A Mad Dash into Insanity

Chapters

Chapter 2: The Tragedy
Chapter 3: The Transition
Chapter 4: The Descent
Epiloge
Chapter 1: The Incident

Chapter 2: The Tragedy

Everything was dark, Rainbow Dash could not see, hear or feel anything, but she knew that she was there, she knew she was somewhere. She tried to walk, but felt no ground below her hooves. She tried to flap her wings, but felt no air moving over them. Slowly, she began hearing voices, they were familiar and they were calling her name. Rainbow tried to make her way in the direction of the voices, and eventually saw a small light and the outline of some ponies.

“Dashiiiiiiie” the voices spoke dreamily, Dash continued toward the voices, she found ground below her hooves, but still couldn’t see anything. She continued until the figures became clear, it was her mom and dad. They both stood facing her and smiling. Her mother spoke: “Hello, my sweet Rainbow Dash! How’s our little champion feeling?”

“I bet you feel great! That was a heck of a show you and the Wonderolts put on!” her father said.

Rainbow tried to speak, and found that she did have her voice

“Um…” she spoke “Wha… where am I?” she asked, her voice seemed to echo.

“Oh sweetie, we are at home! Can’t you see?” her mother asked

“Everyone is here to congratulate you Dash!” her father said

“Yeah Dashie” piped a voice, Twilight Sparkle materialized in between Dash’s parents. “We saw you fly with the Wonderbolts, you were amazing!” Twilight said.

“My hero!” peeped a smaller voice, Scootaloo was standing by Twilight’s hooves. “you were awesome Rainbow Dash!”

“What happened?” Dash asked

“Well, after that wonderful show, we all went home and threw you a party!” her mom said

“We invited everypony, you’re the pony of the hour! They all love you, and so do we!”

“No” Dash said “That can’t be”

“What do you mean?” her mother asked

“I… I crashed” Dash said

“What?” her father said “What are you talking about?”

“My rainboom, my wing… it hurt so much… lost control… I…”

“Now, now sweetie, it’s alright, come lie down and rest, it will make you feel better” her mother said

“My… my wing…” Rainbow said “What’s wrong with my wing? I can’t feel it!” she started to panic

“Come lie down, honey. You will feel better if you rest.” Her mother said

“Your mother’s right Dashie, come lie down” her father said

“No, no NO” Dash kept saying

“Its ok Dashie” Twilight said “We are all here for you”

“I…I…” Rainbow stammered, she was afraid now, the world around her began to spin, the ponies around her began to fade

“It’s ok Dash, it’s all going to be ok” her mother’s voice came from the now fading light

“Everything is going to be just fine………”

*Beep* *beep* *beep*

Rainbow Dash’s eyes opened, the light around her was blinding, all she could hear was a beeping sound. She saw figures moving about around her and muffled voices. She tried to speak, but she had no voice, and she could not move. As her vision cleared, she saw many ponies around her. One rushed to her side, she was wearing all white, and she began sticking various instruments all over her body. Rainbow finally found her voice.

“Wha… where…?” every breath hurt. “where am I?” She finally managed.

“You’re in the hospital” said a voice, it was the pony with the instruments and white outfit. “Ponyville General”

“Guys, she’s awake!” said another voice, whom Rainbow Dash recognized as Pinkie Pie.

One by one, her friends gathered around her.

Rainbow smiled “Hey guys” she said.

“Oh sweet Dashie darling, thank goodness you’re awake!” Rarity said, using her magic to wipe her eyes.

“What the hay happened?” Rainbow asked, she managed a bit louder this time.

The ponies looked at each other, and then Twilight spoke:

“Dash, you were in a coma for two weeks” Twilight said in a solemn voice “At the Wonderbolts facility, you… you crashed, it looked like you were falling from the sky, you managed to regain some form of control, but you hit the ground hard, and hit your head on the wall of the building. We… we thought you died…” Twilight’s voice broke on the last word and tears formed in her eyes.

Slowly, Rainbow Dash’s memory returned, the perfect flight with the Wonderbolts, her perfect, record breaking dive, the pain in her wing, the loss of control, the collision, and the last thing she remembered was hitting her head, then nothing. Dash looked at herself. Her entire body was covered by what looked like a cast, her right leg was elevated, and her head was heavily bandaged. She couldn’t see her wings behind her, but her right one felt bandaged, however her left felt numb.

Spitfire came in “Morning, Crash” she said, looking exhausted “So, full body wing-and-hoof cast eh?”

“How bad was it?” Dash croaked

“Pretty bad” the pony in white spoke, Dash could now see it was Nurse Redheart. “You’re lucky to be alive, you broke all four legs, several broken ribs, fractured wing, and severe head trauma, with a bad concussion. There was some internal bleeding in your intestinal area that we were lucky to get under control in time. Miraculously, there is no damage to your spine, so you will walk again. But your wing…” Nurse Redheart trailed off

“What?” Dash asked

“well,” the nurse hesitated “there was nothing we could do…”

“What do you mean?” Dash asked in disbelief

“I’m so sorry, a doctor was brought in from Manehattan, but even he couldn’t save your left wing. There was just too much damage”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe her ears “What do you mean too much damage?” she demanded, she tried to wiggle her wings, her right one throbbed in a dull pain in its bandages, but the left felt numb, all the way down to the root, as if nothing was even there. “What the fuck is wrong with my wing?!” she screamed

“We…” now even Nurse Redheart began to tear up “We had to amputate it. There was no other way, the doctor had no choice.”

Rainbow Dash began hyperventilating “No…” she croaked “No, that can’t… I’ll never get to… fly again?” she looked at her friends for reassurance, but they all started back at her, all on the verge of tears themselves.

“No!” Dash said again “NO!” she was lightheaded, the room was spinning around her, she couldn’t breath. “NOOOOO!” she managed to scream she tried to move but couldn’t, her cast prison prevented any movement. Every move drove pain into her body, but still she tried to get free. She wanted to run, she wanted to fly, she wanted to fly far away from here. She began sobbing, and let out a sound that sounded more like an animal roar.

“I’m so sorry sugar cube” Applejack gently rested her hoof on Dash’s “We truly feel your pain, every bit of it. But y’all gotta stay strong now, hear?”

“I’m terribly sorry, it’s such a tragedy” Nurse Redheart said

After what felt like hours to Rainbow, she finally got her sobs under control.

“So, now what?” She croaked, barely audible.

“Well” said Nurse Redheart “you hit your head very hard, the doctor suspects brain damage, but we will need to run some tests in a few weeks, you need time to recover first.”

“A few weeks? But what about…” her voice trailed off, she had already forgotten she will never fly again, and she had to fight back some more sobs.

“I… I think I will go, give you guys some time. I will return in a little bit to change her IV fluid, and then you ponies need to clear out, she needs to rest.” And Nurse Redheart left.

Nopony spoke; Dash just stared at the neon light fixture on the ceiling.

“Guess that means I’m no longer in line to lead, eh coach?” Dash said in a low, laboured voice.

Spitfire came up beside her and wiped her eyes on a handkerchief in her pocket.

“I… I don’t even know what to say” she paused for a long while. “You’re… you’re one hell of a Wonderbolt, Dash.” She then lost her voice, tears flowed down her face, she squeezed her eyes shut “S-sorry” she said almost inaudible to keep her sobs back, and she quickly turned and left the room.

It was quiet again for a while. It felt like hours, finally Fluttershy broke the silence.

“Oh Dashie, I’m so sorry”

“Don’t” Dash replied “Don’t say it. Makes me feel worse.”

“My life is over” Rainbow said

“No, don’t say that Rainbow” Twilight said

“Why? It’s true” Rainbow said, still staring at the light on the ceiling. “What good am I without my wings?”

“We will find a solution Dash, together, right girls?” Fluttershy said.

“There is no solution” Rainbow said hopelessly

“What about prosthetics?” Pinkie Pie asked

“Its next to impossible to replicate pegasus wings, the feather texture has to be right, and everything needs to be brought together perfectly.” Dash said “even if some how it was magically done, it would be years before I could even get close to where I am…” her voice broke off “…where I was…”

“Spike and I will check our books in the Royal Library back in Canterlot, I’m sure there is something in there, it’s the richest library in all of Equestria” Twilight suggested

“Don’t bother, Twilight” Dash said sadly “There’s nothing in those books. Face it guys, I’m done. What’s the point of even continuing now?”

“Now listen here Rainbow” Applejack said in her motherly tone “It may not look it, but y’all ain’t in such a bad place. You will walk outta here, you heard what the nurse said, you will be able to live a normal life again. I’m very sorry you can’t fly, we all are. But as your friends, we will always be here for you and support you in any way we can.” She took off her hat and held it to her chest “And we will try our darndest to find a solution to your wing problem, maybe there is a way to getcha flyin again, we just gotta find it.”

“Yes, I agree with Applejack” Rarity said “Don’t worry darling, we will get you flying again I just know it! Why even I flew once on a pair of the most fabulous wings”

“Oh ya, I remember, and then you flew too high and they melted and you fell out of the sky and Rainbow Dash had to save you.” Pinkie Pie piped up cheerfully “Its funny to think back now”

Rarity blushed “Yes, maybe magical wings aren’t the best idea. Nonetheless, we won’t give up until we find a solution.”

“You just rest up Dash, we will help you get back up.” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“Thanks guys” Dash sighed, but she was not feeling optimistic.

Nurse Redheart returned “Ok everypony, time to go, she needs to rest.”

“We will be back tomorrow Dash” Twilight said

“We love you, Dashie!” Pinkie Pie squeaked.

And they made to leave.

“Wait!” Rainbow called. “Did I…” She paused and took a deep breath “Did I break my record?” She asked

Her friends smiled “You did” Twilight said “Spitfire assured us all, you did it Dashie, you made history!”

“Ok, please, its time to go” Nurse Redheart told the ponies.

“Huh” Dash said to herself “I did it. I did it, Firestorm, I did the impossible” she felt good for a second, but her dread returned. She was all of a sudden very tired, and after Nurse Redheart changed her IV drip, she quickly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The weeks seemed to drag by as Rainbow Dash recovered in the Ponyville Hospital. Everyday she got visits from her best friends, and members of the Wonderbolts, even her parents came to Ponyville to see her for a few days. Dash’s spirits were barely moved, she felt awful. She had powerful, vivid dreams of flying in the hospital, only to awaken in a fit of sobs. She had no idea what she would do when she left the hospital. On top of it all, her body ached all over, especially her head, which throbbed frequently; she had vomited quite a bit, and it was difficult to eat in the cast and with her insides being practically cut open to stop her internal bleeding and ultimately save her life. She almost wished they hadn’t done anything, that they just left her to die. She was nothing without both her wings, she was nothing without the ability to fly.

One day, several weeks after her waking up from her coma, she was taken for a CT scan of her brain. A few days later, a doctor came into her room with the results. Dash’s friends were all there with her.

“Well, we have done an extensive scan, we looked deep inside your head. What we found was concerning.”

“Great” Rainbow Dash thought “More bad news”

“There is some damage to your Frontal Lobe and Cerebellum” the doctor went on “The parts of your brain that control concentration and judgement making processes, and coordination and precession processes respectively”

“English doc. My understandibelum cortex something something is not registering this.” Dash rebutted irritably.

“The Frontal Lobe is your short term memory, as well as your concentration, judgement, and decision making, and behavioural regulation. The Cerebellum controls your coordination, balance, precession and some feelings. Now the damage you received is moderate, but I have seen much worse. You can expect some difficulty with hand-eye coordination, concentration, and decision making abilities. Also behaviour may be affected. Given the abnormal shape of your Frontal Lobe, I suspect you will have the greatest challenge with emotional and behavioural regulation in your life going forward.”

Rainbow Dash was dumbstruck, she lost her wing and her head was permanently damaged. She felt dizzy, she wanted to pass out, before she could help herself, she vomited right in front of her, luckily her covers took most of it.

“Ugh. Fuck me” Dash groaned.

“Let me get that” Twilight said. She used her magic to clear Rainbow’s soiled cover and get her a new one from the cupboard outside the room.

“Thanks Twilight” she mumbled.

“Yes, ahem, your Frontal Lobe has a slightly irregular shape to it, and combined with your traumatic brain injury, there are risks of conditions developing later on; most notably, difficulty with balance, coordination, judgement and decision making. Later on, you may or may not experience behavioural and emotional difficulty. Conditions like aggression, paranoia, psychosis and even schizophrenia have been seen in some cases.”

Dash felt like her other wing was just taken in some sick prank. “Hmm” She said “So, not only will I never fly again, but now I’ll become a dizzy, bumbling, paranoid, schizoid, psycho too?”

The doctor looked uneasily at Dash, then her friends, then back to Dash. “Only time will tell Miss Dash. You may experience all of these, or you may experience none of them, I can’t say for sure, the brain is extremely complex, it is impossible to know for sure”

“What do you mean you don’t know? Aren’t you brain doctors like the highest paid ponies in all of Equestria?!” Rainbow snapped at the doctor.

“Dashie!” Rarity scolded

“No no, you shut up!” Dash snapped back at her.

Rarity was completely taken aback, she blushed a deep shade of red.

“So what doc? Am I gonna be on some sick drug? Or will I be sent to the nut house? Tell me doctor, am I a danger to others and to myself?”

“That’s enough Dash!” Applejack said sternly

“No, it’s quite alright.” The doctor said “This is an extremely overwhelming situation for a pony, I completely understand. We will be in touch when that cast comes off Miss Dash.” The doctor said as he got up to leave “take it easy, good day” And he left out the door.

Dash couldn’t speak, she couldn’t even cry anymore, she just lay in her bed, immobilized by her body cast prison. Was she already crazy?

“You ok Rains?” Pinkie Pie asked

“I’m sorry Rarity” Dash said

“Nonsense, it’s alright” Rarity said adjusting herself. “Like the doctor said, it’s an extremely overwhelming experience; I would have done the same thing.”

“We’ll let ya get your rest sugar cube” Applejack said and they got up to leave. Dash didn’t want them to go, but she couldn’t speak. She just lay in her bed, unable to even blink.

Eventually, it was time for Rainbow’s cast to be removed. It was nice to feel the air in her coat again, but she was incredibly stiff. Her head and chest had some very ugly scars from where her internal bleeding was treated. But what bothered her the most was the scarred stump left behind where her left wing used to be. It looked hideous; Dash couldn't bear to look at it any longer.

She was taken for various X-rays and then back in her room, she was consulted by a physical therapist, a young pegasus mare named Priscilla Stars. Priscilla tried to motivate Rainbow by explaining how much fun it would be to get moving again, but Dash wanted none of it. She just wanted to be released from this depressing hospital and go home. She was kept one more night to ensure her stability, and was discharged with her parents escorting her home. She was carried up to her home in a special stretcher that her parents carried as they flew her up. It didn’t help Dash feel better, quite the opposite. She couldn’t even properly go home.

She wanted to be alone. Cloudsdale was too depressing for her to even think about, yet her home being a cloud ensured her friends wouldn’t show up too often either. Dash began actively trying to isolate herself from society. She read no books, watched no TV, she didn’t even answer the door for her friends. Sometimes they would just come in anyway, but then Dash wouldn’t talk to them, hoping they would just leave. Pricilla Stars came three times a week for Rainbow’s physical therapy sessions, and though slowly, she was improving.

“Excellent work!” Priscilla would chime “You’ll be back to normal in no time!”

“Normal?” Dash would think to herself “I’ll never be normal, I’ll never be myself again”

At night, her dreams were wild and vivid; she would awake in sweat or in tears frequently. Her days were spent alone in the dark, she barely ate, she just lay in bed, but found sleep difficult. Her very existence was pain. She couldn’t bring her awake mind to even wander towards the Wonderbolts. She didn’t think she could ever visit that place again. It was hard enough to see it in her dreams.

As the weeks turned into months, Rainbow Dash continued to spiral into depression. Her appointments with Priscilla were over, and she was considered rehabilitated by her, but she felt anything but. She spoke less to her friends, who’s concern grew. She grew more irritable, she snapped at Starlight, sent Scootaloo away, and drove Silverstream to tears. Dash felt remorse for these actions, but she didn’t know how to fix them. She wanted to talk to Spitfire, Dash had not seen her since she left the hospital in tears, she wanted to tell her that she would be back to training soon, but at the same time she knew that was not happening.

In a last ditch attempt to cheer up their friend, Twilight and the girls brought Dash a wing prosthetic. Dash tried it on, but it flew off the second she tried to really flap her wings, she knew that the best they could do was decoration. The doctor at the hospital even said a flightworthy prosthetic was very unlikely, and even if it were to work, her brain damage prevented her from ever flying safely again, let alone ever being a Wonderbolt again.

Rainbow felt hopeless, she had had enough, she wanted her suffering to be over and done with. She began to think.

“I could jump off this cloud” she thought to herself “Nah, I run the risk of another hospital episode, no thank you.” Then she remembered she had some rope somewhere “That will work” she thought.

Dash found her rope. After much clumsiness, she made a strong knot and a loop. She fixed it to her ceiling fan, and put the loop over her head and climbed to the top of her four-poster bed. She closed her eyes and imagined her life on the other side, where she could fly again. “Volo, Nunc et Semper” she muttered to herself, a single tear slid down her cheek “Goodbye” she whispered, and stepped off the four-poster.

Chapter 3: The Transition

*snap* *CRASH*

The wooden ceiling fan blade snapped right off the second Dashie’s weight was applied to it, she fell to the floor with a loud crash. She began sobbing uncontrollably and yanked on the rope around her neck.

“Why. Can’t. I. Just. DIE?!?!?” she screamed between sobs.

Her front door creaked open, Twilight and her friends had stopped knocking on her door and began just walking in to see her.

“Rainbow? How are you feeling?” Twilight asked softly, they went into her bedroom and found Dash on the floor curled up into a ball, with the rope still around her neck and the broken fan blade beside her. Her sobs had become exhausted grunts.

“Oh Celestia, Rainbow, what happened?” Twilight asked looking up at the mangled ceiling fan

“I… I tried to just end it.” Dash croaked in a very frail and broken voice. “I don’t want to live anymore, Twilight, I don’t want to suffer anymore. I just want to die.” She could not sob anymore, she had no energy left.

Twilight looked at the others, they looked back at her sadly.

“Don’t just stand there and stare at me.” Twilight said “We need to do something!”

“Like what?” Applejack asked “We tried almost everything. Nothing can cheer her up.”

“That’s no excuse.” Twilight said “She is our friend, we promised her we would never give up on her.”

“Twilight darling, can we see you in the kitchen for a minute?” Rarity piped up.

They made their way to Rainbow’s kitchen. She hardly noticed as she was still curled up in a ball by her bed.

“What the hay are we gonna do with that mare?” Applejack asked frustrated “It’s been months, and she still looks like she just came outta that hospital!”

“It’s heartbreaking to see her like this” Rarity said “She was always so happy and passionate. A natural born leader of the skies”

“She nearly took her own life!” Fluttershy squeaked sadly

“I’ve never seen a pony so unhappy.” Pinkie Pie said “and I can’t even cheer her up, I feel like I failed as her friend.”

“What are we going to do with her?” Fluttershy asked

“NYUUUUGH!” Twilight groaned as she flopped her head and front legs onto Dash’s counter in frustration. “Celestia be my witness, I tried, and I’m out of bucking ideas” She sighed

“What if we tried to take her to Wonderbolts HQ?” Pinkie Pie asked

“That would devastate her” Fluttershy said “That’s where she had her accident, doing the thing she loved most.”

“She’s already devastated Fluttershy, it’s not like she could get any worse” Applejack said

“I think a little fresh air would do her wonders” Rarity chimed “She hasn’t left this messy cave of disorganized despair in months” Rarity looked around, disgusted at the anarchic mess that was everywhere as a result of Dash’s wallowing.

“Ah think if we took her to HQ, and she saw Spitfire and the rest of the squad, it might make her feel a bit better.” Applejack added “I agree with Rarity, she needs to get outta here, some good ol’ fresh air is perfect medicine as Granny Smith would always tell us.”

“Well, I suppose it is worth a try.” Fluttershy peeped

“What the hay? Let’s do it.” Twilight said, still half lying on the counter “Not like we have any better ideas. I think depression is contagious.”

“Alrighty then” Applejack said with a smile “Its settled. We go to Wonderbolt HQ and try to get our friend back!”

“WEEE! It’ll be just like our old adventures!” Pinkie Pie chirped.

The ponies went back to Rainbow Dash, she had crawled back into her bed and had a pillow over her face. She left the rope on the floor beside her.

“Hey Dashie?” Twilight said trying to sound excited “We have a surprise for you!”

Dash just grunted, not even moving her pillow to look at them.

“We’re taking you to Wonderbolts HQ!” Fluttershy chimed “Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

“Nah” Dash groaned “Not really”

‘Why not darling?” Rarity asked “Don’t you want to see your fellow comrades?”

“And a little fresh air would do ya good” Applejack added “Granny Smith always told us foals that the best medicine was some hot cider and good ol’ fresh air!”

Dash threw the pillow from her face “I don’t wanna go anywhere guys!” She said grumpily “They aren’t my comrades anymore, I’m a brain damaged cripple, remember? They don’t want me anymore!”

“That’s not true Dashie” Twilight said “You are the best flier they have ever seen, they would love to see you!”

“And maybe Spitfire has a few things to cheer you up” Pinkie Pie added

Dash grunted again

“Come on Dash” Applejack said “We’re trying to help ya here, and it ain’t been easy. I know y’all are trying to push away everypony, but you listen here and you listen good. Pushing away yer friends will only make it worse. Not to mention we’re bustin our flanks here to try and cheer you up, beside our normal duties. Your not only dragging yourself down, your draggin us down with ya. So I suggest you get off your sorry plot and get going with us to Wonderbolts HQ. who knows? You might genuinely feel better!”

“And maybe theres still something you can do with the Wonderbolts, like some sort of coaching.” Fluttershy added.

Dash thought, she didn’t allow herself to think about the Wonderbolts, so she never even considered a ground job. If she couldn’t fly, she thought it was worth a try to maybe look into other options. Despite all that’s happened, she still adored the Wonderbolts. And she did want to talk to Spitfire again, and ponies like Soarin and Misty Fly. They had come to visit her in the hospital and occasionally to her home, but training this time of year was intense, and they just couldn’t get away. Dash knew they were too busy, but was a little bit thankful deep down that they had bothered to visit. Spitfire hadn’t once come to her house, and that took Dash back, she wanted to ask her why she didn’t visit her once successor.

“Fine” Dash said “Let’s go see the Wonderbolts”

Twilight performed her cloud walk spell on Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack. She offered it to Rainbow Dash who looked uneasy.

“I would rather see you walk on your own than on a stretcher Dash” Twilight said compassionately and she performed the spell. They all floated up towards the clouds, Wonderbolts HQ was visible, they made for the training field. It had been a long time since Dash had last been here, she saw the team training and flying laps and other air routines. She felt an asphyxiating longing to be up there with them, but Dash tried hard to supress it, she was not going to let her mood ruin this, she had to at least try to be happy.

The friends landed in the field. One by one on the Wonderbolts landed around them.

“Hey Dash!” Misty Fly said “Its so great to see you!” Soarin said “We’ve missed you so much Dashie!” Surprise said “Our hero returns!” Blaze chirped

“Hey guys” Dash said managing a smile, she had to admit it was nice to see them all here, where they all belonged.

“I’m so sorry about the accident” Misty Fly said to Dash.

Dash looked behind her, at the raw, scarred stump where her left wing used to be. It was still painful to look at, she squeezed her eyes close and shook her head away.

“But look on the bright side!” Soarin exclaimed “We can still wing five! Ready?”

“Sure” Dash said unfolding her one good wing. Her and Soarin jumped up at the same time and slapped their wings together in mid air.

“Boooom chakalakalaka!” Soarin cheered with a grin “Still got that fire in your flap Dash!”

Dash smiled, it was really nice to be here with her team again.

“Is that who I think it is?” came a raspy shout behind them all. Spitfire trotted up to them.

“Welcome back Crash!” she said with a smile as she walked up to Dash and extended her hoof for a hoof bump.

“The place hasn’t been the same without you” Spitfire said solemnly “You’ve just been irreplaceable in the routine.

“I have really missed this place. And all of you guys” Dash replied.

“But you are immortal, Dash” Soarin said excitedly “You crushed that record. Fastest vertical dive anypony has ever attempted! In my opinion, it was worth the crash!” the Wonderbolts all cheered, Dash couldn’t help but smile.

“Great to see you, Dash” Spitfire said again “Alright team, back to practice. We can talk to Crash later” She blew her whistle and the team kicked off one by one, all nodding respectfully to Dash as they left.

Her spirits faltered bit as the team flew off. She watched in awe as they flipped and rolled in the air, she felt like a little filly again, wishing she were up there with them. Then, she remembered her locker, her treasure compartment, she hadn’t retrieved any of her personal items all this time. She made off toward the locker room.

“Dash! Where are you going darling?” Rarity called

“Let her go” Applejack said “This is her moment, she needs to come to terms with this place and accept that her life is not over”

Inside the locker room, she found hers. The door was decorated with a drawing of her making her rainboom and it looked like the entire team signed their name on it. There were little messages written by some: “Get well soon!” – Surprise, “We miss you so much!” – Misty Fly, “We love you!” – Blaze “Legend” – Soarin

Rainbow smiled, this was amazing to see. She opened her locker, and she found her flight suit neatly folded on the shelf, she took it out, it looked brand new, despite it having to be cut off her in the hospital. It appeared to have been sewed back together perfectly, you could not even tell it had been cut. There was a note attached: “Good as new” – Rarity

Dash smiled, tears formed in her eyes, she hugged the suit tightly to her chest, this suit was a part of her. After a while, she put it down and folded it again, wiping the tears from her eyes. She opened her compartment and retreieved her items. Her duffel bag was still in the locker. She packed her things neatly and zipped it up. Dash felt much better, she was glad her friends brought her here. She would return to watch the practice and then ask Spitfire if there was any way she could stay on coaching staff. Dash needed this visit. It was therapeutic, her head felt a little clearer.

She was about to retrieve her bag and leave, when she heard a locker door slam shut, somepony else was here. Then, a pony rounded the corner, with a towel around her neck. Dash looked, and her heart skipped a beat.

“Hello Rainbow Trash!” the pony said “Imagine seeing you here. You know, this area is for Wonderbolts only, and well, you technically aren’t even a proper pegasus anymore, let alone a Wonderbolt” she laughed an evil, snorting laugh.

“Lightning Dust” Dash sneered, unable to believe her eyes.

“Ah, you remember, guess you didn’t hit you little head as hard as I thought”

“What are you doing here? You said it yourself, this area is for Wonderbolts only. What’s a wash out doing here?”

Lightning Dust shrieked with laughter “Oh Dashie, honey, you’re too funny” she said “But I guess while you wallowed in your self-pity after your clumsy mishap it would take you a while to get the news” she shrugged her towel onto the floor. “You see, I am a Wonderbolt now!”

Now Dash was laughing, she was not stupid, she knew Lightning Dust was kicked out of training academy for her reckless behaviour. “HA! Quit lying Dust, we all knew you’re pissed you were kicked out for being such an idiot, Spitfire would never call you back.”

Lightning Dust just smiled a dark smile “Wow, I take it back, your head really was blasted.” She laughed her ugly snorting laugh again “You see Trash, after you completely screwed up that stunt you pulled, and got your wing cut off, which was hilarious by the way, Spitfire needed somepony to replace you ASAP. She tried an emergency recruitment from the academy, but nopony made the cut. So she did some thinking, long and hard. There was only one pony in Equestria who matched your size, speed and skill. Yours Truly” Dust made a curtsey as she said it.

Dash’s face fell, she could not possibly be telling the truth. She remembered when Dust was kicked out for her reckless behaviour and total disregard for the safety of her fellow teammates. She was the last pony anyone would expect to be back here. There was no way Spitfire reached out to this mare out of everypony.

“It’s so funny to watch you pathetic face try to make sense of it all” Lightning Dust jeered, she moved closer to Dash. “Face it Dashie” she moved her face next to Dash’s “It’s the truth” she whispered in Dash’s ear.

“No!” Dash thought in her head “It can’t be! That’s beyond impossible!”

“Still don’t believe me Dash?” Lightning asked with a smile “Fine, you always were stubborn! Here, I’ll prove it.” She opened a locker across from Dash’s, she had a combination, and she pulled out the electric blue Wonderbolts flight suit, and unfolded it on the bench “There! See? Name stitched in by the neck, as per official regulation, and the insignia on both flanks, its official.”

Dash couldn’t believe her eyes, she felt the suit; the Kevlar reinforced spandex was unmistakeable.

“And to hit it home” Lighting said. She put on the suit with ease, it fit her perfectly “custom fitted, just like every Wonderbolt ever!” Lightning Dust looked menacingly at Dash “Oh I can tell you believe me now Trash! What’s the matter? Too in love how I look to speak?” she snorted her laugh in a most evil way.

Dash was speechless. It was true, Lightning Dust was an official Wonderbolt, no, she was her replacement. Dash was dumbstruck, she felt dizzy, she was hyperventilating. She was a mixture of emotions, a mixture she never felt before. Anger, sadness, betrayal, disappointment, but most of all, she felt rage; a white-hot, overwhelming rage, as if everything that had transpired in the last few months had come full circle. Her injury and hospitalization and wallowing depression flashed before her eyes.

“What’s wrong Trash? You look like you going to cry!” Lightning Dust jeered

Dash felt hot adrenaline rush through her body, her heart beat faster than she had ever felt it, she felt stronger than ever before. She saw red.

“Take off that suit!” Dash said, in a supressed voice.

“Excuse me?” Dust said with a laugh

“I said, take. It. OFF!” she said louder now

“Make me, Trash” Lightning rebutted

“TAKE IT OFF, NOW!!” Dash screamed, she couldn’t hold back longer, she kicked off as if taking off for flight, and dove at Lightning Dust, her hooves collided with Dust’s chest, knocking the wind out of her.

“Take off that fucking suit, NOW! You don’t deserve it!” Dash roared at Dust

Lightning Dust coughed as she regained her breath, she looked up at Dash, but Dash was already in the air. Dash brought her hooves down hard on Dust’s face, blood splattered as her muzzle was broken. Rainbow followed up with a kick from her hind legs that caught Lightning’s temple, sending her flying towards a wall. Lightning tried to block the next hits, but Dash’s rage made her too strong. Dash felt strength she never felt in her life before, she was blind with adrenaline. She swung her front hooves hard at Lightning’s face, each hit harder than the last. Blood was flying, Dash had knocked out some of Dust’s teeth, but she didn’t stop swinging. Rainbow’s hooves were bloody, and Lightning’s face was a magled, bloody mess. Dash stopped hitting, but she wasn’t done, her adrenaline overdose had peaked, she got on to her hind legs, and picked up Lightning Dust, and dove the full weight of her body into a row of lockers. Lightning’s spine snapped. Rainbow dropped Lightning’s body limp on the floor, Lightning was gasping for breath and couldn’t move. Dash climbed onto the bench and looked at the mess of Lightning’s bloody body.

“You’re not a Wonderbolt, you’re just a piece of shit!” Dash jumped off the bench and dove her hoof at Lightning’s neck, her hoof collided with Lightning’s collar bone and her neck snapped, Lightning was no longer breathing.

Dash was panting as she got up and looked at the bloody mess of mangled pony body on the floor. As her adrenaline subsided her thoughts cleared.

“Get up Dust!” she called at Lightning’s limp body, but it didn’t move. Dash looked closer and saw the abnormal position her now broken neck was in, and saw she was no longer breathing. Dash looked at her hooves, they were covered in Lightning’s blood. She realized what she had done.

“Oh Celestia!” she quivered “Did…did I kill her?” she began trembling at the thought, and felt a wash of dread as the full realization came in. “Oh no, No nonono! I killed a pony!”

Suddenly there was a noise at the entrance to the locker room entrance, somepony was coming.

“Oh shit!” Dash thought “I’m so screwed!” Dash ducked behind a row of lockers to see who was coming. It was Spitfire.

“Of all the ponies, it’s her!” Rainbow thought in panic. Spitfire made her way, closer to where Lightning Dust lay dead.

“Hey Dust! You in here? Come on! Practise has started already!” Spitfire turned, and there was the corpse of Lightning Dust at her feet. Spitfire jumped, but didn’t scream. “Sweet Celestia, what happened here?!” Spitfire knelt by Dust, she felt for a pulse, and her face dropped sadly when she realized she was dead. Spitfire got up and looked around.

“Who else is here?” she demanded

Dash was panicking “She’s going to find me, and then what? I’m a murderer” She thought. She had no idea what to do, she couldn’t move, and she knew that sooner or later Spitfire would move in her direction and see her behind the lockers. A voice began speaking in the back of Dash’s head “It’s over, get out and face her, there’s no way you’re running away from this” Before Rainbow could even protest with this voice, her body moved on its own, she stepped out into the open.

“What?” Spitfire said “Crash?” and she saw her bloody hooves. “You!” She said in a menacing tone “What the hay did you do? You murdered Lightning Dust!”

“I…” Dash couldn’t speak.

“What the buck is wrong with you, you monster?”

Dash’s heart began to race again, the voice in her head spoke again “You’re not the monster, she is the monster, she replaced you, SHE brought this upon Lightning Dust!”

Dash spoke without even thinking “I… I’m not the monster, you are!”

Spitfire’s face looked shocked, as if someone had just hit her.

“What the fuck did you say to me?”

“You heard me, you’re the monster” Dash had no control over the words coming out of her mouth “You… you replaced me! With HER out of everypony!”

“What I do with my team is none of anypony’s business, and just because you two have your differences, doesn’t mean you get to go and kill each other!”

“She is a sworn enemy of the the Wonderbolts!” Dash screamed “You broke honour by bringing that waste of a mare back here! She’s not a Wonderbolt, I’m ten times the Wonderbolt she would ever have been, even in my current messed up state! Bucking Twilight is more Wonderbolt than her!” Dash was yelling at the top of her voice! “And to think that after a life destroying injury like this, you would replace me with an insult to the very Wonderbolt’s name?! Shame on you Spitfire! Shame on you, and everypony in on this charade!”

Spitfire looked like she was about to hit Dash, but she took a deep breath and stood down, which surprised Rainbow Dash.

“There’s something I need to tell you, Rainbow Dash” Spitfire said, calming down. “About your injury.”

Spitfire looked weak all of a sudden. “The day you crashed, I… I may have had something to do with that.”

“What are you talking about?” Dash asked , folding her one good wing

Spitfire sighed “I… I stuck you with a nerve tranquilizer before you’re dive”

Now Dash felt like she was hit “You what?” she had trouble following what Spitfire was saying

“When I motioned you to take the lead, I stuck a dart full of nerve tranquilizer, at least I tried, it got you right in the left wing.”

Dash couldn’t beleive her ears, she couldn’t speak

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” Spitfire went on “That’s the last thing I wanted. I just wanted to ground you, to stop you taking on the record break attempt.”

Spitfire looked exhausted, as if an enormous weight was being removed from her shoulders. “I just didn’t want you to make that dive, because I knew you would do it, I knew you’d break the record. So I wanted to stop you before you tried. Some nerve tranquilizer in the wing, I was sure would make you stop and come in for landing, it would feel like a cramp, nothing major, and no serious injury. But what I didn’t count on was how long it would take for the nerve tranquilizer to take effect. It took effect once you were in your dive, after your rainboom. I couldn’t believe my eyes, I regretted everything, I couldn’t watch. Then, I saw you collide with that wall, I thought you were dead. I… I thought a part of me also died. When I found out you were alive in a coma in Ponyville, I rushed over, I didn’t leave your side for weeks, but when you awoke, I couldn’t bring myself to see you so broken. So I ran, and tried to compartmentalize. It was all my fault.”

Dash felt sick, she wanted to vomit, her legs buckled under her, she couldn’t breathe. “Why?” was all she could muster, barely audible.

Spitfire squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “A while ago you asked me about a pony called Firestorm. And I refused to tell you about her, but I never told you, or anypony else why. So here it is. Firestorm was the best flier the Wonderbolts have ever seen, that I have ever seen, that even Wind Rider had seen. Firestorm was something special, she had a gift nopony had ever seen before, or since. She was the definition of a pegasus, but most of all, she was my best friend. We grew up together, our parents were friends, we did everything together. Everything. We had our eyes set on the Wonderbolts as fillies, and oh Celestia, we worked hard in training camp. When we were accepted on the team, it was the happiest moment of our lives. I realized something then, I realized that Firestorm was more than my friend. I was in love with her. I didn’t know how to tell her, but I knew it was real. I loved her with all my heart. We trained together, and set records together, it was magical.”

Spitfire took another breath. Despite her age, she was always a strong, stern mare, as if she had a skeleton of steel, never showing emotion or weakness. Now though, in this moment, Spitfire looked older and weaker than ever.

“As we worked our way up the ladder in the Wonderbolts, the coaches took a special interest in Firestorm, she was positively glowing when she was named lead pony. She was happy, and I was happy for her, I was her wing pony. I wanted to tell her how I felt so badly, but I had no idea how she would react. Eventually, one night we were alone in our quarters, just the two of us, we were going over drills for the next day. It was my moment, we stood across from each other, without really thinking about it, I leaned in and kissed her, deep. She was surprised, I pulled away, I thought she liked it, so I went in for another but she pushed me away, and asked me what I was doing. It was so awkward, so I explained to her how deeply I felt about her. I thought she would feel the same, but instead she just stood there and told me that she liked me as a friend, but not that kind of friend, she said she was seeing a stallion and that they were in love. I felt so humiliated, I was so hurt, I truly loved Firestorm. I wanted to be with her. I wanted to sleep with her. I wanted us to have a family together one day. And it all came crashing down in one humiliating moment.”

A single tear dropped from Spitfire’s eye.

“Our friendship was never the same after that. She wanted distance from me, like I was some sort of freak. It hurt so much, she was my best friend. During practise, we couldn’t fly together, it was too awkward. Firestorm ended up flying with her stallion boyfriend, and the two excelled. Firestorm was to lead the team in a show and perform a solo dive, the fastest dive ever attempted by a pony. She set a record and was immortalized by the Wonderbolts. Everyone loved her, so did I… but she didn’t love me back, and it was a pain unlike I have ever felt. I got angry with her rejection of me in my gesture of admiration; I became jealous of her being loved by the team, while I seemed to be stuck not getting better. Then one day, I was thinking out of adrenaline. I stole her flight suit when nopony was looking. I ripped a hole in it and mounted it on the flagpole in the field. When coach found it the next day, he was furious, as you know, damage on purpose to your flight suit is not tolerated at all, neither is defacement of property. Coach called Firestorm to the front, and stripped her of her title in front of everypony. She was kicked off, and publicly humiliated, like I had been in front of her. I expected her to retaliate, she knew it was me. But instead she did something unexpected, she gathered her things and left, never to be seen again. It took me back, seeing how humbly she took defeat, even though she did nothing wrong, it was all the petty jealousy of her once best friend.”

Dash had no voice, she was lightheaded but paid attention to every word Spitfire said.

“the coach back then was cruel, he stripped Firestorm’s record plaque off the wall of fame, and got rid of all her trophies. Her very existence as a Wonderbolt was all but erased. Nopony but me knew the truth, and it burned knowing that I did that to her. As the years went on, Firestorm was quietly forgotten, by everypony but me, and I have regretted my actions ever since. I bore this burden all my life, I trained hard to cope with it, eventually becoming commander myself, but not a day goes by that I don’t truly regret my actions, and long for my best friend, whom I still love so much.”

Spitfire looked up at Dash “You remind me a lot of her you know? You have the same confident personality, the same never give up attitude, and you’re both gifted fliers. But when I saw how you were training, setting flight records left and right, I knew you would eventually go after Firestorm’s record. I suppose that bothered me, everyone had forgotten about her and her record, except me, it was the last thing I had to remember her by, I wanted to preserve it, so I turned to sabotage yet again out of my own selfishness. But once again it backfired, the tranquilizer didn’t take effect until much later, and the only possible explanation is that your body was just too tough for it, until you went supersonic and became more vulnerable. Then it hit you in full force, all at once, rendering you flightless and unable to recover. That crash… I felt it. And I saw the full impact it had on you, and that was it. I couldn’t bear to see you, I couldn’t bear a second burden like Firestorm. But I’m such a stupid, self centered, egomaniac, that I still went and did it in the first place!”

Spitfire was crying silently, Dash felt a sympathy for her, she wanted to feel sorry for her, but hearing her story engraged her more, how could Spitfire be such a monster? The voice in the back of her head returned. “This monster deserves to suffer!”

Spitfire took a few deep breaths and choked back tears, she faced Rainbow Dash.

“I ruined two lives. I ruined Firestorm’s bright future, she disappeared without a trace years ago, I will never get a chance to make it right with her. And then I crippled you for life. Though unintentional, it was still malicious and cruel, and I am the one responsible for the state you are in. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I want you to know that I’m… I’m sorry.”

Dash’s voice in her head was screaming now “Sorry?! Fucking SORRY?!?! After the physical and emotional turmoil she put you through, now she’s sorry?!”

Dash felt her rage rise again, her adrenaline returned, she let out a primal scream.

“You’re sorry? You fucking ruined my life! I’m crippled and brain damaged and now you’re sorry?! I don’t want your apology, I want my wing back, I want my LIFE back, but guess what? It ain’t coming back, just like your precious Firestorm! All because YOU can’t handle rejection!”

Her rage was white hot. Her voice screamed in her head “Hit her! DESTROY her! Make her suffer the same way you did!” she saw red.

Spitfire saw Dash’s rage building. “Lightning Dust is a pony you resented, I shouldn’t have brought her back, she is a disgrace to the Wonderbolt name, but I needed a pony like you, or as close as possible to you. You are irreplaceable Rainbow Dash, your talents are beyond exceptional, and you did break that record, and you deserve it. You are the pony the Wonderbolts need. It is the most unfair thing I did to you”

“Unfair eh? No fucking shit!” her voice said in her head.

“You broke me!” Dash screamed at Spitfire “And now I’m going to break you!”

Spitfire flickered an ever so slight smile “Good” She said “Celestia knows I deserve it”

“Do it!” the voice in Dash’s head screamed “Do it already!”

Dash looked up and saw a Wonderbolts survival bag on a hook beside her. She knew each survival bag had a sharp hunting knife inside. She dug it out of the bag and held it tight in her hoof.

“What are you waiting for?” Spitfire demanded “Do it!”

A lighter, more rational voice piped in Dash’s head “You’re not a killer Dash” But the other, darker voice rebutted “Yes you are, look at Lightning Dust!”

“That was different!” The light voice chimed “Don’t do it Dash!”

“Don’t listen to her Dash, do it, kill this bitch!” the dark voice commanded

“Do it, Crash!” Spitfire was begging now “Let me see Firestorm again”

“She’s asking for it, what are you waiting for?” The voice commanded, all rationale had left her body at this point, all Dash could see was red.

“Volo, Nunc et Semper!” She said, and plunged the knife deep into Spitfire’s neck. She didn’t make a sound, she just closed her eyes and fell to her knees, but Rainbow wasn’t finished, she took the knife out and stabbed Spitfire again, in her chest this time, and again, and again and again. Blood flew everywhere, but Dash kept stabbing. “Die. Die. Die. DIE!” she screamed between stabs, she was beyond herself, her primal instincts controlling her actions.

After what felt like a hundred stabs Dash dropped the knife. She stared at the pool of blood on the locker room floor. She felt almost content, as if this was the answer she had been looking for. Unlike with Lightning Dust, Dash savoured this moment, she smiled, and looked at Spitfires mutilated corpse, then at Dust’s, she felt as if all her sadness and rage had been let go, as if everything was fine, almost happy again. She looked at where her wing was, the scarred stump on her back, the root of all her problems, and back at the corpses. She began to laugh, louder and louder an almost maniacal laugh.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” she shrieked in the locker room to herself, she was on her back now, laughing harder than ever. She picked up the knife, and saw her reflection in the bloody steel. She shrieked again with laughter. She laughed and laughed until she was gasping for breath. Then sat up and took in the sight of the mess she had left behind, she was lightheaded, she needed to vomit, but she was still smiling, and her chest burned, wanting to laugh some more. She lay back on her back and smiled as the ceiling spun around above her.

Chapter 4: The Descent

Back outside on the field, the rest of the ponies watched the Wonderbolts fly.

“Mmmmm, that Soarin is quite the stallion, wouldn’t you agree Applejack?” Rarity said dreamily as she watched Soarin glide.

“Nah, he ain’t really my type” Applejack replied "that pony won't last an hour under a plow" She said with a smirk

“Where’s Rainbow?” Twilight asked

“She was headed to the lockers, last ah saw her, but that was a while ago” Applejack replied

“We should go check on her” Twilight said “Come on girls.” And they made their way to the lockers.

“Rainbow Dash? Are you here?” Twilight called. There was no answer, just a muffled sound, it sounded like sobs, or was it a laugh?

“Is that Dashie crying?” Twilight asked “The poor thing must be distraught, oh Celestia, this was a bad idea”

“No wait” Pinkie Pie said “That’s laughter; I always know laughter when I hear it!”

The girls followed the sound to a row of lockers, and they froze when they turned the corner.

“Sweet Celestia!” Twilight shrieked

“What in the sweet blueberry hill of fucks happened here?!” Applejack said

Fluttershy fainted and Rarity made to vomit in the nearest trash bin

“Is that… Lightning Dust?” Twilight asked terrified at what she saw “Oh my holy princess, is that Spitfire?!”

“Where’s Dash?” Pinkie Asked, they turned their heads to where Rainbow lay laughing on the floor.

“Dashie! What… What the fuck happened here?!” Twilight shrieked.

Dash turned over, she wore an expression of terror mixed with rage, sadness and a sick kind of humour, she did not look like herself at all, but more like somepony else.

“Oh hey guys!” She said in an odd tone

Now the ponies were truly frightened. Everyone but Twilight and Applejack seemed to have completely lost their voices.

“Dash, I’m going to ask you again. What in the wide, wide world of Equestria happened here?”

Dash’s expression fell, she looked more like herself, she stood up and looked around, now Dash looked terrified. “Holy Clouds” She said “I… I… I…” She stammered

They looked at her bloody hooves. “Dash, did…” Applejack broke off “Did you do this?” She asked in utter disbelief

Rainbow looked around again, she looked like she was about to faint as well.

“I… I don’t know” She said “I don’t… remember…” her voice trailed off.

Dash truly did not remember, all she remembered was seeing Lightning Dust, attacking her, then hearing Spitfire admitting that it was she who caused Dash her accident. She remembered that something had been funny, but nothing else until this moment with her friends. “Did I do this?” She asked herself

“Rainbow, are you feeling ok?” Twilight asked, deeply concerned “how does your head feel?”

Dash rubbed her head at the mention, it did not hurt. All that hurt was her hooves, especially where the most blood was on them. Her heart skipped a beat as the revelation washed over her. She had done this.

Dash began sobbing uncontrollably. Harder than ever, harder than in the hospital even.

“I… I think I did!” She choked between sobs. “I’m sorry. I’m Soooorryyyy! I’m so, so sorry!!!!” she screamed through sobs. She fell to her knees and shrieked in her sobs.

The ponies looked at each other, nopony knew what to say or do. Applejack knelt down next to Dash and patted her shoulder gently. “It’s ok sugar cube, we’re here now, it’s gonna be alright”

It took a long time for Rainbow to calm down. She sat down, Pinkie Pie got her water, and Twilight helped her drink. Applejack continued to gently rub Dash’s shoulder in comfort. No pony spoke for a long time. Pinkie Pie locked the door to the locker rooms, just in case any of the Wonderbolts came in for the washroom or something and saw the mess. They needed time to figure this out before anyone came in here.

“Dash, you need to tell us what happened” Twilight said trying to keep her voice calm.

Dash just stared blankly at the wall, her eye lids a puffy red from the crying. Rarity mustered the courage to clean the blood from Dash’s hooves, and Fluttershy came to, but stood away from the crowd, positively mortified.

“I don’t know” Dash said. She tried to recollect her thoughts, but it was too hard, she had been so blind with rage after the encounter with both ponies.

“Just start at the beginning” Applejack told her.

“Well,” Dash began “I came in here to go through my locker, to get the stuff I left here on the day of the accident, I found my flight suit, mended and folded neat” She looked at Rarity who, despite the disgust of cleaning blood off of Rainbow, Smiled slightly and blushed “You’re welcome, darling” She said.

“I actually felt a lot better. Like, A LOT better. I was so happy to see my stuff, and so thankful you guys brought me here, it was amazing to see the Wonderbolts again. I was going to go back out to join you guys, ask Spitfire what options I had staying with the team on the ground, and then…” Her voice trailed off “…and then she came around the corner, I didn’t even realize she was here” She pointed at Lightning Dust, who’s tail was visible from under the towel Rarity had used to cover the bodies. She explained how Lightning Dust had been her replacement, and how she taunted her into a blind rage, and that was all she remembered. “I swear on my mother’s life I don’t remember attacking her, but I do remember calming down and finding her corpse here.” Dash explained. She went on about how Spitfire came in and admitted the accident was her fault. She remembered feeling sick as Spitfire explained her motive for sabotaging Dash’s big performance. She even recounted the story of Firestorm, showing her friends her picture from her compartment, but again her memory failed her as her rage grew towards Spitfire.

“I heard this voice in my head” Dash explained, “it was as if it was commanding me to do it, to… to kill Spitfire. I tried to fight it, but I guess I couldn’t, and I don’t remember what happened after that. I vaguely remember something was extremely funny, but then the next thing I know, you guys are here.”

Dash looked at her friends five dumbfounded faces. “You believe me right?” she begged, another sob forming in her chest. Applejack took off her hat and held it to her chest. “We believe you sugar cube” some of her friends smiled but they all still looked as bewildered as Rainbow felt.

“What do we do now?" Dash asked

There was a knock on the door to the locker room, “Hello? Anypony in there? Why is the door locked?”

“I don’t know” Twilight said “But we gotta go!” she strained with her magic and teleported them out of the locker room and into the throne room of Canterlot Castle.

“Well that was a grand entrance” Spike said lazily, he was sitting in the throne reading a Power Ponies comic.

“Spike! Take a letter” Twilight ordered and Spike pulled out a quill and parchment.

She dictated a letter to the Royal Guard to go in and clean up the mess in the locker room, and added that they call the Coroner of Equestria.

“What mess?” Spike asked “And what’s a coroner?”

“Nevermind” Said Twilight “Spike, can you give us a minute?” Spike held up the note and belched a puff of green fire, the note was sent, and he got up and left.

“How do we know the guards won’t say something?” Pinkie Pie asked

“They are under specific royal orders, they were trained to follow those orders, not ask questions” Twilight reassured. Being princess had its perks.

“Dash,” Twilight said solemnly “you… you need help” her voice began to break. The ponies all looked at Dash, who looked back blankly “What do you mean?” she croaked

Twilight took a deep breath. “there is obviously something bothering you Rainbow. And we don’t know what that is. But there are ponies out there who can help you. Much better than we could”

“What are you saying?” Rainbow said. She felt confused and upset.

“What she means” Applejack chimed in “Is as your friends, we are worried about you. That scene was horrifying in that locker room, ah can hardly believe that was you.”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Rainbow yelled, she remembered the doctor talking to her after her CT scan results came in. she remembered what he said about the damage to her brain “…conditions like aggression, paranoia, psychosis and even schizophrenia have been seen in some cases…”

“It wasn’t me! It was my head! Remember what that doctor guy said?! It’s just my head, there’s nothing wrong with me!”

“Nopony said there was anything wrong with you, darling” Rarity said compassionately “But yes, the doctor did say you had some brain damage from your accident.”

“But it wasn’t my fault, it was Spitfire’s, that whole accident was her fault. She did this to me!” Dash felt herself getting more and more upset. She felt dizzy.

“Rainbow. Nopony blames you for anything” Twilight said in as calm of a tone as possible “All we are trying to say is that, as your friends we are worried about you, and that regardless what happened in the recent past, what you did back there was not right.”

“Twilight is right” Applejack added “We believe that you don’t remember what happened. And we just want what’s best for you.” She took off her hat and held it to her chest. “But right now, we think that what’s best for you is to get you help with whatever is troubling you. We will always support you, but we can’t provide you with the help you need.”

Dash’s head began to spin again. “What help are they talking about?” she thought to herself “They can’t be talking about…” her heart skipped a beat as she realized what they meant.

“there are ponies that can help” Twilight repeated “ much better than us, you’ll see. And we will support you every step of the way”

Dash knew what they meant “They think I’m crazy” she thought to herself. “and they want to send me away” She felt herself falling into a dazing trance.

The voice returned to the back of her head “you realize what they mean, right? They want to send you to the nuthouse.” Dash’s heart rate increased, she began to hyperventilate

“Trust us, Dashie, it’s for your own good” Fluttershy said

“Pfft. Like they know” the voice said in the back of Rainbows mind “They think you’re crazy and paranoid and a dangerous. They think your Mad Dash!” she felt her rage returning. The rational voice frantically called to her. “They are your friends, they just want to help!” But the dark voice was louder “They just want you out of their lives” She squeezed her eyes shut, her anger was rising fast, her trance ever more intoxicating.

“Rainbow, are you ok?” Twilight asked

“No“ Dash replied in a supressed voice “I am not”

Twilight looked at her friends, everyone was concerned

“Do you want to talk about it?” Applejack asked delicately

“NO! I don’t!” Dash said louder this time “What’s there to talk about? You all think I’m crazy”

“We think no such thing, darling!” Rarity said in disbelief.

“Really? Then why are you sending me to the nuthouse?” Dash snapped

“What do you mean nuthouse? Is that a place where they sell nuts?” Pinkie Pie chimed in

“Dash, that’s not what we meant” Twilight said “I just meant we wanted to get you counciling. What you did back there was wrong,” She tried to choose her words carefully “we just don’t want you to hurt anyone, and we don’t want you to hurt yourself”

“There it is” The voice said “they think you’re a danger to the public, they want to cage you up.” Rainbow was trembling, she couldn’t concentrate; the voice was overwhelming her thoughts.

“So you want me put somewhere? How do you mean, lock me in my house, lock me up like some wild animal, and get someone like Priscilla to come see me twice a week? To rehabilitate me?”

“Dash, please don’t take this the wrong way, we are getting you help” Twilight pleaded

Dash could not hold back any longer.

“it’s for your own good” Fluttershy said again

Rainbow acted on adrenaline, she bent her knees and whipped a kick with her hind hoof, and caught Fluttershy square in the face. She squeaked sharply as Dash landed the kick on her face, her muzzle shattered and blood flew, a single tooth was knocked from her mouth. Fluttershy was knocked unconscious as she collided with the ground.

“WHAT THE HELL, RAINBOW?!” Applejack yelled at the top of her voice, rushing to Fluttershy’s side. The rest of the ponies watched in horror as blood pooled around her. Twilight leaped to her side, she frantically searched for a pulse, and was relieved when she found out Fluttershy was alive. When Rainbow turned around and saw Fluttershy pooled in blood, she immediately came to her senses, her rage was replaced by terror, she ran up to her side

“No! FLUTTERSHY!” She screamed, tears in her eyes

“Rainbow Dash, you nearly killed Fluttershy” Twilight shrieked. She turned and backed away from her side, away from Fluttershy.

“No! I… I’m sorry, I…” Rainbow stuttered

“What in tarnation is wrong with you Rainbow Dash?” Applejack demanded “You flat out assaulted your best friend!”

“No! I didn’t mean to! It’s not my fault!”

Rarity fainted and Pinkie Pie was sobbing. Applejack was furious. “You’re crazy, Dash!” she yelled at Rainbow.

“I… I didn’t mean to!” Dash sobbed “Honest! I would never hurt her!”

“Oh yeah, like ya never meant to hurt Spitfire and Lightning Dust?” Applejack cursed

“That’s different!” Dash yelled “Spitfire caused all this and replaced me with Lighting Dust, its all Spitfire’s fault, I was angry! She destroyed my life! I don’t care what her reason was, this would never have happened if she hadn’t sabotaged me!” Her rage was returning “She doesn’t believe you” The voice tempted in her head.

“That’s enough yelling girls!” Twilight tried to intervene

“Twilight, you believe me right?” Dash asked, a choking desperation forming inside her now “You believe I would never hurt Fluttershy, do you?” Dash pleaded.

“Leave her out of this! haven’t you hurt enough of us today? Or throughout this whole ordeal?” Applejack scolded

“We were always there for you, supporting you all the way through this whole accident of yers. We understand it is a life altering experience nopony should go through, and we supported you every step of the way, and this is how you repay us?”

“Twilight. Do you?” Dash begged

“Uh…” she said

“You scared us Dash, and I’m not sure how we move on from here.” Applejack said, supressing the emotion in her voice.

Dash squeezed her eyes shut. “None of them believe you.” The voice said, she became increasingly more upset. She resisted the urge to strike.

“I DIDN’T MEAN TO!” Dash screamed now, she turned on Applejack, and dove hooves first at her, but she moved away at the last moment.

Twilight had seen enough, she needed to end this now. “Guards!” she yelled, and the throne room doors burst open with two Royal Guards stationed outside. One grabbed Rainbow, who tried to struggle free. The second one came and they effortlessly subdued Rainbow Dash between them.

Dash was white hot with anger “Kill them” the voice in her mind commanded “Kill those hypocrites! They don’t deserve you!” and she thrashed furiously about between the two guards.

Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie Pie, still crying, watched in horror as the guards dragged their friend out of the throne room.

Dash was still kicking and screaming against the two guards. The unicorn guard had enough and fired a submission spell at Dash knocking her unconscious.

Epiloge

The image of Rainbow Dash being dragged away by the Royal Guard was forever burned into Twilight’s mind. In all her adventures around the land, this was the most painful sight she had ever endured. As Fluttershy was loaded onto a stretcher by the Royal Guard and taken to the Royal Canterlot Hospital, Applejack and Twilight just sat on the steps and watched, still processing the past few hours. Applejack was still angry with Rainbow Dash. “where are they gonna take her?”

“The only place possible.” Twilight sighed sadly

“take who?” Rarity chimed in, she had recovered from her fainting “And where is Dash?” She asked

“Don’t ask” Applejack warned “she’s gone”

“What only place?” Pinkie Pie asked Twilight

Twilight sighed. She knew exactly where Dash was being taken. She had heard of it once in a story from Celestia.

“St. Bridledale’s” Twilight said

“St. Whowhatnow?” Applejack asked

Twilight told them the same story she heard from Celestia long ago. The hospital Melvyn Featherhooves was committed to long ago in Fillydelphia, after he lost his horn in an accident where he worked. The event traumatized him so much he murdered a co-worker, and then went home and murdered his family. They called him Mad Melvyn. He was arrested and ruled insane in royal court. Instead of charges, he was committed to St. Bridledale’s Hospital, a then state of the art psychiatric evaluation center where he would be rehabilitated, and eventually released. But Melvyn was killed in an incident, which the hospital has claimed an accident. Celestia said it was the only remaining psychiatric hospital in Equestria today, and it was given a complete renovation. It was the only place to send troubled ponies who needed intensive psychiatric treatment.

“Oh my Celestia” Rarity gasped “Our Dashie’s been institutionalized!”

“Is that legal?” Pinkie Pie asked

“It is” Twilight said “It’s the only possible place the system will let her go.”

Twilight stood up, wiping a tear from her eye “All we can do now is hope for the best, hope that we can see her again soon.” She said softly.

Pinkie pie and Rarity bowed their heads in silent tears. Even Applejack removed her hat. She trotted over to the window. It was dark now, the moon was up. “Wherever she goes, I just hope she gets the help she needs. To make her feel herself again. And I hope Fluttershy makes a speedy recovery too so we can get our lives back on track again, the six of us.”

“Yeah, that’s what I hope too” Twilight said

The four of them all moved in for a hug. They were all hurting, but they knew they had each other.

Rainbow Dash awoke in the back of a covered wagon. She sensed they were moving, she opened her eyes and made to sit up, but she couldn’t move her legs, all four of them were bound in front of her. Dash realized she was wearing a straitjacket. She tried frantically to get free, but knew it was no use, she was locked up tight.

She tried to strain her neck to look outside, all she could see around her was a grass field, it spread over the horizon without a tree in sight. Rainbow Dash had never been anywhere with no trees, this was so strange. The wagon stopped and the back door opened, Rainbow heard ponies talking, one was a stallion with a deep southern accent, the other a mare with an accent Dash had never heard, it sounded foreign. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, and then she found herself being dragged out of the wagon. She began kicking about futilely, she tried to scream, but realized she was wearing a muzzle over her mouth and couldn’t speak. She was placed in a cart that was being pulled by a third pony she hadn’t heard speak. It was hopeless, she was completely restrained, she couldn’t do a thing to get away.

The cart began to move and they faced a building. It was wide and tall, Victorian style complex. The sign over the door read “St. Bridledale’s Hospital” a single tear materialized in Dash’s eye, it slid down her cheek splashing on her straitjacket. Dash closed her eyes, she could not hear the voice in her head now. Dash simply felt empty, like she was not inside her own body. She was being carried into the nuthouse. Dash was officially labeled crazy. For the first time since her accident, she wondered if it were true.

She thought about the voice she heard, she somehow remembered it more clearly now, it talking to her from inside her mind, telling her to attack Fluttershy and kill Lightning Dust and Spitfire. She was more clear about it now, as she was being carried into a mental hospital, which made her wonder, had she imagined the voice this whole time?

The foreign accented mare appeared from behind Dash as they entered the hospital. “Velcome to St. Bridledale’s Hospital, Fillydelphia’s premier psychiatric facility, vhere you vill be rehabilitated, and eventually released.” She spoke in a cold, very professional tone, she looked incapable of a smile “I’m Doctor Valentina Horvát, chief physician, and varden of the facility, allow me to personally velcome you to your new home, Rainbow Dash. You have my personal guarantee that you vill be cured.”

The accent stung Dash, just her voice was dominating and ice cold. She looked ahead and all she saw was a long, labyrinth of hallways. Dash felt afraid, however she felt something else, a feeling that seemed to overpower her fear. She felt her mouth forming into a smile beneath her restraining muzzle. Something was hilarious to Dash, but she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. All she could do was start laughing hysterically.

“Take her to Patient Processing and Decontamination.” Dr. Horvát ordered at the mute pony pulling Dash’s pacification cart. Muffled, shrieking laughs rang through her muzzle, and tears began rolling down her face. Dash couldn’t see straight anymore, she was laughing so hard.

“After decontamination, I think she needs some time in Isolation” Dr. Horvát said looking at Dash with disgust.

Rainbow Dash just shrieked and grunted with hysterical, maniacal laughter. The voice returned in her mind, and it laughed with her…

Fin.

Author's Note

I hope y'all enjoyed! I intend to continue this idea in a separate story. Rainbow Dash's path through the asylum and how the environment further fuels her condition, and how she struggles with her inner demons for control over her mental state.

Chapter 1: The Incident

Rainbow Dash sat down on one of the locker room benches, she smiled as she rubbed her slightly sore thigh. She had arrived early for Wonderbolt practice to get some early flying rounds in. She had just finished stretching and was about to get ready. She pulled out her flight suit from her duffel bag in her locker and neatly unfolded it beside her. She looked at it admiringly for a moment, taking in the beauty of the magnificent, high quality piece of sportswear. She thought about how she got here, all that had transpired in her life that had gotten her to this moment.

“I still can’t believe I’m one of them” she said to herself. Dashie always felt giddy with excitement before each practise, ever since her first day on the Wonderbolts, but today was especially so. Today was the day she was going to break her own air speed record. She had been practising for weeks, training harder and harder each day, the rest of the team took notice and Spitfire had organized an open practise for anyone who wanted to come see Dash break her record. Dashie knew Twilight Sparkle and the rest of her friends would be there, along with her parents, and she wanted to put on an extra special show just for them.

As Rainbow Dash looked back upon her life leading up to the Wonderbolts, she felt thankful; thankful for her friends and their support, thankful for her athletic physique, thankful for her love of flying and being the best she can be, and thankful for her loving upbringing. Ever since she was a filly, Rainbow Dash had always been very proud of her abilities, and extremely competitive. Combined, these attributes frequently got others angry with her, never letting other ponies win while constantly showing off didn’t earn her many friends in school, but it never really bothered her, she always knew she was better than them and they were all just jealous of her. This all only inspired Rainbow to be better, and the support of her parents further fuelled her passion. Dash thought about her friendship with Twilight Sparkle and the others, and how they were bound by the elements of harmony and their adventures all around Equestria, and how this all made her into the pony she was today, a full-fledged Wonderbolt, about to make history.

Rainbow stepped into her flight suit and pulled the Kevlar reinforced spandex over her body, she loved the feeling of it against her body, and she admired her beautiful spread wings, the wings that would carry her into immortality. Dash pulled on her hood and goggles, and she was ready. Before she left the locker room, she opened a secret compartment in her locker, the compartment where she kept a few treasured tokens for luck. Inside was a ball signed by her favourite buckball player, Rusty Bridges; there was also an old newspaper cut-out from her first sonic rainboom, a treasured reminder of her athletic exploits, as well as her destiny to meet her five best friends. Finally, there was an old picture of a pony, she had a deep red coat, and a wild mane and tail of bright red, orange and yellow, her flank was adorned with a flaming lightning bolt cutie mark, this was the legendary Firestorm, the fastest pony, ever. Rainbow Dash knew her speed records, and that she had mysteriously quit the Wonderbolts and left Equestria. She was unsure why, but Spitfire refused to talk about it. Dash didn’t care, she just knew she always idolized Firestorm for her unbreakable speed record, the very record she was after today.

“I’ll do you proud old girl, wherever you are.” Dash said touching the picture. She closed her locker and made her way out of the locker room to the field.

The sun was only just rising over the clouds on the horizon, Dash was way early, but she planned a good long training session, followed by a healthy break before official practise began, then, as a grand finale, she would perform her routine and break the speed record in the fastest vertical dive anypony had ever attempted.

Rainbow lowered her goggles over her eyes, glanced at the orange and white wind sock at the far end of the field, and got into position. She ducked her head close to her chest and muttered a few words, “Volo, Nunc et Semper” Old Ponish for “To fly, now, and always”

“Volo, Nunc et Semper” She repeated, then looked up at the sky and kicked off.

Rainbow soared up and over and through the clouds. She shot straight up, and then straight back down again.

“Woooooooooohoohooooooooooooo!” she screamed as she ducked, turned and twisted in the air, she was free. She flew straight up again, and closed her eyes, she savoured the moment as she hung in the air for a second, the only sound being her beating heart, before gravity took over and she fell backwards toward the ground, pulling up only at the last second in a speedy woosh over the training grounds. Dash smiled in ecstasy, a tear formed in her eye and was swept back over her face as she flew and built up speed. She flew laps around the course, practised tight aerial turns, and soaring.

It was time to practise her big moment, she shot straight up vertically, her wings working as hard as they could, her body arched into the most optimal aerodynamic position, she counted the seconds in her head as she climbed to the altitude necessary to perform her dive, “Four…three…two…one…” she eased off with her wings, pointed her hooves straight forward and arched backwards to pivot into a dive, then she tucked her head into her hooves and flapped her wings hard. She zoomed vertically down, tears flickering out of her goggles due to the intense velocity. She could feel a hot rainbow behind her.

“Almost there” she thought to herself, the wind whistling in her ears at a higher and higher pitch, and then, silence. Her body felt instantly hotter, the air nearly burning through her Kevlar suit, she felt a force of energy disperse from her body in all directions, “Aaaaand, Rainboom!” she thought to herself. She began counting in her head again, the time until she needed to pull up. Her face was felt like it was on fire through her white hot Kevlar hood, “Three… two…one…” She spread her wings, and they caught the air, launching herself horizontal, and she zoomed over the grass of the training field in a rainbow blur. The whistling of the air returned in her ears as she slowed down. She dove backwards again, in preparation for her big finish, and faced the ground. She slammed down onto the ground on all four feet at the same time, with the force of a god, making a shockwave in the ground around her landing spot.

“Fuck yeah!” she exhaled as she stood up and removed her goggles.

“Not too shabby, Crash” came a raspy voice behind her. Dash turned to see Spitfire walking up towards her from the locker room. “You might actually break that record” she said with a smile, looking proudly at dash through her aviators.

“Hey coach” said Dash “Like what you saw?”

“I thought it was badass, I can see you’ve been practicing very hard. If I had my speed radar, it would prove that this flight was already a record breaker.” Spitfire congratulated. Dashie beamed at the compliment.

“Yeah, thanks, though I think I need a little more speed, I need to try to extend the dive.” Dash replied “I’m going again”

“Go for it Crash, but rest up a bit, practice is in one hour. Make sure you eat well before. And great hustle Crash, you make me proud.” Spitfire said with a wink.

“Roger!” Dash said proudly.

After a quick breakfast of nutritious oats, Rainbow Dash was the first out on the field for practise. She took her spot beside Spitfire, and the team got ready to kick off. Rainbow Dash had quickly worked her way up to second lead flier next to Spitfire on the team, Rainbow Dash didn’t stop at just being good enough for the Wonderbolts, she wanted to be the best on the team. Her lead spot was pretty much guaranteed upon Spitfire’s retirement in a few months, and Dash did it all in a few short months on her own. And her respect dominated among the rest of the team, they looked up to her the same way as they did to Spitfire, Rainbow Dash knew she was born to lead the Wonderbolts, and now, it was happening right before her eyes.

The team kicked off, and away they went, zooming in formation this way and that. They broke off and climbed, and soared, and stalled in groups of two and three. Finally they flew up in formation for their finish, Rainbow took her spot, leaving space for Spitfire, but Spitfire pulled up alongside Dash, and motioned for her to take the lead spot. Honoured, Dash took the lead, and the team peaked, and dove toward the ground. At the last moment, they broke off separately in a prefect even way split, and came in for a landing.

“Good work team” Spitfire called out “Nice lead, Crash, make sure you do it like that again in front of the crowd”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe her ears, she was to lead the Wonderbolts in flight in front of the audience. She let out a small squeak of joy.

“Thank you, coach. I won’t let you down!” She assured Spitfire.

“I know you won’t. There is too much on the line if you do” Spitfire said with a laugh. And she turned and trotted off toward the sidelines. “Take ‘em through the cool down exercise” She called over her shoulder.

Dash wondered a bit where Spitfire was off to, she never missed the cool down, but she was too excited to lead to care further, and began to command the team through a series of stretches. Afterwards, everypony was given a free work out period on the open gym, and Rainbow Dash took to the sky again to practice a little more, but she knew she couldn’t stay up too long; she needed to conserve her energy for later.

While practicing her climbs and dives, she saw her parents arrive into the bleachers, they waved at her and she waved back, she could also make out Twilight and the rest of her friends on their way up, Twilight always used a cloud walk spell on the wingless Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity, especially Rarity after the last incident in Cloudsdale. Rainbow chuckled to herself when she remembered how Rarity re-enacted the story of Icarus a few years ago at the Cloudsdale Coliseum. “Oh, I love those girls” she thought fondly as she returned to her practise.

Pretty soon it was time for the show, a sizeable amount of ponies showed up, the bleachers at the Wonderbolts training field were full, and ponies had to stand around the field to watch. There were obviously a lot of pegasi fans of the Wonderbolts from Cloudsdale, but quite a few ponies of all kinds came from Ponyville, with various magical and non-magical aids. Starlight Glimmer brought some students from the Friendship School, using a cloud walk spell on those without wings like Yona and Sandbar. Silverstream and Ocellus sported a huge flag of Equestria with the Wonderbolts insignia on it. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were also there with their respective sisters, and Scootaloo was dressed like a miniature Rainbow Dash. Rainbow thought she would do a fly by for her biggest fan, and swooped low passing fast in front of Scootaloo, much to her enjoyment. “This one’s for you, squirt” she thought affectionately as she passed.

She made her way back to the team, it was time to start. Spitfire blew her whistle and the team got into formation.

“You know what to do Crash, on break you fly over the landing crew and head up for your thing.” Spitfire reminded her.

“Roger” Dash replied.

She took her position beside Spitfire. She ducked her head into her chest and closed her eyes. “Volo, Nunc et Semper” she put on her goggles. On the sound of the air horn they all took off. The small crowd cheered, ponies whistled and clapped, and foals blew on Vuvuzélas. Dash lead the team through quick technical turns, the group did synchronized flips and rolls together, they then broke off into twos and crisscrossed the sky before reuniting for their synchronized climb. The team pivoted into dive in perfect unison and dove down vertically before they broke off individually, now was Dashie’s big moment, she soared over the rest of the team coming in for landing. She took a deep breath and flapped hard into vertical climb. She worked her wings harder than she had ever worked them before, as the ground shrunk below her. She began counting off in her head “Ten… nine… eight…” she was going to climb a bit more than usual to ensure enough speed “seven…six…five…four” this was it, her big moment “three…two…one…” she stopped flapping her wings as her body slowed toward the crest of her climb. Again, she closed her eyes, she savoured the moment she stopped in mid air, that one second before gravity took over, all she could hear was her heartbeat. “This is it, Firestorm” and she arched backward to pivot into her dive. She straightened her body, front and back legs perfectly level, back arched for maximum aerodynamics, and began to beat hard with her wings, faster, faster, faster!

The wind whistled in her ears, her suit began to heat up against her body “Almost there” she thought. The wind whistled at higher pitch in her ears, her suit was hot, she was glowing. The whistling pitched higher and higher, and then silence, she felt the burst of energy radiating off her body. “Rainboom!” she thought to herself. She began her count down, she knew exactly how long to hold it off for. “Three…two…one…” and she spread her wings, the whistling returned, and then, an extremely sharp pain stung into her left wing.

“AAAAHH!” she shrieked in pain, it was excruciating, her wing felt frozen in a searing pain. The ground was coming up fast, Dash couldn’t slow down, she tried to correct with her good wing, but it was no use, she needed both to fly properly. She gritted her teeth, and forced her wings to spread out. Dashie screamed in pain but forced her body upwards, she felt her body flatten and her speed reduce. The pain in her wing was unbearable, as if thousands of hot knives shot into her very wing bones. She began to feel lightheaded from the burning that enveloped her left wing. She tried to align herself with the cushioned emergency landing pad as the ground came up below her, she was still coming in too fast, so she tucked her head below her legs and braced for impact. She impacted the cushion, but it acted like more of a trampoline. She was launched back into the air for a few seconds longer, then collided with the ground of the training field. She tumbled head over hooves, still at considerable speed, toward the side of the Wonderbolts building, collided with the wall, and Rainbow Dash’s world went black.

Author's Note

Firestorm is an OC I created. A once best friend of Spitfire, a falling out between the two ends with Firestorm leaving the Wonderbolts and is never seen again by anypony. She has been quietly forgotten about over the years, but her legacy still hold important relevance later in the story.