My Little (Broken) Rainbow.by FlutteringShyChaptersIntroductionChapter 1Chapter 2IntroductionIntroduction. It was hot. Ridiculously hot. Usually, heat didn’t bother Big Mac. His shoulders would chafe under his yoke, due to the sweat sticking it to his fur, but the actual heat had never bothered Big Mac like it did today. Today was one of the highest temperatures to ever occur in his lifetime, according to Rainbow Dash. Rather, Rainbow Dash translated that, somehow, from almost ten minutes of science-type blabber from Twilight Sparkle. He groaned, shaking his head, and watched several drops of sweat drip from the tip of his nose. ‘s jis too buckin’ hot today. The stallion thought to himself, before resuming the ploughing. After a few moments of sweaty effort, he stopped, absorbed in thought. Ditzy Doo sighed quietly, running a hoof along the swirly patterns of the cloud below her. She was lying on a cloud a hundred or so metres above Sweet Apple Acres, watching her coltfriend… Coltfriend! Eeee, I have a coltfriend! It’s so exciting!.. ...Big Mac pulling the plough. They’d been dating for a few months, and Ditzy was the envy of every mare in town. Aaah. It’s so nice, they want to be me, but they can’t because I’m me, and me is dating Big Macintosh! She’d been watching Big Mac from this cloud whenever she finished her mail routes early enough that Dinky was still in school. Dinky... mmm, I can’t wait for when she gets out of school. Then I get to spend time with her, and we can eat some muffins with milk, and things will be good. Oooh, oooooh, Big Mac is moving! She thought excitedly, before taking off and fluttering along to the next cloud, and the next, keeping an eye on Big Mac while her other trailed off, despite her best attempts to focus, all the way to Ponyville proper. Big Mac shrugged off his yoke, and shook his head, showering the nearby soil with sweat. Buck it. It’s too dang hot fer me to be workin’. I dun’ care if AJ has a probl’m wi’ it, ‘m gonner go spend some time with Doozy. Sighing contentedly, he began a slow, peaceful trot to Ponyville proper, his mind filled with thoughts of Ditzy Doo, and what sort of present he could get for Dinky. It would be her fifth birthday in a few weeks! Rainbow Dash whimpered, watching Big Mac trot to Ponyville, so distracted by his flank that she didn’t notice his marefriend, Ditzy Doo, zipping clumsily between the clouds as she followed his progress. It’s so unfair. Why would Mac choose Derpy, of all mares? It.. it.. it’s Derpy! If he ‘s going to date anypony, it should be me! I’m awesome, and Derpy is… well, Derpy! Rainbow Dash knew her chances with Mac were limited, that God of a pony could hold a grudge for a long time, and she didn’t want to risk angering him. For once, being awesome isn’t going to get me what I want. I’m gonna have to play this smart… I should ask Twilight, or Fluttershy! They wouldn’t tell anypony, and they’re bound to be able to help me. They gotta know how! With a frustrated snort, Rainbow Dash took off, and flew high above Ponyville, focused entirely on her tricks and velocity. Anything to not think about how buckin’ unfair the situation was. UGH. Author Note : Yeah, uhm, hi. This is my first story, and it is unlikely the chapters will extend beyond a thousand or maybe two per chapter. I'll try to maybe merge the various chapters together (Making everypony's comments look silly in the process.) when I'm finished, but while I'm still publishing the story, short, possibly infrequent chapters will have to satisfy you all. I'm sorry! Thanks for reading, and I hope you will read the rest. I'm almost finished with Chapter 1 as of 04/03/12 (22:00 GMT+10) Chapter 1Chapter 1 “Fluttershy! Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash called loudly as she flew into the yellow Pegasus’ home, ignoring the broken glass that clattered to the stone floor around her. “Fluttershy, I need your help.” The cyan Pegasus announced, then looked around, frowning. “Uhhhhh, Fluttershy? Where are ya?” Rainbow Dash called out again, hesitantly. Rainbow Dash was Fluttershy’s best friend, but even she didn’t know all of her secrets. The mare was very private, so Rainbow Dash was a little wary about what she might have interrupted. “Fluttershy? Ya busy? I’ll leave if ya want..” She called out again, to the seemingly empty house. Trotting lightly throughout the humble cottage, Rainbow looked around, occasionally calling out for her friend. After about ten minutes of this, Rainbow