The Trials of the Elements

by SigmatheAwesome

Loyalty

LOYALTY

Because, when one loses everything, they no longer have anything to lose.

"Sorry girls, I'm kinda busy." The cyan speedster said from her cloud perch, looking over her five best friends.

"But Dashie~" Pinkie whined. "We can't do this without you."

"Look, as much as I'd love to get my hair tortured at the spa, I'm on weather duty, and I really can't be distracted."

Rarity raised an eyebrow at that statement.

"Dashie!" Pinkie yelled. "You said that last time!"

"Because I was busy then." Rainbow groused.

"And you Pinkie Promised that we'd hang out on Tuesday!"

"Once again, working. And you kinda forced me to promise you, but then I told my boss and she said I had to work."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Pinkie growled, somewhat scaring the surrounding ponies with her lack of normal bouncy joy.

"I told you, Derpy sprained my wing and I couldn't work." Rainbow crossed her forelegs. "And before you ask, no, I was not ok to walk around."

"But-"

"She has a point." Twilight raised a hoof. "I once sprained my neck. I couldn't walk around due to the movement causing me pain."

"Ah have many-a-time mahself." Applejack added, much to Pinkie's less-than-subtle anger. "Once on mah birthday, for cryin' out loud."

"See?" Rainbow gestured to the two ponies while staring at her pink friend. "They know what it's like."

"But," Twilight started. "Spraining a wing may be different as they aren't as needed for walking. Am I right?"

Fluttershy, who until then had been hiding behind the farmer, nodded. "I've... um, sprained my wing before. I was alright to walk."

"See?" Pinkie mimicked Rainbow, but with a more aggressive tone. "She's sprained her wing before."

"Fluttershy isn't exactly the 'flying-type', while I am!" Rainbow yelled. "No offence, Flutters."

Fluttershy dismissed the comment with her hoof. It was true, after all, and she wasn't ashamed by that.

"I fly so often they kinda work on their own. And even if I did come, I'd be in no mood to have any fun."

Pinkie remained quiet except for a low growl.

"And to be completely honest, I really don't like the spa."

"But darling, you're missing out on one of the most wonderful sensations known to a mare." Rarity said dramatically, cranking the feminism to 11.

"Too much sitting still." Dash deadpanned. "Look, I'd really like to hang out, but I'm really busy, and-"

"DASH!" A stern mare's voice shot out from nearby clouds.

"Uh oh."

A blue pegasus with a slightly poofy red mane alighted next to Rainbow's cloud, looking very angry. "What the hay are you doing?"

"Ma'am, let me explain-"

"No, let me explain." She cut her off. "You're slacking off, wasting your time with those five groundwalkers. Now get back to work or I'll dock your pay."

"With all due respect, ma'am, but I was just explaining why I'm too busy to hang out with them today." Rainbow replied with venom. "And don't you dare call these girls groundwalkers."

The pegasus looked down on her before taking off. "You've got five minutes with the groundwalkers." She flew off with what a pegasus would translate to as the same as storming off in anger.

Rainbow turned to the girls. "Sorry, we're kinda understaffed ever since Derpy brought a storm to HQ. And I'm very sorry she was rude to you guys."

"She was rude?" Rarity questioned.

Applejack huffed. "Groundwalkers. Ain't nothin' wrong with us."

"Amen to that." Pinkie replied, seeming to be a little happier.

Rainbow smiled before her eyes fell on Fluttershy. The butter pegasus was on the ground, silently bawling. Dash's heart sank.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, Fluttershy." She said, leaping down to comfort her.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked, somewhat clueless.

"You know how she called you guys groundwalkers?" Rainbow looked up, still stroking her friend's mane.

"It's an old pegasus insult against unicorns and earth ponies." Rarity added, then the implication finally sunk in. "Oh my..."

"It's also a really, really, really mean insult against pegasi who don't seem flighty enough." Pinkie continued.

Twilight stared blankly before it finally hit. "And she called Fluttershy a groundwalker."

"That..." Applejack struggled for a word, but snarled instead.

"Even though Flutters isn't that eager to live in the clouds like I am," Dash continued. "She's had some bad experience in flight school."

Fluttershy sat up slowly, still crying. "S-she probably didn't mean it... I-I mean, I had my wings h-hidden and..."

"Hey, take it easy, 'Shy..." Rainbow pulled her friend close, before releasing her and turning to the bank of clouds. "I'm gonna have some words with Rainbowshine, and then I'll see you girls later."

