Hovering above Ponyville, Rainbow Dash wiped the streams of sweat from her brow and floated back to examine her work.
A picturesque frame of clouds, both wispy and thick, lit and shadowed, hung over Ponyville and framed the setting sun, catching the brilliant oranges and reds cast out in all directions. The clouds circled the sun in near-perfect symmetry almost like a foal’s cradle. Rainbow stared it for a long moment, and then frowned. Her wings brought her soaring to the cloud frame and she lashed out a few times with her hind legs, sculpting and pushing the fluffy shapes into increasingly complex and intricate patterns. A few moments later the clouds seemed less like actual clouds and more like lovingly crafted lace and cotton, arrayed with an artist’s hoof and a perfectionist’s deliberation. Once more, she moved away to look over it.
Scattered applause from below caught her attention, and Rainbow glanced down into Ponyville’s town square, which lay a hundred feet beneath her. A small crowd of ponies had gathered and stared up, stomping their hooves in scattered tandem. Her ears lay flat, and she gave an awkward wave. Suddenly, a gust of cold autumn wind blew by, tugging at her mane. With a violent shiver, she waved once more and glided away on her tired wings.
She came to a light landing in the alley behind Town Hall, a small area crowded by buildings. Although months ago she would have finished her work in the mid-afternoon, late evenings had become the norm. Anything to get away for just a little while longer. At that thought, a heavy sigh escaped her lips; her entire body sagged forward.
“Guess I gotta,” she said with another sigh and turned to begin the slow trek back home to Fluttershy’s cottage on the borders of the Everfree Forest. Her ears drooped. “Ugh.”
As her trudging hooves carried her out of the alleyway, she passed a unicorn pony that stopped and smiled at her.
“Great job on the clouds, Rainbow Dash,” he said.
“Thanks.” She didn’t look up at him, but instead continued past with her head low to the ground. With every step her eyes grew more and more distant, her expression more and more stormy. Another gust of wind went unnoticed as her path meandered through town, as did the full crunching of autumn’s brittle brown leaves under her hooves.
The buildings seemed to flash by Rainbow, as did all the ponies who called out to her on their way home for the night. The only thing she had eyes for was the ground, and even that barely registered. Eventually, though, something had to catch her attention.
That something was a mare’s low, sultry voice. “Rainbow Dash!” the voice said, crashing through her trance. “How wonderful to see you!”
Rainbow blinked a few times. Where before she had been making a drunken bee line towards Fluttershy’s cottage, now she stood in front of Carousel Boutique, which was on the other side of town. Rarity, who held a broom aloft in her magical grasp, stood in the doorway.
“Uh.” Rainbow cleared her throat. While she had been lost in thought, the sun had dropped quite a bit; she could barely see it over Ponyville’s rooftops. “Hi.”
“Is something the matter?” Rarity said, eyebrows furrowing.
Rainbow brought a hoof up to scratch at her scalp. “No! No no, nothing the matter! I meant to come here, really!”
“Well I’m delighted you did.” The broom came down, sweeping a few errant leaves from the doorstep. “I wanted to compliment you on how absolutely gorgeous autumn is this year.” She sent a few more leaves flying into the grass. “You should know that it’s the talk of the town.”
“Really?” Rainbow asked as she continued to scratch her head.
Rarity floated the broom up high to slap away the leaves that had gotten caught in the gutter. “Yes, really. During the day the skies are completely clear, but when it comes time for the sun to set, there are no words to describe how beautiful your cloudscaping truly is. The way it billows upwards, the way it captures the light just so…” She hummed and wriggled in delight. “It’s wonderful. Simply wonderful.”
“Well, uh.” Rainbow gave a tight laugh. “It’s really the rest of the team doing all the work. I just call the shots, you know?”
“Did…” Rarity froze, eyes trained on Rainbow’s. “Did my friend Rainbow Dash just turn down a compliment?”
“N-no!” Rainbow said, then she fell back a step. “I mean—yes, but it’s true. I barely do anything.”
Rarity frowned. “That isn’t the way I hear it. I offered the same compliment to Cloud Chaser not three hours ago, and she informed me that you in particular were entirely to thank for the gorgeous sunsets.” She paused to tap her chin. “As well as the beautiful Princess Celestia, of course.”
“I’m sure Cloudchaser was just—”
“When I reassured her that modesty was not necessary,” Rarity went on, “she explained that you had given the entire team the afternoon off, and that you were doing all of the work yourself.”
“I just wanted to—”
“And now here you are, turning down a compliment that you have rightfully earned for once.” Rarity slapped the broom against the boutique one last time before bringing it down and resting it against the wall. “Now why would you say that is?”
