The Brightest.

It was a beautiful day for those who had wings. The Earth Ponies preferred days where the sun shone at it’s full blaze, warming the earth and bringing the plants into blossom; the Unicorns preferred the summer days where the wind blew in the scent from lands far away. For a blue Pegasus though, today was perfection. The clouds covered enough of the midday sun to keep it out of her eyes. They were an imperfect soft white shield however, and the rays of light that dashed between the cloud breaks warmed the back of her wings. Rainbow Dash dove through a cloud, relinquishing the cool condensation before bursting out the other side. It rejuvenated her, and despite the protesting muscles in her back, she pushed her wings forward, grabbing at the air like hungry claws. At usual, she was practicing the Sonic Rainboom, and as usual, she was determined that today was the day she would master it.

Conviction filled her mind and she pushed her heavy body harder, racing towards the ground in a cyan streak. The wind ripped by her ears, through her mane, as though trying to warn her that she was going too fast. Hooves held forward, she could feel the sheer force of her body colliding against the wind, forming a cone around tips of her forehooves. The ground slowly began to fill more of her vision, the specks of forest below rapidly growing into trees as she plummeted.

“C’mon Dash” she said to herself. The cone of wind and sky began to grow closer to her as she strained forward. From her hoof-tips, it grew longer until it began to envelop her whole body. From the ground, she would have looked like a cyan and rainbow lightning bolt, tearing apart the summer horizon.
She was close, she could feel it. Tears streaked over her cheeks, obscuring her vision, till she could hardly see at all – for a moment, there was nothing but the roar in her ears, the pressure and pain of her body hurdling towards the ground, and the swirling vortex of wind and sky that enveloped her. And then, there was nothing.

Something slapped her hard in the face, covering her eyes. She reacted, twisting her body. Fear took over. She swore the sky in front of her was clear, that she was hundreds of feet up still. Her wings caught the wind at different angles, sending her head over hoof. Whatever it was had been dislodged from her face, but it was too late. She was falling, spiraling out of control. Instincts from years of flying took over, and her wings flared, trying to slow her momentum. The ground rose up to meet her body. She braced, swinging her body to avoid a tree. Her back hit the ground hard, and she rolled several feet before coming to a complete stop.

“Augh” she moaned softly into the ground. Her eyes were closed, and she sat in the darkness of her mind while waves of pain washed over her. She felt as though she should cough, but her lungs lay heavy in her chest. She could feel small sharp pebbles pressing into her cheek, neck and side. Her lungs finally gave a heave, and she hauled in fresh air and dust. The pain that coated her body began to run like water, forming pools in the small of her back where she hit the ground and in her both her wing joints. Her head ached. She lay there for a moment on the ground, breathing deeply under the summer sun.

*Pit*
*Pit* *pit* *pit*

Something, or something were falling from the sky, landing gently around her.
“What is that?” Rainbow thought, as she slowly opened her eyes. It wasn’t rain, she couldn’t feel it on her skin. She lifted her head up, staring at the unusual sight around her.

Letters. All around her were regular white letters, and more were floating down from the sky above her.

“…Letters?” Rainbow said quietly to herself, “so that must be what hit me…”
The realization slowly set in. “I got taken out by MAIL?!” Indigenous fury filled her, worsening her headache. She laid her head back on the ground, scowling.

*PUH-CRASH*

Something heavier landed behind her, softly but awkwardly. Hooves galloped towards her, and Rainbow raised her head.

“OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH I AM SO SORRY” A frantic voice said. Golden eyes filled her vision. They were a beautiful color, a soft sun blond filled with light. Perhaps it was the falling from the sky or the way the mares eyes were filled with tears, but Rainbow stared from the ground, unmoving.

“OH NO, I BROKE YOU. I BROKE RAINBOW DASH!” The eyes were now overflowing with tears, and the grey mare above her began to shake with sobs.

“No no, I’m ok” Rainbow said, “or at least, I think so.” She began to lift herself up, and her legs cautiously supporting her weight. Rainbow smiled at the mare before her. Now that she could properly see her face, she recognized the grey and gold mare. She was the resident mailmare; still on the job by the looks of it too, judging by the half filled leather mail bag the hung over her back. Ditzy Doo, if she remembered right. As far as Rainbow knew though, everypony just called her DerpyHooves.

“See look, I’m just fine” said Rainbow. As a demonstration, she flexed her wings open. Pain ripped through her shoulder like a wildfire from her left wing joint. Rainbow winced.

“Oh no, you’re not okay!” said Derpy, her eyes shining with worry.

“Ah, it’s not that bad, I’ve had worse.” Dash said with a tough laugh. She folded the injured wing gently against her side. “Besides, it’s not your fault I crashed.”

A blush crept across Derpys face, and more tears began to spill out her eyes. “But it is! Those were my letters that hit you, and you were going so fast, and I should have been more careful, and I’m always dropping things.” Derpy let out in one gaspy breath.

Rainbow couldn’t help but genuinely smile this time. Rainbow normally didn’t care for being cared for, especially if it was after one of her own dangerous stunts, but there was something desperately sweet about the mare before her.
“Really, it’s okay. These things happen. I’m gonna go see Nurse Redheart, and I’m sure she’ll have me good as new.”

“I…okay” Derpy looked upset still, but less distraught. “You’re going to have to walk though, aren’t you? Ponyville is still a little ways away. Can I at least walk you back?”

Rainbow looked at her for a moment. Frankly, she didn’t want the company, and was still embarrassed a piece of paper ruined her solid chance at a Sonic Rainboom. Those soft, bright honey eyes held Dash's gaze, the dried tears still visible on her grey cheeks. Rainbow gave a little breath,

"Sure".