To Hell and Back

by CanterlotGuardian

Rating: everyone
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Sad, Dinky Hooves, Romance, Fluttershy, Adventure, Derpy Hooves, DJ P0N-3, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5416

Rainbow Dash makes a big mistake.

It's time for Ponyville's annual Storm Day, and once again Rainbow Dash needs to be on point. Except this time, she isn't. And one little mistake could cost her one of her best friends- and the unspoken feelings between them.

If this seems familiar to you, that's probably because it is. This was the first story I ever submitted to the site, but it's now being almost entirely revamped thanks to a collaborative effort between myself and the awesomely awesome DJ GarV the Expert.

It'll be a grand journey, I tell you. Come along!

Published 2012-11-03 08:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-05-07 17:46:30 UTC

Storm Day

    To Hell and Back    Chapter 1: Storm Day    By CanterlotGuardian    Edited by DJ GarV the Expert    Today was an unusual day. Grey clouds floated lazily in the sky, bringing word that rain was coming - not really at any time soon. Nevertheless, the woods animals began to see the sign for what it was – they were used to these signs, having lived outdoors their entire lives. They began to make preparations for the oncoming precipitation.    High above them Rainbow Dash flew, putting huge clouds in their respective places. The weather mare was flying at an uncharacteristically slow pace. It wasn’t like she was in much of a hurry - the rain wasn't supposed to come until the next day -  but she was so tired, and she didn’t have much energy left.    As she flew, she saw a small cloud up ahead, separate from all the rest. It looked very inviting to her - perfect for a mid-day nap - so she flew down to check it out.    She also decided to look down.    "Ah ha!" she exclaimed. She spotted Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy lazing around right below her. Twilight had her nose in some book - bet it’s from Princess Celestia, Rainbow thought - while Fluttershy was chatting animatedly with a pair of bluebirds. Rainbow flew lower, preparing to land next to her friends.     "Bye-bye!" Fluttershy called out as the volary of birds flew off. "Come back and visit me soon! Don't forget to get ready!"    Twilight glanced up and smiled as the breeze picked up. She's so cute, she thought, talking to the animals. It's really her special talent…    "INCOMING!"    Dash landed with a soft thud beside Fluttershy. Raising herself up on her haunches, she fluffed off a bit of dirt that had puffed up on her upon landing. She looked at Twilight and smiled; at Fluttershy, she afforded a more tender smile.    "Hey there, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said with a smile. "We were looking for you earlier to see if you wanted to go apple-picking with us."    Rainbow grinned sheepishly. "Hehe… sorry about that. I was really busy." Seeing the skeptical expression on Twilight's face, she hastily continued: "No, seriously, I was! Don’t you remember?”    Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Remember what?”    “Tomorrow is Storm Day!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I have to get all the clouds to their right places so this year's storm isn't late…” she cringed. “...like it has been the past few years."    "Oh…” Twilight said, eliciting a look of surprise and shock. “Is it really Storm Day already? I had no idea it's already been a whole year since the last one…"    "Oh yes," replied Fluttershy. "In fact, I was just telling those bluebirds about it.” She cocked her head. “Did you not hear me?"    "Not at all… I've been absorbed in this new spellbook that I got from Princess Celestia…"    Called it.    "Well regardless, it's tomorrow," Dash said. She pointed upwards. "As you can see from the dark clouds above your head right now...”    Twilight looked up, and her face blanked. “Oh,” she said simply.    “Yeah. That. I really do need to get back to work, but…" She yawned, plopping herself on the ground. "I'm just so tired…"    Fluttershy made a noise of concern. "Um... You haven't had your mid-day nap yet, have you?"    Rainbow shook her head. "I've been too busy getting everything ready for Storm Day and...” She sighed. “Well, it's really wore me out-"    A rustle was heard in a nearby tree. They all looked over to see a familiar purple face poke out at them. "Oh hey, Spike," Twilight called out. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing all the way up there?"    "Do I have to name a reason to climb a tree?" He asked brusquely. He scurried down to join them.    Twilight thought for a moment before shrugging. "I guess not," Twilight finally answered with a smile.    "Exactly!" Spike exclaimed with a grin. He was about to go on, when he felt a familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach. The letter from Princess Celestia appeared before them as it normally did.    "A message from Princess Celestia…?" Twilight murmured aloud as she floated the scroll up to her so she could read it. "I wasn't expecting one…"    "Do you ever?" retorted Spike. "Just read it and see what it says!"    Twilight opened the letter and read it aloud:         To my dearest student, Twilight Sparkle,     As you undoubtedly do not remember, being preoccupied with your studies (and that new book I gave you), tomorrow is Storm Day. I request your help with travelling to the surrounding areas and reminding everypony else about the Day. Be ready soon; I will be arriving there two minutes after you read this letter.     Your teacher,     Princess Celestia.        Rainbow stifled a laugh from the beginning part of the letter. “Oh, the irony,” Rainbow Dash said as the letter disappeared in a wisp of smoke. "But do you really have to leave? That kinda sucks…"    "I have to do this, though," Twilight replied. "Princess Celestia is trusting me."    “I’ll be back at the library while you’re gone,” Spike claimed hurriedly. With that, he ran off, back in the direction he came from.    "Um…" Fluttershy interjected timidly, raising a hoof to gain a bit of extra recognition. "If it's okay with you, Rainbow Dash,... seeing as I'm a flyer, just like you, well,…” She gulped nervously. “Maybe I can go up with you, and... help you with, um...”    “Getting all the storm clouds in their right places?" Rainbow finished. Fluttershy ‘eeped’ and gave a tiny nod. "That sounds like a great idea, Fluttershy. Once you learn the ropes, two ponies can get it done much faster than one pony ever could!"    "I think you’ll do great, Fluttershy," Twilight said with a smile. “I believe it’s settled, then.”     As if on cue, Princess Celestia's chariot came into view, landing in the field around them. Princess Celestia stepped out, and the three ponies bowed deeply, as they customarily did.    "Hello, you three," Celestia said with her typical kindly smile. She looked at her pupil. "Twilight, are you ready?"    Twilight nodded.    "Very good." Celestia turned to Rainbow Dash. "I see Storm Day preparations are coming along nicely. Make sure it's all finished so the rains can come on time."    Rainbow looked up, a slight blush on her face. "Oh, I will!" She said happily. "In fact, Fluttershy is going to help me out!"    Fluttershy nodded, though she still stayed bowed down low. She respected Celestia far too much to break royal protocol like that.    "I'm proud of you, Fluttershy," Celestia said with a smile. "Taking something new like weather-making is quite commendable." Her smile turned smug as she glanced back at Rainbow. “Maybe she will help you stay on time this year.”    Rainbow blushed in embarrassment. With those final words, Celestia and Twilight boarded the royal chariot, and it began to fly away. Twilight waved goodbye to her friends as she slowly rose out of sight.    Rainbow stood and stretched her stiff joints. Sensing her friend's movement, Fluttershy did the same.    "So," Rainbow said with a grin. "Are you ready to experience the life of a weatherpony?"    "I kind of already did. You know, Winter Wrap-Up…"    "That's totally different, Fluttershy. Cleaning up the after-effects of weather is a whole 'nother story when compared to making the weather to begin with. Lucky for you, though, you have the best weatherpony in all of Equestria as your guide! Plus, all we'll be doing is moving the clouds to their respective places. The cloud factory on Cloudsdale is where they're actually made. We're just gonna escort them back to Ponyville."    "Oh…" Fluttershy replied. "That doesn't sound too hard."    "It's not, really. It's mostly the constant flying that wears me out.” A grin came onto her face.  “But you shouldn't have a problem with that, should you, Miss 460 Percent Improvement?"    Fluttershy obviously had no idea what Rainbow Dash was talking about, and her face showed it. “What?”    Dash smiled. "Remember when we had to get the tornado ready? You trained so hard, and your wing power went up from 0.5 to 2.3 so quickly. I was really impressed."    She blushed, remembering clearly. "Oh come on now, you're just saying that…"    "I mean it, Fluttershy. That was a 460 percent improvement. No one else even came close to improving themselves that much.” Her voice became softer. “All of us were really proud of you - even Rarity, and you know how fickle she can be."    Fluttershy didn't know what to say; she just smiled as a blush started to grow on her face.    Rainbow laughed. "Come on, Fluttershy; let's get going!"

