The Dimensional Traveler's Guide To Rainbows, And Other Troubles

Chapters

Prologue: Equestrian Antics
Chapter 1: Home, Sweet H- Wait, Who Are You?
Chapter 2: Trust Me, I'm Rich
Chapter 3: Don't Hug Me You're Naked
Chapter 4: Who Says Girls Can't Hate Shopping Too?
Chapter 5: Run, Rainbow, Run!
Chapter 6: The Sun Shines Bright But The Rain Pours On
Chapter 7: Rainbows Bloom When The Storm Is Gone
Chapter 8: Keep Calm And Carry On With Saving The Day
Chapter 9: Wake Up And Smell The Antiseptic
Chapter 10: As It Begins, So It Ends

Prologue: Equestrian Antics

Once upon a time, there was a useless, pathetic, crybaby cliche "human in Equestria" protagonist. He was so insignificant, so negligible, that he was never named a single time during the entire story. But regardless, here is the continuation of his story.

Prologue: Equestrian Antics

"Wake up, you knucklehead!"

It was way too early in the morning for this. For the past month, my daily wake up call has been determined by some combination of "wake up" with some random creative insult tacked onto the end.

"Just give me five more minutes..." I focused all of my rather lackluster determination in order to try and delay the inevitable.

Unfortunately, the inevitable was rather closer than I thought it was. I was helpless to resist as my blanket of warmth and protection was ruthlessly ripped away. Moments later, rays of golden sunshine poured through the window, promptly blinding me. As the ultraviolet radiation slowly worked itself into the cells of my body, penetrating my eyelids and possibly causing minuscule changes in my DNA, the last recesses of sleep finally faded and my mind was at last able to function at an acceptable level.

When I opened my eyes, before me was standing pure evil. She was a Pegasus, but not the kind that you've heard of in legends. After all, I don't think Medusa shot rainbows out of her neck when her head got chopped off. But that's exactly what was standing before me. Her mane, unkempt and flowing, captured the essence of the rainbow: natural beauty. Her slim but muscular body radiated with power and confidence. Do I think she's beautiful? Yes. Do I hate her? Yes. After all, she, for some reason, has taken it upon herself to become my personal tormentor. She says she's trying to be a good friend, but do friends break into your house to brutally wake you up in the morning, force you to feed them, then coerce you into doing a multitude of favors for them on a daily basis?

Well anyways, life in Ponyville was both peaceful and hectic in its own way. It was Equestria after all: it was the peaceful utopia that so many had tried to create but failed in my world. There were no wars, and when some evil villain appeared he was always defeated without fail. In other worlds, history was perhaps written by the victor, but in Equestria, history was written by the righteous. Despite the lack of major conflict, rather annoying, persistent problems still pestered me and refused to relent. One of these problems was a certain Pegasus that seemed to think my home was her home.

By the time I got downstairs, Rainbow Dash was already sitting at the table, napkin around her neck and fork in hand. Putting a hoof on my forehead, I resisted the murderous impulses that were racing through my mind. A great man once told me that you should count to 10 before you speak if you are angry, and 100 if you are very angry.

I counted to 101.

Heading to the fridge, I popped it open to find that there were only apples left, albeit rather delicious and juicy apples fresh from Applejack's farm. I grabbed the biggest one, lifted it to my mouth, turned around, and saw her face. She was smiling with a combination of expectancy and a hint of stupid amusement. I tried to bite down, I wanted to make her mad. I wanted to get back at her, for all those agonizing mornings. But I couldn't. I couldn't bite into the apple, I could only stand there awkwardly with the apple in my hand.

With a growl of disgust, I tossed my prize at her. She caught it with a smirk and asked: "What, you're not gonna cut it up for me? What kind of host are you?"

I retorted back at her while searching for another apple of acceptable size: "Would you like a glass of water with that too, ma'am? What do I look like to you?"

To my surprise and annoyance, she just laughed her usual laugh. "Bwahahahaha! Good one!" She had to slam the table a few times before she calmed down. When she did, she put on her serious face and said to me : "Don't forget, today's the Solstice Ceremony. The Princess will want us at Canterlot by noon. It'll take us a while to walk there, so I guess it's time to hit the road, huh?"

And indeed, I hit the road. Quite literally. Even though it's already been about a month since that fateful night when I was sent to Equestria, I still haven't quite gotten used to my new body. Although that reminds me, I haven't introduced myself, have I? Well, there's not much to say when I think about it. I've been turned into a Pegasus. I have a black mane, and a weird blue-gray colored coat. My most defining feature is the lack of a feature. I don't have a cutie mark. Never did, never will, apparently. My eyes are brown, but that's not what I actually look like.

I was going to be a sophomore in high school, so I was probably around 16 or 17. I do have black hair, but my eyes are blue, strangely enough. I came from a noble family, a perfectionist family. My family allowed no mistakes, and I was their vessel to keep the green stuff flowing when they were old and rickety. Of course, I hated it. Eventually, all of my frustration and anger towards life boiled over and in a fit of pathetic weakness I ended up trying to kill myself. Keyword: try. Instead of becoming fertilizer, I was polymorphed into a supernatural being and thrust into a land of sunshine and rainbows.

It was a curious fate, and perhaps worse than death for I was no longer human, and suffered from some kind of slow memory loss. But in some ways it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I was free from my bonds, free from the tyranny of perfectionism, and free to do whatever I pleased, after I convinced the citizens of the town that I wasn't insane for saying that I used to be some mythical creature known as a human. After some disastrous shenanigans ensued due to a certain Lord of Chaos, normal life resumed in Ponyville, albeit with one more citizen. Me.

So now I'm making my way up to Canterlot, struggling to keep my balance using this four-legged locomotion. It's not easy suddenly becoming a pegasus, but sometimes you gotta hit the ground flying, and hope you don't next time. I sauntered alongside Rainbow Dash, who was cleary frustrated with my pace. She gave me flying lessons on most days of the week, but learning how to walk properly was up to me. She let out an exasperated "Come on, come on! We're gonna be late!" before deciding that I wasn't going to "come on, come on" any time soon. So, instead, she hooked her arms under mine, and before I could react, dragged me into the sky kicking and flailing. I looked down and gulped. The ground was getting further and further, and with it my confidence. "H-h-hey, RD, um, like, could you let me down? I don't really, um, like being so high up.." I tried to convince her to release me, but the wind blew away my words. Higher and higher, faster and faster, we soared through the sky, until we broke the cloud layer.

What I saw took my breath away. Above the clouds, above all of civilization, was another world of wonder and majesty. I looked around and saw a perfect cerulean blue for miles in every direction. The clouds below us floated by, and for once, I was glad to have Rainbow Dash by my side. "Wow." was all I could muster after taking in the cloudscape. A beautiful silence resonated as my word faded, broken only occasionally by the soft flutter of Rainbow Dash's wings. I could stay here forever, just gliding above the clouds. But we had a schedule to follow, and time was running short.

My makeshift helicarrier began vertical descent, reaching terminal velocity in little over three seconds. The dive was exhilarating in its own sense. As the world twisted and distorted until it became only blue and white streaks, I felt a strange euphoria. I couldn't feel the wind, I couldn't feel the cold, all I felt were the corners of my mouth turning upwards into a huge beaming smile. And then I laughed. I don't know why, but life just suddenly seemed so amazingly funny, and so amazingly beautiful that the laugh just came. And it didn't stop. It didn't stop until we touched down in Canterlot, but even after I stopped laughing my smile didn't fade.

The Solstice Ceremony is a celebration of the Summer Solstice. It's the day that the Sun is closest to us. Although the Sun is controlled to some degree by Celestia, it does waver in its distance. And because the Sun is obviously some kind of cesspool of pure magical energy, the Summer Solstice is also the day that magic is strongest in Equestria. Ponies used to cast all these ridiculously overpowered and imbalanced spells on the Summer Solstice, so Celestia invited all the skilled magic users in the land to Canterlot during the Summer Solstice, partly to liven up the celebration, but mostly so she could keep an eye on all of them and make sure they didn't do anything stupid.

Everywhere I looked, there were unicorns boasting about their most recent magical exploit, whether it be transmuting wood into gold without losing a limb, or creating a spell that could enable sustained flight. Using magic during the ceremony was strictly forbidden, and for a good reason. Although the close proximity of the Sun allowed for the casting of spells normally impossible to even fathom, the massive amount of energy available was a double-edged sword. Having access to energy and controlling energy are completely separate things. Magic can destroy as well as create, and if you lose control of a spell of massive proportions, the repercussions could affect all of Equestria. But I didn't really care. There had been something on my mind since I learned about the ceremony. I had dismissed it with disgust at first, but it gradually dominated my mind until I could think of nothing else. I had to find Celestia.

I found Princess Celestia in the hallways of the palace. I knew that it was a rather ridiculous request, but I couldn't stop myself from asking. "Is there any way for me to become human again? Or go back to my world?" Celestia gazed at me, and there was a long moment of awkward silence. She locked eyes with me, and asked me in a near-whisper: "Think carefully. Is that what you really want?" Her response surprised me. I was under the impression that there was absolutely no way for me to return to the land that I originally sought to escape from. I thought about this morning. Flying with Rainbow Dash had shown me the joys of flying. The euphoria that I felt was something that I couldn't just forget. I've made incredible friends, and we've been through so much together. Do I really want to go back?

But I don't belong here.

I'm no happy-go-lucky pony like everyone else is. I found this land through an act of hatred, and that hatred almost destroyed everything: my friends, all the land, my soul. I have no talent. If I had never shown my accursed face in Ponyville, they would have been able to continue their blissful lives, saved from the pain and suffering that we had to go through in order to save Equestria. I myself was the cause of a great amount of pain, for I allowed myself to be corrupted by disharmony. I regret the things I said, and the things I almost did, for I know they hurt my friends in a place that could not heal. Even my body knows it does not belong in this blessed land. My blank flank is proof of my incompatibility with Equestria.

I don't belong.

I sighed. It was a sad and hollow sound. Even before I opened my mouth, I knew that she knew what I was going to say.

"Celestia...I've thought about it,and...I think it's best for everyone if I disappeared from Equestria. I'm no hero, and I've brought nothing but disaster. I'm a liability, and I can't do things that others find natural. I don't belong here. I'm sure they'll be happier without me dragging them down." Celestia looked at me again, this time with sad, downcast eyes. "Normally, there are no spells that can transport beings to entirely different dimensions, but because you are not of this land, a spell to transport you to your home would suffice. The massive distance still poses a problem, but the Solstice Celebration provides the magical power for a spell of this magnitude. But that is why you asked me today, is it not?" I nodded silently. Then I added, softly : "Don't tell them. Let them enjoy the celebration."

Celestia took me to the very top of the palace. Here, we were as close to the sun as we could get without flying. The Alicorn Princess flapped her wings and hovered in the air. From here, the sun indeed seemed to have a magical aura. When Celestia channeled her magic, I felt myself rising up with her. I slowly floated into the sky, enveloped in a magical bubble. I gazed at the land which had been my home for the last month. This would be the last I would see of it forever. I would never see my new friends again. Never again would I laugh and smile with my friends over a cup of sweet apple cider. Never again would I be able to spend a quiet afternoon reading in the town library. Never again would I be able to have polite conversation over a dainty tea-party. Never again would I struggle through grueling flight lessons. Never again would Rainbow Dash wake me up in the morning. Never again would I mutter curses as I cooked breakfast for two.

A solitary tear trickled down my cheek.

Celestia's magic was intensifying. Even to me, a Pegasus, I could sense the magic pulses she was emitting. The Sun seemed to resonate with her, pulsating with energy in unison with her magic. The Sun beat like a heart, and let off waves of energy every time it pulsed. The energy seemed to grow in power every time, until I could feel the heat from one particularly strong wave. But the magic was getting out of control. It was increasing in power too quickly, too suddenly. I saw Celestia with her eyes closed. She was clearly exerting as much control as she could, but it was hard to slow the magic down. There was so much raw power that even a Princess couldn't control it.

Then, in front of my disbelieving eyes, a massive solar flare launched towards us. The wave of terrifying energy hit Celestia first, and her eyes shot open. Her eyes had become the color of the solar flare and were emitting light. But with self-control and a force of will so strong that it could bend the cosmos, she used her last reserves of energy to change the wave of energy. Instead of a burning wave of destruction, it became a soft white light that engulfed everything. It wasn't hot. In fact, it felt cool to the touch and seemed to wipe away all tension from my body.

I felt as if I had become a floating consciousness, amid a sea of white. I wasn't alone though. Amid the vast nothingness, I sensed thousands, millions of other consciousnesses all crying out in unison. Even among the millions of others, something, or someone's mind, brushed against me with a brashness and fearlessness that could only come from one pony. Then darkness closed in and I knew no more.

Author's Note

How can someone with black hair have blue eyes? Well, most people with black hair may be of asian descent, but it's not impossible. There are too many genes that control eye color, so we'll simplify it to B for brown eyes and b for blue eyes. If an asian with genotype BB is crossed with a caucasian with genotype bb, the resulting offspring will be 100% Bb. If one such Bb individual once again mates with a caucasian bb, then there is a 50% chance that the resulting offspring will have a genotype of bb, and thus blue eyes. Since hair color is seperate, we can assume that in his case he inherited at least one gene for black hair, since it is also dominant over other colors.

TL;DR: If blue eyes mates with brown eyes and one of their children mates with another blue eyes their children will have a chance of blue eyes.
THE MORE YOU KNOW :D

Chapter 1: Home, Sweet H- Wait, Who Are You?

Something smelled funny. It smelled like fresh air and morning dew. Wait. That's normal. I sat up with a start, and immediately regretted my decision. I almost blacked out as blood flowed away from my head. I put my hands on the grass to steady myself. When my head cleared, I almost screamed. I. Put. My. Hands. On. The. Grass. I actually put my hands on the grass. HANDS. I. Had. Hands.

I guess I had gotten my wish after all. The memory of the disastrous Solstice Ceremony was still burning bright in my mind. The request, the spell, the cataclysm. The millions of souls screaming out in unison. Even after all of that, when the dust had cleared, I had ended up back here. A sharp stab of worry erupted in my mind. What had happened to Celestia? She had risked everything to fulfill my wish. I wasn't sure what had happened to everyone else, and especially Celestia. She had been hit by the massive wave of destruction first, and shooting sunbeams out of your eyes was definitely not a good thing. Plus, she hadn't focused on protecting herself, instead, she used the moments before everything was engulfed nullifying the wave of energy and turning it into something else. Whether that had been enough to save everyone was questionable. My stomach lurched as I thought of the injustice of it all, so I stopped thinking about it. Why should I care anyways? I had nothing to do with it anymore.

