In her dreams, she flew. Rainbow Dash flew high among the clouds, her rainbow mane flowing wildly in the air. Alone in the sky, she felt nothing, aside from the amazing and liberating sense that she was on the top of the world, and owned the sky as her course took her through it all! Rainbow Dash soared through the blue canvas, performing all the sonic rainbooms she could, until finally, she fell and woke up. It was the same way every dream of hers began. She flew and then ultimately, she fell.
She dreamed that she was a filly, and again, she flew. Her mother was worried, and didn't want her daughter to get hurt, but that didn't stop Dash. She just smiled to her mother and said, "I never fall!" Rainbow dreamed of her first day at flight school, the teacher saw her flying too high and called her down to stop. She just smiled and said to him, "I never fall." Lastly, she dreamed of her first day on the weather team. There was a terrible storm looming over the land. Her teammates told her to stop, but Rainbow just smiled and said, "I never fall."
The dreams had ended, and Rainbow awoke, to find herself back in her room in the hospital. She sighed, as reality began sinking back in. The parade of images continued flashing throughout the back of her mind. Much of it was all too familiar, and there were still some portions that seemed to be a blur.
Rainbow asked Nurse Redheart what these dreams meant, but the nurse pony just smiled and answered, "It looks like you're starting to get your memory back."
"Really? How do you know?"
Redheart smiled at Rainbow Dash. "Ponies can get their memory back in strange ways. You can watch tapes of stuff you did in the past, look through old books, and sometimes your dreams can help you to find out who you are again," Nurse Redheart explained, "I remember this one pony. He lost his memory after suffering a nasty blow to his head, from a hammer. It turns out the way he got his memory back was getting hit in the head, again, by the same hammer."
"Really?" asked Rainbow Dash giving the nurse a confused look.
"Oh yes, really. It actually did happen. I remember it was a rather strange case, but then again he was a rather strange pony," she smiled.
Whenever her friends came to visit, Rainbow asked them this simple question every time, "What was I like, before, well this happened?"
"Stubborn," was often the answer Applejack gave her.
"That's funny, coming from you AJ. Everypony knows you're like the Queen of Stubbornness," snorted Pinkie whose mane was and coat were back to being bright pink , "Dashie, you were like the bravest pony I've ever known. I still think you are!"
"Why do you always call me Dashie?" asked Rainbow, "Is it like my nickname or something?"
"I don't know, you just look like a Dashie," replied Pinkie giving her a huge grin. "But, I give nicknames to everypony."
"Oh, you were always such a loyal friend. Everypony knows that you always have their back," Fluttershy said softly in a voice that Rainbow could barley hear.
"Rainbow…I'd have to say, daring, you were always daring. Well, how do I put this. You spoke your mind, something that someponies don't really do," noted Rarity.
Twilight nodded and smiled, as she added, "What Rarity said, you did always say what you thought. You also stood up for ponies, and what Fluttershy mentioned was true. You always had their back whenever somepony needed it."
"Really how?" asked Rainbow Dash.
Flutershy, who was normally shy spoke up for once, "Remember when we were fillies getting ready for our flight exam? Remember the two colts that made fun of Derpy because he was to sacred to go?"
Memories began to come back to Rainbow. She remembered her flight exam. How excited she was and how proud she felt when the examiner complainted her form and speed. She also remembered she saw two young colts making fun of a pegasus with a gray coat and yellow mane. She remembered how nervous she was for the flight exam and how the teacher was trying to get her to calm down. Lastly, she remembered two young colts mocking her for being nervous.
"Those two colts were really mean," Said Rainbow Dash as if the event had happened yesterday.
Fluttershy gave her a soft smile, "Yeah, they were."
The next day came, and her friends had entered her room with an unfamiliar face. Following Twilight was a baby purple dragon with green spikes. He had introduced himself to her said, "Hey Rainbow, I hope you get well really soon. I'm Spike by the way."
"So, let me get this straight. I'm friends with a baby dragon?" asked Rainbow as she looked at the young purple and green dragon with a baffled look.
"Yeah, you are," beamed Spike, offering Rainbow a nod and a smile.
"Dragons can talk?"
