Don't Give Up

Chapters

Awoken
Memories
Life Goes On
Faith
Blame
Relief
The Cactus Hypothesis
Emotions and Toxins
It Begins
The First of Many
Uncertainty
Temptation
Revenge
Anger

Awoken

Don't Give Up

Chapter 1

Awoken

It was like nothing she had ever seen before; a light brighter then she thought possible. She could see nothing. All around her was the blinding white light. She could feel that her eyes were closed, but her eye lids did little to protect her.

BEEP

Slowly, she raised her hoof to try a shield herself from the light. She couldn't move her hoof. She couldn't even feel her hoof. It felt like she was floating, as if her body was not there at all. All she could feel was the pain from the blinding light.

BEEP

She started to panic. It was like she was in a void, there was nothing. Nothing but the light and her, and she wasn't even sure if she was there at all.

“H-Hello?” She called out, she heard the words, but not out loud. She heard them in her head, but they never left her mouth. What was going on? This had never happened to her before. She felt... helpless. She hated feeling helpless.

BEEP

Then she started to feel another sensation other then the burning in her eyes. The felt something underneath her. It was soft, almost fuzzy, but not quite. It was also warm. For the first time since she woke up she realized she was laying on her back. Her body slowly came back to her, she felt her hooves beside her, her mane behind her head, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath.

BEEP

Slowly, the light started to fade. At first it wasn't noticeable at first, but as time passed is slowly faded from blinding white to bright, then dull, then eventually nothing but a bright grey. Slowly, she dared to open her her eyes. As soon as the first crack opened, she immediately shut them again; though the light had faded it was still painful to look at.

BEEP

Eventually she gathered the will to once again try and open her eyes. She opened them just a crack and was hit once again with the light though this time she didn't snap her eyes shut again, she kept them where they were' adjusting to the light. After a while the light stopped being painful and was just bright, so she slid her eyes open another few millimetres. Again, she was met with a brighter, more painful light, but this time she was ready.

BEEP

Without another moments hesitation she snapped her eyes open. Wincing slightly from how bright it was, though this time it was not painful, just uncomfortably bright. She tried once again to raise her hoof to her face, but once again found that she could not move it. Though this time she could feel it.

BEEP

Suddenly a burning, intense pain shot through her entire body, causing her to tense up in both surprise and pain. It was as if somepony had thrown her into a fire and stabbed her with hundreds of tiny needles at the same time. The fact that she hated needles didn't help the matter. The pain was in every part of her body, as if her very blood were boiling.

BEEP

She tried to focus on anything that didn't involve pain. So, naturally, she focused on the thing that hurt the most; her back. To points, one on either side of her back, felt as if she had been stabbed with two wooden stakes. She couldn't move, the pain was too much to even form a coherent thought as her body writhed in pain.

BEEP

Slowly the pain receded, dulling to a slight throb. Once again the light started to fade. Going from bright once again to dull, then dim, until eventually there was nothing but black. She slowly became more aware, she could feel something on top of her. Feeling almost identical to the thing below her. She tried to sit up, but nothing happened, it was as if her brain and her body were disconnected. She could not move, but she could feel the pain coursing through her.

BEEP

Once again she tried to speak, but her mouth wouldn't even open. Once again she felt helpless. Mentally sighing, she gave up. If she could move she would have slouched deeper into whatever it was she was on. If she couldn't move, then there was no point trying.

BEEP

That's when the light returned, only more focused this time. A perfect square in what she could only assume was a wall. It made it's way towards her; getting closer with each passing second.

BEEP

The light was almost upon her now. It was odd; he felt oddly calm looking at it. As if she had wanted it her entire life.

BEEP

The light was directly in front of her now

BEEP

It over took her, she was fully engulfed in the light, but it did not blind her, instead it brought comfort and calmness.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

That's when she heard it. It was like nothing she had ever heard before; a scream. Like somepony had been stabbed and the blade was being twisted. Worse yet; she recognized the voice. It was her best friend. It was a mare she trusted, that she had known for almost 3 years. It was the mare that she was proud to call her friend. It was Twilight Sparkle.

Immediately she pulled away from the light. Although her body itself did not move, she could feel the light receding. Letting her go. It dimmed back to black, and she listened, hoping to once again hear her voice. But nothing came. She waited in silence, then she heard it.

BEEP

A single, lone sniffle. Like a foal crying when she fell off a swing. But it was not a pained sniffle, it was almost happy, but not quite. She became even more aware; she heard something else. It started as a low drone of white noise, but eventually the noise took shape into distinct patterns. The noise forming into sound. Sound forming into voices. Voices forming into words.

BEEP

She felt something wet hit her coat. Just below her shoulder.

“What happened?” The voice said. It was a voice she recognized, but one that she could not attach a name to.

“I don't know. She went into cardiac arrest, we thought we lost her.” Another voice replied. Again, she could not recognize it. It was nothing but a solid, dull tone.

“She... She's going to be alright now... Right?” She knew that voice. She knew exactly who had said that, but the name escaped her. It was like it was a hair on the end of her tongue that she couldn't spit out.

“Only time will tell. She got lucky this time, but it may not be this way next time.” The voice was sad, like it had delivered the most terrible news in the world. But there was a strange comfort in it, as if it had done so many times in the past.

BEEP

“Then you don't know her very well. She'll make it through, she always has.” The same voice replied. The voice that she still couldn't put a name on.

“It's alright y’all, she'll pull through. She always has.” Heavy southern accent, distinct confidence, truth practically dripping from her voice. She knew who that was, but once again the name eluded her searches.

“I hope you're right,” She paused to sniffle, “I don't think I could handle another scare like that.” That voice. That nerdy, bookish voice, that was Twilight. Wait, why could she remember her name, and nopony else? What was so special about her? She liked all her friends the same, and yet she remembered her name only.

“You alright sugarcube? Y'all seam more emotional then flutter's over there.” The southern accented voice replied. THAT WAS HER NAME! Fluttershy. Not the southern accented one, but the first speaker, the one who asked if she was going to be alright now. She was rather proud of herself for remembering her name. Though she felt a twinge of guilt for forgetting it in the first place.

“Yes, I'm fine. Its just... That's the closest I've ever come to losing somepony close to me. I couldn't imagine it." Twilight replied, her voice seamed to be calmer and a little bit steadier.

BEEP

The heart monitor nearly made her jump out of her skin. Well, she would have could she actually move. Then she realized something else; that was a heart monitor. Who's heart was it monitoring?

“Uh, guys?” She tried to speak, only to let the words dies in her still tightly closed mouth. This was so confusing, and she still couldn't see anything. Then she realized something else; her eyes were still closed. She could have sworn she had opened them ages ago when she first woke up.

She tried to slide her eyes open, but they would not respond to her demands. Still closed tightly over her eyes.

BEEP

NO! She refused to be beaten by her own body. Gathering all the will and strength she could, she forced her eyes open.

Just as she had expected, she was blinded by the light. Through the ringing in her ears and throbbing in her skull she could hear a collective gasp, and one sigh.

“Her eyes! They're open!” Gasped a yellow Pegasus.

“Yes. That happens quite often actually. It is neither a good or bad sign. It simply means she's still alive.” A tan stallion replied.

“The fact the she's alive is a good sign to us!” Cried out one very angry pink earth pony.

BEEP

The room eventually came into focus. Instead of blurry blobs of color her friends became solid objects. And she recognized each one.

They were all there, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle. Most were standing on the far side of the white, overly-clean looking room with what she could only assume was a doctor based on his stethoscope cutie mark. But there was one who wasn't. A certain lavender unicorn was right next to her. Holding her hoof and crying on her shoulder.

“Come on, Rainbow. Don't give up."

Memories

Don't Give Up

Chapter 2

Memories

If breaking your wing was annoying, then being in a coma was worse then hell. When she had broken her wing she could at the very least get up and walk around, or play a board game, even play with the lamp. But what can you do when your entire body has basically shut down? Apparently nothing, as Rainbow Dash was quickly learning.

Occasionally one of her friends would come in, keep her company for a while. While she couldn't talk back, they still talked to her, though she got the feeling that they didn't think she could hear them. She based that assumption off some of the gossip she got from Fluttershy of all ponies. She made a mental note to keep it her little secret that she was aware when she finally got out of her head.

Speaking of getting out, when was that happening? Surly she couldn't just stay comatose forever, right? Giving yet another mental sigh, she imagined herself with a very bored expression. Not that her expression ever changed.

It had been 3 days. 3 long days of being a prisoner in her own head. 3 days of staring at a white, featureless hospital room. It was awful. The doctors had given her a clean bill of health... well, aside from the coma, at least. Though she still couldn't remember what had happened. The most recent memory she had beside waking up in the hospital had been going to the library for some reason. She couldn't remember why, but she did know she was excited for some reason.

“Go on in.” Rainbow was torn from her thoughts when the door opened. Another visitor. She heard whoever it was thank the nurse before walking into the room. Though she couldn't see the door from her position, staring at the ceiling, the quiet flapping of wings gave her a good idea of who it was.

A red pegasus with a blue main and brighter red highlights came up to her bed. Who was that? She had seen her before, she just couldn't remember where.

“Uh, nurse? This isn't Frost.” Said the mare, she sounded like she was around Rainbow's age, though had a much deeper voice. It almost sounded like she was angry.

“What? Oh, sorry, he's in the room next door, my apologies. This way.” The nurse said, having come back after the mare had called for her, and with that Rainbow was alone once again.

“Oh well, time to get some sleep.” Rainbow thought to herself, before letting her mind relax as the world around her unfocused.

“You know me.”

“What?” Rainbow said, startled by the unknown voice.

“You know me, now who am I?” The voice repeated, this time with more force.

“Who do I know”? Rainbow asked, looking around the black void surrounding her.

“Me.” The voice replied calmly. Almost unnervingly calm.

“Um... I'm pretty sure I don't know you.” Rainbow said, very confused at this point.

“Think about it.” The voice sounded as if it were coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

“That's kinda all I've been doing for the past 3 days, coma and all... wait, can you hear me?” Suddenly realizing the flaw in what was going on. She was in a coma! How could it hear her to respond to her?

“Please wake up.” Now the voice was different, it was a higher pitched voice, and was not calm, almost desperate.

“What? What happened to me knowing who you are?”

“Come on Rainbow, I know you're in there. We all miss you.”

“Okay, are you even listening to me anymore?” Rainbow was even more confused then she had been a few seconds ago. This voice had gone from trying to make her remember it in a creepy, calm voice, to trying to get her to wake up in a panicked, desperate voice.

“We just miss you so much, you know pinkie hasn't thrown a party for 2 weeks?”

“Okay, this is ju- wait, Twilight? Is that you?” Rainbow recognized the voice now. She searched all around the void, but all there was was blackness. Suddenly, everything got very bright, and once again she was in the hospital. Laying comatose on a bed in a very ugly white room. Every moment Rainbow had to look at that room the uglier it got.

One thing in the room, however, got prettier the more she looked at it. Wait, what? Where did that come from? Once again, Rainbow gave a mental sigh, shelving the thought for later when she was alone. Sitting in the chair next to her bed, like she had everyday just after lunch, was Twilight. It was a fantastic way to tell the time, she had found.

“You know, it feels like just yesterday I asked you over to the library to help me move some book shelves. I can't believe it's been nearly 3 weeks.”

Wait, 3 weeks? That would mean she had been sleeping for... like, a long time. Math was not her strong suit. Then another thought occurred; BEST. NAP. EVER!

“Fluttershy has barely left her house, AJ wont stop working for more then 10 seconds. It's all falling apart, Rainbow, and I don't know what to do. I've tried to keep everypony together, but Rarity won't help, she says she has too many orders to fill, and Pinkie hasn't even baked a cupcake since it happened.” Twilight was on the verge of tears, her eyes already moist and her lip quivering.

“I just don't know what to do...” She couldn't hold it any longer, openly crying over the comatose pegasus.

“Twi...” If Rainbow could move she would have been hugging the purple unicorn next to her. For some reason seeing Twilight as such an emotional wreck just tore at her heart.

“I know you can't help. Hay, you can't even hear me, I just needed somepony to talk to, even if they can't talk back...” Twilight was slowly gaining control of her tears, stopping them through will power and the back of her hoof.

“Though I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to see me again. Not after what I did...” Her voice was thick with guilt.

“I didn't mean to do it, please believe me when I tell you that, I didn't mean to. I just don't know what happened, I haven't lost control like that since I got my cutie mark. But... I just lost it, I didn't where you were, and I didn't know what to do... I-I just had to do something to release the power... there... there was so much blood... I didn't know what to do, I panicked. Maybe if I had been able to control myself you would be fine... If only I knew what to do!” Twilight had once again given into the tears, flowing in streams down her face onto the floor, her head hung in shame. “Just so much blood...”

It was like a dam breaking in the back of Rainbow's mind. All the memories of that night came back. Flying to Twilight's house, helping her move the bookshelf. And then that scream she had heard, that blood curdling scream. She had tried to turn around and find out what was wrong, but before a word could leave her mouth something hit her in the back of the head and pinned her to the bookshelf she was moving.

She was pinned between two huge bookshelves, one encased in a purple glow. There was a tiny crack between them where she could see a lavender unicorn, eyes glowing bright white and an expression of intense pain. Then the bookshelf behind her forced harder into her back. She could feel her ribs breaking, feel every twitch of her body, and all movement led to more pain. She could make out a deep red stain forming on the ground under her. Then It had gone black, but not before a bright purple beam had shot through the crack and filled her vision.

“That spell was the only thing I could think of, and it may have done more harm then good.”

“Y'all know that ain’t true, Twi.” Twilight spun her head around to face the second voice, expecting to be alone. “Without that there hocus pocus of yours she'd have died long before we got her here.”

“Oh, Applejack, hey. You scared me, I thought I was alone.” Her face growing slightly red, realizing that she, the most logical and down-to-earth pony she knew, was talking to a pony who couldn't hear her, never mind respond.

“Y'all ain't alone, Dash's here, ain't she?”

“Well, yes, but-”

“No buts, Dash is here, y'all ain't alone.” Applejack stated matter-of-factly. Twilight just sighed and looked back down at Dash, oblivious to the fact that she was looking right back at Twilight.

“I suppose I should get back to the library, spike might be able to clean the place, but he doesn't know how to help ponies check out books yet, and I can't keep it closed forever, bye AJ.”

“See y'all later then.” Applejack called out to the purple unicorn already half way out the door.

“When is that girl gonna stop blaming herself for this?” Applejack muttered to herself, sitting where Twilight had been moments before.

“She blames herself? What? She saved me, surly she knows that?” Rainbow thought, watching the farm pony sit on the chair and place her Stetson on her lap.

“She hasn't left the library, 'cept to come here, and even then she don't say nothin', just walks back and forth everyday. I don't think she eats much anymore either. We're all concerned, but she won't listen to us, keeps saying she's fine, when it's clear she ain't.” Placing her hat in the chair next to her, Applejack got comfortable in the chair, before sighing and looking back at Rainbow Dash.

“It's been a tough few weeks for all of us. But she's taking it the worst of all of us. Poor girl.” Applejack sighed one more time before sitting in silence. Just watching the steady rising and falling of Rainbow's chest, the steady pumping from the machine next to her drowned out all other noise from the hall outside.

“Twilight, I don't blame you” Rainbow's thoughts were like a hurricane in her head. She could remember what had happened, she didn't know why it had happened, but she knew what, and that's all she needed to know it wasn't Twilight's fault.

Sure, maybe Twilight had lost control, and sure, maybe she did squish her with a bookcase, but she also saved her life. That magic she used managed to knock Dash unconscious and stopped her broken ribs from puncturing any organs. She had saved her life, even if a side effect was a coma, at least she could recover from that. But death? There was no coming back from that.

“I should probably be going, you have enough of your own problems to worry about ours. Hope you get better soon.” Applejack stood and walked to the door, opened it, then stepped outside before closing it once again.

Alone.

Rainbow Dash hated being alone, there was nothing to do when she were alone, she couldn't even read if she couldn't hold the book. She couldn't take much more of this, 3 days and already she was going crazy, she had heard of comas lasting as long as 6 months. She was pretty sure she would die of boredom before she lasted that long.

Grumbling to herself about being stuck like this, she just looked at the ceiling. The ceiling she had grown to hate. The ceiling who's only purpose was to mock the fact that she couldn't turn away from it. The ceiling that faded to black as she closed her eyes and tried to let her mind rest, there was nothing else for her to do, besides, she loved napping.

Life Goes On

Don't Give Up

Chapter 3

Life Goes On

A week. One full week. One week of mind numbing boredom. 7 visits from Twilight, 7 days, 168 hours, 10080 minutes, and Rainbow hated every second of it. It was like nothing the cyan pegasus had ever felt before. She had never been this bored in her life. All she could do was sleep, and even then time passed slowly in her dreams. The only reprieves she got were Twilight's visits, or one of her other friends, but they weren't as frequent. Leave it to Twilight to make a 'visit Rainbow Dash' Calender.

