The wind whistled in Rainbow's ears as it rushed past her. She kept focused on the market as she flew down; she dared not to even glance at the Everfree. She couldn't fathom what she'd heard just three days ago. It was a voice, calling for her. And it came from the Everfree Forest. It sounded so familiar, yet so alien at the same time. She began to feel comforted as she grew closer to the market and the sounds of bustling ponies began to overtake the wind's howl. Rainbow touched down upon the road, taking the fresh flowery air into her lungs and swallowing repeatedly to un-pop her ears after the change in altitude. Once her ears and her nerves had reconstituted, she headed towards the apple stand.
"G'day, Rainbow Dash!" said the salescolt behind the stand cheerily. He had a tired, sullen face with a stubble-tastic chin. He was an old colt, sure, but very ecstatic and optimistic. Rainbow Dash liked that.
"What can I get for ya?"
"Uh, six apples," replied the pegasus, staring into space, lost in who-knows-what.
"That'll be six bits!"
Rainbow Dash...
She gasped. The apple stand colt looked at her inquisitively.
"Dash?...Rainbow Dash?" he asked. An absolutely mortified expression had captured her face.
Rainbow Dash...
"Rainbow Dash?" asked the colt again.
"Just SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, falling to the ground and pressing against her head with her forehooves. As she writhed on the ground screaming and sobbing, the apple colt rushed out of the stand to her side.
"Rainbow Dash! You alright?!" he asked loudly and nervously. Ponies in the surrounding marketplace began to stare at the scene in awe. The apple colt shook her, trying to snap her out of her fit. Finally she became still. Her screaming died down to a soft whimper. She looked up from beneath her hooves, now crossed on top of her head. Her face was wet from sobbing, and dirt from the road had settled on her cheeks. She had even scraped her temple as she writhed, and it bled slightly. Now silent, she stood up on shaky hooves.
"Rainbow Dash? That will be six...bits," repeated the apple colt.
She stared at him blankly, then blinked rapidly.
"Oh...oh yeah, right," she stammered, remembering her previous task. She shakily extracted six bits from her saddle bag and handed them to the colt, who eyed her anxiously. Rainbow Dash picked six ripe red apples from the stand's crates and slipped them into her bag. Without another glance back at her friend the apple colt, she turned and skyrocketed back to her house.
Here she was again, speeding through the air with wind whistling in her ears, keeping her gaze from the Everfree. Suddenly the wind fell silent. No, the whole town became silent. And then the voice spoke again.
For every ripe crimson apple, there is a wilted sapling...
The wind grew to its previous roar, and the incessant noise of the shoppers below returned. A ghastly chill ran down her spine as she reached her house and scrambled to get inside. In the entrance hall, she dropped the bag of apples and ran to Arthur's room. Bursting through the door, her sight became blurred with tears. Arthur dropped his library book and rushed to her.
"Rainbow...what's wrong?"
Rainbow Dash burst into tears, sobbing like a frustrated infant. Burying her face against Arthur's breast and throwing her hooves around him, muffled words resounded from her.
"I can't take it, Arthur! I just can't take it! I...sniff...I don't know what to do! I'm so scared!"
Arthur listened to her words carefully. This was the second time she had embraced him today. And this time, understanding completely, he embraced her back.
"This is the end, isn't it?"
In response to the voice, Rainbow Dash turned from the window and faced him.
"I feel it now just like I did eight months ago. This is the end."
Her gaze rampant with confusion, the cyan pegasus approached the mahogany brown alicorn.
"Look, Arthur. I know you're still recovering from whatever happened before you came here, but you need to at least try to be happy. Nobody's going to appreciate this 'the end' junk."
Arthur looked down at her, into her rose-colored eyes. Though in the midst of his best friend, he couldn't help the worrisome frown that had dominated his tired face.
"At least smile. Please?"
The edges of Arthur's mouth twitched, trying to etch a happy grin over the frown, but to no avail. He closed his eyes and bowed his head before her.
"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. I've forgotten how."
She sighed and wrapped a hoof around his neck, hugging him tightly.
"It's okay. I think I have too. I'm just so confused."
Arthur couldn't bring himself to hug her back.
"I need to go to the market and get a few groceries. You can wait here, right?" asked Rainbow as she ended the embrace and withdrew from Arthur's warm body. He nodded.
As she grabbed her shopping bag from her dresser and dumped several bits into it, Arthur followed in silence. Standing in front of the door, she looked back at Arthur.
"Be back in a few," she said, trying to wince a smile. When she found she couldn't, Arthur nodded again. Slowly, as if to savor the feeling of being inside, Rainbow Dash opened the door of her floating house and flew down, into the center of Ponyville. Arthur stepped onto the threshold of the doorway and watched the little blue speck which was Rainbow Dash disappear into the bustling town below.
"This is the end..."