Rainbow took off easily, her natural flight instincts working in an instant. Pinkie looked up and gave her a grin. "Go tell that meanie-mean meanie-pants who's the pegasus around!"

The cyan mare smiled and saluted, before taking off.

---

Two hours later, and one after the spa treatment, the five mares were at Sugar Cube Corner, eating or drinking whatever they were craving.

"Hey, does anypony know when Rainbow's shift end?" Twilight said after swallowing a chunk of brownie.

"She's usually done around three in the afternoon." Fluttershy replied, holding a juice box. "But lately she's been working until sunset."

"So we have between..." Applejack tried some quick arithmetic. "Uh..."

"It's midday now, so we have between three and seven or so hours before we can see her." Rarity finished, sipping her coffee. Applejack gave her a look, which only made the white mare grin slightly.

"Well, I hope she's in a super-duper good mood after it anyway." Pinkie said while icing a cupcake perfectly with her hooves. "That's why I'm making a special cupcake just for her."

Twilight smiled at the gesture. "Just don't force it on her if she is in a foul mood."

Just then, the pegasus in question shoved the door open. Her mane was a mess, her eyes bloodshot and her coat somewhat soggy underneath them.

Pinkie skidded across the floor to greet her friend, grinning like a maniac. "Hey Dashie, here's a cupcake!" She raised one of Rainbow's hooves and placed the cupcake on it. Rainbow stared at if for a few seconds as Pinkie slid back.

Much to the party pony's surprise, Rainbow simply put it on a table and slumped down hard in the closest seat, sighing. Pinkie's smile dropped.

"Are you alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked with concern.

Rainbow let out a low growl which ended in a loud volume. "Rainbowshine bucking fired me!"

Everyone turned silent as the pegasus breathed heavily.

"She said I was wasting too much time with my friends and not considering my duty to the Weather Patrol." She rested her head in her hooves. "She said that because a few more ponies fell ill, I have to work 12/7. No bucking extra pay."

Nopony dared move to comfort the pegasus.

"That, or it was suspension from work for three weeks with no pay at all."

"So... you weren't technically fired?"

"It's three bucking weeks without a job." Rainbow growled. "Which means no bits to spend on things." Her head slammed on the table. "This bucking sucks..."

"Darling, watch your language." Rarity reflexively responded before she could stop herself. Rainbow just glared at her.

"How would you feel if you lost your only bucking source of income for three weeks?" Rainbow snarled.

"I'd be absolutely devastated." Rarity replied.

"Yeah, now you know why."

"Um... Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy started.

"What?" Rainbow replied with venom, causing the butter pegasus to flinch. When Rainbow didn't soften up after seeing her fillyhood friend cowering from her, Fluttershy cowered more.

"N-n-n-never mind..." She continued quietly.

Pinkie leapt between the two. "Hey, don't be a meanie pants!"

"Are you even aware of what's happened, Pinks?" Rainbow said, standing up. "I. Lost. My. Job." She poked the pink pony in the chest with each word.

"But that's no reason to be-"

Rainbow growled. "Just shut up for once, Pinkie Pie!"

Pinkie took a step back, looking shocked and very much hurt. Tears were starting to well up from the corners of her eyes.

"I don't need you lecturing me, not now, not ever!"

"D-dashie...?"

"Shut up! It's your fault that I lost my job!"

"W-wha-" Pinkie started, before being cut off by a mad pegasus.

"You're practically forcing me to hang out with you, even you know I'm busy!"

"I was never forcing you!" Pinkie yelled back, suddenly full of similar anger.

"Your stupid bucking Pinkie Promises force ponies to do things that you think should happen!"

"You shouldn't have made a Pinkie Promise when you knew you were busy!"

"And you shouldn't have invented the bucking thing in the first place!"

Rainbow grabbed the cupcake and threw it hard on the ground. It hit in front of Pinkie, spattering her with rainbow frosting. Pinkie stared at the cupcake in shock, like somepony's blood had just been dashed across her chest.

"Now just leave me alone!" Rainbow flew off, tearing the hinges off the door.

Pinkie continued to stare at the icing. To her, the cupcake was a symbol of her friendship to Rainbow Dash. And it had just been beaten across the floor by that same friend.

Everyone in the room was watching her, including the Cakes who had just entered after hearing the commotion. Pinkie's eyes started tearing up.

"D... Dash..." She finally said with a sniff, her mane deflating quickly. Finally she broke into tears and galloped up the stairs, sobbing loudly.

