Rainbow Dash felt the warmth of the sun on her back as she slowly awakened from her nap. With a jolt, she sprung up on her hooves and glanced at her surroundings in confusion. Naps were supposed to only last for a few hours at the most. Yet as she squinted at the sky, she noticed that the sun was well over its peak. She could accurately estimate that it was the early evening.
Getting plenty of much needed rest helped shift her mind back into gear as Rainbow Dash regained focus. Of course it was just then that she realized that she had forgotten to find Twilight Sparkle after helping her other friends out. At the moment she had so much else on her mind it was difficult to concentrate. But that all had to wait as there was something much more important to focus on while she stretched her wings and limbs.
With a determined look, Rainbow Dash leaped and spread her wings out to glide down towards the center of town. Her descent was rapid at first but she slowed down as she approached what was left of Town Hall. Workers and volunteers had only begun to slowly remove debris from the giant mess of rubble. The streets, though dirty, appeared to have been cleared out already of large debris.
As much as she wanted to see Twilight again to confirm her plans for the next day, Rainbow Dash had something else in mind. After all, it was about time she checked in on the one pony who managed to change how she felt about romance and other 'mushy stuff' that was apparently too lame for 'cool ponies.'
Anxiety filled Rainbow Dash as the sight of the hospital came into view. Her calm mood had instantly changed at the thought of seeing her girlfriend again. So much time had passed since she had seen Fluttershy in her worst condition. She had to wonder if things had improved since the surgery.
After exhaling a deep breath, Rainbow Dash pushed past the green door of the reception area. Surprisingly enough, it was much more crowded today than the previous day. Most of the seats were taken by family members and ponies waiting for follow-ups on their injuries. A different receptionist was behind the counter, talking to a rather concerned mare with a teal coat. Meanwhile, Doctors approached their awaiting patients as others walked out with fresh bandages.
Rainbow Dash glanced around at the filled, red seats as she found herself overwhelmed by how noisy and crowded it was. There was no one there that caught her interest except the mare who was talking with the receptionist. Something about her bright, white mane reminded Rainbow Dash of someone else she had met. Before she could a get a good luck at her face, the vibrant mare hurried past the double doors to the hall on the left.
For a brief moment, Rainbow Dash paused in thought before forcing herself to walk through the doors as well. She had no intention of first talking with the receptionist and wasting precious time, especially if she already knew which room Fluttershy had been in. As she slipped through, she almost walked into another mare who was about to leave.
"Rainbow Dash!"
Before she knew it, Rainbow Dash found herself caught in a hug; yet engulfed again by the her emotional unicorn friend.
"Uh hey, Rarity," she greeted weakly, feeling even more uneasy.
"You came here in just time, dear! Fluttershy had been asking where you were all this time!" Rarity explained. Suddenly she loosened the hug and moved back away. "Come now, I'm sure you've waiting all day to see her, after all!" she beckoned.
However, Rainbow Dash couldn't comprehend as she stood stunned in the busy hallway. Some part of her mind must have imagined that Rarity just said that Fluttershy was awake and wanted to see her. It sounded too good to actually have happened like that.
"Wait-wait-wait! She's... she's awake? Like right now?" Rainbow Dash stuttered as her friend exchanged a concerned look. "Like, talking? And-"
"Yes, darling! She's been awake for quite some time now! Now, please, let's not make her wait any longer," Rarity replied before turning around towards the rooms ahead. She appeared just as anxious.
Strange feelings of excitement and unease cycled through Rainbow Dash as she followed Rarity down the hall. She hadn't been expecting this outcome and wasn't sure if she was a hundred percent mentally prepared for this. There were so many questions and concerns on her mind it overwhelmed her thoughts. As the walked past doctors and nurses, she felt her throbbing in her chest.
Rarity stopped and motioned towards a windowless room on the right. "Here, this room, Rainbow. Now I was going to see Applejack in the cafeteria." She paused and nodded slowly as she noticed how anxious her friend appeared. "Just... try not to overwhelm her right now. You'll feel much better once you see how well she's doing," she explained in an attempt to console.
"Yeah, no worries. I'll just talk for a little bit," Rainbow Dash replied as she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.
