Vaguely Familiar.

by Reptilicus

A gasoline gut with a vaseline mind.

Twilight Sparkle woke with a start at a dull thud and crack outside. It was a familiar sound. That of a pegasus breaking the sound barrier, and causing a sonic boom some distance away. She struggled upward, her mind adjusting. She was sleeping in Rainbow Dash's house, her friends quietly surrounding her slumbering. She glanced over the couch at Pinkie Pie only to realize the pink pony was not at the base of the stairs. She searched the room briefly. Nothing. She glanced up at the stairs. Dash's bedroom door was open. Twilight turned to peer out the far window and could barely make out a rainbow-colored vapor trail dissipating against the night sky. A small red patch sat growing on the horizon, a sign that Celestia's star was rising to bring a new day to the world. No better time than the present to have a few words with her upset friend. Twilight rose from her seat and quietly sauntered across the room, taking a quick glance at Applejack and Rarity and stifling a giggle. In her sleep Applejack had managed to grab Rarity's curly indigo tail and was currently using it as some sort of pillow.

The early morning air was cold and Twilight could distinctly see her breath upon the wind as she made her way to the edge of the cloud bank, noticing a small shape sitting in the clouds. She quickened her pace, realizing as she approached that it was Pinkie Pie, staring out into the sky. Twilight craned her neck up to see that a few hundred feet away was Rainbow Dash, speeding in circles through the early morning clouds. Twilight sat down next to Pinkie, whose face was lit up with a look of awe and wonder as Rainbow continued to perform, unaware she was being watched.

"Isn't she amazing?" Pinkie whispered, surprisingly aware Twilight was near her despite the silence.

"Yes she is." Twilight muttered, watching Rainbow fly. "How long has she been practicing out here?"

"I think maybe an hour or so. I was thinking of trying to make everyone some breakfast out of last night's leftovers. Is anyone else awake, yet?"

"Nope. It's just us."

For a minute Twilight and Pinkie watched the tiny blue speck as it arched and spun its way in wide circles, leaving a prismatic trail behind it.

"She's hurting." Twilight mumbled as they watched. It was indeed obvious that Dash's flying was growing more erratic as time wore on. One of her wings tilted at an odd angle, supporting her leg. "She really shouldn't be doing this. She should be resting."

Almost as if she could hear her friends in the distance, Rainbow turned abruptly in the air and soared back towards her home, landing a few feet away from Twilight and Pinkie, rubbing her shoulder with a hoof. She flashed a small nervous grin at Twilight and Pinkie.

"Hey guys, you're up pretty early. How long have you been watching me?"

"An hour!" Pinkie chirped, causing Dash to give her a quick look of disapproval.

"Just a minute or two." Twilight replied. "Um....Dash is your shoulder still hurting you?"

"I dunno. A little bit I guess."

"You know Dash, performing with an injury runs a very high risk of making the injury worse. You need to take time to recover."

"So you're saying I shouldn't race?"

"Exactly!"

"No can do, smarty-pants!" Rainbow said with a cocky grin. "After yesterday's.....performance....I pretty much HAVE to race today."

"Why's that?"

"The Wonderbolts watched me fall flat on my face. I look like a moron to them right now. If I can win, WITH an injury, I'm going to look wicked awesome. Like a hero who can overcome any challenge."

"Dashie." Pinkie said, giving her friend a small poke in the shoulder, causing Rainbow to wince in pain. "You seem way too hurt to race. What if you get even more hurt? We can't have as much fun when you're hurt!"

"Quit calling me that." Dash muttered.

"So this is about ego?" Twilight asked.

"No." Dash shot back. "You two don't get it. This is about dignity. This is about showing all those jerks in Cloudsdale that 'Rainbow Crash' is not a 1-trick-pony who can't handle herself. This is about doing the one thing I always wanted to do and shoving it in the faces of everyone who ever gave me n' Fluttershy a hard time."

