A Desperate Chase
How long was it that they stood there?
Hours? Minutes? Seconds? she didn’t know. When she’d heard the end of that sentence though the only thing the cyan pegasus could think of was that this was some sort of joke. One big horrible prank that Spike had decided to play on them and the others for all the times she and Pinkie Pie had pranked him.
If it was a joke, which it wasn’t, then the rainbow maned pegasus had to admit. It was grand.
Horribly, horribly grand. A true masterpiece that ripped at her heart and threatened to make the burning in her eyes leak with tears. Despite the fact she was nowhere near onions.
Dash spread her wings when her alicorn friend had finished reading the letter, but forgot she still had her saddlebags on since they’d just got back so it weighed her down a bit.
Wordlessly the mare removed the bag and with a heavy thunk it landed on the crystalline floors as she flew up to the room to check once again just to make sure that this was all just a joke.
Dash ignored the sniffs, the tears, the surprised wail of Rarity and her friends entirely, as she made her way up to Twilight’s room. Despite having it already been checked the mare hoped without a doubt that the little guy was just really really good at hiding because of his small stature.
Even despite the letter that Twilight had read the pegasus wasn’t willing to accept such a thing had really happened. She wasn’t willing to believe that Spike had just up and left them behind with only a letter to explain his justification of doing so.
In truth Rainbow Dash just didn’t want to believe the little guy was gone. Gone on an adventure all by himself without anyone there to back him, without anyone there to make sure he was safe.
So she assumed this was a joke. A sick and twisted joke that Spike had possibly picked up on, based off of some of the more crueler pranks her and Pinkie had played on other ponies in the past.
Yeah this is all just one bad joke.
Sadly Rainbow Dash was proven wrong.
This is a really good joke Spike she thought with a fake smile as she slowly opened the door to Twilight and the drake’s room. But this prank has gone far enough.
The door swung fully open. Dash trotting inside the room, moving to look under the bed expecting to find Spike hidden expertly under there.
There was no Spike.
Dash turned to one of Twilight’s nearby closets, ignoring the small pinch that nipped at her when she saw no dragon in there as well.
This joke is seriously going to far Spike! Rainbow Dash took off, leaving the room then moving into the one just opposite of it.
No Spike.
She tried again in the next room and the room after that.
No Spike.
She was starting to get frustrated, angry almost as her eyes began to sting. Zooming down the stairs into the common room and ignoring the worried glances her friends gave her, the mare completely forgot that the library had already been checked in her desire to find out if Spike was there.
Bursting open the doors to the library the mare trotted inside and then gave the entire room a quick look.
Once again the cyan pegasus found: There was no Spike.
Disheartened as she slowly floated back into the common room where her friends now stared at her with tears in their eyes Dash struggled with herself to keep the tears from pouring out.
This is awful she thought.
“Dash” AJ said gently trotting towards her.
What kind of cruel prank is this?! she thought her eyes shut tight, her ears falling against her head and now biting her lip hard enough to draw blood Dash felt like a dam would break any minute in her heart.
“Dash” AJ tried again to grab the broken hearted mare’s attention.
Who just packs up and leaves one day on a whim like that?! Need to get stronger? Need to find who you are?! All that mushy stuff he wrote about always wanting us by his side and then just leaving like that without even a proper goodbye!
“Dash” AJ said gently wrapping a hoof around the stiff pegasus. “It’s alright Dash” AJ said as her own tears began to blind her. “Just let it out, we miss him. We all do.”
Rainbow Dash who rarely cried except on very few occasions, did her utmost best to stop the tears from freely flowing. But try as she might she was incapable of doing so.
The tears flowed freely. Sliding down her muzzle as her vision blurred and the dam in her heart broke.
“He...he really is gone isn’t he?” Dash asked in a broken voice.
None of the others replied, the only response she got that could be considered remotely close to answering her question was Applejack and the others huddling around her, tightening the embrace to provide even more comfort.
That day all six mares realized, just how much they’d miss their little dragon. Just how much they’d miss Spike.
The birds chirped. And the sun gently shined through Rainbow Dash’s window.
She was already awake though, she did not sleep the previous night. Most of her time had been spent trying to accept what Spike had done, leaving them like this. Almost abandoning them.
It hurt. It hurt a lot. And what was even worse was that Twilight was the only one who hadn’t cried as much as the others and herself had. She’d been choked up as she read the message. And fought on multiple occasions to remain in control of her emotions.
There were a few times where her alicorn friend had shed a few tears, but genuinely broken down and cried like how Fluttershy had, when they found out Spike had left never happened to the young alicorn. Crying the way Rainbow Dash had cried, forcing all the pain within her till it burst like a dam didn’t happen to Twilight either. Even Applejack, the mare who really did cry more on the inside wept that afternoon.
“But Twilight. She hadn’t cried a bit” Dash said sadly.