“Go on in” Again she heard the familiar nurse lead somepony into her room, again she heard the clicking of the door opening, and again she heard the soft clopping of hooves on tile floors.

“Hey Dashie, it's me, how ya doin'? Oh, wait, you can't answer, your in a coma. That's alright, I can still talk to you, you must get so bored in here all alone. Oh! Do you want me to bring some music? I'm sure I have a radio or something in here somewhere...no? Darn, maybe next time.” The voice was familiar and foreign at the same time. It was Pinkie's voice, no doubt about it, but there was no energy behind it, it was dull and lifeless.

“I... I baked you some cupcakes... for when you... wake up...” From the sound of her voice she was obviously trying to hold back tears, Rainbow heard a quiet clink as Pinkie put the cupcakes on her bedside table. They were coloured a light, sky blue, with a dollop of rainbow frosting on top. Slowly, Pinkie made her way to the chair where all her friends had sat at some point during the week, Pinkie being the last one to visit her.

“I hope you don't mind, but I may be a little out of practise... I haven't baked anything since... since you...” Her voice drifted off into silence, but Rainbow could finish the sentence herself. She felt awful for doing this to her friends. If she could somehow reassure them she was okay, find some way to tell them that she was alright. But she couldn't, and that fact bothered her to no end. Everyday she watched Twilight come in to her room, sit on that one chair every time, and cry her eyes out. It was awful to watch, and she could only imagine how Twilight and the rest of her friends felt.

“T-Twilight told me to come and t-talk to you... she said s-something like it would help me... well, at least I-I think that's what she said, you know h-her, always using big words. And you... you never could understand half of them. And... and... oh Dashie, We're all falling apart, I could barely bring myself to bake those this morning, and... we're just falling apart, Twilight tried to keep us together, but... I guess we're just not loyal enough, not like you. Don't you get it Dashie? YOU were the glue. You held us together, you always thought of some way to get us all together and doing something. They even said they couldn't come to my party a couple weeks ago, I haven't tried since then...” Pinkie was balling her eyes out now, not even trying to hold it in.

7 days, 6 friends, more tears then at a onion chopping contest. As if watching her friends like this wasn't enough, every single one of them had found some way to blame her for it. No, they didn't mean to do it, in fact they probably thought they were doing just the opposite, but they did, purposefully or not. They did it.

“You know, I haven't even seen Rarity since our last group visit last week, I think she's taking it worse then Fluttershy, at least she has her animal friends to help her through it. But all Rarity has are her dresses... I hope she hasn't started talking to them, we both know what happens when one of us starts talking to inanimate objects.” Pinkie laughed weekly at her own joke. Though she would rather repress that memory completely, it had made for some rather funny jokes at the odd party.

“Go on in, but I think she already has a visitor.” The nurse once again opening the door to let another pony in. By now Pinkie had managed to calm herself down enough to stop crying, but it was obvious she had been.

“Oh, hey Pinkie... Have you been crying?”

“Oh, hey Twilight, yeah, I was just bringing Dashie some cupcakes, I hope she gets up before they go bad...”

“That's sweet of you pinkie, I know you haven't been feeling yourself lately, glad to see you baking again. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be back on her hooves in no time at all” Twilight sounded a little too enthusiastic, as if she was convincing herself more then Pinkie.

“I hope so... I'm not sure how much longer we can go on like this...”

“Like what?”

“Like this! When was the last time you saw Rarity? Of Fluttershy? Or even Applejack?”

“Well I... haven't... you're right Pinkie, we'll falling apart. I saw it, but I didn't want to admit it, I've tried, but I can't do it alone...”

“I know Twi, I have to go, have fun.” With that the pink earth pony walked out of the room.

“Wow, I think that's the first time I saw Pinkie walk... anywhere.” Rainbow thought, once again plagued by guilt at the most recent visit. 8 visits from Twilight, 8 days of being comatose.

“Hey Dash... How's it going in here? I would imagine somepony like you would be bored out of your skull... if you were even in your skull at all.” Again Twilight made her way to the chair and sat. Tears already welling up in her eyes.

“Pinkie's right, we are falling apart. I'm not sure how much longer till one of us snaps.” Twilight sighed, reaching forward and grabbing Rainbow's hoof in her own. “We need you back with us, we can't last much longer.”

“Oh, Twilight Sparkle, right?” Asked a pony currently unknown to Dash.

“Yes, and you must be the doctor, how's she doing?”

“Pretty good, considering what she's been through, her wounds have healed almost completely, the only thing now is her coma, but it's all up to her now. If she dies it's because her mind finally gave up the fight. If that happens, we need to be ready, does she have any family? And have they been notified?” The pony who was apparently the doctor went over to Rainbow and started poking and prodding around her ribs and chest.

“Her mother has been notified, but she's up in Cloudsdale. Me and her other friends are the closest thing she has to family around here.”

“Good, any funeral arrangements?” The doctor was now pocking at Dash's wings.

“No, because she's not going to die.” Twilight's voice was low and laced with venom.

“Ms. Sparkle, I understand how you must feel, but facts are facts, only 20% of ponies who go into comas come back out. Life goes on, Ms. Sparkle, we just have to let go sometimes.”

“Before her 0% of the population could do a sonic rainboom. She's going to survive. You're right, life does go on, but she'll be going on with the rest of us.” Twilight was now glaring daggers at the apparently oblivious doctor.

“If you say so. If she wakes up she'll be fine, though she'll have to take it easy on the flying for a bit. May I ask what happened? She came here with some pretty bad internal bleeding and a broken bones.”

“No, you may not.” Twilight stated flatly, before picking him up in a light purple glow and tossing him out into the hall. Closing and locking the door behind him. “The nerve of some ponies, sticking their nose into everything that doesn't involve them.” Twilight huffed and sat back down in her chair, having stood up when the doctor entered the room.

“Wow, that's a touchy subject, gonna have to remember to stay away from that later” Dash thought to herself, thinking what it would be like to be thrown out a door by magic. Sure, she could easily fly and stop before she hit the ground, but then again, it was magic.

“Now then, where were we? Oh yes-” Twilight was silenced by an alarm from somewhere in her saddle bags.

“Oh great, I have to go, but I'll be back tomorrow, sorry for the short visit, but I promised Spike I would help clean for once, bye Dash.” Twilight quickly stood up and went over to the door, it's handle covered in a magenta glow, but hesitated. Slowly, she let go of the doorknob, and walked back over to the bed. Her head above Dash's, their muzzles inches apart.

“He said that the only way you could die now was to give up.” Twilight was choking back her tears, but after 8 days Dash knew all to well it was a battle she was meant to loose, “So do me a favour,” Twilight said, leaning down even closer, her muzzle right in Rainbow's ear, “don't give up.” she then kissed Rainbow on the cheek, before blushing furiously and teleporting out of the room.

“Wait... did Twi just... no, never. But... she did... but I... she would never... WHAT!?” Rainbow Dash was beyond confused. Sure, it may have been just a kiss on the cheek, but her face after? She could have sworn she was looking at a red unicorn instead of a purple one.

“Okay,” Dash thought, “time to go over the facts. One, Twilight kissed me, on the cheek, but a kiss none-the-less. Two, she obviously enjoyed it, or her face wouldn't have been so red. Five, no, wait... three, while I have never been exactly quiet about being gay, I never though Twi would be into mares. Four, I enjoyed it. Five, why in Equestria did I enjoy it?” Rainbow could have kept going, but the only thing she could think of was “she enjoyed it” and “why did she enjoy it?”. Occasionally accompanied by her remembering every single detail about it, Twilight's soft voice in her ear, the feel of her breath on her fur, the feeling of those soft, almost fluffy lips on her cheek, and her smell. What she wouldn't do to smell that again. A mixture of lavender (oddly appropriate, all things considered) and a hint of something that she couldn't quite place, chocolate maybe?

She needed to think about this, and obsessing about what had happened wouldn't help her think at all. Instead she decided to just try and relax and clear her head. Though unfortunately that didn't help, as she slipped accidentally into a dream filled sleep. Filled with images of a certain purple unicorn, and a large amount of them about some form of kissing. Some more... intimate, then others. But no matter what the dream was, there was a common theme; Dash didn't give up.

Life does go on, and Rainbow Dash fully intended to go on living with it.

Faith

Don't Give Up

Chapter 4

Faith

It was a beautiful summer day. The birds were chirping in the trees on either side of Rainbow Dash as she walked along a path in the forest. The canopy blocking enough light to be comfortably dim, but not so much that it was hard to see. The leaves on the trees were a bright, healthy green. All around her were the peaceful noises of the forest; a breeze through the trees, the odd leaf blowing in the wind, the occasional unknown animal. It was perfect. But there was one thing there that really made the scene worthwhile: A lavender unicorn on her right. Tucked safely under Dash's wing, walking beside her down the forest path.

“You really are awesome, Dash” Twilight said, snuggling a litter closer to the pegasus.

“Aw, now you're embarrassing me, Twi!” Rainbow said, blushing slightly at the unexpected compliment.

“It's true.” Twilight giggled softly.

“Well, I AM the fastest flier in Equestria, ya know.” Dash said, puffing her chest out slightly in pride. Well deserved pride, she thought.

“That's wonderful, but it's time to wake up now.” Suddenly Twilight's voice became very distant, her image growing fuzzy.

“What are you talking about, Twi? I don't need to go anywhere, not as long as you're with me.” Dash said, confusion thick in her voice.

Twilight giggled again, her image slowly growing more and more blurry, until Rainbow was left with nothing but a blurry lavender cloud.

“T-Twilight!? What's wrong? What's happening to you?” Dash was growing panicked, her friend nothing more then a faint purple tint on the trees behind where Twilight used to be.

“Wake up.”

“I don't wanna! I want to stay here! With you! Twi!... please... don't leave me...” Rainbow's voice sounding hallow and defeated as the last traces of her purple friend were blown away with the wind.

“Twi?” Rainbow dash looked around. Slowly, she sighed. She may as well just give up. Twilight was gone, and she wasn't coming back. She looked up to the canopy, a hole directly above her, showering her in light like a spotlight.

As she looked up into the light, the world around her began to loose focus, slowly becoming fuzzy, much like Twilight had. Slowly fading into nothing until all that was left was Rainbow Dash and light.

Rainbow slowly opened her eyes. Sighing as she realized where she was, and who she wasn't with.

“It was just a dream...” Rainbow thought to herself. In reality she was still in the hospital. She was still in a coma. And, above all else, she was still alone.

It was then she found what had so rudely awoken her from her wonderful dream; the sun.

“Great,” she thought, “they can't even be bothered to close the damn blinds. They know I can't, I'm in a coma!” sighing dejectedly, she rolled over, away from the light.

Wait... what!?

Rainbow shot upright in her bead, the covers flying of.

“Somepony tell me I'm not dreaming” She muttered under her breath. Slowly, she lifted her hoof up to her face, slowly turning it in the light, examining it to see any tell-tale signs of dream trickery. After examining her hoof for a while, she determined it was acceptably real. It was almost too good to be true. Relief washed through her like a wave. Free, she was finally free.

“Doctor?” She called her, her voice was rougher then usual, probably from lack of use for almost a month. “Hello?” she called again, but no one came.

“Great, even after I get out of the coma, I'm still alone.” she decided she wasn't going to get anypony's attention from where she was. Detaching some of the wires leading from her body to various machines, she swung her hind hooves around to the side of the bed. She jumped out of bed, her hooves touching the floor for only a second before falling straight through, her body following close behind.

“What the hay?” was all she had time to say before she suddenly stopped, having fallen through all 3 floors of the hospital, through the basement, a little ways through the ground, until she came to a empty room. She was floating near the roof, as if she had landed on a glass floor.

“You gave up. Why did you have to give up?” a familiar purple mare said, though Rainbow still couldn't see anything. Eventually the room around her began to come into focus. Pristine white walls, with pillars lining the walls beside her. At the front of the building were huge, colourful stain-glass windows, filling the room with bright colourful light. Looking down, Rainbow could see what looked like a carpet between two rows of seats. Then she realized where she was; Ponyville Saving Grace Church.

“She was the strongest of all of us, and she still gave up. How could she do this to us? Twilight said again, only this time Rainbow could see her. She was standing at the front of the building, directly in the centre, wearing a black dress. She was standing over an open casket, with a very familiar rainbow mane and cyan face sticking out.

“When we needed her the most, she just gave up.” Twilight was growing more and more angry. But she wasn't alone; all her other friends were with her. Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. All gathered for their friends funeral.

But they did not look sad, instead, they looked angry. Glaring down and Rainbow's dead body.

“She betrayed us, she don't deserve this.” Applejack said, turning away from the coffin.

“She didn't deserve a single one of those 'get better soon' parties, not if she was going to turn around and do this to us." Pinkie said, shaking her said from side to side.

“All those years, she said she was my friend. All those years, she protected me from bullies, and then she goes and does this, unacceptable.” Fluttershy said, angle standing next to her hoof, a look that dripped disappointment covered his furry face.

“I can't believe a pony as fabulous as me could ever be tricked into being friends with a pony like her.” Rarity spat, tilting her nose up.

“No.” Rainbow whimpered, her heart crushed under what her friends had said about her, on the day of her funeral, of all days. She started pounding her hooves against the invisible surface beneath her, try desperately to get to her friends, to assure them that she hadn't abandoned them.

“TWILIGHT! APPLEJACK! RARITY! PINKIE! FLUTTERSHY! ANYPONY!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, but she may as well have been holding her breath for all the good it did. Her friends started walking back down the isle towards the doors.

“NO!” She cried again, bringing her hoof down at the same time. Suddenly she heard a sharp cracking noise, then she began to fall once again. She hit the floor with a loud thud right in front of her friends. They stopped and stared at her. Nopony said anything.

“Uh... Hi guys, so yeah, I'm not dead.” Rainbow started weakly, putting on a weak smile to match. Though her friends were doing anything but smiling, some glaring, some not even looking at her, instead choosing to look away, while Twilight just stared at her, no emotion at all on her face.

“Uh, guys? That's a good thing, right?” Rainbow said, scratching the back of her neck with a weak hoof.

“A good thing?” Twilight said, her voice low, “You're dead, Rainbow, you gave up. You abandoned us, betrayed us, and now you come back, all smiles and happiness? Just who the hay do you think you are? Playing with us like that? First you make a miraculous recovery, then you just give up and die while in a coma, and now you come back. You've betrayed our trust more then we can forgive you for, just... just go.” All her friends nodded, before walking around he stunned pegasus. Then out the door, slamming it shut with a slight purple glow.

“T-Twilight? W-what happened?” Rainbow was starting to tear up. It was as if her heart had been ripped out, torn in half, then tossed into a fire.

“No... please... don't leave me... I didn't mean to... I didn't want to hurt you.” she was openly crying, alone in the middle of an empty church.

“FORGIVE ME!” she screamed, tossing her head back and shouting to the stars themselves. Wiping some of the tears from her eyes she looked back down to see a white, overly clean roof.

“Where am I now?” She tried to say it, but once again her mouth was unresponsive. Slowly turning her head to the side, she realized she couldn't turn her head to the side. Taking in her surroundings from her very in-opportune angle, she realized she was back in her hospital bed. Back in her hospital room, and back in her coma.

“Just a dream,” she thought, “It was just a dream. Your friends don't hate you, and you're not dead, it was just a dream.” She tried to convince herself, but it still just seamed too real. She could have sworn it actually happened.

“Go on in.” The familiar voice said, alerting her to another visit from one of her friends. She braced herself for the verbal lashing she was going to get. Her dream still a little too real to shake off as just a dream. A purple unicorn walked into the room and sat on the chair, not even paying attention to it anymore. She had done it so many times.

10 visits from Twilight, 10 days.

“Hey Dash. It's me again. I can hardly believe that it's been a full month since it happened. We're still barely holding together, but we're starting to recover. All we need is a little faith. Faith that you'll survive, faith that we can survive if you don't... faith that the world will keep on spinning, even when we don't have the next few days planned out to the minute. It's not like me, I haven't made a list in a week, I've just been too tired, and today is the last day of preplanned lists. After today I have no idea what I'm going to do. And it scares me...”

10 visits, 10 tear filled Twilight's.

Dash wanted to do something. She wanted to hug her unicorn friend, to tell her that everything would be fine, just like she did every other time Twilight had visited her. But just like the 9 previous times, she was forcefully reminded of her coma when she tried to get up, and couldn't.

“You need to have faith too, Rainbow. Faith that you can get out of that bed. Faith that someday you'll be able to fly again, I know you hate it when you can't fly.”

That settled it, Rainbow was getting out of this bed. Twilight was right, she had to have faith. Until now she had all but given up, living day to day not expecting anything to happen, but living it anyway. Suddenly, she dashed out of her bed, tackling Twilight in her chair, landing on her lap, her front legs hooked around Twilight's neck.

“You're right, sometimes we need a little faith.” Rainbow said, before pulling away and looking into Twilight's beautiful, violet eyes. Eyes that were... surprised?

