It grew colder outside as fall raged on. It had been a week since Rainbow Dash’s accident. Since then Twilight accepted the fact that she’s sharing a bed with Rainbow Dash every night. If it wasn’t the autumn storms it was something else that would bring the frightened mare into her room. More often than not it was nightmares. Rainbow would never talk about what was in the nightmares, usually she’d just fall right back to sleep and whenever Twilight would ask about them she’d just ignore it.
They had now put the foal locks on the doors; with Rainbow Dash’s height it was not a problem to reach doorknobs. It took the day she wondered down into her laboratory that Twilight Sparkle decided to put the locks on not only that door, but on all of them. It took Spike a few times of getting locked out of the bathroom for him to figure the locks out.
Twilight also swapped out some of her dishware to plastic dishes after more than one plate ended up shattered on the floor. Overall, Twilight found herself adapting more to Rainbow Dash’s needs and was more or less content. Today however, was the day Twilight Sparkle dreaded.
It was a windy and gloomy day outside and Rainbow Dash looked impatiently out the window of the library. She bounced on her hooves, unable to keep still for very long. Twilight looked up from a book she was reading.
“She’ll be here soon.” Twilight said and turned back to her book.
“She need ta be here now!” Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof anxiously and Twilight rolled her eyes. There was a knock at the door and Rainbow Dash rushed to it. “She here! She here!” Rainbow Dash announced.
“Yes I know.” Twilight used her magic to unlock the foal lock on the front door and opened it to reveal Fluttershy standing there bundled up from the chilly day. “Hi Fluttershy.” Twilight smiled and let the mare in.
Rainbow Dash was all over the visitor, showing her a picture she drew the other day (that she then begged Twilight to put on the refrigerator), talking a million miles a minute about a game she made up yesterday, and bouncing around like a hyperactive filly.
“Thanks for making it Fluttershy.” Twilight smiled, looking relieved her friend had made it.
“It’s not a problem. I’m glad I can come.” Fluttershy smiled, still making sure she paid attention to Rainbow Dash.
“Well, her appointment is in a few minutes. So we should be heading out soon.” Twilight informed, looking back at the clock on the wall.
“Where we goin’ Mommy?” Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight.
“On an adventure.” Twilight explained, not wanting to tell Rainbow Dash where they were really going. It was known to almost every pony in Ponyville that Rainbow Dash hated doctors. She hated dentists, doctors and psychiatrists and most of them hated her too, since she had stormed out of so many appointments. Ever since the accident Rainbow Dash was afraid of hospitals as well.
That’s why Twilight asked Fluttershy to come with her. If there was any pony who could calm Rainbow Dash down it would have to be Fluttershy. Besides, today was the day when they found out if Rainbow Dash’s wings were healed enough for her to fly again. It was a matter that weighed heavily on the alicorn's mind. Taking away something that defined the pegasus would be cruel; however dealing with a Rainbow Dash who could fly was a scary thought.
“Shall we get going? We don’t want to be late.” Fluttershy pulled Twilight out of her silent rant.
“Oh yes.” Twilight opened a closet and pulled out two scarves and hats. She wrapped one around Rainbow Dash and one around herself and secured the hats in place. She picked up her saddlebags and soon they were out the door in the blustery day.
“How has everything been going? Spike has told me about the locks on the doors.” Fluttershy asked as they began walking. Twilight made sure that Rainbow Dash stayed with them as they crossed Ponyville.
“We’re adjusting. Funny thing is, did you know she’s afraid of storms? And she sleeps with me every night because of nightmares but when I ask her about them she doesn’t tell me what they’re about.” Twilight explained and she saw Fluttershy’s face grow pale.
“Well, I…uh…I…” Fluttershy stammered nervously, looking to Rainbow Dash who was busy fighting the wind and not listening to them. Twilight raised an eyebrow; Fluttershy was terrible at lying almost as bad as Applejack.
“Is there something you’re not telling me Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy sighed.
“I’m sorry, she told me never to tell anypony.” Fluttershy’s eyes darted to look at anything but the purple alicorn beside her.
“Told them what?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy bit her lip. “What are you not telling me?” Fluttershy looked to Rainbow Dash with an apologetic look.
