Broken

Chapters

Chapter One-Friends
Chapter Two-Outcasts
Chapter Three-Confidence
Chapter Four-Broken
Chapter Five-Heroes
Chapter Six-Fall
Chapter Eight-Loyalty
Chapter Nine-Life
Chapter Ten-Pieces
Chapter Eleven-Family
Author's Notes
Chapter Seven-Determination
Epilogue-Legacy

Chapter One-Friends

Broken: Chapter One

Tank groaned in appreciation as his bowl was suddenly filled with his favorite blend of greens and spices. He ate as if he’d been starved for days, which was still mind-bendingly slow. Rainbow Dash smiled as best as she could after placing the bag of her pet tortoise’s food back into the cupboard. She watched Tank eat for a few minutes before giving him an affectionate nuzzle and walking back into her room, closing the cloud door behind her. She walked slowly and unwarily with her rainbow mane held low. Rainbow hadn’t left her room for a full day, only just now to feed her pet tortoise. Never had the boasting, self-proclaimed best flier in Equestria felt so…gray. It was the only word that described her melancholy so perfectly, having a prismatic mane and all. She had even skipped work today, not having it in her to even fly, much less move clouds. She knew that eventually one of Cloudsdale’s messengers would come knocking on her door to see why she never came into work. Rainbow simply lay down across her bed on her stomach, more or less waiting for the messenger to come.

The sun was still rising, casting a brilliant pink and orange light across the cloud layer. Rainbow couldn’t remember the last time she watched the sun rise, for she usually spent her mornings still asleep. It would’ve been a beautiful sight, save for her dull mood. The previous night wasn’t spent sleeping, but lying awake with her eyes wide open. Rainbow Dash had a dream that hadn’t occurred for years now, and she couldn’t quite get over it. It brought up old feelings from when she first moved to Ponyville, feelings that she thought were long gone.

Rainbow Dash was in the middle of the orchards of Sweet Apple Acers. It had been a long day of applebucking with her friend, and it was finally done. Applejack trotted over to the cyan pegasus, pulling the last empty apple cart to her. Rainbow let out a groan of exhaustion as she hoisted the full baskets of fruit into the carriage, thanking Celestia that she was finally done helping her friend. The farmer pony wiped the sweat from her forehead under her blonde mane, finally letting herself relax a little.

“Woo-ee,” Applejack exhaled. “Done fer today. Thank ya’ kindly Rainbow. I know ya’ owed me, but Ah never thought ya’d do it without complain’ even once!”

“Hey, no prob’,” said Rainbow, her hooves screaming at her for having the audacity to continue standing. All her body wanted to do was slowly fly up to her cloud home and sleep for a week. However, there was a very good reason that she never uttered a complaint, and it was standing right in front of her.

Rainbow Dash found it difficult to keep her tired eyes away from her friend. Applejack was completely worn out. Her mane was completely disheveled; strands of blonde were frayed in all directions, and had actually fallen out of its hair tie. Her mane flowed down her front, giving her a feminine look that Rainbow had never seen in her before. She was breathtaking, especially with her fatigued nature.

“Uhm, Rainbow, I know Ah’m not exactly clean, but ya’ don’ have to make me feel self-conscious or nothin’,” said Applejack, bringing Rainbow back to reality. The blue pegasus shook her head violently in shock, but also to erase the embarrassment from her face.

“Oh! No! I’m sorry! I’m just dozing off. Long…long day ya’ know?” Dash said, doing her best to deter her friend. However, it was near impossible to lie to Applejack. The orange pony merely gave her a sly smile, tipping her trademark Stetson back atop her head.

“Now Rainbow, ya’ think Ah don’ get what yer thinkin’?”
Rainbow Dash froze in place, feeling her cheeks warm up.

“I know why ya’ ‘accidentally’ broke one o’ my apple carts. Ya’ll knew Ah would make ya’ work with me to pay fer it. An’ that meant ya’ would hafta spend the day with me. Ah see how ya’ look at me Rainbow, an’ Ah gotta say…the feelin’s mutual.”

The dream ended with Applejack kissing her, forcing Rainbow to wake with a fright. Ever since then she couldn’t fall back to sleep, and her mind was muddled with thoughts that she had previously shoved away. Rainbow Dash had always felt something for the orange earth pony since the day they met four years ago, but never knew what those feelings were until a year later. She had kept her crush to herself, and never spoke a word of it to anypony. She had never thought about another pony like that, mare or colt. Rainbow used to hate herself for thinking like a…like a fillyfooler. She even hated the word, because it was basically her name in flight school. Dash had never really acted like a mare, but like a colt, as other ponies had said, hence the name. Unfortunately that was the nicest name she had been given. However, her past wasn’t the problem; it was the present that bothered her.

Why had this dream come up now? She thought that she had put these feelings away years ago. Why was she reminded of somepony that she couldn’t have all of a sudden? Rainbow Dash snorted out a hot breath of frustration as she fluffed a section of her cloud bed into a pillow for her chin to rest on. Her large magenta eyes sagged and focused merely on her hooves stretched out in front of her. She didn’t bother to flick her prismatic bangs out of her face; it simply seemed like too much energy to waste.

Rainbow Dash had once planned on telling Applejack how she felt, more to ease the clamp on her heart than to see if she’d say yes, for she knew that the earth pony would only reject her. Applejack never seemed the type to even cast a thought towards liking another mare more than just a friend. Two years ago Rainbow had prepared herself to confess to Applejack, but on the day she had planned to do so, Twilight had moved to town. The events that immediately followed were simply more important than her confession. Ever since that day Rainbow and Applejack had become much closer friends. Unfortunately, that was the problem.

They had become too good of friends. The problem was two-fold: for one, their friendship could prevent Applejack from ever thinking about Rainbow in a romantic way, even if she did like mares. And two: Even if the farmer gave the pegasus a chance, what would happen if their relationship failed? How could they be friends again after that? Rainbow could never lose a friend like her, even if it meant suffocating her love for…
Wait, love?

Rainbow Dash’s eyes shot open, and she could almost feel her pupils shrinking into tiny pinpricks. The word “love” had never come across her mind when she thought of her closest friend. Her feelings had never been more than a simple crush or even maybe infatuation. Is that why her heart felt so heavy? Was that why she couldn’t sleep or think about anything else? Was that why the dream infected her mind the night before?

“I…luhhh…” Dash started, not believing what she was admitting to herself. “I…I love her. I love Applejack.”

The thought didn’t seem to make sense until she spoke the words. Now Rainbow Dash was overwhelmed with a heartwarming emotion. It soothed her body and mind, bringing an odd sort of happiness to her soul. However, as soon as she dared to smile, an infinite amount of sorrow overtook her. Before last night, she was able to shake her feelings for the farmer pony, and act as if they never existed. But now…there was no way. This new feeling was far too conspicuous to hide, too powerful to push away. It was a feeling that occupied her entire being, like nothing else mattered.

“Oh no…” she muttered, starting to panic. Her wings fluttered as she held her hooves to her temples. “Oh nononononono…This can’t happen, this just can’t happen.”

Rainbow jumped when she saw something moving across the floor of cloud from her peripheral vision. She exhaled when she saw that it was only Tank, cocking his small, green head at her as if to ask, ‘what’s up with you?’

“Oh hey Tank. Guess you learned to open the door…somehow,” laughed Rainbow in a nervous sort of fashion. She looked out the window again to see that it was already mid-morning. She was supposed to be in Cloudsdale by now, retrieving her weekly weather schedule.

There was a small crack of lightning coming from the other side of her cloud home. A pegasus was knocking on her door. No other type of pony could cause electricity to occur from a cloud. Rainbow Dash suddenly remembered that a messenger was supposed to fly by and see why she hadn’t come to work. The cyan pegasus jumped off her bed and walked over to her mirror, making sure that she indeed looked sick enough to stay home. She wouldn’t have to feign anything except for maybe a cough, for her sorrow had etched a look of pain across her face. For a moment she thought that her rainbow mane had actually darkened a shade or two, but immediately dismissed the ridiculous thought as she walked to her front door. She made sure that she kept her head hung low as she slowly opened the door. With a pang of sorrow she noticed that she couldn’t even exaggerate her pained features any more than what was natural.

The Cloudsdale messenger was a young colt maybe a few years younger than her, garbed in a simple red vest with a cloud symbol stitched into the chest. His coat was a light shade of green, completely clashing against his uniform. Rainbow would normally smile at what Rarity would say about this, but even if she wasn’t feigning sickness, a smile was just impossible right now. His blue mane was a lot longer than what most colts would have it, tied in a greasy tail.

“Miss Rainbow Dash?” he asked in a nasally voice. The saddened pegasus nodded meekly. “Your superiors would like to know why you haven’t reported to Cloudsdale this morning.”

“Really bad stomach flu, had it all weekend,” said Dash, her voice low and haggard. It was the first sickness that she could come up with. It was solid, for it kept her out of work for an unnumbered amount of days. The young colt blinked, a small look of concern flashed across his face.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” he said sincerely. “Well I’ll be sure to inform the Weather Team Miss Dash. I’m sure they’ll wish you well.”

“Thank you, tell them I said I’m sorry I couldn’t make it in,” she said. Rainbow had indeed meant it. She may have been lazy at times, putting off her work until the very last minute, but she had always gone to work and done her job faster than any other pegasus in Cloudsdale or Ponyville. You don’t become the Chief of the Weather Team for nothing.

With that the messenger nodded and took wing back towards Cloudsdale, allowing Rainbow to close her front door. The cyan pegasus sighed and hung her head even lower, her mane obscuring her vision. She fell onto her haunches and watched as Tank finally made it to the living room, still looking concerned. It took a while for him to reach her, but Rainbow was patient. She rubbed the top of his shell with a hoof, appreciative of her caring pet.

“Now what do I do Tank?” she asked the tortoise, whom merely gave her a slow shrug. “Oh. Yeah. I always forget that you can’t talk. Hehe.”

She had forced the laugh, trying her best to find a smile in her pained heart. Rainbow looked out the living room window, wondering if she had the energy to take a quick flight. She hadn’t been outside since yesterday morning. The day before she retired early due to her bruised shoulder from a slight crash into a large oak tree, and she couldn’t find anything else to do, because all of her friends were busy for the last day of the weekend.

Rainbow Dash’s mind returned to Applejack when she plopped back onto the cloud bed in her room, not bothering to close the door.

The next few days were exactly the same, except each passing sunset brought more and more pain. The nights barely held any sleep, for each time she tried it only brought her another dream of her friend. After two nights Rainbow couldn’t bring herself to even try to sleep. And during the day she didn’t have the energy to leave her home. Tank was happy to have so much company, but he could still see the pain his owner was in. Every now and then he would slowly toe over to her, giving the pained pegasus an affectionate nuzzle on the hoof. Her appetite was pretty much shot, for every time she tried to eat something, Dash’s stomach would only reject it.

Dash had started to feel lost, scared even. It only took four days for her personality to wither away. The once fearless, proud and ultimately happy pony had now been a shell filled by only a tangible sorrow. How did this happen? How had she become so defeated and helpless over one measly dream? Rainbow silently berated herself for losing to this mental battle without at least a fight. However, Rainbow Dash at least kept a small part of herself together, a small part of her pride. As hurt as she was, Rainbow never let herself cry over the love that she could never have. One afternoon she heard a voice from the ground below:

“Rainbow Dash! Are ya’ up there or not?”

Rainbow positively panicked at the sound of the voice. She knew instantly who it was. She could feel herself actually trembling, unsure of what to do. After the past few days Dash didn’t know if she could face her. Did she respond to the pony below, or hide and pretend that she wasn’t home? After thinking about it for a few moments, she realized that eventually the farmer would consult Twilight, and sure enough she would cast that darned cloud-walking spell and end up at her front door. Rainbow sighed, defeated. She slowly poked her nauseated head out her bedroom window, and saw the orange earth pony below, her face full of worry. She had a large set of saddlebags strapped to her back, and they looked to be stuffed. Maybe she was on her way to Ponyville Market to sell her fruits.

“H-...” was all that came out of Rainbow’s mouth. She didn’t realize that she hadn’t used her voice for at least three or four days other than the scarce ‘hello’ to Tank. It took her a few tries to find her voice, but eventually she called down to her friend:

“Hey AJ, what’s up?”

“Well you tell me,” Applejack replied with that same concerned look. “Ah haven’t seen ya’ in a week, not even in the sky clearin’ the clouds! Ya’ll been alright Sugarcube?”

Rainbow Dash almost visibly slumped.

“Y-Yeah I’m fine.” Rainbow didn’t even know why she attempted to lie to Applejack, it simply never worked. Especially considering that there was a small crack audible in her answer. As expected, Applejack narrowed her eyes.

“Why don’ ya’ just come on down here Rainbow.”

Rainbow Dash sighed as her head withdrew from the window. She couldn’t hide from Applejack anymore, nor did she have the strength to simply fly away. Twilight had once said something about how a pony at rest tends to stay at rest or something like that. Dash had certainly been a pony at rest, not having even stretched her wings for four days.

She walked out her front door and stumbled to the edge of the cloud that her home rested on. The ground seemed like miles and miles away. How could she be afrai...wary of a simple descent that she had performed daily? Rainbow Dash was not afraid of the ground below, even if the distance was causing her stomach to turn. Rainbow slowly stretched her wings, which ached from the sudden lack of use. She didn’t leap gracefully from the cloud as usual, but simply let herself fall, wings spread. On the way down, her wings slowed her descent until her eyes subconsciously gazed onto the orange earth pony below. Suddenly her cheeks grew very hot, and she didn’t notice her wings lock tight to her sides until the ground was a foot away from her face.

The impact took the breath from Rainbow’s lungs. She only hit the ground at half speed, but that didn’t negate the pain. She knew that she would be alright, just a bruised shoulder and a shaken sense of pride. Dash heard the rapidly approaching hoofsteps of her friend, wincing with every thump.

“Rainbow! Are y’alright?” asked Applejack with an air of panic. Dash simply waved a hoof, slowly standing up and facing her friend.

“Y-Yeah I’m fine,” said Rainbow slower than she intended, unable to hide the exhaustion in her voice. Applejack’s large green eyes darted all around Dash’s tired face, mostly gazing at the heavy bags under the pegasus’ eyes.

“Rainbow…what happened to ya’? Ya’ look like ya’ haven’t slept in a month! Is that why ya’ crashed?”

The worried tone in Applejack’s accented voice was heavenly to Rainbow’s ears. She just wanted to hear her voice even more, and then realized that she needed to reply. What did she say? Dash couldn’t lie to her friend again.

Suddenly that wasn’t her only problem. Rainbow swayed a little, her eyes half-open and unfocused. She attempted to mindlessly count the many red dots in her vision.

“Rainbow!”

“Huh?! Wha…?”

“What is wrong with ya’ girl?” Applejack prodded with volume in her voice. Rainbow shook her head, her mane growing messier than it already was.

“Nothing, I’ve just been really busy,” she replied, subconsciously lying again. “I guess I lost a little bit of sleep ‘cause of it.”

“Rainbow Dash,” started Applejack, placing a heavy amount of emphasis on the name. “You look like yer gonna faint! Have ya’ been eatin’ or sleepin’ or anythin’?”

“A lit…no I guess not,” said Dash, not wanting to lie anymore. She couldn’t look the farmer in the eye, not without her heart threatening to explode out of her chest. Just hearing her voice was painful. Her smooth, farmpony accent wafted through the pegasus’ brain like a lightly-scented breeze, calming her exhausted mind, which had been strained far past capacity in the last four days.

“Well why the hay not?” the orange earth pony asked quietly, her eyes solemn and caring. It made Dash want to melt. She did something similar, however. All she remembered was her vision fading and a slight sense of falling.

“Dash! Dash!” called a voice on the edge of Rainbow’s consciousness. Her eyes flickered open to find Applejack’s face over hers. The cyan pegasus’ eyes flew open as she found her weight being supported by her friend’s forehooves.

“Woah…AJ what’re you doing?” she asked, feeling her face grow hot again. The orange mare sighed in relief and helped her friend into a sitting position.

“Thank Celestia ya’ woke up so quick,” said Applejack sighed with a smile. “Ya’ took a fall there an’ passed out like Ah said ya’ would.”
Oh. That made sense.

Judging by her friend’s expression and the position of the sun, she had only been out a few minutes at the most. Rainbow shook her head a few times, trying her best to rid her vision of those meddlesome red dots.

“Rainbow, ya’ needta’ get some food, some water and sleep. Come now, I’ll take ya’ll on to the farm an’ get ya' all of that.”

“Huh? No AJ I’m fine I’ll eat later-”
This time anger arose in Applejack’s voice.

“Rainbow Dash! Ya’ just passed out after crashin’ from a fall that you do every day.”
Rainbow felt her pride quiver at those last two words.

“Somethin’s goin’ on that yer not tellin’ me about! Now I respect yer privacy Rainbow, we all got our secrets an’ that’s just fine. But if ya' don’t get some nourishment and rest in ya’ right now yer gonna end up in the hospital again! How many more times can ya’ afford that?”
None in the foreseeable future, thought Dash.

Slowly Rainbow realized that her friend was right. Even if her stomach rejected it again, she desperately needed food and water, now. Tank had that in his bowls. He would be fine for at least a day or two.

“O-Okay,” she said finally, putting her pride aside. “Okay AJ. I’ll go with you.”
Applejack sighed in relief, closing her eyes and smiling.

“Thank ya’ Sugarcube, just let yer ol’ pal AJ take care of you,” said Applejack. ‘Ol’ pal.’ Friend. That tightened the vice on Dash’s heart. The cyan pegasus sighed inaudibly as Applejack turned to lead her back to the farm, which thankfully was only so far away.

By the time they reached the front porch of Applejack’s barn, Rainbow Dash couldn’t see anymore, her vision blurred from her spinning mind.

“Hey Sugarcube, ya' gonna make it?” asked the farmpony, placing a hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. Dash’s senses suddenly flashed back to her at the touch, causing her wings to flutter.

“Let’s just…get inside and sit. I can’t stand up much longer,” Dash admitted, ignoring her damaged pride. She’d be the same old Dash once she ate and slept. She’d be…still hopelessly in love with the mare that was taking care of her. This was going to be a heart-wrenching day.

The two friends stepped inside the Apple Family home. The front door led to the dining room, and Dash sighed in relief as she slumped into a chair, laying her forehooves and head across the table. Her wings lay limp at her sides, their tips touching the old wooden floor. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. She ignored whatever the farmpony was doing until the sweet scent of something warm and definitely apple-related wafted into her nose.

“Eat this Rainbow, but slowly,” said Applejack softly. “Ya’ don’t wanna over-do it now.”

Rainbow opened her eyes slower than Tank could walk to find two apple turnovers on a plate next to a tall glass of water. She tried to pick her head and shoulders up, but couldn’t find the strength.

“Come on Dash,” she urged herself. Applejack only gave her a small smile as she placed the straw she had prepared into the glass of water.

“Here ya’ go Sug’. Drink this first,” she said in a warm, almost motherly tone. Rainbow looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. Applejack cringed at the pitiful look upon her normally strong and independent friend. Dash sighed and brought her lips to the straw, sipping the drink down merrily.

“Ya’ don’t have to tell me what’s been goin’ on Rainbow,” said Applejack once the pegasus was almost done with her breakfast. “But Ah wan’ ya’ to know that it’s alright. Ya’ can tell me anythin’ that’s troublin’ ya’.”

Rainbow Dash froze with bits of pastry still in her mouth. The treats and water had helped quite a bit, but they didn’t do much to distract her from the mare sitting across the table, giving her a warm, sincere look of concern. That look made Rainbow shiver visibly.

“I…I can’t,” she said in a little more than a whisper.

“What’s that Fluttershy?” asked Applejack jokingly.

“I-I-I…I just can’t Applejack,” Dash spoke louder this time, her voice cracking at the heightened volume. Applejack shifted oddly. Rainbow almost never called the farmpony by her full name. Whatever was on her mind was seriously troubling her. But Applejack realized that she still kept this secret, even in her current state, so it must have been important to be kept as such. So she simply let the starving pegasus eat until she was done, two pastries and three glasses of water later.

Rainbow Dash finally picked herself up off the table, her shrunken stomach already full, making her eyelids even heavier. Applejack walked over to her side and nosed her in the direction of an open door down the hall. She followed her friend’s lead, only half-awake. Somewhere in front of her was a plush mattress that she fell onto. Somewhere she heard Applejack say:

“Get to bed Rainbow, and sleep as long as ya’ like.”

Nothing more was heard as Rainbow felt herself instantly fall out of consciousness.

“Is somepony in the guest room AJ?” Applebloom asked that night, her large eyes looking up to her big sister with curiosity.

“Yup,” said Applejack, not seeing why it should be kept a secret. “Found Rainbow Dash in pretty bad o’ shape. She’s resting up somethin’ fierce, so keep yer voice down so ya’ don’t wake ‘er.”

“Rainbow Dash? She isn’t too hurt is she? Did she crash during one o’ her stunts?” asked Applebloom, tugging worriedly at the large bow in her mane.

“Naw, she’ll be fine. You know how fast she can get up after a fall, which she didn’t actually do, by the way.”

“Okay. Good thing Scootaloo isn’t here, she’d have a cow if she saw Dash out of the sky,” said the yellow filly. Applejack chuckled in agreement, knowing how much her sister’s friend idolized Rainbow Dash. The entire Apple family sat down at the table for dinner, Granny Smith and Big Macintosh joining in slowly.

“So what happened ta’ Dash?” asked Applejack’s older brother, brushing the dust from the orchard off his red coat. Applejack respectfully removed her hat, hanging it from the back of her chair.

“Don’t rightly know,” she replied. “Ah went to her house to bring her some o’ our apples, an’ she looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks! She couldn’t even stand without passin’ out.”

“Is there a Wondercolts tryout soon or somethin’?” asked Big Mac.

“Wonderbolts big bro’,” laughed Applejack. “And no, not that Ah’ve heard anyhow. Anyway, I couldn’t very well leave her there, so Ah brought her to the farm, gave the poor mare some breakfast and she fell asleep jus’ like that.”

“D’ya know what was wrong with ‘er?” asked Granny Smith, suddenly intrigued by the conversation. There was an air of concern in her voice, as if Rainbow were part of the family.

“Ah guess that’s her business. She didn’t seem to wanna talk ‘bout it so Ah let it go,” said the orange farmpony. However, Applejack wasn’t satisfied with not knowing what was bothering her friend. Whatever had happened, it seemed to be tearing the poor pegasus apart. She knew that Rainbow Dash was a hard-headed mare, and wouldn’t let anypony know about her problems. But that was the problem: Applejack and her friends had always hit this wall whenever Rainbow had a problem. As much as they wanted to help her, the stubborn pony simply wouldn’t have it. The only help they ever were allowed to be was to cheer her on during her aerial acrobatics. Applejack may have found frustration in this, but also respect and familiarity. She knew how that felt, more than anypony: to feel the urge to handle her problems on her own, not letting anypony else help until it was absolutely necessary. Well, it definitely seemed to be Dash’s time to need help. But still she remained resolute, unwilling to share her problems and let others help.

Why can’t ya’ let me help ya’ Dash? Ah’m just tryin’ to be yer friend.

Rainbow Dash felt her head lift unintentionally, wincing at the sudden light peering through the curtains hung over the window. It was sunrise; she must’ve slept an entire twenty-four hours. It took her a few minutes to remember where she was or how she got there. She remembered eating for the first time in days and then nothing. Applejack had brought her here, fed her and gave the tired pegasus a bed to sleep in. Dash felt the vice return to her heart, unable to flinch at the familiarity of the pain. Fortunately her hunger and exhaustion and been quelled, and now she was only feeling one sort of pain. Better than more than complete misery.

The cyan pegasus slowly found her strength and got herself to her haunches, flipping her rainbow mane out of her eyes. Suddenly the door to the small guest room opened, and Dash saw a small yellow filly with a red mane and a large bow. She carefully stuck her head into the room, her large amber eyes focusing on the Dash.

“Oh! Good mornin’ Rainbow Dash!” she squeaked in an accent like a younger version of Applejack. “Are ya’ feelin’ any better?”

Rainbow didn’t mind that the filly knew she was here, or if she was in bad shape the day before. It didn’t really matter too much for some reason.

“Morning Applebloom,” Dash yawned, placing a hoof over her mouth politely. “Yeah I’m fine, just needed some rest. Rough week…practicing.”

“Long as yer okay. I don’t know what Scootaloo’d do if you weren’t around,” Applebloom nodded happily before disappearing back into the hallway. Dash smiled at that. Scootaloo had been taking flying lessons from her for the past few months. She had shown potential and plenty of energy, two things that were essential for a good young flier like…Dash. She had enjoyed spending her days with the young filly, because she saw herself in Scootaloo’s determined eyes. She was like the little sister she never had. Maybe she would see if she could find her today.
At least that would take my mind off ApplejaaaaaAAAAAWWWW DARN IT!

Rainbow beat her forehead with her hoof. A full two minutes without thinking about that darned farmpony. What a fantastic record. Dash listened around the old house for any other pony. She heard nothing but the creaking of a rocking chair from the floor above her. Granny Smith must have been crocheting or some other kind of old mare activity. She decided to go and find Applejack, thank her for taking care of her, and fly off to find Scootaloo. If Dash needed anything, it was a distraction.

Instead of awkwardly interacting with Granny Smith and Applebloom again, Rainbow simply slid the old window open and leapt out and on the soft, green grass. Ahead of her was the vast expanse of apple trees that was Sweet Apple Acres. It didn’t take long for her to spot the orange coat amongst the sea of brown tree trunks, green leaves and red apples. Before taking off after her to say goodbye, Rainbow Dash merely sat on her haunches and stared after the object of her affection.

The farmer pony gracefully swung her body around and delivered a swift kick to the tree next to her, being immediately rewarded by a hail of red delicious apples, falling neatly into the baskets around her. Her grace was only matched by her strength. Dash had admired that about Applejack; how she was able to buck apples every day to serve her family, doing so with an undying work ethic, something Dash lacked. Where she was lazy, Applejack was hard-working. She was everything that Rainbow was, but also everything she wasn’t. The farmpony was simply more than her. Applejack was a better pony than her…so much better than her…

“I don’t deserve her,” Dash whispered to herself. “She deserves so much more than me. She needs another hard-working, kind-hearted pony to be with…a colt.”

She thought of turning and flying away, but just knew that Applejack would notice her. She also knew that she needed to thank her for the help and hospitality, even if talking to her tore her heart to pieces. With a shuddering sigh, Rainbow Dash composed herself and strode forward towards Applejack.

With a well-placed, final kick to a rather defiant apple tree, Applejack sighed with relief as the remaining fruits it bore fell into the two baskets below. It wasn’t even noon yet, but the young mare was already starting to feel fatigued. It had taken her a while to fall asleep the previous night, for she had spent hours racking her brain trying to figure out what had been bothering her friend to the point of malnourishment, dehydration and insomnia. As long as Applejack had known Rainbow Dash, the pegasus had never let any problem or obstacle in her life get the better of her, nor did she seem to dwell on them. But yesterday she found her friend to be doing the exact opposite, and Applejack knew it wasn’t because of work. She hadn’t even seen Dash in the skies for almost a week now, but found twice the amount of pegasi work tirelessly to pick up the slack that her friend had left. It seemed like without Rainbow working, the Weather Team was distraught, confused and overworked. The farmpony had never known or appreciated the amount of work that her friend had actually did in the short time she wasn’t napping or practicing her aerial routine.

So what had happened to Rainbow Dash to put her into such an exhausted state? It worried her friend to the point of considering trapping Dash into a situation in which she could be questioned without flying away.
Now, now, let’s not take any drastic measures or nothin’. Maybe she confided in Fluttershy or some pony, thought Applejack. But then, why couldn’t she tell me?

It just didn’t make any sense. Applejack hadn’t given Dash a reason to not completely trust her, so it wasn’t a matter of who she confided in. The farmer pawed at the ground in confusion.

Suddenly Applejack saw Rainbow Dash walking towards her, her eyes unfocused and looking at the ground in front of her. While she still looked better than she did the day before, the pegasus still had those dark bags under her eyes, although not as heavy-looking. She couldn’t even seem to walk straight, her steps not in any sort of line, but staggered. There was a second that Applejack thought she was going to fall again, but thankfully she was wrong.

“Hey AJ,” she said, not looking her face. Her eyes were only half-open. How could she still be so exhausted? She had slept long enough to be considered comatose.

“Mornin’ Sugarcube. Did ya’ sleep alright? Ya’ still look like ya’ done got hit by a train,” asked Applejack, not worrying if she would take it as an insult. Rainbow wasn’t one to care about vanity.

“Yeah I did,” she replied, even though her voice was still shaky. “Listen, I just wanted to stop by and say thanks for letting me stay here before I flew off.”

“Before ya’ flew-” the farmer started angrily before exhaling. “Rainbow, yer in no condition to be flyin’, yer obviously still in bad shape! Ya’ may have slept for a while, but ya’ can’t just recover from such exhaustion without takin’ a day to replenish yer fluids, eat and rest.”

“AJ I’ll be fine,” said Rainbow, waving a hoof dismissively. Applejack exhaled once more, trying her hardest not to yell at the stubborn pony. Instead, she took on a caring voice in attempt to grab Dash’s attention:

“Look Rainbow, Ah know Ah said that ya’ didn’t have to tell me what’s goin’ on with you, an’ ya’ don’t. But Ah’m not dumb either. You haven’t been to work, so it’s not that yer busy. Somethin’s botherin’ ya' into a right mess, and Ah just wanna let ya’ know that you can tell me anythin’. Ya’ don’t have to hide behind a wall. Ah’m yer friend ain’t Ah?”

The entire time the farmpony had spoken, Rainbow hadn’t even looked at her, but at the ground between her forehooves. Several seconds went by before she finally said:

“Jeeze AJ, I just woke up. It’ll take a few minutes before I’m actually awake. There’s nothing wrong with me, I’m just a bit off this week, that’s all. Anyway, I gotta go thanks again!”

And with that, Rainbow spread her wings and took off, albeit without her usual acceleration. Applejack watched her friend go without another word. Dash’s reply had her same old spunk, but her last sentence was quick and forced. Why was she lying to her? What had really been going on? Applejack kicked the basket next to her in tired frustration, wishing that Rainbow wasn’t as stubborn as she was.

Chapter Two-Outcasts

Broken: Chapter Two, Outcasts

In the midst of the Everfree Forest, every small woodland creature gasped in fright, hiding from the traveler. A large, strong frame of brown feathers heaved in frustration, a mound of dirt upheaving in razor sharp talons. The griffon exhaled through the nostrils of her beak, hot with anger. Gilda shook her white-feathered head, attempting to calm her weary mind. She had been far from home for days now, fulfilling her duties by gathering fruit and supplies for her village. Ever since her banishment from Ponyville had become known, her village hadn’t taken to such a dishonor lightly. Gilda had shamed her home, and had been punished with demotion from her old, well-paid occupation.

Two years ago, Gilda had returned to Ponyville in search of her old friend, Rainbow Dash. Her intentions were good, but that wasn’t how the engagement had turned out.

“Dash! Hey Dash!”

The cyan pegasus whipped her head around in surprise from the skies above. When she spotted Gilda smiling solemnly from the ground, her magenta eyes widened. Rainbow Dash didn’t respond until she landed ten feet in front of the griffon.

“Gilda? What are you doing here?” she asked with a look of pure confusion.

The griffon held her head low, trying to gather the courage to put aside her pride and do what she came to do.

“Listen, I’m not really good at this, so just let me say it,” she said, glaring at the ground between them. “I wanted to come by and say…I’m…sorry, okay? I wasn’t being very cool with you or your la…or your friends.”

“Really,” said Rainbow, cocking an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Then why can’t you look me in the eye and say it?”

Gilda scowled, her pride clawing at her words. She slowly craned her neck up to face the pegasus, her left eye twitching. Rainbow lowered her eyelids, waiting impatiently.

“I’m…sorry,” she growled.

“If you’re really sorry, then why do you look like somepony just spit in your face?” asked Dash, wearing her own scowl now.

“Hey! I came all the way here from-”

“And yet you still can’t figure out who you actually need to apologize to!”

“What?!” Gilda exclaimed, caught off-guard by the odd comment. Rainbow Dash stamped her right forehoof and snorted out an angry breath, wings flaring.

“If you’re really here to apologize, then you have all of Ponyville to say it to! Not only did you harass my friends, but half the town! And if you’re too stubborn to see that, then you can just get the hay out of here!”
Rainbow turned on a hoof and spread her wings.

“Dash!”

“I’m not in the mood for you Gilda, I’ve already had a terrible day. Now do me a favor and just get outta here,” Rainbow spat over her shoulder, taking off into the air. Gilda’s irritation peaked.

“Oh no you don’t! Get…BACK HERE!” she yelled. With her last two words, the griffon threw out her talons, grasping a hold of the prismatic tail and ripping the pegasus out of the air and hard into the ground with a loud thud. Gilda recoiled at her own outburst, withdrawing her arm. Before she could apologize, the griffon received a quick rearing buck straight to her left cheek. Gilda felt her head fly backwards, her body following suit. Disoriented by the sudden strike, she took a few steps back, attempting to see straight again.

“Oh so it’s gonna be like that huh?” Rainbow Dash screamed. She crouched low to the ground, her expression vengeful, wings spread defensively. “You either take off right now or I’m gonna-”

Rainbow Dash was cut off by Gilda, crying out in rage with a swift slash towards the pegasus. Dash stepped back out of the way just in time, but the first strike was a feint, and Gilda followed it with another claw. This one landed on the pegasus’ shoulder, spraying a line of crimson across the lush, green grass. Dash positively roared in pain, throwing her wings back and darting forward. She tackled the griffon and landed atop her, pounding at her face hoof after hoof.

Gilda couldn’t remember much after that, for her rage had boiled out the rest of the memory. However, she did remember the authorities coming along and separating them. After that Gilda had been dragged into Ponyville’s town hall. The mayor had signed the form, permanently banishing the griffon from ever coming close to the town again. She had heard that Dash was admitted to the hospital for several lacerations and loss of blood. Gilda had a similar experience. Her beak had been cracked in two places, and her cheek had swollen to the size of a melon for weeks. The two of them had truly hurt one another, and the griffon felt terrible for her actions. Worst of all, there wasn’t a way for her to ever make amends with her childhood friend.

It had been two years since then, and she winced at the memory. She knew that the fight had been her fault, and her that attitude didn’t help resolve the situation before it grew out of hoof, or talon or...whatever. Gilda missed hanging out with the pegasus. She enjoyed spending time with the only other being that was just like her: strong-willed, athletic, brash and…well, cool. Since then the griffon had a hard time making new friends, especially considering she lived in a town that was nothing but ashamed of her. Of course, she only responded to this with anger. It didn’t help that finding another griffon was an extremely seldom experience, for her species was in decline, and had become very rare. Gilda had only met one other griffon besides her parents, but he wasn’t exactly one she would associate with. Swift Wing was a year older than her, and bore a strong name. However, Swift wasn’t an athlete, but a bookworm. This was a great surprise considering his good looks.

Gilda sighed as she dropped a talon full of berries into the bag strapped to her back behind her enormous wings.

“Grr...Why do I have to do these meaningless chores?!” Gilda exclaimed to herself, thankful at least for the solitude. “This is so lame. I know I kinda messed up but this is sooo dumb! Two years later and I’m still being punished. Ya’ know what? Buck Ponyville!”

“Oh my, such strong words.”

Gilda gasped in fright from the voice. She whipped her head around in all directions, but found no source. It had been distant, and somehow didn’t sound fully embodied. Had she been imagining it?

“Now, now, don’t be so afraid my young griffon,” said the voice. “Such a rare, magnificent breed you are, only to be rejected by those meddlesome ponies.”

Nope. It was definitely there.

Now that Gilda had heard more of the voice, she realized that it was male, and rather eloquent. However, it didn’t hold the mannerisms of a Manehattenite, but an air of malevolence. The last word had been emphasized with hate, as if the ponies of Ponyville had caused the source of the voice a great injustice. Gilda carefully glared around the clearing, searching for any movement in the midst of the old trees.

“Who are you?” she asked the forest.

“Oho! So curious. I am but an undignified soul, scourged by injustice. I know your pain griffon, and can help you seek vengeance, but you must find me first. Maybe then I will assist you…or maybe not.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Gilda scornfully. “I have no hatred towards Ponyville. What happened was my fault, so…maybe I do deserve my punishment.”

“Hmm…you don’t sound so convinced,” the voice cooed. “Maybe the ponies have made you believe that you deserve such a fate, to become an outcast for such a small crime.”
Gilda’s eyes widened.

“How do you know what happened?”

“Like I said Gilda,” the voice replied, placing emphasis on her name for effect. “I am an undignified soul, one that can sympathize with others just like me.”

“I’ll ask you one more time before I leave. Who are you?”

“And I’ll tell you once again, you must seek me out first,” the voice laughed before trailing out into nothingness.
What. The hay.

Gilda scowled at the clearing around her, her wings flared in irritation. What was that? She started to question her sanity when she realized where the voice was coming from: to her right, the edge of the Everfree Forest. The griffon lowered her eyelids. That was the border of Ponyville. If she was caught anywhere in the town, she would be facing the authorities again, and who knows what kind of punishment.

