//------------------------------// // Altitude Sickness // Story: Miami Dash // by FestOfAmerican //------------------------------// NOTE: The text is best enjoyed in the Century Gothic font. [LEGAL DISCLAIMER] This story is a derivative work of two intellectual properties owned by Hasbro Incorporated and NBCUniversal. It was produced with absolutely no intent of monetary gain whatsoever; instead solely for entertainment purposes and in tribute to the original franchises. It is protected under the United States Copyright Act of 1976 (Section 107: "Fair Use"), owing to its dual non-commercial and parodying nature. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. ~For Ava~ MIAMI DASH Introduction: Altitude Sickness 6:16 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST) Saturday, January 7th, 2012 Miami International Airport, Florida, U.S.A. Boarding Gate D30 The passenger jet was silhouetted in the darkness that preceded the dawn. Sweeping rapidly into the air with a stealth that belied its massive size, the blinking anti-collision lights and engine wake were the only giveaways of its departure. A gentle rumbling of the windows that followed, amidst an encompassing torrent of raucous activity, is what garnered the attention of an exceptionally exhausted pegasus mare. With a chin lifted high from her long neck, a pair of magenta irises peeked from the shade created by the brim of a straw hat that'd been perched downward, lazily tracking the flashing red dots until out of view. The mare then tilted her head, irises swirling like a pair of egg yolks in the white, over to the check-in counter by the gate. The unformed airline agents were preoccupied with a queue of passengers, but the informational display stated that boarding wouldn't begin for another 15 minutes. Her eyes normally imparted an insatiable adventurous spirit. At the moment, however, they were dulled by a lack of sleep, the eyelids shuddering and ready to cave in like an unsteady roof. Seeking another distraction, she looked out onto the tarmac once again. A caravan of luggage boxcars motored its way to the right before disappearing behind the inert silver and triple-striped Boeing 737 facing her, its brightened cockpit revealed the pilots getting settled in and toggling various switches around them. Surging with renewed frustration, the pegasus rolled out of her reclined pose on the bench, stretched her wings and both sets of legs, joints popping with a displacement of trapped air. She then proceeded to simultaneously roll her head in a single revolution and yawn open-mouthed. Even with her eyes clenched shut, she could feel the stares other ponies were giving her conspicuous actions. As a lifelong tomboy, she wasn't very mindful of proper feminine mannerisms, and this current bout of insomnia simply exacerbated that attitude. "Um, excuse me," a young stranger's voice intruded. Ears perking upward in alarm, the biting chill of the air conditioning slowly registered in the mare's semi-conscious mind; the hat had fallen off and she'd just been made. Gradually opening her burning eyes at the bottom of her head's rotation, the straw fedora was indeed lying askew on the blue-carpeted floor to her left. A foal's pair of fore-hooves stood beside it. Fighting both gravity and dread, she looked up into the timid face of an earth pony filly. The two assessed each other during a seconds-long pause. "Are you, Rainbow Dash?" she asked most uncertainly, pausing before blurting out the name. The tomboy pursed her lips, drawing breath through her teeth with a faint hiss. She considered lying outright, but it might lead to a PR nightmare. Perceiving a formidable intelligence behind those eyes, she gave up the ghost. "Yup, that's me, kid," Rainbow Dash answered, sighing into a smile. The full-grown pegasus' body was covered in a cyan blue pelt that traced along contours of lean, rigid muscle. She was wearing a white, sleeveless linen dress from the reputed La Casa De Las Guayaberas, south of MIA. Its length draped over her thighs and concealed the imprinted cutie mark; a bulky raincloud expelling a zigzagging bolt of tricolored lightning. The tail hair had a jagged quality and splayed with six vibrant watercolors, loyal to her mane, but with three of the darker colors pouring down past her ears. Her magenta eyes seemed much more alive uncovered, but a cloudy film persisted in them. "Hi, I-I'm Honor Roll!" the filly said, stuttering in excitement. The earth pony filly was pelted in chalkboard gray. Her frizzy balsa mane and tail gave her the appearance of having recently climbed out of bed. She looked up at the pegasus with blue marble eyes that glittered