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Chapter 6 - Loyalty
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Rainbow Dash was petrified from her fear for six hours straight, after her two hour medicated nap. She was breathing hard and staring straight at the window leading outside but not at anything particular. Even as Doctor Metal Heart shined a small flashlight he had in his mouth into her eyes, checking for a response he wasn't very happy with what he saw.
“This is vat I was afraid of.” The doctor murmured to himself. “I am no exfert on psychology but vrom vat I can see, your vriend has withdrawn into her shell even vore now.” He continued to talk to himself, trying to help in figuring this out.
“This is more serious than I first thought it was...” Twilight said worriedly, thinking aloud. “She looks like an empty shell…” Rarity came back a few hours later after Fluttershy’s call for help, the doctor making his second visit at the moment to follow up on her.
“I um...” Fluttershy said, trying to speak up. “I found out a little on what happened to her.” Twilight and Rarity looked to her although the good doctor continued to murmur lowly, as if in his own little world. Fluttershy explained what Rainbow Dash told her when they were alone, before her sanity went out again. When she was done, Twilight and Rarity looked at each other, Rarity with a squeamish look to her face. Rainbow Dash had her eyes closed but an occasional shiver would pass through her
“I would never ever do something so vile to Rainbow Dash!” Rarity said, shaking her head as if to rid the idea. “That… that is not right one bit.”
“I wouldn't either but... why would dreams such as this affect her this much? This is Rainbow Dash we're talking about...” Twilight said, more confused than ever. “Still... we should let her rest if she can...” She added, casting a worried look to her sick friend.
“Vine skills wouldn't have caused vomething vike tis I know...” Metal Heart said aloud all of a sudden, causing the other three girls to jump a little, Fluttershy letting out a cute meep in surprise. His voice showed a lack of caring for his patient. “I vould also suvest that she rest as vell. Now vat is done I'll vend a letter revarding vy bill by airmail in a couple of vays. Please let her know vis when vhe snaps vout of her trance eventually.” He said with a light bow and was out of the room rather fast.
“He sure was helpful for a doctor...” Rarity said to herself with a huff.
“He did what he could do, so we should too. I might have a book on dreams and nightmares back at the library. I'll be there if you girls need me.” Twilight said as she began to leave
“I’m going to check on Apple Bloom again. Applejack tried to say she couldn’t make it here today due to her work at the farm, but I hope I convinced her to rest for once.” Rarity said following to go see Apple Bloom, where likely her little sister was.
“You did? That must have been something to see.” Twilight said, smiling. “Still, she did need to get some rest.” Fluttershy stayed behind to keep Rainbow Dash some company, but spoke up before they left.
“Girls… how are Apple Bloom and Pinkie doing?” Fluttershy asked the two. Since hearing of Rainbow Dash’s troubles she had stayed by her side almost all the time and hasn’t had the chance to see her other two friends in a while.
“Pinkie Pie is close to a complete recovery, she’s going home tomorrow if I heard right. She can’t do anything completely crazy for a while but she’ll be back to normal soon enough.” Twilight said happily, but then turned grim. “Apple Bloom’s wound was really serious but it didn’t sever her spine. She just can’t move much until it heals. Applejack may know more than I do with her.”
“I see… well… Nightmare or not, I'll do all that I can too.” She said to the two with a nod, going over and sitting down on a nearby low stool near the wall. “I’ll be Rainbow’s moral support while you guys find a cure.” Fluttershy knew she was helpless to assist like how Twilight could, but she did have a thought that maybe her presence, or rather that of another Pegasus, could provide a little comfort for her best friend. She looked over to Rainbow Dash, who was now breathing calmly as she slept. Twilight smiled and nodded, leaving the room once more and the two alone.