“Rainbow doesn’t like to dwell in the past.” Fluttershy explained.
“So it relates to her time in Cloudsdale?” Twilight inferred. Fluttershy nodded, hoping that would be enough. Twilight, being the ever-curious pony she was, wanted to poke further until she saw the timid mare tense up.
“Life in Cloudsdale wasn’t easy.” Fluttershy didn’t make eye contact with her friend. “Both of us would rather forget it.” She kept walking and Twilight didn’t press the issue further. Knowing full well that some ponies don’t like to talk about the past. Fluttershy walked up next to Rainbow Dash as the hospital grew nearer. Twilight hung behind them; ashamed for pressing the issue Fluttershy was obviously uncomfortable with but still curious all the same.
Rainbow Dash was fine until they walked into the doors of the hospital. There she recognized the oppressive sterile smell, the entrapping pristine white floors and walls and the suffocating bleakness.
“No!” Rainbow Dash yelled as soon as they walked in. She rushed to Twilight and pressed against her, pushing with all of her might to get them both back out of the door.
“Rainbow…” Twilight grunted against the force pushing on her. Fluttershy trotted up to the front desk.
“Uhm…Rainbow Dash is here.” Fluttershy meekly greeted to the desk staff nurse.
“I see. Well you three can take a seat and the doctor will be with you shortly.” The nurse smiled at Fluttershy, and then jotted something down on the clipboard in front of her.
“C’mon Dash, we’re going to sit down…” Twilight wrapped Rainbow Dash’s tail in her magic and dragged the reluctant pony to the benches where Fluttershy already took a seat.
Twilight noticed that as Rainbow Dash sat down on the bench she was shaking in fear, it was hard to miss as the whole bench shook. Twilight's heart twinged a bit in agony for the poor pony. “Rainbow,” Twilight got her attention and dug in her saddlebag and pulled out the old yellow blanket. “Would this help?” She asked. Rainbow Dash took it and threw it over herself and curled in a ball. Twilight had to admit she looked cute.
Fluttershy giggled a bit. “I knew she would want that.” She muttered to herself but Twilight caught it.
“Where did she get it?” Twilight asked, Fluttershy turned red and tried to hide behind her long mane.
“Oh…uh…well…I got it for her…a long time ago…” Fluttershy didn’t make eye contact with Twilight and instead turned her attention to the old magazines sitting on a coffee table to her side. Twilight was about to comment when a nurse swung open the doors leading to the examination rooms.
“Miss Rainbow Dash?” She looked up from her clipboard smiling. Twilight got up off of the bench and Fluttershy followed.
“Rainbow, we have to go back now.” Twilight tried to urge her friend off of the bench.
“No.” Came the small reply from under the blanket. Twilight rolled her eyes.
“Yes, now come on.” Twilight, instead of taking the mare’s tail in her magic, took the blanket instead and started walking with it.
This in turn caused the prismatic mare to scramble to her feet to chase after her most prized possession. The nurse led them to one of the examination rooms and urged Twilight and Fluttershy to sit on the bench near the window. Twilight gave the blanket back to Rainbow as the nurse pulled out her stethoscope.
The sight of the cold metal tentacle was almost too much for Rainbow Dash and she pressed up against Twilight trying to bat the instrument away. Twilight rolled her eyes. “It won’t hurt you.” Twilight tried to reason.
“No!” Rainbow hissed.
“Dashie let the nurse hear your heart.” Fluttershy got up and nuzzled her friend. Rainbow Dash only hid her face deeper into Twilight’s fur. A light bulb went off in Twilight’s head.
“Here.” Twilight unlatched herself from Rainbow Dash and got up and urged the nurse to press the stethoscope to her own chest. The nurse, then pressed the stethoscope to Twilight’s chest. “See, nothing.” Twilight smiled. Rainbow tilted her head and shared the smile.
“My turn!” Rainbow Dash clapped her hooves together as the nurse smiled and pressed the stethoscope to Rainbow Dash’s chest. The rest of the physical check up went the same way. Rainbow wouldn’t let the nurse touch her with anything until she did it to Twilight first. Everything the nurse did was documented on her clipboard and Fluttershy grew more and more impatient with each quill stroke.