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Rainbow asked, confused about the confused expression on the purple mares face.

“RAINBOW! YOU'RE AWAKE!” Twilight screamed, finally getting past the shock and pulling Rainbow Dash back into another embrace, much stronger then the one Dash had given her.

“What? Wait... WHAT!? I'M AWAKE!? You sure I'm not dreaming... I don't think I could go through that again.” A shiver ran up her spine at the less-then-pleasant dream.

“No, Rainbow, this isn't a dream... you're finally awake... you've finally come back to us." Twilight said, crying into Dash's shoulder, wetting the fur. Rainbow couldn't care less, her own eyes tearing up at the relief, again trying to hug Twilight closer.

“You're finally awake.”

Blame

Don't Give Up

Chapter 5

Blame

“What is going on in here?” The doctor charged in through the door, undoubtedly alerted by Twilight's scream.

“I told you.” Was all Twilight had to say to the doctor, Rainbow Dash still on her lap, they were both crying into each other's shoulders.

“Ya, you told 'em Twi, you told 'em...” Dash said, her voice muffled by Twilight's shoulder.

“You certainly did, when did she wake up?” The doctor started walking over to them, picking up a clipboard and looking at the various machines Rainbow was still attached to.

“Just a few seconds ago, she just randomly jumped out of bed and tackled me.” Twilight said, her face still buried in Rainbow's neck.

“Is that so? Tell me, Ms. Dash, why did you jump out of bed? You could have injured yourself worse.”

“Nah, I know I'm fine, you said so yesterday, remember?” Dash said, slowly pulling away from Twilight and hopping to the floor.

“Wait... You were conscious? How is that even possible?” The doctor was obviously confused, looking over charts and graphs from the previous day, looking for any signs that she had woken up.

“I dunno, I woke up 10 days ago, the last time all my friends visited me together at the same time, I just couldn't move. It was weird, like I was trapped inside my head. I could see, feel, and hear everything, I just couldn't move.” Dash said, walking over to where the doctor was standing on the other side of the bed.

“Wait... 10 days ago... that means... EEP!” Suddenly there was a bright flash from the chair where Twilight had been sitting moments before. The tell-tale cracking of a teleportation spell filled the room before she was gone.

“What was that about?” The doctor asked, completely ignoring the mile long piece of paper in his hooves.

“Oh, probably nothing.” Dash said chuckling, knowing full well that Twilight had realized everything she had been awake for.

“Okay... well, I would rather you stay for a few more days, but if I remember anything from your last visit here then you won't be staying.”

“You know me too well, see ya later!” Dash called as she walked towards the door.

“Just remember to keep off the wing for about a week.”

“OK... wait, how the hay am I supposed to get home?” Dash asked, turning back around to face the doctor. “My house is in the sky!”

“I told you it would be better to stay here for a few more days, at least until you figured out where you were going to stay.” Dash thought for a moment. Pinkie was out, sure, it was fun to have a sleep over with her every now-and-then. But a week of constant Pinkie Pie? Dash knew she couldn't handle that. Rarity was out of the question, she did not want to be turned into a fashion model. That left only three, and she didn't want to have to put up with angle. That left it down to two.

“I know where I'm staying, thanks again doc.” She called as she walked out the door into the hospital hallway, just as annoyingly over clean as the room. A few turns and stairs later and she was free of the sterilized building into the fresh, open air. It took all of her will power to resist taking to the air instantly, her wings already extending, as if expecting her to take off.

"Sorry guys, but we're gonna be on the ground for a while." She said, tucking her wings back down to her sides and starting the walk down the hill to Ponyville.

“Lets just hope she doesn't slam the door in my face, she is prone to over reacting quite a bit." Dash thought to herself as she rounded the last corner, her destination in sight; Golden Oaks Library.

“I hope she agrees, I don't think I could live with a week of non-stop apple pies and fritters.” Dash thought as she approached the door.

Knock

“Come on Twi, answer me.”

Knock

“It's not that bad, I won't tell anypony if you don't want me to.”

Knock

“What is taking her so long? At the very least Spike should open the door.” She thought, those three knocks had taken 10 minutes in her mind. In reality it was about 5 seconds.

“Why am I worried?” She thought, “Twi wouldn't turn me down, would she?”

“Oh, hey Dash, how are- DASH! How did you get out of the hospital? When did you wake up? Why are you here?” Spike was spitting out question after question, quickly overloading the cyan pegasus.

“Whoa, calm down Spike, I just woke up today. I'm surprised Twi didn't tell you, she was there when I woke up.” Dash said, though Spike still looked like he was going to burst with questions.

“Oh Dash, it's been terrible without you.” Spike said, running up and hugging Rainbow's leg, already crying into her soft fur.

“Hey, it's alright, I'm back now, but I need to talk to Twilight, she is here, right?” Dash said, shaking Spike off her leg, only for him to latch onto her other one.

“Yeah, but she's locked herself in her room, and she has the only key with her, I don't know whats wrong, but she won't talk to me.” The baby dragon pulled away from her leg, wiping his eyes with the back of his claw.

“She has a window, right?” Rainbow asked, a mischievous smirk on her face.

“Uh, ya, it's around back, why?”

“Oh, no reason.” With that Rainbow took to the air, flying around the tree turned into a house until she reached her destination.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid Twilight. Why did I do that? I've really done it now. I'M SO STUPID!” Twilight was sitting on her bed, her head in her hooves as she violently shook it back and forth.

TAP

“Why? What is wrong with me? I'll never be able to leave the library again!”

TAP

“Who's there?” Twilight asked, looking around for the noise she had just heard.

TAP

“Hello?” She asked, slowly looking around her room until she got to the window, where a very familiar pegasus was slowly flapping her wings, wincing with every flap. “Rainbow! What are you doing? You know you're not supposed to be flying!” Twilight said, rushing over to the window and fumbling with the lock for a few seconds, completely forgetting about her magic.

After a few more seconds of fumbling with her hooves she finally got the window unlocked and open, Rainbow Dash quickly flying inside, half landing and half crashing onto Twilight's bed.

“Okay, note to self, do NOT fly the day you are released from the hospital.” Rainbow groaned, rubbing her wings in slow, circular motions.

“Rainbow! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be staying in the hospital for a few more days?” Twilight said, walking over to the bed where the pegasus was currently poking at her extremely sore wings, checking for signs of any serious damage.

“You know me, if I can leave the hospital I will. Unfortunately I can't exactly go home, now can I?” Dash said, determining that she hadn't done any serious damage to her wings.

“That's why you should have stayed at the hospital, but why are you here?” Twilight asked, obviously oblivious to what the pegasus was trying to ask.

“Would you mind if I crashed here for bit? Just until my wings heal enough for me to fly up to my house.” Dash asked, her face heating up a bit, though she didn't know why.

“Wait, you actually want to stay with me? In a library of all things?” Twilight asked, a bit shocked that she had chosen one of her least favorite things and, in Twilight's opinion, one of her more distant friends. While they got along fine and often had fun together, they were never really close.

“Could you imagine spending a week with Pinkie?” Dash said flatly. Twilight giggled a bit in understanding.

“I suppose, but still, why me?”

“Well, I still need to talk to you.”

“About what... wait, is this about- oh Celestia Dash I'm so sorry, I don't know what I was thinking, I thought you were unconscious, and I just felt so alone, ever since it happened I've shut myself in the library, trying to figure out what I did wrong, but I couldn't find anything! It's all my fault Dash, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry for everything, for nearly killing you, for putting you in that coma, for... what I did while you were in the coma. It's all my fault Dash, you should hate me.” Twilight was quickly spiraling into a panic, already starting to hyperventilate.

“I could never hate you, Twi.” Dash said calmly, scooting herself over to the edge of the bed, right in front of Twilight. “And I don't even blame you, you saved my life, we both know that, it's not your fault.”

“But it is! If I hadn't lost control this never would have happened, and I can't even find out why I lost control! I'm so stupid!” Twilight said, turning away from Rainbow.

“Shut up.” Dash nearly screamed, if there was one thing she couldn't take it was her friends blaming themselves for things beyond their control.

“What?” Twilight said, surprised by the sudden outburst.

“I said shut up. You are not stupid, you are anything but stupid, you're the smartest pony I know, probably the smartest in Ponyville. This is not your fault, this was never your fault, so stop blaming yourself. If I don't blame you for it you shouldn't blame yourself for it, got it?” Dash was forceful, yet caring at the same time.

“Yes.” Twilight said, crying, but still smiling. “When did you get so smart?” Twilight added, giggling softly to herself.

“I learned from the smartest pony I know.” Dash said, pulling Twilight into a warm embrace, the unicorn more than welcoming it.

“Now, I need you to promise me one thing.” Dash said, holding her purple friend a little tighter. Twilight nodded in response.

“While I stay here I don't have to clean anything unless I specifically volunteer for it.” Dash said, pulling away, her trademark cocky smile worn proudly on her lips.

“It's a deal.” Twilight giggled.

Relief

Don't Give Up

Chapter 6

Relief

“Did you take care of her?”

“No, she woke up before I could, every time I tried that annoying unicorn was there.”

“No matter, I always have back-up plans. Here's what you need to do.”

-_-_-_-

“Twilight, are you sure this is such a good idea? I mean, telling them all at once? Wouldn't it be best to go one by one?” Dash asked. She was sitting at a average size table, able to hold up to eight ponies.

“True, but then what would happen if they found out what order you went to see them in? What would they think about you going to see, say, Fluttershy before Applejack? They would think that you liked one of them more then the the others. If that happened they would be insulted, then they would be mad at you, and if they were really mad at you they might not forgive you, and if they never forgave you they might start getting jealous of each other and start growing apart. And if that happens the we wont be able to use the elements of harmony, and if that- mmmph mm mmphmmphmmm” Twilight's rant was cut off by a light blue hoof being shoved in her mouth.

“Twilight, calm down, do you really think that's going to happen?” Dash asked, slowly removing her hoof from Twilight's muzzle.

“Well, no, but we can't take any chances!” Twilight said, before walking towards the door leading to Sugar Cube Corner's kitchen where their friends were currently waiting. Twilight had finally managed to convince them to meet somewhere for lunch, though she did not tell them that Dash had woken up.

“Fine, but if I get smothered in a group hug it's on you.” Dash said, leaning back in her chair and putting her hooves behind her head.

“Alright.” Twilight said, opening the door and walking through to where the rest of their friends were waiting for Twilight to come get them. Rainbow could hear some low mumbling as Twilight was talking to them, followed by silence as the door was encased in a purple glow.

“Just don't smother her, she'll blame me for it.” Twilight said as she opened the door, her friends confused by what the unicorn had meant by “she” though that confusion quickly turned to understanding when they saw the cyan mare at the table. And that understanding changed to relief even faster.

“RAINOW DASH!?” They all cried in unison, quickly charging through the door and past Twilight, nearly trampling her.

“Hey guys.” Dash said nonchalantly.

“When did you wake up?” They asked, again in perfect unison. At this point they had formed a tight circle around the pegasus, some tearing up, and some flat out crying.

“A few hours ago.” Twilight answered for her, cutting through the crowd up to Rainbow Dash. “She woke up While I was there, so when the doctor said she could leave I took her back to the library with me.” Twilight lied. She and Dash had decided it best that the rest not know about her being conscious, seeing as how some of her friends had very... personal, conversations around her. And without knowing what Dash had known about, it would have been very hard to explain Twilight randomly teleporting away.

“Why did she go back to the library with you? Wouldn't she much rather have flown back to her own house if she wanted to rest? I know if I could rest on a cloud bed I would, I've heard that they do wonders for your skin.” Rarity said, her eyes glazing over as she imagined laying in a bed made of clouds.

“I would have, but my wings aren't totally healed yet, can't fly for at east a week... I already tried” Rainbow added under her breath, obviously annoyed at her lack of flight.

“Yes, and because her house is floating she'll be staying with me until her wings are fully healed. Any other questions?” Twilight asked, scanning the crowd around her.

“Oh! OH! OH! I HAVE ONE! PICK ME PICKE ME PICK ME!” Pinkie shouted, waving a hoof in the air, as if asking permission, though she started talking anyway. “Did you see the cupcakes I left you? Did you eat them? Did they taste good? I hope you liked them, I tried really super hard to make them for you, I even made them mach your coat and mane, so how were they? Were they good? Were they were they were they?” The hyperactive pink earth pony somehow managed to say everything without taking a breath or tripping over her words. A skill that Twilight wished she had, as it would make lectures so much easier.

“Uh, yeah, they were good, thanks Pinkie.” Dash lied, in honesty she had forgotten all about them. Being too wrapped up with getting out of the hospital, finding Twilight, convincing Twilight it wasn't her fault, asking Twilight if she could stay with her, and thinking about Twilight in general... come to think of it, there had been a lot of Twilight in Dash's life recently.

“Good, because those were just the first in the series of sweets I'm going to call “The Elements of Sugar” what do you guys think? There's going to be a cupcake type for each of my friends!” Pinkie cheered excitedly, while the rest of her friends just looked at her, bewildered expressions on their faces.

“Uh, Pinkie, that's great and all, but I don't think that's a particularly pressing matter.” Applejack said, turning her attention back to Twilight and Rainbow dash. “If y'all don't mind me asking, why Twilight? I mean, don't y'all hate libraries, and books, and reading, and... pretty much everything Twilight likes?”

“Huh? Oh, well I originally went with her because I needed to talk to her about... something that happened... and one thing kinda led to another, and we ended up deciding that it would be best if I just stayed at the library, should something happen and I need medical attention or the hospital she'd be the pony to go to, ya know?” Rainbow said, trying to both keep herself from looking at Twilight and stop the blood threatening to rush to her cheeks.

“So darling, what was it like being in a coma?” Rarity asked, seemingly sensing Rainbow's unease with Applejack's question.

“Well, it's kinda like you're sleeping.” Rainbow Dash was panicking, what was she supposed to say? She couldn't tell them what it was really like, and she didn't know what most ponies thought being in a coma was like.

“Really? Did you dream about anything?” Fluttershy asked.

“Uh, I can't really remember, ya know? It's like when you know you've had a dream, but just can't remember what it was.” Rainbow lost the battle, her cheeks flushing a bright burgundy, she stole a quick glance a Twilight, remembering one of her more favourable dreams involving the lavender unicorn, she was oblivious to it.

Unfortunately for Dash, Rarity was not as oblivious as Twilight. “Is that so?” She asked, almost sadistically, “Are you sure? Not a single detail? Like, say, what pony was in it?” Rarity smirked as Dash's face grew even redder, once again looking towards Twilight, this time she saw it.

“Something wrong, Rainbow?” She asked with that smile. That beautiful, wonderful smile.

“No!” Rainbow mentally scolded herself, “I am not allowed to think of my friends in that way, any of them, that would be totally uncool.”

“Uh, no, nothing's wrong, just a little tired.” She said, faking an overly large yawn.

“How are you tired? You've been sleeping for a month! Or were you not sleeping? Were you playing a prank on us? Or maybe you were paralysed, not in a coma. Or maybe-” The ball of energy that was Pinkie Pie was silenced by an orange hoof.

“Pinkie, just because she was in a coma does not mean she got any real sleep, I imagine that it would take a lot out of a pony, am I right, RD?” Applejack said, still keeping her hoof firmly over Pinkies mouth.

“Uh, ya, just cause, ya know, it was kinda like napping, doesn't mean I actually got any real sleep, right, Twilight?” Rainbow said, pushing the question over to Twilight, who nodded, still oblivious to Dash's scarlet face.

“I would imagine. While the body is comatose, the mind is still fully functional, with no real nutrition fatigue is severe after any extended time in a coma.” Twilight answered, as if reading it directly from a book.

Hey were interrupted as the bells over the door announced another customer.

“Hello, welcome to Sugar Cube Corner.” Pinkie said, bouncing off to great the new customer.

“Hey, I was wondering if you guys sold cinnamon roles?” The unknown mare asked, she had a deep, rough voice, even deeper then Rainbow Dash.

“Of course! What kind of sweet shop would we be without cinnamon roles? Come over here, we have 12 different types to choose from.” Pinkie said, bouncing behind the counter, a red pegasus mare following close behind. Her mane was dark blue with red highlights, and she had a black lightning bolt outlined in red as a cutie mark.

“It can't be...” Dash thought aloud, thinking back to when she was in the coma. She had seen that mare before, she had come into her room by mistake, but she remembered her from before that. Finally the odd dream she had made sense, that strange feeling she got when she looked at the red pegasus.

“What's that?” Twilight asked, looking down to the pegasus sitting in the chair next to her.

“I know her...” Dash said, though her name and where she knew her from still alluded her.

“I wouldn't be surprised, there aren't many pegasi in Ponyville.” Twilight said, not particularly interested in the newcomer.

“No, I mean, from before Ponyville, she looks like... she is... that's... Neon?” Dash said, the red mare turning at the mention of her name.

