Never Alone In The Skies

Old Friends never stay apart from each other…

“Day three. Rainbow Dash’s nightmares continue to keep her awake at night.” Dr. stables spoke into the recorder he held in his hoof. “Patient has been trying to avoid the matter of the subject by spouting nonsense.”

Rainbow Dash’s head hung low from the couch she rested on. A few stray hairs from her mane blocked her view of a stallion wearing a stretched coat, seated in a chair a few feet away from her.

”Doc, how long do we have to do this?” Rainbow Dash asked, swaying her hind legs in the air. “I’ve got some clouds to buck and they aren’t gonna wait.”

Dr. Stable rubbed his chin. “Rainbow Dash. If you want me to help you solve this little problem of yours-” He stopped talking and sighed. “What are you doing?”

Rainbow Dash blew the strands of hair from her mane back and forth as they swung in between her eyes. “I’m bored, Doc,” she said coldly. “You’re really boring me here.”

Dr. Stable nodded then turned to his attention to the clipboard he held in his hooves. “Rainbow Dash, therapy isn’t supposed to be fun.” He turned back to Dash. “It’s supposed to help you with your problems.”

Rainbow Dash moaned and swung her forelegs up in the air. “But why does it gotta be so boring!”

“Rainbow Dash, if it’s so boring then why did you choose to come here?” Dr. Stables questioned, arching his eyebrow. “Your friends didn’t sign you in.”

“Listen, Stables. I was dragged here by Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash lied. “She said it would be best for me because she thinks I’m having nightmares of somepony.”

“Nightmares?” Dr. Stables leaned back in his chair then waved a hoof.  “Please, tell me about these nightmares.”

 Rainbow Dash threw her head back and let out a fake laugh to mask her nervousness. “Nightmares? I don’t have any nightmares.”

Dr. Stables groaned. “It says it on the description I have here,” he said, tapping a hoof on the clipboard. “I also know Fluttershy didn’t sign you in, even though it has her name on here.”

“How do you know she didn’t sign me in?” Rainbow Dash questioned. “She’s probably trying to get back at me for that one time at Sugarcube corner.”

Dr.Stables arched his eyebrow. “Sugarcube corner--”

“Or maybe...”  Rainbow Dash  interrupted, then held a hoof to her muzzle and gasped. “What if it was a changeling!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Dr. Stables shouted, gaining Dash’s attention. “Clearly you are trying to avoid the question I asked earlier!”

 “Trying to avoid?” Rainbow Dash snickered. “Clearly you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to.” She jumped up and landed on the couch, puffing out her chest. “I’m Rainbow Danger Dash!” She said with a cocky smirk.

“Rainbow Dash, please stop trying to hide your true emotions from me,” Dr. Stables said. “I’m trying to help you here and you’re not letting me.”

“I’m not trying to hide anything!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “I’m the bravest and toughest flyer in Equestria!”

“Would the bravest flyer in Equestria hide her emotions?” Dr. Stables questioned. “You’re afraid, Dash! Afraid to show your emotions to me because you’re afraid I might look down on you!”

“I’m outta here!” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and hovered over to the door.

“Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow Dash turned over to Dr. Stables. “What do you want, Stables? You want to continue to insult me even more? Or you want me to stay a little while longer so you can get paid?!”

“Rainbow Dash, it’s not like that at all.” Dr. Stables sighed. “I’m sorry for my behavior earlier. You’re right; I shouldn’t insult you like that.”

“...And?”

“Excuse me?”

Rainbow Dash’s frown turned into a smirk. “You forgot to say, ‘I’m also the coolest and bravest flyer in Equestria’ for being mean.”

Dr. Stables sighed. “I’m also the coolest and bravest flyer in Equestria for being mean.” he parroted.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “That’s better,” she said, hovering back to the couch. “Alright, I did lied about me not having nightmares, doc.”

Dr. Stables placed two hooves on his face and mockingly gasped. “No.” he deadpanned. “I hadn’t the slightest clue!”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I started having these nightmares after my trip to the Wonderbolts Academy.”

“And that’s what you think started theses nightmares.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I don’t know.” She tapped a hoof on her chin. “Guilt probably?”