I casually let my eyes roam around, examining my new body. Although I wasn't wearing the clothes that had taken me to the underworld, I was still adorned in items from my wardrope: a pair of jeans, running shoes, a blank white t-shirt and an unzipped hoodie. I instinctively put my hand on my stomach, remembering the night that I had tried to end my existence. There was no mark, no scar, no reminder of what had happened. Just then, the world turned upsisde down. Falling to the ground, I gasped for breath as the world distorted around me. Faster and faster, the world spun, swallowing me up with it.

The moon was high in the sky, glistening with its soft light. As a beam fell upon my face, my cold eyes snapped open. Their icey blue hue betrayed no emotion as I slipped out of bed. There was some purpose in my actions. I knew that much. Almost as if I had done it before, I felt the familiar chill of steel as my hand closed around the hilt of a knife.

A wicked smile marred my calm features. As I lay in the bed once again, listening to the lull of night's requiem, I raised the knife, inset with a sanguine gem and wrapped in silver threads, high above my chest. There was no hesitation. There was only kill. The blade shattered the silence with a sickening squelch as it sank into flesh. Twice more, I raised my blade. Twice more, the blade tasted blood. Until darkness closed in, and I smiled, almost blissfully, certain of my escape.

"Gah!" My eyes shot open. I wiped my forehead, glistening with cold sweat. As my breathing finally slowed down, I closed my eyes again, trying to clear my mind of that terrifying memory. What was I thinking back then? The corners of my mouth twitched as I grimaced, shaking my head. Just forget about it.

After sitting in the grass for who knows how long, just contemplating the fact that I was a human again, I decided to try and figure out what I was going to do with my life. Getting to my feet with a grunt, I took a look around me, and I saw that I was most likely in somebody's backyard. Children's toys were carelessly strewn across the entire field, and the sheer number of playthings astounded me. I saw electric kiddy cars, rocking horses, plastic baseball bats, an assortment of rubber balls, and various kinds of playground equipment, all looking quite new, and all looking quite unused.

I thought to myself: If they can afford to buy their kid this many toys, I'm sure they wouldn't mind letting me stay and rest for a while. I hope. And so, leaving the wasteland of a playground behind, I set out on an epic two-minute quest to find the front door. As I circled around the house, I left myself succumb to a wave of nostalgia. The color scheme was a little bit different than my home, but the general construction, and the location of all the windows and doors were strikingly similar to my own home. But it was not to be, for my house never knew the existence of the word "toy".

There was a relatively high chance that they would simply close the door in my face. After all, I looked like the typical magazine vendor that shamelessly went door-to-door in order to peddle his or her wares. But I heard some vague voices, so I decided to test my luck. I reached to press the doorbell. My hand stopped as it neared the doorbell, falling back down to my side. The light smile I had decided to wear melted off my face.

"There there, don't worry, Mommy will fix it for you!"

I staggered backwards, eyes wide with disbelief. My head swam, and as the taste of bile filled my mouth, I almost threw up right there, on the front steps.

After all, that was my Mom's voice.

Who was this apparent child? Isn't that my Mom's voice? But that's not possible right? This can't possibly be my house. There's no way. There's just absolutely no way. Yeah. There's no way.

I quelled the rising tide of emotion within me and pressed the doorbell. My jaw dropped slightly as the door opened. A woman with mousy brown hair, laced with grey streaks, was standing before me. There was no way I could lie to myself anymore. Beyond any doubt in my mind, standing there was my mother. She was cradling a small child in her hands, gently rocking the child back and forth.

My fists clenched involuntarily as I took in the child's features. Raven black hair, blue eyes like the vast ocean.

My mother was cradling him in her arms and kissing his forehead as she looked up.

"How may I help y-"

Watching her face as she looked at me was almost heartbreaking. Although her face had been graced with a warm smile as she crooned to her child, her smile evaporated as she raised her gaze to look at me. After a moment of silence, her eyes widened and she slammed the door in my face.

"S-stay away!!" she screamed, almost hysterically. Time slowed down as I saw the tears on her cheeks.

Standing there, I felt something like anger in my thoughts.

She had never cared about me when I was alive, so why was she crying about me after I've died? Is she sad about the loss of her beloved money maker? Why should she? Obviously their new heir is much more praise-worthy than I ever was, considering all the ways they were clearly flattering him. So why was she crying? How dare she cry now, when it couldn't change anything? When it was...when it was already too late?

I hadn't gone very far into my rather spiteful monologue when the door opened again. This time, it was my Father. He too, gave a start when he saw me, but he just smiled sadly.

"I apologize for my wife's behavior earlier. I see now why she was so distraught. Your appearance certainly matches that of our late son, and you must have reminded her of the sadness that we felt after his death. But what was it that you needed?" He spoke calmly, but his voice quivered at times, and watching him, I felt anger and sadness clash once again.

"I am sorry, I did not realize that I would open up your family's old wounds by coming. I simply needed some place to stay for the time being, as I lost my home recently." It was natural, really. I was used to talking to my father in a business-like manner. It was the way of our family, or was at least. Now, it seemed that my parents had degraded into emotional saps who were intent on completely spoiling their new child. I clenched my teeth as another wave of frustration rolled over me.

My father said nothing for quite some time. He stood there, watching me, just looking at my face. The sad smile never left his features. I bit my tongue to stop another resurgence of hatred. It was getting hard to control. When I breathed, my shoulders heaved more than usual. I could feel my eyes moistening. It was a bittersweet feeling. In all honesty, what should I be feeling? Here I was, finally back from the grave and back at my home. Yet, my own family refused to believe that I had returned. I had returned home, but I had returned as a stranger, with a doppelganger in my place.

He signalled for me to wait a moment as he went back inside the house. The sounds of screaming, accompanied by frustrated yelling, sent alternating pangs of pain and grief through my heart. I jumped as the door opened again. My father appeared in the doorway, seemingly a few years older suddenly.

"I have carefully discussed the matter with my wife, as you may have heard. There is no problem with you staying with us, but the guest room is currently occupied. Would you be alright if you had to stay in a room which was- ah, previously occupied?" The slight pause in his speech told me exactly which room he meant. I almost laughed. As fate would have it, I would be staying in my own room again.

"Thank you so much sir! I do not know how to thank you, you do not know how many times I have been turned down!" I didn't need to fake a smile. I was home at last.

After being shown to my room, I was largely left to my own devices, save for an occasional inquiry as to whether I needed any assistance in settling down. It felt like I was returning to an old hometown, seeing my room after what had seemed like a lifetime had passed. I opened up my closet, and sure enough, all of my clothes were there, completely untouched. The only thing that had changed were the bed sheets. Bloody blankets were just too morbid to fit into any home decor plan. But in all seriousness, the room clearly had not been touched for at least a couple years. A fine layer of dust coated everything, from the blankets to my clothes. I was glad that I didn't have asthma, or I would have been indirectly murdered the moment that I walked into the room.

I walked over to my nightstand and fondly dusted off my gold-plated alarm clock. It had kept me on time and away from the scoldings of my parents on many mornings. But it couldn't compare with being woken up by a real, living, breathing person with a personality. Even if that personality was a rather rude and obnoxious one. I let out a long, slow breath. The grass is always greener on the other side, I suppose. Gazing out my window, I took in the rather lonely view that had not changed at all, much like the rest of my room. I saw the familiar row of mansions belonging to my fellow aristocrats.

I had been acquaintances with the daughter of the guy living in the old looking mansion across the street, when I was still around. She always seemed to have time for me, but I was too busy to answer her most of the time. Suddenly, my heart began to beat faster. The world distorted around me as I blindly reached out to try and steady myself. Everything turned white as the sensation of falling faded away.

I happily strolled across the street, laughing as the warm sun caressed my face. Why shouldn't I be happy? I was on my way to see her again. It had been a busy month, and my father had arranged seeming endless piles of additional work for me to do and books to read, so that I could become a worthy successor of the family name. I really wished I could have visited her again sooner, but my schedule could not allow for it. I put my hand in my pocket, grinning as my fingers closed around a piece of paper. I decided to bring her a present to try and make up for all the lost time. I had drawn a picture of us together, running in a grassy field. We were smiling, together, without a worry in the world.

I knocked on the door, giggling with anticipation. I couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she looked at the picture. She would probably say something like "Wh-wh-wha-" as she blushed. Seeing no one come to the door, I was a bit stymied, but not defeated. I rang the doorbell. After a moment, a woman I presumed to be her mother came to the door. I was puzzled. Was she not at home? Her mother had the same blonde hair, but the mother's hair was streaked with white, rather than the dirty blonde that she had. I could tell that she was distraught. The light trembling of her shoulders, the downcast look in her eyes told me that she was under stress.

"I apologize, but our family is currently going through some difficult times. Would it be alright if you came back at a later time?" She spoke with a confidence and strength of voice that surprised me. I couldn't sense the slighest quiver in her voice, despite the fact that she was clearly unhappy about something. My curiosity got the better of me, and even though it was a rather insensitive thing to do, I had to know. A hard lump had formed in my stomach.

"My daughter..." she began calmly but quickly broke down as her calm mask shattered. "My daughter killed herself last night!"

The world around me disintegrated into blackness. I was alone. Alone in the world. I had lost my only companion. My mind nearly shattered as somewhere, in the back of my mind, I heard the sinister truth. I killed her. If I had come a day earlier, if I had put more effort into my schoolwork. If I had been able to finish my work a bit earlier, if I could have seen her one last time, this wouldn't have happened. It was all my fault. I was a murderer. I had promised her I would be there for her, but I had left her to rot in that prison she was obligated to call her home. The floor below me collapsed as I fell into the blackness of the void.

I took a heaving breath as I was jolted back into reality. The sun's warm light was still illuminating the room. I picked myself up from the ground, wiping the tears from my eyes. I slammed my fist down on my nightstand. These memories were really becoming a nuisance. I already told myself, just forget it! Whatever happened was in the past. I'm here now, so what does it matter if she died? But deep inside, I knew that I was just lying to myself. I couldn't forget. I couldn't forgive myself for what I had done.

Forcing myself back to reality, I decided to take a tour of the house to take my mind off of her. There were four bedrooms on the second floor. The massive master bedroom belonged to the head honchos. My bedroom was all the way on the other side of the house, in an entirely separate wing. Although having an entire wing of a house to myself was maybe exciting at first, it soon became lonely and isolating. No one answered my crying at night when I was terrorized by nightmares. When I had to go to the bathroom at night, I had to endure a rather long trek down the hallway, illuminated only by moonlight coming in from the windows. As a child, I sometimes decided to wet my bed rather than brave the "hallway of doom". Of course, I soon learned that the consequences of making such a decision were far worse than walking down a scary hallway.

The guest room was across the hall and slightly to the left of my room. I used to think there was a monster in there, since my parents always kept the door locked, but to my disappointment, I found only a simple bed and desk with a fancy chair. My father's earlier statement had caught my attention though. He had said that there was a guest staying at the house. My family very rarely had guests, unless it was some obscure family member I had never heard of but was expected to know. I wondered who it was this time. Was it my fifth cousin Johann Richybags? Was it my grand step-aunt twice removed Gertrude Fancypants? I chuckled as I remembered the childhood nicknames I had given them.

Johann had given me wallet sewn out of hundred dollar bills, filled with dollar bills for my birthday. It had been put in a box wrapped in hundred dollar bills. At the time, I couldn't understand how you could have enough money that you could just waste it like that. And Auntie Gertrude? Every time she visited us, she was wearing ridiculously flamboyant and super baggy pants. They were completely and utterly eye burning, but she clearly thought they were fashionable. And my mother made me compliment her on her fashion every time.

It never crossed my mind that I was supposed to be dead, that I was no longer obligated to greet my eccentric relatives, so I didn't hesitate in opening the door and sticking my head in the room to say hi, like I had been conditioned to do. To my surprise, I didn't see anyone in the room. The desk and chair had clearly never been sat in, so stepping into the room, I turned towards the bed. "Mysterious somebody"'s body was wrapped in blankets, so I couldn't really tell who they were. I wondered who it was. I didn't recall any late risers in my family. I heard a light knock on the door, and I saw my father outside the room. When I opened my mouth, I almost called him "father" before realizing that I wasn't their son anymore. I wasn't proud to be their son when I was alive, but now, I felt out of place as an outsider to my family.

He gave me a brief explanation of the guest situation. "We found her outside in the forest while we were taking a walk. The strange thing is, she didn't have any clothes on when we found her. We think she may have been the victim of human trafficking or something similar. She's been asleep for a day now, so if she doesn't wake up by tomorrow, we're going to take her to a doctor." His eyes showed legitimate concern and worry. I felt a pang of envy, although I was disgusted with myself for feeling it. Who was this girl, that she could inspire my father to such compassion, when I, his son, could not?

I walked over to the bed, and pulled back the blankets just a little. I was curious as to what kind of girl she was. When I peeled back the blankets to reveal the head, I nearly fell over. I almost lost consciousness, and my legs collapsed under me. I regained enough sense to catch myself with my arms, but I felt as if I had been struck by lightning.

The girl's face seemed to radiate with confidence, even when she was sleeping. But her most defining feature was her hair. It was unkempt and flowing. It captured the essence the rainbow, metaphorically and literally. She wasn't the kind of person that was pretty because they used makeup, she had an aura of natural beauty. But that's not what got me. As I looked at her face, her confident smile, the way that she seemed to say "I don't care" without even opening her mouth, annoyed me in a way that only one Pegasus could.

No way.

Rainbow Dash?

Author's Note

Feedback please! I would appreciate constructive criticsm rather than pure compliments, as "wow thiz si awesomesauces!" doesn't really help me improve my writing. Thanks in advance!

Chapter 2: Trust Me, I'm Rich

I don't suppose that girls with rainbow hair are common nowadays? I wasn't exactly sure what to think. I did miss out on a couple years, so maybe some weird fashion trend evolved while I was gone? Maybe when I stepped outside again, I would see scads and scads of scantily clad lunatics sporting multi-colored wigs. It was a horrifying thought, and I ceased to dwell upon it before my mind fizzled out. I sighed and looked at my father with questioning eyes, requesting an explanation.