"Oh dear." Twilight murmured.

"D'ya think Dash really meant what she said?" Applejack looked at the six ponies in the room with concern.

"S-she's probably really really stressed..." Fluttershy replied, picking herself up. She was shaken to the core, but doing far better than anypony would've imagined. "I-I mean, she has cracked like this before..."

"Really?"

Fluttershy nodded. "It's the reason she dropped out of Flight School. She was protecting me, and ended up failing school because of her lack of attendance. She... She yelled like that, to me..." She sniffed. "I-I thought she'd never want to see me again..."

"And yet, she remained loyal." Rarity muttered her reply, looking at her coffee.

"But... This time she was louder. And meaner..." Fluttershy gulped. "She might not come back..."

Twilight sighed. "And, from an objective view, she'd lose her connection with the Elements of Harmony." She gasped loudly. "And that means we'd lose the ability to defeat someone like Discord."

"Well, what do we do now?" Applejack asked.

"We can't do anything except wait." Rarity replied. "If we try to bring her back, she'll move further away from us."

"Oh... My..."

---

Rainbow destroyed a cloud in one fell swoop, a hard kick to its side. Ironically, she had set the cloud up that morning, though in her rage she didn't even care.

"Stupid..."

Another kick to a cloud. This one burst into water, drenching the field beneath it.

"Bucking..."

She kicked again, and this cloud crackled into lightning. None of it hit her, fortunately, but something underneath was charred.

"Pinkie!"

She kicked harder, somewhat surprised to hear a squeak and a flutter of wings alongside a more solid form. She turned to face a grey pegasus covering her nose, eyes closed.

"Owie..." The grey pegasus mumbled.

"Derpy." Rainbow, despite feeling sorry for hurting the mare, just remembered that the same pegasus had given most of the weather team burns that put them in various stages of hospitalisation.

"You've got a good kick." The cheery pegasus opened an eye, and stopped smiling from under her hooves. "Oh my gosh, are you ok?"

"No." Rainbow admitted. "I've just been suspended for three weeks."

Derpy's open eye widened. "Oh dear."

"All because Pinkie wants to bucking hang out while I'm working extra shifts." She kicked another cloud. "And the only reason I'm working overtime is because you fried half the weather team!"

Derpy removed her hooves from her muzzle. "Oh yeah, that..."

"Yes, that. Derpy, your Cutie Mark's bucking bubbles-"

"Water droplets." Derpy deadpanned.

"-Not bucking lightning. Why the hay were you working with thunderclouds?"

"I..." She looked guilty. "I made a bet with Thunderlane, ok? I said I could do his job, and he could do mine for one shift. I-I mean, how was I supposed to know that L-types were activated when you jump on them too hard?"

"Oh, I don't know, it's in the bucking Weather Patrol Hoofbook! How the hay could you not know that?!"

"I have trouble reading, ok?" Derpy replied, looking at her with wonky eyes.

"With eyes like those, of course you do."

"And my stress-activated dyslexia." Derpy added.

"You have dyslexia?"

"Or it really could be just the eyes. I can't remember whether the doc said dyslexia or myopia or something else ending in 'ia'."

Rainbow just stared at her, half annoyed and half confused. "Look, I really need some time to cool down. Can you, I dunno, go away so I can break clouds in peace?"

"You know I have to replace those."

"Like I care." Rainbow started drifting back to her home. "Whatever, I'm gonna break clouds somewhere else."

As the cyan mare left, the door below where she was opened. "Derpy, what are you doing here?"

"Hey Carrot Top." Derpy alighted the ground next to her. "Dash was just relieving some-"

Carrot Top shrieked, staring at her now-soaked carrot patch.

"...Tension." She finished guiltily.

---

The Weather Patrol's doing fine without me, I see. Rainbow thought, flying through a storm that had been set up near Fluttershy's cottage. She couldn't destroy these, they were charged. She realised that it has been by sheer dumb luck that that stormcloud had burst away from her.

She simply hovered, willing the wind to carry her wherever. She simply didn't have the energy to head home, not now. Her rage had burnt up, simply leaving her hollow.

"Maybe I should go and apologise..." Rainbow muttered, then shook her head. "No way. They won't want me coming back after all this."

For a good while she drifted, her wings somehow remaining light enough to keep her flying. When she shook herself out of her headspace she found herself drifting over the Everfree Forest. She scanned the area for threats and, finding none, relaxed.

