> Rainbow's Parents: The Truth
>  by Songbrony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Reason
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Hey everypony. It's me. The one and only Rainbow Dash! You probably wouldn't realize this, but I'm a pretty laid back pony. I raised myself since I was little. Not only did I earn my Cutie Mark with zero help from my parents, I did it with zero help from anypony. I know, pretty sweet, huh? Anyways, I'm telling you this because a friend of mine told me I should. It's been a few years since she told me to, but what the hay. Better late than never right? 

Well first off, lets start off as to why I'm doing this now, years after I was told to. You see, while I may be the fastest and most loyal pony around, I still need my friends here to keep me company. They all left to do some calling or move further in life or whatever. Fluttershy opened up an animal clinic in Baltimare. She's needed there since so many animals are left injured and untreated in that bustling city. 

Rarity made it to her dream. Top fashion designer in Canterlot. Yep, she's hanging with the Canterlot snobs. Don't get me wrong I'm happy for her, but the ponies there are just completely rude and stubborn. I went to one of her fashion shows there and somepony made a remark on my dress. I hate dresses. I hate them with a burning passion. I only wore it because it was Rarity's fashion show and I wanted to show my support. But some snobby rich pony spilled her red wine and ruined it. Then she had the gaul to blame me for the spill. Me! I was standing still watching the show! How could I have done it? They said the dress was awful and that I should be ashamed for it. You know, in their, "I'm so high and mighty. Get out of my way you village folk!" attitude. Urgh! It's so annoying! Anyways, I left before they could figure out Rarity made it. I didn't want to hurt her chances in Canterlot. And don't tell her this, the dress wasn't all that great. It wasn't as cool as I had hoped for. 

Applejack's barn burned down in a fire. She says it was because the hay was so dry and the heat just set it on fire. Or something like that. I don't know what it's like in a barn. I live in Cloudsdale for ponies sake! She's a horrible liar, being the element of honesty after all. I knew it was something more than that, but I didn't push her. Whatever it was, she didn't want to share it with me. So she and her family moved in with Braeburn. They buck apples all the time in the hot sun without taking naps. No naps? That would kill me! But she's so busy because there are so many apple trees that they need all the help they can get. 

Pinkie Pie is...well, she's at rehab. She was hosting a New Years party at SugarCube Corner and invited all of Ponyville to come. Typical Pinkie Pie thought it would be a great idea to see how much punch she could drink. I'll give her some credit, she can chug punch like no other! She even had the loudest burp I had ever heard! You know, next to me of course. She kept chugging away the punch. She finished about 10 gallons of the stuff! And if you know Pinkie the way I know Pinkie, she doesn't need that much sugar. Halfway through her 11th gallon, she shot straight up into the air with fireworks coming from nowhere! 

Now I know Pinkie can do many weird and unexplainable things, but man I was shell shocked! At first I thought it was just Pinkie being Pinkie, but it didn't end there. She started getting really hyper. Like more hyper than usual. If you were to put this pony in 50 straight jackets, tie a chain around her, and put her in a bomb proof bunker, she would get out easily with the amount of sugar she had in her body. She was wreaking so much havoc in Ponyville that they had to get Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Cadance, and Shining Armor here to calm her down. They combined their magic to do some weird green light spell. Eh, I don't remember what it did exactly, but she stopped bouncing and demolishing buildings. They put her in rehab to get her off of her sugar highs and addictions.

Now Twilight. She's the pony who told me to do this all those years ago. It was around the 1004th Summer Sun Celebration. I don't remember why she told me to, but she did. I shrugged it off and ignored it. I wasn't going to express my thoughts like some random egghead! I had a reputation to uphold. If ponies started to figure out that I expressed my deepest feelings down on paper or out loud I would be ruined! Completely and utterly ruined! I wouldn't be able to try-out for the Wonderbolts! Why would they accept an egghead like me to join that amazing flying force? They wouldn't! So I never did it. Then something totally awesome happened! She was chosen by Celestia herself to be the next Princess! When Twilight accepted, could you imagine how I felt? I was so happy for her. She could get me into the Wonderbolts at a whim! But I didn't ask her to because of her royal duties. 

She's been traveling Equestria on her duties as Princess, so we haven't been able to see each other that often. There is some good news though. She was able to open trade with the Griffons and the Changelings. I was excited about the Griffon's trading with us, but I hated the idea of Changelings trading with us. It made my blood boil. They nearly took all the love and happiness from Equestria and Twilight decides to open trade with them? I mean if I was her, I would've destroyed them! But I'm not ruler of Equestria, even though that would be so awesome! We hold the annual Equestrian Games now, though. It's supposed to be a celebration of peace between the three races. We gather our best athletes to compete in a variety of competitions. My personal favorite is the Five Mile Flight Dash. I've been competing in that spot ever since the first games. I've won Gold each time. Yeah, I know. Hold your applause, autographs will be given out after we're finished here. 

Anyways, Twilight is always so busy with her Princess stuff that I'm left in the dark all alone. I mean, sure it's great to have 10 Gold medals on your wall, but what's the point if there's nopony I can show it off to and gloat about it? Being a competitor is fun and all, but nopony cares during off season. It's like I'm nopony. I've tried for the Wonderbolts, but they hold try-outs the same time I'm in training for the Games and if you miss a training day, you can't compete. I can't let Ponyville down! If I do I'll be rejected and shunned out of Ponyville. The try-outs end the day after I'm out of training too! I've tried to ask them to make an exception but they won't budge! And Twilight won't make them because she thinks I have to choose between the two. She's a high and mighty Princess and she's still making me learn lessons! 

So yeah. I'm alone in Ponyville. With nopony to hang out with. It's not that bad. I mean, I can sleep all day, I can fly all day; If I wanted to I could just fly and never land again now that I'm alone here. I do miss them, though. They are still my friends after all. But what made me want to tell this story is because of a letter I received a few days ago. It was from my brother, yes I have a brother. He's three years older than me and he lives in snobby ol' Canterlot with his snobby ol' wife, Fleur or something like that. She only married him for his money, but he wouldn't believe me. Anyways, he wrote to me saying that he wanted to talk to me one last time. We talked about some ponies who knew me and who I used to know. They left me, though. Left me to fend for myself, which I was awesome at, without telling me why they left, where they went, or when they would be back. They just got up and left. I did find out, though. A few years after it happened, they sent me a letter explaining everything. I never told anypony about it, but after what my brother told me, I feel like I should. The reason why my parent's left me...
> First Nightmare Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's note: *** means a flashback


I remember walking through Ponyville on my first Nightmare Night. I had earned my Cutie Mark from a Pegasus race in Cloudsdale the day before. I won by a landslide! They didn't stand a chance once I made a Sonic Rainboom! I was so excited that when I got home, my parents went out and got me a costume I was dying for...


***


"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" I screamed. "You did! You really did! Oh thank you thank you thank you!" I exclaimed with delight as I hugged my Wonderbolts costume in a death grip. 

"You earned it Rainbow. Getting your Cutie Mark and creating a Sonic Rainboom are huge achievements." my father said. 

"You did a great job honey. Even if we are having some financial troubles, we had to get you this. A congratulations on finding out your super special talent." my mother said as she poked my belly. I hated it when she did that. It made me giggle. I hate giggling. It's too girly for me. 

"Why is it that when I got my Cutie Mark I didn't get anything? All I got was a pat on the back!" my brother said, annoyed by what I had gotten. 

"It's just cause I'm better than you." I said sticking my tongue out at him and he shot his back at me.

"That's enough you two. And remember, Felix, we took you to Canterlot so you could see the Equestrian Stock Exchange. You loved it there. Might I add how expensive that was?" my mother reminded him.

Felix rolled his eyes and walked to our room. I went to school in Cloudsdale, but our home was on the ground. It was a small house and only had two bedrooms. My brother and I shared a room and a bathroom. I may not be the neatest mare around, but I swear, my brother was messier than a pig in a mud bath and it drove me crazy! 

I donned my Wonderbolts costume and ran into the bathroom so I could see myself in the dark blue flight suit. It was made entirely out of cloth with the golden design and even had slits for my wings! Of course, it wasn't the real thing, but it was as close as I was going to get. I had to use a wooden stool so I could look into the mirror. I gasped at what I saw. "This is sweet! I'm a real life Wonderbolt!" I exclaimed.

I flew out of the bathroom and rammed straight into my dad. "Hey, slow down there Wondermare! Don't want to run out of energy before Nightmare Night, right?" he said as he pulled me in for a hug. 

"Thank you daddy! I love it!" I said gleefully. I grabbed my Wonderbolts candy bag and ran out the door. I took off and flew as fast as I could towards the cottage near the Everfree Forest. I never went near the Forest unless I was heading for this one cottage. 

I knocked on the door and stood there impatiently waiting for my friend to answer. I knocked a few more times, hoping she would get the message. "C'mon, Fluttershy! You don't want to miss our first Nightmare Night do you?" I asked her. "Besides, you have to see this amazing costume my parents got me!"

"It's too scary to go outside! So many frightening costumes and monsters! Oh, I think I'll just stay here and hide in my closet with my teddy bear." Fluttershy squealed.

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, Fluttershy! It's one night when you can get free candy!" I said, trying to convince her to come out. The only response I got back was a whimper of fear. I sighed. "Can I at least come in? I'm not kidding when I say you have to see my costume." 

After a few moments, the door slowly creaked opened. I could see her pink mane as it covered one of her eyes. "I guess that would be okay." she whispered. I walked in and looked around. Fluttershy's cottage was nice and simple. Homely. 

"Sooo, what do you think? Pretty cool, right?" I asked as I showed off my costume. 

"Wow. It's amazing." Fluttershy complimented shyly. "It's much cooler than what my parents gave me." She went back into her room and when she came out, she was dressed as a tree. 

"A tree? Why in the world would they make you be a tree for Nightmare Night?" I asked, flabbergasted. 

"Oh, I wouldn't mind to be a tree." Fluttershy said with a smile. There was a loud thud from the kitchen and a mare's laughter. 

"A tree! Great idea honey!" Fluttershy's father exclaimed. There was a clink of two glasses together mixed with some laughter.

"Who would've thought that she would actually enjoy having that humiliating costume!" her mother added. 

Tears started to well in Fluttershy's eyes as her alcoholic parents slew her with more insults. It made my heart burn in anger. "I think it's a great costume, Fluttershy. It fits you perfectly." I said as I tried to comfort my crying friend. 

She sniffled as she tried to calm down. She wasn't allowed to cry in front of her parents. If she did...

"Thanks, Rainbow." she said quietly. She shied away from me as her parents started to laugh again. But they weren't laughing at Fluttershy this time. No. They were laughing at me for supporting her. My blood was boiling. 

"Hey, let's get out of here. We can go get some candy and hang out later. I heard Acoustic Brony and MandoPony were going to be doing a concert today by Town Hall." I said, wanting to desperately get her out of that place. 

There was a sound of glass shattering and a torrent of laughter. Fluttershy shrank back and hugged herself tightly. I walked up to her and gave her a reassuring hoof for her to hold. "It'll be alright. I'm here." I said comfortingly. She gingerly took it and we walked out of the cottage.

For some reason, Fluttershy is the one pony who brings out the most in me. I've known her since we started school together and we were friends ever since. I don't know why, but we just sort of connected. It may have been because she was shy and constantly bullied that I felt like I needed to be there to help her. Whatever the reason, I couldn't have asked for a better friend. 

We walked through the town gazing at all the games and decorations that were being displayed. We stopped by some houses singing, NightMare Night, What a fright. Give us something sweet to bite! As we moved from house to house, I could see that Fluttershy was starting to calm down after her parent's escapade in the house. "You ready for the concert? I can't wait to see who guest stars this year!" I said. 

"Oh yes. I can't wait to see them." she said happily. For such a shy little filly, she really enjoyed electric, rock, and metal music, much like myself.

"Me either. They aren't as loud as last year's band, though." I said, recalling last year's song Empyrean Flux. We sat right next to the speakers last year. The bass that shot through us made our manes tangled for about a week!

We walked to the stage and stood dead center. We had the best seats in the house. "Hey, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy said quietly. "Who is Acoustic Brony and MandoPony anyways? I don't think I've ever heard of them before."

"Nopony really knows where they came from. They just appeared out of nowhere. They aren't even ponies! But they are awesome!" I said as the lights dimmed and the crowd cheered. Two figures walked on stage and started playing a an electric beat. We were jamming and moving to the beat. 

There was a tight grip on my shoulder that yanked me and Fluttershy back. "Hey!" I yelled at the mysterious pony who had me in their hooves. Fluttershy began to have a panic attack as we were drug out from the crowd. I struggled to get free but the pony had a firm grip on us. "Let us go!" I exclaimed.

Fluttershy had started to cry as our captor took us away. He finally let us go and I turned to punch him. Before I made contact he cried my name. "Rainbow Dash! It's me! Felix!" 

I stopped. "What the hay, Felix! Why did you drag us away from there?" I asked angrily. Fluttershy had curled up in her tree costume, too frightened to move.

He handed me a slip of paper. "I went to go get some cider after you left. When I got home, the house had looked liked someone was packing in a hurry. This was on the table." I took the paper and read it aloud.

"Felix. I'm so sorry about this. Your father and I have had to leave. They are coming. I wish I could say more, but I can't. When you finish reading this, get your sister. Go to the bank and ask for a Mr. Rich, and tell him, 'Felix Dash 35.' Tell him the password and withdraw only what you need. I'm so sorry. We love you, Felix. Tell Rainbow Dash we love her too. Remember to stay loyal to each other. Family is everything. Good bye."

I stood there looking at the paper I had just read. I tried to comprehend what had just happened. One minute I'm enjoying a concert with Fluttershy, the next I find out my parents just got up and left without giving any real reason as to why. "Felix...What's going on?" I asked.

"I don't know, Dash. But we need to go to the bank. Whatever is there, mom and dad wanted us to have it in case something happened. It only makes sense from what they said in the note." he said quietly. 

"But what would be there? We have little to nothing." I said confused about what to do. I looked to Fluttershy who had suddenly appeared next to me.

"Is everything all right, Rainbow?" she asked gingerly. 

"Everything's fine. Why wouldn't they be?" I lied.

"Well...I heard what the note said...and, well, if you want-" I cut her off.

"There's nothing wrong. They just went to go get me something else for getting my Cutie Mark. That's all..." I said shakily. 

"Rainbow...if you want, you could always stay at my place. You know, until your parents get back. I mean, if that's okay with you." she said shyly.

"No. It's fine. We'll just see what's at the bank and meet them back at home." I said as I started to panic. "Go home, Fluttershy. I'll see you tomorrow."

"But, what about the concert? And getting more candy?" she pleaded with me. "Please don't let me go back alone." she said quietly. I could see the fear grow in her eyes as she realized what it would mean if she went home to her drunken parents. 

I couldn't stop myself. I was in too much shock to know what I was saying. "Go home, Fluttershy! I'll talk to you tomorrow." I said as I flew towards the clouds, leaving Fluttershy behind. Felix called my name and was flying behind me. Even though he was older, bigger, and stronger than me, I was still faster. I flew up past the cloud layer and zoomed toward our house.
> The Unknown
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It started raining as I flew towards our old, worn down house. They can't have left. They wouldn't have left us. They couldn't... I thought to myself. As I flew towards the house, I could see some smoke rising in the distance. "No...No!" I shouted as I sped closer to the smoke. I landed in front of the smoldering remains of our house and fell onto my knees. My brother landed behind me. 

I stared at my home. The place I grew up, the place I learned to walk, to talk, to write. This was my entire life. "What happened? Felix? What...happened..." I asked as tears started to swell into my eyes. He came up behind me and put a hoof on my shoulder. 

"I wish I knew Dash. But I don't. We need to go to the bank. Maybe there's something there that can give us a hint." he said. I shrugged his hoof off my shoulder and stood up. The rain pattered against my face as I walked to the remains and started to dig through, trying to find anything I could. A picture, a book, a physical memory that I could use to always remember this place. All I was able to find was the mirror that I had looked into just hours earlier. The glass was cracked and splintered my reflection into multiple directions. Just like my heart. My Wonderbolts costume soaked and torn. Just like my pride.

Weak and helplessness. That's all I felt. For all I knew, my parents were dead and my home destroyed for no reason. I let myself cry a little, knowing the rain would hide my sorrow.

"Come on, Dash." Felix said softly, opening an arm. "There isn't anything here. We don't want to be here in case 'they' show up." he said, referring to those in the note mom left. I slowly walked over to him and fell into his open arm. I cried to myself, not making a sound. I stopped myself though. I had to be strong. I couldn't show weakness, not in front of Felix. We walked away from the ashes and headed towards the bank. 

It had only been five minutes when we reached the bank, but the shock of seeing the smoldering remains and my mind trying to comprehend what had happened made it seem like a lifetime. Who would do this to us? We didn't do anything wrong. We never hurt anypony. We were just a poor family living in a rusty old, run down house. I thought as we entered the bank, soaking wet. 

"Hey! You two! What are you doing running around in the rain? Shouldn't you kids be at home?" a bank teller asked. Without thinking I gave the teller a death glare. Felix must have noticed his reaction and kneeled in front of me. 

"Hey. It'll be alright. He doesn't know. How about we keep it secret. You know, until we find out what's really going on." he said calmly. I nodded my head and we began to walk to the counter. 

"Hello there. Sorry about that. She's just a little cranky from the rain." Felix said.

"Hey! I'm not cranky!" I shouted at him. He gave me a nudge with his back left leg and shot me a look to stay quiet. 

"I see. Well why are you two out, though? It's a little late for a filly to be out of bed." he said curiously.

"She was out getting candy for Nightmare Night and I had to watch her. You know, sibling thing." Felix replied casually. 

"I don't need to be watched!" I shouted again. He nudged me harder and I shut up this time. Not because Felix wanted me to, but because he can nudge hard and it hurt. 

"Anyways, we need to see a Mr. Rich, I believe his name was." Felix told the teller.

"Uh-huh. And how do you know Mr. Rich?" the teller asked slowly. 

"Oh, well you see he's a..." Felix stuttered. 

"A friend of the family. He knows our parents." I chimed in. Before Felix could nudge me again to be quiet, there was an accented voice. It was a heavy accent and could only have come from one place. Canterlot.

"Why I say, look at you Felix. You've grown so much since I last saw you. It was at the Stock Exchange am I right?" a stallion in an expensive looking suit said. "My my, and you beat me at our own Exchange simulator! Not many are able to do that. I didn't even think it was possible for someone your age to be able to have even accomplished such a feat!" he said with delight. 

"I take you must be Mr. Rich?" Felix asked with a smile. 

"Indeed my boy. You sure do have a knack for finances." Mr. Rich said.

"Yeah, well I guess that explains why I was stuck balancing the bills." Felix said, casual as usual.

"Indeed. Now, Mr. Barker, if you'll excuse me, I think I can handle it from here." Mr. Rich told the teller. He left without a hesitations notice.

"Now, what can I help you with?" Mr. Rich asked with a huge smile across his face. His teeth were a bright white. Obviously he had some expensive dentist do his teeth. 

Felix looked around to make sure nopony was listening. "I was told to tell you Felix Dash 35." The white smile on his face suddenly went blank as his eyes grew wide. He looked behind him before he picked up a pen and paper. He gave it to Felix and tapped on the paper. Felix gave me a questioning look before looking at the paper.

"He must want the password." I whispered to him. Felix gave me an acknowledging nod and turned his head back to the paper. We were never told the password, so we had no idea what it was. I didn't even know we had a bank account until today. I stood there, thinking as fast as I could. It had to be something only we would know. Something that meant something only to us. Then it hit me. Almost like getting hit in the face with a lightning bolt. 

I tugged on my brother's tail and he looked to me quizzically. "Family means loyalty. Ohana." I whispered to him. 

"You sure?" he mouthed to me. I nodded my head quickly. He wrote 'Ohana' down on the slip of paper and handed it back to Mr. Rich. He looked over the slip and hit a button underneath the counter. A small screen appeared on the desk in front of him as he tapped the password in. There was an accepting 'ping' from the screen as it accepted it. 

"Alright, Mr. Felix. If you and your sister Rainbow Dash will follow me, I'll take you to the vault." Mr. Rich said as he opened a gate for us to pass through. We were led to a metal door with huge locks on it. 

"Whoa." I said, unable to stop myself. Mr. Rich typed something into a pad to the left of the door and it opened. As it swung open, I saw just how large the door was. There was five feet of solid steel that blocked the entrance. We followed Mr. Rich to a rainbow colored door at the end of the corridor. 

"Do you two know what lies behind this door?" Mr. Rich asked when we reached it. Felix and I both shook our heads. "Good. Then what is behind will hold even greater meaning to you." he said as he opened the door. We walked inside and our mouths suddenly were hanging agape. My eyes grew wide. I had never seen so many golden bits before in my life. Whenever I was fortunate enough to find one in the streets, I cherished it and usually gave it to my parents so they could help pay the bills. I knew it never did much help, but it felt good to know that I was contributing something. I had always thought we were lucky to just barely scrape by.

"What in the name of Celestia..." Felix said, almost as shocked as me. "This has to be around 10,000,000 bits. Where'd it come from?" he asked Mr. Rich. 

"Felix?" I called as I walked towards a rainbow colored bag with a note attached to it. He ran over and picked up the bag. He looked at the note and read it aloud. 

If you are reading this, then you know that we are no longer at the house. Right now, we are just happy that you two are safe. You are probably shocked by what you see around this note. New questions must be popping into your head. I can't say everything, but I can tell you this. We are more than what we seem. As you can tell, we were never really poor. We had money, but we acted like we had none. There were multiple reasons for this, but the over all reason why we did that was to raise you two to know the value of what you don't have. Money can't get you everything. Money can't buy you happiness. Family, however, can give you happiness. This is what we hope you two have learned. Maybe one day, when all this is over, your father and I can explain. But until then, keep each other safe. Remember, take only what you need. No more, no less. Inside this bag is a deed to the house where me and you father used to live. Felix, as usual you'll be dealing with the finances. Don't let Rainbow Dash spend it on too much stuff. And watch out for her. You know how she can be sometimes. Rainbow Dash, watch out for your brother as well. Listen to him as you would us. Stay friends with Fluttershy too. We know what's happening at her house and you are her only real friend. She can help you too. She is basically family. Don't tell anypony anything about this. I know you two can figure something out if anypony asks. Remember, we love you.

I took the letter from him so I could read it myself. "This is incredible." Felix said. "It's just like in Marey Potter and the Elements Stone." 

I looked at him confused. "What's that?" I asked.

"It was one of the stories dad would read to us each night before bed. It put you straight to sleep." he said.

"Yeah well I'm no egg head." I said, returning my attention to the letter. "So, they're alive?" I asked, unsure. 

"It seems so. And for whatever reason, they had to leave in a hurry. All we can do is trust them. Have they ever lied to us before?" he said and I gave him a raised eyebrow. "Other than the financial thing." he clarified. 

I thought about it, and no, they had never lied to us. They never said anything that we couldn't trust from them. "So what are we going to do now?" I asked as I looked around the room. 

Felix knelt down to me and took the note and bag from me. "I am going to see what this place is that mom told us about. You know, to make sure everything's safe there." he said, putting a hoof on my shoulder. "You, however, are going to go to Fluttershy's house. I think she might be a tad bit upset. Why don't you stay the night there?" he suggested. 

I hadn't told anypony about her parents, so I was a little unnerved when I learned my parents knew about Fluttershy's parents. "Well...her parents aren't really that nice..." I said carefully. 

"They can't be that bad. Especially with Fluttershy around." he said. If only he knew the truth.

"I guess so. I'll fly over there and see if she wants to." I said. I gave my brother a big hug. 

"You do that. Be careful, sis." he said, letting me go from his hug. 

"You too." I said back and walked out of the vault and back to the entrance. I walked outside into the rain and launched myself into the air.
> Sleepover for Friendship
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was late. Most of the ponies who were out for Nightmare Night went home. The fillies were either dead asleep or devouring all their candy. I knew where mine was. Back at the house, all soggy and wet because of the rain. I didn't bother going back to salvage anything. Too many memories. I flew to Fluttershy's cottage and saw her sitting on the front porch. I landed a few feet in front of her, trying not to scare her. 

I half succeeded. I must have made a sound because she jumped a little and gasped. She relaxed when she noticed it was me. "Sorry, Fluttershy. I didn't mean to scare you." I said.

Fluttershy lowered her head again. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean to." she said quietly. I stood there silently for a few seconds as the rain landed on her costume's leaves. My costume was basically ruined. It was worn and torn, and I had only worn it once. 

"This rain is really hammering down on our costumes." I said, trying to rejuvenate the conversation. She continued to sit there with her head hung low. Her pink mane had started to fall through the hood of her costume and cover her eye again. "Have you been out here since I left?" I asked concerned. She nodded her head. I walked up and sat next to her on the porch. 

"Rainbow?" she said. 

"Yeah?" I said as I turned my head to look at her.

"About the note. Is everything-" I cut her off.

"Ah that was nothing. Just a little prank my parents pulled on me and my brother. We got a little extra money this year. Just a little gift for us." I said. It wasn't a complete lie. I mean we did get money. A lot of money. But it wasn't a prank. They really did leave. I pushed it out of my mind. I was here to comfort Fluttershy, not wallow in my own sadness. 

"Okay. It just sounded like something awful had happened." she said. 

"It's all good. Hey, I was thinking, maybe staying at your house tonight would be a good idea. My brother was able to win a few extra bits from a game of Blackjack and is taking them out somewhere." I lied. Again. "Besides, when was the last time you had an awesome pony like me stay at your house?" I said as I gave her a soft playful nudge.

She smiled. "Not in awhile. Maybe we could play some games? I haven't played 'Hungry Hungry Pony' in awhile." she said.

"Of course we can! Maybe some 'Oranges to Oranges' later." I exclaimed. We had never really hung out like this. I mean we'd been friends since school, but we never had a sleep over or a get together at our houses. I was reminded of one of the reasons why we never did when I heard a loud crash from inside the cottage. Fluttershy winced when she heard the sound. 

"Hey, it'll be okay." I said reassuringly. I put a hoof around her shoulders. "You got me here.  When have I ever let you down?" We stood up and walked into her house. Her parents were playing baseball. Inside the house. With pictures of Fluttershy. 

"C'mon honey! Hit the damn thing!" her mother cried as she tossed another one. Her dad swung at chipped the top corner off. 

"Ah got 'un!" her father exclaimed with the bat in his mouth. They were both way too drunk.

"Umm...Mom? Dad? Rainbow Dash is going to stay the night. If, you know, that's okay." Fluttershy asked softly. Her parents waved her off and kept throwing the pictures. We walked behind her mother as she threw another photo. This time her father made full contact. The picture frame shattered, sending glass everywhere. 

"Great hit honey!" her mom said and took another swig of alcohol. I pushed Fluttershy out and into her room. 

"How can you stand them?" I asked. 

"Oh, they aren't so bad." she said. Another shatter outside the door. "They just get like this sometimes." 

She was just being Fluttershy. She couldn't see the problems like I could. "Well I would've gone insane by now." I said. I took off my ruined costume and set it next to the trash can. I wasn't sure if I should throw it out or not. There was nothing I could really use it for, but it was the last thing my parents gave to me.

"Um, Rainbow Dash? Can you..." she stammered off. I rolled my eyes. I turned around as she took the tree costume off. We never wore clothes that often anyway so I don't know why she gets so embarrassed by it. "Okay. I'm done." I turned around as she got 'Hungry Hungry Pony' out. We played for about an hour. She kept beating me and I hate losing. I hated it more than giggling. 

"How do you always win?" I asked. 

"Oh, it's not that hard. You just have to time when you hit the lever." Fluttershy said. 

"How about a different game?" I asked. "You up for a game of 'Oranges to Oranges?' I want to see what weird comparisons you can make up." We put 'Hungry Hungry Pony' away and brought out the old game we would play at school. We didn't play for points or to win since there were only two of us. Our objective was to create the most outlandish comparison we could think of. Fluttershy always had hilarious ones, but I had some pretty darn good ones too. 

We played a few hands and laughed whenever something funny came up. After awhile we started playing in silence. I could hear her parents in the other room singing drinking songs. How the hay are they able to drink so much and not pass out? I mean I'm just a filly, but I know when somepony is too drunk. "Do your parents ever stop drinking?" I asked quietly.

"Well yes. They have to if they want to take care of me." she said.

"Fluttershy." I said carefully. "I don't think they really care for you that much. I mean, don't you see the way they treat you? They were playing baseball with pictures of you." I said, trying not to hurt her feelings or make her cry.

"They're drunk. There's not much I can do when they are like that." she said.

"Even when they aren't drunk they treat you badly. I've seen the emotional impact they have on you." I said quietly.

"Oh, not at all. Most of the time what they say is true. I am a very weak flier and am definitely more like an Earth Pony than a Pegasus. I mean, how else do you explain my Cutie Mark?" she replied.

"I don't know. It just bothers me about how they treat you." I said. We returned to playing our game which had grown boring quickly. "Want to do something else?" I asked. 

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked quizzically. 

"Well, you still haven't told me how you got your Cutie Mark. I told you about mine, why not tell me about yours?" I asked. I wasn't just trying to find something new to do. I was sincerely interested in the story. We put the game away and sat down on her bed. She was smiling a wide smile as she recalled the story. 

"You see, after you and those bullies started to race, I fell off of the cloud. Since I'm such a weak flier and afraid of heights, I couldn't flap my wings. I could have sworn I was going to hit the ground, but then a cloud had appeared under me. It wasn't like the white ones we see in the sky, but one full of butterflies." she continued. She kept going on about how all the creatures fascinated her and how they were frightened after my totally awesome Sonic Rainboom. She was smiling the entire time too. I don't think I've ever seen her smile for so long at one time.

"That's nice. Not as sweet as my Sonic Rainboom, but still nice." I said. Fluttershy kept smiling as she looked at her three butterflies on her flank. "Did I ever tell you how Felix got his?" I asked. 

Fluttershy shook her head. "No. At least, I don't think you have." she said. "Isn't it like some bits in a circle with arrows?" 

"Yeah. I was only three years old, but he told me about it so many times that I have it memorized." I said happily. Fluttershy moved a little so she could get comfortable to hear the tale I was about to tell. "So for as long as I can remember, we have lived in our old rundown house. It wasn't much, but it was still home. Every month my parents would fuss over the bills and how we would pay for them. One month had been particularly rough on us since my dad had dropped a heavy box on his leg while unpacking a moving truck. The box smashed it and he had to go to the hospital. The bill was way higher than what we could afford. After a little bit my mom was able to volunteer at the hospital as a nurse so they could pay his medical bill. 

When they had finally paid it off, the bill for our house arrived. We were broke. We had no money whatsoever to spend on the bill and keep us fed at the same time. Felix took a look at the bill while my parents went to go see how much they had in the bank. He found that if we would stop buying me my Wonderbolts chewing gum every time we passed the store, and started to eat less than what we already did, then we could pay it off. With a few calculations he was able to find a perfect median to pay the bills and keep us fed. 

The funny thing is that he enjoyed it! He loved the math, the speculation, the counting, all of it. Not only were my parents impressed, they put him in charge of the bills. It was then that he found out that it was his super special talent. They took him to the Equestrian Stock Exchange a few days later. He helped manage that budget too, but he had a blast. Apparently, he was able to beat a top speculator at an Exchange Simulator. Whatever it was, it wasn't something that anypony could do easily without prior experience. Yet somehow he did. He was too young to do any real help for the family to bring in money, but he helped keep the budgets in check. Pretty cool, huh?" I said, finishing the story.

"Wow. That's really cool! I always wondered how he got it." Fluttershy said. There was a knock on the door.

"Fluttershy! Your mother is asleep on the couch. If she wakes up before I'm back, you better hope you aren't the reason for it!" Her father yelled. "You understand?"he asked, pointing to her. Fluttershy nodded her head quickly as the color drained from her face. "Good." he said and stumbled away. He was definitely too drunk to even walk straight. 

"Where is he going?" I asked Fluttershy who had slowly gotten up to close the door. 

"He's probably going to get more. He always goes out to get more if they run out." she said softly. She walked back over to me and sat down. The bright smiling face that I had seen just moments ago was replaced by a dark, sad, depressed gloom. 

"Let's go to sleep. It's late and we've been up too late." Fluttershy muttered.

"I guess so." I said with a sigh. I got off the bed and laid on the floor.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash. Please take the bed. You're my guest and you shouldn't sleep on the dirty floor." Fluttershy pleaded. 

I looked at her. "Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded her head and laid on the floor. I got up and went to the bed. "Thanks." I said. The mattress was soft and comfortable. I laid down and it was the most comfortable place I had ever slept, except for the clouds of course. I felt bad for taking her bed. It didn't seem right, but I couldn't help myself. I laid there and let sleep wash over me.
> One's Secret
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I woke up to a knock at her door. Fluttershy's eyes moved a little as she rustled in her sleep. I yawned as another knock came from the door. I got out of the bed and walked to the door groggily. I opened it, expecting to see Fluttershy's dad, but instead saw two officers. 

My heart sank.  It must be about my parents. It's the only explanation for why they would come here. I thought to myself. "Hello. What's up? I asked as I rubbed my eyes, trying to act like I was too tired to care who was at the door. 

The officers looked at each other. "We're looking for Fluttershy. Have you seen her?" one of them said as he lowered himself to my eye level. He had ginger red hair and was pretty skinny for an officer. 

I yawned again. "She's in here on the floor." I said. The officer rose up and looked at his partner who was wearing a blue suit. He had spiky hair and an hourglass for a cutie mark. "If you're an officer, why is your cutie mark an hourglass and not something officery?" I asked. 

"Oh, well you see, I help them when it comes to timey wimey things." he said as he entered the room. I gave a confused look to the other officer. He just smiled at me and patted my head. On the list of things I hate, that's about the third thing. It makes me feel small and insignificant. I turned back and looked at Fluttershy who jumped awake when the officer and the weird pony gave her a nudge. 

"It's okay. Don't worry." the spiky haired pony said. 

"What's...what's going on here?" Fluttershy asked as she started to curl back up into a ball, scared out of her mind. "Who are you two?" Fluttershy asked, quivering.

"I'm the Doctor. How are you tonight, Fluttershy?" The Doctor asked. 

"I'm okay I guess. Um...what are you doing here, Mr. Doctor?" Fluttershy asked. 

"Just Doctor, thank you." he said as he went around her room picking toys up and sniffing them. He was a very odd pony. "I am here to ask a few questions." he said, placing the toy back.

"What kind of questions?" I blurted out.

The Doctor looked at me quizzically. "Just about a certain pony. You must be..." he trailed off. 

"I'm Rainbow Dash." I said pridefully. 

"Ah yes. I've heard about you. Was it you who caused that Sonic Rainboom?" he asked as he reached into his coat pocket for something. 

"The one and only!" I exclaimed happily. He pulled a little metal stick out of his pocket and pointed it at me. It made a low buzzing sound. "Hey! What gives?" I yelled as I moved away from it.

He popped it open and he peered into the side of it. "That's incredible. You have a very strong bone structure for such a little filly. No wonder you didn't get ripped apart when you pulled off that feat." he said.

"I guess so." I said, confused about what he meant by strong bone structure. 

"Now, Fluttershy, tell me about your father." he said quietly. 

Fluttershy looked at me as she sunk back into her ball. "Oh. Well he's...very nice and kind." she stammered. 

"Does he drink a lot?" he asked. 

Fluttershy hesitated for a moment and glanced sideways at me. "Not often." she said.

"Has he ever hit you or anything like that?" he asked. Fluttershy shrank further and shook her head. "No." she quickly said. 

The Doctor nodded his head. "Ah I see. Well...um...you see he...he was out tonight drunk flying. He crashed into a storm cloud and was knocked unconscious. He fell to the ground and he..." he trailed off. He looked down and turned his head to me. I knew what happened. I had seen another filly at our school fly into a storm cloud by accident once. She wasn't paying attention and ran straight into one. She plummeted to the ground but was caught by one of the flying instructors. Her blonde mane was singed and her grey fur burned. She wasn't the same after the event. Her eyes were pointed in different directions and she was clumsier. 

I shook my head. No. It couldn't have happened. No. He may have been a complete jerkwad but he was still her father. The Doctor nodded his head. I looked at Fluttershy who was still curled up in a ball. I walked over to her and put a hoof on her back.

The Doctor looked back at her. "I'm sorry. But your father was found falling into the Ghastly Gorge. When we arrived, he was dead." 

Usually when somepony hears that their parent has died, you would expect tears, crying, and a lot mopping. But, for Fluttershy, who is such a shy pony, just looked at me. Her eyes were wide as she stared at me. Her eyes weren't filled with sadness. I swore what I saw was relief. Relief that whatever her father had put her through was finally over. 

What in the name of Celestia did he do to her? I thought, shocked by the possibilities. I rubbed her back as we sat in silence. 

"Are you okay?" the ginger haired officer asked. Fluttershy nodded her head. 

"Yes. I'm okay." she whispered. No tears. No trembling. Nothing. In fact, this was the most relaxed I had seen her when her father would be brought up. In all honesty, it frightened me. Never had my parents abused me. I was disciplined when I did something I shouldn't, such as lie or kick my brother, but never did it make me fear my parents. 

The Doctor looked at his partner who just shrugged. "Maybe she's just in shock." he whispered.

"Maybe. Or maybe there's more to the story. But, we have more important matters to attend to. Like those two ponies who disappeared yesterday. Where did they run off to? And for what purpose?" The Doctor asked to nopony in particular. 

I knew who they were talking about, but I was too concerned about Fluttershy's father and what he did to her. Parents are supposed to be loving and caring...Why is Fluttershy so calm? I thought to myself, worried. When I got really down to thinking about it, it made sense. I mean, why was Fluttershy so shy? It had to be her parents who had done something, Celestia knows what, to make her afraid of everything. 

The two officers left without another word. I sat next to a very quiet Fluttershy. "Are you okay? You look...relaxed..." I asked slowly. She didn't respond. "Fluttershy? You're starting to freak me out a little." I said. She looked at me with tense eyes. 

She stood up and walked over to the bed. She knelt down and picked something up from underneath it. It looked like a book of some sort. She turned to me and held the book tightly in her mouth. She walked over to me and placed it in front my hooves. "Rainbow Dash. You are the one friend I really have. If I show you this, you have to promise, no, swear you won't tell a single soul." she said glaring me down. 

I'm not going to lie here, I was scared out of my mind. Never, and I mean, NEVER, have I seen her get like this. It was really frightening. The only light in the room came from the moon, which made the entire confrontation even more eerie. "I swear, Fluttershy. I mean, you're practically family." I replied. 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened the book and pointed at a picture of a bruise on her front foreleg. "This. This is why I'm so relaxed. This is why I'm not bawling my eyes out." she said. She flipped another page. This time it had words. I bent down to read it and gasped as I realized what it said. 

"Today was my birthday. My parents did something amazing today. They only hit me once! I was happy when they said I could go to my room. It meant I would be able to fly the next morning. Tomorrow's a big day too. It's my first day of flight school. I learned to fly pretty early on, but I wasn't old enough to actually go to a flight school. I'm so excited!" I read aloud. I fell on my rear with a thump, shocked at what I had read. 

Fluttershy flipped another page. I looked away right as I saw it. I couldn't stand the sight of it. She closed the book and slid it beneath her bed. "I never wanted him to die. He was still my father and I still love him. But now, I know that it's over. I won't be able to live in fear anymore." she said as she sat in front of me.

I looked at her. "Why didn't you tell anypony?" I asked.

"I didn't want him to get in trouble. He said that if I told anyone he would hit me harder next time. If I ran away, he would find me and make me wish that I'd die..." she said, letting a tear rise into her eyes. 

"What about your mother?" I asked. She had never seemed to care about Fluttershy, especially when she was throwing her pictures like baseballs. 

"She never hit me." Fluttershy said, a tiny grin rising on her face. "But she encouraged him. She would cheer him on sometimes." she said as the grin disappeared quickly. She started to rub her foreleg. I'm guessing some awful memory in the past was creeping its ugly head. 

I was beyond shocked. I don't have the words to make you understand how shocked I had become. I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to take her somewhere, anywhere away from here. "Why didn't you tell me at least? I'm your best friend for ponies sake." I said.

"I couldn't. You would have told somepony." she said. And, as much as I hate to admit it, I would have. I didn't say anything before because it was all an assumption. For all I knew, they were only like that when they drank. Now I know how wrong I was. It wasn't just when they were drunk, it was constant. 

I sat there, trying to imagine what she went through. There was a cry from outside our door. Her mother must have awoken from her drunken sleep and talked to the officers. She stormed into the room and started shouting at Fluttershy. "IT'S YOUR FAULT! YOU'RE THE REASON HE DIED!" she shouted, forcing Fluttershy into a protective ball again. 

"Hey!" I exclaimed, trying to protect my friend. 

"LEAVE! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME AT THIS HOUSE! GET OUT!" she roared in my face. What I did next...I've been ashamed of it ever since. I bolted straight out the window. I flew high into the clouds and hugged one as tightly as I could.
> A Hidden Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I abandoned her. My one honest to Celestia friend and I abandoned her to that monster. I hung on to that cloud well after the sun had risen. I hadn't slept. I couldn't sleep. That monster's face was permanently locked in my head. "Rainbow Dash?" I heard a familiar voice calling.

I didn't look up. I didn't even acknowledge that I heard it. I kept hearing my name though. But who could have flown this high? I couldn't tell if was a stallion's or a mare's. It was somewhere in between. Definitely not Fluttershy. She was way to scared of heights to be up here. Felix maybe? Doubtful. He never flew higher than a few hundred feet above Cloudsdale. He had trouble breathing above that range. It amazed me how I was able to breathe perfectly fine while others couldn't.

"Rainbow Dash?" I heard the voice call again. This time, however, it came from right underneath my cloud. 

"Oomph!" I exclaimed as a grey, walled eyed pegasus pushed me up. 

"Oh! There you are!" she exclaimed. "There's somepony looking for you!" she said gleefully. She dropped her head beneath the cloud and pulled me down back to earth. "I found her!" she exclaimed to nopony in particular. I was able to wiggle myself out of her grip. She looked at her hooves confused. "I thought I found her!" she exclaimed again. 

I couldn't help but face hoof. "I'm right here Derpy." I said. She turned around and smiled. 

"Oh there you are!" she cried gleefully.

"Yeah." I replied slowly. "Who's looking for me?" I asked.

She looked at me confused. "Felix. Who else?" she said.

"Oh. Right." I said rubbing the back of my head with my hoof. I flew down with Derpy and found my brother in front of Town Hall. 

"There you are!" he said as I landed in front of him. "I went to get you from Fluttershy's house, but nopony was there. Why'd you leave?" he asked. 

"Oh. I uh...I just went for a morning flight." I lied. I've been doing that a lot lately, even though I was taught to never lie to anypony. 

Derpy laughed her usual laugh. "You silly filly! You were on top of a cloud taking a nap!" she exclaimed. 

If only I was taking a nap. I thought as I realized how tired I actually was. I recalled her face again and became wide awake. "Well, yeah. You know, after I took my morning flight." I said, going along with the blonde maned pegasus. "Don't you have some muffins you need to cook?" I asked. 

She brightened at the word muffins. After the storm cloud incident, her parents made her try and find something she enjoyed doing. She found out how to make muffins and she has loved them ever since. A little like how I love the Wonderbolts. Ah horse apples!  I swore to myself. I just remembered I left my costume at Fluttershy's cottage. I guess anypony would have if there was a monster yelling at you.

Felix watched as Derpy flew off happily to her new objective. "Well, I take it you're okay?" he asked.

Define 'okay.'I thought to myself. "Yeah. I'm fine." I replied groggily. 

"Good. Just don't go off like that again. We don't know who is out there after...you know." he said. He didn't want to remind me about our parents, but he knew I would never forget. "C'mon. I found a nice place for us to live." he said as he walked over to me. 

We took off and he led me to Cloudsdale. I'm saying this now, Cloudsdale is an expensive place to live. So I was expecting another small house, but in cloud form. You know what he got us to live in? A freaking cloud mansion! I gawked at Felix who looked at me with a grin. 

"I thought they told us to watch what we spent?" I said, shocked that he would do this. 

"Who says I bought it? I won it in a bet. Pretty cool huh?" he smirked. Something you should probably know about Felix. He can't resist gambling. He's great at it and can call a bluff from a mile away, but he does get a little cocky sometimes. 

"Mom said we had to be careful about the money. How much did you bet and who did you win it from?" I asked as I walked in the mansion. It was huge. Like I could fly around the roof and avoid anything breakable. I gazed as I absorbed the sight.

"It was only a few bits." he said. I have him that look you give someone when you know they're lying. "Okay okay. It was a few hundred bits." he confessed.

I gawked at him. "A few HUNDRED?! Do you know what we could have used that for?" I exclaimed. 

"Hey I won it alright? Nothing to worry about." he said, shrugging it off. I sighed and started to explore the house. There was a living room with a huge Wonderbolts themed Air Hockey table. I lept on it instantly. 

"Felix! How'd you get this beauty?" I asked as I gripped the table with all my strength. 

"When I won, I won everything in the house." he gloated. 

"You never told me who you won it from." I reminded him. 

"He didn't give a name. He didn't talk much actually. He had a spikey mane and an hourglass for a Cutie Mark. He must work with time." Felix stated. 

My eyes went wide. Spikey mane? Hourglass Cutie Mark? I gasped. I had completely forgotten about Fluttershy! How stupid was I? "Felix!" I exclaimed, a little too urgently. "I, um, I'm going to find Fluttershy. She said she was going to show me her talent with animals." I lied.

He looked at me questioningly. "You sure? You haven't even seen your room yet." he said. 

"I'm sure. Don't want to keep her waiting." I said as I bolted through the door. I flew as fast as I could before I landed in front of her cottage. I ran up to the door and knocked furiously. There wasn't an answer. Then again, why would there be? Her monster mother was most likely still upset and Fluttershy was probably to scared to come answer herself. 

I flew around to the back and looked in Fluttershy's window. There was no pony there. The window was still opened since I had dashed out the night before. I flew in and looked around. There was definitely a scuffle or something here. Toys were thrown around, some broken while others were just laying around.

"Fluttershy? Are you here?" I called quietly. No answer. I walked around the cottage trying to see if I could find her. The place was abandoned and wrecked. I walked back to her room and looked under her bed. I remembered her journal was there and tried to locate it. When I locked my eyes onto it, I wiggled under and reached for it. Even though I was pretty small, it was hard to fit underneath and get the stupid thing. But I finally was able to get my hoof on it and pull it out. 

I don't know what possessed me to grab the journal. Maybe I was curious to know the whole story. Or maybe I felt like Fluttershy might want it. But why would she if it had all those bad memories in it? I shook the thoughts out of my head. I held the book in my mouth and flew out of the house. 

As I flew through the blue sky, I took the book and started to look through it. I quickly closed it though. I didn't want to invade her privacy. And Celestia knows what kind of stories were lurking in its pages. I kept imagining her mother shouting at me. My parents never shouted at us. They would just tell us what we did wrong and punish us accordingly. Like if we lied we would lose this or that. Or if Felix and I fought we'd be forced to hold hooves and walk through school like that. It was embarrassing! But they got their message across without yelling at us. So when I was yelled at, I got scared.

I reached my house in a shorter time span than I expected. When I walked in, my brother looked at me confused. "That was fast. I thought you were going to Fluttershy's so she could show you about her Cutie Mark? Did she?" he asked. He was messing around with some papers that I assumed were something to do with finances. 

"Oh! Uh... Yeah! It was...cool." I stammered. I had completely forgotten that that was the reason for me leaving in the first place. 

"Oh really? And what is her talent?" Felix inquired.

Crap. I thought to myself. "It's, uh, teaching butterflies how to fly." I said quickly. "It was really cool. Gotta fly, though! Call me when dinner's ready!" I said as I flew up the stairs and into a random bedroom. I looked around and noticed that the walls were wallpapered with the Wonderbolts. 

"Thought you might like it." Felix said. I jumped and gave a tiny screech. He chuckled. 

"Felix!" I exclaimed.

"Did I scare you?" he asked.

"N-No. It was just a chill." I said quickly. 

"Must've been one big chill. Anyways, I'm not making dinner tonight. I bought some food so feel free to make yourself something to eat." he said.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To Canterlot. I'm going to try and find a job at the Exchange. I'm not going to mooch off of what they left us. They said to be careful with it. So I'm going to start working for a living." he said proudly.

I rolled my eyes. "I'll never understand your finance esca...esca..." I stammered. 

"Escapade?" Felix finished for me. "Well you can laugh now, but we'll see who's laughing when I'm rolling in bits." he said with a grin. "I'm leaving now so don't cause trouble. It's your first night alone here so don't try to cook anything. Make a sandwich." he said as he left my room.

I waited to hear the door close before I laid down on the bed. The journal had fallen onto the pillow next to me. I looked over. What happened Fluttershy? I thought as I remembered what she said about her father. I rolled over onto my stomach and gingerly opened the book. 

"Entry 1." I read aloud. "Today my teacher gave me this journal to write down my thoughts since I don't talk a lot in school. Only thing is, I don't know what to write about. I'll find out soon." I finished. I flipped past a few entries. "Entry 9. How long can this be happening? It's been four years since they first started doing this. What have I done wrong?" 

Four years? I thought, shocked. Had it really been happening for so long? I flipped past a few more entries. "Entry 14. I got a 96% on my Equestrian history exam. I was so happy that I got a high score! But when I told my parents, they just said it wasn't good enough, and beat me again. I can't tell anyone though. I'm afraid they'll be harder next time." I wanted to stop reading. Stop right then and there. But I had this feeling gnawing at me that I had to find out more. I had to see what happened. 

"Entry 17. My father left a bruise on my foreleg yesterday. When my teacher asked about it, I just said I fell and hit something hard. I can't tell anypony about it though. I don't want anypony else to get hurt." I continued further. "Entry 29. There's a new girl at school. She has a rainbow colored mane and is really fast, probably the fastest at our school. She came to my aid right after some mean bullies came and were giving me a hard time. I hope we'll be friends. I've never really had any real ones." I remembered that day. My parents had just moved us to Ponyville from the slums in Baltimare.

I flipped to a page with a familiar picture in it. "Entry 33. This is Rainbow Dash and I while we were playing Oranges to Oranges. It was a lot of fun. Usually I hate playing games like that, but she made it enjoyable. Should I tell my parents about her? If I do, will they beat me or laugh at me and call me names?" These entries had to be days apart. I had that same picture at my old house before it burned down. I had been here for three months so these were not written in a day by day basis. 

I flipped to a page that had tear stains on the pages. "Entry 59. This is the worst day I have ever had. Today, Rainbow Dash helped me again when I was being bullied by the school jocks. She challenged them to a race. I was the flag starter. When it started, I fell off of the cloud and landed on a cloud of butterflies. Suddenly there was a huge blast coming from above me. It scared all the animals off, but they came back out once I told them that it was safe. It was then I got my Cutie Mark. I was so happy and excited. I couldn't wait to tell my parents. But when I did, they just laughed at me. They said butterflies didn't do anything but fly, which they claimed I couldn't do. When I tried to explain it meant I was good with all animals, they laughed even more. They said I was a poor excuse for a filly. I couldn't even get a proper Cutie Mark that was meant for a Pegasus. They laughed and toasted to my pain. I don't know what's worse. Being mocked or laughed at by my own parents, or being hit by them." 

I stopped. I couldn't read anymore. The pages were starting to get covered in my own tears. Those monsters. I thought. It's only word for them. They weren't parents, they were monsters. What parent makes fun of their filly after they get their Cutie Mark? No real parent would do that. I closed the journal and put it in a drawer next to my bed. 

I wiped my eyes. I rarely cry. I've cried more in the past two days than I have in the past two years. I didn't even cry when I nearly broke my foreleg when I crashed into the ground. It hurt, but I toughed through it. I had to be strong then. Now though, I have no pony I have to stay strong for. 

Wait. That's a lie. Fluttershy. I have to stay strong for Fluttershy. I need to stay strong for her. And I have to find her. I jumped out of bed and was about to fly out my window when there was a knock on the door. I walked down and opened the door. There was no pony there. I stepped outside to look around and stepped on a letter. 

I looked down and picked it up. It didn't say anything on the outside. No name and no address. I opened it up and pulled the letter out. There wasn't much on it. The only it had was, 'Hospital.' On the bottom was signed, 'Doctor.' I didn't think anything about it and flew off straight to the hospital. I don't know why, but it felt right. However, I hoped so much that I wasn't right.
> Loyalty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I flew to the Ponyville hospital as fast as I could. I didn't want to think about why she would be in there or what may have happened. I arrived and ran straight to the front desk. "Where's Fluttershy?" I asked quickly.

The receptionist gave me a quizzical look. "Fluttershy?" she repeated as she looked at her clipboard.  "Nope. Sorry. There isn't a Fluttershy checked in. And what are you doing here, all by yourself?" she asked. 

Before I could respond, there was a hoof on my shoulder. "Why, she's not by herself. She's with me." said a familiar voice. I turned around and saw that the Doctor was behind me. "I believe she meant Butterscotch. Can you check that name?" he said. 

The receptionist looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "And you would be?" she asked. 

"I'm the Doctor." he replied.

"The Doctor of what?" the receptionist asked. 

"Nothing. Just the Doctor." he said with a smile and took me down the hall. We turned into a room where I saw Fluttershy teaching birds how to sing. 

"Fluttershy!" I exclaimed. The birds stopped singing and started to fly around the room fanatically. 

"Oh my. It's alright friends! She's a friend of mine." Fluttershy said calmly. The birds settled down at the sound of her voice. They perched themselves on the windowsill as Fluttershy sang a five note tune.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?" I asked. 

"Yes I'm fine." she said with a smile.

"What are you doing here in the hospital then?" I asked confused.

"Oh, well, you see, after you rushed off, my mother started yelling and screaming horrible things to me. I ended up having a huge panic attack. They brought me here so I could calm down and get away from it all." she explained. 

I gave a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're okay." I told her. 

"Her mother has been taken into custody. She'll be fine now." the Doctor said. I turned to him.

"How did you get to my house? You aren't a Pegasus so how can you walk on clouds?" I asked him.

He smiled at me. "Spoilers." he said, and walked out the door. 

I turned back to Fluttershy who looked at me confused. "Um. Rainbow Dash? What did you mean by your house being on clouds? It's on the ground like mine?" 

Oops. I thought. I had forgot to keep that part secret. "Oh...well uh..." I stammered. I guess I could just say Felix won it in a bet. It's the truth after all and it doesn't say anything about my parents leaving. I decided. "Felix won it in a bet. You know how he is."

"Oh. What did he bet against it?" she asked.

"I don't know. He didn't say what he bet and he didn't say from who." I told her. 

"Oh." was all she said.

I felt a sudden pain of guilt. "I'm sorry for leaving you. I should have stayed and at least tried to do something." I said.

"Oh no! I'm glad you left! If you hadn't, you may have gotten hurt! I don't want you to get injured because of me." she said.

"I still shouldn't have left you alone with her. My mom always told me that family should stick together and that family is everything. We should stay loyal to each other no matter what. And I consider you family, Fluttershy." I said truthfully. "I swear, I won't leave a friend or family member hanging, no matter what and no matter where." 

