Celestia’s burning sun hovered sternly out of reach, basking Ponyville with the light of the inevitable day. All Rainbow Dash could do was wait, wait for her hopes and dreams to crumble around her as her friend’s voices echoed in her ears. ‘You will see your girlfriend tomorrow.’ Rainbow’s hoof slowly slid down the pane of glass as she lowered her sight from the window feeling the recurring pain as she limped over to Rarity's bed. Rainbow gazed down to her best friend curled up in a ball, breathing delicately in her sleep. “I’m sorry.” She whispered before limping towards the door.

Before she could reach the door Rainbow felt something grip around her leg. “Where are you going?” With a sad sigh the injured mare turned to face Fluttershy who’s hoof held her in place.

“I just, need some air.”

“You just came from the window.” Fluttershy responded unmoving from her grip, staring up at her best friend.

Rainbow looked away, wishing she didn’t have to talk. “How long have you been watching me?”

“Long enough to know something is troubling you.” The caring mare softened her grip into a gentle comforting hold as Rainbow sat beside her. Fluttershy remained silent simply rubbing her friend’s injured leg waiting for her to talk.

Several minutes passed before Rainbow finally spoke. “I don’t deserve to be with her, if I was her girlfriend I would have stopped her falling. I would have been there for her. If I couldn’t save her, I don’t deserve to be with her.” Rainbow faced away from her friend as she spoke, trying desperately to avoid eye contact. “I need to go to the Wonder Bolt’s anniversary, if I can perform my routine then...maybe I deserve to be with her.” Rainbow felt relief mix with her sadness as her friend released her hold, allowing her to limp to the door.

“And what’s the real reason?” Fluttershy’s voice called out as she opened the door.

“That is-” Rainbow’s reply cut short as Fluttershy swooped before her slamming the door shut.

“Do you still think I’m that much of a pushover? That I won’t even question your blatant lying?!” Fluttershy leaned forward forcing their faces together. “I always go to every anniversary with you and I know for a fact it isn’t for another week, and do you expect me to honestly believe you still feel like you didn’t save her? Tell me the truth!” Fluttershy’s demanding gaze finally broke through to her friend causing her to fall limp, crying openly in the questioning pony’s hooves.

Rainbow continued crying, drenching Fluttershy’s pink mane in her tears. “I can’t.”

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t, you have to tell me.” Fluttershy continued holding her crying friend close for support. “Please.”

Rainbow buried her face deeper into the now soaking mane. “I can’t see her...not like this.”

“Why not? Rainbow she loves you, she won’t care how you look.”

“She loves Dashie, the arrogant, fast flying, fit, hot and fun pony.” Rainbow’s tears drained down her face as she looked her friend in the eyes. “What do I have now? I can barely walk, I'm covered in cuts and bruises, I can't even have a damn bath without help!” Fluttershy held her friend tightly as she continued to cry between her words. “Look at me, I can't even stop crying. I'm not the pony she fell in love with. I can't see her like this.”

“She loves you Rainbow. Your emotions are a part of you.” Fluttershy could feel her words falling on deaf ears as Rainbow continued crying over her light coat. ‘Only she can make you understand...’ The quiet pony drifted off her thoughts as she hugged Rainbow closer.

--

The crackles of the warming fireplace echoed through the ground floor of Rarity’s boutique, accompanied by the soft breathing of a white unicorn laying almost silent on her favourite sofa, oblivious to the sound of the opening door. Rarity remained in her pleasing dream as multiple ponies trotted around her, surrounding the sofa.

A calming lavender aura carried a tattered purple scarf around Rarity’s neck as a similarly coloured hoof gently stroked her beautiful face. “Twi...” Rarity moaned quietly in her half sleeping state, brushing her face softly against the hoof. Rarity slowly awoke from her dream, slightly upset with ending her passion with her lover before noticing the affection she felt remained. Her sapphire eyes squinted shortly to the bright mid-day light before being shielded by the looming figure of a pony leaning over her. As her eyes focused she was filled with the warmth of the familiar violet eyes staring into her own. “Twilight?”

Twilight Sparkle stroked her lover’s face once more before remaining still for support as she dipped towards her drowsy mouth, and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, softly kissed her succulent lips. Their friends quietly watched as the unicorns enjoyed their brief reunion, as much as they enjoyed seeing them happy they both wished they could do the same for the ponies they themselves loved. After the longest seconds of their lives Twilight broke from the short kiss to see Rarity smiling up at her. “Oh Twilight, you really are here!” Rarity dived up to hug her girlfriend’s face close to her heart before noticing her quiet moan of pain. “Twilight? Heavens! What happened to you?” Rarity worryingly examined her lover’s body, her face heavily bruised and her body looking tattered and harmed. “Did she do this to you? Oh I never should have let you go.”

