Chapter 12
Light from the window eased into the little room, gently rousing Rainbow Dash from her sleep. She awoke feeling clear headed and well rested which she found strange considering that she only had half of a bed to herself. As was her habit, she half way uncurled herself from the sheets and stretched and only then did she realize that her back was lying flush against another.
The contact stimulated memories, and as everything seeped back to the forefront of her thoughts, one prominently surged forth.
“Oh crap! The train!” Rainbow Dash rolled out of the bed, landing expertly on three legs.
“What time is it?” Her sudden violent jolt rocked the bed enough to pull Dumbbell awake, albeit a lot less gracefully.
“What?” he slurred. “What time is it?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.” said Rainbow Dash. She looked at the bare walls. “There isn’t a clock in this place.” She kicked her hooves free of the bed sheets and tossed them back onto the bed. The view from the window showed a clear blue sky but only a small number of ponies walking up and down the road.
“We’d better hurry, I don’t think the train has left yet but if we don’t hurry we’ll miss it.”
Dumbbell sat up on the mattress and rubbed along his shoulder. There was most definitely a kink there.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m awake,” he grumbled and crawled out of bed with a large yawn. Without hesitation they hurried out of the inn. The receptionist wasn’t there, so Rainbow Dash left the key at her desk as they ran out of the door.
As they neared the station, they realized they were in luck; the train bell started to ring just as they turned into the station.
Ding, ding! “All aboard the Equestrian Rail to Ponyville!”
Sheriff Silverstar was waiting at the platform to meet them. “Glad you two could make it, or else I’d need to find you myself,” he said with a smile.
“We made it. By the looks of it, just in the nick of time!” Rainbow Dash gasped as she ran up the stairs, skipping several steps as she went. The previous night’s sleep had done wonders in restoring her energy, and felt like she could run just as well on three legs. “This is where we part ways. It was nice meeting you again, sheriff.”
Silverstar tipped his hat. “It was a pleasure, Miss Dash.”
Rainbow Dash nodded to Silverstar as they boarded the train. Once inside, they began looking for a compartment to sit in.
“I’m not sure about you, but I think I needed that night’s sleep,” Dumbbell said as they walked along the train. “I didn’t realize just how tired I was.”
“Heh, yeah.” Rainbow replied as she opened a door. No one was inside, so they went inside and sat down.
“Nice find,” Dumbbell commented as he sat in the roomy and comfortable seat. He sat near the corridor and peaked out periodically. “Do you know if this train serves breakfast?”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah it does, don’t worry, they’ll be coming around with a cart soon.”
“Awesome.”
But breakfast would have to wait. It took several minutes for the steam engine to ease out of the station under the final blast of its whistle, and begin its journey to Ponyville. They were several miles away from Appleloosa before the food cart made its round.
The two pegasi stepped out into the white wonderland that was Ponyville. As usual, the weather team did a good job. Every inch was covered in a thick blanket of soft white snow and inwardly, Rainbow Dash felt a small pang of regret that she had missed the first fall but consoled herself with the thought that there would be others. Next to her, Dumbbell inhaled deeply, a broad smile across his face.
“Get a load of that morning frost air. I’ve only been gone for a few days and Ponyville is already full of snow.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “It’s weird to have missed all the snow delivery. Normally I’m in charge of distributing this stuff.”
“I guess you are in charge of this stuff, huh,” Dumbbell said. “What’re you gonna tell them?”
“Tell who?” Rainbow asked.
“Tell the weather patrol, duh. And your friends, too.”
“I’ll worry about weather patrol later.” said Dash. “First I’m going to go find my friends.”
Dumbbell nodded, he lifted his gaze skyward. High up in the frosty blue sky floated Cloudsdale.
“Yeah, I get what you’re saying.” Dumbbell took a few steps forward, the other travelers on the platform creating a rift between them, and at first Rainbow Dash thought he was going to go straight on. But he stopped, and turned back. “So,uh…” His mouth hung on a word he couldn’t form before shrugging. “Yeah.”
Rainbow Dash laughed. “Yeah, its been fun.”
“I guess I’ll see you up in Cloudsdale sometime. Maybe we can hang out again if you want.”
Her eyes brightened. “Sure, I’ll be up there to catch some of the winter sports anyway.” She grinned. “I’m not gonna miss the chariot finals, I’ve got bits running on the Drumfires!”
