Rainbow Dash groaned as she forced her eyes to open to brave the bright light that was shining from the ceiling above her.
I’m at a hospital, again. Rainbow Dash realized, then added sarcastically, Great.
She heard the soft sounds of hoofsteps coming from her right, and Rainbow Dash instinctively jerked her head in the direction of the sound. She felt the muscles in her neck clench tightly at the sudden forceful movement, and she winced. “Ow,” she hissed in pain, squeezing her eyes shut.
“Oh dear, don’t move, Rainbow Dash! You can’t strain yourself!” Nurse Redheart instructed Rainbow Dash as she came over.
Rainbow Dash sighed and groaned in annoyance. Stupid injuries. This meant that she wouldn’t be able to go on flight practices with Thunderlane and Cloudchaser. Darn. Speaking of Thunderlane, where was he?
Rainbow Dash’s eyes darted around, taking in as much of the ward as possible, since she wasn’t allowed to move anything else. Nurse Redheart chuckled and, as if she could read Rainbow Dash’s mind, told her, “If you’re looking for your friend Thunderlane, he’s in the ward beside yours. He’s taking a few wing checks now, I think.”
Rainbow Dash mumbled a quick “thank you” and was about to say something else when an all too familiar stallion burst into the ward. “Nurse! Where’s that rainbow maned pony?” Soarin called impatiently. “My name’s Rainbow Dash,” the pegasus snapped, feeling offended for some reason.
“Whatever,” Soarin huffed, rolling his eyes. “I’m supposed to check up on you and make sure you’re okay.” He frowned slightly as he trotted over to where Rainbow Dash was lying, giving a small nod to Nurse Redheart.
“Your friend Twilight Sparkle forced me to, really,” he added. Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink slightly; he only came because somepony had told him to.
Did you really think that he came because he likes you or actually cares about you? a little voice in Rainbow Dash’s head sneered at her. The mare’s gaze dropped down as she looked away from Soarin, breaking eye contact from him.
Soarin, as oblivious as always, didn’t seem to notice how her eyes had lost a little of their usual excited glimmer, or how her ears dropped slightly. “Well?” he snapped impatiently instead, “Are you fine or not?” Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink even lower as she nodded a bit, unable to bear the thought of her idol treating her like this.
“Fine then, whatever,” Soarin grumbled, rolling his eyes as he spun around and walked out of the door in a huff, leaving Nurse Redheart looking at Rainbow Dash sympathetically. Rainbow Dash sighed in defeat and dejection.
Great, just great.
*****
Rainbow Dash’s head moved up slowly as Rarity sauntered into the room, looking extra gleeful and peppy as she announced her arrival. “Hey Rarity,” Rainbow Dash greeted her friend in an emotionless monotone voice, forcing herself to plaster a fake smile on her face.
“Rainbow!” Rarity shrieked, running over to her friend in excitement. “Guess what?” Rainbow Dash groaned internally; it must be one of Rarity’s stuck-up Canterlot friends coming to visit, or worse, some fashion show full of them.
Snotty Canterlot ponies.
Rainbow Dash tried to force an ever wider grin onto her face, pretending to be excited in whatever-in-Celestia’s-name had happened to Rarity.
“What is it, Rarity?”
Rarity let out another excited squeal, before gushing out, “Soarin wants me to be his partner for the Annual Grand Galloping Gala this year!”
“What?”
*****
“So he gave two tickets to both me and Twilight, and then he asked me, me, to go to the Grand Galloping Gala with him!” Rarity giggled out dizzily. She looked as if she might faint any moment, be it from the excitement or the fact that she was using all of her energy to bounce around the ward in a very un-ladylike manner. “Talk about being like Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash grumbled under her breath.
“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Rainbow Dash muttered in annoyance, trying to hide her disappointment. “Isn’t the Princess supposed to be the one who gives us our tickets annually though?”
“Well, of course, but Soarin had the extra tickets with him. Plus, it was more romantic that he was the one to offer me the tickets, not the Princess.” Rarity shot back defensively at once. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes; it was obvious that Soarin was flaunting what he had.
“Why, are you jealous?” Rarity teased, winking at Rainbow Dash suggestively.
Rainbow Dash snorted and let out a small growl of frustration while trying to hide the blush that was tinting her cheeks, “Of course not! Why should I get jealous over that idiot?”
Rarity shot Rainbow Dash a small smirk. “Of course not,” she echoed sarcastically, putting emphasis on the ‘course’. Rainbow Dash groaned as she buried her face into the pillow she was holding. Knowing Rarity, she’d never hear the end of this.