Downed

by Lulzies

Rating: everyone
Tags: Human, Twilight Sparkle, Sad, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Romance
Length: 6241

You are Anonymous and your friend is downed.

You are Anonymous, the human resident of Ponyville- often seen with your best friend, Rainbow Dash. She tests out her tricks with you, you provide her terrible comments and less-than-luxurious drinks; The perfect friendship.

But when tragedy befalls your friend by your hand, how far are you going to go to help her through?

Published 2012-11-29 20:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-11-29 20:50:01 UTC

Downed

“Downed”

“Yes.”

”No.”

“Yes!”

”Buck that, no!”

“Do you know what a faggot is, Rainbow?”

"A bundle of twigs, Duh."

“It’s your mane color, now YES!”

”NO!”

“FINE.”

You drag yourself to your feet, and run down the hill, nearing a table. You grab two bottles on it, and run up again- quickly draining your lungs. You puff and pant as your reach the top of the hill, and throw Dash a bottle. Of course, she lazily holds up her forelegs, missing the catch.

The bottle quickly rolls down the hill, with Dash making haste right behind it. You chuckle, as you sip your drink. Grape soda, because you don’t support drinking.

Also, you’re broke, but you don’t let that slip.

’Tentacool Grape’, who would have known?

You look over to the lively scene that is Ponyville, your home for several years. And with that, Dash sits next to you, upon the soft grass- well, that’s what you ‘think’, because you can’t even afford garden chairs either.
You savor the taste of the beverage.

And soon enough, you’re bored.

“Dash, I’m bored.” You say.

”Amazing how it works, isn’t it, Anon?” She throws a snide comeback.

Her rough voice cackles with her own joke, which you thought was pretty weak.

”Well… I could do some tricks.”

“Fucking A, Dash.”

Dash grunts, before storming up to the sky. She does some loops, shaping and destroying clouds. She stops for a second, and looks to you. You keep a stoic expression, and you feign a yawn.

That will get her ego.

Dash was (in)famous for two things.

One, her speed lust,

And second, her pride to match.

Dash does even more loops in quick bursts of speed, but you keep up your demeanor- You saw it all. Dash’s face glows red in anger, before she shouts at you.

”Fine! You asked for it!”

She begins to soar higher up, past the clouds and even higher. You cup a hand over your eyes, shielding it from the sunlight. The little blue speck goes tinier, and eventually disappears from view. However, you soon see the same dot emerging from the cloud, coming down, fast.

A transparent cone starts to form around the dot, as it nears the earth. Dash’s mane flutters like mad, before slowly streamlining into a rainbow. The rainbow still heads down, before making a sharp turn. And with that kick, you hear a large boom. And with it, came torrents of multicolored wave. You are quickly knocked over your feet, down to the already shaking grass. The trees around you danced madly, dropping leaves everywhere. You slip down the hill- well, more like tumbling. Slipping just sounds more heroic.

You land face first to the cold ground, before quickly turning over. You manage to catch a glimpse of the rainbow wave, before it dissipates. You shake yourself up, barely keeping balance as you try to reach the top of the hill again. You see the residents of Ponyville out- some scared, some cheering.

What on earth just happened?

”Anon!” You hear a pony coming up behind you.

A quick glimpse reveals it that it is Twilight. The lavender coated pony, with a dark purple mane. Let’s not forget the violet streak on that neatly kept mane.

”Did Rainbow do another rainboom?” She asks.

“What?”

”That waves you just saw!”

You look to the sky, and then back at Twilight. You shrug. Twilight sighs, before running up the hill. She puts up a foreleg over her eyes, to shield herself from the sunlight.

And you’re just standing there.

Well, what else?

”Uh, Anon?” Twilight calls out to you.

“That dirt looks interesting.” You mutter.

”Anon!”

You turn to Twilight, and she motions to come up. You do as she commands, once again panting for air. You really needed exercise.

“Yes-“ You take a deep breath- “Twilight?”

”Where’s Rainbow?”

“What do you mean?”

”I *mean* where is Rainbow!”

You look over the town.

Huh, no Rainbow after all.

