Return to Flight

by Outlaw Quadrant

2 - Warning Light

For Rainbow Dash, sleep was a respite from all the worries in the world. It was an opportunity to take a load off her body and soul, a time to relax and forget her troubles through fantasies whose limits were defined only by her imagination. Thoroughly battered by the day’s events in every way imaginable, she needed nothing more than a long rest this Monday night to recover.

Unfortunately, even sleep eluded her tonight, as if it too was determined to see her suffer.

Laying on a green chaise lounger within the confines of Fluttershy’s living room, Rainbow found herself spending many hours exploring the inside of her eyelids. Her medication was only strong enough to dull her headache; the constant throbbing from her wings kept the train to dreamland from pulling into the station. A midnight flight would normally do the trick, but with that a clear impossibility, a moonlight walk would have to do instead.

Rainbow uncurled herself from her resting position with a suppressed groan and hopped to the floor as softly as she could. Fluttershy was sound asleep upstairs, and Rainbow didn’t want to wake her. She tiptoed to the door, undid the latch, and gave it the softest nudge possible.

Creeeeeeaaaaak! It groaned as it swung open.

Rainbow cringed and turned her ears upwards to listen for any stirring upstairs. There was none. Encouraged that her friend hadn’t come down with a bat on hoof, Rainbow stepped out into the cool night, allowing the door to close with a whisper-quiet click.

It was an hour of mindless wandering on the trails around Fluttershy’s house before Rainbow Dash returned for another attempt at catching some shuteye. While she finally succumbed to sleep, the usual dreams of performing death-defying feats for a ravenous audience, however, did not appear. Rather, it was the same void darkness that replaced Monday’s memories, and it held the same meaning as before: nothing at all.

A rhythmic pitter-patter dragged Rainbow from her slumber and back into the waking world. Casting her white blanket aside, she glanced at the old-fashioned wooden clock adorning the wall by the stairs. Ten-thirty. Turning the other direction, she found an unwanted surprise: rain trickling down the window pane. As if for emphasis, a thunderclap echoed through the room.

Rainbow wrinkled her nose.

Tuesday’s forecast called for a brief sprinkle in the wee hours of the morning, but that should have cleared up at least an hour ago. Rainbow could pretty much guess which ponies from her team could mess up the weather that badly. Once she threw the window open and scanned the skies, she confirmed the culprits. Even though she knew they would not be able to hear her at this distance, she still shouted at them through the storm.

“Raindrops! Thunderlane! You--”

Her wings tried opening reflexively, as they often did in these situations, but all that did was remind her that she was in no condition to do so.

“Owww, oww, owww!’ she moaned, banging her hooves on the windowsill to provide her pain an outlet that was not through her tear ducts. After all, Dash does not cry.

Once the throbbing subsided, Rainbow reached for three pill containers on the adjacent coffee table. As she ingested the medicine, Fluttershy came through the front door with a dripping, yellow umbrella mounted on her work saddle.

A small, white rabbit pattered down the stairs, and then hopped onto the homeowner’s back. With practiced precision, Angel unclasped the umbrella with his mouth and took it upstairs.

“Good morning, Rainbow,” greeted Fluttershy, beaming wide. “Did you sleep well?”

Rainbow snorted indignantly.

Fluttershy’s ears drooped. “Oh... I’m terribly sorry! You must have been just miserable last night! I’ll see if I can find you some softer pillows.” She slipped into another room for some rummaging.

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Rainbow sighed. “That would be great.”

“So, did your memories come back?”

“Well…” Rainbow delved into her mind in search of what happened the day before. There was eating at the café on Sunday, then nothing, then waking up in the hospital. This time, however, something seemed different, but she could not quite put her hoof on what it was. Must be my imagination.

“I guess not,” Rainbow sighed. “But I suppose the less I know about what happened, the better.”

Fluttershy emerged from the other room with several pillows tucked under her wings and immediately went to work adding them to Rainbow’s bedding. Privately, she had her reservations about Rainbow’s missing memories, but reason and her non-confrontational nature held her tongue. Once Rainbow had an idea in her mind, even the most logical suggestions were no guarantee to change it. She needed to relax as much as possible, and raising a counterpoint would only add unnecessary stress to the situation. She already knew she crashed, so any details about said accident would be trivial.

