//------------------------------// // Dragon Pearl // Story: Shattered Wings // by CleverlyDmented //------------------------------// The ride to Canterlot was amazingly fast. Normally, the trip from Cloudsdale would've taken at least 2 hours. But the carriage was specialized for emergency transports. It crossed the distance in barely 30 minutes, much to Fluttershy's relief. Every second Rainbow Dash lay here meant another second closer to being lost forever. She still held on tight to her best friend's hoof. She couldn't let go, and she didn't ever want to. The entire ride, Fluttershy thought of what would happen if Rainbow Dash recovered. Would she open up and reveal her feelings? Or would it go back to the way it's always been. No, she decided. If Dash made it out, she was going to tell her. There was no doubt. The carriage door opened, and several white-coated lab techs moved Dash carefully onto a gurney. As much as Fluttershy hated to let go, she knew she had to. She stepped out of the carriage, breathing in fresh air. Almost instantly, she was tackled to the ground. Above her, staring her in the eye with an upset look, was the pink pony that had sometimes scared her. Pinkie Pie hugged her tight, tears still fresh against her face. How was she here? How did she find out? "P-pinkie? What are you doing here?" Fluttershy looked up at Pinkie, returning the hug. "Princess Celestia contacted Twilight. She told her everything, and we all rushed here as soon as we could! You have nooooo idea how upset everypony is!" Even in this situation, Pinkie somehow managed to keep her cheerful and playful tone. But, looking at her face, it was obvious that she was far from calm. She stepped off of Fluttershy, helping her up. She didn't have the usual pep in her step that made her stand out. She just seemed so sad, a sight that was deeply disturbing. "O-oh. I'm so glad you all came. I didn't want to be alone. And I know Rainbow Dash wouldn't want to be either." Staying together, the two walked into the hospital, Pinkie leading the way to the room that Dash was going to be placed in. As they walked through the doors, Fluttershy took in the looks on all of her friends faces. Applejack and Rarity stood in the furthest corner. Neither of them could look at her. Rarity let out a deep sob, not even caring about the condition of the scarf around her neck as she used it to wipe her face. "Fluttershy!" Twilight Sparkle ran over to her, quickly hugging her. She returned the hug. "Are you ok?" Fluttershy was silent for a second before answering. "I'm not the one you should be worried about..." She was once again fighting her tears. Seeing her friends in this condition tore her apart. None of them realized how strong she really was inside. She had to do everything in her power not to break down in front of all of them. "We know, Sugarcube. But it musta been horrible to see it firsthand." Applejack finally spoke, leaving Rarity to clean herself up. "The Princess told us everything." Pinkie sat down next to the hospital bed, poking at the various buttons. She smiled as it whirred with each press, forcing the bed to rise or lower. It amazed Fluttershy how she could still manage to smile in a time like this. Maybe it was for the best? "Darling, I'm so sorry you have to see us like this. We've just been so worried. As soon as we heard, we took the quickest carriage here." Rarity finally managed to pull herself together, walking over and hugging Fluttershy. So they had all come. They all loved Rainbow Dash so much. This was what true friends were supposed to be like. Fluttershy finally gave in, smiling as the tears came down. She pulled the girls closer to her in a group hug. The biggest surprise was the small voice that came from the corner of the room. "Please, Fluttershy. Is she ok? What going to happen to Rainbow Dash." The voice spoke through tears. Fluttershy cleared her eyes enough to see Scootaloo. She knew how much the filly looked up to Dash. This must have been horrible for her as well. "I honestly don't know. I wish I did." She let tears fall as her friends stayed by her, Scootaloo joining in. They all sat together, crying, hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nearly two hours later, the doctor came in. The girls had all taken to various parts of the room. Fluttershy was exhausted, so she lay on the couch. Scootaloo stayed close to her. Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack were talking amongst themselves by the bed. Pinkie had decided to make herself useful and fetch water for everybody. "Good evening, ladies. We've done a few tests on your friend, Rainbow Dash. So far, we still don't know much, but we've managed to return her breathing to a decent rate. While she is stable, we still haven't managed to wake her up. Right now, there is a specialist coming in to examine her. We've never seen a snake bite like this before, so were hoping that our expert will know something. I'm sorry I don't have anything more for you right now." Pinkie walked in through the door, handing the doctor a small glass of water. She passed water out to everypony else and sat down by Fluttershy and Scootaloo. How did she know he was gonna be in, Fluttershy thought to herself. Sometimes, the only explanation that worked was 'Because she's Pinkie Pie.' "That's alright, doctor. Please, is there anything we can do?" Twilight hated sitting around when she could've been doing research. "I'm afraid not. I do appreciate the offer, though." Twilight slumped, feeling useless again. The doctor walked out, and the girls resumed their previous activities. Scootaloo lay her head on the couch next to