A World Without a Rainboom

by Mocha Star

A Challenging Hour

Trotting into the library, Shining looked around as he marched forward, scanning for Fluttershy. "Hey, Big Head!" Rainbow shouted as a hush sound filled the halls. "Why's it sound like the water when I talk, Fluttershy? Listen, there it is again!"

"Shut up, ya dumb filly!" "Yeah." "Hush your muzzle! We're studying here!"

"Fluttershy? Why are the eggheads yelling at me?" Shining used his magic to grab Rainbow from the bookshelf and lower her to the floor; then he closed her mouth.

"Rainbow, can you please point to where Fluttershy is?" Shining asked calmly. She pointed to a row of books, where Fluttershy's hair bobbed between chairs at the end of the row before she popped up on a chair with a green bound book. "Rainbow, I need you to go on an important mission for me, it's for both me and Fluttershy, can you do it?"

Rainbow nodded and smiled as she fought to open her mouth. "You have to maintain silence and tell no pony about it except me and Fluttershy; can I trust you to maintain quietness?" Again Rainbow smiled and her mouth moved against his grip.

Releasing her she gasped and moved her mouth and jaw. "Ya know," she stopped and lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned close to Shining, "Ya know, you could just ask me. I'll do anything for Fluttershy. What's my mission, sir?" She giggled and covered her mouth with a hoof.

"Your mission, is to go to the dining hall and get three apples. One red. One green. One with yellow on it. And don't tell anypony why you're doing this, but don't make a scene. This has to be a secret mission. Here are three bits. If you get stopped and have to pay for the apples, you'll have the money. Okay, good hunting!" Rainbow didn't say a word as she jumped into the air and flew out of the room faster than he thought was safe.

Trotting over to Fluttershy he introduced Twilight and Scootaloo to her. "Fluttershy, this is my sister, Twilight Sparkle. This is a stow away who was living in a closet, Scootaloo."

"Well, hello Twilight, Scootaloo. You look very pretty covered in glitter. Are you here to invite me to a party? Because I'm a little too busy. I'm sorry I can't go."

"No, these two are covered with the Elements of Harmony. You seem to know more than my best mages about the elements, and what makes it better is you're not an active magic user so you have an outside perspective. I need you to try to figure out why they clung to these two and how to get them off. Anything you can do will be of great help."

"Um, Mister Shining, sir? I'm sorry, but, are you serious?" Fluttershy turned in her chair to face the trio. "I'm not qualified to work magic, or to experiment with mystical unknown gem fragments. What if I did something wrong and they got hurt?"

"Fluttershy, you saved Rainbow Dash; you're a hero to one pony already and you've made a great impression on me. I have the book here," he gestured to Night and she tossed the book to him. Catching it with his magic, he levitated it to Fluttershy and placed it in front of her. "Read what you can, and anything you can't; there has to be one translator or dictionary here that can cover any questions you have. I'll be in my parent’s quarters if anypony needs me, I have a lot to apologize for."

He hugged Twilight and offered Scootaloo a hoof bump she didn't return before he left. "So, you're a Pegasus?" Scootaloo asked.

"Why, yes I am, little filly. And so are you. You're very observant."

"You only have one wing, did you get into a fight?" Scootaloo challenged as she crossed her forelegs looking tough. Fluttershy sat up straight and opened her wing and looked at Scootaloo.

"When I was your age I was in a cloud race and fell from the start to the ground. All I lost was my eye and a wing, do you think you could have done better?" Fluttershy was unusually confident as she spoke, which stopped Shining. He turned around to look and saw Scootaloo lowering her stance and head.

Fluttershy's said that line so many times it's one of the things she's comfortable saying. That mare is full of surprises, I think I'm going to have to watch her closely.

---

Rainbow was flying to the dining room when she saw blood on the floor. She stopped flapping suddenly, frozen in fear, then crashed into a stack of crates ahead of her, tumbling head over hooves she landed on her belly and coughed as two ponies ran over to help her up. "Miss, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Pushing herself up Rainbow shook herself off and looked at the blood on the floor with wide unmoving, unblinking eyes.

"Happened? Did somepony get hurt?" Rainbow meekly asked, pointing to the marks on the floor leading into a closed doorway.

