At the end of the dark tunnel, there is a light. You just need a friend to push you there. Unless that tunnel is a lie...
Rainbow Dash is a tough pony. But all of us have that line. When crossed, it breaks us, and the bright rainbow that was our life becomes dimmed to gray. When Rainbow's line is crossed, can her friends piece her back together?
Rainbow Dash looked up into the night sky as distant memories floated into her mind. These kinds of nights always did this to her. The nights where the moon was full and bright. Trillions of little dots of twinkling stars were drawn across Luna's dark night sky. These nights were special, in two ways actually. Special to Rainbow Dash because of the images of old and new happiness and love that found its way into her mind, and special to Equestria because of that little extra magic Princess Luna put into these nights. Luna did not do this randomly, however, she did it as a tribute for a fallen pony that was not only close to her, Celestia, and the Elements of Harmony, but to all of Equestria.
These nights used to cause Rainbow Dash to return to an unbearable depression that she felt two years ago, but now they give a sweet feeling of happiness. Rainbow Dash was outside on the balcony of the Ponyville library. She was simply sitting there and gazing up into the sky. She looked at the sliver of the blueish-purple on the horizon where the sun had completely descended less than an hour ago. She looked at all of the dark houses of Ponyville, with the occasional one shining light out from a window. The ponies of Ponyville weren't asleep; they were down below in the library, where loud techno and dubstep music was playing. The music was a gentle thump out on the balcony.
In the library, Twilight noticed Rainbow Dash was missing from the party. Knowing exactly where she would be, Twilight excused herself from her group of friends and trotted up the wooden stairs of the library, and into her room where the door to the balcony was. The lavender unicorn saw Rainbow Dash sitting by the rails of the balcony with her head up to the skies. She stopped to simply watch the rainbow-maned Pegasus sitting out there on the other side of the glass door. Rainbow Dash had been through a lot in the last two years; all of her friends had.
Twilight silently pushed open the glass door so that she wouldn't disturb Rainbow. She quietly walked over to Rainbow Dash, and wordlessly sat down right next to her. She acknowledged Twilight's presence and wrapped a wing around the unicorn. After a moment of comfortable silence, Twilight spoke.
"She loves these kinds of nights," Twilight whispered in a soft tone.
"Yeah, she does," Rainbow Dash echoed. The cyan Pegasus looked to her left at Twilight, who returned the gaze. "Twilight..." She sighed as she spoke with a slight trace of hurt in her voice.
"Yes?"
"Thank you," Rainbow Dash said with a small smile on her face.
Twilight gave a puzzled look at the Pegasus in front of her and replied, "For what?"
"For these last two years," Rainbow began, "They've been pretty hard for me, for everypony, really. I've felt some pretty bad things, and some other mushy ones I'd rather not talk about." Rainbow paused and cleared her throat. She knew this next part would be difficult for her to spit out. "You were there for me from the very start. You didn't leave me hangin' like some other ponies did. Especially when everypony had given up on me." Rainbow paused again to force her tears to stay back. Sure, she was in the presence of the pony she trusted the most, but she still didn't like crying; it wasn't cool. Rainbow Dash finally continued. "When I had given up on me. I guess what I'm saying is..." She trailed off as she was not sure what to say.
"Ugh, you know I'm not good at this mushy thankful stuff, Twilight."
Twilight snickered and put a hoof to her mouth. She took a deep breath and said, "It's okay, Rainbow, I know."
Rainbow Dash stood up, and grabbed Twilight's hoof to help her up. "Twilight?"
"Yes?"
"You're a really great friend."
Twilight looked at the mare in front of her. Her magenta irises sparkled in the light of the stars, and her rainbow mane and tail seemed to be shining. Her subtle smile was sincere and thankful. "You too." The two mares walked back into the library, giving each other friendly smiles.
To old readers: This is the rewritten version. If you haven't read the re-written Prologue, it would probably be a good idea to go do so.
Two years earlier
"Pinkie, come look at how bright it is outside!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She wasn't too interested in the night sky normally, but her marefriend loved these types of night where the moon was full and bright, and all the stars were out.
The two mares were in Pinkie Pie's room in Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie was giving her pet alligator, Gummy, a bath while Rainbow Dash was reading the newest Daring Do book on the wooden chair next to the window. Pinkie quickly took Gummy out of the small bathtub and dried him off, then set him down on the floor. She then rushed over to the window where Rainbow Dash was, and let out a squeal.
"OOOOoooo, it's so pretty!" she squealed in delight as she bounced up and down. "I love these kinds of nights! The moon is so big and pretty and the stars are so bright!" Pinkie went on describing the night as Rainbow simply listened, putting a hoof to her mouth while her large grin threatened to break into laughter. After a few more descriptions, Pinkie paused and then said, "But you know Dashie, that's not the best part about them."
"How come, Pinks?" Rainbow Dash asked as she looked into the water blue eyes of Pinkie. Her moonlight-filled eyes reflected the dim, fiery orange flame of the lantern that was a few feet away from the pink pony on her bedside table. Her eyes were mesmerizing for Dash; a true beauty.
"The best part about these nights is that I get to spend them with my marefriend!" Pinkie Pie said as she buzzed with joy, wrapping her forelegs around Dash's neck.
