The Pegasus mare, Rainbow Dash, was soaring high above the outskirts of Ponyville. Her weather-control duties were done for the day, so she decided to get in some flying practise. She feverishly performed new moves, the kind she hoped would one day gain her entry into the Wonderbolts, Equestria's premier aerobatics team. She had worked her way up to what she hoped would be her "ultimate" move: The corkscrew Sonic Rainboom.
"Okay, Rainbow." She breathed in deeply, then exhaled. "It's go time."
She flew high above Ponyville, then dived down. As with the Sonic Rainboom, she held both of her front hooves out in front of her. But, unlike with the traditional Sonic Rainboom, she started spinning as she dove, faster and faster, round and round...
Rainbow found herself becoming dizzy from the spinning. Due to the increased speed caused by the rotation, the Sonic Rainboom went off earlier then she had estimated, resulted in her spinning wildly out of control at top speed. She caroomed towards Ponyville, slamming into the library, the ricocheting across town into Carousel Boutique, then bouncing between more buildings, like a hyperactive pinball. She quickly started to lose altitude, finally crashing into an apple cart.
As Rainbow came to, she became aware of a crowd of angry ponies staring at her.
"Rainbow!" Snarled Applejack. "Look what you've done to mah poor apples!"
"Your apples?" Rarity repeated indignantly. "I was in the middle of sewing a dress for a most important client, when that rainbow wrecking ball rammed into the boutique! The shock caused me to accidentally tear the dress in half, and now I've got to start all over again!"
"Aw, come on, guys!" Rainbow protested. "It was an accident!"
"An accident that knocked every book in the library off their shelves." Twilight Sparkle noted. "It'll take me all day to put them back. Not to mention you spooked poor Owlowiscious."
"Rainbow Dash, look what you've done!" Said Fluttershy with an angry tone she hardly ever used. She held a number of small, shaking blue birds in her hoofs. "These poor bluejay chicks were just about to fly for the first time, and now, thanks to you and your noisy tricks, they're too scared to even move!"
"But..." Rainbow said weakly.
"Rainbow!" Called Pinkie Pie, trotting across the street, wearing a chef's hat, an apron, and a scowl. "That Soniccy Rainboomy of yours ruined the soufflés I was gonna surprise Mr and Mrs Cake with!"
"I was just trying out a new move, that's all!" Rainbow defended herself.
"Well, you shouldn't have done it so close to Ponyville." Twilight declared. "You could have hurt someone. You should have considered the consequences of your move."
"As if Rainbow Dash ever thinks ahead." Rarity sniffed. "Or takes endangering others into consideration."
"Oh, is that you think?" Rainbow growled, riled. "That I never think of anypony but myself?"
"She didn't mean to say that, sugah cube." Applejack said trying to calm her.
"Yeah, right!" Rainbow snorted.
"It's just..." Fluttershy mumbled. "Sometimes, your moves do tend to get a little out of hoof..."
"Well, don't worry!" Rainbow snarled. "You won't have to worry about me or my moves anymore! I'm outta here!"
Rainbow speeded out of Ponyville.
"Rainbow, wait!" Twilight called.
The others tried to follow, but Rainbow was too fast. Barely keeping up, they eventually lost her on a turn.
"Poor Rainbow..." Sighed Fluttershy.
"I didn't think she'd be so sensitive." Rarity admitted. "I mean, this is Rainbow Dash we're talking about, after all..."
Rainbow finally came to a stop on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. Setting down, the usually-proud pegasus bowed her head in despair, a single tear dripping from her eye.
"The nerve of those ponies." She growled. "Maybe they'd all just prefer it if I was never born! Would that satisfy them?"
"Such anger in you." Came a voice from behind her. "Shall we see what would be if your thought was true?"
Rainbow turned. It was Zecora, a zebra who lived in the Everfree Forest. She was wearing her usual cloak, and carrying a large satchel, the handle of her staff sticking out of it.
"Oh. Hey, Zecora." Rainbow greeted her. "I was just, y'know, thinkin' out loud..."
"And very dark thoughts too." Frowned Zecora. "What is wrong, pony of blue?"
"Everypony's mad at me 'cause one of my moves messed a bunch of stuff up." Rainbow explained. "You should have seen how mad they were, Zee. I was just sayin' to myself that they'd probably prefer it if I was never born." Her head suddenly dipped in despair. "And who knows? Maybe they're right..."
"Then let us see if that were true." Zecora nodded. "Follow me, pony of blue."
Shrugging, Rainbow followed Zecora as she walked further into the Forest. They came to a stop at a small pond covered in moss, and ringed by crumbling marble plinths.
"What is this place?" Rainbow asked.
"A visionspring." Replied Zecora.
"Huh?" Rainbow cocked her head to one side.