Wait, why was she even thinking about following the source of the voice? Gilda had no grudge against Rainbow Dash or her home, so why would she want to do them any harm with senseless retaliation? However, her meddlesome curiosity was begging her to seek it out, if only to see who or what was talking to her with such an odd voice. But she didn’t dare cross the border into Ponyville; the consequences wouldn’t be worth the risk. If she was still being punished for a simple fight, then what would they stick her with if she were to violate her banishment? That last thought made the griffon think. It really didn’t seem fair to receive such hatred and dishonor over something so trivial. What was Mayor Mare’s reasoning behind such an unlawful response?

Suddenly Gilda heard the disembodied chuckle coming from the edge of the tree line, which was in eyesight. The griffon stared in the general direction of the voice, a storm gathering in her mind.

Without knowing how or why, Gilda felt herself walking briskly towards border of Ponyville, carefully stepping over as if it were a trap. She exhaled when she felt her talons touch the lush grass on the other side of the tree line, even though she knew nothing would actually happen.

“Do not fret, I am but a clearing away. One that nopony ever visits,” said the voice, glee lacing his words.

Gilda refused to give the voice any satisfaction by giving it any sort of reply, but merely listened for the pompous cackling, fading in and out of audibility. She looked around, taking in the scenery. The griffon stood in the middle of a path cut through the edge of the forest, curving through the trees. Gilda strode down the path, in almost a brisk run. She didn’t trust her foul luck, worrying that somepony would stumble upon her and alert the rest of the town. It didn’t take long to find the source of the cackling.

The griffon scowled when she ran into another clearing, only to find two large stone statues. The one to the right was that of a large, menacing-looking alicorn. The pony was reared in a sort of fighting stance, massive wings spread and muzzle growling as if to utter a battle cry. Gilda recognized this to be the statue of Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna’s former self. She knew from Rainbow Dash’s boastful stories of how she and her friends had defeated the princess and ‘saved Equestria.’

However, the statue to the left was not of a pony, but of something completely different; a Draconequus. It had the head of a pony, bearing two different kinds of horns, atop the body of a snake-like dragon, with limbs of other differing predators. The statue’s face was of pure shock and fear, its jaw agape and eyes wide. She only knew of what the creature was from old Equestrian mythology. But why was a statue of a supposed myth standing alongside one of true historical relevance?

“Ah, but am I truly a mere myth?”
The voice had read her mind.
The voice came from the statue of the Draconequus.

Gilda shivered in anger. Her mind was somehow an open book to an inanimate object. The invasion of her personal thoughts was unnerving, and made her feel more vulnerable than she felt comfortable with.

“Here’s the deal you block of rock,” she started, glaring into the stone face of the statue. “I’m not sure how or why you’re able to speak or why I’m even listening, so either you stay out of my head, or I walk.”

“Come now my little griffon, there’s no fun in being so direct. I like to get to know the few that I can actually communicate with.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well I am only a soul trapped in stone, so my magnificent mind is limited only to reach those who share the sting of injustice,” the Draconequus seethed on the last word, momentarily abandoning his showmanship-like malevolence. “You know in the back of your mind that what they did to you just wasn’t fair. But wait, what if you weren’t a rare species such as the regal, yet misunderstood griffon, but a common, yet immediately accepted pony? Would you have shared the same fate in such an instance?”

“Stop talking in riddles and get to the point,” said Gilda impatiently.

“Oh I have yet to speak in circles my dear Gilda,” said the statue. “Just listen to my words carefully, for they hold meaning of paramount importance. You are a rare breed, one that is not around ponyfolk all too often. Therefore, you are a species that isn’t necessarily understood. Ponies tend to be…afraid of what they don’t understand. Now it’s not their fault, it’s common pony nature. Griffons are elegant, regal beings. However they are looked upon as dangerous. Such a strong body, razor sharp talons and masters of the sky. What isn’t there to be spooked of? So wouldn’t it seem easier from a pony’s point of view to simply banish such a powerful creature, regardless of the unfortunate fate it may bring to said griffon? Such shame, such dishonor. They knew what would become of your reputation but they just didn’t care. They could’ve been fair, lenient even, but no! Just because they don’t understand you they took it upon themselves to unlawfully decide your fate! Just because you’re not one of them.”

Gilda hadn’t been ready to hear any of that. She had been angry and confused, not knowing if she still had a firm grasp on reality. But now…the statue's words just…

“Are things starting to clear up?” the Draconequus asked with menace in his voice. “Is everything in perspective now? It’s a lot easier to see when something lights the torch isn’t-”

“Okay, okay! I get it! Enough with the metaphors!” Gilda replied heatedly.

“Hmmhmm…” the statue chuckled. “Such fire, ideal for the leader of a revolution.”

“What?”

“Well you can’t just let such injustice go unpunished can you? Can you really sleep peacefully knowing that your kind is being discriminated against?”

“But with me it was just a one-time thing, if that was even the case…” Gilda trailed off, unsure of what she thought anymore. The statue cackled once again.

“Think about this young griffon; the mayor of Ponyville made this decision, but not without discussing it with other ponies first. Not only did they approve such action, but the entire town cheered for it.”

“How could you know about any of that?”

“You are not the only mind that I have heard,” said the Draconequus. “There have certainly been other ponies, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is your vengeance.”

Gilda paused for several moments, thinking over the statue’s words. At first the idea seemed ridiculous, but once he had explained it so thoroughly…the griffon didn’t know what to think anymore.

“Who are you?” she asked again, this time narrowing her eyes at the statue’s own.

“I guess you have the right to know who I really am,” said the Draconequus. “My name is Discord, young griffon.”
That name seemed familiar, but Gilda didn’t dwell on it.

“Discord huh? Pretty cool name I guess, for a rock,” she jibed. “Your words seem legitimate, but why would you want to help me? What do you care?”

“The real question is why wouldn’t I?” Discord replied with his sly voice. “Maybe I want to see an end to segregation, maybe I wish to bring harmony to Equestria…or maybe a good bit of chaos is always enjoyable!”

Discord’s voice cackled manically before it faded away, leaving Gilda alone with her thoughts. She stared at the statue for a long time, feeling a stir in her emotions. Her anger arose once again, this time with reason, with purpose. However, she didn’t scowl, but grinned. Her mad smile curved through her cracked beak, her eyes narrowing without focus.

“I know what I must do.”

-=-

Rainbow Dash felt her wings crying out in pain, still far too exhausted to keep her aloft. Once she was out of view of Sweet Apple Acres, the pegasus landed on the path that led to Ponyville. She positively loathed being grounded, but her body simply wasn’t ready for flight just yet. It would’ve felt odd to have to walk, if not for her previous injuries keeping her out of the air. Recently Rainbow Dash had suffered quite a few wing-related fractures from her practices, which had become more and more complex. This was why she had refused going to the hospital from her recent health-related dilemma. Sure, her insurance from the Weather Team was top notch, but still there were heavy deductibles. She simply couldn’t afford getting hurt again, which Twilight had told her again and again. Twice her left wing had been broken, and both times she was grounded for a few weeks. Even the stubborn Rainbow Dash had to admit that she needed to be more careful. Thankfully, she was only exhausted this time.

Rainbow Dash walked down the dirt road to find the colorful buildings that ran along the border of the town. What was I doing again? Oh yeah, finding Scootaloo, she thought. Heh, that’s such a funny name, Scootaloo. Hehaha…

Rainbow shook her head, finding it disturbing that even her mind was starting lose it. How could she still be so drained? She had slept more than she had in a long time, so why did she still feel unable to walk?

Dash suddenly felt like turning around and heading back to the farm, seeking Applejack’s care. She hated the thought of asking for help, even if it was from the pony she couldn’t stop thinking about. There was something so heartwarming about how the farmpony had taken care of her. Rainbow winced at how submissive she was to Applejack’s nurturing manner. The cyan pegasus stopped dead in her tracks when she felt a painful twitch in her chest. What was that? She felt her heart beat uncontrollably, but not in the way that usually occurred when she thought of the farmer. This time she had felt a much more physical pain, and not just an emotional one. It kept happening, her heart beat faster and then dropped unexpectedly before repeating the process.

She found her legs shaking in panic. What was happening to her? Rainbow Dash couldn’t seem to catch her breath, her lungs heaving without her brain telling them to. Her mind was racing, panic overtaking her. Her vision had started to fade again, blackness enveloping.

“No, no, no…I can’t pass out here,” she pleaded to herself. “Come on Rainbow stay…”

It was no good, her mind couldn’t stay active. As she felt herself fall, Dash thought she heard somepony call her name.

-=-

“What happened now?”

“I don’t know, the doctor said that she didn’t have any broken bones. I don’t think she crashed or anything, maybe she just…”

“Fainted?”

Rainbow felt her eyelids flutter open, her vision taking its sweet time to focus on the two figures standing on either side of her. She found her surroundings familiar, an uncomfortable bed, a scratchy bed gown, and white walls, all accompanied by a monotonous beeping. She felt a patch on her chest, recognizing the heart monitor. This time she was given her own private hospital room, which was painfully small. Rainbow Dash groaned as she realized where she was. Twilight stood to her left, looking as relieved as Rarity, whom was on her right.

“Rainbow what happened?” asked Twilight in a concerned tone. “We found you on the ground outside Ponyville, and we-”

“She was having an attack,” said the prominent voice of a new pony entering the patient ward. It was Doctor Stable, Rainbow Dash’s usual caretaker. He strode over to the end of the bed, giving Dash his usual apathetic look.

“Heart palpitations to be more specific,” he concluded.

“Heart palpitations?” Rarity repeated, sharing Twilight’s confused expression. “What could’ve caused that?”

“Well palpitations in patients whom don’t have any sort of heart disease can get attacks due to severe amounts of stress, anxiety or panic,” Stable answered. “Quite frankly, this is the last thing I expected to see you here for Rainbow Dash. You don’t have any history of panic or anxiety disorders. Actually you have one of the healthiest hearts I’ve seen in a while. So whatever caused your attack, which was severe by the way, must have been quite a doozy.”

Rainbow didn’t respond. The only thing she was focused on was yet another hospital bill that she couldn’t afford. She gave the intravenous line in her foreleg a sad look and heaved a sigh. She must have been dehydrated again.

“You will be able to leave once that I.V. is completely drained. My instructions for you this time is to drink a lot of fluids and relax. It isn’t my business to ask what caused your attack, but whatever it was obviously took a toll on your body. For the next week I don’t want you to overexert yourself in any way. Keep your flights brief and don’t try anything rash. That means no aerial acrobatics for at least a week. Now I know that isn’t what you want to hear, but if you-”

“No I get it Doc. I won’t practice for a while,” Dash interrupted, her eyes half-closed, unfocused on the blanket covering her. Doctor Stable blinked.

“Oh, well I must say I was expecting a fight but...good. Glad to see you’re thinking about your health for once. Now Nurse Redheart will be checking on you in an hour. Your friends can stay for as long as they like.”

With that Stable left, closing the door behind him. Twilight and Rarity returned their gazes back to Rainbow, whom was still looking at her hindhooves with a sad expression.

“Rainbow Dash what happened?” asked Rarity, pure concern in her voice. “What could’ve brought you of all ponies to such a state?”
When she didn’t respond, Twilight asked:

“Rainbow, what’s going on? You don’t have to be afraid of telling us whatever’s bothering you.”

“Yes I do,” Dash replied, embarrassed by her voice cracking. She felt her eyes start to burn, threatening to spill over with tears. She couldn’t let herself cry, it was the only attribute of herself that she had left.

“Oh poor dear,” said Rarity, brushing a hoof through the pegasus’ prismatic mane. “We’re your friends, you can tell us anything! What would we be if you couldn’t?”

“You wouldn’t be if I told you,” Rainbow sighed. Twilight looked taken aback.

“Now why wouldn’t we be your friends anymore? Rainbow, there’s nothing you could say or do to lose us. Whatever’s bothering you is obviously worth getting off your chest. You’ve helped us a million times. You’re a good, loyal friend, now be loyal to yourself. Please, just let us help you.”

Rainbow Dash thought her friend’s words over. Twilight was right. Dash was in terrible condition. She had kept her feelings to herself for years, and now it was starting to explode within her. If she didn’t at least get it off her chest now, her heart wouldn’t be able to take it. This time it was a heart palpitation, next time it could be worse. She looked to her friends, uncertainty lining her face.

“I…I don’t know.”

"Would it be easier if was just one of us?” asked Rarity.

“What?”

“Well I’ve noticed that sometimes it’s easier to tell one pony a secret rather than two,” said Rarity. “Neither of us would be offended dear. Would that work?”

“Yeah maybe,” Rainbow agreed. She looked back to Rarity. “I’m sorry Rare, but do you mind stepping out? It’s nothing against you-”

“Not at all dear!” said Rarity, waving a dismissive hoof. “I’ll be in the waiting room.”

Rarity gave Twilight a hopeful look before leaving the room, closing the door behind her. The purple unicorn immediately looked back to Rainbow, whom was unsure of how to approach the topic. Somehow it was easier to talk to Twilight than any other pony. She was just more understanding and provided level, objective advice.

“It’s okay Rainbow,” she said in a voice a little more than a whisper. Dash rubbed her hooves together, feeling her cheeks burn.

“Well…it’s about…Applejack,” she started. “I kinda lo…I kinda…”

Twilight placed a reassuring hoof of on her friends shoulder. The touch was warm and helpful. Somehow it made the words come to Rainbow’s mouth a lot easier.

“I love her,” she whimpered, tears finally streaking her face. She choked on the last word, falling into her forehooves in a heavy sob. “I love her and there’s nothing I can do about it!”

Rainbow Dash felt her friend’s forelegs wrap around her, and the pegasus cried into Twilight’s mane. It felt like a valve had opened in her heart, and all the stress from the past four days just spilled out through her eyes. All her hurt, all her pain wasn’t leaving her completely, but the feeling had started to numb. Dash hugged her friend as tight as she could, and the unicorn returned the favor.

“I-I can’t take it anymore! Every day I feel my heart tighten harder and harder! But what can I do? There’s no way she would accept me, she doesn’t like mares like I do. I can’t even be around her without wanting to just fly away and cry my eyes out. I don’t want to lose her as a friend but I can’t even look at her!”

Rainbow sobbed harder than she ever did in her entire life. It would’ve felt amazing to finally let the stress go, but as she cried into Twilight’s neck she felt the weight of her words pressing onto her heart.

“What do I do Twilight? I don’t want to lose her! I can’t lose her! But if I keep being her friend…my heart won’t be able to take it.”

For several minutes Rainbow silently cried, not letting go of her friend. Twilight ran her hoof through Dash’s mane, like a mother to her foal.

“I hate feeling like this,” Dash continued once she let go. “I hate being so weak.”

“You are not weak Rainbow Dash,” said the unicorn. “You’re just in bad shape over something that not too many ponies can even handle.”

“But I can’t handle it! I’m in the hospital for pete’s sake!”
Twilight seemed to chew on that for a moment.

“How long have you felt this way?” she asked.

“Well, I’ve always liked her, ever since I met her. But I just put those feelings away, ‘cause I knew she wouldn’t feel the same way. For years it was like I didn’t feel that way, so everything was normal. But then I had a dream about her for the first time five nights ago, and I haven’t not thought about her since. The only thing I’ve been able to eat was a few pastries at AJ’s yesterday.”

“Wait, you were at Applejack’s yesterday?”

“Yeah, she came to my house. Well, she came to the ground under my house and asked me to come down. I tried to fly down but I…crashed. She helped me up and said that she came by to give me some apples. We talked and then I passed out. I woke up and she brought me to the farm. She gave me some food and water, and I went to bed. I even slept the whole day and night, but I still felt tired. Before I left AJ tried to get me to tell her what was going on, but I couldn’t do it, so I left.

“What do I do Twi’?”

“Tell her.”

“What? Have you even been listening to me? I can’t tell her! I’ll lose her as a friend-”

“Why wouldn’t she be your friend anymore?”

“Because I’m a fillyfooler!” Rainbow didn’t even care about how much the word hurt. “Because I like mares! Because I’m a freak!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight exclaimed, her expression suddenly fierce. “You are not a freak. So what if you don’t like stallions? Look at Lyra and Bon-Bon, they’re completely normal, happy ponies and everypony else accepts them!”

“Not Applejack,” said Dash, her voice cracking on the name. Twilight blinked.

“What?”

“She said that she doesn’t approve of two mares being together, but that she didn’t hate them for it either, or something like that,” explained Rainbow. “So to AJ, I’m a freak.”

“Oh…I didn’t know that she felt that way.”

“Well I was the only one that knew, so I guess I spilled the beans. Keep it to yourself okay?”

“Okay,” Twilight said. The two didn’t say anything for a minute, pausing to reflect on what had been said.

Rainbow Dash sighed, slumping back into the uncomfortable pillow that supported her. The tears had stopped, but her heart still ached. It felt incredible to confide in somepony for once. She had never talked to another pony about her feelings about anything before. However, that didn’t numb her pain. There on the bed she laid; Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in Equestria, the bravest pony of them all, the most loyal friend a pony could have...reduced to a pitiful mess in a hospital ward.

With a climactic bang, the door to Rainbow Dash’s room burst open by a powerful rearing kick. Twilight and Dash whipped their heads around in fright. The pegasus felt her eyes widen as far as they could when she saw who it was. The orange earth pony strode over to the bed, a look of worry etched on her face. The EKG cried with loud, quick beeps as horror overtook Dash. She started to shake uncontrollably, muttering as her chest heaved in pain.

“Rainbow Dash! What happened? Why’re ya’ here? Ah heard that ya’ll were found on the street and…” the rest of Applejack’s words were lost to Rainbow. Panic overtook her once again, and the pegasus felt herself convulse as she stared at the farmpony in sheer fright.

“No,” she whimpered. “Nonononono…”

Twilight ran over and did her best to rush Applejack out of the room, but the strong earth pony didn’t budge.

“Twilight whaddya doin’? Ah’m here fer mah friend!”

“Applejack trust me, it’s for the best! Just get out of here!”

“What? Rainbow tell her it’s alright Ah’m-”

The door flew open again, and Nurse Redheart and Doctor Stable rushed into the room, shoving Twilight and Applejack out of the way.

“You two get out of here! She’s having another attack!” Stable yelled. Rainbow Dash was lost in her horror, feeling herself fall from the bed and onto the cold, linoleum floor.

Chapter Three-Confidence

Broken: Chapter Three, Confidence

Applejack and Twilight stood outside Rainbow Dash’s room, not able to see anything through the window but a drawn curtain. The earth pony slumped to the floor against the wall, taking off her Stetson. Twilight sat on her haunches next to her, not looking in her direction. What had happened? Earlier Applebloom had ran up to her, spouting something about Twilight picking up an unconscious Rainbow Dash and running towards the hospital. But when she charged into her room, the pegasus saw Applejack and…the look on her face was that of pure fear. The doctor said something about another attack. Attack? Another attack? What attack? Why did her friend look so afraid to see her? What did she do to Dash that made her so panicked?

“What happened Twi’?” asked Applejack, looking at the unicorn. Twilight didn’t look at her when she replied:

“She had heart palpitations.”

“Heart…What?! What caused that?”

“I can’t tell you,” said Twilight simply. Applejack frowned.

“Whaddya mean ya’ can’t tell me?!” the farmpony exclaimed, throwing up a hoof for emphasis. “Our friend had an attack when she saw me, and ya’ll said to trust ya’ when ya’ told me to get out! What did Ah do to her to make her so afraid o’ me?”

“I can’t tell you,” Twilight repeated. “I’m sorry, but I can’t say a word.”
Applejack stood up and stamped a hoof to the floor in sudden anger. Twilight flinched and looked up to her.

“Twilight Sparkle! Our friend is in the hospital after a week without water’, sleepin or eatin and is now havin’ heart palpitations?! She’s mah best friend and Ah need to know what’s causin’ it!”

“NO YOU DON’T!” Twilight stood up and bellowed back, her voice echoing throughout the hallway. Applejack took a step back, her guard completely shattered. She had never heard the bookish unicorn yell before, and it was frightening. “If I told you Rainbow would be in much worse condition. I know you’re her friend and you’re worried about her but this is for her health! She will tell you when she’s ready, and only then!”

Applejack took another step backward, once again falling against the wall and inevitably to the floor. Twilight exhaled, her anger leaving her face as she took her place beside the farmpony.

“I’m sorry AJ,” said the unicorn, placing an apologetic hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “Please just trust me.”

“Well if me knowin’ what’s goin’ on would only hurt Rainbow…Ah guess Ah can’t force it,” said Applejack.

“It’s for the best AJ. Thank you for understanding.”
Applejack couldn’t even feel curious anymore. She worried about Rainbow, but decided that she had to do nothing but trust the unicorn, regardless of how she felt. It hurt not knowing what was happening, but she knew that she had to simply wait.

“I’m a might sorry fer yellin’ Twi’,” she said finally. “But if this is what Ah have to do fer Rainbow to get better, than Ah’ll do it Ah guess.”

“I’m sorry too.”

“So are ya’ll gonna stay here fer her?” asked the farmpony. Twilight nodded solemnly.

“Yes. I’m her confidant so I’ll be here when she wakes up. I don’t know how long she’ll be recovering after…that. No offense.”

“None taken,” Applejack sighed. “Ah guess there’s no point in me stayin’ if Ah’m only gonna hurt her more.”

Applejack stood up, Twilight following suit. The unicorn wrapped her forelegs around her neck, and the farmer returned the favor.

“Just know that you didn’t do anything to hurt her. None of this is your fault,” whispered Twilight. “Don’t worry about her, she’ll be completely fine. Please just…try and keep your distance from her until she comes to you.”

“Ah guess Ah can,” Applejack replied, letting her friend go before placing her hat atop her head and walking away from the door, towards the exit.
-=-

Rainbow Dash awoke for the second time that day, immediately looking out the window to see the sun setting. Her chest still hurt, but the heart monitor indicated that her pulse was normal once again. This time it wasn’t just Twilight in the room, but also Doctor Stable and, to her surprise, Scootaloo. Rainbow bucked her head against the pillow, frustrated at her weakness in front of her number one fan.

“Dash! Are you okay?” asked Scootaloo with excitement, bouncing up to her right side.

“Y-Yeah squirt. Dash is alright,” said Rainbow, patting the filly on the head. Scootaloo smiled brightly at that. Doctor Stable brushed his brown mane from his forehead, walking over to the end of her bed. Twilight stuck behind, flashing an assuring wink. She must have been implying that she never spoke a word of her secret, and she smiled back.

“Rainbow Dash, you gave us quite a scare there. I hope you don’t mind but this young pegasus insisted that she saw you,” said Stable, indicating Scootaloo.

“No problem Doc,” Rainbow smiled weakly. “I’m feeling better already with my number one fan here.”
Rainbow patted her on the head again.

“Well that’s good to hear,” he replied. “Although there are some things we need to discuss about your condition. Alone.”

Twilight and Scootaloo took the hint, saying that they would both be right back. Doctor Stable thanked them and closed the door. When he turned back to Rainbow, his expression wasn’t as delighted as it once was.

“Now Miss Dash, I’m going to be frank with you,” he started. “You had another attack, but this one really took a toll on you. Your heart beat so erratically that it tore a muscle in your chest. We had to operate immediately.”

“Operate? Surgery?!” Dash exclaimed, crestfallen.

“I’m afraid so, but I assure you, it was necessary,” Stable replied, adjusting his glasses. “The muscle has been fixed, and your heartbeat is stabilized. But this means that you’ll be here a little longer, so we can keep an eye on you.”

“But-But…I can’t afford this. I couldn’t afford coming here in the first place,” Rainbow said.

“You couldn’t afford not coming here,” Doctor Stable replied with his good old attitude. “I’m sorry, but it’s what needs to happen. When you are released from this hospital I have a few demands regarding your health. One; again, you are to take it easy, but after what happened, you cannot fly for a week. That muscle may have been fixed, but it needs time to heal. And two; you need to go to Sweet Apple Acres and tell Applejack how you feel.”
What.
What?!

“Now don’t worry, nopony told me. I figured it out myself. It’s obvious that she is why you’re stressed, and if you keep this bottled inside you, you will have another attack. I know that I’m not a therapist, but I don’t have to be one to see that your feelings for her are what’s causing this. Do you understand me?”

Rainbow Dash blinked, unsure of how to respond. After a moment of silence, Doctor Stable sighed and wore a more accepting expression.

“If she’s really your friend then she will accept you. I can’t tell you how she feels, but know that she won’t dismiss you as her friend.”
Rainbow looked up to Stable with a pained smile on her face.

“Thanks Doc. I really needed that.”

Once the doctor left, he let Twilight and Scootaloo back in. The orange filly bounced back over to Dash’s right side, smiling brightly. Twilight simply stood back, finding a magazine and flipping through it. Rainbow felt that being happy in front of the little filly would be easier now with Stable’s advice.

“So how’ve you been kid? Practicing I hope,” asked Rainbow. Scootaloo nodded excitedly.

“Yup! I was in the air for ten whole seconds today! Sweetie Bell bet that I couldn’t so I had to prove her wrong! It was awesome! I even landed perfectly!”

“Awesome!” Rainbow cheered with a hoof bump to the little pegasus. “I’ll have to show you some maneuvers pretty soon. If you keep this up, you’ll be doing your own Sonic Rainboom in a couple of years!”
Scootaloo’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

“Really?!” she gasped, jittering with glee. She then jumped up and hugged her idol. “I won’t disappoint you Dash! I’m gonna do my best!”
Scootaloo looked out the window and gasped when she saw the sunset.

“Oh no! I’m supposed to be home by now! I’m sorry Rainbow Dash, but I gotta get home!” she cried.

“Get going then. Fly high Scoot!” Rainbow cheered. The orange filly nodded and bolted out the door. Twilight looked up and laughed to herself. Rainbow found herself laughing as well, relieved to feel even the slightest bit of happiness. Twilight took the seat to the left of the bed.

“She’s adorable,” she commented.

“Yeah, that little filly’s got a bright future ahead of her.”

“How do you know?”

“’Cause she has The Drive,” said Dash matter-of-factly. “She has the want, no, the need to fly. I wouldn’t waste my time with her if she didn’t have it.”

“But don’t you think you’re…over-encouraging her a little bit? I mean a Sonic Rainboom in a couple of years? I understand being helpful but-”
Rainbow held up a hoof to stop her.

“I’m not over-encouraging her. I truly believe that she can do it. She’s just like I was when I was her age. Granted, this awesome pegasus already had her cutie mark and performed the world’s first Sonic Rainboom by then, but not everypony is as cool as me,” she explained smugly. “Scootaloo’s a fast learner, and has the build needed for high-velocity flight. Mark my words; she’ll be the second pony to perform the Rainboom.”
Twilight smiled. “Well you seem to be feeling better, especially after surgery.”
Rainbow Dash’s heart sank.

“Oh yeah…I forgot about that,” she sighed. Rainbow tried to remove her hospital gown without over-exerting herself. Twilight saw her struggling and grabbed a hold of the gown and helped her remove it with her teeth. Dash hadn’t expected that, and felt her cheeks grow hot. Her wings twitched underneath her, but she ignored it. Twilight laughed but said nothing of it. Thankful, Dash looked down to find a long vertical scar across her chest, stitched up under her cyan coat.

“Bummer,” she whispered, remembering her monetary dilemma. “I’m gonna have to do a lot of overtime to pay for this.”

Twilight said nothing, but simply tried to give a reassuring smile.

“Thanks for being here for me Twilight. I don’t know where I’d be without you today,” Rainbow said, hugging her friend.

“That’s what I’m here for Dash.”

When they broke apart, Rainbow Dash recalled her conversation with Doctor Stable. Twilight wasn’t too shocked to hear that the doctor was keen enough to see what had been causing her stress.

“What do you think Twi’? What should I do?” asked Rainbow, almost pleadingly.

“I think he’s right,” she answered immediately. Rainbow had both felt relieved and crestfallen to hear those words. She knew that it was what her heart and her body absolutely needed her to do, but at the same time she was still afraid to confess her love to Applejack. “You need to tell her.”

“Yeah I know,” Dash sighed. Then she perked her head up. “Hey maybe you can-”
She was cut off by Twilight’s disapproving glare.

“Fiiiiiiine.”

For the next few days Rainbow Dash was as patient as she could be, walking around her room and sometimes the hallways to pass as much time as possible. Once a day the cyan pegasus secluded herself in the bathroom to shamefully practice her confession in the mirror. At first Rainbow couldn’t even do it to her own reflection, which subconsciously brought pain to her chest. Even her body was starting to cheer her on, depending on her confidence. On the third day she found it, having no problem whatsoever saying it to the mirror. Unfortunately her reflection wasn’t Applejack, but it was the only kind of practice she had.

Thankfully once Twilight had left the hospital, she instructed the rest of their friends not to visit her, telling them that it was the doctor’s orders. Rainbow needed the solitude to build her confidence, and the unicorn understood this. Not to mention the fact that Rainbow couldn’t bring herself to deal with Pinkie Pie’s energy. She felt like she was training for the Wonderbolts or something, doing everything she could to quell her anxiety of the coming day.

Finally Saturday evening had come, the time that she was scheduled to leave the hospital. Rainbow Dash watched the sun draw near the horizon. She gave the vista a challenging look, drums beating in her heart. The time was coming, and she was ready to face it. She looked to the door as Doctor Stable walked through it, wearing an unreadable expression. Rainbow Dash narrowed her determined eyes at him, a smug smile lining her face.

“I hope you’re as ready as you look Miss Dash,” he said. Rainbow merely laughed.

“I’m ready.”

“Good, then you’ll be happy to hear that I’m waving the fee for your stay, as well as the record. It’ll be like you were never here,” Stable smirked. Rainbow’s jaw dropped, her heart in her throat.

“Wh-What?! Why?”

“Hmmhmm. Because you are here due to the fact that your heart couldn’t take the immense amount of love you feel for Applejack. How could I charge you for that?” Doctor Stable explained sincerely. Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe it. She then felt more happiness and gratitude than she ever had in her entire life. She felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes, and her lips trembled. Rainbow leapt from the bed and wrapped her forehooves around Stable’s neck. He chuckled lightly, returning the favor.

“Th-Thank you s-so much Doc. You have n-no idea what this means to me,” she stuttered. She let go of the doctor then, standing before him.

“You’re welcome Rainbow Dash. Now you have no reason to be worried. But remember that no matter what happens tonight, you are still strong. Nothing can break you; the greatest flier in Equestria.”

Rainbow thanked him again, her pride too dense to be broken now. Doctor Stable led her out, waving goodbye as Dash ran off towards Sweet Apple Acres. She had never run faster, even when she raced in the Running of the Leaves. Dash galloped at full speed, only slowing down when she reached the outermost fence of the farm. She stopped to catch her breath, realizing how bad of an idea it was to run after surgery on her pectoral muscle. Her chest roared in pain, her lungs heaving with exhaustion. She was thankful for the gauze bandaged over her scar, hoping that it wouldn’t be needed to absorb any blood. Rainbow composed herself before walking down the dirt path to the barn. She never focused on the fluttering of her heart, but on the determination that was fueling her legs to push forward. Nothing was going to stop her. She was Rainbow Dash for pete’s sake! The drums had beaten faster with every step. It reminded her of when she performed in the Cloudiseum for the Best Young Fliers Competition.

She arrived at the front door of the barn sooner than she had thought, and raised a hoof before knocking as loud as she could.
-=-

Applejack sat down at the dinner table across from her older brother, but otherwise alone. Granny Smith had taken Applebloom out to the market for the night, leaving the two siblings to cook dinner themselves. The big red stallion looked her sister over with a puzzled expression. She hadn’t taken a bite for several minutes, but merely gazed at her plate, her face in her hooves.

“Still worried ‘bout Dash?” he asked. Applejack nodded.

“Ah know that it’s best fer me not to know what’s been eatin’ at her lately, but Ah can’t help but worry. She’s mah best friend Big Macintosh,” she answered. Big Mac had listened to her sister’s story at least half a dozen times now, and each time he patiently listened. He was a good brother like that.

“Ya’ know AJ, don’t take this the wrong way, but Ah’m startin’ to think tha’ ya’ll are developing a crush on that pegasus,” said Big Mac. Applejack normally would have responded to that jibe with anger, but this time she simply gave her older brother a pained look.

“Please Big Mac, I’m not in the mood fer jokes.”

“Who’s jokin’?”

Applejack groaned and pushed her plate aside, letting her forehead take its place on the table. She mentally brushed the comment aside, not giving it any thought. She didn’t want to argue, she didn’t want to worry. The orange earth pony just wanted to know that her friend was okay, and why she was causing the pegasus so much pain.

She flinched as a knock rapped on the door. Applejack didn’t raise her head, but just asked her brother to get the door, even though she was closer. Big Mac nodded wordlessly, getting up and walking to the door.
-=-

Rainbow Dash waited impatiently as she heard hoofsteps coming closer to the door. She feared that the longer somepony took to answer the door, the more her confidence wavered. Come on, come on, she thought to herself, tapping a hoof on the old wood porch. Finally the door opened, revealing Big Macintosh, his eyebrows rising at the sight of her.

“H-Hey Mac, is AJ here?” she asked, doing everything she could to keep herself together. The stallion nodded.

“Eeyup,” he said, turning his head towards the interior of the barn. “AJ, ya’ got a visitor.”

“Wha?” Rainbow heard Applejack ask. She hadn’t heard the farmpony’s voice in what felt like weeks, forgetting how sweet it sounded. “Who could it be at this time o’ day?”

Rainbow’s heart fluttered when she saw her. Suddenly her confidence and determination was gone. It was just gone, like it never existed. Applejack had to blink a few times before realizing who it was. Big Macintosh silently left the threshold, disappearing into the home.

“Rainbow?” she gasped. Dash tried her best to smile, but didn’t know what it ended up looking like. Applejack stepped out of the doorway and closed it behind her. “Are ya’ alright? Ah wanted to come by and see what happened, but Twilight said Ah couldn’t be there so Ah had to leave. My stars Ah’ve been so worried! What happened?”

The farmpony spoke quickly; her face concerned but excited to see her out of the hospital. Dash found herself taking a second to look her over. Her bright green eyes looked dark and tired. Her mane was more unkempt than usual, bangs hanging lazily over her eyes. She hadn’t slept well recently, this was evident. The worst part was that she caused her love’s discomfort. Rainbow took a minute to find her voice:

“Don’t worry, I’ll get to that. Can we go somewhere and talk?” she asked, her confidence building up again.

“Of course, lead the way,” the farmer replied, indicating her words with a hoof.

Rainbow Dash quickly led her friend to the highest hill on the farm, in perfect view of the sunset. The clouds had turned a burning, beautiful orange, casting a similar glow across the orchard. Rainbow sat on her haunches, gazing at the vista. Applejack paused before doing the same, a few feet to her left.

“You know, I’m usually asleep when the sun rises and sets, so when I do see it, it’s beautiful,” Dash said. “Now I know you want an explanation, and I’m sorry for keeping you worried. You see this all started with a dream, one that made me realize something.”

“Realize what?” asked Applejack impatiently.

“Please AJ, let me just do this my way,” Rainbow continued. “After the dream I couldn’t sleep for fear of having it again. I couldn’t keep food down, and I couldn’t bring myself to go to work. The pain it brought was just too much. That’s why when you came to my house I was in such bad shape. After I left your farm the next day I was still exhausted. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I started to think about the dream again and I started to panic and get anxious. That’s when I had the first heart palpitation. Twilight took me to the hospital, and once we were alone I told her what was going on. I asked her not to tell anypony. Not just you, but at the same time especially not you.”

“Ah still don’t get it Dash,” said Applejack. “How could a dream put ya’ in the hospital? Why couldn’t Ah see you without ya’ havin’ a dang fit?”

“Again, because of what the dream made me realize,” Dash replied, knowing that she couldn’t delay this much longer. “It was why I couldn’t look you in the eye, why I couldn’t eat or sleep and why I panicked when you came to visit me in the hospital. The doctors had to sew up my chest muscles after that last attack, because I waited so long to say this. The stress of it all brought me to physical injury, so just…just please don’t hate me for telling you this. I know what you’re going to say but I can’t afford to keep it inside anymore.”

“Then say it,” said Applejack in a quiet, comforting tone. Rainbow Dash took a moment to look her in the eye before looking back to the sunset. She sighed before starting the inevitable:

“The dream made me realize…it’s been because…I love you.”

Rainbow clamped her eyes shut, cowering from the silence that her long-awaited confession followed. She didn’t know what Applejack’s face looked like, but she imagined shock.

“I’m sorry,” she breathed in little more than a whimper. “Ever since I met you I’ve at least liked you, but I was able to push those feelings away until a week ago. I realized the next day that my feelings for you weren’t going to go away, and that I was in love with you.”
Still, silence.

Rainbow slowly opened her eyes and carefully cast her gaze to her friend. Applejack didn’t look like she could change the look of surprise on her face. Finally the farmpony blinked a few times.

“You’re in…that’s why you’ve…been havin’ these attacks?” she asked, horrified. “Rainbow Ah…Ah don’ know what to say…Ah didn’t even know ya’ll liked mares that way…let alone me.”