Dash turned on her side, looking at the wall something glinted off the sunlight, causing her eyes to turn in that direction.
It was a picture of her, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Spike after Twilight’s coronation.
Dash frowned, turning her gaze away from the picture. It would only bring up sad memories.
Getting off her cloud made bed the mare trotted towards her living room and sat down, feeling both bored and not really having the will or desire to get up and head to work.
She had Cloudbusting duty today. Ponyville was scheduled to have clear skies for the next few days, but to Dash she’d rather just have it rain for the rest of the day so she could just stay in her house and mope till these feelings finally left her system.
Rainbow Dash’s ear twitched, she turned her head in the direction of buzzing to see Tank flying towards her. She smiled sadly when the tortoise flew up to her and rubbed his cheek gently against her own..
He’d heard what happened with Spike and had come to offer his support to his mistress.
Grabbing the tortoise and giving him a squeeze Rainbow Dash snuggled back into the couch while Tank rested his head on her cheek, letting her know he was there for her.
I don’t get it she thought. Why would he just get up and leave like that? Find a path to life? Be useful to us? That idiot’s always been useful, and he never worried about what he wanted to do before. Why the sudden change?
The whole thing was confusing. The return home, the letter, Spike’s departure. It confused not only Rainbow Dash but the whole group. Despite his letter saying that he wanted to see what he could do without them why didn’t he wait till they at least came back before he left? Why did he leave so abruptly? This wasn’t him going on a journey, this felt more like abandonment.
At least that’s how Rainbow Dash saw it.
Her embrace on the tortoise tightened just a bit.
“Did he even factor how we would actually feel when he left?” she whispered the feeling of sadness leaving and getting replaced with the small sparks of anger.
He did her conscience reminded her.
Remember he said “don’t be mad.” This thought only made Rainbow Dash even angrier. She snorted, her hug around Tank tightening even more.
“That was a stupid thing to say. Of course I’d be angry! Anypony would! No one would take this lying down! He just got up and left! Like, like we weren’t even important!” she said releasing Tank and staring at him. “You understand what I’m saying don’t you?” she asked.
Tank merely blinked, then smiled at her warmly before licking her cheek.
Rainbow Dash smiled sadly. “Thanks.”
The two snuggled back together in the couch. Rainbow Dash thinking about Spike’s letter and what she could do to bring him back.
The pegasus wasn’t about to let this go without a fight.
There were many things to take into account on why Rainbow Dash particularly refused to allow Spike to leave, like this. Hurting all of them in the process with only a letter to justify his reasoning. He’d hurt her. He’d hurt Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight. Especially Twilight who hadn’t said a single word to them the night before when everyone left her home late that night.
Dash was sure that at this very moment the young alicorn had plunged herself into her studies to try and either figure out where Spike was, or to repress all the pain that was stewing around in her heart.
She winced thinking about it. Rarity especially had also looked pretty disheartened.
So there the athlete sat. Thinking up what she could do to find Spike. To bring him back and make sure he apologized not just to her but to everyone else he’d thrown this heartache on.
Because Spike was a part of her flock Dash was willing to do anything to find him. Anything at all to find the little guy. It was a pegasi’s way of life. Those in a flock stuck together and looked out for each other. And Rainbow Dash had long ago accepted Twilight and Spike into her flock when they’d came to Ponyville.
Proof of this was when she’d insisted they go after Spike when he decided to travel with the other dragons and see how they lived their lives. There were multiple instances where she had to be held back because natural instinct kicked whenever she’d seen a member of her own flock in danger, only for Rarity and Twilight to hold her back or defer her from continuing with her actions.
A knock on her door drew her out of her thoughts of reminiscence. Grumbling as she trotted released Tank, the cyan pegasus opened the door to see the last pegasus she wanted to see.
Thunderlane.
Thunderlane was co-weather supervisor when Dash was too busy doing stunts, slacking off or just simply not doing her job. And it looks like her co-worker had come to tell her off based on the annoyed look the stallion now gave her and the slight way his wings were unfurled.
Of all the times this was the worst she snorted angrily. “What do you want Thunderlane?” Dash said trotting back into her living room.
“What do I-?! Rainbow Dash, it’s past 1! We were supposed to clear the clouds southeast of Ponyville half an hour ago! And we don’t have enough pegasi on hand today so I was told by the board to come and get you.”
“I’m busy” Dash said firmly plopping down into her cloud with Tank.
“Doing what?! You haven’t been out all day! No one in Cloudsdale has seen you outside since last night! Now get outside and d-” he paused, noticing how Dash’s tail flicked briefly and her ears slightly wilted.
If there was one thing pegasi were good with it was reading nonverbal expressions. Kinesics especially. And Thunderlane could tell without a shadow of a doubt that something was bothering his superior.
