Celestia's sun rose on yet another new day in Ponyville. Today would be different, and yet so much like other days... so much promise, so much love to be shared.

Rarity's Carousel Boutique stood silently before the seven ponies and their dragon assistant. For a place that was once so full of life, and would soon be filled with life again, it seemed surprisingly vacant.

Each held a saddlebag full of random things belonging to Pinkie Pie. Pinkie carried two. Apple Jack pulled a cart full of appliances alongside Rainbow Dash... her understanding of what was going on was far removed from reality, and for as long as she was able to Rainbow wanted to keep it that way.

"I guess this is it," Pinkie said quietly, approaching the door to her new home. She drew a key, turning back to look at her friends. "Thanks for keeping me company, Dashie."

"Heh, don't mention it." Rainbow Dash replied with a smile as Mr. and Mrs. Cake passed her, making eye-contact and nodding, before heading into the home with the rest of the ponies.

"Sure is kind of you, Dash," Apple Jack said, dismounting from the cart and heading in. "You let me know if you need anything."

"I will," said the Pegasus, as she was left outside with her thoughts. "I will..."

She stood there a moment before finally heading in. They had a big day ahead of them. Though her shoulder still ached it was time to be productive... more productive than she had been in a long while.

Setting up and arranging took hours. It was morning when they started and approaching night when it was finally over. Almost nothing of Rarity's was left by her parents, save the wall paper, and even that would eventually be replaced. They hadn't even begun to set up the kitchen, their time was spent making the space livable.

Pinkie Pie took Rarity's old room. It wasn't quite as big as her loft with the Cakes, but she still had the Carousel's Inspiration room for her parties. That room would continue to Inspire, just like Rarity had. Rainbow Dash took Sweetie Belle's room. It wasn't a large room, but it was big enough for her. She spent time in it, making sure it was just right for her. It was obvious two ponies would be cramped in there with all their stuff. That was sad, but true, and Rainbow Dash was sure of it.

Neither mare had a bed yet, but there were a couple of inflatable mattresses in the Cake's saddlebags, each big enough for one pony. They'd do for now.

The setup took a while, but when it was finally over Apple Jack left for home with the Cakes by her side, and Spike trailing behind until he broke off to head for the library. Twilight and Fluttershy stayed behind. Fluttershy said she had business in the area and Twilight's ability to organize everything would still come in handy... especially now that things were coming to a head. Half of that was true, and it was all told to Apple Jack. Fluttershy stayed behind to help Dash move. They would meet two other Pegasai high above, away from it all and already there... with another pony.

Luna faced Rainbow Dash with a compassionate smile. The two Pegasus had joined them in the clouds -- Derpy Hooves and Thunderlane. They had not lost faith in Rainbow Dash yet, they had come and were smiling. Dash smiled back. Luna was pleased to see three friends so eager to help.

"It is time, Rainbow Dash," said Luna quietly. "I've have stopped here to say we thank thee for your property and hope you shall take all that you need by tonight. Anything left over by the morrow shall be considered a donation to Our Sanctuary. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do," replied Rainbow Dash, looking with detached eyes at what was hers for only a few hours more. "We'll have this done before then, don't worry. I know how close I'm cutting it."

Luna nodded and stepped aside, allowing the four to get to work.

Dash didn't have much that actually needed moving. She had some clothes -- autumn, winter, summer, spring ensembles (many made by Rarity) -- and she had some mementos. They filled boxes and saddlebag, brought down to Ponyville bit by bit. She had a small weight set, a few dumbbells, that were no trouble for Thunderlane. The only collections she owned were in the form of Daring Do novels and autographed pictures of the Wonderbolts, not even filling up an entire box. Moving took a few hours at best... it was surprising how little she had, and with Twilight on the ground overseeing it all, moving was done in a flash.

Twilight Sparkle yawned on the grass beside the Boutique, instructing Thunderlane and Derpy were they should put the last few boxes. Pinkie rubbed her eyes, helping the two along into the Boutique. There was still daylight, but they were both ready to turn in. Above them, Dash inspected her old home one final time.

It still looked like her house. She went inside and looked at the neo-gothic pillars lining her den, touching each. By her window she stretched out and laid atop a squat pedestal. This was her great chair she would look out at the world on, the world so full of adventure and excitement... and on cloudy days, just clouds.

The trio of Pegasai gave her space. Luna respected her need for quiet and nostalgia, so uncharacteristic of Rainbow Dash. Luna even stopped the three from going to Dash at first. She spent a while in that room, looking out at the golden sky and purple clouds. The Princess would soon need to take care of the moon... perhaps she could stay in peace until the moon was up and the sky was dark?

"Rainbow?" Fluttershy finally called out from outside the main entrance. "Are we done?"

Rainbow scowled at the interruption, but knew her friends were there to help her.