"Oh really? So, who's your mare friend? 'Cause she must be totally awesome and cool to be going out with you." Rainbow Dash said with a smug expression and a wink. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash both laughed as they went back to their peaceful and never boring nightly routine.
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. The bright mid-morning sun shone through the window of the room and hit Rainbow Dash's eyes, making her slightly wince. Rainbow squinted her eyes shut and rolled out of the teal-blanketed bed, and cocked her eyebrow confusingly when she saw no trace of Pinkie Pie in the small room. She assumed that Pinkie had woken up early and went downstairs to start cooking. Rainbow Dash turned around to walk out of the door and go to her weather duties, but she spotted a note with mouth-written writing attached to the door.
The note read, "Last night was great Rainbow! I had to get up earlier to make a big batch of super delicious cupcakes, sorry! Make sure you kick them clouds real good! -Pinkie"
Rainbow Dash chuckled to herself after reading the note and set it down on the bed, then trotted out of the room and descended down the stairs to the main room of Sugar Cube Corner. In the kitchen, behind a counter in the main room, she saw Mrs Cake cracking open two eggs into a bowl of mixed flour and butter. She trotted over to Mrs Cake and said, "What's up, Mrs Cake?"
Mrs Cake looked up from her work and saw Rainbow Dash in front her, her lips forming a smile. "Hello Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie is at the market buying more flour if you're looking for her. Anything I can help you with?"
Rainbow Dash politely smiled and replied, "Nah, that's all. I've got to get to clearing the skies, it's a sunny day planned." Mrs Cake nodded, and Rainbow Dash trotted out the door and onto one of the cobblestone roads that ran through Ponyville. She began trotting down the street, her hooves forming a rhythmic clapping sound. The sounds of other many busy pony's hooves clapping against the hard stone filled the air too as Rainbow Dash trotted through the streets to the market. The hot sun against her cyan back energized her. Her wings screamed out to her, begging her to take to the skies, yet Rainbow ignored their pleads. That could come soon enough. With her marefriend being an Earth pony, Rainbow had to spend less time in the skies, and more on the ground. She had developed a small liking to the ground. Just a small liking.
Rainbow Dash arrived at the market and began searching for her pink marefriend. She walked from stand to stand, ignoring the sales pony's generic persuasive lines as she went. Rainbow continued to search through the crowds of ponies. Finally, she spotted Pinkie Pie's bright pink coat through the crowd. It wasn't too hard, since Pinkie's coat might as well have been a pink star. She was trotting away from Applejack's apple cart, her saddle bags stuffed with apples and sacks, which Dash guessed to be flour, judging by the white smudges on the bags. Rainbow Dash unfurled her wings, and took to the sky, flying up over the crowd and soaring to Pinkie, landing with a quiet thud next to the pink mare.
"Ah!" Pinkie jumped, calming down when she saw Rainbow Dash. "Oh, hey there Dashie, you scared me!" Pinkie said as she gave Dash a slight pout.
Rainbow laughed. "What's up, Pinks?"
"I was getting some apples and flour for a cake that Zecora ordered. She came by and asked for an apple cake. It's going to be yummy!" Pinkie said, a large grin on her dace as she bounced up and down.
"You should make an extra one for me, Pinks," Rainbow Dash said with a wink.
Pinkie Pie giggled. "Okie dokie lokie! I'll make the second one after I deliver the cake! Boy it's-"
Rainbow's eyes widened slightly and her grin fell. "Whoa whoa whoa; deliver? In the Everfree Forest?!"
"Yep!"
"Pinkie, are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, the Everfree Forest can be pretty dangerous, with its timber wolves and cockatrices and all. You remember the incident with Spike and Applejack, don't you?" Rainbow Dash said, her hooves and wings shifting nervously.
"Oh, it'll be fine, Dashie!" Pinkie began, waving her hoof. "It's just to Zecora's and back. I'll stay on the path she made and I'll be fine!"
"If you say so, Pinks," the cyan Pegasus said with a frown in her face. "Just be careful, okay?"
"I promise! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Pinkie said as she went through the famous ritual. Pinkie and Rainbow said their goodbyes, and gave each other a goodbye kiss, then went their separate ways. Rainbow took to the skies, while Pinkie bounced off in the direction of Sugar Cube Corner.
Rainbow Dash flew up to the many clouds that were littered across the sky and began clearing each individual one. She twisted and kicked from cloud to cloud, clearing the sky of the puffy white things. Once she cleared every cloud in the sky except for one, she flew over to it. It was on the edge of the town. She slowed to a stop above it, and plopped herself down on it. She stretched her hooves above her rainbow mane and arched her back as the various joints crunched and popped like popcorn. Rainbow unfurled her wings and let them lay outstretched against the soft, fluffy cloud. Dash closed her eyes, her breathing calmed and a faint smile on her face. By now, it was mid-afternoon, and Dash was overdue for her lazy nap.
Meanwhile, at Sugar Cube Corner Pinkie had just arrived back from the market. She would have gotten there much sooner, but she ran into in Twilight Sparkle and had a brief conversation with the lavender unicorn. As Pinkie walked in through the front door, she saw the Cakes and their now one and half year old twin foals getting ready to leave. They sorted through a few saddlebags that were on a table, seeing if they had everything they needed.
