Little Pieces Of Paper With "No" Written On Them

by alafoel

untitled dialogue fic

Author's Note:

Short desc.: Twilight visits Rainbow Dash in hospital.
Reasons for inclusion: Written mainly an experiment, using only dialogue and no prose. I feel the characterisation is subpar enough to not warrant it's own release.
Extra notes: Can you tell I hate writing dialogue?

'How are you doing, Dash?'
'How do you think?'
'...'
'I think this might actually be the worst thing to happen to anypony, like, ever. And it happened to me.'
'I can think of worse.'
'I CAN'T FLY!'
'...well, you haven't turned evil or been banished to the moon.'
'If I was on the moon, I'd be able to fly.'
'You know, actually, I'm not sure about that. I'd have to ask Luna. I'm sure just in terms of, like, gravity, it'd be different up there. I mean, there must still be an atmosphere, you can't live for 1000 years in a place with no atmosphere, but it's probably a different kind of atmosphere than down here. It'd probably make it harder to fly, I mean just because you spent all your time learning how to fly down here, right? Like, it'd throw you off, being different, it'd throw you off from what you knew. On how to fly, like, down here. Or maybe I shouldn't ask Luna. I don't think she likes being asked about... that period of her life. But my point is you can fly down here.'
'I CAN'T fly down here!'
'For a week. Two, maybe. Come on, Dash.'
'Two weeks in hospital, sure, but then what about when I'm out? You don't just get out a cast and start flying right away!'
'Well, I wouldn't-'
'No. You wouldn't know.'
'Well...'
'Twilight, I appreciate you being here, but you don't understand, like, at all.'
'I know it can't be fun.'
'Understatement of the century, Twi. I CAN'T FLY!'
'You've said.'
'This isn't the sort of time to get, like, funny!'
'I'm not getting funny.'
'Sure sounds like it.'
'I'm not.'
'It hurts, too. You don't think it doesn't hurt? I mean, I can take it, of course. I'm a champ, I can take a little hurt. It's, like, nothing. But it does hurt.'
'You did fly into a wall.'
'Oh, thanks, Twilight. I needed a reminder.'
'Sorry.'
'...'
'...'
'Thanks for being here. I- Thank you for coming here.'
'Well I wasn't not going to visit you in hospital.'
'I'm a little- a little frustrated. Being here. That's why- I'm not trying to get mad at you or anything. I'm not mad at you.'
'I know.'
'...how's everypony else doing?'
'They're doing well. I think Pinkie's baking you some surprise Get Well Soon cupcakes. But don't tell her I told you that. Fluttershy came to visit you yesterday, right?'
'Yeah. She brought Angel in to see me, which is against hospital rules, I guess, so that became a whole thing. It was sort of funny.'
'Against the rules?'
'Hygiene, I guess. Obviously they don't realize how clean anything Fluttershy touches is. Y'know, I've never seen so many ponies trying to chase after a bunny like that. None of 'em could manage. They just let Fluttershy keep him in by the end. Bunnies aren't my- They're a little too... Bunny-y. I guess. You know, like, uncool. But it was nice. A little. You don't appreciate soft things as much when you're allowed to get out bed more than, like, twice a day... Do you think I'm gonna be able to walk after this? I mean, the flying is one thing, but I haven't... I didn't even think about walking. In bed for, like, two weeks. What if I can't even run anywhere?'
'You'll be fine, Dash.'
'Oh, oh no. I haven't even thought about this, Twi. Like, barely even using my legs, and I gotta- I mean, I-'
'You'll be fine! Have I ever told you about when I was in hospital? When I was a filly, I was in for about a month. In bed for pretty much all of it, but even just the trips to... Uh, excuse myself, that was enough to keep my legs going.'
'What were you- What happened?'
'Just a fillyhood sickness. One of the ones that goes around, I can't remember which one, but I got it bad apparently.'
'But you were fine, then.'
'Mostly.'
'Mostly?'
'I've never been able to fly since.'
'That's not funny.'
'Sorry. But I'm fine, is the point. You will be too.'
'Will be, maybe. This is still, like, the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I never knew hospitals were so... sad. And boring, but also sad.'
'I think they're nice.'
'Ponies come here, and, y'know... Don't get better.'
'Oh. That is...'
'I mean, not like I'm saying that's gonna happen to me, I'm awesome, I'm gonna- Of course I'll... But, y'know. Like, what's even going on in the room next door?'
'I think-'
'Don't answer that. I just mean, like, it could be ANYTHING! There could be some pony with, like, magic flu. Or somepony with like, train parts lodged in them. Or whatever. Just, like... anything. Anything horrible.'
'OR it could be Ponyville's most awesome pony just briefly recovering from a minor flying incident!'
'Ponyville's most BORED pony, maybe. I don't think I've ever done this much thinking in my life.'
'I like thinking. I wish I had more time to do it.'
'Twilight, it's not, like, physically possible for you to do anymore thinking. You probably even think in your sleep.'
'You don't?'
'See?! Us normal ponies perfer doing. And I'm not really doing anything in here. Other than thinking.'
'So you're bored.'
'YES! I'M SO BORED! I've even tried telling myself awesome stories about myself, since those are always exciting, but I already know the ending every time.'
'Have you tried making up stories?'
'...not yet. Twilight, you might be a genius.'
'Might?'
'Okay, sure. You are a genius. Happy?'
'Of course I'm happy. I'm here with you.'
'Yawn.'
'Yawn? I'm being nice! What do you mean "yawn"?'
'I've heard it before.'
'I- Y- I-'
'Sorry. I was kidding.'
'That's not-'
'You can't blame me. I hit my head.'