Time had passed, and her wings had grown exhausted along with it. The pace was set, and she had yet to give up on her flight through the skies. Each second was as tasteless as the last, yet she could feel the time ticking away harder than her pounding heart, aching for some rest, pleading along with the rest of the body.
NO!
She refused to give up. She had to fly on. She was nearly there! There was no time to rest.
Time...
That was exactly what.
She kept on flying, disregarding her thoughts as soon as she could acquire a new one. They were all circling around in her head. Regret filled her mind, but she kept on flying. It couldn't be that it was too late. There was more time. There had to be!
Some ponies looked in the clouds after having nearly been blown off their hooves, only a trail of Rainbow as evidence. She had been flying at her fastest for hours, and her wings ached with her eyes stained in tears, the ferocious wind trying to keep her from going any faster, but without much to any victory.
She didn't care to pay attention to neither of the ponies below, nor where she currently was, thought a certain castle rising high in the clouds revealed Canterlot's highest point and building, and with some maneuvering, she swiftly got around it without losing her speed even a smidge, and with the building bypassed, she had a clear view over to Ponyville, high above most buildings, the sunlit Ponyville looking as happy as ever.
She cut the distance short as rapidly as she had flewn forth until this point, and even as her wings practically snapped with each flap, she stayed strong, and as her face had always been prideful, she didn't show any signs of pain.
"Finally!" She spoke to herself as a large building, looking quite a bit like a mansion came to view.
Outside was a sign with a "+" on it, which was a tad more fancy than needed be, though even as the last time she had been there, she had decided to comment, this time, she merely landed right onto the ground and sprinted past it without giving it a single glance.
She burst through the door, right past a rather young mare sitting in the reception, usually preparing to take visitors, bills and leaving patients as they came. It wasn't Nurse redheart. Celestia knows she had gotten further in this world. Her attempt to stop the Rainbow-maned pony was futile, and she couldn't catch up with the fully galloping pony practically flying through the long, white hallway, nearly knocking over a few other patients, looking forth and back for door-numbers, only to slide across the floor in a futile attempt to put on her 'Emergency break' as she finally found the right one.
Recovering from the rather slippery floor, having slid two doors too many, she made her way back and slammed the door knocked the door right into the wall, leaving it severely broken as it slammed with the wall on the inside of the room, a large *Bam* alerting the other four ponies in the room, lighting it up in their own favourable colours, all caught off guard, practically jumping, though gathering their bearings as they noticed the source of the sound. One of them stepped away from the bed they had all been keeping their heads above until the rapid turn-around from the door-slam, and as she moved, a bed and a fifth lavender unicorn was revealed..
*Pant* "I... Came as" *Pant* "Fast as I could..." *Pant* The exhausted pegasus managed to blurt out, trying to gather her breath after her endless flight to finally reach the hospital.
She was met by four smiles, though they were all rather bleak, and she couldn't exactly feel the comfort she usually did around the lot.
Fluttershy, having hid behind the bed as the door slammed open, braved herself back out into the open and walked over to her cyan friend, putting a hoove on her shoulder.
"I-It's okay, Rainbow Dash... We all know you did..."
She was still just the same, shy pegasus she had been since the two first met, even after all these years. Somehow, Rainbow Dash couldn't have felt more relief. The others too, differed little from how she had seen them last. Maybe except for how their bodies had grown a little more frail, and even as they weren't old enough to all be in beds yet, time had taken its toll, and was slowly becoming more clear to everypony ever watching them.
And out of all five of them, the only one who couldn't accept their aging was herself.
She hadn't been part of the Wonderbolts for THAT long. Only... A few years. She practically bit her lower lip to the point where it was only a matter before it'd start bleeding, though the ongoing assault her teeth threw at her own lips soon stopped, as a vague voice spoke, followed by a cough, which the cyan pony could easily tell was more harsh than it sounded.
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Hey Twi. I know I haven't been in ponyville in Months, but jeesh! You should've seen all the amazing stuff we've done! I mean, if you had been here, I'm sure you wouldn't want to go home in ages either! I mean... Just today, I got to practice with the Wonderbolts! They even said that they might consider me for their team! Can you believe that?!?
