“Rainbow Dash! Where are you?”
 
Rarity trotted down the church halls, looking around frantically and growing increasingly worried as she called out her friend’s name. It must have been an hour since she last saw Rainbow Dash; she’d disappeared just after her speech at the funeral.
 
The funeral. Her own daughter’s funeral. Rarity couldn’t imagine how she was feeling, losing her baby at such a young age. She could only pray that she wasn’t doing anything drastic during her absence.
 
After what seemed like hours, Rarity opened a closet door and finally found Rainbow hunched in a corner, her back turned and shoulders shaking.
 
“CELESTIA DAMMIT…shut that door!”
 
Rainbow snapped at the unicorn through tear-filled eyes and shaky breaths, her wings twitching and flaring as if she wanted to cover herself with them but lacked the energy to do so. After a moment, she shakily turned her head, shooting a fierce glare at the mare she once called her friend.
 
“You. Your son. This is HIS fault Rares. If the two of them didn’t decide ‘they’ wanted such a big happy family Paint Swirl would still BE here!”
 
“MY son?” Rarity reeled back in surprise after being lashed out at. “Rainbow, I know you’re grieving, but are you really going to point hooves? Remember that Paint wanted this too, she-“
 
“No she DIDN’T!”
 
Rainbow snapped up at the speed of light, stomping her hoof on the ground to get Rarity to stop talking. This apparently using up all her energy, she soon crouched down near the ground as if she was going to take off. Her glare remained as sharp as a dagger.
 
“She would NEVER want to leave us alone and in pain like this! I knew my daughter! He had to have…have convinced her!”
 
“Rainbow Dash, I am ashamed!” Rarity huffed in disgust. “Do you really think Royal would manipulate her like that? Do you really think he has the cruelty and selfishness to deny her a choice? You don’t know either of them at all!”
 
Rainbow swiftly used her wings to wipe the tears from her eyes, her hooves digging into the ground as her brash attitude overtook her.
 
“No Rarity! Maybe YOU don’t know either of them!”
 
“Why…” Rarity stepped back and glared at the pegasus in disgust. “I clearly cannot reason with you! You’re too caught up in blaming others to listen to logic.” She shook her head.
 
“You know what, Rainbow Dash? I’m through. Through trying to make you listen,” She turned around and started walking away. “If you ever decide to stop being so stubborn,” She turned her head, “I hope you’ll realize the truth.”
 
As the two former friends departed for what seemed like the last time, they didn’t realize that they were being listened in on by a mourning husband…