"Why can't you wait til' next year to do that?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Because I'm tired of waiting a year every time I screw up. I'm going to be an old nag at this rate by the time I manage to impress the Wonderbolts. I'm tired of being patient and waiting for my chance to slowly roll around again. Today is the most important day of my life right now because I need to be at my best. If I don't win the derby today then I HAVE to wait a year. I HAVE to be one year older and one year weaker next time. But right now I don't HAVE to do anything. I have a choice to enter the derby or not. And I've made my decision."

"Well it's a dumb decision." came Applejack's southern drawl as she approached from the house. "But I know y'all are as stubborn as me so there's no way I can talk you out of it. All I can really do I guess is ask you to be careful, Dash. I don't like seein' ya all jacked up like this."

"I'm going to be fine, AJ." Dash said. "Especially once I win that blue ribbon later."

"Can we try having that party after you win, Rainbow?" Pinkie asked, a large smile appearing on her face.

"Yeah....about that." Rainbow scooted closer to Pinkie, looking her friend in the eye. "Pinks, I really appreciate you going out of your way to throw me a party. And I know you spent all your money on it and.....I sorta ruined it."

"It's ok!" Pinkie replied, giving Rainbow a hug.

"No it's not ok." Rainbow muttered, pushing Pinkie away. "I was really upset and angry yesterday and I shouldn't have....thrown you to the floor and....ignored the rest of you guys."

"I probably would'a done the same thing if I'd experienced a day like you had, Rainbow." Applejack scratched her head. "Probably should have waited to throw the party until we knew if you'd won or not."

"I'm sorry, Pinks." Dash mumbled. "I'm gonna make it up to you, I swear."

"Dash just.....try not to hurt yourself today, alright?" Twilight asked.

The four went inside the cottage to salvage what was left of the party food. The sun still hadn't peeked above the horizon line yet, but morning was on its way. It would still be several hours until the Wonderbolts Derby got under way, giving Dash one last chance to make herself noticed.

***************************************************************

The Wonderbolts Derby was a real crowd-pleaser. Creatures from all over Equestria came in droves to the event. Griffons, hippogriffs, chollima, dragons, wyverns, wurms, kelpies, pegasi, and ponies all crowded the glorious Rakhsh Hippodrome Arena in Cloudsdale, all eager to see the race. From the lowliest most unknown greenhorns, to the professional athletes, all were allowed in the race, with proper registration and inspection of course. It was not an easy course. Six laps of track in in the shape of a bowditch curve, forming three wide circles lain end to end, the track changing in height frequently and dotted with obstacles. Trees, clouds, blinking hurdles and more sat on the road and the air in the impressive track. The derby had been an old tradition, started by Sleipnir himself, one of the original old Gods of Equestria. It had been rejuvenated nearly two hundred years prior to the present by a fledgling association of athletes, a sect of whom would later become a personal stunt team known by the name The Wonderbolts.

To simply race in the derby was an honor in itself. Thousands of some of the best athletes ever born had rode these tracks to the best of their might, competing to see who was truly the best. Some rode for fame and riches. Some rode to settle disputes and wages. Some rode to win favor from the Royalty and Nobles. And a few others, famously, rode to impress their lovers. It was a place of history and kept in tip top condition. Not to say it had no been modernized. Stage lights and spotlights hung across the ceiling, and sat cozily next to the track hooked to small magical generators. Some of these, particularly the ones near the finish line, were affixed with small cameras that would take a photo at the exact moment a pony crossed the finish. Quite helpful, when two competitors were neck and neck and the victory of one was called into question. The original stone bleachers still stood, making up the first six rows of the terraces, with modern plastic ones attached above them. A large small section was separate and hung over as a large balcony, casting a shadow over some of the seats. This balcony was reserved for important ponies. VIP, nobles, royalty, and famous retired athletes who had come to see whatever sports event was occurring in the arena.

