Shattered Rainbow

by TheMajorTechie


Awake

Rainbow sat puzzled in her bed, staring down at the tag for several minutes. She didn't move, nor did she speak.

How could it be seventeen years?

A brief rap on the door startled the mare, breaking her staredown with the patient tag. A recognisably yellow mare walked into the room, a stethoscope hanging about her neck.

"Fluttershy?" Rainbow whispered to herself, watching the mare head over to the monitoring devices in the corner.

Fluttershy's ears perked at Rainbow's voice. She turned to face the pony she had watched plummet as a filly. At the sight of Rainbow being awake, her eyes widened. She promptly rushed from the room.


Fluttershy burst into the main office in a flurry, sending papers flying with the gust of wind created by the door. "Rainbow Dash's awake!"

Several ponies raised their brow, including the patients.

"Are you sure?" The receptionist asked, "That mare's been in a coma for years now. I doubt that she'd wake anytime soon." she opened a nearby filing cabinet, and revealed a folder. "Seventeen years," she continued, "Admitted to the CUH for traumatic brain injuries, a shredded wing, and multiple fractured vertebrae." She looked back up from the file at Fluttershy.

"Once again, are you sure?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, she's awake!" she repeated, "Come see!" She turned and was about to run back to Dash's room, but instead met Rainbow Dash herself, dragging herself along on a chair, followed by various medical devices still tethered to her.

"What's going on?" Rainbow asked, "Fluttershy, where are the girls? I want to see Twilight."

"Twilight?" Fluttershy repeated softly, "Twilight who?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, TWILIGHT WHO?!" Rainbow screamed. She recoiled immediately after hitting herself on the IV rack.

Fluttershy frowned. "Rainbow, I don't know of anypony named 'Twilight'. You've been in a coma for years now following the crash. What are you talking about?"

Rainbow's eyes widened. "Y-you mean..."

"Yes, Rainbow, you've been here since you were a filly. I personally flew you here when you crashed."

Shaking her head, the cyan pegasus began mumbling, "No... it can't be true, all those years--"

"Never happened? Yes. That's true."

Rainbow recoiled, surprised at Fluttershy's tone.

"If... if it was all a dream," she began, "then wouldn't Luna have come to tell me?"

"Luna?" Fluttershy questioned as she moved Rainbow to a wheelchair, "Who are you talking about?"

Rainbow shrugged in frustration. "Idunno, isn't she the Princess of the Night?!" she said, "Like, the one who watches over you guys' dreams? The Mare in the Moon? Y'know?"

"Oh! The Mare in the Moon!" Fluttershy exclaimed, "You're talking about her?"

Rainbow nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah... she's a myth. Nopony's ever confirmed her existence, not even Queen Celestia."

"Wait, QUEEN Celestia?" Rainbow snorted, "What happened to the whole 'Princess of Equestria' thing?!"

Fluttershy shook her head slowly as she began carting Rainbow Dash back to her room. "After Celestia's mother died, she took on the role of Queen. Parliament's been under her leadership for the past few years now."

"Wha--WHAT?!" Rainbow Dash yelled in confusion, "QUEEN? MOTHER?! PARLIAMENT?!"

"Shhhhhh..." Fluttershy shushed the panicking mare, "It's alright, it'll take some time for you to adjust now that the stimulant drugs aren't needed."

Rainbow shrunk down in her wheelchair in her horror. "Stimulant... drugs?!"

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. "Stimulant, hallucinogenic, it's all a matter of how you refer to it and how it's used."

"You mean--"

"Yes, Rainbow," Fluttershy replied, cutting off her patient, "Those dreams were likely a byproduct of drugs that were injected into your bloodstream in attempt to hasten your mental recovery." She paused for a moment, before continuing, "Though, it did take seventeen years or so until now..."

The duo remained silent as Fluttershy arrived at Rainbow's room.