A Little Sore
A Little Sore
By: carnivale
: : : :
Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and breathed. Her veins pumped with adrenaline and the perception of flying already seemed to permeate her belly. The smell of open air and moist clouds filled her nostrils, causing a smile to prod at her lips. She felt it in her veins that, indeed, it was a perfect day for taking to the sky.
Dash readied herself. Her wings flared and her cyan hooves left the flocculent surface of the cloud she had been standing on. Her appendages struck the moist, crawling atmosphere, and she funnelled upwards before arcing down towards the ground below, which already started to grow closer with each wing-beat. The wind whipped at her face and caused the blood in her ears to roar even louder. Yet, a determined grin split her face, and she was only conscious of the feeling of her feathers catching air underneath her wings, angling up and up to skim across the ground lightly and –
…face-plant on the earth ungracefully below her.
Rainbow Dash groaned as she spat dirt out of her mouth. Soil had been loosened from the earth and thrown up after she slid across the grass like a bowling ball. A splitting pain that she hadn’t noticed before crashing lingered at the base of each wing, and she let out a small yelp when she tried to move them. Ow… what the? Of all the days…
The cyan pegasus shook dust out of her coat and struggled to stand up, her lithe, aching legs doing nothing to help her stay stable. She raised an eyebrow in perplexity as she thought to herself, Since when did I become so sore?
As she tried to think back to a point in time to which she might’ve hurt herself recently, she found that she couldn’t remember anything at all. Nothing yesterday, or the day before. Even this morning. As much as she tried to think back, nothing seemed to click in the right places. It was so startling that she suddenly grew frightened – though she found herself remembering last week – yes, pieces of it were there in her mind – the week she was enrolled in the Wonderbolts Academy. She shook her head and ridiculed herself for being so fluctuant before.
Come on, Rainbow Dash. You’re acting stupid, she thought. You probably just hit your head in the wrong place, nothin’ else to it.
Yet, even though the thought started to compromise with her a little, she still felt the slightest bit doubtful.
She sighed and managed to stop herself from swaying on her hooves. She began to extend her wings to take flight once more when she heard a voice shout in her direction.
“Whoa, Rainbow Dash!” Cloud Kicker exclaimed. The lavender-blue pegasus floated from the sky and landed gracefully next to Dash, folding her wings neatly to her sides. Concern was clearly etched on her face. “That was some nasty fall you had there a few moments ago. Are you okay?”
She’d been watching me? Rainbow Dash thought, grimacing and levelling her gaze with Cloud Kicker. “Yeah, I’m fine. Really,” she said, gently shaking loose feathers from her wings. “I guess my mind had been elsewhere.” She hoped the other pegasus would buy the excuse so she would leave her alone – she hated to be pitied.
Cloud Kicker just shot her a dubious look. A bout of silence passed before she spoke up again, “Dash, are you sure you’re okay? I know I shouldn’t be prodding, but…” She trailed off, looking sympathetically at the other pegasus. It seemed like she was trying to console her through her eyes – something that made Dash uneasy and wondering why. It was just a fall, wasn’t it?
Rainbow Dash set her jaw, but didn’t make any snarky comments, though she felt that Cloud Kicker should be minding her own business. “Yeah, I’m cool, like I said,” she reassured, rolling her eyes mentally. Dash turned her head a little too fast to the side, and winced when a little twitch of pain ignited in her neck. “I guess I’m also just… a little sore.”
“Oh. Well, if you need a rest from the weather today, did you want somepony else to take over your spot?” Cloud Kicker asked.
Gah, the weather – she had totally forgotten. A big rainstorm was scheduled for today. “Er, no. I’m fine, honestly.” She scratched the back of her head with a hoof. “I’ll just keep off flying for a little while, thanks. Pinkie Pie wanted to do something with me today… I think.” Dash blinked awkwardly. She flashed Cloud Kicker a small smile and made to turn towards Ponyville.
She barely saw the strange look the other pegasus gave her, eyebrow elevated into her blonde bangs. “Rainbow Dash – “
“See ya!” Dash called over her shoulder as she broke into a trot, ignoring the fiery pains that began to erupt in her muscles as she ran.
Cloud Kicker chewed on the inside of her cheek as she watched Dash turn into a speck in the distance. She sighed before shaking her head sadly, turning, looking back once more, and taking off into the cerulean sky.
: : : :
“Ow! Sheesh, what’s gotten into me?” Rainbow Dash grumbled to herself after experiencing a painful tear in her leg. She winced and stopped in the middle of the street, lifting her foreleg and staring at it with pity. Muttering something under her breath, she kicked at the ground in frustration – only to yank it back and utter something between a yelp and a moan. Her leg throbbed, and as the pain began to ebb slowly, she noticed that ponies were staring at her.
“Uh, are you alright, Miss?” A stallion with a buzz-cut and stubble inquired concernedly.
Rainbow Dash flashed him a weak, bashful smile. “Er, yeah. Sorry about that.” Without waiting for a response, she turned tail and headed towards her destination, her face flushed from embarrassment.
When Rainbow Dash approached the bakery, she narrowed her eyes at the Now Hiring sign attached to the door.
Since when did the Cakes decide to hire? The only ponies that work there are themselves and Pinkie Pie. Dash scratched the top of her head, utterly confused. Then, she shrugged. They must be in need of extra assistance.
When she pushed open the door to the bakery, she was immediately hit by the strong, delicious smell of fresh muffins and pastries. She closed her eyes and breathed it in, a delicate grin gracing her lips.
Before she could open them again, she noticed a startling, squeezing sensation around her neck, followed by a soft mane tickling her nostrils. Ruby eyes flew open, and was greeted by gigantic blue eyes staring back into them.
“Hi, Dashie!” A high, sing-song voice chirped.
