Remember The Spectrum

by Eclipse

A Deeper Sleep

This chapter was orginally released Thursday afternoon, but was taken down and re-worked and will now be released on time following the schedule I originally set up. I hope you find thid chapter more suited to your likings.

Rainbow Dash was awoken by a cold gust that flowed throughout the room, the world around her was cold and the entire room was now an even more pale and emotionless gray then before when it was just a pale and bland white; making Rainbow Dash shift around slightly, adjusting herself to look around the room. She stopped moving abruptly and just sat completely idle, the world being cold and gray was the absolute least of Rainbow Dash’s problems. The most unnerving thing about her experience in this world was, she didn’t hurt anymore; all she felt was the cold that was utterly and very well almost unreal to her, she’d just waken up from a coma and she had just hurt not but a few hours ago, how in Equestria was the pain just miraculously gone? She thought for a second, perhaps it was a blend of magic, medication, and maybe even some mass amounts of anesthetics killed away all of the pain she’d felt before, perhaps Twilight wrapped it all together with a spell like she usually liked to do whenever one of her friends got hurt to make all of the overwhelming pain go away. But it still didn’t quite explain why it was so unworldly cold in her room, but when she looked down, she was above the thin hospital covers, and even he thick wool blanket her friends had made for her a while back, as if she’d never been under the covers in the first place, her limbs hanging down coldly and almost lifelessly beside her. But she still felt them slightly, which was good enough for her, and even better, her wings were okay now; they no longer hung lifelessly, which brought relief to the cyan mare.

Rainbow Dash looked around trying to get any glimpse of the doctors that she could, but she couldn’t find any pony, every way she looked, there was nothing but simple paintings on the wall and models of hearts, lungs, bronchial tubes, and other miscellaneous things. There was absolutely no pony around her room and by the looks of it; there was no pony in the entire hospital, which struck her as odd. The hospital never closed, so the workers, the nurses, and the doctors never left and when they did, replacements would always be there to fill the position for them anyways. But no, there was not a single soul in the entire hospital. Rainbow Dash looked around again, and saw just a single shadow that was coming from the wall, Rainbow screamed for it, and to her imminent surprise, she could actually speak again. “H-Hello?” she said, her voice was no raspier than it usually is, “Uh… I-I’m feeling better now, c-can some pony come in here and explain to me exactly was is going on here?” she asked, her words falling upon deaf ears, no pony coming in, or even directly responding to her question. Rainbow Dash noticed that all of her casts were taken off, and moving her limbs didn’t hurt, but they were cold, and ultimately numb beyond belief. She didn’t seem to dwell on that fact too much, she just wanted to get an answer from some pony, any pony.

Rainbow Dash got up and decided to go into the hallway to try and figure out what was going on around the eerie, empty hospital, but as she walked out into the hallway, a raspy voice came out from behind her, making her cringe in fear from the raspy and ominous voice that had just now eerily whispered to her. “Raaaaiiinbooow Daasssh, there is no pony here, no pony that is alive anyways.” The voice said eerily, making Rainbow Dash move around frantically looking for the source of the voice that sounded like it was right next to her, whispering into her ear. “You’ve killed them Rainbow Dash, you dragged them away, and you ultimately ended two of your very best friends’ lives. Now, the deceased will come back to take their revenge on the living, they will take your life, just like you have taken theirs.” The voice said as Fluttershy and Gilda came towards her, almost zombie-like, limping towards her with no emotion on their faces, and no pupils in their eyes, not even the irises were present, just an endless white surrounded by their faces. They were a few tones down from the color they were supposed to be, Rainbow Dash wanted to approach them, but felt that because of what that voice had said, they wouldn’t exactly give her a friendly little hug.

“Fl-Fluttershy, Gilda, what are you guys doing?” Rainbow Dash said, them speeding up and putting a stern and determined look onto their faces. Rainbow Dash started taking steps back, but where there was once a hallway; there was now just an emotionless cinderblock wall, painted over with a bland and equally emotionless gray overtone. Like how Fluttershy looked when discord got a hold of her, except, her face was still as innocent and sweet as it ever was. And come to think of it, they looked like when Discord got a hold of them too, which struck Rainbow Dash as even odder. But they still came after her as if possessed by something that wanted simple little Dashie, dead.

