"Have a nice day, Rainbow Dash. I'm sorry for everything, but please remember I care for you. There's a party waiting for you at Sugarcube Corner," explained the nurse apologetically. A party? Anything but a party right now. I've been in the hospital for three plus weeks and I'm still not over myself, Dash cried, internally. But I won't let Pinkie's efforts go to waste. I'll stick with my friends to the very end.
Rainbow Dash approached Sugarcube Corner with caution, silently praying for no surprise jumpscares or anything of that sort as she was still incredibly upset and she didn't want to show her weakness infront of everypony present; she was sure there would be a lot. Taking steps forward, Dash's cloak covered parts of her back where, previously, wings would poke out of. Generally, before surgery, this home, navy cloak of hers would contain holes for her wings to peak through, but Dash begged Rarity to stitch it up. She didn't want scars to haunt her whenever she wanted to feel safe inside the item of clothing.
As Rainbow Dash slowly and gloomily trotted over to the door of Pinkie Pie's hide-out, the door opened on it own, revealing the most sparkling, uplifting and colourful world she had ever laid an eye upon. Although Dash was in the glass-half-empty mood multiplied by a thousand cubed, this did brighten up her spirits. Later, she remembered why this party was set in the first place which literally broke the negativity scale inside her mind. However, as much as reluctant she felt, she entered.
It was as if Pinkie Pie read her mind; instead of ponies secretly hiding behind counters, inside pink closets or out in the curious back rooms, they were all seen the moment Dash wandered inside. No surprises, good. In the far off distance, towards the end of a long, echoing hallway, her five other friends stood, smiles on their faces, heartwarming energy making its way towards Dash herself. She noticed Pinkie Pie carrying a wonderfully-designed and cautiously-plotted, apologetic cake towards the door.
"We're sorry for everything, Dashie, so I've spent the past three weeks, four days, seventeen hours and five minutes making sure this party will be a memorable one, and the best one you ever attended! I wish for you to be happy, bright, and to keep moving on. Never leave us, Dashie, I missed you so badly while you were gone," announced Pinkie, with mares and colts clapping and aww-ing in the background. The rest of Rainbow Dash's best friends galloped over to the sadly confused and tormented mare, and showered her with hugs, friendly kisses, gifts and pure love. None of it was truly soaking inside Dash's body, however, and she remained completely still. Following, the rest of the ponies practically threw presents around frantically, and using Rainbow Dash as a personalised doll to decorate her with ribbons, bows, necklaces, and other jewellery and various objects.
"Ah just missed ya so much, as you know...It was so hard knowin' ya were out there in the 'ospital all sad and gloomy, we tried our very best to make this as special for ya as possible, R.D," Applejack reached over to Dash and kissed her forehead, letting a small amount of care slowly fuse inside Rainbow Dash.
"We really have. All ponies played their part one way or another. Applejack helped Pinkie Pie cook and harvest apples. Rarity helped with the design, Fluttershy trained her birds a song she created so that they could sing beautifully, and I made sure it was all organised and how you would love it," exclaimed Twilight, hugging her close friend.
"Aha..." Began Dash. All ponies listened closely. Dash took a deep breath and cleared her throat. More raspy than ever, she didn't bother worrying about the tens of voice cracks she made. "This really is...amazing...and I appreciate everything...but...I don't know. It's such a cool party, but none of the energy is getting to me..." Admitted Dash.
"Well, the party hasn't started!" Bellowed Pinkie Pie, as she grabbed Dash over to the dance floor.
---
Rainbow Dash slowly signed the bottom of the paper presented to her. Officially leaving the Wonderbolts, she hugged Spitfire, thanked her for the support, motivation, and help, and exited the now painful memory-filled lobby. "Goodbye," she said.
Making her way using a hot air balloon she borrowed from Pinkie, it was now a month after she left the hospital. She was mainly sunken into her bed, laying there for hours, while she could be doing the most daring and radical tricks. She hated herself for pushing her limits so far that they literally crossed the line, and for not being ready to perform the stunt she practiced a lot for, to perfect it and make it something nopony would ever get out of their mind. Sadly, she succeeded in only one of those things.