A few more hours had passed. The moon now high in the sky and shining it’s light through the open window that Fluttershy opened up just before she decided to take a nap, turning the lights out. Aside from the moon, the lights from the monitors gave a pale glow as well. A light breeze occasionally made its way through the room. One of the breezes went by Rainbow Dash’s face which caused her to stir a little, shifting a little of her rainbow mane over her eyes. Slowly opening them she looked through the moon-lit darkness thorough the window and saw Fluttershy resting on the stool across to her left. She tried moving her wings again but soon realized they were still hooked onto the wire contraption that was holding them up and open. Trying to get a good look behind her she turned her head as far as it would go. Something caught her attention from the corner of her eye, just above her bed. It looked like some sort of lever above her bed about half a foot up and two feet to the left of her upper bedpost opposing the monitoring equipment. Bringing her head forward again she knew what she needed to do. She didn’t want to be a burden on her friends any longer. The only way she could do that was to just disappear forever and find a place where she could do no harm on anypony ever again. She used her front hooves to push on the end of the bedframe, to move herself up the bed a little. She got a few inches down before the sling contraption started to rattle a little. Dash stopped suddenly and looked to Fluttershy. She was still asleep. Rainbow Dash tried again as she pushed she reached out with her back left hoof, trying her best to reach the lever above her and kick the lever, hoping it would release her from her bindings. The first try she missed completely. The second attempt she missed again. With these attempts to free herself it reminded her of the books she had read a while ago of Daring Doo and her adventures. It caused a smile on her face to think of her favorite fictional figure and gave her a little more motivation for her own ‘escape’ from her tormentor. The third time Dash shoved her body back a little harder and kicked. She just grazed it. On the fourth one that hit the mark a little too hard, swinging back a little too quickly. It flipped up fast leaving a loud clang as it reached its peak. At the same moment the hooks gave way causing her wings to fall at her side a kind of chiming sound came from them as they settled. A spike of pain went across Dash’s back when they went down, but the sound of the metal wing feathers sounding hollow worried Dash greatly. Were her old, reliable wings still inside them, or were they, like in Pinkamena’s session, completely torn off and now replaced with these… imitations? She heard a startled sound in front of her. Instinctively Dash went into defensive mode. She couldn’t stand up but she made the mental command for her wings to rise up as she had always done… and they went up as if nothing ever happened. Another wave of pain followed, only a little worse than before but enough to have her lower them back down to her sides once again.
“R…Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy shouted to her, concerned. Only that her shouts sounded like hushed whispers. “What are you doing?” She rushed to her friend’s side.
“I need to get out of here.” Rainbow Dash said clearly. She grimaced as she moved to the right, aiming to get out of the bed. An IV needle slid out of her arm in addition to the wires connected to sensors on her body. “I need to… Ah!” She started to tumble out of the bed but Fluttershy caught her just before she hit the floor, her metal wings resting on her back. Fluttershy was also surprised on how light they were despite their metal appearance. The monitors began to sound an alarm, now not sensing their target’s life signs.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked as she helped Dash get more balance.
“I don’t want to hurt anypony… else.” Rainbow Dash said slowly. Dash was struggling to get the words out at this point. The pain in her back was indeed insufferable but there was only one place she could think of that could help her and be isolated from the rest of Ponyville. “I need to see Zecura… in the Everfree Forest.”
“Everfree Forest? I don’t know…” Fluttershy started to say until Dash looked at her. She looked like she was in so much agony. “You think she could really help you?”
“I think so… if anyone is the queen of strangeness it’s her. We can’t be seen either.” Rainbow Dash looked out the window. They were pretty high up in the air. “Can you fly me to the ground?” Dash asked, nodding towards the window.
“I think so. I hope you’re right.” Fluttershy said cautiously. They went over to the open window, Fluttershy assisting Rainbow Dash outside and, flapping hard, slowly lowered themselves to the ground. It was a five story hospital but they were on the second floor so it wasn’t too far of a drop. They landed on soft green grass just in front of the building. Dash let out a grunt when they landed. Fluttershy looked towards her to see Rainbow nod to her, signaling she was ok. Above the light in her room lit up and panicked voices came from there. They kept to the shadows of the trees and the sides of the mountain as they walked and glided back to Ponyville which was the only path either of them knew to reach Zecura’s Tree from that entrance of the forest.
It was still dark when they got to Ponyville. All of the other ponies in their huts and houses had their lights out except for the tree house towards the center of town. Movement could be seen inside the lit windows.