Dash reached the bedroom door. Slamming loudly on the solid wooden door with a hoof, she called out in a cocky tone. “Fluttershy, I know yer in there! C’mon outta there, I needa talk to you!” A whimper, followed by a high-pitched squeak, could be heard, and Rainbow Dash perked up, trotting energetically in place. After a moment, Fluttershy poked her head meekly through the door, her bright pink mane tied back in a severe bun, ears fluttering nervously. “H-hello, Rainbow D-D-Dash. What brings you to..to..uhm, my cottage? I’m just a touch b-busy.. though if you need help, that’s fine t-too, if that’s okay w-with you.” Flutter mumbled her sentences into the floor, cowering slightly behind what would normally be her mane, except it was tied up for some reason. “Yeah, whatever Fluttershy... I need your help, with, uhhhh..well, it’s… I don’t really know..” Rainbow Dash trailed off into mumbles of her own, ending in a Fluttershy-like squeak, face flushed a bright pink, despite her cyan fur. An awkward silence passed. “What’s the deal with your mane, Fluttershy?” Rotating her ears wildly, and sinking lower to the floor, Fluttershy mumbled something into the ground. Rainbow Dash shook her head, looking down at her friend and lifting a hoof apprehensively. “Uhm.. I could come back later, maybe..”, her tone uncharacteristically hesitant. Springing up to her usual height, Fluttershy nodded eagerly. “Yes, that would be wonderful, Rainbow Dash! Uhm.. if, if it’s ok with you, of course.. “. She cowering slightly as her sentence trailed off, ears drooping. A slight whimper could be heard, deeper than expected. Rainbow Dash perked up her ears, narrowing her eyes. “What are you doin’, anyway, Fluttershy?” Blushing bright red, Fluttershy shook her head, stuttering incoherently. Rainbow Dash put a hoof over the yellow Pegasus' mouth, smiling. “Whatever, Fluttershy. I’ll see you later, okay?” The mute Fluttershy nodded. At the sudden whimper behind her, Fluttershy stepped back, slamming the door rather rudely and calling out “Uhm, yes.. yes, oh.. okay, Rainbow Dash. See you later..” What the buck just happened? Rainbow Dash wondered, flying to Rarity’s boutique. Rarity could help her, if Fluttershy was busy. She’s a fashionista. There is no way she won’t know what to do. It’s a girly thing, and no one is girlier than Rarity. She reasoned to herself, knocking gently on the glass panes of the boutique. She didn’t want to tick off Rarity, so Rainbow Dash did as she was usually asked and didn’t crash through the wall. “RARITY.” She yelled, pushing some of her colorful mane away from her eyes with a huff while she waited. “Darling, it is wonderful to see you! Oh, do come in, sweetheart. Whatever can I do for you?” Rarity gushed, magicking open the window. Rainbow Dash found herself levitated to a nearby table, and sat down on the plush, overstuffed maroon chair. “Have you finally decided to let me use you as a model, hmm? That gorgeous mane of yours, I could do so much with it! Oh, and the color combinations between that, your fur, and fabric! The potential for fabulousity, it is simply staggering! Sugar, dear? Milk, perhaps?” Rarity babbled, all the while her magic levitating spoons, teacups, teapots, and various other things around Rainbow Dash’s head. Nodding weakly, the cyan Pegasus didn’t even bother to try settle down Rarity. The fashionista – What the buck? Where did I even pick that word up? – was easily excited, but would settle down after the tea was served. Hopefully. With a dramatic sigh and a flick of her purple mane, Rarity seated herself, daintily sipping from the cup. Rainbow Dash leaned down, grateful that Rarity wasn’t levitating her cup, and sipped from the cup, then coughed. “Ugh, urgh, blerggggg! What is that?” She cried, leaning away from the cup. “Oh, I apologize dear. I only had low fat soy milk. I’ve got to watch this wonderful waistline of mine, after all!” Rarity replied, perking her ears. “It is hard to look this fabulous.” Right.. Rainbow Dash thought, rolling her eyes. “Look, Rarity. You gotta help me.”