Broken Rainbows

by AstonMartinLover

A Rude Awakening

Chapter 8: A Rude Awakening

Princess Celestia awoke to the sound of panic. Scrambling outside. Panicked shouts.

She got up to inspect the situation. Her royal guards waited outside. They were arguing over a package.

"Give it to her!"

"I can't! What if it's dangerous? This thing could blow up in her face!"

She cleared her throat. The guards jumped.

"Princess Celestia! Oh good morning. Evening. Midnight. Whatever. Anyway we have this package for you..." He prepared to hand it to her. The other guard slapped it out of his hoof.

"Excuse me? Did you not hear me? There could be untold evils in that box."

"Give it to me." The princess commanded. She reached out her hoof.

The pessimistic guard hesitated, then picked up the box and handed it to the princess.

It was wrapped in gift paper. Like a present. She leaned forward and examined it closely. She gently tapped it. Then she tore the paper off with her teeth, and set the box down. She hesitantly opened it.

A flash of silver. Celestia backed away, clapping her hoof over her mouth, disgusted at what she had seen. The guards looked at her in alarm and rushed to her side.

"Are you alright milady?"

Celestia nodded, tears filling her eyes. "I must take a note down. Send it to Ponyville. The elements must be made aware."

Twilight Sparkle slept in her comfy bed, on the top floor of her Tree home.

After the good news surrounding Rainbow Dash, she had finally warranted herself a good nights sleep. Spike slept in his small bed next to hers.

He had been told to stay home and watch over everything while the others had gone to see Rainbow Dash.

Twilight knew this drove the young dragon crazy. He wanted to be there for Rainbow as much as anypony. But somepony needed to hold down the fort.

And he was still very young and immature. Even younger than Scootaloo. She didn't want to traumatize him with the appearance of the fallen sky titan.

There was a green flame. Spike burst awake. Twilight woke up with him.

"What happened?"

He fired a scroll out of his mouth. Twilight blinked her sleep deprived eyes.

"What would the princess want at this hour?" She asked.

"Could be anything." Spike shrugged, handing her the letter.

She read it and gasped. The letter slipped from her grasp. Spike looked up at her, concerned.

"Twilight? What's wrong?"

Twilight got up and ran downstairs. Spike started after her but stopped. The young dragon heard a door slam. The bathroom door.

He sighed. "What is with all this drama?" He turned and looked at the letter. He gingerly picked it up to see what the fuss had been about.

Only three words.

"Thunderspark has fallen."

He took a deep breath. Thunderspark. The heroic, arrogant, hardheaded pegasus who had served Celestia for almost a decade. Gone. Dead.

Spike sat down on his tiny bed, and absorbed the impact these three words would inevitably have on the town.

His death made this war personal. He hopped off the bed to check on Twilight.

He went downstairs slowly, carrying the letter with him. He came up to the bathroom door. As he put his ear up against it, he could hear sobbing.

The news had spread throughout the town by next morning. The ponies gathered in Sugarcube Corner.

"This has become a bit...touchy now." Twilight declared. She knew her words were a massive understatement. Things had been 'touchy' for a while. The attitudes of the citizens of Ponyville were close to explosive at this point.

Rainbow Dash had been a local hero. Her paralysis had shocked the citizens of the village. A celebration was to be held on the day Rainbow Dash walked out of the hospital.

But Thunderspark had also been a local hero. And his death on the eve of Rainbow's recovery had been just another hard blow to the fun loving, kind-hearted citizens of the town. Twilight looked upon the faces of her beloved fellow villagers. Each face had the same panicked, fearful expression.

"What was he thinking anyway?" Applejack demanded. "Did he actually think he could beat her?"

Twilight shook her head, still in shock from the news. "I don't think he cared AJ. He was out for revenge or death. And he sure as Celestia wasn't gonna get revenge."

Rarity sighed. "Chrysalis is trying to get to us. Don't you see? She's trying to make this personal. We can't let her do that. She'll have the upper hoof."

Applejack sighed. Scootaloo was laying on the floor. She wasn't asleep. Not this time. She was staring off into space, her eyes blank.

"Scootaloo? You okay sugar cube?"

Scootaloo didn't answer. A death in the family was not uncommon to the young pegasus. Both her parents had died of a viral plague when she was a baby. But she had barely known them, and it had not been as real of an experience.

This was real. Thunderspark. She remembered all those nights when Rainbow Dash had gone out to train with the Wonderbolts. When Scootaloo was a filly. And she'd always gotten Thunderspark to be the sitter.

They had bonded during this time. Thunderspark always gave her tips on how to improve her flying. They'd become close friends. And Thunderspark had always had her back. She remembered the countless times she had been bullied by Diamond Tiara.

She remembered Thunderspark's comically failed attempts to negotiate with the snooty filly. Eventually, of course, Rainbow Dash had to swoop in and threaten public humiliation to the spoiled brat before she finally left Scootaloo alone.

In many ways, Thunderspark had been a big brother, just as much as Rainbow Dash had been a big sister.

So she was silent now. Silently absorbing the impact of the loss of a family member.