“Why is it I can’t ever find any book in this library when I need it!?” A shout was heard from inside. It was Twilight Sparkle. “Spike! Any luck!?”
“Twilight is in there I think, should we-” Fluttershy started to ask Rainbow Dash but she was interrupted.
“No, I don’t need them involved. I need to keep moving.” Dash said sternly, panting from the effort of not screaming out in pain. During the trip Rainbow Dash rode on Fluttershy’s back, both wings hanging on her sides. Her right wing hit a stone occasionally, which Fluttershy apologized for each time, but also each time they made a light clang. They were lucky to not attract any attention while they made their journey. On the way there and even now, Dash had a creeping feeling that Pinkamena was watching her from the same shadows as they hid in, but so far she hadn’t seen her appear yet. As they passed the bakery Dash made an attempt to tuck in her wings to her sides, or at least command them to. It took a minuet but they did obey though they felt weird on her since they felt slightly bigger than normal. Fluttershy stopped as Rainbow Dash did.
“I think I can walk on my own now.” Dash whispered. She buckled a little as Fluttershy backed away to give her room, letting Dash off her back. She stood tall and stretched some, looking at her wings as she folded, unfolded and full spread them. Small spikes of pain came from each movement but it wasn’t as bad as it was in the hospital. “There… that’s better.” Dash looked to her companion. “You need to get back home. I-”Dash stumbled again. Falling to her knees as her front legs gave out on her for a second. Fluttershy went to her side again and this time put her wing around Dash’s back, leaning her body directly against her wing to shift weight and help Dash stand up again, feeling the cool dull metal on her side.
“I will not leave you like this Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy said sternly, despite the other’s struggle. “You might keep rejecting any and all help but I won’t let you go into that dangerous forest alone.”
“Fluttershy…” Rainbow Dash just looked at her, wide-eyed. She rarely gets to see Fluttershy stand up like this which struck her as… cute. “You know I’m only doing this to protect you and the other girls. I don’t want to take a chance… that something like what happened to Pinkie happen to Rarity, Applejack or… you.”
Fluttershy sighed and then looked eye to eye with Rainbow Dash. “You didn’t mean to do that to Pinkie Pie. I mean… I can’t see why you would do something like that to anypony but everyone does have limits… even me at times.” Fluttershy said the last part lowly, a light blush on her face. Rainbow Dash was wondering what she was talking about. Fluttershy shook her head in an attempt to lessen her blush. “Anyways, I’m not leaving your side until we get there. You’ve helped me so much over the years I want to at least do this for you.” Her blush was lighter now but a smile came along this time. Rainbow Dash smiled too. Maybe there could be somepony she could trust, at least for now. For the first time in a long time, Rainbow Dash smiled.
“Okay.” Rainbow Dash leads the way with Fluttershy beside her. “And…I’m sorry for trying to push you away. Let’s go together.” As the duo walked through the entrance of the Everfree Forest there was a sound of rushing water somewhere close by.
“Where is that water coming from…?”Fluttershy asked lightly, looking around the area. All that could be seen was trees, vines and other shrubbery.
“I don’t know but let’s not find out?” Dash said, walking over fallen small limbs on the trail.
They continued on down the path they knew well but trying to ignore the new water sound. It got easier as the sound suddenly disappeared, the nighttime bugs slowly resuming their own song. The two stopped at the sound loss. To the right, where the sound was coming from, some vines rustled. They only watched as from their past experiences with this forest they know it could be anything. Dash saw a glimpse of dark red peer through the vines. She froze, fearing the worst. Was she really going to appear again after all this time? Whispers began coming into her head as her fear grew. She slowly backed up, Fluttershy’s wing sliding off of her. Fluttershy asked what was wrong but the only sound now to Rainbow Dash was that of her own heartbeat and the growing whispering coming from the forest.
“Hiya Dashie!”
“Hey Dashie!
“Wanna play our game?”
“I need some new cupcakes…”
“Cupcakes…”
“I’ll use you to make my…”
“CUPCAKES!”
At the last roaring, echoing shout, a figure jumped out, bigger than either of the two, red eyes bearing down at Rainbow Dash like needles of death.