Falling Backwards

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 5

Chapter 1

“Ok, now you gotta watch this!” Called the sky blue mare with the prismatic mane a few dozen feet in the air. The violet alicorn rolled her purple eyes below her.

“You’ve shown me nearly everything Rainbow Dash!” She called up to her friend, recalling the various loop-de-loops, barrel rolls, spins, dives, twists and turns the daredevil pegasus already showed her.

“Not everything!” And with that the prismatic mare flew higher into the partly cloudy sky. A part of her doing that the weather was so nice today. The fall had just begun and already the air was feeling crisp and cool. Smirking, Rainbow Dash soared through the sky, showing off yet another of her tricks to one of her friends. This time, she was sure she would make it into the Wonderbolts! This was better than the sonic rainboom she was sure of it!

Twilight Sparkle, new alicorn princess, watched on as her friend spiraled high up into the air until the only thing that set her apart from the sky was her multicolored mane. She watched as Rainbow Dash zoomed across the sky, collecting a few of the scattered clouds in her wake, she circled pulling them tighter until they were one huge cloud.

Twilight knew from her studies of weather patterns that this accumulation of water vapor causes friction and can create a storm cloud. Rainbow Dash knew this too as she formed a bigger storm cloud. It was entirely in her control as she soared higher, leaving the cloud at a reasonable altitude. She pushed herself higher into the troposphere. Twilight bit her lip, her stomach dropping at the sight of her friend so high up beyond the clouds. From extensive study, Twilight knew that the higher one goes into the atmosphere, the thinner and colder the air gets. However, she also knew that pegasi were adapted to flying at high altitudes. Just how high, no pony knew.

Twilight saw her friend hesitate for a split second before changing direction and plummeting towards the ground. Twilight felt her heart start to beat faster as Rainbow Dash gained speed; on the threshold of a Sonic Rainboom she hit the storm cloud waiting in her wake. The result was spectacular.

Rainbow lightning shot from the cloud in all directions. It was absolutely marvelous and blinding. Streaks of red, yellow, orange, blue, green and purple danced across the sky in what Twilight assumed was a five-mile radius. It was spectacular and she watched with her mouth agape. It took only seconds to realize that the mare responsible for the beautiful light show was nowhere to be seen. Panic crept into the young alicorn as she searched the sky for her friend. She couldn’t see anything.

Shakily, still not used to her new wings, Twilight Sparkle took to the air to look for her friend. “No, no, no, no, no…” Twilight murmured to herself as she scanned the sky and ground.

Suddenly, below her was a speck of blue and rainbow clashing against the green grass of an open field. She bolted towards the ground. Getting close enough to teleport she appeared at Rainbow’s side.

The sight before her was one she will forever wish to get out of her mind. Rainbow laid on the ground. A dark red pool beneath her, her head was gashed and dripping blood. Her legs were badly broken and her wings…Twilight couldn’t look at them without wanting to vomit. Her mind went into overdrive. She had to get Rainbow Dash to the hospital. But her training grounds were a good few miles away from Ponyville. Twilight had to think fast.

She remembered a spell she learned when she was researching pony anatomy. It was a bind spell. Anything to get that wound on Dash’s head to stop bleeding. She just prayed to Celestia that her brain didn’t swell. She alit her magic and concentrated hard. Her analytical brain was already conjuring the spell while she suppressed the sheer panic and terror that she was feeling.

Soon the spell was cast and mended the wound on Dash’s head. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. But the unconscious, badly torn up pegasus before her shocked her out of her revere. She summoned a quick fix spell. Her studies of healing magic were limited, but she was able to at least get the bones back in place in Rainbow Dash’s legs. She didn’t even want to look at Rainbow’s wings.

After that was done, Twilight carefully formed a magical stretcher underneath the pegasus and started walking. She had to get Rainbow Dash out of here. All she had to do was get on the edge of Ponyville and she could teleport to the hospital. The only problem is that Ponyville was a few miles away still.

A thought occurred to Twilight. She can fly now. Looking back at her unconscious friend she breathed a deep breath and extended her wings like she has seen the brash pegasus do so many times. With a flap she hovered in the air. Making sure that her magic rapport was still intact she flew clumsily towards Ponyville.

Once she saw the small town and the hospital in the distance she felt relief wash over her. She was close enough to teleport. She touched down just outside the village and gently placed Rainbow on the ground. Since her magic wasn’t strong enough to hold the pegasus and teleport them at the same time. She quickly conjured the spell and the two disappeared with a “pop” only to appear inside the hospital waiting room with another “pop”.

Everypony in the waiting room jerked back with shock as the lavender alicorn appeared out of thin air with her mangled, badly bleeding and barely breathing friend in tow.

“She needs help!” Twilight demanded. Immediately two nurses were on the spot and with magical help, lifted Rainbow Dash onto a stretcher and whisked her away. Leaving Twilight Sparkle alone in the waiting room with one thought on her mind. Now she had to tell her friends about all this.

As soon as they heard, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were in the hospital waiting room with Twilight Sparkle who hadn’t stopped pacing. Sadly, it was a place that they were all too familiar with, Rainbow Dash being the clumsy mare that she was. However, this time the stakes were much higher.

“She’s been in surgery for two hours now…” Applejack hollowly stated as she stared at the clock absentmindedly as she had been for the past two hours. Her hat was being toyed with in her hooves.

“That just means they’re patching her up real good right?” Pinkie Pie asked as her mane and tail, both usually an unruly disaster was flat against her. She was repeatedly tapping her hoof on the floor.

“Of course, just a few more stitches and she’ll be back on her hooves in no time.” Rarity prayed for the best but it was obviously a lost cause as she held Fluttershy in her hooves whose sobs had now turned into whimpers.

Twilight hesitated in her pacing as Rarity’s words sunk in. She hadn’t been there to see what Dash looked like. She hadn’t seen the mess the pegasus was. The way her head was bleeding, the bones protruding from her legs, the mangled mess her wings were. Rainbow Dash will be lucky if she can ever walk or much less fly ever again.

Just then a doctor entered the waiting room. All of the ponies present stopped to look at him. His caramel coat and brown mane were nothing spectacular but the best thing the mares had seen all day.

“I’m looking for the kin of a…” he looked at his clipboard. “Miss Rainbow Dash?” He looked at the five mares in the room. Applejack tore her eyes away from the wall, Pinkie Pie looked up from her hooves, Rarity turned away from Fluttershy and she stopped her whimpering.

“We’re it.” Twilight said, stopping her pacing, a look of hope in her face.

“Are you her kin?” He asked, raising an eyebrow in doubt. The mare in question had no doubt been here before.

“Well, no but we’re all she has.” Twilight explained. The doctor stallion nodded and looked back at his clipboard.

“Surgery went well. Both her left and right metacarpal suffered compound fractures. The second and third ribs on her right side were both complicated fractures, and pierced her lung. Her right femur suffered a hairline fracture. Her left tibia sustained a multiple fracture. She tore her left hind suspensory ligament and her left front radial carpal extensor muscle. As for her wings, the radius, ulna and humerus of both wings suffered multiple fractures not to mention the loss of a significant amount of feathers.” He explained, reading off the clipboard. Twilight’s face went pale while the others looked at each other. The doctor looked up at them.

“Thanks to you Twilight Sparkle, her legs should heal soon. We were able to patch the lung, and repair the muscles.” He continued. “Her wings were badly broken but they’ll reset soon.” The mare’s faces lit up in excitement. Twilight’s however, stayed pale. “But I’m afraid that we were only able to fix her physical injuries.” He sighed. That was what Twilight was afraid of. “Her brain suffered massive trauma and bleeding.” He started to say. Twilight felt her stomach do summersaults. This could only mean bad things. “We have her on sedatives right now. She shouldn’t wake up for another hour now. I’m afraid she has suffered severe brain damage.”

That was it.

That was the only sentence needed to send the mares into hysterics. Fluttershy fell into fits of sobs. Rarity screamed in agony and sobbed with the canary pegasus so they were both a blubbering heap. Applejack, who never let herself shed a tear, openly wailed into her hooves. Pinkie Pie on the contrary sat dead still and stared off into space as if her mind had checked out as silent tears fell from her eyes while she made no move to brush them away.

Twilight Sparkle hid her emotions, trying to keep her cool. “What kind of brain damage are we talking about here doctor?” She asked as if she were talking about a pony she didn’t know. He sighs.

“She woke up from the anesthesia about half an hour ago.” He explained. Twilight’s ears perked up. If she did then why did he just now come out to tell them this? And why was she back under sedation? “She…” this was getting hard for him to say. “She screamed and thrashed around, ignoring her injuries and flailing about. It took four of my strongest nurses to hold her down while I and another doctor sedated her again.” He recalled. Twilight sat on her flank in shock at the news. The doctor looked up at the four ponies that were obviously not taking the news well. “When she wakes up, she’ll need a familiar face. Do you know of any next of kin we can contact?"

It was Twilight’s turn to get choked up. “No, her family is dead. We are the only ones." Twilight’s voice was raspy as her barrier that she held up to keep her emotions at bay was starting to crack. The doctor sighed again.

“Then I will have to ask one of you to stay the night.” He said. Twilight nodded. She looked back at her friends then to the doctor. “I’ll do it.” She stated, after all, she felt responsible for this whole ordeal.

“Very well, I will let you gather your things for the night and come back, tell the receptionist you’re here for Miss Rainbow Dash and we’ll get you set up.” He nodded curtly and exited through the swinging metal doors.

Twilight hung her head and let a few tears fall. She can’t be weak. Not at a time like this. She turned to her friends. “Girls.” She stated, her voice flat and barely heard over the hysterical cries. “Girls!” She shouted, this got their attention and they all turned to look at the purple alicorn, a few tears adorning her face now as well. Rarity and Fluttershy’s cries turned into whimpers, Applejack coughed, trying to stop her own sobs and Pinkie Pie just turned and faced her silently. “They want one of us to spend the night here with Rainbow. I offered to do it.” She explained.

“Twilight, aren’t you tired enough as it is?” Applejack asked. Twilight held up a hoof to stop her protests.

“I’ve made my decision. Now it’s best you all get home and get some sleep.” Twilight informed. Fluttershy opened her mouth to protest, but the look of determination that Twilight held on her face was enough to make her close her mouth and obey.

Silently, all of the mares filed out of the hospital. They were about to go their separate ways when Fluttershy stopped.

“Girls?” Her soft voice stopped all the mares in their tracks. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.” She scuffed at the ground timidly with a hoof. Rarity walked up to her and wrapped a hoof around her shoulder.

“I don’t want to be alone either, Dear.” Rarity admitted.

“Ah have plenty of room. Ya’ll can stay with me tonight.” Applejack offered, her hat still in her hooves. Pinkie nodded and all four of them walked into the night.

Twilight watched them go off to Applejack’s. Probably none of them will sleep tonight. She doubted she would either.

She walked back to the library in solidarity, left alone with her thoughts. She entered the dark library where Spike ran to meet her.

“Is everything ok? What about Rainbow Dash? Twilight what’s going on?” He bombarded her with questions. Twilight shook her head slowly.

“Not right now Spike” Twilight murmured. He watched her as she walked up the stairs, alighting her magic to grab her saddlebags.

“Well what are you doing then?” He asked, climbing up the stairs and watching her pack her things.

“The doctors want somepony to stay with Dash for the night.” Twilight explained.

“So it’s really bad isn’t it?” Spike asked, his tone dropping.

“Yes.” Was all Twilight said as she threw her saddlebags over herself. “I’ll be back…later…” She stated, unsure of when she will be back. “Think you can handle the library while I’m gone?” She turned back towards him, a playful tone in her voice as she tried to regain a sense of normalcy. He smiled and saluted.

“Your number one assistant is at your service!” He smiled. She giggled a bit despite her sadness and headed for the door. He followed, seeing her out. As she reached the threshold Spike spoke up. “Oh and Twilight?” She turned around to look at him before stepping into the moonlit night. “If you need anything let me know.” He said sincerely. Twilight smiled honestly and she headed back to the hospital.

Twilight entered the empty waiting room. She trotted up to the receptionist. “Hi I’m Twilight Sparkle. I’m here for…” She started to say but the mint-colored mare stopped her.

“Miss Rainbow Dash.” She finished, her voice was sad. “She woke up a few minutes ago actually. It would be good for her to see a familiar face.” She assured and got up from the desk and ushered Twilight back to the patient rooms.

Ponyville General Hospital was barely that. It consisted of a few patient rooms where they often put multiple ponies in the same room due to space constrictions. Twilight was surprised to find only Rainbow Dash’s name on the door to a room. Inside she could hear screaming and that made her visibly cringe. The nurse slowly opened the door for Twilight to walk inside.

The sight in front of her caused her heart to sink. Rainbow Dash was in a bed; her wings were bandaged tightly to her sides strangling the only thing the pegasus truly loved more than life itself. Twilight’s eyes fell to a bandage covering the incision on her friend’s chest; it hurt Twilight to even think her friend could be hurt so bad that she even needed surgery. Twilight looked to the pegasus’ thrashing head. She had started to whip the bandages off and they were hanging like tendrils from her face that was scrunched in pain and her eyes were tightly closed. She threw her legs about as much as she could since they too were swathed in the sterile wrappings and were bound to the bed using restraints normally used on unruly patients. There were four strong stallions in the room trying to hold her down to keep her from ripping her stitches. The perspiration was visible on the stallion's foreheads as they were trying to resist the strong pegasus.

Twilight could only stare as Rainbow Dash shook, tears filling her clenched-shut eyes. The nurse beside Twilight levitated a needle and syringe in her magic and carefully injected it into Rainbow’s IV. Slowly Rainbow Dash relaxed. The nurses let go of their restraint on her and she put up no fight. The nurse signaled for Twilight to get closer to see her friend.

Twilight nodded and saddled up to the side of the bed as her friend opened her rosy eyes. “Mommy?” She asked faintly before falling back to sleep.

Chapter 2

Twilight was dumbfounded. What in the name of Celestia was going on? A million questions ran through her inquisitive mind as she looked to the mint-colored nurse who gazed back with a sad expression written on her face. As Twilight opened her mouth to inquire the nurse cut her off.

“We weren’t sure of the severity of the brain damage until she woke up not too long ago.” She moved to the side to let the four orderlies out. “I shouldn’t be the one telling you this, it should be Doctor Stable, but her mind…it well…regressed.”

“Regressed?” Twilight asked, rolling the word off her tongue, it felt foreign and unpleasant.

“Like reverted back-” The nurse started to explain before Twilight shook her head.

“I know what regressed means. But how?” Twilight asked. She had read about this before, the mind is a fragile thing but she had to admit, pony psychology was fascinating.

“We don’t know. There was enough tissue damage to kill a pony.” The nurse started. Twilight felt her stomach fall. “But somehow, she survived. Now I think that her mind has reverted to a more…safer state.” The nurse explained. Twilight turned her gaze to her sleeping friend.

“What do we do?” Twilight mumbled, asking the question more to herself.

“Sadly, I cannot give you that answer.” The nurse shook her head before walking over to the other bed in the room. “You can sleep here tonight.” She gestured to the empty bed and changing the subject. “If you need anything just press the button here.” She motioned to the red button on the side of it. “If Miss Dash wakes up press the one by her bed.” The nurse explained. Twilight nodded, her gaze still transfixed onto her restrained and sleeping friend. The nurse sighed and started walking out of the room. She stopped at Twilight and put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I’m very sorry.” And with that she left.

Twilight placed her head on the sterile bed sheets, watching Rainbow Dash’s chest rise and fall in steady intervals. Listening to the constant beeps of the heart monitor and the slight sound of the IV drip. All proof that Rainbow Dash was alive. But Twilight still felt the pang of grief for her friend. “Oh Rainbow…” She whispered. “I’m so, so sorry” She finally let her tears fall and she sobbed into the covers.

Twilight Sparkle finally passed out from crying leaning on Dash’s bedside. Too exhausted to make it to the adjacent cot. Her dreams were interrupted by a wet, spongy mass sliding on her face. Twilight grimaced but didn’t open her eyes. Maybe it would go away if she laid still. That, as she found out in a few seconds, didn’t work as the spongy mass only slid faster and with more intensity.

Twilight opened one eye to see Rainbow Dash with her tongue out looking at her. She quickly connected the dots.

“Rainbow!” Twilight sat up and rubbed her face with a hoof. “That’s gross!” Rainbow just cocked her head to the side, not understanding. “No.” Twilight said firmly. “We don’t do that.” She scolded. That seemed to get through to Rainbow as her ears fell flat against her head and her lip trembled on the verge of an outburst.

