For a little while, it really was all Rainbow Dash could think about. The fact that she managed to perform the legendary Sonic Rainboom. A feat once thought to be impossible, that it was only an old mare's tale. A perfect story element to bring forth an epic climax to a plot. A visually stunning idea many artists have tried to create since its conception, varying in styles and ideas.
As well as that, Rainbow Dash even earned her cutie mark. A cloud with a thunderbolt in the colourization of a rainbow shooting out from it. It was perfect, and symbolized her perfectly.
However, as it passed, having been an accident, there was now only one thing on Rainbow Dash's mind. The very reason she was racing. The very reason she had been in this situation.
Her best friend, Fluttershy. The little filly who's honour she was determined to defend.
She was nowhere to be seen. Needless to say, Rainbow Dash was worried. Did something happen to her? It was nothing new worrying about Fluttershy, considering how much of a weak flier she was, she always feared the poor filly would end up falling down to the ground below. But right now, that worry had escalated. Not only was she bummed about the fact that her best friend, the one pony she wanted to share this with, was gone.
Rainbow Dash searched everywhere, asking teachers and counsellors, her peers, but everyone claimed they didn't see where she went.
Eventually, Rainbow Dash forgot her achievements altogether. She just didn't even care about them anymore. What good was an achievement when she couldn't share it with the one filly who meant a lot to her? She could perform hundreds of Sonic Rainbooms, and all of them would be meaningless without Fluttershy's support.
When night fell, and Rainbow Dash returned to the dorm she shared with Fluttershy, she looked over at the bottom bunk where Fluttershy always slept. She wasn't in there.
Rainbow Dash wasn't sure how long she stayed awake, waiting, waiting for her to walk in.
But she never did.
It was by then that Rainbow Dash broke down. She sniffled, feeling tears pool in her eyes before trailing down her face, not even bothering to hold them back. In the midst of it all, she even hovered down to Fluttershy's bunk and lay there, curled in a ball. The bed smelled like her...like flowers.
“Fluttershy...” Rainbow Dash mumbled tearfully, crying still.
Well into the night, Rainbow Dash ended up crying herself to sleep. For the first time in her life. Rainbow Dash never cried before, unless she badly hurt herself. It was the first time she ever cried over somepony. She didn't just cry, she sobbed. The pain of missing her friend, not knowing where she was, and disappointed that she couldn't share her achievements with her, were far beyond any physical pain she'd ever felt.
XXX
The next morning, Rainbow Dash finally managed to wake up. For a moment, she came to realize she wasn't sleeping in her bunk. It took her a few moments to register that this was Fluttershy's bunk...and the little Pegasus still wasn't here. No sound was heard in the room.
“Fluttershy...?” Rainbow Dash managed with a sliver of hope.
No response.
Sighing, she gingerly climbed off the bunk and onto the floor. In vain, she even hovered up to her bunk, finding it empty.
Rainbow Dash wasn't a morning filly, but right now, she just couldn't sleep. She had more pressing matters to attend to, anyway.
All over Cloudsdale, as much as she could, anyway, she searched. Asking around, checking all the places she figured Fluttershy would be, and still nothing. She didn't even attend flight school training sessions today, she just didn't have the strength. Knowing Fluttershy wasn't there just...broke her heart. Even her normal fiery energy was lacking! She wasn't in the mood to fly around, try attempting a Sonic Rainboom again, or even to brag about getting her Cutie Mark. It just wasn't working.
That worried her. Was she really losing her touch? All because she worried over a friend?
Rainbow Dash even went back to her shared dorm, stared mournfully at Fluttershy's bunk, before she then got right to work. She took a piece of paper, some crayons, and then took a framed photo from a little scrapbook that Fluttershy had been putting together. It was a photo Rainbow Dash had taken of Fluttershy herself, just standing there with the sun and a beautiful rainbow in the background, while she smiled shyly, but so sweetly, at the camera.
