Flying Was Never The Answerby TheLunaRainbowChaptersThe FallThe RescueThe CottageThe HospitalThe FallRainbow Dash plummeted towards the forest beneath her, tail and mane flapping behind her. Tears streamed from her eyes and she desperately tried to keep herself aloft with one wing. Her shaking hooves were wrapped around her crooked, left wing. Cold wind bellowed in her ears and she could hear screaming from the sky above. Turning around in the air, she could just make out a yellow pony above her. Then she hit the ground. *** “RAINBOW DASH!” Scootaloo screamed, getting to her hooves and jumping to the edge of the cloud. Fluttershy was flying as fast as she could towards the blue Pegasus but her weak wings had frozen in shock when Rainbow Dash had fallen and they were still recovering. Faster, Fluttershy! FASTER! The pony thought as her wings became a blur. Scootaloo hopped up and down on the cloud frantically, wishing she could help in some way. “Fluttershy can catch her. When her friends are involved she always pulls through! Right?” she thought aloud. Suddenly, purple filled her vision and she yelped, fearing some kind of attack. It’s just my mane. Stop screaming. Scootaloo used her hoof to brush the mane out of her eyes and looked down once more. CRUNCH. Rainbow’s body hit the ground with such force, grass and dirt flew out from underneath her in all directions. A deafening scream flew through the air and Scootaloo realised that it was her, howling in fear and horror. She couldn’t stop. Tears blurred her vision and she had to sit down. Her wet hair stuck to her head and she realised that the hoof she had brushed her mane away with was covered in blood. Darkness swept over the filly and she passed out. *** “R-Rainbow Dash? D-Dash? Wake u-up! Dash! Please! Oh no…” Fluttershy stood over the broken body of her friend. Both wings were bent out of shape with the feathers moulting. Her right hind leg had split down the middle and bone was visible. Blood pooled beneath the pony and many cuts and gashes covered Dash’s body. Teeth littered the ground and bits of bloody gum hung from her mouth. But worst of all was her head. Cracked open, blood gushing, skull visible, twitching uncontrollably. Bile filled Fluttershy’s mouth as she backed away from the body. She couldn’t stop herself and threw up violently in a near bush. "Twilight. I need to get Twilight. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie. I need help. We need a doctor. NOW!" The shaking pony retreated a few more steps and was about to flee when she remembered Scootaloo was still on the cloud above. So shocked by the fall, Fluttershy had forgotten all about the filly. The Pegasus launched up into the air, studying the sky for orange fur. Many white, fluffy clouds had come together while she was on the ground and she was about to go back down when she saw an orange wing hanging from a small cloud directly above her. “Please don’t say she saw what happened. Please don’t let her know. Please. Please. She doesn’t need that to scar her mind. Please” Fluttershy begged. The nauseating image of her best friend’s limp body kept flashing in front of her vision and the yellow pony’s wing strokes faltered for a second. Droplets of tears stained her coat as she reached the cloud and as soon as she saw Scootaloo’s unconscious body, Fluttershy knew that she had seen everything. Four ponies ran full speed through Ponyville, panting heavily but their speed never slowing. Twilight was at the front, flapping her wings to gain more speed. Applejack was a few steps behind her, keeping pace with Rarity, who still had her silk nightgown tied around her stomach. Pinkie Pie was bouncing across the rooftops, somersaulting over chimneys and accidently loosening roof tiles. Fluttershy was ahead, flying through the air with a trembling Scootaloo in her hooves. Twilight’s wingtips brushed against a warm surface and she heard a call from behind her. “Hey! Watch where you’re swingin’ those things, sugarcube!” “Sorry, Applejack!” she replied, swerving to the side. The Unicorn’s horn glowed, as did Rarity’s, providing light for the orange Earth Pony. Pinkie was wearing her spy goggles. A blue aura also engulfed Rarity’s horn as she was keeping a firm grip on Applejack’s hat with her magic to avoid the problem of it blowing away with the strong gale. This tired the pony, but she kept her pace and didn’t stop running. A three way street appeared in front of them. One heading towards the town square, one towards the market and the other towards a long stretch of fields. “Towards the field!” Fluttershy called down to the group. Pinkie leapt from the roof of Berry Punch’s house and flew up into the air, grabbed the small form of Scootaloo from Fluttershy’s front legs with her mouth, landed perfectly next to Twilight and gently placed Scootaloo on her back. “C’mon girls! Let’s go!” the pink pony yelled. As they passed the hospital, Twilight fired up her horn and sent a magic spell into the surgery. Doctors and nurses came spilling out of the hospital, carrying a stretcher, multiple large medical bags and six rolls of bandages. They too joined the race towards Rainbow. Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. Tree trunks and dirt surrounded her. She couldn't move. The moon shone bright overhead and everything was silent. The animals were silent, the trees were silent, her own heartbeat was silent. Birds rested in the branches and flew overhead, various animals nestled underneath the large trunks of oak trees. It was pure bliss. Until an immense pain shot up through her leg and swarmed her entire body. She let out an agonized cry and her body started to spasm uncontrollably. Trying to shout for help only ended up as a gurgling noise and blood dripping from her jaw. Wind blew onto her body and seemed to cut up her wounds even more. Wondering how she was still alive, her ears listened out for any kind of noise that would indicate any sign of pony life. Hoof steps approached from an unknown direction and worried voices could be heard. "Herlp mwe" she coughed. Dash's eyes closed. Author's Note I hope that whoever reads this has enjoyed the first chapter! I know it is very short but I will continue to update the story. Happy reading! The RescueThe large group of ponies stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the broken body of Rainbow Dash. It seemed to Fluttershy that she looked worse than before. Each and every pony had to hold back vomit. Luckily, Scootaloo had fallen asleep. One nurse, Poppy Seed, took the now sleeping form of Scootaloo off Pinkie's back and away from the carnage. "Thank you, Poppy Seed," whispered on of the doctors "She doesn't need to see anything more" Twilight was at the front of the group and edged her way forward, trying to calm herself and hoping that the doctors would follow suit. Fluttershy was curled up in a ball and sobbing into Rarity's mane. Rarity was holding the distraught Pegasus close and trying desperately to control her tears. Applejack hid behind her Stetson. "How did this happen? It's simply awful!" wailed Rarity. "It's way worse than awful" commented Applejack. A murmur rippled through the array of doctors and many stood forward, equipped with their medical bags. A syringe was pulled from a bag and injected into Rainbow's body, while two other doctors positioned the stretcher. The blue Pegasus was lifted gently onto the stretcher by two unicorn stallions. Each doctor got to work on covering up Rainbow's wounds with bandages, injecting her with multiple needles and checking her pulse and heartbeat. "You should get her back to the hospital" Twilight croaked, her throat dry. "Of course, Princess. Come by tomorrow morning and bring the young filly and Fluttershy along with you". Twilight nodded and the doctors disappeared into the night, with only Poppy Seed remaining. It was horrendous for the five ponies. Petrifying. Traumatising. But the thing that shocked the remaining ponies the most was the tiny, scared and fragile voice that escaped the pink party pony's mouth. "D-Dash?" Twilight turned around to see Pinkie Pie, sitting on the cold grass, her eyes full with tears. Her mane was flat against her head and dark, along with her coat, tail and eyes. Dull. None of the bright colours that made Pinkie Pie...Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie? Y'all okay?" asked the Earth Pony nervously. "No. I'm not ok" "Ah'm sorry, sugarcube. What a stupid question to ask. Come 'ere". With that, Pinkie ran into Applejack's outstretched hooves and sobbed deeply into her shoulder. Stray tears trickled down the orange farm pony's cheek as well and Twilight's eyes were brimming with tears. Fluttershy whimpered into Rarity's nightgown. "Princess?" whispered Poppy Seed. Twilight spun around to see the pink Earth pony lifting Scootaloo's limp limbs and worriedly rubbing one particular orange hoof. "What? What's wrong with her?" "Blood. On her hoof. I think its might be Rainbow's!" Gasping in shock, Twilight ran towards Poppy Seed and held Scootaloo's hoof in the air with her magic. Indeed, it was covered in dry blood. Her fringe was also painted crimson. "You don't think...you don't think that she did it?" The purple Alicorn's head shot up and she glared at the nurse with pure anger. "What did you say?" she uttered, venom dripping from each word. Poppy raised a hoof to take a step back but not before the sleeping filly was yanked from her back and placed behind Twilight. Trembling with rage, Twilight stomped forward until she was touching the utterly terrified mare's nose. "No I-I meant...I didn't mean it like t-that...I just t-t-thought that maybe sh-" She was cut off by Twilight slamming her hoof into the ground so hard, it left a dent in the solid dirt. "Maybe she what? HURT her big sister?! Just decided to THROW her off a cloud?! Felt like INJURING her idol?!" Her horn began to glow and Poppy Seed shrunk back in fear. Scootaloo stirred and Rarity got to her hooves. "I'm so s-sorry, Princess! I d-d-didn't mean it like that! Not a-at all!" Scootaloo was now fully awake and backing away from the angry mare. "Well what else did you think that she MAYBE did?! Huh?! I will not hear another word about her. Do you understand?" Standing at her full height, the Alicorn scowled at Poppy with her piercing stare. The nurse whimpered. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" "Yes, your highness!" whimpered the pink mare. "Get out of my sight" With that, Nurse Poppy Seed ran from the clearing, in the direction of the other hospital workers. Scootaloo was now holding onto Rarity's leg and worriedly flickering her gaze between Twilight and the fleeing nurse. "What on earth was that? Twilight! How dare you speak to another pony like that?" Rarity trotted towards Twilight and the glare on her face was replaced by one of guilt. "Oh Celestia! What is wrong with me? I just...I freaked out because she was pointing the blame at Scootaloo...but she didn't need that...she probably wasn't even going to say that! What have I done?" Rarity materialised a tissue and wiped her friend's tears. She embraced Twilight and spoke into her purple mane. "I know it's hard, dear. You're fragile. We all are. One of our best friends just plummeted from the sky and is now in hospital," More tears filled Rarity's eyes and Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Applejack all came towards the two hugging ponies and joined in on the embrace. "But we need to stay strong. For Scootaloo. And Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom" The rest of the Mane 5 all agreed and Twilight was released from the hug. Applejack placed Pinkie Pie's spy goggles back over her eyes and the two of them began walking out of the forest. Rarity started to wipe the mascara that was making it's way down her face but she gave up halfway and followed the two retreating mares. Fluttershy silently went over to Scootaloo, who was staring blankly at her hoof. I'll take her back with me. Her room at the orphanage is a single one. She needs a pony with her. "Scootaloo?" No reply. "I'm going to take you back to my cottage. I mean, if that's ok with you" Her friendly gaze was met with Scootaloo's scared lilac eyes staring up at her. "Blood. It's her blood. On my hoof. I did it, didn't I? It was me. See? It's her blood. All over my hoof. And my mane. It was me. I did it" The last few words were barely audible and tears stained the filly's coat. Fluttershy picked her up in a warm hug and flew up into the night sky. "Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed" She sang quietly in her sweet, delicate voice. Scootaloo nestled into Fluttershy's warm body and within seconds, her breathing slowed. Flying up towards them, Twilight hovered beside Fluttershy. "At least she's asleep" she whispered. Fluttershy stared at her and her smile changed to a worried frown. There was fear in her eyes. "She blames herself, Twilight. She said it was all her fault". The CottageRainbow Dash felt herself being lifted into the air and onto a soft sheet. Sobbing could be heard faintly in the background, as well as voices telling her that it was going to be ok and that she needs to hold on. Objects were pressed into her skin and she could feel the dried blood being carefully wiped from her fur with a warm flannel. Soon, she felt the sheet moving and could hear hoofsteps pounding across the dirt. Although there was a commotion surrounding her, she could barely hear it. The only sound that was interesting the blue Pegasus was the mesmerising throbbing of the moon. How it was possible she could hear the moon, Dash didn't know but it was calming and eased her pain. Her wings unfurled at her side to bask in the glow of the moonlight and with a huge amount of effort, she managed to open her eyes slightly. All she saw was the moon. It was astounding. Gleaming, brilliant...breath taking. Why do ponies decide to sleep when this elegant creature adorns the night sky? Luna really does have great power. Then, the moon disappeared. It was replaced by a dark cloud. Pain once again flew through Rainbow's body until she was writhing in agony. Louder voices boomed in her ears and she desperately tried to block them out. All she wanted was to see the moon, hear the moon. Nothing else was of interest to her. Why did it have to leave? She wanted to block out all the sounds except the moon. She wanted to get rid of the dark cloud and bring the moon back. But she couldn't. Once again, Dash's eyes closed. Sunlight filtered through the curtains that hung over Fluttershy's bedroom window. Angel was awake and sitting at the end of the bed, impatiently tapping his foot on the sheets. Brushing her messy hair from her vision, she noticed that Scootaloo wasn't beside her. Or in the room at all. She flew out of bed and checked every space a small filly could hide in. "Scootaloo? Scootaloo! Where are you? Angel! Have you seen Scootaloo?" The bunny sighed and hopped off the bed and towards the door, beckoning Fluttershy to follow him. She lowered herself onto the floor and galloped after her pet. Books littered the floor of Fluttershy's kitchen. They were all about food. Three saucepans sat bubbling on top of the stove and a brown mass quivered inside the oven. Scootaloo was worriedly changing the temperature and batting away birds that flew around the kitchen. A toucan zoomed pass her ear and shocked the young filly, making her fall off the stool she was balancing on and kick a pan off the hob. Boiling water flew across the room, narrowly missing the Pegasus' legs but splashing onto her right wing. "AAAARGH!" she yelped in pain. At that moment, Fluttershy flew into the kitchen. "Scootaloo! Are you ok? What hurts? Are you injured?" Scootaloo got to her hooves and limped towards the worried Pegasus, holding her wing with one hoof. "I hurt my wing. The hot water splashed over it. Other than that, I think I'm fine" Fluttershy inspected the filly's wing