Burning Dreams

Dash snickered as the ball of purple fur shifted under her wing. "Still waiting, Princess."

Twilight groaned. "Just give me a moment, Rainbow. I'm still—"

"Hey, I already gave you two moments." Dash looked at the invisible watch on her forehoof. "And a half."

Instead of laughing at her friend's remark, Twilight hung her head. "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I'm…" She sighed. "I'm still a little bit shaken."

"Pfft, that's nothing. You should see my dad drop me off on a cloud, fly away, and tell me to catch him."

Twilight's eyes narrowed, her panic almost forgotten. "Wh-what? That's—"

"Usual for pegasi."

"What? But that sounds irresponsible and—"

"Cruel?" Dash snickered. "I thought you've read all the books in Equestria."

Twilight snorted. "Hey! It's not my fault I prefer books about magic or history. I have a few books about pegasi in the library, but I just… Haven't had the time yet…"

"Yeah, scheduling the schedules takes quite a bit from your schedule." Dash blinked and smacked a hoof against her face. "Of course I had to do that again. Thanks for that, Twilight."

"You're welcome." Twilight giggled. "But still, your dad dropping you on a cloud to test your skills seems very dangerous."

Dash shrugged. "Dunno. I think it'd be strange for us if we took an exam and ended up turning our parents into potted plants."

"That wasn't—" Twilight sighed. "I understand. I assume it's no more dangerous than testing magic skills?"

Dash nodded. "Probably less, since most pegasi are excellent fliers. But—"

"But?"

"I wasn't."

Twilight tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"I couldn't fly. My dad caught me, and I clung to him…" Dash cleared her throat and smiled faintly. "I was afraid to let go for at least an hour, but one of my schoolmates saw me and laughed whenever he had the chance because of it." She sighed. "I spent a long time practicing and racing my friends before I could live that down."

"Rainbow?"

Dash sighed. "I'm okay, Twilight. Past is past. And if you tell that to anypony," she said, her voice growing quiet, "I'll flatly deny it."

"Don't worry, Rainbow. I won't."

"So, anyways, Princess." Dash smirked. "Feeling better?"

Twilight nodded.

"Good! Wanna try again?"

Another nod.

"Hang on." Dash jumped into the air, hovering just inches above Twilight. "Spread your wings."

Twilight obeyed. A moment later, she felt a set of hooves gently tightening their grip around her chest and pulling her up. Again, she felt anxious as her hooves slowly lost contact with the soft cloud surface.

As the pair climbed higher to reset their starting point, Dash saw that Twilight's wings hadn't moved at all. "Ummm, Twilight, those wings won't flap themselves, you know…"

Twilight blushed fiercely. For a reason unknown, the world around her had dissolved as she gave into the warmth of the sky-blue hooves and matching chest, while a cold morning breeze rushed passed them.

As Twilight started to move her wings in a slow, rhythmic motion, Dash nudged her and slowly loosened the grip around her friend. She did not know what to expect, but she was ready to catch Twilight and bring her safely to the ground.

However, she silently hoped that would not be necessary. She made sure that Twilight's wings flapped in a satisfactory rhythm before opening her hooves and letting Twilight go.

Dash looked down, but instead of a panicking and flailing pony, she was met with something she wasn't prepared for: Twilight was awkwardly flapping her wings, accompanied by the weirdest grimace Dash ever saw. And she couldn't help but snicker.

"See? I can fly too!" Twilight announced proudly.

Dash laughed. "That's not really flying, Twilight. That's more like… actively trying not to fall," she added in a teasing tone.

Twilight groaned.

Dash moved slightly forward, now only inches away from her friend. "Well, Princess Egghead, why don't you fly towards me to see how well you do?"

Twilight nodded. Still trying to balance herself, she attempted to fly forward, remembering instructions from a book she had read.

She stiffened her wings, in an attempt to push herself forward, but lost her balance in the process and crashed into Dash. Both landed on a stray cloud not far underneath them, Twilight effectively pinning Dash beneath her.

"Er… Oops?"

They burst in a fit of laughter. There was no hint of mockery or malice, only heartfelt laughter.

It didn't take long to subside, leaving both ponies looking deeply into each others’ eyes, searching for what to do next.

