Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had let their boat slowly drift out into the middle of the lake, with Dash sometimes paddling two or three strokes to move them along. About an hour had passed since the two mares had pushed off from the shore, and occasionally, a light gust of wind would disturb the little ripples of water that danced rhythmically past the center of the lake. The water was a rich, dark blue, and one could see only a small fraction of the way to the bottom of the deep lake.

Fluttershy felt a little rumble in her tummy, and said, "hey, Dash, I'm starting to get a bit hungry." Rainbow Dash sat up, slightly rocking the little boat, and stretched her wings. "I was just starting to feel a bit sleepy myself. I'll grab us an appetizer in a minute." Fluttershy beamed, and moved closer to Rainbow Dash. "Oh, Dash, you're such a sweetie. Thanks." She extended her muzzle towards Rainbow Dash's cheek, and gave her a short peck. "That really would be awesome of you, Dash, if you wouldn't mind."

Rainbow Dash took off, and made her way back to the isthmus between the two lakes where they had left their picnic basket. In the distance, she saw the three colts still boating on the other lake, about as far from from the part of the isthmus where Rainbow Dash had left the picnic basket as her and Fluttershy's boat was. Rainbow Dash landed, and pulled out a couple plates of sprout-and-romaine salad from the basket. Rooting around, Rainbow Dash also pulled out two large containers, one filled with olive oil, and the other filled with vinegar. Fluttershy always drowned her salads in the stuff, so Dash had brought plenty.

A scream. Not from Fluttershy's direction. Rainbow Dashed turned. All three of the colts, flailing around in the water. Their boat, much lower in the water than it should have been. The other two colts screamed.

A bang on metal. Another bang. A scream. From Fluttershy's direction. Had something been startled? Rainbow Dash turned. Her marefriend Fluttershy banging on the side of the ship, and saying something too softly for Rainbow to understand. Fluttershy flailing, but mostly failing to move.

Rainbow Dash knew who she had to save first.

She took off, and beat her wings against the air with more force than form. She came close to her target, and began to descend.

"don't deserve to be saved, please just go help them, there's only one of me, sorry," Fluttershy whimpered. Her boat had filled a fifth of the way with water, but still floated. "Move, I'll swim, and you hold on to me!" Dash held out a hoof, and Fluttershy shook her head.

"I'm stuck. Dash, my hoof." Dash saw that the rusty metal of the bottom of the boat had given way where one of Fluttershy's hooves had accidentally pierced the age-weakened surface when Fluttershy had panicked. Dash pounded the boat with her own hooves, and Fluttershy whimpered, her hoof coming free. With her hoof released, the now unclogged hole began to fill their boat with water more quickly than before.

Rainbow Dash held on to Fluttershy, and kicked with all her might, so as to reach the shore as quickly as she could. "Kick, Fluttershy!" The water was lukewarm, yet Fluttershy shivered out of fear.

Rainbow's wings were entirely submerged beneath the water as she kicked. She couldn't help but think that she wouldn't be able to fly again for at least an hour, until they dried. Rainbow kept kicking, but the shore was such a long way away, and swimming was so much slower than flying.

Fluttershy kicked, even though she had gotten tired so quickly. She kept kicking until they reached the shore.

Rainbow Dash kicked, and even though it seemed like it took so long for them to swim back, she never slowed down.

And when they reached the shore, the three colts and their boat was nowhere to be seen. Rainbow Dash knew that she had been too late. Fluttershy watched her swim out to where she had last seen the colts' boat at, and dive beneath the water, and resurface, and then dive again and again, never bringing anypony back up with her.

There had never been any question as to whom the element of loyalty would choose to save.