”Anon! Twilight! Y’all need to come quick!” Another voice grabs your attention.

The two of you look down to Applejack. Anyone would notice her accent anywhere.

”What’s wrong, Applejack?” Twilight asks.

Applejack’s face sinks a little.

”Rainbow…”

You hold your face with your hands and groan. You only lift your head up to glance around the white hall. The waft of antiseptics slowly crawls into your nose, causing you to shift uncomfortably in the wooden bench, one of many lines along the halls. You then turn to Twilight, who was seated just beside you, and then to the rest of her friends, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie. They all passed you a weak, optimistic smile, before lowering their gazes to the floor.
You do the same, waiting for the white door to open.

Applejack told you Rainbow made a crash landing in the town hall. You also head that she scared the Mayor and the staff pretty good. You’d laugh, but given the circumstances, you rather won’t. You balance your chin on a hand, and get comfortable. A bit too comfortable, you’d admit, as you drift to sleep soon enough.

You are stirred awake by a hoof on your shoulder. You look up to Twilight, who smiles weakly. You stand and walk into the hospital room, only to be hit by the sharp smell harder.

With the steady rhythm of a machine, was Dash, laid on the clean white bed.

You spot bandages over one side of her face, covering her left eye. Her right eye was left untouched, and you could spot a bruise under it. Several spots on her face were patched, with her mane combed up to keep it from the wounds. Half of her torso was hidden under the covers, with her foreleg sticking out, both were covered in plaster. Her chest was clear, just a few bandages here and there.

Something else made you cringe.

Dash’s wings were spread evenly over a support, completely sealed in plaster.

Dash’s expression seemed peaceful enough, her mouth slightly open.

”Looks like she’s asleep.” Rarity whispered, as she pat the side of Dash’s bed. ”Get well soon.” Rarity whispered again, before heading out, holding back tears.

Fluttershy did the same, and then Applejack. Pinkie promised Dash a party in the hospital, making all kinds of sound effects. Alas, her excited words came to an end, her bubbly persona slowly fading away. You and Twilight silently watched as your friends make their goodbyes to Rainbow, not noticing the doctor next to you.

”I bet you’re wondering how your friend is doing.” He speaks.

The two of you slowly turn to the pony in question, and nod.

”Rainbow-“ He points at your downed friend. “She’s been here lots of time, with all kinds of injuries. This time however…” He brings out a clipboard, examining it.

”Yes… yes- she damaged her wings quite badly. She’ll need months to recover.”

“But she’s going to be fine, right?” You blurt out, with a glimmer of hope.

”Of course, given her condition, she’ll be fine. But this leads to the next issue…”

”A problem?” Twilight chimes in.

”Yes… I’m afraid your friend does not have the- erhm- funds- to stay here that long.” He looks away from the two of you.

”What? So you’re just going to throw her out?” Twilight asks, her voice slightly rising.

”Maybe one of you-“

”She’s hurt and you think you can just-“ Twilight cuts him off.

“I’ll do it.” You cut again.

”What?” Twilight turns to you.

“I’ll take care of Dash. She’s my friend and all.”

The doctor nods, and goes away.

”You sure, about that, Anon?”

“Yeah, this is partially my fault anyway.”

”What do you mean?”

“I asked Dash to do some tricks- and she ended up almost killing herself.” You admit.

”Well,” Twilight places a hoof on your arm. “If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thanks, Twilight.”

You look over to Dash again, her head hung awkwardly in her sleep.

”Time to go, Anonymous.” Twilight calls to you by the door.

You pat Rainbow’s bed once.

“I’ll be back tomorrow, Dash- don’t die on me.” You smile, and find yourself holding back some tears.

You switch off the lantern set next to Dash, and prepare to leave. You close the door behind you, and join Twilight.

”Don’t worry too much, Anon, bet Dash is fine.” Twilight tries to assure you.

“Yeah-” You touch your cheek. “-bet she’s fine.” You echo.

You pocket your hands, and walk in silence. Usually, you’d be out drinking with your friend. Or poker night, there was that. You and Twilight separated somewhere, leaving you alone in your thoughts. You look up to the starry night sky, breathing out.

