In all her life, Rainbow Dash had never seen a more beautiful dusk. She inhaled slowly as an absolutely perfect breeze tossed the colorful hairs of her mane. Night was drawing tantalizingly close, but at that moment the deep orange sunset still cast a faint, beautiful glow on Equestria’s picturesque landscape.
Gazing toward the sky, Rainbow’s relaxed thoughts turned to daydreams. Streaks of cloud began to morph into trails of flight as a vision slowly took shape. Rainbow saw herself appear among the wispy clouds with the Wonderbolts flying in from either side. They dashed and dove, psychedelic streams of color lingering in the paths of their maneuvers. The pegasi interweaved in the sky like strands of a spider’s web, geometric patterns of neon light rapidly forming and vanishing in their midst. Suddenly, the brilliant burst of a Sonic Rainboom illuminated the entire horizon, a blinding glow that took several seconds to dissipate.
Rainbow Dash blinked, snapping out of her fantasy. The faint image of a rainbow still lingered in her mind’s eye. “Someday,” she promised herself, resting her head on a cloud which she had set aside for herself earlier that day. The tired mare’s eyes slowly closed as the world blurred into darkness, and in a moment she was fast asleep.
This is it, she thought unconsciously. This is everything you’ve worked for, everything you’ve dreamed of, everything you were made to do. You’re going to prove yourself right now. You’re going to join the Wonderbolts.
Rainbow Dash rolled over in her sleep, coming dangerously close to the edge of her cloud. She muttered something incomprehensible as a fantasy was beginning to take form. Cloudsdale materialized slowly, being spurred into existence by subconscious desire. In Rainbow’s mind, a pristine palace of cloud and stone was now reality. She hovered amid the magnificent architecture, transfixed by its beauty. The sky loomed above her, and it was screaming of opportunity.
Dash turned her head to see three Wonderbolts gazing back at her from a distance, perched on a cloud. Each of them had an undeniably expectant expression; this was not the first time they had encountered Rainbow Dash. The colorful mare was unable to make out all the Wonderbolts’ identities from so far away, but one of them was definitely Soarin, that she could tell for sure.
I’ve always had a bit of a crush on him, Rainbow admitted to herself, though she didn’t know why. She’d never made much conversation with him, and his affinity for pie was borderline creepy. In any case, crushes weren’t characteristic of a brave Wonderbolt, and if he were to find out it would probably make things awkward.
One of the other Wonderbolts subtly motioned to the sky. Rainbow blinked once and then realized that it would be a good idea to get started with her routine.
Let’s do this, she thought.
The cyan pegasus lifted off, prepared to dazzle. One of the observing Wonderbolts smiled at her enthusiasm. This was clearly going to be a good show.
Don’t hesitate. Just go!
Rainbow Dash instantaneously became a light blue blur as she bolted straight up, nearly disappearing from sight within seconds. Then, executing a razor-sharp 180, she dove back down. Several clouds were strewn arbitrarily along the general area below her and Rainbow pierced each one with agility and speed, incorporating stylish moves at appropriate times. The sky was soon nothing but blue.
Ten seconds flat, she thought with a smile. If Twilight were here, her jaw would've hit the floor. She glanced at the Wonderbolts briefly, and it was apparent that they were fairly impressed with her demonstration so far. “Impressed,” however, wasn’t what Rainbow Dash was going for. “Dumbfounded” was more her style.
She leveled off as she reached the approximate height of the Wonderbolts’ cloud. Losing no momentum whatsoever, she executed a smooth banked turn and continued in a broad helix motion until the entire area was engulfed by a hurricane-force wind. The astonished Wonderbolts had little time to react as their cloud was swept away from beneath them, disappearing into Rainbow’s spectacular cyclone.
Rainbow Dash ceased her revolution abruptly and allowed the air to grow calm once more. After the clouds had cleared and the sky was still, she could see three very surprised Wonderbolts hovering where their cloud used to be. She smirked, and there was a bit of mischief in her expression.
Phase 3. What other way to end such a spectacular performance than with a Sonic Rainboom? This time, however, it would be a little different.
With a skillful twist, Rainbow Dash oriented herself toward the midday sun and took off. She’d done Rainbooms before, but this one was going to be pretty tough. She was already fatigued from the sheer speed and intensity of the first two phases, and now she was about to attempt a Sonic Rainboom at ninety degrees—completely vertical. Even her Rainboom at the Royal Wedding, when she was at full strength, had been done at a little bit of a slant. To attempt this stunt against the pull of gravity, given her current physical state, was almost foolish.
But I’ve gotta do what it takes, she thought. There was no possibility of looking back to see if the Wonderbolts fully registered the scale of the maneuver she was about to attempt. She had to keep focused. Rainbow began to feel the tug of wind resisting her, as if she were flying through an extremely thick mist. Soon her muscles began to burn; she was nearing the end of her second wind of energy. It struck her that what she was attempting might indeed be impossible under these circumstances.
Oh well. Rainbow Dash accelerated even faster, her mane buzzing from the vibration of the wind. She had to be doing several hundred miles per hour already, but she needed to go faster, and fast. Soon she’d have nothing left to go on.