Dumbbell grinned and glanced at the sky. “So I’ll catch you later?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow replied. “That’s cool.”
The two exchanged silent thanks and Dumbbell flew off. Rainbow Dash watched him disappear into the distance, a speck growing smaller and smaller. A weight settled in her stomach as she realized that the pony she had spend the last few days with had left her.
For the first time in a long time, Rainbow Dash felt alone.
“Hey, every pony! Didja miss me or what?”
Every pony turned to face her when she opened the door as Rainbow Dash stepped inside Sugar Cube Corner with a confident stride, more because of the chill that blustered through the opening than the sound of her voice. Pinkie Pie looked over the counter, where she was setting a fresh tray of baked goods. When she saw Rainbow Dash her jaw hit the floor.
“Dashie!?” she gasped.
“The one and only!” Rainbow replied proudly.
Before Rainbow Dash could say anything else, Pinkie had abandoned her post at the counter and had rushed to meet the pegasus in a deadly embrace. Rainbow gasped as the breath was squeezed from her.
“Where did you go?” Pinkie chattered. “What’d you do? How’d it go? Was it fun?” She squeezed harder. “We were so, so worried about you!”
“I was… fine…” Rainbow gasped and winced. “Ooh, watch the leg! Maybe you should gather the girls, though. I’ve got quite a story to tell.”
Pinkie’s eyes brightened. “A story? Ooh, I like stories.” She released Rainbow. “This better be a good story, though,” she warned.
Rainbow nodded, catching her breath. “Don’t worry. This’ll be one to remember.”
Pinkie smiled. “I’m happy you’re back, Rainbow. I’ll go get the others.” She released Rainbow Dash from her death grip and rushed to the front counter and shouted to someone in the back room. “Be back in ten minutes!” And then she was out.
“Pinkie Pie, what did you say?” Cupcake came out of the back room, flour still fresh on her apron. “Oh, now where did she rush off to? Just when I was about to call her back here to help. The lunch time rush will be in a few minutes!” Then the plump mare turned her head just a fraction and noticed Rainbow Dash standing near a table of donuts, cookies and cupcakes. She gasped when she recognized her. “Is that you, Rainbow Dash?”
“Yep.” the blue pony waved back at her.
“And where have you been?” Cupcake said in an almost accusatory tone. “You missed the Hearth’s Warming Eve party.”
Rainbow Dash’s ears drooped. “Well I-.”
“And you missed all that delicious apple cider! The Apple Family had squirreled away a special batch just for the holiday. But as usual their supply dried up faster than a shallow puddle on a clear sunny day!”
“Oh...” Suddenly Rainbow Dash felt like she could have fallen right through the floor.
Rainbow Dash didn’t wallow in internalized regret for long, about five minutes later, Sugar Cube Corner was filled with a steady stream of ponies. She glanced at the clock on the wall, it was already lunch time.
“Hey Rainbow Dash, where were you yesterday? And what happened to your leg?” That was two of several questions to come her way. Given her obvious popularity in Ponyville, her absence must have been pronounced.
“Yeah, its not like you to miss letting loose with the snow.” said a pony named Raindrops.
“Don’t tell us you were off somewhere on some crazy adventure.”
Every pony in the place looked at her expectantly. Before she could explain, several more ponies walked through the front door.
“Rainbow Dash!” It was Twilight who was the first through the door, practically shadowed by Pinkie Pie. The rest of her friends bounded in in a cluster.
“See I told you she was here! And she’s got a story to tell us!” chirped Pinkie Pie as she pranced to Rainbow Dash’s side, the remaining four corralled her into a semi circle.
“A story, huh?” said Applejack. “Well it oughta be a good one.”
“Heh, hiya guys.” Rainbow Dash said bashfully.
“Hello, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity’s mouth was curved into a wry smile but her vibrant blue eyes were already scrutinizing.
“By the sight of you, I’d have to say you had a fine time.”
“You’ve been gone for four days.” Applejack stepped forward. “And your leg, what happened?”
Fluttershy was never an immediate talker but Rainbow Dash could tell from a glance that she was worried. Her slight frown said everything. Rainbow Dash started to inspect the bandage, suddenly feeling self conscious about it. “Oh, well-this. It’s kind of a long story.”
