Daddy Told Me...
Conversing, Memories and Encouragement
By Happy Soul

Fluttershy fell. Fluttershy fell as I failed to notice. But my life-changing mistake won't go unnoticed for now. It didn't effect me, but a beloved friend, one I'd never wished to hurt. And to think I was doing this for her honour is sickening, to think I went ahead and performed the Sonic Rainboom while her life was at risk. Her pride was hurt enough as it is, and now I had pushed her back even more. Why couldn't it have just happened to me?

Fluttershy may have earned her cutie mark, but she lost something worse in my opinion. Since it pretty much defines me, my ego, and my life. She lost her flight that day, all because of a stupid pegasus being a show-off. I could have just talked it out with the bullies, or helped Fluttershy through her pain at least. But no, I had to be all flashy and noticed and a total idiot. My lust for attention nearly killed my friend. If it wasn't for the doctors... Fluttershy would have been put out of her misery. But she's alive, and we only talk rarely. I know she doesn't like fights.

So, when I go ahead and make the slow walk to her home- I never fly to her home- this is all I'm thinking about. It's all I ever think about when I walk anywhere. It doesn't have to be Fluttershy's. I still fly, only to my home and to perform weather duties, to get somewhere on the ground, or maybe up to Cloudsdale to meet a friend. Fluttershy was my only true friend, though. Nothing can replace her.

I kick a small stone out of my path with my hoof, then revert my eyes to the cottage ahead, taking a deep breath. When I see it I wince a little, but continue walking. My mane is slightly glazed with grey, but I am not old. I know that, and sometimes I wish I was, just so I could forget everything like many old ponies do. Before I know it I am up at Fluttershy's door and knocking slowly.

The door opens and a yellow face pokes out, her pink mane draped over the right side of it. She's smiling, and looks genuinely happy I'm here. I manage a smile. "Hey Fluttershy."

"Hello there Rainbow Dash. Please come in." I hesitate then oblige, walking into her joyful home.

We sit down on small chairs across from each other. Fluttershy blushes and, surprisingly starts the conversation. "Rainbow, you know I don't feel like that. Let it go."

I look down at the floor and my right hoof tenses.

"You don't fly any more. The Wonderbolt Reserves need you more than ever, you know. You shouldn't have quit."

My right hoof is clenched so much it is beginning to hurt.

"Rainbow Dash, talk to me." I can feel her determined stare boring into my skull. "I invited you here to make casual chat, and perhaps, I thought, talk like we did as kids."

She carries on. "I trust you, Rainbow Dash. Speak to me, any kind of response will do."

I look up at my friend, my eyes welling up. "Don't trust me, Fluttershy. Never trust anypony."

I stand on the makeshift podium, the bullies looking up at me, jealousy obvious in their eyes while I puff out my chest. "How about that for a win?" I say.

The dark brown one looks up at me and huffs. I think he was the one who crashed into the pillar, but I'm not completely sure as it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I remember flying past the tan one so fast that he spun out as I performed the Rainboom.

But the aftermath isn't great as I realise my mistake and rush off the podium in search for my friend. My wings unfurl and I jump clean off the clouds; I swear I can hear the bullies gasping as I rush downwards. My body is pointed downwards like a bullet, but as the ground comes up to meet me, I go into a normal position and flap my wings. I am pushed down twenty more metres or so, but my momentum shifts and I fly the rest of the fifty metres or so to the ground.

As my hooves touch the fresh grass, I grimace. The scent and feel of grass is unusual, but not foreign to me, since I have been to the ground before, but not often. I begin to call for my shy friend. "Fluttershy! It's me! Rainbow Dash!" My face twists into one of extreme concern, and my eyes well up as my voice cracks. "F-lutter-shy?"

I walk around, as it pains me greatly to fly. Eventually I come to a group of animals all looking at something on the ground. This something is a pony, and has a butter-coloured coat, a pink mane and... a cutie mark? I look at my own and then back to hers. It's not the cutie mark that surprises me, though. It's the blood stain around her and the deep gashes at the base of her wings.

"Fluttershy!" I cry. "What happened? Flutter-shy?" Her eyes are shut tight, tears streaming down her face. The rest of her body doesn't move at all. Even though it hurts to fly, I almost do the Sonic Rainboom again as I fly back up to the clouds yelling for help from, well, anypony. My voice cracks even more than it did as ponies hear me and call the paramedics. "This is... a-ll my... fau-lt..."

