Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep...
The sound of Rainbow Dash's heart monitor was the only sound in her hospital room. Had it not been for that single, repetitive noise, one could probably hear a pin drop. The comatose mare herself was peacefully laid across a soft hospital bed, hooked up to multiple medical instruments of unknown use to anypony that didn't work here.
Standing by her side were two ponies, both of them in deep sadness. The one on the left was a stallion, Soarin. He had been her husband for two years, he lived his life for her ever since their marriage. The one on the right was a mare, Applejack. Soarin briefly pulled his eyes away to observe the room around them. The walls weren't even their usual bright white, they were instead a dull grey, as if trying to echo the sorrow that the two were feeling.
Even though she tried her best to hold back, a single teardrop rolled from Applejack's cheek and fell onto the unconscious athlete's coat. All of Rainbow Dash's other friends had left hours ago, but not her. By far, she was the closest to her. They'd know eachother since childhood, and time didn't do a single thing to corrode those bonds.
Despite not having known Rainbow Dash quite as long, that didn't make Soarin's relationship with her any less strong. Although Dashie never liked to go into detail about the inner workings of their relationship, it was obvious to anypony that they were truly and faithfully in love.
Finally, Applejack broke the silence. "Ya' know... When Dash was bein' wheeled in here, ah swear ah' could see her try and open her eyes." She spoke in a thick southern accent.
Soarin looked up to face her. "Really? I... I saw it too. I'm not sure if it was just my head playing tricks on me, or if she was really trying to wake up."
"Ah' saw her try and reach out ta' us."
"Now that you mention it, I saw it too. But... I guess that doesn't make much of a difference now, does it?"
Applejack turned around. "Ah' guess not."
"Applejack, do you think she can hear us?" Soarin asked, taking a seat on one of the mildly uncomfortable plastic chairs the nurses had provided them with.
"Hear us?"
"Yeah, do you think she knows that we're here with her?"
Applejack looked down in thought. "Ah'd like to think that she can, but neither of us can know fer' sure."
"I guess you're right. I just... I just want to think that she knows we're by her side."
The orange mare nodded. "That'd be pretty comfortin', ah'd imagine. Soarin... It's gettin' a bit late, do ya' think we should leave?"
"Yeah, just give me a few minutes alone with her, okay?"
Applejack nodded and headed out. Soarin slowly trotted towards his unconscious wife and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Dashie." He whispered. Without uttering another word, he left. For know, all they could do was wait.
Author's Note: As short as it was, I think this chapter is a good way of getting things started. I'm not sure when I'll update this, but hopefully it will be soon. Please leave a review with some kind of feedback, it's always greatly appreciated.
Author's Note
As short as it was, I think this chapter is a good way of getting things started. I'm not sure when I'll update this, but hopefully it will be soon. Please leave a review with some kind of feedback, it's always greatly appreciated. Congratulations, you've just clicked on the first chapter of my newest project. This is an idea that just recently popped into my head, and I just had to write it. I'm not entirely sure how frequent updates are going to be, but even though I'm working on another fic I'll try to be consistent. Another thing, this story is heavily influenced by the lyrical content of Ayreon's The Human Equation. It's not required listening, but I still recommend you listen to it simply because it's a fucking amazing album.
I can't move, I can't feel my body
I don't remember anything
What place is this...how did I get here?
I don't understand, what's happening...
Am I alone?
-Ayreon, Day 2: Isolation
Rainbow Dash's eyes fluttered open quickly, but her eyelids immediately closed back up when introduced to the bright white surrounding her. "Ah!" She rubbed her eyes before opening them again, now used to the sudden presence of light after so much darkness. "Where... Where am I?" She asked herself out loud. There were no objects, no other ponies in sight. She was stuck in a white oblivion. The Pegasus tried to move her limbs to no avail. "Ugh, what's going on?"
She couldn't remember anything. The accident, her friends, her husband, even her own name was a mystery at the moment. "Is anypony out here? Could somepony please tell me what's going on?" She called out. As she expected, no response. "Am I... Alone?"
"Indeed."
Rainbow gasped. She turned around to face the source of the voice. It was a stallion. He had a dull blue coat, a dirty and matted rainbow mane, and tired looking violet eyes. It disturbed the mare, how much he resembled her. "What's going on? Where am I?" She asked, growing frustrated with her situation.
