Twilight's heart, already tormented with guilt and sorrow, broke, at the sight of the rainbow maned Pegasus lying motionless in the hospital bed. It looked just as Twilight had imagined it would. Rainbow looked just so worn, so beaten. She was covered in gauze bandages, some of which had a dark red blotch at their center. How could this have happened to her? Of all ponies!? She was the fastest, strongest, and best of us. Why her?! She let out a few sobs, though they went unnoticed. Everypony else was doing something similar.

Pinkie Pie shuffled forward. Her normally exuberant attitude seemed to fail her as the reality of the situation lay in front of her. She stood by Rainbows bed and tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the floor. She sniffled. Looking at Dash she tried to get her to respond. “Dashie? Are you there? It's Pinkie. Can you hear me?”

All eyes in the room snapped to the prone form, looking for any sign of a response. After a moment every gaze dropped in disappointment. A gruff voice spoke up from behind them, causing Fluttershy to jump. “I'm sorry, but she's been unresponsive sense she was brought in. We did everything we could, healed all her wounds. But her mind shut down at the last, in an act of self preservation.”

He looked truly sorry to be having to give this news. He was an older stallion. With a light brown coat and a short gray mane. The earth ponies face was full of remorse. Is it pity or is he just sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news. Twilight pressed him. “Will she … Is there any hope of her coming back to us?”

She tried to keep a brave face, but her lip quivered as she spoke. Pity flashed in the doctors eyes. I guess he is genuinely sorry. He searched for the right words before speaking. “Normally I would say no.”

Everypony in the room's jaw dropped. He hastily carried on. “But.” He emphasized it quickly. “But this mare is quite a bit more resilient than most. The average pony would have bled out and been too far gone before we even got to them. She hung onto the very edge and we were able to bring her back. So normally I would say, for a case like this that there was no hope. But this Pegasus seems to have one hay of a reason to stay alive. I think she'll pull through.”

He looked ashamed at what he had said. Like he'd given us false hope. They all glared at him. Twilight couldn't believe it. She thought that if Dash made it everything would be fine. That even with a coma she'd pull through eventually. But no hope? Who is he to say that anyway!? He doesn't know Rainbow Dash! He doesn't know what she's capable of! She will pull through. Pinkie Pie apparently could not believe it either. She grabbed Dash by the shoulders and began shaking her.

“Dashie! I know you're in there! I know you can hear me! Wake up! Come on Rainbow! Don't do this! Please?”

Her body heaved in great sobs. Her eyes poured emotions from her. The doctor rushed to her and tried to pull her off of Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie shoved and sent him stumbling into the wall.

“No! Leave me alone! We need Dash back. We-we n-need her.” Her speech was punctuated by sobs.
The doctor looked furious as he picked himself up. “She is in a very precarious situation. If you are so rough with her you could make it worse! Now I must ask that you leave her be.”

Pinkie just continued to hold Rainbow and sob. Rarity stepped forward and placed her hoof on the pink mares shoulder. “Pinkie? It's going to be okay. We just need to leave Rainbow be so she can get better.”
For once Rarity seemed wholeheartedly concerned. Pity and understanding etched into her face. Pinkie let go of the Pegasus and nodded. Rarity smiled at her. “There you go. Now let’s go for a walk, get a breath of fresh air. Okay?”

The two left the room silently. Twilight watched as Fluttershy followed after them with her head hung low. Applejack seemed to be the only one of them not completely devastated. The doctor meanwhile busied himself with checking all of Rainbows dressings. Applejack stepped forward to stand next to Twilight. “How ya holding up sugar cube?”

Twilight had to honestly think about that question. So many emotions ran wild with her right now. Relief that Rainbow had survived, but guilt that it could have been her fault. Extreme longing, yet the barrier keeping her from Dash. She couldn't settle. “I don't know AJ, it all just so much.”

She walked up and stood beside the bed. The doctor looked up at her and started to speak but she cut him off. She shot him a venomous glance and he remained silent. He backed away eying her, before turning and leaving. AJ replaced him on the other side of the bed. They both just stared at the mare before them. “It's all my fault.”

Twilight looked up in surprise at the proclamation. Tears rolled down the orange mare's cheek. Her eyes swelled and glistened. Applejack felt responsible? How? She didn't show mercy to the wolves. She didn't put off studying medical magic. How was she at fault? Before she could voice her concerns Applejack spoke again.

“I threw her to the edge of the clearing. I th-though if she landed next to the darkness it would scare her. And then-” She cut off. Choking back a loud sob. Twilight stared at her friend. Was Applejack responsible for Rainbows attack? She did throw the Pegasus at them, but that was an accident. Twilight was the one to blame.

“No Applejack, it wasn't your fault. You two were playing. It was an accident. I'm the one you should be blaming. I took mercy on the wolves, hurting them and scaring them. I spared their lives, and then they came back and got Dash. It is my fault. And my fault alone. I acted, and I acted wrong. And as a result she may never wake up.” She said the last part in a hushed whisper.

Applejack just stared at her. To stunned to speak. She just opened and closed her mouth as if the words had failed her. Eventually she just turned back to Rainbow. For five minutes they stayed as they were, standing next to their fallen and broken friend. Without turning to her Applejack spoke again.

“Do you really think by killing them wolves you would've solved anything? Killing is wrong. No pony can do it without destroying their mind. I reckon you only got those two because you were terrified for some pony whom you loved. You don't have it in you to kill some-” Twilight cut her off.