However, her last sentence was not heard as Rarity was already at the end of the hall.
A strange sensation overcame Rainbow Dash as she gripped the door. She froze in place before taking a deep breath and opening the door. As it creaked open, a short hallway appeared with a door to the bathroom on the right. Just a few steps further was the rest of the room. The sound of a sharp, consistent beeping interrupted her thoughts.
"Hello?" a voice called out from the obscured section of the room.
Rainbow Dash carefully approached the room before she could see around the corner of the hall. There lying in bed was Fluttershy with both of her wings extended outwards. Tan colored bandages covered her wings, hiding the yellow feathers beneath. In the purple chair on her right was Twilight Sparkle, who looked back with a warm face.
Around Fluttershy's neck was the rather bulky brace that prevented her from physically turning her head. Instead, she had been oriented so she could face more towards her right side. This appeared to limit what she could see to only the far side of the room. To the left of her was the IV stand which held a bag hooked up to her forearm. On the other side was a monitor cluttered with her vital signs and other information Rainbow Dash didn't immediately understand. In the corner opposite of Twilight was an awkwardly placed round nightstand that was nowhere near the hospital bed that Fluttershy was lying on.
"Hey" Twilight quietly greeted as she smiled at Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash glanced again at Fluttershy briefly before looking back at her friend. "Hey, Twilight," she replied, her voice quiet as well.
"Who's here, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. She had spoken slowly, and quieter than Twilight had.
Twilight turned towards Fluttershy's face. "It's Rainbow Dash. She wanted to see you," she softly replied.
"Oh... that's wonderful. I can't... see her from here though."
"Here," Twilight said as she got out of the chair. "You can take the seat and that way you can talk to her better," she gestured towards the empty armchair.
Rainbow Dash silently nodded before navigating around the stretcher and settling in the comfy chair. As she looked over at Fluttershy's body, she almost frowned upon seeing the other injuries marked by dried blood. For better or worse, her lower half was covered by a light blanket, hiding further possible injuries. Right away her eyes focused on the bandaged gash above Fluttershy's bangs before looking at the mixed expression on her face.
"Hi, Rainbow," Fluttershy greeted as she smiled weakly.
"Hey," Rainbow Dash greeted back as she scratched the back of her head. "How are you doing, Shy'?"
Fluttershy's eyes slowly focused on her girlfriends face before shifting away. A brief moment passed as Rainbow Dash waited for a response.
"Fluttershy?"
"Huh? What is it, Rainbow?"
"I-I asked how you were feeling," Rainbow Dash nervously replied.
"Oh... well, tired actually. I'm happy to see you though," she answered with a small smile.
"Right. So... you remember anything?" Rainbow Dash asked with a raised eyebrow.
Fluttershy's eyes shifted before she spoke up. "Um... well, I'm not really sure how I got here."
"Actually, I heard that Applejack was the one who rescued her in time and brought her here." Twilight explained as she stood near the end of the stretcher. "She's... asked about this a few times already. I'm sure the combined effects of blood loss, painkillers, and well, recently waking up is what's affecting her consciousness and causing her to act a little odd."
If hearing the monitor's consistent beeping wasn't unsettling enough, now Rainbow Dash was given more reasons to be worried about Fluttershy.
"You remember anything before? Like when we were hanging out in the morning?"
Fluttershy nodded before making eye contact again. "Um, well... we did have breakfast together... I remember we were talking for a while.. but I don't know what we were talking about," she explained before sighing in defeat.
"Hey, it's cool!" Rainbow Dash cooed. "But it's uh, great that you remember that much," she added with a weak laugh.
For a brief moment, her eyes scanned from Fluttershy's bruised forearms to the bandage covering the gash. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but note every little cut and bruise along her girlfriend's body. Holding back a frown took conscious effort.
"Fluttershy?"
However, she received no response from her girlfriend. Instead Fluttershy appeared to have drifted off to sleep. It was difficult to tell if whether or not she truly was asleep because her eyes were mostly closed when she talked.
Twilight Sparkle rested her hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "I know you're worried but she's doing much better than she looks. After all, she only had a minor concussion and just a little damage to the back of her neck. Thank Celestia she didn't have any serious spinal damage."
