Shattered Wings

Chapters

Love Untold
Fallen Angel
Through An Angel's Eyes
Dragon Pearl
An Ill Omen
Fangirl Blues

Love Untold

The sun hang high above the small town of Ponyville. Fillies and colts ran around playing, and many ponies found comfort on blankets at the park, enjoying picnics with their families. For the last three days, rain poured down, halting any activity outside of homes and business. Today, however, the sky was perfectly clear thanks to the weather team. All was peaceful.

Fluttershy, a timid pony never too quick to join in crowds, chose to stay home today. The aftermath of the storm had left a terrible mess, harming the homes of many of her woodland friends. She sang happily as she worked to clean out burrows and remove debris from the stream. The animals helped out, pulling branches out of rabbit holes and piecing back together ruined nests.

Angel Bunny nestled lazily in Fluttershy's mane. It was his favorite place to relax when he didn't feel like working.

"Now Angel, you're going to have to come out and help eventually"

The small bunny Hmph'd, snuggling deeper into her pink mane.

The day dragged slowly by as Fluttershy worked. Branches began to pile up as the burrows and holes were cleared out. On the horizon, the tell-tale violet hues coloring the sky signaled that night was getting closer. There were still a few things that needed to be done, but there was no way she could do them on her own before nightfall.

It was at this time that a familiar figure broke through the cloudline. "Fluttershy!!!" The voice was one that always sent shivers down her spine, not because it bothered her, but because she loved it.

Rainbow Dash landed neatly on the ground, seconds ahead of the wind that followed her. It rustled her rainbow-colored mane lightly as she smiled at her old friend. "Hey ya, Fluttershy. I didn't see you in town today, so once I finished clean-up with the team I headed here to check on you. I guess you've been doing a bit of cleaning on your own. Need any help?"

Dash spoke with such confidence. It had always been one of her defining features, and possibly contributed to Fluttershy's deep affection for her. Ever since they had met at the Cloudsdale Flight Academy, the two had always been the best of friends. Dash's brash and headstrong attitude was opposite to the quiet demeanor of her friend, but the difference never hampered their friendship. Rainbow Dash had always been there to defend Fluttershy, and she was truly greatful for it. Why, if it hadn't been for Dash, she would have never even learned her special talent with animals.

"Umm....yes...I would love a little help. See, it's almost night, and umm....a lot of the animals homes are still messy."

"Hey, I got ya. With my help, we'll finish in no time." Dash zipped to the nearest burrow, making quick work of clearing out the rest of the debris.

About an hour passed, and the two ponies finished up with the last of the burrows. Happy that the animals would be able to sleep peacefully, Fluttershy turned to thank her friend, but was instantly dumbstruck. She wasn't good at talking to Rainbow Dash. Being as shy as she was, she found it difficult to hold a full conversation with anypony, let alone Dash.

"T-thank you....Rainbow Dash. I appreciate the help." She looked down. Though the moon had come out, it provided enough light to see each other clearly, and she feared that it would betray her blushing to her friend.

"Hey, it was no problem at all. I wasn't gonna let my best friend stay out here working her tail off all night!" She smiled at Fluttershy. It was unbelievable how oblivious she was to her friends shyness. But to Dash, it was just how Fluttershy was with everypony. "Say, you aren't doin' anything tomorrow are you? I'm free for the day and was wondering if you'd like to go to Cloudsdale with me?"

It was very rare that the two of them got to hang out. When they did, they were usually accompanied by the other ponies. Neither of them really mided it. Ever since Twilight Sparkle had come to Ponyville, the girls had formed a tight bond, and quickly became the best of friends. But, to Dash, Fluttershy would always be her closest friend.

"I don't know...I...umm..." Fluttershy hesitated, but Angel, still lounging in her mane, tapped her softly on the back of the head. "Actually...I would love to go." She gave Dash a cute smile, still trying to hide the blushing.

"Great! I'll meet you here early-ish. I can't wait for us to spend the day together!" She hugged Fluttershy, still oblivious to the blushing, and took off, leaving a small rainbow-trail behind her. Fluttershy sighed heavily as she sulked into her cottage, closing the door behind her.

"Oh, why can't I just tell her! I can't keep acting like that around her. Especially if I'm going to be with her all day!" She paced anxiously around the living room and kitchen of her cottage as Angel prepared two bowls of salad. He stopped to stare at her, tapping his foot.

Fluttershy had always told Angel everything, so naturally she would've told him her true feelings about Rainbow Dash. From the time they had met at Flight Academy, Fluttershy had held very strong feelings for her. Dash saw her as her closest friend, but to Fluttershy, Dash was so much more. It killed her not being brave enough to open up. She was so afraid that if she told Dash how she really felt, she would end up losing her best friend. She held on to the hope that, one day, Rainbow Dash would tell her that she was in love with her. That thought is what had kept Fluttershy from falling apart for so long.

"Don't look at me like that Angel. You know I can't risk ruining our friendship. She just means so much to me. It would kill me if I lost her"

Incontent, Fluttershy continued to pace around the house, fretting over spending a day with the mare that she loved.

Fallen Angel

"Dashie! Please, don't do this. You're my best friend! I can't lose you! I need you!"

Fluttershy screamed after the cyan pegasus, trying to keep up as she sped on towards Celestia knows where. She had finally worked up the courage to tell Dash how she felt.

"Dash, stop running, please! I need you! I love you!!!!!!"

The pegasus stopped, spinning around to face Fluttershy. "Take the hint. Leave me alone. Stay out of my life, freak." With that, she turned tail and shot off towards the horizon, way too fast for Fluttershy to ever hope to keep up with. She stayed there in one spot, watching, crying as the mare she loved flew away, never to return. Between sobs, she felt an intense pounding in the side of her head. Perhaps it was a bad headache from the stress? She didn't know, she was too upset to even care. She closed her eyes, letting the tears flow, letting the hurt fill her.

Finally, she opened her eyes. She could feel the tears that had streamed down her face in her sleep. She was drenched in sweat. Angel Bunny stood on her head, tapping his foot to try and wake her up. Through motions and gestures, he admonished her for sleeping so late. He tapped his wrist, the universal sign of Tik Tok

Fluttershy looked at the clock beside her bed. The hands pointed out that it was 12:30 in the afternoon. Without thinking, she shot up, sending the poor bunny flying into a small pile of blankets. He peeked through, waving a tiny fist at her.

"I'm sorry, Angel. I've got to hurry. Oh, I hope I'm not too late!" Even though she could barely form a full sentence around Rainbow Dash, she cherished every moment spent with her. Today was going to be a day just for them, and Fluttershy wouldn't have traded it for the world. She rushed about, packing things into her saddlebags. Throwing in her money bag, she zoomed out of the door, leaving Angel to clean up the blankets and fix the bed.

Just as she was about to fly skyward towards Dash's house, the rainbow-maned pony burst through the clouds. Much like the day before, she landed perfectly next to Fluttershy. As usual, she held a big grin on her face.

"Hey Fluttershy. You ready for a fun day?" She smiled at her friend, speaking with grace, but it all went unnoticed. What caught Fluttershy's attention was the bandage around Dash's back leg.

"Oh my! What happened! Are you ok? Do you need anything? I..." As she spoke, she fluttered around Dash, examinging her from head to toe for any injuries. Finally, the mare stuck her hoof out, stopping Fluttershy's torrent of questions.

"Calm down, Fluttershy. I just had a bit of an accident this morning, that's all. I crashed into some rocks practicing one of my tricks. Nurse Redheart was nice enough to bandage me up. It's nothing serious!" As she spoke, her air of confidence and happiness broke through Fluttershy's worry, and she finally set her hooves on the ground, returning to her normal shy demeanor.

"Oh...that's great...umm...I'm glad you're ok." She stared at the ground, still unable to make eye contact with Dash. It happened everytime they were together. Something about her made it impossable for Fluttershy to be able to look her in the face. Maybe it was because, everytime she did, she was overcome with the extreme urge to kiss her.

"Thank's for being concerned about me though. It's nice to have a best friend that worries so much about me. It shows me how much you really care!" Dash smiled as she spoke, putting her arm around Fluttershy.

Fluttershy kept her face in her mane, not only to hide the blushing, but the smile that reached from one ear to the other.

"So what'd'ya say we get headed towards Cloudsdale? We already missed half the day, so we gotta make up for lost time!"

"Ok....let's go."

As the two took off, Fluttershy was sure to stay slightly behind Dash. If she couldn't make it through today, she could never hope to be with the mare. Thought's of her nightmare raced through her head as they flew towards Cloudsdale. Now, she knew she could never tell Dash how she felt. And that only made her feel worse.

Cloudsdale was particularly busy today. As it turned out, Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts, was hanging out at one of the local cafe's for the day, meeting fans and boosting her media persona.

"Maybe we should pop in to say hey once the crowd dies down a bit."

In the last year, Dash and Spitfire had become good friends. Saving somponies life tends to do that. The two hung out frequently, exchanging stories and showing off the moves they had learned or made up. By now, Spitfire was just another friend to Dash. She didn't have the same jaw-dropping effect anymore.

"I...umm...yes...we should say hi."

