The Heart's Shell

Rainbow and Fluttershy raced to the train station and they were lucky to catch that particular train that Spike was talking about earlier. When they arrived in Canterlot, they quickly got off the train and noticed Twilight with Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack. They had walked out of the café after their chat but they didn’t notice the worried look in Applejack’s eyes. Fluttershy just looked happy to see them without having to look for them first.

“What a coincidence that they are all here” Fluttershy said.

“Come on!” Rainbow pushed Fluttershy until she was in front. Twilight noticed them and ran towards them till they were able to catch their breaths.

“Fluttershy, what are you doing here?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy hung her head trying to catch her breath.

“I have some bad news” she said when the ponies’ smiles disappeared. “Tank is ill!” The other mares were shocked by this news.

“How did this happen?” Twilight asked again.

“It was the watch I got for Hearth’s Warming. I wished for Tank to come back from hibernation and then he got sick” Rainbow replied. Twilight walked up to Tank who was in Rainbow’s bag. He was sweating and his face was red.

“He really doesn’t look well. Does he have a fever?”

“Yes. But a really high one. Not even Fluttershy could help me cure him”

“So that’s what you wished for” Rarity responded. “We were trying to figure that out all morning”

Rainbow Dash wore a confused expression on her face.

“Wait, you two knew that it had wishing powers?” she asked.

“We kind of figured that out when you shot past us on a sled yesterday” Twilight replied.

“You two saw me?”

“Yep. But we didn’t see Tank, we just saw you”

“That makes more sense now, darlings. Before Applejack said that something that had made Rainbow sad has made her happy again. That thing is Tank” Rarity responded.

“Not anymore. Not if Tank is sick” Applejack replied.

“It gets worse. The watch was the one that cursed Tank after I made my wish. And it also told me that Tank only had 3 days to live before he succumbs. Then it shattered right before me and I couldn’t fix it” Rainbow Dash said. Twilight’s eyes got smaller. She remembered something, something important.

“That was the source!” she said excitedly.

“The what now?”

“Rarity and I went to this fortune teller to find out where that watch came from. It turns out the watch was sent by a magical being, not a pony. And when we were trying to find the last pieces of the puzzle; who is was sent by and what you wished for, then she said that the source died. I bet when the watch shattered in front of you, that’s when the source couldn’t be found again”

“Hold on a second” Pinkie Pie interrupted. “Did you say Tanky only has 3 days left to live?” Rainbow Dash nodded.

“That’s terrible!” Rarity responded.

“But there is a way to cure him. Before the watch shattered, it told me this riddle” Rainbow Dash replied. She spoke the riddle to the rest of the mane 6, waiting for an answer.

“Well Twilight. Do you know anything?” she asked.

“I’m sorry but no. But I know somepony who might” Twilight replied.

“Who?”

“Princess Celestia and Luna”

“Oh”

“But as you said, we’d better hurry”

The rest of the mane 6 forgot about the next train to Ponyville and headed straight for the castle where they would warn Princess Celestia and Luna about the crisis at hand. About the watch that had magical properties and could curse a tortoise to become sick just like that.

“Why did the chicken cross the road?” Luna asked her sister “To get to the other side!” she just burst out laughing, Celestia just sighed.

“Luna, I don’t really get that joke” was her reply.

“Oh come on! It’s a classic! Stick to the times!”

“Celestia and Luna!” Twilight called out as she and her friends came rushing in.

“What is it Twilight?” Celestia asked. She took a minute to catch her breath and then she spoke.

“Well, Celestia. Rainbow Dash’s pet is in a very sickly condition. There was a watch that could grant her any wish she wanted. She wished to spend Hearth’s Warming with him. However, now, he is sick. The watch said that the only way to cure Tank is with a riddle”

As Twilight repeated the riddle to the Princess. She gasped in shock. Something told them that she knew something.

“What does that riddle mean?” Rainbow asked.

“It means you have to find a song at the time when you first met Tank that you sang to him” Celestia replied.

“When I first met him?” Rainbow mentioned.

“Oh. That song that we sung when we were searching for the perfect pet, remember” Fluttershy squeaked.

“Flutters, we made that up on the spot, there’s no way I’m going to remember it” Rainbow responded. But that didn’t stop Fluttershy from singing the first bit until Rainbow put her hoof on her mouth.

“Fluttershy, I don’t think it’s that song. Besides, I wasn’t just meeting Tank; I was also meeting other animals that might’ve been my pets too”

“Oh, you have a point” Fluttershy replied.

“And there is only one being that could have sent you that watch; your demon foal” Celestia replied. The other mares just gasped in shock.

“What’s a demon foal?” Rainbow asked.

“A demon foal is a being that comes from a pony who experiences grief for the first time. Once that foal is created, it feeds off your grief of that certain subject. The more you do to stop the inevitable, the more powerful it becomes. It is also more powerful the more recent it’s created” Celestia replied.

“That’s right. I guess the first time I did experience grief was last month…No, what about the time when I was five and…” Rainbow mentioned.

“Demon foals are only created after the filly earns her cutie mark. That incident probably happened before you got yours” Luna replied.

“Oh, that makes more sense” Rainbow responded.

