Chapters O ne peaceful day in Ponyville, with small rolling winds and barely any clouds, a certain rainbow maned pony rested upon a cloud, staring up to the sky. She looked rather frustrated upon her cloud, making many faces to show her discomfort. Her tail waved impatiently as she listened to the giggles of ponies below, emitted from a group of fillies and foals playing a game of tag. Suddenly, Rainbow got an idea.
Flipping off her cloud, she launched down to the group, planting her hooves in the earth quite forcibly, causing each of the young ponies to freeze, staring directly to her with bewilderment in their eyes.
"Hey, guys! Can I play?" Rainbow smiled as she spoke, getting down into a 'ready-to-go' position.
"Uh," a small white foal spoke first, "I mean, it's kinda not something for just ANY pony. You're too old. Sorry."
"Aww, please..?" Rainbow Dash frowned quite a bit as she looked to them with pleading eyes. It was quite clear she was bored beyond belief. The young ponies shook their heads all together and resumed play, leaving Dashie to simply sigh and walk off, head hung low. She was so bored, and she didn't know what to do to fix it. Sure, she could just go home and go to bed, but then that's a whole day wasted. Oh! She knew what to do! She'd go talk to Twilight!
With her new idea, she perked her head up and sprinted toward the spiraling tree. Her mane flowed behind her as she ran on, hopes growing higher and higher, hooves moving faster and faster until she was just using her wings to launch towards Twilight's door.
SLAM!
She crashed through the door, straight into a pile of books and to her face, which she used as a sled to skid across the floor on. Her snout burned from the floor burning it, causing her to wince until she hit another hoof, one that was quickly tapping the floor. Glancing up from her lowered position, Rainbow saw Twilight Sparkle glaring down at her, frustrated look on her face. She clearly hadn't been expecting her friend. Rainbow glanced at the endless book stacks around the room and landed her eyes on Spike who seemed to have been furiously writing letters before she had crashed in.
"What in Equestria are you doing, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight's voice brought Rainbow back towards her. Pushing up and shaking her body, Rainbow changed from a happy expression to a more embarrassed one, knowing her cheeks were well flushed.
"I-... Uhm... I just wanted to see if you wanted to... do anything? I'm super bored and stuff..."
"Well, I'm super busy. And you just knocked over half the books I had finished labelling," Twilight's gaze hardened, "Now, is there anything ELSE you wanted to do beside bursting in my door and messing me up?"
Rainbow felt her heart sting, knowing she had just upset one of her friends. She gave a deep, deep sigh, before shaking her head and looking to Spike, then to all the books she knocked over. Way to go, Dash she thought to herself.
"I'll just... help y-"
"NO. When you help, you always get so excited and try to turn it into a game, and I can't do that right now, Dash!" Twilight gave a deep sigh, "Dash, you know I care about you, but I'm just really stressed. It'd be better if you went out and tried someone else. Maybe Pinkie can throw a party for you or something!" Twilight gave a genuine smile.
"Hey... That's not a bad idea. I'll see if she's free! Thanks for not getting too mad, Twi! Uh, sorry for... whatever I did. Bye!" And like that Dash had launched out and sent papers flying all over. Her target was the bakery. Oh, she just knew that Pinkie would have fun with her! No way would Pinkie turn her down!
She burst through the Bakery doors and skidded to a halt on her hooves. The place was bustling with noises, plates moving, bells dinging, hooves moving. All the bakery ponies were moving behind the counter, except for Pinkie. She had stopped and looked at Dashie. She quickly put down the pan of cupcakes on her head and literally leaped over the counter to her. Bouncing up and down, she began spluttering out words, seeming to not even NEED breath to supply sentences.
"OhheyDashiehow'sitgoingdidsomethinghappen?Doyouneedmeforsomething?OHOHOH,didyou-"
"Pinkie!"
"Oh! Sorry, Dashie! Sometimes I just get so caught up in what I'm saying I forget to let other ponies talk! Sorry! What do ya' need, bestie?"
"I was uh... Wondering if you and I could do something, you know, for fun!"
"Oh, Dashie, I would love, love, LOVE to do something with you!" Rainbow's heart felt like it had grown wings and flown up her chest, "but, I'm really busy today. I've got lotsa cupcakes and stuff to bake! Mmm, mmm~! I'll be sure to give you some when I can, but I'm jam-PACKED all this week! Soooo sorry! I hope you understand!" The wings were chopped off, an anchor was attached to her heart's foot, and it sunk to her stomach.
