Rainbow Dash was tired.She had gotten up before sunrise and couldn't fall back asleep. So instead of trying to sleep for yet another hour, she decided to get ready for what today would bring. First thing she did was make oatmeal. It tasted worse than the hospital's food. (which is saying a lot) Gagging it down, she quickly shoved the bowl in the sink and left. Flying around she automatically felt better. With the wind in her mane and the adrenaline in her bloodstream, she felt like nothing could go wrong.
"Hey Rainbow Dash!" called a familiar voice from behind her.
"Sup squirt. How's the flying?" She turned around to see Scootaloo flying behind her.
"It's good." Suddenly the orange filly jerked and fell a few meters. "I'm okay!"
"You sure? I don't want you to get hurt." Rainbow dropped down until she was flying directly next to the filly.
"I know." A look of determination flashed across the orange filly's face. Suddenly she speed up and raced ahead of Rainbow.
"Challenge accepted!", she yelled after the filly and she dashed ahead, laughing. Scootaloo also started laughing. She raced past Dash again and in turn Rainbow accelerated to take lead. They did that for about two hours, smiling the entire time. After that, the pair sat on a cloud and watch all the ponies down in Ponyville go along in their daily business. It was fun to hang out with Scootaloo, despite the age difference.
"What are you going to do today, Dash. Me and the Crusaders are going to try fencing."
Thinking, she suddenly remembered she had someplace to be. "Shoot! Sorry squirt! I gotta go. Gonna be late!" With that, she went on her way. Quickly, she saw her destination appearing. She landed next to the library, where Twilight was already waiting. "Sorry I'm late Twi. Lost track of time."
"It's okay Rainbow. You looked like you were having fun.", Twilight said.
"I was. Should we begin?"
"Let's." Twilight had become an alicorn only a week earlier and she could barely use her wings. So it was up to Rainbow to teach her how to fly. It was a difficult task but it was worth it to teach another things they didn't know.
"Twilight. Are you okay? You were doing better yesterday."
"I'm just a little tired. I've a had a little trouble focusing today." Twilight started doing better after that. Rainbow wasn't focusing on moving but hovering. If Twi could do that she could easily do anything else. They spent three hours practicing and Rainbow timed Twilight staying of the ground for seven minutes strait. It was impressive for a pony who was born without wings.
"I think that's enough practice for today, Twi." She looked at the lavender alicorn who was panting like crazy.
"O-" She paused for a breath, "-kay."
"You should probably rest tomorrow. It's not healthy to over work your muscles. See you later.
"Bye." With that, Twilight went inside the library. Rainbow started flying home. The sun was setting and Ponyville was bathed in reds, oranges, and violets. With a smile, she took off at full speed, the wind kissing her face. She quickly find herself at her door. Upon entering, she noticed Tank sleeping on a mini cloud bed she had made for him. With a smile, she nuzzled him and entered her room. There wasn't as many Wonderbolt's posters as there used to be, but there was still a lot there. She gently lowered herself into her bed and drifted off to sleep with dreams of the future.
Then came a crash. Rainbow immediately jumped up and hit her head on the cloud ceiling. It surprisingly hurt. Rubbing her head, she made her way out of her bedroom. She saw Tank on the back of his shell and he was struggling to get up. She wearily made her way to him, knowing he didn't cause the crash. She flipped him back over and looked around her living room. Suddenly, something got pressed against her muzzle. She kicked out and hit somepony. She turned around and got hit across the face. Immediately she reared up and brought her front hooves down on the intruder. Rainbow began to bend down to see who this pony who broke into her house. Something hit her in the back of her head. She whirled around and saw another pony across the room. They threw another object at her. She started flying across the room only to have a rope be thrown around her waist. She was being pulled towards yet another pony.
Rainbow spread her wings and zoomed out the window. She was outside but the rope was still pulling her back, and the other two ponies crashed through the wall of her house. Immediately, she flew off but got held back by the rope. So instead, she began flying in a giant circle around her home. The ponies followed. She went through the nearest window and the other ponies smashed through her wall again. They were catching up to her so she burst through her wall and flew faster. More ponies showed up and started chasing her too. She went back through her wall and crashed into on of the ponies on the inside. She was pulled off of the floor by her mane. She felt some of it tare out. She winced and another damp cloth was place across her muzzle. She struggled then started to give in to the sleepiness.
A pony stood over her and said, "She is the important one? That's stupid. She should be dead for what she tried. Oh well. Let's go." That was the last thing she saw before passing out.