The cyan filly pegasus couldn't help but commemorate this as an accomplishment for having taken such a nice photo. And at a young age, no less! Despite that she didn't admit it, this was her favourite photo of her best friend on her own. Second only to the array of photos of the two of them together. It just really showcased Fluttershy's meek sweetness. While she may have continuously bragged about it because of it being a good shot, which was part of it, there was still that part of her that was happy to capture a lovely image of her best friend in the world.
“Geez, Fluttershy, why did you have to go get yourself lost?! Don't you know how worried I am about you?! Why didn't you come back?! You're going to get it when I find out! Mark my words!!” Rainbow Dash yelled angrily at the photo, as if it were her.
For a moment, she stared at it in pure irritation, before it melted away.
She could never stay annoyed or angry at her for very long. If anything, doing that just made her miss her even more.
“....I hope you're okay out there,” Rainbow Dash said softly, running her hoof along the photo tenderly. “Please be okay, Fluttershy...I'll find you. I promise you I will.”
Placing it back down, Rainbow Dash went to work on a wanted poster, which she sometimes saw around if somepony went missing. With the photo as a reference, she drew Fluttershy in the centre. Albeit messily, but hopefully they would know that it was a creamy yellow Pegasus with a pink mane, and teal eyes. She then drew a border around it, wrote out WANTED in big red letters (albeit sloppily), and spelt it as WANTID.
She then studied it carefully. Something about it was not right.
“Oh!” Rainbow Dash realized, and took her favourite blue crayon, writing something at the bottom, a message of what to do if finding Fluttershy.
It was supposed to read: If you find this filly, please tell Rainbow Dash!
But it came out this way: If yoo fined this fily pleas tell Rainbow Dash!
Her name was about the only word she knew how to spell perfectly correctly. She didn't care, the message would get across, right?
“There, done!” The cyan filly said happily, glad that she could be one step closer to Fluttershy being found. “I did it!”
She then retrieved her saddle bags, then rolled up the poster, placing it inside one of the bags. Once equipped, Rainbow Dash headed out to the main lobby down below. A few other ponies, consisting of teachers, a couple of fillies, and parents were at the front desk ahead of her, so Rainbow Dash had to wait in line. Much to her dismay, considering how impatient she normally was. Especially since this was a matter of great importance to her. Her own friend was missing! Somepony, a filly of all, was missing! How could no one be this concerned?
A grueling fifteen minutes passed before Rainbow Dash could finally have her turn. When she reached the front desk, she inwardly groaned upon remembering the fact that she was too small to see the top. Fluttershy was able to, although barely, considering how tall she was compared to most fillies their age. Then again, she was a bit older, so that was probably part of it.
Rainbow Dash sighed before mounting her forelegs onto the desk to elevate herself to see the receptionist.
Sky Blue, the receptionist, smiled kindly upon seeing her. “Ah, hello Rainbow Dash! How lovely to see you. Is there something you need?”
“Can I hang this poster on the bulletin board?” Rainbow Dash took the poster out of her saddlebag with her teeth, placing it onto the desk. “My best friend is missing.”
Studying the poster, her eyes went wide. “Oh goodness....is she still missing? Why, you were just here yesterday asking me if I had seen her, weren't you?”
“Yes, and I have to keep finding her!” Rainbow Dash yelled, tears in her eyes. “If I don't, I will have broken my promise to her!”
“Now now, calm down, sweetheart,” Sky Blue soothed gently. “I'll tell you what, I'll ask Wingtip to make some copies, and we can hang them up across Cloudsdale. We'll make sure to send a search party if we have to. Are you certain there has been no traces of her since yesterday morning?”
Rainbow Dash managed a nod, wiping her eyes with one hoof. “Yes, I haven't seen her since...”
“I see,” Sky Blue nodded, and looked down at the poster sadly for a moment, and then back at the cyan filly. “Don't you worry, Rainbow Dash. We'll make sure to do what we can to find her. You just leave it to us. In the meantime, why don't you get some breakfast? I'm sure you'll need to keep your mind off things. Don't worry, if we find anything at all, we will let you know. Please, do attend your classes today. I think it would do you good to keep yourself going. If not for yourself, at least do it for her.”