Dashie couldn't even muster a word, simply looked down, nodded, turned, and walked out. Pinkie frowned a bit herself, but simply closed the door behind Dash and hopped back to work.
Man, I thought for sure Pinkie would have fun with me... maybe I can get Flutters... or Rarity... or maybe Applejack and I could have a competition...! Rainbow's hopes immediately began raising again. I'll go to Fluttershy's first. She's the least likely to be busy!
~*~
"Fluttershy?!" Rainbow yelled in front of Flutter's house. Within a minute or less, the door was open and the pale-coated pony was standing in it's path, making sure it was only cracked. Her pink mane was a bit of a mess, and her coat was ruffled quite a bit as well.
"U-Uhm, yes, Rainbow Dash? Is something wrong?"
"Sheesh, Flutters, you look bad! Is everything alright?"
"Y-Yeah, everything's okay!" She flashed her gaze away for a moment, "B-But what about you?"
"Yeah, I'm... pretty bad. But, I was just wondering if you wanted to do anything? Maybe?" Rainbow tilted her head, putting on a fake smile that she hoped would pass as a genuine one.
"I'm... really busy right now, Dash. I'm sorry. If I could, I'd gladly help, oh, you know I would! But, I have a lot of stuff to do with Angel and the gar-..."
"Yeah, yeah... You're stressed, I got it. I'll just go," Dash blinked away her tear before it appeared, turning to begin trotting off.
"I-I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy whined after her. At least she still had two other chances. Actually, now that she considered it, Rarity had said that this week she'd be counting up her gems for a visit to Canterlot and working with clothes and dresses and such for said visit. That meant she was clearly going to be busy. That only left Applejack. Surely, SURELY, she'd be willing to take a break if Dash asked her to. If she was even busy, anyways.
Dash shook her head clear and launched into the air, quickly coming down upon Applejack's farm. Landing with a gentle pull up on her wings, she quickly scanned the area for her country pony. As her gaze fell over the barn, she saw a note on it's door, which she quickly sprinted to and began to read.
To anypony who reads this,
I'm out in the trees harvesting apples, and I'll be there through the night. Sorry to anypony who came looking for me, but if you come out here, I don't know if I'll be free or not. But, at least you know where I am. You can swing by out there if you want to, I sure could use a bit of company, but I'll have to get back to work rather quickly.
-Applejack
Rainbow had expected as much. At least Applejack had said she might be available. It was worth a shot.
Dash launched into the air, high above the trees, scanning for any shaking ones. After a moment, she noticed a tree violently shaking and being stripped of it's apples. Quickly launching down, Rainbow spotted Applejack, standing with two full baskets of apples at her sides.
"HEEYYY, APPLEJACK!" Rainbow called out as she skidded to a halt in the dirt. Applejack jumped, spilling a few apples from each basket with a little yelp.
"DARN TOOTIN'.... Rainbow don't scare a pony like that!" Applejack shook her head, hat becoming a bit askew.
"S-Sorry, Jack."
"Don't be. It's fine, honey bun. What's up?"
"I was wondering if you maybe wanted to... race, or something?!" Rainbow sounded overly hopeful as she got into a racing-ready position.
"..." Applejack stared with an 'Are you serious?' look.
"...What?"
"I'm sorry, Rainbow, but I'm really busy. Maybe somepony else can help, but I gotta do this for Big Mac. He's got a hurt leg and it's takin' a toll on em."
"... Right.... Right... Uhm. Thanks anyway." Rainbow didn't even wait for a response, simply blasting away with tears blurring her vision. She crashed through a few clouds, but simply kept going. Once she reached a large, suitable cloud that would hide her from sight, she slid onto it, slamming her face into it's poofy fluff. She let it absorb her tears, her hooves placed on her head, ruffling her mane.
Why does everypony have to be so BUSY! she thought, weeping even in her mind, I just need something to do, but everypony is so... f-... f-fu-fucking busy! The curse word made her cry harder. She had never cursed before, but she was so passionate that she felt it appropriate. I wish... I-I ju-just wish... I could do SOMETHING.. ANYTHING... I'm so... UGH! Frustrated!
The cloud began darkening as it absorbed her tears, her eyes closing on the cloud to keep from many more coming out. She felt so alone. She had nopony to talk to, they were all so busy, she didn't have anything to do. She couldn't take an entire week of this. She couldn't take another DAY of this. But she knew all her friends would be busy for at least a week... She knew it was time to learn what being alone felt like.
R ainbow Dash tried to get her friends to do things with her all through the week.
On Tuesday, she asked them. She got politely told no, and was given deep apologies.
On Wednesday, she asked them. She was told no, with hardly any apology.
