Desires

by Skylight77

Chapter 9: Limits

Warning: Not for the fragile mind.

3 days ago:

*Flash*

There was a bright flash of light. It was all Rainbow Dash was seeing right now. She could still hear its flashing sound. The sound was dimming away but it was still present.

There was the silhouette of a single pony in the center of the light. That pony started approaching as the bright areas behind started to close like a door.

Deja vu suddenly struck Rainbow Dash. This scene felt all too similar.

Now, she remembered why. Fear returned to her. She couldn’t move. Her limbs were strapped down to a table that changed forms. The table was currently positioned so that her body faced in the door’s direction. The whole room was void, even with the bright light emitting in front of her.

Rainbow Dash felt an aching pain on her shoulders. There was a lot of pressure on them. Her neck area was very hot and sticky. She had sweat on her forehead. Even her wings were pained. There was a sharp sting that outlined her wing areas, along with one in the center of each.

All these areas seemed to connect to the fabric she was currently wearing. But Rainbow Dash couldn’t see what it was. She was forced to look straight ahead at the opened doors bringing in such bright light.

The doors were closing, allowing Rainbow Dash to see clearer. As the light continued to disappear, the silhouette of the pony started to become clear. Despite there being no light in the surrounding areas, the pony’s form was clear.

“Ah, Applejack, it’s so good of you to join me.” Rainbow Dash heard the voice of Rarity behind her. Indeed in front of her was Applejack. Rainbow Dash noticed a tool kit that Applejack seemed to be holding before she set it down in front of her.

“Course ah did, Rarity. Ah brought the tools like ya asked.” The tool kit was opened up by Rarity’s magic.

“Hey there, Rainbow Dash, you look mighty plum tuckered out there,” Applejack continued. Something was being lifted out of the tool kit due to Rarity’s magic. What Rainbow Dash saw, made her wince in fear. It appeared to be a power drill, to which Applejack took into her hooves.

A shiver went down to Rainbow Dash’s spine as she felt a brush running through her mane. The brush suddenly jolted aggressively.

“AAAaahhh…” Rainbow Dash’s head was forced upwards to look at Rarity. She seemed to be standing on something that gave her extra height if she was able to get that close to Rainbow Dash’s face. Rarity was holding a menacing smile on her face.

“But of course she is tuckered out, Applejack,” Rarity started in a dramatically sympathetic way. “She has been working so hard lately that she can no longer keep up with herself.”

“…Nnngh…” Rainbow Dash continued to whimper as Rarity forced her head to be held up high. She winced when she heard the sound of a power drill revving on.

“And that’s what we’re here for, Rarity,” Applejack said in a darker tone. “We’re here ta make sure that her energy is never faltered again.”

Rainbow Dash’s hind leg twitched in fear when she felt a hoof press against it. Due to the straps on the table, Rainbow Dash couldn’t move her limbs out of place.

*Shriek!* Now, Rainbow Dash felt the power drill, drilling through the hard surfaces of her right hind hoof.

“Nnnngaaahhh!” Rainbow Dash saw sparks before she closed her eyes, writhing in agony as the drill was piercing through her limb. Despite the fact that she was trying to pull her leg back, it wouldn’t move due to the straps.

A huge amount of pressure and pain was being applied to Rainbow Dash’s hoof as it was being drilled. It was going in deep.

*Shriek!* “Ugh… that dreadful noise is unbearable…” That loud screeching noise coming from the power drill seemed to be upsetting Rarity. But the grip she held on Rainbow Dash’s mane still remained.

“That only means it’s workin’, Rarity!” Applejack responded to Rarity’s notion. *Shriek!* “She’ll never grow tired after this!”

The sounds coming from the power drill seemed to be dimming away. The rising pain that Rainbow Dash was feeling came to a halt. Her hoof however was left with a very uncomfortable pressure of pain.

Rainbow Dash gasped and panted. She could feel her sweat sliding slowly down her forehead. Her head was released from Rarity’s grip, leaving her neck sore after being kept held high for that long. She hesitantly looked down to her right hind leg.

There was quite a well-rounded hole graved near the edge of the hard surface on her hoof. Rainbow Dash saw a cylinder-like gem being levitated towards that hole. It stopped moving when Rainbow Dash started feeling a brush running through her mane, slowly.

