//------------------------------// // Well, this seems somewhat ominous. // Story: Rainbow's Nightmare // by bookwormbrony //------------------------------// Chapter 3 Well, This seems somewhat ominous. "Doctor," Said Twilight, "While I want to know where Rainbow Dash is, why is the inside of the TARDIS smoking?" "That's my fault!" Said a male voice from inside the Time And Relative Dimensions In Space machine (hehe, TARDIS, get it?). Suddenly, out stepped a light green unicorn colt, with a disheveled, black and white mane and tail, soft, blue eyes, a pair of rectangular glasses, a splash of freckles across his face, and a cutie mark which resembled a large, 3,000 page, hardcover book. His most defining feature, however, was his necklace, a silver chained amulet, with a solid gold sun on the front, set in the sun's center was a perfectly circular, polished, orange glowing fire ruby. This pony was one of Twilight's friends, and possibly one of the most interesting and yet, normal ponies in Ponyville. "Sorry," said the colt, "I guess it wasn't a good idea to try to use the TARDIS's power source to charge up my iHoof," he rubbed the back of his head with an ash-covered hoof, blushing slightly. "Damn it Bookworm!" Said The Doctor, "I told you that your iHoof would start shooting lasers! But did you listen, of course you didn't! *sigh*However, I suppose you did save us from those cyberponies,". "I would argue with you, but I'm only supposed to be making cameo appearances, and if I stay too long, I will distract us from the storyline. So, Doctor," Said Bookworm, taking out a packet that read "Rainbow's Nightmare: script","you, Doctor, will take everypony into the Everfree Forest to look for Rainbow Dash," he finished reading the paper and put it down on a desk in the TARDIS,"and I'll just blend into the crowd!" He then walked over and joined the group of ponies. "Ooookaay," Said the Doctor "Erm, Twilight, you just get your friends and I'll take you into the Everfree Forest to find Rainbow. The rest of you, stay here." Twilight had gathered her closest friends to come with her into the Everfree forest. She also had The Doctor (well, no duh), and Soarin coming with them. The Supreme Canterlot Paladins had offered to come as well, but Twilight had politely refused. She had said that it would be rather difficult to keep track of her friends AND the Supreme Canterlot Paladins all at once. Also, they would draw less attention from the creatures in the Everfree Forest if they didn't have the guards flanking them, not that Twilight and her couldn't handle the creatures, but all those ponies together with spears and magic would draw the attention of entire hordes of manticores, or packs of Timberwolves, and that is attention that nopony needs. So, the guards had remained in Ponyville. "Um, Mr., um, Doctor, sir?" Asked Fluttershy, in the eerie silence of the forest, her voice was so loud that it startled everypony, except, of course, The Doctor, "If you don't mind me asking, why couldn't we just take the, um, the blue box that you travel in all the time, I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but don't let that prevent you from answering, I mean, if you want?" "Well, my dear Fluttershy," replied the Doctor, "It is because, the TARDIS has, per lack of a better word, a mind of her own. If I were to punch in the coordinates to where I found your rainbow friend, then that is most likely NOT where we would land," "Then how did you find her in the first place?" Soarin asked, confused by how The Doctor was stating all of this so matter-of-factly. "Sheer blind luck," answered the pony time lord. Soarin simply stared, wondering how a pony of science such as The Doctor could believe in something as, UN-scientific as luck. Soarin then decided to just drop the conversation and talk to Twilight at the back of the group instead. "Do you think Rainbow is okay?" Soarin asked, more than a note of concern present in his tone. "I hope so," Replied Twilight, "If I know Rainbow, she's alive, but seriously hurt. So we should still hurry," "And Soarin," Twilight continued, "can I talk to you about something?" "Sure," Soarin answered, "what is it?" "Well," Twilight "Listen," she sighed, "I know about, how you feel about Rainbow,". "What?!?" Soarin asked, and started blushing furiously, "How do you know?" "It's kind of obvious," Twilight replied, "you can barely say more than ten words to her without having a mental shutdown, and it's impossible to miss the way you look at her," Soarin was blushing furiously,"Ok, but why are you telling me this?" "Because," Twilight answered, the purple unicorn turning her head to look Soarin in the eyes "I am curious, if any one pony should be worried out of their heads right now, it should be you," Twilight seemed to look at Soarin with an expression of both concern and confusion. "So, why aren't you?" "Well," responded the blue-maned Wonderbolt, "I'm not panicking, because, well, I just know that she isn't dead." "How, how do you know that she isn't dead?" Responded Twilight. "I-" Said Soarin, " I can just FEEL it, I can just feel it in my heart. I know that sounds really cheesy and sappy, but it's true, every word of it." "I don't think it sounds sappy," replied the Element of Magic, " I think it sounds sweet, just, don't say that to Rainbow Dash, she may be kind of weirded out." "Yeah, I know, that's kind of why I run in fear when I see her sometimes." Replied Soarin, even with his thick, white coat, he knew that anypony could tell that he was blushing furiously. Any further conversation to be had was cut off by The Doctor at the front of the group. "We're here!" He yelled, as the seven ponies crossed the rickety bridge that led to the Castle of the Royal Pony sisters, or what was left of it. It was rather easy to find Rainbow Dash in the ruin, especially since the castle had nearly been leveled. When they found Rainbow Dash, she was unconscious, lying in a pile of rubble with a beaten, dusty, faded purple helmet on her head. "OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!" Said Pinky, bouncing up and down with excitement, "THISCHAPTERWASSOOOOOOWORTHTHRWAIT!" "Pinky," said Applejack, "what in the name of Celestia's mane are you talkin' about sugar cube?" "I'm saying that this chapter was worth waiting for, I'm sooooooo glad that it's finally out!" Answered the pink pony of partying. Applejack decided to just drop it, (It's probably jus' Pinky bein' Pinky), she then walked over to Rainbow Dash and looked at her. "We should prob'ly get this helmet off." She said. "No time," said Soarin, "we should get her back to Ponyville, RIGHT NOW!" He didn't wait for a response, he picked up Rainbow Dash's unconscious form and began flying back towards Ponyville, the other four ponies following close behind.