Instead of backing away, Dash smiled faintly and wrapped her hooves around Twilight's back, pulling her gently towards herself, slowly but surely bridging the gap between their muzzles. Neither needed words at that moment—their long-lasting friendship, accompanied by a deep seeded trust and respect for one another, led the way.

Their first kiss, full of want and need for closeness and warmth of each other.

Long, deep kiss.

~*~*~

CRASH!

The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the library, rousing Spike from his slumber.

"Hello?" He cautiously got up from his bed, hoping to be welcomed by a familiar voice—or a set of them—but there was no reply. "Twilight?" he asked again in a lower voice. "Rainbow?"

Still nothing.

He took a few steps forward, expecting the worst. But instead of stumbling upon a creature from the Everfree Forest, he saw a familiar face standing almost perfectly still in the middle of the room, staring at the remains of a shattered mirror.

Spike gasped in relief. "Oh, it's just you, Twilight. I was getting worried since you were…"

His eyes moved from Twilight's cutie mark to her hoof, still positioned in the middle of the fractured mirror, a piece of it embedded deeply under her skin.

Spike blinked. Never before had he seen Twilight like this. She seemed calm, but completely unaware of what had just happened or that she had been injured. Nevertheless, he came closer out of curiosity and concern. His eyes locked on the trickling droplets of blood. "Twilight?"

"Hi, Spike," Twilight said cheerfully. "Are you going to make dinner? You know, I'd really go for some fried mushrooms and some rye bread. I'm starving!"

"Um, Twilight? Where is Rainbow Dash? And what happened to the mirror? And your hoof?"

"Rainbow Dash? She's in the kitchen." She paused for a moment, turning her head towards the kitchen. "Rainbow Dash?" She paused for a moment, as if waiting for a reply. "Oh. Still not ready? Really? Oh, I see. No, no. Take your time, sweetie." She turned back to Spike. "See?"

Spike tilted his head in confusion. "I don't hear anything… Also, your hoof—"

"Don't worry, Spike. You're just tired." Twilight smiled and sighed with delight. "While you were sleeping, I spent one of the most wonderful mornings outside with Rainbow Dash." She blushed and giggled like a foal, her voice lowering almost to a whisper. "Don't tell this to anypony, Spike, but she… I mean we… I mean… She… kissed me. I think she likes me."

Spike took a few steps closer, his eyes still locked on the bleeding hoof. "Twilight?" he asked in a concerned voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Twilight chirped back.

"Are you sure you're okay? Because you told me that more than a year ago." He briefly looked around the library and turned his focus back to the bleeding hoof. "Um. Where is Rainbow Dash? I thought she was supposed to be back with you?"

"Not listening again, I see. She's in the kitchen and—OW!" she cried when Spike touched her wound. "That hurts!"

"Sorry, Twilight, but you might need to visit a doctor…"

"It's just a scratch, Spike. Don't worry about it." She turned towards the kitchen. "Hey, Dash?"

No response.

"Rainbow Dash?"

"Um, Twilight?"

"Just a moment, Spike. I'm trying to talk to Dash. Hey, Rainbow?"

Spike shook his head and smiled. "Hah, hah. That's a good one, Twilight. You almost had me there for a second. You two are trying to prank me again, don't you? Where is Rainbow hiding this time?"

"Don't be silly, Spike. We're not pranking you… Really, she was here just a moment ago… Maybe she just went to the bathroom."

Spike stared at Twilight for a moment, nervous. "T-Twilight? Um… Rainbow Dash hasn't been here since she left for her training almost a year ago… You really don't look good… Maybe I should call Doctor Stable to look at your hoof…"

Twilight's smile disappeared. Her mind began to race itself, frantically looking for a logical explanation in an attempt to resolve the conflict between their statements. Since she hadn't heard any response from Dash from the kitchen—or anywhere else, for that matter—she decided to look for herself.

"R-Rainbow? This isn't funny anymore." She took a step forward and cringed as she put weight onto her injured leg. "Ra—ow!"

Twilight turned her attention towards her injured hoof and the shattered mirror. She fell silent, her mind desperately trying to piece together what had happened over the previous few days and slowly letting go of its illusions. Soon, the reality of the situation started to kick back in.

"Twilight?"