“P-Pinkie,” Dash managed, gasping for a breath of air. Her neck pulsated with pain, her affected muscles clenching. “Do you think y-you could get off m-me?” She placed her hooves on her friend’s fluffy chest, ready to force her off if she needed to.
“Okie-dokie, sorry!” Pinkie’s forelegs left her neck, and Rainbow Dash sucked in a big breath, coughing briefly. “What’re you doing here, huh?”
The cyan pegasus kneaded a hoof against her skin, willing the soreness to go away. “I thought you invited me over. Don’t you remember?”
Dash narrowed her eyes when her pink friend rubbed her chin thoughtfully, like Twilight would do when trying to solve a difficult math problem. “Nope!” she finally said, smiling toothily. Dash sighed and shrugged, thinking to herself, Seems like I’m not the only one who’s lost half of their memory. Or maybe I’m just delusional. “Hey, do you want to come into the kitchen with me? I just began another batch of my famous chocolate-chip-banana-walnut-crunch muffins!”
“Hmm. Sure, why not.” Dash offered her friend a smile. “Though I hope I won’t be as bad as the last time we baked together.” She winced at the memory, images of flames decorating the kitchen and near to searing her flesh. She was surprised the Cakes weren’t as mad as she thought they would be. They must’ve had problems like that before, she had mused.
“Don’t worry,” Pinkie said as she bounced along. “I was going to do most of the baking anyway!”
Rainbow Dash was mortified for a moment, then she offered up a chuckle and a shake of her head. “Okay. And remember the flour this time! I think it’s kind of important when baking muffins, you know?”
: : : :
“Augh!” Rainbow Dash croaked out as a glob of muffin batter splattered against her face. Her hooves had accidentally been brought down against the edge of the bowl while she was stirring, and the force had catapulted the sticky blob of batter right into her face. She winced as she scraped most of it off her skin with a spatula; the other bits and pieces stuck in her nooks and crannies will probably have to be washed out at home. Dash felt her cheeks grow warm. Pinkie just let out a light giggle.
“That’s the third time today!” Pinkie said, scraping a bit of the batter Rainbow Dash missed off her flushed face. She stuck it in her mouth, snapping noisily. “Mmm. Tastes a little like Rainbow Dash to me!”
Dash wrung a wet cloth and began to scrub her face thoroughly. “How would you even know what I taste like?” she asked, though she didn’t wait for an answer. And, in truth, she didn’t want one. “Sorry, Pinkie. I’ll get started on another batch right away, and maybe you should stir it this time, heh.”
Dash turned away from the pink pony to gather fresh ingredients, and when she turned back, she noticed something incredibly odd about her friend. Pinkie’s eyes were staring, unblinking, at the contents of the bowl she was stirring. Her lips were set taut, pursed, and her hair seemed like it was losing its volume very slowly. It was as if Dash had blinked and the props had changed just like at a theatre when the lights went out. Rainbow Dash felt ill at ease.
“Pinkie? Is something wrong?” she inquired carefully, leaning closer to her friend.
The pink pony didn’t say anything for a minute. And when she finally spoke, her voice was low and subdued. “Dashie, I just…” She closed her eyes and turned towards the cyan pegasus. Her voice seemed to hitch unnaturally on her words. “I don’t want you to miss us too much! It breaks my heart, and all the rest of ours… so… could you at least, try and forget?”
Rainbow Dash’s jaw twitched, and she tried to form words, but she was too confused to compensate anything the pink pony had just said. “Pinks, what in the hay are you talking about?” she said, completely baffled. “And forget what?”
Dash blinked, and what happened then surprised her – Pinkie was stirring the bowl at a quickened pace, and a deep smile was scrawled on her face as she whistled a cheerful tune. Her hair was as vibrant and curly as it had always ever been, and it was disturbing because it seemed like nothing had happened in that very moment at all.
“Uh, Pinkie?”
“Hm?” The aforementioned halted her humming and turned to look at Dash. “Did you say something, Dashie?”
What… just happened? What was she talking about? “Ah – er, no. Nothing at all. Didn’t you say something?”
Pinkie giggle-snorted. “Not that I know of!” she said. “Maybe I’m just forgetful!” Pinkie shrugged to herself and went back to stirring and humming.
The cyan pegasus narrowed her eyes and scratched the back of her aching head. Her mind was clearly addled, and she felt like she was missing something. Did Pinkie Pie really say all that, or was it just a figment of her imagination?
I don’t want you to miss us too much! It breaks my heart, and all the rest of ours… so… could you at least, try and forget?
Forget what, exactly? Something that happened in the past? If that was all, then Rainbow Dash could check that off her list easily. She had already forgotten most of the week that had tread on before today, and she was still trying to figure out why she had. It puzzled her more than her soreness issue, which she still couldn’t quite place just yet. And the part of “missing them” somehow? It all didn’t make any sense.
Man, my mind’s been acting weird lately. I think I need some fresh air.
Rainbow Dash gently excused herself from Sugarcube Corner, telling her friend that there was an errand she needed to run. Just a little white lie. She needed to get out right now – it seemed like the walls were, slowly but surely, closing in on her.
“Oh, okay. When I finish the rest of the muffins I’ll send you a few in the mail!” Pinkie told her with a generous smile.
Dash grinned back over her shoulder. “Thanks, Pinkie.” She bade Pinkie farewell, and closed the door behind her.
Once she was outside, Dash sucked in a humongous breath of fresh air. Her lungs cried out in relief, and her mind seemed to clear languidly. She sighed, the delicious scent of pine trees wafting generously close to her. It felt nice to get out of that stuffy kitchen.
When she looked to the left, she noticed a pink-and-orange blur speeding towards her on a set of wheels. Dash was about to duck out of the way, until she took notice of a certain filly’s determined face, though it wasn’t easily distinguishable: Scootaloo.
