Don't Fear The Storm

The waves rushed against the beach, as if the water tried to escape from the storm. The entirety of the horizon was painted in black tint, spreading out farther and farther against a blue canvas. As the dark grew, a cold wind swept over the one who remained. Everypony had left by now, everypony except her. The lonely filly remained, staring at the advancing front with wonder.

Did she feel the chill in her bones? Did she smell the salty air? In truth, she couldn’t tell, but at least her eyes worked, at least they allowed her to see what she wanted to see. As she remained on the sand, the water touched her hooves as it tried to flee from the oncoming hurricane.

Was she amazed by the sight? Was she even the least bit afraid? In truth, she couldn’t tell, but at least she didn’t show her back to the storm.

But what silence she thought to hear became a noise, distant, somewhat familiar. It was like a voice, calling out to her, but whether it came from what lay before her or what she left behind, she couldn’t tell. Instead, the filly remained and let the wind run through her mane, letting it ruffle her head like a mother once did with a sad smile on the face. She knew, because she’d seen her in those dreams she once dreamt, the ones that made her sad and happy.

Did she really hear anything? Did she really think that anypony else would ever come here? In truth, she couldn’t tell, but the voice grew louder and the storm remained in the distance.

She’s waking up, somepony said and something moved on the horizon. It was too far away for the filly to make out, but it didn’t matter.

She was too far away from the storm anyhow.

As Rainbow Dash’s consciousness returned to her body, her first thought was: Why?

She asked herself that question pretty much immediately, because the first thing she felt was pain. It wasn’t just a sting in the leg, the bite of a flea or a stomachache from bad food, no, it was everything and yet worse. Every part of her body that held nerves told her that waking up was a horrible mistake. Not that she was the sort of pony to whine about something like that, but, darn it, everything hurt. However, before she could shout obscenities against the world because of what she felt, she heard a voice speaking.

“Dashie?”

It was Twilight’s voice, using that awkwardly cutesy nickname Pinkie’d given her. Slowly, she opened her eyes and, aside from the oh-so familiar ceiling of a hospital room, she saw the purple pony look at her, face so close that her horn almost touched Rainbow Dash’s forehead.

As she came into focus, Dash couldn’t help but notice that Twilight looked somewhat distressed. Her eyes were red and she looked like she’d cried, Rainbow Dash wondered why? The pain was receding, but it was still there. What had happened? Why was she here? As the questions rose, her head started to sting. As her hoof went up to her forehead, as she ground her teeth, the pegasus remembered the storm, the stunt and the dragon reaching out to her.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked, her voice shaking. She grabbed Rainbow Dash’s hoof and started to caress it and smiled reassuringly. It wasn’t the sort of gesture Dash could appreciate right now.

I got struck by lightning, fell to the ground from. … Well, quite a height, and now it feels like even my pain is in pain, she thought, making an audible grunt as she tried to move her head a bit.

“I’m fine. It was just an accident,” she stated and tried to soften the mood with a smile.

Twilight had warned her, so of course she’d be the one by Rainbow Dash’s bedside. She was glad that her dear unicorn friend had decided against lecturing her immediately. After all, it seemed like luck was on her side.

Rainbow Dash made it a point to be happy that she’d woken up to her friend not having a grey mane and wrinkled face. Another positive made itself clear as she tried to move her appendages, all four of her legs and wings. They hurt, they really did, but she was able to move them. The one strange thing was that as she moved her hind-legs, they felt as if someone had placed a cushion between them. It was the strangest feeling and she immediately wondered who would put a pillow there and why?

However, the word “accident” seemed to catch Twilight’s attention and her eyes went down immediately. Rainbow Dash didn’t even have the time to ask what was going on, as Twilight immediately took hold of the blanket and lifted it from the pegasus’ body.

As she did so, Rainbow Dash made the mistake of immediately staring at whatever produced that strange feeling between her legs. What she witnessed, however, was far from anything she anticipated. Not that there was much she could’ve anticipated. But really, a normal pillow would’ve at least been explainable. Fluttershy or Rarity might’ve brought one over, because they’d be the types to put fancy sitting cushions everywhere.