and prodded her back. "It doesn't hut when I do that?" she asked Scootaloo. She winced slightly. "Ok. I bruised my back from falling off the stool" she said sheepishly. Fluttershy walked over to a cupboard on the far end of the kitchen. Opening the wooden doors, she rummaged around inside the space until she pulled out a small tube of what looked like moisturiser. "It's burn cream. Do you want me to rub it on your wing?" Scootaloo nodded and Fluttershy approached her and applied the medicine to her wing. The blue cream stung at first but after a few rubs, it felt oddly pleasing. "I think that's enough for now. So, what were you doing in here?" The filly rubbed her arm and guiltily replied "Well I thought I could help with feeding the animals so you didn't have to do all the work. I came down extra early and got a few books from the bookshelf so I could learn how to do it. The animals got excited and I guess cooking isn't my special talent as that's meant to be a cake," she pointed at the lump in the oven "And the saucepans are full of vegetables" Fluttershy looked over at the bubbling liquid on top of the oven and turned off the heat. A bag of animal feed was pulled from the pantry and birds, rabbits, squirrels and even a bear swarmed the kitchen, ripping apart the bag and flinging food around the room. Fluttershy remained calm and lifted up Scootaloo to carry her into the front room. "I deserve it, don't I?" she said in an oddly eerie voice. Shocked, Fluttershy placed her on the sofa and saw that a small speck of blood stuck to her hoof. "I killed Rainbow Dash. So I deserve it. You shouldn't of given me the burn cream. I wish the water had burned my entire body. Then it would be equal. Sort of" Scootaloo stared at her hoof for a few more seconds as Fluttershy stood by her, having lost the ability to speak. No tears formed in her eyes. Just pain. She looked at her wing and sighed. Standing up on the cushion she had been sat on, the filly leapt onto the floor and ran into the kitchen. Cupboards were flung open and kitchen equipment thrown on the floor. By the sofa, Fluttershy stood silently staring at Scootaloo. She blames herself. She blames herself. No no no no NO! She can't! It wasn't her fault. Oh my goodness. This is terrible. What am I going to do? Wait. I'm taking her to see Nurse Redheart so maybe she can convince her not to blame herself! And Rainbow Dash isn't dead. She's going to be fine...I think...I hope. Hold on, what is she doing? Scootaloo had found the cutlery drawer. A large knife was drawn and placed over her wing. The filly raised the knife high up in the air, the weapon sparkling in the morning light. Fluttershy recovered from her shock in seconds and leapt towards the filly. "Scootaloo NOOOO!" she yelled in terror. The knife was brought down and came into contact with flesh. Somepony screamed. Author's Note What's going to happen next? Who was cut? Find out in the next update that will hopefully be coming out soon. I hope you are enjoying this story so far and I really appreciate the likes and comments! Thank you, everpony. Happy Reading! The HospitalScootaloo rubbed her back leg. The stitches itched like Tartarus. Nurses rushed passed her, all carrying a different array of items. Whenever she itched her leg, a nurse would shoot her a glance. She didn't want to be here. This is where Rainbow Dash was. I want to go back to the cottage. I hate it here. She didn't know where Fluttershy had gone. She wanted the Pegasus back. Whenever she was around, Scootaloo felt safe. Here was not safe. This is where her victim was. The one she had nearly killed. Scootaloo was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't see the small group of ponies walking towards her with solemn looks. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Twilight, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. As they approached, the mares plastered warm smiles across their faces but the two fillies just ran towards their friend, jumped onto the cushion and hugged her. Scootaloo didn't respond. "Hey Scootaloo! We were so worried! We thought you had been killed! You're ok though?" Sweetie Belle asked innocently. Scootaloo shrugged and looked down at the floor. Silence filled the room. "This place is real fancy, ain't it?" Apple Bloom said, breaking the awkward atmosphere. Nopony spoke. Looking up, Scootaloo locked eyes with Pinkie Pie. The mare glared at her, her eyes sunken and filled with emotion. She wasn't angry at Scootaloo but the filly didn't know that. Pinkie's mane was limp and dull, hanging over her right eye. She didn't resemble the happy pony that she was a few days ago. The real Pinkie had fallen into a deep abyss, unable to escape until all her friend's were together once more. She hates me. I bet she blames me for Rainb...the incident. She's right to hate me. I did do it. I pushed her. It's my fault. "Scootaloo? Are you going to say anything? We were all called here and they might let us see Rainbow Da-" Twilight started before she was thrown to the floor. On top of her stood Scootaloo, who was panting heavily. Shock registered across the alicorn's face before Scootaloo managed to choke out what she wanted to say. "No. No. I can't see her...no, I can't. Please no. I don't want to. YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" Her words were met with hooves pulling her off of Twilight and kind, purple eyes looking into hers. Bringing her into a hug, Twilight stroked her mane. This gesture was not returned as Scootaloo wriggled out of her grip and shrank away from the group. A crestfallen Twilight stood back up and glanced at her friends. Applejack slowly walked towards the trembling filly and sat down on the wooden floor so she was at eye-level with her. "Sugarcube, nopony here is gonna make you do anything you don't want to. Y'all understand?" she said gently. Scootaloo nodded and scuttled back onto the cushion. "So" Rarity began. "Where's Fluttershy?" Twilight looked around and spotted the reception desk, tucked into a corner by the door and began trotting towards it. Once she stood in front of the wooden desk, she saw the receptionist sitting, her face obscured by a magazine. "Excuse me but could I fin-" The receptionist moved the magazine, revealing the scared face of Poppy Seed. She rose from her seat and backed away from Twilight, muttering apologies. "Oh, Poppy Seed...erm....I was just...I just want to know where Fluttershy is, if that's alright?" Poppy Seed was alarmed and her forehead was damp with sweat. She was terrified of the mare standing opposite her, scared that if the front desk wasn't there, the princess would surely strike her down with some kind of spell. Poppy knew all this sounded irrational but only she had seen the pure hatred and anger in the alicorn's eyes the night before. "F-Fluttershy? She is in...she's in Room 2C. Second floor. Third d-door on the r-right" she squeaked before scampering off in the direction of the staff room. "That wasn't awkward at all" Twilight deadpanned, turning to share Fluttershy's whereabouts but stopping in her tracks when she came horn to horn with Rarity. "What in Equestria was that?!" Twilight tilted her head to the side, confused. "Excuse me?" "You heard me! Where's the apology that poor mare deserves from the way you treated her last night? Twilight, I know you aren't the best in social situations but don't tell me you've forgotten to show other ponies respect?" All the heated words Twilight had shared yesterday came flooding back and she looked down at the tiled floor, like a filly who'd just been caught misbehaving. "Honestly, Twilight! I thought becoming princess would sort out your manners slightly!" Rarity added, trotting back towards the others. Twilight waited a few seconds before following. As she came back, everypony's eyes turned towards hers, waiting for information. Clearing her throat, Twilight shared the news and everypony quickly got to their hooves, trotting towards the