A whiplash of wind buffeted back her mane as the filly nearly-passed her. “Hey, Scoots!” Dash called out gleefully, hoping Scootaloo would hear her voice carry over the buzzing of the scooter’s wheels.
She did. The filly halted her scooter abruptly, nearly flying over the handlebars from the sudden jerk of the halt. She twisted her head to look over her shoulder, and spotted Rainbow Dash waving at her. The corners of her lips unfurled into a broad smile.
“Rainbow Dash!” she exclaimed, removing her helmet and barrelling towards the older pegasus, wings buzzing rapidly at her sides. Dash yelped as the filly slammed into her, squeezing her forelegs tightly around the cyan pegasus’s sides. Her sore ribs protested with a harrowing pang, and Rainbow Dash struggled to suppress a pitiful whimper.
“H-hey, kiddo,” Dash croaked. She tried to gingerly pry the younger filly’s hooves away from her aching sides, but she wouldn’t budge. “What’s with the hug?” It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate it, though it was abrupt and surprising. She patted Scootaloo on the head lightly.
“I’m just so glad to see you!” Scootaloo answered, looking up at her idol with big violet eyes. They were wide and full of love; yet there was also something else clouding her irises – was it, sympathy?
“That’s great, b-but – “ Dash finally managed to get the filly off of her, sighing in relief when her tender muscles were given a chance to breathe. “Didn’t you see me yesterday? Or was it the day before?” She scratched a hoof against her chin, gnawing on her bottom lip. “I can’t remember.”
Scootaloo frowned as she raised an eyebrow. “Uh, it doesn’t matter.” She shook her head, deciding upon changing the subject. “So, have you been practicing any awesome tricks lately?”
Dash chuckled. “Sorry, kiddo, but not recently. I’m quite sore, in more ways than one. Heh.”
The change in the filly’s expression nearly startled her. “Oh. Right. I’m sorry,” the filly said, so quietly it seemed as if she had whispered it.
Dash frowned. She placed a hoof under the kid’s chin and tipped her head back so they were staring in each other’s eyes once more. “Why are you sorry, squirt?”
“I…” Dash swore she saw Scootaloo’s violet eyes well up with tears, though the filly was starting to avert her gaze again so she couldn’t tell properly. “Nevermind, Rainbow Dash. I should stop talking now.” The orange filly gathered up her helmet and made to get on her scooter. “I’ll see you later, alright?”
“Scoots – “
But the filly was already on her way. The sound of her choked voice vibrated uncomfortably in Dash’s ears.
She ran a hoof through her prismatic hair. She was completely dumfounded. Why is everypony acting so weird today?
Rainbow Dash’s ears drooped on either side of her head to frame a bewildered, sullen expression. She didn’t know what to think, though she was beginning to feel a little sick. The pegasus witnessed an irritating lump lodge itself in her throat, and she wrapped her forelegs around the little bulge of her blue belly.
She figured she’d go home and rest her aching joints – and mind – for a while. And that’s exactly what she did.
: : : :
Rainbow Dash gazed out the window of her home and watched as luminous bolts of lightning flashed and cut through the gray sky. Dark, rumbling clouds were beginning to clump together in one big mass, and she noticed with faint amusement that the weather team was beginning to fly frantically and duck for cover. A few moments later, rain began to pour down hard and fast.
Dash – although she didn’t show it – felt grateful that Cloud Kicker had somepony else take over her position for today. Her sore joints weren’t fairing so well. She tore her gaze from the outside world and turned it towards the roasting fireplace that was crackling and sparking with orange flames. A steaming mug of tea rested between her thighs, and she realized that she must look a lot like Fluttershy at that moment. She smirked at the thought.
Although pegasi never get cold, she liked the warmth the aura she was in particularly gave. It was a secret she would never confess.
Dash began thinking about her friends. She didn’t know why, but she felt a strange, taut yearning to be with them at that very moment. She sort of felt – alone.
Tank strode in the room, as slow as ever, and looked up at Dash with beady black eyes. He wore a monotonous expression, but it still seemed to say, “Hey, you’re not alone! I’m right here!”
Rainbow Dash chuckled lightly, bringing the tea to her lips, and reached down to pat him on the head.
The tea paused half-way to her mouth when she heard a clamorous knock come from the door. Dash thought it was the rain for a moment, but that hypothesis dissolved when the knock came down harder. She sighed, placed her mug on the coffee table in front of her, and got up to answer the door.
When she opened it, she registered a very smiling, very soaked pegasus mare standing outside on her porch. Her yellow mane hung limp and waterlogged, some strands stuck to her forehead, and she was clutching an envelope between her teeth.
“Ditzy?” Dash asked. “Why are you still delivering mail in this rain?”
The gray, ditzy pegasus spat out the letter, and Dash performed a tricky dance move to catch it. “Muffins!” was all she uttered. Her mail tote bag began to slide slowly off of her soaked withers.
“Uh, okay?” Dash managed to wipe most of the water off of the letter, though the paper was soggy and uninviting. “Who’s it from?”
“Muffins!”
“No, not muffins, who’s it fr – “
“Muffins!”
“Ditzy – “
“Muffins!”
Dash groaned, running a hoof between her tired eyes. “Okay, fine. You know what? I think Pinkie Pie sent some to me in the mail.” she said, speaking through clenched teeth. She thrust a hoof towards the lightning-blue mailbox sitting on her lengthy porch of fluffy clouds. “Why don’t you go check?”
The gray pegasus looked hungrily at Dash’s mailbox. “Thanks, Rainbow Dash!” She started towards it before gracelessly tripping over a tuft of cloud – Celestia knew it was only Ditzy who could accomplish such a feat – and nearly tumbling off the edge of the porch. Dash groaned again and shut the door.