"Yeah, Fluttershy," she said, sighing, rising to her hooves and stretching. "I think we're done now-" she looked at the pillar she was laying on. "One second thought, Fluttershy... there might be one more thing I want to bring down."

Dash and Luna spoke over one final piece of property. Twilight had only a vague idea of what it was, that it was "something big from Dash's house." Dash hadn't even told her herself, Thunderlane was asked to. Once it was safely on the ground they could all finally get some rest.

"Of all the great things that you own Rainbow Dash," began Princess Luna, "if you could keep just one grand memento... this decoration would be it? Are you sure this is what you want, of all things?"

Beside the Princess sat the squat, neo-gothic slab. The diminishing sunlight revealed it to be larger than Miss Cherilee's desk. Heavy and thick, but not unwieldy -- Dash had proven that by being able to push it outside by herself. She glanced over at it and nodded confidently.

"I'm not sure if all four of us can even lift that," said Fluttershy, meekly.

"Then take care, Rainbow Dash," Luna said firmly. "We shall observe, but first we shall ask: do you trust the ponies you are working with now?"

Rainbow looked over at her friends. The yellow Pegasus smiled nervously while the gray mailmare nodded. Thunderlane came up beside them with his eyes alert and ears poised, ready for the next task. The cyan Pegasus nodded, completely sure of their abilities:

"They'll tell me if we can't lift it."

"Then do as you must. I stay for the moon."

Dash fetched a great white sheet from her house -- a common tool for weather patrols and moving Pegasai -- neigh indestructible and designed for this very purpose. Like pallbearers they planned to carry it down. The light clouds made it easy for the material to be slipped beneath the heavy platform. It weighed as much as six ponies, yet four healthy Pegasai could easily lift that much. Each looked ready and sure, save Fluttershy... and Dash, who rubbed her achy shoulder. Glancing back at Luna, they lifted off.

They were in the air with reasonable ease, suspended above the clouds, looking as though what they were carrying had no weight at all.

"We're doing it, we're doing it!" Dash yipped in excitement.

Her plan was working. Each pony held a corner in two hooves, except Dash who held in one. They descended downwards almost in perfect sync with Celestia's sun, all the while under the watchful eye of Luna and Twilight. The large ivory object would fit through the exceptionally large window Dash now owned; Twilight had opened it with her magic per Thunderlane's request. Her eyes went wide when she saw the size, being unable to tell for sure what it even was. The pillar was a bit larger than the entire CMC, and was the one grand thing Dash had chosen to keep from her life in Cloudsdale. Dash had wrapped the edges of the fabric around her hoof tightly, seeing to it that she would not let go.

It was a given that the going was slow and the wind was strong. Dash held tight, Derpy held tight. Both Fluttershy and Thunderlane held strong. They moved in rhythm with the breeze. It was memorizingly slow. Rainbow Dash was not used to moving... this... slowly... but she did. She had to.

One strong gust out of sync and the fabric began to slip through Derpy's hooves, wobbling the marble fixture. The offset in force caused control to slip from Fluttershy and Thunderlane. With one pony holding the fabric -- surely with just one hoof -- it was not possible to control. With Dash still attached, the pillar fell fast.

She tried desperately to free herself as her friends zoomed in from behind in seemingly vain efforts to save her. The sheet was now wrapped tightly enough to cut off circulation, and with her bad shoulder Dash did not have the strength to free herself in time. The fabric whipped her in the face, stinging, causing blood to spew from her nose and a black eye to form. Through it all she was still awake, however. The Pegasus stared at the approaching pavement and shut her eyes. This pillar would be the end of her... this meaningless chunk of sky marble she had impulsively chosen to keep was going to end her in less than ten seconds flat.

Impact seemed to come sooner than Dash expected, yet she was surprised to find herself still conscious. She was sore now, but alive.

A hundred feet above Ponyville the pillar floated in air. The other Pegasai surrounded it and stared in awe at the cyan Pegasus resting on top, completely unscathed. The marble decoration glowed blue, having been too far and fast for Twilight, but not for Luna's magical grasp. It descended slowly with Rainbow Dash still bound to it.

Gently the object came in contact with the earth. Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and all the others surrounded it. They stared at the Pegasus on top of the short pedestal, who was squinting and shaking her head.

"Dashie..." Said Pinkie, with tears in her eyes. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Derpy and Thunderlane nodded, each looking at Dash with relief in their eyes.

Twilight stood there looking at the pillar, then at the Window, then at Rainbow Dash. She breathed in slowly, her eyes wide.

"Rainbow Dash!" She finally snapped. "What in the wide world of Equestria were you thinking!? You don't need this!"

"Hey," Rainbow said, finally taking a deep breath. "I can decide what I want to keep and what I don't. You don't get to decide what's important to me."

Twilight's pupils contracted into fine points. She put a hoof to her face.

"This must be really important to you then? I can think of much better things that could be taking up the space this thing is going to occupy. I can't believe you tied us up an extra half hour... for this!"