Twilight woke up the next day, feeling rejuvenated. She went straight to bed after her flying lessons with Rainbow. She rubbed her eyes and got up. Something felt wrong but she shook the feeling off. She walked into the bathroom to start her morning routine. She glanced at the mirror as she walked past and froze. Her wings were gone. Blinking a few times, she called out "Spike. Can you come here please?" She took some deep breaths.
"Yeah Twilight. What's goi-" He looked at her and stared. "Where are your wings?"
"I don't know." Her voice was slightly panicky.
"I'll go see if we have any books explaining it." With that said, he ran out of the bathroom. Twilight brushed through her mane then went downstairs to help. After a while, she heard a knock on the door.
"It's open." She turned around and saw Applejack walk in.
"Hey Twi." Applejack looked at the shelves.
"Hello Applejack. Do you need something?"
"I was just wonderin' if ya have seen RD at all today. Pinkie told me to ask ya."
"Ah'm sorry to say Ah haven't." Applejack finally looked at her. Confusion flashed across her face.
"Um..... Twilight. Your wings are missing." Applejack obviously felt awkward pointing that out.
"I've noticed." Just then, the library door flew open, revealing Pinkie Pie, who was gasping for breath.
She stood there for a few seconds before yelling, "Flutter shy and Rainbow are gone!!"
"What?!"
"You heard me! They're both missing!!"
"Calm down Pinkie. How do ya know this?" Applejack took a step towards the pink party pony.
"Nopony in town has seen either of them and when I went to Rainbow's, the entire house was falling apart and- Wait. What happened to your wings Twilight?"
"They're gone and what about Rainbow's house?"
"All the clouds are separating!"
"That's not good." Twilight was somewhat scared now. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and her wings were gone.
"Ya comin Twi?" She looked up to see Applejack standing in the doorway and Pinkie was already gone.
"Yes." She headed over towards Applejack. "I'm just wondering where they could have gone."
"Listen Twi. Somethin bad is happenin. Ya should be able to tell. But do ya have any idea what is exactly is going on?"
"I don't know. I just woke up."
"Ya just woke up? Twilight, it's the middle of the afternoon."
"Middle of the afternoon? I slept until the middle of the afternoon?" She was shocked. She had never slept in that long before in her life.
"Apparently. Twi, what were ya doing last night?" Applejack asked.
"I finished a flying session with Rainbow Dash and came back to the library. Then I fell asleep." Applejack looked at her carefully, as if she was trying to figure something out.
"What time did ya fall asleep?"
"The final rays of the sunset. Why?" She wasn't seeing any connection.
"Come on!" PINKIE was barely in sight when they looked towards where the party pony was. "Dashie's house could disappear at any moment!!"
"We're comin, Pinkie." Applejack started walking a little faster and Twilight wasn't far behind. They reached Pinkie very shortly but she was stomping the ground impatiently. Twilight glanced at Applejack, who seemed to be concentrating on something. She shrugged it off and they continued on their way. They soon reached Rainbow's cloud house. Or at least what was left of it.
"That's weird. It hasn't moved since I left." Twilight looked up after Pinkie spoke. She gasped as she saw the wreckage. The clouds looked like had been throw to the side. But as she looked closer she saw a very thin line running across the middle of the entire thing.
"What is that line?"
"What line?"
"That line." She was pointing at it now.
"Twi, there ain't no line there." Twilight sighed as Applejack said that. If they couldn't see it now there was no use pointing it out. Applejack placed a hoof on her shoulder and smiled calmly. "It's okay."
"Hey! Tank's looking at me! Hi Tank!!" Pinkie waved upwards towards the clouds. Twilight's head shot upwards to see a small green head poking over the edge of the clouds. Twilight immediately started to charge her magic, horn lighting up purple. She teleported, suddenly throwing Applejack off balance. Twilight opened her eyes and saw Tank. She looked around, immediately noticing Rainbow's possessions that had been tossed around, as well as a chunk of rainbow mane.
"Twilight, what do us see up there?"
"Part of Rainbow's mane."
"You mean Dashie got hurt?!"
"I don't know Pinkie."
"Dashie must of got hurt! Some of her mane is gone! Who would do something like this?! Who would want to do this?! Who could be such a meanie?! They could have got Fluttershy too! Why would somepony do this?! Why? Why?! WHY?!?!?!?!?!" Twilight had to hold her hooves to her ears as Pinkie shouted for the ground into the sky.
Twilight rolled her eyes when Pinkie stopped shouting. She looked around once again. Then she noticed she was slowly sinking into the thin cloud. She couldn't walk either. She was stuck. She quickly looked towards Tank. He wasn't sinking. Quite on the contrary. He was looking at her confused. The next thing she noticed was that she was falling towards the ground.