. Pleading, Rainbow Dash’s ears drooped pitifully. “Awww, Rainbow Dash, whatever is the matter?” “Uhm.. well, y’see.. It’s, ah.. a long story..” Chapter 2Chapter 2. ~*~ Within the boutique, Rainbow Dash squirmed uncomfortably in her chair. Rarity watched her for a few moments, then looked away, observing the weather nonchalantly. “Weather is really lovely today ‘Dash, isn’t it?” “I.. uhhhh, yeah. I helped organize it, cos I know how much…” Rainbow Dash trailed off, looking deeply uncomfortable, but unable to hide the tiny smile trying to spread across her muzzle. Rarity allowed herself a small smile, leaning forward and asking gently, as if she were coaxing information out of Fluttershy during one of their spa visits, what Rainbow Dash meant. Immediately clamming up, Rainbow Dash studied the table in front of her, eyes following the complicated swirls and patterns, whilst her hooves pressed hard against her chest, just below her ribcage. “I’ll just give you some time, dear…” Rarity murmured. Dash may or may not have whispered something in response, and Rarity waited for a few moments, ears straining for the words long past, only hearing the pristine quiet of her shop, disturbed by naught but the ponies breathing. Turning around, Rarity made her way deeper into her shop, her hooves striking the white tiles sharply and breaking the painful silence with each step, finally stopping as she reached her workstation. Rainbow Dash groaned very quietly to herself, nearly matching Fluttershy in volume, and leans forward, resting her forehead on the table, ears drooping sadly, and kneading her stomach helplessly. I don’t understand why it has to be this way. Even thinking about Big Mac hurts, so so much, and I just… I can’t... Derpy and her stupid eyes, why not me? Is something wrong with me? It’s because I’m not happy like she is, isn’t it? My fur is nice, I know it is, but my mane… Does he hate my mane? Is that why? Maybe he likes blondes. My muzzle is kind of short, and I’m not curvy at all… I thought stallions wanted lean, skinny mares? Maybe they do and I’m too skinny, or my hooves. They’re all chipped and rough, so… or is it cos I can fly and Derpy can’t? Do I talk too much? He should know I’m loyal! Right? Rainbow Dash groaned again, quieter this time, and rolled over, hearing a distant tinkling noise. Maybe he likes kids. No, stallions don’t like kids. Big Mac is a nice stallion. Apple Bloom is his little sister and he likes her. Maybe Derpy is just really, really good a- “Rainbow Dash, are you alright?” Rainbow Dash jolted, knocking the already-toppled teacup off the brightly colored table and onto the floor. The teacup smashed, much to Rarity’s visible dismay, although Rainbow Dash didn’t notice. She looked at the broken teacup for a while, still kneading her stomach and chest. “Rarity… I think…” The cyan Pegasus started, then looked back at Rarity. Rarity nodded sympathetically, her mane bobbing with the motion. Rainbow Dash watched it for a moment, then burst into tears, clutched her chest and launched herself out of the nearest window, toppling the table, two chairs, Rarity, and a decorative plant in the process. ~*~ Rainbow Dash flew. She didn’t care where, or why, she flew. She just flew. Her wings beating heavily, forelegs clutching herself and wind pushing her ears back so hard it hurt, Rainbow Dash kept her eyes closed and sobbed with every few wingbeats, shooting across the entirety of Ponyville within a minute, and soon on her way to Cloudsdale, a six hour flight from Ponyville for most pegasi. ~*~ Two hours of flying with her eyes closed later, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, and flew lower, landing on a convenient, if small cloud. She curled up painfully, clutching one hoof to her hollow, aching chest, the other to her stomach, and whimpered. Stop it, stop it, STOP IT! Rainbow Dash looked down, nuzzling her face into the hard, uncomfortable cloud. It was somewhat like a soft, grassy hill, but that made it no less solid to a Pegasus than normal ground. Rainbow Dash, stop it! Come out and play, and socialize! You’ll perfectly beautiful, really! The cyan mare thought of her friend, Fluttershy, who had said those very words to her those few short years ago, in Cloudsdale as barely-teen fillies. Muttering vengefully into the cloud, Rainbow Dash stood up. “No, buck this. I took manure from those ponies at Flight School, I am not going to let them ruin my chances with Big Macintosh. Fluttershy was… Fluttershy is RIGHT!” Screaming the last word, Rainbow Dash trotting in place, renewed and reinvigorated by her buck-you attitude, so sorely missed the past few hours, and looked around, listening hard, as if for some confirmation from nature himself. After nothing but eerie, unkind silence, the saddened mare looked down, admiring the scenery and giggling – Giggling? What? That isn’t cool! – nervously, her recent vigor gone . ~*~ Fluttershy flew lazily to the Carousel Boutique, humming tunelessly but cheerfully the entire way. Upon sighting the Boutique, Fluttershy stuttered, losing her easy confidence and plummeting, literally. After a rough – Not my roughest today… - landing, Fluttershy trotted towards the large hole in Rarity’s kitchen, which the snowy mare was desperately trying to repair. “Rarity, I.. uhm, oh, oh dear. W-what are you doing? Is everything, uhm, oh.. oh-kay..?” Rarity looked up from her work, and smiled gratefully. “Oh, Fluttershy! Thank goodness. Could you please go find Rainbow Dash for me?” “Uhm, well, I.. yes, yes, uhm.. yes, I..I will.” The buttery Pegasus nodded in affirmation, automatically, then paused, cowering ever so slightly, and whimpering into the ground. “Uh, uh.. R-Rainbow Dash, you say..?” ~*~ Rainbow Dash stood up, an idea having occurred to her. Without bothering to think it through, she leapt off the cloud, carefully dodging the other clouds around her, and shot back towards Ponyville, on the verge of her Equestria-famous Sonic Rainboom for a few minutes before slowing to a more reasonable, by her own standards, pace. My chest still hurts, and I feel like a giant cave, echo-y. I think… Maybe it’s cos it’s a good plan. No, my plans are always good. Rainbow Dash sharply dodged a cloud, surprised she hadn’t seen it coming. No more thinking. I’ll just grab Scootalala and then we’ll see who Mac likes better. Who needs advice anyway? I don’t. I’m Rainbow Dash! I do Sonic Rainbooms all the time, all I need is a buckin’ foal and Big Mac will see me playing with Scoota.. Scootalala, I guess, and then he’ll know I’m better than silly little Derpy. Of course. With a sharp, surprised yelp, Rainbow Dash bounced off a cloud she hadn’t fully seen, clipping her wing and hitting another cloud. It completely stopped her momentum, and she fell onto the cloud below, winding herself hard. Gasping in panic, Dash clutched her stomach and rolled onto her wing, nearly shooting off the cloud at the sudden surge of pain. Ow ow OW! This can’t be happening, I can’t breath, no, I’m going to fall off this stupid, poxy cloud in the middle of nowhere, I don’t.. Rainbow Dash whimpered, nuzzling her face into the cloud and began to cry again. Fluttershy, I need you..
IntroductionIntroduction. It was hot. Ridiculously hot. Usually, heat didn’t bother Big Mac. His shoulders would chafe under his yoke, due to the sweat sticking it to his fur, but the actual heat had never bothered Big Mac like it did today. Today was one of the highest temperatures to ever occur in his lifetime, according to Rainbow Dash. Rather, Rainbow Dash translated that, somehow, from almost ten minutes of science-type blabber from Twilight Sparkle. He groaned, shaking his head, and watched several drops of sweat drip from the tip of his nose. ‘s jis too buckin’ hot today. The stallion thought to himself, before resuming the ploughing. After a few moments of sweaty effort, he stopped, absorbed in thought. Ditzy Doo sighed quietly, running a hoof along the swirly patterns of the cloud below her. She was lying on a cloud a hundred or so metres above Sweet Apple Acres, watching her coltfriend… Coltfriend! Eeee, I have a coltfriend! It’s so exciting!.. ...Big Mac pulling the plough. They’d been dating for a few months, and Ditzy was the envy of every mare in town. Aaah. It’s so nice, they want to be me, but they can’t because I’m me, and me is dating Big Macintosh! She’d been watching Big Mac from this cloud whenever she finished her mail routes early enough that Dinky was still in school. Dinky... mmm, I can’t wait for when she gets out of school. Then I get to spend time with her, and we can eat some muffins with milk, and things will be good. Oooh, oooooh, Big Mac is moving! She thought excitedly, before taking off and fluttering along to the next cloud, and the next, keeping an eye on Big Mac while her other trailed off, despite her best attempts to focus, all the way to Ponyville proper. Big Mac shrugged off his yoke, and shook his head, showering the nearby soil with sweat. Buck it. It’s too dang hot fer me to be workin’. I dun’ care if AJ has a probl’m wi’ it, ‘m gonner go spend some time with Doozy. Sighing contentedly, he began a slow, peaceful trot to Ponyville proper, his mind filled with thoughts of Ditzy Doo, and what sort of present he could get for Dinky. It would be her fifth birthday in a few weeks! Rainbow Dash whimpered, watching Big Mac trot to Ponyville, so