“Ahh, Rainbow Dash… your mane is just as colorful as these gems,” Rarity said as she brushed the multi-colored mane. “They are as powerful as they are beautiful, the perfect fit for a mare like you. With these gems… you’ll never fail, EVER again!” The pointed end of the gem went first, entering directly inside the hole that was made on Rainbow Dash’s leg.

“Aaahh…” Rainbow Dash attempted to suppress a yelp. The gem was being forced inside of the hoof, but stopped when it hit something inside. Whatever it was poking was making Rainbow Dash very sensitive right now. The gem was still sticking out of her hoof.

“Hmm… seems ah didn’t drill far enough,” Applejack said as she placed a hoof to her chin. She reached into the tool kit again. What she took out made Rainbow Dash cringe.

Applejack held a hammer in her mouth. She took the hammer and aimed it towards the gem that was sticking inside Rainbow Dash’s drilled hoof. Without warning, she swiped the hammer with great speed, leaving Rainbow Dash just seconds to look away and brace for impact.

*PING!* “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!” The scream echoed throughout the void. The pain was unbearable.

“There we go, Rarity?”

“Yes, Applejack.”

Rainbow Dash grinded her teeth as she attempted to recover such a specific force of incision. Her right hind leg was vibrating uncontrollably. The sound of the power drill revving up became apparent again.

Rainbow Dash slowly opened one eye, fearing she would regret doing so. She saw Applejack drilling a bolt through the hole in her hoof.

“Nnnngh…” Rainbow Dash winced as more pressure was being applied to her hoof. The uncontrollable shaking wasn’t helping either. Soon the bolt was drilled in, filling the hole in her hoof completely, along with concealing that gem.

*Click* The gem that was implanted inside Rainbow Dash’s hoof gave off a bright glow. It was bright enough to see outside of the hoof. Before she had much of a chance to recover, the sound of the drill revving up was heard again.

“Success, time ta move on ta the next,” Applejack stated while moving the drill towards Rainbow Dash’s left hind leg. Rainbow Dash felt a brush tug on her mane before she saw the drill connect.

“…Nngh…” Rainbow Dash’s head was forced to turn up, looking at Rarity.

“Hmm…” Rarity sounded like she was humming an idea, placing a hoof on her chin.

*Shriek!* “Mmm… MMMmmhhh!” Rainbow Dash groaned, trying to endure the piercing pressure that the drill was putting on her hoof. She could see the flashing of the sparks coming from that drill being reflected like lights on Rarity’s face.

“*Gasp* Ideeaaa!” Rarity announced. “Applejack, do be a dear and hurry that along.” The shrieking sound suddenly dimmed away. The pain Rainbow Dash was feeling subsided.

“Okay, Rarity, lay it on me,” Applejack responded.

Rainbow Dash saw Rarity levitating another cylinder shaped gem down to where Applejack was. Rainbow Dash whimpered. There was no way that incision was any deeper than the previous. Rainbow Dash put a stronger force on her head to attempt to look down towards her hind leg. Rarity seemed to allow this as Rainbow Dash had managed to do so.

Rainbow Dash saw the gem being inserted into the small hole that was engraved into the hard surface of her left hind hoof. There was more pressure on it than there was pain, but Applejack was looking at Rarity like they were passing ideas.

Applejack had a hammer in her mouth, but then she decided to toss it away towards the ground. She had a smirk on her face before she turned around, lifting one of her hind legs.

Rainbow Dash gasped at this motion. Fear struck all over her body. She knew what was coming. Rainbow Dash turned her head away, trying her best to brace herself, biting her teeth down hard.

*Smash!* Applejack kicked the gem with a mighty blow, inserting it quickly into Rainbow Dash’s leg.

“AAAAAAAHHHHwmmmph!!!” Rainbow Dash’s screams were halted when another gem was shoved into her mouth. Rarity was using a hoof to keep them gem inside her mouth, using the other hoof to be set under Rainbow Dash’s chin. Putting pressure against the gem and her throat, Rarity caused Rainbow Dash to swallow the gem.

There was a visible lump showing the gem’s presence, sliding down Rainbow Dash’s body until it reached her belly area.

*Smack!* That was when Applejack gave another kick, right in the area where the gem was.

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!” *SHRIEK!!!* At the same time Rainbow Dash felt the force of Applejack’s kick being placed on her stomach; more power drills suddenly came into contact on both of Rainbow Dash’s strapped forehooves, drilling away at their hard surfaces.

