Rainbow Dash is seriously hurt in a competition. Now it falls to her friends to pick up the shattered pieces. Can they do the impossible and get Rainbow Dash back in the sky where she belongs?
Competing for a chance to hang out with the Wonderbolts during their training, Rainbow Dash finds herself in yet another competition. Only this time, things go wrong—very wrong. In the end, Rainbow Dash winds up so seriously injured that she may never fly again.
This aftermath leaves her closest friends scrambling for answers and solutions, but both seem to be elusive. Can they find a way to heal Rainbow Dash, or will she be condemned to the life of an earth pony?
In the clouds above Equestria, a cheering crowd of dozens of pegasi filled cloud-carved stands as several fliers gathered at a starting line. Behind the eager racers was a gigantic scoreboard with their portraits next to a score. At the very top of the scoreboard was a picture of a pony with a rainbow colored mane. This exceptional pegasus appeared to have a score of 135.
Back on the starting line, Rainbow Dash was digging her hooves into the clouds with her wings outstretched beside her. She was already set to take off at a moment's notice. You can do this Rainbow Dash! she psyched herself up as she sent sideways glances at her competition. Most of them were just mulling about. These chumps don't stand a chance!
Rainbow's air of confidence was dampened as she spotted one other pony prematurely in the start position: Lightning Dust. A glance over at the scoreboard showed that her Wonderbolts Academy rival securely held the number two position. Looking back to the turquoise pegasus, she managed to lock eyes with her. Lightning Dust smirked as she took a deep breath and exhaled it forcibly through her nose as if to say "Bring it on!"
Not one to be shown up, Rainbow Dash gave her wings a couple of powerful flaps. It wasn't enough to lift Rainbow from her position, but it surely gave the message of "Oh! It's on!"
If possible, Lightning Dust's smirk widened even further as she leaned back ever so slightly. Then, in a sudden burst, she took off! Rainbow Dash coughed in the dust left by the other pegasi. "Hey! Wait!" she uselessly shouted as she realized that she had been so caught up in her back-and-forth with Lightning Dust that she had missed the start of the race! By the time she had gotten up into the air, most of the other fliers were already nothing but dots in the distance.
"Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy worried a bit as she watched Rainbow Dash take off last. Although from her spot in the middle of the roaring crowd, nopony, not even Fluttershy, could hear the soft-spoken words. She briefly wondered just why Rainbow Dash would give everypony else a head start like that. It just didn't seem like the competitive pegasus she knew.
By the time it occurred to Fluttershy that she was supposed to be cheering for her friend, Rainbow Dash and the other competitors were already zooming away into the sky. They were all just tiny dots against a bright, blue background, yet the crowd was still roaring. As it turned out, several pegasi hovered above their seats, using binoculars to get a good view of the race. Fluttershy tried to hear what was going on, but couldn't make out any single voice over the raucous crowd.
Finally, a voice rang out loud and clear. "The lead racers have just reached the first checkpoint!" the announcer called out. "It's Lightning Dust in the lead! Cloudchaser passes the checkpoint just behind her with Thunderlane rounding out the top three!"
Fluttershy didn't pay the announcer much mind as he rambled on about the other dozen or so pegasus ponies in the race. She was busy trying to remember what Rainbow had explained to her about how the race worked. There would be seven checkpoints evenly spaced apart. No, wait...six checkpoints with the finish line as the seventh. That still left Rainbow Dash a lot of room to make up for her delayed start. Fluttershy only stirred from her thoughts when the announcer mentioned her friend's name.
"…and, trailing behind the pack, Rainbow Dash brings up the rear! Could it be that this spunky contender's winning streak is finally at its end!?"
"No! It's not!" Fluttershy defended her friend as if the announcer could actually hear her. The yellow mare proceeded to cheer for Rainbow Dash, even if her shouting voice was quieter than some ponies' speaking voices. "Go Rainbow Dash! I know you can do it!"
"Lightning Dust holds a commanding lead at the second checkpoint! She really is leaving her competition in the dust! Next through the checkpoint is Thunderlane with Cloudchaser just a feather behind him! Wow! The top three are really ahead of the pack! It looks like it will be a few seconds before any of the rest reach checkpoint two! Wait! What's this?! Rainbow Dash has finally caught up to the pack and it looks like… Yes! She is starting to pass some of the other ponies! The pegasus from Ponyville is really something else! At the second checkpoint she is already at the middle of the pack even after her delayed start!"
With the announcer's help, Fluttershy was able to keep track of Rainbow Dash as she zoomed past the other little specs in the sky. At the third checkpoint Rainbow had firmly secured fourth place. By the fourth, she had caught up to Thunderlane and Cloudchaser. Halfway to the fifth checkpoint, Rainbow Dash was already in second place and putting sky between her and the two ponies she had just passed. Unfortunately, while Dash was halfway to the fifth checkpoint, Lightning Dust was already well on her way to the sixth and final checkpoint before the finish line. Being faster than Lightning Dust wasn't going to be enough—Rainbow Dash would have to be nearly twice as fast as her competition to win.
Of course, Fluttershy didn't have a single doubt that Rainbow Dash could do it. She was just ferociously gnawing at her hooves with a panicked expression on her face because…because she thought she left the stove on at home! Yes. That was the reason.
In no time, Lightning Dust was finally coming into clear view as she made her final descent towards the finish line. Rainbow Dash hovered just behind her, right on her tail. Dash kept trying to get around the determined flier, but at every opportunity Lightning Dust swung into her path to prevent her from passing. After a few seconds, Rainbow finally managed to psyche out her rival and slip beside her. The two pegasi flew neck and neck for all of half a second before they zoomed through the finish line. They skidded to a halt in the clouds, kicking up an obfuscating mist into the air.
"Amazing!" the announcer exclaimed with genuine excitement as the mist started to settle. It revealed Rainbow Dash striking a triumphant pose while Lightning Dust stood looking a bit anxious. "It's way too close to call! Definitely a photo finish mares and gentlecolts! Wait… I'm getting word from the officials now and, yes! We have a winner! Rainbow Dash defeated Lightning Dust by a hair!"
Rainbow bolted into the air as she gave a triumphant shout, unaware of Fluttershy doing something very similar. In a much, much less jubilant fashion, Lightning Dust hung her head in defeat until an official shouted at the two to get clear of the finish line. Lightning dragged herself over to the nearby rec room reserved for contestants, while Rainbow Dash shot over to Fluttershy in an instant. The ecstatic mare couldn't help but to relish in her victory.
"Did you see me up there!? That was so awesome!..."
While Rainbow strung sentence after sentence together all about her tour de force, Fluttershy scooted over enough for her friend to sit next to her. As soon as Rainbow Dash started to settle down and her adrenaline crashed, she plopped down in the newfound space to give her burning wings a rest.
"You really were amazing up there," Fluttershy fed Dash's ego. "I never doubted you."
"Thanks Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash appreciated as she gave her wings a stretch. She would never admit it, but she was glad there would be a nice, long break before the next and final event. It took everything she had to catch up to Lightning Dust and her wings weren't about to let her forget it anytime soon. "I'm really glad you came to cheer me on," she genuinely thanked her friend after giving her wings a lazy flap and finally folding them at her sides.
"It's just too bad that everypony else couldn't make it," Fluttershy lamented.
Rainbow donned a self-satisfying grin, "Yeah! They just missed one hay of a show!"
"That's it for the long-distance flight competition!" the announcer boomed, distracting the two mares from their conversation. "There will be an intermission while we set up for today's final event: the obstacle course!"
"Oh! Look!" Fluttershy urged as she pointed a hoof towards the scoreboard. Several pegasi in uniforms were rearranging the scorecards. The top few positions had already been changed out. Rainbow Dash still held the top spot, though her score had increased to 150. Underneath Rainbow's portrait was Lightning Dust's. Her score was 138 and the only one anywhere close to Rainbow Dash. Cloudchaser only had 121 while Thunderlane had 117.
While Rainbow wore a triumphant smirk, Fluttershy wasn't so sure her friend understood the implications. "You are sure to win, Rainbow Dash," she insisted. "Even if Lightning Dust comes in first in the next event, you will still win! You would only need to come in...seventh place to keep your score higher than her's."
The competitive pony seemed to consider the news a moment before dismissing it with a wave of her hoof. "Of course I'm going to win! I'm gonna come in first place and blow everypony away!" she boasted. As her thoughts drifted to her prize, Rainbow couldn't help but to squirm and giggle like a star-struck filly. "I'm gonna get to spend a whole week training with the Wonderbolts!"
"I thought the grand prize was just a pair of all-access passes to the Cloudsdale Coliseum for a week?" Fluttershy pondered, earning a glare from Rainbow Dash. The yellow mare's ears folded down as she offered a sheepish smile and leaned away from the seemingly angry mare. "I-I could be m-mistaken."
Rainbow Dash sighed her ire away. It was impossible to stay mad at the shy pegasus. "No, you're right, Fluttershy," she relented as her hopes and dreams settled back down into reality. "But that week is gonna be the week that the Wonderbolts will be training there for their show. And the passes are even good on the day of the show! I can't wait!"
"I'm so happy for you," Fluttershy enthused.
Rainbow was about to reply, but her stomach beat her mouth to the punch as it let out an immutable growl. A tinge of pink crossed the mare's cheeks as she ran a hoof through her mane. "Hey, why don't we get a bite to eat?" Rainbow Dash suggested. "All that flying really works up an appetite!"
"Is it really okay?"
Pointing a hoof to the sky, Rainbow Dash nodded, "Look. They're gonna be setting this stuff up for a while. We have plenty of time to grab a bite."
With a smile and a nod, Fluttershy let her friend lead the way. "I'm a bit hungry myself."
As the two pegasi hunted down a food vendor, Lightning Dust just sat in front of the scoreboard looking positively forlorn. She had long since come to the same conclusion Fluttershy did, except the realization filled her with despair instead of hope. Even if she beat out Rainbow Dash and came in first place, she would still lose overall if Rainbow Dash finished any better than eighth. And that just wasn't going to happen. So far Rainbow's worst performance was in the slalom and she still came in third!
Lightning Dust grit her teeth as she felt a seeping anger stir inside her. Why couldn't that stupid, rainbow pony just stay out of her life!? The Wonderbolts loved her enthusiasm and skill until Rainbow Dash somehow turned Spitfire against her. If it wasn't for Rainbow Dash, she would have finished in the top spot at the academy! If it wasn't for Rainbow Dash, she would still be in the Wonderbolts' good graces! Hay! If it wasn't for Rainbow Dash, she even might have been an official Wonderbolts trainee by now! Even now…even now her last hope of ever redeeming herself in Spitfire's eyes had been stolen away. And, of course, it was Rainbow Dash that shattered that dream, too.
"I hate her," Lightning Dust growled as she lowered her head.
The sun's intensity had long since begun to fade by the time several pegasi had gathered to do warm up exercises. The obstacle course was finally in place after a few delays, and the event's organizers were more than a little eager to see the final event resolve before day's end. Although all the competitors were there, it was hard for most of them to put their hearts into it. After all, Rainbow Dash had pretty much already won.
"Hey Rainbow, how about sharing some of those blue ribbons?" Thunderlane joked. "Looks to me like you've got enough for everypony."
"You can keep the ribbons," Cloudchaser spoke up before Rainbow Dash had a chance to. "Who are you taking with you?" she asked with an endearing smile. "I can think of somepony who would love a chance to meet the Wonderbolts!"
It was a simple proposition, but one Rainbow hadn't realized. The prize was two all-access passes. Since they were good for a week, she could bring each of her friends on a different day. That would still leave two days, and that's only if every one of her friends actually wanted to go. Oh! She could bring Scootaloo! That little filly would love it for sure. She could bring the squirt on the day of the show and totally blow her mind!
With a smirk Rainbow Dash casually rolled her eyes. "Well…" she deliberately started off with a long, dramatic pause, "I'm probably gonna bring my Ponyville friends, but there might be a day or two where nopony can make it."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Rainbow Dash regretted them. Several of the pegasi around her all started beseeching her at the same time. Even though there were only a handful of them, they somehow managed to encase Rainbow in an unruly mob. Thankfully, the announcer called for the racers to get ready, freeing her from her self-inflicted torment. Rainbow had to give her head a good shake to make everything stop spinning before she approached the starting line.
This time, Rainbow Dash made sure to pay attention to the starter instead of her competition. Due to her diligence, she got off to a quick lead. It was a good thing, too. The first part of the course involved darting through rings of clouds. Each one was barely wide enough for two ponies to pass through at once, and the agility need to go from ring to ring made passing nearly impossible. Rainbow held the lead up until the very end. As she turned to nosedive to the final ring below her, Lightning Dust dropped past her with her patented rear hoof-first technique. Not only did she beat Rainbow through the last ring, but a quick pump of her wings put her back on course much faster than Rainbow could recover from her nose dive.
As soon as she reoriented herself, Rainbow Dash found that Lightning Dust had already put a lot of sky between them. Cursing under her breath, Dash scrambled to make up for it as they headed into the next obstacle. The same giant fans that were used in the training camp were arranged to form a long tunnel in the sky. They were all pointing towards the center of the tunnel blowing from different directions. Instead of blowing hard enough to send a pegasus flying, they were blowing simply to form disorienting wind shears. Entering the tunnel, it quickly became apparent that she wasn't going to be able gain much on Lightning Dust. It took all her concentration just to keep from spiraling out of the wind tunnel.
The moment she was clear of the wind shears, Rainbow Dash took off at full speed. There was a good gap of open air between the end of the wind tunnel and the next obstacle. Rainbow was determined to seize the opportunity to exploit her superior speed to catch up to and pass her competition. It wasn't enough. Just as she approached Lightning Dust's tail they hit the next part of the course. Lightning passed through a narrow cavern in the side of a mountain.
Rainbow Dash couldn't help but to let out a frustrated grunt as she trailed behind her rival. This part was so stupid! The winding caves weren't wide enough for anypony to pass anypony else. One slow pegasus would surely end up clogging the whole thing up. Not to mention that the sudden, sharp turns in any direction were giving Lightning Dust the advantage. Rainbow would never admit it to anypony, but agility was the one thing Lightning Dust could beat her at.
By the time Rainbow Dash shot straight up out of the mountain and clear of the claustrophobic caves, she could just barely see Lightning Dust off in the distance. This part of the course was more her style. She raced along a ridge of mountaintops as several ponies launched clouds at her. The cloud cannons were inaccurate, but one hit would surely cause anypony to spin out. Since she was busy dodging the spinning puffballs it was hard to gain on Lightning. But gain she did, little by little.
Why!? Lightning Dust bitterly thought as she looked over her shoulder to find Rainbow Dash slowly gaining on her. Why couldn't she have wiped out on one of the obstacles earlier!?
Setting her gaze back in front of her, Lightning found the last obstacle of the course: a large conglomeration of storm clouds. They were lightning-free for the safety of the fliers, of course. They were only there to distract everypony with wind, rain, and reduced visibility. It was as if this part of the race was specifically designed for Rainbow Dash. She was a weatherpony for crying out loud! She was sure to steal the lead from her and wallow in her glory, again!
If only Rainbow Dash had screwed up earlier in the race, Lightning Dust lamented as her face was suddenly pelted with rain and wind, then I just might have actually been able to win! Why does she have to so…so awesome!? Letting out an audible growl, Lightning chanced a glance over her shoulder to find Rainbow Dash closing in fast. The only way Lightning Dust could possibly win now is if by some miracle Rainbow fell out of the sky. There has to be a way! I have to make her lose!
Rainbow Dash was grinning like crazy as she flew in right behind Lightning Dust. They had already played this game before, and she had won. The only difference this time was a whole lot of sky before the finish line. There was no way she was going to lose. Swooping from side to side, she tried to get around her rival. Lightning Dust seemed to halfheartedly try to block before seemingly pulling the wrong way on purpose. She even pulled her back leg in to give Rainbow more room. Feeling the bite of disappointment at her rival's apparent surrender, she slowly started her pass. Just then, Lightning suddenly moved back nearly crashing into her! The flash of a turquoise hoof was the last thing Rainbow Dash saw before everything went black.
Now that she had a pair of binoculars, watching the race was a much more enjoyable experience for Fluttershy . She was glad Rainbow Dash had convinced her to pick them up during the intermission. I have to remember to thank her after the race, she made a mental note.
With the aid of the binoculars, the yellow mare had been able to watch every part of the race. Well, almost every part. Try as she might, Fluttershy just couldn't make them see through the mountain or the storm clouds. Just seconds after losing sight of her friend in the storm clouds, Fluttershy lowered the binoculars into her lap. They weren't going to do her any good from here on out. She tapped her hooves idly against the binoculars as a worry set in her heart. She couldn't place where it came from or why it was there, but there it was. It made her heart race in her chest as she felt a terrible dread.
Suddenly, the announcer spoke up, "What's this? It seems as though Rainbow Dash is a bit disoriented! She only just entered the storm clouds and already she has shot out of the bottom for some reason. Wh-what's this?! She isn't flying! Rainbow Dash is falling!"
The few Wonderbolts tasked with presiding over the competition took off at full speed as the crowd collectively gasped. Fluttershy was pretty sure she wasn't one of the ponies that were gasping. After all, she would require the ability to actually breathe in order to gasp. She just sat slack-jawed a moment before she had the presence of mind to grab her binoculars and get a sense of the situation herself. Flying up above the crowd, she quickly spotted her friend. The cyan pony's legs and wings were unmoving as she gently tumbled in the air. She's in a free-fall! Fluttershy realized with no small sense of horror.
The binoculars fell. Fluttershy flew as fast as her wings would allow. It wasn't enough.
In spite of her adrenaline-fueled efforts, there was no hope of her reaching Rainbow Dash. Her friend was mere seconds away from a bone-shattering impact with a modest-sized lake. Even the Wonderbolts couldn't make it in time.
Smack!
Just as Rainbow Dash smashed into the water, the Wonderbolts breached the lake's shores. In an instant they were circling the spot where Rainbow had impacted. They had been so close. So close, in fact, that some of the water from the splash rained down on them as they searched for any signs of life.
Fluttershy landed on the lake's shores a few agonizing seconds later. She was suddenly having a hard time breathing again as her chest constricted painfully. Oh! Please, please, PLEASE be okay! she silently prayed as she watched the Wonderbolts gather at a spot on the lake as they seemed to fish something out of the water.
"Hey! Make way!" a gruff voice forced Fluttershy to tear her attention away from the lake.
Fluttershy jumped clear as a pegasus-drawn cart landed where she had been standing. The cart was white with a big, red cross on the side: an ambulance. A second ambulance followed seconds later, landing near the first. Their presence only amplified Fluttershy's worries—if that was even possible. She quickly trotted around the first ambulance to spy the three uniformed pegasi working together to carefully bring an unmoving, blue mass over to the awaiting paramedic ponies. A multicolored mane confirmed Fluttershy's fears. It was Rainbow Dash.
The Wonderbolts gingerly hoofed Rainbow over to the paramedics. As they rolled the soaked mare onto the stretcher, Fluttershy saw it—a splash of red, pink, and white against a blue background. The awful, horrible sight caused a deathly pallor to spread over Fluttershy's face as she physically recoiled from it. Then, her eyes rolled back in her head as everything quickly faded to black.
Murmuring voices invaded the black nothingness. Then, light. At first it was just a dim grey, but it quickly brightened showing a couple of formless blobs. Now the voices began to from not only words, but sentences. "Hey, she's coming to," a feminine voice echoed.
"Take it easy," a second, masculine voice sounded.
A few blinks and two pegasi came into focus. They were a mare and a stallion both wearing white caps each decorated with a red cross. It was about that time when she realized she was lying flat on her back. She gave her head a good shake to try to clear the fog before trying to roll over to get on her hooves. That's when a thought so horrible crossed her mind that she stumbled and fell back onto her side. She let out a meek little yelp and didn't try to get back up as memories started flooding back.
Rainbow Dash! She had fallen right out of the sky!
"Easy now," the paramedic mare offered in a sweet, soothing voice as she tried to gently nudge Fluttershy to her hooves. "You fainted, but everything is all right now."
Now that she was standing, Fluttershy took the opportunity to look around in a panic. There was the lake. That spot on the shore where-where… Fluttershy had to look away and her eyes quickly fell on the ambulance. She looked around for the other one, but it was nowhere to be seen. "…ash. W-where?" the shaking mare muttered incoherently.
"Are you feeling all right?" the stallion gently asked. "Do you need us to take you to a hospital?"
"Where is Rainbow Dash!?" Fluttershy blurted out in a voice louder than most ponies had ever heard her use.
The paramedics glanced at one another before the mare spoke up, "They thought that the Ponyville hospital was closer, so they rushed her there." As soon as she got the words out, both pegasi had to cover their faces with a wing to shield them from a sudden burst of wind. As they recovered, they found the mystery mare to be gone. "Those competitors really are something," she muttered.
Fluttershy's adrenaline rush rapidly gave way as her wings quickly exhausted themselves. When her wings could no longer move her towards Ponyville fast enough, she hit the ground running—literally. Her legs carried her the rest of the way into Ponyville. Preoccupied with dreaded thoughts about her friend, she didn't even notice the stares she got as she raced through town. She didn't stop when she reached the hospital. Bursting through the doors, she kept up her momentum until she crashed right into the nurse's station.
"Can I…help you?" the nurse behind the counter asked with a bit of concern.
Fluttershy nodded as she struggled to catch her breath. After a few seconds of breathing nearly as frantically as her worries, she found her voice, "Rain… guh …Rainbow Dash." Giving another second or two of heavy breathing before swallowing, she continued, "Is-is she here? Is she okay?"
The nurse frowned as she nodded. "Rainbow Dash was checked in just a little while ago."
"Is she okay?" Fluttershy repeated the question.
The nurse sighed at the pleading look the pink-maned pegasus was giving her. "All I can say is that she is in very serious condition," she muttered. "I'm not allowed to say anything more. I'm not even supposed to have said that much."
"P-please," Fluttershy begged, not even noticing her panic-driven courage to push the matter. "I need to know."
Fearing she would end up caving in if she had to keep looking at the pathetic pony in front of her, she pointed a hoof at the door. "Visiting hours have long since passed. If you don't have a medical emergency, please see yourself out," she ordered in the most callous voice she could muster.
The next thing Fluttershy knew, she was sitting just outside the hospital doors crying her eyes out. It wasn't the fact that the nurse wouldn't tell her much that bothered her. Quite the contrary. She let Fluttershy know that Rainbow Dash was still alive, and that knowledge brought some semblance of comfort to the ailing pony. With the worry of her friend having died in the accident abated, Fluttershy was torn back to the injury she witnessed and all the horrible consequences it entailed.
How am I supposed to comfort her? What can I possibly do for her? Fluttershy mourned. She probably won't even want to see me.
As she pondered what to do a thought struck her like a series of heavy items dropped from the back of a moving truck high above her head. Her friends! They were always the ones she turned to in her time of need! But, more importantly, they had no idea what was going on!
Drying her eyes and stumbling on shaky legs, she set off for Twilight Sparkle's library. The whole gang would be there. They had planned a surprise party for Rainbow Dash to celebrate her victory or to cheer her up if she lost. Neither of those things had happened. Instead, something truly horrible had occurred and her friends were sitting there completely unaware. They were probably getting worried by now, too. It was already starting to get dark.
Finally, the library began to come into view. The sight of it actually caused Fluttershy to slow down, her own trepidation causing a hitch in her step. The bearer of bad news was not a mantle she fancied wearing. But wear it she must, and with a wavering resolve, she managed to make it to the library's door. Taking a minute to psyche herself up and swallow her fears, Fluttershy managed to summon just enough courage to open the door and step inside.
"SURPRISE!"
Even though she was already prepared for the onslaught, Fluttershy still recoiled and cowered at the sudden burst of light and noise.
"Heeey, where's Dashie?" Pinkie Pie accused in a serious tone, only to replace it with her normal, jovial voice in the next breath. "You did know that this party was for her, right? You were supposed to bring her here, silly!"
Twilight Sparkle was the first to realize the panicked expression on Fluttershy's face was far more serious than her being startled by the welcome. "Fluttershy…is everything okay?" she gently prodded as she and the other ponies plus Spike stepped away from their hiding spots.
Fluttershy shook her head. "N-no."
The tension in the room had gone from slight worry to near-panic with the utterance of a single word. "W-what's wrong, sugarcube?" Applejack asked with all the seriousness and empathy she could summon.
Fluttershy tried to respond, but all that came out was a squeaking sound too quiet to be heard by most.
It was Rarity that finally asked the question on everypony's lips. "Fluttershy," she started with a bit of apprehension, "does this have something to do with Rainbow Dash?"
Fluttershy cowered a bit as she nodded. Even though she thought that she was doing a pretty good job hiding it, everypony saw tears falling behind the pink veil. "S-sh-she…" the shy pony stammered out. It wasn't just the fact that she didn't want to cause her friends pain with the unfortunate news that was making this so hard for her. She didn't want to believe it herself. If she said it—those few words—then it would have to be real. More than anything, Fluttershy did not want that.
Twilight put a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder as she did her best to look the timid pegasus in the eyes. "Come on Fluttershy. You are our friend. We—all of us—are here for you," the alicorn gently coaxed as she sat next to Fluttershy and draped a leg over her shy friend's withers and used the other foreleg to motion towards their friends. "You can tell us anything."
Closing her eyes tight and drawing a deep breath, Fluttershy worked up the courage to speak. "Th-there was an accident at the competition! Dash just…just—she fell right out of the sky!" Even though she was shouting, it was still about the volume most ponies spoke with. "T-th-they t-took her to the-the here. Ponyville hospital!" she muddled as her burst of courage faded.
"Ohmygosh! Is she okay!?" Pinkie shouted, causing Fluttershy to flinch and earning her a couple of glares.
Fluttershy relaxed a bit as she shook her head before swiping at her tears.
"Well, what're we all standin' 'round here for? Let's go!" Applejack insisted as she headed for the door.
Twilight did her best to get Fluttershy back on her hooves as Pinkie and Rarity started after Applejack. "Spike, can I count on you to take care of things here?" she asked as she nudged Fluttershy to the door.
"S-sure thing, Twilight," Spike assured. "Just…um, I mean, I hope everything turns out okay."
"Me, too Spike," Twilight Sparkle sighed as she used her magic to pull the door closed behind her. "Me, too…"
At the sound of the front door opening, the nurse looked up to find a bevy of ponies entering. Spotting the yellow mare with the pink mane, she knew exactly what they were here for even before they reached her station. Just minutes ago she was barely able to follow regulations and keep mum about Rainbow Dash's condition. Now the pathetic-looking pegasus brought a princess with her!
Above my pay grade, she quickly decided as the group approached the counter. "I'll go see if her doctor is free to speak with you," she asserted before any of them had a chance to speak. He can cite regulations to them, or tell them what's going on, she thought as she left the counter. Either way, I wash my hooves of the situation entirely.
"Wow," Twilight Sparkle marveled as she glanced to her friends. "Do we really come here for Rainbow Dash that often?"
"I'm still worried," a wide-eyed Applejack fretted as she trotted in place. "What if-what if they come back with…bad news?"
All eyes quickly descended upon Fluttershy as the worry in the group seemed to overflow. "Oh, um…" the demure mare stammered as she felt everypony ask the silent question. "A-all the n-nurse said to me was th-that Rainbow Dash was in…" Fluttershy had to take a small break to breathe in and out as she gathered her thoughts and courage. "Very serious condition."
"Well then, that must mean that she is still with us, at least," Rarity surmised. She had tried to sound confident and reassuring, but there was an edge in her tone and hitch in her voice.
"Uh-umm," Fluttershy spoke up again. "It's not… I mean…" Unlike many times before when she spoke so softly that everypony ignored her, this time she had the full and undivided attention of her friends. "I saw it," she said so lowly that even though her friends were right next to her and listening, they could barely make out the words, "when they pulled Rainbow out of the water…"
Before she could continue, the nurse interrupted. "All yours," she asserted as she pointed a hoof at the group of mares.
"You must be Rainbow Dash's friends," a tawny unicorn doctor greeted. Normally he would ask them to go somewhere private to discuss such sensitive matters, but seeing how the waiting room was all but completely abandoned, it would do just fine. "I'm told you want to know more about her condition."
"Yes!" Twilight eagerly replied. "Please," she added as an afterthought.
The doctor let out a chuckle as he gave Twilight a small bow. "Far be it for me to deny a direct request from a princess."
Twilight Sparkle had to suppress a groan as well as the desire to roll her eyes. She was really starting to get annoyed at how some ponies treated her differently. At least her friends hadn't changed, and most of the citizens of Ponyville were settling back into their normal relationships with her.
"Please doctor, can you tell us how Rainbow Dash is doing?" Twilight urged him to continue.
Again glancing about the waiting room to ensure that no stray ears would hear, he frowned. "Rainbow Dash is in surgery as we speak. She is bleeding internally and externally. She is fighting for her life as we speak."
"Is she…going to make it?" Twilight Sparkle tentatively asked.
The doctor sighed as he shook his head. "I can't say for sure. Quite frankly it's nothing short of a miracle she survived the fall at all," he rambled just a bit. Finding several teary eyes staring back at him, he cleared his throat, "In my experience, Rainbow Dash is quite the fighter. I believe she will be able to pull through."
"I see," Twilight replied, trying and utterly failing to hide the worry in her voice. "Thank you. You should get back to doing whatever you can to help her."
"Right, well I—"
"Wait!" a tiny voice interrupted as Fluttershy made her way to the front of the group. "I-I mean…her injuries…"
"Well…" he hesitated before sitting down. "Right now our main concern is to stop the bleeding and to repair her collapsed lung. Provided they don't kill her, your friend should make a complete recovery from those wounds. She also has several broken bones. Again, in time they should mend. More dangerous is her concussion. It is very serious and it may manifest in all sorts of temporary or permanent problems. Memory, cognition, hearing, vision…there is really no telling what all could go wrong, and by the same token it might not cause her any ailments at all."
"Her wing!" Fluttershy demanded in a shout loud enough to startle the idle nurse.
The doctor frowned as he looked away from the group. "If Rainbow Dash is very. very lucky, none of those injuries will create a lingering problem for her. We have some of the best surgeons in Equestria seeing to that. Her right wing, however…" he trailed off as he struggled to find a way to gently break the news. "When she hit the water, that wing must have absorbed the brunt of the force, possibly sparing her life. It—her wing—was severed on impact."
While Fluttershy just hung her head, the other four looked completely aghast.
"There isn't anything we can do," he somberly continued. "I'm sorry to say it, but Rainbow Dash will never fly again."
"That can't be true!" Pinkie Pie refuted. "Dashie can't just not fly! Her whole life is flying!"
"Look here, doc," Applejack fumed. "That answer just ain't gonna cut it and I ain't gonna just sit here and take it!"
"Surely there must be something you can do to make this right," Rarity pleaded. "Why, Twilight Sparkle here is one of the most marvelous unicorns Equestria has ever seen! Her magic is legendary. There simply must be something you can do."
Despite the praise, Twilight was hanging her head in defeat. "This is just so horrible."
Seeing the yellow one openly weeping while the pink one tried to console her, the doctor turned again to the forlorn alicorn. "While it is…rare for this sort of injury to happen, it is not unheard of. Rainbow Dash will need her family and her friends to help her adjust to the life of an earth pony." Not receiving any sort of reply, he continued, "If she has a cloud home, you will need to find a way to accommodate her down here on solid ground." He emphasized the point by stamping a hoof on the floor. "It's never easy for a pegasus to adjust to such a drastic change. All of you will need to be there for her and help her through this."
Twilight looked to her ailing friends before setting her stare on the doctor. "Are you absolutely certain that there is nothing that can be done to save Rainbow's wing?"
"Princess, we don't even have her wing," he bluntly stated. "You will have to find the courage to accept this and find a way to move forward."
"I see," Twilight muttered as her gaze fell to her hooves. "Just…take good care of her."
"We will do our best," the doctor assured as he got up and turned away before casting one last glance at the girls. "Be strong, for her."
For what must have been several minutes the only sounds were those of Fluttershy's sobs. All five ponies were simply overwhelmed with the news and they were all struggling to even let the news sink in. Rainbow Dash being unable to fly was simply unfathomable. She was a daredevil at heart and she spent more time flying than she did standing, walking, and running combined!
With the exception of Fluttershy still sobbing in the same spot she'd been in, and Pinkie Pie doing her best to comfort her, the rest of the group had found their way to the waiting room's furniture. After many more seconds of relative silence, Rarity cleared her throat of the emotion constricting it, "I suppose Rainbow Dash can stay with me at the boutique. She can use Sweetie Belle's room."
"Don't be ridiculous," Twilight chided. "You can't put Sweetie Belle out like that. Rainbow Dash can have the spare bed at the library."
"Yer both being ridiculous," Applejack snapped. "We got plenty of room over at Sweet Apple Acres. Dash can have her own room and she won't be puttin' anypony out."
An audible growl drew attention to a certain pink pony as she stepped away from Fluttershy. "What in Equestria are you girls doing?!" she snapped as she leapt in the air, limbs flailing.
Twilight shrunk a bit at the outburst. "We're…trying to figure out what we are going to do to help Rainbow," she stated the obvious, not quelling Pinkie's indignation at all.
"You're all acting like Dashie will never fly again!" Pinkie scolded. "So what if the doctor says it's impossible. What does he know?! We've saved all of Equestria what, two times? Three? Five?! Well…a lot! There has to be something we can do!"
"Pinkie," Applejack muttered sympathetically.
"No, she's right!" Twilight Sparkle interrupted before Applejack could say anything else. "What are we doing? We're giving up and we haven't even tried yet!" she asserted as she got on her hooves, feeling a renewed energy course through her. "I'll send Princess Celestia a letter first thing in the morning to see if she knows of any magic, or techniques, or…whatever that might help. You girls should brainstorm and see if you can come up with any ideas to get Rainbow's wing back."
For the first time since Fluttershy had stumbled into the library earlier that evening, Twilight found herself smiling. The smile seemed contagious as even Fluttershy stifled her sobs. It was hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe everything would be all right after all.
As Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity started to cheer up in the hospital's waiting room, a trio of ponies burst in. A yellow pegasus mare with a fiery mane wearing nothing more than a pair of goggles—which were currently up on her forehead—led the two other ponies. The trailing duo were a pair of stallions, one a grey unicorn and the other a brown earth pony. The earth pony had a black mane that was swept back, wore a pair of corrective lenses, and sported saddlebags and a bowtie. The unicorn had a neatly combed brown mane and wore a blue, pinstripe suit complete with a tie.
They looked quite official. The stallions did, at least, but the mare didn't need to. Anypony could easily recognize her. She was the one and only captain of the Wonderbolts: Spitfire. While the two ponies flanking her managed to maintain a stoic expression, Spitfire just couldn't shake her frown.
The trio walked up to the nurse's station and the unicorn retrieved an official-looking scroll from the earth pony's satchel and unraveled it onto the counter. "We are investigating the…unfortunate accident that injured Rainbow Dash," Spitfire requested in a professional manner. "If at all possible we would like to speak with her or her doctor at their earliest convenience."
The nursed examined the document a moment before nodding. "Her doctor may be able to see you," she conceded as she began to trot off. "If you will follow me, please."
A few dizzying hallways later, the group entered a small room with a massive pane of glass for a wall. The nurse walked over to a unicorn in a white coat who was staring intently through the glass. Using a clipboard to mask her muzzle, she whispered to him.
Curious, the trio looked through the enormous pane of glass to see what was so fascinating while the nurse explained their presence. The unicorn and earth pony both turned away in disgust almost immediately as they saw a pony on a table surrounded by several unicorns. The window's view was perfect poised to view the pony's insides as the surgeons performed their delicate work.
Spitfire didn't look away. Instead she focused on the fur and what she could see of the rainbow-colored tail. The bloody mess in front of her could only be Rainbow Dash. The spunky pegasus that could famously perform the sonic rainboom…and here she was, missing a wing and her insides spilled out on a table.
She nearly growled at the sight. It was ultimately her fault that Rainbow Dash was in this situation. After all, the event that she was injured in was endorsed by the Wonderbolts. She was the captain. It was her responsibility.
Spitfire couldn't remember the last time she had loathed herself so much. Although she kept it to herself, Spitefire had always possessed high hopes for Rainbow Dash. Ever since the first time she witnessed the sonic rainboom…well, at least she had been there and heard all about it after she woke up.
Now she can't even fly, Spitfire bitterly thought. It was almost a fate worse than death. At least for a pegasus, especially one that so loved to fly. Spitfire couldn't even imagine the horror of living out the rest of her days tethered to the ground.
She snapped out of her reverie at the sound of her name. "W-what?" Spitfire stammered as she finally tore her eyes away from the operating table.
"I said: it's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Spitfire," the doctor repeated himself. He had remind himself not to be cross with her. Professional or not, many ponies in this place tended to easily lose themselves in thought, grief, and worry.
"Right," Spitfire acknowledged as she regained her poise. "You know, we've never had a single serious injury on our courses before," she lamented as she turned back to Rainbow Dash. "And then this happens. To one of Princess Celestia's Elements of Harmony and, quite frankly, one of the best fliers I've ever seen."
The expert flier had to fight back a wave of nausea as she looked back to the doctor. "I honestly believed our courses to be safe for experienced fliers, but obviously that isn't the case. I need to know what happened up there so we can make sure that the course is safe for competitors in the future. And so I can look Princess Cesestia in the eye and tell her exactly how I got one of her Elements of Harmony maimed…or worse"
The doctor winced at the thought of having to report this fiasco to the ruler of all of Equestria. Spitfire's situation was not one he wished to ever experience. "I see," he muttered as he prayed that the surgeons wouldn't make any mistakes. "Well…"
Before the doctor could finish, Spitfire continued, "Please tell me she's going to pull through."
With a weary sigh, the doctor followed Spitfire's gaze to the operating table. "She's strong, and her vitals are better now than when she was brought in. If I had to bet, I'd bet on her and not The Reaper."
"Good," she curtly replied. "When do you think she will be able to tell us what happened up there?"
The doctor shook his head. "She won't be awake until morning, and it's unlikely that she will be cleared to talk to anypony until in the afternoon," he gave his best guess. "And that's assuming she isn't confused or missing parts of her memory from the concussion."
Seeing a look of frustration on Spitfire's face, he continued, "If you want my opinion, I think I have a pretty good idea of what happened."
Spitfire raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Enlighten me."
"All of Rainbow Dash's injuries are consistent with a serious fall—all except one," he explained. "She has a curved laceration on the side of her head far too regular to be caused by a fall." Already Spitfire's expression had morphed from skepticism to enthrallment. "I've seen the wound before. Too many times, in fact. It's usually seen in assaults, not on some pegasus race track."
Spitfire let her impatience get the better of her. "What caused it?!"
"A hoof," he bluntly replied. "She was kicked in the head. In my expert opinion, the laceration indicated a blow that certainly would have been violent enough to render her unconscious."
KICKED!? Spitfire's mind raged as her vision turned a shade of red. Had she not been in a hospital, something would have been broken. Violently.
Somepony KICKED her?! In the middle of a race?! For what!? To win!? Spitfire's thoughts raced.
"Doctor," the unicorn accompanying Spitfire spoke up. "Have you informed anypony about your…suspicions?"
The doctor shook his head. "Patient info is…supposed to be confidential, and there is no actual proof of wrongdoing."
"We would appreciate it if you continued to withhold that little tidbit," the unicorn insisted.
"Of course," the doctor replied.
"This isn't an accident investigation anymore," Spitfire ground out now that she had calmed down a bit. "It's a criminal investigation. Assault. No! Attempted murder!"
The earth pony cleared his throat as he started to speak, "Um…ma'am, you don't get make that decis—" His words were stopped mid-sentence by a nightmarish glare from Spirfire. "R-right. Criminal investigation."
Spitfire didn't even bother to say anything to the doctor as she sent Rainbow Dash one last glance before storming out. Oh-so-quickly this had gone from a tragic accident to a heartless crime, and Spitfire wasn't about to let it go unpunished. She didn't even care that her career was essentially clear of the guillotine now that they knew that the fall wasn't caused by the course itself. She just couldn't imagine any competitor doing that to a fellow pegasus.
As Spitfire reentered the waiting room, she saw the same five ponies milling about that were there when she had walked in. It was then that she recognized them. They were the same ponies that accompanied Rainbow Dash to Cloudsdale. No small feat for earth ponies and unicorns. Though she was still a little bitter at the purple-maned unicorn for nearly killing her and making them look a bit foolish.
"Excuse me," Spitfire spoke up as her entourage caught up. "You ladies are Rainbow Dash's friends, right?"
"Yes ma'am, we are," the purple unicorn asserted…only she wasn't a unicorn anymore.
The two ponies accompanying Spitfire bowed as the Wonderbolt gave a crisp salute. "Princess," Spitfire started again with a more respectful tone, "we are working hard to try to piece together exactly what happened that led to, well, this."
"Please, just call me Twilight Sparkle," the alicorn dismissed with a wave of her hoof, urging the ponies to stop prostrating themselves. "Do you know how this happened?"
"We are getting a clearer picture, Prin...erm, Twilight Sparkle," Spitfire stumbled as she fought against so many conflicting emotions. Complicating her position was the fact that she didn't want to give too much information away. After all, the doctor did have a point when he said that there wasn't any actual proof that there was wrongdoing. "I was hoping maybe you or one of these ponies happened to be at the event."
All eyes fell on Fluttershy. She didn't move to the front of the group, but the rest backed away, letting Spitfire approach her. "Oh dear," the yellow mare mumbled as she cowered a bit. "Um, yes, I was there."
"Good, because I wasn't," Spitfire unabashedly admitted to what she perceived as a mistake. "I need you to try and remember the names of the fliers that were up there with Rainbow Dash when…when she started falling."
Fluttershy hesitated. It was hard finding the memories of something so…insignificant. Most of the day's memories were washed away by the horrors and worries of the accident. But the request did seem to make sense. Anypony up there with Rainbow Dash might have seen something. "Um, Lightning Dust was up there with her when-when she…" Fluttershy trailed off.
The unicorn behind Spitfire retrieved a quill and pad from the earth pony's saddlebags before writing the name down.
"Good, can you remember anypony else?" Spitfire urged.
Fluttershy shook her head. "There wasn't anypony else," she refuted. "Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust were the only ones there. Everypony else was way behind."
Spitfire worked hard to fight off the snarl that so desperately wanted to appear. "You're telling me that Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust were alone in the storm clouds at the time of the accident?"
Fluttershy slowly nodded. "I hope that helps," she meekly replied.
"More than you know," Spitfire claimed as she headed for the door without another word. The second she stepped clear of the building she spread her wings and disappeared in a flash.
"She seemed rather upset," Rarity noted as Spitfire's entourage chased after her.
"She must feel guilty," Fluttershy guessed.
Twilight let out a sigh as she reorganized her thoughts. "I'm sure she will figure everything out. We, on the other hoof, need to prepare. And the first thing everypony needs is a good night's sleep," she asserted. "Like I said before, I'll stay here in case anything happens. You girls go home and try to get some rest."
"And I shall relieve you first thing in the morning," Rarity insisted.
"I'll get started on gettin' a room ready for Dash—just in case," Applejack added.
"Right," Twilight asserted with a nod. "Tomorrow morning we will meet at the library to discuss strategy."
"We'll get Rainbow's wing back or die trying!" Pinkie loudly proclaimed.
The rest of the girls looked skeptically at one another before Applejack replied, "Uh, well, we're certainly gonna try our darndest."
Pinkie nodded enthusiastically as she, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy headed towards the door. "Even if it kills us!" Pinkie swore.
"I'll let you girls know first thing if anything happens!" Twilight called after them.
After a very short investigation, several pegasi corroborated Fluttershy's claim that the only pegasus anywhere near Rainbow Dash at the time of the accident was Lightning Dust. Spitfire spent much of the night cutting through legal red tape so that the pegasus in question could be bought in. Finally, after going back and getting a sworn statement from Rainbow Dash's doctor, she was poised to finally confront Lightning Dust.
First thing in the morning, Spitfire met up with two pegasus authorities outside of Lightning's modest cloud home. Silently nodding a greeting to each other, the trio marched up to the front entrance and burst in.
Once inside, the authorities spread out to quickly find and detain the pegasus in question. Spitfire hesitated almost immediately as she noticed torn scraps of laminated paper in the entryway. It was difficult to make out, but kicking a scrap with her hoof revealed it to be the shredded remains of the prize for winning the competition. Dismissing it, Spitfire moved to catch up to the pegasi authorities.
Spitfire found them in the bedroom. The sight before her cooled her anger. Lightning Dust was pathetically looking up at her and the two pegasi from her cloud bed. Her face didn't hold any fear or surprise, only sorrow and regret. Lightning's two-tone hair hung limply across her face, doing little to hide the tear stains matted into her fur.
Tears sprang anew as Lightning Dust's bleary, red eyes met with Spitfire's. "I-I've done something horrible…"
Back in Ponyville, Twilight had already changed shifts with Rarity and returned to her library. The first thing she did once she had returned to her home was to rally Spike and send Princess Celestia a letter. When that was taken care of, she focused on what she could do with her own magic and knowledge. What better place to start than her books?
In no time, Twilight wore a confident smile as she found herself in her element. "Spike, grab me that book on anomalous equine anatomy," she insisted as she scanned the bookshelves for anything useful. Grabbing another tome with her magic she added it to a growing pile of books.
"Got it," he acknowledged as he tugged the book in question free. As Spike placed the book into the pile, a knocking sounded at the door.
Twilight paused before abandoning her search. "That must be the girls," she mused as she trotted over to the door and opened it. Sure enough, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were standing there. None of them looked like they had gotten a good night's sleep. Well, except for Pinkie Pie. The party pony practically bounced in place, deftly balancing a confectionery box atop her head.
"Mornin' Twi," Applejack greeted as Twilight let the trio in.
"Good morning," Fluttershy followed suit.
"I brought cupcakes!" Pinkie shouted, causing the other ponies to cringe a bit.
Twilight ushered her three friends to a table. "I have tea on. Be back in a second," she dismissed herself as Pinkie set the box on the table. "Did any of you think of anything that might help?" she called from the other room.
The lack of a response told Twilight everything she needed to know. She walked back into the room with a tea set on a tray floating in front of her in a magenta aura. Setting the tray on the table, she served everypony simultaneously with her magic. Then she sat down at her place and beckoned Spike to take the empty spot next to her.
Instead of the tea, Applejack moved straight for the cupcakes. Opening up the box she found…four and a half cupcakes along with many, many crumbs. "Uh, Pinkie? What happened to all the cupcakes?"
As Pinkie glanced guiltily about, she found several pairs of disapproving eyes looking at her. "I couldn't help myself!" she boisterously confessed. "I get hungry when I'm upset! And I've been super-duper upset with Dashie and all. I just had to have a cupcake! And another! And another! Oh, I'm a terrible friend!" she prattled on as she burst into tears.
Twilight raised an eyebrow before lifting the cupcakes free. "It's still better than nothing, Pinkie," she coaxed Pinkie to stop crying as she floated a single cupcake to everypony, sticking Pinkie Pie with the half-eaten one. It was slightly less gross considering it was Pinkie that had already eaten the other half.
"So what's this plan of yer's, Twi?" Applejack asked after taking a bite of the sugary mini-cake.
Setting down her teacup, Twilight Sparkle sighed. "None of us know of a way to get Rainbow Dash airborne again, so the first thing we need to do is find somepony that might," she reasoned. "I already sent Princess Celestia a letter asking if she knew of any magics that might help."
"Oh, do you think Princess Celestia will know what to do?" Fluttershy demurely asked.
"I certainly hope so, but we shouldn't put all of our eggs in one basket, either," Twilight replied before pointed to the pile of books she and her number-one assistant had gathered. "I'm hoping to find some sort of literature on the matter." She then turned to Applejack. "I was thinking maybe you could go to the Everfree Forest and talk to Zecora. Apple Bloom seems to get along quite well with her."
Applejack nodded. "I'm sure Apple Bloom'd like that, but do yah really think Zecora'll know anythin'?"
"It can't hurt to check," Twilight reasoned before turning to Pinkie Pie. "Nopony else knows the citizens of Ponyville better than you, Pinkie," she praised. "Can you go around town and see if anypony knows of any stories or legends or anything like that relating to wings? Any lead might help."
Pinkie Pie ducked under the table for a split-second before reappearing wearing a combat helmet and camouflage face-paint. "Yes, ma'am!" she firmly asserted as she saluted.
Twilight rolled her eyes at Pinkie Pie before she set her gaze on Fluttershy. She had to sigh before she could find the courage to speak. "Fluttershy, I…listen," she stumbled. Recomposing herself, she tried again, "I can think of somepony that can almost certainly fix Rainbow Dash's wing, and I think that you are the only pony in all of Equestria that might be able to convince him to help."
"What? Yah know somepony that can fix 'er? What're we doin' sittin' 'round here for?" Applejack asserted as she slammed a hoof on the table.
"We all know him," Twilight somberly stated, "but Fluttershy is the only one that even has a chance to convince him to help us."
Fluttershy was a bit unnerved at how…difficult Twilight was making the task seem, but if could save Rainbow Dash there wasn't anything the timid mare wasn't willing to do. "I'll help any way I can," she volunteered.
Sighing again, Twilight peered into Fluttershy's gentle blue eyes. "I need you to go and try to persuade Discord to come help us. I've already asked Princess Celestia where he is in the letter and—"
"Now wait just a darn minute!" Applejack protested. "Yah can't just ask Fluttershy to do that! Especially not alone!"