"What? Oh, that? That's the infirmary. When a pony is hurt they are taken there and healed. Sometimes ponies are really hurt and come out okay, and others, they don't ever come out."

"Where they go? Do they... live there now?" Rainbow asked trembling, mentally regressing in age, back to when she saw Fluttershy's broken body as a filly.

"Um, Miss, are you okay? You look sick, do you need a doctor?" Rainbow’s eyes widened and her pupils dilated. She began breathing heavily and crawling back from the doorway. She felt herself losing control.

She opened her eyes and three soldiers were holding her down while a doctor inserted a syringe full of clear medicine into her rear leg. She didn't know what was happening but the screaming she was doing felt right. She felt herself calming down as she thrashed against the ponies holding her down, finally she got the mindset to speak. "What's going on, why're you hurting me? Are you taking me to the tree! No! NO! Don't take me back! Fluttershy! Help! Fluttershy! I'm on a secret mission from Big Head! I have to finish my mission for Fluttershy, please! Please, p-pleh-" slurring her last word she fell asleep and was taken into the infirmary to a bed and strapped to it with heavy cloth bands.

"What was she talking about? I didn't think we had any crazies here, doctor."

"I imagine it was the nightmares that got to her. Not the first, won't be the last. Just let her sleep, maybe she didn't know sleep was nightmare free again and she's using drugs to stay awake. Let's ask witnesses to get a story on her." The doctor turned and went to another patient and grabbed their chart. "The guard outside the door will ensure our 'safety' from the crazed mare, nurse. Go get some more volunteers, you need a rest before you end up like rainbow tail there."

The nurse scoffed. "Fine, doctor. Your bedside manner sucks, by the way."

"Yes, I hear that all the time. I'm not in this for the money, nurse. I'm here to save lives, my personality is a result of that." The doctor said without looking away from the chart.

The nurse looked at him for a moment before leaving through the back door. He's a prick of a doctor, but he's great at what he does.

"Hey, food filly, I need a volunteer to help out in here you want in?"

"Who, me?" Applebloom looked at the nurse awkwardly, "I'm just serving apple goods, Ahm not cut out for nursin'. But, my sis is. Ya wanna apple Brown Betty? Two bits."

---

"So, that's why I threatened you, mom. I'm really, really sorry and would never hurt you. I don't think I could even hurt her, if it came to it."

"Shining, what you said was beyond what I've ever heard any pony say outside horror novels. What you said, the way you looked," Velvet shuttered, "and the way you looked at me, and charged me."

"Mom, it's a psychological warfare technique. If I show her an ounce of weakness she'll turn it into a nightmare that'll plague me until I go insane. I really am sorry, also," Shining took in a deep breath, "for hurting you. I'll never forgive myself. Mommy, I'm so...." stopping his apology he fell to his knees and sobbed openly. "Mommy, I'm so sorry, I didn't know. She's... she's so good at using my family, friends, and soldiers against me. It's so hard, mom, dad. I can hardly sleep as it is, I can't even tell Cadence I lay next to her planning missions or meals or remembering the names of my soldiers instead of dozing.

“I don't know what to do. I can't stay as strong as I act forever; what do I do?" He'd stopped sobbing but tears still streamed down his face as he laid flat against the stone floor.

"Oh, sweetie. You're working yourself too hard. You're the captain of the royal guard, not its general. You have so many duties and jobs and all that. You have to let others help you."

"Mom, the more ponies know the more likely they are to give away a secret that could cost lives."

"At the risk of your own sanity? Son, you're doing fine, but you need rest. I.... I know I shouldn't even suggest this," Night turned and went to a shelf and grabbed a stone container, "but we have some sleeping herbs. Take them and you'll have a dreamless sleep."

"No way, dad! I can't take-"

"They're not drugs, it's an herb we got from a Zebra that lives in the forest here; she's very nice and makes amazing potions using the local plants."

"So you want me to take a potion from a Zebra? How is that better than a drug, dad?"

"Don't take a tone with me, son. It's an herb. I've used it and I slept great. No dreams means no nightmares."

"Dad, do you really trust this Zebra?"

"Zecora, dear."

"Mom, you know her too?"

"Oh, yes. We talked, or rhymed," Velvet chuckled to herself, "for a while about magic and potions. She is quite the skilled alchemist, for a Zebra. She has a vast knowledge of magic, too. If I didn't know any better I'd swear she was a unicorn in disguise," she and Night laughed. "Inside joke, dear. But, trust us. The herbs are fine and safe. Take them, brew them into a tea, drink it and sleep."

