The one where Rainbow Dash is weird

by Brosif1357

Trials and Tribulations of a Time Traveller Part 1

Author's Note:

I haven't abandoned this story and I am still writing the main narrative, but I wanted to do something more episodic to show how the episodes of Season 5 play out differently. Something that really shows the day to day life of a time-bending anomaly complete with canon-esque isolated stories. They aren't very plot-relevant, but I thought some might find it interesting.

"Thanks for coming to see me," Fluttershy said. "I feel like we haven't had the chance to speak for a while."

Rainbow Dash waved it off. "Don't mention it. I'm always glad to spend some time with a friend!"

It was a good day for a walk through the Whitetail Woods. Nice semi-cloudy weather, scheduled weeks in advance. There was nothing for Rainbow to do, which was why she was so glad when Fluttershy invited her to survey the Whitetail ecosystem. Her friend was right, they seemed to never have the time to speak these days.

"Do you remember the first day of flight school?" Fluttershy asked as she carefully examined a small anthill at the base of a tree.

Rainbow laughed ruefully. "How could I forget? I still remember how it felt crashing into the middle of the courtyard."

"It did look very painful," Fluttershy agreed.

"It was. But you were the first one to try and help me. Did I ever thank you for that?"

Fluttershy looked up from the anthill and smiled. "A few times. But you don't have to. Anypony would do the same."

A small robin landed on the yellow pegasus' nose, chirping merrily. Fluttershy gave it a small pat and let it fly back off into the forest, her eyes following it's movements. Rainbow Dash smiled at the sight.

"No, they wouldn't. Most of them were busy laughing. I don't say this enough, but you're such a special pony Fluttershy," She sighed, lost in her memories. "I know there were times I wasn't the easiest mare to be around, but you never gave up on me. You were always... there. It's the little things that really matter and I don't think I'd have been half the pegasus I am now without your unconditional support."

What could she say? Rainbow Dash was in a melodramatic mood today. But her words were genuine. Things had been hard for her recently. Discovering the ability to manipulate time usually made things more complex. But through it all Fluttershy had given her the same unconditional love and support Rainbow relied on through her fillyhood. And she could instinctively sense she always would be. Time weirdness striking again. It reminded her how often she forgot to show her appreciation for her first and arguably closest friend.

She waited for a response, but none came. Rainbow suddenly realised that Fluttershy was no longer keeping pace beside her. Instead, the yellow pegasus was nearly a dozen metres behind staring up into the forest.

"You could at least have told me you wanted to stop," Rainbow huffed. Great. She'd acted totally un-awesome by laying her emotions bare and Fluttershy didn't even have the courtesy to respond.

...That wasn't like her friend at all.

A quick glance around confirmed her suspicions. The robin was stuck mid-flight, surrounded by golden autumn leaves suspended in the air. Fluttershy herself wasn't even blinking. Of course.

Rainbow facehoofed "I finally open up to give a friend a heartfelt confession about all that she means to me... And nopony is around to hear it?!"

---

Scootaloo paced under the shade of a tree, waiting patiently. It was the start of the weekend, which meant she was about to receive personalised lessons from the most awesome pegasus in existence! Any moment she would-

"Hey there squirt!" Rainbow waved a hoof, diving out of the sky. She did a few twirls and landed hard, sending a gust of wind across the grassy field. Dandelions were flattened in her wake. Scootaloo smiled widely as Rainbow Dash tussled her mane.

"Are you ready to learn how to fly?"

"Yes!" Scootaloo cried, practically leaping up into the air.

"Then assume your ready position!" Rainbow commanded. Scootaloo quickly crouched down in a solid stance, fanning her tiny wings as wide as they would go. Her mentor circled around, examining her form. "Now.... up!"

Scootaloo leapt into the air, tiny wings buzzing. She quickly gained altitude, Rainbow hovering just beneath her, ready to catch her at a moment's notice.

"5 seconds... 10 seconds..." Rainbow muttered, keeping her time. "15... 20..."

The filly strained hard, trying to beat her tired wings. She started losing altitude.

"Come on Scootaloo! I believe in you!"

She dug deep, gasping down air and focusing on each stroke of her wings. Her descent stalled then reversed and Scootaloo gained another metre of altitude. The muscles in her wings ached, but she grit her teeth and gave it her all. Another metre of altitude.

"30... 35..."

But she reached her limit and stalled, falling out of the sky like a rock. Rainbow soared down and caught her, carrying the filly down gently to let her roll onto the soft grass.

"Great work, Scootaloo!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "37 seconds and 398 milliseconds! That's 4 seconds and 871 milliseconds better than your personal record!"

Scootaloo gave the pegasus a curious look. How did she know that? There wasn't a stopwatch under her wing. But she pushed those thoughts aside and accepted the compliment with a wide grin. Scootaloo trotted back to the tree, rolling onto her back. She'd rest here for a few minutes. Just to catch her breath. To her surprise, she felt soft feathers wrap around her. Scootaloo turned and came face-to-face with the Rainbow.

"If you don't mind me asking," Rainbow began. "Has something happened? You seem more confident these days and it shows in your progress."

"I've just been getting a good night's sleep."

"Why so?"

Scootaloo struggled for words. How was she supposed to explain to her idol she needed Princess Luna to drive away silly nightmares? That was so uncool!

