Chapter XIV
Things changed between the two friends. They’d always been the inseparable, but now they started appearing in public without one another. Dash ceased constantly covering for Fluttershy on the Airball field, letting the yellow Pegasi get pegged more often. Fluttershy eased up on tutoring Rainbow Dash, letting the pony’s grades to drop. The suspicion around the pair persisted but it was their attitude, rather than their denials, that stemmed the flow. It was a shame really; they had to stop being friends to ease the accusations.
Their private life was another matter entirely. In their room the pair were closer than ever, talking and sharing their feelings. Fluttershy also joined Dash for more nighttime flying. Their friendship shifted from one of childhood bliss to lifetime companionship.
Dash started fighting again though. The badgering had stopped, but the air surrounding her hadn’t. Her hygiene took a nosedive as she frequently skipped showers and even meals. Rumors began to circulate that Dash was experimenting with new, black market stimulants, or practicing some dangerous move forbidden at the school.
In reality, only Fluttershy knew the heartbreaking truth. Dash was spending every spare moment she had with her mother. Firefly seemed to be in and out of the hospital every other day now, fighting her cancer with everything she had. It wasn’t enough. Dash was using all her free time, including showers, to either fly back home or into Cloudsdale. She was becoming a more proficient flyer, stronger and faster, but it was taking its toll on the young filly.
She was falling asleep in classes, which didn’t help her already dismal grades. More frequently Fluttershy was awakened to the sound of her best friend having a nightmare, screaming in bed or crying in her sleep; sometime both. There wasn’t much she could do except climb into her friend’s bed and hum “Hush Now, Quiet Now” until they both drifted back into the restless grip of unconsciousness.
Fluttershy did her own share of crying. The other ponies weren’t picking on her; it was worse than that. She’d gone back to being invisible. When she wasn’t with Rainbow Dash she wasn't any pony worth noticing. When she joined her friend, she put them both at risk. Three days ago during Airball practice Rainbow Dash intercepted a particularly nasty speedball that headed Fluttershy’s direction. She’d nailed it, but crashed into the ground, inspiring jeers from their teammates. Hoops, in a particularly lazy moment, kicked a ball at Fluttershy. It hit her in the face, causing a lovely black eye. Dash saw the whole thing and went after Hoops like a banshee. Coach stopped her before she had a chance, sending both Dash and Fluttershy inside.
The pair sullenly stewed in the nurse’s office, one with a bruised eye, the other with a bruised ego, neither saying a word. Perhaps if they had been a little older, or more experienced, they could have felt it approaching. If they did perchance feel it, they may have just chalked it up to the taste of late spring. As it was, they didn’t recognize the electric charge in the air for what it really was. There was a storm coming.
*****
“Ugh.” Rainbow Dash smacked her head against her desk again. “Midterms SUCK!”
“It’s not so bad.” Fluttershy rolled the pencil in her mouth, wincing. Her black eye was still tender.
“Yes it is. When am I ever going to use pre-Equestrian History? It’s not like I plan on becoming Commander Hurricane.”
“Oh thank goodness.” Fluttershy giggled. But her heart wasn’t in it.
The pair sat in the vacated homeroom, studying over their lunch period. Cramming for a test was more of Dash’s style than Fluttershy’s, but the yellow filly had found even her own grades to be lax the past few weeks. She was working to maintain her GPA; Dash was struggling just to stay in school.
They weren’t so interested in books, however. The gorgeous spring air was perfect for flying, with sweet, exotic updrafts coming from the Everfree Forest. Other Pegasi romped and raced around the yard outside, while the two friends sat cloistered in their school.
“I’m sick of this.” Dash headed for the door. “Let’s get some air.”
“But… midterms…” Fluttershy started.
“Relax, will ya? We’ll be back in, like, ten seconds flat.”
The pair enjoyed the remainder of the lunch break, strolling in the sunny air. Pegasi schools had an elongated lunch period to compensate for higher caloric intake. Most of the students learned to eat faster so that they could play longer. Routine had turned into tradition after a while.
Dash walked out first, the glare in her eyes blinding her to the crowds. There were more students on the Airball field than usual this afternoon. As soon as the rainbow pony stepped through the door, all heads turned her direction.
Still blinking back the sun, Dash turned to her left. “I’m going to get some water. I’ll catch up.”
“Alright.” Fluttershy stood alone.
Her choice was simple: continue standing there and look like an idiot, or find something to do and possibly avert some of the gazes in her direction. She chose the later, but it wasn’t easy. Fluttershy wasn’t good at sports, especially with a teacher not around to make sure the other students didn’t gang up on her. She was an incredibly weak flyer, so mock dog fighting was out. Instead she focused on a leaf blowing across her path. It was stupid, but it would occupy her time. Almost happily she began to follow the leaf.
Fluttershy tripped. It wasn’t much, but it was the sign of weakness that predators searched for. They were on her instantaneously, and not just the usual trio. Laughter rose up from her classmates, callous and spiteful. Fluttershy began to break her record streak of tearlessness for the week. Just as the shadows of despair threatened to over take her, a new shadow fell across her face.