Fluttershy had often spent hours wondering about the relationship between Rainbow Dash and Spitfire. Many sleepless nights were caused by the nightmare that the two were together.

Figuring the cafe would be crowded for at least a few hours, the two decided to walk through the marketplace. Neither of them had been to Cloudsdale since the Best Young Flyer's competition. Rainbow Dash had gotten first place for not only saving the Wonderbolts and her friend Rarity, but also creating a Sonic Rainboom in the process. She had become the talk of the town, having been born and raised in Cloudsdale. That was nearly two years ago now, and a lot of the uproar had died down. Now, she could walk the street without getting piled on by 50 ponies.

The two spent an hour browsing the wares of various shops and stands. Dash bought a small legband with "Winning" written on it, saying that it fit her perfectly. Fluttershy, still overcome by Dash's mere presence, hadn't managed to actually look at her friend.

As the day passed, the pegasi managed to make their way back to the cafe. The large sign showed it's name of "Skybucks."

"Oh man, I swear these are popping up on every corner now. I don't even think their coffee is that good!"

Entering the small cafe, they noticed that the once large crowd had dissipated. Casusal customers dotted the room, sitting at various tables with their sweets and coffee. In the far back, closest to the window, sat Spitfire. Her attention was rapt on a small book placed in front of her. Every once in a while, she took a sip of her Mochachino.

"Hey Spitfire!" Dash yelled across the room, smiling at her friend. Fluttershy in tow, she approached the small table. Spitfire didn't avert her gaze from her book as she spoke.

"Dashie, glad you came. I didn't know you'd be here today!" She turned the page of her book, taking another sip from her beverage.

Fluttershy looked at Spitfire. It was weird how, even though she had the same grace, the same cocky attitude, as Rainbow Dash, she didn't have the slightest feelings past friendship for her. She had no trouble speaking to her, normally. But, standing next to Rainbow Dash, her resolve was diminished to nothing. So, she just stood there, listening to the two talking.

"Hey, watcha reading? Please tell me Twi hasn't gotten you into those goofy books!" She laughed slightly, but something seemed off about it. Spitfire noticed it almost immediately. Turning her attention to her friend, her eyes widened.

"Woah, dude. Are you feeling ok? You look like manure."

"Hey, that's not nice! You don't hear me making jokes about your dirty mane!"

It was at this time that Fluttershy finally managed to look at Dash again. The difference almost immediately caught her attention. Dash seemed pale, her mane didn't have it's usual luster and gorgeous pallor. She seemed sick.

"No, Dashie. I mean you look bad. Are you sick, or something?" Spitfire showed genuine concern for her friend. Rainbow Dash wasn't known for ever being sick. Being a pegasus and spending most of her time in the clouds, her body was adjusted to handle the cold.

Dash shrugged. "I don't know. I feel perfectly fine."

They sat around the table for thirty minutes catching up. Spitfire had been nominated by Ponies to be crowned Equestria's Best Flyer. Rainbow Dash talked about helping clean the town after the storm they had had. Watching the two, Fluttershy couldn't help but feel left out.

"Well, I'm gonna be heading out soon, Dashie. Me and Soarin' are supposed to go meet Fancy Pants in Canterlot for a dinner party on his yacht."

"Alright, dude. I'll be sure to catch ya later. Say hey to Soarin' for me!"

The two exchanged hugs, Fluttershy mumbling a jealous goodbye, and parted ways outside of the cafe. Rainbow watched as her friend flew away. Fluttershy, instead, watched Dash. She was wobbling badly, almost as if she were struggling to stay standing.

Ever since Fluttershy had noticed Dash's change in appearance, she had been watching her carefully. She noticed that Dash was walking with a bad limp. How long had she been doing that? Fluttershy mentally cursed herself for not paying better attention to her friend.

"I..think we..should go home..." As Dash spoke, it seemed like she was struggling to make the words come out. Her coat had lost all of it's glossy shine. She continued to limp, not noticing that Fluttershy had stopped walking.

"Umm....Dash...I think...umm..." Fluttershy struggled to speak. Even though she could see her friend was in pain, she couldn't force the words to form. Even still, her love forced her to stumble and fail to complete sentences.

"W-what's....the ma-matter....F-Flutter....." The words were cut off as Dash stopped moving. Without warning, she collapsed to the ground. Ponies walking the streets started to gather around her, worry filling all of their faces. Fluttershy didn't hesitate. Her full motherly instinct taking over, she didn't miss a beat.

"Somepony, go get help. Dash? DASH? Please, wake up!" She shook her friend, doing everything she could to bring her to conciousness. Her breathing was shallow and weak. "Dash! Please! Don't do this! Please!!!" The words struck her as she realized that she had spoken them in her dream. But it was pushed to the back of her mind as she worked to wake her friend. Unsuccessful, she turned to the bandage on her leg. Maybe whatever was under it had gotten infected? She had to know, and worked to undo the fastenings on the bandage.

She shrank back as she looked at her friends leg. Tears brimmed her eyes. Under the bandage were two pinprick-sized holes. Blood ran from them as the pressure from the bandage was removed. To anypony, it would have gone unnoticed. But to Fluttershy, it was as clear as day. It was a snake bite.

"DASHIE! PLEASE WAKE UP! PLEASE!" Tears were now running down her face, drenching her and Dash. But she didn't care. This was the pony she loved the most. "PLEASE! I CAN'T LOSE YOU!"

The crowd had now swelled, watching tearfully at the specatacle. Some hung their heads. Others couldn't bring themselves to watch the yellow pony falling apart. In the distance, the sirens of the Ambulance could be heard. But to Fluttershy, nothing outside of her own little world registered. She held Dash, yelling and crying for her to wake up. She didn't realize when the medics had pulled her away and placed Dash in the carriage. Fluttershy watched through tear-filled eyes as it was pulled away, the love of her life now fighting for her own.

Through An Angel's Eyes

There was nothing but utter darkness. Her breathing was ragged, each gasp sending pain through her entire being. She fought, trying to stay awake. In the distance, somewhere past the black haze, she could hear a familiar voice. It was so quiet, but it was definately there. The closer she listened, she began to recoginze it.

"Please, Dash! Wake up! Please!!!!"

Her friend was crying. She knew Fluttershy was by her. She never left her side. She screamed and screamed, tears streaming down her face as if someone had turned on a faucet. Dash wanted to comfort her. In all of their time as friends, she had never heard Fluttershy like this. It broke her heart.

But it wasn't enough to ignore the pain in her entire body. Her chest was tight, and breathing became a difficult task. She lingered on the edge of reality and dream. No matter how hard she fought, she just couldn't open her eyes. She couldn't feel Fluttershy's arms around her. She couldn't see the crowd that surrounded the two of them. All that was perceptible to her was the sound of Fluttershy's voice, and the distant blare of what sounded like a siren.

Suddenly, pain erupted through her entire body, and she blacked out.

Tears flooded Fluttershy's eyes as she sat in the waiting room of Cloudsdale General Hospital. Sometime after Dash had been escorted away, she had finally found the strength to move. Barely able to see through the tears, she noticed all of the ponies that had surrounded them. Dry eyes were scarce as the watched her.

She found her way to the hospital, doing all that she could to avoid anypony else. Her mind was racing as she thought of Rainbow Dash. She couldn't lose her. She just couldn't. That's what drove her to fight the tears.

But now, sitting alone in this cold waiting room, she let it all out. She curled up into one of the heavily-cusioned chairs, hiding her face in her mane, and cried. Moreso than she ever had in her entire life. More than perhaps all of the times put together. The mare she loved struggled to live just a room away, and all she could do was wait. She had never felt more useless in her life.

She knew what was wrong. She had seen the snake bite on her friends leg. That's what worried her the most. Dash had gone the entire day with the venom running through her system. It was a wonder she made it to lunch.

That thought sent another wave of tears.

Three hours passed, but to the lonely Pegasus, it seemed like an eternity. She still could only see darkness. She remembered waking up. Though she couldn't see or speak, she could hear perfectly now, the thick shroud of deafness now gone. But that was the least of her concerns. Along with hearing, possibly worst of all, was the fact that she could feel again. What had before seared her entire body now made her feel as if she were constantly being dipped into corrosive acid.

"Dr. Wingsly, what do you make of this?"

The voice was that of a young mare. She must have been a nurse, because Dash had never heard her voice before. She struggled internally, wanting nothing more than to open her eyes. She wanted to get out of this dark place. She wanted all of the pain to end. But, most of all, she wanted to see Fluttershy.

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before. The bites on her leg are obviously that of a snake....but..." The doctor trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging in midair, and leaving Dash anxious to hear the rest. What was happening to her. Was she going to die? Celestia no, she didn't want to die. There were too many things that she hadn't gotten to experience yet. She had never fulfilled her dream of joining the Wonderbolts. She had never performed the Sonic Rainboom again. But, what saddened her more than anything else, was that she had never known true love.

"But what, doctor? Is there something wrong?"

The doctor sighed, setting down his clipboard. "I've never seen anything like this before. The venom's been in her system since yesterday. How she is still even alive is beyond me. But what worries me the most is the fact that I've never seen venom like this before."

