> Dreams with Wings > by Harmony_Blue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Falling Dreams > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dreams with Wings by Harmony_Blue 　 　 We've all had one of those days where we just want the day to end in an instant so we can let it pass and carry on with our lives, but time just doesn't seem to move fast enough. One of those days where we hate the fact we can feel, think and react. One cyan colored, rainbow-maned pegasus was having one of those dreaded days and hating every bit of it. Rainbow Dash was looking at the ceiling of her could home, feeling like a filly who just found out she wasn't getting anything on her birthday. Depression was her friend right now and they were introduced by a mutual acquaintance. The open letter on her cloud bed. It laid there mocking her, jabbing her and reminding her of the dark cold pit in the depths of her stomach. The letter was off white and had a blue and gold seal on it. To anypony else this was nothing but a blue circle with lightning bolts forming a W and the edge of the circle. To a Wonderbolt fanatic like Rainbow Dash it was worth all the bits she had and would ever have in her lifetime. It was what she had worked towards ever since she first saw them perform as a little filly. It was the reason she flew her fastest everyday, the reason she spread her wings, the reason she pumped them her hardest and trained them to their limits. The reason she had lived for. Her dream, goal and she had obtained it....mostly. Rainbow Dash reached over to the letter and rested her hoof next to it for a few seconds before picking it up and bringing it to her disappointed face and read it again. Dear Dash, This is Spitfire and i wanted to personally write you to let you know that you are now a Wonderbolt and a kick-ass addition might I add. There was never any doubt that you would make it and we had a suit waiting every since our meeting at the Best Young Flyers competition.You've done more for yourself at your young age then most Wonderbolts have in their entire career. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we're glad to have you on board. You will be placed in the Wonderbolt Reserves until further notice. Come in sometime this week to get your badge. You start training in a month. Again we’re glad to have you. Your Captain Spitfire "She makes it sound so awesome. Reserves are for the second rate losers who couldn't make the cut" Rainbow whispered to herself.. "She said it herself, i'm freaking amazing. With my skill and ability I'm better than most if not all of the Wonderbolts. Not to say they’re not awesome times infinity, but just i'm infinity plus one. I'm sure there was a mistake." She walked into her bathroom and over to the sink. Lifting her head to stare at the rainbow maned pegasus in front of her she thought, Yoú’re awesome, you know that, I know that. They know that.' She stared at her reflection with a passion in her soul. Rainbow never lacked confidence, this was a known fact. But whenever she needed a boost she would remind herself of just who she was and what she could do.' After a few more minutes of confidence boosting and horn tooting Rainbow felt it was a good time for a flight. There was never a bad time for a flight but now more then ever she needed the wind under her wings. Walking past her bed and to the door she looked back at the letter one more time staring it down like she was waiting for something to change. She turned back at the door knowing that no matter how long she stared that letter would stay the same. Coming to the edge of her cloud home she looked over the edge at Ponyville. Cloudsdale wasn't too far from the little town and her home was at the edge of the city. She flapped her wings a few times then stretched them as wide and as far out as they could go. She then locked her wings to her side, bent her knees and let a grin paint itself carelessly on her face before leaping forward off the clouds edge. She closed her eyes and just nose dived towards Equestria dirt, letting the wind flow through her mane and caress her face ever so tenderly. She pulled her legs to her body and dove for a couple more seconds enjoying the winds company, never looking at the earth approach her. Having done this thousands of times before she knew when to pull up and besides, she felt like pushing it today. In her head she started to count. 1 Three hundred twenty feet from the ground 2 One hundred seventy feet from the ground. 3!!! She opened her eyes, spread her wings and pulled up in an instant. Green turned to blue as the grass tickled her stomach and she took off towards the sky. She had cut it close but then again thats what she was aiming for. A rush always took away her problems. Again she couldn't help but let the wind have her. It's tender touch was bliss. After flying over Ponyville for a while, taking in the daily lives of the ponies and their duties, Rainbow felt the call of sleep. The emotional rollercoaster she'd been riding today was really taking it out of her. She just wanted to find a cloud and fall into it. Lucky for her a nice fluffy one was passing by. She was atop of it in a Rainbow second. She laid back folding her hooves behind her head and let herself lose the battle against her heavy eyelids. The suns rays blanketed her in its warm embrace. It felt like Celestia herself was trying to help her relax. Rainbow smiled in her sleep dreaming of everything but that damned letter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It' was noon and the day was more beautiful than usual to those who took the time to notice. One scaly resident had been quick to notice this and couldn't have been happier. Spike had plans for today and was quite pleased the day was working with him. He had gotten up early to finish his chores and for the last few hours had been been brushing his scales and straightening his spines. "Okay, the time has come Spike." he said to himself as he walked to the mirror. He looked himself up and down inspecting every inch of his tall, slim build. It had been two years since the whole changeling fiasco and Spike had grown quite a bit. When he was standing straight he was a few inches taller than Big Macintosh and a little behind him in terms of muscle. His mass was toned and slender. His face was a bit stronger no longer cute and cuddly and his snout was long. His teeth gaining a razor sharpness and and his eyes no longer round and cute but narrowed and sharp. The spines on his back gained some length and were now also showing on the back of his forearms. He was completely fine with his new look, it made him feel cool and badass. As long as his friends were cool with it he didn't really care besides, there were a few mares attracted to his new look and even asked him out a few times and there isn't a thing wrong with that. "Okay" Spike pulled out a list as he said this. "Let's see, Canterlot Rassberry Deluxe Chocolate." He picked up the white box with purple ribbon and sat it on his bed. "Check." He walked over to his nightstand, pulled out the drawer and pulled out a small roll of material. "Rare dragon made silk, imported from the Dragon Kingdom." he walked back to his bed and laid it next to the chocolates."Check. And now the piece that ties it all together. The one thing that'll make her say yes, well aside from my charm and good looks." He bent down and reached under his bed retrieving a long black box. He slowly opened it to reveal twelve of the most beautiful roses anypony could ever hope to get. They weren't regular roses, in fact they were so very far from it. These roses in particular were cut from Sky's Diamond. The jewel is as dazzling as any diamond but it had a trait that just dragged your attention to it. It always seems to be sparkling clouds in it that never evaporated, performing an everlasting waltz that could calm even the fiercest of beast and wildest of stallions. Spike discovered that even when cut the strange dancing clouds never stopped, only spliting its show and expanding to fill any empty space.This kind of diamond was hard to come by because it was a gem made in clouds over hundreds of years. Being that clouds disperse over time or get broken up Sky's Diamond is a very rare find. finding even a spoonful of it's dust made you rich beyond your wildest