One thought came to her mind then; why did Ditzy bring the letter to her door? Didn’t she normally drop it into her mailbox? Whoever had sent it must’ve asked that it be sent right away. It must be important.
Rainbow Dash ambled back into her living room, tearing open the sopping letter with her teeth. She grimaced at the repulsive taste. Sitting down on the chair she accompanied before, she read through the letter as best as she could, as some spots of ink were smudged.
Dear, Rainbow Dash,
I’m very sorry about what happened today. It was rude of me to leave you without a proper explanation. Nurse Redheart had just told me that you don’t remember anything about… the accident. She feels that somepony older than me should explain to you what had happened and give you the proper care and attention you need. All I want you to know is that I care about you a lot, and you’re awesome (but I guess you already knew that). I’ll catch you later, Rainbow Dash.
Scootaloo
A deep frown had been etched on Dash’s face when she first started reading the letter, but when she read the last few lines and the messily-scrawled signature below, a meager smile replaced it. She didn’t care that she had no idea what any of it meant, all that made her happy was the warmth that ran through her veins and in her chest. She folded the letter neatly and placed it on table beside her, a quiet chuckle escaping her lips.
Tank momentarily peeked out of his shell and gazed up at her curiously. She smirked and said, “Leave it to Scootaloo to make me feel twenty-percent cooler.”
After that, she went to sleep.
Though, during the first hour of lying restlessly in bed, her brain wouldn’t shut up about the first part of the letter. And the slowly increasing feeling of dread and confusion worming its way inside of her made her feel sick all over again.
: : : :
Rainbow Dash offered Aloe an awkward grin and a small shake of her head when the roseate earth pony lifted a wide filer to one of her cyan hooves. It glinted in the sunlight filtering through the window and made Dash flinch uncomfortably. She grinned widely, bashfully, to cover it up, and Aloe dipped her head respectfully and walked away to warm the water of one of the tubs. Dash exhaled, relieved, and lifted the magazine she had been reading in front of her muzzle once more.
“Darling,” a prim voice laced with silk spoke up. “Why don’t you want to get your hooves filed? It’s simply relieving to get all that disgusting dead skin off of them, hm?”
Rainbow Dash gave the alabaster unicorn a distasteful look. “I told you, I don’t like ponies touching my hooves! It’s just how I roll, okay? Leave me alone.” She thrust the magazine back in front of her eyes as Rarity smirked secretively.
“But Rainbow, what about when you have a coltfriend? Wouldn’t you want him to give your hooves a nice rub in bed one night after a long day of kicking clouds?”
The cyan pegasus felt her face flush with heat, and she struggled to suppress a dry remark. Besides, everypony knew she preferred mares instead of colts. Rarity chuckled heartily, much to Rainbow’s displeasure.
Fluttershy sighed wistfully on the other side of Dash, her yellow hooves dipped in relaxing warm water. Dash set her magazine on her lap and looked over at her lifelong friend. “So, you and Rarity do this every day?” she inquired.
“Every week,” Fluttershy corrected. “Rarity mostly goes every day. I don’t really have time between having to take care of the animals and hanging out with the rest of the girls.” She smiled demurely.
Dash rolled her eyes. “Of course.” She put the magazine aside and stretched out her legs, a satisfied groan vibrating in her throat. “I don’t know how you two stand it, though. It’s so boring.”
The cyan pegasus could almost hear Rarity’s head snap around on her neck to face her. She looked quite astounded, a hoof pressed against her ivory chest, mouth agape. “Excuse me,” she huffed. “It is not boring, it is refreshing. Isn’t it, Fluttershy?” She turned haughtily to look at the aforementioned.
Fluttershy, having been put on the spot, drew back timidly, but nodded all the same. “Oh, well yes, indeed.”
“Whatever,” Dash said dismissively, much to Rarity’s chagrin. She placed both hooves behind her head and crossed a leg over the other, closing her ruby eyes. “I should have just taken a nap on a cloud.”
“Oh, but it’s so nice to spend time at the spa with somepony else rather than the two of us all the time! Not that I don’t enjoy your company, Fluttershy,” she reassured. The demure pegasus just smiled breezily at her.
“Well, it’s nice to hang out with you guys, too.” Dash grinned up at the ceiling, and sighed. “You know, I was hanging out with Pinkie Pie the other day, and she said something strange.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. She said…” Dash suddenly trailed off, her face screwed up in concentration and bewilderment. She frowned. Her mind seemed to be betraying her. “Um, I can’t seem to remember. Weird. It seems I’m having trouble remembering things lately.” She narrowed her eyes, frustrated at herself.
“Well, dear, why don’t you get a nice massage from Lotus? She’s great, and it’s very refreshing for your joints, muscles, and mind,” Rarity advised.
Rainbow Dash wriggled in her spot, remembering – and feeling – the painful inflammation of her joints. She figured a nice, soothing massage wouldn’t hurt. Lifting her head slightly, she said, “Okay, sure. Hey, Lotus – “ She cut herself off, however, when she noticed something unusual.
Lotus stared strangely at her with troubled cerulean eyes. Her front hoof was frozen in the air mid-step, and her jaw worked uneasily. Rainbow Dash, perplexed, realized that the earth pony had been standing there for a while.
Cocking an eyebrow, she said, “Er – are you okay?”
Lotus’ lips seemed to try and form words, but nothing came out. She lowered her hoof and her eyes softened a little, though they were still clouded with uncertainty. Dragging moments passed before she finally allowed herself to speak. What came out was dodgy, unexpected, and left Rainbow struggling to cling to them the right way.
“Who are you talking to?”
: : : :
Rainbow Dash tried flying again. She tried to forget the burning sensation of her joints whenever she moved them carelessly, but it didn’t help so much. Although the soothing massage she received earlier had managed to loosen the tension from the joints if not a little, the irritating aches were still there, though fainter. Her wings screamed in protest as she buzzed gracelessly through the sky, and she ended up crashing through one of the library’s windows as she lost her control.