"Yeah, that's true," Rainbow Dash agreed, nodding slightly.
A brief silence followed before the two young mares heard a series of incoherent, mumbled words escape the muzzle of their friend. Rainbow Dash turned to see Fluttershy's eyes half open, staring back at her.
"Rainbow... could you..." Fluttershy began but her voice began inaudible.
"Huh? What's up Shy'," Rainbow Dash replied, slightly nervous.
A yellow hoof weakly reached out but not far enough. In this state, Fluttershy seemed not to have much capacity to do anything. Seeing her hoof sink back down on the cushiony surface made Rainbow Dash feel a ping of sadness in her heart. For some reason she could understand the attempted gesture, despite that it was ambiguous.
Rainbow Dash scooted in the chair until it was facing the stretcher. In a smooth motion, Rainbow Dash reached out with her left forearm and rested it on Fluttershy's right hoof. She gently pulled the limb closer and held it with both of her forearms. It nothing more than a sweet gesture but Rainbow Dash felt an unique connection through the physical contact. She wasn't one to get touchy feely but this only felt right in her mind--and it felt nice too.
"Thank you, Rainbow... I'm really happy you're here," Fluttershy nodded as she blushed.
Tears welled up in Rainbow Dash's eyes as she looked back at the soft teal eyes and held her girlfriend's forearm. Without realizing it, a single tear had streaked down her face, leaving behind a wet trail on her cheek. Quickly, she leaned over the stretcher but paused to avoid touching Fluttershy's right wing. Rainbow Dash allowed another tear to streak down as she bent her head down closer to Fluttershy. It took effort to avoid her stretched wing, but it was worth the effort to finally hug her girlfriend after all she had been through.
The proud Pegasus sniffled and shed more a few tears as she weakly smiled at her girlfriend. Suddenly it felt as if she was going to need all the courage so she could muster a smile, despite seeing Fluttershy in such a terrible condition.
Rainbow Dash sighed as she felt Twilight slightly nudge her with her wing. Yet, her eyes remained focused on Fluttershy even as a tissue was levitated to her face.
"I think she's asleep. Why don't we leave her be for now and get something to eat from the cafeteria," Twilight Sparkle suggested as she rested a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder.
The hallway was empty as Rainbow Dash peeked around before quietly closing the door. Only two doctors stood at the end of the hallway that appeared to be restricted to hospital staff only. As they approached the double doors leading to the reception, the sound of a door opening and closing caught Rainbow Dash's attention. As she glanced behind her, all she caught was the blur of an orange and yellow mane turning around the corner and down another hallway.
"Wait, Twilight was that I who I thought that was?" Rainbow Dash asked with a puzzled look at her Alicorn friend.
Twilight Sparkle paused for a brief moment as she hesitated to speak out loud. "Uh, maybe I should tell you about her later," she quickly explained.
"Hold on!" Rainbow Dash stopped her. "She disappears and then comes out nowhere? Who was she visiting in the first place?" She pressed on, clearly to her friend's annoyance.
A purple wing suddenly pulled Rainbow Dash closer. "I'm serious, Rainbow! I can't just tell you in public!" she whispered in the Pegasus's ear.
"Ugh fine!" Rainbow Dash gave in, with an exasperated look. "But you better tell me what's going on.
The hospital's cafeteria wasn't as crowded as Rainbow Dash expected, though to her surprise some of the staff there appeared to have suffered injuries as well. It appeared that the hospital had just started renovating the space before the accident. Almost half of the scuffed light-pink tiles had been removed, revealing the underfloor. The walls also appeared bare with small holes here and there where art and other decorations were once mounted. It seemed that kitchen area had been spared as the tiles there had not yet been removed.
Rainbow Dash frowned as she scanned the room. She had half expected the cafeteria to be more welcoming but instead was not in its best shape. Most of the purple tables were occupied but a booth in the back corner caught her attention. Applejack was sitting across from Rarity in the cushioned booth along the back wall. Both mares appeared to be talking with warm expressions on the faces. As she approached them, they turned their head and gave surprised looks.
"Whoa, why the long face, RD?" Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Why, you look so dreadfully dismal, Rainbow!" Rarity added.