Yet what the hospital staff had thought to put her in made her cheeks burn red. Twilight’s eyes were fixated on the thing, Rainbow Dash was almost sure she took some glee in seeing her friend like this. Was it a prank? Revenge for her going out to train like the cool pony she was? In truth, Rainbow Dash didn’t know, but she would’ve loved if Twilight just let go of the blanket so she could wrap herself in it and make sure nopony else would see.

Her own gaze was enraptured by the sole garment she wore. A bulky, plastic-backed beast that crinkled softly as she moved her legs ever so slightly, as if it wanted to announce itself to the whole hospital. Look at me. Look at Rainbow Dash, the most baby-ish pegasus in all of Ponyville, it practically screamed. Yet that it was there somehow wasn’t the worst part, no, of course not. It could’ve been white, it could’ve been green or some other sort of mono-color, instead childishly comical images of birds and flowers were printed on the frontal tape, while fading clouds and rainbows covered what lay beneath. Rainbow Dash would’ve just been embarrassed if it were a normal incontinence product, but what she wore looked like an oversized version of those diapers for actual foals. Yes, she was downright humiliated.

She wanted to make a grab for the blanket, to hide the shameful thing from sight, as she tilted her head ever so slightly, a bolt of pain ran through the back of her neck and drilled into her skull. It was like someone had ran an axe into her back and then decided to push it upwards. A short scream escaped her and she let her head fall back. Luckily, it only lasted for the briefest second and as the pain vanished, she noticed that Twilight had embraced her and was ruffling her mane, rubbing cheek against cheek. She cooed softly, like she wanted to calm a foal. Rainbow Dash, between the pain and the feeling of drowning in shame, didn’t really answer.

“On the plus side, at least we now know that we could start potty-training soon … -ish. Your dipees held more than a little accident,” she said and even dared to giggle.

Are you for real? Dash wondered as she groaned both to answer the joke and to make Twilight understand that she really wasn’t in the mood for her failed attempts at humor. Yet, a second later her eyes widened in shock. “Wait,” she said and slowly turned to look at the garment again.

She wasn’t really a specialist in the field, but the bloody thing she wore, this thing they’d placed her in as a sort of joke. … Rainbow Dash stared at it and the pictures of the clouds and the rainbows that spread around her crotch. They were fading and the plastic or what was beneath felt weird and didn’t look as white as it should. She couldn’t have, right?

As it seemed, Twilight took notice and gently put her arm around Dash’s shoulder, finally letting go of the garment. Rainbow Dash felt relieved that she didn’t say anything to mock her and slowly pulled the sheet up to her chest again. Out of sight, out of mind, that was how she was going to handle this. Nodding to that piece of wisdom, Rainbow Dash decided to lay back and stare at the plain white ceiling again.

Twilight bit her lip as she nervously looked around for a moment. After a few seconds too long she finally decided to rise up and turned her attention to the door, then back to Rainbow Dash. “You must be thirsty, sweetie. How about I’ll get you some water?”

Rainbow Dash nodded, a bit aggravated at the nicknames. “That’d be nice. Thanks,” she said, keeping her discontent quiet for now. She could swallow her pride a bit, so long as Twilight didn’t bring up what just occurred anyhow.

Twilight nodded and rubbed the pegasus’ cheek. “Don’t worry, the doctor’s said everything will be fine, Dashie.”

Her voice sounded almost patronizing, as if she was talking down to a child. She really enjoys her revenge, Rainbow Dash thought, figuring that her friend would take a moment to bask in her embarrassment, but no such luck. Twilight turned to leave without even checking whether Rainbow Dash even reacted.

Maybe she should have, Rainbow certainly would. Maybe the diaper she wore was actually drenched in water and her friends put her in it like that to make her worry. Twilight would come back and tell her about it and maybe even apologize. Sheesh, Rainbow Dash thought and rolled her eyes, she sucks at pranking others.

Sure, a wet diaper prank was humiliating, but easily figured out, at least for someone as awesome as Rainbow Dash. If she intended to get her to apologize like this she shouldn’t have bothered, the pegasus figured. Right now she knew why some called pain the best teacher, because she was in a lot of it.

