Author's Note

Never let it be said that I ain't nice, I'm real tired now after writing this... Zzzz Zzzz
Anyway, if you enjoyed, like the story please, would mean a lot to me :) Also, if y'all got a problem with the cover art, you have to deal with me... MS PAINT IS FRIGGIN HARD TO USE!

I get that it's not great but you know what? I LIKE IT!
Okay, yeah I've said enough

Well... that went swimmingly.

A mermare. A Celestia damned mermare. There she was just lying on the wooden floor, gasping for breath, her tail gently hitting the ground, the owner of said tail not even aware that she even had a tail.

Now she just needed to get her somewhere that she could actually, you know, live and stuff. Somewhere with water. Zecora thought about this going over all the available options she knew of to help her friend.

Her bathtub? No, far to small and cramped for her. The lake nearby her hut? No, that lake was in the Everfree forest, and who knows how dangerous that water could be for her, most likely toxic if one where to take a guess. The beach outside Ponyville? Well it had an ocean, as most beaches do, with clean water, and plenty of space. It should be rather quick to get to if she hurried.

Not wanting to waste another second Zecora carefully picked up the now half concious Rainbow Dash, her rough scales rather cold on the Zebras hooves. Placing her in a small cart, she fetched an old brown blanket, in which had been clearly patched up several times, and placed it upon Rainbow Dash's tail. It would probably make things easier as she would have a quick route to the beach and hopefully not as much attention. Of course they would attract some attention what with Zecora pulling Rainbow Dash around in a cart, whom was now shIvering like mad.

Strapping into the harness, she galloped through the forest hoping that she would have enough time left.

"- and that's why ah really need yer help Fluttershy!" Applejack stood in front of the very confused Fluttershy whom in turn simply stared back.

"..."

"Please Fluttershy?" Applejack pleaded determined to get this sorted.

"Okay Applejack, but I thought I got the animals to stay away from the fields last week? Fluttershy asked, a puccled look on her face.

"Ya did, they didn't listen to ya." Applejack dead panned. Fluttershy gave a quiet giggle at this as Applejack fussed over her small animal friends. She didn't see how they where a problem, they where such nice animals.

"I'll be over soon, I just have to get some food for my animal friends!" Fluttershy called out i a barely audible voice.

"Thanks Fluttershy, see ya soon!" Applejack replied, making her way back to sweet Apple Acres. As she did this she spotted something very peculiar come from the Everfree forest.

"Now just what in tarnation is that crazy Zebra doin'?" Applejack asked aloud to nopony in particular. The sight of the Zebra running along in such a rush with the cart attached to her did look rather peculiar. Applejack decided to catch up with Zecora to see what she was in such a rush for.

"Heya Zecora, watcha doin'?" Applejack asked as she easily kept up with Zecora, running beside her.

"Applejack friend of mine, I cannot talk for I haven't much time!" Zecora replied not even sparing a glance.

"What's the matter Zeco- Hey what's in that cart of yours?" Applejack asked, having just spotted a lock of rainbow hair bobbing up.

"It does not matter at the moment, getting down to the beach just now is what is important. If we do not act with haste our efforts here will have been nothing but a waste!" Zecora replied, speeding up a little more leaving Applejack behind running after the cart.

The bouncing of the cart had moved the blanket, it now covering all most all of her, except a small part of her tail. Applejack bit down on the blanket and gently lifted it up, only to let it go and her face to go white with fear. The next thing Zecora heard was a very loud scream accompanied by an equally loud 'What the buck!?' from Applejack. Zecora paid no mind to this and decided it best just to continue running, it wasn't much farther to the beach now, but Rainbow Dash might not manage till then, it wasn't time to relax yet.

Applejack ran over to the nearest pony that she knew which happened to be Flitter, and demanded she tell Twilight Sparkle to gather the girls and meet up with her at Ponyville Beach as fast as they possibly could. Flitter shrunk at the tone of Applejacks voice but none the less, done so, hurrying off as fast as her wings could carry her.

As Applejack began running back towards the cart she could only think one thing over and over in her mind.

'That couldn't have been Rainbow Dash, could it?'

Zecora was running as fast as her hooves could possibly go, finally overjoyed to see that she had made it to the beach. There weren't any ponies at the beach today making it easy to get Rainbow into the water without a large crowd of ponies gawking at the poor mare.

Gently, she set Rainbow Dash in the shallow water letting the waves wash over her. They seemed to make no difference with Rainbow Dash unmoving. Much stayed the same for the next three or four minutes as Zecora quietly shed a few tears, the gentle waves occasionally washing over the motionless Rainbow Dash.

"Zecora, is she... y'know," Applejack said, surprising Zecora whom had been unaware of the farm ponys presence "Is she... dead?" It hurt Applejack to say that last word, but it was just a word right? It wouldn't harm her. She knew it just couldn't be true anyway.

"At the moment, I am not sure, I have done everything I can possibly do." Zecora said, hanging her head to shed a few more tears.

Muffled foot steps came from behind as the remaining four mares made a dash for Applejack having gotten the message from Flitter saying she needed to see them immediately.

"Applejack! Flitter came by saying you needed to see us here? Flitter told us it was really important." Twilight said, giving her friend a worried look. Applejack simply nodded and gestured over to where Rainbow Dash lay in the shallow water.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Fluttershy ran to Rainbow's side as she saw the unconcious mermare lying on the ground. The first thought that came to Fluttershy's head was that Rainbow Dash was dead, judging by the fact she had this mysterious tail, she assumed something horrifying must have happened to Rainbow. Fluttershy wept onto Rainbow's stomach as the others watching with scared and solemn faces.

"Mhmm" Quiet grunts came from Rainbow Dash as she stirred. Everypony looked over to her overjoyed that she was alive, Fluttershy sitting beside her, eyes wide, happy that her fillyhood friend was still here with her. "G-guys?" Rainbow Dash coughed a few times before returing to what she was saying. "Where am I?" Rainbow Dash looked around herself, trying to make out her surroundings. "A-am I at the beach?" She was confused as to what she was doing here, she had no recollection of coming here at any point. As she carefully planted her front hooves into the ground and tried to stand up, she realised that she could not haul herself up onto her rear hooves, nor could she even feel them. Looking down to see her hooves, her eyes went as small as pin pricks when she saw what was there instead.

"W-where are my hooves? Where are my hooves!?" Rainbow Dash tried repeatedly to stand up to no avail. Realising her attempts where futile, she lay on the ground and cried. She once again began to cough although this time, violently. It felt as if she where choaking, her head beggining to throb.

"Quick we must get her into deeper water, once done her breathing shall become better." Zecora yelled, Twilight picking her up in her telekenisis and letting her splash into the water.

Rainbow Dash bobbed up to the surface her expression sad, tears threatening to burst from her eyes.

"Am I supposed to stay out here? All night? How long, huh? A day? A week? A year? FOREVER!?" Rainbow Dash let the tears slide down her face. She felt as if she had no one to turn to, she was just a freak now. She would never join the Wonderbolts. Never teach Scootaloo to fly. Never fly again. Rainbow dove under the cool water, swimming as fast as she could. Anywhere was better than here.