She smiled at me. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash. I've never felt like I was part of any family." 

"Well you do now. Do you have a place to live?" I asked. 

She shook her head. "I'm to stay here until the nurses say I'm okay to leave. But I don't know where I'd go." she said sadly. 

"Well that shouldn't be a problem. You can live with me! It'll be like we're having sleepovers forever!" I said excited.

"Oh no. I wouldn't want to impose." she said.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy! It's nothing. Remember, you're part of my family now." I said and poked her shoulder. 

She smiled. "Well, I guess I could stay for a few days. You know, since we are family." she said as she looked at me. "Thank you." 

"No problem. " I replied. I stayed there for the rest of the visiting hours. We played some games and Fluttershy showed me her talent with animals. It was pretty cool that she could communicate with animals so well. After I left, I flew home. It was dark outside. I didn't realize I had stayed there for nearly the entire day. 

When I got home I flew into my bedroom window. I didn't know if Felix was home yet, but if he was it would be a bad idea to waltz in through the front door. But, looking back, that may have been a better idea. 

"Where did you go?" he asked as soon as I flew into my room. 

"Oh! Um... I went and visited Fluttershy." I told him.

"Oh really? I went to her cottage to see if you were there and no pony answered. I've been here waiting for five hours." he said angrily. 

"Sorry Felix. I just lost track of time." I said. Note to self: Get a watch.

He sighed. "It's fine. Just be careful." he said as he turned to leave.

"Did you get the job at the Exchange?" I asked. 

He faced me. "Yeah. Wasn't too hard to get. Not many are able to do what I can. So from now on, I won't be home very often. I'll be gone most of the day so you'll have to look after yourself. Think you can handle it?" he asked.

"Of course I can! I'm your sister, remember?" I said with pride.

He smiled. "That's exactly why I want you to be careful." He left my room and went across the hall to his. I closed the door and fell on my bed. I laid there for a few minutes until I remembered that Fluttershy was going to live with us once she got out of the hospital. 

"Felix won't like that I didn't ask him first." I said to myself aloud. I got up and headed for Felix's room. I knocked on the door and he opened the door. 

"Yeah?" he asked with a toothbrush in his mouth. 

"So, uh...I was wondering if Fluttershy could stay with us for a few days." I said, hoping he wouldn't question anything.

"Why? Like a sleep over kind of thing?" he asked. 

"Yeah, but it would be for a few days, not just over night. And since you'll be working, I'll be alone and bored. I figured it be a good way for us to have some fun." I explained. 

Felix looked at me with a raised eyebrow and took his toothbrush out. "I guess so. Just don't do anything you two shouldn't do." 

"Thank you, Felix!" I said and rushed back to my room. I leapt onto my bed and thought about what happened the past few days. First my parents left because of some strange ponies. Then Fluttershy's dad dies in a drunk flying accident, and then her mom is taken into custody for abuse. I fell asleep as I wondered about what could possibly happen next.

I woke up to the sound of a knock on my door. "Rainbow Dash. I'm going to work. You know where the food is. I'll see ya' tonight." Felix said. I heard him walk down the stairs as he left the house. I looked outside my window. It had to be about nine in the morning. Visiting hours weren't for another hour. 

I groaned as I remembered that I had to go to school today. I hated school. Like, regular school, not flight school. In flight school you can actually feel the wind move through your mane and coats as you soar across the sky. In normal school, we sit in a stuffy room and learn about math, history, and Celestia knows what else. I hate being cooped up like that. I need room to move.

I slowly got out of bed and headed downstairs. My mane was a mess. Just how I liked it. I opened the pantry and pulled out what I needed for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I made my sandwich and sat at the table. I took a bite out of the sandwich and looked at a note that Felix had left. "Don't eat the bread. It's old and I didn't realize it until I got home. Throw it away for me." I read aloud. 

I spit the bread out as soon as I finished reading the note. Well, there went my appetite. I threw the bread away and found a note next to the trash. "You ate the bread, didn't you?" I read. I crumpled the paper up and threw it away as well. I walked to the front door, grabbed my saddle pack, and headed out to school.

As I started my fly to school, I remembered that Fluttershy wasn't going to be there either. Great. Now I have to deal with it alone. I don't know what I would say to those who asked where Fluttershy was. I'd probably just say that I didn't know. Take the safe route. I groaned. This was going to be a long day. 

When I arrived at school, there were a few officers standing outside talking to the principle. I walked over and found the Doctor standing there. "So you don't know what could have caused it?" he asked the principle. 

"No. There was nothing that I know of that could have caused it." she replied. 

I walked up next to the Doctor. "Caused what?" I asked.

"Oh nothing, just a small gas leak. Nothing we can't handle. But school's off for today. You get an extra day off. If I were you I'd spend it with a nice cup of tea. Or some chips, I don't really know which." he said. I really didn't care about the gas leak, only that school was out, which meant no boring classes. I headed for the hospital with my saddle pack and waited in the waiting room for visiting hours to arrive. There wasn't anything to do there. There were some old magazines from months back, but I wasn't an egghead. I hated the idea of reading. 

Just why do I hate so many things? If it's boring, I want nothing to do with it. I need excitement and a fun time! Something regular school and books never gave me. I decided the only thing I could do to pass the time was to take a nap. I laid my head down on my pack and took a nice snooze. 

I was woken up by a nurse nudging me. "Excuse me miss. But if you want to sleep, you can't do it here." she said.

'Oh. I'm just waiting for visiting hours to begin." I said rubbing my eyes. 

"Well they started an hour ago." she said as she turned and went behind the desk. 

"An hour ago? Okay. Thanks!" I said as I left the waiting room. I dashed to the room that Fluttershy was at. "Fluttershy! Guess what?" I asked as I ran next to her bed. I stopped. She was laying on her side when I saw what was on her wings. She was crying softly and curled in her little ball again. 

"Fluttershy?" I asked, scared. 

"Go away!" she cried out. 

I stood there shocked at what I was seeing. Her wings were in casts and there were bruises on her back. "Fluttershy? It's me, Rainbow Dash." I said.

She sniffed as she heard my name. "Rainbow Dash? What are you doing here? What about school?" she asked as she wiped her eyes. 

"It was closed. There was a gas leak so they sent everyone home. But what happened to you? You were fine yesterday." I said.

She shrunk back again. "I can trust you, right?" she asked. I nodded my head. I knew she was putting on an act. I guess she saw me as a roll model. She was acting tough because I was here. She didn't want me to be disappointed in her. "Okay. I was sleeping when I got hit in the back. I don't remember much, only that I couldn't move my wings." she whimpered.

I walked over to her and put it a hoof on her leg. "It'll be alright." I pulled her in lightly for a hug. She winced as I accidentally nudged her wings. "Sorry." I said quietly. I could tell she was holding back tears. I've known her for so long that I guess I can tell when she is acting tough. Then again, if it were me, I wouldn't be this calm. 

"It's okay, Fluttershy. It's okay." I said reassuringly. She sniffed again. "I'm definitely not leaving you now." 

"Thank you." she said. I pulled out of the hug when there was a knock on the door. 

"Excuse me miss. Can we talk?" an officer asked me. 

"About what?" I asked. 

"We just have to ask you some questions." he told me. I looked at Fluttershy. "I'll be right back okay? It's probably about the gas leak at school." I said. 

"Oh, okay." Fluttershy said.

I walked out and went with the officer. "So what's this about?" I asked.

"Well we have reason to believe that Fluttershy's mother escaped and is the reason behind her wings being injured." he said. 

"Why do you think it was her?" I asked.

"The injuries match those of her mother's size. She was broken out by a group of ponies whose names we have yet to find out. We were wondering if you knew anything about her." the officer said. 

"All I know is that she is an abusive..." I started but caught my tongue. "She isn't a mother in my opinion."

"I see. What about your parents? Where are they?" he asked.

Ah crap. I thought. "They're, uh, working." I said.

"Really? Where do they work?" he continued.

"The Exchange in Canterlot." I replied. I was going to have to talk to Felix about this later.

"And you live in Cloudsdale? Why don't you live in Canterlot? That's a long flight back isn't it?" he kept inquiring.

"I guess so. We don't like the Canterlot way of living." I said trying to make something up. "Wasn't this supposed to be about Fluttershy's mother?" I asked.

"It is. But that's all I needed. Thank you for your time." the mysterious officer said before he left. 

I went back to Fluttershy's room. She had been crying again. I felt awful. "Hey. I'm back." I said.

"What did he want?" she asked as she wiped her eyes again. 

"Just if I knew anything about your mother and some questions about my parents." I told her. 

"Okay. Well I'll be out in a few days. That nice officer with the spikey mane came by and, according to him, 'soniced' my wings. He told me they'd be okay for me to leave. I won't be able to fly as well, but I never was a great flyer anyways." she said. 

"That's great!" I exclaimed. I was happy that she would be out soon and that the Doctor was helping her. I was confused by what he meant by 'soniced' but I didn't ask her further. I had also completely forgot to ask the officer if her mother had gotten away or not. I was just happy that she wouldn't be cooped up here any longer. 

After a few days I went and picked up Fluttershy with Felix. I had explained to him what had happened and he was perfectly okay with Fluttershy staying with us. In fact, I was able to let her live with us. We took her back to our house and she stood there flabbergasted. "This place is so big." she said as she gazed around. 

"I know right? It's going to be so awesome with you here." I told her. I took her up to my room, which I had Felix add another bed for Fluttershy. He even put an animal wall paper up on her side so she could feel more at home. 

"This is amazing. Did your brother do all this?" she asked. 

"Yep. I told him about your talent and we found this for you. I know you're going to love it!" I said, excitedly. This was going to be so amazing!
> A New Friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Years passed without another incident. We actually forgot all about the Doctor, the strange officer, and that we weren't actually siblings. I barely passed flight school. Not because I didn't know what I was doing, but because I got lazy during our final year there. Fluttershy started acting more like herself and stopped trying to stay tough around me. I liked that, since I'm supposed to be the tough one. We both went to the same high school and had most our classes together. One of my favorites was Advanced Flight Techniques. The class was meant to give the few Pegasus who passed the entrance exam a chance to show of what they knew and give advice to others. 

Fluttershy took Animal Study and Gardening. She loved animals so much, that for her birthday one year, I got her her first animal of her own. A bunny. She called it Angel and has kept it close at home. She has a natural talent for taking care of animals, but she still had much to learn about them. She stayed most of her nights petting Angel and studying her notes. Me? I was playing Air Hockey on my Wonderbolts table with Felix. Some nights he wouldn't get home until well past midnight and just go straight to bed. He was working hard to make sure that we didn't have to rely on the money our parents left us.

I ended up getting a job as an intern with the weather headquarters. It was located on the ground surprisingly, and the Captain was an Earth Pony. What's an Earth Pony doing as Captain for a job that only Pegasus can do? He was not very good at his job. He never scheduled days for it to rain and never cleared the sky for the sun. I was working on a few papers, which was torture just so you know, when an orange pony walked in with a big red stallion. They walked up to my desk and asked to speak to the Captain of the weather team.

"What for?" I asked, a little too brashly. 

"Our crops over at Sweet Apple Acres are flooded with rain! An' yesterday they were dying from the amount of sun they were gettin'!" the orange pony said with a southern accent. "Your Captain needs to high tail it and get these clouds out so our crops don' die before the harvest!" 

I looked at the red stallion. "Eeyup." was all he said. 

"Huh. Well, I can give you an appointment to talk with him. What's your name?" I asked. I hated this job. I felt too confined behind my desk. 

"Applejack, and you will tell him we need to speak with him now!" she exclaimed. 

Screw this. I thought. I stood up and walked to the Captain's office. I banged on his door. "Yo, boss. You have some visitors." I said. I left before he could respond. 

"He'll be out in a minute." I said as I took my seat. There were some hoof steps coming from behind me. The Captain wasn't a clean pony. I mean, I may be messy, but he was a wreck. Unshaved beard, greasy hair, and he always had the smell of alcohol on his breath. It always brought back some bad memories, but I quickly pushed them out of my head. 

"What is it now, Dash?" he asked angrily. 

"These two said they wanted to talk to you." I said as I pointed to Applejack and the stallion. 

"Ugh, alright. Come by my office. I have important things to do." he said as he turned back towards his office. The two ponies followed him and closed the office door behind them. 

I went back to my paperwork as I overheard the sound of raised voices. I couldn't make it out, but it didn't look good for the two farmers. I began to think about what Fluttershy was doing. She normally studied her animal books when I was at work, but she said she had to go to the store for something. I didn't ask what for since I was running late anyway. The door opened up behind me with the Captain shouting to get out. 

The door slammed behind the two ponies. The orange one looked to be close to tears. Whatever the Captain said, it must've hit hard. "Hey, Applejack. Wait a second." I said. She stopped in front of the door and I ran up behind her. "I take it he said no about the rain?" I asked. 

"Yeah. He said he would rather have the farm drown than to waste his 'valuable' time clearing it up. If this keeps up, we'll have to move and find a new place to live." she said.

"You know, I'd be more than willing to help out if you need me to. I'll keep it off the radar so hot head doesn't know about it." I said. 

"Why, that's awfully kind of ya'...um...what you say your name was?" she asked.

"Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer out of Cloudsdale." I boasted. 

"Well thank ya' Rainbow Dash. This here's Big Macintosh, but everypony just calls him Big Mac." she said. 

"Eeyup." he said.

"Does he say anything else?" I asked quietly.

"Nope." he told me with a small grin on his face. 

I gave a slight chuckle. "Well, when would you like me to clear the sky for you? I'm off in about ten minutes." I told her.

"As soon as ya' can. I don' know how much longer our crops can handle this here rain." she said, looking out the window. 

"Don't worry about that. I'll get it cleared for you as soon as I get out." I said. "It was nice to meet you. We should hang out sometime. I need a break after working for this flank."

"How about once 'ur done with the rain I treat ya' to some fine Sweet Apple cider?" she offered. 

"Sounds great!" I exclaimed. I had never had cider before, but I had heard about how awesome it was. "Oh, where is Sweet Apple Acres anyway?" I asked.

"You're a Pegasus. Just fly around and look for a big red barn." she said as she they turned and left the building. 

"Okay! I'll be there!" I shouted to them. I went back to my desk with a smile on my face. When I sat down, I noticed the pile of paperwork that still sat on my desk. I groaned loudly and hit my head into the desk. Note to self: Don't hit head against table. I thought as I rubbed my aching head.

I finished the paperwork and left work as fast as I could. I hated being cooped up in there. It was way too stuffy and constrained for me. I relished the feeling of the wind through my wings as I flew over Ponyville in search of Sweet Apple Acres. It was pretty easy to find, actually. I found the red barn almost instantly, but I didn't fly down right away. I still wanted to feel the freedom of the sky before I went down. 

It was amazing. The wind in my mane as I flew above the clouds, the sensation of free-falling as I snapped my wings against my size, and the rejuvenating rush as I snapped them back open when I reached a few hundred feet off the ground. I landed next to the barn and gave a relaxed sigh of gratitude. I walked over to the barn door and knocked. The rain pattered against the window as Applejack opened the barn door. 

"Howdy there, partner. Ready to clear this weather?" she asked. 

"More than ready." I said as I flew into the sky and started to push the clouds away and constrict them so they would quit raining. I had never done it before, but I knew that Pegasus could control the weather if they wanted to. It was the main reason I went to the headquarters for a job in the first place. I mean, a job where you spend your day outside in the sky and you get paid for it? Hay, you couldn't get me to say yes faster if you tried. 

I finished the job and flew back down to Applejack. "Dang, Rainbow. That was awfully quick. Ah'd say around 15 seconds." she said. 

"What? Only 15? Horse apples." I swore. Even though it was my first time ever doing weather control, I was the fastest flyer out of Cloudsdale. I should have been at least 5 seconds faster. 

"Hey, don't worry. You were moving incredibly fast. Here, have some cider. Made it myself this mornin'." she said as she led me inside. The sun was shining through the window now, making the drops of water glisten. "Now, Rainbow, why not tell me a little about yourself. With that flying Ah'd say you practice daily." she said. 

"Nah. I've always been a natural flyer. I love it, but the only thing I love more than flying, is flying fast! It's how I got this baby." I said as I motioned to my Cutie Mark. I took a sip of the cider and became addicted instantly. I chugged the rest of the mug down in one gulp.

"Whoa! Slow down there, Wonderbolt! Ya' don' want to get sick now, do ya'?" she said jokingly. 

"I'm no Wonderbolt yet." I said. "But I'm hoping that one day they'll let me in."

"Shouldn't ya' be practicing then? I mean they ar' the most talented flying force in the world. They only accept the best of the best." she pointed out as she got another mug of cider. 

"Yeah, well I don't have much time to practice. I've got school and then work." I said as I drank half the mug. We started talking about our childhood's. I was able to tread through here easily. I've been living the same lie for years now, so it was just repetition. 

After about 30 minutes of talking and two gallons of cider, I looked at my watch. Yes, I actually bought a watch. "Ah crap. I gotta go. My sister wants me to meet her at the store in five minutes." I said, referring to Fluttershy as my sister. "We should do this again sometime." I said.

"Just tell me when ya' want to hang. Ya' know where to find me." Applejack said. "Thanks for helpin' with that rain." 

"No problem. And thanks for the cider. It was amazing." I said. I flew back into the air and headed off to find Fluttershy.

> Promotion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I flew to the market in Ponyville as I searched. Usually it would be pretty easy to spot Fluttershy. All I would have to do would be to find the yellow Pegasus hiding in a corner looking through her animal magazines. But today, I had a really hard time finding her. I landed on the ground next to a cherry salespony. "Have you seen a shy, yellow Pegasus walking around here?" I asked. Angel loved cherries, so I thought that maybe Fluttershy would have stopped here to buy some. 

"Can't say I have kid. Want to buy some cherries?" he asked. 

I rolled my eyes. Typical salespony, always trying to get you to buy something. "No thanks." I said and walked away in search for her. I walked into flower shops, animal shops, and even the food mart. But guess where I found her walking out of? The freaking Beauty Salon. "Hey, Fluttershy!" I called. She looked at me with a shocked look. She tried to hide herself back in the shop, but I ran up to her before she could flee. 

"What were you doing there? I thought you needed things for Angel?" I asked. 

"Oh, well I did, but when I went home I saw an ad in one of my magazines. It was supposed to be a surprise, but you came rushing by that I didn't have a chance to surprise you." she said as she ducked her head. 

"Surprise me with what?" I asked.

"You mean you can't tell?" she asked distressed.

"Uh, no I can tell alright!" I said as I tried to retrace my steps. In all honesty, I couldn't tell if anything had changed, but I couldn't let her know that. I searched hard for whatever it was she was talking about. 

"Oh okay. Thank goodness. I thought you might not have noticed the tail extensions." she said. 

So that's what had changed. I thought to myself. "Are you kidding me? They look great! They even made them fit your tail's pink color. What made you decide to get tail extensions anyways?" I asked. Now that I looked at her tail, I could tell it was longer than usual, but you couldn't tell unless you looked very closely at it. 

"I just thought that maybe it would make me look better. According to the mares at school, long tails are in this year." she said shyly.

"Oh ho ho! So you're doing this for a certain somepony, huh? Who is it? Ramus? Thunder? Oh! It's for Daren isn't it?" I said, recalling all the handsome stallions. I never was into the whole romance thing, but I knew a hottie when I saw one. 

"Oh, not at all. It's a secret." she said with a smile. 

"Oh, come on, Fluttershy! I won't tell! I promise!" I begged. I was desperate to know who it was. Surprisingly she stayed calm and collective. 

"Nope. I'm not telling. The only one who knows is Angel, and he is sworn to secrecy." she replied proudly. 

"You were able to get your pet bunny to swear to secrecy?" I asked astonished. "It must be someone very special! Come on! Just tell me!" I begged again. 

"Nope. It's not time yet. I'm waiting for them to notice me a little bit before I tell them." she said. She walked off, clearly ending the conversation about it. That wasn't like her, which meant she was dead serious about this. 

"Ah whatever. I'll just find out before you tell me!" I said. I was already hatching a plan to figure out how I would find out. Most of our fellow classmates would spill the beans on almost anything for the right price. We flew home and talked about our upcoming finals. Neither of us were too excited about them since they consisted of just plain writing. I got off lucky, though. In Advance Flying Techniques we were required to show how much more we had learned from practicing over the year. You know what that means? No writing behind a desk! Just flying in an open, blue sky! 

When we arrived home I saw Felix talking to a man in a suit. I at first thought it might be an officer, but dismissed it as I moved closer. Felix noticed me and waved me over quickly with a smile on his face. "Hey, Dash! This stallion has something he would like to tell you." Felix said. 

"What is it? And what are you doing home so early?" I asked as I entered the kitchen slowly. 

"I was able to get a day off since I've been working extremely late at night. But listen to this guy. He's got great news." he said. 

"Ms. Dash! I'm from the headquarters." the suited pony said. "I heard about the incident with the Apple family and how you went out to help them on your own time after work. The Captain was enjoying a bottle of scotch during the confrontation between the Apples. I'm here to congratulate you on becoming Captain of the Weather Team." he said with a smile on his face.

My jaw dropped in awe as I absorbed the news. The Captain didn't have to stay cooped up in an office. The Captain could actually go out and fly around and clear the skies if she wanted to. "Are you serious?" I asked, too happy to stop my voice from raising a few notes. 

"As serious as a doctor. I understand you have finals coming up in school. You won't have to worry about doing your job until after you finish testing." he said.

"Wait, how did you know about the whole Apple family incident?" I asked.  I didn't tell anypony about it since I try to hold up a reputation of being a tad lazy when I'm not working or training. 

"Applejack stopped by and told me what happened. The old Captain has since been fired, leaving room for you to move your stuff into once you're ready." he replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to drop off a note at the post office." he said as he walked to the door. "Have a good day you three." he said, finally acknowledging Fluttershy's presence. When he closed the door I couldn't help but give a shout of glee.

"I can't believe it! I'm finally done being cooped up behind a desk! I'm free!" I exclaimed. 

"Easy there, Dash. Just because you get to fly around more doesn't mean that you can just relinquish your duties as Captain of the Weather Team." Felix said, ruining my jubilant mood.

"Aw, come on. How hard could it really be?" I said. After about ten minutes of him explaining the job, I wanted to go back to being behind a desk. "But I thought the Captain could do whatever they wanted?" I asked.

"Well, in theory you can, but you still have a responsibility to the team. They need direction after what the last Captain was like." he said. I sighed. He was right. I had a lot of work ahead of me if I wanted to straighten things out so I could go and fly whenever I wanted. 

"Why don't you make a list of all the things the team needs to do? Like a job list." Fluttershy suggested. I thought about it and decided it would be a good start.

"I'll work on that after finals. For now, let's celebrate the promotion!" I exclaimed with delight. 

"I'll head to the store and get some things to celebrate with. For now, you two need to study for your finals." he said, pointing to me specifically. 

"I'll be fine, Felix. Just go get the goods so we can celebrate!" I said. He left with a wave of his hoof. Fluttershy was already heading for the stairs to study when Felix left. "You do realize we don't have to study, right? You know all your animal stuff and I know my flying techniques." I said, hoping to get out of an hour of book work. 

"We still have other classes, Rainbow Dash. Do you know how to find the cosine of an angle and how to graph it without a calculator?" she asked. 

"That's not fair! You know I suck at math!" I shouted. 

"Well then, that's all the more reason you should study." she said as she continued walking up the stairs. For some reason, I couldn't help but stare at her tail. It was flowing and luscious. I shook the thought out of my head. Why was I suddenly thinking about that? I walked up the stairs behind her and went to our room. I stared at the Algebra book for an hour and still had no idea what a cosign even was. 

"Oh! I almost forgot about the dance!" I exclaimed as the thought returned to me.

"Dance? What dance?" Fluttershy asked quietly. She hated going to social events at our school. I didn't understand her sometimes. 

"The spring dance! You know, the one that everypony goes to so they can celebrate the end of the year." I said. I knew she remembered it, she just hated the idea of going to a crowded place. 

"Oh. That. Um, Rainbow? Do we have to go? I mean, we could just stay here and celebrate by ourselves." she suggested. 

"Are you kidding me? Everypony is going to be there. Do you really want to be known as the only pony who wouldn't show up?" I asked. I knew that I was exaggerating about everypony being there. Hay, I wouldn't have gone if I hadn't already been asked by somepony. 

"Okay. And who would you be going with?" she asked. She looked at me, and I could have sworn I saw a hint of longing in her eyes.

"Hey, nice try! If you want to know, you have to tell me who you like!" I said. I wasn't going to fall for that trick.

"Oh." she said, lowering her head. "Well, I guess we won't know." 

Dang, she was holding onto that like an injured animal. She would not let it go! I sighed. I knew she wasn't going to, and there was absolutely no harm in telling her who it was. I mean, it's Fluttershy for ponies sake. What could go wrong? "Alright, fine. I'll tell you." I caved. "His name is Long Horn." I said. 

Long Horn wasn't your average stallion. He was big, buff, and handsome. He was basically a god at our school. It was considered an honor to have him talk to you and if he asked you out to anything, you were considered insane if you didn't accept. Honestly, I don't care for the guy. He's a huge jerk to everyone, yet people still treat him as if he's royalty. I only accepted his invitation to the dance because if I hadn't, I'd be shunned. My reputation as the tough and popular pony would be destroyed. 

"Oh no. You can't be serious, Rainbow." Fluttershy said. "He's such a meanie. He doesn't care about anypony but himself."

"Aw come one, I'm sure he's not so bad." I said trying to make me seem like I wasn't caring about just myself. "I'm going to give him a chance. And who knows, maybe he'll stop being a jerk." I said. 

"If you say so. But, who do I go with? I don't have anypony and you'll be spending all your time with Long Horn. Maybe I just won't go." she said as she started to curl up again. 

"Nonsense! You can hang with us! I'm sure he'll treat you just fine when he realizes you're a friend of mine." I said reassuringly. I really wanted Fluttershy to be there. She needed to socialize more, and it may give me insight as to who this pony she likes so much really is. 

"But we don't even have any dresses. And you hate dresses." she pointed out. 

"True, but I'm not necessarily wearing a dress. It's not a big formal event, just like a get together for the school." I told her. 

She sighed. "Okay. If you're going, I'm going too." she said. 

"That's the spirit! And you never know! Maybe your crush will ask you to dance!" I said trying to get more information on him. 

"Oh, I don't think they will." she said, sadly. 

"Are you kidding me? He would be insane if he didn't ask you. I mean, you're kind, caring, and you do your best to make others happy. Who wouldn't ask you to dance?" I said trying to cheer her up.

"Well, you see, I just recently learned they were going with somepony else." she said quietly.

I had no idea what her problem was. She could go out and win him back if she really wanted to. "Ah whatever." I said and waved a hoof at her.

"What are you going to wear?" she asked.

I didn't give much thought into my attire for that night. "Probably just a nice shirt." I replied. 

"Oh, no no no. You can't just wear a shirt! It's a dance and you have somepony you're going to be with. I can make you something, you know, if you want me to." she said.

"Since when did you know how to make clothes?" I asked.

"I've been looking for a different hobby. I started looking through more magazines and found tips. I've been practicing with Angel for a few months now." she said. "So, do you want me to make you one?" she offered quietly.

"Eh, what the hay. Go ahead. But don't make it too girly. I want something cool." I said. I walked back to my bed and put on my headphones. I really needed to listen to some heavy metal. This talk about dresses made me feel weird. 

I must've fallen asleep when I was listening to my music. The next thing I know is that Angel is tapping on my face with his leg. "Gah! Get off of me!" I exclaimed as I thrashed awake. I hit my head against the back board behind me. "Ow!"

"Rainbow Dash! I did it! I finished it for you! Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you? Oh, I'm so sorry." she said. "I can come back later, if you want." she said as she startled to shy away again. 

"No, no. It's fine. I didn't mean to fall asleep anyways. Is Felix back yet?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes.

"He's downstairs. But first you have to see what I made you." she said. She walked over to my bed and carefully put a dress on the bed. Despite what I feel about dresses, this was a really cool dress. The colors were perfectly even with a hint of lightning stardust edging off the end of the hem. 

"Fluttershy...How did you do this? It's amazing!" I said as I tenderly ran my hoof over the dress. 

"Oh, well it wasn't too hard." she said. I noticed a white bandage on her hoof. 

"What happened?" I asked. 

She tried to hide her hoof. "Oh, um...nothing." she said. I gave her a look and she sighed. She pulled up her hoof and I gasped. Her entire hoof was wrapped in a white bandage with red dots scattered around.

"What the hay happened?" I exclaimed. 

"Oh, nothing. I'm, uh, still learning." she said with a small grin.

"You didn't hurt yourself too badly did you?" I asked. 

"That doesn't matter. Try it on! I want to see if it fits." she said and shuffled me into the changing room with the dress. I tried it on and I made the dress look even better! It fit me perfectly! I didn't question how she knew my size perfectly. All I cared about was how good I looked. Cool.

"Does it fit? Do you like it? Oh no, you hate it. Oh, I knew I should have used french haute couture." I heard her say as she questioned herself. 

I walked out and gave her a hug. I loved it, which I don't feel about dresses all that often. But, there's always an exception. "Come on, Fluttershy! I love it! While I normally hate dresses, this is definitely my favorite. It fit's me perfectly, size and personality." 

"Oh, thank goodness. I wasn't sure if you would like it." Fluttershy said relieved. "Let's show Felix!" she said as she tried to push me out the bedroom door. 

"Whoa, hold on there." I said as I pushed away from her. "I love the dress, but I don't want my brother to see it. He wouldn't let me hear the end of it! Then it would spread and I would be thought of as a fashionista!" I exaggerated. I knew I was blowing it out of proportion, but I didn't want him to see it. 

"Oh, ok. I understand." she said. I went back and took the dress off. I walked out and saw Fluttershy being nudged by Angel. "No, not now." I heard Fluttershy whisper. 

"Not now what?" I asked.

"Ah! Nothing, nothing at all. Um, Angel just wanted me to uh, feed him!" she said nervously.

"Uh-huh." I said confused. I noticed Angel face paw. "Well, I'm going to see what Felix brought for us." I said and walked downstairs. There was a cake and a letter on the table. I picked up the letter and walked over to Felix who was sitting on the couch. "What's this?" I asked him as I took the letter out. 

"Read it." he said. 

"Dear Felix. It's been a number of years since we left. I'm sorry that we weren't able to write earlier, but we've had to keep moving so we wouldn't be caught. How are you two doing? I heard you were Head of the Exchange. Congratulations! I know how much you enjoyed that. We also heard Rainbow Dash was hired at the weather headquarters. How's she handling being behind the desk? I wish we could have more time to write, but we are only able to stop for a few minutes. Don't worry about us though. We will see you soon. There should be a doctor around if you have any questions. You'll know him when you see him. He helped you with the mansion. He'll tell you what you need to know. We love you both. Look out for each other and stay out of trouble. Love, Mom."

I read over what she said about there being a doctor. "I think I know who this doctor is." I said recalling the spiky haired officer. "But why did mom tell us about him now? Why not tell us he was around earlier?" I asked. 

"I remember who that pony was. He said he knew about our parents and that if I didn't accept his offer on the house and bet him on our fortune, he would tell the authorities. I don't know what he was going to tell them, but I didn't want to risk it. So I bet our parents money. I didn't know what else to do. When I won, he just smiled and told me congratulations and to watch over you. I didn't know how he knew, but at the time all I could think of was how lucky we were to have a place to live." he said. 

I stood there shocked. I had no idea that the Doctor would do all that for some ponies he didn't even know. Well, I guess he knew about us since he must know our parents, but why help us and then never be seen again? I couldn't make sense of it. "Is there anyway to write back?" I asked hopefully.

"Not that I know of. There's no return address and since they're on the run, they'll be in a different place before we send a letter out." he said. "Anyways, you have finals to study for, a promotion to celebrate, and from what I hear, a dance to go to." Felix said trying to change to conversation. 

I folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. "Fluttershy and I are going to have a piece of cake, alright?" I yelled to him. 

"Fine. Just don't eat too much." he said as he headed to his room. I called Fluttershy down for cake as I read what the icing said on the cake. 

"Congratulations on making Weather Team Captain." I read aloud. The cake was decorated with Wonderbolts designs. I got us two plates as Fluttershy walked down stairs. "You want a corner or an innard?" I asked. I gave her the piece she asked and we sat together. 

She looked at the letter that sat on the table. "What's that?" she asked as she took a neat bite out of her cake.

"Oh, that was nothing. Just another letter about me becoming Captain." I said. How long was I going to keep lying to her about this? 

"That's nice. Who was it from?" she continued. 

"Just a co-worker. They said the last Captain was such a flank hole that they were about to quit. But they're going to stay now that I'm in charge." I explained. I changed the subject to the upcoming dance. We talked for about an hour before we finally went to bed. It was around 9 o'clock when Fluttershy fell asleep. I opened up my drawer and pulled out the journal. I don't know why, but for some reason, I wanted to read it again. I quickly put it back though. I didn't want to see any of those things before I went to bed. 

Fluttershy didn't even know I had her journal. I don't think she wanted to remember all of what happened. I know I wouldn't. So, I kept it in my drawer next to my bed. I don't know why I kept it around. I just felt like I needed it. I rolled over on my side and looked at a sleeping Fluttershy. While she was awake, she was an angel. But when she slept she would snore all night long. I hate snoring. It's loud and keeps me up at night. I shove my head underneath my pillow to drown out the sound. I finally fell asleep with the Fluttershy floating in my thoughts.
> An Unforgettable Package
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I woke up to my alarm beeping in my ear. I picked it up and threw it against the wall where it shattered. "Ugh! That's the third one this month." I said groggily. I lifted myself out of bed and slowly walked downstairs. It's been a week since I read the note that mom wrote us. We were done with our finals, yet I still had to get up early so I could make it to work on time. 

I poured myself a glass of juice and grabbed an apple from the counter. Fluttershy was out early to get Angel some more food. I swear that bunny is spoiled beyond return. He gets whatever he wants, whether it be a cherry, a sundae, or even a back rub. But Fluttershy loves him, so I'm not going to stop her from doing it. I finished the apple and tossed the core into the trash. I walked out the door, which I had become accustomed to instead of flying out the windows, and headed for the headquarters. I had made a list of things that needed to change and had given them to my assistant the day before. So my today all I had to do was show up, see how things were going, and then I could go out and fly. They know to come get me if anything happens. 

When I walked into work, I could tell it would be awhile before I actually got out to fly. It was chaos with ponies trying to figure out how to do this or that. "Looks like it's another day behind a desk." I said to myself. I sheepishly walked over to my assistant who was having difficulty organizing the schedule. 

"Why is everypony having trouble with the list?" I asked her when I walked next to her.

"Well, your list had a few holes in it." she said. 

"Like what?" I asked, thinking that there was nothing wrong with my list. 

She scoffed as she pulled the list off of her table. "The first thing you had on the list was make it rain on certain days. The next, make it sunny on certain days.  The third thing, which baffles me, everypony needs to wear Wonderbolts attire." she said, shoving the paper at me.

"Oh. I see. Well ditch the Wonderbolts attire thing. I forgot about that anyways." I said. 

"It's not just that. We need details. We need to know what days to make it rain. If we don't have some sort of schedule, then we could end up flooding the place or frying it up. We need direction, Ms. Dash." she said.

Well, I wasn't good with schedules, but I was able to make a time frame for the rain. Twice a week for two hours with at least 72 hours separating each rainfall. If the sun was exceptionally hot one day, then it would be the duty of the team to put enough cloud cover to lower the temperature without making the place look too gloomy. It took about an hour to get the chaos in the building to calm down. I told them about the changes to the list and I could tell that they were happy to know that there was some order here. 

I was able to get out and fly after three hours being cooped up in the office. It was exhausting and I needed to catch up on a few more Z's. I found a tree and decided to take a nap there. It was short lived though as I was awoken by a familiar voice. 

"Howdy there, partner! Whatcha' doin' in that tree? It looks kinda unsteady." Applejack said. Not two seconds after she said that, the tree branch I had laid on snapped. I fell straight on my back with a loud crash. I could've flown away and avoided the fall, but I was still a little groggy. 

"Told ya'." she said with a smirk. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said. My wing was bruised from landing on it wrong, but other than that, I was fine. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Well, Ah was workin' on my farm when a grey Pegasus dropped off this package." she said, motioning to the box on her back. "It wasn't for me, however. It was meant for somepony named Fluttershy."

"Hey, I know Fluttershy. She lives with me." I blurted out without thinking.

"Really? Then would ya' mind taking this to her? If ya'll live in Cloudsdale, there is no way I'm gettin' there." she said as she laid the package in front of me. "And don' worry your little rainbow colored hair, Dash. I didn't go through it or nothin'. I just read the name on the box." she said.

"Okay. I'll make sure she get's this." I said picking up the package. "So, you going to the dance tonight?" I asked.

"Dance? Oh, you mean like square dancin'? I didn't know you fellas had those here in Ponyville." she said surprised.

"No, I mean like an actual dance. You know, with music, a DJ, and food?" I said. I had never heard of square dancing. What was that? Dancing in a square doing the pony poky?

"Ah don' think Ah've ever been to a dance like that." she said. "Wait, is it one of them fancy, dress up really nice dances? I don't wear dresses." she said with emphasis. 

"Hey, me either! I'm only wearing one because somepony asked me to go. If it weren't for that reason I'd just be wearing a decent shirt." I said. I thought I was the only one who hated dresses. "But you don't have to. Just wear a nice shirt or something like that."

"Aight. But don' think you'll be seeing me in nothin' too fancy. Where's the dance bein' held at?" she asked.

"Town hall. Don't you go to our school? I don't see you around there." I asked trying to recall if I had ever seen her outside her farm. 

"Nah. Ah work on the farm all day and Ah couldn't ask for a better life." she said with a smile.

"Alright. Well the dance starts at 6 o'clock so don't be late." I said.

"I hear ya'. Make sure that package get's to Fluttershy.' she said pointing to the box. 

"Don't worry, she'll get it. We need to hang out more that finals are done." I told her as I flew off. Fluttershy had to be home by now, so I didn't bother going to the market. Something was bugging me though. Fluttershy hardly ever received mail, and when she did it was only her magazines. I kept flying home though. It wasn't my place to open up her mail. I passed a few of the weather team members who were clearing a few clouds. I gave them a high hoof and continued to Cloudsdale. I flew up to the window where I heard Fluttershy whispering. 

"Angel I can't tell her. If I do what do you think she'll think of me?" she said quietly. I hid behind the wall so I could hear them but not be seen. "She'll hate me, might even kick me out. I can't risk it until I know for sure."

Know what for sure? I thought. And is she talking about me? What is there that she couldn't tell me?

"Angel, no. I won't. Not even at the dance. I'm only going because she is. If she wasn't I'd just stay home and maybe listen to the new music she gave me." I heard her say. I had given her a new screamo CD a few weeks ago. She loved it and would listen to when she wasn't helping looking through her animal magazines. 

So this was definitely about me, but what about me? I needed to find out, but didn't know how to ask her. I flew in the window. "Hey, Fluttershy." I said in a cheery voice. "Derpy had a package for you, but accidentally delivered to somepony else's house." I placed the package on her bed. 

"Oh, my. It's a big box.  Who's house did she send it to?" she asked as she calmly opened the box. 

"Some farmer named Applejack." I replied as I peered over her shoulder.

"Who's Applejack? A new pony in town?" she asked as she removed some wrappers.

"Yeah, she's the one who helped get me to Captain." I said, trying to get a peek at what she had gotten. 

"Well, that's extremely kind of her." Fluttershy said before letting out a shriek. "What's wrong?!" I asked as she flew back and into the wall. "Fluttershy, what the hay is wrong?" I asked again. She was crumpled in the corner with shock in her eyes. "Fluttershy, tell me. What was in the box?" I asked as I tried took her into my arms, trying to comfort her. 

"It's not possible. How did he..." Fluttershy said as she shook. 

"Fluttershy. Look at me." I told her. She looked at me trembling. When she looked into my eyes she started to calm down a little. "What was in the box?" I asked. She shut her eyes and whimpered as she hid her face in my chest. I rocked her a little bit and hushed her. "It's okay." I said comfortingly as she cried into my chest. 

"How did he get ahold of those?" she asked herself.

"Get ahold of what?" I asked. 

She looked up at me with wet eyes but wouldn't speak. "I'll be right back, okay?" I told her as I got up. I moved over to the box and looked inside it. There were pictures from her journal of all the bruises and injuries she had gotten. There were some excerpts from her writings mixed in. What really caught my eye was a page that had words written on it in blood. "I'll find you." I read quietly to myself. 

I backed away slowly. The words repeated in my head. I looked back to Fluttershy who was still crumpled in the corner shaking. I could tell she was remembering what her parents did. I walked back to her and cradled her in my arms. She was so vulnerable, so small, so...

I sent the thought out of my head. Of course she was vulnerable. Somepony sent a package of some of her personal journal entries and pictures of her injuries. Of course she would feel small after seeing that, being Fluttershy and all. I kept holding her and as she clutched onto me. "How did she get ahold of those?" she cried out. 

From my knowledge, I was the only one who knew I had the journal. "I don't know. Didn't you say you lost it?" I asked. She nodded her head. I knew where it was. It was in my drawer. "Do you recognize the writing?" I asked hoping to see if my suspicions were correct. 

Fluttershy whimpered as she whispered who it was. "My dad."
> A Dance to Forget
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I sat there in about as much shock as she was. But he died...The Doctor said he was found dead in the Gorge... I thought to myself. It didn't make sense. How can a dead pony come back to life? If he was a zombie he wouldn't have been able to write that, let alone not cause a nation wide panic. Unless if he didn't really die. 

I threw that idea out the window. I concentrated on getting Fluttershy settled down and calm. "Hey, let's get you something to drink, alright?" I said as I picked her up and led her down to the kitchen. I sat her down on the couch and grabbed a glass of apple juice. 

I passed it to her and she gingerly took it. "You okay?" I asked, trying to get her to talk calmly. 

She took a few sips. "Yeah, I'm okay. I thought he died, though. How is he back?" she asked as she looked at me. 

"Are you absolutely sure it was his hoof writing?" I asked.

She shook her head and took a few sips. "I mean, it has been a number of years since I last saw him, so I guess it could be any pony." she said. "But..." she started and trailed off. 

"But what?" I asked.

She looked at me with grave eyes. "But what if he returned? What if he is searching for me?" Fluttershy questioned. 

"Is it possible it was your mother's?" I asked. 

"Possibly. But why wouldn't she just come and get me?" she asked me worriedly. "Why would she send me a package?" 

I thought about it and realized it was how her mother would get inside her head. "When you think about it, it isn't unlike her. From what you told me, the only time your mother hit you was when you were in the hospital. She likes to get inside your head and psych you out." I said. "I wouldn't worry about it. She probably just wants to scare you." I told her, not even knowing if I believed what I was saying. 

She took a finished her glass and nodded her head. "Rainbow Dash?" she said, looking at me. "I'm scared." 

I could see in her eyes just how scared she was. "Hey. There's no reason to be scared." I said as I sat next to her. I pulled her close to me for a hug. "You've got me, the fastest Pegasus in Equestria and the Captain of the weather team to protect you." I said. Her hair hung over my shoulder as she laid her head on mine. I rubbed a hoof through her hair, nice and soft like a bunny. I chuckled a little when I thought of Angel. 

"Now, I know you worked hard on the dress, but I don't think we should go to the dance. I'm not going until I know you are safe." I said. 

She pulled out of the hug. "Oh, no! We are still going to go to the dance! You have a date with Long Horn! You can't miss that!" she exclaimed. 

"I thought you said he was a big meanie?" I reminded her. 

"Well, yes. But if you're going to give him a chance, then I might as well too. And besides," she said as she flushed a little, "I'd feel much safer being near you."

"Well, in that case," I said with pride, "let's forget about the box and enjoy the night." She nodded her head and looked at the ground. "It'll be alright. Okay? Like I said, you have me here." I said trying to reassure her. 

"I know." she replied. "I'm just worried about what may happen to you."

"Come on, I'm Rainbow Dash. No pony can beat me!" I said boastfully.

Fluttershy looked at me with worry. I gave her a smile to show her that she shouldn't be afraid. She smiled back, but I don't think she believed it. Heck, I didn't believe it.

I cut up the pictures and journal excerpts from the box and threw the package away in the trash. I didn't blame Applejack for it. She didn't know. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if she had looked inside. Fluttershy and I sat around and talked, trying to get the box as far away from her mind as possible. She enjoyed talking to me. I think it's because I'm always there to make sure she is alright. She's like my little sister, even though she is a year older than me. 

I liked talking to her too. It wasn't because I liked to be the protector, which I did, but because she was just a down to earth, no pun intended, Pegasus. I think I'm the one pony who she can talk about her true feelings with. She was kind, sweet, and a lovely pony to be around. Some days I actually longed for the days when we would just sit close to each other. We didn't even have to talk. Just the feeling of being close to her made my heart...

Again I shook the thought from my head. Why am I having these thoughts? I thought to myself. She's my best friend. I've known her for most of my life and she's been living with me since we were fillies. I continued to talk with her, though. I may not understand the feelings I'm having, but I liked them. 

Before long it was time for us to get ready for the dance. I had calmed Fluttershy down enough for her to get ready with a smile on her face. She already had a dress and didn't need to scavenge around to find one. I banned her from making anymore dresses until she learned a bit more. I didn't want her to have to bandage her hoof again. I put on the Rainbow Flared dress and walked out of the changing room to see her standing in a green dress laced with flowers. She looked stunning. I couldn't help myself and I blushed. 

"Do I look okay?" she asked, catching sight of my red cheeks. 

"Uh, yeah! Of course you do!" I said trying to get ahold of myself. "But, I still think mine looks really cool." 

"Oh, I'm so glad you like it. I was worried that maybe I had overdone the lightning on the edges." she said. We walked out the door and flew down to Town Hall. As much as I liked the dress, it didn't give me much room to move my wings. I didn't voice it, however. Fluttershy worked hard on it and I didn't want to upset her. I just wish I could stop blushing every time I saw her. 

We landed in front of Town Hall where they were letting the ponies in. We walked inside and we began searching for Long Horn. It wasn't too hard to find him. All we had to do  was look for the sea of mares that were swooning over him. I literally had to fly up and over them in order to stand next to him. "Hey, where ya' been Dasher?" he said, calling me by one of my many nicknames. 

"Fluttershy and I just got here. Not to mention trying to get to you was difficult with this hoard of mares around you." I said, motioning to the group. 

"Yeah, well, I have that effect on mares." he said as he tossed his long golden mane over his shoulders. "Let's get some punch." he said and walked over to the concession stand. When we approached the table I looked behind me to see if I could find Fluttershy. I found her walking around with her head low. Being as shy as she was, she wasn't going to introduce herself to anypony. But I could see by a few of the stares from my fellow classmates that they were as stunned by her dress as I was. I could tell it was making her very uncomfortable.

"Hey, Fluttershy!" I called. "Over here!" She turned and quickly ran over to me. She must have been thankful to have be close to me again. In all honesty, I was glad she was near me too. Not just because I didn't want to be alone with the top jock of the school, but also because I liked how she looked. It would definitely improve her social status if she was seen around not just one, but two of the most popular students. Ponies knew that she and I were friends, but they also know I stick my neck out for those who were defenseless. 

"Hi, Rainbow Dash. I lost sight of you in all the commotion of those mares." she said to me. "Oh. Hello, Long Horn. How are you tonight?" she asked. 

"I'm doing well. How about you, Flutters?" he asked. I could tell by his voice that he was only trying to be nice because she was a friend of mine. 

"I'm doing well, I guess." she said quietly. 

"Yes, well, Dasher and I are going to take a stroll real quick. We'll be back shortly." he said and walked off with me trailing behind. 

I looked back to Fluttershy. "It'll be okay." I whispered as I passed her. We walked to the corner of the room and he pushed me into the corner. "Hey! What gives?" I shouted at him. 

"Look. I'm all for you hanging out with Flutters over there, but when you are with me, you don't even talk to her." he said sternly.

"And why should I do that?" I asked him.

"Because if you don't, I'll let the whole school know that you're pal is hiding from the cops and that you are harboring her." he told me. 

I looked at him shocked. "That's not what happened!" I shot at him. 

"Doesn't matter. You know how gossip spreads around here." he said with a mischievous smile.

I groaned. "Why the hay would you do that?" I asked him.

"Because I don't like her. She's weak and helpless. I like you. You are strong and valiant. But my reputation would sky rocket if I gave out that juicy secret." he told me with a wink. 

"She was right. You truly are a jerk." I said.

"Well? Are you going to leave her alone?" he asked. 

I gave him a death glare. "Yeah. I'll work with you." I said shamefully.

"Good." he said with triumph. We walked away from the corner to a paranoid Fluttershy. 

"Hey Fluttershy. Can I-" I was nudged by Long Horn before I was able to finish. I gave him a look. "At least let me tell her I can't talk to her." I whispered. He rolled his eyes and walked to the concession stand.

"What's wrong, Rainbow?" she asked worriedly.

I took a deep breath. "You see, um...I can't...You need to..." I couldn't say it. She was too vulnerable and too fragile. But I had to. If I didn't, both our lives would be ruined. "I can't talk to you tonight." I said quickly. "I can't be seen near you when I'm with Long Horn." 

Fluttershy looked like she had been stabbed in the heart by a serrated knife. And I was the one who had stabbed her. I could see the tears start to well up in her eyes. "But...But...But why?" she asked in between her tears. 

"It's because..." I started. I wanted so bad to tell her that we could still talk, that I wanted to have her by my side. But if I didn't know if I could. I had to keep her as far away from me as possible tonight so that Long Horn would keep his big mouth shut. "It's because I'm afraid you'll ruin my reputation here with Long Horn." I said quietly. I wanted to cry. I wanted to sit there and cry because of what I just said. I told her, no, I promised her that I would never leave her, that I would always be there for her. And now I'm pushing her and shoving her away as if she was an outcast. 

I suddenly remembered all those years ago when I had first met Fluttershy. She was being picked on during her first practice session of flight school. I ran over to her and helped her out so she wouldn't be alone. The bullies laughed at her when she fell and had trouble flying. They shunned her away because she was so shy. And here I was doing the same thing. Shunning her because some other pony didn't like her.

She fell to the ground crying. I picked her up and gave her a quick hug. "I'm so sorry, Fluttershy. I'll explain everything when we get home." I whispered into her ear. I pulled out of the hug and walked over to Long Horn. 

He had a huge smile on his face. He was enjoying watching the pain I felt. "Was that so hard?" he asked with a wide smile. 

"Buck you." I said. I picked up a cup and downed the punch in one gulp. I hated him. I hated him more than I hated Fluttershy's parents, I hated him for making me suffer, and I hated him for the unforgivable pain that Fluttershy was feeling. 

"C'mon, be happy! You're with the really popular and handsome stallion. Many mares would do a lot to be where you are." he said.

"What? Blackmailed to ditch their best friend and forced to stay with the blackmailer in order to prevent a lie from spreading? Sorry if I'm not as enthused as you wish I was." I said as I turned to look away from him.

"Hey." he said with a little more seriousness than before. "If you don't want the lie to spread, you will at least act like you are happy to be around me." I gave a groan. I turned to him with a smile. "That's better! Now enjoy the night." he said and took me to the center of the dance floor. I had to dance there, with that low life dancing in front of me, and I had to be happy about it. Happy that I was with a pony who made me into a bully and into a jerk. I wanted to vomit. He was a pig and I was the dirt he walked over. 

"You aren't happy enough." he said as we were dancing. 

"Sorry if I'm not glowing with joy." I said, keeping the smile on my face. 

"You have to be able to prove that you are having a good time." he said, a slow smile rising on his face. 

"And how in the hay would you have me do that?" I asked.

"Easy. Kiss me." he said.

I smacked him with an audible slap. "In your dreams!" I exclaimed at him. 

He rubbed his cheek and gave me a glare. "If you don't want that rumor to spread, kiss me." 

"You know what!? Tell it! Tell it to anyone, I don't care! Tell whatever Celestia forsaken lie you want! But I will never, ever kiss a scumbag like you!" I shouted. The music had stopped right as I yelled that. Everypony was giving us stares of disbelief. 

"Looks like you drew the crowd to us. You can still redeem yourself by complying." he said as he tapped his cheek. 

I smacked him again, much harder than last time. "If you want a pony to be your little play thing, choose somepony else! I am not dealing with you." I said and marched out of the room and out the doors. As soon as I went outside I flew to my house and up to my bedroom window. I flew straight in and saw a weeping Fluttershy in her bed. Angel was patting her back when he saw me. He squinted his eyes and pointed back out the window. 

I sighed. "Hey, Fluttershy." I said quietly. 

She looked up to me with blood red eyes. Her dress was getting crumpled from lying in the bed. "Rainbow Dash? What do you want?" she asked as she wiped her eyes.

"I...I want to apologize for what I said earlier. You were right. Long Horn is a jerk. I should never have agreed to go with him." I said ashamed. 

She sniffed and wiped her eyes again. "What was that all about?" she asked.

"When he pulled me off to the side, he told me I had to leave you and not talk to you. If I didn't he was going to spread a lie about us." I said. 

"What was the lie?" she said a little calmer now.

"That you were hiding from the cops and I was harboring you." I told her. I walked over to her and sat next to her on the bed. "But I ditched him. He was going to force me to kiss him. So, I told him off and left. You know, after I hit him a few times." I said with a sigh. "I wouldn't be surprised if the police came by later tonight or tomorrow. 

Fluttershy slowly put her head on my shoulder. I didn't stop her. I wanted her near me. "Rainbow Dash?" she asked. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course." I replied, looking at her.

She gave a deep breath. "When you told me that you were going with Long Horn, I was jealous. I wanted to spend the dance with you. So when it came time for me to find a dress, I wanted to find something absolutely beautiful and stunning." she said. "I had a dress before, but it wasn't really a good looking dress. So I went out and found this one. It wasn't cheap and I had to sell a few of my personal things to get it. But once I did, I was so excited that I would be able to have a dress that looked amazing. I...I wanted to impress you, Rainbow." she said with a choke.

"You did." I said, rubbing her back. 

"I noticed you blushing when you saw me. I was really happy that you liked it and thought I looked good. But when we got to the dance and you told me to stay away, I felt like it was all for nothing, like I had traded in all my items for no reason whatsoever." she said sadly. There was a knock on the front door, but I made no move to go answer it. "I was very worried about what this meant for us. So many thoughts passed through my mind that I found myself hyperventilating."

Another knock on the door but I still ignored it. "You know I would never kick you out Fluttershy." I said reassuringly. 

She nodded her head. "I know. But I was worried more about something else. Something more than that." she said. 

"Oh, hello there. Am I interrupting something?" a familiar voice said as Fluttershy and I looked up startled. 

"Doctor? How did you get in here?" I asked. 

"I soniced your door." he said as he placed an item in his jacket. "I love what you did with the place. Is that the White Tail forest?" he asked Fluttershy as he pointed to her wallpaper. 

"Oh, um, yes." she said shyly. 

"Wait, wait, wait. You soniced my door? What does that even mean?" I asked, confused. 

