Snowy Days and Nights

by TheBluWaffle

Rating: teen
Tags: Other, Romance, Fluttershy, Tragedy, Derpy Hooves, Doctor Whooves, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash, Sad
Length: 8025

When Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy get caught in an unexpected snowstorm, it's up to Dash to save a weakened Fluttershy from an icy grave.

In this alternate world, Fluttershy and Derpy Hooves were adopted at a young age by Rainbow Dad (Dash's dad), after Fluttershy and Derpy Hooves both had bad experiences with their fathers, and their mothers were in different parts of the world. Rainbow Dad took them in as his own, and raised them along with Rainbow Dash. The three fillies were all very good friends to begin with, so it was an easy fit into this new family. It's a new series of stories that depict their hard times growing up, as well as the fun things and new experiences that they will discover.

In this one however, we go back a long ways when the family's relationship was just beginning. RD and FS are about 12-13 in this one, and it shows the dedication of one Pegasus to save her sister from an untimely and tragic death. It also shows the deep bonds and connections between the characters in this new universe of MLP, and how they fight through the rough times and the grief and pain that comes with it. I hope you enjoy, 'Snowy Days and Nights.'

Published 2015-06-15 23:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-07-02 05:55:54 UTC

Part 1- Stuck In The Blizzard

They couldn’t get out of it. It hit hard, it hit fast, it was completely unexpected, except for the last couple of moments before it happened. One thing that Rainbow was surprised about was that she didn’t know that it was coming. The weather system in Cloudsdale and Ponyville was common knowledge to her, and she basically knew the entire schedule of weather patterns, but this must have been that one day that she forgot to memorize. The wind was whipping and the snow was falling fast and hard. It was a good thing that they had their jackets, but they didn’t really help as much as they should. Fluttershy didn’t look to well. To begin with, her jacket was stained with snow and now she was so weak that Rainbow had to carry her. She looked pale, her eyes were slightly open and quivering, and her breathing was spastic. Rainbow herself wasn’t doing so good either. Her body was getting colder by the second, and her strength was slowly diminishing. Carrying Fluttershy around her neck wasn't helping either, but she wasn’t going to give up, not yet. She wasn’t going to give up until they found some sort of building. So far, they could barely see anything through the heavy snowstorm. Rainbow closed her eyes for a moment as the wind picked up. The snow felt like sharp daggers against her fur, and she could feel Fluttershy shudder violently in that instant. When Dash looked again, it seemed like an even denser layer of snow formed within her sight. She kept pushing through it.

Rainbow wasn’t just thinking about Fluttershy. She was thinking about her dad, Rainbow Dad, her loving, caring father. He must have been worried sick, and he was probably looking for them right now. Knowing her dad, he was, and he wouldn't stop until he found them. She was also thinking about Derpy, sweet Derpy Hooves, who was probably more worried than dad. She recently became her sister, and she connected with Fluttershy pretty quickly. After everything that had happened, after all the bad things that happened, she was more than overjoyed by the good things in life, the fun experiences that she had with her new family. Now, that all would take a turn, and Dash wondered just how shocked and upset it made her to hear from dad that; “Your sisters are stuck in a raging blizzard, with just a jacket and each other to keep them warm.”

There wasn’t any warmth right now. It was just the cold. It was everywhere. It covered every single thing in sight. It was covering them. It was killing them slowly.

Dash trudged on, freezing, weary and nearly blinded from the onslaught of snow and wind. She wouldn’t give up now. She wouldn’t! She was too dedicated to save her best friend, her sister, from this untimely doom. They weren’t going to die here, not today.

Dash wished that Fluttershy would pick up her hooves just a little, but the yellow pegasus was growing weaker and weaker by the second. Dash readjusted her on her shoulder, trying to get her in a less awkward position. Even through the storm, she could hear a soft groan come from the pegasus.

“C-Come on Flutters…” She said to her.

Fluttershy’s hooves were no longer even moving. Dash was practically carrying her full weight now, which made Dash strain to keep up with her dying strength.

“Ahh…” Dash groaned.

Her knees were clipping, her legs were giving way, her hooves were aching in constant pain and stress. No! She wouldn't stop! She had to keep going.

It seemed like the wind was blowing harder and harder, and the snow was falling more and more, as if to challenge her very will. She accepted it. She struggled along.

“D...Dash…” Fluttershy’s weak voice almost whispered. Dash didn’t hear it. She continued, fighting her inner longings to sit, to wait and hope that someone would find them.

“Ergh...c-come on...w-we’ve got t-to be close t-to someplace…” She said, squinting through the snow. She could barely see anything two feet in front of her.

Suddenly, as she started moving again, Fluttershy collapsed in the snow. Dash looked back, kneeling down to her weak friend.

“F-Flutters! Come on...w-we’ve gotta, k-keep going!” She yelled, picking one of her hooves up. She tried to drag her a ways. The snow was too thick already. She knelt back down. She looked terrible. She was so pale, she was so cold, her eyes were barely open, her breathing was less frequent, she was shaking violently. Dash’s worries increased.

“D-Dash…” She gave a breathy sigh.

“C-Come on...Get up!” She almost screamed.

