//------------------------------// // The Fall Part 2 Rainbow Dash // Story: The Fall // by motser //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash grit her teeth in frustration as she watched Spike rampage through Ponyville, his greed driving him to steal, and fueling his growth. There wasn’t anything anypony could do to stop him; even the Wonder Bolts had been powerless against a dragon that size. Her own pitiful attempt had only resulting in a face full of velour, and a bump on her head. She hated to admit her own weakness, but there was nothing she could do to stop Spike or save Rarity. So, she just watched as the pair approached the peak of the mountain just outside Ponyville, frustration growing at her inaction. Rainbow watched silently as Rarity lectured the beast who had snatched her from the comfort of her home and destroyed half the town. Rainbow couldn’t make out what Rarity was saying, her words muffled by the distance, but they seemed to reach Spike. A shudder traveled down Spike's spine, starting at the base of his head and continued to the tip of his tail. Spike began shrinking, rapidly returning to his normal size. "Somepony do something," Pinkie's cry snapped Rainbow from her trance. That’s my cue, she thought. Rainbow’s mind raced as she surveyed the situation, and rapidly coming up with a plan of attack. Grabbing Fluttershy she put her plan into action, pausing only long enough to snatch what remained of Rarity’s cape. Rainbow grit her teeth as she forced herself to match Fluttershy’s speed, the cloth gripped between them, as they raced to save Spike and Rarity. Based on their acceleration and our current rate of speed we should be able to intercept before they’ve fallen even half way, the calculations ran through Rainbow’s mind almost without effort. We’ll have to try and match their downward speed and try to gradually slow their descent. Rainbow calculated trajectories and speed as the pair began making their approach. We’ll be able to catch them in 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … Rainbow felt a sharp jerk downward as Spike and Rarity connected with the makeshift net held between them. Well that wasn't as soft as I was hopping, she thought as she started flapping harder to compensate for the added weight, but at least everyone’s alright, things could have ended a lot worse. Rainbow paused, confused, for a moment as she became aware of a gentle tugging on the fabric accompanied by a muffled sound. It sounded somewhat familiar, but she just couldn’t seem to remember where she’d heard it before. You have to remember where you heard that a voice screamed in the back of her mind it’s important. “Gaah,” Rainbow called out finding herself thrown upwards; the sudden decrease in weight taking her by surprise as Spike and Rarity resumed their downward descent. Rainbow watched as her friend’s plummeted, there wasn't any time to think, to plan, only time to act. She flew forward driven by instinct alone, and reached out for the closest falling body. Her hooves wrapped around Spike's midriff as she pulled him to her chest, and halting his decent. Buck, she thought as Rarity's screams reached her. There's no way I'll be able to catch up to her while carrying Spike. "Rainbow catch Rarity," Spike begged. "I can't not without dropping you," Rainbow hated herself for having to say that. There has to be something I can do, she thought, surveying the area. I can't give Spike to Fluttershy she's in shock, and it'll take to snap her out of it. She turned her focus towards the cliff. Maybe there’s a cliff or something where I can set Spike down, but there wasn't and she knew it. "Rainbow please," the tone on Spike's voice caused Rainbow to pause. It was calm, confident, and gave a sense of finali ... Rainbow took in a sharp breath as pain shot threw her hoof. She reflexively pulled away, jerking her hooves open causing Spike to quickly fall out of her reach. He scratched me, she thought as she speed towards the figure below her. What the buck was he thinking, Rainbow was quickly catching up to Spike, fully intent on catching him. That was, until she looked into his eyes. His gaze held no fear, only a calm acceptance. As Rainbow looked into Spike's gaze she understood. Spike knew what falling would mean, and he didn't care, not of it meant saving Rarity. Rainbow flapped her wings speeding past Spike. Spike's willing to sacrifice everything to protect Rarity, she thought her vision focusing an Rarity's falling form, the least I can do is honor his wishes. Rainbow took a deep breath, clearing her mind of all unnecessary thoughts. Her entire being focused on the task at hoof. She carefully aligned herself to intercept Rarity. Her wings cut through the air on each upstroke, angled to meet as little resistance as possible, and on each back stroke creating a powerful wind current and accelerating her forward. Drops of blood went unnoticed as the air currents drew them from three scratches on Rainbow's hoof and carried them to smear across her face. CRACK, Rainbow wrapped her hooves around Rarity as the sound reached her. It was a sharp sound that echoed across Ponyville; it sounded like two large stones crashing together at a great speed. "Gaaaaaah," It took all of Rainbow's willpower not to look back as Spike screamed in agony. "Spiiiiiike," Rarity's cry bounced around Rainbows head as she reached one hoof upwards towards Spike, her other hoof wrapped tightly around Rainbows neck as if her life depended on it. "What are you thinking," she cried, "how could you just drop Spike like that?" Rarity's words fell on deaf ears as Rainbow focused her entire being to halting their decent. The ground hurtled towards them as she furiously beat her wings, each flap from her muscled wings slightly slowing their fall. Despite