    A few minutes later, they landed on Cloudsdale. Looking around at her surroundings, Fluttershy laughed softly.    Rainbow gave her a look. "What's so funny?" she asked curiously.    "I was just thinking…" Fluttershy replied quietly, "Some of my most cherished moments have happened here… The first time I ever cheered so loudly, the first time I ever saw a Sonic Rainboom in person…" Her next statement was so quiet, Rainbow could only barely make it out: "It was even the first time I fell in love…"    Rainbow Dash stopped suddenly. "Wait, really?” She shook her head in disbelief. “No way… Who was it?"    Fluttershy blushed a deep crimson. She had hoped Rainbow hadn't heard that part. "I don't wanna say…”    “C’mon, Flutters, you can tell me.” She leaned in closer. “Who?”     She turned away. “I’m not gonna say . . .”    “Can you at least give me a hint?”    “I really don’t want...” Fluttershy turned just in time to see Rainbow Dash with a puppy-eyes look on her face. “Okay, fine. Um, it was someone who was in the Young Flyers Competition..."    "No way," Dash repeated as they started walking again. "Do they know how you feel?"    Her blush only grew deeper. "No… I haven't had the courage to tell them."    “Do you want to tell them?”    Fluttershy only responded with an “eep!”    "Well, I'll tell you what then, Fluttershy: after this Storm Day is over, I'll help you confess your feelings, ok?"    Fluttershy looked at her best friend, new hope in her eyes. “You mean that?”    “Every word.” Fluttershy paused for a moment to think. “Whenever you need me, I’ll be there.”    Fluttershy smiled. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” She looked at the ground nervously before looking back up. “You're such a very special friend." She rested her head briefly on Rainbow's back, before smiling and continuing trotting towards the factory.    Rainbow Dash could only stand shocked. Fluttershy had never done that before…     Could she...     Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Dash flew off after her.

Party!!! (pre-edit version)

To Hell and Back

Chapter 2: Party!!!

Edited by: DJ GarV the Expert

It took them about three hours to get all the storm clouds back to Ponyville, and another hour after that to get them all put into their right places. Finally, after they were done, they flew down to the clearing they'd been in earlier and lay down beside each other on the grass.

Rainbow exhaled deeply. "Next year… I am not procrastinating for as long... as I did this year…"

Fluttershy was still trying to catch her breath. "I've never… worked that hard… in my life…"

Rainbow smiled. "I've worked harder… though not in a very long time."

Suddenly, Fluttershy stood up, shaking off her wings. Rainbow looked at her oddly. "You know… you could just lay here next to me for awhile…"

Fluttershy looked at her sympathetically. "Oh, no, I really can't. See, I never finished telling all my animal friends to start preparing for Storm Day. It starts tomorrow, you know, and if some of them can't prepare because I didn't tell them… Oh, I just don't know what I would do…"

Rainbow just looked at Fluttershy in amazement. She never failed to impress her. "Okay," Dash finally relented. "Go tell all the animals, and we'll meet up later. I have to go set the timer on the clouds so they won't start storming too early."

"Ooh yeah, that does sound like it's important. If you wouldn't mind… I'd like you to show me how that's done someday."

"Sure!" Dash smiled. "I'd love to."

Fluttershy smiled her normal radiant smile, then flew off into the forest.

Rainbow Dash sat up. Just then, she sensed that someone was behind her. She figured it was just Fluttershy, so she didn't even look back before saying, "What happened, did you forget something? Better get it quickly, Fluttershy; you've got a very important job to do."

"Ooh!" said a different voice. "And just what would that be?"

Startled, Rainbow turned to see who was standing behind her, as the voice told her it most certainly was not Fluttershy.

"What on earth…? How did you get behind me? I didn't even hear you come up…"

Pinkie Pie stood grinning behind her. "I walked, silly. It's how I always get around."

