On the streets of Ponyville, Rainbow Dash was walking. She walked slowly, right in the middle of the street, while trying to avoid everypony's gaze. Other ponies were staring at her; some were pointing, some were laughing, and a few were trying to pretend they did not see anything unusual.
The reason she was walking instead of zooming across the skies, and also the reason everypony was looking at her, was that her wings were tightly bound with a rope.
She carefully avoided the busiest streets, even if it meant taking a longer route. She kept her steady pace, not once speeding up or slowing down. After many long minutes, she arrived at her destination: a pet supplies and accessories store.
After pausing for a few seconds, and taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash entered the store.
-*-*-*-
In a Ponyville park, four ponies surrounded a checkered picnic blanket. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie were taking dishes from a picnic basket and spreading them over the blanket.
“It is such a lovely weather to have a picnic, isn't it?” said Rarity.
“It sure is,” replied Applejack.
“But these two sure are late. They should have been here half an hour ago.”
“Do not worry, Rarity,” said Twilight. “I am sure they will arrive at any moment now.”
“Oh, here they are!” pointed Pinkie Pie.
The others turned to look.
Fluttershy was walking in front, holding a leash in her mouth. Behind her was Rainbow Dash, the leash ending on a collar around her neck. Her wings were still tightly tied with a rope.
“What in tarnation are you two doing?” asked Applejack.
“I am just giving her the punishment that she deserves,” replied Fluttershy.
“What do you mean?” asked Twilight, unable to take her eyes off the leash and collar.
“No, Fluttershy, please don't. Anything but that!”
Fluttershy ignored Rainbow Dash's begging.
“Do any of you girls know what she has done?” asked Fluttershy angrily.
Rainbow Dash crouched, covering her ears and closing her eyes, so that she could not listen to what Fluttershy was saying.
-*-*-*-
“How could you do that, Rainbow Dash!” accused Twilight Sparkle.
“Look, I am sorry,” replied Rainbow Dash in a low voice.
“After what you did, saying you are sorry is not enough.” Applejack glared at Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash did not reply.
“Of all the things you could do, what you did is the. Worst. Possible. Thing. Ever!”
“Yeah, Rainbow Dash has been a super-duper meanie.”
“I can't believe you, Rainbow Dash!” continued Rarity.
“I said I am sorry!” Rainbow Dash ran away, tears streaming from her eyes, the leash flapping in the wind.
-*-*-*-
“Hi, Rarity. Have you seen Rainbow Dash?”
Rarity cringed at the sight of the object Fluttershy was carrying, obviously meant to be used on Rainbow Dash.
“No, I have not. But Sweetie Belle told me that she was hanging out with Scootaloo, and Scootaloo mentioned that she had glanced somepony who might have looked somewhat similar to—”
Fluttershy glared at Rarity.
“—Rainbow Dash left the town.”
“So she ran away, like the coward she is.”
I could not go back. I could not face my friends ever again.
I ran as fast as I could, as far as I could. When I could not run any more, I untied my wings, threw away the leash, and flew away.
I hid. High up in a mountain, where nopony would think of looking for me. I cried for hours, until my eyes were so dry that I could not cry any more.
As the sun began to set, I flew back. I knew I could not go back. But I wanted to look at Ponyville one last time, to fix its image in my memory forever.
From far away I watched the town. I hid in the clouds so I would not be seen.
I saw the buildings my friends lived in. Twilight's library. Carousel Boutique. Sugarcube Corner.
I pushed my cloud. In the distance, I could see Fluttershy's house. I did not go near it, afraid of being seen by her.
I pushed the cloud instead over Sweet Apple Acres. It went directly over the Cutie Mark Crusaders tree house. The three were playing in front of it. I gazed at Scootaloo. I would miss her.
I went away. I knew what I had to do.
-*-*-*-
The night was cold, but I did not care. I flew higher and higher, higher than I had ever flown.
I settled on a thin, almost transparent cloud. The stars were small dots of light above me. The houses of my friends were also small dots in the distance.
I thought of my past. The day I met each of them. The adventures we had together.
And what I had done.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and let myself fall backwards off the cloud.
The wind rushed past me. That had always been my favorite sensation. But this time, I let my wings flap uselessly by my side. I was not feeling anything anymore.
-*-*-*-
I expected pain, but there was none. I expected to hit something hard, but I didn't. Instead, I felt something soft.
I was carried for a while, and carefully placed on a fluffy, dense storm cloud.
It took me several minutes to gather the courage to open my eyes.
I blinked. She tenderly looked at me.
I could not understand.
“Fluttershy?”
She smiled.
“Why?”
She landed on the cloud.
“Why did you save me? After I did that?”
She laid on the cloud by my side. I did not look at her.
“It is true that you did a very bad thing, Rainbow Dash. I do not think that I could ever forgive you.
“But that does not mean that I want to see you gone. It does not mean that any of us want to see you gone.
“I wanted to hurt you because of what you did. I wanted to humiliate you because of what you did. But when you disappeared, I discovered that I did not want to lose you. Even after that.”
We both stayed silent for a long time.
“Will you... come back to us? Even if we cannot forgive you?”
I nodded slowly, and followed her back to the ground.