I collapse in a heap on the clouds, panting. It shouldn't be like this. Ponies rush up to me, and I make out the figures of my parents amongst the crowd, my Mum shaking me. I am curled up, but I ignore the crowds of ponies and look over my shoulder to the break in the clouds, then to the starting line, then to the podium. No. It shouldn't be like this. "This is..."

"...All my... faul-t..." I cover my face with my hooves, trying to hide. But I know I can't; Fluttershy can be persistent when she wants to. My head flicks violently to the side, still covered by my hooves. "All... my fault."

"No, it isn't. Look at you! Your mane is greyed and your eyes are distant. You have great potential, Rainbow Dash. And, Rainbow, I will do all I can in my power to get you to bounce back to your old self. Confident, cheerful..."

"But the bullies!" I cry. "If they'd just go away, I'd still be in the Wonderbolts Reserves, maybe in the Wonderbolts themselves! They're pushing me back! And I'm scared."

"And since when was Rainbow Dash scared of silly bullies? Since when, Rainbow Dash?"

"Since the race. Since I saw you in hospital. Since you forgave me all those years ago! Since they started bullying me again! I have no idea, Flutters! And it won't leave my head!" By now I'm slamming my hooves into the armchair's arms, as if they will help me. "Don't you understand? It's been haunting me most of my life and you're ignoring it!"

"I-I..." Fluttershy chokes, tears welling up. She blinks them out and stares me full-on. "If you're going to cause a heated argument in my house, I suggest you get out." Her hoof is pointing to the door and is shaking slightly. I shrink down in my seat. "Rainbow, did you hear what I just said?"

I nod. I'm not a liar. My wings press tightly against my sides as if the pain of it is going to relieve the emotional pain I am feeling, and my watery eyes drift over to the door. "I heard you... I heard you just fine." And with that I gallop out at full speed but immediately trip over my hooves. My wings unfurl and I take to the skies, much as I object. My body seems to have a mind of its own now.

This has happened countless times before, but today it feels different. Maybe I'm actually considering what she's been trying to convince me for almost two years? Yes, the whole accident happened ten years ago, but the tears have only just started flowing. I had joined the Wonderbolts Reserves and everything... but threw it away as soon as the other reserves started bullying me, telling me what I can do and what I can't do. How dare they?

A new-found determination overtakes me and I slam by body into a cloud, sending it hurtling into the open air. Who's to say it's my fault? Who's to say I have to throw my life away? Who's to say-

My train of thought is interrupted by a familiar face looking up at me. She is silent and I don't look back, but I know she's there. I can feel her watching. Waiting for me to speak. I spin around to find a certain lavender princess down below. "Hey, Twilight," I seethe. I guess all of my anger isn't gone yet, and I carry on, saying, "How are you today?"

"What's up with you? You aren't getting all upset over Fluttershy again, are you? Hmm... but if you were, you wouldn't be flying... so what's wrong?" Twilight tilts her head. "Rainbow?"

I land next to Twilight in a flawless arc. "I am upset over Fluttershy, also angry."

"Angry? At Fluttershy? Why?"

"I'm angry at myself, Twilight. I think Fluttershy's finally nailed the message into my thick skull."

"Don't go calling yourself dumb, Rainbow Dash. She's been trying that for years. Why is it different now?"

"It just is," I say. "I'm going to practice some manoeuvres now."

"You're not slipping away that easily. You never practice manoeuvres any more."

"I am going to! It's different this time! I'll even prove it to you!"

I fly upwards as fast as I can at this moment, flip over, and do a diving loop back down. Then I go into a dizzying array of corkscrews, then barrel rolls, then heartline twists. I come to a stop mere metres away from my friend's face. "Told you, Twi."

Twilight giggles at me. Why is she giggling? "You sure proved me wrong. Mind if I watch?"

I sigh in utter defeat. I have nothing to lose. "Yeah, okay, but my skills'll be a bit rusty."

"That's fine. Let's get on with it then, Rainbow."

"Tell me what to do." I am on the ground, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Pardon me?"

"Just... tell me what you want to see, so I... can bounce back to my old self, as Pinkie would say."

"Okay, get in the air for me. Good. Now do me a basic Dragon Dream."

"A Dragon Dream? Come on, it's been years."

"You seemed to perform those corkscrews just fine. Now do me a Dragon Dream." She sighs, rubbing her temple. "Okay, more simple. A... triple loop."

"Now that I can do just fine."

Author's Note

IMPORTANT NOTE: This story will be mainly about an alternate Rainbow Dash's mind, so don't be put off if her personality doesn't seem right. It's all part of the story, and as it goes on she'll seem more and more like her canon self. Maybe. Just throwing that out there.