dreams. Spike was lucky to be walking along the edge of Everfree Forest (something he had started doing to clear his mind) when he found a large chunk of it. After doing a little research he found out what it was and realizing it looked more beautiful than it did tasty instantly thought of Rarity. It was a painstaking process but after 8 months he had delicately carved twelve Sky's Diamond roses. He saved all the shavings and had secretly sold most of them to Celestia herself, who liked to stock up on rare material just in case it was ever needed. He got a massive amount of bits for them but asked the princess to hold it in the castles treasury for him, only taking a few thousand to order the silk and chocolate. Spike asked the Princess to keep all of it a secret from the girls especially Twilight, knowing she would lecture him on how his new wealth should be spent. He didn't want it to get out that he was rich. He didn't want anything to change. He liked how simple life was right now and he planned to keep it that way. After admiring the roses for a few more seconds Spike closed the box and gathered the mentioned items sliding them into his messenger bag. Looking over at the clock he saw it was a few minutes passed one. He had asked Rarity on a date and she had agreed. They were meeting at Ponyville Park for a late lunch by the lake at two o'clock. He ran downstairs jumping the last few and darted into the kitchen heading to the fridge. "Afternoon Spike" a familiar voice said behind him. He spun around to see Twilight, his roommate and mother figure sitting at the table with her head in a book. He didn't see the lavender unicorn in his sprint to through the kitchen. "Hey Twilight. What's up?" "Nothing much just reading up on dragon anatomy. Still trying to find out about those strange back pains you've been having." Twilight said flipping a page. "Twilight I told you i'll be fine. Besides i haven't had any pains for a few days. Whatever it was probably passed. I feel like the same old me." Spike flexed his arms and back to show he was okay. He had indeed been having very sharp and painful back aches the past couple months. They were unexplained and even the doctors didn't know what was wrong. This week was ache-free and that was great news for Spike. It was just one of the many things going great for him recently. "That may be but I just want to make sure your okay. I mean they stopped you from moving for hours at a time sometimes. If they're gone then great but I want to be ready in case they come back." Twilight took a sip of her tea and sat her book down. " On a different note, you look great today Spike. You're really trying hard to impress Rarity aren't you." "Twilight everyone knows that my alluring charm and devilish good looks are irresistible. Not much trying involved." He smoothed the spines on his head back as he was talking. "Whatever you say Mr.Confident. Just don't make a fool of yourself. Remember, she's known you for years. She already knows how great you are. Just let things go naturally and everything will be ok." "You got most of that out of a book didn't you?" Spike smirked. "Four actually." Spike walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her carefully. "I know I don't say this nearly enough but thanks for never failing to be there for me and always having my back. You can be ocd about things sometimes but thats ok. You'll always be mother in my eyes and I will always love you." Twilight hugged him backed wrapping her hooves around him the best she could. "And thank you for always being the best number one assistant and son any mare could ask for." She released the hug. A pinkish purple aura opened the fridge door and levitated a picnic basket out. It was filled sandwiches and fruit Spike had prepared earlier. It was followed by a pitcher of lemonade which was put into the basket along with two glasses. She placed it next to Spike who promptly picked it up."Now go get her." "Thanks Twilight." Spike ran out the kitchen and out the front door, a huge smile plastered on his face. He was minutes from his date with the mare of his dreams, he had more money then he could spend in a lifetime, his back wasn't killing him. Things are looking great. Nothing could bring him down. Along the way he stopped to help Big Macintosh unload some apples for the stand and was rewarded with a bag full of the world famous apples. He stopped by Sugarcube Corner to say hi to Pinkie but ended up installing her from the ceiling. He didn't bother to ask how it happened, chalking it up to a Pinkie Moment. Pinkie gave him two slices of triple fudge cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate chips as a thank you. His day was going so well he had forgotten about the time.Taking out a pocket watch he looked and saw he had five minutes til 2. He made one final sprint to the lake. Upon reaching his destination he took a look around to see if Rarity was waiting or not. After seeing he'd made it before her he breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at the area once again, this time taking in it's beauty. The trees were all a mystic green that matched the grass perfectly. Flowers of all kinds painted a mosaic across the small field leading to the trees. The most beautiful part was the lake. It was a void of tranquil beauty that resembled a sea of the most stunning sapphires. He stood there staring for a few minutes. He knelt down, opened the basket and started setting up the picnic. H took out a checkered quilt and spread it out. He set out the plates and glasses and took out the box of chocolates and sat it in the middle of everything. After it was all set up he sat down and waited. And waited, and waited, and waited. "It's not like Rarity to be this late. I mean yeah sometimes she likes to be 'fashionably late' but thats only five or ten minutes." He took out his gold pocket watch again. "She's an hour and a half late." He took a deep breath. " I'm worrying for nothing, maybe she just got caught up in one of her dresses or something. She wouldn't stand me up" Spike convinced himself. Another hour passed. "Just caught up. Most likely a big order. She'll be here." Six o'clock. The park is starting to empty as ponies take their little colts and fillies home for dinner and bed. Spike is sitting closer to the lake looking at his reflection. "She always takes forever with her makeup and stuff. It's alright she'll be here" Spike was having trouble speaking clearly.He wasn't sure why. His eyes were burning too. Again he couldn't figure out why. Seven o'clock and still no Rarity. If you were in the park at the time and you listened close enough you could here a dragon crying to himself. If looked hard enough at the lake you could see the ripples from his tears hitting it. A/N: Not really what i wanted it to be. I’ll just improve and get it right next chapter. Please be brutally honest, Celestia knows I need it. I plan on future chapters being longer and more frequent. Sorry for any I may have disappointed. 　 > Shattered Dreams > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2 Dreams are more than words, more than trying. Dreams are going to the absolute limits. Grabbing every moment and taking every chance. Dreams aren’t simple. It’s a climb that never ends and sometimes, we fall. The afternoon breeze played with Rainbows mane, sliding it across her face causing her to stir. The sun pushed its' way pass her eyelids. She resisted the best she could, but knowing she lost the battle she slowly opened her eyes to a bronze sky. "That was awesome." Rainbow managed to say through a yawn. She stretched, reaching out as far as her forelegs would allow. She rolled over and peeked over the edge of her cloud she could see that the cloud had drifted a little to the edge of Everfree Forest and just over her shy pegasus friends cottage. At the bottom of the hill leading to her home was the pegasus mentioned, refilling feeders in trees along the road. "Perfect. Applejack said something about Fluttershy needing to talk to me. Tank needs shell wax too." Rainbow leaped off the edge, spread her wings, and glided the short distance to her friend landing behind her. The pink-maned yellow coated mare was humming a gentle tune as she lifted the bag of seed to the feeders. Birds of all sorts were either eating, flying around her or