"I don't mind," Fluttershy softly said. Perhaps a little bit too softly, as nopony seemed to hear her.
"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie agreed with Applejack. "Discord is crazy scary!" she asserted. "Sending poor, little Fluttershy alone to face Discord is just too cruel!"
"It's really not a big deal," Fluttershy mumbled.
Twilight held up her hooves in her own defense. "I never said she had to do it alone! We don't even know where he is yet!"
"I know where Discord lives," Fluttershy quietly claimed.
"Is it even worth it to be in that guy's debt?" Applejack argued. "This seems more like a last-resort plan to me!"
"Girls…"
"We've been on last-resort plans since last night!" Twilight retorted.
"Girls!" Fluttershy finally spoke up loud enough to draw attention to herself. She immediately became self-conscious and tried to hide behind her mane. "Um…I really don't mind going to visit Discord. It's been a few weeks since my last visit. He might be starting to get worried about me."
Everypony, even Pinkie, just stared incredulously at Fluttershy. It took several seconds before Twilight could even form a sentence. "F-Fluttershy, you…visit Discord?" she sputtered out as she stared at the yellow mare with a befuddled expression.
Fluttershy nodded with a small smile. "Of course I do. He is my friend, after all," she claimed as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "I'll make sure the animals are taken care of and pack a bag. I'm sure Discord will be able to help."
"O-okay…" Twilight muttered, still stunned.
After a couple of minutes of silence, Applejack spoke up. "So am I still goin' to Zecora's?"
"It certainly can't hurt to check," Twilight smiled.
It didn't take but a minute longer for everypony to finish their cupcakes and tea. Applejack left to go pick up Apple Bloom to go to Zecora's. Fluttershy went to take care of her animal friends before heading off to see Discord. That left Pinkie Pie to go harass the unsuspecting ponies of Ponyville. At least they would have a good time of it, probably. Twilight Sparkle and Spike stayed behind at the library to scour every last bit of literature in Ponyville for a solution.
In spite of the enormous workload in front of her, Twilight just couldn't help but to smile. With so many ponies exploring so many routes, there was no way they were going to fail. One of them was certain to return triumphant and they would be able to fix Rainbow Dash the second she got out of the hospital.
Setting her mind to the task at hand, she lied down as she brought a book from the pile to herself with her aura. "I'm going to get started on reading through these books," she announced as a purple aura manipulated the tome in front of her. "Spike, go ahead and look for any other books that might help."
It had been nearly an hour since her friends had left to try and find a way to restore Rainbow Dash's wing. Already Spike had scoured every shelf in the library at least a half dozen times culminating in a massive pile of books next to the studious alicorn.
"I can't help but wonder why you're going through all this trouble," Spike criticized.
Twilight looked up from her book. "What do you mean?"
"Isn't Fluttershy going to get Discord to fix Rainbow's wing? Not to mention Princess Celestia and Zecora." He counted the possible routes of aid on his claws.
"What else am I supposed to do, Spike?" Twilight questioned with a tinge of desperation in her voice. "Just sit around and do nothing until they let us see Rainbow Dash?"
Spike withered a bit as he fell silent a moment. "I'm worried about her, too," he sympathized.
As Twilight turned back to her book, Spike felt a churning deep in his stomach. He knew where this was going as his cheeks puffed up. Then, with a mighty belch, he coughed up a scroll.
"Twilight!" Spike announced, but before he could tell her that Celestia had sent a letter, the purple pony plowed him over and unfurled the scroll with her magic.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
My most faithful student, I am deeply concerned to learn of Rainbow Dash's accident and I pray for her wellbeing. I have sent physicians from the palace to Ponyville to help in any way they can. I would be more than happy to help in any other way I can. Please give Rainbow Dash my warmest regards when next you meet.
I have dispatched our best scholars to scour the libraries for any spell that will allow Rainbow Dash to fly as she had before. However, I regret to inform you that I am unaware of any such spell. I do not have high hopes for the scholars uncovering one, either. This is not the sort of spell to be lost to the sands of time.
While such magic is not inconceivable, I fear that no such spell exists. However, if such a spell were to exist, I am confident that you, Twilight Sparkle, will be capable of uncovering it. Even if it does not exist, I still have faith that you will find a way. You have enormous potential, a masterful understanding of magic, and many invaluable friends. Do not lose hope.
I believe in you, Celestia
P.S. If you wish to find Discord, why not try asking Fluttershy?
Twilight stared despondently at the letter. Even Princess Celestia didn't have the magic necessary to restore Rainbow Dash's lost wing. Truth be told, the newest princess didn't hold high hopes for Zecora, either. Pinkie was a shot in the dark to begin with. That meant that the only hope left was in Fluttershy convincing Discord to help.
How did things get so bad so quickly? Twilight agonized.
"Is…everything okay?" Spike delicately prodded. "What'd the princess say?"
"She can't help," Twilight muttered, only having half-heard the question. "It's all up to Fluttershy now."
Meanwhile, in a land of impossibilities, Fluttershy was having a pleasant picnic with the god of chaos. They were in a shady meadow on a blanket of shimmering threads that seemed to be made of gemstones stretched out into strings. An open picnic basket was surrounded by a tea set and cakes as Fluttershy and Discord sat across from each other.
"Come, come now, Fluttershy, that frown doesn't suit you at all," Discord chided as Fluttershy rotated upside-down. Even then the frown didn't quite look like a smile, and the effort did little to ease the pain evident in the pony's blue eyes.
"Why?" Fluttershy asked desperately as she tried her hardest not break down and cry. "Why can't you heal Rainbow Dash?"
"Oh, I could heal her easily," he claimed as he outstretched an empty teacup and held it upside-down over the teapot's spout and let the tea flow against gravity to settle in the bottom of the cup.
"Then why won't you?"
Turning the teacup over in an attempt to bring it to his lips, the tea spilled upward onto the ground. Wait, wasn't Fluttershy the one upside down? Looking around, he found himself to be the one upside down. "This won't do," he muttered as he snapped his fingers. Instantly, he was back on his feet on the ground. Oddly enough, he was now dressed in a red plaid shirt and holding an axe. He turned to a nearby tree and felled it with a single swing.
The tree crashed right into the picnic, prompting Fluttershy to close her eyes as she recoiled. Suddenly, the yellow mare felt a comfortable, warm, and watery feeling. Peeking out, she found herself in a hot tub filled with a dark liquid. The tree and the rest of the picnic were gone. A strong, soothing odor tempted her to raise a hoof out of the water and lick it. It was tea. She was in a hot tub filled with delicious tea.
"Cannonball!" Discord's voice rang out, but for the life of her, Fluttershy couldn't find the god of chaos anywhere. The next thing she knew, an enormous splash rose up as Discord flew out of the hot tub wearing a monocle and top hat. He was pristinely dry. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, was soaked in tea.
Leaning against the side of the hot tub, he produced a tea cup and dipped it in before bringing it to his lips in an overly-dignified manner. "Now, Fluttershy," he picked up the disjointed conversation as he eased himself into the tub, "let me ask you: have you tried to help your friend on your own?"
Fluttershy looked a bit ashamed as she ran a hoof idly through the bubbly tea. It was surprisingly comfortable and the smell was intoxicating. "Well, no," she bashfully admitted.
"Then why would you have me do it for you?" Discord challenged as he pulled a crumpet out of the tea and dipped it back down in before tossing it down his gullet. A floating tray of the treats appeared next to Fluttershy with a snap of Discord's fingers as he continued, "You and your friends were able to defeat me. Surely you are capable of anything I am."
It was a complicated and confusing conflict of ideas. Of course she and her friends were capable of amazing—even impossible—things, but there was no way they could fix Rainbow Dash's wing on their own…could they? "I don't know. Is it even possible?" she replied as she tentatively grabbed a crumpet and gave it a petite nibble. It tasted like taffy.
"Why don't you give it a try?" Discord coaxed as he suddenly appeared in a suit. "I'm sure that know-it-all unicorn has something up her sleeve." He emphasized the saying by pushing up one of his sleeves, causing dozens of small critters to flock out. There were chipmunks, birds, lizards, frogs, and even a bear. They all gathered around the hot tub as they joined the bizarre tea party with appropriately-sized teacups.
Fluttershy pushed the tray of crumpets, sending it floating around for the critters to enjoy. She didn't care much for Discord badmouthing Twilight, but she allowed the negative emotions to pass. There were more important things to worry about.
"Um…you really think we have what it takes to help her?" Fluttershy delicately prodded.
Discord rolled his eyes. "A better question would be if there was anything the six of you can't do," he chided as he snapped his fingers again, causing the hot tub to be filled with blackberry cobbler instead of tea. "If only I were so capable," he lamented as he lifted his top hat and pulled a fork from it so he could dig in.
While flattered, Fluttershy couldn't find the words to respond. Bringing a gooey, cobbler-covered hoof to her lips, she gave it a petite lick. It was delicious. The animals seemed to agree, considering all their faces were buried in the sweet desert.
"Um…Discord," she finally spoke up.
Sensing the sincerity in his friend's voice, Discord banished the entire hot tub from existence along with the conjured critters. "Now, can you tell me what's on your mind?" he asked from a plush lounge chair as Fluttershy appeared on a couch. The top hat and monocle were gone. Now all he was wearing was a pair of square-lensed glasses perched on the tip of his nose. In his claws were a clipboard and quill.
Fluttershy was a bit startled at the sudden change. Even if this sort of thing happened often with her eccentric friend, she was just too easily frightened. At least her fur wasn't sticky. In fact, she was as squeaky clean as if she had just taken a bath.
As her wave of anxiety dissipated, Fluttershy snuggled into the super-comfy couch. "Um, well, you said that we need to help Rainbow Dash on your own—and we want to—but we just don't know where to even start. That's why we are trying to get help from anypony that might know how. "
"Hmmm," Discord contemplated as he stared at the clipboard and adjusted his glasses. "But if you have somepony else do it for you, then how will you feel any sense of accomplishment? Where will the joy of discovering the answer be?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "Oh, I don't care at all about any of that. I just want Rainbow Dash to be all better."
"Tsk, tsk," Discord chided as he scribbled on the clipboard. "It's that lack of confidence that is holding you back. Why, I recently heard that Twilight Sparkle created new magic and was crowned a princess of Equestria. Even I can't do that…but why would I want to?" Discord adopted a silly sort of expression as his train of thought derailed. "Even 'king' is a step down from my current title." He chuckled a bit as a feminine crown appeared his head. "Princess Discord, could you imagine such a thing?"
Tossing the crown away, he showed the scribble to Fluttershy. "What does this look like to you?"
"Um, a tornado?" the meek pegasus guessed.
Discord looked to the picture with a quizzical look. "It was supposed to be a dust devil." He then turned the clipboard back to Fluttershy. "How about now?"
Even though he didn't scribble anything new, the picture was different—though just as crudely drawn as the last. "It looks like a cute little bug," Fluttershy honestly answered. "A firefly?"
"Close, but I don't think this is getting us anywhere," Discord frowned as he examined the clipboard again. "Looks like our time for today is up, too," he announced as he turned the picture back to Fluttershy to show a hand-drawn clock. The minute hand rapidly approached the top of the clock where the hour hand was waiting. As the two met, the drawing began to ring. Tossing the noisy clipboard carelessly over his shoulder, it exploded. The blast cleared away the chair and couch leaving just Fluttershy and Discord standing in the shady meadow.
"I still don't know what to do," Fluttershy pathetically whimpered.
"Isn't that the fun of it?" Discord rhetorically asked with a crazed smile as he handed Fluttershy a suitcase and placed a flower necklace over her head. "Now, go do whatever you can and don't give up!" he cheered as he kissed her on each cheek before stepping back and waving. "Come back soon! Toodle-oo!"
In a flash, Fluttershy was standing in the middle of Ponyville just a stone's throw away from Twilight's library. She glanced to the suitcase before knocking it over with a hoof. It popped open to reveal the bag she had taken with her meet with the god of chaos along with a single pinion—a fiery, orange-red feather that could only have come from a phoenix. It was her favorite ever since the first one she received from Philomena. She briefly wondered if she had told Discord about it or if he just knew as she reattached her saddlebag and stowed the feather as well as the weird necklace.
Head and ears down, Fluttershy shuffled towards Twilight's door. She had all but promised her friends that Discord would help. They were her friends and, given their attitude towards the bizarre creature of chaos, would completely understand. But still, Fluttershy felt as though she would be letting them down. Worse was the fact that she wasn't able to help Rainbow Dash. Her oldest and most faithful friend was in dire straits and she couldn't do a thing for her. It made her feel useless.
Fluttershy slowly approached Twilight's door. Her task to get Discord to help out Rainbow Dash had been an utter failure. She had to tell her friends, even though she didn't want to. For the second time in as many days she would have to crawl to the ponies most dear to her and break their hearts.
"Oh! Fluttershy!" an elegant voice greeted just as Fluttershy dragged herself to Twilight's door.
The timid mare looked up to find Rarity fast-approaching. "Um…h-hello Rarity," Fluttershy timidly greeted.
"You won't believe what I've just heard from the nurses!" the white unicorn announced as she brushed by Fluttershy and knocked on Twilight's door.
Fluttershy couldn't wait for Twilight to get to the door. "Is Rainbow Dash going to be okay!?" she urgently asked.
Rarity sort of shrugged as she tilted her head to the side while Twilight opened the door. She was trying to tell Fluttershy that she would tell her inside, but the message just didn't seem to get through.
"Rarity! Fluttershy!" the alicorn greeted. "I hope you have good news!"
"Good, and bad," Rarity announced as she entered the library to find Applejack and Spike. "Where is Pinkie Pie?"
"Still harassin' the good folk of Ponyville, I reckon," Applejack answered. "What's the news?"
"Oh! Yes!" Rarity exclaimed. "Well, it turns out that this morning a team of distinguished doctors from Canterlot arrived to help with Rainbow Dash's recovery. Word has it that they were sent to help by Princess Celestia herself!" she regaled the room. "Thanks to them, Rainbow Dash is now in stable condition and starting to recover! Isn't that just marvelous?"
"That's great, Rarity," Twilight tentatively smiled. "So…what's the bad news?"
Rarity frowned as she looked down and traced tiny circles on the floor with her hoof. "Well…they say they can't do a thing about her wing, and they still said that she might end up with some other permanent injuries. Only time will tell," she guiltily revealed as she looked around at the sad faces. "I take it you girls haven't found a way to fix her wing?"
All eyes found their way once more to Fluttershy. "The Princess and Zecora were unable to help," Twilight sadly announced. "What did Discord say?"
Fluttershy withered under the expectant stares. She was actually on the verge of tears as she tried desperately to disappear behind her pink locks. "I-I-I'm s-sorry!" she apologized as she failed to contain her tears. "Discord…he w-won't help!"
"Can't say I'm surprised," Applejack muttered as she sat next to Fluttershy and draped a leg around her. "It ain't yer fault. I'm sure you tried yer best."
"Um…" Spike spoke up as he wrung his claws together in worry. "What're we gonna do now?"
Several glares fell upon Spike as Fluttershy's sobbing amplified. It was an open and honest question—the only problem was that the baby dragon was so concerned with Rainbow Dash's fate that he neglected to take into account Fluttershy's feelings.
"I do have more news!" Rarity tried to change the subject in an effort to assuage Fluttershy's guilt. "They said that Rainbow Dash is awake now, but that they won't allow visitors until at least tomorrow morning."
"What? Why?" Twilight turned her attention away from Fluttershy and stared at Rarity. "If she's awake, why can't we go visit her?"
Rarity sighed. "They say she won't be cleared for visitors until after visiting hours are over," she regurgitated the things the nurse had told her. "I just can't understand why. But! I can think of somepony that they might let in to see her early," the elegant unicorn hinted as she looked to Twilight.
Being a princess was not something Twilight particularly cared for. Using her newfound status to manipulate others? That was far beyond the studious pony's comfort zone. But still…waiting another night before being allowed to see Rainbow Dash was going to drive her absolutely batty, not to mention the begging stares of her friends. They were just as worried and she was the only one that could possibly alleviate their fears.
"I…I'll go see what they say…after Pinkie Pie gets back," Twilight reluctantly relented. "I want to see if she's made any progress."
A silence crept in. Fluttershy had obviously stifled her sobs, but nopony quite felt like celebrating. Rainbow Dash might be on the road to recovery, but they were all at a complete loss as to how to restore her wing. Already Princess Celestia had come up empty along with Zecora. And while Discord was apparently able, he wasn't willing.
"Hey," Applejack spoke up. "Discord ain't gonna help, but that don't mean he ain't capable, right? Why don't we go give him what for and make him fix Rainbow?"
Twilight watched Fluttershy a moment to see if she was going to say something. When it became obvious the pegasus wasn't about to, Twilight spoke her mind. "I'm certain Fluttershy tried her best to do just that. And if Fluttershy can't make him help, what can the rest of us possibly do? Do you really think that the Princess would condone us taking the Elements of Harmony and threatening him?"
Applejack looked down as she grit her teeth. It was a pleasant thought; strapping on the Elements and beating Discord into submission. But, as always, Twilight was right. They couldn't just go and do something so brash. "Yer right, I guess," Applejack relented as she poked the floor with her hoof. Logic be darned, she wanted to thrash Discord. Refusing to help Dash and making Fluttershy cry—that guy certainly deserved a good working over.
"Um, actually," Fluttershy spoke up as soon as there was a silence quiet enough that she could be heard. "Discord told me why he wouldn't help."
"Because he's a no-good snake in the grass!" Applejack interjected.
Fluttershy shook her head. "He…um, Discord said he wouldn't help because he seemed to think that…well, that we could do it all on our own."
"H-he mentioned you, specifically, Twilight," the shy mare replied.
Twilight just lowered her head. "I don't see how. We don't even know where to start—what to do."
After a second of silent contemplation, Twilight snapped her head back up. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she glanced about. "Spike! Where is the letter Princess Celestia sent me!?"
Spike scrambled over to a nearby shelf and pulled a scroll free. In a flash it was wrapped in a purple aura as Twilight snatched it away from Spike and unfurled it in front of herself. As her eyes darted over the page, her door burst open to reveal a pink pony with a confectionery box atop her head.
Pinkie Pie plodded over to her friends and dumped the box on the floor. She then sat down heavily as she frowned. "Sorry girls, I talked to everypony! Nopony knows a thing!"
"Uh, Pinkie?" Applejack spoke up as she looked into the box. "All that's in here is…a used napkin…and a rock," she accused as she pulled the items out.
"It was an apology cake."
Applejack just grunted as she shoved the box aside. "We didn't have a bit of luck either," she informed Pinkie. "We're back to square one."
"Are you sure there wasn't anything? A rumor perhaps?" Rarity prodded.
"Nope, nothing at all," Pinkie mournfully replied before her demeanor rapidly shifted. "Rarity! You're back!" she excitedly stated the obvious. "Does that mean Rainbow Dash is okay!?"
Rarity frowned. "Well, yes and no," she explained. "She is going to make it, but the doctors still can't do a thing for her wing. She's awake now and…" Rarity trailed off as she realized with Pinkie back, Twilight was now free to go see Rainbow Dash! "Twilight—"
"I've got it!" Twilight excitedly exclaimed as she set the letter aside.
"Got what?" Applejack asked.
"What Princess Celestia was trying to tell me! What Discord is expecting me to do!" Twilight enthused. In an instant all the girls and Spike were gathered in front of the purple alicorn.
"Do tell!"
"Yah can fix RD?"
"Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!"
"No spell exists that can replace Rainbow Dash's wing properly," Twilight explained. "So all I have to do is create one!" Instead of the awe she was expecting to be met with, all she found was her friends staring dumbfounded at her.
"Make a spell?" Rarity warily questioned. "Don't get me wrong, the magic you can do is absolutely astounding. You even finished that Starswirl…thing. But can you really just fashion a spell like that?"
Twilight's confidence clearly wavered at the accusation. "I know it's a stretch, and, honestly, I don't even know where to start," she muttered as she sat down.
After a moment's contemplation the alicorn adopted a determined expression as she stood and stamped a hoof on the floor. "But none of that matters! I know it won't be easy and it's probably not even possible for me to do it on my own, but with my best friends to help me I'm confident that it can be done! I will come up with a way to make a spell to fix Rainbow Dash's wing. I don't know what all it might take, but I'm sure we will be able to find a way to make it work, together."
After a moment's silence, Twilight's confidence seemed to falter again. Taking a couple of steps over to the alicorn, Applejack stood at Twilight's side as she held out a hoof. "I'm in. Whatever it takes!"
"Whatever it takes!" Pinkie agreed as her hoof met Applejack's.
"Of course, whatever it takes," Rarity joined in, daintily meeting the other hooves with her own.
"Whatever it takes," Fluttershy repeated in a surprisingly firm manner as her hoof joined the rest.
"Yeah! Whatever it takes!" Spike proudly proclaimed as he threw his claw in.
"We are going to get Rainbow Dash's wing back, whatever it takes," Twilight smiled as her hoof landed atop the rest.
The entire group smiled as they, for the first time, felt confident about being able to help Rainbow Dash. It was because they were no longer relying on the boons of Zecora, Princess Celestia, the citizens of Ponyville, or even Discord. They were relying on their closest friends. The friends they all knew would never let each other down, especially on something this important.
"So!" Pinkie spoke up as the huddle collapsed. "How're we gonna make a new spell to save Dashie!? I bet it'll be amazing!"
Twilight smiled sheepishly as she stood there. "I have no idea!"
OUTTAKE
"Wait, wait, wait," Pinkie practically shouted as she used her front hooves to emphasize her words. "Didn't Twilight get two wings from that cuh-razy spell when she became a princess!? Just use that spell on Dash! She'll have three wings!"
"Well, it's not that simple," Twilight stretched her wings out. "I sort of got my wings from Princess Celestia when she made me a princess."
"So…it wasn't the spell?" Pinkie asked as she flopped down on her rear, her face contorted in concentration as she struggled to understand.
Twilight shrugged a bit. "You know, it wasn't really all that clear, but I'm going to go with no."
"You mean you don't even know!?"
"Hey! Magic is vague, fickle, and mysterious!" Twilight defended herself.
Pinkie contemplated a moment as she rubbed her chin. "Soooo…what we need to do is get Dashie to be a princess!"
Twilight facehooved. "No," she denied as her hoof trailed down her face. "That would just give her a horn."
A murmuring sound encroached into the nothingness. At first, it wasn't even noticeable, but as time pressed on, the sound drew louder and more coherent. It was a voice—no—voices. They were saying something. Prying open her eyes, she was blinded by an omnipresent light. It seemed capable of even piercing her eyelids as she tried to block out the onslaught.
"Doctor! She's coming to!" a feminine voice pierced the veil.
Trying to raise a hoof to block out the light, she learned two things. First, her entire leg was unmovable. Second, and more importantly, DON'T DO THAT! The searing pain summoning her muscles to work nearly caused her to scream, but even breathing hurt too much to shout. All she managed was a pained groan. Everything hurt! Oh, Celestia, did it hurt!
"Take it easy," a gentle voice cooed.
Turning to the sound of the voice, she finally saw something other than blinding white. At first all she could make out was the general shape of a pony's face, but that was enough. "I-it hurts," she managed to choke out. The words seemed to be made of fiery sand that cut the insides of her throat. It was as if she hadn't had a drop of water in a week.
"Let's increase your dosage," a new voice called out.
Painfully craning her neck, she found another pony. This time her vision had adjusted enough to recognize him. He was a doctor pony. She'd seen him somewhere before. That's right, he was Ponyville's resident expert on pegasi. For some strange reason, it was only then that she realized she was in a hospital.
"There," the doctor said after fooling with a nearby machine. "The pain won't go away, but it should be more tolerable," he calmly explained as he looked to his patient.
"Is there anything else we can do to make you more comfortable?" The female voice asked.
"Wa...water," she choked out, not even bothering to look back over.
The sound of hooves clopping on tile preceded the reply, "I'll get you a glass. One moment."
The doctor wasn't kidding, the pain was much easier to bear all of a sudden. Unfortunately, as the pain faded, so too did her lucidity. She barely remembered the nurse returning with the water, and after that it all faded into a blur.
She had no clue how much time had passed, but she awoke from her fog to find the same doctor and another unicorn stallion in a white coat at her bedside. The pain was back again, but it wasn't quite as bad as before. It was still pretty bad, though. "Doc?" she muttered as the haze dissipated.
"You get the dosage right this time?" the new doctor chuckled as ribbed the other doctor. This unicorn was jet black with blue eyes so pale they were nearly white. His mane matched the color of his eyes.
The pegasus expert didn't seem to be amused. He turned his gaze back to his patient. "How is the pain?"
"It hurts."
"Can you bear with it long enough to answer some questions?"
Honestly, she wasn't sure, but she was compelled to reply, "Yeah."
"I'll keep it brief to spare you unnecessary discomfort," the new doctor spoke up. "I'm the psychiatrist around here. Name's Ephemeral Mote. Everypony just calls me Mo. This stick-in-the-mud needs me to make sure you're all right upstairs. Apparently you had a pretty nasty concussion." Using his magic, he held a clipboard and a quill out in front of him in a white aura. "We'll start with an easy question: what is...your name?"
That was an easy question. "It's... My name is...um..."
The psychiatrist scribbled on the clipboard. "Don't sweat it," he encouraged. "Let's try another one. Can you tell me where we are?"
She just stared blankly. Despite what the doctor said she was sweating it. Why the hay couldn't she remember her name!? She knew exactly who she was. A picture of herself flashed in her mind. A cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane striking a cool pose atop a fluffy white cloud. Wait a minute...
"Rainbow," she muttered, "R-Rainbow Dash!"
Mo chuckled. "No," he jovially denied. "That would've been a great answer for the first question, but Rainbow Dash isn't even a place."
"Wha...?"
"I'll have to apologize," he said as he ruffled Rainbow Dash's mane, careful to avoid the stitching on the side of her head. "My rapier wit is a bit too sharp for you in this condition," he practically boasted. "Yes, your name is Rainbow Dash. Now, can you tell me where you are?"
Dash had to let most of what the quirky guy said go. Her mind wasn't even close to firing on all cylinders. If it wasn't the medicine, it was her injuries. Injuries? She was at a hospital, how and why was she here?
"Rainbow Dash, do you know where you are?" the unicorn asked for the third time, though his tone was still free from any impatience.
"The hospital," she replied, still distracted by her thoughts. "Why am I here?"
The psychiatrist scribbled some more. "We will get to that in just a moment. Do you know where this hospital is?"
Rainbow Dash might not have known one hospital from another, but with her doctor here there could only be one hospital. "Ponyville."
"Very good," he praised with a smile. "Can you tell me what you do for a living?"
"Weather patrol," Dash curtly replied. She was getting impatient. Her mind was clearing up now and the pain was starting to get unbearable.
Mo let Dash's spite roll off his back effortlessly. "Ready for more challenging questions, eh? How about this: what's the last thing you can remember doing before you woke up in the hospital?"
Rainbow's brow furrowed as she searched her memories for what happened. Whatever was bad enough to leave her in this sorry state should've been etched permanently in her memory. Taking in herself for the first time she found her right foreleg in traction with a solid cast going all the way around her shoulder. There were bandages from the top of her sternum all the way down to her hips. All she could tell from the pain was that whatever they were hiding was something she probably didn't even want to see.
Finally looking back to the doctor, Rainbow shook her head. "I-I don't..."
"Take it easy," he spoke soothingly. "We will work through it together. Try to remember the last meal you had."
While skeptical, she did her best to follow the amicable pony's instruction. The last meal she had...oh! It was at the little café. She was having dinner with Flutter enthusing about—
"Oh my gosh!" Rainbow panicked as she writhed in her bed as much as her wounds would allow. "I gotta go to the race today!"
"Easy! Easy!" Mo urged as he tried to get Dash to calm down. "The competition is already over!"
By the time her actual doctor got to her bedside, she'd stopped squirming. "I-I missed it!?"
"Don't move around so much!" Her doctor scolded. "You'll pop a stitch!"
The psychiatrist rolled his eyes before leaning in close to Rainbow Dash. "Stick-in-the-mud," he whispered to her as he held up a hoof.
Despite herself, Rainbow smiled a bit at Mo's antics. "I can't believe I missed it," she lamented as her smile faded as quickly as it had formed.
"You didn't," the psychiatrist replied. "As I understand it you dominated the competition. You don't remember any of it?"
Rainbow started to shake her head, but that hurt. "N-no," she spoke as she winced. It was really starting to hurt and that stunt she pulled a minute ago certainly didn't help.
"I was afraid of that," Mo claimed as he laid a hoof on Rainbow's, to which she recoiled. Withdrawing his hoof and making a mental note that this particular patient did not like to be touched, he continued, "You see, long term memories take time to form and become cemented in our minds. At the competition your accident resulted in a concussion of epic proportions. That blow likely prevented the long term memories from forming properly. Everything else checks out and you are surprisingly cognizant for a pony in your condition."
"So... I'm not gonna remember what happened?"
The psychiatrist sighed. "I can't say for certain, but typically with an injury like yours you may regain disjointed memories of the day of your accident, but they will be vague and anything close to the time of the accident is surely lost forever."
"So, she's not going to be able to tell us what happened," her doctor dourly surmised.
"You...don't know what happened to me?" Dash asked as she looked between the two unicorns.
"You fell right out of the sky," her doctor brusquely informed her. "We have a pretty good idea of why, but we were hoping you could confirm it."
Those words were almost...insulting. "I...fell?"
"Straight down into a lake," the psychiatrist confirmed. "Probably one of the best splashes in all of Equestrian history. And you get to live to tell the tale. You should consider yourself very lucky."
"I don't feel lucky," she spoke her thoughts.
"Hey," he said in a very serious tone. "It's nothing short of a miracle that you survived at all. You are lucky."
Sensing where the conversation was heading, Rainbow Dash's doctor left to get a couple of nurses and a sedative—just in case.
Rainbow just seemed stunned as she focused on her cast. "How long am I gonna be stuck here?"
"Well, the guy to answer that question just left," Mo replied. Putting his gaze on a half-empty glass of water at Dash's bedside, he grabbed it in his white aura. "Let's teach him a lesson about abandoning his patients in their time of need," he claimed as he slightly opened the door and precariously placed the glass atop the door with his magic.
Just as Mo's aura left the glass, the door burst open as Rainbow Dash's doctor entered. Gravity did the rest. The glass tumbled from the top of the door, soaking the doctor's perfectly manicured mane as the glass itself scored a ringer on his horn. Rainbow Dash, Ephemeral Mote, and even the two nurses behind the doctor burst out laughing at his ire. Though, Rainbow's laughter quickly extinguished. It really, really hurt for her to laugh.
Dash's doctor lifted the glass from his horn with his magic as he glared at Mo. The psychiatrist quickly pointed a hoof at Rainbow Dash. "She did it!"
"Yes, I'm quite sure," he sarcastically replied.
"Our little prankster here has a question for you," Mo claimed.
Rainbow Dash was busy trying to will the fire in sides away. Laughter in no way, shape, or form was the best medicine. At least not in this case. "Guh...h-how long'm I gonna be here?"
"A week, thereabouts," the doctor warned as he filed in with the nurses. "We have to monitor your progress and you will be bedridden for a few days."
Rainbow Dash groaned.
"After that you will still need to come in regularly for follow-ups and therapy."
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Dash complained. "When'll I be able to fly?"
Dead silence.
Rainbow Dash watched the doctor and Mo exchange worried glances before Mo spoke up. "About that, Rainbow Dash..." He muttered.
She did not like where this was going. "J-just how long is it gonna be!?"
"When you hit the water you very nearly died. You need to understand just how lucky you are simply to be alive right now," Mo gravely continued.
Rainbow Dash whimpered. "How...bad is it?
"Your right wing was...torn off on impact," Mo broke the news to the cyan pegasus.
Dash immediately tried to squirm so that she could touch her right wing with her left hoof, but between her injuries and her right leg in traction, she just couldn't reach. She would've asked if they reattached it, but her efforts left her breathless.
"Calm down, you'll hurt yourself!" Mo cautioned as the nurses and doctor crowded around the bed.
"M-my wing!"
"I'm so sorry Rainbow Dash, but it's gone. They never found it in the lake," Mo gravely informed her.
Rainbow just stared back at him, her mouth agape as silent tears trailed down her cheeks.
"You'll never fly again..."
Mo might've said something after that, but Rainbow Dash didn't hear them. All she heard was "never fly again" over and over echoing in her ears, louder and louder until it was a cacophony of despair. It wouldn't have mattered if she had heard them a million times. A billion times. It couldn't be true. She was Rainbow Dash! She wasn't just some pegasus. She was the best flier in all of Equestria! It was impossible for her not to be able to fly, and she wasn't going to lie there and take it!
"No!" Rainbow shouted as she angrily pawed at the cast covering up her right shoulder. "You're lying! It's there!" She desperately needed to tear through the cast and see it for herself. Her wing had to be there and it was just fine! "Get it off! Get it off!" she shouted with an amazing vigor for somepony in her condition.
Her desperate writhing caused her broken leg to clatter out of the traction holding it place. The bandages around her torso started to stain red as the injuries underneath were ripped open. Still, Rainbow's fervor did not dwindle. It was as if she felt no pain, but the truth was the pain and fear in her heart simply drowned out the protests of her body.
The doctors and nurses jumped on Rainbow in an attempt to subdue her and prevent her from injuring herself any further. The cyan pony continued to struggle up until a syringe plunged into her IV tubing. As soon as the plunger was pressed in, Dash's struggling ceased as her magenta eyes closed.
It had been one week—seven very long days—since Rainbow Dash had landed in the hospital. Twilight had spent absolutely all her free time studying up on magics that might restore Rainbow's wing as well as the intricate anatomy of pegasus wings. Of course, she always made time to visit the ailing pegasus at least once a day.
Her diligence was paying off. She already had a rough idea of what needed to be done, but the doing was going to take a herculean effort and, if past experience was any indication, about a million tries to get it right. It was simple, in theory. Much like changing an apple into an orange, she needed to find something that wasn't a wing and turn it into a wing. Then she would need to use a spell to breathe life into the wing so that Rainbow Dash could have the proper control she would require. In between the two she would have to attach the wing to Rainbow Dash. That would be the trickiest part…maybe.
Sighing and putting the book aside with her magic, Twilight Sparkle looked up and had to blink a few times to clear her vision. While that didn't really work, shaking her head seemed to do the trick. She had clearly spent too long reading without giving her eyes a break. Slowly she climbed to her hooves, joints popping and muscles stretching the entire way. How long had she been lying there reading?
"Spike?" Twilight called out as she looked for her baby dragon assistant.
"Something you need?" he eagerly asked as he leaned down the stairs that climbed to the loft.
"Do you have the time?" the studious alicorn asked as she stretched, liberating her muscles and joints from their stagnation.
Spike knew exactly what she was asking about, even if she was doing it in a roundabout way. "We have about an hour before noon," he claimed as he looked out a nearby window to find the sun's position. "There's still a little time before we go visit Rainbow Dash."
Twilight sighed as she looked around. She was still stiff from reading for so long and there wasn't enough spare time to attempt to fine tune the potential spells she would be relying on. That meant one thing: a few minutes of downtime. Her nature could not let that stand. Something productive had to fill that time. She looked to the side as she rubbed her chin in contemplation. After a moment, she suddenly smiled as she set her hoof back to the floor.
"Let's go pay Rarity a visit!" Twilight insisted as she grabbed her saddlebags in her aura and attached them.
By the time Twilight had her bags secured, Spike had the door open. Twilight had to do a double-take. It was quite impressive that Spike had descended the stairs that quickly. Must have been the power of love, she mused with a small smile and a roll of her eyes. Spike's crush on Rarity was both adorable and exhausting.
In no time Twilight trotted into the Carousel Boutique alongside Spike. The sound of the entry chime stirred the fashionable unicorn from her work at a sewing machine. "Welcome to the Carousel Bou…" she listlessly began to greet, but stopped short as she turned to find her friends. "Oh, hello," she said with a bit more energy as she set her tape measure and glasses aside.
Rarity didn't look quite like herself and neither did her work. They both looked fine and acceptable, but were missing that passionate flair. "Are you holding up okay?" Twilight asked with a genuine concern in her voice.
Rarity considered lying and saying everything was just fine, but she opted for honesty instead as she shook her head. "Poor Rainbow Dash's plight has had a rather…negative effect on my creative process," she admitted. "I still get orders in, but I haven't been able to even begin to design any new dresses."
"I actually wanted to talk to you about Rainbow Dash," Twilight explained with a gesture of her hoof. "I'm starting to get a pretty good idea of what it'll take to make her a new wing. I was hoping you could help."
"Anything!" Rarity exclaimed with a huge smile.
Twilight couldn't keep a straight face. Rarity's eager smile was just too contagious. "Well, I'm going to need somepony to sew a pegasus wing or three," she elaborated.
The elegant unicorn glowed as her eyes sparkled. "Twilight, darling, of course I can do that!" she enthusiastically volunteered. Rarity immediately started to gather bolts, threads, and other supplies to get started on the new task.
"You shouldn't put too much effort into it," Twilight cautioned. "They…won't actually be going on Rainbow Dash."
The materials dropped haphazardly on the designing table. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand you, darling."
"Consider them practice, for both you and me," Twilight Sparkle elaborated with a sheepish smile. "I actually need you to do one other favor for me."
Twilight's apprehension gave Rarity pause. "I'll help, if I can," she volunteered a bit more reluctantly.
"I need somepony to, um… Try them on, so to speak," Twilight vaguely requested.
Rarity raised an eyebrow as she gave Twilight an uneasy gaze. "Now, when you say 'try them on…'"
Twilight sighed as she looked away and shyly pawed at the floor. "I am going to require quite a bit of practice with the spell to get it right for Rainbow Dash. I'm going to need somepony to be, um…"
"A test subject," Rarity spat.
Twilight gave Rarity an uncertain smile that said both "sorry" and "please" at the same time. "I need a pony that doesn't have wings," she explained as she stretched her wings out for emphasis.
Rarity sighed as she reminded herself that it was for Rainbow Dash. "All right," she relented. "So long as I don't end up with some weird wing permanently attached to my back."
"I'm ninety-nine percent sure that won't happen," Twilight Sparkle reassured her reluctant lab-rat. After a second she amended her statement with a rocking motion of her hoof, "Ninety-five."
A small whimper escaped Rarity's throat. She had been joking about that, but apparently it was a real risk. Taking a longing look at her shoulder while it was still unmarred by some sort of Frankenstein wing, she took the plunge. "I-I'll do it. For Rainbow Dash."
"Great!" Twilight smiled before turning around and heading towards the door. "Just let me know when you finish the wings and have some free time."
"R-right," Rarity reluctantly agreed. She still didn't much like the idea of being the subject of experimental magics. "I take it you are going to go visit Rainbow Dash?"
Twilight nodded. "Yes," she confirmed before turning to Spike. "Spike, why don't you stay here and help out Rarity?"
"I would absolutely adore a helping-hoof from my little Spikey-wikey!" Rarity enthused as she approached her design table.
"Anything for you, Rarity!" Spike eagerly volunteered.
"I'll leave it up to you two," Twilight said as she departed.
Having used up her free time, the studious pony hurried off to take care what had quickly become her daily routine. Since the hospital food wasn't exactly Rainbow Dash's favorite, Twilight stopped by the café every day to pick up lunch for herself and Dash. Hopefully her news today would bring Rainbow Dash out of her funk.
When Twilight first visited the cyan pegasus the day after the horrible accident she was…bad. Crying, hurt, angry: she was completely and totally inconsolable. Even the news that she and the rest of her friends were hard at work coming up with a way to fix her wing couldn't really calm her down. After that first day she spent the next day or two on an emotional rollercoaster. Dash would be sad one minute, angry the next, and then in denial another minute later. More recently she just lied there in the hospital bed doing a whole lot of nothing. It was as if she had lost hope.
At first everypony visited Dash every day, but already that was starting to change. Aside from Twilight, the only pony to visit her every single day since the incident was Fluttershy. Applejack visited her when she could, but the farmer simply had too many responsibilities to make it to the hospital every day. Rarity hadn't been to the hospital in two days. She claimed to have been swamped at the boutique, but Twilight suspected that Rarity simply couldn't stand to see Rainbow Dash like that anymore. The worst was Pinkie Pie. The party pony tried everything in her bag of tricks to cheer Dash up. When that failed, she improvised. When that failed, the pink pony broke down crying herself and gave up. She hadn't been to visit Rainbow Dash in three days and, honestly, hadn't been seen outside of Sugarcube Corner much, either.
As Twilight entered the hospital she made a mental note to visit Pinkie Pie before returning to her library. Not much managed to rain on the party pony's parade, but she drew her happiness from the joy of others. Being unable to bring a smile to a pony that desperately needed one—not to mention a dear friend—must have been a living nightmare for her. She could probably use a friend about now.
Walking into Rainbow Dash's room, she found an unexpected sight. Not only was Fluttershy there at Dash's bedside, Applejack was there. "Hey girls," Twilight greeted with an uneasy smile. "I didn't know everypony would be here. I only brought lunch for two."
"Hey Twi," Applejack greeted with a forced smile.
"Good afternoon," Fluttershy absentmindedly muttered. Most of her attention was locked on Rainbow Dash as she wore a concerned expression.
The rainbow pony was clearly not having a good day. She didn't even look up at Twilight. Her gaze was focused a million miles away. At least her injuries seemed to be healing well. Her front right leg was no longer in traction, though the enormous cast that wrapped around the leg and all the way over her shoulder was still there. Virtually all of her torso was still wrapped in bandages, but the stitches on the side of her head were looking…well, they were easier to look at, at least.
Rainbow's despondent expression belied her mending wounds. Her wing was gone and that was the only injury she cared at all about. It was also the only injury that wasn't going to improve with time.
Twilight floated two paper sacks out of her saddlebag. She placed one on the table next to Dash and set the other one in Rainbow's lap. "I brought you a daisy sandwich and hay fries," Twilight spoke with a forced cheer in her voice.
Rainbow Dash muttered her thanks as she just stared at the bag in front of her. Fluttershy stepped in, taking out the sandwich and fries and setting them in front of Dash. "Aren't you going to eat?" the yellow pegasus coaxed in a motherly voice. "It looks really yummy."
"Ah don't suppose yah heard?" Applejack prodded as Twilight set out her lunch.
Twilight shook her head as she took a bite of her own sandwich.
"They're dischargin' RD!" the farmer claimed as she stomped a hoof. "She can't even walk on her own yet!"
Twilight coughed as some of her food went down the wrong pipe. "Wh-what!?"
Applejack pulled her head to the side, silently indicating towards the door. Twilight reluctantly left her meal and Rainbow Dash as she followed Applejack out into the hallway. "What's going on?" Twilight whispered once they were isolated from the two pegasi.
"They're already getting the paperwork and everythin' done. They're gonna kick her out anytime now!" Applejack fumed. "She ain't ready to leave! We can't take care of her like this! She needs somepony to look after her twenty-four seven!"
"Why are they pushing her out so soon?" Twilight asked as she peeked back into the hospital room. Amazingly, Fluttershy was getting Rainbow Dash to eat—even if she did have to resort to hoof-feeding the cyan pegasus.
Applejack sighed, drawing Twilight's attention back on her. "They're hoping Dash'll cheer up if she ain't cooped up here," she regurgitated what she'd been told by the nurses. "Ah told 'em the only thing that'll make her happy is getting her wing back. They don't pay no mind!"
Twilight perked up a bit when Applejack mentioned Rainbow Dash's wing. "I've actually made some progress with my spell," she eagerly announced. "It's not much, but I'm hoping it might lift Rainbow Dash's spirits a little."
Applejack nodded as they headed back to Rainbow Dash's room. Surprisingly, Fluttershy had managed to get Rainbow Dash to eat her entire sandwich and half her fries. Twilight was impressed at how well Fluttershy was able to handle the distraught pegasus. Usually Twilight counted herself lucky if she managed to get Dash to eat half a sandwich.
"So…are you looking forward to getting out today?" Twilight asked.
"I guess," Dash muttered.
The lackluster response didn't shake Twilight too much. She'd hoped for something more enthusiastic, but a lot of their conversations had gone like this in recent days. "I have some good news of my own! I've been making some good progress with the spell to fix your wing!"
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash perked up. "R-really!?" Dash tentatively asked.
"I've got a plan of what needs to be done," Twilight confidently claimed as she approached her barely-touched meal. "I just need to refine the magic and find the right mix of materials. I should be able to make a working wing before you're out of that cast!"
"You're sure?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Dash had already gotten her hopes shattered once. A week ago Twilight promised to find a spell to restore her wing and turned around in the same breath and said that she didn't even know where to start. Rainbow didn't resent Twilight for it. The studious pony was only trying to help out in her own way. At the time Rainbow Dash thought that Twilight was just lying to try and make her feel better, but now the alicorn seemed to be living up to her word.
Could it really be true? Did Twilight really forge a spell to fix her wing?
"It should work," Twilight assured. "The little details might take a while to work out, but it should at least get you airborne."
Rainbow Dash let a scintilla of a smile touch her lips. "You really mean it?" she asked disbelievingly. "You're really gonna come up with a spell to get my wing back!?"
"Well, sort of," Twilight qualified as she held up a hoof. "It won't really be 'your' wing, but it will be 'a' wing."
What little hope had settled in Rainbow washed away. "Not…my wing," she muttered. "Will I still be able to fly like I could before?"
Twilight hesitated. She was confident she could get Rainbow Dash a new wing and that she would be able to fly again. But to fly like she used to—sonic rainboom and all—Twilight just wasn't so sure. "I-in time," she stumbled uncertainly, "maybe."
Rainbow Dash again fell silent as she looked away and hung her head. It should be enough that she would be able to fly again, but…it wasn't. Selfish or not, she wanted to fly just like she used to. It wasn't just that she wanted to be a Wonderbolt and anything short of awesome wouldn't make the cut. Everypony adored her because of her epic flying abilities. If she just flew like everypony else then all of Ponyville would stop adoring her. Scootaloo would disband her fan club. It was as if…as if everypony would stop loving her if she couldn't fly like she used to.
"We will get you back in the sky, Rainbow Dash," Twilight assured.
"Yeah," Dash muttered in response.
After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Applejack spoke up. "So… Where are we putting Dash? We got room at Sweet Apple Acres, but we ain't got nopony with enough free time to see to her like she needs."
"Um, Rainbow Dash can stay with me and my animal friends," Fluttershy offered. "I don't mind."
"Ain't you got enough critters that need looking after?" Applejack queried.
Fluttershy shook her head. "It's not too much trouble."
"What do you want, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked as she put her half-finished sandwich aside.
Rainbow Dash looked between the farmer and the animal caretaker before shaking her head. "I wanna go home."
All three ponies lowered their heads as they felt a pang of sympathy. "We can't let yah do that, sugarcube," Applejack denied. "What'd happen if you fell?"
"I'd rather fall than stay down here like some…earth pony!" Rainbow Dash snapped as tears stung at her eyes.
"Hey!" Rainbow Dash's doctor greeted as he came in followed by a couple of nurses carting an empty wheelchair. "We've got your paperwork all settled and you're ready to leave."
In a dizzying flurry, the nurses swept Dash into the wheelchair and were rolling her out of the room. The next thing anypony knew; Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle were all out on the hospital's front lawn. It took them a moment to get reoriented.
"Hey! I didn't...finish my sandwich," Twilight lamented as she uselessly talked to the hospital's front door.
"So, uh, where're we takin' Dash?" Applejack asked, willing her ire over Rainbow's "earth pony" comment away.
Twilight huffed as she rejoined her friends. "We can take her to Fluttershy's cottage. Rainbow Dash needs somepony that can make sure she's all right."
"I can do that," Fluttershy assured.
Rainbow ground her teeth. They were talking about her like she was some sort of invalid. Even if it was true, it still made her feel awful. She couldn't fly, couldn't walk…she apparently didn't even get a say in what would happen to her or where she would go.
Her thoughts petered out as she realized a sensation she hadn't felt in a week: sunshine warming her hide. Looking up into the sky, she saw the sun peeking out from some puffy, white clouds as a few birds passed overhead. Rainbow had never envied a bird before—being able to fly just like she used to. She never really took it for granted; she loved soaring amongst the clouds. Aside from her friends, flying was the single most important thing in her life.
That's when she realized it. Not being able to fly was nothing short of a living nightmare, but she still had something more important. Her friends. And here they were looking after and doing everything they could to get her through this disaster.
For the first time since she woke up in the hospital, she felt as though everything would be okay. Yes, she still wanted to fly again. But she had been telling herself this whole time she would give anything to be able to get her wing back. Now she knew how selfish she was being. She would never trade anything for her friends. She wouldn't give them up for the Wonderbolts, nor for all of the glory in Equestria, not even for her wing. If she had her friends, she could make it as an earth pony…somehow.
Still, she longed to be up there with the birds and the clouds. Even if she could only fly as well as Fluttershy, she would trade away a lot to be back up there. Just about anything short of her friends, really. Twilight's spell was enough. More than enough. If she got to fly again, just enough to take care of the weather, that was all she needed.
"T-Twilight," Dash spoke up as she tore her gaze from the sky. "Please…I-I need to fly again."