That combined with the crippling of another. It was more than a 13 year old should have ever been expected to bear.

Applejack caressed her mane gently. She looked up at her.

"Why did this all happen? What did we do to deserve this?"

Applejack shook her head. "Sometimes deserving's got nothing to do with it. Evil doesn't care about...reasons. They care only about what they can gain."

There was a whistling in the distance. Applejack looked up. Derpy Hooves. The messenger.

"Rainbow Dash is waking up!" She shouted.

Applejack watched Scootaloo's face glow with happiness again. She smiled.

"C'mon sugar cube. Let's check on your sis."

It was a hot summer day. But the dressing room was nice and chilly. The air conditioning system was blasting in the corner of the room, making a heavy whirring noise.

Rainbow Dash loved the sound. The sound of an engine working. Nice and loud. Silence only worked during nap time.

She de-clumped her feathers, making sure that nothing could go wrong on a day like today.

She could hear the stomping of hooves above her. Cloudlife Stadium was packed today. The Wonderbolts' performances were the highlight of the season. Even Hoofball rarely came close in terms of attendance figures.

"Livin the dream." She muttered.

"You ready squirt?" A voice called out.

Dash turned around. "Born ready daddy."

There stood Lightning Dash, her blue coat and green mane shimmering under the dressing room light. He was slipping his flight suit over his head.

He let out a sigh. "You sure? You look a bit shaky."

Rainbow Dash waved her hoof. She unpacked her flight suit. "I've been waiting for this day my whole life. Why wouldn't I be ready?"

Lightning noted the sweat pouring from the pegasi's forehead. "Dash, don't be afraid. First rule of being a Wonderbolt, don't get stressed, it's about having fun."

Rainbow took a deep breath. "Yeah. But the crowd has to have fun too. What if I screw up a routine?"

Lighting lay his forehoof along Rainbow's back. "Squirt, don't be intimidated..."

"How can I not be? You're the best Wonderbolt of all time! The second I get out there, everypony'll be comparing me to you! It's not fair!"

Lightning gave her daughter a strong hug. "Baby, that's only natural." He leaned in and whispered into her ear. "All you gotta do is outperform me."

Rainbow snorted. Great advice.

"No, seriously." Lighting continued. "I'm not what I was ten years ago Dashie. Heck, I'll probably break my hip doing the filly flash. You...you got your whole career ahead of you now. And it starts today. You're gonna do great."

Rainbow sighed. Then she returned her father's embrace. "Thanks daddy."

Lighting kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Now one thing that will not make a good showing, is if we all head out there, and you're still in here trying to squeeze into your flight suit. Let's get ready to rock and roll."

Rainbow smirked confidently, and slid the flight suit over her head. She pulled on the mask, and applied the goggles.

"I can't believe you're finally wearing that thing." Lightning said proudly. They bumped hooves. "Gonna be great flying with you baby. Come on."

Rainbow took a deep breath and excitedly trotted out after her father.

They met at the tunnel. On Lighting's side was Spitfire. On Rainbow's side was Soarin. They all prepared for the fireworks display that would signal there entrance.

And there it was. A pyromaniacs paradise. Explosives shooting up into the air. Magnificent displays of patterned explosions spitting and hissing and popping in the afternoon sun. They formed the shape of a massive lightning bolt.

The 'bolts blasted of into the coliseum. They began taking their practice laps, making sure they could get every bit of wingpower they had into their performance.

Lighting Dash received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd. He was everypony's favorite. And he'd earned it. He was the king of the skies. And he was still very good at his job, even at an advanced age.

Rainbow Dash was received well too. She was the rookie. Everypony loved the rookies.

Lightning turned on his mask mic. "Everypony having a good time?"

A loud cheer resonated through the complex.

"Everypony. I'd like to introduce the newest member of these fine Wonderbolts. My daughter, Rainbow Dash."

The ponies cheered and stomped their hooves in excitement. Rainbow Dash blushed at the sudden attention.

"Now my daughter is going to perform a sonic rainboom. Isn't that right baby?" These words brought a gasp of surprise from the ponies in attendance. A sonic rainboom was a thing of myths and legends, often spoken of in stories told to fillies and colts at bedtime.

The crowd sat back in wonderment, unsure of what to expect, but ready to be wowed.

Rainbow Dash's mouth gaped. "Really? I can do it?"

Lightning covered up the mic. "Go for it squirt."

Rainbow took a deep breath. "I won't let you down daddy."

She began flying upward. She had to gain plenty of altitude to have enough room for a rainboom.

Her dad was but a speck now. A proud speck. They made eye contact as Rainbow reached the top of her altitude.

He pumped his hoof in the air.

Rainbow smiled. She jabbed her hoof in his direction. "For you daddy."

She extended her wings fully and blasted down towards the arena.

This was a feeling she could never replace. That feeling of airborne freedom. That feeling of the wind tearing at her body, telling her to slow down, telling her not the push the laws of physics. And the thrill of ignoring it.

She continued onwards, the sonic bubble beginning to form around her body.

She let out a whoop of joy as it became a cone. Everything was coming together. This would be an epic rainboom.