"Oh nothing bad. I just opened your door with my screwdriver. Anyways, Rainbow Dash, your parents are downstairs. Nice dress by the way." he said as he walked back down the stairs with my mouth agape.
> Family Reunion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I sat there not moving. Mom? Dad? I thought. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on!" the Doctor said when I didn't bolt down the stairs. I looked at Fluttershy who gave me a questioning look. She still doesn't know about my parents disappearance. I had told her when she first moved in that they were away on some mission trip to the Griffon Kingdom or something like that. I hoped she wouldn't ask questions. 

We walked down the stairs to find my parents sitting at the kitchen table. I couldn't believe my eyes. There they were, right in front of me. It didn't seem real. They had been gone for so long I almost forgot what they sounded like. I never forgot their faces, though. "Mom? Dad?" I said as I moved closer to them. 

They turned to face me and they smiled at me with exasperated faces. My mom stood up and walked over to me, looking me up and down. "Honey, look at how much you've grown since we've seen you last." she said. "And how old are you now?"

I swallowed. "15." I never realized just how long it had been since I've seen them. "What..." I stammered.

My dad walked up next to her. He had a noticeable limp but tried to hide it. "Hey, Wondermare." he said, using his usual nickname for me. "I thought you hated dresses?" he said as he saw my crumpled dress. 

"I...what..." I stammered. I still didn't believe they were there. "What are you two doing here?" I asked.

"What's wrong with stopping by now and again?" the Doctor said as he surveyed the room, smelling random objects. 

My dad looked at him. "Mind giving us a few minutes?" 

The Doctor put down the Wonderbolts model he was just getting a whiff of. "Oh, right. Big family reunion. Sorry. I'll be outside." he said and walked out the door. 

"Wait!" I called. He was going to fall straight off the clouds! He was an Earth Pony, not a Pegasus. 

"Easy there, sweetie." my mom called as I rushed to the door. "He won't fall." she said without giving a reason.

"How? He's not a Pegasus, in case you haven't noticed, mom!" I exclaimed to her as I slowed down my speed.

"I know, but he won't fall. He's a strange pony, but he's reliable." she said. 

I turned to them. "What's going on? First you're here, then you vanish, and now you decide to suddenly drop in and say hi?" I asked. I was glad to see them, ecstatic even. But I was a little hurt that they did leave without telling us why. 

"Um...excuse me." Fluttershy said quietly. This is bad. I had completely forgotten she was there. "I know it's none of my business, but what does she mean by vanish and returning all of a sudden?" she asked. Her hair had fallen back to cover her eye again. Just like it had when we were fillies. 

My parents looked at me. "You didn't tell her? Even after her parents..." my dad trailed off. 

I turned my head away a little and started to slowly kick my foot across the floor. "Well, Felix told me we needed to keep it a secret. At least until we knew what exactly was going on." I said. 

"But you kept it from Fluttershy? Your closest friend." my mother asked.

I nodded my head. They had no idea how much it hurt me to not tell her the truth of what had happened. I could feel my heart race as Fluttershy walked next to me.

"Rainbow? Are you okay?" she asked, putting her hoof on my shoulder.

"Yeah," I said, regaining my composure. "I'm fine." 

"Where is Felix, anyway? Shouldn't he be home from work by now?" my dad asked.

"He had to take over for another pony." I said. "How do you know so much about our lives? No offense, but you haven't necessarily been around to see it." I pointed out. 

"Have a seat, Rainbow. We'll explain everything. Fluttershy can stay too." my mom said as she pointed to the couch. 

"Oh, no. It's alright. I wouldn't want to impose." she said shyly. 

"You wouldn't be. Besides, if you're living with our daughter you should know what's gong on, just as much as she does." my dad said. 

I walked over to the couch and sat down. Fluttershy reluctantly sat next to me. Both of our dresses were wrinkled. We looked awful, but Fluttershy still looked adorable. It was like looking at the sunset. You never wanted to turn away from its beauty and hoped it would last forever. Why was I having these recurring thoughts? I was brought out of my head when my dad started to talk.

"Right after you left on your first Nightmare Night, Felix left to get some cider with his money we gave him. As I'm sure you've come to realize, we weren't a poor family. It was, however, the best way to keep you and Felix safe, or at least, that's what we had hoped for." he said as he looked at my mom. 

"A few minutes after Felix left, the Doctor came by and told us that they were coming. We packed our things quickly, knowing that if they knew you two were out in Ponyville, they would find you and probably hurt you." my mom continued. "We created a distraction to draw their attention to us. After awhile, we were running through the forest. Our biggest concern was hoping that Felix had read the note and left before the fire started. We're extremely happy that he did." she said with a smile. 

"As we ran through the forest, we met up with some members of the Royal Guard. They took us to Canterlot where we were put in protective care. We can't give you details, but we will tell you what we can. You see, Rainbow, we are part of the Equestrian Intelligence Agency. We used to do a lot of spying on different nations in the world. We've made a lot of enemies, some of which, are following us now." my dad said.

"Who are these enemies?" I asked.

"We don't know exactly. What Celestia believes is that they are members of a group from the Griffon Kingdom. Not much is know about them. Your father and I were sent their to acquire information on a possible chemical attack." my mom said. "More or less, things didn't go as planned. We were captured and tortured for information. We were able to escape, but only because one of the guards was cocky and got too close to us." 

"Something doesn't make sense, though. If you were put in protective care, then why are you constantly running around? And you still haven't answered how you know so much about us?" I asked.

"In protective care, you move around a lot. Especially with the group we have after us. As to how we know so much about you, you can ask the Doctor. Do you really think that we would just leave you without someone watching over you?" my mother asked sarcastically. 

"That's what it seemed like." I told them. "But I'm still confused. How-" I was cut off by the Doctor barging in. 

"Hello, sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem." he said frantically.

"Not one moment of peace!" my dad exclaimed. He got up and stumbled as he winced. My mom grabbed ahold of him and helped him to the Doctor. "How far out are they?" 

"About five miles, and closing fast." the Doctor said as he helped my dad out the door. 

"Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry we can't stay and talk longer. But if they are on their way here, you're in more danger if we're here. I love you!" my mom said to me as the three of them rushed out the door. 

I sat there on the couch, trying to figure out what had just happened. It all moved so fast. First my parents, who I haven't seen since I was just a filly, had walked in, told Fluttershy and I about what had happened, and then left, just as suddenly as they had arrived. Fluttershy was sitting next to me looking at me.

"Is that why you lied to me about them?" she asked. "Because of what Felix said and you not knowing what happened?" I nodded my head. "I see." she said quietly. She put a foreleg behind my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I know how much you love them. You had your reason to not tell me." she said, trying to comfort me. Why though? I didn't feel bad or sad. I was still shocked by the events.

We sat there for about ten minutes before it hit me. The pain of realizing that they were here and I didn't even tell them that I loved them or gave them a hug. I shook a little as tears started to well in my eyes. No. Rainbow, you are tough. You can't cry. I thought as I tried to push the tears back. It was too much, though. The pain of realizing that my one and only chance of hugging my parents again was gone. I burst out crying into Fluttershy's chest as she wrapped me in a warm hug. 

I couldn't help myself. My parents were gone again, taken from me by the Doctor. I had no idea when I would see them or if I would even hear from them again. I hoped I would hear from them, but I remembered what my dad said about constantly moving, and cried harder. I had never felt so sad as I had now.

Fluttershy. She's the only pony I have truly cried in front of. I mean, a few others have seen a tear or two, but none have seen the waterworks I was displaying now. She rubbed her hoof through my mane as I bawled. I heard the door suddenly slam close and we both jumped. I must've forgotten to close it after my parents left. 

"Rainbow? Are you home? Why was the front door wide open?" he asked as he entered. I quickly ended my tears and regained my composure. It was one thing to cry in front of Fluttershy. It was another thing to cry in front of my brother. I couldn't let him see me like this. 

"I'm in here." I said as I finished wiping my tears away. 

He walked in and gave a sigh of relief. "For a minute there I thought something had happened." he said with a relieved smile.

Something had happened. But I couldn't tell him now without bursting into tears again. It was hard to do that now just by thinking about it. "I just forgot to close it after the dance." I told him. 

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. "How was it?" he asked as he downed the water.

"It was, uh, great. We had a lot of fun." I replied. It was a disaster that had gotten worse after I had left. 

He walked in and looked at me worriedly. "You okay? You look like you've been crying. Is everything alright?" he asked.

I rubbed my eyes, acting like I was just tired. "Yeah. Just a little beat after tonight." I said. I faked a yawn. "I think I'm going to hit the hay early tonight." I said. I stood up with Fluttershy and we headed upstairs. "Good night!" I called down to him.

"Good night?" he replied confused. It was only 9 o'clock, early even for Felix's standards. The dance was most likely still going on with the lie being spread around. Well, looks like I can kiss my reputation goodbye. I closed the door behind me and locked it after we entered our room. 

"Fluttershy? Can I ask you something?" I asked her.

"Of course." she said as she sat on her bed. 

I walked over to her bed and fell on my back. "What's it like to not have parents?" I asked. I know it probably wasn't something I should ask her, since it may bring back memories, but she was the only pony I knew who may know what I felt like now.

She looked at me with solemn eyes. "It's like having a void in your chest. You know they are there somewhere, but they don't seem like it. At least, that's how it was for me." she said quietly. I sat up and looked at her. Her face was looking down at the floor, away from me. "My parents were with me, but I felt like they weren't even there. I heard what you would say about yours. It made me think what it would be like to have actual parents who cared about me." she said.

She turned to look at me. "I was jealous of you for having such great parents. When you offered to have me live with you after what happened in the hospital, I was so excited. I thought that I would actually have parents who would care about me. But then you said they were on a trip somewhere and never talked about them. I just passed it off as not being important. I had no idea that they were actually running from something." she said.

"Yeah. Running and leaving me here alone." I said. 

"Well, yes. But do you know why they did?" she asked. When I didn't respond she put a hoof on my back. "They did it because they felt that you would be safer if they were away. They did it because they love you." she said as she rubbed my back. "Something my parents never felt for me." she said. I could hear her start to cry. I turned to her and gave her a tight hug. 

"Hey. We may not have parents to watch over us, but we have each other." I told her. "Remember. I'm not leaving you. Not for anything." I said. I began to cry a little too. I still had some feelings after my first session. She was, truly, the only pony I could show any emotions to. It felt good having somepony to express myself to. We cried together and fell asleep in each others hold.

I woke up the next day wrapped tightly in Fluttershy's grip. We were still wearing our dresses, which were completely ruined by this morning. I found it a little weird that we were still in each other's hold, but I liked it. For some reason I snuggled close into her mane. It was soft and luscious. I played with her hair as she continued to sleep peacefully. 

This is nice. I thought to myself. I like just laying here with her. It's soothing. I let the feelings wash over me. I realized something that I hadn't realized before. I liked her. Like, more than just a friend. Hay, I'm able to show her my emotions and be myself around her. I'd do anything for her. Are these thoughts normal? I thought questioningly. I couldn't tell Fluttershy. If I did, she would think I was crazy. I mean, we've known each other for most of our lives. 

I stopped playing with her mane as she started to move awake. "Oh, my." she said quietly as she blushed. She slowly started to let go of me, but I held on tighter. 

"Hey. I, uh, want to say I'm sorry for the dresses." I said. I could feel my cheeks flush. 

"Oh. Don't worry about it. In the end, I think everything worked out fine." she said. We stared at each other for a few seconds. We were so close to each other. My heart raced as I drew my head closer.

"Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy! It's time for breakfast." Felix called at our door. We quickly let go of each other and got off the bed. 

"Alright." I called back to him. I looked back to Fluttershy. She was beat red. I'm sure I was the same, but I didn't voice anything. I took the dress off and walked downstairs without saying a word. What's going on with you, Dash?
> Hearths Warming
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Months passed after my parents visit. I ended up telling Felix the next day about it. He was shocked, mad, annoyed, and confused. Yep, that pretty much sums up how I was feeling as well. That box that Fluttershy got started to fade away in my memories, but I knew that Fluttershy didn't forget it. I could tell she was a little nervous  But, it's Hearts Warming Eve. I should be excited, right?

"Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I told her. I wasn't really. I was really worried she wouldn't like my gift. I know she wanted something animal related, but I didn't know for sure what to get. I was taking her to the market claiming I needed to pick up Felix's gift. I already had it, though. I got him a  finance simulation board game. I knew he loved stuff like that, but I also hoped that maybe he could show me some of it. I was going to need some advice if I ever left home. 

"So, what are you going to be getting Felix?" Fluttershy asked as we walked through the horde of ponies doing last minute shopping. 

"Something financial.  How about you go that way and see what you can find." I told her as I pointed away from the animal shelter.

"Alright. I guess I can find something." she said. 

"Call my name if you find anything." I said. We went our separate ways, each looking for something different. I walked into the shelter when I was sure Fluttershy couldn't see me. A bell rang when I walked in and a green haired mare walked out from behind a counter. 

"Oh! Rainbow Dash. Are you here to pick up her gift?" she asked me.

"Yep. She's on the other side of the market looking for a gift for Felix. Should be a surprise to her when she sees it." I said as I looked behind me to make sure she wasn't there.

"I'll be right back." she said with a smile and walked into a separate room. I looked around the store at all the animals that were around. Usually, I wouldn't bother myself to come look at the animals. But in case Fluttershy came by, I wanted it to look like I was actually looking for something for Felix. It was a stupid idea since I told her I was getting him something with finances, but it was all I had at the moment.

The mare came back with a little cage that had a blanket over it. I smiled as she set it on the counter. "Here you go!" she said. I put bits on the table for the pet, but she pushed them back to me. "No need, Rainbow. Happy Hearths Warming." she said with a smile. 

I thanked her, and walked out to find Fluttershy standing in front of the shelter. "Gah!" I shouted as I saw her in front of me.

"Oh, hi Rainbow. Did you find something for him?" she asked as she eyed the cage. "I saw you looking at the animals. I thought you were getting something financial for him?" she asked. 

"Oh. Well, uh..." I stammered. "I...found something that I think he would like more than financial...things." I lied. It was an absolutely terrible lie, but I hoped she wouldn't ask too many questions. 

"Oh. I see." she said. She started to look under the blanket, but I quickly stopped her.

"It's sleeping!" I exclaimed. "We have to be quiet not to wake him." I said, lowering my voice. 

"Oh. Well then we should get home so the commotion here doesn't wake him." she said, her animal care instinct starting to kick in. 

"Then let's get going." I said. "You didn't buy anything for him here, did you? I don't want you to spend your money on something I was going to get him." I said as we headed home. 

"Oh no. I didn't even get a good chance to look around. When I saw you walk into the shelter, I was so curious as to what you could want there, that I couldn't help but see what you were getting." she said. We flew home and landed in our room. "So do you think he's going to like his gift?" she asked, trying to look under the blanket again. 

I stopped her again. "I think this will be the best gift ever." I said, as I tried to hide my grin from her. 

"Oh, can I at least see the poor thing?" she asked pleadingly. 

"No! I want it to be a surprise to every pony." I said. "Besides, I think he's still asleep." I said. 

"Oh, come on, Rainbow. I won't tell. I promise." she pleaded with a smile. 

"Nope. Not until we open everything." I said. I wanted to show her now, but I had to wait. The anticipation of seeing it would make it all worth while to her. At least, I hoped it would. 

"Oh. Okay." she said with a defeated look.  

"I'm going to put him with the rest of the gifts. Maybe we can convince Felix to let us open our presents early." I told her. We walked downstairs to our living room where all the wrapped goodies were. I placed the cage and put him on the table.

"Does he need food? Or water? Oh, please Rainbow, let me just make sure he's okay." she pleaded with me again. 

"Fluttershy, trust me. He's fine." I said. 

"Are you sure? Maybe he's cold." she said. I had to pick her up and fly her away from the cage. She kept trying to run towards it, her legs moving in the air frantically. "Can I please make sure nothing is wrong?" she asked.

I placed her in a chair. "Fluttershy, just sit there." I said impatiently. She finally sat there quietly with her hooves in her lap. "Thank you." I said. I sat in the chair next to her and waited for Felix. There was a knock on the door and when I went and opened it, a pony in a big red suit and a white beard walked in. 

"Ho ho ho!" he yelled. He walked in with a bag on his back with bows sticking out. "Happy Hearths Warming!" he shouted. 

I laughed. "Felix! You look hilarious!" I exclaimed. He gave me a wink as he walked in and placed the bag in the middle of the living room. 

"Let's see what we have here!" he said in a deep voice as he pulled a box out. "Fluttershy! This one is for you!" he said as he handed a box to her. She walked up and took it as he pulled another one out. "Rainbow Dash, I believe this one is for you. It feels like a hoodie of some sort." he said. I took the box and ripped it open. 

"Wow! This is so cool!" I said, pulling out a Wonderbolts hoodie. I put it on and looked in the bathroom mirror. "Thanks, Felix!" I exclaimed. I heard whispering coming from the other room. I walked in and found a small envelope sitting on the table next to the cage. "What's that?" I said pointing to it. They were smiling and looking at me. 

"Open it." Fluttershy said with a smile. The box Felix gave her had a scarf with bunnies and birds on it. It was wrapped around her neck snuggly. 

"Well hold on a second. You guys still need to open up your gifts from me!" I said. I rushed over to the other presents. I picked up a square box and gave it to Felix. 

He tore it open and gave a shout. "Woo! Thanks, sis! Now you have no excuse to say that you aren't interested in finances!" he said. "You know, since you were the one who bought this."

"Hey, if I ever move out of here, I want to know how to handle myself." I said. Fluttershy stood next to me and tugged on my tail.

"But, I thought what was under the blanket was for Felix." Fluttershy said, confused. 

"Nah. I wouldn't give him something like this. He wouldn't know what to do with it." I said as I picked the cage up and placed it in Fluttershy's lap. I pulled the blanket off and she gasped. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at the red song bird. It sang a tune to her and fluttered around a little bit. 

"Oh my gosh. He's so beautiful." she said. She opened the cage and the bird flew onto her shoulder. It rustled it's feathers and snuggled into her mane. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash!" she exclaimed and gave me a big hug. It threw me off balance and I struggled to stay upright. 

"No problem. I know how much you love animals and creatures, so I had to get this bird for you." I said. She let go of me. She ran to the card and handed it to me. "Here. I know you're going to love this." she said all giddy with excitement. 

I opened the card and pulled out two pieces of paper. When I saw them, my jaw dropped. What I had in my hoof, were two tickets to the Wonderbolts air show. When I looked closer, I noticed not only were they tickets for us to see the show, but they were meet and greet VIP passes. I squeed, which I rarely do, and gave Fluttershy a bigger, tighter hug than she gave me. 

"Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! Thank you, Fluttershy!" I said excitedly. 

"Well, it wasn't just me. Felix was the one who thought of the tickets. I just added the meet and greet." she said. 

I ran over to Felix and gave him a hug as well. "You guys are so awesome!" I said.

"You know we try to." he said, returning my hug. "Happy Hearths Warming."

"Happy Hearths Warming." I replied. 

We sat together opening the rest of our gifts. Once we were done, we all headed to our rooms. We were exhausted, even though it was only 6 o'clock at night. I took my Wonderbolts hoodie off and placed it on my bed. Fluttershy had placed her bird next to Angel, who instantly made friends with it. 

"Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked. I turned to look at her. She still had her scarf on and in the moonlight, she was gorgeous. 

"Yeah?" I said, trying to hide my blushing cheeks. 

"I really liked what you got me. He's so beautiful and he can sing wonderfully." she said. She walked closer to me. "Did you like what me and Felix got you?" she asked.

"Are you kidding me? Of course I liked it. I loved it! The Wonderbolts are the most elite flying group in Equestria, and you got me tickets to actually meet them!" I said. I stood up and walked up to her. "Fluttershy, it's the best gift I've ever been given." We both flushed. I gave her a tight hug. I could see Angel looking at me. It was like he was telling me, 'Go ahead. Do it.' 

I pulled out of the hug and looked into her eyes. I leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. Her face flushed. I gave a short laugh.

"Rainbow?" she asked quietly. 

I gave her another kiss to seal the deal. "Happy Hearths Warming." I told her as I wrapped her in my tight embrace. 
> Not Coming Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I guess you could say that a few weeks after Hearths Warming, Fluttershy and I were, well, dating. It kind of came out of nowhere, but I'm happy being here with her. It's a little weird, being back in school and having to deal with the stares from those filly-fooler phobes, but because I'm a popular mare there, things aren't too bad. Fluttershy's social status has sky rocketed since dating me. I know that isn't the reason why she wanted to be with me, but it was a good side benefit for her. 

What's great this year, though, is that we have all but one of our classes together. Most of our Junior classes are just generics. Personal Finance, Algebra, Weather Patterns, you know, usual pony stuff. The one class we don't have together is Professional Aerial Study. It's like Advanced Flying Techniques, but here we get to go outside of class and see professional fliers in action. Sadly, we don't get to see the Wonderbolts. But they have more important things to do than to have some students come out and watch them during private practice. 

I walked down the hallways after Professional Aerial Study to find Fluttershy getting bullied and pushed for her love of animals. She gets bullied for many things, being a weak flyer, and for, well, being with me. "Hey!" I shouted as I ran over to the group. I'm not going to tolerate her getting bullied for anything. Especially for being who she is! "What the hay are you doing to her?" I shouted as I flew above their heads. 

"What's it to you, Rainbow Crash? Are you scared that your mare friend might hurt your reputation?" the jock with a basketball for a cutie mark asked me. 

"Why should she? Are you afraid that I'll become more popular than you, filly-fooler phoebe?" I asked. 

"Oh, please. Like you could ever achieve a higher status than me." he said. His posse behind him started to give shouts of agreement. 

I looked at them, then to Fluttershy. She was in a corner crying. That was all I needed to let them have it. "So, you boys think you're tough because you can push around a shy, defenseless, beautiful pony? Well, how about you try to push somepony your own size!" I shouted, right in his face. 

He smiled at me. "Alright, Crash. I'll see you after school." he said. "You're lucky your mare friend was here to save you, Flutters." He and his posse left laughing.

I glared at them as they left. "You okay, Fluttershy?" I asked as I helped her off the ground. She had tears in her eyes and I wiped them away for her. 

"Yeah, I'm okay." she said, quietly. "Thanks for helping, but are you really going to fight them?" she asked me.

"Heck yeah I am! Nopony pushes you around." I told her. 

"But won't you get in trouble?" she asked. 

I drew her in for a hug. "Maybe, but it'll be worth it if you stop being bullied." I said. The bell rang, signaling we were both late for class. Again. 

"Oh no. That's the fourth time in two days, Rainbow. You really shouldn't keep me held up like this." she said with a smile. She gave me a quick kiss and we ran off to our next class, Weather Patterns.

We ran into class and the teacher gave us a stern look. "Ms. Dash. Fluttershy. Thank you for joining us. Mind telling us why you are late?" he asked.

"They were probably making out." a random pony whispered. The class laughed but was quickly silenced by the teacher's stare.

"Take your seats you two. We were discussing how you know when to let it rain or let the sun shine. But I'm sure you know all about that, Ms. Dash. The weather has been perfect since you became Captain of the Weather Team years ago." he praised. We took our seats and sat through the lesson. He was right. I did know all about it. So did Fluttershy, but only because I taught her about it.

I'm lucky. I sit right next to the window where I can see the sky and feel the wind. It's soothing, especially after being in school for six hours. I was in the middle of a daydream when a piece of paper hit me in the face. It had come from outside the window, but when I looked, there was nopony there. I looked at the crumpled paper that sat on my desk. I uncrumpled it as quietly as I could. The teacher had a keen ear for any rustling papers. 

After I opened the paper, I recognized the writing immediately. It wasn't in blood this time, but the unforgettable writing was definitely the same as the blood that was written in the box. 

We know where they are. They can't hide forever. Tonight, he will die, and then, she will follow. Don't think of yourself as safe. We know where you are as well. I read to myself. What did that mean? Were they talking about my parents or Fluttershy's? Did it even have anything to do with our parents? I wasn't sure.

"Ms. Dash. I understand that you may feel as if this class means nothing to you, but that doesn't mean you should be passing notes." the teacher said. He walked over and took the note. He was one of the few teachers who didn't read notes out loud in class, thankfully, but he did keep them at his desk. As long as he didn't read it, I'd be fine. 

I looked at Fluttershy who must've seen something on my face. She looked at me with a concerned look. "I'll tell you after school." I mouthed to her. She nodded her head. I sat for the rest of the hour thinking who they were talking about and who 'they' were. And what did they mean I wasn't safe? The note said they knew where I was.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when the bell rang. "Enjoy your weekend, class." the teacher said as we started to leave. "Ms. Dash, a word please." he said before I could reach the door.

I stopped and acted like nothing was wrong and looked at Fluttershy. "I'll be right out. Hold on a second." I said. I walked over to his desk. It was covered with notes from other students, and I spotted mine dead center. 

"You probably know why I called you over here." he said. 

"Because I'm a good student?" I asked, knowing that wasn't the reason. 

"Ms. Dash, we both know that's not the reason," he said and pushed the note closer to me. "Can you explain this?" he asked. 

"It's just a little prank somepony has been playing on me." I lied. 

"This is some serious prank." he said. "And yet, I don't believe it is." 

"It's just one of the jocks messing with me. It doesn't mean anything." I said. "I don't mean to be rude, sir, but I have to get going. I have a meeting with some friends after school." I turned to leave but was stopped once again.

"One more thing. I have to file a report like this to somepony who you are in contact with, a brother, a sister, a friend, or a relative." he said. "Who would be the best pony to send this to?" he asked.

I thought about it and realized something. He wasn't a relative, but he was the best way to get answers about who 'they' were. "Send it to the Doctor." I told him.

"Doctor...?" he asked me.

"Just the Doctor. He can help with it." I said and left for my fight. 

There was a large crowd gathered by the flag pole. I could see the posse of jocks pumping their buddy up for the fight. I searched the crowd for Fluttershy, locked eyes with her and ran over to her. "Sorry about that. The teacher wanted to see me about the note." I told her.

"What was on the note?" she asked. 

"I'll tell you once we're done with the fight." I said. I walked to the flag pole where the jocks were and tapped their buddy on the shoulder. "You ready to lose?" I asked him.

His posse faded back into the crowd when he turned to face me. "Lose? Please. When I win, you're going to be nothing here." he said.

"Okay. Then let's prove it." I said, and kicked him in the leg. 

He fell on the ground as he leg buckled underneath him. "Hey! That's not fair! I wasn't ready!" he shouted at me.

"You sounded ready." I said with a smile. He jumped up and swung at my face. I dodged it easily. He was like Felix, stronger, but slower. I ran to his left and hit his back leg. He retaliated with a swing and nicked my shoulder. "You call that a hit? Feels like I'm fighting a fly." I taunted him. He kicked at my chest, but I dodged it too. 

"I'm going easy because you're a mare." he said, and swung in the direction I had dodged. He made contact with my face and I fell on the ground. It hurt, a lot. My nose was bleeding and by the taste in my mouth, I think I bit my tounge. 

"Rainbow Dash!" I heard Fluttershy call. I regained my footing, remembering exactly why I was fighting him. I spit the blood in my mouth on the ground and smiled at him. Usually, most ponies would quit there. But I kept fighting. I wasn't about to go down this easy.

"Oh-Ho! She's got some more fight in her." he taunted me. 

I chuckled. "Oh please. This is nothing." I said. It was true too. I've suffered worse injuries from crashing after a flight. It still hurt, though. It was different from my usual leg or wing injuries. I swung at him and when he dodged, I kicked him in his legs. He stumbled a little and I jumped behind him and gave a strong kick to his hindquarters. 

He collapsed in pain as he grabbed his rear in pain. The crowd that had been cheering got real quiet. He was laying on the ground crying. Here, if you cried during a fight, you lost all respect. It was a tough school, so fights generally didn't happen because of that. I heard hoof steps coming from behind me. At first I thought it was a teacher, but when I saw a yellow pegasus rush by, I knew I was fine. 

"Did you really have to hit him that hard?" she asked me. Okay, maybe I was still in a little bit of trouble with Fluttershy. 

He groaned as he stood up. "Leave me alone, Flutters. I don't need your help." he said. He walked over to his posse, but was rejected as they walked off without him. He started his walk of shame back to his house. 

"Well, he was a jerk. You only wanted to help him, right?" I asked Fluttershy. She nodded her head.

"Oi! What's going on over here?" I heard a familiar voice say. The crowd dispersed quickly. They must've thought it was a teacher, but I knew it wasn't. 

"Hey there Doctor. What are you doing here?" I asked as he walked up to Fluttershy and I.

"Well I did come here because I the police called me to come here. Something about a prank." he said. "But what was that fight about?"

"Just me being awesome and defending Fluttershy." I gloated. 

"And yet you look like you took a beating." he said. My nose had stopped bleeding, but I still had blood on my face. I'm sure there were more injuries to my face, but I didn't care about them. 

"I may have, but I won." I said.

"Only because you kicked him so hard that he won't be able to sit for a week." Fluttershy pointed out to me. 

"It worked though!" I said, defending myself. "Anyways, Doctor, I have something I think you should know about." I told him. 

"Is it about the note?" Fluttershy asked me. I nodded my head.

"I know what note you're talking about, and that's why I need you to come with me. You two aren't safe here." he said. 

"Why aren't we safe?" Fluttershy asked. I explained what the note said and her face drained of its usual yellow color. "But how do they know where we are?" she asked.

"I don't know, but right now, I'm taking you to Canterlot for the weekend. Felix is already there." he said. We went to the train station and headed straight for Canterlot. 

"Are you sure they won't find us there?" I asked. 

"They shouldn't. Princess Celestia is going to have guards patrolling the area." he said.

"But, won't that look odd and out of place?" Fluttershy asked.

"Not with a perception filter." he told her.

"A perception filter? What is that?" I asked.

"When you are around it, ponies can't see you." he explained.

"So it makes us invisible?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well not entirely. It just bends the light in a certain way. They see you, but they don't see you." he said. He turned to us with a questioning look on his face. "Don't they teach you that in school?" he asked. We shook our heads. "What has the world come to." he whispered to himself. 

We arrived in Canterlot and were led to a hotel. It was big and full of 'noble' ponies. They gave us stares of disapproval as they passed us. We walked into an elevator and were taken up to the top floor. "Go down the hall and take a left. Your room is the fourth one on the right." he said, giving us a key. 

"Where are you going?" I asked. 

"I have some stuff to do. It's of timey wimey importance." he said as the elevator door closed behind us. 

Fluttershy and I walked down the hall and followed the Doctor's instructions. When we arrived at the door, I could hear crying from the inside. I opened the door with the key and walked in. "Felix?" I called in. He was sitting on the bed when we entered. He turned to us and wiped his eyes.

"Hey there, Dash." he said, trying to hide his tears.

"What's going on?" I asked, worried. I had never seen him cry, not even the night our parents left. 

"Come over here." he told me. I walked over and sat next to him. He put a hoof around my shoulder and drew me in for a hug. "You know I love you, right?" he asked me.

"Of course. I love you too. What's going on, Felix?" I asked, concerned. 

He looked to Fluttershy and motioned her over. She came by and sat to the other side of him. "Fluttershy, you're basically family. You've been great to have around." he said as he pulled her in close too. 

"Felix? Please. What's happening?" I asked.

He looked to the floor and gave a sigh. "Dad isn't coming home." 

I sat there in shock. "What do you mean? He has to come back." I said. 

"He won't be, Dash." Felix choked. "Mom is safe though. She said she'll be home in about a year." 

"Don't tell me that!" I shouted at him, leaving his hold. "Don't you dare say that to me! He will be back!" I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't believe it. 

"Rainbow?" I heard Fluttershy say. I looked at her with tears starting to form in my eyes. She was crying too. Not out loud, but tears were streaming down her face. "Rainbow, your scaring me." she said quietly. 

I lost it then. I crumpled up and cried. I've been so tough for so long. I've been keeping every single tear about my parents in for so long that when it hurt when I let them out. I felt Fluttershy's unmistakable soft mane touch my back. She hugged me and whispered comfortingly to me. 

"I'm sorry, Dash." Felix whispered again. He was crying, but not as hard as me. He must have been crying long before I had gotten here. 

The door opened and the Doctor walked in. "Felix..." he said. Felix walked over to him and the Doctor whispered something to him. The Doctor walked over to me and knelt down. "Hey you two." he said quietly. I looked at him with watery eyes. "I'm so sorry about your dad. He was a good pony." 

I sniffed and started to wipe my eyes. "How'd you know him?" I asked.

"We were partners years ago. Normally I don't become close friends with those who I work with. Bad things tend to happen to them. But, we became friends rather quickly, and look what happened." he said. "It's my fault..." 

"No, it isn't. You did what you could." Felix said. 

I looked at him questioningly. "What happened?" I asked.

The Doctor sighed. "Fluttershy, your father isn't actually dead." he said. 

"What? But how?" she asked.

"We don't know." he said. He started to continue again, but I cut him off.

"Who's 'we?'" I asked.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that we know who killed your dad and we have him in custody with Celestia." the Doctor said.

"I think I deserve to know!" I shouted at him. Fluttershy put a hoof on my shoulder. She looked extremely calm and in control while I was here in a ball on the ground trying my hardest to keep myself from crying. I'm suppose to be the tough one, not Fluttershy. But...I liked that she was here, holding me.

"Rainbow, it's okay. Maybe we'll find out later." she said, and looked at the Doctor. "Right?" 

He nodded his head. "As soon as this is all over." He looked to Felix, gave a nod of his head, and turned to leave out the door. 

"Wait." I said. He turned and looked at me. "Make sure that he pays." I told him. He nodded and left. 
> A Promise and a Threat
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We sat there quietly thinking about the Doctor and Fluttershy's dad. I hoped the Doctor was giving her dad a painful time. I know if it were me, it would be able to qualify for a horror film. Fluttershy was still hugging me tightly as Felix walked over to the balcony outside the room. 

"Why did he do this?" I asked to nopony in particular. "We didn't do anything to him."

"I don't know, Dash. Maybe it's because we took care of Fluttershy. You know how her father is." he replied grimly.

"Myabe it's because of my mother? You know, after she yelled at me." Fluttershy whispered. I could tell the memories were returning to her again. I pulled her closer and tightened my hug on her. 

"But that doesn't make sense. He 'died' before we took Fluttershy in. It was about a week after he supposedly died since her mother damaged her wings." I said. 

"Maybe he wants to finish the job, but make it more painful." Felix said. "Her mother liked to harm her emotionally." I could feel Fluttershy's heart beating faster. The memories were making her tremble. I gave her a kiss on her forehead to remind her I was here. 

Felix left the balcony and headed for the door. "I'm going on a walk. I need to clear my head." he said as he opened the door.

"But aren't we supposed to stay here until we're told we can leave?" I asked him. 

"I work at the Equestrian Stock Exchange. I'm sure they'll let me out if I tell them I need to get there for work. Besides, we were advised, not forced." he said, and left us alone in our room. 

Fluttershy looked at me with wet eyes. "I can't believe he's back." she whispered. She was still shaking, but not as bad as before. 

"He's getting what he deserves. He can't hurt you now." I told her reassuringly.

She pulled out of the hug. "Do you really believe that?" she asked me.

"I believe that if he tries to again, he'll have to deal with me. And I won't let him hurt you again." I said and gave her a long kiss. I let her go and looked her in the eyes. "You are safe with me here." 

She wrapped her hooves around me and gave me a tight hug. "Okay, Rainbow. Just promise me one thing." she said.

"What is that?" I asked. 

She put her mouth up to my ear. "Don't leave me." she whispered. 

I pulled away and looked at her. "I'll never you hangin', Fluttershy. I promise." I kissed her and pulled her in for a hug. 

"Thank you." she said quietly. I had an idea.

"Hey, you want to see if we can find anything out about what happened?" I asked. 

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

"Let's see if we can ask one of the guards if they know where they took your dad. Maybe we can fly off the balcony and eavesdrop a little." I explained. 

"But, what if we're caught? Won't we get in trouble?" she asked concerned. "I don't want to get thrown in a dungeon somewhere." 

"We won't. Don't worry." I said. "Now, go out there and ask about the room." 

"But, why me? Oh, I'm too nervous. I'll mess up and it'll be ruined. Why don't you?" she asked quietly. 

"Because it would be too obvious. They'd think I wanted to go out and hunt him down. With you, you're just a worried pegasus who wants to find her father. Just look adorable like you always do." I said flirtatiously. 

"Oh, okay." she said quietly. She walked to the door and opened it, grabbing the guard's attention. "Um, excuse me, but I was wondering, um, if it's okay with you, could you tell me where my father is?" I heard her ask. "I haven't heard from him in so long." She was being the most adorable creature in the whole world. 

"Well, I'm not sure I can." he said.

"Oh, please. I just have to know. I won't do anything. I promise." Fluttershy said in the quietest and most innocent voice I've ever heard.

"Sorry, kid. I can't let you know." he said and returned back to post.

"Oh, okay then." she said and walked back to me. "I tried. Sorry, Rainbow." she said with her head low. 

"It's okay, Fluttershy. You did your best." I said and walked next to the door. I put my ear next to it, hoping that I might hear something of use. 

"So, you been told anything about the POI?" a different guard asked. 

"All I know is that he's being held in the upper floor of Canterlot castle. Rumors are that somepony called the Doctor is leading the interrogation." the guard by the door said. 

Bingo. I thought.

"Him again? I thought he left for Gallophrey?" the other guard said. 

"Well wherever he was, he's back. Anyways, I try to stay away from him. Death follows him wherever he goes." the guard by the door said. 

I pulled my head back from the door. I didn't like the sound of death following the Doctor, but I got what I wanted. It's a good thing these guards are talkative. "You ready to get some answers?" I asked Fluttershy. 

"What do you mean? I wasn't able to figure out where dad was." she said, confused. 

"Yeah, well the big mouth guards can't help but talk about it." I said. 

"Well, where are we going?" she asked as I walked to the balcony. 

"Canterlot Castle!" I said and jumped off the balcony. I was in free fall for a few seconds before I extended my wings and flew off. 

"Wait! Don't leave me here!" she cried to me and followed behind me. I kept my flight speed slow enough so Fluttershy could keep up. We flew high above the clouds so we wouldn't be spotted by the guards below. I felt like a spy, trying to infiltrate a high security base. The only thing it was similiar to, was that if we were caught, we would probably end up in a dungeon like Fluttershy said earlier. 

"Rainbow! Can we please...Take a break?" she asked me. She was having trouble with the height we were at. I found a cloud for us to sit on while she rested up a little. We landed on top of it and she took a deep breath. "Thanks you." she said quietly. I landed next to her and curled up with her.

"Your welcome. But let's not wait too long. I don't want to miss our chance to find out what's really going on." I said.

She gave a light groan. I knew she didn't want to be out here, especially with who we were looking for, but I had to know why he killed him. "Can't we just go back? I don't think I can stand seeing him again..." she said softly. 

"You'll be fine, Fluttershy. He's with the Doctor! He can't hurt you anymore." I said reassuringly.

She sighed. "Okay. I hope you're right." she said, and flew off ahead of me towards the caste.

"Hey! Wait up!" I shouted to her and caught up with her. "I thought you needed to rest?" I asked.

"I did." she said sternly. 

"If you say so." I said. We flew to the top of the castle. There weren't a lot of guards around, so it was fairly easy to fly up to the top. We hovered next to a small window that gave us a clear view of the room inside. 

"Okay, let's see what we can find out." I said quietly. I peered in and saw the Doctor and Princess Celestia talking. I wasn't sure what they saying since I couldn't hear them. I tried to get a better view so I could read their lips.

"Rainbow Dash?" I heard a voice whisper behind me. I gasped and turned around. Felix flew over and hovered next to us. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Me? What about you? Is this what you meant by going for a walk?" I asked him.

"Look, you shouldn't be here. How'd you even find out where it was?" he asked as he looked into the window. "And why'd you bring Fluttershy? You know who's sitting in that room." he said.

"It doesn't matter how I found out. All that matters is that I'm here to see why he killed dad." I said. I looked to Fluttershy. "She came with me because I kind of threw her into the middle of it." 

"Well, whatever. Just go back to the hotel. If the guards know we're all gone, they're going to know something is up." he said.

"Hello there! I hate to interrupt your conversation, but you wouldn't happen to have any apples now would you?" we heard the Doctor call to us. He had opened the window and had his head hanging out looking at us. 

"Ah!" I shouted in surprise.

"You know, before you try to leave a perception filter, you should always leave with garlic in your pocket." he said.

"Garlic? But...That doesn't even make sense." Fluttershy said.

"I know! Isn't it wonderful?" he exclaimed. "Now, come in. The Princess would like a word with you three." he said.

The three of us flew in cautiously and landed in the center of the room. The Princess stepped out of the shadows and looked at us with a frown. We bowed after a moments shock to be in front of Princess Celestia. 

"Now is not the time for formalities." she said, turning to face a chair with a tied up pony on it. "Fluttershy, I believe you know this stallion?" she asked. The stallion looked up at the sound of Fluttershy's name. She gave a whimper of fear and stood behind me as he made eye contact with her.

"Y-yes. I-I do...." she said quietly. I could feel her trembling as she hid behind me. 

"Fluttershy! Please help me! I'm sorry for what I've done in the past, but I've changed!" he pleaded. I looked to the Doctor who was giving her dad a glare. "Please, give me a chance." he whispered. 

"Changed?!" I shouted at him. I couldn't stop myself. "You abused her as a filly, you've done emotional damage, and you killed my dad!" I shouted at him. I started charging at him as he smiled at me.

"No!" the Doctor exclaimed to me as he grabbed me. "That's what he wants. He wants to prove you're more like him than you think." he pulled me to the side where I gripped Fluttershy. I didn't cry. I wouldn't cry, not in front of this monster.

"You were dead." the Doctor said as he walked back to Fluttershy's dad. "You fooled the sonic screw driver. Not an easy thing to do. So tell me, how are you alive?" he asked. 

Her dad chuckled. "You really think they would've let me die?" he said.

"Who?" the Doctor replied quickly. 

"Смерть принцессы." he said in a language I had never heard.

The Princess looked at the Doctor shocked. "What did he say?" Felix asked. 

"Death to the Princess." the Doctor replied. "I thought they disbanded a long time ago after Luna's banishment?" he said.  I looked to Felix, who was giving me the same confused look I had. "How is it possible that they were able to find a new leader? I thought everypony who was a part of them vies for power and is unwilling to give it to anypony else?" the Doctor continued. 

"Doctor? What's going on? Who's 'they?'" I asked. 

"They went by the name Shadows of the Night. They were a terrorist group that formed roughly 1000 years ago. Their main goal was to kill the Princess so they could rule over Equestria." he said quickly.

"Their leader at the time led a coup against me. She was defeated and the group was disorganized. They disbanded and haven't been heard from since." Princess Celestia said.

"But she will return! The signs, Princess. You see them, don't you?" he asked with a smile.

"Those are just old ponies tales." the Doctor said. "Besides, there are more important things. Like why they've sided with the Griffon Kingdom." he said.

"Wait. I thought you said the Shadows of the Night were disbanded 1000 years ago? How are they back?" I asked. 

"They aren't back. Well, not exactly. The group themselves aren't back, but their ideas have always been around. They were a group that liked to play things solo. So, why are they sided with the Griffon Kingdom?" he asked Fluttershy's dad. 

"We are small in number. We don't have the resources to keep ourselves functional. We need the Griffons." he said.

"Pretty cowardly if you ask me." the Doctor said as he started to walk around him. "But why attack Rainbow's parents?" 

"They found information on the Griffons. They had to be dealt with." he said and turned to me. "Her father got what he deserved." 

"Don't antagonize her. She knew nothing, she caused nothing." the Doctor said.

Fluttershy's dad looked at her. "But she did. She taught my daughter cowardice."

"I helped her!" I shouted at him. "I helped her while you beat her and hurt her!"

"Rainbow, calm down." the Doctor said.

"You made her weak!" her dad shouted back.

"Stop..." Fluttershy said quietly.

"I made her more confident in herself! Gave her somepony who loved and cared for her!" 

"Stop." she said again.

"If she is so confident, then why can't she speak for herself?" he asked.

"STOP IT!!" Fluttershy shouted. I turned to her shocked. She had never shouted. Never shouted to anypony or anything. 

"Fluttershy?" I asked her, a bit scared. She looked at me with anger in her eyes. I walked up to her. "Fluttershy? Are you alright?" I asked.

"Of course she is. Seeing me is bringing up some tight nip anger down." he said with a smile. "Go ahead. I can see it in your eyes Fluttershy. You want to hurt me for what I did to you and Rainbow. You want to kill me. Well, what are you waiting for? Do it!" he shouted at her. 

"No!" the Doctor shouted as she stormed up to him. "Don't do this Fluttershy. I know you. This isn't you. Whatever he did to you in the past, I'm sorry. But killing him won't help." She ignored him. "Fluttershy! Listen to me, he wants you to do this. He wants you to kill him. Don't give him what he wants!"

"Do it! I beat you, abused you while you say cowardly in the corner! I took advantage of your weakness. I killed your mare friend's dad! Now kill me!" her dad shouted.

"Fluttershy, please." I whispered to her. "Don't do this."

She turned her anger on me now. "No Rainbow! You don't know what's it's like to live in fear of your parents, to wake up each morning praying you only get a light beating! You've had the perfect life, the perfect parents who always cared for you! I've always wanted that!" she shouted.

I was scared. She had never yelled at me before. She didn't even raise her voice when she was mad at me. "I don't have a perfect life with perfect parents. If I did would I be here with the one who murdered my father?" I retorted. 

"Oh, boo hoo hoo. Your childhood was a dream I wish I had! I lived each day in a hell hole while you lived in paradise!" she screamed. "Your parents always cared for you. Your mom helped you with school work, your dad helped you build confidence, heck, even Felix was there when your parents left." she quieted, tears forming in her eyes.

Her dad was laughing. "Good job Fluttershy. Your mother would be proud of you. In fact, I think she might have brought you into the group if she saw you do this to your mare friend. Maybe her poor old mother will find a way to 'protect' her." he said.

The Doctor looked at him. "So that's your plan! Turn her against the one she loves the most! That way, maybe Rainbow's mother might come out and help her." he said sternly.

"Doctor, I'm impressed. You were able to figure it out so easily." he said. 

"That's because I'm clever. Now you listen here. You will never hurt either if them again. And if you do, if you somehow are able to hurt them, I will hurt you." the Doctor said.

Her dad smiled. "пять лет. остановить нас, и она умирает" he said and looked to me. 

"You try that, and I'll make sure you pay." the Doctor said. 

Princess Celestia called for the guards. "Take him to the crystal catacombs with his wings clipped." They took him out of the room with him laughing.
> Shocked or Busy?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I watched Fluttershy's dad being drug out of the room. Fluttershy was crying into my shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash!" she cried out to me. "I didn't mean what I said! I was just so frustrated and angry at him, that I couldn't control myself. Can you forgive me?" she asked.

I rubbed my hoof through her mane. "Yeah. Of-ofcourse." I said. I was still a little shook up from Fluttershy shouting at me earlier, but I had to show her that it was fine and everything was alright, even if I didn't believe that. 

"Doctor? What's going on? What did our parents have to do with the Shadows of the night?" Felix asked.

"Your parents told you already that they found something in the Griffon Kingdom. That something could have destroyed the efforts that Fluttershy's parents put into the group. But now that we have him, they won't be able to get very far." the Doctor said.

"Felix, take your sister and Fluttershy back to the hotel. We'll do a sweep of your house tonight and if everything checks out okay, you should be able to go back home tomorrow." Princess Celestia said. 

"Before you go, Felix, may I have a word with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?" the Doctor asked. Felix nodded as the Doctor knelt down to us. "Both of you, listen. You two are probably the bravest mares I've ever met. Fluttershy, you've gone through so much. I'm sorry about you parents. They were a part of that group long before you were born. You were just thrust in the middle of it. Don't take your anger out on Rainbow. She was thrust into this just as much as you were." Fluttershy just nodded her head and wiped her eyes.

The Doctor looked at me now. "Rainbow. You are the most loyal friend Fluttershy could have asked for. You have never left her side and have always been there to protect her. Rainbow, you can't let her go. You can't forget her and what she's gone through. She loves you, more than you can imagine. Don't hurt her." he said. 

"I won't. I've promised to never leave her." I said, giving her a big hug. 

The Doctor smiled. "I know you won't." He stood up and walked back to the princess. "What are you waiting for? Off you go now." 

Felix, Fluttershy, and I began to fly back to the hotel. I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Not because of Fluttershy's dad, but because of her outburst. I had never seen her like that, and it worried me. I had seen her go from a trembling pony, to a raging monster, and back to a shy, defenseless pony. It unnerved me for some reason. With me it usually took at least a few hours before I came out of a rage, but for her it seemed as easy as flipping a switch. 

I know it isn't like Fluttershy to be like that. I know she's really a kind and gentle pony. But...I just saw her turn her anger for her dad on me. Me, of all ponies! Maybe it was just a one time thing. Maybe she just lost it because of her dad. Right? I just don't know. How was she going to act if her mom stopped by? Would it be worse? I don't think so. Her father was much more of an abuser than her mother. But she did get to her in the hospital. 

"Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. 

"Yeah? What's up?" I asked.

"Well, I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry about what I said back at the castle. I really hope I didn't hurt you." she whispered to me quietly.

"It's fine. Your dad got you riled up and...that's that." I said. 

"But I shouldn't have yelled at you. You didn't do anything wrong." she said.

"Don't worry. It's all fine. I forgive you, if that's what you're looking for." I told her.

"Oh. Okay. Well, I just hope this doesn't change anything between us." she said quietly. "It won't, right?" 

I looked her in her eyes and took her hoof in mine. "I made you a promise didn't I? Nothing is going to change." I said. She nodded her head and smiled at me. We flew onto our balcony and walked to our beds.

"I'll give you two a few minutes to talk. I'm going to head down to the lobby for something to drink." Felix said.

"Are you really going to get something to drink or are you going to sneak out again?" I asked.

"I'm actually getting something to drink." he said chuckling.

"Alright. Well, don't get anything to strong." I said as he left the room. Fluttershy and I crawled into our bed and curled up next to each other. She placed her head on my shoulder, letting her soft pink hair mesh with my rainbow mane. 

"Rainbow? Please don't hate me for my outburst. I really couldn't control it." she said.

I rolled my eyes. "Not this again. Look, Fluttershy. I already told you that it's fine. I'm not mad at you for it, nor do I hate you." I told her. I was a little upset that she took her anger out on me, but, let's face it, you can't stay upset at somepony as adorable and cute as Fluttershy. 

She put her hoof across me and pulled me closer. "I just don't want to lose you." she said, a small glistening tear running down her cheek. 

I rubbed the tear away with my hoof and kissed her. "You won't. How many times do I have to say that before you stop questioning it?" I said with a small smile. 

She chuckled a little. "I guess I'm just scared after tonight." she said. She looked at me with big eyes and drew closer. She kissed me, long and hard. We laid there for about half an hour in a giant make out session. Now, nothing happened, but It was going to take a week to get rid of this wing boner! We were interrupted when Felix walked in. He was a little buzzed, but not too badly. 

He didn't say a word and just crawled into his bed. I looked at Fluttershy who was shining a bright red on her yellow cheeks. I giggled. "Stop it!" I whispered. "You're making me giggle, and you know I hate it when I do." 

"I can't help it! He just walked in on us... you know." she whispered back. 

"Well don't say it when he's here! Besides, we needed to stop anyways. My lips are getting numb." I said as I tried to feel them.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I too hard?" she asked concerned. 

"Naw, it was just we were kissing for so long. It wasn't your fault." I told her.

"Okay." she said and nested her head back on my shoulder. "Good night Rainbow."

"Good night Fluttershy." I replied. I laid my head back so I could sleep, trying to keep thoughts of the past few hours out of my head. Well, except for the last 30 minutes. That was going to be sticking with me for a long time. I just hoped that it would last and things between us wouldn't change. But I couldn't help but still feel a little unnerved by her outburst. Something about the way she looked at me had made me fear for my safety.

I quickly replaced the thought with us making out again. Her lips were soft and would draw me in for more. Kissing her was like a drug that I couldn't, and wouldn't, get away from. It left a warm place in my heart, remembering all that had happened between us.

"Rainbow?" she called quietly.

"Hm?" I responded.

"You won't leave me, will you?" she said with a grin.

"Oh, come on!"
> Timely delays
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"You know, the next time you two want to have a make out session when I'm gone, leave some sort of warning so I'm not shocked when I see my sister and her mare friend kissing under the covers." Felix said as we began to eat our breakfast. I saw Fluttershy turn a bright red as her eyes became the size of dinner plates. "I mean, I'm okay with you two having your moments of alone time, but a sock, or some sort of note would have been appreciated!" he teased some more. 

"Felix!" I exclaimed, feeling myself turn a shade of red.

"You don't see me flaunching my nights around, do you?" he asked. 

"That's not even a word. And you don't have any night outs!" I exclaimed. 

"Well, he did go out last night." Fluttershy chimed in. I nudged her underneath the table. "What?" she asked.

I groaned. "We didn't do anything Felix. I don't know why you're blowing it out of proportion." 

"Oh please! I could smell the teenage hormones from a mile away!" he said. I felt my cheeks turn a brighter red. Fluttershy was no better. She was as red a tomato.

"Felix!" I shouted. He just laughed and placed another plate of toast on the table.

"Hello everypony! Lovely morning!" the Doctor said as he opened the door.

"Oh, hello Doctor." Fluttershy said. "It is a lovely morning. Oh, I hope Angel is alright. I haven't fed him for a few days." 

"Ah, he's fine. I stopped by your house before I came here. He's a very picky bunny, I don't know how you are able to deal with him." he said. "Ooo toast!" he said, grabbing a piece right off of my plate. 

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "I was eating that!" 

"And now you aren't." he said, taking a bite from the toast and walking to the balcony. "You know, this is a beautiful city. Makes me wish I had wings. Ah well, there's always next time!" he said cheerfully. 

"Next time for what?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh, you know, just the usual changing of time, space, the universe, excuse me." he said, taking the entire plate Felix had just set down. 

"Well, isn't he exceptionally rude today?" I whispered to Felix.

"Am I being rude?" he said, taking another bite of toast.

"Well, you did just steal my breakfast and break into our hotel room." I said. I'm sure there are more reasons, but I'm too hungry to think of them all. 

"I didn't break in! I soniced the door and walked in without your permission." he said casually. I gave him a glare. "Oh that is breaking and entering isn't it? Oh well, sorry about that. This is good toast!"

"It's just wheat bread in a toaster." Felix said.

"Wheat bread! Who woulda' thought, right?" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Um...excuse me, Doctor. But what are you doing here?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh, right! I remember now! It's safe for you to go home. The princess cast a spell to warn her if somepony who isn't suppose to be there is, well, there." he said.

"Great. Never thought I'd have to be living under surveillance." I said, still upset that he stole my food.

"Ah don't look at it as surveillance." the Doctor said as he walked back to the table. "Look at it as somepony knowing when somepony shouldn't be at your house by using some form of magic to know what's happening." he rambled. 

"Great. I definitely don't feel like I'm under surveillance now." I said sarcastically. 

"Good! Now I found these on your kitchen table. I believe this is today, right?" he said, pulling out the Wonderbolts tickets from his pocket. 