“N...No Dash…” She gave a long breath of cold air. Dash just sat there, trying to will her up.

“F-Flutters, d-don’t give up F-Flutters...we can m-m-make it…” She tried picking her up again, but she didn’t even give an attempt to get up. She looked back, icy tears forming in her eyes.

“F-Flutters…” She said softly.

Fluttershy did something unusual in that moment...she smiled. She smiled straight up at her determined friend. She kept that smile as long as she stared.

“I’m...s-so glad…you at l-least…tried…” She coughed, eyes shot open after. That was not a good sign.

“F-Flutters...no...I’ll keep t-t-trying...we c-can make it...y-you just--”

A sudden gust of wind stopped her. She covered both of them using her body, but she took most of the hit. It’s like a whole icicle just sliced her back. She winced and bit her lip from the pain.

She looked back down to Fluttershy. Her smiled ceased to exist, and she had a blank look in her eyes. Dash’s had tears, ice cold tears, that could have been small ice drops with contact of the air.

“Flutters...d-don’t go…” She whimpered.

Fluttershy looked up at her one last time. She took Dash's hoof in one of hers. Dash looked down at it, shaking her head slightly, somehow knowing what was coming next. Fluttershy took her last breath and said;

“I...love...you…” She slowly closed her eyes. A second later, her breathing stopped.

Dash was in disbelief. No...she couldn’t really be dead...right?

“C-Come on Flutters…” She picked her hoof up again and pulled it. She didn’t move.

Rainbow’s tears started flowing more. “No...g-get up...F-Flutters, stop playing...t-this is s-s-serious...get up…” She felt her chest for a heartbeat. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Rainbow’s mouth quivered. She stared silently at her friends still body. She wanted her to move. She wanted her to make some indication that she was still living. Nothing.

The only thing she could hear now was the screaming wind. The cold nipped at her ears and muzzle, but she couldn’t feel it anymore. She felt totally numb, inside and out. The tears had made dark spots on the snow, and they kept coming. She glanced once more at her still friend, before finally, she swallowed her sadness and picked her up again, a new courage and strength in her body.

“I-I’m not l-leaving you, F-Flutters…” She said, continuing along, a sliver of hope for her friend.

She made her way at a crawling pace for what seemed like hours.The cold winds and heavy snow pummeled her throughout her trip, relentlessly trying to stop the blue pegasus from reaching her goal. She wasn’t giving in, never.

Minutes went on. She had no luck. She couldn’t see anything in front of her now, she was completely blinded by the blizzard. She was walking aimlessly into the storm, hoping for a miracle that they would find civilization soon.

She kept going, but she was starting to falter. She had started getting blown backwards by the wind, decreasing her chances of moving forward. She was shaking endlessly from the freezing temperature. Her strength was depleting every second from the added body. She looked up towards the sky, hoping that Celestia would hear her prayer.

Suddenly, she looked forward, and for a split second, she thought she could see a very faint red light flash from the distance. She waited a couple more seconds, and it happened again. She smiled, and quickened her pace, despite her nearly depleted strength.

“Come o-on...c-come on…” She willed herself.

Her legs were almost gone. A few more steps and they were done. A few more steps was all she needed.

She could see the light clearly now, and she could also spot sliding glass double doors. With her last remaining will and strength, she took a deep breath, rushed towards the door as fast as she could, still carrying the seemingly dead yellow pegasus, and collapsed through the front as the doors opened.

Rainbow was on her back, panting for any air she could find. She still couldn't feel a thing. She was staring up at a yellowish ceiling, her hooves limp by her side. She looked over to her left; Fluttershy was lying there, completely still. Dash looked around briefly, and she could spot someone with a white coat and a red cross on the coat. She looked back to Flutters weekly and smiled.

“W-We made it...Flutters…” She closed her eyes and sighed. “I...k-knew we w-would…”

Deprived of all her strength and will, she fell unconscious on the hospital floor.

Author's Note

Here's a new story I've been thinking about writing for about 6 months now. I was going to wait a bit longer and make it after the 'RariTwi Chronicles', but I couldn't wait any longer. I had to at least start it! It's very sad, and the sadness continues throughout the next couple of parts.

This part of the story was also inspired by the song 'Till I Collapse' by Eminem, which is one of my favorite songs from that album, and I got it for Christmas. I also was listening to it on Spotify when I was writing it.

Part 2- Wake

Dash was dreaming. That's all she was doing, dreaming. Her body was gone, her mind was blank, her soul was at peace. The outside world was nothing to her in this moment. She wasn't worried about anything. Not dad, not Derpy, not even Fluttershy. Peaceful dreams enveloped her, and for a moment, it seemed like this would be her last dream, her very last breath. She wasn't worried though, not in the slightest. If this was it, then she would welcome it. She would be happy, happy and in peace.

Suddenly, a warmth washed over her, and her dreams disappeared. Her hooves, her mind, and her entire body regained feeling. She took a deep breath, taking in air, sweet air. It felt much better than it ever had to breath. Her hooves started tingling, feeling something covering them. A second later, she sighed again, opening her eyes slightly.