A familiar cloud came to view, Dash’s house. You quickly turn away, not wanting to see the empty home. You almost lost a friend today, all for some stupid entertainment.

And that night you promised.

You’d take care of Rainbow.

”I still don’t get why I have to put it on.” Dash crosses her covered forelegs together, and pouts.

“Come on Dash, just for a month.” You try to reason with her.

”A month?!” She shrieks.

“The doctors said-“

”I can’t be out for a month! I have to practice for the Wonderbolts recruitment!”

Shit.

“Uhm, when is it on?”

”A week from now! I told you two weeks ago!”

Curse your terrible memory.

You blame the grape soda.

“… What if you missed it?”

”MISS IT?! IT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE A YEAR, ANON, I CAN’T WAIT FOR ANOTHER YEAR, IT’S LIKE- A YEAR!” The shrieks have turned into full blown wailing.

The nurses have vacated the premises.

Dash is having a fit, struggling to get out of her binds. You quickly leap in and hold her by the shoulders, effectively stopping her struggle. She angrily stares at you, fury welling her in her magenta eyes.

”This is all your fault, you know.” She hisses

You stare at her silently, still holding her down.

”If YOU didn’t ask me to do tricks, I wouldn’t be in this mess!” Dash starts to struggle once more, this time in a larger volume of violence.

“Dash.”

”Let go off me!”

“Dash, please.”

”I said, LET GO!”

“Liste-“ You are cut short by a sharp jab on your nose.

You look down to a hoof raised against your face. Dash clenches her teeth, and rears the hoof back. In a swift swing, she brings it to your nose again, this time with pain erupting over your face. Your grip loosens, and your hands shoot up to quickly protect your nose. You back away from her bed, still clenching your nose. Head spinning from the blow, you evade Dash and head towards the door. Right before you vacate the room, you turn to her to tell her;

“I’m gonna take care of you, no matter what.” You nurse your aching nose, and open the door.

Dash looks away to the wall next to her, crossing her forelegs.

”Went well, Anon?” Twilight comes to you, before shock coming to her face. ”What happened to your nose?” She asks.

“Dash… Didn’t react to well- wait, what about my nose?” You feel a light tap on your shoe, and instinctively look down.
You spot a crimson spot was on your clean shoe. You pull your hands away, only to see it covered in blood. You look over to Twilight.

“You wouldn’t happen to know how to fix my nose, would you?”

Twilight sighs, before looking at the Dash’s room door.

”Wait here, I’ll talk to Rainbow.”

“What about my-“

”This is a hospital, Anon.”

”There we go, all patched up.” The doctor says, backing away.

“Thanks, doc.” You smile to the unicorn.

”No problem.” The mare smiles at you, before resuming to her other works.

You go over to Dash’s door again, only to hear muffled shouts coming from inside. You hear a vase shatter, and more shouting. The door slams open, and Twilight walks out, her mane in a mess. You look to her pleadingly- she just sighs.

”Rainbow… is just having a hard time.” Twilight forces the words out.

You nod once, before turning to go.

”Anon.” Twilight stops you.

“Yeah, Twi?”

”Don’t forget; tomorrow, five o’clock sharp, alright?”

“Got it.” You rub your previously hurt nose.

You’re definitely not doing that again. Good thing they got unicorn magic here.

As you leave, you greet Twilight’s fellow friends, each bearing gifts for Dash.

Damn, why didn’t you think of that?

You silently watch as they enter the room, each shouting happily. Streamers blow out of the room, and soon, laughter and music starts to boom out. A pink hoof slams the door close, and the hallway goes silent.

You sigh once more and leave the hospital.

Sleep does not come easy that night, all kinds of thoughts assaulting your mind. Tomorrow, you’ll have Dash living with you. You managed to clear out your storage room, setting up a room for Dash. With the help of Twilight, you managed to get some of Dash’s items. You placed it around the room, just to make it homier. Everything is set, with one problem.
Dash does not want to be here.

Well, too bad for her, you wanted to take care of her. After a few minutes of thrashing in your covers, making up plans over things to happen, you finally bore yourself to sleep.

“Lovely morning eh, Dash? The weather team really did a good job.” You say cheerily, as you push the wheelchair.