"Oh, horseapples! I completely forgot about that! Thank you!" I said, snatching the tickets as fast as I could. I couldn't believe I forgot that the air show was today! There was so much going on that I guess it got pushed into the back of my head.

"Don't mention it. And I believe someone else you know will be there!" he said and walked to the front door.

"Who?" Fluttershy asked.

"An old friend from Ponyville. I believe her name was Applesauce. Or was it Apple Pie? Apple Fritter?" the Doctor asked himself. 

"It's Applejack." I said, facehoofing. 

"Right! That's her name. Anyways, I can see you guys are eating breakfast, so I'll leave you three alone. Have a good day!" he said and left without closing the door.

"Like I said. He's rude." I grumbled as I went and closed the door. "He didn't even leave any food for us!" I exclaimed as Felix threw the empty bread bag in the trash. 

"It's just the Doctor being the Doctor. I'm sure he's not always like this." Fluttershy said.

"It still doesn't mean he can eat all of our food." I said as my stomach gave a low rumble.

"Yeah, well, he brought you your Wonderbolts tickets, so I wouldn't be complaining too much." Felix said.

"Yeah I guess." I said. It finally hit me. "Oh hay barrels! The Wonderbolts meet and greet is today!" I exclaimed.

"Uh yeah. The Doctor said that..." Felix said.

"Are you excited?" Fluttershy asked. 

"Of course I am! It's the Wonderbolts for pony's sake! It's going to be so awesome!" I shouted in glee. 

"Well you better get ready. According to the tickets, it starts in two hours." Felix pointed out.

"Ah horse apples." I exclaimed. I rushed out the door heading straight for my house. It only took me about 5 minutes at the speed I was flying. I wanted to get ready as fast as I could so I could get there early. I didn't know how fast it would fill up, but I didn't want to be at the end of the line for the meet and greet. 

I put on my Wonderbolts hoodie when I heard the front door open. "Rainbow Dash? Are you here?" I heard Fluttershy call out. 

"I'm in our room!" I called down to her. I grabbed the Wonderbolts hat I had bought just for this event and ran down the stairs. 

"Oh, wow Rainbow. You look like a true Wonderbolts fan." Fluttershy said. 

"Are you kidding? I'm their number one fan!" I exclaimed. 

"If you say so." Fluttershy said with a smile. "Let me feed Angel. I haven't seen him in so long." she said as she started walking up the stairs. I had forgotten about him. I was too caught up in getting ready. "Angel!" I heard Fluttershy exclaim upstairs. 

"What happened?" I asked as I flew up to the room. 

"Oh, Angel, get down from there!" she cried to him. "You're going to hurt yourself!" I looked to where she was screaming and saw Angel flying around the roof with a white cape and a mask on. 

"The only way he'll learn is if he does hurt himself." I said as I watched him fly around the roof. He stuck his tongue out at me and missed the next place he had to land. He fell with a loud thump. 

"Oh my gosh! Angel! Are you alright?" Fluttershy asked as she rushed to his side. He rubbed his head and started to hop away. He took off the mask and cape and fell onto his back on his bed.

"Told you." I said, walking next to her. She gave a worried to look to Angel. "He'll be fine. He just bumped his head." I said.

"Are you sure? Maybe he has a concussion..." Fluttershy said worriedly. "Maybe I should just stay here. You know, to make sure he is okay." 

"C'mon, Fluttershy! We're going to meet the Wonderbolts for crying out loud! And we're already running late! Angel will be fine, he just needs to sleep." I said impatiently.

"Oh, well...I don't know. You go ahead. I'll catch up once I know Angel is alright." she said quietly and walked over to him. 

"Fluttershy, please can we just go?" I begged her. "You got me two tickets, one for me and one for you. I'm not going without you." Okay, that's a lie. I probably would still go even if she chose not to, but I hoped her thinking I would stay with her instead of go and meet my idols would make her want to come.

She gave a light laugh. "Of course you will, Rainbow. They're your idols. You won't pass up that opportunity would you?" she pointed out.

Ah, zap apples. I thought to myself. She saw through that pretty easily. I walked up to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Yes, they are my idols and I would give anything to see them. But I want to see them with you. You gave me the chance to meet them, you should be able to share the chance to see the best fliers in Equestria! Next to me, of course." I said. 

I turned her around so I could look her in the eyes. Her pink mane had covered her eye again. I found it so adorable. She stared at me with longing eyes. I kissed her and we fell back onto the bed. The air was hot and heavy as we laid there, holding each other in a tight embrace as we kissed.

"Back for less than an hour and you're already snogging on each other?" the Doctor said. 

"Ah!" I shouted in surprise. "Doctor! Have you ever heard of knocking before!?" I exclaimed as I jumped off the bed. 

"I did, but now I know why I was ignored." he said.

"Excuse me, Doctor. But how are you able to stand here anyway? You aren't a Pegasus, and, well, only Pegasus can walk on clouds." Fluttershy asked.

"Oh, I'm not a pony. Well, I am based on appearances, but I'm not really a pony." he said.

I rolled my eyes. This pony was just downright crazy. "What are you doing here anyway?" I asked.

"Well, I thought that you two would be on your way to the Wonderbolts. I was going to help take care of Angel. Despite his unnecessary rudeness." he said.

"Should I remind him of how rude he was this morning?" I whispered to Fluttershy. She chuckled.

"What's so funny?" he asked. 

"Oh, nothing." I said. "We better get going Fluttershy. I'm sure the Doctor can take care of Angel while we're gone." I pulled her along behind me. 

"You two better not do anything you shouldn't!" he shouted. "If I find anything here that shouldn't be, you two will be in for it!" I kept walking with Fluttershy behind me as the Doctor kept shouting at us. 

"Let's go, Fluttershy! Before he starts to lecture us about birds and bees." I said, laughing.

"Why would he lecture us about birds and bees? Birds sing sweet songs and bees pollinate the flowers and give us honey. There's not much to lecture about." she said.

I face hoofed. "Not those birds and bees!" I exclaimed. "The...other birds and bees." I hoped she had gotten the hint.

"But, birds are birds. There are different bees though. There's honey bees, killer bees, Equestrian bees, bees from Saddle Arabia-" I cut her off. 

"No, Fluttershy!" I exclaimed. I mean..." I whispered what I was going to say into her ear. Her face turned a bright red.

"Oh...my..." she said. 

"Yeah. Let's get going though. The Wonderbolts are waiting!" I said and we flew to the Cloudsdale arena. "Oh no!" I cried out. The line to get into the arena was miles long! "It's worse than during Cider season!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm sure it's not that bad. The line will probably keep moving along since it's such an anticipated event." she said trying to raise my spirits.

"I'm not worried about not getting in, I'm worried that the Wonderbolts will be so tired of the ponies they meet, that by the time they meet me, they won't want to hang out." I said gloomily. 

"Oh, I doubt they'll be like that. They love their fans and have never turned a pony away. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you." she said. "After all, you are the most awesome pony around." she said flirtatiously .

"Yeah. I am pretty awesome." I said. Her saying it did cheer me up a little bit. 

"You're also cute when you act all prideful." she said with a wink. 

I blushed. I hate blushing. It makes me feel all girly. "Stop it. You know how I feel about blushing." I said. She gave me a quick kiss and we took our place in line. "It's going to be so awesome to just hang out with you and the Wonderbolts!" I exclaimed.

"I really hope nothing happens while we're here. It's such a peaceful day." Fluttershy said.

"Me too." I concurred. Especially after you saying that.
> Why can't things be easy?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We waited in that ungodly long line for what seemed like hours. "Remember what I said about Cider season, Fluttershy?" I said, a little annoyed at the small filly crying behind us. "I take it back. It's more like trying to meet Princess Celestia." We had never actually met her on a casual visit. It was always when somepony was attacking us or when we were in danger. But I imagined it had to be a pain to get a five second visit with her to just shake hooves.

"Shut it." Fluttershy said, annoyed about her mane. She had been hit by a stray cup about 30 minutes ago. It was still filled with a carbonated beverage of some sort and it was sticky. She was having difficulty trying to brush her mane and get all the crap out of it. I was happy though that she didn't have to stay shy around me. She was much more open when she taked to me and spoke with more force in her voice. I'm not going to lie, I did kind of miss her being shy and defenseless, though. 

We finally reached the gate after many long hours. "Ticket." the old irritable pegasus said. He didn't seem to like being here, whether it be because of all the ponies that came, or just because he hates his job. I flashed him my ticket and he let me through. 

"Ticket." he told Fluttershy. She flashed her ticket and right before she walked in, two guards walked out and stood in front of her. 

"Can you please come with us? You have been selected for a random search." the taller of the two said. 

"What?" Fluttershy asked as she started to lower her head.

"We have a new policy. We must randomly search ponies as they walk in to make sure that nopony brings a weapon. Please step to the side, ma'am." he urged. 

She looked to me questioningly. "Um, but why me? I don't even have any bags with me. Do I look suspicious?" she asked.

"Like he said, it's a random search." his counterpart said. 

I walked up behind them. "So you guys are searching a mare who clearly has no bags on her while you let stallions walk in with bags of stuff in them. Sounds to me like you two are just being lazy. And I should know, I'm the Queen of Lazy!" I said.

The two guards looked at each other. "Move along miss. Enjoy the show." they told Fluttershy and walked off.

"Thank you, Rainbow. I didn't feel comfortable going with them." she said to me with a smile.

"It's nothing. What was I suppose to do? Leave you alone with them while I found our seats?" I said sarcastically. 

"I don't think you would have had a choice." she pointed out. 

I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'd find a way. Let's go before the show starts. I don't want to miss anything." I said and we ran for our seats. We were placed perfectly, not too close to where your neck would strain when looking up at their stunts, but not too far to miss everything they were doing. "This is going to be amazing!" I exclaimed, giddy with excitement. 

"I hope it's as good as the ponies say they are." Fluttershy said as I waved down a vendor. 

"Oh they are! I've read all about them!" I exclaimed. 

"What can I do for you-" the grey mare started. "Oh! I know you! You're, um, Bowrain?"

I sighed. "No, Derpy. I'm Rainbow Dash." I clarified.

"Oh, right! And you're..." she stopped, trying to remember Fluttershy's name.

"Flutt-" I started, but Derpy cut me off. 

"No, I got this!" she exclaimed. She scratched her head with her hoof, squinting her eyes in frustration. "Oh! I remember! You're Flyshy!" she said, beaming with glee. She really must have thought she was right. 

"No, it's-" I was stopped again, this time by Fluttershy.

"Hey, Derpy. How are you doing?" she asked.

"Great, Shyfly! I've been trying to get some extra money so I can prove that I can live on my own!" she said. "This is my third job this month!" she said proudly. 

"Aren't you supposed to hold a stable job?" I asked. Fluttershy nudged me. 

"Well...yeah, I guess so. But I'm working full time at the Post Office! So when I get my vacation time I do these other jobs, that way I'm a produculative mare of Equestria!" she said, trying her hardest to say productive right. 

"Producti-" I was stopped for a third time. 

"That's great, Derpy! I hope everything works out for you!" Fluttershy said encouragingly. For some reason, she could talk to Derpy like any other pony. I guess it was just her kind of attitude that made Fluttershy talk to her so easily.

"Thanks! Now, that'll be 10 bits!" she said.

"For what?" I asked confused.

"Didn't you call me over for something? I thought I gave you what you wanted..." she said, her tone of voice losing confidence.

And this is where I felt really bad. I don't mean to hurt other's feelings or to put them down, but I can't help it sometimes. But the one thing you never do, is hurt Derpy in any way. "Oh, we did call you over, I just wanted to make sure you were paying attention to what you were going to give us." I said, unconvincingly. 

"Oh! Well I got your two sodas for you! That'll be 10 bits." she repeated as she gave us our sodas. 

"What's a soda?" Fluttershy asked as I gave Derpy the bits. 

"I don't know. I just sell them." she said. "I gotta run, though. I have muffins I need to give to the others. See ya'!" she exclaimed as she flew to the upper stands. 

"Well, what I really wanted was a pack of peanuts." I said as I sniffed the soda. It didn't smell too bad, but when I took a sip of it, I realized why. "It's full of syrup!" I exclaimed. 

"This is what must've hit me outside the gate." Fluttershy said, taking a sip of her own. For some reason, despite it being filled with syrup, I really wanted another one. Soon, both of us had finished our drinks. 

"This is worse than alcohol." I said, already getting the withdrawals. I haven't ever had a drink, but I've read reports about it while skimming through my Wonderbolts magazines and other athletic magazines.

"It's not so bad." she said, but I could tell that it was. Her hooves were shaking and she couldn't sit still, which was not like her. 

"Well, let's not get any more of those." I said, despite feeling my own cravings for the carbonated beverage. I'm a very energetic pony and if Fluttershy had started to get jittery, I didn't want to know what would happen to me. We sat there talking about how excited we were for the show. Okay, it was more me talking about the show. I was just too excited and happy that I was actually here and was going to meet them later. I even had trading cards with me for them all to sign.

"Howdy there partner!" I heard a familiar voice call behind me. I turned my head and saw Applejack walking down the stairs towards us. 

I looked at her in awe. "How in the wide world of Equestria are you able to be here?" I asked. She walked to our row and took her seat next to us. 

"The same brown pony who gave me these tickets also 'soniced' me. Whatever the hay that means." she said.

Ah. So that's how he can walk on clouds "What? Soniced?" I asked. 

"Yeah. I don' know what it is, but it looks like a screw driver of sorts with a lil' blue orb at the top of it." she explained.

"Okay then." I said, trying to seem like I was completely lost. " Well, what's up? I haven't seen you in awhile." I said.

"Ah'm doing just fine. Had a little mishap in Appleloosa. Darned cousins couldn't keep a barn together if you fused it with magic." she said.

"Reallly? That bad?" I asked with a light chuckle.

"Yep. They've never been the best at building barns, but it's nice to see 'em working hard and gettin' their hooves dirty." she said. "And Rainbow, you know it's impolite to not introduce your friends to each other." she told me as she nodded to Fluttershy.

"Oh! Right. You two don't know each other yet. Fluttershy, this is Applejack. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have became Captain of the Weather Team." I said. 

"Hello." she said quietly. 

"Howdy!" Applejack said enthusiastically. 

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, but what do you do? I haven't seen you around school. Are you from Ponyville?" Fluttershy asked. 

"Yes, ma'am. Ah'm in charge of Sweet Apple Acres. I dropped out of school so Ah could run the farm and keep everything orderly. Ah couldn't have asked for a better life." she said proudly. "And yourself?"

"Oh, I just take care of animals in my spare time when I'm not at school." Fluttershy said.

"And she's amazing at it. I gave her a pet rabbit one day and he's a pain in the flank to deal with. But somehow Fluttershy is able to keep him straight. Sometimes." I said. 

"Well, ain't that nice." Applejack said. "And how do you two know each other?" 

"We've been friends since we were little fillies. She's actually the reason why I'm here. She gave me two tickets for this on Hearts Warming." 

"Well that was awfully kind o' her. Why didn't you take your sister though?" she asked.

"Sister?"  I asked confused.

Applejack narrowed her eyes at me. "Yes. You said you had a sister. Remember that day when you cleared the weather for me? You said you had to meet your sister for somethin'. Why didn't she come?" she asked.

Ah crap. I thought. I had forgotten about that day. "Ah. Yes, well...you see-" I stammered. Fluttershy interrupted me.

"She doesn't like the Wonderbolts. Neither does her brother, Felix, so I came with her." she said casually. 

Thank you, Fluttershy. I thought, relieved. 

"Ah see. Well, hopefully this here show will be worth it. Some weird brown pony came to me and gave me this ticket. Something about a meetup with a friend. You know him?" she asked me.

"I don't know, maybe. I know a lot of ponies." I said, trying to avoid the question. I saw the Wonderbolts and an orange pegasus step out with them. "Oh, it's starting!" I said. The orange mare in a uniform came out to the podium at the center of the arena. Her mane reminded me of fire and it hit me then who it was. "Hey, that's Spitfire, the Captain's daughter!" I told Fluttershy and Applejack. 

"Mares and Stallions. Will you please stand for the Equestrian National Anthem." she said with a light voice. The stands rose out of their seats and put their hooves over their hearts. As the Anthem played, I looked around the arena for Princess Celestia. I had heard that she usually came to watch them when they performed. After a few minutes, I found her at the top of the arena in a small section that was marked of for her and whoever was important. I had to take a double take when I looked over there, however. I couldn't quite tell, but I thought I had seen my mother with her. 

I was about to look to Fluttershy when the speakers cut out and the clouds suddenly made the sun disappear. I looked at the sky and saw nothing but pitch black storm clouds. "Uh-oh." I said. I looked to Fluttershy, who was cowering in her chair. "Fluttershy, get out of here!" I exclaimed. 

"What's going on?" she asked as she looked at the sky.

"Something bad." I said.

She just whimpered and shook more as lightning flashed across the sky and thunder began to sound. "Please, Fluttershy? You're not safe here!" I shouted. 

"I'm not going without you!" I heard her say.

I groaned. "Applejack! Can you take Fluttershy to Sweet Apple Acres? She needs to get out of here." I said.

"Why?" she asked. "It's jus' a tiny storm." she said. 

"Well, yes. But she's really scared of them. So could you? I'm going to see what I can do about the clouds." I said. 

"And when they don't let me back in?" she asked, clearly not liking the idea of having to leave. 

"I don't think that will be a problem. There probably won't be a show anyway." I said and shot off into the sky. I flew above the clouds and tried to move them out of the way of the arena. I would push one away, but another one would replace it right away. "There wasn't supposed to be a storm today! Why are you here?" I shouted to the clouds. I tended to do that when I moved the clouds. 

I saw a figure shoot out from the clouds. "Fluttershy! I said to get out of here!" I shouted. 

"You don't recognize your mother anymore?" my mom said. "Now before you ask any questions, let's get these clouds cleared. Follow me." she said as she flew to the edge of the storm clouds. 

"Hey! Wait!" I shouted to her as I flew behind her. 

"Follow my lead!" she shouted. She started to fly around the edge of the clouds. I followed her close behind, gaining speed. I looked to the clouds as we flew by them and saw that they had started to swirl with us. "Keep flying around them!" she shouted as she flew beneath the clouds. For a few seconds I wanted to fly down with her, but as I was about to do just that, she shot through the center of the clouds and sent them flying upward in a tornado formation. The sun began to shine back onto the arena as the sky cleared. 

"Whoa. You've got to show me that again sometime!" I said amazed. 

"Maybe next time I'm able to visit I'll teach you. Now, go find Fluttershy. I don't think she's safe right now." she said. I already knew that from the second the clouds appeared. 

"Yeah. I'll go do that." I said. There was a scream that came from below. It wasn't a scream of fear. No, I knew this scream. It was a scream of shock and despair. I looked to my mother and we both flew down to the arena. Spitfire was kneeling by a pony, holding his hoof in her's. I looked around her and sucked in my breath. Her dad and the rest of the team had been killed from what I could only believe to be lightning. It's very likely that whatever pegasus had put the clouds there had also caused the lighting to hit the Wonderbolts. There was some writing scorched into the ground as well. It read, Fluttershy.

"Rainbow Dash, go. I'll handle this." my mom said. I just stood there staring at my idols and the words next to them. "Rainbow!" my mom shouted at me. I jerked out of my daze and looked at her. "Go find Fluttershy." she said again with more force. 

"Yeah. Right. See ya'." I said and took off for Sweet Apple Acres. I couldn't believe what had just happened. Fluttershy, AJ, and me were just sitting together waiting in the peaceful day when hay hit the fan. And when I saw what happened to Spitfire's dad...

I shook the picture out of my head. I didn't want to think of that. I had to find Fluttershy and make sure she was alright. I'm sure she knew who it was who caused it. At least I did. I arrived at the barn and knocked on the door. AJ appeared with a grim look on her face.

"Did you get Fluttershy here?" I asked hopefully. 

"Uhh, yeah. But, when Ah went to get her something to drink, she had disappeared. Ah think she went home, so Ah would check there. Ah'm sorry Rainbow. Ah really am." she said in a grim voice. 

"Ugh, okay. I'll check there. Thanks for helping though." I said. "I didn't want you to miss anything, but she means everything to me."

"Ah understand that. My siblings are the world to me and Ah would do anything for them. Go help your 'sister'. Ah'm sure she could use some comfortin' words from you." she said, putting some extra emphasis on the word 'sister'. 

"Okay. I'll see you later then." I said and flew off to my house. I had to remember that I kept calling Fluttershy my sister. I don't know why I started saying that. It wasn't like Applejack couldn't just ask someone at school about us, but she didn't go to school. I guess I'd cross that bridge when I crossed it. 

I arrived at my house and flew into our room. Everything looked to be fine, other than the fact that Fluttershy wasn't here. I walked downstairs calling her. "Fluttershy? Where are you?" I looked throughout the entire house. I walked into the kitchen and saw a piece of paper. I normally would have passed it by, but it was out of place. As if, somepony had wanted me to see it. I slowly walked over to the table and gasped when I read what was on it.

"Goodbye."
> Goodbye
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Goodbye?" I asked myself. I picked up the tear stained paper and read what was below. 

These past years living here have been the best years I've ever had. You've shown me so many ways to be a more outgoing mare. I know that you may not have felt the same way I have about you when we started school, but I've always really cared about you, even when we were fillies. When you stuck up for me when my parents were yelling at me, I liked it and admired you for it. I have never felt like anypony was there for me. I felt like the dirt you wash off of your hooves. You were the only pony I felt I could be myself around. I knew for a long time that I loved you, but I was too scared to do anything or say anything because I was afraid you would leave me, or worse, hurt me like my parents had. I know now these fears were irrational, but they were still present. 

I really wanted to go with you to that dance, but when you said you were going with Long Horn, I figured that you didn't like me that way. And then when you told me you couldn't talk to me, I thought that you were embarrassed to be seen with me. I ran home and cried, feeling worthless again. But after you told me why you did that, I realized that you were doing it for my well-being. 

After Heart Warming, I couldn't believe what had happened. You had kissed me. It was something I only dreamed about. Something I only fantasized about. I loved you more than anything. I knew you would be there when I needed you and that I could be myself with you. I'd never thought you'd stay. I thought you would move on from a shy filly like me. I realized it was much more to you as well after last night. I could tell that you didn't want to stop. Maybe something more could have happened. I wanted something more to happen, but I was afraid to push further. I didn't know how you would react. If you only knew how much I cared about you. It's why I'm leaving now. I saw the lightning hit those ponies and while the light flashed, I saw my name engraved in the cloud. I didn't think it was possible, but I'm afraid that they will find me. They'll hurt you, and I can't let that happen. I'm a hazard if I stay here with you. I keep putting you in harms way and I can't live with myself by doing that. You've taken care of me, now I'm going to do the same for you. I hope you understand. Goodbye. I love you Dashie.

Dashie. I thought to myself. It was a name she had given me when we were very young. I don't remember how she came up with it, but she would call me it whenever I flew really fast around her. I liked it, though. For some reason, it was her little name for me. 

I sat on a chair and held the letter close to me. "Fluttershy..." I said to myself quietly. All the memories of us together flooded my mind. Me sticking up for her when the bullies picked on her, our first Nightmare Night. our first kiss...

I felt a tear slide down my cheek. I didn't make a move to clear it. "Why...Why Fluttershy..." I said aloud. I screamed. I let out all my emotions right there and then. I cried, kicked, and punched anything I could. "Why did you leave me?!" I shouted to nopony. "After all I've done for you, you leave me alone!" I kept shouting. I was so mad, so upset, by what she had done. She said she did it to protect me, but I didn't believe it. She was tired of me. She didn't care about me. 

I ran up to my room and started to knock her stuff over. I found her cds and started throwing them across the room. I flipped her bed over and screamed in anger. I ripped the wall paper off of her wall, wanting to remove every trace of her from this place. I threw the pictures of us on the ground, shattering the glass. I picked up a cage and threw it against the wall where it let out a ringing sound. I landed on my bed, tears flowing freely as I cried. I couldn't help myself. I knew that she was gone and that I couldn't do anything to win her back. 

I needed to clear my head. I flew out the window as fast as I could. The fresh cool air made my skin tingle. I flew as fast as I could over the clouds. As I passed the lower cloud layer, I leveled out and just flew. I didn't know where I was going or how I would get back, but I didn't care. As long as I was moving and not sitting still. I began to practice my flying maneuvers after awhile. I needed to focus on something else. Something that didn't involve Fluttershy. 

After about an hour of flying, I decided I needed to head home. I dropped below the cloud cover and flew back home. I wasn't mad anymore. I just felt...empty. Flying helped clear my head, but now that I was done, I remembered Fluttershy and her leaving. I flew back into my room and fell face first into my bed. I didn't cry even though I wanted to. The flying really helped me. I could actually think now. 

I knew she wasn't leaving me because she didn't care about me. She was right about me being in danger, but today I wasn't. If anything, I was the farthest from danger. I could tell her mother was involved in the Wonderbolts attack. It only made sense for her to hit the Wonderbolts and leave Fluttershy's name on the cloud. Psychological warfare. I looked to my right where a picture was sitting. I must've missed this one when I was throwing them every where. It was us laughing in the grass. I couldn't remember when it was taken, but she looked so pretty here. Her long pink mane was in a ponytail behind her, allowing her big beautiful eyes to show. I loved it, almost as much as when she let it hang over one of her eyes. I picked the picture up and stared at us. She was always so quiet, so peaceful, so...shy. I stopped my emotions from overwhelming me again. I don't know why, but I still felt like I had to be strong. I placed the picture back on the dresser and noticed that the drawer was opened a little bit. I opened it up further and found her journal. I had completely forgotten about it. I took it out and opened it.

"Entry 83: I don't know if I should be happy or sad. I found my journal finally. Rainbow has it hidden in her drawer. I'm not going to tell her though. I think she forgot about it. But, Rainbow, if you're reading this, I love you. Very much. I may just be dreaming or thinking of false hopes, but I want to be with you. I hope you don't hate me for this." I flipped the page.

"Entry 84: Well, tomorrow's the dance. I really want to ask Rainbow to the dance, but I'm afraid how she'll react. I guess I could play it off as us going as friends, but I want to be more than that. I may just be a love struck filly, but I hope that someday we can go places together as more than friends."

"Entry 85: I can't believe it. All my hopes and my plans have been for nothing. She's not interested in me as anything more than a friend. I bought a beautiful dress for the dance, hoping that I could impress her. But, it turns out that she is going with a big stuck up jerk. He's the top jock at school and all he does is put people down. I'm torn between wanting to be with Rainbow Dash and wanting to move on." 

"Entry 86: All I feel is hurt and pain. No matter what I do or what I try, I'll always be the second run. The pony that nopony could ever love. I'm useless, worthless. I feel like I'm all alone in this place. Why can't she love me like I love her? Why can't I be more like her? Why am I so stupid as to believe that I could ever amount to anything that Rainbow could love? I hope she's having fun with Long Horn..." 

I saw a tear fall onto the page. This was right after the dance, I thought. I couldn't believe I had made her feel that way. These four entries...why didn't I remember about this stupid journal sooner? I had to find her. I had to make sure she was alright. I had to tell her so much, that I loved her, that I wanted nothing more than to be with her. I wanted to tell her that I loved her long before I kissed her that night. I had to tell her she was everything to me.

I was about to jump out my window and fly around Ponyville when I heard a strange sound coming from my kitchen. "Huh?" I said. I turned from the window and headed for my door. I opened the door and started to walk downstairs. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. There was a giant blue box sitting front and center of my kitchen. "What in the name of..." I trailed off. 

I saw my mom poke her head out the door. "Honey, get in. We need your help." she said. I ran over to her and peered my head inside. As I walked in, I saw a strange array of lights and buttons that beeped and blinked. Oh, another thing, it was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. 

"What...how is...it's not even...What?!?!" I ended up shouting. 

"It's the TARDIS." the Doctor said as he pulled levers and pushed buttons with three different hooves.

"What's a TARDIS?" I asked, still trying to comprehend the fact that it was bigger on the inside than on the outside.

"Time and Relative Dimension in Space." he replied casually.

"What?" I asked.

"It's a ship that can travel in time. We are using it to find Fluttershy." my mom said.

"And we know exactly where she is." the Doctor said.

That snapped me back into focus. "Where is she? Is she alright?" I asked frantically. I didn't care about trivial things like a box that could travel through time. I just wanted to find Fluttershy.

"The Everfree Forest." he said. 

"Then what are we waiting for?" I exclaimed.

"It's not as simple as just jumping into the forest next to her. It's much more complicated than that." my mom said.

"How hard can it be? If this...ship can fly through time, than it should be child's play to get to Fluttershy!"

"That forest sends out weird electromagnetic pulses that fingle dangle the TARDIS' navigational computer. If we tried to just jump next to her, we could end up on a different planet, at a different time, in a parallel universe. We can't afford to mess with any of the timey-wimey problematics of the polarization of the TARDIS." he said, acting as if we knew what he was saying. 

Even my mom looked at him confused. The Doctor groaned. "The bad signals from the mean ol' forest will mess with the TARDIS so we won't be able to rescue Fluttershy without putting ourselves in danger." he explained in a childish sort of way. "Get it now?"

"I think so..." I said, unsure if I really did. "So where are we going to go if we can't land in the forest?" I asked.

"By her old house. It's the only place that has an entrance into the forest." my mom said. 

The Doctor pulled down on a lever. "Hold onto something!" he shouted as the TARDIS lurched and caught me off balance. I gripped the closest railing to me and held on for dear life. It felt as if the entire thing was about to collapse in on itself. "C'mon baby, you can do it. C'mon sweetie!" I heard the Doctor say to the giant pillar as a piston ran up and down. 

"Who are you talking to??" I shouted at him. 

"The TARDIS." he replied. 

"You're talking to metal?" 

"Hey! Careful! She can hear you, you know." he said. There was a sudden jolt and the uncontrollable shaking had stopped. "I'm sorry, baby. She didn't mean it." he said talking to the TARDIS again.

"You act as if it's alive." I said as I walked out the door. I hadn't been to this cottage since I was a filly. For some reason, I was drawn to it. Old memories flashed into my head as I remembered our first sleepover. The Doctor had walked into Fluttershy's room and had woken her up. He told her that her drunken dad had died in an accident. I remember her being really calm, cool, and collected. 

I suddenly remembered seeing her mom shouting at me, acting like she was going to hit me. I shook the thought from my head. "Are you okay, Rainbow?" my mom asked, standing next to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a small headache from the jerking around." I said. There was a faint scream of pure terror. I knew who it was right as I heard it. I ran into the forest and took off, flying as fast as I could to get to her. "I'm coming Fluttershy!" I shouted. I heard the Doctor and my mom call my name, but I didn't stop and I didn't slow down. I was going to find her and hurt whoever was scaring her. Nopony makes Fluttershy scream like that and get away with it.
> Betrayal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I kept hearing Fluttershy's screams through the forest. "Fluttershy!" I shouted. If it weren't for the trees that surrounded the forest I would have reached her in about 20 seconds. "Damn trees!" I exclaimed. There was a foul smell coming from ahead of me that made my eyes water. I pushed forward as fast as I could. 

"Gah!" I exclaimed as I clipped my wing on the tree. I crashed onto the ground and skidded for a number of feet. I groaned as I felt a burning pain in my right wing. I looked over at it and found it bent in a completely out of place. I tried to move it, but stopped as soon as the pain became too unbearable. 

"Rainbow Dash!" I heard Fluttershy call to me. "What are you doing here? Are you alright?" she asked me frantically. 

"Yeah. Never better." I said, trying to act like I was perfectly okay, despite my wing.

"Oh, no! You're wing is fractured! Rainbow, why did you come out here after me? Oh, this is all my fault. I should never have left that note." she said as she looked behind her. 

"Why did you leave?" I asked as I tried to stand up. My wing felt as if it were on fire. I knew I shouldn't try to move it, but the adrenaline was still rushing through me.

"Rainbow, please. Just go home. It's not safe for you here." she said as she looked behind her again. She was shaking. 

"Not safe for me? Fluttershy, it's not safe for you. You know what's in here?" I asked. She whimpered, drawing her eyes to the ground. "Hey." I said, pulling her in for a hug. "The Doctor and my mom are coming. They'll be able to get us out of here." I said reassuringly.

"What? No! They can't come. That's what she wants." Fluttershy said as she pulled out of the hug. 

"She? Who's she?" I asked. 

"Please, Rainbow, just leave." she pleaded with me.

"Not without you!" 

"Well, well, well. Isn't this sweet." a mare's voice said behind Fluttershy. "A reunion, between a flightless pegasus, and a broken one." 

"I told you to stay away. Why didn't you?" Fluttershy whispered to me. "Mom! I told her not to look for me. Please, don't hurt her." she pleaded. Her mom was walking in front of a pack of Timberwolves. 

"Oh, come now, Fluttershy! Now that she has found out about us, you know what I have to do." her mom said with a smile. "The Shadows of the Night are your family now. Not this pathetic rainbow colored fur ball." she clicked her tongue twice and one of the Timberwolves walked up to us. 

"You see, you're parents have always been a pin prick in my side. Always wanting to be on the side of her precious Princess. Did she tell you what happened? Why she chose to be a part of Celestia's little group? She chose out of fear. The night used to be her friend and companion. But one day, she met a stallion who had dreamed of being a part of the Royal Guard. He fell in love with her and corrupted her. Your father drove you mother away from her destiny and away from us. Your mother set us back, but we will have our revenge. The mare in the moon will not have to wait much longer before she can reclaim what is hers." Fluttershy's mother said. 

"You're lying!" I shouted at her. 

"Well, you'll never know. You'll be dead before she can even get here." she said with a sinister smile. 

"Mom! Don't hurt her! You said-"

"I know what I said! But circumstances have changed. Her mother and the infamous Doctor are on their way. While I'm thankful for what this foal has done, it'll be such a sweet victory to see her mother weep at the side of her dead daughter." Fluttershy's mom said. "Come, Fluttershy. You don't want to be caught between a Timberwolf and its dinner." 

Fluttershy slowly walked over to her mother. "Fluttershy?" I said, shocked by what I was seeing. Fluttershy, the kindest, most caring mare in Equestria, was siding with her psychopathic mother.  She's done it. I thought. She's finally broken you. My heart felt like it was being ripped out from my chest. I think being ripped apart by the Timberwolf would be less painful than what I was seeing now. 

"Mom...Please. Don't do this..." Fluttershy pleaded. I saw her mom just smile. 

"Fluttershy, this is what it takes to be a part of the Shadows." she said. 

The Timberwolf walked closer to me drooling. It's breath smelled like something out of a horror movie. "Fluttershy, please." I pleaded. The Timberwolf growled as it closed the distance. I screamed as it leapt at me. 

"Whoa there, ya' nasty brute!" I heard a familiar voice say. The Timberwolf looked up and growled as a rock hit him in the face. "Run, Dash!" I heard Applejack call out. She kicked another two rocks at the Timberwolf. 

"C'mon Fluttershy!" I shouted as a sudden burst of adrenaline brought me to my feet. She just looked at me. I think she was going to run, but her mother stepped in front of her. 

"Alright! I've had enough of this!" her mother shouted. She flew towards me and rammed me into the ground. I slammed my injured wing on a nearby rock. I yelped in pain. "I may not be able to kill your mother, but I sure as hell can kill a pest!" she shouted at me.

"No!" I heard somepony scream. The last thing I remember seeing is her mother standing over me, a figure tackling her, and hearing the Doctor telling us to run. 

"Fluttershy..." I whispered, and passed out. 
> Loss
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	There was a pounding in my head as I regained consciousness. I was laying on my side when I tried to open my eyes, but the light from the lamp made me shut them instantly. I rolled over onto my back, which turned out to be a big mistake. I shouted in pain as my fractured wing was crushed by my back. I jumped up on my bed and winced as my head began to pound and my body screamed in pain. I was a total mess, but still kicking.

"Ah, you're up." I heard a voice say next to me. "You know, next time I call your name and ask you to wait, you'll listen. And maybe when I say run, you'll run." 

I looked over to him. "I see you're still as rude as ever." 

"And still not ginger." he said with a smile. "You feeling alright?" 

I gave him an exasperated look. "Yeah, I'm fine. You know, only fractured my wing."

"And you got a slight concussion. But if you think about it, you're lucky those are the only things that happened to you." he told me. 

I rubbed my head. "How long have I been out?" I asked. 

"I'd say about two days. Her mother gave you a nasty hit." he said. He started to say something else, but I interrupted him.

"Where is she?" I asked frantically.

"Who? Her mother? I don't know. She disappeared after-" 

"No, Fluttershy! Where's Fluttershy?"

"She's in the room next door. But don't worry, she's fine. She's asleep right now, so let's not wake her up." he said, suddenly serious. "Now, you probably have some questions you would like to have answered?"

I remembered what her mom had said about my parents. How my dad had corrupted her and took her away from the Shadows. "My mom. Is it true that she was once a part of the Shadows?" 

"Yes. She was one of the highest ranking in their order. She knew most of their plans, where to fight, who to abduct, who to kill." he said. "One day she went in to start a torture session with a new prisoner. However, she couldn't go through with it."

"Was it my dad?" I chimed in.

"No. It was me. I had been friends with your mom for years. We were the type of ponies who knew everything about the other. But I was wrong. I had known she was part of the Shadows, but I didn't know how strongly tied she was to them. That's how secretive they are. You may think you know a certain pony to their very core, but there's always that one thing that they keep hidden away." he trailed off.

"So...what happened?" I asked.

"Ah, yes. Well she ordered them to stop. This threw a few of them off and they were unsure what to do. She was never afraid to begin a torture session, even with her own family members. That's how far down she had gone. But for some reason, when she saw me, she forgot all that. She had them take me back to my cell and await further orders." he said. I could see the memory flying through his head.

"After awhile, the guards suddenly dropped, as if their legs had suddenly disappeared. Your mother had stolen some sleeping darts that the Shadows used when abducting someone. She opened my cell, let me out, and we ran all the way back to Canterlot. Celestia already knew your mother and what she was because of her spies. However, when she saw me there and I explained what had happened, she was willing to hear her out."

"How did the Princess know you?" I asked.

"You see, while your mother was part of the Shadows, I was part of Celestia's spy agency. She had assigned me to watch your mother so that she might be able to learn what the Shadows were doing. They were very elusive and hard to find, so when we did find one, information was crucial. So I would report everyday what I had found about your mother and the Shadows. And when your mother rescued me, Celestia was willing to use her for her own spy agency." he said. 

I saw something in his eyes. Something that I always saw from another pony. "Doctor?" I asked. "What was my mother to you?" 

"A friend. Nothing more." he said quickly. 

I stayed quiet for a little while. I know what I saw in his eyes wasn't friendship. "What did my mother feel for you?" 

"She felt more for me than I did for her. It was an assignment, not a date or any workings of a date." he said, his tone rising. 

"But why would she stop the torture for you and not her family?" 

"Because she knew who I was and what I was doing!" he yelled at me. "You remember when I said we knew each other to the very core? I trusted her with knowing that I was a spy. A spy who not only worked for Celestia, but also one who had to spy on her. Now you tell me, how does it feel when the person you love betrays you and helps to torture you or end your life?" 

I sat there, shocked. I had always seen the Doctor very calm that it was scary. But now, seeing him angry, well that was even scarier. "I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." I started but he raised a hoof to quiet me. 

"You're mother loved me for a much longer time than I loved her. But it still hurt knowing that she had done that. Even afterwards when she swore she didn't know anything about my capture, it still hurt." he said, lowering his tone and regaining his composure.

I sat there thinking about how I felt when I saw Fluttershy standing next to her mom. Why would she do that? She hated her mom almost as much as she hated her dad. What did her mom say to make her want to join them? The Doctor must have known what I was thinking about. "Fluttershy did what she did because she didn't have a choice. You can't feel mad or upset at her for it."

"But why? Why did she?" 

"It was probably because her mother made a threat against you. In order to protect you, she joined sides with her mother. The scene at the Wonderbolts show must have been her first warning or sign about what may happen if she didn't join them. She was doing it to protect you, Rainbow. When her mother was standing over you, she tackled her to the ground and started wailing on her. She had shocked her mother, who hadn't decided to kick her off and disappear until after your mother and I had shown up." he recalled.

I didn't know what to feel. I was still royally upset with her for joining her mom, but knowing that she was doing it to protect me and not because she wanted to hurt me, it kind of made it a little better. "Can I talk with her when she wakes up?" I asked.

He seemed to hesitate when he answered. "I don't think-" he was caught off as an orange pony walked in.

"Oh, sorry. Am Ah interruptin' something?" Applejack said.

"No, no of course not!" the Doctor said. "I was just leaving actually. I need to go see how Fluttershy is doing. Great work with hitting that Timberwolf with those rocks. You must have some very strong hind legs to be able to kick them that hard." he said as he walked out the door.

"Uh, thanks?" Applejack said as she walked in.

"Hey, AJ." I said, trying to figure out what the Doctor was about to say.

"Hey, Rainbow. How ya' feelin'?" she asked as she took a seat where the Doctor had been.

"Pretty good. Considering what had happened." I said.

"Yeah, what was all that about? All Ah saw was Fluttershy standing in front of some Timberwolves while that one mare monologued." she said. "And don't tell me that you two are sisters. Ah already know that ain't the truth." 

"Yeah... about that." I told her everything. Well, almost everything. I left out the part about her parents being abusive and what they were a part of. 

"Ah see. Well, Ah've met your mother. She's very concerned about ya'll." she said. "And don't you worry your little rainbow colored head. Ah won't tell a soul."

"Thanks." I said. "I don't want my reputation being skewed by all this."

She gave a short laugh. "Dash, Ah'm sure your reputation will be fine. Ah gotta get back to the farm. Ah was only given a few minutes to stop by an' check on ya'. Ah'll see ya' later." she said and walked out.

There was a knock on the door as she left. "Hey there, Rainbow." Felix said.

"Felix!" I exclaimed, happy to see him. 

"I came by as soon as I had heard, but you were out cold. How you feeling champ?" he asked.

"Great!" I said, trying not to move my wing too much.

"That's good. No bad headaches?" he asked.

"None." I said as I felt my head throb. I could tell he was hiding something by the way he leaned against the door and rubbed his hooves together. "Have you seen mom?" I asked.

He took a deep breath. "No I have not. But she did leave me a message at home. She doesn't want Fluttershy living at our house anymore." he said quickly.

I sat there, unmoving. "What?" I asked quietly. "She can't be serious?" 

"She is. She thinks that with her mother there, she'll be putting you in danger." 

"But what about her!? She's in more danger than me!" I shouted at him.

"I don't know. The Doctor did something and she's been asleep for the past day. Whatever it was he did though, it means that she can't live with us." Felix said.

"Wait...you did talk to mom. You saw her and she told you that?" I asked, enraged. "Did she also tell you she had a thing for the good ol' Doctor? That they were inseparable and that they lay together for hours!" I was spewing out lies left and right. Who did she think she was saying that Fluttershy couldn't live with us? Because her precious Doctor did some weird 'sonicing' and made her fall asleep? 

"Rainbow I don't have all the answers. All I know for a fact is that she can't live with us. You both will be in more danger if she does." he said calmly.

I didn't care anymore. I didn't care if she was asleep, I had to see her. I jumped out of my bed and, despite my injured wing, and ran out the door past Felix and straight into the Doctor. He picked me up and placed me back on my bed while I thrashed around, which did little more than cause my head and bruises to feel even worse.

"Let me see her!" I shouted.

"You can't! If you do you might get both of you killed!" he shouted back at me. 

"Why can't you guys just let me see her?!"

"Because she doesn't remember you like she used to." he said.

"What do you mean? Of course she'll remember me! The same way she always has!" I exclaimed.

"No, Rainbow. She won't. She doesn't know that she loves you or that her parents are part of the Shadows." he explained. "She thinks that you are a good friend and that you will always be a good friend to her." 

"Why? Why would she think that? Yes I will always be here for her, but why in the hay barrels would she not love me?" 

"Because I had to wipe those memories." he said.

I paused. "What? You wiped her memories?" I said not knowing how to react, or even if he was telling the truth.

"Yes. It's a price I pay for what I am."

"And what is that? What makes you so special that you can supposedly wipe memories?" I asked.

"I'm a Time Lord. I have this ability that allows me to 'absorb' memories and make the owner of them forget them completely, but only as long as they aren't reminded of them." he explained. 

"Then why not just take all the bad memories away from everypony?" I asked, still not believing what he was saying.

"Because it's an invasion of privacy and against my morals. I only do it when I can save lives." He went on to explain how he was over 900 years old and that he was on his 13th regeneration. Yes, he doesn't die, he just changes his appearance. 

I sat there not looking at him or Felix. I just stared at the wall, holding back my tears. I'm not crying in front of this monster. Not after what he did to Fluttershy. "I'm going to see how she's doing. I hope you understand someday." he said.

"Why?" I asked before he left the room. "Why did you make her forget how she felt?"

He looked back to me. "Because it's the only way to keep you two safe." he said and walked out the door.

Felix walked to my side and sat down, putting a hoof on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Dash." was all he said. I didn't cry. I couldn't cry. I just sat there staring at a white wall. 
> Released
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I sat on my bed for a few hours. I didn't move or talk. Heck, I didn't even eat when they brought me dinner. I was still having trouble believing that she had forgotten what she meant to me, and I to her. The Doctor walked in and sat down next to the bed. "She's awake Rainbow. She wants to talk to you." he said.

"I thought you said it would just put her in greater danger?" I asked, not looking at him. 

"Only because you don't know what to avoid. Rainbow, I know this must be hard for you, but you need to understand that if she remembers you as she did before, you both will be in more danger than what we would be able to handle." he said. 

"How can a memory put her in danger?" I asked.

"It's more than just a memory. It's something that she held close to her heart. You see, there's this ancient spell that Princess Celestia knows. It allows the recipient to become hidden and forgotten about by a certain pony or group. It's very powerful magic that requires two different sources. A strong memory from the recipient and an item from the group or pony you are trying to hide the other from." he explained.

"Out of all the memories that I could find, out of all of her memories that were strong, none were stronger than her memory of how much she loved you, Rainbow. It pained me to have to take that away, but it's the only way to keep you both safe." 

"How does it keep me safe? You didn't have to remove any of my memories to keep me safe." I pointed out. 

"That's because her memory was stronger than what we had thought. We were able to use a section of the memory to protect you. It's very complicated, but if she remembers how she felt about you, then the spell will be broken, and you both will be in terrible danger. I don't think that the Shadows are going to be happy that you were able to escape their leader. They will try everything to find you." 

I sat there taking everything in. "So, no matter what, I can never hug her or kiss her again?" I said trying to keep my voice calm. He stayed silent, not willing to tell me what I already knew. 

He got up and headed for the door. "Like I said, she's up and wants to see you. When you feel better and think you can handle yourself in front of her, go visit her." He walked out the door without another word.

I looked out the window and watched the rain patter against the window. It reminded me of our first Nightmare Night, when we had just started getting really close. Everything that happened up to this point, all happened because of that one stupid night. 

"Why did things get so hard for us? Why us?" I asked myself. I decided I should go see her. My heart still hurt knowing that I wasn't going to be able to hug her in the same way as before, but I needed to see just how far I could go. I got off of my gurney and headed out of the room. I had to lug out this machine that was connected to my foreleg. It kept making a beeping sound. I think it was checking my heart rate but I wasn't sure. I walked to her room and found the Doctor playing Oranges to Oranges with her. 

"That doesn't even make sense! Yet it's brilliant!" I heard him shout. I got really ticked off by that. We would play that as kids, and here she was playing it with him instead of me. 

"Hey, Fluttershy." I said as I walked in and took a seat next to her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better now. The nurse said I could go home in a few days." she said. "What about you? How's your wing?" 

"It's fine. Nothing I can't handle." I said even though I felt quite the opposite of fine.

"Oh, I'm so happy that you're alright." she said with a sigh of relief. 

"I'll let you two catch up a little." the Doctor said. He looked at me, as if telling me to be careful. I nodded at him.

"So, do you remember anything? Like, before the forest?" I asked. "I'm having some trouble remembering for some reason."

"It's probably the concussion." she said. "And the only thing I can remember is the Wonderbolts show. Everything before that is just a blank." she said.

"I see." I said. "Anything...about you and me?" I asked, trying to keep my breathing steady. The machine started to beep a little faster.

"Um...no. I only remember my mother standing over you and me tackling her." she said quietly. "I'm sorry. Um... Was there something I was supposed to remember?"

Everything. You and me cuddling. You and me sitting together laughing. Our memories... I thought to myself. "I was just wondering. I'm sure the memories will come back in time." I said. I heard the monitor start beating really fast. It was definitely a heart monitor. 

"Um... Are you okay, Dashie?" she said.

That was it. I couldn't handle hearing her call me that and her not remember how much she cared about me. "I've got to go." I said quickly.

"Rainbow, what's wrong?" she asked worried. 

"Nothing!" I said trying to hold back my tears. "I just...have to make sure that I get some sleep." I lied and ran out of the room. The machine disconnected from me on my way out and it began giving off a low hum. I ran into the room and sat on the bed putting my face in my hooves.

I sat on my bed and let my tears flow down my cheeks. I just sat there and cried quietly to myself. I didn't make a sound. I just let the tears fall onto the floor. It hurt too much to talk to her. I didn't even resist the doctors when they hooked the machine back up to me and when they did, the Doctor walked in with Felix.

"I know this is hard, Rainbow. But I had to. If I didn't, you two would most likely die." he said.

"How can you know that?!" I shouted at him. I didn't care if anypony else heard. I just wanted to yell at him. 

He sat down next to the bed and sighed as he looked at the ground. "What Fluttershy did today was her way of trying to protect you both. She went to her mother to strike a deal with her, one that she hoped would keep you safe. But I know how you are. When I came to find you, I hoped that we could stick together and find her without putting you in danger.

I, however, didn't take into consideration your arrogance and bull headedness. I ended up putting you in more danger by taking you with us, and I'm sorry about that. I had to make sure that Fluttershy wouldn't do that again and put you both in even more danger."

"And what made you think she would do it again after what her mother did?" I asked.

"Because she loves you. And she let's that love get in her way of seeing the obvious. Love can be blinding. Ponies have a way of missing things when they love somepony. So, I had to take that away in order to save two lives." he explained. 

I didn't look at him. This was now my reoccurring time with the Doctor. He would explain himself, I would stop talking to him, and the cycle would repeat itself, always ending in the same result. Me hating him with every ounce in my body.

I stopped talking to Felix about how I felt. I shut myself off from the world. I didn't want anypony to see my emotions or how I was feeling. I felt that if I just pushed all my thoughts and emotions down, I'd be fine. So that's what I did. A few weeks passed and Fluttershy moved back to her cottage. She would visit me occasionally and we'd chat. They were great times, but I would always end up depressed when she had to leave. And it just got worse as time went on. 

After a month, I was scheduled to be out of the hospital. Fluttershy had told me about all the animals she found and how she was taking care of them all. She had stopped seeing me as much, and we slowly started to drift apart. I hated it. I tried to forget her and how we were, but it was all making things worse. 

The day before I was about to leave the hospital, a pink pony with a really poofy mane walked into my room. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie and I love making new friends!" she said right in my face. I pushed her away from me as she started to bounce around the room staring at everything.

"Uh, hi? What are you doing?" I asked, majorly confused by what was happening. 

"I'm new here! And when I'm some place new, I always make new friends everywhere! What's your name?" 

"Uh, Rainbow Dash." I said. "Where are you from?"

"Oh just a lame ol' rock farm. I moved here so I could make ponies laugh and smile all the time!" she exclaimed. 

"I see. Well, believe me, there are plenty of ponies who could use some cheering up around here." I said, gloomily. 

"Hey, Frowny McFrownersin. Let's put a smile on that face!" she said as she pulled out a cannon from out of nowhere.

"Agh!" I shouted as she fired it. A cake shot out and landed right onto the table. "What the-"

"It's my Party Cannon 2000!" she exclaimed. "It has everything you need for a party! It has balloons, streamers, glitter, cake, cupcakes, muffins, music, cupcakes, confetti, cupcakes, did I mention it has cupcakes?" she rambled on. 

"Uh, yeah." I said. I took a piece of the cake and took a small bite. In all honesty, I hadn't been eating much, and I had lost some weight. "Hey. This cake is pretty good." I said.

"Well, duh! It's from a party cannon silly!" she said and ate the rest of the cake in one big bite. "Well, off to make some more ponies happy! I'll see you later Dashie!" she said and she hoped away, carrying her cannon along with her. 

For some reason, I liked this pony. I don't know why. Maybe it was because she was outgoing or because she was the one pony who had tried to cheer me up. When I heard her call me Dashie, I was happy, not sad like I usually felt nowadays. Of course, this pink pony did just make my day.

On the other hoof, I just realized that when I got home the only pony I'd be living with would be Felix. Since I was in the hospital, he was promoted and had to stay at the Exchange a lot more than usual. This meant countless nights of me staying home alone. Now, I have no problem being alone, it's just usually she would be there and I would see her. I hoped that things would get better as time went by.

The next day Felix checked me out of the hospital. I had to stay off my wing for another month to make sure it fully healed. Of course, the first thing I did when I was out of sight of the hospital was fly. I missed the fresh air and the feel of the wind blowing through my wings. I landed on top of a cloud and took a deep breath. I hated being cooped up in that hospital. It had been three weeks since I spoke to Fluttershy after the forest incident. I didn't know if she might eventually start feeling the same for me later on, but I doubted it. The Doctor said she could never remember how she felt about me in order to stay safe. 

Felix landed next to me on the cloud. "You want something to eat? There's a new place that opened up in Ponyville. Sugar Cube Corner. I heard that they have some very good cupcakes." he said. 

"Sure! All I've had for the last month is hospital food." I said excited. We flew off to the store, despite the doctor's orders to have me limit my flying. We landed in front of the store and walked in. The store's lights were off, but the sign said open. "Well, this is a great way to show that they mean business." I said. I took a few steps in when the lights suddenly flashed on.

"Surprise!!" Pinkie Pie shouted as she jumped right in front of me. There were cheering sounds behind her and party blowers and noise makers going off. 

"Uh, what's all this about?" I asked.

"It's a welcome back from the hospital party silly goose!" she said and give me a noogie. "We have punch, cake, cupcakes, cinnamon buns, toaster strudel, muffins, cupcakes, chocolate milk, OH, did I show you the chocolate fountain?" she asked in excitement. 

"Um...no?" I said confused. 

"Well follow me then!" 

I followed her to the chocolate fountain. It was huge! And of course, she shoved her head underneath and started to eat. I swear she had been under that fountain for about 30 seconds. "Uh, Pinkie? Are you okay?" I asked.

She pulled her head out and smiled. "Of course! Why wouldn't I? I mean, there's a giant fountain of chocolaty goodness sitting next to me. Why wouldn't I be okay?" 

I just stared at her. She cocked her head to the side. "You okay, Dashie? Do you like the party?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. Totally. I mean, I've never really been to a party, despite the fact I was the most popular at my school." I said.

"Really? Well isn't that splenderific!" she exclaimed. "Oh! I invited all of your friends here too! Let's go meet them!" 

She dragged me over to behind the counter. "Here she is! Safe as a filly in a park." she said. 