Then it all went wrong.

Her left wing seized up. Then her right. She tried to signal but her forehooves felt stiff.

She was in freefall. She did the only thing she could. Scream.

"DADDY!"

Her father's head snapped up. "Dashie. No. Hold on baby!"

He flew off after her. The crowd gasped in shock as Rainbow Dash fell past the stadium, and continued plummeting towards the earth.

"DADDY!" Rainbow cried out. She felt like a stone, falling. She could not move a thing. She wanted to flail her legs in terror, but they refused to comply.

Her father was hot on her tail now. He had a look of determination on his face.

"Dad." Rainbow said almost in a whisper. "I'm...I'm scared."

Her father didn't respond. He continued closing in.

Dash did her best to reach out her hoof. Her father did the same.

Suddenly he began losing momentum. He was using his wings as an airbrake.

Rainbow began panicking. "Dad? What's going on? What are you doing?"

Lightning shook his head. A tear rolled down his cheek. "Sorry Dashie. But you're no use to anypony anymore."

Rainbow Dash gasped. "What?"

Her father peeled off and started heading back to the stadium.

"No! Daddy! Help me!" Rainbow shouted. She turned to look down.

The ground was a matter of feet beneath her. She screamed as she hit it.

"Her heart rate is skyrocketing! She's gonna go into cardiac arrest if we don't slow it down!"

Rainbow's eyes snapped open. There was a bright light on her. Some strange machine was making frequent beeping sounds. A heart monitor.

Everypony in the room gasped. Rainbow looked around at them, panicked.

She looked down. Tubes and wires were poking into her skin. She screamed.

"Get this stuff offa me!" She shouted. She began tearing out IV after IV.

"Rainbow!" Fluttershy shouted. "Calm down! It's us!"

Scootaloo jumped on the bed. "Rainbow Dash? What's wrong?"

Rainbow Dash looked into her eyes with fear. Then she jumped off the bed, landing awkwardly.

"Get outta my way!"

She stumbled out the door of the room. Her legs weren't working properly. She could barely stand up. Every bone felt brittle, and out of place.

She staggered through the halls of the hospital as fast as she could, drawing worried glances from doctors and nurses.

"Excuse me ma'am? Are you lost?"

"Leave me alone!" Rainbow shouted. She broke into an awkward run now.

A window. An escape.

If she couldn't walk right, there was always one thing she could count on. Her wings.

They flitted out. She charged, smashing through the window. She felt the shards of glass cut into her coat, a small spatter of blood appearing on the window.

As she prepared to take off, something changed.

Her wings flapped awkwardly. At different paces. There was no synchronization.

She received no lift. She crashed a full story, to the grass below. She looked around.

It was storming now. A thunderstorm. The grass was muddy and wet. She extended her wings again and tried to take off. She stayed airborne for a moment, her wings flapping almost comically out of sync. She hit the grass hard again.

"No." She looked back at her wings. They pathetically flopped. "No!" She roared, louder this time. It wasn't working.

She charged and took off again. All that instinct. All those simple principles of flying. Useless. She could not keep herself in the air.

She crashed to the ground again. Tears were in her eyes now.

"No...Please Celestia. Let me fly...please...daddy...Wonderbolts..."

She refused to accept what was happening. Every ounce of skill she had ever built up. All that wingpower. Wasted.

She flitted out her wings one last time. She let out an agonized roar and desperately heaved herself into the air.

Her wings kept her in the air for a matter of seconds. Then, with a cry, she succumbed to gravity, and collapsed back to the earth.

Everything she had worked for. Trained for. Gone. Every flying motion felt foreign to her now.

She let out a great wail of frustration, pounding her hooves into the mud.

This sent a shockwave of pain through her bones. She cried out at this great injustice. Tears streamed down her muzzle, mixing with the rain.

"I'm no use to anypony anymore." She moaned. She sobbed loudly into the ground.

"Rainbow Dash!" A voice called out.

"Go away!" She shouted. "Leave me alone!"

She began wheezing. Her lungs. They suddenly felt raspy. She began coughing.

Spasms of pain began shooting up her spine. The pain was intense. Soon it was spreading throughout her body. Every bone felt broken. Every muscle felt torn. She buried her head into the muddy ground, trying to nullify the pain.

She could feel somepony lift her up. She saw two yellow forehooves wrap around her waist. Fluttershy.

"Let go of me Fluttershy." She wheezed. "No use...no use to anypony. So...worthless. No use...worthless."

"What's she saying?" Applejack asked.

The doctor led them inside. "I don't know. She's going into shock. Get her on the bed."

The friends watched in sorrow and fear as Rainbow screamed and swung angry hooves at the doctors. They strapped her down and placed the oxygen mask back over her head.

"Does anypony know what she was saying?" Applejack asked again. Everypony looked to Fluttershy.

"She said something about...being worthless."

They all turned to watch the pegasus as she slowly stopped flailing. She lay back, defeated, on her bed.

She began to cry softly.

Comments

[Autumn Jade]

FIRST LOL! Poor Rainbow.....