Feeling nearly out of control from exhaustion, Rainbow Dash emptied the very last reserves of strength she had into her ascent. The sound of wind battering against her was now deafening. She doubted if she’d even hear the sonic boom when she made it. Her speed was now reaching its peak; in only a few moments she would either burst through the sound barrier in an explosion of brilliant color, or fail at attaining her lifelong dream. In feverish exertion Rainbow Dash let out a scream, just as she reached the absolute limit of her ability. Then she began to fall.
* * *
Typically a rush of air and a falling sensation isn’t a good way to wake up. This is especially true if you had been sleeping about twenty feet off the ground. You'd have enough time to wake up, but not much left to react.
Rainbow opened her wings as quickly as she could, which was unfortunately a little too late to do much of any good. She slapped against the ground with a grunt, an impact that would doubtless leave somewhat of a bruise on her ribs. Dusting herself off, Rainbow stood, only to come face to face with Pinkie Pie.
“Hi!” Pinkie exclaimed, causing Rainbow to jump.
“Hey, Pinkie,” she replied with a sigh. Pinkie Pie was sipping a mug of what looked like either hot chocolate or coffee, and Rainbow Dash didn’t really want to think about what either of those beverages would do to a mare who was so excitable and hyper in the first place. Pinkie was also sporting her ridiculous workout attire, and Rainbow Dash could easily guess what that meant. Rainbow didn’t really have the heart to tell Pinkie that she’d rather train on her own, so she just smiled awkwardly.
“I know you’re excited about auditioning for the Wonderbolts later this week,” Pinkie said, “so I figured we could be workout buddies! Plus, I don’t get to wear these very often.” Pinkie motioned to her athletic clothing.
“Yeah, that’s great,” Rainbow started. “You look—”
At that precise moment Pinkie fumbled with her beverage and it spilled all over her friend.
“—hot!” Rainbow yelped, trying frantically to wipe the beverage off with her hooves. Pinkie was confused.
“I look hot?”
“No!” Rainbow shouted, then added, “I mean, well, not that you’re not, I just didn’t mean…”
“It’s okay, Dashie, I get it,” Pinkie said with a smile, but she still looked a little confused. Rainbow suspected that Pinkie actually had very little idea what was going on.
"Sooo..." Pinkie continued, breaking the silence, "do you want to get started?"
"Sure, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash sighed. Might as well humor her.
"Alright!" Pinkie cheered. Then, some vague emotion flashed briefly across her face. "You know I don't want to annoy you, right?" Pinkie asked, a slight frown playing at the corners her mouth. Rainbow suddenly felt transparent. She kicked a hoof nervously.
"Of course I know that, Pinkie," she said, looking down. "I just..."
Pinkie shifted uncomfortably. "You just what?"
"Nothing." Rainbow Dash averted her eyes again. "So, are we gonna train or what?" She asked, hoping the enthusiasm in her voice didn’t sound forced.
"Yeah," Pinkie said, without emotion. The two mares made eye contact for a moment. As they began jogging away, Pinkie lagged behind for a moment.
"It's not nothing," she whispered to herself.
It wasn't long before the two mares arrived at their intended training location: the Everfree Forest. For a moment they both marveled at the spectacle before them. Lush foliage and massive trees loomed in the gaping path ahead. As one looked deeper into the trail it became more sinister; the flora grew steadily darker and the scenery was eventually rendered invisible by fog.
It was beautiful. Rainbow Dash briefly wondered if Pinkie would be able to keep up, and then recalled a time when she’d tried to evade Pinkie in the past. That silly mare defied logic.
"You ready?" Rainbow asked with one eyebrow raised.
"Bring it!" Pinkie replied, with unmistakable confidence. But if Rainbow wasn't mistaken, there was still a tinge of sadness in her voice.
"Then let's go!" Rainbow shouted. The two dashed off into the forest on foot. It was vital to build up strength and endurance in her entire body, so Rainbow Dash would save flying for a little later. Her wings were shut tightly against her sides, making her highly aerodynamic. The breeze whipped through her brilliant mane as she ran, making it a blur of color.
Pinkie was not hopping as per usual but rather galloping swiftly to keep pace with her friend. Her expression was intensely focused and far more stoic than Rainbow Dash could ever remember seeing her. She's actually taking this seriously, Rainbow noted.
Dust and foliage alike were swept into the air as the two mares sped down the forest path. The scenery around them became a blur of earthy tones and brilliant autumn leaves, and the sounds of the woods were drowned out by the rush of wind. After a few solid minutes of running, neither Pinkie Pie nor Rainbow Dash seemed the slightest bit fatigued. The winding path they were navigating began to open up at the shore of a vast river. Its water appeared perfectly still, like a plane of glass reflecting clearly the gorgeous morning sun. One would never guess there was a deadly undertow right beneath the surface.
Huge, jagged rocks were conveniently positioned across the expanse of the river which made for a swift albeit dangerous means of crossing. Rainbow Dash took the lead, wings still folded, and made a massive jump to the first rock. Pinkie soon followed and the two traversed the width of the river expertly, navigating over the stones with precision and skill. In a show of expertise, Rainbow executed a flawless frontflip while making the final leap to the opposite shore. Pinkie Pie proceeded to mimic Rainbow Dash, except with a full-twisting frontflip, which was a decidedly more difficult maneuver.
