Rainbow Dash had never been so happy to see light begin to seep through her hospital room windows. It began to rapidly diminish the darkness that filled her room and her mind for she was still scarred from her horrific nightmare. She didn't even want to close her eyes and even when she blinked, she thought she could see the shadowy figure that jumped and screamed at her. Occasionally, she thought she could still hear the whispers of herself in the back of her mind. Her pillow and certain parts of her sheets were soaked with her tears. For the rest of that night, it was a battle for her sanity. She had felt so paranoid and afraid that she didn't realize that all her muscles were tensed. When she finally relaxed them as the sun began to rise, strangely it almost hurt. She completely relaxed when her room was completely lit up from the sun.
Well I know one thing's for sure, I'm not going to get any sleep for next few days. What was that......thing anyway. In my dream. It looked like a pony. A familiar pony to be exact.
Disturbing memories began to come back and began to fill her head.
'NO! I DON'T EVEN WANT TO RECALL THAT!' She told herself.
There was little she could do to stop her mind from thinking about it. She tried to hold back the tears that had been going on for the rest of the night.
"Goddamnit what is wrong with me?" She whimpered aloud.
She had been crying all night and found it pathetic that she was still shaken from the nightmare as horrifying as it was. She was now trying to suck it up like the tough mare she "pictured" herself as. She decided to crawl out of her bed and to her surprise she felt no pain. She felt like a new mare. Now she knew why the doctor was so awed when he first saw her. She didn't know how she healed so quickly and she didn't care to know how. She looked out the window and she could tell by the endless sea of skyscrapers and paved roads that she was in Manehattan, but it wasn't that, that surprised her. She could see a faint reflection of herself in the window. The red streak in her rainbow mane had been replaced with a white streak. She usually didn't care about the way her mane looked, but this just looked ridiculous. Surprisingly, because of all of the shit that has been happening to her she didn't care as much. She almost expected to see that shadow appear behind her. To try to soften the situation up, she wondered how Rarity would react. She had always complimented Rainbow Dash on her mane, not the way it was styled, just the way it was naturally multicolored and when ever Rarity spotted that was, so she called it, "an insult to fashion" she would flip out. It was quite humorous to the cyan pegasus. Whatever, it was just something she would have to live with, but she wasn't sure about the nightmares. If she was going to have those kind of nightmares for the rest of her life she wasn't sure if she could live with that. She assumed that the reason why her mane had changed was because of the crash or because of how fast she was going or something. She didn't really want to think about it. She was only looking forward as to when she would get out of here.
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Spitfire, the captain of the Wonderbolts, and her team entered the locker room after a tiring days worth of flight practice. Her wings were sore, but that was a good sign to her at least. She was retiring her flight suit in her locker when of course Soarin was the first to speak.
" Hey guys did you all hear what happened down at the Everfree forest? Someone burned down a fourth of the forest just by flying over it and then crashed."
Spitfire glared at him. She could tell he was telling another one of his stories again.
"Oh yeah! I heard about that. Whoever that was who was flying was said to have broken two speed barriers." Rapid Fire answered.
Spitfire now fully tuned in on the what they talking about. It was obvious now that it wasn't a story.
"Wait what are you two talking about?" Spitfire didn't like being left out on stuff like this, but somehow she would always be the last pony to know about stuff like this.
"You haven't heard? Well I mean of course you wouldn't know......." Soarin turned to face her from his locker.
Spitfire just rolled her eyes at him still maintaining the same glare. Sometimes she wondered why Soarin was her best friend.
"Just tell me."
"Ok." Soarin began. The rest of the Wonderbolts gathered around to listen. "Do you remember that one mare we met at the Grand Galloping Gala?"
Spitfire shook her head, "Be more specific. Do you realize how many fans we met there?"
"Ummm....." Soarin tapped his hoof against the floor trying to remember. "Damn, I don't remember her name- OH! I think she was the one who saved my pie from falling. Remember?"
Spitfire chuckled "Her name is Rainbow Dash. You know? The one you said that was cute?"
Spitfire hasn't seen Rainbow Dash ever since the Wonderbolt Academy six months ago. She was currently in her final stage of training. Hell, Spitfire even had to admit herself she did look pretty cute at the time of the Gala, but that was something she'd rather keep to herself. It would be a cold day in hell before she would tell anypony that she was secretly into mares. However; she wouldn't really mind if Soarin found out because he's a very open minded pony, a good friend, and would never ditch her over something like that. She was planning on coming out and telling Soarin this once she had found a special mare, but for some reason Spitfire felt that wouldn't happen for a long time or probably never at all. It didn't really matter to her, because she never really understood relationships or just love in general. For her to actually say to herself that she was actually somewhat attracted to another pony made her a bit nervous that eventually those feelings would catch up to her. However; she probably won't see Rainbow Dash for another month until she graduates and actually earns the title of a Wonderbolt. She could almost see the adorable look Rainbow Dash will have on her face once she's handed the official uniform and emblem badge.
