//------------------------------// // The End of the Rainbow // Story: Friendship is Forever // by pabrony //------------------------------// "What in Celestia's name is your problem?" asked the angry pegasus stallion from the doorway. Thunder Dash's head shot straight up and she snapped her head around to look at the door. What she saw was a charcoal gray pegasus with sparks arcing between the hairs in his mane and tail and throughout the feathers in his wings. Thunder Dash knew what that meant as she had seen it numerous times growing up. "Dad?!" she said with a look of fright on her face. "Don't 'Dad' me. I want to know what your problem is," Thundercloud growled. "Ever since I arrived yesterday, you have been defensive, rude and now you've resorted to violence. Fluttershy is a very close family friend and also your god-mare. To think you had the nerve to attack her makes me so angry that I'm sick. So I'm going ask again, what in Celestia's name is your problem.?" "I'm-I'm sorry, Dad," Thunder Dash said as her eyes began welling up with tears. "I am not the one you need to apologize to, Thunder," he continued. "The pony you need to apologize to in the waiting room. It took Sunrise, Princess Twilight, Flash and myself nearly two hours to get her calmed down after your little stunt." After hearing a commotion coming from the room, Nurse Redheart walked in and interrupted the two pegasi. "I'm sorry, but you two are going to argue, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the building," Nurse Redheart told them. "My apologies, ma'am," answered Thundercloud. "We'll continue this outside. Let's go." As Thundercloud and Thunder Dash walked through the waiting room, Thunder Dash took notice of the book that Twilight uses to communicate with Sunset Shimmer. "Um, Dad?" Thunder Dash asked with a worried look. "Do you know why Princess Twilight brought her communication book with her?" "Well, you see Thunder," he told her, "Even though you're a grown mare and the right to keep it to yourself, we want to know what happened and Sunset Shimmer the only other pony that can tell us." "So Sunset is coming to Equestria then?" Thunder Dash asked quietly. "Only if you aren't willing to telling us," her father said with a stern look on his face. A look of terror came over Thunder's face because she knew what it meant. "Dad, you're seriously not going along with this. Are you? I mean, I am a grown mare and all but I'm your daughter." "Sorry but we need to know what is bothering you," Thundercloud said as he gave her a hug. "There's something going on besides a simple bad memory." Before Thunder Dash could respond to her father's claim, Twilight, Flash, and Fluttershy burst through the doors. Twilight headed toward Carousel Boutique, Fluttershy toward Sugarcube Corner and Flash bolted to Sweet Apple Acres. Thundercloud and Thunder Dash galloped back inside to find Sunrise with a concerned look on his face. "What's going on, Sunrise? Why did everypony bolt out of here like they did?" Thundercloud asked. Sunrise stood up on his hind legs and hugged both Thundercloud and Thunder Dash at once and said, "Rainbow Dash went into cardiac arrest a few minutes ago. Mom, Dad and Fluttershy went to get Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie." Thunder Dash buried her face in Sunrise's neck and began crying hard. This is all my fault, she thought to herself. "What's taking so long with the crash cart?" shouted Dr. Joyheart as she continued CPR on Rainbow Dash. The continuous monotone sound from the heart monitor filled the room and echoed throughout the hallway. Dr. Joyheart had been performing CPR on Rainbow Dash for five minutes while she was waiting for one of the nurses to return with the defibrillator. The nurse tasked with retrieving the defibrillator finally returned, out of breath. "Here... you go... doctor." "Everypony, clear!" Dr. Joyheart shouted as she charged the paddles. The jolt made Rainbow Dash's body jump, but her heart remained still. "Clear!" Dr. Joyheart repeated as she activated the paddles for the second time. Rainbow's heart beat twice before going still once again. "Almost," one of the nurses whispered as sweat ran down everypony's faces. "C'mon, Rainbow Dash." "Increase the voltage," hollered Dr. Joyheart as she recharged the paddles a third time. "Clear!" An