“I’m sorry. I just needed to get it off my chest-”

“No Rainbow, Ah get it,” said Applejack. The orange earth pony sighed and looked to the ground between them. “But…”

Oh no…thought Rainbow.

“But Ah can’t tell ya’ that Ah feel the same way. You’re a great friend Rainbow but Ah just don’t like mares that way. I feel terrible fer causin’ ya’ so much pain-”

“No…” Rainbow Dash interrupted, feeling her heart slow down to a dangerously low rate. She had to stop Applejack from speaking, for every word she said was a heavy-hooved stomp on her heart. She started to shake, not from panic this time, but to keep herself from sobbing uncontrollably. “It’s not y-your fault. I knew what I was g-getting into. If I didn’t t-tell you I would be back in the hospital. I’ll leave you alone now.”

Dash stood up and walked away, not able to look back. She couldn’t listen to Applejack call after her. She couldn’t let her see the tears spilling down her face like a waterfall. She couldn’t bring herself to look back into those beautiful emerald eyes.

Rainbow Dash felt like she had been walking for days once she reached the ground under her cloud house. Giving in to her sorrow, the cyan pegasus fell to her side, burying her soaked face into the lush green grass. She knew what would happen. She knew exactly what the farmpony was going to say, but Dash didn’t realize until she was rejected that she was holding on to a small glimmer of hope in the back of her mind. She desperately wanted Applejack to feel the same way, even if it was just a little bit of confusion, anything. However, realistically Dash knew for a fact that Applejack was undoubtedly…well, normal. She liked stallions, and that was it. Somehow Rainbow Dash still found some sort of hope, legitimate or not.

The sun had set past the horizon, but there was still a brilliant glow. It faded fast, and the pegasus mused with how it so perfectly resembled the state of her heart: light fading into darkness quick enough for the eye to see. Rainbow rested her head on the grass, her eyes unfocused in the direction of the long-set sun.

Suddenly something awoke in Rainbow Dash's heart like a phoenix bursting forth from its ashes. The hatred she had for her recent weakness was now all that occupied her mind. Dash couldn't live like this, wallowing in self-pity and heartache over some mare. Her pride had never been so prominent in her being before, and now it was giving her the fuel to stand on all four hooves, facing the end of the sunset in a similar fashion to when she left the hospital. The vista characterized her sorrow so perfectly, that she needed to finish the statement. She needed to bring light to the oncoming darkness.

Rainbow Dash threw aside all care for the stitching on her chest. Doctor Stable knew that even through his warnings, she would still fly. It was sort of a mutual understanding between them. So he couldn't let her go without sewing her up extra-carefully, right? Right. The cyan pegasus spread her wings to their maximum height and drove them down as hard as she could, catapulting her into the cool, evening sky. The feeling had been a long time coming, and now that it was finally here, Dash felt her old adrenaline rushing back to her soul. It was like seeing somepony for the first time in ten years. She gracefully accepted the elation as she soared upward into the sky, stopping only when she found herself hundreds of feet above the cloud layer. Rainbow looked down to find that the gauze was still dry, even if it was screaming in pain.

The ground was far enough below for her to bring the light that her heart so desperately needed. With one last powerful flap of her wings, Rainbow Dash plummeted to the ground below. The air whipped through her coat as she accelerated, her eyes watering as the wind rushed in her ears. Once Dash reached the half-way point, the pressure of the air doubled as the distinctive mach cone surrounded her. The drums beat in her ears this time, as if an orchestra had been waiting for the crescendo to finally arrive. She could hear the excited gasps of a crowd, awaiting the main event. Dash couldn't let her fans down, even if they weren't there. The mach cone darted into a sharp arrow, multicolored bolts of electricity zapping all around her. Once she felt the pressure of the sound barrier, Rainbow Dash threw both hooves out and shattered it with ease.
BOOM!

The Rainboom roared behind her, and Dash quivered with delight as she drew up right before she hit the ground. She slowed herself before skidding across the grass, looking up as fast as she could towards the sight that she needed to see. Never before had Rainbow been able to see this much of the Sonic Rainboom, especially from the ground. The prismatic shockwave spread across the starlit sky, illuminating all of Ponyville in a rainbow light. Her friends had described once before how Dash's first Sonic Rainboom had brought such an overwhelming happiness to them, eventually leading to the discovery of each of their cutie marks. Now Rainbow Dash understood what they had meant, watching the full effect of the shockwave as it faded away into the darkness. That was just what she needed. Rainbow Dash stood proudly, laughing triumphantly at the sight.

"You hear me Equestria?! I am the fastest, most agile flier! I am the strongest pegasus to come out of Cloudsdale! I am the first pony to perform the Sonic Rainboom! I am Rainbow Dash!"

Chapter Four-Broken

Broken: Chapter Four, Broken

Gilda stood resolute atop the highest plateau overlooking Appleloosa, a two-day train ride away from Ponyville. The night had overtook the sleepy western town. Far below the lights had just started to extinguish from within the windows and doorways of the shops, taverns and homes. The soft blue light of Luna's moon was the only illumination along with the bright stars overhead. However, it was just enough to see the length of the plateau, and to hide the griphon from any curious onlookers who dared to cast an upward glance. The griphon had been waiting impatiently for fifteen minutes now. She eagerly cast a glance in every direction of the sky to finally find who she was looking for. Another griphon clumsily flapped his wings, doing the best he could to level his trajectory. Gilda slapped a talon to her forehead, ashamed that a griphon a year older than her could barely fly.

Swift Wing landed on his talons, skidding across the mesa before finding his footing. Gilda snorted through her beak.

"Ya' know Swift, you need a new name, either that or some serious flight lessons," she noted. Swift Wing lowered his head in evident shame, scratching at the back of his neck. The dull gray feathers atop his head hung lazily on either side of his face. His beak was small and feminine, giving him an air of weakness. Regardless of how much teasing Gilda had shown him, she knew that Swift was a genius. The male griphon was the smartest creature she had ever met, but also the worst flier. He was a being not meant for the air like her, but for strategy, planning and decisiveness. In short, he was perfect for what Gilda had planned for him.

"Yeah, yeah I know. So I have to ask," Swift Wing started, giving her a puzzled look. "Asking me to meet you to talk is one thing, but why in Appleloosa of all places?"

"Which question are you asking?"

"Both I guess," he admitted with a solemn shrug.

"Appleloosa is as far as I wanted to go away from Ponyville. It's a whole two days away, and I didn't want to take any risks. I called you here because not only are you the only other griphon I know, but because of that big 'ol brain of yours," said Gilda. Swift cocked an eyebrow. "Our race is going to end discrimination from ponykind once and for all, and I need you help me start it."
The male griphon looked as if he was stifling a laugh, which made Gilda's wings flare.

"Is this about your banishment Gilda? Don't take this the wrong way but-"

"This isn't just about my banishment, but why it was carried out in the first place!" Gilda spat. "They permanently banished me from the area for a simple fight! Do you think that those ponies would do that to another pony? Of course not! They did this, knowing what would happen to my reputation, just because I'm a griphon, and not a freaking pony! And don't go thinking that this was just a one-time thing! I've spent the last two days researching the Canterlot Archives on the history of Equestria, and do you know what I found? I found years of records relating to 'the fear and discrimination' of griphons. Fifty years ago was the War of the Skies, a five-year battle between griphons and ponykind. This resulted in the near-extinction of our race! And even now things like my banishment are still occurring! What does that tell you Swift Wing?!"

The male griphon seemed to chew on that for a moment. He sat down on his haunches, absentmindedly rolling a pebble between his talons. He looked completely lost in thought, evidently mulling over Gilda's words. She was indeed impatient, but knew that Swift's help would be imperative to her cause. So she waited, turning away from the griphon and letting him think.

"Well," he started finally, catching her glance. "I've of course known about the war, but thought that there wasn't any aftereffects save for the fall of griphonkind. I never thought that there was still this stigma to our race. But you're right, I guess there still is."
Gilda stood turned away, but stared at her friend, knowing that urging his opinion wouldn't help him make his decision.

"Say I was to help you, what exactly did you plan on doing about this?"

"Revolution," said Gilda quietly. "We gather the remaining griphons from all across Equestria, tell them of our cause and take over the land, town by town. If subtle negotiations don't work, than we retaliate with force."

"Well that sounds intriguing," said Swift Wing, scratching at his chin. "But how do we convince the other griphons?"

"That's why you're here. You're a lot better with words than I am, not to mention others."

"I guess I can figure something out. Alright, yeah. You know what?" said Swift. Gilda looked back to him with an expectant look on her face. "I'm sick of being treated with such fear and hate. Okay, I'll do it. I'll help you."
-=-

The sun finally set completely over Sweet Apple Acres, and Applejack was still sitting on the same spot on the hill, taking in the previous week, but mostly the last hour. Rainbow Dash, the farmer's best friend whom she'd known for four years had, out of absolutely nowhere, told Applejack that she was in love with her. Where had that come from? Dash had never shown any sign whatsoever of liking mares in a romantic way, let alone her. What's so special about me, thought Applejack. Why would she love me? The farmpony let herself fall onto her back, gazing at the star-speckled night sky.

She heard heavy-hooved steps coming towards her, but didn't need to avert her eyes from the stars to know who it was. Big Macintosh sat next to Applejack, a reed hanging between his teeth.

"Ya' don' look too good AJ. Did you two figh' or somethin'?" he asked. Applejack didn't waste any time before answering.

"She told me she loves me," she breathed, the words unreal to her. "She said that's why she's been up all night, why she can't eat or fly righ'. Rainbow was in the hospital 'cause o' me."

"Now AJ," said Big Mac. "Ah know ya' know that it's not yer fault. And Ah'm sure tha' Dash feels the same."
BOOM!

The ground shook as the night sky suddenly flourished with the most recognizable sight in Equestria, a Sonic Rainboom. The ever-growing spectrum of light spread horizontally from less than a mile to the East, near Rainbow Dash's home. Applejack found herself smiling, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Well it looks like she's feelin' better," said Big Macintosh. Applejack nodded.

"Ah sure do hope so, 'cause it made me feel a lot better."
-=-

Rainbow Dash flew up to her cloud house, gasping for breath as her chest seared in pain. Thankfully the stitching held tight, so all that she needed was sleep. Her wings hadn't been used like that in a week, not to mention the fact that she hadn't performed the Rainboom in a year.

"Totally...worth it," she panted. From the corner of the living room Dash heard a familiar sound. She looked around the corner to find Tank with his head laying in an empty food bowl. Rainbow shrieked and darted over to the cupboard, fumbling with her pet's food bag in her mouth, dumping its contents into the bowl.

"Oh Jeeze Tank, I'm sorry! I should have sent Fluttershy here to feed you while I was gone!" said Dash, nuzzling the tortoise affectionately. Tank seemed to give her a small smile before slowly taking a bite of his greens.

Rainbow felt terrible for leaving her beloved pet unfed for almost a full week. What would she have done if she found Tank laying in the middle of the floor, dead because of her? After the heart-wrenching week she had been forced to deal with, there as no way that Rainbow could cope with death.

Dash flinched at the crack of lightning coming from her door. A pegasus was knocking. This thought made her now-faint heart sink. It must have been her boss. Who else could it be? There was no way that he could have known about her stay in the hospital, and he wasn't a very lenient pony. Rainbow had been threatened with demotion the next time she took a day off without a doctor's note, which she neglected to retrieve. She hoped to Celestia that the stitching to her chest would be proof enough, for she simply didn't have it in her to argue right now, especially after having her heart stomped on. Rainbow Dash waited until the second knock to answer the door, subconsciously hoping that the visitor would simply give up after the first try. The cyan pegasus sighed and slowly walked over to the cloud door, opening it with a slight cringe.

Rainbow sighed with an immense amount of relief when she saw Fluttershy on the other side of the threshold. When Dash's oldest friend saw her, the yellow pegasus positively beamed. She bolted forward, wrapping her forelegs around Rainbow's neck.

"Rainbow Dash! Oh, I was so worried!" she shrieked. Rainbow would have smiled except for the fact that her wound was screaming in protest to the embrace.

"Ack! Fluttershy! You're hurting me!" Dash gasped, taking a huge breath once her friend hastily let her go.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't know, I didn't see your injury! Twilight was very vague about your condition and told us not to visit you yet, but then I saw that Sonic Rainboom and I just figured-"

"Fluttershy," said Dash flatly, shushing her friend immediately. "Come on in, you can freak out inside."

The yellow pegasus bit her lip and followed her friend inside as the door was closed behind her. Fluttershy immediately strode over to Tank, saying hello to the tortoise before sitting down on her haunches, watching Rainbow Dash pace back and forth. Dash noticed a pair of saddlebags on her friends back, but decided that it wasn't important.

"So..." Fluttershy started quietly. "Is it alright if I ask you what happened? Well, we were told that you had...surgery from heart palpitations, but we don't know what caused it..."
Rainbow processed that for a minute.

"Yeah...yeah I did," she said quietly. Dash couldn't tell her about why she started having the attacks, it was simply too painful. She just had her heart broken less than an hour ago, the wound was still fresh. However, Twilight wasn't the only pony that knew of her secret anymore, but also Applejack. Rainbow had a feeling that the farmpony would eventually confide in somepony. From that standpoint, Rainbow knew that keeping it from her oldest friend was only delaying the inevitable. She sighed, sitting down a few feet from her friend. "I guess I should tell you."

"Oh, you don't have to if you don't want to..."

"You're gonna find out anyway."

Rainbow Dash recalled the events of the past week, not pausing for Fluttershy's gasps and looks of shock. She knew that she had spoken as quickly as she could, but to Dash, it still felt like an eternity. She had to push through the barrier of her confession, so the speed of her words was a necessity. Not to mention every word seemed to cut into her soul, reflecting upon the rejection.

"Ah...oh Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy quivered. Rainbow couldn't say another word after that, for her heart had jumped into her throat, choking her voice. Her friend looked as if she wanted to hug Rainbow, but held her composure. "I'm so sorry, I-I didn't know. Oh this is bad. This...ohh..."

"It's in the past 'Shy."

"No, it's not that, it's..." Fluttershy started, something obviously burdening her mind. This caught Dash's attention. What was her friend trying to say? Instead of asking, Rainbow Dash simply strode over and plopped her haunches to the floor, giving her friend a level look. It wasn't angry or menacing, but...unnervingly level. It was a look that Rainbow could only use when Fluttershy was hiding something from her. She had known her since they were fillies, and found that just like The Stare, Rainbow also had her own sort of forceful look. Fluttershy cowered under the gaze, visibly shaking.

"Okay, okay!" the yellow pegasus cried out. "Please just stop!"

Rainbow Dash complied, relaxing a bit after scooting back a foot or two, giving her friend room to breathe. Fluttershy shuddered, shaking her pale pink mane from her eyes and doing her best to look Dash in the eye. She pulled an envelope from her saddlebag, placing it on the floor between them before covering it with a hoof.

"Now before I give you this, please just know that I wasn't expecting you to tell me...that story. I didn't know that you were...rejected like that. I was going to wait until tomorrow after I heard that but...you don't seem to want to wait," she explained in a small voice. She was right. Apparently whatever was in that envelope was only going to hurt Rainbow further. She knew that the best way to go about this was to try and draw out her current uplifted mood by reading it tomorrow. But Dash couldn't wait, she couldn't bring herself to put off any more pain that she knew was inevitable. Rainbow hesitantly took the letter and read the front of the envelope. It was from the office of the Weather Department. It wasn't sealed either. That was weird. It looked as if it were never meant to be kept secret, but merely to hold whatever letter it bore.

"Th-The H-Head of the Weather Department saw me in Cloudsdale the other day and instructed me to give it to you," said Fluttershy, her voice barely more than a squeak. With that Rainbow tore the letter out of its envelope and immediately began reading it:

Miss Rainbow Dash,

Time and time again you and I have had our share of rows regarding your attendance. While you have proven yourself to be a magnificent and efficient worker, far outclassing any other Chief of Weather in all of Equestria, you have been (for one reason or another) unable to come to work. I have reminded you in the past that the Weather Team is only as strong as its leader, and recently it has been unacceptably weak. I received word of your "sickness" at the beginning of the week, only to spot you out and about at Sweet Apple Acres and in Ponyville. Obviously you do not care for the importance of your position. This puts me in a difficult spot, for now I have to find somepony who will. I take no pride in doing this, but I fear that I will have to follow our Department policies and terminate your position on the Weather Team.

From the Desk of the Head of Weather.

Rainbow Dash read the letter three times before absentmindedly letting it fall from her hooves and onto the cloud floor. How did this...why did this... She just couldn't believe it. How did this happen? Didn't Doctor Stable send her boss a...Oh no, she realized. Dash shuddered as she remembered what kept Stable from sending her supervisor a letter of release. The doctor had wiped not just her fee from existence, but also the record of her ever being there. Without any record, the staff of the hospital had no medical release to send. Suddenly her heart fell from her throat to the pit of her stomach. She just got...fired. She was unemployed, over something that wasn't even her fault.

"I got that letter two days ago," said Fluttershy, her meek voice somehow breaking the silence. "But I heard that...I heard that Cloudkicker already got the position."

Rainbow looked up at her friend, familiar tears streaking her face. The yellow mare promptly hugged her again, letting her friend sob into her mane. Nothing was going right, and everything was falling apart. Her entire world was crumbling around her, faster than she could put it back together. Why was this happening? What did she do to anypony to deserve this pain? Why was it all happening at once? Eventually Rainbow lifted herself from Fluttershy's caring hold, unable to even speak. Dash stared unfocused at the floor, feeling her entire being tear at the seams. The only good thing about that week had taken her job away from her. As if being grounded for days, having surgery and having the love of her life rejecting her wasn't enough. Rainbow couldn't even cry after all these things hit her at once, but she did feel something shatter in her soul. It wasn't her heart, that was already utterly destroyed, but it was just...her. She had shattered. Rainbow Dash was simply...broken.

"Rainbow Dash?" she heard the other pegasus say, heavy with worry. "It's going to be alright, we can find you a new job."
Dash said nothing.

"Dash please."
Nothing.

Rainbow was done crying, fed up with trying to be happy anymore. There was simply no point.
-=-

Applejack watched the night sky as if she were looking for something, only to find Luna's moon shining as brightly as ever. She was walking through downtown Ponyville, dodging glances of the few last-minute shoppers and couples enjoying the beautiful night. The farmpony was doing her best to keep her path to the shadows, not wanting to run into anypony but Twilight. While the Rainboom did lift her spirits and ease the guilt a little, she still needed to talk to the unicorn about what had happened. Not only was she a pony with a head for level advice, but it was evident that the secret she was bearing was of Rainbow Dash's feelings. Somehow it just made sense to talk to her rather than any other pony.

Applejack had more weight on her shoulders than she ever had back on the farm. She knew that Rainbow's pain wasn't really her fault, but that didn't stop the guilt. Dash was in the hospital because of her feelings for her. She had surgery because of her love. Could they ever be friends after this? Even if they tried, Applejack could never forget her friend's words. The dream made me realize…it’s been because…I love you. Love. That word rang in her head like a church bell. It was such a powerful word, she had known that. But the farmer had never heard it spoken with any actual meaning behind it. Rainbow Dash spilled her entire heart and soul into that word, but Applejack couldn't except it. She just rejected it, she rejected Rainbow. Had she spoken too soon, acting purely on the shock of the declaration of love? No, she thought. Ah acted on what Ah am. Ah'm just not inta' mares. That's all.

The orange earth pony arrived at the front door of the library to find all the lights on, shadows playing against the drawn curtains. There was no music, so she dismissed the idea of a party. She rapped her hoof on the door, awaiting the pony she could hear trotting up to the threshold. The door opened to reveal the purple unicorn, wearing an exhausted expression. Once she realized who the visitor was, her face brightened.

"Oh! Applejack, how's it-"
She was interrupted by a sudden bounce of pink curls from the interior of the library.

"Ooh! OOH! Is that Applejack?!" squeaked Pinkie Pie, bouncing in and out of view from behind Twilight's shoulder. "Hey! Jacks! Hey are you coming in?"
Applejack turned to whisper to the unicorn.

"Uh, Ah wasn't expectin' you havin' company."

"Neither was I," Twilight noted, a dull look in her eyes. It was evident where her exhaustion was coming from.

"Um Twi', is there any way Ah can talk to ya'll in private-like?" asked Applejack.

"Well, Rarity and Pinkie Pie are here right now, and Fluttershy will be right back," said the unicorn. "Their all really eager to know about Rainbow."
That struck a pang of guilt in her heart.

"It's alright Twi', she told me. Ya'll don't have to keep her secret from me."
Twilight raised her eyebrows, giving her a look that said, Annnnnnd?

"Ah jus-"

Before Applejack could finish her sentence, Pinkie had squeezed between Twilight and the door frame, shoving the two inside.

"What are you two waiting for? Fluttershy's gonna be back and tell us if Dashie's okay!" she said, shoving the two ponies with unexpected ease. Applejack felt herself tense up like a board, forcing the pink mare to fall forward and onto the floor, face first.

"Wh-Wha?" she stammered as Pinkie recovered and closed the door.

"Well we had to know if she was alright," said Rarity matter-of-factly. "And Fluttershy volunteered to go and check up on her, being a pegasus and all."

"Yeah! Did you see the Sonic Rainboom?" asked Pinkie. "We figured that she was doing better so Fluttershy went to go and see her!"

Applejack felt her eyes widen. None of them knew about Rainbow's secret except for Twilight. Would she tell Fluttershy? For some reason she didn't feel comfortable with all of her friends knowing about the event. It just seemed...private. Applejack felt that she could only talk to Twilight considering she already knew. But then again, they all were Rainbow's closest friends, it couldn't be a total disaster. The orange earth pony merely found a seat at the table in the kitchen, slumping into it. Twilight followed her, thankful that Pinkie and Rarity had found something to distract themselves. Applejack leaned on her elbows, letting her hat fall low over her face.

"So how are you doing?" asked Twilight as she sat next to her friend.

"Guilty," she answered. "terrible and guilty."

"Why's that?"

"Ah dunno. It's stupid really. Ah just feel like it's mah fault tha' Dash had been in such bad o' shape. Ah know tha' there's nothin' Ah could do, but Ah still feel bad."

"It's not stupid," said Twilight softly. "It's understandable. Thankfully you do indeed understand that it's not your fault. It sounds like you just need closure."
Applejack cocked an eyebrow at the unicorn.

"Closure?"

"Yes, in one form or another," Twilight started. "I think that once Rainbow has had some time to mull things over you can just talk to her. But I need to know...do you like her? You know, that way?"
The farmpony found herself hesitating before replying:

"No, Ah don't exactly approve of the idea of two mares gittin' along like that. Ah'm an ol' fashioned pony, from an ol' fashioned family. Ah mean sure Ah can understand why somepony could find Dash attractive but other than that..."
Twilight raised her eyebrows.

"So do you not approve of Rainbow Dash then?"

"Wha? O' course Ah approve...no Ah...Ah don't...Ah dunno Ah guess," Applejack sputtered, burying her face in her hooves, not knowing what to think anymore. What did she think of Rainbow Dash? She couldn't be blamed for her lifestyle. If she liked mares then so be it. Even if Applejack couldn't see it, it wasn't really her place to pass judgement. Applejack sighed, covering her head with her stetson.

Somewhere behind them a window opened, and Applejack spun around, finding that she was hoping for a certain pegasus to appear. However, it was Fluttershy, looking levels beyond crestfallen. It was as if the yellow pegasus didn't know whether to feel sad, shocked or frightened. Everypony gathered around her, sputtering with anxious questions. Applejack merely remained in her seat, but facing her friends. Fluttershy didn't speak.

"Come now darling what happened?" asked Rarity, impatience lacing her voice. "Don't keep us waiting all night!"

"Oh, um...I..." she whispered. "She's really...It's not good."
Silence followed as everypony held their breath, with Applejack on the edge of her seat.

"She...She just got home and found out that she...Rainbow Dash just lost her job."

Applejack's heart sank. She didn't care that her jaw was hanging. Rainbow lost her job? How? The farmer couldn't believe it. What else could go wrong in that poor pegasus' life? Now it felt indefinite to Applejack; it was her fault. All her fault. Her best friend's life was falling apart, because of her.

"She's in really bad shape, she's been through way too much this week, and now she doesn't have a job. Rainbow won't say anything, she won't respond to anything I say or do. It's like she just...stopped caring about everything."

Rarity placed a hoof over her mouth. Pinkie Pie sniffed, a tear rolling down her face. Twilight was staring at the floor, seemingly pained at knowing what was going on but unable to say anything. Applejack just...she just couldn't believe it. What had she done?

"Rainbow Dash really needs our help, and I don't know what to do," Fluttershy concluded.

"I do," came Twilight's voice, hoarse but strong. She turned her head to Applejack, a look of determination on her face. "And I think you do too."
Suddenly all eyes were switching between the two ponies.

"What do you mean dear? How does Applejack know...What is going on?" Rarity demanded.

"Ah can't do that Twi'," Applejack said slowly.

"I'm not asking you to feign any feelings, just talk to her."

"What if she has another fit? What do Ah do then?"

"You're the only one who can help her!"

"No, Ah'm only gonna hurt her more!"

"STOP IT!" yelled Fluttershy out of nowhere. Suddenly everypony jumped in place, their eyes wide on the yellow mare. Applejack and Twilight immediately softened once they saw the tears streaking her face. She sobbed quietly as Rarity placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Applejack please. You're the only pony she'll l-listen to r-right now. Rainbow D-Dash l-loves you. She's losing herself because sh-she loves you s-so much. Everything her world is m-made out of is falling apart! I'm afraid of what sh-she's gonna do next! D-Do you know how afraid I am to leave her alone r-right now?!"

Rarity and Pinkie Pie recoiled, absolute shock upon their faces. Now all eyes were back on Applejack, whom couldn't hold back her own tears anymore. The farmpony hid her face behind her stetson as she quietly sobbed. Soon she felt three pairs of forelegs wrap around her, warm and comforting.

"B-But what do Ah do? Ah just got through rejectin' her! Ah'll only hurt her more! Ah can't take that girls, Ah jus' can't take that! An' neither can she!"

"I know Applejack," came Twilight's soft voice. "But if you don't talk to her now who knows what she'll do. Dash is in desperate condition, and you're the only one who can help her. You don't have to love her, just be there for her."

Applejack sniffed, closing the valve to her tears. She lowered her hat as Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Rarity let go of her. The farmpony simply stared at Twilight, wishing that she had all the answers. What would she even say to Rainbow? I'm sorry you love me but tough cookies? She just didn't know what to do.

"Dya' really think she'd...Dya' think she'd actually do somethin'...drastic?" Applejack asked Fluttershy desperately. To her horror, the yellow mare said nothing, but simply stared at her. "She wouldn't kill herself Fluttershy! Ah know she's depressed but she wouldn't..."

The words grew tight in her throat as Fluttershy continued her silence. If Fluttershy, Rainbow's oldest friend whom clearly knew her, didn't know what she would do then...no. Applejack couldn't sit there anymore. She leapt to her feet in sudden anxiety.

"Twilight, get that cloud-walkin' spell a-goin'. After that Ah want you girls to wait under Rainbow's house while Ah get mah lasso. Ah wanna make sure she doesn't do nothin' stupid," Applejack ordered. Twilight immediately zipped off to the bookshelves, searching for whatever book held the spell she needed. The farmer went to speak again, only to be interrupted by a door opening upstairs, followed by a sleepy-eyed baby dragon descending said stairs. Spike rubbed the sleep from his eyes, clutching a scroll with a familiar red ribbon tying it together.

"Hey girls," he yawned wearily. "Is Twilight down here? She got a letter from the Princess."

Twilight couldn't have entered the room fast enough. She had found the book she was looking for, which was now in her mouth. The unicorn spat out the text, her eyes wide on the scroll.

"A letter from the Princess? Now?" she stammered. "Spike, tell her I'm sorry but I can't take her letters right now!"

"This is the third one she sent in five minutes," Spike replied with an air of worry. "I had to have a coughing fit before I could come downstairs. Whatever she's trying to tell you, I guess it's important."

"I'm sorry Spike, but Rainbow Dash is in danger," replied Twilight. Applejack was amazed. Was she really refusing an urgent letter from Princess Celestia? It was an odd sight to take in, but it was understandable.

"Danger? What happened?" asked the baby dragon worriedly.

"No time!" Twilight exclaimed, turning to Applejack as she flipped through the tome from the library. She immediately found the spell, and wasted no time casting it. A violet glow erupted from the unicorn's horn, and instantly Applejack felt her hooves tingle, feeling lighter and somehow softer. Once she recognized that the spell was complete, she rushed out the door and into the cool night air towards Sweet Apple Acres, her friends not too far behind.
Hold on Rainbow Dash, I'm comin'. Jus' don't worry that pretty lil' head o' yers.

Chapter Five-Heroes

Broken: Chapter Five, Heroes

Blue. A cool midnight blue washed over the cloud layer, illuminated by Luna's moon. The cyan pegasus had always admired the sight, simply for the color if nothing else. It always granted her a sense of numbing peace. It was her favorite color; the deep, flowing sapphire could only be justified by the natural moonlight. No paint or picture could capture the color in its pure, unadulterated light. Tonight however, Rainbow Dash couldn't find peace in the sight. Instead she couldn't help but find the color burying her deeper into her depression. Nothing made her smile anymore. Nothing could repair the damage done to her being. Everything in her life had ended. Her job, her pride, her friendship with the pony she couldn't help but love, and worst of all her spirit. Her brain felt numb, as if it had been beaten past sanity. She couldn't move, she couldn't think. But she could still feel, only it was nothing but the ache in her chest. Now Rainbow understood what the term 'broken heart' had meant. It literally felt broken, like somepony had physically cracked it in twine.

Rainbow Dash had retreated to the highest cloud above Ponyville, sitting on her haunches and gazing at the moon, wishing that it would somehow heal her tattered soul. It was a silly thought, but it was the only thing reminding her that she was still alive, if one could even call it that. Her eyes had grown fuzzy, staring directly into the light for an unknown amount of time. Finally Rainbow found the strength to look away, down towards the ground far below. From here all of Ponyville was visible, like a meticulous miniature model that belonged to a foal at play. The clock tower that was the town hall didn't seem so high now. Dash felt like she was in a different world up here, like the Earth was in a completely different dimension. Maybe this was what the ground looked like from Heaven. Huh, Heaven. A tale that her parents had told her about, a land up in the sky for the purest of deceased hearts. Up in the sky, just like Rainbow Dash had liked it. Far away from her cares, her problems and her home. Could she even call it home anymore? It certainly didn't feel like it. Maybe this heaven wasn't such a bad idea. Would she have made it there? Rainbow Dash knew for a fact that her parents had made it there. Heaven couldn't ask for two purer souls. Her mother and father had been the kindest parents any foal could ask for. They taught her to be strong, but they also tried to show her humility, something Dash never truly grasped.

Her father, Lightning Dash, had been the closest pony ever to come to the Sonic Rainboom. It was his life's dream to accomplish the technique, but perished soon after he reached Mach One, breaching just past the sound barrier. The day Rainbow Dash had performed the world's first Sonic Rainboom, she had visited her parent's grave. I did it Daddy, she had said all those years ago. I did the Rainboom! Did you see it? I...I guess I just wish you were here to see it up close, and not all the way from Heaven. It was pretty bright though, and so much bigger than anypony ever thought! But...I guess I did brag a little bit, sorry Mommy. I just hope you two are proud. That's all I want.

The memory had very seldom crossed her mind, and when it did, Dash would find herself smiling stupidly, tears rolling down her trembling face. But it was too late now. Her eyes had forgotten how to produce tears at this point, and the thought merely slammed itself into the barrier around her mind that was her broken spirit. The thought raced through her mind like a hummingbird scouting for food: Heaven. It seemed like a good risk to take. She could simply leave this unforgiving world behind and finally see her parents again. Rainbow Dash had never wanted to see them more than right now, when her life was at its lowest point, when her proud heart was at its weakest. She imagined their love and hugs could dispel her pain, blowing it away like a leaf in a breeze. It was all so simple. Her solution to everything was a mere drop to the ground below. So if it was so easy, why was she still sitting on the cloud? What was holding her back? Rainbow had nothing in this world to stick around for except the pain. Her family was waiting for her, and all it took was for her to lean forward and close her eyes, letting gravity take her life of misery and put it all behind her, never to be thought of again. It was so easy, and yet Rainbow Dash stayed there, merely thinking and not acting.

Her parents, even in Heaven, would never accept their daughter taking her own life, even if she made it there on those terms. They died true, honest and hardworking ponies that never deserved such a fate. Rainbow Dash vaguely recalled the night she returned home from her first day at flight school to find her home quiet. It had only taken a few minutes for her to find the bloodied bodies of Lightning Dash and Thunder Boom, cold and lifeless in the middle of the floor. She remembered looking up at the window through tear-filled eyes to see a large creature, shrouded in darkness from the night sky flying off without a single word. Her parents had been murdered that night, the two most beloved ponies in all of Cloudsdale, gone without justice or reason.

"Mom, Dad...It's me, Rainbow," Dash choked out, her voice hoarse. "I know I haven't talked to you in years but...I just wanted to say that I love you, and that I miss you."
Rainbow paused for a beat, taking in a shuddering breath.

"Actually, that's not all that I wanted to say I guess," she continued, gazing up to the stars. "I wish you two were here, 'cause I sure could use your h-help...I d-don't know what to do anymore. My life has just f-fallen apart, and I dunno if I can pick up the pieces. It's just too hard, and I d-don't know why I can't just catch a break."
Rainbow Dash had to pause again, screwing her eyes shut as her face grew wet with tears.

"Why c-can't you two be h-here right now? Even if it was just for one hug, that's all I want. I don't care if I die tomorrow, if I could just have one last h-hug..."

Rainbow Dash broke down into a new wave of sorrow. Her tears warmed her cold, tired face, dripping right through the cloud and down to the ground. She sobbed into her hooves, her wailing muffled by the cloud she let her face drop into. She hadn't thought about her parents like that in years. Although the memories brought her pain, she felt a warm sense of life blossom in her soul. Rainbow was crying because she was alive.

"J-Just give me a sign, anything at all..."

As soon as she ended her sentence, the still, cold night air suddenly shifted and blew through her prismatic mane. As if in spite of the cold night, the gust was as warm as a summer's day, causing the pegasus to blink a couple of times. It was warm, and somehow reassuring. The breeze was so audible, Rainbow didn't know if she was hearing things when it seemed to whisper:
We are so proud of you...
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, brimmed with tears.

"Mommy...Daddy...?"
-=-

Applejack sat there, about a hundred feet below the pegasus on a cloud of her own. Her face was drenched with tears, her breath shuddering in small inaudible gasps. The orange earth pony had heard everything. Rainbow Dash sat above her, speaking to her deceased parents and crying out into the night. Applejack did all that she could to keep quiet, careful not to let her friend hear her sobs and gasps from the sorrowful words. Her heavy heart doubled in weight as she watched Rainbow mourn the loss she had experienced all those years ago. Applejack had never known that her friend's parents had passed. The pegasus spoke as if she were a wounded filly, crying out desperately to her lost and broken family. Rainbow had exposed a facet of her personality that Applejack had never known existed: her tainted past. Watching Rainbow Dash fall apart like that was the saddest thing that the farmpony had ever witnessed, and it touched her heart in a way that she couldn't explain. The orange mare had never felt such sorrow, for herself or for anypony else. What her friend was going through wasn't something that she could ever handle. Applejack may have been a strong mare, taking care of Sweet Apple Acres alongside her brother since she was a filly, but she knew that she could never keep her sanity by going through what Rainbow Dash was going through.

Finally the orange earth pony felt her throat tighten, unable to hold back to oncoming wave of tears. As quickly as she could, Applejack leaped from cloud to cloud, descending towards the ground from the path she took to rise. Once she hit the grass, her friends ran over to her, asking what happened with hushed voices. The farmer couldn't look at any of them, but instead clamped her eyes shut.

"Twilight, get me outta here," she cried in a whisper. "Somepony s-stick around, but not too c-close."

Applejack let her tears run free once inside the library, accompanied by Twilight and Rarity, both steadying her as she fell onto the couch in a mess of sorrow. She hid her face from the world, sobbing into a pillow that she held a firm grip onto with her forehooves.

"Applejack dear, what happened?" asked Rarity, rubbing the farmer's back with a gentle stroke of her hoof.

"Tha' poor lil' filly," Applejack managed to say. "Sh-She's goin' through too much. Ta' still be alive after everything that's happened to 'er! Wh-What 'ave Ah done?! Why couldn't Ah have just given h-her a chance? Why am Ah so cotton-pickin' thick-headed?!"

"Applejack, what are you talking about?" asked Twilight, although in vain, for the orange mare simply sobbed harder than she ever had in her entire life. Her heart was on fire, feeling an enormous amount of depression for her friend. In that moment she wished that she did like mares, if only to do whatever she could to numb Rainbow Dash's years of pain and misery. She just wanted to make the poor pegasus happy again. She needed to see Rainbow flying through the skies again. She needed to hear her boasting about some new trick. She needed her to be...Rainbow Dash.