Twilight offered her a reassuring smile. "I know that. We all do," she claimed as she motioned to Applejack and Fluttershy. "We've already vowed to ourselves and to each other that we will get you back in the sky, whatever it takes. I'm not giving up and neither is anypony else."
Rainbow Dash's tears threatened to spill over. Had she not been stuck in a wheelchair with a broken leg, she would have hugged Twilight. "Girls…" she muttered, not knowing what else to say.
"We will get you through this, Rainbow Dash. Together," Twilight assured as she gingerly hugged the injured pegasus. Fluttershy was quick to join in and even Applejack took part in the group hug.
"Ow…ow, ow, ow!" Rainbow Dash suddenly whimpered as the hugging quickly changed from heartwarming, to uncomfortable, to painful.
"Sorry!" the trio apologized as they shot away from Rainbow Dash.
They all offered apologetic smiles as Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Let's just get this over with," Dash groused as Applejack got behind the wheelchair and began to push her in the general direction of Fluttershy's cottage.
"I'm going to go by Sugarcube Corner," Twilight waved the trio off. "Pinkie's probably going to insist on some sort of party."
"Great," the trio groaned, not one of them looking forward to a celebration.
Twilight Sparkle sighed as she stared up at the sign above her. It didn't have any words on it, just a big, pink cupcake. Since Rainbow Dash had been released, everypony seemed to be in better spirits. Even the rainbow pony herself seemed to be happy to hear about Twilight's progress with the spell to make her a new wing. Rarity was happy to get to try to design a new wing for Dash. Fluttershy was just happy that Rainbow Dash was out and starting to cheer up. Applejack…well, Twilight was pretty sure that Applejack was happy about it. That just left one pony in the doldrums: Pinkie Pie.
Trotting into Sugarcube Corner, she was greeted by Mrs. Cup Cake, "Why hello there Twilight! We haven't seen you since before the accident. I hope you're holding up well."
"Pretty well, all things considered," Twilight replied as she approached the counter. "I'm a little worried about Pinkie Pie, though. I've heard she's taking it pretty bad."
Mrs. Cake's smile faded away. "Oh, dearie, I can't remember the last time poor Pinkie Pie was so upset. Do you think you could cheer her up?"
Twilight smiled. "That's what I'm hoping to accomplish!"
"She's upstairs watching the twins," Mrs. Cake pointed a hoof.
Twilight headed up the stairs to the twins' room. As she opened the door, she was met with a sight that told her this task was going to be harder than she thought. Pinkie Pie was just sitting there in the middle of the room with her head hung low. Pumpkin Cake was gnawing on Pinkie's foreleg while Pound Cake was bashing a stuffed toy with another stuffed toy over near their toy box. The most alarming thing was Pinkie's mane. Her normally curly hair hung straight down.
"Um…Pinkie Pie?" Twilight spoke up as she stepped into the room. "You okay?"
"No," was her curt reply.
Well, that was productive, Twilight sighed. What little glimmer of hope she had that Pinkie would just snap out of it faded away. "What's bothering you?"
"Oh, nothing," Pinkie replied in a bitter tone. "Only that I'm the worst friend ever!" She gazed over at her flank before continuing. "What good is this stupid cutie mark of mine if I can't even cheer up the saddest pony in all of Equestria?"
Twilight rubbed the back of her neck as she tried to figure out how to approach the subject. "You know, sometimes some ponies are just…inconsolable," she gently claimed. "It's not your fault you couldn't cheer Rainbow Dash up. Nopony else could, either."
"She's one of my most bestest friends and when she needed me the most I couldn't help her at all," Pinkie flatly lamented. "I tried everything I could think of to make her smile. Some party pony I am. More like a party-pooper!"
"Aww, don't say that, Pinkie Pie," Twilight urged as she sat next to the pink pony and draped a leg across her withers. "You're always the life of the party."
Pinkie didn't reply other than to pull away from Twilight. As she did, Twilight felt a warm, wet sensation on her foreleg. Pulling up her leg, she found Pumpkin Pie hanging onto it with only her mouth. "You shouldn't chew on that," she chided as she gave her leg a gentle shake. When that didn't remove the foal, she used her magic to pry the youngster off of her foreleg and float her into the crib. "It's probably time for a nap, anyway," she cooed as she gave Pound Cake the same treatment before using her telekinesis to tuck the duo in. Of course, they squirmed out of their fluffy prison in no time, and the duo approached the bars. Surprisingly, they were obedient enough to stay there as they gazed out at the two mares.
Twilight took a moment to recompose herself as she tried to wipe away the foal-goo from her leg. "Pinkie Pie. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," she urged. "I know your special talent is to bring joy to others, but this situation… Well, think about it. With the loss of her wing, Rainbow Dash can't fulfill her destiny either. That's a big part of why she's so…despondent."
"So…so she feels super-duper-terrible-awful bad!?"
"Yes," Twilight answered her rather bluntly. "That's why she still needs you! Rainbow Dash could still really use a good cheering up."
"But I tried everything!" Pinkie Pie asserted as she finally turned back to face Twilight, revealing tear-stained cheeks. "I couldn't cheer her up no matter how hard I tried!"
"You haven't tried throwing her a full-blown party, have you?" Twilight prodded.
"The hospital won't let me," the limp-maned Pinkie ground out, not bothering to blunt her bitterness.
Twilight smiled as she ribbed the grumpy pony. "Well then, it's a good thing they released her a little while ago then, huh?"
Pinkie perked up a bit as she looked to Twilight, wide-eyed. "Really?"
Twilight nodded. "Applejack and Fluttershy are getting her settled in over at Fluttershy's cottage. Too bad there won't be a party there to celebrate her getting out."
With the sound of a party favor, Pinkie's hair sprung back to its joyous, curly self. "A party!? For Rainbow Dash!?" she smiled from ear to ear. "I've gotta start getting things ready RIGHT NOW!"
Twilight smiled a bit as Pinkie Pie rushed off. She was happy that last bit managed to get Pinkie out of her funk. It was her ace in the hole. Had that party bit failed she would've had to improvise to try and to get Pinkie back to her old self. And that probably wouldn't have worked.
"Thanks, for whatever you did or said."
Twilight looked up to see Mr. Cake trotting in. "Happy to help, really," she smiled as the lanky earth pony approached the crib.
"I haven't seen her so excited in a week," Mr. Cake continued as he gathered up the twins. "She just rushed in and started baking up a storm."
"I certainly hope you mean that metaphorically," Twilight joked as she helped Mr. Cake swaddle up the foals.
Mr. Cake nodded his thanks once the twins were swaddled up against him. "I do, too," he wearily claimed as he left out the door with Twilight behind him.
While Pinkie Pie prepared for the party of the century, Fluttershy was struggling to make Rainbow Dash feel at home in her cottage. "Oh, are you sure you want to stay here on the couch?" Fluttershy asked for what had to be at least the fourth time. "I'm sure my bed would be so much more comfortable."
"For the last time, Fluttershy, I'm not gonna take your bed away from you," Rainbow Dash grumpily asserted as she struggled to find a comfortable position on the plush couch. "Besides, those stairs don't look fun and I doubt you could fly me up there."
"I-I'm sorry," Fluttershy mumbled, "I wish I could fly better."
"I wish I could fly at all," Rainbow Dash muttered as she finally found a position that didn't hurt. The fact that she was stuck looking at the back of the couch was just something she'd have to deal with.
"I'm so sorry!" Fluttershy earnestly apologized. "I-I didn't mean t-to make you feel bad. I'm sorry!"
Rainbow Dash sighed as much as her mending body would allow. "You don't have to keep apologizing, Fluttershy."
"B-but I feel awful," she muttered as she shrank away, despite the fact that Rainbow Dash wasn't even looking at her. As an uncomfortable silence set in, a thumping drew Fluttershy's attention down to Angel Bunny. The dinky bunny glared impatiently up at the yellow mare. Fluttershy shook her head in refusal, but Angel Bunny stood firm. He crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to glare at Fluttershy and tapped his oversized foot impatiently.
Fluttershy whimpered before she turned back to Rainbow Dash. "Um…Rainbow Dash?" she gently prodded. "I-there's something and it's been b-bothering me…" she trailed off. Another urging from Angel Bunny gave her the courage to continue. "A-actually, it's been…eating me up inside. Rainbow Dash… D-do you hate me?"
Rainbow's eyes grew wide as she struggled to roll over and face Fluttershy. "Wha-how can you even think that!?" Dash exclaimed as she struggled to sit up. A little push from Fluttershy got her there. "I don't hate you! You're my oldest friend, Fluttershy. I mean, we've been friends for as long as I can remember! I could never hate you."
"B-but I wasn't able to catch you… I-I just, I watched as you-you…" she trailed off.
"Fluttershy, even the Wonderbolts weren't fast enough to catch me," Rainbow Dash assured. "Unless...you weren't like, right there, were you?" she asked as she rubbed her head, still lamenting her shattered memory. "Still can't remember a thing about that day."
The shy mare shook her head. "Um, I was in the crowd with everypony else," she recalled. "B-but I… I could have done more. I should have."
"You've done more for me than anypony else," Dash reminded her. "You visited me every day in the hospital and you're putting me up here and everything. What more could you possibly do?"
"You don't…resent me for being able to fly when you can't?"
Rainbow Dash looked down as she exhaled deeply. "I…wouldn't say resent," she honestly answered. "I'm jealous, yeah. But I'm jealous of all the flying…things around here," she claimed as she motioned to the various birds and bugs flying about the critter-filled cottage. "I just wanna fly again."
"Oh, I'm sure that right now Twilight Sparkle is hard at work—"
"Surprise!" a collective shout announced the entry of Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Rarity. As soon as she got in the door, Pinkie fired her party cannon sending streamers and confetti all over Fluttershy's cottage. Inexplicably, it managed to land a cone-shaped party hat on every critter in the room as well as decorate everything. Twilight and Rarity used their magic to levitate an enormous cake in as Spike pulled in a wagon loaded down with snacks, punch, and party favors.
All four of the yellow mare's legs were sticking up as she lay flat on her back. "You okay there, Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asked as she poked one of Fluttershy's hooves.
"Congrats on getting out of the hospital!" Pinkie Pie announced as Fluttershy recovered from her fright. "I made you a super-duper cake as soon as I heard!" she shouted as she pointed to the enormous confection. Before Rainbow Dash could even really take in the multi-layered cake, Pinkie shot over near a table. "And I made cupcakes, and punch, and there's fun and games, and I brought Gummy!" A turn of her head revealed the toothless alligator with its jaws wrapped around Pinkie's curls. "He loves playing with all of Fluttershy's cute little animal friends!" In the blink of an eye the party pony was scooping up Rainbow Dash in her wheelchair. "So, do you like it!? Isn't it great!?"
Rainbow had a hard time keeping track of Pinkie Pie's eager, expectant expression with her bouncing and bounding about. "Yeah Pinkie," she assured with a small smile. "It's great."
"All right!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she threw her front hooves into the air. "Everypony party!"
Twin trails of storm clouds streaked across Ponyville's afternoon sky as two pegasi in blue and yellow uniforms flew over. One of the two mares sported a fiery mane while the other's mane was completely devoid of color. They were headed straight for Sweet Apple Acres.
"Fleetfoot, are you sure we shouldn't just go talk to the Princess first?" the first mare shouted over the sound of rushing air.
"Um, uh… Yeah, Captain! I-I mean I met one of the Apples before! He's—I mean—they're great!" Fleetfoot stumbled as she gave Spitfire a squeeworthy smile.
Spitfire rolled her eyes before veering down towards the orchard. An orange mare bucking a tree caught her eye and she led Fleetfoot down to her. The duo stirred up a cloud of dirt as they heavily landed in front of Applejack.
The blonde pony coughed as she swiped at the oppressive dust with her hat. Once the dirt settled enough for her make out the uninvited guests, her mood soured. "What in the hay do you want?" she spat as she put her hat back on.
Spitfire cast an accusatory glance at a sheepish Fleetfoot before turning back to Applejack. "We came to pay Rainbow Dash a visit, but the hospital said that she was discharged already. They said you were there, so we came to ask you if you knew where she was."
"Y'all got some nerve!" Applejack snapped as she poked Spitfire in the chest. "Haven't y'all done enough to Dash already!?"
"Excuse me?" Spitfire struggled to keep her cool as she swatted Applejack's hoof away.
"Y'all're the reason Rainbow Dash lost her wing!" the farm pony accused as she glared at Spitfire. "She got hurt in that competition of yers just 'cause she was tryin' so danged hard to impress y'all. She always dreamed of being one of y'all, but you were too blind to recognize that she was better than any of you!" By the time Applejack finished her terse rant, Spitfire and Fleetfoot both looked quite abashed. "Get off'a my farm," she ordered as she turned back to the tree she was apple bucking.
"Fine, we'll go," Spitfire allowed in as even a voice she could muster. "But first I need to ask you where—"
"I said get!" Applejack raged as she bucked the tree hard enough to crush the bark, leaving two hoofprints in the trunk.
Spitfire and Fleetfoot recoiled a bit from Applejack's impressive feat of strength. Although reluctantly, Spitfire spread her wings and took off as Fleetfoot followed suit.
"Yeah, the Apples are great," Spitfire spitefully accused Fleetfoot as she led the silver-maned pony away from the scary earth pony and towards the town's library.
"I don't see how his sister could be so…mean," Fleetfoot muttered.
After a trip to the vacant library, the two Wonderbolts were forced to resort to asking the ponies on the streets. Thankfully, it didn't take too long before a wall-eyed mare told them where to find Fluttershy's cottage. A short trip later and the costumed duo found the rustic cottage. Quite bizarrely, there seemed to be quite the ruckus coming from within. Spitfire didn't waste any time wondering about it as she rapped on the door with a hoof.
After a few seconds a yellow mare opened the door just a crack and peeked out. "Oh, um… Can I help you?"
"We were told we might be able to find Rainbow Dash here," Spitfire told the buttery mare.
"Y-yes," Fluttershy affirmed. "Rainbow Dash is here."
"Can we talk to her?" the white-maned Wonderbolt asked.
"In private," Spitfire added.
Fluttershy nodded as she ducked back into her cottage. A few seconds later Fluttershy reopened the door as she wheeled a reluctant Rainbow Dash out. The wheelchair-bound mare was more than a little ashamed to be in front of her heroes while she was in such a sorry state, especially considering she couldn't fly.
"C-Captain Spitifire, Fleetfoot," Rainbow Dash sputtered as Fluttershy retreated back into the cottage.
"I have to say: I'm impressed you got out of the hospital so quickly," Spitfire praised in an attempt to break the ice. When Rainbow didn't respond right away, she pointed a hoof. "Why don't we go somewhere a little more private?"
Rainbow nodded and Fleetfoot rolled her to a nearby tree that Spitfire guided them to. Sitting down, Spitfire sighed. "We're starting our training next week at the Cloudsdale Cloudiseum. Since we were nearby I thought I'd pay you a visit to see how…how you were doing. I was pretty surprised when your doctor told me you'd been discharged."
"I um…" Fleetfoot stammered as she walked around in front of Rainbow Dash. "Spitfire let me come along because…well, I wanted a chance to apologize to you face-to-face. I-I should have been faster. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to catch you in time. If only I was just a little faster…"
Spitfire silenced Fleetfoot by putting a hoof on her silver-maned pegasus's shoulder. Giving her a stern look, Spitfire nodded to Fleetfoot. Once Fleetfoot was calmed down, she hung her head. "I'm so sorry Rainbow Dash."
"No, I'm sure you tried your best," Rainbow absolved Fleetfoot. "Besides, it was my fault anyway."
Fleetfoot and Spitfire looked at each other before turning their eyes back to Rainbow Dash. "What do you mean by that?" Spitfire inquired.
"Well, I mean…I fell, right?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I, uh, I can't remember anything that happened that day."
Spitfire sighed angrily as she facehooved. "I can't believe they didn't tell you," she grumbled.
Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide. "What do you mean?"
"You didn't just fall," Spitfire informed Dash as she looked away. Celestia, she really didn't want to have to be the pony to tell Rainbow Dash what happened to her. That doctor of hers was going to get one hay of an earful after this. "Do you know where this came from?" she asked as she pointed to the stitches on the side of Dash's head.
"It's from the fall, right?"
Spitfire shook her head. "You got that before you fell. It's what caused you to fall in the first place," she spoke with a bit of ire. "Somepony used the cover of the storm clouds to kick you hard enough to knock you out of the sky."
Rainbow Dash's mouth fell agape at the news. "Wh-wh-what?" she managed to choke out in disbelief.
"It wasn't your fault at all, Rainbow Dash," Fleetfoot assured. "I deserve some blame, but not you."
"Neither of you are to blame! It was all Lightning Dust's fault!" Spitfire snapped, letting her anger get the better of her. She breathed a few heavy breaths as she took in the shocked expressions of Fleetfoot and Rainbow Dash. Well, hay, she mentally kicked herself for her lack of tact in breaking the news to Dash. "Yeah," she sighed. "Lightning Dust kicked you in order to win the competition. She's the one to blame for your wing."
Rainbow reached towards her lost wing, though her cast still prevented her hoof from reaching the stub itself. She was finding it a little hard to breathe as reality set in. Her emotions fought for dominance. On the one hoof, she was relief that she wasn't responsible for her own suffering removed her guilt, but she also felt a deep resentment the likes of which she had never before experienced. The last time she saw Lightning Dust—that she could remember—was when she nearly caused her friends to fall to their doom. Now...now she was the one made to fall to her doom. Sure, she survived the fall, but it came at the cost of her wing.
"Wh-why?" Dash whispered as she teared up and her hoof slipped off her cast.
"Why did she do it? To win the competition," Spitfire stated. "That's not to say she didn't regret it. She claims that she was sure somepony would catch you and, well, part of the reason we're here is that she wanted me to apologize to you in her stead."
"H-how can she do that!?" Dash shouted as her anger won out. "Doesn't she care about anypony else!?"
"Apparently not," Spitfire icily replied as she reached behind her wing before pulling out a couple of cards in her teeth. "The other reason we came out was to give you your prize," she explained as she set the passes in Rainbow's lap. "Lightning Dust was disqualified, that makes you the official winner of the competition." Rainbow just stared at the passes in her lap for several seconds before Spitfire spoke up again. "I know…it doesn't amount to anything considering what happened to you and all, but they are rightfully yours. If it's any consolation, you were a great flier. One of the best."
Rainbow Dash's anger melted away at Spitfire's praise. For years she had dreamed of Spitfire saying words very similar to those. Only with "are" in place of "were." The one little semantic change turned this situation from a dream come true into a living nightmare. The words pierced what was left of her hope and pride. She had what it took to be a Wonderbolt, but now she could never be one. Even Twilight said that her spell probably wasn't going to be able to let her fly like she could before.
As her anger and sorrow overflowed, Dash tried in vain to get her wheelchair to move only to discover that with only one foreleg she was stuck. "I-I-I just…I wanna go back inside! I wanna be alone!" she asserted as her voice cracked. More than anything she didn't want her heroes to see her crying, but she was unable to hold back anymore as the tears started to spill over.
"Take-take her back to the cottage!" Spitfire insisted as she turned away from Rainbow Dash. As Fleetfoot carted Dash away, Spitfire slammed one of her front hooves into the nearby tree with a frustrated grunt. A startled squirrel scurried out of the tree and towards the cottage drawing Spitfire's attention to Fleetfoot as she rolled Dash back inside.
I'm so awful at this kind of thing, she kicked herself as she flopped down onto her rear. She had set out to try and cheer Dash up, but had succeeded in doing the exact opposite. It wasn't just that she felt bad for the pegasus, either. Had Rainbow Dash learned some teamwork and humility she could have been a spectacular Wonderbolt. It really was a horrible loss, and not just for Rainbow Dash.
The sound of wings beating air drew Spitfire's attention as Fleetfoot landed next to her. "Well, that was…uh…" the white-maned pegasus trailed off.
"Awful."
"Yeah, awful," Fleetfoot agreed the instant Spitfire admitted her fault.
"I think we've caused enough trouble for one day," Spitfire rose with a sigh as she spread her wings. "Let's get to Cloudsdale."
Back in Fluttershy's cottage the festivities had come to an abrupt end. Twilight, Pinkie, Spike, and Rarity sat in relative silence after Fluttershy carted Rainbow Dash to another room. The prismatic pony was more upset than any of them could remember, save Twilight who saw her the day she awoke after losing her wing.
"My goodness, that was…dramatic," Rarity finally spoke as she removed her party hat.
"What in Equestria could the Wonderbolts have told Rainbow Dash to make her so upset?" Twilight wondered aloud.
"Does this mean the party's over?" Pinkie asked as she sent a pleading look over to the rest.
"I guess so," Twilight replied as she, too, removed her cone-shaped hat.
Poor Pinkie Pie removed her hat as she looked like she was on the verge of tears. "But-but Dashie was just starting to cheer up! She ate cake and punch! We were playing a bunch of great games! She was smiling and Dashie even laughed! She was the front of the conga line!"
"It's not like she could've been anywhere else in the conga line," Spike pointed out the obvious while completely missing the point of Pinkie's rant.
"Rainbow Dash really did seem to be in much better spirits until those Wonderbolts showed up," Rarity agreed with Pinkie.
Twilight nodded. "I concur, but…after that—whatever that was—I think Rainbow Dash might want to be alone for a while.
A pink mane poked into the room reluctantly followed by a timid face. "Um, I'm sorry everypony, but I-I don't think Rainbow Dash wants to party anymore."
"What happened?" Rarity asked as the group urged the yellow mare into the room.
"Oh, um…she really didn't say," Fluttershy mumbled. "But she did want to talk to you, Rarity."
Rarity looked around to the other ponies in the room before pressing a hoof to her chest. "Me?"
Fluttershy nodded.
"Not you or Twilight?"
Fluttershy shook her head.
Rarity drew a deep breath to psyche herself up before trotting towards the other room. "I'll do whatever I can to make her feel better!"
Her confidence quickly faded as she stepped into the kitchen and found Rainbow Dash sitting there with her head hung low. When Dash didn't acknowledge her presence, she cleared her throat, "Rainbow Dash, um…Fluttershy said that you wanted to talk to me?"
When Rainbow lifted her head, Rarity clearly saw the matted fur on her cheeks and the red, bleariness of her eyes. "H-hey, Rarity," Dash spoke in a weak voice that clearly struggled to remain even. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Why of course, darling," the elegant unicorn eagerly volunteered. "Whatever you need, Rarity can deliver!"
"Your little sister is really close to Scootaloo, right?" the cyan pegasus asked rhetorically as she held something out in her hoof. "Can you make sure Scootaloo gets these?"
Rarity used her aura to take the passes from Dash's hoof. "Consider it done," she assured as she took a moment to examine them. Before she could even begin to read them, an errant thought distracted her, eliciting a gasp. "Oh my goodness!"
Rainbow gave Rarity a quizzical look. "You're…excited about them?" she asked, her confusion eclipsing her more negative emotions for just a moment.
"Oh, these things? No. I have no idea what these are," Rarity dismissed as she motioned to the tickets. "I just remembered that I had promised to watch Sweetie Belle and her friends tonight. I got so caught up in you getting out of the hospital and the party—it just completely slipped my mind!" Rarity turned to leave, but stopped herself. "Silly me…was there anything you needed, darling?" she asked over her shoulder.
"No," Dash flatly replied. "Just…give them to Scootaloo."
As Rarity trotted back through, the awaiting group inundated her with questions. Since they all asked at once, it was impossible to make out a single word through the cacophony. "Easy girls!" she silenced them as she held up a hoof. "All she did was ask me to give these to Scootaloo," the purple-maned pony explained as she held up the tickets in front of her. "Some kind of passes of some sort."
"Couldsdale?" Twilight questioned as she studied the passes. "Did the Wonderbolts invite her to a show?"
"I don't know," Rarity admitted as she headed for the door. "As much as I would love to stay and chat, I absolutely have to go. I forgot that I was supposed to have Sweetie Belle and her friends tonight for a sleepover. If I don't get back to boutique before they do, I might not have a boutique to go back to!"
"Aww, don't say that!" Pinkie insisted. "I take care of the twins all the time and they might be a hassle, but it's not like they've ever destroyed anything like a bunch of stage props, a hardware store, Fluttershy's table, fancy gold fabric stuff, a gazebo, a designer sweater, a couple of floats, an entire town's reputation, a crafts tent at the fair, the art of cooking…"
"Um…Pinkie Pie?" Spike irately interrupted as he pointed at the wide-open door. "Rarity ran off in a panic around 'gazebo.'"
"I said: 'it's not like!'" Pinkie uselessly shouted out the door after Rarity.
Twilight just rolled her eyes at Pinkie's antics. At least the party pony was taking the ruination of Dash's party better than expected. "Do you have any idea what those tickets were?" Twilight asked as she nudged Fluttershy.
"They…looked like the prizes for winning the competition," Fluttershy replied. "I, um…I don't actually know who won, but I thought it was going to be somepony else."
Twilight touched a hoof to chin as she contemplated the situation. "If Rainbow Dash won, then why would she give her prize away like that? Do you think it's because of whatever the Wonderbolts said?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't know."
The purple pony sighed as she resigned. "Okay, just let us know if Rainbow Dash tells you anything," Twilight requested as she turned towards the door. "Come on, Spike. We should try to get some work done on those spells."
"I'll be back tomorrow to cheer Dashie up some more!" Pinkie announced as she followed Twilight.
"Take care," Fluttershy demurely called after her friends.
Rarity managed to get back to the Carousel Boutique from Fluttershy's cottage just as the Cutie Mark Crusaders arrived. The three fillies seemed happy and energetic despite being singed and covered in what appeared to be tree sap. The elegant pony made sure the tickets Rainbow Dash had given her were safely tucked out of sight before the troublesome trio noticed her. "Why hello girls!" she greeted them with a smile just as they got to her door.
"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle excitedly turned to her sister.
"Why don't you three get cleaned up before you go inside?" Rarity suggested as she got a good look at the muck covering the fillies. "I'll make you a snack."
"Aww, do we have'ta?" Apple Bloom whined.
Rarity's smile faded away as she motioned to the grime covering the trio. "I'm not having you girls track…that through my beautiful boutique!"
The Cutie Mark Crusaders gave a collective "aww" as Rarity headed inside to make the promised snacks. Setting aside her things on the first available surface, she made a beeline for her bathroom. If she didn't hurry up and get some towels then three soaking-wet fillies would slop through her boutique. She gathered up the towels and placed them near the entryway. After that she headed into her kitchen.
Rarity lamented her situation as she set to her task of preparing snacks for the girls. Earlier she had eagerly agreed to watch the rambunctious fillies in hopes that she would be so busy that it would distract her from Rainbow Dash's plight. But already Twilight Sparkle had offered her an outlet for her worries by tasking her with fabricating some wings—no simple task considering she was a seamstress, not some sort of wing maker-er.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders would still have proven to be an amicable distraction had it not been for the task given to her by Rainbow Dash. Giving somepony a gift is normally a joyous occasion, but not this time. The fillies would undoubtedly ask about Rainbow Dash and what was going on with her. The truth of the matter was not pleasant.
Sweetie Belle was likely the one to be most insulated. Rarity had only told her little sister that Dash was in the hospital and that "everything was going to be fine." It was a vague lie to shelter the filly from the truth. Her parents weren't much more informed than Sweetie Belle, so if a lot of uncomfortable questions come up, her little sister may well be in tears before the night was over.
Apple Bloom was more of a wild card than Sweetie Belle. Applejack knew just about as much about Rainbow's condition as she did, but how much she might've told her little sister is anypony's guess. However, the farmer tended to be exceedingly open and honest. Odds were that Apple Bloom knew more about what was going on than an innocent little filly had any business knowing.
Then there was Scootaloo. That filly looked up to Rainbow Dash as if she were her own sister. Anything she had heard probably came from Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. That was bad. Worse still was how she might react to the truth of the matter. Scootaloo's feeling towards Rainbow Dash were nothing short of adulation. There is no way she would take the news well.
Rarity sighed as she floated a tray of cubed sandwiches organized as hors d'oeuvres over to her kitchen table. Maybe it would be best if she gave the tickets to Scootaloo in private. That way she would only have to deal with one distraught filly. Then again, somepony at some point would have to sit them down and explain to them what was going on.
Rarity just hoped that she didn't have to be that somepony.
WHAM!
"Don't slam the door!" Rarity admonished loud enough to be heard over the chatter of the excited fillies as they burst into the boutique. "I set out towels for you by the door! Dry yourselves off before you come in!"
"Okay! Thanks sis!" Sweetie Belle's voice echoed through the boutique followed by a generic "thanks" from the other two fillies.
Using her aura, Rarity retrieved a few glasses and straws and set out juice for the fillies. "I've got snacks and drinks set out for you girls here in the kitchen! Now, I need to try and get some work done, so I need you girls to behave yourselves for a little while! All right?"
"Okay!" a collective shout replied.
Judging from previous experience, if she got started right away she could work on a design for about ten to fifteen minutes. Then the girls would get bored which typically precedes disaster. Thankfully, they should give a cry of "Cutie Mark Crusader" followed by some sort of activity or profession. That would be her cue to intervene before something got destroyed, spontaneously combusted, or ripped limb-from-limb. If she had any luck at all they would shout "Cutie Mark Crusader librarians!" or "Cutie Mark Crusader pillow testers!" or something benign like that. Then she could just ignore them and fashion a wing.
Right, Rarity dismissed the thought with a roll of her eyes. Those fillies could still make a huge mess of things no matter how benign their endeavors. The elegant pony gave chuckle as she headed for her studio. Maybe making a mess of things was their special talent. They've certainly shown quite a knack for it.
"Oh wow!" Scootaloo's voice screeched. "Rarity! Where'd you get these passes?"
Rarity froze in place as her face contorted in horror. "Passes?" she breathed as her mind raced. Scootaloo didn't find Dash's gift, did she? That's when Rarity remembered where she had set them down—right underneath the towels she laid out for the little ones. How could I have been so foolish!? she kicked herself as she rushed back to the kitchen.
She made it to the kitchen just as Scootaloo came galumphing in alongside the other two Crusaders. All three of them looked a sight and had damp towels strewn across their shoulders. Scootaloo carried the tickets in her mouth before spiting them out on the table. She then pointed to them with a hoof. "Do you know what these are?"
"Honestly? Not really," Rarity admitted before motioning to the snacks. "Why don't you girls sit down and eat?"
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle eagerly followed the suggestion, but Scootaloo couldn't tear herself away from the tickets. "These passes say they'll let you into the Cloudsdale Cloudiseum next week! That's when the Wonderbolts will be there training!" she enthused.
"Sit," Rarity ordered as she used her aura to bring the tickets over to herself. Once Scootaloo sat down, Rarity sighed. "Now, Scootaloo, I received these tickets from Rainbow Dash. She asked me to give them to you specifically."
Scootaloo's eyes sparkled as Rarity floated the passes over to her. "Wow! Is Rainbow Dash going to take me to Cloudsdale!? That would be the coolest thing ever!"
Rarity offered her a very uncomfortable smile. Rainbow Dash wasn't very clear about her intentions, but Rarity couldn't imagine she wanted to go to Cloudsdale and watch the Wonderbolts train. "I'm…not so sure Rainbow Dash will be able to go to Cloudsdale. She is still recovering from her, uh, accident."
Scootaloo whimpered as she looked at the passes in her hooves.
"Um…girls, how much do you know about what happened to Rainbow Dash?"
"You said that she got hurt and was in the hospital, but that she was going to be okay," Sweetie Belle claimed.
"That ain't what my sister said," Apple Bloom countered. "Applejack said that there was an accident and that Rainbow Dash lost one of her wings. She said Rainbow Dash'll never fly again."
"That's a lie!" Scootaloo angrily retorted as she buzzed in the air above her seat for a second before gravity won out.
Anger begot anger as Apple Bloom slammed her hooves on the table and glared at Scootaloo. "You callin' my sister a liar!?"
"Yeah!" Scootaloo shot back. "There's no way Rainbow Dash lost a wing. She wouldn't even have an accident!"
"She did too!" Apple Bloom asserted. "My sister's all kinds of sore about it! Says Ponyville's in a big heap of a mess 'cause nopony can take care of the weather like Rainbow Dash."
"Rainbow Dash just…got hurt! A little, maybe," Scootaloo reluctantly conceded. "There's nothing that can stop her!"
"A pond did!"
"Hey—!"
"Girls!" Rarity interrupted. Once the Crusaders fell silent and turned their gazes to Rarity, she sighed. "Apple Bloom…is mostly right."
Apple Bloom immediately pointed a hoof to Rarity. "See!?" she challenged as she glared at Scootaloo. "My sister ain't a liar!"
Rarity cleared her throat to get attention back to herself. "There was some sort of awful accident. Because of it, Rainbow Dash was hurt very, very badly. She…lost her wing."
"That can't be true!" Scootaloo practically begged. "It's impossible!"
"It's true, Scootaloo," Rarity gently said. "But that doesn't mean she won't fly again."
"Really?" Scootaloo asked as the tears that threatened to spill over receded.
"Right now Twilight Sparkle is working on a spell to replace Rainbow Dash's lost wing. She needs me to sew a suitable replacement for her," Rarity explained.
"Wow!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "You're going to make her a new wing!?"
Rarity hesitated a moment before nodding. "In time, yes. First I need to perfect the art of fashioning wings. I'll need to do some practice wings first."
"When will Rainbow Dash be able to fly again?" Scootaloo pressed.
"Twilight Sparkle seems to think she can get everything together in less than a moon," Rarity recalled. Scootaloo just hung her head as she let out a whimper. "Well, why don't you three help me to design a wing once you finish your snacks?"
Scootaloo and the other Crusaders perked right up. "We could be Cutie Mark Crusader wing…wing maker-ers!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
"That'd be a cool cutie mark!" Apple Bloom looked to her blank flank.
Scootaloo just smiled an uncomfortable smile, keeping her reservations to herself. It was unfathomable that the great, and totally awesome, Rainbow Dash could get hurt like that. She sighed as she looked to the tickets. Rainbow Dash wouldn't have given them to her if she wasn't going to take her, right? Even if Rainbow Dash was too hurt to really fly or anything it would still be awesome. She'd get to spend a whole week with her hero! Maybe she could impress her with her new moves! Scooting around Cloudsdale would be awesome!
As she started to brighten, Scootaloo started to get excited about helping Rarity. She could actually help make a wing for Rainbow Dash! Even if she had no idea what exactly that meant, it had to be pretty awesome, right?
"Yeah! Let's make her a wing!" Scootaloo cheered.
Rarity let out a sigh of relief. That went better than she had expected. At least nopony broke down and cried. Then again, these were fillies and more than willing to blindly believe her when she told them that Rainbow Dash's wing would be restored. Even Rarity herself wasn't totally sure if Twilight would be able to deliver what she had promised.
"Why don't you girls eat your snacks? You can join me in my studio when you're done," Rarity offered as she started out of the kitchen. "I could especially use some help from you, Scootaloo. I'll need some sort of model for the proper shape of a pegasus wing."
"Okay!" Scootaloo eagerly volunteered with a huge smile.
While Rarity juggled three fillies, Fluttershy was busy seeing to the needs of countless critters and one recuperating pegasus. The animals had been fed and taken care of for the evening, but Rainbow Dash was being rather difficult. Still, it wasn't anything Fluttershy couldn't handle. After all, it was pretty hard to find somepony more obstinate than Angel Bunny. The one-winged pegasus in the wheelchair could come pretty close, though.
"Please Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy cooed. "It'll make you feel so much better, I promise."
"No," Rainbow Dash refused as she turned her head away.
"You don't even have to do anything, and I'll be as gentle as a cute little butterfly," Fluttershy coaxed. "I'll make sure that it doesn't hurt even one bit."
Rainbow Dash shook her head. "It's not like I need it."
"But you do need it," Fluttershy urged. "Don't you want to feel better?"
"It would just be really awkward and a little gross and I just-I don't even think it'd make me feel any better, anyway," Rainbow Dash refused.
Fluttershy sighed before putting on her most endearing expression. "Please Rainbow Dash? For me?"
Dash let out a frustrated groan as she rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let's just get it over with," she relented.
"Oh goodie," Fluttershy smiled. "I'll just need you to lean forward a bit."
Rainbow sighed as she slouched forward in the wheelchair. "Go ahead."
Fluttershy pulled up a first-aid kit and placed it on a nearby table. "You're going to feel so much better in nice, clean bandages. You'll see," she assured as she popped the kit open and retrieved a pair of scissors.
"I'm supposed to go back to the hospital tomorrow. I'm sure they plan on changing them then," Rainbow Dash uselessly argued as Fluttershy cut away the old bandages.
"You don't need to worry," Fluttershy assured in a soothing voice as she gingerly pulled the old bandages away. "I do this sort of thing for my animal friends all the time."
"It's not like I'm scared," Dash groused. "It's just…embarrassing."
"Oh, you don't need to be embarrassed, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy encouraged. "It doesn't even look that bad. See? Your fur is already starting to grow back and you can hardly even notice those nasty, old stitches."
Rainbow scoffed. "See if you still say that when you see what-what's left of my wing…"
Fluttershy knew that she should reapply new bandages before moving on, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Oh, I wouldn't worry, Rainbow Dash. I'm sure it's not that bad," she softly said as she peeled back the gauze covering the gap in her cast. It revealed a tiny little nub—all that was left of her wing. It was stripped of its down and the small feathers were just barely starting to grow back, but, more alarmingly, the nub appeared to be quite red and swollen. "Oh my, that's not good."
"Told you so," Dash grumbled.
"Oh, it's not that," Fluttershy dismissed. "It looks like you have a teeny bit of infection here. We'll need to tell your doctor tomorrow, but until then I have a spray that will help," she suggested as she grabbed a small can from the first-aid kit. "This might sting just a little bit."
Rainbow Dash groaned. "I'm sure—augh!" she cried out as the icy mist contacted the mending wound, sending shockwaves of pain through her.
"I'm so sorry! Did that hurt?" Fluttershy fretted as she set the antiseptic aside.
"I'm fine!" Dash lied in an attempt to hide her weakness.
Fluttershy carefully reapplied gauze to the site before taping it in place. "The worst part is over," she cooed. "Angel, be a sweetie and help me with Rainbow Dash's bandages?"
The bunny sighed dramatically as he rolled his eyes. In spite of his silent protests, he hopped over to the two pegasi and perched himself atop the wheelchair. Fluttershy and Angel Bunny worked together to start wrapping Rainbow's torso. Fluttershy would pull the bandages across Dash's front before passing them to Angel. Angel would then pull them across Rainbow Dash's back and pass them back to Fluttershy again.
"It's not too tight, is it?" Fluttershy asked once the first few strips were in place.
"It's fine, Fluttershy," Dash replied.
The yellow mare sighed. Rainbow Dash wasn't even trying to have a conversation with her. She had hoped that the injured pegasus would come around on her own, but she was just being so stubborn! After passing the bandages off to Angel again, she spoke up, "Um…are you ready to talk about what happened this afternoon?"
"That's… Don't worry about it," Rainbow dismissed. "Nothing happened."
Fluttershy whimpered. "B-but…um, the tickets Rarity had—weren't they the prize for winning the competition? Did you win?"
"Technically," Rainbow Dash spat. "Just… Drop it!"
Fluttershy's ears tucked down at Dash's tone. "O-okay. I-I'm sorry."
Fluttershy fell silent as she continued her work with Angel Bunny. It didn't take long at all for the pathetic-looking, gentle-hearted, well-meaning pegasus to make Rainbow Dash feel absolutely awful for being so short with her. "Fluttershy, I…I didn't mean to snap at you like that. Sorry," she earnestly apologized. "I just don't want to talk about it, okay?"
Fluttershy smiled a bit as her ears slowly perked back up. "Oh, that's okay, Rainbow Dash. You can talk about it whenever you're ready to." Finally finished wrapping the bandages, Fluttershy held out the strip as Angel bounced over to the table, grabbed the scissors, and hopped into Dash's lap before cutting the outstretched strip. "There, all done," Fluttershy sweetly said after securing the bandages at Dash's side. "Now, don't you feel better?"
"Thanks, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash muttered. Truth be told she didn't feel better at all, but she wasn't about to tell Fluttershy that. The caring pegasus was just desperate to try to help. Dash sighed as Fluttershy started to pack up the first-aid kit. "Hey, Fluttershy… Do you think Twilight can really get me a new wing with her magic?"
Fluttershy contemplated it a moment as she closed the kit. "Yes," she asserted before grabbing the handle in her mouth and flying over to a nearby closet. After putting the kit away and closing the door, she turned to find an expectant Rainbow Dash. "You know as well as anypony that Twilight Sparkle's magic is absolutely amazing," she asserted. "More importantly, I know she won't give up until she prevails."
"I guess…"
"Oh, don't be like that," Fluttershy gently chided as she pushed Rainbow Dash over near the couch. "Now let's get you all settled in so you can get your rest. I'm sure that after a day like today you must be exhausted."
Rainbow Dash groaned as Fluttershy helped her onto the couch. "I haven't even done anything today," she groused once she was on the couch.
Fluttershy flew into her kitchen before setting a glass of water on the end table next to the couch. Then she zipped into her closet and came out with pillows and blankets. Before Dash had so much as a chance to protest, Fluttershy plopped a pillow under her head and threw the blanket over her. She put a couple more pillows at Rainbow's sides to prop her up before dashing off again. Reappearing a moment later with a small bowl of cookies, Fluttershy placed it next to Rainbow's water. She then flew up the stairs.
"Fluttershy!" Dash yelled as the shy mare reappeared with her front hooves filled with stuffed animals. "I'm fine!" she assured as she struggled to move in her fluffy prison. Pointing a hoof towards the end of the couch, she continued, "If I need anything else I'm sure Tank can handle it."
The tortoise lying next to the couch slowly nodded in response.
"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked as she hugged the stuffed animals.
Rainbow Dash managed to roll over onto her side and away from Fluttershy causing a pillow to flop down off of the couch. "Good night, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash replied, silencing the yellow pegasus's future protests.
"Good night, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy sighed as she dejectedly started to climb her stairs. "Oh! If you need anything just shout. I'll be right upstairs," she called down at Dash after putting the stuffed animals away.
Once she got to her room, she landed with a sigh. Rainbow Dash was being so reticent. Fluttershy couldn't help her friend if she didn't open up and talk about what was wrong. "I really wish Rainbow Dash would just tell me what's bothering her," she spoke to Angel Bunny as the critter bounced over to his little bed, right next to Fluttershy's. "I wonder what those Wonderbolts said to make her so upset," she mumbled as she pulled her covers back.
Before she had a chance to snuggle into her bed, she got an unexpected reply. A squirrel perched on the windowsill chattered in a language only squirrels, Fluttershy, and possibly other critters could understand.
"What do you mean you know what the Wonderbolts said to Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked as she walked over to the rodent. A bit more chattering elicited a gasp from the pink-maned mare. "You shouldn't eavesdrop!" she admonished. The squirrel crossed his arms over his chest and gave Fluttershy an impatient stare along with a few clicks. "Oh, no," Fluttershy whimpered as she withdrew a bit. "Please, tell me what happened." The tiny fuzzball sighed before chattering on. After a few seconds Fluttershy gasped as she covered her mouth with a hoof.
By the time the critter had relayed the story to Fluttershy, she was on the verge of tears. "Th-thank you, Mr. Squirrel," she muttered as she hung her head.
Seeing Fluttershy just standing there after hearing such shocking news worried Angel Bunny. He hopped up onto the bed and over to Fluttershy before gently patting her side. When the yellow pegasus looked up, Angel recoiled so violently that he tumbled back head over foot. Fluttershy's expression was something Angel had never seen from the kind pegasus: unbridled rage.
"How dare she?" Fluttershy growled in a tone that sent Angel cowering behind Fluttershy's pillow. "How dare she do that to Rainbow Dash!?"
Fluttershy started to head downstairs to confront Rainbow Dash, but she stopped at the top of the steps, taking several deep breaths. Her righteous anger began to cool as her kind-heart began to make itself heard. Rainbow Dash obviously didn't want to talk about Lightning Dust, though Fluttershy couldn't understand why. Had she been in Dash's position she'd be crying as she told her friends all about it. But no, Dash had made it perfectly clear that she didn't want to talk about it at all. Fluttershy had already told her that she would wait for her to talk about it, too.
Resolving to leave Dash out of it and do things on her own, Fluttershy turned around and headed back into her bedroom. The first thing she did was look for her faithful pet. Finding him cowering on her bed, she spoke softly even though her expression remained harsh. "Angel, I'm going out. I need you to take care of Rainbow Dash for me, all right?"
The bunny nodded emphatically. He had no intentions of arguing with the normally docile pegasus. Right now she was more than a little scary.
With a bit of hesitation, she approached her window and spread her wings. She sent one last glance back at Angel. "I'll be back soon," she assured as she leapt out the window and took to the skies. Nothing was going to stop her from her destination, especially not her own trepidations. What Lightning Dust did to Rainbow Dash was absolutely unforgivable, and Fluttershy was going to make sure that Lightning Dust knew that.
It didn't take too long for Fluttershy to reach Cloudsdale. The hard part was finding where Lightning Dust lived, but find it she did. Fear dominated Fluttershy's face as she stood on Lightning Dust's stoop. Her anger was still alive in her heart, but it had cooled under time's withering presence. Summoning her courage, she adopted a stern, determined expression as she thumped on the door. After a few moments, nothing. Her anger filtered through to the surface once more as she slammed her hoof into the door demanding that those within respond. Still, nothing. Once more pounding on the door, she actually hit it a little too hard. The pillowy cloud door yielded to Fluttershy by falling apart into wisps of vapor as the yellow pegasus tumbled into Lightning Dust's home.
Sitting up and shaking her head, Fluttershy looked around as she wondered if she should leave or if she should seek out Lightning Dust. Just barging in like this was terribly rude, but Lightning was being incredibly rude, too. Why wasn't she answering the door? Sure it was late, but she still should have come to see after the second round of knocks. Deciding that it would be best to have a look around, Fluttershy got up and began to wander about Lightning Dust's house.
As she wandered through the house, she noticed that it hadn't been properly tended to. Clouds accumulated dust and water over time that made a damp, cold, and foggy atmosphere if they don't get properly taken care of every few days. Negligence leads to what Fluttershy was experiencing. The floors were squishy instead of fluffy. The ceiling was sagging as water condensed into an occasional drop, falling to the floor with a squelching sound. The walls seemed to have no clear beginning or end as they wisped out in a fog. It was actually a little scary.
How can anypony let their home get into such a mess? Fluttershy wondered as she slowly searched the house for Lightning Dust. Everywhere she looked in the house was the same misty, cold, and creepy atmosphere. Finally, she came to what had to be Lightning Dust's bedroom. It was empty. Lightning Dust wasn't home. That's why she didn't open the door!
Suddenly feeling quite guilty about breaking into another pony's home, Fluttershy quickly headed for the exit. As she approached the doorway, however, she came to a dead stop as a pegasus stood there eyeing her critically. "Hey, you!" he shouted accusingly.
This pony might have expected her to run, but that wasn't how Fluttershy dealt with this sort of situation. The timid mare cowered as she tried to make herself invisible behind her pink locks. She made a little whimpering sound as she shook a bit.
"What do you think you're doing in here?" he admonished as he stepped inside and towards the shaking pegasus.
"I…I-I-I'm sorry," she muttered in a barely audible voice. As he approached, Fluttershy tried harder and harder to shrink into nothingness. She knew full well that she didn't have any business being in Lightning Dust's home uninvited. Now, it looked like she was in big trouble. She tried to speak, but his stare seemed to paralyze her lungs.
He sighed at the pathetic bundle in front of him. The poor thing was actually crying. One thing was for sure, this wasn't the kind of behavior he expected from some vandal. The only other reason he could imagine somepony being there was somepony who just needed a roof over their head. Sighing, he reached down and nudged her side with his muzzle. "Come on, get out," he insisted.
Once they were out on the stoop, he tried to get her to speak again as he sat next to her on the steps. "I won't tell anypony if you don't," he assured. "If you need a place to stay, there's room at my place," he pointed a hoof to the house right next to Lightning Dust's.
"I-I'm sorry," Fluttershy mumbled again, this time loud enough for him to hear her, if only barely. "I just-I wanted to talk to Lightning Dust… I d-didn't know she wasn't home."
"You're not from around here, are you?"
Fluttershy shook her head as she kept her gaze away from his. "Well…I-I was born here, but I live in-in Ponyville."
He sighed again. "You came a long way for naught," he told her. "There's a bunch of different stories, and I'm not sure which is true. Heh, I'm not sure any of them is true. All I know is that Lightning Dust hasn't been home in a week."
Fluttershy's jaw dropped. "She's…gone?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "The most common story I hear is that the Wonderbolts showed up and took off with her. They say she's going to be the newest Wonderbolt. I'm not so sure I believe them," he paused as he looked to the abandoned house. "She hasn't had anypony taking care of her house. Nopony's heard a word from her, either. Not so much as a letter. I don't know where she went or who took her there, but I'm pretty sure she isn't on her way to becoming a Wonderbolt."
"The Wonderbolts would never let her join—not after what she did," Fluttershy grumbled.
"What makes you say that?"
"O-oh, um…did I say that out loud?" she sheepishly asked as she blushed.
"I wouldn't call it 'loud', but you said it," he jokingly replied.
Fluttershy got up as she finally made eye contact with the other pegasus. "I-um… I should be going. I really shouldn't have come."