On Thursday, she asked them. She was told to leave, and not given an apology.
On Friday, she asked them. She was kicked out or away, denied with a simple no.
On Saturday, she asked them her final time. They each told her that she needed to stop. All she was being was annoying.
On Sunday, she contemplated asking them again. Instead, she cried. Yes, the hardcore, never-say-never, coolest pony in Ponyville cried her eyes out all day. An entire day.
Why were her friends not taking breaks to talk to her? Why were they 'too busy' for a bit of friendship? Why couldn't they see it was taking a toll on her? Do they still even care about her? Is she even important? Does she need to just leave Ponyville?
... Does anypony want her around?
She thought all of these the next Monday as she sat on a cloud, curled into a tight, tight ball. She simply let the cloud slowly drift about, shuffling through the sky on it's own, no general direction, but never once leaving Ponyville.
But then, on that fateful day, it struck her like a bolt of lightning! Which is bad, because it was actually a bolt of lightning striking her cloud that caused her to see it. After the dizziness subsided and the cloud's halves split far enough apart, a gray blob flew into Rainbow's spinning vision.
"Oh, gee! You okay, Rainbow!?" Derpy's voice rang out in Dashie's head. She suddenly froze, blinking a bit. Of COURSE! Derpy! She could hang out with Derpy! Who needed those other lame friends anyway? Derpy'd never be too busy for Rainbow!
"O-... Uuugh... Hnnnngh... Hi-Hiya Derpy... I-I'm.... fine... yeah..." Rainbow shook her head clear, before giving a soft chuckle, "Nice shot with that bolt."
"Oh, I didn't mean to. I was just making a mail run." Rainbow's heart stopped beating entirely, it seemed.
"... Do you have time to take a break, maybe?"
"No, sorry, Dash. I'm super-duper-..."
"Super-duper busy, got a jam-packed WEEK, HUH!?" Dash roared, pushing up from the cloud to stare at Derpy snout-to-snout, eyes narrowed.
"Uh. Yeah, basically. Very busy, lotsa mail, y'know?" Derpy gave a little smily, before nuzzling snouts with Dash. Rainbow clearly hadn't expected this.
"Wha-..."
"What? You put your snout on mine. I thought that's what friends did?"
"It wasn't in a-..." Dashie stopped herself, before giving a soft sigh, "Right. Go finish your mail or whatever."
"Right on!" Derpy turned, sloppily beginning to flap her wings and fly off into the distance. Dashie settled back on the now half-cloud. She blinked away her tears.
No more crying, Dash. she thought You are... Rainbow Dash! You aren't a pushover wussy! You've done Sonic Rainbooms! You're the... Dash paused for a second, before grinning, having coming more accustomed to this kind of language You're the shit! You're the coolest! Why don't you just go fly around? Like you did... Yesterday... and the day before.... and the day before... and pretty much all of last week while your friends blew you off...
She completely stopped thinking, shaking her head clear. She pushed up from the cloud, popping her neck and blinking more tears away, before sonic-rainbooming off the cloud, shattering it as she picked up insane speed immediately, launching all the way across Ponyville and towards the Orchard.
T he ground was approaching Rainbow Dash quite quickly. Too quickly. She knew she was going down, but couldn't be bothered to raise herself back up. The Rainboom had sent her to some large fields just outside the Orchard and Ponyville, and her tears had finally gotten the best of her.
Feeling her depression looming above her like an appending doom, she simply accepted her crash. The dirt piled up like it would in a cartoon, looking like fat rolls more than actual dirt, until it exploded at a certain point and spread all around her. Her cheek stung horribly. Dirt found it's way in her mouth. Her eyes were closed, but tears moistened the earth behind her. Her entire body cried with pain, stinging and burning as the dirt lurched all around her, her screams utterly muffled by dirt.
The abrupt stop by a rock meeting her snout stung the worse. It bent her snout towards her and scrunched it up painfully, horribly causing her to screech. Her body was covered in scrapes and cuts, her snout burning with agony as it stayed scrunched up on the rock. She didn't want to move. Her legs burned, her wings stung, and her brain told her that she wasn't worth standing up. She should just lie there and die. Nopony cared about her anymore. They were all too busy for her 'idiotic pass times', as Twilight had called them. She felt like she was alone in the world now. Nopony to talk to. Nopony to spend time with. No reason to stand up.
Depression was winning. She couldn't find the want or need to get up, to even move. She couldn't muster the strength inside her to even inch in any direction. All she could do was lie in the skid marks, her own blood, and her tears.
