Abstracted Spectrum

by Abstract Spectrum

Chapter 9: Rising Storm

A few days had passed since Rainbow Dash's childhood dreams were nuked. She still couldn't believe it. The greatest thing that she'd put her whole life into, slipped right through her hooves. She didn't even have it for that long, either. One show. Not even that, actually. About a quarter of a show, then Soarin' showed up.

Soarin'.

The name stuck in Dash's head as "that jerk who crushed your dreams". She hasn't gone back to Cloudsdale since, she was too afraid of being spotted by The Wonderbolts. They'd shun her, and seeing that made her heart cringe. She had no reason to go up there, anyway. Everything she needed was right there in Ponyville. Her house, her friends...

her friends...

She hadn't told them about what she did to Soarin', and she didn't plan to. Dash was surprised they hadn't found out already themselves. They'd probably agree with Spitfire and never want to see her again. The thought of such a thing made her eyes water. She didn't want to lose the only support she had left, where else would she go? She thought that maybe she should just leave Ponyville, and go live elsewhere without telling her friends. It'd be a lot less painful than taking the rage and disappointment from them if they found out she hurt somepony to near death for no good reason.

In such deep horrific thoughts of the future, Rainbow Dash forgot where she was for a moment. It wasn't until her pink puffy-maned friend walked up to her that she was suddenly thrown back into reality. Not because she was pink, and that caught her eye, but because Pinkie WALKED up to Rainbow Dash.

"Uh... hey Pinkie! What's... what's wrong?" Dash asked.

"Sorry to hear about Soarin', Rainbow Dash."

"What? What happened to him?"

"Surprise told me that some jerky pony punched him real hard, and he can't fly right with his broken jaw."

BROKEN jaw? Maybe I shouldn't work out as often as I do if I can break bones with what I consider a flick... Rainbow Dash thought.

"Anyway, he's held up at Ponyville Hospital, maybe you should go see him? It'd be a nice thing for you to do." Pinkie recommended.

"I just might do that. Thanks for the info, Pinkie. Seeya."

LATER, AT PONYVILLE HOSPITAL...

Rainbow stepped into the hospital. She remembers this place well, since she was in it a few months ago. The teal walls, the beige tiles, and the smell of medicine. For some reason, she liked it. Maybe it was because she'd gotten used to it the short time she was here. But she digressed.

Walking up to the counter, the receptionist noticed her out of the corner of her eye.

"Why hello, Ms. Dash! What brings you here? How's the wing been?" The nurse asked.

"It's been... okay."

"So, what can I do for ya?"

"I'm here to see a friend. Goes by the name of Soarin'?"

"Lemme check, hang on." The nurse said, pulling out a clipboard from under her desk. "Soarin'... Soarin'... Soarin'... ah! Here he is!"

"Can I see him?"

"Sure! Room 1-205. So it's the first floor, second hallway, fifth room, just down that way, hon!" The nurse finished, pointing in the direction of Soarin's room.

"Thanks!"

Rainbow Dash made her way down the halls, and eventually found the room she was looking for. Upon opening the door, the first things she knew she'd hear were a heart meter, and heavy breathing. Rainbow peeked her nose through the door, and saw Soarin' laying in bed, staring at the wall. Obviously he noticed a rainbow colored mane that'd come through the door, and objected to Dash's entrance.

"Rainbow Dash? What are you doing here? I don't want to see you, get out!" Soarin' coughed.

Dash stepped closer, knowing that Soarin' couldn't really to anything to stop her.

"I said back away! NOW!" Soarin' coughed again.

"Soarin' please, lemme-"

"Let you what? Finish the job? Go ahead, right here, end it!"

"Soarin', please! I'm-"

"You're here to gawk at how immobilized I am? Try-"

Soarin' was interrupted when Rainbow's lips met his. Soarin' paused for a second, trying to decide whether or not to shove her away. The heart meter's increased beeping noise made it hard to concentrate. Rainbow Dash backed away, and spoke again.

"I'm sorry, okay? I never meant to hurt you, I was just under a lot of pressure. And... the way you reacted just kind of... set me off." Rainbow explained.

"Yeah well... you still didn't have to hit so hard..."

"Again, sorry. I just don't know my own strength."

"Damn right you don't."

There was a deafening silence that overcame the room. Soarin' didn't make eye contact with Dash, as she looked around the room. The only noises around were the air conditioning and the heart meter's beep noise.

"I'm sorry, too." Soarin' replied, breaking the silence. "You're right, I shouldn'tve been so insensitive. It's just that growing up, I was taught to fight and surpass those kinds of feelings."