her best efforts the ground still seemed to be hurdling towards them. Rainbow did the only thing she could think to do, fly harder. Her wings began to ache from the strain as she flapped harder with each wing beat. It didn't seem to be working; they didn't seem to be slowing down any as Rainbow pushed her self well past her known limits. Rainbow felt something tear. Rainbow bit her cheek as a mind searing pain shot through her wings. She ignored the taste of blood in her mouth as she tried to flap her wings despite the pain. The wing beat was irregular, one wing flapping before the other, causing the two to spiral through the air uncontrollably. The world spiraled around Rainbow as she struggled to orient herself. She went to flap her wings, trying to regain some control, only to feel nothing. Panic gripped Rainbow's heart as she tried to move her wings only to find that they chose to ignore her orders, preferring instead to hang uselessly off her back. Rainbow found her vision filled with white, replacing the blurred mess of the world around her, moments before the pair collided with a cloud. Rarity passed through harmlessly, if a bit moist. Rainbow wasn't so lucky. She collided with the vaporous object at full speed causing it to disintegrate. The impact felt like being hit in the gut by a pillow covered in cotton candy and marshmallows that had been fired from a canon. Rainbow gasped for breath, the air in her chest knocked out by the impact, her grip on Rarity loosening. Rainbow quickly regained her composure, but the damage had already been done. Rarity had slipped from her grasp, and now the two fell separately through the air, limbs flailing trying to find something to grab on to. Rainbow crashed into two more clouds before finding herself hurtling through a tree. The sound of branches snapping was almost deafening as the tree's smaller limbs reached out trying to halt Rainbow's fall only to snap under the weight. She connected with several of the tree's larger limbs, bouncing off on her way to a bush at the bottom of the tree. Rainbow laid perfectly still in the bush looking up while she took stock of her injures. Her whole body ached, but it wasn't anything serious mostly just scrapes and bruises. The only injuries of note were the scratch on her hoof from Spike, and her wings. The scratch looked worse than it really was. The wounds weren't very deep, and the cuts were clean. They wouldn't take too long to heal and might give her a badass looking scar. Rainbow carefully lifted herself into a sitting position, her body screaming in protest as she pushed her battered body off the ground. She turned her head focusing her attention on her wings. They hung limp against her back as she tried desperately to move them; a flap, a twitch, any movement would have sufficed. She couldn’t get even the slightest movement, her wings seemed to mock her with their motionlessness. Gingerly Rainbow reached around to grasp on of her wings between her hooves, gently brushing down its length. Nothing, she felt nothing in her wings, no pain, no tingling, just an empty nothingness that hung from her back. Her mind struggled to make sense of the sensation. Her wings had always been there for her, their sensitivity reading even the slightest changes in air currents giving her an intuitive sense of her surroundings, but now there was nothing. “Ya’ll ok sugarcube,” Applejack asked as she galloped up to her fallen friend. “A … AJ,” Rainbow stuttered panic in her voice, “I … I can’t feel my wings.” “It’ll be alright. We jus’ need to get you to a hospital, and they’ll fix you right up.” Applejack reached forward with her hoof pulling Rainbow out of the bush and onto her back. “Come on,” Applejack said as she set off at a brisk pace, careful not to jostle Rainbow. "I can walk you know," Rainbow said defensively. "Maybe," Applejack said matter of factly, "but I'm going to carry ya'll anyway." The two quickly approached where Rarity had fallen, Twilight and Pinkie were already huddled over her. Rarity wasn't doing well, she was lying perfectly still on her back, a single drop of blood flowed down her forehead. She struggled with every breath, a quit gurgle accompanying the action. Her soft coat covered in dust and streaks of crimson. "Rarity," Pinkie cried bouncing in place nervously. "Don't try to move her," Twilight said examining Rarity's condition. Rarity shuddered as a cough escaped her from deep inside her chest, blood dripping from her nose and snout. Twilight carefully leaned down pressing her ear to Rarity's chest. "How is she," Rainbow asked as she and Applejack approached. "We don't know yet," Pinkie whined, her ears drooping down. "Oh my," Fluttershy said softly upon seeing Rarity as she landed next to them, struggling slightly to support Spike in her arms. Spike was unconscious his right shoulder bulging outward in an unnatural way. “Is she going to be ok?” Twilight stood up suddenly, her eyes wide, “We need to get Rarity to the hospital NOW” her sudden outburst startling Fluttershy, causing her to jump slightly with a small eep. “Everypony hold on.” “Twilight calm down and tell us what’s wrong … um if you don’t mind,” Fluttershy whispered as Twilights horn lit up with magic, the glow almost blinding. “Rarity’s lungs are filling with blood,” Twilight’s voice was full of panic as she spoke, her magic reaching out to surround them. “If we don’t get Rarity to the hospital now she might …” Twilight couldn’t finish the sentence, but it didn’t matter, her tone conveyed the meaning just as well as words could. There was a silent shock from her friends as they tried not to think about that possibility that was interrupted by a pop as the group vanished from existence. BANG The sound of matter being displaced echoed through the hospital waiting room as six mares