Dr. Stables nodded his head. “Guilt can bring some ponies physical pain if they have fallen too deep into it.” He leaned back in his chair. “And this case; you, Rainbow. You have already fallen too deep.”

Rainbow Dash gulped and wiped away the sweat that beaded on her forehead. “Hehe... Doctor, you’re starting to creep me out.”

“I’m serious, Dash,”  he said.  “If these nightmares continue to terrorize you, your heart might not be able to take anymore.”

“Oh.” Rainbow Dash’s head sunk to the ground. “How long do I have until that happens?”

“Don’t worry about it,  Rainbow Dash.” He smiled. “What matters is getting through this together with some help.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Right. Anyway, after the academy, I saw her...” She stopped for a moment to inhale before continuing. “She looked so torn about what happened there. It made me feel guilty because I knew what was going to happen.”

“And what that might be?”

“I don’t remember,” Rainbow Dash lied. “I guess she just left after that.”

“Rainbow Dash, did you have any feelings for her?” Dr. Stables asked. “It’s okay to tell the truth.”

“No!” Rainbow Dash yelled with a blush. “We were just pals. That’s all.”

“So what did she do to get kicked out of the academy?”

“She nearly killed my friends!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “If it weren’t for me saving them… You know what would've happened.”

Dr. Stables nodded. “Did she show any sign of guilt after knowing what she did?”

“No. She completely ignored the fact she could’ve killed them!” Rainbow Dash angrily grinded her teeth as her breathing became fast. “She was worried about the damn clouds!”

 “She sounds horrible.” Dr. Stables rubbed his chain. “Hmm, but horrible ponies are almost always created by something even worse than them.”

Rainbow Dash arched an eyebrow. “Are you saying there was a reason for her actions?”

Dr. Stables nodded. “Did she tell you about why she joined the academy, or any dark secrets about her past?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No, she didn’t tell me anything.” She lied. “She’s just a horrible pony.”

Dr. Stables’ horn glowed, and a bottle surrounded with a green aura levitated over to Rainbow Dash. “These pills might help you with your stress until our next session.”

Rainbow Dash took the pills and held the bottle in her hooves. She looked up to Stables with a frown. “I don’t take pills to solve my problems, Doc.”

Dr. Stables chuckled. “Once in a while, we all need a little help, Rainbow Dash.” He pointed a hoof to Dash, “Even ponies like you.”

Rainbow Dash snickered. “I don’t think so.” She tossed the pills into the trashcan beside her, “That’s not how the Dash rolls.”

Dr. Stables rolled his eyes and sighed. “Alright, I suppose I can let that one slide, but remember to get as much rest you can, or the stress could overwhelm you.”

Rainbow Dash trotted to the door, but stopped mid-step. “Thanks, but don’t tell anypony about this, Doc.”

Dr. Stables chuckled, then put a hoof to his muzzle and made a zipping motion with it. “Your secret is safe with me, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash smiled. “You know... You’re alright, Doc.” She closed the door behind as she trotted away.

Rainbow Dash tossed and turned her head as she slept on her bed. “Ugh.” She groaned, yanking the blankets off her body. “Why can’t I sleep?!”

“You are asleep.”

“Ah!” Rainbow Dash yelped and fell off of her bed. She expected her muzzle to fall on the soft comfortable cloud, but her face never met the fluffy floor.

 She opened her eyes and gasped. “Oooooh hoooorse feathers!!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. The sluggish clouds suspended in the sky smacked against her face as she slowly fell to the ground.“Lightning Dust! You insane pony!”

As Rainbow Dash made her descent, she could hear the sound of maniacal laughter through the rushing wind. Her eyes darted to the right; nothing was there but clouds. Her eyes darted to the left and saw a pegasus figure swooping through the skies, then back into the clouds, making Dash unable to see her.

“Lighting Dust, this isn’t funny!” Rainbow Dash screamed. “You’ve gone too far this time and I won’t stand for it anymore!”

“What won’t you stand, Dash?!” A voice shouted. “I’m just having a little fun, there’s no harm in that!”

Rainbow Dash felt fresh tears trailing down her face. She was crying... she was afraid; afraid of this insane pegasus who had been torturing her for the past couple of days and causing her to lose sleep.