"That's an order, son," Night said with a stern tone, but his smile defeated the demand.

Shining pushed himself up from the cold stone and shivered slightly as he took a seat on his sister’s bed. "Mom, dad. I'll do it. I need rest. If I have to put my trust in a Zebra, I wouldn't do it. But if you trust her, so do I." Night placed the container by Shining before taking a seat by Velvet on their bed.

"So, Shining. You came in here and started apologizing right away. Where's your sister? She was supposed to talk to you; an hour later you come back alone. Did you tell her off or just convince her you could talk to us yourself?"

Shining sat up straight and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, you see... about that, dad," he chuckled nervously.

---

"Oh, Pinkamena. I swear, you're impossible these days. You're almost obsessed with baking and this is the third party this week. I think you should see a doctor, you're not yourself."

"Rarity! Oh, you reminded me, call me Pinkie now. I like Pinkie better; it's way easier to say and it's a lot more fun sounding. I think this is waaay more fun that rock farming. Parties are so much fun, Rarity! Why didn't you ever tell me they had STREAMERS? Oh, look what I can do!" Pinkie grabbed three empty balloons and put them in her mouth. Chewing them slightly she took in a deep breath and blew them all up in one breath. "Thee, Ah can bthlow balthooms un muh muth!"

Rarity took a step back and sneered slightly. "Pinkamena, I really think you need to see a specialist."

Releasing the balloons from her mouth, they floated to the ceiling of their room in their parents’ house, tied and full of air. "My name's Pinkie Pie! Oh, it's so much fun to have a new name, Rarity. What if I call you... Rare! Or... Ity. I like Ity!"

Rarity gave a serious look. "My name is Rarity. If you want to be called Pinkie Pie, then fine. Plan your parties and blow your balloons. Stream your, streamers and bake your... whatever."

"CUPCAKES! Yummy tummy!"

"Pinkie Pie, you're going crazy from not sleeping."

"I've slept fine every night... Even though it's always night, hmm. I guess I'm just lucky. I dream every night of being at the spa and eating cupcakes and pies and cakes and tarts! Parties and having fun every day and night and making every pony sooooo happy they don't have any reason to ever be sad and have nightmares ever again!"

Rarity plopped down on her haunches and sighed. I wish I could sleep soundly.

"Rarity, I heard the nightmares stopped last night. But since it's always night I guess last time sleep happened for other ponies that weren't you, but I slept sooo nice! That's why I'm planning this party. It's gonna be called 'Happy No Nightmares' party. Rarity, you haven't slept for another three days. I think you're going a little crazy now. You come home sometimes covered in paint and other times you talk about," Pinkie hesitated then whispered, "eating meat. I don't think you're doing okay. Come to my party after you get some sleep, okay? There's the bed, I'll get it ready."

Pinkie hopped to the bed and opened the covers. Gesturing for Rarity to rest she complied, crawled into bed and laid down. Before Pinkie could cover her she was asleep. "Sweet dreams, Rarity. Dream of vegetables and rock candy and cupcakes, okay?" Rarity smiled and smacked her lips.

"Mmm, cow. Blood. Pie." Rarity muttered while smiling and licking her lips. Pinkie gasped and backed up. Oh no, she needs help, but how? Who can I tell or ask? What'll happen to her? I think I'll worry about that later, I have to talk to mom and dad first.

She trotted to her parent’s room, where her father was reading and her mother was sewing. She knocked on the door. "Come in, Pinkamena."

“Mom, dad, can I ask you something?”

“What, dear?”

"Dad, mom. I decided to change my name to Pinkie Pie."

"Pinkamena! Why? You love your name," her mother said.

"Because, I decided I want to stop farming rocks and start making other ponies happy," Pinkie took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I want to be a delivery pony."

Her father lowered his book and looked at her over his glasses that were low on his muzzle. "Just keep in touch, dear."

"Iggy, why are you okay with this?"

"Ponies leave and change lives and jobs all the time; cutie marks are a suggestion and you know that. You were a gem salespony when we met. Then you became a rock farmer, now you're retired. All that isn't written into your cutie mark, just like Pinkie’s isn't written into hers."