It took well over an hour for Applejack to calm down. Knowing how dehydrated she was, Twilight brought her a nice tall glass of water along with ice and a straw. The orange mare threw the straw away and hastily guzzled the glass's contents, chewing on the ice afterward. Rarity and Twilight simply watched her, their eyes solemn and worried as Applejack sat up. Rarity didn't once wince at her lack of manners, but simply sat next to her on the couch. It was a gesture that the farmpony greatly appreciated.

"She was quiet for so long, jus' starin' at the ground from so high up," Applejack started with a sniff. "Then she started talkin' to the stars, to her parents."

"Wait," Twilight breathed. "Her parents are..."
Applejack nodded, unsurprised that nopony else knew.

"It was jus' so sad. She spoke to them, sayin' tha' she loved them, an' missed 'em. She asked fer their help, hopin' fer anything to see 'em again," she explained. "Ah never knew...How could Ah 'ave known? The way she's always boastin' and braggin...How could anypony have known about tha'? It jus' makes me feel more an' more guilty fer not givin' her a chance. All Ah wanted to do was put mah pride aside and kiss 'er, jus' ta' take her pain away. Ah wouldn't have liked it, but if it made her happy Ah..."
Applejack trailed off then, not knowing what her mind was thinking anymore.

"You wanted to kiss her?" asked Twilight perceptively.

"Jus' ta' at least try an' make her feel better. But if Ah did tha', it would just hurt her more knowin' tha' Ah didn't have mah heart into it. Why couldn't Ah jus' be inta' mares like her..."

"Oh darling. It's not your fault, and you're right; you can't feign feelings for her, even if it made Rainbow Dash happy. You would be lying to not just yourself but also her, which I know you're not capable of doing," said Rarity.

"Exactly," agreed the purple unicorn. "You can't blame yourself anymore Applejack. In the end this is something that Rainbow needs to overcome herself. I was wrong, you weren't the one that needed to help her."

"Well somepony needs ta' help her!" Applejack cried. "Ya'll didn't hear her like Ah did. If we leave her alone ta' fix her problems herself, Ah dunno what she'll do! It's like Ah said, Rainbow Dash has gone through more than anypony should ever have ta' deal with! She was on the edge lookin' down Twilight! If Fluttershy and Pinkie weren't there right now keepin' an eye on 'er, Ah would be. But at the same time, we can't keep lookin' after 'er ferever! How do we fix her Twi'? Please tell me!"

For the first time since they had met, Applejack found Twilight utterly speechless. The violet unicorn averted her gaze, pacing back and forth across the library, clearly searching for an answer.
-=-

"Hey there," said the voice of a mare. Rainbow Dash whipped her head around to find another pegasus landing next to her on the high cloud. Dash felt her heart skip a beat once she saw who it was. Her mouth hung agape, words becoming a lost virtue. Sitting next to her was a yellow coated pegasus with a mane of brilliant flaming yellow and orange. Rainbow felt her eyes widen to the point of falling out.

"You seem lonely," said Spitfire. "Got something on your mind?"

"S-Spitfire?!" Dash exclaimed. "Wh-What're you doing here?"

"Had to get away from Soarin' and the others for a bit. I noticed that it was a beautiful night, so I thought I'd take a quick fly," said the Captain of the Wonderbolts. "That's when I saw you out here. You tend to stick out quite a bit."

Spitfire playfully flicked her hoof through Rainbow's mane. The cyan pegasus flinched, still hopelessly starstruck. The Wonderbolt laughed. It was a sweet sound, so personable and genuine. Why was she, Rainbow Dash's number one idol, sitting here and talking with her as if they were friends? Dash tried her best to relax, exhaling through her nose. The last time she was in the Wonderbolts' presence was at the Grand Galloping Gala, even if they didn't get much of a chance to talk.

"So what's going on Dash? You don't look so good," she asked sincerely. Rainbow was still in shock. Her hero had remembered her name.

"Oh no, it's nothing," said Rainbow, looking down to the ground below, not wanting to bother a star like her with her problems.

"Sure doesn't seem like 'nothing'. Look, the uniform isn't on right now, if that helps," said Spitfire, gesturing to herself. Rainbow cast a glance over to her. She had never seen Spitfire out of her Wonderbolts uniform, and it was odd seeing her without it. Dash cursed herself for noticing her elegant curves and toned body. Rainbow quickly looked away again.

"Well..." Dash started, unable to believe that she was about to confide in her idol. "It's just...love problems."

"Love huh?" the yellow pegasus repeated. "So who's the lucky mare?"
Rainbow Dash whipped her head around once more.

"H-How did you-" she stopped once Spitfire made a gesture, pointing to herself with a sly grin. Wait, she didn't mean... "You?!"

"Yup. You get an eye for others like yourself after a while. I don't make a point to letting the public know, so try and keep that to yourself okay?"

Rainbow Dash nodded quickly, not doing very well in hiding her bewilderment. Spitfire, the Captain of the Wonderbolts, was just like her. She liked mares too. Dash had wished she'd known that years ago. Maybe then she wouldn't have felt like such an outcast as a filly. Suddenly Rainbow didn't feel so alone in the world, and it brought a brief sense of warmth to her heart.

"So who is it? That over-the-top drama queen from the Best Young Fl-"

"UGH, no!" Dash replied in disgust, elated to find a smile spread across her face. Spitfire laughed.

"I didn't think so, just giving you a hard time. So who is it?" asked Spitfire, as if she would know the pony in question.

"A friend of mine," Dash admitted, the smile leaving her face. "Her name is Applejack."
Spitfire raised her eyebrows.

"From Sweet Apple Acres? The pony that keeps winning all those rodeos and farmpony competitions all across Equestria?"

"Y-Yeah, how'd you know?" asked Dash, amazed.

"Just because I'm a Wonderbolt doesn't mean I don't have an interest in other ponies with talent," she noted. "Oh yeah, she seems a lot more realistic. If I remember correctly, Applejack wasn't a bad-looking pony. Simple kind of beauty, you know?"

Rainbow Dash knew, she knew indeed. It was something that she always admired about Applejack. The farmpony had a natural beauty, one that makeup nor product could duplicate. Sure, Rarity had her own look to her, but it just wasn't something that Rainbow preferred. Dash loved how the farmer looked; lean body, free-flowing blonde mane, those adorable freckles and those deep green eyes. The thought made her chest pang again, forcing Rainbow to wince and place a hoof over her stitched wound. Spitfire flashed a concern look.

"Oh! Are you alright? I didn't notice that-"

"Y-Yeah I'm fine," Dash said before suddenly doubling over in pain. She coughed several times, drops of blood spraying across the cloud in which they sat on. That hadn't happened before. Rainbow Dash shook violently, feeling something hot and wet dripping down her chest. Her forehooves lost their strength, and she fell forward onto the soft, forgiving cloud.

"Oh my gosh, Dash!" Spitfire exclaimed. "Come on, get on my back. I'm bringing you to my doctor."

Rainbow felt the pegasus dip under her, scooping her up with unexpected ease. She didn't have the strength to argue, so she merely straddled Spitfire's back, wrapping her forelegs around her neck. Spitfire spread her wings and took off into the night, supporting Rainbow's weight without any sort of problem. Dash's forehead had grown hot and feverish, the cool wind not doing a thing to bring her temperature down. She trembled from the pain, fading in and out of consciousness.

"Come on Dash, stay with me."

Rainbow fought the familiar tunnel vision, widening her eyes in hope to stay awake. She swore to herself, feeling weak and helpless in front of her idol. Why was this happening to her? Wasn't she cured? She had coughed up blood this time, indicating an internal injury...right? Dash hadn't done anything to cause that. The only thing she felt was the pain in her heart doubling, beating weakly. Dash remembered Doctor Stable saying that she had one of the healthiest hearts he'd ever seen. Well, so much for that. Her love was destroying her from the inside, tearing her soul and now her body apart.

"Why?" Rainbow asked aloud absentmindedly. "Why do I have to feel this way..."

"Hang in there Dash, we're here," said Spitfire's voice. Rainbow opened her eyes to see the city of Cloudsdale to the left. On it's edge was a seven story tower, made of enchanted clouds just like the city. Upon its front was a large, golden lightning bolt encircled by a glittering red orb; the crest of the Wonderbolts. Normally Rainbow Dash would be freaking out right about now for entering the Wonderbolts Headquarters, but her condition prevented any sort of movement or complex thought. Rainbow closed her eyes and tried not to fall asleep as Spitfire landed, running at full bore through the enormous front doors. A few moments later Dash felt herself fall on a large, soft couch on her back. She groaned in pain, her eyes screwed shut.

"Doctor Wave! Put that darned muffin down and get over here!" she heard Spitfire yell. There was a clatter of a plate hitting a hard surface, followed by a quick pace of hoofsteps.

"Who is this?" asked the hardened voice of a stallion.

"Her name is Rainbow Dash, what does it matter? Help her!"

"Rainbow Dash," started the male voice. "My name is Doctor Wave, you're going to be alright."

"My chest," Dash groaned. "The stitch must of-ARRGH!"

She felt a pair of hooves tear away at the gauze, grazing the wound. Her chest erupted in a flaming sensation of pain, forcing tears to the corners of her eyes.

"Wave! Be careful!" Spitfire spat.

"Sorry, I'll get this opened and closed again. You're going to need a new stitch on this, but first I'm going to clean up the blood."
What?

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, not bothering to take in her surroundings but merely her own body. The wound had opened right up, bleeding profusely down her stomach and her sides. Dash made the mistake of looking directly at the opening, feeling nauseous at the sight. She reeled her head back and onto the pillow, staring at a light burgundy ceiling.

"It's alright Dash, Wave is the Wonderbolts official caretaker. He'll make sure you're alright," said Spitfire reassuringly. Rainbow looked to her, gasping when she saw blood covering her back, dripping down her side. She had gotten her blood all over her idol's coat. The Wonderbolt traced her gaze, giving her a small smile. "Don't worry about me, it'll wash out."

Rainbow tried her best to smile until she felt the a wet cloth scrub at her wound. Her pride kept her from crying out in pain in front of her hero, although she did grit her teeth and close her eyes. Her brain swam, spinning fast enough for her to faint. Rainbow fought for her consciousness, tired of passing out again and again.

It felt like hours for Doctor Wave to finish his work. He cleaned the cut, removed the old stitching and applied his own with magic. He protected it with fresh bandaging, wrapping it around the cyan pegasus several times for extra support. Rainbow Dash laid on her side, facing Spitfire, whom was sitting on a chair across from the couch. They were in a lavish sitting room, with color themes of varying reds and white. The white carpet looked thick and plush, almost like a vast cloud. Rather fitting for a team of pegasi. Between them was a large, ornate wooden coffee table with hoof-carved scroll work around the sides. Upon its surface was a cup, with some sort of steaming liquid filling it to the brim. Spitfire smiled at her, Doctor Wave standing next to Dash. The unicorn looked middle-aged. A short, white mane stood atop a charcoal gray coat. His eyes held a look of apathy, looking as if her condition didn't matter to him.

"Miss Dash," he started. "I would advise you not to overexert yourself again until that cut is completely healed. Understood?"

Rainbow nodded meekly, unaware of why the doctor was so agitated. He gave Spitfire a short bow and left the room, exiting through a large doorway to the right.

"Don't mind him," said Spitfire in a hushed voice. "He used to be in the army. He retired and then joined our team."

"No it's okay," said Rainbow. "I don't mind. I'm just grateful. Thank you for bringing me here."

"Hey, us fliers have to help each other out eh?" the Wonderbolt smiled. "So are you going to tell me what happened?"
Rainbow felt her face grow hot, looking around the sitting room for any other pony.

"Don't worry, Soarin' and the others are all asleep upstairs. We're alone."
Dash felt uneasy, looking down and pressing a hoof against the carpeting. It was softer than it looked.

"Why do you want to know? Why do you want to help me?" she asked, sincerely unaware why the Captain of the Wonderbolts was so interested in her, a simple fan, and her problems. Spitfire crossed her hind legs as she sat back in her chair.

"Well for one, I can't sleep. Two, I feel bad for ditching you at the Gala. Sorry about that by the way, we had to mingle with the big-wigs 'cause our manager said so. Three, you saved my life, along with Soarin's and Misty's. Four, I care about our fans, especially you. You have talent Dash, a real, raw talent. And I'd hate to see you fall of the face of the earth. Nevermind the fact that I went through what you're going through. That enough answers for you?"

Rainbow's heart soared for the first time in weeks. She smiled in appreciation, her lower lip trembling. Dash put the tears aside and began her story. It wasn't as easy to tell Spitfire as it was Fluttershy, her long-time friend. Still she forced the words out, never looking at Spitfire. Once she finished, she took a sip of the hot tea and gave her idol a glance. Spitfire's expression was solemn but caring, as if a younger sister had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Rainbow felt guilty for making her so sad. Who was she to burden a Wonderbolt with her problems?

"Okay," she started after exhaling. "Maybe I didn't go through...that. But it was...similar."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry. I'm here to help. You're not alone you know. My marefriend was straight before we got together. She lives in Cloudsdale, so I can visit her whenever we're not on tour."

"What happened?" asked Rainbow, incredibly curious. Spitfire gave her a cross look.

"Well that's none of your business," she spat out of nowhere. Dash recoiled. The Wonderbolt smiled before chuckling a little. "Nah I'm joking. I met Starsong at one of our shows in Canterlot. To the others she was a fan asking for an autograph, to me...she was stunning. I had just found out about myself two weeks before, and the feeling was something I didn't recognize. I gave her my signature and we talked for a while. After that we became pretty good friends. I wanted to ask her out but I knew she was...well you know, into stallions. It was hard, it was really hard. One day I confessed my feelings for her, and she rejected me. We didn't talk for a while until one day she knocked on my door. She told me that 'it was worth a shot.' One thing led to another and we started dating. We've been together over a year now."

Rainbow Dash was stunned. Her idol went through a very similar situation to hers. But Spitfire's relationship worked out, and Dash's never would. She shared her thoughts with the yellow mare.

"How do you know? It's only been, what, a few hours now? Give it time Dash. If it's meant to be it's meant to be. If not then...then it's not."

Spitfire's words were incredibly helpful, even if they were unbearably true. She was right, nowhere near enough time had passed for her worries to be this prominent. Dash was merely overreacting. Her life wasn't over like she had thought. She just needed to give it time. For all Rainbow knew, Applejack could see her in the same way...eventually...maybe. Oh who am I kidding, she thought. Applejack had told her that she didn't approve of mares being together. Dash's sudden elation was once again crushed by a divine hopelessness.

"Did Starsong disapprove of mares being together too?" asked Rainbow, her eyes half-focused on the carpet below. Spitfire's face fell.

"Oh, she's that old-fashioned. Well it could still happen. Give it a little hope."
But Rainbow Dash had run out of hope.

"I wish I could," she said in a whisper that could rival Fluttershy's. Thankfully Spitfire never heard a word of it.

"But don't worry about your job," she started. "I can pull some strings. Do you want another position in weather?"

Rainbow jerked her head up. Did she mean that? Would Spitfire really use her connections to get her another job? No, she thought. I can't use her like that.

"I really appreciate that, but it's alright. I...have a problem with taking help like that. I'll find something."

"Ah, proud sort of mare eh? I can get that," Spitfire replied. "Well tell you what, I still owe you for saving my life, so doesn't Soarin' and Misty. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me."

"Thanks," was all Dash could say. This wasn't good. Not even her hero, a mare that Rainbow Dash had always wanted a conversation with, could quell her depression. What would she do now? Her thoughts went back to the cloud she sat upon before the Wonderbolt had found her. She hoped that Spitfire hadn't overheard her words to her passed parents.

Rainbow sat up slowly, careful not to overexert her chest. Spitfire gave her a worried look, but relaxed once Dash had succeeded.

"Thanks again Spitfire, for everything, but I should get home."

"Are you sure you're okay to fly? You know that's a muscle that flexes along with your wings," said the Wonderbolt. Rainbow stopped before trying to stand. She hadn't thought of that. Her home was only a ten minute fly away, but even taking off was a risk she couldn't afford to take. Dash slumped onto her haunches, sighing heavily.

"I wouldn't try it either, don't worry," said the yellow pegasus. "Want me to fly you back?"

"Oh no, you don't have to do that."

"Well I'm gonna. Come on, you look like you need a lot of sleep," said Spitfire, standing up and stretching her wings. Rainbow smiled and followed her outside.

Spitfire flew slower this time, not having to rush Dash into care. When they arrived at her cloud home over Ponyville, Rainbow climbed off her back.

"Thank you so much Spitfire, I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you did," Rainbow smiled.

"Hey, I can't leave our number one fan hanging," she replied. "Look, I'll leave you with this. No matter what happens between you and Applejack, know that you are still you. You're a strong flier, and an even stronger mare. First love is always difficult, and it's never easy. You'll get back on your feet, don't worry about it. Even if Applejack never feels the same way, you will have plenty of choices."

"Thanks but...why would I have choices? What do you mean by that?"

Spitfire answered by wrapping her forehooves around her neck, catching Dash off guard. When she let her go, she replied:

"Because you're adorable."

With that, the Captain of the Wonderbolts flew off into the starlit night, leaving Rainbow Dash to feel a single, happy tear roll down her cheek.

Chapter Six-Fall

Broken: Chapter Six, Fall

Applejack awoke beside the couch in the middle of the library, her bangs in her face and her hat covering her eyes. The orange mare groaned when she removed the stetson to receive the full light from the rising sun. She clamped her eyes shut and climbed back onto the couch, laying back on her stomach. She hadn't fallen asleep until three o' clock in the morning, and she was still exhausted from the relentless crying and worrying. Twilight had finally read the letter from Princess Celestia, only to find that she was requesting Spike's assistance in Canterlot immediately. She, Applejack and Rarity were relieved to hear this, not being able to cope with some sort of emergency.

"Oh good, you're awake," said a voice. The farmpony lifted her head slowly, her hat falling to the floor. Rarity walked into the room, her mane tied up in a towel and her coat damp with bathwater. She recoiled when she saw Applejack's face. "Oh darling! You look terrible! Come on, get up. Now I don't care what you say, you're coming with me to the spa. You had a terrible night and you need help to relax."

"Is Rainbow Dash okay?" asked Applejack, not wanting to argue right now. Rarity paused.

"Oh! Yes dear, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy came back this morning after you fell asleep," she explained. "They said that they saw Spitfire from the Wonderbolts fly by and land on Rainbow's cloud."
That woke Applejack up immediately. She shot up to her haunches, her jaw agape.

"What? What would she want with Dash?" she asked.

"I don't know," answered Rarity simply. "Fluttershy said that they were too high up for either of them to hear their conversation. But they did say that Spitfire flew off with Rainbow Dash on her back. They said that she didn't look too good from their point of view."

"Huh? Wha...Is she okay? Wha' happened?!"

"Pinkie Pie said that after a while Spitfire flew her back to Rainbow Dash's house in the clouds, and then left," said Rarity. "Once they heard Rainbow Dash snoring they came back here before leaving. They were up all night, so they're both at home sleeping. Personally I didn't even know that Pinkie Pie could sleep."

Applejack smiled ear-to-ear, finally relaxing. She could breathe now, knowing that her friend was at least able to sleep. Maybe Spitfire came to welcome Rainbow Dash into the Wonderbolts finally. If anything would make the pegasus feel better, it would be that. It didn't matter, the farmpony didn't speculate. Her friend was okay, not about to take her own life. Suddenly Applejack was overcome with this happiness, feeling her eyes burn with the threat of tears.

"Are you alright dear?" asked Rarity with a look of concern. Applejack nodded as a warm tear rolled down her face. The white unicorn hugged her gently.

"She's okay..." Applejack whispered. "Ah'm jus' happy she's okay."

"We all are dear," Rarity replied softly, letting her go. She gave the orange mare a sad look. "Applejack, please don't take this the wrong way but..."

Applejack straightened up, wiping the tears from her eyes. It didn't matter what the unicorn was about to say to her. She was overwhelming relieved to hear that Rainbow Dash was okay, and even had a chance to be with her idol.

"Go ahead Rarity. Ah couldn't get mad righ' now if Ah tried," she smiled.

"Thank you dear, but I wanted to ask you...are you absolutely sure that you don't have the teeniest tiniest of feelings towards Rainbow Dash?"

Applejack went to reply with the obvious answer, but then found herself stopping. Rarity looked as if she were trying her hardest to be patient, which she ignored. The orange mare fiddled with her hat between her hooves, trying to contemplate her friend's question. She knew why Rarity had asked the question, she wasn't as dumb as she may have been perceived. It was because of her reaction to Rainbow Dash's sorrow, and then her relief when she found out that she was okay. She bet that Twilight nor the rest of their friends had cried like a filly when they found out about Spitfire stopping by and taking care of Dash. So the question was understandable. It made sense. So doesn't Rainbow Dash, she found herself thinking. What was that? No, Ah don't like mares...if she were a stallion then maybe Ah could see feelin's fer her happenin'. Applejack exhaled.
But if ya'll could see tha' workin' out, then who are ya' ta' say that it would be wrong?
'Cause she isn't a stallion.
So? What does it matter? Feelin's are feelin's.
There's feelin's, and then there's lyin' ta' mahself.
Ya' mean like yer doin' now?

Applejack visibly flinched. Her mind was working against her, shoving emotions into her face that weren't real. But...if they came from her mind then...then of course they were real. But why would she feel this all of a sudden? Why would she like Rainbow Dash in a romantic way? She had never thought of another mare that way before. Maybe it was just...Rainbow. She was Applejack's best friend for a reason, because Dash was just like her. She was thick-headed, brash, competitive, easily confused at times...the list went on. But that was why they were best friends, not marefriends. If Rainbow Dash's personality and brain could be put into the body of a stallion, then she could see a relationship manifesting. Once this thought went through her mind, Applejack gave herself a mental slap. That mentality was so shallow. What did Rainbow Dash's gender have to do with anything? Ponies loved one another because of who they were. So at this point Applejack's problem was just the fact that Dash was a mare. She allowed her mind to drift to the memories she shared with the cyan pegasus.

Rainbow Dash was just something else. Her constant athletics had granted her a lean body, but not abandoning a simple look of beauty. Her eyes were such a deep rose, somehow not contrasting against her amazing rainbow mane. In fact they complimented it. As her thoughts roamed free Applejack found her cheeks growing increasingly hot. When she came to her senses, she found Rarity had been sitting on the floor, her forehooves underneath her chest. Apparently she had been waiting for an answer for a few minutes now. The white unicorn saw the blush upon Applejack's face and immediately knew what she was thinking. Rarity jumped to her hooves, beaming and bouncing.

"Oooooh I knew it!" she squeaked, reminiscent of Pinkie Pie. "Something's there!"

"Nothin's..." Applejack went to defend, but then stopped. "Ah mean if...If she was a...Aww confound it! Ah don't know okay?! Ah don't know what mah brain's thinkin'. It's early in the mornin'!"

"That is when the brain is the most honest!" Rarity singsonged, still bouncing on her hooves in excitement.

"Why d'ya want this ta' happen so much?"

"Well my dear Applejack, regardless of the genders of the two ponies in question, I am positively elated to hear that a new love is blossoming between two of my best friends!"

"It's not love."

"Not yet," Rarity singsonged again. Applejack couldn't argue, she couldn't lie to herself. She was just confused, that was all. She didn't know what she was feeling. The farmpony may have been stubborn at times, but she wasn't stupid. She decided that she would give her thoughts some time, especially after a cup or two of coffee.

"Did ya'll make any joe?" asked Applejack, desperate to change the conversation. Rarity quelled her excitement.

"Oh yes dear, after last night I figured you would need it. There's a pot in the kitchen."

"Thanks. Oh, and Rarity," Applejack stood up on the floor and placed both forehooves on her friend's shoulders. "Ya'll have ta' promise ta' keep the past ten minutes ta' yerself."

"O-Of course dear."

"Pinkie promise."
Rarity stiffened.

"What? Oh no you're going to make me do the whole thing aren't you?"

Applejack nodded. Rarity groaned and performed the routine before Applejack, satisfied, walked into the kitchen to try and wake up and deal with these insane thoughts. Rarity came in with her, lending a helping hoof by floating the pot of coffee over a mug and pouring it. Applejack thanked her, not bothering with milk and sugar but simply tipping it back and enjoying the caffeine.

"So you know that you owe me for keeping this enormous bit of information a secret right?" the unicorn asked.

"The spa?" asked Applejack, a sense of horror in her voice.

"The spa," Rarity agreed. The orange mare groaned, slumping back into a chair at the table. This wasn't going to be such a great day after all.
-=-

Gilda stood proudly upon the high stone mesa, grinning at the cheering crowd. At least fifty griphons roared their agreement with Swift Wing's speech. The plan went flawlessly. Swift was an absolute wordsmith. He captivated the crowd, with no word of disagreement towards their proposal. Gilda and Swift had told them of a land not filled with hatred, fear or discrimination towards griphonkind. A land that didn't punish or hate them without more reason than their race. A land where they could truly roam free, not the lie that ponykind had thrown at them. There was some speculation from a few griphons in the crowd, which Gilda had taken care of by reassuring them that "if subtle negotiations regarding our demands of law amendments don't work, than we use force. We take over any town that has the gall to disagree with us. Our demands are justified, no more, no less". It had worked, a lot easier than she had thought. This was good, it meant that each griphon on their team was committed, and had a lower chance of defecting or quitting half-way through. Each town and city in Equestria had made one sort of injustice towards their kind or another, sometime in history. With Gilda it was Ponyville. With Swift Wing it was Canterlot. Princess Celestia herself had signed the papers for Swift's banishment not just from the Capital, but also from the mountain range it stood on. All for a crime that would convict a pony to simple community service. A pony would get a week of street cleanup, a griphon however, received shame from his or her kind and a criminal record, not to mention banishment in the first place.

"This is really working," said Swift Wing after the crowd had dispersed, flying off to their respective home in waiting for their next orders.

"Of course it is. Our cause is just, and it was a long time coming. If I didn't start this regime, some other griphon would," explained Gilda, a smug look on her face.

"What will you do when we reach Ponyville?" asked Swift curiously.

"It will be no different than any other town. Just because it holds the ponies responsible for my banishment doesn't mean that it will get any special treatment."

"Wow, you really are a good leader. Nice and responsible."

Gilda nodded at the compliment, turning to the rising sun. It had only been a week since she had first met with Swift Wing, and justice was already on the rise.

-=- One Week Later-=-

Boxes lined the living room wall, all marked with varying categories such as 'kitchen,' 'bedroom' and 'bathroom.' They all were filled past capacity, especially the box marked 'trophies.' This made their owner's pride quiver, although not comparable to what it would have done two weeks ago. Her home was bare, a sight she hadn't seen in over four years. It was something that she had to force herself to not look upon, for the pain it brought hurt her even more. The sight reminded the mare of what she was doing; leaving everything behind, everything that made her...her. All of her experiences, all of her friends, all of her aches and all of her issues. Where there were problems, there were remedies solved by the next step she was taking in her life. It was painful, but also gratifying. This move was for the best, and the mare took a whole week to convince herself. But in the end the idea was the only thing that would take her away from here.

The front door opened, and three pegasi walked into the living room. Two were moving stallions, gruff and strong looking. The mare pegasus however, wasn't there to do anything but the opposite. The gray pegasus gave her a sad expression unseen before upon her face, her blonde mane hanging lazily over her crossed eyes. She looked up to the resident of the home.

"Are ya' sure ya' wanna do this? Ponies are gonna miss you...an', an'...stuff," said Derpy Hooves, her voice strained. The mare looked up to her with a face reflecting Derpy's sorrowful expression.

"I have to," said Rainbow Dash. "It's the only way."
-=-

Applejack bucked down the first apples of the day. Normally all of the tree's fruit would fall in one quick buck, but now only a few fell, as if to taunt her. She looked up at the tree to find it still full, bearing nearly all of its apples. The orange mare sighed, knowing what was wrong. It wasn't that it was the first tree after waking up merely twenty minutes ago, it was her brain, and what was occupying every thought. She had done everything she could think of to distract her mind, from bucking apples on the farm as fast as she could, to a spa treatment that Rarity had forced upon her a week ago. Applejack had of course dreaded the idea, but found the treatment to be incredibly invigorating, and even relaxing. It was something her hardworking body truly needed, even if she denied it to her friend.

Ever since the white unicorn had asked her about her feelings for Rainbow Dash, Applejack found out that she didn't know herself as well as she thought. It was a humbling experience, but it also frightened her. She had been brought up with the idea that mares were meant to be with stallions, and nothing else. In this modern world, the thought was considered "old-fashioned" or even "small-minded." Applejack may not have been a scholar, but she wasn't small-minded. Opening her mind scared her, all of these new thoughts overwhelming. What did she do with these feelings?

"Somethin' wrong AJ?" asked Big Macintosh, walking over to his sister. Applejack gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Fer the LAST TIME there's nothin' WRONG!" she bellowed, more at the tree than her brother.
That wasn't it.

"Tha's the first time Ah've spoken to ya' all day," replied Big Mac calmly despite her sister's outburst. Applejack exhaled, frightened by her sudden anger. It was there only to yell at her brother, but was gone immediately after.

"Ah'm sorry Big Macintosh."

"S'alright. Ya'll 'ave got a lot on yer mind," said her brother. Applejack had told him the previous night of everything, of the past two weeks and of her confusion. "An' it's messin' with yer work. Ya'll have been off all week."

"Ah'm tryin' Big Macintosh," said Applejack, delivering a halfhearted buck to the meddlesome tree, although to no avail.

"Ah'm not here ta' berate ya' Sis, I'm tryin' ta' give ya'll the day off," said the red stallion. Applejack froze. The day off? The orange mare had never taken a day off. Applejack could remember a day when she had come down with a severe flu at the end of a season, but the strong-willed mare kept going until she passed out in the middle of the cold orchard.

"Wha? The day off? Why of all the dumb, cotton-pickin' ideas-"

"Granny's orders."

Applejack stiffened. Why would Granny Smith order her to take the day off? The orchard's trees were completely full, and they were shorthanded as it is. Only her, Big Mac and Caramel were around to buck the trees today. The Apples needed all the help that they could get. The farmpony sat on her haunches in contemplation.

"Don' over think it or nothin' AJ. Granny needs ya'll ta' be in tip-top shape fer the season, an' if tha' means ya' have ta' take one day off, then dont'ya think that it's fer the best?" asked Big Mac, clearly quoting their grandmother's words.

"Ah...Ah jus' don't like the idea of leavin' ya'll ta' work by yerselves."

"Granny's orders," he repeated, giving her a small smile. Applejack returned the smile, getting back to her hooves. She thanked her brother and walked towards the edge of the farm, trying to think of where she could go to clear her mind. She couldn't be around her friends right now, she needed solitude. She needed to be somewhere alone. Applejack wandered around Ponyville absentmindedly, her head low in thought. The town square was packed, which was actually a good thing. This way the orange mare could blend into the crowd of shoppers, unseen as if she weren't there. She subconsciously weaved through the many ponies, her destination nonexistent.

After an unknown amount of time, Applejack found herself outside of the town, ascending a hill that granted an amazing view of the mountains to the North. She sat on her haunches at the top of the knoll, able to view the city of Canterlot, standing valiantly on the edge of the range. Overhead two pegasus stallions flew off toward the mountains, boxes between their hooves. She didn't think much of it. The only thing on her mind right now was Rainbow Dash, and the thoughts that had been occupying her mind for two weeks now. Before she had been completely confused about her feelings, but now...now...she knew what she thought. Applejack knew what her feelings meant, and now it was time to accept them. The orange mare did feel something for her friend, even if she was a mare. Somehow this didn't matter to her anymore. So what if Rainbow Dash wasn't a stallion? Applejack still felt her heart long to hold her, to comfort her, to take away all of the pain that the poor mare had endured. Suddenly the physical barrier wasn't a factor. Nothing was, except her emotions.

Applejack stood up faster than she thought. She didn't know that she would accept herself so quickly, but it didn't matter, she needed to find Rainbow Dash and...do something. Yeah, something! She turned back towards Ponyville to find Rarity galloping towards her, horror spread on her face.

"Applejack there you are!" she gasped, stopping to catch her breath. "You have to come to Twilight's library right now dear! She said it was an emergency!"

Applejack and Rarity burst through the library door. The farmpony had wasted no time in asking questions, she had merely nodded and followed her friend, hoping nothing had happened to Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Twilight were already there, pacing back and forth impatiently. The orange mare felt her heart sink when she saw that Rainbow was nowhere to be found. They all looked up as the two ponies entered.

"Applejack! Thank Celestia Rarity found you!" Twilight gasped. The purple unicorn looked terrible. Her mane had frayed in all directions, lines of worry under her eyes. "Okay everypony, we can start now."

"Twilight what is going on?" asked Rarity. "What's the emergency?"

"Yeah, you're starting to scare poor wittle Fluttershy!" exclaimed Pinkie, gesturing to the quivering pegasus.

"Wait, where's Rainbow?" asked Applejack. "This isn't about her is it?"

"No, but nopony can find her," said Twilight, her voice shaking. "We'll find her eventually, right now we have a crisis on our hooves! Princess Celestia has just sent me an urgent letter!"
The purple unicorn levitated a scroll to her face, unraveling it and reading aloud:

"Dear Twilight Sparkle, I write this letter to you under extreme circumstances. The town of Appleloosa has been taken over by a regime of griphons after a meeting with their mayor. Several ponies have been taken hostage within the small town, demanding changes in Equestrian Law. Their leader has been found saying that they are fighting for some sort of cause. Not many details have surfaced as of yet, but Appleloosa may not be their only target. My guess is that they wish to repeat this process with every town until they reach whatever goal they have their eyes set on. Take heed my faithful student, griphons are not a race to be taken lightly. They are powerful, ruthless and cunning. I have sent a letter to Mayor Mare with the same details. This is a matter not to be taken to the public, but my wish for you is to prepare. Gather your friends and organize a meeting with the Mayor. Each of the Elements of Harmony will play a specific role in this battle, if it comes to such a dire situation. I will keep you posted with any information that I receive in the meantime. My best regards, Princess Celestia."

Applejack felt a clamp tighten over her heart. Appleloosa, where her distant family had settled, had been taken hostage. Braeburn, what had happened to him? Had he been taken as well? Worry spread throughout her body and her mind, causing her to visibly shake. What was going on? Why where griphons suddenly coming out of the brush and doing something like this? They had some sort of goal, that much had been said. She couldn't help but wonder what that goal was. Knowing that could help if they came to Ponyville.

Everypony in the room was speechless, their mouths agape. Fluttershy looked on the edge of tears. Pinkie Pie held a wide-eyed stare on the purple unicorn. Rarity held a hoof to her mouth, looking towards Applejack. It was as if she had been the only pony to remember the event in Appleloosa. She didn't care though, for right now the last thing the orange mare needed was more attention. Applejack didn't know what to do. Her mind was all over the place. Her realization of her feelings for her friend, Appleloosa being in such a terrible situation...It was too much for one hour to hold.

"We need to find Rainbow Dash," said Applejack suddenly. Twilight looked up to her. "Has anypony seen 'er?"

"Not since we saw her with Spitfire," whispered Fluttershy, rubbing her eyes. "After that I don't think I've seen her at all."

"Where could she have gone?" asked Twilight, her left eye twitching with worry. "She's one of the Elements, we need her to come with us to see the Mayor."

"Ah'll look fer her," said Applejack. "I needed ta' see 'er anyhow."

Rarity shot her a hopeful look. Applejack nodded to her, answering the silent question. The white unicorn cracked a small smile, barely able to contain her happiness regardless of the situation.

"Okay Applejack, go find Rainbow and do whatever you can to get her here," Twilight instructed, gathering her composure and organized demeanor. "Fluttershy, go with AJ to scout the skies for Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie, take the balloon and circle Ponyville. I want you to let us know if you see anything out of the ordinary. Rarity, you're coming with me to the Mayor's office to start our meeting with her. I'm not taking any chances with this news. Everypony got it?"

Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy nodded purposefully, understanding their objectives. Rarity turned to Applejack once more, giving her one more sidelong look. The farmpony nodded again before turning on a hoof and bolting through the door. Fluttershy gasped and followed close behind, running instead of flying. Fluttershy kept trying to ask the orange mare what she thought of Rainbow's whereabouts, but Applejack ignored the banter. She had one thing on her mind right now: finding Rainbow Dash and...doing something before getting her to the Mayor's office. She didn't know how she could express her feelings for the pegasus, a hug? No, that didn't mean anything special. A kiss? No, too forward. But was it? Dash had confessed her love to Applejack. So was a kiss truly too far over the top? Could she bring herself to do it? Maybe a simple confession of feelings would suffice. She had never known what true love had felt like, so declaring such would be considered a lie. No, feelings were good enough. Even if it took Applejack a half an hour to say it, it didn't matter. It wasn't like griphons were attacking Ponyville now. However, she was still worried about Braeburn and her family in Appleloosa.

Applejack and Fluttershy arrived at the field underneath Rainbow's cloud home. The yellow pegasus immediately flew up to the cloud and knocked on the front door hastily. Nothing. She flew around the home, calling their friend's name and stopping abruptly once she peered into a window.

"What is it Sugarcube?" Applejack called up to Fluttershy. She heard the pegasus mutter something under her breath, even from the ground. "Fluttershy!"

"She's...gone."
What.

"Whaddya mean-"

"Her house is empty, there's nothing in there!"

