For the second time in as many days, Rainbow Dash was back in the hospital. Only this time she wasn’t the patient. When news of the battle at Sweet Apple Acres had become public, Mayor Mare immediately ordered a state of emergency. That such a large pack of wolves was found so close to the town proper meant that their borders had to be watched. There was now a Town Watch and parents no longer allowed their children to wander outside.
Sitting in the hallway, Rainbow Dash sighed as she finished her eighth cup of water. She had to go to the bathroom something fierce but refused to leave, not until she learned of her friend’s condition. A chorus of hooves had her looking up in time to see her friends, all of them, rushing to her side.
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight began. Taking a moment to look her over, the princess embraced her friend. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Rainbow said. “It’s not me you should be worrying about.”
Rarity covered her mouth, lips trembling. “How is she?”
“She just fought off a pack of timberwolves while one of her legs was bleeding to death. How do you think she’s feeling?”
“Hey!” Pinkie spoke up. “Just because you’re sad, that’s no reason to be mean!” She defended Rarity who was taken aback by Rainbow’s harsh tone.
“Pinkie’s right, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “We’re sorry we couldn’t have been there, but that’s no excuse.”
“Where were you anyway?” Rainbow stepped back, face hardened. “I was expecting you of all ponies to be leading the charge. Didn’t you hear the commotion?”
Twilight shook her head. “I wasn’t anywhere near a window when Derpy and Blossomforth returned to town. I was doing research…”
“Big surprise. Twilight does research.” Rainbow looked away from her. “There’s a world outside your books, you know.”
“Knock it off, Rainbow!” Pinkie snapped.
“Oh yeah? And where were you, Miss ‘I can appear anywhere at anytime except where my friends need me the most’? You’re the only earth pony I know that can keep up with me even when I fly, and yet you were nowhere near Sweet Apple Acres. What were you doing? Baking a cake?”
“That’s enough!” Fluttershy snapped. Every pony, Rainbow included, was startled by the quiet pegasus’ sharp tone. Stepping up, she glared at Rainbow. “I wasn’t there either. Are you going to blame me for what happened to Applejack too?”
Rainbow faltered under Fluttershy’s hard stare.
“I live right on the edge of the Everfree Forest. It could just as easily have been my cottage under attack. Who’s to say you or any pony else would have gotten there on time to help me if that had happened?” She puffed out her chest. “It’s a risk I live with every day because I want to live close to my animal friends. Applejack and her family live with risks too. We all try to be there for each other but when one friend doesn’t show up that doesn’t mean they don’t care. Twilight’s a princes and even she can’t be everywhere at once. I’d have zapped over there in a heartbeat if I knew what was happening. The same goes for Pinkie and Rarity. Don’t pretend we didn’t care because it’s not fair and it’s not right, Rainbow Dash.”
Humbled by Fluttershy’s words, Rainbow Dash dipped her head in shame. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Pinkie, Rarity, Twilight. And I’m sorry too, Fluttershy. It was just…hard to see her like that. All the scars. All the…blood.” Rainbow sniffed. “I wish I could have been there with her.”
Fluttershy wrapped her friend in a hug. “Shh. It’s okay.”
The adjacent door opened. Nurse Redheart, upon seeing them, slowly approached. “Hello,” her voice was somber.
Twilight spoke up first. “How is she?”
“She’s lost a lot of blood,” Nurse Redheart reported. “We’ve managed to stabilize her condition but she needs a blood transfusion.”
“Take mine,” Rainbow offered up her arm.
The nurse shook her head. “After her family, you and your friends were my first choice, but her blood type is rare and I’m afraid that none of you are a match. I’ll have to check hospital records to find possible alternatives. Don’t worry. I’m sure there’s some pony out there who’d be more than willing to donate. I haven’t met a pony yet who didn’t like Applejack.”
“Can we see her?” Rarity asked.
“I’m afraid not. The Apples are in there with her right now and we only allow a few visitors at a time. Sorry, but family comes first.”
“We understand. Please let them know that we are here if they need anything,” Twilight informed the nurse.
“I will.” She smiled at them before taking her leave.
There was a long, anguished silence among the five friends. Even Pinkie was at a loss for words.
“There were so many of them, Twilight,” Rainbow began. “I’ve never seen a pack that big so close to Ponyville.”
Twilight nodded. “I had an idea on that.” She found every pony’s attention solely on her. “Timberwolves rarely venture so close to town. I’m thinking that several packs found themselves trapped behind the barrier with us, cutting them off from their usual hunting grounds. It was only a matter of time before hunger forced them to look for a new source of food.”
“Like us?” Pinkie asked.
She nodded. “That’s my theory anyway.”