"You're alone. Rainbow Dash, you've been deserted, everypony has left you."
"What the hay are you talking about?"
"I think you know exactly what I mean, Dashie." He spat her nickname with venom and mockery.
"No, I don't know anything right know! I don't know where I am, how I got here, or why I'm here!"
He backed away with his head low. "You're here because this is what you've made of yourself. All the years of neglect you've shown to your loved ones has come back to haunt you. This is your fate."
"What? No, I haven't neglected anyone! I don't deserve this!" Rainbow Dash growled in anger. "Who the hell are you?"
The stallion's eyes met her's. "My name is Fear. "
"FEAR!" Another stallion's voice yelled, cutting off Fear. An earth pony stallion galloped in from seemingly nowhere. He had an average caramel colored coat and a slicked-back chocolate brown mane, sitting upon his muzzle were a pair of glass, giving the pony a clean-cut, intellectual appearance. The unknown figure gazed at Fear with anger. "Leave! Your baseless accusations earn't helping anypony!"
Fear backed away further. His expression suddenly turned to that of shame. "I was merely telling the girl-"
"The poor girl is confused, you're the last pony she needs at a time like this. Now go! Shoo!"
Fear grumbled something before spreading his wings and flying away sadly.
The still unknown pony turned to a puzzled Rainbow Dash with an apologetic smile. "I'm terribly sorry about that. Fear can be such a burden sometimes." He adjusted his glasses with a hoof. He spoke in distinct accent and tone that made him sound like somepony that would be comfortable in someplace like Canterlot. "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Reason."
First Fear, then Reason? Now Dashie was truly perplexed. "Reason? No offense, but what's up with the weird name's around here?"
The young stallion laughed. "it's something you'll figure out in due time."
"Whatever. Reason, could you please tell me what hell is going on? Like, where am I and who you are?"
"Miss Dash, I am you and you are all of us."
"...That doesn't answer my question." Dash replied with a blank expression.
"To put it simply, this is your mind."
Rainbow Dash, despite being relieved to at least have some kind of explanation, was still confused. "My mind, huh? I always imagined my mind being a lot more, um, awesome than this."
Reason gave a short chuckle. "Given your current state of being, there really can't be much going on here. Things are usually much more lively, believe me."
"State of being? Am I dead?" She asked. The very thought caused an avalanche of sadness to bury her. Never laughing with her friends again, never feeling the warmth of her husband's love, never flying high above the clouds with the Wonderbolts. She couldn't even begin to fathom the idea.
Noticing the mare's forlorn expression, he gently put a hoof on her shoulder. "No Dash, you're perfectly alive. Well, not quite perfectly, but your still alive and well, I assure you."
Rainbow let out a sigh of relief. "So if I'm not dead, then why am I here talking with you?"
"Oh, how do I put this? Dash, your in a state of unconscious. Your body is comatose, but your mind is still thinking as much as it ever does."
"Oh, I just got knocked out? Then I'll just wake up and forget all about this, right?" She replied with a hopeful smile.
Reason sighed. "Dash, I'm afraid it's not as simple as that. Things like this are not supposed to happen. In theory, our meeting and speaking together shouldn't be happening."
"So why am I here?"
"I don't know. Your certainly here for a reason, I can tell you that much."
"So let me get this straight; I'm in a coma and for whatever reason i'm here in my head talking with you."
"Exactly. Just give it some time, Dashie, I'm sure you'll find a way out of here."
Rainbow let out a sigh. "Alright. So... What exactly are you doing here? No offense, but I never really imagined somepony like you living in my head."
Reason smiled. "I'm the manifestation of your ability to analyze situations based on probability of survival, practicalness, portrayal to those around you-"
"In English, please?"
"I'm the part of your brain that uses logic rather than emotion to form judgements. I don't mean to boast, but I can assure you that I've saved your life on more than a few occasions."
"So the egghead side?"
Reason frowned slightly. "That's one way to put it."
"You know, it's kind of a shame that you're just in my head, I have a friend who'd totally be all over somepony like you."
The stallion blushed and adjusted his glasses. "Y-yes, I suppose that is somewhat of a shame."
