Fear of Failure

Libraries: the safest warehouses where ponies can find millions upon millions of books, their bindings giving readers a vast selection of knowledge that nopony else shall encompass. Many ponies do not read these informative texts, instead, they simply sit there in silence as the ones who do, otherwise known as bookworms, tend to interact with one another on a subject referring to the texts that they have both read.

Twilight is one of those types, her knowledge knowing no bounds, having read all the books in her supply.

“Now I know I’ve read about this topic before, Rainbow,” Twilight says as she bends over to find the book she is looking for.

On the other hoof, we have Rainbow Dash: an athletic, loyal, cyan pegasus who only reads Daring Do on occasion, her limited knowledge on several subjects making her a perfect candidate for Twilight to ramble at while Twilight talks all about her latest digs.

“About what?” Rainbow mindlessly asks, clamping her forehooves over her mouth after she says the phrase.

Oh no…

“Rainbow,” Twilight murmurs, her tone low and deathly. “I told you this two times already…”

“I’m sorry!” Rainbow apologizes quickly, her magenta orbs showing clear as day. “I just… forgot. I have a lot on my mind.”

Twilight sighs, still searching for the book she has been looking for for the past two hours. The two mares look at the tall, dusty oak bookcase, the amount of books on each shelf simply astounding Rainbow. She has never seen such a dense collection of books before. Every time Rainbow comes here to see Twilight, she has to imagine how long it must take for Twilight to read all the books. After all, Twilight says she has read every single book in her possession, there must be some secret to it.

“Hey, Twilight?” Rainbow asks.

“Yes, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight replies venomously.

“Jeez, don’t get your horn stuck between the pages,” Rainbow says, a crackle suddenly hitting her eardrum. “I was thinking about how you’re able to quickly read all your books.”

Twilight ears perk up, her body suddenly freezing as she takes in what Rainbow said. She, then, takes a quick glance over at Rainbow, her mouth wide open in astonishment. “You…”

Twilight snaps her head back to the bookcase, her eyes as big as saucers. “You want to know how I read so quick?”

Rainbow quietly murmurs an affirmative. “Yes…”

Twilight looks up at Rainbow and returns to her eye level. “Would you want to read with me after we find this book?”

Rainbow nods. “You always wanted to show me something new to read, right?”

Twilight smiles. “Of course,” she begins, turning her attention back to the bookcase, pointing her left foreleg at it. “This book we’re trying to find may help us in explaining why you’re having these dreams.” She, then, returns to finding this book, the bookworm’s eyes glazing over every book title she finds, only to grumble in frustration as she moves on to the next book in line.

Another crackle happens.

“H-hey, Twilight?”

“What now, Rainbow?”

“I’m scared…” Rainbow nervously says, her body beginning to shake. She sighs and looks at the ground, the wooden flooring not before her anymore, the cold stone floor now in her vision.

Twilight continues keeping her sight upon the bookcase. “Why’s that?”

“I hear a noise…” Rainbow nervously replies, backing away from the bookcase in front of her. “Twilight, can we go back up?”

“Why would we do that, Rainbow?” Twilight questions, her eyes still glued to the books she is looking at. “I need to help you, Rainbow,” she says, her voice tone dropping once again, gravelly and raspy.

Rainbow eyes widen. “Twilight, are you okay?” The pegasus backs away from her friend, her hooves clicking on the stone surface, echoing in the dark depths of the basement level. “I…”

“You?” Twilight says, the tone of her voice sounding more raspy by the second. “I don’t think you want my help, Dashie.”

“I-I do,” Rainbow stutters, continuing to back up as she speaks. “I-I ju—”

“If you want my help, then why are you backing away?” Twilight interrupts, turning her attention towards her friend, her eyes black. “Maybe, you’d like me to just leave…” she growls, her eyes changing to an orange hue. “Or maybe,” she begins, facing her friend as her wings snap out, causing books to fall left and right. “Maybe, you want to leave…”

This is a dream!

Rainbow closes her eyes, wanting the images of Twilight to leave her mind.

Then why can’t I wake up?

As she turns her head, Rainbow feels a warm, single breath tingle her backside, her hairs up at end. “That’s because, you can’t…” a more venomous female tone announces. “You’ll never leave.”

She opens her eyes as she takes in the sight. Her friend, Twilight, is right in front of her as a red liquid slowly falls down her cheeks. The alicorn’s eyes still dark as night, the completely black irises staring into her, almost gripping her soul. She turns herself around to see the… thing that is breathing on her neck.

Rainbow screams.

“Death...”

Then, the claws came upon her.

“GAH!” Rainbow screams while falling to the ground on her rump. She brings her gaze up to see the pony of her immediate nightmare. Her eyes widen, taking in the scene before her.

“Wamph?” Twilight asks while holding a book in her mouth. The lavender alicorn lays the book on a small table nearby and looks up at Rainbow, her violet orbs full of concern. “What is wrong?” Twilight snaps her wings out, accidently knocking one of the shelf full of a books on her right, causing her to groan. “Darn it!” she exclaims as she looks over at the shelf, her purple aura surrounding the fallen knowledgeable texts and slowly levitating them back on the shelf.