She lay unceremoniously on the floor of Twilight’s home, the muscles that were screaming before had convulsed into whimpers. Dash grunted as she tried to pick herself up, then slid back to the floor, the hope of getting to her hooves any time soon lost to the world.
Dash lay, sprawled out on the floor of the library for a while. It wasn’t until she was forced to lift her head from the floorboards that smelt of soap and water because of the hoofsteps that rapidly approached her. She unglued her face from the floor and swept her eyes from towering lavender forelegs until she craned her neck back – wincing at the pain that ignited there – and stared into dumbfounded purple eyes.
“Um, can I help you?”
“You can help me get up.” Rainbow Dash grinned charmingly at the unicorn, extending a foreleg so Twilight could help her do just that. Her friend simply shook her head mirthfully before grabbing Dash’s arm and lifting her to her hooves.
“What are you doing here?” Twilight asked, though her look wasn’t uninviting.
“What,” Rainbow Dash gasped, feigning a shocked look as she pressed a hoof to her blue chest. “You don’t think that this awesome pegasus crashed purposely through the window and endured a flood of pain just to see her most favorite unicorn ever?” She grinned toothily, expecting a hearty chuckle from the unicorn, but she received nothing.
“Er, no. I don’t.”
Dash ruffled her wings and exhaled. “Good. Because that wasn’t what I was intending at all.” Twilight did chuckle at this, though she was still expecting some answers.
“Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?”
“Yeah, totally.” She had a feeling she was going to re-live the Cloud Kicker incident once more. She tried to keep a straight face, but she could tell she looked irritated because Twilight refrained from asking anymore questions.
“Okay, then,” the unicorn said, turning her body towards the stairwell. “Would you like to come downstairs to have tea, and stay awhile? Spike is out running a bunch of errands for me, so I’m alone for a bit.”
Rainbow Dash ran her tongue over her teeth, and shrugged her shoulders. “Sure, why not. I s’pose I won’t be flying anymore today,” she admitted with a wince.
Twilight looked over her shoulder at her. “Oh?”
“Yeah, I’ve been feeling sore for a while, and it’s really ruining my mojo, here.”
Genuine concern passed over Twilight’s face. “Really? And why’s that?”
“To tell you the truth,” Dash said, grinning sheepishly. “I don’t know.”
The lavender unicorn blinked, giggled, and placed a gentle hoof on her friend’s withers. “Don’t worry, Rainbow. I think I have a spell to cure what ails you, along with some fresh earl gray tea. What do you say?”
Dash exhaled, and smiled. “I’d say that sounds cool!”
: : : :
Rainbow Dash sat on the couch and nursed a steaming cup of tea. She rubbed the porcelain mug in small circles with her hooves, trying to warm them up as best she could. She didn’t know why but the room suddenly had a growing, chilly aura, as if the door had been left open during the hours of mid-winter, or somepony hadn’t used the place in a while.
The cyan pegasus watched lazily as Twilight ran a hoof across her chin for the fifteenth time, her purple eyes darting across the spine of each book resting on the bookshelves. In a flash, she raced to another section of the shelf, and Dash noted how swift she was for a mare who was accustomed to studying and reading all day.
Dash, who was running a hoof through a portion of prismatic hair, took a sip of her tea. “You find it yet?” she droned impatiently, draping a foreleg across the back of the couch.
“No,” Twilight said, her voice as impatient as she felt. “That’s so peculiar, the book that I had in mind isn’t anywhere in sight.”
Dash sighed huskily, slumping down farther in her seat. As if the conversation reminded her, her legs began to throb again. She didn’t feel like drinking her tea anymore. She set her mug down on the coffee table and glanced at Twilight again. Her blue-and-purple mane was frazzled.
“Are you sure it isn’t behind any other books?” Dash suggested half-heartedly.
Twilight paused suddenly and shot her that are-you-crazy? look that glazed her eyes and drew her top lip back. “Puh-lease, Rainbow Dash. I’m more organized than that!”
“Sorry, ‘twas just a suggestion,” Dash huffed, though a faint smirk was visible on her face.
After several long, dragging minutes still searching, Twilight gave up and flopped down on the couch next to Dash. She poured her own cup of tea, which was now lukewarm, and drank from it thirstily.
When she finished, she dragged a hoof across her damp lips and looked at her friend. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t find the book, Rainbow. Somepony must have borrowed it.” Her expression was genuinely apologetic.
Dash stared into her own cup of swirling, brown liquid, and sighed. “It’s okay, Twi. ‘S not your fault. I’m sure I’ll be fine…” But when she rumpled her wing experimentally, her muscles protested angrily. She whimpered, and saw Twilight shoot her an oppressive look before slumping in her own seat and sighing. “It’s not your fault,” Dash insisted again.
Twilight gave her a dubious look.
“So I’ll be walking around looking a little crippled, big deal.” Dash’s forced a chuckle that came out quite painful. “I’m sure the sore joints will pass.”
“I know, Rainbow. It’s just…” Twilight seemed to be groping for something to say, as if the mere use of words were tough for her. “It seems so awful for you.”
“Well, yeah,” Dash admitted, shrugging her shoulders. “But I’ll get over it soon enough. I’m the world’s most toughest pony, after all.” She let her arrogant grin falter a little. “But, I’m still so confused on how it all happened… And everypony’s been acting so weird lately! I – I don’t know what’s going on. I’m so confused, Twilight.”
Twilight had to turn her head away from the pain that was clouding her friend’s vision. All she could do was rest her head against her cyan shoulder and clasp their hooves tightly together.
: : : :
To end the day off, Rainbow Dash decided to visit Applejack. She was hoping they could do a friendly round of horseshoes, or barrel racing, or drink a cool pitcher of apple juice in the shade while the sun dipped below the horizon.