“I suppose you’re right. I promise I won’t mention your crash ever again, okay?”

“Fine by me.”

As Fluttershy added the last pillow to her resting place, Rainbow laid back down and allowed herself a long, luxurious stretch.

“Ah, that’s much better!” she said with a contented sigh. “Thanks, Fluttershy.”

“Are you sure you have enough pillows? I have a few more I can get from my bedroom if you need--”

“Naw, this is good, Fluttershy,” Rainbow interrupted, punctuating her sentence with a yawn and smile. “I think I’ll sleep just a little bit more, though.”

Her upbeat mood soured, however, once some raindrops found their way through the open window and onto her face.

“Let me take care of that,” said Fluttershy, as she reached over and pulled it closed.

Rainbow crossed her hooves. “Lousy Raindrops and Thunderlane! Those two are always screwing things up! How am I supposed to yell at them from down here?”

“Actually,” Fluttershy chimed, “you don’t have to worry about that. You see, the Weather Committee is searching for somepony that can fill in for you for the—”

“What?!” Rainbow exclaimed.

She would have continued right into a full-blown rant, but the searing pain caused by jostling her injured wing in her excitement cut that plan short. She gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes shut to prevent any tears from leaking out.

Fluttershy shook her shoulder. “Oh, please don’t get mad! It’s not good for you!”

While Rainbow managed to calm her raging emotions, the thought of somepony else managing her team still left a bad taste in her mouth. Sure, her position as the regional weather manager was tedious at times, but as with Twilight and her library, Rainbow had her way of handling the weather. If somepony else was calling the shots, they would pollute the entire operation with their own methods! She could end up having to clean up a mess left by an inexperienced temp, or worse yet, the pony could do such an amazing job that the Committee would decide to make the replacement permanent! With her recent luck, the latter would come true. Thanks to a group of unsympathetic ponies, her distinction as a weather ace could take a hit as well.

Nearly overwhelmed by yet another blow to her self-esteem, she wrapped a blanket around herself and turned away from her friend.

“Umm, Rainbow?” Fluttershy inquired, leaning in closer.

“Go away,” she mumbled. There was no way she could face Fluttershy now, not without crying.

Rainbow waited until she heard Fluttershy’s slow retreat up the stairs. She waited a few seconds more, then kicked the lounger’s side in frustration.

This stinks! How could they do this to me? Haven’t I suffered enough?

The threatening tears finally trickled down Rainbow’s cheeks. Her reputation as the best flier in Ponyville was no-doubt ruined by now. She shut her eyes in hopes of finding the comforting respite of sleep. It had failed to cleanse her mind the night before, but at least it would occupy time that would otherwise be spent worrying about things that were now beyond her control.

Unless it follows me into my dreams... Rainbow shook her head violently at the thought. No! Thinking about it will only give me nightmares.

She shifted her position to lessen the throbbing sensation from her injured wing and make herself more comfortable. Rainbow wasn’t sure if it was the medicine or just her own emotional exhaustion, but slowly, she felt the world grow hazy, and soon she was fast asleep.

---

Sunlight.

It penetrated her eyelids and roused her from her dreamless sleep. Still unready to face the troubles plaguing her, she threw a foreleg over her face in an effort to block out the merciless light so she could continue her emotional respite. She lay there in that position for a few moments before coming to the conclusion that it was no use; she was awake, and she would be for awhile.

Reluctantly, she cracked open her eyes. The sun was now at its zenith in the Equestrian sky, its brilliant light bathing the room in a warm glow. Too warm for Dash’s tastes--she wished Thunderlane and Raindrops had just let the rain continue, even if it was contrary to the schedule. Once she adjusted to the surrounding brightness, she became aware of an unfamiliar aroma from the kitchen that made her stomach rumble cavernously.

“Hey, Fluttershy?” she called. “Whatcha making in there? Could you bring me a bowl of whatever that is?”

Her only reply came from birds singing their various melodies outside.

Ugh, must I do everything myself? As she rose from the lounger for a stretch, she noticed a note on flowery stationary laying on top of the coffee table:

***

Rainbow Dash,

I have some errands to run today, but I left some soup for you in the kitchen. I know this is hard on you, but please keep yourself busy. You can always see Rarity and model some dresses for her. I’m sure Pinkie can let you help plan for her next party, whenever that is. Applejack may need a helping hoof at the apple stand. She looked quite busy this morning. Twilight has a stargazing session before dawn tomorrow. Maybe you can help me tend to some animals, and if you change your mind, I can stay behind and watch over you. I can always go to Manehattan some other time.