“How is she nurse?” Fluttershy asked as the nurse put away the last of the instruments.
“As far as her physical state, she’s as healthy as ever. All of her bones seemed to have healed beautifully. She’s in peak physical condition I’d say.” The nurse took the clipboard and walked toward the door. “Doctor Stable will be with you shortly.” She curtly left the room.
Fluttershy sighed and picked up an old fashion magazine. She flipped through it absentmindedly. Her fears started to take hold as she imagined the possibilities of what Rainbow Dash would be capable of if she had her wings.
Twilight’s train of thought was not too far away. She watched as Rainbow Dash inspected the blood pressure cuff hanging on the wall. Peak physical condition meant the same strong and agile Rainbow Dash as before, the thought of that combined with the brain damage sent shivers down Twilight Sparkle’s spine.
The door opened and in walked Doctor Stable. He had a clipboard with him and the same stoic look on his face. “Welcome back.” He stated in his dry voice. Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up at the sound of the monotone and she went into full panic-mode.
“No!” She screamed and hid herself behind Twilight, with the blanket draped over her back in a protective fashion. “No!” She whimpered. Fluttershy got off the bench and nudged at Rainbow Dash.
“He’s not going to hurt you Dashie.” She cooed in her soothing tone. Rainbow Dash only kept shivering and hiding behind Twilight, nearly inconsolable.
“Hello Doctor.” Twilight greeted, the memory of what happened at Rainbow Dash’s discharge flashed through her mind.
“So today we see if the bandages can come off.” He set the clipboard on the table and walked towards the cowering pegasus. Rainbow Dash pressed up against Twilight’s back and only shook harder, trying to hide under the blanket.
“It’s ok Dashie,” Twilight nuzzled Rainbow to get her to calm down. “Mommy’s here.” Rainbow Dash stopped shaking long enough for the doctor to come around and place a hoof on her side. Fluttershy watched this carefully as the doctor poked around at the wing that was taped to Rainbow Dash’s side and saw no obvious signs of pain. He then started unwrapping the bandages. Once they were off he carefully slid a hoof under one and stretched it out.
Rainbow Dash snapped her head to look at the unfurled appendages. “Wings?” She asked, suddenly overjoyed at the discovery. “Mommy! I have wings!” Her face lit up and she started bouncing on her hooves in excitement, looking at Twilight with an exuberant glee.
“Yes. Calm down.” Twilight urged, biting her lip in fear that she would hurt herself again.
“Miss Dash, can you please flap your wings?” The doctor asked. Rainbow Dash didn’t respond to him, too excited that she even has wings to begin with.
“Dashie, flap your wings.” Twilight instructed. Rainbow Dash looked to her newfound wings and clumsily waved them around. She giggled and bounced more on her hooves. Fluttershy had to stiffen a giggle, for a flittering moment she saw the filly she knew as a child that was always so ready to take to the sky. Fluttershy looked to Twilight, she noticed the alicorn’s demeanor had changed; she was smiling.
“Well, it looks as if Miss Dash has made a full physical recovery.” He surmised, going back to his clipboard to scribble a few things down. “Now, Miss Sparkle if I may have a word with you.” He motioned for her to follow him as he left the room.
Twilight’s smile faded and hesitated at first but got up to follow. “Mommy!” Rainbow Dash yelled, scrambling after Twilight.
“Mommy will be right back.” Twilight said and closed the door behind her. “Yes Doctor?” She felt the nerves rise in her stomach as the bad taste entered her mouth once more.
“I just wanted to see how her mental state is doing.” He asked her, looking at his notes. “Has there been any progress in reverting her mind back?”
“No.” Twilight stated, looking at her hooves. “But we’re working on it!” She quickly added. “Please, you can’t take Rainbow Dash away.” Her ears fell flat as she begged, her paranoia kicking in as she saw in her mind ponies in white lab coats dragging Rainbow Dash away from her.
“No I cannot.” He stated dryly.
“What?” Twilight was dumbfounded, not expecting that kind of response.
“No, it seems she is too attached to you, if I or anypony else were to take her away from you it would only be detrimental to her recovery.” He looked at Twilight dead in the eyes. “Her well being is in your hooves.” He turned and trotted away, leaving Twilight standing completely baffled in the hallway.