If I get to join the Wonderbolts, I'll just HAVE to come home and show off my new suit! I bet all the ponies will be SO jealous of MY awesomeness! I mean, come on! How many ponies will get to become one of THE Wonderbolts? Oh, and on this trip, they also said we'll be visiting some really fancy-shmancy unicorns... I bet they know a few things you don't... And since they do, I bet I can take a few notes and send them to you... I mean... I'm not very good with notes, but... Oh, nevermind, I know you would just say it was my faulth if something goes wrong!
Though, I still hope to see all of you again soon! I mean, being here is neat... I mean, EXTREMELY neat, but I really can't think of anything better than the adventures I had with you guys! So... If something really interesting ever comes up, like fighting a dragon or something... Just send me a message. I'll be there in a jiffy!
For now, I guess that's it. I know I don't send letters that often, but do you know how hard it is to write with my hooves? I mean, come on! Couldn't they just... Invent some sort of typing machine where I can just press buttons? Nooooo! They had to give me a stupid pencil instead! For being in one of the most advanced places in all of Equestria, they sure don't make it easy for a mare to tell her friends back home what she's been up to.
Hope to talk to you soon, Twilight.
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"R-Rainbow... Y-You came..."
That voice. She hadn't heard it in years, but she couldn't ever forget whom it belonged to. The weak words however, made the voice painful to hear. All the others grieved too, their expressions made it all too clear. The room was becoming more gloomy by the second, and the only thing that still remained lit, was the hospital bed where the frail voice had come from.
"... O-Of course I did!" The pegasus blurted out, almost caught off guard that Twilight was actually awake, not having noticed as her attention had only been caught up in the expressions of her friends, all of them seeming deep in depressing thoughts.
She hadn't sooner finished her sentence than again almost knocked a few more ponies off their feet in her sudden lunge over to the bed.
"Hey, that's not ni-!" An outraged pink pony blurted out before she found various colours of hooves covering her mouth, which led to her settling down, even as she felt it unfair, being knocked away from the bed.
Heh... She hasn't changed either, huh?
Again, she felt comfort in this room where one of her dearest friends laid so frail. Just knowing that nothing had changed, even as she had left, somehow made her feel rather warm on the inside.
She hadn't gotten much of a look at the once more calm Pinkie Pie, before she felt a frail grip around her hoof, which immediately made her turn her attention forward, and down on Twilight, whom had grabbed a gentle hold around the right hoove Rainbow Dash was using to lean over the bed.
She merely smiled without saying anything else, and the cyan pony merely smiled back.
Her heart practically snapped as she heard the monitors beeps grow more silent, and faster than even her reaction could grasp, her mind in so many places, she was pulled out of the room, with nothing but a blank stare on her face, not resisting where she would have, had her mind been in place.
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Hey Twi! Guess what? I've become a Wonderbolt! I mean... We hardly practiced. I didn't show off any super extremely awesome trick! I just... Did my thing... Okay, okay, I know I might have overdone it just because it was the Wonderbolts, but still! I didn't exactly pull off a Sonic Rainboom or anything! Okay... I might have, but still! I'm a Wonderbolt! A WONDERBOLT! I mean... A WONDER-FRIGGIN'-BOLT! Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, ohmigosh!
Oh, and turns out you can actually hire ponies to write letters FOR you! That's so awesome! Wait... You didn't note down the 'Ohmigosh' part, did you? And you're not writing down what I'm saying now, right? Okay, anyways...! A Wonderbolt! I mean... The next time you come at the Grand Galloping Gallop, I'll be there to do part of the main show! I'll be making a rainbow trail amongst all that smoke! That's going to be... AWESOOOOOOME!
Okay, I might have overdone it a LITTLE bit, but Wonderbolts... The ONE and ONLY! I'll be getting the suit tomorrow too! I'll be coming home to show it off to you all, don't worry. And don't get too green with envy because I became a Wonderbolt. I know a few ponies are probably a bit jealous at my awesomeness, but we can't all be Rainbows, now can we? Heh... Anyways... I've got to be off. First lesson starts today, and I don't want to be late. Just wanted to get this off my chest! T.H.E. WONDERBOLTS! I mean...! Okay, see you about.
Hope to talk to you soon, Twilight
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All the others were talking in the waiting room outside the walls that blocked them from seeing their dear friend.