chirping along with the gentle soul. She was so into her little world she had no idea Rainbow was behind her. "Sup Fluttershy." Said Rainbow. She had to blink a few times cause where the yellow mare once was, was now vacant aside from a few leaves and the bird seed that seem to float for a split second before falling. "Uhh Fluttershy you there?" A few leaves fell from the tree in front of her. Rainbow Dash floated over to the tree, looking up at one of the branches which seemed to be......shaking? "Ugh Fluttershy. It’s me, Rainbow Dash. You know, your friend since flight school and the most awesome pegasus you know.” A pair of soft blue eyes peeked over the branch. Scanning the area carefully, she spotted Rainbow next to the tree hovering a few feet off the ground. “Oh my.” She whispered before flapping her wings and floating down to her impatient friend. ”I’m sorry Rainbow. You scared me.” “Me and everything else.” Rainbow said playfully . “Anyway how’s it hanging?” “Um I’m fine and yourself?” Rainbow thought about the letter for a second. As much as she wanted to forget about it, it just seemed to scratching at the back of her mind. Fluttershy was one of her closest friends and although quiet, she always had time to listen to her friends. “Well, I got a reply from the Wonderbolts.” “That’s wonderful Rainbow.” “Yeah if you call being second rate wonderful” said Rainbow as she walked pass Fluttershy. She fell on her haunches by the side of the road, lifting her head to look at the sky. “I’m sorry but what do you mean? You’re a member right?” Fluttershy said tilting her head. “I was put in the Reserves Fluttershy. You know, the Wonderbolts that get no action. The Wonderbolts with just enough skill to get in, but not enough to actually be first call to preform or do rescue work. “Rainbow felt a tightness in her chest and a fire building in her heart. Fluttershy had long come to her friends side, listening faithfully. “I’ve put so much time, blood, sweat and tears into my training. The broken bones. The torn muscles. The days I woke to find I couldn’t move cause I overworked myself. I pushed myself to limits that would scare most flyers. I pulled off tricks that some of the Wonderbolts could only dream of doing.” The pain was evident in her voice as Rainbow spoke. “I know I brag and show off a lot but in this case it’d, honestly be an epic search to find anypony who put themselves through the training I do everyday.” Rainbow dug her hoof into the dirt. The fire in her was burning hotter with every word. “Joining the Wonderbolts wasn’t simply sign up, do some loop de loops, and you’re in. No there’s a long and intense process. There’s the application with an essay (who knew). You do a tryout alone and then if your awesome enough that your called back in, there’s BraveBolt a four day camp where your pushed to your absolute limits and even farther beyond. Nothing but elbow grease, steel nerves and every bit of awesome you can muster. They need ponies that can handle any situation big or small. We flew through rain, snow and hail. We flew until our wings burned and could barely stand on our own.After all that who was the only one who could walk back to her bed? Me.” Words were pouring out of her like rain from a cloud. Her anger was an endless thunderstorm. “I helped save Equestria from eternal darkness, help stop a freaking god of chaos and fought an army of changelings. I don’t know too many ponies who can say they did even one of those. I’m over qualified if anything.” Rainbow closed her eyes and hung her head. The storm had stopped and she was tired. Fluttershy was silent for a few seconds. She knew what she wanted to say but just wanted her friend to calm down a bit before speaking. “I believe everyone knows how hard you train and how much talent you have. Umm you should just go see them and ask why you were put in the reserves, that’s if you don’t mind I mean.” Fluttershy hid behind her mane and kicked the dirt a little. “And there’s always Soarin.” Rainbow Dash heart skipped a beat. Soarin….her coltfriend. Her stallion. Rainbow smirked, thinking of how they had met. After Bravebolt there’s a huge party at the castle for all who participated. Everyone ate, drank and met the Wonderbolts, all hoping to get some one on one time with the flight team. Rainbow had been lucky to run into Soarin at the punch table. They talked for hours on end about new tricks and flight techniques and drank as much to match. Getting bored with the party and getting more bold they decided to venture around the castle a bit. She doesn’t remember how but they somehow ended up making out in the hallway. They picked a random room and disappeared into it. The next morning they awoke in each other arms and in a dark room. When the door opened a very passive Celestia stood there for a few seconds before closing the door to her closet door again. After that Rainbow and Soarin kept talking and eventually began a relationship. Rainbow hated to admit it, but she didn’t care about being lovey dovey when it came to him. She was always happy around him and love to fly alongside him. Whenever she got to see him that is. Due to his work they don’t get to see each other much. He’d cancel a lot because one thing or another came up or was just too tired. but Rainbow didn’t care. All she wanted was him and the sky. “I don’t want to run to Soarin every time something doesn’t go my way. I can handle it on my own.” Rainbow said with a stomp. “You don’t have to ask him to fix it. Just maybe listen to you and give a little insight on the problem?” Rainbow didn’t say anything for a few seconds. She thought about what Fluttershy was saying and it made sense. And besides, she did want to see Soarin. It’d been about two and a half weeks since they last flew together. He seemed like he was always busy lately. “Well I do want to see him anyway. He owes me a race that I intend to win.” “That’s great. Ummm.. let him know I said hello, if you don’t mind I mean.” Fluttershy said while picking up the birdseed. “No problem.” Rainbow began flapping her wings and kicked off the ground. Stopping just above the tree line, she looked back. “By the way Applejack said you wanted to talk to me.” “Oh I’m sorry. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to come to my sleepover tonight. It’s been quite a while since we all got together.” Fluttershy finished filling the feeder and looked up at Rainbow. “So far everyone is coming.” “Count me in. I might be a little late but I’ll be there.” “Okay I’ll let the girls know”. Rainbow again looked to the sky, her mind bursting with thoughts of seeing her love Soarin. The letter and its contents forgotten under said thoughts. She flew with a smile towards Canterlot, as the sun set beside her. ------------------------------------------- The night is quiet, save a few hoots and cricket chirps. Leaves danced hand in hand with the light breeze in a dance that only the two involved could possibly understand. The only light was a few lit lamp posts placed every so-so feet apart. Ponyville is in a peaceful slumber, all bodies at rest and minds in their own worlds of happiness. Only a few residents were awake at this point, and one of them was still at the park. Spike had waited. He waited till the moon was high in the sky. He waited till the morning glories closed up for the night and the fireflies began to play. He didn’t want to believe she stood him up. “Rarity would never stand me up. She’s never missed a date when it’s set. It’d be rude and unladylike.” Spike whispered through a sob. He looked at the sky’s reflection in the lake. “But I’m here alone, looking stupid and hoping for something that’s not going to happen.” Why did she not come? Did I miss something? Was I not worth it? Spike asked himself over and over. He looked around the park and saw nothing but a lamp post or two flickering in the night. He looked back at the lake, sobbed a little and nothing more. He wanted to get up and go home, but something made him stay. Was it the tiny microscopic chance she’ll show up or just the fact that he was weak from crying. He didn’t know or care. He just knew he was alone and it hurt. To top it off his back began to ache. He just looked at the moon in the lake again, and then to the sky where the original hung. He stared at it. It was comforting. ‘The moon