The Long Road to Recovery

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Prologue

Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle as Rainbow Dash wrapped a wing around her back. The cyan wing pulled her closer to the other Pegasus in a tight hug. In a feeble attempt, Fluttershy struggled to break free but the wing was too strong. Where the feathers touched her back and sides, it felt all warm and fuzzy. Blushing, she leaned closer to her girlfriend on the sofa and nuzzled underneath her chin.

This was her new life: having a girlfriend to share precious moments like this with. It was only a few weeks ago since they became couple and yet Fluttershy still felt like she did then. She could feel heart skipping beats as she felt the warmth of her girlfriend's body. It was like their relationship had began only yesterday. Now here they are, hugging and getting cuddling on Fluttershy's green couch.

"Alright I think that's enough sappiness," said a blushing Rainbow Dash.

But Fluttershy knew this mare better than that. Underneath that tough persona of coolness was a sappy mare. The wing that was wrapped around her slowly receded and was replaced with a hoof resting on her shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Fluttershy teased as she nuzzled against her girlfriend.

Rainbow Dash gave a nervous glance around the room, unsure of what she should say. "Um, yes... well no, or maybe?"

"Okay you got me," she admitted "It's kinda nice, actually."

"I think you would like giving a cuddling a try," Fluttershy suggested.

"Eh I don't know about that, Shy. Hugging is cool you y'know but... like cuddling... I don't know if I can get into that yet. That's like way too mushy for me... no offense."

With a little smile, Fluttershy turned to her girlfriend. "Oh that's fine, Rainbow," she reassured. "I'm not offended if you're not comfortable with that."

"Okay, good," laughed Rainbow Dash. "Cause I think I'd pass out from all the mushiness."

"You wouldn't pass out, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy giggled. "I think you would actually like if you gave it a try!"

"Yeah, I dunno about that."

The couple shared a few giggles before leaning against the back of the comfy sofa. It was nice to spend their morning like this, even though Fluttershy knew that it would be for short time. Being able to relax like this and hearing the birds chirping outside was all that she needed.

"I'm really excited for you, Rainbow. I know you've practicing extra for today."

Rainbow Dash grinned and pulled her girlfriend closer. "Yeah, but it's more about learning some extra moves. They said they're gonna show how to do of their coolest tricks, so I gotta get ready to perfect some new tricks!"

"Well, that's still great, Rainbow," Fluttershy smiled. She reached a hoof around to rest it on Rainbow Dash's left shoulder. "I knew you could win the flying contest!"

"Of course," Rainbow Dash bragged. "I've got better moves than everyone else in Ponyville!"

"But, um... I kinda feel bad about yesterday," she added. "I know you weren't upset but I kind of did some thinking and we haven't really done much."

Fluttershy was surprised. She wouldn't have thought that Rainbow Dash noticed, or even paid attention to her body language. Of course she was still a little disappointed and even had been upset earlier, but flight practice meant everything to Rainbow Dash. It wasn't exactly easy saying how she really felt about it though.

"You're not mad at me, right?"

Nervous eyes glanced back at Fluttershy who was suddenly on the spot.

"Well... um no, Rainbow. I-I'm not angry you had turn to a date down. I know how important this is to you."

Rainbow Dash sighed and leaned closer. "Yeah, I know but I was thinking... but I don't know, I just feel bad about it."

"Sorry?" apologized a confused Fluttershy.

"No..." her girlfriend groaned. "Look, I think we need to figure things out. You should have been mad we haven't had a actual date yet!"

Still confused, Fluttershy shook her head but Rainbow Dash's mood quickly changed. Fluttershy was pulled up to look into Rainbow Dash's face, which had an entirely new expression.

"You know what?" Rainbow Dash asked, her face turning into a smug grin. "It's gonna happen tonight! This afternoon!"

Eyes wide open, Fluttershy almost squeaked loudly.

"Really?"

"Uhm, yeah!" Rainbow Dash bounced back. "I'm not gonna leave my girlfriend hanging! Besides, I think we really could use this."

The possibilities were endless in Fluttershy's mind. They haven't done much together in the past two and a half weeks except having picnics and hanging around. But that was what they did when they were close friends. She wanted something more involved, like actually doing stuff. The only problem was figuring out what kind of stuff to do.

"So yeah, I figured we'd do some really fun stuff like swimming and we can like stay up late to see the fireflies!" Rainbow Dash suggested.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement from the other side of the couch. "Sure, that would be really nice, Rainbow. We could even get ice cream after we swim!"

"Great!" agreed, Rainbow Dash. She approached Fluttershy and rested her hoof on her shoulder. "I really want to do this kinda of stuff with and it'll be cool to try new things."

Nodding again, Fluttershy smiled as her eyes focused on the face of her girlfriend. She couldn't help but briefly admire Rainbow Dash's features. The way her eyes looked back wasn't intimidating but warm and inviting. Between her wild mane and her magenta eyes, Fluttershy couldn't pick out what she found more attractive. For a brief moment, she thought Rainbow Dash would plant a kiss and that thought caused her to blush almost immediately. At least she was able look into her girlfriends face without blushing for not breaking eye-contact.

Standing outside in the warm sun, Fluttershy couldn't help but smile as Rainbow Dash showed off in front of her cottage. As she sat on the little bridge over the stream, she watched in awe as her girlfriend cork screwed through the air before disappearing into the sky. She didn't mind that Rainbow Dash had to leave so soon. They had the rest of the day for their date and she was sure they would spend it having a good time.

Fluttershy couldn't help but wonder how they would spend their afternoon together. Swimming during a hot afternoon would be a great way to cool off and have fun together. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Rainbow Dash with a wet mane.

"Fluttershy!"

"Huh?" Fluttershy squinted to see who was greeting her. "Oh hi, Rarity!" she smiled as her close friend approached wearing a pair of purple sunglasses.

"Well, aren't you in a good mood, darling!" Rarity laughed. "You look like just won a free spa session!"

Giggling, Fluttershy shook her head. "No, but it's even better!" she teased.

"Then you have to tell!"

Rarity was already at the end of the bridge, beaming her eyes at her timid friend. It was almost intimidating now to look at her excited friend and share the news.

Fluttershy stammered as she found herself on the spot. "Well.." she blushed as she fought to continue. "I'm going-I'm going on a date today!"

Rarity's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? She's finally taking you on a proper date?!?"

"Y-yes! I wasn't sure how serious she was about our relationship," Fluttershy admitted. "I guess we needed time to sort things out." she shrugged.

Before she knew it, Fluttershy was given a bear hug from her friend. She giggled as her emotional friend couldn't hold back her excitement and happiness for her.

"Why that's so wonderful, Fluttershy! I have to admit I was a little concerned that 'testing the water' wasn't the best advice that I could offer!"

Fluttershy gently shook her head. "Oh no, it worked out better than you thought. I think Rainbow just needed some time to figure things out. She has a different way of showing how she feels, that's all," she explained.

"I understand, dear," Rarity apologized through the hug. "I haven't been judging Rainbow Dash very fairly these past days for that."

The two friends parted from the hug and exchanged smiles.

"It's fine, Rarity! It's all water under the bridge," Fluttershy consoled her. Yet a lewd grin managed to break through.

"Why yes, we can put this--Fluttershy!"

Rarity glanced to examine her surroundings, as if she needed to remind herself she was currently standing on a cobblestone bridge over a stream. "Did you set that joke up intentionally?"

"Um, no?" Fluttershy lied as she tried to hide her smile behind her mane.

Rarity shook her head in disbelief. "I swear she's been rubbing off those cheesy puns of hers on you," she laughed.

Meanwhile in the mountains, Rainbow Dash was hovering in a circle with a few members of the Wonderbolts. Though she was the only Pegasus not wearing a blue flight suit, she at least had pair of goggles for style--and less importantly for the protection of her eyes.

But this wasn't entirely what she expected. Sure she was stoked to get to meet Blaze, Fleetfoot, and Surprise. Yet, no one told her that Spitfire would not be part any of this. Instead, Soarin had been leading the group with their demonstrations. As much as Rainbow Dash had wanted to ask about Spitfire's absence, she wasn't exactly in a position to question the Wonderbolts.

"Listen up!"

Rainbow Dash's attention snapped into focus on Soarin as his dark blue mane shook in the wind.

Soarin gestured towards Rainbow Dash. "I think you're ready for last part of the trick. Stay in formation or else we'll have to call this off!"

Blaze turned her head, getting her orange mane in her face. "She knows already! We agreed that Fleetfoot would handle the fireworks. You don't have to keep stalling!"

"Okay! Then get into your formation!" Soarin yelled back. He gestured back at Rainbow Dash. "Listen, rookie! If you want to be more than just a reserve, you better learn how we use teamwork!"

"I know how to be team member! You can count on me!" she replied with a grin.

"Good! Then get into place!"

Rainbow Dash didn't need to be told twice. This was the first time she was allowed to take part in one of their finale flights and this was one nobody else had seen yet. She approached the other members and took her place next between Fleetfoot and Blaze. On the other side of Fleetfoot, Soarin took his spot on her left.

"Go!"

Without delay, Rainbow Dash accelerated herself with the other daredevils and matched their speeds. She grinned as the group corkscrewed managing to stay in line with the others. As the force shook their manes and tails, they braced to make the next move. From an outside view they became a vivid blur of colors.

As they quickly pulled up in almost an 90 degree angle, Rainbow Dash suddenly felt the force of colliding pegasi. Yelling in surprise, she quickly pulled away to prevent collateral damage.

But it was too late.

In the brief tangle of ponies, Soarin collided with Fleetfoot, whom had been carefully priming the firework rocket. In the seconds that this incurred, her grip weakened and the rocket misfired.

