//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: My Little (Broken) Rainbow. // by FlutteringShy //------------------------------// Chapter 2. ~*~ Within the boutique, Rainbow Dash squirmed uncomfortably in her chair. Rarity watched her for a few moments, then looked away, observing the weather nonchalantly. “Weather is really lovely today ‘Dash, isn’t it?” “I.. uhhhh, yeah. I helped organize it, cos I know how much…” Rainbow Dash trailed off, looking deeply uncomfortable, but unable to hide the tiny smile trying to spread across her muzzle. Rarity allowed herself a small smile, leaning forward and asking gently, as if she were coaxing information out of Fluttershy during one of their spa visits, what Rainbow Dash meant. Immediately clamming up, Rainbow Dash studied the table in front of her, eyes following the complicated swirls and patterns, whilst her hooves pressed hard against her chest, just below her ribcage. “I’ll just give you some time, dear…” Rarity murmured. Dash may or may not have whispered something in response, and Rarity waited for a few moments, ears straining for the words long past, only hearing the pristine quiet of her shop, disturbed by naught but the ponies breathing. Turning around, Rarity made her way deeper into her shop, her hooves striking the white tiles sharply and breaking the painful silence with each step, finally stopping as she reached her workstation. Rainbow Dash groaned very quietly to herself, nearly matching Fluttershy in volume, and leans forward, resting her forehead on the table, ears drooping sadly, and kneading her stomach helplessly. I don’t understand why it has to be this way. Even thinking about Big Mac hurts, so so much, and I just… I can’t... Derpy and her stupid eyes, why not me? Is something wrong with me? It’s because I’m not happy like she is, isn’t it? My fur is nice, I know it is, but my mane… Does he hate my mane? Is that why? Maybe he likes blondes. My muzzle is kind of short, and I’m not curvy at all… I thought stallions wanted lean, skinny mares? Maybe they do and I’m too skinny, or my hooves. They’re all chipped and rough, so… or is it cos I can fly and Derpy can’t? Do I talk too much? He should know I’m loyal! Right? Rainbow Dash groaned again, quieter this time, and rolled over, hearing a distant tinkling noise. Maybe he likes kids. No, stallions don’t like kids. Big Mac is a nice stallion. Apple Bloom is his little sister and he likes her. Maybe Derpy is just really, really good a- “Rainbow Dash, are you alright?” Rainbow Dash jolted, knocking the already-toppled teacup off the brightly colored table and onto the floor. The teacup smashed, much to Rarity’s visible dismay, although Rainbow Dash didn’t notice. She looked at the broken teacup for a while, still kneading her stomach and chest. “Rarity… I think…” The cyan Pegasus started, then looked back at Rarity. Rarity nodded sympathetically, her mane bobbing with the motion. Rainbow Dash watched it for a moment, then burst into tears, clutched her chest and launched herself out of the nearest window, toppling the table, two chairs, Rarity, and a decorative plant in the process. ~*~ Rainbow Dash flew. She didn’t care where, or why, she flew. She just flew. Her wings beating heavily, forelegs clutching herself and wind pushing her ears back so hard it hurt, Rainbow Dash kept her eyes closed and sobbed with every few wingbeats, shooting across the entirety of Ponyville within a minute, and soon on her way to Cloudsdale, a six hour flight from Ponyville for most pegasi. ~*~ Two hours of flying with her eyes closed later, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, and flew lower, landing on a convenient, if small cloud. She curled up painfully, clutching one hoof to her hollow, aching chest, the other to her stomach, and whimpered. Stop it, stop it, STOP IT! Rainbow Dash looked down, nuzzling her face into the hard, uncomfortable cloud. It was somewhat like a soft, grassy hill, but that made it no less solid to a Pegasus than normal ground. Rainbow Dash, stop it! Come out and play, and socialize! You’ll perfectly beautiful, really! The cyan mare thought of her friend, Fluttershy, who had said those very words to her those few short years ago, in Cloudsdale as barely-teen fillies. Muttering vengefully into the cloud, Rainbow Dash stood up. “No, buck this. I took manure from those ponies at Flight School, I am not going to let them ruin my chances with Big Macintosh. Fluttershy was… Fluttershy is RIGHT!” Screaming the last word, Rainbow Dash trotting in place, renewed and reinvigorated by her buck-you attitude, so sorely missed the past few hours, and looked around, listening hard, as if for some confirmation from nature himself. After nothing but eerie, unkind silence, the saddened mare looked down, admiring the scenery and giggling – Giggling? What? That isn’t cool! – nervously, her recent vigor gone . ~*~ Fluttershy flew lazily to the Carousel Boutique, humming tunelessly but cheerfully the entire way. Upon sighting the Boutique, Fluttershy stuttered, losing her easy confidence and plummeting, literally. After a rough – Not my roughest today… - landing, Fluttershy trotted towards the large hole in Rarity’s kitchen, which the snowy mare was desperately trying to repair. “Rarity, I.. uhm, oh, oh dear. W-what are you doing? Is everything, uhm, oh.. oh-kay..?” Rarity looked up from her work, and smiled gratefully. “Oh, Fluttershy! Thank goodness. Could you please go find Rainbow Dash for me?” “Uhm, well, I.. yes, yes, uhm.. yes, I..I will.” The buttery Pegasus nodded in affirmation, automatically, then paused, cowering ever so slightly, and whimpering into the ground. “Uh, uh.. R-Rainbow Dash, you say..?” ~*~ Rainbow Dash stood up, an idea having occurred to her. Without bothering to think it through, she leapt off the cloud, carefully dodging the other clouds around her, and shot back towards Ponyville, on the verge of her Equestria-famous Sonic Rainboom for a few minutes before slowing to a more reasonable, by her own standards, pace. My chest still hurts, and I feel like a giant cave, echo-y. I think… Maybe it’s cos it’s a good plan. No, my plans are always good. Rainbow Dash sharply dodged a cloud, surprised she hadn’t seen it coming. No more thinking. I’ll just grab Scootalala and then we’ll see who Mac likes better. Who needs advice anyway? I don’t. I’m Rainbow Dash! I do Sonic Rainbooms all the time, all I need is a buckin’ foal and Big Mac will see me playing with Scoota.. Scootalala, I guess, and then he’ll know I’m better than silly little Derpy. Of course. With a sharp, surprised yelp, Rainbow Dash bounced off a cloud she hadn’t fully seen, clipping her wing and hitting another cloud. It completely stopped her momentum, and she fell onto the cloud below, winding herself hard. Gasping in panic, Dash clutched her stomach and rolled onto her wing, nearly shooting off the cloud at the sudden surge of pain. Ow ow OW! This can’t be happening, I can’t breath, no, I’m going to fall off this stupid, poxy cloud in the middle of nowhere, I don’t.. Rainbow Dash whimpered, nuzzling her face into the cloud and began to cry again. Fluttershy, I need you..