“You took our lives Dash, now we’re coming back, and we’re going to take yours. We never got to live our full lives, have a family of our own, because of you, we never got the chance to even make as many friends as we would have liked to. You completely destroyed our lives, and you’re causing all of our friends’ pain, all of them are going to kill themselves just because of what you’ve done. This guilt will overwhelm you, and then we’ll be there to take your life in a simple little instant. Just like that one instant, when you put yourself before us, we’re dead because of you, now you’re going to be dead too; and then we can all burn in hell together!” Fluttershy yelled with a surpassingly booming voice for her, as her and Gilda moved even more slowly towards Rainbow Dash, making her start crying and look into the emotionless eyes of what used to be two of her best of friends, now they were dead, cold, food for the maggots, and it was all her fault…
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Rainbow Dash was shocked awake, her eyes shot open faster than she ever thought her eyes could even move, she looked around and just saw the nurses sighing with relief still having a look of concern on their faces. The doctors were standing over her, with the shock paddles for the A.E.D, they put them down and all sighed lowly and moved away to reveal Pinkie Pie who was running into the room with tears rolling down her eyes as she shot towards Rainbow Dash, embracing her hurt cyan pegasus friend in the biggest hug she had ever given any pony before. This hug was special, Rainbow Dash was alive, and this was Pinkie expressing herself to how happy she was that Rainbow Dash was living and still breathing, though her breaths were raspy, Pinkie didn’t mind as long as she was breathing at all. Rainbow Dash cringed as Pinkie tightened her grasp upon her best friend, as she looked to Rainbow’s face and immediately let go of her trying to apologize for hurting her, even though it was unintentional, Pinkie felt bad nonetheless.

“Oh, I’m sorry Dashie, I just got so excited that you were okay. I mean we haven’t seen you for so long, and we all were really worried about you.” Pinkie wiped her eyes as Rainbow noticed that her mane was as flat as the day she’d gone off the deep end and started talking to a bucket of turnips, a pile of rocks, a ball of lint, and even a large bag of flour. She’d even named the things and took over for their voices as if they were actually talking to her, but Rainbow didn’t care, she was happy to see her friend again, even if she wasn’t as peppy as she usually was. “Dashie, please don’t leave us, we just can’t handle one of our bestest friends dying.” Pinkie’s eyes started to water more and more as Rainbow Dash rubbed her hoof across Pinkie’s face, wiping off the tears coming from the small pink earth mare, making her smile slightly.

“Excuse us ladies, if we may interject for a moment.” One of the doctors said; as Pinkie looked back not noticing they never left the room. “We have some rather grim news to share with you ladies, if you’d like to hear it the nicer way, or if you’d like us to give it to you straight.”

“Depends on what this ‘news’ may be, if it’s about me, tell us the nicer way. Besides, how long have you guys been standing there?” Rainbow Dash said as the doctor looked down to the floor.

“We never left the room, and it’s not about you Ms. Dash, quite the contrary, it’s actually about your friend.” The doctor pony replied as Dash’s ears perked up.

“Which friend?” Rainbow dash inquired

“I believe her name is Fluttershy, if I’m pronouncing that correctly that is.”

Rainbow Dash looked at the doctor, “Yeah you said it right. Give it to us straight doc, I really want to know how lil’ ‘Shy is doing all alone in that room. Is she having nightmares?” Rainbow Dash inquired again as the doctor sighed and shook his head, “So she’s not having nightmares?”

The doctor shook his head slightly, his neck starting to wilt towards the ground a bit, “Rainbow Dash, I’m afraid that your friend has passed away, she suffered a massive cranial hemorrhage. Her cranial cavity filled with blood and made it to where her brain could no longer sustain function. We’re very sorry for your loss, we did everything we could, but we couldn’t save her.”

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie’s faces were of pure shock, Fluttershy, one of their very best friends in all of Ponyville was now dead, and she knew that her passing was all her fault and now there was no way for Dash to ever apologize to her for dragging her into the situation in the first place. Pinkie’s eyes started to overflow with tears as she buried her face into Rainbow Dash’s forelegs, Rainbow Dash stroking her mane, her eyes starting to fill with tears as well. “Fl-Fluttershy? Oh man, great, one of my very best friends in all of Equestria and now she’d just die before I could ever hope to apologize to her.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes started to water, her guilt starting to overwhelm her, knowing that her direct actions and persuasion brought all of this upon Fluttershy, Gilda, and all of their friends and family. Pinkie looked up at Rainbow Dash and saw the tears in her eyes, knowing that she was in emotional pain and decided to give her friend a comforting hug.

“Yes ma’am, she died at approximately 1943 hours, or about seven forty-three o’ clock P.M. We’re sorry to inform you of such a grim thing after being through so much, but she passed away last night and we thought that you’d like to know that.” The doctor said, responding to Rainbow Dash’s heartfelt plea for forgiveness to the very pony that wasn’t there.

