Author's Note

Warning: lots of screaming.

Chapter 16

Her friends gasped once Dash had finished her story.

"Aw shucks Dash, Ah'm real sorry fer leavin' like that.." Applejack said remorseful.

"Wasn't your fault." Dash said.

"We were all so busy with our own lives that we didn't even notice anything.. of course we were surprised when we heard about you being rushed to the hospital but..." Rarity trailed off.

Twilight only stared at them. She couldn't believe that they were once separated and just left their once best friend hanging like that.

"We weren't even there for you when you came back to school... didn't ask a thing.. what kind of friends are we?!?!" Pinkie yelled, tears spilling down her face.

"Guys! Please! I didn't tell you this to make you feel bad!" Dash said, anger rising.

"Whoa there calm down sugarcube!" Applejack said and raised her hands in a defeated manner.

It's at that moment that she remembered one thing. The principals said something about her friends.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Dash started, was too calm. "It was you that made the teachers and principals to block me from any sports, wasn't it?"

Applejack gulped. Dash was really scaring her now. She knew that Dash would be furious, yet she spoke so calm like Fluttershy.

Suddenly Dash stood up, grabbing Applejack by the wrist and pulled her after her into the school.

"Rainbow! What are you doing?!" Sunset yelled after her but she got no answer.

Dash pulled AJ into the girls bathroom.

"I can't. Fucking. Believe you! I thought you were my friend!!!" Dash finally yelled.

"It was fer the best! This happen' twice now!"

"Do you even have ANY idea how hard I've worked and trained to get where I was?! You don't just become team captain because you wish it for Christmas!"

"Dash, I'm sorry.."

"SORRY DOESN'T GET ME BACK IN! - NOTHING WILL! - AND IT'S ALL. YOUR. FAULT!!!!" She was seriously gasping between sentences now.

"Dash please calm down-"

"NO!!" She screamed and ended in a forceful coughing attack that had her doubled over and reaching a hand to the wall.

"Rainbow.. please! Where's your inhaler?" Applejack began to seriously worry when she heard the loud wheezing.

"And what about the band? Huh?! You're gonna throw me out of it too?!" Dash exclaimed when she could breathe again and just went back to hacking her lungs out.

"No of course not! You're just gonna be a background singer now-"

"Are you-" Dash couldn't talk anymore, she was a coughing mess.

"Dash please use your inhaler now! This is going too far!" Applejack pleaded.

"I'M-!!!" Another harsh coughing fit. "FINE!!!!" The next cough was so strong it knocked her off her feet and she collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest.

"Come on stop lying and use the damn thing already!!!!" Applejack tried to reason as her panic rose.

Dash finally grabbed it from her pockets. She glared at it and smashed it against a wall with enough force to break it - the plastic into two pieces and the can seemed to be close to exploding from a big dent.

Seeing this, Applejack panicked and grabbed her by the arm to pull her up. "Dash have you lost your mind?!?! Come on we gotta get outta here! Now!"

But Dash was a weak, coughing, sweaty mess that was close to blacking out.

"HEEELP!!!!" Applejack yelled as loud as she could before picking up Dash and hurrying outside.

Applejack quickly brought Dash to the nurses office, telling her what happened in a rush but it seemed to do the trick. Then she ran to the principles office and told them about the damaged gas can. Celestia's eyes went wide and she quickly grabbed the telephone and called for help while ordering Luna to go with Applejack to the bathroom door and putting a warning sign on it.

Of course, the can is tiny and wouldn't make a wall collapse, but it could do some serious damage to the students.

Sunset finally had had enough of this and ran inside the school and ran into Applejack.

"What's going on? Where's Rainbow Dash?!" Sunset asked frantically.

"Nurses office. She threw her inhaler against the wall in her rage and she was close to passing out, poor gal' couldn't even stand anymore.."

Sunset gasped, as did the rest of her friends who seemed to have followed her.

"Is she going to be alright???" Fluttershy asked in pure shock.

Applejack hesitated. "I hope so.."

* * *

Meanwhile in the nurse office, Dash was slowly regaining consciousness. She knew she'd made a huge mistake.
But she just couldn't help it.

That tiny thing had changed her life for the absolute worst. It changed her future and all of her relationships. Her lifestyle and her health.

But most of all, it had changed her personality.

As a kid she used to be a wild racing machine that just never knew when to stop. Now she's way calmer, more behaved and especially more conscious about her actions.

"I understand you're mad. I would be too if I were in your shoes." The nurses said as she approached her.

"I'm sorry..." Dash whispered as talking was too painful.

"I know you are. But the important thing is that you're alright." She said with a smile. "But I think it would be best if you stayed home for a while. This is the second bad attack in under a week and I don't think any more stress will help."

Dash sighed and closed her eyes.

"Your parents have been informed and your mother is coming to pick you up in a bit." The nurse said and went over to a cabinet and grabbed a little box. "I'm giving you a new inhaler and I don't want you to throw it against a wall anymore." She said with a grin.

Dash grinned too as she looked at the nurse.

"Yeah. I promise it won't happen again." Dash said softly and very slowly.

"Good."