Dash sits there silently, probably ignoring your comments. So far, your attempts to start a conversation were feeble.

”Thanks for reminding me that I can’t fly, jerk.” Dash growls.

Your chest swelled a little, damn- you weren’t supposed to mention that. You clam up and continue pushing the wheelchair in relative silence. Until you reached home, none of you spoke a word.

You unlock your door, and push Dash in. She is still frozen in her chair, forelegs crossed, her face even more cross.

“This will be your room.” You open the door.

You push the wheelchair in, and ready the bed. You set the wheelchair right by it.

Dash looks to you with mild annoyance.

”How do you expect me to get up?”

You immediately reach down and place her back legs over your forearm, and hold her shoulder with your other.

”Hey! What are you-“

You quickly lift her, as she thrashes about. She manages to land a few jabs on you a few times, but you ignore the pain, and quickly set her on the bed. Her wings are fluttering like mad, only to be held in place by the support. As soon as you make sure she is set, you back away immediately. She stops as well, and pulls her covers over her face.

”Don’t you touch me again.” She spits the words.

You don’t respond, and quickly vacate the room.

You take out some porridge you prepared this morning, and slowly heat it. And as you do that, you take the chance to examine the damage on your face. You have to admit, even with the plaster, Dash can give a good swing. You have few bruises, mostly centered on your cheekbone. You give them a slight rub, and then turn to Dash’s door. You can’t help but to cringe- she hates you now.

A chill runs down your heart as you make your way over to the cooking food. You turn the stove off, and pour the steaming porridge to a wooden bowl. You grab a spoon, and mix it well. You don’t forget to blow on it a little, just to cool it a bit.

You hold it on one hand, and open the door. Dash is where you left her, still with her forelegs crossed.

“Dinner, Dash?” You conjure up the softest voice you can make.

She looks to you once, before turning away. She shakes her head rather viciously, rejecting the food. And as if by cue, her stomach growls. You feel a smile creeping on your face.

”Knock that face off.” Dash hisses.

You crouch next to her bed, and hand the bowl. She looks at it with disgust, and then to you. She lifts her helpless legs.
”How do you expect me to eat, jerk?”

You shrug once, before taking a spoonful of the food, and hover it over her mouth. She grunts, and slaps the wooden spoon away from her. The jerking motion flung the steaming porridge at your face, with the spoon landing somewhere far off. You yelp, and wipe the porridge off your face. Fuck, that burned.

Dash cackles cruelly, and then turns away from you.

”Like I said, not hungry.”

You pick up the overturned bowl and leave- only to return later to clean the dropped food, and then leaving Dash alone to her business.

Later on, Twilight and her friends come visit, all cheery.

”Hey Anon! We’re here for a housewarming party!” Pinkie cheers.

She blows a party toy at your face, before hopping into Dash’s room; along with the rest of the gang. Twilight remains, with a worried look on her face.

”Anon, are you alright?”

“Hmm? Uh yeah, I’m fine Twilight- just tripped on my way here, that’s all.”

Twilight smirks.

”You’re a bad liar, Anon.” Her smile quickly dissipates. “Dash still giving trouble?”

“I’m fine, Twilight. Go on, enjoy the party.”

She pauses for a second, looking confused.

”You’re not coming?” Twilight looks confused.

“Better if I don’t.”

”Do you want me to talk to Rain-“

“No, no. It’s quite alright. She just needs time, that’s all.” You reassure her.

”Alright, remember, if she’s any trouble, any-“

“I said, it’ll be fine, Twi, go have fun.”

Twilight pats your arm once, before going into the already bright and pink room.

”Hey, Rainbow!” Twilight excitedly calls.

”Twi!” Dash waves happily, but as soon as she spots you, her expression turns sour once more.

Applejack peeks over the door.

”Anon! Not coming in, pardner?”

“No, I got some… work to do! You girls have fun.” You fake a smile, and quickly walk away from view.

Applejack shrugs, but quickly forgets about you. The door slams shut. You head towards a room right next to Dash’s- yours. You sit on your bed, listening to the muffled merry music coming from next door.