For her.
Rainbow Dash had always been somepony who worked alone, never quite needing anyone to look out for, or to be looked out for. Ever since Fluttershy came into her life, that all changed completely. She was somepony she felt a strong need to protect and defend at every turn.
It was strange, because although Fluttershy did have some confidence and social issues, making her a target for bullying, therefore needing help, there was so much of Rainbow Dash that liked it. She actually really liked having someone to look out for and protect. She liked that Fluttershy needed her. Although she always encouraged (at first ordered) Fluttershy to be more assertive and strong, both in flight and in words, she liked having someone to take care of. Maybe it gave her bragging rights, protecting someone from harm and all, which was heroic, but she couldn't help but just like to do it. Because she could. Because she was her best friend.
The only friend she ever had.
In all, Rainbow Dash would do anything for Fluttershy.
“I will...I promise.” Rainbow Dash said softly, though not quite directed at the receptionist. Still, she looked at her with gratitude. “Thank you...”
Sky Blue smiled warmly. “You're very welcome, honey. If you need anything at all, you know where to find me. And I promise you, again, that we will do our best to find Fluttershy. Don't you worry.”
That was easier said than done, but the rainbow-maned filly felt a bit better knowing that someone was going to help her. Especially enlisting a search party, no less!
She thanked Sky Blue again before lowering herself back to the floor and then heading out the front doors. Despite her lack of hunger, she knew that Fluttershy wouldn't approve of her skipping meals. After all, she had done so yesterday, having skipped lunch and dinner (save for eating a few bread sticks) altogether out of misery. Classes didn't even start for another half an hour, so she decided to just go to the mess hall, if for nothing else than to kill time and get some food in her tummy.
The day dragged on.
XXX
When Rainbow Dash arrived back at the dorms later on in the evening, she queried Sky Blue if they had found anything yet. The receptionist regretfully informed her that they had not. According to her, the search party had been questioning the pegasi around Cloudsdale, especially the residents, concerning Fluttershy's whereabouts. No traces of her were found. Sky Blue did promise that they would keep looking in the morning, and would likely even descend down to Ponyville if they had to.
Feeling her heart sinking, Rainbow Dash trudged to her shared dorm. It felt so empty and cold without Fluttershy there. The other pegasus just had a way of lighting up and warming a room just with her mere presence. It was no wonder, with her sweetness and warmth, anyone could feel good around her if they just allowed her to.
Rainbow Dash felt tears in her eyes as she sadly climbed onto Fluttershy's bunk, tearfully clutching her favourite photo of her. It hurt all the more as she realized just how much Fluttershy meant to her...after losing her.
“I miss you, Fluttershy. You better come back....” Was all she could manage amidst her tears. “....Please come back?”
As usual, there was no response.
XXX
Sleep had been impossible to come by that night. Even when she did finally manage to sleep, her dreams were filled with nightmares. Nightmares about Fluttershy being lost forever, nightmares about Fluttershy blaming her for her disappearance, and worse...Fluttershy turning up dead.
It was no wonder Rainbow Dash woke up screaming and crying that morning. And with nopony to comfort her. Not like Fluttershy.
Looking at the time, it was 9:30. She had overslept. Not that she cared, all she wanted to do was curl up and wait for this misery to be over.
At least until there was a knock on the door, which startled her a bit.
“Rainbow Dash? Are you awake?” Came the voice of Sky Blue from the other side. “Hello?”
“Y-Yeah! Be...be right there!” Rainbow Dash hastily stuck the photo back into the scrapbook, but not before patting it.
She went to the door, opening it to reveal Sky Blue.
“Rainbow, I'm very glad you're up.” Sky Blue said kindly, her smile growing. “Because I have some very good news for you.”
“W-What is it? Did they find anything?” Rainbow Dash asked hopefully.
“Well...actually...” Sky Blue stepped aside, looking over at somepony who was out of view.