“Dash?” he said gentler tone, tucking both his wings back to his side as he trotted towards her. “What’s wrong?”
Rainbow Dash said nothing at first. This was something that she and the others needed to figure out on their own. Spike was a part of her own little flock and she didn’t want other members of a larger flock involved. But if she was going to find the little guy in a big world like this, and a large nation like Equestria, she’d need as much help as possible.
Dash sighed, seeing Tank fly by her side and gently nudge her with his head as if goading her to do what she had to do or what she believed was right. Dash smiled at her armored soldier before whispering a “thank you” to the tortoise.
Turning to Thunderlane who’d been waiting patiently Dash made her way towards the door but stopped when she saw Thunderlane standing back in her living room staring at her with one ear perked up as a sign of uncertainty.
“Well what are you waiting for? Let’s get to work” she said spreading her wings before taking off. “But after the job’s done I need you to do me a favor!” she called back.
Thunderlane who still was unsure of everything that was happening merely nodded and followed the mare outside before he said bye to Tank and followed her out into the skies.
“As long as we get this done before 2, I’ll do whatever you want.”
“He did what?!” Thunderlane exclaimed.
“Spike left Ponyville to find some kind of purpose or whatever philosophical mumbo jumbo you want to call it. The point is I need your help to help me find him.”
Thunderlane looked away, rubbing the back of his neck, unsure of what he was being asked. “I know I said I’d do anything but Dash what you’re asking me to do is-”
“Please!” Dash said with some desperation. “I need to find him!” she said almost bumping snouts with Thunderlane.
Thunderlane frowned, thinking of what procedures he’d need to take for what his friend was asking to be remotely possible.
Rounding up pegasi for something like this wasn’t something he had the power to do. They’d have to go through the board of Cloud Council, before he’d be able to get permission or even the authority to round up as many pegasi as possible to be even able to cover a sixth of Ponyville and Canterlot let alone the rest of Equestria in general.
“Dash I get how you feel. I liked the little guy also, he made some pretty funny comments but if this was his choice we have no right to interfere. Plus-” a blur swooped over Thunderlane’s muzzle.
Instantly the stallion felt a small pinch of pain radiate through his nose, like it had just been swatted or tapped rather roughly.
It had.
“What was that for?!” he asked rubbing his nose.
“For giving up without even trying!” she yelled her wings slightly spreading to assert her dominance. “Spike’s one of my closest friends and even if this isn’t that big of a deal to you it is to me!”
“Well what do you want me to do?! Make a riot happen or send word to every pegasus across Equestria to keep an eye out for a baby dragon that looks just like Spike?!” he yelled unfurling his own wings now to show he wasn’t about to get intimidated.
Then the two froze, as if a stroke of genius hit them.
“Wait...” Thunderlane said as the idea began to build in his head. “Maybe there is something I can do” he said with a slight smile.
Dash’s eyes glistened with hope at this. “Go on, what is it?!”
Thunderlane folded his wings back to his side trotting around on the cloud the two were now standing on as he paced.
“If we send word to every pegasus in Equestria to keep an eye out for a baby dragon that looks just like Spike we wouldn’t need to bother the Cloud Council on something like this, because we wouldn’t be making every pegasus on Equus do a worldwide scale search for him.” He stopped looking at Dash to see if she followed. The mare nodded slowly as she digested this bit of info then waited for him to continue.
“If we don’t have a scour mission for Spike the council doesn’t need to get involved. No complications, no time limit for how long they’ll search, and we won’t have to worry about the constant reports we’ll need to make till we find him. Having other pegasi keep an eye out is a different approach entirely since it’s of their own accord.”
“Meaning” Dash said slightly lost.
“Meaning if any of the pegasi in other parts of Equestria find Spike they’ll be able to send word back to us here. After all we all are kind of one giant flock so it’s only natural they’d send word back to us” Thunderlane said with a smile.
Thunderlane wasn’t expecting the bone crushing hug that was common between pegasi to show gratitude and appreciation, at the same time asserting a sense of a strong bond and trust.
“Your welcome” he wheezed as Dash’s hug tightened. Once released he coughed a bit before stretching his wings to make sure none of the bones in them had been broken.
“When can we start the search” Dash asked feeling pumped.
“Anytime if that’s fine by you” he said looking out at the clear skies. “We’ve already finished cloudbusting so we’ve got the rest of the day off. I can get Cloudchaser to send word to some friends of mine in Baltimare and Las Pegasus as a started and we’ll work our way spreading the message from there.”
Dash grinned, blinking a few tears away quickly before she wiped a hoof over her eyes. “Let’s get going now then.”
Thunderlane nodded, spreading his wings. “Follow me, she should be at her place.”
Dash nodded as the two took off in Cloudchaser’s direction.
As the two soared through the air one thing firmly kept Dash’s newly found confident smile on her face.
“I’m coming for you Spike.”