“NO! Don't you see?! They are not creatures to be treated with same courtesy as a pony. They are evil! And I would go back and slaughter all of them if it would help Rainbow in the slightest! I probably will anyway! Whether or not it helps! For they need to pay, need to suffer for what they've done to me! I will make them pay. Do you understand me?” She was panting. The voice in the back of her mind had won out and acted. It showed its true colors. Applejack turned to her.

“Twilight ya don't mean that. You can't mean that.”

“I do Applejack. With every last fiber of my being I swear I will kill all of them.”

Applejack looked horrified at her friend. Like she was seeing some pony entirely new. She backed away fearfully. Twilight continued to glare the most poisonous look she could muster. The earth pony turned and galloped from the room. Twilight ignored her and turned back to Rainbow Dash. “I will avenge you. I will make them pay for doing this to you.”

Her gaze rested on the Pegasus. The sight of her calmed her down. It was like awaking from a deep sleep. A deep sleep with a nightmare that had seemed all too real. She rushed to the door and into the hall looking for her friends. But it was empty. Entering the room she sat on the edge of Dash's bed. What is wrong with me? So much anger and hatred. I actually wanted to kill another living being. I don't want that. Do I? She glanced once more at the bed ridden mare. “At least one part of that was true Dash. I would do anything I could if it would make you better. Anything. I love you so much.”

She leaned down and placed a kiss on the Pegasus's lips before turning and leaving.

===

A week had passed sense the first morning seeing Dash. As far as she could tell Applejack hadn't told anypony, and was pretending that the events hadn't happened. Rainbow was still in a coma. And everypony was starting to suffer. She knew the same thought that was going through her mind was going through everypony else's as well. “What if Dash never wakes up?”

At times it was too terrible to even imagine. She continued her work with the library but it was not with her usual spirit. She forced herself from one task to another. Carrying the tasks out as if they had no importance. And in truth she felt they didn't. Nothing else mattered but Rainbow. This world was not worth living without Rainbow.

The entire week had passed much in that way. The mindless guilt and depression. The feeling of purpose lost. That's the way they found her. Her friends. Moping about her home accomplishing nothing but moistening her cheeks.

She was walking back from shelf to shelf, looking for something. She didn't remember what. When there was a loud knock at the door. “Come in.” She called.

The door swung in and the four ponies poured in, looking much happier than they had in a long time. Pinkie Pie had returned to her natural glowing bouncing self. “Twilight!” She screamed.

“Pinkie? Inside voice remember? We don't need another pony sent to the hospital with a perforated ear drum.”

The mare just continued to beam. “Sorry Twilight, I didn't mean to perepoof your ear thingy. And geez Rarity, you’re not mom. Well, I guess you could be. Are you my mom? Oh my gosh!” She gasped. “That would be so cool! We would be family! Like sisters. Even though you'd be my mother. But still! Wouldn't that be cool? Huh? Wouldn't it? Wouldn't it?”

Twilight used her magic and closed Pinkie's mouth. The mare continued to speak through her sealed lips with a muffled sound.

“Now, is there something you needed girls?” Twilight said as she looked around at all of them. They all seemed so happy. How could they be happy with Rainbow like sh- “Wait, you heard something about Rainbow didn't you?!”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh Twilight it is just wonderful. I was with Rainbow this morning bringing her some fresh flowers and I ran into the doctor. And he said they could fix her! They said they came across a piece of magic that would help her wake up! They're supposed to be trying it right now!”

Twilight stood trying to process the new information. Rainbow. Magic. Awake. Now? What are you waiting for?! Go! Twilight bolted out of the door, her friends following. Tears of joy ran down her face. They all ran to the hospital as fast as they could. Rushing up the stairs to the third floor Pinkie began to hum in a muffled tone. “Oh right, sorry Pinkie. Here you go.”

She undid the spell on Pinkie. “Gee thanks Twilight!” She bounced to the top of the steps and turned to face her friends still coming up. “Come on you slow pokes! We got a Pegasus to see!”

They all burst through the door at the same time. The room was filled with doctors and nurses, all of them were staring at Rainbow expectantly. Twilight pushed through the crowd to Rainbows side. She looked across the bed to the older gray maned stallion.

“Did you do it? Did it work?” She said breathlessly.

He nodded. “If it worked she should be waking up any moment.”

Every breath in the room was stilled, every movement ceased. Time seemed to crawl. Nothing’s happening. Give it time. Still they watched with baited breath. It didn't work, I got my hopes up for nothing. NO! More time. The seconds crept by agonizingly slow. Wait, what was that. She moved! I saw it.

Sure enough the Pegasus stirred. Her eye lids flickered. He mumbled something and groaned.
Twilight was almost afraid to speak, afraid to break the spell on the moment. “Rainbow Dash?”

More movement. “Tw-Twilight?”

The room erupted in cheers. Her friends cried out in relief and the staff in joy. Fluttershy began to cry and Pinkie was going around hugging everypony she could.

The noise seemed to be the last push she needed. Her eyes flew open and she sat up. “Ah! Twilight?!”

“I'm here Dash, it okay. Everything's fine. You’re safe.” She said gently pushing the mare back down.
Rainbow dropped her head to her pillow wearily. She reached out a hoof to Twilight. She took it and closed it in her own. “Twilight?”

“Yes Dash?”

“Twilight I-'

She pulled Twilight towards her and kissed her. Their lips met and Dash held her, passionately. “-I love you too.”

Authors Note
There you guys go. Chapter 4. 6 thousand plus as promised. Hope you enjoy. Thanks to my editors and proofreaders, you guys rock. If you see something wrong or just have a question, don't hesitate to ask. If you liked please thumb up and fave !