distracted by his flank that she didn’t notice his marefriend, Ditzy Doo, zipping clumsily between the clouds as she followed his progress. It’s so unfair. Why would Mac choose Derpy, of all mares? It.. it.. it’s Derpy! If he ‘s going to date anypony, it should be me! I’m awesome, and Derpy is… well, Derpy! Rainbow Dash knew her chances with Mac were limited, that God of a pony could hold a grudge for a long time, and she didn’t want to risk angering him. For once, being awesome isn’t going to get me what I want. I’m gonna have to play this smart… I should ask Twilight, or Fluttershy! They wouldn’t tell anypony, and they’re bound to be able to help me. They gotta know how! With a frustrated snort, Rainbow Dash took off, and flew high above Ponyville, focused entirely on her tricks and velocity. Anything to not think about how buckin’ unfair the situation was. UGH. Author Note : Yeah, uhm, hi. This is my first story, and it is unlikely the chapters will extend beyond a thousand or maybe two per chapter. I'll try to maybe merge the various chapters together (Making everypony's comments look silly in the process.) when I'm finished, but while I'm still publishing the story, short, possibly infrequent chapters will have to satisfy you all. I'm sorry! Thanks for reading, and I hope you will read the rest. I'm almost finished with Chapter 1 as of 04/03/12 (22:00 GMT+10)
Chapter 1Chapter 1 “Fluttershy! Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash called loudly as she flew into the yellow Pegasus’ home, ignoring the broken glass that clattered to the stone floor around her. “Fluttershy, I need your help.” The cyan Pegasus announced, then looked around, frowning. “Uhhhhh, Fluttershy? Where are ya?” Rainbow Dash called out again, hesitantly. Rainbow Dash was Fluttershy’s best friend, but even she didn’t know all of her secrets. The mare was very private, so Rainbow Dash was a little wary about what she might have interrupted. “Fluttershy? Ya busy? I’ll leave if ya want..” She called out again, to the seemingly empty house. Trotting lightly throughout the humble cottage, Rainbow looked around, occasionally calling out for her friend. After about ten minutes of this, Rainbow Dash reached the bedroom door. Slamming loudly on the solid wooden door with a hoof, she called out in a cocky tone. “Fluttershy, I know yer in there! C’mon outta there, I needa talk to you!” A whimper, followed by a high-pitched squeak, could be heard, and Rainbow Dash perked up, trotting energetically in place. After a moment, Fluttershy poked her head meekly through the door, her bright pink mane tied back in a severe bun, ears fluttering nervously. “H-hello, Rainbow D-D-Dash. What brings you to..to..uhm, my cottage? I’m just a touch b-busy.. though if you need help, that’s fine t-too, if that’s okay w-with you.” Flutter mumbled her sentences into the floor, cowering slightly behind what would normally be her mane, except it was tied up for some reason. “Yeah, whatever Fluttershy... I need your help, with, uhhhh..well, it’s… I don’t really know..” Rainbow Dash trailed off into mumbles of her own, ending in a Fluttershy-like squeak, face flushed a bright pink, despite her cyan fur. An awkward silence passed. “What’s the deal with your mane, Fluttershy?” Rotating her ears wildly, and sinking lower to the floor, Fluttershy mumbled something into the ground. Rainbow Dash shook her head, looking down at her friend and lifting a hoof apprehensively. “Uhm.. I could come back later, maybe..”, her tone uncharacteristically hesitant. Springing up to her usual height, Fluttershy nodded eagerly. “Yes, that would be wonderful, Rainbow Dash! Uhm.. if, if it’s ok with you, of course.. “. She cowering slightly as her sentence trailed off, ears drooping. A slight whimper could be heard, deeper than expected. Rainbow Dash perked up her ears, narrowing her eyes. “What are you doin’, anyway, Fluttershy?” Blushing bright red, Fluttershy shook her head, stuttering incoherently. Rainbow Dash put a hoof over the yellow Pegasus' mouth, smiling. “Whatever, Fluttershy. I’ll see you later, okay?” The mute Fluttershy nodded. At the sudden whimper behind her, Fluttershy stepped back, slamming the door rather rudely and calling out “Uhm, yes.. yes, oh.. okay, Rainbow Dash. See you later..” What the buck just happened? Rainbow Dash wondered, flying to Rarity’s boutique. Rarity could help her, if Fluttershy was busy. She’s a fashionista. There is no way she won’t know what to