What??? This was horrible! How could he not know? Nonononono this could not be happening. Dash's mind zoomed from one end of the room to the other. If he didn't know anything about what was wrong, how would he ever be able to fix it? Was she doomed to die? No. She refused to accept that. She struggled harder, pain searing through her body once again. She couldn't move. She couldn't see. And now, it was growing even more difficult to breath. The pain rushed over her in waves. Fighting to stay awake, she tried her best to ignore it.

"I'm afraid were going to have to transfer her to Canterlot. Maybe, just maybe, the hospital there will know something about this. But if she stays here, she has absolutely no chance."

For the first time in her life, Dash was feeling absolute terror. She didn't want to die. There were so many things left unsaid, so many things that she would never be able to fix. The entire morning rushed through her mind. Slowly blacking out, she entered a deep sleep, reliving her memories through her dreams.

The day had started out horribly. Her leg throbbed in pain as she lay wide awake in her bed. The pinprick-sized marks on her leg were causing more pain than if she had dove face-first into a rock. She knew what had happened, but she was way too stubborn and too proud to act on it.

The previous day, as she helped Fluttershy clean out the burrows, she had come across one that caught her eye quickly. It was smaller than the rest, and closest to the Everfree Forest. Never one to worry about things like this, Dash reached in, removing small twigs and leaves that filled in the hole. Once she was sure that everything was cleared out, she turned around, ready to head back to Fluttershy. That's when the pain hit her.

She started to scream in pain, but stopped herself. She looked down at the hole to see a blood-red snake staring at her. It's eyes were a horrible ocher color, and it's gazed seemed to hypnotize her. No matter how bad she wanted to, she couldn't turn away. The snake hissed, raising it's head to go for another strike.

Luckily enough, a roar came from within the Everfree Forest. The snake was distracted by it, and averted his gaze to look for the intruder. Dash, now able to move, acted, kicking the snake as hard as she could. It flew deep into the forest, hitting a distant tree with a sickening SMACK.

That was when Fluttershy had called for her. Or, as close to calling as Fluttershy could get. Not wanting her friend to worry, Dash hid the pain, limping back to the cottage. Thankfully, the moon had risen. Though it provided adequate light, it wasn't enough to see the blood running down her leg.

After making her plans with Fluttershy, she took off, ready to get back to her home as fast as possible. Even flight hurt as the rush of air burned her leg. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the flood of tears. This was a new pain to her. She had gotten plenty of scrapes and cuts in her time, and had even crashed hard on occasion, once breaking a rib and one of her front legs. But none of that compared to the pain that filled her at this point.

When she got home, Dash skipped her usually large dinner, instead soaking in the tub. She had time to think.

She knew that Fluttershy would see the bite tomorrow. How could she avoid that without having to get help? Dash was a stubborn girl. She could never accept someponies help. Every bit of her screamed in agony, but she was convinced that it would go away on it's own. After all, how bad could a snake bite be?

Later that night, she decided to wrap a tight bandage around the bite. Not only would it hide it, but it would also keep pressure to stop the bleeding. Glad that she had thought of something so ingenius, she immediately weaved the story she would be going by. A simple flight accident. Knowing her, it was the most believable scenario. Happy with herself, Dash laid down, hoping the pain would go away long enough to sleep.

She was wrong. She lay awake that entire night, fighting of the tears of pain. What was once just her leg burning had spread throughout her entire body. She lay wide awake, until around 7:00. She got up, doing everything she could to make herself seem presentable, then went downstairs to eat.

It seemed like everything this morning sucked. She was getting angry at the smallest things. At one point, her turtle Tank had come out of his hiding spot under the couch. He tried to hug her, but Dash batted him away.

"Get away, you useless turtle. I'm not in the mood for games right now."

The hurt in his eyes was apparent, but she ignored it, finishing her toast. As he crawled back pitifully under the couch, she got up, limping as she walked. This day was going to draaaaag on.

Finally, at around 12:00, she decided to head out to meet Fluttershy. She knew that, no matter how angry she got, she could NOT show Fluttershy. She could never forgive herself if she hurt her best friend like that. She thought about how she yelled at Tank, but shrugged it off and left. It could wait.

Landing in Ponyville, Dash started walking towards Fluttershy's. Flying seemed to be agonizing, even worse so than just going by foot. As she walked, she did her best to avoid other ponies. It was bad enough that she had to hide the pain from Fluttershy all day. She mentally slapped herself for making plans, but she couldn't pass up a chance to spend a day with her. Dash smiled as she thought of her friend, ignoring the pain momentarily.

Halfway to the cottage, disaster struck. While close to leaving the city limits towards the Everfree Forest, Dash was stopped by her biggest fan. Scootaloo had a big grin on her smile as she rode her scooter next to Dash.

"Oh my gosh, Rainbow Dash. Do you think you can show me a few new tricks later?"

Dash usually tolerated the kid's constant questions. But today, her patience was non-existent. After a tirade of ideas, Dash snapped.

"Look, pipsqueek, will you get lost? I'm too busy to babysit. Go play with your dorky friends and leave me alone."

Dash walked on, leaving Scootaloo behind, verging on tears at her idol's lashing out. This time, Dash didn't even give her outburst a second thought. Determined to get there faster, she took off into the sky, ignoring the pain as she flew.

And that's where her time with Fluttershy began. She fought through the day doing everything she could to hold herself high. She could never let Fluttershy know when she was weak. Her friends motherly actions always forced Dash to blush.

And that brought her to her final regret. She had never gotten to tell Fluttershy how she felt. From the moment she had laid eyes on the yellow filly in Flight Academy, she was love-struck. But the shy filly never actually looked directly at her, so Dash didn't know how she would handle it if she found out. She didn't want to risk losing her best friend.

Dash had always tried to push those feelings away, even dating Spitfire for a few weeks. But, the two were too much alike, and they both agreed that it would be way better to stay friends. No matter how hard she tried, Dash could never make these feelings go away.

And now, she would never have the chance to tell her best friend how she really felt. The three words that have been stuck in her throat for years would never find their way out.

"I love you."

Fluttershy sat in the waiting room. 5 hours of nothing but endless waiting. Her tears had finally gone away, no more left to shed. That didn't stop her from dry-sobbing when she thought of her best friends life slipping away.

Finally, the doctor came out. He held a poker face, so she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Oh, please doctor....please tell me she's ok...."

He hung his head slightly. This was the worst part of his job. He hated breaking bad news. The looks on ponies's faces had sometimes driven him to crying along with them. But it wasn't enough to make him leave. He loved saving ponies. He loved helping others, and making sure they lived long enough to enjoy life. But today, he was afraid that he just couldn't do that.

"I'm afraid your friend has been badly poisoned by a snake bite. Tests show that the venom has been in her system since yesterday. The fact that she is even alive now is a miracle. There must be something important driving her to fight."

Fluttershy trembled. This conversation was going exactly where she didn't want it to go.

"I'm afraid that she has been poisoned beyond our help. I've never seen venom like this before. It seems that, if she wants any hope of survival, she'll have to be sent to the hospital in Canterlot. Otherwise, she'll die here."

Fluttershy's heart dropped at those words. The odds were all against Dash. Fluttershy couldn't fight the wave of tears that broke through.

"P-please, doctor. Y-you have to send her there now.....I can't lose her!" Fluttershy was on the absolute verge of a mental breakdown.

Doctor Wingsly bowed his head. He hated to cry in front of others, especially those close to his patients.

"We have already arranged for the transfer. A carriage from Canterlot is on it's way now to pick Ms. Rainbow Dash up." He paused, thinking his next words carefully. "I'm not one to spread false hope though, ma'am. The odds are greatly against her. It's a possibility that she could die on the way there."

Fluttershy broke. She couldn't even find words anymore, she just looked at the doctor, tears falling like rain.

"P-please! Let me ride w-with her.....please!" If Dash were going to die, there was no way Fluttershy was gonna let her be alone. She begged the doctor.

"I can have it arranged. If you will follow me, I can let you see her. Though, she is still unconscious."

He led the way to the small in-patient room. Closing the door behind him, he left the two alone. Fluttershy stumbled over to the bed, unable to accept the truth.

"Please, Dashie. You have to make it. Please! I can't lose you...." Tears streamed down her face as she spoke. There were so many things she wanted to say, but couldn't, no matter how hard she tried. "You're strong, Dashie. Fight this. Please! For me......"

She laid her head against Dash's. She sat there for what felt like an eternity. But she didn't mind.

The darkness was beginning to come into perspective again. She was coming back to awareness. The dream pounded in her head, and the sorrow of regret overflowed within her. She still couldn't move, couldn't talk. And now, her breathing was coming in short breaths. The pain was gone. She wanted to cry so badly. Her end was coming, and she knew it. Why had she been so stubborn! Why couldn't she have asked for help when she had the chance. Now, she lay still in some hospital, only able to wait for death.

Then, she heard a voice. It was very close to her. Her heart swelled with joy.

"You're strong, Dashie. FIght this. Please! For me...." Her voice trailed off, followed by tears. Dash wanted to speak, she wanted to console Fluttershy.

"I'm here! I'm fighting! You might not know it, but I'm fighting for you, Fluttershy. Please don't give up hope!"

