//------------------------------// // Chapter 1- Friendship Means Hardship Sometimes // Story: Well That Happened // by Sergeant Sprinkles //------------------------------// In a field not to far away from Ponyville... Rainbow Dash tore freely through the air, streaking one way then the next. She was practicing the routine that would surely get her into the Wonderbolts one day soon. She landed in the middle of the field huffing a little with sweat pouring out of her pores and staining the ground. She thought to herself, 'Man, cloud busting must have really taken it out of me today. I've only practicing for about twenty minutes.' She looked around for some shade to rest in, and her gaze landed on an oak tree that looked well suited for her needs. Rainbow Dash gently lifted of the ground and she tiredly made her way to the oak tree. She landed on one of the largest branches the tree had and stretched herself out. She lazily sprawled out on the branch, and soon her eyelids began to fall. "A quick nap couldn't hurt.", Dash mumbled into her hoof as she yawned. She couldn't help herself, the day was perfect for napping. The sun's rays were warm and inviting, the breeze gently blew through the trees, and this tree was just sooo comfortable. Dash enjoyed the feeling of time, as well as her consciousness, slipping away, and the sensation of her muscles relaxing, sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. Nothing could ruin this perfect nap that she was speeding towards. "Oh Rainbow Daaaash? Where are yoooouuuu?", a voice rang out from the other side of the field. Rainbow's eyes shot open and she instantly spotted who she knew the voice belonged to. 'Oh no. Not Pinkie Pie.', Dash thought to herself bitterly. Pinkie Pie happily bounced through the field that Dash regularly practiced in, in search of her rainbow maned friend. Rainbow Dash silently hoped that if she stayed motionless, Pinkie Pie wouldn't find her, and she would eventually leave. Dash closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, pink and baby blue was all she could see. "Hiya Dashie!", Pinkie Pie blurted happily in Rainbow Dash's face, which caused her to shriek and fall out of the tree. Pinkie Pie peered over the edge of the branch and asked with a cringed smile, "Ouchies, did that hurt?", she asked as her cringe deepened, "Cause it looked like it did." Dash, slightly dazed and very angry, rolled over and righted herself on the ground. She shakily stood and began stretching out her body, which was now racked with pain, and as she began stretching her wings out she noted the pain in her left wing was a little more severe than everything else, so she gave it a few test flaps. 'POP!', was the sickening sound that erupted from her wing's base joint. "Ow!", Dash said as she teared up from the pain, "PINKIE PIE! You made me hurt my wing!", she angrily shouted up at the pink party mare, while reeling back from the new sickening pain in her wing. "Ohmygosh! I'm so so sorry Dashie!", Pinkie shouted down as she jumped from the tree. She landed on the ground with a soft thud, and attempted to hug her friend, hoping to make her feel better, but instead Rainbow Dash backed away with a scowl on her face. Pinkie Pie shrank back into a defensive stance from the intensity of the glare that Rainbow Dash was shooting at her. She had only wanted to hang out with her friend so they could play and be happy together, but now Rainbow Dash was hurt and angry, and she wasn't having any fun at all. "I'm sorry Dashie. I only...", Pinkie Pie quietly began. Dash held up her hoof stopping her friend from continuing, "Save it." "But... I only wanted us to have fun together and...", Pinkie asserted before being cut off by Dash again. "I don't want to hear it Pinkie Pie! Just go away!", Dash's glare hardened, "And... leave... me... alone!", Dash shouted in Pinkie's face, while snorting hot air to prove just how angry she was. Pinkie's mane deflated a little as she hung her head, "O... okay Dashie. I'll... I'll leave." Pinkie Pie turned and started walking away from Rainbow Dash, and upon seeing this a little angelic version of herself appeared on Dash's shoulder, 'Look at how sad you've made her. You have to apologize.' Suddenly a devilish Dash appeared on her other shoulder and Dash turned towards her as soon as she started talking, "Apologize? Apologize for what? It's that crazy mare's fault that you got hurt in the first place! I honestly don't know why you hang out with somepony as dangerous as her!" "She is your friend, and she has already apologized. It's not like she wanted to hurt you Rainbow Dash. You should really consider things