“Hey! Leave her alone!”
“Ooh, what are you going to do about it, Pigsty?” The crowd parted as Hoops made his way forward.
“Keep making fun of her and find out!” snapped Dash.
“Dashie, don’t…” Fluttershy warned.
“Yeah, ‘Dashie’. Don’t.”
Rainbow Dash wanted to glare at Fluttershy. She’d given away Dash’s special name, the name that only her mother used. Fluttershy had gotten away with it for so long, and now she’d sullied it by throwing it to the proverbial Diamond Dogs.
Dash cocked her wings, ready to sprint right into Hoops’ face. She didn’t care if she got expelled or not, it was time to finish this punk off for good. Hoops must have seen it to, because his eyes widened behind his mane, just a little.
“Alright, hold your horses.” Coach McHard Cheese had Dash by the wings. “You two have been trying to one up each other all semester, and I’m sick of it.”
“The time for words is over, Coach!” Dash’s voice cracked as she lunged at Hoops, regardless that she was dangling in mid air.
“I don’t know what her problem is, Coach. I’m just an innocent bystander.” Hoops offered.
“Cut the manure.” Coach laughed. “You’re the biggest troublemaker in this school. You’re just enough smarter than your friends that you don’t get caught. You’ve been rattling Fluttershy’s cage since before Dash got here.”
“It’s not Klutzershy that I have a problem with.” glared Hoops.
“You just can’t stand that Rainbow Dash is a better flyer than you are.” Fluttershy offered up, finding the courage somewhere deep inside.
“Oh yeah?” he laughed, staring at Dash. “Prove it.”
“Gladly!” Dash began her wriggling anew. “Coach, let me at him!”
“Oh I will.” Coach set her down, grinning. “But you two will settle this in the ancient Pegasi custom: a sky race.”
“Bring it on.” Dash smirked. The race was as good as won.
“Gladly.” Hoops mocked Dash’s earlier comment.
In reality, the young stallion felt anything but ready to face Rainbow Dash. He’d seen her race; she was fast. But Coach was right as well. Hoops was indeed clever. If he couldn’t beat Dash outright, he’d just have to cheat. And there was always some pony he could rely on to be a klutz at just the right moment.
“We need a starter.” He glared at Fluttershy.
“Me? Oh no, I couldn’t.” Fluttershy backed away. “Coach, you do it.”
“It’s a race between you kids.” Coach chawed his tobacco. “You’re going to have to do it. I can’t be involved. Unless some pony else steps in for you.”
Fluttershy looked around. No pony spoke up, no pony stepped in. Her only friend smiled back sadly with those magenta eyes. Fluttershy was on her own. Like it or not, she’d have to have a hoof in defending herself this time. Squaring her shoulders, Fluttershy stepped forward.
“Alright.”
In reality she slunk back, her answer barely registering at a decibel ponies could hear. But Dash recognized her bravery, and tried to offer support.
“Good, it’s settled. I’ll meet you at the point in five.”
Hoops and his crew trotted off, taking most of the school body with them. Even Coach headed in his own direction. Just what was the old pony playing at? That only left Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy standing on the field all on their own.
“I can’t do this.” Fluttershy was trembling like a leaf.
“Sure you can, it’s easy. You just wave the flag.” Dash nuzzled her friend in a rare moment of public affection.
“What if I mess up? Every pony will be staring at me.” Fluttershy commended herself for not crying. Almost.
“Fluttershy.” Dash lifted her chin, drawing the older filly to meet her gaze. “It’ll be fine. Trust me.”
“Aren’t you scared?” Fluttershy admired her friend’s courage. She could never be that brave.
“Of Hoops? Nah. I could beat him with one wing tied behind my back.” Dash brushed it off. “Come on, it’s time to go.”
The setup was simple. Fluttershy stood on the point with the flag in her mouth. Of course it was the finish flag, but they were on a budget. Hoops and Rainbow Dash lined up, ready to annihilate one another. Most of the school had emerged to watch. Races were strictly off limits, especially grudge matches. Any pony caught would be suspended for a week.
That hadn’t stopped most of the teacher from joining in with the spectators. It was said that the Pegasi invented racing. All ponies could run, but only Pegasi could fly. Which Dash always thought was a stupid saying, but she understood the sentiment.
“See you at the finish line.” Barked Dash.
“I don’t think do, Rainbow Crash.”
The wind stilled to almost nothing as the two Pegasi prepared to duel. Dash pawed the ground, as if that would help. Her insides tightened up, like a ball of energy preparing to be unwound. Fluttershy raised her flag high, visibly shaking with nerves. Hoops grinned. Fluttershy dropped the flag. And Rainbow Dash was gone.
Hoops blinked. He’d forgotten just how astonishingly fast Dash was. She very simply just vanished. But he was fast too. His wings thrummed into overdrive, his extra muscle mass making up for Dash’s pure speed. He could run her down if he had to. But fortunately he had a surprise.