The group recoiled from the sound and glanced back as the source careened towards the mountains instead of the open sky. Without hesitation they after out of fear of a chain reaction. The possibility of causing a rock slide was all too real for them to question who was just at fault for the collision.

It was a hopeless attempt anyway.

They were a couple hundred feet away before the rocket collided into the mountain side. In a multi colored explosion, flaming bits shot off before briefly sparkling in the air. The force brought down many rocks before freeing a gigantic boulder. Rainbow Dash panicked as they watched the large cluster of rocks slide down. The rumbling noise deafened them as they flew within a safe distance down the mountainside.

As they approached the base of the mountain, Rainbow Dash found relief in much of the larger rocks losing momentum. Pine trees became thicker as they followed the trail of the large boulder. All they wanted to know was that everything would be okay in the end. If the boulder finally stopped, they wouldn't have to worry about the aftermath. There would be no blaming but that would be the end of their session.

Losing sight, Rainbow Dash spotted a path of crushed bushes and knocked overall trees. As she followed the path, she heard a rumbling noise followed by a loud cracking noise. Rising above the tree's she spotted a fast flowing river that she recognized.

"Shit!" cursed an out of breath Rainbow Dash. "The dam!"

Rainbow Dash followed the river with the Wonderbolts behind her until she reached where the boulder had been stopped. Her heart jumped at the sight of the damage. The boulder had gone off the edge of the river bank and collided with the right side of the dam. Cracks appeared all across the damaged side, slowly spreading and spouting water. Words failed Rainbow Dash as she struggled to get a grip on what had happened. Ponyville was not too far away from here.

"Dash!"

The sound of Soarin yelling interrupted her confusion.

Another sickening sound of cracking distracted them before turning back to Soarin.

"We have to reach Ponyville now! Spread out and warn everyone you see!"

With that the members of the Wonderbolts took off, leaving Rainbow Dash behind trying to catch up. She was running out of stamina and reaching her limit. Trees blurred as she flew past the edge of a forest. Behind her the rumbling roar water caught her by surprise and she lost balance. Losing altitude, she collided with the canopy and lost momentum. As she tumbled head first she was immediately caught in the violent torrents of water surging through.

Author's Note

The intention was to make the prologue fast paced but I had to wonder if it was too fast paced for its own good.

Chapter 1

Scattered around Rainbow Dash laid broken branches and the debris of the flood that swept her away. The clearing above allowed rays of light to reach her sore, bruised body. One side of her body remained half soaked while the other had slowly dried. The ground she laid on was more elevated and less marshy than the flooded grasslands nearby. An eye opened before quickly closing again in the harsh light.

"Ughh..."

Almost every part of Rainbow Dash hurt. Her flight muscles had been pushed hard and ached in protest. As she probed the back of head with a hoof, she felt a rather painful bump.

"Why does everything hurt?" she complained out loud.

Minutes went by as a the incapacitated Pegasus laid in defeat. In her confused state, all she could remember was her collision into the tree canopy and the torrent of water that she fell in. Somewhere in her hazy memories she recalls her previous moment of desperation.

The water had been moving so fast, it was pointless to fight a force so powerful. All Rainbow Dash could remember was thrashing as the powerful force dragged her past trees. Too many times she had to exert herself to avoid colliding into a tree. She couldn't remember how she ended up in the clearing though. It didn't matter at this point as she drifted away.

As time went by, she found the fog in the head clearing up. She could remember flying after a boulder that was hurdling down a mountainside, with absolutely no means of stopping it. It didn't take long for the rest to become clear but she could finally focus her thoughts.

"Shit!"

The pain was nothing now as panic took over.

Though her muscles protested, Rainbow Dash began to force her legs up as she briefly struggled to stand on her limbs. Her right wing ached from leaning on the ground as well as the rest of that side as well. Leaves and grass clung to her side as she pulled herself up. It hurt to spring into action but the young mare refused to waste more time.

Yet something was not quite right. Sure the entire area was just flooded, marshy grass but it was much more stagnant than before. From her limited view she couldn't see what the damage was to Ponyville--and Rainbow Dash wasn't sure if she was ready to. For a brief moment, she felt a chill down her spine before flaring her wings. As she lifted off for a better view, her heart began beating faster and faster.

Rainbow Dash peaked over the canopy and immediately recoiled at the view.

Ponyville was about only half a mile away but from her view the detail was horrifying. Beyond the bare foundation of the train station was a mess of destruction. Houses and buildings here and there were toppled over in heaps of split wood. The flooded streets were littered with the debris of broken branches and rubble. As Rainbow Dash flew closer overhead she eyed the path that the torrent of water had taken. The library tree was still deeply rooted in the ground but behind it was the wake of toppled homes.

Reaching the clouds directly above the soaked town, Rainbow Dash spotted what was left of Town Hall and hurried to reach the center of Ponyville. Words failed her as she eyed ponies gathering near what was left of their homes. She had to act but was overwhelmed with deciding where to start. The thought of ponies still trapped underneath rubble bothered her along the way.

As Rainbow Dash glided down to the site of town hall, another wave of panic fell over her.

"Dashie!"

Failing to hear the high pitched voice, Rainbow Dash settled near the gigantic clutter of what used to be the town hall. Around the rubble, mares stallions in bright vests had gathered in groups and were probing the area.

Before Rainbow Dash could react, something pink and fuzzy had blocked her view, and now had her in a bear hug.

"Gahhh!" she yelped before recognizing her friend.

Pinkie Pie was almost crying on her shoulder. "Rainbow Dashie!" she squeaked out before tightening the hug. "I'm so happy you're okay!"

"Pinkie! You found Rainbow Dash?" A voice called out.

Rainbow Dash groaned as a white unicorn joined in on the hug, increasing the unnecessary amount of pressure and invasion of personal space.

"Oh my stars! I was so worried, Rainbow dear!"

"What? Why were you worried about me?" Rainbow Dash croaked out through the intense hug.

"Why, what do you mean, Rainbow Dash?" replied Rarity, perplexed by her friend's response. "You were gone for so long! The Wonderbolts said you never made it back! We thought you had been injured in the middle of the nowhere..."

"Whoa!" Rainbow Dash recoiled as Rarity began to sob.

"I-I was so worried something terrible happened to you too!"

Rarity proceeded to cry even more, prompting Rainbow Dash to return the hug back. She herself was shaken from the ordeal but maybe things weren't as bad as they looked. Sure there was a lot of damage, but the Wonderbolts had managed to warn everybody ahead of time. She wasn't expecting to be terribly missed by her friends.

"Hey, I'm okay! You don't have to squeeze the hay out of me!"

Thankfully, her close friends loosened their tight grips. However, all the attention was getting Rainbow Dash awfully suspicious. From her frame of reference, she was only gone for a half hour tops.

"I wasn't gone that long you guys! Sheesh," she complained.

Pinkie Pie's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, you've been missing for hours!"

Rainbow Dash was dumbfounded.

"What?"

"Why yes, darling! It's been quite some since Twilight resolved everything in time!" explained Rarity. "You look like you've been through a tornado!"

It Rainbow Dash a brief moment to realize that her appearance wasn't all that normal. Her mane had leaves protruding out and her fur was still half wet. Feathers were bent and unaligned on her sore wings.

"Yeah, so? Look, you don't have to worry me, but like... everyone is okay right?" Rainbow Dash asked, glancing at her friends awkwardly.

"Dashie..." Pinkie Pie had tears in her eyes.

A brief silence fell over the trio as Rainbow Dash exchanged glances with her close friends. But as she looked back, their reddened eyes watered and their lips trembled. They couldn't have looked any more distressed--and that began to bother her even more. Her friends looked miserable!

"What... what's with you guys? You're like scarring me!" Rainbow Dash pointed out with concerned in her voice.

A minute passed before her friends stopped sniffling.

Rarity leaned her head back up through the hug. "Why darling... you have no idea... you have no idea what happened.. to our dear, Fluttershy!"

Panic set in Rainbow Dash as she heard the words that left her friends muzzle.

"What?"

"Yes, I'm afraid she was injured! Poor dear was inside when her house collapsed!" Rarity sniffled.

"She's okay right?"

"I.. we're hoping that she will be okay," Rarity replied. "I believe she's about to have surgery soon," she added.

Rainbow Dash paused before she could find her voice. "Well, we gotta her seen then, right? I mean maybe they'll have good news."

Rarity sighed and gave the cyan Pegasus a light hug. "She's not awake, dear. I don't think it would make much of a difference in this case, but you are right. Perhaps there will be good news."

Walking through the flooded streets wasn't ideal but it was a better alternative to using her sore flight muscles. Most buildings that weren't in the direct path of destruction were standing with little structural damage. As the trio passed through town, Rainbow Dash noticed that almost nothing remained of the marketplace. Instead, food floated around street corners in puddles. It was disheartening to see many of the town's residents sorting through the piles of rubble.

Nothing was getting better for Rainbow Dash. She had been hoping the aftermath wouldn't be as bad. Now she found out her girlfriend and true friend had been hurt--and she doesn't even know the extent of her injuries. It was a sick feeling knowing this.

Finally reaching the Ponyville Hospital at the edge of town, Rainbow Dash found a sliver of comfort seeing for herself that it wasn't damaged in the disaster. She wasted little time and barged through the front doors with her friends behind.

To Rainbow Dash's surprise, there were only few ponies waiting in the reception area. Yet none of them appeared to be injured. The waiting area was empty except for a doctor who stood by the hallway on the right of the reception counter. Beyond that hall though was the noise of a lot busy doctors and nurses. They approached the pink maned receptionist with haste.

The receptionist in scrubs looked surprised by Rainbow Dash's appearance.

"Oh my gosh! You poor thing!" She gestured toward the hallway on her left. "Please, go right ahead and someone will examine your wounds!"

