Rainbow Dash awoke in a hospital.
She groaned and rubbed her head. She felt a bruise just above her right temple, but nothing else seemed amiss.
Ugh, how many times am I going to have to wake up in a hospital? It's already happened twice in the last six months.
Shaking her head softly to clear the fog from her mind, she looked around. It was nighttime, obviously. There was the faint smell of antiseptic that never seemed to go away. She was in an open room with two beds, the other bed unoccupied. She turned to glance out the window, but found Twilight there instead. Twilight was unmoving, just sitting at the window, staring out.
Rainbow Dash slowly got up, the thin hospital sheets sliding off her frame. As she stretched her skin, she felt a sharp twinge of pain from the left side of her torso. A closer inspection revealed bandages wrapped around the area slightly behind the wing. She hit the hospital floor and stretched herself about. No pain in any other areas. That was a good sign at least.
"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash called, starting to walk over to her friend. She received no response.
Did she fall asleep while sitting? I wouldn't really be that surprised if she did. She loses too much sleep already with her crazy studying habits.
"Twilight!" Rainbow called again, poking her friend's shoulder. Still no response. Rainbow moved to Twilight's side and studied her face. Twilight was awake, that much was sure. She seemed to be staring at something outside. Her eyes didn't move. She didn't even acknowledge Rainbow's presence. She could almost be confused for a statue if she wasn't blinking.
Rainbow tried to follow Twilight's gaze. There was nothing interesting or new outside, just a grassy field with some trees. Rainbow waved her hoof in front of Twilight's gaze, trying to snap her out of whatever trance she was in.
Starting to actually get worried, Rainbow started shaking her friend. "Twilight, snap out of it! What's wrong?!" Twilight didn't respond for a moment, then slowly blinked and looked at Rainbow Dash.
Twilight blinked rapidly a few times, cleared her throat and licked her lips. "Rainbow Dash. Are you feeling ok?"
"I've been worse." Rainbow responded dryly. "But I'm more concerned about you. Are you okay?"
Twilight returned to staring out the window and slowly shook her head.
Rainbow felt her breath quicken. "Twilight, what's wrong? Please... talk to me."
There was no response. Rainbow Dash stubbornly sat directly in her friend's vision and lifted her head so Twilight's gaze matched hers.
"Please Twilight." Rainbow's voice betrayed a bit of fear. "Just talk to me."
Twilight seemed to be staring past Rainbow.
"I... I was nearby waiting for you to drop Scootaloo off, figuring you were just talking with Applejack and Rarity, and would be coming back soon. And then I heard what sounded like a scream. I could tell it was Rarity, but what bugged me is that... it sounded like a scream of pain.
"So I just decided to make sure she was okay. I thought maybe it was her being a bit of a diva, but I was anxious and wanted to make sure it was just that. So I flew over and saw her on the ground, nursing a broken leg while a Diamond Dog was restraining Applejack's limbs and Thunder Chaser was hitting her."
Twilight blinked, then actually seemed to see Rainbow Dash for the first time.
"I blasted them off, sent Thunder Chaser through a couple of trees, and I know the Diamond Dog took off running. Applejack was really out of it for a while, and Rarity could barely stand. And then I saw Thunder Chaser was still there, and I turned and you were there... You weren't moving, and you were bleeding from the side... again. And I just kept thinking of when I saw you in that field..."
A tear ran down Twilight's face.
"So I..." Twilight shook her head furiously. "And when we got back I couldn't even think. I know you had lost a lot of blood, and I remember memorizing your blood type after last time... I knew we had compatible types, so I told the doctor to hook us up so I could give you some. He kept telling me to wait and I...
"I threatened him. I pointed my horn at him and... I don't even remember what I said. All I remember is that I was fully ready to blast him if he didn't listen... and if Rarity wasn't there I might have, too."
Rainbow Dash felt a shiver run down her spine. She opened up her mouth to respond, but Twilight wasn't done talking.
"I lost control, Rainbow. I'm a princess of Equestria, I'm supposed to be somebody ponies can look up to and respect. And just a couple hours ago I was threatening the life of a doctor. And that's not even counting what I did to-"
At that Twilight shut her mouth tightly. She pushed Rainbow's hoof away and turned to face the other direction, staring at the floor.
The pieces clicked together in Rainbow Dash's mind. She walked over to Twilight's front and raised her head to match her gaze once again. There were tears forming in Twilight's eyes and she looked about ready to break down.
"Twilight, what happened to Thunder Chaser?"
Twilight looked at the floor again, but Rainbow was undeterred. She wiped Twilight's tears away and brought her gaze to match hers one final time.
"Twilight..."
"I killed him." Twilight whispered.
Rainbow's blood ran cold.
"I... killed him." Twilight repeated breathlessly, as if she barely believed herself.
"Me. One of the four princesses. Princess of Friendship. Savior of Equestria. I lost control and I killed somebody." Twilight let out a soft sob and an involuntary shudder. "There's a pony that is now dead because of my actions."
Rainbow Dash struggled for a moment to find the proper words to say, but upon looking at the mess of a pony in front of her, she decided quickly that words wouldn't do. Rainbow threw her forehooves around Twilight's neck and pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping both her wings around her.
Twilight didn't return the hug. Instead she burrowed into Rainbow's shoulder and let out a wet sniffle.
"I killed him." She repeated, letting out a louder sob.
Rainbow gently shushed her and kept running her hoof through Twilight's mane. Twilight reached out and returned the hug, shaking Rainbow Dash with her shudders and filling her nose with the smell of sweat. She shivered as loud sobs racked her body, wiping her nose on Rainbow’s already dampened fur. As time passed her wails eventually reached a crescendo, and by the time the sun began to peek over the horizon, Twilight was out like a light, having buckled due to exhaustion.