The shattering of the Tree of Harmony was loud.
The noise reverberated throughout Rainbow Dash’s skull endlessly.
Pain shot through his entire body.
A distant voice spoke, but could not be heard.
This was the moment Rainbow Dash came back to life.
Her first confusion was darkness. She checked at least five times that her eyes were indeed open, none of them proving crucial sight. Her second confusion came when she tried to move; She was extremely sluggish, as if her muscles hadn’t been used in years. Her third and most concerning confusion was that she seemed to be constrained in a metal box. A blanket of some sort was draped over her body.
She tries to call out, but her throat was dry and her voice was hoarse. It hurt even to mutter. She picked up her leg, and hit the end of the box. Her kick was far too weak to do anything. Determined, she struck again. And again. Each time, her kick was a little harder. Finally, she brought both hindlegs up and struck as hard as she could. The metal did not budge, but the clanging noise only made her head hurt worse. She then realized that her head hurt in the first place. The blanket seemed to have shifted off her body as well.
The noise of a lock unlocking, and the whole box shifted into open air. The light stung Rainbow’s eyes something fierce, and she winced in response. She let out a pained groan. Once her eyes adjusted to the sudden light, she saw that she was in a morgue. Her body was back to its Pegasus self. Rainbow Dash then took note of the pony who was frozen solid from horror, his face white as one of her friends. “I don’t look that bad, do I?” Rainbow said slowly, having to piece together each word as she said it.
The stallion then took off, yelling for a doctor. Rainbow Dash would have gone after him, but found that moving was too painful. Hopefully a doctor could get her a cup of water and something more comfortable to lie in.
“Your case is one unprecedented, Ms. Rainbow Dash.” The stuffy doctor said as he look through a books worths of test results. Those tests have been uncomfortable at best, and Rainbow was glad she had already forgotten most of the experience. She was feeling a lot better due to proper hydration and something soft to lie in.
“You were clinically and medically dead for several hours. There has not been a single recorded case in history of somepony being resuscitated from that sort of state, not to mention coming back with no apparent explanation. That you are alive at all is a miracle.” The doctor said.
Rainbow gave a raspy laugh that turned into a coughing fit. After a cup of water from the doctor, she spoke. “I must have hit that tree pretty hard, then.”
The doctor blinked. “Tree?” He looked through his notes. “It says here your cause of death was a snapped neck and severe head trauma from a high-velocity impact with a metal wall.”
Rainbow blinked. That was the show accident that killed her in the first place. “But that did kill me. I went through Tartarus, ended up in Hell, spoke to Persephone, she turned me into this creepy demon-pony-thing, brought me back, and I smashed up the Tree of Harmony. Oh, and I think Twilight’s castle burned down or something, honestly it’s pretty foggy.”
The doctor tilted his head. “...No, Ms. Dash, I’m afraid that there’s no record of any of, ahem, that happening. It was probably a dream as your brain restored its function, or something. As I said, a pony coming back to life from your state is unheard of. You even seemed to have healed.”
“Oh.” Dash said. Perhaps it was just a dream? She supposed it would make sense, that was a pretty strange series of events. “Well, how long until I’m back in action, doc?”
The doctor’s expression fell, just a little bit. “I have to be honest, we don’t know. While you are not in any danger of dying again, assuming you don’t go risking your life all over again, you are far from healthy. Your muscles have atrophied, most of your pegasus magic is gone, and you may be suffering from some brain damage.”
Rainbow flinched. “That sounds bad. I suppose it’ll be a while before I can start cracking Sonic Rainbooms again, huh?”
The doctor looked uncomfortable. He avoided eye contact with her. Rainbow started to get anxious. Just how bad was it?
“Doc?”
The doctor gave a sad sigh. “With intensive physical therapy over the course of a few years… You might be able to fly again.”
Her heart dropped. “S-so I gotta work hard for a bit, then back into the Wonderbolts, right? Good as new?”
“Rainbow Dash… The last recorded incident of a pony anywhere near your state, having had that physical and magical therapy, could at most fly at a brisk trotting speed. I’m afraid your body cannot handle the stress of going even that fast.” The doctor explained.
All Rainbow Dash could reply with was “Oh.”
This was it. The end of her life’s dream, of everything she had worked for. It was all for nothing. She couldn’t even be a lousy weatherpony anymore. Her life was effectively over. She curled up, looking at nothing and feeling empty.
She wished she had just died instead.