"R-Rainbow," Twilight said in almost a whisper, carefully prodding the fractured glass still remaining in the mirror. She sniffled. "Spike, she's—"

She couldn't get herself to finish the sentence, but instead wrapped her healthy hoof around the little dragon and started to sob.

~*~*~

As night fell and the chaos subsided on the streets of Ponyville, Dash cautiously approached the vicinity of her now-silent cloud home.

Once inside, Dash sighed. Only now she realized what kind of havoc she had wreaked upon the posters she normally took great care not to damage in any way. Instead of mourning their destruction, she smirked and stomped on a piece of a torn poster decorated with Spitfire's head, which was proudly smiling at its observer.

In a fit of an anger, she kicked the piece away. Her hoof hit a cloudy, but surprisingly solid, structure, making her curse.

She half-expected to hear Twilight snickering behind her, like she did so many times, but there was nothing. Her curse quickly dissipated, leaving nothing—not even a faint echo of her own voice.

With her pain subsided, she looked closely at the still-decorated walls, her eyes stopping on one of the intact pictures that did not belong to the Wonderbolts. She smiled.

It depicted a moment just before she had left for the academy. A silly moment where she had worn Twilight's crown, while Twilight wore a wig styled as Dash's hair, her horn awkwardly poking out. Neither knowing things would change forever after that day.

Dash sighed. She wished that she had just said no to the Wonderbolts and instead joined the Royal Guard to stay close to Twilight. But it was not a role that she could see herself in. Words like 'hyped,' 'daredevil,' and 'stunts' were nowhere in the application form. Even in casual conversation, those words were hardly ever spoken by a member of the Guard, unless they were speaking unfavorably.

Now, everything was gone. She had nothing left that would make her happy anymore.

All the time she spent practicing was now completely meaningless. Every time she tried to think about Twilight, she couldn't help but hear Twilight laughing at her misfortune.

She had no want nor need to stay in Ponyville anymore; it had became saturated with memories of what she despised.

One last look around her cloud home revealed she had forgotten nothing of necessity. She grabbed a pouch of bits, some food, some water, and a map of Equestria marked with a few places that she eventually wanted to visit—all of them far away from Ponyville.

Once out the door, she spread her majestic wings. Her destination was still unclear, but she was determined that she would stop at one last place before departing permanently. A foalhood friend she was certain who wouldn't laugh at her or try to convince her to remain in Ponyville: Fluttershy.

~*~*~

Dash never understood how Fluttershy could live in a cottage full of various critters that would, without a sliver of doubt in her mind, occupy the entirety of her spare time. Yet, she never came around to check on Fluttershy's critters or take care of her house.

With a heavy heart, she knocked on the door and waited as the critters urged Fluttershy to open the door.

"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy gasped in surprise, her voice coated with a hint of suppressed anger. "What are you doing here? You should go and apologize to Twi—"

"I'm leaving Ponyville, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise. "Wh-what? But I… we…"

"Can I come in?"

Fluttershy nodded.

~*~*~

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both forgot about how late it was as Dash retold what happened while she was away, watching as Fluttershy's usually cheerful demeanor gave way to horror as Dash got into the details. The story she told Twilight became even more detailed as her now-sober mind remembered even more, adding smells and other small things she had forgotten about earlier.

Once she was finished, Dash looked at her shocked friend.

"H-how could she?" Fluttershy cried and wrapped her hooves around Dash. "I-I'm so sorry, Rainbow… If there's… anything I can do…"

"No." Dash hung her head.

"No?" Fluttershy echoed. "But, Rainbow Dash, you will need all the help going against Spitfire. All our friends will be happy to help you. And you know I'll always help you if I can."

"I'm not going against Spitfire, Flutters."

Fluttershy blinked. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Dash sighed. "I can't go against Spitfire, Fluttershy. None of us can. She had even convinced Princess Celestia to allow her own set of rules. It's her word against mine, and since I have nothing to back it up with…"

"But Twilight would—"

"Would what?" Dash barked. "Laugh at me again? When I needed her most?"

"Rainbow Dash! Twilight would never do anything like that! It must have been—"

"Stop!" Dash yelled, startling Fluttershy. "Just stop." She paused for a moment, letting her voice calm down. "I didn't come here to be talked out of leaving. I needed someone to listen, and…"

She leaned forward and gently kissed Fluttershy on her forehead. "Thanks for listening, I guess. I'll miss you the most."

