//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Free Falling // by Lightning_Speed //------------------------------// "Dash..." "Come on Dash wake up." “Who is that? What's going on? WHERE THE HELL AM I??” Rainbow Dash found herself in a room of darkness, black as far as she could see. She couldn't feel, only hear the worried voice of the stranger that had found her... somewhere. It echoed throughout the place, with no discernable source. A bright light appeared, and morphed into a shadowy, unrecognizable figure. "Hello?" Rainbow Dash moved her arm towards the thing. She reached out to touch it, and it instantly transformed into an hourglass, which was already a quarter empty. "Time is running out, Rainbow Dash" a mysterious and creepy voice said. “What are you ta-" She was cut off by a new voice. "BEGONE, FOUL CREATURE, AND DO NOT RETURN," The hourglass vanished as another figure suddenly formed, it looked like..a person. "It is time for you to wake up, Rainbow Dash. Be careful". "Be careful? What are you doi-AHHH!" And with that Dash vanished into thin air. Dash's eyes opened wide. Though blurry, she could see two figures above her and feel the ground beneath her. She blinked a few times to clear the blurriness from her eyes, revealing a lady with berry purple hair with a pair of eyes to match, with tears streaming down her face. She was clutching Sprinklecloud in her arms and beside her was a guy with blown back navy hair and emerald eyes that sparkled in the sun. Had she seen this guy before? He looks familiar... her thoughts were cut off when he called her name again. "Huh?" She breathed out. "What's going on?" Rainbow was beyond confused as to why she woke up with people staring at her. She tried to push herself off the ground only to feel a powerful, stabbing blast of pain throughout her wings and back. "Ahh... Ahh..." She whispered as she got onto one knee. "Woah, stay put Dash, you’re going to hurt yourself even more" the navy-haired guy wrapped his arm around her upper waist but she refused to use the help and, ignoring the pain, finally got up. "Who are you?" Rainbow looked at the guy in a dizzy way while he tried to hold her up but he didn't respond. She still couldn't see properly and was focused on the huge amount of pain in her wings. "My...wings..." She clenched her teeth, easing the pain ever so slightly, then gasped as she remembered everything that happened: She was struck by that compressed thundercloud to protect the little girl. "I know Dash, but hold on. The ambulance is here." And without another word he picked her up and placed her on the stretcher. She looked to her side to only see Sprinklecloud and her mother walking within arms length of the stretcher. "Rainbow Dash, you saved my child..." She started to cry. "Thank you so much... I don't know what I would do if... if I had lost her." She continued to bawl. Dash grabbed her hand. "There's nothing to worry about. I'm just happy Sprinkle here is safe." Dash waved at the two as they stopped walking, and the lady hugged her daughter before starting to lecture her about paying attention to her surroundings. Secure in the knowledge that the girl was safe, Dash closed her eyes and fell asleep as the medics began to examine her and attach a few wires to her body. Later, in a hospital in Canterlot, Rainbow lay on a hospital bed with her body wrapped from the tip of her wings to her hips and everything in between. Yet she was not alone in the room. The “stranger” who had known her name and caught her before she hit the ground was with her. Rainbow Dash slowly awoke, blinking a few times before curiously examining the room. "Heh, you’re finally awake. I Thought I was gonna stay here forever!" Dash's eyes widened as she turned to see the one and only Soarin Skies sitting beside her bed. Dash's mouth hung agape as she rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was dreaming. "Oh. MYYY! GOSHHHH!!! You’re real! You’re right in front of me, right there, o my... I can't believe it!!!!" Soarin chuckled as the girl started squeeing. "Yup! That's me!" He said, smirking. "But what are you doing here? I didn't know there was going to be a show? Was there one that I was totally unaware of?” She asked. "Haha, no. Actually, me and the rest of my squad came to Ponyville to find you!" That sentence was the one that officially made Rainbow's day, and she gasped in shock. "You wanted to see me?! But why exactly..." She trailed off as a doctor walked in with Nurse Redheart. "It's good to see you’re finally awake, Rainbow Dash." The doctor said while walking towards the side of her bed. "How are you feeling? We gave you some of our stronger legal painkillers to ease the pain, but they probably won't last for long." He took his glasses