Dash's mind raced. So close, and yet she couldn't touch her. She couldn't take her in her arms and kiss her, like she had wanted to for years. Instead, she was forced to listen to the pain in Fluttershy's voice. And it killed her.

Soon, the crying stopped, replaced with strange voices. She couldn't discern them, couldn't understand the words. The shroud was coming back down, blocking her hearing. And once again, the pain returned.

Fluttershy followed the crew as they carted Rainbow Dash into the special carriage. She turned to the doctor before stepping in.

"Thank you so much. I can never repay you."

The doctor smiled at her.

"Don't thank me. Nothing makes me happier than to see love so strong. Stay by her side. She needs you now more than ever."

With a farewell, he turned to go back to his post, and the carriage took off for Canterlot. Fluttershy wrapped Dash's hoof in hers, and held on tight. She wasn't letting go. Not ever again.

Dragon Pearl

The ride to Canterlot was amazingly fast. Normally, the trip from Cloudsdale would've taken at least 2 hours. But the carriage was specialized for emergency transports. It crossed the distance in barely 30 minutes, much to Fluttershy's relief. Every second Rainbow Dash lay here meant another second closer to being lost forever. She still held on tight to her best friend's hoof. She couldn't let go, and she didn't ever want to.

The entire ride, Fluttershy thought of what would happen if Rainbow Dash recovered. Would she open up and reveal her feelings? Or would it go back to the way it's always been. No, she decided. If Dash made it out, she was going to tell her. There was no doubt.

The carriage door opened, and several white-coated lab techs moved Dash carefully onto a gurney. As much as Fluttershy hated to let go, she knew she had to. She stepped out of the carriage, breathing in fresh air. Almost instantly, she was tackled to the ground.

Above her, staring her in the eye with an upset look, was the pink pony that had sometimes scared her. Pinkie Pie hugged her tight, tears still fresh against her face. How was she here? How did she find out?

"P-pinkie? What are you doing here?" Fluttershy looked up at Pinkie, returning the hug.

"Princess Celestia contacted Twilight. She told her everything, and we all rushed here as soon as we could! You have nooooo idea how upset everypony is!"

Even in this situation, Pinkie somehow managed to keep her cheerful and playful tone. But, looking at her face, it was obvious that she was far from calm. She stepped off of Fluttershy, helping her up. She didn't have the usual pep in her step that made her stand out. She just seemed so sad, a sight that was deeply disturbing.

"O-oh. I'm so glad you all came. I didn't want to be alone. And I know Rainbow Dash wouldn't want to be either."

Staying together, the two walked into the hospital, Pinkie leading the way to the room that Dash was going to be placed in. As they walked through the doors, Fluttershy took in the looks on all of her friends faces. Applejack and Rarity stood in the furthest corner. Neither of them could look at her. Rarity let out a deep sob, not even caring about the condition of the scarf around her neck as she used it to wipe her face.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight Sparkle ran over to her, quickly hugging her. She returned the hug. "Are you ok?"

Fluttershy was silent for a second before answering. "I'm not the one you should be worried about..." She was once again fighting her tears. Seeing her friends in this condition tore her apart. None of them realized how strong she really was inside. She had to do everything in her power not to break down in front of all of them.

"We know, Sugarcube. But it musta been horrible to see it firsthand." Applejack finally spoke, leaving Rarity to clean herself up. "The Princess told us everything."

Pinkie sat down next to the hospital bed, poking at the various buttons. She smiled as it whirred with each press, forcing the bed to rise or lower. It amazed Fluttershy how she could still manage to smile in a time like this. Maybe it was for the best?

"Darling, I'm so sorry you have to see us like this. We've just been so worried. As soon as we heard, we took the quickest carriage here." Rarity finally managed to pull herself together, walking over and hugging Fluttershy.

So they had all come. They all loved Rainbow Dash so much. This was what true friends were supposed to be like. Fluttershy finally gave in, smiling as the tears came down. She pulled the girls closer to her in a group hug.

The biggest surprise was the small voice that came from the corner of the room.

"Please, Fluttershy. Is she ok? What going to happen to Rainbow Dash." The voice spoke through tears. Fluttershy cleared her eyes enough to see Scootaloo. She knew how much the filly looked up to Dash. This must have been horrible for her as well.

"I honestly don't know. I wish I did." She let tears fall as her friends stayed by her, Scootaloo joining in. They all sat together, crying, hoping for the best, but fearing the worst.

Nearly two hours later, the doctor came in. The girls had all taken to various parts of the room. Fluttershy was exhausted, so she lay on the couch. Scootaloo stayed close to her. Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack were talking amongst themselves by the bed. Pinkie had decided to make herself useful and fetch water for everybody.

"Good evening, ladies. We've done a few tests on your friend, Rainbow Dash. So far, we still don't know much, but we've managed to return her breathing to a decent rate. While she is stable, we still haven't managed to wake her up. Right now, there is a specialist coming in to examine her. We've never seen a snake bite like this before, so were hoping that our expert will know something. I'm sorry I don't have anything more for you right now."

Pinkie walked in through the door, handing the doctor a small glass of water. She passed water out to everypony else and sat down by Fluttershy and Scootaloo. How did she know he was gonna be in, Fluttershy thought to herself. Sometimes, the only explanation that worked was 'Because she's Pinkie Pie.'

"That's alright, doctor. Please, is there anything we can do?" Twilight hated sitting around when she could've been doing research.

"I'm afraid not. I do appreciate the offer, though." Twilight slumped, feeling useless again.

The doctor walked out, and the girls resumed their previous activities. Scootaloo lay her head on the couch next to Fluttershy, who was softly petting her mane.

"I'm scared. What if this specialist doesn't know whats wrong? What if they can't save Rainbow Dash?"

Scootaloo was once again crying as she thought of her idol. Just yesterday, she had snapped at her, reducing her to tears. Scootaloo had been hurt so badly. She ran into the Cutie Mark Crusader's clubhouse, hiding in the observatory for hours. She didn't want to see anypony.

But when she heard about what happened, she begged Twilight to let her join them.

"Please, don't think that way. Rainbow Dash will be fine. I promise." Fluttershy knew that she shouldn't have been making promises like that, but it was all she could do to comfort the filly.

Zecora made her way through the Canterlot Plaza. It was not often that she was called out of the Everfree Forest, especially to attend to something in Canterlot. She had only been here once before, to request the use of land in the Everfree for her home. Now, she was paying her debt to the Princess. Keeping the hood over her head, she walked to the Canterlot Hospital.

She walked through the massive doors, weaving through hallways towards the Intensive Care Unit. From what she understood, there was only one patient there, one that had been bitten by a snake. Her nerves were on end. If it was as she feared, she knew exactly what was wrong. She pushed through the double doors, shock stopping her in her tracks.

The doctors worked around a single bed in the center of the room. The cyan figure on it was unmoving. Zecora walked forward to examine it closer. It was as she had feared. Rainbow Dash was sprawled under the paper-thin blanket. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was short.

"Ms. Zecora. Thank you so much for coming on such short notice. We weren't sure if you would recieve the message so far out in the Everfree Forest."

"Do not underestimate those who are in debt. I am here, as i've not payed the Princess back yet."

"Well, whatever your reason, we need you. I've never seen anything like this." He pulled the blanket back, revealing Dash's leg. The area of the bite was beginning to blacken. Dried blood caked itself around the pin-prick sized bites.

Zecora leaned her head closer, examining every detail of the bite. It's scent was familiar. She sighed. It was exactly as she feared. She stood, shaking her head.

"This bite is from a snake of red. If action is not taken soon, she will sadly end up dead."

The tension was getting fierce as the girls sat waiting. It had been nearly four hours since the doctor had come in. Rarity and Applejack lay down, deciding to conserve some energy. Twilight read a book silently, trying to distract herself. Pinkie Pie was fidgeting restlessly, trying to force herself to stay sitting. Fluttershy and Scootaloo were still in the same spot they had been earlier.

"Ah'm gettin' tired of all this waitin'." Applejack sat up, putting her hat back on her head. She hadn't been able to fall asleep. Neither had Rarity.

"I know. Don't they realize that every second they waste, our Dashie is another second closer to..." She cut off, seeing Scootaloo staring at her. "She's going to be alright, I'm sure of it. If anyone can fight this, it's her." She meant every word of it. While she and Rainbow Dash hadn't always seen on the same level, Rarity did respect her for her sheer strength. Not many colts could stand up against her. If anything, that made her one of the scariest friends Rarity had....next to Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie, no longer able to keep herself still, jumped up. "Gah, I can't take this anymore. I need to walk!" She headed towards the door, but it opened before she reached it. "Oh i'm so sorry, excu...." She stared in disbelief at the pony that stood in front of her.

Or, more correctly, the zebra.

"Zecora!!!" Twilight jumped up, running to her old friend. Ever since the Poison Joke incident, Twilight had always seen Zecora as intelligent. When there was something she didn't understand, Zecora usually did, and Twilight didn't dare hesitate to ask.

"Hello, ponies from back home. I am glad to see, none of you are alone." She smiled at the girls.

"OMIGOSH ZECORA!!!" Pinkie jumped up and down, excited to see a familiar face. "You're the specialist!!!"

