The sound of the train horn breaks me from my day dream, I shake my head before looking around at the others, I have been floating here staring off into space not noticing what they have been up to. Now that I pay attention I can see that Rarity has been fussing over Twi not wearing a dress to this important summon, and Pinkie has been trying to convince AJ and Fluttershy that Everfree is full of cupcake monsters.
I wish I had been paying attention...
Its not polite of me to be ignoring them like this....but its just easy for me to get lost in thought lately.
Somethings been off recently...the air has seemed heavier and my wings are having a harder time keeping me up for overly long time frames....
Twi tugs at my back leg to get my attention.
“You ok Rainbow? You're never this quiet...”
I smile softly and nod....not announcing my inner worries....this is her day...not mine....
“Your kiddin' right Twi? Just thinkin' about some things is all”
She raises a brow at me and I can tell she doesn't believe me...I don't blame her....It's easy to see that I am hiding something....
The train stops in front of us and we don't take long getting into our seats...I glance out the window looking to the sky....the blue is duller than usual....I wonder why...but Pinkie startles me her face so close to mine if we were closer we would be nuzzling...
“Whatcha doooooin!?”
her yelling makes me wince slightly but I smile at her...
“just lookin' at the sky”
She tilts her head before shrugging.
“guess that's normal, well somepony is sure to win that contest to be a Wonderbolt!?”
She nudges me....I mean it's obvious who she is talking about...the thought causes me to smirk....
“I will have to practice a lot after we get done with Twilight's summon”
Pinkie nods before I watch her bounce off to sit with the others leaving me to my thoughts....the sky....why is it so different lately....perhaps this summon would answer the questions swimming through my mind....
After a while we arrive at Canterlot and I don't take my time flying out and waiting for the others....sitting in that train was driving me crazy....The others quickly catch up with me and we start to make our way to the castle.
“I wonder what this summon is about?”
Twi seems overly excited about this when she said that....
The Castle door opens for us as would be expected....after all Twilight is a princess....I'm glad the others are excited but my mind is still filled with worries....I soon feel my wings actually feeling tired....somethings off even here...why.....I sigh softly and land next to the group walking along side them....I can see that Twi still knows something is wrong....but I am glad she hasn't pressed the issue...
before long we are standing before Celestia....Luna is probably resting before she has to start her night shift....Celestia seems to be smiling and I slow my walking speed falling a little behind.
“I am so glad you could make it Princess Twilight”
Celestia sounds upbeat....perhaps I have been worrying for nothing....and Twilight is more than happy to see her as well...
“I wouldn't miss it Princess Celestia!”
I look between the two before flapping my wings returning to my hovering over the group.
“I have big news that is going to change Equestria...Two brothers have invented something that will make travel easier....I believe they called it the Flim Flam Auto Carriage”
I tilt my head and notice that so does Twi....perhaps she is as confused as I am...
“is it magic powered?”
Twi asks the obvious question...its like her to think magic first.....but Celestia shakes her head...
“Not at all...its powered by something called an engine...and they have been given permission to start mass producing them and will be putting factories up very soon”
I feel the heaviness of the air even in this place...and I can't hold back any longer....
“Why is the air so thick Princess?”
I gulp nervously after I realize that I just spoke out of turn to her....
“I haven't noticed anything like that Ms. Dash....but I will have some Pegasi check out this....thickness of the air soon, please do not let it bother you.”
Her smile is polite and I do trust her words.....but there is no way it wont bother me....perhaps she does notice....and is just trying to think of what to do....
The rest of the summon went as could be expected and we are soon heading back home...back to Ponyville....I didn't realize I missed my home that much....I can't wait to lay back with a good read of the latest Daring Do book after feeding Tank....yeah...my plans for tonight sound nice and help put my stressed thoughts at ease.
The train ride seemed to take longer than usual maybe its just that I am tired....and once back in Ponyville we say our goodbyes and fly my way home...by Celestia I feel so tired....my wings are even a bit sore and all I want to really do is lay back with my Daring Do and read...
I sigh happily as I snuggle back into my bed, pulling the covers up over me as I sit back pulling Daring Do and The Quest for the Sapphire Statue from my bedside table....what a day....it's been a strange day...