"Stay out of trouble," he encouraged as Fluttershy floated up off of the ground.
Fluttershy nodded her agreement as she flew off.
As Fluttershy headed home, her mind tried to make sense of the situation. Lightning Dust wasn't just absent from her home—she had apparently disappeared. If what that pony had said was true, Lightning Dust hadn't been seen since about the time of Rainbow Dash's accident. The rumor was that the Wonderbolts were involved, too. If she was going to get any answers, she would have to talk to Spitfire and the rest of the Wonderbolts. But they were full-fledged celebrities. How was she supposed to confront them about the situation?
"Get it off! Get it off! Get! It! Off!" a panicked Rarity shouted as she stared at the grotesque thing. A bent, elongated wing jutted out from her side and it uselessly flapped up and down against her will, slapping her back and belly.
"Hold still," Twilight Sparkle complained as she grabbed the offending object in her aura. She pulled on it until Rarity was completely off of the ground. Only then did the wing separate from Rarity, sending the unicorn ungraciously crashing to the floor.
Rarity pouted as she got up and rubbed the spot on her side where the offending object had been attached. "I really don't think this is working out very well at all," she complained.
"I hate to say it, but I gotta agree with Rarity on this one, Twi," Applejack muttered. The orange pony had a green wing on one side and a red one on the other. Despite the wings flapping in a synchronous motion, she was anchored solidly to the ground.
Twilight whimpered as she used her magic to pluck Applejack's wings from her sides and set them aside with the blue wing that was on Rarity. "So we have a few problems to work out," Twilight nervously claimed. "It's not…insurmountable."
"We cannot make them move without your magic to make them, they don't have any feathers, they certainly don't fly…" Rarity prattled on.
"They're floppy, they ain't shaped quite right, and they ain't got a lick of strength to 'em either," Applejack criticized.
Sighing heavily, Twilight struggled to remain optimistic. "I know there's a lot of work to be done. But if we break it down and take it problem by problem I'm sure we can find a solution."
"If yah say so," Applejack resigned with a sigh as Rarity mourned the failure of her creations.
"I'm sorry," the pearly unicorn apologized as she stared at the stuffed wings she had sewn. "None of them are quite right, are they?"
Twilight offered Rarity an encouraging smile. "It's not your fault," she claimed. "I was hoping I could make the feathers with my magic, but all that came out was the little down feathers. But that's an easy fix, right? Don't you have feathers you can use, Rarity?"
Rarity nodded. "Yes, but…"she paused as she sighed. Rarity didn't want to admit her shortcomings, but this was really out of her league. "If you want something to look absolutely fabulous I can deliver to the letter," she asserted. "But you're asking for something to be…proper. I don't quite know how to put feathers on a wing like that."
Twilight frowned as she considered Rarity's words. "What you're saying is that you don't know how to make it anatomically correct?" she assumed. "Maybe Fluttershy could help you. She's pretty good at crafts and she should know as well as anypony how the feathers should be on a wing."
Rarity nodded. "That…might work," she agreed. "Perhaps she can assist me on the shape as well."
"Actually, I had a different plan for that," Twilight confidently claimed. "Spike should be out right now picking up some clay from the market."
"Clay?" Applejack asked.
Twilight nodded. "All we have to do is get a mold of Rainbow Dash's wing and we'll have a perfect model to make her a new one."
"Ohh," Rarity and Applejack breathed.
"Then we can refine the results and work out each problem until we have a wing that actually works," Twilight Sparkle touted her plan.
Rarity looked again to her failed creations. "So…then what was the point of making these?" she muttered.
Twilight felt a little bad at how downtrodden Rarity seemed over her apparent failure. "Well, you certainly helped identify a lot of the problems," she assured. "More importantly you showed that my magic has different effects on different materials." Walking over, she pointed to the different wings. "See? This one is already starting to tear apart, this one stretched out, and this one…this is the one that didn't have any down, right?" To test it, she blasted the wing with a ray of magic. It magically started flopping on the table, but it didn't have the essential down feathers. Another ray of magic purged the spell.
"So what yer sayin' is none of these are good enough?" Applejack asked.
The alicorn nodded while Rarity despairingly poked the wing just to make sure it wasn't going to flop around anymore. "I suppose I can try using every different fabric I have on hoof," she suggested, though she wasn't exactly ecstatic about the prospect.
"I don't mean to go and smash yer hopes, but this is Rainbow Dash we're talkin' about here," Applejack claimed. "I don't think any of Rarity's fancy fabrics can hold up to the kind of punishment Dash'd put 'em though. Should try makin' one out of somethin' more durable. A tarp or somethin'."
"I am not going to go and make a wing out of some musty old tarp! It would be a crime against fashion!" Rarity refused.
Applejack sighed as she rolled her eyes. "This ain't about fashion! It's about function. It don't matter if it looks good if it's gonna fall apart while she's up in the air!" she pointed a hoof upwards to emphasize her point.
Rarity's ears folded back as she lowered her head a bit. She hadn't considered the possibility of this wing failing midair. If she didn't do this job perfectly and make it out of a sturdy material, she could be responsible for another fall—maybe even a fatal one! She couldn't bear that thought.
"Tw-Twilight, do you really think this is a good idea?" Rarity backtracked. "What would happen if the wing really did rip midair?"
"It's not going to rip," Twilight assured. "Or…it shouldn't. My magic should be making the fabric more like skin than a woven material. It might get torn up, but it shouldn't catastrophically fail."
"Hey!" Applejack drew attention to herself with a stamp of her hoof. "Dash needs to fly. It's in her blood and written on her flank. Even if it is more dangerous than her natural wing, it's worth it."
Rarity whimpered. Applejack certainly had a point, but the thought of her being responsible for Rainbow Dash's untimely demise did not sit well with her. "I…I'm going to go write a couple of letters," she claimed as she headed for Twilight's door. "The weavers in Canterlot or the Crystal Empire should be able to recommend the proper fabric."
Twilight Sparkle sighed as Rarity trotted out. "This…might be a little harder than I thought," the alicorn admitted.
"Hey, 'whatever it takes,' right?" Applejack nudged Twilight in an effort to perk her up.
"No problem, Twi," the earth pony dismissed as she headed for the door. "If yah need anything else, yah know where to find me," she said as she departed.
After Applejack left, Twilight turned back to the wings. "Feathers," she mumbled aloud as she fired up her horn. A purple ray shot out at the nearest wing. In a burst of magenta light, the wing vanished and all that remained in its place was a single pinion. She picked it up with a hoof wearing a somewhat irritated expression. Exasperated, she took a deep breath and blew the feather away. This was a lot harder than she had expected.
"Twilight! I'm back!" Spike announced as he entered the library dragging his wagon behind him with the lumpy mineral inside.
The purple pony sighed. "Hey Spike," she listlessly greeted. "Let's go to Fluttershy's."
"Wait, wasn't Rarity supposed to be here?" Spike asked as Twilight Sparkle passed him and headed out the door.
"You just missed her."
Spike groaned as he reluctantly followed after Twilight.
It took Twilight and the baby dragon a good ten minutes to get to Fluttershy's cottage. When they got there Angel Bunny let them in, but there weren't any signs of Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash. "Hello?" Twilight called out. "Fluttershy? Rainbow Dash?"
Angel Bunny shook his head. He pointed to the door and jumped up and down.
"Are you saying they left?" Spike asked.
The bunny nodded emphatically.
"Where did they go?" Twilight prodded.
Angel considered the question a moment before hopping over to the closet. He jumped up and grabbed the handle, deftly opening it. After disappearing into the closet, he reappeared struggling to drag out a white box. Once he was clear of the door he propped up the box to show the red cross on it. He emphatically pointed to it.
Twilight blinked a couple of times before what Angel was trying to say got through. "They went to the hospital!?"
Angel Bunny nodded.
Twilight wasted no time grabbing Spike in her aura and setting him on her back before sprinting towards the door. "Thanks Angel!" she called back as she dashed out the door. Before she even had a chance to start to panic, she spotted Fluttershy walking next to Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie was pushing Rainbow's wheelchair as they headed towards the cottage from down the path. She breathed a sigh of relief as she tried to calm her rapidly-beating heart.
By the time that the trio made it to Twilight, she was able to put on a smile. "You girls had me worried," she greeted. "We came here and you two were gone."
"Hey! Your cast's different!" Spike pointed at Dash's leg as he hopped off of Twilight's back. True enough, instead of her leg being straight out with a cumbersome cast, the cast was more petit and had her leg at an angle so that she could walk on her own.
"The doctors wanted to see Rainbow Dash today," Fluttershy explained. "They took the cast off and checked her over. She got her stitches removed, but her shoulder still needs to heal along with her leg."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "They discharged her from the hospital only to ask her back the very next day to do all of that?"
"Yeah," Dash said in a deadpan tone. "But at least I should be able to walk on my own, now," she claimed as she sent a glare to Pinkie Pie.
"Hey! Don't look at me!" Pinkie defended herself as she pointed over to Fluttershy. "She said that your doctor said that you need to stay off of your hooves as much as possible. And you should listen to your doctor! Do you want your leg to implode!?"
"It's not going to implode," Rainbow Dash groused. After a moment her confidence faded away. "It's not, is it?"
"No, but it's not good for you to exert yourself," Fluttershy chided. "If you push yourself too hard then it's just going to take that much longer for you to heal."
Twilight smiled as the group filed into Fluttershy's cottage. "I'm glad that everything is okay," the studious pony spoke her relief.
Once inside, Rainbow Dash seized her chance and lowered herself out of the wheelchair. "See?" she claimed as she hobbled along on three legs. "I'm fine."
Fluttershy sighed at Dash's bullheadedness. "Um…what brings you here, Twilight?" she asked as she did her best to ignore her frustrations about Rainbow Dash.
"Well, we hit a snag with my spell," Twilight admitted, instantly garnering Rainbow's attention. "Rarity is having trouble making a wing just right, so I had the idea of getting a mold of Rainbow Dash's wing to use as a model. You don't mind, do you, Rainbow Dash?"
"N-no," Dash denied as her ears drooped. "It's, um…everything else is working out, right? No other problems?"
Twilight adopted a nervous smile. "Oh, uh… Yeah, everything's going smoothly!" she lied. "It still needs a little work, but like I said before we'll have you back in the sky in a few weeks."
"Oh," Rainbow Dash said as she looked away. The look on her face told Twilight and everypony else that she was far from convinced.
"I'm sorry," Twilight muttered as she abandoned her fake smile and hung her head. "I'm trying my best Rainbow Dash, I really am."
"I know you are," Rainbow replied, still downtrodden. "But…is it really enough?"
Twilight sighed. "I…don't know," she truthfully replied. "But I'm not giving up! Spike! Bring the clay over here."
A little nudging from Twilight got Rainbow Dash over on the couch so that her wing extended out and away from the couch. Then Twilight worked with Spike to encase her wing in the clay. "Is there… I mean, if you can't find a way to make this magic of yours work, is there another way to let me fly again?"
Twilight hesitated a moment before responding, "Let's just focus on getting this work." Dash whimpered as Twilight used her magic to compress the clay before separating it away from Dash's wing into two halves. She then floated the two halves into the middle of the room. "Give it your best, Spike," she urged.
Drawing in a deep breath, Spike managed to exhale a green flame as large as the baby dragon, even if it only existed for a second. Insufficient to set the clay, he repeated the process over and over until he got dizzy. He finally fell over in a heap.
"Uh, take five, Spike," Twilight suggested as she gingerly set the molds into Spike's wagon. They weren't dry yet, but hopefully they would last long enough to get them into a kiln. In retrospect, she couldn't fathom why she thought that having Spike use his fire breath to harden it would be a good idea.
"So you're going to use this as a mold for a new wing for Dashie?" Pinkie asked as she peered into the wagon. "But how's that supposed to work? Isn't it the wrong one?"
Twilight stared blankly for a few moments before facehoofing. "Ugh…"
"What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked.
"It's the wrong wing," Twilight explained. "We need to make Rainbow Dash a right wing, this mold is her left wing." Foresight was definitely not her strong suit today. It made her wonder if she really was just grasping at straws at this point.
"Does it really matter?" Spike asked as he got up and rubbed his head. "Just turn it upside-down."
Twilight shook her head. "It doesn't work that way, Spike," she explained. "Wings are mirror-images of each other. It's impossible to replace a right wing with a left one."
"Then just get the mirror version of this!" Pinkie suggested as she pointed into the wagon. "Problem solved!"
"It's not that easy," Twilight asserted. "I have no idea how to make an inverse mold. I suppose I could research techniques on how to…"
"Um… Where is Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked as she glanced about.
"…actually, come to think it I know I have that book. Spike, do you know where we put it?" Twilight prattled on.
The baby dragon shrugged.
"Rainbow Dash is gone!" Fluttershy fretted.
The other three stopped their conversation as they turned to the yellow pegasus. "What!?"
"Guh!" Rainbow Dash groaned as she struggled to get up onto her hooves. She'd landed on her injured shoulder that time. She gazed upwards once more to see the bottom of a sizable cloud—her home. Spreading her single remaining wing, she again leapt into the air as she wildly flapped her wing. She didn't get any higher than what her legs had propelled her. The flapping only served to maintain her altitude for a split second before she just starting twisting in the air and crashed back to the ground. This time, she landed flat on her back and knocked the wind out of herself.
That was her thirty-eighth attempt, though she'd stopped counting long ago. Her wounds and fatigue were starting to inhibit her efforts. A dozen attempts ago she got two, maybe three times as high. The pain in her chest and gut were becoming a hindrance, and her shoulder was becoming unbearably painful. But she wasn't about to give up. Twilight didn't seem to be getting anywhere with her magic, and nopony else seemed interested in anything more than making her comfortable or feeling sorry for her. She couldn't stand that.
Pulling herself to her hooves once more, she looked skyward. She didn't need to be comfortable or happy. She certainly didn't need pity. She needed to fly. Jumping into the air again she tried to flap her wing, but this time it locked up. She came straight back down landing on her hooves before collapsing to the ground in pain. "Augh!" she cried out as she tried in vain to grab her strained wing with her hoof, but she just couldn't reach.
After a couple of agonizing minutes, the pain in her wing was again outshone by her strained wounds that had yet to fully heal. With her pain at a manageable level she reluctantly sat up. There would be no more attempts to reach the sky today. She had failed. But at least she had tried, which was more than she could say for most of her friends. Why in Equestria did they accept the fact that she wasn't going to fly again? Why couldn't they be more like Twilight Sparkle and Rarity? Those were the only two doing anything at all for her. Well, as far as getting her airborne, anyway.
She had to admit that Fluttershy was doing a lot for her, and honestly she couldn't expect much else from the kindhearted pegasus. Pinkie Pie was trying to help in her own way, too. But she didn't need to be doted on like a sick foal or cheered up like…a sick foal. All she wanted to do was fly again. Why weren't half of her friends even trying to work on it? At least Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were doing something. Applejack pushed her to Fluttershy's cottage and she hadn't seen the farmer since.
Rainbow Dash sighed as she looked up towards her cloud home. She hated to admit it, but she wasn't going to get up there on her own. Already she had tried her very best, and she never even came close. That left her fate in Twilight's hooves, and that was not a reassuring thought. The studious alicorn already admitted that her magic might not be enough. Dash's own attempts were a miserable—and painful—failure. What else could there be?
Dash contemplated the matter for some time before the sound of hoofsteps finally tore her gaze away from her home. There she spotted Applejack walking towards her. She frowned and turned away as Applejack came to a stop in front of her.
"I had a feelin' that I might find yah here," Applejack stated as she took in the sight before her. Judging from the dirt, grass, and bruises covering her, Rainbow Dash had been out here beating herself up for some time. "I'll have yah know that you gave everypony a good scare, runnin' off like that without sayin' a word." Not receiving a warm welcome from the grumpy pony, Applejack looked up as she sighed. "Didn't quite make it up there on yer own, did yah?"
"It…it's impossible," she muttered.
"I certainly couldn't get up there," the earth pony replied before extending a hoof and a friendly smile. "Why don't I see yah back to Fluttershy's instead?"
Instead of taking Applejack's hoof, Dash got to her hooves on her own. Applejack seemed unfazed as she turned to lead the way. "What, you're not going to yell at me or insist on helping me?" Dash asked as she hobbled after Applejack.
"I'm sure yah only done what yah felt yah needed to do. Can't nopony blame yah fer that," she replied. "And I know yah well enough that if yah need help you'll ask for it. Just tell somepony next time before yah take off like that. I know they'll respect your privacy if yah just ask for it."
Finally somepony was treating her like she wanted to be treated…and it was making her furious. "You're not even going to ask if I'm okay or anything?"
"I know the answer to that question," Applejack claimed. "You ain't gonna be okay until Twilight finishes that spell of her's. I'd have carried you if yah needed it, but yer keepin' up just fine. Great for somepony down a leg 'n' a wing."
"Don't you even care at all about me?" Dash accused.
And there it was: the end of Applejack's patience. In an instant her face was pressed against Rainbow Dash's. "How dare yah ask somethin' like that!? Of course I care! I've been worried sick about how yer doin' 'n' how yer takin' this whole mess!" she yelled before calming down a bit and pointing over to Rainbow Dash's house. "There ain't nothin' I'd like to do more than to get yah up there, but I can't. There's nothin' I can do to get you back in the sky no matter how hard I try. I hate it. You hate it. Everypony hates it, but that's the way it is." Breathing the rest of her ire out with a sigh, she set back to walking down the path.
"That's uh…that's why I haven't been around to see yah as much I probably should," she sincerely confessed. "It-it hurts to see yah like this, sugarcube, knowin' there ain't a durn thing I can do tah help. I mean, I try to help Twilight with her magic spell, but there just ain't much I can do." She scoffed a bit at the notion. "I still say we should go make Discord change his mind."
"What? Discord?"
Applejack looked over her shoulder to see a baffled look on Rainbow's face. "Are yah tellin' me that nopony told yah about Fluttershy goin' to Discord to ask him to fix yer wing?"
Dash's mouth fell agape just before she stumbled and fell down. "Oww…" she muttered. As she looked up, she found Applejack's hoof waiting for her. This time she took it as the hardy pony yanked her to her hooves. "Fluttershy faced Discord…for me?"
Applejack nodded. "I can't believe nopony told yah," she said as she started walking a sluggish pace, this time side-by-side with Rainbow Dash. "When we heard yah lost yer wing we all tried to find a way to fix it. Apple Bloom and I went to Zecora's. I actually got a little excited about it when Apple Bloom told me that Zecora once fixed a chipped tooth she got, but Zecora said a wing was way out of her league."
"But, what about Discord?"
Applejack just shook her head a bit. "We all knew Discord definitely had the power to fix yer wing and Fluttershy volunteered to go ask him to help. But she said that she couldn't convince him to do it," she explained. "That's all I really know about all that. Though I also know that Twilight asked Princess Celestia if she knew any magic that could help; she didn't. Pinkie asked everypony she knew of, and that's pretty much everypony in town and then some. None of 'em had a lick of advice. I really can't believe nopony told yah about all this. Anyway, after all our ideas dried up Twilight came up with this plan of her's to make a spell specifically to fix it."
Rainbow Dash pondered the implications a minute before her troubled mind set on the thing that mattered most to her right now. "How is that going? The spell I mean," she asked as she looked to Applejack. "Twilight doesn't seem to be too confident in herself."
Applejack sighed. "It ain't goin' well, that's for sure. I was helpin' out Twilight earlier today and the wings Rarity made weren't good enough and neither was Twi's magic, but she still seemed to be optimistic about it. She's got a plan and she's determined not to give up. Rarity's workin' on improvin' her end, too."
"Do you think Twilight will be able to make a wing that'll let me fly again?"
"I know she's got some amazing magic, no question, but so far I ain't seen anythin' that'd make me think you're gonna fly any time soon," she admitted. "That's why I say we need to focus on Discord. He can definitely fix yah a new wing. We just gotta convince him to do it!"
Rainbow Dash sighed. Applejack confirmed her fears about Twilight, but at least now she had a lot more insight on just how far her friends were going for her. She felt bad about assuming that her friends had just accepted her predicament. From what Applejack said it seemed like they really tried everything in their power to get her wing back. That fact made her feel both better and worse. Her friends were really trying, but even all of their amazing efforts couldn't fix her wing.
"Oh! Rainbow Dash!"
Looking up, Applejack and Dash spied Fluttershy floating down. "Hey, sugarcube," Applejack greeted as she motioned to Rainbow Dash. "I found 'er safe 'n' sound. Was just headed yer way."
"Thank goodness," she breathed a sigh of relief as she landed in front of the duo. "I was so worried."
"Fluttershy, why didn't you tell me you faced Discord to try and get my wing back?" Dash asked as the trio started walking again at a lazy pace.
"W-well I couldn't convince him to help, s-so, I just…" the timid pegasus mumbled as her voice got so low and her words so disjointed that it was unintelligible.
Dash sighed at Fluttershy's trepidation. "It's the fact that you tried that counts, Fluttershy. You should have said something earlier. I had no idea you girls tried so hard to fix my wing."
Fluttershy blushed as she hid behind her mane. "I, um…b-but it really wasn't anything special," she claimed. "And nopony could fix your poor wing." She turned to see that Rainbow Dash was struggling to keep up even at their glacial pace. "Um… Do you want me to go get the wheelchair and bring it back here?"
"I'm fine," Dash grunted as she forced a smile. Truth be told her stunt left her feeling not much better than the day she woke up in the hospital. Every step jolted her shoulder, eliciting a burning pain.
"Sugarcube, you ain't got a thing to prove to anypony," Applejack insisted. "Let's take a break while Fluttershy gets that wheelchair."
Surprisingly, Dash didn't protest. She just sighed heavily as she sat down. Only after Fluttershy took off did Rainbow sit back on her haunches so that she could place her hoof on her injured shoulder.
"I know yah can get there on yer own, but I'd rather get yah there before nightfall." Applejack explained her insistence that Fluttershy bring the chair.
Rainbow Dash nodded as she glanced over to the farmer. "I might've overdone it…a little."
"How's the rest of yah holdin' up?" the orange pony asked.
Dash sent Applejack a quizzical look. "Aside from my shoulder? Fine," she claimed.
"No, I mean…" Applejack started before sighing. "You know we're gonna get yer wing back, right? You ain't gonna be stuck here on the ground with me fer too much longer. We'll figure somethin' out."
"Everypony keeps saying that," Rainbow Dash muttered as her hoof traced slightly over to the spot where her wing once was, "but how do you know that? You said it yourself that Twilight's spell wasn't going anywhere."
Applejack pondered it for a moment before responding. "Because that's what believe," she bluntly replied. "It don't matter if Twilight gets it right or not. If that fails then we'll try somethin' different still. We ain't gonna give up on yah, sugarcube. Even if yah don't believe in yerself or in Twilight's spell, you can still believe in us, right? We're yer friends and we ain't about to stand idly by as long as yer sufferin'."
"I've, uh…I've been acting pretty stupid these last few days, huh?"
"Yup!"
Dash sighed heavily as she put her front hoof back on the ground. "Well, if you wanna get me back to Fluttershy's before dark we should get going," she said as she began to hobble down the path.
"Tell yah what, RD," Applejack offered as she started to walk next to Dash, "As soon as yer all healed up we'll have us another Iron Pony competition."
"You're on!" Rainbow accepted the challenge with a grin.
The duo walked on for a short time before Fluttershy appeared running towards them. Twilight Sparkle was on her left and Pinkie Pie was on her right carrying the folded-up wheelchair on her back. As the group approached, Pinkie stopped on her front hooves as she bucked her flank up, sending the wheelchair flying at Rainbow Dash. It popped open midflight and somehow managed to properly scoop the pegasus up.
"Rainbow Dash! I'm sooo glad to you're okay!" Pinkie enthused as Dash tried to reorient herself and figure out how she ended up in the wheelchair. "You had us sooo worried! We were there talking and Fluttershy was all like: 'where's Rainbow Dash?' And we were like: 'what!?' And then we looked and looked and couldn't find you anywhere!" As she reached the end of her enthusiastic story she hugged the rainbow pony.
"Uh…yeah," Rainbow Dash started to apologize as she pried the pink pony off of herself. "I'm sorry about that, everypony. I was just… I was being selfish."
"We're just glad you're all right," Twilight earnestly asserted as Applejack got behind the wheelchair and started pushing. After taking a second glance at the dirty, bruised pegasus she amended her statement, "You are all right… Right?"
Dash nodded. "Nothing Fluttershy here can't cure," she claimed as she pointed to the shy mare.
"Oh… Yes," Fluttershy replied. Drumming up her courage, she prodded Dash about the thing most plaguing her mind. "Um… Are you ready to talk about what the Wonderbolts said yesterday?"
"No," Rainbow Dash immediately and harshly denied, but after a moment, she sighed. "You know what, fine," she allowed. "What got to me was what Captain Spitfire said. She said that…that I really had what it took to be a Wonderbolt. If this didn't happen," she said as she put her hoof where her wing was torn off, "I really could have been a Wonderbolt. I would have been a Wonderbolt, someday."
Everypony fell into an awkward silence as Rainbow lamented her lot. Finally, Applejack spoke up, "Well, you ain't givin' up on that just yet are yah, sugarcube? Yah still got what it takes, I know that. Yah just need a replacement fer yer wing. That's all."
"Yeah!" Pinkie enthusiastically agreed. "We all still believe in you!"
Twilight nodded. "Speaking of which, I really should be working on developing that spell. Want to give me a hoof, Pinkie?"
"Sure! I bet I'll be tons of fun!" Pinkie Pie bounced over as the two ponies walked down an adjacent path, waving their goodbyes.
Unnoticed by the other four was Fluttershy who was hanging her head. She was glad that Dash was being more forthright, but why didn't' she mention Lightning Dust? That was by far the most important part. After all, everypony in Ponyville already knew she had what it took to be a Wonderbolt. That wasn't news. Lightning Dust kicking Rainbow Dash in the head and making her lose her wing—that was news.
"Fluttershy, you doin' okay there?" Applejack prodded as she noticed the angry look on the normally demure pony's face.
"Oh!" Fluttershy blushed as she put on a convincing smile. "It's…uh, nothing," she assured in a not-very-assuring tone.
"If yah say so," Applejack allowed.
Rainbow Dash didn't pay them much mind as she stared up into the sky. She wasn't going to get back up there on her own. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but after today she just had to accept it. Despite her strength and determination, this was just something she couldn't do on her own. Instead she had to rely on her friends to get back to some sort of normalcy. To feel the breeze in her mane and to see the world from above… The sky really was where she belonged. Finally tearing her gaze from the sky, she longingly sighed as she placed a hoof over the spot where her wing once was. I will fly again.
Deep within the foreboding and dangerous Everfree Forest, three ponies trekked through the thick foliage. A saddlebag-toting Pinkie Pie led Twilight and Fluttershy into a familiar part of the treacherous forest. Rattling around in her saddlebags were the two molds of Rainbow Dash's wing.
"Oh, do you really think this will work?" Fluttershy meekly asked as a bit of rustling caused her to cower against Twilight.
"It's a fascinating idea Pinkie Pie came up with," Twilight replied. "It's at the very least worth trying."
"It'll definitely work!" Pinkie asserted. "We need to get the mirror image of these," she claimed as she wiggled her hips, causing the fired clay molds to shake in the oversized saddlebags. "Of course the only way to make a mirror image of somepony is the magic mirror pond! It should work for these, too!"
"O-okay," Fluttershy mumbled.
Twilight giggled a bit at how frightened Fluttershy seemed to be. "Why are you so nervous?" she jovially asked in an attempt to assuage whatever fear was plaguing the shy pony. "Don't you come here often for your animal friends?"
"Well, yes," the yellow mare meekly replied. "But something is wrong. Very wrong. I don't hear any birds singing, and we have yet to see a single snuggly squirrel or cute, little bunny or anything else."
Hesitating at what amounted to genuine warning signs, Twilight looked around for some reassurance. She found it in a nearby, flitting insect. "I'm sure it's just kind of coincidence," she assured as the bug glowed a soft, red hue. "See? This firefly isn't at all worried." Initially pointing to it, she held her hoof out in hopes of coaxing the cute bug into landing on it. Again its abdomen flashed as it drew near to Twilight's outstretched leg.
Pinkie breathed in an exaggerated gasp as she saw the red flash. "Don't touch it!" she warned as she tackled Twilight to the ground just before the insect had a chance to contact Twilight's hoof. The two halves of the mold went flying in the air, but Fluttershy managed to catch them.
"Ugh, Pinkie!" Twilight groaned as she shoved the pink pony off of herself. "What was that for!?"
"I don't think that was a firefly! It looked like a pyrefly!" she explained. "You never-ever-ever-ever touch a pyrefly!"
"Why not?" Twilight earnestly inquired as Fluttershy dumped the molds back into Pinkie's saddlebags.
Just then, the cute, little bug landed on the very tip of a leaf on an outstretched branch of an enormous tree.
FWOOSH!
A sudden, searing wind blew back the trio's manes, nearly knocking them off of their hooves as a yellow-orange light illuminated their faces. After just a second or two all that was left of the tree was a pile of glowing cinders. The adorable, little bug snuggled down into the ashes as it made a cute cooing sound, causing Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle to recoil in horror.
"That's why!" Pinkie smiled as she pointed at the adorable little bug that just incinerated an entire tree in the blink of an eye.
WOOSH!
FWOOSH!
Turning back the way they came, several pillars of fire marked a horrifying backdrop to dozens—no, hundreds—of blinking red lights. Through the trees and bramble even more red lights winked at them.
As a grey smoke wafted over the trio, Twilight began to panic. "We're surrounded!" she stated the obvious as she stepped back until her flank met Pinkie's and Fluttershy's. Fluttershy may well have been screaming in horror, but the pegasus' normally quiet voice would have been entirely drowned out by the growing din caused by the roaring flames.
"Hey! Over there!" Pinkie pointed a hoof at half a boulder sticking out of the ground.
Following Pinkie's cue, Twilight used her magic to lift the rock—or at least she tried. The heavy rock seemed to be wedged into the ground. Redoubling her efforts, the rock budged slightly before rising out of the ground and tumbling away from the entrance. "Go! Go! Go!"
Following Twilight's instruction, Fluttershy fled into the hole and Pinkie playfully jumped in after her. Twilight kept the boulder in her aura as she dove in. As she tumbled haphazardly into the tunnel she could barely muster the concentration to drag the boulder over the entrance. It sealed them in and the adorably terrifying pyreflies out.
As Twilight tumbled out of the winding tunnel, she landed flat on her face. Sitting up and shaking her head, she scrambled to find her friends. "Everypony okay?" she asked as she found Pinkie and Fluttershy waiting for her.
"Is it safe?" Fluttershy worriedly asked.
"I-I think so," Twilight said as she looked back to the tunnel. "I blocked the path with a rock. Will that stop them?"
"Hmm?" Pinkie tilted her head a bit. "Why are you looking at me?"
Pinkie's words prompted Twilight to put up a force field at the end of the tunnel. "You seem to be the only pony that knows what those things are, Pinkie," Twilight pointed out. "You don't know if they can liquefy that boulder or anything? Do you at least know how long they'll be up there?"
Pinkie shook her head. "All I know is an old rhyme my Nana Pinkie used to say:"
"Beware of the swarms of winking red, in the forest the pyreflies bring dread! A single touch brings a fiery pillar, to bring their nest made of glowing cinder."
"Nest?" Twilight pondered. "Please tell me this isn't some sort of breeding season. Who knows how long they might be out there!?"
"Um, I've lived near the Everfree Forest for years," Fluttershy spoke up. "I've never seen anything like that. It was sooo scary."
Twilight sighed as she looked over to her barrier. There didn't seem to be any flitting fire-starters lurking on the other side. "We might be confined here for some time. Pinkie, why don't you attempt to clone those molds?"
"Okie dokie lokie!" the pink pony smiled as she trotted over to the still waters.
"And into her own reflection she stared, yearning for one whose reflection she shared. And solemnly sweared not to be scared, at the prospect of being doubly mared!"
To Twilight's amazement, a Pinkie Pie clone rose from the water as Pinkie hoofed her doppelganger up onto the shore. Tantalizingly, the clone also sported saddlebags with molds. Not wasting any time, Twilight floated all four pieces in front of her. A cursory glance elicited a smile as she jumped about excitedly. "It worked! It worked!"
"What worked? Ooooh! What're these!?" Pinkie eagerly joined in the excitement as she poked one of the molds. "Did you make them with your magic?" She suddenly gasped as she took one of Twilight's wing in her hoof. "You're an alicorn! Does that mean you're a princess!?"
Twilight sighed as she put the molds aside. "I can't help but to suspect that you aren't the original," she said as she grabbed her saddlebag and removed it. She didn't think to bring an extra saddlebag to carry back the cloned mold. "Sorry, but one Pinkie Pie is more than enough for all of Ponyville." Summoning her magic, she dispelled the doppelganger and banished it back into the pond. Sighing, she lied down as she sent a magenta orb of magic to reapply the barrier spell. "You two may want to consider getting comfortable. It's far too dangerous to try and venture out with those fire bugs swarming about."
Pinkie giggled as she rejoined the duo. "Hey, that rhymed!" she noted in a sing-song manner. "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! If we're gonna be stuck here for a while you know what would be super-duper fun!? We should try to come up with new songs!"
"No!" Twilight quickly denied, not having any appetite for Pinkie Pie's antics. Seeing the immediate disappointment in Pinkie's face, she struggled to come up with a reason that wouldn't hurt the party pony's feelings. "It, um… Oh! These pyreflies, or whatever they are, might be like parasprites! We can't risk attracting them with music, can we?"
"Hnng, I guess not," Pinkie grumbled as she flopped down on her rear.
"Twilight, do you really think this will work?" Fluttershy asked as she studied the fired clay.
"You mean my spell for Rainbow Dash's wing?" Twilight clarified the abstract question. A lack of a correction from Fluttershy told Twilight that she had guessed correctly. "Well, I certainly hope so. It's, admittedly, not going very well so far, but hopefully this mold will help solve one of the big problems."
Fluttershy let out a tiny sigh before turning to the alicorn. "Um… If your spell doesn't work… I mean…" she stopped and looked down as she reorganized her thoughts. "The problem with your spell is turning a fake wing into a real one, right?"
Twilight nodded a bit as she stared questioningly at Fluttershy. "That's…probably the most formidable obstacle, yes."
"W-well what if you started with-with a real wing? Fluttershy asked as she peeked at Twilight through her mane. "Would…my wing work?" she offered as she held up her right wing.
"Wh-what!?" Twilight balked. "Fluttershy, nopony could ask you to do that!"
"They don't need to," the yellow pegasus denied. "I volunteer. I-I mean, I like my wings, but being high up scares me. I don't…need them to be happy. Not like Rainbow Dash"
Twilight stood up before walking over to Fluttershy and wrapping a leg around her. "I know how you feel," she sympathized. "I thought about using my own, but these things are a far cry from pegasus wings," the alicorn extended a wing for emphasis. "But…do you really think Rainbow Dash would be happy with a wing if it meant taking one away from one of her friends?"
Fluttershy whimpered a bit as she lowered her head. That's when an idea struck her. "Wh-what if it came from a horrible pony?" she asked as she successfully hid her expression from Twilight and Pinkie under her pink veil. "A mean brute that doesn't deserve her wings?"
"F-Fluttershy, I, um… I don't think that this is a very healthy train of thought. Let's just focus on getting Rainbow Dash a new wing without taking it from somepony else," Twilight suggested. Fluttershy just fell into silence.
Tink!
Tink! Tink!
At first the sound didn't register with anypony, but as it got more fervent Twilight looked up to see several pyreflies crashing into her force field like so many flies trying to escape through a closed window. "They got through!"
Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink!
Buzzing around haphazardly, the pyreflies occasionally landed on the sides of the tunnel. Their touch would cause a mini-geyser of molten material to shoot out. They sometimes investigated the searing remains, but the lack of cinders caused them to make an annoyed sound before trying to get through the shield again.
"They can't get through your barrier, can they?" Fluttershy fretted.
Twilight shook her head, "I don't think so, but there's another problem. Look: they're vaporizing the tunnel walls! If this keeps up it will collapse!"
"Yay!" Pinkie jumped up excitedly. "That'll bury the pyreflies alive! All our problems will fix themselves!"
"Pinkie, that tunnel is our only way out. If it collapses, we'll be buried alive!" Twilight admonished.
"Ohhh," Pinkie voiced her understanding.
Before Twilight could reply, a deep rumbling preceded a violent shaking. Debris fell from the ceiling as Pinkie and Twilight struggled to stay standing. Fluttershy was already lying down and covering her head with her hooves as she cowered and whimpered. Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped.
"Everypony okay?" Twilight asked as she checked herself over.
"A-okay!" Pinkie Pie asserted.
Fluttershy kept her head covered as she nodded, "I-I-I think so. Wh-what was that?"
"Destabilization of the structure, likely due to the…pyreflies…" Twilight trailed off as she turned to observe the destructive insects. Her barrier was still there, but behind it was a solid wall! The tunnel had collapsed! "We're trapped!"
"No we're not!" Pinkie claimed as she pointed up to the source of the light shining down. "That has to be a way out, right?"
Twilight nodded as she felt like an idiot. Worse still it was Pinkie that made her feel so stupid. "Okay, we just…need to get up there," the studious pony looked over to the still-cowering pegasus. "Fluttershy, can you fly up there and see if there is a way out?"
Fluttershy whimpered as she slowly got up onto shaky legs. "B-but what if…those are up there?" she hesitated.
Twilight pondered the implication a moment before responding, "Well, then there's nothing stopping them from getting in. If you see a way out you can go fly for help or at least tell me that they're out there so I can put a force field up there."
"O-o-okay," Fluttershy agreed as she took flight. She slowly rose towards the center of the room towards the soft blue light. She entered the small opening and less than two seconds later she stuck her head back into the main chamber. "It's a dead end!"
"What do you mean a dead end?" Twilight shouted up at Fluttershy. "That light has to be coming from somewhere!"
"Well, it is… There's a big, glowing crystal up here. It's beautiful!"
Twilight sighed as she hung her head. "Well, all right, you can come back down… We'll just…have to find another way out."
"But, how?" Fluttershy asked as she landed next to the alicorn.
"I'm not sure, give me a moment to think," she muttered as she tried to think of a way out of this situation.
Just then, another rumbling nearly caused the trio to fall over again.
"Wh-a-a-a-t's go-o-o-o-i-i-i-ng o-o-o-o-n?" Pinkie asked as her voice vibrated along with the ground.
"The tunnel collapse may have disrupted the stability of the entire cavern!" Twilight warned as the shaking started to subside.
"What?"
"The whole cavern might come crashing down on us!" Twilight reiterated.
A loud crack heralded part of the ceiling caving in. A huge mass above the pond fell, sending an enormous, glowing crystal crashing into the mirror pond. Once the dust and debris settled, the crystal slowly sunk beneath the surface. The light emanating throughout the cavern evanesced until all that remained was inky blackness.
Applejack let herself into the Carousel Boutique. It didn't take her long to find the fashionista consumed with the seemingly arbitrary task of comparing two fabrics. "Howdy Rarity! Yah wanted me to stop by?"
"Oh, Applejack, darling," Rarity eagerly greeted. "I have wonderful news."
"Go on," Applejack urged.
"Why, just this morning Derpy delivered letters to me from Canterlot and the Crystal Empire," Rarity explained as she set the fabric aside and removed her work glasses.
"Derpy's back in town?"
Rarity considered it a moment with a touch of puzzlement in her expression. "It is odd that she disappears from time to time, isn't it? What makes it so juicy is that 'Doctor' fellow always seems to vanish around the same time. Talk about scandalous!" she gushed about the fresh gossip. Judging from the look on Applejack's face, she wasn't at all interested. Rarity dismissed it with a wave of her hoof. "Anyway, one of the letters I received from Derpy described the perfect material for Rainbow Dash's wing."
"Perfect, huh?" the farmer pony asked as she adjusted her hat. "I think I'll be the judge of that. Like I said before: above all it's gotta be sturdy."
"Applejack, this cloth not only shimmers marvelously, it makes your tarps seem as fragile as a wet tissue," Rarity haughtily claimed. "It's a Crystal Empire exclusive!" she enthused. "Only one pony in all of Equestria makes it. It's called 'crystalline cloth' and it is made from actual gemstones!"
Applejack cast a doubtful gaze at Rarity. "Gemstones? Like the ones yah use in yer dresses? How the hay do yah turn that into fabric? And wouldn't it be heavy 'n' brittle?"
"Well, there are a few issues with it," Rarity admitted. "It is heavy and not very flexible. The letter actually said that it was nearly impossible to work with, but it's not at all brittle. Somehow this weaver makes the crystals into threads and weaves them into nearly-indestructible cloth that shimmers in the light with beautiful reds, and greens, and blues, and yellows…"
"Yeah, yeah. It's pretty, I get that," Applejack dismissed. "It's just…aww, never mind. Yer the expert when it comes to this sort of thing. If you say it's the best material, I believe yah. Now what did yah need from me, sugarcube?"
"That, well…" Rarity started before sighing. "Like I said before, this cloth is exclusive. That means it is not only rare, it is expensive. Since the weaver uses gems to make the cloth, I hope to trade her gemstones for some of the crystalline cloth."
Applejack rolled her eyes. She knew where this was going. "Let me guess, you need somepony to help yah get a bunch of gemstones."
Rarity put on a squeeworthy smile. "It's not for me; it's for Rainbow Dash."
With a sigh and a shake of her head, she assuaged Rarity's trepidation. "I'd give yah a hoof either way. I know yah'd do the same for me…well, so long as it didn't involve yah gettin' dirty," Applejack joked.
"Let's meet on the edge of town in, say, an hour?" Rarity suggested. "I do need time to get ready, and I plan on asking Spikey-Wikey if he could help out as well."
"I'll bring one'a our apple wagons," Applejack offered as she turned to the door. "How big?"
Rarity considered it a moment before offering a sheepish smile. "Your biggest, this trip may get…a bit expensive."
An hour later, Rarity and Spike approached a waiting Applejack and Winona. Of course, Rarity sported a fashionable sunhat as well as a scarf. Spike just followed his not-so-secret crush as he lugged his little wagon behind him. Applejack, on the other hoof, was hitched up to three enormous apple carts. "'Bout time y'all got here! If I could find the gems on my own, Winona and I'd already be out there diggin'm up!"
"You know a lady absolutely has to look her best," Rarity asserted as she struck a pose to show off her accessories.
"Yeah? For who?" Applejack queried. "Ain't gonna be anypony out there to see yah."
Rarity just sighed as she led the way. "You just don't understand at all, do you?"
"Can't say that I do."
A short walk later and Rarity was using her magic to reveal gemstones hidden in the barren hills outside Ponyville. Spike worked with Winona to unearth the gems and load them into Spike's wagon. Using a bit of down home ingenuity, Applejack had lashed Spike's wagon to the last of her apple carts with a bit of rope. Even though they'd been at it for a while, only twice did Rarity stop using her gem finding spell to levitate a full wagon's worth of gems into one of the large apple carts. It didn't even fill the first apple wagon a quarter of the way.
"Does gem huntin' usually take this long?" Applejack asked.
Rarity rolled her eyes at the notion. "It's not like they grow on trees, darling. Though, admittedly, it usually doesn't take quite this long at all. Just one little wagon full is enough to supply me for weeks unless I have some outrageous order to fill.
Applejack sighed as she looked to the seemingly empty carts behind her. "Yah really think you'll need this much?"
"I just hope that it will be enough," Rarity replied as she continued to mark gem locations. "It's not just for the crystalline cloth. I intend to grab whatever fabrics I don't have on hoof at the boutique. Twilight Sparkle's magic seems to have interesting effects on different fabrics. I'm hoping the crystalline cloth will be perfect, but just in case I'm going to make a wing out of everything I can imagine."
The earth pony nodded in response. "I reckon that's a mighty sound idea. A great one, actually."
"I'm planning on going shopping in Canterlot first to see their fabrics and to purchase new sewing equipment," the Rarity voiced her plans. "I will need special ones just to work the crystalline cloth. Then it's off to the Crystal Empire to get the crystalline cloth and see if they have any other unique fabrics there. Oh! I wonder if the other girls would want to accompany me there. The Crystal Empire is just so gorgeous!"
"Yer really goin' all out for Dash, ain't yah?"
"Rainbow Dash would do no less for me," Rarity dismissed. "She did no less…" she added as a somber afterthought.
"Yeah," Applejack muttered. "Let's, uh—" she started before she was cut off by a choking dust eliciting a series of coughs. "Where'd this dang blasted wind come from!?" Applejack complained as she swiped at the dust with her Stetson. Looking through the dusty wind, she found Rarity staring off into the distance with a shocked expression. Following Rarity's gaze, she found a towering, swirling wind. "It's a twister!"
Unhitching herself, Applejack bucked the heavy wagons over onto their sides. "This'll be the best protection we got! Get in!" she ordered. Spike and Winona eagerly hid inside the overturned carts, but Rarity hesitated as she looked to the dirty, dusty shelter.
"You can't possibly expect me to—wah!" Not having time for Rarity's daintiness, Applejack shoved the overly prim-and-proper pony inside before turning the train of carts over one more time, sealing out the dust and wind as well as all the light. With a gentle sound, a blue light illuminated the overturned cart. "You didn't need to be so rough!" Rarity glared at Applejack.
Applejack rolled her eyes in turn. Knocking on the side of the cart, she called out, "You two all right over there!?"
"We're okay!" Spike voice replied accompanied by a bark. "Waah! Not okay! Not okay!"
Suddenly, the cart lifted straight up. Instead of a massive whirlwind, a behemoth of a beast stood there with the cart in its claw. The enormous devil-looking monster seemed to be made entirely of wind and dust. Its arms, legs, horns, torso…all of it seemed to be composed of spinning wind and dust. The only things not made of the whirling sands were two, enormous, glowing and red eyes that pierced the obfuscating dust. It dropped the carts as it bellowed an angry roar.
Applejack quickly stood in front of the cowering Rarity as Spike and Winona also sought shelter behind the hardy earth pony. "I don't know what yah are or what yah want, but I ain't about to let yah hurt nopony!" Spying a few gems that had spilled out, she tossed them into the air before whipping around bucking them at the beast. All of them were just swallowed up by whirling dust, not phasing the beast in the least.
"What is this horrid creature?" Rarity asked as the winds coming from the monster blew her sunhat and scarf away.
"It-it looks like a dust devil!" Spike replied.
"What's that? How do we fight it?" Applejack demanded.
Spike shook his head. "I don't know! You'd have to ask Twilight!"
The enormous, swirling devil turned back to the apple cart train and again lifted it with a single arm. This time, it set the train down on its wheels. Roaring, it pointed to the frightened group, to the cart, then finally towards Ponyville as it roared a warning again.
"I-I think it wants us to leave," Spike guessed.
Applejack nodded. "That's the feelin' I'm gettin', too."
"Well, too bad!" Rarity defied as she stood tall surprising Applejack and Spike.
The dust devil angrily roared at Rarity as it brought its enormous face near to Rarity's. Even though its glowing eye was bigger than Rarity, the unicorn didn't back down. She stayed tall as she stared down the monster. "Look here, you big, dust…thing! You might want us out of your mane and, ugh…we would love to get you out of ours," she grimaced as she ran a hoof through her dirty, frazzled mane. "Fact is: we can't. We need to collect these gems so that we can help our friend! We won't abandon her and we certainly won't be bullied by the likes of you!"
Roaring again, the dust devil rose to full stature once again. It looked over to the cart and the scattered gems that were rapidly being buried by the dusty wind. Giving out a grunt of frustration, it began to spin its entire body. In a matter of seconds it was again a towering funnel of wind, though its eyes still glowed through. They angrily flashed at Rarity before the twister shot away from the group. It approached a nearby, towering cliffside before the stirred dust obscured everypony's vision completely. After several moments the red, piercing eyes reappeared in front of the group. The dust slowly settled enough to reveal the dust devil once more in its anthropomorphic form. Once more it pointed a wispy claw at the train of carts before stepping aside and pointing behind itself.
"Oh my goodness!" Rarity gasped. There in the cliff were countless, enormous gemstones. The dust devil had eroded the solid rock away to reveal them.
The dust devil motioned to the cliff and the cart again before pointing back to Ponyville. The message was clear: take the gems and leave. To drive the point home, it roared again at the ponies.
"Thank you, mister dust devil," Rarity smiled at the monster as Applejack pulled the cart over to the cliffside. "We will go as soon as we gather them up." The dust devil nodded slowly and subtly in turn.
After positioning the carts, Applejack turned her flank to the cliffside. "Here goes somethin'!" she shouted as she apple-bucked the solid stone cliff. The gems loosened under the mighty blow and fell from the cliff into the wagons. Those that missed the wagon were quickly gathered up by Spike and Winona as Applejack moved the carts down alongside the cliff to hit the next spot. Repeating the process just a few times and the carts were overflowing with gems that, not only made Spike drool, but made Rarity's eyes dazzle. A few of the gemstones were nothing short of magnificent—some even as large as Spike.
A growling noise brought the quartet's attention back to the dust devil as it motioned again towards Ponyville. "Thank you, for letting us gather these," Rarity appreciated as they started walking back towards home. The beast made a rumbling sound in return, happy that the intruders were leaving.