"No, no I'm fine! I want to know where my friend Fluttershy is!" Rainbow Dash demanded, losing her patience already.

"Rainbow dear!" Rarity scoffed. "I'm sorry but we would really like to speak to the doctor again," she politely asked.

Nodding quietly, the mare behind the counter motioned towards the set of doors on her right. "Okay, but please be careful not to get in the way."

Rarity smiled at the receptionist. "Thank you, dear."

The three friends pushed past the doors to see a hallway filled with several stern looking doctors. At the end of the hall another hallway intersected with more doctors. Rainbow Dash briefly glanced at the doors as they walked past with a nervous look. As they walked further down, she could see that the rooms near the end were windowed. Rainbow Dash grit her teeth almost in an unbearable agony. She had to see what happened to Fluttershy... but feared it at the same time.

As they approached the last segment of windowless rooms, Rarity slowed down.

"Darling, I want to you know that she's in a rough state." She spoke up. Her tone was serious but she spoke softly. "I don't want you be shocked all at once but she has both of her wings bandaged up and she has this thick neck brace on. For the time being, they have her in a medically induced coma."

A wave of panic came over Rainbow Dash as she nervously nodded back.

"Okay then, it is this last room on the right." Rarity gestured.

Moving past a group of doctors, Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink into her chest. They were almost there yet part of her felt like turning around. She cringed as the window came into better view and froze in front of it.

Inside the white room, Fluttershy laid on a stretcher with her bandaged wings extended. A clear breathing mask covered her face. Wrapped around her neck was a rather thick brace. At one side was her IV bag hanging from a stand and at the other side, a rather complex looking heart monitor producing squiggles on a screen. Looking closer she could see one of the bandaged wings stained with blood. Behind the mask, a gash appeared on Fluttershy's forehead.

Eyes widened, Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her close friend had been reduced to this. It couldn't be any more devastating to see her like this. She didn't even notice that Pinkie Pie was no longer with them. Instead her eyes shifted back and forth as she found herself losing control of her emotions.

Rarity had noticed she was about cry and had already wrapped her in a hug. It felt awful to feel so vulnerable but Rainbow Dash couldn't bottle her emotions. She needed this hug. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she chose to remain silent. She didn't need to say anything this time to show how she felt. Rarity understood that and held her friend close.

After a few minutes of hugging, the sound of the door opening interrupted their hug as they glanced at the doctors entering the room. They curiously watched as two of the doctors held on to opposite sides of the stretcher while the third doctor held her IV stand.

"Excuse me, you two." a polite voice addressed them from the right.

Rainbow Dash turned her head to see a rather young, red maned mare who wore a lab coat. She used her unicorn magic to levitate a clipboard in front of her.

"Oh, hello again." Rarity nodded. "You have news for us?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I do have news about your friend here," the mare smiled. "We did scans of her neck and wings and learned that the injuries to her neck are far less severe than we had thought.

"Well that certainly is good news!" Rarity beamed. "And what about--"

"What about her wings?" Rainbow Dash asked, interrupting her friend.

The doctor frowned. "That is our bad news I'm afraid. We know that her right wing has a rather nasty fracture and the other as well, but possibly not as bad."

"Like, how bad?"

The sound of the door swinging open distracted them as the doctors pulled Fluttershy's stretcher out of the room. A doctor followed them with the IV stand. Without stopping they turned and wheeled the injured mare down the intersecting hall.

"I think it would be premature to tell you before the surgery," she explained. "But other than this, we know she's only had a mild concussion. You can speak with the surgeon after the operation and she'll give you a more accurate overview, okay?"

"Well... okay," Rainbow Dash replied, awkwardly scratching the back of the head.

Rarity nodded. "Well, thank you, dear. It means a lot to us that you share these details."

"You're welcome but before I leave, I want you to know that your friend will be in good hooves."

"Yes," Rarity replied. "We know she is now."

As they watched the doctor slip away into a nearby room, Rainbow Dash fidgeted with a damaged feather. She couldn't help but feel distressed and worried. The doctor seemed quite hopeful that Fluttershy didn't have any life-threatening injuries. Yet that wasn't good enough for Rainbow Dash. She couldn't help but wonder if Fluttershy had felt anything at all before she was brought to the hospital. She turned towards Rarity and wondered what she thought of all of this.

"So like what now? How long are we going to have to wait?" Rainbow Dash asked, frowning.

"There's nothing that waiting can do for her, Rainbow. I think right now our time will be better spent helping around Ponyville," Rarity replied, her tone more annoyed. "I think it would best for you for see Twilight first."

"Why?" Rainbow Dash turned to look around the hallway.

There were only a few doctors around, most of whom were talking with each other.

"Where did Pinkie go? I-I totally forgot about her!" she added.

Rarity sighed. "She didn't want you notice but she told me that she would slip out to avoid this whole atmosphere. I think she knows too there's nothing more we can do here."

Defeated, Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Yeah, okay... I get what you're trying to say."

"There's no need to be glum, dear. We should tell the others about the news... and I think Twilight doesn't know yet we've found you," Rarity consoled her with a hoof on her shoulder. "Come," she beckoned.

Rainbow Dash sighed and nodded her head. At this point, she felt like she had crashed into ground--and a tree had fallen on her. The aftermath of the disaster was overwhelming in every sense. Not even the good news could make up for it. To her, it meant nothing if they weren't a hundred percent sure what Fluttershy's condition was. She wanted that assurance that everything would be okay in the end. Having to wait just to know that, would be the longest wait ever.

The sun was almost halfway down to the horizon by the time they left the hospital. After saying goodbye to Rarity, she lifted herself to the sky to get another at the damage that had been done. Not much had changed except now there was a cluster of tents being set up adjacent to the hospital. For a brief moment Rainbow Dash watched as workers set up more tents but it only worsened her mood. Most of the tents that had been set up varied in color and size. Whoever had lost their homes now had to sleep in tents that belonged to other ponies.

As Rainbow Dash passed by other ponies, she noticed that several ponies had bandages on their limbs. Some were covered with countless minor cuts and bruises. Her ears perked down as she trotted through the flooded streets. There was enough on her mind and she just wanted to see Twilight before returning to visit Fluttershy again. Seeing the great tree library still brought a small comfort to Rainbow Dash. Maybe talking to the young princess would make her feel better and the wait less agonizing. Without knocking she let herself inside.

"Spike, is that Rarity again?"

Rainbow Dash glanced around the first floor of the library before looking up and seeing Twilight on her bed. She had been looking out her bedroom window and didn't seem to bother to turn around. Several scrolls levitated above her disheveled mane. Spike was there near the bed clutching a scroll in one hand and two more in the other. Behind him was a small pile of scrolls.

"No, it's Rainbow Dash!" Spike replied pointing at the cyan mare.

"Yeah, okay, I'm not dead," Rainbow Dash deadpanned, rolling her eyes. She sighed before continuing. "So, Rarity said that you were looking for me?"

The young Alicorn sprung up from her bed. "Well yeah! You were missing for so long! And now I heard you were there when it all happened!"

"Yeah I was.." Rainbow Dash answered back, looking away. "And then I heard what happened to Fluttershy. I.. I even saw her before she had to have her surgery."

"Oh..." Twilight Sparkle paused as she quietly walked down her stairs. "She was lucky that Applejack found her in time, otherwise she would have lost too much blood. But I heard that her other injuries aren't as bad as they thought."

Rainbow Dash let out a long sigh. "They said that her wings are in really bad shape... but everything else isn't like, life threatening or anything."

"What happened to you, Rainbow? You're a mess!" Twilight Sparkle pointed out as she approached her friend. "Look, maybe I shouldn't ask too much of you right now.

"It's fine..." Rainbow Dash said, sighing again. "I'll be okay for now I guess. It's all because we screwed some stupid corkscrew trick."

Twilight Sparkle blinked several times before responding, "Wait... so this was because of the Wonderbolts? You saw it happen?"

"Well, No!" Rainbow Dash groaned. "It was like a freak accident! One second we're about do a finale move and the next we're bumping into each other and this firework rocket goes off!"

"That's... that's not at all what I thought had happened," Twilight Sparkle stuttered in surprise before continuing. "I mean... I figured that a rockslide was the reason why the dam was destroyed, but I didn't know what caused the rockslide."

Spike hurried down the stairs with several scrolls in his hands to join in on the conversion. "So, does that mean that the Wonderbolts are responsible for everything?" he asked, appearing nervous.

A long sigh followed before Twilight Sparkle shook her head. "No, Spike. I believe Rainbow when she says it was an accident. I don't know we should do with this information though!" she complained.

"So then like don't tell anyone!" Rainbow Dash replied, scratching the back of head as if she wasn't sure. "I mean if you tell the town what caused the rockslide then the Wonderbolts are screwed!"

Another sigh left the muzzle of the young Alicorn while she mussed over the facts. "Well, I get it was an accident... but I can't just hide the truth! I won't tell the town just yet... but Princess Celestia needs to know and we'll see what she says."

Rainbow Dash stepped closer to her friend. "So, what happens now?"

"We're going to sort this," Twilight Sparkle quickly replied.

A scroll levitated past them and hovered next to Twilight Sparkle. She nodded at Spike, who hurried back up the stairs to their room. She then gave her cyan friend a nod before returning to her room. Rainbow Dash groaned and reluctantly followed her up the stairs. She knew that she would have to explain everything that had happened, but she had a feeling she have to get even more involved now.

As they walked into Twilight Sparkle's bedroom space, Rainbow Dash noticed it was even a bigger mess once she saw it from this angle. The pile of scrolls was even bigger and she could see a red nightstand covered with several empty envelopes. Looking at a few of the scrolls, it was clear that Twilight Sparkle had been communicating back and forth with the Royal Princesses already. Rainbow Dash hoped to get everything cleared up as soon she could. She had a feeling they were going to have a lot of work to do.