The two ponies conversed and trotted through the never-ending whiteness that appeared to be Rainbow Dash's mind. While they were speaking a moving blue dot above them became visible, slowly flying closer and closer. As it neared, the endless white of the ground shook as fields of grass sprouted from underneath their hooves and the white space transformed into a meadow.
"Did you see that too?"
Reason gulped. "Yes."
Finally, the unknown flying object touched down upon the white floor, revealing itself to be a Pegasus mare. Her shiny, pink mane reached down to the floor and flowed majestically as her hooves quietly touched the ground. Her azure blue coat was a beacon of beauty amidst all the dirt and grass around her. The Pegasus flipped her long mane out her face and opened her eyes, revealing her striking magenta orbs. Rainbow Dash wasn't into mares (to the surprise of some that knew her), but she knew a gorgeous lady when she saw one.
"Hello, Passion." Reason greated, his cheeks flushed red.
"Great to see you, reason." She flared out her wings and fluttered to Rainbow Dash's side. "How do you feel?"
Dash shrugged. "I'm really not sure. I just want to know what's going on. I wanna know why I'm here, who all of you are, and how I can get out."
"That's exactly what we're here for, hon. You don't remember anything, do you?" Passion put a hoof on her shoulder.
"I remember my husband, and my friends, and who I am, but that's it."
"No surprises there, I guess. Dashie, we're going to help get you out of here, but you need to put just as much effort into helping yourself out of here as we do, okay?"
"HA! As if she needs your help!" A stallion's voice interrupted. A blue blur zoomed past their heads before the pegasus landed next to passion.
Rainbow let out a quiet gasp when she saw him. Right down to the last detail, he looked just like her, but as a stallion.
"Pride..." Passion sneered, looking down at her hooves.
"What're you doing, Dash? I thought you could handle this on you're own, but I guess I overestimated you. I can't believe you were even thinking of giving up, that's not the Rainbow Dash I know." Pride said, trotting towards Rainbow.
"What? I-I wasn't thinking of giving up!" The mare replied defensively.
"And now she thinks she can still lie, even when she's basically talking to herself." The stallion flared out his wings and and hovered above the group. "Rainbow's gotten herself out of worse situations without any help, so why does she need it now? And what's up with this lame field?"
Suddenly, the ground started to rumble and a full-size stadium rose from the ground all around them, complete with flags decorated with the Wonderbolts symbol.
"That's better- Hey!" Pride found himself tackled onto the ground by Passion, who wore an angered expression.
"If you're not going to help her, then leave! You've done nothing but hurt Rainbow over the years, you're nothing but a nuisance!"
"Pff! Are you kidding? If it wasn't for me, Dashie wouldn't have gotten anywhere! She'd still be nothing but some sad fanatic worshipping ponies who wouldn't have given' a damn about her if she couldn't fly! I'm all she needs, you're the ones holding her back!" Pride pushed her off and proudly stood back up.
"You know, maybe Pride's right! You're all just arguing with each other instead of trying to help! I can handle this on my own!" Rainbow Dash turned around and began trotting in the opposite direction.
Passion and Reason both turned towards Pride, who wore an accomplished smile on his muzzle. "That's my girl."
As Rainbow Dash was heading away, she felt something grab her and pull her up. "What the hay? Put me down!" She looked up to see who was carrying her and stopped struggling. It was Pegasus mare, flapping her wings and flying higher and higher up. Her coat was a shining white, and her curly blonde mane reached down to her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright ocean blue.
Finally, the unknown mare set Rainbow down somewhere far away from the others and sat down next to her. "Rainbow Dash, my name is Love. I'm sorry for carrying you away like that, but I couldn't let you try this on your own. All of us are a little bit rough around the edges, especially Pride, but we all want to help, even if we have different ideas about how to do that."
"I know, I just wanna get outta here, I want to see my husband, and my friends. They're worried about me, I know it."
Love draped a foreleg around her. "I understand, dear. For now, why don't you try and relax, maybe take a nap. We can try and figure this all out tomorrow."
"Yeah, I think a nap is just what I need..."
Author's Note
Author's Note: This chapter was mostly to introduce most of the characters and to set up the mood for the story. Things are going to get more interesting next chapter, where we get to meet to new ponies inside Rainbow's mind! As always, please leave a review, constructive feedback is always appreciated. Copyright Stuff: As always, I don't own anything besides my own characters. This is where things are gonna start getting exciting. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.