“And a pretty darned interestin’ one it must be.” Applejack came in for a brief side hug.
“Otherwise you never would have missed all that cider!”
“Ugh, don’t remind me about the cider!” Dash wailed.
“I’ll try not to.” Applejack pulled away to adjust her hat. It was clear she was considering how much she’d make Dash endure for missing her favorite holiday drink. Or maybe she’d be nice. There was at least a bottle or two left in the cellar.
“Oh, Applejack, don’t be like that.” Fluttershy spoke finally. “She may have missed Hearth’s Warming Eve, but there’s still plenty to celebrate during this season.”
Applejack scratched her chin as if in debate with her inner thoughts. “Well I’ve still got a few barrels of winesap apples. They don’t grow as readily as the regular crop, but I figure since Dash is back, I can stand to make another batch for her sake.”
“You’d do that for me?” Rainbow Dash could feel tears swell in the corners of her eyes.
“Well I didn’t say it’d be free. I’m gonna show you how to make it the old fashioned way.” said Applejack with a laugh.
“You know cider is a labor of love.”
“I know four days isn’t a terribly long time but we were worried about you, Rainbow.” Twilight Sparkle spoke up, and reached over to hug the blue pegasus. “But we’re glad you’re back.”
“In one piece.” Rarity quipped.
Twilight glanced down to Dash’s bandaged leg and her smile faltered. “Um, do you want to explain?”
But Rainbow Dash’s smile didn’t falter. She turned to everyone inside of the bakery, which happened to be many by that time.
“So you all want to hear about my Hearth’s Warming Eve adventure?”
“Yeah!” Came the unanimous cheer. Rainbow nodded and turned back to her friends.
“You might as well find a place to sit. Because I’ve got a story to tell.”
“And that’s what happened.” Dumbbell flung himself haphazardly onto the couch with his forehooves behind his head. Hoops and Score had caught sight of him not long after he reached Cloudsdale. They were curious about his absence for the past four days, but not particularly worried, so they, mostly Hoops, pestered Dumbbell for details until he finally gave in.
He told them pretty much everything, with a few minor twists in his favor. It was him who saved Rainbow Dash from drowning. And he left out the hotel situation completely. They didn’t need to hear about that.
On the other end of the couch, Score simply sat and listened quietly. Hoops on the other hand had cloistered himself to the back of the apartment, in the kitchen. And whenever he had a question, he had to yell at them from at least twenty feet away.
“And then you caught a train back?” shouted Hoops.
“Yeah, pretty much.” said Dumbbell. “I mean I could have flown back but it was a free ride.”
“It was what?” Hoops yelled again.
Dumbbell groaned and sat up. “I said it was a free ride!”
“Free? That’s awesome, bro!”
Dumbbell leaned back into the couch. After the fifth time it was annoying but at least he was back home. Off to the side he heard Score’s snort of amusement and rolled his eyes. Hoops trotted out of the kitchen a moment later, holding up what looked like a large brown brick covered in dimples. And stranger than that, he looked proud of it.
“I just pulled this out of the oven, you wanna try it?”
Dumbbell shirked away instinctively while Score wasn’t even sure what he was looking at, he appeared to be more bemused than afraid.
“What is that?” Dumbbell pushed his back into the cushion like a pony trying to scale the edge of a very narrow cliff.
“Duh, it’s a fruit cake. I made it myself.”
Hearing Hoops say that combination of words, strung together in that exact order. It was like having his blood replaced with ice water.
“No, no, I already ate before I got here.” Dumbbell stammered, trying his best to sound sincere. Score looked at the questionable cake and shook his head stiffly. Either playing off of Dumbbell’s reaction or sensing the danger himself.
“Fine, more for me.” Hoops pulled up a chair and sat down, taking out the fruitcake in massive chunks.
“So about this trip you made,” Hoops said after a few more bites. “You and Dash dating now?”
It was as if lightning had struck the center of the living room.
“What?” Dumbbell’s voice turned three shades darker, his reaction so quick it took his friend off guard.
“Aw c’mon! Heh, I was only joking!” Hoops laughed yet he still leaned away from the couch, ready to flee to safety at any moment.