"Hey Shut up! It was just a simple compliment!" Soarin lashed back in defense. His cheeks turned bright red.
Spitfire realized she almost went into a daydream about Rainbow Dash and was glad that Soarin stopped from going any further. Who knows what fantasies her negative mind would've come up with.
"Mmhhmm, sure." Spitfire remembered his cute little crush well. She had a really good memory and knew when Soarin was lying.
"Whatever! That's not the point! It was her that burned down a fourth of the forest!"
"Bullshit!" Fleet Foot added with disbelief.
Spitfire had to call bullshit too, but she wasn't seeing Soarin's usual signs that would tell if he was lying.
"And how do you know this?" She examined Soarin's eyes for any sign that he was lying still. She could read Soarin like a book and right now she could see that he was slightly angry. Probably because she mentioned his little crush in front of everyone, but no one seemed to care.
"Again, I saw it happen! There were apparently two speed barriers broken. One was the obvious one, the sonic barrier as we all know about and then..........another barrier was broken." Soarin's eyes widened.
Spitfire still wasn't going to believe him. Neither Spitfire nor any of the Wonderbolts could break the sonic barrier thus performing the legendary Sonic Rainboom, and as far as she could tell, Rainbow Dash was the only pony that could do that, but for her to hear that she went even faster than a Sonic Rainboom made every instinct scream at Spitfire telling her Soarin was lying.
A wave a doubtful comments spread among the Wonderbolts.
"That's physically impossible!" Silver Lining called out. "And even if she did do it, she should be dead. The sheer G-force would've killed her. Her wings would've been physically torn from her body and earlier you mentioned that she crashed? Yeah dude, last time I checked, going mach 3 and then doing a head on collision into the ground tends to kill ponies."
"It's true." Rapid Fire added. "It was in the news this morning and they also said that she's in the hospital and survived the crash!"
"What?!" Silver Lining asked astonished and doubtful. "How?! There's now way she survived that!"
Spitfire didn't know Rapid Fire as well she knew Soarin, but she knew Rapid Fire wasn't the one for lying.
"Okay Soarin if you saw it happen tell us when and what you were doing while you saw it." Spitfire sat on the bench with her forelegs crossed.
"Well..." He began. His eyes darted up to his top right, usually meaning he was trying to recall something. If Spitfire hadn't taken up flying, she would've been an excellent Psychologist. Just like her mother, but she never liked her mother and certainly not her alcoholic father.
"I was on my way back to Cloudsdale from...well that's none of your guy's business."
Spitfire knew exactly what he meant though. He would usually go to Manehattan and get drunk off his ass from this one club......well actually a lot of clubs. In fact she bet that if anypony asked him to name all the clubs and bars in Manehattan he would actually be able to name all of the them on his first try. He's been doing this more often to the point where it was beginning to worry Spitfire. She was beginning to get tired of having to carry Soarin's drunk ass back home. She certainly was not about to go clubbing with Soarin ever again after a certain incident she did not want to recall. Well...... let's just say Soarin got a little too "touchy feely" around her and it was an incident they both agreed to put aside and forget about, but one thing was for sure about that night. He reminded her of her father and the cruel things he had done and said to her. She didn't want her best friend, hell her only "true" friend to turn into that kind of pony.
"Anyways.... I was flying back to Clouds Dale when I saw a huge fucking explosion of colors light up the sky and...... well what could I say it was the most beautiful damn thing I have ever seen." He was also developing a nasty habit of bad language which she didn't admire.
"Then out of the aurora of colors that cast through the sky, I saw a pony shaped object rocket through the sky, rainbow in its wake. That's how I knew it was that mare from the Gala." He paused then Soarin's eyes and his expression seemed to change into a gloomy look. "Then....... a second explosion happened only this time is wasn't beautiful in anyway what so fucking ever. It looked like.... well an explosion really. It fucking blinded me. It was the brightest damn flash I had ever seen. Then I saw what looked like a comet blaze across the sky at an impossible speed and then eventually crashed in the Everfree forest near Manehattan. It started a fucking forest fire!"
'I swear to Luna if he curses one more time I'm going to punch him.' Spitfire swore to herself.
"Damn....."Fleet Foot broke the brief silence of the locker room. Of course somepony else besides Soarin had to curse.