He grinned at her question. "Yeah, dragons can talk. We can do a lot of things really; like send letters and breath fire. I can tell you the rest since that's the only thing I can do," explained Spike. He went on to tell Rainbow all about his life, from the time he met Twilight, helped her with her studies and up to the time when she and he first arrived in Ponyville. The dragon shared his life right up to the present, hoping some of his stories might help jog her memory. "Well, that's the story of my life, well at least right up to today," he snickered nervously.
Rainbow Dash just sat there, blinking in a sort of awe. It was a lot to take in and oddly enough part of it seemed familiar, but it was almost like there was an invisible wall or force preventing her from fully recognizing Spike. "I still can't really remember you, Spike. But you do seem pretty cool, for a dragon, anyway," she mused.
Spike smiled at her hopefully, "Well, it's a start."
During one of their visits, Twilight gave Rainbow Dash a book. It was a story about the adventurous mustard yellow pegasus with a dark mane known as Daring Do. The cover read: "Daring Do and the Crystal Cave". She took the book, and flipped through the pages, staring at it curiously.
"I read this book before. I don't know when, but I know I did," thought Rainbow as she flipped through more of the novel's pages, "It seems so familiar, but I can't seem to put my hoof on it."
"Last time you were here, I read that book to you. I bought it so maybe it can help you remember," said Twilight, giving her friend hopeful eyes.
"Thanks." Rainbow expressed as she began reading the book, and to her surprise found it quite enjoyable.
"Well at least that's one thing that didn't change. You still like books," smiled Twilight.
Rainbow grinned nervously, but nodded in agreement. "That's weird, why do I like books? I never did before. I always thought that only eggheads read. Does that mean I'm and egghead now?" she wondered. "Oh well, as long as I'm twenty percent cooler, then I'm okay." She flipped threw the pages of book eagerly waiting for what happened next.
"Well you know what they say, don't knock till you try it." smiled Twilight.
"Oh Rainbow, I was checking your mail for you and I found this letter for you," said Fluttershy, handing Rainbow a card. "I also checked on Tank too, he seems to miss you a lot."
"Who's Tank?"
"He's your pet-" Fluttersy was about the finish her sentence but instead said something else, "Oh right never mind, Pinkie was going to explain that."
"Explain what?"
Fluttershy's eyes winded and looked at Rainbow with a nervous look, "Explaining what? I didn't say anything, I was just getting your mail. That's right mail!"
"Okay, well can I get my mail then?"
"Oh right, of course."
The item Fluttershy had given Rainbow was a postcard with a group of ponies standing together wearing blue and yellow uniforms, better known as the Wonderbolts! On the back of the card there was writing written in red marker that read:
Hey kiddo, I heard what happened to you, myself and the rest of the Wonderbolts. Sure hope you get well, real soon. Sorain says hello and that he's sorry, really sorry. As for why or what, I'm not really sure.
-Spitfire
P.S. Here are tickets to our next show, the princess got them for you. Says it's for a gift for saving the world like what is it now…five times? Are you sure you want to be a Bolt, you seem to be already as famous as one.
"Why did the Wonderbolts send me a card?" asked Rainbow as she examined the card and the photo that came with it, "What is Soarin sorry for? Wait that blue pegasus, is that Soarin?"
"Sorain is a pegasus like us. I don't know, what he's sorry for I'm sorry. Derpy just told me it was for you," replied Fluttershy, in voice so soft she could barely hear it.
Days seem to past, and a lot of ponies visited. Derpy Hooves had arrived with friend, Doctor Whooves. She was holding a basket filled with muffins and they were the second to visit her that day, Twilight and her other friends having been there first.
"Hey Rainbow, do you remember me? We used to go to school together," smiled the happy and bubbly gray mare, her golden eyes were crossed and she added, "I made you some muffins."
"Well yeah, of course I remember you Derpy. We used to go the Flight Academy together," answered Rainbow as she took a muffin from the basket.
"I doubt you'll remember me, no pony ever seems to," grumbled Derpy's stallion friend. "I'm the Doctor, Doctor Whooves, or Time Turner as some ponies seem to call me. Please, just remember this, don't ever call me Doc. That is the most annoying thing ever to call someone, or should I say somepony."