Twilight couldn’t help but feel bad and didn’t want Rainbow to burst into crying fits. “It’s ok,” Twilight reassured. “I’m guessing you’re hungry?” Rainbow Dash nodded eagerly.

“Hungwey” She responded.

“Well let’s see…” Twilight found and pushed the red button by the bedside and soon enough the mint-colored nurse came in with a tray levitated in her magic.

“It’s breakfast!” The nurse chimed in her happy voice. In her magic was a tray of regular hospital food and a foal bottle filled with a thick cream-colored liquid. “How did you sleep Miss Sparkle?” The nurse asked as she gave her the tray of hospital food.

“Fine.” Responded Twilight lifting a fork in her magic and poking the grayish matter on her tray and holding it up to inspect it. It looked like something that escaped from Tautarus. The nurse levitated the bottle up to Dash’s mouth and she suckled instinctively. Twilight touched the food to her tongue and had to fight the urge to gag. She gently placed the fork on the plate and placed the tray on the table beside her. “When are visiting hours?” Twilight asked the nurse, praying that the taste will soon leave her mouth.

“From noon to 5 daily.” The nurse curtly responded. Twilight nodded. “Dr. Stable should be in to talk to you soon.” She never took her eyes off what she was doing. “You sure are a hungry girl aren’t you?” She giggled and cooed at the pegasus as if she were a real foal patient. Rainbow giggled in response and laughed as the nurse tickled her gently. Twilight found it slightly funny to watch Rainbow enjoy herself more than ever before.

“How is everypony doing?” A new voice entered from the doorway. Twilight turned to see Doctor Stable enter the room. Rainbow Dash saw him appear as well and started struggling and screaming.

“No!” She yelled, tears forming in her eyes. The doctor sighed and put a hoof to his temples. “No! No! No! No!” She struggled against the restraints put on her.

“Sedate her.” He ordered. Twilight looked on in horror as the nurse pulled out the syringe again.

“You can’t do this!” Twilight stood in front of her friend protectively. “She can’t control herself!” The doctor placed a hoof over the nurse’s forearm and lowered the syringe.

“Forgive me Miss Sparkle. Miss Dash is a danger to herself and others in this state.” The doctor explained.

“If you keep sedating her she’ll never learn!” Twilight growled.

“Miss Sparkle. I’m sorry, you don’t know what is going on in her head.” The doctor ordered.

“From what I can gather you don’t either.” Twilight challenged. Doctor Stable sighed, he hated explaining these things to family members and after 25 years of experience he never came across a case like this.

“Miss Sparkle. Your friend, as you knew her, is gone.” The doctor bluntly explained. Twilight felt her urge to fight flee and her shoulders slump in defeat. “Her mind, her memories and her experiences have been repressed. The trauma she experienced has triggered a reaction by her brain to go to a safer place. That safe place was deep within her mind, so she regressed.”

“She can come back right?” Twilight felt the last light of her hope fade.

“I don’t know. None of us know.” Doctor Stable admitted. Twilight looked back to Rainbow Dash who was now distracted by the nurse playing peek-a-boo with her. “What we do know is that she’s capable of hurting herself and others. She will need to have constant care that Ponyville General Hospital cannot provide I’m afraid. She’ll have to be transferred to Canterlot Medical Center.”

“…No…” Twilight’s ears fell defeated. She recalled the center from her time in Canterlot. She’s only ever seen it in passing but it was a cold, old building with spires that rival the castle itself. It sent chills up her spine to remember it. “It’s reserved for the ponies who have no where else to go...” She muttered to herself. However the doctor picked up on it.

“We have no choice. It would cost too much money and time to take care of her here.” Doctor Stable sighs; he really did feel bad for the pegasus and her friend.

“I can do it.” Twilight looked at him with determination in her eyes.

“Miss Sparkle, if we were to release her to your care we can’t be certain she would have the proper care.” He opposed. Twilight could feel the rage boil up inside of her. “We have the best intentions for her.” That was the sentence that threw her over the edge.

Twilight snarled, “Oh really? The best intentions for her are to sedate her and keep her isolated?”

“She can seriously injure herself or the other patients.” Doctor Stable explained. “If I released her to you, there’s no telling what will happen.”

Twilight felt her rage build up inside her. As a princess of Equestria, it was within her power to order him to release her if Twilight saw it fit. However, she felt like that was an abuse of her Celestia-given power. Nevertheless, she felt like she had no choice, this was her friend. As her anger reached its boiling point Twilight gave Doctor Stable a glare filled with rage and she flared her wings. Behind her Rainbow Dash cooed in wonder.

“As a princess of Equestria, I command you to release her to me.” Twilight ordered, her stance was strong and authoritative in attempt to make herself larger than the stallion she was trying to intimidate. She could hear Rainbow Dash giggle behind her, which only fueled her rage towards the doctor.

“Mommy!” Rainbow called behind her, Twilight didn’t waver though she felt her heart ache. Doctor Stable rubs his temples again, he knew that the physicians in Canterlot would only keep Rainbow Dash restrained and isolated. She would live out the rest of her days behind white walls if she was lucky.

“Very well.” He sighed, defeated. “I will arrange the discharge papers.” He turned to leave, the nurse followed behind him and Twilight tucked her rarely used wings away.

“Mommy!” Rainbow Dash smiled brightly. “Again!” She ordered.

“Again?” Twilight asked the pegasus, not knowing what her friend had meant. Rainbow Dash nodded furiously.

“Again!” Rainbow Dash demanded, getting frustrated she wasn’t getting her way.

“Oh, you mean my wings?” Twilight asked and unfurled her wings again. They caught the light from the morning sun and glimmered. Rainbow Dash giggled happily.

“Wings!” She repeated. “Wings!”

“You like those don’t you?” Twilight chuckled a bit and walked back over to the edge of the bed. Rainbow Dash giggled. There was a knock on the door. Twilight turned and opened it effortlessly with her magic. The mint-colored nurse greeted her.

“Miss Sparkle, it’s visiting hours and Miss Dash has visitors in the waiting room. I told them that she is awake and ready to be discharged but I wanted to check with you to see if it was alright if they came back.” The nurse explained. Twilight could tell she wanted to tread lightly around the alicorn after her little “outburst” with Doctor Stable.

Twilight looked back at Rainbow Dash, who was squirming again, itching to get out of the bed she was strapped to. Twilight gave a heavy sigh. Their friends had to find out what happened sooner or later.

“Yes, bring them in.”

Author's Note

Well, I was not expecting this kind of reception for this story. I'll admit, originally I had meant this to be for myself as a test to write something more comedic while still having dark elements. I was hesitant on even publishing it at all. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you to every commenter, favorite, follower, and watcher. Also, thank you to DarkenShade_OC for letting me bounce a few ideas.

Chapter 3

Twilight took a deep breath. Her friends were waiting outside to see Rainbow Dash. They had no idea what would await them. She turned to Rainbow who was squirming impatiently.

“Hey, you have guests.” Twilight told her. Rainbow’s ears perked up and she looked at Twilight curiously. “Yeah, they’re friends. I promise they won’t hurt you.” Twilight responded unsure of how the pegasus will react. She then walked over to the door and opened it with her magic.

Standing on the other side were four confused ponies. All of them looked like they didn’t get much sleep the night before and Twilight was sure she looked the same. Applejack had her hat on so it covered her eyes. Rarity’s mane was a mess but she had flowers held in her magical grip. Fluttershy looked curiously around, every possible worse case scenario going through her head. Finally Pinkie Pie’s mane was starting to get a little bounce back, though Twilight wasn’t sure if it was her mood improving or just messy from last night.

“She’s awake?” Rarity asked, breaking the silence and Twilight nodded in response.

“She is.” Twilight bit her lip, unsure of what to tell her friends. At a loss of words she just silently stepped aside to let her friends in the room.

They all rushed in and saw Rainbow Dash restrained to the bed. All of their eyes gazed over the bandages that were around her torso, legs, and head. None of them missed the look on her face. It was the look of seeing somepony, recognizing them, but not remembering who they were. In the silence of the room Twilight swore she could hear hearts breaking.

“Rainbow, it’s us.” Applejack stepped forward and lifted her hat to get a better look at her friend. “Your friends.” Rainbow Dash cocked her head and looked at all of them assembled at the foot of her bed. Her eyes then fell on Twilight who walked up from behind the mares after closing the door.

“Mommy!” She called, squirming again. Rarity gasped, Applejack lowered her hat, Fluttershy whimpered and Pinkie stared at her hooves. Rainbow looked at them, a puzzled expression on her face. Why were they reacting that way? Twilight sighed.

“The brain damage is bad.” She explained to the group, trying to keep her voice level. “She’ll need constant care that Ponyville General cannot provide. The doctors want to move her to Canterlot.”

“They can’t do that!” Rarity raised her voice. “She’s our friend! We can’t leave her!” Twilight shook her head.

“I know, that’s why I…” Twilight started to say, but remembering the abuse of her power left a bitter taste in her mouth worse than the hospital food. “I ordered that they release her to me.” She hung her head.

“They’ll release her to you? Twi, do ya think that’s a good idea?” Applejack spoke up.

“We can’t leave her…” Fluttershy muttered.

“They’re getting the discharge papers now.” Twilight explained, her decision was final.

“What are we going to do?” Pinkie Pie spoke up for the first time since they got here. Twilight held a sturdy gaze.

“I’m going to take her with me.” Twilight stated.

“Twilight, darling you can’t just put this all on yourself.” Rarity tried to reason with the alicorn but to no avail for they all knew when Twilight Sparkle put her mind to something, absolutely nothing was going to stop her.

“It’s my fault that she crashed.” Twilight scuffed a hoof on the linoleum floor.

“Don’t say that!” Fluttershy gasped. “It was an accident.”

“We can all help take care of her.” Rarity offered. “We can all take a week to watch over her while she heals.” Twilight shook her head.

“Then what?” Applejack retorted. “Will she ever come back to herself?”

“I…I don’t know…” Twilight looked away from the assembled ponies and back to Rainbow Dash. “But I do know,” She turned to look back at her friends with a renewed look of vigor and determination. “What I do know is that Rainbow Dash would never abandon her friends. The least we can do is return the favor.” With that the mares assembled nodded in agreement.

There was a knock at the door and the mint-colored nurse walked in with papers and a wheelchair wrapped in her magical grip.

“Hello,” she greeted with a nod of her head before turning her attention to Twilight. “Her discharge papers are all ready.” She passed the stack to Twilight before unhooking the IV from Rainbow Dash.

“We can take ‘er home?” Applejack asked. The nurse nodded.

“Yes. She’s healed enough to not require hospitalization.” The nurse ruffled Dash’s mane and she undid the restraints. Rainbow squirmed trying to get out of bed. When the restraints were off the restless pegasus got to her hooves. She stood on the bed triumphantly for a moment, before her weak legs wobbled and she stumbled. The unicorn nurse caught her in her magical aura before she could hurt herself more. She then lifted Rainbow into the chair. Rainbow cooed at being moved in such a fashion.

“Thank you.” Twilight placed the papers in her saddlebag and took the handles in her magical grip.

“Again!” Rainbow giggled as the nurse withdrew her aura. The joy and excitement on Rainbow Dash’s face tugged at Twilight’s heartstrings.

“If you need anything don’t be afraid to call.” The nurse smiled, happy Twilight was taking Rainbow Dash and she didn’t have to be transferred. She then turns to leave.

“Thanks.” Twilight responded absentmindedly as reality set in.

“Will we ever get our friend back?” Applejack asked the nurse on her way out the door. The nurse sighed and a small sympathetic smile formed on her face as she looked back to the ponies.

“I don’t know. The best you can do is surround her with love.” The nurse explained and curtly left.

“She’ll stay with me.” Twilight said as she started pushing the wheelchair.

“I think that is the best idea darling.” Rarity brought a hoof to her chin in thought. “The library is a relatively quiet place and I think Rainbow will be safer there. After all, the boutique is a place of business.”

“Ah agree, the farm is nice ‘n all but Ah worry ‘bout her.” Applejack added. “‘Sides, Ah think she’d be too much of a hoof-full for Granny.” Applejack snickered.

“I would love to take her in, but my animals could bother her.” Fluttershy explained.

“I don’t think the Cake’s would like to have another pony in the house.” Pinkie’s voice was starting to return to normal, albeit slowly.

“I can run the library and watch after her. It can’t be too hard can it?” Twilight looked to her friends. After all she did raise a baby dragon on her own. How hard could this be?

Once they got home Twilight put the brakes on the wheelchair and turned to face her charge. The walk home was uneventful for the most part. Twilight was sure to take the long way home to avoid the prying eyes of the town’s residents.

“Ok Rainbow, what do you want to do?” Twilight asked. Rainbow wrinkled her nose and brought her hoof to her mouth and started suckling on it. “Stop, you’re going to hurt yourself.” Twilight used her magic to pull Rainbow’s hoof out of her mouth. She started tearing up, and then crying.

“What did you do?” Spike ran into the room, confused as to why Rainbow Dash was sitting in a wheelchair crying.

“I told her she couldn’t suckle on her hoof.” Twilight started going into panic-mode, which consisted of her shifting uneasily on her hooves and scanning her bookshelves for the appropriate text on the matter.

“What’s going on?” Spike raised his voice to be heard over the cries. He stuck his claws over his ears to try and block out the screaming.

“Long story.” Twilight responded and flew to the bookshelves. Rainbow Dash saw this and suddenly stopped crying.

“Huh?” Spike was severely confused as he looked to Rainbow Dash who was completely entranced by Twilight and her wings.

“Right…uhm…” Twilight looked around through her books on the shelves. “There!” She grabbed a book with her magic and carried it down with her, landing on the floor and tucking her wings back to her sides. “How To Care for Your Foal: The Complete Guide!” She smiled. Spike walked over and looked at the text Twilight had in her magic.

“Uh…Twilight…can you please explain what’s going on here?” Spike asked. Twilight snapped her head over in Spike’s direction, forgetting that she hadn’t told him exactly what was happening.

“Well…uh…” Twilight tried to find the right words. Would he even understand this? The little dragon was often smarter than she gave him credit. “Well, what do you know about brain injuries?” Spike’s jaw dropped and Twilight assumed he knew enough.

“Dash has a…. you mean she…” He stammered, looking back over to Rainbow, who had a hoof in her mouth again.

“Yes.” Twilight responded, biting her lip (which has become a habit, Spike noticed). Spike only stood dumbfounded.

“What…what do we do?” He asked after gaining his composure. He looked like he was ready to help in any way he can. Twilight sighed and looked back at Rainbow and then turned back to him.

“I…I don’t know…” Twilight admitted, her ears going flat against her head. She was now second-guessing herself, what did she have? It was only a few years ago that she was forced out of her solitude in Canterlot Castle to move to Ponyville. Why did she think she could take care of her ailing friend?

“Twilight?” Spike broke her silent diatribe. She shook her head to symbolically clear her thoughts and looked at him. Spike just had an uncertain look on his face and pointed to Rainbow Dash behind her. Twilight spun around to see Rainbow Dash trying frantically to get out of the wheelchair she was strapped to. She was rocking it back and forth and had it nearly tipped over until Twilight intervened.

Twilight alit her magic and captured the wheelchair and its resident in her grip. She carefully set the chair back upright. Rainbow Dash giggled and clapped her hooves together.

“Yay Mommy! Again!” She chirped. Spike’s jaw dropped.

“What?” He stared at Twilight, his eyes as wide as some of Rarity’s fine china. Twilight shot a confused glance his way. The confusion melted into a blush as she realized what Spike meant.

“Oh, that.” She blushed a bright red that could match the colored stripe in Rainbow’s mane. “I don’t know where that came from actually. I guess I was the first friendly face she saw so she assumed…” Truthfully, Twilight was gripping at straws for a reason behind Rainbow’s connection with Twilight being her mother. She really needed to brush up on psychology.

“So, she’s living with us then?” Spike questioned, raising an eyebrow. Twilight felt a nagging in her stomach as she wasn’t sure how Spike would take the news of someone else living with them. She distinctly remembers how he was when Owlicious came into the scene.

“It was either that or transfer her to Canterlot Medical Center.” Twilight explained. A look of alarm crossed Spike’s face. That couldn’t happen! Not to Rainbow Dash of all ponies! It was bad enough her condition now, but in a strange city? With strange ponies? Spike himself would take in anypony that needed help instead of sending them away. To be locked up and forever revered by everypony as being “crazy” was something Spike didn’t wish on anypony, much less his friends. With a newfound look of determination he clenched his claws tightly and set his jaw.