“AAAAAHHHH!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!” *Shriek!* Rainbow Dash couldn’t even see with all the sparks flying about due to those power drills. They were drilling through her hooves with no mercy.

There was a large amount of pain put on Rainbow Dash’s stomach. Her right hind leg was vibrating in soreness with a lot of pressure put on it while her left hind leg was having a bolt being screwed in to cover the gem. Rainbow Dash’s shoulders and wings held a very uncomfortable sting having a large cape being connected directly on her coat due to the needles. Her neck was very sore having that same fabric being burned onto her coat. Both of Rainbow Dash’s forehooves were directly being power drilled through, causing such an agonizing pain to her.

So, much, pain. It really hurt. Rainbow Dash was losing her senses. It became so much harder to concentrate.

______________________________________________________________________________

Before she knew it, the shrieking halted. The gems were already placed.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes after managing to recover. She saw that the bolts had already been applied to all four of her limbs. The gems gave off a bright light emanating within each limb. Applejack was no longer in front of her and she couldn’t hear Rarity anymore.

*Creak* The table that Rainbow Dash was strapped to had begun to shift around again. Rainbow Dash’s body was being turned upwards to face the skies of the voided room she was in. The table started moving in the direction Rainbow Dash’s head was in. While the table was moving her, the table shifted its shape. Rainbow Dash’s forehooves were being brought to her sides while her hind legs were connecting straight.

Rainbow Dash saw some kind of bar passing just above her. In the corners of her eyes, she saw Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. Rarity was standing with Applejack while Pinkie Pie was standing on the opposite side of them from whatever contraption she was entering.

"She is finally ready," she heard Pinkie say.

“She will become, perfection,” she heard Rarity say.

“She will be the hardest worker ever,” she heard Applejack say.

The next line was spoken by all three of them at the same time. “She will never fail one of us, EVER AGAIN!”

Fail. That word struck Rainbow Dash’s mind like a solid rock. Her mind tried to reel back towards previous events that happened earlier. But as soon as she tried that, her mind wavered uncontrollably. She got very dizzy.

*Beat* The sound of a heart beat resonated in the area again.

*Bzzz!* The machine above her suddenly burst into electricity. Rainbow Dash’s eyes grew wide in shock.

“Ahh, aahhh!” Rainbow Dash panicked, trying get away, only to be held down by the straps. The electricity came dangerously close, more specifically, close to her face. To make matters worse, the fabric she wore felt as if it would concentrate all this electricity to flow only around her body. It felt highly conductive. When it connected, Rainbow Dash’s vision was blinded by a bright light.

______________________________________________________________________________

*BZZZ!* “AAAHHHH!” Rainbow Dash awoke to something zapping her wildly beneath her. She looked beneath her to see what she was lying on.

Rainbow Dash groaned seeing that she had just created another black cloud due to her dreams. The worst part was that she decided to nap on a cloud that was much larger than she usually uses. She was so frustrated at the sight of that cloud.

Instead of trying to turn it back to normal, Rainbow Dash just took off into the air. She then headed straight back, striking the cloud with her hooves, causing the cloud to dissipate.

“*Groan…* what is wrong with me!?” Rainbow Dash asked herself as she braced both forehooves against her head. She really tried to make sense why these dreams were suddenly happening so often. The only conclusion she could come up with was her recent failures over everything lately.

First she had failed to retrieve an artifact stolen from Baltimare. Then she had taken too long to return to Ponyville in order to get Pinkie that medicine. And of course, no matter how hard she tried, she could not get her friends to understand exactly what was going on in her dreams. Not to mention she still had to figure out what the weather team did with that storm near Carousel Boutique.

“I am not a failure!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “I’m just getting too tired too quickly! There’s too much going on!” Rainbow Dash knew that if something wasn’t done, this would keep happening. She had to do something about this. She didn’t want to keep letting her friends down like this.

Taking a look at the position of the sun in the sky, Rainbow Dash could tell that it was still pretty early in the morning. Regardless, Rainbow Dash had her next destination in mind. She flew off in the direction of the cottage near the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy was most likely home at this time.

Author's Note:

This is going to be the start of one eventful day in Equestria. In the next chapter, we'll be focusing on Carousel's morning to figure out what happened.

Find a typo or grammar mistake? Please notify.

Criticism and feedback are appreciated.

Next Chapter: Fortune’s Message