"Well, howdy there Rainbow. How's yer wing?" Applejack said. 

"Good. I can fly on it now." I replied.

"Well that's just dandy." she said in her southern accent. I looked to her right and saw a white marshmallow looking pony with a purple mane. 

"Hey, who's that? I've never seen her before." I asked. 

"That's Rarity. She's an up and coming dress designer. Have you seen some of her outfits? They're super duper cute!" Pinkie exclaimed. 

"Cute? No thanks. I don't like cute." I said. 

"Yeah, me neither. Too froo froo an' frilly for ma' taste." Applejack said. "Hey, Dash? Have ya' seen Fluttershy 'round here? Ah thought she'd be here with ya' since ya' just got out from that hospital."

"No, I haven't seen her. I literally just got released." I said, trying to stay as vague as I could without sounding like I was hiding something. 

I don't think I did well. Applejack raised an eyebrow at me. "Really? Well maybe ya' can go grab her an' bring her to this here party." 

"Well, I think she's busy taking care of her animals." I said. 

"Ah see. Well, it's a shame she couldn't be here." she said.

"Oh! I just remembered! Somepony called the Doctor gave me this letter. I couldn't open it, but he wanted me to give it to you, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie said as she gave me a letter. "Well, I gotta go find my alligator. He loves to swim in the punch!" She darted off into the crowd and disappeared. 

"Is she okay?" I asked Applejack as I looked over the letter. 

"I ain't got a clue. I think she's a few short." she said. "So, what's the good Doctor got to say to ya'?"

"Um...actually, I'd like to open this on my own. If that's okay." I said.

"Sure, sugarcube. Ah'll be over by Rarity. Ah don' think she knows about the alligator in the punch." she said. She walked past me and I turned the letter over. I opened it with ease, despite Pinkie saying she couldn't. There was some strange writing on it that I didn't understand. 

It suddenly started changing. "Remember, Rainbow. Fluttershy must not know how you feel. Your mother and I are out to search for them and hopefully find them before it happens. Stay safe." 

Well, that's great. Not only is Fluttershy gone, but now my mother is back on some deadly mission. With the Doctor, who she used to love. I folded the letter and put it in the trash. I found Felix and walked over to him. "I'm feeling a little fatigued. I'm going to head home and get some sleep." I told him. 

"Alright. When you wake up tomorrow I won't be here, so you'll be on your own then." he said.

"Okay. See ya'." I said and flew home from Sugar Cube Corner. I flew through my window and landed on my bed. I made the mistake of looking at what used to be Fluttershy's room. It still had the wall paper of the White Tail woods on it. Her desk was covered with her old magazines and a few pictures. I laid on my bed and faced my wall. The Wonderbolts. I imagined joining them and being able to fly with them. It would be exhilarating. I closed my eyes and tried to fill my mind with thoughts of the Wonderbolts. But no matter how hard I tried, Fluttershy kept creeping back.
> New Friends and a New Companion.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I flew through the sky, trying to perfect my newest trick. The Wonderbolts were performing for the first time since the incident at Cloudsdale for the Summer Sun Celebration. It was being held in Ponyville and I volunteered to clear the clouds. Of course, I didn't do it so I could actually clear the sky, it was more so I could get some free time to practice my stunts. I was going to show them what I was made of and what I could do. When they arrived tomorrow and saw me, they'd have to let me join.

I flew up hovered above a crowd. "Alright. One more time. Then I'll go ahead and take a nap." I said out loud. I flew down to the earth, gathering as much speed as I possibly could. My goal was to fly so fast towards the Earth but pull up with just enough room for my hooves to be an inch above the ground. It was tricky, and I nearly broke my hooves the first few times. I plunged through the cloud layer and opened my wings. "3, 2, 1!" I counted down and pulled out of my dive. I made it within a few inches of the ground. I couldn't believe it! I had done it.

And then I crashed into a purple unicorn and sent us flying into a mud puddle. I gave a nervous laugh. "Umm...'scuse me?" I said. "Here let me help you." I flew up and grabbed a cloud full of rain. I placed it over her and jumped on it until the cloud was empty. It got rid of the mud, but now she was just wet. 

"Oops. I guess I overdid it. Umm... How 'bout this?" I said and began to show off a trick of my own. "My very own patented Rainblow Dry." I flew around her and dried her up real quick. "No no. No need to thank me, you're quiet welcome." I looked at her and noticed that her mane had a weird afro look about it. I couldn't help myself and I burst out laughing. Next thing I know, there's a purple dragon laying on my back laughing as well.

"Let me guess. You're Rainbow Dash." she asked.

"The one and only!" I said, sending the small dragon flying off of me. "Why? You heard of me?" I did get my name mentioned in the paper for what I did at the Wonderbolts show, but nothing big. No interview, no meet up with Spitfire, and no fan mail. I mean come on. I should have least gotten a letter or two from somepony, right?

"I heard you were supposed to be keeping the sky clear." she gave a low sigh. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and the Princess sent me to check on the weather." 

"Yeah yeah. That'll be a snap. I'll do it in a jiffy, just as soon as I'm done practicing." I said as I laid on a cloud so I could take my nap. 

"Practicing for what?" Twilight asked. 

"The Wonderbolts!" I exclaimed and pointed to the nearest poster. "They're gonna perform at the celebration tomorrow. And I'm going to show them my stuff." I said proudly. 

"The Wonderbolts?"

"Yep." I said as I took my place back on my cloud.

"The most talented fliers in all of Equestria?" 

"That's them." 

"Please. They would never accept a Pegasus who couldn't keep the sky clear for one measly day." Twilight said.

"Hey, I could clear this sky in ten seconds flat." I said urked.

"Prove it." Twilight said.

Oh, it's on now, Sparkler. I thought to myself. In all honesty, I had never cleared a sky in ten seconds. I had come close, but this was the first time I would be trying it in awhile. I took off and started soaring through the sky, kicking a cloud here, destroying one there. I was flying pretty darn fast too. I finished the last cloud and landed on the bridge. "See? What I tell ya'?" I said, proudly. "Ten. Seconds. Flat. I'd never leave Ponyville hangin'."

Twilight and the purple dragon just stood there with their mouths agape. "You should see the look on your face. You're a laugh Twilight Sparkle. I can't wait to hang out some more." I said and flew off to Fluttershy's cottage. She may not remember what we used to have, but I still saw her, even if it was just for me to feel something. I was in a pretty good mood though, so I figured I'd drop by, say hello, see if maybe she remembered anything. 

I arrived at her cottage and landed on her front porch. I was about to knock on the door when I remembered what the Doctor had told me. I sighed, losing my good mood. It's not fair... I thought. Every pony else seemed to be able to find somepony. Lyra and Bon Bon, hell even Derpy was saying how she found the most wonderful pony in the world. "I used to have that." I said to myself. 

I shook my head. I had promised myself I wasn't going to think of her like that anymore. I couldn't afford to risk making her remember. I flew off onto a cloud and sat there. I bugged my thoughts down and forgot about them. I laid there for a few hours waiting for the party Pinkie Pie had planned. She changed the location to the library, and I have no idea why. Aren't they supposed to be quiet? Pinkie's parties are never quiet. 

I must have fallen asleep when I looked back at the sky. "I better get going." I said as I stretched out my muscles. I took off from the cloud and headed for the library. When I arrived, Pinkie ushered me into the dark room quickly. 

"There you are, tardy pants. Hurry up! She's almost here." she said. 

"Who's almost here?" I asked. 

"Shhh!" 

The door opened up and I saw a pony walk in with a small creature behind her. I couldn't make them out because of how dark it was. All of a sudden the lights lit up and the crowd shouted, "Surprise!" I recognized the pony as Twilight Sparkle. 

Pinkie immediately did what Pinkie did best. Talk. She followed Twilight to the table where the drinks were. I noticed that Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy following Pinkie Pie. I hovered above them and followed. 

"And now you've got lots and lots of friends!" Pinkie exclaimed, pointing to us. Twilight's face puckered up and her eyes were watering. 

"Are you a'right, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. Twilight's mane turned into fire as smoke blew out of her ears. She dashed away, looking for something to cool her mouth off. 

"I thought that only happened in comics?" I whispered to Fluttershy. She gave a slight giggle. 

"So how are you doing?" she asked. "Are your tricks coming together nicely?" 

"Of course! I'll be a part of the Wonderbolts in no time." I bragged.

"Are ya' sure 'bout that? Sure you won't break under any of that pressure?" Applejack said, trying un-nerve me.

"Oh please. The only pressure I'll be feeling, is the air as I blow them away with my moves." I said. 

"But darling? Have you ever been in front of ponies of their particular class?" Rarity said. "Are you absolutely positive you won't crack?"

I've met the Princess a few times, a Doctor who can travel through time, and met a psychopathic mother who tried to kill me. I'm sure I'll be fine. I thought to myself. I rolled my eyes. "I'll be fine. Nothing makes me crack!" I said.

They chuckled and walked over to the punch table. We spent the time getting to know each other. I knew a little bit about Applejack, but not much about her parents or where she came from. I only knew Rarity's name, nothing about her life or if she had siblings or parents. I looked to Fluttershy who just sat quietly sipping at her punch. 

"So, Rarity. Where are you from?" I asked. 

"Well, Rainbow Dash, I am from the populace city of Manehatten. My dear sister, Sweetie Belle, and I moved here after we were unable to pay the, umm, well, the rent." she said glumly. "I wasn't able to sell many dresses there, so we moved here, hoping to start a new life with less sophisticated ponies."

"At least Ah work hard for what Ah do. We may not be as sophisticated here, but at least we work hard." Applejack said. "Ah tried the sophisticated life in Manehattan when Ah was just a filly. Ah had to be all dressed in fancy, them ponies were rude, and gosh darnit, them meal selections were just too small." she said.

"Oh please, Applejack. You were never fit to live in that city. But I will admit that you do run a respective business with apples. But it's nothing compared to the intense concentration one needs to find the absolute perfect gem to go with the beautiful ensemble I have to make." Rarity retorted. AJ shared a small grin with her.

"What about you Applejack?" I asked. "Bucking apple trees all day has to be one of the most boring things a pony could do. You know, next to reading."

"It's only boring if ya' can't find the purpose in it. Ah love it 'cause it helps feed the ponies here and makes me feel like Ah'm doin' somethin' productive in town." she replied. "Granny always wanted me to be a productive mare and not a lazy vermon that would jus' sit on my rump all day long."

"What about your parents?" I asked, taking another drink from my punch. Even when I first met her she didn't mention anything about her parents, only about her siblings and Granny Smith. 

Her mood suddenly dropped at the mention of her parents. "They, uh, they aren't around anymore. Ah was jus' a filly when they passed." she said. She dropped her head. "They ran the farm before Ah was even a few months old. I'd rather not talk about that though." she said.

I nodded my head. I knew what it was like. While my mom was still alive, she was never home, never around, and rarely wrote to me. It was like she wasn't alive. But she had an important job that she had to do. Or at least, I hoped it was important. 

"It's okay, Applejack." Fluttershy said. "I don't have any parents either." I looked at her, concerned about what she might say. "I don't know what happened though. It's always been a blur. Like something's blocking it." 

Okay so I guess I should thank the Doctor for that... I thought. 

"Oh, come now. Let's stop this sad recollection of our pasts. I say we toast! To our new friend, Twilight Sparkle!" Rarity said with a raise of her glass. 

"Yeah. Cheers." I said, grateful to be off the topic of parents.

"Well, Ah, better go see if Ah'm needed down by the apple orchards for the celebration." Applejack said as she downed her drink. "Ah'll see ya'll later." she said and walked out the of the room.

"I might as well go too. Who knows what Sweetie Belle has gotten herself into." Rarity said. She looked to Applejack with a look that I remembered. Rarity followed Applejack out of the library. I looked to Fluttershy who was giving a light smile. 

"You see it too?" I asked.

"Oh, yes. She's, as Angel puts it, twitterpated." she said. 

"Well, haven't we all felt that way at one time or another." I said as I finished my punch. 

She started to blush and smile. She looked away from me. "Yeah. We have I guess." 

Great. I was supposed to make her not remember that she loved me, not to make her fall back in love with me. Or was that okay? Since I wasn't reminding of her of the past relationship, she was just starting a new one, would I still be breaking the memory loss thing? I'd have to talk to the Doctor later. 

"Of course, there's never anypony here who I could like. They're all boring and can't keep up with me. I need someone fast."  I said, hoping to quell any feelings she had for me. At least, for the moment. 

"Oh. Yeah." she said, quietly. 

"Hey guys! It's time for the ceremony!" the little dragon said. He ran by me, and I stopped him with my hoof. 

"What's your name squirt?" I asked. 

"I'm Spike. Why do you ask?" he said as he took the lamp shade off of his head. 

"Well I didn't catch your name when you and Twilight came by and watched me clear the skies." I said.

"Oh yeah! You're that Pegasus that made her mane into a puffball!" he said with a laugh. "That was great!"

I rolled my eyes. "Have you met Fluttershy?" I asked. 

"Oh, we've met. Isn't he amazing?" she said.

"Eh, I guess. We better head over to Town Hall though. Don't want to miss that, and you need to get your birds ready." I said. We left the part and walked to Town Hall. Most of the ponies followed suit, including a bouncy Pinkie Pie. We arrived at the celebration and walked in. 

"I've got to go and find my birds. I'll see you later Rainbow." she said and flew off to the top of the building. I walked around for a little bit, which I don't normally do, and saw two ponies behind the curtains talking. When I looked closer, I noticed it was Rarity and Applejack. They were laughing and Applejack was motioning for her to take her place up in the stands. 

She smiled at her and headed for the balcony. Applejack turned around and headed for the snack bar. There were apples, cupcakes, and muffins. And a certain wall eyed Pegasus was hovering by them with a smile. I flew next to her and grabbed one of the muffins. "What's up Derpy?" I asked, taking a bite out of it. 

"Oh! Hi, Rainbow Hash!" she said. I rolled my eyes as she said my name wrong yet again. "I'm just waiting for when I can eat these muffins."

"And when can you?" I said, taking another bite.

"After the Princess gives her speech." she said, not taking her eyes off of her favorite treats. 

"And who told you this?" I asked.

She looked at me as if she was in a deep state of thought. "Nopony. But I have to wait until after the Princess speaks." she said as she turned back to the muffins. 

"Okay. If you say so." I said. I looked around to see if Pinkie was anywhere, and Celestia behold she was next to Twilight, talking her head off. I walked to the front in order for me to get a better look at the stage. The mayor was standing there talking about the Princess. Everypony else was extremely excited. I would have been too if it weren't for the fact that every time I met her there was danger. 

"And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria, Princess Celestia!" she exclaimed. 

Rarity pulled the curtain back and when the Princess didn't appear, everypony gasped. "Remain calm everypony. There must be a reasonable explanation." the mayor said. 

"I love guessing games! Is she hiding?" I heard Pinkie shout.

Pinkie, you're really making me want to smack some sense into you. I thought to myself.

Rarity walked back from behind the curtain. "She's gone!" she said, flabbergasted. 

"Ooooo she's good." Pinkie said. Before I could fly down and hit her head, she gave a loud shout. At the top of the balcony where the Princess was supposed to be was a large cloud of purple smoke. All of a sudden a black Alicorn appeared out of nowhere and laughed maniacally. 

"Ahh my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little, sun-loving faces." the black Alicorn said.

"What did you do with our Princess?" I asked. I would have flown up to her and given her a piece of my mind, but Applejack had a firm grip on the edge of my tail. 

The Alicorn laughed again. "Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?" she said annoyed.

"Oo! Oo! More guessing games!" Pinkie exclaimed. I take back what I said earlier about me liking Pinkie Pie. She just wouldn't stop talking. I rolled my eyes again but Applejack silenced her with a cupcake. 

The Alicorn drew close to Fluttershy and made her flinch away. Oh if Applejack didn't have my tail I would have flown so fast to the Alicorn that she wouldn't have been able to see me coming. It made me furious that somepony would make Fluttershy flinch like that. It reminded me of her parents. 

"Did you not see the signs?" she said as she flicked Rarity under her chin. 

"I did! And I know who you are! You're the Mare in the Moon. Nightmare Moon!" Twilight shouted. 

Mare in the Moon? Didn't Fluttershy's mom say something about that? I thought. My eyes grew as a made a slight connection. Is it possible that her mom was a servant to this 'Nightmare Moon'? She said something about the Mare in the Moon returning, but I first thought it was just a little saying to get under my nerves. Is it possible though?

"Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last." I had completely forgotten that she had been monologuing. Why do all the bad guys just talk, talk, and talk? "From this moment forth, the night, will last, forever!" she exclaimed and disappeared into a cloud of smoke again.

I was finally able to break free of Applejack's bite and flew after the cloud. "Come back her you!" I shouted. I started thinking about what she said. "Night time...forever?" I asked myself. I heard hooves running against the ground and saw Twilight running from Town Hall. "Where's she going?" I asked myself.

I followed her to the library. She knew instantly who the Alicorn was and why she was here. If she was in cahoots with Nightmare what's her name, then she was a threat to Fluttershy and I couldn't let that happen. I burst through the doors behind her as I heard her say something about the Elements of Harmony. "And just what are the Elements of Harmony? And how did you know about Nightmare Moon, huh? Are you a spy?" I asked.

I was yanked back by Applejack. She had a strange thing for pulling on pony's tails with her mouth. It kinda worried me. "Simmer down, Sally. She ain't no spy. But she sure knows what's going on, doncha Twilight?" she said. The others must have followed her while she was following me. Or something like that. 

Twilight explained how she found out about Nightmare Moon and the Elements of Harmony. Only there was a slight problem. She didn't know anything about them. Pinkie did bring a book over to her that was labeled the Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide. "How did you find it?" Twilight asked.

"It was under 'E.'" Pinkie Pie said as she jumped up and down again. As Twilight read from the book, we learned that we had to go through the Everfree Forest in order to get to some castle ruins that the two royal sisters used a long time ago. I was no stranger to the forest, but Fluttershy was freaked out. A lot. 

Somehow, we banded together, like some sort of Fellowship of the Elements type of deal. When we walked in,  I didn't pay much attention to our surroundings. I was merely following the group. Until Twilight fell off a cliff and Applejack rushed in to save her. She was able to reassure Twilight so that she would trust her and listen to her. Fluttershy and I were waiting below her as she let go of Applejack's hooves. We caught her and continued on.

I had to admit, I made it sound like what I did was absolutely amazing, saving Twilight and all. But it was really Applejack who made it possible. I think Fluttershy was just following my lead when we rescued her. But it was a short lived win for me when a Manticore decided to get all ticked off at us. You know, the pony who I thought would save us the least was Fluttershy. Yet someway, somehow, she was able to calm him almost instantly. It was fascinating, and just a little weird, when the Manitcore began to lick Fluttershy's mane. 

After we left the Manticore we were lmost instantly surrounded in darkness. Now, according to what the others would say, I got scared in the forest when faces started to appear. It's all a lie though. I wasn't scared at all. Until Pinkie started to sing. I was afraid about whether or not I'd be able to listen to music ever again. Everyone else was laughing though, so I played along so I wouldn't be the odd mare out.

She eventually stopped, thank Celestia, and we wound up next to a sea serpent who was, how should I put this, Flamboyant? He was complaining about his mustache and frankly, I didn't care. I wanted to fly across, but the only other pony who could would have been Fluttershy. Luckily, Rarity was willing to give up her tail to calm the serpent down. Even though the mustache would have grown back. We crossed and headed for the castle. 

We were able to see it rather quickly, the only problem was that we had to cross a bridge, which was out. I flew over to the other side so I could tie the bridge back up, but when I arrived on the other side, something strange happened. I heard voices and saw ponies who looked like they were from a dark version of the Wonderbolts appeared.

"We want you to join us, the Shadow Bolts." a voice said as three ponies ran from the forest. 

Shadow Bolts? Is it possible that they are part of the Shadows? I thought. 

"We need a captain." the leader said. It snapped me out of my thoughts. Me a captain of a flying team? Hay yeah you can sign me up for that! "The most magnificent, swiftest, bravest flyer in all the land. We need you!" the leader said.

"Woohoo! Sign me up! Just let me tie this bridge real quick, and then we have a deal." I said as I walked over to the bridge. 

"No! It's them or us!" the leader said. 

I looked back to my friends and saw Twilight shouting something. I couldn't hear her though for some reason, but I also saw a look of worry on Fluttershy's face. For some reason, this snapped me out of my wants. I looked back at the Shadow Bolts. "You." I said. Their faces shot up when they heard my choice. "Thank you, I mean. But I'm afraid I have to say no." I said. I tied the bridge back up and flew back to my friends. 

"See? I'd never leave my friends hanging." I told Twilight. I flew up and did a loop back to Fluttershy. "Don't worry. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." I said. Her face lit up and I swore I saw a glint in her eyes. She looked at me longingly, something that I had wanted since the forest. But I couldn't let her look at me like that. It might remind her of our past. "You know, unless the Wonderbolts let me in." I said and flew ahead. I didn't look back to her, but I hoped my comment had done the trick. It was all a lie, and it hurt to say it. But I had to keep her safe. 

We flew into the castle and found the Elements. But there were only five, unlike the six that there were supposed to be. "Where's the sixth?" I asked Twilight. 

She went on talking about how the book had said something about a spark when the five were united or something like that. I didn't pay much attention. The place had a very eerie feel around it. I followed Applejack and the others out of the room so Twilight could concentrate. It didn't last long after we heard Twilight scream. I was the first to the top of the castle where I saw Twilight suspended in mid air. 

"What the-" I said to myself. The elements had sparks in between them, frozen. Behind them, Nightmare Moon was frozen as well. It looked as if I was the only one who wasn't frozen. 

"Don't worry. No pony can hear or see you." I heard a voice say behind me. I turned around and saw the Doctor.

"Doctor? But how?" I asked. 

"I have the TARDIS spinning around this one location over and over again, constantly 'traveling' to this one specific point. It's complicated and full of that timey wimey stuff I spoke about months ago, but it freezes time for a few minutes." he said.

"Okay...well why now?" I asked.

"Because," he said as he walked next to Nightmare Moon. "this is the leader of the Shadows. She is who Fluttershy's mom was following, who your mother used to follow before she met your father." 

"But how is she back? I thought-" I was interrupted. 

"It's been a millennium, it was about time that she was freed of her prison." he said. He pulled out his screwdriver and pointed it at the the elements. 

"Hey! What gives? We need those!" I shouted at him.

"Yes, yes you do. But what good are they without a spark?" he asked.

"But, they are sparking." I said. 

"No they aren't, well, maybe a little, but that's not the spark you need." he said. He pointed the screwdriver at Twilight for a few seconds. "There we go! Now you all can save Equestria!" he said with a smile. His wrist started beeping. "Only a minute left. Well, it was good to see you again Rainbow, but you better run back to the others. It'd be a tad bit weird if you were right next to them and then you were suddenly up here." He walked to a window and stood on top of the railing.

"Wait!" I shouted to him. He turned back to me. "If what you are saying about Nightmare Moon is true, and if we defeat her, will I be able to hug Fluttershy again? Will I be able to love her again?" I asked, nervously.

He looked at me without expression. "No. You two will always be in danger. Even after you defeat Nightmare Moon, her minions won't stop until those who caused their leader to fall are killed." he said. I looked to the ground. "But if it makes you feel any better, your mother and I are out looking for them. If we do find them all, then you will be able to be with her. Just be careful! I also made her untraceable. There's a small bio-damping chip inside her. She can't be found by the Shadows. Since you have no relation to her mother, you are safe too. But only as long as Fluttershy doesn't remember your past."

I nodded my head, not looking at the Doctor. "When you find them, all of them, you tell me straight away." I said.

"I will. I promise you." he said. I looked up and saw him leaning out the window. "Well, I've been wanting to say this again for awhile. Allons-y!" he shouted and jumped out the window. I rushed over and looked out the window. I saw a blue box spinning there and fly off. 

I hid my emotions and rushed back to the group and took my original spot. Suddenly it was like time had just started moving again. No sound, no force, just continuing. We rushed up to Twilight. The elements had been destroyed, but Twilight was saying something about us representing the elements. Apparently, I represented Loyalty. When I thought about it, it made sense. Ever since I had met Fluttershy I had always tried to be by her side and do what I thought was best to protect her. 

A necklace suddenly appeared around my neck. It had a lightning bolt on it, just like my cutie mark, but without the rainbow colors. Fluttershy was kindness, which I agreed with completely. She rarely yelled at anypony and she always tried to show compassion, despite her past. I felt magic flow through me and my vision go completely white. 

I suddenly felt happy. The pain and sadness I had been feeling was gone. It ended though, just as fast as it had arrived. I found myself laying on the ground. Despite the happiness I was feeling during...whatever it was, my head had begun to ache. Nightmare Moon had been defeated though, and a small pony laid where she once was. 

The sun had begun to rise and I heard the Princess' voice. She appeared out of the sun's rays and we shielded our eyes. When she appeared in front of us, everypony else, except for Twilight, bowed in front of her. I bowed as well, despite me never having bowed to her before. 

What really got me was that the Princess knew that Nightmare Moon was returning, but didn't really do anything other than send Twilight to do it. I'm sure she had a good reason to though. She did help Fluttershy and I out in the past. She looked at the small pony on the ground. I hadn't really been listening to much of the talk that was going on, but something that the Princess said had caught my attention.

"We were meant to rule together, little sister." the Princess said.

What? I thought. So the pony who has a following that is trying to kill my mom, Fluttershy, and I is the Princess' sister? I couldn't help but feel anger towards her. I kept it off of my face though. I'd talk to her or the Doctor about it later. I had a feeling I wasn't going to be seeing much of my mom in the future. 

We walked out of the forest afterwards and had the two sister's have their time alone. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a blue box. I looked to my friends and quietly slipped away. I walked over to it and knocked on the door. When nopony answered, I walked in. "Hello?" I called.

The Doctor popped his head out from behind the giant piston. "Oh, hello there." he said. He hit the panels in front of him with a hammer. "So, how does it feel to be a hero of Equestria? he asked.

I just shook my head. "It's not what I want. Being with Fluttershy is what I want. And if you have to find all of the Shadows before I can do that, I won't be happy." I said. 

"Don't worry. I'll find them." he said.

"What about my mom? Where is she?" I asked.

He looked at me without expression again. "She's gone." he said and began to hit some buttons on the panel.

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" I asked angrily. "She better be alright!"

He didn't look at me or register me. I ran up to him and pulled him away from the panels. "Hey! Answer me! Where is she!" I shouted at him. 

"She was taken." he said.

"By who?" 

"Fluttershy's mother." he said quietly. I stood there quiet. "There aren't many of the Shadow's left. After Nightmare Moon was defeated, most of them blipped off of the radar. Except for two." he said.

"One being her mother." I said.

"And the other, her father, is currently in prison under Canterlot." he said. "Her mother has declared war on me, which is something she'll soon learn to regret."

"Damn right she will!" I shouted. 

"No." he said. "You aren't coming."

I smacked him. "Yes I am! That's my mom, and if I can save her, I will. This is a time machine. I could save her and be back here in less than a minute."

"But you might die. And then where would the Elements of Harmony be? What about your friends? What about Fluttershy?"

"What's the point if she can't see me the way I see her? If I can help in the process of helping her look at me like that again, I'm going to take it, no matter the cost." I said.

"What happened to being the Element of Loyalty? I thought you never left your friends hanging?" he said.

"And I'll never leave my mother hanging. I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not." I said. I took a seat and crossed my forelegs. 

He looked at me and smiled. "Well then, hold on!" he said and pulled a lever down as we began to fly towards my mother.
> To the Rescue!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"So, when did you know?" I asked.

He looked at me confused. "Know what?" 

"Well, about the Princess' sister." I said. "Nightmare Moon. She's the one who has the cult following that's been trying to kill my parents. How long have you known about her?" 

"Since she first became Nightmare Moon. You see, she had a plan to overthrow her sister. She had gathered a few supporters, taught them how to fight, kill, and torture, and attempted to stage a coop. During that time, her most loyal followers would sabotage and kill those who were a big part of the Royal Guard." he said as he twisted a few knobs.

"During the Equestrian Civil War, The Shadows caused rampant destruction all across the nation. After many weeks of fighting and death, the Princess was forced to do something she had been avoiding to do." he explained.

"She used the Elements of Harmony against her own sister?" I asked in disbelief. 

"Yep. Banished her straight to the moon for a thousand years. It was nasty business." he said. The TARDIS jerked as we landed. "Well, you ready to save your mom, defeat the Shadows, and get Fluttershy back?" he asked enthusiastically.

"You bet!" I said and darted out the doors. I looked at the city around me and saw ponies walking around with bags and in fancy clothes. The Doctor walked out behind me and looked around as well. 

"Uh, where are we?" I asked.

"Trottingham. Her mother took refuge here and tried to start up another gathering. When your mother and I arrived, however, she jumped us and took your mother." He turned and began walking down the streets. 

I turned to him. "So why did you come back? Why didn't you continue to look for her?" 

He looked back to me. "I did. Spent days looking for her."

"Then why did you come for me even though you said didn't want me to come?" 

"After awhile I realized I was going to need some help. And who better to help than Rainbow Dash, the mare who rushes in without thinkning." he said.

"But can't that be a bad thing? Shouldn't we be thinking while we do this?" I asked

"Well, yes, but we need some of that, oh what do you call it? Spunk? No. Rushedness? No no." 

"Well why me though? Why didn't you go to Felix? I'm sure he'd do just as much as me." I pointed out.

"While he would fight hard, he isn't the one who I trust to get a job done when it needs to be." he said.

I lifted my head pridefully. "So, where's this jerk at?" 

"Buckingham Palace." he said. 

I looked at him shocked. "Wait, so the Royal House is holding a terrrorist?" I asked in disbelief. 

"Oh no no no. They don't know she's there. It's hidden." he said.

"And that's possible because...."

"You really don't have any clue?" he asked. I shook my head. "Well that's a downer." he whispered to himself. "Perception filter. Keeps it seen without being seen. You should have remembered it back when you came to Canterlot." 

"Oh. Yeah I remembered. I was just testing to see if you knew it." I said.

"I'm a Time Lord, I know just everything there is in the universe. Well, except the exact function of a rubber duck. What is with those things?" he asked.

"How should I know?" I asked.

"Alright then snippy, let's just get to Buckingham Palace, rescue your mother, and then we can get you back to your friends. It'll be just like you hadn't left at all." he said. We continued to walk until we came to a large building. We walked up to it and walked past a pony in a red suit and a big black hat.

"Don't worry. They know me. We can just walk in." he said. We walked into the palace when I heard hoofsteps running to us. Five guards ran up to us with spears ready.

"Halt, in the name of the Queen!" one of the ordered. 

We stopped and I looked at the Doctor. "I thought you said you could just walk in?" I whispered. 

"Well, it looks as if they don't remember me." The Doctor pulled out a black wallet. "John Smith, head of the Royal Guard at the Trottingham embassy in the Griffon Kingdom and this is my lovely assistant, Rainbow Torchwood." he said. "I'm here to speak to the Queen."

"Sorry, Mr. Smith." the one who ordered us earlier said. The group put their spears down. "The Queen is a bit caught up in her duties at the moment."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll have time for me. Tell her the Doctor is in." he said.

"Sir, she doesn't have time, especially with the wedding that's coming up." he said.

"It's a matter of national security. Take me there if your for Queen and country." the Doctor said.

The guard stood there and nodded his head at us. "If you'll follow me." He led us through a series of halls that were laiden with pictures of past Queens and Kings. 

"How long has this palace been here?" I asked. 

"About 1000 years. Princess Celestia helped erect it for us all those years ago, as a sign of her allegiance." he said.

"Everything seems to happen 1000 years ago." I whispered to the Doctor.

"Must just be time convergence. Happens sometimes throughout the universe." he said.

We stopped in front of  giant door that had two more guards standing next to it at attention. "She's just through this door. I'll see if she's ready to see you." 

He walked through the door and closed them behind him. We stood there for a few seconds until we heard a louu exclamation come from the room. "What?! He's here!? He's really here?!" the door burst open and their stood a white unicorn with a crown on her flank. "Doctor! I'd been waiting to see when you'd show up again." she said.

"Queen Victoria! How's it been after all these years?" the Doctor asked. "You look lovely."

"Thanks Doctor. You're not so bad yourself." she looked at me. "And who's the new girl?"

"Rainbow Dash. How do you know the Doctor?" I asked.

"He and I were companions years ago. Took me to the planet Poosh and nearly got me turned into a Slitheen's pet." she said. 

"Hey! I got you out of there, safe and sound." the Doctor said.

"Only after rewriting my genetics. If you see a silver head case with three clamps on the side, don't let him put it on your head. The thing hurts worse than getting ripped apart by Adipose." she said, pointing to me.

"Adipose?" I asked.

"A company billions of light years away that turned the habitants into walking fat. Very painful process." he said.

"Oh..." I said. All these alien names were starting to confuse me.

"So Doctor, I'm sure there is a very reasonable explanation for your visit. What is it this time? Slitheen take over? Macra in the sewers? Daleks?" she asked.

"Nope, none of them. Something a tad bit more personal. For both of us." he said, motioning to me. "Have you heard of The Shadows?"

"I've read about them. Only legends though. Why?" she asked.

"Oh Viccy. You should know by now that things are not just legends." the Doctor replied.

She stood there staring at the Doctor. "You're telling me that the deadliest thing in this sector of the universe is here?" she exclaimed.

"Well it's really only one of them. Only two of them are left now that Nightmare Moon has been defeated, so now it's only her two most devoted." he explained. 

The Queen's face dropped. "Not them." The Doctor nodded his head. She lowered her head and sighed. 

"She's here. Underneath Buckingham." the Doctor said.

"With my mom. So what are we going to do? Dig down and fight her or flush her out with some...techno gizmo that you have?" I asked the Doctor.

"First we need to find out where she is. Viccy, do you have any old lay outs of Buckingham? Any that show hidden rooms or tunnels that could hide a pony who wanted to be hidden?" the Doctor asked.

"Stop calling me Viccy. And yes. Hold on a second." she said.

"But I thought the Princess built this?" I asked.

"No she just helped build it. The original architect made up a blue print for the building and Princess Celestia constructed it." the Doctor said as he went to help Victoria. 

"Found them. Here you go Doctor." Victoria said. They huddled over the blue prints for a little bit before the Doctor let out a loud laugh.

"Ah Ha! There it is. Right beneath our feet. According to this, we need to dig underneath the kitchen and into the central tunnel system. The question is, which way do we go to find them?" 

"We'll figure that out later. First, let's get to the tunnels." I said and ran out the door. 

"Rainbow Dash!" the Doctor shouted to me. I didn't listen though. I kept running for kitchen. I had no idea where the kitchen was, so I just followed the smell of food. I ran past a chef and slammed into the kitchen, knocking over a large number of ponies.

"Watch it!" one of chefs said.

The Doctor and Victoria ran in behind me. "When I said I needed someone who would rush in without thinking, I didn't mean that you should never think." he said.

"We need to find her. There has to be some shovels somewhere in this palace." I said. The Doctor pulled out his sonic thing and began pointing it at random objects around the kitchen. "Uh, what are you doing?" I asked.

"We aren't going to dig our way to the tunnels. That would take way too long." he said.

"So what are we going to do? Look for a lever or a button that will open some weird trapdoor?" I asked and leaned against a bookshelf full of cookbooks. It made a loud clank and I flinched back.

"Ah, good job Rainbow!" he said. The bookshelf had moved and revealed a hidden staircase. The Doctor and Victoria ran down the stairs. 

"Hey! Wait up!" I shouted and flew down the stairs to them. I caught up with them as they stood at the bottom of the staircase at a fork. The Doctor was standing there looking at the blue print.

"Which way, Doctor?" Victoria asked. 

"I'm not sure. This isn't anywhere on the blue print." he said.

"Well I'll stick with my gut." I said and flew quickly to the right. I heard the Doctor call my name as I flew down the cave's tunnel. The tunnel went on for a long time, making very small turns left or right. I could smell a raunchy stench coming from ahead of me. I flew faster, knowing that she had to be down there.

"I'm coming mom!" I shouted. I flew through a canvas and landed in front of an open room. It was, too large to be naturally made from the cave. I felt something wooden clamp down on my wings and hold me still. "What the- Hey what gives?" I exclaimed. I looked at what was holding me and saw a Timberwolf on each side of me. 

"Welcome Rainbow Dash. I see you've found my lair." Fluttershy's mom said as she walked out of a corner in the room. "Where is he?" 

"Who?" I asked, playing dumb.

"The Doctor. Surely he's the reason why you were able to find me. Considering him being so clever and all." she said.

"He'll be here soon enough, Clarrise. And when he is, you should be scared." I heard my mom warn from the opposite side of the room in chains. 

"Mom!" I exclaimed.

"Oh I've got my own plans for the Doctor. I'm not too afraid of him. He's clever, but ignorant."

"You should be scared. You have, as you said, his two favorite companions. And one of them, is somepony he loves. He would do anything to get her back. And the other, is her daughter." I said. 

"He may seem ignorant, but he's a good pony. Ponies tend to fear the evil warmongers, but they always forget the good ones. Nothing to fear from someone you can ransom with. You can predict an evil ponies moves in war. But when a good pony goes to war, there is nothing that can stop him." I heard my mom say from the opposite end of the room.

"Are you alright?" I asked my mom quickly, not even really paying attention to what was being said.

"You two can have your little reunion after I kill the Doctor." she said. "But for now, I think you two had better be quiet. If you want what's best for eachother." Clarrise said with a smile.

"Why should we listen to you?" my mom shouted. Clarrise raised a hoof and I felt myself being lifted into the air, pressure being pushed in on my sides. 

"Do you want to find out?" she said. My mom just sat there quietly. "Good." she slowly lowered her hoof and I felt the pressure leave as I brought back down to eye level. "I've got so many plans. Despite Nightmare Moon's fall, I shall still have a glorious empire. Already I have gathered a handful of ponies who are willing to join me. And soon, I'll have a device strong enough to take over the mind's of everypony in the world. I'll march to Canterlot and rip Celestia's head from her shoulders. She'll make a lovely decoration above my fireplace." she said with a smile.

"What device?" I asked. "What do you have that can take over everypony's mind?" I had to buy some time. If I could keep her monologuing long enough for the Doctor to get here, we stood a chance of getting my mom out of here.

"Why, it's this." she said and pointed to a white orb with a tube strung out from it. The tube ran all the way to a pony that was sprawled across the table. "This, is how I will do it. However, I need the Doctor's sonic screwdriver."

"But what is it? What is that orb?" I asked again.

"It's a translator from a being called an Ood. They have a psychic link with all others of their kind and are able to communicate. I have modified it so it can be used as a device that targets specifically ponies. I need the screwdriver so I can amplify it's psychic power across the planet." she explained. "Want to see it in action?"

She held the orb in her hooves and looked at my mom as she slumped over. "Mom!" I exclaimed.

"Rise." Clarrise said. My mom immediately rose. "March." She tried to move forward, but was unable to because of the chains. "Kick the wall." She turned around and began to kick the wall. She did for a few minutes before she was told to stop. Clarrise put the orb back on the table and my mom slumped back to the ground.

"Mom!" I shouted again. "What did you do? She better not be hurt or so help me-" 

"She's fine. Just asleep. The psychic link is only able to reach across this room since it is no longer connected to the Ood's mind and body. And you have brought me the piece that I need to control the world." she said.

"And what makes you think I'm just going to hand over my sonic device to you?" I heard the Doctor say.

"Ah, Doctor. I see you've arrived." Clarrise said. She raised her hoof and two Timberwolves came out and tried to grab him.

"Oh please." he said and pointed his sonic screwdriver at them. They collapsed into piles of sticks on the ground. "Burst of sonic energy turns them to simple sticks and twigs. No harm done from them." He pointed it at the two holding me and I dropped to the ground.

"About time you got here!" I said. "She has a-"

"-mind control device so I heard, but the real thing I want to know is how she came by an Ood here. How do you even know what an Ood is? You don't have a spaceship or an almanac or a historical reference guide to the Universe." he said. 

"Ah but Doctor, don't you remember? In the early days of the war Nightmare Moon gave The Shadows a book telling about all the creatures and aliens we could use to our benefit." Clarrise said. She looked behind me and smiled. "Now, how about you drop your screwdriver and give it to me, before somepony gets hurt?" 

"How about no." he said. I was suddenly lifted into the air and I gave a slight voice of surprise. 

"Suit yourself." she said. The Doctor turned around and pointed at the Timberwolf again, only this time, nothing happened. 

"What?" he said. He tried again, but still nothing happened. "What? This doesn't make-" he started but stopped himself. "Oh wait. But it does."

"What makes what?" I asked as I tried to fight my free of the Timberwolf.

"Did I mention that the Timberwolf builds a sonic resistance to my sonic screwdriver after it's been affected by one?" he said.

"No! That bit of information would have been wonderful to have known!" I shouted. 

"Yes, well, since they're alive, they're slightly affected for a short time. But since they're also made of wood, they grow immune to it. My sonic screwdriver is useless against wood." 

"Wood? Your super high tech device is useless on wood!?" I exclaimed.

"Yep. One of the many ironys of my life." He turned back to Clarrise. "Alrighty then! Let's see, you need me, I need these two. How about you let them go, and I'll help you?" 

"And how do I know once you have them you won't sabotage it?" she asked.

"You'll have to trust me." he said.

"Sorry, but trust doesn't come easily to those who help skewer my plans." she said.

"Well, then I guess we do things the hard way." he said. 

I fell to the ground as my mom threw a rock right at the Timberwolf's face, causing it to break into sticks and twigs again. She ran over to me with Victoria right behind her. "Thanks for the distraction." she said.

"Anytime. You still owe me for the business on Balhoon." the Doctor said.

"Doctor, we better get going." Victoria said. "The orb is set for detonation in two minutes." 

"A Queen who knows how to make a bomb?" I asked.

"Well after running around with this oaf you learn quickly." she said, motioning to the Doctor.

"Are you all through?" I heard Clarrise ask. We turned and looked at her. She had about two dozen Timberwolves behind her, growling.

"Uh, yes. Actually we were just leaving." the Doctor said. The Timberwolves gave a low growl. "Run!" he yelled at us. We bolted back into the way we came. 

"Just like old times!" Victoria said.

"Oh yes!" the Doctor replied. I looked behind me and saw two Timberwolves closing the distance faster than I would have liked.

"Doctor!" I shouted. He turned his head around and pointed at the Timberwolves. One of them burst into twigs and the other just sneezed. "Got anything else?" I said.

"Yeah. Run faster!" he shouted. We came up to the fork and ran up the stairs. 

"Wait! The kitchen is up there!" I shouted.

"Yeah, and Timberwolves are down here. Get your flank moving!" Victoria exclaimed to me. I wasn't about to disobey a Queen, so I flew up as fast as I could. I flew out a window and helped the others out as they reached it. I pulled my mother out with the Doctor right behind her. 

"How far is the TARDIS?" she asked. 

"About a mile down Constitution Hill." the Doctor replied. He ran ahead of us with me following him the Queen behind me, and my mom following her. We ran hard for the TARDIS as the Timberwolves closed in on us. I looked behind and couldn't find Fluttershy's mom. I hoped she was caught up with the guards in the palace. 

"Almost there!" the Doctor said as we neared the big blue box. He ran ahead and opened the doors. I ran in and was followed by Victoria. I turned and looked for my mom and when I saw her, Fluttershy's mom crashed next to her and threw her into the ground. 

"Mom!" I shouted. I flew out of the TARDIS towards the bitch that was hitting my mom. She grabbed her and wrapped her foreleg around my mom's throat. 

"Stop or she dies!" she shouted. I braked as hard as I could have and crashed into the ground as I attempted to land. I looked up and saw my mom with tears down her cheeks.

"Clarrise!" I heard the Doctor shout as he stopped next to me. "Don't hurt her, don't you dare injure her!" he exclaimed. 

"First you have to help me!" she demanded. "The Palace Guards are going to be after me now, and since the mind control device is no longer useable thanks to her," she said nodding her head to Victoria, "I need a place of refuge, and you're going to give it to me." 

"Why? If I do you'll just come back and cause more trouble." the Doctor said.

"Because if you don't," she said, squeezing my mom's throat, "I'll kill the one you love."

The Doctor stared her down and my mom looked at me with teary eyes. I walked over to the Doctor and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Please." I whispered to him. 

He looked me in my eyes. "She'll just come back and cause more harm." he said.

"Yes, but we can deal with that later, when she doesn't have my mom hostage." I said, hoping to persuade him.

He turned back to Clarrise and sighed. "Fine." 

"No! Doctor don't you dare help her!" my mom exclaimed.

"Be nice now, deary. We wouldn't want to have your daughter watch you die." she said. She walked up to the Doctor with my mom still in her grasp. "I'm glad we understand each other." she said with a smile.

I moved to try and free my mom, but the Doctor put a hoof in front of me to stop me. He shook his head and walked inside the TARDIS. Victoria and I followed him in and the doors closed behind us. "Where?" he asked Clarrise.

"Skaro." she said.

"No. You'll have too many accomplices to help you destroy Equestria." the Doctor said.

"You don't have much of a choice, now do you?" she said. "Now either you take me there, or she loses her spinal chord." 

The Doctor walked over to the panels surrounding the center of the TARDIS. "I'll take you to Sol 3. You'll be left alone and taken care of there." he said.

"Don't drop me off at that pitiful place of hairless abominations. It's Skara, or her death." she said, tightening her grip.

"Look, everypony, just calm down." Victoria said. "We'll take you there, but only on one condition."

"I don't think you're in any place to make a condition." she said.

"Listen. We take you to Skara if you let her go and stand by her daughter." 

"Do I look stupid to you!? Once you take her, you'll take me to the Shadow Proclamation or kill me here and now. Sorry, no can do." she said. She looked as if she was about to snap my mom's neck but the Doctor stopped her.

"Hold on, hold on! There's no need to do that! Fine. I'll take you to Skara. Just don't hurt her." he pleaded. 

"Don't worry. As long as I'm safe there, so will she." He pressed some buttons and pulled some levers that sent the TARDIS spinning. 

During that brief moment, my mom broke free and kicked Clarrise away from her. "Now!" she exclaimed. Victoria ran up to Clarrise and kicked her in the face, sending her flying back. I flew by her and punched her face into the wall. It felt good to finally hit this monster. 

My mom grabbed me and held onto a railing as Victoria followed suit. "Doctor! Do it now!" she shouted. There was a low humming sound followed by a loud bang as the TARDIS doors blew open, trying to suck us out. I looked behind me and saw Clarrise flying towards us. She grabbed my mom's hooves and held on.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not getting lost in time!" she shouted. 

My mom tried to kick her off but wasn't able to. She began to slip, with one hoof on the rail and the other holding me. "Grab onto the rail! Don't let go!" she told me. I did as she said and she lowered her head to my ear. "I love you. I'm so sorry." she said and let go of the rail, falling out of the TARDIS. 

"Mom!!" I shouted. 

"Firefly!" the Doctor exclaimed. "No!"

My mom fell out with Clarrise as the TARDIS doors closed, locking them out forever.
> Why Me?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I stood there, quietly staring at the door. I was in shock. One moment my mom is holding on to me, the next, she's gone. I rescued you...I saved your life from her. But she still took you from me. I thought. I didn't cry. Everything happened so fast that I was still registering it. 

"I'm sorry." Victoria said as she walked next to me. She pulled me in for a hug and I just stood there, unresponsive.  

"Fluttershy's mom, Clarrise, was taken into the time vortex too. Every memory that was caused by her or is of her will disappear from the universe." the Doctor said. 

"And my mom?" I finally asked. 

"Same with her. Anyone who knew her will cease to know of her existence." he said calmly as he hit a few levers. 

I turned to him. "Will I...will I forget her?" I asked close to tears. 

He looked back to me and smiled. "No. You'll still have your mother as a part of you. You will never forget her. Since you were at the epicenter of the event, you will still remember her, along with Clarrise."

"What about Fluttershy? Now that she won't remember her mom, we can be together, right?" I asked hopefully.

The smile left his face. "In a manner, yes. But she won't feel as strongly for you as you do her. Because her love for you was reinforced by everything you did to her when her parents were here, everything her mom did to her is now lost in time. She won't have any memories of them, nor of the times you helped her through it." he said.

"So I have to start all over? What if I showed her her journal? With all of her entries about her mother, she should remember right?" I pleaded. 

He shook his head. "It'll just seem like you were making it up." 

I slid down onto the floor. "So you're basically saying I would die for her and she thinks she might sorta like me?" He nodded his head. I put my face into my hooves. "This is so unfair!" I shouted. My hooves muffled my voice. "Why does everything bad happen to me?! Why does everypony I care about end up dead or not caring about me?!" 

He walked over to me and put a hoof on my shoulder. "I care about you. I don't want to see you hurt." 

"Why?!" I shouted at him, looking at his face. "You barely know me. Why do you care about me?" 

He rubbed his hoof through my mane. "Because I know what it's like to lose everyone I love." he said quietly. 

I buried my face in my hooves again. I wouldn't let him see me like this. I was not going to be the only one on this stupid blue box who was crying. "Take me home." I said. "I want to see Felix." 

"He won't remember your guy's mother, Rainbow. Even now, he's slowly forgetting what her voice sounded like. Pictures of her are disappearing along with the memories. Only us three will remember her and what she did." the Doctor said.

"She left me here alone. Again. After all this you would've thought she would stay for once." I said.

"She saved your life. If she hadn't let go of you, all three of you would have been dragged out and forgotten." Victoria said. 

I didn't respond. I knew she was barely able to hold on, but I didn't want to admit that she didn't have a choice. "She could have kicked harder. Done something more before letting go of me."

"She didn't have a choice." the Doctor said.

"Like you know about choices. What life and death decisions have you made, Mr. Time Traveller hitch hiker?" I shouted at him.

He sat there staring at me. He wasn't mad, just calm, cool, and collected. "Remember when I told you I was a Time Lord? Well, I'm all that's left. The rest are dead. We were a very strong race, able to see into the past and future. There's so much going on in our minds, that keeping track of what happens when can get lost. But there was a war. A time war against the Daleks. The Time Lords became savage. They wanted everyone to die because they knew that they were going to as well. But I stopped them. I stopped them from killing every living thing in the universe. I had to kill mentors, friends, and even my own family." he said, his voice growing more stern. "And I killed all of them, including the Daleks."

"So I know what it's like to make life and death decisions. To choose what would be better for the whole. That's what you mother did. Saving you, because she knew you had your whole life ahead of you. Just like the universe I had to save by killing my entire race." he said. He stood up and walked back to the panels. 

I laid there, pouting. I felt the TARDIS jump, signaling we were heading back somewhere. Victoria ran back up to him and I saw her whisper something to him. He didn't seem t o respond or notice she said anything. When she touched him however, he looked at her, a single tear running down his cheek. I had never seen the Doctor cry. He seemed like a pony who could take anything.

The TARDIS jumped again and settled down on. He nodded to Victoria and she gave him a quick hug. She walked to me and kneeled down. "Don't let him get to you. He's been through more than all of us combined." she said. "You're not the only one who lost someone they loved today." 

I looked to her and nodded. She walked to the doors and opened them. In front of us was Buckingham Palace, as if nothing had happened. She turned to the Doctor and nodded. "Until next time." 

"Until next time." he said. She walked out onto the lawn and the doors closed behind her. He pulled a lever down and we started off again. He stood at the controls quietly as we headed back for what I presumed to be the Everfree Forest. When the TARDIS finally came to a stop, I stood up and headed for the doors. 

"Rainbow Dash." I heard the Doctor call. I turned and looked at him. He pulled something out from underneath the panels. He walked over to me and placed it in my hooves. "This, is the only picture of your mother that remains. Just like us, it was at the epicenter. It "remembers" your mother, and has kept her image perfectly." He closed my hoof around the frame. "Keep it. It belongs to you." he said and walked back to the panels. 

I looked down at the picture and saw her smiling face. She was a few years younger than herself when I was a filly. I looked back to the Doctor and cleared my throat. He looked at me. "Thanks. For the picture, I mean." I said.

He simply nodded his head, not saying a word. I turned and opened the doors that led out back to the forest. I saw my friends and I walking back to Ponyville. The me outside looked to the other side of the forest and back to her friends right before running off. I flew out and caught up with my friends, not making a sound. When we arrived back, I had completely forgotten about what we had just done. Well, what they had just done. I had just seen my mom die, but they didn't know about that. 

"I can't believe that the Princess knew about it all along and did nothing about it." Fluttershy said. 

"She knew what had to be done. I guess we were the only thing that could have saved the day." Twilight replied. I let them talk. I didn't care about Nightmare Moon or the troubles they went through. I was too busy thinking about my mom, the Doctor, Fluttershy, and my mom again. She kept popping into my thoughts. I could be thinking about Felix and how he would be now, and she'd suddenly pop up out of nowhere. 

I spent the majority of our time back at Ponyville thinking. I followed the flow and tried to hide in the shado- I mean in the dark. I didn't want to think about anything that had to do with shadows. It reminded me too much of what had happened.

"You a'right there, sugarcube?" I heard Applejack ask me. I jumped out of my thoughts and looked around. 

"What?" I asked.

"You've been sitting there holding on to that there frame in your hooves like it's the most precious thing on the planet." she replied.

"What is it? A picture?" Twilight asked.

"Yay! More guessing games! We never did get to finish the one with that one evil looking pony. Let me guess first! Is it a cake? A muffin? A chocolate covered frog? No! Wait! I know! It's-" Applejack put her hoof over Pinkie's mouth.

"Darling, we've been sitting here trying to get your attention for about five minutes now. Don't you think meeting royalty is more important than what could possibly be in that frame?" Rarity said.

There's only one thing more important than this frame. And she won't even look at me like I look at her. I thought to myself. I bit my tongue though. They didn't know about it, and they'd just start to ask questions and think I was crazy. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about what a bummer it was that I didn't get a chance with the Wonderbolts." I lied.

"Well Ah'm sure they'll be some other time when you can whoo em'." Applejack said. 

"Yeah. I'll practice hard for the next time I see them." I said, trying not to show any negative emotions in front of them. 

"C'mon girls! The party is starting soon! You don't want to miss it!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. We walked over to where Pinkie had the signs, balloons, and streamers hanging. It didn't take long after that for the Princesses to arrive. I didn't listen to much of what was being said, but I overheard Twilight say something about having to leave friends behind. I hid the picture under my wings as I listened in.

"Spike, take a note please." the Princess commanded. "I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree, that the Unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings, from her new home, in Ponyville."

"Wow! That's awesome!" I exclaimed. I had come to like Twilight through this journey. Maybe she'll help me get through what happened today. You know, without knowing it. I thought.

"Oh, thank you, Princess Celestia! I'll study harder than ever before!" Twilight said happily. 

We laughed at that. "Typical egghead Twilight." I said quietly to myself. There was cake, music, a social gathering, and even Princess Luna gave a short speech. It took my mind off of everything. Fluttershy, my mom, the Doctor, everything. The party ended late at night, and after the party, we all went to our houses, but Pinkie Pie stayed out by the party for all the left over sweets. Rarity had a sister who was hyped on sugar and Applejack had a farm she had to take care of. 