“It’s okay Rarity, it isn’t as bad as it looks.” Twilight gave a sincere smile to help calm her lover. It could have been worse, but Applejack stopped her.”

Applejack’s responsibility for her friend cut at her heart as she noticed Rarity rise to face her. “I’m sorry, ah should have stopped her being hurt. I couldn’t-” The wounded earth pony winced in pain as Rarity dived around her in a hug.

“Oh thank you! Thank you for looking after my dear Twilight Sparkle I couldn’t think of what would have happened if you weren’t there!” Rarity hugged her friend tightly before realising she was hurting her. “I’m so terribly sorry!” Rarity gazed down at Applejack’s beaten body littered with cuts and bruises, far worse than those on her girlfriend. “Is there no end to that monster’s rage?”

“It’s okay, she won’t hurt anypony again.” Twilight responded slowly trotting over to hug the shocked unicorn. “I...we made sure she won’t.” Twilight struggled in her reply, not wanting to let Rarity know of what she did.

“Oh Pinkie Pie, it is so good to see you unharmed! We feared the worst, but we knew you would be safe.” Rarity smiled happily hugging her previously missing friend, before stroking aside her flat mane, to be horrified by the sight of the scratch cutting her eye. “This is just...uncalled for. I hope she gets something done to her in turn.” Rarity stated in an angry tone before shaking her head in disgust. “What am I saying, I’m so sorry, I just...I can’t stand seeing such disgusting rage.”

“I look disgusting?” Pinkie asked sadly.

“No dear nothing of the sort! You look beautiful as always!” Rarity held her hoof over her mouth, hating the fact she could imply such a thing. “These cuts don’t change how beautiful you look, it is what gave you the injury that I loathe, not you.” The unicorn lowered her sight to the floor before feeling her head being lifted by a reassuring lavender hoof. Rarity returned her gaze to her pink friend and was glad to see she was not hurt by her comment. “I just wish I had gone with you, with my magic I would have stopped her from hurting either of you. I knew Twilight wouldn’t be comfortable with using her own in such a way.”

Twilight pulled her girlfriend in for a hug, fighting back tears as she thought of what would happen if she found out. “It’s okay, we’re all safe now, you needed to look after Rainbow and you did. You can’t be everywhere at once.”

Rarity pulled out from the hug slightly, enough to brush her lover’s tear filled face with compassion before the mention of Rainbow Dash filled her thoughts. “Oh! I let Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy use my bedroom, they should still be up there...” Before her words could even finish she saw her friend’s ears perk and Applejack rushed with her remaining strength towards the stairs before returning to the less responsive pink pony.

“Come on, don’t make me buck ya.” Applejack joked happily as she nudged her head against Pinkie’s flank. “They won’t wait forever, well they will, but ah want to see her now.”

--

Rarity’s scream of joy pierced the foundations of her home, signalling their lover’s arrival. “They’re here!” The usually quiet pegasus’ wings fluttered shortly before stalling to the sight of her friend quivering as if frightened. “Pinkie wants to see you again, she misses you.”

“She misses what I was-” Rainbow fell forward into her friend gripping her aching heart, the denial of her desperate desire to see her girlfriend causing more pain than her physical injuries.

Fluttershy gently rubbed the wounded mare’s back as the distant sound of chatting escalated to worries of their lover’s injuries. ‘Why did everypony have to get hurt, all we wanted was to be happy.’ “Please Rainbow, we just want you to be happy.”

The distant voices returned to silence as the rising sound of hooves echoed from the stairs. Rainbow quickly sunk to the floor in panic, her lungs almost hyperventilating as the inevitable meeting she feared drew closer. Fluttershy drew herself back from the door, as much as she desired nothing more than seeing Applejack again she couldn’t leave her friend in such a state. “It’s okay Rainbow.” The quiet pegasus wrapped her legs around her quacking friend to whisper reassuring words in her ear. Fluttershy knew nothing she could say could help lower the pressure enough from the previous times she had seen her best friend in such a state. ‘She has to see Pinkie, no matter what she says.’

Upon hearing the hooves approaching the door Fluttershy rose to her own before being gripped by the panicking pegasus below her. “Tell them I’m not here! Please!”

“I have to.”