"We too were surprised by the coloring of her hair. It is likely dyed, as is the style of this younger generation." said my Father. I still couldn't quite wrap my head around it. My father was not my father anymore. Despite all the tormentations that were the grueling lessons he arranged for me, now, everytime I saw those eyes look at me in that sad light, filled with nothing but emptiness, I felt my fists clench. Now wasn't the time for those kinds of thoughts though. I shook my head and gave myself a few slaps to get back to the issue at hand. There was a girl on the bed, and she had rainbow-colored hair.

It didn't quite seem possible that she could have followed me all this way, and I didn't quite believe that she would have anyways. Since I ended up back on Earth, I guess Celestia was able to change the solar flare into a giant spell that affected everyone. In that case, I would be the only one that would get sent back to Earth. Clever thinking, Princess. But something still lurked in the back of my mind. A shadow of doubt, a hint of disbelief, still existed, but it didn't dare come out into the light.

Anyways, the girl lying on the bed was probably just some hippy who had gotten high in the woods. It was a comforting thought, and it brought a smile to my face, but like my heart, my smile was a cold and empty, never even reaching my eyes before it gave way.

"Well, if she wakes up, you can try and figure out all the details. It's about time for my son's nap time, so I'll be off to settle him into bed!" With a smile and a wave, my father exited the room. I sighed again. Perhaps sighing is my special ability. I seem to do that pretty often, don't I? Having nothing else to do, I examined the girl's face once again. Her rainbow-colored hair captured every color of the visible spectrum. It must have cost a fortune to do that in a hair salon. I wondered how the real Rainbow Dash was doing. I wondered if she was okay, as I felt her pretty close by when the solar flare hit.

It was a bad decision to think about her. I hadn't meant to, but when I thought about Rainbow Dash, I thought about Twilight too. And Applejack. And Fluttershy. And Pinky. And Rarity. Unbidden, my mind flew through the short month we had been together. I had been thrown into a world that was vastly different from my own, and despite some rather unfortunate and self-deprecating mishaps, I was accepted into that world as one of their own, something that never quite happened in my own world. The memories we shared, the moments we spent together, the adventures we struggled through, the pain we endured, the happiness we laughed through, I saw it all again as if it was happening before my eyes. By the time I finished my retrospective requiem, a fine mist had layered over my eyes, which were quickly moistening. Then I remembered the Solstice Ceremony. My head dropped into my hands. I might have destroyed my friends with my own selfishness.

My fist smashed into the wall besides me.

I'm such an idiot.

The quiet rustling of blankets shocked me out of my daze, and I felt my heart skip a beat as I slowly turned towards the bed. My eyes widened with hers as they opened slowly at first, but then with frightening speed as she took in her surroundings. I would have laughed at her comical confusion, but as it was, I got up and prepared to enlighten the brat as to why drugs were bad.

But you know, I couldn't say anything after I saw her eyes. They were tinted with a peculiar shade of pink. I would have called them rosy, but they weren't. They weren't really pure pink, but they definitely weren't red. I couldn't describe them. The words were beyond me. But although I couldn't describe them, I definitely knew whose they were. All I could muster after just standing there for a while was a rather pathetic: "No way."

Yes way. Her head swiveled around as her gaze shot around every corner of the room. She gazed at her bed, and then at herself. I winced as I saw her eyes widen once again. It was a sentiment to which I could relate. As she looked around wildly, her panicked eyes finally settled on me, and I sensed a sort of primal frustration that made me take a few steps back. I probably should have just run away, but I was too enthralled by the turn of events to do anything. I was still in a dazed state when she began screaming. Not much of it registered in my mind, as I was still trying to process the fact that the "hippy who got high in the woods" wasn't quite who I thought she was.

"What the buck did you do to me?" "Where the buck is this? What've you done with my friends? I was thankful the door was closed, for I'm sure that my Father, not to mention the police, would have come running. I wasn't exactly excited at the prospect of having to explain things to an enraged supersonic Pegasus, like why her wings were gone, or why she wasn't blue anymore. In situations like this, there was only one thing to do. I used my secret ability.

Letting out an extremely long, exasperated sigh that was filled with fatigue and frustration, I slumped down into the chair next to the bed.

"Listen. I didn'-" I had hardly begun before she cut me off.

"Listen?? LISTEN?? Give me back my normal body or I swear to Celestia I'll beat the living daylights out of you!"

I waited till she was finished, and began again. "I wasn't the-" Once again, I was abruptly and suddenly cut off.

"Shut the buck up and give me my wings back!" She was writhing on the bed, trying to get a foothold I suppose. She was trying to get up, but her attempts were almost comical.

Sighing again, I said: "Okay, just let me fini-"

"Buck off!

Now I was ticked.

"Give me b-" I couldn't stand her ranting anymore.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN TO ME! This is my house, do you understand? You could be outside in the woods with who knows what, but we took you in to keep you safe. So just listen to me and stop interrupting!" I took a few deep breaths. I had neglected the teachings of Thomas Jefferson, and had spoken without speaking. I felt a pang of remorse as I looked at her downcast expression. Feeling a sense of obligation, I put my hand on her shoulder. When she raised her face to look at me, I locked eyes with her. Trying to lighten the mood, I said: "Trust me. I'm rich." This time, I smiled a smile that reached my eyes.

First off, I decided to convince her of my identity. I had managed to defuse her anger, but now all I felt from her was fear. She had smiled too, at my failure of an attempt at making a joke, but she still didn't trust me. And if she didn't trust me, it would be reasonable to assume that she wouldn't believe anything that I said. But how could I convince her that we were acquaintances?

"Rainbow Dash." I decided to go with the straight out "how could I know you if I didn't know all this stuff about you" approach.

"Who told you my name?" She just gave a dejected reply as she rubbed the spots on her back where her wings used to be. Not good. She wasn't even paying attention. I was gonna have to do better than that if I wanted to convince her.

"I am a human. You are a human. We are all humans. Yay." I decided to stick with basic words. She was stressed as it was, so I tried to make it easy for her.

"Human...he said something about that...if only he were here...he'd know what to do..." She wasn't even listening to me anymore, she was just rocking back and forth, whispering to herself. I had to take drastic action. I walked up to the bed and put my hands on her shoulders. She gave a start and looked at me, terror in her eyes. I winced. Was it that strange? I suppose I was lucky she didn't break a window and run away like I did when I found out I had become a Pegasus. I relaxed my grip on her shoulders. I had to be careful. If I messed up here, things could go downhill very, very quickly. I took a deep breath, and locked eyes with her. Her eyes flickered back and forth, trying to avoid my gaze, but I didn't relent.

"Take a look into my eyes, hotshot." I spoke softly but carried a big metaphorical stick. Her gaze bore into mine as we locked eyes. She was scared at fist, but she found something in my eyes that kept her there.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten me after all those times I made breakfast for you." I raised an eyebrow in an attempt to mimic disbelief.

My eye color had changed, but I was confident that she could recognize me. The eyes are the window to the soul, right? Perhaps there is some truth to that saying, since her eyes discovered a newfound determination as she looked into mine. I was a bit unnerved by the intensity of her stare, but I didn't dare back down. At times like this, it's a battle of wills. Neither of us broke eye contact, and neither of us spoke a word, but the expressions on our faces and the minuscule twitches of our eyes conveyed our messages for us.

I don't know how long we sat there for, locked in mortal staring combat, but something happened then. I don't know what happened, and I suppose I never will. Perhaps my eye twitched at just the right moment. Perhaps I unconsciously made some kind of gesture. But at that moment, Rainbow Dash's eyes widened once more, and she wrapped her arms around me. I suppose there was some kind of mutual understanding then, because the fine mist from times past returned to haunt me. It thickened, and soon my vision was blurred by a deluge of salty tears. I didn't care if she saw me crying. After all, her face was marred by the same sparkling streaks that covered mine.

"I wouldn't mind if you kept making breakfast for me..." She awkwardly buried her head in my chest with a smile.

I would have hugged her back.

If only she had clothes on.

Author's Note

The chapters are getting shorter and shorter. But I'll try harder, I promise!

Chapter 3: Don't Hug Me You're Naked

I felt like I was on fire. And not in the good way. Here I was, an adolescent male, being hugged by a beautiful, naked girl. This is bad. This is really bad. This is really, really bad.

It was time for evasive manuevers. Steeling myself for what was to come, I jabbed my fingers into her sides, effectively causing her to break down in giggles. She released me from her hug as she tried to defend herself.

My plan had been a gamble, but it had paid off. Gasping for breath and scrambling backwards, I hastily made a makeshift blindfold by turning my hoodie around, covering my face with the hood. I was glad it covered my face, for it obscured my crimson features.

"P-put on some clothes already, geez!" I stammered as I engaged my defenses.

"Clothes? CLOTHES? Why would anyone want to wear clothes? They're hot and itchy and stupid and annoying and-"

"Whatever, just, please, put this on, please!" Squeezing my eyes shut, I slid off my hoodie and handed it to her. I heard the rustle of clothes. Then it hit me.

"Uh, wait, do you even know how to put that on?" I mentally slapped myself for my negligence. I had dug myself into a hole with no escape.

"Huh? Of course I do! You just- you just- like this-" Her exasperated grunts as she struggled with the hoodie told me the truth. Why must you do this to me, Rainbow Dash?

"Just let me do it!" I let out an exasperated sigh as I took step after unsteady step towards where I perceived the bed to be. I had been in the room countless times, so even with my eyes closed I was able to manage it relatively easily.

I extended my hands outwards after telling her to give the hoodie to me. She gave an annoyed growl, but I felt it touch one of my hands and I hastily grabbed it, pulling it away. Holding it up, I told her to put an arm in each side. When I was confident that the task was completed, I let go and opened my eyes to admire my handiwork.

She had put it on backwards.

Whatever, good enough.

The hoodie was long enough to cover all the, erm, important parts, so I was completely fine with it being backwards. I saw her trying to get off the bed, so I hastily hooked my arms under hers. As I suspected, as soon as her legs left the bed, they collapsed under her weight. I grunted, now carrying her full weight, which luckily, was not as bad as it could have been.

"Easy now, we humans walk on two legs." I held her up as she experimented with moving her legs independently of her arms. When my arms began trembling with the unexpected exertion, I slowly lowered her down. To my surprise, she was able to stand straight. Holding her arms out to the sides, she wobbled lightly as she lifted one foot and took a step. As her foot touched the ground her wobbling intensified, and I grabbed her shoulders before she could fall. After taking a few deep breaths, She extended the other foot, shifting her wait entirely to her right side. I held out my arms, but she didn't need them. She took another step, and then another. I felt the corners of my mouth turning upwards as I watched her. She really had a knack for this kind of thing.

When she reached the door, she put her hand on the doorknob, but did no more than that. I walked over, and as I approached, she grinned at me sheepishly.

"I definitely know how these work, but just for reference, could you show me once? Just to like confirm it! I already know how!" She held up her hands, wiggling her fingers.

How do I explain the concept of hands? "Well, I guess it's easiest to imagine you're a dragon or something?" I remembered that Spike, although he did not have as many fingers, still had hands at least. I thought it was a pretty good explanation, but Rainbow Dash only looked at me with dead-fish eyes: completely empty of emotion or feeling.

"Gee, thanks. That's sooo helpful." She sarcastically praised my efforts. I crossed my arms, annoyed at her blatant rejection of my carefully crafted explanation. I suppose it was only one sentence. Maybe it would be better if I showed instead of told? I held out my fist.

"Okay, put your right hand on top of mine." I decided that it was best for her to try it for herself. She placed her hand on top of mine.

"Now squeeze." I was going to have to teach her the fundamentals first, so she could at least open doors when needed. "Put your fingers around my fist, and then press down with all your fingers."

Her fingers wavered uncertainly, flicking around my hand. Eventually, she got the hang of it and collapsed her fingers in unsion. As her confidence grew, so did her grip.

"Ow ow ow ow ow! Okay, okay, you can let go now!" I hastily withdrew my hand from her grasp, massaging my crushed fingers.

Rainbow Dash headed over to the door once again, placing her hand on the doorknob. She looked at me questioningly when the door didn't open. Sighing, I placed my hand over hers. After I made sure she was paying attention, I slowly twisted my hand to the left. Her eyes widened as I pulled backwards, opening the door. When I finished my demonstration, she immediately pushed the door shut, so that she could try it herself. After opening and closing the door at least ten times, she was finally content with her mastery of this new skill. Once she mastered gripping, it was an easy task to educate her about the other ways of manipulating objects using hands.

Satisfied that she was at least somewhat adapted to her new environment, I left her to her own devices as I ran back to my own room. Looking through my old clothes, I grabbed a dust covered t-shirt and a pair of jeans. After a moment's hesitation, I grabbed a pair of boxers too. Clothes in hand, I headed back towards the guest room. But as I opened the door, I saw that my hoodie had been thrown on the ground and that she was sitting on the ground, once again naked. My heart skipped a beat, but my frustration quickly overpowered any other thoughts in my mind.

"Rainbow Dash! What are you doing?!" I picked the abandoned hoodie off the ground and draped it over her shoulders. There was no way I could let anyone else see her like this, or she would get sent to a mental hospital. Or worse.

"Hey! Stop that!" She brushed the hoodie off with more than a little annoyance. "What's up with you? Clothes are so annoying!"

Exasperated, I threw my hands up in the air. It was going to take too much effort to explain the intricacies of clothes wearing to her, so I decided to stick with the basics.

"Listen up, RD. You can't just walk around naked in this world! This isn't Equestria! Here, if you just take off all your clothes in front of someone, it means you want to do them, okay? I know that that's not what you mean, and that you just don't like wearing clothes because it's not a habit in Equestria, but you have to wear them, or bad things are going to happen when people misunderstand!" Taking a deep breath after my long-winded speech, I was happy to see that her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly open.

"Being naked in front of someone...means you want to do them?" She looked flabbergasted.

I sighed. "I know, I know. Not wearing clothes is all fine and dandy in Equestria, but it's a whole different story here. Whatever, now that you know, put these on. I got some clothes for you. They might not fit, but we can go and buy some better ones later." Honestly, I was just relieved that she finally seemed to grasp the idea that being naked was bad.