Paperwork had always bored Rainbow Dash, but this session had been even more intense than she thought it would be. Having to explain everything from the beginning was tedious on the account of having to include almost every detail. Twilight Sparkle seemed to show surprise when she mentioned that Spitfire was not there. Yet, she still trusted that Rainbow Dash had been telling the truth about the whole story. It was embarrassing to talk about how she had been wiped out before she could reach Ponyville.

She half-expected Twilight Sparkle to ask another million questions about after crashing but instead she had used her magic to scan her for broken bones. It was awkward for Rainbow Dash but it had only lasted a minute. She didn't want her friend to get the crazy idea of suggesting that she see a doctor when she had bigger problems to deal with. Now they had started sorting out scrolls with instructions from the Princesses.

It wasn't the most interesting task but Rainbow Dash understood how important it was to help her Alicorn friend with this. At the very least, it helped Rainbow Dash feel better about herself. She couldn't deny having a part in the accident this was one way to make things right. As she laid sprawled beside the bed, she couldn't help but guilty about her girlfriend. Still, she had an important task at hoof.

Rainbow Dash briefly looked up from the letter she had been reading. "So, I was thinking," she began before she notice Twilight Sparkle's attention. "You said that train tracks are in bad shape, right?"

Her friend raised an eyebrow from her bed. "Yeah? Well, for now they are." she replied before turning her focus on the scrolls floating at eye level.

"Well, I was thinking of organizing the weather team. 'Cause you said we were running low on bandages and whatever, and that's stuff is light enough to carry, right?"

"I don't know, Rainbow... only Cloudsdale is close enough."

Rainbow Dash flicked her tail. "Yeah, okay but they'll be able to give plenty of medical stuff. And they'd be able to spare some food too."

"We can't count on them to provide enough medical supplies. A lot of ponies got hurt, Rainbow." Twilight replied as she looked away from her scrolls. Her face appeared quite serious. "Several ponies were badly injured and Fluttershy was only one of them. We need to be sure we'll have enough supplies for everyone."

Sighing in defeat, Rainbow Dash turned back to the letters. "Yeah, okay, I get what you're saying.

"I'm not saying your plan has no merit but we need to look at the bigger picture here." Twilight Sparkle's tone became softer. "Maybe you should get some rest. Or at least clean yourself up a bit," she suggested.

"I'd rather not-"

Before Rainbow Dash continue someone had burst through the front door.

"Dashie! And Twi-Twi!" exclaimed an exuberant Pinkie Pie. "I've got super duper news about Flutters!"

In a matter of seconds, Rainbow Dash was already hovering in the main room. "What about her? How did her surgery go?" she asked as she crossed her forearms in anticipation.

"Rarity said that the said Surgeon it went super duper well! They were even able to fix up the really bad wing!" Pinkie Pie replied with a huge grin.

"Seriously?" Rainbow Dash asked. She almost felt a weight lifted off her shoulders.

"That's great news, Pinkie! I had a good feeling things would go well," Twilight Sparkle added, smiling.

"Can we see her, Pinkie?"

Rainbow Dash was almost dying from the suspense. She needed this news badly.

"Oh... sorry, Dashie," Pinkie Pie apologized before continuing. "They told Rarity that she would have to wait until they're absolutely sure Fluttershy is stable enough. But they said that she might wake up the next day!" Pinkie Pie explained as bounced up and down.

"Wait, so like tomorrow we can finally see her?" Rainbow Dash couldn't help but make a victory lap in the spacious library. "Yes! That's awesome!" she cried.

The three ponies plus Spike gathered together in a group hug to celebrate.

Under a dark sky, Rainbow Dash returned to her cloud home. She had spent so much time helping Twilight Sparkle; hours had gone by before she felt the weight of tiredness. She was still sore from exerting her wings and getting caught in the dangerous torrent of water. As she flew above the town, she noticed that the field below her cloud house was still completely flooded.

It was a miracle that she was able to make it to her own bedroom without passing out from exhaustion. She wanted to sleep so badly but couldn't help but think of her girlfriend. Things could have gone so much differently. They would have been on their date, doing all kinds of fun activities. Now, she was waiting for Fluttershy to wake up from a medically induced coma.

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but worry for Fluttershy. Her life had been turned upside down and she didn't even realize it yet. Rainbow Dash figured it was better that way. She hoped and hoped to Celestia that Fluttershy had been knocked out as soon as she had sustained her injuries. Just seeing her at the hospital was enough to make Rainbow Dash cringe at the thought of the pain she would have experienced. It was sickening to worry about her girlfriend like that.

Time passed before Rainbow Dash eventually nodded off to a fitful sleep.

Author's Note

Getting back to writing wasn't the smoothest transition but soon enough the process was almost exactly like what I had done before. After getting this far with my ideas, it was fun to try it out and it developed into this. The only problem was I had no idea what others would think of a more bittersweet story. I wanted a story that was more emotional and yeah FlutterDash too. I'm interested to hear thoughts as I aim to improve.

Chapter 2

Rainbow Dash was in the middle of it again, stuck in the center of the raging flow of water. The debris of tree branches and broken wood moved around her. She flailed around as she desperately grabbed at her surroundings to hold onto something. Nothing she could grab was enough to keep her head above the water. Her body felt weak and her muscles powerless against the torrent of water. She screamed as the water carried her through the landscape.

Trees passed by as the Pegasus was dragged through a forest. Ahead of her the water was knocking trees down loudly, causing them to disappear under the water. Water sprayed as more tree were taken down. Suddenly there was a clearing and Rainbow Dash could see the town of Ponyville. Ponies in the distance were scrambling to get out of the way. She wanted to do everything in her power to help but she could only flail in the fast moving water.

Ponyville loomed closer and with a terrible cracking sound, Rainbow Dash found herself in the middle of the streets as house toppled over around her. The torrent of water claimed more helpless victims as she shrieked trying to reach out to them. The more that she tried, the farther the current had pulled them away from her hooves.

Suddenly the water ceased and Rainbow Dash found herself sprawled on a damp, white tile. She coughed up water before finding the strength to pull herself up. A bright source lit up above her as she rose up on her hooves. In front of was Fluttershy, dressed in bandages on the stretcher and in between an immensely large pane of glass.

All the details stood out to Rainbow Dash: the IV bag hanging from the stand, the heart monitor oscillating unpredictably, the clear breathing mask that covered her girlfriend's face, the neck brace that was so thick, and the bandages that covered both of her wings. She leaned closer and as she did, the bandages on her wings slowly reddened with blood. Gasping, she leaned away from the glass and reeled in horror.

Details faded away as the objects in the room began to disappear into the void. The surfaces of the room darkened until only Fluttershy's body could be seen. Cuts and scrapes appeared on her forearms and hind legs along with a large gash across her forehead. Just like that Fluttershy immediately disappeared leaving only the image of her bandaged wings, seeping with blood.

Rainbow Dash woke up a sweaty mess. Her heart pounded in her chest while she struggled to process what had happened. Droplets of sweat dotted her forehead and wetted her fur. She was still bruised from the previous day, though her limbs ached much less. With a shaky hoof, she wiped the sweat off her forehead and squinted to glance around her. She had knocked her nightstand over as well as the pile of books that had been stacked on top. Across the inclined area of her bedroom laid her favorite series of books.

"Ughhh!" she groaned out loud.

With a slow brush of her hoof, she lazily combed her mane back to its former style. She was glad that she wasn't as sore as she was the previous day. The strange sensation getting pulled away in the water still lingered in her body. Her wings no longer ached yet they still were ungroomed. Many feathers were misaligned, some of which were far too damaged. Having her wings in such a poor condition was not okay to the speedster. She took pride in keeping herself looking in top shape--and that included making sure every feather was in pristine condition.

She lifted her left wing and curled it towards her face. Delicately using her teeth, she realigned each feather carefully. As she worked her way down a row she plucked feathers here and there that were too damaged. By the time she had finished just one wing, there were already several feathers in a loose pile on her bed. Without pausing she started on the other wing. It wasn't fun but as she realigned each feather, she felt a little better.

Rainbow Dash grinned as she examined her recently preened wings. Just when she had found a way to boost her mood, the image of Fluttershy's wings came to mind. She cringed at the mental image of her girlfriend at the hospital, with both wings bandaged and one slightly stained red.

"Shake it off!" she urged herself.

She had to wonder though if there was to more to the story about what happened to the shy Pegasus. A thought entered Rainbow Dash's mind as she paused in the middle of her bedroom. She had yet to see things for herself. Of course, she had a feeling that Fluttershy's cottage had simply been reduced to nothing but rubble. The thought of what happened to her girlfriend's home piqued her curiosity but was disturbing nonetheless. She couldn't imagine what it must have looked like after everything that had happened. She would eventually have to see the damage done, but her lingering fears told her it was a waste in time. It didn't matter because she knew this bit of curiosity would hold her back. There would be other ways later to keep Fluttershy's situation out of her head.

To Rainbow Dash's surprise, the sky was clear of clouds. She had almost forgotten her own responsibility but it seemed that someone else from the weather team had stepped up. Looking down, the town appeared slightly different. Most of the standing water had finally been absorbed into the ground but all the debris remained. Below her cloud house the ground still looked marshy.

The road to Fluttershy's cottage had been washed over, leaving most of the cobblestone covered with dirt and broken branches. It was only a matter of seconds before Rainbow Dash reached the cottage.

Rainbow Dash felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of the destruction.

Only about half of the cottage remained standing. The back half of the cottage had partially collapsed into the remaining part of the house. All around laid broken branches and what was left of the many birdhouses that were hung up. A large section of the cobblestone bridge could be seen protruding from the stream. As she got closer, she noticed that only the top half of the cottage door remained on the hinge.