“W-well, uh—” Rainbow suddenly puffed out her chest and threw her wings open. “Yeah, I totally did that cloud stuff. It’s about time somepony noticed it.”
After a moment of silence during which a widely grinning Rainbow Dash held her pose, Rarity sighed. “I suppose that’s more like it.” A sudden gust of wind slammed into her, grabbing her mane and whipping it around while she shivered. “It’s getting a bit chilly though, dear. Would you like to come inside for a bit?”
Rainbow shrugged but didn’t relax her posture. “Sure, I guess.”
“Oh,” Rarity paused to say, “but wouldn’t Fluttershy be expecting you?”
As though a switch had been thrown, Rainbow’s entire body slumped. Her wings drooped, her legs buckled, and her ears fell flat. She mumbled something, but the words were caught on the wind and carried away.
Rarity stared in silence for a long moment before opening the door and waving the slouching Rainbow Dash through. “Well I’m sure a few minutes more won’t hurt.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow muttered.
A moment later the door shut behind them, cutting off the chilly air. A spicy fragrance wafted under Rainbow’s nostrils, making her nose scrunch up.
“What’s that smell?”
The lights on the chandelier overhead flickered on and painted the room in a bright glow. “Potpourri,” Rarity answered in a sing-song voice as she pranced by into the kitchen. “Have a seat, dear. Would you care for some cocoa?”
Rainbow threw herself onto a couch with a grunt. “Sure.”
It only took a few seconds before Rarity was back, two mugs floating before her. One glided to land gently on the table beside Rainbow.
“Your timing was actually quite fortuitous, you know,” Rarity said, taking a sip. She sat down on the couch beside her guest, then gave her a sidelong glance.
Rainbow grunted again and picked up the mug. Instead of drinking, she only cradled it in her hooves.
“I had a pot of milk already on the stove when I went out to sweep,” Rarity went on. “I do hope you enjoy it. The recipe is my mother’s.”
Another grunt was the only reply.
Rarity licked her lips and set her mug down. “So how are you? I daresay I haven’t had much of a chance to see either you or Fluttershy for weeks.” Her eyes flickered when Rainbow flinched.
“Doing good,” Rainbow said.
“No, you’re doing well,” Rarity said in a chiding tone. “Mare Do Well does good.”
“Yeah, sure.” Rainbow’s eyes were distant.
“You look to be in wonderful shape.” Rarity craned her head to get a better look. “Why, a more fit pegasus pony I have never seen in all my days.”
Another grunt.
Rarity's eyelids fluttered. "Rainbow dearest, you aren't paying attention to a word I'm saying, are you?"
Grunt.
“I took Tank’s shell and made an absolutely delightful soup bowl out of it,” Rarity said brightly. “The poor dear’s remains are buried in the back yard, but I doubt you’ll ever find them.
Grunt.
Rarity pursed her lips. “What is the matter, dear?” She didn’t even get a grunt this time; her eyes narrowed. “Rainbow Dash.”
“Huh?” Rainbow’s eyes focused and came up from looking at her lap. “Yeah?”
“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said, “what is the matter?” She scowled when, instead of saying something, Rainbow buried her muzzle in the hot cocoa. Her words lashed out. “Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow flinched away, and a bit of cocoa splashed over the side of her mug. “What?”
“You are deliberately being evasive,” Rarity said. Her horn lit up, and the spilled cocoa siphoned out of the couch to float into the kitchen, where it fell into the sink. “What is wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Rainbow put the mug down under her friend’s watchful glare.
“Forgive me for disagreeing,” Rarity said, “but you are not yourself. Thrice now I have complimented you to no effect. You are doing your entire team’s work—and doing it well, I might add—yet refusing to take any credit for it.” She crossed her forelegs. “Then add in that you look like the Wonderbolts just announced that they have decided to become an interpretive dance troupe, and I would wager berets against bobby pins that something is bothering you.”
“I’m fine,” Rainbow said.
Rarity leaned forward just the slightest bit. “You cannot expect me to—”
“I said I’m fine.” Rainbow hopped off the couch and paced across the room, then back.
“If you don’t want to speak with me about it, then I won’t press too hard,” Rarity said, head twisting to follow Rainbow, “but please do remember that I am here for you. We are all here for you, in fact, Fluttershy most of—”
“Fluttershy,” Rainbow cut in. “Yeah I know. You don’t have to remind me.”
Rarity watched Rainbow walk back and forth across the room a few more times. “Rainbow Dash,” she said slowly. “How much have you been working these past few weeks?”
“I dunno.” Rainbow shrugged mid-pace, wings furling and unfurling. “A bit.”
“The same as usual?” More? Less?”
Rainbow shrugged again. “I said I dunno. Maybe a little more than usual, I guess.”