and a dragon appeared spontaneously in the center of the room. “WE NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION NOW,” Twilight screamed as she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Doctors and nurses immediately rushed to her side. “Not me them,” Twilight panted motioning to Rarity, and Spike. “And that’s how the Dash saved the day with her daring and awesomeness,” Rainbow exclaimed, finishing her story, and looking around the hospital room. Applejack was lounging in a chair at the head of Rainbows bed, Stetson pulled over her face. Spike and Twilight were sitting in folding chairs on one side of the bed; Twilight paying rapt attention while spike traced lines in the sheets with a claw. Pinkie was sitting in the corner, frowning slightly, her ears pressed back, and her mane lacking its usual bounciness. “Yes Rainbow,” Twilight deadpanned, “we know, we were all there.” Rainbow chuckled, before looking down at Spike. He was lost in thought, unaware of the world around him. She got his attention by wrapping a hoof around his neck, pulling him close, and forcefully rubbing the scales on the back of his head with her other hoof. “Ack,” Spike cried out before pushing himself out of Rainbow’s grasp. “Stop that,” he said moving out of her reach, before returning to his thoughts, looking at his feet. “She’s going to be ok,” Rainbow’s words caused Spike to look up, and give a small nod tears in his eyes. The touching moment was interrupted as the door swung inwards, the doctor stepping into the room. He was a cream colored unicorn with a brown mane a medical chart held before him in a light orange aura. “Well miss. Dash your test results have come in, and I’m afraid I have some bad new,” he said. “So what’s the damage doc,” Rainbow asked, “how long am I going to be grounded.” “Well you tore a muscle which shouldn’t take much more than two months to heal,” he said flipping through her chart. “Two months,” Rainbow yelled, “I’m not going to be able to fly for two months! Do you have any idea how much that will set back my training for the Wonderbolts?” “I’m afraid the muscle damage is the least of your problems,” the doctor said looking away avoiding eye contact. “You managed to damage the nerves, and I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do even with magic.” “So what it’ll be three months … four,” Rainbow asked struggling to remain calm. “I’m afraid that even after a complete recovery and years of physical therapy you’ll be lucky to fly at all, and if you do you won’t be a strong flyer,” the doctor’s words hung in the air creating a stifling atmosphere. “I’m sorry,” he said before leaving. “Rainbow I’m so sor…” Spike being before being interrupted. “It’s fine,” Rainbow said shaking slightly, “It’s not your fault. It’s late Spike you really should lie down. Twilight would you mind walking him back to his room?” Twilight nodded “Hey Pinkie don’t you need to start planning a nopony died party,” Pinkie perked up slightly at her words. “Yea,” she said softly. “And it’s going to be the biggest, greatest most fantastimasical party ever,” her voice grew in volume as her mane returned to its usual bouncy nature. “I got to go guys,” she exclaimed before vanishing in an exposition of confetti. “Hey AJ,” Rainbow asked as Spike and Twilight left the room, “don’t you have work on the farm or something you need to go do.” Rainbow shuddered slightly as she spoke. “I ain’t got to be anywhere but here right now,” Applejack said sitting up, and lifting her Stetson. “I swear to Celestia if you tell anypony you saw me crying I’ll buck you into the sun,” Rainbow said as the first of her tears fell onto the sheets of the hospital bed despite her best efforts to stop them. Applejack grabbed Rainbow pulling her into an embrace resting Rainbows head on her neck, “Taint nopony that’s going to judge you.” “I … I have no right to cry,” Rainbow chocked out between sobs, “Spike was willing to sacrifice everything, losening my wings is nothing in comparison.” “What Spike was or was not gunna sacrifice doesn’t matter,” Applejack said running a hoof down Rainbow’s back, “all that matters is that you lost something important to you, and have every right to grieve it’s loss.” Spike and Twilight were halfway back to his room when the crying started for real. “Waaaaaaaah,” Rainbows sobs echoed through the hospital as she gasped for air. Rainbow’s sobs were filled with despair the echoed through the heart of anyone who heard it. Spike stumbled, reaching out to steady himself, his claw sliding down the wall. He looked over seeing the deep scratches in the dry wall. He slowly moved his hand downward watching as the drywall gave way to his claws, offering little resistance. Small curls formed under his claws before falling softly to the floor. Spike’s focus was fixed on the wall, and for a moment he wasn’t in the hospital; he was back in Rainbow’s arms watching as Rarity fell. He watched as his claws slowly tore through Rainbows forehoof, blood welling up under his claws. A single thought going through his mind, It was so easy. “ …ike … Spike,” Twilight's call brought Spike back to reality. He was still kneeling on the hospital floor hand resting on the wall to steady himself, scratches running down the drywall where Spike had inadvertently scratched into it. Twilight was standing over him worry in her eyes, and a hoof resting on his good shoulder, “are you all right Spike? Do you want me to call a nurse?” “No I’m just a bit dizzy,” Spike said as her got to his feet, “I think I just need to lie down.” Spike only took a few steps before stumbling again, finding himself surrounded in a lilac aura before hitting the ground. Twilight carefully levitated Spike onto her back. “Thank you,” Spike mumbled as Twilight carefully carried him back to his room.