and the stars don’t hurt.’ he thought. They were so high in the sky that nothing could hurt them. The sky. Its vastness and freedom was unnoticed by most. But right now it was the center of Spikes attention. Everything was free up there. So much space to do what you want and go wherever you want. Getting away from anything was a possibility. After a few minutes of thought and debating with himself, he stood up and began putting things away. When he got to the Sky Diamond roses he felt something. Anger? Sorrow? He paid it no mind and simply put them back in there box, slipping the box into his bag and throwing the bag over his shoulder. “Rarity…” “You are quite the gentlemen.” Spike spun around at the sound of this familiar voice. It sounded far but he knew that voice. His heart began to beat faster as he let himself be filled to the brim with excitement. After a second of scanning he found what he was looking for and his heart broke into what could be described as more pieces then you could count. Down the path that lined the lake was a mare with the most gorgeous white coat a pony (or dragon) could lay eyes on, rivaling even Celestia's. The mares mane and tail was a matching set of purple curls that bounced ever so gently with each step. Her eyes pools of gentle blues that washed over you as you peered into them. She was wearing a light blue dress that matched the light blue diamonds on her flank. Seeing her isn’t what broke him. It was seeing the tall grey stallion with slicked back hair standing beside her that did it. He sported a bit with a dollar sign in it as a cutie mark. “But I must know. How did you get us a table in such a restaurant. The reservation list for Refined Tastes was booked for months. It's simply impossible to get reservations on such short notice." Rarity said, her words laced with curiosity. "Not when you own the business. That is but one of my many businesses, all of which I'm proud to say are thriving. Success is a beautiful thing. Much like the mare beside me.” "Oh Mister Bits flattery will get you everywhere." The white mare said fluttering her eyes. "Why don't we start with your lips" The tall stallion reached out a hoof that Rarity took with a smile. “Gladly.” Said Rarity as she let herself be pulled closer. As they locked lips Spikes tiny pieces of heart turn to dust. He couldn’t breath. He couldn’t move. His mind was everywhere and his heart felt non-existent. They parted lips and started at each other for a few seconds. “Mind if I escorted you home my dear Rarity.” “That would be divine” Rarity said as she leaned against him. They walked along the path and right pass Spike without a glance. They had no idea he was there. They exited the park without another word lost in each other’s presence. Spike stood there for seconds that felt like centuries. Words wouldn’t come and thoughts wouldn’t settle. He looked to the sky and a gasped for air. He hurt too much. He wanted to disappear. “I want to be up there. I want to be away from this. This pain and shattered heart. I want to leave it all behind and take to the sky.” Spike finally spoke aloud. He hunched over as a sharp pain struck his back. “I hate this. I just want to be away from the ground. Away from hurt. Away from Rarity.” He clutched his chest and dropped to his knees. Tears began running again. He bit down on nothing. Smoke was coming from his nostrils and a bit from between his teeth. His back felt like it was being stabbed hundreds of times. It was tight and unbearable. “I want to escape!” Spike roared. A loud sound of tearing and ripping of flesh was heard. Spike yelled and fell on all fours. He felt something wet and sticky hanging off either side of him. They were heavy whatever they were. He looked back at the sky paying them no mind. All he cared about in his broken state was escaping the cold, empty void in his chest. The things on his back seemed to hear his plea. They raised high in the air and pushed down hard. Slow at first and then speeding up a bit. After a second or two Spike knelt a little and kicked off the ground. Why? He didn’t know. Seem he didn’t know a lot of things recently. What he did know was that he didn’t feel the ground. He knew he felt wind on his face and saw the clouds get a little closer. It was overwhelming. These thing were taking him to the sky and away from his pain. “Do it” Spike yelled. The things on his back pumped harder and harder. The clouds approached and passed and all that was in front of was the glowing orb and specks of light. Stopping above the clouds, the things on his back beat at a steady pace, keeping him suspended in the air. “Rarity, why? I loved you so much. I would have climbed any mountain just to see your smile. Swam across any sea to hear your lovely voice. Fought any army no matter how vast just to hold your hoof. Heaven, Hell, anything in Equestria I’d brave it all to hold you in these arms. So why?” Spike tried to wipe the tears his eyes, but they kept coming. This was something he couldn’t understand. Not the tears but the heart break. Spike was silent for a while. He kept hearing something. Looking around he saw nothing. Listening closer he noticed it was behind him. Turning his head a fraction he saw a large object, no a wing beating up and down. “So you two got me up here. ….Thanks.” Spike felt light-headed. He eyes shut once and opened them. The sky seemed farther then before. They closed again and opened. Even farther, was he falling? He closed his eyes again. When he opened them again he was on the ground again, facing the lake. He saw the moon reflecting in it. Reaching for it he felt weak. He couldn’t resist any longer. He fell face first into the grass. Welcoming the slumber, finding peace in its arms. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Luna’s moon sat in the sky, confident and strong. It knew it wasn’t going anywhere for hours and seemed to glow brighter at this fact. It ruled the night sky and alongside its faithful shining citizens. It was a beautiful sight. Too bad Rainbow Dash paid it no mind. Rainbow had been flying for about an hour non-stop since her talk with Fluttershy. She was excited. She was on her way to see he coltfriend and to get some answers at the same time. She mostly wanted to get a chance to hang out and maybe spend the night. She liked the feeling of having a warm body next to her as she slept. The thought of it made her want to fly faster just so she could be there already. After a few minutes of quiet flight and nice daydreams she could see a sparkling in the distance. She was finally at the city. Canterlot was a bright and beautiful city, day or night. As Rainbow Dash flew over the city she couldn’t help but admire the life and energy the city had within it. It had to be well past 10 o’clock, yet ponies were out and about like it was midday. Shops were still open and music of every kind could be heard from here and there. She watched as a an earth pony chef dazzled a crowd of ponies with grace and precision at a Teppanyaki style restaurant ( note: Teppanyaki is when food is made on a hot plate right in front of you. Usually has lots of tricks and blade work). She looked to her right and watched as ponies danced at a club on top a roof. A white unicorn she recognized as DJ-PON3 was head banging as she spun tracks. It always stopped her in her tracks to see the huge and diverse city. Yea there were a lot of stuck up, snotty ponies but there was so much more if you looked in the right places. Rainbow continued to admire the sights as she flew towards her destination. When the castle was in view she landed at its front gate and walked up to the guards. “Hey guys. I know it’s late but you mind if I go see Soarin in the Wonderbolt quarters?” One of the guards pushed one of the gates doors open. “Of course miss Dash. As an Element of Harmony your permitted on castle grounds at any time for any reason. Princess orders.” The green earth pony step to the side to let her in. Rainbow Dash walked down the path and into the mighty castle. The times she did come to see Soarin before she learned the way to the barracks by heart and was there in a minute or so. She came to a door with a winged lightning bolt on it. She stopped in front of it and looked at it hard. She’d come through these doors plenty of times before with Soarin but this time she