“Do you mean longer hours?” Rarity sipped at her drink. “Or is the work itself harder?”
“Both maybe.”
“Why is that?” Rarity asked.
“Why is what?” Rainbow’s hoofsteps slowed as she gave Rarity a sharp glance.
Rarity cleared her throat daintily. “I mean, why is it that you are working longer and harder than is usual? Why have you been giving your team time off and handling their jobs by yourself? I assume that wasn’t a one-time occurrence.”
Rainbow didn’t answer right away, instead stopping to kick a hoof against the floor. The windows rattled in their panes from the force of the blowing wind.
“I just want to be there,” Rainbow said at last. “Better there than—” She dry-swallowed. “You know. Other places.”
“What other pl—” Rarity began.
Rainbow lifted a hoof. “Can we not talk about this?”
Rarity’s mouth snapped shut before she gave a swift nod. “Of course we can. Is there anything in particular you want to speak about?”
“No,” Rainbow said. “Just anything else.” She collapsed onto the sofa once more.
For a few moments they sat there in relative silence with only the blustering wind outside and Rarity’s ticking grandfather clock to be heard. Rainbow sipped at her drink, but it had lost its warmth. She scowled.
“I started reading a book the other night,” Rarity said suddenly. “Twilight lent it to me.”
Rainbow glanced over, still holding onto the cold mug. “Did she finally talk you into trying Daring Do?”
“Not yet,” Rarity answered with a titter. “But still, I think it’s a fascinating read. Would you mind if I told you about it?”
“Eh.” Rainbow shrugged. “Sure.”
“It’s about, ah—” Rarity coughed. “Well, the story centers around a pair of spies who work together and go on dangerous missions, where even the slightest mistake might lead to an untimely demise.”
“Okay,” Rainbow said, glancing away.
“And they fall madly in love with each other and marry,” Rarity continued as a frown spread across her face. “A few years pass, the happiest years of their lives as they live and love and work together to keep the world safe. But as time goes on, they begin to drift apart. They aren’t as in-love with each other as they thought they were.”
After a moment, Rainbow turned back to her friend. “Okay.”
Rarity’s lips quirked. “But even though they are both growing more and more unhappy, neither is willing to say anything to the other. They simply allow the status quo to stagnate and fester, and their unhappiness becomes pure suffering.”
“Why won’t they say anything?” Rainbow asked.
“Oh, a number of reasons,” Rarity said. “They fear what will happen to their work relationship. They don’t wish to hurt the other pony. They dislike the idea of putting themselves into such an awkward position. The ‘why’ is honestly less important than the fact that neither party could muster the courage to do anything.”
Rainbow bit her lip. “So, do they fix things?”
“Sadly, no.” Rarity reached up to sweep her mane back over her neck. “They spend more and more time apart, working by themselves and living miserable, distracted lives. Eventually, one of them has an affair that an enemy spy learns about and uses as leverage to steal all manner of sensitive information. The story ends tragically, with both of the former lovers giving their lives in order to save Equestria.”
“That story sounds awful,” Rainbow said with a scowl.
Rarity nodded, then gathered up both her and Rainbow’s mugs. “It is awful,” she said on her way to the kitchen. “A horribly depressing tale about two otherwise brave, passionate ponies.” A moment later, she came prancing back out. “And the worst part is they could have prevented all of it from happening.”
“They could?” Rainbow’s ears twitched as Rarity settled back on the sofa. “How?”
“Why not tell me what you think?” Rarity said.
Rainbow glanced down, fiddling with her tail. “They could’ve, um—I guess they could’ve—” She gave a frustrated grunt. “You know I’m bad at this kind of thing.”
“Oh please try your best,” Rarity said in a soothing tone. “I do so wish to know what you think, to see if we both have the same idea.”
“Ugh. Fine.” Rainbow’s face scrunched up as she thought. “I think I got something, but it’s kind of lame.”
“I highly doubt that.”
Rainbow held in a sigh. “Just don’t tell anypony else I said this stuff, okay? Or don’t tell anypony we even had this talk.”
“Yes yes,” Rarity said, waving an impatient hoof. “My lips are sealed and all such sentiments.”
“Well…” Rainbow took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “What if they just weren’t right for each other?”
Rarity shifted her weight back. “What makes you think that?”
“So if two ponies are meant to be together, they probably wouldn’t start feeling that way at all, right?” Rainbow said. Her eyes were darting around, not stopping on any one spot for long. “So maybe the right thing to do was to split up as soon as they started feeling that way.”
“That is a—” Another gust of wind shook the windows. Rarity waited a moment for it to stop before going on. “That is a possibility, but I think the answer isn’t quite so specific, not to mention fatalistic.” She gave Rainbow a small smile. “What I believe they needed was a change. Not one in particular—although separating might truly be the correct course of action—but simply a change, and the first step on that road is through communication.”