Her sight was hazy, blurred items could be seen around the room. She could hear the loud beep's of the heart monitor, which was stinging to her ears. She tried to move her hooves, but for some reason, she couldn't. She was still very weak, even after sleeping. She moved her head around, trying to spot anyone. No one else was in the room. She had hoped that dad and Derpy would be here but, they weren't, which saddened her deeply.

Her ear perked up when she heard the door open. She glanced over to see who it was, smiling, thinking it was one of them. To her dismay, it was only the doctor. She sighed.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash." He said, walking to her bed.

Rainbow Dash didn't respond. She didn't really want to speak unless it was something extremely important.

He leaned up against the bed, putting his hoof up to her forehead. Dash closed her eyes for a second.

"Hm...you're still a little cold." He picked up his stethoscope around his neck, lying it on her chest. Dash gulped, still not speaking.

"Your heartbeat is mostly back to normal." He put it back around his neck. Dash didn't look directly at him, multiple questions burning in her mind. She just wanted to wait until he had a moment.

He stood back up, walking over to a small counter with multiple cabinets. He opened one and reached inside, feeling for the contents. Dash finally sighed, opening her mouth for a question.

"W...Where's my family?" She asked weakly.

He picked out a bottle of pills, walking back to her. "You're dad and one of your sisters are outside in the lobby. They aren't allowed in the rooms at this time but--"

Dash gasped. "Wait...dad and...Derpy?" She asked.

He thought about the name. "Yes, Derpy Hooves, I believe it was." He nodded.

Dash smiled. They were here, thank Celestia.

"I will say too, you're dad sure was worried. He told me that he spent about 2 hours searching for you two, and he nearly had a panic attack when he couldn't find you."

Dash's smile grew. 'I knew he was looking for us.'

"We almost needed to take him in too. He was shaking like a mad Pegasus, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has a cold." He said.

Dash closed her eyes, imagining them in the lobby.

The doctor held out his hoof and a glass of water. "Take this." Dash accepted it, downing the pill and the water in seconds. She was extremely thirsty.

"C-Could I get...another glass?" She asked him, trying to sit up. The doctor immediately pushed her back down.

"Whoa Rainbow Dash, don't try to sit up alright? Your not strong enough yet." He warned.

Dash begrudgingly stayed down, even though all she wanted was to get up and run around the place, maybe even fly a little.

He sighed. "Look, I know you probably don't want to rest all day, but it's for your own good. You need to regain your strength, especially after seeing how weak you both were.

The word "both" immediately raised another question.

"Flutters...h-how is Fluttershy? Is...is she okay?" She asked, worried like heck.

The doctor didn't answer at first. He seemed a little nervous by the question.

"Please...d-don't hide anything...just, t-tell me..." Dash closed her eyes to prevent the tears. Her mind was divided between okay, and possibly dead.

The doctor sighed. "Look Dash..." He walked back over, leaning against her bed, as if to comfort her. "When you brought her in, her heart was not beating at all, and it looked like she had been dead for about an hour." Dash sighed, fearing the worst. "Honestly Dash, she should be dead..."

Dash gasped. Should? He just said should...does that mean--

He smiled. "Fluttershy is alive, Rainbow Dash. She's very lucky to be alive as well. She was so weak that we really couldn't do much to heal her. If we tried to do anything to her, we might of injured her ourselves. But somehow, someway, we able to get her heart working again. She's resting right now, and it's possible that she might not wake up for a while, but she is alive, so you don't have to worry."

Dash was lost for words. She was now shedding tears of shock and joy, an interesting combo. She closed her eyes, sniffling, basking in that fact: Fluttershy was alive, breathing, sleeping, dreaming. It made her want to fly around the hospital and shout to everyone, especially Derpy and her father.

The doctor put a hoof on her shoulder, sighing. "I can tell that you really care about her Rainbow Dash. That's why I tried everything in my power to keep her warm and alive. The way you burst through the door, carrying her in your hooves like a pure protector, that screamed at me that I had to keep this yellow Pegasus safe, but when I realized her condition, I knew I had to find a way to get her heart working again. It wasn't easy either. Right before you got in here, the heater went out because of this blizzard, so it was like, 65 degrees inside, but, I found a way. Believe it or not, I actually had to put her in front of an oven to get her warm. Luckily, her heart started again, very slowly, but it was there. We quickly gave her a couple of anti-drugs to counter the effects of pneumonia, then we set her in a bed and left her there, and I made sure that her heart was still beating when she got there." He said.

Dash stared at him through her teary eyes. He did all this to safe her sister. He found a way, even through the complications. This pony, was Dash's sole hero right now.

"Th-Thank you..." She said weakly. Then, she did something that she normally wouldn't do to anypony...she found a little extra strength, sat up, and before he could protest, she hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go.

He, of course, was slightly taken aback. He wasn't expecting her to sit up again, after what he said, and he defiantly wasn't expecting her too hug him! Even then, he returned, trying not to hug her too tightly.

"Th...Thank you..." She said again, softer than before. She released her grip, falling backyards on the bed. The doctor led her through so she didn't actually fall backwards, but she was more, being guided backwards.

Dash smiled at him, happy to have his presence in the room. It's almost like she made a new friend within a couple minutes of waking in the hospital. Odd.

