Don't Give Up

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.