As he passed the point, he lightly brushed Fluttershy’s nose with his wingtip before returning to Dash’s trail. Fluttershy wiggled her nose, unsure what had just happened. Hoops was hot on Dash’s heels when he heard a sneeze from above. Up top, Fluttershy had disappeared, just like the two racers.
“Huh. I guess she wanted in on the race after all.” One of the ponies observed.
Fluttershy had not wanted in on it, however. What had really happened when she sneezed was worse. Shed stepped back, missed, and fallen off the point. Currently she was upside down and tumbling rapidly to the earth, still too busy choking out little sneezes to see straight.
As Dash completed her second barrel roll, turning into the long straight away to the south of the school, Fluttershy stopped sneezing long enough to notice she was falling. Then the screaming began. Unfortunately for her she was already too far away from the school for any pony to hear her. She whizzed down past Dash and Hoops on their third lap.
“Wasn’t that your friend?” Hoops laughed, using the moment to pass a shocked Rainbow Dash and take the lead.
“Fluttershy?” Dash still couldn’t believe her ears as the rapidly descending pony fell from sight. “Fluttershy!” Dash took a nosedive, her wings pumping to air, begging for more speed. Tears began to sting her eyes. Where were her goggles? “Fluttershy, open your wings!”
Where was she? Dash was certain she’d fallen through this particular cloud. She couldn’t see, but the ground would be very close by the time she broke through the cloudbank. And she was right. At just over a thousand feet the ground was much closer than Dash had ever seen it on her own. The Equestrian Mountains already loomed overhead, with the Everfree Forest looking anything but inviting, especially at her current rate of decent. But where was--
There! Fluttershy was a few degrees starboard, flapping for everything she was worth. It wasn’t much. She would have made better progress if she’d simply tried to glide down. Her legs kicked as if she could run out of her current situation. And she was still a few hundred feet below Dash. It was sad, really. They were both about to die and Dash wouldn’t have the chance to tell Fluttershy how funny she looked.
Dash stopped flapping and concentrated on angling her dive. She might make it, but it was going to be close. She’d never tried to bank speeds this high. She wasn't sure what would happen.
Five hundred feet. Strange thoughts filled her mind. She wished she’d studied more for her midterms. She wondered what the holes in Swiss cheese tasted like. But mostly she thought of her mother. Dash wished she’d had one last chance to say good bye, rather than the sullen ‘bye, mom’ she’d curtly offered at their last parting.
Trees were whizzing past now. Something inside Dash’s wing pulled loose, and she hoped it wasn’t broken. Absently she realized that she actually had used her Equestrian Equations to complete her bank, and wished that her physical performance could be counted on the exam. But then she didn’t have time to think anything as she became very acquainted with a fluffy yellow blob, then the ground and then nothingness.
“Dashie?”
Her mother was trying to wake her again. She’d been late for school three times this week, and she couldn’t do it again. But that didn’t matter. All she wanted to do was sleep.
“Dashie!”
“Not now, Mom. Give me five more minutes.”
Why did Dash’s body hurt so badly? She hadn’t thought that a street game of Airball could be so rough. Her right wing hurt really bad too. Maybe her family was right and it was time to stop acting like such a tomboy? But then who would kick all the boys’ flanks?
“Rainbow Dash!”
Wait a moment, that wasn’t Firefly’s voice. What was going on here? Dash sat up panting, suddenly very afraid. She was someplace dark, with strange noises and even stranger smells. The air didn’t have that manufactured sent from the Weather Factory. Rather, this smelled wild and untamed. There was also a chill that accompanied the evening, even with the late spring.
Wait, evening? Dash took a closer look at her surroundings, taking them in. Tree branches were snapped at an angle that lined up perfectly with the crater she found herself in. There was a distinctive lack of dust in the air however, or falling limbs that indicated she’d just crashed. The sun, far too low in the sky for noontime, also clued her into the passage of time. Finally she settled on a yellow Pegasi hiding behind her pink mane.
“Fluttershy?” Dash choked, her voice horse.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash! I’m so glad you are awake!” Fluttershy hugged her, causing her to wince.
“How long was I out?”
“A few hours. I was very worried. I took care of you.”
“What happened?” Dash tried to gather her feet under her. They were terribly shaky.
“You caught me just before I crashed. Well, you crashed. We both crashed. But you saved my life!” Fluttershy was as bouncy as a foal, glad to not be alone any more.
“Okay, calm down. I’ll have us out of here in a jiffy.”
Dash spread her wings. That ended up being a mistake as she bit her lip to stop from screaming, her knees gong weak.
“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy rushed to her side.
“My wing.” Dash gasped.
“Oh my, let me have a look.” Fluttershy gingerly pulled at the appendage, prodding it and listening to Dash’s reactions. “I don’t think anything is broken, but I think you may have hurt a muscle very badly. Maybe even torn something.”
“In other words.” Dash looked around. “We’re stuck here and going nowhere fast.”
“Yes.” The single word sounded far braver than Fluttershy felt. She was still quaking, but at least she hadn’t broken down in terror. Yet.
“Where are we, anyways?”
“The Everfree Forest.”