" "QUIET!" Soarin roared, his voice ragged with tears. "I've got something to say, and you'd better listen. I missed you, too. And I didn't leave you for another mare, I left you for a top secret mission for the Princess. Ask her. Ask her anything, and I swear she'll tell you. Don't you remember how I kept looking at you strangely before I left. Don't you remember how I kept taking you to places where the paparazzi could take our pictures? That's because I wanted to remember you when I left, in case I couldn't come back. I've been back a while now, but I heard you were mad at me and was afraid to go back. Do you know how much I've been dying to see our foals? But I didn't come until today, and maybe I shouldn't have at all. Maybe I should have just stayed heartbroken forever. Is that what you want?" Rainbow Dash looked up at Soarin through heavy, wet lashes, wishing Rarity hadn't forced her to where so much makeup. She probably looked a mess. "How come I'm supposed to believe you?" she said carefully. "Because I love you," Soarin said plaintively. "Isn't that enough?" "No." "But--" "Come on, we're going to see the princess." Rainbow Dash gripped Soarin's mane in her mouth and dragged him toward the exit. "So, you mean to say he really was on a secret mission?" Rainbow Dash was incredulous. "Yes, Rainbow Dash, Soarin was busy keeping Equestria safe." Princess Celestia said for the hundredth time. She had already explained to Rainbow Dash that Soarin had been away with the other Wonderbolts, making sure that the rumors that the changelings that invaded Equestria 10 years ago were coming back weren't true, and if they were, making sure they could foil the changelings' plan before it was too late. "Thank you, Princess. I, um, think we'd better go now." Rainbow Dash gently displaced Soarin's muzzle from her mane until they left the throne room. "Not now. she whispered when he tried to put it back. "I'm, uh, I'm really sorry I didn't believe you, Soarin," Rainbow Dash said awkwardly, looking at the ground. She never was any good with apologies. "I love you." Soarin kissed her lightly on the cheek, letting her get used to him again before he went back to his old, playful ways. Besides, he'd changed since before the quest. Rainbow Dash and Soarin flew down to the ground to find the others. Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity were waiting for them. Fluttershy was still in the garden, talking to the animals, which she had made friends with, finally, a few years back. "He came back!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly. "He didn't cheat on me at all!" "I know, Rainbow Dash." Twilight came up to her. "We all knew. Princess Celestia told me about the mission, but she thought you would be too worried if you knew what he had to do. So I agreed not to tell you, because we all thought it would be for the best. I'm sorry, Rainbow. Now I know how wrong I was." "I can't believe you would do that! How in Equestria did you-- " Rainbow Dash was on the verge of another fit, but Soarin's gentle hoof on her shoulder quieted her. "No. It's OK. How were you supposed to know it would go this way? I forgive you all. We're back together now." "When we saw Soarin moping around on the ground because he thought he'd never see you again, we told him where you were. Hope you don't mind." Rarity gave a mischievious grin as she said it, glancing sideways at Soarin, who was back to nuzzling Rainbow's mane sweetly. "I think it's time we all headed back to Ponyville," said Twilight. "The Gala is nearly over and besides, I can think of at least one pony who has some foals to meet." Applejack trotted off to find Fluttershy, and then the six mares plus Soarin found their chariot and they started towards home. Applejack, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy squeezed onto one bench, and Soarin and Rainbow Dash shared the other.Rarity rode up with Spike, because she "liked the fresh air," but no-one believed that was the reason. The six inside fell asleep quickly enough, leaving Rarity to coo softly at Spike at how splendidly it all turned out. "Look how sweet the look," she said, nodding at the two pegasi curled together in the seat behind her. "Aren't you just delighted that we got them back together?" "Just look at them. Aren't you proud?" Rainbow Dash sat cuddled in Soarin's lap on the front porch of their Cloudsdale home. Daring Dash, Rainbow Shine, and SoarinDash tumbled and played in front of them, practicing for when they were old enough to go to Flight School. Suddenly, Daring came fluttering over. "Mummy, Daddy, look! Watch this!" The filly climbed a pile of cloud built by her brother and sister, and took a flying leap from it. She managed a couple of flips before landing, giggling, face-down in the cloud-lawn. Rainbow Dash clapped and cheered for her daughter's trick, but Soarin immediately flew down to make sure his precious filly was unhurt. Rainbow Dash heard a soft giggle from the gate. Fluttershy flew over the low, decorative fence and sat down next to Rainbow. "He would be an overprotective father," she giggled. "And I love him for it," Rainbow Dash replied. "After all, someone's got to be overprotective."