from her point of view.", the angelic Dash retorted while she shook her hoof authoritatively. "Her point of view? If she had things her way it would rain chocolate milk and hail jawbreakers from the sky. She's crazy and she's always chasing you, or rather hunting you.", devilish Dash stated. "But every time she had good intensions. Let me ask you something Dash, could you imagine your life without Pinkie Pie? Just how bland and unawesome it would be? You need to apologize." And with that the two mini-versions of herself disappeared with a poof. Dash carefully considered what they had said, and also the fact that she may have a concussion from the fall, cause why else would she be seeing mini-Dashes, and quickly determined what would be the best thing for her to do. "Pinkie Pie.", Dash said quietly. Pinkie's ears perked up when she heard her name, and turned around with her eyes filled with hope, "Yes Dashie?" "Pinkie Pie, you are single handedly the loudest, zaniest, and most annoying pony I know.", Dash said with a frown. Pinkie's ears folded back to her head and her mane completely deflated, and she turned back around to run away, so Dash wouldn't see the tears streaming down her face. "And that's why I like you.", Dash said with some cheerfulness in her voice and her frown turned upwards slightly. Pinkie turned around once more with fresh tear trails on her cheeks and asked, "Really?", she took a few steps back towards Dash, "Do you really mean that Dashie?", she asked earnestly. "Of course Pinkie Pie! You're one of my bestest friends!", Dash exasperated, "Look, what I'm trying to say is... I'm sorry for yelling at you. That was only because of the pain in my wing.", she said as she motioned to her wing, "Can you forgive me?", Dash asked with an unsure smile. Pinkie's mane exploded back to its normal poofiness, and she charged at Rainbow Dash. Dash took a step back, not knowing what to do, and Pinkie Pie enveloped her friend in a spine cracking hug. "Of course I forgive you Dashie.", Pinkie whispered as she nuzzled her friend. With her wing caught under Pinkie's iron grip, Dash gasped out in pain, "Pinkie... please... my wing.", she reminded her overjoyed friend. Pinkie Pie immediately released her and backed away with a sheepish smile on her face, "Oops! Sorry!" Dash rubbed her aching wing and hissed, "Itsss okay. Jussst pleassse don't do it again.", Dash took notice to the frown that was forming on Pinkie's face and continued, "At least not until my wing heals.", which made Pinkie's smile return in full force. "So are we going to go to the hospital?", Pinkie asked in a cheerful tone. "What, so they can put me in a wing sling for who knows how long?", Dash furiously shook her head, "No thanks. I was thinking that maybe ol' Egghead could help me out." "Okie dokie lokie!", Pinkie chirped. The two friends began walking back towards Ponyville. Well Rainbow Dash was walking and occasionally cringing from the pulsating pain in her wing every once in a while. Pinkie Pie however was happily bouncing beside her friend while humming a tuneless song. Soon she began vocalizing her song and Rainbow had had enough. Her head was pounding now and Pinkie Pie's la la la's weren't helping. "Pinkie Pie could you please stop singing? I think my head might explode.", Rainbow Dash pleaded. "Sure Dashie.", Pinkie obliged and she stopped singing but continued to hum her tune. Some time later the two friends entered Ponyville and they began to head straight for the library, that doubled as the home for their friend Twilight Sparkle. As they made their way through the busy marketplace, Pinkie Pie zipped back and forth quickly from pony to pony bringing smiles to every pony around as she greeted each and every one of her friends. Rainbow Dash smiled as she watched her friend go from juggling, to brighten up a crying filly's day, to telling jokes to a group of stallions, that looked rather angry about something. All the while her smile never faltered, and if the tasks were tiring, she never let it show. 'She sure does know how to make others smile.', Dash warmly thought as another pulse of pain shot up from her wing. Soon the library was within sight, and Dash quickened her pace. As she approached the door however she saw a little slip of paper gently flapping about in the breeze. She approached the door and took hold of the note. To whom it may concern, Princess Celestia has unfortunately requested my presence immediately in Canterlot. I apologize if this may be an inconvenience to you. Have a good day, and please leave any book returns in my mailbox. Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle