//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: The Rainbow Curse // by Prixy05 //------------------------------// It was nighttime yet again and Tank had awoken in the middle of the night yet again. He usually woke up at this time, for this was typically the time Rainbow Dash would be awakened by her nightmares as she had been for the past week. Tank was concerned for her, the poor pegasus desperately needed some rest, but only could manage a few hours each night before her night terrors roused her from her sleep. Tank wanted to do anything to help Rainbow, but as a tortoise, there was little he could do except toddle upstairs to comfort his owner. So that’s what Tank did. Slowly he made his way to Rainbow’s room and plopped himself in the corner. He rested his stubby limbs and cast a wary eye on the sleeping pegasus. Soon enough, her wings began to rustle, the first sign of a nightmare. Rainbow began to toss and turn in her cloudy bed, eventually throwing the blanket onto the ground. Tank extended his neck, raising his head for a better look as the vocalizations began. Most of the time, they were incoherent grunts, but sometimes Rainbow would say something in her sleep, nothing much that Tank could understand himself. Eventually, Rainbow Dash bolted awake, violently coughing. She frantically looked with heavy breaths, her eyes locking onto Tank. He could see her physically relax when she noticed him. Her wings lowered, her breathing slowing, Rainbow Dash was glad to see him, just like every other night. Rainbow Dash rubbed her chest and shook herself awake, “Just another dream,” she murmured to herself, “Just a dream.” Tank waddled up to the bed and placed his head next to Rainbow, who affectionately responded with a rub.  Rainbow picked up the tortoise and held him above her. She looked into his black eyes. “I had another nightmare Tank,” Rainbow said after a sigh, “I guess that’s no surprise to you.” Tank didn’t answer, because he couldn’t talk, but Rainbow gave him a response anyway. “No, it’s not a surprise,” Tank said in his imaginary voice, “but don't let that keep you down. I’m sure things will get better.” “Yeah,” she answered with an uncertain insufflation. Rainbow couldn’t keep looking directly into his beady eyes, so she put him back down onto the bed. Sitting back up, Rainbow rubbed her neck, it felt like she had a sore throat.  She then patted her mane, feeling it over, before turning back to Tank, who gazed up at her expectedly. “Tonight’s dream was different, Tank,” she explained, “I was underwater, back in Seaquestria. I was a seapony again! Do you remember that?” Rainbow paused, before chuckling softly to herself, “Wait, of course not, you were still in Ponyville during that whole thing. I was a seapony, swimming around, then-” she stopped with a low sigh, “then there was Queen Novo. She was angry again, about the pearl I guess. Next thing I know, no more fins, no more gills, no more breathing.” Rainbow clenched her eyes shut. She sniffed, wiping a salty tear from her eye. “It- it felt real, Tank. I felt like I was drowning. I could feel the water filling my lungs. The darkness, the coldness, it was horrible.” Tank nuzzled her leg, making a quiet crooning sound, “It’s okay now, it wasn’t real. You’re safe.” Tank seemed to say. Rainbow didn’t seem to notice, “And there was this sound,” she continued, holding up a shaking hoof, “A kinda, ticking noise.” She stopped, her ears suddenly perking up. This made Tank raise his head in alarm, though he didn’t hear anything. A moment passed, the two sitting in silence.  “Can you hear it?” Rainbow whispered to Tank, “It’s here too. The sound, it's somewhere in here.” She looked down to Tank, who simply looked at her with a confused expression. “I don’t hear anything Rainbow,” she assumed he would respond, “Maybe you need to calm down and rest a little.” “No!” Rainbow suddenly yelled out loud, causing Tank to jerk upright. Up into the air she flew, spreading her feathered wings. But as quickly as she had jumped up, she froze, “It’s gone,” she whispered, looking around the room cautiously, “The sound’s gone.” Tank didn’t know what Rainbow was talking about, he was only a tortoise after all. So instead, as the pegasus seemed to relax again, he threw his shelled body into her lap. Rainbow yelped in surprise, but soon relented to rubbing Tank’s shell. “Sorry, I don’t know what that was about,” Rainbow said to her pet, “I guess I really am just tired.” She yawned. “You don’t need to apologize for anything,” Rainbow’s imaginary voice for Tank replied, “I understand what you’re going through. But you don’t need to worry, I’ll always be here for you.” “Thanks buddy,” Rainbow mumbled tiredly to the silence of the tortoise, before she collapsed down onto the bed. Tank took the opportunity to stretch out his legs and make himself comfortable on the feathered lap of the pegasus. He knew that she would likely wake up again as the night continued, but for now, Tank took respite in the dark silence of the cloudominium, nestling himself down for a silent slumber. “I’m so glad you decided to visit darling!” Rarity chimed as Rainbow Dash sat herself down in the Carousel Boutique. Rainbow stretched out her weary limbs on a chair with a heavy yawn, “Well Pinkie’s out of town doing that thing with Cheese Sandwich, so I had to go with my second option for the day.” Rarity laughed, “Well I’m glad that I’m your Plan B!”  “I just needed somepony to talk to,” Rainbow replied, “To keep my mind off things that’s been going on recently.” Rarity stopped what she was doing and gave a remorseful look at Rainbow, “Oh, this is about the whole Twilight thing isn’t it? I heard about it, are you okay?” “Yeah, I guess, she gave me this enchanted mirror so I can contact her at any time.” Rainbow looked down, she had brought the silver mirror with her to the boutique, but she had yet to use the mirror. “Well, wasn't that thoughtful! I feel like I’d do the same thing, if I wasn’t so preoccupied with my work. Not that you're not busy! I mean that since you're the fastest pony in Equestria, you finish things faster and therefore have more free time.” Rainbow smiled at the unicorn’s clumsily worded complement, “I am the best,” she paused, taking notice of the things Rarity had taken out and strewn about the boutique. “About your work,” Rainbow asked, attempting to change the topic of conversation, “Just what exactly are you doing?” “This?” Rarity looked down at a large map of Equestria laid out upon a table, “I’m just doing a bit of planning darling,” with her magic, she held up a long scroll with various scribblings that Rainbow couldn’t read, “This is my first ‘slow’ day since the coronation, so I’m taking the opportunity to plan future expansions for my enterprises. I already have locations in Canterlot and Manehattan, but I have yet to narrow down the location for the next boutique. What do you think Rainbow? Mount Aris or Yakyakistan?” Rainbow didn’t waste before responding with an uncertain shrug, “Eh, I don’t think you should ask me. You know I’m not a fashion or business pony.” Rarity sighed, “True, I guess I have to narrow it down myself.” Rainbow watched as Rarity did accordingly, humming to herself as she checked her notes, comparing markets, and other business stuff that Rainbow herself didn’t know much about. Instead, she shifted her focus to the silver mirror, which she twiddled with her hooves. Staring at her reflection, Rainbow saw that the bags under her eyes were still there. She shut her eyes and let out a low breath, she had to use the mirror later on. After her sudden, and frankly rude, departure from Canterlot, it was the least she could do. Maybe she could even finally be honest and tell a friend what was really going on. Rainbow thought about the events in Canterlot. Of all the things in that secret archive, why was it the section on the rainbow plague that made her freeze up? Her dreams had been focusing on all sorts of events from her past, but what was it about the rainbow plague that made it keep coming up? Why was it of particular interest to her? She shook her head, trying to get these questions out of her mind, but the more she tried to resist, the more the memories of plague took hold. Mere weeks ago, the plague was nothing more than a memory Rainbow preferred to not recollect, but since the coronation, it had gained prominence in her brain. Now Rainbow couldn’t help but notice the little signs and impacts that the rainbow plague had left on Equestria. Even here in the Carousel Boutique, Rainbow couldn’t help but notice things that remained. The so-called “rainbow stain”, a section of the floor that had a seemingly permanent stain left by the rainbow goo that Rarity couldn’t wash out, the scar on Sweetie Belle’s ear, left over from when an infected Fluttershy bit her, even a small splinter in the woodwork, difficult to even notice, created from when the door was broken down during the first few days of the plague. But Rainbow didn’t want to focus on these. So she straightened herself out and turned back to Rarity, who was still working on her business plans. The unicorn quickly took notice of her friend, turning up from her work. “Oh goodness!” Rarity cried, flushing red with embarrassment, “How rude of me! I forgot to ask if you need anything! Ahem, well darling, do you need anything? Refreshments perhaps?” Rainbow didn’t answer but gave a slow nod. She wasn’t actually hungry or thirsty, but it had been several days since she had eaten anything, and Rainbow assumed this was having an impact on her body. After a minute, Rarity came trotting out of the kitchen, floating a tray of tea behind her. “Here you go darling, a nice cup of tea.” Rainbow thanked Rarity and took the cup of tea. She rubbed her throat as she looked down at the cup, “Sorry if I don’t drink this right away, I have a sore throat.” Rarity waved off the pegasi’s apology, “Nonsense Rainbow! You don’t need to apologize for anything! We all know what you’re going through, and we’re here to help.” Rainbow couldn’t look Rarity in the eyes. She didn’t actually know. Noone else did. But Rainbow knew it was a thing for her and her only, not something to hinder her friends. Rainbow sipped the tea. The tea almost tasted nice, but an unpleasant sensation swept through her body as she could feel the liquid sliding down