The Curse of a Magical Mare

Fluttershy hadn't moved for what seemed like hours. She had lost herself in her memories, trying to find an answer as to why she allowed herself to stab her best friend, and, what's worse, why she had allowed herself to throw Rainbow's Soul Gem away.

I... I used to be the Element of Kindness. Has my burden of a Magical Mare really brought me to this?

She sat in silence for a moment.

I guess so... And I don't even care. That's what scares me the most...

Her thoughts were interrupted by a rough round of rapping on her door, "Fluttershy? Ya in there? C'mon, Fluttershy! Open up! We need to talk."

Fluttershy froze. As the knocking behind her continued, she thought long and hard as to whether she wanted to open the door for her friend. In the end, she decided that opening the door would be the only way to proceed, if she wanted even the slightest chance of preserving any friendship she had left with her friend.

She sighed and slowly stood up. She allowed the door to creak open, revealing Rainbow Dash, awkwardly scraping the wet, bloodstained pavement with her hoof.

Like the weather, silence reigned as the two pegasi refused to make eye contact. Fluttershy shyly asked, "Would, uh, you... um... like to come in?"

Rainbow cleared her throat, "Oh, uh... y-yeah, sure..."

As she stepped inside, she added, "Uh... Ichibey found my Soul Gem and returned it..."

Fluttershy lowered her head, "I'm sorry..."

"No," Rainbow held up a hoof, "Ichibey explained everything. He explained that you were just trying to prove a point."

Shocked, Fluttershy shot her a confused look, "Everything?" That's unlike an Incubator... she thought.

"Well," Rainbow, whose face now wore a mixture of sorrow and pity, explained, "maybe not EVERYTHING, but he explained enough." She looked to the ground and sighed, "He told me all about how I'm not me anymore, and that I'm actually my Soul Gem. It's a little bit messed up, but after thinking about it, it's actually pretty awesome. That's the point you were trying to get across, right?"

Fluttershy paused before nodding, "S-Sure, let's go with that..."

"Well, I got that loud and clear, lemme tell ya." Rainbow continued as she looked on the verge of tears, "He... also told me how both Spike and Rarity turned against you, so you had to-" She choked.

So, Ichibey DIDN'T tell you everything. Figures.

"I did..."

They sat in silence for another long while.

"You've been at this--being a Magical Mare, I mean-- for quite a bit, right?" Rainbow asked.

Fluttershy simply nodded.

"...You see this a lot, don't you?"

Again, she nodded.

Rainbow dropped her gaze to the ground, "Then, it's no wonder why you've been acting so different lately! I guess I can kinda get where you're coming from, not wanting Ichibey to make other Magical Mares and all. You don't wanna trust 'em. But, Fluttershy," she placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder,  "a mare can only take so much of this stuff..." Fluttershy remained silent. "...That was your wish wasn't it? The strength to hang in there even when everything hurts?"

"...Yeah. Something like that." Fluttershy finally muttered.

"You don't cry much anymore, do you?"

She shook her head, "No, I don't. It's pointless to bemoan over the past."

"Hey," Rainbow forced her friend to lock eyes, "it's okay to do that every now and again. I remember you tellin' me that one a long time ago. Back, uh, y'know, before all this."

Fluttershy looked away and remained silent.

"Listen." Rainbow ordered, "You don't have to do this alone anymore. You can trust me. I promise."

The yellow pegasus returned her gaze to her cyan friend, who now wore a familiar smirk on her muzzle. Rainbow tapped her chest and boasted, "EYYUP! You and I are gonna make an awesome Magical Mare team! We'll beat any witch in ten seconds flat!"

For the first time in a very long time, Fluttershy gave a truly genuine smile. She joked as she cocked her head to her side, "Well, okay! Just don't hold me back now; you are still a novice after all!"

Rainbow delivered a mock punch to her friend's shoulder, "Psh! As if! Just you wait, I'm gonna be the most awesome Magical Mare ever!"

They both burst into laughter as the cyan pegasus began to take her leave. Fluttershy hid behind her large, pink mane like she had used to do long ago, "H-Hey, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow paused, "Yeah?"

"I-I'm... I'm sorry for... y'know..."

Rainbow shook her head, "Nah, it's fine! You were just trying get a point across! And boy, did you ever get it across!" She opened the door to leave, "I have to say, I kinda like this new you; you got guts, and anypony who's got guts is awesome in my book." She chuckled as she stepped out into the rain, "I mean, you were already awesome, but now, it's just like," she made an exploding motion with her hooves, "PWOOOSSHHH!!"