“Ok. Then what should we do?” Spike’s voice held a tone of commitment in it that Twilight has never heard before.

“Well…uh…” Spike’s change of attitude had caught her off guard. For once it was like her mind had stopped processing thought. Spike just took the book Twilight grabbed off the shelf in haste and started flipping through it.

A thought occurred to Twilight as a bright neon sign would light up Ponyville if erected from her home. “A list!” She blurted out at a higher volume than intended. This in turn, scared Rainbow a bit and she whimpered. “We need to make a list! What we need to do, what we need to get, and everything in between!” Twilight announced. Spike knew what this meant and quickly grabbed parchment and a quill.

Rainbow Dash sat bored, she needed to do something, anything besides sit in this chair. She looked around as Twilight started her rant on why lists are the most important thing in the history of things.

That’s when she saw it. Stairs! Stairs lead to somewhere, somewhere new and dangerous. All she had to do was get out of this chair…

“Now, first we’ll need to take Tank to Fluttershy’s.” Twilight listed. “Then probably see if there’s anything familiar we can take back from her home that can help jog her memory...” Twilight started on her rant. Spike followed her habitual pacing trying to keep up with her tirade.

Rainbow Dash, noticing that her caretakers were busy, knew this was the time to make her move. She struggled to get out of the contraption that held her captive. Alas, the belt constrained her and kept her within its tight clutches. Frustrated, she pawed at the belt holding her, hitting it with her hooves until she heard a “click” sound and the belt magically released. Success! She slid out of the chair and stood on her shaky hooves. Slowly, carefully so as to not fall she made her way to the stairs.

They looked a lot more intimidating up close. But she was brave she could do it! Hesitantly she lifted a sore leg and placed her front hoof on the first stair. Smiling with triumph she lifted the other hoof and soon she was a few stairs up and closing in on her goal.

“…And we should probably get a spray bottle.” Twilight finished.

“A spray bottle?” Spike asked, looking at the librarian.

“Yes, Fluttershy said it is a great way of training cats.” Twilight smiled proudly.

“Uhhhh…” Spike didn’t argue with her, he found that fruitless, instead he just wrote it down.

“Now, all we need is to get out the door!” Twilight turned back towards where Rainbow Dash was supposed to be in her wheelchair. Her face went pale as she saw that there was no pegasus in the chair. “Where’s Rainbow!” Twilight yelled and spun around to face her assistant who was as dumbfounded as she was. Twilight felt panic rise from her gut. Her heart pounded as she teleported to the kitchen, then popped into her laboratory before appearing back in the center of her library.

She was close to hyperventilating when she heard a light giggle. Her ears perked and turned toward the sound. There it was again. Once she pinpointed the sound as coming from her bedroom, she immediately teleported up the stairs where she found Rainbow Dash jumping on the bed. Twilight let go of the breath she didn’t know she was holding. Rainbow noticed Twilight standing there and she broke out into a toothy grin.

“Mommy! Jump!” Rainbow ordered. Twilight snatched Rainbow in her magical grip, as she was in mid-bounce.

“Not today.” Twilight commanded and led Rainbow back downstairs. The multi-hued mare squirmed in the aura that encased her body. Spike rushed up to them as they appeared downstairs.

“Everything ok?” He asked as Twilight released her magic, setting Rainbow on the floor.

“No. Because someone decided to go upstairs and jump on my bed.” Twilight growled at Rainbow Dash who visibly shrunk under Twilight’s gaze, feeling guilty. Spike chuckled and Twilight turned her glare onto him. “What?”

“Twilight, calm down.” Spike settled down. “She’s only playing.” Spike went over to Rainbow and leaned against her, the cyan pony still towering over him.

“Playing?” Twilight softened her glare.

“Yeah, it’s what normal fillies and colts do.” Spike rolled his eyes at his jab at Twilight who gritted her teeth, her frustration rising.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down. “Ok. Well, we’ll need to get going if we’re going to get anything done today.” Twilight levitated her saddlebags over herself.

“Uh, Twilight what do we do about Rainbow?” Spike asked, looking from his rainbow haired friend to the alicorn. Twilight pondered her options, either take Rainbow Dash out and risk everypony in Ponyville finding out about what happened, or leave her at home where she could not only wreck the place but hurt herself as well.

Twilight was stuck with a tough decision.

Chapter 4

Things didn’t go according to plan. Twilight hated it when things didn’t go according to plan. It happened when they were getting ready to leave when Twilight heard the newspaper hit her door. She had decided earlier that Rainbow Dash would stay home with Spike as she ran out and did errands. She wouldn’t be gone too long and she trusted the purple dragon. So Twilight stepped outside to get the Ponyville Gazette and closed the front door behind her. From the opposite side of the door she heard a screaming, crashing and a loud thump of something hitting the door.

Weary of what just happened, Twilight slowly opened the door to find a bookshelf knocked over, Spike standing dumbfounded and Rainbow Dash, sprawled out on the floor in front of the door. She seemed to be a bit dazed from the impact she had made but hopped onto her hooves as soon as she saw Twilight had returned.

“Mommy!” She nearly knocked Twilight over from her full frontal assault of an attempted hug.

“You were gone for like…10 seconds...” Spike came out of his stupor.

“So leaving her here while I run errands is now out of the question.” Twilight responded, prying the pegasus off of her. Spike nodded.

“Leaving her anywhere without you is probably out of the question.” Spike surmised. Twilight sighed as her plans were now altered.

“We’ll have to take her with us then.”

For Rainbow’s own pride, Twilight tried to sneak out of the library. That plan failed as the library is near the center of town and by now every pony in Ponyville knew that Rainbow had another accident. So it came as no surprise to Twilight when ponies started coming up to them to ask if she was all right.

“How are you doing?” Bon Bon was the first to approach the trio of Twilight, Spike and Rainbow Dash. She had directed the question at Rainbow but the mare was completely absorbed in her surroundings. Other ponies chatted and meandered past. There were birds singing and smells of food being sold at the market. She started walking that way, following the various stimuli.

Twilight ignited her magic and grabbed her tail, pulling her back to them. “She’s…adjusting…” Twilight responded. Bon Bon slowly nodded, watching the pegasus act as if she wasn’t there.

“Mommy! No!” Rainbow furiously pawed at the dirt trying to get away. Bon Bon was shocked to say the least. Twilight blushed furiously while Bon Bon’s look of surprise faded into one of sympathy. Twilight still held captive the squirming pegasus and attempted to calm her down.

“It’s really that bad?” Bon Bon looked at Spike who nodded in return; clutching the list Twilight gave him tighter in his claws.

“If you need any help let me know.” Bon Bon pitied Rainbow Dash and walked away. She was no doubt going to tell her marefriend all about this. Twilight gritted her teeth together, annoyed at the mare’s reaction. Sympathy was something Rainbow Dash would never accept and it hurt Twilight to think that somepony wanted to pity her.

She decided to take the long way to Fluttershy’s cottage. It would easily take an extra 10 minutes but it avoided any more questions from concerned citizens. Twilight lead them as they passed over the bridge that lead out of Ponyville and towards the edge of town. Suddenly Rainbow Dash plopped down to the ground.

“No more.” She whined. “Tired.”

“We’ve only been walking for a few minutes!” Twilight rolled her eyes. Rainbow Dash was never one for going on hoof as she much preferred the skies.

“Nooooooo” Rainbow Dash whined and rolled onto her back, ever stubborn.

“Get up.” Twilight put a hoof to her forehead; she couldn't believe she was doing this. “We need to get moving.” Surely rationalizing the situation would make Rainbow see things her way. It didn’t.

“Carry me!” Rainbow whined, flailing her hooves in the air.

“That’s nonsense! No Rainbow, I’m not going to carry you!” Twilight rebutted. After the words left her mouth she regretted it. As Rainbow’s eyes started tearing up and her lip quivered.

“Uh, you might want to let her win this one.” Spike observed, hiding behind Twilight for protective cover from the upcoming explosion of tears he was expecting.

“Why would I do that?” Twilight asked right before screaming cries that could rival a wendigo cut her off. “Ok!” She yelled over the cries coming from Rainbow. “We’ll do it your way.”

Twilight was lucky that pegasi are extremely lightweight or else she would’ve broken her back by now. Rainbow Dash draped herself over Twilight like a cape with her head placed on Twilight’s enjoying the ride.

Finally they made their way across the bridge and to Fluttershy’s cottage at the edge of the Everfree Forest. Twilight raised a weary hoof and knocked on the door.

“Ok, we’re here. Will you get off now?” Twilight asked the lump of blue fur residing on her back.

“No.” Came the lump’s reply. Twilight sighed heavily.

“Twilight, you need to loosen up.” Spike giggled a bit at the scene. Just as Twilight turned to face him to give him a lecture on how she was “loose enough” the door opened and Fluttershy greeted them.

“Hi Twilight, Spike, Rainbow.” She smiled at each one of them, though she was a bit hesitant when it came to Rainbow Dash. She had to admit; she did wonder why Rainbow was on Twilight’s back. She didn’t question it and just stepped aside and let the three in. Rainbow Dash dislodged herself from Twilight’s back and looked around curiously at the animals.

“Hi Fluttershy,” Twilight managed to breathe out as the weight of Rainbow was off of her back. “I just have a favor to ask you.” She asked as Fluttershy kept an eye on her critters. It was known that Rainbow Dash and animals never really meshed well. Especially after the whole “cutie mark switcheroo” incident the animals didn’t like her either.

But Fluttershy watched as a squirrel ran up Rainbow Dash’s leg and onto her back and made a nest in her messy mane. Rainbow giggled as a butterfly landed on her nose. Dash had to go cross-eyed to look at it.

“Yes, what can I help you with?” Fluttershy responded, very enamored with the way her animals were treating their guest.

“Well, since Rainbow Dash will be living with me for the time being, I was wondering if you could take care of Tank for awhile.” Twilight informed and Fluttershy turned her attention back to her alicorn friend. Twilight’s words gave her hope for Rainbow Dash’s recovery.

“Of course I will. I’d be happy to pick him up later today.” Fluttershy smiled.

“Oh good,” Twilight looked relieved. But her attention was quickly drawn to her charge, who now fancied herself to curl up on the sleeping bear in the corner of the room. “Rainbow, no!” Twilight grabbed Rainbow Dash in her magical grip once more and pulled her back to her side.

“Mommy! No!” Rainbow whined, watching the squirrel scurry away from her.

“You can’t do that!” Twilight barked. Rainbow Dash looked hurt and whimpered.

Fluttershy decided another approach would be more suitable. “Hey Dashie,” Fluttershy used the old nickname she had as a filly. Rainbow looked to the canary mare with her ears perked. “Do you want a cookie?” She asked and immediately Rainbow Dash’s face lit up at the prospect.

“Yeah!” She bounced on her hooves and Twilight released her magic and watched as Rainbow Dash followed Fluttershy to the kitchen. Twilight looked at Spike. How did Fluttershy make it look so easy? She wrinkled her forehead in thought before following the two.

Rainbow Dash ate the cookie furiously as if it was going to walk away any second. She had crumbs all over her face and still some in her mouth when she asked: “More?” Fluttershy giggled a bit and gave her another cookie that she ate with the same ferocity.

Twilight glanced at the clock and saw precious minutes lost. “It’s time we get going.” Twilight had a schedule to keep if she wanted to get everything done today. “C’mon Rainbow.” Twilight turned to leave but stopped when she didn’t hear the pegasus following her. She turned back around to see Rainbow Dash begging for another cookie. “Rainbow, let’s go.” Twilight ordered.

“Dashie, you should go with Mommy, I’ll see you again.” Fluttershy spoke kindly and Rainbow Dash nodded and trotted up to Twilight grinning brightly. Ok, she really needs to learn how to do that. Maybe Fluttershy’s way with animals also worked on ponies too? Twilight will have to research that. “I’ll go to her house later today and get Tank and a few other things she’ll want.” Fluttershy smiled.

“Thanks Fluttershy.” Twilight smiled, assuming she meant some Wonderbolt memorabilia. While Twilight stopped to talk to Fluttershy, Spike followed Rainbow Dash in her quest to go look at the chickens. Leaving the two mares alone in the doorway. Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around her friend’s neck.

“Thank you for doing this Twilight.” Fluttershy whispered and Twilight was taken aback at first. She wasn’t sure what Fluttershy meant by that.

“Uh, no problem?” Twilight was confused and pulled away from the hug and smiled. Fluttershy’s teal eyes wondered over to her chicken pen.

“No! Dashie you do not chase the chickens!” She raced over and pulled the smaller pegasus out of the chicken pen. Twilight looked on in amazement. She knew Fluttershy had to deal with various animals of different sizes but she didn’t know that she could pick up a full-grown pegasus mare. Albeit, Rainbow was lightweight and smaller than most it still shocked her as Fluttershy had Rainbow in her fore hooves and was flapping her wings to get the two out of the chicken pen. What shocked her more was the fact that even though Rainbow was thrashing about, Fluttershy still had a good grip on her. Fluttershy then set Rainbow down and landed herself.

Rainbow Dash, never one for not getting her way, ran back to the chicken pen. This time Twilight grabbed her tail with a magic rapport.

“We’ll be going now, thank you Fluttershy.” Twilight struggled with the pegasus on the other end of her magic. Fluttershy smiled and went back into her cottage.

“What was that?” Spike asked, as confused as Twilight about Fluttershy’s display of strength.

“To be honest. I don’t know.” Twilight explained the best way she could before straightening up and getting back to her list. “Well, we still have a few more things to do. Spike, the list please!” Spike unfolded the scroll he had been holding and they started walking. Twilight kept the magical grip on Rainbow’s tail to keep her in check as they made their way back to Ponyville.

“Right. Next we need to get door locks, safety gate, door latches…” Spike looked up from the list. “Twilight do you think all of this is really necessary?” Spike asked.

“It is what the book says to get so we will get it.” Twilight curtly responded. Spike sighed and continued reading the list.

“Ok, get plastic dishes, bed rail, and spray bottle.” Spike finished.

“That sounds right.” Twilight smiled at her superb list-making skills. However, her silent pat on the back shattered as she heard the unmistakable sound of tiny wings flapping as hard as they could and the wheels of a scooter pulling a wagon. “Oh no…” Twilight’s face went completely pale. She wasn’t ready for this.

The scooter came to an abrupt halt as it appeared on the path where Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Spike were. The three fillies on it held a determination in their faces that they usually had when they had another harebrained scheme to get their cutie marks.

Scootaloo smiled brightly and took her helmet off to reveal her messy mane underneath. “Hi Rainbow!” She smiled at her idol. Rainbow Dash, hearing her name, turned from the gaze she held on bird in the tree nearby to the little filly. She looked at her with the same expression she had earlier in the day upon seeing her friends at the hospital. “How are you feeling?” Scootaloo stepped closer to Rainbow Dash, noticing the wrappings around her midsection to keep her wings in place.

Twilight saw both Sweetie Belle and Applebloom’s ears fall flat. She assumed that Rarity and Applejack had explained the brain damage to some extent to them. Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat. Her mouth was as dry as the San Palomino Desert.

“Well, uh Rainbow Dash is…her injuries were…” Twilight didn’t know how to put this lightly to the little filly. She took a deep breath and decided to just tell her. “Scootaloo, her injuries - ” Twilight was cut off as Rainbow Dash learned a new word.

“Scootawoo?” the name rolled off of Rainbow Dash’s tongue and she cocked her head to the side, processing the word. She then broke out into a huge smile. “Scootawoo!” She bounced on her hooves in excitement and pride. “Mommy! Scootawoo!” She looked at Twilight, hoping she’d be proud too. Twilight only felt her stomach drop as she saw Scootaloo’s face fall and her world shatter.

“Dash…?” She asked, tears forming in her eyes. Twilight shouldn’t be the one to explain this to the filly it should be her parents.

“Scootaloo,” Twilight started to say. “Rainbow Dash’s injuries were very bad.”

“Ah think we should go home…” Applebloom interjected. Scootaloo was silent. Quiet tears streamed down her face. Twilight bit her bottom lip, unsure what to do.

“What’s going on?” Scootaloo raised her voice. This took Twilight, Spike and Rainbow all by surprise, the latter falling to her flank. “She can’t be like this! She can’t!” Scootaloo’s tears became more frequent as she started to lose control of her emotions. Seeing another filly cry made Rainbow Dash want to cry too and her lip quivered. Twilight’s ears fell flat against her head in defeat.

“Scootaloo…” Twilight started but the orange filly wanted nothing to do with her or Rainbow Dash right now. She turned tail and doubled back down the path. Twilight looked stunned and was speechless as she watched helplessly as the orange filly ran away.