Meanwhile, Rainbow stares in awe, frozen in place by the sheer identical happenings of what she previously saw.

Was I just dreaming?

Suddenly, her legs finally start responding, using her back hooves to scoot across the floor, her rump sliding easily across the stony surface.

“Rainbow?” Twilight asks. “Where are you going?”

Rainbow’s breath begins to pick up. “I-I, stay away!” she shouts, tears forming before her eyes. As she continues to move, another shot of pain enters her system, her right foreleg oozing out blood, a trail leading from where she was previously laying to now.

Twilight looks down and sees it as well, causing her to scream.

With concern upon her face, Twilight quickly trots over to Rainbow, her wings closing to her sides. “Rainbow!” Twilight calls out, keeping her eyes glued to her bleeding friend.

Rainbow, on the other hoof, continues to move. “Stay away!” she shouts, closing her eyes as the images of Twilight eyes oozing out blood, her evil grin, the voice from behind her…

Then, a warm, subtle breath tickles the neck Rainbow’s neck as her back hits a cold, wooden surface behind her. “Stay away,” she whimpers, tears trying to escape her closed eyes. “I-I…”

Then, she feels…

Feathers?

Rainbow Dash shakes as she feels the warmth of another surrounding her. Rainbow Dash shakily sighs, her ragged breathing beginning to slow as she realizes what’s happening. She slowly opens her eyes and looks at what’s surrounding her.

In front of her is Twilight, her violet orbs shimmering, tears pouring out of her as she too quakes. “Rainbow…” she says, gazing upon those magenta irises with concern. “Don’t move away like that…”

“But Twilight, you were going t—”

Twilight cuts her off swiftly, her voice wavering. “Going to what?”

“Kill me…” she states, her voice losing all emotion. “You were going to kill me, your eyes were oozing blood and then I heard that phrase again…”

Twilight gasps upon hearing these words and pulls her close. “Rainbow, I would never do that to you, you’re one of my best friends!” She explains, her voice rising as she speaks. “You’ll always be, didn’t I tell you that?”

Rainbow nods in apprehension. “I just… forgot.”

Twilight groans. “Rainbow, we’re going to get to the bottom of this and I need you to stop forgetting,” she begins, holding Rainbow’s right foreleg, inspecting it. “And if you don’t focus, then we’ll never figure this out.” She sighs, and pulls Rainbow up with her with her magic. “We need to take you to the hospital, that injury needs to be healed up before it becomes infected.”

Rainbow groans. “Twilight, I don’t need to go,” she says, tears still forming in front of her eyes. “I can’t, I don’t want to be alone.”

Twilight sighs and nuzzles Rainbow, her magical purple aura keeping Rainbow in place. “You won’t be, I’ll be right beside you.”

“You promise?” Rainbow whimpers, nuzzling her friend back.

Twilight nods, pulling back to get a better look of Rainbow. “I do.”

With that, the two begin their ascension, going up the creaky wooden steps to the lights above.

Meanwhile, a certain book starts to shimmer, the red book opening by itself…

___________________________________

“Spike!”

“What?!”

“Keep watch of the fort, I’m taking Rainbow to the hospital!”

The door to Twilight and Spike’s bedroom suddenly flies opens, the doors smacking with a loud crack as the dragon races out of the room with speed, the sudden burst of energy making Twilight and Rainbow surprised, their mouths wide open. The dragon presents himself in front of the two mares. The two parties gazing at each other, waiting for the other to say something.

“Why?” The young dragon asks, his tone much quieter than before.

Twilight relocates her jaw, the sight of Spike running fast as lightning still in her mind. “Rainbow’s foreleg,” Twilight says as a matter of fact. “Remember?”

Spike looks down at Rainbow’s foreleg and gasps. “Twilight! It wasn’t bleeding before!”

This gets Twilight to raise an eyebrow and turn her attention to Rainbow. “When did you get this wound?”

Rainbow looks down at the wound, the memory of it plastered in her mind. “I was dreaming when I got it Twi’, remember? I told you that I woke up with it up on my foreleg.” Blood continues to slowly pour out of her leg, the curvy mark appearing even larger. “Twilight…” Rainbow says slowly. “Let’s get to the hospital an—”

A shock of pain courses through her, causing more blood to spill out onto the wooden floor. Her face contorts, causing Twilight to pick her up with her magic. “We’ll be back, Spike,” she says quickly, before rushing out of the library, her cyan pegasus friend floating in front of her, wrapped in her purple aura.

The poor dragon sighs and closes the door. He silently saunters over to the couch, laying on top of it as he pulls a cushion near him, snuggling into it. “I hope Rainbow is okay,” he mutters, before falling asleep on the couch, the purple and green colored drake napping away in the quiet confines of the Golden Oaks Library.