Your friend,

Fluttershy

***

The letter brought a small smile to her face. She was fortunate to have the kind and gentle pony as a friend. After reading the last part, though, she crumpled up the sheet and tossed it in the trash bin across the room.

No way, Fluttershy! Just because I screwed up, doesn’t mean you have to suffer!

Rainbow stretched her aching limbs a second time before wandering into the kitchen in search of something to fill her empty tummy. A small, silver pot was simmering quietly on the stovetop, and judging by the smell, it was also the source of the tantalizing aroma that was permeating the house. Spurred by a mixture of hunger and curiosity, she cracked the lid open for a peek. Inside was a creamy, green broth, bubbling idly as it awaited consumption.

“Pea soup?” Rainbow gagged. She slammed the lid back down as if the pot’s contents were going to jump out and grab her. “Doesn’t she know I don’t like peas?”

Something furry jabbed her hoof.

“Huh?”

Confused, Rainbow looked down to find Angel glaring up at her and bickering with those rabbit sounds he made. She presumed Angel didn’t appreciate her comments, but Rainbow had no love for cheap shots, even if they felt like somepony jabbing her with a cotton swab.

“Why you little… ow, ow, ow! My wing!”

Angel snickered as Rainbow revelled in the self-inflicted pain caused by her irritated outburst.

“I’ll show you!” she growled as she fought to shake off the piercing pain shooting up her wing.

Angel wasn’t about to stick around for Rainbow to recover, however. He gave her another round of nickering, and then scurried away with a proud grin on his face. Fluttershy’s honor had been successfully defended from the rude cyan mare; if only he could have made her eat the soup that had been prepared with such love and affection.

Rainbow shook her hoof as the bunny retreated up the stairs.

“Yeah, you better run!” she called after him, before punctuating her sentence with a far less spirited “ouch.”

With her stomach voicing its discontent even louder than before, Rainbow opened the white door leading to Fluttershy’s pantry in hopes of finding something more palatable.

She found a green apple, which she took out for a hearty bite. Immediately, she spat out mushy brown, and tossed the rest in a nearby wastebasket.

“Yuck! How long has that’s been there?” Her stomach then griped again.

Great! Now I’m craving apples, but all my bits are up in my house. Maybe I could ask Applejack for some free ones? Oh, wait! Rainbow examined her bandages. Darnit! I don’t want ponies seeing me like this!

That was of no concern to her belly, however. It wanted something, now. Rainbow took one last peek at the green slop before marching through the front door. She was starving, but not desperate. Even if she were, putrid apples, ice shavings, and pillow stuffing were higher in the hierarchy than pea soup.

Once outside, Rainbow started down the dirt path toward Ponyville. It was a winding path that lacked the traffic of the other major roads that snaked in and around the town—good for avoiding unwanted attention but at the cost of a longer travel time. Her wings normally enabled her to travel from Fluttershy’s to the Ponyville marketplace in a few minutes, but a trip on hoof would take closer to half an hour.

Soon enough, she found herself thoroughly bored and searching for something—almost anything, really—to occupy her mind with while she plodded towards town. Other than a few trees that appeared to have been bent during a powerful windstorm and the occasional noises from the region’s indigenous critters, nothing near the ground grabbed her interest. Up above was something a little more fascinating: some dark clouds drifting in the same direction she walked.

Hah! Race ya! she mentally challenged the clouds. Three, two, one...

“Go!”

At her shout, she took off (on hoof), making for gallop speed. Unfortunately, that’s when her head and wing reminded her that she was not in a condition for any strenuous activity, so she cantered down to a slow trot and resumed the drudgery that was her journey for a crispy Apple Family apple.

As she approached a section where the path encircled a fountain, Rainbow stumbled across her first sighting of potential trouble, Bon-Bon and Lyra exchanging gossip. They spared no time making poorly disguised glances in Rainbow’s direction.

“What are you looking at?” Rainbow snipped.

“How rude,” Bon-Bon answered, raising her muzzle. She left, followed by Lyra, who expressed similar sentiments in Rainbow’s direction.