Applejack felt the clamp tighten harder. Gone? Empty? What the hay... Her house was empty, so that meant...Rainbow Dash had left. She had moved away, but to where? Why? Fluttershy descended to the ground, landing clumsily in front of Applejack, whom fell to her haunches. Spitfire could have truly accepted Rainbow into the Wonderbolts, maybe she had to relocate. But why wouldn't she tell anypony? Dash had been feeling better, Applejack had been told that she was. This may have explained why nopony had seen her in the last week, but it didn't explain why she would just get up and leave her home. Didn't Dash think that her best friends would like to know about this? Moving away from her home was a huge step, and she wasn't sharing a word of it with anypony. Applejack could understand why Rainbow wouldn't want to speak to her specifically, but everypony else? None of this made sense. Suddenly her mind was more distraught than before.

"What does this mean?" asked Fluttershy weakly. "Why would she leave?"

"Ah..." the orange earth pony started, her voice little more than a whisper. "Ah dunno. Dash needsta' know what's goin' on. An' Ah...Ah needta' see 'er."

"Well what do we do?" asked Fluttershy again. Applejack was at a loss for words. She remembered the two pegasi flying over her with boxes, Rainbow's boxes. They had been flying towards the mountains, not in any general direction. Where was Rainbow Dash going? Canterlot, or somewhere secluded in the mountains? She didn't know what to do. Applejack could hop a train to Canterlot in search of her friend, but Appleloosa was in trouble. Right now she had to think objectively. The orange mare had to go and meet up with Twilight and Rarity to speak with the Mayor. Applejack could find Rainbow Dash later.

"Come on, we don' have much time. Let's get to the town hall an' meet the girls. Ah need ta' know what's happenin' in Appleloosa. We'll go and find Rainbow later," she explained.

"But we need her with us," Fluttershy interjected. "What if we need to use the Elements of Harmony?"

"Those griphons aren't anywhere near Ponyville! They're a two-day train ride away! Let's go!"

Applejack had persuaded Fluttershy to keep her mouth shut for the time being until they reached the clock tower in the center of Ponyville. Twilight nor Rarity were anywhere to be seen, so they must have been inside. Pinkie Pie was visible in the skies to the right, her hoof above her eyes, looking out across the land. Moments later they were walking into Mayor Mare's office to find Twilight and Rarity standing in front of a large, ornate desk. Behind it in a large chair was the mayor, looking calm as always with her hooves together upon the desk's surface.

"Wh-Where's Rainbow Dash?" asked Rarity.

"Couldn't find 'er," Applejack replied quickly, technically not lying.

"You've only been gone for-"

"We couldn't find 'er" she repeated heatedly. Rarity looked taken aback. "We'll find 'er later, right now Ah need ta' know if mah family is gonna be alright."

"Well come around girls and we'll get this started," said Mare, gesturing for them to come forward. "I've received the letter from the Princess. She has instructed us to meet, and discuss our defenses in the event of an attack. Now ideally we would have all six of you here, but under the circumstances we will have to make due. You all have proven yourselves quite formidable in the eyes of danger countless times before. You are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony for a reason. Now your assistance may be required again. The demands of the griphons have not currently been met and they haven't reacted very...well."

"What are their demands? What do they want?" asked Twilight.

"Those details haven't yet reached me nor the Princess as of yet," said Mare, shrugging. "But until then, we will not take any chances. For all we know there's a whole flock of griphons outside our borders right now. Now we are not going to go public with this. Ponies are generally fearful of their kind, and not without reason."

"Do you think this is because of the War of the Skies?" asked Twilight, clearly still desperate for answers.

"Miss Sparkle please," said Mare urgently. "I understand your curiosity but we simply do not have time for speculation. Now I understand from your work during the past Winter Wrap-Up that you are considerably adept in terms of strategy and organization. Twilight Sparkle, you are now Ponyville's Lead Battle Strategist."
Twilight simply beamed, standing proud. Mare turned to Rarity.

"Miss Rarity, being our town's finest fashionista, you shall fit our soldiers with any armor needs our barracks may have. You will be granted any assistance you may need from our unicorns. Is that something you can do?"

"O-Of course!" said Rarity, although halfhearted. It was obvious she disdained being in such a dirty, rough-and-tumble environment. The Mayor turned to Fluttershy, pausing before saying:

"Fluttershy, I'll need you to migrate the creatures of Ponyville to a safe location until this is all over. Do you understand?"

"Oh! Y-Yes Mayor," she squeaked. Finally, Mayor Mare turned to Applejack, a puzzled look on her face.

"Now Applejack, I must admit I'm not sure where to put you."

"Ya'll can put me up on the front line," she said, to everpony's surprise. "If Ah'm gonna be anywhere, Ah'm gonna be fighin'."

"Are you sure Applejack, griphons are dangerous beings," she said, reflecting the look of worry upon her friend's faces.

"If Ah can corral a herd o' buffalo, Ah can pluck them griphons straight outta the air. Jus' give me a rope, Ah can handle it," said Applejack, determination in her eyes. Mayor Mare took a few seconds to chew on this response. She then nodded, moving right along.

"So be it. Now I would like to keep Pinkie Pie exactly where she is. Her keen Sense can help with detecting oncoming foes. As for Rainbow Dash, I will need to speak with her about her position. Now are you two sure that you have no idea where she is?" the Mayor asked Applejack and Fluttershy. The farmpony lowered her head, beaten. She couldn't keep it a secret anymore. There was no point.

"She moved," Applejack said softly. Everything stopped. Every pony in the room shared a look of pure shock.

"What?!" yelled three different voices. Applejack closed her eyes, unable to take the truth. However, she bit her lip and explained what she and Fluttershy had found at Rainbow's home. Nopony could believe it, berating her with questions that she couldn't answer.

"Now quiet!" Mare cried, silencing the room. "Now Applejack, I have no idea what would drive Rainbow Dash to suddenly leave her home, but she absolutely needs to be here! Her intermediate weather abilities are simply unmatched, and may be necessary in protecting Ponyville! Not to mention if the Elements are required, they will not work unless she is present!"

Applejack didn't answer, she didn't look any of them in the eye. She knew that the Mayor's words were true but...how would she even start to find her?

"I'll go," said Fluttershy suddenly. Now all eyes were on the yellow pegasus. Normally the attention would cause her to flinch or cower in some sort of way. But this time she wore a look of pure determination, as if she were about to take on the world. "I'll take care of the animals immediately, and then fly off to find Rainbow Dash. If anypony has an idea of where she might be, it's me. It may take a day or two to migrate the animals, but I can do it."

"But Fluttershy, what if you run into one of those terrifying griphons?" asked Rarity.

"What if I let that scare me and we never saw Rainbow Dash again?" Fluttershy replied promptly. The response was so brave, so bold, and it was coming from Fluttershy. Her sudden bravery was inspiring, and it brought a sense of pride between the four friends.

"So be it," announced the Mayor of Ponyville. "You all have your objectives. I expect you to report to your respective stations to prepare. Twilight Sparkle, retire to your home, close the library and start planning. Rarity, tell Pinkie Pie the details of what we have just discussed and report to your Boutique and start your designs for our warriors. You will be brought the steel to start creating for unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies alike. Applejack, report to your farm and ready yourself for battle, whatever that may entail. Fluttershy, herd the creatures of Ponyville to a safe location in the Everfree Forest and start your search for Rainbow Dash. Once you find her, bring her to me. Do you all understand?"
Everypony nodded.

"Good. Now let us prepare. You are all dismissed!"

Chapter Eight-Loyalty

Broken: Chapter Eight, Loyalty

Tank fluttered around his new home, trying his hardest to gain speed in order to impress his master. However, this was to no avail. His copter-contraption only had so many speeds, and its fastest wasn't exactly the speed of sound. Meanwhile Rainbow had finished unpacking the last box in her bedroom, ignoring her trophies. They would only remind her of her past life, something she simply couldn't handle. In the meantime the box of awards was stashed away in the closet, saved but not visible. Dash sat on her newly-formed cloud bed, wrapping new bandages around her chest. It was difficult without the assistance of unicorn magic, especially in her clumsy hooves. Her job was indeed messy, but it did the job just fine. Fortunately Doctor Wave's stitch work was top notch, better than Stable's even. Then again, he was the official caretaker of the most famous and talented group of pegasi in all of Equestria. It made sense. Unfortunately Rainbow was confined to her home from the tour of her new 'neighborhood.' She had only been in the air for ten minutes overall, but it was still enough to start ripping at her wounded muscle. Rainbow got back to her hooves, pacing into the living room before a crack of lightning resounded at the front door.

"GAAHH!" Rainbow Dash yelled, frightened at the sudden sound that broke the silence. The knock was repeated immediately. One of her friends had found her. How? She had retreated to one of the highest mountains in Equestria. How had she been found so fast? Dash didn't know what to do. She couldn't pretend that she wasn't there, her cry of fright was loud enough for Tank to come through the window, concern on his small, green face. Rainbow shook in place, frozen with apprehension. Suddenly the visitor had obviously grown impatient, and the front door opened to reveal Fluttershy, panting heavily, her wings drooping at her sides. Rainbow was at a loss for words. What did she say to her oldest friend whom she had left behind, without so much as a goodbye? Dash merely stood there, her legs stiff and her eyes wide. Fluttershy took a few moments to collect herself, her breath heavy and her eyes tired.

"Rainbow Dash! What are you doing out here?!" she cried, hurt and confusion on her face.

"I...I-I-I..." Dash stammered, unable to think of an explanation.

"What are you thinking? Why would you leave Ponyville without even telling anypony?" Fluttershy asked, the bravery in her words catching Dash off-guard. "What is this about?"

"I...I can't handle being in Ponyville anymore Fluttershy," she said finally. "I just can't take the pain anymore. I need to be alone right now. Please just...leave..."
Fluttershy looked taken aback.

"What?! Rainbow Dash we need you-"

"No you don't! Nopony needs me!"

"Rainbow you don't understand!" Fluttershy interjected, her eyebrows furrowed. "Ponyville is in trouble! It's under attack and we need your help!"

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to reply, but then realized what the yellow pegasus had said. Ponyville in trouble? That was a sad excuse. She knew her oldest friend better than that. She was attempting to use her Element of Loyalty against her, and right now, Rainbow found that to be a low blow. A really low blow. The lie had hit her right in her weakened heart. She responded the only way she knew how to:

"How dare you," Dash snarled, her wings flicking up defensively as she edged towards Fluttershy threateningly. "How DARE you try something so low?! You think that I'm going to believe any of that? You think you can just walk into my home, AND STAB A KNIFE INTO MY HEART LIKE THAT?!"

Rainbow Dash's rage had been cut off completely by the last thing she had ever expected from Fluttershy. The cyan pegasus received a swift hoof straight to the cheek, throwing her head back in surprise. The punch wasn't necessarily painful, but it was absolutely surprising. Suddenly Rainbow's anger had simply left her, replaced by an enormous bewilderment. Fluttershy wore her own look of anger, but it wasn't just that. It was a hurt anger, as if Rainbow Dash had suffocated her pet bunny right in front of her.

"Are you done being so darn stubborn?!" she hollered right into Dash's face. "Griphons have taken Appleloosa hostage! And now they have an army taking over Ponyville! Ponies have died Rainbow Dash, because you were too selfish to stay with your friends and your home! Why would I ever lie about something so serious?! Applejack, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie are fighting for their lives right now! Do you really think, for even a second, that I would poke at your injured heart just to get you to come back home?! How heartless do you think I am? I've known you for years Rainbow Dash, and you've always been stubborn, but never would I even wonder if you would ever become such a self-absorbed, idiotic mare! How dare YOU, Rainbow Dash?!"

Rainbow just stood there, Fluttershy's words beating her heart and soul into a quivering, bleeding pulp. She wasn't lying. Ponyville was truly in danger, and Dash had just left them to deal with it, without so much as a backward glance. What had she done? How could she be so selfish, as her friend had said? The yellow mare was right, in every single way. Her outburst may have crippled her near-non-existent pride, but every single word was indefinitely true.

"Y-You're not...You're not lying..." Rainbow whispered in total and complete horror.

"No Rainbow! Of course not! Ponyville is crumbling, and we need you right now!" Fluttershy yelled again.
That was it...it was all true.

Rainbow Dash felt a spark in her soul, igniting an old, but familiar flame. The red-hot blaze spread into an inferno, and Dash could feel it in her eyes. Soon she was able to recognize the flame, it couldn't be anything else. It was the Element of Loyalty, swirling throughout her being once again. Rainbow gasped when a bright, blinding crimson light erupted from her chest. A tingling sensation filled the wound over her heart, sewing the muscle and skin back together. The light disappeared as soon as it came, leaving a red lightning bolt to fade away where her injury used to be.
You have learned who you truly are. Now do what you must do...

Rainbow flinched at the voice in her head; Loyalty. She ran a hoof over her chest after hastily removing the bandages. There was no scar, no interruption in her coat. It was like she never had surgery, like she never had her heart almost explode out of her ribcage. A sudden sense of purpose and direction filled her mind. The Element was right: she needed to do what she needed to do. Rainbow Dash didn't listen to Fluttershy's gasps or words of surprise, but spread her newly-fueled wings and bolted through the door, immediately reaching race-worthy speeds.

"Rainbow Dash where are you going?! Ponyville is the other way!" she heard her friend call after her.

"To get reinforcements!"
-=-

"Drunken what?!" Applejack exclaimed, not understanding what Twilight had said.

"Drunken Hoof Style," Twilight repeated, looking back to a wobbling Pinkie Pie, standing five feet in front of the two ponies, defending their lives. "Pinkie never drank at any of her parties because of what happened to her. She has never practiced any sort of martial art obviously, harming ponies just isn't in her. But one night she got curious and drank an entire bottle of Buck Daniels at once. None of us knew what to do until..."

"Until what?" asked Applejack, trying her best to ignore the immense pain in her foreleg.

"She...changed Applejack," said Twilight. "She started shuffling around, starting fights with everypony in the room. She pulled off all of these...You know what? Just watch and find out for yourself."

What was Twilight saying? A martial art? Pinkie Pie? None of this made sense, so the orange mare merely looked to her pink friend, watching in fright as five more unoccupied griphons noticed Pinkie Pie. They laughed as they approached the drunken mare, surrounding her.

"Ya'll think yerrrr so tough ehhhh?" Pinkie murmured, her eyes blinking individually, but somehow holding an engaging expression. "Well-HIC-COME ON THEN!"

That instilled an instant cry from the closest griphon, flying forward at lightning-fast speed. Applejack gasped. There was no way she could dodge that. However, Pinkie fell unto her back, as if she had fainted, but her hindhooves were still planted to the ground. The griphon recovered quickly, turning on a paw to lash out with her large, yellow talons. The pink mare had rolled over on the ground, avoiding the strike. The bird's talons sunk into the cobblestone, trapping their owner. Pinkie Pie spun on her back, clumsily kicking out a hindhoof into the griphon's beak. There was a loud snap as the bird flew backward, clutching her clearly broken beak. This time two more griphons flew over to avenge their fallen comrade. Pinkie somersaulted toward them, driving two forehooves into their windpipes without even looking. She kept her head low as the two birds of prey fell to the ground, Adam's apples in their throats.

Now Pinkie Pie had the attention of every griphon in the town square, their faces distraught with anger. Five more birds leaped towards the drunken mare, who's eyes were on the ground, forehooves still out. The five griphons rained down upon her, and Applejack felt her jaw drop when she saw what happened next. Pinkie Pie rolled onto her back again, spinning on her spine as if she were break-dancing, throwing out both hindhooves in an impossible whirlwind of kicks. Every kick landed on differing spots across the birds' faces. All five griphons rebounded off of the strikes, falling to the stone square in heaps of brown, white and gray feathers. The pink mare rolled onto her hindhooves, standing in that odd, engaged position again.
What. The hay. Was that.

"Looks lahk-HIC-yerrr all a bunch'a siwwy-HIC-wittle buuurrrdiesss!" Pinkie droned, a slight squeal in her voice. With a gruff snort, the two largest male griphons stood back up, starting to circle Pinkie Pie, murderous intent in their eyes. This occurred for several moments, tension building in the air.

"See what I mean AJ?" asked Twilight, excitement and hope in her voice.

"H-How did she...How is she..." Applejack stammered, shock still fresh in her mind. "Pinkie Pie...yer a darned monster! Get 'em ya' pink drunk!"

Pinkie Pie dropped to her left, granting one of the griphons the chance to pounce. It was a feint, and Pinkie rolled on the ground, leaping lazily into the air toward the bird, wrapping a forehoof around her attacker's neck and yanking him backwards, headfirst. In the middle of the fall, the pink mare rolled, landing a heavy blow to the griphon's neck with her elbow. The creature's head rebounded off the stone and instantly knocked him unconscious. Pinkie Pie somersaulted out of the way, evading another blind swipe of talons. She returned to her hindhooves, pointing at the griphon in challenge. The bird's eyes were twitching, clearly frustrated at the hijinks of the pink mare. Pinkie Pie grinned, blinking an infinite amount of times. The griphon circled his prey wearily, careful not to pounce into another feint. Finally the bird of prey leaped straight into the sky, ascending as quick as any pegasus in Ponyville. Pinkie gave him an unimpressed look, her forehooves hanging at her sides lazily as she fought to retain her hoofing. The griphon dove, accelerating at a ninety-degree angle to the ground, towards the drunken warrior. Pinkie Pie made no move, but merely stood there on her hindhooves, swaying back and forth. Applejack found herself biting at the grieve wrapped around her uninjured forehoof in apprehension.

Pinkie Pie suddenly dipped down, her entire body low to the cobblestone. Once the griphon reached ten feet from the ground, the pink mare corkscrewed into the air, stretching her body upward and swinging a hindhoof into the bird's face. The immense amount of momentum that the kick held drove the griphon straight through the brick wall of a nearby building with an ear-shattering crash. Applejack and Twilight threw up their hooves, cheering like fanfillies. The drunken mare landed on her hindhooves again, clapping and humming to herself with an air of amusement. This was like a game to her. Pinkie Pie's inebriated form was like a foal playing with her toys. Except the toys were bloodthirsty killers, and she was positively kicking their flanks...so to speak.

"ENOUGH!" a prominent female voice broke out, echoing across the square. The remaining ponies and griphons all turned their heads to the direction of the voice. A new griphon had entered the plaza, walking across the cobblestone as if she owned the place. Her feathers where a light brown, her head bright and brilliantly white, a few longer feathers hanging over her forehead. The female griphon walked with a sense of boastful pride, her chest heaved outward. Her eyes were a fierce yellow, the eyes of a natural predator. They bore a malevolent, light violet shadow around them, making her gaze violently piercing. She paced slowly toward the pink mare, her expression grim and unnerving.

"Gilda," whispered Twilight to herself. Applejack felt her eyes widen. The female griphon's comrades all stopped what they were doing, as if they were waiting for direction. This was Gilda? She led the griphon army?!

"It seems like we have a problem here," said Gilda in a gritty, menacing voice to Pinkie Pie. "Looks like I'm going to have to be the one to put you down."

"Yooouuuuu can't-HIC-catch meeee! Ah'm the freeeekin'-HIC-GINGERBEAD MAN!" Pinkie challenged. Gilda stuck low to the ground as she cut through the air, catching the pink mare off-guard. The griphon leader scooped up Pinkie Pie by the hindhoof, throwing her bodily into the local suit shop. Applejack gasped before the drunk mare spun through the air, colliding into the outside wall on all four hooves. Pinkie Pie fell to the ground, again, on her hindhooves. Gilda looped through the air, descending to the ground.

Applejack suddenly cried out in pain as she subconsciously tried to put weight on her broken leg. She had completely forgotten about her injury, being so entranced by the scene developing in front of her. Obviously Twilight had too, for when she jumped at the sudden sound, she gasped with her hooves over her mouth.

"Oh my gosh! Applejack I'm so sorry I forgot! Let's get you to the infirmary!"

"S'alright Sugarcube, Pinkie can sure put on a show," the orange mare breathed heavily, panting from the return of the pain.

"No need, help has arrived," said another female voice. The two ponies turned around to find Trixie, standing proudly with a smug smile across her face. She had abandoned her old cape and witch hat, now donning similar armor to Applejack's. "Princess Celestia sent my magnificent self here to heal the wounded."

"Y-You?!" Twilight exclaimed, although ignored by the sky-blue unicorn as she took Applejack's broken foreleg. The farmer grunted, her pride keeping her from uttering another blood-curdling scream.

"It's fractured, here," said Trixie, her horn starting to glow a bright azure. Applejack winced as she felt a white-hot burning through her bones. "Don't worry my dear farmpony, Trixie is taking care of you."

Applejack wanted to headbutt the obnoxiously boastful unicorn just to shut her up, but then felt the bone in her foreleg start to mend itself amongst the searing heat of the spell. Twilight watched in awe as the orange-coated leg did several weeks of healing in mere seconds. With a final snap, Applejack seethed through her teeth in agony, falling forward, her cheek colliding with the stone underhoof. She heard Twilight gasp, but the farmer couldn't feel the energy required to even move.

"I may have neglected to warn you, but bone-mending spells require the energy of the pony being healed. I apologize," said Trixie from above.

"H-How did you..." Twilight stammered. Trixie laughed her smug, fake laugh.

"Well Twilight Sparkle, you may be talented in all forms of magic to an adept level, but I am an intermediate magician in the field of healing magic. I have spent two longs years perfecting the art. How do you like that?"

"I hate to admit it, but you did an amazing job Trixie," Twilight seethed. Applejack finally found the strength to get up, testing her weight on her leg. It was completely fine. No pain was felt in her leg, as if it were never broken.

"Thank ya' Trix, ya'll sure did help-"
SLAM!

The three ponies turned on their hooves, facing the source of the crash. Pinkie Pie had struck the ground on her side, bouncing back up to her hooves. Gilda skid across the stone plaza on her talons and paws, her expression vengeful. Pinkie Pie looked absolutely exhausted, even in her drunken form. She swayed more and more with every breath. She was losing. Come on Pinkie, thought Applejack. We need ya'll ta' do this. The farmpony's leg may have been healed, but she was still tired. She didn't think that she could take on Gilda in her current form. If the griphon had run the pink mare down this far in such little time, how would anypony else fare? The pink mare needed their help.

"Twi', d'ya think yer magic is back?"

"Um, well I think I have a small reserve left, you thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Twilight.

"Yeah, let's go help Pinkie Pie."

The two ponies bolted toward the leader of the griphons, flanking both of her sides, Pinkie in the middle. Gilda stopped in her tracks, facing her new foes.

"Oh this is good," Gilda sneered. "Let's do this."

Gilda may have been strong, but there was no way she could take on a magician, a rodeo pony, and a...really drunk mare. Pinkie lashed out without warning, tumbling forward into a swipe from the griphon's talons. Pinkie Pie couldn't get out of the way in time, so Twilight magically threw her high into the air. Applejack, seeing her plan, whipped her lasso, which was avoided by the agile bird. Now Pinkie Pie dove toward the ground, her forehooves over her head in a readied strike. Gilda had been temporarily distracted, but not enough to be ignorant of what was coming. With a ground-level barrel roll, she kicked the pink mare in the stomach, throwing her through the air and inevitably to the ground. This time Pinkie didn't land, but collided with the stone, rolling across the town square. She shook, trying her best to get back onto her hindhooves before collapsing to her knees, vomiting profusely. The gut was the worst place to strike a drunken pony, and it cost Pinkie Pie her power as a master of the Drunken Hoof Style. The mare fell onto her side next to the puddle of vomit, beaten.

"Pinkie!" Applejack cried. The inebriated warrior had fallen after a rein of terror. Now only the farmer and the magician were left to face the powerful leader of the griphon army. Applejack's mind filled with rage. Gilda had led the regime that caused the death of several ponies, and she injured her best friends. It didn't matter who the advantage fell to.
Applejack was going to tear her apart.

With a roar of anger, Applejack ran towards the griphon at a full gallop, her strategy right in the front of her mind. The farmer swooped under the predictable swipe of talons, spinning on her forehooves low to the ground and as fast as she could. Applejack delivered an upward rearing buck to the chin of the griphon, sending her skyward. In the same turning motion, the orange mare threw out her lasso, tying itself around Gilda's paw. Applejack yanked her back to the ground, plucking her out of the air and slamming her into the stone. The farmpony didn't give her any time to get back up, she didn't deserve it. The ruthless, bloodthirsty creature didn't get the reward of living through any of this. Applejack dove through the air, finally delivering a heavy blow to the griphon's ribcage with a crashing elbow drop. Gilda gagged in pain, spraying blood into the air. The vengeful mare straddled the griphon's stomach, quickly dispatching several blows to her face and chest with her hooves, cries of rage with every punch. Before Applejack knew what had happened, Gilda rolled backward, forcing the farmer to somersault across the cobblestone. She recovered, but not before feeling the griphon's talons wrap around her neck. Suddenly Gilda took to the skies with Applejack in her grasp. Once they were about fifty feet in the air, Gilda chucked the orange mare to the ground below.

Applejack panicked as she hurtled to the earth, flailing her limps rapidly. A violet square erupted to life, catching the farmer before she bounced off the magic net, landing clumsily on the ground. Gilda dove toward her, talons outstretched, her wings tucked to her sides. Her eyes were fixated on Applejack, not noticing the oncoming brick colliding with her skull. Gilda, disorientated, was thrown out of her trajectory, swooping upward and landing on her paws ten feet to Applejack's left.

"OH HAY YEAH!" Twilight cheered to herself. "Suck on THAT you overgrown pigeon!"

The orange earth pony was completely stunned at the unicorn's triumphant banter. She felt a small smile creep to her lips. They were going to do this. It was going to work. Once they took out the griphon's leader, the regime would be without direction, and they could finally end this. Applejack readied herself alongside Twilight, both low to the ground, facing the recovering Gilda.

"Ya'll can't win this, now give up before I wanna rip yer head off again," the orange mare snarled. Gilda stood up again, chuckling to herself maniacally. "What're ya' laughin' fer? This is over!"

"Over?" she cackled. "You stupid pony, I haven't even started yet!"

With that the griphon burst forward, suddenly right in front of Applejack, whom flinched at the impossible speed. It was as if she had teleported. Gilda smiled through her cracked beak, delivering an unseen blow across the farmpony's face. Applejack felt herself skidding across the square, the stone grinding at her side. Her path was marked with long streaks of blood until her momentum finally ceased. Applejack groaned, her left side screaming in pain. She couldn't move for her skull was throbbing with an oncoming migraine. She watched desperately as Twilight doubled her efforts in engaging the griphon. Gilda was unlike the other birds of prey that Applejack had so easily dispatched. Three ponies barely stood a chance when the griphon wasn't even fighting with her full potential. Now it all seemed so hopeless. She had just taunted Gilda with the threat of utter defeat, and the leader of the griphon army responded by swiftly defeating her in one fell swoop. How could they win now? They remaining troops of Ponyville were dropping like flies through a cloud of poison. Applejack had fought with all her might, but only to take down five of the griphons. Even Pinkie Pie had dispatched more than her, fighting with everything she had before falling to the might of Gilda. Now all that was left of her friends was an underpowered Twilight Sparkle, her magic visibly growing weaker and weaker. The plan wasn't for her to fight alone. She simply didn't have enough magic left.

Gilda dashed all around the purple unicorn, her body a mere brown blur to Applejack's fuzzy vision. Twilight's head darted all around as she attempted to follow her movements. The wounded farmpony couldn't even yell out a warning before the griphon landed a heavy blow across the unicorn's back. Blood spattered the square as Twilight Sparkle fell forward, beaten and broken. That was it. It was all over. Gilda cried out in victorious laughter. Applejack's heart sank into her stomach, unable to take defeat. She had lost, Ponyville had lost. All of her friends had fallen around her. Everything was ending. The griphons had won, and they were now free to move on to another town. What did they even want? Why were they doing this in the first place? It just didn't make sense. Gilda walked towards the fallen orange mare, still chuckling.

"Why?" Applejack managed to choke out. "Why 'ave ya' done this? What did we ever do ta' you?"

"What did you do?" Gilda repeated. "Your kind has oppressed griphons for far too long. Your prejudice has kept us from being free, from becoming more, from thriving. For instance, Ponyville had destroyed my reputation and my pride by banishing me for a crime that would only grant a pony a mere slap on the hoof. Now I would never expect you, a pony, to understand what it's like. Well, once we grow through these victories, you probably will. Nice to see the horseshoe on the other hoof eh?"

"An' simple discussion an' debate couldn't help?"

"Evidently not. Your kind has refused to be civil, so now I lead an army that will tear you all apart," Gilda hissed, her face right in Applejack's. The orange mare furrowed her brow. "I'd tell you that you ponies fought well, if beating you wasn't so easy."

Applejack coughed, her lungs bruised from the fall. She still couldn't move, her head resting on the cold cobblestone. The feeling was refreshing, assisting her in accepting the inevitable.

"Now I'm going to finish you. Would you like your death to be fast or-"
KRAKOOM!!!

Somewhere off in the distance, something detonated with a climactic roar. Gilda whipped her head around to the skies, trying to find to source of the sound. Applejack couldn't see anything but the tops of the tallest buildings in Ponyville, obstructing her view of what was happening. Suddenly the sounds of battle had ceased. Apparently all eyes were looking for the sound's source as well. From the skies to the North, a solid rainbow had split the blue expanse at break-neck speeds, followed by two lines of sparking, gray cloud trails. As quickly as they appeared, the streaks and turned their trajectory, diving towards the remnants of what used to be Ponyville. The plaza had quickly filled with the remaining soldiers of the griphon army, preparing for whatever was coming. The three anomalies accelerated with the assistance of gravity as they headed straight towards the outermost part of the town square, an area that had already been utterly destroyed. Applejack could have sworn that she heard a familiar battle cry before the streaks of light had made impact.

An explosion, followed by a prismatic mushroom cloud erupted in the town's center, followed by a similarly colored shock wave of light. Applejack had been forced to throw her hooves over her eyes, protecting her from the piercing light. Wind rushed through her ears although still able to hear the gasps of fright and shock coming from the many foes that surrounded her. As soon as the shock wave had passed, the orange earth pony had dared to look at the cause of the impact. Clouds of dust filled the air, taking its sweet time to disperse. The sunlight had shown through the cloud, casting the shadows of three ponies standing proud in the middle of the newly-formed crater. Eventually the dust was cast aside by a gust of wind, revealing the trio. The two ponies on the outside were clad in navy blue flight suits, yellow lightning patterns lacing around their hooves and waists. Their eyes were covered with thick goggles, obviously meant for high-velocity flight. The mare pegasus on the right had a blazing orange mane, as if her scalp had ignited into a magnificent blaze. The stallion pegasus on the left wore a mane of deep blue, blown back wildly from the wind. The pegasus mare in the middle, however, stood out between her two comrades. Cyan coat, prismatic mane and bright, shimmering magenta eyes. Applejack felt her heart soar at the sight. She had come back. They were saved.

"I hope you all don't mind me crashing the party," announced Rainbow Dash to the crowd of griphons, her tomcoltish voice alight with her old, brash attitude. "But I brought a couple of friends."

Chapter Nine-Life

Broken: Chapter Nine, Life

Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in Equestria, the coolest pegasus to come out of Cloudsdale, winner of the Best Young Fliers Competition and the first pony in history to perform the Sonic Rainboom, stood purposefully and proud alongside her two idols: Spitfire and Soarin' of the prestigious Wonderbolts. Ponyville had been devastated. Many buildings had been blown apart, windows smashed, blackened craters littering the streets...the list of the damages went on. In the midst of the town square, the remains of the small army of griphons filled the area, all casting shocked and enraged glances to the trio of pegasi. Rainbow didn't care that her experience in fighting griphons was incredibly limited. Dash was here to defend her friends, to defend Ponyville, but most of all she was here to take revenge.

"You think your Sonic Rainbomb was a little over-the-top?" asked Soarin', an amused grin spread across the only visible part of his face. Rainbow cackled.

"Entrances are everything," she mused.

"Spoken like a true Wonderbolt," said Spitfire, causing Rainbow's insane grin to brighten.

Dash's eyes darted around the square. To the left was Pinkie Pie, unconscious next to a puddle of sick. Rainbow couldn't believe it, the Drunken Hoof Style...failed? Rainbow had cast the idea around her mind that Pinkie Pie would possibly unleash the beast that was her inebriated self. However, there were several incapacitated griphons in the area around her. At least she went down fighting. Dash grit her teeth in anger, disgusted that any sort of creature would have the gall to harm the bubbly, peaceful Pinkie Pie, regardless of her disposition. A few yards to the right was Twilight Sparkle, half-conscious with a large gouge taken out of her back. She lay in a small bloody puddle, twitching from pain. As if this wasn't enough, Rainbow found her eyes lay on the one thing she had been dreading, on the one pony that she prayed from the bottom of her heart would be okay.

Applejack laid on her left side, beaten. The armored grieves around her hooves and legs had been torn apart, her signature stetson on the ground next to her, covered in blood and missing a section of the brim, as if it was sliced off. The orange mare's eyes were half-open, trying their best to focus on the cyan pegasus. She lay at the end of a trail of crimson, marking where she must have been thrown. Applejack's cheeks were wet with tears, her once brilliant emerald eyes were now dark and broken. Rainbow Dash felt her heart cringe, even more so when she saw the griphon standing over the pony that she loved. Gilda stood high and mighty, grinning malevolently at the cyan pegasus. Instantly she knew what her old foe had done. The griphon had been the one to singlehoofedly dispatch her three friends, the look on Gilda's face made that completely evident. The rest of the griphons in the street were all looking to her, awaiting direction. She was leading them.

"Rainbow Dash, there you are," she sneered. The two Wonderbolts beside Dash shifted oddly. "It's always a party when you're here."

Rainbow shook with a rage that erupted in her chest. The Element of Loyalty blazed to life, desperate to be unleashed. How dare she...how dare she? She had led the misguided army of griphons, taken Appleloosa, devastated Ponyville, and hurt her friends. Spitfire tapped a hoof to Dash's shoulder, but she didn't take her murderous gaze off Gilda.

"We got the others, defend the pony you love."

That's all that it took, the only thing that was holding the enraged dog foaming at the mouth was the chain that was the many other foes. The cyan pegasus felt her bonds and worries suddenly break. Gilda went to raise a talon towards Applejack, and Rainbow Dash cut through the air, prismatic trail destroying the visible light spectrum with a eruption of sound.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Faster than Gilda could have ever predicted she was torn from the street, tackled into the skies by a cyan blur. Her skull crashed through a wooden sign on a high building before being dolphin-bucked into the roof. Rainbow cried out in rage, plowing the griphon through the top of the building and crashing her against the uppermost floor. Dash plowed a hoof into the space where Gilda had been, turning her head to find the griphon flying through a window, back out over the town square. Rainbow Dash wasted no time in darting through the air, flying by with a well-placed hoof to the face. The enormous griphon flew backward into the remnants of a bread baker's shop at ground level. Dash landed to the ground with a resounding crash, all four hooves to the cobblestone. She couldn't see her foe, and found that flying straight into the pile of broken glass and concrete to be a bad idea. Rainbow's body convulsed with rage. Every millisecond that the griphon hadn't surfaced was unbearable. Dash waited as Gilda burst forth from the rubble, shaking the dust from her feathers casually, as if she had just come back from a relaxing swim. The bird cracked her neck in several places before giving the cyan pegasus a sidelong glance, smirking silently.

"You're quicker than I remember," she said calmly, making Dash's blood boil. Her foe's passive demeanor was like streaming hot water being poured over her head on a humid summer day. "But so am I."

Before Rainbow could blink, Gilda was high in the sky. The pegasus didn't even see the griphon's wings flap. When did she get so fast? Dash briefly allowed herself a second to look back, an enormous amount of relief washing over her soul as she spotted Applejack being carried off, away from the intense, final battle between griphon and ponykind. Twilight and Pinkie Pie were also being escorted off the town square. Her friends were okay, the rest of her worries were gone. Rainbow Dash turned back to Gilda, eagerly awaiting her opponent with her talons crossed. The cyan pegasus drove her wings downward, catapulting her into the sky. The griphon wasted no time in dashing towards her, a talon avoided by Dash with a swift roll. Rainbow Dash and Gilda traded strikes in the sky, their paths criss-crossing in several X formations. Rainbow landed a few punches, and the bird a few glances with her talons. Rainbow skidded across a rooftop on her hooves, Gilda atop an opposite building. The griphon had grown exceptionally fast, rivaling Dash's own speed and agility. The pegasus had no idea that she would be so quick, she had been sure that her own blinding speed would give her the advantage. Gilda may have been nimble and quick on the acceleration for her size, but Rainbow Dash knew for a fact that she had the highest top speed in all of Equestria. Despite the griphon's enormous wings, she knew that her large size would hinder her from performing something as intermediate as breaching the sound barrier, let alone a Sonic Rainboom.

"My, my, what anger," Gilda chided, causing a scowl to form on Rainbow's face. "Where have you been this whole time Dash? You missed all the fun. You should have seen that pink friend of yours, what a hoot."

"Shut up," Dash hissed.

"Oh and...Twilight was it? So much drive for such a lame little bookworm."

"Shut up."