Fluttershy, who was softly petting her mane. "I'm scared. What if this specialist doesn't know whats wrong? What if they can't save Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo was once again crying as she thought of her idol. Just yesterday, she had snapped at her, reducing her to tears. Scootaloo had been hurt so badly. She ran into the Cutie Mark Crusader's clubhouse, hiding in the observatory for hours. She didn't want to see anypony. But when she heard about what happened, she begged Twilight to let her join them. "Please, don't think that way. Rainbow Dash will be fine. I promise." Fluttershy knew that she shouldn't have been making promises like that, but it was all she could do to comfort the filly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zecora made her way through the Canterlot Plaza. It was not often that she was called out of the Everfree Forest, especially to attend to something in Canterlot. She had only been here once before, to request the use of land in the Everfree for her home. Now, she was paying her debt to the Princess. Keeping the hood over her head, she walked to the Canterlot Hospital. She walked through the massive doors, weaving through hallways towards the Intensive Care Unit. From what she understood, there was only one patient there, one that had been bitten by a snake. Her nerves were on end. If it was as she feared, she knew exactly what was wrong. She pushed through the double doors, shock stopping her in her tracks. The doctors worked around a single bed in the center of the room. The cyan figure on it was unmoving. Zecora walked forward to examine it closer. It was as she had feared. Rainbow Dash was sprawled under the paper-thin blanket. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was short. "Ms. Zecora. Thank you so much for coming on such short notice. We weren't sure if you would recieve the message so far out in the Everfree Forest." "Do not underestimate those who are in debt. I am here, as i've not payed the Princess back yet." "Well, whatever your reason, we need you. I've never seen anything like this." He pulled the blanket back, revealing Dash's leg. The area of the bite was beginning to blacken. Dried blood caked itself around the pin-prick sized bites. Zecora leaned her head closer, examining every detail of the bite. It's scent was familiar. She sighed. It was exactly as she feared. She stood, shaking her head. "This bite is from a snake of red. If action is not taken soon, she will sadly end up dead." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The tension was getting fierce as the girls sat waiting. It had been nearly four hours since the doctor had come in. Rarity and Applejack lay down, deciding to conserve some energy. Twilight read a book silently, trying to distract herself. Pinkie Pie was fidgeting restlessly, trying to force herself to stay sitting. Fluttershy and Scootaloo were still in the same spot they had been earlier. "Ah'm gettin' tired of all this waitin'." Applejack sat up, putting her hat back on her head. She hadn't been able to fall asleep. Neither had Rarity. "I know. Don't they realize that every second they waste, our Dashie is another second closer to..." She cut off, seeing Scootaloo staring at her. "She's going to be alright, I'm sure of it. If anyone can fight this, it's her." She meant every word of it. While she and Rainbow Dash hadn't always seen on the same level, Rarity did respect her for her sheer strength. Not many colts could stand up against her. If anything, that made her one of the scariest friends Rarity had....next to Pinkie Pie. Pinkie, no longer able to keep herself still, jumped up. "Gah, I can't take this anymore. I need to walk!" She headed towards the door, but it opened before she reached it. "Oh i'm so sorry, excu...." She stared in disbelief at the pony that stood in front of her. Or, more correctly, the zebra. "Zecora!!!" Twilight jumped up, running to her old friend. Ever since the Poison Joke incident, Twilight had always seen Zecora as intelligent. When there was something she didn't understand, Zecora usually did, and Twilight didn't dare hesitate to ask. "Hello, ponies from back home. I am glad to see, none of you are alone." She smiled at the girls. "OMIGOSH ZECORA!!!" Pinkie jumped up and down, excited to see a familiar face. "You're the specialist!!!" The others turned to look at her. "Pinkie," Rarity started. "Don't assume things so quickly." "Actually, pony of good taste, your friend speaks with correct haste." They all jump up now, bombarding Zecora with questions. "Is our Dashie going to be ok?" "Please, will she make it" "Ah gotta know if she'll be alright!" Zecora frowned. She didn't know how to answer them. Usually, she was brutally honest. But she also knew how close these girls were to Rainbow Dash. Finally, she took a deep breath. "Your friends condition is poor, I fear. Worst of all, there is no cure here. She has been bitten by an uncommon snake. It's venom has always caused dreadful fate." Varied gasps filled the room. Even Pinkie Pie broke down, tears once again flooding her face. Digging through her bag, she pulled the dead body of a snake out. It was blood-red. Fluttershy's eyes widened almost instantly. She had seen this snake before. It lived in one of the burrows by the forest. She had always done well to avoid it. Something about it's eyes had always scared her. Then, realizing that this snake had bitten her friend, she began to cry. If she hadn't asked for Dash's help, this never would have happened. "Walking through the trees, I was. Searching for a plant covered in fuzz. I approached a tree, ready to sit, when flew by this, the