To Tell the Truth

Rainbow Dash rolled over in her bunk at Flight School, smiling.

In her dream, the crowd was chanting her name, The Wonderbolts had landed in front of her, amazed by her flying. For the first time ever they invited a filly to join The Wonderbolts and train with them instead of at the stupid flight school. And they made a rule that nopony who called her Rainbow Crash was allowed to see a Wonderbolts show, ever.

She had more to smile about than just a dream. Tomorrow promised to be a beautiful day for her to show the world just what she could do.

Rarity was not asleep. She was sneaking towards the edge of town, following the pulling of her glowing horn. Despite the exaggerated version of the story she would someday tell, it actually started around midnight. She had sneaked out of her house into the dark night, knowing that destiny was waiting for her and not for her parents permission.

As she left behind the houses and town and traveled towards the rocky hillsides, she wondered what could possibly lay so far away from her sewing machine that would pull her like this. Whatever it was, she was sure it was marvelous.

It had better be, her hooves were slightly muddy and she was already tired of walking. She wouldn't settle for less than marvelous at this point.

Fluttershy was asleep, a few bunks away from Rainbow Dash, but her dreams were not as nice.

Some ponies were dangling her over the edge of a cloud, taunting her. She didn't want to fall, she could barely fly and the thought of crashing into the hard ground terrified her. She flapped her weak wings furiously, trying to pull away from the bullies, but it just made them laugh.

Then they let her go. She was falling. . . falling. . .

She woke up, and hid her head under her blanket. She was hoping she could hide there all day, but she knew that too soon she would be ushered from her bunk to face a new day of humiliation.

Twilight Sparkle was counting sheep. She was on 1,082. Her parents took away her books at ten PM, at midnight they took away her study notes, and at one AM they took the book she had hidden in case they took her books and study notes.

They seemed to be under the impression that it was somehow possible for her to sleep the night before the most important test she would ever take in her life. Twilight knew that a good night's sleep was important. She knew it would be the best thing for her right now, to be in top shape for the next morning.

She just had 1,196 sheep telling her that it so wasn't happening tonight.

Pinkamena Pie was sleeping soundly. She was dreaming a good dream.

She found a patch of particularly round rocks.

Most of her dreams were about rocks. She wasn't aware of much else in the world. She didn't particularly like rocks, but she didn't particularly dislike them either. Still, she had to admit that some rocks were better than others, and round ones were the best of the rocks, being easiest for her to gather.

Finding some of the best rocks wasn't all that exciting. But it was one of the nicest things that could happen to her, as far as she knew.

Applejack lay with her face pressed into a pillow, sobbing. All that she wanted was to be home right now.

The sheets felt clean and cool pressed against her aching body. When he changed them he said they musn't let Aunt Orange see the mess she made. He'd washed her tail and coat for the same reason, the blood and filth were gone. But she didn't feel clean.

He told her that she looked lovely and sophisticated.

He told her it would make her very grown up.

He told her he would be gentle.

He lied.

He told her never to tell anypony, that she was a bad filly for making him do such things. He said that he wouldn't reveal what she'd done, and that he hoped she was smart enough to do the same.

That felt true. She felt like a bad filly. She didn't want anypony to know what she let him do. She wanted to be far away from here, someplace where this never happened, where she could forget the pain and the mess and this dirty feeling. Someplace beautiful and safe, with ponies who'd make sure nothing like this ever happened again.

She wanted to be home.