Below both of these sat a small dark doorway that lead to what originally was a room used to house wild dragons for gladiatorial combat back in the old days. For now it was simply a preparation room. Lockers, showers, and a few benches stood in the white tiled room. Easy storage for sports teams. And at the moment this was where quite a few eager competitors now sat, nervously awaiting the approach to the racetrack, and then the race itself which would define their ability. Rainbow Dash was there as well with her five friends, trying her level best to not appear nervous.

"Feelin' good. Feelin' good. Feelin' great great great." Dash mumbled as she entered the locker room.

"What number did you get, Dash?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'm number 7." Dash replied, motioning to the small white cloth tied around her middle, emblazoned with a dark grey number.

"Ooh seven! Seven is a very lucky number!" Pinkie bounced happily. "That means you are extra lucky today, Rainbow!"

"Yeah, I hope so." Dash mumbled. "I just found out who the judges are."

"How many of 'em are there this time, Dash?" asked Applejack.

"Five in total. That snotwad, Hoops. Then Spitefire, Surprise, Wavechill, and WildFire." Dash sighed sadly. "Plus, I just learned that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are up in the VIP box today."

Rainbow shot an angry look at Twilight.

"Why, Twi? Why didn't you tell me they were coming too? Like I don't have enough pressure on me knowing half the Wonderbolts are watching me!"

"I honestly didn't know, Dash!" Twilight grinned sheepishly. "Celestia tells me a lot of things but...she doesn't tell me EVERYTHING! I'm as surprised as you are.

Dash groaned and flopped to the floor. "Uuugh. Well at least my shoulder isn't bothering me anymore."

"Dash if it starts to hurt you, you really should hang back." Fluttershy quietly whispered, patting her friend's head. "We'll all be cheering for you. And we'll all still love you even if you lose. You know that right?"

"I know." Dash said in an exasperated tone.

"Plus, remember Dash it's not always the winners whom draw the Wonderbolts attention." Rarity spoke up. "If you can lose but do it in with grace and elegance I'm sure they'd be far more impressed than simply seeing you speeding around. I wager they already know how fast you can move by now."

"Yeah....I guess." Dash grumbled as she lifted herself off the floor.

"Just make sure to do your best, Dash." Twilight pulled her friend into a hug. "That's all anyone can ask of you."

There was a small ring over the loudspeakers, signaling that the time had come for the racers to enter the field and take their places. Dash took a deep breath, flaring out her wings and turning to walk out into the sun. Her friends left through another door to take their seats in the stands. Pinkie cast a forlorn face at Rainbow's retreating silhouette as the two exited the hallway, whispering a small mote of encouragement that nobody could hear.

"Be safe."

***********************************************

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Maybe it was the lucky number seven at her side. Maybe it was all the words of encouragement from her friends. Maybe it was the sun in her eye, the entire world watching her, waiting for her to slip up. Maybe it was Spitefire's encouraging words over the loudspeaker for the contestants to 'break a leg'. Who could really say. Who could have expected what would have gone down that afternoon. But something jinxed the race. Something seemed to spit in the eye of fate and shout triumphantly "I dare you. I DARE YOU."

Whatever it was, somewhere around the third lap, Dash felt it. A sudden tense feeling in her shoulder. She'd been holding her own until that point. Ignoring the sound of the roaring crowd, the flashing lights, the judges commentary. She'd been in the top three throughout the race, trying to conserve her energy for a massive speed increase on the final lap. Doing her best not to aggravate the injury from yesterday. But now it seemed to no avail. She could feel it now, the air currents were growing too strong for her torn muscle to handle. Her wing began to tremble as she clenched her teeth. Only a little longer. If she could just hold on a little longer she would win. She would win this thing. Then she felt the snap, the sharp pain of an injured muscle stretched far beyond its limitations. There was a nearly inaudible click as her wing went lip, the bones cracking in the wind as it folded unnaturally to her side. She tried to scream in agony, but the wind carried her voice away. Her eyes filled with hot tears as she lost her bearings. Familiar sights became a streak of color that spun wildly across her vision. A loud mocking voice echoed through the air as she tumbled. The voice of her childhood bully and tormenter, ringing loud and clear across the pavilion.

