A young Rainbow Dash looked at the Wonderbolts poster. As she gazed on in total awe, she could almost name everypony on it. She looked over at a white pegasus that had landed to ground, already being bombarded with the paparazzi. She saw that the pegasus wore a Wonderbolt outfit and looked in awe of her. The mare had removed her hood and goggles to reveal her yellow mane.
"No way!" thought Rainbow Dash as she ran up to the mare, "Is that Surprise? She's like one of the best of the Wonderbolts?"
"Hey kid." said an upbeat and happy voice, "You like the Wonderbolts?"
Rainbow Dash looked up and looked at the mare. She couldn't believe it, a Wonderbolt was talking to her! She was to starstruck to say anything and just looked at the mare and marveled at her awesomeness.
The mare had let out a chuckle, "I'll take that as a yes."
"You're Suprpise right? You're like one of my favorite of the Wonderbolts!" the young filly said.
The white pegasus smiled, "I'm glad to hear that. You fly?"
"Well duh I fly. How can I not fly when I want to be a Wonderbolt!" said Rainbow Dash, still amazed that she was talking to a Wonderbolt.
The older pegasus had laughed, "I like your attitude kid. Just remember, don't get to cocky." The white mare looked behind her and saw the paparazzi coming towards her,"I gotta jet, it was nice talking to you." Just like that the Wonderbolt was gone.
"You'll see." thought Rainbow Dash as her eyes moved back to the poster, "I'll become the best Wonderbolt there is!"
***
Sweet Apple Acres seemed like your typical farm. It had its loyal customers, its 100% satisfaction guarantee, clumsy hired farmhands, and it's family run nature. It seemed like an ordinary day. Off in a corner of the many apple trees, Applejack was teaching Apple Bloom how to buck apples.
"Ah'll never be able to do it," Apple Bloom sighed in defeat.
"Come on now, it's easy Apple Bloom," encouraged Applejack smiling at her sister, "All ya got ta do is kick with yer hind legs as hard as ya can." She adjusted her hat, and promptly bucked the apple tree behind her, causing a bunch of apples to rain down on the ground. "It's as easy as pie."
"Okay, Ah'll try," uttered Apple Bloom, a note of lingering doubt in her voice. She walked up to the tree and lined up her backside. Then, she raised her hind legs and bucked the apple tree as best she could. Instead of getting the result her sister received, Apple Bloom only managed to rustle the tree, causing but a few apples to fall.
Applejack looked at her sister and patted her back, "Yer gettn' better."
"Really?" asked Apple Bloom
Applejack smiled and nodded, "Of course ya are. Soon, ya'll be able to help Big Macintosh and me during Applebuck Season."
Just as Apple Bloom was about to say something, a loud crashing noise could be heard, off in the distance. "What was that?!" gasped Apple Bloom. Instead of saying something, Applejack galloped away from her sister to see what the noise was and where it came from. Apple Bloom, followed her sister shouting, "Applejack, wait up!"
The filly galloped after her sister to the middle of the orchard, and over to a large hole. Inside, they discovered the unconscious body of Rainbow Dash.
Apple Bloom whimpered, "Is she going to okay?"
Applejack just looked at her sister and blankly said, "Get Big Macintosh, tell him to get the wagon ready."
"Where are ya taking her?"
"To the hospital."
"Is she going to be okay?"
"Just get Big Macintosh!" Applejack shouted. Apple Bloom nodded and galloped away to tell her brother. Looking down at the hole, Applejack sighed, "Rainbow, why did ya do this to yourself?"
***
Rainbow Dash sat and stared eye to eye with her principal. She had no idea what she had done wrong. "All I did was stick up for Fluttershy. Those meanies had it coming. I kicked their butts in a race and got my cutie mark. "So, why am I here? What did I do wrong?"
"Miss Dash, are you aware of what you've done?" asked her principle in a monotone voice.
"All I did is stand up for one pony. What's wrong with that?"
He cleared his throat and picked up a piece of paper and began to read, "Rule 10 – Students are not allowed to race when no teacher is present. Rule 11 – Students are not allowed to push other students off the clouds."