in the overhead lighting, captivating her so as to forget to look at her cutie mark. "I came over to help pick up your hat, but t-this is my first time meeting somepony famous at the airport, or ever really!" "No kidding? Because meeting my fans is ALWAYS awesome." "I'm a member of the brony club at school. W-would it be okay if we took a picture together?" "Sure, let's do it!" Rainbow winked playfully. Beaming, Honor Roll turned and frantically waved a fore-hoof at her unicorn father. He trotted over to them, raising a cell phone camera in his sparkling magic aura. Fluttering her eyelids and patting her cheeks in the interim, the tomboy put her game face on. Challenging the lens with that unmistakable fiendish grin, she lifted her left fore-leg and bent it sideways to meet Honor's halfway. An audible *click* from the phone's speakers signaled that the deed was done. "Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" the earth pony cried after sampling the image and giving the pegasus a rib-squeezing hug. "No biggie," Rainbow wheezed before they broke apart. "That'll make one hay of a show-and-tell, meeting your one-and-only 'best pony'. "Totally!" Honor gushed. "I'm saving that when I meet Twilight Sparkle!" *CRASH* The sound of breaking tableware, dropped by a clumsy server, came from the Irish restaurant closest to the gate, perversely synchronized with Rainbow's widening stare and fading smile. The filly was busy cherishing the picture to have noticed anything. Honor Roll's father gave the slighted pegasus an apologetic look before ushering his daughter back to their seats. Impromptu photo ops were an occupational hazard for performers like her, and sadly enough this wasn’t Rainbow’s first time being smacked with the revelation of a certain purple unicorn outclassing her. ‘Damn it, Twilight,’ she thought. ‘Why do you have to be so well-rounded and popular?’ Shaking her head and chuckling pathetically, the tomboy about-faced and returned to her bench, taking a moment to grab the lonely Goorin Bros. straw hat in her teeth. Leaning back on the cushioned metal frame, she passed the hat to her fore-hooves and roughly jammed it on top of her head again. Kicking her hind legs over her new suitcase, she futilely tried once more to get some rest. Rainbow Dash is lead singer of her own band, Hey Ocean!, and one of the main cast members on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. A fantasy comedy show that launched over a year ago, its notoriety was swelling rapidly in popular culture by attaining an unforeseen fan-base of male viewers that ran the gamut of age groups and occupations. The Internet is the nexus for these so-called "bronies", where artwork, animations, music, stories, and much more continues to pour in like a fire hose. Hasbro's merchandising efforts were slowly being tailored to this new batch of consumers while devoted conventions were sprouting up all across America and Europe. In fact, it was due to attending one such convention (BronyCon Winter 2012 in New York City) where Rainbow and four other costars met a strikingly well-dressed somepony. With a rather anxious disposition, he gave them personalized gift bags as he collected their autographs. The bags were printed with the names of three of his hometown's major landmarks and locales: South Beach, Bayside, and Vizcaya. The greatest surprise of all was that inside were travel gift cards loaded with the exact fare needed to fly there from Los Angeles. After one last smile and hoofshake, he'd turned away and disappeared into the crowd of bronies, remaining a nameless riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. 'In case you've never been to the Magic City, consider this an invitation,' the stallion had said. Upon returning home and conferring with their keeper and ex-producer, Fyre-Flye, it was decided that they'd accept his offer and leave for South Florida on January 3rd. They'd rendezvous with their colleagues at LAX airport later today and make their next flight to Vancouver to film the next episode of Friendship is Magic. The instant they'd stepped outside to hail a taxi, witnessing a glorious sunrise and feeling the warm humid air's embrace, Rainbow Dash was in love with Miami. During the ride to their Ocean Drive hotel, the pegasus kept sticking her head out the window, basking in this newfound paradise. The beach was gorgeous; the food delectable; the nightlife electrifying. They visited the places their benefactor had recommended, and found other hidden gems along the way. Los Angeles was an awesome town for many shared reasons, but down here were the added benefits of lighter traffic and cleaner