At least she’s enjoying herself.

You lean on the cold wall and ask yourself, is it worth it? With Dash pushing you around a creeping feeling tells you this won’t end well.

But you promised you’ll take care of her.

And you will.

Dash was plopped to her wheelchair again, with Pinkie behind her.

”Let’s go for a walk, girls!” Twilight called out excitedly.

Applejack opened the door, and the band of merry mares headed out.

”So, Rainbow, how’s it going with Anon?” Rarity nudged her.

”Oh, it’s fine.” Dash smirked. “Actually, I left a little surprise for Anon…”

The girls simply giggled, not knowing the full extent of her saying.

You sigh, and start to sweep the streamer covered room. Pinkie sure had her ways; her explosive, over-the-top ways. You smile, at least Dash’s happy.

You suddenly pause, a nasty odor freezing you. You follow it, right to Dash’s bed. You pull over the covers, to find a large, yellow stain. You drop the broom, and cringe.

Dammit Dash…

”Then where am I going to sleep?” She whines.

“Well, if you didn’t-“

”Looks like someone can’t take care of me very well!” She announces.

You sigh and rub your temples.

“Fine. Dash, you can take my bed.”

She looks surprised for a second, before going into her annoyed demeanor.

”Fine.”

“Fine.”

“You still hungry?”

”No, I ate. With my REAL friends.” She places extra emphasis on the word ‘real’.

The words are enough to stab at your heart. She might not know it, but Dash has been twisting the knife for a while now.

You don’t reply at all, and open the door to your room. You set her down on your bed, and make sure she is comfortable. And once that is done, you leave immediately.

And now, you have no bed to sleep in.

You wish you invested in a couch, but your tiny home barely had any room to house that. You reluctantly grab a chair. It’s not that bad, you supposed, you always wanted to try sleeping on the hard- wooden- chair. You convince yourself that it an experience and set it near a wall.

As you expected, sleep does not come easy. You repositioned few times, but sleeping upright is just too hard. Ah, fuck it, you’ve been through worse- you are too tired to be tired. You drift off soon enough, neck hung awkwardly over the back of the chair.

You wake to the sound of heavy knocking on the wall. You shake your head, and brace for the pain to kick in. It comes quick. Your neck is sore as hell. You rub it with a hand, and head to the source of the noise. Not surprisingly, it is coming from your room. You slowly push the door open, only to find Rainbow slamming her plastered leg on your bed stand.
Specifically, a picture of you.

It was a group shot, of you and your friends. Dash slammed it over and over, crumbling the picture and the glass over it. She then looked at you, grinned, and lifted herself a little.

”Let me down. Twilight said she was going to take me around town today.” She commands.

God, your parents could see you now.

You silently obey, and lean over to pick up Dash. She punches you once, as you drop her on the wheelchair. You push her out to the living room.

”Oh, and one thing.” Dash adds. “I left something for you back in the bed.”

You head inside, and lift the covers. To your not-surprise, it is another stain. Your grip on the blanket hardens, crushing it. But that was all you needed to do to pent out the anger. Dash was having troubles, you had to understand. You just had to.

You promised.

Already sick of your mind process, you get to work immediately- and take down the mattress.
Your eyes drift to the cracked picture frame and the ruined picture on it.

You hear the front door open, and Twilight calling in.

”Anon! Taking Dash for the day!” She says.

And with that, she’s gone.

“Alright.” You whisper weakly.

You drop the mattress, and walk over to the bed stand. You pick up the picture frame and put it upright, trying to fix the picture. In a single sweep with your hand, you drop the broken glass down to a bin. Time for the big ones, cleaning TWO mattresses and their respective sheets.

At least Dash was kind enough to not wet the blankets. ’Kind’

Speaking of work- You glance at the clock, and make a mad dash outside.

You were late for work today.

”Anon, what happened to your face?” The mayor asks, looking worried.

“Oh, this? Just fell down, that’s all.” You rub the bruise on your face for the thousandth time..

She grimaces, and raises a brow.

”Mare problems?”

“A sort.”

”Ah.”