"Is today their doctor's appointment?" Pinkie started, making the Cake family all jump slightly as they didn't hear Pinkie Pie enter. "Oh, I hope they aren't nervous! But they're only a year and half year old, so I don't think they can be nervous. They don't even know what a doctor is! Oh, but this is their first time! What if they are scared? What if-"
Mr Cake put his hoof to Pinkie's mouth, silencing the pony. He said, "I'm sorry Pinkie Pie, but we have to go. Zecora's cake is still waiting to be made, and we have to go, so we'd appreciate it if you baked the cake and brought it over there."
"Okie dokie lokie, Mr. and Mrs. Cake! You can count on me!" Pinkie answered with a bounce and her usual happy grin.
Pinkie bounced to the wooden counter as the Cakes left and set down the ingredients. She began to mix various incrdients together, like milk and eggs and flour and others. Eventually, she put the unbaked cake into the oven, letting it bake for a good while. After it was done, she placed the hot and freshly baked cake into a pink box. She picked up the cake box, then strapped it to her back using similar straps to saddlebags, except that these were made for delivery ponies. She grabbed the straps with her mouth and wrapped them around her body, securing them. Once Pinkie made sure that the leather straps had secured the cake to her back, she carefully trotted out of Sugar Cube Corner, but not before quickly checking the clock. Pinkie then walked out, locked the door, then quickly trotted off towards the Everfree Forest.
Pinkie made good pace trotting down the streets toward the outskirts of Ponyville and into the Everfree Forest. As she drew near to the edge of the forest, she looked up and saw a lone cloud with cyan wings hanging limply over the edge.
"Rainbow Dash, you silly head! You're supposed to be clearing the clouds, not sleeping on them!" Pinkie exclaimed while giggling.
Rainbow Dash was brought out of her dream land suddenly, her Wonderbolt costume and the Cloudsdale Colosseum replaced by her normal coat and Ponyville, respectively. Her eyes shot open suddenly and she jumped up in the air. Before she knew what was happening, she found herself with a face full of dirt and a throbbing snout. A blunt pain shot through her chest. Rainbow Dash angrily got up, ready to direct that anger, until she saw who the pony was. Rainbow Dash furled her wings that she had involuntary flared open in anger, and said to her mare friend, "Uh, h--hey Pinkie. Yeah, I got tired after clearing the skies." Rainbow Dash paused to stretch her hooves and back, arching them in the air with a yawn. "What time is it?"
"Well, it was 4:30 P.M. when I left Sugar Cube Corner, so it's probably around 4:35 now. Dashie, guess what! The Cakes are taking their foals to their first doctor's appointment! I hope they'll be--"
Rainbow Dash gasped and interrupted Pinkie Pie, "What?! Sorry Pinkie, but I'm way late for lunch with Twilight! I'll see you later, Pinks, love ya."
"Okie dokie lokie! Love you too, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie replied with a grin. Rainbow and Pinkie shared a quick kiss, then they both departed. Pinkie began to skip towards the Everfree Forest with the cake still attached to her back. She still had a bit of a distance to go before she got to the Everfree Forest and to Zecora's home.
Pinkie continued to skip down the road, Fluttershy's cottage coming into view. As she neared, she waved to Fluttershy, who was feeding her animals, as she bounced past. Pinkie Pie then got to the edge of the intimidating forest. The looming evergreen trees cast a foreboding shadow upon the dirt road leading into the forest. It was almost as if it was pleading a pony to walk away. But Pinkie Pie had been in the forest before, and she had a delivery to make.
Pinkie happily bounced along down the twisting path, into the heart of the Everfree Forest, ignoring her pounding heart that the forest was causing her. As she carried on gleefully, she was humming her favorite tune that she often referred to as 'my jam'. However, as Pinkie continued to carry on, she gradually slowed down, her calves beginning to ache slightly.
The pink pony looked in front of her, and then up at the sky, or the sun, to be specific. The sun was lowering in the sky, with twilight approaching. The Everfree was a deadly place at night, something Pinkie Pie knew from stories of timber wolf attacks. She knew that she needed to hurry up. She broke off into a light gallop, instead of her usual bouncing, down the weathered trail. The trail was in desperate need of a touch up, as it was hardly visible among the grass and fallen leaves of the forest.
She glanced up to the sky again. Pinkie saw the sun was nearly touching the horizon. Pinkie now broke off into a full gallop towards her destination. Zecora's house was much further into the forest than she remembered. But then again, the last time she was in the zebra's home was shortly after Apple Bloom was infected with the Cutie Pox, and that was almost two years ago, so it wasn't surprising that her memory was fuzzy.
Pinkie stopped for a moment in a small clearing to catch her breath and let her calves that were burning like scorching coals settle down.
Maybe Rarity was right when she said I should cut down on the sweets last week.