I dreamed of....heh...perhaps I shouldn't say but I woke up blushing and wishing the dream didn't have to end...but...it did....
As I go through my morning routines I hear a loud crashing....it sounds like half of Ponyville was being demolished...I rush to the window my eyes still blurry from having just woken up...and then I see it....Twilight's castle....being....destroyed....it instantly wakes me up and I hurry out the door flying as fast as I can to it...any faster and I might have done a Rainboom....and as I fly up I see that the others have all gathered as well....and now.....well I see that Celestia approved of it....in a way....stating that the Flim Flam Factories could be built anywhere they think it would be best for production....
I land next to the others....and....She's crying....well...of course she should be...this was hers....I drape a wing over Twi's back...Fluttershy does as well to show that we both are here for her....we stand back from the others...Rarity and AJ are going at Flim and Flam but....I don't think it was going as well as they hoped....and Pinkie...well Pinkie is holding spike back from 'having at those two' as he puts it....
I frown softly as I look at Twi...seeing the tears running down her cheek make it hurt even more...the difference between seeing and knowing that she is upset is like living and dying...I swallow nervously before I look back at the now large pile of rubble...
“We should go Twi...you shouldn't have to see this....”
She lets me tug her away and back to the library...god I wish we could have seen this coming....perhaps AJ did...it is the only thing she could talk about the entire ride home....that Flim and Flam are heartless....and I guess she was right....
days pass....and the factory is built almost as fast as one of AJ's barns.....before we know it....black smoke rises from the stacks....and now I realize what caused the air to get heavier....how could Celestia allow this..... I visit Twilight almost everyday....at least shes somepony who hasn't given up yet....she is researching every time I stop by....and Spike....well she seems to yell at him constantly...wanting him to search for this...or for that...and I am thinking that he can't take much more of it....
I wake up....my body sore from practice in this....this hell....I would fly to Cloudsdale if I had faith that I could make it.....looks like I am going to miss my chance to be a Wonderbolt....but....I think helping Twilight has become all I can think to do now...and so I ready myself and put on my goggles before heading down to the library....as I enter I see something I knew was coming....
Twilight was...crying...again...but this time....not for her castle.... in front of her stands Spike....his stuff slung in a sack on his back...then I hear the words I dreaded...just from seeing these two like this...
“I'm sorry Twilight....but I am a friend...not a slave....I'm going to live where a dragon can be appreciated...goodbye...and tell the others I said good luck....”
and of those words...he left....I float over to Twi before landing next to her wrapping my wing around her...
“m....maybe he will come back..”
I know he wont....but she can't give up....not her....she needs to keep fighting for something....for anything...
we sit in silence....and...I don't like it...but I think she needs it....then...my ear twitches as she speaks....
“he won't....I....I can't save Ponyville.....please Rainbow....just....go home...”
I sigh and watch as she walks up the steps to her bed....I look towards the door....my wings....are they able to even get me home...the air felt so heavy on the way here....my wings were hard to flap in this thick...smog....
I exit the library and can see Twilight watching me from the window....I push off of the ground and start to ascend....but...my wings....they are...to heavy....and I feel myself finding it harder and harder to keep my momentum...and then.....I'm falling....I....am falling....me....please....let this all be a bad dream...let me wake up to a bright day....so I can fly and spend the day in the sky above my friends....
Not a dream....no matter how hard I wished....it was real...and I was falling towards the ground....
I watch it getting closer and closer....the dirt of the earth....
but before I hit it....I'm floating....
how....then I look to the library.....she saved me....
I am gently lowered onto my back....and I get onto my feet....standing in front of me was Twilight....
“You can stay here as long as you need...I can tell you can't fly in this....”
her words hit me like a rock....and I know they are true....as much as I don't want to believe them.....
“thank you....”
We go back inside...and I shake the ash from my body before sitting down....still dumbstruck from my failure....
grounded....I....was grounded....but....at least I wasn't alone....and neither was she.....
That’s all I could hope for now....not to fly...not for the perfect world....but to just...not be alone....