“Sh-she can’t be dead, please doctor tell us it isn’t so!” Pinkie yelled out tears overflowing most of her eyes, and sadness overtaking all of her face.

The doctors looked down to the floor once again, as they always did when the mares started feeling emotional. “Pinkamena, we understand what you feel, but life moves on, it doesn’t stop to wait for any pony, and we mustn’t stop for it. Life must continue on, though that’s the hardest part, but it’ll get easier as time passes. But she left you a note, something she said she devised when she didn’t feel so good a few days ago, and her will has been written up and is being taken up to the local attorney’s office.” The doctor said, as the nurses started to leave the room, “Here, I’ll leave it on your nightstand, please continue talking, we’ll get out of your manes,” the doctor said as he put the note down onto the nightstand and then left the room, and the mares who were still sobbing from the news they’d just been given.

Rainbow Dash picked her head up and sniffled slightly, “Well that was a rather blunt way to tell us things wasn’t it?” Rainbow Dash said as all Pinkie could do was nod in response. “Yeah, here’s another thing to add to my conscience, I singlehoofedly dragged one of my best friends to her death.”

Pinkie tapped Rainbow Dash lightly on the shoulder and looked at her with a mix of anger and shock, “Dashie, you shouldn’t be quick to give things up, the doctor may not have told us the news in the best way possible but he’s just doing his job. You didn’t kill her singlehoofedly Dashie, no pony could’ve predicted such a tragedy to take place, but it still pains all of us to hear nonetheless.” Pinkie replied to Rainbow Dash as she looked back at pinkie whose face was red from where the tears had run down her face.

“You really think that? What about Fluttershy, or maybe even Spike? All dead because of my actions, I don’t deserve such great friends after my actions.” Rainbow Dash managed to say, her voice choking slightly.

Pinkie lightly slapped Rainbow Dash making her shout lowly in pain, “Dashie, you can’t let this take you, if you let it, then you’ll slowly die on the inside. And after that you’ll become a sad shell of a once loved mare, and then all of us will watch as you slowly stop reacting to the world and die all alone, no pony to hold you close, and no pony to talk to anymore.” Pinkie’s words penetrated deep into Rainbow Dash’s mind, reverberating in her ears and echoing around inside of her mind.

“I’m sorry Pink; it’s just hard for things to go back to normal after this, I mean I’m covered in bandages and casts, my voice is just absolutely wrecked, and I’m in so much pain I have to stay in bed, unable to move very far.”

“Dashie,” Pinkie cried, “You can’t give up on life, you have to push through all of this, and you won’t feel better if you hold all of this inside you. If you die, I can’t go on Dashie, I’m sorry but it’s a horrible truth. If you die, so will this pink mare. Not literally, but my whole life will go completely down the drain, my happiness, and everything will go up in flames as I stared at your grave every day, as a reminder of a mare that completely gave up on everything that she’d worked for. All of her life wasted in that moment she decided to give up and all of her friends would be torn completely apart by it. You can’t let this happen, you just can’t Dashie!” Pinkie cried to Rainbow Dash as Dash just replied with a stern look into Pinkie’s eyes making her stop her rant and just stare back at Dashie with tears in her eyes.

Rainbow Dash still couldn’t speak very well in long winded speeches which she hated anyways, but felt that trying was better than keeping everything she was holding inside of her, “Pinkamena Diane Pie, don’t you dare give up so easily, it just isn’t like you to just all of the sudden break down and just give up on everything that you used to love…” Dash coughed violently, making Pinkie shoot a face of concern, gasp, and bite down on her bottom lip, until Dash started to continue her thought in the coarse voice that she found herself having now. “You are Pinkie Pie, the best party pony in all of Equestria, you bring a smile unto every pony’s face, and that’s exactly why I want you to start planning parties again. Don’t you worry about me any, you worry about yourself, and you go out and do whatever it is Pinkie Pie’s do.” Rainbow finished jokingly, making Pinkie chuckle and smile at Dash, but her face soon turned again seeing the card that Rainbow had held in her hoof in something similar to a death grip. Rainbow traced her eyes and saw Pinkie looking at the card. Rainbow Dash sighed and smiled at Pinkie, tears filling up in her eyes, “This card is one of the saddest things I’ve ever read in my life Pink… I’ve never cried like that before in my entire life, but I’m glad that it was you that wrote it. I would’ve never been snapped out of my funk if I had never read it, but Pinkie, please for me, you have to live your life to the fullest. Me and ‘Shy are prime examples of that, you know, being taken away in our prime like this. But you still have your complete health, there’s nothing wrong with you, so there’s nothing holding you back from life, from what you love, and doing it with burning passion.” Rainbow Dash said as more tears escaped the now less than lively pink mare, making Dash sigh and let a few tears of her own run down her cheek, knowing that Pinkie would never be able to live with herself if Rainbow Dash were to pass away, and that both hurt, and flattered the cyan Pegasus, the last thing she needed right now was something to inflate her ego up like this.

