"Oh f**k, oh f**k, oh f**k f**k f**k f**k F**K!"
Rainbow rushed down the stairs at a record-breaking pace. She thought she could feel the house shaking, but it was probably the massive system shock she had received a few seconds prior. She smacked her shin on the coffee table in the middle of the living room, but she felt nothing. Her mind was focused on one thing only.
"S**t, f**k, f**k, s**t, motherf**king s**tty assblasting c**tbusters!"
"Rainbow?" Blaze called from the tv room. "Have you been watching The Sopranos again?
Rainbow shuddered. Fine time for him to give her a lecture about appropriate media choices.
"No, Dad, I haven't," Rainbow struggled to get the words out, her voice sounding incredibly unhealthy. "A...thing has c-come up, and I...I...I nEed to go right nOw!" Blaze took no notice of the obvious trauma in gr voice and said, "Come here a minute, Dash."
Rainbow swallowed the giant lump in her throat and wiped her moist eyes on her shirt sleeve. On the tv was an old episode of General Hospital, playing at a practically inaudible volume. "Great," Rainbow thought. "Just what he needs to keep his spirits up." "What is it, Dad?" she said out loud.
"Are you done with all your homework yet?" Rainbow was not one to lie to her father, but in this emergency case, it was mandatory. "Yes, Dad, I finished it all. Even the trig." Her words were slow and wavery, and her right hand was involuntarily twitching.
Blaze, still completely oblivious to these hints of tragedy, calmly said, "Ok then. I'm reall proud of you. You've put so much effort into getting a good grade, and I like that." It broke Rainbow's heart even more because of the horrible timing, but she felt a spark of gratitude within her, so she simply said, "Thank you, sir." Rainbow never called him 'sir', except when she was deeply disturbed by something.
Blaze said nothing concerning the odd use of 'sir', he only said "You may go," and turned back toward the tv. Rainbow ran through the entry hall and out the door, slamming it loudly behind her. She didn't hear Blaze say "make sure to close the door" before she shoved herself into her Mazda and sped out of the driveway, tires screaming for mercy.
Rainbow turned the radio on in hopes of distracting her from the imminent tragedy. She knew it probably wouldn't work, but she was not expecting THE ONE SONG to be on:
Near, far, wherever you are, I believe that the hot dogs go on...
Rainbow could not believe it. There was no mercy. It just kept piling up against her like the hate mail to Donald Trump. "S**t, s**t, s**t, s**t," she cursed, trying to block out the waves of tragedy."F**k, s**t, c**k, ass, titties, boners, bitch, muff, p*ssy, c**t, butthole, Barbara Streisand!" she shouted, quoting her favorite movie. It didn't help. "Ball-breaking, p*ssyf*ggot, s**theaded Taco Bell condom-induced vaginal infection!" She shouted louder now, using some more creative terms.
You're here in my heart, and my heart will go on and on...
"GRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Rainbow hit the radio's off button so hard it most likely broke, but the horrible moment was over. The worst was still yet to come, though.
Rainbow could hardly see straight through the tears clouding her vision. Both tears of furious rage and tears of an aching heart. The road stayed straight until it reached the crosswalk at Shelter Blvd. It came out of literally nowhere, just a sharp turn and there it was. Except now, the area was filled with rescue vehicles, police lines, and lots of bystanders murmuring among one another.
Rainbow jumped out of the car, not bothering to turn it off, not even hitting the parking brake. She cared about only one thing: Fluttershy. She shove past a bunch of strangers and Bulk Biceps, who gave a girly scream upon contact. She had reached the police line when a solid figure blocked her path. It was a well-built man with dark glasses, a blue mustache, and a police uniform.
"Officer Sentry," she shakily greeted Flash's father, hoping that her good ties would convince him to let her pass. Officer Sentry did not budge from the spot, but he did lean down and tell her something that gave her a rush of sad joy. "I'm very sorry, Rainbow. They're going to take her to the ER and you might be able to visit her then."
Rainbow tried to thank him, but all that came out was a lot of sobbing. She did something she never thought she would do to a police officer: she hugged him. She squeezed him as hard as she could, burying her face in his muscular shoulder. He patted her on the back and told her, "This did not have to happen. Were doing the best we can."
Another officer shouted, "Ok everyone, break it up. We're leaving for the hospital and we won't appreciate any paparazzi!" The crowd of people slowly disbanded, and the ambulance containing Fluttershy's broken body zoomed off at full speed, soon followed by Officer Sentry and the rest of the police squad. Only three people were left on the premises: A traffic cop filing an accident report, a Crystal Prep bus driver talking to the cop about the accident, and one broken-hearted girl with rainbow-colored hair.