She smiles to herself, and lets you get back to work. You worked as her secretary, always tapping away with the keyboard. She would give you documents, and you’d process it. It wasn’t the most exciting or the best paying job, but it was easy enough.

Besides, being the best typist in Equestria had some perks.

You often had bonuses from the mayor, and extra jobs to make more bits.

Every bit counted, you supposed.

Work was uneventful today, and the laundry was more so. Thank the heavenly pony lord for unicorn magic, you got the mattress and sheets cleaned right away- Even if it cost you a small fortune.

You proudly look over the prepared bed, yours and hers. And just in time, Twilight comes with Dash. Twilight silently sets the giddy mare down, and motions you to follow.

”Anon, we need to talk.”

You close the door to Dash’s room, and follow Twilight outside.

”Anon, what are you doing?” Twilight asks, some bit of weight in her voice.

“I’m taking care of Da-“

”No. You’re not. Why are you letting her push you around like that?” she pressures you.

“I’m not being-“

”Yes, yes you are. Is it because of that promise?”

“Twi-“

”Is it?”

“… Yes.”

”Well, Dash needs to stop. Look, here’s what you’re gonna do.”

“I’m not entirely comfortable with this, Twilight.”

”I can’t stand her treating you like this. She’s telling everypony about it!” Twilight exclaims.

“Fine.” You give in.

”Okay, here’s the plan…”

Dash moved around in her covers. She smirked, and called for Anon.

”Anon!”

No response.

”Anon! I think the bed is still wet~” She shouted, laughing to herself.

Oh, she was going to make Anon suffer.

…

Still no response.

She waited, and waited, and waited until the sun set.

The smell was getting to her, and Dash tried so hard to navigate her legs away. She was also starving. When were the girls coming today? She pondered. No way she was going to eat from Anonymous. Her stomach growled again. She clenched it with her forelegs, the plaster only making it an awkward cross over her chest.

She waited some more.

When the moon was high up, she heard a knock. Anonymous peered in, and then Twilight. Upon seeing Twilight, she immediately called out.

”Twi! Where were you all day?”

Twilight does not respond, and goes away. Anonymous entered the room, holding a warm bowl of porridge.

”Where were YOU all day, huh? Being lazy?”

“Looks like you’re not hungry, Dash.” he responds flatly.

Anonymous leaves the room.

Dash cringed, her stomach was killing her.

”Okay, OKAY! I give up! You win, Anonymous!” She shouted.

Both Twilight and Anonymous entered the room. Twilight lifted Dash with her magic, and put her down on a wheelchair.

“Thank you.” Anonymous smiled at Twilight, who proceeded to work her magic on the stain.

Anonymous pushed the wheel chair out, and set it by the dining table. Anonymous took the spoon again, and took some porridge. He held it up to Dash’s mouth. Dash frowned and looked away, not going to take the gesture. However, her hunger quickly won over and she opened her mouth. Anonymous gently slid the spoon in, and let her lips and tongue to do the rest. Dash looked away once more, and started to chew. She wouldn’t admit it, but this tasted good.

“Like it? My own recipe.” Anonymous beams a smile.

She only grunted in response, while opening her mouth again. She then glanced over to your eyes, not finding any insult. She only saw pity, which only annoyed her more. But she had to endure the fact that she couldn’t eat without his help. Anonymous was going to pay for this, she swore.

You stifled a chuckle, watching Dash hesitantly open her mouth.

You were spoon feeding her.

She almost looked cute, excluding the part she was staring at you with anger. Most of time, she didn’t look at all. You felt bad for her.

She only locked eyes with you once, before grunting and turning away. You understand her position, she’s feeling pretty embarrassed now.

”Anon.” She finally calls out.

Twilight was long gone by then, Dash’s meal was finally done.

”I’m- uhhh- sorry.” She grits her teeth, hiding her anger.

“Really?”

”Yeah, really.” She spits out her words.

“Well, this is great; I hope we’re still friends.”

Rainbow glares at you.

“Oh, and I also got news today.” You continue, ignoring her previous gesture.

”I don’t care.” She says you immediately.

“Even if it was from the hospital?”

Dash’s ears perked up at this, and snapped at you.

”What did they say?!”