“Promise me.” Rainbow stared up with her violet eyes wide open, drenching her face in tears. Fluttershy couldn’t reply, simply turning from the sight of her friend’s pain to avoid crying herself. She quietly opened the door as Rainbow’s desperate demand remained in her mind.

Fluttershy barely had time to ponder her painful decision before she found her face buried in a deep sea of orange firmly embracing her. “Ah missed you.” Applejack’s voice soothed the pegasus’ soul as she continued gently rubbing her neck against her lover’s, her strong legs holding the light pony in place as if fearing loosing her to the wind.

“I missed you too.” Fluttershy quietly spoke as she slowly lifted her forelegs over her girlfriend’s shoulders, gently rubbing her face against her muscled body. “I love you.”

The couple quietly continued their affectionate exchange as Pinkie Pie slowly approached the cuddling pair. “Where’s Dashie?”

Fluttershy slowly pulled out from her lover’s embrace to see the pink pony, she felt a mix of worrying emotions as she stared at her wounded eye, once again being filled with thoughts of her old bully to the sight of the injury. The timid pegasus swiftly dismissed such memories knowing she neither wanted to remember them nor wanted to talk about such things. “I really want to see her...” Pinkie’s flat mane and lack of brashness made it clear exactly how much she missed her girlfriend, perhaps even more than Rainbow herself if that were possible. Which only made it more painful to keep her presence a secret.

“She’s...” Fluttershy hesitated with her response. She knew Rainbow wanted to see her despite everything she said, but she could never break a promise with her, Rainbow never broke a promise. Fluttershy could feel Pinkie’s sapphire eyes staring at her, desperately seeking the answer she needed. “Rainbow...” She whispered quietly hating herself for what she needed to say. “She’s waiting for you, in the bedroom.” Fluttershy couldn’t stand having to break such a long history, but deep inside she knew it had to be done, it was what they both wanted. Applejack gently held her leg around her to reassure her of her choice as the four friends watched Pinkie nudge her head into the bedroom door.

“Dashie?” Pinkie spoke quietly as she entered Rarity’s bedroom, but the only reply was a gentle breeze from the open window cooling the vacant room.

Applejack helped Fluttershy towards the door before she almost fell into tears. “I never should have broke the promise, I just couldn’t lie about that.”

Pinkie stared out the window as water slowly began to fill her vision, but just as the sadness began to drench her face again a familiar aroma passed through her sensitive nose. “Dashie?” She questioned again, this time even quieter as she trotted slowly towards a large wardrobe by the velvet bed. Speaking louder as she approached. “Dashie?”

A loud tumbling sound shocked the onlooking ponies as a moan of pain permeated the oak frame. Pinkie turned around with a concerned gaze to her friends. “Do not worry, I am sure she will be fine.” Rarity smiled back to calm her friend before leading the others outside to give the couple some space. “Though I can’t say the same for my spare sewing machine.” The beautiful unicorn sighed quietly awarding a warming kiss on her cheek.

Pinkie Pie waited for her friends to close the door before sitting down beside the finely crafted wardrobe. “Hey.” Pinkie spoke quietly through the wood, facing towards the small gap between the doors. “You’re really bad at hiding, you know?”

“...Hey.” A short while passed before a reply finally escaped the wood, Rainbow’s voice quickly resurfaced Pinkie’s feelings as she quietly listened to her reply. “It fooled the others.”

“Yeah, but your scent gave you away.” Rainbow carefully looked out through the slim gap between the doors which offered the only light inside, remaining quiet in confusion. “Your alluring sweet, surprisingly musky scent when you get nice and sweaty.” Rainbow noticed the drips of sweat falling from her mane as tried to keep in her amusement. “I would never forget that scent, not after what it reminds me of...” Inevitably neither of them could keep it in any longer as they burst out giggling to the thoughts of their day long passion.

Several minutes passed before the calm silence returned, and several more before it was finally broken. “I miss you.” Pinkie spoke placing a hoof against the wooden barricade.

“What do you miss, my scent, or the day we...”

“Everything.” The pink pony rose to press her body against the doors, wishing she could phase through them to the mare she longed for. “I just want to be with you again.”

Rainbow’s tears returned as she heard her lover speak. “I know, and I feel the same way. I want nothing more than to be with you. I’m just, not like I was.”

“You’re straight?”