"I didn't mean to push Fluttershy off that cloud. I mean it. Those bullies were making fun of her, I had to do something. Please, don't expel me! I'll do anything! Dentition, community service, you name it…I'll do it. Just please give me another chance."
The gray-coated stallion cleared his throat and pushed up his glasses with a hoof. "Very well then, Miss Dash," he replied as he took a piece of paper from his desk and slid it to Rainbow Dash, "Have your mother sign this. I want to have a talk with her about your behavior."
Rainbow Dash sighed and took the paper, "Okay, I'll have her sign it."
***
"Applejack!" shouted Twilight, as she galloped across the hospital hallway. When she arrived, she looked and saw the frowns on her friends' faces. "Is she going to be okay?"
"Ah don't know. The doctor has been in there for a while," Applejack answered grimly, with a slight worry in her voice. "Ah do hope Rainbow will be all right."
"Do you know what happened?" asked Twilight.
"Ah was just showing Apple Bloom how to buck apple trees, and Ah heard this loud crash," explained Applejack, "Apple Bloom and Ah galloped over and found that Rainbow Dash had crashed."
"That's rather strange, I thought Rainbow Dash never crashes?"
Applejack looked down at the hospital's floor and sighed, "Ah guess there's a first time for everything."
Just as Applejack said that, an earth pony stallion entered, wearing a white lab coat over his brown fur. He looked at the clipboard and sighed, a sad look fell across his face. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."
Pinkie Pie heard the solemn words and looked up at the doctor. Her usually bright curly mane and pink coat, both quickly dimmed, becoming a much duller version. Her whole personality also seemed to change, instead of happy she seemed depressed and looked like she was about to cry any second. She looked up at the doctor with sad eyes and whimpered, "What do you mean bad news?"
The doctor cleared his throat, "I'm afraid the injuries that your friend has are quite serious. She's in a coma."
"For how long?" asked Rarity, feeling deeply concerned for her friend.
"That's the hard part about comas. No pony knows for sure how long they last. They may last for a couple days, weeks, or months. As for right now, her condition is pretty bad. I'll check on her later and see if she improves." The caring stallion saw the sadness in their eyes and faces. He gave them a weak smile, and added, "I promise you that your friend is going to be okay."
"Um, if it's okay, could we go see her?" Fluttershy asked softly.
He nodded and opened the door with his hoof, "Yes. Go on in."
The five mares entered the room and saw their friend lying silently on the bed. They all gathered around her bed and looked at their unconscious friend. Everyone was quiet, until the loud sound of somepony crying could be heard…the sorrowful wails belonged to Pinkie.
Rarity closed her eyes and walked over to her troubled friend. "Don't worry now, she's going to be okay," assured Rarity, hugging Pinkie tightly.
Pinkie sniffled and hugged her friend, "How do you know that?"
"I just know in my heart, trust me," smiled Rarity.
"Can we keep visiting Rainbow Dash?" asked Pinkie as she wiped away her tears.
"How often do you want to visit?" asked Twilight.
"Until she wakes up," sniffled Pinkie.
Fluttershy placed a compassionate hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "Of course we can Pinkie, we'll stay here until she wakes up," she smiled, "If it makes you feel any better, I'll even Pinkie Promise."
Pinkie smiled through her glassy eyes, "Thank you Fluttershy."
"What are friends for?"
Day 2:
"Sweetie Belle, why are you here?" asked Rarity as she saw her sister standing in front of Rainbow's hospital room door. She looked at her sister and saw that Apple Bloom and Scootaloo where here with her. "Why are all three of you here?"
"Applejack told me what happened," answered Apple Bloom as she pulled out a card from her saddlebag, presenting it to Rarity. "So Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Ah wanted to make Rainbow a get well card."
"All three of us helped with it, isn't it petty?" asked Sweetie Belle.
Rarity looked at the purple card with red lettering, which read: "Get Well Soon Rainbow Dash". There was also a drawing of her performing a sonic rainboom on the front. Rarity opened the card and saw inside that there were drawings of Rainbow Dash, showing all the times she helped Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and her sister try to earn their cutie marks. There was even a picture of her teaching Scootaloo how to fly.
"That's very nice of you girls to do this. It's quite lovely, and I just know that Rainbow will love it. " Rarity said as she closed the card and returned it to Apple Bloom, "I have to ask, who drew those pictures?"