Now she wasn't sure if she had really wanted to do this. This was where Fluttershy had been when she was injured and rescued from. What was left no longer appeared structurally stable. Rainbow Dash hovered over where the little bridge once was and tilted her head at the sight.

She had already been exposed to the sights of collapsed houses and stores but this was different. This was Fluttershy's house, and Rainbow Dash knew well enough just how much it meant to the shy Pegasus. It wasn't just her home, but it had served as the home for some of the animals she had cared for.

Rainbow Dash was too curious to let her nervousness stop her from getting closer. As she approached, the damaged creaked in response to a breeze. She briefly recoiled before peering past the doorway.

The living room had been half-filled with the rubble of the second floor and roof. Broken glass, boards, and leafage that covered the roof littered the cottage. The stairs on the left side of the room that lead to the second floor had also been blocked with rubble. Yet, the inside of the cottage didn't appear to be damp.

However, in the brief glance around, her attention was immediately drawn to the doorway on the left. The kitchen was there and it also was blocked off by broken boards and wooden support beams. On the floor was what caught Rainbow Dash's attention. Beneath the supports was too dark to see but thick lines of blood were visibly leading from underneath. It didn't take much to piece together the story of what had happened.

Rainbow Dash paused before letting out a nervous breath. Her surroundings felt so surreal that it was difficult to process everything at once. She didn't want to see any more blood, especially that of her injured friend. It wasn't a thought that had crossed her conscious mind. Now she regretted trying to satisfy her curiosity. She had to change her focus on something more useful, something that would be more productive and positive.

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by a distant voice shouting from behind. Rainbow Dash turned around to find the source of the voice. Above the trees a light-purple Pegasus hovered as the wind brushed her light-blue mane.

"Cloudchaser? What... what are you doing here?" Rainbow Dash stuttered. "How'd you even find me," she added.

"Twilight Sparkle said that I might find you here, boss! She said that you were trying to get the weather team together to do something," Clouderchaser explained.

Rainbow Dash frowned as she addressed her fellow weather mare. "Yeah, I was going to do that... I just..." She stumbled with words inside her head before shaking off the rest of the shock. "It's just that... I needed some time to think about stuff."

Cloudchaser raised an eyebrow after listening to her superior. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Well, I kind of got everyone together... because your friend said it was really important."

Shaking her head, Rainbow Dash lifted herself above the ruined cottage. "I'm fine. I-yeah I need to talk to everyone." she replied.

This wasn't the time to focus on Fluttershy's situation. She needed to turn to something to get her spirits up again. Cloudchaser didn't need to know what she had been doing or what she just saw. Thinking back she had almost scrapped her plans for moving much needed medical supplies.

"About what?" Clouderchaser asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Our mission!" Rainbow Dash declared. She waited for Cloudchaser to hover closer. "We're gonna be heroes and help Ponyville!" she boldly declared.

Rainbow Dash wasn't sure about newfound energy but it felt like the right thing to do. It felt nice thinking about doing something good for the town. Moping around wasn't going to make difference--and it wasn't going to help anyone with that attitude. She needed to be strong. Even though Cloudchaser was confused by her response she would eventually feel the same.

The two pegasi flew over the town, noting that there was much activity going on. Carts had been pulled into the streets to begin the removal of debris. They watched as volunteers hauled large broken branches over in pairs. As far as Rainbow Dash was concerned, this was when things would finally turn around. She had to stay positive and keep her usual up-beat attitude. Enough ponies had been concerned about her and she didn't want that kind of attention. There was little pride in appearing vulnerable.

Their destination was the group of clouds that apparently were spared from the morning cloud-clearing routine. As they approached several members of the weather team appeared to be hovering around. Many of the Pegasi present Rainbow Dash had recognized as her part-time helpers who aided with storms. Yet, this clearly was not everyone who did work for the weather team.

Rainbow Dash turned her head at Cloudchaser as they approached the clouds. "I thought you said everyone was gonna be here!" she complained. "We need the entire team!"

"Yeah, well it was impossible to gather everyone at short notice!" Cloudchaser replied.

"Ugh, this is like half of the team! We're going to need everyone to know what we're gonna do!" Rainbow Dash groaned.

Cloudchaser scrunched her face in frustration. "We all want to help, Dash! Can you at least tell us what this is all about?"

Nodding at her subordinate, Rainbow Dash motioned to land on one of the clouds. The faces of familiar pegasi gathered around the center of the group of clouds. Thunderlane and Flitter were amongst the several others who worked for the weather team. A speech sounded like a good touch but Rainbow Dash had a feeling it was best to lay it all out at once.

"Look, I've been talking and thinking about really helping out around here," Rainbow Dash began before shifting her gaze at the colorful group of Pegasi. "Basically, right now, there's a huge delay on sending trains to Ponyville... and 'cause of that, the hospital is worried that they'll run out of supplies 'cause a lot of Ponies need that stuff . So-"

"Wait!" Flitter interrupted. "Are you about to say that we're going to be moving it ourselves?"

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash curtly replied. Her face was very much serious. "'Cause this is really, really important. Yeah, it's gonna suck but you'll be doing something really good for Ponyville."

Thunderlane raised an eyebrow. "So, is it really that bad? Would we even make a difference?" he asked. The stallion appeared skeptical of the whole briefing.

"Of course it would," Cloudchaser quickly replied. "Haven't you noticed how many ponies are walking around with bandages wrapped all over them?"

"Well... yeah," Thunderlane conceited. "But do you have any idea how long that would take?"

Rainbow Dash sighed as her fellow weather Pegasi started complaining amongst each other. She didn't want to admit that her plan was flawed in that regard, that hadn't put more thought behind that issue. Giving up and letting the town down wasn't an option that she was ready to take.

"We would only be traveling to Cloudsdale and Canterlot," Rainbow Dash deadpanned. "And we only need to do this at least once before they can fix the tracks," she added.

"I agree with Dash!" Flitter spoke up. "We can't just sit by and wait for something as important as medical supplies to get here, especially if ponies need it that bad!" She received a nod of approval from Cloudchaser.

"See, all we need is to get more ponies on board with the plan!" Rainbow Dash pointed out. She leaned her head back and puffed out her chest to make a cool pose. "If everypony could pitch in, we can make a difference!" she declared.

The Pegasi that hovered among the clouds nodded in agreed while Cloudchaser cheered for her. Even Thunderlane reluctantly agreed with solemn nod. It felt good to get everyone to agree with her, especially for a cause this important. If her weather team was willing to help her then things were sure to turn out well.

Rainbow Dash waited before speaking up again. "Focus, team!" she interrupted them. "If you're in on this, I need you to spread the word now!" She stomped her right foreleg and flared her wings for effect. "I need everyone to meet again here tomorrow morning!"

For a moment, the brash Pegasus thought she would have to reiterate the importance of this task in order to justify starting the very next day. Surprise disappeared, leaving faces of confidence looking back. Rainbow Dash nodded before the Pegasi dispersed. While the others are busy spreading word to the rest of the team, she could pay another visit to Twilight Sparkle to give a new update of the current situation.

After arriving at the great tree library, Rainbow Dash was anxious to see her friend again. She was convinced that the rest of weather team would back her up on her mission. All she needed to do was let herself in and tell the young princess it was going to happen.

Yet, as soon as she let herself in without knocking she realized that it wasn't going happen. The library was silent with no presence inside. No one was upstairs in the bedroom. What was different from the previous visit was that the bedroom appeared even messier than before, with more piles of scrolls. At the center of the library stood a square dinning table with various papers and map of Ponyville.

Rainbow Dash sighed, as she had missed her moment. She closed the door with another sigh and turned around to face the rubble of what was several homes. Ponies were hard at work removing the debris and loading it into wooden carts, used originally for just garbage. She watch for a minute before deciding to move on. Her Alicorn friend could be anywhere around town.

As Rainbow Dash headed to her first destination, she noticed how busy Ponyville was becoming with the cleanup effort. More carts were around the streets and the toppled homes. Workers and volunteers stood amongst each other clearing out the wreckage. Several of these ponies had sustained injuries yet they still worked as hard the others around them. The town was finally getting back on its hooves and making a strong start.

A familiar building came into view and brought relief to Rainbow Dash. The sight of Sugarcube Corner was straight ahead of her. From a distance it appeared that was very little damage down to the outside. The bushes had been swept away but the structure remained undamaged. It was as bright and welcoming as it always had been. As she approached two ponies came into view. With her sharp vision, she recognized Applejack and Pinkie Pie chatting in front of the store. Both mares wore saddlebags that appeared quite full. Their heads turned as Rainbow Dash approached them.

Pinkie Pie bounced up in surprise with her saddlebags. "Dashie!"

"Ah, Rainbow Dash!" Applejack greeted with a warm smile before appearing flustered. "We could really use yer help at a time like this!"

"What? replied Rainbow Dash. "Well, I'm looking for Twilight right now," she explained as she landed beside her friends. "Why, what's going on?" she asked with a curious face.

"Well, a lot of good folks lost their homes in this mess, so it's up to us to make sure they still get something to eat while we wait for the trains to come in." Applejack explained as she scratched the back of her neck.

"Yeah..." Pinkie Pie frowned as she listened. "Right now they have to eat crummy food rations that are all stale and boring! And there's not even enough of that to last for a week!" she complained.

Overwhelmed, Rainbow Dash found herself imitating Fluttershy as she awkwardly scratched the ground with her hoof. "I don't know what I could do for you. I mean, I was just looking for Twilight."

Applejack rested her hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "Look, sugarcube, Ah know we're asking a lot from you all of a sudden but Twilight is just too busy anyhow! Ah wouldn't be begging you like this if we were fine on our own!"