"And then there was the cowpony," snarled Gilda, menace in her piercing yellow eyes. "Such a dense mare. Can you believe that she really thought she could take my army on all by herself? What a stupid-"

"SHUT UP!"

Rainbow Dash felt her entire being snap, her temper flaring into a burning blaze. The Element of Loyalty clawed at her insides, demanding vengeance for her fallen friends, for the town of Ponyville, for everything she had known and loved. She knew then that she had to be the one to save Equestria from this horrid foe. The cyan pegasus bolted forward through the air, instantly reaching the griphon before turning to the right, circling Gilda as a blur. Quickly the pegasus formed a prismatic cyclone, lifting a disoriented griphon from the roof and into the air. She attempted to lash out at Dash, although in vain. Gilda shrieked in frustration, unable to grasp the pegasus. Rainbow Dash doubled her speed as the tornado overtook the griphon. She moved it out of the already destroyed town, guiding the maelstrom to the fields North of Ponyville. The rainbow cyclone tore at the grassland, growing in size as Dash widened its radius with a steady howl of wind. Once Gilda had been spinning to the point of near unconsciousness, Rainbow shot her out of the storm by restricting the airflow at the bottom of the cone. The griphon corkscrewed into the sky. The cyan pegasus broke the storm, ascending to the skies in pursuit of her opponent.

With a flap of her great, brown wings Gilda dodged the strike. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. There was no way that had just happened. No creature's brain could recover after being in the center of a cyclone in such a short amount of time. How had she done that? With every strike the two traded, Rainbow noticed a new attribute in Gilda's prowess. She had become stronger, more agile and five times as durable. Dash didn't have the raw strength that Applejack may have had, but she was surprised to see Gilda get up so easily after every attack. Rainbow arched at the peak of her ascent, hovering fifty feet above the griphon. Even through her mind-encompassing rage, Rainbow could still think, she could still plan. Headlong attacks weren't going to work, that much was evident. Somehow Gilda's reactions were too quick, even for Rainbow's newly-refined speed.

Dash looked back downward to find that Gilda was nowhere to be found. The pegasus scowled, looking in all directions for the griphon that she was going to tear apart. Now she was starting to grow worried, and for good reason. Rainbow Dash felt a powerful force collide with the back of her head before she was careening downward, accelerating rapidly. Through her disorientated and ached mind, Rainbow couldn't tell how far she was from the ground until she made impact. The lush grass may have cushioned her fall, but the velocity she had reached in the descent was staggering. Rainbow skipped across the plains, sliding to a stop. She had experienced her share of falls before, so this wasn't exactly fatal. Dash didn't feel any broken bones, but the mere impact had forced the wind from her lungs. The pain in her right side and flank kept her from moving temporarily, until Gilda landed twenty feet in front of her. Rainbow slowly returned to her hooves, the determination remaining bright in her eyes. Dash couldn't imagine how Gilda had done that. The griphon had just disappeared into thin air. Her speed was just...frightening. Rainbow Dash had never met any creature to rival her in the sky. She didn't know what to do in this situation. Rainbow wasn't exactly one for planning and strategics like Twilight. She usually just charged headlong into her opponents, which was simply not a choice in this fight. Nothing she did was working. Dash had used every strategy in her arsenal, even though it wasn't very vast. Rainbow's best attributes were failing: her speed, her agility, her maneuvers...nothing. But she had to keep going. She had to stop her. Rainbow Dash was the last one standing against the mighty griphon leader. Nopony else would step in and take care of her if Dash fell. Rainbow had to stop her, because nopony else could.

"Not only are you quicker than I remember," Gilda started. "But you're so much more fun. I swear, I haven't had this good of a time in years! Especially considering I get to be the one to kick you right off of your undeserved pedestal."

Rainbow noticed something. The way Gilda was speaking wasn't the same as she remembered. Her mannerisms and dialect were more intelligible than before. The griphon had never been so well-spoken, but in short, rude utterances. What had changed? Perhaps it was the two years since they had been friends that changed her, or maybe even her experiences leading the griphon army. No, neither of those would change the way she spoke so much. Rainbow somehow recognized the dialect, but couldn't put a hoof on it.

"Now why don't you just-"

"GO BUCK YERSELF!" bellowed a female voice behind the pegasus. Rainbow whipped her head around to find a pony that made her heart soar. Applejack stood on the edge of Ponyville, her side heavily bandaged and her grieves missing. The farmpony's stetson had also been gone, letting her messy blonde mane flow precariously in the wind. Rainbow Dash felt her eyes widen. There she was, well and whole. "Come on Dash! Ya'll gonna let that ugly crow beat ya'?"

Suddenly all of Rainbow's doubt was gone, replaced by a need to defeat her foe. She didn't care about Gilda's new-found abilities. She was Rainbow Dash, she would overcome them.

"Here that Dash?" chided Gilda. "Sounds like it's time to end this...old friend."

Rainbow Dash turned back to the griphon leader with a calm sense of purpose. She gave the skies a curiously look, finding a range of black thunderheads rolling in from the direction of the Everfree Forest. Dash guessed that due to the battle, the Weather Team wasn't able to drive the oncoming storm away. It was close, close enough to give the cyan pegasus an idea. It reminded her of an attribute that she had previously forgotten due to her termination in Cloudsdale. It was a long shot, but it was her only shot. Rainbow Dash felt the familiar sensation of drums beating in her heart. The pegasus shot into the air, building acceleration as Gilda followed her.

"Let's make this interesting feather-brain!" Rainbow jeered over her shoulder. The cyan pegasus cut through the air, her adrenaline fleeting as the mach cone formed around her. Rainbow Dash held her speed. The resounding blast from a Sonic Rainboom would only hinder her plan. She needed Gilda to follow her into the clouds, not be thrown aside from a shock wave. Finally the pegasus shot through the dark gray mass, instantly drenched from the vapor. The clouds were like a thick fog around her, sparking with electricity. Her coat tingled with static. Being a long-time Weather Patrol Chief had granted her the unnatural ability to sense when lightning was about to strike close by. It helped that she had been struck by it once three years ago when she first got her promotion, but she didn't think too hard on that memory. Her sense wasn't always right, but it was her only hope in defeating Gilda. Once she was certain that she had lost her foe, Rainbow stopped. She closed her eyes and listened.

"Alright Dash, where are you?" Gilda immediately called out closer than Rainbow would have liked. The griphon was somewhere below her. Close enough. Rainbow Dash accelerated upward and eventually broke through the top of the storm, but she didn't stop there. Dash flew up high, only ceasing her ascent when she felt her breathing growing more and more heavy from the lack of oxygen. Rainbow hesitated, looking to the maelstrom below. She needed to time this perfectly. If she was even a foot off than she could easily lose her life in the blink of an eye...but it was her only move. Dash needed to literally be faster than a bolt of lightning. If she didn't make this, not only would she perish, but all of ponykind would fall to the griphon regime.
Mom, Dad...Please help me here, I need this to work. If it doesn't...then I guess I'll see you soon. Either way, I love you.

Rainbow Dash bolted downwards at break-neck speeds. Her light weight and aerodynamic frame granted her swift acceleration, causing the mach cone to reappear almost immediately. Faster and faster she fell, her wings burning from the amount of use. Rainbow ignored the pain even as tears flew from her eyes. She needed to do this. The mach cone tightened as the wind rushed through her mane. Sparks of multicolored bolts of electricity burst forth, flailing around her body. The cloud mass grew closer and closer, but Dash held her speed. Everything seemed to slow down to a stop once she breached the thunderheads, and a fleeting voice broke the fear in her mind: You can do it Rainbow, we know you can. Rainbow Dash felt the light barrier struggling against her, wanting to throw her back in the other direction. The cyan pegasus held her breath, and executed her final move.

With a burst of speed Rainbow shattered the barrier, calling forth the shock wave of the Sonic Rainboom right in the heart of the storm. The thunderhead roared as it lit up with an explosion of prismatic lightning, casting a radiant glow across the grassland. Dash was only in the clouds for a fraction of a second before the divine crash of electricity filled the skies. Rainbow cried out in triumph to find that she had escaped without getting struck. She looked back down just in time to pull upward, level with the ground before skidding to a halt across the grass. Rainbow panted heavily as she craned her neck upward in apprehension. She didn't have to wait more than a few seconds to find the charred, blackened mass of feathers falling limply from the sky. Dash watched it fall, her expression grim as the body of the griphon leader made impact with the ground.

"Goodbye," she whispered weakly. Rainbow Dash felt her head lose a considerable amount of weight. Her senses had started to dull as a sudden wave of nausea overtook her. She looked down to find her right foreleg completely coated in blood. Slowly the darkness surrounded her mind, her ears never hearing the cheering crowd of ponies behind her. The cyan pegasus felt her heart slow down to a dangerously low rate. Somewhere in the battle, Dash had been wounded. She must not have noticed it though her adrenaline. Rainbow had lost an enormous amount of blood, and now she was about to pay for it. This was it, she knew what was coming but it didn't matter. She had done her job, she had defeated Gilda, she had defended Ponyville. Rainbow Dash fell, relieved that she could finally see her parents again.
-=-

Applejack burst through the front doors of the hospital, weaving through the many doctors and patients that littered the lobby. The ward had been filled to capacity from the battle, ponies crying out in agony from the many wounds that had been dealt that day. The sight was horrid. Every single pony had shed blood in one place or another, limbs dislocated and even bent in the wrong direction. There was even one poor pegasus that had suffered a particularly nasty burn on his face. The orange mare had no time to waste, she was only here to make sure that one certain pony was going to live. Applejack galloped through the crowd, shoving through the line at the front desk. She ignored the angry protests.

"Where's Rainbow Dash?!" she almost yelled at the receptionist. The white earth pony's expression went from shocked to grim in a real hurry.

"Oh...Room Seven."
The look on her face, the tone of her voice.
No...

Applejack bolted from the desk and galloped down the hallway. Her heart was racing, and she ignored the burning pain under the bandages on her side. Immediately she found the room marked '7.' The orange mare plowed through the door and entered a large, private emergency room. Her four friends stood huddled together at the side of the bed, each one with tears in their eyes. Doctor Stable held a grim, solemn expression. In the bed laid a beaten Rainbow Dash, next to an EKG that was taking its sweet time between beeps.

"Oh!" exclaimed Stable. "Miss Applejack...It might be best if you weren't-"

"Don't ya' tell me where I need to be! Now tell me if Dash is gonna be alright!" Applejack yelled, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. Everypony in the room was quiet. Off to the side Rarity and Pinkie Pie had started wailing into their hooves. Doctor Stable took far too long to respond.

"She's...lost a lot of blood," he finally started, his voice hoarse and low. "She was brought here immediately but...It was still too late. She only has a few more minutes left."

Applejack's mind went numb, her brain not able to accept what the doctor had just said. The orange earth pony felt her entire world crumble. It wasn't true, it couldn't be true. There was no way that Rainbow Dash could just...die. Impossible was the only word that she could think of to describe the statement. Applejack could only stand there as everything she knew began to fall around her. Her eyes had spilled over with her sorrow as she stared blankly at Stable. The farmpony's breath shuddered as she felt her heart break.

"If you want to say goodbye...then now would be the time. I'm so sorry," came Stable's voice, barely heard through her ears.

"N-No she..." Applejack choked. "She can't be...There h-has ta' be somethin' you can do, there jus' h-has ta' b-be..."

But she knew her words were in vain. If there was anypony in the world that would do everything he could to keep the pegasus alive, it was Doctor Stable. Applejack looked to Rainbow Dash laying unconscious in the small, uncomfortable-looking hospital bed. Her brilliant rainbow mane was frayed and tattered, her left eye bearing a shade of purple around it. Her wings were hanging from either side of the bed, unbroken but lifeless. Dash's chest slowly heaved inward and outward, not enough for her to breathe properly. Her entire right side and flank had been covered in bandaging, just like Applejack's left. Around her right foreleg and shoulder was another set of bandages, these ones soaked in blood. Never had she seen the cyan pegasus so beaten and broken. It was a sight that her mind couldn't stand to take, but her eyes couldn't break away. The orange mare took off her scarred stetson, dropping it to the floor as she slowly approached her dying friend, ignoring what everypony else was doing. She stepped to Rainbow's left side, staring at her with tearful eyes. With every second that passed the beeping of the EKG slowed down dramatically. She wouldn't even get to say goodbye. She would never show Rainbow Dash how she felt. The pegasus had saved so many lives that day, and she would never even be around to see them again.

To Applejack's horror, the heart monitor wailed, signalling the passing of the only pony she would ever love. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle had broken out into loud, shuddering sobs. The orange mare just stood there. It wasn't real, it just wasn't real. This must have been a terrible nightmare. She needed it to be a nightmare. She needed to wake up and return to the real world right now. However, her hopes had been crushed once Doctor Stable said to a nurse behind her:

"Th-That's it. C-Call the time."
No. This wasn't the end. There was no way this could be how the tale had concluded. This was Rainbow Dash!

"No..." Applejack found herself whispering in sorrowful disbelief. "No!"

The orange mare raised her forehooves and pounded them to Rainbow's lifeless chest. One of the nurses tried to restrain her, only to receive an elbow to the face. "She's not gone! Ah'm not lettin' her go like this!"

Applejack furiously attempted to revive her fallen friend, repeatedly walloping her chest with her hooves. Again and again the nurses and Doctor Stable tried to stop her, and again and again they failed. The heartbroken mare pounded relentlessly, unable to accept the fact that Rainbow was gone despite the constant cry of the heart monitor.

"Get up Rainbow! Ah can't lose you! Ah know yer still here! Jus' get up!" she cried as her face was drenched in tears. The staff had simply given up on restraining her, unable to do more than sob at her sad, feeble attempts. "You can't die Rainbow Dash! Ya' have so many ponies that love ya'! Ya'll saved all o' our lives! Ah can't let you go! D'ya know what ya' even mean ta' me?" Applejack pounded her love's chest with every other word. "Yer such an amazin' pony Rainbow! How could a beautiful soul like ya' jus' leave?! Yer Rainbow Dash! Ya' can't go! Ya' just can't go! Please fer the love o' Celestia, JUS' WAKE UP!"

With a final blow to the pegasus' chest, Applejack collapsed on top of the lifeless Rainbow Dash, sobbing uncontrollably into her bloodstained coat. It was all over. Rainbow Dash was gone, leaving the orange farmpony to only cry, wallowing in the pain that her death had caused. The love in her heart seeped through her tears in undying agony. She couldn't live knowing that no other pony in the world would make her feel the same way. Rainbow had taught her what the word had truly meant, only to die tragically defending the lives of her friends. How could such a beautiful, heroic pony just die like this? Who in the right mind would think this was just? It was just wrong. It was just...

..................Beep.....

...Beep......Beep......

The world seemed to stop as Applejack whipped her head upright, staring at the heart monitor in disbelief. The solid, horizontal green line had jumped, making small spikes every few seconds. She was back...Rainbow Dash was alive!

-=-

Colors swirled throughout the mare's pounding skull. She felt herself awake as if from an age-long slumber, but she didn't have the strength to open her eyes. She couldn't hear anything save for the dull, repetitive thud against her brain. Her entire body was in pain, keeping her from moving a muscle. It didn't really matter, for she was too tired to so much as twitch. As her mind composed itself, thoughts had started to race through it. Where was she? What had happened to Ponyville? Were her friends alright? Was Applejack...Rainbow Dash opened her eyes with all her might, focusing on eight ponies surrounding her. She was in a hospital bed, her five best friends all staring at her with wide-eyed bewilderment as if she had grown a second head. The pegasus had noticed Applejack standing right over her with her forehooves on Dash's chest. The beautiful orange mare's shimmering green eyes where running with tears as if somepony had died.

"RAINBOW DASH!"

Each one of her friends pounced on top of her, sobbing happily into her coat. Rainbow grunted in pain from her wounds, her voice unheard by the many voices crying into her ears and chest. What was going on? She had woken up in the hospital plenty of times with them there. But never had her friends been so overwhelmingly happy to see her awake.

"Ah! Guys, what the hay?! You're hurting me!" she finally gasped. Her five friends hesitantly backed off to her bedside, except for Applejack, whom couldn't seem to let her go. She had her forehooves wrapped around Rainbow's neck, sobbing into her shoulder. Dash felt her face grow incredibly hot, and didn't move despite the pain that the embrace was causing her.

"Rainbow..." Applejack cried softly. "We...Y-You...Oh Rainbow, Ah thought Ah was never gonna see ya' again..."

Dash couldn't move. The love of her life was holding her so tight, her presence so warm and comforting. She didn't know what was going on, but she didn't care. Rainbow's heart beat with unbearable speed as she slowly wrapped her forelegs around the orange mare, stroking her tattered blonde mane with a hoof. Why was the farmpony in so much pain? It didn't make sense...it didn't need to make sense. She was in her hooves, and for the time being that was all that mattered.

"Rainbow Dash..." started Doctor Stable, walking into view with two nurses at his side. His expression was of pure shock. What the hay happened? "Y-You were...You were dead..."

The cyan pegasus didn't even know how to respond to that. Her eyes widened as Applejack regretfully let her go, simply staring at her with a small smile. She had been dead? What the hay did that mean?

"You came in after losing a lot of blood," Stable continued. "but once we got you into the bed, I realized that there wasn't anything we could do. It was too late, you were dying. After a while you just passed. Then Miss Applejack here...she somehow revived you."

Rainbow Dash was much more than taken aback. Her brain didn't know how to process her caretaker's words, or even the expressions on her friends' faces. How could she have died and then come back to life? Judging by Stable's surprised demeanor, Dash guessed that he didn't have the answer. What was more, how could Applejack revive her? Rainbow turned her gaze to the orange mare, whom was simply staring into her eyes with a look that she couldn't gauge.

"I...You...You brought me back...?" she stammered, the immense amount of information overwhelming her exhausted mind.

"It was amazing," came Twilight's shaking voice. Rainbow turned to the purple unicorn with curiosity. "We all were sure you...died, but then Applejack saved you. She just kept pounding on your chest until you came back"

The room went dead silent. Even Pinkie Pie hadn't uttered a word, but still sniffed back her tears. Fluttershy was still busy sobbing in the corner, her eyes buried in her forelegs as Twilight held a reassuring hoof to her shoulder.

"You guys," Rainbow started, her voice cracking as tears formed in her heavy eyes. "If it's alright with you, I think I need to talk to Applejack alone for a bit."

"Of course dear," said Rarity softly before the four of them gently hugged Dash, whom tried her best to return the favor. "We're so glad you're okay."

"Alright Rainbow Dash," came Stable's voice. "When you two are done we'll have to come back to make sure you'll be alright."

"Okay," she choked out. Her friends let her go, all casting glances of pure relief before departing along with the hospital staff, closing the door behind them. Outside Luna's moon shone brightly against the clear, starlit sky. It was a beautiful night, especially after such a disastrous day. Rainbow Dash looked back to Applejack, whom still gazed into her eyes with incredible depth, her eyes half-open in a heartwarming look. Dash's cheeks were still blazing, but she didn't bother to hide her face anymore. She had already confessed her love to the farmpony.

"Rainbow," Applejack started quietly, in almost a bedroom sort of voice. Hearing her name in that cowpony accent made Dash quiver with delight. "There's so much Ah needta' tell ya'. But first Ah jus' wanna say Ah'm so sorry for causin' ya'll so much pain. Ah'm sorry fer makin' ya' move away-"

"You didn't make me move," Dash interrupted. "I ran away. I was so afraid to face not just you, but anypony. I was being a coward. It's my fault and mine alone."

"Tha's not how Ah feel," said Applejack with a sense of sorrow. "Ah've felt so guity since ya'll left. Ah broke yer heart Rainbow, an' Ah drove ya' away."
Rainbow Dash couldn't find a reply as tears returned to the orange mare's face.

"Ah felt so terrible fer turnin' ya'll down," she sobbed. "B-But it made me realize somethin'...somethin' tha' Ah was afraid ta' face. Ah remembered all the times tha' Ah shared with ya' an'...an'..."

Applejack looked back into Rainbow's eyes, making the cyan pegasus shiver. Was she saying what she thought she was saying? No, there was no way. The farmpony was straight, completely and utterly-

Applejack leaned forward and pressed her lips to Rainbow's.

Rainbow Dash's eyes flew open, her mind alight with shock. The pony she had loved for so long, the pony she had known to be against fillyfoolers, was kissing her. Her lips were softer than Dash could ever have imagined, so warm and calming. Applejack broke the kiss, not able to open her eyes before Rainbow Dash pulled her in for the kiss she had been waiting for for so many years. The cyan pegasus felt her heart explode with her love for the mare, beating erratically as tears spilled from her closed eyes. Dash ignored her own sobbing as she continued the embrace. After a while they broke apart, their faces drenched with tears. Rainbow held Applejack in her forelegs as tight as she could. She couldn't believe it. This was actually happening. Rainbow couldn't help but cry, her happiness overwhelming her.

"I love you," Rainbow sobbed. She didn't care if it was too soon to say, she had to let her feelings out. "I l-love you s-so much."

"Ah...Ah love you too Rainbow Dash."

Chapter Ten-Pieces

Broken: Chapter Ten, Pieces

Rainbow Dash held Applejack in her forelegs for a long time, silent tears of pure happiness and relief escaping their eyes. They stayed like this for an unknown amount of time, unable to let one another go. Eventually Applejack had climbed up onto the small hospital bed after shutting off the light, letting the beautiful vista of the full moon in the window slightly illuminate the room. The two mares laid on their uninjured sides, facing each other with fondness in their eyes. Rainbow ran a bandaged hoof across the orange mare's cheek and through her disheveled blonde mane. It had actually happened; Applejack was hers. Not only had they kissed, but she had returned Rainbow's undying love. Maybe Dash had died, and this was her own, personal Heaven. She knew that the idea was ridiculous, but Heaven was the only thing that she could compare this moment with. All of her heartache from the past four years was finally satisfied. The past two weeks were now behind her, and she simply couldn't believe it. As Rainbow reflected on these thoughts, she felt a fresh tear spill over her quivering cheek, only to be wiped away by a nuzzle from the farmpony. The pegasus whimpered from the touch.

"Rainbow," Applejack started, her voice soft and beautiful. "What's wrong?"

"I'm j-just so happy," cried Dash, reaching out and holding Applejack close with her forehead against her chest. The orange mare placed a hoof to the back of Rainbow's head, stroking her mane gently. "Everything that's happened...all the stupid things I've done...None of it matters anymore, 'cause I have you, here and now. I just...I just don't know how to deal with it."

"Ya' don't know how ta' be happy?" asked Applejack with a cocked eyebrow.

"No I do but it's just...I dunno how to be this happy," Dash replied, breaking down again. The orange mare wiped away her tears, uttering a calming shush.

"Now, now. No more tears Sugarcube, Ah gotchya'," she whispered into her ear. Rainbow sniffed, embracing her love.

"Why Applejack?"

"Why what?"

"Why all of a sudden, do you love me?" asked Dash. "You've always been, well...against mares being together."
Applejack hesitated, looking unaware of what to say.

"It's the way Ah was brought up Rainbow," she started. "So when ya' first told me about yer feelin's, Ah guess Ah didn't know how ta' take it. At first Ah knew that you were mah friend, nothin' more. But then Rarity asked me if that was how Ah really felt."

"Why would she ask that?"

"Because of how Ah reacted to ya' movin," Applejack answered. "An' 'cause o' how Ah...Rainbow when Ah heard tha' ya'll lost yer job right after Ah rejected ya'...Ah couldn't take it. Ah felt so darn guilty, like it was mah fault. Ah had ta' go an' find ya', jus' ta' make sure ya'll were okay."

Rainbow's eyes widened when she started to put the pieces together. The night when Fluttershy gave her the letter of her termination was when she sat upon that high cloud. The night when she considered leaving everything behind, when she cried like a filly while speaking to her dead parents. She couldn't have heard that. Dash was too high off the ground at the time. Applejack would have to be higher up, standing on a cloud or something.

"Then Ah found ya'. Rainbow Ah...Ah heard everything," whispered the orange mare, giving her a look of sorrowful concern. The cyan pegasus gasped, retreating her head under the sheets. Even being this close to Applejack now, she couldn't bear to know that somepony had heard that. "Rainbow it's okay. In fact, it was the sweetest thing Ah've ever heard."

Applejack removed the covers from Dash's crimson face, planting a kiss to her lips. If there was anything that made her feel better, it was the orange mare's kiss. Suddenly she didn't care what Applejack had heard, for it only made them closer. The pegasus felt her body go limp, simply complying with anything that Applejack was doing to her. Rainbow never knew how submissive she was when it came these kinds of things. She had never been with another pony, and the only one she ever thought of was Applejack. The farmpony rolled on top of her, straddling the pegasus' hips while sliding her tongue into her mouth. Rainbow uttered a shuddering breath through her nose as her cheeks lit up, wondering with a muddled mind where this was going. She didn't care about the ache in her side, nor the searing pain in her right foreleg. Suddenly Applejack sprung up, leaning over the panting pegasus. The orange mare's cheeks were blazing red, looking on either side of Dash.

"Um, are ya'll feelin' alright Sug'?" she asked, clearly embarrassed. Rainbow caught her breath, wondering what she was taking about. She have to think too long, for she traced Applejack's gaze to find that both of her wings were standing straight out on either side of the bed, completely rigid.

"Oh! Uhm..." Rainbow breathed. "That...happens. Don't worry about it."

"Are ya' sure?" she asked, hesitantly touching her right wing. Rainbow's mind exploded with a new, unfamiliar sensation as the orange mare lightly caressed her feathers with a hoof. She attempted to stop her until she felt a shuddering gasp of ecstasy escape her lips.

"A-Applejack! Don't do that!" Rainbow breathed, panting heavily as she held her back. Applejack's face lit up with realization as it grew redder than before.

"Oh! Ah'm sorry, Ah didn't know, Ah was just curious," she stammered before placing a hoof over her mouth, clearly stifling a snicker. "Maybe Ah shouldn't do tha' jus' yet."

Applejack slowly dismounted Dash, returning to her side. The pegasus rolled over and faced the orange mare with closed eyes. She did what she could to calm down, thankful that they didn't take such a new relationship too fast. Rainbow had been waiting for this to happen for years now, and didn't want anything to screw it up. Despite her right hind leg twitching in apprehension, Rainbow bit her lip and opened her eyes.

"Sorry 'bout that," Applejack giggled. "Not exactly well-informed on pegasus...um, anatomy."

"It's okay," said Dash once she caught her breath. "Let's just take it slow. I don't want to ruin what we have...we do have something right?"
Applejack laughed.

"O' course we do Dash," she said. "Despite what's been said, and everthin' tha's happened, Ah wanna be with ya'. Because Ah love you Rainbow."

"Mmm," Dash half-swooned, delighted to hear her say her name. "Say that again."

"Ah love you?"

"No, my name."

"Wha'? Why?"

"I love the way you say it," Rainbow replied, wrapping her hooves around Applejack's neck, burying her face into the blonde mane. The orange mare chuckled.

"Hmmhmm...Ah love you, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow sighed with delight, finally able to fall asleep with her mind at peace.

Rainbow Dash awoke the next morning, finding a small smile upon her face. She rolled over away from the window to find Applejack, awake and staring into her eyes. She had left the bed, standing to its side. Dash sighed with content as her marefriend gave her a good-morning kiss, light but passionate.

"Aaaaaawwwwwww!" squealed a voice. Rainbow lurched into the air, falling to the cold linoleum floor with a loud thud. Pain exploded from her side, her bruised lungs heaving.

"Rainbow!" cried Applejack, running around to the other side of the bed, trying to help her up. Dash couldn't move, the fall had taken the wind from her chest. Suddenly she felt herself float upwards, surrounded by a violet light before she was placed lightly upon the mattress. Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie stood on the right side of the bed, accompanied by Doctor Stable. Dash felt her face heat up as her eyes widened.

"Pinkie Pie!" Rarity scolded. The pink mare had a hoof to her mouth.

"I'm sorry Dashie!" she said. "I couldn't help it, that was soooooo cute!"
Rainbow didn't move, unable to find what to say.

"They all know Rainbow, sorry," said Applejack as the pegasus slowly sat up, grunting in pain. It didn't matter all that much to Dash, but the initial shock was a lot to handle this early in the morning. This wasn't the way she wanted her friends to find out.

"No it's...okay," Rainbow yawned. Doctor Stable chuckled, floating a clipboard on front of him.

"Well it's good to see you're still alright," he said, using his magic to flip through the papers on the board. "Well let's run through this quickly, I imagine you all have a lot to talk about. You have a bruised lung, several lacerations along your side and flank, and a severe wound down your right foreleg and hoof. That's what you almost bled out through. It was stitched up immediately once you arrived. But I must ask, what happened to your chest? There's no way it healed that fast since the surgery."

Rainbow looked down, remembering the odd event at her temporary home above the mountains. She didn't know how to explain the phenomenon. The red light, the glow of the Element of Loyalty on her chest fading away as quickly as it appeared. At the time she didn't dwell on it, for her home was in dire need. But now that she thought about it, it didn't make much sense to her. Did it need to make sense? Dash looked to Fluttershy, the only other pony that had been there to witness the event. She gave her a simple shrug, clearly unaware of how to explain it either.

"Ya' know Doc, I don't have a clue," said Rainbow, chuckling slightly. "But I can't complain."

"Well after yesterday's events, I'm not about to question it further either," smiled Stable. "You actually have another visitor though, one that I don't think you could refuse."

"Who?" asked Dash. Doctor Stable merely smiled, opening the door behind him and departing. Rainbow looked to her friends, whom all shared her look of confusion. The door opened again, revealing a shimmering, waving mane as a tall white alicorn entered the room. Princess Celestia smiled as the door was closed behind her.

"Princess!" exclaimed Twilight as the six of them bowed their heads.

"Hello my little ponies," announced the royal mare. "Ponyville has been struck by a terrible tragedy, and I'm greatly relieved to see you all alive and breathing. I have come to not only make sure you were all alright, but to also congratulate you. The six of you have done extremely well keeping ponykind from taking a crushing blow. But I wish to thank three of you specifically for your incredible acts of bravery during the battle yesterday."
She looked to Applejack, whom stood straighter now.

"Applejack, Pinkie Pie. I was told of your doings yesterday, and I must say that I am impressed. You both singlehoofedly engaged a multitude of griphons on your own, and won. Your victories yesterday have not gone unnoticed, and never will," said the Princess. After, she turned to Rainbow. "And you Rainbow Dash, you I have to thank most of all."
Dash shifted oddly in her bed, trying to sit up straight.

"Rainbow Dash, you stopped the leader of the griphon army with your spectacular flight skills, and even risked your own life in doing so. You did what no pony could, and will receive nothing but praise from ponies all across Equestria."

"Thank you Princess," was all that the cyan pegasus could say.

"Actually," the alicorn continued. "Ponies have been trying to come in to thank you all morning. Doctor Stable had to tell them all to leave."

"Wait, how did they know what happened?" asked Rainbow, cocking an eyebrow. Twilight was the one to answer:

"Rainbow, the entire town saw you defeat Gilda," she said matter-of-factly. "After the battle everypony went to the fields and found you two fighting. Applejack got there first, of course."
Rainbow gave Applejack an appreciative look before returning to the Princess.

"I hope you're ready for attention, I assume that the press is going to be all over you for an interview," noted Celestia, a chuckle in her voice. She then used her magic to retrieve a photograph from underneath her wing, floating it over to Dash's hooves. Her five friends gathered around, curious to see what the picture was of. There was a heavy glare on the photo, but Rainbow could still make out the details. The picture was taken as the shock wave of the Sonic Rainboom broke through the prismatic-illuminated thunderhead, bright bolts of lightning arching around the storm. From under the maelstrom Rainbow saw herself, flying downward with the solid, multicolored trail marking her trajectory. Her friends all gasped at the photo, remembering the event.

"Wow, that's a really good picture," noted Twilight in surprise.

"Yeah! Whaddya call that move Dashie?" asked Pinkie Pie. The photo shook between Dash's hooves as realization overtook her.

"I call it murder," said Rainbow in little more than a whisper. She never had a chance to think about it until now. Dash had killed another being. That may have been where the battle had turned to, but the guilt of taking another life was overwhelming. She knew that if she didn't stop Gilda, she would have done the same to her, but somehow that didn't calm her mind. Her friends all gave her an off look, unable to understand what she meant. Although, the alicorn seemed to know.

"Now Rainbow Dash," she started. "You did what you had to do. If you weren't there to defeat Gilda, Ponyville would be facing a much worse fate."

"I...I guess, thank you again Princess," sighed Rainbow. Applejack gave her an affectionate nuzzle on the cheek, causing her coat to stand up on the back of her neck. The alicorn smiled at this.

"At least you have somepony who cares so much about you, as well as your friends," said the Princess. "Well I have plenty of duties regarding the rebuild of Ponyville. So I must go, but Applejack..." she turned back to the orange mare. "Appleloosa has been released from the griphons. They heard of their leader's perish and immediately left the town in peace. Your family is unharmed."
Applejack's heart seemed to lighten as she wore a look of relief. "Thank ya' yer majesty."

With that Princess Celestia left the room, leaving Rainbow alone with her five best friends. So much had happened in the past two weeks; heartbreak, devastation, realization and then a blooming flower that was her happiness. Even through the immense amount of physical and emotional pain she had endured, Rainbow Dash was finally happy. She had returned to Ponyville, conquered an enormously impenetrable enemy and had made a relationship with the mare she couldn't stop loving. The cyan pegasus reached a hoof out, guiding Applejack into a warm, appreciative hug. Her marefriend kissed her atop the forehead, giving her a small smile.

"I've never seen you two so at peace," noted Twilight with a sense of happiness.

"That's 'cause Ah've never known what love was," said Applejack, looking to Rainbow. "You?"

"Don't play around, you know it's the same here," Dash smiled before giving her a quick kiss on Applejack's adorable freckled cheek. She then turned to Fluttershy.

"You know 'Shy? I never thanked you for doing what you did."

"What?" asked the yellow pegasus. "What did I do?"

"You reminded me of who I was," Dash replied. "You gave me the wake-up call that I needed. If you didn't come find me, who knows what could've happened yesterday. Thank you Fluttershy."

The yellow mare smiled. "I'm just happy it all worked out."

"Not ta' interrupt, but what did she do ta' make ya'll come back?" Applejack asked Rainbow, whom merely pointed to her own blackened eye. Everypony in the room except for Fluttershy burst out laughing.

"Wh-What?!" Twilight exclaimed through chuckling breaths. "Fluttershy punched you? That's...ppffffffthahaha!"

They spent the morning talking of the previous day's events, from Applejack's and Pinkie Pie's triumph over multiple foes, to Rainbow Dash's spectacular Sonic Rainboom in the midst of the deadly storm. Pinkie Pie had adapted a name to the event, calling it the Sonic Thunderboom. Dash merely smiled at that. In fact, she barely contributed anything to the conversations more than a nod or a smile. There wasn't anything wrong with her, Rainbow was merely letting her body finally relax, having been stressed and pressed to beyond its limits in the past two weeks. Twilight was right, Rainbow was simply at peace with her life.

Eventually Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had left, having their own duties to perform to aid the rebuild of the town. Applejack had stayed behind, not wanting to leave her mare's side.

"Don't you have work to do on the farm?" asked Dash regretfully. She didn't want her to leave but didn't want Applejack to be scolded by her family.

"Naw, they're fine. Ah made sure tha' the farm hadn't been harmed before Ah came here. Besides, why would Ah wanna leave?" she asked, giving Dash a quick kiss.

"Are you gonna be okay? You're still hurt really bad," said the pegasus, gesturing the orange mare's injuries.

"Ah'll be fine Sug. Ya' know me, Ah don't let a few bruises keep me from goin'."

"That's why I love you," whispered Rainbow, pulling her in for a hug. Applejack returned the embrace.

"Ah hope tha's not all," she mused. Rainbow let her go.

"You want the whole thing?"

"It'd be nice," said the orange mare before holding Dash's hoof between her own. "Tell me everythin'."
Rainbow Dash sighed, not having to try too hard to recall every reason why her heart beat Applejack's name.

"Well..." she started, hating how bad she was with words. "Because you're strong. The way you stick by your family and work so hard every day, I don't know how you do it without going crazy. You're just...different. But in a good way. You're not like any pony I've met before. You...argh...I'm so bad at this. Maybe it's because you're so much like me, where nopony else is. When I look at you I just know, you know?"

"Yeah, Ah know alright," said Applejack softly. "Ah couldn't put it better mahself."

It took a week for Doctor Stable to finally let Rainbow Dash leave the confines of the hospital, although with her foreleg still bandaged, along with a small section of her side that still hadn't quite healed yet. Eventually Applejack had to leave halfway through the week, for she couldn't stay away from the farm forever. Once she walked through the lobby, dozens of patients and medical staff awaited her departure, either stomping or clopping their hooves. They cheered her name, thanking Rainbow for saving ponykind. Dash briefly thanked them, eager to take to the skies once again. However, she was stopped by a young pair of siblings, each holding up a quill and paper. Rainbow smiled. She had never been asked for an autograph before, save for Scootaloo. She signed the papers for the filly and the colt, wincing from the flash of a camera. Apparently their parents were huge fans as well. In the past Rainbow Dash would completely welcome the attention, responding with some sort of boastful rant. But after the events that had taken place that month, for some reason it just seemed silly.

