A/N: I don't have anything to say today but it feels as though it's become traditional for me to always leave an author's note at the beginning of these things, so, um, here ya go.

"THE GAMES WE PLAY"

ALTERNATE ENDING #14

Guest Submission from Bellum_Civille

There was only silence; the sound of the two of them breathing and the hushed whisper of snow falling.

"We'll be okay," Rainbow Dash said, her voice firmer this time. "I promise. No matter what happens. I'm not going to give up on you."

And without waiting for a reply, she enfolded the mare in one final embrace before quietly lowering her to the ground.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"No," Mare Do Well answered, still breathless and panting.

A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth, and Rainbow Dash ducked her head in, so that her mouth was moving against the shape of Mare Do Well's ear.

“Too bad,” she whispered. She could feel the mare shiver beneath her.

It was time. She took one final deep breath.

Mare Do Well was perfectly still, as if preparing herself for what was coming. For whatever Rainbow did next.

Rainbow hesitated no further, swooping in and pulling off the mask that covered the mare’s face. Her eyes were closed, surely, but when she raised herself to full height, shaking off the mask to the side, her eyes cracked open.

Sprawled on the alley before her lay a mare swathed in shades of moonlight and street lamps, a fine covering of snow already settling on the deep purple costume that covered her body. The only part uncovered, vulnerable to the elements was her head.

Light blue eyes and a small smile greeted her.

“Pinkie?” Rainbow whispered, aghast. “How could you… this doesn’t make sense!”

“Well, Rainbow, that’s because you aren’t looking at the whole picture!” she explained, as if that would make it clear as day as to why Pinkie, who had grown ever-jealous of Mare-Do-Well, was actually Mare-Do-Well.

Rainbow stopped and thought of the past weeks, the sleepless nights, and the wasted days. Her anger was rising again, at the turmoil Pinkie had seemingly caused, and she turned back to the pink mare, who had stepped up and brushed the snow off her coat.

Rainbow was opening her mouth when she heard voices from behind her. She raised an eyebrow, but Pinkie just smiled.

“Rainbow!”

Rainbow turned at the sound of Twilight’s voice, uncertain if she should be happy or not to see her studious friend. But when she finally swiveled her head around, she didn’t meet Twilight’s eyes.

She met the cold mask of Mare-Do-Well.

Rainbow flinched, eyes wide in shock. She looked between Pinkie and the not-Twilight, her face in complete confusion.

“Rainbow!”

Rainbow looked up at the sudden voice of Fluttershy. But instead of meeting Fluttershy’s nervous gaze, she met another Mare-Do-Well.

“What?! Ok, what the buck is going on! How are all of you-“

“Rainbow!”

Rainbow turned yet again, not even expecting that Rarity would be there. She was right- it was simply another Mare-Do-Well.

“Augh! What now, Applejack’s Mare-Do-Well, too?”

“Howdy, Rainbow!”

“AUGHHHH!”

Rainbow soared over the assembled group of Faker-Do-Wells, looking at each. One had wings, two had horns, one had a Stetson instead of the normal wide-brimmed hat, and the last was Pinkie, still smiling.

“How did you even… but you all… what?”

“Yup! We all played Mare-Do-Well at different times!” said Twilight, removing her mask.

“I stopped the carriage bus with these babies- Bucky McGillicuddy, and Kicks McGee!” she said, showing off her legs.

“I saved the construction workers with my Pinkie-Sense!” said Pinkie with a wide smile.

“And I used my magic to fix the dam!” said Twilight, slipping off her hat.

“And I did the, um, fly-by afterwards,” Fluttershy chirped.

“And I made the costumes! Fabulous, if I do say so myself,” Rarity added, proudly.

Rainbow Dash stood, shell shocked. These were the exact lines, to the word, they had said when they had first played Mare-Do-Well all those months ago.

“But… that doesn’t even-“

“Of course we want you to be a hero!” reaffirmed Twilight.

“But a real hero doesn’t brag,” Applejack finished with a wink.

Rainbow Dash wondered if she was going crazy. She probably was, almost certainly.

“Why are you guys-“

“A LITTLE?!” They all shouted, sending Rainbow a mini-heart attack.

Twilight trotted over to Rainbow’s position on the snow-covered ground.

“Rainbow? Rainbow, wake up. We’re here.”

Rainbow woke with a start to Twilight prodding her in the shoulder.

“We’re at the castle, girls! Isn’t this exciting?”

Rainbow looked at each of them in turn, taking a moment to wonder what the buck just happened. She calmed herself down, realizing it was just a dream.

“Celebrating your accomplishments is natural, but-“

“Rubbing them in everypony’s face is not.”

“Yeah, the only thing that should be rubbed in anypony’s face is chocolate cake!”

Pinkie started licking her hooves frantically.

Rainbow’s wail of agony was heard from as far as Canterlot.

End Next Chapter: Alternate Ending: Rarity Ending, Part 1 (Guest submission from BubbleBerry Pop) Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 12 Minutes