I turned around after she pulled on the clothes that I had given her. Of course, explaining the point of wearing boxers was another arduous task, but she seemed to understand after she put on the jeans without them. She had her arms crossed and was glaring at me. I am sorry for your loss Rainbow Dash, but this is the only way. It's best for all of us if you learn the harsh realities of this world early on. But to my surprise, she didn't complain about what I thought she was going to complain about.

"You know I wasn't trying to say that I wanted to do you right?" She turned her face away, giving me an occasional glance.

"Wha- of course!" The question had caught me off guard, and I wasn't exactly sure how to respond. I guess she was feeling a bit self-conscious now, after realizing what her earlier behavior may have implied if she was a normal girl.

"Hmph. Fine." She let out a breath of relief. I felt a bit wounded. She was that glad? Ha. Whatever, it's not like I cared anyways.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, pondering. What else is there...what else does she need to know... I stood up with a start. "Oh right, I almost forgot, remember this, RD. Whatever you do, don't talk to strangers!"

She gave me an irritated snort. "And why is that?"

I made my best serious face. "Because there are bad people in this world who like to steal young and pretty girls for their own devious purposes."

Rainbow Dash was unfazed. "Let them try. I'll trash them."

I put my hands on my hips. "That's what they all say, until they wake up in the trunk of a car!"

She glared at me again. "Trunk? Car? Is that some kind of tree?"

I had forgotten how primitive the technology in Equestria was. "Okay, just think of it this way. Bad people are like dragons. They want to collect gems, right? So think of yourself as a gem. Dragons want you. It's all fine and dandy to say that you'll mess up any dragon that tries to steal you, but can you really?"

Rainbow Dash was silent for a long time after that. Finally, she shrugged her shoulders in resignation. "I mean, of course I could probably beat up anypony if I tried, but since you're so concerned, I'll just avoid talking to any strangers. Happy?"

There was still suspiscion left in my mind, but I let her have her way. After basic etiquette training, I took her on a tour around the house. Whenever there was something that she didn't understand, one word explained it. Magic. I couldn't be bothered to explain all the scientific concepts behind toilets and cars to her, so I just told her that it was all powered by some kind of ancient and powerful magic that only existed in this world. I don't think she really cared either way, she was just amazed that water came out of seemingly nowhere.

After I took her outside to take a tour of the premises, I let her try and open the door to get back inside.

"Just remember what I told you earlier." I gave her some words of encouragement.

"Like a dragon, huh?" She smiled sadly. She looked backwards, feeling her shoulderblades.

"I wish I was a real dragon...then I'd have my wings back..."

Chapter 4: Who Says Girls Can't Hate Shopping Too?

Girls love shopping right? It's the bane of man, but the heaven of woman. Or so I've heard. In the end, I'm just an emotionless aristocrat. I had no idea how to comfort Rainbow Dash over the loss of her wings. I know how it feels to take to the skies. Wings gave me the freedom that I yearned for in my human life. Soaring through the sky, unbound from gravity, it's like meeting a first love. The first time you take to the skies will always have a special spot in your heart. For me, it had been a fleeting dream, and now I was back on the ground. But that dream had been brutally ripped away from Rainbow Dash. A dream she had lived through her entire life.

I wanted to make her feel better. It was my fault that she was here. My selfish request had plucked her out of her world and dropped her in an entirely different dimension. How could I do that to someone, when I too knew how out of place one felt away from home? There was so much more inside me than simple chivalry or pride. This was a matter of personal honor. She had given the sky to me, and yet I heartlessly stole that very sky from her. And now I had to make things right.

But I could think of no words to comfort her. I could think of nothing that could replace her dream. Flying, to her, was probably an irreplacable joy. She was the fastest flyer in Ponyville, and maybe all of Equestria, after all. What exploits could she brag about now? How could she awe others with her legendary Sonic Rainboom now? There had to be something I could do, right?

And so, being the stupid idiot that I am, I decided to take her shopping. The mall was a ten minute walk from my home, but it took quite a while longer since I had never been there. I made Rainbow Dash put on her hood for the first few blocks, but I soon realized that we were being followed by a police car, hanging back, but watching our every movement. I hastily took off her hood, spinning her around to face the police car. I smiled and waved, and told Rainbow Dash to do the same. After that, I made sure that we looked less shady whenever we were out and about.

But it seemed that I had traded one trouble for another, since as soon as I took off her head, I realized that we were now attracting the attention of every single other person. As I sped up my walking speed, I could still feel their eyes following Rainbow Dash. For some reason, I suddenly felt very irritated. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, was loving the attention. She took big, flashy steps that made her hair swing back and forth. Scowling, I dragged her along.

My jaw dropped as the shopping center came into focus. Massive buildings towered over a central plaza were hundreds of people were walking around, sitting on benches, and playing in the fountain. I had never seen so many people in one place before, and neither had Dash, probably. I felt beads of sweat begin forming on my brow. I hated this place already. Rainbow Dash was eyeing the other people in the plaza suspisciously, walking in a sneaking fashion. I quickly herded her towards the clothing department to avoid the stares of the other people.

"Do they not have anything...cooler looking than this?" Rainbow Dash examined a pink dress with disgust. I sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. We had made our way through about half of the entire clothing store, but she hadn't found a single thing that she liked. After all, the only things that they had for girls were dresses and the like. She wasn't the only one that was disgusted. I wanted to go home too. Here I was, surrounded by females, all of them glaring at me. Was it wrong for me to be accompanying a girl? Or were they simply infuriated because I was intruding upon their sacred sanctuary? Either way, their stares bore into me even- no, especially when I had my back turned.

I was seriously about to give up hope. Even the store assistants were getting fed up with Rainbow Dash's foul mouth and her fashion sense. She refused to wear anything that looked remotely "uncool", which, translated into English, meant that anything even slightly girly. Completely worn-out and exhausted from placing everything that she threw on the ground back on its proper shelf, I turned around to ask Rainbow Dash whether she wanted to try another store. But she wasn't listening. Her eyes were staring at something in the distance. When I waved my hand in front of her face, she pushed it out of the way.

"Earth to Rainbow Dash. Earth to Rainbow Dash. Do you copy?" I spoke directly into her ear, earning me an annoyed scowl. Curious as to what had caught her attention, I looked in the direction she had been looking. No wonder. Right next to the clothing department was a sporting goods store. It was filled with all kinds of fitness apparel, designed for function rather than fashion. And Dash loved it. I, on the other hand, was dismayed. Sporting goods stores tend to be insanely expensive compared to normal clothes. I only had some meager allowance given to me buy my generous benefactors: my previous parents. Dreading what was to come, I let myself be dragged by Rainbow Dash over to that black hole of time and money.

"This. Is. Just. So. AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash walked around the store, squealing with excitement. I grimaced. Grin and bear it. You brought this upon yourself. You gotta deal with her until you fix her wings. Even so, grinning and bearing it wasn't going to make more money come out of thin air.

"Um, listen, Dash, I've only got so much money, so-" I wasn't sure how to tell her about my economic deficiencies.

"Isn't this shirt just....just....so...COOL?!" She shoved a sky-blue t-shirt in my face. It was made out of a permeable fabric, and had a yellow lightning bolt running down the middle. Price tag? $29.99.

Stores really are evil. They try all kinds of tricks and traps to get you to buy more stuff. When you see something as $29.99 rather than $30.00, if you really want it, you're gonna think of it as $20.00 rather than $30.00. It's an evil psychological trick that plays on the wishes of the human mind. And that's not even including tax. But that's for the government, so it's not exactly the store's fault.

"Alright, so, I only have enough money, to, um, buy you maybe a couple shirts and pants, I really don't have that much-"

"Okay whatever, here, hold this!" She tossed the shirt at me. "What do you think of this? Super awesome, right?" This time, she held up a pair of white shorts. They were meshed on the outside, with a rainbow stripe on each leg.

"Um, sure, it's really cool, but w-" My speech faltered as my gaze landed on something that flipped a switch in my mind. It hit me like a speeding bullet train. That was a terrible simile, I'm sorry. It hit me like a cold shower. I wanted to rip my face off and just die right there. Except I had already died once. I had just realized something that sent shudders of dread through my entire body. The whining of a light buzzing in my head amplified my disgust.

Underwear.

"Say, Dash..." I cursed the evil being that had shoved me into this situation. Then I realized that "that evil being" was me. Putting on my best poker face, I tried to betray no emotion as I discussed a rather delicate subject with her. "So besides those, I think we're going to, well, need to buy some, um, well, underwear..." My voice faded out towards the end, nearly whispering the word.

"Say wha?" Rainbow Dash stuck her ear in my face.

"Um, well, I think we're going to need to buy some, um, underwear..." I dramatically lowered the volume of my voice as I said the last word.

"Speak up will ya! I can't hear you if you keep mumbling like that." Rainbow Dash crossed her arms.

"I think that-"

"Still can't hear you!"

"I think-"

"Louder!"

"I-"

"Loude-"

"WE NEED UNDERWEAR!" I was almost screaming. My face burned. Everyone else in the store was staring at me with amused smiles. I wished there was some hole in the ground I could crawl into. At least Rainbow Dash heard me this time.

"You didn't have to yell, you know." Smirking, Rainbow Dash cocked her head to the side. "And anyways, what's underwear?"

I dropped to my knees. I give up. Letting myself fall to the floor, I let out a moan. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...

"You okay?" Rainbow Dash prodded me with her foot, clearly completely unconcerned.

"No." I grumbled as I picked myself up from the ground. Taking a deep breath, I took a step towards the intimate apparel section. My foot froze. Relax. One step at a time. One foot in front of the other. There you go. Now you've got it. One step after another. Just keep walking. And before I knew it, I was standing face-to-face with a sports bra. Or should I say...face-to-rack? As Rainbow Dash walked over, something seemed to click for her.

"Ohhhhh! I get it! This is for holding these things up when I walk and stuff, right?" She excitedly grabbed her chest with her hands.

Yes. Those things.

I tackled her, moving her arms away from that lewd position. Between breaths, I told her in my most serious voice: "Don't...you...ever...do...that...again."

She looked at me with questioning eyes.

"Ah, erm, well let's just lump that under the same category as being naked, shall we?" I chuckled nervously, hastily scrambling to my feet as people began to look our way. Rainbow Dash glanced at her chest one last time with a suspicious glare before relenting and getting to her feet.

And at the end of the day, what became of our ill-fated shopping endeavor? Well, after exhausting all of my funds, we ended up with: One SportTek Dri-Fit T-Shirt, One Pair of Badidas CoolMesh DuraFit Double-Sided Running Shorts, and well, a couple sports bras and underwear. I won't go into the details of those. At least Rainbow Dash seemed pretty happy about it. I let her keep my hoodie. It was getting a bit chilly out. Not quite Fall yet, but not full-out Summer either. She seemed to like it anyways.

At first, I thought I had solved the problem. She had been smiling and laughing as she picked out the clothes, and she had been extraordinarily energetic all throughout the walk back, but soon, her head began to droop. The spring in her step faded away. Her shoulders dropped slightly, and her eyes became distant once again. She would occasionally give a glance backwards. Her eyes reflected the golden glow of the setting sun. The way that her eyes caught the light almost made it seem like there were tears in her eyes. But that was impossible, right?

I didn't have the heart to teach her something so mundane as brushing her teeth, so I sent her directly to bed. As she trudged off to the guest room, I threw myself onto my own bed. My eyebrows furrowed as I scowled at my reflection in the window. Here I was, savior of Equestria, and yet I couldn't even do something as simple as making a girl happy.

My eyelids gradually became heavier, until I had no choice but to close my eyes. But I couldn't stop thinking about Rainbow Dash. I could only think one thing as I drifted off to dreamland. There has to be something I can do.

I blindly stumbled through a maze of green walls. Tripping on a root, I smashed into the ground. Coughing, I scrambled to my feet and continued running. As my hand brushed against one of the green walls, I realized that I was in some kind of hedge maze. But I couldn't stop running. Why was I running? I didn't know, but I couldn't stop. There was a feeling of dread in my mind, still fresh from some recent event. What was it? I couldn't remember. But I had to run. But no matter how far I ran, it seemed that I always ended up in the same place. I felt as if the hedge maze was a sentient creature, observing my every moment. It seemed to expand and contract as if breathing.

I felt a cold wind brush against my face. Thump. The wind became warm. The air began to smell of something sickeningly sweet. Thump. The ground shook. Thump. Thump. Those weren't my footsteps. Thump. Thump. Thump. I had to run. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. I couldn't run from it. Thump thump. Thump thump. I opened my mouth to scream, but no words came out. Thump thump thump thump thump thump thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump. My foot caught on something in the ground and I fell to the ground. I squeezed my eyes shut, mouth still screaming in silent terror. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Thump. Thump. I gasped, sitting straight up. Thump. Thump. My shoulders shook slightly as I returned to reality. Thump. Thump. My heart still beat with an unnatural intensity. Suddenly frustrated beyond belief, I punched my bed. Why were these memories coming back to me now? I should have left my old life behind. Even those terrifying memories of Equestria. I should have left everything behind. And yet Rainbow Dash was proof that some remnants had still managed to cling to me. I just wanted to destroy everything and start over. And yet it seemed that my every attempt was doomed to failure. I just wanted to live without rules and obligations, to be free from the chains of neccesity. And yet my very life seemed to deny me this freedom.

I couldn't fall asleep after a dream like that. Every time I closed my eyes, the terrifying maze came back to me. It surrounded me in my dream world, suffocating me as it slowly constricted. Shaking my head, I snapped my eyes open and slid out of bed. I opened my door slowly, and as silently as possible. Slipping out into the hallway, I smiled as I gazed down the hallway which had inspired so much fear when I was a child. Now, the silver beams of moonlight stealing in from the window gave me comfort. I looked out one of the windows that adorned the hallway. My eyes roamed across the street, staring at the row of impressively large houses belonging to my well-to-do neighbors.

And beyond those houses, beyond the limits of aristocracy, there was a vast field of grass, seemingly endless in any direction. I had once dreamed of going there, freed from my bonds. I had once dreamed of being free, of being unbound from the rules which had governed my entire life. In my daydreams, I imagined I flew across the field, running on my own two legs. My eyes widened as the corners of my mouth twitched. Soon, a massive smile had plastered itself on my face. I had my answer. There was something I could do.