“Yes?” The pegasus turned around to see who had called her.

“Neon Lightning? Is that you?” Dash asked, standing from her chair and walking over to her.

“Yes... Do I know you?” The mare asked, taking a step back as Dash got a little to close for her comfort.

“It's me, Rainbow Dash! Remember? From flight camp?” Dash said, taking another step towards the mare.

“Rainbow Dash? It is you! How could I forget that mane of yours? It's been a long time, how's life been treating you?” Neon's suspicion was washed away as recognition filled her expression. Clearly happy to see an old friend.

“Okay, just got out of the hospital, had a coma after a little accident, but I'm fine now. Where have you been? I haven't seen you since I was thrown out of flight camp.” Dash said, pulling the red pegasus into an embrace, Neon returning it for a brief hug before pulling away.

“Probably practising a new trick, knowing you. But I've been doing fine, got a job on a weather team in Manehatten, making my special brand of lightning, of course, folks there like a good show every now-and-then.”

“That's good to hear, you always were famous for that lightning, weren't you?” Dash chuckled, thinking back to flight camp and her days with Neon.

“Of course, who else can make lightning look like your mane?” Neon chuckled back, playfully punching Rainbow with her hoof. “Hey, sorry but I have to go, I'm having a late lunch with a friend and I'm just here to grab some food. But I'll be in Ponyville for a few more days, we should hang out some time.” neon said, before walking up to Pinkie, picking out a particularly tasty looking cinnamon roll, and buying two of them.

“I'll see you later.” Dash called as Neon walked out the door, leaving her with her friends once again.

“Who was that?” Twilight asked, walking up beside Rainbow.

“Oh, just one of my old friends from flight camp.” Dash answered before returning to her seat. “Now come on, let's eat, I'm starving!”

Twilight just giggled as she walked back and took a seat next to Dash, the rest of their friends doing the same at various points around the table.

-_-_-_-

“Are you sure about this?”

“Of course, she won't be able to resist. We have a few more days, so we have time to throw suspicion off us. Remember that dentist I told you about?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, she's a unicorn, so we'll need to take care of her first. You have it all ready?"

“Of course."

"Good, we'll start tonight."

The Cactus Hypothesis

Don't Give Up

Chapter 7

The Cactus Hypothesis

“Hey Twi, what do you have to eat around here? I'm starving!” Dash called from the kitchen, currently rummaging through the libraries fridge.

“How can you possibly be hungry again? We just got back from having lunch with the girls!” Twilight called back from somewhere on the second floor.

“I dunno, I just am. Oh wait, never mind, I found something.” Dash called, having found a tasty-looking purple juice in a cup. Taking it out and bringing it over to the counter she took off the plastic wrap covering it and took a sip.

“Whoa, this is good!” She said to nopony in particular, quickly taking another gulp, followed by another, and another.

“Hey Twi, what's this purple drink in the fridge? It's good!” Dash called up the stairs, the purple mare still out of sight.

“What purple drink? I don't have anything like that. Well not edible at leas- oh no, Dash, you didn't!” In a instant Twilight was standing next to Dash, a bright flash announcing her arrival.

“Whoa, easy Twi, what's wrong?” Dash asked, seeing the concerned look on her friends face.

“How much of that did you drink?” Twilight asked, quickly snatching the cup and what was left of it away from Rainbow with her magic.

“I dunno, couple mouthfuls, it was a little over half when I first found it. Though I still don't see what the big deal is, it tasted kinda like grape juice mixed with a bit of lavender and lemon.” Dash said, still relaxing in the chair at the table.

“Oh no, nononononono, this is not good, Dash! I don't know what this does! I don't even know everything that's in it!” Twilight said, running out of the kitchen.

“What? How do you not know, you made it, didn't you?” Dash called after the purple unicorn.

“I made it, but it was a chemical dump that I didn't have time to dispose of yet. That contains all the chemicals from my latest experiments. I have no idea what's in it or how much.” Twilight called from somewhere Dash couldn't see.

“Well, I feel fine, so it can't be all bad.” Dash said, still surprisingly calm.

“You wont for long.” Twilight said, not even waiting for her teleportation spell to finish, so it sounded like she was talking from wherever she had gone and in the kitchen at the same time.

“What do you mean?” Dash asked, worried for the first time as Twilight put a chemistry set and a book on the table in front of her.

“If I remember correctly, this week I've been doing experiments with... cyanide... arsenic... bromine... and various other poisons.” Twilight said, her concerned look changing to worry, then panic as she read out of the book.

“Wait, I recognize some of those, what are they?” Dash said, sitting up to look at the book.

“Dash, those are some of the most poisonous substances know to ponies! And most if not all of them are in that drink!”

“Wait, then why was it in the fridge?” Dash asked, the fact that she was still so calm annoyed Twilight.

“Because... that's a good question. As far as I can tell there aren't any chemicals that need to be kept cool, and I have no notes in here saying anything about keeping it cool, odd.”

“Um, Twi... what's gonna happen now?” Dash asked, her voice weak. The sudden change in her friends tone startled her, just a second ago she had been calm and collected, but now? Twilight looked up from her book towards the pegasus, the cyan mare was shaking like a leaf. Was she...scared?

In truth Dash had been worried since she had first mentioned that it was not something she should have been drinking, knowing full well about Twilight's experiments. But she hid it, she hid her emotions, like so many times in the past she put on a brave face and acted stupidly, and it was costing her.

“I... I don't know, Dash... some of these have been known to kill in less then two hours if concentrated.” Twilight said, almost sadly.

“Wait a minute.” Dash said, leaning a little closer to the book, reading something. “This is from last week, look at the date. You already got rid of these chemicals, look, there's even a note here saying what you did with them... what does 'no longer teleport without target' mean?” Dash said, reading down the page and indicating the note with a hoof.

“You're right! Let's hope this week isn't as bad. Twilight said as she flipped through a few pages until she found the correct date. “Ah, here it is, it is,let's see now... okay... yup...uh-huh... got that... okay, well, I have good news and bad news. Twilight said, looking towards Dash she sounded a bit happier, but she still looked concerned.

“Good news first.” Dash said, looking the slightest bit hopeful, but quickly remembered what false hope had done to her in the past and suppressing it.

“It doesn't look like you're going to die, none of these are poisons, and the doses that I used them are rather small, so you should recover in a few days.” Twilight said, smiling a bit as she saw the pegasus relax a bit, a wave of relief washing over her. Suddenly she tensed back up, as if she had been shocked.

“Whats the bad news?” She said, almost panicky”

“I still have no idea what these will do, I'll need to do a few tests, so I'll need a few blood samples, give me our arm.” As Twilight spoke she levitated a needle over to her.

“Uh-huh, no way, I don't like needles.” Dash said, sinking back into her chair away from the pointy object that was the focus of her phobia.

“It's just a needle Dash, come on, I need to do some tests.” Twilight said as she got a little closer to the pegasus, the needle following beside her head.

“Sorry Twi, but there has to be another way. I don't even like looking at the things, it's kinda like my thing with ponies touching my hooves. I'm not scared, I just... don't like them.” Dash finished quietly, obviously a little nervous with telling another pony about her issues.

“Please Dash, without these tests I have no idea what these chemicals are doing to you. I have no idea if they will flush out of your system naturally or if they'll need help.” Twilight was practically begging now, not so much annoyed that Rainbow continued to refuse, but that she currently had no way to help her. She hated not being able to help her friends.

“Fine. But only one, you hear me? One needle, that's it.” Dash said, she put on a cocky smile and extended her arm, though her eyes were filled with... fear? There it was again, that fear that sparked for just a moment. Twilight was sure she saw it this time. What was her friend afraid of? As far as twilight knew her friend wasn't scared of anything, just uncomfortable.

“Alright, hold still a moment.” Twilight said as she brought the needle down and rested just the point of Dash's arm. Dash suddenly sucked in a quick breath before squeezing her eyes shut and turning away.

“Dash, you alright?” Twilight asked, worried that the chemicals had kicked in before she had a chance to analyze them.

“Yeah, just hurry up, I told you I don't like needles.” Dash said, her eyes still shut as tight as she could get them.

“Okay...” Twilight said, a little confused about the mares behaviour. She got a little closer to find a good vein, resting a hoof on Dash's shoulder for support as she leaned down to look for it

“What's taking so long?” Dash said, still looking away.

“I need to find the vein, hold on.” Twilight said, more then a little annoyed at the pegasus's usual impatience.

“Fine, just do whatever you need to do and let's get this over with.” A few more moments passed, every second feeling like a year to the rainbow maned mare.

“Alright, found it.” Twilight said triumphantly. Without thinking Dash's free hoof shot up and grabbed onto the hoof on her shoulder as the needle went in to her forearm. Twilight was caught off guard, Dash's face was contorted with fear and a hint of pain as she started to slowly draw back the plunger, blood filling the needle almost painfully slowly.

After a few more seconds it was halfway full. That's when Twilight heard a slight whimper, a quiet, almost unnoticeable whine. And it came from Rainbow Dash.

“Dash you alright?” Twilight asked, again worried that whatever was in the glass was taking effect.

“Ye- no, no I'm not.” Dash answered, sounding defeated, hollow, and scared. The needle was three quarters full.

“What's wrong? How do you feel? Do you feel ill? Dizzy? What are they doing to you?” Twilight asked, pulling a notepad out from somewhere to note down the symptoms. The syringe almost full.

“It's not the chemicals, I don't think they've done anything to me yet.” Dash said, opening her eyes and looking at Twilight, careful not to look at the needle in her arm. “It's the needle, I told you I don't like them, never have.”

“I can understand being uncomfortable around needles, I don't like things being unorganized, it makes me uncomfortable when thing's aren't lined up with the thing next to them.” Twilight answered with the best comforting smile she could muster as concern festered in her gut. She new there had to be something more, thinking back to the list of chemicals in the cup, one in particular worried her.

“Twi, it-” Dash started, only to be cut off by Twilight pulling the needle out of her arm a levitating over a cotton ball and a piece of tape to hold it over the small hole.

“There, that should be all I need for the tests I have planned, I'll let you know if I need anything more.” Twilight said, floating the full syringe over to her chemistry set in front of Dash, Rainbow flinching as the needle came into her sight.

“Dash?” Twilight asked, noticing the small twinge of fear in her friends eyes.

“Twi... it's more then a discomfort... I'm... I'm scrdfthm” Dash spoke quickly and quietly, just barely forcing the words out of her mouth, though they were still not recognizable as words.

“What's that?” Twilight asked, cocking her head slightly.

“I... I'm scared of them.” Dash spat out, quickly turning her head away as her cheeks burned a bright pink, Twilight being the first pony she had told about her phobia.

“Trypanophobia?” Twilight said, a bit of awe in her voice at learning that Rainbow Dash, THE Rainbow Dash, was scared of something like needles. Taking a step back, removing her hoof from Rainbow's shoulder, having completely forgetting dash's hoof was still grabbing onto it, causing Dash to jerk her hoof away, having also forgotten where it was.

“Okay, I don't know what that means, do you have an egghead to English translator around here somewhere?” Dash said, looking as if she was totally serious about the translator.

“It's a fancy way of saying you're scared of needles.” Twilight stated flatly, clearly not amused.

“Oh.” Dash said as her ears flattened a bit, it was not something she was proud of. “Please, you can't tell anypony else about this, nopony can know that I'm scared of anything. I'm Rainbow Dash, most awesome and fearless pegasus to ever live. It would ruin my reputation if they found out about this, if anypony were to find out about this... I don't what I would do. Please Twilight, I'm begging you, you can tell nopony about this!” Rainbow Dash was fighting against the urge to fall down to her knees and full on beg, but she did have standards.

“Calm down, I won't tell anypony. I can see this is something that really bugs you, so you're secret is safe with me.” Twilight said, starting to empty part of the syringe into a test tube.

“What did you just say about my mother?” Dash said, rage seeping into her voice.

“Dash? What are you talking about? I never said anything about your mother!” Twilight said, turning to face the pegasus, Rainbow slowly standing from her chair.

“Oh, now it's my father, eh? Who the hay do you think you are?” Dash said, wobbling as if she had had too much cider.

“Dash, you feeling alright?” Twilight said, placing the test tube down in it's holder and walking over to Dash, placing a hoof on her forehead to check for a fever.

“Get away from me you over grown cactus!” Dash yelled, slapping Twilight's hoof away.

“Cactus?” Twilight echoed, bewildered at her cyan friends sudden change.

“Twi? I don't feel... so... good.” Dash said before collapsing to the floor in a light blue mass.

“Dash? DASH!” Twilight said, bending over as she flipped Rainbow Dash over with her magic.

“Dash? Can you hear me? Dash?” Twilight said, resting her head against Rainbow's chest. Hearing a heart beat she allowed herself to take a breath. She was still alive.

“Great,” Twilight thought aloud, “now at least I can get some work done without being called a cactus.” As Twilight spoke she levitated Rainbow dash off the floor, carrying the cyan mare to her bedroom and tucking her into the bed.

“Now lets see what the hay was in that glass, I don't want anymore surprises.” Twilight thought to herself as she returned to her chemistry set and Dash's blood sample.

Emotions and Toxins

Don't Give Up

Chapter 8

Emotions and Toxins

Rainbow Dash was awoken by a bright, purple light shining just above her face. Grumbling slightly, she allowed the world around her to come into focus as sleep left her body, a purple unicorn coming into focus with it. She was in a bed, Twilight standing next to her, horn glowing as she did... something.

“Twi?” Dash mumbled, turning her head slightly to get a better look at the purple mare.

“Oh, you're a wake, that's a good sign.” Twilight answered, though she seamed distant, as if distracted.

“Something wrong?” Dash asked, concerned about the tone she had heard.

“Oh no, it's fine, everything's fine.” Twilight answered a little too quickly, giving Dash a small, cute smile.

“Whoa,” Dash thought to herself, “She can be pretty beautiful when she smiles. Wait... what?” Dash repressed that thought for a while longer, deciding to instead focus on what was important. “So, what happened?” She asked, though she still found herself thinking about the gorgeous mare beside her.

“Well, I can only assume you started a hallucinating, seeing as you thought I was a cactus, then you passed out, you've been out for about an hour now.” Twilight answered, looking over some notes she was levitating in a purple aura.

“Huh...” Was all dash said, still very distracted by what was possibly the prettiest mare she had ever seen, it was as if she had been blind every other time she had looked at her.

“Dash?” Twilight asked, noticing her cyan friend staring at her.

“What?”

“You alright? You seem distracted.”

“I'm fine, just... you're beautiful.” Dash spat out, not really thinking at all. There was something about being in the presence of Twilight that made her mind shut down.

“Oh no.” Twilight said, quickly floating over a test tube and examining it. It looked clear, though when she added a drop of something red it quickly turned violet. “I thought so. Alright, Dash, I need you to stay calm, and whatever you do, try to suppress any... urges, you get. Trust me, it will end badly.” Twilight said, taking a step back from the rainbow maned mare.

“Something wrong, Twi? Do you need to lay down? There is plenty of room in this bed, you know.” Dash said, her mind could think of nothing except the mare in front of her.

“DASH! I need you to focus, this should pass in a few hours, but until then I need you to focus!” Twilight said, backing up to the closed door.

“I am focusing, Twi, I'm focusing on you.” Dash said, slowly standing up from the bed.

“That's what I was afraid of.” Twilight mumbled to herself, before opening the door with her magic and stepping into the doorway.

“Twi? Come on, stay with me.” Dash said in a low, seductive tone, walking over to the purple unicorn.

“Sorry Dash, but this is for your own good.” Twilight said, before stepping all the way out the door and slamming it shut in the pegasus's face, securing it with a locking spell.

“Twi? Come on Twi! Let me out!” Dash called from the room, though Twilight ignored her, walking down the stairs to the first floor of the library, where she could have some peace and quiet.

“Okay, Twilight, breathe, you can do this, you just need to breathe, and ignore her, that shouldn't be too hard, right? You knew this would happen from the first blood test, you prepared yourself for this. It's not her talking, she doesn't want what she says she wants... but why do I feel like I do?” Twilight ranted to nopony in particular as she collapsed on a couch.

“Uh, Twilight? Why is Rainbow Dash locked in your room? And why does she keep saying that you know you want to?” Spike asked, climbing down the stairs from the second floor.

“Not now, Spike, doesn't Rarity need your help or something?” Twilight asked, a little more then annoyed at the interruption.

“Rarity always needs my help for soemthing, but you said I had to stay here today and help clean, remember?” Spike said, a feather duster in his claw as he walked over the the closest book shelf.

“Great, Rarity needs you, go help her.” Twilight said, her horn glowing.

“But you said that I... needed to stay.” Spike finished to himself, having been teleported mid sentence to a path leading directly to Carousel Boutique.

“Good, now that he's out of the way, I can have some real peace and quiet.” Twilight nodded approvingly and stretched out on her couch.

“Twi?” She heard Dash call again, though this time it sounded almost sad, like Rainbow had woken up, alone and confused. Like a foal calling out to their mother after a bad dream.