"I understand. And apology accepted."

"Ditto." Soarin' finished.

The deafening silence came back for a few seconds.

"If... if we have nothing else to say to each other, I can leave, if you want. You look like you need your rest."

Soarin' turned his head away from Rainbow Dash and gestured his hoof as a signal for her to leave. Rainbow Dash simply turned and walked out the door of the room, closing it gently behind her. She looked back at it, and sighed. She couldn't help but feel that Soarin' was still mad at her. She only knew that time heals everything.

Rainbow Dash returned home lawful early. She went upstairs to her bedroom, just to think, which made her even more tired. Eventually, she fell asleep with the lights on. On her eyelids, she could see that Soarin' was really the first pony in a long time to have any real faith in her. She started to remember the first time she set off on her Wonderbolt journey. She told her friends it wouldn't be long before it was time for her to come back home. That day, that moment, she felt like she was ready for anything. Just so long as her friends could wait for her.

Then that moment of horror in the backstage room came back to her head. Everypony she used to know on that team said they didn't know what she had become. But she was still the same, not much had changed, she still knew where she came from. A family of middle-classed, courageous fliers, who grew up strong, but with heart.

A FEW HOURS LATER...

Rainbow's eyes flew open. There was a sudden pain in her chest like she'd been shot. The lights were still in, so she could see that there wasn't anything there. She thought about how strange this pain was, but shrugged it off. Rainbow Dash decided that maybe she should just... fly. Fly around and look, and see the parts of Equestria she never really focused on. She thought maybe it'd help her realize something.

Heading out the front door, she locked it behind her, and set off. She didn't want to go too far that she'd get lost, so she stayed at least somewhere near the places she knew. In this case it'd be every town and city between Fillydelphia and Las Pegasus. Las Pegasus sounded like a good idea, but she wasn't in the mood for pleasure or gambling. And it certainly isn't the place to clear ones head with all the smoking ponies and traffic in that area. Rainbow Dash suddenly realized she was already thinking. She didn't have to go anywhere, just fly.

"What'll happen if my friends find out I was the one who hurt him? Will they accept it because I'm their friend? Or will they think I'm... irrational? Dear Celestia, listen to me. I've never used the word irrational in my life. But... what about Soarin'? Has he really forgiven me? He wasn't very responsive to my apology. I suppose only time can tell, but I don't want to wait that long. I just... don't know what I'm gonna do."

Rainbow Dash suddenly realized the ground beneath her. Clouds. She was in Cloudsdale, the very place she wanted to stay away from. Before she could fly away to prevent being spotted, she was pulled down by a familiar pegasus' words.

"Rainbow Dash, can you come down here for a sec?" Surprise asked lightly.

"What do you want?" Rainbow Dash replied, trying not to make her tone sound menacing.

"I just wanted to thank you for apologizing to Soarin'. It meant a lot to him."

"Wait... MEANT? Oh no... nononono... don't tell me-"

"He's dead, Rainbow Dash. A piece of bone from his fractured jaw drifted off in his head, and blocked important blood-flow veins. He became... unresponsive. And eventually his brain basically just... dried out."

"This... this can't be happening..."

"It is, and has. Unfortunately, you're still vilified by the rest of the team, they think it was your fault that he's dead, and their right. If you hadn't had hit him, none of this'd be happening. But you're still my friend. At least you bothered to apologize." Surprise said faintly.

"Thanks, at least I still have a friend."

"You'd better go, I think the team's looking for you."

"Got it." Dash said, taking off for Ponyville.

Hopefully, she still had some friends there, too.

Comments

[The Real Steel]

Oh hay.

Rainbow done did it now.

[Lt Mania]

killed by a blow to the jaw
is curious and very bad luck
XD

[Abstract Spectrum]

449086

Well keep in mind she also broke his jaw.

[Derplexity]

:megusta:
Dis gown be gud :3
But I recommend StalinViews though, I had one and they gave a lot of constructive criticism for stories.

www.fimfiction.net/user/Stalin%20The%20Stallion

Link to his page is hopefully correct, I'm typing from my mobile .

[nodamnbrakes]

important blood-flow veins

lol
also
i imagined
half his jaw being forced into his head
and i lol'd

[SoarinDashSpaz]

this chapter made me cry

[SolidFire]

Wow, now that is downright sad. I can't help but try and shake this nagging feeling at the back of my head that, when one of Rainbow's tears landed on the bronze medallion that meant she had become a Wonderbolt turned red or something, that something wierd went down and shit would end up hitting the fan later on. Does that actually have anything to do with what is going on?

[CP_BEN]

That's it. I'm watching.