.out.of.character.

for the front stoop to Twilight's house. She felt a pounding heartbeat through her chest that rivaled the pain throbbing in her wing.

"My right wing..." Rainbow seethed. "My right wing. I know what I felt. I know it."

Just before she reached the door, Fluttershy came bursting out, teary-eyed.

"Fl-Fluttershy!" Rainbow slid to a stop, catching her breath. "Boy, am I glad to see you! Is Twilight in? Something's screwy, and I really gotta talk to her about—" She blinked, then leaned forward. "Fluttershy?"

The mare was heaving, her eyes moist—but not because of the rain. She sniffled heavily, and after just one glance from Rainbow Dash, she winced, avoiding the mare's gaze.

"Fluttershy, what's the matter?" Rainbow Dash trotted closer. "Have you been crying? Talk to me, girl."

"Uhm... I can't. I shouldn't." Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut and seethed through chattering teeth. "I'll just mess it up again. I'll mess everything up again!"

"What in the hay are you talking about?" Rainbow smiled. "You're the kindest, most sincere pegasus I know!" She winked. "And you're a lot braver than the rest of us when the cards are down!"

"You're just saying that!" Fluttershy suddenly barked, snarling in Rainbow's face. Her eyes caught aflame, reflecting a frightened pegasus who was inching away from her. "You are always just saying that! Why won't anypony just tell me the truth?! Tell me that... that..."

Rainbow was actually shivering.

Fluttershy leaned back, ears drooped. "I... I-I..." She whimpered, the tears flowing. "I'm sorry... Oh Rainbow, I'm so... so sorry!" Sobbing, she galloped away. "Why am I always so useless?!"

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow stretched a hoof out. "Wait—!"

But then Fluttershy took off, and with amazing speed too. As soon as Rainbow stretched her wings to follow, her body throbbed with indescribable pain.

"Aaaugh!" Rainbow limped sideways, slumping herself against Twilight's mailbox. "Darn it! What gives?! I've never had it hurt this flippin' much!"

Perhaps, Rainbow thought, if she hadn't been so bold with her flying stunts, then she could have gone after her friend Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash was silent. She glanced left and right, spotting ponies standing and talking in the rain. They were too far away to hear. Everypony was too far away to hear.

She couldn't have caught up with Fluttershy even if she tried.

"Actually, I-I'm pretty sure I could," she murmured. Her ears twitched, detecting a slight ringing noise.

Turning around, she saw that the door to Twilight's library was wide open. She trotted inside.

The first thing she heard was the growling tone in Twilight's voice. "You could at least close the door, Fluttershy."

"Twilight, it's me," Rainbow grunted. "Rainbow Dash."

"Oh. Okay." Twilight was stooped over her desk, writing on a dozen sheets of paper.

"Fluttershy just took off. I think somepony's been bullying her or something—"

"Will you close the door?" Twilight growled. "Please?"

Rainbow blinked. "...yeah, okay." She nodded, slowly oblidging Twilight's request.

The library was shut tight to the rainy world outside.

"Thank you." Twilight shrugged her shoulders and continued writing with a levitating quill. "Good to know that somepony is useful around here."

"Did... I come at a bad time?"

"Hmmmff..." Twilight's wings flexed and unflexed. "Such a silly and small word, 'time,' for something so epically and unfathomably large."

"Uh huh..."

"Most ponies think we have all the time in the world. They never stop to think that there are those of us who have too much of it. But noooooo... we can't have them sharing that burden, now can we?"

"Twilight, at the risk of sounding like an insensitive idiot, I'm gonna change the subject."

"Pffft. Fine. Be my guest." Twilight wrote and wrote. "Wouldn't be the first time I was distracted today."

"I... I-I think there's something wrong with me," Rainbow Dash said, pacing in a tiny little circle. "Or else... there's something wrong with everypony. And I'm pretty sure that one is more likely to be more true than the other."

"So you're a scientist now, huh? That's rich." Twilight sniffed the air. "Got a hypothesis in mind?"

"My left wing hurts like heck," Rainbow said, wincing as she spread a few choice feathers. "But a moment ago, I could have sworn it was my right wing. So... like... maybe I hit my head too?" She shuddered. "Because I'm feeling like something's a bit off in... well... everything."

"Uh huh. Like what?"

"Well, I keep getting this ringing noise in my ear. And... uh... I-I keep noticing things."

"In what way?"

"Like weird things... stuff that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up." She shuddered. "Like Pinkie Pie sounding all creepy as she rummaged around in her basement... or Cloud Kicker flirting up a bunch of stallions... or Rarity..." She winced, then paced to a stop. "Did you know that she's been locking Sweetie Belle up in her closet?"