While the rest of the team were talking about the event Soarin had just described, Spitfire took the opportunity to hit the showers. She never really washed up in these showers, she just let the warm water rush through her yellow and orange mane and her wings. It soothed her sore muscles and it gave her some time to think. Although she really didn't feel like thinking about anything. There were a lot things that have been happening around Equestria though. Princess Celestia died, but oddly enough everypony just seemed to carry on their lives and not care much about it probably because they knew her sister would take her place. The only problem was Spitfire thought Luna was being a little paranoid and taking her power a little too far. She's been acting like she's preparing for a war or something, but there hasn't been a war in Equestria since.......hell she didn't know how long ago, but she believes that her point still stands. Luna needs to chill out.
Spitfire thought she heard the locker room door open. The chatter in the locker room ceased.
"I am looking for a mare by the name of Spitfire." A voice boomed and echoed with authority.
Spitfire shut the water off immediately. She assumed by the sound of whoever's voice that was that he meant business. She didn't really take the time to dry herself off either. When she came into the locker room she found her team staring at a tall grey stallion in some weird kind of uniform with a dark blue, grey and black pattern. He carried a messenger bag. She didn't like the fact a stallion in (from what she could tell) a UNLR uniform deliver her mail instead of Derpy.
A thought that lingered in the back of her mind pushed its way to the front. When she had attended Celestia's funeral, she heard Luna say something about a draft. "I'm Spitfire." She answered.
When she saw the stallion reach into his messenger bag to pull out an olive green envelope, she didn't even have to guess what this meant.
"By the order of Princess Luna and her executives you and your team are here by drafted into the UNLR military." The stallion gave her the envelope. Spitfire gripped the envelope in her mouth. She was still trying to process what had just happened. She wasn't shocked that she got drafted, but her whole team was now drafted. This was bullshit.
"You are to report to the Cloudsdale outpost at exactly 0700 hours tomorrow where you will be transported to Fort Dawn."
"Fort Dawn? Where's that?" She had never heard of this fort before.
"You should know. It's where the Wonderbolts academy used to be." The stallion answered.
"USE TO BE?!" Spitfire yelled. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN USE TO BE?!"
The stallion kept the same indifferent expression on his face. "I mean the Wonderbolt's Academy is no longer the Wonderbolt's academy. Instead of it being used to train Wonderbolts it's now being used to train the Airforce, which you are now a part of. Failure to comply with this will result in the death sentence."
Spitfire could not believe what she just heard. Her academy that she worked so hard to establish was now converted into a military fort over the course of two days. She wasn't even informed of this.
"That's bullshit! Princess Luna can't just take away an academy I established and then claim it as her own!" Spitfire yelled back. Her faith and respect for Princess Luna was destroyed right then and there.
"Look don't yell at me I'm just a messenger if want to yell at someone, take it up with Princess Luna herself. I'm just following orders. Have a nice afternoon...even though you probably won't." The messenger said as he exited the locker room.
Spitfire turned to her fellow Wonderbolts.....no they weren't Wonderbolts because she knew that in the next few weeks or months they would be soldiers. She didn't want to be some grunt that was just going to be thrown out there to serve some paranoid bitch that didn't know shit about leading a government and she sure as hell didn't want her team to be out there either.
Anger flowed through her until she had to dish it out. "FUCK THIS!" She threw the envelope across the locker room. Fleet Foot ducked to avoid it. Spitfire then slammed her hoof into her locker as hard as she could. It left a huge dent.
After a long moment of awkward of silence Soarin finally broke it."So.... what now?"
"I don't know Soarin. I just don't know." A tear began to form in her eye.
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Rainbow Dash was escorted to the front lobby in a wheel chair. She said she was fine, hell even the doctor himself said she was perfectly fine now, but of course, Hospital rules. When she was wheeled into the lobby she was greeted by the relieved and happy faces of none other than her friends. Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack got up from their seats to meet her.
"You guys came all the way up here to get me?" Rainbow Dash gasped.
"Of course we did! Why wouldn't we!" Twilight answered.
"DASHIE!" Pinkie Pie leaped at her knocking her out of the wheel chair and embracing her rainbow headed friend in a deathly tight squeeze.
"Oh my god we thought you were dead! Well at least I thought you were dead, but we missed you so much and now that your back things will be back to normal again!" Pinkie rambled. It was good to see she was back to normal as well. She wasn't all sad and gloomy as she was at the funeral. Has everyone just forgotten about Princess Celestia that easily?
"Pinkie I know I have said this a thousand times, but you are so random!" Rainbow Dash chuckled. She knew that if she was with her friends she would forget all about the pain and horrors she had recently experienced and if it continued, at least she knew she had somepony to talk to about it. Looking back on her past decisions now, she thought it was foolish to abandon her friends like that.