"In olden times, it allowed ponies to see into the past, the future, and even possible timelines." Zecora continued. "I discovered it's secrets some time ago. Would you like to give it a go?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever." Rainbow shrugged, doubtful that it would actually work.
Zecora pulled some strange jars from his satchel and poured their contents into the water, all the while chanting words Rainbow didn't recognise.
"Now, my friend." Zecora told Rainbow. "Ask the question, before the day's end."
"Okay, okay..." Rainbow sighed. "What would Equestria be like if I was never born?"
The water glowed and shimmered, before becoming like glass, showing a world of darkness.
"Whoa." Rainbow muttered. "Is that... Ponyville?"
"Indeed it is, my friend, but a Ponyville where the night shall never end." Declared Zecora. "Without you wielding the Element of Loyalty, Night Mare Moon achieved her night of eternity."
"Sounds pretty bad..." Admitted Rainbow.
"Things for Equestria became worse, even beyond Night Mare Moon's curse." Zecora told her. "Discord escaped, due to the chaos and hysteria, and he and Night Mare Moon went to war over Equestria."
An image of Night Mare Moon and Discord launching volleys of magical energy at each other filled the waters.
"Whoa." Rainbow grimaced. "I'll bet poor Gothic wasn't feeling too good about all that."
"Contrary to your train of thought, Gothic was brainwashed by the moon mare into becoming her evil consort." Zecora revealed.
An image of a red-eyed Gothic wearing evil-looking armor and standing beside Night Mare Moon appeared.
"And... what happened to my friends?" Asked Rainbow.
The water shifted, showing each of her friends in turn.
"Without your Sonic Rainboom acting as a spark, none of your friends earned their cutie mark." Zecora said, as an image of a miserable Applejack in a swanky room appeared. "Applejack never saw the rainbow pointing to home, so she stayed in Manehatten, never again to roam."
The image switched to Fluttershy, still in Cloudsdale, being mercilessly teased by two colts.
"Fluttershy never fell to earth, and never discovered her affinity towards the animals on this turf." Zecora continued. "And, to put a future question to rest, she never found love with her Forrest."
The vision changed to Pinkie Pie, pushing stones back on her family's rock farm.
"Pinkie Pie never experienced the beauty of your rainbow." Zecora told Rainbow. "And did she ever throw a party? The answer is 'no'."
The image changed to Rarity, working on clothes in her boutique.
"Rarity doesn't seem that much worse off." Rainbow declared.
"Oh, no?" Asked Zecora. "Without your Rainboom cracking a certain rock in half, she would never have discovered her talent for gem-finding. Her true flare for fashion never awakened, leaving a store that most ponies would walk by without minding."
An image of Twilight in a dusty old library appeared.
"Without the shock of the Rainboom, Twilight's powers never bloomed." Zecora narrated. "She never became Princess Celestia's protegé, and ended up working in a library, day after day."
"I... I think I've seen enough." Rainbow said quietly. As she and Zecora trotted away from the pool, she spoke out loud once more. "I never thought I'd be that important to things. And let's face it, I do get a big head every now and then..."
"Every life matters, my friend." Zecora smiled. "They change the world, from their beginning, to their end."
"Speaking of changing, I'm gonna go back to Ponyville and help clean up the mess I made." Flapping her wings, Rainbow took off into the sky. "Thanks, Zee!"
"You are quite welcome, Rainbow." Zecora waved her hoof. "Remember what you saw here, the next time you feel low!"
Rainbow zoomed back to Ponyville. Once there, she landed in the centre of the mess she had made.
"Hey, guys!" She called to her friends as she landed. "Look, I am really sorry about before..."
"We're sorry too, sugah cube." Applejack cut her off. "We shouldn't have been so hard on ya."
"Indeed." Rarity agreed. "I, for one, am dreadully sorry for the things I said to you."
"Oh, Rainbow, I am so sorry I yelled at you." Fluttershy practically whispered. "It was the heat of the moment. I promise never to be so mean again."
"I'm sorry, too.." Pinkie chipped in. "Besides, it wasn't all bad: I was able to turn those ruined soufflés into yummy pudding. Mr and Mrs Cake loved 'em!"
"Bottom line: We're all sorry." Twilight smiled.
Hey, forgive and forget." Smiled Rainbow. "Let's just chalk this down to experience, and move on." She quickly surveyed the mess. "Anypony got a broom?"
That night, Twilight dictated a new Friendship Report to Princess Celestia, her baby dragon assistant Spike writing as she spoke.
"Dear Princess Celestia." Twilight spoke. "Today I learned that being angry at somepony can sometimes strain your friendship with them. But true friends will forgive each other and forget their anger, and their friendship can continue, stronger then ever. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
The End