“Wow, that was over fast, I could have sworn that would have been a more powerful aphrodisiac. Oh well, at least it's over with.” Twilight thought, walking back upstairs and unlocking the door to her room. As soon as she did so, however, she was blinded by a rainbow mane as she was tackled to the floor.

“There you are, took you long enough.” Dash said in a low, lustful tone. She was standing over the toppled unicorn, looking down at her with hungry eyes.

“Dash! What are you doing?” Twilight screamed, started by the sudden attack. Rainbow simply smiled as she leaned down, her muzzle millimetres from Twilight's.

“Something I've wanted to do for a while.” She said, her voice low and rougher then normal.

“Dash...” Twilight pleaded weakly, “Get off, please, don't do this.” Twilight tried to prepare a teleportation spell, though she was finding it hard to focus. Feeling every breath the cyan mare above her took on her face, her rainbow mane flowing over her shoulders, surrounding their heads, blocking out the rest of the world.

“Are you saying you don't want to?” Dash whispered, leaning down right to Twilight's ear.

Twilight couldn't answer. While half her mind was screaming at her to say 'no' the other half was telling her to accept it. The other half of her mind wanted it, and she couldn't understand why. This was wrong, ever fibre of her being felt wrong for even thinking about letting Dash do what she wanted, but still she lay there, paralysed with confusion, stuck in her own thoughts.

“I'll take that as a 'go ahead'” dash purred, nibbling a bit on Twilight's ear. That was all it took to snap Twilight back to reality.

“NO!” Twilight screamed, throwing Rainbow off her with a quick flash of magic. Rainbow Dash landed on her bed, bounced off it and flew into the wall, a loud smack resonating from within the room.

“Sorry Dash, but it's for your own good.” Twilight said, before closing and locking the door again, this time adding an extra, magical layer of soundproofing.

“I can't...” Twilight thought as she galloped away from her room as fast as her hooves could carry her. Nearly tripping on the stairs, lost in thought as she finally made it to her couch, immediate laying down and burying her burning face in a pillow.

“What was I doing? Why was it so hard for me to say no? Why did I lock up like that? I don't know! I'm so confused... I know that wasn't the Dash I know, that was the chemicals talking, not her, and yet, I came so close to just letting her do what she wanted. What is wrong with me?” Twilight screamed into the pillow, confusion fuelling her rage at herself.

She screamed and screamed, she didn't know why she was so angry, and that confused her, and she hated being confused. Slowly her screams turned to muffled shouts, then into even quieter whimpers. Until all that could be heard were her shaky breaths as she cried into the pillow. She couldn't understand anything, not her emotions, not why she felt the emotions, she couldn't even fgure out how long she had been crying like that before finally falling asleep.

It Begins

Don't Give Up

Chapter 9

It Begins

“Will she be found?”

“Yes, I left her behind the counter and the door unlocked. Her first patient comes in at 9 AM, so we best start on out alibis.”

“Good work, but who is the first patient?”

“An old friend.”

-_-_-_-

“Twi?”

“5 more minutes.” Twilight mumbled, rolling away from the hoof poking at her shoulder, ending up on the floor a second later with thud.

“Twilight! It's past midnight!” The voice galled again. Grumbling, Twilight sat up and opened her eyes, revealing a cyan pegasus standing beside her.

“GAH!” Twilight screamed, scrambling away from the Rainbow maned mare until her back hit the wall.

“Twi?” Rainbow asked, confusion painted across her face.

“I said no, Rainbow, I told you- wait, how did you get out of my room? I thought my door was locked.” Twilight asked, her panic turning to confusion as she momentarily forgot why she was backpedalling from her friend.

“Uh, window?” Dash said, still very confused.

“Wait, you flew? Dash, the doctor said no flying for at least a week! It's been one day!”

“What else was I supposed to do? The door was locked, and for some reason you couldn't hear me.”

“Great, remind me to look over your wings for any new damages later.” Twilight grumbled.

“It hurt like hay, if that's what you mean. Anyway, what happened?”

“Wait, you mean you can't remember?” Twilight asked, sounding almost hopeful.

“Last thing I remember is you taking some of my blood, and something about a cactus.” Dash scratched the back of her neck with a hoof as she tried to remember, though the cactus confused her to no end.

“It's... best that you don't remember, actually.” Twilight giggled nervously, hoping Rainbow wouldn't press the issue. She did.

“Why? I'm pretty sure I would want to know how I ended up on your bedroom floor, locked in, and with no memory.” Dash said, she had a good point.

“Well, you remember drinking my chemical dump, right?” Twilight asked, buying as much time as possible so she could think of an appropriate and believable story.

“Yes, I remember, I also remember that Celestia damned needle, but then it kinda blacks out after that.”

“Well, you started hallucinating after the needle, which is how the cactus comes in, after that I brought you up to my room.” Twilight said, hoping Dash wouldn't notice that the explanation didn't explain waking up on the floor or the lock on the door.

“So that explains why I was in your room, but why was the door locked? And why was I on the floor?” Dash winced as she touched her head with her hoof, “And why is my head so sore?” Dash added, rubbing the back of her head tenderly.

“Um... about that... do you know what an aphrodisiac is?” Twilight asked, her face heating up a bit as she remembered what had happened. Glancing nervously out the window at the night sky, avoiding her friends questioning gaze.

“Aphro-what-now?” Dash asked, cocking her head slightly.

“Well... it... uh... can be a chemical, that causes... uh... you know what? Hold on a minute.” Twilight said, quickly running off to one of the bookshelves, extracting a rather large book, and flipping through it. All the while Dash could have sworn Twilight's face was getting more and more red.

“Twi? You know I hate reading, why can't you just tell me?” Dash said, looking almost appalled by the book.

“Just trust me on this Dash. AH! Here it is, read this.” Twilight said, shoving the book in front of Rainbow. Dash sat back on her haunches, reading the levitating book.

“If you say so, lets see... Aphrodisiacs are chemicals that cause an increase in... oh.” Dash said, her face crimson after reading the rest of the definition.

“I told you it would be better if you didn't know.” Twilight said, turning away from the pegasus in an attempt to hide her blush.

“Uh, wait, so I... that means... then you... I didn't, did I?" Rainbow asked, looking back towards Twilight.

“I had to lock you in my room.” Twilight stated flatly.

“Oh... I need to... I need to go.” Dash said, before quickly running out the front door into the black of night. Face still burning a bright red.

“Dash! Wait!” Twilight called, but it was too late. Rainbow might not be able to fly, but she could still run faster then most.

-_-_-_-

KOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Fluttershy?” Dash called, hoping that the yellow pegasus would let her in.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Fluttershy? Please, let me in.” Dash called again.

"Who is it?” Came a quite, almost inaudible reply.

“It's Rainbow Dash! Can I come in now?” Dash almost sounded desperate.

“Oh, Rainbow, yes of course, come in. But what are you doing here? In the middle of the night? I thought you were staying with Twilight.” Fluttershy asked, opening the door and stepping to the side to allow Rainbow dash into her cottage.

“I was, but something happened, can I stay here? For just one night?” Dash asked, almost pleading, but not quite.

“Of course. But what happened? You two didn't have a fight, did you?” Fluttershy asked, worry thick in her voice.

“No, just... look, I would rather not talk about it, alright?” Dash said, walking into the living room and laying down on the couch, kicking Angel off his favourite spot. An action that got a cold glare from the white bunny.

“Okay, whenever you want to. Can I get you anything? A blanket? Some tea?” Fluttershy asked, ignoring the rabbit tugging on her hoof, trying to make her kick Dash out of his spot.

“No thanks, I just need some sleep.” Dash said, yawning quietly.

“Alright, good night.” Fluttershy said, walking up the stairs to her room, carrying a very annoyed looking Angel with her.

“'Night 'Shy” Dash called, stretching out on the couch, letting sleep take her. Though it refused. Her mind was plagued by thought of what she had tried to do to her purple friend. She had probably completely ruined their friendship, and she couldn't even remember it! Her mind making up the worst possible thing she could have done, and convincing her that she had done it.

“How could I do that?” Dash said to herself. Maybe saying it out loud might help her think. Instead all it did was remind her even more that she had done something to require her being locked in Twilight's room.

Images flew through her mind, her thoughts spinning in her head, what had she done? Would she be forgiven? Should she be forgiven? Why had she done it? What had she done? Her thoughts were going nowhere. She was asking questions she did not have answers for. Somewhere along the line of “She looked like she had been crying when I woke her up” and “Why was she blushing so much” she fell asleep.

-_-_-_-

“Good job, you've really done it now, why did you tell her the truth? You could have said something else.” Twilight told her self, pacing back and forth in front of the couch she had been sleeping on.

“I couldn't lie to her. She didn't deserve to be lied to.” Twilight said, switching directions.

“But then you could have saved your friendship. Just pretend that it never happened.” Twilight said, a groove slowly forming below her.

“No, just because she would never know would not make it better. I would still know, and I don't think I could hide that.” Twilight turned back again, noticing the groove in the floor.

“Great, I really need to stop doing that.” She sighed, jumping out of it and making a note to have it repaired and her checklist for the day.

“Oh, my dental appointment is at 9 AM, I should probably get some sleep.” Twilight sighed again, wandering back over to her couch a laying down. She would have slept in her bed, but the last time she had tried that it still smelt like Rainbow Dash, and that was the last thing she needed to smell after what happened.

So she slept on her couch, her alarm clock on the coffee table and her head on the arm of the couch. Though sleep refused to come to her. Her mind still latched onto the thought of never seeing Rainbow Dash again. It made her feel weird, not the normal feeling of never seeing a friend again, but something stronger then that, though she still couldn't put her hoof on.

“Why did I tell her?” Twilight asked herself quietly, wishing to just go back and stop herself from telling her the truth. Though before she could think anymore sleep finally found her, dragging her into a dream. A dream about a rainbow and light blue sky. Though it was still missing something, and she new exactly what it was.

-_-_-_-

THUD

“What?” Rainbow said groggily, sitting up from her new position on the floor. Light streaming in through the windows of Fluttershy's cottage.

Looking around she spotted the reason she was on the floor; a white rabbit, currently sitting on the couch, sticking his tongue out at her.

“Why you little-” Dash said, jumping up off the floor with a quick flap of her wings, though quickly regretting it as a sharp pain shot through her body. She cried out as she landed back on the floor, her wing limp at her side.

“Dash?” Fluttershy called from the her bedroom, having been awoken by the sudden cry of pain.

“I'm alright.” Dash called back, glaring at the rabbit trying to contain his laughter.

“That's good, what happened?” Fluttershy asked as she came down the stairs, though one look told her everything she needed to know.

“ANGEL! I told you to be nice!” Fluttershy scolded, fluttering over with her wings and picking up the rabbit.

“Hey, thanks for letting me stay, Fluttershy, but I should really go to Twilight's and talk to her. I'll see you later.” Dash called as she walked towards the door, wing still limp at her side. “Great,” she thought, “now I can't use it for anything, with my luck I probably broke it again.”

“Bye Rainbow.” Fluttershy called, not noticing the wing as she fed her animals their breakfast.

-_-_-_-

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Twilight was woken up by the sound of her alarm clock. It read “8 AM”. She normally got up much earlier, but since the only thing she had planned for the first half of her day was her dental appointment she decided she could sleep in a bit. Especially after what had happened the previous day.

Slowly dragging herself off the couch, she walked towards the kitchen, carefully avoiding the groove she had made the previous night. She was surprised when she didn't see Spike already making breakfast.

“Spike?” She called, she got no answer, not even the tell-tale snoring of a baby dragon.

“Huh, he must have stayed at Rarity's last night. I don't blame him, I was little hard on him.” Twilight thought, making a mental note to apologize the next time she saw him.

Sighing, she found some left over pancakes on the fridge and heated them up with her magic. Sitting down and eating them like a machine. Her thoughts consumed by thoughts of Rainbow Dash. Worry for where her friend had gone. Worry that she would never see her again. She had decided not to go after the pegasus, deciding that both Rainbow Dash and herself needed some time alone. Though she was already regretting it as her imagination filled with worst case scenarios.

What if she got lost? Pony napped? Did she try to fly and crash somewhere? Twilight tried to shake the thoughts from her mind as she finished eating, glancing at the clock: 8:23.

“Dash will be fine. She knows what she's doing.” Twilight tried to convince herself as she walked up her stairs to the bathroom. Quickly setting about the task of brushing her teeth.

Rinsing and spitting into the sink, she looked at the clock she kept in her hallway: 8:28.

“Lets see, it takes me 15 minutes to walk there, and my appointment is at 9, and I like to be 10 minutes early, that leaves me 7 minutes before I need to go.” Twilight thought to herself, calculating her day down to the minute. It felt good to be on a schedule, since she had barely followed hers while Rainbow Dash was in the hospital.

She walked back down the stairs and sat on her couch, levitating over a book to read for her 7 minutes of free time.

-_-_-_-

Rainbow Dash galloped through the town towards the library. Looking back to the clock tower as she ran: 8:34.

“Almost there.” Dash thought to herself as she dashed through the streets, most being empty because of the early time of day and the fact that it was a Sunday.

She finally rounded the last corner, the Golden Oaks library at the end of the street. 8:40.

Bursting through the door into the main room, she looked around. All she could see was a groove in the floor and a plate in the sink. Twilight was nowhere to be found.

“Twi?” Dash called, still no answer.

“Great. What do I do now? I guess I'll just wait here until she gets back.” Dash thought to herself, sighing as she sat on the couch. It still smelled like the purple unicorn; Rainbow liked that.

“Well, not much to do until she gets back. I could use a nap.” Dash thought, already stretching out on the couch. Letting sleep once again take her away, though the smell on the couch was still present in her dreams.

-_-_-_-

Twilight trotted through the town, her dental office already in sight. She had left her house 14 minutes ago, the dental office less then a minute trot down to street.

As she approached it she noticed something was off, the lights were all off, even though the sign on the door said open. Concern spread through her mind when she opened the door and saw that there were no lights anywhere in the building.

“Colgate?” She called out to her dentist, the only one in Ponyville, but got no answer.

“Hello?” She called again, steeping into the office a little further, straining her eyes to see in the dark. She caught a glimpse of something shiny behind the counter. Curiosity overriding her fear, she reached out with her magic, locating the candles and lanterns around the room and igniting them until she could see.

“C-Colgate?” Twilight gasped. The dentist was behind the counter, ice covering her body, the only thing not covered was her face, which was contorted in an expression of pain. Then she realized something else: She was dead.

-_-_-_-

Rainbow woke up to the sound of screaming. More specifically; Twilight screaming.

“Twilight?” Rainbow called, forcing herself awake out of fear that something had happened to her friend. Suddenly the door was flung open, Twilight running inside and slamming it shut, tears streaming down her face.

“Twi? What's wrong?” Dash asked, stepping towards the unicorn. Before she knew what was happening Twilight had run forward and rapped her legs around Dash's neck, forcing the pegasus into an embrace. Confusing her to no end.

“Dash... it's terrible...” Twilight said into Rainbow's cyan coat, Rainbow still stunned and confused.

“It's... it's Colgate... she... she's dead, Dash... somepony k-killed her.” Twilight sniffled into cyan fur. Dash finally snapped out of her confusion with those last 3 words.

“WHAT!?” Dash said, immediately returning the hug.

“Did they hurt you? Did you see who did it? Do the police know? Are you alright?” Dash rattled off question after question, all the while trying her best to comfort the purple unicorn in her arms.

“No, I'm fine, she was already... gone, when I got there.” Twilight sniffled again, though she was slowly starting to calm down with the aid of a blue hoof slowly rubbing her back in a circular motion.

“Okay. Just calm down. It's alright, it'll be alright.” Dash said in the most comforting tone she could manage while her mind tried to comprehend what this meant. That last time somepony had been murdered in Ponyville was... never, as far as Dash could remember.

“I know Dash... it's just... I didn't know what to do. I panicked when I saw her.” Twilight said, she had stopped crying but still help the pegasus close.

“It's okay, Twilight.” Dash comforted, slowly calming the panicked mare.

“It's okay.”

The First of Many

Don't Give Up

Chapter 10

The First of Many

“Twi?” Dash mumbled through purple fur.

“Ya?” Twilight asked, face still buried in a cyan coat.

“We should probably get the police now.” Dash said, still rubbing the unicorns back with her hoof.

“Probably.” Twilight grumbled slightly, pulling away from the cyan pegasus. Her face still damp from tears.

“Come on, I'll go with you.” Dash said, turning to the door, Twilight walking up beside her.

“Thanks Rainbow, but I think I'm okay now. You can stay here.”

“And leave you alone? Not a chance, Twi, if whoever did this knows that you know about it, they could try something. I am not letting you go alone.” Dash said, steely determination filled her eyes as she led Twilight to the door.

“If you insist.”

“I do.” Dash said simply, wrapping a wing around the purple unicorn, drawing a blush from her at the same time.