off and stared at her with some worry. "I'm actually surprised to see that you’re alive, Rainbow Dash..." Dash and Soarin listened attentively. "This has never happened before. Every patient I had that was shocked by a compressed lightning cloud has either died, or could never walk or fly again. It's a miracle that you’re mostly healthy, but that you’re healing faster than normal expectations, well... Anyway, with that being said, you will be able to leave the hospital today. However, you are not allowed to use your wings until we have checked that they’re healed completely. I'll be back with a few more nurses to make some final checks, and then you will be able to leave." And the doctor left without saying another word. "Well I didn't even get to answer the question," she said, "but hey, only being in a hospital for less than a day and still getting to leave, is AWESOME!" Dash punched the air, victorious, as Soarin chuckled. "Well, actually, Dash... you've been asleep for three days." Soarin said with an amused tone. "Oh, well, tha-" She was cut off by a loud noise that was rapidly increasing in intensity, similar to an incoming fighter jet. "RAINBOW DASSHHHHH!!!!!" Pinkie came flying into the room and, after sighting Rainbow, hugged her with all her might. "Ow, OW! Pinkie, I'm still beat up, take it easy!" She said, smiling as the rest of her friends entered the room. His job done, Soarin left so that the close friends could talk. "Pinkie! Get off Rainbow, she's hurt!" shouted Twilight as she tried pulling her off of the injured pegasus but Pinkie's grip was too strong. "Nooo, I wanna hug Dashieeee!!!" She shouted. "Anyway, what's up guys?" Dash asked, wanting to know what she missed the last three days that she's been out. However, she immediately regretted her question as Fluttershy's weary smile was replaced with an extremely angry expression. She ran up in front of Dash. "WHAT'S UP?????? THAT'S ALL YOU SAY?? YOU WERE GONE FOR THREE WHOLE FREAKING DAYS AND THAT'S ALL YOU SAY?????? I THOUGHT YOU were... going to... die." Fluttershy broke down crying. Everyone turned to her. Dash started awkwardly petting her head as she was still a little creeped out by ‘Flutter Monster'. "Uh, Fluttershy, you... I'm sorry that I scared you like that.. I promise I won't do it again?" Dash scratched the back of her head struggling to comfort Fluttershy. *sniff* "It's ok Dashie.. just promise me you won't hurt yourself like that again..." Fluttershy stopped crying. "Heh, I don't know if I can promi..." she trailed off when Fluttershy started glaring at her. "Uh, I mean, of course I won't do it again" Dash corrected herself and put on a smile. The five friends ended up staying with Dash until she got her final checkup, and then she could leave. Rarity ended up fixing Dash's hair since it was 'a total disaster'. Even AJ started talking and laughing little by little, but only Dash noticed that. After Dash was checked on and officially able to leave, she and her friends left the hospital. Applejack decided it would be a good idea for everyone to come to her farm so that they could hang out some more. "Yeah, so basically, I jumped in front of Sprinklecloud and got zapped, and then Soarin caught me before I could hit the ground. No biggie" Dash explained what had happened as she leaned back on a haystack. "Wow, Rainbow, putting yourself in front of others is a sign of great bravery and loyalty!" Twilight said, and that got a little chuckle. "I especially adored the part where your knight in shining armour came and saved you!" Rarity said with a dreamy look. Before Rainbow could argue, Pinkie jumped in front of Rarity. "It was Soarin who saved her, not Shining Armour, silly, he can't even fly!" Pinkie Pie laughed. "Pinkie, yah really need to see a doctor, you’re a complete idiot. I can't believe ya don't understand even the easiest things, it's like you've nev-" AppleJack was cut off by an indignant Rarity. "APPLEJACK! How could you say such things to Pinkie, she's your friend!?" At this point, Pinkie Pie was shedding a few tears,and her hair had completely deflated. The rest were looking at Applejack with wide eyes. AJ would never say those things to any of her friends. Something must really be bothering her about the whole Thunderlane breakup. "Hmph." AJ turned away, and left the barn leaving her friends in a state of complete shock. "Ok, that's it." Everyone turned to Dash. "Twilight can you help me up, I'm going to have a little talk with Applejack." Without a word, Twilight grabbed Rainbow in her magic, and pulled her up. Dash limped to the door which Applejack had left from. "I'm gonna give Applejack a piece of my mind" Dash muttered to herself as she limped through the doors of the barn and into the sunlight.