The others turned to look at her. "Pinkie," Rarity started. "Don't assume things so quickly."

"Actually, pony of good taste, your friend speaks with correct haste."

They all jump up now, bombarding Zecora with questions.

"Is our Dashie going to be ok?"

"Please, will she make it"

"Ah gotta know if she'll be alright!"

Zecora frowned. She didn't know how to answer them. Usually, she was brutally honest. But she also knew how close these girls were to Rainbow Dash. Finally, she took a deep breath.

"Your friends condition is poor, I fear. Worst of all, there is no cure here. She has been bitten by an uncommon snake. It's venom has always caused dreadful fate."

Varied gasps filled the room. Even Pinkie Pie broke down, tears once again flooding her face.

Digging through her bag, she pulled the dead body of a snake out. It was blood-red. Fluttershy's eyes widened almost instantly. She had seen this snake before. It lived in one of the burrows by the forest. She had always done well to avoid it. Something about it's eyes had always scared her. Then, realizing that this snake had bitten her friend, she began to cry. If she hadn't asked for Dash's help, this never would have happened.

"Walking through the trees, I was. Searching for a plant covered in fuzz. I approached a tree, ready to sit, when flew by this, the tree it hit. I recognized it, knowing it's danger, and hoped that it had not bit some stranger."

"So, you're sayin' our friend ain't gonna make it?" Applejack spoke through tears, trying her best to keep a steady voice.

The zebra bowed her head slightly, and the girls all broke out crying. Fluttershy held Scootaloo close, letting the filly cry into her mane. But she didn't cry. She had listened carefully to Zecora's words, and caught what the others missed.

"Z-zecora. You said there was no cure here. Does....does that mean that there is a cure somewhere else?" The others looked at her. She was still holding on to faith even after hearing the worst news.

"You are correct, pony so kind. You want to hear what I have in mind?" Fluttershy nodded her head violently. She would do anything to save Rainbow Dash. No matter what it took, if there was a way, she would take it. The others listened closely, faith slowly returning. "Listen close, as I tell you this tale. In the end, it could serve you well."

Zecora took a deep breath, the others gathered around her, anxious to hear what she had to say.

"The creature before you is of a cursed race. It's namesake is The Dragon Snake. Venom so cruel that it pierces the soul, the Land of the Dragon's should be your goal. Deep within the kingdoms caves, lies a relic, which life it saves. A pearl of beauty, it holds great wealth. To reach it, though, requires great stealth. A fierce beast guards his hoard, a threat which cannot be ignored. Bring the pearl back within 5 days time, and your friend will be fine. But take too long, your friend will die. A thing so cruel, I could not lie. A creation of the great Starswirl, you must recover the Dragon Pearl."

The group listened carefully as Zecora spoke. Her rhyming words usually confused them, but the message was clear this time. Fluttershy shuddered. She was deathly afraid of dragons. So much so that the mere thought of them paralyzed her. She wanted to shrink into the couch and disappear.

No. She wasn't going to let Dash die. There was no way in the world she was going to just give up. If it meant facing her biggest fear, she had to do it. If she truly loved Rainbow Dash, she had too.

The other girls were quickly becoming discouraged.

"How are we supposed to go to the Dragon Land's and back in 5 days? The trip itself takes 2 days of nonstop travel, not to mention the time it will take to prepare for the journey. Then we have to find the cave and reach the pearl!" Twilight was calculating things in her head. The more she spoke, the more it sounded like they didn't stand a chance.

Fluttershy was the next to speak up. "No. We can't think like that. If we don't try, we'd be letting Rainbow Dash down!" For once, she had raised her voice for everypony to hear. Shocked, the rest turned and stared wide-eyed at her.

"Where the hay did that come from, Sugarcube?"

"Yea. Fluttershy, what's gotten into you? I've never seen you like this before."

Fluttershy didn't back down. She couldn't afford to be the weak pony the others knew her as. Rainbow Dash's life was at stake.

"I'm sorry, but this is our friend we're talking about. I can't let her die without giving this my everything."

Applejack stood up. "Ah'm with ya, girl. I couldn't imagine a world without Rainbow Dash, and ah honestly don't wanna."

"I myself think that we can do this, girls. I'm in." Rarity stood next to Applejack, drying the last of the tears from her face.

"Rainbow Dash is my favorite person to play pranks with! I can't lose that! Count me in!" Pinkie bounded by her friends, vigor restored in her eyes.

Finally, Twilight stood up. "Alright, I'm in. These last few years have taught me that there's nothing stronger than friendship. If Rainbow Dash is gonna pull through, she needs all of us." She took her place next to Pinkie.

"Scootaloo?" Fluttershy looked down at the little filly with serious eyes. "I want you to stay here with Rainbow Dash. You need to be here. She needs a friend with her, now more than ever."

The little filly was crying. Seeing the mares so willing to sacrifice brought tears to her eyes. She nodded vigorously. "I won't leave her side. For anything. I promise." She hugged Fluttershy, smiling.

"I'm very proud of all of you, girls." The voice came from outside in the hallway. The girls jumped in surprise. The voice was one they had heard so many times before. Princess Celestia walked through the doorway, a big smile on her face. "You've all shown how strong the bond of friendship really is. You've got a long journey ahead of you all."

"Princess!" Twilight ran up to her, bowing before her. The others follow suit.

"I thought you might need these for your journey." Behind her, each of the girl's saddlebags floated in. All of them were filled to the brim with supplies. "I know you are all exhausted. Your journey can wait until tomorrow. The guest wing is open for use. I've arranged for the Royal Guard to transport you all to the border tomorrow morning."

The girls cheered happily. Things were already looking up. They had game plan. The Princess and Zecora said their farewells, each having to go back to their own posts, leaving the girls alone.

All was silent for a few minutes. Suddenly, Fluttershy pulled them all together in a group hug. "We have to do our absolute best. We can't let Dash down. She's counting on all of us." She spoke from her heart. She knew that the other's felt the same way. Maybe not EXACTLY how she did, but they were all ready to do everything to save Rainbow Dash.

The girls put their hoofs together, Scootaloo included, and threw them in the air. "FOR RAINBOW DASH."

An Ill Omen

The night sky grew darker as Princess Luna rose the ever-luminescent moon. It was at this time that the girls had been escorted into the guest wing.

The Guest Wing, for all intents and purposes, could have been considered a mansion on its own. Coming out from main hallway, one was instantly met with a massive commons area, complete with a kitchen, dining room, and lounge. Through the back left door was a long hallway, adourned with numerous doors leading to 5 different bedrooms and 3 master-sized bathrooms. Through the left nack door, there was a stairwell that led to a subsequent terrace, upon which several gorgeous tables were set for the honoured guests that frequented the castle. Off of the terrace, there was another grand staircase, which led up to a large observatory.

This is where Twilight Sparkle sat, gazing through the magic-powered telescope. Beside her was a small, steaming cup of Chai Tea, as per her usual taste. Opposite rested a small notepad, which she occasionally wrote down various notes upon, or drew small diagrams of the different constellations and star patterns she viewed. As Princess Celestia had taught her many times, the stars were millions of miles away. This meant that, when you looked at a star, you were merely seeing how it was in the past, not as it is now.

Twilight had taken it upon herself during her beginning years as Princess Celestia's protoge to learn the art of star-reading. It was said that, when observed by a careful eye, the stars could weave together a story of things that were to come, having themselves seen it. Wracked by a bout of nervousness, she stole away to the observatory, hoping to find some clue, some solice, as to what was to be expected.

And so, for three hours, she sat in that one, cold spot, never moving, and practically having to force herself to breath.

Being complacent where they were, the other girls clamoured in the commons area. The amenities provided by the extensive staff had done well to placate the whims and wishes of the mares. Pinkie Pie, always one to eat, sat at the small counter seperating the kitchen from the lounge. Servants of different colours and sizes rushed about, doing what they could to prepare a large meal for the girls, as deemed 'Necessary in this time of grief' by Princess Celestia herself.

Fluttershy and Rarity lay on small pillows in the lounge, talking about little going-ons around Ponyville in order to distract themselves from the dark thoughts gripping at their minds.

"Did you hear, darling, that Roseluck might have to sell her flower shop? Turns out her flowers haven't been, shall we say, right for the picking. Her business is beginning to go under. I just couldn't imagine if the same should happen to my own store!" She rested her forearm over her head dramatically to emphasize how such a thing would be unbearable.

Fluttershy, never one to blabber on, politely listened, nodding occasionally to the various tidbits of things such as Big Mac's affair with Ms. Cheerilee, or how Spike had shown up a few days ago, pestering her to make him a nice suit. "The poor darling just has NO sense of fashion. Honestly, I don't see how Twilight can allow him to parade about in such..such...unbecoming attire!"

On the terrace, Applejack sat with Scootaloo, nursing a glass of water as she gazed out at the gorgeous view of Equestria.

"Ah can see Sweet Apple Acres from here! This view is amazin'!"

Scootaloo sat with her head on her forearms, unable to push the thoughts of Rainbow Dash from her mind. In just 24 hours, she had gone from hoping to never seeing her ex-idle again, to being willing to give her own life it it meant Rainbow Dash would pull through.