"Well never mind that…" Dash stood up, stretching her legs. "And to answer your question, Fluttershy went off to talk to the animals and let them all know about Storm Day tomorrow."

"Oh cool… Wait, is it Storm Day already? You know what that means, right? We have to have our annual Storm Day party tonight!"

Rainbow Dash grinned. For the past few years, Pinkie had thrown an awesome party the day before Storm Day. All of Ponyville got in on the festivities: the Cake family did the catering, the music was provided by Vinyl Scratch – or, as her stage name proclaimed herself to be, DJ Pon-3.

It was all a grand affair, indeed.

"I'm down," Dash replied. "We need to get everyone down to the party spot." Vinyl hosted the party at her house every year; it was much easier for her to do that, then have to lug all her equipment around like she normally had to do when playing a gig.

Pinkie smiled widely. "What are we standing around for, then? Let's go!" Pinkie bounded off in the direction of Ponyville, and Rainbow Dash flew off after her.

Above them, the storm clouds brewed, unchecked by Rainbow Dash's usually-diligent programming.

Later that night, the party was going strong. Everyone easily fit into Vinyl's house, thanks to a spell put on the house by Princess Celestia years earlier, that made the inside much larger than what the outside appeared to be able to hold.

Pinkie walked up to Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who were standing by one of the walls and drinking apple cider –provided by Sweet Apple Acres, of course.

"So how's the party?" Pinkie asked animatedly, even more so than usual. This was more due to necessity than anything else, as Vinyl's driving dubstep beats made it impossible for normal inside-voice conversation to be heard.

"Very nice!" Applejack replied. "You always put on the best parties."

Pinkie grinned. "I aim to please. Here, let me get you two some cupcakes!" She bounded off towards the catering table.

Just then, the door opened, then shut again rapidly. A wet form made her way to where the two friends were talking. Rainbow Dash noticed her first.

"What…? Rarity?!"

Rarity shook some excess water off her coat. "Oh, Rainbow Dash… I thought Storm Day wasn't supposed to be until tomorrow…"

"It isn't," Dash replied. "Why are you all wet?"

"Why do you think?" Rarity snapped. "The storm came early!"

All the color drained from Dash's face. "No… That can't be… None of my storms have ever started early…"

"There's a first time for everything, I guess," commented Applejack.

A flash of insight came to Dash's mind, and she took to the air, looking around at all the party guests. A moment later, she slowly floated herself back to the ground, and those looking at her could see that she had tears streaming down her face now.

"What is it?" Rarity asked. "What's wrong?"

Dash's response was almost inaudible: "It's Fluttershy… She's still out there."

The Journey (pre-edit version)

There was no consoling Rainbow Dash as she paced incessantly in the library portion of Twilight's house. The friends had retired there shortly after Dash's revelation of Fluttershy still being out in the storm. They could still hear Vinyl's DJ music being played in the house across the way, but at the moment they had all been drained of the party mood.

Even Pinkie Pie was looking unusually dour.

“I never saw this coming,” Pinkie whispered to Applejack. The two reclined upstairs, looking down on Dash's pacing. They could almost see a permanent pattern being worn into the carpet, she had been at it for that long.

“Neither did I,” Applejack admitted, matching Pinkie's volume.

“What was Fluttershy doing out there to begin with?” Pinkie continued. “She knew tomorrow was Storm Day, and she's normally so cautious... Why would she risk being out too late and getting caught in the midnight hour?”

“I think she thought she could make it back in time,” Rarity replied as she walked up the last few steps to join them. Twilight followed closely behind her; no one had seen her come back from her rendezvous with Princess Celestia, but obviously she had returned safely before the storms had come upon them. Twilight had one of her many spell books out and was using her unicorn magic to keep it in front of her as she walked. She was studying it very intently.

“There was no way she could have known that Rainbow Dash hadn't programmed the clouds properly,” Twilight said, not looking up from her book.

“Whatcha lookin' for?” Pinkie asked, trotting over to Twilight. “Can I help?”

“I'm looking for a levitation spell,” Twilight answered. “It's in one of these orange-colored books I have, I know that much. There's only four of them in my collection, but they're all horribly mislabeled, so I kind of have to take it one book at a time.”