Fluttershy and I walked Twilight back to the library with Spike asleep on my back. From the looks of it, Twilight hadn't been to a party a day in her life. She was so exhausted that she collapsed as soon as we entered her room. We took Spike to his bed. I don't normally do that stuff, but since Fluttershy was here, I decided to stay with it. 

"I can't believe I saw a baby dragon today. It was amazing." she said quietly as she tucked him in. 

"Yeah. It's strange all the things we have seen." I said,

"I know. A sea serpent, a Manticore, and an evil princess. It was frightening." she said.

"I don't mea-" I started, but stopped when I remembered what the Doctor said. It doesn't matter. She'll think I'm crazy. I thought. I shook my head. "Can I show you something?" 

"What do you want to show me?" she said as we walked out of the library. 

I took the picture out from under my wing. "Do you recognize this pony?" I asked, showing her my mom.

She looked at it long and hard, as if she could almost tell who it was. "Umm, no. At least, I don't think so." she said.

"Try harder. Try as hard as you possibly can." I pleaded. 

She looked at it again. "No. I'm sorry, Rainbow, but I don't know who that pony is."

I sighed.  "How about you come by to my house? I have something else I want to show you." Even if she did think I was crazy, I had to try something.

"Are there more pictures?" she asked.

"You'll see." I said. We walked out of the library and flew to my house. She may not remember her mom, or how she feels about me, but I swear she better remember what her dad did.
> Possible Remembrance 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	When we arrived at my house we flew in through my window. "Sit down over there." I said, pointing to my bed next to the drawers. 

"Um, okay." she said quietly. She took a seat and I rummaged through the my things. 

I pulled out a journal and walked over to Fluttershy. "Do you know what this is?" I asked, kneeling in front of her. 

"A journal?" she asked.

"Yes, but do you know who's?" 

She looked at me confused. "Wouldn't it be yours?" 

I shook my head. "Open it and look at the writing." I said, placing the journal in her lap. 

She picked it up and flipped through the first few pages. "Why, it's mine. But I don't remember this." she said. 

"Read some of the entries. Maybe it'll help jog your memory." I said, hoping this would work.

"Today was my birthday. My parents did something amazing today. They only hit me once! I was happy when they said I could go to my room. It meant I could fly the next morning." she read. She kept reading as I lowered my head and closed my eyes. I tried to fight back memories of her mom shouting in my face after that night. 

"Rainbow?" she asked. "Why would I write this?" she asked.

"Because your parents did that. At least your dad did. You told me your mom only shouted at you." I said, looking back to her. She rubbed her head.

She flipped through a large portion of the journal. "Well, tomorrow's the dance. I really want to ask Rainbow to the dance, but I'm afraid how she'll react. I guess I could play it off as us going as friends, but I want to be more than that. I may just be a love struck filly, but I hope that someday we can go places together as more than friends."

She looked at me scared. "Rainbow." she stated.

"You wrote that. You wanted to be with me. I wanted to be with you. Remember when we were fillies? You and me went on our first Nightmare Night. We went to that concert and I spent the night at your cottage. Your parents were throwing pictures and hitting them with sticks." I said. I was trying to make her remember.

"We went to a dance and I blew you off because of that jerk Long Horn. I came home early and found you crying. We slept on the same bed that night. It was the first time I had decided that I knew for a fact that I loved you. I didn't say anything because I was afraid. You found out about my parents and where they've been because of the Doctor. Do you remember the Doctor?" I asked. She shook her head with a scared look on her face. She was rubbing her head more with a pained expression. 

"After Hearts Warming, you and I kissed. We began dating, we went to the Wonderbolts air show, which you got us both tickets to, so we could see it together." I said. "But then your mom showed up and caused a storm of some sort. You left with Applejack and ended up with her in the forest. You sided with her and she was about to kill me, but you stopped her. You tackled her and saved my life." 

She looked at me with tears down her face. "My head..." she cried. 

"Please remember. Fluttershy, please remember everything!" I pleaded. "I need you! I need you with me, I need you to love me!" I exclaimed. 

She was crying uncontrollably. "Rainbow, help! My head...it feels like..." she started but was interrupted when a giant golden wave slammed into me. I stood up and looked at her. She was on her back, unmoving. 

"Fluttershy!" I exclaimed. I shook her and put my head down on her chest. I felt it rise and fall and gave a sigh of relief. "Felix!" I shouted. I had no idea if he was home since his work hours were all screwy. "Felix, I need your help!" I yelled through the house. There was no reply, no sound but my echoes. 

I put my head on the bed. Damn you Doctor. I thought. "Why did you have to take that memory? Why that memory!?" I shouted to no one in particular. I heard that familiar humming coming from downstairs. I shot up and ran down the stairs. I saw the blue box with the Doctor standing out of it. I ran up to him and began to hit him. 

"Why!? Why not take the memory of her dad? Why not the memory of her mom? Why not the memory of that jerk Long Horn? Why in Celestia's name did you take the memory of me?!" I shouted. I kept hitting him and he just stood there, taking it. I stopped and collapsed on the ground. I'm normally able to keep everything contained. I've never broken down like this. 

He knelt down to me. "It was the strongest memory. The one she held onto the closest. It was so powerful that I didn't need to take your's away." he said calmly, despite the bloody nose I gave him. "She loved you more than herself, Rainbow. She didn't care about anything else." he said. 

I didn't look at him. "There was a gold wave. It slammed into me, sending me back and knocking Fluttershy unconscious." I said.

"A defense I put in place. I put it there just in case her father somehow escaped. That way, it would kill him if he made her remember that. But it wouldn't harm her or you. Since the memory is about you directly, you were safe from it." he said. 

"Will she be alright?" I asked.

"Yes. But that memory of you is now lost forever. That wave was the memory itself leaving the brain. No matter what, she will not remember how she originally felt for you." he said. He put a hoof under my chin and raised my head. "But you can still get her. You just have to make sure that you don't lose sight of why you're doing it." he said.

"And what's that?" I asked, wiping my eyes. "Am I doing it for me?" 

"No. You're doing it because she had no one, but then she had you. Forgetting you is going to be devastating. She won't remember your mom, your dad, or her parents now. But you are her one bright light. The one thing that kept her going when she did know her parents. Show her that light again, and maybe, just maybe, you'll have her back." He let go of my chin and stood up.

"Wait." I said. I flew back up to my room and grabbed the picture of my mom. I flew downstairs and handed it to him. "You'll need this. Now that you don't have a companion."

"No." he said sternly. "I'm not taking that back."

"Yes, you are." I said back just as stern. "You said that I was Fluttershy's one bright light. Well you know what I think?" I said, shoving the picture into his hooves. "That she was yours." I said pointing to the photo. "I still have a chance. You don't."

He looked at the picture for a long time. He looked to me and smiled. "Maybe. Maybe we'll see her again." he said. "If you think hard enough and remember long enough, maybe, just maybe, we'll see her again."

He walked back into the TARDIS and closed the door behind him. I stood back as it began to hum and disappear. When he finally had left, I walked slowly up the stairs. Fluttershy was still out cold so I sat next to her on the bed. "You know, I never thought I'd be like this." I said to her. "Living a life of danger. I dreamt of having adventures and exploring places. But after what I've seen recently, I'm not so sure I do. But you can't tell anyone. I've got a reputation to uphold." I said with a light chuckle. 

"Remember back when we were out in the market? It was right before Hearts Warming. I had asked you to go out and find Felix a finance game or something. That way I could sneak over to a different place and pick up your present. A little song bird. You almost caught me with it, but I was able to get you to believe it was something else." 

"When Hearts Warming came around, you were so excited to see what I had gotten you. When I showed you the cage and you found the bird, you were so happy. I had never seen you like that. It was one of the most amazing things I had seen. It's one of my favorite memories of you." I said as I recalled that day. One of my favorite days of my life. I never let myself just talk my feelings out. Even though she was unconscious, it felt nice to tell her about it. 

"I never told you this, but one day when you were out getting sewing supplies for your dresses, I had to stop Angel from getting ahold of the birds food. He kicked me in the face and I had half a mind to throw him out the window. But I knew you'd hate me for it. You love that little guy almost as much as you loved me." I said. I looked over to where she would always be sitting when she had a magazine or was playing with Angel. I had forgotten how empty it looked. 

"What about that time Felix brought his marefriend over? Fleur de something or other. You knew she was only after his money. He's marrying her though. A few months from now." I said.

I walked over to the window, leaned my forelegs on top of it, and looked out to the dark sky. "I know you don't remember Fluttershy, but I would do anything for you." I felt a tear coming up, but I didn't stop it. "The Doctor says that maybe if I think hard enough and remember long enough, that maybe, just maybe, I'll see my mom again. I don't know about that, since she's been lost in time, whatever that means. But maybe it'll work with you." I looked back to her.

"You may not remember how you felt, Fluttershy. But I remember everything." I closed my eyes and thought all the way back to our childhood. Us playing on the grass, me helping her fly in front of the bullies, and even us at the concert. I even remembered her parents and how they treated her. I remembered their cottage, her room, and her favorite toy, a stuffed rabbit.

I recalled her smile, her laugh, her tears. I pictured that little thing her mane would do as it covered that one eye. I remembered her cuddling next to me, hugging me, and sleeping next to me. Tears were flowing down my face. All these memories that I had finally let come up were too much. But I kept them coming. For her sake. I remembered us flying to Canterlot to see about the interrogation, I remembered my fractured wing and how she tackled her mother to save me. I let all of our past rush through me. 

The air suddenly became warm and I felt a tingling sensation surround me. I opened my eyes and saw a gold line surrounding my vision. "What the-" I said. Another gold wave flew towards Fluttershy. I fell to the floor, suddenly exhausted for some reason. I looked over to her and saw a gold mist start circling around her. I began to lose focus and slowly blacked out.
> Let Downs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I woke to hearing a loud humming noise in my ear. I hit whatever it was away from me and put a hoof to my head. "Ow." I said. I had a huge migraine that made my head spin. "What happened?" I asked as I tried to lift my head. I only ended up hitting my head against the floor, making the migraine worse. 

"You are one amazing pony, Rainbow Dash." I heard the doctor say. 

"Thanks. I've always known that. What took you so long to figure that out?" I asked, closing my eyes.

"Well, considering you basically reversed what my defenses did, I'd say that qualifies." 

I shot up, not caring about my head. "Fluttershy!" I shouted and ran over to her. She was still asleep on the bed. "I did what you said, except I did it for her." I said pointing to Fluttershy. "There was a gold mist that surrounded her. Was that the memory?" I asked.

"Yep." he said.

"Will she remember?" I asked hopefully.

"Kind of. It will all just be dreams though. Nothing she feels she can act out." 

I groaned. "Nothing works, huh?" I exclaimed. I felt a hammer hit the inside of my brain. I fell on the bed in pain.

"You really should be careful. What you did was so powerful it sent the TARDIS into a head-spin." he said. "You need rest. And I mean actual rest." 

I heard a familiar voice come from downstairs. "Doctor! Where do you want me to put the muffins?" 

"Just lay them on the seat in the TARDIS." he replied. He turned to face me. "What?" he asked, reading my face.

"Derpy? You're taking the clumsiest pony in all of Equestria with you? I mean, no offense, but she is a little out there." I said. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. 

"Only that she can kind of mess things up a little. Your TARDIS appears to be a very expensive piece of...whatever it is. Do you really want her to be near it?"

There was a crash downstairs. "Oops. My bad." Derpy said from downstairs. 

"See?" I asked sarcastically.

"Oh, she's not so bad. She's very persistent and wants to help out." he said. He walked over to Fluttershy. "In a few hours she'll be up. Try talking to her. And since you were able to bring the memory back, she'll be dreaming about them. Ask her about them." he said. He turned and walked downstairs. 

"Doctor!" I called out as I tried to run back down to him. My head began to hurt again and I fell down the stairs. I landed at the bottom of the staircase on top of my head. "Ow."

"You okay Rainbow Dash?" I heard Derpy ask. 

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." I replied.

"Good. Well, we're off. We're going to visit Raxacoricofallapatorius." the Doctor said. 

"Go...where?" Derpy asked. 

"Raxacoricofallapatorius." he said again. She looked at him confused. "A planet with big green aliens." he clarified. 

"Ohh. Like little green ponies?" she asked.

"Sorta. Except they aren't little. More like big, green, walking, living calcium." he said with a smile.

"Why are you going to Raxac-corpulatus?" I asked. 

"Raxacoricofallapatorius. I stopped a family from there from destroying a planet and selling it for scrap." he replied.

"What planet? And why in the world are you going there if they tried to destroy a planet?" I asked, rubbing my head. 

He pointed his metal thing at me. It made a low hum and my head stopped hurting. "Diplomatic hearing under the Shadow Proclamation." he said. "And no, it's not the same as the Shadow's here." 

"Okay then. But what planet? I mean, if they tried once, wouldn't they try again?" I asked. 

"It's kind of hard for them to do that when the last of the Slitheen family looked into the heart of the TARDIS. They're deciding on what to do with the family's company." he explained. 

"Doctor? Are we going to go soon? I want to see some green ponies!" Derpy exclaimed with a muffin in her hoof.

"Yes, yes, just let me finish here." he said. 

I lowered my head. My headache had gone away, but I was still remembering about Fluttershy. "You always have someone don't you?" I asked. 

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"First Victoria, then my mom, then me, and now Derpy. Even when you should be alone, you have somepony with you. While those of us who have had nothing but trouble have nopony there for us." I said.

"Well, what about Felix?" he asked.

"He's always working. He's either at the Exchange or with Fleur-fancy name." I said. "He doesn't have time for me anymore." I never talk about how I feel about Fleur and my brother. "I had hoped that Fluttershy might remember us if I did what you said, but I guess even I can't make that happen." I said defeated.

He put a hoof on my shoulder. "Hey. You brought the memories back. She thinks they're dreams, and she'll continue to have them. If you just talk to her about them, maybe she'll remember. I can't promise anything, but I believe if you try hard, really really try, she'll remember everything." he said. 

"How do you know? You've said those things before, but I'm constantly being let down. Why can't you just sonic her mind and give them back?" I asked.

"It doesn't work like that. We used a dark kind of magic, one that we don't fully understand. We're currently studying it further with the help of Princess Luna." he said. "I don't know how long it could take for it to be understood fully, but you need to try until we figure it out. Just try hard, and eventually she'll remember everything.

I lowered my head again and nodded. "Okay, Doctor. I guess I don't have a choice, huh?" I said with a light chuckle. 

"Thatt'a girl." he said. "Now, go up there, and talk to her. She's going to be a little freaked out about that dream of hers." 

"Alright." I said. He stood up and walked back to the TARDIS. "Doctor?" I asked.

"Oh what now?" he asked. "I've got some real important...diplomatic things to do that are of the utmost-"

"Timey wimey importance?" I finished for him. He smiled. "Take care of her." I said pointing to Derpy. "She's fragile. And I swear if you make her doubt herself, I'll slap you." 

"Make her doubt herself? Please, I'd never do such a thing to that beautiful mare." he said.

"Wait, what?" I exclaimed.

"What? It's not illegal." he said.

"So? She just got out of school around the same time I did!"

"Hey! She's older than you!" he said in defense. 

"So? That doesn't mean that you can just take anypony out on a date because you think they're cute!" I shouted.

"Doctor!" Derpy cried out from the TARDIS. "Let's go! The TARDIS is humming again!" 

"Believe it or not, she understands more about this stuff than you ever will." he said. 

"I doubt it. I only spent a short few minutes in that thing." I said. "Anyways, take care. I guess I'll see you around sometime." 

"Oh yes. And don't worry, she'll be fine." He closed the TARDIS and I stepped back. It gave a low humming sound and began to disappear. I walked upstairs and into our room. Fluttershy was awake now, rubbing her eyes. 

"Hey Fluttershy. Sleep well?" I asked.

"Oh, hi Rainbow. I guess I slept well. I had a weird dream though." she said.

The Doctor's good. I thought. "What about?" I asked taking a seat next to her. "My awesomeness had better be in there." 

She laughed lightly. "You were. Along with somepony who said she was my mom." she began to talk about the time in the forest. It was the last thing she would have remembered before the Doctor wiped her memories. "It was really weird. And kind of cool that I was able to stand up for myself and you." 

"That's awesome! Of course, nopony could be as brave as me." I bragged.

"Hehe, I know." she rubbed her hooves together. "There was another one..." she said.

"What happened in that one?" I asked.

"Well...you and me were in a hotel. Your brother had left to get a drink and we were alone..." she trailed off. I felt my face grow red. I still remembered that night. It was the first time we had actually done anything more than a small kiss. I tried to hide my face. 

"And well...we, uh...." she was having trouble explaining what I already knew. 

"What? We didn't like, you know, kiss right?" I asked.

"Oh...uh no..." she said. 

"Are you sure?" I asked a little too energetic.

"Yeah...I'm certain." she said quietly.

"Oh..." I said. "Well, what did we do?" 

"Umm..." she hesitated. "I...I don't remember..." she said, shying away. 

"Oh... Well, okay." I said. We sat there quietly. Why can't she just tell me? I thought. I mean, it's not like she doesn't feel the same way...right?

"What about you?" she asked. 

"Oh you know, just about joining the Wonderbolts, saving the day, being awesome, the works." I said.

"Anything else?" she asked.

"Well...I did have another one about me staying at your house. It was more of a nightmare. We were playing some board games and your mom came in shouting and screaming." I said.

She looked at me  surprised. "Wow. I had the same dream too." 

"No kidding, huh?" I said. 

"So weird..." she said. She rubbed her head. "I feel like I'm forgetting something, or that I should remember something..." 

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Like, these dreams I had feel familiar, but I can't remember where they're from." she explained. "Weird, right?" she said.

"Uhh, yeah. Totally." I replied. I looked out the window and saw the sun rising. "We better get you home. I'm sure Angel is worried about you." 

"Oh my. I forgot to feed him yesterday!" she exclaimed.

"Well let's get going then!" I said. We flew out of my room and headed for her cottage. It only took us a few minutes to get there and despite the sun rising, most ponies were still sleeping since the party last night. We landed in front of her cottage and opened the door. Angel was laying on his back with a flower held between his paws. 

"Angel!" Fluttershy called and ran next to him. She picked him up and grabbed a carrot out from the cabinet. "Here you go! I'm so sorry! It'll never happen again!" she exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes. "Could that rabbit be anymore overdramatic?" I asked. 

"Oh he must have been starving, the poor thing." she said as Angel ate the whole carrot in one bite. 

"Well looks like you'll be busy with Angel. I think I should be heading back to the office. I'm still captain of the weather team, and I don't think they're going to be too happy with me not showing up." I said. Truthfully, I wasn't going to the office. I was going back home so I could be alone and think. "I'll catch you later Fluttershy."

"Oh, ok then." she said. "See you later."

I walked out the door and flew to my house. She remembered that night in the hotel room. I thought. If she remembered that, then she must remember the other things. I tried not to remind myself she had just been dreaming. I wanted to feel like I had a chance for her to remember. 

I flew into my room and landed on the bed. I looked over at the picture of my mom and gave a small smile. I wouldn't forget it. I wouldn't forget a single thing. I walked downstairs into the kitchen and grabbed an apple. I took a bite out of it and walked into the living room. Big mistake...
> Scarred
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I threw up out my window again. I could taste the apple as it rose into my throat. I gagged and threw out another hurl. "What the buck, Felix!?" I exclaimed. I let out another retch as my bile fell down to the ground. I felt bad for whoever was down below. 

"I didn't know you were home. I swear, if I had known, we wouldn't have done it there." he said. 

I vomited again as he reminded me about what I saw. "You have a room! Why not use it?!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, it's not like you and Fluttershy didn't do anything!" he said. 

"We sure as hell didn't do that!!" I shouted to him as I motioned to where I found him and Fleur. "What was it you told me? Put a sock on the door?" 

He rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened. We should have been more careful in case you returned home."

I gagged but was able to keep it down. I turned to him. "Can you please just not do that again? Like maybe wait until you two are married and on your honeymoon?" 

He rubbed his neck. "Yeah, about that...we're already married." he said slowly.

I looked at him shocked. "Since when? I thought it wasn't for a few months?" 

"Well we had to do it sooner. She's a model you know, and she'll be in Manehattan for a fashion show. So we decided to have it early. Sorry for not telling you. It was sort of last minute." he said. 

"What would mom think if she saw you do that?" I asked without thinking. 

"Mom?" he asked. "I don't know what she'd think. She's kind of a blur to be honest."

She'd kill you for it. I thought. "Well I think she'd be disappointed." I said quietly. 

I saw Fleur walk next to Felix. "Hi Rainbow. You doing okay?" she asked as she leaned on Felix.

"Yeah. Just peachy." I said. "I hope you two can find a more private place to finish up."

She chuckled a little bit. "Well I actually have to go. Hoity Toity is expecting me to show up so I can try on some new designs he made." she gave Felix a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you later babe." she said.

"See you honey." he said with a smile. 

I tried my hardest to keep myself from throwing up again. She walked out of the front door. "Wait a minute... How is she up here!? She's a Unicorn! Not a Pegasus!" I exclaimed.

"Apparently there's a spell that allows a non-Pegasus pony to walk on clouds for a certain period of time." he said. "Looks like some Unicorn had the same problem we would have had."

I shook my head. "I'm going to bed. I haven't gotten much sleep lately." I said. I could feel my headache returning and didn't want to go through that again. 

"Alright. I'll be at the exchange tomorrow. I've left some money on the table for you. Also, there's a letter there for you." he said. "I think it's from an old friend of yours from flight school." 

"Okay. I'll look at it tomorrow." I said with a yawn. "And Felix.?"

"Yeah?" 

"FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA GET A ROOM!" I shouted at him. 

"Remind me again. When are you moving out?" he asked sarcastically.

"When I get a spot with the Wonderbolts." I replied. I headed for the stairs. I turned around to face him. "We really need to hang out more. You're always so busy at the Exchange that I never see you. And I'm too exhausted right now to do anything." I said. 

"Agreed. Let's just be sure to hang out soon." he said. "Maybe I'll take you up to the Exchange and show you around." 

"How about a trip to the race track? Then we can see the Exchange." I said as I began to walk up the stairs. 

"We'll see. It was good seeing you again after all this time. It's been way too long." he said with a smile. 

I looked at him and smiled. "Yeah. It's good seeing you too. Despite the circumstances..."

"Get some sleep. Love ya' sis." he said.

"Love you too bro." I yawned. I walked up the stairs and fell onto my bed. Even though it was midday, I crawled into bed, pulled the covers over my head, and quickly fell asleep.

I ran. Ran as fast as I could. I didn't stop to see where I was going. I didn't even know what was chasing me, or if something was chasing me. But I had to get away from whatever was behind me. I passed trees as I ran through the dark forest. I took off into the air, fearing that what I was running from was getting closer. I flew as fast as I could, weaving in and out of the trees. My wing clipped a branch and I went crashing into the ground.

I opened my eyes and found me laying on the ground in front of Buckingham Palace. "Get up! Rainbow, get up and run!" I heard the Doctor shout at me. I looked to where I heard his voice, but didn't see him. I picked myself up and ran in the direction I had heard it. 

Something was chasing me. I didn't know what it was, but I had to get away. I looked in the distance and saw a blue box with the Doctor holding his hoof out to me. I ran harder and faster, trying to get to safety.

I suddenly found myself inside the TARDIS. We were moving and the Doctor was messing with some of the controls on the main terminal. I looked around and found my mom clutching a photo with a tear down her face. "Mom?" I asked astonished as I walked over to her. She looked up from the picture and saw me. Her face grew into a smile. 

"Rainbow Dash." she said. She put a hoof to my face and I grasped it gratefully. "Do you remember?" she asked.

"Remember what?" 

"Me. Do you remember me? What I would do for you? What I have done for you? Please. Remember." she begged. There was a loud bang as the TARDIS doors blew open. I looked over in surprise and saw Fluttershy's mom ripping them open.

"You remember me, Rainbow? The one who cheered her father on, the one who made her help me get your mom, the one who knew just what made her tick? Do you remember my face? My hatred? My lust for your parent's death? REMEMBER!" she shouted.

"Leave her alone Clarrise!" my mom shouted. She lept at her and pushed her out of the TARDIS, along with herself. The doors slammed with another bang and I was left alone, again. I looked around for the Doctor, but he was nowhere to be found. 

I walked over to the doors and gingerly put my hoof on it. "Mom?" I called out as I opened the doors. I was answered by a rush of energy slamming into me, causing my head to fall onto a railing.

I woke up from the nightmare with a start. "What the hell..." I said aloud. What was that about? I thought to myself. I looked out the window and noticed the sun was just rising. I rubbed my eyes and rolled out of my bed. I walked down the stairs and opened the cabinet. "And of course, we're out of bread." I said to myself. I closed the cabinet, headed to the kitchen table, and grabbed an apple. I need to find something else to eat. I thought. I looked at the money that Felix left for me and decided to head over to the store so I could grab some bread and other food items. 

I picked up the letter and looked to see who it was by. I quickly lost interest in it though. My stomach gave a low growl as I took a bite out of the apple. "Might as well get some flight time in while I wait for the stores to open." I said. I finished the apple and threw the core in the trash. 

I flew out the door and headed for my favorite flying place. It was an open area that gave me a clear view of the ground and sky. Perfect when trying to do stunts. I flew over the city and past the park. I heard a familiar voice call my name. "Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie called.

"Ugh. Pinkie Pie?" I whispered to myself. "Not again." I picked up my speed to try and avoid her.

"Rainbow Dash!" she called again.

"Not now Pinkie Pie." I said.

"But...but Rainbow Dash!" she called again, trying to keep up with me.

"I'm in the middle of something."

"But but-" she said again.

"Not now!" I shouted as I slammed into a giant rock, face first. I slid down the side of it and stopped right in front of the Pink menace. 

"I was going to tell you to look out for that mountain." she said. I gave a low groan. I stood up and rubbed my neck. "Whatcha doin'?" she asked.

"I was on my way to the store so I could pick up some bread. Until you distracted me and made me crash into that mountain."

"What would you be getting at the market? You don't have a pack with you or anything." she pointed out. 

"I know. I was on my way back to my house so I could grab it." I lied. I had to figure out some way for me to avoid her. She's a great pony and all, but she can get annoying really fast. "I'll catch ya' later, Pinkie." I said and flew off to the clouds. After a few minutes I turned around and flew back to town. I wasn't going to be able to get much stunt flying done after I slammed into that mountain. 

I found a nice plush cloud over a produce stand and laid down on it. I rested my head there for a little bit to hopefully get rid of my head ache. 

I was just starting to dose off when I heard her loud humming from below. I quickly shoved some of the cloud into my ear to try and drown it out. "Hi! I'm looking for Rainbow Dash! Have you seen her?" she asked a pony down below. 

Crap. I thought. I began to dig into the cloud so I could hide away from her. She continued to ask away. 

"Hi Twilight! Have you seen Rainbow Dash anywhere?" she asked.

"Isn't she right up there?" I heard Twilight say.

"Rainbow Daaash!" I heard her say happily.

I quickly looked for a place to fly to. I quickly shot to my right and flew to Applejack's barn. I hid behind it and looked to where I had just flown from. "Whew. That was close." I said.

"Hi!" I heard her say behind me. 

"Gah!" I exclaimed. I shot off through the apple orchard, trying to escape from her. I looked around and saw the library. I zipped into the dense leaves and ducked inside. I began catching my breath. 

"Hi again!" she said from underneath me.

"Ahhh!" I shouted and blasted out of the leaves. I gained some ground and flew high into the sky. I waited for her to pass me below and I slowly flew down to the side of the pond and kept my eye out to make sure she had left. 

"I need a favor Rainbow Dash." I heard her call from behind me in the pond. 

"Ahhh! Oh..forget it." I said, not wanting to continue this little game of hers. 

"I tooootally promise it'll be tooootally fun!" she said excitedly. 

I sighed. "Okay." 

"Great! Now follow me to Town Hall! It's going to be amazingly funny!" she exclaimed.

"What is it you need me to do?" I asked.

"When I say so, I want you to cause thunder to burst from a cloud!" 

"Why?" I asked. It seemed pointless to me.

"You'll see!" she said and began to hop her way back to town.
> Pranks and Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We arrived at Town Hall where Pinkie told me to move a cloud nearby the doors. "A little to the left. Now back to the right while staying leftish." she said. I rolled my eyes as she kept shoving me in different directions. 

After a few more times of this I snapped. "Pinkie Pie!" I shouted. 

"Hehe, that's good! Now wait for my signal!" she said as she hid herself next to the door. Spike walked out of the building carrying a large stack of scrolls. Pinkie gave me the signal and I kicked the cloud, releasing the bolt. Spike jumped in out of his scales, dropping all the scrolls. Pinkie just stared at him as if she was waiting for something. He let out a few hiccups and Pinkie began to laugh hysterically. 

"Oh Rainbow Dash! We startled Spike into getting the hiccups!" she said laughing.

"Haha, good one Pinkie *hic* Pie. *hic* You're always pulling a fast one *hic* on me. *hic*" He said. He picked up one of the scrolls and when he hiccuped, he sent the scroll with a puff of fire. 

"Oh no. You're not hurt are you?" Pinkie asked concerned. 

"Neh *hic* eh. Don't be *hic* silly. *hic* Dragons are *hic* fireproof. *hic*" he replied.

"Oh. Okay, good." Pinkie said relieved. We looked at each other and began to laugh our tails off. 

Spike had picked up a bunch of the scrolls and let out another puff of fire as he hiccuped again. "I wish the same thing *hic* were true with scrolls." he said. He ran around picking up scrolls one by one and hiccuping along the way, sending them off to where ever he sends them to.

"Have you ever seen anything more hilarious?!" Pinkie exclaimed as she rolled on her back laughing. 

"I can think of one thing." I said. I kicked the cloud and let loose another bolt from the cloud. It scared Pinkie, who also got the hiccups. She laughed harder after each hiccup. "I didn't take you for a prankster Pinkie Pie."

"Are you *hic* kidding? *hic*" she said. "I love to pull pranks. *hic* It's all *hic* in good fun. *hic* And Pinkie Pie loves to have *hic* fun!" 

"You know Pinkie Pie? You're not as annoying as I thought." I said. Her face dropped a little low. "You wanna hang out?" I asked. That perked her right back up.

"*hic* That'd be- *hic* I'd really- *hic* When d- *hic* I mean- *hic* When would you-" I stopped her with my hoof before she could hurt herself. 

"A simple nod will do." I said. She nodded her head and we ran to the joke shop. We had sneezing powder for Rarity, invisible ink for Twilight, washable paint for Applejacks apples, and a small squirt turtle that I wanted to use on Fluttershy. She never really got mad at me, and I'd always wanted to pull a prank on her, but events going on never allowed me to test it out.

We placed the squirt turtle in the lake where she feeds her little animal friends. "Is someone over there? Who we gonna squirt, who we gonna squirt?" Pinkie asked excitedly as she held the squirt pouch in her mouth

I gave a low chuckle as I looked at our target through a telescope. "Fluttershy!" 

"What!?" Pinkie exclaimed. She spit the pouch out and walked next to me. "No no no no we can't prank Fluttershy, I mean she's so sensitive. It'll hurt her feelings, even our most harmless prank." 

"I guess you're right." I said. But she could easily tackle her mom in the Everfree forest and put her life on the line for me. I thought to myself. "We need another victim who's made of tougher stuff. So, who's it gonna be?" 

"Oh, hehe, I've got someone in mind." she said giggling. "The toughest around."

"Oh awesome! Who, who, do I know them?" I asked, excited.

She laughed some more and pointed to the water. "Oh yes. Haha, you're very close." 

I looked into the water and saw that I had a black ink spot around my right eye. She must have put it on the scope when I wasn't looking. "Good one Pinkie Pie." I said, giving another laugh. I put my hoof out for her to tap. When she did, I pulled it out of her reach and quickly put it back. She tried to hit it again and I pulled it back again. I was in such a good mood I couldn't help but laugh at her. 

The sun began to set as we walked away from the lake. "It's getting late Pinkie. After all that pranking, I need to get some Z's. I'll catch ya' tomorrow!" I said.

"Oh. Okay then! See you tomorrow." she replied, sounding a little down about me having to leave. I flew back to my house and into my room. 

I yawned sleepily. It had been a good day. I plopped on my bed and let out a sigh. Despite Pinkie being annoying and hyped on energy, she's pretty cool. I thought. I yawned again, rolled over onto my stomach and fell asleep. 

"Rawr!" I heard someone shout. 

"GAAAH!!!" I exclaimed. I looked to where the loud roar came from and saw a giant bird standing on the bed next to me and laughing. After a closer look I realized it was actually a griffon. "Gilda?" I asked surprised. 

"What's up speed freak?" she said as she held up her claw for a hoof bump. I call it a hoof bump even though she has claws. It's one of many things we argue about. "It's been awhile." 

"You're telling me! What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I sent you a letter saying I was going to be in Ponyville for a little bit. But let me guess. You were too afraid of being an egghead to read it, huh?" she said.

"No! I just...never received it." I said. 

"I saw it on the table Dash. But eh, whatever. I'm here, and I've been itching for a  good race." she said as she spread her wings.

"Good! Ever since you moved back to the Griffon Kingdom I've had nobody who could fly half as fast as me." I said.

"From what I remember, I was the fastest." she said, pridefully. 

"Nuh-uh! I beat you in every race!" I said. 

"Please! I kicked your slow flank through the gorge!" 

"Only because you caused that rock slide! If you hadn't cheated I would've won!" I retorted. 

"Want a rematch? The sun just rose, and I doubt you still have what it takes to win a morning race." she challenged.

"You're on! First one to the lake wins!" I replied. 

"Rise and shine Rainbow Dash!" I heard Pinkie say below. "It's a brand new day and we've got a lot of pranking to-" she stopped as Gilda poked her head out. 

"Morning Pinks!" I said flying down to her. "Gilda, this is my gal pal Pinkie Pie." Gilda flew down from the house and landed next to me. 

"Hey, what's up?" she said.

"Pinkie, this is my griffon friend Gilda."

"What's a griffon?" Pinkie asked.

"She's half eagle and half lion." I said.

"And all awesome!" she added. We hoof bumped and laughed a little. 

"Gilda's my best friend from Junior Speedsters Flight Camp." I explained. "Hey, remember the chant?" I asked Gilda.

"Shaw!" she said. "They made us recite it every morning. I'll never get that lame thing outta my head." 

"Soo?" I asked. 

She sighed, annoyed. "Only for you Dash." We flew into the sky and recited the chant. I loved it personally and I knew Gilda hated it. But it was always fun to watch her do it despite that.

We landed on the ground and finished the chant. Pinkie began to laugh like she always does. I moved some hair out of my eyes and stood pridefully. "That was awesome! And it gave me a great idea for a prank!" she said. She slammed her head into the ground where she dropped her crazy glasses and somehow got them back on her head. "Gilda, you game?" 

"Huh, well I groove on a good prank as much as the next griffon, but Dash, you promised we'd get a flying session in this morning." she said and flew into the air.

"Yeah, uh, Pinkie Pie? You don't mind do you? Gilda just got here. We'll catch up with you later." I said.

"Oh, um, sure! No problem! Have fun you guys, I'll, um, catch up with you later!" I heard her reply has Gilda and I flew up into the air. 

"So, first one to the lakes and back to Ponyville wins?" Gilda asked. "Finish line is that cloud over there." she said as she pointed to a cloud over a road.

"You're on!" I said, and shot ahead of her. She quickly caught up and was neck and neck with me. We reached the lake in little to no time at all and zoomed back to Ponyville. I was far ahead this time and when I passed over Ponyville, I decided to do a loop just to show off. 

All of a sudden I see Gilda shoot ahead of me. I tried to fly ahead of her, but she landed on the cloud only a few seconds before me. I landed next to her, angry that I lost because of that loop. It was fun though. I haven't had a competitive race like that in a long time. 

"Whoa! That was sweet! Just like old times." she said.

"Yeah! Only faster!" I said as we hoof bumped again. "So now what?" I asked. We were about to hoof bump again untio Pinkie Pie's head jumped up from underneath the cloud. 

"Hey there!" she said. 

"Huh?" Gilda and I said simultaneously. 

"It's later!" she said as her head popped back up. "And I caught up!" I looked down the hole she had made with her head and saw that she had a trampoline that she was jumping on. 

"Haha! Pinkie Pie. You are so random!" I said. 

"Hey Dash, think you got enough gas left to beat me to that cloud?" Gilda asked as she pointed above us.

"A race? You're so on!" I replied happily. 

"1, 2, 3, GO!" she shouted and we zipped to the cloud. I reached there right before her. 

"I win!" I shouted boastfully.

"As if! I won dude!" she exclaimed.

"No way!" I shouted at her.

"Way!" she said. We fought back and forth about it until I heard Pinkie.

"Wow guys! That was really close! But I think Rainbow Dash beat you by a teeny weeny bitty of a hair. Or a teeny weeny bitty of a feather." she said. 

"Ha! See?" I said, proving my point. "Good thing Pinkie Pie's here to keep you honest, G." 

"Okay, Dash. Last one up to that cloud is a gnarly dragon egg. Go!" she shouted and I zipped up without a second thought. I reached the cloud in a few seconds and looked around for Gilda. She had landed on top of the cloud comparably a long time after me. There was a short awkward silence. She was never that slow before. Maybe she just hurt her wing before now and it caught her by surprise. I know random wing injuries can happen when flying, even to the best fliers. 

"Wow guys! You nearly got away from me that time." I heard Pinkie say as she pedaled up to us in a weird flying contraption of hers. Where in the world does she get these things? I thought to myself. 

"So, Dash. Got any new moves in your trictionary, or are you 100% old school?" Gilda asked. 

"New moves? Ha! Sit back G. It's gonna take awhile." I said. I flew off and began to start off my tricks I had planned for the Wonderbolts. I did all my flips and all my tricks that would undoubtedly prove to the Wonderbolts I was worthy of them. I landed next to Gilda after I finished.

"Try to go and beat that!" I said. I looked around for Pinkie, but I didn't see her anywhere. "Hey, where's Pinkie Pie and her crazy contraption?" I asked Gilda. 

"Ehh, she left. Something about being as busy as a bee." she said. 
> The Journal Returns
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"So, what's your butt mark supposed to be? It wasn't there when we were at camp." Gilda asked as we flew off the cloud.

"It signifies my need for speed. I got it in a race while defending a friend of mine. Created the legendary Sonic Rainboom and won the race." I boasted.

"Why am I not surprised you earned it in a race." she said. "And no matter how fast you are, I doubt you did that. It's impossible." 

"I did!" I exclaimed. 

"Then prove it slowpoke." she challenged. "Or are you too scared?" 

I hadn't done it since that day, nor had I tried to do it. "I'm not scared! It's just that, well, you know, there isn't much room around Ponyville to do it." I said.

"Then we'll just fly up to Cloudsdale." she said.

"Why do you want to see me do it anyways?" I asked. I really didn't want to fail my attempt at the Sonic Rainboom in front of Gilda. 

"One, because it would be too cool, and two, because you can't." 

"Fine. I have some weather jobs I need to finish around town first. I'll catch ya' after." I said, hoping she might forget about it if we didn't talk about it. Besides, I had been really slacking on my weather duties as of late. 

"Alright. I'm gonna go chow down!" Gilda said. I flew up into the clouds and began to clear the skies. It was fairly easy, but I took my time. In fact, I still finished in five minutes. I decided I'd take a short trip to Fluttershy's cottage and see how she was. I landed in front of her house and knocked on her door. I was greeted by Angel who looked at me confused. "Hey Angel. Is Fluttershy around?" I asked. I still didnt care for him even though I did give him to Fluttershy, but we got along okay. 

He pointed at the calendar and I saw today's date circled. "Oh that's right. She's doing that duck walk today." I realized. "I guess I could go chill at home for a little bit. Gilda will most likely eat a bunch of food and then take a nap on a cloud like I would. Well darn. I guess I'll see you later furball." I said. He kicked my leg and closed the door. "Note to self: Have Fluttershy teach Angel respect." I said aloud. I flew to my house and noticed a blue box in my room. 

 What's he want now? I thought to myself. I flew to the window and peered in while staying out of sight. I saw him with his head underneath my bed and Derpy looking through Fluttershy's old desk. 

"Ah-Ha! Here it is!" he shouted as he pulled a book out from underneath the bed. It wasn't Fluttershy's journal, that was in the drawer, and I couldn't get a good look at it from where I was. 

"What is it?" Derpy asked.

"A very secretive book." he said as he pulled out his sonic screwy dewy thingy.

"Oooo. What kind of secrets?" Derpy asked intrigued.

"Apparently very dark and dangerous secrets. Ones that if ponies knew about, would change their view on that pony." he replied.

"Who's is it?" she asked. 

"I don't know. Rainbow, mind helping me out with figuring it out?" he asked, not turning to me.

How... I thought to myself. 

"Come on, Rainbow. You make more wing noise than any other Pegasus I know." he said. 

"Wing noise?" I asked as I flew into my room.

"Most Pegasus don't realize that their wings make noise as they fly or hover. Most ponies don't even hear it. I, however, can hear every loud flapping sound coming from your back." he said, rather rudely. "Now hurry up, come on." he said motioning for me.

I walked up and looked at the journal and immediately recognized the writing. "It looks like Fluttershy's writing. But her journal is in my drawer, not underneath my bed." I said.

"Well, lets take a look inside shall we?" he said.

"Wait! Don't-" I shouted, but he opened the book before I could take it.

He stared at the book as if he were listening to something. "Well that is very peculiar. How did you get in there?" he asked.

"How did what get in where?" I asked.

"There are some small beings called the Vashta Nerada in the book. They're like piranhas, eating everything in their way. Good thing is there are too few of them to cause any damage." the Doctor said. 

"How did they get in a book?" I asked.

"Oh! Oh! I know, I know!" Derpy exclaimed. "They became trapped by some magic right?" 

"Precisely." he said, smiling at her. She beamed. It was the happiest I had seen her look in a long time. She's never looked sad, but she never, oh what's the word...glowed. I couldn't help but feel really happy for her. "You see, normally they just buzz around your head. But somepony placed them in this book, most likely hoping to get rid of anything in it."

"But why not just burn it? Or take it? Why trap something into a journal?" I asked. 

"Chances are whoever did it knew that you might try to read it later. If you were unable to find it, that might have caused some problems." he said as he soniced the journal. "There ya' go. You're all free to go." he said to the journal. 

"Who are you talking to?" I asked. "The Shasta Nerdada?" 

"They're the Vashta Nerada. They were trapped in a book. But now that they're free, they can live normally. Right Doctor?" Derpy looked to him to see if she was right. 

"Exactly right, Miss Ditzy." he said with a smile. I saw Derpy blush.

I shifted my focus to the journal. "Can I see that?" I asked, pointing to it. He gave it to me and I opened it. I saw that the first entry was a little faded, but was still legible. I turned towards the back of the journal and saw a new entry. "Entry 87: Rainbow Dash had this hidden in her drawer. Is it a dream journal? It has a lot of the dreams that I've been having in it. I wonder why she hasn't told me about it." I read aloud.

I flipped the page. My eyes widened as I saw that the words were written in large black text. "Entry 88: Remember. Remember. Remember." It was written all over the page. "What is this?" I asked to nopony in particular. 

The Doctor walked over and looked at the entry. "Huh. Looks like somepony is trying to get her to remember something. Or she is having dreams that are telling her to remember."

I looked at it in disbelief. "So she might be remembering actual memories? Will she be able to act on them?" I asked. 

"Doubtful. Maybe, but doubtful. Remember, while you were able to reverse my defenses, she still views them as only dreams. Whether or not she acts on those dreams is up to her." he said. I lowered my head. "Have you ever tried acting on your own personal feelings?" he asked me. "You know Fluttershy. She's probably too scared to act on them without fully knowing where you stand."

I guess me acting weirded out by us kissing was a bad idea then. I thought to myself. "I would, but a time never presents itself." I said.

"Oh, pttth. You have plenty of times. You just don't take them." he pointed out. 

"Okay. Lets say I do end up acting on my feelings. What if she rejects me?"

"She won't." he said. I waited for him to say more, but he didn't. 

"Doctor? Why would somepony want to erase words in a book?" Derpy asked. 

"I have no idea, but I do plan to find out. A book can hold a lot of secrets. Someone wanted those secrets erased, but why?" he said as he looked at the book.

"Her dad? He's cheated death, maybe he escaped the crystal catacombs?"

"Wrong. He died while trying to escape." the Doctor replied casually.

I stated at him with my mouth open. "Wha-" 

"Derpy does this taste funny to you?" he said, giving the journal to her. She looked at it confused. "Don't worry, it's safe to lick."

Derpy cautiously licked the journal and smacked her lips. "It tastes really sweet."

"That's because the pony who did this wasn't doing it for an evil purpose. The pony who did this was trying to help Fluttershy." he said. "Magic leaves behind a taste when it is cast depending on what itvs used for. Sweet is for good, sour is for evil, and tangy is for personal enjoyment." 

"What about if they're practicing?" Derpy asked.

"It kind of tastes like pears. I hate pears. You don't want to know how many times I've tasted pears and wanted to curl up in a ball." he said.

"But how did he-" I was interrupted again.

"Can magic taste like muffins?" Derpy asked.

"In a manner of speaking. Magic can taste like anything really. Rainbows, peaches, apples, even tree bark." he explained.

"Doctor!" I shouted. 

"What?" 

"What happened to her dad?" I asked.

"He tried to escape. He wad flying when he was hit with a stunning spell by a guard. He fell and landed on top of a crystal. Went straight through him. Like a kebob." he said.

That's a...beautiful picture. I thought to myself, trying not to imagine what it would actually look like. "So...he can't hurt Fluttershy anymore? Like never again?"

"Nope. He's done. Finished. Kapoot." he said.

I gave a sigh of relief. I never felt like he would be able to do more harm after the Princess got ahold of him, but it was great knowing it would never happen again. "Hey Rainbow Dash!" I heard Pinkie call below. I poked my head out the window and looked to her. "I want to throw a party for Gilda! You know, like a welcome to Ponyville party." she said. 

"Great idea Pinkie! I'll let her know there's a party for her." I said.

"Okey-dokie-loki! Oh! Come by early and set up some pranks! Maybe we can boost her mood!" she said happily. 

"Alright. I'll see you there!" I said as she hopped away. I looked back to the Doctor, who looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"Gilda?" he asked.

"My griffon friend." 

"Ah. Griffons. You know, the ones who your parents were getting information on?" he said.

"She's different though. She's not trying to kill anyone." I said. "I've known her for awhile."

"Have you been keeping in contact with her over the years?"

"Well...no." I admitted. 

"Be careful then. Griffons are tightly linked with each other." he said. 

"Gotcha." I said. We stood there quietly for a few minutes. It was uncomfortable thinking that Gilda may know something about my parents.

"Rainbow? Don't you have a party to go to?" Derpy asked.

Always looking at the most important thing. I thought to myself sarcastically. "Yeah. I guess I should go to that." 

"Right you should. In the mean time, we're going to figure out who did this." the Doctor said, motioning to the book. 

"You mean we can't go to the party?" Derpy asked, saddened.

"Well, I mean, this could be important. Besides, a party with ponies talking, socializing, and dancing? If I wanted that I would've stayed with Victoria in her teen years." he said.

"But...Doctor...I like parties..." Derpy said with her head hung low.

I noticed the Doctor was having a battle in his mind on what to do. "I can take her while you go and figure out the journal." I offered.

"No. I'm not going if the Doctor isn't." she said quickly.

I looked to him. "If I were you, I'd go to the party. She needs you there." I said putting a foreleg around her shoulders.

The Doctor glared at me. "Okay. I'll go. But only for 10 minutes. We go in, eat cake, talk about pony things, then leave. That's it." he said, caving. 

"Yay!" Derpy exclaimed and she began to jump around the room.

I looked at fhe Doctor and whispered, "You can't say no to her when she's sad, can you?"

"Oi! I can say no! It's just...not ethical." he said quietly. 

"Hehe, if you say so. I'm going to go find Gilda and tell her about the party." I said and flew out the window. First, I need to set up those pranks at the party. I thought as I headed to Sugar Cube Corner.

I finished placing the pranks around the room and left to find Gilda. I was actually excited about the party for Gilda. She always enjoyed them and had no problem with pranks. I flew over Ponyville and found her asleep in the tree. It was another pass-time we shared together at camp. 

An idea popped into my head. I flew up high and grabbed a cloud. I brought it down right next to her head and gave it a big kick. There was a loud boom and she screamed. "Aaah!!" she exclaimed. 

"Bwahahaha!!" I laughed hysterically. 

"Dash! What the heck!? I was sleeping!" she shouted at me. 

"Why do you think I did it?" I asked her, still laughing.

"Why I otta'..." she groaned as she rubbed her eyes. "What is it? This had better be worth waking me up."

"There's a party at Sugar Cube Corner. Wanna come?" I asked. 

"A party, huh? I'm game for it. As long as it's not lame." she said. 

"It's not. It's being hosted by the best party animal of all time!" I said.

"Really?" she asked, unbelieving. "Who?" 

"The one and only Pinkie Pie!" I told her. I think I heard her give a low groan. "Hey, everything alright G? I hope my jumpscare didn't upset you too much."

"I just don't want to be at a lame party. You sure it's going to good?" she asked.

"Of course! Since when did I lie about a party being fun?"

She sighed. "Okay. Lead the way, Dash."
> The Tale of a Griffon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We walked into Sugar Cube Corner and was greeted by a very happy Pinkie Pie. "Gilda!" she exclaimed. "I'm so honored to throw you one of my signature Pinkie Pie parties, and I'm really truly sincerely hope you'll feel welcome here with all us pony folk." she held a hoof out to Gilda, who gingerly took it.

I saw her feathers stand up on end as she took an unsuspecting hoof buzzer. Pinkie and I laughed as Gilda recovered. "Oh Pinkie Pie. The old Hoof Shake Buzzer. You are a scream." I said. 

"Uh, yeah. Haha. Good one, Pinkie Pie." Gilda said. 

"Come on, G. I'll introduce you to some of my other friends." I said and walked over to where Twilight was standing. 

"Right behind ya' Dash!" I heard Gilda shout behind me. 

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Gilda, a long time dear friend of Rainbow Dash. Let's honor her and welcome her to Ponyville." Pinkie announced. There were cheers and whoops welcoming her. I walked back to her and put a hoof over her shoulder. "Please help yourself." Pinkie said as she stood next to the snack table.

"Vanilla Lemon Drops. Don't mind if I do." Gilda said as she took one out of the bowl. What she didn't know is that I had put pepper in them. They were so hot that I swear I saw fire spew from her beak. 

"Hot!!" she exclaimed.

"G! The punch!" I shouted. I couldn't help but laugh as she rushed over to where the dribble glasses were. 

"Well whaddaya know? Pepper in the Vanilla Lemon Drops and punch served in a dribble glass!" Pinkie said, laughing.

"Ha! Priceless." I laughed again. She ran to another table and found a cup with water in it. 

"Yeah. Hilarious." she said. 

"Hey G, look! Presents!" I said and pointed to the table with wrapped up 'gifts.' She ran over with a huge smile on her face. She grabbed one and opened it. It was a Spitting Snakes prank that I had placed there just for her. 

"Someone pulled that prank on me last year!" I heard Applejack say. 

"Ha ha. I bet I know who that was." she said as she looked at Pinkie. I was surprised that she didn't think it was me, but I wasn't about to let her know just yet. We hung out for a little bit as the party picked up speed. Fluttershy was conducting her birds as Pinkie brought out a cake. 

"Cake time everypony!" she said.

"Hey, can I blow out the candles?" Spike asked excitedly. 

"Why don't we let Gilda blow out the candles, Spike? She is the guest of honor after all." Twilight said. 

"Exactly." Gilda said as she shoved Spike out of the way. That's a little harsh... I thought. She took a deep breath and blew out the candles. They relit though and Gilda tried to blow them out again, but they kept relighting despite her best efforts. 

"Haha! Relighting birthday candles! I love that prank!" Spike said as he gripped his stomach from laughing. 

"Now I wonder who could've done that?" Pinkie asked sarcastically. I know I didn't, but Pinkie had her own little pranks hidden around, so I had a feeling it was her. 

"Yeah. I wonder." Gilda said as she glared at Pinkie. I know Gilda loves pranks, but she was rarely on the receiving end, unless they were from me. 

"Hey G? You're not upset about some silly candles are you?" I asked.

"No way Dash. Like I said, I'm always down for a good prank." she replied. 

"Alright then." I said, glad she wasn't upset over something like that. "C'mon, let's have some cake." I ran over to grab a plate for myself when I heard AJ call everyone over for some Pin the Tail on the Pony. It was a favorite of Gilda's when we were at camp, even though she always missed the mark. 

I grabbed myself a slice and didn't pay much attention to the conversation behind me. When I turned around I saw Pinkie spin Gilda around in a circle to make her dizzy. "Now just walk straight ahead and pin the tail." she instructed. 

"Now just walk straight ahead and pin the tail." she said mockingly. "Yeah right. This is another prank, isn't it? Well I'm going this way!" she said as she turned around and started walking to the door. 

"Wait! The poster is-" Pinkie began to say, but was interrupted when Gilda slipped on some dropped icing and slid out of the door. She crashed and walked back in covered in icing. She had the tail pinned to her beak giving her a nice purple mustache.

"Uh, Gilda? You pinned the tail on the wrong end." Pinkie said with a light chuckle. 

Gilda let out a roar that surprised me so much that I dropped my cake on the ground. "This is your idea of a good time?" she said angrily. "I've never met a bunch of lamer dweebs in all my life! And Pinkie Pie. You are Queen Lame-o with your weak little party pranks!" she shouted as she pointed at her. "Did you really think you could make me lose my cool? Well, Dash and I have ten times as much cool as the rest of you put together." she said as she walked over to me and put a claw around my shoulder. 

"C'mon Dash. We're bailing on this pathetic scene." she said and headed for the door. Gilda... I thought, shocked that she did that. "Come on Rainbow Dash! I said, we're leaving!" 

I stood my ground. "You know Gilda? I'm the one who put those weak pranks at this party." I pointed out. 

"What?" she said, surprised. 

"So I guess I'm Queen Lame-o."

"Come on Dash. You're joshing me."

"They weren't all meant for you specifically, you just happened to set them all off." I was really hurt by what she had said earlier, but I was also really ticked off about what she said to Pinkie Pie. She was my pranking gal pal for pony's sakes! 

"I should've known! That dribble glass had Rainbow Dash written all over it!" Pinkie said to Spike.

"N-no way. It was Pinkie Pie! She set up this party to trip me up! To make a fool out of me." Gilda said. 

"Me? I threw this party to improve your attitude." Pinkie said hurt. "I thought a good party might turn that frown upside down." 

"And you sure didn't need help making a fool of yourself. You know, I didn't think this was how my old friends would treat my new friends! If being cool is all you care about, maybe you should find some new cool friends someplace else." I hated breaking a friendship that I've had for this long, but she had completely blew up on my friends in Ponyville!

"Oh yeah? Well, you...you are such a...a flip flop! Cool one minute, then lame the next. When you decide not to be lame anymore, call me." she said and walked out, slamming the door behind her. 

"Not cool." I said. 

"Wow. Talk about a party pooper." Spike said. 

