//------------------------------//
// Chapter Six 
// Story: A Simple Flap of the Wings 
// by Heart Felt 
//------------------------------//

        Inside Fluttershy’s cottage it was cramped and hot. There were a few birds in their birdhouses and a few small mammals in the cottage, but most of the animals were outside in the warm Summer sun. Five pastel colored ponies sat in a circle in the living room. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie sat on the couch while the three other ponies, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity sat on wooden chairs around them.
        “I bet you’re all wondering why I gathered you here today,” Pinkie Pie began their conversation. “We’re here to help our friend Dashie!” She motioned towards the blue pegasus, then placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Dash, this is an intervention.”
        Rainbow Dash winced. “What are you talking about?”
        “There is nothing to be worried about darling, all of us are here to help you.” Rarity stated.
        Applejack spoke, “I hope that you’re willing to cooperate with us.”
        The party pony continued, “Dashie here is feeling really, really sad. Like, so sad. So sad that she doesn’t want to do anything anymore.” She looked down sadly and her mane deflated a little. “So sad that she doesn’t want to… live anymore…”
        A startled gasp filled the room. “Rainbow… you don’t want to… live anymore…?” Fluttershy quaked. 
        The rainbow maned mare held her head low and felt her face begin to get hot. A few tears formed in her eyes, but didn’t quite make their way down her cheeks. I knew this would suck. She thought. “Pinkie, can you…?”
        Pinkie Pie nodded. “Dashie asked if I would talk for her during the meeting, because this is hard for her to talk about.” 
        The three ponies nodded.
“I understand.” Fluttershy mumbled.
        The pink earth pony began to speak for her friend. “Rainbow Dash says that every day for her is a total bore-fest. She doesn’t like her job and she doesn’t really like to meet up with us anymore, as you probably all have noticed.”
        The three ponies nodded once more.
        “Can I say something?” Applejack asked.
        “Sure!” Pinkie replied.
        “You can’t think that working on an apple farm is the most exciting occupation in all of Equestria, can you Dash?” The farmer questioned.
        The cyan pegasus shook her head lightly.
        “Sometimes I just don’t want to do work. I think to myself; ‘jeez, I just really don’t feel like bucking trees all day long!’ but do I still do it? Of course I do!” Applejack stated enthusiastically. “You just have to put your all into it and get her done! Some other ponies are depending on you, whether you know it or not.”
        The rainbow maned mare looked up at Applejack. “I guess you’re right. Sometimes I don’t really feel like kicking and pushing clouds around, but somepony is depending on me to form the right weather pattern for the day.” She acknowledged.
        The blonde mare nodded her head. “That’s right. Your job is very important, just like you.” She smiled. “You’re a very important pony. You’re the Element of Loyalty for Luna’s sake!” 
        Rainbow Dash looked up and blushed. “I am pretty awesome. Without me, how would the weather team even function?” She laughed, and the other ponies joined her.
        “May I add something now?” Rarity asked.
        “Of course.” Dash replied.
        The white unicorn cleared her throat. “This may be hard for you to hear, and I understand that. But I think it may be a good idea to get some professional advice on how you feel.”
        The rainbow maned mare looked down at the ground again. “Yeah… I was thinking about that.” She sniffled. “But do you think it would actually help?”
        “Of course darling!” Rarity gasped. “I’ve been through my fair share of emotional problems and have had to seek out advice from those wiser than myself, or any of you girls. Just because you ask for help doesn’t mean that you are weak.” She explained.
        Rainbow Dash huffed. “Not like I’ve heard that one a million times before.”
        The fashionista spoke. “It isn’t like it’s not true. You’re one of the strongest ponies I know, but everyone needs help every once in a while. We want you to be safe because we love you, Dash.”
        The cyan pegasus sniffled loudly. One of the tears in her eyes traveled down her face to her chin. Why is it so hard for me to hear that my friends love me? She wiped it away with a gentle hoof.
        Pinkie Pie placed her hoof on Dash’s shoulder once more. “So Dashie, are you willing to get some help?” She asked.
        “It’s gonna be a lot of hard work on your part.” Added Applejack.
        “We’re only asking this of you to help you.” Stated Fluttershy.
        “Because we love you.” Rarity cheered.
        Rainbow Dash had a steady stream of tears flowing down her face at this point, but she was silent. “Yes, I am.” She whispered. It’s what Twilight would have wanted.
        All of her friends were joyous and gathered her up in a large group hug. Fluttershy whispered to Dash, “Would you mind staying a while after everyone else leaves?”
        The rainbow maned mare nodded.