air. Hurricanes seemed liked a fair trade for earthquakes, considering the former haven’t made landfall since 2005, but it'd be a shame if unchecked global climate change submerges Miami within the next century, as scientists now predict. Still, as the final hours of their trip approached, Rainbow felt that she hadn't yet seen all there was to see or obtained the souvenirs she wanted. She waited until sunset to take to the sky and experience the city as it was meant to be; what her Probation Officer didn't know wouldn't hurt him anyway. The daredevil’s aerial tour remained undetected but had also taken the entire night. Touching down by the hotel's entrance at 3 AM, drowsy, dead broke, and saddlebags bloated with trinkets, she'd spent another hour trying to pack her bag with the new acquisitions. The racket it created awoke her colleagues, who decided to pitch in and buy her a new one at the airport. This was the gleaming ZERO Halliburton suitcase that Rainbow Dash was absently bouncing a hind-hoof over. It’d caught her eye as soon as she walked inside the airport store, promising all but the moon that she’d pay her friends back. The on-screen ‘Element of Loyalty’ indeed felt she was in their debt, but also hesitant to confess that she hadn't eaten anything in over twelve hours either. She'd gone as far as twenty before, so it wasn't a big deal. Her costars had done more than enough for her already. A quartet of familiar gossiping voices became discernable, advancing from behind. The blue pegasus’ mouth curled into a smirk, but otherwise didn’t stir. Ponies tended to let secrets slip when they thought you were out of the room or asleep; things they’d never say to your face. Confronting them later based on what you learned and seeing their embarrassed looks was always a great laugh. Like that one time Applejack kept yapping on and on about that generous Miami brony and- The voices abruptly stopped, melding back into the concourse ambiance. Rainbow was beginning to ponder what’d happened when her hat was suddenly yanked off. Eyes widening fearfully and in the harsh light, the pink earth pony culprit puffed up her chest and roared a morning greeting, their faces mere inches apart. “COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!!” Traces of a recent breakfast pervaded in the prankster’s blast. Following that strange observation, the tomboy unfolded her ears, wiped her face of spittle and glared angrily at her broadly-grinning costar. “Pinkie Pie,” she grumbled. “I didn’t ask for a wake-up call.” “No, Applejack did,” Pinkie Pie said, pointing a fore-hoof at an orange earth pony trotting up to them, looking irritatingly smug. The hyperactive mare leaning over Rainbow had a bright pink pelt. Balancing a voracious sweet tooth with a nuclear metabolism, a mild layer of fat buffered her underbelly and thighs. The thighs in particular tended to jiggle whenever she laughed, animating her cutie mark of three stringed balloons. Her mane and tail hair possessed gravity-defying buoyancy, ending in heart-snagging hooks. Blue eyes of infantile purity looked past the tomboy’s, establishing a pseudo-spiritual connection. On the pegasus’ left was an honest workhorse; powerful muscles rippled across her orange-pelted surface. White freckles dotted her cheeks beneath glistening shamrock eyes. A spiny, hay-colored mane poked out from underneath a dusty brown Stetson cowboy hat. The other end, as with her tail hair, was tied into a bun with a red ribbon. Her cutie mark was a trio of red delicious apples, stems and leaves poking out from the top. Seizing her hat back from Pinkie, Rainbow Dash turned her fierce, baggy-eyed stare at the smiling cowgirl. “Oh, so you’re the wisepony,” she said. “Just making sure we don’t have any pegasi on the wall as we talk,” Applejack said. Bitterness leached deeply from her face and words that even the tomboy could sense. Out of the five cast members who met that mysterious brony, it was Applejack who’d been smitten by his kindness. RD was grateful for opening Miami to her, but had overheard that a small part of AJ was hoping to see him again. The pegasus teased her pretty hard about it, and when the meeting never happened, the earth pony’s heartache worsened. She spent the last day under the shade of a palm tree on the beach, looking blankly into the Atlantic. Cradling a conch shell souvenir she’d bought for herself, she kept holding it up to her ear like a telephone receiver, tears searing down her freckled cheeks. Pinkie silently climbed down from the bench, unpinning Rainbow, who immediately got to her feet and rubbed a fore-hoof in condolence against Applejack’s shoulder, her pained