“What? N, no I mean my body isn’t the same, it’s all ugly and broken and-”

“Dashie.” Pinkie brought herself back down as she spoke. “How you look doesn’t matter, I want to be with you, I don’t care about your body I, well I do want your body but I don’t care how it looks! well I don’t only want your body of course I want your mind but I like your body and, well I probably want your body more but it isn’t all about your...” Pinkie continued digging herself deeper until she stopped to the sound of laughter. “Hey it’s not meant to be funny I’m being serious! I love all of your body, and your mind and.” Noticing her attempts to reason only made Rainbow laugh harder, the Element of Laughter inevitably joined in, enjoying the sweet sound of her lover’s happiness even if she herself failed to understand the joke.

As the laughter died down Rainbow returned her sight to the light, and for the first time since the fall, saw an adorable sapphire eye staring back at her. “I.” Without another word Rainbow gently nudged open the oak door, and after letting her eyes adjust to the light, slowly leaned out to search for the pony she loved. “Pink-”

Without warning a pink blur dived into the injured mare gripping her in a hug, so tight it could border being crushed. “Dashie!” Pinkie yelled happily as the pony in her hooves struggled for air. “Oh, sorry.” The pink pony giggled as she lessened the strength of her hug. “It’s just so good to see you again.” With another motion of her hooves she leaned down against her lover’s left legs causing her to recoil in pain. “Oopsie! Sorry.”

“Oww, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Rainbow took her gaze from the dominative pony shortly to admit her injuries. “I broke my left legs, and the rest isn’t exactly pretty.” She sighed briefly, hoping her lover’s words were true.

“This is, from saving me?” Pinkie asked, tearing up as she did before throwing her face against the pegasus’ bandaged coat. “I’m sorry!”

“I couldn’t let you fall, it isn’t your fault.”

“But I shouldn’t have left you!” Rainbow gently folded her wings around the crying mare. “I just didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t accept what I thought happened to you. That I thought I did it.” Pinkie’s flowing tears drenched her lover’s coat. “I was scared.”

“You can’t blame yourself for that.” Rainbow began to cry herself as she held the pony she loved closer, hoping with all her heart she could gain forgiveness. “The others went to search for you, but I couldn’t do anything, I just lay there being useless.”

“You’re not useless Dashie.” The pink pony gently nuzzled her lover’s bandaged chest. “We just needed help, you could never be useless.”

--

An indeterminable amount of time passed as the mares lay in each other’s hooves, their tear filled apologies hanging over the young couple, threatening to crush their spirits beneath the heavy burden of their hearts. But for every moment they spent interlocked in the embrace, the undeniable passion they felt grew in their conciousness. Behind all the self loathing that single primordial desire of love assaulted their hearts until they could no longer speak a single word against their feelings for each other.

Pinkie continued gently nuzzling her face against her partner’s vulnerable chest, her final tears being soaked up by the pegasus’ constricting bandages. Upon noticing her crying cease Rainbow finally broke the long silence. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah...” Pinkie trailed off as she continued rubbing her face against her lover’s light blue chest. “You’re really comfortable.” The sentences awarded a small smirk from her injured mare, who brought a hoof to gently caress the soft face hidden beneath Pinkie’s flat mane. Rainbow’s arrogant expression returned as she gazed into her lover’s sapphire eyes, rubbing her hoof through the silky pink hairs, before ever so lightly rubbing the tip of the hoof along the sensitive cut across her eye. Pinkie recoiled slightly to the touch due to the fear of rejection being greater than even the stinging pain from the cut. “It’s ugly.”

“Nah.” Rainbow continued to rub her partner’s face to soothe her as she stared deeper into her reflecting eyes. “To be honest, it looks cool on you.” Without warning the previously sad Element of Laughter kept to her namesake, bursting into a laughing fit. Rainbow pressed the laughing pony’s face against her chest to muffle the sudden sound from being heard by her friends, as much as she completely loved Pinkie’s voice especially when laughing, it was still a surprise leaving her to barely know what to do. “What’s so funny?”

Pinkie withdrew from her partner’s comfy chest to fail to look her in the eyes, laughing almost manically for no clear reason. “You’re so predictable, Applejack told me you would say that.”

Rainbow exhaled her breath as her girlfriend continued to laugh. “Come on, I’m not predictable! It’s just I think it looks cool on your hot face and.” Pinkie began to laugh deeper, snorting several times as she dropped her face back against her lover’s chest. “Pinkie.” Rainbow pulled the laughing pony up to face her before pressing a hoof against her mouth to silence her. “Pinkie!”

A sudden silence filled the room as Rainbow stared down into her silenced lover’s sapphire eyes, her breathing escalated to the sight of the building tears. She had seen Pinkie cry in sadness over the last hour many times, but now, her eyes were filled with hope. Rainbow gently rubbed her partner’s cheek as she continued to stare at her now free face. “Dashie?” Pinkie’s words and eyes reminded her, nay this whole scene reminded her of the night when she first confessed her love, the night of the party when she stayed behind to be with her.