Pinkie just looked back up at Rainbow Dash, “I still won’t live my life without you Dashie, you are my very bestest friend in all of Equestria, and if you leave me, I’ll be alone in this world, with no pony to make me feel special inside anymore.” Pinkie said, her voice was starting to crack because she knew, Rainbow Dash is dying, and there was nothing that Pinkie could ever hope to do about it, only time could tell if she would make her recovery. Pinkie’s eyes started flow with tears, a small stream making their way down her cheek, “I don’t want you to die Dashie, no pony in this town does! Little Scootaloo would have no pony to turn to anymore; you’re the only one who gives her hope, you’re her only reason that she has to even wake up in the mornings to embrace a world that has been less than kind to her. Without you in her life, she’ll die a lonely little filly, out casted by the very world around her. I don’t think any pony could ever live with that type of guilt.” Pinkie Finally finished, her final remark making Rainbow remember her nightmare and move her head down, one of the ones who went with her is dead, and the shyest, and most innocent one at that. But her nightmare was coming true, but she didn’t want to worry Pinkie, but Pinkie saw through her toughened face, and found out that she was hiding something on the inside. “Rainbow…? You’re face just… changed… I-if something is wrong, please tell me, I’m here to make you feel better, and I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s bothering you.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, “It’s just nothing, I had a nightmare last night, it had a voice telling me that the two close friends of mine, were going to come back to claim my life, just as my reckless actions had taken theirs. It was one of the worst things I’ve ever had to deal with in my life Pinkie, I don’t know if I can go back to sleep, I don’t want to risk having another one of those nightmares, because they seem so real. I can feel every little prick, every little chill, and even remember every single detail of my dream. After this experience, I can assure every pony, that I won’t be the same anymore, I mean, I just caused one of my best friends, and the most innocent out of all of them, to die because of my reckless desire to push upon my boundaries. I just can’t live with myself anymore, and I’m kind of hoping that someday, I’ll be able to join back up with Fluttershy in the afterlife to apologize to her and give her the biggest hug I have ever given out. I caused her to die in her prime, I got her killed, and she was one of my closest friends, one of the only ponies besides you that would actually listen to me once in a while.” Rainbow Dash started tearing up, her voice was still raspy, and now starting to crack up, “I never wished for any of this to happen, I would’ve never wished this upon all of our friends, I can never be forgiven for such an act of selfishness on my part. But you should never blame yourselves for how I am now, or how everything may change without me, but just remember this. We may be gone, but we will never be forgotten, you will see us in your dreams, you will see us in your memories, and you will remember all of the fun times we had. Though I may die, I ask you this, just promise that you will remember the spectrum, the one rainbow that always shone over the world, the one single rainbow that will never ever disappear, even in death…” Rainbow finished as Pinkie once again started to cry, her eyes were rolling with tears all making their way down her face. She hugged Dash again, it being the hardest and most embracing hug that Pinkie had ever given any pony before, making Dash cringe once more in the sudden jolt of pain that shot up her spine once again, but she was happy to be held by some pony, she was happy to have a friend to comfort her.

Nurse Redheart entered the room wearing a saddened look on her face, “I’m sorry Pinkamena, visiting hours are over now, and we please ask you to come back tomorrow if you want.” She said her voice was low and noticeably filled with a hint of sorrow to find Rainbow Dash this way. It pained all of Ponyville to see its favorite arrogant weather mare in the hospital with such injuries that may as well end her life. Pinkie looked up and gave a simple nod, and slowly got up from the floor and headed for the door, still having that sad look in her eyes as she turned back to the broken Rainbow Dash lying in a hospital bed, covered in casts and bandage.

“Rainbow Dash, I will remember you and Fluttershy, and even Gilda. You will always be in our memories, and you will always be our friend, and even in death, your influence on every pony’s life will still shine through. This rainbow may fade, but it will never, ever disappear.” Pinkie said as she smiled, and finally disappeared into the hall way, being engulfed in the light of the halls outside of Rainbow’s hospital room. Rainbow Dash smiled, having had a very close friend visit her in her time of need, but was absolutely shattered to hear that Fluttershy never made it, though horrible news it was, she was now in a better place, where nothing could ever hurt her anymore, there was no more pain for her, and everything would forever be happy.