"Whew, that was close. Time to head back and-" A loud roar interrupted her, and she turned to face the noise.

A Hydra. One with at least six heads. It was hard to tell with it flailing around while it was being shot at by purple magic.

Purple magic?!

Rainbow sped closer, and found a familiar purple unicorn casting bolts of magic from her horn. Most of the bolts missed, and the ones that did hit turned to magic dust on impact. Around the Hydra's large feet were Applejack and Rarity, the former kicking with all her might, the latter... using a sword.

Rarity has a sword?

Pinkie was laying down covering fire with her party cannon, the confectionary and party gear splatting harmlessly against the Hydra.

Fluttershy, naturally, was hiding behind Twilight.

Applejack kicked particularly hard, which bothered the Hydra. The beast kicked Applejack into Twilight, sending the three ponies flying. Pinkie continued her assault, but her strange weapon was crushed underfoot and blew up, spattering a large area and knocking the pink pony far. Rarity stopped her assaults as soon as Applejack was sent flying, and ran towards her stunned companions.

***

"Applejack!" Rarity cried as she dodged a stomp from the Hydra. Same stomp his Pinkie's contraption, detonating whatever was inside. Cake batter and ice cream sprayed out in all directions, sent flying by an invisible explosion. She was spattered with the mix, but despite her normal behaviour diligently ignored it.

That didn't stop her wiping some off when she helped Applejack up.

Twilight looked up at the Hydra. "Darn... I'm running low on magic."

"Mah kicks ain't doin' anythin' against this beastie." Applejack said, now helping Fluttershy up.

"I'm close to burning out." Rarity added, flicking the sword in a dynamic fashion and wincing.

"I-I can't do anything." Fluttershy said quietly, the roar of the Hydra making her inaudible.

"And he destroyed my Party Cannon!" Pinkie screamed at the beast. "You will pay for your crimes, meanie!"

The Hydra looked at them with twelve hungry eyes, and charged.

"Well, it was nice knowing you." Twilight responded.

"At least I could die with my mane intact." Rarity muttered, flicking cake out of her hair.

The beast lunged, but stopped short of eating Applejack. Then its surprised head shot back, a rainbow ball pressing against its chest. The creature was knocked onto its back, and the rainbow bolt arced around and landed hard in front of them.

Out of the dust cloud a rainbow tail flicked out. "Sorry I took so long."

"R-rainbow Dash?" Twilight stammered, seeing the pegasus in full once the dust cleared. Rainbow turned back to face them.

"What? I'm Deus Ex Machina incarnate." She let off a grin, and then looked at the sword at Rarity's hooves. "Mind if I use that?"

"What in tarnation are y'all doing here?" Applejack looked at her, confused. "Ah though-"

Rainbow grabbed the sword without Rarity's consent, and flashed another grin. "Saving your flanks and probably going to die in the process." She took off without another word, charging straight for the Hydra.

The Hydra shot one of its heads at Rainbow, who dodged easily and sunk the blade in its throat. A gem on the sword glowed and as she sliced the Hydra's flesh a searing beam of light cut through the rest of its neck. As the head dropped down she looked at the sword in confusion.

"Woah. Cool." She grinned, only to be batted to the ground by the Hydra's head. The impact didn't do much except stun her and send the sword flying. It embedded itself far off, but not impossible for her to grab in a dash.

Except that one of the remaining heads broke it in half.

She looked up as the same head burst into flames, shrieking wildly. She turned onto her back and saw that the neck of the head she had just severed split in two and grew two new heads.

"Oh buck." She muttered, before dodging a claw smashing beside her. She bolted for the remains of the sword, and caught it in her teeth. She turned to the Hydra. "Hey, you big dummy!"

The seven heads turned to face her, one of which fell off because it was on fire.

"Come and get me!" She taunted, tossing the sword-piece into her hooves.

The two creatures charged. Before Rainbow could sink the blade into its chest, the Hydra swung a claw at her and cut deep along her side. Her wing was, miraculously, undamaged.

The knock sent her flying in front of her five friends. She screamed as she landed on her wounds.

"Rainbow!" Pinkie yelled, running to her aid.

"Go!" Rainbow called out, coughing out a little blood.

"But-"

"I said go! I ain't dying just to let you guys die too!" She struggled up, and turned to face the Hydra. The burning head's neck split into two new heads, totalling eight heads now.

She grinned, and opened her wings.