I would teach Rainbow Dash to run.

Chapter 5: Run, Rainbow, Run!

"Wake up already, you slowpoke!"

It was way too early in the morning for this. For the p- Wait a minute...

"Woah woah woah woah woah. Woah. What exactly are you doing in my room?" I ripped my blankets off as I leaped to the ground. Rainbow Dash was dressed in her new clothes, standing next to my bed with her arms crossed.

"You're pathetic. Even in another world, you still need me to wake you up in the morning." She was clearly annoyed.

"Well, I was going to take you to do something interesting today, but if you're gonna call me pathetic..." I couldn't help myself. I grinned as I saw her eyes widen.

"W-well, I as just joking, you know? You knew that, right?" She chuckled nervously as she clasped and unclasped her hands.

"Whatever, let's go grab some breakfast, shall we?" Content that she was sufficiently remorseful, I led her downstairs, tip-toeing down the stairs. The sun had just risen, and the rest of the house was still asleep.

I popped open the refrigerator, taking out a gallon jug of milk and some eggs. Opening a familiar cabinet, I grabbed a sack of pancake mix and a bowl. Stirring it all together, I poured the mixture into a frying pan. Pretty soon, the smell of sizzling batter began to spread throughout the kitchen.

"Hurry up, will ya? I'm starving here!" Rainbow Dash whined as I heard a tell-tale growling.

"Sure, sure, if you want to eat raw pancakes, go for it. Just be patient for a sec!" I retorted back as I flipped the pancake.

I made enough batter for ten pancakes, five for each of us. Unfortunately, real life doesn't really go right down the middle. By the time I finished my third pancake, Dash had already finished hers and was reaching for mine. There wasn't much I could do to stop her from usurping my breakfast. She needed the energy anyways. I felt my stomach twist into a knot. What if she doesn't want to do it? What if she hates running after all? It's no replacement for flying, I know, but it's the best I can do.

Equipped with a few bottles of water, we set out into the streets of aristocracy and beyond. There was no sidewalk to reach the grassy field, so we had to stealthily sneak past a few people's yards. We dodged and rolled to stay out of sight. My neighbors did not care for ratty teenagers leaving footprints all over their freshly mowed lawns. To my surprise, Rainbow Dash was able to keep pace with me as I scrambled across a particularly open stretch of land.

"Are we there yet?" Rainbow Dash groaned.

"Well, yes, actually." I replied, waiting for her response. I forced my mouth into a vague smile, attempting to look confident.

She looked around, staring at the open field. She slowly turned her head to face me with flat and emotionless eyes.

"Are you sure?" She sounded slightly disappointed, but it was mixed with a bit of cynicism and just pure spite.

I sighed. She was going to be one tough nut to crack. Taking a deep breath, I touched my knees to the ground, bending my back forwards and pushing my arms backwards.

"Get on my back."

"What the- " Rainbow Dash staggered backwards a few steps as she goggled at me with wide open eyes.

"I know, I know! Just do it, okay? I just want to show you something." I squeezed my eyes shut, cringing from embarrassment. I wished I could just give up this humiliating charade, I really did. To prostrate myself before the one you hate, to show to her such a state of weakness was something that I couldn't bear to do. Extending my legs, I tried to push myself up again, but the addition of an unexpected amount of weight crushed my attempts.

"Oof!" My legs folded under me as a rainbow-colored parasite jumped onto my back. I lurched to my feet after mustering my strength, turning my head to glare at her. Her face was stretched into a leering smirk, which widened into an absolutely detestable smile of satisfaction as she observed my frustrated expression. How someone like her could possibly have friends was beyond me. How could anyone put up with her for more than ten minutes? It seemed an impossible feat at best.

I crouched slightly as I tensed the muscles in my legs. After taking a few deep breaths, I started with a light jog. Each step caused a jarring impact that sent pins and needles up my knees, but I couldn't stop. I kept jogging, gradually picking up my pace. As my legs pumped faster and faster, my strides gradually became quicker and quicker. The wind pushed my hair back, tickling my face. It was strange, the air tasted almost sweet as I opened my mouth to inhale.

There was a small hill up ahead, one of the rolling mounds that gave shape to the otherwise empty plain. I glanced back at Rainbow Dash with a wolfish grin, eyes glinting with excitement. Now it was time for the fun part. Every stride became an individual effort instead of components of a process. Instead of thinking in strides, I thought of each part of each step. As my right foot collided with the soft blanket of untrimmed grass, my left was already flying through the air, sending small clouds of dirt and debris into the space behind me. Left, right. Left, right. As I began traversing the familiar incline of the hill, I allowed my momentum to carry me forwards, propelling me up the mild slope. I reached the top of the hill with a final bound.

My anticipation was broken by the sensation of something sliding off of my back. My arms fell down to my sides as a weight dropped off from my back. I felt as if I had been freed from some kind of invisible chain, but I whirled around, panic in my eyes. To my sincere relief and annoyance, Rainbow Dash was perfectly fine.

The dull, listless look in her eyes from earlier was completely gone. She was jumping from side to side, eyes bright with anticipation.

"Race ya, slowpoke!" Without waiting for a reply, she began to dash down the hill, true to her namesake.

"H-hey, wait! Are you sure th-" She didn't even bother to respond to my concerned calls. "Fine! Be that way!" I guess in the end, I was looking forward to a chance to test my mettle against her's. She had been way out of my league, but now, this was my turf. I would show her that now she was the one out of her league.

As my left foot struck the first part of the downward slope, a thrill ran through my mind. I couldn't slow down. I couldn't even maintain a steady pace. With each step, I became faster. The faster I became, the faster I had to be. The burning in my lungs was replaced by a sense of euphoric bliss. My aching muscles stopped complaining as I broke boundaries I had never broken before.

By now, the wind had ceased to whisper, and was now roaring into my ears as it whipped past me. I was forced to squint my eyes as the world began to blur around me. Grass was a light green blur. Trees were a brown blur. Flowers were red, pink, and yellow blurs. Everything was but a blur of color, and yet I could tell what each blur represented.

Pumping my arms in unison with my legs in perfect synchronization, I quickly closed in on Rainbow Dash. As I approached her from the side, she must have seen me from her peripheral vision. Letting out a defiant growl, she suddenly increased her pace. My eyes widened. She could run that fast? She had only learned to walk a day or so ago, and yet now you couldn't distinguish her from any professional athlete. But I'll beat her. Renewing my determination, I doubled my efforts as well, ignoring the increasingly loud messages that my muscles were sending to my brain.

My eyes were narrowed to thin slits, and my breathing came in ragged gasps. I didn't care about my running form anymore. I didn't have the energy to. All of my willpower was focused on simply catching up to the blue blur in front of me. And yet, the distance never seemed to close. Rather, it felt like I was slowly slipping away, being left behind in the dust. A feeling of bitter frustration erupted in me, causing me to involuntarily let out a feral growl. How could she be beating me? How? It was impossible. It was completely, utterly impossible. But it was happening before my eyes.

But I didn't stop. I couldn't admit defeat by slowing my pace. The pulsing of blood in my veins escalated to a brutal pounding. How long could I maintain this pace? According to my body, I was already beyond my limits. My bones creaked as impact after impact jarred my body. My muscles were screaming, screaming for rest, screaming for relief, screaming for oxygen in unison with my lungs. But I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. That was the only thought left in my mind. Don't stop.

And I didn't stop until my foot landed in a indentation in the ground, propelling me into the ground. I threw my hands in front of my face on instinct, but the ground still hit me hard.

I was alone in a cavernous building. My body felt as if it had been slapped all over. Groaning, I rolled onto my hooves. Pushing myself upright, I looked around and saw that I was in some kind of ceremonial chamber. I was lying in the middle of six small pillars, each housing some shadowy form. There was a small hole in the ground in the middle, near where I was laying. It was the perfect size for a hoof. I suddenly realized that I was not in control of my own body. I was like a separate entity, only able to view my actions. I watched as I pushed my hoof in, curious as to the function of the hole. A feeling of cold dread twisted my stomach into a knot.

Don't do it.

Don't do it, you idiot.

DON'T DO IT!

But I did do it. I pushed my hoof into the hole, only to find it stuck there. I could not retract it from the hole, as some thing had slid into place, holding my arm in position. My eyes widened as a wordless scream ripped itself from my mouth. Knives. It felt as if millions of knives were slowly working their way into my arm, cutting into the muscles and tendons. Needles. It felt as if my arm were being punctured simultaneously by millions of needles, perforating my arm in every possible direction. Boulders. It felt as if my arm were being crushed by an unstoppable force, grinding my bones into a fine dust. Again, I tried to scream. Again, nothing but silence escaped my mouth.

A sanguine light illuminated the hole, momentarily distracting me from my agony. The light was dark red, the color of my blood. At that moment, something entered my mind. Something dark, looming, ancient, and terrible forced itself into the midst of my thoughts. A new consciousness whispered to me, slowly dominating my thoughts and feelings. My eyes widened as my body began to obey its new master.

I tried one last time, but again, it was but a silent scream.

"Hey hey, knucklehead, do you have any idea what time it is?"

The sound of a familiar voice ripped my back to reality. This time, I was able to scream.

"Wow, am I really that scary? How do you ever survive Nightmare Night?"

I felt a single finger jab into my cheek, repeatedly poking me.

"If you don't hurry, I'm just gonna leave you here."

I slowed my breathing as some semblance of sanity returned. It was nice, hearing a familiar voice. I could just lay here forever, lulling myself to sleep to the sound of that voice.

Wait.

What was that?

That voice?

That's disgusting.

I bolted upright, springing to my feet in one swift motion. I cringed, grabbing my hamstrings as my muscles complained of their recent mistreatment.

"Sure took your sweet time, didn't you?" Rainbow Dash got to her feet with a practiced ease that spawned another wave of jealousy. How in the world was she so fit? She wasn't even supposed to be a human!

"Ha! I was just giving us some recovery time after, so we could relax a little while!" was what I wanted to say, but all I could manage was a weak smile.

"Anyways, let's go run again tomorrow!" Rainbow Dash beamed, punching my shoulder. "But you're gonna have to step it up, 'cause that was really pathetic. I mean, come on! You're supposed to be the big shot around here, right?"

"Huh...yeah...I guess..." My eyes drooped as I took the first step back towards my home. "Hey...let's go...ba-" I felt someone catch me with a frustrated sigh as I crumpled from exhaustion.

This sucks. But at least Rainbow Dash is happy. I could pride myself on that much, at least.

Chapter 6: The Sun Shines Bright But The Rain Pours On

Like a poorly made movie, the world faded in and out. Color turned to black and then to color again as I struggled to keep my eyes open. Every attempt was a herculean effort, for it felt as if my eyelids were magnets, pulling each other together with an impossibly strong attraction. Perhaps I had turned into a lump of metal. I certainly felt like a useless piece of trash. My muscles screamed with pain with the slightest movement, and the air scratched my dry lungs.

What's happening...

Meh...thinking is such a pain...

So much work...

And I'm just so tired...

My consciousness slipped every now and then, but I was soon jarred back into wakefulness by the rhythmic steps of my mount. How shameful. I was being carried about like some pathetic princess, and by a girl no less. Oh well. I could care less. What a drag.

I was still only vaguely aware of my surroundings when I was enveloped in the warm embraces of my bed. As sleep finally overtook me, I could only sigh wearily, content to do nothing but lay there.

The ponies of the small village known as Ponyville slowly shrank until they became ants, bustling about a town the size of a dollhouse. As I continued to rise through the air, suspended in a magical bubble, my gaze wandered, observing the world that was falling further and further away. I should have been scared. I should have been terrified. I had always been scared of heights. But I wasn't scared. I felt strangely calm, as if nothing could go wrong no matter what.

It was just then that I realized I wasn't alone in the sky. As a familiar shadow fell upon me, I turned to set my eyes upon the royal visage of Princess Celestia. Her pure form, dignified and majestic, rose up into the sky along with me. Her crown and amulet glistened with the golden light of the Solstice Sun. She seemed to radiate with power and authority, so much that I felt an intense desire to avert my eyes, as I would to the blinding rays of our own sun.

Celestia's horn glowed with her celestial magic, manipulating the deluge of energy present in the sun. As she focused her magic in ways that I could not comprehend, the sun began pulsating. Like a beating heart, the sun expanded and contracted in a steady rhythm, seemingly attuned to Celestia's pulse. I was hypnotized by the steady beat as I gazed in awe at the sun. Each pulse seemed to increase in strength, each beat seemed to create a bigger ripple in the sky, until even I could feel the heat from the waves emanating from the sun.

Perhaps the first warning signs of imminent disaster should have registered in my mind when I could actually feel the heat from one of the pulses coming from the sun, but I was in my own bubble, floating above all of the world. In the sky, I was in my own world, completely separated from the physical plane. What could go wrong?

But everything could go wrong. My eyes widened as a curved loop of incandescent gas peeled off from the sun and whipped out, lashing towards us. All was not lost in my heart, as I turned towards Celestia. This must all have been part of the plan. She was biting her bottom lip, eyes squeezed shut. Her wings fluttered uncertainly as she bobbed up and down in the air. Her crown was slightly skewed from her exertions; she was clearly making an effort to maintain her magic as well as remain airborne.

I watched and waited, but she did nothing to stall, stop, or otherwise nullify the terrifying wave of energy hurtling towards us. I felt as if I was being microwaved from the inside. My mouth dropped open as Celestia was hit by the solar flare. Her eyes shot open, glowing bright like two miniature suns. As the searing light rolled over me, I felt my magical bubble pop and I fell screaming towards the land below.

"No!" I yelled, frantically reaching out in front of me, desperately trying to grab on to something, anything.

I did end up grabbing on to something.

Both my hands grabbed onto something.

Or rather, some things.

Things that were soft and squishy.

And warm.

Some place, somewhere in my brain, must have registered how dire my situation was, but it didn't consciously occur to me that I was doomed.

Something slammed into the side of my face, smashing my head into the depths of my pillow. The pain was enough to bring me back to my senses.

"Why in the world are you in my room again, Rainbow Dash?" I demanded, sitting up and massaging my sore cheek. I hoped that it wouldn't leave a mark for too long. But I received no response from the rainbow-haired girl sitting on my bed. She was wearing my hoodie, but had not zipped the front, exposing her blue t-shirt underneath. Although she had probably been facing me, her face was now turned away. I couldn't see her expression, but I assumed it was one of taunting, like her usual self. I was about to repeat my question when I realized that my room didn't have a generic desk and chair sitting next to a window. Wait, was this the guest room?