stairs. Except from one filly. She refused to leave her cushion, not wanting to move an inch. "C'mon, Scootaloo! Don't you want to see Fluttershy?" Sweetie Belle questioned. Scootaloo shook h head in reply. "Ah'm sure she's fine, Scootaloo. Besides, it's not like you did anythin' to her" Apple Bloom said, standing beside her fellow Crusaders. "That's where you're wrong, Apple Bloom. I was the one with the knife. I was the one that brought it down. I was the one that hurt her. Just like I hurt..." Scootaloo's voice trailed off and she looked down at her stitches. Applejack stood forwards and took Scootaloo's hoof, bringing her up into a standing position. "Sugarcube, you're frettin' 'bout nothin'. Fluttershy only received a little scratch and's only here 'cause they wanted to speak with her 'bout the...accident" Applejack tipped her hat slightly, trying to stop any tears from flowing in front of the fillies. It seemed to work and she adjusted it so it was back in it's usual position above her head. Scootaloo nodded, doubtful that anypony actually thought that all of this wasn't her fault. But, she decided against staying in the cold waiting room and followed her friends up the stairs. *** Fluttershy sat silently, staring out of the window at the clouds outside. They sat there, in the brilliant blue sky, white as snow but warm as blanket during winter. They seemed to calm, so peaceful. So content. So different to Fluttershy. She couldn't block out the two ponies sitting in chairs across from her, one stallion, one mare, both Pegasi. They had been asking questions for ages, about what had happened the night before. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember anything apart from screaming, tears, darkness and Rainbow's contorted body, lying in the dirt. A chill ran down her spine as she realised how much the hole Rainbow had been lying in resembled a grave. "Miss Shy, please, tell us something about what you witnessed last night" the mare prodded. If she was tired of asking the same question over and over again, she sure did a good job of hiding it. The stallion had been silent the entire discussion, if you could call it that, only making a sound when scribbling down notes onto his clipboard. "I'm really sorry, but I can't remember anything" she whispered, feeling guilty of wasting the mare and stallion's time. "Surely there's something. Anything at all. Even the tiniest scrap of information will help us figure out what exactly happened last night. Fluttershy picked at a piece of foam that was poking out from the fabric of her chair. The stallion seemed irritated by this so she stopped and resumed staring out of the window. She didn't want to tell them anything. They'd just be frustrated with the lack of information. What Fluttershy could remember seemed useless to anypony but she just couldn't remember anything about the accident. The memories of the night before were just of the rescue and bringing Scootaloo back to her cottage. She was about to once again tell the mare that she couldn't remember a thing when the door burst open and her friends rushed in, smothering her in a huge hug. She smiled broadly and hugged them back, but her smile faltered when she saw Scootaloo creep in, flanked by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, who shot her worried looks. Fluttershy pulled herself from the embrace and trotted towards Scootaloo, who visibly flinched when she came near. "Hey. How's your leg doing? I was really worried that you had seriously hurt yourself!" "It's fine...nothing I don't deserve" Please not this again thought Fluttershy. "Scootaloo, please. Stop attacking yourself! Please..." the Pegasus pleaded. Scootaloo shifted uncomfortably and stared at the carpet, not meeting Fluttershy's eye. The mare, who had been silent during the entrance of the other ponies stood up and tapped Twilight on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Princess, but we were in the middle of something before you interrupted" she said, not a hint of anger in her voice. Twilight smiled awkwardly and took a step back, gesturing towards the door, her wings springing up in embarrassment. "Oh, I'm really sorry about that, the receptionist told us that we could...well, she told us that we could see Fluttershy and I didn't realise that you were busy, don't worry we'll leave-" Rarity stepped forward and pushed Twilight back with her hoof. Gosh, that pony and social situations! "What my friend Twilight here is trying to say is that the lovely receptionist," Rarity said, turning to glare at Twilight, who had suddenly found a deep interest in Applejack's hat "only told us that Fluttershy was in this room, not providing us with any information about what was happening in here at this moment in time. Do not blame the poor dear, she was simply in awe of the princess" Now, Twilight had a book in front of her. Rarity sighed, pulling it from Twilight's magical grasp and pointing at the cover. "Twilight, I didn't know you were interested in this kind of stuff" she teased. Everypony turned to look at the title. 'Eyes and Muffins-An Adventure' "Derpy told me that it's quite a good read" Twilight spoke up but quickly quietened again as Rarity flipped through the pages and began to read some of the text aloud. "My mum told me that muffins were good and I thought that I could bake some and I did and they were amazing and I sold them at my school's fair with my friend, as you know him, Dr Hooves. He thought that they was amazing and we made loads of bits but then a mean kid stole them and I cried but then Hooves punched them straight in the jaw and that was pretty funny because they had teased me about my eyes before" "What a catch!" Rarity replied, sarcasm dripping from her lips. Twilight pouted and sent the book back to her library. The mare's expression stayed neutral but she let out a small sigh. "You can stay if you remain silent. You could provide us with any information about the incident, as Miss Shy here seems to be suffering from a form of memory loss, caused by the shock of Miss Dash's accident and the trouble earlier" The stallion motioned towards a small cluster of chairs at the back of the room. They all trotted towards the chairs and sat down without a sound. Sweetie Belle had to guide Scootaloo from her seat. The mare turned back to Fluttershy, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't like the way that the mare looked at her. "Miss Shy, are you completely sure you don't know anything about the accident?" "Yes! How many times?! I'm so sorry, I can't remember. All...all I can see in my mind is...Rainbow's...my best f-friends body...lying on the ground...b-b-broken" Fluttershy collapsed into a heap and began to sob, holding herself tight. The two ponies remained stoic but Fluttershy's friends all reacted with a mixture of emotions. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gasped, Twilight looked around frantically, Rarity eyes softened and Applejack ran forward to comfort the meek Pegasus. Pinkie Pie didn't move. The only display of emotion was a single tear sliding down her cheek. Scootaloo began to hyperventilate. She didn't want to think about it, she didn't want these ponies troubling Fluttershy, she didn't want her friends to treat her like some kind of mental patient, she didn't want to wait around for news on Rainbow's health. She didn't want any of this to happen. So, she stepped forward. "It's me you need to be talking to, not her. I can remember everything perfectly. And I know what happened to..." Her voice cracked. "I did it. I p-pushed her off the c-cloud. It was me" Author's Note I AM SO SORRY! I know you guys have probably been waiting FOREVER for me to update this story. I've been trying and trying but I just couldn't think of a way to continue this chapter for ages and I had no inspiration. Once again, I am SO SORRY for making you wait this long, some of you have probably forgotten this story even exists! Please, read this chapter and (hopefully) enjoy it! Happy Reading!