"Oh really."

"She says it's to 'punish her' for being naughty. I mean... heh... how messed up is that?"

"Did you do anything to stop her?"

"Huh?"

"Did you do anything to stop Rarity from punishing Sweetie Belle?"

Rainbow fidgeted. "Well... uh... no..."

"Then that settles it," Twilight grumbled. "If there's no problem, then there's no need for a solution."

"Sure, I guess... but..."

"But what?"

Rainbow squirmed. "I mean... if there's something wrong with our friends... with this town... we'd totally get together to stop it, r-right?" She looked up, eyes twitching. "Because that's what friends do. That's what we have always done."

"We all know our places, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said. "Well... some of us do, anyway."

Rainbow frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that maybe you should have thought things through before you began performing dangerous flight stunts on your day off!" Twilight gritted her teeth. She wrote so hard against the paper that she scratched the wooden desk underneath. The air filled with a grating carving sound. "Maybe you shouldn't have put all of Ponyville at risk when you placed your body and mind on the line. Who knows when Equestria might be needing your help? But nooooo, you're Rainbow Dash! You have to be adventurous... reckless... and most of all... dense."

"Hey!" Rainbow frowned. "I came here because I was starting to freak out about my injuries! I didn't ask to be chewed down to a lower level! I get enough of that from Captain Spitfire!"

"Hah!" Twilight grinned. "I bet you do!"

Rainbow blinked. "Excuse me?"

Snap! Twilight's quill broke. She slumped back on her haunches, sighing with a huff. "...Rainbow, I am really busy at the moment and I have a lot of letters to write!" She turned around, frowning. "Now if you don't mind..."

"No! Uh uh!" Rainbow frowned, stepping forward. "I want you to explain to me what you meant just now when you mouthed off about me and—"

"Mommy?"

Rainbow turned and looked up the stairs.

A dark shape lingered in the bedroom doorway. A tiny shape. Rainbow made out a horn and bright eyes, but nothing more.

"Is everything okay down there?"

"Yes, honey," Twilight instantly droned, looking past Rainbow. "Just go on and take your nap. Mommy's busy with royal duties at the moment."

"Okay..." A pair of luminescent eyes flickered, like a wolf's between the trees, and the bedroom door shut.

"Twilight, what...?" Rainbow blinked. "I mean... who...?"

"I owe Luna the favor," Twilight said in a dull tone. "Seems like I'm owing everypony favors these days. Why not? I've got all of eternity to do them."

"All of... eternity?"

"If I had things like you did, I'd make every second count. But... I guess some of us don't know what we can or can't afford, huh, Rainbow?"

Rainbow took a deep breath. "Where's Spike?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just answer the question, Twilight."

"He's away."

"Away?" Rainbow leaned forward. "Away where?"

"Where he'll learn to be helpful and not a nuisance for once!" Twilight spun, frowning. "Honestly, Rainbow?! Can't you take a hint?! You're worse than Fluttershy!"

"Worse than...?" Rainbow's eyes widened. "...it was you. You chewed her out, didn't you?"

"Please, Rainbow. You're the last pony to pretend that she doesn't need to grow a spine."

"Twilight, what in the hay has gotten into you?!" Rainbow frowned, stomping her hooves. "Ever since I showed up, you've been nothing but a surly grump, attacking me verbally from all angles! Now if something's eating you up on the inside, be a grown mare and tell your friends! Don't take it out on me and definitely don't take it out on Fluttershy! You know how sensitive she is! Who knows what she could do if even her best friend snaps at her!"

"I won't even pretend to be taking this from you," Twilight said with a cold-hearted chuckle. She reached for another quill, dipping it into the ink. "If I can't trust you to be responsible with your own body, Rainbow Dash, then I can't trust you with anything. So don't preach to me."

"Twilight, if... if this whole alicorn thing has been bothering you on some sort of deep level, then just talk to us! I care a lot for you, girl! We all do! If you could only just—"

"Are you done?" Twilight asked, glaring.

Rainbow blinked at her. She frowned. "You know what?" She nodded. "Yeah. I think I am." She stared up at the upstairs bedroom door, then back at Twilight. "You can have your secrets, Twilight." She trotted towards the front door and opened it to the rain. "You can stew in 'em for all I care."

"Rainbow Dash."

She turned around. "What?"

"Just one lick," Twilight said. "It'll taste sweet. Nopony has to know. Not even her."

Rainbow stared, gawking.

Twilight looked back. Twilight smiled. She swiveled back to her desk and continued writing.

Rainbow fidgeted. At last, with a twirl of her tail, she threw herself outside and