“Not the least bit amused, Hoops.” Dumbbell said darkly and slid off of the couch. The scowl on his face was quickly replaced with a smile. “Forget it. It’s not even a thing.”
It was nearly impossible to see Hoops’ eyes under his long bangs which somehow made his smirk all the more pronounced. He playfully tossed the fruitcake up in the air like a football and caught it. “If you say so, dude. So are we hitting the gym today or what?”
Hours past before Rainbow Dash trudged into her home. She just made up for the last two days she had missed in the span of an afternoon and was still shaking snow off her mane. She felt just as exhausted as she had in the hotel room in Appleloosa, it was amazing how much a twenty-pony snow ball fight could drain energy. But it was over now and she was happy. Happy to be back in ponyville with her friends, and that they weren’t upset with her for flying out into the badlands on a whim. Not that she regretted it or anything, but she figured she should have told somepony first. And next time she would certainly remember to do so.
With a contented sigh she flopped down on her bed. Oh yes she had missed this as well and had not realized how much until her body hit the cloud mattress.
“Oh yeah, this feels great,” she whispered as the soft cloud material molded to her contours. She let her sprained hoof hang limply over the side as she cast her thoughts on past events. It was frightening to believe that it had been less than a day since she had fought for her life in some remote part of Equestria and had come close to not making it back to civilization at all. It had been dangerous, foolhardy and an exhilarating experience.
‘And I totally should write it down.’
Dash rolled over and pulled open the drawer on her nightstand and pulled out her journal. It was something she kept handy usually to keep track of any daily demands she might otherwise overlook accidentally, but she also found it useful for moments like this, when she felt like writing a story. And who knows? Maybe one day this could go into that book she always wanted to write.
‘Let’s see...’ she tapped the pencil tip against her chin.
‘Dear journal, the last few days were pretty hectic. It all started from a dare I made because I was certain this pony I know wasn’t telling the truth. But as it turned out, I was wrong and in a way I’m glad that I was...’
Rainbow Dash added in all the details of their adventure. In the top left corner of the page she drew an oblong shape filled with thin shoots and branches and in the center of it hastily wrote ‘Dragonthrorn Jungle’. Next to that she drew to the best of her memory, the giant frightening face of the entrance to 'Crimsoncroak Temple' and wondered if she’d ever see that place again. Maybe, but not any time soon.
‘Speaking of the pony I was with. His name is Dumbbell. I remember him from my elementary years, back when I had to fly through endurance hoops at Flight Camp. That was such a long time ago. I only remembered him as a jerk, but now...’
She paused, trying to choose her words carefully.
‘He’s changed now. A lot I think. Like I have. Hmm, I guess if I’m honest, I was kind of rotten myself when I was a kid but not as rotten as this guy. But the past isn’t the point of this journal entry, that was a long time ago. Though I still don’t know much about him, I feel he has changed for the better. I never would have imagined he likes to read Daring Do, which is awesome. And when it comes to other things like surviving a long journey, I think there is a lot I could learn from him. Yeah, there is definitely something different about him now...and I like it. I had fun when I was with him and it seems we share things in common. So yeah, I’ll take him up on his offer to hang out up in Cloudsdale sometimes and hope for the best. Who knows, maybe his two doofus friends have changed too.’
Satisfied with her latest entry she closed the journal and placed it back on her nightstand. Now it was time to go to sleep and wake up to another beautiful day of snowball fights and hot chocolate!
But it’s strange how sometimes the brain can pull up a trivial or otherwise forgotten tidbit of knowledge at the most inopportune moment. Dash’s eyes glanced over her bookshelf and only then did the suppressed memory resurface.
Her copy of ‘Crypt of the Dark King’. She had lost it when she fell out of the rapids, and hadn’t had time to find it again.
The Gully-Wugs still had it.
“How could this happen to me?!” she wailed and flopped back down onto the bed. She laid there in self pity for a few minutes until the cold winter night made her shiver.
She pulled the covers across herself and tried to think of other things. It was nice to sleep in an actual bed again. Or at least by herself, anyway. She smiled at the thought. If any one told her a few days ago that she was going to risk her life to save Dumbbell from impending doom and then share a bed with him, she would have laughed in their face. Now it was fading like a distant memory, even though it hadn’t happened long before at all. It had happened so quickly.
After a deep yawn she turned over.
She could think more about it in the morning.
The End