do. It’s a girly thing, and no one is girlier than Rarity. She reasoned to herself, knocking gently on the glass panes of the boutique. She didn’t want to tick off Rarity, so Rainbow Dash did as she was usually asked and didn’t crash through the wall. “RARITY.” She yelled, pushing some of her colorful mane away from her eyes with a huff while she waited. “Darling, it is wonderful to see you! Oh, do come in, sweetheart. Whatever can I do for you?” Rarity gushed, magicking open the window. Rainbow Dash found herself levitated to a nearby table, and sat down on the plush, overstuffed maroon chair. “Have you finally decided to let me use you as a model, hmm? That gorgeous mane of yours, I could do so much with it! Oh, and the color combinations between that, your fur, and fabric! The potential for fabulousity, it is simply staggering! Sugar, dear? Milk, perhaps?” Rarity babbled, all the while her magic levitating spoons, teacups, teapots, and various other things around Rainbow Dash’s head. Nodding weakly, the cyan Pegasus didn’t even bother to try settle down Rarity. The fashionista – What the buck? Where did I even pick that word up? – was easily excited, but would settle down after the tea was served. Hopefully. With a dramatic sigh and a flick of her purple mane, Rarity seated herself, daintily sipping from the cup. Rainbow Dash leaned down, grateful that Rarity wasn’t levitating her cup, and sipped from the cup, then coughed. “Ugh, urgh, blerggggg! What is that?” She cried, leaning away from the cup. “Oh, I apologize dear. I only had low fat soy milk. I’ve got to watch this wonderful waistline of mine, after all!” Rarity replied, perking her ears. “It is hard to look this fabulous.” Right.. Rainbow Dash thought, rolling her eyes. “Look, Rarity. You gotta help me.”. Pleading, Rainbow Dash’s ears drooped pitifully. “Awww, Rainbow Dash, whatever is the matter?” “Uhm.. well, y’see.. It’s, ah.. a long story..”
Chapter 2Chapter 2. ~*~ Within the boutique, Rainbow Dash squirmed uncomfortably in her chair. Rarity watched her for a few moments, then looked away, observing the weather nonchalantly. “Weather is really lovely today ‘Dash, isn’t it?” “I.. uhhhh, yeah. I helped organize it, cos I know how much…” Rainbow Dash trailed off, looking deeply uncomfortable, but unable to hide the tiny smile trying to spread across her muzzle. Rarity allowed herself a small smile, leaning forward and asking gently, as if she were coaxing information out of Fluttershy during one of their spa visits, what Rainbow Dash meant. Immediately clamming up, Rainbow Dash studied the table in front of her, eyes following the complicated swirls and patterns, whilst her hooves pressed hard against her chest, just below her ribcage. “I’ll just give you some time, dear…” Rarity murmured. Dash may or may not have whispered something in response, and Rarity waited for a few moments, ears straining for the words long past, only hearing the pristine quiet of her shop, disturbed by naught but the ponies breathing. Turning around, Rarity made her way deeper into her shop, her hooves striking the white tiles sharply and breaking the painful silence with each step, finally stopping as she reached her workstation. Rainbow Dash groaned very quietly to herself, nearly matching Fluttershy in volume, and leans forward, resting her forehead on the table, ears drooping sadly, and kneading her stomach helplessly. I don’t understand why it has to be this way. Even thinking about Big Mac hurts, so so much, and I just… I can’t... Derpy and her stupid eyes, why not me? Is something wrong with me? It’s because I’m not happy like she is, isn’t it? My fur is nice, I know it is, but my mane… Does he hate my mane? Is that why? Maybe he likes blondes. My muzzle is kind of short, and I’m not curvy at all… I thought stallions wanted lean, skinny mares? Maybe they do and I’m too skinny, or my hooves. They’re all chipped and rough, so… or is it cos I can fly and Derpy can’t? Do I talk too much? He should know I’m loyal! Right? Rainbow Dash groaned again, quieter this time, and rolled over, hearing a distant tinkling noise. Maybe he likes kids. No, stallions don’t like kids. Big Mac is a nice stallion. Apple Bloom is his little sister and he likes her. Maybe Derpy is just really, really good a- “Rainbow Dash, are you alright?” Rainbow Dash jolted, knocking the already-toppled teacup off the brightly colored table and onto the floor. The teacup smashed, much to Rarity’s visible dismay, although