Twilight was reading a book in her bed. It's been about three hours since Dash left to train with her heroes. And Pinkie was still organizing the party.
Humming to herself as she read, she couldn't think of any time she was so relaxed these days. Being a princess was a stressful job.
But her heading soon came to an end as she heard a slam. Then hooves running on the floor. Until the doors of her room slammed open.
She didn't have time to fully react. She turned her head to see who it was, but that someone was already clinging to her as if it's life depended on it.
She looked down at it. The very familiar rainbow mane made it all very much clear who it was. Twilight shortly wondered as to why she was here, then she noticed that her fur was getting wet and she heard sobs.
"Rainbow.. what's going on? What happened..?" She asked in a calm voice and gently hugged the distressed Pegasus around her. Something really bad must have happened, she was trembling.
She she kept on crying, unable to tell her at the moment, Twilight started thinking of theories as to what happened.
It was just a misunderstanding- no that wouldn't crush her like this.. a prank, a really nasty prank, and she actually isn't a wonderbolt.
Something happened to Tank while she was gone.
Maybe she did something bad?
The sobbing calmed down a bit. Twilight looked back down at her face.
"Rainbow.. don't leave me in the dark... please, tell me what happened... I hate seeing you so.. so..." It was such a bad state that not even Twilight could think of a word suitable for it.
Dash swallowed. Then she released her grip around her friend and rubbed her eyes with a hoof. She calmed down, though sniffling remained and tears still dripped down her face onto the bed.
Twilight stared patiently at her with concerned eyes.
Dash had her ears back and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath she chocked out
"I almost lost you..."
Twilight was confused. When did she lose her?
"What do you mean?"
Dash looked her in the eyes.
"Remember the academy?"
"You mean when we came to visit?"
Dash nodded.
Twilight started to understand as the pieces fell together. The puzzle creating a picture of the tornado hitting their ballon, throwing them out, falling down...
"But Rainbow, that was such a long time ago! And we are fine, really. You saved us!"
She smiled.
Dash didn't return it.
"If I had been only a second too late, you guys-.....wouldn't be here anymore..."
Twilight wondered what caused her friend to dwell so much on the past. Maybe it was her element? Or maybe...
"Rainbow.. are there still times where you think of that event?"
Dash didn't look at her and nodded. "I still see it.. right before my eyes..."
...a trauma.
Being back at the same place it happened must have been horrible. And without her friends nonetheless. No wonder she came back so fast and acted like she did...
But one thought struck her hard.
She couldn't be a wonderbolt if she didn't train. If she couldn't conquer this, her dream would be crushed. And she couldn't let that happen.
"Rainbow, listen. I know how to make it okey."
Dash looked at her again.
"Really?"
Twilight nodded.
"We are going back to the academy."
Dash wanted to ask if she was insane, but she trusted her friend.
She nodded and Twilight pulled her into a hug again.
"I'm here for you...
Back at the training grounds
Having a trauma is bad.
Being back at the place it happened was even worse.
Already on their way there Dash had thought of just going back. But every time she looked at Twilight, the alicorn gave her this smile...
This smile of giving confidence.. strength.. Like it said "I'm here for you and I'm never gonna leave you".
Dash loved that smile.
She was still mentally building up the courage to go back to that place. And that smile made it a lot easier.
They touched down on the ground of the training area. Twilight wanted to go to the very place it happened, and noticed that Dash wasn't moving. She just stood still, her eyes were pins and she was trembling again.
"Rainbow? Calm down, I'm here."
It didn't help. Twilight came back to her and laid a wing over her back. Dash finally broke free and looked at the alicorn.
"We can do this. Together."
They moved like this. Ever so slowly. But they moved.
Every little step nearer to the edge, was a big step for Dash.
"Rainbow Dash! I wondered where you had gotten off to!" A voice called, startling Rainbow.
"Spitfire." Twilight said.
"Greetings Princess. Look, I'm just wondering what's gotten into Dash. She was barely here and started screaming and flew off. Without saying a thing!"
"It seems she got a trauma from the time in the academy. I'm working on it."
"Huh. Well, alright then, I guess?" She left again.
Twilight noticed the concerned look on Dashs face.
"Don't worry, we'll get over it. I'm not gonna let you down."
There it was again. That smile. And their legs started moving again.
They reached the edge. The horrible, horrible place. Twilight lifted her wing as Dash walked to the end.
Dash looked down over the edge. She remembered it all. Everything. The cries of help from her friends, the adrenaline... the speed... she looked at her cutie mark.
The exact same reason why she got it in the first place. Only this time it wasn't to defend her friend, it was to safe their very life's.
She started to tear up again.
Twilight went up to her and wrapped her wing around her again.
That. Smile.
And she knew it was okey. Her friends were save. She didn't have to worry about it.
Not anymore.
Dash returned it with her most confident smile.
"You ready?" Twilight asked, still smiling.
"Let's do this!" She called and took off to the rest of the team.
Even though she knew that Dash would be okey, she still stayed with her until practice was over.