"Ah did." smiled Apple Bloom.
Rarity smiled, "They're really nice drawings."
Apple Bloom blushed, "Thank ya kindly."
"I helped with the lettering!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle.
"And I helped decorating it!" chimed in Scootaloo.
"All three of you did a lovely job," smiled Rarity.
Day 4:
"Twilight, what are you doing here?" asked a monotone voice that belonged to Pinkie Pie. Her usually upbeat personality had been replaced with a much solemn and sad one. Her vibrant pink coat was a dull pink and her curly mane was straight and hung over her face, "I thought you were writing to Princess Celestia on what had happened?"
"I wrote a letter to the Princess a day ago Pinkie." smiled Twilight who was quite alarmed of the drastic personality change the pink earth pony had, "I came to visit Rainbow Dash. Did you come to do the same?" Twilight then levitated a book out of her saddlebag. She cleared her throat and tried to make her friend smile, "A new issue of Dairing Doo has been released, and I know much Rainbow Dash loves Dairing Doo!
Pinkie nodded, her usual smile that could be used to light up a whole room; now replaced with a frown. She had walked passed the unicorn and mumbled, "Yeah, Dashie will love that."
Day 6:
As the days went by, Rainbow Dash's room was soon filled with cards, balloons, and flowers. Her friends faithfully remained by her side, sleeping and snoring in chairs beside her bed, hoping she would wake up soon.
Rainbow Dash laid in her bed, and slowly, her magenta eyes opened as she gradually lifted her body up. She looked out and gazed at the other ponies around her, feeling very confused.
"Who are they?" she asked as she looked around the room. Rainbow Dash looked over in the corner, and saw a purple and green baby dragon sleeping in the corner all curled up.
"Huh? Why is there a dragon in the room? For that matter…why am I in a hospital?"
Feeling confused, Rainbow panicked and screamed, causing the five mares and the dragon to startle awake. They looked over at her, filling with concern and worry. They tried to calm her down, informing her that they were her friends and introduced themselves. Their efforts were in vain. Her confusion only grew worse as she continued to panic even more. Doctors and nurses came galloping into the room to calm her down, saying things like, "Calm down," and, "Everything is going to be all right."
"Everything is not going to be all right!" barked Rainbow as she tried to fight off the doctor and nurse ponies. Her hooves were flying everywhere, until she felt a slight pinch in her left hind leg. She felt her eyes grow heavy and she slowly flopped back into her bed, calming down and going back to sleep.
"What did you do to her?" asked Fluttershy.
"We gave her a mild sedative – something to clam her down," answered the caring and concerned Nurse Redheart. She looked at Rainbow's worried friends with compassionate sapphire eyes and sighed, "She awoke, suffering from a very nasty side-effect of her crash…it's one that we feared. Your friend has suffered some memory loss."
"How much memory loss?" worried Twilight, looking over at Rainbow Dash and then over at the nurse.
Redheart shook her head, "I'm afraid we don't know. We'll know more once she wakes up, again."
Pinkie Pie looked at the white mare, and said questioningly, "What do you mean, when she wakes up?"
"I mean that it's time for you and your friends to leave. Visiting hours are now over," the nurse replied in a somewhat stern and worried voice. Though, Redheart couldn't simply be cold to them. She sighed heavily. "I know you're worried about your friend, but for right now, it'd be best for you to leave. I'm truly sorry, but until we have a better idea of her condition, your presence will only serve to confuse her."
"What?!" cried Pinkie Pie.
Applejack walked over to Pinkie and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Simmer down there, Sally. It'll be okay," she spoke softly. Pinkie Pie sighed, nodding quietly.
Twilight looked over at Redheart. "We understand. Please do everything you can for her," she said, feeling tears slowly well up in her eyes.
The nurse walked over to the unicorn, and gave her a smile and softly patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, your friend is in good hooves. We'll do our very best," replied Redheart, trying to reassure Rainbow's friends.
Day 10:
Four days have passed since she first awoke. They told her that she'd been in a crash and now they said she had memory loss. As Rainbow looked up at the faces of the ponies that claimed to be her friends, she cleared her throat and asked them, "So, are you guys my friends or something?"