Rainbow Dash didn’t notice. She looked at the broken teacup for a while, still kneading her stomach and chest. “Rarity… I think…” The cyan Pegasus started, then looked back at Rarity. Rarity nodded sympathetically, her mane bobbing with the motion. Rainbow Dash watched it for a moment, then burst into tears, clutched her chest and launched herself out of the nearest window, toppling the table, two chairs, Rarity, and a decorative plant in the process. ~*~ Rainbow Dash flew. She didn’t care where, or why, she flew. She just flew. Her wings beating heavily, forelegs clutching herself and wind pushing her ears back so hard it hurt, Rainbow Dash kept her eyes closed and sobbed with every few wingbeats, shooting across the entirety of Ponyville within a minute, and soon on her way to Cloudsdale, a six hour flight from Ponyville for most pegasi. ~*~ Two hours of flying with her eyes closed later, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, and flew lower, landing on a convenient, if small cloud. She curled up painfully, clutching one hoof to her hollow, aching chest, the other to her stomach, and whimpered. Stop it, stop it, STOP IT! Rainbow Dash looked down, nuzzling her face into the hard, uncomfortable cloud. It was somewhat like a soft, grassy hill, but that made it no less solid to a Pegasus than normal ground. Rainbow Dash, stop it! Come out and play, and socialize! You’ll perfectly beautiful, really! The cyan mare thought of her friend, Fluttershy, who had said those very words to her those few short years ago, in Cloudsdale as barely-teen fillies. Muttering vengefully into the cloud, Rainbow Dash stood up. “No, buck this. I took manure from those ponies at Flight School, I am not going to let them ruin my chances with Big Macintosh. Fluttershy was… Fluttershy is RIGHT!” Screaming the last word, Rainbow Dash trotting in place, renewed and reinvigorated by her buck-you attitude, so sorely missed the past few hours, and looked around, listening hard, as if for some confirmation from nature himself. After nothing but eerie, unkind silence, the saddened mare looked down, admiring the scenery and giggling – Giggling? What? That isn’t cool! – nervously, her recent vigor gone . ~*~ Fluttershy flew lazily to the Carousel Boutique, humming tunelessly but cheerfully the entire way. Upon sighting the Boutique, Fluttershy stuttered, losing her easy confidence and plummeting, literally. After a rough – Not my roughest today… - landing, Fluttershy trotted towards the large hole in Rarity’s kitchen, which the snowy mare was desperately trying to repair. “Rarity, I.. uhm, oh, oh dear. W-what are you doing? Is everything, uhm, oh.. oh-kay..?” Rarity looked up from her work, and smiled gratefully. “Oh, Fluttershy! Thank goodness. Could you please go find Rainbow Dash for me?” “Uhm, well, I.. yes, yes, uhm.. yes, I..I will.” The buttery Pegasus nodded in affirmation, automatically, then paused, cowering ever so slightly, and whimpering into the ground. “Uh, uh.. R-Rainbow Dash, you say..?” ~*~ Rainbow Dash stood up, an idea having occurred to her. Without bothering to think it through, she leapt off the cloud, carefully dodging the other clouds around her, and shot back towards Ponyville, on the verge of her Equestria-famous Sonic Rainboom for a few minutes before slowing to a more reasonable, by her own standards, pace. My chest still hurts, and I feel like a giant cave, echo-y. I think… Maybe it’s cos it’s a good plan. No, my plans are always good. Rainbow Dash sharply dodged a cloud, surprised she hadn’t seen it coming. No more thinking. I’ll just grab Scootalala and then we’ll see who Mac likes better. Who needs advice anyway? I don’t. I’m Rainbow Dash! I do Sonic Rainbooms all the time, all I need is a buckin’ foal and Big Mac will see me playing with Scoota.. Scootalala, I guess, and then he’ll know I’m better than silly little Derpy. Of course. With a sharp, surprised yelp, Rainbow Dash bounced off a cloud she hadn’t fully seen, clipping her wing and hitting another cloud. It completely stopped her momentum, and she fell onto the cloud below, winding herself hard. Gasping in panic, Dash clutched her stomach and rolled onto her wing, nearly shooting off the cloud at the sudden surge of pain. Ow ow OW! This can’t be happening, I can’t breath, no, I’m going to fall off this stupid, poxy cloud in the middle of nowhere, I don’t.. Rainbow Dash whimpered, nuzzling her face into the cloud and began to cry again. Fluttershy, I need you..
