Fuzzy Blue Lights

"It's not fair. I'll never get to see her again."

"You alive?"

Rainbow Blaze's voice stirred Rainbow Dash awake.

"Ugh... yeah." Rainbow tried sitting up, then immediately regretted it. She leaned over to vomit as her vision turned purple.

"Take it easy, dumbass," Rainbow Blaze patted Dash's knee. "You got obliterated."

Rainbow Dash groaned. "We're not losing, are we?"

Rainbow Blaze shook his head. "You got us far enough. Now just, lie down, okay? The nurse will be down here in a sec. Gotta make sure we didn't kill whatever brain cells you have left."

Rainbow Dash slumped back down on the grass beside the bench. Far enough? Well, it wasn't the triumphant run she was hoping for, but it was better than getting sacked. Regardless, something tickled the back of Rainbow's mind as Nurse Redheart knelt down beside her.

I saw a ghost today.

Fluttershy watched wide-eyed as the rainbow-haired girl was carried off the field on a stretcher. She held up her fist before being whisked away, spurring relieved applause from the crowd. Fluttershy tapped on Applejack's shoulder.

"Did you say her name was Rainbow Dash?" She had to shout to be heard.

Applejack nodded proudly. "Yeah, that's our girl. Hoo-wee, she took that hit like a champ! The fella musta been the size of a Coke machine on legs."

Rainbow Dash... no way. It was impossible. There was no way!

Fluttershy bit her lip. Could that be her Rainbow Dash? There was only one way to find out.

"Where did they take her?"

Rainbow Dash paced back and forth in the girls' locker room. She kept the ice pack pressed against her head as she did so. It wasn't her worst hit, but it was the first time Rainbow Dash had ever blacked out. She needed to make sure that never happened again.

Of course, it wouldn't have happened at all if she hadn’t decided to boast and look out into the audience like some kind of hotshot. But really, it had been that girl, hadn’t it? Why did she spark some sort of recognition?

"Rainbow Dash?"

That voice made the hairs on the back of Rainbow's neck stand up. It was smoother and more reserved, but Rainbow knew that voice, too. She turned to face the entrance. She could only stare in shock.

The girl was tall and clumsy-looking. Her shoulders were hunched slightly, as if constantly bowing to an unseen superior. Her soft pink hair was neatly brushed. But what got Rainbow was her steel-speckled teal eyes.

Those were definitely her eyes.

Fluttershy almost refused to believe it. This girl had the same multicolored hair, though it was more highlighted. She had the same posture, the same acutely defined face, the same build (though noticeably more toned). But what really got Fluttershy was her deep, rosy eyes.

Those were definitely her eyes.

"...Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow Dash blinked. She opened her mouth, her tongue feeling swelled and dry.

"You... uh..." She scratched her head, eyes wandering. "Don't tell me, don't tell me... Shutter, Butterfl- no, no." Rainbow Dash groaned in aggravation. "Fluttershy!"

She snapped her fingers when it finally came to her. Rainbow inched forward. The girl watched in puzzlement as Rainbow gave her arm an experimental poke.

"Okay, you're real."

"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked in concern.

Rainbow Dash giggled. "Am I- You're, you're," Rainbow Dash waved her hands at Fluttershy. "You're here!"

Fluttershy grimaced; she hoped Rainbow didn't have a concussion. "Um... yes."

Rainbow Dash's incredulous laughter grew louder. She ripped off her shoulder pads, and tossed them onto the floor. Fluttershy squeaked when Rainbow Dash threw her arms around her in a hug.

Fluttershy paused, reality still sinking in. She had been waiting expectantly for Rainbow Dash to shrug indifferently, or even say something with built-up venom in her voice. She never did. This was Rainbow Dash. Despite the short athlete being drenched in sweat, Fluttershy felt her arms moving to hug her back.

"Oh, this is simply so adorable!" Rarity gushed the next day at the lunch table. "What are the odds that our Rainbow's best friend would move here to Canterlot?"

Fluttershy smiled nervously. The odds were beyond comprehension.

"I know!" Pinkie Pie squealed. "Ooh, it just makes me so happy!"

Rainbow Dash grinned as she finished off her slice of pizza. "Dude, we have so much to catch up on. You would not believe everything."

Fluttershy's eyes darkened, though she kept her smile on. She hadn’t considered that Rainbow would want to hear about life back home. She had a feeling that anything Rainbow Dash told her would be more believable than what she had to say.

"-and so I made it on Junior Varsity. Spitfire and the rest of the seniors keep joking that I should be in the Special Olympics, but they know I'm good."

Fluttershy was content just listening to Rainbow Dash talk. Her voice was less squeaky now, and had more of a rasp to it, signaling that she had already entered puberty. But it was the most comforting sound Fluttershy had heard in years.

So far, she had learned that, among many other things, Rainbow Dash had gotten her driving learner's permit, was a Wondercolt all-star, learned how to cook more than just macaroni and cheese, and had even started learning to read music. This was so that she could eventually play on the guitar that she got on her birthday just this year.

Apparently, Rainbow Dash had been diagnosed with ADHD. She didn’t seem eager to linger on that topic, which Fluttershy respected.

"Anyway, I've been yammering forever. How about you?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"Huh?"

"How was everything after I left?"

Fluttershy felt her innards clench. "Umm, it was... fine."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "Just fine? No news, nothing?"

Fluttershy swallowed. "Uh, I better get home. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

Fluttershy scurried down the street back to her house, leaving Rainbow Dash wondering if she had somehow said something to offend her.

Mr. and Mrs. Shy were both alerted to the front door opening. Mr. Shy set down his newspaper as he looked up. Fluttershy zipped past before either of them could ask how her second day went.

Fluttershy scampered up to her room, shutting the door safely behind her. She leaned against it, then slid down to the floor. She had been trying to come up with a story all day, and still had nothing.

Why not just tell her? Fluttershy tried reasoning with herself. It's done and over-with, so where's the harm in telling the truth?

Fluttershy gripped her head, moaning lightly. She just couldn't tell Rainbow Dash. She couldn't tell anyone.

Rainbow Dash downed a swig of her Powerade. Capping it, she bent down to begin stretching. Running was pretty much the only thing that she could do to settle her thoughts. And given everything that had happened since last night, Rainbow Dash had a lot to think about.

She sighed as she laced up her running shoes. That look Fluttershy gave her before she ran home...

She doesn't trust me. Rainbow Dash didn't know why, but for some reason, knowing that made her feel rather hurt. Rainbow Dash turned on her iPod, then fitted on the earbuds.

She was going to be running for a while.