"That accent, that British accent why does it sound so familiar? Why does the name Doctor or Time Turner sound like someone or something I know?" thought Rainbow as she looked carefully at Derpy's brown stallion friend.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, almost everypony knows who you are," responded Derpy, continuing to smile.
"Okay, let me test that then," replied the Doctor, "Rainbow Dash, do you know who I am?"
Rainbow looked at the stallion, trying hard to remember but just sighed, "I'm sorry I don't."
"I see," replied the Doctor. "Hmmm. Let's see shall we…she doesn't remember Twilight or any of the others, only remembers Derpy and a select few on the weather team..." His voice trailed off as he paced back and forth on the hospital's floors, "Of course! Why isn't it oblivious!"
"Why isn't what oblivious?" asked Rainbow.
"It seems like the memories you lost were the ones that were made when Twilight came to Ponyville."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that, all the memories you have in your little mind are Pre-Nightmare Moon, Pre- Twilight ever going to Ponyville. It seems like your memories are up to date with the day prior to Twilight having come to Ponyville."
"So, that means?"
"That means Rainbow Dash, you're very far behind. How funny is that? Your have the name Dash but you're behind, that's a brilliant irony right there," smiled the Doctor as he looked around and saw that no pony had laughed with him. He quickly cleared his throat, "Now, getting back on topic, when do you get out of this dump?"
"Why do you hate hospitals so much?" asked Derpy as she began to eat a muffin.
"I don't like hospitals, bad things seem to happen whenever I'm in them. There like pears, total and utter rubbish," responded the Doctor, "So, when do you get out of this garbage can?"
"Tomorrow," answered Rainbow Dash.
"Well then, I just need to tell Twilight then and she can fix that little noggin of yours with her magic. If that doesn't do anything, there's always another way to fix it."
"And that other way is?"
He couldn't help but give Rainbow a big toothy grin and explain, "Do you fancy a mad pony and his big blue box?"
Rainbow just blinked, "What did you just say?"
The stallion's toothy grin faded and he just sighed, "Ah well, that's why they are called surprises then. Any who, see you later Rainbow Dash, make sure to get your rest. Come on Derpy, we need to go to Twilight's."
Derpy nodded and followed the Doctor out of the out of the door, and waved, "Bye Rainbow Dash, I hope that you get well really soon."
Before he got out of the door the Doctor said, "Oh right where are my manners, goodbye Rainbow Dash and don't let the parasprites bite." After he said that in a quick dash, the stallion was gone like that.
"Is he always that weird? What's the connection with him and Derpy, is he like her special somepony or something?" thought Rainbow as she grabbed another muffin to eat.
Rainbow just sighed and did what the Doctor had told her to do, and got her rest. She laid down on the bed and in case she woke up, put the Daring Do book on the tray by her bedside, and started at the ceiling getting lost in her thoughts.
"Maybe reading the book can help me a bit." She thought as she looked at the window staring at the outside view. "I really can't wait to get out of her tomorrow, I really need to stretch my wings," she yawned and out of boredom started to count the tiles on the ceiling, "Why am I so tried? Are pegsus ponies always so tired?
During her boredom, she began staring off into space, Rainbow Dash had thought of some really strange things, "Is the Doctor really a Doctor? Then what is he even a Doctor of? Then what does his hourglass cutie mark even mean?"
Rainbow yawned again, "Whoever the Doctor is, maybe he is right. I should get some sleep. Maybe that will help me."
Rainbow put the Daring Doo book back on her tray and pulled the bed covers over her, and closed her eyes, before she went back to sleep. She tossed and turned as she heard a faint voice. Eventually, she did fell asleep, but was welcomed to a world filled with chaos.
"Oh Rainbow Dash, let's see shall we, the Element of Loyalty, how far would your loyalty go?" said the draconequus twirling around his umbrella as he stood underneath a cloud raining chocolate milk, "You made it this far, let's see how long you last. Maybe you can beat your friends, though they were easy to beat."
"Why are you playing this sick game?" asked Rainbow as she slowly came closer the creature, "Why in the world did you have to pick us?"
"Well I am the Master Spirit of Chaos and all Disharmony, it just makes sense," replied Discord, "Though, I never found much fun in making sense. Rather, I like games, and games are fun. And games don't always make complete sense." He grinned at her enjoying a quiet chortle.