"A... friend helped me realise that I didn't need to worry about my cutie mark, because no matter what I get I'll be happy because the cutie mark is uniquely me."

Rainbow Dash smiled. "Well your friend is right. You don't need to worry about your cutie mark. When you get it... and you will get it... I know you'll be happy."

Scootaloo looked up at her mentor. There was something knowing in those magenta eyes. Rainbow Dash wasn't just giving her assurance. She was telling Scootaloo something she knew for certain to be the absolute truth. And the filly instinctively knew she could trust her. Scootaloo curled up against Rainbow, feeling the warm of her chest.

But the moment ended when Rainbow sprang to her hooves, dragging Scootaloo up with her.

"That's enough rest. We've still got a long workout routine to go before we can get you airborne!"

---

"Damnit Rainbow, you need to stop!" Applejack shouted after the retreating pegasus.

"Stop what?" Rainbow shot back, clutching Tank in her forelegs. The tortoise gave off another yawn and Rainbow smiled at him. It's alright Tank, you'll get all the rest you need. Then we can celebrate winter together!

"Stop this crazy plan of yours!"

Rainbow found a nice secluded spot in the forest, the rest of her friends galloping just behind her. She placed Tank down. He smiled at her and slowly wandered to a nice spot under a tree and began digging with Rainbow watching eagerly.

"I don't see what the problem is," Rainbow protested. She pointed at the tortoise. "He's hibernating, just like he's supposed to!"

"Rainbow, tortoises hibernate because the winter is bad for them!" Twilight shouted. "You can't just fast forward time so he'll finish quicker!"

The pegasus scoffed. "Sure I can! I'm awesome! And this way Tank gets to sleep and when he wakes he'll be raring to enjoy winter with me. Everybody wins!"

"No Dashie!" Fluttershy yelled. The others all looked to her with varying looks of surprise on their faces. Fluttershy almost never raised her voice.

"I know it's hard. Many of my animals also need to hibernate for the winter. But it's in their nature. If Tank doesn't hibernate through the entire winter," She gave Rainbow a pointed look. "He might get sick. No amount of time magic is going to stop that."

Tears welled up in her eyes and Rainbow began to cry. "But... I don't want him to go!"

The others crowded around her, letting the pegasus cry her heart out. Rainbow didn't know how long it lasted, she felt numb to the world. Until she felt something prod her face. She opened her eyes to see Tank standing before her, looking at her with his big, emotion-filled eyes. Rainbow smiled weekly and gave him a small pat.

"Alright then. I'll let him hibernate normally," Rainbow Dash finally caved in.

She picked the tortoise up and started helping him dig his hole. One by one her friends joined her, even Rarity got her hooves dirty making it comfortable for Tank. Finally it was ready. Tank slowly walked into it and began filling in the wall. He gave Rainbow one last love-filled look before he disappeared from sight.

"You did the right thing," Fluttershy told her.

"I know. That doesn't make it any less painful."

---

So this is how I die?

Rainbow Dash would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed. When she thought of her inevitable end, she always pictured a glorious stunt accident attempting a not-quite-death-defying feat nopony had ever attempted before, full of explosions and adoring fans. Barring that, a slightly less awesome death in a hospital bed surrounded by friends and loved ones all reminiscing on a life well spent.

'Suffocating to death in a sentient ball of ooze frozen in time' had definitely not been Rainbow's preferred option.

And yet, here she was. Trapped in the slimy stomach of Discord's gala guest, her lungs screaming for air that would never come. What an underwhelming way for it all to end. They say there is no night without a dawning and no winter without a spring, but as dark spots began to appear in her eyes Rainbow realised she never pictured dawn or spring sucking so much.

Oh dearest friends, how fleeting life is. Thou has touched my heart in so many ways. Do not cry or weep, for that is totally not awesome. Let my memory live on through you, for you are the ones who I will miss most.

And yet though I am surrounded by your faces, trapped as we are within the prison of time, I feel so alone. Are you here with me in this frozen moment to comfort me in my last? Or is the final chapter in the life of Rainbow Dash a story that shall be heard by nopony? Is this end but a fleeting moment only I am cursed to perceive?

...She really needed to stop reading Twilight's slam poetry.

"Oh, it appears I am not alone," A familiar voice pierced the slimy haze.

Rainbow Dash was yanked out of the quagmire and brought face-to-face with two yellow eyes. Slime dripped off her dress onto the floor. Taking a few greedy breaths, she looked up at her saviour.

"Isn’t it just wonderous to not be the only creatures to remain aware in these little frozen moments?" Discord gave her a smug grin, holding her aloft in a detached lion's paw.

Buck you, time weirdness

Comments

[Venerable Ro]

"Isn’t it just wonderous to not be the only creatures to remain aware in these little frozen moments?" Discord gave her a smug grin, holding her aloft in a detached lion's paw.

Huh, didn't we already establish this back when Tirek discovered his chronomancy allergy?

[Brosif1357]

10666865
Rainbow Dash was too busy looking at the centaur being violently torn apart with time magic, so she wasn't aware Discord was also stutter-proof. Discord knows about the stutters and knows Rainbow Dash can perceive them, but he's Discord and being straightforward isn't exactly in his nature.

[Hop Brand]

Rainbow Dash is a SCP.

[Crafting]

This is good. Will there be more?

[Brosif1357]

10880480
Yeah, eventually. Real life stuff has just been putting my through the grinder recently.