Of course, the entire trip back to Ponyville Rarity tried to primp her mane back to its usual glory. She just couldn't get much done at all with the dust and dirt gumming up her follicles. "Applejack, I absolutely must go back to my boutique and fix this…disaster," she fretted with her mane.
"I think we could all use a good, long bath," Applejack agreed.
"Yes, well…after I finish cleaning up I think I shall go to the train station to get tickets," Rarity stated. "Would you care to accompany me to Canterlot and the Crystal Empire?
Applejack raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Me? I wouldn't mind, I suppose. But yah know that dress shops and all that ain't exactly my idea of a good time."
"We could visit whatever shops you would like to peruse as well," Rarity offered.
"That's mighty kind of yah," Applejack smiled. "I suppose Big Mac could pick up the slack for a day or two—especially if it gives me the opportunity to sell some apples in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire.
"Um…well, actually," the unicorn fumbled. "I was hoping you could continue to carry that," she motioned to the carts full of gems. "It looks rather heavy."
"Thank you so much, darling." Rarity politely accepted the four tickets from the pony at the train station.
"Any time, Miss Rarity. Don't forget to be here tomorrow morning!"
After parting from the train station Rarity tucked the tickets away as she readjusted her scarf. Everything was coming along splendidly. Twilight was getting the reverse mold. With that she could make flawless wings. And, thanks to Applejack, she had more than enough gems to go get the crystalline cloth and dozens of other fabrics. Nothing was going to stop them from fixing Rainbow Dash's wing!
"We're doomed!" Fluttershy openly weeped barely visible in the feeble light provided by Twilight's horn. The alicorn had Fluttershy on her right and Pinkie on her left in the darkened, sealed cavern of the mirror pond. They were huddled against one of the cavern walls—the most stable part of the cavern—along with the molds.
"It... I know things look bleak, but I do know a spell that should shield us in case of collapse," Twilight said in little more than a whisper as she ran a hoof through Fluttershy's mane.
"That doesn't help us get out of here!" Pinkie shouted from across the cavern as she uselessly scratched at the collapsed tunnel with a hoof. "We need to start digging!"
"Pinkie! I can't protect you unless you are next to me!" Twilight admonished. "Besides, that tunnel completely collapsed. It would take you just as long to dig out no matter where you decided to start." Twilight sighed as she glanced at the terrified pony in her lap. "Actually, don't dig at all! You might just cause a collapse."
Pinkie slunk back over to Twilight before sitting down and pouting. "Then what are we supposed to do! We have to get out of here! Everypony is waiting for us!"
"That's what I'm counting on," Twilight revealed. "They might come looking for us. I just hope that they realize how dangerous those pyreflies are."
"Tw-Twilight I-I have to tell you s-something. In case...we-I don't get out," Fluttershy said, cringing away from Twilight's comforting hooves.
Twilight looked questioningly to the shaking mare. "Fluttershy...we're getting out of here," she lied. "Everything and everypony is going to be okay."
Fluttershy shook her head a bit. "Rainbow Dash has been lying to us!" she confessed. She looked up as tears trailed down her cheeks. "M-my friend...my animal friend. He overheard the Wonderbolts talking to-to Rainbow Dash."
Twilight frowned a bit. "F-Fluttershy...you shouldn't..." She had expected better than Fluttershy than to eavesdrop. Still, in spite of herself she couldn't help but to be curious. Rainbow Dash was lying? About what?
"I know! But..." Fluttershy turned her head away. "I want to..." she trailed off as her own words caused her to wonder. She did not like the question her own words spurred. What do I want? To help Rainbow Dash, or just...revenge? Fluttershy hung her head as she clenched her jaw and grimaced. "I-I'm sorry! Never mind!" she choked out as she started bawling.
Twilight scooted over a bit as she gently stroked Fluttershy's mane. "Shhh, it's okay, Fluttershy," she cooed. "It's okay."
"No." Fluttershy shook her head. "It's not."
"Rarity!" Rainbow Dash shouted as Applejack wheeled her over.
"Applejack, Rainbow Dash," Rarity greeted in a dignified manner. "What brings you two here? Does Twilight have my mold ready?"
Rainbow Dash shook her head as Applejack stepped around the wheelchair wearing a worriful expression. "Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy never came back from the Everfree Forest!" Applejack said, emphasizing her words by stomping a hoof. "They left first thing this mornin'! They should've been back hours ago!"
"Oh! Oh dear," Rarity said, raising a hoof to her mouth. "What should we do?"
"We have to go find them, what else?" Rainbow asserted.
Rarity skeptically looked at Rainbow Dash, "Applejack and I—"
"I'm going!" Dash cut Rarity off. "They went to the Everfree Forest for me. I'm going."
Rarity sighed. "All right," she agreed with a curt nod. "They went to the magic mirror pond, correct?"
Applejack nodded before going back to Dash's wheelchair. "Yeah, but everypony that knows where to find it is missing!" she fretted as she started wheeling Rainbow Dash. "I don't know where to start other than the Everfree."
"Wait, what about your brother?" Rarity asked as she followed along.
"Big Mac?" Applejack raised an eyebrow.
Rarity nodded in turn. "Didn't Big Mac help Twilight to seal off the mirror pond to prevent another...incident?"
The wheelchair stopped moving as Applejack took a moment to facehoof. "I'm such a featherbrain! Yeah! Big Mac'll know where to go! Let's get to the farm!"
After recruiting Big Mac for the search and rescue mission, the group headed into the Everfree Forest. At first, everything seemed normal. Then, after only a couple of minutes of hiking, the thick brush opened into a barren plain. The ground beneath their hooves was black and grey. A huge swath dozens of yards wide had been burned to the earth, leaving a winding trail of ashes while leaving the forest itself spared.
"Oh! Look at what all of this soot is doing to my hooves!" Rarity whined as she examined a marred hoof. "And my coat! I just took a bath!"
"Rarity, now ain't the time!" Applejack scolded as she ran out into the middle of the carnage. She looked around frantically. "They were out here, maybe when this fire happened! Big Mac, where's the...the thing!"
The red stallion shook his head as he chewed on the piece of grass in his mouth. "It's all different now."
"You don't know where to go?"
Big Mac shook his head. "Nope."
Rainbow Dash grunted as she let herself out of the wheelchair. "We have to find them!" she asserted as she pushed Rarity into the wheelchair to keep her hooves clear of the staining ashes. "Happy now?"
"Rainbow Dash, I cannot possibly—"
"No time!" Dash denied as she limped out. "We have to find them! Ideas?"
Rarity raised a hoof to her chin a moment before an idea struck her. "Oh! Do you think they wore any gems out here?" She willed her horn to life as she glanced around. "Always accessorize," she asserted as she adjusted her scarf with a hoof, leaving a black mark from the ashes. "There aren't many gems out here in the Everfree Forest. If they did wear any I might be able to find them!"
"Okay, good idea," Applejack announced before running around the wheelchair to push Rarity. Just before she grabbed the handles, the wheelchair began rolling. Rarity's horn seemed to be pulling the unicorn—wheelchair and all—towards some unseen gemstone. "After that pony!" Applejack pointed a hoof.
Applejack and Big Mac started to run after the speeding wheelchair, but Big Mac hesitated as he took note of Rainbow Dash struggling to hobble along. "Got yah!" He grabbed Rainbow Dash and threw the small pegasus over his large back before running after his little sister.
After a short, speedy trip along the charred ground, Rarity came to a stop. The ground beneath her glowed in response to her spell. It was big. It was deep. It...wasn't their friends.
"It's a huge gemstone!" she pointed to the ground under her. "It can't be the girls, though. Too deep to collect, too." Rarity sighed as she leaned around and looked herself over. The ashes stirred up by the stunt still managed to permeate her pristine coat turning it a light shade of grey. "I'm sorry, I don't think I will be able to find them this way."
"That's all right, sugarcube." Applejack patted Rarity on the shoulder, leaving a jet-black hoofprint there. "It was worth a try."
Of course Rarity grimaced as she tried to wipe it off. Unfortunately her hooves weren't any cleaner and all she did was leave a black streak on her once nice, white coat. She angrily sighed as she made a mental note to not touch anything until after she had another bath.
Finally, Big Mac caught up with Rainbow Dash still strewn across his back. Before either of them had a chance to ask about what was going on, a low rumbling echoed from beneath. The ground began to shake. Then, it cracked right beneath Big Mac's hooves! Reacting quickly, he bucked Rainbow Dash off of himself. The action spared Dash, but his legs came back down with enough force to send his haunches into the sinking rock.
The ground opened up around Big Mac's haunches and he began to slip into the chasm. Rainbow Dash was the first one to reach him. Lying flat on her belly, she extended her good hoof to grab one of Big Mac's. A split second later, Applejack grabbed his other enormous hoof with her two front hooves and pulled with all her might.
"Hold on, Big Mac! I got yah!" Applejack assured even as the bulky stallion started slipping.
Rarity wasn't about to sit by and do nothing. She quickly readjusted her scarf before approaching the dangerous, crumbling ground. "Grab on!" she tossed the end of her scarf near Big Mac's mouth. As he bit down, Rarity turned around and tried her best to pull him out as she struggled to take even a single step.
Little by little, they started to pull Big Mac free. Then, suddenly, a new pressure came from behind, pushing Big Mac up. All at once, they fell over as he burst away from the collapsed ground. As he did, a yellow pegasus tumbled out with him.
"Fluttershy!?" most of the group chimed in unison.
"Girls!" Fluttershy greeted in turn. "I'm soooo glad to see you!"
"Hey! Don't forget about us!" a familiar voice echoed out of the hole Big Mac nearly fell into. "Get us out of here!"
Fluttershy stuck her head down the hole as the rest of the group stayed clear of the perilously unstable hole. After all, they couldn't fly if it collapsed. "I'll come get you." Fluttershy hesitantly floated back into the cavern. She came back out several seconds later with Pinkie Pie in her hooves.
"Hey everypony!" Pinkie smiled and waved, nearly causing Fluttershy to drop her. Clumsily, Fluttershy set her down well clear of the unstable ground. "Thanks for the lift! It's great to be out in the sunshine again! And look! No more pyreflies! It's a happy ending for everypony!"
By the time Pinkie had finished her enthusiastic rant, Fluttershy was setting Twilight onto her hooves. "Thanks Fluttershy." Twilight smiled as she stretched out her wings. "I'm starting to think that maybe it would be a good idea to put a little more effort into learning how to work these."
"Twilight! What the hay happened here?" Applejack asked as Fluttershy went to retrieve the molds.
"It's a long story—"
"No it's not!" Pinkie interrupted Twilight. "We came out to get a...oh wait, you know that part already! Silly me," she giggled before she stuck her tongue out a bit and rapped her head with a hoof. "Anyway, we got here and there were pyreflies! They nearly burned us alive but I spotted the entrance to the mirror pond and Twilight removed the rock—not Rocky—different rock. Then we all jumped in and Twilight put up a barrier to keep the pyreflies out and—"
"Wait, wait." Rarity held up a hoof to silence Pinkie. "What's this 'pyrefly?'"
Pinkie grinned as she began to recite the rhyme,
"Beware of the swarms of winking red, in the forest the pyreflies bring forth dread! A single touch brings a fiery pillar To bring their nest made of glowing cinder."
Twilight sighed as she shook her head. "If you thought parasprites were cute and scary...pyreflies take it to a whole new level," she explained as Fluttershy brought out the saddlebags and molds. "Apparently whatever they touch bursts into flames and is reduced to cinders. I'm glad they're gone."
The group looked around at the destruction. "This was caused by...bugs?" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow.
"Scary, huh!?" Pinkie excitedly exclaimed. "So after we escaped, the pyreflies got in the tunnel. They started melting the rocks and then the tunnel collapsed and the ceiling and—" Suddenly, another rumbling echoed out as deep cracks extended out from the hole. Then, the earth caved in, belching a plume of dust up as the cavern completely collapsed. "—well, something like that!"
"I suppose that's the last we'll see of the mirror pond," Twilight surmised as everypony backed away from the cratered ground.
"Well, we got the molds, we didn't spontaneously combust, and we didn't die a horrible crushing death!" Pinkie happily bounced around. "Mission accomplished!"
"Hoo-ee, talk about fancy." Applejack marveled the shiny trinkets hidden away in glass cases. "What could a pony even use most of this stuff for."
"I'm afraid you must be lost," a unicorn mare derisively said as she glared at Applejack from behind a counter. "This store is for the most exclusive and well-connected of ponies. Not some commoner like you."
Applejack was fully prepared to jump across the counter, but was stopped by a pearly leg. "Later, this shop is the only one in Canterlot that sells it," she whispered into Applejack's ear as she coaxed her to step back. "You must forgive my companion," Rarity spoke up as she pointed at the storefront window. Parked just outside was the trio of carts overflowing with gems. "You simply cannot expect a pony such as myself to pull something so heavy."
After scrutinizing Rarity a moment the unicorn scoffed. "Just see to it that she keeps her filthy hooves away from our pristine counters."
Applejack growled at her, but a pointed look from Rarity kept her soothed enough not to leap across the counter and assault the snobby unicorn. "Your shop carries a diamond-tipped sewing kit, correct?" she asked as sweetly as she could with a saccharin smile.
The employee gave a haughty, faux laugh. "A dressmaker with fine taste, I see." She slid down the glass counter before retrieving a gilded, gem-encrusted box and placed it atop the glass. Opening it revealed needles, two pairs of scissors, spools of thread, and even a measuring tape. They were all made of gold with brilliantly cut diamonds forming the needle points and scissor blades. The measure and thread seemed to be strung from gold thread.
Rarity adorned a loupe as she closely scrutinized the tools. The metal spools, scissors, and needles weren't solid gold. Merely gold-plated iron or steel. Had she intended to use the set as a decoration she would have thrown that box in that rude pony's face, but she needed to use them as tools. Iron would do better than gold for that purpose. More important were the blades and points. They were indeed genuine diamond. Cloudy and flawed, but diamonds nonetheless. Taking a pair of scissors in her aura, she tried snipping them to see how well the diamond blades meshed. In short, they didn't. The motion was not at all smooth, and they seemed to have a permanent hitch before they could fully close.
This was the only set of diamond-tipped sewing equipment, and it was nothing short of awful. How could she possibly expect to cut strings made of emeralds, rubies, and sapphires with this? She needed precision-crafted diamond for the task. Nothing else would do. This kit was just as pretentious as the ponies peddling it.
"This will not do at all," Rarity disdainfully spat as she replaced the scissors.
The unicorn frowned as she replaced the gilded box. "Surely you do not recognize quality when you see it," she scoffed. "I should have expected as much from a pony that keeps such...uncouth company."
That was the final straw. No, the final straw was the first time this dreadful unicorn opened her maw. She simply endured because she thought she needed something from this store. But that gaudy kit wasn't worth the effort. Hay, a dazzling kit full of flawless gems that worked perfectly probably wasn't. Rarity regretted that it took her this long to figure that out. Sending an apologetic glance to Applejack, she turned back to the unicorn with a scowl.
"Now see here, you prudish shrew..." Rarity put her hooves on the counter so she could lean up near the unicorn's face. "Applejack here,"—she pointed a hoof—"is a wonderful pony. Honest, hardworking, and kind. Three things I seriously doubt you will ever have the luxury of knowing. From where I'm standing the only uncouth one here is you!" She hopped down with a "Hmph!" as she turned to leave with Applejack, only to stop cold as her mouth fell open in shock.
"I dare say, that was certainly...something," Fancy Pants commented with an amused smile.
"O-oh dear." Rarity blushed. "You heard that, did you?"
Fancy nodded a bit. "Indeed."
"Monsieur Fancy Pants!" the unicorn behind the counter eagerly greeted. "I'm dreadfully sorry about that...unfortunate scene. Rest assured in the future we will see to it that only the proper clientele are allowed in."
"Why are you apologizing to me?" Fancy asked rhetorically as he motioned to the flabbergasted Rarity and curious Applejack. "These fine ladies are the ones you were so rude to." The attendant just stared slack-jawed at Fancy Pants as he turned to the other two. "An acquaintance mentioned seeing you in town, Rarity. I thought it would be such a delight to see you again, though I must say: remind me often to never draw your ire."
Rarity's cheeks radiated embarrassment. "I simply cannot believe you witnessed that!"
"I say, it's a pleasure seeing you again as well, Applejack." He leaned over to look at the pony that had so amusingly misinterpreted the purpose of a garden party.
"It sure is nice to see a friendly face 'round here," Applejack greeted with a tip of her hat.
"Tell me, how fares the Princess?" Fancy asked as he turned back to Rarity. "It must be so fascinating to be such close friends with a Princess."
Rarity rose a hoof to her lips to try and stifle a giggle as the trio left the shop leaving behind the completely stunned staff. "You know, Twilight Sparkle is terribly modest. She is not quite comfortable being called a Princess."
"You don't say," Fancy replied as they paused.
"Darn tootin'," Applejack chimed in as she hitched herself to the carts. "She prefers to be treated just the same way she used to be. It's a mighty fine attitude if yah ask me."
"How fascinating."
Rarity cleared her throat a bit. "I hate to be so forward, but we are suddenly in quite the tight spot. You see I need a set of diamond-tipped sewing equipment. This was the only shop we could find that had one, but it was...subpar."
"Diamond-tipped?" He raised an eyebrow before recognition crossed his face. "Oh, don't tell me. A fine dressmaker such as yourself; you must be hoping to make something of that new fabric—the crystalline cloth."
Rarity gave him a strange look. "You should know. You're the one that went on and on about it."
"Word travels that quickly does it?" Fancy asked in turn. "I should warn you that Canterlot's finest dressmakers have all tried and failed to properly work that cloth. I'm not certain you can even find it in Canterlot anymore."
"I know." Rarity quizzically gazed at Fancy. "The pony who makes it lives in the Crystal Empire now. You said so."
"Did I?" Fancy raised a hoof to his chin.
"What I need right now are the tools." Rarity waved a hoof as if to waft away the distracted conversation. "If everypony tried to work the cloth, then there should be a set left over somewhere, right?"
"I say, I don't quite know about that, but I can recommend a jewelsmith," he offered as he pointed a hoof.
It was a short, yet eventful trip to the jeweler's. Fancy Pant's entourage found him and they pulled him away, leaving the two mares to their task. Rarity was a bit upset about it, but Applejack was glad to be free from the posh unicorns. Rarity was more than prudish enough for her taste.
"Is this the place?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. The building in front of her didn't look anything like what she imagined. Without her noticing, Rarity had led her away from the opulent main strip and into a shoddy alley. The shop in question had a simple, hoof-painted sign that simply read "Gems" above an entryway cordoned off from the outside by, not a door, but a velveteen curtain.
"This is it," Rarity confirmed as she glanced around. She'd heard of the slums tucked away into the city, but she'd never actually visited them. "Perhaps you should stand near the wagons," she suggested as she pulled the curtain aside.
"Welcome!" a cheery voice greeted as soon as Rarity walked inside. It came from a rusty-red unicorn stallion standing behind a wooden counter. He never looked up from the sapphire under his loupe. In stark contrast to the aging wooden shop, there were shining, shimmering gemstones everywhere. They were on countertops and shelves as well as in bins and barrels. "How can I help you?"
Rarity struggled pull her gaze away from the gems. "I, um...I need a custom job."
"You'll have to be a bit more specific than that miss..." he said as he looked up.
"Rarity," she spoke her own name as she primped her mane. "I must say, this is not at all what I expected."
The red unicorn chuckled as he set the sapphire aside. "Everypony always tells me to sell this old place and get a shining, glamorous shop. But I grew up playing on these floors when my parents and my grandparents before them ran the family business. I wouldn't trade this rough, faded wood for all the bits in Canterlot." Looking up from his memories, he flashed Rarity a smile. "Now, what can I do for you, Miss Rarity?"
"I need sewing equipment fitted with diamonds," she explained. "Scissors, needles, pins... That sort of thing."
Jotting down Rarity's words onto a notepad he chuckled a bit to himself. "I got a few orders like these a while back. A bunch of dressmakers trying to work cloth made of gemstones. You know that it's impossible, right?"
"Impossible? I should say not," Rarity refuted.
"I've seen that cloth," he claimed as he finished scribbling on the notepad as he looked up at Rarity. "It has diamond in it. It would be like trying to cut a pair of scissors with another pair of scissors. It simply doesn't work."
Rarity slowly nodded as she contemplated his words. "I-I would still like to try it."
"I can have you a set in...three to four weeks," he offered as he looked to a calendar behind him.
"No," Rarity said, shaking her head. "That simply won't do. Is there any way I can convince you to expedite the order?"
A small smile touched his lips. "For a fee. Just how quickly do you need it?"
"Can you get it done in a day or two?"
He sighed as he shook his head. "Three to four days at the earliest, I'm afraid. And that will run you..." he trailed off as he worked an abacus, "...6,200 bits."
"Th-that's outrageous!"
"Most of it is for the rush order. I would have to push back several important clients to focus on your work."
Rarity sighed. "I didn't bring many bits with me, but I do have quite a few gems. I can even provide the needed diamonds. Would it be possible to pay for the entire order with gemstones?"
He raised an eyebrow at the tiny saddlebags on Rarity's sides. "I doubt you brought enough, but we could discuss a time frame based on what you can offer."
Rarity rolled her eyes. This stallion may have been charming, but there was no doubt he was a businesspony at heart. "One moment," she said as she headed out of the shop.
"Yah know I could hear every word," Applejack greeted Rarity in a low enough voice that the shopkeeper wouldn't hear. "He said it wouldn't work."
"He said diamonds cannot cut diamonds," Rarity qualified as she she used her magic to sift diamonds from the rest of the gems. "He is right about that. Diamonds are the hardest gemstone. It's why I have to use them to cut the rest. I just have to convince the weaver to make the cloth sans diamond."
Applejack rolled her eyes as Rarity trotted back into the shop. She probably should have been more supportive of Rarity, but she'd had more than enough of Canterlot already. She couldn't wait to get to the Crystal Empire.
"How is this for an offer?" Rarity emphasized as she ushered in the dozens of diamonds into the shop in her aura. She smiled triumphantly as the red unicorn's jaw dropped and his loupe fell onto the counter in front of him. "Darling, I may be a fashion designer, but my specialty is gemstones!"
"Deal!"
By the time the duo got on the train headed for the Crystal Empire, the sun was already being swallowed by the horizon. In the end Rarity had used up an entire wagon-full of gems. In their place was a wagon full to the brim with bolts of various fabrics as well as dozens upon dozens of bundles of feathers.
"Sure am glad we're finished with that mess," Applejack sighed as she and Rarity plodded towards the sleeper car.
"Yes..." Rarity muttered. It might've been a splendid day for Rarity, but the few shops that even gave Applejack a chance to speak refused to even consider buying from Sweet Apple Acres. "I'm certain you will have much more luck in the Crystal Empire."
"Why do Canterlot unicorns have to be so...snooty?" Applejack flopped into her bed, setting her hat aside.
Rarity sighed. "If you want to be taken seriously in Canterlot you must look and speak just so. It's just the way that it is."
"It ain't right," Applejack groused as she rolled over to stare at at the wall.
"No, I suppose not," Rarity gingerly snuggled into her bunk. "Applejack?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you... For coming with me, I mean."
"Yeah," Applejack replied again. Unseen by Rarity, a ghost of a smile touched Applejack's lips.
The Crystal Empire was as glorious as Rarity had remembered. Shining structures, shimmering ponies, and the sparkling palace all bedazzled Rarity's eyes. "Oh-hohoho! It has been too long since we visited!"
"Don't forget what we're here for," Applejack reminded Rarity as they strolled through the streets.
"Yes, yes..." Rarity rolled her eyes before pointing a hoof. "We're almost there. You must be tired dragging those carts around."
"Are you kiddin'?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Granted these gems're heavier than apples, but I get the luxury of carryin' 'em 'round on paved ground. It's a lot easier than luggin' 'em up and down hills in the dirt."
Rarity just smiled as she shook her head. "You really are something, Applejack. I doubt I could pull that at all."
Applejack chuckled. "Years of practice," she boasted.
"Oh! We're here!" Rarity did a double-take as she checked the scrap of paper in her hoof. After trotting up to the door of a modest home, she primped her mane a bit before knocking on the door.
The door opened only a crack to reveal an aqua eye and a teal blue horn. "Yes? Can I help you?" a feminine voice asked.
"Hello, darling," Rarity cheerily greeted. "I am Rarity and this—" she pointed a hoof, "—is Applejack. We came all the way from Ponyville to speak with you about your crystalline cloth."
"No refunds," she tersely replied as she pulled the door shut.
Rarity looked to Applejack with a shocked and puzzled expression before turning back to the door and knocking again. When the unicorn didn't answer, Rarity resorted to shouting, "Please, we need to speak with you! It is very important! We need your help!" Rarity raised a hoof to knock again, but hesitated as the door slowly opened.
"You need...my help?" the unicorn asked as she finally opened the door wide enough for Rarity and Applejack to get a good look. She had a cerulean coat and a turquoise mane. Her cutie mark was a red, six-pointed gem with curling lines coming from each point.
"Yes," Rarity gave a hopeful smile. "It's a long story, but we absolutely need some of your crystalline cloth."
The unicorn hung her head. "I...don't make that anymore."
"Please miss..."
"Silky Gem," she spoke her name.
"Silky Gem," Rarity continued, "I don't need the cloth for a dress or an accessory. I...we need it so our friend can fly again."
Silky raised an eyebrow as she puzzled just what the unicorn was trying to say. "Um...why don't you come in?" she offered.
Rarity and Applejack followed the unicorn through her house to a small workshop. On shelves were bolts of fabric. A few of them were the shimmering crystalline cloth, but most seemed to be far less exotic. All of the fabrics and threads and even the loom in the middle of the room sat untouched long enough to have collected a layer of dust.
"This place sure could use a good once over," Applejack noted as Silky levitated a bolt of crystalline cloth down to Rarity with an aqua aura.
Rarity stared in awe at the cloth in her hooves. It gathered and scattered the light just like a high quality gemstone. Looking close she could see the individual filaments of diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald. "It's absolutely gorgeous!"
"You can have it," Silky mumbled as she looked longingly to the bolts on the shelf.
A pointed look from Applejack elicited Rarity to sigh as she set the fabric aside. "I'm afraid this won't do," she gently said. "I will need you to weave something new."
"Wh-what?"
"I don't mean to be blunt, but what in Equestria possessed you to weave diamond into this cloth?" Rarity criticized. "Darling, diamonds are the hardest things—impossible to cut. If you made the cloth without them it would be easier to manipulate."
"You just think that removing a gemstone will help?" Silky scoffed. "I've tried every combination, every weave...everything! Nothing works! Why did you even come here? To taunt me? To throw my failures in my face!?"
Rarity and Applejack shared a concerned glance before Rarity cleared her throat, "We came here because we need your cloth. I will do whatever it takes to make it work. If we work together I'm confident we can find a solution!"
Silky gave a bitter chuckle as she looked up to one of the shimmering bolts. "It wasn't even a month ago I debuted my cloth. For a few days I was the talk of the town. Everypony wanted it. Then, they didn't. They were beating down my door for refunds, so...I ran away. I tried to fix it and make it work out here, but it's no use. It's just...no use. Don't you get it? Nothing can make this cloth work."
"No, that simply will not do," Rarity claimed. "It must work."
"You said you needed it for your friend... I don't understand," Silky Gem prodded.
"We got a pegasus friend, Rainbow Dash," Applejack spoke up. "She got hurt in a competition—lost 'er wing. Another friend of ours says she might be able to use her magic to fix it."
"That's right," Rarity nodded, "but we need the perfect substrate. A material durable enough to last her no matter what ridiculous stunt she pulls. We can't afford to cut any corners. I...I wouldn't be able to bear it if she got hurt because the wing I made her fell apart."
Silky stared at the two ponies a moment before she realized her mouth was open. "I-that sort of magic exists?"
"Not yet," Applejack chuckled. "Give Twi a few days, she'll get it there."
"Uh..." was all Silky could manage to vocalize because "Oh Celestia, I've let two crazy ponies into my house!" was probably not a wise decision. Inciting insane ponies is how you end up on the news as a tragic story.
Rarity chuckled as she picked up the cloth again. "I can tell by your expression that you don't believe us," she mused.
"You-you don't just make magic." Silky stomped a hoof. "It's impossible."
Rarity smiled in amusement. "You would think that, but Twilight Sparkle's magic is nothing short of spectacular! I believe she can do it."
Silky raised an eyebrow. "Twilight Sparkle? As in Princess Twilight Sparkle?"
"Yep, that's the one," Applejack affirmed with a nod.
Silky laughed nervously. "You...really expect me to believe that you two are friends with a Princess?"
"It's a long story, sugarcube," Applejack dismissed, "but, yeah, we've been friends with Twi since long before she was a princess."
A knocking drew attention away from the conversation as Silky hesitated leaving the two bizarre ponies alone in her workshop. A second rapping at her door made up her mind for her. Sighing, she trotted through to her door. Peeking out at the uninvited visitor, she found a purple unicorn sporting saddlebags staring back her.
"Hi!" she cheerily greeted with a smile. "Um... I'm looking for my friends. An orange earth pony with a hat and a white unicorn with a purple mane."
Silky rolled her eyes as she considered locking this one out. "Why?" she found herself asking. She didn't want to end up letting her in, but she just couldn't just lock her out, either.
"Well, they left their stuff out here, so they can't have gotten far," the purple pony insisted as she looked to the side.
Finally sticking her head out the door she found the carts overflowing with gems and fabric. Her jaw dropped. How had she not noticed that!? Before she could even get over the shock from the sight, a purple motion caught her eye. Craning her neck to look at the purple pony, she blinked. Not quite believing it, she blinked twice more. They were still there. This unicorn had wings!
"Are you all right?" Twilight asked with a concerned expression. "You don't look so good."
Silky tried to speak, but none of her bodily functions seemed to be working very well.
"Oh! Twilight! What a pleasant surprise!" Rarity greeted as she trotted out alongside Applejack.
"Hey, sugarcube. Here I thought yah said yah wouldn't be able to make it out to the Crystal Empire."
"Yes, well..." Twilight blushed. "I thought I would have plenty of time to work on the spell with the wings Rarity had already made, but they ended up, um...conflagrating."
"Confla-what now?" Applejack asked.
"Uh... Let's just say that I know now what not to do," Twilight explained with a smile. "Besides, I can't wait to catch up with my big brother and Cadance. Oh! And I brought you these," she wiggled her hips to bring attention to the positive molds.
"Oh! How marvelous! I can get a head start on some of these fabrics I wanted to try," Rarity enthused as she pulled the molds free. "And you made a copy!"
Twilight nodded. "I have the original molds back at the library, but these should suffice for now."
Applejack nudged Silky in the side. "Hey, I don't suppose yah know what confla...whatever she said means, do yah?"
Silky just shook her head, still unable to form words.
"I really wish I could stay and help out, but I promised Shining and Princess Cadance that I would meet them for lunch," Twilight apologized. "It took me so long finding you two that I really need to get going."
"Lunch, with royalty?" Rarity pressed as she batted her eyelashes at Twilight.
Twilight had to work hard to suppress a giggle. "How rude of me, would you like to come along?"
"Would we!?" Rarity primped her mane.
"I could go fer a bite," Applejack agreed, again nudging Silky Gem. "How 'bout you?"
Her jaw moved up and down and her lips flapped, but no words came out. Silky had to settle for an emphatic nod.
"Oh! This is Silky Gem," Rarity introduced the mute unicorn. "She is going to help me make the perfect cloth for Rainbow Dash! Let's just get this inside and we can go."
Twilight sighed at the carts Rarity was pointing to. Summoning her magic, she effortlessly floated all the contents inside the house along with the molds. "After lunch, would you mind making a wing or two so that I can refine my spell?" Twilight asked as she shut the door.
"Of course, Twilight," Rarity agreed as the trio followed after Twilight.
Is this...really happening? Silky wondered in a dreamlike state as she followed after the Princess and her two friends.
A cerulean unicorn carefully set a framed picture over her hearth. Her home was filled with countless gemstones and dozens of bolts of cloth—none of which mattered to her as much as this single photograph. In spite of her failures in Canterlot, her humiliation, and her self-inflicted exile in the Crystal Empire, this photo made her feel like she had truly accomplished something. There she stood in the same picture as two Princesses and a Prince. Sure she was off to the side, separated from the royalty by that orange earth pony, but this was proof that she had to have done something right in her life. Although, she wasn't entirely sure what that was. It surely wasn't that worthless, unworkable cloth she came up with.
Maybe it was just opening her door? She tore her eyes off of her prized keepsake to see Rarity working with Applejack and Twilight to form a cloth wing using a mold. These three ponies were nothing like the Canterlot elite she had grown up around. Even Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor seemed immeasurably...genuine. They were honest, playful, earnest; they were friendly. They even extended that kindness to her, a complete stranger.
In spite of her elation, Rarity had kept enthusing about her crystalline cloth the entire time. Each time she felt a pang of guilt. Rarity seemed to think a tweak or two would make that cloth workable. Silky kept telling her that she was mistaken, but she refused to listen. Even though she continued to proclaim the cloth's faults, Rarity's enthusiasm made her feel like she was deceiving her.
I have tried everything. Every combination, every weave, every gemstone... That cloth is a lost cause.
"This mold just makes it so much easier to fashion the wings," Rarity enthused as she set a complete wing aside. "Now, just how many do you think you might need, darling? I really should be getting to work with Silky here on that marvelous cloth."
"Just a few more, Rarity," Twilight urged with a smile. "I'd like to try a few, and Applejack can help me test them while you and Silky work on that cloth."
"Beats just sittin' around and listenin' to a couple of unicorns go on 'n' on about fabric and gems," Applejack agreed, earning a roll of Rarity's eyes.
Silky sighed as she looked back to the framed picture. In the hours she had spent with these bizarre ponies, she had learned the whole story. A famous flier and friend of theirs lost a wing. If their stories were true, they had tried even getting Princess Celestia and the infamous Discord to help them. There were really going all out to help their friend. Maybe that's why they were so desperate as to actually believe in her cloth.
They really...need my help, she realized as she looked to the smiling faces in the picture. Her brow furrowed as she adopted a determined expression. She would help them. Maybe that unicorn was as talented as she seemed. Maybe, just maybe, if she worked together with Rarity, she really could somehow come up with a way to make the crystalline cloth work.
"Right!" Silky announced with a newfound fire. "I'm going to go prepare the loom while you get these wings made. Let's get you that crystalline cloth!"
Several minutes later, Rarity stepped into Silky's workroom to find the cerulean unicorn dusting. "Are we ready to get started?" Rarity asked with a smile.
Silky nodded after a moment's contemplation. "I'm ready if you are, but...but I don't even know where to start," she confessed as she looked to the bolt of crystalline cloth remaining on the shelf. "I've tried everything I can think of to no avail. What ideas do you have?"
"Well..." Rarity touched a hoof to her chin as she examined the sparkling cloth. "Is it possible for you to make the filaments thinner?"
"I can, but then the cloth looses its strength and starts to become brittle," Silky explained.
"I was thinking of making them one-third the thickness so that you could braid the filaments into actual threads," Rarity proposed. "It should still be easier to cut than the current filaments and be just as strong."
"And less flexible. The cloth is already nearly as hard to work as leather!"
The two unicorns' voices could be heard back in the main room where Twilight was busy attaching a wing to each of Applejack's sides. "Think they're gonna actually get that fancy stuff to work?" Applejack queried as she felt a strange tugging on her sides.
"Whether they do or not, I'm sure Rarity will come up with something that will work," Twilight assured as her horn's aura faded. "How is it? Are they on?"
Applejack looked to either of her sides and gave her body a good shake. The wings stayed attached. "Lookin' good."
Twilight took one in her hoof and scrutinized it. "The down looks okay—" she gave the wing a good tug "—the attachment seems sturdy, too."
"Oh! You have sensations of the wing!?" Twilight asked, running a hoof across the down feathers.
Applejack nodded. "It ain't like a normal feelin', though. I don't know how to explain it other than...weird."
"At least I've managed to get actual sensations this time!" Twilight enthused. "Can you move them at all?"
Applejack closed her eyes and struggled. "Is that...doin' anythin', sugarcube?" she asked as she kept her eyes shut.
"It twitched!" Twilight exclaimed. "It's not much, but it twitched! So we have sensation and motor function!"
"I'll admit, it's a might better than last time, but I still can't fly with 'em."
Twilight smirked. "Let's find out." A burst of magic, and the wings unfurled and began to flap.
Back in the workshop, Rarity and Silky had their plan for the first piece of crystalline cloth. All that was left now was to actually make the threads. Rarity couldn't wait at all. She floated a few gemstones over to Silky. "Here," she insisted as she failed to suppress a giggle.
Silky took a ruby, sapphire, and emerald in her aura. As she concentrated a point on each gemstone gave rise to, a tiny, thin thread that stretched out, elongating.. These threads met each other and began to twist together into a multicolored string. That string wrapped around a spool as it grew. By the time the spool was full, the gemstones were only a little smaller than their original size.
"Grab me a new spool?" Silky asked as she grabbed the string in her aura. She stretched and stretched it until it snapped off. Then, she set the spool aside as Rarity handed her a new one. "Yeah, this part takes a long time," Silky joked a bit as she picked up where she left off. It didn't take long until the gemstones were exhausted, culminating in several spools.
Silky grabbed a new trio, but dropped them as a scream sounded from the other room followed by a crash. She shared a glance with Rarity a moment before a bunch of shouts sounded, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! I'm soooo sorry!"
The two unicorns ran in to find Twilight dunking the end of Applejack's ponytail into a glass of water. It sizzled as a wisp of smoke rose into the air. The rest of Applejack wasn't faring much better. Her mane was charred, her sides had scorch marks on them, and her signature hat was missing.
"What happened?" Rarity asked as she skidded to a stop.
Applejack gave a couple of week coughs, expelling a bit of smoke from her lungs. "I, uh...I think I learned what 'conflagrate' means."
"I'm so sorry, Applejack!" Twilight apologized again. "I really thought I had that problem figured out!"
Applejack sighed heavily. "It's all right, sugarcube. I know yer tryin' yer best," she absolved Twilight as she fished her hat from a pile of fabrics. "Silky, you got a place a gal can get washed up around here?"
"Up...upstairs on the left," Silky pointed a hoof.
"What in Equestria happened?" Rarity prodded as Applejack retreated up the stairs.
"Ohhh, it's all my fault," Twilight admitted her failure as she hung her head. "The wings started flying her around the room and I panicked and tried to dispel the enchantment and remove them at the same time and I overloaded them and-and..." she trailed off from her rant as she took several deep breaths. "I-I knew that would happen if I put too magic into it, but I...still did it. I panicked and-and I really could have hurt Applejack."
"Applejack seemed just fine to me. Nopony got hurt," Rarity assured.
Twilight breathed an exaggerated sigh. "I've got more work to do before I attempt this on a pony again," she insisted as she grabbed the two remaining wings. Twilight stuffed them in her saddlebags before attaching them. "I'm going to go back to Ponyville and work on it."
"Wait, Twilight," Rarity stepped in Twilight's way, locking eyes with her. "Now I know you didn't mean to do that, as does Applejack."
"It doesn't matter that I didn't mean to," Twilight argued. "I did it, and I put Applejack in danger by doing so."
Rarity nodded. "We understand that, darling, but you shouldn't be so hard on yourself." She stepped aside leaving Twilight an open path to the door. "I won't stop you, but at least stay long enough for me to sew you a few more wings. All right?"
Twilight flopped down on her rump as she hung her head. "I just... I can't believe I did that!" she admitted. "I just..."
"You just need to keep working at it, darling. Just like I need to keep working with Silky on this cloth," Rarity assured as she cantered over and put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Now, I need to know if you're going to stay or not."
Twilight shook her head. "I have to work on it, but I won't put my friends in danger," she vowed. "That means working on it in my laboratory until I know I have it under control."
Rarity nodded in understanding. "Silky, would you mind working on that string alone for a short while? I need to craft Twilight a few more wings to go home with."
"Of course." Silky nodded before grabbing half a dozen gems and walking back into her workshop.
"Good," Rarity said with a smile. "Now, let's get you settled before your trip home."
"Thank you, Rarity." Twilight met Rarity's smile with one of her own.
Rarity gave a small giggle. "Don't think for even a moment that you're off the hook, Twilight," she playfully chided as she grabbed dozens of fabrics in her aura. "I expect you to have all your little problems solved by the time I get back to Ponyville in a few days."
"I think I can handle that," Twilight assured with a grin.
After working with Silky all through the night, Rarity helped to create a new, shimmering cloth. It was diamond-free with thinner strands than the original. The trade-off was that it was both more brittle and stiffer. Over the next two days Rarity worked with Silky trying different techniques and, on Rarity and Applejack's last day in the Crystal Empire, they did it. They created a cloth thinner, stronger, lighter, and more flexible than the original. Silky even had time to weave another one just like it utilizing a copious amount of diamond—just in case this new weave would be workable even with the unbreakable stone woven in.
These bolts, along with a few other weaves Silky had helped make, were placed into Applejack's carts along with all the other fabrics Rarity had picked up during their trip. "Here," Silky offered as she floated several spools of diamond thread into Rarity's fashionable saddlebags.
"Thank you so much, darling," Rarity graciously acknowledged. "With this, I'm certain to have a wing for Rainbow Dash in no time."
Silky nodded with a sincere smile. "No. I really should be the one thanking you. I...just be sure to mail me if you manage to make work of any of my crystalline fabrics. I can't wait to hear all about it."
"Oh, I will. And I have your measurements. I'll be sure to make you something absolutely fabulous!"
Applejack rolled her eyes. Three days of this was encroaching on torment. "If we're all done here, we got us a train to catch."
"Don't be ridiculous, Applejack. We still have a few hours before the train leaves," Rarity chided.
Applejack facehoofed. "Then why, pray tell, are we gettin' everythin' ready to go now?"
"Why, it's our last shopping day in the Crystal Empire, of course!"
"Didn't we go shoppin' yesterday? And the day before?" Applejack uselessly protested.
"Don't you worry, Applejack. Today will be special, I assure you," Rarity promised as she finally walked over and waved to Silky. "I'll be sure to send you a letter just as soon as I receive my tools from Canterlot."
Applejack and Rarity waved goodbye to Silky as Rarity led them away and towards the town's center. It didn't take them long to reach the locus of the Crystal Empire's shopping district. After arriving, Rarity didn't drag Applejack to any of the shops. Instead, she sat down on a bench underneath a crystalline tree. Its branches didn't provide shade so much as it scattered the light into muted, shimmering colors.
Once she got comfortable, she looked to Applejack and patted the space next to her. "Come, sit," she urged.
Applejack rolled her eyes before unstrapping herself. "What is it, now?" she grumbled as she climbed up on the bench.
"Applejack, I just… I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for coming with me all this way. I know the Crystal Empire and Canterlot may not be your idea of a splendid trip."
Adjusting her hat, Applejack felt just a bit ashamed for being sore at Rarity a moment ago. "Shucks, it ain't all bad, sugarcube. Ah managed to get a few orders here, though most of 'em ain't until cider season."
"Good, good," Rarity replied with an awkward smile. "I would have felt just awful if you came all this way for nothing."
"It ain't like I don't like spendin' time with yah, Rare." Applejack glanced back at her. "Though, even I gotta admit that three days is a bit much."
Rarity laughed just a bit at her own expense. "Too much of a good thing?" she joked with a wink.
Applejack chortled in turn. "Somethin' like that."
"I wanted to thank you for all you've done to help me," Rarity spoke up as the laughter ebbed away. She opened her saddlebag and retrieved a bulging sack. "It may not be the most glamorous or thoughtful of gifts, but you most certainly deserve it."
As the sack clinked down onto the bench, the opening widened to reveal its contents, and what Applejack saw made her eyes widen. "R-Rarity, Ah can't accept this," she stammered as she opened it even wider with a hoof and peered inside. It was an enormous bag of bits.
"Don't be ridiculous," Rarity insisted. "Those all came from the gemstones you helped me to get. You even carried them around for me."
Applejack looked to the sack of bits, to Rarity, and back. "But what about you, sugarcube?"
Rarity chuckled in turn. "Surely, you must be joking." She raised an eyebrow before motioning to the train of carts. "I didn't sell all the gems, and just look at all this fabric. I won't have to worry about supplies for months!"
"If yah really insist." Applejack carefully tied the bag shut. "Thank you, Rarity. I mean it."
"It's the least I could do," Rarity brushed off the compliment as she primped her mane. "I just wish I could do more for you, Applejack. I couldn't have possibly have done all of this on my own, you know." She hopped up off the bench and stretched just a bit, shaking off the stiffness. Why, in the wide, wide world of Equestria did anypony imagine designing benches like that would be comfortable?
"So," Rarity continued once she was comfortable again, "shall we go shopping? We still have plenty of time before the train leaves. We can go wherever you want."
Applejack sprung up with the sack in her teeth. After placing it in the front cart, she again hitched herself to the front. "Now how can I turn down an invitation like that?"
It was an uneventful trip back to Ponyville. As soon as they arrived, Applejack and Rarity went their separate ways. Applejack went back to the farm, and Rarity made a beeline for her boutique.
After Rarity got everything tucked away into her studio, she found her diamond scissors waiting for her in a small package in her mailbox. She wouldn't have to wait to start working on the crystalline cloth after all. Her aura made quick work of the packaging, and she pulled the shimmering scissors free. That gem smith did not disappoint. They meshed perfectly and were beyond razor-sharp.
Sifting through the multitude of fabrics, Rarity grabbed the crystalline cloths and set them up next to her work table. Grabbing the thinnest one, she unfurled it over her table and brought her scissors to the fabric. A firm press of her magic, and the blades closed on the fabric.
It didn't cut.
The fabric resisted the sharp blades, forcing them apart as it jammed up in the scissors. Rarity pried them open before realigning them. She tried again, but the fabric refused to yield. Moving in at a different angle, she met the same result. Quickly losing her patience, she unfurled fabric from a different bolt.
Bolt after bolt, hour after hour, Rarity persisted.
"No… NO!" Rarity grunted as she stood over the shimmering fabric. All of the bolts were stretched out over her table in a haphazard fashion. Several stray hairs had found their way out of her expertly coiffed mane. Instead of giving up and taking a break to collect herself, Rarity only pushed further. "Just cut already!" Giving up on cutting the fabric in her aura, she grabbed the scissors in her hooves. She used her table as leverage and put all of her weight on the diamond scissors.
A high-pitched sound preceded a chunk of the crystalline cloth finally coming free from the bolt. It was jagged, misshapen and the crystal threads were obviously broken, not cut. In short, it was ruined. "Worthless!" she raged as she threw the scissors, firmly embedding them in the wall on the other side of the room.
She then flopped face-down onto her design table in a most unladylike fashion. She'd been at it for hours and she wasn't making one bit of progress. None of the fabrics could be cut no matter how hard she tried.
Rarity had been so certain, so convinced, that if she just augmented the crystalline cloth that she could work it. All she had to do was to make the threads thinner and remove the diamond, right? Why couldn't she cut the threads!? When she'd arrived home, she was convinced Rainbow Dash's perfect wing was just an afternoon away. Now, it wasn't even on the horizon.
She had failed.
Sure, she had a hundred other fabrics and weaves to try, but she felt it—she knew—that the crystalline cloth would be the only fabric worthy of Rainbow Dash. Anything less and there was no telling what could go wrong. Rarity cringed, still lying face down on her table, as the image of Cloudsdale rapidly retreating towards the sky flashed in her mind. She still found it hard to believe that Rainbow had survived that horror. Rarity would not let her go through it again because the wing she sewed was inadequate.
But what could she do? She had already tried to cut each of the different cloths. It was always the same. The fabric would twist under the diamond blades, turning and not yielding. Forcing it didn't work, trying to delicately cut it painstakingly strand by strand didn't work, and…that was it. For all her knowledge of both fabric and gemstone, she didn't know what else to try. She didn't just fail Rainbow Dash, she had humiliated herself by not having the skill or knowledge to move forward. She didn't just fail, she had proven herself to be a failure.
Just as Rarity was about to succumb to the emotion constricting her throat, the entry bell signaled a guest's arrival. "Uh, Rarity?" Spike's voice stirred Rarity from her troubled thoughts.
Rarity scrambled to reign in her emotions before turning to Spike with a fake smile. She cleared her throat, not quite trusting her voice to remain steady. "S-Spike, what brings you here?"
"You haven't been in town in half a week, and then when you got back you didn't even stop to say hi to anypony," Spike explained. "Twilight was worried and so she let me come see how you were doing. Are you going to be able to make Rainbow Dash a new wing?"
Absentmindedly picking up the torn scrap of the crystalline cloth with a hoof, she shook her head. "I just…" she sighed. "I can't…quite get it working."
"Oh wow!" Spike's eyes widened at the sight of the cloth. "That looks—" he licked his lips "—amazing!"
Rarity sighed again as she tossed the scrap over to Spike. "You can have it," she allowed. "It's ruined anyway."
"Really!? Thanks, Rarity!"
"The whole thing is ruin—" Rarity abruptly stopped as a high-pitched crunching sound reached her ears. She stood there frozen until the sound repeated itself. Whipping around, she found Spike biting into the crystalline cloth.
"Thish stuff is amahzing," Spike said, his cheeks puffed out as he chewed. Swallowing, he continued, "It's a little stringy, but it's got all the flavors mixed together."
"Let me see that!" Rarity ripped it from his claws with her aura. She brought it close to her face as she scrutinized it.