was walking through them a member. A reserve member but a member. Lifting a hoof to the handle and pushing it open. What happened next shocked her. She walked into a wall of silence. The room wasn’t empty, quite the opposite. The huge room was the lounge. It had a large couch surrounding a table. The walls were line with all forms of entertainment from radios to pinball machines to large bookshelves loaded with books. They even had an workout area. All the items were being used by one pony or another, but the moment she stepped in all eyes were in her. “Uh, hey guys. How’s it hanging?” a nervous Rainbow Dash said. Everypony either went back to what they were doing or simply avoiding looking at Rainbow. It was getting awkward to be in the same room with them. Why was everypony ignoring her? Any other time she came here with Soarin they were quick to say hi and treat her as one of team. Rainbow Dash walked over to the table, approached a dark grey Pegasus who was reading a book. “Hiya Lightning Streak. What’s up?” He looked up and quickly looked everywhere but at her. Realizing what he did, he began scratching his yellow mane and looked back down at his book. “Nothing much, just reading a book.” He said nervously. “Yeah I see that. What’s up with everypony? Is everything okay?” “Yeah great. Now if you don’t mind I need to get back to this book.” Lightning Streak said as he practically put his face through the book. Rainbow Dash was long pass nervous and well into annoyed now. She took another look around. Why were they trying so hard to snub her. From the looks on some of their faces, they felt bad, almost ashamed. Ashamed of what they were doing or ashamed for something else. Rainbow stopped caring when she tried to look another Wonderbolt in the face and they turned faster than the Wonderbolt speed record. “So any reason your all being annoying jerks!?!” Rainbow surprised herself. These were her idols, who she looked up to and admired since she was a filly. She couldn’t help but feel bad about what she just said, but she wasn’t taking it back. They were treating her like she “When you all are done being uncool, come talk to me. I’m going to see Soarin” She leaped into the air and floated over to the hallway leading to the bedrooms. Just as she was about to round the corner somepony grabbed her hoof and yanked her back. “That’s not a good idea……he’s tired. Yeah that’s right he’s exhausted from training all day. He needs the rest. Deserves it in fact.” The icy maned mare was anxious and seemed desperate. Things Rainbow noticed and paid mind to. “If he’s as tired as you say he is, he’ll be glad to see his marefriend. Now let go Fleetfoot.” Rainbow yanked away and hovered a little higher, only to bump in to a group of the famous Pegasus. Lightning Streak came out of the group and stop right in front of Rainbow Dash. He looked her straight in the face. In his eyes was something Rainbow recognized and hated. There was a pool of pity in his eyes. He lifted a hoof to her shoulder and opened his mouth like he was going to speak. He stopped and glanced over at the others, most of which nodded. Some just hung there heads. He looked back at Rainbow, took a deep breath and tighten his grip on her shoulder. “Soarin doesn’t want to see you right now.” Rainbow stared at him for a a good minute. She lifted her hoof and pushed his off of her. She floated back a couple feet and looked at everypony around her. “I have no idea how what the buck is going on, but if you don’t move the hay out of my way, I’m going through all of you.” “I know what I’m saying is out of nowhere and most likely confusing but you have to understand that were trying to help you. Going to that room now is just not a good idea right now. We can’t say why, that’s for Soarin to say, but we don’t want you to get hurt.” Lightning Streak was trying his best to get Rainbow to listen, to no avail. Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. “How in the hay does seeing my stallion hurt me in anyway?” No pony said a thing. “Where’s Spitfire? I need to let her know her team is losing it.” Spit Rainbow. Lightning Streak Looked down and away. Everypony became more anxious and started finding the hallway floors a bit more interesting. “Move.” They looked at her once more. “Move now.” “No Rainbow. We won’t let you do this to yourself.” “Last time. GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!!!” She heard hooves behind her. Closing her eyes, she bent her forelegs, and launched her hind legs from under her with all her might. She connected with what she could tell was a leg. Opening her eyes again she saw a green Pegasus slid pass her with a bent-in leg. Before she could speak Lightning had flown over his injured comrade and tackled Rainbow to the floor. “Calm down.” He said in a still very calm voice. “We don’t wan—ARRRRGG!!” Lightning Streak stumbled backwards holding a bloody nose. Glancing up he saw Rainbow getting up, her forehead leaking. “Was the head-butt needed?” “Move.” Rainbow couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t get it right in her head to save her life. Was she really going to fight the Wonderbolts. Her idols, her dreams and wishes. She had already struck two of them. He she was ready to take them all. She didn’t understand that that while she admired them, she loved Soarin and that’s why she was doing this. All she knew was that they were between her and him. “You’re a fellow Wonderbolt and a friend. We just don’t want to see you hurt.” Fleetfoot said. Before she could say anything else, she felt her hooves leave from under her. She fell unharmed but stunned. Rainbow continued her rush forward. Two stallion pegasus landed in front of her. She looked at them with a dragon’s rage in her eyes. She pumped her wings and shot forward with unbelievable speed. Before he could react the one on the left had a hoof digging in his jaw. She pushed off his face and spun bringing the back of her hind leg atop his head. She was heading off down the hallway before he hit the ground. She made a hard left and bolted down the hall pass a few doors. She slowed down, and came to a complete halt 8 doors in. Looking at the door it said in blue and gold Soarin and under it was Co-captain. Her heartbeat was intense. She was breathing was hard. She was finally going to get some answers. Why the reserves, why was everyone acting weird and how in the hay was he going to hurt her. Grabbing the doorknob and giving it a twist, she gently pushed the door open. The sound of music flooded out of the room and all in her ears. She could barely hear the beating of wings behind her and the shouts of the Pegasus she left behind. She stepped inside the dark room and squinted. She could see movement in his bed. “Soa—“ “SOARIN!!!” a voice from the shadows shouted. It was shaking. Almost trembling with ecstasy. ‘Was that. No, your hearing things Rainbow. It’s cool he’d never.’ She thought. “Don’t you, uhh, finish before meehhhh!!!” came the voice again. “Spitfire?” “This isn’t a race and if it was, I’m not trying to win.” “Good, now show your Captain what you can do.” Rainbow heard enough. She reached for the light and flicked it on. In front of her was her stallion leaning over somepony. Poking out of the sheets was a fiery mane that Rainbow knew better than she wanted to at the moment. The two in their moment of passionate indulgence didn’t realize the room was light, not right away anyway. They continued their act in front of Rainbow, who couldn’t move due to an potent mix of rage, hurt and despair. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to rush full speed at Soarin’s neck or break the spectrum barrier against Spitfire’s face. Her heart was cold. It was broken. She didn’t want to put it together. It was too painful. After a few more seconds of the act Soarin opened his eyes and noticed the brighter surroundings. “Guys, I said I wanted some alone time for a reason.” He turned his head and looked at the pony standing just inside the door. It was dead silent in the room. Maybe all of the castle grounds. You could hear Celestia’s mane sway in this deep silence. Spitfire lifted her head off the bed and looked at what Soarin found more interesting then her at the moment. Upon setting eyes on the mare with the death glare, she broke the silence with a simple but understandable “Buck.” ------------------------------------------------------- Sometimes we fall. We limp, we cry, we hurt. But we get up and push on. Because we want it and will have it. But there are times when we can’t pick ourselves up. When we crash too hard. What do we do then? ------------------------------------------------------- A/N: I want to start by saying i have nothing against the Wonderbolts. I like them alot really. I also want to say that i know this one take longer then i said it would and i'm sorry. I'm in a point in my life where things are everywhere but where I want it to be. Being 21 sucks. Anyway i hope your enjoying the story so far. Remember, smile, smile smile. > Pieces of Dreams > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spike was standing in front of the library door. His body was throbbing and barely had enough strength to hold him up. He woke in the park a while ago. Not wanting anyone to see him with all the dried blood on him, he dragged himself to his home. His night was draining to say the least. He got stood up, saw the mare he loved and wanted for most of his life with some stallion. To top it all off, wings exploded out of his back. Thinking about it for a second the wings weren’t all bad, just when and how he got them. After a few more seconds of thinking over last night Spike noticed he was now leaning against the door. He was at his limit. He needed to rest. It was early so he was sure Twilight hadn’t returned from Fluttershy’s just yet, which meant he didn’t have to answer questions that would just throw salt in his wounds. Reaching into his messenger bag, he grabbed his house key and unlocked the door. Stepping inside he was annoyed to see an orange mare with a blond mane stretched across the couch in the reading area. “Are you serious?” is all he could think. Why was Applejack here? The girls were having a sleepover weren’t they. Looking around he spotted Pinkie Pie on the floor in her bright pink sleeping bag. Fluttershy was curled up on the other end of the couch with a navy blue blanket on her. Twilight must be in her room and Rainbow Dash is known to get up early for her work outs. He tiptoed to the steps. Ignoring the sharp pains throughout his body he climbed until he reached the top, where he had to rest. Most ponies would have collapsed by now. But he was a dragon. One with a lot more than a little pain on his mind. Dragging his body down the hall he made it to his room. Grabbing the bronze handle he pushed the door open, slide inside and gently closed it behind him. “Finally.” Spike sighed as he turned towards his bed. He wanted nothing more than to sleep. No Rarity. No love. No heartache. Just sleep. That blissful realm of dreams. “Spike the Dragon!!! Where have you been—OH MY CELESTIA WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!” Well then. She wasn’t in her room. She was waiting in mine so I can be scolded. “All of this blood. Where were you? What happened? We need to get you to a hospital. NOW!” Twilight was at Spikes side in a heartbeat. “I’m fine Twi. Just need some rest.” Spike knew what he said was a lie but he didn’t want any more attention. Being awake was a burden right now. A burden he simply didn’t want to deal with. “You are not ok!! Your covered in blood and—WINGS!?!? When did this happen?” Twilight was in full panic mode. She teleported a first aid kit to her side and began nursing the cuts and scrapes she could she. Most had healed but it didn’t stop her from tending to them too. “Twilight I’m fine. I swear. All I need is to rest. I’ll wash of the blood if that makes you feel better but I just want to go to bed please.” Spike felt something wet glide down his cheek. Tears had formed. What the hell am I crying for? It didn’t take long for Twilight to notice. “Spike what’s wrong?” She dropped the bandages and stepped in front of him. “Nothing. Just want to go to b-bed.” Tears were coming along a bit more with every word. Spike clenched his fist. Fighting a battle with his tears that he was never going to win. “Spike please talk to me. I’m only trying to help. What happened last night?” “I don’t- don’t want to talk. I just want to-to sleep. I don’t want to be awake.” He walked over to his bed. His body was finally at its limit, as it stumbled the last couple feet to the bed. Rushing over Twilight got under his arm giving him the support he needed to make it into the bed. Levitating the blankets onto her crying friend. “Spike I don’t know what happened. but sleeping won’t make it go away. I know you want me to back off. But put yourself in my shoes. The last time I saw you, you were in the best mood possible, to have a date with your greatest love. You disappear for an entire night and when you do show up your covered in blood and have wings. And now your crying out of nowhere.” Sitting on the side of the bed and leaning on his shoulder she spoke again. “I can’t possibly ignore this. I know your older now. You’re a big dragon who can handle himself but I still see you as my baby dragon. If something’s wrong I want to know what.” Spike looked at the wooded wall. He hated when Twilight was right, which was all the time. She deserve to get some explanation. Reaching over to the wall he started scratching it. A little distraction from the pain. Taking a deep breath and wiping his tears, he rolled over and rose up against his body’s wishes a place his head against Twilights chest. She pulled him close and nuzzled him. “I’m here”. “She” Spike started. “Take your time.” Twilight said rubbing his back. “Rarity stood me up for some stallion.” He finally let himself say it. “What!? Are you sure? Maybe something just came up or something.” “I wish. I waited there for hours. When I was packing up I saw her walking through the park with some rich stallion. Apparently he owns that fancy restaurant Refined Tastes. They walked right passed me and even kissed.” Spike wasn’t going to cry again. He was tired of the wet reminders crawling down his face. Twilight said nothing. She simply continued rubbing his back. “All this blood is from the wings” his wings twitched a bit. “They grew….exploded out my back last night. I just felt like getting away and they took me away. If that makes sense.” “Plenty.” Twilight said pulling the blanket up more. It was quiet for a while. Twilight was looking at the wall, thinking hard. She may have seemed calm but she was furious. Rarity was a very close friend but you never hurt a lions cub. Right now Spike needed her so she would stay but once he calmed down, She was going to have a little talk with Rarity. “Twilight what do you do when your heart can’t seem to put itself back together?” Spike whispered into her chest. “Give it time.” She said back. “But just being here, in Ponyville……hurts. It hurts now. It’ll hurt later.” “Spike stop. I know you heartbroken but all you can do is give it time. Time and laughter is always the best medicine. I’m not much of a comedian—“ “That’s for sure” Spike gave the faintest smile. A good sign. He’s hurt but he’s not broken. “And if it is too hard to be here right now you can always spend some time at the castle. Princess Celestia always asks why you don’t visit a little more often. While your gone I’ll talk to Rarity and see what she has to say for herself” Spike thought about it for a bit. After a minute or two of thinking he decided it was better then moping around here. “Sure I guess.