“Scootawoo?” Rainbow Dash looked equally as stunned and saddened at the loss of a new friend.

“We’ll go find her.” Sweetie Belle said to Twilight who only nodded and the two fillies walked the scooter back into town.

Chapter 6

Twilight laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. This day had been long and tiring. However, though as exhausted as she was, Twilight found herself unable to sleep. The rumble of thunder grew louder and Twilight found it comforting.

Spike was snoring away in his bed, far off into dreamland. A place where Twilight wanted to be so badly but she couldn’t stop thinking about the day’s events. One minute everything was fine, the next she was the caretaker of one of her best friends. Sure, she had raised Spike for most of his life but this was different. This was a full-grown pony with the mind of a toddler. She was beginning to doubt herself. Maybe she wasn’t the best suited for this. Applejack and Rarity had their sisters they looked out for, Fluttershy had raised countless animals, even Pinkie Pie foalsat the Cake twins. What did she have? Books.

She rolled on her side to face the window. The rain was pelting the glass steadily, she watched it and felt her eyes grow heavy with sleep.

The peace she felt would not last as she heard her door creek open slowly. Twilight froze. What if it was an intruder? She’d have to wait until they got closer for her to use a paralyze spell on them. A small voice in the back of her head spoke up:

“What if Rainbow’s in trouble?” It asked her. Now panic rose into her throat and her heart beat faster. There was a gentle nudge on her back. Twilight bolted upright in bed, ready to pounce on the intruder.

Instead she was met with the frightened silhouette of her friend, the old pale yellow blanket draped over her back protectively. “Rainbow?” Twilight asked, concerned for her friend. Behind her the lightning flashed and lit up the dark room and Twilight saw momentarily the terror on Rainbow Dash’s face. “Dash, what’s wrong?”

“Mommy…it’s scary…” Rainbow muttered, the rumble of the thunder cutting her off from saying anything else.

“What is?” Twilight asked uncertain of what her friend meant.

“…Storm…” Rainbow Dash whispered as if the storm could hear her.

“What, the thunderstorm? Dash you used to make thunderstorms all the time, you never…” Twilight stopped herself. Come to think of it, Rainbow Dash was never out during a storm. Even the time they had that huge storm a few years ago that caused Applejack and Rarity to seek shelter in her home for the night. Something clicked in her head. Rainbow Dash was afraid of thunderstorms. Twilight felt the voice in the back of her head speak again.

“Dashie’s afraid of storms, let her sleep with you tonight.” It instructed. “Rainbow Dash, do you want to sleep with me tonight?” Twilight relayed and without any hesitation Rainbow jumped into Twilight’s bed and made herself comfortable. She took the yellow blanket off of her back and cuddled it in her hooves.

“Thanks Mommy.” Rainbow Dash said before yawning and cuddling up closer to the purple alicorn.

“You’re welcome Dashie.” She responded before realizing what she said. She’s never called Rainbow Dash by her nickname. Only Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy ever have. And what was that voice? It was her voice but where did it come from? Twilight was confused and looked back to the pegasus who was already fast asleep. Twilight sighed, the excitement of the day catching up with her, she made herself more comfortable and soon she too fell into dreamland.

Sleeping with Rainbow Dash was anything but peaceful. Twilight woke up with a hoof in her back. She sat up in bed, seeing Rainbow Dash, the yellow blanket wrapped around her snugly. Twilight stumbled out of bed, the storm had stopped during the night but the clouds remained. Twilight trotted down the stairs where Spike was already making breakfast, dressed in his customary apron.

“How did you sleep?” Spike asked smiling. Twilight groaned in return. “Yeah, and you should see your mane.” He laughed. Twilight’s eyes grew wide and she looked into the reflective surface of the teapot sitting on the stove. He was right. It was a complete mess. Defeated, she levitated the boiling teapot and poured herself some hot water and dipped a tea bag in it and sat at the table while Spike served up some waffles.

“Rainbow couldn’t sleep?” He asked, sitting down to his own waffles.

“More like wouldn’t.” Twilight corrected sipping her tea. “She’s afraid of thunderstorms.” She explained. Spike raised a scaly eyebrow. “I had the same reaction.” She answered his unasked question before taking a sip of the hot tea.

“Well what’s on the schedule today?” Spike shrugged as he asked the same question he asks every morning.

“Well, I’m going to start looking into spells to try and fix this.” Twilight explained, levitating her fork to eat her waffles. “You?”

“Fluttershy asked me to dig up her bulbs before the first frost.” Spike responded and sat down to his waffles. Suddenly there was a thud and a scrambling of hooves heard overhead and soon Rainbow Dash appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. Her mane was more of a mess than usual and her blanket was draped over her back.

“Mommy!” Rainbow Dash nuzzled Twilight good morning. Twilight blushed.

“Hey Dash, want some breakfast?” Spike asked, and handed over a plate of waffles that were cut up into chunks. Rainbow Dash squeaked in happiness before throwing her face into the syrupy plate. Twilight grimaced but sipped her tea nonetheless.

After the syrup was cleaned off of Rainbow Dash’s face (and the fight to do so that accompanied it ended), Twilight brushed her mane and took to reading. Spike left for Fluttershy’s so that left Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle alone in the library. Twilight sat on the floor with a few spell books splayed out in front of her. She scanned Mythical Magic, Sacred Spells, and Ancient Spells and Myth.

“Mommy!” Rainbow Dash bounded over to where Twilight was laying. Twilight looked up at her.

“What?”

“I wanna pway.” Rainbow Dash whined.

“Not right now,” Twilight sighed and looked back to her book. “I’m busy.” Rainbow Dash pouted and fell onto the floor dramatically. Twilight watched as Rainbow rolled around on the floor trying to get her attention. It worked and Twilight sighed and stood up.

Twilight opened her writing desk and levitated out a few colored pencils and a sheet of parchment. “Here, you can color.” Twilight gave the paper and pencils to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow giggled and started coloring on the paper. Twilight smiled at her own genius and lay back down to continue reading.

Twilight was engulfed in learning about the history of magic for anything that could explain mental disorders, or better yet how to treat them. She closed the book, thinking of the neurological connections that could possibly have been disrupted during the fall. She looked up and went white at the scene before her.

Twilight was so absorbed in reading that she forgot all about Rainbow Dash. Her eye twitched as she looked at all the other books taken off of their proper places on the shelves and were now on the floor, their pages covered with scrawled doodles of colored pencil. Rainbow Dash sat in the midst of them, a pencil in her mouth and she smiled happily at Twilight proud of what she’s done.

“Look Mommy!” Rainbow Dash spat out the pencil. Twilight was furious, images of kicking the flank of the pegasus flashed through her mind. She was about to open her mouth to yell at the prismatic mare but a knock on her door stopped her.

Twilight glared at Rainbow Dash before turning to answer the door. Upon opening it she found Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom standing there. Behind them were Rarity and Applejack. Twilight was surprised to see them all here. “Oh, hi girls.” Twilight swallowed her anger to greet them.

“Hi Twilight.” Scootaloo spoke up after a moment of silence. She pawed at the ground with a hoof. “Listen,” she looked up at the mare apologetically. “I’m really sorry about yesterday.” She explained. Twilight felt her gaze soften. “I talked to Mom and Dad and they told me what happened.”

“That’s ok Scootaloo.” Twilight smiled softly knowing that it took a lot of courage from the filly to come over here. At the mention of the name Rainbow Dash bounded to the door.

“Scootawoo?” She asked with a voice crack and tried to peer around Twilight but she kept blocking her from getting through. Scootaloo smiled at the eagerness Rainbow Dash held.

“We came by to ask if Rainbow Dash would like to go to the park with us.” Rarity added sweetly producing a picnic basket out from behind her. Rainbow Dash dug her hooves into Twilight’s back to get a better look at the visitors. She looked at Rarity and Applejack curiously, recognizing them from the other day.

“That might be a good idea.” Twilight grumbled in pain as Rainbow Dash stood on her. She shook Rainbow Dash off of her to see all of the ponies standing there. Seeing them made Rainbow Dash’s ears fall flat in a sudden wave of nervousness.

“Rainbow, you remember us? I’m Rarity, this is Applejack.” Rarity noticed Rainbow’s change in posture as she pointed to both herself and the orange mare next to her.

“Wawity, Applejack.” Rainbow repeated, getting familiar with the names. Applejack didn’t hide her giggle at the mispronunciation of her friend’s name.

“Close enough.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “You’ve met Scootaloo.” Rarity gestured to the orange filly. “And Sweetie Belle and Applebloom.” Rarity explained. Rainbow Dash nodded.

“Play?” She asked Rarity who smiled.

“Yes, we’re going to the park.”

“Have fun.” Twilight turned to get back to her books.

“No!” Rainbow Dash whipped her head around to see Twilight retreat from her and she lunged after her, biting her teeth into her tail to stop her.

“Actually Twi’ we were hopin’ ya’ll would come too.” Applejack explained. Twilight’s ears perked up and she looked between her friends at the door and the mare on her tail.

“And I don’t think Rainbow will let you stay here.” Rarity observed, holding a hoof up to hide her smirk.

“Alright.” Twilight sighed defeated.

They made it to the park where Applejack and Rarity found a bench to sit on. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were trying to explain hide-and-seek to Rainbow Dash. Twilight saw Rainbow glance back at her, undoubtedly making sure she was still there, before taking off with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Twilight didn’t take her eyes off of Rainbow.

“Twilight darling, come sit.” Rarity motioned with her tail to the empty spot on the bench. Twilight nodded and silently joined her two friends.

“How ya holdin’ up sugarcube?” Applejack asked the alicorn. Twilight sighed.

“I don’t really know.” She responded in a defeated tone. There was one thing Twilight Sparkle hated more than anything, and that was not knowing something.

“Oh?” Rarity’s ears perked up in curiosity. Instead of looking to her friends, Twilight’s focus remained on Rainbow Dash playing a few feet away.

“I try to help her. I just…I don’t know how.” Twilight admitted.

“Dear,” Rarity placed a hoof over her friend’s shoulder. “It’s not easy.”

“Then how do you make it look that way?” Twilight raised her voice and glared at her two friends. Both mares were shocked by her reaction. Applejack shrugged.

“Been doin’ it for too long I guess.” She stated. “And trust me, it ain’t easy.”

“Twilight, we know this is hard for you.” Rarity sympathized. Twilight shook her head.

“It’s more than that Rarity, I’ve read almost everything I can get my hooves on. I have no idea what’s going on in her head.” Twilight sighed and laid her head on her hooves.

“Ain’t it obvious sugarcube?” Applejack asked and Twilight turned her attention to the orange mare. “She ain’t who she used ta be anymore.”

“But Rainbow Dash is in there somewhere. I have to find her.” Twilight was growing impatient with her friends.

“We know.” Applejack sighed. “And we don’t want ya to stop, but look,” Applejack pointed a hoof at the four girls playing. “She needs ya Twi’.”

“I’m not following.” Twilight followed Applejack’s gaze out to Rainbow Dash who was looking for a place to hide and not be found by Sweetie Belle. Applejack sighed again, for a pony so smart sometimes Twilight couldn’t find her way out of a haystack.

“You said that when she woke up she connected with ya,” Applejack started but Twilight interjected.

“Yes, it’s called imprinting most mammals do it and ponies are not excluded.” Applejack shook her head.

“Whatever it’s called, Twilight she sees ya as her mother, whether ya like it or not she trusts ya and ya can’t just brush her off.” Applejack explained.

“I agree with Applejack.” Rarity joined. “It is tough being thrust into looking after another pony when you are not ready.” Rarity’s voice was tinged with an understanding (at least somewhat) of what Twilight was going through. Twilight sighed and looked back to her friends.

“I can’t just stop looking for a way to reverse this.” She explained.

“We’re not asking you to darling.” Rarity sympathized and Twilight gazed out to the field where the girls were playing. Sweetie Belle had found Scootaloo and Applebloom and now they were looking for Rainbow Dash. They humored her, for it was clear as day that the mare was hiding behind a bush, as a rainbow mane doesn’t do much in the way of camouflage but the fillies played along.

“Where do ya think she is Scootaloo?” Applebloom asked her friend who smirked.

“I don’t know Applebloom. Sweetie Belle? You’re ‘it’ why don’t you find her?” Scootaloo turned to her unicorn friend.

“I don’t know you guys, Rainbow Dash is a good hider.” Sweetie Belle giggled as they made their way to the bush. “But I think I have an idea that she’s right…” Sweetie Belle smiled and popped behind the bush and surprised Rainbow Dash. “Here!” Rainbow Dash squeaked in surprise and they all fell over laughing.

“Girls! Lunch!” Rarity called out to the fillies. Rainbow got up off of the ground and ran with the girls and met Rarity, Applejack and Twilight at a blanket set out with meticulously crafted sandwiches. Rainbow Dash saddled up to Twilight’s side.

“I made peanut butter and jelly for all of us, and Applejack brought some apples.” Rarity levitated the apples and six sandwiches wrapped in plastic wrap to each of the ponies present. Rainbow Dash just tried biting into the sandwich and spat it back out again.

“Ew.” Rainbow Dash spat and crossed her hooves.

“Rainbow, you didn’t take the wrapping off.” Twilight explained and unwrapped the sandwich with her magic. “There.” Rainbow Dash happily dug into the sandwich.

Rarity passed out juice boxes for the fillies and Rainbow Dash and pulled out a bottle of wine for Applejack, Twilight Sparkle and herself. Rainbow Dash ripped the straw off of the box with her teeth and then tried stabbing the box. “Let me do that.” Twilight took the box from Rainbow and poked the hole for the straw and placed it in. “There.” She gave the box back to Rainbow.

“Thanks Mommy.” She smiled and started sucking through the straw. Twilight tried hiding her blush with a sip of wine.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash made it home about an hour later. Twilight was happy to report that Rainbow Dash was tired for once and she was not bouncing off the walls in boredom.

“How about a nap Rainbow.” Twilight posed it more as a statement than a question. Rainbow Dash yawned and picked up the blanket that was left on the floor next to the colored pages of discarded books.

“Uh huh.” Rainbow Dash responded, nearly nodding off where she stood.

“Ok, let’s get you upstairs in bed.” Twilight nudged Rainbow Dash up the stairs and lead her to the spare bedroom and tucked her in bed.

“Nooooooo!” Rainbow Dash whined as Twilight turned to leave. “Don’t leave…” She whimpered. Twilight rolled her eyes.

“I’m not napping with you I have work I need to do.” Twilight reasoned. Rainbow only gave her puppy dog eyes. Twilight sighed. “Fine, you can nap on the couch while I work.” She rolled her eyes and Rainbow Dash jumped out of bed and followed her downstairs to the couch where she made herself comfortable and threw the blanket over herself.

Twilight looked at the books scattered on the floor with various doodles. “Now to clean this up.” She said to herself and levitated over an eraser from her writing desk. She started erasing doodles from various books when a title distracted her.

She looked at the cover of the book, Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Twilight set the book aside to read later as she finished cleaning the library, looking to the sleeping Rainbow Dash every now and then.

Chapter 7

It grew colder outside as fall raged on. It had been a week since Rainbow Dash’s accident. Since then Twilight accepted the fact that she’s sharing a bed with Rainbow Dash every night. If it wasn’t the autumn storms it was something else that would bring the frightened mare into her room. More often than not it was nightmares. Rainbow would never talk about what was in the nightmares, usually she’d just fall right back to sleep and whenever Twilight would ask about them she’d just ignore it.

They had now put the foal locks on the doors; with Rainbow Dash’s height it was not a problem to reach doorknobs. It took the day she wondered down into her laboratory that Twilight Sparkle decided to put the locks on not only that door, but on all of them. It took Spike a few times of getting locked out of the bathroom for him to figure the locks out.

Twilight also swapped out some of her dishware to plastic dishes after more than one plate ended up shattered on the floor. Overall, Twilight found herself adapting more to Rainbow Dash’s needs and was more or less content. Today however, was the day Twilight Sparkle dreaded.

It was a windy and gloomy day outside and Rainbow Dash looked impatiently out the window of the library. She bounced on her hooves, unable to keep still for very long. Twilight looked up from a book she was reading.

“She’ll be here soon.” Twilight said and turned back to her book.

“She need ta be here now!” Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof anxiously and Twilight rolled her eyes. There was a knock at the door and Rainbow Dash rushed to it. “She here! She here!” Rainbow Dash announced.

“Yes I know.” Twilight used her magic to unlock the foal lock on the front door and opened it to reveal Fluttershy standing there bundled up from the chilly day. “Hi Fluttershy.” Twilight smiled and let the mare in.