They pressed onward, hooves never faltering, through the thick of the Everfree Forest. As the terrain grew tougher they moved faster, dodging branches and fallen trees with impressive agility. Pinkie’s demonstration of athletic prowess while still sporting her green and yellow workout duds was truly a sight to behold.
In a matter of seconds their surroundings changed from dense forest to a massive clearing, which was somehow mysterious even in the light of day. Tall, golden grass waved in the light breeze, and there was an audible whistle of wind in a canyon far away. The two friends slowed to a stop and took a rest.
“You really can run,” Rainbow realized, panting. “I can’t think of anyone else who could’ve kept up with me. Well, besides Applejack, I guess.”
Pinkie Pie smiled.
“Good friends do their best, Dashie.” As far as Rainbow Dash could tell, Pinkie’s smile was completely genuine. Maybe she wasn’t that sad after all.
One less thing to worry about, the multicolored mare thought.
For a few pleasant minutes the two relaxed in the tall grass of the clearing, staring up at the sky and making light conversation—which was quite a feat, considering Pinkie Pie was one of the participants. However, the usually hyper mare seemed almost calm and collected for once. It was a very welcome change of pace for Rainbow Dash.
Eventually their conversation died down and they simply sat in silence, relishing both the spectacle of nature around them and each other's company.
* * *
Meanwhile, Twilight was frantic. Admittedly, that was a state she found herself in relatively often. This time, however, it was for a very good reason. If her suspicions were correct, Equestria could be on the verge of a disaster akin to the return of Nightmare Moon or Discord.
Or worse, Twilight thought, skimming her various shelves of books.
Constants, contentment, convolution, convulsions, cosines… ah! Cosmic Events. Twilight flipped the book open, a purple glow enveloping it. Skimming the table of contents, she quickly located her desired page and immediately turned there. She only had to read a few sentences before reality sunk in.
“Well, that’s not good,” Twilight mused.
* * *
“So, what’s next?” Pinkie Pie asked, offering a hoof to help Rainbow Dash up. Rainbow took the hoof and stood, yawning.
“I don’t know,” she confessed. “I’m sort of…”
Tired? No, that would sound weak…
“…In the mood to just hang out.” Dash finished her own sentence without thinking, and it took a few seconds for her to realize that it was the honest truth.
Pinkie beamed. “You mean that, Rainbow Dash?” she asked, grinning from ear to ear.
“Yeah, Pinkie,” Rainbow replied, smiling back. “I mean it.”
In that moment all Pinkie wanted to do was rave about how excited she was that Rainbow Dash actually wanted to hang out with her, and how super-duper happy she felt that Dashie actually didn’t find her annoying and really wanted to spend time together as best friends. Somehow the words didn’t come out. Maybe she was too concerned about acting completely over-the-top and immature in front of Rainbow Dash, or maybe her response was stifled by her emotions. In any case, Pinkie’s rebuttal was simple.
“Yay,” she squeaked.
* * *
“An angel comet is a magically-charged ball of dust and gas flying through space,” Twilight explained to Spike, while at the same time penning a letter to Princess Celestia. “If it lands or even passes too closely to Equestria, the results could be catastrophic.”
“I thought you said it was only as big as an apple,” Spike recalled, contemplating. “How could that hurt anyone?”
“Well, typically a comet that size wouldn’t even survive the entry into our atmosphere. It would dissolve far before touching down. But this sort of comet is held together by magic,” Twilight clarified, still writing furiously.
“Also,” she continued, “even if this comet doesn’t hit us, it could still cause a disaster. My books say that angel comets are known to produce temporary magical powers in both pegasi and earth ponies.”
“So Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash will become magical,” Spike observed. “Cool! Where’s the danger in that?”
“Besides the fact that Pinkie Pie is on that list,” Twilight commented, putting the finishing touches on her end-of-the-world letter to Celestia, “the magic that angel comets produce is corrupted. There’s no telling what sort of damage could be done with power like that.”
“I see,” Spike said, though he still didn’t understand what the big deal was.
“Corrupted magic can kill its host if used too frequently,” Twilight added, giving Spike her letter to send.
“Oh,” Spike said. “That could be bad.” He inhaled deeply and blew the letter away with a burst of green fire.
* * *
Two mares strolled calmly through a trail that they’d recently blazed in the Everfree Forest, enjoying the wonderful scenery as they walked. Sunlight shone through the green canopy above them and fallen leaves rustled underhoof. The air had a crisp, undeniably autumn-like feel to it. A pony couldn’t ask for a better day to go for a walk with a friend.
For no apparent cause, a brief and utterly ridiculous thought flashed through Rainbow Dash’s head. She accidentally laughed. It was barely audible, but against all odds Pinkie noticed.
“What’s so funny, Dashie?” she inquired, leaning her head toward her friend in question.
“Oh, nothing,” Rainbow said. She looked away, a subconscious effort to redirect Pinkie’s attention. The pink mare was undeterred.
“It isn’t nothing,” Pinkie insisted. “That’s the second time you’ve claimed that there was a nothing today when there was really a something!”