“You are getting better, that’s what they said. And if they’re right…” You hold her foreleg.

“We can slip this off for now.” You take it off, easily sliding the plaster off her front legs and back.

She happily moves them about. She stands on her legs, giddy as ever.

”OHMYGOSH THIS IS GREAT! NOW I CAN-” She then glances to her legs, and then to you. ”What about my wings?”

You shake your head.

“They said the wing was battered pretty bad; it might take longer.”

”What? I FEEL FINE! SEE?” She gives it a little shake, only to shrink in pain.

“Dash, please-“

”NO! I’M FINE-SEE?” Her voice beings to crack.

She quickly takes off the supports, and flares out her wings. You can easily spot the pain in her face. She notices your nervousness.

”Fine, I don’t need you to believe, I’ll show you!” She runs towards the door.

You run to her as well, and quickly hold her in a grip.

“Dash! You can’t put too much stain on yourself now!”

”BUCK YOU ANON, BUCK YOU!” She struggles in your hold.

She starts wailing and kicking around, hitting you a few times. You slowly make your way to Dash’s room, with her struggling harder.

“Dash please-“ Your voice is drowned in her screams and struggle.

You lay her down on the bed, and hold her there. She hits you square in the jaw a few times, but you hold on- for her sake.

She eventually calms down, and you relax as well. You can see that she’s crying openly now, too tired to fight back.

”You’ll never understand Anon… What it means to be downed.” She stifles.

You let one hand go, and nurse your wounds.

That was the moment Dash sprung into action.

She leaped, and bucked you right on the chest. You fall to the ground, clutching where your breastbone should be. Dash glides over you, and runs out of the house. You spring to your feet, and find yourself chasing her. You have to be careful, she might hurt herself.

You promised.

You sprint over the wet grass, following the rainbow mane of hers. She ran straight into the forest of Everfree, concealing herself with the foliage. You jump in immediately, brushing past the leaves. You trip a few times, collecting cuts all over your body. Damn, that mare is fast.

You keep your eye on Dash, who was running madly- just like you. After what felt like an eternity, she stops. Dash just freezes in place.

You are gasping for air, while stumbling on the undergrowth. You stop few feet behind her, lungs completely drained. She cocks her head to you, and cracks a grin.

”I’ll show you, Anonymous…” She says, flaring her wings out.

Her left wing doesn’t even spread right, but she ignores it anyway.

“Dash, no…” You beg, as you crawl towards her.

She looks forward, and crouches a little. With a final burst of strength, you rush at her as she jumps. You feel feathers on your fingertips, and you grasp it immediately. You pull it close, and hug the body tight. After a few second of falling, you land on your feet. Upon landing, you hear an audible crack, and your legs go numb. Your vision blurs a little and you fall to your back, screaming in pain. Even falling to the soft dirt hurt. You lay there, every inch of your body shrieking in pain. And yet you hold Dash close, even while she struggles. She breaks your hold eventually, and runs off.

You feel light headed, and your vision begins to darken. You helplessly reach out to Dash, who was too busy running away from you. Your hand slump to the ground, and everything goes dark.

”Do you think he’s alright?” You hear a faint whisper.

”Don’t worry, he’s stable. Well, most of him.” A deep voice answers

”Have you found Rainbow?” Another voice.

”Yeah, we found her face first right outside of the town, completely drained. She’ll be fine.”

”Too bad we can’t say the same about her wings…”

And then, everything is silent again.

You force your eyes open, seeing few blurs of pink.

”He’s waking, he’s waking!” You hear an excited shout.

You know that voice from anywhere.

Pinkie.

“P-pink-“ Your eyes open fully.

You see an orange pony smiling at you, along with four others.

“Hey girls.” You whisper, smiling.

”You had us worried *sick* back there, darling!” Rarity skirts next to your bed, p;acing a hoof on the bed.

“What happened?” You ask.

Everyone looks to Twilight, who clears her throat.

The look on her face tells it all.

This isn’t good.

“D-did something happen to Rainbow?”

”What? ‘Ta need to think about ya’self, sugarcube!” Applejack chimes in with a laugh.

”Rainbow is fine, Anon.” Twilight clears it up.