“ “Ok I’ll write a little letting her know. One sec.” A small poof was heard and a quill and paper was in front of the two. Spike moved from Twilight allowing her space to write. A few more seconds and Spike was sending the letter away in a brilliant emerald flame. A couple minutes later a burp was heard and a letter formed. Spike passed it to Twilight. Dear Twilight Sparkle, It’s been so long since I last seen Spike. Of course he is always welcomed to stay here wherever for whatever reason. This will never change. It pains mean to know Spike has experienced his first heartbreak, something I had hoped he would never had to feel the touch of heartbreak anytime soon. I agree that a break from Ponyvillemay just be what he needs. It may also help with a problem that has a rose over here. Your friend Rainbow Dash has had quite the eventful night. It’s not my place to go into detail but Spike isn’t the only one feeling heartbreak for the first time. She is well but has decided to stay at the castle for a while. A familiar face from Ponyville might be a great help in her recovery. I have sent a chariot for Spike, it should arrive soon. To my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle “So. What did she say?” Spike asked from the window he was staring out of. “A chariot is on its way. You should take a shower before it gets here. Could help you relax a little.” Spike scratched some blood off his scales. “Not a bad idea.” Twenty minutes later he was outside with Twilight and the girls. Pinkie pie was a ball of energy as always. She had balloons, confetti, and cake celebrating Spikes vacation. No one asked where it all came from. It was just a Pinkie pie moment. The rest of the girls just talked a bit until the gold and white chariot pulled by two gold clad Pegasus. “Hello Miss Sparkle.” The gray Pegasus nodded to her. “Hello sirs. Thank you for coming in such short notice.” “No problem Miss Sparkle. When we heard it was Spike we were picking up we hopped to it quick as a flash. Last we saw him, he was a mere couple feet from the ground with more head than body.” The guard snickered. “Real funny Aerial. Tell them about the time I melted your helmet to the ceiling in one of the guest rooms at the castle.” Spike said stepping into the chariot. The Pegasus looked up. “It’s still there til this day.” A few giggles escaped everypony. “Ok Spike remember. Relax. Time is everything.” Twilight leaned into the chariot and gave the departing dragon a hug. “I know. Just don’t do anything drastic while I’m gone. Please.” “Of course” Twilight giggled. After everyone said their goodbyes and the chariot was on its way Twilight turn to the girls. “We’re going to Raritys.” Stepping over to the door to lock it. “Ah’m always up to seein a friend but why all of a sudden.” Applejack said while adjusting her hat. “Answers” ------------------------------------------------------ He had woken up about an hour ago to discover he had casts and bandages on most of his body, which was in a world of pain. His face hurt and his hearing sounded muffled, like he was hearing the world through cotton. He tried to look around but was stopped by the cast around his neck and the pain paired with. He quickly gave up on looking around and just laid there. He could hear the muffled sounds of groaning and whimpering. He knew his team inside and out, even down to how they sound when they hurt. He could make out Rapidfire who sounded close by and Fleetfoot who was whispering to someone and quite a few of the other Wonderbolts talking among themselves.. He thought about saying something to let everypony know he was awake but had a feeling he should stay quiet for a bit. In all honesty Soarin felt like complete manure. Why? For the same reason he felt the need to be quiet. Soarin had messed up, he knew this. The last things he could remember was doing some “endurance training” with Spitfire, Rainbow catching him in the act, a loud boom, colors and pressure on his face before seeing black. Putting two and two together wasn’t that hard. Rainbow had broken the light spectrum against his face. What confused him was the fact that a large part of his team was in the infirmary with him. What had happened after he was knocked out. As if on cue the door swung open and an offbeat set of footsteps could be heard walking in. “Hey Lightning Streak.” Fleetfoot yelled across the room. “How’s your head and foreleg?” “Hello Fleetfoot. Glad to see your full of energy. My head is feeling a lot better, I even stopped seeing colorful spots everywhere. As for my leg.” He paused. “I won’t be doing any shows for the next few weeks.” “Wow she really laid a number on you. Ugh” Came a voice from Soarins’ right. “Your one to talk Rapidfire. You were over the castle walls after that buck to the ribs she gave you.” giggled Fleetfoot. “Yeah I heard they found you bent into a perfect V.” Lightning followed up. Soarin smirked at the thought of his friend representing a letter with his body.” “I won’t even try to say it didn’t hurt. Hell, she decimated half the team, reserves included. But I feel lucky compared to Soarin and Spitfire. I mean Soarins’ been out since last night and Spitfire looked like hell when she came to visit this morning. Looked like she had been chewed up by a timber wolf and spit out.” Soarin was in shock. He was out for the entire night. Then to add insult to injury Spitfire sounded like she caught the worst of it. What did Rainbow do to them? No, better question, How much damage was she able to cause by herself? Yeah he knew she was athletic but to take out half the Wonderbolts was…..astounding to say the least. He had to know more. He had to know what took place after he was knocked out. “What happened?” Soarin finally asked. He regretted it. It seemed like the whole room got quiet. Rapidfire spoke first. “So your finally awake? Sleep well?” the sound of annoyance in his voice. Soarin paid it no mind. “Lightning could you lift me up a little.” There was a pause, then the sound of the offbeat hoofsteps again. From the corner of his eye he could see a blank expression on Lightning’s face. Lightning got to the bed and pressed a green button labeled up. A couple seconds later Soarin could see in front of him. With a slight turn of most of his body he could see a nice chunk of the room. It surprised him even more. Fleetfoot had a her left foreleg in a sling. One of her ears had a bite mark and she had a few bruises. Lightnings head was bandaged and he was walking on his hind legs with the support of a crutch. His left foreleg was wrapped tightly and had little get well notes written on it. Rapidfire was wrapped up in bandages from the waist to his neck. His wings poking out from each side. Looking around everypony was in a cast or bandaged up in one way or another. “How could she do this?” Soarin whispered. “Let me stop you right there. Before you try to put Rainbow Dash on the spot this is entirely your fault.” Rapidfire said bluntly. “My fault?!? I just woke up how is this my fault?” Soarin asked knowing the answer already. “You know damn well what I’m talking about.” “Last I checked I didn’t tell her to run through our team.” “No but she had every right to. We were hiding a secret and on top of that it was a really messed up one at that. We took away her dreams and made her feel alienated. By the way we all did that. You did a little more.” Rapidfire ended this with flaring his wings. “Rapid your doing it again.” Fleetfoot whispered. “Calm down.” Rapidfire closed his wings and folded his forelegs. Things got quiet again. A heavy sigh escaped Lightnings mouth. “Fleet, why don’t you take Rapidfire out for a stroll in the garden. Hear they have some of the nicest roses in Canterlot.” Fleetfoot was a bright mare and knew this was more a request then a suggestion. She climbed out of her bed and hobbled over to a wheelchair by Rapidfires bed. Rapidfire slowly slide to the edge of the bed and with Fleetfoot supporting him, he gently dropped into the chair. He looked at Fleetfoot and nodded and they were on their way. “Dude. What a week!” Lighting said out loud, startling Soarin. “We started the week with stopping those freak storm clouds form hitting Phillydelphia. We did three charity events and to put the icing on the cake we had our regularly scheduled shows.” He folded his arms behind his head and fell back into a chair. Soarin understood that Lightning was just trying to lighten the mood but he just wanted to know what happened. “I remember her doing a Sonic Rainboom punch and knocking me out. What happened afterwards?” Soarin was looking at Lightning with pleading eyes. Another sigh fell from his mouth. “Your right. She did do a Sonic Rainboom and knocked your lights clean out. After you flew through the wall and into the castles walls, she went straight for Spitfire. She never slowed down. Spitfire was rammed through four walls and put thought a floor. She would have been in serious trouble if Celestia didn’t use her magic to mend all those broken bones. Yours too. Never seen anypony with so much rage. Scared the hell out of me. Made me glad to be under that piece of rubble.” “Rubble? Wait what happened to the team? Why are you all here? “ “We tried to stop her from getting to Spitfire. My father used