And then she remembered she was too sore to do anything.
She had to bite back a growl of frustration. For some reason, the pain seemed to be getting worse. Every step seemed to send sharp, slicing knives stabbing into her hooves and knee joints. She absolutely craved to relax on a comfortable cloud and waste the hours away just sleeping. But she wanted to see her last friend – something seemed to pull her towards Applejack. And she didn’t know what it was.
It seems I don’t know a lot of things today, Rainbow Dash thought with a grumble. Her knees cracked, sending another jolt of pain up her legs. It was hard to ignore, but she seemed to be getting better at it.
A small part of her wanted to curl up into a ball and scream in frustration. Everything was just so wrong. She didn’t know what to do, rather than go through the day and see what will happen next.
And for some reason, she feared that things were about to get worse.
She shook her head. I’m being ridiculous. Tonight I’ll go to sleep, wear off the aching in my limbs, and everything will be fine in the morning. But…. What did Pinkie say again?
'I don’t want you to miss us too much! It breaks my heart, and all the rest of ours… so… could you at least, try and forget?’
And… what had Lotus said?
‘Who are you talking to?’
And, the letter! From Scootaloo. What had it said?
‘Nurse Redheart had just told me that you don’t remember anything about… the accident. She feels that somepony older than me should explain to you what had happened and give you the proper care and attention you need.’
What in Celestia’s bucking name is ‘the accident’?
Dash felt like screaming. She grunted and stamped her hoof, but all it did was send a fresh wave of pain up her leg. However, it was dull, as if her limbs were slowly going numb. She earned a few strange looks from the ponies lingering around her, but she ignored them.
Maybe Applejack can explain everything to me. She is the Element of Honesty, is she not?
That made Dash perk up a little bit, and she tore her gaze from the cobblestones below her hooves. She was so focused on the ground – and her thoughts – that she barely noticed Applejack behind one of the marketplace stalls.
It was as if she had appeared from thin air – or maybe Dash was just delirious. The flash of orange and gold from the corner of her eye told her itself that Applejack was in town. She glanced in the farm pony’s direction, and a small smile managed to unfurl the corners of her lips.
“Applejack!” she called, remembering to walk carefully towards the stall her friend was accompanying. The orange earth pony offered a smile of her own, and warmth settled in Dash’s stomach.
“Hey there, Sugarcube,” Applejack greeted in her usual country twang. The freckles on her cheeks glinted in the glow of the afternoon sun. “What brings you ‘round these parts? The only time I see you this close to town at this time of day is up there.” She pointed to the clear, blue skies above.
“Yeah… about that. I’ve been feeling too sore to fly for some reason, let alone walk. I don’t know why, but everything’s been so weird lately. It’s so confusing…”
By then, the cyan pegasus was spilling out the entire story, all the way from the beginning to the end. Applejack listened intently; she was good for that. She didn’t interrupt or ask any questions, yet the deeper Dash got into the story, the deeper the frown grew on her friend’s face.
“Sugarcube, that’s… quite interestin’,” Applejack murmured when Rainbow Dash had finished.
“Applejack,” Rainbow Dash breathed, leaning closer so their muzzles were inches apart from touching. “Do you know what’s happening with everypony?”
“I can’t say I know what’s goin’ on, sugar,” Applejack admitted, drawing back a little from Dash’s prying, ruby eyes. “Though Pinkie’s words sure were strange… But then again, she says strange things all the time.”
“See?” Dash exploded, disregarding Applejack’s last spoken sentence. “It’s all gibberish! I don’t understand.”
“Calm down there, Dash. You’re more jittery than a pig in a slaughterhouse,” the orange farm pony said.
“But I can’t 'calm down' when nopony’s explaining anything to me.” Dash’s words seemed to convulse into short whimpers, and she sat on her haunches, looking up at her friend with round, pleading eyes.
Applejack sighed, closing her eyes. “Tell me the part of Scootaloo’s letter again.”
Rainbow Dash did. Applejack looked back down at her. “Sugarcube… how about we take a walk? Or, as much as you can, anyway,” she added when Dash’s creaking joints protested. Her voice was firm and comprehending, but her eyes were soft and full of sympathy. She led Dash away from the stall and into the near-empty streets of Ponyville.
Dash didn’t let it be too obvious, but she leaned a little towards Applejack’s side so their coats were nearly touching. For comfort and stability; nothing more, and nothing less.
: : : :
Cloud Kicker soared through the sky, dipping past clouds as she searched for a particular cyan pegasus. She’d been searching all morning and part of yesterday, yet to no avail. Rainbow Dash was always in the sky, so why was today any different?
Wait a minute. Cloud Kicker screeched to a halt in midair, a new thought popping abruptly into her mind. Didn’t she tell me she was going to keep it low for a while?
She paused for another moment, clearly thinking things through. Then, she merely bopped herself on the head for being such a dummy. Beating her wings against the moist air, she high-tailed it towards Ponyville, and began to search there.
At first, she skimmed the town by flying slowly over the houses and scrutinizing the streets very closely. Though Rainbow Dash wasn’t very hard to pick out of a crowd.
But, when that effort proved to be fruitless, Cloud Kicker dove towards the main square, and began to start looking from there on.
Yet, the more steps the deep lavender-blue pegasus took, the more concerned – and even scared – she grew. She hoped the cyan pegasus hadn’t harmed, or even isolated herself from the rest of Ponyville. Ever since the accident, she had deemed herself a secretive responsibility to keep a close eye on Rainbow Dash, and not just because she was an elite class within the weather team, but because she also considered her a friend. She wanted to make sure she was safe, without the other pegasus knowing.