tree it hit. I recognized it, knowing it's danger, and hoped that it had not bit some stranger." "So, you're sayin' our friend ain't gonna make it?" Applejack spoke through tears, trying her best to keep a steady voice. The zebra bowed her head slightly, and the girls all broke out crying. Fluttershy held Scootaloo close, letting the filly cry into her mane. But she didn't cry. She had listened carefully to Zecora's words, and caught what the others missed. "Z-zecora. You said there was no cure here. Does....does that mean that there is a cure somewhere else?" The others looked at her. She was still holding on to faith even after hearing the worst news. "You are correct, pony so kind. You want to hear what I have in mind?" Fluttershy nodded her head violently. She would do anything to save Rainbow Dash. No matter what it took, if there was a way, she would take it. The others listened closely, faith slowly returning. "Listen close, as I tell you this tale. In the end, it could serve you well." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zecora took a deep breath, the others gathered around her, anxious to hear what she had to say. "The creature before you is of a cursed race. It's namesake is The Dragon Snake. Venom so cruel that it pierces the soul, the Land of the Dragon's should be your goal. Deep within the kingdoms caves, lies a relic, which life it saves. A pearl of beauty, it holds great wealth. To reach it, though, requires great stealth. A fierce beast guards his hoard, a threat which cannot be ignored. Bring the pearl back within 5 days time, and your friend will be fine. But take too long, your friend will die. A thing so cruel, I could not lie. A creation of the great Starswirl, you must recover the Dragon Pearl." The group listened carefully as Zecora spoke. Her rhyming words usually confused them, but the message was clear this time. Fluttershy shuddered. She was deathly afraid of dragons. So much so that the mere thought of them paralyzed her. She wanted to shrink into the couch and disappear. No. She wasn't going to let Dash die. There was no way in the world she was going to just give up. If it meant facing her biggest fear, she had to do it. If she truly loved Rainbow Dash, she had too. The other girls were quickly becoming discouraged. "How are we supposed to go to the Dragon Land's and back in 5 days? The trip itself takes 2 days of nonstop travel, not to mention the time it will take to prepare for the journey. Then we have to find the cave and reach the pearl!" Twilight was calculating things in her head. The more she spoke, the more it sounded like they didn't stand a chance. Fluttershy was the next to speak up. "No. We can't think like that. If we don't try, we'd be letting Rainbow Dash down!" For once, she had raised her voice for everypony to hear. Shocked, the rest turned and stared wide-eyed at her. "Where the hay did that come from, Sugarcube?" "Yea. Fluttershy, what's gotten into you? I've never seen you like this before." Fluttershy didn't back down. She couldn't afford to be the weak pony the others knew her as. Rainbow Dash's life was at stake. "I'm sorry, but this is our friend we're talking about. I can't let her die without giving this my everything." Applejack stood up. "Ah'm with ya, girl. I couldn't imagine a world without Rainbow Dash, and ah honestly don't wanna." "I myself think that we can do this, girls. I'm in." Rarity stood next to Applejack, drying the last of the tears from her face. "Rainbow Dash is my favorite person to play pranks with! I can't lose that! Count me in!" Pinkie bounded by her friends, vigor restored in her eyes. Finally, Twilight stood up. "Alright, I'm in. These last few years have taught me that there's nothing stronger than friendship. If Rainbow Dash is gonna pull through, she needs all of us." She took her place next to Pinkie. "Scootaloo?" Fluttershy looked down at the little filly with serious eyes. "I want you to stay here with Rainbow Dash. You need to be here. She needs a friend with her, now more than ever." The little filly was crying. Seeing the mares so willing to sacrifice brought tears to her eyes. She nodded vigorously. "I won't leave her side. For anything. I promise." She hugged Fluttershy, smiling. "I'm very proud of all of you, girls." The voice came from outside in the hallway. The girls jumped in surprise. The voice was one they had heard so many times before. Princess Celestia walked through the doorway, a big smile on her face. "You've all shown how strong the bond of friendship really is. You've got a long journey ahead of you all." "Princess!" Twilight ran up to her, bowing before her. The others follow suit. "I thought you might need these for your journey." Behind her, each of the girl's saddlebags floated in. All of them were filled to the brim with supplies. "I know you are all exhausted. Your journey can wait until tomorrow. The guest wing is open for use. I've arranged for the Royal Guard to transport you all to the border tomorrow morning." The girls cheered happily. Things were already looking up. They had game plan. The Princess and Zecora said their farewells, each having to go back to their own posts, leaving the girls alone. All was silent for a few minutes. Suddenly, Fluttershy pulled them all together in a group hug. "We have to do our absolute best. We can't let Dash down. She's counting on all of us." She spoke from her heart. She knew that the other's felt the same way. Maybe not EXACTLY how she did, but they were all ready to do everything to save Rainbow Dash. The girls put their hoofs together, Scootaloo included, and threw them in the air. "FOR RAINBOW DASH."