smile long gone. “I’m sorry,” Rainbow whispered, her eyes bouncing between AJ’s and the floor. “I didn’t know it was that important to you.” The Stetson-crowned mare snorted and moved over, letting the blue limb hang in midair. “How could you?” she snapped. “You’re always thinking about yourself. Alaska didn’t teach you a damn thing.” Exactly one year ago at LAX, Rainbow Dash made the Friendship is Magic cast arrive too late for their weekly Canada flight. The tomboy lost her temper with Applejack, gravely injuring her and then attempted to fly to Vancouver by following the Pacific coastline. Along the way, she disrupted airport traffic, a spy satellite launch, and incurred the aerial wrath of the American and Canadian armed forces before crashing into the Alaskan wilderness. The incident, dubbed by the media as Rainbow Snow, resulted in a macrocosm of legal and production complications; the aspect most visible to the fans was a three-week delay between episodes 12 & 13. RD was essentially given a slap on the wrist with a year-long supervised probation against unsanctioned flying within the United States. It would finally end today, so as long as she kept her nose clean. The orange earth pony lifted a foreleg, pushing her mane aside to reveal a fading arched bruise. Rainbow had kicked her with both legs, but the other impression had already dissipated. Aghast at being rebuffed then reminded of a torturous mistake, she stomped right up to those cold eyes, wings spread high above her head, her teeth bared. “The ONLY reason I survived was because I needed to apologize, she hissed. “And I DID when they brought me back for the trial!” “You survived because you didn’t want to die,” the cowgirl replied. “What came after was just to soothe your guilty conscience.” “But you accepted it! I said I was sorry and YOU ACCEPTED IT!” “It’s not about the ‘sorry’, but the real improvements you make after screwing up.” “Oh yeah?! Like how you screwed up trying to meet up with some lame brony?! I wonder how you’ll impro-“ *SLAP* The hoof charged in from her right peripheral. The combined strength and inertia of the blow sent Rainbow Dash rolling onto the floor and under her seat. A flailing hind leg also knocked the ZH suitcase into the bench, earning a wide post-collision dent on one side. “Oh no, Dashie!” Pinkie Pie cried, leaning in and offering a foreleg to help her friend up. Head thumping and star-like pinpricks dancing in her eyes, she crawled out on her own and stilted back upright. Applejack’s flaring and tear-lined face came into focus, her left fore-hoof held in front of her, trembling in place. Two parallel trains of thought departed the station, attaining top speed and jostling for prevalence. The first was pure, vicious instinct; to retaliate and inflict as much physical pain she was feeling, and more. The second was driven by reason; Applejack was stronger; a fight might get them arrested or fired; Mrs. Flye would be devastated; you’ll end up proving her point- Instinct turned a corner and jumped off the rails, uncoupling and tumbling into a ravine. Reason decelerated and made the turn safely. More than any topical insult or strike, letting Applejack win a battle of logic was the worst possible outcome. She wasn’t going to let her have the satisfaction. Pressing a fore-hoof against the burning cheek, she gave the doting prankster at her side a look that quite plainly said: ‘back off’, to which Pinkie sadly did. Facing Applejack once again, she gave a lopsided and agonizing dark smirk. “I guess this makes us even,” she said through partially open lips. Her costar’s stony expression yielded no acknowledgement, so the tomboy turned and walked away. She only now discovered the crowd of onlookers that surrounded the three ponies; it must’ve been building during their argument. A yellow pegasus sitting in the front row as it were, with a plastic-bagged bundle in front of her, snapped out of her petrification when their eyes met. “R-Rainbow Dash!” she said, picking up the bag and galloping up to her. “Hey, Fluttershy,” she said, taking a seat. The daredevil’s polar opposite wore a springtime yellow pelt over a petite and delicate-looking frame. Partially hidden by a curled column of pink mane was the kindest face anypony could ever meet. Watery teal eyes shimmered like portals into the Caribbean, the top eyebrows arched over like black sandbars. Beyond the feathery wings, three butterflies was her cutie mark present on both thighs. The bottom half of her pink tail swept the floor in her passing. The timid pegasus lowered the bundle to the floor again and craned her head to get a better look at the injury. “What