Spike looked aghast at Rarity. "I-I'm sorry! I thought you said I could have it?"
It was perfect. The strings weren't chipped or jagged. They were perfectly smooth and even—they had been cut. "Oh, Spike! I could kiss you!" she exclaimed as she swept Spike up into an affectionate hug, pressing her cheek up against Spike's scaly one. True to her word, as soon as she pulled back she planted several kisses on his cheek.
Once he was back on the ground, he nearly tumbled over. After swaying for a few steps, he managed to regain his balance. He reverently rubbed his cheek as he looked up at Rarity. "Wh-what?"
Mentally giggling at Spike's befuddlement, Rarity grabbed the bolt and held it out in front of the baby dragon. "This is the crystalline cloth," she explained, smiling. "It's the perfect material to make Rainbow Dash a new wing, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't cut it. No pun intended."
"Um, okay?" Spike muttered, still holding a claw to his cheek.
"I cannot cut it, even with diamond scissors," Rarity confessed. "But you, Spike, can cut it with your teeth! Can you help me?" She batted her eyelashes at Spike. "I need you to make all my cuts for me."
Eating delicious crystals for Rarity—this was a job!? "Of course! I'd do anything for you, Rarity!" he insisted as his heart and stomach battled for which thing was more alluring to him. His eyes danced back and forth between Rarity and the shimmering threads. "Anything!"
Pulling out a length of fabric, she grabbed a marker and drew careful lines along the fabric. "Do you think you can make this cut? Just try to nibble along the line and keep it as straight as you can. You can do that, right, Spikey-Wikey?"
"Uh-huh!"
"What was I thinking?" Twilight grumbled to herself as the Carousel Boutique came into view. Sending Spike to go check on Rarity would be like sending Pinkie to go check on a frosting factory. Still, Twilight was a little disappointed that after two hours he didn't have the presence of mind to come back and let her know what was going on. That was the entire reason she sent him there in the first place!
She just couldn't help herself. The moment she burst into the boutique she shouted Spike's name in a scolding tone. Her mood quickly changed when she found Spike standing on Rarity's work table with a sheet of fabric in his jaws and Rarity looking at her with an inquisitive look. "Uh, Spike? What are you doing?" she asked, completely forgetting her ire.
"Hello, Twilight!" Rarity greeted with an indelible smile. "So sorry, but I need to borrow Spike for just a few more minutes! Or, well, hours."
Twilight trotted over to find Rarity guiding Spike…where to bite her cloth. "This is the best job ever!" Spike said after swallowing a mouthful of the gemstone-crafted cloth.
Rarity giggled. "Just make sure you keep following the lines," she instructed as she held up the next part to be worked on near Spike's chubby cheeks. Rarity then turned back to Twilight. "No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't cut this wonderful cloth. But my widdle Spikey-Wikey here doesn't have a problem biting through it. His little teeth are just simply marvelous!"
Spike grinned wide, showing off his gem-slicing fangs. "I get to help Rarity and I get to eat all the gems I want! This cloth is so yummy!"
Twilight sighed. "Well, I can see you're busy, but at least now I know you're doing well with the wing. Better than I am, at least."
"Oh, darling, don't tell me you're still having trouble?" Rarity sent a glance towards Twilight before turning her attention back to the cloth. "Bite here."
"I think I know where I'm having trouble, but fixing it is just going to create more problems," Twilight admitted as she hung her head, her ears drooping down. "Let's just say, don't stuff the wing when you finish it, and I'm going to need several more wings you won't mind getting ruined. Can you come to the library tomorrow morning? I'm going to show everypony where I'm stuck, okay?"
"Of course, Twilight," Rarity looked back at her and nodded. "We should be done here in a few hours. After that I'll have plenty of time to make more wings for you." As she fed Spike more cloth, she added, "Do you still need somepony to…test them?"
"Yes, but that's not what I need tomorrow," Twilight nodded a bit before turning around and started trotting towards the exit.
"One moment, Spike," Rarity relinquished the cloth and stepped away from the table. "Twilight," she seriously said as she trotted next to the alicorn and put a leg over her withers, "you know that, whatever it is you need help with, you can count on me. All of us are here for you and Rainbow Dash."
Twilight smiled back at Rarity as her ears perked up a bit. "Thanks, Rarity. I know that, but, still… It's nice to hear it, too."
"We're going to get her better, one way or another," Rarity assured as she let Twilight go.
"I… I'll see you tomorrow," Twilight said as she got to the door.
"You take care of yourself, Twilight," Rarity replied as she trotted back over to her table. "We're all counting on you. We believe in you—don't forget that."
Twilight hesitated halfway out the door and looked back to see Rarity back at work with Spike and the cloth. "Thank you."
Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie Pie all gathered in Twilight’s library first thing in the morning. Twilight had invited them all to show them just what was going wrong with her spell. She had them gathered in front of a table with a giant sheet that had four clear protrusions.
Instead of revealing the hidden objects, Twilight floated over one of the few remaining stuffed wings Rarity had made for her in the Crystal Empire. “This is one of the wings I’ve been working with to try to make a replacement for the one Rainbow Dash lost,” she explained. “It looks like a wing. It has the right shape and it’s the right size.” Twilight then used her magic to rip the stuffed wing in half, sending a few tufts of cottony filling to the floor. “But this is nothing like a real wing. I think this is what is keeping me from making a proper replacement.”
Twilight tossed the eviscerated wing aside as she pulled the sheet free. There, on the table, were four models. “Rarity has completed just one of the four essential pieces that I need,” Twilight explained as she pointed to the crystalline cloth in the shape of a wing displayed in the middle. “We have the proper skin, but we still need three other things,” Twilight said as she pointed to the first model. It was a plaster representation of a skeleton pegasus wing. “At the core we need bones. I’m thinking wood or metal might be a good representation, but I’m afraid that those materials might be too heavy.” The second model was a pink and red mass in the rough shape of a wing. “Next, we need something that is close to muscles and tendons. I’m open to suggestions on this one. My best idea so far is cadaver tissue.” The audience cringed as Twilight motioned to the final model—a fully feathered wing. “The last one is easy. We just need to feather the wing.”
The confused stares before her dealt a blow to Twilight’s enthusiasm. “I, uh… I can’t make the wings Rarity creates work. They’re just too different from a real wing. I’m hoping that if we can make this work, my magic will at least be able to breathe life into the wing.”
“So you want our ideas on good ways to make pegasus bones and muscles and feathers?” Applejack asked.
“I was hoping Rarity and Fluttershy could handle the feathers,” Twilight clarified. “I can start work with them on that right away, but we need a plan for bone and muscle analogues.”
“What about taffy?” Pinkie asked as she pointed to the muscle model. “It’s firm and stretchy and yummy!”
Twilight wasn’t sure how “yummy” fit into the equation, but she had to admit that the idea had merit. It was better than any of her ideas, anyway. “That’s…a good start. I’m not sure taffy would be—“
“Oh! I know! I know!” Pinkie jumped up. “It’s a super-secret secret patented Pinkie Pie recipe! It’s perfect!”
“But Pinkie,” Twilight started, but when she turned back, the pink pony was gone. “Wh-where did she go?”
The rest of the room looked to the spot where Pinkie had been a moment ago, completely baffled.
“The door didn’t even open,” Fluttershy marveled.
Applejack just shook her head. “So yah want to make the bones from wood? I can make a few recommendations. I got a cousin whose talent is woodworkin’, too.”
“That’s a good start,” Twilight agreed. “See if you can’t find a few good candidates. The ideal wood would be both strong and very light.”
“Strong ‘n’ light, got it,” Applejack said with a nod as she got up. “I’ll get on it right away.”
“Thank you, Applejack,” Twilight replied as Applejack made her way to the door.
“Sure thing, Twi.”
“Well, while we try to come up with more ideas for the muscles and tendons, why don’t we try out that crystalline cloth? We need to experiment with feathers, too,” Twilight suggested as the door swung shut behind Applejack.
As Twilight experimented with Rarity’s new wing, Rarity and Fluttershy tried to think of ideas. Their silence showed just how many ideas they had.
The silence began to drag on as Twilight scrutinized the crystalline cloth. Finally, Rarity spoke up, “You don’t like it.”
Twilight shook her head at the accusation. The crystalline cloth was beautiful, strong and resilient. There was only one problem: It was heavy. “It’s great, Rarity,” Twilight assured, forcing a smile. “It’s just that, if we use this for the skin, then the wing might end up being too heavy.”
“Oh, I, uh, I’ll just see if one of the other weaves is lighter, but I really don’t think it will make a significant change,” Rarity replied, pawing at the floor and looking down.
Twilight sighed. “We don’t know anything for sure, yet. Although, I must admit that more options would be nice.” She turned to Spike before continuing, “You wouldn’t mind helping out Rarity some more, would you?”
“Of course not!” Spike insisted. “I’d do anything for Rarity! Especially eat gems!”
“Okay,” Twilight said as she looked back to Rarity. “That’s settled, but we still need to focus on developing feathers and more intricate wing designs.” She laid out one of the few remaining wings she’d received from Rarity in the Crystal Empire. “I’ll show you the problem I’m having,” she explained as she concentrated. Her horn glowed and a beam of magic shot into the wing.
“Here, feel,” Twilight urged as she ran a hoof over the wing. Rarity and Fluttershy moved over and complied, each pressing a hoof into the wing. “Do you see the problem? I can make it so it can move and flap. It’s the right shape and it can move, but...”
“It’s…squishy,” Fluttershy observed.
“Exactly,” Twilight affirmed with a nod. “It won’t remain rigid enough for flight without bones. The movement is too ubiquitous, too. It needs proper joints and support internally. I just can’t do it with my magic alone.”
Rarity sighed as she looked at the lump of pseudo-flesh. “So that is why you need something to replace bones, but if the stuffing is good enough for muscles, then why do you need something different?”
Twilight held out a hoof. “I’m glad you asked. I’ve been thinking ahead and I think that something that is closer to real muscle would be a lot better. This is fine enough to make the wing move, but it doesn’t have proper directional control. It just quivers and undulates. Without magic to coordinate it, I’m afraid that it would be impossible to even make it flap.”
“And you can’t make it grow feathers, either,” Fluttershy added.
Twilight nodded. “Exactly.” Grabbing a bunch of feathers in her aura, she set them next to the wing. A zap of magic removed her spell, changing it back into little more than a wing-shaped throw pillow. “So, let’s get to work!”
Angel Bunny threw a bowl of pellets at Rainbow Dash’s face, spilling its contents everywhere. “Look, runt,” Rainbow growled in a threatening tone as she rubbed her nose, “I’m not Fluttershy. You can squeak and glare at me all you want—I don’t understand! If this isn’t the food you want, then wait for Fluttershy to get back or starve or, you know what, I don’t care!”
The glares intensified dramatically as the stubborn duo entered a staring contest. They continued their stare for several tense seconds before a knocking at the door stole Dash’s attention. As Rainbow Dash hobbled towards the door, Angel pumped his foreleg in a victorious manner.
Rainbow opened the door with a sigh, before adopting a horrified expression.
“Hey Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo greeted as she burst in. She was wearing two white rectangles attached to a string around her neck. It took Rainbow a moment to realize that they were the passes to the Cloudsdale Cloudiseum.
Dash made sure to keep her left side facing the filly as she bounded about. “S-Scootaloo, what are you doing here?”
“I came to make sure you were taking me tomorrow to see the Wonderbolts!” Scootaloo explained with a huge grin. “I can’t wait!”
Rainbow’s ears drooped as she averted her eyes. “I… You know I can’t…get there, right?” she said as she turned a bit to reveal her missing wing.
Scootaloo’s eyes widened as she actually saw the startling lack of wing on Rainbow’s side. “I-I know,” she said, still staring. “Rarity said that she and Twilight were going to make you a new wing, right?”
Rainbow Dash pawed at the floor. “They’re working on it,” she replied, not knowing what else to say.
“Well, you know I can’t fly either.” To emphasize her point, she buzzed her wings for all they were worth. For all her effort, she barely got her hooves off the floor for a moment before she couldn’t keep up the flapping anymore. “We can still take a hot air balloon there! We could spend all day up there together. I have some new tricks you gotta see!”
It was Dash’s turn to stare. She just couldn’t comprehend the situation. Without her wing—without her incredible flying abilities—she had lost all of her awesomeness. So why was this filly still standing there with a smile? The fact that she could no longer fly didn’t seem to make Scootaloo think any less of her at all, and she couldn’t understand why.
It took her a moment to finally find her voice. “I’ll…see if Fluttershy can reserve us a ride.”
“Really!?”
Rainbow finally cracked a smile. “Yeah,” she affirmed with a nod.
“Great! Tomorrow’ll be the best day ever!” Scootaloo exclaimed as her wings buzzed.
“You know, the Wonderbolts are just gonna be training tomorrow. The show’s not until next week,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
Scootaloo stared at the passes a moment before revising her statement. “Best. Week. Ever!”
It was ruffled, poofy and ugly, but the wing was fully feathered. Twilight again focused and her horn glowed. The wing levitated over to Rarity’s side. “Here goes something,” she announced as she cast the spell. The magic beam attached the wing and breathed life into it.
Rarity shuddered at the odd sensation that came with this spell. Suddenly, there was a new weight on her side and a sort of strange tingling that echoed from a body part not her own. “It’s on, I think.”
“Can you feel it? Move it?” Twilight pressed.
“I feel it,” Rarity winced as she looked to the wing. A bit on concentration and it twitched and moved erratically.
“Okay, now can you try to extend the wing, like this,” Twilight requested as she spread one of her wings out.
Rarity focused again. The wing twitched some more, but never got anywhere close to open, let alone full extension. “So sorry, darling, this is the best I can do,” Rarity apologized.
“I was afraid of that,” Twilight said before zapping the wing. The magic forced it to spread out. “Okay, let’s analyze those feathers.” Even with the spell on the wing, the feathers jutted at odd angles all over the wing. The distribution was spotty as well. “I think we might need to try again,” she observed.
“Maybe it just needs to be preened,” Fluttershy suggested.
Twilight nodded. “It’s worth a try,” she agreed as she used her magic. A magenta aura enveloped the wing and all the feathers were simultaneously tugged and rearranged. What would have taken a pegasus several minutes took Twilight all of a few seconds to achieve. All of the feathers had been successfully arranged. They no longer jutted oddly, but there were still a few patches of thin and thick feathers.
“I think it could fly,” Fluttershy offered.
“Me too, but you and Rarity should work on achieving a more uniform…feathering?”
“Good, does that mean I can get this thing off of me?” Rarity asked as she ran a hoof over the wing.
Twilight grabbed the wing in her aura and ripped it free. “There we go.” After setting the wing aside, she turned to Fluttershy and Rarity. “Okay, so I need you two to refine the feathering so that Rainbow Dash’s wing will be perfect. In the meantime keep an open mind as to what we can use for bones and muscle. Wood and taffy might do well enough, but there’s always the possibility of improvement.”
“If you insist,” Rarity replied, rubbing her side where the wing had been.
“Um, speaking of improvement, is there anything we can do to help with your actual spell?” Fluttershy offered.
Twilight sighed as she looked to the wing. “The only thing that can help me at this point is practice. If you can think of any earth ponies or unicorns that wouldn’t mind having me experiment with them, it would give me the opportunity to refine my spell.”
“What about Rainbow Dash?”
Twilight looked down as she pawed at the floor. “I-I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I mean, the spell is for her and she’d be the ideal test subject, but I’m not sure if I’m comfortable working with her. I’m afraid that she might get…discouraged if she sees all the problems we’re running into.”
An awkward silence filled the room as the girls worked hard not to meet each other’s gazes. Rarity was the first to speak up, “Um, well, I should get started on my feathering techniques. Come along, Fluttershy.”
“Actually, I would like to stop by my cottage, if you don’t mind,” Fluttershy declined. “I want to check on Rainbow Dash and my animal friends.”
“Very well, I shall start on my own, then,” Rarity resigned. “I trust you will stop by to lend me a hoof when you have a free moment?”
“Of course,” Fluttershy replied with a smile.
As Fluttershy trotted back into her cottage, she was struck with a bizarre sight. There sat Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, Tank and Angel Bunny in a circle. They were all holding a few cards, and Angel even had a tiny, green visor on his head.
Rainbow Dash audibly growled, “Call!” She emphasized the word by shoving all of her chips into a large pile in the middle of the group.
Angel looked to his cards, then up to Rainbow Dash and finally up over Rainbow Dash to the few birds perched there. The birds nodded emphatically, eliciting a grin from the devilish bunny. He threw his cards down on top of the pile of chips, triumphant.
Rainbow’s mouth fell open a minute before she angrily threw her cards. “Cheater!” she accused. “I dunno how you’re doing it, but there is no way you can beat me every time!”
“Like it matters,” Scootaloo sighed as she put her cards down. “Tank’s on a hot streak.”
Sure enough, the tortoise had a pile bigger than the one in the middle of the quartet right next to him. He was also slowly turning his hand over, revealing four nines—crushing Angel’s three sixes. The little white bunny proceeded to kick the pile of chips before throwing his paws in the air.
Fluttershy giggled. “It’s nice to see you all, um…getting along.”
“Oh! Fluttershy!” Scootaloo turned around to greet the yellow pegasus.
Rainbow Dash breathed an angry sigh as she put her defeat behind her. “About time you got back. So, what did Twilight have to say?”
Fluttershy’s ears lowered as she pawed at the ground a bit. “Oh, well she figured out a lot of the problems. All we have to do now is find some more materials. I think.”
Rainbow Dash sighed. Every time she heard about how the spell and wing were coming along it was “almost” done. It didn’t help that they all were going out of their way to keep her away from the whole thing. “Whatever,” Dash muttered, looking away.
“So, Scootaloo, what brings you here?” Fluttershy deliberately changed the subject.
“Oh yeah!” Scootaloo held up the passes. “The Wonderbolts start their training tomorrow, so I came to see if Rainbow Dash was taking me!”
“I don’t know about that,” Fluttershy gently denied. “Rainbow Dash is still recovering from her…accident.”
“It’s fine,” Rainbow spat. “I already said I’d take her. I just need you to reserve Cherry Berry’s balloon for me.”
Fluttershy whimpered a bit at Rainbow Dash’s harsh tone. “You really shouldn’t push yourself. Aren’t you due to have your cast off in a few days?”
“Are you two…fighting?” Scootaloo gently prodded.
“What? No, of course not,” Fluttershy denied.
Rainbow Dash sighed as she rubbed the back of her head just a moment. “Sorry, no. I’m just a little worked up, that’s all.”
“Why don’t I take Scootaloo, at least until your cast comes off,” Fluttershy offered.
“She wants me to take her, and it’s not the cast that’s keeping me out of Cloudsdale,” Rainbow groused.
Fluttershy took her turn to sigh. “All right,” she relented. “I’ll go talk to Cherry Berry.”
As Fluttershy trotted out, Scootaloo looked up to Rainbow Dash. “So we’re going to Cloudsdale tomorrow?”
Dash finally smiled again as she sat back on her haunches so she could ruffle Scootaloo’s mane. “Sure thing, squirt!”
After leaving her cottage, Fluttershy made a beeline to go rent the hot air balloon for the two flightless pegasi. It wasn't a long trip to Cherry Berry's usual spot, but it was long enough for Fluttershy's thoughts to wander. Shortly after leaving her cabin, she realized that this wasn't just about watching the Wonderbolts. It was an opportunity to meet the celebrities.
Fluttershy didn't care much for airshows or fame or anything like that, but the Wonderbolts were the only ones besides Rainbow Dash that had any inkling as to what was going on with Lightning Dust. Hay, they were probably the only ones who knew where Lightning Dust was. Her neighbors didn't know and Fluttershy was pretty sure that Rainbow Dash didn't even have that information.
Fluttershy sighed. She wasn't even sure what she was after anymore. Whether it was revenge or justice that confronting Lightning Dust might offer, or the mystery of just what happened to Lightning Dust, or even something else entirely. There was only one thing Fluttershy was sure of: the only way she was going to get any answers was going to be through the Wonderbolts.
The passes would grant their holder a perfect opportunity to talk to the costumed fliers, but Rainbow Dash was insistent on taking Scootaloo herself. Honestly, it was endearing and sweet. Rainbow Dash had no desire to see the Wonderbolts—not with her wing missing. She just wanted to make the filly happy.
What did that make Fluttershy? Selfish? Mean? Cruel?
She wanted nothing more than to steal one of those days of happiness away just for her own desires. Fluttershy hung her head. Maybe she would just have to abandon her hopes of talking to the Wonderbolts. Rainbow Dash didn't have as many answers, but wasn't she the thing that really mattered?
Confronting Rainbow Dash wasn't something Fluttershy fancied at all. To do so, she would have to admit that she was guilty of eavesdropping by proxy. Honestly, in keeping all of this to herself, she had been lying to Rainbow each day since she had learned about Lightning Dust.
What should I do?
Long before she could come to a conclusion, Fluttershy found herself in front of the town's only hot air balloon. She sighed, willing away her inner-conflict as she set about her assigned task. "Excuse me, Cherry Berry."
"Oh! Hey Fluttershy!" Cherry Berry greeted as she turned to the yellow pegasus. "I don't suppose you're here for business?"
"Actually, I am. I would like to reserve your balloon for tomorrow, if it's not too much trouble," Fluttershy requested.
Cherry Berry sucked air through her teeth as she rubbed her neck. "Sorry, no can do," she denied. "It's reserved all day tomorrow for an anniversary. It was booked weeks ago."
"Oh, um, that's okay," Fluttershy mumbled as her ears drooped. "What about the day after?"
Cherry Berry put her smile back on. "Of course! I'll put you on the schedule."
"Actually, it's for Rainbow Dash. That's okay, right?"
Cherry Berry's smile faltered a bit. "I-I heard about what happened. That's gotta be rough for a pegasus... I'll go ahead and reserve it. Would you like to pay for it now or at the time of services rendered?"
Fluttershy looked to her bare sides as she realized that she had left her house without her saddlebags. "Um, I can have the bits later," she said, putting on an apologetic smile.
"Well, we might need the balloon a few more times this week, actually," Fluttershy added.
Cherry Berry nodded. "I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you," Fluttershy said before turning and walking away. She heard some sort of parting from the balloonist, but paid it little mind. After all, now she had a new problem.
A perfect excuse for going to the event in Rainbow Dash's stead had literally fallen right into her lap. All she had to do was go home and tell Rainbow that her ride was already reserved. There was nothing else to be done but to let her take Scootaloo in place of Dash. She got what she wanted and she had the perfect—legitimate—excuse, too.
Of course, a true friend wouldn't give up at the first obstacle. She should go to every length to try to get Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo to Cloudsdale tomorrow. It wouldn't be too hard to ask her friends and look for an alternative route. Even if nothing panned out, she could have the peace of mind that she tried everything in her power to help her friend. If she left and went back to her house now, it would be as a dagger in Rainbow's back.
What do I do?
Back in the library, Applejack had gotten back to Twilight about the surrogate bone situation.
"So, what you are telling me is that the strength of the wood is directly proportional to its weight?" Twilight recapped what she had just been told, making a few scribbles on a nearby scrap of parchment..
"Yup. In general, the stronger the wood, the heavier it is," Applejack affirmed.
"In general," Twilight repeated the words with a little smile. She put the quill down and gave Applejack her full attention. "Does that mean that there is an exception to the rule?"
Applejack retrieved a small object from her saddlebag and showed it to Twilight. "It might be nothin', but this here is my Pa's old pipe."
Twilight observed the ordinary-looking pipe a moment before looking back to Applejack. "I take it that there is a story that goes with it?"
"It's nothing too special, and I ain't even really sure how much of it's true, but, yeah, it's got a story," Applejack affirmed.
"I'd love to hear it," Twilight said with a genuine smile.
"Well, the story goes that when Big Mac was a colt. Yah see, he ran off to the Everfree Forest. Ma 'n' Pa went right after him, of course." Applejack let out a single laugh. Her smile lingered as she continued, "It took Ma all of ten minutes to find him. Pa, well, he got lost himself. According to him, deep within the forest, he found a big, mysterious tree. He pulled a branch off, hoping it might've been somethin' like the zapapples Granny found as a filly. Story goes that as soon as he pulled the branch off, a scary monster appeared and chased him right outta the forest."
Twilight examined the pipe again. "I take it that this came from that branch?"
"We took off all the twigs and tried to grow them, but none of the cuttings took. That just left the branch," Applejack explained. "It weren't much, so all Pa could think to do with it was to make that pipe. He was known to...embellish the truth, but, if what he said was true, that branch was as light as a feather and stronger 'n' steel."
"If he went through the trouble to drag a branch all the way out of the Everfree Forest and tried to plant it, then there had to be something special about it, right?" Twilight suggested.
"I just don't wanna get anypony's hopes up or lead everypony on a wild goose chase," Applejack interjected with a sigh. "Is there a way you can figure out if that pipe really is something special? Without hurtin' it none, I mean."
Twilight nodded. "I'll look into it as best I can. And don't worry, no harm will come to it. I promise."
"I trust yah, Twi," Applejack vowed. "Wouldn't'a brought that here if I didn't."
Twilight blushed as a smile touched her lips. She cleared her throat in an attempt to cover her embarrassment, "W-well, mystery tree or no mystery tree, we need to get to work on Rainbow Dash's wing right away." Using her aura, she floated several items into Applejack's saddlebags. "Here are plaster representations of pegasus right-wing bones, books on wing structure and some of my own notes on some slight modifications that might help fashion the false muscle to the bones. Oh, and some bits to pay your cousin for the work," Twilight commented each item as it weighed down Applejack's saddlebags.
"Now just wait a durn minute. I can't take yer money," Applejack protested, giving Twilight a stern glare.
"Don't worry, it's part of what I requested from Princess Celestia," Twilight assured.
Applejack cocked an eyebrow. "Let me get this straight, yah just ask for bits from the Princess 'n' she gives 'em to yah?"
"What? Of course not," Twilight disavowed, shaking her head. "It's part of a research grant."
"What?"
"I've been corresponding with Princess Celestia about our progress. She wants me to publish everything once we get a working wing. I get to write a book!" Twilight pranced in place with a goofy grin on her face.
Applejack frowned. "Let's not forget that this is for Dash!"
Twilight's enthusiasm evaporated in an instant. "I know that," she affirmed, putting on her serious face. "But Princess Celestia wants me to do this, and I agree with her. Rainbow Dash isn't the only pegasus to ever lose a wing. If we succeed in restoring her wing, then the techniques and spells we learn along the way—they can be used by other ponies to help more pegasi like Rainbow Dash."
"I get where yer comin' from, I really do," Applejack protested as she kept a glare on Twilight, "but this is about Rainbow. She comes first."
"I haven't forgotten. But if I do everything right, we can help a lot of ponies once the dust settles."
With a sigh, Applejack turned towards the door. "I guess I best be gettin' this stuff to my cousin," she muttered.
"This isn't going to hinder my progress on Rainbow Dash's wing, Applejack," Twilight called after her. Applejack didn't reply as she marched out, closing the door behind her.
A moment later, the door opened again, but it wasn't Applejack.
"Fluttershy? Aren't you supposed to be helping Rarity? Is there a problem?" Twilight inquired.
"Oh no!" Fluttershy demurely gasped. "I'll go help Rarity right away, b-but I need a favor from you, Twilight."
"What do you need?"
"Rainbow Dash wants to take Scootaloo to Cloudsdale tomorrow, but she just can't get there all on her own," Fluttershy explained. "Can you, I mean, would it be possible for you find a way to get her there?"
Twilight smiled and nodded. "I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you," Fluttershy replied, smiling in turn.
"You should hurry over to Rarity's," Twilight suggested. "Oh, and remind Spike that I do still need him here. Tell him to come home once he's done helping Rarity with her cloth."
"I will," Fluttershy said before turning and leaving.
Twilight sighed as the door closed. What did I just agree to? she kicked herself. She had a ton of work to do still, and now she needed to find a ride for two flightless pegasi to Cloudsdale—not to mention Applejack's pipe that she now needed to research. It was going to be another very long night.
By the time Fluttershy got back to her cottage, most of her animal friends were already fast asleep. As she crept inside, Rainbow Dash stirred a bit on her couch. After a moment of shuffling, Dash became still again. Fluttershy couldn't help but to sigh. All this chaos was starting to wear on her.
A tiny, fuzzy series of impacts drew her attention down to Angel Bunny. Once Fluttershy's eyes fell on him, he rubbed his belly and pointed into his open maw.
"Oh, you poor, little bunny," Fluttershy gently said, careful not to wake Dash. "You're starving, aren't you?" Angel Bunny replied with an emphatic nod. "Well then, let's get you a nice, big, juicy salad."
Rainbow let out a sigh as Fluttershy's hoofsteps faded away. She'd heard the pegasus come in, but, being half asleep, she just tried to ignore her and get back to sleep. It didn't help that Fluttershy's voice floated into her ears just as she was on the verge of falling asleep.
"Oh, my. You must have been very hungry."
Again, a relative silence allowed Dash to very nearly fall asleep again, only to be interrupted by her host. At first, Rainbow ignored it as she drifted off, but hearing her own name made her ear flick and chased away her somnolence.
"I just don't know what to do, Angel. I'm happy that Twilight was able to arrange a trip to Cloudsdale for Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, but I really wish I could've had a chance to talk to the Wonderbolts," Fluttershy's voice echoed. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up again, "I know I shouldn't feel this way, Angel. I just hate not knowing what's going on with Lightning Dust." More silence. "You know as well as I do that Rainbow Dash doesn't want to talk about it."
By this time, Rainbow Dash was sitting up and waiting eagerly for any more words to come from the other room. Instead of more of a one-sided conversation, hoofsteps started to sound. Instinctively, Rainbow laid back down and feigned sleep. The next thing she knew, she felt the covers move as they were gingerly drawn up to her shoulders.
"I got you a trip to Cloudsdale tomorrow," Fluttershy whispered, not wanting to wake Dash. "I'm sure you and Scootaloo will have a wonderful time. Good night."
Only once Fluttershy's steps faded up the stairs did Rainbow Dash dare to move. Snuggling into a more a comfortable position, she was plagued with all kinds of questions about what she had just heard. Fluttershy wanted to talk to the Wonderbolts? Just what did she know about Lightning Dust? What was Fluttershy saying about something she didn't want to talk about?
Fluttershy explained first thing in the morning that Cherry Berry's balloon was out of the question, but that Twilight had arranged a different ride for them. What she didn't mention was that this different ride was a royal chariot complete with two royal guards to pull it. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo would be arriving in Cloudsdale in style.
Riding in Twilight's chariot, Scootaloo felt like a real princess—even if she wasn't about to admit that in front of her idol. "This is sooo cool!" she enthused as she looked over the side at the ground racing below her.
Rainbow Dash scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "This isn't fast at all. I could've been to Cloudsdale and back by now," she groused. Pawing at her stump of a wing, she sighed.
A small smile formed on her muzzle. "You just might fly before I do, squirt," she said, ruffling Scootaloo's mane. "To be fair you'll have to fly me around until I can fly again," she teased, sticking out her tongue a bit.
Scootaloo couldn't form a reply before the chariot came to a jarring stop. "We're here?" she asked, looking around at all the clouds.
Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof at a nearby tower of clouds. "That's the Cloudiseum. The Wonderbolts are going to be practicing there all week for their show this weekend."
"Oh!" Scootaloo looked up to Rainbow Dash. "You were raised in Cloudsdale, right? So you know all about it!"
Rainbow Dash grinned. "Yeah!"
"I've never been to Cloudsdale before," Scootaloo admitted. "Is it okay to get off?"
Dash hopped off of the chariot and helped Scootaloo out. "Just don't stray too near any edges," she warned.
Scootaloo giggled as she bounced around on the clouds beneath her hooves. Sure, she'd been up on clouds before, but this was different. It was really an entire city made of clouds in the sky! "This is amazing!"
"You are sure you will be all right on your own?" one of the two pegasus guards asked.
"Yeah," Rainbow affirmed with a nod.
The guards nodded in turn. "We'll be back to pick you up this evening, then. Take care, Miss Rainbow Dash."
The two pegasi took off, leaving Dash and Scootaloo alone outside of the Cloudiseum. "So, wanna go see how the Wonderbolts train?" Rainbow Dash suggested, turning back to Scootaloo.
"Do I!?"
It didn't take any time for the duo to find their way into the Cloudiseum. Almost as soon as they walked in, a pegasus buzzed by them. Once they recovered from the onslaught of wind, they received a spectacular view of Wonderbolts zipping all over the place. There were all kinds of obstacles and tracks set up. There were over a dozen of them doing all sorts of different stunts and exercises.
Dash and Scootaloo stumbled to a comfortable spot and sat down to watch. They had barely gotten comfortable when a uniformed pegasus swooped in and landed next to them.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash," Spitfire greeted. "We weren't sure if you were gonna show."
"Oh, hey," Rainbow struggled to sound upbeat. For a moment she wished she had listened to Fluttershy and at least waited for her cast to come off before coming. Although, that still wouldn't do anything about the stump of a wing on her side.
Spitfire leaned over to take measure of the beaming filly. "I didn't know you had a sister," she noted as she smiled at Scootaloo and pressed a hoof into her chest. "I'm Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts."
"I'm Scootaloo!" the filly excitedly introduced herself.
Spitfire raised a hoof to her muzzle, giving a piercing whistle. A few Wonderbolts were there in an instant. "We have guests," she announced. "Why don't you guys show this filly what it's like to fly with the Wonderbolts?"
Soarin swooped down and scooped Scootaloo up. "Come on, kid!" he cheered as he flew up with the others.
Rainbow Dash was about to protest, but the Wonderbolts took off too quickly for her to warn them that Scootaloo couldn't fly. She sighed as she turned back to Spitfire, who was looking a bit guilty.
"You, uh, you look great for somepony who nearly died less than two weeks ago," Spitfire said, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Yeah, I'm awesome like that," Rainbow retorted, her voice falling quite shy of the bravado she was going for.
Spitfire sighed. "Look, I'm really sorry about what happened to you," she apologized. "I just… I wish there was something I could actually do for you."
"Did-did Lightning Dust ever say why?" Dash asked, keeping her gaze locked on Scootaloo as the Wonderbolts darted about with her in hoof.
Spitfire shook her head as she sat next to Rainbow Dash. "No."
Rainbow Dash swallowed in a futile attempt to quench her suddenly-dry throat. "I-I just… We were wing ponies—practically friends—until she got carried away. I know she was willing to push herself to any length to prove herself, but I just… I can't believe she would do that to anypony."
"She did," Spitfire spat. "She was willing to kill you just to win. You were definitely right back there at the academy. It's not just about pushing yourself and being the best. The Wonderbolts are a team. Anypony that looks out for herself above the team is nothing short of a disgrace. I don't even know what to call somepony willing to do that just to win a race."
Rainbow's ears drooped as she hung her head a bit. "The last time I remember seeing her, Lightning Dust nearly killed my friends. Then I hear she tried to kill me…" She sighed, shaking her head a bit. "I should be angry, right?" she asked, glancing over at Spitfire.
Spitfire raised an eyebrow. "You're saying that you aren't mad?"
Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I remember her from the academy, but I can barely even picture her face." She sighed before looking Spitfire in the eye. "When you told me about it I was furious. This pony took everything away from me, but, when you can't even put a face on that pony…" Looking back down again, she continued, "I just wanna fly again. Blaming somepony won't help with that."
"Rainbow Dash… Nothing is going to help with that," Spitfire firmly replied. "You know that, don't you?"
Rainbow snorted. "You don't know my friends. Even right now they're trying everything they can to get me back up here on my own power."
Spitfire raised an eyebrow. "But, that's impossible."
Dash shook her head before looking up at Spitfire with a ghost of a smile touching her lips. "I used to think that," she said, shaking her head again. "Not anymore."
"...What?"
"Ever since I lost my wing, my friends have been trying non-stop to make me a new one. At first, I didn't think they could, but...they haven't given up," Dash said, looking back out at practicing Wonderbolts. "They haven't and they won't."
"You're telling me that your friends are going to be able to just...put a new wing on you?" Spitfire asked.
Dash shrugged a bit. "Yeah. It probably won't be as good as the real thing, but they say I should be able to fly again."
Spitfire shook her head. "That's...impossible."
Rainbow couldn't help but to smile a bit. "You know, my friends are pretty good at impossible, especially Twilight."
"Come to think of it, you're pretty good at it, too," Spitfire admitted, rubbing the back of her neck.
Dash's smile widened into a smirk. "I'm gonna fly again, just you watch," she boasted.
"I can't wait to see it," Spitfire said, flapping a few times to get airborne. "I need to go light a fire under these guys or they're just going to keep playing with that filly instead of training."
Before Spitfire got too far away, Rainbow halted her. "Wait," she urged, getting up and hobbling towards Spitfire. The Wonderbolts captain turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Something's been bothering me. Before you said I was a great flier. Why didn't you let me join the Wonderbolts?" Spitfire's face fell. "You know that's...that's all I ever wanted. I just, I wanted to know why."
"I wish I had," Spitfire flatly replied. "Don't think I didn't want to, either."
"Then, why?"
Spitfire sighed as she landed in front of Rainbow Dash. "Even as captain, I still have to follow the rules," she explained, motioned back at the Wonderbolts. "Look at them all. We actually have two more Wonderbolts than our roster is supposed to have. My hooves are tied until somepony steps down and resigns. As soon as somepony quit I was going to recommend you. I don't think anypony would've objected, either."
Dash's ears drooped. "So, you guys always wanted me in?"
"Ever since you did a sonic rainboom at the Best Young Flyer Competition and made the rest of us look like foals," Spitfire claimed. She sighed as she shook her head. "I should've tried harder to get you in. If you were a Wonderbolt, you wouldn't have even been at that competition."
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash muttered, hanging her head with a sigh.
"I really wish we could've somehow prevented it," Spitfire lamented. "Your...accident, I mean."
Dash shook her head. "It's too late to worry about that. The only thing I care about right now is getting back up there."
Spitfire turned back around to the practicing Wonderbolts. "I hope you get back up there, too. I really do."
Spitfire lifted off, heading back to round-up the Wonderbolts. As she started barking orders, Fleetfoot dropped Scootaloo off next to Rainbow Dash. "Hey, squirt. Have fun?" Dash asked as Fleetfoot zipped back to join the rest of the Wonderbolts.
"Yeah, that was pretty cool," Scootaloo replied. "I never see the pegasi in Ponyville flying around like this."
"If they liked flying, they'd have stayed here in Cloudsdale," Rainbow Dash explained.
Scootaloo blinked a couple of times. "Then, why did you move to Ponyville?"
Rainbow Dash rubbed her neck a moment before speaking up. "Hey, you've never been to Cloudsdale, right? Want me to show you around? I mean, we've got all week to watch the Wonderbolts."
"Sure!" Scootaloo enthusiastically agreed, buzzing in the air a moment.
After seeing Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo off, the rest of the group gathered at the edge of the Everfree Forest—all except for Pinkie Pie, who was still frolicking around town looking for the strangest items. Twilight stood in front of the group with a large, unfurled map. "All right, with Applejack's help I was able to find the perfect material to use in place of bones. It's a legendary wood called 'Mist Teak,' and it comes from a magical tree somewhere in the Everfree Forest."
Applejack nodded before tugging a saw free from her pack. "My pa stumbled on it some time ago. We jus' need to find it again. When we do, we jus' need to take a limb off to use. Though, I wouldn't mind it if we find a seed or somethin'. I'd love to try 'n' grow one."
"We have to find it, but Applejack can't remember exactly where the tree is," Twilight continued. "With my research, Applejack's suggestions, and Zecora's advice, I've narrowed down the search area to just a few square miles."
Rarity sighed, rolling her eyes. "Great, an expedition through the mucky Everfree Forest," she groaned.
"Um, what does this tree look like?" Fluttershy asked.
"Good question," Twilight acknowledged as she pulled a book from her saddlebag. It floated in front of the group as the pages whirled through to a picture of a large tree. "It has an aura. You can't really see it, but it says earth ponies can sense it. Other than that, just look for a bigger-than-normal tree with slightly bluish leaves."
Putting the book away, she floated the map out in front of the group. "I'm hoping I can sense the aura, so Fluttershy and I will take this northern zone. It's a much larger area, but we can do a fly over and maybe spot it from the air," she explained, highlighting her intended search area with her aura. "Applejack, you and Rarity take this smaller area to the south." After showing the search area, she folded up the map and put it in Rarity's pack. "Rarity, I put an enchantment on the back of that map. If you read it, you will cast fireworks from your horn. That way if you find the tree or get into trouble, Fluttershy and I can come find you."
"Oh-kay," Rarity said, staring at her satchel. "It's not dangerous, is it?"
Twilight shook her head and smiled. "It's perfectly safe." Then she put a hoof to her chin. "Actually, there was something about the trees being guarded by terrible monsters, but that's probably just a legend."
"Well, what're we waitin' for?" Applejack asked, pointing towards the Everfree. "Let's get goin'!"
"Um, we won't be in there after dark, will we?" Fluttershy asked. "The Everfree Forest becomes much more dangerous after dark."
"Fluttershy has a good point," Twilight agreed. "Let's meet up back here before sundown."
After the two teams split up, Applejack and Rarity found themselves trudging through Froggy Bottom Bog. As much as Applejack would've liked to say that the most irritating thing was the mucky waters up to her chest or the biting mosquitoes, there was something that bothered her even more.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, Applejack, but Fluttershy and Twilight—they can fly, can they not?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah," Applejack shortly replied, rolling her eyes.
"So then tell me: why aren't they the ones to go through this icky swamp!?" Rarity complained. "They could just fly right over! I swear, this could not possibly be any worse!"
"Dangit!" Applejack complained, pulling her forelegs out of the water. "I got a leech!" she used one hoof to pull the parasite from her foreleg.
"Leeches!?" Rarity panicked, splashing about in the murky waters. "Where's that map!? I need to get out of here!" She scrambled to open her pack, but, consumed in her panic, Rarity lost her balance just as she got the latch free. The resounding splash preceded the entire contents of her pack being lost to the swamp water.
Applejack quickly fished the map out of the water. The waterlogged paper fell to pieces in her hooves. "Rarity! What they hay're yah doin'!? Yah just lost the map!"
"We have to get out of here!" Rarity insisted as she shook the water from her mane. As the wet hair fell back away from her face, it revealed a black shape attached to her cheek. "I will not have icky water-worms sucking my blood!"
Groaning, Applejack pointed to a nearby bank. "We're almost through, come on," she insisted. A few moments later, she was pulling Rarity free from the water and into the muddy muck of the bank.
"Ew! Ew! Ew!" Rarity complained, trying in vain to remove the silty muck from her hooves and hair. "This is the worst! Possible! Thing!"
Unamused, Applejack reached out a hoof, touching Rarity's cheek. After rubbing her cheek, she yanked her hoof back. "Had a leech," she explained, displaying the writhing parasite.
Rarity put a foreleg to her forehead as her eyes fluttered. She started to tip over, but stopped herself. She noticed the muck she was about to fall in and regained her balance instantly. "Please! Let's just go back! You and Twilight and Fluttershy can handle this on your own!" she begged.
Unamused, Applejack threw the leech back into the water. "Well, we could keep goin' 'n' look for the tree," she suggested, pointing back where the bank led back into a forest. Then, she pointed back to the swamp and its leech-filled waters. "Or, we could go wade back through the water and go home."
Rarity looked to Applejack with big, puppy dog eyes. "Carry me?"
Applejack facehoofed. "Come on, we're gonna look for that tree. I ain't givin' up on RD that easily."
Rarity whimpered as she begrudgingly followed after Applejack. "What did I do to deserve this? Did I not already help Rainbow Dash enough with the crystalline cloth?"
"Just get the compass and tell me which way to go. Even without the map, we should be able to at least look in the right area," Applejack insisted as she checked herself over.
"Get it off!" Rarity shouted. "Get it off! Get it off!"
Applejack looked over to see Rarity fidgeting in place as she looked at her flank. A black blob accented her cutie mark. Applejack rolled her eyes. "Hold still," she urged as she reached out a hoof and pried the parasite free before tossing it away. "Now, which way?"
Rarity pulled off her soiled saddlebags. Dumping it upside down, the only thing that came out was a bit of water and a frog. She immediately cringed away from the bag as she let it drop to the ground. "Ehehehewww!"
Sighing, Applejack shook her head. "I take it that means yah lost it."
"Terribly sorry, Applejack," she apologized. "It just...the muck, and the leeches!"
"No sense cryin' over spilled milk," Applejack resigned. "Let's just...search this way," she suggested, pointing down the nearest path.
"We can't...just go home?" Rarity suggested.
Applejack started down the path. "Not if yah want me to carry yah back across Froggy Bottom Bog," she called after Rarity, not bothering to look back.
Rarity groaned and pouted as she trudged after Applejack.
"We're lost, aren't we?" Rarity asked, keeping herself a hair's breadth away from Applejack in the thick brush.
"It's-it's startin' to look that way, yeah," Applejack affirmed. "Can't find nothin' in this mess."
"What're we going to do!?" Rarity fretted. "I don't have the map, so I cannot signal Twilight to come and get us."
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it'd be nice to have a map. Or a compass."
"I already apologized several times for that," Rarity shot back. "How many times do I have to say 'I'm sorry' for you to forgive me?"
Her ears folded back as Applejack came to an abrupt stop. "Just once, sugarcube," she said, turning to look Rarity in the eye. "Now I'm right sorry I keep bringin' it up. I'm just a little frustrated with this whole mess, yah know?"
"Have you seen my tail and mane? Trust me, I am quite past 'a little frustrated,'" Rarity bemoaned. "I just hope that I can salvage my coiffure after this!"
Applejack sighed as she trudged forward again. "I'd be more worried about havin' to spend the night out here, if I were you."
"Wait! You cannot be serious!" Rarity incredulously shouted as she chased after Applejack. "We have to find a way—Gah!"
Suddenly, Rarity found herself falling alongside Applejack down a hidden embankment. As Rarity pulled herself up off of the ground, she found dirt stains embedded deep in her hide. "Oh! I just want to go home and take a bath and forget about this whole fiasco!"
"R-Rarity, look," Applejack said, pointing. No longer were they surrounded by thick bramble. Instead, they were under the canopy of dozens of trees—each one of them at least a few centuries old. In the middle of the grove was an exceptionally magnificent tree. "I think...I think that's it. The tree."
Rarity finally pried her eyes off of herself, looking over to where Applejack was pointing. "Oh, it's magnificent!" she breathed, her eyes wide with wonder.
Before either of them could break out of their stupor, a figure appeared from behind the tree's trunk. Towering as tall as Celestia, she possessed the same general shape as a pony, but the...ingredients varied. Thick, intertwined roots extended out from her verdant coat in place of legs. Instead of hair, leafy vines formed her mane and tail. The most unsettling thing was her eyes. She had red irises, but the whites of her eyes were pitch black.
Applejack visibly gulped. "D-didn't Twilight say somethin' about the tree being guarded by a monster?"
"I thought she said it was just a legend?"
"Does that look like a legend to you?" Applejack pressed, pointing a hoof at the creature.
The creature stood defiantly in front of the tree. She spoke in a hollow, raspy voice, "Who is it that dares to trespass upon my grove?"
"Uh, well—"
"How do you get your mane to do that!?" Rarity asked, trotting towards the creature. "I just know Fluttershy would simply adore something like that."
As Applejack stared slack-jawed, the creature used its woody leg to primp her mane. "Do you like it? I don't really do anything special…"
"I'm so envious!" Rarity gushed, walking right up to the monster. "As you can see, au naturale is anything but kind to my coiffure," she lamented, motioning to her limp, ruined mane.
The creature looked between Rarity and Applejack a moment before fixating on Applejack. She glared at her as her pupils shrank. "Treachery!" she shouted as she reared up. Her forelegs unwound as the individual roots shot out at Applejack.
As the tendrils encircled her, Applejack leapt back. With more luck than skill, she escaped the groping roots. "Easy now! We don't want no trouble!" she pleaded as the roots receded.
Her forelegs reformed as the roots braided themselves. In one of her hooves was Applejack's saw. "You came here to dismember us!" she accused, holding the loathed object up.
Applejack gave a sheepish smile. "Listen, we just came here for a single limb," she tried to explain.
The creature extended a leg towards Rarity. In a flash, a root had snaked around each of her legs and one drew tight around her neck. Holding Rarity up, the monster drew out one of Rarity's hind legs. "Take one of our limbs, and I'll take one of yours," she warned, giving Rarity's leg a good tug.
The root constricting her throat preventing her from actually saying anything, Rarity just stared wide-eyed at Applejack as she whimpered.
"Easy now! Just put Rarity down 'n' we can talk about it, okay?" Applejack urged. "Not like we can do anythin' without the saw, right?"
"I do like this one," she said, looking at Rarity.
"Hi, Applejack! Hi, Rarity! Hi, Dryad!" Pinkie greeted, bouncing out of the thick brush. She pranced right through the tense group. "Oh! Just what I was looking for!" She stopped at a nearby tree trunk, grabbing a mushroom and stuffing it into her saddlebag. "Have fun you guys!" she said, bouncing back into the brush.
The whole group stared at the spot where Pinkie had disappeared for a moment before trying to resume their standoff. The mood, however, was shattered. Sighing, the dryad put Rarity down uttering a quiet "sorry" as she did so. "Leave this grove, and do not return," she ordered.