The cyan Pegasus shook her head and brushed her mane swiftly with a hoof. "Eh, it's nothing to worry about. Just didn't get much sleep y'know," she lied, giving a confident smirk.
"Not to mention ya could use a shower," Applejack grinned as she eyed her messy mane. "Err, no offense but ya still got a leaf in yer mane there," she pointed out.
"You look like you didn't much sleep either, Twilight, you poor dear!"
Twilight shrugged as she stood next to Rainbow Dash. "I've been pretty busy I suppose. There's a lot of worked involved with coordinating efforts with our neighboring cities. Things would be better if we get can the trains up and running again," she explained.
"Yes, well everyone does appreciate the work you've done already getting Ponyville back up on its hooves," Rarity consoled her as she got of her seat. "Why don't you two make yourselves comfortable while I get you something to eat?" she offered.
"Nah that's..." Rainbow Dash trailed off as her friend hurried off to get in line. It seemed there was little point in arguing or lying that she wasn't hungry at all.
"Ugh... scoot over, Applejack," she smirked as she sat at the edge of the booth and slid herself over closer to her Earth pony friend.
Applejack rolled her eyes and took a sip from her cup. "Ya'll should be grateful to have a friend like that," she scolded Dash as she sat more upright. "Ya feel like talking about her?" she asked in a much more gentle tone.
"She seems to be really well... considering what she went through," Twilight commented as she settled herself in the other opposite side. "I mean she was able to remember a lot from before it happened!"
A long sigh escaped Rainbow Dash's muzzle as she sunk lower into her seat. "Yeah, I know... I just wish I didn't have to see her like that," she quietly replied.
"Ah know, but she's stronger than she looks. So far, Ah've been hearing plenty of good news," Applejack pointed out. "What matters is that we give Fluttershy plenty of company and support while she recovers."
"I think that's the best way we can approach this," Twilight Sparkle agreed with a nod.
With a thud, two trays landed on the table from above and almost startled the group of friends. Rainbow Dash groaned as she had not expected Rarity to make such a noisy entrance.
"Ah, I'm quite sorry! I was distracted for a mere second," Rarity apologized with a embarrassed look.
Rainbow Dash looked down and found herself salivating just because of the smell of her food. On the tray cheesy noodles, hash browns, and apple sliced were neatly separated. Her generous friend knew her too well it seemed. Licking her chops, she took several messy bites from each food.
"Hey thanks, Rare!"
Rarity facehooved as a noodle stuck to her ear. "Darling! I hadn't expected anything in return except perhaps some proper dining etiquette!" she complained.
"Yeah, that's not happening," Applejack laughed as she leaned back with a grin.
The day was already winding down by the time Rainbow Dash noticed how dark the sky looked. Her gaze focused on the windows overlooking the hospital's front entrance. Twilight Sparkle had already left for an important meeting with the mayor and some engineers to talk about getting the trains up and running. Still, it felt like an excuse to get away from telling what was going on in the Wonderbolts. Nobody else in Ponyville knew the true cause of the accident or even mentioned the Wonderbolts.
Rainbow Dash sighed as she continued to sit at the empty booth. Talking with her friends and getting some decent food to eat did wonders for her mood but she lost her chance to see her girlfriend once more before visiting hours ended. Now her friends were gone but she stayed for another coffee.
"Some loyal friend I was," she muttered to herself as she fidgeted with a sugar packet. "I didn't even tell her that I won't be around tomorrow either."
Another sigh escaped the cyan mare's muzzle as she took a sip of her coffee. "I wish I could back down... but they're counting on me so much now," she thought to herself.
"Excuse me, miss?" A young Unicorn mare who was wearing custodian clothes had addressed her. "We closed several minutes ago, I'm afraid," she explained as she awkwardly stood next to her cleaning supply cart.
Surprised, Rainbow Dash stood up and stretched her wings before yawning. "Heh, sorry! I didn't really notice the time!" she apologized as she used a wing to grab her warm coffee.
"It's no problem really, but I need to clean these tables," the mare shrugged.
"Nah, I'll go. I've got a lot going on anyway," Rainbow Dash replied while she dropped her half empty coffee into the trash.
"Guess I better get ready for tomorrow," she thought to herself. "It's the least I can do now."