The FallRainbow Dash plummeted towards the forest beneath her, tail and mane flapping behind her. Tears streamed from her eyes and she desperately tried to keep herself aloft with one wing. Her shaking hooves were wrapped around her crooked, left wing. Cold wind bellowed in her ears and she could hear screaming from the sky above. Turning around in the air, she could just make out a yellow pony above her. Then she hit the ground. *** “RAINBOW DASH!” Scootaloo screamed, getting to her hooves and jumping to the edge of the cloud. Fluttershy was flying as fast as she could towards the blue Pegasus but her weak wings had frozen in shock when Rainbow Dash had fallen and they were still recovering. Faster, Fluttershy! FASTER! The pony thought as her wings became a blur. Scootaloo hopped up and down on the cloud frantically, wishing she could help in some way. “Fluttershy can catch her. When her friends are involved she always pulls through! Right?” she thought aloud. Suddenly, purple filled her vision and she yelped, fearing some kind of attack. It’s just my mane. Stop screaming. Scootaloo used her hoof to brush the mane out of her eyes and looked down once more. CRUNCH. Rainbow’s body hit the ground with such force, grass and dirt flew out from underneath her in all directions. A deafening scream flew through the air and Scootaloo realised that it was her, howling in fear and horror. She couldn’t stop. Tears blurred her vision and she had to sit down. Her wet hair stuck to her head and she realised that the hoof she had brushed her mane away with was covered in blood. Darkness swept over the filly and she passed out. *** “R-Rainbow Dash? D-Dash? Wake u-up! Dash! Please! Oh no…” Fluttershy stood over the broken body of her friend. Both wings were bent out of shape with the feathers moulting. Her right hind leg had split down the middle and bone was visible. Blood pooled beneath the pony and many cuts and gashes covered Dash’s body. Teeth littered the ground and bits of bloody gum hung from her mouth. But worst of all was her head. Cracked open, blood gushing, skull visible, twitching uncontrollably. Bile filled Fluttershy’s mouth as she backed away from the body. She couldn’t stop herself and threw up violently in a near bush. "Twilight. I need to get Twilight. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie. I need help. We need a doctor. NOW!" The shaking pony retreated a few more steps and was about to flee when she remembered Scootaloo was still on the cloud above. So shocked by the fall, Fluttershy had forgotten all about the filly. The Pegasus launched up into the air, studying the sky for orange fur. Many white, fluffy clouds had come together while she was on the ground and she was about to go back down when she saw an orange wing hanging from a small cloud directly above her. “Please don’t say she saw what happened. Please don’t let her know. Please. Please. She doesn’t need that to scar her mind. Please” Fluttershy begged. The nauseating image of her best friend’s limp body kept flashing in front of her vision and the yellow pony’s wing strokes faltered for a second. Droplets of tears stained her coat as she reached the cloud and as soon as she saw Scootaloo’s unconscious body, Fluttershy knew that she had seen everything. Four ponies ran full speed through Ponyville, panting heavily but their speed never slowing. Twilight was at the front, flapping her wings to gain more speed. Applejack was a few steps behind her, keeping pace with Rarity, who still had her silk nightgown tied around her stomach. Pinkie Pie was bouncing across the rooftops, somersaulting over chimneys and accidently loosening roof tiles. Fluttershy was ahead, flying through the air with a trembling Scootaloo in her hooves. Twilight’s wingtips brushed against a warm surface and she heard a call from behind her. “Hey! Watch where you’re swingin’ those things, sugarcube!” “Sorry, Applejack!” she replied, swerving to the side. The Unicorn’s horn glowed, as did Rarity’s, providing light for the orange Earth Pony. Pinkie was wearing her spy goggles. A blue aura also engulfed Rarity’s horn as she was keeping a firm grip on Applejack’s hat with her magic to avoid the problem of it blowing away with the strong gale. This tired the pony, but she kept her pace and didn’t stop running. A three way street appeared in front of them. One heading towards the town square, one towards the market and the other towards a long stretch of fields. “Towards the field!” Fluttershy called down to the group. Pinkie leapt from the roof of Berry Punch’s house and flew up into the air, grabbed the small form of Scootaloo from Fluttershy’s front legs with her mouth, landed perfectly next to Twilight and gently placed Scootaloo on her back. “C’mon girls! Let’s go!” the pink pony yelled. As they passed the hospital, Twilight fired up her horn and sent a magic spell into the surgery. Doctors and nurses came spilling out of the hospital, carrying a stretcher, multiple large medical bags and six rolls of bandages. They too joined the race towards Rainbow. Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. Tree trunks and dirt surrounded her. She couldn't move. The moon shone bright overhead and everything was silent. The animals were silent, the trees were silent, her own heartbeat was silent. Birds rested in the branches and flew overhead, various animals nestled underneath the large trunks of oak trees. It was pure bliss. Until an immense pain shot up through her leg and swarmed her entire body. She let out an agonized cry and her body started to spasm uncontrollably. Trying to shout for help only ended up as a gurgling noise and blood dripping from her jaw. Wind blew onto her body and seemed to cut up her wounds even more. Wondering how she was still alive, her ears listened out for any kind of noise that would indicate any sign of pony life. Hoof steps approached from an unknown direction and worried voices could be heard. "Herlp mwe" she coughed. Dash's eyes closed. Author's Note I hope that whoever reads this has enjoyed the first chapter! I know it is very short but I will continue to update the story. Happy reading!
The RescueThe large group of ponies stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the broken body of Rainbow Dash. It seemed to Fluttershy that she looked worse than before. Each and every pony had to hold back vomit. Luckily, Scootaloo had fallen asleep. One nurse, Poppy Seed, took the now sleeping form of Scootaloo off Pinkie's back and away from the carnage. "Thank you, Poppy Seed," whispered on of the doctors "She doesn't need to see anything more" Twilight was at the front of the group and edged her way forward, trying to calm herself and hoping that the doctors would follow suit. Fluttershy was curled up in a ball and sobbing into Rarity's mane. Rarity was holding the distraught Pegasus close and trying desperately to control her tears. Applejack hid behind her Stetson. "How did this happen? It's simply awful!" wailed Rarity. "It's way worse than awful" commented Applejack. A murmur rippled through the array of doctors and many stood forward, equipped with their medical bags. A syringe was pulled from a bag and injected into Rainbow's body, while two other doctors positioned the stretcher. The blue Pegasus was lifted gently onto the stretcher by two unicorn stallions. Each doctor got to work on covering up Rainbow's wounds with bandages, injecting her with multiple needles and checking her pulse and heartbeat. "You should get her back to the hospital" Twilight croaked, her throat dry. "Of course, Princess. Come by tomorrow morning and bring the young filly and Fluttershy along with you". Twilight nodded and the doctors disappeared into the night, with only Poppy Seed remaining. It was horrendous for the five ponies. Petrifying. Traumatising. But the thing that shocked the remaining ponies the most was the tiny, scared and fragile voice that escaped the pink party pony's mouth. "D-Dash?" Twilight turned around to see Pinkie Pie, sitting on the cold grass, her eyes full with tears. Her mane was flat against her head and dark, along with her coat, tail and eyes. Dull. None of the bright colours that made Pinkie Pie...Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie? Y'all okay?" asked the Earth Pony nervously. "No. I'm not ok" "Ah'm sorry, sugarcube. What a stupid question to ask. Come 'ere". With that, Pinkie ran into Applejack's outstretched hooves and sobbed deeply into her shoulder. Stray tears trickled down the orange farm pony's cheek as well and Twilight's eyes were brimming with tears. Fluttershy whimpered into Rarity's nightgown. "Princess?" whispered Poppy Seed. Twilight spun around to see the pink Earth pony lifting Scootaloo's limp limbs and worriedly rubbing one particular orange hoof. "What? What's wrong with her?" "Blood. On her hoof. I think its might be Rainbow's!" Gasping in shock, Twilight ran towards Poppy Seed and held Scootaloo's hoof in the air with her magic. Indeed, it was covered in dry blood. Her fringe was also painted crimson. "You don't think...you don't think that she did it?" The purple Alicorn's head shot up and she glared at the nurse with pure anger. "What did you say?" she uttered, venom dripping from each word. Poppy raised a hoof to take a step back but not before the sleeping filly was yanked from her back and placed behind Twilight. Trembling with rage, Twilight stomped forward until she was touching the utterly terrified mare's nose. "No I-I meant...I didn't mean it like t-that...I just t-t-thought that maybe sh-" She was cut off by Twilight slamming her hoof into the ground so hard, it left a dent in the solid dirt. "Maybe she what? HURT her big sister?! Just decided to THROW her off a cloud?! Felt like INJURING her idol?!" Her horn began to glow and Poppy Seed shrunk back in fear. Scootaloo stirred and Rarity got to her hooves. "I'm so s-sorry, Princess! I d-d-didn't mean it like that! Not a-at all!" Scootaloo was now fully awake and backing away from the angry mare. "Well what else did you think that she MAYBE did?! Huh?! I will not hear another word about her. Do you understand?" Standing at her full height, the Alicorn scowled at Poppy with her piercing stare. The nurse whimpered. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" "Yes, your highness!" whimpered the pink mare. "Get out of my sight" With that, Nurse Poppy Seed ran from the clearing, in the direction of the other hospital workers. Scootaloo was now holding onto Rarity's leg and worriedly flickering her gaze between Twilight and the fleeing nurse. "What on earth was that? Twilight! How dare you speak to another pony like that?" Rarity trotted towards Twilight and the glare on her face was replaced by one of guilt. "Oh Celestia! What is wrong with me? I just...I freaked out because she was pointing the blame at Scootaloo...but she didn't need that...she probably wasn't even going to say that! What have I done?" Rarity materialised a tissue and wiped her friend's tears. She embraced Twilight and spoke into her purple mane. "I know it's hard, dear. You're fragile. We all are. One of our best friends just plummeted from the sky and is now in hospital," More tears filled Rarity's eyes and Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Applejack all came towards the two hugging ponies and joined in on the embrace. "But we need to stay strong. For Scootaloo. And Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom" The rest of the Mane 5 all agreed and Twilight was released from the hug. Applejack placed Pinkie Pie's spy goggles back over her eyes and the two of them began walking out of the forest. Rarity started to wipe the mascara that was making it's way down her face but she gave up halfway and followed the two retreating mares. Fluttershy silently went over to Scootaloo, who was staring blankly at her hoof. I'll take her back with me. Her room at the orphanage is a single one. She needs a pony with her. "Scootaloo?" No reply. "I'm going to take you back to my cottage. I mean, if that's ok with you" Her friendly gaze was met with Scootaloo's scared lilac eyes staring up at her. "Blood. It's her blood. On my hoof. I did it, didn't I? It was me. See? It's her blood. All over my hoof. And my mane. It was me. I did it" The last few words were barely audible and tears stained the filly's coat. Fluttershy picked her up in a warm hug and flew up into the night sky. "Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed" She sang quietly in her sweet, delicate voice. Scootaloo nestled into Fluttershy's warm body and within seconds, her breathing slowed. Flying up towards them, Twilight hovered beside Fluttershy. "At least she's asleep" she whispered. Fluttershy stared at her and her smile changed to a worried frown. There was fear in her eyes. "She blames herself, Twilight. She said it was all her fault".
The CottageRainbow Dash felt herself being lifted into the air and onto a soft sheet. Sobbing could be heard faintly in the background, as well as voices telling her that it was going to be ok and that she needs to hold on. Objects were pressed into her skin and she could feel the dried blood being carefully wiped from her fur with a warm flannel. Soon, she felt the sheet moving and could hear hoofsteps pounding across the dirt. Although there was a commotion surrounding her, she could barely hear it. The only sound that was interesting the blue Pegasus was the mesmerising throbbing of the moon. How it was possible she could hear the moon, Dash didn't know but it was calming and eased her pain. Her wings unfurled at her side to bask in the glow of the moonlight and with a huge amount of effort, she managed to open her eyes slightly. All she saw was the moon. It was astounding. Gleaming, brilliant...breath taking. Why do ponies decide to sleep when this elegant creature adorns the night sky? Luna really does have great power. Then, the moon disappeared. It was replaced by a dark cloud. Pain once again flew through Rainbow's body until she was writhing in agony. Louder voices boomed in her ears and she desperately tried to block them out. All she wanted was to see the moon, hear the moon. Nothing else was of interest to her. Why did it have to leave? She wanted to block out all the sounds except the moon. She wanted to get rid of the dark cloud and bring the moon back. But she couldn't. Once again, Dash's eyes closed. Sunlight filtered through the curtains that hung over Fluttershy's bedroom window. Angel was awake and sitting at the end of the bed, impatiently tapping his foot on the sheets. Brushing her messy hair from her vision, she noticed that Scootaloo wasn't beside her. Or in the room at all. She flew out of bed and checked every space a small filly could hide in. "Scootaloo? Scootaloo! Where are you? Angel! Have you seen Scootaloo?" The bunny sighed and hopped off the bed and towards the door, beckoning Fluttershy to follow him. She lowered herself onto the floor and galloped after her pet. Books littered the floor of Fluttershy's kitchen. They were all about food. Three saucepans sat bubbling on top of the stove and a brown mass quivered inside the oven. Scootaloo was worriedly changing the temperature and batting away birds that flew around the kitchen. A toucan zoomed pass her ear and shocked the young filly, making her fall off the stool she was balancing on and kick a pan off the hob. Boiling water flew across the room, narrowly missing the Pegasus' legs but splashing onto her right wing. "AAAARGH!" she yelped in pain. At that moment, Fluttershy flew into the kitchen. "Scootaloo! Are you ok? What hurts? Are you injured?" Scootaloo got to her hooves and limped towards the worried Pegasus, holding her wing with one hoof. "I hurt my wing. The hot water splashed over it. Other than that, I think I'm fine" Fluttershy inspected the filly's wing and prodded her back. "It doesn't hut when I do