Pinkie stopped. She forced her breathing to calm with slow, deep breaths. The rest eased her calves, as they slowly stopped their burning. Pinkie looked to the sky again. The sun was now touching the sky, a beautiful sunset in the making. But nightfall would come soon, and Pinkie Pie still needed to arrive at Zecora's. The pink pony searched all around her for any shortcuts that might have been hidden in the darkness around the clearing. She spun around in each direction, her eyes squinting as she went over every detail of every bush and tree around her. Finally, something caught her eye. She saw that there was a small body of murky water, about fifteen yards across, that appeared to be shallow enough to walk through. It was also in the general direction of Zecora's hut.
Well, I guess that's the only way! Ugh, the Forest is starting to give me the creeps! she thought to herself.
Pinkie Pie trotted over to the foggy water for further inspection. The water appeared to be shallow, and that was enough for her. She backed up a few steps, and took off into a full gallop towards the water. As she got to the edge, she bent her knees and launched up, preforming a mighty leap. She flew high and far into the air, and zipped through the air over the water. However, as Pinkie came in contact with the bone-chillingly cold water, she saw that she gravely misjudged the depth of the water.
Pinkie Pie sunk like a rock to the very depths of the deep pond. Pinkie's heart skipped a beat. But the only thing Pinkie could think was: Darn it! Now the cake is ruined!
Pinkie didn't get a chance to get a breath after the sudden descent, so she started to quickly swim up the foggy, unclear water. She attempted to open her eyes to see where she was going, but she immediately closed them after a burning erupted in her eyes. She moved her hooves in arching motions as she moved up through the pony, but suddenly, she came to a halt. She moved her hooves in the same motion again, yet she stayed stationary. She relaxed for a few seconds, not moving, then lunged forward as she grunted from the effort she put into it. She managed to get a few feet higher, but the same force contracted her back down.
She decided to bear the burning pain of opening her eyes to see what she was stuck on. She opened her eyes, and the burning immediately shot out, causing her to squint. She looked down at her hooves and saw that her left back hoof was horribly tangled in a thin, almost elastic tree root as thin as yarn. Pinkie worked at the knot with her hooves, pulling on parts that looked loose, or trying to loosen other parts, but the root refused to release its grip. By now, her eyes were burning like the sun. Pinkie closed her eyes, the burning easing slightly. Suddenly, a deep pain erupted from her chest, her cheeks turning blue.
She began to frantically try to rip out the tree root. She tugged and pulled on the root with as much strength as she could muster. But these tree roots obviously were not normal tree roots. They were magic. Pinkie's heart began to beat faster than it already was as she was now desperately trying to pull her hoof free. She continued to struggle with all of her strength against the roots.
Suddenly, Pinkie's mouth got the urge to open. She attempted to keep it shut, but something was forcing its way out. Pinkie's mouth suddenly burst open as a large bubble escaped. Water flooded into her lungs before she could close her mouth again. Pinkie's heart was now racing, her body shaking. She decided it was now or never. She calmed herself, and tried to shut out the horrendous pain in her chest from the lack of oxygen. She mustered together all of her remaining strength. She then gave one final lunge with every ounce of strength her body possessed, pushing forward her hooves in a large arch with a grunt.
It wasn't enough.
Pinkie Pie then let go. She stopped struggling. She had a minute at the most before she passed out. Before she passed out in the dark heart of the corrupt Everfree Forest filled with countless evils. Suddenly, a light flashed in Pinkie's eyes, and she was in a different place. She was much shorter, and there were hundreds of rocks in front of her. Her mane was straight, and she felt sad.
Various experiences from her fillyhood flooded through her mind. Images of her old classmates, her cutie mark, and her family were among the memories. Then they started to drift closer to more recent times. She saw herself moving into Ponyville, and meeting Fluttershy and Applejack. Then Rarity, then Rainbow Dash. She saw times of her and Fluttershy hanging out or having lunch, of her buying apples from Applejack, and of her buying a winter scarf from Rarity. Then she saw herself meeting Twilight. This is where the memories made her wince. She saw her and her friends defeating Nightmare Moon and Discord, and her friends and her enjoying life.
Then she appeared. Pinkie saw a Rainbow Dash with a beet-red face asking her to be her date at a Wonderbolts show. She saw an enormous grin on Rainbow's face after she said yes. She saw the show. Then their first kiss, first time together, and finally to just the night before.
In the depths of the water, a lone tear escaped the pink pony's eye. Her eyes slowly closed.
A low cackle escaped from the depths of the pond.
Zecora was working on a new potion as the soft early morning star in the sky slowly ascended from the horizon. The mysterious zebra had hoped to have a delicious cake to test this new potion on, however it was never delivered. Zecora assumed that the cake wasn't ready in time, and that it would be delivered later that day.
Zecora finished mixing in a final ingredient into the potion she was working on, and she wore a proud grin on her face when the red liquid turned green, just like it was supposed to. She looked outside of her window and saw that the sun was now above the thick Everfree trees. She decided to take a rest and go to her favorite pond in the forest to see if the spring flowers that grew near it had bloomed yet. She carefully poured her potion into a flask and stored it in a container.
Zecora trotted out of her hut and into the Everfree Forest. She noticed the forest was unusually silent. By now, orchestras of song birds should have been chirping away. The forest only grew silent when a great disturbance had happened recently. The zebra made sure to keep careful awareness of her surroundings.