"OH HO HO! RAINBOW CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH! AH HA HAAAA!"

No. Not today. With a primordial strength, Rainbow managed to push open her good wing as she tumbled, trying her best to steady herself as she fell. Nearly immediately she felt her other wing break in half in midair. It was now she realized just how fast she had been going. And only now did she realize that her velocity hadn't slowed. There was only her and the ground now and the most terrifying realization that she had no way to stop herself. She closed her eyes, trying to brace for an impact that she could never know would come.

At an unheard of speed, Rainbow's body tumbled through the sky, a spiral trail of color jittering in her wake. Ponies began to scream as they realized she was falling. Her limp form twisted and hurled itself into one of the striplights of the stadium, sending fresnel lanterns shattering in a bright white explosion of gas and electricity. But the landing hadn't come yet. The force of the impact tore the entire lighting structure from its secure spot on the ground, dragging with it the small electric generator that powered it. The three items became a blur as they spun wildly in an arc of shrapnel and shattered glass, the shouts of the crowd growing more deafening as they realized Dash was heading right for them.

For a brief moment there was a quiet thud and mist of purple light as Princess Luna herself teleported with magic at an impossible speed and distance out of her VIP booth, sending armed guards flying, as she sparked with a purple light into the audience where Dash was destined to hit. With another thud she had caused a small shockwave, clearing a path from the imminent crash so that others could not be hurt. But it would not be enough. Luna's eyes opened in horror as she realized the speed at which the disaster was arriving. With a third thud she had disappeared into a cloud of black smoke, appearing meters away in the crowd, covering her eyes with her hooves.

Dash's body alone tore through the stone bleachers, sending pieces of cement scattering into the air, falling into the ground hitting any pony unlucky enough to be too close. The bent strip lighting structure followed Dash's form into the crater, bursting in a fiery sphere of white light and sparks. At the end of it the wire bunched and coiled as the generator that powered the lights hit the crater as well, exploding in a massive ball of oil, metal, sparks, and rubber. The sound was ghastly as the audience screamed in pure horror, fire and pieces of stadium exploding out of the hole Dash had made, raining pure carnage onto the track. Flames spread quickly around the hole as firefighter ponies began rushing in. Black smoke and embers billowed from the crater, loose wires writhing like snakes sending showers of hot sparks of electric current into the air. The air grew silent as the crowd watched, and was soon torn asunder by screams. Something was moving in the crater. Some mangled form was tearing its way out. Even the firefighters suddenly stood back in horror as the broken and burnt form of Rainbow Dash struggled and clambered from it's fiery prison, falling over the wall and landing in the astroturf. She stood on her broken legs, twisted and gnarled and began to hobble crazily from the fire, leaving trails of dirt, ash, blood, and feathers in her wake.

Like ants they rushed her. Firefighters, guards, medics with stretchers, and the media. Cameras flashed, ponies shouted as they crowded her violently torn form, her eyes like pink spheres in her blackened face. Fights began to break out as the firefighters tried to keep the reporters from her, shouting and punching began to spread through the chaos. The medical staff drew close to Dash, suddenly backing up as she flared out her torn wings and let out a hollow paralyzing shriek of pain and anger. Even from the very back of the stadium, every ear could hear what she screamed.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The medics approached again, Dash leaped at them in a pounce, trying to attack them as a large piece of her skin flopped in the sunlight, sending droplets of blood everywhere.

"I WANNA GO HOME! PLEASE! LET ME GO!"

Her legs buckled under her sending her to the ground onto her side. The crowd rushed close again but immediately she was up, swaying unnaturally. With a loud bellow she screeched.

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!"

For a brief moment her body seemed to light up with a yellow tint. There was a brilliant flash of light. Brighter than the sun itself causing the crowd and audience to scream in alarm. And all at once it was gone. The light had ended, and Dash was nowhere to be seen. The crater and blood in the grass remained. Small burnt feathers still fluttering down into the audience. But there was no sign of the cyan pony. And as someone quickly noted, there was no sign of Celestia or Luna either. Both of the Royal Princesses had also disappeared in a brilliant flash of white arcane light.