her throat. The sudden pain that clamped her throat made Rainbow cringe, but not enough for it to be visible. Instead, she gave Rarity a paltry smile, “The tea’s nice, thanks.” Rarity nodded with a smile before turning back to her work at the table, leaving Rainbow with her tea. She narrowed her eyes at the cup before placing it down beside her. Refreshments weren’t going to work. Maybe something else could work. A sudden clatter behind her snapped Rainbow back to reality. She twisted around, seeing that Rarity had dropped the tea tray onto the ground, spilling cups and tea across the floor. Rarity harrumphed at the mess, then laughed to herself, “It seems I dropped the tray, how clumsy of me!” “Could I ask you something?” Rainbow called out to Rarity. “What is it Rainbow Dash? Oh, would you like me to give you a little touch up?” She paused picking up the tray and turned around to look at Rainbow, “Because, if I’m being honest darling, you look um-” “Terrible?” Rarity reluctantly nodded, “Yes. You look like a mess.” Rainbow shook her head, “I appreciate the offer, but no, what I want to ask for is, well, do you remember that whole rainbow plague thing?” Rarity raised an eyebrow at the question, but nodded, “I’m afraid I do. Though it's not much, for if you remember, I was infected the whole while, so there isn’t much that I can recall I’m afraid.” “Well, I’ve been reading about it lately,” Rainbow said, though really, she had only just begun The Iris Infestation the previous night. Rarity tilted her head in curiosity, “Why?” Rainbow gulped, “I’ve just been, remembering it,” she replied, “Just interested in it and all, it just, sticks out the most to me.” Rarity seemed confused, but nodded, “Of course, anything at all.” The cloudominium. It was Rainbow’s home, it was the place she had lived in for moons, yet it was becoming the place she had begun to dread. Each evening, Rainbow returned home, and each evening, she had to try to sleep. This usually resulted in more nightmares and sleepless nights. Thankfully, Tank was always there with her, a welcome respite from each night's terror. Pushing open the fluffy front door, Rainbow Dash stepped inside. The house looked the same as it ever was. Though things had certainly changed, Rainbow herself had earned multiple sporting awards that signified her achievements as a member of the wonderbolts and these wonderbolt miscellanea adorned the cloudominium’s interior, the house’s cloud base remained the same. Stopping in the front entrance, Rainbow knocked a hoof on the wall. A sound that resounded through the entire structure. The house had wooden supports installed when Applejack rebuilt it following its collapse during the rainbow plague. The supports prevented the structure from collapsing again, but also created a hollow, wooden sound that echoed throughout the house, a thing Rainbow had come to appreciate. The familiar sound of whirring grew louder as Tank came whizzing through the air to meet his owner. The tortoise had on his magically powered propeller, allowing him to fly at speeds capable of matching Rainbow. Tank flew right into Rainbow’s hooves, and the pegasus embraced her pet. “Yeah yeah, I know you missed me.” Rainbow chuckled. Letting go of the tortoise, she walked up a nearby shelf, pulling down the large book on the rainbow plague. She turned to Rainbow, “Ready for a little more late-night reading?” Tank nodded before plopping himself next to a cushiony cloud couch. Rainbow followed, sitting down and opening the book. She wasn’t much of an avid reader beyond Daring Do books, in fact, Rainbow had difficulty staying still and reading for any longer amount of time. That’s why Tank was there, a companion to both keep her awake and focused. And so, Rainbow Dash began her dive into the accounts and speculation of the rainbow plague once again. Though there weren't any physical objects relating to the plague, simply seeing pictures and reading about it hauled up memories. Unpleasant memories. She didn’t want to live through these memories, but she had to learn everything she could about the plague and its grubs. It was a slow process, requiring more willpower than she would have expected, but Tank helped her to persevere, flipping a page when Rainbow found herself fixated, and nuzzling her when she came upon a particularly detailed illustration. After two hours of reading, Rainbow let out a large sigh, slamming the book shut. Spreading her wings, the pegasus shook out her shaking hooves. “That’s enough for today, isn’t it Tank?” Rainbow said to the tortoise, trying to still sound as chipper as when she entered. He nodded, crawling over to clasp Rainbow Dash’s saddlebag with his mouth. Looking at the bag, Rainbow realized she had forgotten to unpack after coming home. “Oh yeah! I had totally forgotten about this!” She reached into the bag and pulled out the things she had borrowed from Rarity earlier. She held up the tinted bottle, “Bath salts!” The previous night, Rainbow had read an account in The Iris Infestation. Particularly, the personal account of a pony named Bubbly Springs, who claimed the smell of bath salts prompted the grubs to be ejected from their host bodies, helping him to escape the infection. Rainbow had taken interest in this and planned to acquire some bath salts of her own. “Why would you get bath salts?” Tank seemed to ask with his quizzical expression, “The iris grubs are a thing of the past. You don’t have to worry about them.” Rainbow rubbed her sore throat, “I know Tank, but I just have a feeling. With the dreams and all, I guess I’d like some precautions and all.” Tank didn’t answer, because he was a tortoise, merely slowly nodding with that sage default look of his. Rainbow knew he understood, so she left, going upstairs with the salts and Tank in hoof.  