Pinkie didn't say a word, but instead simply trotted downstairs. As she neared the ground floor, the other three went over to the bannister to see what she was doing. When she got all the way down, she went over to Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, Dashie,” Pinkie said, “you wanna help me out with something?”

“Sure,” Dash replied in a very morose tone. “What's up?”

“Well... I'm looking for those three orange spell books... They're way too high up for me to get, and Twilight needs them to look for a location for us to find Fluttershy, and-”

Rainbow Dash brightened up a bit. “Oh yeah, that's right. I almost forgot how awesome she was at magic.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie agreed, maybe a bit too enthusiastically than what the situation was called for. Then again, she was just happy that her little tidbit of news could brighten Dash's spirits as they did. “So can you fly up and get them for me?”

Dash rose into the air, her wingbeats the only sound at the moment. It took her a minute to find all the books, but soon she had the rest of them.

“Thanks!” Pinkie said, smiling for what seemed like the first time in forever. Her enthusiasm, however small it was, proved to be as catchy as always, and Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile too. Pinkie bounded back up the stairs, balancing the three books on top of her head as she went.

When she got up to the top, Twilight levitated the books and set them on top of her study table, next to her bed. Pinkie trotted over to the books and opened the first one, using her hooves to flip towards the back of the book.

“Um, Pinkie Pie...?” Twilight said curiously. “What are you doing? You can't use those books to

cast spells; you're not a unicorn.”

“Oh, I know,” Pinkie replied. She had obviously had her spirits raised by her previous encounter with Rainbow Dash. “I'm not trying to cast any of these spells. I know it's not my place to do that.”

“Then... what are you doing?”

“Looking for the index. There has to be some kind of organization to these books. You can't always have chaos, you know.” Twilight was a bit stunned, more because she hadn't thought of that first, than that it was Pinkie Pie who had done so.

Pinkie made it back to the index of the first book and scanned the contents. “Nope, it's not in this one.” She nudged it over to the side and began flipping through the second book. Twilight went to the index of the one that she was looking through, and found that the spell wasn't in that one either.

“Aha!” Pinkie exclaimed a moment later. “It's in this one! 'How to Find That Which Is Lost,” page 103.” She flipped to that page. “Yep, that one's it!”

Rainbow Dash appeared, flying near the wooden railing. “You found it? You found the location?"

“I reckon she did,” Applejack answered. Lightning cracked outside, giving them all a start.

“We simply must hurry,” urged Rarity. “Oh, I just can't bear to think of her all alone out there... How scared must she be?” That thought sobered them all with a quickness.

Twilight cantered over to Pinkie with renewed vigor. “Let me see that...” She scanned the page. In a minute, she spoke again: “Oh, wow...”

“What?” asked Rainbow Dash. “What is it?”

“This is going to be a tough one... It's going to require a lot of magic, almost all of what I have available to me. If I can even pull the spell off, I'm sure I'm not going to be strong enough to go out with you all to find her...”

“That's fine,” Pinkie replied. “You can just rest up here. We can go out and find her ourselves.” Twilight smiled. She was glad to have somepony like Pinkie Pie as her friend.

She was about to speak again, when Rarity piped up from over by the study table: “If I may... I might have found a spell in this last orange book over here that may help us.”

“Oh?” asked Dash.

“Yes, it's a spell to keep one completely and totally dry, regardless of how much water is around them.” She looked down at the page again. “And it appears it can also be used to dry oneself if they ever find themselves wet at all. Might this help us?”

Twilight smiled wryly. “Yes, Rarity, it would, but like I just got done saying-”

“Darling,” Applejack cut in, “she isn't talking about you casting those keep-dry spells. She's talking about herself doing it. You aren't the only unicorn here, you know.”

Rarity nodded, still scanning the contents of the page. “And judging by the looks of it, this isn't all that demanding of a spell. I think even though I don't have as much magic as our dear Twilight Sparkle does, I'm pretty sure I can use this on the hunting party without too much of an expenditure of effort.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Rainbow Dash asked, back- for the moment, at least- to her normal level of forcefulness. “Let's get out there and find her!”