A small curl of white smoke rose from the grass where the injured mare had once stood, folding and swirling as it rose into the air and melded with the sunshine, becoming nothing.

*******************************************

"She's dead! She's dead! Oh I know she's dead I know it!"

Fluttershy collapsed as the group ran through the hallways underneath the stadium. It had been difficult to keep composure after witnessing the accident. Rarity had shrieked the moment she noticed Dash was falling. They watched in desperate terror as their friends form collided into the seats, destroying itself, equipment, and the bleachers themselves. Pinkie Pie had begun crying immediately, trying madly to leap from their elevated seats to the terrace below, determined to see if Dash was alright. The impact of such a fall would surely have injured the mare, and the other four had exhausted their strength stopping her. She had frozen, as had the rest, when Dash had struggled out into the sunlight, looking like a nightmare out of some gross anatomical textbook. Rarity had turned sobbing into Twilight's side as the purple unicorn gawked at the scene. Applejack's scream had knocked them from their abstraction, causing the group to stumble as they ran to where the scene had occurred. But once the mystical light had flashed and the pegasus was gone, they had stood simply staring at the smoking crater before hurrying into the hallways.

What had begun as a panicked run had quickly transpired into an effort to simply stand, their minds barely able to process what they had just seen. Their pace had slowed as their faces had gone pale, and one by one the five Elements of Harmony found themselves reduced to a clumsy brisk walk as they attempted and failed to keep their composure. Pinkie had cracked first, sobbing and shouting gibberish as she fled through the hall, eventually curling up into a corner and letting out a high pitched wail. Applejack stopped dead in her tracks and sat on the floor, soon finding herself holding a sobbing Rarity in her arms and looking to Twilight with eyes full of fear, the lavender unicorn taking no notice, who was now pacing in circles mumbling quiet spells and prayers as a puddle of tears formed under her.

"What do we do now, Twilight?" Applejack had finally managed to whisper, her voice strained as she tried not to become a sobbing mess like the others. Twilight gave no answer, only speeding up her pacing into a frightened gallop, her endless mantras speeding up into indecipherable jargon.

"She's dead! She's dead!" Fluttershy was beating the wall with her hooves, screaming out loud. Never thought of to be a strong pony, her small hooves were causing large holes in the drywall as she continued to strike the it. "She's dead! She's dead!"

"We don't know that!" Applejack grunted. "Right Twi? She's ok right? She and the princesses all disappeared at once so that means she's with 'em, right? Twi? That was the princesses magic, right?"

Twilight continued pacing, her chattering becoming soft weeping as she continued to gallop in small circles.

"She's dead! She's dead!" Fluttershy's screams echoed through the hall.

"STOP IT FLUTTERSHY!" Rarity suddenly yelped as she tore her face away from Applejack's shoulder, her mascara causing dark blotches to stain her cheeks. "STOP SHOUTING THAT!"

"She's dead!"

"I SAID STOP IT!"

"Twilight." Applejack squeaked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please tell me you....can do...anything."

There was a flash of white light and the five were gone. Mysteriously enchanted away like their friend. Leaving behind five small trails of white smoke and a hallway still resonating with cries of grief.

******************************************

The had been sent a great distance in a very short amount of time. Their consciousnesses being stretched across time and space for the briefest of moments. When the white cleared and their large tearful eyes adjusted they found themselves sitting in the last place they would have expected. The cloudbank that held up Rainbow Dash's cottage, only a few meters from the front door.

On the front step stood Princes Luna. The mistress of the stars and queen of the night herself. A deep midnight blue, her spectral mane and feathering fetlocks gleaming with the tiny pinprick light of millions of tiny stars. Though a frightening visage for those who didn't know her personally, she was a very timid and loving deity. Her eyes kind, and her ways old-fashioned. With a quiet rustle she folded her indigo wings and strode majestically up to the five smaller ponies, easily twice their size. She lay down in the cloudbank before them clearing her throat.