Rainbow Dash was all over the visitor, showing her a picture she drew the other day (that she then begged Twilight to put on the refrigerator), talking a million miles a minute about a game she made up yesterday, and bouncing around like a hyperactive filly.

“Thanks for making it Fluttershy.” Twilight smiled, looking relieved her friend had made it.

“It’s not a problem. I’m glad I can come.” Fluttershy smiled, still making sure she paid attention to Rainbow Dash.

“Well, her appointment is in a few minutes. So we should be heading out soon.” Twilight informed, looking back at the clock on the wall.

“Where we goin’ Mommy?” Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight.

“On an adventure.” Twilight explained, not wanting to tell Rainbow Dash where they were really going. It was known to almost every pony in Ponyville that Rainbow Dash hated doctors. She hated dentists, doctors and psychiatrists and most of them hated her too, since she had stormed out of so many appointments. Ever since the accident Rainbow Dash was afraid of hospitals as well.

That’s why Twilight asked Fluttershy to come with her. If there was any pony who could calm Rainbow Dash down it would have to be Fluttershy. Besides, today was the day when they found out if Rainbow Dash’s wings were healed enough for her to fly again. It was a matter that weighed heavily on the alicorn's mind. Taking away something that defined the pegasus would be cruel; however dealing with a Rainbow Dash who could fly was a scary thought.

“Shall we get going? We don’t want to be late.” Fluttershy pulled Twilight out of her silent rant.

“Oh yes.” Twilight opened a closet and pulled out two scarves and hats. She wrapped one around Rainbow Dash and one around herself and secured the hats in place. She picked up her saddlebags and soon they were out the door in the blustery day.

“How has everything been going? Spike has told me about the locks on the doors.” Fluttershy asked as they began walking. Twilight made sure that Rainbow Dash stayed with them as they crossed Ponyville.

“We’re adjusting. Funny thing is, did you know she’s afraid of storms? And she sleeps with me every night because of nightmares but when I ask her about them she doesn’t tell me what they’re about.” Twilight explained and she saw Fluttershy’s face grow pale.

“Well, I…uh…I…” Fluttershy stammered nervously, looking to Rainbow Dash who was busy fighting the wind and not listening to them. Twilight raised an eyebrow; Fluttershy was terrible at lying almost as bad as Applejack.

“Is there something you’re not telling me Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy sighed.

“I’m sorry, she told me never to tell anypony.” Fluttershy’s eyes darted to look at anything but the purple alicorn beside her.

“Told them what?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy bit her lip. “What are you not telling me?” Fluttershy looked to Rainbow Dash with an apologetic look.

“Rainbow doesn’t like to dwell in the past.” Fluttershy explained.

“So it relates to her time in Cloudsdale?” Twilight inferred. Fluttershy nodded, hoping that would be enough. Twilight, being the ever-curious pony she was, wanted to poke further until she saw the timid mare tense up.

“Life in Cloudsdale wasn’t easy.” Fluttershy didn’t make eye contact with her friend. “Both of us would rather forget it.” She kept walking and Twilight didn’t press the issue further. Knowing full well that some ponies don’t like to talk about the past. Fluttershy walked up next to Rainbow Dash as the hospital grew nearer. Twilight hung behind them; ashamed for pressing the issue Fluttershy was obviously uncomfortable with but still curious all the same.

Rainbow Dash was fine until they walked into the doors of the hospital. There she recognized the oppressive sterile smell, the entrapping pristine white floors and walls and the suffocating bleakness.

“No!” Rainbow Dash yelled as soon as they walked in. She rushed to Twilight and pressed against her, pushing with all of her might to get them both back out of the door.

“Rainbow…” Twilight grunted against the force pushing on her. Fluttershy trotted up to the front desk.

“Uhm…Rainbow Dash is here.” Fluttershy meekly greeted to the desk staff nurse.

“I see. Well you three can take a seat and the doctor will be with you shortly.” The nurse smiled at Fluttershy, and then jotted something down on the clipboard in front of her.

“C’mon Dash, we’re going to sit down…” Twilight wrapped Rainbow Dash’s tail in her magic and dragged the reluctant pony to the benches where Fluttershy already took a seat.

Twilight noticed that as Rainbow Dash sat down on the bench she was shaking in fear, it was hard to miss as the whole bench shook. Twilight's heart twinged a bit in agony for the poor pony. “Rainbow,” Twilight got her attention and dug in her saddlebag and pulled out the old yellow blanket. “Would this help?” She asked. Rainbow Dash took it and threw it over herself and curled in a ball. Twilight had to admit she looked cute.

Fluttershy giggled a bit. “I knew she would want that.” She muttered to herself but Twilight caught it.

“Where did she get it?” Twilight asked, Fluttershy turned red and tried to hide behind her long mane.

“Oh…uh…well…I got it for her…a long time ago…” Fluttershy didn’t make eye contact with Twilight and instead turned her attention to the old magazines sitting on a coffee table to her side. Twilight was about to comment when a nurse swung open the doors leading to the examination rooms.

“Miss Rainbow Dash?” She looked up from her clipboard smiling. Twilight got up off of the bench and Fluttershy followed.

“Rainbow, we have to go back now.” Twilight tried to urge her friend off of the bench.

“No.” Came the small reply from under the blanket. Twilight rolled her eyes.

“Yes, now come on.” Twilight, instead of taking the mare’s tail in her magic, took the blanket instead and started walking with it.

This in turn caused the prismatic mare to scramble to her feet to chase after her most prized possession. The nurse led them to one of the examination rooms and urged Twilight and Fluttershy to sit on the bench near the window. Twilight gave the blanket back to Rainbow as the nurse pulled out her stethoscope.

The sight of the cold metal tentacle was almost too much for Rainbow Dash and she pressed up against Twilight trying to bat the instrument away. Twilight rolled her eyes. “It won’t hurt you.” Twilight tried to reason.

“No!” Rainbow hissed.

“Dashie let the nurse hear your heart.” Fluttershy got up and nuzzled her friend. Rainbow Dash only hid her face deeper into Twilight’s fur. A light bulb went off in Twilight’s head.

“Here.” Twilight unlatched herself from Rainbow Dash and got up and urged the nurse to press the stethoscope to her own chest. The nurse, then pressed the stethoscope to Twilight’s chest. “See, nothing.” Twilight smiled. Rainbow tilted her head and shared the smile.

“My turn!” Rainbow Dash clapped her hooves together as the nurse smiled and pressed the stethoscope to Rainbow Dash’s chest. The rest of the physical check up went the same way. Rainbow wouldn’t let the nurse touch her with anything until she did it to Twilight first. Everything the nurse did was documented on her clipboard and Fluttershy grew more and more impatient with each quill stroke.

“How is she nurse?” Fluttershy asked as the nurse put away the last of the instruments.

“As far as her physical state, she’s as healthy as ever. All of her bones seemed to have healed beautifully. She’s in peak physical condition I’d say.” The nurse took the clipboard and walked toward the door. “Doctor Stable will be with you shortly.” She curtly left the room.

Fluttershy sighed and picked up an old fashion magazine. She flipped through it absentmindedly. Her fears started to take hold as she imagined the possibilities of what Rainbow Dash would be capable of if she had her wings.

Twilight’s train of thought was not too far away. She watched as Rainbow Dash inspected the blood pressure cuff hanging on the wall. Peak physical condition meant the same strong and agile Rainbow Dash as before, the thought of that combined with the brain damage sent shivers down Twilight Sparkle’s spine.

The door opened and in walked Doctor Stable. He had a clipboard with him and the same stoic look on his face. “Welcome back.” He stated in his dry voice. Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up at the sound of the monotone and she went into full panic-mode.

“No!” She screamed and hid herself behind Twilight, with the blanket draped over her back in a protective fashion. “No!” She whimpered. Fluttershy got off the bench and nudged at Rainbow Dash.

“He’s not going to hurt you Dashie.” She cooed in her soothing tone. Rainbow Dash only kept shivering and hiding behind Twilight, nearly inconsolable.

“Hello Doctor.” Twilight greeted, the memory of what happened at Rainbow Dash’s discharge flashed through her mind.

“So today we see if the bandages can come off.” He set the clipboard on the table and walked towards the cowering pegasus. Rainbow Dash pressed up against Twilight’s back and only shook harder, trying to hide under the blanket.

“It’s ok Dashie,” Twilight nuzzled Rainbow to get her to calm down. “Mommy’s here.” Rainbow Dash stopped shaking long enough for the doctor to come around and place a hoof on her side. Fluttershy watched this carefully as the doctor poked around at the wing that was taped to Rainbow Dash’s side and saw no obvious signs of pain. He then started unwrapping the bandages. Once they were off he carefully slid a hoof under one and stretched it out.

Rainbow Dash snapped her head to look at the unfurled appendages. “Wings?” She asked, suddenly overjoyed at the discovery. “Mommy! I have wings!” Her face lit up and she started bouncing on her hooves in excitement, looking at Twilight with an exuberant glee.

“Yes. Calm down.” Twilight urged, biting her lip in fear that she would hurt herself again.

“Miss Dash, can you please flap your wings?” The doctor asked. Rainbow Dash didn’t respond to him, too excited that she even has wings to begin with.

“Dashie, flap your wings.” Twilight instructed. Rainbow Dash looked to her newfound wings and clumsily waved them around. She giggled and bounced more on her hooves. Fluttershy had to stiffen a giggle, for a flittering moment she saw the filly she knew as a child that was always so ready to take to the sky. Fluttershy looked to Twilight, she noticed the alicorn’s demeanor had changed; she was smiling.

“Well, it looks as if Miss Dash has made a full physical recovery.” He surmised, going back to his clipboard to scribble a few things down. “Now, Miss Sparkle if I may have a word with you.” He motioned for her to follow him as he left the room.

Twilight’s smile faded and hesitated at first but got up to follow. “Mommy!” Rainbow Dash yelled, scrambling after Twilight.

“Mommy will be right back.” Twilight said and closed the door behind her. “Yes Doctor?” She felt the nerves rise in her stomach as the bad taste entered her mouth once more.

“I just wanted to see how her mental state is doing.” He asked her, looking at his notes. “Has there been any progress in reverting her mind back?”

“No.” Twilight stated, looking at her hooves. “But we’re working on it!” She quickly added. “Please, you can’t take Rainbow Dash away.” Her ears fell flat as she begged, her paranoia kicking in as she saw in her mind ponies in white lab coats dragging Rainbow Dash away from her.

“No I cannot.” He stated dryly.

“What?” Twilight was dumbfounded, not expecting that kind of response.

“No, it seems she is too attached to you, if I or anypony else were to take her away from you it would only be detrimental to her recovery.” He looked at Twilight dead in the eyes. “Her well being is in your hooves.” He turned and trotted away, leaving Twilight standing completely baffled in the hallway.

Author's Note

Only a few more chapters to go. After that I don't know if I want to make a sequel or side stories. We'll see. Anyway, I promise all of your questions will be answered in due time.

Chapter 8

“Can we go now?”

“No.”

“Can we go now?”

“No.”

“What about now?”

“Rainbow! I’ve told you a thousand times! We can’t go out until Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack get here!” Twilight Sparkle snapped at Rainbow Dash. It had only been a day since getting her wings freed and Rainbow Dash was itching to fly. Twilight was uneasy all day; she had barely gotten any sleep last night due to one of her paranoid fits.

Spike walked in from the kitchen to where the two mares were in the center of the library and handed her a cup of tea. “Thanks Spike.” Twilight muttered, sipping the drink absentmindedly. Rainbow Dash paced around the room, looking out the windows and jumping up and down trying to get any lift at all. She only fell back to the floor in a thud. Twilight rubbed her temples in frustration.

“Are you going to be ok?” Spike asked Twilight, his green eyes shifting from the hyperactive pegasus to the sluggish alicorn.

“I don’t know.” Twilight sighed. “I’ve read everything I could on pegasus flight, all that is documented anyway.” She shrugged and felt her nerves rise as she peered out the window and saw the forms of her friends coming to the door.

The knock at the door sent Rainbow Dash into a tizzy. “They here!” She bounced around, not looking where she was going and crashed into a bookshelf. To Twilight’s relief Rainbow Dash wasn’t hurt and none of her books fell. “They here!” Rainbow Dash repeated while standing up seemingly unfazed.

Twilight opened the door and there stood her friends, Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack. “Hi girls.” Twilight smiled and let them inside. Rainbow Dash rushed up to them.

“We goin’ flyin!” She exclaimed disregarding any personal space they had. The smile she wore filled her face. The three mares glanced nervously to each other.

“Yeah, we’re going to try anyway…” Applejack chuckled.

“Where’s Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked, when she invited the pink pony to come she was met with an excuse, which was very unlike the party pony.

“She said she had to work but invited us over after flight practice.” Rarity explained. Twilight nodded in understanding.

“Ready!” Spike interjected and joined them in the main room with a first aid kit at the ready.

“Ready!” Rainbow Dash bounced around the small dragon with her wings flared. Twilight let out a heavy sigh.

“Let’s get this over with…”

The six of them walked out past Sweet Apple Acres in a decent sized clearing. The grass was untrimmed (much to Rarity’s distaste) but it offered a soft crash pad.

“There’s a light breeze.” Applejack observed, seeing Rarity’s mane flow gently.

“That should work to our advantage.” Twilight gazed up at the partly cloudy sky. “From what I’ve read a light breeze is helpful to gain lift.” Twilight extended her wings. Rainbow Dash squealed in excitement and opened her wings and flapped them haphazardly.

“Am I flyin?” Rainbow Dash asked, her eyes squeezed closed.

“No dear.” Rarity deadpanned and Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and looked at the ground in disappointment.

“How do ya teach a pegasus how to fly?” Applejack looked to Fluttershy who hadn’t said a word the entire time.

“Oh, there are a few different ways, it’s like teaching a bird how to fly.” Fluttershy opened her wings and looked up at the clouds. “Usually if there are two pegasi parents one will stand on one cloud with the foal and the other on another cloud nearby and you just urge the foal to the other cloud using their wings.” Fluttershy explained. “That’s how most parents in Cloudsdale do it.” Fluttershy looked back down to the ground. “Getting from the ground up is harder…” She said nervously.

“Right.” Twilight scrunched her face in thought. Spike sat back in the soft grass, getting comfortable for a long day. Rarity pulled out a blanket from her saddlebag and sat down on the picnic blanket. “Well, first thing’s first.” Twilight said to Rainbow Dash, looking at her outstretched wings. “Flapping. Up. Down.” Twilight raised and lowered her wings as she said the directions. Rainbow Dash focused and did the same with her own wings before she broke out into a smile and giggled.

“Good!” Twilight encouraged, remembering only a few months ago when it was Rainbow Dash teaching her to fly. She never thought the roles would be reversed.

“To most pegasi it comes naturally,” Fluttershy added, “To gain lift you have to jump with your legs and push your wings down at the same time.” Fluttershy demonstrated by over-exaggerating her movements. Her wings pushed down at the same time as she jumped in the air. She hovered a few feet off of the ground before landing delicately.

“I’ll do it with you.” Twilight urged Rainbow Dash. “Ready?”

“Ready!” Rainbow Dash dawned her patented smirk that resembled her old self.

“Jump!” Twilight jumped into the air and pushed her wings down and lifted into the air, flapping her wings to keep herself aloft. Rainbow, on the other hand was out of sync and jumped in the air, to fall back down on her face.

“I’m on it!” Spike jumped up with the first aid box and rushed over to Rainbow Dash. Twilight flew down and she and Fluttershy raced over. Rainbow Dash stood up, wrinkling her nose but with vigor in her features.

She pushed Spike away before he could bandage her nose and tried again. Coordinating her jump with her wing flaps she was able to hover for a few seconds before faltering.

“That’s good.” Twilight encouraged. Rainbow didn’t acknowledge her and jumped again, flapping her wings like mad and hovering for a bit longer before falling. By no means was it graceful and not to the same acrobatic finesse Rainbow Dash used to have but she was able to hover in the air for up to a minute.

“Ok! Next step.” Twilight consulted one of her books on flight. “Movement, it’s all about angling the wings.” She read aloud. Fluttershy demonstrated by flapping her wings on the ground and showing the minute differences in angle.

Rainbow Dash hovered in the air tried moving forward and fell on her face again. By now Spike didn’t try to interrupt, he’d just patch her up when she’s done. Twilight flew in the air, doing small circles to try and get Rainbow Dash to do the same. Fluttershy stayed on the ground to offer a helping hoof.