Rainbow Dash left the hospital as fast as she could, instantly taking off into the sky, accompanied by the cheers of her new fans. Is this what it's like to be a Wonderbolt? she thought. It's nice but...maybe I'm just not in the mood for it. Rainbow felt an incredible sense of freedom in the air after a week of being grounded. She flew high above the town, watching as construction ponies and volunteers did what they could to rebuild the devastated town. Seven days had went by since they started, and it was almost done already. The only sign of Ponyville ever being under attack was the sections of cobblestone being replaced where bombs had detonated. Everything was starting to come together, save for a blackened crater in the middle of the residential area of the town. The neighborhood was far enough away from the shopping district to be harmed by the battle, except for the flattened section of land where there used to be a house. Rainbow's heart dropped into her stomach when she saw Scootaloo sitting on her haunches in the middle of the crater. Dash immediately dove to the ground, almost sideswiping the roof of a rather high house. The cyan pegasus skidded to a halt next to the orange filly. Scootaloo sobbed with her head low, not giving Rainbow any sort of acknowledgment.

"Scootaloo, what happened?!"

"Th-They..." Scootaloo shuddered. "They're g-gone Rainbow D-Dash..."

"Who? Who's gone?" Rainbow urged, praying to Celestia that her suspicions were incorrect.

"M-M-Mommy...Daddy...They're g-gone!" Scootaloo leaped into Dash's forehooves, sobbing uncontrollably. Rainbow's eyes widened, unable to register what the filly had said.

"Oh no...Scootaloo, I'm so..." Rainbow couldn't even finish the sentence. Tears had started to form in her own eyes now, for she knew exactly what the poor little pegasus was going through. Dash knew from experience that words wouldn't do a thing to help, so she merely held the sobbing filly, rubbing the back of her purple mane with a calming hoof.

"I'm so sorry Scoot, I'm so sorry."

Rainbow did everything she could to wordlessly comfort Scootaloo, knowing full and well of how little it really did. It took a while, but eventually the orange filly had dehydrated herself, hiccuping in Dash's forelegs.

"Hey come on, you need something to drink," said Rainbow, placing a hoof to Scootaloo's shoulder as they stood up. The pegasus filly ruffled her feathers with a tearful sniff. She didn't say a word as Rainbow led her to a nearby convenient store on the outside of town. The clerk recognized the cyan pegasus and refused to let her pay for the bottle of water. Rainbow didn't argue, her mind on Scootaloo's loss. As they left the outskirts of Ponyville, Rainbow helped the filly onto her back and flew her to her cloud home. It had been refilled with her boxes and her pet tortoise, Tank. Fluttershy had made sure that her belongings as well as Tank had made it back in one piece, brought by the mover pegasi.

Rainbow made sure that Scootaloo drank as much as she could, she needed to replenish as many fluids as possible. Once the bottle had been emptied, the orange filly spoke again:

"Thank you Rainbow Dash," she said in little more than a whisper. "I just...I just don't know what to do..."

"You know Scoot," Dash started. "The same thing happened to me. My parents died when I was your age."
Scootaloo's head shot up, eyes widening. "Wh-What?"

"Yeah, you're not alone kid," Dash said, pulling her in for a reassuring hug. "What happened?"

"Well...I was out of town on a trip with Sweetie Bell. We were visiting Manehatten with her parents. We just got back today after we heard about the attack. I got h-home about an hour ago when I saw..." Scootaloo paused, trying her best to hold back more tears. "One of our neighbors told me...they told me that my parents were home when a bomb flew through the window...the f-f-f-funeral is in a few d-days."
Scootaloo went back to sobbing against Rainbow's shoulder, both sitting on their haunches.

"Wh-What do I do Dash? My family is gone! I have nowhere to go!"

Rainbow Dash said no more, only holding the crying filly. She couldn't help but feel reminiscent of her own past. Scootaloo was so much like Rainbow, it was uncanny. Everything from her need to fly, to the loss of her parents at such a young age. It was like she was looking at her past self, just with an orange coat and a purple mane. Suddenly something hit the cyan pegasus like a brick wall. An idea. An idea so perfect that it was too ridiculous to ignore. It was a huge step in both their lives, so Dash decided to wait until morning so the filly could think about it with a clear mind.

Rainbow Dash awoke to the bright, rising sun showing through the window. Scootaloo had cried herself to sleep the previous night, and the cyan pegasus had placed a warm wing over her. Tank noticed her awake, and toed over to give Dash an affectionate head butt. Scootaloo stirred, her eyes fluttering open. The orange filly yawned, slowly getting up and onto her haunches. Dash couldn't wait to tell the little pegasus her idea. She nudged her to attention, telling her the idea.

"What?" Scootaloo gasped. "Y-You...You'd do that?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" asked Rainbow. "So how 'bout it?"
Scootaloo hugged Dash, eternally grateful. "Of course Dash!"

Rainbow Dash walked into Mayor Mare's office, Scootaloo at her side. The Mayor of Ponyville positively beamed when she saw the cyan pegasus, and as she had guessed, Mare started with words of congratulation:

"Oh Miss Rainbow Dash, there you are! I've been waiting to thank and congratulate you on your heroic-"
Rainbow held up a polite hoof to stop her.

"Thank you Mayor, but I'm not here for that. You can thank me all you want some other time."

"But of course. Now, how can I help you Miss Dash?" asked Mare from behind her large desk. Rainbow looked back to Scootaloo, whom nodded, sure that she still wanted to do this. Rainbow Dash smiled, turning back to Mayor Mare.

"I would like to adopt Scootaloo as my little sister."

Chapter Eleven-Family

Broken: Chapter Eleven, Family

The papers were signed and the deal was done. Scootaloo was now legally Rainbow Dash's little sister. The two pegasi now shared a bond not just on a piece of paper signed by the Mayor, but also in their hearts. Rainbow had never come up with a better idea, and she was sure that nothing but good could come of it. The idea just made sense. The little orange filly was already basically her sister, being so similar and holding the same interests. But now with the passing of Scootaloo's parents, the pegasus filly had a home again, and a family. It didn't matter if it was just one pony, Rainbow Dash knew that she would love her as a sister, and didn't mind being the one to take care of her. Who else did Scootaloo have? The filly had mentioned that the only blood relatives she had left were in Dodge Junction, a long train-ride away. Dash couldn't let Scootaloo be torn from her home and her friends, that was the last thing that a filly whom had just lost her parents needed. There was a discussion of what would happen if her relatives disagreed to this decision, but Mare assured them that it was Scootaloo's choice, and her's alone.
The two pegasi left the town hall, both wearing small, happy smiles.

"Thank you Rainbow Dash, you have no idea what this means to me," said Scootaloo as they paced down the packed town square.

"Are you kidding? Of course I do. I know exactly what you're going through Scoot. I just wish I had a family after my parents passed," said Dash. "Now let's go get some lunch, alright Sis?"
Scootaloo couldn't smile any brighter.

They had spent the day trying to get Scootaloo's mind off her parents. They ate lunch in the town square, which wasn't a great idea considering Dash's new-found fame. The two had eventually escaped to the fields North of Ponyville, squeezing in a short flying lesson before Applejack and Applebloom came as if from nowhere.

"Scootaloo!" cried Applebloom in distress. The orange pegasus fell from the air in shock, which thankfully was only a few feet from the ground. "We heard what happened an' we came as fast as we could!"

Scootaloo stood up next to Rainbow, and a sudden pain-stricken expression formed on their faces. Applejack walked over to them, concern in her eyes.

"Are ya'll alright Sugarcube? We feel terrible fer ya'," said Applejack.

Rainbow placed a reassuring wing over her sister, wincing as tears returned to the filly's eyes. Applebloom darted over and hugged her friend, letting Rainbow take Applejack aside and out of earshot.

"We were kinda trying to get her mind off that for now," she whispered. Applejack gasped.

"Oh! Ah'm sorry Rainbow Ah didn't know but...What is she gonna do without a family?"

"Well...I kinda took care of that," said Rainbow whispered slowly, wondering if her marefriend would approve of the legally-binding action that they took. "I...I adopted Scootaloo as my little sister. I'm going to be taking care of her from now on."
Applejack's eyes couldn't have grown wider.

"You what?" she breathed. "Rainbow yer not her real family! How could ya' take her under yer wing like that?"

"AJ please!" Rainbow hissed, trying to keep her words unheard by the two fillies behind them. "She'd have to leave town if that happened! How could I let her be taken away from her home and her family like that? What she needs is her friends and somepony to look up to! If anypony knows what she's going through, it's me."

"But Rainbow, what about your life? Are ya' sure tha' ya' have the time to take care of her? She's still young ya' know. Bein' an older sister takes a lot o' responsibility."

"She's fine," Dash countered. "She made the choice herself. Honestly, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do anything I could to help her! Applejack, I would have given anything to have an older sister when I was her age. I understand why you feel that she needs to be with her real family, I do. But please try to understand this AJ, please."

Applejack didn't reply, but merely looked to her own sister. Applebloom seemed to have calmed Scootaloo down, for they were now conversing openly as if nothing were amiss. Rainbow Dash smiled at the two, both so alike their older sisters.

"Well shoot," Applejack sighed. "Ah guess yer right. Ah wouldn't want ta' take her away from her friends either. Scoot even kinda looks like ya'."
Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. "Maybe I don't see it."

"Do ya' really want this Rainbow? Do ya' love her like a sister?" asked the orange mare. Rainbow smiled at Scootaloo, whom was whispering something to her friend. Applebloom gave Dash a quick glance, gasping with her forehooves over her mouth. Obviously she had told her about the event. Applebloom wore an expression of delight as she hugged her friend.

"Yeah," Rainbow answered. "Yeah I do. What I'm worried about is telling them that their sisters are dating."

"It'll be fine. Ah'm jus' hopin' that they're not too much like us," Applejack chuckled. It took a few minutes for Rainbow to get the joke.

"Oh come on AJ, that's just weird."

"Sorry, Ah had to," the farmpony laughed. "So she's gonna live with ya'?"

"Yeah, her parent's house is...well, gone," whispered Dash. "But don't worry, you and I will still have plenty of time together."

"Ah know we will," said Applejack, sneaking in a quick nuzzle before the two returned to their sisters. Scootaloo and Applebloom quelled their conversation as they approached.

"Ya'll are sisters now?!" exclaimed the yellow filly to Rainbow. "Tha's great! Now ya'll can compete in the Sisterhooves Social with me an' AJ!"

Scootaloo looked up to Rainbow, hope in her eyes. She loved competition just as much as her older sister. Rainbow Dash gave her a sly grin. Before she could say anything, the cyan pegasus heard her name being called. The four of them turned around to find Twilight trotting toward them, her eyes on Rainbow.

"Hey Rainbow Dash! Good to see you're alright," she greeted. "Listen, I need to talk to you, is that alright?"
Rainbow groaned.

"Sheesh. Why can't anypony give me a day or two to recover from the hospital?" she complained halfheartedly.

"It's kind of important," noted Twilight, her words carrying a sudden amount of weight. "Can you come with me? It's going to take a while. AJ, maybe you should come too."

Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked at each other with concern. Whatever this was about, it seemed to have to do with the aftermath of the battle from a week ago. The farmpony asked her sister to take Scootaloo to the farm so their grandmother could look after them. The pegasus filly didn't seem too keen on leaving her sister so quickly.

"Dash, do you have to go?" she asked. Rainbow hated how her sister's large eyes made her feel so guilty, but stuck to her responsibilities.

"It's okay squirt, I'll be back to pick you up at the farm when I'm done okay?"

"Fiiiiiine," sighed Scootaloo, following her friend toward Sweet Apple Acres. Once they were out of earshot, the three mares turned to each other.

"Pick her up?" Twilight repeated with a cocked eyebrow. "What're you, her mother now?"

Rainbow looked to her marefriend, the two wearing similar pained looks. It wasn't Twilight's fault, she didn't know what kind of tragedy had fallen upon the poor pegasus filly. They both looked to the unicorn, asking wordlessly to simply leave the matter alone for now.

"Okaaaaayyyyy," she said. "How about we just head to Ponyville, apparently you have something to tell me too."
Twilight ignored the sighs of her two friends as she led them towards Ponyville, briefing them along the way:

"Rainbow Dash, part of what this is about includes a griphon," she said. Dash immediately stiffened. "There's a few that were held captive after the battle. Some were taken by force, and some gave up after you defeated Gilda. There is one that has asked to see you. He has been granted this option on good behavior, at your compliance of course. His name is Swift Wing. Supposedly he was the army's strategic analyst, and worked directly under Gilda. Swift is one of the three griphons that remain alive, and he wishes to speak with you."

"Why would he wanna talk to me?" asked Rainbow, a scowl on her face. "And why would I wanna talk to him?"

"Like I said, you don't have to, but for some reason he insists," Twilight continued. "Also, I've been getting journalist ponies coming to my door from all over Equestria looking for you. I hate to ask you this, but can you please give somepony an interview or something? I don't want to start signing restraining orders."

Rainbow chewed on her lip. For some reason she had been avoiding speaking with the press. She just wanted to forget about the battle for now and just live her new life with Applejack and Scootaloo. But at the same time, she couldn't let her friends be bothered by ponies asking for her whereabouts. Dash knew that it would come up eventually, so she decided to comply, if only to simply get it over with. As for the griphon that wanted to see her, Rainbow couldn't make heads or tails of it. Why would one of them want to see her? Did this Swift Wing want to try and take revenge for his fallen leader? That didn't sound right. Twilight had said that the griphon was granted permission for the visit on good behavior. But did that really mean anything? She quietly shared her worries with Applejack, whom merely gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'll be right there Sug," she whispered. "Ya'll don' have ta' be afraid."

"I am not afraid!" she hissed, her wings flaring subtly. Her marefriend giggled, a sound that instantly calmed her. She felt her chest deflate as they reached Twilight's library, thankfully avoiding the press through the packed town square. As the door opened, they were greeted by Spike, whom looked elated to see them.

"Rainbow Dash, Applejack! There you two are!" exclaimed the baby dragon, giving them both a quick hug. "Twilight told me everything! You guys are awesome!"

"Aw shucks Spike, we only did what we had to," blushed the farmpony as they all sat around the kitchen table.

"Even if it was totally awesome!" Dash gloated. "Now what's up Twi'? I just got out of the hospital and I got things to do."
Twilight cocked an eyebrow. "It's good to see that you're back to normal."

"Well Ah'm certainly glad," said Applejack, brushing up against Rainbow's cheek. Spike's eyes widened. Clearly he hadn't been told about that yet. They moved along anyway.

"Anyway," Twilight continued. "I've been instructed by Princess Celestia to write a collective narrative of what happened in the battle first hoof. In other words, I'm taking quotes from as many ponies as I can, and a book is going to be published from my notes! Can you believe it? I'm finally getting the chance to write a book!"

Twilight was positively giggling with joy, this was apparently a long-time dream of hers. Applejack and Rainbow tried their best to look happy for her, thankful that the unicorn continued without pause.

"The battle is being noted as a major point in Equestrian history, so I've been asked to take quotes from ponies that fought that day, along with civilians who were just trying to survive. I figured that you two would be a good pair to start out with, considering your prowess throughout the battle. You two are going to be remembered as the heroes of the event."

"Heroes?" Applejack repeated. "Ah wouldn't say tha' about me. Ah was just doin' mah job."

"Ya' know, you never told me what happened with you that day," countered Dash, giving her a sidelong look. "Why don't you tell us?"

"Rainbow Ah'm not one ta'-"

"Come on AJ, stop being so modest and just tell Twilight what happened. You deserve some praise at least," said Dash, nudging Applejack.

"Ah don't need praise Rainbow," the farmpony cooed. "Ah have you."
Applejack nuzzled the cyan pegasus, causing her to blush profusely.

"Okay what is going on with you two?" demanded Spike, slamming a claw to the table. Twilight groaned impatiently.

"They're dating Spike. Now please, we have a lot of work to do today."
Everypony in the room ignored Spike's look of confusion.

"Anyway AJ come on," Rainbow continued. "Do it for me?"
Rainbow Dash gave her marefriend a mock look of pleading, and Applejack groaned.

"Aw shoot. Ah can't say no ta' tha' face," she sighed.

Applejack recalled her entire story of the events she had encountered during the battle. Rainbow never said a word, her eyes wide. She was amazed by the story. Dash never knew that Applejack was such a strong fighter, and some parts Twilight had recalled, apparently being there during a few occasions. The orange earth pony had engaged several griphons, even more than one at a time. Suddenly Rainbow felt her accomplishment of defeating Gilda minimize. She had almost died fighting merely one griphon. Applejack had beaten five. Normally the cyan pegasus would feel out-shined or jealous, but now she looked at her marefriend with a sense of pride. Twilight had wrote down every word, a quill encompassed in violet magic. When they were done, Twilight turned to Rainbow.

"Okay, now you Rainbow Dash. We all may have seen what happened, but the readers are going to want to hear it from your perspective."

"Oh! Um," she stammered, her muddled thoughts elsewhere. She had been ready to tell the totally awesome tale of how she and two of the Wonderbolts came in the nick-of-time and saved Ponyville from utter destruction. A tale of how Dash had singlehoofedly defeated a foe that nopony else could with a spectacular display of strength and agility, but now her story was told with modesty. Hearing her marefriend's take on the battle made her accomplishments seem dwarfed by comparison, and caused her confidence to wane. Rainbow told the story with a plethora of "ums" and "ers," which thankfully Twilight had edited in her notes. By the end she found Applejack giving her a concerned look, as if Rainbow was coming down with some sort of sickness. The cyan pegasus wasn't jealous nor envious of the farmer's prowess, but instead Rainbow found yet another facet of Applejack's personality that she loved.

Something about that thought held weight on Dash's mind. The couple had just started being together, and they were already using the word "love" so flippantly. It wasn't inaccurate, far from that in fact. However, it was a lot to take in overnight. Her feelings for Applejack went from hopeless love to a shared, undying passion for one another in a real hurry. It was Rainbow's dream to move this fast, just like she did with everything else. But now that it happened, it was overwhelming. Suddenly Dash had her dream of being with the mare she loved fulfilled, and then the next day she had a sister. And during that time, everypony in Ponyville wanted an autograph or an interview. Twilight had even pushed her into this book of her's, and Rainbow Dash's words were going to be read by everypony in Equestria.

"So, are you sure that nothing else happened?" asked Twilight. "From what we saw it seemed like you'd have a lot more to say. Remember, your words are going to be in a book that ponies are going to read for generations, even long after we're gone. You are the pegasus that ended this historical event Rainbow, this is important."

Rainbow found herself shaking, her eyes wide and unfocused on the table between them. She felt the orange mare's hoof stroke her shoulder, but paid no attention to it. All she could think of was the immense amount of pressure that was suddenly dropped onto her shoulders.

"Rainbow, are ya'll feelin' alright?" asked Applejack.

"Yeah...N-No...No I just need some...air. Twilight can we please do this later?" Rainbow pleaded. The unicorn blinked.

"Well, sure Rainbow Dash. I still have plenty of other ponies to-"

"Okay thanks!" Dash interrupted, leaping from her chair and attempting to bolt though the window. Applejack reflexively grasped a hold of her prismatic tail with her teeth, yanking her back down into the chair.

"We're not done yet Rainbow," she noted before whispering in her ear: "Ah know this is a lot ta' take in, but please jus' stick through it, fer me?"

"As much as I love you, I hate that you have such control over me," Dash whispered back, but not with any sort of disdain. Applejack smiled slyly.

"Um, okay Rainbow Dash," said Twilight. "But there's still the matter of Swift Wing. Do you agree to talk him?"

"Ah think Rainbow and Ah needta' talk about that first," said the orange mare, guiding Rainbow out of her chair and toward the front door. "We'll be back before day's end don' worry!"

Rainbow Dash said nothing as Applejack led her to the edge of the Everfree Forest, out of earshot and eyesight of any other pony. The cyan pegasus felt herself slump against a tree, sitting on her haunches with her hind legs stretched forward. It was truly exhausting switching between moods so quickly and for so long. One minute she was back to her old, brash but happy self, and the next her mind was muddled with the exact opposite. The farmpony didn't start by asking questions, but simply laid across Rainbow's front, planting a kiss to her lips as gently as possible. Dash gasped in surprise, eventually submitting to the idea. It was nice to kiss her marefriend here. The quiet, tranquil breeze brushed through the leaves overhead, casting a sense of calm over Rainbow's stress-filled mind. Applejack's warm, reassuring lips helped more than even that. She kept it gentle, but passionate, more to calm the pegasus than show her affection.

"Applejack," Rainbow breathed between their lips. The orange mare stopped, giving them a few inches of room.

"It's a lot ta' take in huh?" she asked as if she had read her mind. "Ah don' blame ya' Rainbow. You've been through a lot, an' in such a short amount o' time."

"You know just what to say," said Dash, heavy with sarcasm. "But you're right. Everything that's happened between us, then Scootaloo and now all this stuff with the press. How do I take it?"

"Like always, ya' try an' do everything at once," said Applejack quietly. "Tha's why I brought ya' out here, so you can relax and think. One thing at a time. Ya' think you can do that?"

Rainbow Dash instantly deflated at her marefriend's words. She did know exactly what to say, all of the time. Being with Applejack like this made Dash feel like they were the only two ponies in the world, and she could finally relax. She loved the intimacy of the orange mare laying atop her, hooves wrapped around her neck. It conveyed her affection, but also kept a sense of innocence. Rainbow loved how adorable Applejack was when it came to these sorts of things. All that the cyan pegasus wanted in the world right now was to stay here, wrapped in the farmpony's forelegs. Instead of answering Applejack's question, she merely hugged her back, closing her eyes in content. Most of the time, Rainbow Dash enjoyed the rush of performing her daring aerial acrobatics and simply speeding through life as fast as she could. But here...here Rainbow was safe. Safe from the world's cruel and undeserved punishment. Safe from the pressure of responsibility. Safe from...everything. Nothing mattered but their love. Rainbow felt herself slide down the tree trunk, Applejack following her. She merely stared into Dash's eyes, her expression full of love.

"Applejack..." Rainbow cooed.

"Yeah, Sug?" the orange mare whispered in reply.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Same here beautiful."

The couple didn't speak for the better part of an hour. They simply didn't need to. Eventually they knew that they had to leave. Rainbow had to crack her back in several places, but was otherwise okay. The two mares reached the library over an hour after they had left, finding Twilight in the midst of a pile of neatly-arranged books. She had one in between her hooves, magically flipping through the pages as if to find a certain passage. When she saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash walk into the room, she reflexively slammed the book shut, floating it along with the others to their respective places upon the shelves. The unicorn did her best to hide the red in her face, but to no avail.

"What were you reading Twi'?" asked Rainbow warily.

"Nothing!" Twilight exclaimed quickly. "Nothing at all! Now are you ready to go Rainbow Dash? I mean do you want to?"
Rainbow hesitated, eventually deciding to put the awkward matter aside.

"Yeah," said Dash. "I'm starting to get curious as to what this griphon wants."

Ponyville's local prison wasn't exactly a fortress, for it only needed to hold a few ponies. The jail was built a few miles South of the town, bearing a tall fence around its perimeter. It was only one story high, but the dark bricks it was made out of gave the place an eerie feel, as if it were haunted. Twilight and Applejack kept pace towards the front gate with Rainbow Dash gliding lazily through the air. It had been awhile since she could fly freely, so the pegasus took to the air as much as she could. Two guards were posted on either side of the locked, steel gate. Both unicorn stallions wore a look that rivaled the royal guards' stoic expression. They didn't respond to their presence until Twilight spoke up:

"Hello sirs, we are here to visit the griphon known as Swift Wing. He has requested to speak with our friend Rainbow Dash here."
Neither guard replied, but simply looked between the three ponies, eyes resting on Rainbow Dash.

"Granted," said the first stallion, using his unicorn magic to unlock the gate. The trio quickly slid through as if the door would slam shut behind them. There was a length of field between the fence and the front door. Rainbow impatiently landed, throwing the door open to find a receptionist behind a desk. They walked into the small room, which only bore one door behind the dark-looking mare. The receptionist wore a look of apathy, not giving any of them a glance.

"Swift Wing the griphon asked to see me," asked Dash, wanting to get this over with. The mare narrowed her tired-looking gaze onto the cyan pegasus.

"And who're you?"

"Rainbow Dash."

"Ooooohhh the famous hero of Ponyville," she noted with sarcasm. Dash scowled but otherwise kept her cool. "Yeah he's been bothering the buck out of the guards to see you, but only you. Nopony else is permitted to see him."
Rainbow looked back to her friends.

"Go on Rainbow, it'll be alright," said Applejack. "We'll be right here."

Rainbow nodded before turning on a hoof and opening the door, closing it behind her. She now stood in a long hallway, lined with barred cells. The jail didn't look as if it were entirely well-kept, but at the same time it wasn't comparable to a dungeon of any sort. Another guard stood in front of her, giving Dash a cocked eyebrow. She told him who asked for her presence, and the guard silently led her down the hall. Rainbow forced herself not to look at the occupants of the cells, but found it difficult as they started to speak:

"Oho! Who's this gorgeous little filly?"

"Why don't ya' rob a store and join me in here?"

"Look at that pretty little mane eh?"

"Wouldn't mind givin' that a tug!"

The jeers were indeed vile and visually intrusive, but the pegasus did everything she could to keep her eyes forward. The guard eventually reached the end of the hall, which was thankfully far away from the other cells. Rainbow walked in front of the larger cell, looking at its resident. Swift Wing was a rather small griphon, comparable to some of his race's females. His gray long feathers hung on either side of his small, pointed face. His eyes didn't bear the sullen look that other male griphons had, but wide and knowledgeable.

"Ya' got ten minutes griphon," said the guard in a low, powerful voice. Rainbow Dash faced Swift as he rose to his paws and talons, tilting his head at the cyan pegasus.

"Rainbow Dash," he said in a quiet, inquisitive voice. "You are truly a legend aren't you?"

"What is it that you want," asked Rainbow as she narrowed her eyes. "I'm a very busy pony."

"But of course you are. So much press-work and interviews, having ponies cheer your name," the griphon listed off. His voice had slowly crept from innocent to menacing. "You have become famous for screwing the cap on the bottle of poison that inevitably caused the genocide of our race. Bravo Rainbow Dash, bravo."

"I did what I had to do," Dash countered in a quiet hiss. Swift chuckled.

"Oh but of course. We rose to power and finally had a chance to quell the segregation you ponies had put into place. We finally had the power to bring swift justice, but your kind just wouldn't have any of that. Your way or the highway right?"

"Look buddy, I'm not into politics or anything like that, so I don't know what goes on in those matters," Dash said truthfully. "But what you and the other griphons did was wrong. Did you even try to speak to the Princess about your problems?"

"Why would Princess Celestia speak to us, mere, low-class griphons?" Swift Wing spat. "Of course we tried every sort of civil negotiation regarding our demands. However, nopony in power would even listen to us. They simply didn't care. We attempted to speak calmly with your leaders pegasus, but received no such thing in return. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to revolt. Appleloosa was a warning-"

"Your kind held my marefriend's family hostage," Rainbow spat. "How dare you call it anything else?"

"I call it what it was, a warning," Swift repeated, countering Dash's anger. "And in spite of this, our simple, reasonable demands were not met. So we made our next move. We attacked Ponyville. We never meant for complete destruction of your precious little town, nor your race, regardless of what you took it for."

"Then what the buck did you do it for?" she seethed through gritted teeth. Swift Wing sneered.

"What did I just tell you pegasus? Because you ponies wouldn't listen to us. Look inside your mind, you know even through your anger that we had no choice."

Rainbow Dash couldn't hold her rage for much longer. It didn't matter what their reasons were, the griphons had no right in doing what they did. The fact that their race had been reduced to three griphons was their fault and theirs alone. But here was one of them, attempting to convince her that ponies were the race to blame.

"We did nothing but defend ourselves," said the cyan pegasus quietly. "Now before I leave, tell me why you asked for me to come here in the first place."
Swift Wing's face dove from menacing to grave.

"To let you know of the wrong you have done Rainbow Dash," said Swift Wing, his eyes piercing and narrowed. "To let you know that you are the leading cause of our mighty race's extinction. Tomorrow I am to be put to death by your government. Let that thought haunt your mind pegasus."

Rainbow felt rage explode inside her mind, but knew that there wasn't any outlet she could dispose of it in nearby. So she merely snarled at the griphon, an extreme loathe glazing her words:

"Go to Hell you waste of life."

Rainbow Dash kicked the door to the prison office open, not giving Applejack nor Twilight any look as she shoved past them, bucking open the second door. The enraged pegasus didn't listen to the calls of her friends as she took to the skies, accelerating rapidly. Her anger had been built up so fast and in such a short amount of time, that she needed to vent it in the only healthy way she knew how. Rainbow broke through the cloud layer in her ascent, rocketing straight up as fast as she could. Gravity worked against her, burning her wings with the amount of work that it took to ascend. However, that didn't stop the mach cone from appearing around her. She didn't care that she had never performed the Rainboom in any direction but downward before. Rainbow was going to do it upwards, against gravity's resilient pull. The sound barrier was nothing, Mach One was achieved with ease in any direction. As the cone tightened around her, she reached Mach Five. Now it was difficult. Dash had never felt the spectrum of light resist so belligerently before. It reminded her of the Best Young Flier's competition. This memory had never bothered Rainbow Dash this much before now. Performing the Sonic Rainboom against gravity was something she simply needed to do right now. Her anger was only thing that was fueling her. It was a white-hot, boiling rage that demanded to be satisfied. Rainbow pushed harder and harder, only to be countered by the barrier's resilience.

"Come on!" Dash bellowed over the wind. "COME ON!"

With both hooves stretched forward, Rainbow Dash poured all of her anger, all of her frustration and all of her passion into her acceleration. Finally she felt the fleeting feeling of the barrier shatter, and all of her aches and pain were washed away as the multicolored shock wave erupted high in the sky with a triumphant bang of sound. The cyan pegasus screamed with joy. She did it, she broke the spectrum of light against gravity. No force that the natural world could produce was a challenge anymore. Rainbow Dash was now the conqueror of gravity, master of the legendary Sonic Rainboom. The pegasus arched in the sky once she lost her breath to the lack of oxygen, diving towards the ground, hundreds and hundreds of feet below. From here she could make out the orange and purple dots that were her friends, and she rocketed toward them. Not even a minute later Rainbow pulled up, landing daintily on the ground a few feet from Applejack. The sudden lack of speed and prominence of air put her mind into a mild shock. She forced herself to stay upright, but only to fall into the orange mare's forehooves.

"Rainbow Dash! That was amazin'! Are ya'll alright?"

"I...am...the greatest...flier...ever," she panted, wrapping a hoof around Applejack's neck. "And don't you ever forget it."

The pegasus pulled her into a long, passionate kiss. Once again Applejack's lips had washed away her anger, as if they were made to do so. After a few moments, they broke apart.

"Ah'll take that as a yes," said the farmer with a small smile. "But can Ah ask why ya' felt the need ta' go and do that?"

"I don't even wanna talk about that right now," smiled Rainbow, still supported by her marefriend. "Let's just go get Scootaloo and Applebloom and have a good day."

-=- The End -=-

Author's Notes

Broken: Author's Notes

In my years of writing stories and now books, I never thought that FanFiction would be part of my experience. And to think it all started by browsing a few online videos...

A few days after discovering My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I curiously started what I now like to call "ponysurfing" around YouTube. After a few videos regarding Rainbow Dash (of course), I found at least two movies in the Related Videos column entitled "My Little Dashie Fan Movie." Slightly intrigued, I watched one of them. Needless to say I was confused, so I followed a few links to the FanFiction that every brony knows about. Okay, I said to myself. There must be a reason why this work is so well-known. Then I read the first FanFiction I ever gave a chance. I won't bother you with the details of my reaction to it, for we all can guess what it was. By the way, that is the only 'Human' fic I will ever read. After that the idea of fics became less "groan-worthy" to me and I gave a few more a chance. Mostly ones featuring Rainbow Dash, obviously. I was pleasantly surprised to see such quality in these fics, which is quite something considering how difficult it is to keep my attention to a story. Hence why my choices of books are rather few and far between. Hey I'm picky, sue me.

At the time I was in the middle of rewriting my latest novel (name pending), and quite frankly had been stuck for a while. Days even. I needed something new to break the monotony; a side-project to refresh my mind. Maybe I can try a hand at ponyfiction, I thought. It'd be the first work of mine on the internet, and it's about time I saw what people I don't personally know think about my writing. Even if I don't put a whole lot of planning into it. (that last thought was short-lived.) So I thought about a protagonist. I'm not even going to humor a joke here. I thought about making it an AppleDash fic, just because I thought the idea was cute, regardless of the fact that it had been done before. I knew I could add a new spin on it; a conflict that would drive the two apart and ultimately bring them together.

As the chapters were released I realized that quite a few amount of people were really liking this story, and gave plenty of positive comments which in turn drove me to continue faster than I had planned. There were several forms of inspiration that built the story to what it has become today. Everything from music to parts I took from an old cancelled comic of mine. Obviously it wasn't a pony comic, but there were situations I took from pages I hadn't even drawn out yet, but were merely planned for the future. The most prominent example of this was the hospital scene were Applejack desperately attempts to revive Rainbow Dash, whom dies if only for a few minutes. The quotes and some parts of the scene may not have been the same as the comic idea, but overall it was...pretty similar. Plus it just fit nice and snug in the story, even if there were a few things I had to change about it. Not gonna lie to you, I had to take a break from writing that part because I had to dry my eyes first. It's a lot sadder when you have the animated idea running through your head from an author's perspective.

Apart from the whole AppleDash factor of the story there was obviously the other: the griphon rebellion. CONFLICT AHOY! I wanted Gilda to be the main antagonist because...okay fine, you got me. I had no reason other than the fact that I just plain old didn't like her. You can't blame me for this. The one episode she was in was hellbent to make you dislike her. Plus I was disappointed. The idea of griphons living in Equestria was a cool idea to me, and the one that you see is a total, aggravating little fu-
But yeah. You get my point.

However, Gilda's reasoning to rebel against Ponykind needed to be at least justified in her eyes. Why not have someone with a silver tongue convince her with actual reasons as to why her race needed vengeance? That and the fact that I wanted Discord to be in the story somehow, even if he wasn't a main character. I thoroughly enjoyed his character on the show. Any villain with a need for such mischievous chaos for absolutely no reason is okay with me. Plus I found his voice and mannerisms entertaining.

What else is there...OH! Fight scenes. In the battle of Ponyville, obviously a writer needs to be able to portray such a conflict in a detailed manner. Not to brag, but I've had my share of rodeos in this aspect of writing. Not to mention I find it FUN AS HELL. I dunno, something about choreographing fight scenes in a written work just hits me the right way.

I guess this leads to Pinkie Pie's role in the battle, one of my favorite parts of the story: The Drunken Hoof Style. I got the idea in the simplest way possible too. By watching Jackie Chan's classic Chinese film Drunken Master and writing a scene with our favorite party pony in it. One plus one equals AMAZING BUCKING IDEA.

Well I guess that's all I can really think of to say about Broken. Some of this I've written in blog posts or in private messages with inquisitive readers, but I figured I'd put all my thoughts into this little note. This story was my first work of ANYTHING that I've put on the internet, and I'm still overjoyed that people like it so much. You guys really helped my low self-esteem there! But seriously. I've said this a bunch of times before and I'll say it again: thank you all for the continued support of this story, as well as my new works. It wouldn't be what it is today without you. I put a lot of heart into Broken, and it's good to see that you all appreciated it.

-=-From the Desk of DiveBomb-=-

Chapter Seven-Determination

Broken: Chapter Seven, Determination

Rainbow Dash bid farewell to the two mover pegasi as they flew off into the clear blue sky, leaving Derpy Hooves to stay behind atop the highest mountain in the nearby range. The cyan pegasus had already finished constructing her new home, purposely making it smaller than her old house in Ponyville. This structure only held one floor, each room smaller than before. It floated inches above the mountaintop, in the midst of the constant cool breeze. She was nowhere near any town, village or city. Total solitude, just what Dash needed, even if it was for the time being. Derpy placed the final box in the living room, her face still crestfallen.

"Yer really doing this? An'...stuff?" she asked. Rainbow Dash sighed, her wounded chest heaving in pain. What else could she do? Staying in Ponyville would only mean having to be around the pony that made her heart ache. If Applejack were to knock on that front door right now, Rainbow's heart would explode. She needed to be alone for a while to at least try and stifle her love. And if that meant being away from her home and her friends, then so be it. Dash hated being alone, but it was for the best. It was either solitude for now or a lifetime of pain.

"I'm sorry Derpy. Who knows, I might come back someday," Dash tried to reassure before a large brown hawk squawked, flying through the window and landing on Derpy's back, looking at Rainbow curiously. It took a few moments before she remembered the bird. It was the hawk that won her Best Pet Competition before she picked Tank, whom had also recognized the hawk.

"Oh! This is my pet bird! His name is Biscuits!" the gray mare exclaimed, nuzzling the hawk's beak affectionately. Rainbow cracked a small smile, happy to see that the bird had received a pony after all. Derpy looked back to the cyan pegasus, her sad little look returning.