 Rainbow Dash grunted as she tried to spread her wings to halt her fall, but they remained stuck on her sides. “Lightning Dust, show yourself and face me!”

Dash’s words echoed in the air, but only the sound of the rushing wind blew in her ears. No laughter nor taunts could be heard from the insane mare. After a silent moment, Lighting Dust swooped down and grabbed Dash like a hungry seagull hunting fish.

 Rainbow Dash wiggled her forelegs around, trying to break free of Lighting Dust’s grasp. “Get off me!”

Lighting Dust shrugged and smirked. “And why would I want to do that?”

“Because you’re insane!”

Lighting Dust chuckled. “And if I let go of you, the little Element of Loyalty goes splat!”

“You wouldn’t!”

Lightning Dust began to laugh maniacally. “Oh, Dash.” She wiped a tear that wasn’t really there away from her eyes. “You’ve forgotten who you’re talking to.”

“Lighting Dust, please stop this!” Rainbow Dash pleaded as she stared into the eyes of the mare. “This isn’t you!”

“YOU DON’T KNOW THE REAL ME!” Lighting Dust shouted,  she spat her words out like venom. “You never knew me and you never will. You missed that chance.”

“No,you missed that chance!” Rainbow Dash retorted, “You could’ve busted the clouds in a safer way! But no; you wanted to get things done faster in a way that almost cost the lives of my friends!”

“I had no choice! My time was ticking, Dash! I had to get things done quickly, no matter the consequences! I had to prove to the Wonderbolts  I was worthy!”

“You could’ve done that in a different way!”

“Shut up!” Lighting Dust shouted, and flew faster and faster as her anger boiled up in her heart. “Shut up! Shut up!”

“Lighting Dust, please stop!”

Lighting Dust’s eyes began to darken as she leaned into Rainbow Dash’s ear and malevolently whispered into it, "Take me into your heart... Accept me as your greatest failure!” A lone tear rolled down Dash’s cheek as  Lightning Dust suddenly screamed, “Accept me as your living nightmare and let me be REBORN!"

“No!”

“...No,” Lighting Dust monotonously repeated. Her grasp of Rainbow Dash seemed to have loosened as a sadistic smile creeped onto her face. “Then I’ll see you soon, Dash.” She whispered into Dash’s ear, then Lightning Dust let go of  her.

“Noooooooo!” Rainbow Dash screamed as she rapidly fell. The screeching winds filled up her lungs as she tried desperately to spread her wings and fly, but she kept falling no matter what she tried.

As the ground became closer, she closed her eyes and prepared herself for the impact...

*******************************************************************

“No!” Rainbow Dash’s head shot up from her pillow. She put a hoof to her head, a waterfall of sweat covered her face. She looked to her right and saw that the sun was rising in the sky outside of her window.

She looked at her coat that hung up in her closet and sighed. “It’s time to end this,”she said to herself,  “It’s time to finish what I started.”

Rainbow Dash trotted up to Lightning Dust. The autumn leaves brushed past them, and the cold morning air caused Dash to shiver.

Dust didn’t, however.

“Hey, Dust,” Rainbow Dash said quietly. “It’s been a while since I visited you like this.” She chuckled. “This is totally not my thing... Am I right?”

Lighting Dust remained silent.

Rainbow Dash’s smile disappeared from her face and she gave a deep sigh. “Listen, I wish I could’ve done something to keep you from falling this low,” she said, “But you left me no choice.”

Lighting Dust didn’t move, she kept quiet and listened.

“While at the academy, you told me about your condition. You begged me to help you prove yourself to the Wonderbolts and get the job.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “And I promised I would help you...” She sniffed. “But you had to go and do something stupid, Dust!

“No; instead I let the cancer kill you.” Rainbow Dash let a tear fall free from her eye and trail down her cheek. “I can’t help but feel guilty about it.” She gave a and melancholy chuckle. “And now you keep me awake every night.”

Lighting Dust’s grave silently stood. Fallen leaves brushed onto it and the early sunlight glistened onto the cold and plain stone carved with her name, cutie mark, and date of birth. “Please… I hope you can forgive me for the choices I made.” She sadly muttered and trotted away.

 As she made her way out of the cemetery, she could’ve sworn she heard the seemingly tranquil winds whisper in a dark, sadistic tone,“No.”