Safe and Sound (pre-edit version)

“Okay,” Twilight said. “Everyone stand back for now.” They all got a safe distance away, as per her request. Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could. Pink light appeared on her horn, as was customary when Twilight was using her magic. She appeared to be having a hard time of it, but still she pressed on.

A minute later, her horn flashed bright white, then faded back down to its normal color, and Twilight collapsed onto the floor. All the other ponies rushed around her, concerned for their friend.

“Twilight?” Rarity asked. “Are you okay?” A groan was all she got in response.

“Give her a minute,” Applejack said. “She said it would take a lot out of her.”

They all busied themselves with other things while Twilight rested up for the time being. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash put back the orange books they had gotten down- minus the one that Rarity needed to cast her own spell- while Applejack and Rarity tidied up as best they could upstairs. When they were all done with their tasks, they reconvened in Twilight's study. There, they saw Twilight with her eyes open, a thin smile across her face.

“Did it work?” Pinkie asked expectantly.

Twilight nodded. “I know where she is now.” They all cheered; this was the best news they'd heard all night.

“So where is she?” Applejack asked.

“In the cave... where that smog-breathing dragon was staying. She must have flown up there to escape the storm.” Every word Twilight spoke came out pained and belabored.

“All the way up there?” Rarity asked. “Last time, it took her all we had just to get her there, and now she goes there willingly?”

“Well, Rarity, think about it,” answered Rainbow Dash. “It wasn't the heights that scared her the first time around- it was the dragon. She's a pegasus, you know; no pegasus has ever been scared of heights. Besides, she's probably really scared, and fear can drive you to do things that you wouldn't normally do...”

Rarity recognized the truthfulness of Dash's words, and so fell silent.

“Now that we know where she is,” Applejack chimed in, “we need to go get her.” She turned to Rarity. “That's where you come in, sugarcube. It's your turn.”

Rarity stepped up and motioned for them all to form a half-circle in front of her. Once they were positioned, she began the spell. They could all feel it begin to take effect, and once she finished, they all smiled and applauded her- minus, of course, Twilight Sparkle, who had gone to her bed and laid down.

“Good job, Rarity!” Pinkie said with a big smile.

“Not bad...” admitted Rainbow Dash.

“Now,” Applejack said, stepping forward. It seemed she was becoming the leader of this expedition, and no one wished to take that from her. “Let's go find ourselves a Fluttershy!”

They all stepped out into the driving rain a few minutes later. As was typical for Storm Day, the streets were empty, though this circumstance was a bit more extraordinary. They couldn't hear Vinyl's music playing anymore, thought they assumed it was because it was now the wee hours of the morning, and everyone had gone to sleep after the party ended. All the better for them, Rainbow Dash thought; no prying eyes to question their actions and motives.

As they had expected, Rarity's spell had worked like a charm. A faint white glow could be seen surrounding their bodies and the torrential downpour did not affect them at all.

They were about to set out when a small voice came from behind them: “Rainbow Dash! Pinkie They turned. Standing in the rain was little Dinky Doo.

“Dinky?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “What are you doing out here?!”

“Where are you going?” she asked in response.

“Out to look for... someone.”

Dinky's eyes lit up. “You're looking for my mommy, too?”

It took Rainbow Dash a minute for that to register. “Wait... so Derpy's out there, too?”

Dinky nodded. “She was on a mail delivery to Cloudsdale... I guess she didn't make it back in time.”

“Okay, Dinky...” Rainbow sighed. “We'll keep an eye out for Derpy while we're out. Now go back inside!” Dinky ran off and into her house, shutting the door and locking it behind her.

Rainbow looked at the group. “Two rescue missions...?”

“We're already going out to look for Fluttershy,” Applejack answered. “It couldn't hurt for us to look for Ditzy Doo along the way, as well.”

With that settled, they finally set out along the path that would lead them to the cave.

It took them until close to dawn to reach the mountain. With renewed determination, though definitely weary-worn, they pressed on up the treacherous mountain path. Soon, they found, they were halfway to the cave. They were about to continue, when Rainbow Dash held out a hoof, signaling for everyone to stop, which they did.