Pinkie blinked, her mane and coat becoming a duller pink, "Of course we are. We're your best friends," she uttered softly, almost crying, "Come on Dashie, you have to remember us. Remember the time that we saved Equestria? The time we all spent at the gala? Anything at all?"
Rainbow shook her head, "No, I'm sorry."
"Come on now Rainbow, Ah'm sure ya have to remember something about us," said Applejack, "Well, let's start with something easy, what do ya remember?"
"I know that my name is Rainbow Dash, I'm the captain of the weather team, the Wonderbolts are awesome and I want to be one someday, but that's about it."
Applejack then pointed her hoof to herself, "Do ya know me?" After she said that, she then pointed a hoof towards Pinkie, "What about her, do ya know her?"
Rainbow looked at Applejack, "Well duh, you're Applejack. Your family owns Sweet Apple Acres, and makes the best apple cider in all of Equestria. The pony you're pointing towards is Pinkie Pie, she likes partying, and she works at Sugar Cube Corner."
"Do you remember any of your friends?" asked Pinkie in a soft voice.
"Well there's Derpy. I think she has her own mail delivery service. The only one in this room that I know personally is Fluttershy, we used to go to school together." said Rainbow, "And then there's also the other members of the weather team, Cloudkicker, Snowflake, and a few others."
Fluttershy quickly stepped forward to look at Rainbow and wondered, "Are you sure you don't remember the others?"
Rainbow Dash blinked, "Should I?"
All the mares in the room gasped, and remain silent, until Twilight quietly said, "Rainbow, do you remember anything else?"
Rainbow Dash shook her head and sighed, "I'm really sorry, but I really don't remember anything else about the rest of you."
"Come on girls, we should go," said a dejected Twilight, "Rainbow needs some more time to rest."
As the last pony departed out of the hospital room, Rainbow laid back in her bed, and snuggled underneath the covers, closing her eyes to get some rest. "At least my dreams won't be as weird as this day has been so far," she yawned.
***
"Remember that time you saved my pie at the gala, man I owe you big time for that," Soarin grinned, adjusting his goggles.
Rainbow had laughed, "No you don't owe me anything, its fine."
"Oh come on, that was the best pie I have ever tasted. It would be a crime to let a pie like that go to waste," Soarin added as the distance between him and Rainbow became less and less,"Oh and what about that time you saved me and Spitfire during the Young Flyer Competition?"
"It was nothing, really," said Rainbow as she took a sip from a glass of punch.
"Nothing? You totally saved our lives! That sonic rainboom that you did, that was amazing! I think I do owe you a lot for doing that!"
His words caused Rainbow's cheeks the blush, "Really?"
"Really!" declared Soarin, giving her a goofy smile, "Hey, are doing something later? Cause if you weren't I would ask you to dance."
Rainbow's cheeks blushed an even brighter shade of red, "I'm not really the greatest dancer."
Soarin shrugged, "Neither am I, but hey it's a wedding. You dance at weddings. So what do you say?"
"Sure, I'll dance with you."
Soarin lent her his hoof, "Think I owe you a dance after you saved the wedding from a changeling army."
Rainbow Dash giggled and grabbed his hoof and moved towards the dance floor, "I wish I got to dance with a Wonderbolt whenever I saved Equestria."
"Maybe you should save the world more often then," smiled Soarin, "I'd be sure to dance with you if that happened."
Rainbow Dash laughed, "I'll make sure to save Equestria more often if that means I get to dance with you."
***
In a flash, Rainbow opened her eyes and sat up, looking around her. Staring at the ceiling, her mind was racing with question in total awe at what she just dreamed about. Where where they? What wedding? Why was she dancing with a Wonderbolt? How did she save Equestria before?
"That was Soarin of the Wonderbolts, right?" she thought, "What is he doing in my dream? Was it like a memory or something?"She then blinked a few times trying to make sense of the strange dream. When she drew a blank on such event of happening, she hung her head low and heavily sighed, "What are changelings?"
After a few moments of thinking of what she had just seen, and felt like a part of her was missing. Rainbow yawned again and closed her eyes falling back to sleep.