Zecora arrived at the pond a few short moments later, and began to inspect the various flowers around the pond. They had indeed bloomed, and they were now boasting snow white pedals softly brushed with a calm purple. Zecora grinned at the beautiful sight, but her smile dropped when she observed the foggy waters.
She sighed. "Such a shame. Beauty all round, yet these waters still enjoy their twisted game." Zecora observed the water with a disappointed look, until she noticed something. Near a certain infamous tree near the edge of the water, she saw a peculiar thick pink object gently floating atop the water. Zecora simply stared at the strange object, trying to determine what it was.
"No..." she gasped, realization occurring. Zecora ran to other side of the pond, where the pink object was. She peered closer and confirmed her suspicions. The pink object was a clump of pink hair mixed with frosting. Zecora looked at the tree, then back at the water. She bit her lip as she scanned both the tree and water.
This is too urgent. Please let the creature I find be resurgent.
The zebra dived into the water, swimming slowly to ensure she didn't touch the evil tree roots that belonged to the Everfree Tree of Ending. As she drew near to the depths of of the pond, she saw something, or someone, floating lifelessly. She saw the unconscious pink pony floating in the water with her eyes and mouth closed. Zecora quickly swam downwards to the pony. She carefully worked her hooves with the knot, calling on her memory to remember the technique of untying the enchanted roots. She loosened a final bit of the knot, and it retracted back to the tree. Zecora dragged Pinkie Pie to the surface of the water, her hoof around the mare's body as the thrusted upwards with her free hooves, and onto land. As she swam up, deep red-orange eyes opened at the bottom of the pond, a set of white teeth twisting upwards...
Zecora carefully laid the mare down on the grass, and put her ear to Pinkie's mouth. But there was nothing. She placed her hoof on Pinkie's neck and wrists. Nothing. No pulse, and no breathing. Trying to hold a small bit of hope, Zecora put the lifeless pony onto her back and began to gallop as fast as she could towards Ponyville.
"Twilight Sparkle! Twilight Sparkle!" Zecora's unique voice rang throughout the small town of Ponyville. Ponies looked at Zecora with gasps and wide eyes when they saw the pony laying idly on the zebra's back. Zecora arrived at the Ponyville library, and she carefully put the pink pony on the ground. She hit the door with a force largely unneeded. "Twilight Sparkle! I ask you to open this door! A pony needs you, a pony who is a special friend of yours!"
Twilight opened the door, yelping at what she saw. "Zecora, what's wrong with Pinkie Pie?!"
"No time to explain! In evil waters, I fear her oxygen was drained. She needs medical help, to cause her a breath or yelp."
Twilight helped Zecora take the lifeless pink inside and place her onto a table in the middle of the room. Spike came rushing into the room from the kitchen.
"Twilight, what's wrong?"
"Spike, I need you to go get Nurse Redheart!"
"O-okay."
"Hurry!"
Spike sprinted past the two mares, and out into the streets of Ponyville.
"Okay, I know some basic check-up spells, but nothing beyond that."
Twilight's horn flared as a light purple aura surrounded Pinkie Pie. Twilight did various checks and surges with her horn as Zecora eagerly watched her, hoping she would have luck with the pink pony. All of a sudden, Twilight's expression instantly dropped, and her horn died down.
"Is it too late for her? Were my efforts just a blur?" Zecora asked fearfully.
"There's no heartbeat." Twilight's voice cracked. Tears were welling up inside her eyes. She turned to Zecora, her eyes glossy and her lips quivering. Then, none other than all of her friends, except for Rainbow, came bursting through the library door.
"Twi'! Y'all-" Applejack began, but she stopped, noticing Pinkie on the table. "What's wrong with Pinkie?!" Applejack asked as Rarity and Fluttershy gasped.
"She's..." Twilight began, but the words died in her mouth, unable to come out.
"I shall inform you. This is quite saddening news, too," Zecora began."I found Pinkie not moving in an Everfree pond. Twisted roots were around her hooves, forming tight bonds. I'm afraid your pink friend is no longer with us. To answer the question you no doubt are bearing, I'm saddened to say yes."
Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity all stared with wide eyes and floor-dropped jaws. They could not believe their ears.
"Y-you mean, Pinkie is... g-gone?" Fluttershy said with her lips quivering and her voice shaky.
"M-maybe not! Maybe Spike will get Nurse Redheart here in time," Twilight said, her lips still quivering and her voice uneasy.
Fluttershy began to cry softly as she bit her bottom lip with her eyes shut. Rarity, Twilight, and Applejack walked over to the crying mare, wrapping their hooves around her in a group hug. But tears were rolling silently down their faces as well. Zecora simply watched, her eyes soft and her lips made into a frown.
Zecora sighed heavily. "I am sorry."
The four ponies bonded together on the floor ignored Zecora. Then, without warning, the library door swung open, striking the wall with a loud crack, revealing a rainbow-maned Pegasus standing in the doorway.
"Hey, what the hay is up with--" Rainbow Dash began as she landed with a skid into the library. She stopped, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. She saw Zecora's eyes wide too, as well as her friend's, only their eyes were coated with silky tears. She then saw Pinkie crumpled on the table, not moving, or breathing. She was lifeless.