They had tried resisting, and a few of the doctors whom had been there to try and get the lot out, had ended up with a few kicks here and there, though they were all mostly fine, except one.
The poor stallion that had tried bringing Applejack out had ended up with a rather breath-taking kick to the stomach, and was aching all over as he walked down the hall. He downed a few painkillers as he gave the pony a nasty stare.
She whistled innocently, and as he had bypassed, returned to her friends, the four of them continuing their various topics on what might be happening past those white walls that hid Twilight from them.
The last, Rainbow Dash, was sitting by herself, on a chair stationed in the corner, a small table with a neat potted flower next to her, looking out into thin air without any focus anywhere. Her eyes had gone wide, white with just a small dot to form an eye rather than just a white blank nothingness.
She said nothing. Didn't move. Hardly remembered to breathe. A few of the others had tried reaching out to her, but they all eventually gave up as the silent ignorance eventually left them as helpless as the last who had tried. Even Pinkie, with all her tricks and ways of getting attention, gave up.
"Perhaps I'm just not that great a partier anymore?" The pink pony whimpered out, followed by a few sobs, though with a few encouraging words, she got back on her feet, and the conversation amongst the four was ongoing.
Hours passed. Both Pinkie and Applejack had decided to sleep. While the situation made it surprisingly hard to even shut their eyes properly, Applejack knew for sure that being anything but calm wouldn't do anything but worsen the situation, where as Pinkie was... Well, just Pinkie.
Rarity and Fluttershy had been talking for a little while now. That was the first time in all those hours that the lost pony turned her head over to look at them. Neither noticed that the endless gaze had been broken.
T-They are talking? I mean... I knew they were friends... But they've been talking awfully long together... I've really been gone away for a long time, haven't I?
Fluttershy had opened a large animal shelter for species that were in danger of going extinct. She had even brought life in races long thought gone.
Rarity had her own shop in Canterlot which had more visitors every day than any other shop.
Applejack had taken over the Sweet Apple Acres as the absolute owner, where as Applebloom had found her talents elsewhere, and Big Mac had decided to become a co-worker, the two of them making their farm known across Equestria.
Pinkie Pie had become a party organiser whom was so booked that she had less time for her own parties than she had for others. One would think that even she couldn't handle that much partying, but to everypony's surprise, she did. Though, Pinkie will be Pinkie, no amount of time will ever change that.
Then there was Twilight. She had opened up her own school for lesser skilled unicorns who couldn't make it into Celestia's magic school for gifted unicorns. Of course, it wasn't unreasonable that everypony couldn't go there, it would simply be filled to the brim if it was.
So Twilight, having become as great with her spells that some called her "The great witch of Ponyville', decided she'd help those who needed help. And no matter how much she had questioned it, Trixie was the only reason she could think of. At least that was what the letters Rainbow had received said.
She sat there and mentally cursed herself out for ever letting Twilight do something as risky as letting clumsy little unicorns run about with dangerous magic equipment. That was exactly why she laid in that bed.
A little blue-maned unicorn with a white coat had ran about with a staff, meant to enhance magic abilities by tenfolds, which was still on experimental stages, and Twilight, at best effort, had tried to take it away without magic, knowing that combining magic with the staff could be disasterous. The filly didn't, and as Twilight had finally caught hold of the little punk, she had become scared, and accidentaly charged the staff, and holding it with her mouth, as her head turned, so did the staff, sending a powerful blast right at the unexpecting 'Witch of Ponyville'.
That, and a last noted 'Hurry' was what the letter had told her, and within a few hours she had flewn a day worth of time. Though, even as she wanted to rest, her entire body fatigued, aching and weary, with her thoughts shattered into a giant mess, she wasn't in any condition that didn't involve sleep. Yet she simply stayed awake, hoping that at some point of time, she could see a doctor coming out the door, permitting them to go visit their dear friend. No such time came.
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"Hey, Twi... I know I haven't answered in a week, and that I promised I would come back about a day after the last letter... Turns out that appearantly, becoming a Wonderbolt means not being able to go home to brag about it or whatever. The details were all kind of fuzzy to me... I guess that was because I didn't really listen after 'Not going home', but still... I didn't hire one of those ponies to write this one, because I somehow feel I'd end up saying stuff I'd rather not want you to read about if I did... Anyways... I've got a lot of work coming up, so I'm really sorry if I won't answer. It's over a year since I was home in Ponyville now, and I miss you all so very much.