“Then what’s the problem?”

You lift your back up, feeling a dull ache. You turn your legs over, and slip them out. You put them to the ground and- and then you notice it.

A wooden limb replaced your lower left leg. You look to Twilight, demanding an explanation.

”…When we found you on the forest, your left leg was broken badly, Anon. It was mangled beyond saving..”

“So? You could have mended it!”

Twilight shrinks a little, before continuing.

”Well, when we found you, the infection set in. We had to lose the leg to save your life, Anon.”

You go silent, as you look down on the lost leg again.

“B-but Dash is fine, right?”

“She is, surprisingly. She mentioned she made a jump? Did you take the fall?” Twilight asks

You nod.

”Consarn it, Anon!” Applejack hits you. “Why’d you let that darn Rainbow take advantage of you?”

You stare straight at her green eyes, and answer;

“Because I owed her, Applejack.”

”Well, it’s about time you showed up.” Rainbow hollers, as you enter her room.

Twilight is by your side to support your walking.

“I’ll be fine, Twilight.” You smile to her.

She returns it, albeit much more forced. You hand Rainbow her food, and walk out.

“I’ll go for a walk.”

”Yeah, you better go!” Rainbow calls out to you.

She begins to dig in, until a purple aura covers the bowl. The bowl then flies to the wall, splattering the contents in the wall.

”Hey, what’s the deal-“ Rainbow notices Twilight fuming, her face flustered with anger.

”Twi, what’s-“

”What the BUCK is your problem, Rainbow?! All this time, you’ve been mean to Anon, and look what you’ve done now!”

”ME? He’s the problem here! He first caused me this-“ Rainbow gestured over herself. “He then kidnapped me, forced me to eat some mushy stuff, and he almost got me killed in the Everfree!”

”Rainbow, first- it was your fault you crashed- you were the dumb flier who crashed! Second- he didn’t kidnap you; he was taking care of you!”

”Oh yeah? Prove it!”

Twilight brings a hoof to her face.

”That night back in the hospital, the doctor said you couldn’t stay. None of us had any room in our homes, and Anon suggested you stay in his place! If it weren’t for him, you’d be in the streets!”

Rainbow froze for a second, looking at Twilight.

”Wait. So all these time…”

”You were being a jerk, Rainbow, making him work like that. And that night in the Everfree…”

”Yeah, what about it?” Rainbow sunk a little.

”Didn’t Anon tell you? Your wings won’t work! If he never caught you, you’d be dead! And now look what happened to him!”

”He looks fine to me.”

”HE LOST A LEG, RAINBOW.”

Dash paused again, and then down to her own hooves.

”He- he- lost…”

”Yeah! Thanks to you, he can’t even walk straight right now!”

”B-because of me?”

Twilight nodded.

All because of her…

Rainbow suddenly jumped out of bed, and ran outside. Twilight had barely enough time to react. Luckily, her legs were fine.

Dash raced through the dirt path searching for Anonymous.

In a distance, she saw a lonely, tall figure-

You.

She quickly runs to you, but stopped when her eyes fell on your left leg.

”Come on, one more lap.” You whisper to yourself, as you try to balance yourself with the new leg.

You force a smile, and try to walk normally. You almost stumble, and back to your hunched stance.

”Anon!” You hear a call behind you.

You slowly turn around, only to be pinned to the ground by Dash. You can see the tear welling up in her eyes, as she stares you down.

”You idiot! Why didn’t you tell me?!” She hits your arm, before jumping into your arms.

“Because Dash-“ You reply gently, holding her tight. “I owed you.”

She finally smiles, a smile you waited so long to see again.

“Hey Dash, so you wanted to fly, huh?” You whisper.

”Anon-“

You lift her over your shoulders, and hold her there.

“Because I can try my best.”

You begin to run, somehow balancing yourself on the attachment. Dash begins to laugh, and you do the same.

Twilight comes out of the house, looking down to the odd couple. Both are arrogant, she’d admit. But as she looked at Dash’s deformed left limb and yours, she smiled to herself-

That wasn’t the only similarity the two of you shared.

And as long as it goes, none would be downed.