“I’m so sorry, Ms. Dash.” The doctor consoled. He put his hoof on hers. Rainbow did not respond. “If it helps, I have notified your friends of your return. They will be here shortly. I… I will let you have some time alone.”
Hoofsteps leading away. A door opening, then closing. The quiet beeps of a heart monitor.
Rainbow Dash was nothing. No thoughts entered her mind, no feelings entered her heart. She was numb.
“Rainbow!”
Her friends. Her friends were there. She looked at them all. Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike, even Starlight. They all were so overjoyed. They had their friend back.
But they didn’t. They had a corpse that forgot to die. The weight was crushing Rainbow Dash. When they joined together to give her a group hug, she broke.
No wailing. No screaming. Only a shuddered sigh and tears. Not with a bang, just a whimper. Their words failed to register. It didn’t matter. Dead mare trotting.
Were they confused at her friend’s sadness? Rainbow stopped paying attention. No point getting their hopes up when they would just lose their friend a second time.
So Rainbow just sat back. She ignored her friends. She stared at the clock, then stared at nothing. She waited for her body to catch up with her soul. She would wait. Wait however long it takes. Until they came up with something to cure her, or until she had the chance to cure herself. What did time matter to a mare who could no longer bother? She would feel the sweet embrace of death sooner or later, all she had to do was wait.
“Rainbow Dash!”
Twilight finally got her attention. “Rainbow, I understand what you’re going through.”
Rainbow gave a humorless chuckle. “Do you? Do you really?”
“The doctor told us…” Fluttershy said quietly.
“Not what I mean.” Rainbow said with a bit more venom than she intended.
“I understand that this is really hard on you. It’s been a really emotional day for us, too. We lost you, Rainbow, and that hurt us all so much.” Twilight said. “But you’re alive. You’re alive. I know you’re hurting, but we are all here for you.”
Their friends confirmed.
“You have always been loyal to us, Rainbow, so let us be loyal to you. Let us help you.” Twilight said.
“Go away.” Rainbow muttered. “Just go.”
Twilight frowned, disappointed. “Rainbow please…”
“I said go!” Rainbow shouted. “I don’t want you here, seeing me like this…”
“We ain’t leavin’, and that’s final!” Applejack said. “We don’t care if you can fly or not, we just want our friend back!”
“Your friend is dead.” Rainbow Dash said. “Just let me die in peace.”
Pinkie burst into tears, hugging Rainbow tightly. “No! You can’t die! You just got back! I don’t want to lose you again!”
Rainbow slapped her. It wasn’t hard at all, her foreleg could barely move, but the intention hurt all the worse. Her friends were quiet, aside from sobs from a surprised and confused pink pony.
“Just leave me alone. I want to sleep.” Rainbow said softly. Without another word, her friends left the room. Twilight gave a pained look back, then closed the door.
She was alone once again. Self-loathing did not even begin to describe her turmoil. She knew what she had done was wrong, but it was for their own good. Perhaps she would feel an iota better after a nap.
Her eyelids began to droop…
“Your work is not yet done.”
And they snapped back open. The light in the hospital room changed to red, black spots appeared in the corner of her vision, and she was pretty sure the floor was on fire. Rainbow Dash looked around, confused and scared, no idea what was going on. From the depths of Hell itself rose Persephone, who wasted no time getting right into Rainbow’s face.
“Rainbow Dash, I did not bring you back to the world of the living so that you can sulk in self-pity.”
Rainbow gulped.
“Did you forget your mission?”
She racked her brain… And remembered. “Wait, that actually happened?”
“Everything up to and including our meeting, yes. You were tasked to end my sister’s hold on this world. The memories thereafter were a test of your resolve. Your loyalty to your friends and your species is commendable. But your true missions will not be so blunt and careless."
Rainbow nodded. Persephone had been scary before, but having her this close to her face was far beyond terrifying. The heart monitor let her know how fast her heart was racing.
“Your first task is simple, and I will remind you of it. You are never to go on another ‘friendship problem’ task again. Do I make myself clear?”
Rainbow nodded again. Finally, Persephone leaned back, giving her some space.
“Good. It is but the first step in freeing Equestria. Do this for me… And I shall grant you your flight back.”
Rainbow Dash blinked, and Persephone was gone. The room was back to normal like nothing had happened. She realised she was hyperventilating. The doctor, a nurse, and her friends came rushing in.
Rainbow Dash laughed like a madmare.