“Lets go.” Twilight said, still blushing heavily from the wing wrapped around her shoulders.

-_-_-_-

“You expect me to believe that?” The police officer asked, looking down at the two ponies in front of him.

“YES!” Both Twilight and Rainbow said in unison, having grown very annoyed at this particular police officer.

“Let me get this straight, you walked into the office, and all the lights were off, and you saw a pony, frozen solid, at the other end of the room.” The officer repeated the story Twilight had given him, lifting an eyebrow.

“Oh for the love of... look, I know what I saw, and that is what I saw, if you don't believe me go and look for yourself.” Twilight said, exasperated. She and Dash had arrived at the police station nearly half an hour ago, and since then they had been trying to convince this one police pony that they weren't pulling a prank.

“Why should I believe you?” The officer asked defiantly.

“I have had enough of this.” Dash seethed, “Do you know who she is? She is the personal student of Princess Celestia, saviour of Equestria 3 times and the Crystal Empire once. If she says she saw something you can bet your flank she saw it!” Dash yelled, scaring some of the other ponies in the station.

“Wait, you're Twilight Sparkle? THE Twilight Sparkle?” The officer asked, looking concerned, and a little scared.

“YES!” They shouted again in unison. Though the police pony just laughed.

“And... and you expect me to... to believe that?” He asked through gales of laughter.

“You know what? Fine.” Twilight said, turning away from the laughing officer.

“Twi?” Dash said, looking uncertainly at the purple mare.

“He's not gonna believe us. So let's show him.” Twilight said, horn glowing. In a moment the officer, Dash, and herself were all floating in purple magic, and a second later there was a flash of light. When it dimmed back down they were all gone.

“Where the hay are we? What did you do? I can arrest you!” The officer shouted in the darkness, looking around he room for the ponies he had been with moments before.

“I told you.” Twilight said, before opening the blinds with her magic, light flooding into the room. Wincing a bit as she looked at the pony behind the desk.

“You gonna be alright?” Rainbow asked, walking up next to her and draping a wing over her shoulder.

“Ya...I think so.” Twilight said, snuggling a bit closer to Dash's side, both of them blushing slightly at the contact.

“What the hay is that!?” The officer yelled, motion towards the front desk with a hoof.

“Her name's Colgate, she's the dentist.” Dash answered when she realized Twilight couldn't bring herself speak.

“And... and she really is Twilight Sparkle, isn't she?” He asked, looking towards Twilight.

“She is.” Dash answered again, hugging Twilight a bit closer with her wing. Twilight was still shell shocked, looking down at her hooves.

“Oh...” The officer said, looking down in shame. “Listen, I'm, uh, I'm sorry about, ya know, not believing you.”

“It's fine, just do what you need to do.” Twilight spoke for the first time since they had gotten there, eyes still glued firmly to the ground.

“Alright, we need to go back to the station, I'll get a team out here to do a full investigation, in the mean time I'll need to get you're official statements.” He said, walking back towards the door, Rainbow and Twilight following him.

A few minutes of silent walking later and they reached the police station.

“Wait here, I'll go get you some witness forms. Did both of you see it or just Ms. Sparkle?” He asked, walking through a door the read “staff only”.

“Just me.” Twilight answered, the shock starting to wear off now that she was away from the dental office.

“Okay, I'll be back.” He said, disappearing down the hall.

“You sure you're alright, Twi? You've been awfully quiet.” Dash asked, concern thick in her voice.

“Am I alright? What do you think? I just saw a dead body, was laughed out of a police station, was then forced to go back into the place where I found a dead body, and the entire time you've had your wing wrapped around me! So no, I'm not alright!” Twilight yelled, the other ponies in the station turning to look at her.

“Alright, I get it. Just... wait, what do I have to do with anything?" Dash asked, confused by why she had been included with that list.

“What? Oh, um, no... I didn't mean it like that.” Twilight said, blushing slightly. Rainbow removed her wing from Twilight's back and stepped in front of her. Twilight shivered at the lack of heat she had grown used to over the day.

“Then in what way? Did I annoy you? I'm so sorry for trying to comfort my friend who just went through a very traumatic experience. Was that annoying to you?” Dash accused, voice slowly growing in volume and anger as she stepped closer to Twilight. The purple unicorn shrinking back.

“No! It's not like that at all.” Twilight defended weakly.

“Then what is it like?” Dash seethed.

“It's just... I don't really... I don't know, Rainbow, I don't know what I mean. I don't know what to do. I don't even know how I feel about all this, I'm confused, Rainbow.” Twilight said, the stress of the day taking it's toll on her as she finally broke down, falling back on her haunches and crying. Tears flowing like streams down her face to the floor.

“Twilight?” Dash said, every trace of anger gone from her voice. “Listen, I'm... sorry, alright? I'm sorry for getting so mad at you.”

“It's okay, Rainbow. I just don't know what to do anymore. It's like when you were in that coma, I didn't know what to do then, and I don't know what to do now. Then, when you drank that aphrodisiac, and you... then I... and I... I just...” Twilight lost all control, sobbing openly in the middle of the station. A months worth of stress and anxiety fit into a few days.

“Hey, it's alright Twi, I would have locked myself in your room too if I were in your place.” dash comforted, dragging the unicorn into another hug, ignoring the confused stares from around the room. Nothing mattered to her right now, all she knew was that her friend was crying, and she didn't like it when her friends cried.

“It... it's more then that, Rainbow, it's, when you-” Twilight started, only to be cut off when the officer that had been helping them walked back through the doors.

“Here's a witness form, there are quills over on that desk over there.” He said, motioning towards a desk against the wall.

“Thanks, but we'll come back later with it filled out, if that's alright, she's kinda having problems right now.” Dash said, motioning towards the mare in her arms.

“I would, but that's against the rules, you have to-” He was interrupted by a very cold glare from the cyan pegasus. “-take your time and come back with it whenever you're feeling better.” He finished quickly.

“Good.” Dash said with an approving nod, helping Twilight to her hooves and leading her out the door. Wrapping a wing around her body as they walked, Twilight snuggling into it gratefully.

“Thank you. For everything.” Twilight said quietly, looking at her hooves as they walked down the path to the library.

“Hey, what are friends for?” Dash said cheerfully, drawing a smile out of the purple mare.

“I suppose.” Twilight sighed, hanging her head a little lower, the smile disappearing just as soon as it had appeared.

“Hey, cheer up. They're gonna catch whoever did this.” Dash said, her voice sincere instead of her regular, cocky tone. They walked in silence a for a while, the sun starting to draw close to the horizon. Twilight estimated it to be 4 PM, almost time for dinner.

“I know.” Twilight finally answered, though her voice still sounded hollow.

“Then what's wrong?” Dash asked, confused as to why Twilight was so upset. She could understand scared or worried after finding a dead body, but this was something else. This was different.

“It's just... back in the library, when you were under the effects of the aphrodisiacs... you said... something...” Twilight said, her face heating up.

“What did I say?” Dash asked, her curiosity over riding her concern that she might not want to know.

“Nothing. It was all the drugs in your system, but it made me think.” Twilight answered, he face a bright pink.

“If it made you think then it would have to be interesting.” Dash pushed. If Twilight was curious about it, then she should be too.

“It can wait till later. I still have some research to do on it.” Twilight said, grateful that she could see the library in the distance.

“What research is there to do? Surly it's not that interesting?” Dash said, doubting that anything brought on by something like that could truly mean anything. They approached the libraries front door, Twilight unlocked it with her magic and they stepped in. Twilight closed the door behind them before speaking.

“You tried to kiss me.” Twilight blurted out.

“Oh...” Dash said, slowly removing her wing from Twilight's back.

“That's when you told me that... that you had wanted to for a while...” Twilight said, her entire muzzle a deep burgundy.

“Oh...” Dash said again, her own face starting to change color.

“It was probably just the aphrodisiacs talking.” Twilight said quickly, turning away from the pegasus. Rainbow Dash didn't respond for a minute.

“Twilight?” Dash said timidly, still not looking at the purple mare beside her.

“Yes?” Twilight asked, turning to look at the back of Dash's head.

“Back at the hospital... do you... regret it?” Dash asked, tears starting to form in her eyes.

“Regret what?” Twilight asked, honest confusion in her voice.

“Do you regret... kissing me?” Dash whispered, a single tear escaping her eye, fearing the answer. Twilight didn't answer. She couldn't answer. What could she say? She could say yes, and run the risk of insulting her friend. Or she could say no, and run the risk of making things awkward and destroying a friendship. She had once said that it was best to be honest with your friends, but was that also the case with your secret crush?

“I... don't know...” Twilight answered finally. It was all the answer Dash needed. Dash whipped her head around, blinding Twilight with her prismatic mane, and forced their muzzles together.

Twilight was stunned. She didn't know what was going on, one minute she had been staring at the back of Rainbow's head, and the next she was looking into her eyes, something soft and warm moving against her lips. It took her a few seconds to realize what was going on, and by then she didn't care, she just let her body relax as she kissed back.

Finally a lack of oxygen caused them to break the kiss, both panting slightly as they looked at each other, eyes wide.

“Twilight?” Dash panted.

“Yes?”

“Do you regret that?”

“Not a chance.” Twilight giggled, hugging the cyan pegasus.

“WHAT THE HAY ARE YOU TWO DOING!?” Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight jumped at the sudden addition of a third, male voice.

“SPIKE?” They cried out in unison, looking towards the bookshelf Spike was putting a book on. His eyes were wide, filled with shock and confusion.

“Uh... Should I, uh, go? Or, something?” He said, slowly backing up towards the kitchen. “Yeah, dinner, that's it, I'll go start dinner! It's almost 5 O'clock, I'll start dinner!” He said, quickly running off to the kitchen, his cheeks matching both Twilight's and Dash's.

“So, uh, I hope you didn't want to keep this a secret.” Dash said, chuckling weakly.

“I should probably go make sure he isn't totally traumatized, I'll be right back.” Twilight said, galloping off to the kitchen.

“Alright.” Dash called, finding a cushion and sitting down on it.

CRASH

“SPIKE!”

“I'M SORRY! DON'T BE MAD! I DIDN'T MEAN TO-”

CRASH

“SPIKE!”

“HERE, JUST LET ME-”

CRASH

“SPIIIIIIIKE!”

“Uh, yes, Twilight?”

“Calm down, and come with me.” Twilight said, walking out of the kitchen, Spike floating in a purple glow beside her. In the brief moment the door was open a huge plume of black smoke escaped, and Dash could have sworn she smelled burning rubber.

“Hey Spike.” She said calmly, though the dragon was looking at her as if she was a hydra.

“Spike, we need to talk.”

Uncertainty

Don't Give Up

Chapter 11

Uncertainty

“So... wait, you're both filly-foolers?” Spike asked, a bewildered expression on his face.

“SPIKE! I told you already, that is offensive to some ponies.” Twilight scolded, glaring angrily at the baby dragon in front of her.

“Sorry, I forgot. But really, you're both... what is the official term? Lesbian?” Spike asked, looking back and forth between Rainbow Dash and Twilight.

“Well, I dunno 'bout Twi, but I am.” Dash said, smiling her usual cocky smile. For some reason Twilight couldn't help but smile as she looked at it.

“Well Twilight must be as well, otherwise she wouldn't have kissed you, right Twilight?” Spike asked, looking back at the blushing purple unicorn.

“Well, I didn't exactly have time to protest. And to be honest I never really thought about it much.” Twilight said, looking back at Dash.

“Hey, you said yourself that you didn't regret it. Besides, you kissed me first, I was just returning the favour.” Dash said, Twilight was still shocked at how calm she could be. But as usual, Dash was panicking on the inside, she was just hiding it. She had a million thoughts running through her head at once. All of them ran along the lines of “What if she doesn't feel the same?” or “What have I done? I've ruined our friendship!”.

“Wait, TWILIGHT kissed you first? The Twilight? Are you sure we're talking about the same pony? 'Cause last time I checked she would kiss a book before another pony.” Spike said sarcastically, taking his opportunity to get revenge on the mare that had restricted him with rules all his life.

“Oh yeah, back when I was- mmphmmphmmm.” Dash was cut off by a hoof jammed into her muzzle.

“What was that?” Twilight asked, glaring coldly at Rainbow.

“Nothing, nope, not a thing. I kissed Twilight first, just now, that's all there is to it.” Dash spat out as soon as Twilight's hoof was taken away from her mouth. Withering under Twilight's glare.

“That's what I thought.” Twilight said coldly, before turning back to her assistant. “Now then, you said you were going to make dinner?”

“Yeah, but I thought you said we needed to talk.” Spike sad, still confused.

“Did we not just talk?” Twilight growled, glaring daggers at Spike.

“We did bu- you know what? I'll go get that going now.” Spike said, having seen Twilight's soul-sucking stare. It was almost as bad as Fluttershy's, though Twilight couldn't make random animals do what she wanted, she could certainly use it on baby dragons.

“Whoa, Twi, What was that about? It looked like you were about turn him into a cactus.” Rainbow dash said, walking up beside Twilight.

“I know, I don't even know why I brought him out here in the first place, I just thought... I don't know what I thought. Oh well, what's done is done.” Twilight sighed, leaning slightly into Rainbow Dash. Both of them just sitting there for a moment, listening to the sounds of cleaning coming from the kitchen. Until Rainbow eventually broke the silence.

“So... I dunno what you think, but I'd be willing to give this a try.” She said, her voice was shaky and nervous.

“Give what a try?” Twilight asked, looking over at the cyan pegasus she was leaning on.

“A relationship?” Dash said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Which to her it was.

“I thought we already decided that, you know, since you already kissed me.” Twilight said, giggling slightly at Dash's red face.

“Hey, not my fault you look so beautiful when when you're traumatized.” Dash said jokingly. “If you don't want ponies kissing you then you shouldn't look so damn cute.”

“You really think I'm cute?” Twilight asked quietly, part of her mind was still struggling to process all that had happened. It had been one stressful day.

“You forget I also said beautiful.” Dash said, turning to look at the purple mare beside her.

“Really?” Twilight asked again, turning to look at the magenta eyes staring back at her. Rainbow slowly lifted a hoof and used it to cup Twilight's cheek.

“Yes.” Dash said, before pulling Twilight into another kiss.

“Hey guys dinner's gonna be a while, I- OH COME ON!” Spike yelled, retreated back into the kitchen he had just walked out of. Twilight and Dash just ignored him, preferring to focus on each other instead of what others may think.

“Guess we should stop before he needs therapy.” Twilight giggled, breaking the kiss.

“Yeah.” Dash sad dreamily, eyes half lidded as she gazed into the violet eyes in front of her.

“Hey, Rainbow?”

“Hmm?” Dash asked, still revelling in the scent of the purple unicorn. It was definitely chocolate mixed with the lavender. Dash's new favourite smell, she decided.

“Does this mean we're dating?” Twilight asked, obviously nervous about the answer, though Dash didn't know why.

“I guess, I mean, we haven't exactly gone on a date yet.” Dash said, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof.

“Let's fix that then, wanna go somewhere for dinner?” Twilight asked, perking up a bit at Dash's answer.

“Isn't Spike cooking dinner. Like, right now?” Dash asked, a little confused as to why Twilight would tell Spike to make dinner if she had no intentions of eating it.

“He'll be fine, he can eat it himself, and besides, we'll have some of it left over for tomorrow.” Twilight said, already grabbing her saddlebags and tossing a few bits in.

“Alright, but where do you want to go? I don't know any good restaurants around here.” Dash said, walking over to the door while Twilight stuck her head in the kitchen, presumably telling Spike they were leaving for a while.

“But Twilight-” Spike whined, Twilight cutting him off.

“Just eat it yourself and throw the rest in the fridge, we'll eat it tomorrow. Bye.” Twilight said, closing the door before Spike could utter another word in protest.

“He doesn't sound too happy.” Dash said as Twilight walked up beside her at the door, opening it with her magic.

“He'll get over it.” Twilight said nonchalantly as she walked out the door, Rainbow right behind her.

“Okay, but where do you want to go? There aren't exactly a lot of fancy restaurants around here.” Dash said, wrapping a wing around Twilight's shoulders as they started to walk down the street.

“I don't know, lets just walk around until we find somewhere that looks good.” Twilight said, causing Dash's jaw to drop.

“Wait, are you telling me Twilight Sparkle, miss has-a-schedule-for-everything, asked me on a date, and doesn't even know where to go?” Dash said, surprise evident in her voice.

“Is that a bad thing? I thought you hated my schedules?” Twilight said, worried that she had done something wrong.

“Only when they interfere with my schedule.”

“You have a schedule?” Twilight asked, doubt clear in her voice.

“Of course I do! It consists of eat, sleep, nap, snack, and work.” Dash said, grinning her usual cocky grin. Something about that smile made Twilight's heart beat harder.

“Why am I not surprised?” Twilight said, chuckling as the two rounded a corner to Ponyville's main street. There were a fair amount of ponies in the streets, shops on either side of them bustling with activity. All except one, about half way down the street. It was totally abandoned, minus a few ponies in police uniforms walking around the outside.