Yet she had to wonder why the staff would let Twilight do this? They weren’t too keen on their patients being disturbed in any way or form.

Rainbow Dash was pretty much a regular at the Ponyville Hospital. She even was on first-name basis with most of the staff, except for the doctors. Quite often, she had broken her wings or legs and spent long, boring weeks in this place. Only twice had she been immobilized to the point where she couldn’t go to the toilet and then they’d at least had the decency to use catheters.

Why not now?

Rainbow Dash felt her head starting to hurt again, but decided to look at the sheets again. There was something about them that bothered her, even though she hadn’t examined them as of yet.

The blanket that covered her was a deep blue and printed on it was the symbol of the Wonderbolts. It was her own, or one of her own. She’d used wonderbolts merchandise for sheets, sleepwear, tablewear, doorknobs, wallpaper, just about everything. Yet she usually didn’t wake up in the hospital with any of her own stuff here. For a second she wondered who could’ve brought it. And immediately, the answer found itself. Fluttershy, Dash thought with a smile.

This was her lucky blanket and Fluttershy knew that. She probably brought it here as quick as she could. Yes, Fluttershy was a good friend and hopefully not involved in this horrible prank. I need to thank her later.

Later, because right now, she needed to lift it up. Why exactly, she didn’t know. Maybe she just wanted to make sure her other friends really were pranking her in the most stupid, embarrassing way possible.

And yes, yes they were. It was a diaper. If she was going to be honest, it might’ve felt a bit damp on the inside, but that was, of course, only water.

Yup, that’s it, Rainbow Dash told herself, as if she doubted. This was an elaborate scheme to exact vengeance upon her for daring, daring to go on a training session during the greatest storm of the century.

Well, it hadn’t ended well, so Rainbow Dash could at least, kinda, sort of, get the sentiment.

She didn’t want to look at that horrid thing for a second longer, and so she put the blanket down again. Once I’m out of this thing I can probably start to laugh at it, she thought and laid her head back on the not-so-comfortable hospital cushion.

The pillows in this place were the worst.

Rainbow Dash tilted her head to the left, where Celestia’s light touched her through the glass of the window. The air was a comforting warmth and the late morning glow of the sun on her face made her feel better. At least the princess was on her side.

By the side of her bed stood the nightstand. Strangely enough, it had a small, blue deer on it. A plushed animal with what Dash thought to be a bright smile plastered on her face. Probably a gift from Pinkie, because she was obviously in on whatever joke Twilight wanted to tell.

Her eyes didn’t linger on it and instead she looked at the flowers that rose up from an elegant vase. Considering how well the blossoms’ colors matched both the violet paintings on the vase and the color of the plush toy, Rainbow Dash could instantly tell that this was a gift from Rarity, but the balloons tied around it were Pinkie’s signature.

By the vase was a letter, with the hoof-writing of Applejack. It was long and sappy and basically just told her to get well soon. There were also a ton of embarrassing nicknames, so Applejack was also in on the joke.

If Rainbow Dash wasn’t awfully aware of the childish diaper she probably would’ve felt more gratitude towards them. But, despite herself, she found a smile on her face.

She’d gone and made all her friends worry as it seemed. “I’ve gotta apologize to them all,” she said to herself, touching her forehead again.

A bandage was wrapped around it. It was the only visible indicator that she’d been wounded and of course it was the one part of her body she needed for navigation. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

As she opened them, she looked at the nightstand again and her eyes widened.

Bugs gnawed at the leaves of the flowers and the blossoms turned small and brown in a matter of seconds. The petals fell off and as they did, so did the toy. Its arms fell off and a liquid began to pour from the main body, as if it had been wounded. Rainbow Dash couldn’t make the colors out, but a word for it jumped to her mind.

Red.

Then, something moved, in the farthest corner of her eye, a shadow slithered across the edge of everything and she immediately turned around, the hairs on her body standing up. What greeted her was a face like the pale skull of a boar with red eyes gleaming with hunger. Worms crawled out of them and the thing’s breath was sickly-sweet to inhale. Rainbow Dash screamed out and immediately hid under the blanket.

