Running. Running. Running.

This was all she could do. For whatever reason, she couldn't fly. Her wings worked just fine, but her body would not lift off the ground. As if she were held down by an invisible force that prevented her wings from letting her take off.

Rainbow Dash wasn't even sure what was going on. How she even got here. Why she was even here. All she knew was one thing. It had to be the place where the dead wandered. The Ghostlands. What else would it be? She wasn't sure. She didn't have an answer. If it were indeed true, then she knew one thing.

Fluttershy was somewhere out there. And she was going to find her.

Running.

She didn't even feel tired. She didn't know how long she had been running, or even what direction she was heading in. Where Fluttershy went, she didn't know. But had to try. To take a chance. It was better than giving up.

Running.

Her hooves pounded along the ground, Rainbow used her wings to propel herself, and kept her head low. Nothing was going to stop her. Time had no place here. It could've been minutes, hours, days, or even years. She wouldn't know either way.

Running.

It was all she had. Rainbow Dash let out a breath, despite that it was not necessary. By now, breathing was more for releasing tension, the ability to articulate.

Running.

She continued running. Not stopping for anything. In her surprise, she did pass a few ponies, having gone on a similar path that she did. They glanced to her, but said nothing as she zipped by them.

Running.

“Where are you, Fluttershy...Where are you...” She uttered to herself, feeling her heart pounding.

Running.

Mind scrambled, hooves running, wings flapping, hair waving, Rainbow Dash kept going. All she felt was determination to meet her goal. All else was present, but remained dormant. She didn't cry. She had no room to cry. She didn't smile. She had no time to smile. Nothing. She felt nothing until she would reach her goal.

It was all she had.

“I'll find you, Flutters... Wherever you are, I'm gonna find you!”

She didn't need to stop, but even if she did, she wouldn't let herself. Wherever Fluttershy was now had to be far away. And if she stopped, she would only let her best friend slip away though her hooves faster. This would not happen.

“I lost her once...I'm not gonna lose her again!” She told herself.

More running.

Taking a moment, Rainbow looked around her, though she couldn't see more than some feet ahead of her. Fog was everywhere, blanketing the landscape. She gulped a bit as she slowed her running ever so slightly.

“Fluttershy...! Fluttershy! Fluttershy!”

No response.

Rainbow must have called her name several times, but heard no response.

She still kept running.

Picking up speed after however long, Rainbow kept going, feeling her determination fuel her further. She felt as if she were flying, soaring through the sky, the wind in her mane. Amazing. She felt great! Laughter escaped her, she looked all around her again, she felt invigorated!

Nothing could stop her. No amount of lost energy, fatigue, injury, time, mortality, nothing! Rainbow Dash laughed in glee. She had all the time in the world to find her!

More running.

In some time, she saw something.

Some feet away, further ahead, a splash of familiar colours. This made Rainbow slow, taking her time now. The form of a pony was walking from the right side, further ahead, going toward the left. Rainbow approached the form, slowly, feeling her heart jump to her throat. She stepped, slowly, feeling the anticipation washing over her. This had happened before. Only for those times to have been a different pony.

But every time, she stopped to check, just in case.

Rainbow swallowed, approaching the pony, trying to get a better glimpse. Whoever it was came clearer into her vision, with her hopes very slowly matching to the pony ahead.

Creamy yellow coat.

Long, light pink mane and tail.

Wings, clearly a pegasus.

Now there was just-

Rainbow stopped in her tracks. She could see the pony's flank clearly.

Three butterflies. Blue bodied, with pink wings.

“Fluttershy...!” Rainbow cried out to her, unable to hold herself back any longer.

The pony, Fluttershy, paused in her walking. She then looked up around her, before meeting her gaze. Rainbow swallowed, taking one hesitant step forward. For a brief second, neither of them moved, but Fluttershy mouthed one word.

“Rainbow...”

Not wasting another second, Rainbow Dash practically ran over to her quickly. Fluttershy met her halfway, gasping audibly as she seemed overtaken by the moment as well. All too soon, Rainbow reached her, bringing her best friend into a tight embrace. In turn, Fluttershy ran her hooves along the daredevil's face, looking to her in amazement and wonder, breathing laboured.