AJ frowned, understanding how the young filly felt. She decided that it was best to try to distract her for now. She would have plenty of time to think later.

"So, how's things with th' Cutie Mark Crusaders? Applebloom says y'all stumbled into a rut?"

"I guess. It's just, we're running out of things we can try. After a year of doing this, you'd think we would all have our Cutie Marks by now. But, the more we try, the more it seems like it'll never happen." She sighed, switching her mindset from Rainbow Dash to the seeming futility of her efforts to find her talent.

"Ah know ah've said this plenty o' times, and i'm gonna keep sayin' it. Ya just can't rush these things. Cutie Marks are supposed to be special, and come when it's time."

"I know, I know. I keep hearing the same thing from everypony. That doesn't make it any more bearable to wait. What if we never find our talents? We'll be blank-flanks for the rest of our lives! We may end up living lives as ditch diggers! Who wants that?"

"Well, if ya can't be patient, why not look into what yer already good at, rather than trying things that most ponies wouldn't do? Take Sweetie Belle for example. She's the best singer ah've ever heard. For all Rarity knows, her little sister could be tha next Sapphire Shores!" She chuckled, visualizing Rarity's reaction in her head.

"Well...maybe you're right. But still, I can't worry about it right now. Rainbow Dash comes before any stupid Cutie Mark." She returned to her sad disposition, staring blankly at the ivory table. Applejack gave a sigh, placing her hoof on Scootaloo's back.

"Ya have mah word that Rainbow Dash is gonna pull through. We're gonna get that Dragon Pearl, and we're gonne make it back lickity split. Cross mah heart, hope tah fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye!" She beamed an almost mother-like look at Scootaloo. She reminded AJ so much of her own little sis.

Twilight Sparkle stared into the viewing glass on the telescope. Her body was sore and stiff, a result of sitting in one spot for so long. The cup of tea had thrice been refilled by the ever-attentive servants of Princess Celestia, and the once fresh notepad was now filled with scribbles, scratches, and diagrams of stars. After three hours of tireless work, Twilight had decided that she had gathered enough information to calculate an accurate prediction.

Turning away from the machine, she began to flip through the notepad, mentally noting several pieces of information, such as distance between stars, distance from said stars to the earth, and general patterns of star alignment. With a sigh, she pulled upon her extensive library-gained knowledge of the information that would leave normal ponies baffled. She, however, was no normal pony. Ever since she discovered her ability of Transfiguration, she had been treated as a superior by much of the magic community. Even Trixie, the once boastful and crude con-artist, had no other choice but to accept Twilight as her better.

Another thirty minutes passed, and Twilight had been forced to retrieve another notepad to write down her findings. Satisfied that she had done everything she possibly could, she began to decode the cryptic message that the stars held. Piece by piece, she began to understand the stars ancient language, decyphering a prediction that would change their lives.

With wide eyes, she stared down at the small tablet. Written on it were three words...words that brought violent bouts of sobs to her. She couldn't contain her fear any longer, small drops pelting the booklet, smearing the words that she had implanted in her mind. The three words that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

The night was dragging on, and the girls, minus Twilight, had gathered into the lounge area. Princess Celestia sat atop a luxurious pillow in front of the cobblestone fireplace. Similar seats had been set around her, and the girls slowly filled them up.

"My servants tell me that Twilight Sparkle is in the observatory. If I'm correct, she is star-reading."

Pinkie blinked, biting into an expertly prepared sandwich. She spoke through a full mouth. "Wath thar-reading?"

"Star-reading, my young subject, is an ancient art perfect nearly 2000 years ago by Starswirl the Bearded. Using basic principals such as a stars location and size, he learned that one could make accurate predictions of the future. Twilight had chosen to learn this skill at a very young age."

The others seemed mystified. Scootaloo, more than anypony else, was confused. "Excuse me, Princess, but I thought stuff like that was made up just to con ponies out of their hard earned bits?"

"On the contrary, acts such as hoof-reading or gazing into a crystal ball, when done by an expert, can prove livid and correct results, much the same as star-reading. The sole difference between these three is that only a unicorn could successfully read your hoof or look into a crystal ball. Star-reading can be done by anypony with the knowledge of it." She smiled at her subjects, happy to see that their interest in her words was truly genuine.

"So, does that mean that Twi can tell the future?" Applejack, having always been a very skeptic pony, was having second thoughts, mostly because it was Princess Celestia who had told her this.

"Well, in a sense, yes. She can see certain things, but not specific events. When looking into a crystal ball, a unicorn is given a visual image of events. Hoof-reading gives them insight to another ponies emotions towards a future event. Star-reading is one of the most difficult ways to tell the future, mainly because the results of even dedicated work are often incredibly difficult to understand. Predictions are usually done in sets of three single words, which can be determined by different formulas and processes. These three words weave together to give an accurate, but foggy, prediction."

The girls muttered amongst themselves as Princess Celestia informed one of the servants to go check on Twilight. Dinner had been served, and generous amounts of food were placed in between all of them.

It was just as Princess Celestia was about to take a bite of her salad that a trembling and broken voice tore through the near silence.

"P..Princess..." The voice, muddled by tears and harsh sobs, belonged to Twilight Sparkle.

Princess Celestia urged the girls to give Twilight room as they began to clamour around her. She was pale, almost as if the life had been drained from her body. Servants ran around, fetching glasses, water, and fans to allow her some comfort. All she could do was sob uncontrollably as her friends watched her near-mental breakdown.

"Twilight, what's wrong, darling? Are you ok? Are you ill?" Rarity looked at her, worry filling her eyes. Her questions were only answered by a gentle shush from Celestia.

"My Faithful Student, what have you seen in the stars tonight? I fear they bear bad news..." Her usual calm look was replaced with extreme concern. She knew that Twilight had a tendency to snap when she got scared or nervous, but she had never before seen her like this, so broken and weak.

Taking a moment to collect breath, she spoke, trying her best to keep her voice at an audible level. "Princess...i-it's horrible. I did everything I could, reviewed and reviewed my notes, and I only keep coming up with the same answer..." She was visibly shuddering now, and was quickly covered with a thick wool blanket, compliments of the Palace staff.

"Please calm down, Twilight. We need to know this." For the first time in nearly two hours, Fluttershy spoke up. Inside, her heart cringed. If this was how Twilight was reacting to the news, she knew that it would be 5 times worse on herself. Thoughts of Rainbow Dash slipping away in the cold hospital as her friends failed at their task brought her to the brink of tears. But she held them in, at least for now.

"T-three words....Success, meaning that we would be successful in our goal." The girls instantly calmed down, Fluttershy letting out an audible sigh of relief. "The next word is Sacrifice. Somewhere on our journey, something of great importance to us will have to be given up in order to save Rainbow Dash." Still, the girls weren't as worried. To them, anything was worth giving up to save Rainbow Dash.

"Ok, Sugarcube. Now those don't sound nearly bad. What's got ya so flustered?"

"The final word....Death...." Silence filled the room. Even the servants, up until this point constantly working to keep things spotless, stopped. The expression on Princess Celestia's face had even changed, showing that she herself was deeply hurt.

"Twilight, you don't think..." She began to say, unsure of where to go with her question. She knew exactly what her student was thinking. She knew that what was about to be said would set of a strong reaction from everypony in the room.

"Yes...I do, Princess..." She turned to her friends, tears falling down her face as she was forced to break this news to her friends. "Alone, Sacrifice or Death would mean one thing. Together, the two only spell out one thing for our quest..." She looked down, unable to face her friends with the horrid words that were soon to come out of her mouth. She wanted nothing more than to disappear.

"W-what is it, Twilight?" Fluttershy had quickly gone from her relief to intense fear. Sacrifice was one thing, and death was straightforward enough, but Twilight seemed absolutely pained, as if somepony had driven a stake into her chest. "P-please. We have to know...."

Pulling herself together for one final moment, she looked up at her friends, unable to see clearly through the torrent of tears that flooded her eyes.

"Before our journey is over....if we're going to save Rainbow Dash....one of us will have to give our own life....."

Pandemonium ensued as she spoke. Everypony in the room, even the powerful Princess Celestia and her group of servants, was in tears. Scootaloo, out of shock, collapsed, unable to bear the facts that were placed before her. Probably for the best, the Princess thought. Let her sleep.

Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity huddled together, unable to stop themselves from breaking. The three formed a close hug, unable to cope any longer with the dangers ahead of them. Pinkie sat next to Scootaloo, stroking her mane as she bawled her eyes out. Even Celestia sat off on her pillow, holding her head down as a torrent of tears fell. She held the risk of losing her most faithful student, as well as any one of her most loyal subjects.

Fluttershy was the odd pony out. She was crying, but nowhere near the level of her friends. She stood up, walking over to Princess Celestia. She stood tall, wiping tears off of her cheek as the beautiful Princess looked at her.

"Are you ok, Fluttershy? I'm sorry about all of this. I know you were with her when Rainbow Dash..." She looked down, to sad to look the young mare in the eye.

But Fluttershy wasn't the weak pony that she had always been. Not now, when the life of the one she loved most hang in the tender balance between their world and the afterlife. No, she couldn't afford to be that pony. This was more important than that. This was more important than even her own life.