Rainbow Dash heard two ponies giggling a second later, somepony softly touched her head, stroking it carefully. “Hey, it’s only me, silly.”

This voice belonged to Twilight, her friend.

Rainbow Dash slowly came out from beneath the blanket, looking at the most maternal smile she’d ever seen on Twilight’s face. It was welcoming and warm, but instead of focusing on it, Rainbow Dash turned back to the nightstand.

The flowers and the plush toy were fine, but with how quick she’d moved, her head started to sting again.

Again, she groaned and closed her eyes, hoping the pain would lessen by itself. Once more, without anything to see, only the sound of voices remained.

“I’m sorry, doctor. Dashie sometimes forgets all around her surroundings when she gets absorbed with her thoughts. She’s quite the dreamer,” she heard Twilight say, in a voice that sounded both condescending and proud.

It was like she was talking about a child, maybe even her own. It was strange how honest she sounded, like she meant the words. Rainbow Dash had never taken her friend for an actress, though.

The doctor’s smile penetrated even his voice. “Don’t you worry about it, Miss Sparkle,” strange way to address a princess, “but I have to, again, say that you’d best be careful. She was out for a week and we still don’t know if there’s any lasting damage.”

“Don’t worry about it, you said yourself that she should be fine and if there’s anything I just bring her back here.”

“Nevertheless, Miss Sparkle, you need to supervise her better in the future. Another accident like this one and–”

Twilight interrupted him. “I know, but don’t worry. Me and my friends will take better care of her this time. There’ll be no more harm coming to her.”

She felt a hoof rubbing her head, but all Dash could think about was how worried Twilight sounded.

In the quiet moment that followed, all that remained was a sound in the back of her head, like waves rolling onto a beach. It was strangely calming, like something was beckoning her to move.

“Are you alright, Dashie?” Twilight asked.

For a moment, Dash thought that she should address how Twilight’s prank was really high on the Fail-o-meter, but decided against it. Why, she did not know. Maybe pity. Twilight probably had worked on it all week.

“Yeah,” she said, opening her eyes and looking at the doc. “I’ll just need to get some sleep once I’m home. That’s fine, isn’t it, doc?”

He was one of the older ponies here, not even five years away from retirement, but that wasn’t why she recognised him. He was a pegasus and she’d only been treated once by him, during summer flight camp.

He was a foal doctor.

“Well, your auntie insisted that she can take you home, kiddo, so I don’t have much of a say in that matter,” he said with a slight giggle.

Dash, despite the headache, rolled her eyes. Why was her foal doctor in on this charade, too? Did he know about the diaper? Rainbow Dash hoped he didn’t. Not that it mattered, she wouldn’t give Twilight a victory here.

So, she decided that the best way would be to play along. She could still end this game when she was back in her home. Until then, she could maybe come up with a revenge prank so Twilight understood the gravity of challenging the best prankster in all of Ponyville.

“Alright then,” she said and looked at Twilight, “well then, auntie, can we please go?”

Twilight smiled at the doctor. “See, I told you she’d want to leave as quickly as possible.”

He laughed out. “Yeah, few foals can stand hospitals for too long. I assume you have everything you need, though?”

Okay, what’s he on about now?

“Yes, I brought everything from home. Thank you again for everything,” Twilight said and turned to Dash. “You can remain wrapped in your blankie if you want. The way to the library is a bit cold today, after all. Your new friend can stay with you, too. The rest’ll fit just nicely into the stroller.”

A sudden quiet took over as Twilight just smiled at our rainbow-maned protagonist. Her head stung and in the back of it a sound recurred, like an ocean rearing up against the quiet. In the corner of her eye, so far into it that she didn’t even notice, something moved and all Rainbow Dash could do was stare at Twilight as suddenly she realized that this pony would, of course, plan out such a prank most meticulously. Yet, Rainbow Dash doubted that Twilight truly could’ve gone and gotten what she just said she did. No, even then, Rainbow Dash wasn’t even sure whether or not she had heard her right. Only one word could lift the suspense, answer her prayers and maybe, just maybe, make everything all right.

“What?”