"Something happened in the forest, didn't it?" Her voice cracked, her eyes welled, and she was slowly shaking her head. "No.." she yelped with another voice crack.
"Rainbow--" Twilight started.
"NO!"
"Rainbow, I'm sorry--"
"NO, NO! THIS IS A DREAM!" Rainbow Dash wailed. She was slowly taking wobbly steps backwards, and she was blinking fast and strongly, trying to keep her tears back.
"Rainbow Dash, please..."
"NO!" Rainbow was now screaming, her voice high and shaking. "No...no...no..." She quieted with each word as her legs began to shake more. "No..." She gasped a final plead into the air with a heavy breath. She then crumpled to the floor like a coat.
Rainbow Dash woke up in a familiar blue bed in the library. Her head felt as if somepony had swung a sledgehammer against her skull, her stomach feeling like it was carrying a plague.
Ugh, my head. I should go see Pinkie, that nightmare was not cool, she thought.
The rainbow-maned Pegasus was in the bedroom of Twilight Sparkle in the library's upper level. From below her, she could hear mixed noises of ponies. Rainbow tried to focus her hearing on the noises, yet they were too mumbled for her to clearly make out what it was.
She kicked the blue blanket stitched with stars off of her body and rolled out of the soft bed. The sudden blast of the sun's warm rays in her eyes disoriented her, making her shut her eyes tightly and her footing slightly wavered. But she recovered swiftly with a shake of her head and began to trot to the steps, with the sounds becoming more clear. They were beginning to sound like quiet cries.
Did that... actually happen? She shook her head vigorously, stuffing the thought to the deepest dungeons of her mind and bounding them with cold shackles as she approached the top of the stairs. She walked down the stairs, looking at the steps as she went. She looked up, her high and proud shoulders instantly dropping. Her eyes became glossy and reflective as tears were starting to well in her eyes. She shut her eyes tight, and gave another little shake of her head as she stared down at the floor again. She looked up from the ground, and her eyes were met by the wide, glassy eyes of all her friends. All of her friends, except for Pinkie--who laid motionless on a table set up in the middle of the room. Her eyes were closed, and her mane was sprung out in every direction, more so then usual. Her chest laid still. The usual rhythmic rising and falling of the pink mare's chest was absent. Her coat seemed to be a duller pink than before.
Rainbow looked at Pinkie Pie's body, her eyes wide and her head slightly shaking from side to side. No. No, this isn't real. This is a dream, just a dream. All just a dream. Come on Rainbow, wake up! Wake up!
"H-hi Rainbow," Fluttershy muttered. Rainbow visibly flinched, the soft-spoken mare's voice breaking her thoughts.
"No..." Rainbow gasped. Her heart began pounding in her chest, sweat formed on her brow, and her breathing became short and quick.
"Rainbow, please!"
"No!" she shouted in response to Twilight. In front of Rainbow, the exact scene she was fearing was before her. Pinkie was in the same position on the table as earlier: lifeless and not breathing. Her friend's faces were coated in a shiny mask of tears, and they all possessed glossy eyes. Rainbow's mind gathered thick black clouds as her judgment became as clear as mud. She dashed over to Pinkie with tears welling up in her magenta eyes.
"No! Pinkie, wake up! Wake up!" She desperately screeched. She started shaking her hysterically.
"Rainbow!" Applejack put her hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder, only to have it immediately swatted away.
"No! Twilight, please! Use your magic! Just save her! Something, anything!" Dash turned to Twilight with desperate and pleading eyes. She put her hooves on the mare's shoulders, begging for the lavender unicorn's help.
Twilight hung her head low, and spoke with a low, raspy voice. "I'm sorry Dash, she's been gone for over six hours now. Nurse Redheart came, and officially announced it."
Rainbow's slightly twitching eyes widened and her lips quivered with desperation. "No! There's got to be something we can do!"
"Rainbow, she's gone, sugar cube. We're all in shock." Applejack pressed again, attempting to pull Rainbow back once more. All she earned was a another smack, but this time more aggressive than the last. The spot Rainbow hit stung slightly.
"No, she isn't! We can save her! I-I can!" Rainbow kept shaking the mare. "Come on, Pinkie! Come on!"
Then, she suddenly stopped. She frowned, looking closely at every aspect of Pinkie's body. Every last hair. The mare didn't look like Pinkie Pie. She looked off. She had a bright pink coat, poofy pink mane, three-balloon cutie mark, and she was surprisingly a lot more slender than her friends. She looked like her normal self. Mostly. But something stood out. She was Pinkie Pie, but she wasn't.
Rainbow looked back to the mare's cutie mark. She squinted hard, moving her eyes closely to Pinkie's flank. The three balloons were there, with two lower and one higher. But there was something different.
"Th-this isn't Pinkie!" Rainbow exclaimed, turning around to her friends.
Her friends were taken back at first, their surprised faces turning to frowns after a moment. "Rainbow, you're delusional. She—"
"No! Look at her cutie mark. These two balloons," she pointed to the two lower balloons, "are supposed to be blue! Not yellow, blue!"