"Heeeeeyyy, did you do something to your mane it looks different." Pinkie Pie pointed out. Rainbow Dash had almost completely forgot about that, but again she didn't really care.
"Oh my god how did that happen? I'm not trying to be rude, but that white streak in your mane does kind of ruin it completely." Who else, but Rarity would comment on that.
Twilight and Applejack both shot her a glare. "What?" Rarity said with an innocent look on her face.
"If you want Rainbow Dash, I know a good mane dresser that can fix that for you." Rarity offered generously.
"No its ok I can live with it and.... uh Pinkie.... can you uh.... get off of me." Pinkie Pie was uncomfortably close to her.
"Oops! Sorry." She apologized helping her friend to her hooves.
"So are we going back to Ponyville or are we staying here for a bit."Rainbow asked.
"Are you kidding me?! And miss out on the fun this city has to offer?!"
"Now Pinkie, it's up to Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie is really wanting to go clubbing tonight in celebration that your back." Rarity explained.
Rainbow Dash wasn't a party animal like Pinkie Pie, but she guessed that a few drinks wouldn't hurt.
Fuck it I might as well just get wasted. It'll make all these worries and thoughts just float away, though I haven't really let myself get completely wasted before I'll try as hard as I can to not do anything stupid that might make a scene or anything. God I hope I don't end up doing what Pinkie Pie did on her twenty-first birthday. You know what I don't even care. Whatever happens, happens. I want to forget everything that happened to me this past couple of days.
Rainbow Dash smiled, "Actually clubbing sounds fun."
Her friends looked and glanced at each other with confused and even worried expressions. All except for Pinkie Pie who was hopping in joy and rambling on how much fun they were going to have. Rainbow Dash noticed her friend's expressions.
"What?"Rainbow Dash asked innocently.
"Uh, no offense sugar cube, but ya' don' really seem like tha' clubbing and ravin' kinda' pony."Applejack pointed out with the same worried expression.
Rainbow Dash sighed and decided to cut her act."Look. I have been having the worst and most stressful two days in my life and would prefer to forget about it over some hard apple cider okay?"
"That doesn't really seem like the best way to deal with your problems."Twilight advised, but Rainbow Dash never listened to her advice. She was stubborn like that.
"You got a better idea?"
Twilight put her hoof to chin trying to think.
"Exactly."Rainbow Dash proved her point with a smirk on her face.
"Rainbow darling, if you're always so wild and crazy when you're sober I'd hate to see what you are like when you are extremely intoxicated."Rarity said with a strict parental tone.
Rainbow Dash hated when she used that tone. Rarity may be older than her, but that doesn't mean she should treat her like a filly.
"Aaaaawww! Don't ruin Dashie's fun! Y'all don't have to come if y'all don't want to." Pinkie supported Rainbow's idea of drinking 'till you drop. Literally. She wasn't sure if it was because Pinkie wanted to show her friend a good time or if she just wanted to get wasted herself, but she knew Pinkie wasn't selfish like that. One of them would have to stay sober the whole night so that they could get back to Ponyville without any accidents of any kind.
"Well...I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but count me out if you are going to do that." Fluttershy said. Figures she would be the first one to chicken out.
"I don't really care for any clubbing and raving. I can't really handle alcohol too well." Rarity added.
"Yeah me neither." Twilight agreed.
"I don' mind drinkin', but all those clubs with their loud an' annoyin' music just ain't for me."At least Applejack was being honest as usual. It was true, she couldn't stand modern day music. Whenever she heard something with any kind of electronic beat of some sort she would just lose it. Sometimes Rainbow Dash would purposely play the music around her just to piss her off. She'd get a kick out of it every time.
"Well.....me and Dashie could still go. Is that okay with you Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Damn straight I'm going!" They bumped hooves and laughed. It was nice to know that Pinkie Pie was always there to cheer her up and support her. The only problem was that when the two hang out together they tend to get a little....out of hoof.
"Well it's still morning so let's just hang around the city for the rest of the day then when we head back to Ponyville we will let you two go off and have fun," Twilight explained. Good at least Rainbow Dash would get time to spend with all of her friends instead of one the whole time. She felt as if her worries and problems were slipping away already, but still she wanted to forget them completely.
'It doesn't matter really. I probably won't even remember what will happen tonight anyway assuming I don't do anything stupid. The only problem is that I would have to convince Pinkie Pie to not drink the whole night or at least not too much so she would be able to carry my drunk ass home.' She thought to herself
It was sure to be a night that she would probably not remember.
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