I looked down feeling guilty that I brought Gilda here. "I'm sorry everypony for bringing Gilda here. I didn't know how rude she was. And Pinkie Pie? I'm sorry she ruined that awesome party you put on for her." I apologized. 

"Hey, if you want to hang out with party poopers, that's your business." she said. For some reason it made me happy. 

"I'd rather hang out with you." I said as I quietly slipped on a hoof buzzer. "No hard feelings?" I asked as I held out my hoof. 

"No hard feelings." she said with a smile. She took my hoof and we both got zapped. We flipped our hooves over and revealed that both of us had put on a hoof buzzer. We laughed and began the party up again. It was a blast and after everypony had left, I caught up with Fluttershy. I couldn't stay and talk to Pinkie Pie because the Cakes had a rule about her parties. She could have them, but only as long as the party was cleaned up before midnight. It ended at 11:55. 

"Hey Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy said to me. 

"What's up?" I replied with a smile. 

"Um, well, I just wanted to know how you knew Gilda? I mean, I can't believe someone as nasty and mean as her was actually your friend." she said quietly.

"Yeah. Well she wasn't always like that." I said. "Did you meet her before the party?" I asked.

"Umm...yes." she whispered. 

I waited for her to add more. "What happened?" I asked when I knew she wasn't going to say anything extra. 

"Well, I was walking the ducks through town making sure nopony accidentally stepped on them. I was walking backwards not paying attention to where I was going and bumped into her. I apologized and then she roared really loud right in my face." she said as she quivered a little. 

I stopped walking and stood there shocked. I was hurt that Gilda would do that. I may not have been as hurt if it happened to anypony else, but this was Fluttershy.  Fluttershy turned to look at me and must have saw the hurt on my face. "Are you okay Rainbow Dash?" she asked. 

I ran over to her and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry she did that." I said. I didn't know what else to do. Apologizing just didn't seem to be enough. I felt her hug me too as we stood there. 

"Rainbow?" she asked. "I had another dream last night, and it was about us..." she trailed off. 

I pulled out of the hug and moved her pink hair out of her eyes. "Let's get back to your cottage first, okay?" I said. She nodded her head and we walked back to her place. 

When we arrived, Angel was there holding the door open looking out. As soon as he saw Fluttershy, he ran out with his food bowl pointing to it. I rolled my eyes. "Does this bunny ever show any respect or gratitude?" I asked. 

"Oh's he's not so bad. He's just grumpy because he's hungry." she said. She took the food bowl and flew into the cottage. I followed her into the living room and was hit by a memory of her parents. I remembered them throwing pictures of Fluttershy and hitting them with baseball bats. 

"You okay Rainbow?" she asked. 

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." I said, shaking the memory from my head. I took a seat on her couch and laid down on my back. "So, what was this dream of yours?" I asked.

She took a seat next to me on the couch, just in reach of my hoof to touch her mane. "You and I were fillies and we were laying in my room playing a game. A strange pony came in and started asking questions. He told me about my father and then my mom came in and started yelling at you, blaming you for it." she said.

That's awfully vague. I thought. "Is that it? No details?" I asked as I ran a hoof through her hair. 

I saw her blush a little. "Well, after that I had another one. This time we were back in the hotel room, just like in one of my other dreams. Your brother, Felix, went out to get a drink. We were all alone in the room and were sharing a bed. We were so close it was like I could feel your heart next to mine." she said. My heart quickened as I recalled that night. "And we..." she trailed off.

"We what?" I asked.

"We might have kissed a teeniest, tiniest bit." she said. Her face was a bright red. I kept rubbing my hoof through her hair and looked into her eyes.

Should I do it now? I thought. I had thought about what the Doctor had said about acting on the feelings myself but I wasn't sure if now was good or not. "Um...what, uh... what was it like?" I asked.

She turned her head away from me and stayed quiet. "You know I won't tell anyone if you're ashamed of it. And I won't think any less of you." I said reassuringly. 

She nodded her head and turned back to me. "It felt right. I can't explain it, but it felt like I was doing the right thing." 

"But how did it feel?" I asked.

"I'm not sure... It's hard to explain..." she replied quietly. 

I pulled myself upright so I could pull her in for a hug. "Well, maybe we can test it out and see what happens?" I offered, nervously.

She slowly withdrew from my embrace. "What?" she asked shocked. "You mean, like, actually kiss?" 

"Of course, what else? In fact...I was kind of curious too." 

"In kissing me?" Fluttershy said, pointing to herself. 

"Well...yeah." I said. I felt myself starting to blush. Damnit, why are you nervous, Rainbow? I thought to myself. It's not like you haven't kissed her before...

"Are...are you sure? I mean, it's a little taboo...right?" she said as she averted her eyes away from me. 

"You'd be surprised just how cool ponies are with it." I said as I scooted closer a little bit. 

"Are...are you sure...I don't want anything to get weird between us..." she said quietly.

I put a hoof around her. "Nothing's going to get between us, Fluttershy. I promise you."  She looked at me and I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Okay." she whispered. She looked into my eyes and saw that familiar look she used to give me from time to time. The look of longing. My hooves were shaking uncontrollably as I leaned forward to give her a kiss. We were so close that I could feel her breath against my face. 

And then Angel decided to knock over a glass vase. Fluttershy jumped and looked to where Angel was. "Angel! You should know better than to jump around fragile things." she said as she flew off to clean up the mess. "You could have hurt yourself."

"Yeah. We wouldn't want that to happen now would we, Angel?" I said as I glared to the little white rabbit. He stuck his tongue out at me and hopped away. 

"I'm sorry, Rainbow. I need to clean this up. I'll talk to you tomorrow okay?" she said as she swept up the mess.

"Sure." I said, disappointed. "I'll catch ya' later." I said and walked out of the cottage. I never seem to catch a break in this relationship...thing. I thought.

As I walked back to town, I noticed that there was a shadow following me in the moonlight. I couldn't recognize the outline, but her tail had given her away. "What do you want Gilda?" I asked annoyed.

"Well, I kind of wanted to talk to you." she said. 

"About what? If you've come to apologize about what happened at the party, forget about it. And I already know what happened to Fluttershy. Is there anything else I should know about how rude you were to my friends?" I asked.

She walked up next to me. "I did want to apologize. I knew I acted like a total manticore there, but I couldn't help it." she said.

"Doubt it." I retorted. I had a short fuse with her right now. It was going to take a lot of explaining for her to be able to fix that.

"Well, whatever you believe, I still want to talk to you and explain what's been going on with me." she replied cooly.

I looked to her. "And if I don't care what happened to you in the past?"

"Just hear me out."

I glared at her for a little bit before saying, "Fine. Let's go to my house." We flew off to the night sky and arrived at my house a few minutes later. 

"Take a seat." I said as we entered the kitchen. She took a seat across from me and began to look into her claws. "Well? Didn't you have something you wanted to talk about?"

She sighed. "Remember back at flight camp when you asked me about my family?" she asked. I nodded my head. She told me that they were international mailers. "Well, I lied about that. You see, they died before I can remember. The Griffon Kingdom didn't have an orphanage at the time, and when they finally made one, it was only open to those who didn't want to keep the kid, not those of us who lost them by other means. I was tossed into the streets for a majority of my childhood." 

I knew the Griffons were harsh on their kids, but I never suspected that they would abandon them into the streets. I thought. 

"After I was tossed into the streets, a gang let me in after I snagged a few bits from a cash register. I needed them to pay off a debt I owed. Once they let me in, I felt like I had a family for the first time. They fed me, gave me a warm place to sleep, and took care of me when I was sick. We did a lot of things that I'm not really proud of, such as hijacking mail carts, robbing stores, and hazing other rival gang members. They made me tough and made me able to stand up for myself. I didn't take crap from anybody. I was the toughest of the group now that I think about it. They told me that if anybody ever touched me or hit me, that I was to let loose and wail on them.

The only reason I went to flight camp was because they needed me away once the cops started chasing us. They were my family and they made sure I didn't get caught. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have been at flight camp or have met you. Hay, I probably wouldn't even be alive if they hadn't taken me in." she said. 

Where did all this come from? I thought. I hadn't known much about her past. It didn't seem important at the time when I first met her. 

"When I met you at flight camp, I immediately latched onto you. You were tough, loyal, cool, everything that they had been. It was like you were a part of our gang already. When we left, most of the gang had been arrested. There wasn't much of us left, and they didn't want me to be caught. I had my life ahead of me, so they let me go. I hated them for it. It was like being abandoned again. I didn't have a home, I didn't know where my next meal would be from, and I had no clue if another rival gang member would recognize me and attack me in the middle of town.

I took up a job with the mail service and was able to work enough to get a small house and a meager meal every once and a while. Once I had enough money to move out of that town, I headed for Equestria. I got a passport and a home in Las Pegasus. Hitched up with another mail service group here and was allowed to fly a few errands around. I earned some leave and decided that I should visit an old friend. So I came this way and found you." she said.

I didn't know how to react. All I knew was that she was from the Griffon Kingdom. She was such a strong griffon that I hadn't given a thought as to what made her like that or what made us click like we did. It might have been the fact that both of us were considered cool and big hot shots. I was cool for my speed and competitiveness. But Gilda was cool just for being cool. 

"Well are you just going to sit there Queen Lame-o? Or are you actually going to say something?" she said. 

I gave a small smile at that. It quickly disappeared though and was replaced by anger. "Why the hay did you roar at Fluttershy?" I asked. 

"Fluttershy?" she asked.

"Yes. Fluttershy. The only one at the party who didn't say much of anything. She's yellow and has long gorgeous hair that always tends to cover one side of her face. She has three butterflies on her flank that represent that she is great with animals. She's kind, sweet, beautiful, and has always been there for me. She has the ability to take the darkest days of my life and make them a way better than they should be. She's the only one who I can trust with anything. I'd do anything for her. Now you tell me why you roared at her." I don't know what got over me. I just hated knowing the fact that Gilda had done that to Fluttershy. 

"Oh...the yellow one..." she said, lowering her head. "Yeah about that...I'm sorry. I was just annoyed and angry with Pinkie Pie that I wasn't okay with being bumped into. I had a short fuse and I needed to blow off some steam. If you want, you can blame the gang. They made me what I am today. So if you want to throw a punch at someone, save it for the boys back at my home."

I looked down at the floor. What she said didn't change the fact I was still ticked at what she did. "Why didn't you tell me that when we were at camp? I mean, I thought you told me everything? I told you everything." I said, trying to change the subject. 

"I was trying to keep up the cool ideal then. I figured I wouldn't be as cool if you guys all thought I was homeless until I got in with a gang. It's pretty lame when you think about it." she said. 

"What's funny is I know when your telling the truth and not putting on an act." I said. When you were talking about your past, not once did you say 'lame' or the other words you usually use."

"It's called slang. One thing I'll never be rid of once I left home." she said. 

"Well, whatever it is, you didn't use it once. I just can't believe you were part of a gang. We don't have many of those around here in Equestria." I said.

"You guys don't need them here. It's much more peaceful than where I'm from." she said. "Look, I know you won't forgive me what I did to Fluttershy, but I hope you don't completely hate me for it." 

I looked at her. "Don't sweat it. I'm sure I'll be over it when I'm busy fighting off another Manticore or something like that." 

"Yeah right. You may be cool, but you aren't that cool." she said. I gave a small chuckle as she poked fun at me. "So, how long have you liked Fluttershy?" she asked.

"Huh?" I asked surprised. "What do you mean liked? She's my friend, of course I like her." 

"No, dill weed. I mean how long have you like liked her?" she said. 

"Umm..." I said, trying to avoid it. Even though she is my friend, I didn't grow up around her so it was a little difficult for me to tell her how I really felt about Fluttershy. 

"Oh for the love of... How long have you fancied her?" she said. I knew she hated using words like that, so I caved in and finally told her.

"Ever since the start of high school I think." I replied quietly.

She gave a low whistle. "That's a long time. And does she feel the same to you?" 

"Uhh...it's complicated..." I said.

"It's a relationship. Of course they're complicated."

"No, I mean... I feel like she does, but she can't remember if she does..." I said. 

"Whatever. You've lost it." she said with a wave of her claw. 

"How did you know I liked her?" I asked.

"The way you spoke of her. You never spoke like that about somepony unless you really loved them. I saw it when you talked about your crush when we met."

Oh. Right. Him... I thought to myself as I remembered Ghost Flier. "That was nothing but a childhood crush." I said, blushing a little. She never let me live that down. 

"It was more than that. You had so many-" I cut her off.

"What about you? I don't remember you not having any crushes." I said. 

"I was too cool for a crush. I was busy in sports and other athletics." she replied. We sat there quietly. "What about your parents? Did they hit the big lottery or something?" she asked.

"Uhh...yeah! Who would've guessed right?" I said with a laugh. 

"Where are they? Are they usually out this late?" she asked inquisitively.

"Um...yep! They actually went out on a date tonight." She gave me a look like she didnt believe me. "What? 

"You're a really bad liar Dash." she said. "What's going on?

"Nothing. They're on a date tonight, that's all."

"It's past midnight. There isn't much open past midnight in Ponyville." she said.

"Well yeah but...they're, uh, in Canterlot!" I said quickly. 

"What are they doing there?" she asked.

"How should I know? I don't ask about their love life." I said. 

"Dash..." she said with a sigh. "Is everything alright? I was in a family where loyalty was everything. we didn't lie to each other and we trusted each other. They taught me how to find a lie in one of our gang members. Dash, you've been a friend for a long time now. I talked about you to my friends back home. Now, as a friend, tell me what's going on." she said a bit more forceful.

I sighed. "Fine. But you can't repeat any of it." I told her.

"Fine just spill the beans." 

I looked her in the eye. "They're dead." 

Her eyes grew large. "Really? Are you serious?" I nodded my head. "I'm... I'm sorry Dash. It's hard, isn't it?"

"It comes and goes, but the pain has subsided a little. Felix handled it a lot better than I did. He burrows himself in his work and rarely comes home. It gets pretty lonely here some nights." I explained. I left out the part about my mom falling through time and space and nopony remembering her. It would be hard to explain all that "timey wimey" stuff to her. Hay, I hardly understood it.

Gilda walked over to me and put a claw on my shoulder. "Listen. I work with mail, so you can write to me and I'll get it right away. If you ever need someone to talk, write me up." she said.

"Okay. I will. Thanks." I said with a smile. 

"Anyways, I'm glad I was able to talk to you. I was supposed to be back at the mail center by midnight tonight. Looks like I'm going to get my butt chewed out for it. But it'll be worth it."

"Yeah. We need to hang out more. You know, when you decide not to be a jerk to all my friends?" I pointed out, sarcastically.

She glared at me. "Let's just forget today ever happened." she said and flew out the door. 

"As if." I said quietly to myself. I was back to being angry at her. I don't know why. Maybe it was because it was Fluttershy she had roared at or because she embarrassed me in front of all those ponies back at the party. I closed the door that she had rudely left open and walked up to my room. I looked out my window and since there wasn't a cloud in the sky thanks to Gilda and I earlier, I could see Fluttershy's cottage. None of the lights were on, which meant that she had finally filled that annoying rabbits belly and fallen sound asleep. 

I thought about how close we had been to kissing again today. But then that darned rabbit broke something. I wonder how much Rarity would pay me for some fur. I thought to myself. She doesn't have to know it came from Angel...

I felt sad again. What is going on with me today? I thought. I met an old friend, found out she was a jerk, the Doctor noticed that somepony tried to erase a diary, almost kissed Fluttershy, and found out that Gilda's parents are dead and that she grew up with gangs. Why do everyone's parents end up dead? I asked myself. Fluttershy, Applejack, me, and now Gilda. I walked back inside and sat on my bed.

"Why is my life so darn messy?" I said to myself as I looked to a picture of Fluttershy and I. I sighed and closed my eyes. I imagined what might happen if Fluttershy and I did end up getting dating again. I smiled as I felt myself drift off to sleep.
> The Best Birthday
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I pushed her hair out from her eyes and smiled at her. "Don't worry. If anypony thinks any less of you, tell me, and I'll deal with them." I said.

"But...it's not normal..." she said shakily. "What if everypony makes fun of me again?"

"They won't. Ponies aren't like that anymore." I said trying to reassure her.

"Are you certain? I mean, sometimes they'll say it behind our backs." she said.

"If they do, I'll make sure they don't bother you." I said. 

"Ok..." she said quietly. She looked into my eyes and I stared into her big green eyes. They were beautiful, just like her. I leaned forward to give her a kiss...

I woke up to a loud humming sound coming from the kitchen. I tried to ignore it and go back to the awesome dream I was having. It didn't work as I heard the Doctor open my door. "What are you doing still in bed?" he asked. 

"I was having fun time dreaming." I said tiredly. "You always seem to interrupt me when I'm doing something with Fluttershy." 

"Fluttershy? But she's not here." he said confused.

I groaned. "I meant in my dream. Why are you here?" I asked with a yawn. 

"Well I did have something important to tell you, but now I can't remember it." he said. "Oh what was it? Something about pears? A Unicorn? Or was it about a particular hooligan who keeps snatching all my timey wimeyness?"

"If it was important, you should remember." I said as I rolled over to my side in my bed.

"It's hard to remember things!" he exclaimed.

"Yet you can remember anything about time and space." I pointed out. 

"Time and space is easy! It's either black or white. Or orange. For some reason when you mix a future time in past space it turns orange."

Yeah, I didn't get any of that... I thought to myself. "Is there any other reason you burst into my room unannounced?"

"What I can't just pop in and say hello like a good friend?" he said with smile.

"Most friends don't wake me up before noon unannounced."

"Oh stuff it." he said. "Anyways, see you later. Bit of business down at Canterlot I'm needed with." He said and closed the door behind him.

"Finally." I whispered as I tried to go back to sleep. 

The door burst open, making me jump out of bed. "Oh by the way, happy birthday!" The Doctor shouted as my brother jumped on me through the window. 

"Hey! Get off me!" I shouted as I started to laugh. He was tickling me and I hated being tickled. I could never breathe after it.

"Only if you say I'm the best brother ever!" he said as he continued to tickle me. 

"Get off of me! I swear to Celestia if you don't you'll regret it!" I threatened. It wasn't as threatening as I wanted since I was laughing hysterically.

"What? I can't hear you over how awesome I am!" he shouted. 

"QUIT IT!!" I screeched. He burst out laughing and let me go. I just laid there gasping for air. "I'm...going...to hurt you..." I gasped. 

"Haha if you say so." He grabbed a package from the Doctor and gave it to me. "Happy birthday champ." 

The present was wrapped in a simple blue paper. I tore at the wrapping and opened up the brown box. Inside was a model of the Wonderbolts flying in their signature Blitz formation. The model was gold and had all the names of the Wonderbolts flight squad engraved on the bottom.

"Wow! Thanks Felix! That's so cool!" I said happily. I didn't have many Wonderbolts figurines, so this was a great addition to my collection. 

"I was walking through Canterlot and saw it in a sport shop. Figured you'd like one since they're a bit expensive." he said.

"A bit? They're crazy expensive!" I said. 

"Okay so yes they are pricy. But I knew you'd love it. And I figured maybe it'll make up for the fact that I'm never home anymore. I'm sorry about that." he said with his head low.

I put a hoof in his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it. You work a lot and that takes up a lot of your time." I said. 

"I just feel like I'm letting somepony down. I keep remembering a word in my head whenever I think of home." he said with a saddened face. 

"What word?" I asked.

He looked at me. "Ohana." 

Family. I thought. 

"I don't know what it means or where I heard it from, but I only remember it when I think of you or our old house." he explained.

My eyes moved to look at the Doctor. He nodded his head and I looked back to Felix. "Maybe it was mom?"

"Maybe. I don't remember anything about mom so it's possible. But I doubt it." he said.

"I remember some things." I said. He looked at me confused. "I remember a mare with a purple mane, a pink coat, and blue bolts for a cutie mark." He scratched his head. Fluttershy did the same thing... I realized. Nows my chance. 

"She was kind to us. She didn't yell or scream unless we fought. Remember back when we were young, when I had just got my cutie mark? Dad and her got me a Wonderbolts costume with what little money we had to congratulate me. We bickered back and forth about who got what for their cutie mark." 

He smiled. "I went to the Equestria Exchange." 

"And you loved it! Mom and dad spent a fortune on that trip. And what did I do while we were in Canterlot?" 

"You fussed the entire time saying that money was boring..." he said, scratching his head again.

"And in the motel room?" I asked.

"You and me fought all night about who was right. They...he..." he said as he grabbed his head in his hooves. "Why do I have such a migraine?" he said. 

"Felix, look at me." I said. He turned to me, and I could see a faint color of gold in his eyes. Almost there. I thought. "A mare, our mom, put you and me on the same couch and forced us to have our hooves around each other. You said it was the worst experience of your life. And the next day, when I crashed into the side of a building by accident and almost broke my wing, you were there to take me to mom and make sure I was safe. Mom cried, fearing I had hurt myself beyond repair. Yet you kept talking to her and reassuring her that I was going to be fine." 

His eyes grew a brighter gold. "It was the first time I knew how much you cared about me. After that, mom knew you and I were going to be closer than ever. And she was right. Time and circumstances may have separated us more than we would have liked, but not once have I thought that you were a disappointment. I have always admired you, and you know how hard it is for me to say that to ponies." I said giving a light chuckle. He was groaning now as a trickle of golden light seeped from his eyes. 

"The Doctor took me to stop Fluttershy's mom from taking over the world with a mind control thing. She had mom with her and when we stopped her..." I stammered as I remembered that day. "She took mom and sucked her into the time vortex with her." I said, feeling a tear roll down my cheek. I felt a hoof on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Felix looking to my eyes, the gold glow gone and tears down his face as well. "Felix?"

He nodded his head and pulled me in close for a hug. "It's alright." he said. 

I sniffled and began to sob into his shoulder. I couldn't help myself. All the memories began to run back to me and I revisited my mom's fall into the vortex. I felt another hoof on my shoulder. I looked up through my teary eyes and saw a purple mane lean forward. I looked at the pony's face and saw somepony I recognized. An old face that should have been lost. 

I pulled out of the hug and stood up. "D-Doctor?" I said as I saw the pony in front of me. "Is she real? Is she r-really real?" I gasped out. 

"Yes. She is." he said. I let out a cry and ran up to the pony who enveloped me. 

"Happy birthday, Rainbow. Mom's here."
> The Return of Memories
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I couldn't believe it. I was hugging my mom. My mother who had fallen out of time itself. I didn't understand it, and I didn't want to understand. All I cared about was that she was here and she was holding me. I sobbed into her chest as she held me close. "Shh. It's okay Rainbow Dash. We're going to be fine." she said reassuringly. 

"Mom? What happened? I haven't seen you in a long time. And the fact that I forgot all about you worries me." Felix said.

"I know. I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in a long time. But I've been keeping close eyes on you though." she said as she let me go and walked over to Felix. "You've made me proud. Working at the Exchange and taking care of this house without even touching the money we had in the bank." she said. 

"But I'm never home. I can't spend time with her or look after her." he said.

"She's a grown mare, Felix. She doesn't need someone to constantly watch over her." she said as Felix hung his head. "But you have been a great role model for her. You both have made me proud. And I know your father would be too." 

"But I don't understand how I forgot you, but Rainbow hadn't." Felix said. 

"That's because she was there when it happened." she said. She explained everything to Felix, about Fluttershy's mom, about the time vortex, and how she had been forgotten. 

"So you're saying that if I was there in the...TARDIS...than I wouldn't have forgotten you?" he asked.

"Yes. Of course, you would have been in extreme danger had you come." 

"But she went." he said pointing to me. "Wouldn't she be in more danger since Fluttershy's mom has a personal vendetta against you and her?" 

"Trust me I didn't want her to come. The Doctor," she said, turning to look at him, "decided to put her in harms way. Against what I told him." 

"Hey who else would willingly go with a crazy ol' nutter to Buckingham Palace to stop some crazy pony from taking over the world with mind control?" he said. 

"But I don't appreciate you putting my children in danger. Especially for my sake." my mom said. 

"If I hadn't agreed to go along with him, you wouldn't be here right now." I pointed out.

"And the world may be under Clarrise's control." the Doctor said.

"Clarrise?" Felix asked.

"Fluttershy's mom." I said. A thought suddenly hit me. "Wait! If mom's back, is Clarrise back as well?" 

My mom looked to the Doctor with a concerning look. "No." she said nervously. "She can only be remembered from memories of herself. Since Fluttershy is the one with the strongest memories of her, only she can bring her back." my mom explained. 

I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank Celestia. I thought. "So we're safe? No more problems?" I asked, hopefully.

"No." the Doctor said. "Clarrise may still be lost in time, but if Fluttershy remembers any of the memories of Clarrise from her childhood, then we will have a problem."

"If that happens then we'll kick her flank again." I said. 

"It's not that simple. Coming back from being trapped in time is painful. You're trapped in a place called the void." the Doctor said.

"The void?" I asked confused.

"Some call it hell. It's an empty wasteland between worlds, between dimensions. There's no up, down, left, right, direction and time are non-existent." he said. 

"Then how does one get stuck in the void by getting sucked in through the time vortex?" I asked.

"When the time vortex consumes you, you become non-existent and become part of the void." he explained. 

"I'm still confused. How can something exist inside of nothing?" I asked. 

"That's the magnificent question isn't it?" he said. "No matter. Your mother is safe and sound here and Clarrise is still trapped in the void. You have a breathing period Rainbow Dash. I'd suggest you take it." he said with a smile. 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that your mother is here and safe while Clarrise can't hurt anyone anymore. There's no need for me to keep barging in on you all the time when you're busy snogging." he said. "Now go. Run along. She's waiting for you downstairs." 

"But mom's here. I don't want to leave her." I said. 

"I understand, Rainbow, but I have to go Canterlot and discuss somethings with Princess Celestia. There are many things I need to tell her." my mom said.

"What? But you just got here!" I shouted.

"Which is an even bigger reason for her to go talk to the Princess." the Doctor said calmly.

I looked at my mom who just smiled at me. She ran her hoof through my mane and motioned for me to go downstairs. "Happy birthday sweetie. You'll see me soon enough." she told me. I lowered my head and walked downstairs. 

I only got to see her for a few minutes and I'm being sent away from her. I thought to myself. I walked into the kitchen and bumped into a pony. "Hey!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm sorry Rainbow. I didn't mean to bump into you." Fluttershy said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Fluttershy. What are you doing here? Didnt you have to animal-sit?" I asked, still thinking about my mom.

"Derpy was nice enough to watch them for me." she said.

"Derpy?" I asked surprised. "Do you actually trust her with other pony's animals?"

"Well the Doctor trusted her to stay, which is good for me." she replied.

"Wait, what was the Doctor doing at your house?" I asked.

"He just said that it was important for me to come over. That maybe we could help each other."

"With what?" I asked, confused.

"He... didn't say." she said nervously.

So he's planning this all out? I thought. "Isn't that a little strange?"

"I guess a little." she quietly. She hid her face from me in the way she always does when she can't say what she wants. 

"Everything all right?" I asked as I moved her hair out of her face.

She smiled. "No. Actually, I wanted to talk to you. About a dream I had."

"What kind of dream?" I asked.

"Well, we were at a dance. You and me. It started off with you telling me you didn't want to be with me because of your reputation at school. So I flew home and cried. I don't know why, but it hurt me so much when you said that. Almost like I had my heart ripped from my chest. It was the worst feeling I've ever felt." she explained. I saw a tear start to form in her eye. I tried not to remember that night.

"I came back to your house for some reason. I'm not sure why I went there, but I laid in a bed and cried. It seemed like hours. When you came back, you told me Long Horn threatened you by saying you were hiding me away. I realized you did it to protect me, and it made me happy. After that, we were in a bed together in Canterlot. Your brother had gone out to get a drink and you put your hoof around me neck, drew me in close, and kissed me." she said, blushing a bright red.

"It felt great. Almost like it was supposed to happen." she said with a small grin on her face.

It did... I thought to myself. And then it dawned on me. I can try to get her to remember! I could see a faint glow in her eyes, just like Felix had. "What if I told you it did?"

"What? But it was just a dream." she said.

"Well, yes, but it was a dream from a memory." I said trying to clarify.

"I'm not sure I understand..." she said slowly.

"Well, how about we try it? I mean, there's no harm in it. Maybe...maybe the dream was telling you something? Or reminding you of something?" I said trying to get her to think.

"Help me remember what?" she asked.

"That maybe...maybe you felt something earlier. That maybe you loved me...like I loved you." I said, wrapping my hoof around hers. She turned a bright red. "Can you think of a time when you...may have felt something like that?" I asked.

"Well...I keep dreaming of the dance...whenever I do, I get a tingling feeling that leaves me waking up feeling all warm and fuzzy..." she said. 

I saw a stream flow from her eyes. "The dance was real. It was for our school and Long Horn kept me from being with you. Do you remember how you felt?" I asked. 

She scratched her head. "It...hurt... I wanted to impress you at the dance...but you didn't want to be near me." she said.

"No, I wanted to be with you. I loved you. I didn't realize just how much I did until Long horn forced me to avoid you. I wanted to be with you more than anything. I came back to the house, and when I arrived, I tried to kiss you. But then-" I said, but she finished my sentence for me.

"The Doctor walked in before I could kiss you." she said as the glow from her eyes shot out in a wave. She leaned forward and gave me a deep kiss. I don't know if it was the nostalgia or the golden glow from her eyes, but I was getting some kind of high from it. 

She pulled away from me. "I remember, Rainbow." she said as she looked into my eyes. I smiled as wide as I could when she told me that. I kissed her back and felt myself being wrapped in a warm light as we held each other there. 

"There you go Rainbow Dash! I knew you could do it!" I heard the Doctor shout to us. 

"Leave them be!" my mom told him. "They haven't been like this for a very long time."

I ignored their chatter and kept holding Fluttershy. I couldn't believe I had gotten my mom back and Fluttershy's memories back. I didn't care that they were on the staircase, I only cared about who I was with right now. I had my mom and Fluttershy back, and that was all that mattered to me.
> 8 Months
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	For a year, it was pretty peaceful. We didn't have anypony trying to kill us or separate us from each other. The Doctor and Derpy were going to strange alien worlds and saving the Universe, or some other interesting adventure. Fluttershy and I dated and became even closer than before. We didn't want to lose each other. At least not like we had last time. 

What's great is that all of our friends knew about us dating and didn't judge us for it. I'm honestly surprised that Rarity was okay with it. I would have thought that she would be the one to shun it, even the slightest, due to her high society like demeanor. But she accepted whole heartedly. In fact, she was the first before Twilight to say anything about it. 

It was hard to say it to them, I mean, sure they knew we liked each other, but I don't think they knew the extent of how we liked each other. I mainly did it to prove to Fluttershy that ponies didn't care, but I don't think I even expected them to take it so easily. I mean, Pinkie Pie even threw a party for us to celebrate our sixth month anniversary. I told her to keep the party to just the six of us to keep Fluttershy comfortable. 

But today was a special day. Not only was today our year and a half anniversary, but it was also her birthday. I decided to treat her to something special. She had always wanted a hummingbird. I was able to pull more shifts and do more with the Weather Team that I saved enough money to get her exactly what I wanted. 

I flew to her house, excited about what the day would bring. She was standing outside, waiting for me so we could go on our date and birthday surprise. "Hey Fluttershy. Are you ready to go?" I asked. 

"Oh yes." she replied happily. "So where are we going?" 

"You'll see." I said with a light laugh. We walked into town, talking about how the newest songs from our favorite bands, the newest addition to the Wonderbolts, Misty Fly, and how she was able to outfly one of the fastest on the team, and even how the Doctor got trapped on an alien world with bog monsters. 

"I'm just glad he's alright." Fluttershy said as we walked into the restaurant. It wasn't anything too fancy, on Fluttershy's request. It was a simple place with fish in pools and a small feeding area. It was one of Fluttershy's favorite places. After we ordered our food, we started talking about our experiences during the Grand Galloping Gala. 

"I saw his pie go flying into the air and thought, 'This is my chance to make an impression!' and I flew over and caught it in seconds." I bragged. 

"Oh wow. You must have been flying really fast." Fluttershy said. 

"I know. They let me into the area and said I could hang out with them." 

"Were you able to impress them at all?" she asked.

"Well, not exactly. They were talking to the other high class ponies. I recognized some of them as sponsors from big corporations in Canterlot." I explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's whatever. I'm sure I'll have another chance to show them my stuff." I said as we got our food. The waiter gave me the signal that they were ready for Fluttershy's surprise and I nodded my head slightly. 

"Do you think that she's still gone?" I heard her ask.

"Who?"

"My mom. I mean, I remember her, but I only remember the times you were there to help me with her. And she hasn't done anything to us in a long time." she said looking at her hooves. "Is it possible for me to remember some things and have her still be lost forever?"

I don't know where this came from. It was completely out of the blue. "I guess. I'm not the Doctor so I don't know all the technicalities. But let's not think about her. It's your birthday, and I have a surprise for you." I said as I began to signal the waiters.

"There's one more thing though." she said. "Every night I keep having nightmares. It's the same each time and it never changes. I see my mom's face and she's laughing at me. I see a dead body and can make out a blonde mane and a brown tail." she explained.

"What? You think she's planning something against the Doctor and Derpy?" I asked. "It's just a dream. Don't worry about it."

"But she stares into my eyes, Dashie. I wake up scared for my life and for yours. I know it sounds strange, but I think she's back and and she's planning something dangerous." she said as I saw a tear start to form in her eyes.

"Fluttershy, don't worry. They're just dreams. They aren't real." I said, trying to convince her. 

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I just don't want her to hurt you."

I gave a light laugh. "After all we've been through, it's going to take a lot for her to hurt me."

"If you say so." she said quietly. I gave the signal to the waiters and they brought out a plate with a cover along with a cage with a blanket over it.

"I want you to know that I've got your back no matter what." I told her. "So, as a way for me to prove that to you, I got you a little gift for your birthday." I lifted the cover off of the plate, revealing a piece of paper. 

"Oh? What's this?" she asked as she looked at it. Her eyes grew wide. "Oh, my gosh, Rainbow! How did you get this?" she asked. 

"One of the ponies at the shelter owed me a favor." I said. 

"But they never do this." she said, taking a look over the note again. "I mean, they have plenty of helpers anyways, and even they don't get this opportunity."

"True. But they don't have somepony as awesome as me to help them." I boasted.

"But...a free animal? And a job?" she asked, surprised. 

"Yeah, I know right? They were real happy to offer you a job. They know just how good you are with animals and figured you'd be a great addition to their team. They really need you. They've been overwhelmed with animals that need somepony to love and care for them." I explained. "And I know you could use some extra money. The business you run now is great, but you barely get by now with taking care of all your other animals." 

"I know. But I can't leave the animals I have at home to go to this place." she said. 

"And you won't have to. This is why I'm the best marefriend in the world. They agreed to have you stay at home and work there. All you have to do is take a few more animals into your house and they'll cover the cost of everything else, food, water, toys, even medicine."

"Really? They'd do that?" she asked, even more surprised than before.

"For you, yes." I said. She stared down at the note and blushed. "Now, who's awesome?" I asked, sarcastically.

She giggled. "You are. And you're more than awesome. You're..." she stammered. "You're the most beautiful, caring and loving pony I could ever know." she said. 

"Wait, there's one more thing." I said as I pulled the cover off of the cage. Fluttershy gasped as she saw the hummingbird sitting perched on the stand.

"Rainbow Dash..." she said quietly. 

"No need to thank me. I know how much you've been wanting one." I said as she walked up to the cage. 

"Hey there little guy. How are you?" she asked the bird. It chirped happily at the sound of her voice. "Well aren't you a precious thing." she said. 

"You like him?" I asked.

"Of course! He's wonderful." she said happily, turning to me. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash... Thank you so much. I don't know what to say." 

I smiled and walked up to her. I put a hoof on her shoulder. "As long as you remember how I feel, you don't need to say anything." 

"I won't forget. Not again." she said quickly. 

"I know." I said. "I love you, Fluttershy." 

She blushed. "I love you too." She pulled me into a tight hug and whispered in my ear. 

I grinned at what she said. "Since when did you start to be like that?" I asked.

"When I realized how much I need you." she said with a wink. 

I couldn't help but smile. She was the one pony who I loved more than myself. I looked at her and saw how happy she was. I had never seen her as happy as she was now. If you don't count when I asked her to be my marefriend.

"Oi!" I heard a voice shout behind me. 

You've got to be kidding me... I thought. Why does he choose the best times of my life to tell me something that usually ends badly for me?
> A Birthday Surprise.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I groaned at the Doctor. "You have to be kidding me!" I shouted. Fluttershy whimpered to herself. 

"It's true. It turns out not only did you make Fluttershy remember her feeling towards you, but you made the memories of her mother return, and now she's back." he said. 

"And you didn't realize this sooner?" I asked, annoyed.

"No." he said, too quickly. "Okay, maybe I did a little sooner." I glared at him. "Okay, as soon as Fluttershy gained her memories back." 

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" she asked.

"Because you two were happy. I didn't want to see you two upset about her coming back." he said.

"So you do have a heart after all." I said, a little too harshly. 

"Yep. Two, actually." he said with a smile.

I sighed and turned to the table. "You are unbelievable." 

"I know, I know. But, we can beat her." he said. 

"How?" I heard Fluttershy ask.

"With this." he said, holding two hoof bands up.

"What are those?" I asked.

"Think of them as advanced perception filters." he explained. "She won't be able to detect you or know where you're at with these."

"But if she does?" I asked.

"She won't."

"But what if-" he cut me off.

"She won't. Trust me."

I sighed. "I don't have a choice do I?" I asked.

"Nope. Now put it on and be happy." he said.

I placed it around my hoof and watched it disappear around me. "What just happened?" 

"Remember that it's just like a perception filter only more advanced. It can't be seen, no matter what." he explained. 

"Is it just the band or are we going to turn invisible too?" Fluttershy asked.

"Just the band. It would freak ponies out if you were invisible and started messing around with things." the Doctor said. "But don't worry, you're perfectly safe as long as you keep that thing on." 

"What if we run into her? What should we do then?" I asked.

"If for some strange reason you run into her, which will only happen if you take the band off or she gets lucky and the universe lines up just perfectly, you run in the opposite direction." he said. "If she's near, I'll be close by."

"You stalking her or something?" I asked.

"More or less." I rolled my eyes. "Look, just wear it for a few weeks. I'll have her in custody by then. Your mother is currently working with the Princess herself on finding her." 

"Doctor! We gotta go! The Princess got a location on Clarrise." Derpy said from outside. 

"Right!" he exclaimed. "Well I have to run. Got a pony to catch." he said and headed for the door. "Oh, by the way Fluttershy, happy birthday!" 

"Thanks, Doctor." she said with a smile. After they left I turned and looked at her. "Well it was nice of him to come by and tell us about her." she said.

"Wish he would have said it earlier." I said.

"Oh, don't be too hard on him. He's trying his hardest." she said as she played with the bird. 

"Doesn't it bother you?" I asked.

"About my mom?" she asked. I nodded my head. "Well of course. But I feel safer knowing that I'm protected by this band...thing." 

"I guess."

She put a hoof on mine. "Hey, let's go back to my place. I can tell you're flustered." she said. 

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes. Don't worry, I owe you a favor anyways." she said with a wink. I smiled as we walked out of the restaurant and headed back to the cottage. When we got there she stepped in front of the door and pulled me in for a hug. "Thank you for the present. I can't say how much it means to me." she said.

"Hey, I told you I was going to look out for you." I said. 

She pulled out of the hug and was blushing. "I know I can't say how thankful I am, but...maybe...I can show you?" she said shyly. 

"What do you mean?" I asked. She lunged at me and kissed me. Hard. She let go of me and I stood there in a state of shock. "Oh..." I said. "I see..." 

She giggled. "Come on." she said, taking my hoof and pulling me inside. As we walked in she kissed me again and I laid down on the couch. She sat on my lap and began to kiss me. I don't know where this part of her came from, but I wasn't going to complain. I liked it. It had been awhile since we had done this and it was bringing back memories. "Let's go to the next room." she whispered in my ear. 

"Snog, snog, snog, is that all you two do?" I heard the Doctor ask. 

"Doctor!" Fluttershy shouted in surprise, jumping off of me. It actually hurt a lot because she slammed her hooves into my chest. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well, we got a location on where your mother was. Turns out she was here." he said as he began sonicing the walls. "It seems she was hoping to find you here." 

"So you just barged into my house?" Fluttershy shouted.

"I didn't barge in! I just landed the TARDIS inside the house." he said. 

"It's still rude." she said.

"Well, don't mind us." he said as Derpy walked into the room. "We're just making sure she didn't leave anything behind." 

"And where have you checked?" I asked, rubbing my chest.

"Well, let's see, there's the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, the bedroom, the backyard, the front yard, under the sofa, under the bed, in the cupboards, the cabinet-" he trailed on but Derpy interrupted him.

"We searched the whole house but didn't find anything." she said, sounding almost as annoyed as me.

"Now we don't know that-" he tried saying but was cut off again.

"Admit it, Doctor. Your TARDIS' sensors were wrong." she said as she sat next to me on the couch, obviously tired.

"The TARDIS is never wrong!" he exclaimed. 

"And yet instead of taking me to Sol 3, you took me to Sul 3. One is 70% water, the other is 70% lava, and you landed us straight on the lava!" she shouted. 

"Okay, okay! So the TARDIS is 99.99% correct." he said. 

"Anyways, how are you two?" Derpy asked us. 

"Well, we were kind of in the middle of something." I said.

"What do you-" she started to say. "Oh!" she exclaimed as her eyes grew in realization. "Oh, right! I'm sorry." she said quickly, jumping off the couch. "Doctor, we gotta go!" 

"What? Why?" he asked. 

"Because they want some alone time." she said as she tried to push him out the door with little success.

"Why would they want alone time? They get plenty of time to themselves."

"Not that kind of alone time!" she shouted at him. "You know, the kind of alone time where you don't want to be disturbed." 

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Oh for the love of-" she said and gave him a final push. "MOVE!" she shouted.

"Oh, fine. And you two!" he shouted, pointing at us. "No funny business! Birds and bees will not be buzzing around when I'm anywhere nearby." 

"Doctor if you don't move your fat flank..." Derpy threatened. 

"I'm going, I'm going. But I'll have you know that business on Sul 3 was not the TARDIS' fault. There's a one letter difference and it can be hard to hone in on the right coordinates." he said as they walked out the door.

"I thought they would never leave." I sighed. 

"Umm...I'm going to go make some tea. Okay?" Fluttershy said quietly.

"Oh, okay. Sure." I said. She walked into the kitchen and turned the sink on. I followed her and heard her whimpering. "Hey, you alright?" I asked. 

"I'm fine. I just...thought that maybe we could..." she tried to say but was cut off by her cries. "All I wanted was to spend a night with you, with no distractions, no Doctor, no mother, no danger or surprises. But I can't even get that." she said in tears. 

I walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. "Hey. Listen to me. I love you. Even if we can't get one night together where we aren't worrying, but no matter what, I love you and will always be here for you." I said. 

"But one night. That's all I'm asking for. One night where I can just hold you and kiss you and not worry about whether my mom is going to barge in and attack us or the Doctor is going to have us running off again somewhere." she cried. "Just one night." 

I had never seen her like this. Usually she was shy, quiet, and collected. But now...now she was so distraught that I lost all sense of what to do. Normally I know what to do to comfort her, but right now, I had no idea. But I wanted to do something for her. To protect her. "I'll talk to the Doctor tomorrow. And then I'll talk to my mom. And the Princess. I will make sure that you are safe and that nothing will harm you. I promise. One day, we'll have our night alone." I kissed her on her forehead and held her tight to me as she bawled into my chest. 
> One Last Trip
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I took a deep breath as I was escorted to the Princess' throne room. My mom was able to set up a time for me to meet with her about Clarrise. In the past I wasn't nervous to meet her, but now, I felt like I was about to fly out of skin. I was hoping that maybe we could do something to get Fluttershy out of the situation without putting her under constant surveillance. 

"Just remember that you may not get exactly what you want, Rainbow." my mom said as she led me through the halls. 

"I know. All I want is for Fluttershy to be able to live without fear or worrying about when she'll have to run off again." I said.

"I understand. I've been trying to get her to force the Doctor to leave you out of his affairs. But it seems he has issues following orders." she said. We came up to the large double door with a guard on each side. "Agent 083, Firefly, to see Princess Celestia. Reason is classified." she said. 

The guard nodded and let us in. Once the doors closed behind us, I turned to my mom. "Classified?" I asked.

"There's more going on with you here than you know. She didn't say, but I think she may be having you and Fluttershy going someplace safe."

We walked up to the glass windows where the Princess was standing. "Welcome, Rainbow Dash. I've been waiting for this meeting for awhile now." she said.

"Me too. I have a request I want to ask of you." I said, getting straight to the point.

"As do I." she said, turning to Firefly. "I understand that she is your daughter and that you want the best for her, but may I please speak to her alone?" the Princess asked. 

I saw my mother tense up and take a deep breath. "Of course, your Highness." she said and looked to me. She turned and walked out of the room, closing the doors behind her. 

"Forgive me for having to exclude your mother from our conversation." she said calmly. "But I'm afraid she would intervene if she knew."

"Knew what?" I asked. 

"What I need you to do. I need you and Fluttershy to go with Twilight on her next test in the upcoming days." she said.

"Why?" I asked. I didn't like the sound of a test.

"Because it involves Fluttershy's mother."

"Wait, you're going to send Twilight to fight her?" I asked, surprised and annoyed.

"No. We believe that Clarrise has allied herself with a dark pony from long ago. He was a being of pure evil, and if they are working together, you two are in more danger than ever." she said.

"So, what? You want us to go find this dark pony?" I asked confused.

"No. We know where he is, but what I need is something that's more dangerous for you." she said.

I waited for her to explain. "Which is?" 

She sighed. "By sending you two there, I am hoping that maybe she will be tempted to come out and show herself." she explained.

I stood there with my mouth open. "You want us to act as bait?"

She walked over to me. "I know it doesn't sound good, but if she shows herself, the Doctor can neutralize her, and you two will never have to do anything like this again." She put a hoof on my shoulder. "This could be the time we finally catch her for good."

I sighed and lowered my head. "No disrespect, Princess, but if anything happens to her, I swear I'll never forgive you."

"I know. But we need you to do this." she said quietly. "Don't tell Fluttershy about this. All your friends will be going to help Twilight with her test, but you two will also be there for the reason I just gave you."

"So you're not just putting Fluttershy in danger, you're putting everypony else I care about in danger too?" I exclaimed. 

"They will be fine. Have faith in Twilight to keep them safe." she said.

I couldn't believe her. She was going to send all of us to some random location where all of us could be injured or worse. "Fine." I said angrily. I know it was rude and disrespectful, but I didn't care. I was too ticked off at her to worry about it.

"One more thing." she said. "You can't tell Fluttershy anything about this. If her mother suspects anything from Fluttershy, she will not show herself." 

"What?!" I exclaimed, really angry now. "First you say you'll send me and Fluttershy as bait for her murderous mother, and now I can't even warn her of what could happen?" 

"Rainbow Dash." she said sternly. "I know you're upset with me, but you have to do as I say. If you don't, Fluttershy could be in more trouble than you could imagine." 

I looked her in the eye as I said my next sentence. "You're going to get us both killed." I said calmly. "I'll do it, but just keep in my mind that we may die because of this." I turned back and walked out the door. I was done talking to her. As I walked out, I must have slammed the door shut because my mom was quick to jump on me.

"What happened in there?" she asked.

"Nothing." I said.

"Rainbow. You can't lie to me." she said.

"Nothing happened." I said.

She stepped in front of me and glared at me. "What. Happened." she said with extra force.

"I was ordered not to tell you because she thinks you might intervene." I said.

"I'm your mother I have every right to intervene if your safety is in danger." she pointed out.

"And I'm a full grown mare who can look after herself." I said and stomped off. I didn't want to talk to her. I didn't want to talk to anyone. So I did the one thing I could do that would let me be by myself. I jumped out through an open window and flew into the open sky.

I flew high above the clouds. I knew not many ponies would be willing to follow me because of the thinner air, but it didn't bother me. It allowed me to be by myself and just fly. There wasn't a soul in sight. I flew for a few miles to make sure that I would be totally alone and landed on a cloud. I laid down and buried my head in my in its puffiness. 

It's not fair. It's not bucking fair. I thought. Just as we had some peace and had some normalcy back in our lives, I hear that we are bait to a trap that could kill us. Why is it my life that has the crazy psychopath trying to kill us and ruin our lives? I thought. I sat there for a few minutes just crying lightly. I haven't cried in awhile, but I had a terrible feeling about this mission the Princess had in mind. I couldn't help but feel like she was sending us to our deaths.

I sniffed and wiped my eyes. I took a deep breath and recollected myself. "Are you okay, Rainbow?"

I jumped in surprise. "Ahh!!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did I scare you?" Derpy asked.

"What are you doing up here?" I asked, shocked.

"Well I noticed that you were flying away from the castle. I knew that the Princess was talking to you about the plan, and the Doctor told me not to follow you." she explained.

"Then why did you?" I asked.

"Well...you looked mad and upset. I wanted to see if you were alright." she said.

"Well I'm not. She's using us as bait to lure a snake." I said, annoyed again.

"It's not just that." she said. "The Doctor and her think that you and Fluttershy work well together, even when you don't think you are. So they decided that instead of just sending one of you to lure her out, that if both of you went, you would be safer."

"Why?

"Because you two look out for each other. You when there's imminent danger, and Fluttershy when it comes to your overall well being. Remember what she did in the forest with her mom to keep you safe? The Doctor told me what happened. I believe the only reason she did that was because she wanted to keep you safe." she said. "I've never seen two ponies care for each other like you two do, or willing to do so much for the other. I'm pretty sure most ponies would give up after nearly being killed multiple times from their marefriend's mother, or after they killed their mom." 

"I guess..." I said, thinking about it. "But it's different. I'm the only pony Fluttershy has ever really had as a friend. Before me, she was always picked on, her parent's were complete jerks, and nopony cared what happened to her."

"But that's what makes it so special." she said. "You were there for her when she was a filly. Even now you are there for her when she's in danger. You two have never given up on the each other and will never leave each other's sides."

I smiled. "Since when did you become so smart in relationships?"

"I'm not. It's just easy to tell when two ponies are so crazy for each other that they are willing to do anything for the other."  she said, returning my smile. 

"Well, I won't ever let someone hurt her. Never." I said.

"I know." Derpy said. 

A thought came to me. "Hey, how are you even able to fly up here? The air is so thin that I thought barely anypony could fly this high."

"I thought I was the only who could fly this high. It's where I always went when the other kids picked on me and bullied me." she said quietly. "It was a safe place for me to just be myself and watch the scenery around me. It was peaceful."

"I understand that. It's beautiful up here." I said as I looked around us. Mountains peaked past the clouds, Canterlot glistened below us, and above the cloud layer was a beautiful sky. 

"I know you're worried Rainbow, but you shouldn't. The Doctor will keep you two safe there. And if he doesn't, I'll beat him." she said.

"If I don't get to him first." I replied.

"You should probably head back to Ponyville. I think your friends are about to get a letter." she said and prepared to fly away.

"Hey, Derpy?" I called.

She turned to me. "Yes?" 

"Thanks." I said. "You're a lot cooler than the other ponies around here."

She smiled at me. "Thanks. But I'm not as cool as you." she said and flew off the cloud towards Canterlot. I looked down towards the ground and decided to have some fun. I jumped off the cloud and did a straight nose dive to the ground. I flapped my wings to gain some momentum and pulled them in close to me. It was the fastest I've gone in a long time. And it felt great. I popped open my wings and felt the wind rustle through the feathers. I pulled up quick as I came within meters of the ground. I shot towards Twilight's house and landed in front of her door as the others walked up.

"You get a letter from the Princess too, RD?" Applejack asked. 

"Yep." I said. 

"Any idea why we're needed for Twilight's test?" she asked.

"Nope, but I'm not looking forward to it. I hate tests."

"Well, let's see how Twilight is handling the news about the test." she said as she knocked on the door. Spike was the one who opened it up before quickly being called back in. 

"Is she having another nervous breakdown?" I asked.

"Where are my quills?" Twilight asked frantically. She found them and sent them flying towards Spike. He jumped in the air and caught them in the bag. "I need the Magical Compendium volumes 1 through 36! Where is it?!" she exclaimed, searching for it. She threw a bunch of the books off of the shelf and pulled a giant encyclopedia out. I couldn't believe the size of this book. And I had a feeling that Twilight had read it about 50 times. 

She pulled it out and Spike readied himself to catch it. And it squashed him like a bug. "Flash cards! I should make some flash cards." she said, running over to a drawer. "Spike, I'm gonna need you to quiz me. On everything. Everything I've ever learned. Ever." She pulled out what I think are around 1,000 flash cards and threw them at Spike. "That isn't going to be enough cards." 

"Twilight, calm down. It's just a test." Spike said. 

"Just a test?" Twilight asked. 

Uh oh. I thought, thinking back to when she was worried about being tardy.

"Just a test?! Princess Celestia wants give me some kind of an exam, and you're trying to tell me to calm down because it's just a test?!" she shouted at him.

He covered himself with pillows and a helmet quickly. "Uh...yes." 

I saw Twilight's face turn a little red and I swear smoke was rising from her ears. "I'd say she's handling things pretty well, considering." Applejack said. I couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. Next thing I know we're launched in the air as Twilight let out a loud groan. 

We quickly walked to the train station, mainly because Twilight was in a hurry to get their on time. The ride was full of talk about what the exam was going to be about. I sat in the corner staring at the passing mountains thinking of what Derpy had said.

It was true. We really did look out for each other. I was the only one there for her when she was a filly, I was her best friend all through school, making sure she wasn't dealing with the bullies, and then she tried to reason with her mother to save me, even though she would have to work with that abomination, only to then go crazy and tackle her once she broke her deal. I smiled. It was amazing that no matter what Clarrise threw at us, we never stopped helping each other and we never abandoned the other. 

One last fight. I thought. And then we'll have nothing to worry about.
> The Crystal Empire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	When we arrived at the station, Twilight left to take her test with Spike while the rest of us waited back at the station. We weren't really allowed inside the castle unless we had royal business, and my business ended this morning. So we sat down, talked, played some games, and waited for her to finish up. 

"So, what do you think is going to happen?" Fluttershy asked me. 

"Well...I think there's something bigger going on here." I said.

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, I mean every time something big happens, all of us are involved. Why would the Princess want all of us to be there if Twilight was taking just a simple test?" I said. I wanted to tell her that her and I were going to try and find her mom, but I remember what Celestia told me earlier.

"But if that was the case, wouldn't she have told us that in the letter?" she pointed out.

"I guess. Or maybe it was because it wasn't safe to say in the letter." I was trying to hint that we weren't going to be safe going wherever it was we were needed to go, but subtlety wasn't a strong suit of mine.

"So you think my mom may be involved?" she asked calmly. 

"Well...yeah." I said. I looked past her and saw the Doctor looking at us. "And it looks like we've got company." I said, nodding towards him. 

She looked behind her. "What's he doing here?" she asked.

"Because my assumption was correct." I said. "I'll be back. I need to stretch my legs." I said to the others. I walked away from the station towards the Doctor with Fluttershy right behind me. 