“But…”
“Nope! No buts!”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
“Fine,” she conceded. Pinkie smiled victoriously.
“I was just wondering if it might be practical to do a Sonic Rainboom with some… extra cargo,” Rainbow said.
“Cargo?” Pinkie raised her eyebrows slightly. “What kind of cargo?”
“Well…” Rainbow Dash hesitated, looking at the ground as she tried to formulate the right words. Eventually she just gave up, and turned to Pinkie with a mischievous smile on her face.
“…You.” With that, Rainbow opened her wings and swept Pinkie off the ground.
* * *
Twilight paced nervously. Spike watched her trot back and forth throughout the library while he calmly sipped a Sweet Apple Acres juice box. He had to admit that he was more than a little concerned about everything, but at the same time he’d grown somewhat accustomed to Twilight’s incessant worrying over the years. Sometimes it turned out that she was just overreacting. Spike earnestly hoped that this situation would not turn out to be as serious as Twilight had said.
He took another sip of apple juice and almost choked. The formation of an unexpected magical burp was preventing him from swallowing. With an explosive belch, he coughed up not only a letter but a good amount of apple juice and saliva as well.
“That’s gross,” Twilight noted, though more interested in the letter itself than its soggy condition. With a purple flash, she grabbed the letter magically and started reading.
“My faithful student…” she skimmed, “this is indeed a cause for concern… immediate action… most spells would be ineffective… last resort… diversion spell number three.” Twilight paused. Diversion spell number three?
Oh boy.
* * *
It would probably take several hundred pages of words to write out all of Pinkie Pie’s overexcited thoughts as she was quite literally dashing across the sky on that beautiful morning. Without a doubt, “ohmygosh,” “flying,” and “Rainbow Dash” would each occur dozens of times on that list.
Rainbow was holding the pink mare tightly, fighting vicious wind and cruising at barely subsonic speeds. She felt totally confident that she could break the sound barrier at any point if she wanted to, so for a few brief moments she hesitated. Right now Rainbow Dash wanted to savor the unbelievably crazy nature of what she was doing. For the first time in a while, she felt wild and free. There were no Wonderbolts or falling Rarities to save, nothing to ruin the excitement of the moment.
“So… radical!” she cried, but it was totally drowned out by the deafening wind.
Several hundred meters ahead, there was a faint crackling and sparkling of white energy proceeding an incoming magical comet. The comet itself was still a considerable distance away, but the magic that now coursed through the clouds before them was just as potent as the celestial body itself. Soon the two mares began to pass through the magic, completely unaware.
* * *
Spike made a thoughtful observation. “Why does Celestia always seem to leave everything up to you when the fate of Equestria lies in the balance?”
“I don’t know, Spike,” Twilight admitted, “but I’m not going to let her down.”
Diversion spell number three was very difficult. It essentially produced a massive magical explosion that repelled any magical energy outside of a living being.
So, in essence, the comet and any magical corruption that had already entered the atmosphere would be done away with instantly. Anypony infected with the magic would have to be dealt with separately. The big question at the moment was whether or not Twilight could actually execute the spell in the first place.
“Well, here goes nothing,” she mused, dropping a book whose text she had been memorizing only moments before. Twilight took a wide stance and crouched, focusing every drop of her magical energy on the task at hand. Starting on her horn, a glowing, crystal-like sphere blossomed and expanding slowly, changing in color from green to blue to violet. It continued to grow in size until it filled the entire space of the room. Then, grunting, Twilight used the last of her energy to ignite the explosion. With a massive whoosh the magic vanished from sight, shooting outward at thousands of miles per hour, taking the comet and any corrupted magic in the air with it.
* * *
As Rainbow Dash broke the speed of sound, there was no Sonic Rainboom. There wasn’t a burst of brilliant color or a rainbow trail in her wake. Instead, there was a detonation of magic that was white as snow. Sparks of light wrapped around both ponies, temporarily causing their manes and fur to glow white with magical energy.
The light slowly faded but the power from the magic remained. Somehow, this mysterious magic was making Rainbow Dash go even faster than ever before.
Too fast, Rainbow thought. With an unforgiving wind battering her relentlessly, Dash struggled to regain control for several agonizing minutes.
The magic pushed the poor mare beyond her physical limits, and suddenly her wings simply stopped moving. Her pegasus wings were paralyzed, and she was unable to speak in shock. Pinkie Pie was silent as well, but that was probably because she was unconscious. The mare hung limply in Rainbow’s hooves, head drooping, eyes closed. Rainbow couldn’t control her arms, but somehow they were still holding on to Pinkie. Somehow she knew they wouldn’t let go.
Blackness and static began to play at the edges of Rainbow Dash’s eyes, and she immediately panicked. She was going unconscious, and that wasn’t an option. Dash forced her eyes wide open, and strained with all her might to make her wings move. If she could just overcome the paralysis of this strange magic…
It occurred to Rainbow Dash that maybe she could use the magic. She acted on instinct, not knowing the slightest thing about magic or how to employ it. Surprisingly, whatever she was doing seemed to be working. Her wings begin to tingle with an electric sensation, and they began to glow a brilliant cyan just like the color of her fur.