Rainbow's knuckles wer pure white due to her death grip on the steering wheel. Her foot never left the gas pedal; she had no regard for red lights. She sat there in a fit of seething rage, her body dripping with sweat and her eyes dripping with tears. She didn't bother to flip the blinker as she turned into the parking lot of the Redheart Institute of Medical Science. It was on the campus of Canterlot College, only a mile away from the high school.
Rainbow parked as close to the front entrance as possible, coughing the phlegm out of her tired lungs. She took no notice of the newly redesigned front entrance gate, gleaming with chrome silver and faux diamonds. Inside, nothing was new, no changes had been made since she last came here for a broken leg when she was in eighth grade.
The receptionist looked at her with a friendly smile and asked, "How can I help you?" Rainbow used a large portion of her remaining energy to say, "I'm here to see Fluttershy Breeze." the receptionist scanned her computer screen for a second, then told her, "Second story, room 226. Fifth door on your right."
Rainbow muttered a tired "thanks" and dragged herself to the elevator. She thought of her father, and the many, many times he had come here to get radiation pumped into his body. She thought of her mother, who had come here for alcohol remediation before abandoning them. Rainbow was only six then. So young, and yet in so many mature situations.
The elevator door opened to reveal a seemingly endless row of bland faux-wood doors. Rainbow remembered the receptionist's words "fifth door on the right" and stood in front of room 226.
226. It reminded her of February 26th. Her birthday, and usually the happiest day of the year. So ironic.
She slowly twisted the shiny handle on the door and entered the room. She was surprised, and a little relieved, to find all her friends already in there.
Sunset stood up upon Rainbow's entry, and the rest joined her. "Rainbow," Sunset went over to the unresponsive girl and gave her a tender hug. "Rarity was the first one to find out about the accident. She called us all, and we came here in the ambulance."
Rarity said, "We saw you in the crowd, talking to Flash Sentry's father. We tried to get your attention, but it was of no avail."
Applejack continued for her. "She's still awake, but we ain't heard anything from her yet." She lowered her leather Stetson hat over her forehead. "We already said our goodbyes, just in case she...ya know."
Twilight looked grave. "She may not have any time left anyway. I know how terrible this must be for you."
Pinkie didn't say anything. Her hair was straight, draping over her shoulders.
Rainbow had heard and understood every word they said, but she didn't want to answer them. Instead, she said a single word: "Alone."
Sunset nodded and said, "I understand." She motioned to the other girls to leave withe her, and they all hugged Rainbow on the way out. Pinkie even gave her a kiss on the cheek.
The door closed gently behind them. Rainbow stood static for about a minute, before sluggishly shuffling over to Fluttershy's deathbed. She sat down next to her closest friend's still-breathing body and gently squeezed her hand. Fluttershy's eyelids opened slightly, revealing weary, bloodshot eyeballs beneath. "R-Rainbow..." Fluttershy managed to get out. There was a thin trail of blood leading out of her mouth. Several teeth were missing.
"Fluttershy," Rainbow gasped, her voice soft. "Please stay with us."
Fluttershy made a tiny movement with her neck, but winced in intense pain. "I...can't...I have to...go...elsewhere..."
"No, Fluttershy," Rainbow squeezed her hand tighter. "We've been friends for so long. Don't walk out on me like this."
Fluttershy blinked. She obviously was on the verge of tears. "Say...bye bye...to all...the...animals...please..."
Rainbow somehow found herself unable to cry. "Your friends. They want you back too. Can't you do it for them?"
Fluttershy was silent for a while. She lay there, struggling to keep her eyes open. She had gone beyond the levels of pain known to mankind. After a long time she made a request. "Can...you...close...window...? C...Cold..."
Rainbow got up and said, "Anything." She slowly advanced toward the open window to shut it. A soft breeze was blowing outside, just like a few hours earlier, when they were under the cedar tree. Rainbow put both hands on the window frame and pushed it closed. "Warmer now?"
She turned back to face Fluttershy. "Are you better?"
Her questions fell upon un-hearing ears. Fluttershy was better.
Fluttershy was gone.
Rainbow drove home, the sky now bathed in dusky hues. She was in a daze about what had happened. She couldn't fully grasp the concept that her very best friend was gone forever. She never blinked; still no tears came.
She stopped in her usual parking spot in her driveway, and got out and locked the car. She inserted the house key into the front door, and opened it. Her father was still planted at the television, but the local news was on now.
"Is that you, Rainbow?" he asked, never turning away. "Did you hear some girl was run over by a school bus today? Says here her name was Fluttershy Breeze. Did you ever know her?"
Rainbow walked up the stairs without answering. She entered her bedroom and shut the door behind her, locking it. She stood in the middle of the room for a while without moving. She saw all the pictures on the walls and on her desk with the half-finished homework assignments on it. All the pictures of her and Fluttershy, ever since they were six years old.
Fluttershy.
Rainbow suddenly dove onto her bed, head first. She covered her head with one of the many pillows she owned.
And then she cried.