“The watch also said that Tank only had three days left to live” Fluttershy said in a concerned tone.

“Then we haven’t much time” Luna responded. “At this moment, Rainbow’s demon foal could be feeding off her grief for Tank. We must get moving straight away”

“Since we only have three days, here is what is going to happen; Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. You five search for the cure to Tank’s illness” Celestia responded.

“Wait, Princess, why are we all except Rainbow going to get the song? Won’t it be dangerous?” Twilight asked.

“I’m sorry Twilight. But Rainbow must face her demon foal by herself in order to destroy it. It would be better if you girls sing the cure after the foal is destroyed” Luna replied.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re joking right?” Rainbow interrupted “I have to go by myself!?”

“There is no other choice. The demon foal can only be destroyed by the pony that creates it. Anypony who helps will have no effect on the foal but are in greater risk” Luna replied.

“Please Luna; we can’t abandon our friend like this!” Twilight interrupted putting her wing in front of Rainbow Dash “There must be another way, right Celestia?”

“I’m afraid my sister is right” Celestia replied “This is something that Rainbow must do alone. The fate of Equestria might depend on it, depending on how powerful it is. But as I said before, your demon foal was created recently, so it might be very powerful”

“And if that’s true, there might be a chance you don’t come back” Luna replied.

Rainbow’s ears dropped and her eyes were glancing over the room. She was starting to move back.

“No, why me?” Rainbow asked, holding back tears. “I don’t deserve this!”

“We will come with you Rainbow” Celestia said, comforting Rainbow “We know the way there of course”

“Now let’s get moving” Luna interrupted “we have little time to waste”

“Wait, can I say goodbye to my friends first. You know, if it is true I might not see them again?” Rainbow asked.

“Of course” Celestia replied.

Rainbow Dash walked sadly over to her friends.

“I’m sorry it has to be this way” Rainbow said, hanging her head. Twilight walked towards her.

“We’re sorry too” Twilight replied, she wrapped her hooves around Rainbow Dash. “You’re very brave to be going out there”

“I’m not. I’m scared” Rainbow replied “like, what if I never come back? What if I never see you guys again?”

“If that does happen, we will always remember you”

“Thanks” a small smile was shown on Rainbow’s face. Applejack walked towards her in place of Twilight.

“Hey, remember when we had all of those competitions like the ‘Iron Pony’ and the ‘Most Daring Pony’ competition?” Applejack asked as she took off her hat “Well, I forfeit for daring pony”

“What? But why?” Rainbow asked astounded.

“You are risking everything to save your pet; even I wouldn’t be brave enough to do that”. Rainbow started tearing up along with Applejack.

“Thanks AJ” Rainbow sniffed.

“You’re quite welcome, RD” Applejack replied. The two mares spat on their hooves and bumped them together.

“I can’t bear to see you cry” Rarity announced. Mascara was already running down her face as she was sobbing intensively. She rushed over to Rainbow and gave her a huge hug.

“I’m going to miss you darling!” Rarity wailed as tears went down Rainbow’s mane.

“Me too. But, you are getting water all over my mane”

“Oh, sorry” Rarity replied.

“Rainbow Dash” the stern voiced Fluttershy walked towards Rainbow Dash. “I just wanted to let you know, if anything does happen to you, I want to say I’m sorry”

“What for?” Rainbow asked.

“I told you that Tank needed to hibernate, then I forced you to cry to accept his hibernation, then I completely forgot about it. I really am a terrible friend and I didn’t mean any of those things” Fluttershy hung her head. Rainbow’s eyes filled with tears again.

“That’s not true” Rainbow replied. “You’re a wonderful friend, Fluttershy. You were only trying to help me”

Fluttershy let her tears run through as she ran to give her childhood friend a hug. She quietly sobbed into her mane.

“Please be careful” Fluttershy said between sobs.

“I will” Rainbow replied.

“RAINBOW DASH!!!” Pinkie Pie yelled as she leaped on top of Rainbow. She was the saddest of them all as she was wailing. Rainbow couldn’t hold it in anymore. Before she knew it, she was sobbing too.

“I’m never going to forget all the pranks we pulled and the parties we went to!” Pinkie said. Rainbow hugged Pinkie tighter as she cried even harder.

“Pinkie Pie?”

“What?”

“You’re always there with your hyper antics cheering me up when I need it. I feel like I’m going to be missing something when I go into that dark, cruel world. I’m going to miss you most of all Pinkie!” Rainbow sobbed. The both of them wailed together, knowing that they wouldn’t be pranking buddies anymore. The rest of the mares cried silent tears before coming over to Rainbow Dash for one last group hug.

The mares loosened and wiped the rest of their tears away. Rainbow tried to smile.

“I’ll never forget you guys” she sniffed as she turned her back on them and headed towards Princess Celestia and Luna.

“Are you ready to go?” Celestia asked.

“Yes. Let’s save Equestria” Rainbow replied.

Every pony knew that Rainbow was going into dark territory. No pony knew however if she was going to return. But time was running out. The other mares headed out of the castle, hoping that there might be a way to save Rainbow Dash. But their main priority was to find the song that might cure Tank. And whether they would find out what it was before it was too late was a mystery…