Rainbow Dash briefly glanced back and forth at her friends. She had been trying to get her goal accomplished with as little sidetracking as possible. Yet, her friends needed her now and it wasn't in her nature to turn her back on them. It was almost like a weakness in her heart. She couldn't leave her friends now if they wanted her help that badly.

Reluctantly, Rainbow Dash nodded her head. "Okay," she agreed.

"Yes! Thanks, Rainbow Dashie! It'll be great to have your help here!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she bounced towards the front door.

The inside of the store was messier than Rainbow Dash had thought it would be. All the decorative rugs had been removed. The tables appeared to have been pushed to the back of the eating area. Towels littered the floor around the doors. Pinkie Pie had insisted on wiping their hooves with one of the towels before they continued walking. As Rainbow Dash followed her friends towards to the kitchen she noticed several worn mops leaning next to doorframe.

"So what happened here?" Rainbow Dash asked with a raised eyebrow.

Applejack shot a glance back. "Sugarcube, ya know what happened."

"Yeah, I guess... I just can't believe this happened to everyone..." Rainbow Dash trailed off as she found herself lost in thought. "I can't believe what happened to Fluttershy," she murmured.

The three mares stood still as they briefly stopped before the pink door to the kitchen. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but awkwardly scratch the back of her head as she looked away at the heart shaped window in the door.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up now." Rainbow Dash apologized as she looked down at her hooves.

"Nah, it's alright, sugarcube. There's no point in moping. Besides, things have been getting better," Applejack remarked. "Isn't that right, Pinkie?"

"Yep! They said Flutters has been doing well since her surgery!" Pinkie Pie explained, perking back up.

"Like recently?" asked a surprised Rainbow Dash.

"Not too long ago," Pinkie Pie replied as she pushed the pink door open. "Rarity stopped by this morning."

Rainbow Dash followed her friends into the kitchen. "So, like did they say anything about when we can visit?" she asked, sounding a little impatient.

"Well, from what Rarity said, they seemed awfully confident that we would be able to see her soon," Applejack replied as she set her saddlebags down.

Rainbow Dash looked around as she entered the kitchen. The kitchen floor appeared much cleaner than the store front. Though, almost all the green countertop against the wall was messy from preparing food. The large white countertop island in the middle of the room seemed to be the only clean surface. Her eyes focused on the large metal bowls that had been set on the clean counter surface.

"Really? That's great!" Rainbow Dash watched as Applejack emptied her saddlebag of skinned apples on the countertop. "So, what's going here?" she asked with eager face.

"So, we're gonna make apple squares and apple fritters... but we need a lot of help dicing these apples. So that's where you come in, sugarcube," Applejack explained.

"Oh um, okay I guess," Rainbow Dash shrugged. She knew she was going to need to maintain her positive face. Food preparation was anything but exciting for the speedster, and she had to do it in bulk.

Pinkie Pie cleared her throat. "Okay, girls! I've got the batter covered. Rainbow, you're going to help Applejack and core the apples. She'll dice the apple wedges."

"Uh, okay," Rainbow Dash agreed, forcing a smile. "Where is the thing that I need to do this?" she asked, sounding unsure of her role.

"It's right here silly!" Pinkie Pie laughed, pointing at the simple device.

Rainbow Dash looked over between the enormous pile of apples and the metal mixing bowls. Hiding next to the measuring cups was the circular device. The handles on the metal tool appeared worn with numerous scratches and dings. She briefly inspected the slicing side for dents but found none. It would easy enough to use considering her strength and experience of using a similar device.

It was simple but Rainbow Dash hesitated at the sight of all the apples. As much as she didn't want do this, her friends needed her help and she couldn't just turn them down. She held back a sigh and aligned the tool over the first apple. With a quick press, she forced the metal to cut all the way through the apple.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was scooping measures of ingredients and filling the mixing bowls. As she added her ingredients she hummed a happy little tune. Applejack stood across from Rainbow Dash, cutting the apple wedges into fourths. She appeared content of the quality of her fast work.

"So, uh ah've been kinda wondering about something, Rainbow," Applejack remarked, sounding unsure.

Rainbow Dash briefly paused as her friend hesitated. "Yeah, about what?" she replied with a curious look.

"Well... see ah not one to pry into other ponies' business, but uhm... ah heard that you were dating somepony," Applejack nervously asked back. "And well, ah couldn't help but overhear Rarity talking to Fluttershy last week."

"Oh..." Rainbow Dash trailed off as she couldn't help but blush. "Y-yeah, we're dating," she replied, and continued coring apples from the pile.

"Ah don't mean to put you on the spot like that but it's just that ah was a little curious, is all," Applejack explained.

Pinkie Pie paused her rapid mixing to show wide eyes to the cyan Pegasus. "Aww, I think it's great that you finally started giving dating other ponies a try," she commented, slightly annoying the young mare.

Rainbow Dash deflated as thoughts floated in her about the previous morning.

"Awh, Rainbow, ah know you're just as upset as we are, but ya gotta remember things aren't so bad after all," said Applejack as she noticed her friend's expression.

Sighing, the cyan Pegasus shook her head. "I just wish this all didn't happen. Everything would have been so much better if she didn't get hurt," she complained.

Pinkie Pie paused and gave a sad look. "You were going to take her on a date yesterday, right," she quietly asked.

"Yeah... we were supposed to go on a date later that day," Rainbow Dash explained, shaking her head. "Fluttershy couldn't wait for it! I mean, she seemed so excited for it."

"Well, there's nothing you can do about that now, sugarcube. But she's going to be need plenty of company soon. Poor girl's gone through enough already," Applejack consoled her.

"I guess."

Rainbow Dash shrugged and returned her focus to the work at hoof. She had slowed down considerably, preventing Pinkie Pie from finishing another batch of apple fritters. Talking about Fluttershy was slowing her down and affecting her mood. There was still an enormous pile of apples, waiting to be cored.

Using her upper body strength, Rainbow Dash found it convenient to line up apples and rapidly cored with quick thrusts of the tool. It was much more efficient than grabbing one from the pile at a time. She grinned as she took pride in her efficiency. At this rate, it wouldn't be long until she finished her job.

By the time the food preparation was all done, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but feel exhausted. She was drained physically and emotionally by the day so far. Still, she felt much better for helping her friends like this, even if was the least entertaining job. She had finished coring the apples so fast, she had to assist Applejack in cutting the wedges into smaller pieces.

As Rainbow Dash rested in the clouds, she thought back on the day. Helping out with cooking wasn't as boring as she had thought it would turn out to be. Though, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty for being depressive while her friends kept an optimistic outlook. It was hard not to let things get to her. Talking about her relationship was an awkward experience that made her feel slightly vulnerable.

She turned over and laid on her back as she gazed up at the blue sky. Thoughts entered her mind about her close friend and new girlfriend, Fluttershy. Years ago she scoffed at the concept of romance, claiming it was for sappy and uncool ponies. About three weeks ago, Fluttershy had confessed her feelings, stirring up the strangest feelings in the speedster. A few days after that, she decided to give dating a try.

It was difficult to pinpoint exactly why she had made that decision. It could have been anything that swayed her mind. She always wondered if after flight school she would return to casual dating. Yet, it confused her that she found no preference over stallions or mares. Somehow, part of her wanted to wanted this.

Rainbow Dash frowned as she shifted through memories. The answer was more obvious as she thought back to the times she had spent with Fluttershy. They had a history and over the time that Rainbow Dash knew her, she had developed an affinity to the shy mare. She had thought nothing of it and continued to spend more time with her.

She shifted on the cloud as she sought to recline more comfortably. Her hooves rested behind her head and her closed in quiet contemplation. Rainbow Dash wished she could understand her strange feelings, despite having the answer in the back of her mind. When Fluttershy had confessed, she admitted to liking her for being strong, confident, and full of positive energy.

It was only natural that Rainbow Dash had to wonder the same about Fluttershy. She was known for her kind nature but there was much more to her than that. At first glance she appeared to be a shy Pegasus who only wanted to be left alone with her animal friends. When Rainbow Dash became her friend, she saw an outgoing filly who wanted to have as much fun as she did. It took work to get her out of her shell but it was always worth it to Rainbow Dash.

As Rainbow Dash slowly drifted away, she found that sorting her feelings out brought relief and eased her nervous hooves.

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay as this was meant to be finished about a week and half ago. I wasn't able to work on this for a solid week. But... stuff happens. If you can, let me you know what you think of this story so far.

Chapter 3

Rainbow Dash felt the warmth of the sun on her back as she slowly awakened from her nap. With a jolt, she sprung up on her hooves and glanced at her surroundings in confusion. Naps were supposed to only last for a few hours at the most. Yet as she squinted at the sky, she noticed that the sun was well over its peak. She could accurately estimate that it was the early evening.

Getting plenty of much needed rest helped shift her mind back into gear as Rainbow Dash regained focus. Of course it was just then that she realized that she had forgotten to find Twilight Sparkle after helping her other friends out. At the moment she had so much else on her mind it was difficult to concentrate. But that all had to wait as there was something much more important to focus on while she stretched her wings and limbs.

With a determined look, Rainbow Dash leaped and spread her wings out to glide down towards the center of town. Her descent was rapid at first but she slowed down as she approached what was left of Town Hall. Workers and volunteers had only begun to slowly remove debris from the giant mess of rubble. The streets, though dirty, appeared to have been cleared out already of large debris.

As much as she wanted to see Twilight again to confirm her plans for the next day, Rainbow Dash had something else in mind. After all, it was about time she checked in on the one pony who managed to change how she felt about romance and other 'mushy stuff' that was apparently too lame for 'cool ponies.'