Overjoyed beyond words, Rainbow felt tears come to her eyes as she could not believe what was happening. To think Fluttershy was here now, in her hooves, right after trying to find her for who-knows-how-long. She felt afraid, as if she would fade away if she let go, but everything felt real. Fluttershy felt real. Her heart pounded, memories flooded her mind, any and all despair she felt was just gone. All she felt was the adoration and love she felt for her best friend in the world.

Tearful, Fluttershy lowered her hooves to her shoulders, trembling. Her watery teal eyes met Rainbow's, her lips parting.

“You found me...” Fluttershy's soft voice shook with emotion. Tears streamed down her face, her lips quivering slightly.

Losing strength, feeling tears of her own stream down her cheeks, Rainbow managed a smile. She lay their foreheads together, holding her longtime companion closer, “Did you ever doubt I would?”

Rather than answer, Fluttershy leaned in and touched their lips into a passionate kiss. Momentarily shocked from the bold move, Rainbow immediately kissed her back, holding the creamy yellow mare closer. Their embrace grew tighter, their bodies came closer, and their wings rose.

Reunited. Together at at last.

Relief, joy, love, adoration, amazement, and excitement overtook Rainbow Dash then. She felt her heart swell, as if it would soon burst from her chest. The memories of the past shined through, the despair she'd felt melted, and all she could think about now was where they were. Here. Together. That was all she wanted.

Even more perfect would've been if they and all their friends were reunited. But who was to say that wouldn't come in time?

For now, this was all she needed.

Fluttershy's lips were soft, had no flavour, but it didn't change that this was exactly as she remembered. Kissing her in the past had always been so sweet, so gentle. It was no wonder, considering the kind of pony Fluttershy was. Now to feel this again, to feel her again. Rainbow all but lost herself in the feeling. She poured her all into the kiss, just letting her love flow through. Silly as it sounded, she was not wasting a second to really show Fluttershy that she loved her.

Their lips parted, albeit reluctantly, as Rainbow gazed upon the enraptured, lovesick face of her best friend. She smiled through her tears, nuzzling their noses.

“Jeez, there's so much I want to say...! So much I want to ask! But I just...I can't....I don't know where to start! I'm just...I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. I just-”

“Shhh...” Fluttershy soothed, laying their foreheads together again, “It's okay. It's not your fault, Rainbow,” she ran a hoof through her mane.

Closing her eyes, Rainbow melted into her touch, trembling, “I wanted to see you sooner. I missed you like crazy...! I wanted to talk to you about what happened between us. But now that we're here, I just gotta say it.”

Fluttershy looked at her with a sweet, curious smile.

“I love you, Fluttershy!” Rainbow uttered, voice shaking, “I love you...”

“Oh...Rainbow...” Fluttershy leaned in again, their lips barely touching. Her smile grew,“I love you, too.”

Their lips met once more, melting into the emotions dwelling amidst their reunion. Finally, they'd found each other, and would never again let each other go. A moment like this felt far too good to be true, as if it were merely a fantasy. But for now, all Rainbow wanted to do was savour it, to savour being with Fluttershy again.

Author's Note

I love the scene from "Once Upon A Time" where Prince Charming and Snow White reunite in Storybrooke after the curse is broken. So, if you've seen the show and that episode, you know exactly where this all came from. Especially the dialogue. I'd been dying to do a scene like that, and while I do have a similar one in mind that I've played with...it's not quite it. But here, was the chance to play it out almost the same way. Except with the actual dialogue from the episode.

If you'd paid attention, I did refer to Charming's line "I'll always find you" in part one, and then again in the epilogue.

So. Is this all a dream? Or is this actually happening after Rainbow dies? Well, that's up to you, readers.

Here's a humanized four-panel comic-ish thing I did of the scene. :D Reunited Comic Part of it, anyway.

In the epilogue of Doomsday Ascending, it's stated only two of the Elements of Harmony are still alive. It's sixty years after the events of the story. So, if you want to go by that, Rainbow is indeed dead before the events of that story's epilogue.

Or, does it still take place before it, and she's just dreaming? Once again, up to you.

I just made this so you guys will feel better from all the tragedy. :D

So, that's it! This is the last of my Doomsday Ascending side stories for now. What else is there? I don't know. If I think of something, I'll make it. We'll see.

For now, the end!