Wasn’t the magic white before? she wondered. Either way, Rainbow was slowly regaining control over her wings. They sparkled blue and began to move, soon buzzing with practiced speed.
Just as she was growing accustomed to this unique magical flight, unconsciousness started tugging at the pegasus once more. This time she wasn’t sure if she could fight it. Acting quickly, Rainbow took a sharp dive and tried to decrease the distance between them and the ground as much as possible.
A hundred feet, seventy five, fifty, forty…
You’re going to have to level off before you pass out, Rainbow told herself.
As the last remnants of light faded from Rainbow’s sight, she abruptly righted herself and attempted to slow down in her half-conscious state. In a split-second flash of thought before her mind shut down completely, Rainbow Dash wondered just how far they had to fall.
“Well, that was something,” Spike said, stepping out from behind a bookcase. A very exhausted Twilight Sparkle nodded to agree. Her lavender fur glistened with perspiration, and her mane was nothing short of what Rarity would call a “fashion emergency.” Shaking slightly, Twilight sat down and took a few moments to let the fogginess in her vision clear up. Spells like that could really do a number on a unicorn.
“I’m… just praying… it worked,” Twilight said breathlessly, trying to resist the urge to lie down and take a nap. Tempting as it was, sleep would definitely have to wait. She needed to make sure that Ponyville was alright and that a report was sent to Celestia about the whole ordeal.
This floor is so comfortable, though, Twilight thought, her mind drifting. She rubbed the floor gently with one hoof.
“Twilight, are you feeling alright?” Spike asked with a genuine look of concern on his face. After a few seconds had passed the purple mare was still unresponsive, so he snapped his fingers directly in front of her face. Twilight’s eyes opened and her typical personality resurfaced for a moment.
“Spike! Slap me if I fall asleep, okay?” she ordered, fighting to sit up. It was a valiant effort, but after a brief struggle Twilight began to lose her grip on consciousness once again. She hit the floor with a significant thud, and Spike winced at the sound. There was a short silence, and then the sleepy mare muttered something extremely disturbing.
“Twi-Twi wants to take a nappy.”
Spike blinked. Twi-Twi? Nappy? It was one thing for Twilight to refer to herself in the third person, but it was another thing entirely for her to use a word like “nappy,” even if she wasn’t conscious. I’d better slap her, Spike decided nobly. He hesitated for a moment, being a little reluctant to slap his best friend, even if it was for her own good. Spike slowly drew back his hand and prepared to strike, summoning as much courage as he could. Trust me, this is going to hurt me a lot more than it will hurt you. After several seconds and several second thoughts, he finally let his hand go, smacking Twilight squarely on the face.
Spike immediately turned away and shielded himself with his forearm, afraid to open his eyes. For a few tense moments, everything was quiet. Then, Twilight snored loudly. Spike opened his eyes with great astonishment. There Twilight lay, breathing heavily, lips pouting. Spike had failed his friend. No! Spike told himself. I won’t fail her. I have to wake her up!
With that, he forced himself to slap Twilight again. The mare stirred. For a moment it seemed that she might wake up, but much to Spike’s disappointment, Twilight rolled over and resumed snoring. A look of despair formed on Spike’s demeanor, and his brow became furrowed with frustration. He bit his lip and slapped Twilight a little harder. There was no response.
Spike was flustered. “Wake up, darn you!” he cried, raising a hand once again to strike. Spike paused when he saw Rarity standing in the library’s doorway. The white mare smiled sweetly. She was clearly amused. “You know, you could have just used some cold water,” she said with a giggle.
* * *
Senses came back one at a time as Rainbow’s mind slowly awoke from a very deep sleep. First was hearing; there was a soft, steady wind causing fallen leaves to rustle and creaky branches to sway. There was an eerie sense of calm in the air which suggested she was still in the Everfree Forest. Dash’s sense of touch was the next to kick in, and immediately she felt burning pain, especially in her wings and rear legs. It also felt as if most of her body was covered in mild scratches. Rainbow also felt something more pleasant, however; a hoof was gently stroking her back.
Finally the bruised and beaten pony opened her eyes, ready to face whatever the outside world happened to be. Blurry colors gradually took shape, and the first thing Rainbow Dash could make out was Pinkie’s face. When everything came into focus, she could see that there were tears in the pink mare’s eyes. The sight took Rainbow aback and she blinked several times, trying to make sense of the situation she’d just awoken to.
“Pinkie…” she began, pulling herself into a sitting position. The exertion was extremely painful. “What’s wrong?”
The pink mare looked alright, physically speaking. She was covered in dirt and had a few minor scrapes and bruises, but didn’t seem to be badly injured. “Dashie,” she said, stifling sobs, “your wing…”
Rainbow looked down at her side immediately, and gasped. Her left wing was bent at an unnatural angle, and was stained violet with blood. It had clearly been broken. The pegasus instinctively tried to move it, which was not a very good idea. Rainbow couldn’t suppress a whimper from the searing pain of her injury. Pinkie gasped and stepped back as if the pain were her fault. “I’m so sorry, Dashie,” she wailed, tears flowing freely.
Something about seeing the poor pink mare so shaken up made Rainbow Dash want to cry as well. “Hey, it’s fine,” Rainbow reassured her, in the most comforting tone she could manage. “So I won’t be able to fly for a little bit. It’s not the end of the world.”
Pinkie sniffed. “It’s not?” Her big blue eyes were wet with tears.
“Of course not,” the pegasus continued, with forced confidence, “after all, I can still walk.” With that, Rainbow attempted to stand. She immediately collapsed when her left rear leg exploded in red-hot pain. The cyan mare let out a sickly whine. “Or maybe not,” she managed to say, burying her head in her hooves and biting her lower lip as she waited for the intense discomfort to subside. She couldn’t help groaning as the shocking pain reverberated throughout her body.
It was too much for Pinkie. The pink pony began bawling loudly and she fell to the ground, completely distraught. The devastated mare then inched over to Rainbow Dash and embraced her, shoulders shuddering as she sobbed. Pinkie nuzzled the back of her friend’s head, whimpering and crying into that beautiful rainbow mane.
Rainbow Dash sighed. She wanted to believe that she didn’t need the affection, but it was undeniable that there was some sort of emotional connection forming between the two mares. Pinkie’s sympathy gave her a feeling of warmth and calmed her nerves, and soon the blue mare sunk into another exhausted sleep.
* * *
Twilight awoke with a start. She immediately noticed that her mane was drenched with water, and that Rarity was holding a bucket between her teeth. Rarity, noticing that Twilight was awake, set the empty bucket down and offered a hoof to help her friend up. Twilight took the hoof and stood with a grunt. She still felt a little dazed from the diversion spell, but not quite as much as before.
“Spike explained why you were on the floor,” Rarity said casually. “I didn’t notice anything unusual on the way here, so your spell must have worked.”
“Well, you can’t be too careful,” Twilight said. “I’d like to have a walk around Ponyville myself to make sure everything’s okay.” At that, Rarity nodded.
“Of course,” she agreed delicately. “Would you like me to accompany you?”
“Yes,” Twilight answered, finally feeling a little bit of energy return to her. A walk with Rarity would be a nice change of pace after such a stressful morning, and recreation was certainly something that Twilight could use a lot more of.
Looking down, Twilight noticed Spike’s expression. His eyes were wide and he held up folded hands, silently petitioning to come along. “Yes, Spike,” she said with a sigh. Rarity smiled knowingly.
The three set off from the library, greeted by warms rays of sunshine and a steady fall breeze. Ponyville looked gorgeous, and its features sparkled in the sunlight. Looking around, it was as though there had never been any threat at all; everypony went about their business happily, and there were no signs of anything unusual or dangerous as far as Twilight could see. Still, it would ease her mind to make a quick sweep of the town.
They continued on, and the scenery was so breathtaking that day that the group was usually too busy admiring it to make conversation. Occasionally Twilight would question arbitrary ponies as to whether they’d seen anything unusual that morning, and so far, none had. After twenty minutes of walking, the trio arrived at the marketplace, and everything seemed to be in perfect order.
To either side of the group vendors were selling fresh fruits and vegetables, and they all looked absolutely delicious—in fact, it was tempting not to turn the walk into a shopping trip. Even Twilight found the fresh goods a little distracting, but that was mostly because she hadn’t eaten anything all day. After a brief debate Rarity persuaded Twilight to take a break, and she treated them all to lunch.
The day wore on, and Twilight’s investigation yielded no suspicious results. After a couple hours, the group had made a complete circle of Ponyville, and Spike and Rarity were more than ready to call it quits.
“Really, Twilight, I’m sure everything is fine,” Rarity insisted.
“I’m pretty sure it is,” Twilight admitted, “but I want to talk to Zecora before hanging this up.” Something was still nagging at the back of her mind, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.
“Well, you can count me out,” Spike said, yawning. “I’m in dire need of a great nap.” He hopped off Twilight’s back and began to head home. Rarity watched him go for a few moments and then turned back to Twilight.
“I’d go with you,” she said sincerely, “but I’ve got a bit of a tall order to fill at the boutique. It’s been a lovely morning, though.” Rarity’s eyes were bright, and she clearly meant what she said.
“Thanks, Rarity.” Twilight replied, with a grateful smile. She thought a moment. “It’s probably better if I go alone, anyway.” At this, Rarity nodded.
“I’ll see you soon.”
* * *
Once again, Pinkie was the first to wake. At first all she could see was gold-tinged rainbow hair, because her head was still nestled in Dash’s mane. She carefully pulled herself away from the colorful pegasus. As soon as Pinkie stood she felt cold, and a light wind sent a chill coursing through her body.
Rainbow Dash shivered in her sleep. It was still a beautiful day, but clouds were moving in and Pinkie Pie knew that weather in the Everfree Forest would be anything but predictable. With Rainbow immobilized, it would be important to get some wood for a fire, and to make some sort of shelter. Pinkie had no idea how it would be possible to get her friend back to Ponyville until she was healed, so for now their main focus would have to be survival.
Survival, thought Pinkie solemnly. I’ve taken so much for granted. What if we don’t even make it out? The pink mare’s heart fell and her ears followed suit.
“What the hay?”
Pinkie’s heart leapt at the sound of Rainbow’s voice. She turned around and dove at Rainbow, briefly forgetting about her friend’s injuries in the joy of the moment. In midair, she remembered that Rainbow was badly hurt. Unfortunately, she was already in the air and had no time to prevent the inevitable impact. As she collided with the cerulean pony, similarly colored sparks enveloped Rainbow Dash. The brilliant sparks transferred like electricity to Pinkie’s body at various points of contact, and she was repelled by the magic. Pinkie Pie felt an electric pain zip through her limbs.
The surprised mare crashed onto the forest floor with a pained cry. She slid a few feet after landing, gaining a few scratches from tiny rocks on the ground. Pinkie looked up with confusion, not understanding what had just happened. Rainbow Dash also had a shocked look on her face. “What was that?!”
Pinkie didn’t know, but now a cold sense of dread was beginning to form around her heart. The feeling wasn’t her Pinkie sense, but it unmistakably told her that something was very wrong. Regaining her composure as quickly as possible, Pinkie stood, looking Rainbow straight in the eyes. Dash’s eyes were flickering between their typical magenta hue and a chilling ice blue.
“What’s happening to—” Rainbow’s sentence trailed off, and her injured wing and hind legs began sparkling violently. Flares of magic leaped and sizzled on her wounds, and Rainbow Dash cried out, recoiling in pain. Her wing suddenly realigned with a snap, and blood stains began to disappear from her body. When the magic died down, Rainbow Dash looked as healthy as she had been prior to the fall.
Pinkie Pie braved another glance into her friend’s eyes. Rainbow’s irises now steadily shined blue, and tendrils of sparkling magic surrounded them. “R-Rainbow?” Pinkie stuttered, beginning to feel scared. The cyan mare said nothing and stared her straight in the eyes. Then she smiled wickedly.
Pinkie swallowed. Starting in a whisper and ending in a biting scream, she cried out to no one in particular, “Somepony help me!” Rainbow Dash’s eyes glowed brighter and a fallen tree limb became enveloped in a magical aura. As the branch hovered gently in front of the seemingly-possessed pegasus, another soft glow ignited on the forest floor. This time it encased a pointed rock, with which Rainbow Dash began to sharpen the tip of the broken branch.
She’s making a spear, Pinkie realized with horror. After several agonizing seconds, the pegasus seemed satisfied with the sharpness of her makeshift weapon. She met Pinkie’s eyes, and grinned sadistically. When the crazed mare spoke, her voice was metallic and nearly unrecognizable.
“Goodbye, Pinkie,” Dash said, hurling her spear at the petrified pony.
“Goodbye, best friend,” Pinkie whispered, in tears. She closed her eyes bravely.
Twilight wanted to believe that everything was fine after her close call with the angel comet. In fact, there was no evidence to suggest otherwise, so it was probably safe to assume that her worries were completely irrational. Nevertheless she couldn’t seem to shake a looming feeling that something was amiss.
Leaves crunched underhoof as she walked, but other than that there was an eerie quiet in the Everfree—an unnerving and pensive calmness that set Twilight on edge. It was almost as if the lack of noise was a deliberate diversion from something else. That’s ridiculous, Twilight thought, frustrated at herself for entertaining thoughts and fears that were totally unfounded. She was a scientific thinker, not an impulsive one, and these feelings simply didn’t make any sense. I should just turn around and take a nap. Of course, she wasn’t actually giving any serious consideration to that thought; Twilight knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep.
Zecora’s hut became visible in the distance, and a warm glow from within the dwelling suggested that she was indeed at home. Twilight could hear the light tinkling of charms and decorations inside, blown by a soft breeze through the open windows. The sound provided a little relief from the unsettling quiet which engulfed most of the forest.
Twilight arrived at Zecora’s door and tapped it a few times with her hoof.
“Come in, Twilight,” the zebra answered, “for I sense that everything is not alright.”
Twilight stepped in, hoping that she didn’t look as nervous as she felt. She glanced around the room, absent-mindedly examining the décor while she thought of what to say. Eventually her gaze settled on Zecora. The zebra met her eyes and gave her a look that was both understanding and solemn.
Twilight Sparkle sighed deeply and decided to keep things simple. “I need your help,” she told Zecora, sensing that the zebra was somewhat aware of what was going on.
“If it’s the matter of a comet that brings you here,” Zecora said, “you may indeed have cause to fear.”
* * *
Pinkie Pie felt absolutely nothing as Rainbow’s spear pierced her body. In her present state of emotional shock, Pinkie’s mind was unable to register pain, discomfort, or even fear. All she could feel now was a strange sense of regret, like somehow everything that had just happened was her fault. As Pinkie looked down and saw her chest covered in blood, a feeling of numbness washed over her. Her thoughts began to blur together, and it became obvious to her that she was dying.
Rainbow Dash stared at her friend with a listless, emotionless expression. Her mind buzzed with a heated anger that she didn’t understand, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t make sense of anything that was going on. She hated Pinkie Pie, though she didn’t know why. The enmity she felt seemed clearly out of place, but it was too strong to resist.