Twilight shuddered a bit as she looked at the building, immediately recognizing it from earlier that morning. Sensing the slight shake, Rainbow Dash looked first at Twilight, then followed her gaze to the building they were approaching.

“You okay?” Dash asked, hugging Twilight closer to her side, the unicorn welcoming the embrace.

“I don't know, I thought I was over it, but seeing that building... I can still see her face, Rainbow. Every time I close my eyes, I see her face.” Twilight said, looking away from the building as her eyes started to fill with tears, though none of them escaped.

“You want to go home?” Dash offered, concerned that the unicorn might have a break down if she had to look at the building any longer then she already had.

“No, I said I'd take you for dinner, and that's what I intend to do. Besides, Spike is already mad at me, so no point going back without at least finding something to eat.” Twilight said, trying her best to put on a strong face, though in reality it was hard enough for her to not cry.

“I don't care if we go to dinner or not, all I care about is your safety, physical and emotional.” Dash said, seeing right through Twilight's ruse.

“Rainbow, I said I'm fine. There's a place right there, let's go.” Twilight said, picking up the pace a bit, eager to get away from the dental office. She appreciated that Rainbow cared, but she was fine. At least that's what she told herself, and how often was she wrong?

Rainbow just sighed as she picked up her pace to match Twilight, her wing still firmly wrapped around the purple mare. The restaurant itself was small but quaint. It wasn't very busy, being one of the less popular restaurants just because of it's size. It had a cozy air about it, a gramophone playing in one corner, a tune Rainbow couldn't quite figure out, but it was nice anyway.

There was no line, and only half the tables had ponies sitting in them, so they were seated immediately after coming in, the waiter was a unicorn with a picture of a floating platter and a few plates on top for a cutie mark. They were seated in one of the booths, next to a window facing out to one of Ponyville's many parks. A few filly’s and and colt's running around.

“May I take your order?” The waiter asked, standing straight and proper beside the table.

“Yes, can I have your pomegranate salad please?” Twilight said, looking up from the menu she had her nose buried in.

“I'll just have a regular Caesar salad.” Rainbow Dash said, not even opening the menu; it was still a book.

“Coming right up.” The waiter said before walking off to the kitchen to relay their orders to the cooks.

“So...” Twilight said, looking awkwardly at the the table, avoiding Dash's eyes.

“Yeah?” Rainbow said, sensing Twilight's nervousness, not that it was hard.

“We're on a date.” Twilight said, rubbing her hooves together nervously.

“Well duh. You did ask me out, remember?” Dash said, not understanding why Twilight was nervous all of the sudden, she hadn’t been nervous back at the library.

“I know, but I don't know why.” Twilight admitted, hanging her head a little lower.

“Because you like me?” Dash asked, a little worried that Twilight had miss read her own feelings.

“But I don't know if I do! I don't know if it was just because of what happened this morning, or the stress or if I just missed you that much while you were in the coma. I have no idea what I'm doing; I haven't exactly dated anypony before.” Twilight said, still struggling to process her day. It was all like a dream to her now. She knew what happened, but it was like she wasn't in control, like she was a machine. Then she thought back to when Rainbow had kissed her, and she knew that wasn't a dream. It was the one break she had had all day. The one thing that she had truly enjoyed in a long time.

“Twilight, just relax. We agreed we'd try this, and you were determined to go out for dinner, so just enjoy it. If it doesn't work it doesn't work.” Dash said calmly. She was worried that it might not work, she didn't know what she would do then, but she would deal with that later.

“Alright... thanks, Rainbow.” Twilight said, lifting her head and smiling.

“You've been thanking me a lot today, maybe you should listen to my advice more often.” Dash joked, giggling a bit at Twilight's glare. Though Twilight soon found herself joining Dash in a fit of giggles.

“Your food.” The waiter said stoically, levitating a tray with two plates in his magic. Levitating one down in front of either pony before walking back to the door, having seen another customer.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight ate in a comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying the food and each others company.

“Well, how is it?” Dash said, having grown tired of the silence.

“It's good, not the best, but I suppose it would be a lot to ask for it to match what I used to eat in the palace.” Twilight said, smiling brightly as she ate her salad.

“Feeling any better now?” Dash asked, shoving another fork full of salad into her mouth.

“A little. I think I've calmed down now.” Twilight said, visibly more relaxed then she had been when they had arrived at the restaurant.

“That's good.” Dash said quietly, silently gathering the courage to ask what she really wanted to know.

“Something wrong?” Twilight asked, cocking her head slightly when she picked up on Dash's rather subdued tone. It didn't sound right unless she was bragging about something.

“You said you didn't know if you actually liked me in this way earlier. I was wondering if... if you knew for sure.” Dash said, looking away from the source of the answer she feared.

“I... I don't know, Rainbow. I just don't know.” Twilight said, reaching a hoof across the table and turning Dash's head to look in Dash's magenta eyes. “But I would like to find out.” She said, before quickly leaning forward and kissing Dash. Dash was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered and started kissing back, relishing in the the feeling Of Twilight's lips against her own.

“Twilight?” They both jumped at the unexpected visitor. Both of them quickly jumping back into their seats, forcefully breaking the kiss.

“Yes?” Twilight said, turning to the unknown stallion, her face a bright read, Dash's face a perfect match.

“Twilight Sparkle, it is you! How have you been?” The pony said, his voice was deep, yet smooth as well. Clearly well practised in giving speeches and talking in general. He had a sapphire blue coat and a mane to match with white tips on the various spikes sticking out of it, the tip of his muzzle also a dull white. He wore a white vest and a watch on his front left hoof. His eyes sparkled brightly through thin grey glasses, his irises matching his coat.

“Fine... but do I know you?” Twilight asked, not recognizing the pony claiming to know her.

“It's me, Frost Nexus! From the school for gifted unicorns?” He said, smile wavering as he tried to convince her that she knew him. Thankfully, Twilight's eyes lit up in recognition.

“Frost Nexus! It is you! Sorry I didn't recognize you sooner, how have you been?” She asked, perking up at meeting an old friend. Well, old colleague, since Twilight didn't have friends back then.

“Good, I have 3 books published now on my ice magic, and one of them is on the best sellers list.” He said cheerfully, pleased to be able to share his accomplishments.

“Hey, I have two of them in my library, great work, I would love to talk to you more in depth about them. Why are you in Ponyville? I thought you were based in Manehatten.”

“Meeting a friend here for a few days, though I didn't expect to run into two! Oh well, I have to go, my friend is expecting me, I just came here for a quick dinner.” Frost said, before quickly trotting to the door, waving to Twilight once more as he disappeared out the door.

“Who was that?” Dash asked, still rather embarrassed about being interrupted like they had been.

“Just somepony I knew back when I was in Canterlot. Now, where were we?” Twilight asked, turning back to Face Dash who quickly leaned leaned over the table, Twilight doing the same. Their muzzles were about to meet when they heard a very annoyed grunt come from another table in the restaurant.

Turning to see the source of the noise, they noticed that most of the patrons in the restaurant were glaring fairly coldly at them. They both knew why.

“Somepony got a problem?” Dash said coldly, slowly casting her glare across everypony that was staring at them.

“Rainbow, let's just go.” Twilight said quietly, not wanting to cause any problems.

“No way, Twi, I am not going to back down, not about this.” Dash didn't take her eyes off the crowed of glaring ponies.

“It's not worth it, Rainbow.” Twilight pleaded, a little more force behind her voice.

“You don't know what I've been through about this, Twi.” Dash said, glaring daggers at one pony who was mouthing the words “filly-foolers” at them.

“No, I don't, but that is still no reason to make a scene. Please, let's just go home.” Twilight said, almost begging.

“Fine.” Dash spat, getting up from the table and walking to the door. Twilight levitating a few bits out of the bag an placing them on the table, being sure not to leave any extra for a tip.

“Rainbow?” Twilight called, running to catch up to the fuming mare, currently kicking any pebbles she could find.

“I've had to live with that my whole life, even before I knew I was gay. It didn't matter what I said, if somepony started a rumour like that in flight camp, then that may as well be the truth.” Rainbow grumbled as Twilight walked up beside her.

“I'm sorry, but fighting about it wouldn't have changed anything, let's just go.” Twilight said, starting the walk back to the library, towards the sun that was currently setting behind the mountains. The sky was illuminated with brilliant yellows and oranges, some almost as vibrant as the colour’s in Rainbow Dash's mane.

“I know. It just makes me mad, especially after what they did to Fluttershy. She still isn't over it.”

“Come on, let's go home.”

Temptation

Don’t Give Up

Chapter 12

Temptation

“Spike?” Twilight called as she walked into the darkened library.

“Spike?” She called again when she didn’t get an answer. After a few moments of swivelling her ears she the not-so-faint sound of the baby dragon snoring in the bedroom.

“He’s asleep.” She said as she walked into the library, motioning for Rainbow Dash to follow her. Together they walked into the main room of the library. The room illuminated by the light of the distant sunlight streaming in through the windows, bathing the room in a dim, golden light.

Together they sat down on the couch, Rainbow on one side and Twilight beside her, a look of disappointment on Twilight’s face.

“What’s wrong?” Dash asked, having seen the look on Twilight’s face.

“I’m sorry.” Twilight said quietly, looking away from the Pegasus beside her.

“What do you have to be sorry for?” Dash asked, caught off guard by the apology.

“That date was terrible, I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t wanted to go out for dinner, if I had just listened to you, none of this would have happened.” Twilight said, her voice betraying the fact that she was trying not to cry.

“What do you mean terrible?”

“All those ponies staring at us, you got so mad, I’m sorry, Rainbow, I should have listened to you.”

“Hey.” Dash said, lifting Twilight’s head with a hoof and looking her in the eye, “It was not your fault. You hear me? It is not your fault what those other ponies thought, you can’t control that. I had a wonderful time.” Dash said, playfully tapping Twilight on the nose; drawing a giggle from the purple mare.

“You really did?” Twilight asked, looking hopefully at Rainbow.

“Of course I did, I was with you. All those other ponies can go buck themselves for all I care.” Dash said; her tone serious yet comforting. Twilight answered by pulling the cyan mare into a tight embrace.

“You know, Rainbow, we were right in the middle of something when we left.” Twilight said in a low, seductive tone.

“And what was that?”

“This.” Twilight said, pulling Dash into a kiss.

“Twilight, darling, are you here? Twilight- oh… I, uh, I can come back.” Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight whipped their heads around to face the intruder, her normally white coat stained red across her muzzle.

“RARITY?” They both cried out in shock.

“It’s not what it looks like!” Twilight said quickly, quickly jumping out of Rainbow’s forelegs.

“Yeah, it was just, uh, an experiment!” Rainbow added quickly, trying to hide her blush, though loosing the fight like Twilight.

“Really?” Rarity said, stifling a giggle, her embarrassment having been replaced with amusement.

“Yes. And what are you doing here anyway? We’re closed this time of night.” Twilight said, hoping to change the topic as fast as possible.

“The sign on the door did say you were open, darling, you really should remember to change that if you want privacy. This is a public library, after all.” Twilight did a slight face hoof. How could she forget to do something like that? Dash, it was her fault, if she wasn’t so damn distracting, she would have remembered. Twilight decided mentally, flicking a quick glare at the still blushing Pegasus before looking back to Rarity.

“Why are you here anyway?” Twilight asked, deciding to keep Rarity focused on anything other then what she had seen.

“I heard from a stallion working with the police that you reported a murder. I was just coming to make sure you were alright. Things like that have been known to traumatize ponies, but I see that you have Rainbow to help with that.” Rarity said, still struggling to suppress giggles.

“And what do you mean by that?” Rainbow said aggressively.

“Oh come on, it’s obvious you two like each other. You haven’t been looking at anything other then each other. Anyway, I’ll see you two later. Don’t worry; I won’t tell anypony, I’ll let you decide when you’re ready.” Rarity said as she started walking towards the door, Rainbow Dash and Twilight sat in silence for a few moments, processing what had just happened.

“So…” Twilight began awkwardly, “Should we tell the others?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t care either way, it’s up to you.” Dash said, obviously uncomfortable with the question.

“They’ll find out eventually one way or the other. It’s probably best that we tell them before they hear about it through rumours.”

“I guess, what do you think they’ll say about it?” Twilight asked nervously, rubbing her hooves together anxiously.

“Most of them probably won’t care, like Rarity, but AJ might, she’s very old fashioned.”

“Tomorrow?” Twilight offered hopefully, wanting to the delay it as long as possible.

“Sure. Now, go flip that damn sign to ‘closed’.” Dash said, wishing to make sure there would be no more interruptions.

“Already done.” Twilight said, the last few sparks of magic fading from her horn, though her voice was off, like she was contemplating something.

“Something wrong?” Dash asked, cocking her head slightly.

“No. It’s just… I don’t know.” Twilight said quietly.

“Don’t know what?” Dash said, even more confused then she had been.

“I don’t know about this, Rainbow, you, this, everything. I have no clue what I’m doing, or even if I want to do it.” Twilight admitted.

“Not this again.” Dash sighed, “Listen, I get that you’re not sure, I wasn’t for a long time after I found out I liked mares. If you need some time to think, then fine, take time to think. Just don’t play with me like that, first you kiss me and take me out for dinner, then you don’t know if you even want to be close to me.” Twilight was shocked. She knew Dash wasn’t as dumb as most thought her to be, but Twilight never would have guessed anything so thoughtful could come from her.

Twilight didn’t say anything for a while; taking time to let the wisdom soak in. She allowed a smile to appear on her face. Sure, she wasn’t sure. Sure, she had no idea what she was doing. But that didn’t matter to her; Rainbow would be there for her, no matter her decision. Just like the rest of her friends. She would never be alone.

“Rainbow?” Twilight asked tentatively.

“Hmm?”

“What if I say no?”

“Then I’ll accept it and move on. You wouldn’t be the first.” Dash said calmly; all too used to being rejected.

“Will you still be… friends with me?” Twilight asked slowly, fearing the answer.

“It’d take more then that to stop me from being friends with you, Twi, you know that.”

“Thanks.” With that Twilight walked silently up the stairs. “I’m going to bed, see you in the morning.” She called from the top of the stairs.

“Alright.” Dash called, lacking much of her usual bravado. Dash stayed like that for a while, sitting on the floor. Not really thoughtless though not really thinking, just letting her mind wander, thinking what ever it wanted to think about. Which was mostly something bout a purple unicorn on the floor above.

Her thoughts were finally broken through by a rumble from her stomach. By this point she was used to it; go somewhere to eat, get hungry ten minutes later, such is the curse of a high metabolism. Sighing slightly she wandered into the kitchen, hoping to find something for a midnight snack. After rummaging through the fridge a bit she found a very familiar purple drink.

She just sat there for a while; staring at the purple liquid that had started this. Suddenly, and idea popped in her head; what if Twilight were to drink some? She’d probably pass out after a while, like Dash, then wake up under the affects of the aphrodisiac, like Dash. There would be no second thought in Twilight’s mind about anything, she would love Dash like Dash loved her, no questions about it.

But then what? It would wear off eventually, and then Twilight would wake up. Sure, she wouldn’t have any memory, like Dash, but it wouldn’t be too hard for her to figure out she was drugged.

“She would never suspect me.” Dash said to herself, a hoof moving toward the purple liquid. It was the perfect plan, if she divided it right it would last a while. She would run out eventually, but for a while she could have exactly what she wanted. She didn’t need to think about the future, all she needed to think about was what she wanted now. And that was a certain purple mare.

Dash picked up the glass and slowly extracted it from the fridge. It sloshed lightly around within the glass, a label reading ‘do not drink’ written on the side.

“No.” Dash said firmly, shoving the drink to the back of the fridge and slamming it shut. Ignoring her grumbling stomach she climbed up the stairs toward the guest room. Her mind still filled with thoughts about the purple drink. And what she had thought about doing. Is scared her, that she was actually thinking things like that.

It was Twilight’s decision, not hers. She walked into the guest room, closing the door behind her.

“I’m sorry.” She said aloud, talking to nopony but herself. Though wishing that everypony could hear.

“It won’t happen again.” She said as she slipped into bed, her eyes drooping as soon as her head hit the pillow.

“I promise.”

Revenge

Don’t Give Up

Chapter 13

Revenge

“I saw her today.”

“What? Why? You know that’s against the rules.”

“It wasn’t my fault, she was with my friend, and I had no choice.”

“What do you mean ‘with’?”

“A date.”

“Is that so? Your friend’s a mare, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting…”

-_-_-_-

Rainbow was woken up by the smell of food, combined with a rather large gurgle from her stomach. Groaning she shifted her weight and sat up, a few joints cracking as she did so. Slowly, she cracked her eyes open, her vision instantly filling with bright white light.