“What is it?” Rarity whispered.

“There's something up ahead... It's flying kind of erratically.”

“Is it Fluttershy?” Pinkie asked.

Rainbow braced herself against the driving rain and squinted. “No... It's the wrong coloration.” Suddenly, she smiled. “Hey...! It's Derpy!” They all ran ahead. Sure enough, Derpy was flying in front of them, upside-down.

“Derpy!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “Why are you flying upside-down?”

Derpy looked at her a bit askance. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“Because... most pegasi fly right-side up.”

“I do, too!” Derpy answered. “Just not when it's raining. Flying like this keeps the rain out of my eyes.” It made sense, oddly enough.

“Ditzy!” said Applejack. “Dinky is really worried about you!”

“I'm headed home right now, though! I took what I thought was a shortcut, that turned out to be not so short...” She shook the rain from her drenched body.

Rarity stepped up and touched her horn to Derpy's flank. Her horn glowed briefly then died

“What did you-” Derpy started to say, when she stopped in mid-sentence. “Hey... I'm dry now!”

Rarity nodded. “And you won't be getting wet the rest of the way home, either.”

Derpy smiled. “Thanks! Bye, Rainbow Dash!” Derpy flew off in the direction of Ponyville, calling out one last thing under her shoulder: “Hey, your friend is still in that cave up ahead!”

Rainbow Dash heard her. “Derpy says Fluttershy is still in the cave. Let's go!”

They charged ahead full-speed, and made it up to the cave with a quickness. Stepping in, they walked forward tenuously, the night sky with its storms robbing them of precious natural light. Rarity's horn flared as she cast a light spell, and the cave became fully illuminated. Rarity saw her first.

“Fluttershy!” she said excitedly, charging in with everypony else in tow. They reached her in a

matter of seconds, and Applejack began looking her over.

“She looks to be mostly fine,” Applejack said, “but she's very weak and very wet. She could get really sick if we don't do something soon.”

Rarity performed her spell one last time, touching Fluttershy's forehead with her horn. The remainder of the water on Fluttershy's body wicked itself away, and she was dried off and warded almost immediately. Rainbow Dash hoisted her onto her back and began to carry her back down the mountain, the others following closely behind.

The following day, morning broke, and the skies were cloudless and sunny. This time, Rainbow Dash had been sure to do her duty to escort the now-dry storm clouds back to Cloudsdale. Rainbowshine and the others had taken them off Dash's hands, allowing her to speed back to Ponyville. She was going so fast, she almost made a sonic rainboom again as she went.

When she returned to Twilight's house, she was greeted by Applejack and Twilight, who was feeling much refreshed now that sleep had allowed her magical energies to regenerate.

“She's awake,” Applejack said, “and she wants to see you.”

Rainbow Dash smiled and flew in. Fluttershy was in Twilight's bed, buried up to her neck in warm blankets. When she saw Rainbow Dash, she lit up.

“You're here...” she said with her characteristic softness. “Please don't be mad at me...”

“Mad?” Dash asked with a hint of incredulity. “How could I be mad? I'm just happy to see you alive and well.”

“But... I caused so much trouble for you all... If only I'd come back on time-”

Rainbow shushed her. “It's ok, really. You need to rest. I'll be back later to check on you.”

Fluttershy almost bolted out of the bed. “No, please...!” she squeaked. “Come on, stay here with me... You were the one who wanted me to do that for you yesterday... Can you do that now for me?”

There was no way Rainbow Dash could ever refuse a request like that, especially not in the state that Fluttershy was in just then. She smiled. “Okay, fine...” She trotted around to the other side of the bed and got under the covers. She looked around to see that no one else was in the room, and when she confirmed this, she snuggled up close to Fluttershy.

“You know,” Dash said, “I still need to help you confess your love to that other pony-”

Fluttershy shook her head, cutting Rainbow Dash off. “Not anymore... I had some time to think it out and I feel like I need to do it on my own.”

Rainbow Dash was quite impressed. “Can you at least tell me who he is?” she asked.

In response, Fluttershy kissed Dash and nuzzled up close to her.

“It's a she... Silly.”