extremely weak heartbeat returned after the third jolt. Everypony held their breath while they waited to see if the heart rate would hold. Twilight Sparkle, Thundercloud, Rarity, and Sunrise all surrounded Thunder Dash in the waiting room each one pointing out reasons why she needed to let them know what happened to Rainbow Dash. "So what's it going to be, Thunder Dash?" Twilight asked with a concerned look on her face. "I'm sorry everypony but I'm honoring my word to Mom," she responded with a defiant tone of voice. "Very well," said Twilight as a pink aura lifted her communication book and a quill from her saddlebag and began to write on the first blank page. Dear Sunset, I know it's been a while since I've written but this is an emergency. My Rainbow Dash was critically injured yesterday and the only one that knows what happened is her daughter. We're going to need your telepathy so that we can find out what happened. I will have the portal opened in about an hour. Your friend, Twilight Sparkle "What's with th' book, Twi?" Applejack asked as she and Flash walked into the building. Pinkie Pie, who walked into the hospital with Fluttershy, said, "Well you see, Thunder Dash has been really really grumpy like Cranky Doodle Donkey but won't tell no one what's wrong so then she got became a real meanie head towards Fluttershy by pushing her up against a wall and now Twilight's gonna send a message to Sunset Shimmer so that she can use her mind-reading magic to find out what happened to make Thunder Dash into a big meanie head." "An' jus' how in the hay do you know that? You jus' got here," Applejack said with skepticism. "Pinkie Sense," smiled Pinkie. "Is that really what's goin' on, Twilight?" inquired Applejack. "That's pretty much it," replied Twilight. "Sorry to change the subject, darlings," Rarity interrupted, "but has anypony gotten an update on Rainbow Dash's condition since Twilight came to get me at the boutique?" "Give me a minute and I'll check," Thundercloud said to the group of friends. The nurse came out after Thundercloud rang the bell and gave him an update on Rainbow's condition. After wiping his eyes, he returned to the group to deliver the news. "What did she say, dear?" Rarity asked shakily. "It-it's not good," Thundercloud studdered while trying to keep his composure. "Dr. Joyheart has her stabilized but her vitals are extremely weak. They-they don't expect her to make it... through the night." As everypony let the news sink in, Fluttershy hugged Thunder Dash as she apologized for the incident earlier in the day. Pinkie Pie's fluffy mane and tail went flat and Rarity's mascara began to run as she started crying. Twilight and Flash held each other as tears began rolling down their cheeks. Applejack lowered her head and pulled her hat down over her face. Sunrise put a hoof around his future father-in-law as a show of support. "Sorry I took so long, Twilight," said Sunset Shimmer as she galloped in the waiting room. "How is Rainbow Dash doing?" While Twilight filled Sunset in on the situation, Thundercloud informed his daughter, "You can still change your mind and tell everypony what happened. I doubt Sunset wants to do this any more than we would like her to. Whatever it is you're hiding, it needs to be brought out in the open." "I'm sorry but I'm keeping the promise I made to Mom," Thunder Dash responded. "I don't want all of you to hate me for what happened." "Would you be able to cast a projection spell while using your telepathy to find out what happened?" Thundercloud asked. "To be honest Thundercloud, I don't know. I've never used my telepathy as a unicorn," said Sunset. "What I'm going to do is see what happened to Rainbow and then I'll cast a projection spell afterward." Sunset approached Thunder Dash and gave her a hug before placing her right forehoof on Thunder's muzzle to see Rainbow Dash's final moments. The events she saw surprised her about Thunder Dash's behavior. After she finished her vision, Sunset hugged Thunder again and reassured her, "What happened is not your fault. I'm sure there is a professional pony that will be able to help you through this, along with your friends and family." Thunder Dash held onto her father as tears began to fill her eyes while Sunset cast the projection spell. "Please don't be mad at me, Dad," she cried softly.