Of Love and Loyalty

by Brian Jacko

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Wonderbolts, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Romance
Length: 16779

Life lessons learned for Rainbow Dash

Rainbow Dash's dream finally comes true. She gets accepted into the Wonderbolts, but problems strike her soon. Can she overcome the many obstacles that challenge her?

Published 2012-08-18 03:24:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-24 20:57:51 UTC

A Special Letter

Zoom, zip, swoosh. A blur of rainbow raced across Ponyville.

Rainbow Dash flew across the skies practicing her signature moves. She was so experienced in flying, that she could practically pull off sonic rainbooms in her sleep. Life was good. No, life was not just good, it was fantastic for her. She had the job of her dreams, clearing out the skies of Ponyville, and she was in the best shape of her life. She had been practicing all day and night, only taking little breaks for a quick nap or a snack.

Darkness began to settle in and she was getting awfully sleepy. "Well it's time I go hit the hay," she said with a smirk. She flew back home and was soon nestled in her comfy bed of clouds. She drifted off to sleep peacefully and quickly.

The next morning she was awakened by the sun shining directly in her face. That was odd.

Her room was patched up with clouds so that the sun wouldn't wake her.

She looked up and saw a big hole in her roof. She then looked around her room and noticed that there were papers scattered all across her floor. She also realized that her bed was covered in muffins! To her surprise, there was also something moving under her blanket that was all tangled up. "Whose there? What do you want?" Rainbow Dash cried out as she jumped out of her bed.

Whatever was under there, finally managed to break free out of the tangled web of bed sheets.

Out popped Derpy Hooves with a big clumsy smile on her face. "Oops, my bad!" yelled the cross-eyed pegasus with the blanket still on her head. "Would you like a muffin?"

Rainbow Dash put her hoof to her forehead and fell backwards to the floor. "Derpy, how many times did I tell you to simply leave the mail at the front door of the house and not crash through the roof? This is the third time I've had to patch up my house this week!"

Derpy looked around the bed, slightly confused and said, "I just don't know what went wrong!" She then noticed the muffins scattered all over the bed. "Oh wow! Where did those muffins come from?" Derpy asked in excitement.

Before Rainbow Dash could state that they obviously fell out of her bag when she crashed through her roof, Derpy went wild, eating all the muffins on her bed.

"Derpy stop!" cried Rainbow Dash. "You're going to get crumbs all over my bed!"

Derpy stopped munching on a muffin and looked sad. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. Would you like a muffin?"

Rainbow Dash put both her hooves to her head and said, "You already asked me that. Now would you please just give me my mail so that I can fix my house and clean up this mess of crumbs you left in my bed?"

Derpy looked at her with confusion. Several seconds later, Derpy perked up with excitement. "Oh that's right!" Exclaimed the cross-eyed mare. I have a special letter for you!" Derpy reached into her mailbag and gave Rainbow Dash the letter. Derpy picked up all of the other fallen letters from the ground and put them back in her mailbag. She looked over at Rainbow Dash and said "Bye bye Rainbow Dash! Have a good day!" Derpy began to lift her wings for takeoff.

Rainbow Dash hollered out, "Next time please use the front door for the mail!"

That sentence didn't quite register with Derpy. Derpy just smiled at the blue mare with her tongue half-way sticking out of the side her mouth. As she flew upwards, she called back down to Rainbow Dash. "I know, I love muffins too!" Derpy then crashed through the other side of the roof, leaving another hole for Rainbow Dash to patch up.

"UNGH!" Rainbow Dash moaned. "Will that pegasus ever learn?" Rainbow Dash had almost forgotten that the cross-eyed mare gave her a letter. She walked over to her desk and opened the letter. She froze in fear, as she realized that the letter had the Wonderbolts symbol on it. She squealed in delight. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! It's a letter from the Wonderbolts!" Her eyes moved from left to right as she read what the letter said.

Dear Rainbow Dash, We have heard many stories across Equestria about your flight skills and we welcome you to try out for the Wonderbolts this upcoming Saturday at six O' clock in the evening. Please meet us at Sweet Apple Acres. Yours Truly, The Wonderbolts

Rainbow Dash almost fainted. This had been her dream all her life! A chance to fly with the best fliers in Equestria! "But wait, why meet at Sweet Apple Acres?" She wondered to herself. "Oh well, that question will just have to wait until tomorrow. Right now I've got to get some practicing in!"

Author's Note

Much of this story is based off of my own personal life experience.

The Test

The next day had come and Rainbow Dash was as anxious as anything. She showed up at Sweet Apple Acres three hours earlier than the scheduled time. She paced back and forth across the farm. She was so nervous. "What if they don't like me? What if I screw up or they find some pony better than me?" Rainbow Dash's heart raced as these thoughts kept entering her mind.

Suddenly, a voice from behind her startled her. "What the hay are you doin' out here this early R.D?" It was Applejack.

Rainbow Dash ran over to her and put both her hooves on her shoulders. She took a deep breath in and started talking faster than Pinkie Pie on a sugar surge. "OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, APPLEJACK! You see, today’s a special day, and I’m so nervous! The Wonderbolts are going to test me and I might do well, but I might also screw up and I just don't know how well I'm going to do around them. I'm so anxious and nervous that I..."

Applejack put her hoof to Rainbow Dash's mouth. She chuckled and said "Oh R.D., I know you're goin' to shine on this test. I have faith that my good friend here, is the most talented and athletic pegasus in all of Ponyville. Heck, I reckon that ya might be the best in all of Equestria! Oh, and hey Rainbow Dash, I got a lil' surprise for ya."

Applejack stepped back, and behind her, emerged the entire Wonderbolts team from behind a nearby tree.

Rainbow Dash nearly fell over. She regained her balance and asked "Wait, how did you know about this Applejack?"

Applejack smiled and said, "The Wonderbolts told me that they wanted to see ya here and that the rest of Equestria was scheduled for a down pour today, except for here of course. Ya see, the last time Derpy tried to help with the weather, she over watered my crops, so today my farm doesn’t need any more rain. The skies will be mostly clear here so ya can practice your moves with the Wonderbolts. I said it was okay for the Wonderbolts to hang around my farm for the day. Granny Smith is already bakin' some pies for every pony."

Rainbow Dash still couldn't believe she was standing in the presence of the great Wonderbolts.

One of the Wonderbolts stepped forward and stuck out her hoof to shake. She smiled and said "Hi there. I'm Spitfire. I believe we have met a few times in the past."

Rainbow Dash shook her hoof, remembering that in the past, she saved her life at the best young fliers competition and replied, "why yes, we certainly have met a few times haven’t we?"

Applejack looked around for a bit and chimed in, "Well, if ya'll excuse me, I got some apple buck'n to do. Best wishes to ya, R.D. I know that ya have what it takes, sugar cube." She winked at Rainbow Dash and went off to do her daily job.

Spitfire blinked a few times while looking at Rainbow Dash. "How about we get started, Rainbow Dash?" she asked.

Rainbow Dash instantly perked up. "Huh, what? Oh yea! I'm ready! Let's do this!"

Rainbow Dash flew with the Wonderbolts all day. They practiced tricks and turns that no other normal pegasus could do. For the grand finale, she finished off with her best sonic rainboom yet.

The Wonderbolts were amazed. "Gosh, I never would have guessed that she was THIS good at flying. "Soarin' said with a smile.

"Yeah, I didn't realize what a hot tail she has too." Rapidfire replied with a lustful look in his eyes.

Spitfire shot back at him, "Oh cut it out Rapidfire! You got to stop chasing after all those mares! Don't you have enough girlfriends at the moment?"

"Meh." replied Rapidfire.

Rainbow Dash swooped down in front of them with a nervous look on her face. "So how did I do?" She asked.

"Well, we're going to talk it over with the rest of the team and we'll let you know in a few days if you made the team or not. Now, how about we all get some of that good pie that Granny Smith made for us," suggested Spitfire.

After they all had some pie, it was time for the Wonderbolts to leave. They had a busy schedule ahead of them and they needed the time to rest for tomorrow.

Rainbow Dash just paced around the farm looking for Applejack. Eventually, she found her bucking some apples. "Applejack!" Cried Rainbow Dash.

"Hey there sugar cube! How did ya do on yer test?" Applejack replied.

"I don't know." Rainbow Dash said with a rather glum look on her face. "I think I did okay, but they said they had to talk it over. They'll let me know in a few days if I’m accepted or not on the team. Oh, how I hate waiting! I wish they could have just made up their minds right there for me."

"Try not to fret, hun," Applejack said as she reached into a barrel and picked up an apple. She nuzzled it towards Rainbow Dash and smiled. "Ya look really tired. I bet ya must still be hungry. Why don't ya have a few apples and then go get some shut eye?"

Rainbow Dash simply nodded and thanked Applejack. She gave her a hug and then spread her wings and flew off into the night.

A Deceptive Date

Rapidfire checked his watch and frowned. "I know that Derpy delivers the mail late sometimes, but has she ever been this late before?" He had been waiting all day, in the sky, for Derpy to pass by Rainbow Dash's house. Just before he was about to leave, there was a grey pegasus flying his way. "Hey there, Derpy!" He called out. “I have a very special treat for you!"

Derpy flew over to him curiously.

Behind Rapidfire's back, was the BIGGEST muffin he could buy from Sugar Cube Corner. He showed it to Derpy. "I bet you would like to have this big, tasty muffin, wouldn’t you Derpy?"

Derpy nodded her head and shook her whole body in excitement. "Oh boy, oh boy, I would love to have that muffin!" Shouted Derpy.

"Well, it's all yours," Rapidfire said as he smiled. "All you have to do is give me that letter you're about to deliver to Rainbow Dash's house."

Derpy looked confused. "But I might get in trouble for tha," Derpy said as she frowned.

"Well, I would just hate to have to throw this big, delicious muffin away, that I bought for you, but I guess I have no choice." Rapidfire said as he gestured to let the muffin drop out of his hooves.

"NOOOOOO!" Derpy shouted. "Give me the muffin please!"

"Then give me that letter Derpy," Rapidfire yelled.

Derpy reached into her mailbag and gave the letter addressed to Rainbow Dash to Rapidfire.

He took it and rewarded the pegasus with the gigantic muffin. "Thank you for your cooperation," he said as he patted her on the head.

"Oh boy, oh boy! Thanks for the muffin!" Derpy shouted, as she flew off to a nearby tree to enjoy her treat.

Rapidfire shredded the letter and tossed the pieces into the air.

The letter had stated that Rainbow Dash had been approved by each member of the team, and that she was welcome to join the Wonderbolts.

Days had gone by and still no word from the Wonderbolts.

Rainbow Dash made pacing quite the habit in her room. "What if I didn't get accepted? What if they found some pony better than me and decided not to let me know. What if Derpy forgot to deliver the mail today? What if..." Before she could finish her sentence, she heard the flapping of wings outside her front door. "Finally!" she exclaimed. "Derpy remembered to use the front door for once!" Upon opening the door, she stood in utter shock.

It was Rapidfire from the Wonderbolts. "Hey there, Rainbow Dash, mind if I come in and talk with you for a bit?"

Rainbow Dash stuttered for a moment. "S-s-s-sure! Come right in please, make yourself at home!"

"Thank you." Rapidfire said with a smile. "I just wanted to let you know that half of the team voted not to let you in."

Rainbow Dash's heart sank.

"But, our team captain, Spitfire, left the final decision to me to decide whether to let you in or not, so I'm personally letting you on the team because I like you so much."

Rainbow Dash almost jumped out of her skin. "I don't know what to say," she said. "Thank you so much! I really owe you."

"Oh, it's nothing reall," Rapidfire said with a smirk. "How about you owe me a date tonight? What do you say?"

Rainbow Dash froze. She thought to herself, "First he chooses me to be on his team, and now he wants to go on a date? Can this night get any better? An actual date with a Wonderbolt?" Rainbow Dash shouted, "Yes! I would love to go on a date with you."

Rapidfire grinned and said, "Good, I'm glad. We'll be able to get to know each other better. There's a carnival being planned over at Sweet Apple Acres tonight. How about we meet there after lunch?"

Rainbow Dash nodded with a huge grin on her face. "Oh, and one other thing, I almost forgot to give you this," said the stallion, as he pushed over a golden box for Rainbow Dash to open.

She opened it without hesitation. Inside the box, was her very own Wonderbolt uniform.

"Rarity still had your measurements from the last time she made a dress for you. It's a custom fit, so it should fit you perfectly."

Rainbow Dash threw her hooves around Rapidfire and thanked him many, many times.

Rapidfire stood up and said "Well, I got to get going. See you at Sweet Apple Acres later today!"

"OK!" Rainbow Dash called out as he left her home. "This is going to be great!" she said to herself. "A date with a Wonderbolt. I can't wait!"

Rainbow Dash showed up at Sweet Apple Acres before the event was ready. The fresh smell of farm and carnival food filled her nostrils with delight.

Ponies were still setting up the games and rides.

She saw Applejack filling up a small pool of water for a game in which to dunk Granny Smith. "Applejack!" Rainbow Dash cried out as she galloped over to her friend.

Applejack looked over and said, "Hey there sugar cube! What are ya doin' here so early?"

Rainbow Dash screamed out at her. "I'VE GOT A DATE WITH A WONDERBOLT TONIGHT!"

Applejack just grinned at her enthusiasm. "Well, I sure as hay never thought you were the romantic type, Rainbow Dash, but I sure as sugar am happy for ya! I'm sure you two will have a swell time at our carnival tonight! I got some fresh zeppolis that were just made a few seconds ago. Why don't ya grab some and share 'em with your date? Don't worry about payin', it's on me, hun."

Rainbow Dash thanked her and zipped on over to get some zeppolis. She waited patiently for her date. Hours had gone by and the carnival was jam packed, but still no Rapidfire. It was getting late now and she was about to give up hope. She had finished eating the last zeppoli, and was ready to go home. As she was about to leave, Rapidfire showed up from behind her.

"So sorry I'm late Rainbow Dash. I was uh, you know, quite busy with other things."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "Oh, it's no biggie," she said. "Let's go have some fun and make the most out of what time we have left at the carnival."

Rapidfire and Rainbow Dash went along together and played some carnival games. They went on rides, ate dinner together and talked about their dreams and goals.

After the carnival ended, they flew together performing tricks and talents that only they could do. When they both became tired, Rapidfire took Rainbow Dash's hoof, and flew her to a peaceful place, where there were grassy hills and a beautiful waterfall. Together, they watched the sunset, as he held her in his hooves. He stroked her mane and held her close. He leaned over to her and whispered into her ear. "I think I love you."

Her heart went pitter patter and she froze up. All she could do was return a silent smile. He leaned forward and went to kiss her. She closed her eyes, as they locked lips under the sunset. She was in love and nothing else mattered to her. Nothing.

Rumors

Weeks had gone by, and after a few practice runs with Rainbow Dash, Spitfire and Rainbow Dash flew down to the ground to rest.

Spitfire leaned back against a tree. She realized that Rainbow Dash wasn't acting the same as usual and became suspicious that something was going on with her. "So what's gotten into you Rainbow Dash? You have been acting like you’re in a trance all the time."

Rainbow Dash blushed and responded, "Oh you know, I have a special some pony on my mind and it's been kind of hard to concentrate."

Spitfire’s eyes widened. "Some pony special you say? Who is this special pony of yours, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow Dash looked up in the sky, as if she was expecting him to suddenly sweep her up off her hooves and carry her into the air. "Oh, it's Rapidfire," she said as she looked back down and kicked a stone with her hoof."

Spitfire's jaw dropped. "Oh no, Rainbow Dash! You can't date Rapidfire! He's a pony player!"

"A pony what?" Rainbow Dash asked her as she eyed her.

"A pony player!" she said again. "He's probably just using you for a while until he finds some pony else he likes better. He's always been like this. I have told him to stop, but he never listens."

Rainbow Dash stood there in disbelief. She became defensive and said, “Well, I think I know him too, and he seems to be a really good guy. Besides, I can feel in my heart that he loves me and I trust him. Maybe he used to be a pony player in the past, but I just know that he truly cares about me."

Spitfire just sighed in disappointment. "Well, I guess there is a chance that one can always change, but please don't say that I didn't warn you, if you end up getting hurt. I just hope that you didn't give your heart away to him already."

Rainbow Dash looked slightly angry now at Spitfire. She looked back up at her and said, "Don't you worry about me. I know how to handle myself just fine, OK?"

"OK," Spitfire said as she backed away. "I guess I’ll just leave now. See you at tomorrow’s practice." And with that being said, she flew off into the distance.

Rainbow Dash sighed. "What if she's right?" she thought to herself. "I'll have to go talk with Rapidfire about this personally." Rainbow Dash paced a few times before finally lifting off the ground to fly home. She would think about all of this tomorrow.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Rainbow Dash banged on Rapidfire's door with a sense of urgency.

After several minutes of waiting, the door opened.

There stood Rapidfire, dressed in a robe and looking awfully sick.

Rainbow Dash looked confused for a moment. At last she said, "Oh, I'm sorry to bother you, I just wanted to talk with you about something that Spitfire told me."

Rapidfire rolled his eyes. "Spitfire," he muttered "Don't tell me she is telling you all these crazy rumors about my past."

Rainbow Dash simply nodded with a "Mhmmm."

Rapidfire sighed. "Well don't believe a word she says! I tell you, that pony is just jealous, because we broke up a long time ago and she doesn’t want me to have any pony special in my life."

Rainbow Dash looked down at the ground and said, "I'm so sorry to hear that. I doubted her story, but I just wanted to hear your side of it."

"It's okay, Rainbow Dash," coughed Rapidfire. "Listen, I'm not feeling too well. I'm going to need a few weeks off to rest and I need to get back to bed right now."

"But what's the matter with you?" Rainbow Dash protested.

"I'm not so sure," the stallion coughed again. "I went to the doctor and he said that I had some kind of Pony virus and that it's quite common, but it takes a while to go away. All I need to do is rest up and I'll be all better in no time."

Rainbow Dash smiled "Oh, that's ok. I'll let you rest. Take good care of yourself, Rapidfire."

"Bye-bye Rainbow Dash," the stallion said, as he waved his hoof. "See you in a few weeks." He shut the door and went back upstairs to bed.

Rainbow Dash flew around for a while. "What if he's just pretending to be sick and is secretly seeing some other pony on the side?" she thought to herself. "I know what I'll do! I will hide in those clouds by his home and keep a watch on him."

Several hours later, Rainbow Dash popped her head out of the clouds. She had made herself a military-like hat, that she had gathered from the clouds to keep her camouflaged. She peered through her binoculars, as she watched Rapidfire sleep. She did this for hours at a time, taking breaks only for food and the occasional flight practice.

Several days went by with no sign of any pony else entering his house.

She felt pretty guilty about this whole thing, not to mention that it was downright creepy what she was doing. She reassured herself that Spitfire was just a jealous mare who didn't get her way, and that there was nothing to be worried about. She gave up spying and returned to her normal life.

The Truth Comes Out

"Dearest Princess Celestia, today, I learned that friendship is about..."

BANG! A sudden loud noise interrupted Twilight Sparkle's letter to the Princess.

Rainbow Dash had crashed through her window again!

Twilight Sparkle looked over the fallen book shelf that Spike had just finished organizing. Twilight Sparkle groaned. "Ungh, Rainbow Dash! For some pony who is now with the Wonderbolts, you sure have been crashing a lot around here. What's going on with you?"

Rainbow Dash looked around her and picked up a letter that had fallen beside one of Twilight's Sparkle's books. "Oops!" she said. "I guess I shouldn't be reading these letters while flying around, huh?"

Twilight Sparkle suddenly became filled with excitement. "Oh, a letter!" she exclaimed. "Is it from the Princess?"

"Well, no." Rainbow Dash said, as she stumbled about and dusted herself off. "It's something even better!"

"What could be better than a letter from the Princess?" wondered Twilight Sparkle.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and stuck out her chest proudly and said, "This letter is from my beloved stallion, Rapidfire. He loves me so much. I can't stop reading his letters."

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes. "Well you’re the last pony on earth that I would have ever thought would end up being the romantic type! I already hear enough of that mushy stuff from Spike's crush on Rarity."

"HEY! I heard that!" Spike yelled as he chucked a book towards Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight Sparkle deflected the incoming book with her magic. Twilight Sparkle turned back to Rainbow Dash. "Is every pony on the team okay with you two dating? I mean, doesn’t it get in the way of practice or keep you distracted from performing your very best?"

Rainbow Dash put her hooves behind her head and leaned back against the wall. "Yea, every pony is cool with it," she said. "Every pony but that hot-head, Spitfire. She can't stand to see us together. It just burns her up."

"Oh I see," Twilight Sparkle replied. "Why would she be so jealous though? She is the team's captain and only cares that you perform your best right? Hello?" Twilight Sparkle waved her hoof in front of Rainbow Dash's face.

Rainbow Dash jerked her head back in surprise and said "Oh, what? Yea. Of course. Don't worry about it Twilight Sparkle."

"Well," Twilight Sparkle said as she thought to herself. "So, why are you two writing letters to each other when you both practice together nearly every day?"

Rainbow Dash perked up. "Oh, he said he's sick or something. He caught a bad case of the Pony virus a few weeks ago, but he should be okay within a few weeks."

Twilight Sparkle gasped! "The Pony virus?" she exclaimed, as she ran over to her bookshelf looking through a book about illness's and cures. "Found it! It says here, that the Pony virus is normally contracted by..."

"Yea, yea, yea." Rainbow Dash said with a rather unenthusiastic voice. "Listen, save your egg-head information for another time when I ask for it, okay? He's going to get better in a few more days. I appreciate your help and everything, but I'm going to get going now, rather than listen to your science lectures."

Twilight Sparkle ran after her, "But wait, Rainbow Dash, I, uh, just, listen to.....oh never mind!" She fumed.

Rainbow Dash had already disappeared into the night.

"That pony sure is as stubborn as a mule, huh Spike?"

Spike simply nodded as he began picking up the mess from the earlier crash.

Twilight Sparkle looked out the window. "I just hope that she'll be okay."

They had been together for months now. He was now over his illness and she was so happy with him. The slightest thought about him, made her heart want to explode with happiness. The only thing she could complain about, was that he never seemed to show up on time, no matter where they were going. He was ALWAYS late, but she figured that he was just busy with his practice or something along those lines. She also wondered why he never showed any affection toward her when they were out in public, but she figured that maybe, he was just too shy to do so. They knew each other’s work schedules perfectly by now.

One day, Rainbow Dash got finished clearing up the skies early and decided to pay a surprise visit to Rapidfire. When she got to his house, she realized that he wasn't home. "That's odd," the blue mare thought to herself. "He's always home around this time." She flew around and about looking for him. She became depressed because she could not find him and flew over to that special spot where she got her first kiss from Rapidfire. Upon landing, and approaching the waterfall, she noticed two ponies holding each other in their hooves. "Hey wait a second," Rainbow Dash thought to herself. "This is my special spot!" Upon closer inspection, she was horrified to learn that it was Rapidfire with another mare entangled in eachother's hooves.

They were passionately romancing in front of her.

Rainbow Dash couldn't speak. Her heart sank deep in her chest. A part of her wanted to go over and give him a piece of her mind, but the bitterness and grief took over and she simply ran away in tears. She got home and slammed the door shut. She ran upstairs and hid her head under the pillow.

Hours later, there was a knock at her door. She went downstairs and opened it.

There he stood, with a cocky look on his face. "Hey there Rainbow Dash! Are you all ready for our date tonight, hot stuff? What's the matter? You look like you’re in pain."

Her face was indeed twisted in agony. "How could you hurt me like this?" she asked.

"What are you talking about Rainbow Dash?" I was just busy working late. I'm sorry I didn't show up on time. I didn't think it would be this big of a deal to you."

Rainbow Dash became angry, as she wiped a tear from her eye. "I know what you're up to. I saw you with another mare at our special spot today. There's no use in trying to lie about it."

Rapidfire frowned. "Well, it's your own fault for being hurt," he said. "I never said that I wouldn't keep my options open, and just because I'm dating some pony else, doesn’t mean I can't be with you. You act like I'm married to you or something!"

"YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME and I trusted every lie that you spoke into my life!" Rainbow Dash cried out.

Rapidfire became annoyed and shot back, "I did say I loved you, but I found some pony better."

Having said that, Rainbow Dash slammed the door and ran back upstairs.

Rapidfire simply shrugged the whole situation off and went out to pick up another mare that he was seeing on the side.

Down But Not Out

The next few days were agonizing for Rainbow Dash. She never had feelings for any pony else before. She didn't even know that she was capable of falling for and loving some pony. She was never the romantic type. She was always used to being independent and living a tom-boyish life. She never knew there would ever be love inside her heart, and when that love was shattered to pieces, like a delicate glass vase being smashed against the hard ground, it hurt her more than anything she had ever experienced before. She refused to eat or drink for a while, and when her friends sent Fluttershy to check on her, she refused to talk. Every pony was feeling concerned about her, but all she wanted was the stallion of her dreams back. She felt a little guilty and her mind was racing with all kinds of false ideas. "Maybe I just didn't spend enough time with him or I wasn't good enough. Maybe if I just go visit him and see if he wants me back, it will prove to him that I truly do represent the element of loyalty and he will love me again." Rainbow Dash's emotions were wild and she decided to go out and visit Rapidfire. She felt so wrong doing this, but he was all that she ever knew and loved and just maybe she could turn things around for him. She knocked on the door.

Rapidfire opened the door.

She could hear another mare’s voice far off in the background.

He looked sternly at Rainbow Dash and asked "Rainbow Dash, what do you want from me?"

Rainbow Dash felt a lump in her throat like she was about to cry. "I just wanted to tell you that I still love you and that I'm sorry if I didn't turn out to be all that you expected me to be. Will you please give me another chance? I'm here to prove to you, that I am loyal to the one I love and I just don't feel right without you."

Rapidfire let out a mocking laugh. "Take you back? I've had enough of you! You’re not even attractive to me anymore! I have found some pony much better looking than you anyway. Don't bother me again! I never really meant it when I said I loved you anyway. Get lost!" He slammed the door in her face.

Defeated now, Rainbow Dash flew back home. If this is what true love felt like, then she never wanted to love again. "It's not worth the hurt. I don't care who asks me to be their mare, I won't ever risk this kind of hurt again."

Days went by and she had refused to leave the house.

Derpy, the mail mare, forgot what the front door meant and left a pile of mail that was stacking up in Rainbow Dash's chimney.

Rainbow Dash only saw the letters that began falling into the hearth. Most of the letters were from her friends who were deeply concerned with her well being. One of the letters was from the Wonderbolts. It made her sick to her stomach. She didn't want to open it now. What she really wanted to do, was to set fire to all the mail in her hearth, but somehow, she managed to get the strength to open it.

It was a letter from Spitfire. The letter read, Dear Rainbow Dash, It has been a good week now and we still haven’t seen you at practice. You have missed many performances and if you miss anymore, I'm going to have to ask that you retire from the Wonderbolts. I don't know exactly what's wrong with you, but rumor has it that you and Rapidfire aren't seeing each other anymore. If this is true, then I am deeply sorry. I tried to warn you about him, but you wouldn't listen. I hope to see you at practice tomorrow at thee O' clock in the afternoon. Yours Truly, Spitfire.

Rainbow Dash crumbled up the letter and sobbed. How would she be able to fly with Rapidfire after what had just happened between them. There was hardly a moment that went by when she wasn't thinking about what had happened, and every thought of Rapidfire that popped into her mind, caused a flood of tears. There was one thing that she could do to escape the pain right now, and that was to sleep. She slept the entire day away.

Rainbow Dash was no push over. She might not be as strong and as tough as Applejack, but she sure as heck is no quitter. She had decided not to let Rapidfire ruin her career and go to practice the next day. She tried to keep eye contact with Rapidfire to a bare minimum.

He seemed to not even notice that she was there with them anyway.

Rainbow Dash forced herself to concentrate on her goals and she still performed everything beautifully. She was back to performing at shows and doing what she does best. The crowds loved her. All was going well, until a few days later, she realized she had a cough. She didn't think it was a big deal. Probably just a cold or something.

"Hey Rainbow Dash! Are you ready for your signature finale?" Spitfire called out across the skies to her fellow team mate.

"I sure am! Let's do this," the blue mare yelled back. Rainbow Dash zipped upwards toward the sun. Higher and higher she went as she prepared to dive down at supersonic speeds. By now, she had performed hundreds of sonic rainbooms all across Equestria with the Wonderbolts. She hovered over the clouds and took in the beauty of the pink and purple sky. She then hurled herself towards the earth with great speed. "Something’s not right," she thought to herself. "I don't feel like I'm picking up enough speed." Time was running out. She was nearing the earth and still no sonic rainboom had occurred. She flapped her wings as hard as she possibly could. She made a miscalculation and didn't realize that she indeed was much closer to the ground than she had predicted. A loud bang had occurred. However, it wasn't the sound of the sonic rainboom. She had lost control and crash landed into the bleachers where the fans were cheering her on. Rainbow Dash was instantly rushed to the hospital.

A Visit From Her Friends

"Pinkie Pie! No! Put that away! This is not the time for loud party noises," Twilight Sparkle sternly said in a harsh whisper as Pinkie Pie drew out her party horn blower.

Pinkie Pie frowned and said, "But I wanted this to be a surprise party."

"It will still be a surprise, but we can't startle her or the other patients," Twilight Sparkle whispered.

Doink. Doink. Doink. Pinkie Pie skipped around the bed in her usual fashion. "Okie dokie lokie," she said as she hopped towards Rainbow Dash. She put her face just inches away from Rainbow Dash's.

As Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, she was startled by a big, blurry, pink, blob that was grinning from ear to ear. "Gahh!" she yelled out followed by an "Owwww!" As her vision focused in on the pink blob, she then realized that it was Pinkie Pie staring at her. "Pinkie Pie! You startled me!"

Pinkie Pie giggled and said, "But I couldn't help it Dashie! You just looked so cute as you were sleeping! Oh, did I ever tell you that when I sleep, I snore sometimes and my back left leg twitches and sometimes it wakes me up! Also, when I sleep, I sometimes umfff mfff umff." Her sentence was cut short when Applejack stuffed an apple into her mouth. Pinkie Pie began to chew through the fruit with great effort.

Applejack looked back over at Rainbow Dash with a somewhat worried look on her face. "Heh, sorry about that R.D. We didn't mean to startle ya like that. Always gotta keep them apples handy for when Pinkie Pie starts talkin' up a storm."

Rainbow Dash didn't look too happy. She realized that her whole body was throbbing in pain and she felt a bit dizzy. "Where am I?" she asked.

Twilight Sparkle stepped forward. "You're in the hospital right now. You had a terrible crash and we all stopped by to see how you were doing."

Rainbow Dash sunk down lower into her bed. "I'm in the hospital?" she asked with a frown.

"Yes," Twilight Sparkle affirmed. "You're going to have to stay here for a while. We all brought you some gifts to cheer you up." Twilight Sparkle reached into her bag and pulled out a book. "I picked up a book on popular pegasus sports and games."

Applejack stepped forward and said, "I got ya some food from our farm."

Fluttershy nervously raised her head and said in a tone of voice that could barely be heard, "I brought you an animal critter friend, but the hospital staff wouldn't let me bring him in for you."

"I made you a nice pair of stylish slippers," Rarity chimed in.

Pinkie Pie jumped above the four other mares and put her front hooves around Applejack's and Twilight Sparkle's necks. She had a party hat on, with her party blow horn in her mouth. "And I wanted to throw you a surprise party, but Twilight Sparkle wouldn't quite let me make it a surprise." Pinkie Pie drew in a deep breath, but before she could blow it out into her horn, Twilight Sparkle used her magic and snatched the horn from her mouth.

Pinkie Pie frowned again.

"That will have to wait for another time Pinkie Pie," Twilight Sparkle said as she hovered the horn away from the pink mare. She looked back over to Rainbow Dash with sympathetic eyes and said to her, "We're really sorry about what happened to you Rainbow Dash, and if there's anything we can do for you, please let us know."

Behind them a door opened, and inside stepped the nurse taking care of Rainbow Dash. "Visiting hours are over ladies, it's time to go home now," the nurse said as she checked over the patient chart.

"Okay Rainbow Dash, we have to go now. Please rest up and have a fast recovery," Twilight Sparkle said as she walked towards the door.

Applejack leaned over and said. "I know you're a tough gal, hang in there sugar cube, we're all rootin' for ya, hun."

Rarity waved at Rainbow Dash from a distance. "Farewell Rainbow Dash. Enjoy those new slippers, they go well with your mane."

"Bye Rainbow Dash," whispered Fluttershy. "If you ever need me to help take care of you, I'm always around."

"GOOD BYE DASHIE!" Pinkie Pie yelled in her ear as she gave her a playful poke on her side.

Rainbow Dash squirmed in pain. "Bye everyone," Rainbow Dash said as she made her best attempt to wave to them.

Soon they were all gone.

"The doctor will be with you shortly, Rainbow Dash," the nurse said as she made her final check on her list.

Within moments, the doctor entered. "Well, well, well, this sure isn't the first time we had a Wonderbolt stay at our hospital for a while," he chuckled. "With all those crazy tricks you ponies perform. I would expect to see you guys here much more often."

Rainbow Dash looked worried. "Oh Doc!" she cried out, "Am I going to be okay? Will I ever be able to fly again?"

The doctor smiled. "That's the good news, Rainbow Dash. Within a few weeks of rest you'll be back in the sky in no time. You really did a number on yourself though. I would say that judging from that impact you left, you are quite fortunate to be alive right now."

Rainbow Dash relaxed a bit as she was comforted by the news that the doctor had told her.

"Rest up now and I'll be checking on you tomorrow," the doctor said as he flipped his chart. The doctor left the room and Rainbow Dash quickly nodded off into a peaceful sleep.

A New Problem Arises

"Twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine........thirty!" Rainbow Dash counted aloud as she did her rehabilitation repetitions for her wings.

"Very well done Rainbow Dash," the therapist cheered as she finished her last repetition. "I think it's about time that you can go home. You are certainly strong enough now. Congratulations!" The therapist made a mark next to her final exercise for the day.

Rainbow Dash zipped out of the office and flew back home. She loved the feeling of being free again as the wind blew her colorful mane all around. She began to practice all of her moves again, but this time with a little more care and caution in mind. She probably wouldn't bother to attempt a sonic rainboom for a while. She had been out of action for a little too long for that and needed to practice on some more basic moves first. She practiced for a few days until she had enough confidence to go back to work with the Wonderbolts. She performed well for the first few weeks with them, but she realized that her energy level was slowly dropping. It wasn't long before she realized that she was struggling to keep up with the team in their daring tricks and Rainbow Dash always seemed to finish in last place every time, during a Wonderbolts race. This wasn't anything like her. She had never been so lethargic and in pain before. She figured that her muscles were most likely still weak from being sedentary for so long while in the hospital. Weeks later, she could no longer perform with the Wonderbolts. She was very ill and stayed in bed for most of the day. She got a letter in the mail.

It was from Spitfire. It read; Dear Rainbow Dash, we can no longer have you as a part of the Wonderbolts team. You have been out of action for too long and we need you to retire from the team. I'm very sorry. Yours Truly, Spitfire.

"They want me to quit the team?" she wondered to herself. She looked across the room at her Wonderbolt suit just sitting there on top of her desk. A tear had formed from the corner of her eye. She didn't know what hurt more. Looking at the suit and knowing that she won't be able to perform with the Wonderbolts any longer, or the thought of sending it back because it also brought memories of sorrow and regret due to what happened with Rapidfire. She sighed aloud as she packed the suit back into a box and left it on the front porch for Derpy to return.

At least she still had her side job of clearing out the clouds and helping the other pegasus ponies with the storms and weather. Rainbow Dash stretched her wings, as she prepared to fly up into the sky to round up and clear all the clouds away. She took off and started clearing each cloud away, one by one, until the fatigue and pain kicked in. Her whole body suffered a dull ache and she could barely keep her eyes open. She couldn't keep up any longer. "Well, I guess it won't be such a big deal if I take a little nap for a few moments," she mumbled to herself. She found a rogue cloud over to the west and landed on it. She put her head down and drifted off to sleep. She awoke many hours later.

There were clouds all over the skies.

She panicked as she raced to clear each one. She did the best she could do, but now she was too tired. There were still a few stray clouds scattered across the skies, but she figured it wouldn't be a big deal.

The next few days passed and the same thing would happen. She would clear a few clouds and get extremely tired. She napped more and more, missing many clouds that flew by her.

After a week went by, she barely had any energy to do her job at all. She found herself sleeping more than working.

One fateful day, she fell asleep before she even began to do her job. She lay on a cloud peacefully.

Several hours later she was awakened by a booming voice followed by a great bright light that shined in her eyes. "Rainbow Dash!" the voice called out. "You are in very big trouble."

Rainbow Dash looked to the left and then to the right in fear. She then looked up at the sky and saw Princess Celestia standing on a cloud above her. She immediately bowed down to the Princess. "What is wrong Princess Celestia? What did I do wrong?"

The Princess looked very angry at Rainbow Dash. "I have been monitoring you very closely, all week, Rainbow Dash. You've fallen asleep and let too many stray clouds in. The clouds covered up the sky and the crops did not get their proper sunshine over at Sweet Apple Acres. Most of the crops have withered away and died. There won't be enough food for every pony tomorrow."

Rainbow Dash blinked and thought to herself, "I normally only sleep for a half hour and I had more than enough rest last night. This just doesn’t make sense to me." She remained speechless in front of the Princess.

The Princess continued, "I normally don't mind when you take a nap or go off to practice your tricks for a while, but this is just absurd what you have done. I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash, but I'm forced to have to find some pony else to clear the clouds. I left you with a great responsibility and you have broken my trust." The Princess flew off into the skies.

Rainbow Dash just sat there on her cloud, completely stunned and dazed after what had just happened. She flew off to her home and did the one thing in the world that brought her peace and comfort. She slept.

"I'll show the Princess that I'm still the greatest flier in all of Ponyville. Today I'm going to clear the skies faster than I ever did before!" Rainbow Dash flew over to Sweet Apple Acres as fast as she could. Upon arriving, she realized that the skies were already cleared except for two small stray clouds next to each other. She noticed two pegasus ponies relaxing in them.

One of them looked over and noticed Rainbow Dash and said, "Oh, well hey, look! If it isn't our old friend, Rainbow Crash! Ahahaha!"

The other looked over as well. "Yeah! Haha! How ya doin' Rainbow Crash? I think it's pretty funny to not only get kicked out of the Wonderbolts, but to lose your job clearing out the clouds as well, huh? I knew you weren't capable of handling much."

"Not these guys," Rainbow Dash muttered.

These ponies were some of the biggest jerks she's met in Junior Speedsters.

"I can't believe that the Princess would let these guys have my job. I'll show them who's boss!" She flapped her wings in defiance as she called out to the two arrogant pegasus ponies. "You guys think you’re pretty tough, huh? How about we have another race and settle this once and for all?"

The two pegasus ponies spoke in unison, "Oh, you're on, Rainbow Crash. Hahaha!"

"Come on Rainbow Dash, you can beat these guys easily," she whispered to herself. She got into ready position as a young pegasus held a black and white checkered flag in her mouth.

The pegasus waved the flag in the air, signaling to get ready. She then lowered her head quickly and the race was on.

Rainbow Dash started just a few feet behind the other pegasus ponies. She thrust her wings with all her might and passed one of them. When they got to the first turn in the course, she lost her momentum and the other pegasus passed her. She finished the first lap and became very tired. She was out of breath. She couldn’t even finish the last two laps. She lost all her strength and crash landed into a pile of nearby clouds.

The two pegasus ponies raced passed her laughing.

As she watched them cross the finish line, her heart sank. She couldn't even get back up to finish the race. She lost the race. She hated losing. Especially to these ungrateful bullies.

From a distance, they hurled insults at her with mocking laughter.

Rainbow Dash simply flew away defeated and ashamed. She was no longer the fastest flier in Ponyville.

Seeking Help

It was time Rainbow Dash swallowed her pride and seek help. She needed her friends and she needed to listen to their suggestions. She was willing to try anything to get herself better. She decided to fly over to Sweet Apple Acres to visit Applejack for some advice.

"Well, howdy there partner!" Applejack said as she bucked a nearby tree. Did ya come on over to clear the clouds today? I don't know who was in charge of clearing the clouds last week, but whoever it was did an awful job. I bet it was that Derpy tryin' to help the other pegasus ponies out again. Bless her heart, she only means well. Say, what's the matter with ya? Ya look rather glum today."

Rainbow Dash began drawing a line in the dirt with her hoof, "Yeah," she said without looking up. "That pony clearing the clouds wasn't Derpy, that pony was me."

Applejack looked surprised. "Ya mean to tell me that ya been slackin' off on the job, Rainbow Dash? What did I always tell ya about takin' too many cloud naps before the work is finished?"

Rainbow Dash lowered her head even further and said, "Well, don't worry about it Applejack, because that won't happen again. I got fired."

Applejack gasped. "Rainbow Dash! I'm so surprised at ya!"

"I know," the blue mare said. "That's why I'm here. I need some advice on how to learn to work hard like yourself."

"Well," Applejack said as she straightened upwards and put her hoof to her chest. "We have always been hard workers fer generations on the farm. Hard work runs in the family. Ya just gotta keep working hard, and when ya finish your chores, you simply look fer some more to do. There's always work to be done around the farm. I reckon you'd be a good apple bucker, Rainbow Dash. Here, why don't ya try to buck a few apples with me in the mean time?" Applejack went into the farm house and brought out a few empty barrels for Rainbow Dash to fill. She placed them beside a few trees. "Now go on and get to it! I brought out only three barrels fer ya to fill up. I figured I'd take it easy on ya, since this really isn't your thing. By the time I fill up my twenty barrels fer the day, I expect ya to have at least three of these barrels filled to the top. Ya hear?" Applejack pointed with her hoof and continued, "I'm goin' to start over there and clear those trees. Ya start here and I’ll work my way around to ya. Got it?"

"Got it!" Rainbow Dash said as she prepared her legs to buck.

"Be back in a jiffy now." Applejack trotted away and Rainbow Dash began to buck.

"Wow," she thought to herself. "This apple bucking sure is hard." She kicked harder and harder but all that ever came out of the trees were loose twigs and an occasional leaf. She hit the tree with all the strength that she had in her, but still no apples fell. Rainbow Dash groaned as her body protested from the hard work. She became so fatigued, that she fell over into the barrel and drifted off to sleep.

Applejack whistled as she made her way around the tress. She finally finished her last barrel and walked on over to where Rainbow Dash had started. Applejack looked startled. She saw Rainbow Dash's tail sticking up from inside the barrel. "Why that darn pony has gone and taken a nap." She ran on over to Rainbow Dash and bucked the barrel. "WAKE UP!" she yelled.

Rainbow Dash was startled and jumped out of the barrel. "What the hay are ya doin', Rainbow Dash? Ya haven’t even bucked one apple off the trees."

Rainbow Dash looked to the ground and said, "I don't know what happened, Applejack. I was bucking this tree here and a sudden, strong fatigue and awful pain took over my body. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep. I'm sorry. I had no idea I was asleep for this long."

Applejack sighed. "I think ya need a good kick in the backside R.D. A little hard work never hurt any pony. I sure don't know what happened to ya. Ya used to be Ponyvilles greatest flier, now ya can't even buck an apple off a tree! I don't know what to say, Rainbow Dash."

"I don't either," Rainbow Dash responded.

"OH! OH! OH! I KNOW," Pinkie Pie yelled as she hung upside down from a tree nearby. "Dashie, just needs a little cheering up. She needs a party!"

Rainbow Dash looked even more exhausted. "Pinkie Pie, I don't think now is a good time to..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Pinkie Pie grabbed Rainbow Dash by the hoof and brought her to Sugar Cube Corner. She had already set up a party for her. "My Pinkie senses told me that some pony was depressed and I remembered that you were having a hard time, so I set up an extra special party for you! Look! Gummy wants to give you a kiss!" She brought the baby alligator close to her face.

He opened his mouth and latched on to half of Rainbow Dash's face.

"Yea, that's great," she murmured, as she pried the baby alligator off of her face.

DING!

"Oh that's the oven!" Pinkie Pie yelled out, "Be right back! Don't go anywhere!"

Rainbow Dash put her head in her hooves and began to nod off to sleep. She shot right back up when Pinkie Pie blew her party horn in her ear. "Wake up, Dashie! I made my signature cupcakes just for you! No pony can refuse a smile while eating one!"

Rainbow Dash wasn't in the mood for a cupcake, but her stomach confirmed that she was indeed hungry, so she took a bite from one of the cupcakes. Just then a smile appeared on her face. It only lasted a few seconds, but Pinkie Pie was right. It was impossible not to smile while eating a Pinkie Pie cupcake.

"Awww Dashie, don't be so glum," Pinkie Pie said as she gave her friend a big hug. Rainbow Dash's eyes slightly bulged out of her sockets from the tight hug.

"Listen Pinkie Pie, I appreciate the party and everything, but I'm just too tired right now to party. I need to go home."

"OH! OH! OH!" Pinkie Pie cheered as she bounced in place. "Can we do this again tomorrow? How about we do this every day until you feel better?"

"No, that will not be necessary," Rainbow Dash said in a sorry sounding voice. "I just need to get home now."

"OKIE DOKIE LOKIE!" the pink mare said as she bounced around the room.

Rainbow Dash had left Sugar Cube Corner in a trance-like state. Just as she walked out of the house, she bumped into Rarity.

"Oh my!" Rarity said. "Rainbow Dash, you look like such a mess! When on earth was the last time you had a makeover?"

Rainbow Dash couldn't think straight. She just stood there with a dumb look on her face.

"Hello Rainbow Dash?" Rarity waved her hoof in front of her. "Why do you look so glum dear?"

"I just don't feel so good anymore," the blue mare confessed.

"Oh, well I know just the thing that will make you feel all better." Rarity walked Rainbow Dash over to her shop.

"Are you sure this is absolutely necessary, Rarity?" Rainbow Dash asked, as she squirmed in her seat a bit.

Rarity smiled with her eyes close and said, "Yes, of course it is, my dear. One cannot be as happy on the inside, if she does not look beautiful on the outside." Rarity reached into a container and smeared a mud mask all over Rainbow Dash's face.

Rainbow Dash squirmed again in discomfort.

Rarity put two slices of cucumbers on her eyes. Now just sit there and relax as I give you a manicure.

Rainbow groaned loudly. "Will this take long, Rarity?"

"Not at all my dear," Rarity said.

After about a half hour of grooming, Rarity washed the mud mask off of Rainbow Dash's face. "Well don't you look so much better! Oh! I know what you need!" Rarity said as she grabbed Rainbow Dash and forced her over to a mirror. She started putting Rainbow Dash in various dresses and outfits of all kinds of styles.

Rainbow Dash really hated this. She was never into any of this fancy lady-like business before and she certainly wasn't enjoying it now.

Opalescence watched with a satisfied smirk on her face as Rainbow Dash squirmed around in even more discomfort now.

"There now, don't you look fabulous?" Rarity said as she eyed Rainbow Dash from all sides of the room.

Rainbow Dash muttered something to herself. She shook her body violently and all of the clothes came flying off. "I really appreciate the help Rarity, but I don't think this is the solution to my problem."

Rarity looked disappointed and said, "Well, if you ever want to meet at the spa with Fluttershy and I, just stop on by."

Rainbow Dash closed the door and wandered around for a bit. This was ridiculous. None of her friend’s suggestions were helping her at all. She wondered what was wrong with her. That's when it hit her. "I know who to go see about my problems," she said aloud. "I'll go visit that egg-head, Twilight Sparkle! She'll know for sure how to get me better!" Rainbow Dash knocked with impatience at Twilight Sparkle's door. She was greeted by Spike.

He looked up at her and said, "Well hey there Rainbow Dash! What brings you around?"

Rainbow Dash peered around the room and said, "Is Twilight Sparkle home? I really need to talk to her."

"She sure is," Spike affirmed. "She's upstairs studying right now."

Rainbow Dash walked inside and climbed the stairs.

Twilight Sparkle was hunched over a book. Her eyes appeared to be devouring a book word by word.

Rainbow nervously interrupted her studies. "Hey Twilight Sparkle, do you have a moment to help me out?"

Twilight Sparkle sat up straight and turned around. "Oh hey Rainbow Dash, I sure can. What can I help you with?"

Rainbow Dash looked at her with shame in her eyes. "I'm in a lot of trouble. You see, I recently lost my job being a Wonderbolt and I also got fired from clearing the clouds from the skies. I have no job right now and it seems that I'm too tired and in too much pain to do much of anything."

"Hmmm," Twilight Sparkle pondered to herself.

Out came a barrage of books that flew from the shelves.

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash did their very best to find out what illness she could possibly have, judging from her symptoms.

Rainbow Dash had fallen asleep with a book still in her face.

Twilight Sparkle used her magic to grab a book and poke the pegasus on the side to wake her up. "Well Rainbow Dash. I came up with a list of illnesses that you might have. I couldn't narrow it down, but there are hundreds of possibilities that include pain and fatigue. I personally have a feeling that you might be suffering from the common Pony virus, but there is no magic strong enough to cure that."

Rainbow Dash's eyes looked at the list. She let out a deep sigh. "I guess we won't know for sure," she said.

Twilight Sparkle looked back down at her list. "Nope, but I know someone who might be able to help you with all of that pain and fatigue. Zecora."

By now, it was very late and too dangerous to venture into the Everfree forest.

"Rainbow Dash, you look very tired, would you like to sleep over at my house? I have an extra bed for you upstairs."

That thought sounded wonderful to Rainbow Dash. She wanted nothing more than to sleep right now. She quickly accepted the offer and fell asleep. She dreamed peaceful and sweet dreams that night.

"Rainbow Dash! Wake up!" Spike gently shook her awake, as he held a plate of two pieces of toast in his other claw. "You have over slept the day. It's already three O' clock in the afternoon and Twilight Sparkle has been waiting all day for you to get up. I made you some toast." Spike left the plate of toast next to Rainbow Dash's bed on a desk.

Rainbow Dash took a bite. "Thanks for the toast, Spike," Rainbow Dash said with a mouthful of toast.

Twilight Sparkle walked upstairs. "Oh! You’re awake now. How about we head on over to Zecora's hut to see if she has any herbal remedies for you?"

Rainbow Dash nodded as she took another bite of her very late breakfast.

Soon, they were out the door and on their way into the Everfree forest.

Once inside the forest, Rainbow Dash had to struggle to keep up.

Twilight Sparkle looked back and said, "Come on Rainbow Dash, you need to pick up the pace if you want to catch Zecora on time."

Rainbow Dash struggled. She was so tired, even after all that sleep that she had last night. Finally, they made it to Zecora's hut.

Twilight Sparkle knocked on her door.

The door opened immediately.

Zecora appeared and said, "Welcome my pony friends! What do you say? What brings you out here today?"

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash walked in.

Twilight Sparkle started to explain. "Well, it's my friend Rainbow Dash. She has not been feeling well for many months and she suffers with chronic fatigue and pain. Is there anything you can give her to make her feel better?"

Zecora nodded. "I have some turmeric to fight the inflammation and pain and some vitamins that will put her back in the game." Zecora went over and chopped up a root of turmeric. She got out some herbs and supplements and mixed them together in a pot. She stirred her brew around and poured it out into several bowls. She instructed Rainbow Dash, "Now drink one bowl a day until you're all done, and then see if you feel better, as your wings fly you to the sun."

Rainbow Dash thanked her as she and Twilight Sparkle helped Zecora put lids on the bowls and pack them away into Twilight Sparkle's back packs.

"Take care and get rest," Zecora instructed. "Very soon you should feel your very best."

"Will do, Zecora," Rainbow Dash said.

"Thank you so much, Zecora. It means so much to Rainbow Dash and I," Twilight Sparkle added, as she left some money on the table.

Zecora smiled as the mares left her hut.

Rainbow Dash galloped over to Twilight Sparkle's side. "So, do you think this stuff will really work, Twilight Sparkle?"

"I don't know," Twilight Sparkle replied. "All we can do is hope for the best and try."

Back at Twilight Sparkle's home, Rainbow Dash drank the bitter and earthy tasting brew. It didn't taste so well to her, but she swallowed it all as quickly as she could. The brew did make her feel better, but it was only a temporary feeling. Still, she was desperate and she took whatever help she could get.

Several days after she finished her last bowl, her pain and fatigue returned full blast.

She couldn't afford anymore help from Zecora and she was too embarrassed to ask her to help her at no charge, even though Zecora was kind spirited enough to do so. Making that brew looked like a lot of work and she would feel guilty if she couldn't pay her any money for her labor.

Twilight Sparkle walked over and put her front leg around Rainbow Dash. She sighed in frustration. "I don’t know what else I can do for you, Rainbow Dash. I have tried everything I could possibly imagine and nothing has gotten you back up on your hooves again."

A single teardrop fell from Rainbow Dash's eye and hit the floor. "Thanks for the help Twilight Sparkle. I really appreciate what you have done for me. I guess I'd better go home now."

Not knowing what else to say, Twilight Sparkle wished her to get better soon and Rainbow Dash was out all alone again.

As she wandered across Ponyville, she started to become bitter and hate herself for what had happened to her. Her anger only made her more tired and she fell asleep under the shade of a tree on the outer skirts of the Everfree forest.

A soft, tiny voice awakened her from her slumber. "Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash. Wake up please."

She opened her groggy eyes and saw that Fluttershy was sitting patiently with Angel sitting on her shoulder.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash. Angel told me that you were sleeping out here. It's getting late and all sorts of dangerous critters come out at night. I don't want you to get hurt. Twilight Sparkle told me that you have been very sick and I'd like to offer to take care of you. Would that be okay?"

At this point, Rainbow Dash didn't even need to think about receiving help. She would take any possible help that she could get. She willingly got up and walked over to Fluttershy's house.

"You look a bit dirty, Rainbow Dash. Let me get the bath water running so you can take a nice relaxing bath. That should help with your pain level too."

Rainbow Dash, exhausted, stumbled over to the tub. She got in and relaxed.

Fluttershy instructed, "Now while you take a nice warm bath, I'm going to make some homemade soup for you to enjoy. Doesn’t that sound good?"

Rainbow Dash smiled and thanked her before she left. She was comfortable in the warm bath water, but she was deeply worried about her well being. She took her hoof and swished the water around a bit. It had been so many months since she hasn't been able to function at all and she felt guilty about all this help she was getting, without being able to return any favors to her other friends.

"Rainbow Dash, your soup is ready. I know you must be hungry. Please come out and have some."

Rainbow Dash got out of the tub and enjoyed the soup that her friend had made her. Rainbow Dash could clearly see why Fluttershy represented the element of kindness. She was so soft spoken, kind and so very gentle with Rainbow Dash. All she could do was thank the yellow mare for her kindness.

Fluttershy let her rest as much as she wanted and only woke her up for some food or water when it was time to eat.

After weeks had passed, and still no improvement was made with Rainbow Dash's health, Fluttershy decided that it was time to seek professional medical help.

Rainbow Dash, however, did not like this idea at all. She wasn't the biggest fan of going to see the doctor, but she really didn't have a choice since she was under the care of Fluttershy.

They did all kinds of blood work on her and all kinds of medical tests. All of the very serious diseases came out negative which was good, but it still left Rainbow Dash without an answer regarding her suffering. Finally, she had a test that came back positive for something.

The doctor walked into her room with a chart. Rainbow Dash sat up in anticipation.

The doctor cleared his throat and began. "Well, it looks like we found the cause of your fatigue and pain, Rainbow Dash. According to the latest blood work, you tested positive for the common Pony virus. The Pony virus count was so high in your system, that it was impossible for our machines to calculate an exact number. This explains your extreme fatigue and pain."

Rainbow Dash looked worried. ”Will I ever get better, doctor? Why have I been so sick for so long?"

The doctor continued, "Well, you see, Rainbow Dash, most ponies get this virus sometime in their life time. It's commonly caught by kissing or sharing a drink with some pony else."

Rainbow Dash's mind went back to when she dated Rapidfire. She must have caught the Pony virus from him, but they never kissed while he was sick, so that didn't explain how she had gotten it.

The doctor continued, "The Pony virus is a very tricky disease. One moment it can remain dormant, but another moment it can flare up, causing you to be very contagious to others. It's hard to determine when the virus is active in your system or not. Even if you feel like you're all better, you can still be contagious to others."

Rainbow Dash looked down at the floor in sadness.

The doctor continued, "There will never be a time when you'll be cured from this virus, Rainbow Dash, but rest assure that the virus has the possibility to go dormant in the future. You have been very sick for a long time. Your immune system must be shot. Have you had any recent losses, traumas or heart breaks?"

Rainbow Dash picked her head back up and said "Yes. All of the above."

"Well," the doctor said. "That would explain why you probably haven’t recovered in such long period of time. You've probably weakened your immune system more than it could handle, through all of the recent loss and grief."

Rainbow Dash suddenly had a look of desperation on her face. "Well, what else can I do, doctor? Please tell me there is something I can do to feel better."

The doctor slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, but there is no cure for the Pony virus. All you can do is rest. Please get plenty of rest and make sure to take good care of yourself. Stop by anytime if you have any further questions."

Rainbow Dash left the office feeling completely overwhelmed, defeated and hopeless.

Fluttershy was there to greet her in the waiting room. "So, any news Rainbow Dash? Did they find out what's causing you all of these problems?"

Rainbow Dash walked passed Fluttershy without even making any eye contact. "Yeah," she said. "The doctor said I have a severe case of the Pony virus and that there's no cure for it. All I can do is rest and wait until my immune system can fight it off."

"Oh my," the yellow mare said. "Well, don't you worry about anything. I'm going to take good care of you for as long as it takes. Now, let's get you back to bed so you can rest up."

Going Back Home

Rainbow Dash felt very guilty. Rainbow Dash went to visit her friend at the hospital.

Fluttershy seemed to look happy. In fact, she had a big smile on her face when Rainbow Dash came in to see her.

Rainbow Dash instantly apologized for what had happened.

"Oh, that's okay Rainbow Dash. The doctor said that I'm going to be fine," the yellow mare said. "I'm just so happy that you're okay. I couldn't imagine what life would be like for the rest of us without you. Don't worry about it. It was my fault for forgetting to check on you in time."

Those words melted Rainbow Dash's heart. Never before, has she heard such kindness from a friend. Especially, since she was the one responsible for nearly killing her kind and meek companion.

Fluttershy asked Rainbow Dash to be safe and to promise not try anything like that again. She begged Rainbow Dash to find a good psychiatrist that could help her with her depression and pain.

Rainbow Dash hesitated, but agreed.

Rainbow Dash searched for a while, and eventually found a doctor who could help her with her problems.

He gave her some antidepressants and pain medication.

These medicines helped take the edge off things, but she was still hurting badly.

Fluttershy made a miraculous recovery and was home in a relatively short time. She invited Rainbow Dash over for some tea.

"How in Equestria did you recover so fast, Fluttershy? You were in terrible condition the doctor said."

Fluttershy poured Rainbow Dash a cup of tea and said, "I simply learned to love and forgive. I accept things as they are and I do not harbor any hate, envy, revenge, or regrets in my heart."

Rainbow Dash thought about this. There were tons of regrets in her life and she still could not accept the fact that she was this sick and not the fastest flier in all of Ponyville any longer. "I still have trouble with acceptance, and well, basically all those things you mentioned, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy put her hoof on her shoulder. "There, there," she said. "Ponies who learn to forgive are the ones who are ready to move on from the past and heal. It's important to accept your current situation and live in the "now" of time, not in the past or what you think may be the future."

Rainbow Dash searched her own heart. She knew she was still very bitter about what happened with Rapidfire and that she was very angry at herself and felt that everything was all her fault. Rainbow Dash let go of all these feelings and forgave Rapidfire and herself in her heart. It was difficult to do, but she felt much better about herself. She also let go of the past and lived without any expectations about herself or from her friends.

After she achieved these things, there was a glow from behind her.

Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind the chair. She peeked out and then realized that Rainbow Dash had just gotten her cutie mark back. "Rainbow Dash! Oh look! It's back! You've got your cutie mark back!"

Rainbow Dash turned around and looked at her flank. She was so happy just to have it back, even though she was still so very ill. Her change of attitude was enough to bring back the passion in her heart.

Fluttershy felt it was safe for Rainbow Dash to live on her own again. She let Rainbow Dash leave with a few very important lessons learned.

When Rainbow Dash arrived home, there was some pony sitting on her doorstep. "Was that Derpy?" She thought to herself. As she got closer, she recognized that dark blue pattern with the yellow lightning bolts on it.

It was one of the Wonderbolts.

Rainbow Dash froze in fear and hid behind a nearby cloud. "What if it's Rapidfire?" she thought to herself. Could she even bear to look him in the eye? She gulped and began to gather her composure. She remembered what Fluttershy had taught her and it was time to be brave again. She slowly came out of the clouds and approached the Wonderbolt.

The Wonderbolt looked up and greeted her. "Hi there Rainbow Dash. Mind if we talk?" It was Soarin'.

Rainbow Dash became very defensive and had to fight off many negative thoughts that entered her mind. It hurt her so much to see one of her team members again, knowing that she most likely will never be able to fly with them.

"What do you want Soarin'?" the blue mare asked.

"I just wanted to talk. I heard that you're going through some really hard times and I'm sorry to hear what had happened between you and Rapidfire. I wanted to see how you were doing and comfort you a bit."

Rainbow Dash became even more defensive. "Oh no you don't! You're not going to butter me up just so you can try to get a date with me. I promised myself I would NEVER date again and I'm NOT changing my mind!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy Rainbow Dash. No one said anything about a date and I'm not here to try to butter you up. I came to tell you the truth and if you don't want me here, I can leave right now."

Rainbow Dash lowered her head and put her hoof to her chin. She was reminded about what she had learned from Fluttershy. "Oh no, I'm sorry. You can stay. I have just been under a lot of stress," she said as she sat down next to Soarin' on her steps.

"I understand," Soarin' replied. "I'm sorry you're going through so much. I just couldn't stop thinking about that day when you saved my life during the best young flier competition. I don't remember ever expressing my thanks to you, and I just wanted to thank you for your heroic acts and bravery. I owe you my life."

Rainbow Dash found it hard to find words. "Gee, you're welcome. It was no big deal, I..." She stopped mid-sentence and felt rather awkward. "Hey listen, I think I've got to get going now. I've got a lot of things to do today and I really can't stay and chat."

Soarin' looked very disappointed. "That's okay," he said. "We really didn't get to talk much though. Would it be okay if I came back tomorrow? I took the week off from work."

Rainbow Dash fumbled for words again, without even thinking, she abruptly let out the first answer that came to mind, just to get him on his way out. "Sure," she said. "That's fine. We can talk tomorrow."

Soarin' scratched his head with his hoof. "Are you sure tomorrow would be okay?" he asked again.

"Yeah, that's fine. I gotta run now. See ya!" Rainbow Dash said before flying away from the stallion as fast as she could. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to talk to some pony. She flew around thinking of all kinds of ludicrous thoughts and exaggerations about what could happen with Soarin'. She was closest to Twilight Sparkle's house at the moment and decided that she needed to talk to one of her friends. Rainbow Dash bursted through the door knocking over Spike.

Inside the house, Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy were sitting on the floor talking about how much Rainbow Dash had improved.

"Girls!" Rainbow Dash interrupted.

They both looked up at Rainbow Dash who had anxiety and fear written all over her face.

"Hi there Rainbow Dash," Twilight Sparkle said. "What can we do for you?"

Rainbow Dash sat down with them and said, "One of the Wonderbolts was sitting outside my house. It was Soarin', and he said that he wanted to talk to me, but I cut our conversation short and flew over to you girls."

Fluttershy had a concerned look on her face and said, "But why would you do that Rainbow Dash? Not long ago, we discussed about what we learned."

"Because I'm afraid!" Rainbow Dash admitted. "I'm afraid he's going to try to sweet talk me or something and try to use me like Rapidfire did."

Twilight Sparkle looked puzzled. "Did he say he wanted a date with you, Rainbow Dash?" she asked.

"Yes, I mean no, well not exactly, but he said he took the week off from work to come and talk to me."

"Oh, that sounds so sweet," Fluttershy cooed.

Twilight Sparkle continued, "Well why don't you just talk to him?"

"Because of the past!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "I vowed to never date again."

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes and said, "You know talking doesn’t mean dating."

"I know!" Rainbow Dash said, "But I'm just afraid he might ask me out, or try to make a move on me."

Twilight Sparkle shook her head and said, "Well, worst case scenario, he asks you out. What's the big deal? Having an expectation of never dating again is kind of silly isn't it?"

Rainbow Dash sunk low to the ground.

"There, there," Fluttershy said as she flew over and sat down next to Rainbow Dash who had her hooves wrapped around her head and was shaking. "It seems you forgot our lesson about living in the present and not in the past or worrying about the future. I think Soarin' sounds like a wonderful pony. Sometimes you just have to take risks in life and not let your imagination get in the way of things. I want you to talk to him and not be afraid, Rainbow Dash. You can't live your life in fear or you're going to miss out on wonderful things and great opportunities in life."

Rainbow Dash gulped. "You're right," she said. "I'll do it. I just need to get over myself." Rainbow Dash thanked them. She stood up and made her way to the door.

"Glad we can help, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said with a smile. "I know you can do this! You're a brave pony!"

"Best wishes!" Twilight Sparkle said. "Don't be nervous."

Rainbow Dash smiled a nervous little grin and made her way out the door.

"Do you think she'll be okay, Fluttershy?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"I think so," Fluttershy replied. "She may be nervous, but I have faith that she'll do the right thing. I know that deep down inside she's a very brave pony."

Rainbow Dash paced anxiously inside her home. She waited all day for Soarin' to show up. She often looked outside the window waiting for his return. She was hungry, but her anxiety would not allow her sit down and eat.

Within time, Soarin' showed up.

Rainbow Dash met him on the porch and sat down next to him.

"Thanks for taking the time to talk," Soarin' said. "I brought some apples for us to share while we chat."

Rainbow Dash thanked him and took a bite. She was starving.

They talked about all kinds of things. They spoke about past experiences, their dreams and goals, and what they thought life had in store for them in the future. They watched the sun go down together and Rainbow Dash let go of all of her fears and worries and talked sincerely with him. Rainbow Dash realized at this point in time that she was very lonely. She asked him if he'd like to come back again.

He perked up and said, "I would love to meet with you again."

They met up with each other for several days in a row to watch the sunset together. Eventually, Soarin' couldn't hold back his feelings for Rainbow Dash any longer and asked her if she would be his some pony special.

She hesitated for a bit and thought back to her conversation with Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle. She let go of her fears once more and put her hooves around him. She burrowed her head deep within his chest and sobbed. "I would love to be your some pony special," she said.

Soarin' ran his hoof through her mane and nuzzled her gently. Together, they finished watching the sun go down in a beautiful purple and pink sky.

Rainbow Dash picked her head up looking worried and said, "But Soarin' I have the Pony virus. I might get you sick too."

"The Pony virus?" he asked. "I caught that thing when I was just a little colt. I have already had that in my system long ago. There is no need to worry about getting me sick, and even if somehow you could get me sick from that again, there is no way that I'd let it stop me from loving you."

Rainbow Dash's heart melted in her chest. She hadn't had that feeling in a very long time.

"Oh and Rainbow Dash, I have a little something special for you."

Rainbow Dash looked up at him with curiosity in her eyes. She stared into his bright green colorful eyes wondering what he meant.

From behind his back, he reached out and gave her a box.

"What's this?" she asked the stallion.

"Go on and open it," he replied.

She did and she was surprised to find her old Wonderbolts suit inside the box. She was in shock. "But I'll never be good enough to be a Wonderbolt again," she said with guilt in her voice.

The stallion leaned over and whispered in her ear, "You'll always be a Wonderbolt in my eyes. You're stronger than any pony else I have ever seen." He then kissed her on the cheek.

Rainbow Dash didn't know what to say. Tears formed in her eyes as she embraced him with a hug.

A group of shooting stars flew by across the sky.

She didn't want this night to ever end.

Pinkie Pie's Surprise

"Go left! Okay, now go right! No wait! Stop! Okay, a little bit more to the right and now just a smidgen to the left and...."

"Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash shouted angrily at the pink mare who was instructing her on where to stand.

Pinkie Pie had her friend blind folded and was guiding her through the woods.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie said as she hopped around Rainbow Dash in circles. "You can remove the blind fold now."

Rainbow Dash did, and to her surprise all of her friends were gathered there including Soarin'. To the left, sat Applejack and Twilight Sparkle. To the right of them, sat Fluttershy and Rarity. In between the four mares sat Soarin'. He was sitting on a grassy hill that was slightly above the other four mares.

Pinkie Pie still happily bounced around Rainbow Dash as she took everything in. The place had a familiar feel to her, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. Then it finally hit her. This was that special spot that Rapidfire took her to on their first date. Coming here used to make her very bitter and sad, but those feelings had vanished and a new feeling of joy and love overtook her. She had no more sorrow or regrets in her heart.

"Well, aren't you going to go sit next to your some pony special? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Pinkie Pie asked, as she continued to bounce around the dazed blue mare.

Soarin' smiled as he extended his hoof out for Rainbow Dash to grab a hold of and helped her climb the hill.

The waterfall was flowing freely and there was a beautiful rainbow arching across the water. The sounds of insects and birds filled the air with beautiful melodies.

Rainbow Dash stared lovingly into the stallions eyes as a breeze of fresh air blew past them both. She then looked back over at Pinkie Pie who face-planted into a large cake that the pink mare had brought with her.

"Oh Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash said. "How did you know about me and Soarin'?"

Pinkie Pie lifted her head out of the splattered cake and licked her whole face clean. "Well, duh, Rainbow Dash, it was easy," she said. "I had a strange "pinkie" sense that told me that two ponies were in true love, and when two ponies are truly in love, that means it's the perfect time for a party!"

Rainbow Dash looked back at her stallion friend and grinned. "Don't worry about her. That's just Pinkie being the typical Pinkie that she is."

Soarin' laughed.

Twilight Sparkle stepped forward while hovering a scroll and a quill with her magic. "So, how about a letter to the Princess?" she asked.

"A letter sounds fine," Rainbow Dash replied.

Twilight Sparkle began writing..... Dear Princess Celestia,..."

Suddenly, the sky opened up and a bright light shined down upon them all.

The Princess came down from the sky and walked over to the group.

They all bowed down to the Princess.

"Hello Twilight Sparkle," the Princess said. "I hope you don't mind me dropping in on your party. I just wanted to congratulate Rainbow Dash for making it through a very difficult time in her life. I have been watching you Rainbow Dash, and I'm so happy that you were able to overcome the many problems and obstacles you faced in life. You are a strong, faithful, and loyal pony."

Twilight Sparkle stood next to the Princess and said, "I think we all learned some very important lessons today. Rainbow Dash, what did you learn?"

Rainbow Dash looked over to the Princess and spoke up, "I learned that it's important not to dwell on your past, no matter how much it has hurt you and to always keep a positive outlook. I also learned that it's not healthy to harbor hate or anger in your heart, and how important it is to be able to forgive others, in order to move on in your own life. I may never be as healthy as I was before, but I need to have patience. The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."

Twilight Sparkle chimed in. "I think we also learned to accept ponies as they are, even if we can't fully understand what their disabilities or problems feel like."

"Those all sound like wonderful lessons. I am so proud of all of you," the Princess said. "I must go now. Be well every pony, and continue to write to me about what you learn about the magic of friendship. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye Princess," Twilight Sparkle called out as she watched the Princess fly up into the clouds.

Rainbow Dash remembered that she represented loyalty and she knew that she would remain loyal to her friends and her new stallion companion. She promised herself that she would do her very best to remain positive, even if it meant that she would never be healed or be able to fly as strong as she used to be able to. She vowed to live out the rest of her life in peace and to do her best to be content with what she has.

Doink! Doink! Doink! Pinkie Pie bounced over to the couple and stomped her hoof impatiently on the ground. "Well?" she said.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin' looked at Pinkie Pie with confusion.

Pinkie Pie continued, "Aren't you two going to kiss?"

Rainbow Dash blushed and looked over to her mate. They closed their eyes and kissed each other.

All the other girls let out a long "awweeee."

Pinkie Pie started crying. "They look so cute together!" she said. Pinkie Pie then got distracted by the other cakes that she brought with her and drove her face into one of them.

Rainbow Dash had made it through the darkness of the storm that overwhelmed her life. She made it out to the beautiful sun and found her rainbow at the end of it all.

The end.

Author's Note

Much of this story is based off of my own personal life experience.

Losing All Hope

The next day, Rainbow Dash woke up late in the afternoon paced around Fluttershy's house.

Fluttershy was currently outside feeding the animals and teaching the birds how to sing in four part harmony.

Rainbow Dash truly believed with all her heart that this was it. This was all that life had to offer her and that she would never get better. She fell into a deep depression and lost care for everything, despite the wonderful love she received from her mare friend. Soon, after she fell into this dark state of mind, she realized that something wasn't right with her body. She looked around and noticed that something was missing. It was her cutie mark! In all of her life, she had never heard of a pony who actually lost their cutie mark. Her cutie mark represented her deepest cares and passion in life and now even that was gone! She was a blank flank again and it caused her to only fall deeper and deeper into depression, to the point that she didn't want to exist anymore. She was so sick of all the suffering, that she wanted to end it all this very day.

Rainbow Dash snuck out of the house and flew over to Applejacks farm. She stealthily avoided Applejack and creaked open the door to her farm house. She went through Applejack's supplies looking for rope. Eventually, she found some and pulled at it.

Crash! Bang! Boom! She had knocked over a bunch of other farm equipment, as she was trying to free the rope from the supply closet.

"What in tarnation is goin' on in there?” Applejack called in. "Rainbow Dash! What the hay are ya doin' in my farm house?"

Rainbow Dash hesitated. "I was uh, just needed to borrow some rope. Fluttershy needs help pulling a rock out from where an animal friend of hers was trapped. I shouldn’t have it for too long. I'll bring it back as soon as possible, I promise."

Applejack eyed her aggressively. "Well, if ya say so. Ya know, I can take some time off and help ya with that, bein' that ya been so weak lately."

Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head with her hoof. "Gosh Applejack, that's awfully nice of you, but Fluttershy and I got this together. You just get back to work. I don't want you to miss bucking any apples out there."

"Well, if ya say so Rainbow Dash. Just don't be up to no funny business with that rope, ya hear? I don't want to have to worry about ya."

Rainbow Dash nodded and said, "Don't you worry. Everything will be okay. Catch you later!"

Rainbow Dash zipped out of the barn and flew up to the sky with what little strength she had left. She found a small cloud in the sky and landed on it. She tied her wings up together and made sure that the rope was tight. She stood there on the tiny cloud and looked down. This was it. She was going to say good bye to this world and end it all. A couple of tears ran down her soft cheek and fell down and splattered to the earth.

Fluttershy was busy conducting the bird choir when suddenly, a few drops of water hit her in the eye. She squinted and looked up at the sky. There was only a single tiny cloud in which she saw and it certainly wasn't a storm cloud. She instantly remembered that it was time to check on Rainbow Dash and rushed inside the house. Rainbow Dash was gone! Fluttershy began to panic. She raced back outside and flew up into the sky. She was terrified of heights, but this was her friend that was possibly in danger. As she reached the clouds, she saw Rainbow Dash getting ready to jump. "WAIT!" She called out to Rainbow Dash. "Please don't jump! This is entirely my fault! I should have been looking after you better. I am so sorry to leave you alone this long."

Rainbow Dash looked over at Fluttershy. "It's no use. I have no passion in life about anything anymore and I lost my cutie mark. I don't want to be a burden to you any longer. Please let me put myself to rest for good."

Fluttershy looked like she was going to cry. "Oh, but Rainbow Dash, we all love you so very much and you..."

"YOU'RE JUST SAYING THAT!" Rainbow cried out angrily as she cut Fluttershy off.

Fluttershy let out a squeak, in fear at the angry words of the Pegasus. Fluttershy was running out of options. She knew the stare wouldn't work on Rainbow Dash and that she couldn't find much of anything else to say, then it hit her. "You can't jump Rainbow Dash."

”Oh yea?" Rainbow Dash called back. "And why is that?"

Fluttershy continued. "Because you represent the element of loyalty. I know that deep in your heart, you want to remain loyal to your friends and never leave us. You represent loyalty! You are a loyal friend!"

Rainbow Dash paused for a moment. A single teardrop formed in the corner of her eye and fell down to the earth. Fluttershy was right, and if she hadn't been reminded about representing the spirit of loyalty, she would have jumped.

Fluttershy smiled as she watched her friend back away from the edge of the cloud.

Rainbow Dash was about to say something, but as she moved, she lost her balance, due to her wings being tied up together and fell from the cloud.

Fluttershy did the only thing she could do. React quickly. She raced after her as fast as she possibly could. She was scared flying this fast, but she flapped her wings as hard as she could. At first, it appeared that she wouldn't be able to make it, but after several more wing pumps, she caught up to the falling pegasus and caught her from underneath. Fluttershy wasn't that strong and she tried to flap her wings as hard as she could, but it wasn't enough to get them both lifted back up into the air.

They both hit the ground hard.

Rainbow Dash got up with minor injuries, but Fluttershy was seriously hurt. She needed to be taken to the hospital for broken bones and deep wounds. She may have been able to break Rainbow Dash's fall, but she took the majority of the punishment from the great collision with the hard ground.