"Come on, ya big lug!" She bellowed. The Hydra charged again.

She took off.

She flew blade-first, striking the Hydra dead-centre in the chest. The beast screamed in eight slightly different voices. And yet she kept pushing.

Her wings were growing sore, but she still pressed on, her sheer wingpower dragging the Hydra across the dirt. The beast slashed a few more times, only cutting her deeply, but not as deeply as before.

The Hydra paused at the top of a cliff, leading into a ravine full of sharp rocks. A few heads looked down wearily, the others focussed on the mare.

Rainbow saw it too, and smirked. "Can't fly, can you?"

Before the creature could possibly reply, she pushed even harder, using her entire wingpower to tip it over the edge. Just as she pushed it down, one of its heads gripped onto her tightly, sinking teeth into her. She was yanked out of the sky, and saw the ravine walls speeding along fast.

She smiled calmly, both relieved that she had saved her friends, and from the lack of blood helping her. And she passed out before she hit the bottom.

---

"Ugh..." She muttered before her other senses switched back on. "I feel like manure..."

She heard mumbling, but her ears hadn't woken up. When she heard Twilight's voice slowly come into focus, she opened her eyes and closed them again when the bright light stung.

"Dash?" Twilight's voice.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Are you feeling alright?"

"No..." She coughed, and then opened her eyes slowly. All five of her friends were around her, as well as the doctor from when she had broken her wing. "Hey Doc..."

"Good morning, Rainbow Dash." He replied with professional warmness. "Good to see you awake."

"What time is it?"

"Nine in the morning."

"Good." She sighed. "Isn't that long."

"Sunday."

Her eyes widened. "It's been three days?"

"Ten, actually."

"Whoa. That long, huh?"

Rarity nodded. "Don't worry, you're healing quite fine, from what I've heard."

"How long till I fly?"

"Well, your wings weren't damaged much, so I think you'd technically be good to fly now. But-"

Before Rainbow Dash could take off to celebrate, she froze. "Huh?"

"The wounds to your body aren't as good. You'll have to stay a few days."

"Aww..." She muttered. "But I'm fine otherwise?"

The doctor nodded.

Rainbow barely got a word out when a pink shape tackle-hugged her. She winced as she felt her wounds being pressed.

"OH MY GOSH YOU'RE OK, DASHIE, I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU AFTER YOU-!"

"Pinkie?"

Pinkie looked at the rainbow maned pegasus. "Yes?"

"My wounds. You're hurting them."

Pinkie looked where Rainbow's hoof was pointing, then back up with an embarrassed blush as she pulled back. "Sorry, I kinda got carried away..."

"It's fine, Pinks." She turned to her friends in general. "In fact, I should be the one apologising. I kinda got stressed a hay-of-a-lot back at Sugar Cube Corner, and I kinda snapped. Trust me, it isn't the first time."

"Aw, it's ok, sugarcube." Applejack replied happily.

"But why did you decide to help us after that anyway?" Twilight pondered.

Rainbow thought it over. "You guys are my friends, and even if I argue with you I'd still save you from death by Hydra if it came to that." She chuckled. "Glad I didn't die myself."

"Fluttershy here refused to let you go." Rarity wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy, who looked up bashfully from behind her mane. "And neither would we."

"Thanks guys." Rainbow smiled, leaning back.

The five mares smiled, and all wrapped the battle-worn pegasus in a tight group hug.

"Girls?"

The five mares turned to face her, smiling. Rainbow herself was beaming widely, though in a little pain too.

"You're hurting me again." She said with a chuckle.

Comments

[SigmatheAwesome]

On Loyalty: This is actually based of an idea from a comic on dA, as will be Generosity. Kindness, Magic and Laughter will be almost original ideas. Honesty will be based of 'Party of One' slightly. At least, that's the plan.

Trivia:
- The reference to Applejack spraining her neck on her birthday actually happened to me. God it was annoying. It was a good day, though.
- I might be writing a story where Filly!Dash rages at Filly!Shy and it will be sad but have a good end because I can't write bad ends.
- I tried to avoid any hints of shipping, unlike my normal stuff. At least, within the Mane 6.

If you spot any errors I didn't, or you have some ideas for Laughter (because I'm kinda stuck on that one), or you want to tell me how good this one is, feel free to tell me.

[Biker_Dash]

An excellent story, and I am adding it to my Fav list.

Sorry that I don't have any ideas for the Element of Laughter. If I do think of any, I will let you know.