“What I would give for a bottle to spin.” Rainbow spoke in a soothing voice as she trailed her hoof behind the pink pony’s mane, and with a final gaze into her large round eyes, she dipped towards her lover’s awaiting mouth. Pinkie’s pupils remained large, reflecting the sight of the descent as the rainbow mare gently kissed her partner’s delicate lips.

Merely milliseconds into their kiss, Pinkie’s desires detonated in a stream of passion as she forced her legs around her girlfriend’s mane, pulling her closer as her hungry tongue wedged its way inside Rainbow’s willing mouth. The pegasus at first shocked by the sudden passion soon joined in, her own built up desires joining with her lover’s own as their ravaging tongues fought for dominance in the quickly dampening oral arena. Rainbow managed to open her violet eyes during a lull in the fight to see her lover’s sapphire globes staring back at her, as if struggling to believe this was real. In response she forced her tongue deep inside the questioning mare’s vulnerable mouth, holding her head for support as Pinkie’s eyes closed tightly releasing tears of joy in acknowledgement as their tongues met once more, this time to waltz among the building saliva filling their passionate kiss.

“They have stopped apologising at last, hopefully soon they will return to as they were.” Rarity stealthily nudged her bedroom door open to continue eavesdropping on her now much quieter friends, though the sounds she heard soon discarded any care for subtlety as she burst into the room. The romantic unicorn could barely keep herself from squealing as she stared at the two ponies filling the noticeably warmer room with the quiet sound of their moist kisses.

Twilight soon followed her partner into the room, brushing her face delicately along her beautiful white coat, trotting quietly to enjoy the sound that reminded her of their own passion. “How are they?” The unicorns looked back together to the clearly struggling farm pony being helped inside by Fluttershy’s weak support. Applejack’s expression lit up shortly to the sight of Rainbow and Pinkie kissing before it returned to a more dull state. “That’s good, everypony’s finally, happy.” Applejack barely managed to complete her words before collapsing on her lover’s back, causing them to both fall towards the floor.

“Applejack?!” Rarity’s voice beamed in worry as she darted down to help the struggling pegasus to move her partner into a much more comfortable position.

“She took most of the brunt to save us, how she even made it this far is a testament to how much she cares for us.” Twilight knelt by the orange mare with her friends to offer support.

“Stop talking like I’m dyin’.” Twilight’s short giggle warmed the injured mare’s heart as she looked over to the pink pony she saved kissing the first pony she ever loved. “I had to help them. Ah couldn’t live with myself if ah didn’t, even if it hurt.” Fluttershy lowered her mouth to kiss her lover’s motionless lips, before holding the sleeping pony in her hooves.

“She’ll be okay, she’s just tired.” The lavender mare stretched with a quiet yawn as she arose to her hooves to smile at the long awaited sight of her still kissing friends. “As most of us are anyway. But we really should get those three to hospital.”

“Four, Twilight dear.” Rarity replied gazing up at her lover before quickly rising to her hooves, clapping them together as she spoke. “Okay you heard the mare, let’s get you all some treatment, get moving.” The beautiful unicorn gently nudged Pinkie Pie as she remained unmoving from her deep kisses.

“Aww but I want to make out with Dashie.”

“I know you do darling, but look at her.” Rarity nudged the party pony a second time for her to rise, gently rubbing her hooves across the sweating, heavily breathing pegasus below her.

“yeah, she’s hot.” Pinkie’s words caused Rainbow’s blushing to deepen, fuelling their passion even further as the pink mare dived down to kiss her lover again.

Pinkie kissed the air briefly before realising she was caught in a light levitating aura, reaching out for the pegasus only centimetres away. “Yes she is, but she is also injured! As are you dear.” Rarity noticed her friends sadness to the idea of stopping before an idea quickly struck her mind. “Let’s just get you two healed up, then you can return to making love for entire days.”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Rainbow smirked happily, biting her lip to the thought as she stroked her girlfriend’s mane which had returned to it's puffy cotton candy goodness. “Let’s make you better so we can have lots and lots of fun! Okay Dashie?”

Rainbow’s hoof trailed down her lover’s giddy face as all the possibilities filled her mind, reminding her of her best day ever, making love to the cheerful pink pony. “yeah, count on it!” The couple continued kissing regardless of Rarity's words as soon as she released her magical aura earning both a sigh and laugh from the beautiful mare.