While that brief interaction ended poorly, at least no other ponies witnessed the exchange. Her attitude would be the more of the topic of gossip than her cast, and that would surprise nopony.

Rainbow resumed her unremarkable travel toward the town’s center, following the gentle rises and falls of the road. The dark clouds she attempted to race had reached the bridge over the river marking the town limits; she would arrive at the crossing three minutes later. Then her attention drifted downwards, as another cloud came travelling in her direction. This one was composed of dust and the pony responsible its creation was riding a scooter powered by her wings.

“Why me?” Rainbow moaned, slapping her head. That pea soup back in Fluttershy’s kitchen sounded quite appetizing now.

A few feet away from her idol, Scootaloo twisted the scooter into a 360 and stuck the landing with nary a bobble.

“Liked that, didn’t you?” she said smugly, wiping the dust off her helmet.

Rainbow shrugged, “It was okay, I guess.”

“Fluttershy filled me in on everything this morning. Are you really going to be out three weeks?”

Given how excruciating it was right now to move her damaged wing an inch, that timeframe sounded like a reasonable estimate. Then again, she wasn’t admitting that at the expense of her reputation.

“Of course not! Just you wait! I’ll be flying by next week!”

Scootaloo ate up her words as though they were ice cream.

“That’s great, Rainbow! So, since you don’t have anything to do—” she leaned in and grinned “—can I have some flying lessons now?”

Walls closed in on Rainbow. She had her reasons, except they weren’t much better than telling a lie. Falsehoods had been reliable all this time: using them again was a no-brainer.

“I would but I, umm… I already have… things planned for the next few days. Yeah, things! You see—”

“Why won’t you teach me?” Scootaloo interrupted, rubbing her hoof. Her purples eyes trembled as a small flame flickered alive within them. “All I want is to learn from the greatest flier there is, and all you do is tell me no every single time! Why, Rainbow, why?”

She opened her mouth, but her words chose this moment to fail her and her clever response came out as a jumbled series of babbling and voice cracks. Scootaloo was demanding the truth, but Rainbow wasn’t ready to confront that. Too much was happening to her at the moment, and spilling the beans would only add fuel to the raging inferno systematically burning every last scrap of her self-image. In desperation, Rainbow crafted another tall story, and then tried presenting it.

Scootaloo stomped the ground. “Just stop! You know what? I don’t care anymore! I don’t need your help anyway! In fact, I’ll find a way to be a better flier than you!” She hopped back onto her scooter.

Rainbow reached out to her. “Wait! You don’t understand! I—”

The filly blasted off, covering the cyan mare with dust.

After coughing out all foreign particles that had found their way into her lungs, Rainbow watched her biggest fan make a right at the nearby intersection and down a path that straddled an open, green field. While guilt crept into her consciousness, something else took precedence: a sense that the area had some strange familiarly to it. She knew she was at was her usual training spot, but there was a connection between the open field and the departing Scootaloo.

“That’s right. Fluttershy said she saw me crash, but I don’t remember that at all.”

Suddenly, the gears in her mind began turning. Soon, it produced moving pictures, indecipherable thanks to constant choppiness, but that stabilized over time. Rainbow then could recognize the orange blob: it was none other than her upset fan. However, she was cheering for her, quite loudly in fact. On her left was another familiar figure, the dependably concerned friend. In seconds, they were distant dots, for she was high above them in the skies.

“Wait a minute. Is this—”

A sudden wave of nausea overtook her, strong enough that she collapsed onto the road. Her heart skipped beats while her lungs struggled as though she climbed too far into the skies. A small earthquake from within made her convulse, but it was brief in duration. Moments later, all the other ailments disappeared, save for residual fear and confusion.

“What was—” Rainbow panted, clutching her chest “—what was that?”

She could come up with two possibilities: the prescribed medications had powerful side-effects that had begun manifesting or her body was going bezerk without food. As if on cue, her belly rumbled again, so she assumed the latter. “All right, all right! I’m going!”

Satisfied with her diagnosis, she dusted herself off, and then resumed the trek down the pebble-laden road. As it led to a residential area, she wondered where was the usual afternoon traffic. Other than a few young ponies playing a game of tag, the only signs of life were an old stallion fast asleep in a rocking chair and somepony humming a tune while watering their garden. Rainbow couldn’t help but grin to herself in appreciation of small miracles. The few residents milling around ignored her the rest of the journey, although their numbers swelled when she approached the marketplace.