Fluttershy tilted her head. "Wait, are you leaving already? But it's the middle of the night and—"

"I'm still one of the best fliers in Equestria, Fluttershy. Look, I'm sure that the Royal Guards are looking for me. They'll probably come to see you soon, since you're a friend of mine and all. If I stay…" She looked at her friend's worried expression, then comforted her in a gentle hug. "I don't want anything to happen to you just because of me."

She hung her head and faced the door of Fluttershy's cottage, spread her wings, and took flight.

Before Fluttershy could say anything else, Dash was gone.

~*~*~

Dash squinted through the dark. It was a night that every pegasus dreaded the most: A starless and moonless night, making travel hard on the creatures that weren't accustomed to such darkness.

Under her breath, she cursed the entirety of the last week. She couldn't pinpoint even one single thing that went like she had planned.

Instead of having a divine meal with her mare, she was greeted by the copious amount of alcohol she chose to escape reality. Instead of the intimacy she had longed for far too long, she was greeted with bitter loneliness. And all because of a pony she had idolized as a foal, a pony she was certain couldn't be touched.

Spitfire.

Dash became seethed the more she thought about Spitfire and what she did to her. She could feel her wings beating faster and faster, both her body and mind desperately wanting and needing to flee from Ponyville.

In the darkness of the night, she closed her eyes and let her instincts lead the way. That was not something that she would recommend to any of her colleagues, but for her, it hardly made any difference. Especially since she could hardly see anything anyway, even if it were inches in front of her muzzle.

But she felt it was a dire necessity. Flying was one of the rare things that cleared her mind, even in a situation like this. She had spent quite a lot of time trying to remember how she came back to Ponyville, but, in the end, she gave up.

Lost in her thoughts, Dash let herself speed up even more. She was certain that she was already on the outskirts of Ponyville, flying high enough to avoid all the obstacles in her path.

She wasn't able to finish that thought as her wing brushed hard against the peak of one of the tall trees of the Everfree Forest, tipping her off-balance.

Her eyes shot open. She was greeted with a dark silhouette of an even higher tree, but there was nothing she could do to prevent the imminent impact. She only had enough time to turn her head to prevent breaking her nose.

Time slowed for her to the point where she could swear she could take notice of every action she usually took for granted. Even with that, there was not much she could do.

She barely managed to put a hoof in front of her before she realized her mistake. A terrible snapping sound echoed through her ears, followed by the loss of her breath and control of her wings.

Her hoof swung towards the tree.

She failed, missing by only a few inches.

In horror, she realized what just happened and quickly tried again.

However, it was already too late. She bounced too far back. With her wings still unable to move, she was left to the mercy of the branches to cushion her fall.

She was still struggling to gain control over her wings, feeling like she was taking her flight test yet again and failing. Subconsciously, she expected that somepony would catch her fall, just like she caught Twilight, or how her dad caught her.

Instead of a soft pony back, she was greeted by a harsh collision with a thick branch, accompanied by the sound of another one of her bones breaking.

She felt like a pinball when she bounced between the branches below, most of them thick enough to not break under her weight. After what felt like forever, her trip to the ground ended with one final crunch. Whether that were her wings or another limb, she couldn't tell. It was just another hotspot in the sea of sharp and dull pain that she felt wash across the entirety of her body.

She wanted to move and stay awake, but every shift caused additional pain, so she soon abandoned that idea.

She tried to lay perfectly still. Doing anything else made her grimace like she was being stabbed. But even without moving, the throbbing pain became overwhelming.

With every exhale, she could feel the remains of her consciousness trickle away. With it, her head became heavier, until it became too heavy and dropped on her forehooves like a bag of sand.

One last thought crossed Dash's mind—an innocent, yet deep conversation with Twilight about death and dying. She remembered saying she would go out in style: in battle as a Wonderbolt, cheered on by the entirety of Equestria.

Anything but dying alone, broken, and without anypony knowing where she was.

With the last sliver of her strength, she smirked at the irony of the situation.

She closed her eyes and let the lingering darkness engulf her for one last time, in hopes to take away her agony.