"Okay, correction. What in the world am I doing in your room?" I was even more confused now. It was bad enough that she broke into my room to wake me up, but now she was dragging me into her room just so she could wake me up?

"Say..." She began to turn her face towards me. There was a strange uncertainty in her voice, uncharacteristically so. Perhaps she was trying out a new joke for the first time, and she wasn't sure of how it would be received. I braced myself for whatever insult she was preparing to toss my way.

"What does it mean when someone..." by now her face was clearly visible, and I did not like what I saw. Her cheeks were flushed, and she held her clasped hands in her lap, folding and unfolding them. Her gaze was directed towards the ground, never looking me in the eyes.

"What does it mean when someone...when someone...." she stuttered and squeezed her eyes shut. "What does it mean when someone grabs your chest?"

Stunned silence.

More stunned silence.

Now it's becoming awkward.

Suddenly, it dawned on me. Warm, squishy, soft. Squeeze. My mouth dropped open. Did that really just happen?

"W-w--w-wwell, um, you see-" I hastily rolled out of bed, jumping backwards a few steps towards the wall. I coughed a few times to clear my throat, before straightening myself, standing as upright as possible. Assuming a scholarly pose, I folded my hands behind my back.

"In general, this behavior is regarded as an outright way to express your sexual interest in a female. How the female responds to this behavior varies greatly, but as you demonstrated, the natural reaction is to engage self-defense measures against such unwarranted demonstrations of affection.

Although I am sure that you are already aware-" I stopped for a moment as I saw Rainbow Dash's face turn red once again. I guess she really is naive, huh? All that bragging, and she can't even handle some talk about sexual harassment.

"Although I am sure that you are already aware, my motivations behind my actions were completely different than described previously." I paused for dramatic effect, and noticing Dash's perplexed stare, I raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have a question?"

"Whaddya mean by all that fancy talk? Just tell it to me straight, could ya?"

"Uh, well, I guess in simpler terms, what I'm trying to say is, well, I didn't mean to do what I did, and I know that you know that I know that...erm, wait, let me start over- I know that you know that I didn't mean to do what I did, because face it. I hate you, I know you hate me, we're pretty screwed as far as I can see. I'm sorry for causing you trouble, but let's just forget that it ever happened, okay?" I eagerly leaned forward, awaiting her response. Knowing her, I was sure that she would quickly agree that I was a pathetic idiot and she knew that I was just being stupid as usual.

"So you didn't mean to, huh..." Her response surprised me. She was really that dumb? I was about to launch into another speech reexplaining exactly what I was trying to say, but I was forced to abort my lecture when I saw her touching her chest again.

"Rainbow Dash! What did I tell you about doing that?" I rushed forward, pulling her arms apart and away.

Rainbow Dash didn't respond. She seemed to be looking off into the distance, somewhere beyond the bounds of reality.

"Does it really matter..." Instead of an energetic rebuttal, I was disheartened to hear only an apathetic reply. Her lack of energy was concerning me. Had the run burned her out after all? Was she suffering from some kind of chronic disease?

"What are you talking about? Of course it matters! I'm trying to help you! Do you want people to think you're some kind of pervert?"

"I don't care what they think about me...I don't care..."

"Listen to me! I know you don't care about anything, not this world, not your body, not me, and I don't care about you either! But it makes me cringe to see you do all these dumb things just because you don't know they're wrong. Do you understand?"

"You're wrong...I-"

"No, listen to me, Rainbow Dash! Just do what I tell you, and we'll be fine and dandy. One day you'll go back to Equestria, and then we can both live our lives normally! Just do what I say, please!"

Rainbow Dash bit her lip. She quickly turned her head away, squeezing her fists until her knuckles became white and her arms shook. I was at the end of my rope. What was wrong with her?

"Y-" She uttered a single syllable before she seemed to choke on her own word. Her shoulders were trembling now, and I was seriously ready to call a doctor.

"You-" She managed to squeeze out an entire word. If Rainbow Dash was a brand of toothpaste, I would not buy it, even if it was rainbow colored. It took way too much effort to squeeze anything out.

"You...IDIOT!" She finally managed to yell out the last word. My eyes widened. Here was the insult I had been anticipating, but it seemed to be a bit out of the context I was expecting. Her eyes were glistening, glistening from tears.

"Wha-" I couldn't think of anything to say. There was definitely something wrong with her. Rainbow Dash? Crying? Never. I must be hallucinating. But of course, it's a bit hard to trick yourself into thinking that you're hallucinating when the subject in question shoves her way past you and out the door before running down the hallway, down the stairs, and out the door.

Wait...she just left...she just ran away...she...left... As my thoughts finally caught up to my racing mind, apathy and weariness once again claimed my muscles and bones. Why should I care? I've done enough for her as it is. She'll be back. She's just...I don't know...I don't know anymore... I l dragged my battered body back to my room where I launched myself onto my bed. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself the luxury of a quick nap. She'd be back before dinner.

A soft knocking at my door woke me from my rest, and I was surprised to see my Father at the door. Scrambling out of bed, I hastily gave him my greetings and asked him why he was here.

"Have you seen the other guest? She left a while ago, and she still isn't back. Do you know where she is?" His face was creased with concerned wrinkles, and his eyes reflected a legitimate worry. I checked my watch. I felt something akin to ice begin flowing through my veins, freezing my blood and petrifying me as I stared at my watch. It was almost midnight. The sun had been high in the sky when she had left the house. How long had she been gone?

"I'll go look for her." Without thinking, I blurted out those binding words. I was now obliged to set out on a midnight journey to catch up to a girl who could run faster than me.

Something stirred in me as I opened the door. A familiar breeze brushed past me, but I barely noticed.

A single lightning bolt lit up the midnight sky, briefly showering everything in a blinding light. As thunder quickly followed suit, splitting the silence with its deafening blast, the sky began to cry.

Everyone was gone. I had a family. I lost it. I found a new land. I almost destroyed it. I made new friends. I abandoned them. I returned to my home. I was outcasted. I met my last connection to the land of dreams. I rejected her.

As the raindrops began to roll down my face, I noticed something strange. Some of them tasted salty.

I'm sorry.

Chapter 7: Rainbows Bloom When The Storm Is Gone

All I could do was run. When I hurt someone, I ran from it. When I was brought into the world again as a monster, I ran from myself. When I unleashed an ancient evil, I ran from my deed. When I tried to betray the evil, all I could do was run. Now, again, all I could do was run.

Where in the world is she? She wouldn't be likely to go run off to somewhere she didn't know anything about, so it was likely she was hiding in one of the places I had already taken her. In that case, my first destination would be the mall.

This time, there were no wandering eyes, no suspicious police officers to dog my steps. And yet, instead of freedom, I felt only loneliness. Was this the freedom that I had yearned for? Now, I had been truly liberated from any bond, any confining factor. I had no family, no friends, no acquaintances to whom I owed anything. But now, with nothing guiding my way, I was more confused than ever as to which way to go.

Screw this, screw that, screw everything! I couldn't keep my thoughts straight; Every time I remembered Rainbow's face as she pushed past me, my mind went blank and it was all I could to to get a hold of myself before I ran into a pole.

Argh! Why was I so mad? Why was I so annoyed? I didn't understand, but I did understand that I could run. So I ran. So I kept running, still pondering about why I was so frustrated.

You IDIOT!

I stumbled over my feet, flailing my arms as I slid to a stop. Picking myself up, I slowly dusted off my soaking jeans. I felt some primal instinct rising up in my throat, and I almost gave in to it. I grit my teeth hard, biting my tongue to stop myself from yelling out. The slightly salty, slightly sweet taste of blood filled my mouth as my tongue began throbbing.

But I kept running. Even though I risked running into a pole- no. It would be easy, running into a pole, blacking out, leaving myself to rot in the isles of nowhere, never having to deal with anything ever again. This was what I wanted, wasn't it? Absolute freedom, no one around to tell me what to do. And here I was, wasn't I? I was all alone, completely alone. Alone in the rain. The irony of it made me laugh. Oh, I guess it really is true. Be careful what you wish for, huh? I could die all by myself, alone, and I don't think I would care. I don't think anyone would.

Maybe I should die. I'm already supposed to be dead, maybe I should finally let my body know that. I should die. All alone.

But.

I wasn't alone.

Rainbow Dash was out here too, she was alone in the rain, by herself, running, just like I was. Neither of us was alone, in the end. We had each other. We were both just running, running away from ourselves.

You...IDIOT!

It makes me mad. How could I be so pathetic? I had promised myself, hadn't I? I had promised to myself I would save her. I would save her as she saved me. She showed me the sky, I would show her the ground. I took away her dreams, so I would give her a new one to live. That was my promise, wasn't it? That was what I promised I would do.

I hate her.

I always did.

But then, what is this feeling?

She's been a nuisance to me ever since I met her. From my first time talking to her, she made fun of me. She called me dumb, she taunted me. Even in the end, she remained my personal demon, never letting me rest, forever by my side, pestering me, never giving me a break.

And yet,

In the end, she was the only one that stayed by my side.

When my family cut their ties to me, when I was thrown away from my friends, when everything I once cared for was torn away from me, what did I have left? Through thick and thin, high and low, there was still one Rainbow-maned Pegasus that followed me through it all.

I can't hate her. I should, I would, but I couldn't. Was I lying to myself all this time?

Thinking hurts my brain, so I just run some more. I run harder and faster, never stopping to look backwards or forwards.

I can't hate her. The more I try, the less I can. It's so unfair. It's so unfair that I don't even know where I'm going anymore. I could only run, I could only ever run. So I ran.

I can't hate her. I know, in my heart, that it's impossible.

With a start, I realized I was back in the field of my childhood dreams.

Wasn't I going to the mall?

But I had ended up here, in the end.

She would be here, I knew it.

It was getting cold. My rain soaked clothes sapped my body heat as quickly as it was generated, leaving me shivering in the rain.

I let my gaze wander to the place I knew she would be.

There, standing alone, on top of the hill, like an abandoned king, was a rainbow-haired girl.

She was gazing out into the distance, beyond the trees, beyond the grass, beyond the rolling hills. What was she looking at? Was she looking for her home, her friends, her Princess? Was she looking for her hopes, dreams, wishes?

The hopes, dreams, and wishes I had taken away.

As I walked over to her, I realized something that I had always known.

She's so strong, yet she really is naive. She really is.

Her strong body, radiating with confidence and strength, repelled any attempts of assistance. She didn't need anyone's help. And yet, as I looked at that face, with those longing and forlorn eyes, it seemed as if she would shatter if I so much as brushed against her.

The sounds of my footsteps, crushing the wet grass below my feet, slightly sinking into the soggy ground below, did nothing to alert her of my presence. She seemed to be in her own magical bubble, unaware of anything else in the world.

"Hey Dash." I didn't know what to say, so I awkwardly greet her as I approach her from behind.

No response.

"Hey Dash, you'll catch a cold if you stay out here all night." I gently tap her shoulder, crouching down to sit next to her on that lonely hill.

She jumped, her head spinning around to see who had disturbed her desolate introspection.

"Wh-why are you here?" She seemed flabbergasted, as she rubbed her eyes to make sure I was really there.

"My Dad is worrying about you! We were all freaked out when you didn't come home!" I still couldn't say it. In the end, I still had to give her a pathetic excuse.

"Oh...I guess I should say sorry...one less mouth for him to feed at least..." She turned her head away again as her gaze fell downwards.

"What are you talking about? C'mon, we're going back!"

Rainbow Dash seemed genuinely surprised.

"But you said...that you hate me..."

"I was lying, okay? I didn't want to admit it, to you, to myself, to anyone. I wanted to hate you, I really did, but I couldn't. I lied to myself, I lied to you, but in my heart, I couldn't hate you."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, as her mouth dropped slightly.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. I don't hate you. I don't hate you at all!"

I felt my emotions finally break free from their prison in my heart and escape.

"Please, Rainbow Dash, can you...c-can you forgive me? I made a mistake...and I regret it now. I'm sorry I wasn't able to be honest with you, to tell you how I really felt, so..."

I hugged her, only knowing how to say one thing.

"I'm sorry."

I felt two forceful arms reach around me in a crushing embrace.

"Whatever, you big crybaby. Let's go home." A warm wind caressed my ear as the echoes of her whisper were slowly washed away by the abating rain.

Chapter 8: Keep Calm And Carry On With Saving The Day

The clouds in the sky seemed to finally give way. The once dark, forlorn world was softened by a gentle beam of moonlight peaking out from between the harsh grey clouds.

But just as the moonlight began to emerge, an ominous shadow once again rolled over the sky, plunging the world back into darkness. The sound of an approaching vehicle, closing in from the main road, was sufficient to rouse me from my contentment. The sound of multiple car doors simultaneously opening inspired thrills of both surprise and curiosity.

Who could it be, coming to visit such a well-to-do neighborhood at such an unearthly hour? My question was answered when a group of dark shadows came into view.

As they approached, I could begin to make out their individual appearances. It was a group of five people, each one adorned in dark clothing. They came in all shapes and sizes: the one in the front was big and burly, while the figure in the back had a more tall and lanky figure. I couldn't see their faces, but something about the way they walked, the way they swaggered with some kind of sinister confidence, sent chills down my back.

I was so focused on trying to figure out who they were, that I didn't move until they were only a feet away from where I stood. A single ray of pale light fell upon the man in the front. His twisted nose and crumpled face peeked out from under his hood.

But his eyes.

They were filled with loathing and contempt. As the light danced around his face, his eyes glittered with an animalistic but calculated fire. Perhaps at one time he was a brash young fellow, but now life had left its mark on his dented face.

His eyes never moved. They bore into me, as if he was trying to drill a hole through my soul through his stare. I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his. They were liquid voids, black holes of space and time. I felt as if I was being pulled into his eyes, but I couldn't look away. There was something there that sparked a feeling of familiarity in me. I had seen this person before, but I didn't recall anyone with a face as haggard as his.

I definitely knew those eyes.

My head seemed to split open. A searing pain ripped through my thoughts, and I dropped to my knees.

No! Not now, not now, not now, not now, not now!

