Rainbow Dash stretched her wings. "Sky's clear." She told Spitfire, smiling.
Spitfire looked back at her. "Good." She said, cracking her neck.
The duo were prepared to have a playful race to get their minds off things. Rainbow hunched over, sticking her plot into the air, and spreading her wings out. She looked over at Spitfire, who was doing the same thing.
"On the count of three." Rainbow announced.
"Three." Rainbow looked forward and oversaw the short course.
"Two." Spitfire stretched her wings quickly and go back into position.
"One." Secret and Twilight walked over to see what they were doing.
"GO!" Rainbow and Spitfire took off faster than one could blink. The race was on.
Intro
Rainbow rounded the first corner, neck to neck with Spitfire. The duo continued to move at the same pace, neither one gaining the lead or falling behind. Evenly matched, the two kept pushing themselves harder. Rainbow felt as if time sat still, she always felt a moment of relaxation and rush tied into one while in the air. Spitfire was determined slowly on winning, and this pushed her to go as hard as Rainbow.
Secret watched as Secret listened in on her commentating. "It looks like Rainbow's pulli- Nope, they're tied again." Twilight told him. "They're moving onto their second lap."
Secret smiled. Even though he could not see, he could imagine the race in his head. It was all he could do.
When the pegasi were nearing their third lap, Rainbow had begun to take the lead. She started to pull ahead of Spitfire. Spitfire pushed as hard as she could, but she did not gain.
As soon as the tip of Rainbow's tail passed Spitfire, something appeared.
"What is that?" Twilight asked, stopping her commentary of the race. Secret looked up, confused.
The object gained speed and headed right towards Rainbow. Twilight realized what it was.
"Rainbow, look out!" She shouted. Rainbow's eyes widened as she turned to see, but it was too late. The flyer hit Rainbow hard in the side and threw her to the ground. Spitfire stopped in the air and turned back to Rainbow, while Secret hopped up and made his way to the sound. Rainbow grabbed the flyer's head as it tried to bite her. It's bloody teeth snapping back and forth at her face. Spitfire and Secret both pulled out their guns and took a shot at the flyer. The bullet from Spitfire's hoofgun sunk into it's back while Secret's shotgun blast destroyed it's flank.
Rainbow pulled out her hoofgun. She forced the barrel against the flyer's chin and fired her whole clip into it's cranium. The flyer finally fell, and Rainbow fell back, sighing.
Spitfire landed beside Rainbow and held out her hoof. Twilight rushed over. Rainbow reached up to take it. Spitfire slowly pulled Rainbow up, and Rainbow gasped in pain as she was dragged to her hooves.
"Are you okay?' Spitfire asked Rainbow, tilting her head.
Rainbow shook her head and slowly stretched out a wing. It was crooked in all sorts of ways, and some of her feathers were torn. Rainbow clenched her teeth in pain.
"Did you break your wing?" Spitfire asked.
Secret went over to her and put his hoof out, feeling for the wing. As soon as he felt it in his grasp, Rainbow gasped in pain once more. "It's broken." Secret said, backing up.
"Let's get you back to Zecora." Twilight said. "She will help you."
Secret took Rainbow by her broken wing and helped her to Zecora's tent.
Zecora stepped out of the tent. Secret, Twilight, and Spitfire were waiting outside. Zecora went from one's gaze to the other, then focused back on Twilight.
"I'm sorry to say, I tried all I can, but it is a terrible possibility that she may never fly again." The rhyming zebra told her.
Twilight and Spitfire both stood in shock, while Secret ducked his head.
"If you have nowhere else to be, you may go in and see." Zecora stepped to the side and held out a hoof to invite the ponies in.
Twilight went in, and Spitfire followed close behind. Secret denied the request, and trotted away.
Rainbow was lying in a bed, staring at the ceiling. Her eyes were tainted with tears. The broken wing was wrapped with make-do bandage wraps. Twilight looked at Rainbow and frowned. "Don't go hard on yourself." She told her pegasus friend. Rainbow took no response. "It will heal. I know it."
Spitfire stepped up. "You can't give up hope yet." She told her. "You're one of the best flyers in Equestria. You need to wait for your wing to heal and go back out there and continue flying. You're too strong to be permanently grounded."
Rainbow moved her head and looked at both of them. "Did I win?" She asked softly, smirking.
Spitfire smirked and Twilight facehoofed. "Of course you did, Rainbow. You won this round."
Rainbow smirked and relaxed, wiping tears from her face. The two turned and trotted out, both sharing their "Get well soon!" goodbyes. As soon as they left, Secret slipped in.
"Greetings, Rainbow." Secret said, trotting over to her bed.
Rainbow looked back at the stallion. "Hey, Secret." She said. Secret handed her a book. "I found this back at Sweet Apple Acres. Thought you might like it."
Rainbow looked down at the book. She could not believe her eyes. It was her favorite book, Daring Do.Rainbow smiled wide, and through her hooves around Secret's neck. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She repeated. She dropped the hug and quickly got to work on reading the book.
Secret smiled. "No problem. Get well soon." He said before heading out.