He stood up. "Well, I have to leave you now, but I'll be back later. I have to check in on Fluttershy, to make sure that everything is alright. I have a feeling that it should be, but, I just want to be sure." He explained to her.

"No...please do. It, would m-make me feel more...secure." Dash said, feeling slightly sleepy.

"Of course." He started towards the door. "You have a nice sleep, Rainbow Dash..."

"Wait..." Dash stopped him, feeling drowsier. She had to know one thing before she drifted off to sleep. "W-What's your...n-name?" She asked, fading.

He smiled. "Doctor Hooves' the name, Rainbow Dash." He left the room without another word. Dash smiled at the door, before lying her head back down and closing her eyes, letting the power of the drug take her into sleep.

Author's Note

Title was inspired by the Linkin Park instrumental with the same name.
Notice that I use Dr. Hooves again. Remember that this is way in the past! Dash, Derpy and Fluttershy are all about 12 years old.

Part 3- Dad and Derpy Hooves

Outside the door, a few halls down, two pegasi are waiting patiently in the lobby for the word on their family. Rainbow Dad and Derpy Hooves were sitting in their chairs, cold jackets on their bodies, shaking, blowing cold air out their mouths.

"Dad, why is so cold in here?" Derpy asked, pushing closer to dad for warmth.

"Ah, I don't know." He wrapped his hoof around her. "Don't worry though; when that doctor comes, we'll ask him all about it." She nodded. Dad shivered.

He looked down the hall, and he spotted the doctor that he talked too earlier. He sighed with relief and anxiety. They had been waiting for his arrival for about four hours.

The doctor stopped in front of them, a small smile on his face.

"Sorry for the wait, you two. It's been a bit hectic lately, with this whole heater situation, and taking care of both your fillies and all."

"It's no trouble, were just glad you're here." Dad said. "What's wrong with the heater?"

"Oh, darned blizzard knocked it out. It's been broken all day now!"

Dad turned to Derpy. "No wonder it's so cold in here." Derpy nodded in response, rubbing her hooves together.

"Yeah. We've been busting our flanks trying to fix it." He said with a slight groan.

Dad nodded. He had a lot of questions that needed answering. "Doc...how are my daughters doing?"

He sighed. "Well, the last time I checked in on Rainbow Dash, she was awake, and very concerned. She looks to be fine, all she needs is a little more rest." He answered.

Dad sighed. "That's good to hear. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to her." He paused. "What about Fluttershy? Is she okay?" He asked.

The doc sat down with them. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about." He paused, shivering from the cold. "At this moment in time, Fluttershy is alive and in a stable condition. All she's doing is sleeping right now." Both Dad and Derpy sighed in relief from this. "However, I will inform you that it can all change." He sighed. "When Rainbow Dash brought her in yesterday, Fluttershy's condition was...awful. I'm saying that in the nicest way possible."

"W-What do you mean?" Derpy asked, frightened by his words.

He gave them both a glance before he said his next words. "Fluttershy was dead."

Derpy gasped, and Dad almost fell backwards. "Dead?! She was dead?!" Dad was in disbelief. "H...How...how is she alive then?"

"Were still asking that same question. We brought both of them in, and we saw that Rainbow Dash was still alive, but Fluttershy, her heart wasn't beating, and she wasn't breathing. We went through our normal procedures to see if we could get her heart moving again, and for a good 30 minutes, nothing worked. Usually, we stop after about five or ten minutes, because that's usually how long it could take to reboot the heart. I had to keep everyone else hopeful, but after those 30 minutes, we almost gave up...but all of a sudden, the machine started beeping. I checked her heart and it was beating. I couldn't believe it. I thought that it was a flaw in the machine, but her heart proved different." He paused. "It was a miracle. That's all I thought."

Derpy, who had grasped Dad's jacket, sucked in a breath. She almost forgot to breath during the second half of that story. Dad looked at the doctor with silent compassion. He had never seen anyone go the extra length to keep his children safe, mostly because no-one usually needed too, but this doctor did, and he deserved a thousand thanks, then some.

"What made you keep going?" Dad asked.

"Pardon?"

"Well, you said that you usually give the patient about ten minutes..."

"I was being modest. I usually give the patients five to ten minutes, other doctors go a lot less." He shook his head.

"I see...but what made you keep going?"

The doctor sighed. "Well, there were two reasons. You can give the first one to your daughter, Rainbow Dash. She was the main reason."

"What? What did she do?" He asked.

"I forgot that didn't tell you the story. Rainbow Dash came bursting in the door, carrying that yellow Pegasus in her hooves. She looked more exhausted and drained than any pony I've ever seen. I couldn't even imagine how long she trudged through the snow. She looked almost as pale as Fluttershy. I was right at the front desk, and I saw everything." He paused. "Here's why I went the extra mile to save her. When I eventually realized how far she had gone to save her, something just told me, "You have to keep that Pegasus alive, no matter how hard it may be." And so, I tried everything in my power to save her, and thankfully, I did."

Derpy crawled over Dad quickly, and she hugged the doctor tightly. He was not expecting her to suddenly spring up like that. She had been completely silent except for one question.