Applejack waited for Rarity to hide behind her before continuing, "I'm sorry, but we can't just leave like that," she defied. "We came here for a reason. A good one."
"Y-yes," Rarity spoke up, leaning out from behind Applejack. "We didn't come to just take something from you; we came to help our friend."
"By dismembering us? What sort of fool do you take me for?" the dryad bit back. "Do you think I have forgotten how you have driven my kind to extinction with your twisted lust for wood?"
Rarity and Applejack looked at each other before turning back to the dryad. "Well, Twilight didn't mention anythin' about that, but I can promise yah we didn't come to hurt nothin'."
"Then why bring a weapon!?" she accused, brandishing the saw.
"Listen, our friend's a pegasus, 'n' she lost her wing in a terrible accident. We can make her a new one, but to do that we need a branch—one from that tree," Applejack explained, pointing to the shimmering tree. "Just one branch. It shouldn't hurt it none."
"It would be excruciating!" the dryad retorted, tossing the saw at Applejack's hooves. "Leave."
Applejack shook her head. "No. We're not going to abandon our friend," she defied. "A tree can grow a new branch, but a pegasus can't grow a new wing. We need that branch."
The dryad raised one of her hooves at Applejack. "You test my patience."
"Applejack! What are you doing!? Don't make it mad!" Rarity hissed.
"We don't wanna fight," Applejack urged, "but we'll do whatever it takes to help our friend. You don't want us just takin' the branch, 'n' I can understand that. Maybe we could do somethin' in exchange for the branch. Name it. Anythin'."
The dryad considered it a moment before lowering her leg. "If you can promise me the moon, then deliver," she challenged. "Come." She led the wary duo a short distance away from the grove. There, the trees disappeared into a charred landscape.
"Ugh, not this again," Rarity complained, refusing to set hoof into the ashen area. "I'm glad I never had to encounter those dreadful pyreflies."
"They appear once every hundred seasons," the dryad explained, shuddering. "They incinerate us by the thousands."
"Yah want us to get rid of the pyreflies?" Applejack asked.
The dryad shook her head. "They are already gone. The forest's screams have long since quieted into sobs."
"What do yah want from us, then?" Applejack pressed.
"Return to us those that were lost," she requested.
"But that's...impossible," Rarity said, looking out over the swath of seemingly endless destruction.
Applejack shook her head. "Yah ain't gotta worry about a thing, look," she urged, pointing to a small shrub poking out from the ashes. "This is the Everfree Forest. It regrows all on its own."
The dryad reached out with its roots, crushing the shrub and ripping it from the ground. "These grow!" she decried, throwing it away without a second thought. "Shrubs and grasses! They choke out the seedlings and prevent us from reclaiming what is ours!"
Applejack smirked. "Shucks, sugarcube, is that all? Yah want new trees to grow here?"
"You say that as if it is a simple task," the dryad challenged, staring hard at Applejack.
"If there's anythin' we Apples know, it's how to grow trees," Applejack boasted. "How about this: I'll teach yah to grow trees, and in exchange yah let us have that limb. After all, if yah learn how, it's just a matter of time and effort to get all of this back to trees."
"You can make it so that only trees regrow here?" she asked.
"It can be done, yeah, but you've gotta put a lotta work into it," Applejack explained, heading back to the treeline. Glancing around a bit, she found what she was looking for. "Aha!" she exclaimed as she reached up and grabbed a low-hanging acorn in her teeth.
As Applejack pulled it free, the dryad let out an audible growl. "Don't go 'n' give me that," Applejack said, rolling her eyes before plucking another. "I know these are supposed to come off."
"You don't need to be so rough," the dryad protested.
"Don't just stand there, help me collect seeds."
After a few minutes, the trio had collected a saddlebag full of nuts, acorns, seeds, and even a pine cone. "This's plenty," Applejack asserted, leading the group back to the charred swath.
"You think scattering the seeds to the wind will help?" the dryad scoffed. "They will dry out and be consumed."
"Yah don't just throw them to the wind!" Applejack chided as she dug a couple of hooffuls of dirt and ash from the ground. "Yah treat each and every seed with attention and care." She dropped a seed down in the pit and covered it with the loose soil.
The dryad looked to the mound of dirt. "You're burying it? Like a squirrel?"
"It's called cultivation," Applejack explained, inserting a stick to mark the seed's position. "Burying it prevents it from being eaten from critters. Mark it like this so yah know where yah buried it. Then, we usually water the seeds, but I can't imagine how yah'd get that done out here."
"You are telling me that this will cause it to grow into a tree?"
"Only if you keep givin' it love and care," Applejack said, gingerly patting the ground over the seed. "Yah gotta keep all the grass 'n' weeds away from it until it gets big enough to stand on it's own. Don't forget to water it, if you can."
The dryad stared hard at the patch of dirt. "I see no tree."
"Well, it's gotta have a chance to grow. A sprout'll show up in a few days, just you wait."
"You promised me endless groves to replace this scorched earth," she accused.
"And I'm showin' yah how to go about gettin' it done. Trees don't just appear overnight. It takes a lot of work to take care of them so they grow up healthy 'n' strong," Applejack claimed. "Now, if you just follow what I've told yah, yah'll be growin' up nothin' but trees here in no time." Applejack opened the flap on her saddlebag where all the seeds were held. "Here, give it a try."
Unfurling a leg, several roots plucked seeds from Applejack's bag. They immediately spread out and shoved the seeds into the ground. "There," the dryad spat.
Applejack gave a wary smile as she rubbed her neck. "Well, that was...uh, a good try there."
The dryad blinked. "What?"
"Yah did a couple of things wrong," Applejack claimed, trotting over and digging one of the seeds up. "First off, yah can't just shove 'em in the dirt. It's best to dig up a hole first. That way when you bury them the soil is nice and loose. Makes it easier for the sprout to grow up 'n' the roots to grow out."
After demonstrating planting a seed again, Applejack pointed back to where she marked the first seed. "Another thing yah ain't considerin' is how big trees get to be. Yah planted all the seeds way too close to each other. If yah don't give 'em enough room, they'll crowd each other 'n' stymie their growth." Applejack planted and marked a few more seeds for emphasis. There were several feet separating each fresh plot. "Try 'n' spread 'em out about like this."
Without even looking, the dryad's roots dug up the seeds she had erroneously planted. Then, she whirled her roots around to excavate several holes before placing the seeds in and gingerly burying them. "Like so?"
"Perfect!" Applejack praised. "Yah just need to mark 'em so yah know where they are."
The dryad simply stared back at Applejack, raising an eyebrow.
"So, uh, I take it yah don't need a marker to know where they're at," Applejack muttered. "Well, that's fine. Let's just get these here seeds in the ground 'n' make sure yah got the hang of it."
Sure enough, It didn't take even an hour for the dryad and Applejack to empty the entire satchel, seeding a wide swath of the burned area. The dryad, of course, did the lion's share of the work. Rarity, on the other hoof, kept her distance from the ashes and the dryad.
"Hoo-eey! I'd say yah got the hang of this. I could certainly use one of yah on the farm," Applejack praised.
The dryad surveyed the scorched swath. "In exchange for a branch you promised me a resurrection of all the trees lost to those burning monsters," she stated, turning to stare hard at Applejack. "I see not a single tree returned to us."
"Uh, well, if yah just keep it up like I show yah, you can replace all the trees yah lost. Yah just gotta work at it."
"I see no proof that this will do anything at all," the dryad shot back. "You would have me just take your pony word for it?"
"Yes, I do!" Applejack asserted, stomping a hoof. "I've been nothin' but straight with yah from the get-go. You have my word that this will work. This will bring back the trees, good as new. It just takes time and hard work."
The dryad scoffed, strolling back into the woods. Rarity and Applejack immediately went after her, but struggled to keep up. Even though the dryad only seemed to be lazily strolling through the forest, it took a full gallop just to keep up with her. After a very short chase, the pony duo found themselves in the same grove as before, standing before the mighty tree.
"For as long as I can remember, I have loathed your kind," the dryad spoke as she reverently pressed her forehead against the tree's trunk closing her eyes. "Our kind was hunted down, callously driven to the brink of existence." She sighed, stepping back and looking to Rarity and Applejack. "You two are nothing like the stories I have heard. Stories of ponies fighting us, binding us away as they cut our trees, and not caring about our fate… I thought your kind nothing but monsters and heartless beasts."
The two ponies shared a glance before turning back to the dryad. "We're right sorry about that," Applejack apologized. "We had no idea about any of that before we came here."
"To think a pony would treat a tree with the kindness and reverence they deserve is… It never even crossed my mind. Not until I met you, Applejack," the dryad spoke as she outstretched a leg above her head. "Yesterday, if I had been asked if I would ever believe the word of a pony, I would have laughed." Sighing again, she looked up at the branches above her. "I will uphold my end of the bargain, but I have just one more request: a promise."
"A promise?" Applejack asked.
"I want you swear that neither of you will tell a soul of this place."
Applejack nodded. "It's a promise."
"Yes, of course," Rarity agreed. "It's not like we even really know where here is, anyway."
"To break your promise would seal my fate, condemning me to a brutal demise," the dryad gravely spoke. Having said her piece, her leg unraveled into a cluster of groping roots that then wrapped around a limb as big around as a pony's torso. She winced.
Snap!
"Take this, and do not return," she said, extending the branch towards Applejack.
Applejack used a length of rope to secure the feather-light limb to herself. "We're mighty grateful of yah," she appreciated, nodding at the dryad. Making sure Rarity was set, Applejack started to leave, but hesitated. "Which way did we come from, again?"
The dryad pointed. "The nearest pony settlement is in that direction."
"Thanks again," Applejack said, tipping her hat.
"Wait," the dryad urged, trotting over to the duo. She came to a halt in front of Rarity, extending a hoof towards her. Rarity instantly flinched. Her ears folded back as she cowered before the dryad. "I-I wanted to apologize to you," she said, lowering her leg to the ground. "I never intended you harm. I thought you came to hurt us, so I was trying to scare you away. I am sorry."
"Yes, w-well, you succeeded," Rarity stammered.
The dryad turned back to Applejack. "And you, Applejack. I have never… I can barely fathom how a pony can possibly know how to care for trees better than I, yet here you are."
A pink tinge accented Applejack's cheeks. "Shucks, it ain't nothin'," she dismissed the praise. "We Apples've been raisin' up trees for as long as they're've been Apples. Uh, the family members I mean, not the fruit."
"If you show it the love and attention you have shown the trees today, then I would like you to take this as well," the dryad offered, holding out a leg towards Applejack. "It requires the utmost care, but I believe that you may be capable of nurturing it."
Applejack reached out her hoof, receiving a small, nearly-spherical object from the dryad. Blue-green and possessing a nearly reflective sheen, it was unlike anything Applejack had seen before. That didn't stop her from realizing what it was, though. It was a seed, and it possessed the same, mysterious aura the Mist Teak had.
"I-is this...yer seed?" Applejack asked, looking up at the dryad.
"I trust that you will ensure it grows up safe and strong," the dryad said, walking back to the lone, towering Mist Teak. As she approached the trunk, she vanished from sight.
Applejack gingerly tucked the seed into her saddlebag before stepping in front of Rarity. "Come on, now. We need to get back to Ponyville."
"R-right," Rarity agreed, hesitating just a moment before following after Applejack.
After just a few minutes of trekking, the trees gave way to an open field. Just beyond the open field, was the familiar sight of home.
Applejack chuckled a bit. "Well, how about that?" she mused aloud. "We must've been more lost than I thought."
Rarity's eye twitched. "We went all that way, for nothing!?" she shouted indignantly. "The icky muck, the horrible leeches, all those biting insects—and the tree was a five minute walk from where we started!?"
"I guess so," Applejack said, barely suppressing a laugh, "but look on the bright side: yah can go 'n' take that bath now."
Rarity huffed as she trudged towards town. "I swear, no matter what happened to them, Twilight and Fluttershy couldn't have possibly had a worse time than us!"
Twilight grimaced as she struggled to move at all. She found herself upside down as thick scales completely encapsulated her limbs and torso. "F-Fluttershy! Do...something!"
Fluttershy didn't reply. She just sat there with her cheeks all puffed up as her face started to turn blue. Mere inches from her were enormous fangs.
The giant snake licked its lips with its long, forked tongue. Both ponies struggled in vain against its powerful grip. It would eat well tonight.
"Hey, girls! Fancy meeting you here!" Pinkie greeted as she bounded towards the enormous serpent. A thick loop of muscle surrounded the party pony, but as it constricted, she bounced over it. "I'm looking for a little flower that has alternating blue and pink petals," she explained, continuing to bound around and avoid the snake's ever-more fervent attempts to ensnare her. "Oh! Nevermind! There it is!" Deftly dodging the dangerous beast, she snatched up the flower and set it in her saddlebags.
Behind her, the snake opened its enormous maw as it struck! The jagged teeth snapped shut just shy of Pinkie's tail. The snake's eye widened as it tried again to get to the pink pony, but it was stuck. Somehow, the rest of its body had ended up in knots. It was so tangled up in itself that it had even dropped Twilight and Fluttershy.
Pinkie bounded over to Twilight, stopping to help her up off of the ground. "Good news! I almost have all the ingredients for my taffy!" she happily announced before bounding off.
"Thanks for saving us!" Twilight called after Pinkie as she dusted herself off.
Fluttershy, meanwhile, was stroking the paralyzed serpent's head. "Now, now, I can help you work out your kinks, but you have to promise to be nice, okay? No more trying to eat ponies." The snake emphatically nodded, spurring Fluttershy to fly to the nearest knot to start untying the jumbled mess.
"Ugh," Twilight groaned as she rubbed her aching sides. "That's the fifth thing that's nearly eaten us today," she complained. Sighing, she looked up to the sky as best she could. "I certainly hope Applejack and Rarity are having more luck than we are."
"All right! Are you ready, Applejack?" Twilight asked as she floated a pair of blue wings over to Applejack's sides.
"Are yah sure it's good enough?" Applejack asked as she nodded. "I mean, my cousin says he'll have that Mist Teak back here in a few days. I think Pinkie's gettin' close to gatherin' all those crazy ingredients for her taffy."
Twilight concentrated as the wings attached to Applejack's sides. "If past experience has anything to say about it, there will be more complications. Now that we have the poplar bones from your cousin and some taffy from Sugarcube Corner, we can start working them out."
Applejack shook her hide, just to make sure the wings wouldn't fall off. "I guess so," she relented. "And sorry again about leavin' yah there in the Everfree Forest all day the other day. In my defense, it was Rarity that lost the fireworks spell to signal yah."
"You've both already apologized to us," she assured, checking the wings over. "How about it? Can you move them?"
Applejack stared at one of the wings as she concentrated. It twitched. Then, it moved. The wing drew open. "Hey! I did it!" she excitedly claimed. "I can move it! Just like a pegasus!"
"We'll just see about that," Twilight said. "Now, can you fully extend them, like this?" she requested, spreading her wings straight out.
Her tongue stuck out a bit as she extended both wings. "Now, this is progress!" she asserted, looking at her wings. "Yah got a mirror?"
A flash of magenta summoned a full mirror from some other room in the library as Twilight looked over the wings. "Rarity's done much better on the feathering. I think she has it down perfectly."
"It it weren't for the color, I'd look just like a pegasus," Applejack said, staring at her reflection. "This is amazin'!"
"Here, try to raise your wings up like this," Twilight urged, raising her wings straight up in an almost-threatening manner.
Applejack's faux wings opened and closed a couple of times, but she failed to raise them up at all. "I-I don't think I can."
"Can you...flap them?" Twilight suggested, giving her own wings a couple of lazy flaps.
The wings opened, closed, and opened again. Applejack shook her head. "All I can seem to do is open 'n' close 'em. I can't get them to move up 'n' down for some reason."
"That's fine. It's probably something wrong with the spell," Twilight dismissed, again taking a wing in hoof to closely examine it. "See? This is why I wanted to keep on testing the spell."
Applejack shuddered under Twilight's touch. "I gotta say, it feels a lot more...real than the previous wings yah made."
Twilight nodded, her attention never leaving the wing. "That's good. We want them to be as real as can be." Pulling the wing, she held it straight up. "Do you feel anything like tugging or resistance?"
"Nope, can't say that I do," Applejack denied.
"Then what's stopping you from lifting it?" she asked, looking back to one of her own wings. She raised her own wing up once more. "Oh! I get it!" Twilight announced her eureka moment aloud. "You don't have the muscles!"
"Yah forgot to put it some of the muscles?"
Twilight shook her head, stepping back. "Not at all. You see, it's not only the muscles in the wing that allow a pegasus to fly. There are lots of other muscles."
"Other muscles?"
"When I first got these things, I tried to fly and learned very quickly of several new, very sore, muscles the next morning," Twilight explained. "There are all kinds of accompanying muscles in pegasi's backs and shoulders that they use to flap. You're an earth pony, so you don't have any of them."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "So...now we gotta figure out how put more muscles into a pony's back?" she warily asked.
"Not at all!" Twilight asserted, waving a hoof. "Rainbow Dash, and any other pegasus for that matter, already has all the muscles she needs. But! We will have to find another way to test these wings, so magic it is!" She lowered her head, pointing her horn at Applejack. "Ready to fly?"
Applejack swallowed, nodding. "Y-yeah, I guess so."
"Here we go!" Twilight smirked, firing a magenta ray of magic into the wings. The wings unfurled and began flapping.
"Wh-whoa!" Applejack exclaimed as her hooves left solid ground. "This-Twi! I ain't on the ground!" she shouted, flailing her legs.
Twilight laughed. "That's...one way to put it," she joked, flapping up next to Applejack. "You're flying."
"I-I'm stuck!" she said, uselessly struggling. "Put me down!"
Twilight stared quizzically at her panicking friend a moment before purging the spell from the wings. Applejack's wings stopped flapping and she fell like a stone. Twilight flinched as Applejack crashed into the ground. "Uh, sorry," she apologized, swooping down to help her up. "Are you all right?"
"F-fine," Applejack said, dusting herself off. "I just-I freaked out a little there."
"It worked! The wings—they got you off the ground," Twilight excitedly said. "What happened?"
"It was like I was trapped," she said with a shudder. "I couldn't control the wings at all, and it was just… It spooked me."
"You're all right now?"
Applejack nodded. "Yeah. So long as my hooves are on the ground, I'm fine."
Twilight smiled as she put the wings aside. "Well, at least now we know the wings are functional."
Applejack let a smile set in as she looked to the wings. "Let's go tell Dash! Even if my cousin' ain't got the Mist Teak wood back yet, she can still fly with these, right?"
Twilight rubbed her neck. "Well...no."
"Pardon?"
"Right now they're still too heavy. I actually need to go talk to Rarity about making a lighter skin," Twilight explained.
"Well, I can tell yah that the Mist Teak wood's a lot lighter than that poplar."
Twilight shook her head. "I'm afraid that might not be enough. Honestly, I don't know how much heavier than a normal wing it can be. Maybe Rainbow Dash can fly with one of these, but I'd rather not give her a wing that's too heavy. It could crush her spirit.
"Besides, we don't know how resilient they'll be, either. With your Mist Teak bones due in a few days, I should have just enough time to test out several wings for endurance and strength stresses. Rarity's crystalline cloth might be nigh on invincible, but that doesn't mean that the muscles or tendons will hold up under pressure or that the bones won't snap."
"Well, yah got me there," Applejack said. "I gotta say, yah sure are puttin' a ton of thought and effort into this."
"I'm going to do whatever it takes to make this work for Rainbow Dash, and work right," Twilight affirmed, gathering up several wings with her aura.
"Yah really think the Mist Teak ain't gonna be enough?"
Twilight shook her head. "It's hard to tell. But we need to make sure it works," she said, setting the wings back down. "It might help if you would tell me a little more about this mystery wood."
Applejack shook her head. "Nothin' doin'. I gave my word that I'd keep quiet about it."
Sighing, Twilight shook her head. "Not even a hint?"
Applejack rubbed her chin a moment. "Well…there is somethin' I've been rather curious about. Completely unrelated, mind you."
Twilight smiled. "Of course."
"Would you happen to anything about a creature called a 'dryad?'"
Twilight's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? A dryad?"
"A simple yes or no'd do," Applejack deadpanned.
"Applejack, if you're telling me you encountered a dryad—th-they're extinct! Nopony's seen one in centuries!" Twilight excitedly explained.
"I ain't tellin' yah nothin'," Applejack asserted, poking Twilight in the chest. "I'm askin' yah what yah know."
After a long sigh, Twilight recited what she knew, "Dryads are—were—tree spirits. Unlike most creatures, their spirits and bodies were separate, but still connected. The spirit, the dryad, looked kind of like ponies. Their actual bodies, however, were seemingly normal trees.
"They went extinct a long time ago because ponies found that the wood of the trees had special, magical properties. All their trees were cut down, and when the tree dies...so does the dryad. It was a very sad chapter in pony history. Applejack, if you found one...!"
Applejack shied away from Twilight's stare. "I know yer a princess an' everythin' now, Twilight, and yer probably eager to really make a difference. But this… I think this would best be left as just some legend. That way nopony even knows to go lookin' for it."
Twilight's ears flopped back as she deflated. "If-if you really think that's best…" she said, resigning.
"I do," Applejack asserted. "And I'd really appreciate it if this here conversation never happened, okay?"
"Yeah." Sighing, Twilight gathered the wings in her aura. "Well, I still need to go see about Rarity making a lighter cloth," she said, changing the subject as she approached the door.
The instant Twilight's door opened, Pinkie Pie bounded in. "Heya Twilight!" Pinkie shouted. "Lookie at what I brought!" she announced in a sing-song voice as she set down an enormous tub. Twilight set the wings down and joined Applejack as Pinkie opened the tub. It was filled with a bright pink substance. "It's my super-secret secret patented Pinkie Pie taffy! You wouldn't believe how many favors I had to call in to get all the ingredients."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "It looks like normal taffy," she noted, tugging a chunk free with her magic.
Pinkie's maw suddenly engulfed the chunk. "Jus' try it! Youh'll see how speshal it is," she mumbled as she gnawed on the candy.
"I'll take your word for it," Twilight said, smiling. She capped the tub and packed it up with the wings. "We can try it along with the normal taffy and see how well they do in the stress tests."
"I remember yah collectin' mushrooms in the Everfree for it," Applejack said. "How'd yah come up with this secret recipe, anyway?"
After swallowing her mouthful of taffy, she drew a deep breath and explained, "Well, when I was a filly, I took all my worldly possessions to the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange. There, I traded away everything for the most exotic and yummy-looking ingredients from all over Equestria and beyond. With those I made my first-ever batch of taffy! But here in Ponyville, it's really hard to get a lot of what I needed. I was so excited that everypony around town helped me to get them. I haven't tasted this awesome taffy since I was just an itty, bitty Pinkie filly!"
Applejack blinked a couple of times before pointing to the large tub. "There's more than enough there for the wing, right? Mind if I take a bite?"
"Of course not!" Pinkie assured, grabbing a hoofful and shoving it into Applejack's mouth.
After recovering from the initial shock, Applejack gave an earnest smile. "Ish good!"
"Right, well, I need to get this stuff over to Rarity's. Hopefully, we'll be good to go by the time we get that shipment from your cousin, Applejack," Twilight said as she made her way out of the library, the wings and taffy floating along behind her.
"No, not there!" Rarity exasperatedly scolded. "I swear, Spike, I think you might be doing this on purpose to eat more of this cloth!"
Twilight giggled as she watched Rarity struggle with Spike. "Having a rough time?" she jovially asked, floating all of the wings in.
Rarity breathed out an exaggerated sigh. "It's so much more difficult to make an elegant dress with this cloth than I had imagined," she confessed, motioning to a half-finished dress on a mannequin.
Spike groaned as he held his bulging belly. "I'm really trying my best, ugh," he said, flopping over onto his back. "I never thought I'd say this, but I think I'm too full to eat any more gems."
"Is there something I can assist you with?" Rarity asked as she watched all the wings start to float in.
"We're getting close," Twilight announced with a smile. "I got Applejack off the ground with these."
"Oh! That's wonderful news!" Rarity enthused.
"That's the good news," Twilight said. "There is still some bad news. First of all, these wings are considerably more heavy than a normal pegasus wing. I was hoping you could make a lighter version of your cloth?"
Rarity glanced through the floating wings before pointing to one. "This one was the one made from mostly diamond filament. It's the thinnest, lightest one," Rarity announced, shaking her head. "I simply cannot make a lighter crystalline cloth."
Twilight sighed. "I was afraid you might say something like that. We've tried several other materials, right? Which of those worked best?"
"The, uh, the spider silk," Rarity said, not bothering to hide the disappointment in her voice. "I may still have it around here somewhere." She disappeared from the room a few moments before returning with the silken skin in her aura. "Here it is. Are you absolutely certain the crystalline cloth won't work?"
"I haven't a clue," Twilight admitted. "I have no clue what the limit for weight might be. Maybe Rainbow Dash can handle it, maybe she can't. Either way, I'd rather at least start her with a wing that's the right weight, just in case."
"Right," Rarity muttered, dumping the cloth onto a nearby table. "Well, I still have a dress to finish, so—"
"Actually, I had another favor or two to ask of you." Twilight dumped the rest of the wings on the table along with the tub of Pinkie's special taffy. "I want to rearrange some of these wings and ingredients. Then, I need to stress test them—to make sure that the wing won't fail if...when Rainbow Dash tries something 'awesome.'"
Rarity tentatively poked the near-comatose dragon. "I suppose a break from this project certainly couldn't hurt. I'll be happy to give you a hoof."
"I appreciate it," Twilight said, offering Rarity a smile. "But as far as the stress testing goes, I was hoping for one last favor."
Rarity cleared her throat. "I certainly hope you're not going to ask me to fly around until I fall. I've already experienced that once, and I have to say that I would certainly rather not go through that again."
"Oh, no. Nothing like that," Twilight assured. "I just wanted to borrow some of your mannequins. I can attach the wings to them and use a spell to make them flap. If we anchor the mannequins, then we can simulate prolonged or vigorous flight without ever leaving the ground."
Looking over to her half-finished dress, Rarity gave a nod. "Yes, I suppose I can do without some of them. I fear this dress may take some time to complete."
"It already looks amazing, Rarity," Twilight said. "Is it for a special client?"
"Oh, you could say that," Rarity cryptically replied. "If this dress turns out well, I can start to make them for us and our friends."
"Ooh, that'd be nice," Twilight marvelled, running a hoof over the unfinished dress. "Do you think you'll have them ready in time for the next Grand Galloping Gala?"
Rarity raised an eyebrow. "You aren't considering going to that travesty again, are you?"
"Well, I am a princess now. My presence there is virtually mandatory," Twilight said with a meek smile. "I was hoping you girls would come with me. It should be fun if we all just hang out and try to enjoy it together."
"Right, well, I should be able to get them done in plenty of time," Rarity assured. "So long as Spikey-Wikey here can keep up."
Spike held his bulging belly as he let out a burp. "U-ugh, 'scuse me," he groaned.
"Why don't you give me a hoof with these wings while Spike takes a break?" Twilight suggested.
"Of course, darling," Rarity said, joining Twilight in front of the table covered in wings.
A knock at the door startled Fluttershy as she was pouring seeds into a feeding dish. “Oh!” she exclaimed, setting aside the bag of bird seed and flying over to the door. Opening it up, she found an ivory unicorn in a sunhat. “Rarity, thanks so much for coming,” she greeted with a smile.
“Of course, darling,” Rarity said as she stepped in and put her hat aside.
“Now, there’s just a few things to know about watching her,” Fluttershy asserted as she shut the door. “I’ve already fed her, so she’s probably taking a nap right now. When she gets up, you’ll need to make sure she gets her exercise. Sometimes she doesn’t like it, so you might need to—”
“Fluttershy!” Rarity cut her off. “I think I can handle getting Rainbow Dash to her doctor’s appointment today. If she needs anything special, I’m certain she can just tell me.”
“Oh, but I’m going to be in Cloudsdale with Scootaloo all day,” Fluttershy said. “Rainbow Dash knows the basics of taking care of my animal friends, but she can’t take care of herself, too.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “She’s getting her cast off. After that she should be fine, right?” Fluttershy’s big, pleading eyes elicited a facehoof from Rarity. “Fine,” she grumbled. “I’ll be sure to take care of absolutely everything until you return.”
“Just make sure you take good care of her, all right?” Fluttershy requested.
“Thank you so much, Rarity! Our next trip to the spa will be on me, I promise!” Fluttershy smiled at her as she headed over and grabbed her saddlebags. Fluttershy opened the door, but hesitated to leave. “Just be sure that you take good care of everything until I get back,” she urged. “The chickens need your attention after lunch, then you should focus on getting Harry fed. He just gets so grumpy if he gets too hungry.”
‘’Fluttershy, I’m certain that your little animal friends will be just fine without you for one day,” Rarity insisted, pushing Fluttershy out the door. Giving the door a good kick, Rarity wandered into the cottage to find Rainbow Dash snoozing on the rug at the top of Fluttershy’s stairs. Cocking an eyebrow, she looked over to see Angel Bunny fast asleep in Fluttershy’s bed, the covers pulled up to his chest.
Rarity blinked once, then twice. “Discord?” she cautiously called out.
Dash’s ear twitched as she snorted, her eyes blinking open. “Huh? Rarity?” she muttered with a yawn. “Is it time to get my cast off?”
“Uh, no. Not quite yet,” Rarity said, stealing another glimpse at Angel. “Why in Equestria are you here—sleeping on the floor of all places?”
Rainbow Dash got to her hooves, stretching. “It’s hard sleeping down here when you’re used to sleeping on clouds,” she explained. “This fluffy rug’s the closest thing in here to a cloud.”
Rarity looked down, raising one of her hooves to examine the rug beneath her. “O-oh.” She cleared her throat, looking back up to Dash. “Well, I’m here because I promised Fluttershy that I would look after you and all of her little animals. Unfortunately, I’m not certain how to take care of most of them. I understand you have been here long enough to have at least some sort of idea on what to do.”
Rainbow tilted her head a bit. “Are you asking for my help?”
“Yes,” Rarity said, unabashed. “Would mind showing me whatever it is I need to do?”
“Sure,” Rainbow Dash said, starting carefully down the stairs.
“It must be really hard on you,” Rarity spoke her thoughts aloud.
Dash sighed as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “I hate it,” she spat. “Don’t get me wrong, taking the squirt to Cloudsdale and that can be pretty fun, but I just… I can’t stand everypony seeing me like… this.”
“Well, you’re getting your cast off today,” Rarity said.
Rainbow Dash scoffed. “I don’t care about that. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been in a cast?”
“You know, your replacement wing should be ready in a day or two.”
Rainbow stopped in her tracks. “What?”
“I think Twilight is just waiting on—” Rarity closed her eyes, shuddering “—on that wood from Applejack’s cousin.”
“I-I… You’re not gonna say ‘soon’ or ‘maybe?’” Rainbow Dash said, befuddled. “Y-you mean, it’s really gonna work?”
Rarity cocked an eyebrow. “Darling, just what has Fluttershy been telling you? Twilight’s almost got everything finished. Why, she even managed to get Applejack off of the ground just yesterday.”
Rainbow blinked a couple of times before a huge grin spread across her muzzle. “Really!? It’s working?”
Rarity nodded. “Right now, Twilight has a bunch of them set up in my boutique. I think she wants to make sure they aren’t going to fall apart on you before she puts the finishing touches on yours.”
If her leg weren’t in a cast, Rainbow would’ve pranced. “That’s awesome! I can’t wait!”
Rarity laughed a bit. “You might have to,” she warned. “You know Pinkie is going to want to make a party of it.”
“I don’t care! I’ll be able to fly again!”
“Well, that shouldn’t be too far off,” Rarity said. “Now, let’s take care of these… critters.”
“Okay now, be careful, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said once the hot air balloon set down on the clouds.
“I’ve done this before,” Scootaloo said, tumbling out onto the fluffy clouds.
“Still, it can be dangerous for a filly to be way, way up here,” Fluttershy said as she secured the balloon.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “I’ll be fine!”
With the balloon squared away, Fluttershy pointed a hoof. “Now, I think the coliseum is this way.”
“What?” Scootaloo stared incredulously at Fluttershy. “We’re not going there already, are we?”
Fluttershy blinked a couple of times before tilting her head slightly. “Isn’t that what we came here for?”
“The Wonderbolts only do boring stuff like warm ups and trust exercises this early,” Scootaloo said. “They don’t start doing cool stuff until an hour or so before lunchtime. Then after lunch they do boring stuff again until the afternoon.”
Fluttershy just stared at Scootaloo for a moment before speaking up, “Um, so, where is it that you wanted to go?”
“Rainbow Dash shows me all the cool places in Cloudsdale!” Scootaloo buzzed in the air as she grinned. “I’ve been to her house, and her favorite restaurant, and this cool place where you can practice flying… You know, stuff like that.”
“Well, where would you like to go, then?” Fluttershy asked, smiling.
Scootaloo looked around a moment before pointing. “There’s a cool place over here! Rainbow Dash has been coaching me on my flying.”
Scootaloo led Fluttershy to a place that held many a bad memory for the shy pegasus. It was a field of clouds with countless, small clouds hovering over a single, large cloud. Several young fillies and colts were leaping from one cloud to another, occasionally falling down the large cloud blanketing the bottom. It was one of a few specially designed play areas for pegasi that were just learning to fly.
As Scootaloo leapt from cloud to cloud, Fluttershy couldn't help but to notice that she was easily the largest child there. Fluttershy flew after the filly. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
“I’ve gotta practice if I wanna get better!” Scootaloo crouched down before leaping towards a higher cloud. She buzzed her wings for all they were worth, but fell just shy of her target. She plummeted down, crashing into the clouds below. Shaking off the blow, she looked back up at Fluttershy. “Besides, clouds are a lot softer than, you know… ground.”
“Well, I mean, if that’s what you really want,” Fluttershy replied.
By the time Fluttershy got Scootaloo to the Cloudsdale Cloudiseum, the Wonderbolts were already wrapping up their morning practice. As soon as they arrived, a couple of costumed pegasi took off with Scootaloo. Before Fluttershy could protest, a pegasus landed right in front of her.
“You must be Fluttershy,” Spitfire said. “I’m Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts.”
“Oh, um, hello.” Fluttershy halfheartedly returned the greeting. Her attention was for more fixated on the twirling pegasi carrying and tossing Scootaloo about.
“Don’t worry about it.” Spitfire moved in the way, blocking Fluttershy’s view of the filly. “They’ve been doing this sort of thing all week.” She laughed a bit. “Keep it under your hat, but I think everypony’s going to be pretty sore when she can’t come around anymore.”
“Oh,” Fluttershy muttered.
Spreading her wings, Spitfire flew up a few feet. “We were just about to grab some lunch. Come on.” Fluttershy scrambled to catch up with the Wonderbolts as they left the stadium. Spitfire hung back to keep talking to Fluttershy. “So Dash is getting her cast off today?”
Fluttershy nodded. “Yes.”
Fluttershy hesitated stabbing her salad to look up at Spitfire with a smile. “Oh, we’ve all been worried sick about her. It’s nice to know that you care, too.”
“I’m not going to mince words with you,” Spitfire said, staring Fluttershy down. “Rainbow Dash seems to think that somehow she is going to fly again. It’s not healthy for her to entertain these delusions.”
Fluttershy blinked as she tilted her head. “Delusions?” She shook her head. “No, you must be mistaken. We’re going to help Rainbow Dash fly again.”
A hoof slammed against the table with enough force to make Fluttershy flinch. “Not you, too!” Spitfire pointed a hoof at Fluttershy. “Look, I’ve seen pegasi get grounded permanently with injuries nowhere near as bad as what Rainbow Dash got. If you keep encouraging her, she’s just going to be that much more crushed when she finally realizes the truth.”
“You don’t understand,” Fluttershy said, leaning back in over the table. “Rainbow Dash will fly again, and soon.”
Spitfire facehoofed. “I’m pretty sure I don’t need to tell a pegasus that you need two wings to fly.”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that, we’ve almost got a replacement wing ready for her,” Fluttershy replied, a small smile adorning her muzzle.
Spitfire’s brow furrowed. “Replacement?”
Fluttershy nodded. “We’ve been working on it ever since… well, you know.”
“I don’t see how you can just fix something like that. The best doctors couldn’t keep some of the best Wonderbolts to wear the uniform flying,” Spitfire said, angrily tearing into her salad.
“I’ve actually been wanting to talk to you about that—Rainbow Dash’s accident, I mean.” Fluttershy dodged Spitfire’s gaze when the Wonderbolt looked up. “About Lightning Dust…”
Spitfire snorted. “Dash told you about that, did she?”
“Oh, um… Yes, well, do you know what happened to her?” Fluttershy asked, her gaze fixated on her untouched salad. “Nopony seems to know where Lightning Dust disappeared to.”
“Probably rotting in a dungeon somewhere,” Spitfire replied. “Better than she deserves.”
Fluttershy snapped her attention back to Spitfire, her eyes wide. “A dungeon?”
Spitfire crossed her forelegs over her chest as she stared back at Fluttershy. “What she did to Rainbow Dash wasn’t just wrong—it was a crime. I honestly don’t know what happened after she was turned in, but I figure ‘dungeon’ is a pretty good bet.”
With a small sigh, Fluttershy looked down. “Oh.”
“What? Weren’t you hoping she got what she deserved?”
“Yes… I mean, no. I just…” Fluttershy mumbled.
“You were hoping that knowing that Lightning Dust got what she deserved would make you feel better?” Spitfire guessed, earning a tiny nod from Fluttershy.
“I know I shouldn’t have felt that way. And now… Well, it didn’t make me feel any better at all,” Fluttershy said. “I think I feel worse.”
Spitfire gave her a curt nod. “It’s because it doesn’t make anything better. Doesn’t matter what happened to Lightning Dust; it won’t make Rainbow Dash fly again.” She sighed.
“She will fly again,” Fluttershy said, her voice firm and resolute.
The sun flirted with the horizon by the time Fluttershy got back to her cottage. As much as Scootaloo seemed to enjoy the trip to Cloudsdale, it just left Fluttershy feeling empty. She wished the day to be over already, but right in front of her was the part she dreaded most. Until now, she had skirted around Lightning Dust when it came to Rainbow Dash. She just couldn’t do it anymore.
Breathing out a sigh, Fluttershy opened her front door.
“Never again!”
Fluttershy’s ears folded back at the shriek that could only have come from Rarity. Said unicorn stomped in, her coat and mane covered in dirt, sweat, and… well, she was caked in filth, to say the least. “Uh… hello, Rarity. I hope my animal friends didn’t give you too hard a time.”
Rarity’s eye twitched. “Never. Again.” Without another word, she stepped past Fluttershy and out of the cottage.
“Oh my…” Fluttershy mumbled as she watched Rarity go. Closing the door, she turned back, scanning the room. “Rainbow Dash?” she called out.
“Hey! How’d it go with the squirt?” Rainbow’s voice echoed from upstairs. A few seconds later, Rainbow appeared trotting down the steps with a towel tossed over withers. Her mane was still wet. “Check it out,” she said, grinning as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She spun around, dancing a bit. “Good as new… well, almost,” she said, her cheerful demeanor waivering just a bit as she looked to her stump.
Fluttershy nodded. “Scootaloo said that she had a wonderful time. But what about you?” Fluttershy asked, pointing a hoof at Dash’s leg. “It doesn’t hurt or anything?”
“It’s a little sore, but it’s probably just stiff from being in that stupid cast for so long,” Rainbow replied, kicking the leg out. “Definitely good enough for me to take Scootaloo to Cloudsdale tomorrow.”
“I’m sure Scootaloo will be happy to hear that,” Fluttershy said, smiling.
Rainbow’s head tilted a bit. “You’re not?”
“N-no, I am. It’s just…” Fluttershy trailed off, kicking the floor with a hoof. “Um, can we talk?”
Dash smirked. “Isn’t that what we’re doing right now?”
“No, I mean—” Fluttershy looked down, gritting her teeth. “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. I’m so sorry.”
“What? Hey! Don’t cry,” Dash said, racing to her side and putting a wing over her.
“I-I’ve been lying to you,” Fluttershy choked out, shaking her head a bit. “For a long time now.”
Dash raised an eyebrow. “Lying about what?” she asked, nudging Fluttershy.
Fluttershy looked up, her eyes wet with unshed tears. “I should have told you right away, but I just-I couldn’t. I didn’t.”
“Told me what?”
Fluttershy sighed, a wing wiping away her burgeoning tears. “I know… I’ve known about Lightning Dust. What she did to you.”
Rainbow took a step back, her feathers and hide bristling. “Oh?” she asked, her wing shuffling nervously against her hide.
“Why haven’t you told anypony? Everypony still thinks it was just an accident, but it wasn’t.” Fluttershy stood straight up, her wings spreading out. “Lightning Dust did this.”
“Hey, I don’t even remember her doing it,” Dash replied, looking away. “Yeah, I was mad at her and stuff, but I’m over it. I know I should really hate her for it, but I just… don’t.” She kicked a hoof at the floor, sighing. “I blamed myself for what happened for so long, I guess after I got over the shock of learning that she’d done it I was sorta, I dunno, relieved.”
Fluttershy tilted her head, a puzzled look on her face. “Relieved?”
“Yeah,” Dash said, looking up at Fluttershy. “It wasn’t because of some stupid stunt I did or me losing control or anything. It wasn’t my fault. So just… leave it alone, okay? Forget it.”
“B-but still, she’s the reason you got hurt in the first place. This is all because she was selfish, and mean, and…”
“And I don’t care,” Dash said, cutting Fluttershy off with a stamp of her hoof. She stepped over to the couch lifting herself onto the cushions and facing away from Fluttershy.
Fluttershy stared at Rainbow Dash’s back, a frown forming on her muzzle. “Spitfire said that she was thrown in a dungeon for what she did to you.”
“So?” Rainbow tersely replied.
Fluttershy sighed. She turned towards the stairs, but stopped. “If you really didn’t care, you would have told everypony what really happened,” she said, stepping a hoof up onto the first stair.
“Hey, uh, Fluttershy?” Rainbow said, sitting up. “You won’t tell anypony about Lightning Dust, will you?”
Fluttershy hung her head, shaking it a bit. “No.” She looked back over at Dash. “But you should.”
“They don’t need to know,” Dash insisted.
“But she hurt you!”
“Exactly!” Dash replied, pointing a hoof at Fluttershy. She sighed, her ears drooping down. “It’s one thing to get hurt because I was being too awesome for physics to keep up, but to get beaten up—and by her of all ponies—everypony is just going to think that I’m that much more pathetic.”
“Rainbow Dash, nopony thinks you’re pathetic.”
Rainbow snorted. “I see the way everypony looks at me. Trying to look at my wing and trying not to let me see…” She traced a hoof over her stump, shaking her head just a bit. “They all feel sorry for me. I don’t want them to think I’m some kind of wimp that can’t even hold her own against Lightning Dust, too.”
Taking wing, Fluttershy floated over and landed next to her. “There, there,” she said, putting a hoof on her shoulder, “nopony thinks any less of you.”
Dash stared back at her. “You. You’re doing it. Right now,” she deadpanned.
Fluttershy recoiled, blushing. “Oh, um… I’m sure everypony means well.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I get that, I just… I guess I just want everything to be normal again.”
“We all want that for you, Rainbow Dash.”
Dash sighed. “I know.” She flopped over, staring up at nothing. “Wanting something isn’t going to make it happen, though.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that. We’ll find a way to make it happen.”
“I know,” Dash replied, a smile forming on her lips. “Rarity told me you guys were really close.”
“We’ll have you flying again soon enough,” Fluttershy said.
“I sure hope so, Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy. Fluttershy, are you still awake?”
Fluttershy rose from her pillow to find Twilight hanging in her window. “Twilight?”
Flapping her wings and kicking her hind legs, Twilight managed to stumble into Fluttershy’s bedroom. “Sorry about the late visit, but I just couldn’t wait. Where’s Rainbow Dash?”
“Downstairs on the couch,” Fluttershy replied, pointing a hoof. “Do you want me to go get her?”
“No, not at all,” Twilight said, stepping in Fluttershy’s way to halt her. “Listen, I have some really good news.”
A hoof rose to Fluttershy’s muzzle to muffle a gasp. “You don’t mean…”
“Ugh… I don’t see why you insisted on coming along,” Rainbow Dash said, glancing over at Fluttershy.
“I just wanted to make sure you were going to make it okay. You did just get your cast off yesterday,” Fluttershy replied.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Scoots and I have made this trip just fine back when I had a cast.”
Scootaloo’s forelegs hung listlessly over the handlebar as she lazily flapped her wings, keeping her scooter in pace with the duo. “Are you coming all the way to Cloudsdale with us? You know Rainbow Dash only has two passes, right?”
“Oh, I’m just coming along to make sure that everything goes smoothly,” Fluttershy replied, smiling at Scootaloo. She turned back to Rainbow Dash. “You’re sure it doesn’t hurt to walk on it? Should I go get the wheelchair?”
“Jeez, Fluttershy. I’m fine!” She stopped just long enough to point a forehoof. “See? There’s the balloon, and my leg still feels good as new…” She then gave the offending appendage a good wave to demonstrate, wincing a bit before putting it back on the ground. “Well, good enough anyway.”
As the trio neared the balloon, an explosion accompanied a storm of confetti. “Surprise!” Pinkie, Twilight, and Applejack emerged from the balloon’s basket, startling the trio.
Rainbow Dash was the first to regain her composure. “What the hay?” she said, brushing confetti from her mane.
“Oh, you’re going to love this surprise!” Pinkie practically shouted as she bounded out of the basket.
Dash sent a glare at Fluttershy. “You were in on this, weren’t you?”
“Sorry, but Pinkie Pie insisted on it being a surprise,” Fluttershy said, giving Rainbow her most innocent smile.
“Lighten up, Rainbow,” Twilight said, stepping free of the balloon. Her horn glowed, and a large, flat box levitated out. It was wrapped in yellow paper and adorned with a scarlet ribbon and bow. “We all worked hard on this little surprise for you. You’re going to love it.”
Rainbow Dash stopped as she stared at the gift. “Wait… You don’t mean…”
“Mmm-hmm.” Twilight just smiled and nodded while the rest stared expectantly back at her.
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” Rainbow said as she fervently tore into the wrapping. She lifted the lid, and blinked. There in the box was a blue pegasus wing. “It… it looks like a severed wing,” she said, recoiling a bit as she stuck out her tongue.
“Yeah, that’s what I said,” Applejack said, resting on the edge of the balloon’s basket.
“Well, we tried to make it as realistic—and robust—as possible,” Twilight said, matter-of-factly. She grinned. “Ready to try it on?”
Dash jumped up. “Am I?”
Twilight levitated the wing out of the box, bringing it to Rainbow’s side. “Now, this might take a minute,” she said, getting close to where Rainbow’s wing once was. “I haven’t had experience attaching one to a pegasus.”
Rainbow wiggled a bit. “It feels… kind of funny.”
“Hold still,” Twilight admonished.
“This, is this really happening? I’m gonna fly again?” Rainbow asked, as she stiffened up, standing statue still.
“I’ll tell yah this, a pair of those things got me off the ground,” Applejack said, pointing at the wing.
Twilight nodded, a brilliant magenta glow joining the tip of the wing to Rainbow’s stump. “It might not be perfect, but it should be enough to get you off the ground. We can keep working on it to make it better.”
“I’ll be happy just to be able to fly home,” Rainbow replied, her face twitching and wincing every second or two.
“Funny you should mention that!” Pinkie said, bounding back and forth in front of Dash. “It would be silly to have a ‘here’s a fake new wing to help you fly again’ party, so we agreed to throw you a ‘welcome home’ party. Rarity’s there now setting up the last of the decorations.”
Rainbow smiled before wincing again. “Ow!”
“Sorry!” Twilight said. “Almost done…”
“This is so cool!” Scootaloo scrunched in close to where Twilight was working. “Can you make me fly, too?”
For just a moment, Twilight glanced away from her delicate work and over at Scootaloo. “No, Scootaloo,” she said. “You need to learn to fly on your own, first.”
“Maybe you two can figure out flying together!” Pinkie said in a sing-song manner.
Rainbow chuckled a bit. “I might’ve been grounded for a while, but I think I can remember how to fly.”
“Actually, this replacement might take some getting used to,” Twilight said, “and be still, I’ve almost… There!” Taking a step back, she smiled at Dash. “Well? How about it?”
Dash turned, extending her new wing as she looked at it. “It… looks just like the old one,” she said, staring wide-eyed at the appendage. “Feels kind of funny, though.” She smirked, raising her wings.
“Not so fast!” Twilight said, halting Rainbow Dash by holding her tight with a magic field. “Take it slowly. We need to know nothing is going to go wrong.”
Rainbow groaned as she rolled her eyes. “I think I know my own limits.”
“But do you know the limits of this new wing? I know I don’t,” Twilight said. “Now, just try to go through your full range of motion. Let me know if anything feels too tight or too loose.” As soon as Twilight released the field, Dash spread out her wings and bent her knees. Twilight facehooved as Rainbow launched herself into the air. Dash made it about as high at the rooftops before her initial momentum ran out and she started to flail.
“Whoa! Whoa!” She flapped asynchronously as she began to plummet back to the ground. As The ground approached, she closed her eyes and braced for impact. It didn’t come. She peeked an eye open to find the ground an inch from her face and tinted purple. Looking over, she found Twilight, horn glowing, giving her a disapproving look.