Before Cloud Kicker was about to turn around and give up, she instantly spotted a cyan figure sauntering languidly towards her. The figure seemed to be limping quite harshly, Cloud Kicker noticed with apprehension. But, when she looked closer, she saw a bright tuft of prismatic hair that officially declared it was Rainbow Dash herself.
The lavender-blue pegasus felt her system become awash in relief, and she was glad that the other mare seemed to be mostly in one piece. She didn’t see anypony with her, so she decided it was okay to approach her.
The two pegasi met in the middle of the square. Cloud Kicker screeched to a halt, and Rainbow Dash gazed at her with cocked eyebrows and a curious expression, though Cloud Kicker swore she saw her magenta eyes alighted with pain. A tiny, weak squeak escaped her, and she had to constrain herself from clapping a hoof over her mouth.
For some reason, Cloud Kicker wanted to give the cyan mare a gigantic hug – though she felt it was unnecessary and Rainbow Dash would probably just shove her off anyway. Instead, she flashed her a meaningful grin.
“Rainbow Dash, you’re okay,” she breathed, not quite knowing what to say. “I mean, I think you are… It seems like you’re having trouble walking.”
Cloud Kicker absent-mindedly stretched a hoof towards the cyan mare, but Dash drew back. “I’m fine,” she muttered, looking quite irritated. “You are interrupting my conversation with Applejack for this? I told you before that I don’t need to be babied! I… I think.”
The lavender-blue pegasus froze, shocked, contemplating the first part of Rainbow’s sentence and completely ignoring the last. She looked to Dash’s left, then her right, only to find that the two spots were empty – though she knew they always would be.
“Rainbow Dash – “ she began, though the aforementioned cut her off.
“If you’re here to talk about the weather again, can it wait until later?”
Cloud Kicker cleared her throat. “Dash, did you say you were talking with Applejack just now?”
Rainbow Dash paused, looking extremely disturbed and bewildered all at once. “Uh, yeah. She’s right here.” She nodded her head to the left, as if indicating to her that somepony was there, though Cloud Kicker still saw empty air.
“She’s not – “ she broke herself off mid-sentence, freezing in place. “Oh.” Oh.
The memories came back to her all at once, and her breath hitched in her throat. She felt herself turning blue, but she couldn’t find it in herself to exhale. Her heart clenched. Oh, poor Rainbow –
“Hey, dude,” Rainbow Dash said, giving her an awkward glance. “Are you okay?”
“Y-yes,” Cloud Kicker croaked, spitting out the word as if she had ingested something foul and it came back up unexpectedly. She cleared her throat again. “Rainbow, I need you to come with me somewhere.”
Dash raised an eyebrow. She looked very concerned. “Where? Why?”
“I’ll explain everything in the meantime, I promise.” Cloud Kicker looked around, leaned closer to Dash, and said in a lower voice, “We’re going to the cemetery.”
: : : :
Rainbow Dash kept giving her comrade suspicious glances as they walked, scrutinizing her between squinting lids, as if her eyes could somehow squeeze the truth out of her. She was so sick of it. She was so sick of ponies not explaining anything to her!
Ponyville’s cemetery was just on the outskirts of town, centred in the expanse of a lush, green field. The trees surrounding it were mostly wilted or grown too old to keep their trunks erect, though the grass was still nice and fresh. Nopony really knew why, but they believed it was because of the spirits who meandered around the cemetery once in a while.
As they passed through its iron-rod gate and looked out at all the headstones permeating the field, Rainbow Dash finally said with a sharp edge to her voice, “Why are we here, for the millionth time I’ve asked?”
Again, Cloud Kicker didn’t answer, and Dash ground her teeth in pure frustration. “Hey!” she shouted, and her voice rang out across the clearing. Her lavender-blue friend flinched and stared at her in shock.
“Answer me!”
“I will,” Cloud Kicker murmured, nodding her head slowly. “It’ll all make sense, I assure you. Follow me.”
Dash felt like tearing up a thick clump of grass and throwing it across the clearing in irritation as she sunk her hooves into the sod. But she didn’t, and she followed Cloud Kicker with hesitation and reluctance.
Cloud Kicker eventually stopped near a row of headstones. They had neat, cursive writing engraved on the stones, and sitting by each stone was an Element of Harmony, the gems glinting in the sun.
Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Magic.
Cloud Kicker turned her head and gazed at the cyan pegasus who was rooted in the spot. Her purple eyes were moist.
“I’m so sorry, Rainbow Dash. I figured I needed to tell you sooner or later – “
“I – I don’t – “
The other mare rested a gentle hoof on her friend’s shoulder and sucked in a deep breath. “ – so here’s the story.
“Nurse Redheart told me everything when I came in to ask her when you would be discharged from the hospital. Weather concerns, and all. She told me the entire story, instead. She said you were at the Wonderbolt Academy for the entire week, and your friends decided to take a visit in a hot air balloon. But a giant tornado appeared out of nowhere and swung your friends violently, causing the balloon to fall apart and fling them through the air.
“You saw them, and tried to save them, but a violent current of wind had thrown your aim off and you crashed against a tree pretty hard, getting knocked out. Your friends – they weren’t so lucky.
“They hit the ground below, and all of them died instantly – all except Applejack, barely alive. She was taken to the hospital, along with yourself, but then died later. It was a very nasty fall. It was – “
Cloud Kicker seemed to be trying to hold back tears. Rainbow Dash was too shocked to cry. Her throat and jaw worked listlessly, though no words could come out. Cloud Kicker continued.
“A-anyway, your fall wasn’t as nasty, though pretty close. You got knocked out pretty bad, to the extent where the nurses weren’t sure when you would wake up. They took good care of you, though, and you woke up a few days later.