“Communication,” Rainbow said flatly.
“Yes.”
“You think they just needed to talk about it.”
Rarity nodded. “That is indeed what I believe.”
“No way,” Rainbow said, letting a frown twist her face. “No way something this big can be fixed that easy.”
“Oh, no no!” Rarity covered her mouth with a hoof. “Dear, you misunderstand me! I never said that it was going to be easy!”
Rainbow’s frown deepened. “If it only took a dumb talk, then one of them would’ve sucked it up and gotten it over with.”
“Rainbow Dash.” Although her expression didn’t change, Rarity’s voice had an edge to it that had not been there seconds ago. “Tell me what you hate about me.”
“Uh.” The frown fell from Rainbow’s face, replaced by a blank stare. “Why?”
“Because I want you to.”
Rainbow leaned away. “I’m not just going to say bad things about a friend.”
“But whyever not?” Rarity said with the same smile she had been wearing the whole time. “We’re just having a dumb talk. How hard could it truly be?”
“Well yeah, but—” Rainbow halted mid-speech, then gave an embarrassed grin. “Alright, I guess you got me.”
“And if it’s that difficult to say those things to a friend, how hard is it with a loved one?” Rarity’s voice was calm again. She reached out to pat Rainbow’s hoof. “Hurting the feelings of those you care about is never easy, and that is what these two lovers would have had to do in order to help their relationship.”
“But you think it would’ve worked?” Rainbow asked, eyes darting for a bare instant to where Rarity had touched her hoof. “You think they would’ve made up and everything would’ve turned out fine?”
“Who can say?” Rarity shrugged. “For all I know, they still might have decided to leave each other, just like you suggested. What I do know is that they would have ended up far happier in the end.” She let out a weary sigh. “L’amour… il est difficile, n’est-ce pas?”
Rainbow groaned and slid off the couch. “When you start using fancy language, I know I’ve been here too long.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, dear,” Rarity said with a wave.
“Nah, it’s cool.” Rainbow rolled her shoulders. “I’ve got something I need to take care of, anyway.”
Rarity’s eyes glinted. “Oh? And what might that be?”
“Talking with you, I figured something out,” Rainbow said. She glanced down at Rarity. “By the way, you didn’t think you were fooling me, did you?”
“Fooling you?”
“With that spy story.” Rainbow’s lips curled into her first truly cocky grin of the evening. “It was pretty obvious.”
“Oh,” Rarity said, ears drooping. “Please forgive me, but you know I only want to help my friends—”
“Don’t worry about it,” Rainbow cut in. “But the only books I’ll ever read are about Daring Do.”
Rarity’s mouth was open, but she snapped it shut, then opened it once more only for it to close again. “Hm.”
“I mean, it sounds neat and all, but you kind of spoiled the ending anyway, didn’t you?” Rainbow snorted. “No point reading it if I already know how things go.”
“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said in a flat voice.
“Yeah?”
“Go talk to Fluttershy.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Wait, how did you know—”
“Just—” Rarity massaged her temples and groaned. “Just get going and talk to Fluttershy.”
“Okay, okay,” Rainbow said, trotting to the door. “Sheesh. I’m going, already.”
“Good luck,” Rarity said from the couch. “Remember that your friends are there for you should you need us.”
Rainbow opened the door. “Thanks,” she called back.
Compared to the slouch from when she had first left work, Rainbow’s posture was far more upright. Her back was straight, and she threw her chest out proudly. Both wings shot open and carried her into the night sky.
“Alright, Rainbow,” she said, punching herself lightly in the cheeks. “You can do this. This is easy. This is easy.”
It only took a few seconds before she came to a landing on the little bridge in front of Fluttershy’s cottage. The brook running underneath it babbled merrily in the darkness; a loud croak suggested that a bullfrog was hiding down there somewhere.
“Gotta make a change. Gotta have a talk. Gotta do something.”
Rainbow stomped quickly up the lane to the front door. Golden light billowed out through the windows, just like it always did at Fluttershy’s cottage after night fell. Her hoof reached for the doorknob, then froze inches away.
“You can do this.” Her face muscles spasmed. “You’re Rainbow freakin’ Dash. You can do this.” But still her hoof hovered there, not closing the gap until it finally fell back. All the uprightness in her posture sloughed away like melted butter. “You can’t do this.”
Suddenly, a loud creak came from inside the house. The doorknob turned and the door flew open, blinding Rainbow in the brilliant golden glow emanating from within. She shielded her face and let out a nervous chuckle.
“H-hi, Fluttershy.”