As Rainbow closed the door behind her, Fluttershy frowned, "At least one of us thinks so..."

"Are you going to tell her?" Ichibey appeared from behind a wooden couch.

The pegasus denied, "Not yet. It's too soon."

Ichibey shrugged, "Suit yourself."

Fluttershy scowled, "She used her wish for somepony else."

"How could you tell?" Ichibey asked.

"She's Rainbow Dash; she'd never selfishly use a miracle for herself if she knew of somepony who needed it more. That's what makes her the Element of Loyalty."

Ichibey disappeared once again behind the couch, "You're impressive, Fluttershy. Very impressive."

"Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy sighed, "How could you be so stupid?"

* * *

As she leaped out of bed, Rainbow Dash felt good. Metaphorically invincible even. She smirked as she thought about how her Soul Gem, for the most part, made her literally invincible. As she exited her cloud home, she smirked and gazed into the cloudless sky. She deeply breathed in a whole lung full of fresh air, "Ah. Couldn't ask for a better day to fly!" With that, she unfurled her wings and sped off towards Ponyville, "Don't have any weather work. There's no witches around. All in all, today's a good day!" Her smirk deepened as she thought about her destination, "And it's only gonna get better!"

"YAAAHHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" She screamed as she flew into a backflip. Her velocity increased to that of a speeding bullet as the wind blew through her prismatic mane and caressed her cyan body. Within seconds, she reached her destination.

Now hovering in place, she gave three swift knocks on Scootaloo's upper floor window, "Hey kid! C'mon out!"

"Rainbow Dash?!" She heard the filly gasp within the room. In seconds, Scootaloo opened the window. When she saw her visitor, she beamed, "Hi Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow smirked, "Hey squirt! Wanna try some more flying practice today?"

The filly's beaming face noticeably dulled, "Yeah... I dunno... We've tried a whole bunch, Rainbow Dash, but... but I'm just not gettin' it. Maybe I wasn't ever meant to fly..."

Rainbow crossed her forelegs, "Pff! Nonsense! I KNOW you'll get there one day! In fact," She smirked, "I think today just might be that day!"

Scootaloo still seemed unconvinced, "...Are you sure?"

Trying to hold back a grin, Rainbow shrugged, "Well, we never know until we try." She turned to leave, "But if you don't even wanna try, then I guess I can't-"

"Okay!" Scootaloo stopped the pegasus, "If you say you think today's the day, Rainbow Dash, then today's gotta be the day!"

Rainbow smiled, "There's the spunk I always expect from ya! C'mon, let's go!"

* * *

With both pegasi collapsed and gasping for air at their little makeshift finish line, Scootaloo excitedly breathed, "I... I did it... Rainbow Dash! I... I flew!"

Rainbow laughed as she stared up into the sky, "Yeah... ya did! I... told you... today was... the day! Con... Congrats kid! You're... fast too!" She frowned, Almost as fast as I am...

Scootaloo chuckled as well, "Maybe one day... I be as fast as you!"

Rainbow's frown deepened, Tell me about it...

She absentmindedly answered, "Yeah... maybe one day..."

Confused at Rainbow's sudden emotion change, Scootaloo sat up and questioningly gazed at her mentor, "Is something wrong, Rainbow Dash?"

The cyan pegasus gasped and sat up as well, "N-No! Not all!" She smirked, "You finally got to fly! How could anything be wrong with tha-"

Her Soul Gem interrupted her with pulsating reverberation. "What the heck?" she questioned.

As she extracted her Soul Gem from her shoulder, Scootaloo gasped, "Rainbow Dash, what is that?!"

As she gazed into her gem, Rainbow muttered, "Witch..."

"What didja say?"

Before answering, the mare began to glow. A iridescent dress cascaded around down her back, golden boots wrapped around her front hooves and equally golden laurel ornaments adorned her ears. The transformation sequence finished as her Soul Gem took the form of a Sapphire Rainbow on her shoulder.

Scootaloo's jaw dropped, "R-Rainbow Dash? Where'd your Grand Galloping Gala dress come from?"

Rainbow smirked, "I'll tell ya about all of it later!" she unfurled her wings, "But I gotta dash for now. See ya later, kid!"

As her mentor took off, Scootaloo waved, "O-Oh, okay! See ya later!"