As Rainbow Dash stirred under a thin blanket, she couldn't help but wonder about the next day. It seemed like every day was going end like this: becoming too restless to sleep, worrying about Ponyville, her girlfriend, and their future. She eyed the saddlebags that she had packed for the flight to Canterlot and then back filled with supplies. Her eyes then focused on her Wonderbolts poster, her pet tortoise who was sound asleep, and then towards a framed picture of herself in her Wonderbolts reserves gear. Sooner or later there would be a new picture of herself and her girlfriend. After several moments of tossing and turning, she eventually fell asleep.
It was the same dream like the past nights. Once again, Rainbow Dash was caught in the middle of a raging torrent of water. She flailed around helplessly as she found herself rapidly approaching Ponyville. Suddenly, houses were falling apart and other ponies were grabbed by the current as the column of water ripped through the town. Shrieking, Rainbow Dash tried to reach out to them but broken wooden planks blocked her from trying to move.
For no reason at all, her surroundings began to radically change. Ponyville began to disappear as well as the rubble and the ponies caught in the violent current of water. All of a sudden the water became more shallow until it disappeared as well, leaving Rainbow Dash in the middle of a field of flowers.
"What?" Rainbow Dash blurted out as she couldn't comprehend the mysterious change of scenery.
All the Pegasus saw around was rolling hills of flowers and scattered trees. Somehow she could even smell the pleasant aromas as a light breeze picked up every now and then. As she squinted to gaze further beyond the endless hills, a dark figure approached and entered her view.
"We hope thou wouldst appreciate a much more peaceful environment," said the dark-purple Alicorn as her mane gently flowed in the breeze. "Forgive us we for this intrusion but we found it necessary to heighten thou awareness as though thou were truly awake," she apologized with a serious look.
"Princess Luna?" Rainbow Dash muttered as she stood on her hooves. True enough, she knew she was simply having a dream and yet she was unable to wake up from it.
"Our role in watching over the dreams of the many has become... a rather dire situation of prioritizing whose dream to enter first. Many, like thyself have begun to suffer from recurring nightmares," Princess Luna explained before pausing briefly. "Thy friend, the bearer of the element of Kindness, who we also hear is thy new mate, suffered greatly whilst she dreampt."
Rainbow Dash stuttered as the words sank in. "She... suffered?"
"We're afraid so but we must apologize for causing you much worry," Luna apologized as she explained further. "Fluttershy's last conscious thought were of her animals, her friends... and thou of course. However, she was the first we were to visit and we have good reason to believe we helped alleviate that... suffering."
Instead of nodding, Rainbow Dash gave a puzzled look as her mind began to fill with anxiety and discomfort. Though the Princess of the Night spoke gently, her words brought no comfort--just only more questions to ask. Yet, somehow she could sense how the confused mare was reacting to her words.
"Her... concerns for her animals, friends, and for thy peaceful town were answered truthfully and whilst it did cause shock, it will give her peace of mind much sooner."
"So, you somehow were able to talk with her?"
"In a way," Princess Luna replied as she motioned to Rainbow Dash to sit with her. "When she was unconscious or rather how thy would put it... "out cold," it was not possible to reach her or sense her thoughts at the time. She eventually became more conscious and was dreaming. It was then we were able to enter. However, because of her current state, it proved to much more difficult and strenuous for us."
Princess Luna rested a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder as she slowly began to fully understand her explanation.
"Does thou understand what we have said and why we entered you dream?"
Rainbow Dash shrugged and looked away at the hills in the background. "I mean I get what you were doing but..." she trailed off.
"This visit was to bring thou peace of mind as well. We offered thou the truth thy were desperate to hear, no matter how painful it might sound. Thy nightmares reflected this in a way," she replied and paused to study her expression. "Give thyself time and you will move past this. Know that Fluttershy has a strong spirit and thy hometown will recover over time. In the meantime... this dream is thine to do with as thy wish. We shall speak with thou further when thou arrive in Canterlot."
With a grateful nod, Rainbow Dash thanked her savior before she dissipated into nothing and removed herself from her dream. Suddenly, she was in control of her environment and could summon anything--or anyone. Rainbow Dash already knew what to do next.