Rainbow Dash smiled, and let out a stream of tears, “Rest in peace lil’ ‘Shy, you always were on of my favs…” Rainbow Dash said, tightly holding the card to her chest, and drifting off to sleep once again.
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Author's Note: This chapter has been slightly re-written due to the fact the readers felt the original was too blunt, here's to you guys, I'm listening you know. This chapter is based around how Rainbow Dash's guilt in having hurt her friends, is driving her to slowly go insane (not technically insane, just majorly guilty. There are no other dream scenes like this in the fic.) Thanks for liking this fic so far, the dream sequence was added to show how truly affected by this guilt Rainbow truly is. But later chapters are like the second part of this chapter, purely dialogue driven, I am trying my best to keep the dialogue interesting, but again, this isn't supposed to be waterworks fic, just a bit of a tear-jerker.

Comments

[Eclipse]

Chapter 2 released for Thanksgiving
I hope you enjoy

[JacenCaedus]

to be honest, you had Pinkie break the news about fluttershy kind of bluntly, that part could have been written better. Other than that I have no complaints other than the fact that you killed fluttershy

[kingqball]

YOU KILLED FULUTTERSHY!!
YOU WILL PAY DEARLY FOR THIS ACTION

[Eclipse]

39787 Fluttershy, I know. She's one of my favs too, but things mist happen. And it's pinkie... she could scream "FLUTTERSHY IS DEAD." And it's just how pink is. Thanks though, better written? Yes... it could

[Eclipse]

39795 we're all a bit insane, tis okay.

[Fasaloft]

I think RainbowSparkle is more hinting to the way in which you had her break the news.
"I don’t think we can say the same for Fluttershy though, she passed away about a few days ago, apparently she suffered a fatal aneurysm that ultimately ended her life. I’m sorry Dashie, I know how close you were with her, we were all saddened by Fluttershy’s passing, but nature can be very cruel sometimes"
It doesn't sound like like something someone who has just lost one of their best friends and nearly lost a second would say. It sounds very robotic when you read it to yourself.
Other than that it's okay. Sounds very similar to the other Dash getting hurt fics out there. As they usually have Fluttershy hurt also and the other friends lives being messed up by her injuries... but I suppose you'll find your own little tangent to take this story down.

[LCranston]

Wait... RD was dying, so the docs used the AED upon her while Pinkie Pie was in the room watching? Then Pinkie had a long convo while the docs did not leave the room?

I think it would have been better if the scene where RD came back to life had some choatic activity and confused statements by the doctors.

Then, some time afterwards when RD's vitals stabilize, RD will be back in her rom and Pinkie would be allowed back in.

The dialogue here is very telling, especially the statements about Scootaloo being RD's reason to keep going. However, the layout of the scenes are a little confusing.

Overall, not a bad little fic. Sounds like it's time for RD to have another horrible dream, Silent Hill style!!!

[Mithrandir]

I just think this chapter was weaker than the last, it was a little too blunt, but overall pretty good

[Eclipse]

39843 I understand, and when pinkie shuts down, she loses emotion and such. Perhaps I'll take down the chapter and rework it and realease it with the next one.
39868 this is why I don't trust doctors.
39874 hmmm, I'll try to fix that. It was pretty blunt, but still better than the original.

Overall thanks for the criticism I appreciate the input, and I'll try to work it better

[Mother3Forever]

Ah-I-I-Bu-It-

FLUTTERSHY NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I Don't Want To Live On This Planet Anymore!

[Eclipse]

42112 unfortunately

[Eclipse]

42346 neither do I

Imagine All The Bronies Killing Themselves Now, The Brony Culture Is Finished

[Eclipse]

42505 uh, GET OUT

42508 Deal With It :P

You Have Started A War Between The Bronies And Anti-Bronies, Shame On You, Eclipse, Shame On You...

[Eclipse]

43508 no, the show itself did.

[Eclipse]

43507 k

43595 That's On The Internet, Noob, It's On Our World...

[Eclipse]

44602 so?

[JacenCaedus]

39813 definitely a much better way of writing the news, I take it, the letter Fluttershy wrote is going to be revealed in a later chapter then?

[JacenCaedus]

39868 no, I think they were getting ready to use the AED
also to the last part, OH SH-

[Eclipse]

45359 yes, I'm having to re-write later chapters to accommodate this chapter.
45361 that was a reply to the old chapter, and they did use it on her.

44708 Painis

[Eclipse]

49185 Painis Cupcake