Her eyes adjusted to the light after a few moments, the room coming into focus as she swung her rear hooves to the edge of the bed. She shifted her weight just enough to slide slowly off the bed, landing on her hooves with a soft thud. She stumbled a bit, one of her hooves numb from sleeping on it. Eventually she regained her balance enough to walk over to the door, nudging it open with a hoof she stepped out into the hall.

As she walked down the stairs she stretched out her wings, a quick spike of pain shot through her body when they reached their full span. She still wasn’t ready to fly, and it probably didn’t help that she had already flown twice. It would be at least another week before she could even think about hovering, never mind getting home. Though she didn’t think that was a particularly bad thing.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs she spotted the source of the smell; a few hay cakes sitting on a plat at the table. Twilight was sitting across from them, a plate of her own in front of her.

“Morning.” Twilight greeted through a mouthful of hay cake. Smiling and waving with a hoof.

“Hey.” Dash answered, walking over to the table.

“Hope you like hay cakes, they’re about the only thing I can cook without burning something.” Twilight admitted, grinning sheepishly.

“Nah, they’re fine, but where’s Spike? Doesn’t he normally make breakfast?” Dash asked, sitting down across from Twilight and picking up her fork.

“Normally, yes. But this isn’t exactly breakfast; it’s a little past 11 AM. He’s already left to help Rarity with whatever it is he helps her with.” Dash just nodded in response, her mouth full of hay cakes and syrup.

For a while they ate in a peaceful silence. The room filled with the clacking of fork on plate, the occasional sip of apple juice. All complimented by the quiet and steady noise of two ponies chewing. While it was not uncomfortable, there was a slight tension in the air. A tension neither of them wanted to deal with, but they both knew they would have to.

“Listen.” Twilight started timidly. Rainbow flinched slightly; she knew exactly where the conversation was going. “About last night, what you said. I think.” Twilight hesitated, giving Dash a chance to jump in.

“Don’t rush the decision; take your time with it.”

“No, I’ve had enough time. I think… I know… I don’t think we should-” She was silenced by a single tear; a single tear, rolling slowly down Dash’s cheek. Not enough to silence the average pony, but enough to stun anypony that knew Rainbow. She never cried.

“Okay.” Dash said quietly, her voice shaky and uneven. She stood from the table slowly, legs shaking as she made her way to the stairs.

“Rainbow, wait,” Before she could finish her sentence, the cyan pegasus was already in the guest room, a loud thud punctuating her wish to not be disturbed. Twilight was left alone at the table, still stunned at the mare’s reaction. That was not the one she had expected. She had run the scenario through her mind at least 30 times, and none of the possible outcomes were anything like this.

-_-_-_-

“Alright, it’s okay. You knew this could happen; you prepared yourself. You can get through this. You still have friends; Twilight is still your friend. You’ll be fine.” Rainbow told herself over and over again. Though each time she said it, it sounded more and more like a lie. It wasn’t going to be alright, that was a lie and she knew it; it would take a better lie then that to trick THE Rainbow Dash.

Nothing would be the same ever again. Twilight didn’t feel the same as she did. Fine, she could accept that, but she still had feelings for Twilight. Nothing could get rid of those. It was funny, Dash thought: A few days ago she couldn’t understand why she couldn’t stop looking at the purple mare, and now the term “love” came to mind every time she thought about her.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Rainbow? Are you there?” Twilight called from the other side of the door.

“Uh, no?” Dash said weakly.

“Then who just talked to me?” Drat, she had found out her brilliant plan.

“Uh, Sorry, Twi, but I need to… work out? Yeah, that’s it, I have to exercise after a meal, keeps me in shape.” Dash said, struggling to keep her voice from cracking and ruining her even more brilliant plan B.

“I just want to talk.” Twilight insisted.

“Fine…” Dash sighed in defeat, walking over to the door and unlocking it. Opening it slowly, her eyes glued to the floor. She stepped to the side to allow Twilight entrance.

“What’s wrong Rainbow? I thought you would be happy.” Dash was struggling not to scream at Twilight. Happy? How could she be happy? She was just rejected by the first pony she had ever really loved, and she had no choice but to live with her for at least a week. How in Equestria could she be happy?

“Nothing, I’m fine.” She lied, tears threatening to escape her eyes.

“No, you aren’t. I told you I wanted to be with you, and then you run off and lock yourself in your room. Call me crazy, but that’s not how most ponies would react.”

‘Wait… what?’ Dash thought, ‘She said that she didn’t think we should be together, and here she is telling me she said the exact opposite. Is this some kind of cruel joke?’

“You said that you didn’t think we should-” Dash started, only to be cut off by Twilight finishing her sentence.

“Tell our friends yet.” Rainbow was stunned. She stood there for a moment, not sure how to react. Just letting what she meant sink in. She felt a smile blossom onto her face, the shock giving way to relief and happiness. She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer.

Leaping forward she hooked her legs around Twilight’s neck, pulling the unicorn into grateful hug.

“Thank you.” Dash said quietly into Twilight’s fur. Her soft, lavender chocolate scented fur.

“Um… your welcome?” Twilight said uncertainly, not expecting such a random change in mood, but happily welcoming the embrace anyway.

For a while they sat in the embrace; Dash crying quietly out of relief. Releasing pent up fears and doubts into purple shoulders. Twilight taking it in and slowly calming the cyan pegasus. It was weird for Dash to show any emotions other then happy. It was even rarer for her to cry. She felt privileged to be able to evoke such emotions from such a strong and independent mare. But at the same time guilty for causing them in the first place.

After a while Rainbow fell silent, her tears at stopped and her breathing had slowed.

“Rainbow?” Twilight said softly. She was answered with a rather loud snore.

“RAINBOW!” Twilight yelled, still she was answered with an even louder snore from the sleeping pegasus. Sighing and chuckling at the sight, she wormed her way gently out of the hug. When she was free and sure that she hadn’t woken her she levitated her over to the bed and tucked her under the covers with a light purple glow.

For a while she watched the steady, almost hypnotic rising and falling of Dash’s chest. Her face bent into a relaxed and relieved smile. Twilight smiled lightly, she looked so peaceful when she was asleep: Maybe too peaceful to get revenge on her for falling asleep at a time like that. Or maybe not, Twilight thought, running to get a bucket and some ice. One too many pranks under Dash’s belt made revenge necessary.

After a quick trip to the sink she opened the door to the fridge, reaching down to the freezer drawer in the bottom. Her eyes were stopped half way down, a purple liquid catching her eye. It had been moved.

‘Odd’ Twilight thought ‘Dash knows what happens when she drinks that, she wouldn’t take it. And Spike would see the label I put on it, so then who moved it?’ For a while Twilight was puzzled, but then an idea started to take shape. What if Dash had? Twilight shook the thought from her head; Dash would never do that.

Pushing the thought to the back of her mind she reached her magic out to the ice box and took out a tray of ice, dumping it into the bucket. Then she turned to the sink and filled it with cold water. One revenge prank coming up. Giggling she ran back up the stairs and into Dash’s room. Poised for revenge.

SPLASH

“TWILGHT!”

Anger

Don’t Give Up

Chapter 14

Anger

“How’s your lunch?” Twilight asked, looking up from her daffodil sandwich to Dash, who was sitting opposite her eating a particularly good looking flower medley salad.

“Not bad.” Dash said, shovelling another flower into her mouth and chewing loudly. She was happy; everything she did reflected this fact. The way she sat, the grin spread across her face. Even her chewing seemed up beat and energetic. Twilight couldn’t blame her; she too was happier then she had been in a long time. And not just because of the long term coma Dash had been in.

In reality she had been feeling… different for a long time, even before she nearly killed Rainbow. Like there was something missing. She knew how clichéd it was, but she didn’t feel like that around Dash. She hardly ever felt like it anymore, especially since Dash was currently living in her house. The two were almost always together, or they at least knew where the other was.

It had been 3 days since they decided to really start a relationship. 3 days of bliss. 3 of the happiest days for both mares, or at least they hoped the other felt the same that they did. Twilight, as usual, had written up a schedule, though it was hardly followed. They spent as much time together as possible, not the allotted 2 hours every 3 hours. Not going out on a date twice a week, instead going almost every day. Sometimes twice, if Twilight was free for lunch.

Though this caused a problem for Twilight; she had actually turned down a few customers of the library to have lunch with Dash. And since the pegasus was still on leave for her injury, Rainbow was ALWAYS free for lunch. Actually, she was free pretty much always, and if she was free, she was bored.

It was a problem for both of them. Dash couldn’t spend her time practising, her wings still needing a few days to recover, and even she couldn’t nap enough to take up all of her free time. So instead she decided her time would be best spent with Twilight sticking her cyan nose into everything the lavender unicorn did. Twilight had had enough.

“Listen, Rainbow, we need to talk.” Twilight started, setting her sandwich down onto her plate. Rainbow just flicked her vision to Twilight for a second, before returning to her food.

“’Bout what?” She asked, clearly more interested in the salad in front of her.

“About this; lunch, you, the past few days. Dash, when was the last time you left the library? Without me?” Twilight added quickly, seeing the look on Dash’s face that was about to answer with some snarky comeback, like ‘I’m not in the library now, am I?’

“I dunno. Why does it matter? I still get out with you for lunch most days.” Rainbow said, looking back down at her salad, deeming the conversation ‘not more important then food’ and continuing to eat.

“Rainbow, this is serious! You need to do something! It’s starting to affect my studies and work. I turned down somepony at the library just to come to lunch, all because you need to get out. And if lunch is the only time you get out, then I will make you get out.” Twilight said, her tone demanded attention from the pegasus. When Twilight was like this, Dash new she had to listen.

“What do you propose I do? I can’t exactly fly, now can I? And if I can’t fly, I can’t work or practise. That’s all I can do.” Rainbow said, stressing the last sentence. Suddenly, her eyes went wide and her jaw slack. That’s all she could do. She, Rainbow Dash, could do nothing that didn’t involve flying. And she couldn’t fly. She was the fastest mare in Equestria, but only when she flew. She could do sonic rainbooms, but she needed working wings to do that. She won the Best Young Flyers competition, with wings.

“It’s all I have…” Rainbow repeated quietly, holding her for hooves just below the table and looking at them. “And now I don’t even have that.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight said, surprised at the sudden change in attitude.

“Flying. If I can’t fly, what can I do? I can’t even go home, Twi. What good is a pegasus who can’t fly?” Rainbow sounded defeated. Like a reflection in a broken mirror. It was her, but she was shattered, empty.

“Rainbow-” Twilight started only to be stopped by her own thoughts. What should she say? What could she say? This wasn’t like Rainbow at all. Rainbow was brash, cocky, and even a little egotistical at times. But now? She sounded like a totally different mare.

“See, nothing. Not even you can think of a single thing I can do that doesn’t involve flying. I am nothing without my wings.” As she spoke she slowly started to unfurl her wings, wincing as not-totally-healed tendons stretched and torn muscles were forced into action. The pain came in waves; every time a new muscle was used another spike came. Every time a tendon was forced to bend, another wave came over her.

As her wings finally reached their full span, Rainbow was gasping for breath. The pain having knocked it out of her. Twilight let out the breath she had been holding since Rainbow had first moved her wings. Rainbow knew she shouldn’t be moving them, she also noticed Twilight fidgeting in her chair as she debated something with herself.

“STOP HER!” Part of Twilight’s mind screamed at her, begging for her to do something. While the other parts of her brain were either telling her to encourage Dash, or to just see where it went. She didn’t know what to do. Judging by the look on Dash’s face, her wings were obviously no where near healed. She shouldn’t be moving them, she shouldn’t even think about stretching them. And here she was; doing everything she wasn’t supposed to do but flying. Though she looked as if she was going to break that rule as well when she gave a powerful flap.

“Look at me.” Rainbow said, her eyes starting to moisten. “I can barely stretch them. I am nothing without them, and even when I try to use them I am worthless.”

“I’m sorry.” Twilight whispered, refusing to meet Rainbow’s eyes.

“What are you sorry for? You still have your magic. You still have the very thing that makes you… you. I don’t. And I won’t, not for a while longer. I am not Rainbow Dash. I can’t be her. Not like this. I am nothing.” Rainbow said, a tear leaking out of her eyes, running down her cheeks and onto the table below her. Shattering like tiny crystals.

“I did this. It’s my fault.” Twilight repeated her voice even quieter then Fluttershy’s when Twilight first met her.

“We went through this, Twi. This is not your fault.” Rainbow said firmly, though there was something behind her words. Something she was deliberately trying to hide. Something Twilight recognized. Something Twilight hoped she had misheard.

“If that’s true, then why are you mad?” Twilight asked, looking into her lap. Her sandwich all but forgotten on the table. She feared the answer, but what scared her more was the long stretch of silence after her question. Nopony said anything. Neither of them daring to even breathe until she was given an answer. And there was only one source for that answer.

“I’m not.” Dash answered after a while. She had always been a bad liar, but she hoped Twilight wouldn’t notice. She was mad. She was furious. She just didn’t know why. Her mind could only give her one explanation as to why or who, and she didn’t like the answer. It was a selfish answer. The answer of a foal running away from the truth. The answer of a pegasus who wanted nothing more then to fly away from reality. But she couldn’t, just one more reminder about why she was mad. Just one more reason, her mind told her, to be mad a Twilight.

“You’ve never been a good liar, Rainbow.” Twilight wanted to believe her. She wanted to trust her friend. But she knew when Rainbow was lying, and she couldn’t lie. Not now, she had gotten too far in to leave it with that.

“Don’t ask the question you don’t want the answer to.” Rainbow said menacingly. She didn’t mean to sound so angry. She didn’t want to be mad. And she didn’t want to scare the unicorn away. But she just really did not want to tell her the truth. If she told her the truth, she would be lying. If she didn’t tell her the truth, she would be ling. The only thing she could do is pray that Twilight let her not answer so she didn’t have to lie.

“You should let your wings relax. They won’t heal if you don’t let them.” Twilight said quietly, debating if she really wanted the answer to her question.

“How much longer?” Dash asked, her voice carrying a hint of pain as she let her wings relax and fold into her sides.

“Well, since you can barely open them, and it’s been almost 5 days probably around another 5.” Twilight sighed, shaking her head. She felt sorry for Rainbow. How could she not and still call her a friend? Well, more of a marefriend at this point. How long had they been together? 3 days? She didn’t know. She didn’t remember. The last few days were a cyan and rainbow blur. A blur of happiness. She didn’t know how long, and she didn’t care. They were together, that’s all she cared about.

She didn’t need to second guess herself now. The murder a thing of the past. The coma a hazy dream. Stress hadn’t been seen since Rainbow woke up. And happiness had not vanished completely. She felt relaxed around the brash pegasus.

“Max?” Rainbow asked hopefully.

“Minimum.” Twilight said sadly.

“Oh…” Rainbow said, standing from the table. “Listen… I… I need to go. I’ll see ya back at the library later, Twi.”

“Alright.” Twilight couldn’t help but notice the large wet spot on the table where Dash’s head had been moments before. Sighing dejectedly, Twilight took one last bite from her sandwich and left some bits on the table before getting up and stretching. She had already turned somepony down, and she was away longer then she had intended, it was time to get back to work.

A nagging thought told her to chase after Rainbow, but the rest of her mind knew better. When Rainbow needed time along she needed time alone. Twilight wouldn’t be able to help her. She would only make it worse. It would be best to just wait for her to come back to the library. In the mean time, she still had 5 shelves to dust and 6 to re-shelve.

-_-_-_-

Rainbow sighed as she made her way through the streets of Ponyville. Head hung low and eyes watering (totally not crying). She didn’t bother to look where she was going. She didn’t care where she was going. She just wanted to go somewhere. Somewhere she would be alone, where she could think in peace, where she could figure out why she was mad.

She could go back to the library. She should go back to the library. She knew it; she knew Twilight could help her. Twilight was always there for her. Never once had she abandoned her, forgotten her, or given up on her. She was always there. A shoulder to cry on (though Rainbow didn’t cry) or and ear to listen to (about how awesome she was). But for some reason she just couldn't. She couldn't even think about facing the purple unicorn now.

“Rainbow Dash?” A timid voice asked. She sounded like she was unsure of her own voice. Like if she spoke to loudly or too much or made any mistake she would be thrown into a dungeon or something. That voice could only come from one mare. Rainbow had never been so happy to see Fluttershy in her life.

“Hey ‘Shy, what’s up?” Rainbow said, trying her best to put some of her confidence in her voice though it just sounded like she was trying to fill a balloon with a hole in it. It didn’t contain any confidence, it was empty, deflated.

“Something wrong?” She asked, worry clear in her voice. Always so worried about her friends, Dash thought. Maybe too concerned.

“No. Well, yes. Listen, can we talk?” Rainbow asked, looking pleadingly into aqua eyes partially hidden behind pink main. The pegasus just smiled and nodded.

“Of course. I was just heading home from mine and Rarity’s spa session. Come on, I’ll make you some tea.” Fluttershy offered, waiting fro Rainbow to walk up beside her before continuing to her cottage on the edge of the town.