"You weren't supposed to tell her." he said. 

"I didn't. She figured it out herself." I pointed out.

"She only figured it out because you hinted at it." 

"Well what was I suppose to do? Just say nothing and have her go face to face with her mom?" I said angrily at him.

"Yes. Because Clarrise may be following her and seeing if you know she's involved." he said.

"Then why hasn't she killed us yet if that was the case?" I asked.

"Because she wants a show. She doesn't want it to be quick and painless. She wants to drag it out as much as she can." he explained. 

"So the Princess does only want us to go because we may be able to draw her out?" Fluttershy asked.

"Not exactly-" the Doctor started, but I cut him off.

"That's precisely what she wants. But once this last thing is over she promised me that we would be safe and she would be sure of it." I said.

"But...why couldn't she have somepony else do it instead of putting us in harm's way?" she asked.

"Because we're her last hope to do it." I said, glaring at the Doctor.

"Fluttershy, you know if there was another way, I'd do that in a heartbeat." he said. "But it's the only way to be sure we'll catch her."

"So if we find her, you'll stop her from doing anything to harm us?" she asked.

"Absolutely." he replied. "Oh, and by the way, you two might want to appear like you are fighting while you are there. It might make her feel like Fluttershy doesn't have anypony." 

"So like not talk to each other and give each other mean looks?" Fluttershy asked.

"No, more like actual fighting. Rainbow Dash really needs to just be a jerk to you when she can so that way it can be believable." he explained. "In basic terms, make me think that you don't care what happens to Fluttershy anymore." he said, pointing to me.

I just stared at him. "What?" he asked.

"I can't just do a complete 180 on my feelings." I said. 

"Oh, pish posh. It's not that hard. Look, right now, I'm happy to see you." he said, giving us a big grin. "Now, I can't stand seeing you." He gave a scowl. "See? Not that difficult, except you just have to add actions to your face."

"I know I can do it, but I don't want to hurt Fluttershy." I said. The truth was that I couldn't do it. I couldn't go from Fluttershy being the most important pony in my life to the lowest form of scum. That was her mother's rank. 

"It's fine, Rainbow. Do whatever you need to do. I won't be upset since we'll be safe after this is done. Maybe then we can get a night to ourselves." she said. 

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I don't want to hurt you." 

"Rainbow, I lived with my mom and my dad. I think you can't do any more harm." she said.

I sighed. "Fine. I'll do it. But I really don't feel comfortable with it." 

"That's the spirit!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Now, head on back to your friends. I think Twilight should be done talking to the Princess." he said and turned and walked back to his TARDIS. I still couldn't understand how ponies just walked past it without a second thought.

We walked back to the station and saw Rarity and Applejack playing tic-tac-toe. "There ya'll are!" Applejack said. "Where did ya' both go?" 

"Just down to the local sweet shop. I wanted to see if there was a place that could compete with Pinkie's sweets." I said. 

"Haha! No place makes sweets like me!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "I know every way there is to make a sweet sweeter and tastier than before." 

"Twilight!" Applejack exclaimed. She ran over and hugged Twilight. "Did ya' pass?" she asked.

"Are we going to celebrate your awesomeness with Princess Celestia?" Pinkie asked as she pulled out her party cannon.

"Not quite." Twilight replied, sending Pinkie down from her excitement. "We're going to the Crystal Empire!" 

We looked at each other confused. I had never heard of the Crystal Empire. "What's that?" I asked.

"I'll explain on the way." she said as we boarded the train. 

We had been on the train for an hour already and we still weren't there. The entire time, Twilight explained all that she knew, which wasn't a lot. We had more questions than she had answers for. I looked at Fluttershy, who was watching the scenery pass. I laid my head back and decided to take a nap. If I was going to be fighting Clarrise, I wanted to be well rested.

Of course, I wasn't able to get to sleep due to Pinkie's bouncing. She couldn't sit still knowing she was going someplace new. It wasn't long before we got there though and I was able to stratch my legs and wings. It was freezing. I hadn't brought anything to keep me warm, so I was shivering a little bit. We walked out of the station while Spike carried all of Rarity's bags.

"And you all made fun of me for packing too many scarves." she boasted. 

Mind sharing? I thought as a shiver ran through me. 

"Twiley!" I heard Shining Armor exclaim. He looked kind of like a ninja with goggles. "C'mon, we don't want to be out here after dark." he said.

"Why? What's out here?" Twilight asked. I had the same question. What could survive out here in this freezing weather?

"I'm not sure. But the Crystal Empire isn't the only thing that returned." he said. We all looked at each other as we followed Shining Armor. "Something keeps trying to get in. We think it's the old ruler Sombra." he shouted over the wind.

I had trouble hearing Twilight over the wind, but I think she said something about being trapped in ice or something like that. I was higher up than them since I was flying, so the wind was a bit stronger. However, the next thing, I heard. There was a loud roar and I saw the group below start running. I flew hard against the wind, but it kept pushing me back as it caught in my wings. I looked behind and a massive black mass chasing us. 

I don't scare easily, but this is the first time in a long time that I was scared for my life. I looked to Fluttershy who was putting all that she could into running. I was going to fly down next to her and help her, but then I saw the shield in front of us. Shining Armor stopped and turned. What in the hay is he doing? I thought. 

He shot a bolt at the creature, but it went right through him and he regained his shape. The mass attacked him and engulfed him. It was the last thing I saw when I entered the shield. Everyone stopped and started to catch their breath and I saw Twilight look behind her. A few seconds later her brother came barging in with some weird black crystals formed on his horn. 

He shook his head as his magic failed as it caught on the crystals. He led us to through the city, and it was really beautiful. I don't say that often about places. "Gorgeous! It's absolutely gorgeous!" I heard Rarity shriek. I rolled my eyes. It was typical of her to act like that. "There are no words!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with amazement.

"Focus Rarity. We're here to help Twilight, not admire the scenery." Applejack said.

"Meh, I don't see what the big deal is. Just looks like an ordinary castle to me." I said sarcastically, just to rustle her jimmies. She started speaking gibberish and got right in my face saying how it wasn't just an ordinary castle. 

I smiled and Applejack gave a short laugh. "Hehe, very funny." Rarity said as she realized what I did. We walked up to the throne room where I saw Princess Cadance sleeping. Or at least, it looked like she was sleeping. Her eyes were baggy as her head hung low. 

"Cadance!" Twilight said happily. It brought her out of her stupor and they greeted each other with their exclusive little dance, shake thing.  I looked out the window and saw the shield around the city falter a bit. In that short glimpse, I saw a dark black cloud. It didn't look very friendly, and something told me that that was what Clarrise was working with. I looked back to the others to hear what they were talking about.

"Cadance magic spreads love and kindness across the Empire. It seems to be able to hold the King back." he said. "However, it takes it's toll on her. She hasn't slept and barely eats, and with my protection spell being countered by King Sombra, I can't help her. With her being here and me looking for signs of danger in the Arctic, we haven't been able to gather much information from the crystal ponies." he said.

"Crystal ponies?! There are crystal ponies??" Rarity asked, ecstatic. We all looked at her like she had lost her mind, and giving where we were at, she probably had. "Uh...hehe. Continue." 

"There has to be one of them that knows how we can protect the Crystal Empire." Shining Armor said.

"A research paper!" Twilight exclaimed.

"What?" her brother asked. 

"That's why the Princess sent us here! To gather information from the crystal ponies and deliver it to you! And then I'll pass the test!" she explained.

"Hehe, yeah. Who doesn't?" I said, nudging Pinkie Pie.

"Oh oh! Let me guess! Is it Spike? No, Fluttershy! Rarity?" she said going crazy. 

"Don't worry, big brother. I am really good at this sort of thing." Twilight said, reassuring her brother after Pinkie's little outburst.

We ran out of the room as we started looking for the crystal ponies. "Alright girls, everypony split up. We need to gather as much information as we can on the Crystal Empire. If you see a crystal pony, ask them questions. Meet back at front of the castle in 10 minutes." Twilight said.

"Should we really split up?" Fluttershy asked, looking at me. "What if that thing gets in?"

"Then meet back at the throne room. We'll cooridinate with Cadance and Shining Armor on what to do." Twilight said. We all nodded and took in our different directions. I flew a little to the left of Fluttershy so it would seem we weren't heading to the same area. When I knew we were far enough out, I flew down and landed in front of Fluttershy. 

She gave a quick gasp of fright as I landed. "Oh, Rainbow Dash! It's just you." she said.

"Yeah. Sorry about frightening you. I didn't mean to do that." I said. "Fluttershy, we need to stick together." I said. 

"Why? Didn't Twilight just say that we should split up and gather information?" she asked.

"Well, yes, but that's not the reason. We need to stick together in case your mom decides to attack you." I said. I was not comfortable leaving her alone here in a place neither of us knew much of.

"But the Doctor said that we needed to act angry with each other. You know, to make her think I was all alone." she pointed out.

"I know what he said, but it makes me way too uncomfortable to leave you alone." 

She backed up a bit. "You need to be angry at me Rainbow. If you don't show that, then she won't do anything and we won't be safe." she said. 

"But Fluttershy-" I said loudly before she cut me off. 

"Rainbow Dash, why are you being so mean to me?" she said, her eyes tearing up.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Just go away!" she shouted and flew in the other direction.

I stood there utterly confused. "What?" I said aloud again. This wasn't like her. I knew what we were supposed to do, but the fact that she completely shouted at me was unexpected. I shook my head and walked to a pony on the other side of the street. Well, might as well start. I thought angrily. "Hey you!" I shouted. The pony looked at me, startled. "Do you know anything that could help protect the Empire?" I asked.

"What?" she asked.

"A way to protect the Empire! You know anything about it or what?" I asked again.

"I wish I could help you, really." she said, walking away.

"Hold on! You gotta know something!" I said, annoyed.

"But I don't have any information." she said, walking away.

I groaned. How can you not know how to protect your Empire? I thought. I flew into the sky and looked for any other ponies to ask. As I did so, I saw a familiar pony running through an alleyway. What really caught my eye is that it wasn't like the other crystal ponies I had seen walking around. This pony was running like they had to be somewhere soon.

I flew down to the alleyway to see what was up. I was able to follow the pony pretty easily since she was being pretty loud. She didn't watch where she stepped so listening to where she was was simple. I followed her for a few minutes before I came upon a familiar blue box. "Of course." I said, figuring out who I had been following just then. 

I walked inside the TARDIS and found the Doctor and Derpy looking at a monitor. "Nice acting with Fluttershy." the Doctor said. 

"Acting?" I asked, before I remembered what I was supposed to do. "Oh! Right. Well, you see, it wasn't really acting." I admitted.

"What? You mean you actually hate her?" he asked, surprised.

"No! Are you crazy?" I exclaimed. "I wasn't trying to be mean to her. It was all her doing." I said.

The Doctor looked at Derpy. "And what exactly did she say?" he asked.

"Weren't you there? You knew we had talked." I asked.

"Actually it was Derpy who was listening in." he said, throwing her under the bus.

"Hey!" she shouted at him.

"What? You were." he said.

"But you said that we didn't want her to know that we were there!" she shouted.

"Well you should know what went down." I told her.

"But I couldn't hear it until Fluttershy shouted, and even then it was barely audible. I was a good distance away." she said, defending herself. 

"Look, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that she was acting weird during the conversation." I said.

"I guess not." he said returning to his monitor.

"What are you doing?" I asked, actually curious as to what was so interesting on the his screen. 

"Just doing a few wide range scans to triangulate Clarrise's location should she show herself. And when she does, we'll know right where she is." he explained. 

"And then what's the plan of attack?" I asked, anxious to finish this.

"Well your plan is to act like you don't know anything and that you're here to help Twlight, which you are, while the Princess and I work together to find and nuetralize Clarrise." he said.\

"I hope by nuetralize you mean kill." I said. "And why can't I take part in fighting her?" I asked. "It's not like I won't have a reason to end her."

"True, but you need to act oblivious." he said looking away from his monitor. "Only then can we finish what she started." 

"Fine." I said, grumpily. "I'll go back and find a way to stop Sombra." There was an uneasiness in the Doctor's face when I said his name. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing." he said quickly, returning his attention to the monitor. I looked at Derpy who seemed just as confused as I did. I walked over to him and moved the screen out from his face. I glared at him and he sighed. "King Sombra was one of Luna's students, much like how Twilight is Celestia's student. When he turned evil, he made a vow to end the rule of both the princessess and was encased in shadow and ice for a thousand years." he explained. 

"And Clarrise is working with him?" I asked.

"I would think so. It would explain how he and the Crystal Empire returned." he said.

"So why is he attacking the Crystal Empire if he wants to end the Princessess' rule?" I asked. "Wouldn't it make more sense for him to attack Canterlot?" 

"He's only shadow. He can't attack Celestia and Luna head on like that. He's strong, but still weak in this shadow state." he said.

"But then why didn't she come and finish him off?" I asked, trying to put the pieces together. 

He looked at me solemnly. "Because she knows how important it is to you and Fluttershy that Clarrise be dealt with. Since they must be working together, she can knock both of them out with one stone." 

"So Twilight deals with Sombra and we deal with Clarrise." I said.

"Exactly." he replied. "If Sombra takes the Empire, then he has an army, an army that can attack Canterlot and an army that can destroy you and Fluttershy." 

"But why would Clarrise want to work with him? There seems to be no gain for her." I pointed out.

"It's possible that she made a deal with him." Derpy mentioned. "Maybe if she let Sombra free, once he took the Crystal Empire over she could get a small portion of the army and be able to kill both Fluttershy, you and your mom." 

"Precisely." the Doctor said. "Which means you need to go out there and make sure that Twilight succeeds. If she fails, you lose your chance to finish off Clarrise." he said.

"Okay. I'll go now and work on that." I said with a new conviction. If stopping Sombra would stop Clarrise, I was all for it. I ran for the door and burst through it. The Doctor shouted something at me, but I didn't hear it. I was long gone and heading for the front of the castle. When I landed and told Twilight that I found nothing, it looked like we all had the same issue.

"One pony said somethin' about a library." Applejack said. 

"A library?" Twilgiht asked, her mood taking a turn for the better. "Well why didn't you say so?" 

"Um, Ah just did." she said with a small smiile. We followed Twilight as she ran through town searching for the library. We found it and ran in. As I looked around, I saw thousands upon thousands of books. It was incredibly huge, larger than Canterlot's library in fact. 

"Can I help you?" I heard a pony ask us.

"Yes. We're looking for a book." Twilight said.

No duh, Twilight. I think she figured that part out. I couldn't help but thinking.

"We have plenty of those." she said, pointing to their collection. 

"You do. You really do." Twilight said as she turned in a circle looking at what awaited her.

"We're looking for something that might tell us of a way to protect the Empire. Like a history book." Applejack said. "Do you know where we can find one?"

"I...I'm not sure. I don't know if I even work at the library." the pony said. 

I groaned. "I guess we should start looking?" I asked, already knowing the answer. The others nodded and we began the long and arduous process of pulling every book we could find off the shelves. They were organized in some way, but none of us could make sense of it. It wasn't like the library Twilight lived in where everything was alphabetized. These books had letters with numbers on them. I found a math book with a 94.8 on the spine and a book on cooking with a 94.9. It made no sense. 

We had to have been there for about half an hour before Twilight finally said she found it. I let out a breath of relief knowing we were done. As Twilight explained what we needed to do, I figured it would be a simple event. 

"A Crystal Fair was a festival for the Crystal Ponies to celebrate and spread love and light to protect the kingdom. And everything we'll need is located in this book." she said.

"Well, let's get started." I said, enthusiastically. We raced back to the throne room to show Cadance what we had found.

When we arrived, Cadance looked worse for wear. I swear she looked like she hadn't slept in weeks and had aged a lot of years. The spell was really getting to her, so I knew we needed to get this done soon. I looked out the window again to see how the shield was holding up. It faltered every now and then as Cadance's magic grew weaker.

I looked at Cadance who didn't even acknowledge that we had found a way to help out. "We'll get started right away. Girls, follow me!" Twilight said as she rushed out of the room. 

We set up the Crystal Fair in a short amount of time. Twilight had made a crystal heart for the fair since it appeared to be a key part in the festival. After Pinkie Pie announced it, we went to our stations. I was in charge of making sure everypony was enjoying themselves and for the most part, they were. They started to look more like crystals as they passed through the fair. 

It kind of got me a little excited too. Almost as if things didn't seem so bad for me. I was treating myself to some crystal corn on the cob when I overheard two ponies talking about the Crystal Heart. "Do you really think they have it?" one of them asked.

"Of course we have it!" I exclaimed, rushing over to one of their sides. "Can't have a Crystal Fair without the Crystal Heart, right?"

"Of course you can't." I heard a pony say behind us. I turned to look and it was that mare from the library. "The whole purpose of the Crystal Fair is to lift the spirit of the Crystal Ponies so the light within them can power the Crystal Heart so that the Empire can be protected!" she exclaimed. "Ah! I do work at the library!"

"What's that about powering the heart?" I asked.

"I just can't believe you found it! King Sombra said he had hidden it away where we would never see it again!" she said happily. "I only hope that it will still be as powerful after all these years."

Crap. I thought as I flew into the air and grabbed a flag that was blowing in the breeze. Twilight happened to be right next to it when I covered the fake heart in the center with the flag "Why did you-" she started but I cut her off.

"I think we might have a problem." I said. 

"What kind of problem?" she asked. "Everything is going perfectly fine. The Crystal Ponies seem to be having fun and King Sombra hasn't gotten in yet." 

"Yes but this isn't the Crystal Heart." I said, pointing to it. 

"What do you mean?" she asked, flipping through the book.

"That librarian said it needed to be powered up from light in the Crystal Ponies to protect the Empire. However, King Sombra hid it in a place where nopony could find it." I explained quickly.

"Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no!" she said frantically.

"Twilight we need to find it!" I exclaimed.

"I thought I found everything. Come on, let's go talk to Cadance and Shining Armor." she said, running into the castle. I followed her up the stairs and through the halls. She burst onto the balcony, startling them.

"Twilight! Great job with the Crystal Fair. It looks great!" Shining said. 

"Except we're missing something very important!" she exclaimed. "The Crystal Heart. The book mentioned it, but it never said it was an actual relic." she said, turning through the book. I saw her eyes go wide as something caught her eye. "There was a page missing. How did I not notice?" she said.

I looked over the balcony as the Crystal Fair continued to go on. It was good that they were still having fun and not worrying about the Crystal Heart. As long as he stays out, we'll be fine. I thought. At that moment the shield fell. I looked back to Cadance who had collapsed from exhaustion. I looked back to where the shield had been and a black smoke started to move in. I saw what looked like a face pop out and move with the smoke. That's what we have to fight? I thought.

I looked back to Twilight to see what the plan was, but Cadance had gotten back up and raised the shield again. There was a roar of pain that I heard coming from the arctic. I let out a sigh of relief. Looks like we fight another day.

"No, you stay with Cadance. She needs you Shining Armor." I heard Twilight say. "I'll retrieve the heart." she said, running into the castle. 

"Let's do this." I said following her. It felt good to actually have a chance to do something other than concessions. 

"I've been trying to figure out how I'm meant to pass Celestia's test. Retrieving the Crystal Heart must be it." she said. "But there is something else you can do."

"Name it." I replied.

"You and the rest of our friends have to keep the fair going." 

"What?" I asked surprised. "With that thing moving in on the Empire?" I didn't understand it. How can we keep them happy when a shadowy remnant of their old tyrant kingwas trying to break through and attack.

"The whole point of the Crystal Fair is to lift the spirits of the crystal ponies so they can activate the Crystal Heart." she said.

"Yeah. And?" I asked, still not understanding.

"If the crystal ponies find out that King Sombra is trying to take over the Empire again, their spirits are going to be anything but lifted." she said. I nodded my head. It made sense. If they were scared, frightened and worried, they couldn't activate the Crystal Heart and protect the Empire. "It won't matter if I find the Crystal Heart. They won't be able to make it work. You have to keep them happy here at the fair." 

"Keep the fair going and keep the crystal ponies spirit high." I said as I flew off. "Done and done." I had a few ideas of what to do, but I needed to tell the others about what to do. I flew past Fluttershy as she handled the pies and went to Rarity who was making these weird looking hats. 

I whispered in her ear what was going on and she let out a gasp in front of a bunch of crystal ponies. "Uhh I just learned they're doing face painting for the little ones." she said as I left to tell the others. I ran to Fluttershy and told her what was going on, but she seemed to have a glazed look in her eyes, so I just left to figure out what Pinkie was doing. I needed to keep these ponies happy, and I was still supposed to act like I was mad at Fluttershy. 

I found her in a clown outfit with a flugle horn. I grabbed it off the table and was trying to get ponies to take one. "Who wants a flugle horn?" I asked to the ponies around there. 

"I want a flugle horn!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Not now Pinkie. I thought. "Who else wants a flugle horn?" 

"I want a flugle horn!!" Pinkie cried out. 

I groaned. "Look Pinkie, we need to keep these ponies happy. So why not try to use some of your party tricks to make them laugh and smile?" I asked.

"Oh! Okay!" she said happily as she ran to another part of the fair. I was able to hand out a bunch of flugle horns and saw a number of the crystal ponies start to become a little more like crystals. After they all dispersed I flew over to the Crystal Heart to see how Applejack was doing. 

I landed in front of it and tried to keep ponies back since Applejack was just standing there holding the cover down. I didn't want anypony near it. I saw a pony walking straight to the fake heart and quickly stopped him. "What are you looking at?" I asked as I got right in his face. I wanted to be a little hard here so they wouldn't think to come looking at it. He started to back away and ran toward a group of other ponies. "That's what I thought." I said.

I felt Applejack pull on my tail and brought me down to the ground. "Uh, Rainbow Dash, we're supposed to be actin' like nothin's wrong." she whispered to me. 

"Exactly!" I said. I saw two more walking toward it and glared at them and they quickly bolted away. 

"What I mean is maybe you should let me keep the crystal ponies away from the fake heart, while you go show off your joustin' skills." she said to me. 

"Huh, seeing my awesomeness does have a way of putting ponies into a pretty good mood." I said, running towards the jousting arena. I was going to need help putting one together, and I knew just who to find. If I wanted to keep an eye on Fluttershy without seeming like I cared about her, having us run full speed at each other with metal poles seemed like the best way to do it. 

I found her taking care of the yews in a little petting zoo. I started to push her towards the jousting arena. "C'mon Knight Fluttershy!" I said.

"Huh?" she asked confused.

"We're going to be jousting." I told her.

"What?!" she exclaimed. "Why am I doing it?" 

"Because I need a knight to face off with me." I said.

"But, why not Applejack? She seems like somepony who'd be more up for it." she pointed out.

"She's busy with the heart." I said.

"What's wrong with the heart?" I heard her say. It was weird though. her attitude and character seemed to change when she said it.

"It's not the real one. Twilight's looking for it now." I told her.

"Oh okay." she said, sounding a bit relieved. We arrived at the jousting arena where we put our armor on and went to our respective sides. I was being cheered on by the crystal ponies and it felt great. I waited for Fluttershy to be ready and for Pinkie Pie to sound us off. She somehow got her hooves on another flugle horn but I wasn't going to worry about it right now. We had a show to put on. 

As soon as she blew the horn, I sprinted towards Fluttershy. She followed suit, but as we closed the distance together, she hesitated and turned her body. I hit her and sent her flying away into a pile of hay. Sorry, Fluttershy. I thought. It looked like it hurt. I'll go a lot easier on her next time. I ran over to her to make sure she was okay.

"Isn't there...somepony else who can take over the jousting demonstration with you?" she asked, quivering in fear a little.

I wish. I thought. "The fate of an entire Empire rests on us making sure these ponies have a good time. But, you know, if that isn't important to you..." I trailed off. She whimpered a little bit and I felt really bad. "Okay, okay, I'll take it easier on you next time." I saw her give a smile when I said that. "But not too easy. I have a reputation to uphold!" I said. I wanted it to look like I wasn't going to give Fluttershy any slack. I walked back and she followed.

The second round ended the same as the first. And the third. But on the fourth round something changed. I don't know what, but she had this weird look in her eye. It was unnerving, to say the least, but I figured it was just her acting like she hated me. "Ready to go again?" I asked her.

She nodded her head and we raced off again. I was surprised that she was able to keep taking these hits. They weren't light. She knicked my leg on the third run and it might have left a bruise, but she was taking full on sprint hits to her body. She was a lot tougher than most ponies make her out to be. 

As we got closer, I saw something I didn't think I would ever see in Fluttershy's eyes, at least not directed to me. I saw hate. Pure hatred. It worried me enough that I faltered and got hit hard, dead center in my chest. I landed on my back and gasped for air. She nailed a direct hit on my lungs, and it hurt. 

She walked over to me with a worried look on her face. "You okay?" she whispered.

"Yeah." I gasped back. "Good hit. Didn't think you'd be able to do that. But good job." I said between breaths. She helped pick me up and smiled at me. I smiled back at her, but it quickly disappeared when I saw the shield faltering more than usual. "Fluttershy, we need to get to Cadance and the others." I said. 

She nodded her head and we flew to the castle. The crystal ponies were running towards the castle in fright. Things were not looking good. We landed on the balcony where the others were standing around waiting for Twilight. "The Crystal Heart will be here any minute." Applejack said.

"I don't think they believe you." Rarity said.

"I don't think I believe me."

I looked to Fluttershy who just looked...normal. She didnt seem frightened or shocked or anything. And then the shield fell. I looked to see what happened to Cadance. Her horn had stopped glowing and she looked like she passed out in Shining Armor's hooves.

Come on, Twilight. I thought. It's not just the Empire. It's Fluttershy's and mine's lives as well. There was no sign of her and for the first time in a long time, I felt defeated.

"I got it! I got the Crystal Heart!" I heard Spike shout down from the top of the castle. I looked up and smiled as I saw him start to jump down to us. We almost had it, and then he slipped and began to fall. 

"Spikey Wikey!" I heard Rarity exclaim. I was just about to take off and grab him and the heart, but Shining Armor beat me to it by throwing Cadance at it. 

Thats...one way I guess. I thought as she soared towards the heart. Sombra had taken his full form and was close to getting the heart. Cadance was just a little bit faster though, and grabbed both of them out of the air.

"Yes!" I shouted. I couldn't help it. Cadance sent the heart to the center of the castle and it hovered in place as the crystal ponies kneeled in front of it. There was a giant wave that surged through me and I felt different. I noticed that all of my friends had turned into crystal ponies.

"Oh my stars! I can't believe it!" Rarity exclaimed happily. 

I rolled my eyes with a smile and looked to Fluttershy. She was just as crystally as the rest of us and was still here with me. That's all I could have asked from this. We beat Sombra, and we beat Clarrise. We both breathed a sigh of relief and hugged each other tight.

"I can't believe we did it." she said. 

"Yeah. It was close, but we did it." I said. We left the embrace and headed inside the castle to find Twilight. After we were sure that the Empire was safe, we returned to the train station and left the the Empire behind us. Along with our crystal appearance, which Rarity was a bit upset about. 

"I do so wish it was permanent. Did you see how my mane just absolutely sparkled?" I heard her say.

"But some things are better when they're a Rarity." Applejack said with a wink. I couldn't help but laugh a little. If you need advice, Applejack, talk to me. I thought. I liked to Fluttershy who seemed a mix of happiness and sadness. 

"You okay?" I asked, putting a hoof around her.

"Oh, I'm fine. I just found it strange that we didn't find my mom at all." she said.

"Well, according to the Doctor, since we beat Sombra, she should leave us alone." I said.

"When did he say that?" she asked.

"I bumped into him while he did a full scan of the city. He said if he found her, he'd deal with her."

"Okay. And did he?" 

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since. But I'm sure it'll all be fine. We defeated her biggest ally, so she's basically powerless." I said reassuringly. 

"I wouldn't count her out just yet." Fluttershy said quietly. I shrugged it off as we boarded the train. She had very good reasons to be worried about her mom, so I didn't think much of it. We were both exhausted, so I decided to pull her in close and fall asleep on the way home. For the first time in awhile, I could have sleep without fear of being attacked.

The train screeched to a halt and woke me up. Fluttershy was already up and moving around, along with the others. I yawned as I pushed myself up off the seat. My neck was stiff from the ride, but it was still a better sleep than what I was getting most nights. We walked out of the train and started to head home. "Mind if I walk you home?" I asked Fluttershy.

"Oh, no! Of course you can. I actually want to show you something. She said with a wink. I smiled as we walked to her house. Most of Ponyville was still gazing at the lights being emitted from the Crystal Empire. None of them had seen it before and it really was an amazing sight. 

We arrived at her house and she opened the door. When I walked in she kissed me and pushed me to the couch. She closed the door and locked it. When she turned to me, her eyes were glazed over again and I jumped up. "Fluttershy!" I exclaimed before getting thumped on the back of the head and everything went black.
> The Final Confrontation...and a Final Farewell.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I woke up with a searing pain surging through my skull. I tried to rub my head, but found my hooves tied to a chair. I looked around the dark room around me, trying to see where I was. "Hey!" I shouted, trying to break free of my restraints. "Let me go!" 

"I'm afraid I can't do that." I heard a familiar voice say. "You see, I need you in order to get her here."

I groaned as I recognized her immediately. "Clarrise, I swear to Celestia, if you harm Fluttershy I will kill you." I threatened.

She laughed. "Fluttershy? Why would I hurt her? After all, she's the one who tricked you into coming here." she said. 

"No! You did this. You're the one who hit me on the back of the head with something!" I shouted.

"A frying pan to be exact. I've always wanted to do that." she said with a smile. "But no, I don't want to hurt Fluttershy. I want your mother." she said.

I stopped struggling. "What?" I asked. 

"You're mother. She's the reason all of this started in the first place. If she and your father hadn't tried to butt into other ponies business, none of this would have happened. You could have lived your life perfectly fine without any sort of repercussions. But no. You had to butt in and prevent us from bringing the night back." she said.

"It wouldn't have mattered! You wouldn't have succeeded. Ponies like you never win!" I shouted.

"We may lose battles, but I will always win a war." she whispered in my ear. 

There was a pounding on the door. "Clarrise!!" I heard my mom shout. 

"Ah, it looks like she took the bait." Clarrise said. She walked behind me and as soon as my mom kicked down the door, she put a knife by my neck. "Stop right there, or I'll cut her throat right here, right now." 

"Clarrise, leave her out of this. She didn't do anything to you!" my mom shouted.

"Oh, but she did. She stopped us from turning Fluttershy, stopped me from taking over the world, and stopped Sombra from taking over the Crystal Empire. I'd say she's done a lot." she said.

"She was only a child when those things happened! And she helped save the Empire because of her friends!" my mom exclaimed. 

"Still doesn't change the fact that she is far from excusable of her actions." Clarrise said, rubbing the flat end of the blade across my throat. I was in a cold sweat as I felt the cold blade touch my neck.

"Clarrise, you don't have to do this." I heard the Doctor say behind me.

"Ah, the infamous Doctor here to save the day?" she asked sarcastically as she looked behind her. "It won't matter. I'll have what I want soon enough."

"Listen, Rainbow has done you no harm. She's only done what she's been told to do." the Doctor explained. I wanted to tell him that I actually did what I wanted, not because I was being ordered but because Clarrise is a terrible awful pony, but I decided against it considering she had a knife to my throat.

"Need I remind you if it weren't for her, you wouldn't have figured out who me and my husband were?" she said, pushing the knife closer to my neck. She saw the look of fear on the Doctor's face as she did so. "It's funny." she said. "Such a young pony with so much potential, lost because of her friends." She pushed the knife and drew some blood.

"Firefly stay back!" the Doctor shouted. My mom must have began to move forward to subdue Clarrise. 

"See? I'm not afraid to kill her." Clarrise said, releasing some of the pressure from the knife. 

"What do you want?" my mom asked.

Clarrise looked at her with a wide smile. "Oh, I thought you'd never ask." As she said that, a spear went straight through my mom's side.

"Mom!!" I exclaimed in shock. 

She gasped in pain as she tried to pull it out. She fell to the ground, blood starting to fill her mouth. Clarrise walked over to her and kneeled in front of her. "I want you to watch me kill your daughter." 

"No." my mom said, barely able to speak. She coughed up blood onto Clarrise's face who just laughed. 

"It'll be fun." she said. "Oh, and Doctor," she said as the Doctor ran to me to untie me. "Don't even think about letting her go." After she said that, Fluttershy ran in from the shadow and held the Doctor down. 

"Fluttershy!" I exclaimed. What the hell is she doing? I thought. 

"Clarrise!" the Doctor shouted when Fluttershy finally had him held down perfectly. "What did you do to her?" 

"Remember that bomb that was supposed to destroy my mind control device?" she asked. "Well, I was able to salvage some of the key components. It doesn't work on a broad network like the other device, but this one is much more precise and accurate. So accurate, that I have full control over anypony I choose.

"How?" he asked, as I tried again to get out of the chair.

"I was able to use the helmet and repair its damaged cerebral industrial grid. In doing so, I made it possible for me to take a pony with the same blood type as myself and cause them to do whatever I wish." she explained. "Think of it as a much more advanced blood control." 

"But that's just like hypnosis." he said. 

"Exactly. I'm not forcing her to do something that her survival instinct will prevent her from doing. She is following my simple commands that will keep her safe and still complete her objective." She turned to me. "You have no idea how painstaking it was to try and get into her head. She's weak and pathetic, but she has a strong mind. It's not easy for one pony to crack it."

"So you freed King Sombra and had him help you." I said, glaring at her. 

"Wow you are smarter than you look." she said. "I figured it would be a good thing for both of us. He wants the Crystal Ponies, I want Fluttershy's mind, and if he had successfully taken the Empire, then we would be able to rid the place of happiness, love, light, and bring every pony to eternal suffering if they disobeyed us." 

"You're a monster." my mom breathed out. "All you do is cause suffering. When you can't have something you have to hurt others to make yourself feel better." She spit out more blood. "And you're the biggest monster of them all. I feel sorry for you." 

Clarrise walked over to my mom with an angry look. "I want so badly to kill you right now. But I know it'll be so much sweeter to have you watch your daughter lose her life to my hoof." she said, getting up and walking back to me. She moved the chair closer to my mom. I was near tears right now, both from watching what she did to my mom, and knowing that I was about to die. Not a peaceful easy death, but death from a monster. "Keep those eyes open, or I'll make her suffer." 

There was a crash through a window as a grey figure flew through the room. It knocked Clarrise down and slammed into Fluttershy. I heard it land behind me and felt it start to untie me. "Go!" Derpy shouted. I ran over to my mom and picked her up. I tried to pull the spear out as she screamed in pain, but was punched in the side as Clarrise recovered.

She lunged at me and grabbed me. She pulled me into a head lock and held a knife to my neck. "Enough!" she shouted. Everypony had stopped what they were doing and stared at us. "I have had enough of this. Firefly, say good bye to your daughter." 

She raised the knife, ready to stab my throat. Before she could stab me, however, Fluttershy was zooming towards us. "No!!" she screeched. It must have caught her off guard because her grip faltered and I broke free, kicking her as hard as I could. She flew back as Fluttershy rocketed past me. It was hard to see, but I heard a lot of hitting, screaming, and words I thought I would never hear out of Fluttershy's mouth. The Doctor rushed past me and pulled Fluttershy off of her mother. 

"Fluttershy, stop!" he exclaimed. "This isn't you!" 

"She needs to die!!" I heard her shout.

"Fluttershy! For all that is good and holy back off!" the Doctor shouted back. "She's not worth your time and energy!" He was able to throw her at me and I caught her and held her in a tight embrace. She began to sob heavily into my chest. She gripped me, trying to hold onto something that she could make sense of. 

"I'm here Fluttershy. I'm here." I whispered to her. She held me tighter and continued to sob. 

"She...she deserves it." she whimpered in between breaths. "She for...forced me." she stammered

"It's okay, Fluttershy, you're fine now." I said reassuringly. I looked at the Doctor. "Is she dead?"

"No, but Fluttershy really gave her a beating." he said. "All that pent up anger, all that rage she kept inside, was finally let loose after she saw you being threatened." he said, turning to look at me. "She saved your life."

Does this mean I can kill her? I thought. I didn't voice it since Fluttershy was still bawling into me, and she had every right to. After all she's been through, I let her cry. I looked over to my mom and saw her looking at me with a smile. "You okay, mom?" I asked. She simply nodded her head. "So you'll live right?" 

She shook her head no. "This wound is fatal. I've already lost too much blood." she said. I looked at Fluttershy who seemed to have stopped crying a little bit. Derpy walked over to me and took Fluttershy from me, nodding to my mom. I walked over to her and held her hoof. "Rainbow Nicole Dash." she said. She never used my full name. Never. It brought tears to my eyes. "You are a strong, brave, a loyal pony. You've always been somepony others can rely on when they need you. When Fluttershy was a fiily, you helped her by being her friend. When her parents put her down, you brought her back up. When you were at that dance and nopony wanted to be with Fluttershy, you stepped up and stood by her." She had a coughing fit and spat up more blood than I thought could come out of one's mouth. 

I sniffled. "But I'm not loyal!" I exclaimed. "I wasn't with you when you needed me. I wasn't able to help you when you needed me most." 

She shook her head. "No, Rainbow Dash. I'm glad you weren't with me during these past years. I missed you and your brother more than anything else in the world. There were days where I would give anything just to see both of your faces one more time. But I knew if I did that, then I would be putting you two in greater risk than I could ever allow." she explained. "Besides, Fluttershy needed you more than I did. Without you, do you think she would have been able to last this long?" 

I thought about it and she was right. My mom was a kick flank pony and knew how to handle herself. Fluttershy wasn't like that usually needed me to watch out for her. "She loves you more than herself." my mom said. 

"But what about you?" I asked. "You didn't have anypony after dad..." I couldn't finish the sentence since I began to cry again.

"I did have somepony to fight for. You and Felix." she said, very weak.

I sobbed. I was losing her. "Please mom, don't..." I stammered off. 

She took took my face in her hoof and looked me in the eyes smiling. "You're father and I were proud to call you our daughter. Always remember, that no matter what happens to you, we will always be with you." she said, barely audible. 

"Mom..." I said, sobbing, letting the tears fall freely from my face. I felt her hoof go limp as she let out a breath. "No...No, mom!" I exclaimed. "Don't go! Please! Don't leave me!!" I hugged her body, sobbing fiercely into her coat. "Don't leave me." I said, muffled by her bloodstained coat. "I need you." I whispered. "I can't go on knowing that you aren't here, somewhere in the world with me." Another burst of tears exploded from my eyes as I felt her body grow cold. 

"Rainbow..." the Doctor said.

"Shut up!!" I shouted. "Go away! All of you! Just go away!" I cried out, hugging my mom tighter to me. It was quiet as none of them said a word. Then, slowly, one by one, I heard them leave, and the sound of Clarrise's unconscious body being drug against the floor. I cried into my mom's chest, as I laid my head down over her heart. It wasn't beating. Her body was getting colder and colder as I held her there. 

I looked at her face, her lifeless eyes staring at nothing. "Please. Mom, if you can hear me, please. I need you. More than you know or ever knew. I wasn't fighting just for Fluttershy. I was fighting for you. I was fighting to see you again. I never got a chance to say it, but I needed you more than Fluttershy needed me. Knowing that you were alive somewhere, was what kept me going. Please...Don't go." I whimpered. I put my head in her chest, not caring that it was covered with her blood. 

"She was a great pony." I heard the Doctor say behind me. 

"I told you to go!" I shouted at him. 

"I know." he said, walking up to me. "But I figured you should have something." He placed a pendant next to me and looked at my mom. "She was a very talented mare. Nothing seemed to faze her. You were just like her in many ways. Fast, loyal, persistent, a bit pushy, but always, always caring about her friends and family." he said. I looked at the pendant and picked it up, sniffing. 

I opened it up and saw a photo of me and Felix when we were babies. "It was your mother's. She always had it with her on her journeys. When she returned, she gave it to me for safe keeping." he said. I stared at it, looking at the one thing my mom kept close to her heart. "I know it doesn't bring her back. But...I want you to know she loved you very much. And nopony will ever love you the same as she did." 

I looked to him and saw a few tears falling from his eyes. I turned back to my mom and closed her eyes. "I love you mom." I said. I turned to the Doctor and hugged him tightly, crying into his shoulder. 

"It's okay. It's okay." he whispered to me. I held the pendant tight against his back as we both cried at the loss of my mom.
> Confronting the Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Three years later


I stood in the snow next to the grave that housed my mom. The funeral had been held a few days after she died and only a handful of ponies were invited. Both the Princesses were there, along with the Doctor, Derpy, and all of my friends. Although Fluttershy was the only one in my group of friends who had known who my mom was, the others were crying about as much as I was. "It's the last day of winter, mom. We're going to be wrapping it up soon, hopefully faster than last year. We've been getting better at it since Twilight started organizing everything." I said. I knew she wasn't really able to hear me, but it felt good to tell her about what was going on now and then. 

"I should let you know what happened to Clarrise. She was taken to the Shadow Proclamation. They handle space criminals and stuff. She would have just been tried at Canterlot's courts, but since she attempted to hijack a TARDIS after the Buckingham Palace incident, she became an intergalactic criminal." I said. "I wasn't told specifically where, but I was told that she was being held in an Atrax extra-dimmensional prison. It's one of the hardest prisons to escape from." I pointed out.

I sniffed as a tear rolled down my face. It never got easier, coming to her grave in Canterlot. She was given a place here for her actions and valor in protecting Fluttershy and I, both Elements of Harmony, from an evil and clever foe. "Fluttershy is still in Baltimare. She's been there for a long time now, and she's been doing good with her animal shelter there. Pinkie Pie told me she's been battling brain tumors from what Clarrise did to her for a few months and it's starting to finally look up." I said. "And Pinkie Pie's doing good. She's only has a few weeks to go before she's out from rehab. What's even cooler is that a big company in Canterlot is looking to hire her as long as she stays true to her rehab protocols."

I looked up at the sky and saw that it was almost noon. "Well, I better be going. Twilight wants to talk to me about something important. She's a princess now, so it would be extremely rude to be late." I looked at the fireflies that were engraved on her tombstone. Luna had them placed there as a memorial to her for being a light that ponies could follow in the darkest of times. It suited her. I said my goodbyes for the day and headed for the castle. I didn't fly or rush to the castle as I left. I rarely did nowadays when I came here. I didn't want to leave her in a hurry. 

After a few minutes of walking, I came upon Canterlot Castle's staircase. I let out a sigh as I took in the view. I was about to walk up the steps when Twilight opened the doors in front of her and walked down the stairs to me. "Rainbow Dash, it's freezing!" she exclaimed as I walked up to her.

"Really? I had barely noticed." I said. I didn't mean to sound rude, but I honestly stopped feeling anything really since Fluttershy first got her tumors. We walked up the stairs and into the castle where, I will admit, was exceptionally warmer. "So, what is it you wanted to see me for?" I asked. 

"First off, have you written what I asked you to?" she asked.

"No. I don't see why I should revisit those events." I said annoyed.

"It's not healthy to keep them locked up like that. You need to express them, and writing it down may be the best way to do it." she said.

"How? How could writing down what happened to my parents be of any help to me?" I asked, raising my voice this time.

"You'd be confronting your past, something you haven't been wanting to do. You've avoided most of it and I understand it hurts, but you haven't moved on yet." she said. I didn't respond and she let out a sigh. "Look, I've been given a letter from someone who knows you. He said that he wanted you to read it, but only if you did what I asked of you." 

"Who sent it?" I asked.

"The Doctor gave it to me, but it was your brother who wrote it." she said, hesitantly. 

"Why didn't Felix give it to you himself?" I asked.

"I'll give you the letter, but only if you promise to do the what I asked." 

I sighed. "Fine. I'll do it." I said, holding out my hoof for the letter. She gave it to me and took a deep breath. I opened the letter and started to read aloud. 

"Dear Rainbow. If you are reading this, then it means I don't have much time left, or my time has run out. We haven't spoken since mom died, and I've really missed you. It's lonely here now that Fleur finally moved out and the divorce settled. You were right, she was only with me for the money. I found her with Hoity Toity in the bedroom and all hell broke loose. I didn't lose much in the divorce, but she did run off with a handful of expensive items." I looked up to Twilight, who just nodded for me to keep reading. 

"In the past month, I've been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in my wings. It's prohibited me from flying, and is slowly working it's way to my heart. I know that by the time you get this I may be gone, but I hope that you will come see me. I have something to ask of you before you go. If you can't, just know that no matter what your reason, I love you." I finished the letter. I looked to Twilight who was looking at the ground. "Why didn't he just write it to me?" 

"Because giving it to me was the fastest way to get it to you." she replied. 

"When did you get this?"

"Last night." she said.

"So there's still time to see him." I said relieved. I turned to leave the castle. "Thanks Twilight. And don't worry, I'll work on that letter." I said. Sometime. 

I flew into the air and headed for where Felix's house was. He didn't say he moved in the letter, so I figured he was in the same house as before. When I arrived there, I found my assumption to be correct. I knocked on the door and nobody answered. I knocked again and nobody came to the door. "Felix? It's me, Rainbow Dash, your sister." I said, hopefully loud enough for them to hear inside. 

After a few moments, the door opened and I saw Derpy standing there. "Hey Rainbow. Come on in. He's in the room on to the far left." she said as I entered. 

"How's he doing?" I asked.

"Not so good." she said sadly. "He's been getting worse." We walked into the room where I saw him laying in bed. 

"Rainbow? Is that really you?" he asked as he squinted at me. 

"Yes, it's me." I said, smiling. I was so happy to see him. I had forgotten what it was like to be around family.

"It's great to see you. How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm doing well. I have a nice collection of medals from winning my competitions." I said.

"That's great! I knew you'd do well in those things." he said before coughing pretty hard. He leaned back and sighed. "I take it you got my letter?" I nodded my head. "Good. Good." he said.

I took a deep breath. "How's your cancer?" I asked.

"Not too well. It's growing at a dangerously rapid pace. Derpy here has been kind enough to watch over me through all this. Thinks she owes us after what happened." he said, referring back to what happened. 

"I do. I feel bad that I wasn't able to get her out and save her." Derpy said.

"It's fine, Derpy. You saved all of their lives by doing what you did. And I thank you for that." Felix said before having a huge coughing fit.

"You said you wanted to ask me something. What was it?" I asked after he finished his little spree. 

He took a deep breath and collected himself. "I want you to move on with your life. You're stuck in the past about what happened with mom. You couldn't have stopped it, only Clarrise could have. She was in control of Fluttershy, not you. Nothing you could have done would have stopped her. She was being controlled." he said sternly.

I scoffed at that. "I don't blame her! I know who to blame!" I said, angrily.

"Then why haven't you written to her?" he asked.

"How do you know we haven't been writing?" I asked, surprised.

"She keeps in touch with me. She's written to me more times that I think you even cared to." he said. 

That was a low blow. I thought. "I've been meaning to write to you, but something keeps popping up." 

"No, you just haven't moved on from the past. The Doctor says that you keep brooding about what happened." Felix explained. "Please, Rainbow, move on from the past like I have. It sucks knowing that she's gone, but brooding on it won't make her come back."

I stared out the window at the falling snow. What does he know? It's not like he saw his mother die in front of him and almost lost everypony he cared about. I thought. But at the same time, I knew I was blaming all the wrong ponies for what happened. I looked back at Felix as he had another coughing spree. I sighed. "But I don't know how." I told him. 

"Do what Twilight had me do. Write it down." he said. I stared at him, surprised that Twilight told me to do exactly what she told Felix to do. 

"Okay." I said quietly.

"Good. Now run along. It's past noon, and I believe you have a game to go practice for." he said.

"Actually, I think I'll skip practice today. I have a letter I need to write." I said. I walked over to him, gave him a kiss on his forehead, and was escorted by Derpy back to the door. "Keep an eye on him, will you please?" I asked.

"Of course I will. I owe you guys a lot." she said. She looked like she wanted to ask me something but was too scared to do so. 

"What is it?" I asked.

"Oh, well, um, I was wondering how you felt if I had a dinner date with Felix?" she asked.

This surprised me to say the least. "Why? What about you and the Doctor?" I asked. 

"It was all on one side. I think he loved your mom more than me. And when she died, he just wanted to be alone for a little bit. I don't think he wanted to put me in anymore danger that could get me killed." she explained.

"Oh, wow. I'm sorry Derpy." I said. "It doesn't bother me if you do have that date with him. I think it would make him very happy." I said with a smile. 

She blushed and thanked me. As I headed back for Cloudsdale. A thought ran through my head. If I'm going to start confronting the past, I might as well start with her. 

When I came home, the first thing I did was start to write my letter to the friend. It turns out, she's always been my friend, sometimes, something a lot more than a friend. I finished the letter, asking for her to come by sometime if she can. After I put that letter in my mailbox, I walked back inside, sat at my desk, and began to write my letter to Twilight. The letter of how my parents left me.
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I sat on my bed reading about how practice had gone for the certain athletes that went. For the first time since joining, I was not going to be allowed to compete. Even Twilight couldn't convince them to let me join. I didn't want her to force them to by using her authority, so she tried her best with what she had. But the rules were made for a reason. If you can't make a practice, you can't make a competition. 

I had given Twilight the letter about my parents a few days ago. I had to take my other letter to her to, since I didn't have any idea what the address was. I didn't know what I should expect. A letter in a few days, weeks, or never after how I've treated her the past few years. I knew it was all misplaced and completely uncalled for, but it wasn't easy to forget what had happened. I didn't even know what to say to her. It's been so long since I've seen her that she may have changed, gotten a new special somepony, one who won't just leave you and not talk to you for three years. 

I put the paper down and stood up. As I did, a letter suddenly appeared on my desk in a ball of magical fire. It was from Twilight, obviously. She was the only one I knew of who had a dragon to send letters back and forth. I walked over and picked up the letter, opening it. 

"Dear Rainbow Dash. I want to thank you for writing about your parents and what happened about them. I know you told us a little bit about it, but nothing to the extent of this. I had no idea that you and Fluttershy had gone through so much together. It was no wonder that you guys were so close once. I don't know what happened afterwards to force you two apart, but I hope you both can reconcile. She was always happier when she was with you, and you seemed to have a better glow about you when she was around." I read aloud.

"I've scheduled a meeting for all of us to meet up again. It's been way to long since we've all been together in the same place. It will be held in a week from now, so please try to keep your schedule clear. I want to see all of us there." I smiled at that. It was true. I hadn't seen Applejack in a few months and Celestia knows how long it's been since I saw Rarity. I visited Pinkie Pie frequently while she was getting over her sugar addiction. And Fluttershy...well I hadn't seen her for nearly three years, let alone spoken with her. 

It would be nice to see everypony again. I thought. I went back to the letter to see if there was any other news. "Rainbow, back to Fluttershy, I don't know what exactly happened. But after putting some pieces together from what you wrote, I think I have a pretty clear idea of what happened that night. I'm sorry you had to witness that, and I wish there was something I could do to stop it. I hope you are able to move forward now, though. I wish you the very best of luck. See you in a week!" she said, leaving a little smily face at the end of it. I laughed lightly at it. Even as a Princess, Twilight still acted like a resident of Ponyville.

There was a knock on my door. It surprised me, since I wasn't expecting a visitor. I walked to the door and opened it. When I saw who it was my mouth dropped to the floor. "Um... Hey, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy said.

"Hey, Fluttershy." I replied. "What are...what are you doing here?" I asked as I let her walk inside.

"Well I got your letter and wanted to surprise you." she said.

"It worked." I said. I looked at her mane and gasped. "What happened to your hair?" I asked.

"Oh, that. It's from the tumor treatments. They had to kill the bad cells and in doing so, it took away my hair. It's starting to grow back though." she said, running a hoof through her now really short, pink mane. 

"It looks good on you." I said quietly. It wasn't a lie either. I always loved her long hair, but this look was better for her. It showed off her beautiful eyes. 

"Really?" she asked, nervously.

"Of course." I said. There was an awkward silence. She began to walk around the living room and stopped in front of my medal case.

"Are these yours?" she asked.

"Yep. First place in all races." I said. 

"Wow. You must be really fast." she said, looking at the big gold one in the middle.

"Well, I am the best flier in Equestria after all." I said.

She smiled. "Rainbow...can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure. What is it?"

"Well...it's about...I've always wondered..." she stammered off. "Nevermind. It's not important." she said quietly.

"Come on, what is it? If you had to ask me if you could ask me something, it had to be important." 

She took a deep breath. "Why haven't you been replying to any of my letters?" she asked.

"Well...because of what happened with my mom." I said. "I've never been able to forgive you for what happened." I said, truthfully.

She nodded her head. "Yeah. That's what I thought." she said, a tear forming in her eye.

"But I forgive you now. I know that you couldn't help yourself, that Clarrise had taken control of you and forced you to do things you wouldn't normally do. I get it now." I explained. 

"But I tried to tell you about it earlier. Every letter I wrote to you explained that and explained how I felt about it." she said. "Did you even read them?" 

"Yes. Each one. I know what you were saying, but I couldn't accept it then. I hadn't moved forward from the past and accepted what had really happened." I said. "But now...I can."

"What changed?" she asked me, finally looking at me. 

I hesitated. "Well...Twilight. She asked me to write something down so I could try and confront my past. I ignored her, but then I got a letter from Felix. I started to think that maybe it would be a good idea for me to write it down. And it turns out, it worked." 

She smiled and looked back at the medals. "So...you forgive me?" she asked. "After I took you to my mom and stabbed yours with a spear?" 

"Yes. Because that wasn't you who did it. It was Clarrise. I've realized that now." I said.

She lowered her head and began to cry. I pulled her in for a hug and held her tight. "Hey, don't worry. I'm here."

"You know I never stopped loving you." she said. "Not even after you stopped talking to me or having anything to do with me. No matter how many times my heart was broken, I still cared and loved you." she said in between her cries.

I didn't know what to say. After me being a huge jerk to her for three years, she had kept loving me. "I've always loved you too." I said. "I know I was a jerk and that I should've talked to you about it, but I was so upset that I automatically blamed you for doing it, even though you didn't know what you were doing. I didn't want to blame you, but something made me believe it was all your fault." 

She sniffed and looked at me. "Rainbow..." she said. I leaned down and gave her a kiss. 

"I forgive you. Okay? I'm glad knowing that the pony responsible is rotting in a jail millions of miles away in a different part of space." I said. "And I'm happy you're by my side now." 

She smiled and hugged me tighter than I thought possible. "I love you too, Dashie." she said. We held each other tightly there, and for the first time in three years, I smiled a true smile of joy. We were together, and that's all I've ever wanted. "Oh, there's something I want you to give to Twilight when you can." she said taking a letter out from her bag. "It's about the same thing you had to write." she said. 

"Why'd you write this?" I asked taking it from her. 

"Well, I figured it would be a good thing to do. If it's going to help you, then maybe it could help me with what I did." she said. "If you want you can read it." she said.

"But we've both been through it already. I already know what happened." I said.

"In your eyes. There are some things that are...different." she said. 

She was right about that. I didn't know everything that she knew so I might have missed something. Maybe with our combined stories, Twilight would know the real story. I opened it up and began to read it. And I remembered the reason why I wanted to beat her parents into a wall that Nightmare Night.