On the picnic blanket Spike, Rarity and Applejack watched as Rainbow Dash hovered in the air and flew a few feet. “Way to go sugarcube!” Applejack called out. Rainbow Dash broke out into a huge smile as she propelled herself forward.

“That’s it!” Twilight cheered as she followed the pegasus as Rainbow Dash flew forward. Fluttershy lifted off the ground and flew behind them.

“Mommy look!” Rainbow Dash called to Twilight who matched her speed.

“You’re flying!” Twilight swelled with a foreign feeling of pride and joy for the pegasus before her.

“I wanna fly higher.” Rainbow Dash took on her trademark look of determination and she angled her wings to propel herself higher. Twilight tried to follow but Rainbow’s speed was unmatched.

Terror filled Twilight as images from Rainbow Dash’s accident flashed through her head. Rainbow Dash was going faster and flying higher and Twilight couldn’t keep up.

Down below the panic was rising. Fluttershy tried climbing higher but she just didn’t have the wing power to make it. Applejack and Rarity stood. Spike pulled at his ears in worry.

“She’s too high!” Rarity yelled up into the air. “Somepony do something!” This time Rarity’s theatrics were not uncalled for.

“You mean an alicorn, a pegasus, a unicorn, and a pony who’s won medals for mastery in lassoing can’t grab her?” Spike started chewing on his claws as Applejack shot him a glare.

Rainbow Dash flew higher, the wind beat at her face and whipped her mane and tail back in a prismatic trail that felt all too familiar. She didn’t hear the concerned shouts of her friends below her. Right now it was just her and the sky.

And the cramp in her left wing.

It happened fast, her left wing cramped and folded to her side. Next thing she knew, she was falling back to earth, gravity not her friend. Below her on the ground Rarity fainted, Spike caught her and tried to fan her with his hands. Applejack felt completely useless as she watched the trail of colors change direction and fall back towards them.

Then she caught sight of a purple form gaining speed. A yellow form not too far behind. Above, Twilight got in close enough range to fire a telekinetic rapport to encompass Rainbow Dash. The pegasus stopped falling and Twilight stopped her ascension, both stopped in mid-air. Rainbow faced Twilight and grinned.

“Mommy!” Her happiness was met with an angry glare. Fluttershy guided them down to the ground where Rarity had regained consciousness and she along with Applejack and Spike met them where they landed. Twilight let go of the magical connection she had on Rainbow Dash.

“Are ya hurt?” Applejack asked all three of them. Rainbow looked to her wing and stretched it before looking back to find Twilight staring at her.

“You are not doing that again.” She growled. Rainbow Dash looked appalled.

“But Mommy…” She tried to argue but was cut off by Twilight’s rage.

“No ‘buts’! You could’ve gotten yourself killed!” Twilight yelled, gritting her teeth.

“Not fair!” Rainbow Dash countered, her stubbornness getting the best of her.

“What’s not fair is you haphazardly performing dangerous stunts and almost getting yourself killed, twice!” Twilight snapped. Fluttershy could see the tears that were forming in Twilight’s eyes.

“Twilight…” She meekly interjected.

“No. I’m not letting that happen again.” Twilight’s voice was shaking now as she turned away from Rainbow. Rainbow Dash had her ears back, she sat, and intently stared at the ground. Applejack walked forward and put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. The purple alicorn squeezed her eyes closed to keep from sobbing. “I’m setting rules Rainbow Dash.” She stated as she turned back around, holding herself in an authoritative stance. “One, you are not to fly unless I am with you. Two, you cannot fly higher than you can hear me from the ground. Understood?”

Rainbow looked up at Twilight, tears forming in her eyes. She flung herself at Twilight and wrapped her hooves around her. “Yes Mommy.” Twilight returned the hug. Applejack and Rarity were stunned at the reaction that was not like their friends at all.

When they pulled away Twilight had a smile on her face. “Shall we go see Pinkie?” Rarity asked, knowing the party pony had something planned. Rainbow Dash broke out into a smile.

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash bounced in the air, hovering for a few seconds before landing and tucking her wings back. She, Twilight and Spike started walking back towards Ponyville. Rarity and Applejack hung back a bit to exchange a worried glance before following.

Author's Note

Benefits of being a Biology minor. I studied how birds fly and teach their young how to fly and adapted it to peagsi. I also have an interest in planes flying and took that into consideration as well. The other way birds teach their young to fly? Kick them out of the nest and hope for the best. I didn't think that would work here.

Chapter 9

Twilight knew something was up with their pink party friend. She could smell the baked goods wafting from Sugarcube Corner as usual but it was strangely quiet around and inside the shop. That usually meant that Pinkie Pie was up to something. Twilight hesitated a bit before opening the door to the shop.

“SURPRISE!!!!” Yelled the pink pony as she popped out and surprised the group. Fluttershy instinctually hid behind the nearest pony, which happened to be Rarity, who along with Applejack were in on the surprise party. Twilight nearly had a heart attack as her adrenaline was still pumping from the near-death experience she had to resolve. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, was smiling brightly, her eyes darting across the decorated shop, from the balloons, to the streamers, the cake, and finally the banner draped across the far wall with words she couldn’t read. “Do you like it?” Pinkie Pie asked Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash bounced in the air to match the party pony, her wings flapping. “Who’s it for?” She cocked her head.

“For you silly!” Pinkie laughed and pointed a hoof at the banner. “See? It says ‘Congratulations on Re-Learning How to Fly Rainbow Dash!’” She read. A look of concern befell Twilight’s features. She had never considered the idea that Rainbow Dash couldn’t read.

“Can you read it?” Twilight asked Rainbow, pointing to the banner.

“Congradubilations of wearning fwy Rainbow Dash!” Rainbow Dash just repeated her memory of what Pinkie Pie just said. Twilight rubbed her temples again.

“We’ll just work on that later.” Twilight made a mental note to teach Rainbow Dash how to read. If a pony can’t read they might as well not be a pony at all, according to her.

“Ya put a lot of work into this Pinkie” Applejack praised as she wondered through the maze of balloons.

“I had to! Dashie learned how to fly again!” Pinkie Pie smiled brightly. Rainbow Dash immediately went to the cake table, licking her lips and opening her mouth to take a huge bite out of it.

“No!” Twilight stepped in to stop Rainbow Dash from throwing her face into the cake. “We don’t take bites out of cake, we wait to be served.” Twilight instructed, knowing Rarity would be best fitted for this.

“But I want it.” Rainbow Dash whined.

“You can’t always get what you want Rainbow.” Twilight rolled her eyes as a pout crossed Rainbow Dash’s face.

“Why not?” Rainbow Dash retorted. Twilight Sparkle sighed, not wanting to get into an argument.

“Because I said so.” Twilight rebutted. Spike heard this and his eyes went wide. Twilight only used that phrase when he was little and he knew from experience that she was serious. Spike casually set his drink down and walked to the dance floor.

Pinkie Pie turned on some dance music. “Who’s down to par-tay!” Pinkie Pie yelled and grabbed Fluttershy and brought her to the makeshift dance floor. Rainbow Dash smiled and galloped out to meet them to dance. Twilight shook her head, grateful for Rainbow Dash’s short attention span. Twilight levitated a cup of punch with her and she walked over to Rarity and Applejack who were casually talking.

“Thanks for being there today, I appreciate it.” Twilight said gratefully.

“Not a problem darling.” Rarity sipped her punch. “We’d do anything for a friend.” Applejack nodded in agreement and Twilight smiled appreciatively.

Meanwhile on the dance floor Pinkie had let Fluttershy go and was dancing with Rainbow Dash. Her uncoordinated movements left Pinkie Pie giggling. Fluttershy wearily walked over to Rarity, Applejack and Twilight.

“Fluttershy, I was just telling the girls thank you for helping out today.” Twilight smiled at the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy broke into a genuine smile.

“It’s not a problem Twilight.” She got herself some punch and sipped it gently.

“What are we talking about?” Pinkie Pie appeared behind Fluttershy suddenly, scaring the poor pegasus causing her to nearly choke on the punch.

“Twi was just thanking us for helpin’ her out.” Applejack explained.

“Pinkie darling, if we’re all here then who’s watching Rainbow?” Rarity asked. Twilight’s eyes went as wide as saucers and she whipped her head around to see Rainbow Dash, with her mouth wide open and hovering over the cake.

“Dashie! No! Not the cake!” She yelled and ran off. Rarity turned back to the rest of her friends, her voice lowered enough to just be barely heard above the music.

“Alright, has any pony else noticed Twilight has been acting…differently?” Rarity asked. Applejack nodded.

“I ain’t never seen her like this before.” Applejack added. “All worrisome and doting.”

“It happens.” Fluttershy shrugged, hiding behind her mane. Rarity tweaked an eyebrow.

“Say that again?” Rarity asked.

“Well when you care for something or somepony it changes you I guess.” Fluttershy meekly explained.

“I guess that’s true.” Rarity tapped a hoof to her chin. “But this is…different…If I didn’t know any better I would think that Twilight was actually her mother.”

“Twilight? A mommy? I don’t see it.” Pinkie Pike giggled.

“Ok. So the cake is only half destroyed.” Twilight panted, rejoining her friends. Pinkie Pie zipped her mouth closed. Rainbow Dash with her tail in Twilight’s magical grip whined.

“Mommy! I want the cake!” She screamed, cake remnants smeared all over her face.

“I said no!” Twilight snapped. She then turned back to her friends. “Well, this party’s been great but Dashie’s getting tired and it’s getting late. We should get going.” She excused herself. “C’mon Spike.” She urged her dragon companion and he took one final sip of his punch.

“Coming!” He scurried out the door after the two mares. Rainbow Dash whining and complaining the entire time as the door shut behind them.

“Yeah. I see it.” Pinkie Pie stated, looking to her friends.

“It’s bedtime Rainbow Dash.” Twilight rubbed her eyes, Spike had gone to bed a few minutes ago and she was exhausted.

“No.” Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves defiantly. “Story first!”

“Fine. One story, make sure it’s short.” Twilight gave in. She couldn’t help it; Rainbow Dash just had this pleading look about her and grew on her.

Rainbow Dash bounced up and down and picked out a small book from the shelves. “This one!” She set it at Twilight’s hooves.

“The Littlest Pegasus? Are you sure?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. Rainbow Dash nodded. “Alright, you have to get in bed first.” Twilight ordered and Rainbow scrambled up the stairs and into Twilight’s bed, snuggling under the covers. Twilight sighed and moved the blue pegasus to the side so she could get in herself.

She opened the book and started reading the story of a small pegasus filly who lived in the city of Cumulonapolis. She was made fun of by all of the other fillies and colts. But she could fly faster than all of them. Soon her size no longer mattered she rose above her physical disability and proved them all wrong.

Twilight finished reading the story to Rainbow Dash to find out the pegasus had fallen asleep. Twilight smiled and put the book away before blowing out the candle and settling in for the night.

Twilight felt as if she hadn’t slept for more than five minutes before she was awoken by a familiar sound. Scrunching her eyebrows she looked over to the sleeping pegasus in her bed and the snoring dragon in the basket. Her ears perked at the sound of hoof steps downstairs. Something deep inside of her flared up and Twilight went into defense-mode and readied her magic. She threw the covers off and gently placed her hooves on the floor.

With the dexterity of a cat she walked outside of her room to the hall that overlooked the library below. There stood a very familiar figure, standing tall with a glowing aura. It was her mentor.

“Celestia?” Twilight rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, hoping that this was some dream.

“Twilight.” Responded the regal but tired sounding voice. “Get your friends, get Rainbow Dash. We’re going to Canterlot.”

Chapter 10

She had to be dreaming. There could be no other sane explanation as to why her mentor and teacher, princess of the very land they inhabited, to be standing in her living room unannounced.

“Canterlot? Why?” Twilight asked as her mind slowly cleared from sleep.

“Rainbow Dash.” Celestia stated. Twilight felt her stomach drop. Celestia knew about Rainbow. Twilight’s mind went into overdrive with worry. Did she find out about what happened? Did she know about the hospital? Twilight bit her lip. Celestia nodded as if she knew what Twilight was thinking. “It has come to my attention that one of the bearers of harmony was tragically injured. I have also been informed that she was discharged from Ponyville General Hospital and not transferred to Canterlot Medical Center.”

“Princess I can explain…” Twilight started to refute but Celestia cut her off.

“You can explain once we are in Canterlot with your friends and Princess Luna can better assess Rainbow Dash’s condition.” Celestia stated. Twilight opened her mouth to explain herself but nothing came out. The look in Celestia’s face said it all. It was a mixture of disappointment and worry. It was a combination that Twilight never wanted to see again. “There is a carriage outside for your friends. I will be expecting you.”

In a flash of yellow light Celestia was gone. Twilight bounced on her hooves in worry. She was done for! Already she could picture herself in the basement dungeon of the castle, to live out the rest of her days in damp darkness while Rainbow Dash was confined to a white room somewhere. And what of her friends? Would they be imprisoned too? The Apple farm would lose its driving force without Applejack. Animals would attack the town if Fluttershy wasn’t there. The town would go to Tartarus in a hand basket if Pinkie Pie wasn’t there to keep things in order. Rarity would probably loose her dressmaking business if she were imprisoned, not to mention the poor girl wouldn’t last two minutes behind bars. And Spike? Would he go to prison too? Twilight couldn’t let that happen.

“Twilight?” A voice came from behind her and pulled her out of her mental tirade. It was Spike. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “I heard talking.” Twilight took a deep breath and bit her lip.

“Celestia came here.” She said, her voice shaky. Spike immediately woke up.

“What! Why?” He asked, alert as ever.

“She knows about Rainbow Dash. She wants us to get our friends and go to Canterlot immediately.” Twilight couldn’t hide the worry in her voice.

“What will happen Twilight?” Spike asked fear laced his words. Twilight only shook her head.

“I don’t know. But we need to get to Canterlot.” She stated and went back into her room to wake up Rainbow Dash.

Arousing all five of her friends from their sleep would be no easy task. Rainbow Dash was a heavy sleeper and it took Twilight prodding her in the side with her horn to wake her.

“Mommy?” Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes sleepily, as she sat up in bed.

“Come on Dashie.” Twilight magically threw the covers off of the pegasus, trying to get her to move.

“What’s goin’ on?” She asked, slowly getting to her hooves.

“We’re going on a trip.” Twilight lied, biting her lip as she led the pegasus downstairs.

“A trip!” Rainbow Dash was awake now, bouncing on her hooves and flapping her wings wildly. “Where we goin’?” She asked.

“Canterlot.” Twilight explained, getting her saddlebag and levitating everything she thought she and Rainbow Dash would need.

“What’s that?” Rainbow Dash asked as she watched her blanket get levitated and neatly placed into the saddlebag. Twilight sighed.

“It’s a city. But we have to be quick. Our friends are coming with us.” Twilight clipped the bag shut and laid it across her back. Spike scampered downstairs with a small backpack filled with his things.

They stepped outside to see a large carriage pulled by several night guards. A bat pony mare stood at attention on the side. The moonlight danced on her violet armor and glistened in her yellow eyes.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle.” The mare stated and stepped to the side, lowering her head. “Miss Rainbow Dash and Mr. Spike I presume?” She raised her head and gestured for the three to enter the spacious carriage. Twilight felt as if the mare was more of a prison warden than an escort but she obliged and the three of them got in the carriage.

“To the Carousal Boutique. It’s closest.” Twilight told the mare as she got in the drivers seat. The mare nodded and urged the bat ponies flying the carriage to take off.

“Who’s she?” Spike whispered to Twilight and pointed at the bat pony mare. Twilight pulled Rainbow Dash back from sticking her head out the window. She opened her mouth to speak but the mare cut her off.

“Nocturna. Captain of the Royal Night Guard.” The mare stated and the ponies leading the carriage directed it downward to the ground outside of the boutique and home of Rarity. Twilight bit her lip again. Celestia sent the captain of the Royal Night Guard to escort her and her friends to Canterlot? Twilight could feel her stomach churn as she got out of the carriage. “Don’t be long Princess.” Captain Nocturna stated, her voice flat and authoritative. Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat. She hated being called “Princess”.

Twilight was able to rouse Rarity from her sleep. The mare still had curlers in her mane and her eye mask on her forehead. In record speed the pristine pony beautified herself and got her little sister to take to Applejack’s.

The farm mare was a bit harder to wake, as she was known for her heavy sleep patterns. Once Applejack was awoken from her slumber and Sweetie Belle was dropped off, the party headed over to Sugarcube Corner. As Twilight raised a hoof to knock on the door, it opened to reveal the pink party pony standing there already packed.

