Rainbow Dash didn't want to admit it, particularly to herself, but she was exhausted. Her new arm felt heavy and threw off her balance. She leaned against a tree catching her breath. It was still early, the morning sun hadn't yet peaked over the horizon, which is what she wanted. She didn't want her classmates to see her like this.

"Come here often?" a voice said behind her. Turning around swiftly, Rainbow took up a fighting stance, spreading her legs shoulder width apart and balling up her fists. Rainbow was surprised to see Principal Celestia standing on the tail in the moonlight.

"Making up for lost time." Rainbow answered between breaths, "I spent over a week on my ass, I can't let that slide."

Celestia nodded, she didn't want Rainbow to over exert herself, but she new from experience that an early morning run was therapeutic.

"Well, its another mile and a half from this spot back to camp." Celestia said finally.

Rainbow looked down the trail, did some stretches, and then took off down the trail at a brisk jog, with Celestia close behind. Returning to camp, Celestia headed toward the cabin she shared with her sister. Rainbow, meanwhile, headed in the direction of the cabin she shared with her friends. All of her friends were still asleep, except for Spike who in the aftermath of Sunset's death had taken on a watchdog approach to guarding the rest of the girls.

"Where did you go," Spike asked as Rainbow flopped down to her bunk.

"Just went for a run." Rainbow answered not looking at Spike. On the bunk above Rainbow's, Fluttershy stirred and was mumbling in her sleep. Suddenly she shot up.

"SUNSET!" Fluttershy cried out. Rainbow jumped out of bed and began to console her best friend.

"It's ok Fluttershy," Rainbow said, "you had a nightmare, why don't you tell me about it."

Fluttershy looked nervous.

"Do you think it will help," Fluttershy asked. Rainbow nodded.

"I was dreaming of the day that Sunset, well you know," Fluttershy said looking at Rainbow's cybernetic arm, "but instead of being hit by that rocket, Sunset turned into a giant bird of fire before being reduced to ashes."

"A Phoenix," Twilight yawned, "in your dream Sunset turned into a Phoenix."

"Sorry if I woke you," Fluttershy said.

"Y'all kinda woke all o' us Sugarcube," Applejack said, "but it's about time to get ready fer breakfast."

"Sorry," Fluttershy said, hiding behind her hair. The other girls just smiled. At least somethings never changed. The girls began to get ready for breakfast. Twilight looked longingly at her phone. It was dead, just like everyone else's. It wasn't that there was no place to charge them, but Luna had confiscated the battery to everyone's phones when they arrived at camp. Twilight wished that she could her parents.

Breakfast proved to be a little exciting, if slightly embarrassing for Rainbow Dash. She had picked up a glass of orange juice with her cybernetic arm and overcompensated her grip, which had the effect of shattering the glass and spilling juice on both her and Applejack. It also caused her arm to short out and pick-up.

"GOD DAMMIT!" Rainbow exclaimed, which caused everyone in the mess hall to stop what they were doing and turn to look at her.

"Is everything ok Rainbow Dash," Luna asked.

"Just peachy," Rainbow said through gritted teeth. Then she noticed everyone looking at her. Quietly, she got up and exited the mess hall.

"Should we go after her," Applejack said, looking at her friends.

"No, she needs a moment to herself," Luna said, "besides I know someone who can get through to her."

Rainbow wandered into the woods and eventually found a tree in a secluded part of the woods. She sat with her back against it, her right arm on her knees and her head resting on her right arm.

"Watcha doin' Rainbow Dash?" a voice suddenly said. Rainbow looked around, but she didn't see anyone. Then she looked up.

"Scootaloo," Rainbow said, "you're in a tree."

"Yep," Scootaloo answered like it was normal for her to be in a tree.

"Let me rephrase that," Rainbow said, "why are you in the tree?"

"Because you're under it." Scootaloo said.

"What? Oh nevermind," Rainbow said, "are you just being annoying on purpose, or are you here to stare at the freak of CHS?"

"You aren't a freak," Scootaloo said as she jumped out of the tree.

"Have you looked at me lately," Rainbow said frustrated, "I'm different and broken."

"Yes you are different!" Scootaloo stated as she pointed at Rainbow's cybernetic arm, "but the problem isn't here."

Scootaloo pointed at Rainbow's heart, "it's here."

Rainbow was shocked by Scootaloo's statement.

"When did you get so wise, kid," Rainbow asked.

"Eh, I have my moments," Scootaloo replied with a smirk.

Across camp, Fluttershy was feeding some birds to keep her mind off of her dream the previous night. It wasn't helping. Her thoughts kept drifting to her nightmare. She felt as though the Fates were trying to tell her something, but whatever it was she couldn't figure out. She had spent most of the morning thinking about it, and she had even written down what she could recall from the dream, but it still made no sense to her.

Fluttershy hoped her little bird friends would get to their nests safely, there was a red-tailed hawk circling overhead.

Meanwhile on the camp office, Celestia was speaking with Luna and Chrysalis.

"Luna is right Celestia," Chrysalis said, "the students are getting restless, they want to strike back at Tirek."

"I swore that I wouldn't allow these children to come to any harm," Celestia responded.

"Tia, you can't expect to keep such an oath," Luna answered, "Sunset, Rainbow Dash, Bon Bon, all of our missing students."

Celestia looked at Luna and scowled. She was about to answer when another voice did.

"I think you should allow your students to decide." everyone in the office turned and looked at Discord, who was standing in the doorway.

"Discord!" Celestia said through gritted teeth, "they aren't pawns in your personal war with Tirek."

"Be that as it may," Discord answered, "you have several students who can do naturally what Tirek has been trying to do for ages."

Discord opened his briefcase and took out some files and laid them on the desk in front of Celestia.

"Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle," Discord said from memory.

"Sunset Shimmer is dead, and Rainbow is crippled for life," Celestia countered.

"That's a shame," Discord said, "Ms. Shimmer is arguably the most powerful of those girls."

"Is that all you care about!" Celestia fumed.

"Not at all," Discord said calmly, "I wish nothing more for the children under your care to grow up and to not have to get involved, but sadly the universe it seems has other ideas."

"Fine," Celestia said, "we'll discuss it with the students after dinner."

Author's Note

And we're back to the Dream Catcher Saga. This installment is the last planned part of the saga at this time. I may return to it at a latter date with new stories and such.

In my first draft for this chapter, I had Luna confronting Rainbow in the morning, but I had established in the previous story that Celestia was doing early morning runs.