Seeing that the pink mare was bloodied and mortally wounded, Rainbow knew that, in any event, her job was done. So she turned away, eager to leave the whole mess behind her. With a newly healed wing Rainbow Dash took off, and she would have left Pinkie to die were it not for a final, penetrating scream that the dying mare released, utterly heartbroken.
“DON’T LEAVE ME!” Pinkie Pie shrieked, her voice cracking with emotion. Pain from her wound was beginning to set in now, and the gut-wrenching agony of the mare’s words was sufficient to temporarily pierce through Rainbow Dash’s insanity.
Rainbow’s eyes flickered.
* * *
“What do you mean? What happened?” Twilight demanded, grabbing Zecora with her hooves and looking intently into her eyes. She noticed a look of discomfort in the zebra’s demeanor.
“The magic has not touched you nor I, but friends of yours up in the sky,” Zecora replied softly. She removed Twilight’s hooves from her shoulders gently and allowed what she’d said to sink in. A dazed expression on Twilight's face transformed into uneasiness as the unicorn began to realize the meaning of Zecora’s rhyme.
“Friends in the sky?” Twilight repeated. “Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?”
“The latter friend isn’t who you think,” Zecora corrected her, “instead of yellow, this one is pink.”
Twilight was incredulous. “You mean Pinkie Pie?!” she said, nearly screaming. “That’s impossible. First of all, she can’t fly, and second… Pinkie? No. I refuse to believe it.”
Zecora sighed and turned away, attending to some concoction she had been heating over a fire. She continued speaking as she stirred the brew. “Listen here, my dear Twilight: there is more than one way to experience flight. Pinkie Pie may not have wings, but Rainbow Dash is strong, it seems.”
A look of vague comprehension began to form on Twilight’s face. Then everything suddenly clicked, and her eyes widened. “Where are they now, Zecora?”
The zebra frowned slightly. “They were both in the sky only hours ago, but where they are now… I do not know.”
“Well, we have to find them!” Twilight stamped a hoof on the floor adamantly. “There’s no telling what sort of danger they could be in!”
Zecora nodded. “This forest is riddled with twists and bends,” she said, “I would advise that you bring your friends.”
* * *
Though her thoughts were deranged and reasoning was entirely absent from her, there was something within Rainbow Dash that ran deeper than corrupted magic could reach. Pinkie Pie’s shriek had pierced straight through layers upon layers of deception and made a painful incision inside her chest. Emotional torment manifested itself as physical pain, and the discomfort began to distract the pegasus from the burning hatred that had overtaken her mind.
“I…” Rainbow Dash attempted to speak, but there was nothing to express what she wanted to say. A fog of dark magic still clouded her mind, although it was being rapidly cleared away by something far more powerful.
Pinkie looked up, but by this time she was too far gone to really understand what was going on. Her eyes were heavy and it was difficult to keep them open for more than a few seconds at a time. She whimpered, confused and losing grip on reality. The world was gradually growing darker and her hope faded along with the light.
Meanwhile, truth and love were doing battle with the corruption inside Rainbow Dash's mind. Her consciousness was now slipping back and forth, her eyes shifting between shades of magenta and blue. Despite the conflict and confusion, Rainbow somehow knew what the real truth was, and she resolved to fight for it. I care about her, she told herself, knowing instinctively that it was true. With all her might she willed that thought to the forefront of her mind.
“I won’t let you take her away from me!” Rainbow screamed at the magic inside her, and her entire body became engulfed in blood-red energy. She galloped toward Pinkie Pie and lay a hoof on her head, concentrating everything she could find within her on a single task:
“Heal!”
Both mares and the area around them erupted in magic. It was as if they had been immersed in a waterfall; magic poured like liquid over them and the thundering sound was nearly deafening. It was nearly impossible to tell what was going on because the energy obscured Rainbow’s vision; notwithstanding she continued to pour out all the power within her while focusing healing her friend. She strained and screamed as the exertion became extremely painful. After almost a minute of agonizing effort, she collapsed, and began to black out.
Not this time, Rainbow Dash thought. Somehow, she managed to hold on to her consciousness through sheer willpower. Rainbow needed to know if the magic had worked, and she couldn’t afford to wait if it hadn’t. At the very least she would need to say goodbye to the mare who had become her best friend.
When the magic had fully dissipated and the dust had settled, Rainbow was immensely relieved to see that the pink mare’s blood stains were gone and that she was still breathing, though her eyes were closed. She was somehow sleeping soundly in spite of all that had just transpired.
Rainbow Dash resolved not to wake the mare; maybe Pinkie needed rest for the healing to complete itself. As much as Rainbow wanted to know if her friend was okay, it was more important that she didn’t mess things up any further. The colorful pegasus didn’t even want to think about the damage she’d already done. So she waited for several hours, until the sun fell low in the sky. Shadows lengthened as evening drew near, and still Pinkie Pie slept, her chest rising and falling slowly. She looks so... peaceful. Golden sunlight illuminated Rainbow's mane as she sat and watched, hoping beyond hope that Pinkie would soon wake up and that things would go back to normal.
She made a valiant effort to stay awake, but after a long while she became too exhausted and eventually her eyes began to shut against her will. In that same black semi-conscious state she had been in prior to her dream about the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash wondered what she would wake up to this time around.