“Celestia. Going to Canterlot. Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie Pie rattled off to the dumbfounded Twilight.

“How did you…?” Twilight was astounded. Pinkie Pie broke out into a smile.

“Pinkie Sense silly!” She bounced off to the carriage.

Their last stop was at Fluttershy’s cottage. Waking the shy mare was easy as Fluttershy always slept lightly. It took no convincing for the mare to join them.

“Princess Twilight, the moonlight is fading fast.” Captain Nocturna called, wanting to keep her schedule. Fluttershy left the cottage with her saddlebags.

“Goin’ on a trip!” Rainbow Dash bounced happily up and down and back into the carriage. The other mares followed her with less enthusiasm. Captain Nocturna led the guard ponies and into the sky they flew. Twilight stared out the window, visions of her friends being locked up flashing through her mind. She looked back into the carriage where her friends (save Rainbow Dash who had her head out the window and Spike who was curled up on the bench asleep) looked back at her with varying degrees of worry etched onto their faces.

“What do you think the Princess wants?” Rarity asked. Twilight shrugged.

“I don’t know, she didn’t tell me.” Twilight sighed. The carriage jerked to a halt and the door opened, Captain Nocturna standing there at attention her voice booming.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.” She announced as the mares and dragon exited the carriage.

“Princess Luna of the Night.” Captain Nocturna announced and Princess Luna walked up and greeted them.

“That will be all Captain.” Luna nodded to her guard and she quickly disappeared into the shadows of the night. Luna then turned to Twilight. “Twilight, it is good to see you and your friends.”

“Luna, it’s good to see you too.” Twilight felt her mouth go dry.

Luna smiled, though it was fleeting. “I just wish it was under better circumstances. Come, my sister awaits in the Grand Hall.” Twilight hesitantly followed as the dark alicorn princess of the night turned around and lead them all into the castle.

“Who’s that Mommy? Is she a princess?” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight as they walked. “Will she play?” Before Twilight could stop her, Rainbow Dash flew up in front of Luna and pressed her face against the princess’s. “Will you play?” She asked.

“Rainbow!” Twilight pulled the mare to the ground by encasing her tail in the magical aura. “I’m sorry about that Princess.” Twilight blushed.

“It is quite alright.” Luna tried to hide her small smile. They approached the huge ornate doors to the Grand Hall where two Night Guard were stationed. They opened the doors to reveal the large throne room where at the end stood the tall white alicorn of the day. Twilight tried her hardest not to turn tail and run out of Canterlot.

Celestia walked towards them and met them. “Twilight, I’m glad you could make it on such short notice.” Celestia smiled a bit and nuzzled her student in greeting. Twilight knew her coat felt cold and clammy from her nerves.

Rainbow Dash looked all around the hall, from the stained glass windows, to the carpet, to the thrones, but mostly the princesses enamored her. They were tall and beautiful and their manes flowed in some unfelt wind. Their wings were huge too! Rainbow Dash looked at her own wings and they looked stubby compared to those worn by the princesses of the day and night.

“Mommy look! Wings!” She poked at Twilight to get her to notice the huge wings the princesses wore. Twilight shot her a glare and motioned for the pegasus to get back. Celestia peered down to the amazed-looking pegasus.

“We need to assess her situation. Luna, can you take her to the medical wing?” Celestia turned to her sister who nodded and stretched out a wing to guide Rainbow Dash out of the Grand Hall. Twilight opened her mouth to protest but Rainbow Dash did it for her.

“No!” She screamed, flailing and stumbling. “Not away from Mommy!” She bolted back to Twilight. Celestia’s expression was stoic.

“It’s worse than I thought.” She muttered. “Luna,” She turned to her sister, “please sedate her.”

“Woah there, ya’ll can’t just do that!” Applejack spoke up. Up until now they complied with the princess’s wishes but by her standards, Celestia went too far.

“It has to be done. For your friend’s safety and your own.” Celestia’s authoritative tone hushed the earth pony. Luna readied her magic and twisted a violet aura around Rainbow Dash’s head. In an instant the pegasus fell to the floor in a deep sleep. Princess Luna levitated the pegasus with her.

“What are you doing to do with her?” Rarity asked. Luna stopped.

“I am going into her mind to see what mental barricades are broken.” Luna simplified.

“I…I should probably go with you…if you don’t mind…” Fluttershy meekly stepped forward, trying to be assertive. “I know Rainbow Dash better than any pony.” Fluttershy looked Luna in the eyes, wanting to help her friend as best as she could.

“Very well. Follow me.” Luna led Fluttershy and the unconscious Rainbow Dash down a corridor and out of sight.

“While they are doing that, why don’t you all come with me? I will have some coffee brought up from the kitchen.” Celestia sounded kind as she walked the opposite direction where Luna and Fluttershy left. They too were led down a long corridor and Twilight felt as if she was walking to her doom.

Chapter 11

Fluttershy followed Luna silently down the hallways. She worried she would never find her way back and get lost in the towering castle. Her eyes drifted to the sleeping pegasus in the magical aura. She swallowed a lump in her throat as Luna entered the medical wing.

“Wh-What are you going to do?” Fluttershy broke the silence as Luna set Rainbow Dash gently down on an examination table.

“I am going into her mind. Fluttershy, I need you to tell me everything you know about Rainbow Dash.” Luna was stern but her voice held a kindness in it that Fluttershy liked to see.

“E-everything?” Fluttershy stammered a blush forming on her cheeks.

“Fluttershy. It is for her safety and my own that I know all I can about Rainbow Dash.” Luna stated, looking down at the sleeping pegasus. Fluttershy followed her gaze and took a deep breath.

“Well, it all started back in Cloudsdale when we were fillies…”

Twilight sipped her coffee, her gaze never faltering from Celestia. She sat, along with her remaining friends, in a cozy room with a fireplace. The regal goddess sat across from them, her face beginning to show signs of exhaustion.

“So tell me, my little ponies, what happened?” Celestia asked. Immediately all eyes turned to Twilight, the young alicorn took a deep breath.

“She was showing me a new stunt where she performed a sonic rainboom through a storm cloud. She flew extremely high before barreling through it. It worked of course, but she didn’t pull up in time and hit the ground, hard.” Twilight winced at the memory of her shattered friend in the field. Celestia nodded, urging Twilight to continue. “When I got there, she was broken. She was severely bleeding from her head so I quickly performed a spell to mend that. I was able to reset some of the bones before taking her to Ponyville General.” Twilight explained.

“I see.” Celestia affirmed that she understood. “And when she woke up she was like this?”

“Yes, I was the first friendly face she saw so I’m assuming she imprinted on me.” Twilight explained.

“That would make sense.” Celestia stirred her coffee.

“So can ya fix it or not?” Applejack was growing impatient.

“That depends on what my sister finds.” Celestia didn’t look up from her swirling coffee.

“What do you mean?” Rarity asked, she hadn’t touched her tea. Celestia looked up and scanned the room looking at her subjects. She sighed.

“I mean that if her mind is too damaged there is no way to fix it.” She said.

“What do you mean that there’s no way to fix this? Can’t ya just go in there and pull Rainbow out?” Applejack asked. Celestia shook her head.

“It is not that simple.” Celestia sighed. “The mind is a dangerous place. She won’t come out until she wants to.”

“What about magic?” Rarity suggested. Celestia shot her a glare.

“Magic cannot infiltrate a pony’s mind.” Celestia snapped.

“But what about the whole thingy when our cutie marks went all switcheroo and we did each other’s jobs!” Pinkie Pie asked. Celestia sighed and stood, walking to the window and looking outside.

“Because what originally did that was of magical origin. Magic can act upon magic. A spell that is cast can be reversed with the right incantation. When it comes to physical ailments of a pony, magic can do very little.” Celestia sighed, her gaze locked on the floor.

Twilight stood along with her mentor, she remembered reading that somewhere. However, the fear set in.

Once Fluttershy explained everything to Luna the alicorn princess sighed. She closed her eyes and once she opened them they glowed white. Within a few moments Luna’s eyes went back to their normal deep blue. She breathed deeply as she moved from the astral plane back into the physical one.

“Luna?” Fluttershy piqued her ears as the princess wobbled a bit. “That was…fast.” She observed as the alicorn regained her senses.

“Yes. Time works differently in the astral plane.” Luna explained, as she looked Rainbow Dash over. “Fluttershy,” She turned her gaze to the canary pegasus. “I need you to stay here with Rainbow Dash. I need to talk to my sister.” With that Luna left the medical wing leaving Fluttershy to worry over her friend.

Luna burst through the doors of the cozy room they were seated in. “Sister, please I need to speak with you.” Luna stated. Celestia nodded.

“Ya’ll can’t be doin’ this!” Applejack leapt to her hooves in frustration. “Why can’t we know what’s goin’ on?” She asked. Celestia sighed.

“Because we are not sure ourselves.” Celestia admitted. There was very little Celestia hasn’t seen before, but then again the Elements of Harmony never ceased to surprise her.

“Twilight, can you please join us in the hallway?” Luna asked. Twilight nodded and shakily followed them to the hallway and shut the door. Twilight could hear her heart beat in her head.

“Sister, what did you find?” Celestia asked Luna, the latter sighed.

“It was a tangled mess with very little, very simple coherent cognitive thought. While I sensed her essence there her memory was lacking.” Luna explained. Twilight let go of the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“What do you mean?” She asked, Luna sighed sadly.

“I could not find any memories before she woke up in the hospital after the accident.” Luna simply stated. Twilight fell to her haunches in shock.

On the other side of the door, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Spike had their ears pressed against the wood. After Luna’s statement however, the four took on varying looks of disbelief. Pinkie Pie’s mane went flat as a board. Applejack took off her hat and buried her face in it.

“You mean she…she can’t be…” Twilight couldn’t form full sentences, she stared at the marble floor in shock and disbelief.

“I am afraid so.” Luna said sadly. “The accident left her brain barely able to cope with reality. So in defense and in order to protect itself it reverted to a more…safer state.” Luna explained.

“Then we know what we must do.” Celestia kept her voice level when inside she could feel her heart breaking for Twilight and her friends. “I will personally escort her to Canterlot Medical Center first thing in the morning.” Celestia stated in a finite way.

“You can’t do that!” Twilight rebutted, the sting of tears started to form in her eyes. “She’ll die in there!”

“I assure you, Twilight that Rainbow Dash will be treated with the utmost care.” Celestia’s voice was unwavering.

“She can’t be cooped up like that! That will break her! What about her life in Ponyville? What about the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight blinked furiously to try and push back the tears that were threatening to burst forth. Celestia sighed.

“There is not much we can do Twilight.” Celestia hung her head in sadness.

“There has to be something! Please, just let her stay with me!” Twilight pleaded.

“I cannot do that in good conscious. Letting a full grown mare out with her condition like that would be detrimental to her well-being.” Celestia stated.

“What if she wasn’t full grown? What if we shrunk her?” Twilight was grabbing at straws. Luna, who was silent the whole time, raised an eyebrow.

“Sister, there is another way.” Luna insinuated. “There is an age spell.” Twilight’s ears perked up and she looked at the lunar goddess.

“Luna, you know that is highly advanced magic.” Celestia stated.

“Advanced, but not impossible. Sister, Rainbow Dash is the element of loyalty. Would it be loyal of her friends to leave her in a hospital? Not to mention losing access to an Element would be unfavorable. You know that I owe everything to these six ponies. Without them I would not be here and Equestria probably wouldn’t either. Let them have this.” Luna decreed.

Celestia looked at her sister and then at Twilight. “I shall think about it and in the morning I will make my decision.” She stated. Twilight felt hope rise in her gut. “For now, I suggest you all get some rest.” The sun goddess stated and turned to leave. “Luna will show you your rooms.” She called over her shoulder and disappeared down the hallway.

“Come, we will get your friends.” Luna stated and opened the door to the cozy room with her magic. Immediately Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Spike fell to the floor with a thud, having been leaning on the door. “…Or they shall find us.” Luna stated as the four sheepishly stood up. Twilight didn’t say anything to her friends on their obvious eavesdropping. Luna silently turned back down the hallway she came from towards the medical wing.

When they arrived they found Fluttershy still sitting vigilantly next to Rainbow Dash who was still asleep. Fluttershy looked up as she saw her friends enter and her ears perked up in hope. “What did Celestia say?” She asked, as they got closer.

“She’s…thinking about it.” Twilight replied hesitantly and Fluttershy’s ears fell once more at the implication in Twilight’s voice.

“Come, I shall take you to your rooms.” Luna instructed.

“What about Rainbow?” Twilight turned to the princess of the night. “Can I stay with her?” Luna thought for a moment and nodded. She used her magic to pull up another bed next to the one the pegasus occupied. The pain in the eyes of the five friends and princess did not go unnoticed by the bookish alicorn.

“Come.” Luna turned to leave, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie silently followed, leaving Spike with Twilight and Rainbow Dash.

“Do you think that Princess Celestia will put Rainbow Dash in the hospital?” Spike spoke up; watching the mare he would call his sister looking like her heart was ripping in two.

“I don’t know Spike.” She muttered softly. Spike looked up to his oldest friend, seeing her mental anguish.

“The princesses will figure this out, right?” He tried to reassure her. Twilight sighed in response and lazily walked over to her bed, situating herself under the covers. Spike hopped onto the bed with her, and curled up.

“I don’t know.” She muttered before they too fell asleep.

Author's Note

*sigh* Sorry for the lateness of the update. School, work, personal issues all got in the way. But we are near our end here! It sure has been a fun ride and yes, I'm thinking of a sequel, just not sure yet.

Chapter 12

The next morning Twilight awoke well rested. She sat up in bed and stretched her aching muscles. She yawned and looked over to the bed next to her, expecting to see Rainbow Dash as always.

So it was understandable that she nearly had a panic attack when she saw that the bed was empty. “Rainbow!” Twilight threw the blanket off of the bed and flew to her hooves. Spike shot up in bed, awoken from his slumber by the panicking alicorn. She looked over to the baby dragon with fear in her eyes. “Where did she go?” She asked, not giving him the chance to answer before she raced out of the room.

While running down the hallways she tried to push the one thought out of her head but it kept coming back. What if Celestia took Rainbow Dash away? She had to get to the throne room where she knew Celestia would be. She stumbled over her own hooves and rushed past the dumbfounded Royal Guard. If she looked behind her she would see her equally worried friends, in varying states of waking up, rushing after her.

“…And den, and den Mommy she…she fell on the floor!” Rainbow Dash laughed as she told the story to Princess Celestia as they sat in the throne room. Rainbow Dash was munching on syrupy pancakes. Once she finished one plate a royal server gave her another, which she happily scarfed down. Celestia just sat next to her and sipped her tea, stifling a small giggle at Rainbow Dash.

“Do you like those pancakes?” Celestia asked, after Rainbow Dash swallowed a chunk of pancake.

“Yesh!” Rainbow Dash took another bite. “Mommy twies ta made pancakes but she burns dem.” She says in-between mouthfuls.

“So Twilight takes good care of you?” Celestia asked, levitating the tea to her lips. Rainbow Dash nodded eagerly.

“Uh huh! She da best!” Rainbow smiled before taking another bite.

Celestia opened her mouth to speak again but Twilight burst through the door, panting heavily. “Mommy!” Rainbow Dash smiled, she stood up and ran to Twilight and nuzzled her. She got syrup on Twilight’s fur but the alicorn princess didn’t care. Twilight nuzzled her back, relief that she was okay washed over her.

Celestia set her tea down and stood, her mane blowing in the unfelt wind. At that moment the four mares and dragon that followed Twilight arrived in the doorway all of them panting from racing after the panicking alicorn.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on?” Applejack heaved a heavy breath.

“Rainbow Dash found me this morning. She told me she was hungry and we had breakfast.” Celestia explained, smiling to the pegasus. “She was telling me about everything that has happened these past few weeks.” Twilight felt bile rise in her gut. What exactly had Rainbow Dash told her? “It has been quite the experience. Hasn’t it?” Celestia directed the question to Twilight, who nodded in response and unconsciously extended a wing over Rainbow Dash protectively.

“Yes.” Twilight curtly responded swallowing hard. Celestia nodded a bit.

“After hearing about your plight I have made the decision to let Rainbow Dash stay with you.” Celestia stated. Twilight’s face lit up with joy.

“Oh thank you!” Twilight was relieved, her friends all smiled, except Rainbow herself who was trying to lick the syrup off of her muzzle.

