"Rainbow!"
Twilight's panicked cry banged and rattled around in my head as I fell into a black, swirling void of pain. I spiraled through the air as I heard my friends cry.
"Pinkie! The blanket!"
The pink mare's hooves pounded across the ground as the blanket whipped the air behind her.
"Here!"
WHOMF! I landed in the blanket, and blacked out.
***
Beep... beep... beep...
I lifted a seemingly weighted hoof. I gently touched my throbbing head. It was bandaged. I stood up too fast, and I was blinded for a few minutes. As my vision came back, I looked around the sad hospital room. I was here before when I hurt my wing.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S GOING TO DIE?" Cried out a voice I hoped I'd never hear again. It was an enraged Pinkamena Diane Pie. There was a loud slam, and quick hooves. She had thrown somepony at a wall. I shuddered, Pinkie was a horrible pony to anger. Sure, she was bouncy, happy, friendly, all-around great pony, but Tartarus hath no fury like a Pinkie upset.
"Pinkie, Pinkie..." Soothed Rarity, who sounded like she was trying to stay together, but was failing.
"No! She said Dashie's gonna die!"
"We're all upset, sugahcube, but there's nothing we can do." Applejack said. It sounded like she was trying to hug Pinkie, because of a slight clop in tile, then a slap.
"Twilight! Don't you have spells? Doesn't Zecora have something? Ask the princess! She must have something! SOMEPONY DO SOMETHING! DASHIE CAN'T DIE!" The pink mare howled, her voice drowned in pain.
"Let's... let's see her." Said a quiet voice, so broken, so hurt. A short pause and my friend collected themselves, and trotted in, Nurse Redheart behind them. They all looked into my eyes, which were to the brim with tears.
"Wrong pony," I said, my voice cracking. "I'm not dying."
Nurse Redheart shook her head, her eyes were pained.
"I'm not dying."
"You heard the mare. She's not dying." Said Pinkie, her mane laying down like a mat.
"R-rainbow..." Fluttershy murmured, her jaw trembling. I reached over and hugged her, breathing in the sweet scent of her foal-pink mane. Pinkie stroked my back, silent tears staining her face. Rarity would look indifferent if her sapphire eyes didn't scream of her true emotions. Applejack seemed to let herself succumb to the pain the others must be feeling. Twilight, what was it about Twilight that seemed off? I couldn't tell, and it annoyed me.
Pinkie broke our silent vigil by whipping out a long box. "I brought cupcakes!"
She hooved me one that looked like it was filled with rainbows. My cutie mark adorned the fluffy blue frosting which sat atop the moist miniature cake. I took a bite, and that cupcake tasted like the best one ever.
Was it because it could be one of my last?
***
The days went past. As dull as they were, my friends made sure they were the best. Everyday, something amazingly fun, but I felt something, something I wished I'd never feel. The pain of knowing I'm leaving too soon.
My beautiful rainbow mane was falling out, and it only added to my depression. Why am I feeling this? I thought future Wonderbolts don't give a flying buck about their manes. Oh, wait, I'm not a future Wonderbolt, I'm a dead mare still dying. I could cry. I worked so hard to maybe, MAYBE be a part of that epic flying crew, but not anymore. I'm just so angry sometimes, I can't help it. I just lock myself in the bathroom and scream to let it out. But know what kills the pain? My friends. They're there, pushing me back up when I fall. But something about Twilight... what was it? My mind hurts from trying to figure it out. So why worry? Pinkie's walking in with balloons.
"How's our bestestestestestest friend doing?" She giggled, floating the last few steps to me. She landed on my bed, untied the balloons from her waist, and they flew around the room, light flying through it, making shapes on the wall. I couldn't help but smile. I couldn't resist the urge to hug the mare. She's surprisingly squishy. Directly after the little Cutie Mark Crusaders came in, balancing a basket of apples on their backs. "We helped AJ buck'em!" Apple Bloom said happily. I brohoofed them all. Am I in a good mood? You could say so.
After they left nopony came. Good, I was tired.
***
"Dash..."
I stared into the lavender mare's eyes. "You seem more upset then the others. Why?"
My mane and tail are just a distant memory now. It feels like a part of me is gone. I can't be Rainbow Dash without my rainbows!
"B-because..." Twilight stared, her face betrayed the fact she didn't want to talk about it. "I lost a childhood friend because of... it."
My throat felt like it was closing, my magenta eyes watering. The mare jumped on me, holding me tightly.
"I don't want to lose you, too!" She sobbed onto my shoulder, her purple-blue mane a mess. Millions of replies smacked me in the head, but I couldn't speak for the fear I would cry, too.
Dammit, what's wrong with me? Rainbow Dash? Crying? Impossible.
"Dashie... is there anything you want?" Twilight asked, taking a huge sigh and wiping her eyes with her hoof.
"My mane back..." I barely whispered after a long pause.
"I best be going now." Twilight said quickly. I nodded as she walked out, her shoulders seemed to droop. I took a deep breath, laid down, and covered my bare head with the cold, tear-stained sheets.
***
I was drowning in a sea of tears. The salt burned my throat and lungs. Breathing is overrated apparently, because even though my chest heaved, begging, screaming for air, it did not need it. I opened my mouth desperately, but water flooded in, and I screamed out clear as if I was aboveground.
And then somepony shook me awake.
My eyes snapped open to see a pale yellow mare. Fluttershy looked odd, or as to better explain, her mane look odd.
"Flutter! Your mane... it's chopped off!" I cried, and it was true. Her long, pale mane was in a bob. I touched it with a hesitant hoof. Pinkie bounced over, her mane was short, too. So was AJ's and Twi's.
"Close your eyes." Rarity said in a soothing voice. I did so, and felt something brush against my neck and rump. "Open."
I slowly opened them, looking into a Daring Do mirror. I nearly fainted, my friend's had cut their manes to make me a wig. I was speechless, my only reaction was pulling them all into a huge, teary hug.
"Friendship IS magic!"