"Well...I guess I'll see ya' later Rainbow Dash..."

With that Derpy Hooves flew off through the front door before Rainbow could say goodbye. But then again, she did the same thing to her friends. Loyalty wasn't exactly part of her vocabulary anymore. She had accepted that the minute she decided to leave, and when she did, something disappeared from her soul. Now she felt another emptiness in her heart, something she had grown unnervingly used to. She felt so alone now that Derpy had left. She may have only been one pony, but she was the last friend Rainbow had seen. The new home may have been filled with boxes, but it was still empty.

Rainbow Dash rubbed a hoof on Tank's shell before pacing out the door, casting a glance around her new home. The mountains were breathtaking, standing high and resolute. The cyan pegasus spread her wings, taking in the cool wind across her feathers. She leaped gracefully into the air, swooping down into the canyons below. Soon the crests of the valleys surrounded her as Rainbow Dash corkscrewed over the rivers below, occasionally taking a glance at her blurred reflection. The gorge ran throughout the mountains, giving her freedom to fly through, dodging drop-off cliffs and gorgeous waterfalls. Dash didn't dare to reach her full speed, knowing full and well that a doctor visit was just impossible around here. Not only that, but she wasn't familiar with the layout of the mountains or its valleys. So Rainbow carefully soared through the gorge, taking in her surroundings. Soon Rainbow decided to land on a riverbank below, exhaling before panting heavily. Her chest heaved in pain once again, the three-minute flight taking more of a toll on her than she had thought.

Rainbow sat on her haunches, gazing into the shallow depths of the babbling brook. The sound was peaceful, letting Dash relax and let her worries go. There wasn't any artificial sound out here, just nature. Two weeks ago Rainbow Dash would have only been annoyed and restless in such an environment, not being able to fly long distances. But after everything that had happened, her weak heart needed this rest. Rainbow needed this. She found a small pool of water in the brook, surrounded by moss-covered rock and leaves, keeping its contents still amongst the ever-flowing water. Dash leaned forward and looked into it, wincing once she found her undisturbed reflection. Despite the sleep-pattern she had adopted, her eyes still bore dark rings around them. The sight somehow unnerved her. Rainbow gasped at her reflection, scurrying back a few feet in fright. She shook violently, realizing what the condition of her eyes meant. Still, even after moving away, feeling the cool, reassuring breeze of her new home...none of it had helped. Nothing was ever going to help her. Nothing was going to take her heartache away. A sudden pang of guilt speared into her mind, making her feel terrible for abandoning not just Ponyville, but all of her best friends.

She had decided to leave a few days after Spitfire dropped her off at her home in Ponyville. While the Wonderbolt's advice and compliments had temporarily warmed her heart, Rainbow Dash found that not even Spitfire's words could help her. She couldn't take her advice and wait for Applejack to 'come around.' She knew for a fact that her friend would never share her feelings. It was just that simple, and Rainbow couldn't take it. Soon the answer was as plain as day, she needed to leave. Rainbow couldn't blame the Element of Loyalty for simply leaving her soul, if that was how it worked. That wasn't who she was anymore. Rainbow Dash wasn't loyal, she wasn't even close. She was a no-good deserter, and that was it.

Rainbow looked up to the sky, wondering what her parents would think of her actions. For some reason she found herself awaiting an impossible answer, only to hear nothing but the river. Her head sank, and she looked back to her reflection with a tear in her eye.

-=-Two Days Later-=-

Applejack hurriedly corralled the last of the bunnies into the Everfree Forest, Fluttershy close behind. That was it, the last of the creatures of Ponyville were taken care of. Once the group of bunnies was secured, Applejack snorted out a breath of hot air, a broad grin spreading across her face. She hadn't felt so triumphant over something so small before.

"Alright! Tha's the last of 'em, right 'Shy?"

"Y-Yes," the pegasus panted, her wings sagging to her sides as she landed. Applejack had come by to help her herd the rest of the animals, unable to wait for Fluttershy to start her search for Rainbow Dash. "Although, I think I need to rest for a bit. I-I'm sorry Applejack, I know that you want me to leave as soon as possible but-"

"S'alright Fluttershy. Ah'd rather you be at yer best while yer out looking fer Rainbow than passin' out somewhere in the mountains," sighed Applejack. Fluttershy cringed.

"Th-The mountains?" she gasped. Applejack grit her teeth. She had told the pegasus where the mover ponies had headed. Now was not the time for Fluttershy to be senselessly afraid.

"'Shy, Ah told ya'll at least twice where she could be. Yer a pegasus! Please Fluttershy Ah need you ta' be able ta' do this. Ponyville needs ya'll ta' do this."
Fluttershy squeaked, obviously trying her best not to shake like a frightened puppy.

"Oh! Um...I-I-I guess you did, um...Yes, I-I know I have to."

"Ah'm sorry Sugarcube. If Ah could go with ya' Ah would, but an earth pony would only slow a pegasus down," Applejack explained. Fluttershy nodded as they walked back to the yellow mare's cottage, which thankfully was close-by. Even with Applejack's assistance today, it still took five hours to herd the remaining animals into the forest. Fluttershy had worked tirelessly the day before, but the vast amount of work was still strenuous. The orange mare had no idea just how many birds, rabbits, amphibians and among other sorts of creatures resided in Ponyville. Applejack had told her family of the entire situation, from their meeting with the Mayor to Rainbow Dash's unknown whereabouts. She neglected to tell them about her recently found feelings for the pegasus, however. If that subject where to come up, Applejack would do everything she could to put it off. Her grandmother had been the one that brought her up with the idea that mares could only be with stallions, no more, no less. As much as she loved and respected Granny Smith, Applejack couldn't ignore what her heart was telling her.

In fact, the feeling had grown stronger everyday, each hour making her more comfortable with the idea. It made her realize everything she enjoyed about the cyan pegasus. Every time she recalled a memory that she shared with Rainbow Dash, Applejack felt that each experience had been relived, because now the factor of her feelings had been present. She longed for Rainbow to come home, to be in her forelegs, for the pegasus to love her. Every day that went by with Dash gone, the tighter the vice on her heart gripped. She needed Rainbow Dash to come home, possibly more than Ponyville did.

By midday they had reached Fluttershy's cottage, on the edge of the Everfree forest. The yellow pegasus let her inside. She had even herded her own pets into the Forest, save for Angel Bunny, whom was currently standing on his hind legs with folded arms and an impatiently tapping foot. Fluttershy didn't respond to her pet's attitude more than giving him a single carrot, too tired to make him a meal. Applejack snickered at the expression Angel wore, appalled and disgusted at the carrot. Nevertheless, he sighed and chewed on the vegetable. Fluttershy sat on her haunches next to the table, exhausted from the past two days.

"Ya'll gonna be alright?" asked Applejack.

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'll leave for the m-m-mountains as soon as I can."

"Now don't go until yer ready Sugarcube. Ah may be impatient, but Ah'm not heartless."
Fluttershy smiled, appreciative.

Suddenly the front door to the cottage burst open, bucked by a pair of violet hind legs. Twilight Sparkle ran into the home, her pupils tiny pinpricks.

"Applejack, Fluttershy! They're-"
KABOOM!!!

A climactic roar of an explosion shook the cottage from an unknown distance away. The three ponies immediately dove to the floor out of pure reaction, Fluttershy shrieking in fright. Knick-knacks of all sorts fell from the many shelves that lined the walls, crashing to the floor. The shockwave took several moments to subside, followed by the distant screams and the sound of pure chaos enveloping Ponyville from afar. Applejack knew exactly what was happening, something she had been dreading for two days now. The griphons had arrived, and they weren't here to talk over tea and crumpets. Applejack hated to ask the yellow pegasus to do this, but they had no more time:

"Fluttershy! Get goin'! Search everywhere ya' can fer Rainbow Dash!"

Fluttershy went to stutter something, but then was shoved towards the window in the kitchen, pushed outside by the orange mare. "Remember, the mountains ta' the North!"

"Applejack! Do you have your-"

"Way ahead o' ya'!" Applejack cut Twilight off, running towards the saddlebags she had left in Fluttershy's living room. Twilight opened it with her magic, and Applejack pulled out her longest, strongest lasso, wrapping it around her neck. The purple unicorn assisted the farmpony in strapping on her four leather grieves and saddlebags, all made by Rarity two days ago. Applejack had noticed that Twilight was already wearing her own set, her bags filled with scrolls and potions from Zecora.

"Where to Twi'?" asked Applejack calmly.

"To meet with the others in the town square. Let's go! I'll explain on the way!" Twilight exclaimed, dashing out of the cottage, the orange farmpony close behind. As they ran down the dirt road towards Ponyville, the unicorn had started to brief her of the situation. "Pinkie Pie Sensed them coming ten minutes ago. I've been rallying the troops since then. Only one griphon had crossed the border into town, and I'm guessing he dropped some sort of explosive. They're carrying firepower. I had no idea they would do that! This is bad Applejack, we weren't prepared, and we're already taking losses!"

"We won't let them take Ponyville Twilight! Jus' keep tha' big head o' yers level an' direct the troops. Ah'll be leadin' 'em. Don't worry, Rainbow's gonna come back an' we'll win this!" Applejack reassured her.

"I sure hope so," she replied nervously. Applejack couldn't blame her friend. Regardless of her calm demeanor, the orange mare was positively frightened. Twilight was right, they hadn't considered the possibility of the small regime carrying any sort of firepower. They had clearly underestimated their enemy's resources. Applejack didn't even know how many griphons still existed. The only one she had ever heard of was Gilda...Wait a second!

"Twilight! Do you think Gilda's a part o' this? Ah mean she was banished for tha' fight with Rainbow Dash."
Twilight almost tripped, her eyes wide with sudden realization.

"I can't BELIEVE that I forgot about her!" the unicorn screamed at herself. "We could've...ARRGHH!"

"It's alright Twi', we can do this!" Applejack said as they reached downtown Ponyville to find...
Chaos.

Frightened ponies ran in all directions, screaming at the top of their lungs. Armored stallions of all kinds led civilians through the streets and the air, weaving through the griphon-filled sky. A few of the giant beings dove to the streets, taking wild swipes at the soldiers with their razor-sharp talons. Only one landed, although the blow was devastating. A large male griphon took and enormous swipe, taking a stallion earth pony off-guard as the talons dug into his neck, spraying crimson across the cobblestone street. The soldier flew down the road, skidding across its surface. Applejack didn't have time to think or mourn the loss. She ripped her lasso from her neck and in the same graceful motion, whipped the rope in the direction of the fallen pony's assailant. With practiced ease the loop wrapped around the griphon's neck. The seasoned rodeo pony tugged with all her might, her eyes ablaze with vengeance. The creature was suddenly yanked out of the air, flying towards Applejack at break-neck speeds. The orange mare turned on her forehooves, delivering a well-placed buck to the falling griphon's beak. With a sickening crack, the bird of prey flew into the side of a building, five stories in the air.

"Take THAT!" the orange mare bellowed in triumph, shaking with adrenaline. Twilight stared, wide-eyed at the sight. "Get goin' Twilight! Direct the soldiers and make sure we don' suffer no more losses!"

The purple unicorn shook her head, erasing the bewilderment from her face before heading towards the oncoming march of a fresh batch of troops. They came to respond in groups, all receiving their armor and weaponry in differing increments from Rarity and the barrack ponies from somewhere underground. Applejack may have been a strong mare, but she was at an extreme disadvantage in this situation. Griphons were beings of the sky, and she was an earth pony. She knew that they wouldn't spend too much time on the ground. She predicted that the closest they would come to the streets would be to swoop down to quickly dispatch their prey, as they had flawlessly demonstrated moments ago. But Applejack wasn't about to let something as small as a mere disadvantage get the best of her. She had her lasso, so the orange mare would simply repeat the process by plucking the giant birds out of the sky.

Applejack darted forward, returning her lasso to her neck with a flick of her head, swinging the rope gracefully around her. Soon she was at the side of three soldiers, two stallions and one gruff-looking mare. They all held differing bladed weapons in their teeth, the mare unicorn levitating her's with a weak aura of magic. They were about to engage a single female griphon, smaller than her comrades but twice as menacing-looking. She was grounded, a spear through her right wing, spilling blood onto the cobblestone. Considering the limited number of troops that Ponyville had, Applejack considered efficiency.

"Ya'll get goin' to another area, Ah got this one," Applejack announced, receiving hesitant nods from the trio before they darted off to assist another group of soldiers. The griphon shrieked a hawk-like challenge to the orange mare, whom returned the favor by digging her forehoof into the dirt grout of the cobblestone, snorting a burst of hot, visible breath. The griphon reared on its lioness hind legs before dashing towards her. Applejack readied herself, leaning low to the ground. Once the griphon reached her, the orange mare parried off to the right, her evasion skills honed by years of weaving through obstacles at countless rodeo events. In the middle of the dodge, Applejack's lasso flew from her neck, whipping through the air and wrapping itself around the griphon's injured wing. The bird screamed in agony as it was ripped across the street and into the air. She soared helplessly through the sky, flying over a one-story building and then out of sight. Applejack cracked her neck, accidentally straining the muscles by overcompensating the weight of the smaller griphon.

Applejack's eyes darted around the town square, looking for whatever pony needed her help the most. Soon there was another explosion, this one visible to the orange mare. An enormous ball of flame burst forth from the local quill store, sending glass and shrapnel flying outwards, thankfully not into anypony. She looked up to see the white-feathered heads of two griphons atop a five-story apartment building. She gritted her teeth, realizing that they must have been the culprits lobbing explosives. Applejack dug her hooves into the ground as she dashed forward, bucking down the front door of the building, only to receive a powerful kick from a beige hind paw to the cheek. The orange mare skid across the cobblestone, recovering in bewilderment. Getting kicked in the face was the last thing she had expected from opening a door. Two griphons leaped from the threshold of the front door, taking to the skies. However, their plan wasn't to flee, it was to protect their bombers. Applejack considered taking advantage of their absence by running into the building and ascending to the roof, engaging her original targets. However, if she did that then she would be facing four griphons simultaneously, by herself. The orange farmer decided that her best chance was to take on as few of the creatures as possible at once, not having backup at her side. She was a lone pony in this battle. She would only be hindered with any help.

The orange mare didn't dare untie her lasso just yet. She couldn't give her foes any chance for a preemptive parry or strike. A quick draw would be her only chance to use her lasso in this situation. The two griphons she had dispatched before had been different. The first didn't see it coming and the second had been not only grounded, but caught off-guard in the middle of a dodge. Now the tables were turned against Applejack. The two griphons were going to work as a team, using their advantage of the skies against a single earth pony. At the climax of their ascent, both griphons corkscrewed downward, circling each other in a double helix formation towards the farmpony. Their descent was quick, agile and obviously well-practiced, rivaling the precision of the Wonderbolts themselves. Applejack didn't have the time to think of any sort of strike, so she merely sidestepped the double-attack, gasping in elation that she had made it unscathed...almost. One of the four sets of talons had grazed her left foreleg, although not deep enough to worry about. The pair of birds recovered from the dive with a well-timed flap of their mighty wings, ascending once again. Applejack found herself shaking, but not from adrenaline. It was fear. Crippling, undying fear. Suddenly the weight of her disadvantage fell to her brain, extinguishing any hope or drive that had previously fueled her. This was just two griphons, but they were already overpowering and outmaneuvering her. How could she defend herself against the ever-precise aerial acrobatics of these two powerful creatures?

Now the pair of griphons were descending again, abandoning their previous technique and merely spreading out in two different directions. They had planned to flank her from both sides in an attempt to not only strike her, but also to throw her off-guard. These two were trained together, they worked together. Their maneuvers were flawless and honed. Applejack didn't know which way to go. They were about to flank her when the orange mare made a desperate move. Applejack cast out her lasso, capturing the griphon to the left and diving out of the way, bringing her victim with her. She had expected some sort of strike from the opposing bird of prey, for she was directly in its path. However, no such attack had been felt or detected. Applejack wasted no time in questioning the anomaly and merely carried out her parry. The farmpony recovered after a roll, the end of her lasso in her mouth. There was a long length of slack between the mare and her catch, so she compensated the difference by turning three times, wrapping the rope around her body. As soon as Applejack felt the lasso tighten around the neck of the griphon, she yanked the creature out of the sky, inevitably crashing to the streets. The renewed farmer ran over to her victim before he could get up and delivered a well-placed stomp to its neck. A sickening, squelching crack echoed against the buildings, signalling the passing of the griphon.

Applejack whipped her head all around, desperately searching for the other acrobat. When she looked up towards the sky, time stopped dead in its tracks. A small, black ball was inches from her face, a lit fuse sparking angrily. It was a bomb, about to end her life. Either everything slowed down, or the farmer's mind sped up to light-speed. It was over. Everything was for not. Everything and everypony she knew were a mere second away from being completely gone. There was no way she could avoid it, and even if she could, the blast radius was simply too wide for a dodge to be any good. Either way, she would die instantly, in the absolute worst way Applejack could think of. She would never see her family again, she wouldn't see her friends again...She would never confess her mind-engulfing love for-
BAM!!!

An explosion of violet energy and purple flames burst in front of Applejack's eyes, sending her flying through the air and into the side of a brick building. She fell to the ground in a heap, her ears wailing with a high-pitched frequency. Her brain was numb, her eyelids heavy. Her strength had simply left her, keeping her from moving an inch. Instantly a revelation had hit her like a bucket of ice-cold water: she was alive. Applejack forced her eyes to focus on what was in front of her. There was a black, smoldering crater in the middle of the cobblestone street where the explosive had detonated. There was a purple pony galloping toward her limp form. The mare was saying something, although her words were lost to the wailing in Applejack's ears. Suddenly her senses rushed back to her, giving her the ability to see Twilight standing over her, tears rushing down her cheeks.

"Applejack! Oh thank Celestia!" she cried, helping the orange earth pony up to her hooves. Applejack shook her head, everything coming back to her. That purple light, Twilight being here... She had saved her. Twilight had used her magic to shield Applejack at the very last fraction of a second from instant death. "AJ I'm so sorry! If I had come sooner I-"

"Twilight!" Applejack cut her off. "Ya'll just saved mah life, and after we're done here, Ah'm gonna kiss ya' right on the face! But fer now, we got work ta' do! Move!"

Twilight blushed furiously, clearly embarrassed by the statement, but quickly nodded and took off in search of her team. Applejack found the other griphon on the ground, shrieking in pain from the two broken wings under her. It was obvious that Twilight had dispatched her before, hence why she never landed a talon at the end of her descent. To her left was a trio of small, stallion soldiers. They barely looked old enough to be serving this amount of duty, and they were shaking from the event that had transpired right in front of them. The farmer was not one for comforting, especially in this dire situation.

"What're ya'll doin'?" she yelled at the three colts. They jumped in reaction, cowering to their haunches. "Ya'll get yer hooves on the ground an' yer heads up high. This is war!"

The three young stallions nodded nervously and bolted, their weapons clinking at their sides. Applejack instantly looked up to the roof of the apartment building to find one of the two bombers about to lob another explosive right in her direction. This time the orange mare was ready. Before the bomb left the bird's talons, Applejack was already through the front door, ascending the stairs at a full gallop. Once she reached the final stairway the door to the roof flew inward, revealing a readied griphon half-way through lobbing another bomb. The orange mare had expected this, but didn't take in the factor of the tightly-packed stairwells. It didn't matter, she still had just enough room.

The black ball of absolute death flew right at Applejack's face, whom was grinning like mad. It was just like the Distance Bucking event at her last rodeo, except the ball was now a deadly explosive. If she messed this up, she would die, simple as that. However, she had practiced this challenge furiously before the last competition. Applejack whipped her hips around, placing a light but forceful kick at the bomb. It clinked off the metal plating of her leather grieves, rebounding straight at its owner. The orange mare didn't take the time to gaze at the guaranteed look of horror on the griphon's face, but dove back down the stairwell and out of the way of the blast. A roar of flame erupted from the roof, thankfully spreading more outside than down the steps. Applejack grinned, taking her hooves away from her ears. The wailing from the first bomb had been painful, and she didn't care to pursue the experience again.

Applejack bolted up the stairs again, through the smoldering crater that used to be a doorway. The wind blew lightly at this height, the streets of Ponyville five stories below. The second bomber shrieked in fright, his frame small and bony. He spread his wings and took to the skies, but not before the rodeo pony dashed forward and leaped off the roof. Applejack soared through the air, not looking down for anything. With a surge of relief, Applejack landed on the griphon's back, causing him to utter another hawk-like shriek as he fell from the sudden weight. The farmpony clutched at the bird's neck, wringing it to the left and downward. It was pure luck that the bomber had been so small, and it worked graciously to her advantage. The griphon lost control, diving unintentionally to the streets. The wind whipped at Applejack's face, the farmer not anywhere near used to soaring this fast, let alone flying at all. She readied herself as the ground grew closer. Once they reached ten feet from the cobblestone street, Applejack jumped off the griphon and tumbled to the ground, rolling several times before recovering to her hooves in a long, three-yard skid. She was satisfied when she saw the griphon collide with the stone, instantly unconscious.

Applejack couldn't believe her prowess. That was the fifth griphon she had dispatched, with only a small cut on her foreleg. She had only been in a few fights in her life, and those were against ponies. These were griphons, masters of the skies and ruthless killers. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the drive to defend Ponyville, or maybe even to take vengeance from the capture of her cousin and her family. Regardless, she was taking a chunk out of the griphon's forces.

Suddenly screams of agony broke her train of thought. Applejack looked around to find the source, desperate to lend a helping hoof. Horror spread across her face. Dozens of griphons were in the town square, easily taking over the area. All at once the soldiers of Ponyville started to fall, the giant birds dominating their forces. Across the square Applejack gasped to find Twilight holding up a shattered shield of violet magic, flying backwards from a swift kick to the chest from a rather large female griphon. The farmpony froze in sudden realization. Applejack was supposed to stick around in Twilight's general area, protecting her as well as aid the town's forces. That was the plan that Twilight had put into place two days ago. She had run through it with the orange mare several times. Applejack had been distracted by the heat of battle, each griphon she had engaged brought her to a new location in a neat flow. She let Twilight down in her own adrenaline.

Applejack threw all caution to the wind, bolting through the crowd of griphons and ponies. She rolled out of the way from a sidelong swipe, not letting anything stop her from saving Twilight. The farmpony jumped through the air, grasping onto Twilight's attacker around the neck, yanking the griphon into a flying elbow drop. Unfortunately, the female bird of prey rolled out of the way just in time, causing Applejack to slam her elbow into the cobblestone. Mind-crumbling pain spread down her entire foreleg as she felt the bone snap. She had delivered all of her strength into the blow, not expecting the griphon to be able to move out of the way. Applejack bellowed out a cry of agony, clutching her elbow with her eyes screwed shut. She heard the ruffling of feathers rush over her, signalling the imminent strike of three deadly talons. She opened her eyes to see that she was right. The griphon was right in the middle of a killing strike when a faint violet glow saved her life once again. Applejack rolled as fast as she could out of the way, right next to Twilight. The purple unicorn looked to be on the verge of fainting. Applejack guessed that she had exhausted herself with the immense amount of magic that it took to fight a small army of griphons. Their attacker dove towards them. Applejack couldn't think of a thing to do. Her broken leg prevented her from moving, and Twilight looked to be in a similar state.

"HHHIIIIIIIYYYYAAAAAA!!!"

With a flash of bright pink the enormous griphon was flying backwards through the air, skidding on her talons before recovering with a shake of her off-white feathered head. Applejack felt her face fall in disbelief as a pink mare stood up on her hind legs in front of them, wobbling from side to side. Her forehooves were in some odd sort of ready-to-fight position. The mare's pink curls were drooping carelessly, looking as if they were about to deflate.

"Arrrre you guysh alr-HIC-okay?" asked Pinkie Pie, her voice low and slurring heavily. Applejack cast a glance to Twilight, whom looked positively elated.

"Pinkie Pie!" she cried out, beaming.

"Pinkie what're ya'll doin'? Are you-"

"Applejack!" Twilight had cut her off excitedly. "She's completely wasted!"

"Why're ya' so happy about tha'?" asked Applejack, confused and angry.

"Don't you know?" asked Twilight loudly. Applejack didn't know what was going on, and she illustrated this with a shake of her head.

"Applejack! Pinkie Pie is a master of the Drunken Hoof Style!"

Epilogue-Legacy

Broken: Epilogue, Legacy

It has been over a year since Ponyville had recovered from the day known as The Thunderboom Event. That was what the history books were calling it anyway, reminiscent of the final attack that ended the battle between ponies and griphons. Twilight Sparkle's book had actually coined the term, taking from Pinkie Pie's eccentric terminology. Her collective work from the accounts of several soldiers and civilians had become an overnight success. Her book had been titled 'Ponyville; Battleground.' The novel had not only been an instant bestseller, but also had been placed at the top of the list of books to be read at a mandatory level in every single university all across Equestria. Twilight Sparkle had become the most popular author to exist since Starswirl the Bearded. She had also singlehoofedly made Ponyville the number-two tourist attraction right underneath Canterlot, thus boosting the small town's economy by three-fold. The purple unicorn had been granted awards by not just Ponyville, but from Princess Celestia as well. Her single book had saved the town from hemorrhaging money over the rebuild from the battle, and would forever be known as a hero to the small town of Ponyville.

However, Twilight Sparkle wasn't the only pony to be forever remembered after The Thunderboom Event. Three other ponies would forever go down in history as heroes. Pinkie Pie had been known as the Drunken Master, to her slight dismay. It was an honor, but some ponies didn't look at it in such a way. The pink party pony wasn't exactly happy to be known as a "drunk," but still accepted her award from Princess Celestia a month after the battle. Since The Event, Pinkie Pie had never once touched any form of alcohol. The situation at the time of the battle was dire, and required as much of her as possible. Not to mention the on-and-off week-long hangover she had received.

Applejack had been granted the name 'Rodeo Soldier,' for her impressive lasso work as she engaged several foes singlehoofedly on that day. It had taken a week of pushing for her to attend the ceremony and accept her award. Her friends had understood the farmer's modesty, but still insisted on her presence. Her prowess was legend in the rodeo pony world. She had been convinced that every ribbon she won after The Event was out of pure favoritism, regardless of how ridiculous the idea was.

But in the many victories that day, there was one that stood out amongst the rest. There was one pony, whose name had become a household term since that day: the legendary cyan pegasus known as Rainbow Dash; Master of the Sonic Thunderboom. It was an odd title, considering the event was a once-in-a-lifetime performance and couldn't exactly be mastered, but that was what ponies had called her. The Thunderboom was the most life-risking move the pegasus had ever made, and she didn't wish to repeat the process. Eventually Rainbow Dash was forced to give the journalist ponies a long-awaited interview, once her nerve had come back to her. A few ponies had reviewed her as boastful an proud, but most knew that she deserved to be. She was the Master of the Sonic Thunderboom after all. Once the hype of The Event had calmed down, Rainbow Dash was finally able to be with her marefriend freely. She had been granted her old job as Chief of Weather in Ponyville once again, much to Cloudkicker's dismay. Rainbow didn't want any other job in the world, and was thankful to have the chance to redeem herself. Unlike her previous work-ethic, Dash had a renewed sense of pride in her job. Not only had she woken up early every day to perform her duties, but she never took her old routine nap breaks either. This new drive had rewarded her an enormous raise in her salary. She and Applejack had been able to afford a new home on the ground, a mile outside of Ponyville's limits. However, the orange mare had been reluctant to leave her family and her work on the farm. Rainbow Dash had assisted her in training her replacement, Caramel. The stallion had never been one to work much harder than absolutely necessary, but took on the new position as Sweet Apple Acres' top applebucker and farmer. Every now and then Applejack visited the farm to help with her old duties and to see her family. She may have moved away, but she was still the same old, hardworking farmer at heart. Applebloom however, stayed with her family.

Scootaloo had of course, lived with Rainbow Dash and Applejack in their new home. Every other day of the orange pegasus filly's life had been devoted to flight training. She had always wanted to be a strong flier, but ever since her older sister took her to a Wonderbolts show, she had a new goal in life: to be welcomed into their ranks after Rainbow Dash. The cyan pegasus vigorously trained her sister, hoping to keep her promise to Twilight Sparkle that she made over a year ago.

It was a bright, clear Spring day over Rainbow Dash and Applejack's home. As usual, the cyan pegasus was awake and flying at sunrise. After a few warm-up maneuvers, Rainbow flew into her sister's bedroom, taking in her surroundings before waking her up. This was the day, the day that Dash would keep her promise. She smiled with an unmatched sense of pride. Scootaloo's walls were covered with Rainbow's old Wonderbolts posters and banners. Even a few photographs were tacked to the wooden walls. Some were of the orange filly with her two best friends, Applebloom and Sweetie Bell. Others were of her flight prowess. There were even two of her with her sister, Rainbow Dash. Only one was framed, however. It stood atop her end table, reminding Scootaloo of her old life. It was a picture of the pegasus filly, being held up by her deceased parents. Rainbow Dash had been proud of that photograph being right there, for it showed how strong her sister was. The cyan pegasus could never have framed a picture of her own passed parents like that at such a young age. She wouldn't have been able to take it. She was proud to call Scootaloo her sister, and loved her as such. The pegasus filly slept soundly in her small bed, underneath a single sheet.

"Okay, WAKE UP SQUIRT!" Rainbow yelled at the top of her lungs. Scootaloo immediately jumped awake, ready to attention. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and then stood up on all fours.

"Yes Coach!" she replied as she did every other morning.

"This is the big day Scoot, now warm-up with twenty wing-ups! Now!" exclaimed Dash. Scootaloo obeyed her coach, falling to the floor beside her bed and pumping out the reps as fast as she could.

"Slower! You don't want to pull a muscle and ruin this do you?!"

"Sorry Coach!"

Rainbow watched with invisible pride as her sister did what she was told. It may have been considered too much for such a young filly, but that was the only way Dash knew how to coach. It had definitely granted amazing, ground-breaking results though. In one year Scootaloo went from barely being able to take off, to a high-velocity flier. The cyan pegasus knew that under any other form of training, her sister wouldn't be the flier she was today. Eventually her little sister had finished with her paced wing-ups. She now stood to her coach with a look that Rainbow Dash instantly recognized: determination. It was The Drive, rushing through her at full-force. She was ready. Today Scootaloo was finally going to achieve her goal.

"Okay private, through the window, in the air! I want to see five consecutive barrel rolls, thirty feet from the ground and in a perfect line! Now move it!"

Immediately Scootaloo bolted through the opened window, followed by her coach. Rainbow Dash landed in the middle of their enormous backyard, watching her sister with hope. Scootaloo performed the exercise perfectly, but was told to practice it a few more times. As if on queue, Rainbow turned to see her four best friends trotting over, not looking as awake as her. Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie arrived at the designated time, however with much dislike to the hour. Even the pink party pony was only half-awake. As they walked up to Rainbow Dash, Applejack emerged from the back door. In the past few months, the orange mare rarely had to wake up early anymore. She looked just as exhausted as the rest of her friends, her mane disheveled under her scarred stetson.

"Rainbow Dash, what is this all about?" asked a slightly annoyed Rarity. "Why couldn't you just tell us why we had to get up so early?"

"Yeah Dashie. You know that we just had a long night at the Thursday Party yesterday!" Pinkie complained, a rare occurrence from her usual uplifted mood.

"Rainbow, Ah love ya', but ya'll didn't even tell me what's goin' on," yawned Applejack.

"Trust me guys, it's all gonna be worth it," Dash reassured. Applejack and Twilight paced slowly over to the cyan pegasus.

"Rainbow, is this about what you and Scootaloo have been training for?" asked the purple unicorn. "I know that you want her to succeed, but don't you think that you're being a little hard on her?"

"Yeah RD," Applejack agreed. "You've been pressing that girl every other day ta' get better, an' her school work is sufferin' 'cause of it."

"Guys trust me!" Rainbow countered. "Just watch this. Scoot!"

Scootaloo responded by arching out of an ascent and diving to the ground. She landed just as professionally as Rainbow would have, her technique nearly-flawless. Rainbow Dash took her sister aside, out of earshot from her friends. She sat on her haunches in front of the orange filly, giving her a level look despite the height difference.

"Okay Scoot, right now I'm not your coach, I'm your big sister," said Rainbow, her words heavy. Scootaloo seemed to relax a little, but still held her look of determination. "Are you ready for this?"

"Ready as ever," she replied with a grin.

"Okay, as your big sister I wanted to say good luck. You have worked so hard for a year now, and it's led to this. No matter what happens, just know that I am so proud of you Scootaloo. You're the best sister a pony could ask for, and I love you," said Rainbow. The orange filly looked to be on the verge of tears, but bravely held her composure. "Now go out there and wow the crowd Sis, I believe in you."
Rainbow Dash hugged her sister, knowing for a fact that she could do this.

"I love you too Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo croaked. They let go and the pegasus filly flew into the sky, tracked by the eyes of the six mares below. Rainbow stood next to Applejack, whom leaned up against her to keep from falling asleep. None of them said a word until Twilight's eyes widened in sudden realization as to what this was all about. The unicorn's head snapped over to the cyan pegasus, her jaw agape.

"Rainbow Dash! She's not going to-"

"Oh yes she is!" said Dash, her eyes on the ascent of her little sister.

"Rainbow that's completely-"

"Awesome, I know," Rainbow interrupted, not wanting to hear the warnings. Thankfully, none of her other friends were as quick on the uptake as Twilight, and they remained silent as Scootaloo started the dive. Her acceleration was only matched by Rainbow's own at that age. It took a little longer than what was comfortable, but eventually the distinctive mach cone formed around the orange and purple dot. Applejack, along with every other pony gasped in surprise. It was obvious now what their intentions were.

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack breathed, now suddenly awake as ever. "She's not gonna...Is she really-"

The orange mare's words were cut off as they all watched Scootaloo's mach cone tighten, multicolored bolts of lightning flaring around her. Rainbow started to shake in anticipation. The pegasus filly was too close to the ground. She would have to pull up as soon as the move was executed. The two sisters had planned what to do in this situation, but Dash still worried. However, as dangerous as this was, somehow she knew in her heart that her sister could do this. She had to do this.

"Come on Scoot, you got this," Rainbow whispered to herself as everypony held their breath. "You got this, you got this, you got this."

Scootaloo was nothing more than a blur now, rocketing toward the ground. Rainbow found herself practically convulsing. She couldn't hold her excitement anymore.

"COME ON SCOOTALOO!"

A climactic bang of sound, a flash of light and an eruption of prismatic light. The shock wave of the Sonic Rainboom roared to life, spreading across the clear blue sky. Rainbow Dash bellowed out her elation, screaming toward the sky as the wind kicked up her mane. She had done it, after only a year of training. All six mares cried out with shrieks of joy and applause.

"What the HAY did I tell you Twilight Sparkle?! My sister is the second pony in HISTORY to perform the Sonic Rainboom! How d'ya like THAT?!" Rainbow bellowed over the rush of the shock wave. Scootaloo pulled up from the ground, a solid rainbow marking her trail. Not only did she rebound, but the orange filly soared upward, arching through the air several times at Mach Ten. The six ponies couldn't stop cheering, their surprise and happiness palpable. After a few sound-shattering maneuvers, Scootaloo finally broke her speed and landed to the ground ten feet away from the six mares. Immediately she was thrown into a tackle-hug from her older sister.

"YOU DID IT SCOOT! YOU BUCKING DID IT!" screamed Rainbow Dash, not caring about the tears of joy streaming down her face. Applejack had joined in as the rest surrounded the three, all applauding the filly. Scootaloo couldn't hug her sister tighter. "I'm so proud of you! A Sonic Rainboom! Can you believe it?!"

"Ack! Sis I can't breathe!" Scootaloo cried. Rainbow reluctantly released her sister to find tears in the filly's eyes as well. "That was so awesome! And I-I have you to thank for it."

"No you don't," Rainbow choked on her tears. "You have yourself to thank, and nopony else."

Scootaloo's lip trembled, and she returned to her sister's embrace. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Twilight and Pinkie Pie joined in on the group hug, honoring the filly's spectacular performance. Rainbow had never been so proud of anypony in her life, and it made her heart explode with joy.

For the majority of her life Rainbow Dash had lived by herself with only her friends standing alongside her. She had dealt with more pain than anypony should, and learned a fair amount of life lessons through it all. The cyan pegasus had lived through hopelessness, disappointment and heartache. But that was just it, she had lived through it, she had grown because of it. Rainbow had fought for her life, for her love and for her sister. She couldn't remember what having a family was like until now. She had lost her parents as a filly, and had been alone since. But now, Dash had a new home, the love of her life, and the best sister in all of Equestria. It took years, but she finally had it again. Rainbow Dash had a family. In the midst of praise for her sister, the cyan pegasus gave the sky one last look, casting a final thought to her parents:

Mom, Dad, I did it. I've conquered my fears, found love and have a family of my own. After everything that has happened, I know that I couldn't do it without your love. You two were the best parents a filly could have, and I'll never forget you.

I'm about to start a new life now, and I wish you were here to see it.

But...I know that you two are in Heaven, watching over me every day. So I ask you, watch over my new family as you have me. I know they would love you almost as much as I do.

I love you Mom and Dad, and thank you for everything that you've done for me...

...Thank you so much...