"Th-Thank you!" Was all she could make out. He just realized that she had been crying. Dad smiled, patting her on the back. When she finally let go, she didn't look directly at him, embarrassed for her crying. She turned back to Dad and leaned against him, sighing, closing her eyes.

"Derpy took the words right out of my mouth. We couldn't be more appreciative of what you've done. You...you saved Fluttershy..."

"No, Rainbow Dash saved Fluttershy. I merely warmed her up."

"Wait...how were you able to warm her up without a heater?"

He smiled. "Let's just say I had a little help from a kitchen oven."

Dad had to wonder what that meant, but before he could ask another question, the doctor stood up. "Well, I have to get back to work. I've got another patient other than Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to take care of. I'll see you two tomorrow." He started to walk away.

"Wait..." Derpy said quietly.

Doctor Hooves was just able to hear her. "Yes Derpy?"

"When will we be able to see them?" She asked.

He thought about that for a moment. "Well, since Rainbow Dash is awake, you can see her tomorrow during visiting hours. Fluttershy however, will have to wait. She needs as much sleep as she can get." He said, walking away.

"Tomorrow? Aw, I wanted to see her today!" Derpy cried.

"I know Derpy, I did too." He said, pulling her closer. Derpy nuzzled herself back into him, sighing.

"I hope they'll be alright." Derpy said, a little frightened.

"They'll be fine Derpy, don't worry." He reassured her. He looked down the hall, not exactly trusting his own answer. He silently prayed to Celestia to keep his daughters safe. He looked down at Derpy, who had fallen asleep. He smiled, thinking, At least one of them is safe. He kissed her on the head, then he leaned up against the chair. Relaxing, he finally fell asleep.

Part 4- Dash's Nightmare

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, glancing around sluggishly. She shot up, noticing that she was still in the same bed as in the hospital. Yet there was no hospital. The entire room had dissolved into a large white space, where noting was seen. Dash clutched her sheet in fear. Where was she, and how in the world did she get here? She gulped down the lump in her throat, looking around again, trying to find anything she could see. She gasped when she spotted another hospital bed that had suddenly appeared a little ways away. She tried to make out the figure on it, and she immediately spotted some pink fluff that was lying on the pillow.

"Fluttershy!" She immediately hopped out of the bed and ran over to her. She hadn't seen her since the blizzard and it was needless to say that she was excited.

Suddenly, something grabbed one of her hind hooves. She looked down to see a strange black rope wrap around the hoof. She tugged and pulled at it, but it did not want to let go. She looked over to the bed, and she saw a strange dark mist form around the defenseless yellow Pegasus. Dash tried to shake off the dark rope that was hindering her progress, but every time she struggled, the thing pulled tighter. Her heart was filled with fear as the mist rolled closer to her. Fluttershy, who was sleeping, didn't even notice the mist. Dash wished she would wake up and run away, but she didn't.

Suddenly, another rope pulled her other hind leg, making her fall onto her front. She tried to kick them off, but to no avail. The ropes started pulling her backwards, towards her own bed. She used her front hooves to try and gain some traction, hopefully to stop herself. It was a failure. She looked back up at the black mist, and now she could see some outlined figures start to roll in. She couldn't do anything to stop them, which frightened her to the core. She was always her protector, and to not be her protector for even just a second made her feel guilty.

"Fluttershy! Wake up!" She yelled, hoping she would hear her. The ropes kept pulling her back to the bed, and Fluttershy wasn't waking up. The figures were right on her, and the whole white room was dimming fast. The ropes reached the bed and pinned Dash too it, her hooves stuck on the side. She watched on in horror as the figures fell over her, and the room went black. Dash cried her name again, feeling the a piece of her get ripped from her soul.

--Dash shot up screaming, sweating, and shaking. Her heart was beating hard and fast inside her chest. She quickly glanced around the room. The familiar machines and cabinets made her feel relieved. It also wasn't pitch black. The light from the moon shown through the window, Dash thanking it silently. She laid herself back down on the bed, trying to calm herself from the horrible scene she had just witnessed.

"C-Calm down Dash...it was just a dream..." She quietly said to herself. "F-Fluttershy's fine! She...she hasn't been engulfed by the darkness yet..."

How do you know? Her mind asked.

Her conscious had her there. She really didn't know Fluttershy's status at the moment. She didn't know if she was alive and safe. She didn't know if she would...

She had to stop. The negative thoughts were making her more and more frightened and sad by the second. She had to think positive, like earlier.

"F-Fluttershy's fine." Dash said, a large amount of uncertainty in her voice. She gulped, laying her head down on the pillow. Just chill Dash. She's alright, you know it. Relax...

Dash took a deep breath as she willed herself back to sleep. It took several minutes, but eventually, she faded.

Part 5- The Pain Of Rememberance

Dash sighed in boredom, swatting at the air with her hoof. The doctor came in earlier to give her from medicine, but besides that, she hasn't seen anyone else today. She hasn't seen anyone other than Doctor Hooves in the past three days for that matter!

The door opened, and she was expecting the doctor to walk in. What she got was completely unexpected.