As she creaked open the door to her room, Rainbow let out a large sigh. It was time for her to sleep, or at least try. She placed Tank in his spot and nestled herself on the bed. The room quickly darkened, a sign that Twilight had lowered the sun and raised the moon. A sign that it was time for ponies to go to sleep.  But Rainbow couldn’t sleep. Whether due to the tiredness of her body keeping her restless, or the imminent dread of having another nightmare, she remained awake. Her lids felt heavy, but she just couldn’t close them. After what seemed like an eternity, Rainbow sat up. She glanced over to Tank. He seemed to be asleep already. Rainbow looked around. Nothing moved. Then she heard it. The sound. It was back. It was the thing keeping her awake. The tch tch tch that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Rainbow could feel her ears flick about, trying to find the source of the sound to no avail. Rainbow breathed in and out, trying to calm down. She recalled her freakout the previous night, the way she had leapt into the air. “It’s not real, it’s just a sound,” Rainbow said to herself, “I’m probably already asleep, and this is just a dream. Yeah, just a dream.” Was it a dream? Rainbow wasn’t sure. Everything around her seemed blurry and unclear, as if she was half-awake and half-asleep. Then she froze as a new sound echoed out. It was faint, but unmistakable. The quiet sound of knocking, coming from downstairs. Rainbow let out a guttural gasp, immediately taking to the air. In a flash she flew downstairs, flinging herself into the middle of the entrance. “Aha!” Rainbow loudly proclaimed. The sounds seemed to react, both of them ceasing in an instant. Rainbow looked around in desperation. There was nothing, nothing knocking, nothing making the ticking sound. Just a pegasus flying in the middle of the room. Flying back up to her room, Rainbow entered to see that Tank was awake and looking right at her. She must have awoken him when she flew out. “It was the sound again,” Rainbow said defensively to her pet’s silence, “I heard it! It was downstairs!” Tank looked at her with an expression of concern but drew a blank when she referred to the sound. He must have not heard it, again. Or did he? Rainbow thought to herself as she plopped herself back on the bed. Maybe Tank did hear the sound. Maybe he was lying to her. Maybe he thought she was crazy. “I’m no liar Rainbow,” she assumed he would respond, “Maybe that book is getting in your head, maybe you should rest.” Rainbow sneered at his imaginary response, “I’m not going to stop reading now Tank! I’m this close to finding out the reason for my dreams. I’m not going to stop for some of your, fake concerns!” The tortoise tilted his head, his eyes gazing at her with a look of worry. But his imaginary voice disagreed, “Don’t you see it Rainbow? It’s not my concerns, it's your concerns that are fake. There’s a reason nopony takes you seriously, because you’re really just a filly with an overactive imagination.” Rainbow stomped off the bed, pointing a hoof at the confused tortoise, “Don’t say that Tank! You can’t say that! You can’t even talk! You’re just my imagination trying to play a trick on me!” “Maybe I am your imagination,” said Tank’s voice, “Go ahead and prove me right. Show me that you're delusional, a stupid filly playing make believe. A yearling who can’t move on from the past and trying to live out a fantasy that she is special. That she is valued. That she is wanted. That she isn’t a failure. Go ahead, say it.” Rainbow clenched her eyes shut, “Shut up!” She kicked out a leg, striking something hard. A cry of pain made Rainbow open her eyes again. She looked down and let out a cry of peril. The tortoise was on his side, his legs flailing in the air. She had kicked Tank. She had hurt him. “Tank!” Rainbow cried, kneeling down to her pet, “I’m so so sorry! I don’t know what came over me!” She helped Tank right himself up. She hugged his shell, her cries for forgiveness going unanswered. Tank didn’t return the affection, turning his head and looking right into her eyes. His beady, black eyes held an expression of sadness. “It wasn’t your fault, I know,” his eyes seemed to say, “But I just need some space Rainbow, just for tonight.” Rainbow didn’t need an imaginary voice to understand him. She knew he understood. She also knew he was hurt and needed space. So Rainbow let go of his shell and retreated to her bed. Tank watched as Rainbow covered herself in the cover before he recoiled into his shell and fell into a dreamless sleep.