Walking sucked at the best of times – it was slow, boring, and it took forever to get where you were going. Ever since she’d first taken to the sky she’d made it a point to never, ever walk if she didn’t have to: flying was just better, and that meant walking was a waste of time. That’s what she’d told herself, anyways. Until she met ‘Shy. Walking hadn’t been so bad, after that. Still slow, and still pointless…but maybe she’d kinda liked taking her time and just talking with ‘Shy.
Maybe. A little. Whatever.
The point was that walking officially sucked, and today it had raced right into sucktown, gotten elected mayor and declared that every stupid step had to hurt like being punched in the face by a griffon. But at least she had somepony to lean on – even if it had to be the last pony in Cloudsdale she wanted to talk to right now. Which it wasn’t. But Dash was pretending it was, and as far as she was concerned it was the same thing.
She took another step, and hissed as pain shot through her – not the worst pain she’d ever been in, but enough that she let out a short string of bad words as her legs buckled under her. She didn’t fall, though – the bigger, dumber yellow pony beside her held her steady, one wing draped over her like she was a baby that needed protecting. It was humiliating, and she didn’t need it. She didn’t need help, she didn’t need friends, and she didn’t need saving.
And yet that treacherous voice in the back of her mind kept whispering “It’s nice though, isn’t it? Knowing someone will save you?”
And the rest of her almost wanted to agree. That was…bad. Stupid. Stupid of her, and stupid of Fluttershy. Sure, the other Pegasus had dragged her away from the Griffons – raced in and pulled her right out of the centre of them, moving a whole heck of a lot faster than Dash had ever seen her move. Sure, she’d carried her into the empty school before her wings had failed and they’d had to land. And sure, she’d had no real reason to do it. But that didn’t mean Dash had to be grateful. She knew the Pegasus had to have her own reasons – maybe she liked having a little blue bodyguard, and knew Dash couldn’t do that if her wings were broken.
Though she was pretty sure at least one of them was broken. And one of her legs, too – it felt the same as last time, at least. Whatever. The point was that ‘Shy hadn’t done it for her. She couldn’t have – she wasn’t allowed to have. Ponies didn’t help her, and she didn’t help ponies. She was out for herself, just like everypony else.
“Dash? Are you okay?” The timid, quavering voice cut through her thoughts and she pointedly ignored it, keeping her eyes dead ahead as she took another step. “Um…I mean…I know you’re not okay, of course, but do you think you can keep going? You’re slowing down, and it looks like you’re hurting an awful lot.”
She didn’t answer – wouldn’t answer. She didn’t need to be babied, and she wasn’t gonna let it happen. Not now and not ever. She was Rainbow Danger Dash, and the world was never going to forget it.
“If…if you don’t answer me I can’t tell how you’re doing. I mean, if you need to stop we can – but we need to do it now. They’ll find us soon.”
Dash still didn’t answer. If she kept her mouth shut, everything would be okay. ‘Shy would get scared and race off, just like everypony else did. She’d be safe. Sure, Dash’d end up with a few more scars and she’d be stuck on the ground for a while, but the Griffons didn’t care about ‘Shy anymore. They wanted Dash – she knew for a fact she’d at least put a crack in the big ones beak.
“Rainbow Dash, you need to answer me right now. Please. Otherwise I’ll have to find out for myself.”
She took another step forward. Fluttershy let her go. As her legs buckled under her and she collapsed to the ground with a sharp cry, she heard the stupid traitor whisper “I’m sorry, Dash.”
But what came next surprised her. Fluttershy didn’t run, even with the taunts from the idiots chasing them getting louder and louder. Instead the Pegasus lifted her slowly back to her hooves and led her into a side room – just a small classroom, with some desks and a window and a closet. Any other day she’d have bolted for the window but today, unable to fly and barely able to walk, all the room was to them was a dead end.
If Fluttershy realised this she didn’t show any sign of it, kicking the door closed behind them and looking around the room as she chewed her lower lip. Dash had to roll her eyes at that – even when she was being stupid, ‘Shy couldn’t seem to help being adorable.
“So what now, Shy?” She was a little surprised to hear herself speak, but she supposed it was okay. They were dead anyways – might as well go down in good company. “We sit in a box and wait for them to find us?”
Fluttershy looked at her and, with a small smile that somehow made her believe it would all be okay, said, “Yes. That’s it exactly.”
There was no good answer to that. So she went with her old standby.
“What?”
‘Shy didn’t answer, instead guiding her over to the closet which sat in the far corner of the room with the key still in the door.
“Dash, do you trust me?”
“Yeah, of course I do.” She lied easily as the other pony pulled the door open.
“I’m glad. Then I need you to listen to me, okay? You’re going to get inside here and I’m going to lock you in. They’ll be here soon – but if you stay quiet they won’t notice you. You saw me earlier – you know I can move fast enough to get them away, and then I can come back for you. What do you say?”
“No.” She hissed it sharply, glaring at the other pony. She wasn’t about to let her only friend do something so dumb – and there was no guarantee ‘Shy would ever come back for her.”
“Oh. Um…I see.” Fluttershy frowned, a little, and then let out a low sigh. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. I wish it hadn’t come to this.”
“Come to wh –“ Her words were cut short by a squeal of pain as Fluttershy let her go and she landed heavily on the hard floor of the closet. Before she could react the other pony had shut the door and she heard the key click in the lock.
“Let me out of here right now!” She tried to shriek, but all that came out was a scared, frightened whisper. Fluttershy didn’t answer, but she heard the door to the classroom open, and then close. A few moments later she heard them.
“Well lookie what we’ve got here – it’s Klutzershy, without her stupid little friend to watch her flanks for her. Where’d she go, Klutzershy? Finally realise what a waste of time you are?”
There was a brief pause, and when the voice spoke again it was dumbfounded.
“What did you just say to me?”
And then Fluttershy, as clear and strong as Dash had ever heard her. “I said ‘at least I’m not a coward like you.”
Dash’s heart froze in her chest, and not long after came the screaming, the crying. She slammed against the door, trying to force it open. Trying to break it down – but it wouldn’t budge. All she could do was sit there, and listen to her friend – her best friend – take the beating that had been meant for her.
It was hours – many hours – of terrifying, horrible silence before the key turned in the lock again. And when Dash set eyes on her bleeding friends swollen, bruised face there were tears in her eyes. As she launched herself forward, burying her face in her friends mane with loud sobs and quiet whispered apologies, she knew for the first time that she had a friend.
And she knew that she would never, ever let Fluttershy be hurt again.
Especially not for her.