“Your head took the worst of the impact – you couldn’t remember anything that happened, and the nurses were quite sure you had some sort of amnesia. Apparently, sometime after I had left the hospital, you kept asking where your friends were, and the nurses tried to coax you into getting more rest. But you declined the help and you took off the next day, your limbs still quite not intact, though your head was slowly getting better. That’s why you’re so sore, and why you can’t quite remember anything up to a week ago.
“Spike went back to Canterlot immediately after the news of Twilight’s death reached him – the library and Ponyville reminded him too much of her. The Apple family is still trying to gather their bearings with the farm and the news, Mr. and Mrs. Cake are trying to find extra help for the shop, the woodland critters are askew, Carousel Boutique is in mental shambles – and, well, Scootaloo is only trying to look out for you."
She tried to offer Dash her best comforting smile, but it started to fray into nothingness from the weight of her words.
“I’m so s-sorry,” she tried.
Rainbow Dash was shaking her head slowly, mumbling “No… no… no.” under her breath. “Th-that doesn’t make any sense! They aren’t dead! I saw them – saw them all!”
Cloud Kicker furrowed her eyebrows and stared at Dash for a moment. “What? That’s impossible, their graves – “
“ – must be fake! I talked to them, I swear to Celestia! They were fine… just fine.”
The lavender-blue pegasus started to look very worried. She drew back slightly, her eyeballs rolling from side to side as if trying to remember something important. “Dash, I don’t get what you’re saying. Maybe… maybe you were hallucinating or something.”
Dash started to shake her head more violently, her breath coming out in fast hitches. “No, I swear! They touched me, they talked with me – I even made cupcakes with Pinkie Pie! You’re lying to me!” she shouted accusingly.
“Rainbow Dash, calm down,” Cloud Kicker said in a soft, tranquil voice. She stepped closer to the cyan pegasus, levelling her gaze with ruby eyes that held all sorts of emotions. “I hate to say it but… they’re dead. Gone. They’re buried right here, under these headstones – “
“Shut up!” Dash suddenly screamed, her voice cracking tremendously. She shoved her hooves into her ears, tears squeezing through closed lids. “Shut up! You’re lying, I swear – “
Suddenly, somepony giggled. It was a high-pitched, familiar giggle, and made Dash’s heart flutter in her chest. She opened her eyes, searching for the source of the sound, until her eyes rested on the headstone with the Element of Laughter sitting right by it.
A pink pony stood there, smiling widely at her, big cerulean eyes sparkling in the light of the sun. She waved at Dash, and Dash found herself waving back.
“Dash? What are you – “
Dash’s whole face immediately lit up, and she bounded toward the pink pony with glee. “Look!” she shrieked happily, thrusting her hoof towards the pony by the headstone. “It’s Pinkie Pie! See? I’m not crazy!” She wore a big, goofy grin, and between her words were fits of laughter.
Cloud Kicker was backing away, ever so slowly. “Rainbow Dash, no pony is there.”
Rose corneas sparked with anger, but her smile didn’t falter. She looked around, in which her friends were popping up everywhere, wearing meaningful grins of their own. They stood by their graves, their eyes never leaving hers.
“They aren’t dead!” she shouted again.
“Rainbow Dash, you’re really starting to freak me out.” Cloud Kicker’s voice was shaking lightly, and the look on her face didn’t betray her statement.
Rainbow Dash felt a shimmering hoof touch the back of her head, and pictures were suddenly jolted into her brain. She gasped tremendously, her eyes glazing over as the pictures suddenly moved, mind clicking and gears churning. Cloud Kicker gazed on in horror as Dash stopped breathing momentarily, the images in her head taking all of her attention.
Five bodies – each belonging to one of her friends – flew aimlessly through the sky, ear-splitting wails ringing in Dash’s ears. They soared closer to the ground, only to get crushed on the cruel, cold earth below, bones crunching and blood spilling everywhere. Screams of pain instantly died down into silence, and Dash felt her heart drop. Streams of crimson blood filled her entire vision, and blackness finally overcame it as the images thankfully began to clear up. The revelation hit her like a sack of rocks. She felt herself double over, hiding her face with prismatic bangs so her friend didn’t have to see her weep like a child. How she wished to be ignorant a moment longer.
“D-Dash?”
Cloud Kicker’s choked voice sounded like it was miles away. Dash felt herself being drained of her energy both mentally and physically, her tear-studded gaze eventually turning black at the edges. She could only collapse to the ground, wailing as the earth surged closer towards her like she was plummeting to her doom… Closer, and closer….
“No… they’re still here. They can’t be – can’t b-be – “
Rainbow Dash’s sentence was cut off as complete darkness overcame her very being.
: : : :
Cloud Kicker shivered uncontrollably, eyes wide as she stared at her unconscious friend sprawled out on the grass. Then she began to cry, the first cold tears pricking her cheeks like a shattered diamond’s fragments.
: : : :
Rainbow Dash finally opened her eyes.
Though it was positively alarming of how much light penetrated her corneas, she managed to blink just enough to get used to it. She took her time to look around, though with every second she took, she grew more confused – and horrified.
White. White was everywhere.
She swallowed and tried to get up, yet found that she couldn’t. Her body rolled uselessly on the padded white floor. She grunted helplessly, and looked down.
Upon looking down, she found that her forelegs were absurdly wrapped around her body, cushioned restraints keeping them in place. Her breath came out in ragged gasps.
She craned her neck, her eyes finding a door, then a single window – and then the eyes of her friends standing in the corner of the room.
They seemed to be glowering at her.
“Why couldn’t you save us, Rainbow Dash?” Pinkie said in a high-pitched squeak. Her blue eyes were round and sparkling with mockery. Dash willed her to stop.
“I thought you were a hero,” Applejack hissed.
“I… I - ” Dash began to plead.
“Why couldn’t you save us?” They repeated in a sickening mantra. Their eyes seemed to bore into her very soul. “Why? Why?”
Rainbow Dash could only throw her head back and scream.