Whoa! Talk about busy! Everypony must be stocking up for next week!

All around, customers clamored for whatever wares the local merchants were selling at their booths, including the apple stand. To Rainbow’s dismay, the barrels on the cart lay empty, and the one behind Applejack had a little more than a dozen. With supply clearly running low and demand reaching new heights, the hungry ponies in the line had resorted competing for who could shout their order the loudest.

“Hold your horses, everypony,” Applejack pleaded with unruly crowd. “I’ll be with ya in a second!” When she spotted her friend, her eyes widened.

Rainbow ran up to her, smacking her lips. “Hey, AJ! Listen, I know you’re busy and all, but you think I could nab—”

“Oh, good! You’re here!” She tossed Rainbow a white apron. “I’m almost out of apples, and for some reason, Big Macintosh hasn’t come back with the next cart. Take care of the stand while I look for him, will ya? Thanks a lot, Rainbow!”

Without so much as waiting for a response, the cowpony made a beeline for the road back to her family’s farm.

“Hold on!” shouted Rainbow, waving her hooves in the air. “I only wanted—”

“Don’t worry!” Applejack called over her shoulder. ”The stand practically runs by itself!”

The stand’s patrons turned to the unwilling volunteer, demanding prompt service. Rainbow buried her face on the counter. Should she bolt on her new post? Her self-image said yes, but her unwavering loyalty stomped that idea out quickly. There was no way the one-and-only Rainbow Dash would leave her friends hanging!

Sighing at her misfortune of being at the wrong place at the right time, she put on the apron while the waiting customers chanted their impatience.

“We want apples! We want apples! We want apples!”

Rainbow slammed her hooves down on the stall’s wooden surface.

“Hey! Pipe down or no apples for anypony!” This brought the crowd under control, but the same couldn’t be said about her wing. “...ow.”

---

It had been nearly an hour of Tartarus for Rainbow by the time Applejack appeared over the road’s crest and into the marketplace. Behind her was the most glorious sight anypony had ever beheld: Big Macintosh with a cartful of apples in tow. Salvation was at hoof, and it had brought ample food! When the patrons heard the wheels clanging over the cobblestone, they greeted the pair with a raucous cheer.

“What in tarnation?” said Applejack, raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you missed me that much!”

The cowmare approached Rainbow, “Sorry ‘bout the wait. One of cart’s wheels broke, so we had to put a new one in. Thanks for filling in for me.”

Rainbow leaned forward, repeatedly pointing her muzzle at the juice red fruit. She didn’t need to ask for a free apple, she deserved it! “And?”

Applejack smile wide, “Oh, no thanks. I can take over from here.”

With a snort, Rainbow tossed Applejack the apron. She marched toward nearby Sugarcube Corner, each stomp harder than the last.

“Um, okay then,” replied Applejack with a shrug. She peeked into the barrel behind the cart, now empty. “Now, you did sell the apples and not eat them, right?”

Rainbow turned around, clenching her teeth. Now she regretting not pilfering the stock when she had the chance. “Yeah, yeah, but all these ponies were a total pain! I worked my rump off, and they didn’t even give me a tip!”

A voice within the crowd shouted, “Here’s one! Be nice to us!”

“Who said—” Oh, horse apples! “—Owie! Owie! Owie! Ow!”

Based on the pony cowering behind the floral stand, Rainbow identified Caramel as the culprit. No surprise, he was quick on the trigger on complaining but hid the moment anypony confronted him on it. Fortunately for him, Rainbow’s wings disallowed any verbal or physical retaliation without worsening her injury. Therefore, all she could do is stick her tongue his way before retreating toward Sugarcube Corner. After all, her stomach was growling at her like an angry dog.

Finding the kitchen door open, she waltzed in to the sight of Pinkie sitting by the counter, scribbling on a notepad. A most wonderful aroma permeated the room, except the expected sweets were nowhere to be found. Rather, the room was spotless; whatever the source was must have already left the area.

“Hey there, Pinkie Pie,” she said, her ears flattening.

Pinkie spit out her pencil. “Hi! You’re just in time to help me prepare for my next party!”