She was useless.
She couldn't do anything without her friends.
She wanted to just die.
But, knowing what might happen if she DID in fact die. Ponies would notice the cloud build up. Ponies would notice her absence. Only because she was gone for good, though. Because they clearly didn't notice her now.
Dashie slowly pushed up, legs shaky and wobbly with countless scrapes and cuts on each. Her cutie mark looked like a solid red rainbow instead of a multi-colored one, covered in trickling blood. Her wing was bent at an odd angle, snapped somewhat in a horrible direction. She could feel the broken wing. She could feel each inch of scarred tissue. She could feel the blood seeping down her legs, down her neck and chest, from her snout. She could feel the tears as they rolled from each eye to the ground. She simply fell to her flank, giving a deep sniff and cry, before yelling at the sky.
"WHY! WHY DOES EVERYPONY H-HAVE TO BE SO BUSY! TELL ME CELESTIA! TELL ME WHY!" Her voice was becoming strained, just from the few seconds of yelling. "WHAT DID I DO!? I THOUGHT I WAS A GOOD ENOUGH PONY! I TRIED, OKAY!? I TRIED! I KNOW I'VE DONE BAD BUT I'LL FIX IT! I SWEAR I'LL FIX IT! MAKE IT STOP, PLEA-.." She choked up on her tears, as well as her reddening, raw throat. She simply collapsed once more, letting her tears stream like mini rivers from her eyes down her cheeks and to the ground. She didn't know what to do. She was in so much pain, and all she could do was lie down and cry. She couldn't move. She couldn't fly.
She could only cry.
She knew she had to get up. So, she tried. Oh, how she tried to stand, but she simply couldn't. She tried for what seemed like hours, until she finally, at long last, managed to stand. Her legs were shaky, and the dirt in the wounds that covered her body only made them sting worse. She began to limp towards what she assumed was the way she came, due to the skid marks, allowing her tears to freely flow now. While she limped, however, she felt something bump against her hoof.
Glancing down, she noticed a bit of glass and a cork poking up out of a portion of her skid-mark trail. She tilted her head, wondering why anypony would bury a bottle. Oh wait! What if it was an ancient pirate pony? What if it was Daring Do? What if it was an artifact!? Oh, she just HAD to have it!
Dashie furiously began tugging on the exposed portion of the bottle, until, at long last, she ripped it from the ground. The bottle was filled with a fizzy pinkish liquid. It clearly wasn't ancient, because it had a label. The label simply read:
!FUN!
!DRINK TO WASH ALL YOUR WORRIES AWAY!
!SURE-FIRE WAY TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY!
Fun? How can a pony put fun in a bottle? Dashie thought Well, I mean, if they could, I suppose it WOULD be pink... maybe if I take a sip... I'll get a little happier. Maybe it's an anti-depressant! Dashie gave a weak, strained giggle as she popped the cork off, flicking it aside. She turned the bottle to see if anything else were on it, any other written label or warning or SOMETHING.
Finding nothing, she was satisfied. She pushed the who knows how old bottle to her lips, tilting it back and downing the ENTIRE bottle. The fizzy liquid felt cool on her throat, soothing it... making it feel completely fine. As if nothing had happened to it. She blinked a few times, before testing it out by releasing a little giggle. She, indeed, sounding perfectly fine now. She felt her entire body shiver in a chill, and suddenly, all her wounds were numb. Her eyes widened, before she realized what she had just drank. It was a potion.
So far, however, it was doing her well. She felt her wing snap back into place, and she felt her wounds being softly repaired, as if they never happened. She felt like a million bits! This was fantastic!
Until the burning set in. It felt like the liquid had turned to lava inside her stomach, scorching her insides. She could only scream, but then she couldn't. It was like something was holding her mouth shut while the burning intensified. She felt warm tears rolling down her cheeks, but they did little to help her as she slammed her eyes shut. She flapped her wings in agony as the burning sensation spread throughout her body. She stomped and flicked her tail violently to somehow try to ease the pain, before too abruptly, it all stopped. She let out her scream and fell to the ground. The bottle... it was on the ground in front of her. She looked there, only to see nothing.
Nothing but a bloodstain.
She sniffed a bit, but slowly pushed up. Shaking her head clear, she looked back to the bloodstain as she reared on her hind legs. Giving a powerful push and a final glance to her skid marks, she blasted back towards Ponyville, digging into the dirt powerfully with her blast off.
R ainbow Dash returned home after drinking the bottle labeled Fun. She returned home without even a thought about it. She thought she could feel it, feel it making her happy. She knew it was working. Ohhh, how excited she was that she'd finally have fun! Who needed anypony else for fun when you have a potion to do it for you!