I shook my head, trying to clear my head and shake away the encroaching darkness.

Not again, not again, not again, not again!

I could hear some muffled voices, as if I was underwater. Someone was shaking me, someone was shouting, but I didn't know who it was.

Sorry.

I walked down a crowded hallway. People rushed past me like a raging river, their faces blurring into each other as they squeezed by. A new day, a new school. I was excited to be a freshman at last, finally a student in high school.

My excitement was replaced by a sudden pain as something, or rather, someone, slammed me into a row of lockers.

"How's it going, shrimp?"

I groaned as the pain spread through my body. A sneering senior shoved his face way too close to mine. As he spouted insults and taunts, his horrendous breath rolled over me in great clouds of putrid stench. My consciousness faltered as my brain struggled to handle the smells that were assaulting my nose.

The stream of people flowing past us never halted, never faltered. The river merely bent around us, never stopping, never pausing. Seeing no opposition, the senior grinned, and picking me up by my collar, he dragged me kicking and flailing into the restroom.

"Stop!" I shoved outward as I was thrown back into reality. As I looked around, trying to reorient myself, I once again settled my gaze on the man before me.

His mouth was curled into a terrifying leer, filled with malice. His eyes widened with surprise as another ray of weak light hit my face. Then his entire face convulsed into a terrible sneer. As the light shifted and his face fell into shadow once again, all I could see were his eyes, black voids of terror.

"Son of a gun...you're still alive, shrimp."

An electric shock ran through my body as my entire body convulsed.

"You..." I almost whispered, scarcely believing the word.

"They told me you died, dead by your own hand. I suppose those were lies then? Trying to shield you from my vengeance?" He cackled with glee, cracking his neck and motioning for his cronies to approach. "I've been waiting for this...I knew the day would come...that I would be able to get my revenge on you...the man who did this to me."

My breath caught as he pulled off his hood. I had seen the surface of his face, but as the shadows which had enshrouded the majority of his features melted away, the true monstrosity of his face emerged. His face was not merely dented, as I had earlier assumed. His entire face was twisted, contorted into a terrible shape.

"What are you doing? Get away from me!" I whipped around as a familiar voice called out. A couple of his goons, dressed in black, were surrounding Rainbow Dash.

"Hey! Get away from her! I'm the guy you want, right?" I dashed over, grabbing them and pulling them away from Rainbow Dash.

Their leader smirked. "Alright boys, that's enough, just hold him in place. I've got a lot of catching up to do with this guy."

I didn't resist as powerful arms grabbed me and restrained me. As his hulking figure approached, I simply cast my gaze downwards, unable to look him in the eyes.

"What's up with you, ya crybaby? Fight back!" Rainbow Dash ran over, fists raised.

"Stay out of this!" I yelled, still never lifting my head. I couldn't do it. The memories were like heavy chains, dragging my body downwards. I couldn't move if I wanted to.

I stared into the murky depths of some grimy substance. The corners of my vision were surrounded by a chipped white bowl. Oh. I was staring into a toilet. A powerful fist had my hair in an iron grip. I felt tired. "Get on with it", I wanted to say. But he wasn't about to rush it. He was going to savor his victory over the fresh meat. He seemed to be saying something, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. No matter. I was only annoyed that he was taking so long.

"Welcome to high school, shrimp!" His disgusting voice was the only warning I had before I found myself swimming alongside who-knows-what in a toxic waste dump of a toilet. I blew bubbles out of my nose and mouth, trying to keep the foul gunk out of my body. Seconds seemed to turn into hours, and I was sure I was about to lose it and suffocate, surrounded by the putrid water.

I gasped for breath, breathing in oxygen, to my surprise. Slowly opening my eyes, I once again beheld the grim depths of the bowl of doom.

"Ready for round two?" The senior still wasn't done.

I felt my heart beat harder, faster. My arm twitched as my muscles gave an involuntary twitch. Why was I letting him do this? I knew I could beat him in a square fight. He looked tough, but he was mostly fat, not muscle.

"Ready or not, here you go!" He began shoving my head towards the murky depths once again. That flipped the switch. Something in my head broke. My vision turned red, and with a feral shout, I lashed out with my right foot, kicking backwards blindly.

To my surprise, my foot connected with the bully's belly. As my foot sank into a layer of fat, I grinned. Getting to my feet, I turned around to observe my handiwork. He was clutching his stomach, gasping for breath. His face was livid, both from rage and lack of air.

A burst of pain exploded in my left cheek. My face flew to the right, as my hallucinations were ripped from me, replaced with a bleak reality. My face throbbed, and I grunted as he lifted my face to meet his. I averted my eyes, cringing as he examined my face.

"You haven't changed at all...you've still got that innocent face."

I felt something collide with my stomach. I retched as my breathing was temporarily cut off. Wheezing, I desperately tried to draw oxygen into my lungs. As he slowly retracted his fist, he growled.

"You're a monster. You know that, you little shit?"

I felt another punch. This time, my head snapped backwards as his fist smashed into my chin.

I threw punch after punch, each one uncalculated, each one simply filled with a desire for vengeance. I used no form, my blows had no style. But he could do little to ward them off. His feeble arm swings did nothing. I felt my fists smash into him, each one sending a wave of pleasure through my body. I laughed. How funny, that the tides should be turned so quickly.

"Hey hey hey! Pay attention, will you?" A biting pain snapped me back to the real world. "Can't have you falling asleep in the middle of our chat, can we?"

Another punch. I gasped, recoiling from the pain. As he continued to pummel me, I felt something warm begin trickling down my cheek, where he had hit me.

"S-s-stop! D-don't hurt me! I didn't mean to! I'm s- I'm sorry! H-have mercy!" The bully cowered on the ground, trying to crawl away.

"Mercy? MERCY?" A cold laugh escaped my lips. "Mercy? The word mercy? Of all people, YOU telling ME to have mercy? Sorry, try again next time."

"I'm sorry." I whispered. I bit my lip. I'm a monster.

"What was that? Did you say something shrimp?"

"I'm sorry."

"..." He said nothing for quite some time. I felt no blows.

"Hah. You think that's going to cut it?" Finally, I heard his words break the awkward silence. "How ironic, you of all people, telling me 'sorry'. Do you remember when I said those very words to you? Do you remember, when I, crawling on the ground, begging you for mercy, what you did? Do you think that now, those very words will sway me, that those words will protect you from justice?"

"No, but it was worth a try." A bitter smile breaks out on my face.

The red haze which had obstructed my vision slowly faded away. I gazed around the room, wobbling slightly. I felt a little dizzy. Why were my hands wet? I lifted my hands to look at them, and cold sweat broke out on my forehead. My hands were covered in a dark red liquid, slowly dripping down and pattering in small droplets on the dirty floor. An echo began reverberating in my mind in harmony with the rhythmic thuds of blood hitting the floor.

You're a monster.

Monster.

"I'm a monster." I grit my teeth.

"Damn straight."

"I should die."

"I'll help you with that." The hatred in his words, the undisguised malice, gave me a little start, but it didn't surprise me. I probably ruined his life. His face was destroyed by my fists. He was another one of my victims. He was just another, who's dreams I had stolen away with my selfish actions. How many does that make? How many dreams have I taken away? How many ambitions, life goals, have I shattered?

"I won't pretend that an apology will solve everything. If that was true, the world would just be a dumb old fairy tale. But an apology isn't completely worthless, is it? A true, heartfelt apology goes a long way towards mending broken bonds."

"What kind of bullshit is that?" Another punch. And then another. I no longer counted each individual punch. My perception of the world seemed to slow and twist in a surreal fashion. The pain faded in my body as everything slowly quieted to a dull pounding in my head. Tendrils of blackness were beginning to creep in from the corners of my vision. My limbs seemed to turn to lead, and I felt as if I was slowly sinking into an endless bog.

"How pathetic. Done already? Guess it's time for the girl then."

"Huh? Hey! Get away from me!"

Rainbow Dash?

The world rushed back into focus. The blackness which had encroached on my world, reducing it to a murky mess, was blasted away by a rush of adrenaline. But with the new clarity of mind, the pain came back as well.

It hurt.

It hurt a lot.

Something scratched and clawed its way out of the depths of my chest.

It was an animalistic scream, one that drew its fury from man's dark past. It resonated through the night, flying through the empty field without obstruction.

Something in that scream echoed in the hearts of those men. Perhaps it was an instinctive reaction, something that the brain was naturally conditioned to do. But whatever the cause, as my scream tore its way into the world, everyone stopped. Everything stopped. The vice-like grips which had held me up released their holds. I fell to the ground, barely able to catch myself.

"Don't...don't touch her...." I was only able to spit out a few words between my shaking breaths.

Slowly climbing to my feet, I wobbled over to Rainbow Dash in front of their incredulous stares.

A cold chuckle freezes me in my tracks.

Turning around, I saw him walking over, slowly, casually.

"Look at yourself, man. Do you really think you can do anything?"

The soft crunch of a fist connecting with a face interrupted my response.

"Aaaaargh!" One of the hooded goonies was clutching his nose, which was gushing a dark red liquid.

"Son of a-" He reached into his pockets, pulling something out. The moonlight peeking out from behind the clouds glinted off of a blade of cold steel.

"Stop!" I staggered a few steps towards her, reaching out with my arms.

But she didn't need my help. With a growl, she ran forwards, headbutting him in his stomach. With a cry of pain, the man staggered backwards. Turning around, Rainbow Dash lashed out with both her legs, using her hands as a support. I couldn't help but smile, despite the grim situation. She was still Rainbow Dash. As the rest of the goons circled around us, I felt Rainbow Dash's back touch mine.

As they closed in, rushing towards us with their pocket knives, I felt a rush of excitement. This was it. This was the time for me to repay her, the time for me to show her that I could be someone she could count on in times of need. They couldn't stop us. All the pain and weariness in my bones seemed to fade away as I let myself go.

And before I realized it, they were all lying on the ground, groaning. Only one man was standing.

"How can you still stand?" His shoulders were heaving, shaking up and down from anger. "I pounded you into a pulp, I beat you until you couldn't stand on your own! I beat you! You lost! I won!"

I grinned. "Game's not over until checkmate."

He howled in frustration. Something in him seemed to snap at that moment. The manic fire in his eyes sparkled with an animal ferocity. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a pistol. Pointing it at me, he screamed: "You're a freak! A monster! I'll put you where you belong!"

I saw something in his eyes then. I saw something in his eyes that reminded me of something. Or should I say, someone? That desperate, frustrated anger, that pent-up, overflowing fury at some past wrong, that burning rage in his eyes seemed to be a mirror of myself at one time. It made me sad. To see one treading down the same tragic path that I had taken, to see someone fall into the same traps as I did, it hurt my heart.

"Listen, I-"

An explosive crack set my ears abuzz. I winced, partially because of the pain in my ears, and partially because of the pain in my stomach.

Something slammed into my stomach, piercing through it like a searing arrow. The burning pain would have incapacitated me, but something kept me from doing that. Perhaps I felt obligated to let him hurt me. I was the destroyer of his life, of his future. I was his demon, and he was righting what I had done by slaying me, the monster.

But do two wrongs really make a right? The hero, in slaying the demon at the end of his quest, becomes a demon himself. As the blood of the demon spills onto his armor, it leaves stains on his soul that shall never be washed off. Indeed, the moment the hero picks up the sword as his way of justice, he dooms himself to a life of hatred. By choosing to right past wrongs through slaughter, he himself becomes the demon that he wished to slay.

I grit my teeth and clench my fists. It was so unfair. To see someone tread down this path, to see someone with a future of nothing but darkness, I couldn't stand it. The pain in my stomach was nothing. I took a step towards him, ignoring the screaming of my wound. One bullet was nothing.

"S-stay away! No! Stop!"

Twice more, my ears rang from the sound of a firearm's discharge.

Twice more, I felt its searing arrows pierce my body.

No matter.

This was my duty.

If I was to die, so be it.

I took another step. And then another.

My advance was slowed only thrice more, and then I was standing face-to-face with him.

"Why....how...." Tears were streaking from his eyes. It was a pitiful sight. "It's not fair...how...how can you be so strong?!" He was almost screaming hysterically. The panic and fear in his eyes, along with the frustration and resentment, sent a pang of sadness through my heart.

"When you met me, so long ago, I defeated you. Back then, I was fighting only for myself. I lashed out in self-defense, I fought back to preserve my life. I had to make sure you would never hurt me ever again, I had to ensure my own future.

But I learned, I learned the hard way, that hurting others will never solve your problems. Hate gives birth to hate, and it ends up as a cycle of infinite suffering. I met someone, he was a monster born from the scorn he received from others. Merely from his disfiguration, he was hated. He was alienated.

I traveled to a distant land, where I was outcasted, because I did not have something that everyone else did. It was there that I learned that hatred will never give you happiness. A quest for vengeance dooms you to a life of suffering.

The power given to you by revenge, the power you receive from hatred, is raw and unrestrained. Yes, you may feel driven, yes you may feel your life has meaning at last, but that power is a double-edged sword. You are likely to hurt yourself more than you hurt your enemy. And in the end, when you look back on your life, what will you say? Will you say that I wasted it trying to right some petty wrong inflicted on me so many years ago? Will you say that I spent all my years on some quest for vengeance, merely because of spite?

True power doesn't come from hatred. A person's true potential, a person's true power does not come from anger.

I learned many things in a distant land. This is probably the most important thing that I learned.

A person is strongest when they find something worth protecting. When someone finally finds something in their life that's worth their life, that's worth protecting with everything they have, that's when they become truly strong. That's why...

That's why I won't lose to you."

He fell to his knees, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Why...why did you do that?" Another familiar voice. Rainbow Dash's face was filled with concern, and she seemed about to cry.

I laughed. It hurt. I felt like I was going to rip apart, but for her sake, I laughed.

"Lighten up, Dash! I'm fine! See?"

I'm fine! See?

And then everything went black.

Chapter 9: Wake Up And Smell The Antiseptic

You know, I really hate hospitals. I really hate doctors too. They're all just a bunch of crappy liars and trolls. Oh, this shot isn't going to hurt one bit? Psyche! And then they'll laugh their butts of while you scream in pain. Oh, we're just going to put you to sleep and when you wake up everything will be okay? Psyche! You're never waking up ever again. Psyche! You do wake up, but you're stuck in a bed surrounded by crying babies feeling like your stomach is still cut open!