"Her cutie mark is the exact same, sugar cube. We don't want ta believe it neither, but she's just... gone." Applejack looked down as she spoke and gulped hard.
Rainbow's face flushed a dark red, her teeth clenched, and she let out a loud grunt of frustration, like an angry filly who didn't get what she wanted. "I'd know her better than all you guys combined! I'm telling you, this isn't her!" she seethed.
"Rainbow Dash, you're not making any sense, dear. We're all shocked and hurt, but denial isn't going to help us," Rarity reasoned.
"I'm not in denial! The colors on her cutie mark are wrong, this is not Pinkie Pie." Rainbow scowled in fiery anger, her breathing heavy.
"Rainbow Dash—"
"Fine! Don't believe me!" Rainbow snapped. She turned around, unfurled her cyan wings, and bolted out of the library like a falcon diving for its prey, almost smashing the door when she jerked it open, making it smack against the wall. She flew through the air, leaving her stunned friends behind.
She flew at sonic speeds toward her home on the other side of Ponyville. The usual vigorous, energetic sensation that pumped through Rainbow when the crisp wind flooded past her as she flew at impressive speeds was replaced by frantic wing-flapping and hyperventilation. She didn't feel the burning desire to go faster, to go higher, to be the best of the elite, to soar up in the highest breathe-able levels of the atmosphere, to bolt through the air with speeds that would impress the Wonderbolts. Now, she didn't feel any of that. She felt nothing. Her wings, hollow. Her desire, gone. Her drive, nowhere. She simply felt... nothing. Nothing but the brutal sting in her chest and eyes.
Her cloud home came into view, and her door made a breaking crunch sound from her slamming into it like a chariot into a brick wall. She shut the door behind her, and leaned her back against it. She covered her hooves with her eyes, and slowly sunk to the floor.
Maybe they're right... Pinkie's gone.
Derpy Hooves was happily humming along to a new DJ-Pon3 song somepony was playing below her as she was clearing clouds. She playfully bobbed her head side to side as the fast, upbeat techno song played. Out of nowhere, though, a loud slam was heard above her. Derpy jumped and looked above her with her golden crossed eyes and saw a rainbow blur throw open her door, then slam it shut behind her. Derpy had never seen Dash do such a thing—except for after she accidentally dropped a piano through Dash's roof—and was concerned. She let go of the cloud that was in her grip and flapped her grey wings, ascending up to Dash's home. She landed on the porch of the cloud home and gently knocked on the door.
"Rainbow Dash? Are you okay in there?" the grey mare asked, tilting her head to the side a little as she tried to focus on the door.
Rainbow's ears perked up at the sound of one of her co-worker's and friend's voice. She sniffled and cleared her throat. "I'm fine," she began with a voice crack. "Just go away, Derpy."
"Are you sure, Rainbow? You seemed to be in a hurry to get up there."
"Yes, I'm fine, you feather-brain! Now leave!" Dash snapped, hissing at Derpy.
Derpy looked at the door with wide, sad eyes. Snooty voices flooded into her mind like water into a glass, voices from her fillyhood.
The blonde-maned Pegasus's eyes filled with tears as she unfurled her wings and took to the skies, her eyes flowing tears and her body flowing with the wind current.
Twilight and her friends galloped toward Rainbow Dash's cloud home on the other side of town, a dust trail following close behind them from their frantic hoofsteps. A few ponies peeked out their windows from the rows of homes on both sides of the streets, curious as to why the ponies were sprinting through town.
"Come on, girls!" Twilight said, her breathing heavy. Then from above them, a gray slash zipped by, the slash crying and flying fast. She was flying from the opposite direction of Rainbow Dash's home. Twilight stopped in her tracks, her friends skidding to a halt next to her. Twilight could make out the pony's blonde mane and grey coat; she was sure she knew who it was. Before the flying pony moved too far away, she cupped her hoof around her mouth, calling out, "Derpy! Derpy, is that you?"
Derpy stopped mid-air, turning her head around to meet the eyes of the purple unicorn down below. She slowly swept down and landed next to Twilight.
She swallowed hard, wiping her eyes and sniffling. Her lips quivered; her breathing was shaky, like she was fighting off sobs from deep in her chest. "H-hi, Twilight. Rainbow Dash seems upset." Derpy kicked at the ground, avoiding eye contact with the three ponies.
"Uh, Twi'—we really should be gettin' a move on to Rainbow's," Applejack said.
"I'll catch up with you girls," Twilight said, waving them away with her hoof. The three all looked at her, then Derpy, then they slowly turned around and resumed their frantic galloping to their broken friend.
"Derpy?"
Rainbow Dash's teeth clattered as if she was stuck in a snow storm. Her body physically shook with sobs, wells overflowing from her as she huffed and puffed repeatedly. She laid on the floor next to her door in her home, unable to pull herself together. Sorrow ran deep in her blood, spreading out to the deepest reaches of herself. Her heart screamed out in pain with thunderous pumping, her heart's tears drowning out any remaining happiness within her. If her heart was a vase in a well-lit room, the light would have succumbed to a blackout, the vase shattered on the ground with its water gone and the flowers withered and crunched up.