She stared at the sky. Or more like, the yellow, glowing moons and stars she took out from her child drawer. She stuck them to her ceiling and stared at them at nightfall, falling to sleep while already dreaming. They were all of various sizes, forming a three-dimensional world she loved to spectate and imagine, placing herself in between that moon to the left and that little tiny star over there, seeing herself from a far distance. She sighed. It was another, painful night. Motivation exited her body with no goodbye as laziness and sadness took over. Sure, she was quite proud of herself that night. Having smiled a sincere, long smile was the highlight of her week.
Dash woke up with an icky, uncomfortable feeling. She wondered about what happened, as she was surrounded in darkness as it pooled at her room. The cieling still glowed with energy, but something didn't feel right. She felt a tad bit lower than usual; before realising that she had sunk into her cloud mattress. Huh? She wondered deeply. But then, she remembered. I'm not a pegasus anymore, and my heart is slowly accepting that I'm no longer one. My theories have been proven, I'm gaining what Earth ponies have. Strength to stand and buck orchards or multi-task, and no power to stand on cloud... She thanked Celestia that the process of this is snail-slow, and that she didn't just wake up one day with a thud on the grassy lands of Ponyville, far away from Cloudsdale. Although, it was a moment to realise that she had to cleanse her roots and get the hell out of Cloudsdale.
Grabbing the cottoncandy-like balloon, she propped herself up on the small stool inside, where she could stand and control the balloon in the sky. She carefully landed on a hill, from where she could see the entire village as if she was high up in the sky, flying. Leaving, she ran over to Sweet Apple Acres. The moon still haunted the sky and nopony could be heard, only the rustles of tree branches as they brushed against the soft soil, being manoeuvred by the gentle breeze of the night. She was probably the only pony awake, making her the loudest also.
As she knocked on a wall of Applejack's house in a secret knock pattern, she had to repeat it several times before she heard mediocre footsteps approaching the main door. Thankfully, it wasn't anyone but Applejack. "O-oh, hey there," she said. Her bedhead floated against the wind.
"H-hi," greeted Rainbow Dash.
"Everythin' okay? It's half past two in the morning," Asked Applejack, checking the clock mounted on the old, gray wall of the living room. "Ah didn't expect ya here at such a time."
"Yeah, um...long story short, I'm becoming an Earth pony. As in, assets. So, I woke up half inside my mattress. I can't live in Cloudsdale; if I stay there for one more day, I'll wake up with broken bones as I would have fallen through the only material Cloudsdale is made of," explained Dash, rubbing her eyes for two reasons; one from the breeze and other because of the pain.
"Oh no, well hay, get inside. Need anythin'?" Applejack walked to the side of the door, allowing Dash to enter.
"No, just sleep,"
"Sleep in my room, it's mighty fine in there. Ah don't mind; if ya don't yourself,"
"No, it's fine. Goodnight, Applejack," Rainbow Dash planted a soft kiss on Applejack's cheek to cleanse her mind of the worry. She didn't need someone to worry about her other than herself.
---
The first day of Sweet Apple Acres and living on the farm was heafty, and left a scar. A lot of apple bucking, mixed in with making cider; Applejack specifically made her family reschedule plans for Rainbow Dash, to, once again, attempt to lift up her spirits. It did work, genuinely. Rainbow Dash smiled again. That's all Applejack wanted, and Applebloom was also overjoyed with the event.
Although the sun shone and the day went by smoothly, a heavy wind blew for about fifteen minutes, breaking a weak tree in the orchards. Big Mac did manage to catch it in time, although a pointy branch jabbed Rainbow Dash in the back, like a pin, and stuck to her, right in the weak spot. A pony would have to have been incredibly unlucky and miserable for that to happen to them, when they would be having such a wonderful day; and Dash seemed to be the victim of that. Despite the event, filled with buckets of blood, Dash rejected any idea related to a doctor, but accepted Applejack to become hers, along with the rest of the family.
It seemed a vein was poked, resulting in the hefty amount of blood; however, the Apple family managed to clot the blood and bandage it correctly. Dash was in a great deal of pain, however, but was reassured that nopony would die from an injury like so if treated correctly or treated at all, making Rainbow Dash prone to anything of the sorts. No doctor approved of that statement, but Dash wanted nothing to do with real medical ponies or places.
Laying in Applejack's bed, Dash held something close to her heart and let the pillows drain tears from her eyes, as she planted another kiss on Applejack when she was sleeping. A ton of work was done that day, leaving Applejack breathless.
After the hefty, tough day, Rainbow Dash fell into a long, summer's sleep.