that?" she asked Scootaloo. She winced slightly. "Ok. I bruised my back from falling off the stool" she said sheepishly. Fluttershy walked over to a cupboard on the far end of the kitchen. Opening the wooden doors, she rummaged around inside the space until she pulled out a small tube of what looked like moisturiser. "It's burn cream. Do you want me to rub it on your wing?" Scootaloo nodded and Fluttershy approached her and applied the medicine to her wing. The blue cream stung at first but after a few rubs, it felt oddly pleasing. "I think that's enough for now. So, what were you doing in here?" The filly rubbed her arm and guiltily replied "Well I thought I could help with feeding the animals so you didn't have to do all the work. I came down extra early and got a few books from the bookshelf so I could learn how to do it. The animals got excited and I guess cooking isn't my special talent as that's meant to be a cake," she pointed at the lump in the oven "And the saucepans are full of vegetables" Fluttershy looked over at the bubbling liquid on top of the oven and turned off the heat. A bag of animal feed was pulled from the pantry and birds, rabbits, squirrels and even a bear swarmed the kitchen, ripping apart the bag and flinging food around the room. Fluttershy remained calm and lifted up Scootaloo to carry her into the front room. "I deserve it, don't I?" she said in an oddly eerie voice. Shocked, Fluttershy placed her on the sofa and saw that a small speck of blood stuck to her hoof. "I killed Rainbow Dash. So I deserve it. You shouldn't of given me the burn cream. I wish the water had burned my entire body. Then it would be equal. Sort of" Scootaloo stared at her hoof for a few more seconds as Fluttershy stood by her, having lost the ability to speak. No tears formed in her eyes. Just pain. She looked at her wing and sighed. Standing up on the cushion she had been sat on, the filly leapt onto the floor and ran into the kitchen. Cupboards were flung open and kitchen equipment thrown on the floor. By the sofa, Fluttershy stood silently staring at Scootaloo. She blames herself. She blames herself. No no no no NO! She can't! It wasn't her fault. Oh my goodness. This is terrible. What am I going to do? Wait. I'm taking her to see Nurse Redheart so maybe she can convince her not to blame herself! And Rainbow Dash isn't dead. She's going to be fine...I think...I hope. Hold on, what is she doing? Scootaloo had found the cutlery drawer. A large knife was drawn and placed over her wing. The filly raised the knife high up in the air, the weapon sparkling in the morning light. Fluttershy recovered from her shock in seconds and leapt towards the filly. "Scootaloo NOOOO!" she yelled in terror. The knife was brought down and came into contact with flesh. Somepony screamed. Author's Note What's going to happen next? Who was cut? Find out in the next update that will hopefully be coming out soon. I hope you are enjoying this story so far and I really appreciate the likes and comments! Thank you, everpony. Happy Reading!
The HospitalScootaloo rubbed her back leg. The stitches itched like Tartarus. Nurses rushed passed her, all carrying a different array of items. Whenever she itched her leg, a nurse would shoot her a glance. She didn't want to be here. This is where Rainbow Dash was. I want to go back to the cottage. I hate it here. She didn't know where Fluttershy had gone. She wanted the Pegasus back. Whenever she was around, Scootaloo felt safe. Here was not safe. This is where her victim was. The one she had nearly killed. Scootaloo was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't see the small group of ponies walking towards her with solemn looks. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Twilight, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. As they approached, the mares plastered warm smiles across their faces but the two fillies just ran towards their friend, jumped onto the cushion and hugged her. Scootaloo didn't respond. "Hey Scootaloo! We were so worried! We thought you had been killed! You're ok though?" Sweetie Belle asked innocently. Scootaloo shrugged and looked down at the floor. Silence filled the room. "This place is real fancy, ain't it?" Apple Bloom said, breaking the awkward atmosphere. Nopony spoke. Looking up, Scootaloo locked eyes with Pinkie Pie. The mare glared at her, her eyes sunken and filled with emotion. She wasn't angry at Scootaloo but the filly didn't know that. Pinkie's mane was limp and dull, hanging over her right eye. She didn't resemble the happy pony that she was a few days ago. The real Pinkie had fallen into a deep abyss, unable to escape until all her friend's were together once more. She hates me. I bet she blames me for Rainb...the incident. She's right to hate me. I did do it. I pushed her. It's my fault. "Scootaloo? Are you going to say anything? We were all called here and they might let us see Rainbow Da-" Twilight started before she was thrown to the floor. On top of her stood Scootaloo, who was panting heavily. Shock registered across the alicorn's face before Scootaloo managed to choke out what she wanted to say. "No. No. I can't see her...no, I can't. Please no. I don't want to. YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" Her words were met with hooves pulling her off of Twilight and kind, purple eyes looking into hers. Bringing her into a hug, Twilight stroked her mane. This gesture was not returned as Scootaloo wriggled out of her grip and shrank away from the group. A crestfallen Twilight stood back up and glanced at her friends. Applejack slowly walked towards the trembling filly and sat down on the wooden floor so she was at eye-level with her. "Sugarcube, nopony here is gonna make you do anything you don't want to. Y'all understand?" she said gently. Scootaloo nodded and scuttled back onto the cushion. "So" Rarity began. "Where's Fluttershy?" Twilight looked around and spotted the reception desk, tucked into a corner by the door and began trotting towards it. Once she stood in front of the wooden desk, she saw the receptionist sitting, her face obscured by a magazine. "Excuse me but could I fin-" The receptionist moved the magazine, revealing the scared face of Poppy Seed. She rose from her seat and backed away from Twilight, muttering apologies. "Oh, Poppy Seed...erm....I was just...I just want to know where Fluttershy is, if that's alright?" Poppy Seed was alarmed and her forehead was damp with sweat. She was terrified of the mare standing opposite her, scared that if the front desk wasn't there, the princess would surely strike her down with some kind of spell. Poppy knew all this sounded irrational but only she had seen the pure hatred and anger in the alicorn's eyes the night before. "F-Fluttershy? She is in...she's in Room 2C. Second floor. Third d-door on the r-right" she squeaked before scampering off in the direction of the staff room. "That wasn't awkward at all" Twilight deadpanned, turning to share Fluttershy's whereabouts but stopping in her tracks when she came horn to horn with Rarity. "What in Equestria was that?!" Twilight tilted her head to the side, confused. "Excuse me?" "You heard me! Where's the apology that poor mare deserves from the way you treated her last night? Twilight, I know you aren't the best in social situations but don't tell me you've forgotten to show other ponies respect?" All the heated words Twilight had shared yesterday came flooding back and she looked down at the tiled floor, like a filly who'd just been caught misbehaving. "Honestly, Twilight! I thought becoming princess would sort out your manners slightly!" Rarity added, trotting back towards the others. Twilight waited a few seconds before following. As she came back, everypony's eyes turned towards hers, waiting for information. Clearing her throat, Twilight shared the news and everypony quickly got to their hooves, trotting towards the stairs. Except from one filly. She refused to