“It is not I you should thank.” Celestia said. All of the ponies looked stunned at her words. “Rainbow Dash was the one who told me all about what you all have been through. Me taking her away from you would not only be detrimental to her development but also tear apart the magic of friendship. Therefore Princess Luna and I have agreed to let her stay with you. On one condition.” Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow. Twilight felt her blood run cold. What would Celestia possibly want that could ruin this? “Spike, could you take Rainbow Dash outside for a moment?” She asked the dragon. Spike nodded and led Rainbow Dash out with the promise for more pancakes.

Once the door was shut Celestia spoke again. “For her safety and yours I would like to cast a physical age spell.”

“Wait, ya mean she would have ta grow up again?” Applejack raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Like…you can’t fix this?” Fluttershy questioned in her soft tone. Twilight looked to her mentor, the princess of the sun had a sad look on her face.

“After much discussion Princess Luna and I have made the determination that our magic alone cannot help her.” She looked saddened. “The pony mind is a very complex matter and it is simply too complicated for a spell to fix the damage that has been done. What we can do is accommodate to her situation. Which is why I suggest an age spell.”

“…So we won’t get the old Rainbow Dash back?” Rarity asked, her voice was soft and wavering. Celestia sighed sadly.

“I cannot answer that for certain. Who she is, her core self is still there. Her memories and experiences however, are not.” Celestia explained as simply as she could. “I’m sorry but this is our only choice.”

Twilight, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up. “Alright, you can do it.” She stated, her mouth going dry. There was no turning back now; unlike with the Alicorn Amulet that Trixie stole, an actual age spell is very hard if not impossible to reverse. Celestia nodded.

“Spike!” She raised her voice for the dragon to hear, the purple dragon poked his head into the room. “Please bring Rainbow Dash back in.” She instructed. Before Spike could even open the door wider a cyan pegasus burst through, knocking him over and she had a pout on her face.

“Dere were no pancakes…” She muttered.

“Rainbow Dash, could you come here with me please?” Celestia asked. Rainbow’s ears perked up as she associated Celestia with pancakes. She scampered after the princess of the sun and they walked across the room. “Could you please step out?” She asked the remaining ponies. They turned around and the door closed behind them.

Rainbow Dash looked worriedly at Celestia. “Where dey goin’?” She asked.

“Rainbow Dash look at me.” Celestia stated and Rainbow Dash turned her magenta eyes to the alicorn princes. Celestia alit her horn in a yellow glow. It snaked its way to Rainbow Dash and encompassed the pegasus in a yellow aura.

Outside, Twilight paced the floor nervously.

“Twi, just calm down a bit.” Applejack spoke up.

“I can’t…” Twilight muttered. “What if I can’t do this? What if I ruin her life?” Twilight questioned.

“Twilight, I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Fluttershy tried to reassure the panicking alicorn.

“What if I don’t?” Twilight looked to her friends with fear evident in her eyes.

“That’s why you have us silly!” Pinkie Pie spoke up, a smile filling her face it was contagious as a small smile broke out on Twilight’s face as well. She looked at her friends gratefully.

All of their heads turned as they heard the door open with a creek. Stumbling out from the other side of the door was a small little cyan filly. She stood only a bit shorter than Scootaloo. Her mane was all colors of the rainbow and stuck out in random places. Her cutie mark was of a rainbow lightning bolt coming out of a cloud. The filly was a familiar sight for Fluttershy.

The filly regained her senses and squinted at the mares. “Mommy?” She spoke up, her voice higher pitched and cracking. “Why are you so big?”

Author's Note

Finally done! But not over...

Chapter 5

After the incident with the Cutie Mark Crusaders Twilight decided it best that they keep to the schedule. As the trio walked through town Twilight noticed something was different. Ponies whispered and watched them with sympathetic or pitying looks. No doubt word had got out on how bad Rainbow Dash’s brain injury was.

“Twilight if you need anything, let me know.” Carrot Top said as they passed her carrot stand.

“I can give ya a discount on quills if ya’d like.” The sofa and quill clerk added as she walked past. Each pony they walked by offered similar condolences. Each one was like a stab through her heart.

Twilight noticed as they walked through town that Rainbow Dash pressed herself closer and closer up against her side. Upon further investigation Twilight could make out the telltale signs of nervousness radiating off of the pegasus. Her ears were back, her hoof steps were hesitant and her head drooped. Twilight recalled the only time she’s ever seen her friend nervous was at the Best Young Fliers Competition a few years ago. Twilight extended a wing and draped it over Rainbow Dash. This caused the pegasus to stand a little straighter and she nuzzled Twilight affectionately, causing the alicorn to blush.

Spike lead the way to one of the various shops in town. It was a store Twilight herself had never visited but she knew the Cake’s frequented the shop so she decided to try it.

Stepping into the shop caused a little bell to ring announcing their arrival.

“Just a minute!” A sweet chipper voice came from a room behind the counter. Spike coughed impatiently and a mare appeared, and stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing them.

The soft purple mare with the flowing aquamarine mane snapped her jaw closed as soon as she realized she was staring. She of course had heard the rumors that Rainbow Dash had an accident and apparent brain damage. However she wasn’t prepared for this.

“H-How may I help you?” The mare finally stammered out. Twilight had about enough of this from the ponies around town.

“Yes, hello.” Twilight stated bluntly. “My friends and I require some…items. And we would like your assistance.” Twilight walked up to the counter and Spike placed the list on it. “As you can see, we need some supplies.” Twilight pointed to the various items on the list. The mare shopkeeper looked over the list with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes, we have everything here…” The mare then looked to Twilight before her eyes fell on Rainbow Dash. “And I assume this is for her?” She asked. Twilight gritted her teeth at the mare’s obvious comment.

“Yes.” Twilight snapped. The mare held her hooves up defensively.

“If her injury is as bad as they say, you might want to consider getting other things.” The mare came out from behind the counter and lead them down the aisles. Twilight followed and held Dash’s tail close to her so she won’t wonder off and break something.

Spike took a shopping basket and followed the mares. “Yes, you’ll need locks and latches.” The mare pulled a few things off of the shelf, causing Spike to scurry to catch them. Twilight was silent and let the shopkeeper do her job, keeping an eye on Rainbow all the while. “She’s a pegasus correct?” The mare turned to face Twilight and raised an eyebrow.

“Yes…” Twilight was unsure what the shopkeeper meant by that.

“Well she’ll fly soon I’m assuming. Have you thought of buying a leash?” The mare cocked an eyebrow. Twilight was appalled at the thought and knew that Rainbow Dash would simply hate the idea.

“No.” Twilight was growing angry and Spike could tell. He nudged her in the side and she turned her attention to him.

“Give her a break Twilight. She doesn’t know.” Spike whispered, and shrugged the comment the shopkeeper made off like a stray thought. Twilight however, couldn’t let that just rest. The comment played in her head as the shopkeeper kept talking and throwing things in their basket.

In fact her mind was so distracted Twilight didn’t notice that she broke concentration on the magical grip she held on Rainbow Dash. Causing the rapport to fade and disappear. Rainbow Dash however, did notice this. Smiling brightly she still followed Twilight but she took more liberty in looking at everything.

There were beautiful colors that adorned things she’s never seen before. Rainbow Dash was in a sensory overload. While her eyes darted to look at the different plastic contraptions, her eyes fell on what she really wanted. She stopped and stared at it, letting Twilight and the others disappear around an aisle.

It was beautiful, unlike anything she’d ever seen before. To any other pony it was a simple plastic toy that resembled a hot air balloon. To Rainbow Dash it was awesome. She had to have it. The only problem was that it was on a shelf slightly out of her reach. That only made the conquest that much more sweet.

Twilight tried to keep up with the shopkeeper who threw things in the basket that Spike was now struggling to carry. The crash of a row of shelves alerted all three of them to the cyan mare standing proudly with the plastic hot air balloon in her mouth and a huge smile on her face. Scattered around her was a battlefield of merchandise debris.

“Mommy!” Rainbow Dash tripped over the toppled shelves and bounded over to Twilight to show her the toy. “Toy!” She had the proudest look on her face that made Twilight’s heart melt, though very briefly. She looked to the shopkeeper and saw her eye twitch.

“I can uh…pay for the damage…” Twilight’s ears fell back nervously. Spike placed Twilight between himself and the shopkeeper for cover.

Instead of blowing up the shopkeeper took a deep breath. Twilight visibly relaxed a bit, Rainbow Dash on the other hand, didn’t read any of this and kept nudging Twilight to get the toy.

“Mommy! Toy!” She persisted. Twilight shot her a glare that made Rainbow’s cyan ears fall flat.

“No.” She whispered harshly, still on edge.

“But Mommy!!!!” Rainbow set the toy down so she could better argue. “I want it!” Twilight rolled her eyes.

“No Rainbow.” Twilight groaned preparing for the worse. Spike kept his green eyes locked on the shopkeeper.

“Well.” The shopkeeper’s voice was sharp like a knife that cut through the air. She toned it down. “Fillies are a hoof-full. Let’s move along. I will clean that later.” The mare kept walking down the aisle. Twilight followed (making sure to keep Rainbow Dash with her) and Spike trailed after them all.

Rainbow Dash picked up the toy in her mouth and followed. Soon enough they were at the register checking out. The mare calculated the price of their purchases (and added a few bits for the repairs needed).

“That will be 34 bits” The mare proceeded to bag the items Twilight bought.

“Mommy!” Rainbow Dash whispered harshly and placed the toy on the counter. “Toy.” She looked to Twilight pleadingly.

“Rainbow, I said no.” Twilight said and reached into her saddlebag to pull out just enough bits.

“But Moooooommmmy!!! Toy!” Rainbow nudged the toy closer to Twilight and gave her the saddest look. However, Twilight was unfazed.

“Rainbow Dash, I said no. Now let’s get home.” Twilight turned tail to leave but before she could make it to the door Rainbow burst into tears. She wailed at the top of her lungs at a volume that put her Timber Wolf impression to shame.

“MOMMY I WAN’ THE TOY!!!!!” She screamed. Spike had to cover his sensitive ears. The shopkeeper shot a glare at Twilight.

Twilight just sighed.

They got back to the library just as the sun was starting to set and the rainclouds rolled in. Twilight opened the door with her magic and Rainbow Dash rushed in, the hot air balloon in her mouth and she ran it around the room like it was actually flying.

The weary Spike and Twilight entered next. Twilight shrugged her saddlebags off by the door. Spike’s stomach grumbled audibly. “Uh, I’ll start dinner. Something easy.”

“Soup sounds good.” Twilight sighed and fell with her back on the couch. She threw her arm over her eyes to block out the light of the library. She could feel a massive headache coming on as a result of the day’s events.

Suddenly there was a nudge against her side. Twilight tried to ignore it but it only grew more incessant. She threw her arm off of her face to see the bright magenta eyes staring at her. “What Rainbow?” Twilight moaned.

“Pway?” Rainbow Dash broke out into a smile, her ears perked in excited anticipation. Twilight rolled her eyes.

“No Rainbow. I don’t want to play.” Twilight said sharply and saw Rainbow immediately deflate. Twilight felt a pang of guilt as Rainbow sauntered across the room where her toy was and started “flying” it around by herself.

Twilight got off the couch and picked up the discarded copies of How To Care for Your Foal: The Complete Guide. As well as a new book she got in the library, the newest edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. She grabbed them in her magic and took them back to the couch where she started reading.

“Soup’s on!” Spike called after Twilight had finished the chapter she was reading. She got off the couch and walked toward the kitchen but looked back as Rainbow wasn’t following.

“Rainbow, time to eat.” Twilight tilted her head to the kitchen. Rainbow got up and followed her with her head held low. Twilight shrugged it off and continued to the kitchen where she sat down to the soup.

She absentmindedly encased the spoon in her magic and started eating and didn’t notice that Rainbow did not. Spike cleared his throat. “What?” Twilight asked, looking to the dragon. Spike just nodded across the table to Rainbow Dash who just looked at her soup and fiddled with the toy in her hooves. “Rainbow?” Twilight asked. Rainbow looked up at her in response. “Eat.” She used her magic to nudge the soup closer. Rainbow turned her head away.

Twilight rubbed her temples. Spike silently watched as Twilight took Rainbow’s spoon in her magic and scooped some of the soup onto it and held it out. “Eat.” She ordered. Rainbow Dash looked leeringly at the spoon and then to Twilight but she kept her mouth closed. Twilight let out an over exaggerated sigh.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. This startled Twilight and she dropped the spoon with a clang.

“Who could that be?” Twilight asked and got up to answer the door. There stood Fluttershy with a cardboard box sitting on her back. “Oh Fluttershy! I forgot you were stopping by. Come in!” Twilight stepped aside to let her friend in. As the timid mare entered a flash of lightning followed her from the approaching storm.

“I just came by to drop a few things off,” Fluttershy spoke and shrugged the box to the floor. "And to tell you Tank is safely with me."

“Thanks.” Twilight peered into the box that was labeled on the side in terrible (but familiar) mouth writing: “stuff”. She shifted through the contents and found a few things she expected. The crown from the best young fliers competition, a signed Wonderbolts poster, a photo of all of her friends, and her favorite copy of Daring Do were in there. As Twilight took further inspection she noticed a few things she didn’t recognize. An old picture of a rainbow-maned filly and two older ponies, a pink mare and a lavender stallion with a mane similar to the filly’s stared back at her. Twilight assumed those were her parents Rainbow Dash never spoke of. Finally there was a blanket, it looked old and worn, and its pastel yellow was faded considerably. “What is this?” Twilight asked Fluttershy. The latter mare just bit her lip. Twilight could tell that the shy mare was hiding something.

“I-I’m sorry Twilight I should get going.” Fluttershy said with haste, looking anywhere but at the mare in front of her. Twilight raised an eyebrow at her friend’s odd behavior. “Goodnight.” She curtly nodded and left the library into the night. She flew low to the ground, the roll of thunder guiding her.

Twilight reentered the kitchen to find Rainbow Dash still had not touched her soup. “Ok, let’s try this again.” Twilight encased the spoon in her magic and held it out to Rainbow Dash. Putting his empty bowl away, Spike watched as Twilight nearly forced the soup down Rainbow’s throat. Every time Rainbow Dash would turn her head away. Spike found it amusing and stifled a giggle. Twilight glared at him. “You think you can do it better?” She asked.

Spike walked over and spoon in his claw. “Dash, the hot air balloon needs to land! Where will it land?” He asked her. He whizzed the spoon around the air and made a zooming noise. Rainbow Dash giggled and opened her mouth and Spike was able to land the soup-filled spoon in her mouth. Twilight ate her own meal as Spike fed Rainbow Dash.

Soon Rainbow Dash finished her bowl of soup. “How did you do that?” Twilight asked Spike. He shrugged.

“I learned it from raising Peewee.” Spike said like it was no big deal. Twilight levitated the empty dishes to the sink.

“Well, it’s getting late. Time for bed.” Twilight instructed pulling the chair out for Rainbow Dash.

“No. Don’t wanna go to bed. Wanna play.” Rainbow Dash stayed firmly in her chair. Twilight groaned. This was getting impossible.

“No. It’s bedtime.” Twilight ordered. In all honesty, Twilight just wanted Rainbow to get to bed so she could finally relax. She felt the headache coming back.

“No bedtime!” Rainbow protested, looking away from Twilight. Twilight ground her teeth, irritated. She alit her magic and grabbed Rainbow Dash and pulled her out of the chair. With the squirming and struggling pegasus in tow she went up into the spare bedroom and tucked her in bed.

“Now, you’ll stay there.” Twilight grumbled and turned to walk out of the room.

“But Mommy…” Rainbow started to say as Twilight whipped her head around to face her.

“What?” She snapped. Rainbow shrunk in her presence.

“Where’s blanket?” She asked innocently. With that question Twilight’s anger dissipated. She remembered the box that Fluttershy dropped off earlier. She recalled seeing the old dirty blanket inside.

“Oh.” Twilight broke away from her thoughts and looked back at Rainbow Dash who had a pleading look on her face. “I’ll go get it…” She left the room and trotted downstairs to where the tattered box was sitting by the door. She found the blanket and brought it upstairs with her magic. She reentered the room and found Rainbow Dash still in bed waiting for her patiently. “This?” Twilight held up the blanket and Rainbow Dash’s face lit up.

“Yeah!” She held her hooves out and Twilight floated the blanket to her.

“Goodnight Rainbow.” Twilight stated and blew out the candle, filling the room with darkness.

“‘Night Mommy.” Rainbow Dash responded before Twilight closed the door to the room.

Author's Note

I'm sorry for the late update. Personal issues delayed the publication of this chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to update more regularly now. I do read all of the comments posted here and I promise that all questions will be answered.