Anxiety filled Rainbow Dash as the sight of the hospital came into view. Her calm mood had instantly changed at the thought of seeing her girlfriend again. So much time had passed since she had seen Fluttershy in her worst condition. She had to wonder if things had improved since the surgery.

After exhaling a deep breath, Rainbow Dash pushed past the green door of the reception area. Surprisingly enough, it was much more crowded today than the previous day. Most of the seats were taken by family members and ponies waiting for follow-ups on their injuries. A different receptionist was behind the counter, talking to a rather concerned mare with a teal coat. Meanwhile, Doctors approached their awaiting patients as others walked out with fresh bandages.

Rainbow Dash glanced around at the filled, red seats as she found herself overwhelmed by how noisy and crowded it was. There was no one there that caught her interest except the mare who was talking with the receptionist. Something about her bright, white mane reminded Rainbow Dash of someone else she had met. Before she could a get a good luck at her face, the vibrant mare hurried past the double doors to the hall on the left.

For a brief moment, Rainbow Dash paused in thought before forcing herself to walk through the doors as well. She had no intention of first talking with the receptionist and wasting precious time, especially if she already knew which room Fluttershy had been in. As she slipped through, she almost walked into another mare who was about to leave.

"Rainbow Dash!"

Before she knew it, Rainbow Dash found herself caught in a hug; yet engulfed again by the her emotional unicorn friend.

"Uh hey, Rarity," she greeted weakly, feeling even more uneasy.

"You came here in just time, dear! Fluttershy had been asking where you were all this time!" Rarity explained. Suddenly she loosened the hug and moved back away. "Come now, I'm sure you've waiting all day to see her, after all!" she beckoned.

However, Rainbow Dash couldn't comprehend as she stood stunned in the busy hallway. Some part of her mind must have imagined that Rarity just said that Fluttershy was awake and wanted to see her. It sounded too good to actually have happened like that.

"Wait-wait-wait! She's... she's awake? Like right now?" Rainbow Dash stuttered as her friend exchanged a concerned look. "Like, talking? And-"

"Yes, darling! She's been awake for quite some time now! Now, please, let's not make her wait any longer," Rarity replied before turning around towards the rooms ahead. She appeared just as anxious.

Strange feelings of excitement and unease cycled through Rainbow Dash as she followed Rarity down the hall. She hadn't been expecting this outcome and wasn't sure if she was a hundred percent mentally prepared for this. There were so many questions and concerns on her mind it overwhelmed her thoughts. As the walked past doctors and nurses, she felt her throbbing in her chest.

Rarity stopped and motioned towards a windowless room on the right. "Here, this room, Rainbow. Now I was going to see Applejack in the cafeteria." She paused and nodded slowly as she noticed how anxious her friend appeared. "Just... try not to overwhelm her right now. You'll feel much better once you see how well she's doing," she explained in an attempt to console.

"Yeah, no worries. I'll just talk for a little bit," Rainbow Dash replied as she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

However, her last sentence was not heard as Rarity was already at the end of the hall.

A strange sensation overcame Rainbow Dash as she gripped the door. She froze in place before taking a deep breath and opening the door. As it creaked open, a short hallway appeared with a door to the bathroom on the right. Just a few steps further was the rest of the room. The sound of a sharp, consistent beeping interrupted her thoughts.

"Hello?" a voice called out from the obscured section of the room.

Rainbow Dash carefully approached the room before she could see around the corner of the hall. There lying in bed was Fluttershy with both of her wings extended outwards. Tan colored bandages covered her wings, hiding the yellow feathers beneath. In the purple chair on her right was Twilight Sparkle, who looked back with a warm face.

Around Fluttershy's neck was the rather bulky brace that prevented her from physically turning her head. Instead, she had been oriented so she could face more towards her right side. This appeared to limit what she could see to only the far side of the room. To the left of her was the IV stand which held a bag hooked up to her forearm. On the other side was a monitor cluttered with her vital signs and other information Rainbow Dash didn't immediately understand. In the corner opposite of Twilight was an awkwardly placed round nightstand that was nowhere near the hospital bed that Fluttershy was lying on.

"Hey" Twilight quietly greeted as she smiled at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash glanced again at Fluttershy briefly before looking back at her friend. "Hey, Twilight," she replied, her voice quiet as well.

"Who's here, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. She had spoken slowly, and quieter than Twilight had.

Twilight turned towards Fluttershy's face. "It's Rainbow Dash. She wanted to see you," she softly replied.

"Oh... that's wonderful. I can't... see her from here though."

"Here," Twilight said as she got out of the chair. "You can take the seat and that way you can talk to her better," she gestured towards the empty armchair.

Rainbow Dash silently nodded before navigating around the stretcher and settling in the comfy chair. As she looked over at Fluttershy's body, she almost frowned upon seeing the other injuries marked by dried blood. For better or worse, her lower half was covered by a light blanket, hiding further possible injuries. Right away her eyes focused on the bandaged gash above Fluttershy's bangs before looking at the mixed expression on her face.

"Hi, Rainbow," Fluttershy greeted as she smiled weakly.

"Hey," Rainbow Dash greeted back as she scratched the back of her head. "How are you doing, Shy'?"

Fluttershy's eyes slowly focused on her girlfriends face before shifting away. A brief moment passed as Rainbow Dash waited for a response.

"Fluttershy?"

"Huh? What is it, Rainbow?"

"I-I asked how you were feeling," Rainbow Dash nervously replied.

"Oh... well, tired actually. I'm happy to see you though," she answered with a small smile.

"Right. So... you remember anything?" Rainbow Dash asked with a raised eyebrow.

Fluttershy's eyes shifted before she spoke up. "Um... well, I'm not really sure how I got here."

"Actually, I heard that Applejack was the one who rescued her in time and brought her here." Twilight explained as she stood near the end of the stretcher. "She's... asked about this a few times already. I'm sure the combined effects of blood loss, painkillers, and well, recently waking up is what's affecting her consciousness and causing her to act a little odd."

If hearing the monitor's consistent beeping wasn't unsettling enough, now Rainbow Dash was given more reasons to be worried about Fluttershy.

"You remember anything before? Like when we were hanging out in the morning?"

Fluttershy nodded before making eye contact again. "Um, well... we did have breakfast together... I remember we were talking for a while.. but I don't know what we were talking about," she explained before sighing in defeat.

"Hey, it's cool!" Rainbow Dash cooed. "But it's uh, great that you remember that much," she added with a weak laugh.

For a brief moment, her eyes scanned from Fluttershy's bruised forearms to the bandage covering the gash. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but note every little cut and bruise along her girlfriend's body. Holding back a frown took conscious effort.

"Fluttershy?"

However, she received no response from her girlfriend. Instead Fluttershy appeared to have drifted off to sleep. It was difficult to tell if whether or not she truly was asleep because her eyes were mostly closed when she talked.

Twilight Sparkle rested her hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "I know you're worried but she's doing much better than she looks. After all, she only had a minor concussion and just a little damage to the back of her neck. Thank Celestia she didn't have any serious spinal damage."

"Yeah, that's true," Rainbow Dash agreed, nodding slightly.

A brief silence followed before the two young mares heard a series of incoherent, mumbled words escape the muzzle of their friend. Rainbow Dash turned to see Fluttershy's eyes half open, staring back at her.

"Rainbow... could you..." Fluttershy began but her voice began inaudible.

"Huh? What's up Shy'," Rainbow Dash replied, slightly nervous.

A yellow hoof weakly reached out but not far enough. In this state, Fluttershy seemed not to have much capacity to do anything. Seeing her hoof sink back down on the cushiony surface made Rainbow Dash feel a ping of sadness in her heart. For some reason she could understand the attempted gesture, despite that it was ambiguous.

Rainbow Dash scooted in the chair until it was facing the stretcher. In a smooth motion, Rainbow Dash reached out with her left forearm and rested it on Fluttershy's right hoof. She gently pulled the limb closer and held it with both of her forearms. It nothing more than a sweet gesture but Rainbow Dash felt an unique connection through the physical contact. She wasn't one to get touchy feely but this only felt right in her mind--and it felt nice too.

"Thank you, Rainbow... I'm really happy you're here," Fluttershy nodded as she blushed.

Tears welled up in Rainbow Dash's eyes as she looked back at the soft teal eyes and held her girlfriend's forearm. Without realizing it, a single tear had streaked down her face, leaving behind a wet trail on her cheek. Quickly, she leaned over the stretcher but paused to avoid touching Fluttershy's right wing. Rainbow Dash allowed another tear to streak down as she bent her head down closer to Fluttershy. It took effort to avoid her stretched wing, but it was worth the effort to finally hug her girlfriend after all she had been through.

The proud Pegasus sniffled and shed more a few tears as she weakly smiled at her girlfriend. Suddenly it felt as if she was going to need all the courage so she could muster a smile, despite seeing Fluttershy in such a terrible condition.

Rainbow Dash sighed as she felt Twilight slightly nudge her with her wing. Yet, her eyes remained focused on Fluttershy even as a tissue was levitated to her face.

"I think she's asleep. Why don't we leave her be for now and get something to eat from the cafeteria," Twilight Sparkle suggested as she rested a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder.

The hallway was empty as Rainbow Dash peeked around before quietly closing the door. Only two doctors stood at the end of the hallway that appeared to be restricted to hospital staff only. As they approached the double doors leading to the reception, the sound of a door opening and closing caught Rainbow Dash's attention. As she glanced behind her, all she caught was the blur of an orange and yellow mane turning around the corner and down another hallway.

"Wait, Twilight was that I who I thought that was?" Rainbow Dash asked with a puzzled look at her Alicorn friend.

Twilight Sparkle paused for a brief moment as she hesitated to speak out loud. "Uh, maybe I should tell you about her later," she quickly explained.