"Princess, if it comes to it, I will be the once to sacrifice myself for Rainbow Dash." Her words shocked the others into absolute silence. The crying mares stared at her as if she had just slapped the Princess.

"F-fluttershy? W-where did that c-come from?" Twilight looked at her friend, no longer seeing a weak pony, but seeing a brave, kind mare, willing to give up what she held most dear for her best friend. She had a new respect for Fluttershy.

So did the others, it seemed, as they stood up, walking to surround her.

"No, Sugarcube. Yer her best friend. We all know that. If anypony should live out of us, it's you. Ah ain't lettin' you do something stupid." She put her hoof on her friends back as she wiped more tears from her eyes.

"You heard the prediction, just like I did. It's because I'm her best friend that I would do this. She means the world to me." Fluttershy was shocked at even herself. Where was this courage coming from? She'd never spoken with such confidence in her life. Now, faced with the prospect of losing the one she loved most, she was willing to do any and everything to prevent that....even if it meant giving her own life in return.

"Fluttershy," Princess Celestia spoke, looking down at her. "You've once again proven how strong the bond of friendship truly is. Do not worry about the prediction. No matter what, you must return. Rainbow Dash is counting on you more than anypony else. You know that as well as I." She looked around at the other girls, now drying the remainder of their tears away. "You four are her closest friends. You are all equally important in this quest. No matter what it takes, you must all try your absolute best if you are to succeed."

"Princess Celestia, you have our words that we ain't gonna slack off. Not when it's our best friends life at stake." AJ bowed to the Princess, showing her honesty in her words. The others joined her soon afterwards.

"Than you are all the greatest friends a pony could ask for. The Elements of Harmony were wise in choosing each of you. Draw on that power now, in this most difficult of quests, as it will take all of your power and knowledge." She stood up, looking down at Fluttershy. She gave her an encouraging smile and spoke to them all.

"You each will play an important role in this journey, one of you moreso than the others. But know that, in the end, you are all heros. Maybe not on an epic scale, but to the mare laying asleep in that cold hospital bed, you're all better than even the Wonderbolts. Now, the hour is late, and you must depart early if you are to make it to the border by mid-day. Please, take to your bedrooms, you will find that things are comfortable enough. I will be in to wake you." She turned around, ready to leave, when a small voice called out to her.

"P-princess Celestia..." Scootaloo's voice trembled, the pitiful sound enough to bring even a Stalliongradian to tears. "I want to see Rainbow Dash. I want to be there. Tonight. She can't be alone. I-it's just not right." She was fighting back an onslaught of tears, but held a strong gaze on the stunned Princess. "Please...."

She smiled at the small filly. Celestia could tell that she held a lot of potential, and having Rainbow Dash as an idol only showed her good taste in role models. "Of course. I will escort you to the hospital. She would be happy to know that you were there with her." She motioned towards the door, and the servants quickly opened them. "Good night, girls. Sleep well." With that, she and Scootaloo disappeared though the doorway.

None of the girls slept well. None of them slept at all.

Fangirl Blues

Morning had come far too quickly. The warm air blew through the guest wing as trumpets sounded through it's halls. Princess Celestia stood tall in the commons area as the girls dragged themselves in.

"Good morning, girls. Today begins your journey to Draconia, the land of the dragons. The path ahead of you will be a dangerous one," she looks at each girl as they wipe the remainder of sleep from their eyes. "But don't give up, no matter what the cost. It would be a shame to go so far just to give up, and it would be a major dishonor to Rainbow Dash." She motioned for a few servants to bring the girls saddlebags out to the Pegacoach.

"Don't worry, Princess," Twilight said, her eyes dry for the first time since the night before. "We'll do everything in our power to bring the Dragon Pearl back. You have my word."

"Very good, my most faithful student. Remember, as long as you all work as a team, you can accomplish anything."

Hoping to begin as soon as possible, the girls tore through breakfast. A few eggs and toast was enough to hold Fluttershy over until later that night. She wasn't a big eater. The others chowed down on eggs, biscuits, haysh browns, and a few sweet pastries. With energy revived, the girls gathered what few possessions they had brought with them, and followed Princess Celestia out onto the terrace. The Pegacoach rested on the edge.

"Remember, girls. You have someone very important waiting here for you, and you have a little filly that's standing by her side as we speak. Everypony is counting on you five." She looked down on her subjects with an almost motherly admiration.

"No worries, yer majesty. We're gonna find that pearl and be back here lickity-split. Ain't no doubt in my mind." AJ stood proudly, puffing her chest out. She knew that nopony believed it though. They all felt the exact same as she did. Alone, weak, and scared. Could she offer enough to honestly be of use on this quest?

Fluttershy stepped forward to the Princess, bowing deeply. "Your Highness, I just want you to know that...if I don't come back...tell Dashie that I did it for her." A small smile cracked at her lips as she spoke.

"Of course. Now then," she directed her attention to the drivers. "No playing around. There is a life hanging in the balance here, and there must be no time wasted. Do you understand?" The drivers nodded, returning their focus to the long path of clouds before them. "Good." She motioned for the girls to enter the large carriage. "This is the doorway to your journey. Don't let me down, girls."

With heartfelt waves and tears, the girls stepped into the carriage, shutting the door behind them. Celestia watched as the pegasus drivers stretched their wings, preparing to bolt out of sight. "Good luck girls." She spoke with absolute feeling, knowing what fate lay ahead of the girls. She wiped away a small tear as the carriage shot off towards the horizon, disappearing from sight within the clouds.

The little filly squirmed on the uncomfortable couch. The constant beep of the heart monitor was the only sound echoing through the room. That, and the pained whimpers coming from little Scootaloo. Grasped in the painful world between dream and memory, she was being forced to relive the horrors that plagued her past.

The sky was horribly grey, just as it had been all day. Young Scootaloo played outside, making up games with the fictitous characters in her mind. Being a shut-in, she was never really able to make real friends. Her parents were very secretive ponies, and rarely left the house unless absolutely necessary.

"Hello, Mr. Daffodil!" Scootaloo skipped around a small, wilted flower in the back yard. The small plant was the only one that could see the large bruise on her otherwise perfect face. It was the only half-living thing that would ever see the tears that feel from her eyes as she pretended that everything in life was perfect.

But she knew that it wasn't. Scootaloo knew that as soon as she went inside, it would go back to the same routine. She would step through the door and her mom would start yelling at her about something stupid, most of the time something that a neighbor did, or that her mother couldn't do. Everything was always warped to be her fault.

"If it weren't for you, your father and I would be happy. We could be out of this dump and living the high life. We should've gotten rid of you when you were a foal. You're just useless."

And then, after dinner, the real horror would begin. Her father would be heavily salted at that point. And when he was salted, he was violent. Her father was a unicorn, so he could easily torment her with magic. Sometimes, he would hurl rocks at her for fun, or beat her senseless with a crude stick. One time, he threw a knife at her, cutting her cheek. He never yelled, barely spoke to her, but when he did, she knew what it meant.

"You little piece of trash, that was your mothers favorite vase. You're in for it now." That was the day that she had slipped down the stairs and knocked over a priceless vase that her mother won in a bet. She cowered in the corner while her mom yelled, and then once her dad got home, all hell broke loose.

That night, she was rushed to a hospital. He had fractured her back right leg and given her a major concussion. She didn't remember any of it, other than the horrible, cruel look in his eyes. The look that scared her the most. In his eyes were absolute hatred, and a severe wish that she would just die.

She finally found some solice on that fateful day. She was with her mom in town, drug around to do errands, when a small filly fell from a building. Scootaloo watched in terror as the filly neared the ground. That's when it happened. At first, it was just a flash of light and colors, of a rainbow. But then, holding the filly up from the ground, stood a beautiful and proud mare. She set the filly down as the parents ran out to thank her. "Name's Rainbow Dash, soon-to-be Wonderbolt. No need to thank me." She gave a cocky but adorable smile and flew off, leaving a rainbow trail behind her.

"See, why can't you be useful, like her?" Scootaloo's mom admonished her for her failure as a daughter, and as a pony in general. That was the day that little Scootaloo vowed to be as great as that mare. To be as awesome as Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo endured nearly 4 years of this torment. Finally, it all ended. Her parents were at a race track in Cloudsdale. They had locked her in her room, telling her that if she left, they'd kill her. She didn't move an inch for the five hours they were gone. She spent the time staring at the small picture of Rainbow Dash that she kept hidden under her mattress. It was the only solice she had to remain sane.

The click of the lock on her door shocked her back to reality. She quickly stuffed the picture under her bed, sitting perfectly still. He father walked in, his eyes bloodshot. He was salted. That was never a good thing.

"You're mom says that you wanna be like that Rainbow Dash girl. Well let me tell you something. You're a worthless, weak filly that will never amount to anything. You'll be lucky if you survive to be half her age." He spit on the ground, glaring at the small filly. "Besides, why would you wanna be like her? She's just as worthless as you. She's a waste of perfect pony space, and would be better off in the bottom of a lake."

