Prompt #81: One of the Mane Six is bedridden
“Um, yes, as I was saying, Hair Flair was telling me that they’ve been secretly, um, walking out together for years now!”
Rarity sipped her tea and shook her head in disbelief. “Goodness, I never would have known! They certainly did hide it well!”
Fluttershy nodded. “Apparently Truestrike had been in love with Rapier Wit since, um, forever, but, well, Rapier is a bit… you know…” She blushed at the merest thought of implying that another pony was anything but perfect.
Rarity smiled kindly and finished her sentence for her. “Slow, darling. Funny, really, when you consider-”
“Rarity! Fluttershy! Thank goodness I’ve found you!”
The two ponies looked around in surprise and Rarity’s eyes widened as she looked over Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Twilight, dear, what in Equestria is the matter?”
As Fluttershy turned to face her too, Twilight galloped to their table and sank to her knees, breathing heavily. “Gotta find… Have you… Need to…”
Rarity raised a hoof placatingly. “Twilight, please calm down.”
Fluttershy nodded in agreement and peered over the table’s edge at the gasping Twilight. “Um, are you okay?”
Twilight took a few deep, heaving breaths, regaining her composure as fast as she could. She stood shakily and wiped her forehead. “Phew. Boy. I’m sorry, girls, I’m just in such a… Have you seen Rainbow Dash?”
Rarity cast a glance at Fluttershy - if anypony was likely to know the whereabouts of their brash friend, it was her. “I haven’t seen her… Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy shook her head and bit her lip nervously. “Um, no. Is… is something the matter?”
Twilight threw her head back and groaned. “Come ooon! Listen, it’s a long story, but I asked her to help out with a spell and, well… she’s bedridden.” She held up a hoof as her friends gasped and brought their hooves to their mouths in shock. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. It’s just… well, you know Rainbow. I looked away for two minutes and she was gone!”
Fluttershy gave a worried half-smile. “Rainbow Dash never was very good with, um, hospitals…”
Twilight cocked her head in confusion. “Hospitals?” She shook her head. “No, there’s no time. I have to find her right away.” She galloped off, calling back as she went. “Don’t worry about her, I’ve got it handled!”
Rarity and Fluttershy gazed at their retreating friend until she disappeared into the nest of buildings that was Ponyville proper.
Rarity sighed and lifted her teacup magically once more. “I must say, Fluttershy, I wonder sometimes if Twilight and Rainbow Dash ever aren’t in some kind of trouble.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Oh, I don’t know. Some days they’re, um, too busy recovering from the trouble they’re already in.”
The two friends laughed. Rarity took another sip, allowing herself a moment’s surreptitious swilling to savour the flavour. Swallowing hurriedly before Fluttershy - distracted by a particularly playful butterfly - could notice, she continued. “So, when is the wedding?”
Fluttershy blinked and tore her attention from the butterfly and turned back to her friend. “Oh, um, I think it’s-”
“Fomepfony heeeeeeeeelpf!”
Rarity and Fluttershy both jumped at the sudden scream. Fluttershy huddled closer to the table as Rarity cast her gaze about her.
“Heeeeeeeeelpf!”
Fluttershy’s ears perked, and her eyes slowly followed the sound… upwards. “Um, that sounds like…”
Rarity followed Fluttershy’s gaze and, as she took in the scene in the sky, her mouth dropped open.
Above them, wings flapping desperately and juddering through the sky like a faulty gyro, was Rainbow Dash. The reason for the lack of her usual style and grace was readily apparent. A large four-poster bed, its wood warping and twisting as if it were alive, was sitting astride her, one spiky wooden hand clutching a whip and another the reins looped through Rainbow Dash’s mouth. With creaking arms it cracked the whip at Rainbow Dash, goading her onwards.
Rarity and Fluttershy watched wordlessly as the bizarre partnership rodeo’d their way toward Ponyville, following the same path Twilight had. They stared as Rainbow’s cries and the crack of the whip faded into nothing and the pair disappeared from sight.
There was a moment of blessed silence.
“Oh. I see.”
“Um… should we, maybe, um, help her?”
Rarity opened her mouth to speak, gave up, opened her mouth again, gave up again, then sighed and shrugged with as much decorum as she could muster. “I’m sure Twilight has the problem under control.”
Fluttershy looked uncertain, but took a sip of tea anyway. “So, um, Whiplash said the wedding is in two weeks…”
~~~~~
Note: This was another fun one. The prompt was in honour of Kyronea (one of the mods) having been ill recently so I wanted to make them laugh and... this happened. They liked it, though, so mission accomplished!
Also yay continuity. I've always loved the idea of a fic that's just two people at a bar or something and watching things happen. Maybe I should write that one day.