"Hold on!" Rainbow Dash stopped her. "She disappears and then comes out nowhere? Who was she visiting in the first place?" She pressed on, clearly to her friend's annoyance.

A purple wing suddenly pulled Rainbow Dash closer. "I'm serious, Rainbow! I can't just tell you in public!" she whispered in the Pegasus's ear.

"Ugh fine!" Rainbow Dash gave in, with an exasperated look. "But you better tell me what's going on.

The hospital's cafeteria wasn't as crowded as Rainbow Dash expected, though to her surprise some of the staff there appeared to have suffered injuries as well. It appeared that the hospital had just started renovating the space before the accident. Almost half of the scuffed light-pink tiles had been removed, revealing the underfloor. The walls also appeared bare with small holes here and there where art and other decorations were once mounted. It seemed that kitchen area had been spared as the tiles there had not yet been removed.

Rainbow Dash frowned as she scanned the room. She had half expected the cafeteria to be more welcoming but instead was not in its best shape. Most of the purple tables were occupied but a booth in the back corner caught her attention. Applejack was sitting across from Rarity in the cushioned booth along the back wall. Both mares appeared to be talking with warm expressions on the faces. As she approached them, they turned their head and gave surprised looks.

"Whoa, why the long face, RD?" Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Why, you look so dreadfully dismal, Rainbow!" Rarity added.

The cyan Pegasus shook her head and brushed her mane swiftly with a hoof. "Eh, it's nothing to worry about. Just didn't get much sleep y'know," she lied, giving a confident smirk.

"Not to mention ya could use a shower," Applejack grinned as she eyed her messy mane. "Err, no offense but ya still got a leaf in yer mane there," she pointed out.

"You look like you didn't much sleep either, Twilight, you poor dear!"

Twilight shrugged as she stood next to Rainbow Dash. "I've been pretty busy I suppose. There's a lot of worked involved with coordinating efforts with our neighboring cities. Things would be better if we get can the trains up and running again," she explained.

"Yes, well everyone does appreciate the work you've done already getting Ponyville back up on its hooves," Rarity consoled her as she got of her seat. "Why don't you two make yourselves comfortable while I get you something to eat?" she offered.

"Nah that's..." Rainbow Dash trailed off as her friend hurried off to get in line. It seemed there was little point in arguing or lying that she wasn't hungry at all.

"Ugh... scoot over, Applejack," she smirked as she sat at the edge of the booth and slid herself over closer to her Earth pony friend.

Applejack rolled her eyes and took a sip from her cup. "Ya'll should be grateful to have a friend like that," she scolded Dash as she sat more upright. "Ya feel like talking about her?" she asked in a much more gentle tone.

"She seems to be really well... considering what she went through," Twilight commented as she settled herself in the other opposite side. "I mean she was able to remember a lot from before it happened!"

A long sigh escaped Rainbow Dash's muzzle as she sunk lower into her seat. "Yeah, I know... I just wish I didn't have to see her like that," she quietly replied.

"Ah know, but she's stronger than she looks. So far, Ah've been hearing plenty of good news," Applejack pointed out. "What matters is that we give Fluttershy plenty of company and support while she recovers."

"I think that's the best way we can approach this," Twilight Sparkle agreed with a nod.

With a thud, two trays landed on the table from above and almost startled the group of friends. Rainbow Dash groaned as she had not expected Rarity to make such a noisy entrance.

"Ah, I'm quite sorry! I was distracted for a mere second," Rarity apologized with a embarrassed look.

Rainbow Dash looked down and found herself salivating just because of the smell of her food. On the tray cheesy noodles, hash browns, and apple sliced were neatly separated. Her generous friend knew her too well it seemed. Licking her chops, she took several messy bites from each food.

"Hey thanks, Rare!"

Rarity facehooved as a noodle stuck to her ear. "Darling! I hadn't expected anything in return except perhaps some proper dining etiquette!" she complained.

"Yeah, that's not happening," Applejack laughed as she leaned back with a grin.

The day was already winding down by the time Rainbow Dash noticed how dark the sky looked. Her gaze focused on the windows overlooking the hospital's front entrance. Twilight Sparkle had already left for an important meeting with the mayor and some engineers to talk about getting the trains up and running. Still, it felt like an excuse to get away from telling what was going on in the Wonderbolts. Nobody else in Ponyville knew the true cause of the accident or even mentioned the Wonderbolts.

Rainbow Dash sighed as she continued to sit at the empty booth. Talking with her friends and getting some decent food to eat did wonders for her mood but she lost her chance to see her girlfriend once more before visiting hours ended. Now her friends were gone but she stayed for another coffee.

"Some loyal friend I was," she muttered to herself as she fidgeted with a sugar packet. "I didn't even tell her that I won't be around tomorrow either."

Another sigh escaped the cyan mare's muzzle as she took a sip of her coffee. "I wish I could back down... but they're counting on me so much now," she thought to herself.

"Excuse me, miss?" A young Unicorn mare who was wearing custodian clothes had addressed her. "We closed several minutes ago, I'm afraid," she explained as she awkwardly stood next to her cleaning supply cart.

Surprised, Rainbow Dash stood up and stretched her wings before yawning. "Heh, sorry! I didn't really notice the time!" she apologized as she used a wing to grab her warm coffee.

"It's no problem really, but I need to clean these tables," the mare shrugged.

"Nah, I'll go. I've got a lot going on anyway," Rainbow Dash replied while she dropped her half empty coffee into the trash.

"Guess I better get ready for tomorrow," she thought to herself. "It's the least I can do now."

As Rainbow Dash stirred under a thin blanket, she couldn't help but wonder about the next day. It seemed like every day was going end like this: becoming too restless to sleep, worrying about Ponyville, her girlfriend, and their future. She eyed the saddlebags that she had packed for the flight to Canterlot and then back filled with supplies. Her eyes then focused on her Wonderbolts poster, her pet tortoise who was sound asleep, and then towards a framed picture of herself in her Wonderbolts reserves gear. Sooner or later there would be a new picture of herself and her girlfriend. After several moments of tossing and turning, she eventually fell asleep.

It was the same dream like the past nights. Once again, Rainbow Dash was caught in the middle of a raging torrent of water. She flailed around helplessly as she found herself rapidly approaching Ponyville. Suddenly, houses were falling apart and other ponies were grabbed by the current as the column of water ripped through the town. Shrieking, Rainbow Dash tried to reach out to them but broken wooden planks blocked her from trying to move.

For no reason at all, her surroundings began to radically change. Ponyville began to disappear as well as the rubble and the ponies caught in the violent current of water. All of a sudden the water became more shallow until it disappeared as well, leaving Rainbow Dash in the middle of a field of flowers.

"What?" Rainbow Dash blurted out as she couldn't comprehend the mysterious change of scenery.

All the Pegasus saw around was rolling hills of flowers and scattered trees. Somehow she could even smell the pleasant aromas as a light breeze picked up every now and then. As she squinted to gaze further beyond the endless hills, a dark figure approached and entered her view.

"We hope thou wouldst appreciate a much more peaceful environment," said the dark-purple Alicorn as her mane gently flowed in the breeze. "Forgive us we for this intrusion but we found it necessary to heighten thou awareness as though thou were truly awake," she apologized with a serious look.

"Princess Luna?" Rainbow Dash muttered as she stood on her hooves. True enough, she knew she was simply having a dream and yet she was unable to wake up from it.

"Our role in watching over the dreams of the many has become... a rather dire situation of prioritizing whose dream to enter first. Many, like thyself have begun to suffer from recurring nightmares," Princess Luna explained before pausing briefly. "Thy friend, the bearer of the element of Kindness, who we also hear is thy new mate, suffered greatly whilst she dreampt."

Rainbow Dash stuttered as the words sank in. "She... suffered?"

"We're afraid so but we must apologize for causing you much worry," Luna apologized as she explained further. "Fluttershy's last conscious thought were of her animals, her friends... and thou of course. However, she was the first we were to visit and we have good reason to believe we helped alleviate that... suffering."

Instead of nodding, Rainbow Dash gave a puzzled look as her mind began to fill with anxiety and discomfort. Though the Princess of the Night spoke gently, her words brought no comfort--just only more questions to ask. Yet, somehow she could sense how the confused mare was reacting to her words.

"Her... concerns for her animals, friends, and for thy peaceful town were answered truthfully and whilst it did cause shock, it will give her peace of mind much sooner."

"So, you somehow were able to talk with her?"

"In a way," Princess Luna replied as she motioned to Rainbow Dash to sit with her. "When she was unconscious or rather how thy would put it... "out cold," it was not possible to reach her or sense her thoughts at the time. She eventually became more conscious and was dreaming. It was then we were able to enter. However, because of her current state, it proved to much more difficult and strenuous for us."

Princess Luna rested a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder as she slowly began to fully understand her explanation.

"Does thou understand what we have said and why we entered you dream?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged and looked away at the hills in the background. "I mean I get what you were doing but..." she trailed off.

"This visit was to bring thou peace of mind as well. We offered thou the truth thy were desperate to hear, no matter how painful it might sound. Thy nightmares reflected this in a way," she replied and paused to study her expression. "Give thyself time and you will move past this. Know that Fluttershy has a strong spirit and thy hometown will recover over time. In the meantime... this dream is thine to do with as thy wish. We shall speak with thou further when thou arrive in Canterlot."

With a grateful nod, Rainbow Dash thanked her savior before she dissipated into nothing and removed herself from her dream. Suddenly, she was in control of her environment and could summon anything--or anyone. Rainbow Dash already knew what to do next.

Author's Note

As always, I'm interested to hear thoughts so far. When life got busy, this story got put to the side and it stayed there for a full semester. Hearing people's thoughts and critique is encouraging and helps the process.