That flipped a switch in Scootaloo's mind. She had finally had enough. "Okay, you listen up. I'm sick and tired of you treating me like manure. I'm a pony, flesh and blood like you. What makes you any better? And don't ever talk about Rainbow Dash like that. She's three times the pony you could ever HOPE to be." She panted heavily, glaring at her father with intense hatred.

"How dare you, you little brat." Clouded by the salt, he charged at her. She jumped out of the way and he tripped over the bed. The window behind it shattered as he blew through it, plummeting to the ground. There was no Rainbow Dash to save him. He hit the ground with a sickening SPLAT.

"What the hay is going on?" Her mother walked in just then, taking in the shattered window and the shocked Scootaloo. "You little..." She didn't have time to finish before she jumped at Scootaloo. The little filly freaked out, grabbing her bedside lamp and throwing it. SMACK. The lamp struck dead between her eyes, sending her body into shock and shutting down her organs. Blood ran from her unmoving mouth, pooling around Scootaloo.

For the first time, she was free. Her oppressors were dead, never to hurt her or torment her again. But....she was absolutely alone. She didn't know anypony. No friends, no family. She had absolutely nowhere to go. So there she sat in her mothers blood for hours, crying, clenching the picture of Rainbow Dash for dear life.

The funeral service was short. There weren't very many that showed up, other than the mayor and the medics that had found Scootaloo three days later, still sitting in her mother's dried blood. She stared at the ground as her parents bodies were lowered into the earth. She wanted to say Good riddance. She wanted to be happy that they were dead, that they would never hurt her again...but at the same time, she wanted them back. At least then....she wouldn't be alone.

Beep....beep.....

The sound of the heart monitor brought Scootaloo back into the waking world. She looked around, realizing that it was now early in the morning. Shaking the horrors from her mind, she looked through the window. In the distance, a pegasus-drawn carriage flew over the horizon.

"Please get back in time.....please"

She looked back at her idol, who had given her hope when she needed it most. It broke her heart to see Rainbow Dash like this. So broken. So helpless. When would she wake up?

Beep.....beep....

Cloudsdale was by no means a small city. The streets were often packed with pegasi, and very rarely did anything go unnoticed by at least somepony. That's why it was a surprise when, on a cold winter night, a small bundle was found in front of the Best Wings Orphanage.

Mrs. Brightwing was awoken late into the night by a loud knock. Having to keep track of 5 young colts and fillies on her own, she was always exhausted. Temptation said to stay in bed, ignore it, and get some sleep. But something in her head was beating against her brain, telling her that it was important. Call it mother's intuition?

She stretched her wings as she walked to the front door. Who could possibly need her at such a late hour? Oh well. It was her aim to please everypony. That was often considered her biggest flaw, but she didn't care. She opened the door, expecting to see somepony.

Instead, there was nothing but darkness. Maybe she had imagined the knocking? She was about to turn around and close the door, when a slight sound caught her ear. It was familiar, one she had heard so many times before. Resigned to the truth of how cruel some ponies could be, she turned to look down. It was always the same thing, a small basket, filled with a plump blanket, and no note. But something about this one was different. She pulled the blanket from over the small foals head, and she was amazed.

Never before had she seen such a beautiful mane. It was striped with different colors, each one that of a rainbow. The foal was a sky blue pegasus with the cutest smile. Her face was nearly perfect, not a single flaw to be found. She was nestled comforatbly in the thick wool blanket, unaware of what was going on. As Mrs. Brightwing lifted the basket, the small foal opened her eyes. They reflected a beautiful shade of red. She smiled up at the stranger.

"I guess you don't have a name, do you sweetheart?" She gave the little foal a kind and warm smile. "Let's call you...Rainbow Dash." The foal looked up at her with those beautiful red eyes and smiled. She liked the name.

And so, little Rainbow Dash became a resident of the Best Wings Orphanage.

7 years passed. Rainbow Dash had become a part of the family in Mrs. Brightwing's eyes. The same couldn't be said for the 5 others that she shared the home with.

"What a blank-flank. You're the only one here without a cutie mark. Maybe we should kick you out!" Moonheart was the oldest out of all of them, also being the first to get his cutie mark, which was a small set of ivory clouds. Out of all of them, he was the only one who could manipulate the weather. "I bet even momma Brightwing doesn't want you."

Dashie never outwardly showed her feelings, because she knew that the others would make fun of her. But when she was alone, she cried. She knew that she was weak. She knew that she couldn't compete with the others. And she was stuck with the perpetual fear that she would be a blank-flank forever. Her only comfort came from momma Brightwing.

"Don't let the others get to you, Dashie. I'm willing to bet that you're destined to be more than any of them could hope to be." She always spoke with a smile, very rarely even raising her voice. "Just give it time. You'll find your purpose."

The comfort that Rainbow Dash had didn't last long. On her eighth birthday, Dashie had to watch as Momma Brightwing collapsed in the kitchen. She had suffered a major heart attack, and died on the spot. It was so sudden, so unexpected, that Dashie couldn't comprehend it. Her mind refused to register the fact that her mother was dead.

The funeral came, and the orphans were placed in special care. The others blamed Rainbow Dash, saying that she could've saved the only mother that any of them had ever known. The words stung her like a thousand needles. But Rainbow Dash refused to let them get to her anymore. Momma Brightwing's words still lingered in her head. Maybe she was right...maybe Dashie would be something great in life. Until that time came, she would have to put up with the idiots that she had grown to see as her family.

Her chance came nearly 7 months after they were all placed in a new foster home in Cloudsdale. The place didn't have a name. It was a secondary place where the most unfortunate foals went. There was no Momma Brightwing there to comfort them. Only the cold and strict Mistress Silver. She didn't tolerate nonsense.

One day, while playing outside, an older colt watched as Rainbow Dash flew through the air. Over the course of the year, she had taken a large interest in flying, and began to develop her own tricks to impress the other orphans. She had slowly become popular in the house, even impressing Mistress Silver at one point. Now, the old colt walked up to the door, knocking loudly.

The door opened to show Mistress Silver's usual sneer. "Yes, can I help you?"

"Yes ma'am. My name is Nightwing. I am the owner of the Cloudsdale Flight Academy. I was passing by and couldn't help but notice a young filly flying around here. Would she happen to be yours?"

"If you mean Rainbow Dash, then yes. She is in my care. Might I ask why you are asking about her?"

"Of course. She has such raw talent as a flier. I would like to accept her into my academy, that way she can hone her skills. I think she may have a future ahead of her."

Mistress Silver smirked slightly. "That's all good and well, but we don't just give away our foals here. Unless she were to be adopted by somepony, there's no way we could just release her to you."

He thought about it for a second, quickly making up his mind. "Of course. This isn't an opportunity I can pass up though. I will adopt her myself, if it's all the same to you." He spoke with finality, the calmness of a stallion who knew what he wanted.

Dashie was introduced to her new adoptive father, and as he explained why he wanted her, her little eyes grew wide. She couldn't contain the smile that spread across her face. The other orphans envied her, and even Moonheart was stunned. She quickly hugged his leg, absolutely ecstatic.

The two of them left the orphanage, and Dashie went off to her new life.

Suddenly, pain erupted through her body as she was brought back into conciousness. She looked around desperately, only to realize that she was still comatose. Nothing but darkness. If she focused, she could hear the constant beep of a heart monitor. She was still in the hospital, still alive. But she was also still in major pain.

Somewhere, through the veil of darkness, she could hear something. It was a faint sound, like someone sighing. Or..was it crying? She listened harder.

"Please...please don't let her die....she's all I've got in this world." The voice was soft...broken. It took Dashie a moment to recognize it. Scootaloo. "Please....She's the closest to a mom I have anymore...." She spoke through heavy sobs. Her words made every cell in Rainbow Dash's body cringe with regret. She had yelled at this little filly just...how long ago? She didn't even know what day it was. She pushed the thought aside, thinking about the filly crying next to her.

I promise, Scootaloo. If i make it out of this, you'll never be alone again. I should've been there for you sooner...

She rested on thinking about the future, until she faded into blackness once again.

Fluttershy looked through the small side window of the carriage. They had been traveling for nearly 5 hours now. It was nearing 2:00, and they still had ground to cover. She was beginning to wonder if they could make it to the border before nightfall.

The other girls decided to rest, thinking it best to conserve their energy. Fluttershy was too wound up to be able to sleep. She had spent the time shuffling through her memories of Dashie. She wanted every bit of motivation that she could get that would push her through the trials ahead.

As she lay her head back, she was hit with a sudden headache. It went away fast enough, but the pain it caused was nearly unbearable. She bit her lip to stop the tears. What could that have been? She fought back the fear that flooded her mind.

Doctors buzzed around the hospital room, surroung the convulsing mare. Scootaloo stood far off into the corner, crying. She had heard of this sort of thing before. It was called a seizure, and from the looks of things, it was bad.

"Please, Momma Brightwing...if you're watching over me...please...give me a miracle" She let the tears pelt her fur as doctors stuck needles and such inside of Rainbow Dash. Her eye looked sunken as perspiration coated her body.

No one could ever know the pain that Dashie felt right now. She was lucky enough to be unconcious, but she was on the brink of death. Her body convulsed horribly as her heart skipped several beats. The poison was getting worse, eating away her entire internal system. Time was running out.