A quarter of a second passed, or what seemed to be longer, before a very familiar creamy yellow filly stepped into view. There was no mistaking it; the coat, the bubblegum pink mane, the height, and those aquamarine eyes. It was Fluttershy.
“F-F-Fluttershy...?” Rainbow Dash managed, her voice barely a squeak. “I-Is that...you?”
Fluttershy smiled, albeit shyly, and with a touch of shame, but still happy to see her. “Hi, Dashie...”
“FLUTTERSHY!!” Was all Rainbow Dash said in an excited and relieved squeal before she dashed forward, tackling the other pegasus filly into a hug.
It was her! She was here! She was okay! She was alive! Rainbow Dash was so happy! Trying to fight back tears in vain, she buried her face into Fluttershy's mane, taking great comfort in its softness and wonderful flowery smell. Oh, it was her! She was here in the flesh! Hugging her like this just proved all the more that she was real, this was real, none of it was a dream.
“Don't do that again! You had me...you had me wondering where you were! What were you thinking?!” Despite her yelling, it was getting harder and harder to mask how happy she was to see her.
“I'm sorry, Rainbow...” Fluttershy said softly, and embraced her back. “I didn't mean to...”
“I'll let her explain the story to you, Rainbow Dash.” Sky Blue said, smiling warmly at the two fillies. “They just found her this morning, and were able to bring her back here to see you. If you need anything, I'll be in the lobby.”
“Thank you!” Rainbow Dash said happily as the receptionist left. “Fluttershy, where were you?! What happened?!”
“I'll tell you everything...” Fluttershy said, and nuzzled her gently.
The two fillies got back up (with Rainbow Dash hiding her blush), and went to sit on the couch together, facing each other.
Fluttershy took a breath before beginning her story. “After you guys took off... The whirlwind of your flying sent me off the cloud...and I was plummeting to the ground and I fell.”
“WHAT!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed in horror, her eyes wide. “You mean....you fell...and I...”
Complete despair washed over the rainbow-maned filly then. It had been her fault. She had sent Fluttershy down to the ground below. And she didn't even notice. She had been too caught up in the race, too lost in the adrenaline, the determination to win, the fight for defending Fluttershy's honour.
She had nearly hurt her while trying to protect her. It was all her fault.
“...Dashie?” Fluttershy prompted softly.
“What have I done?! What have I done!? How could I be so blind?!” Rainbow Dash yelled in despair and anger. “You fell because of me! It was my fault! What kind of a flier am I?! What kind of a friend am I?! What kind of friend puts their friends in danger?! All I wanted to do was defend your honour against those stupid bully chumps and I nearly killed you! What is wrong with me?!” Tears streamed down her face, to which she didn't even bother to hide or fight back. “How could I have done that to you!?”
“Rainbow-” Fluttershy began, but was cut off.
“I'm sorry! I'm sorry Fluttershy! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have raced those idiots, I should've been more careful in what I was doing! I'm so sorry! You hate me now, I know it! You've gotta hate me, it's my fault you fell like that!” Rainbow Dash wailed hysterically, crying all the more.
“Rainbow?”
“I don't even care about my cutie mark! I'd give it all back for you to be safe! I wanted you there with me, I wanted to share this with you but it was my fault that you couldnt! It was my fault you were gone! Fluttershy I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to!”
“Rainbow...”
“I mean, what was I thinking?! I should've paid more attention! I should've given you a bigger cloud to perch on! I should even have had a more experienced flier wave the flag! No, I should never have raced them! I was an idiot for trying to defend your honour that way! What's wrong with me, I put my friend in danger for a stupid race!”
“Rainbow!”
“Now look! You hate me and you're probably never going to fly ever! I don't deserve to have made a Sonic Rainboom and I don't deserve my cutie mark! They're stupid! All they remind me of is what I'd done to you! Fluttershy, you deserve so much better than a stupid filly like me! I want you to be happy and safe, but all I did was put you in danger! I'm so sorry, Fluttershy! I don't even deserve to be in the Wonderbolts someday! What kind of friend just abandons another friend when they're in trouble?!”