All of a sudden, she heard, "DASHIE!!!" and she could see a gray blur run up to her. She jumped on the bed, just narrowly missing Dash and she hugged her very tightly.

"Dashie! I missed you so much!" Derpy Hooves shouted, keeping her tight hold on the blue Pegasus. Dash couldn't help but smile, even from her uncomfortable position.

"Uh, D-Derpy, you're kinda', uhf...holding me a little too tight..." Dash said with difficulty.

"Oh, sorry." Derpy said, loosening her grip. She looked down, a little embarrassed. Dash's smile widened.

"I missed you too." She said, hugging her back. Derpy returned the hug, but not as tightly as the last. They held that embrace for many moments, Dash just happy to have been able to hug this soft little Pegasus again. They broke away a moment later, Dash not really wanting to let go. She looked back at the door, and her eyes widened. The doctor was standing there, but right next to him was a Pegasus with much more importance in Dash's life. She gasped and yelled.

"Dad!"

She jumped past Derpy and out the bed, and she ran right up to him, jumping into his awaiting hooves. He almost fell backwards from her force.

"Whoa! Haha, almost knocked me over Dash!" He chuckled.

Dash didn't really hear him. She was too focused on the warm embrace her father and her were sharing. She hadn't felt his soft, warm fur in what seemed like weeks. She clutched his fur tighter, tears forming in her tightly shut eyes.

"I...ahh..." Dash realized that her strength had just been relinquished, and she knew why. She had made a mistake a second ago.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking down at the little Pegasus.

"I...s-shouldn't have...ran..." She couldn't even finish her sentence. She sighed into his chest, feeling weak and frail. Dad looked over to the doctor, who shook his head. Dad smiled at the little filly, knowing that he would've done the same thing if he was Dash. He carefully placed her on his back, and he felt her relax, her whole body almost melting onto his. When he reached the bed, Derpy helped Dash into it, setting her head down on the pillow slowly. Dash sighed, feeling the soft cushion against her. Derpy nuzzled herself next to her, not hiding her smile.

"T-Thanks..." Dash said weakly. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of Derpy's warm body next to her.

"So, what happened? She just, lost all of her strength?" Derpy asked.

"Precisely. I warned her that any sort of physical activity would diminish her strength within seconds, but she didn't listen." He said, a little peeved. "No one listens to the doctor..." He mumbled under his breath.

"Hey, it's alright. She was just excited, that's all." Dad said. "At least she didn't injure herself!" He added. He looked to Dash, a sudden seriousness on his face. "You uh, didn't injure yourself, did you?" He asked with concern.

Dash chuckled lightly. "Of course not..." She sighed. Dad nodded his head, relieved.

"See? My Dash can handle a little runnin' even if she may seem unfit to be active." Dad said proudly. Dash rolled her eyes.
He says that even after I nearly fainted from running! Oh, that is so Dad.

The doctor didn't seemed to appealed. "Yes well, anyway, I need to check in on Fluttershy, to make sure she's still recovering at a regular rate."

"Speaking of, how's she been doing? Has she woken up yet?" Dad asked, stroking Dash's multi-colored hair.

"No she hasn't, but she's been recovering very well. Her heart rate is back to normal, and she's been getting warmer each day, which is a very good sign, especially with how cold it's been in this hospital." He sighed in annoyance. "No one's been able to fix the heater because this blizzard keeps going! It's been going on for three days, and it doesn't look like it's going to stop."

When Dash heard "blizzard", she cringed. Ever since that dreadful day, whenever she heard talk of this snowstorm, she couldn't help but feel afraid. It was one of the most traumatizing events of her life, one she'll never forget for as long as she lived. That scar would stay with her forever, the one that was titled; The day Fluttershy nearly--

"Dash? You alright?" Derpy asked, noticing Dash's suddenly tense body.

Dash turned to her. She was staring at her, along with Dad. They both had concerned looks on their faces.

"Uh, y-yeah just..." She paused. "Ever since...you know, I've been...having really bad...memories. They...t-they're awful...and...I-I..."

Derpy wrapped her hoof around her, snuggling her closer into her body. Dash shut her eyes to hold the tears. "I...I hate them...I w-wish I wouldn't...r-remember those..." Dash was close to breaking. Derpy held her tighter.

"I know Dash. But, you suffered through a really traumatic experience. Those experiences will be the ones you remember, weather you like it or not. I hate to say it, but it's true." Dad's face grew sullen. "I would know. You remember hmm?" He asked, sadness in his voice.

Indeed, she remembered. She didn't like to think about it at all. It was the worst time for her and Dad, and she would like to forget it...forever, but she knew she never would. Dad wouldn't either.

Dash nodded, not saying a word. Her eyes felt heavy from her lack of strength, and the tears that were waiting to be released. The pain of remembrance forced her line to snap, and she broke down crying. Derpy jumped to her aid, hugging her and patting her gentle. Dash buried her face in her shoulder, letting the tears flow free. Dad watched on in silence, feeling a heavy guilt tug at him. He realized his error.

"Dash..." He started, a lump in his throat. "I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't...h-have mentioned..." He stopped. He didn't want to say any more. Derpy looked to him with sad eyes. She never had seen Dash cry like this, and Dash was usually the Pegasus that would hold in her tears. She would usually be very embarrassed to cry, even though it was never a big deal. Derpy had never seen her this...broken.