“But it wasn’t just the size.” Rainbow went into detail, painting a picture before them. “These wolves were smart. The pack kept me busy while their buddies went around to attack the house. I couldn’t help the Apples without leading the whole pack inside and they knew it. I’m telling you they were like egghead wolves.”
Rarity groaned. “Intelligent timber wolves? What’s the world coming to?”
“That is odd,” Twilight admitted. “Perhaps they were being manipulated somehow.”
Rainbow asked, “You mean like, a spell?”
“Or the barrier is having some adverse affects on the wildlife. Fluttershy, have your animal friends been acting weird by any chance?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “I don’t think so. Most have taken shelter in my cottage.” She paused to think. “Now that I think about it, they do seem more on edge than usual. It’s like they’re afraid of something. They are more in tune with nature than ponies and I think they sense how unnatural this weather is.”
“Fluttershy, you don’t need to have a sixth sense to know something’s wrong.” Rainbow Dash looked out the nearest window where the snow continued to fall. She stared at it for a moment before turning around. “Twilight, you said you were doing some research earlier. Was it about breaking through the barrier?”
“Among other things. Mostly, I was trying to figure out the message left to me by Sunset Shimmer.”
All eyes widened at that, all but Rarity’s.
“What?” Pinkie exclaimed. “Sunset Shimmer contacted you?”
“Yes. I mean, no. I mean…tell them, Rarity.”
Now the white unicorn was in the spotlight, exactly where she loved to be. “Gladly, darling. You see, I paid a visit to our princess last night and discovered that Sunset’s last message wasn’t written by her at all. In fact,” she paused for dramatic effect. “It was a fake!”
“What did it say?” Fluttershy asked.
“She mentioned a strange vortex in the sky and that she and her friends were huddled inside Pinkie’s basement.”
Pinkie jumped up, legs outstretched. “They are?” She sped away so fast that she left smoke in her wake. Not three seconds later, Pinkie appeared in the exact same spot with her legs spread out. “No they’re not.”
“I mean back in the human world, sweetie.” Rarity waited until Pinkie came back down before continuing. “She said something about a failed experiment that she’d performed. Whatever the cause of it, I knew by the writing that it wasn’t Sunset Shimmer. As an artist, I recognize patterns in all shape and form, and the words were written in a completely different script. Naturally, I’m sure Twilight would have figured this little tidbit out eventually, but she was too tired to recognize it for what it is, a farce.”
Twilight blushed. “She’s right. I took another look and came to the same conclusion. Whoever wrote that message wasn’t from Canterlot High.”
“Then who was it?” Fluttershy asked.
“That’s what I was trying to figure out. It’s why I didn’t learn about the attack at Sweet Apple Acres until long after it happened.”
“Speaking of which,” Rarity turned, “Fluttershy, are you sure you want to remain at your cottage while those wolves are about? You know you are more than welcome to stay at the boutique with me until we get this whole situation sorted out.”
The pegasus smiled. “Thanks. But like I said, it’s a risk I’m willing to live with. Miss Badger is pregnant and we can’t afford moving her at this stage.”
“Regardless, I don’t like the idea of you being out there alone while that pack is on the lose.” Twilight had an idea. “Tell you what, I’ll erect a magical bubble around your cottage that no one but you can enter and leave. That should keep you safe and give the rest of us peace of mind.”
“Oh, that sounds lovely. Thank you, Twilight,” Fluttershy beamed.
“Say, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight turned around. “I wanted…Rainbow? Hey, where are you going?” Twilight found her friend walking away from the group. “Rainbow Dash?”
“It’s nothing,” she said over her shoulder. “You got me thinking, Twilight, and I want to do some research of my own.”
“Really?” Twilight began to follow. “That’s great. You can always use my library if you,”
“Thanks,” Rainbow cut her off. “But that’s just not me.” With that, Rainbow opened up the window and flew off into the flurry. Twilight watched her go, concern splayed on her face.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Rainbow Dash didn’t look back as she put the hospital behind her. She was never one for second guessing herself and was not about to start now. While she trusted Twilight explicitly, Rainbow wasn’t about to lay on her laurels while she waited for the princess to come up with a plan. She’d nearly lost one friend and that was one close call too many.
Rainbow Dash, Pony of Action.
Looking up at the clouds, she hovered just above the town square. Normally such a place would have been lively and full of ponies. Now it was almost barren. She couldn’t stand to see it this way. Now in addition to the unnatural weather and the fact that they were cut off from the outside, there was now the threat of timberwolves.
This would not do. She would not allow it.
“Keep reading your books, Twi,” Rainbow said as she flew off toward the distance. “I’ll handle this my own way.”