“Oh yeah, sure,” Rainbow replied half-heartedly. Hunger pushed aside the tattered remains of her pride. There was no way she could leave with an empty belly now. Maybe she could open a tab, that is if Pinkie knew how that concept worked in the first place. “Um, Pinkie do you have—”

In a flash, Pinkie pulled a tray full of sugar cookies from the oven. “You hungry?”

Whether her friend had mind-reading abilities or just awesome timing, Rainbow didn’t particularly care. Food was food! After one munch, she moaned in delight. Oh, glorious food!

“Oh, yeah! That hits the spot!” Rainbow swallowed the rest, before biting into cookie number two and three at the same time. Manners need not apply. “So, who’s the lucky pony this time?”

Pinkie had her mouth open wide enough that she could swallow a watermelon, but unlike her friend, she nibbled on her own creation, “Only the pony filling in for you until you get better!”

Rainbow now had four cookies on hoof.

“Oh, okay. Boy, these are really good! Do you have some with—” She did a spit take as Pinkie’s last words finally sunk in. “What do you mean you’re—” Rainbow flinched in pain. “Darnit! Wings, stay down!” After a quick, irritable breath, “Pinkie, do you really have to throw a party for whoever’s coming? It’s like you’re celebrating that I got hurt!”

Pinkie rocked her head up and down. “Don’t think of it like that, silly! I just want to give them a friendly, fun and happy Ponyville welcome for helping Ponyville with the weather.”

“But we don’t need their help,” Rainbow rebuked while parading around the kitchen floor. “Sure, my team’s rough around the edges, but it’s not like they can’t handle things on their own!”

A thunderclap rattled the building, followed by what sounded like a nearby downpour. Both mares soon discovered the source, a low-lying cloud hovering above the nearby café, bombarding the patrons with swirling air and water. Thunderlane pushed it out of the way, but not before the soaked Horte Cuisine delivered a tirade.

“Kinda funny,” said Pinkie with a snicker. “Two giggles out of five. Totally lacks originality, though.”

For Rainbow, she hid her face with both hooves, muffling choice words of her own. At this point, she knew she was not winning this argument.

“Okay, okay,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Maybe a fill-in for me is for the best, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it one bit.”

Pinkie embraced her friend. “Ah, don’t worry, Dashie! Just think of it like sharing! You gotta shareeeeeee, you gotta—”

“No song, Pinkie!” she whined. “So, who’s this pony that’s gonna screw everything up?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“You don’t know yet?” If her head didn’t already ache, Rainbow would’ve slapped her head. “Then how in Equestria can you plan the party for somepony you don’t know?

Pinkie grabbed her notepad.

“I have my ways. You see...” she paused to draw breath as she powered up her mouth to full speed. “Sometimes, my Pinkie Sense will give me a clue on what they like, but if that doesn’t work, I can always go back to what I did in a previous party as a baseline. Oh, but I do have a rolodex of everypony that’s come through Ponyville, in case any one of them has the inside scoop. This one time, I knew a pony that knew a pony that knew a pony that knew a pony that knew a pony that knew a pony—wait! Is that one pony too many? Mmm, no. Anyways, I found this one pony that just so happened to know that—”

Suddenly, Rainbow staggered sideways, so she held onto the counter for support. The dizziness, the heart palpitations, the images, they all returned, along with something new: this overpowering perception that it was windy, except it wasn’t coming from the local disturbance. No, this was in the past, but she was too much in a daze to figure out when.

Meanwhile, Pinkie continued her diatribe. “—and I said, that’s not how you tie a knot! That’s how you get worms!” Once her ears picked up Rainbow’s labored breaths, Pinkie stared at her face. “Whoa! Your eyes are going cuckoo! That looks like fun!” She imitated her actions to a tee.

Rainbow didn’t laugh, not even a chuckle. Pinke realized this was no laughing matter.

“Uh, oh.” Pinkie waved her hoof across Rainbow’s sight of vision. “Did I put too much sugar in the cookies?”

Rainbow raised her head up, blinking a few times. Four Pinkie Pies stood in front of her, although that wasn’t entirely unexpected. “I… umm, I’m not sure,” she said, rubbing her forehead. Then the quadruplets become one. “I don’t think it’s the food. Actually, I was feeling all weird earlier, and thought I just needed to fill my tummy. I didn’t sleep well last night, maybe that’s it...”