happened?” Fluttershy implored. “Why did Applejack hit you?” “I must’ve crossed a red line somewhere, so she drew a new one, on my face, heh-eh, ow.” “Princess Celestia is talking with the police to calm them down. You two gave everypony such a fright.” “I don’t think either of us expected to get that hot.” Rainbow looked down at the bag between them. “What’s this?” she asked. “Breakfast,” Fluttershy said with a pleased smile. “It’s from La Carreta, where the four of us ate when you offered to stay and watch our bags.” The tomboy snickered at her costar’s butchered pronunciation before spreading the bag handles apart. “Mmm, smells great,” she judged after ducking her nose inside. “Thanks, Fluttershy.” “Oh, don’t thank me, it was Applejack-“ In her characteristic haste to pass on credit to whom it’s due, she realized it too late to stop herself. Sure enough, the blue pegasus’ movements froze, just as she was about to open the warm foam box. All of the gratitude drained from her face and contorted unpleasantly. “Is that so?” Rainbow Dash mumbled coarsely. Dropping the box inside the bag and rising up on all four legs, she grabbed it with her mouth by the handles and walked over to a nearby open-top garbage can. “Rainbow, no!” Fluttershy pleaded. ‘If you think I’m going to eat out of the hoof that slapped me,’ she thought, leering at a dumbstruck Applejack who ran over at the yellow pegasus’ bidding. Ignoring the growling objections of her stomach, she extracted the box, pried it open, and poured its contents into the garbage before throwing the box in last. If she wouldn’t hit back, then at least she’d hit her purse. “Wasting food are we, Rainbow Dash?” a thunderous female accused. With a flinch, the brash pegasus turned right to face a tall white alicorn; a winged unicorn of royal status. Her beautiful face, usually alight with benevolence now peered critically at her. “N-no, Princess Celestia,” she lied nervously. “I’m just not hungry right now.” From the bottom of her gold slipper-wreathed hooves, to the tip of her majestic horn, this alicorn was twice the height of any normal pony. Her pelt was magnolia white caressing slender legs, head, neck and torso. A ceremonial breastplate and crown complimented each other, with twisting etched patterns and a violet gemstone at their heart. Her mane and tail resembled the Aurora Borealis of the North Pole, but even a cosmic phenomenon could not replicate their spectrum of twinkling, mesmerizing colors. Large amethyst eyes previewed a repository of knowledge spanning millennia. The alicorn’s magnificent wings, at their fullest extent, reached a height above her ears. Her cutie mark captured a portrait of a blazing sun, hooked waves of fire bloomed from the center. “Not hungry?” Princess Celestia repeated. “But it was Applejack who insisted on buying you that breakfast. She is most concerned for your wellbeing after your-” The alicorn cleared her throat, indicating with her eyes at the uniformed Miami-Dade Police officer ponies that stood on either side of her. “Midnight tour,” she finished. Sighing internally at the name she loathed more than anything right now, Rainbow had to thank her for being discreet. “I’ll be fine. No need to go worrying poor Mrs. Flye.” “And what about that bruise? She and you are going to be seated right next to each other.” “Ma’am,” the MDPD officer to Celestia’s right chimed in. “If the young lady so desires, the gate agents can help her change seats with anypony outside of first class.” “That’s a great idea,” Rainbow nodded. “I will.” “Alright then,” the princess of the sun relented. “It looks like they’re finally ready to begin boarding, so you’d better hurry.” … “Fillies and gentle-colts, thank you so much for your patience. We are now ready to begin the boarding process for American Airlines flight two-nine-nine with direct service to Los Angeles. This flight will be completely full-” “Ugh, these flights are always full to the gills,” Rainbow Dash complained. “Go out and buy bigger planes, or sell fewer tickets.” “Ooh, check out that one!” Pinkie Pie said, eagerly tapping a hoof out the window. “I bet there’s lots of room to stretch out!” Within the last 15 minutes, the sun began its ascent from the eastern horizon. The night had given way to a shade of sleepy blue. Patches of fog hovered over portions of the city beyond the airfield. Touching down westbound in a smokescreen of burnt rubber was none other than an Airbus A380. “Gaw-LEE, Pinkie,” Applejack exclaimed. “That’s no plane! It’s a whale that’s sprouted wings!” “Lolita might give you a run for your money,” Fluttershy reminisced, watching the world’s largest plane disappear behind a