"What did you do to them?" shouted Rainbow Dash.
He grinned devilishly at her. "I didn't do anything to them, they're just a little grayer, than they used to be," Discord replied with a devious smile, "I think the best way to put it is, I made them at least twenty percent cooler. Oh, I'm sorry, isn't that your saying?"
"I won't fall for any of your games, Discord!" shouted Rainbow Dash. "Nothing you say will change my mind, just give me back my wings!"
"You haven't beaten the maze yet, so actually I can't really give you your wings, however there is this one thing you should really know," replied Discord as he encircled his steps around Rainbow, "It's something about the place you grew up in."
"You're not making any sense! I will not go to Cloudsdale, if that's what you mean. I hated it there, everypony there made fun of me."
"Please, what's the fun of making sense? I'm Discord remember, besides, Cloudsdale is falling apart and soon it will be destroyed, and the only way it can be fixed is if you go. I'll give you your wings, but you must promise me you'll never come back," smiled Discord.
"I won't do it! I won't betray Twilight or the others, they are my friends and I won't do that to them!" Rainbow stressed in earnest. "You can't make me! I'm the Element of Loyalty, it isn't very loyal to betray the ponies you call friends."
"I see, well what about your time at the gala?" asked Discord, "You were so caught up with trying to get the Wonderbolts' attention, you ignored little Spike. Is the dragon not your friend? Are you going to deny that you betrayed your friend for somepony else."
Rainbow Dash was at a loss for words, she just stood there trying to get her thoughts together and before she could speak, Discord interrupted her and looked straight into her magenta eyes, "Don't even waste your breath talking, Rainbow Dash, you want your wings. You want to fly high with the Wonderbolts and the only way of doing that is having wings. I'll say this again, Cloudsdale is falling apart, take your wings and fly and never return."
"I still won't do it." replied Rainbow, "Nothing you say will change my mind."
Discord's grin faded away and he sighed, "Oh Rainbow Dash, and to think I actually liked you. You're as stupid as your friends are." Discord grabbed Rainbow's head and looked straight at her, his eyes meeting hers, "I'll show what will happen if your friends to solve this maze, it isn't pretty. If I were you, I would run, run so far from the truth that will happen."
"What will happen?" asked Rainbow.
"I'll show you."
Discord snapped his fingers and now Rainbow was now standing in the middle of a field, it was raining, and all she could hear was the shouting of her friends.
"I never want to see you again!" shouted Pinkie, "I can't believe I was ever your friend!"
"I can't believe I actually talked to you!" shouted Twilight bitterly.
"Looks like we can actually agree on something, Ah never want to see y'all again either." shouted Applejack.
"Fine! Let's never talk to each other again!" shouted Rarity, and with that Rainbow saw her friends as they all galloped away from each other.
"Let's make it clear to never see each other again!" shouted Fluttershy as she flew away high up in the sky.
"No, this can't happen!" shouted Rainbow in a frenzy of panic at what she had just witnessed, "This can't happen, it just can't."
"I'll tell you how to stop this from happening," said Discord placing his lion's paw on his chest, "Just take your wings back, and fly. Fly high and like I said, never return."
Rainbow Dash nodded and took her wings and flew as high as she could and never looked back. The strange creature of discord just laughed, "I can't believed she fell for it! Oh, this a story of the ages!"
Rainbow's eyes darted open as she jolted straight up in her bed. Her body was drenched in sweat, she quickly looked around to see her surroundings,"Everything, is the same; okay cool." thought Rainbow as she began to calm down, "That creature, that voice, that dream. It all seemed so real."
After Rainbow Dash had calmed down, she laid back down on the bed and looked straight at the ceiling. She remained there and began to ponder what these dreams might mean.
"They seem so real, if Nurse Redheart is right, then I should go to Twilight's tomorrow and ask her. Twilight seems like a smart pony maybe she can help. If that doesn't do anything, I know I can go to the Doctor, he seems like a smart pony too, even if he seems a little odd." Rainbow sighed and turned her head over to face the Daring Do book, then she turned again to face the clock, which read:
5:30
Rainbow Dash sighed and closed her eyes trying to go back to sleep. She sighed, "Maybe this time I can at least have a good night's sleep."