I hope to see you all very soon, but I know I probab... on't." The piece of paper had some messy writing that made it look like it had been rubbed all over, as though she had whiped something away while writing it.
Anyways, I hope you all can forgive me for not coming home. I'll keep being awesome for you guys. Hopefully, the Wonderbolts will have a show back in Ponyville soon! It may take some time, but I've waited a year! I c...n wa..t a lit..e longer!
I don't know when my next letter will be written, so I just wanted to tell you all that no matter how long it takes before we see each other once more, I still love y...u all s.. ...ery much. You know that's not something I'd say often, so you know it means something! I'll be back someday! Just you wait and see!
That's all for now. Hope to talk to you soon, Twilight.
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She had spaced out completely, and hadn't even realised that the door had opened a few minutes ago. All the others were inside, and she ran inside as soon as her body let her. It had finally settled down, and waking up all the resting muscles was so straining she practically ended up stopping every step, though forced her body to fight on over to the bed.
She tried to get contact from the others, though her words went unheard. There were no doctors in the room. It was dead silent.
Silent...
"NONONONONONONONONONONONONO!"
The cyan pegasus only kept on shouting that one word over and over, only stopping to catch her breath before continuing.
There was no heart monitor beeping anymore.
She gained sudden energy she didn't think she had, and even as her muscles told her no, her every last bit of will and energy managed to carry her over to the bed where she looked down at the unicorn who was smiling, though her eyes were only half-open, and they bore no life. There was no breath, and as all the others were mutually staying silent, Rainbow Dash went back into her hysterical rampaging endless 'No's as the minute it took for her to even 'Accept' what had happened.
"How can she smile?!?! NONONO! SHE'S NOT DEAD! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOO! NO, NO NONONONO!"
She grabbed a hold of the cold, pale unicorn laying in the bed before her, and started shaking her.
"C'mon Twi... You're just faking right? You're not really dead, right? You can stop pretending right now, okay?"
All four of them had to keep one another at bay to make sure they didn't pull Rainbow Dash away, because they all wanted to, though somehow, letting her realise as well was what they felt right.
The cyan pony's voice died down, and instead of shaking Twilight, instead, she hugged her.
"I'm so sorry... So sorry for not being here..."
Her voices were muffled whimpers, and even as she couldn't remember the last time she cried, this was too much to bear. She had even promised herself never to cry. At least not in public.
But this... The sight of her friend, after not seeing her for so many years, now lifeless before her... That tore beyond anything she could even hope to make it through without breaking into tears.
It wasn't loud. She simply hugged her dearest friend as she let her tears run out her eyes, and onto the purple fur.
The others heard the silent sobs, and hearing the most 'Awesome' pony cry really was too much for them to bear. If even she cried, there was no way they could hold it in either, and soon, the other four came in the hug, and all five of them embraced the sixth element, Magic, all having their thoughts to share with her, all silently crying as they embraced somepony they never considered they'd lose.
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Hey... Twilight... It's been many years since I last sent a letter... I don't even know how many anymore. Equestria's been a real mess as of late, and all I can do is obey as the Wonderbolts have to fly out and fix something... That, and I... Kind of forgot about Ponyville the few times I had time off... I've got so many shows to tend to and all that...
And yeah, I remember that the wonderbolts were in Ponyville a few times, and that I wasn't among them... Well, one time I wounded my wing, and another was me becoming extremely sick... I swear I'd fly if those stupid doctors didn't practically tie me to the bed... And by practically, I mean they actually tied me to the bed... I mean, COME ON! I wasn't even allowed to be moved around... It's been a few unfortunate years, with lots of accidents. Being a Wonderbolt isn't all as amazing as you'd think, but the suit still sits nicely on me and I'm glad I got it. I just wish it didn't mean not being home with you guys.
I hope this actually gets to you... I mean, you could've moved since last time I sent a letter... Or that this comes in the wrong hooves. It's been many years since I last even heard from you. To... any years... I hope you are all alright. But I guess that's how time is. We don't realise how easily it sneaks by untill we suddenly notice it's been years since we last paid attention to it...
Hope to talk to you soon, Twilight