leave her cushion, not wanting to move an inch. "C'mon, Scootaloo! Don't you want to see Fluttershy?" Sweetie Belle questioned. Scootaloo shook h head in reply. "Ah'm sure she's fine, Scootaloo. Besides, it's not like you did anythin' to her" Apple Bloom said, standing beside her fellow Crusaders. "That's where you're wrong, Apple Bloom. I was the one with the knife. I was the one that brought it down. I was the one that hurt her. Just like I hurt..." Scootaloo's voice trailed off and she looked down at her stitches. Applejack stood forwards and took Scootaloo's hoof, bringing her up into a standing position. "Sugarcube, you're frettin' 'bout nothin'. Fluttershy only received a little scratch and's only here 'cause they wanted to speak with her 'bout the...accident" Applejack tipped her hat slightly, trying to stop any tears from flowing in front of the fillies. It seemed to work and she adjusted it so it was back in it's usual position above her head. Scootaloo nodded, doubtful that anypony actually thought that all of this wasn't her fault. But, she decided against staying in the cold waiting room and followed her friends up the stairs. *** Fluttershy sat silently, staring out of the window at the clouds outside. They sat there, in the brilliant blue sky, white as snow but warm as blanket during winter. They seemed to calm, so peaceful. So content. So different to Fluttershy. She couldn't block out the two ponies sitting in chairs across from her, one stallion, one mare, both Pegasi. They had been asking questions for ages, about what had happened the night before. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember anything apart from screaming, tears, darkness and Rainbow's contorted body, lying in the dirt. A chill ran down her spine as she realised how much the hole Rainbow had been lying in resembled a grave. "Miss Shy, please, tell us something about what you witnessed last night" the mare prodded. If she was tired of asking the same question over and over again, she sure did a good job of hiding it. The stallion had been silent the entire discussion, if you could call it that, only making a sound when scribbling down notes onto his clipboard. "I'm really sorry, but I can't remember anything" she whispered, feeling guilty of wasting the mare and stallion's time. "Surely there's something. Anything at all. Even the tiniest scrap of information will help us figure out what exactly happened last night. Fluttershy picked at a piece of foam that was poking out from the fabric of her chair. The stallion seemed irritated by this so she stopped and resumed staring out of the window. She didn't want to tell them anything. They'd just be frustrated with the lack of information. What Fluttershy could remember seemed useless to anypony but she just couldn't remember anything about the accident. The memories of the night before were just of the rescue and bringing Scootaloo back to her cottage. She was about to once again tell the mare that she couldn't remember a thing when the door burst open and her friends rushed in, smothering her in a huge hug. She smiled broadly and hugged them back, but her smile faltered when she saw Scootaloo creep in, flanked by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, who shot her worried looks. Fluttershy pulled herself from the embrace and trotted towards Scootaloo, who visibly flinched when she came near. "Hey. How's your leg doing? I was really worried that you had seriously hurt yourself!" "It's fine...nothing I don't deserve" Please not this again thought Fluttershy. "Scootaloo, please. Stop attacking yourself! Please..." the Pegasus pleaded. Scootaloo shifted uncomfortably and stared at the carpet, not meeting Fluttershy's eye. The mare, who had been silent during the entrance of the other ponies stood up and tapped Twilight on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Princess, but we were in the middle of something before you interrupted" she said, not a hint of anger in her voice. Twilight smiled awkwardly and took a step back, gesturing towards the door, her wings springing up in embarrassment. "Oh, I'm really sorry about that, the receptionist told us that we could...well, she told us that we could see Fluttershy and I didn't realise that you were busy, don't worry we'll leave-" Rarity stepped forward and pushed Twilight back with her hoof. Gosh, that pony and social situations! "What my friend Twilight here is trying to say is that the lovely receptionist," Rarity said, turning to glare at Twilight, who had suddenly found a deep interest in Applejack's hat "only told us that Fluttershy was in this room, not providing us with any information about what was happening in here at this moment in time. Do not blame the poor dear, she was simply in awe of the princess" Now, Twilight had a book in front of her. Rarity sighed, pulling it from Twilight's magical grasp and pointing at the cover. "Twilight, I didn't know you were interested in this kind of stuff" she teased. Everypony turned to look at the title. 'Eyes and Muffins-An Adventure' "Derpy told me that it's quite a good read" Twilight spoke up but quickly quietened again as Rarity flipped through the pages and began to read some of the text aloud. "My mum told me that muffins were good and I thought that I could bake some and I did and they were amazing and I sold them at my school's fair with my friend, as you know him, Dr Hooves. He thought that they was amazing and we made loads of bits but then a mean kid stole them and I cried but then Hooves punched them straight in the jaw and that was pretty funny because they had teased me about my eyes before" "What a catch!" Rarity replied, sarcasm dripping from her lips. Twilight pouted and sent the book back to her library. The mare's expression stayed neutral but she let out a small sigh. "You can stay if you remain silent. You could provide us with any information about the incident, as Miss Shy here seems to be suffering from a form of memory loss, caused by the shock of Miss Dash's accident and the trouble earlier" The stallion motioned towards a small cluster of chairs at the back of the room. They all trotted towards the chairs and sat down without a sound. Sweetie Belle had to guide Scootaloo from her seat. The mare turned back to Fluttershy, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't like the way that the mare looked at her. "Miss Shy, are you completely sure you don't know anything about the accident?" "Yes! How many times?! I'm so sorry, I can't remember. All...all I can see in my mind is...Rainbow's...my best f-friends body...lying on the ground...b-b-broken" Fluttershy collapsed into a heap and began to sob, holding herself tight. The two ponies remained stoic but Fluttershy's friends all reacted with a mixture of emotions. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gasped, Twilight looked around frantically, Rarity eyes softened and Applejack ran forward to comfort the meek Pegasus. Pinkie Pie didn't move. The only display of emotion was a single tear sliding down her cheek. Scootaloo began to hyperventilate. She didn't want to think about it, she didn't want these ponies troubling Fluttershy, she didn't want her friends to treat her like some kind of mental patient, she didn't want to wait around for news on Rainbow's health. She didn't want any of this to happen. So, she stepped forward. "It's me you need to be talking to, not her. I can remember everything perfectly. And I know what happened to..." Her voice cracked. "I did it. I p-pushed her off the c-cloud. It was me" Author's Note I AM SO SORRY! I know you guys have probably been waiting FOREVER for me to update this story. I've been trying and trying but I just couldn't think of a way to continue this chapter for ages and I had no inspiration. Once again, I am SO SORRY for making you wait this long, some of you have probably forgotten this story even exists! Please, read this chapter and (hopefully) enjoy it! Happy Reading!