“Ready to try it properly now?” Twilight asked, gingerly setting Rainbow Dash back on her hooves.
Rainbow frowned. “It didn’t work!”
Twilight sighed. “I’m sorry it’s not working right away for you, but you have to understand that this is a completely new wing for you. I’m hoping you just have to get used to it. If not, we can keep working on it.”
Dash’s wings brushed anxiously against her sides. Her gaze turned to the faux wing at her side. “This… this is gonna work, right?”
“It will work,” Twilight said. “We’ll have you flying by days end. You can count on it.” Then, she spread her wings wide. “Now, let’s work on your range of motion.”
After a few warm-ups and a lot of encouragement from her friends, Dash stood ready to try again. “Remember, Rainbow, you need to take it slow! Push yourself too hard and you might break that new wing.”
Dash gave her a curt nod as she unfurled her wings. Instead of launching off, she flapped her wings until her hooves rose off the ground. Quickly, she found herself off-balance. She swung over, inches above the ground, barely missing an impact with Twilight.
“Woohoo! Way to go Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie shouted at her, inexplicably wearing a cheerleader’s uniform complete with pompoms. “You can do it!”
Redoubling her efforts, Rainbow started to gain altitude, though she still swayed wildly. Finally, she managed to stop swinging all over the place and managed to stay hovering several feet above the ground. “Hey, I think I got it!” she exclaimed. Then, she started to tilt a bit. “Don’t got it! Don’t got it!” Flying off to the side, she smashed right into the balloon.
“Wow! Great job Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie shouted again as Dash slowly slid down the bulbous fabric of the balloon. “You really showed that balloon!”
A well-dressed Rarity stood outside of Dash’s cloud home, casually observing the “welcome home” banner over the doorway. “I do hope they haven’t run into too many problems,” she muttered. She lifted a hoof, looking at the fluffy clouds beneath her. “I really hope they get back here before Twilight’s cloud walking spell wears off.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Spike replied, hanging out of one of Rainbow Dash’s windows. “Twilight’s magic might’ve been amazing before, but now it’s, uh… even more amazing!”
“Wh-whoa! Guh!”
Rarity spun around to see two cyan forelegs, a cyan head, and a multicolored mop over at the edge of the clouds. Clawing desperately and flapping her wings, Dash managed to pull herself up. “Ah! Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said, trotting up to the pegasus. “Welcome home!”
Panting, Rainbow Dash grinned. “It feels great to be back up on clouds again.”
“Sorry we’re late!” Twilight apologized as the balloon landed nearby.
“Ah, so you’re all here,” Rarity said as the group climbed out of the balloon, followed by Scootaloo. “Oh, plus one.”
“I’ve never actually been to Rainbow Dash’s house before,” Scootaloo excitedly said, bounding over to Rarity and Dash along with the rest.
“I’ve never even been on clouds before!” Spike shouted down, waving at the new arrivals.
Twilight smiled as she motioned to the door. “Come on. Let’s get inside so the party can really begin.”
As the group filed in behind Dash, the lights flicked on.
“Surprise!”
Pinkie Pie and Spike erupted from hiding places, sending confetti flying. “What the…!” Rainbow Dash spun around to find Pinkie no longer behind her, and the rest of the group looking a bit surprised themselves. “How…?”
“Ugh! You guys were supposed to hide and surprise Dashie when she got home!” Pinkie said, facehoofing.
“Yes, well,” Rarity spoke up as she took the lead, “this isn’t just a welcome home for you, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity motioned to several tables set up around the room, covered not in cake and punch, but feathers and fabric. “It’s your wing, so we thought we should offer the opportunity to change it however you like.”
“We want it to be perfect,” Twilight said. “Whatever you need for it to work just right for you. We can add or remove muscle, tighten or loosen tendons, change the shape, weight… we should be able to make just about any modification right here!”
“Oh, oh! But don’t forget, it’s still a party!” Pinkie exclaimed, pulling in an enormous table topped with tasty treats and delicious drinks in the blink of an eye.
“Sweet!” Dash replied.
Twilight ushered Rainbow over to a nearby table topped with a bucket of taffy and what appeared to be a few sticks. “I noticed that you were having some trouble getting here. What do you think the problem was? The shape? The muscles? The weight?”
“Uh,” Rainbow hesitated, looking at the faux wing. “Well, it’s not balanced. If I flap my wings together, my real wing gives me more lift than the fake one.”
“When you soar are they balanced?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I couldn’t soar at all.”
“Okay, sounds like a problem with the shape. I’ll get right on it.” Twilight’s horn flared to life, grabbing Rainbow Dash’s wing and pulling it away from her side. “Anything else?”
Dash rubbed her side where the wing was. “Well, I couldn’t get it to unfurl or snap to me as fast as my real wing.”
Twilight frowned a bit. “Hmm, I’m not sure what I can do about that. I might be able to try to tighten some of the tendons.”
“And, um…” Dash said, pawing at the floor. “It uh, it felt kinda like it needed to be preened.”
“I’m sure Rarity and Fluttershy can help with the feathers,” Twilight replied.
“Soooo, if that’s everything…” Pinkie said, appearing right next to Rainbow Dash as she put her hooves on Dash’s shoulders. A cloud of dust, and the duo vanished. “Let’s get this party started!” Pinkie’s voice echoed throughout the house.
“I take you’ll need a hoof?” Rarity asked, following after Twilight.
“Of course,” Twilight said, smiling. “Mind getting Fluttershy, too? She’d be the expert on feathers.”
The trio gathered around the prosthetic wing as Twilight pulled the skin and feathers free from the muscle and bone. “Okay, Rarity, Fluttershy, you two try and figure out if there is anything wrong with the feathering. I’m going to see if I can’t tighten some of these tendons.”
“Fluttershy and I did these feathers ourselves, you know,” Rarity said, holding up the feathered fabric. “We made sure it was perfect.”
“How many have fallen out?” Twilight asked as she pulled at some of the taffy with her aura. “A fake wing won’t regrow feathers, and I noticed before that they don’t exactly stay in very well.”
Rarity ran a hoof along the fabric before running her magic through it. “I don’t notice anything too amiss. There are no bare patches or uneven patterns.”
“Everything seems to be normal enough,” Fluttershy said.
“Hmmm, what kind of feathers did you use?” Twilight asked, never looking up from the naked wing.
“Well, there was this gorgeous set I wanted use, but,” Rarity replied, rolling her eyes, “Fluttershy insisted that the feathers I typically use were no good.”
“They were fake feathers,” Fluttershy said. “Those would never work for real flight, so I gathered up a bunch of feathers from some of my animal friends.”
“And I dyed them to match Rainbow Dash’s coat and feathers,” Rarity said.
Twilight blinked, looking up from her work. “You used feathers from different species?”
“Yes, well, there weren’t enough from a single bird,” Fluttershy replied. “Pegasi are rather large creatures. It takes a lot of feathers to cover even one wing.”
“Each species has unique feathers. They’re all really similar, but they differ a little in shape and composition,” Twilight said as if reciting something from a book. “That can lead to destructive interference in aerodynamics and make flight difficult. I’m surprised she could fly at all.”
Fluttershy’s ears drooped as she hung her head. “Oh.”
“Uh, I don’t suppose you have enough feathers from a single species to cover the wings? It would be best if you could get feathers as close to a pegasus’ as possible,” Twilight replied.
“Oh, no. I don’t…” Fluttershy trailed off, blinking her eyes as she perked up. “Wait, I just may have something.” She turned, trotting towards the door. “I’ll be back just as soon as I can.”
Twilight smiled. “Okay, good.” Looking back at Rarity, she pointed to the wing’s feathered fabric. “How long would it take us to refeather that after Fluttershy gets back?”
Rarity raised a hoof to her chin, her eyes glancing up. “Well, with you helping, I can’t imagine it would take more than twenty or thirty minutes.”
“Well then, let’s get to it!” Twilight exclaimed.
In short order, Rarity had plucked the skin clean of any feathers and left to join the party until Fluttershy returned. That left Twilight alone as she continued to try to mold the wing to just the right shape.
“Um, Twilight?”
Twilight’s ears pricked at the new voice. She turned to find Scootaloo. “Shouldn’t you be outside enjoying the party?”
Scootaloo looked down, pawing at the floor with a hoof. “I just…” She looked up at Twilight. “Can you make me a pair of those wings?”
“Wh-what?”
“You helped Rainbow Dash to fly with that wing. I just know I could fly if I had a pair of those instead of… these things,” she said, rubbing one of her wings with a hoof.
Twilight’s eyes widened before she shook her head. “No, no, no. This is to replace the wing Rainbow Dash lost,” she said, pointing at the prosthetic wing. “Your wings are perfectly fine. I’m sure you’ll grow into them soon enough.”
“They’re not perfectly fine!” Scootaloo stomped a hoof. “I’ve tried to fly harder than any other filly, and I still can’t fly! Fillies half my age are flying, and I still can’t. Rainbow Dash says I gotta just keep trying, but I think she’s wrong. There… there’s something wrong with me—my wings.” She looked down again. “I just wanna fly.”
“Rainbow Dash is right. If you keep trying, then surely you’ll get there someday.”
“And what if I don’t? What if I can never fly with these?” Scootaloo desperately asked, flaring out her wings.
Twilight sighed. “Scootaloo, I can’t just… This wing is to replace a lost one. You still have both of yours.”
“Then get rid of them.”
Physically recoiling, Twilight sputtered, “Wh-wh-what? How can you even ask something so absurd?”
“Why not?” Scootaloo asked, pointing over to her wing again. “These won’t fly—” she pointed back at the prosthetic wing “—but that will.”
“Scootaloo, I’m not going to mutilate you!” Twilight stomped. Her hoof seemed to usher in a dead silence, with even the party’s record player screeching to a halt. Looking up, she found every eye on her and Scootaloo.
“Ugh!” Twilight facehoofed a moment before grabbing Dash and Scootaloo and heading for someplace private. With a little direction from Rainbow Dash, the trio ended up in her bedroom.
“What’s this all about?” Rainbow asked as Twilight double checked the door to make sure that they were alone.
“We have a little problem,” Twilight said, pointing at Scootaloo.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “I don’t see what the problem is!” She turned to Dash, pointing at Twilight. “All I want is for Twilight to give me a pair of wings like the one you’re getting. Then I’ll be able to fly!”
“Oh, hey! That could work!” Rainbow replied. She looked over to find Twilight glaring at her. “What?”
“Rainbow, she already has two perfectly good wings,” Twilight said, tilting her head towards Scootaloo.
“So? Just get rid of them, and you can put the magic wings on me,” Scootaloo replied.
Rainbow’s eyes widened as she looked back to find Twilight giving her a pointed look. “Uh, Scoots, Twilight’s right,” she said as she turned back to Scootaloo. “You gotta learn to fly with your own wings.”
“You just said—”
“I wasn’t thinking,” Rainbow cut Scootaloo off, giving her a stern look. “Look, you still have both of your wings. You should be grateful.”
“But my wings don’t work.” Scootaloo pointed at Twilight. “The ones she made do.”
Dash nibbled on her cheek as she rubbed her neck. Setting her hoof down and sighing, she looked over at Twilight. “Hey, I got this.”
Twilight glanced over at Scootaloo a moment before looking back at Dash. “You’re sure?” Dash nodded. “Well, I’ll leave it to you, then.” She got up and left, closing the bedroom door behind her.
As soon as Twilight left, Rainbow Dash sat down on her bed and patted the mattress next to her. “Come here, squirt.”
“I don’t see why everypony is making such a big deal about this. I mean, you’re getting a new wing,” Scootaloo said as she plodded over and sat down.
Dash draped her wing over Scootaloo, drawing her in close. “You know, I’ve learned a lot since I lost my wing. Wanna know what the first thing was?”
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow as she looked up at Rainbow. “Uh, sure.”
Rainbow raised a hoof in the air. “The very first thing I learned was that losing a wing hurts. I mean, really hurts,” she said. “I’ve had some totally epic wipeouts that even I couldn’t walk away from, and none of them came anywhere close to the pain of losing a wing.”
Scootaloo shuffled a bit, her eyes locked on the ground. “O-oh.”
“But I think I learned something more important this past week,” Dash said, waiting for Scootaloo to look up again. “I’ve… never really been a very good big sister to you, have I?”
“What are you talking about? You’re like the best big sister ever!” Scootaloo replied.
“I might be totally awesome, but I’m in no way the best big sister ever,” Rainbow said, blushing as she rubbed her neck. “Sure, I might have been there for you when you really needed it or when it was convenient for me, but I never really made time for you like I should have. Hay, I’ve probably spent more time with you this past week than I have in the past year combined.”
“Well, I know you’re always so busy…”
“But I’m not!” Dash said, throwing her forelegs up. “My job is super-easy to take care of, or at least it was. I always have free time. I just… I guess I’ve been selfish.” She looked down to see Scootaloo looking away from her. Rainbow tried putting a hoof on her shoulder, but she just shrugged it off. “I’m sorry, Scoots. I really am, and I intend to make it up to you.”
When Scootaloo refused to acknowledge her, Dash got up and stood in front of her. Slipping a hoof under her chin, Dash raised Scootaloo’s head to look at her. “From now on, I’m gonna be a real big sister to you, and we’re gonna start by working on the biggest problem: flying. I know you’ve totally been trying your best, but maybe your problem is that you don’t have Equestria’s best coach to help you.”
Scootaloo glanced away as soon as Rainbow’s hoof slipped away. “I guess,” she muttered.
“Come on, don’t be like that,” Dash said. “Look, as soon as I’m flying on my own again, I’ll take you to Cloudsdale two or three times a week to practice your flying. Soon enough, you’ll be flying on your own, with your own wings.”
Sighing, Scootaloo shook her head. “Wouldn’t it be easier just to give me a new pair of wings?”
Dash smirked as she snorted. “Since when was anything easy awesome? If you wanna be the greatest filly since me, you gotta charge headfirst against anything and everything tough. That’s the only way you’ll ever get to be even more awesome.”
“But, aren’t you getting a new wing?” Scootaloo asked, looking back up at Rainbow Dash.
Dash’s smile faded away. “Yeah, I am. But that’s not the same. It’s impossible for me to fly on my own since I lost my wing. And, as awesome as this wing’s gonna be, it’ll never be as good as my old, real wing.” She sat against Scootaloo, again wrapping her wing around her. “Your real wings might not be much right now, but they’ll only get better the more you use them. My fake wing will only get better if Twilight does something to it.” Rainbow sighed as her gaze trailed downward. “All the training in the world isn’t gonna make me fly better. I just… gotta hope that Twilight can really make a wing that is almost as good as my old one was.”
Scootaloo looked up at Dash, her big round eyes practically pleading. “Do you really think my wings will get stronger?”
Grinning, Rainbow ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. “I know so. And with me as a coach, I’m sure you’ll be flying in no time, too.” She hopped up, stretching out her legs and wing. “Come on. We’re missing a pretty good party.”
“Okay!” Scootaloo replied, running after Dash.
Almost as soon as they got back to the group, Twilight pulled Rainbow Dash aside. “Did you get through to her?” Twilight asked.
Dash nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. I never imagined that sort of complication with this whole prosthetic wing thing.” Glancing aside, Twilight pointed. “Look! Fluttershy’s back.” She patted Dash on the shoulder. “Why don’t you get back to the party? We’ll have your wing ready in half an hour or so.”
As Rainbow Dash went back to the party table, Twilight grabbed Rarity and headed over to the work table to meet Fluttershy.
“My, what a lovely box,” Rarity said as Fluttershy set it down a large, ornate box onto the table. Her demeanor rapidly shifted as she pointed at the box. “Please tell me you haven’t sullied it by stuffing it full of feathers.”
Fluttershy pulled up the lid with a hoof, and a fiery glow emanated from the box. She reached in, and pulled out a single, orange and red feather. “They’re phoenix feathers,” she said with a smile.
“It’s gorgeous!” Rarity said in awe. Then, she gasped. “But Fluttershy! You cannot dye a phoenix feather! It’ll never match Rainbow Dash’s coat.”
Fluttershy gingerly set the feather on the table and began to do the same with feather after feather from the box. “Oh. I really hadn’t considered that.”
Twilight nodded. “So long as we have enough. These might even stay in better than the other feathers since phoenixes only molt once per lifetime.” She paused and blinked before looking back at the table, now covered in phoenix feathers. “Speaking of them not coming out, how did you get so many? The only way to get a feather like this is if it’s plucked right out of a phoenix!”
“Oh, well I guess it all started with Philomena. I got so excited about the feather she gave me, I went on and on about it with all my animal friends,” Fluttershy said. “After that, my animal friends would always bring one every now and again. That’s when I started this collection.”
“Fluttershy… You’re certain you want to use these?” Twilight asked, eyeing the intricate box. “This may take up your entire collection.”
“They’ll mean so much more to Rainbow Dash if they help her to fly again,” Fluttershy said, pulling the last feather from the box. “Besides, I can always collect more.”
“You may have to,” Twilight replied. “If this really works, you may need to keep collecting them to replace whatever feathers fall out.”
Rarity pulled up the wing, setting it in the middle of the table. “I thought you just said that these feathers wouldn’t fall out like the rest?”
Twilight shrugged. “Well, that’s certainly what I’m hoping for, but this is all uncharted territory. No way to find out until we try.”
“Yes, well… Fluttershy, why don’t you help Twilight with the feathers on the outside of the wing while I do the underside?” Rarity suggested, taking a few feathers in her aura.
With a fresh wing in hoof, the party spilled out of Rainbow’s house and onto the clouds that served as its foundation.
“Wow! How’d you get it to look like it’s on fire?” Dash asked as Twilight brought the wing to meet the stump on her side.
“That would be Fluttershy’s doing. We refeathered the wing using phoenix feathers,” Twilight replied.
“Well it’s awesome!” Dash said, nearly trotting in place.
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight said, trying to hold the wing to Dash’s side while she worked the spell. “How many times do I have to tell you to stand still?”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t matter how many times, trust me. When I have her modelling a dress I just remember to tell her to be still every fifteen or twenty seconds.”
“Yeah,” Dash said, her voice thick with derision. “She even says it when I am being still.” She tried to accent her words by moving her hooves, but was held down by a purple force field.
“Be. Still!” Twilight said, very nearly growling.
“Oh, oh, oh!” Pinkie bounded over near Dash and Twilight. “Why don’t you just use your magic to paralyze her? Or put her to sleep? Oh! I know, I know! Hypnotize her so that she stays still like a zombie!” She stuck out her tongue and held out her forehooves as she mimicked a blank, brain-hungry stare.
“Pinkie, trying to focus…” Twilight replied.
“Yah know, you could just tie her up,” Applejack said. “We just need a length of rope.”
“Trying to do a really complicated spell here!” Twilight said, not even bothering to hide the chagrin in her tone.
“Come on! I can stand still,” Dash said, rolling her eyes.
Twilight let out a frustrated scream. “Be still!”
“Please, let me,” Fluttershy said, daintily walking over in front of Dash. She squared up to Dash and suddenly glared at her. Instantly, Dash’s eyes widened as her ears folded back.
“Whoa… I didn’t know Fluttershy’s ‘The Stare’ could paralyze ponies,” Scootaloo whispered to Rarity. “Even Rainbow Dash…”
Rarity nodded. “Apparently.”
After a few moments of relative silence, Twilight’s horn faded back to normal as she gave her head a little shake. “Thanks, Fluttershy,” she said, rubbing her horn.
Fluttershy blinked a couple of times, before stepping back and smiling at Twilight. “Happy to help.”
“Ugh, come on,” Dash muttered as brought a hoof to the bridge of her nose.
“Cheer up,” Twilight said, patting Dash on the shoulder. “Wing’s on and good to go. But remember to take it nice and slow.” She spread out her own wings. “Now, let’s go through the motions together to make sure everything is hooked up right.” A sudden, quick breeze forced Twilight to cover her face as she flinched. She groaned as she looked back to find no sign of Rainbow Dash.
“Well, at least she seems to be flyin’ pretty good this time,” Applejack said as everypony’s gaze trailed upwards.
A rainbow trail accented with orange embers raced across the sky. Then, it raced back in the opposite direction, this time with a few loops and zig-zags. While most of the small crowd cheered her on, Twilight kept shouting for her to take it easy and slow down. Dash soared upward, whipping back and forth between clouds. Then, suddenly, she careened away from the obstacle course of fluff and straight towards her friends.
Above the din of shouts, Pinkie reared up and drowned them out. “Incoming!”
The group scattered just as Dash crashed into the spot where they had been standing. “Oh my gosh! Rainbow Dash!” Twilight shouted as she raced to the scene. “Are you okay?”
Dash pulled herself up, vigorously shaking her head. “I’m all right,” she muttered, reaching up to rub her head.
“What happened?” Twilight asked as the others gathered around.
“I-I’m not sure,” Dash said, pulling her fiery wing up. “It’s all, loose and weird… but it doesn’t hurt.” She tried and failed to fully extend it. “It’s like it just suddenly isn’t working right.”
Twilight sighed as she looked Dash over. “Nothing else hurts?”
“I’m fine. I know how to take a fall,” Dash said, brushing off her shoulder.
“Rainbow Dash, last time you took a fall… You-you almost died,” Twilight said, looking Dash in the eye. “I know it’s not like you to be careful, but I thought even you would realize you can’t keep throwing caution to the wind like this.”
Dash’s ears perked up as she stared right back. “Hey, I’m not some helpless little filly. I’m fine.”
Twilight’s magic wrapped around Dash’s faux wing, ripping it from her body. “No!” She stomped a hoof as the wing flung away. “I am not getting you back in the sky just to give you free reign to hurt yourself again! You almost died! Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Do you have any idea what that was like for us?” she asked, motioning to the rest of the group. “When your doctor said that you might not make it, I-I…” Twilight shook her head before swiping at her eyes. She turned, rushing off into Dash’s house.
“Twilight!” Rainbow called out as the door slammed. “Ugh.” Looking back, she found a different expression on each of her friends ranging from confusion to condemnation. “Guys, I…”
“Well!” Rarity said, lifting the fiery wing in her aura and brushing it off. “That was a bit of an overreaction.”
A yellow hoof landed on Rainbow’s shoulder. “You should tell them,” Fluttershy whispered in Dash’s ear.
Letting out a frustrated grunt, Rainbow turned towards her front door. “Come on!” she said over her shoulder, opening her door. “I got something to say.”
The group filed in to find Twilight sitting on the floor, muttering to herself. Rainbow Dash rounded her to look her in the eye. “Twilight, I—”
“I’m sorry!” Twilight blurted out, sniffling. “I-I know everypony’s worked so hard to help you to fly again. I’m not going to keep you from that.” She shook her head, her gaze locked on the floor. “I just… I can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt again because of something I did. If-if you have another accident like that again because of the wing, then…”
“It wasn’t an accident,” Dash said, plenty loud for everypony to hear. She rubbed her neck as she felt every eye on herself. “It was… never an accident. If it was, I wouldn’t have been hurt so bad. I do know how to handle a crash landing.”
Applejack scratched her head. “I uh, I don’t quite follow you.”
“How could it not be an accident?” Pinkie asked, her head tilting to the side. Then she gasped. “You didn’t do it on purpose, did you?”
“What? No.” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “It was…” She sighed. “I probably should have told you all this back when I found out. Do you remember when the Wonderbolts crashed the last party Pinkie threw me?” A bevy of nods urged her to continue. “Look, I still don’t remember anything that happened that day, but the Wonderbolts told me… They told me that it wasn’t an accident. I crashed because I got kicked.” She rubbed her head. “Apparently, I was out cold before I even hit the ground.”
“It was actually a lake,” Fluttershy said. She immediately squeaked as every eye shifted to her.
“You knew about this?” Twilight asked as she got up, confronting the duo. She shifted her focus to Dash. “Why wouldn’t you tell us about this?”
“More important, who the hay did it?” Applejack asked, stomping a hoof. “I’d like to go give ‘em a piece of my mind.”
Rarity scoffed. “More like a piece of my hoof. How despicable can somepony get?”
“Why would anypony even do that?” Pinkie asked. “That’s terrible.”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Slow down,” she said. “Look, all that matters is that it wasn’t my fault. I can’t promise that I’m not going to get myself hurt again. I mean, I don’t even consider it a good year if I’m not in the hospital two or three times.” A few glares reminded her to stay on topic. “Anyway, yes, I’m going to get myself hurt, but it won’t be anything like what happened back there at the competition. I know my limits.”
“But you don’t know the limits of the wing!” Twilight replied, stamping a hoof. “You didn’t even take thirty seconds to break it.”
“Exactly!” Rainbow returned Twilight’s glare with one of her own, her sole wing raised up in a threatening manner. “I gotta find the breaking point for it. That way I know what the limit is and just how hard I can push it.”
Twilight grunted, then she sighed as her posture drooped. “Nothing I say is going to change your mind, is it?”
Dash grinned. “Not a chance.”
Groaning, Twilight took the wing from Rarity. “Fine. But you have to promise to take it slow. No more being reckless,” she said, sending another glare in Rainbow’s direction. “Nopony here can really catch you if you fall.”
“Fine,” Dash said, rolling her eyes.
“Wait, who did it? Why?” Rarity asked as Twilight took the wing over to the nearby work table.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Pinkie asked, earning a multitude of confused stares. She shrugged. “Lightning Dust did it. I bet she just wanted to win, but couldn’t beat our Rainbow Dash!” she said, bounding over to the cyan pegasus and throwing a leg around her. “You know, I suspected she might’ve been a bad egg.”
Rainbow Dash’s eye twitched. “B-but how could you possibly know that?” Her head swung around, setting her gaze on Fluttershy. “I thought you said that you didn’t tell anypony!”
Fluttershy held up her hooves. “I didn’t. I promise I didn’t.”
Pinkie’s head cocked to the side. “But you told Spitfire, don’t you remember? Back when Rainbow Dash was first in the hospital, Spitfire asked you about Rainbow Dash and who was with her. You said the only one was Lightning Dust, and that really seemed to make Spitfire upset.” Pinkie gasped. “Oh my gosh! I get it now! She was mad because Lightning Dust was the one that hurt Rainbow Dash.”
“Well I say we go an’ return the favor,” Applejack said, raising a hoof to pull her hat’s brim a bit lower over her face.
Dash scoffed. “Good luck finding her. Even Spitfire doesn’t know where she ended up,” she said. “Besides, it doesn’t really matter anyway. It won’t change anything.”
“I’m pretty sure it’d make me feel better,” Applejack replied.
“I agree with Applejack,” Rarity said, extending a hoof towards Applejack.
Dash shook her head. “I don’t. It’s best to just forget about it.”
“It’s fixed!” Twilight trotted back to the middle of the group with the wing floating along in her magic. “You ruptured a tendon, so after I repaired it, I loosened the tendons a bit and tried reinforcing them a little.”
“All right! The party is still on!” Pinkie shouted.
Several hours and a few wing modifications later, and the sun kissed the horizon. A glimpse of orange embers accented a rainbow streak as it danced across the sky, zig-zagging and looping. It changed direction, heading straight for the cheering crowd of ponies. Impacting the clouds, it sent up a mist. The mist settled, revealing a proud Rainbow Dash striking a triumphant pose with her wings outstretched and one forehoof off the ground.
“Looks like the wing’s really working now,” Twilight said as the group gathered around Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah, it’s great,” Rainbow replied, her smile never leaving her face. “Think I could do a sonic rainboom with it?”
Twilight instantly adopted a stern expression. “No,” she bluntly said.
Rainbow sighed. “Yeah. I guess not,” she said. “Still pretty awesome, though.”
Twilight’s smile returned. “Let’s worry about heavy-duty stunts later. For now you should just be happy that you can fly again.”
“Oh, I totally am.” Rainbow lifted a bit off the ground, doing a backflip. “This is just amazing.” She set herself back down, still smiling. “Thanks Twilight,” she said, wrapping her forelegs around Twilight’s neck.
“Hey, you know everypony put in a lot of work to make this work,” Twilight replied, returning the hug.
Rainbow grinned, stepping back just a bit and widening her forearms. “Bring it in.” The group coalesced on Rainbow, joining together in a group hug. “Thanks you guys. This really is the best gift ever.”
“We’re all super-happy for you!”
“It weren’t nothin’.”
“I’m just happy that you’re happy, Rainbow Dash.”
“So glad we could make it work for you, darling.”
“I really mean it,” Dash said as the group separated again. “This is the single greatest thing anypony’s ever done for anypony.”
Twilight smiled, holding up a hoof. “Maybe not the greatest thing ever, but we are all more than happy to see you flying again.”
“As much as we’d all love to stay, I’m afraid it is beginning to get quite late,” Rarity said, joining the rest of the gang as they slowly made their way to the hot air balloon. The rest of the group chimed in their parting words as they began to pile in.
“Remember, if you have even the smallest problem with your wing, just come and see me. I can fix you right up,” Twilight said as she levitated the spare materials for the wing into the balloon. “And either way, I’d like to see you in a day or two to see how well it’s holding up.”
They exchanged dozens of goodbyes as the balloon lifted off and floated away. The shouts quickly diminished to murmurs and finally fell into silence as the balloon drifted out of sight. After the balloon vanished, Dash turned to her final remaining guest: Fluttershy. “I guess you’re leaving, too, huh?”
“I wanted to stay here just a bit longer, if you don’t mind, that is,” Fluttershy replied.
Dash shook her head. “Nah, it’s fine.” She took wing, soaring up to a nearby cloud floating above her abode. She sat there and watched the stars and moon rise until she felt Fluttershy land next to her. “I missed this, you know. The night sky might be great from the ground, but up here, it’s spectacular.”
Fluttershy craned her neck, gazing up at the countless, twinkling stars. “It is very beautiful.”
Looking over, Dash watched Fluttershy’s eyes float away from the starts and towards her. As soon as their eyes met, Fluttershy looked away. Dash frowned as she groaned. “Out with it. I know you didn’t stay just to see the stars from up here. You hate heights.”
A blush crossed Fluttershy’s cheeks. “That obvious, is it?” she asked, peeking over at Dash. She sighed. “Are you still planning to take Scootaloo to Cloudsdale for the big show tomorrow?”
“Tch, yeah. Of course,” Dash replied. “I promised her I’d take her, and now I can even fly her there myself.”
“But, won’t it be painful for you?” Fluttershy asked, placing her hoof on Dash’s shoulder. “I mean… you can’t really be a Wonderbolt now. Seeing them can’t be easy for you.”
Dash rolled her eyes. “Please, Fluttershy. I saw them when I really thought I’d never even fly again. Besides, this wing might not be able to carry me through my stunts like my old one, but who’s to say that Twilight won’t come up with something that will?” She smirked. “Come on, you didn’t really think I’d give up, did you?”
Fluttershy smiled in turn. “Of course not.”
Smiling, Rainbow looked again to the stars shining in the heavens. “I’m still gonna be the greatest flier history has ever known. Just you watch.”
Fluttershy flitted about her cottage, humming a happy little tune as she dusted. The animals that were assisting her suddenly fled to their hiding places. “Huh?” Fluttershy muttered. She turned to find an unannounced guest lounging on her couch. She gasped as she smiled wide. “Discord!” Fluttershy dropped her featherduster, flying over and embracing the draconequus. “You never said you were coming over for a visit.”
“Oh, an old friend can’t just ‘pop in’ for an unannounced visit?” Discord asked, returning the hug.
“Of course, you can always come and visit me,” Fluttershy said as she withdrew from the hug, smiling at Discord. “I’m happy that you’re here.”
“Come now, Fluttershy. Who wouldn’t be happy to see this face?” Discord asked, pointing with both talon and paw at his own face.
Fluttershy giggled at the goofy display. “Oh, I don’t know. Twilight seems to get awfully grumpy whenever she sees you.”
Discord waved his paw dismissively. “That old fuddy-duddy? She’s always grumpy.”
“I’ve seen her happy and excited plenty of times,” Fluttershy replied.
Discord’s lips pursed as he stroked his chin and his gaze trailed upward. He shook his head as he shrugged. “Nope… I just can’t imagine her all happy and froliky.”
“You two really should try to get along better,” Fluttershy said.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Discord asked with a grin. He held out his hands, one cupped over the other. “Oh, and you know, a little birdie told me that Rainbow Dash was flying again.” He lifted his paw to reveal a squirrel in his talon. “Huh?” He blinked a couple of times before shaking his head. “I said a birdie!” He snapped his fingers. The squirrel vanished, and a small bird was standing in its place.
“Um, yes,” Fluttershy replied as the bird flew off. “We all worked together and helped to make Rainbow Dash a replacement.”
Discord smirked. “You see? I told you that you could do it,” he said, producing a laurel and draping over Fluttershy’s neck. “Bravo!” He duplicated into a crowd all around Fluttershy, each one clapping and cheering.
Blushing and cowering, Fluttershy recoiled from the surge of attention. “O-oh, um, thank you?”
In an instant, the crowd of draconequi vanished, leaving only one Discord standing before Fluttershy. “You should be proud,” he said, saluting her as a military uniform appeared on her. “You have done a magnificent service for your fellow pony.”
Fluttershy looked down, pawing at the floor. “Actually, I didn’t really do all that much.”
“Nonsense, my dear Fluttershy,” Discord replied. “You give yourself far too little credit. You and your friends achieved something extraordinary.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “It’s nothing you couldn’t have done with a snap of your fingers.”
“Well…” Discord said, snapping his fingers, ushering in a second pair of wings of Fluttershy’s back, “that may be true, but what kind of friend would I be if I saw you dangling on a cliff and went over and pulled you up?”
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow as Discord removed the extra wings, instead placing them on Angel Bunny and letting him flutter around. “A good friend?”
“How absurd,” Discord said with a wave of his paw. “You have wings. There’s no reason for me to hold your hoof when you are completely capable of saving yourself.” He snapped his fingers, and Angel’s wings vanished. Angel plummeted toward the ground, but was caught in Discord’s talon at the last moment. Discord set Angel gently on his feet, despite the bunny’s angry squawks and motions. “I would never let you hit the ground, but if I don’t let you try to save yourself, then you will always rely on me instead of believing in yourself.”
“Discord…” Fluttershy mumbled breathlessly.
“Enough about all of that,” Discord said, snapping his fingers and transforming the room into an elegantly decorated dining room. “I do believe I owe you a tea party, considering we had to cut our last one short.”
After adjusting to finding herself sitting in a chair and wearing a flowing dress, she smiled. “I’d be delighted,” she said, grabbing the tea cup in front of her.
A mailpony approached a small, glittering home. The modest abode may have gleamed in the sunlight, but that was nothing special in the Crystal Empire. Setting a large, heavy box on the stoop, he raised a hoof and rapped on the door.
The door opened to reveal a cerulean unicorn. He smiled at her, glancing at his clipboard. “Are you Silky Gem?”
“Um, yes,” she replied, her eyes darting to the package and back.
“I have a package for you. Special delivery all the way from Ponyville,” he said, extending the clipboard and a pen towards her. “I’ll need your signature, please.”
“Okay,” she said, eyeing the package again. Hesitantly, she took the pen in her aura, scribbling her name on the clipboard.
“Thanks,” the mailpony said, tucking away the clipboard and producing a manilla envelope. “This came along with the box.”
Silky turned the envelope over with a flick of her magic. It was plain, except for the fact that her address was on it. “Who do I know from Ponyville?” she muttered. Taking the envelope in hoof, she grabbed the box in her magic and retreated inside.
Setting the box down just inside, she opened up the envelope. From it slid a letter written on stationery. Attached with a paperclip was a single photograph. “Ooh…” Her breath caught in her throat as she pulled the photograph away and examined it.
It showed an ivory mare in a luxurious dress that shimmered as brilliantly as any gemstone. Next to her was what appeared to be a small, purple dragon. Behind them, were an entire set of dresses on mannequins. They all had to have been made of but one material—the crystalline cloth!
An indelible smile spread across Silky’s face. “Oh, Rarity. You really did it,” she said. She danced over to her mantle, setting the photograph next to her framed picture with her and the princesses. Once her giddiness subsided, she rushed back and grabbed the letter.
Dear Silky Gem,
I hope this letter finds you well. My, it feels as though it has been an age since we threaded the crystalline cloth together. Back then, you didn’t have faith that your cloth could ever become anything worthwhile, let alone magnificent. Truth be told, when I first tried to work it, I thought it may be impossible as well. However, thanks my dear friend Spike, I was finally able to make the cloth work.
I’ll have you know that I had a pair of diamond scissors specially made just to work the cloth, and they didn’t work at all! I had just given up when my little Spikey-wikey strolled in. I had never really considered it until that moment, but Spike’s favorite food is gemstones. His little dragon teeth slice right through them. Admittedly, it was a bit awkward having him do all my cuts by nibbling them, but as I am sure you have found, the results are nothing short of fantastic.
As promised, I have delivered to you a dress that should fit you quite nicely. I may have taken some liberty with the cut, but I am certain that you will be absolutely breathtaking in it. And, I have another gift for you to show my deep appreciation for your help. Attached to this letter is one ticket to this year’s Grand Galloping Gala. Princess Twilight has already invited myself and the rest of our little gang, but I insisted that you come as well. It is the absolute perfect opportunity to debut the dresses I have made with the help of your crystalline cloth. We shall be the belles of the ball!
Your friend, Rarity
Breathlessly, Silky turned the letter over to find a golden ticket attached to the back of the paper. “The Grand Galloping Gala!” She squealed, holding the ticket high and taking it in before snuggling it. “Oh, this is just too much!”
Carefully setting the letter and ticket aside, she turned to the box. “This must be…” She said, opening the box with her magic. The contents of the box seemed to glow as they gathered and scattered the light. Silky’s eyes widened as she peered into the glimmering light.
She carefully extracted the dress, holding the shimmering threads against herself, she could already imagine being out on the dancefloor. There, in Princess Celestia’s castle, she would be the talk of the most elite group of ponies in Equestria. Slowly, she came back to reality, still holding the dress in her hooves. “It’s a dream come true!”
Dressed in a cap and with a whistle dangling from her neck, Rainbow Dash leapt from cloud to cloud, barely using her wings. “Come on, squirt! Keep it up!”
What appeared to be effortless leaps for Dash, were great ordeals for Scootaloo. At the edge of each cloud, she squatted down before jumping forward with all her might. Her wings buzzed furiously as soon as her hooves left the clouds, and each time she barely reached the next cloud. Her chest heaved as she looked after Rainbow Dash. “I-I’m trying!”
Stumbling the few steps to the opposite end of the fluffy cloud, she prepared for another leap. This time, despite her best efforts, she came just short of the next. “Guh!” She uselessly groped after the cloud, but her hooves only managed to just touch the cloud. The cloud fell out of sight as she tumbled downward.
She uselessly flapped her wings for what seemed like minutes before giving up and bracing for impact. Instead of a rough landing on the clouds below, a pair of strong, warm legs caught her. Scootaloo looked up to see Rainbow Dash smiling back at her.
“I got you,” Dash said, landing on a sea of clouds. She eased the filly down. “Well, maybe we can take a little break. Wanna go grab some grub?”
Scootaloo sat heavily as she huffed. “Fine. Whatever.”
“Huh? Something wrong?” Rainbow asked.
“Why are we even still trying? We’ve been at this for months and I’m not any better at flying!” Scootaloo said, her ears drooping as she looked down. “I can’t fly.”
Rainbow sighed, her ears drooping down. Plodding over, she sat next to Scootaloo and draped her real wing over her. “You know, you just might be right,” she said, rubbing her neck. “I kind of know how you feel, looking up at the sky and knowing it’s just out of your reach. But you gotta realize something—something I realized after I lost my wing—flying might be great, but there are a lot of other things just as important. More important.”
“I’m a pegasus!” Scootaloo emphatically replied. “What’s more important for a pegasus than flying?”
“Well, how about being awesome? You’re totally awesome with just your scooter, you know,” Dash said. “Seriously, name one pony that’s better at doing those wicked stunts.”
“Uh, well…”
“And whatever you do, don’t forget your friends,” Rainbow said, slipping a hoof under Scootaloo’s chin to make Scootaloo look up at her. “My friends are the only reason I’m flying today, and even if I never flew again, I know that they would do anything and everything they could to make that okay. You have friends like that too, and you have me. So even if you never do fly, everything’ll be all right. All right?”
As soon as Dash’s hoof slipped away, Scootaloo leaned forward and looked to Dash’s other side. “What about that then?” she asked, pointing to Dash’s fiery wing. “Why can’t Twilight just make me a pair of wings that work like those?”
Dash sighed, getting up and sitting back down in front of Scootaloo. “Lots of reasons. First, you never know. Until you stop growing, there is always the possibility that your wings will eventually get you airborne.”
“And what if I never do?” Scootaloo shot back.
“Then… then you talk to Twilight,” Dash relented. “When you’re an adult, well, that’s the sort of decision an adult can make.” She pointed to Scootaloo’s wings. “But what about these? Sure, they don’t let you fly, but don’t you rely on them for your scooter? What if a new pair of wings didn’t work like the ones you have now? You might be giving up your ability to perform your stunts, something that makes you both unique and awesome, just to fly like any other pegasus.”
“I guess,” Scootaloo muttered.
“Hey,” Dash said, scooting closer to Scootaloo and pulling her into a hug, “you’re plenty awesome just the way you are. Don’t let anypony tell you any different.”
Scootaloo gave a little sigh as she returned the embrace. “I still want to fly.”
“Hey, we don’t have to give up,” Dash said, pulling back to look Scootaloo in the eye. “We can keep practicing here, or maybe you’d rather go back to Ponyville and see if we can’t come up with some awesome new stunts for you and your scooter.”
A small smile touched Scootaloo’s lips. “Let’s go back to Ponyville. I have a great new idea I’ve been wanting to try.”
Dash smirked, flapping her wings. She swooped behind Scootaloo and wrapped her forelegs around her. “Let’s get to it, then!” she said, taking off into the sky.
Applejack exited the Apple homestead with a green watering can in her mouth. She immediately took off to the side, trekking through the lawn. The last remnants of dew clung to her hooves as she rounded the house to come upon a single sapling a stone’s throw from the house. Apple Bloom was lying in front of it, giving it a queer look.
Craning her neck, Applejack spilled water from the can over the blue leaves of the sapling. After a few seconds of watering, she set the can aside. She took a few steps over and sat next to Apple Bloom before running a hoof through her sister’s mane. “Shouldn’t you be finishing up your chores before yah need to be gettin’ to school?”
Apple Bloom looked up at her sister. “I finished ‘em already,” Apple Bloom replied, her eyes again falling on the sapling. “Hey, sis, what’s with this tree? It feels… weird.”
Lying down, Applejack crossed her forelegs. “This tree is special,” she said, smiling at Apple Bloom. “You know, all us earth ponies have a special connection to nature. Because of that, you can feel the magic that is in this tree.”
Apple Bloom blinked a couple of times, tilting her head a bit. “This tree is magic?”
Applejack nodded. “It’s the last of its kind. Well, this one and the tree it came from.”
“What kind of magic?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Hmm.” Applejack scratched her head as she stared at the tiny tree before her. “It’s a special sort of magic. This tree is more alive than any other. I know it’s kind of hard to understand, but you’ll see what I mean, someday. Hopefully someday soon.”
Stretching, Applejack stood up. She nudged Apple Bloom’s flank. “Come on, now. You’d better get ready. Don’t wanna be late for school, do yah?”
Apple Bloom groaned. “All right,” she said, rolling her eyes as she trotted off towards the house.
Applejack bent down, securing the watering can in her teeth. A bit of motion caught her eye, urging her to drop the can as she whipped her head to the side. All she saw was the side of the Apple home. Then, she looked up to see Granny Smith waving to her from inside the window. Smiling a bit, Applejack waved back.
She grabbed the can again, throwing it onto her back as she trotted off towards the house. She tried to think of what she saw, and she could have sworn it was of a tiny filly accented with greens and browns. She gave a lighthearted snort, shaking her head a bit. “Naw.”
The flickering light of two torches illuminated a brief strip of a stone corridor. Complete darkness swallowed up their feeble light on either side, leaving only a small series of iron bars visible amongst the cold stone. Behind those bars, barely visible in the low light, sat a teal pegasus. She cowered in the far corner atop a small pile of straw. Her auburn and blonde mane hung limply as she stared blankly forward.
Her ear twitched, summoning her attention from the void. It was the unmistakable sound of metal on stone, echoing from far down the corridor. The royal guards always wore those gilded boots, and they always made that annoying sound as they walked down the corridors. But why was a guard coming? She wasn’t all that hungry. It couldn’t be meal time already.
Her ear flicked again. Wait. There was another set of hoofsteps. This one sounded more hollow. No high-pitched metal clang—it could only be the sounds of a natural hoof on the omnipresent stone.
She sat and listened to the steps until they came to a stop just outside her cell. Turning at the sound of a key turning heavily in a lock, she saw a white unicorn in gilded armor. The metal door creaked as he pulled it wide open.
He stepped back. “Lightning Dust, you’re free to go.”
Lightning Dust blinked, staring incredulously at the guard. “Wh-what?”
Without another word, the guard turned and started back down the hall. As he left, Lightning hesitantly got up and walked over to the open cage. She peered down the hall in the direction the guard left and found the last thing she thought she’d ever see. “Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow Dash stepped into the light, both wings erect. “I talked to the princess,” she said, staring Lightning Dust down. “I asked her to let you go, and she said that, since I’m the only one you hurt, it was up to me to forgive you.”
Lightning Dust’s eyes widened as tears gathered at the edges. “Y-you asked her to let me go?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand! After what I did to you…”
“It’s not like I plan on being friends with you,” Dash said, turning and starting down the long corridor. “In fact, I’d be perfectly happy never seeing you again.”
Lightning Dust stumbled forward on shaky legs, shouting after her. “Then why?”
Dash stopped, letting out a heavy breath through her nose. “What you did to me was unforgivable. At least, that’s what I first thought. But as time passed, I didn’t even care about you anymore. Especially after my friends gave me this,” she said, running a hoof over her fiery, artificial wing. “I had the ability to set you free, so I did. Besides, I have a friend that probably wouldn’t forgive me if I’d left you to rot.”
“Rainbow Dash,” Lightning Dust said, trying to catch up as Dash started off just shy of a trot.
“Let’s make one thing clear; I can forgive what you did to me, but I can’t stand somepony like you,” Dash said, cutting her off. “I forgave you, so just go live out your life and leave me be.”
“I-I’m sorry, okay?” Lightning said. “I’m so, so sorry! I never meant for you to get hurt like that! I just… I just wanted to win…” Rainbow Dash didn’t reply. She just took wing, heading up a spiral staircase at the end of the corridor. Lightning tried to follow suit, but her wings felt heavy and clumsy. She nearly crashed, forcing herself to land on the stairs and hoof it.
Trailing behind Dash, Lightning Dust ran into a dead end when she found herself out on one of the lower balconies jutting from the Canterlot castle. With her atrophied wings, she couldn’t hope to keep up with Rainbow Dash in the open skies. She stopped, raising her forehooves onto the balcony’s railing as she watched the ember-laden rainbow trail fade away into a scarlet sky.
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Lightning Dust spoke to the wind. With a sigh, she let herself down off of the railing.
“It makes no sense at all, does it?”
Lightning Dust whipped around to find herself before the Princess of the Night. “P-Princess Luna!” She knelt down, bowing before Luna.
Princess Luna walked past her and up to the railing as she raised her head. Her horn glowed a brilliant azure. The sun disappeared behind the horizon as the moon rose. In just a few moments, evening was gone, leaving nothing but the beautiful cosmos of the night sky.
After staring in awe for several seconds, it finally occurred to Lightning Dust that she should say something. “Um, I’m not sure what you mean, Princess.”
“I stood in your shoes, once,” Luna replied, turning her head to cast her gaze upon the disheveled pegasus. “I had committed something unspeakable against my own sister. Even now, it is hard for me to fully understand how she could see past all the wrong I had done and forgive me, just like that. I stand here now only because of her forgiveness.”
Lightning Dust clenched her jaw, shaking her head. “I don’t deserve it.”
“Perhaps not,” Luna replied, “but that does not change the fact that it has already been given. If you wish to earn the forgiveness you have been given, then you should strive to be the good in the world. Make her decision matter, and do not make her regret it.”
“But I… I can’t even forgive myself. Even now…” Lightning Dust said, barely keeping her tears from escaping. “I just reacted, and because of that I hurt her. I nearly killed her, just because I was selfish. And now, now she just says she forgives me and flies off?”
Luna nodded. “She saw something in you. Something even you cannot find within yourself.” She turned her gaze back upon the dazzling night sky. “The stars are beautiful, are they not?”
A bit hesitantly, Lightning Dust looked to the sky to see bands of stars across the sky and pinpoints of light breaking up the darkness. She sniffled a bit, wiping at her eyes. “It is.”
“We all have darkness within us, lurking in every thought and feeling,” Luna said, never taking her eyes off of the sky. “Sometimes it seems to swallow us up, but you must remember that there is always light. Do not lose yourself in the black void. Instead cast your gaze upon the stars, no matter how dim, and strive to be that light.”
Luna turned, heading back into the castle. “Rainbow Dash saw that light in you. Find it. Nurture it. And become a beacon of hope to outshine the darkness.”
Lightning Dust watched Luna disappear back into the castle before turning again to the sky. Immediately her eyes were drawn to the brightest light—the moon. “I will,” she said, a smile appearing on her lips.