"Fralalala~!" A voice sung from below. Dashie heard this, quickly glaring down to see Pinkie Pie bouncing up and down below her, as if following her. "Ohhhh~! I'm followin' my bestie Dashie and we're gunna have so much FUUUUUUNNN~! And it'll be sad when we're DONNNNEEE! Cause I'll go home, and she'll go home, and we'll be bored all day!"
"Wait, really? You want to have fun?" Dashie's eyes widened. The bottle must have enchanted all the people she cared about! Yes! She could finally have fun with her friends! Enjoy herself! At long, long last!
"Yep! I finally finished up all that work that had me backed up so..." Pinkie paused a bit, before speaking in some language Dashie didn't understand, voice slightly deeper than before. "Ego ad occidendum te! " She again paused, voice seeming normal after that brief moment. "So, sound fun?"
"Err... what?"
"Were you zoned out or something, Dashie? Are you okay? You almost ALWAYS say yes to surprising our friends and having a party!"
"Sorry, you just uhm... you said it in another language."
"What? I said it in the right language, silly filly!" Pinkie giggled, before beginning to hop on, having yet to stop. "Come on, let's go get party gear and get our friends!"
"Uh, yeah! Totally!" Dashie's wings flared in excitement. Oh, this bottle was only doing great things! Such great things indeed!
~*~
After gathering and setting up a surprise party, Pinkie sent Rainbow Dash out to gather the friends. She was more than happy to let Pinkie stay behind and finish up the party things. She had never really liked setting up a party, just being in it. She galloped quickly towards Twilight's library now, excited look upon her face, until remembering the books.
What if they're still there!? I need to slow down! she thought, looking down to see that her hooves galloped on.
Why can't I stop? she slammed her hooves in the ground, but only was lifted by her wings and forced back to the ground to gallop. Her leg gave two snaps, the first causing an odd protrusion out of her thigh and causing a lot of pain, the second popping it back into place, but leaving the horrid pain. She screamed out, but simply picked up speed.
LISTEN TO ME, BODY! she roared at herself. Her body continued moving on it's own. Her vision blacked out for a moment, and then flickered back into view, but with spots of black covering everything, making it difficult to see.
What is HAPPENING TO ME!? she wailed, unable to speak. Then her body slammed through the door, and all became normal. Her pain went away, her sight cleared, and she could again control herself. And, lucky for her, the books were all away. She smiled widely up to Twilight, who had stopped her from ramming any further with her magic, clearly having seen her coming.
"... What is with you and ramming through my door?"
"Uhm... Sorry, I lost control for a bit there..." Dashie admitted, scrunching up a bit in the spell, surrounded in a tickling purple magic.
"Seriously, what's with that?" Twilight giggled, clearly having forgave Dash.
"... Just a hobby of mine, y'know. Now put me down!" The magic turned to what felt like needles in it's last moments, sending her to the ground gently, but in pain none-the-less. "OUCH! Why would you do that?!"
"Do what?! Did I hurt you or something?!" Twilight seemed surprised, scared even. But soon that face changed. The room lost all color. Twilight was a mere outline of herself, no color, no mouth, but only the white outline of everything in the room, Twilight included. Twilight spoke, but not in her voice. It was the voice of ten deep tones, each sounding dark and ominous:
"I have given them your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your Word is truth." Her eyes turned a deep, deep red once she finished.
Dashie felt a stabbing pain in her chest, her heart seeming to beat much faster. Pressure built against the exterior of her chest, her ribs. She felt one snap, two snap, three. She screamed loudly, just as she saw the skin starting to push outwards in the shape of her heart. And then it all stopped with three silent clicks and pain.
Color returned. Rainbow Dash was on her knees, face in the floorboards, sweat covering her body. Twilight stood over her, clearly worried sick.
"Rainbow Dash!" She cried. "Are you okay?!"
"A-Agh! S-Stay back... Stay back!" She violently scrambled away from her friend, until her backside hit the corner of the room. Twilight looked to her with genuine concern, before nodding.
"Okay, Dash. I'm going to get the others. We're all here for you now, okay?"
"Nngh... O-Ow..." Dash couldn't speak. Her heart still felt incredibly pressured, as if it'd explode out at any second and share it's blood red glory to the world, still beating. She wailed as Twi left. She cried and sobbed about how unfair it was. Finally accepted back into society, and then having it ruined by something she didn't know. She was scared. She didn't know what to do anymore.
She just waited for her friends once more.