"But, Pinkamena, you're my baby. Where will you go?"

"Right here for now! Mommy, daddy, I got a part time job at the local bakery, Sugarcube Corner, as a delivery pony. I'll get to learn everypony’s names and be able to throw them parties when I have the time. I... I really hope you approve of this, mom."

Pinkie’s mom sighed. She put her sewing down and walked to Pinkie. "Pinkie Pie, I support you in anything you do; as long as you're happy."

---

Rainbow groaned and her eyes fluttered open. "Fluttershy? Is that you?" She tried to sit up but the restraints held her down. "Hey, what's the deal? Let me go! Let me go!"

"Woah, Nelly. Calm down, filly. You're in the hospital, how ya feeling?"

Rainbow looked at the mare talking to her and yelped. "You're all... melty!"

Applejack sighed as the words pierced her heart. "I was in a fire, Sugarcube. But, me and my foal are fine so that's all that matters."

"Foal, where is it? You didn't leave it alone, did you? Is it named Fluttershy? That's a beautiful name." Rainbow beamed.

Applejack sighed and smiled. "Doctor, she's good to go. Should I let her out?"

"Do whatever you want, as long as she's not biting I need that bed for a real danger. Get the guard to help you," the doctor barked as she stormed out of the room through the main door.

"What's your name?" Rainbow asked.

"It's me, Jack." Rainbow gasped as she looked closely at Applejack.

"It is you, I didn't know you had a foal, it shoulda been in the news. Is it a secret?" she whispered.

As the guard entered Applejack answered quietly. "Yes, it is. It's inside me; don't tell anypony, okay?" Rainbow bit her lips and nodded. "And call me Applejack, it's my real name." Rainbow looked at Applejack, confused, but kept biting her lip.

"Ladies, I'm here to help release the patient," the guard said. With little effort the straps were released and Rainbow fluttered her wings.

"I'm sorry if I made trouble. I was scared and I don't like blood."

I remember her story, I bet she remembers that day like it was yesterday. "Rainbow, I understand. We'll do our best to make sure you're safe. Would you like an apple to get your strength up?"

"APPLE?! I'm on a secret mission from Big Head to..." Rainbow covered her mouth with her hoof and mumbled through it. "Gotta dash, thanks Applesnack."

"I think she's gonna be okay. Let's get back to work, sir."

"I'm not a sir. I'm a corporal," the guard replied stoically before turning and walking out the door and turning right. His heavy hoofsteps echoed into Applejack’s ears as she smiled lustfully.

It has been a few weeks since I...

---

Fluttershy, Twilight and Scootaloo walked into Twilight’s room as her parents and brother were talking. "Um, Mister Shining? I have a problem."

"Fluttershy! How's my Elements of Harmo-, Oh c'mon. You too?"

Fluttershy had fragments of the elements of harmony attached to her coat as well as the other two. "I couldn't figure out what was wrong with them so I walked past them to get a book I had found. I bumped into Scootaloo and some the gem fragments left her onto me. I'm sorry, but I'll work extra hard to find a cure."

Shining smiled wide. "I think this is the cure. I've been thinking, and the elements are supposed to work with certain traits in chosen ponies. I'm still debating, but it has to be an amazing reason you've been chosen."

"But, Shining, I'm a mare that has four jobs and a tiny apartment,” Twilight reminded him, ” I don't use magic, Big Brother. What good am I to a magic weapon?"

"I don't know, but the gems do. Twily, Scootaloo, Fluttershy; you may be the first bearers of the elements of harmony. I'm not going to go hunting for them; it seems you're doing fine fulfilling your own destiny."

"Oh, I'm so proud; my little filly is gonna bring back the sun! Night, aren't you proud?" Night nodded and laid back on the bed.

"Twilight, you never liked magic since you were a filly; now it seems it's your fate. How're you gonna manage to pass it off?"

"I dunno, daddy. Maybe I can make a show," she mocked.

Comments

[viclouiis]

Loved it.

[joeyjumper94]

Wait, where did the chapter go?

[IMNOTHERE889]

Day 2: not a lot read today. Oh well. Tomorrow is my deadline!
And, a good chapter. And, could it be? EVEN MOAR INTERESTING STUFF IS HAPPENING? LE GASP!!!