Derpy continued her embrace for minutes, not letting go of her sister. The other unusual thing was, Dash usually was not the type to hug others, even if she was feeling down. She's stubborn as a rock, so it makes sense. This is why Derpy was shocked, and a little afraid...afraid for her.

Dash finally pulled away, her cheeks stained with tears, her eyes puffy and red. She didn't look directly at either of them, embarrassed from her crying. Derpy put a hoof on her shoulder, and that's when Dash spoke.

She gulped. "M-My eyes hurt..." Was all she made out. Derpy hugged her again, feeling her pain. Dad sighed, hating to see his daughter like this. When Derpy broke away, Dash whipped the remaining tears from her eyes, and rested on the bed, emotionally exhausted. Derpy stroked her soft hair, trying to calm her down, seeing if she would sleep right away. To her surprise, she fell asleep within seconds of lying down. Dad stood up and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Derpy asked.

"I need to talk with Doctor Hooves. I need to know if Fluttershy is awake, and if she isn't, I need to know when they think she'll wake up." He said. "You can stay with her. After that breakdown, she'll need you here. She'll need the loving comfort of a sister."

Derpy nodded. "I'll keep her warm." She said with a sad smile.

"Alright. Thanks Derpy. You've really helped her out a lot today." He looked to his daughter, who was sleeping soundly, even after that mental fallout. "I just don't know how much more of thus she can take." He said as he walked out.

Derpy looked down at the beautiful blue Pegasus. She almost felt like crying too, from the obvious pain that she and her Dad shared. She didn't have a clue as to what they were implying, but it was obvious that it was something deep and personal. Derpy nuzzled her body next to her, sighing from the sweet warmth that was radiating off of her and the blanket. She wrapped her hooves around her loosely, closing her eyes and drifting off into a deep sleep.

Part 6- Reunited

Another two days passed without much happening. The only good thing was that the doctor actually let Dash walk around for once, but to Dash's disappointment, he still didn't allow her to fly. Besides that, it was another boring and agonizingly slow two days. Once again, there was no new news of Fluttershy's status; the same things were said. "She just sleeping" and She'll probably wake up within the next couple days." Dash was sick of hearing it. She just wanted her to wake up already! She didn't want to sound mean or anything, but she was getting way to antsy, and it seemed like her wake up call was overdue. Dash fidgeted around in her bed, trying to get those thoughts out of her head. Fluttershy deserves as much time as she needs...no matter how much Dash wanted her to wake up. She sighed.

She heard the door open. She craned her neck to see the doctor. She only groaned under her breath.

"Hello Dash." Was all he said. Dash didn't answer. "I can tell your getting impatient, and I understand that...which is actually the reason I came in here."

Dash's ear perked up. "What did you say?"

He smiled. "Come on, I want to show you something." He said, motioning to the door.

Dash was already out of bed before he head finished his sentence. She raced out the door, running to Fluttershy's room. If her hunch was right, then this would be the time. Her heart was racing from her activity and her sheer excitement. She hopped that this was it. The doctor appeared a moment later.

"She just woke up, so try not to be too loud." The doctor said. He opened the door, and she looked straight to the bed, a wide smile on her face. The smile immediately faded when she saw that Fluttershy was not awake, her back towards Dash. She felt crushed on the inside. The doctor had tricked her!

She looked at the doctor with tears in her eyes. How long she had waited for her, only to be ruined by his sick prank. The doctor looked shocked when he saw Dash's face, not understanding why she was so upset.

"S-So...that's what I get huh?! You bring me all the way here just to show my sister still asleep?!" She yelled, anger flashing across her face. "Why would you do that?!" The doctor realized, once he had glanced quickly over to the bed, that Fluttershy had fallen asleep! Oh no, this looked very bad.

"No no no! She was awake a moment ago--" He said in his defense.

"You're so cruel!" She turned away, angry and crestfallen. "Y-You knew how long I've...waited for her to wake--"

She was interrupted by a voice. "Dash...you shouldn't be yelling right now."

Both of them looked to where the voice came from. Fluttershy's light blue eyes were staring right at Dash, and she had a soft smile on her face. Dash's eyes welled up with more tears, those this time, they were tears of relief, and happiness.

Dash trotted over to her, stopping just before the bed.

"F-Flutters...Is it r-really you?" She stammered. Her smile widened and she nodded her head.

That's when Dash hugged her. She wrapped her hooves and her wings around Pegasus in a warm and tight embrace. Fluttershy sighed, feeling Dash's soft blue fur mesh against her own yellow fur.

Dash leaned her muzzle into her shoulder and sobbed, not even trying to hold back. The emotions were flowing through her, happiness, relief, sadness, and a tint of anger that still didn't go away. She would have to apologize to the doctor later, but for now, her focus was on Fluttershy.

Fluttershy leaned into her, closing her eyes and taking in every feeling of Dash's embrace. She hadn't felt her soft fur in what seemed like weeks, which was far too long. She also felt the slightest graze of feathers, which made her tingle inside.