to tell me that an angry mare meant a broken stallion. Never thought it was literal. And besides, your ever stand mere feet from a Sonic Rainboom at set off? You don’t exactly walk that off.” Soarin fiddled with the sheets for a bit. He looked at the ceiling. “Why did she stop?” he asked “Well not many ponies can resist Celestia’s sleep spell.” “So Celestia stopped her.” “Yeah. When Rainbow took Spitfire through those walls she flew passed Celestia by mere feet. She went after her and put her asleep before Rainbow made a move she regretted. “Thank Celestia, literally.” Soarin whispered. A load was lifted off his shoulders. “Well now that you’re all caught up I’m gonna say a few things the team and I have been thinking for the last few weeks.” Lightning placed a hoof gently on Soarins shoulder. “You’re an idiot. You’re an idiot and before I forget you’re an idiot.” “What?” “Wait I’m not done. You’re and idiot.” Lightning took his hoof off his shoulder and leaned back into his seat. “Done?” Soarin asked. “Yup” Lightning said with a goofy nod. “I know I messed up.” “Bad.” “I should have stopped a while ago.” “But you didn’t.” “I hurt Rainbow more than anyone else involved in this.” “You did.” “STOP THAT!!!!” “Was just saying.” Lightning started twirling his crutch. “Look I was an idiot. What Spitfire and I did to her was horrible. We could have easily made her a Starter but we put her in the Reserves to hide our secret. We betrayed her and took away her dreams for our own selfish needs.” Soarin looked down. Thinking about what he had done was bad. Saying it out loud made him feel like the biggest idiot alive. “Well you know what you did was wrong , but how are you going to fix it?” Lightning spun his crutch one more time and placed it back against his chair. “Honestly, I don’t know.” Never looking up. “Well think on it. You’re not going anywhere anytime soon so you have time. I have a meeting with a giant needle. See ya later.” With that Lightning was on his way. At the door he stopped. “No matter what we’re Wonderbolts. We look out for each other. But we all agree this was one shit storm that could have and should have been avoided. Try not to let this happen okay. We will only follow you but so far.” He stepped out closing the door behind him. Soarin was alone with his thoughts. Accompanied only by the beeps of the Iv. His mind was flooding with every emotion. Angry at himself for letting it get this far. Relived no one was hurt any more than they were. Worried about how Rainbow Dash was doing. The flood never stopped. Before he knew it he was drifting back to sleep. He was sure his dreams would be a nice escape from the reality he put himself in. He let himself slip into it’s doors. ---------------------------------------- Celestia paced back and forth in her royal chambers. She looked down at the velvet carpet, her face straight with a tiny indication of worry on her brow. Every so often she’d glance at the letter on her desk then to the lump on her bed. It would move every now and then, a groan or sniffle escaping it. Celestia couldn’t help but feel for her and after a small inhale and exhale walked over to the bed, lifting a hoof and carefully placing it on the individual in her bed. Speaking softly she whispered. “Rainbow Dash, are you awake my little pony?” Rainbow said nothing, only sniffling and pulling the silk sheets even tighter around her. “You’ve been through a lot. More in one night then anypony should.” Again silence and a shuffle. It was a stake in Celestia’s heart to see one of the Elements and more importantly one of her beloved friends in such a state. But this wasn’t a time to let her emotions get the best of her. The Wonderbolts would hear from her later. Right now she needed to pick up Rainbow from this ditch she was in. She stood up walking to her balcony. Looking out into the garden her lips parted. Celestia knew love well. You don’t live as long as she has without learning a thing or two. Or falling in love at least once. It was time to share what knew. “Love is very much like running a kingdom. Like a kingdom, a lot of work is put into love. There’s building it, a lot of patience and compromise.” Celestia looked up to her sun. It was shining with her confidence. Bright and strong. She heard more shuffling behind her. In the reflection of the glass she could see Rainbow sitting up. Her mane a mess and bandages covering most of her head. She was staring at the sheets in her hooves. The fact that she sat up meant she was interested in what was being said or she just got tired of pretending to sleep. “But the most important part of running a kingdom is trust. You have to be able to trust your citizens and your citizens have to be able to trust you. Without that trust there will be constant worry and doubt. And doubt tears anything apart.” “If you’re saying I did something wrong then I think your forgetting who betrayed who your highness.” Rainbow finally spoke. Celestia turned around and looked at Rainbow before walking over. A gold aura clocked a pitcher of water on the nightstand by the bed. Pouring a glass she floated the glass to Rainbow who took it in her hooves and took a sip. “No I’m not saying you did anything wrong. In fact you were being the best marefriend you could be. From what I read in Twilight’s letters Soarin is all you talked about. You always waited and were always patient. Happy to see him even for the hour or two you got from him. You do your element proud. You also had enough respect to not go behind his back and fool around. Rainbow just looked at the glass of water in her hooves. “I must say. You’re the last pony I expected to see in this situation.” Celestia said with a gentle smile. “I always thought you weren’t interested in a relationship right now. That you were more focused on joining the Wonderbolts.” Rainbow took another slow sip of water. Looking into the glass she saw her battered reflection staring back. “I thought that’s what I wanted to. Love was the last thing on my mind. Then I got to know Soarin.” She placed the glass back on the nightstand. “ He made me feel special. Like I wasn’t just some flight obsessed tomboy.” “He was the wind under your wing, The sun that lit your way, the skt that never let you go.” Celestia said with a knowing smile. “Exactly. How’d you know?” Rainbow was surprised the Princess knew how to explain how she felt so well. “A princess can fall in love too.” Celestia smiled a bit more. It got quiet for a while. Rainbow was tired of laying down, so she pulled the sheets off of her and slid out of bed. She stretched her wings, then her forelegs followed by her hind legs. A creak here and a crack there and she felt everything relax. It was good being out of bed. She wanted to move a bit. Not fly, but just move. This was shocking to her cause there was never a time she didn’t want to fly. She let it go thinking it was just cause she wasn’t feeling her best. She trotted over to the bed where the Princess still was. “Princess?” Rainbow said quietly. “Yes Rainbow Dash?” “Could we take a walk? Maybe talk about this later.” “Of course. I had to meet somepony at the gates. Its somepony you know.” Celestia stepped of the bed and over to the door. “I do?” Trying to think who it could be, Rainbow followed behind the Princess into the hall and down a flight of stairs. Along the way they talked about a lot of things ranging from the best flying techniques, to the castles history and more. Making it to the golden gates they both sat at the entrance, guards on either side of them. They didn’t have to wait long. The sound of hooves against stone came down the road. The gates opened with a creak and Celestia stepped forward to greet her guest. “It’s been so long. You really should visit more.” “Sorry. Twilight keeps me busy and it’s never easy getting around in Canterlot.” Rainbow step closer to get a better look at this visitor. She heard his voice a lot, it just wasn’t clicking for her though. He stepped off the chariot and Celestia stepped back. “Spike!?” ------------------------------------------------- When you feel like there's nothing else you can do. When everything seems grim and you just can't seem to pick yourself up. Remember there's always someone who cares and with support you, and gudie you, There is never crashing too hard. There is only trying again.