Pinkie prodded Rainbow toward the exit, staying her peppy self. “You should go home and rest! Don’t worry about the party! Your Auntie Pinkie Pie, can take of it all by herself!”

“Your call, I guess. Just don’t go overboard!”

Pinkie resumed working on her list, while singing to herself a medley on how planning for parties can be fun as the party itself.

---

Fluttershy was in the middle of washing dishes when Rainbow stormed through the door and straight towards the fancy green couch in the living room. All the negative aura surrounding Rainbow distracted her from gripping a soapy plate, which slipped from her hooves. She and Angel made a vallient attempt to save the doomed plate, but even their combined efforts were for naught as the piece of ceramic dinnerware shattered on the floor. Judging by Rainbow’s slumping onto the lounger, Fluttershy didn’t expect her to assist in the clean-up.

“Back already?” she called out, as she grabbed a nearby broom while Angel opened a cabinet for the dustpan.

Rainbow was ready for a rant, but then she remembered how that was bad for her mending appendage. She settled for general complaining.

“I go out for an hour, and I end up selling apples to annoying customers, Then I find out Pinkie Pie’s doing a party for the pony that’s taking over my job, and on top of that, I had these really freaky dizzy spells where I’m seeing stuff.” She grabbed onto her main suspect. “You know what? I bet you it’s these dumb pills.”

“Are you sure?” inquired Fluttershy, as she searched for any more sharp objects.

“I’m sure of it! Look at all the writing on the label!”

With Angel’s blessing, Fluttershy made her way to the living room while he rummaged through the kitchen’s tight spots for errant shards.

Rainbow presented her with the first piece of evidence, a cylindrical orange container.

Fluttershy enunciated the pill’s name, “Zyrgra... tole... menatocin? Huh?” More bizarre were the side effects printed on the back in a font so small that most ponies would need a magnifying glass to read them. Nonetheless, she did manage to identify a few familiar words: dizziness, nausea, indigestion, insomnia, blurry vision, and a few others too embarrassing for Fluttershy to say aloud. All the other bottles appeared to have the same scribbling, so she had no issues presuming that the drug cocktail was the root cause.

“If you say so.”

Rainbow grabbed the nearest container and aimed at the wastebasket. “So I can stop taking these, right?”

Her friend caught the medicine mid-air.

“Oh, c’mon, Fluttershy! If they make me feel funny, then I should stop taking them!” Once again, her temper caused an involuntary wing extension. “Ow.”

Fluttershy returned the medication to the coffee table, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You really should follow Nurse Redheart’s instructions or she’ll be really upset with you.”

Rainbow’s fur stood on end, for she had a feeling that the moment she defies her orders, the nurse would barge through the door and force-feed them into her mouth. “Fine,” she grumbled, hooves crossed.

“Anyways, I need to check on some of my animal friends and see if they’re ready for all this rain. Do you want to join me?”

“No,” she rebuked, as she examined the ceiling.

“Are you sure?”

“Just go,” she mumbled.

Fluttershy did just that, closing the creaky front door with no urgency.

After she left, Rainbow opened the window so she could keep vigil of the skies. Finally cleared of all the day’s storm clouds, it was a perfect afternoon for practicing her stunts. That wasn’t happening today, nor would she have a chance for days—even with the most optimistic timetable. She sighed, as she strained to demonstrate interest in watching the wind sway the nearby trees.

This is so boring.

Boredom turned to another, more stomach twisting emotion. In this moment, the only other souls within her vicinity were the critters that frequented the forest around Fluttershy’s cottage. For a pony whose ego required frequent feeding, this was not an ideal situation. It would become worse come Saturday, when her friends would leave for Manehattan while much of the townsfolk either bolted for a vacation or hunkered down in their homes. Rainbow might not have any company at all for the week of miserable rain! She sighed and closed the shutters, then fluffed her pillows in preparation for another nap. Even then, her thoughts continued to haunt her.

What if my wing doesn’t heal fast enough? Am I really gonna be stuck here— she gulped —all by myself?

Comments

[Dustchu]

Another good chapter well done, nice job!
And I am off to bed... for now... that is.

Keep it up!

[redmar]

Would Rainbow even be able to give flying lessons to Scootaloo in this state?