-~-




        “Tea?” Fluttershy asked, before pouring a cup of the hot liquid for herself.
        Rainbow Dash responded, “Yes please.” Then held her cup out allowing for her yellow pegasus friend to pour her a cup. She took a sip and her senses were overwhelmed by the minty flavor. “This is really good!” She complimented.
        Fluttershy took a sip out of her cup and shivered. “Oh, that’s strong. Thank you.” She remarked.
        “So, what did you want to talk about?” Dash inquired. What could be so important that she needed to tell me about it in private? 
        The quiet yellow pegasus mumbled. Then she looked away nervously while taking a sip of her tea. 
        Dash cocked her head to the side. “Uh, could you repeat that please?” She asked.
        “Uh, I’m really worried about you.” Fluttershy whispered. “We didn’t really talk much about… how you feel… you don’t want to be alive anymore…”
        The rainbow maned mare shifted uneasily in her seat. “Yeah… Pinkie Pie didn’t really tell you guys the entire story.” She cleared her throat. “Well, she kind of paraphrased it anyway. You see, it’s kind of hard living when you know that it is your fault that one of your best friends isn’t around anymore.”
        “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked.
        Rainbow Dash shuddered. “Well, I was giving flying lessons to Twilight when the accident took place. It’s my fault that she wasn’t safer, I shouldn’t have made her start off on that mountain. It would have been easier for her if we just started on a small hill or something. Not on a freaking cliff!”
        Fluttershy swallowed some more tea. “Oh Dash, you know that it wasn’t your fault. You said it was an accident, and I know you wouldn’t do something like that on purpose.”
        Dash hit her head. “Everyone keeps saying that to me. But it is my fault that she did that, and you all know it! You’re just trying to make me feel better.”
        “Please don’t hit yourself…” Fluttershy whispered uncomfortably. “I am trying to make you feel better. But it really isn’t your fault. I’m sure that something went wrong and you just weren’t able to keep her from falling.”
        “I do remember that day being awfully breezy, maybe a strong gust of wind blew us out of control…” The cyan pegasus pondered. “But it still is my fault that I wasn’t able to save her if that was the case. I saved the Wonderbolts for crying out loud!” She held her head in her hooves.
        “Dash,” Fluttershy began consoling, “I’m glad that you came to talk to us all, because I can’t stand to see you like this. You really should ask for some real advice, I’m sorry that I’m not really helping…”
        “No Fluttershy, you’re doing great. You’re right, I really do need some help. I don’t know if it will work, but I should at least give it a try.” Dash replied. “I feel like it is something that Twilight would have said to me, she always knew the right thing to do.”
        The yellow pegasus nodded. “Oh!” She exclaimed. “I had something I really wanted to tell you about.”
        “Oh yeah?” Dash asked.
        Fluttershy spoke quietly. “You know back in flying school when I was getting bullied?”
        Dash knew exactly what she was talking about. There were quite a few ponies who made fun of Fluttershy for all kinds of different things, for stupid things. Like how she didn’t like to fly, how she was too skinny, how she may or may not have used mane and tail extensions. Rainbow Dash never bullied her, and even tried to defend her from time to time. She hated seeing other ponies in pain. “Yeah.”
        Fluttershy began mumbling again. She coughed and a few tears rolled down her cheeks.
        “I’m sorry Fluttershy, but I didn’t hear you.” Dash stated.
        “Sorry.” She whispered. She wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath and spoke again, this time louder and more clearly. “Back then I felt about the same way you do now… I didn’t want to live anymore.”
        Rainbow Dash was taken aback. I didn’t realize that teasing made her feel that bad! She thought. It does make sense though, I have heard stories of ponies at school taking their own lives just because they were being made fun of.
        “Fluttershy, I’m so sorry.” Dash muttered.
        “I’m fine now, Dash.” Fluttershy reassured. “Now I have a lot of friends, and no one makes fun of me anymore. But it was hard pulling myself through those days at school. But I did it, or else I may not be here today.”
        The cyan pegasus was a bit choked up. She hiccuped, and a tear made its way down her cheek. 
        “It’s okay to cry, I just wanted to let you know that you’re not alone.” added Fluttershy. “I just hope that you heed the advice you got from your friends here today and get yourself some help.”