jetway bridge. “As for me, I’ll just be running away.” “RAWR!” the prankster snarled, swooping in and pressing her teeth against the side of Fluttershy’s neck. “CHOMP!” Shrieking in terror, she recoiled out of the dental vice and threw her back against the window, hyperventilating. “For the last time, Killer Whales don’t eat ponies,” the cowgirl said. “Sure, they can be dangerous, but Rainbow-“ An awkward pause and sideways glance followed, but the tomboy wasn’t listening. Instead she watched the shuffling stream of first class passengers, her sentiments a mixture of disdain and envy. Princess Celestia was among them, giving her a compassionate smile before embarking down the jetway. The alicorn was too big to fit in a coach seat, so she paid out of pocket for an upgrade, a minor detail that must’ve eluded their sponsor’s foresight. Rainbow Dash purged the cynicism her insomnia provoked. On the whole, her first trip to Miami had been spectacular, and she very much looked forward to seeing the Magic City again someday. ‘Thanks, dude. Who, or wherever you are, you’re awesome,’ she commended internally. ‘Come see us again at another con. I’m sure AJ would like that.’ “-at this time, we’re now inviting all passengers with Priority Access and seating assignments within Group One. You’re now welcome to board.” “Um, Rainbow, that’s us,” Fluttershy said, placing a fore-hoof on her shoulder. The blue pegasus looked left at her yellow counterpart. Applejack and Pinkie Pie were already merging into the line, the former giving them a stern beckon. Raising her lips into the most genteel smile her swollen cheek would allow, she replied. “Nice hickey you’ve got there. I won’t tell that Pinkie gave it to you.” Blushing redder than a tomato, she kept staring at the floor as she followed. Rainbow’s dented suitcase was surrendered at the gate for loading into the cargo hold; the reason being that earlier passengers had taken up most of the overhead bin space in the main cabin. She tried to resist, but the Miami-Dade Police officers overseeing her probation dissuaded her. Brooding and vengeful, she pushed and shoved her way down the aisle, using her outfit to stay undercover. Taking the outermost seat in an emergency exit lane next to smelly strangers, she tipped the hat over her eyes and determinedly slept through the safety briefing, something she’d heard over a million times. The tomboy reserved the complacent belief that the odds of something catastrophic happening were astronomical. Before long, the Boeing 737 was towed away from the gate, its turbine engines ignited, and barreling down the runway. The drowning whirlwind of sound, the compressing g-forces, and the gradual incline of takeoff were the only things that Rainbow enjoyed about flying inside a plane. Smiling at having been awoken by these pleasurable sensations, she reclined her chair to the maximum angle. The captain’s declared flight time to Los Angeles was 40 minutes longer than it took to get to Miami. The daredevil surmised that it probably had something to with the atmosphere and Earth’s natural rotation; a theory she’d pose to Twilight Sparkle later. She went back to sleep. … Rainbow Dash woke up, greeted rudely by her aching head and stomach. Looking out the nearest window, all she could see was an brown desert landscape. Grids of small towns were linked by twigs of highway; vehicles were traveling along in both directions like glittering insects. She withdrew an iPhone from one of her Cuban dress pockets. Its face was cracked in one corner and the aftermarket plastic case was peeling away bit by bit. Pushing the power button on top, the time was listed as 9:47 AM Eastern. ‘Great, another two-plus hours to go.’ she contemplated silently while yawning aloud. Smacking her sticky lips, the running desert below made her realize how thirsty she was. Fasting was one thing, but she was always dutiful with her fluid intake. Turning onto her side, the narrow service cart and flight attendants were nowhere to be seen down the aisle. ‘Eh, they’ll be back.’ Rainbow peeked out the window again, sunlight beating down on the harsh landscape below. Memories of filming one episode came flooding back to her. The Ponyvillle and Canterlot sets were constructed 1100 miles north of Downtown Vancouver, in the Meszah Peak mountain valley entrenched between BC highway 37 and the Alaskan capital of Juneau. Fyre-Flye’s original proposal was to shoot Over a Barrel in the American Southwest, but was overruled by budget constraints. Empty shells of Appleloosa could still be seen in the Okanagan Desert; 250 miles inland from DHX Media. Personally, Rainbow was glad they didn’t come out to the real thing. Okanagan was shrub steppe and not an actual desert, but last March out there had been plenty hot enough for her. She began feel to feel the heat right now just thinking about it. She shook her head and settled back in her seat. (Play this background music before continuing on to the end.) But the feeling didn’t go away. It was a writing numbing sensation spreading out from her flank in all directions; her prone hind legs; upper torso and fore-legs. Swarming up through her neck, her head suddenly felt heavy. It limply pitched forward into the seat in front of her. The tomboy was panting hoarsely, desperate to get more air into her system. ‘W-what’s…happening to me?’ her inner voice ambled. Applejack’s slap wasn’t hurting anymore; the cheek had gone clammy and senseless. Saliva dripping from her exposed, limp tongue, she willed the rest of her body to tilt back and lift her head. Angularly facing the instrument panel above her, the pegasus’ vision was blotched with patches of black-and-white that pulsated faster with each fearful heartbeat. She jabbed an uncoordinated fore-hoof at the panel, trying to summon for the flight attendant, but couldn’t find the right button. ‘Up. Get up. Go find help.’ Rainbow tore herself from the upholstery, her legs tingling and stiff. Still unable to see clearly, she felt her way down the cabin towards the galley, seemingly miles away at the end. She clopped along unsteadily, scraping against fellow aisle seat passengers. “Hey, watch where you’re going!” “What’s your problem?” “Are you drunk or something, lady?” “S-sorry, sorry,” slurred the disoriented tomboy. Drawn in by the commotion, Applejack lowered her book onto the hinged serving tray and looked through reading glasses to see Rainbow Dash. Her scornful eyes immediately stretched wide, understanding that something was very wrong with her gait, paled face, and rolling eyes. “Rainbow, you okay, partner?!” she called out, only getting her neighbor, Pinkie Pie’s attention from her new favorite iPad game, Candy Crush Saga. “Dashie!” the prankster gasped. The pegasus staggered on, still muttering apologies. The two earth ponies spun around to see if Fluttershy could get through to her, but the timid pegasus’ attempts were shrugged off. Trapped against the cabin wall by Pinkie and another passenger, AJ eschewed the flight crew for some real help. “CELESTIA!!!” The regal alicorn swept out of her seat and magically opened the curtain partitioning first class from everypony else. Standing valiantly in the threshold, she followed her costars’ gestures and locked onto the stricken blue pegasus. Lowering her head to avoid piercing the ceiling, she bolted down the lane, everypony’s eyes following her. It was a rebellion at the cellular level, Rainbow wildly concluded. After years of neglect, the sleepless tour around Miami combined with her stubborn fasting and the unyielding cabin pressure was the final straw; her body was rebelling against her mind. She’d felt similar light-headedness from strenuous exercise before. A self-diagnosis of acute hypoglycemia aligned with her symptoms, though never before were they this severe. The tomboy needed sugar in her bloodstream, and fast. A unicorn flight attendant stepped out and walked upstream to give somepony a glass of water. Before she could, Rainbow grabbed her shoulders with both fore-hooves, hind legs quaking as they took on uneven weight. She lifted her head to reveal a weighed expression with bloodshot eyes and gaping mouth. “C-can I help you ma’am?” she said worriedly. “Yes,” Rainbow Dash hissed thickly. “M-may I please have a cup of O-orange juice-” The hind legs buckled, the blue pegasus’ upper body falling backwards into Princess Celestia’s kneeling fore-hooves. The water dropped by the flight attendant splashed against both of them. “Get this pegasus some food, now!” the alicorn commanded to the stunned unicorn, who nodded and scrambled back into the galley. Easing the prone body to the floor, Celestia recalled the basics of her CPR training, tilting the chin upwards for unrestricted airflow and confirming a steady heartbeat by pressing her ear against the chest. She patted a fore-hoof at Rainbow’s uninjured cheek. “Rainbow Dash,” she said. “Rainbow Dash, please wake up.” The tomboy’s moist face remained calm, serene. ‘Oh, God,’ she fretted within. ‘Don’t let this be a coma; you’re too strong for that.’ “Wake up, w-wake up!” Her anguished tone wrenched the heartstrings of her captive audience. A now crying Princess Celestia lowered her head and kissed Rainbow Dash on the forehead, her mane enveloping them like a sparkling funeral shroud. *TO BE CONTINUED*