“Rainbow Dash!!” Fluttershy squealed out a bit louder.
Freezing, Rainbow Dash looked at her in surprise, her eyes wide, and still teary. “...W-What?”
Softening, Fluttershy gently took hold of her hooves. “Rainbow...it's okay. It was an accident. I don't blame you for it...I never did. If anything, I should...be thanking you.”
Rainbow Dash blinked, clearly not understanding. “W-Wha...?”
“If you would let me finish my story, I can tell you why, and what happened.”
“...Okay.”
“Thank you,” Fluttershy smiled brightly, and nuzzled her friend before continuing. “After I was sent plummeting to the ground...I was saved by a hoard of butterflies. They stopped me from crashing down to the ground, saving me. And I...it was the first time I ever saw the ground up close. I even saw all the animals I'd ever read about! Oh, Dashie...I wish you could have been there! I ended up in an area just near the town of Ponyville, and since I couldn't get back up...I stayed with the animals that night. It was very warm, so you didn't have to worry. Anyway, the search party guards found me, and told me you were worried. I wanted to see you, so I let them take me back here so I could tell you what happened.”
Wiping her eyes with her hooves, Rainbow Dash stared in amazement at Fluttershy then. She really was okay...and even ended up doing something she liked. While she still felt guilty, it helped to know that she was okay all along.
“...Fluttershy...I'm just glad you're okay!” Rainbow Dash hugged her again, more tears rolling down her face.
“Aww...Rainbow....I'm so sorry I worried you!” Fluttershy hugged her back gently. “I didn't mean to...I wanted to get back up to tell you what happened...but I couldn't. I'm so sorry...I wish I could fly better...”
“But you're okay! I-I don't care about that!” Rainbow Dash sniffled, burying her face in her mane. “I just want you to be okay!”
“Rainbow... ...Wait, did you just say you earned your cutie mark?”
“Huh?”
Fluttershy smiled, pulling back to look at her. “Your cutie mark. You earned it?”
“...Oh, yeah.” Rainbow Dash nodded, and angled her body a bit to give Fluttershy a view of her flank.
“Oooh! You did! Oh, Rainbow! That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!” Fluttershy squealed, hugging her. “I did, too!”
“Well I-...what?” Rainbow Dash pulled back this time, eyes wide. “You have your cutie mark, too?”
“Yes!” Fluttershy showed her her cutie mark as well, which consisted of three pink-winged butterflies. “You see?”
“....Wow...” While Rainbow Dash didn't quite know what it represented, she didn't even care. Something about it, just the way it was designed represented Fluttershy perfectly. It was just so her. There was no other way to explain it but that it suited her wonderfully. “Gosh, Fluttershy...I'm really happy for you. And um...you know...I'm proud of you. You know, for earning your cutie mark and stuff.”
“Awwww... Thank you, Rainbow!” Fluttershy beamed, blushing a bit. “I'm so sorry again for worrying you. ...If it makes you feel any better, I worried for you, too. I was hoping you were okay after that race.”
“Are you kidding, I was fine!” Rainbow Dash insisted. “I just...yeah, I worried, I know! So what, everypony worries!” She turned away, trying to hide her tears now.
Giggling, the creamy yellow pegasus just hugged her best friend. “I'll be more careful, and I'll learn to fly better. I promise you that, Rainbow Dash.”
Unable to help it, Rainbow Dash smiled a bit, and hugged her back. “...I know you will, pal. I believe in you.”
The two fillies just remained in each other's embrace for some time, very glad to be reunited. It had hurt to see this happen, and even to realize she had been inadvertently responsible for this, but Rainbow Dash resolved to be a better friend and protector to Fluttershy. To even help her all the more with her flying, so that she wouldn't risk getting hurt after falling off of a cloud. She would do everything it took to make sure Fluttershy was safe, and above all, happy.