They stayed that way for minutes on end, Dash keeping Fluttershy comfortable in her hooves and wings. Dash's sobs began to subside, and when she finally pulled away, she had stopped crying altogether. She stared straight at Fluttershy, eyes red from the many tears, but she had a smile on her face. Fluttershy had kept that same smile through the whole hug. She didn't want her to pull away, to be honest, but she knew that they had a lot to talk about.

Fluttershy broke the silence. "H-How long was I out?" She asked.

Dash sighed. "Um...five days."

Fluttershy was shocked. "Five days?! Why didn't someone wake me up before?"

"The doctor wanted you to get as much sleep as possible." Dash paused. "You understand, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah...the doctor knows best."

Dash chuckled. "I wanted to wake you up earlier..."

Fluttershy smiled. "I had a feeling you did."

There were a couple beats of silence, before Fluttershy spoke again.

"Rainbow...how did I, you know, end up in the hospital?" She asked.

Dash was surprised by the question. "What? You mean...you don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Us at the park, and then the snowstorm and then..." Dash trailed off. She didn't want to say anything more, for good reason. "You're telling me you don't remember any of it?"

Fluttershy tried to bring her thoughts together in remembrance, but nothing came up. "N-No...I don't. The last thing I remember was...we were at the park, and there was a little bit of snow, but that's it. Nothing about...a blizzard."

Dash was shocked. Somehow, her premature death had erased the memory of the blizzard clear from her mind.

"Maybe it's a good thing you don't remember it then..." Dash murmured.

"Why? Did something happen?" She asked, concern in her voice.

Dash looked away. "I shouldn't tell you..."

"Tell me what?"

"It might freak you out, I...I shouldn't--"

Dash was cut off. "Dash, I want to know what happened. What are you not telling me?" Her voice barley going above a whisper.

Dash sighed. She couldn't go back now. "Okay...I'll tell you..." Dash told her everything, every little detail, including every word they both spoke. The vivid image came back in her head when she started reciting that awful day, and it pained Dash to remember. Fluttershy was completely silent throughout the story, listening intently to her words, the tears starting to form in her eyes. Fluttershy hadn't remembered any of this, yet this experience sounded so traumatizing that it should've stayed with her for the rest of her life. How was this possibly?

Dash sucked in a shaky breath as she finished. She didn't even want to speak for the rest of the day if she could. She closed her eyes.

Fluttershy sniffed, leaning into her, giving her a soft hug, making Dash shudder.

"Y-You...saved me." Fluttershy breathed.

Dash shakily sighed. "I...I w-wasn't going to leave y-you...out there..."Dash said softly, nuzzling her face into her shoulder.

Fluttershy stroked her soft hair, making her sigh. She could feel Dash's tears on her shoulder, the cyan Pegasus sobbing words through her shuddering breaths.

"I-I'm n-not going to l-leave you...h-however l-long it takes...f-for you to recover...I-I'm not leaving y-your s-side..." Dash stuttered. Fluttershy closed her eyes, feeling every bit of Dash's embrace; her soft fur against hers, her little muzzle buried in her shoulder, her tears staining the same area. It made Fluttershy sad, but at the same time, it made her feel relieved, relieved that she was letting all her emotions out with her. That's exactly what she needed right now, an emotional purge, especially after this whole ordeal. This was one of the saddest things that Fluttershy has heard in her entire life, and though she didn't remember it, she lived through the whole thing. Fluttershy hugged her tighter.

Dash raised her head, not looking directly at Fluttershy. She felt embarrassed from her crying, like she always did. She whipped the tears away from her eyes, sniffling.

"Dash...look at me..." Fluttershy said. Dash whimpered. Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin, trying to will her head up, despite her obvious embarrassment. "Please?" She asked.

Dash slowly lifted her head, staring at Flutters with tear-stained magenta eyes. Fluttershy smiled. She always thought Dash looked absolutely stunning when she cried. It was the eyes...the eyes always got her.

Dash took a breath. "I...I'm n-not losing you again..." She said.

Fluttershy sighed. "You won't have to worry about that. I'm not going anywhere."

"B-But...w-what if something l-like this happens again? W-What if there was--"

Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth, stopping her sentence. "Dash, don't think like that okay? This is supposed to be a happy time. Don't think anything bad alright?" Fluttershy said.

Dash nodded slowly. "A-Alright Flutters...you're right." She said, smiling back. Fluttershy was relieved to see her smile. Dash leaned into her again, resting her whole body on Flutters'. Flutters continued stroking her hair, humming a soft tune. Dash could feel and hear Fluttershy's heartbeat, that sweet thumping in her chest she never thought to hear again. Dash sighed, relaxing herself on her body. Fluttershy sighed herself, feeling suddenly sleepy. Dash was getting drowsy from a mix of her heartbeat, and her soft breaths, her chest rising and falling slowly with them. She closed her eyes, letting the feelings take her away into a mental flight. Fluttershy smiled down to her, taking a deep breath.

"I love you Dash." She said, closing her own eyes and leaning her head back on the pillow.

"I-I love you too Flutters." Dash replied.

They both drifted off to sleep, Dash resting in Fluttershy's hooves. They both were happy to be reunited once more.