Well, I guess I should really stop complaining. Especially since there were no crying babies in sight, and no shots to scream about. But that didn't mean I wasn't in pain. I still pretty much felt like there were multiple holes in my stomach and arms. I must have looked like a block of red Swiss cheese back then. I guess I was lucky to even be alive. Ah, the miracles of modern medicine.

"You're such an idiot!"

I winced. There was something worse than crying babies in this room.

"Good morning Dash." Letting my eyes roam around the room, I noticed that she was sitting in a chair next to my hospital bed.

"Good morning, my flank! You're lucky to be alive you doofus!" Her eyes were red, and there were dark marks under her eyes.

"Heh, well, did I look cool at least?" I chuckled, and immediately regretted it as another spasm of pain went through my body.

"No! Well, maybe just a little bit, but that's not the point!" She crossed her arms and glared at me.

"But say, why am I here anyways?" I realized that she had no way of getting to the hospital. So how had I ended up here?

"It's a long story..." Rainbow Dash's eyelids fluttered a bit as she struggled to keep them open. Her head nodded a few times as she leaned forwards onto the bed. She was asleep before her head hit the mattress.

I sighed. Had she been awake all this time? It was probably pretty inconsiderate of me to sleep for all this time, keeping her up all day and night. But my question still stood. Why was I in a hospital?

The door to my hospital room creaked as it opened just slightly. A light knocking followed shortly after.

"Come in." I replied wearily.

A man wearing a business suit came in. His face was wrinkled with concern, and his black hair, which had perhaps been raven black at one point, now sported fine streaks of silver.

"Father...." The word slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. I immediately clapped a hand over my mouth, trying to cover up my mistake.

He came over to my bed, kneeling down so that we were face-to-face. His eyes, unlike before, were not empty and dead. This time, as our eyes met, I saw a new light sparkling in his eyes.

"We've got some catching up to do, eh?"

My eyes widened. "Huh?"

"I don't really understand, but..." He wrapped his arms around me. "Welcome home."

As he pulled away, he whispered: "And...I'm sorry."

My mouth opened and closed, trying to mouth words, but nothing seemed to come out. Ever word I tried to say seemed to catch in my throat, and I couldn't even manage to make a sound, lest I should trigger an onslaught of tears and pain.

"After your...departure...your mother and I...we were deeply saddened. Perhaps we felt angry at times, but as time passed, we realized that we perhaps were the ones at fault. I wished for you to succeed, I wanted you to be able to do big things in the future, but my ambition perhaps...blinded me to your own feelings...and, perhaps, I said things which I should not have." His halting speech, interlaced with pauses and breaths, seemed to resonate with raw emotion. He hid nothing from me. He did not coat his words with honey, he told me what was in his heart.

"No...I'm sorry." I couldn't hold it in anymore. If I was to cry, so be it. "What I did was selfish and dumb. In my mind, I was the victim. I thought of myself as a tragic martyr, suffering alone in the world. And perhaps another part of what I felt was guilt. I felt responsible for the death of my friend. My only friend. But, I've seen the world now. I know that what I did was inconsiderate and ignorant. I'm not the only sufferer in the world. In fact, what I thought was pain was probably paradise in the eyes of those who were truly suffering. My life was fortunate, my life should have been happy. I was spoiled, I was a brat. So...I'm sorry for what I did."

We both were silent after that exchange. We said nothing, merely sharing each other's companionship for a time. Then, my father chuckled.

"Well, I guess we're even now."

I smiled a little too. "Yeah, I guess so." As I leaned backwards into my bed, I felt my eyelids weighing down once again.

I was a Pegasus again. I was back in Equestria. And I was flying, soaring through the air. As I looped through the air, I heard a timid shout coming from below me. Fluttershy sat on a bench below us, cheering me on. I smiled and shouted back my acknowledgement of her encouragement. Rainbow Dash gave me flight lessons most days of the week. I had gradually increased my confidence in the sky, but I was still a bit scared of heights. Even now, as I looked down towards the ground, my stomach seemed to do a little flip-flop like I had done moments ago.

Rainbow Dash was a cruel teacher. Her training left no room for rest, and I often finished up my training feeling like a log, ready to just drop down to the ground and never move again. Today, we had started off with basic bog strength training. We ran around the perimeter of Ponyville a few times, and right as we finished, she ordered me to tie some sandbags onto my legs. As I tried to flap my wings, I felt the heavy weights keeping me down. But nevertheless, I was expected to fly.

I beat my wings over and over again, harder and harder, but all I could manage was a weak hover. I could tell Rainbow Dash was displeased with my weakness, so I smiled weakly and chuckled nervously. She growled and proceeded to take me into the sky. There, we practiced various aerial maneuvers like flip-turns and loop-de-loops.

I was dead tired, but that didn't mean I was defeated yet. I would have my final showdown with her today, and we would see who was the faster flyer. I didn't have much of a chance, but it was worth a try. If I lost, oh well. If I won, then...I grinned.

And so it was decided. We would start from Cloudsdale, and we would race towards Ponyville, where we would finish in Twilight's Library. The rules were simple. Whoever got there first won.

“Ready, set, GO!” Rainbow Dash shouted. I gave my wings a few hard flaps as we both zoomed off. The space around me seemed to stretch into thin stripes, and everything became a blur of color. My eyes became squinted as my face was battered by the gusting wind. I flapped my wings harder and harder, finally looking back after a few minutes.

Rainbow Dash was nowhere in sight.

My heart almost leaped out of my mouth. A fresh burst of adrenaline fueled my ever-speeding flight. I was winning! I had left Rainbow Dash in the dust, and I was in the lead! With a big smile plastered on my face, I dashed forwards to victory. Ponyville soon came into sight, and I dived towards the library, heart beating at a frenzied pace.

Crashing through the door and rolling to a stop on the ground, I brushed myself off and ignored the pain I was feeling in my body.

"I win!" I shouted triumphantly, throwing both my arms into the air.

“Not so fast, hotshot.”

Rainbow Dash was relaxing on the couch, grinning at me smugly. My heart fell as my jaw dropped from disbelief.

“W-what? How did you-?”

Rainbow Dash's grin stretched even wider as she jumped over to my side. She punched my shoulder, saying: "Man, did you really think you could beat the fastest flyer in Ponyville? Like, come ON! I was like, halfway here before you even flapped your wings even once! You're just that slow, I bet even Tank could beat you in a race!"

"W-" I spluttered. Fuming, I desperately tried to think of a comeback. My face burned from embarrassment. Finding no way to counter her attack, I slumped to the floor with a defiant growl.

For some reason, Rainbow Dash found my actions to be hilarious. She started giggling, but her giggle soon evolved into one of her full-out "bwhahahah" laughs. And her laugh was pretty contagious too. Pretty soon, I found an insatiable mirth rising up in myself too. As I burst out laughing, I found that the rest of the gang was there too. And pretty soon, they were laughing alongside us as well. The sounds of our laughter echoed throughout the library. It was a beautiful sound.

When I woke up in the morning, I was greeted by a pre-recorded message that I had long memorized by heart.

"Wake up, you dumbo!"

"Hey, I'm already awake, so quit your yapping!"

Rainbow Dash crossed her arms and scowled, as was her custom when she was annoyed. But her annoyance could not take root, not for long at least. After all, today, apparently, was the day that I was to begin my recovery.

After eating a meager breakfast of pitiful hospital food, I was heartlessly thrust into a wheelchair and wheeled off to my personal torture chamber.

Rehabilitation is one of those things that really drives home one message to you. As you run on the treadmill, lift weights, take long, meaningless, but unnecessarily and strangely tiring walks, it really makes you realize one thing: You're weak. It doesn't matter how strong you were before, but as soon as the hospital is done with whatever shenanigans they planned on doing to you, and they set you on the road to recovery, you find out that it's back to ground zero.

I almost didn't recognize myself as I looked at that emaciated, pale, skeleton of a specimen of human. The glazed eyes, the dark shadows, and the protruding bones all combined to create an image straight out of a charity advertisement. And indeed, I gave a start when I realized I was looking into a mirror and not a window into another room.

At first, I didn't believe it. I jumped back from the window, recoiling at the sight of some horribly maltreated child. But strangely, he recoiled as well, an expression of shock and panic on his face. A cold lump began forming at the bottom of my stomach as I slowly waved at the gaunt, slender figure.

The slender man waved back at me.

Staggering backwards a few steps, I slowly reached out with my hand. Brushing against the cold hard mirror, my hand slowly slid back down to my side, leaving long white streaks, like the claw marks of some desperate animal.

But as my hand returned to its place by my side, another hand clasped it in a warm and confident grip.

"Hey, you don't wanna be late on the first day, do you? That's totally not cool."

A strange force tugged at the corners of my mouth. I couldn't help myself. Smiling, I turned to her and continued walking on.

"Yeah, let's go."

As the sun shone in from the skylights, I could see nothing but sunshine and rainbows ahead of me.

And also, a Rainbow beside me.

Chapter 10: As It Begins, So It Ends

Chapter 10: As It Began, So It Ends

As happy as I was, in those golden days, spending my time with Rainbow, all dreams must end.

A year had come and gone, and the scouring rays of the summer sun were once again roasting the streets.

Today was the day, the magical day that granted wishes, and destroyed dreams.

Today was the holy grail of magic.

If miracles were to happen, they would happen this day.

If tragedies were to happen, they would happen this day.

It had started with a simple jog through the woods. As we ran through forest shade, a cool wind whipping past our hair, I had teased Rainbow about her clothes. She was still wearing the outfit I had first purchased for her, that one day we had gone shopping.

She still wore those sky-blue shorts, she still wore that white t-shirt.

And as for me? Well, I was happy too. I don't really think my dad really got what happened with me, but I don't really care, and I don't think he does either. I was back at home, I was back with my family. The look in my mom's eyes, when I finally called her by that word, it was something that made me smile, but tears came to my eyes nonetheless.

I'm such a wimp.

As we ran through those woods, the woods in which Rainbow came into this world, the woods in which she was, we came upon a strange clearing.

No trees grew in this small patch of grass. The sun seemed to perpetually shine down upon this area, and it seemed undisturbed by wildlife, untouched even by the eyes of man, until now. I almost felt bad looking at it, as if I was desecrating some holy sanctuary.

As the sun's rays shone down on a small pool of water in the center of the clearing, as the sun rose into the sky, reaching its climax in the blue kingdom of air, the water shimmered, and began to glow.

As we stepped closer, Rainbow's hand gripped mine harder than ever.

In the pool, was reflected not us, not the sky, not the trees, but the familiar homes of Ponyville.

I gazed into the pool, and I saw, there, was Twilight, her majestic horn glowing with her magic. Her eyes were clenched shut with effort, and I could see fine beads of sweat rolling off of her brow.

She seemed to be mouthing something, even as she strained with her spell.

"Come back to us, Rainbow."

I heard a small gasp beside me.

"We miss you."

Rainbow Dash dropped to her knees next to the pool of water, in the middle of that oasis in the forest. Her tears rippled the surface of the water, temporarily distorting Twilight's image.

"You egghead, I miss you too!" She shouted into the pool.

And yet, Twilight simply kept on mouthing those words.

As the ripples in the pool slowly subsided, a strange mist began to rise off of it.

A rainbow-colored mist.

It wrapped around Rainbow, caressing her in its soft embraces.

As if it was natural, Rainbow began to extend a hand towards the pool.

"Rainbow..." I whispered, almost inaudibly.

But she heard me.

Smiling sadly, she just looked longingly at me.

"I-" She began, averting her eyes.

"Go home, Rainbow."

Her eyes widen as her mouth slightly drops. Her mouth begins to question.

Why must you do this to me, Rainbow?

Maybe it's the mist, maybe it's the humidity, maybe it's just my sweat, but my vision starts getting a bit wobbly. Something wet rolled down my cheek. I hastily wiped it away, trying to preserve at least a shred of my dignity.

Rainbow turned her face back towards the pool. Her eyes reflected the rainbow-colored reflections that represented her home.

"Say it one more time."

What?

"Let me...let me hear your voice...one more time..." She drifts off as her voice cracks.

And just like that, she selfishly put all the pressure on me.

What was I supposed to say?

I clenched my fists, stifling all the complaints, all the things that I wanted to shout at her.

Don't go! I wanted to scream at her, to rip her away from that portal.

Stay with me, please! I didn't care if I was being selfish, I wanted her to stay by my side.

But I can't say that, can I?

That would be uncool of me.

She was my personal tormentor, all the way to the end, she acted as my personal demon. She was going to hurt me to the end.

But.

No matter where I was, no matter what I got myself into, no matter what I said to her, no matter what I did,

She was the one, she was the only one to stand by my side, she was the only one by my side through it all.

I took away her wings, I took away her dreams, her ambitions, her wishes.

Now, finally, she would be getting those back. Her friends, her hopes, her life.

It wouldn't be fair of me to take it away again, would it?

"Rainbow. Go home."

I couldn't squeeze anything else out. Another peep and I would have put the last straw on my back.

As she turns around to face me, one last time, the pool behind her begins to glow with a golden light.

She smiles, with her trademark confidence.

Tch.

Why? My teeth ground together. She was still the same girl I had met that fateful day last year.

As the golden glow of the portal began to spread outwards, enveloping the entire oasis in its heavenly light, she said only one thing.

"I'm gonna miss you, even if you were a dumb loser."

Her words echoed through my mind as she fell backwards towards that golden glow.

The entire clearing is filled with a blinding light.

But the light isn't harsh. It's soft, and even warm. I feel all the tension in my body fading away, and I feel as if I have become detached from my body, a floating consciousness.

But this time, I was among a sea of emptiness.

A lone soul brushed against mine.

It could only belong to one pony.

I'm not as sad as I should be.

After all, nothing golden can stay, right?

I guess I kinda guessed this would happen.

It's not like I thought she was going to stay with me forever, forever by my side.

But, I guess I wanted her to stay by my side, for maybe just one more day.

When I finally opened my eyes, only an empty clearing greeted me. The pool of cool water was now crystal clear, and as I leaned forward to look into it, I saw only my own face gazing back at me.

But I see the sun glowing in the background, behind my head.

The sun's beams bounced off of the crystal pool and split into every color of the rainbow.

A rainbow, lighting up the forest with its loud splendor.

I smiled.

At least she left something for me.