Thunderlane and Derpy slowly began to back away, smiling nervously while looking at each other, then at the two arguing ponies. They were not going to get drawn into this because they had decided to help one of the few ponies on the weather team they each truly respected. With a subtle motion of his hoof, Thunderlane left... with Derpy following him. Their heads were down and they did not feel good about what they were leaving. Fluttershy stood there with her head down... forcing herself to listen to this, as a true, true friend would.

Rainbow Dash looked Twilight in the eye while unwrapping her strong hoof.

"Hey, I didn't force you to help me, you offered!"

Twilight shut her eyes and shouted back:

"That's just because I'm a good frie-"

A thundering voice from above cut her off:

"RAINBOW DASH!"

Luna descended slowly from the clouds. Rainbow didn't look up, keeping her eyes low. Twilight looked blankly up at the Princess. Her face was stern, but not angry.

"Princess Luna," said Twilight quietly. "I think maybe we should-"

The Princess up put her hoof as she gently came in contact with the ground.

"Rainbow Dash." She said again, plainly. "Do you have anything to say for yourself? To Justify your actions in someway?"

Rainbow stood looking at the ground silently.

Luna spoke again:

"You've given up everything for your friends and in turn they have given up so much for you. Why risk your life on something so frivolous? ... so unnecessary?"

Dash shrugged. Luna approached her, leaning over to now whisper in her ear:

"I know why you do this, Rainbow Dash. When you fail now, you only fail yourself." Rainbow looked up into her eyes as she continued to whisper. "You can live with that and do, by holding on to the past... but given this opportunity can you wager higher stakes than just yourself?"

"Yes!" Rainbow snapped in anger, causing Fluttershy and Pinkie to jump.

Princess Luna and Twilight remained stone-faced.

"Can you?"

Dash scowled.

Luna smiled down at the smaller angry Pegasus who stood before her. Rainbow Dash continued to stare at the Princess above her, unflinching. Her silence made more sense of her situation than her mouth ever could.

"Do you really want this thing?"

Dash nodded, weakly.

"In your room? Once it's up there, it will will be far too awkward to remove by force. It will take magic -- a combined, collective effort. Are you sure, Rainbow Dash? What I describe will be quite the task, even for the remaining Elements. Do not ask me for help again. I will not assist and neither will Celestia in removing this. With that knowledge, why not sell it since it is now here? I will take it."

"You're not getting it because I'm sure I want it, Princess," Dash said through her teeth, not backing down or looking away, even for the Princess. "I know what I want."

Luna smiled lovingly. Using her magic, she slowly levitated the pillar high up with ease, manipulating it as it flew through the air as though it were a mere toy. Staring into Rainbow's angry, bruised magenta eyes the whole time, the Alicorn guided the marble pillar into Rainbow's room, where it was heard being gently set onto the floor of her empty bedroom... taking up one-forth of her space before the addition of a bed and dresser.

"It is done." The Princess spread her wings. "Thank you again for your generosity, Rainbow Dash. Your property in the clouds will bring together Pegasai to better understand Equestria's history and makings. You have made Cloudsdale a better place, and I shall remember this gesture forever... and ever. All of it, and everything that it means."

The Princess took off into the clouds, leaving the two upset Pegasai, Earth pony, and the exhausted Unicorn to themselves. All that could be heard was the gentle breeze as the dusk began to turn to night and the moon came out.

Twilight turned to Pinkie and sighed.

"Wow... just wow." She rubbed her eyes. "Pinkie, do you think you'll need anymore help today?"

Pinkie smiled as she spoke:

"Nope! We're all set for now."

Fluttershy looked at Twilight and smiled weakly.

"If it's alright with you then, Twilight, I think I'm going to home and get some rest."

"I'm right behind you," said Twilight, smiling at Pinkie. "Pinkie, you let us know if you need anymore help. We'll be right here to help you again, Pinkie. Alright?"

"D'aww, that's so sweet! I think next week we'll be setting up the appliances! We're kinda playing it by ear, which is always fun. We'll have the Cakes again, but your electrical expertise will really come in handy!"

"Then I'll have to help you , Pinkie." Twilight looked blankly over at Rainbow Dash. "Good night, Rainbow. You better put something on that eye."

"I think we still have that cooler with some leftover ice from lunch!" Pinkie said, beginning to turn around.

Twilight was already gone. She was walking off in the direction of the library, leaving Fluttershy staring at the two ponies who were already moving on and hadn't even said good-bye to her. Meekly, she turned around and began to walk the path to her home. As she was about to turn the corner, she glanced back at Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. Pinkie was just about to head inside and seemed unphased by everything that had just happened now that it was over, whereas Rainbow continued to stare at her still opened window, blood dripping from her nose to the pavement beneath her. Fluttershy shook her head, then continued on her way home. It got dark fast.

Rainbow Dash was left outside, all by herself, yet again, as the moon shone down on her.