In her state, Rainbow Dash found no strength to give herself solace, nor any strength to even stop her pitiful sobbing. She looked at her shaking hooves, putting them close to her face. She examined them as they just shook. She shut her eyes tight and scrunched up her upper lip, sniffling. She planted her hooves on the ground firmly and forced herself to stand up. Her sobs finally started to relent, her nose and eyes stopping their rivers. She still shook, however.
She suddenly felt a great exhaustion overcome her; her eyes suddenly became heavy weights, her muscles aching and throbbing. Her wings burned like hot coals, the feathers out of line. She took a deep, shaky breath. "Okay Dash, come on—you can do this," she told herself. With baby steps, she slowly approached her bedroom through her elegant cloud home. "Just one hoof after the other, come on."
After putting forth an exorbitant amount of effort and energy, Rainbow Dash finally reached her cloud bed her open and spacious room that had posters spread across the walls with pillars on both sides of the room. She crashed on her bed, laying down on her right side. Her eyes shifted around the room, looking at every last detail of the wall. Anything that could keep her from looking at the pictures on either side of the beds. Her lips started to quiver, her hooves shaking again, as she felt her resolve crumbling like an ancient building. "Don't look, Dash. Don't. Look. Don't. Don't," she said over and over in her head. Her teeth started to clatter again. "Come on! Like Twilight's told me before: persevere! Come on, Dash. Come on."
The picture beside her bed screamed out to Dash to look at it. The alluring wooden frame, the smiles on the faces of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash as they stuck their tongues out in a silly matter with confetti and balloons crazily scattered in the background, the adorable love shown on their faces as their cheeks touched; it was all too much for Rainbow Dash to ignore. Her resolve gave way as she finally stared at the picture. Her eyes burned painfully as no more tears would come out, the same deep pit in her chest returning from before. Her heart pounded hard and screamed again. She sat upright and reached out to the picture. She carefully picked the picture up and held it in her hooves, holding it close to her face. She stared at Pinkie Pie's contagious smile, her silly mane, her true and radiant eyes, the love shown deep in both Pinkie's and Dash's eyes. Some tears managed to form again, escaping Dash's eyes and slowly rolling down her cheeks, dripping onto Dash's and Pinkie's faces. The glass in the frame began to smear from the tears, and Rainbow's thick, heavy breathing fogged it up.
Something built up in Rainbow. She didn't know what it was, where it came from, or why it came up; but she felt it. The sorrow, the shards of her broken heart, the pit in her chest, the seemingly never-ending torment in her eyes; it all collapsed in a fierce snap at once. A fire engulfed her heart, flame shooting out through her being, replacing the deep sorrow with melting rage. Her eyes red and bloodshot--and her tears ceased and her shaking doubled--Rainbow Dash gripped the picture so tightly the glass cracked in the frame. Her muscles screamed for release, and her heart rate increased to a dangerous level. With strength from every fiber of her being, Rainbow Dash hurled the picture across the room in a fit of rage, a scream escaping her after she threw it. She felt as if pure overflowing hatred poured out of her with the scream. The picture frame slammed against the wall, the glass shattering like Rainbow Dash's heart, the wood snapping and the picture sliding out from the battered frame.
Rainbow Dash curled up in a ball on her bed, her new-found, rage-induced sobs mixing with her quiet whimpers of pure pain. Her eyes stung horribly from the pressure on them. Her heart felt as if it were about to explode out her chest. But maybe that would be for the best. Her pain would end. She'd be with her love again.
"Why, Pinkie? Why?"
"U-Um, I-I really don't think we should talk to her right now," Fluttershy said. Her, Applejack, and Rarity were underneath Rainbow Dash's cloud home now, debating whether or not they should give their friend space.
"Ah heard that scream and a shatterin' sound right after. Ya'll did, too! She could've hurt herself!" Applejack protested, her eyes widened a little.
"As much as I hate to say it, I think I have to agree with Applejack, dear. That did not sound very..." Rarity trailed off, searching for the right word, "Healthy."
"But—" Fluttershy started before she was cut off.
"But nothin'! She could be hurt up there. Rarity, teleport us up there."
"Very well, dear. I am sorry, Fluttershy." Rarity ignited her horn, a glow beginning to form around the three of them. But, before the spell could be cast, Fluttershy lightly but effectively nudged Rarity's horn. Rarity let out a grunt of slight pain.
"Fluttershy!" Rarity exclaimed, surprised, while she rubbed her horn.
"G-Girls, I've known Rainbow Dash the longest. Please, please just trust me. She," Fluttershy hesitantly paused, "She needs space for now." Fluttershy gave her friends a look in her eyes that they had never seen before. It was a mix of desperation and seriousness, complete with full trustworthiness. Her eyes seemed to almost quiver.
Applejack let out a slightly angry breath. "Fine. But we're visitin' her tomorrow."
Fluttershy lightly smiled. "Thank you." The three turned around and began to walk away.
Rarity let out a slow, deep breath and a sniffle as they walked. "I... I cannot believe Pinkie Pie is gone."
"I already miss her," Fluttershy said, her voice high-pitched and shaky. Rarity gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"Ah do, too. Ah do, too." Applejack looked down at the ground. "Ah don't even know if it's sunken in yet."
