//------------------------------// // 252: When We Fall // Story: Thirty-Minute Pony Stories // by Silvernis //------------------------------// 252: WHEN WE FALL “How long has she been up there?” yelled Twilight, her voice barely audible over the shrieking wind. She squinted through the rain at the leaden sky, searching for a telltale blaze of color. “Since she an’ the weather team brought in this here storm!” shouted Applejack. “She wouldn’t come back down with ’em! Ah don’t know what’s gotten into that girl’s head, flyin’ in this kinda weather—wait, there she is!” She jabbed a hoof towards the hills in the east. “Mercy me, she’s comin’ in fast!” A multicolored streak rocketed towards them, weaving between the hills with inequine speed. The streak shuddered, and a burst of light and color suddenly exploded around it, followed a moment later by another, even bigger burst. “Wow!” shouted Pinkie Pie. Her face was a confused jumble of horror and excitement. “A double sonic rainboom!” The streak shuddered again, harder this time, leaving a third explosion in its wake. “Impossible,” said Twilight. “Three rainbooms in a row. How can she be doing this?” Fluttershy said something, but a sudden crack of normal thunder drowned out her words. “What?” yelled Twilight. The cringing yellow pegasus put her muzzle next to Twilight’s ear. “She’s pushing too hard!” she yelled back. As if on cue, the streak of color shuddered again, but this time it wobbled and jerked and suddenly zigzagged off into the sky. “She’s gonna tear herself to bloody pieces at this rate!” shouted Applejack. “We must do something!” wailed Rarity, clinging to the tattered remains of her umbrella while her raincoat flapped around her in the wind. “We simply must!” Twilight took a deep breath, and her horn flared. “RAINBOW DASH!” she roared, her voice magically amplified. “RAINBOW DASH, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!” The distant streak slowed for just a moment, then tore across the sky, angling towards a mountainous black thunderhead. The ponies watching gasped. “Wait, Dashie!” “What in tarnation?” “Oh my goodness!” “Whatever is the poor dear doing?” “No,” whispered Twilight. The unicorn closed her eyes and lowered her head. Her horn began to glow, brighter and brighter, until there was a familiar sizzle and pop and flash of magenta light, and a storm-tossed blue pegasus materialized in front of her. “Dash,” she whispered, and wrapped her forelegs around the other mare in a fierce hug. “NO!” screamed Rainbow Dash. She thrashed, her rumpled wings beating noisily against the unicorn. “Dash, please!” yelled Twilight, ignoring the wet feathers smacking her face. “You have to stop this!” “I can’t stop, you stupid egghead! I have to keep training! I have to get better! I’ll show them I’m the best!” “Dash, listen to me! You won’t impress anypony if you get yourself killed in a storm because you were too stubborn to know when to quit!” “Shut up! I have to get better! I can’t lose again! I won’t!” “Dash, stop it—” “I should have won!” snarled the pegasus. “I’m supposed to be the best! I need to train harder so I stop screwing up! Now lemme go!” She wrenched a foreleg free and began pummeling Twilight. The unicorn gritted her teeth and hugged Rainbow closer. “No. I won’t let you do this to yourself. There will be other races, Dash. The Wonderbolts will still be there next year.” “Lemme go!” “No. I won’t let you destroy yourself over this.” “LET—ME—GO!” Rainbow shrieked and twisted around and lashed out with her hind legs. Her hooves connected with Twilight’s side, and there was a sickening crunch. “No,” whispered Twilight. She buried her face in the beautiful multicolored mane. “You mean too much to me.” The wild fire in Rainbow’s eyes suddenly went out. She blinked, looking at Twilight, then at the other ponies watching in silent horror, then back at Twilight. Her gaze fell on the ugly dark spot on the unicorn’s side, and she froze. “No,” she said. “No, I—I didn’t mean to—Twi, please! Don’t—I don’t—” “Shhh,” said Twilight. “Twi, I’m sorry—I’m so sorry—” “It’s okay, Dashie.” The pegasus sagged against the unicorn, tears pouring down her face. “Twilight . . . ” “Shhh,” said Twilight, and she hugged her tight.