"I must speak with all of you."

The five stared ahead, still unsure of what was happening. Lune gave them all a warm grin, or at least as warm as one such as herself could muster.

"Your friend is alive and will be fine."

There was an audible sigh as the five relaxed slightly. Pinkie's eyes welled up as she scuttled forward.

"Dash is ok?" Her voice shook as her body trembled.

"Yes, Pinkamena. Dash is ok. My sister is with her now."

"What happened, Luna? What's happening now?" Twilight demanded, marching boldly up to the starlight alicorn. "Where is Dash?"

"She is inside, Miss Sparkle." Luna replied. "Her injuries were very severe. We brought her to where she desired. Home."

Immediate the five rushed past the Princess, and ran inside the house to find the bottom floor empty. The remains of the ruined party the night before still hung limply across the interior. Luna entered soon afterwards. There was a quiet din of voices from the upstairs rooms. They craned their heads, desperate to decipher the muffled sounds coming through to the bottom floor. The door to Dash's room suddenly swung open. A small team of ponies were marching down the stairs, medical kits and doctor's bags strapped to their sides. All looked very worn and tired. Celestia followed in their wake, a pure white horse with a mane like sunlight, her eyes looking very tired. She quietly thanked the medical professionals who were placing small flasks and bottles onto one of the nearby tables. As they departed, one of the last ones to exit, a very old pony with curly grey and white hair and a plaid sweater turned to the five friends with a small smile.

"I've never seen such a thing." he said with a grating but friendly tone. "Your friend is remarkable."

As the door shut behind him, Celestria strode forward, lowering her head to give Twilight a small comforting nudge before she sat, ready to address the group.

"What's going on? Where's Dash? Who are all these ponies?" Fluttershy suddenly blurted out causing Twilight to flinch.

"She's resting upstairs." Celestia replied in a very quiet voice, uncharacteristic of the motherly tone it often carried. "She's been through much. We very nearly lost her. But I think she'll be alright now."

"What happened?" Twilight asked.

"Her wounds were very life threatening. I had to use some old magic. Very old, actually....in order to help her recover quickly to a point where the medical staff could...patch her up."

"Medical staff? From the Cloudsdale Clinic?" Fluttershy walked toward the Princess, her blue eyes full of determination. "What did they do? What magic did they use?"

"It's fine, my child. They are a part of the emergency staff of Canterlot. They are the best in the land I assure you. Luna and I brought them here on a bead of light, much like we brought you. They did their best and Rainbow Dash is going to be physically fine, as long as she does not exert herself and rests for recovery."

Fluttershy's determination faded and she backed up, nodding solemnly.

"However," Celestia began. "Her condition may be stable but what she experienced today was truly terrifying. I have not seen an accident so perilous in centuries. When she awakes I'm sure she's going to have many questions and will most likely be bewildered by the events that have transpired here. She may not know where she is and be frightened. Friendship is very powerful, and she will need you more than ever if she is to fully recover. Do you understand?"

Five small colorful faces nodded. They were still frightened, but Celestia's kind words were like a cool drink after wandering a desert of no hope. Words could not describe the relief and tentative optimism that filled the five as they crept up the stairs, ready to see their injured friend, and do everything in their power to keep her safe.

Comments

[MellowMabari]

Well, damn. In the description it said "injured" so I was ready for the old broken wing or something, but - damn
The princesses must have some pretty crazy magic to salvage Rainbow after all that. She basically got mangled mid air, hit cement at top speed and then exploded. Twice. (Well technically it was the light thing and the generator, but close enough).

And now begins the recovery period and the Pinkiedash, I'm guessing. I think I have time for one more chapter before bed...

[HayBurger04]

Oh dang...

[FoalLanguage]

Rainbow corpse dash would have sucked