Friendship and Good Deeds are Rewarded

The morning sun shined through the windows of the library, the light hitting Spike in the face causing him roll over in bed and peek out at the small clock beside him. His eyes shot open " 10:30 I over slept. I am sorry Twilight!" he said jumping from the bed looking around to find the lavender unicorn still asleep in bed. " I better wake her up and maybe I can lecture her for this." he chuckled to himself.

" Wake up, Twilight, Wake up you over slept." said Spike while nudging her.

She rolled over and wiped the sleep from her eyes " Spike... what time is it?"

Spike giggles " It's 10:32 Twilight, I thought you never liked sleeping in late. Since you have that assignment from the princess....."

" Spike is Princess Celestia here ALREADY!!!!" Twilight exclaimed as she jumped from her bed and falling on her face with thud. " Ouch...that hurt." she said looking at the covers still clinging to legs.

" But Twilight the princess isn't here." Spike said with a confused look on his face.

The covers glowed with her magic as she remove them from her legs " Spike I thought you said..." pausing only to remember that she didn't tell Spike about Fluttershy or the letter, " Oh, never mind..." Twilight let out sigh, stood up, and readied her self " Spike we need to talk."

" W..what do you want to talk about? If it's about letting you over sleep, I am sorry but I woke up only a few minutes before you and I...." Spike said nervously before being interrupted with the unicorn placing a hoof over his mouth.

" No Spike...it's something else..." Twilight said with somber tone " Please come down stairs with me." The little dragon follow at her side down the stairs with fear building up in inside him. He thought to himself Did I do something wrong? Was she mad about me not clean the library last night? more questions raced through his mind as they walked down the stairs. Upon reaching the main floor of the library she turned and wrapped her forelegs around the little dragon beside her.

" Twilight?" he asked with confusion in voice and concern in his eyes.

The lavender unicorn looked down at her assistant with guilty look " It's about...." suddenly knocking at the front door interrupts her. She and Spike look to the front door as Rarity and Pinkie walk inside.

" Rarity, Pinkie Pie....." Spike said before noticing the dejected faces of the two ponies " What's wrong?" he asked them before looking back up at Twilight and asking her " What's going on with every pony today?" Rarity and Pinkie rushed to Twilight side while she continued hugging Spike " Some pony please tell what's happening?" Spike asked with fear rising in his voice.

" Spike...." Twilight started as she stepped back from the group. " Fluttershy was in an accident...she was injured badly..." she said while fighting back her urge to hide her face out of guilt for not telling him last night.

Spike face was in shock as his eyes went wide " Is she alright? Where is Fluttershy? Why are we here and not with her? When did this happen? WHY DIDN'T SOME PONY TELL ME?" Spike demanded with confusion at why the others were not with her and that he was just being told now.

Rarity and Pinkie hugged Spike closer " Spike...she is at Ponyville hospital and the doctor says she is still too weak... to have visitors." Rarity said and both ponies squeezed the little purple dragon tighter between them.

" Rarity, Pinkie...I wrote to the princess and she said that she would personally look for a way to help heal Fluttershy..." the lavender unicorn gave the others a reassuring smile " And the princess said she would bring the information herself." Twilight said while thinking back to the princess' letter.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie look at her with a feeling of relief while smiling back at Twilight. Pinkie bounced from the hug " The princess will find away to help Fluttershy...then we can throw a big party...for Fluttershy." the pink pony said giving a wide smile noting that Mrs.Cake was right about her promise and her hair returned to its puffy, bouncy style.

Twilight's eyes widen when she finally caught onto Rarity saying that she was still too weak for visitors. " Rarity did you already try to visit Fluttershy today?"

" Yes darling, but the doctor said she was still too weak to have visitors." Rarity spoke while lowering her head.

Twilight thought about her other friends and asked " Have you two seen Applejack or Rainbow Dash yet?" Rarity and Pinkie Pie just shook their heads. " We need to find them. They might be hurting more than us and we need to help each other though this and be strong for Fluttershy." Twilight stated as some of her confidence returned. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Spike nod with a small smile they fought to display for Twilight. " Girls, Let's go find Applejack and Rainbow Dash. So we can give them all the support we can." Twilight announced as she stood at the front door. Rarity and Pinkie walk out the door past Twilight but the little dragon just stood there looking at her. " Spike you coming with us?" Twilight asked.

" Is alright if I go the the hospital instead?" Spike asked with an eager look.

" Yes Spike.... please let us know if the doctor says we can visit her." Twilight replied being almost knocked down by Spike as he ran out the door. Twilight finished closing the door and look at two ponies waiting there " Let go girls, We will head over to Sweet Apple Acres first and check on Applejack and Big Macintosh." Rarity and Pinkie just nodded in agreement with Twilight as they trotted off toward farm.

As the girls approached Applejack's barn, they hear Applejack and Big Macintosh yelling at each other. They opened the barn door just in time to hear " If you'd check the apple carts for damage. This would have never happened." Applejack standing there with her face only inches away from her brother glaring at him.

" Well if you weren't always in a hurry to buck all the apples in the orchard, then it wouldn't have happen." Big Macintosh insisted as he pushed his chest against Applejack.

" APPLEJACK, BIG MACINTOSH!!!!" Twilight yelled as she separated them with her magic. " What would Fluttershy think if she saw you two right now?" Applejack and Big Macintosh hung their heads in disappointment at the thought of Fluttershy seeing them like that. " You two should be ashamed, Fluttershy would ... never blame you two for...." Twilight starts seething in anger at her friends behavior and stomped a hoof on the ground while glaring at them like a mother would at two foals fighting each other.

" Sorry Twi, we just felt so bad that we caused the accident." Applejack finished then lowered her head in shame.

Big Macintosh responded " E...eyup" mirroring his sister's actions.

Applejack goes over to Big Macintosh and hugs him " Sorry big brother, I didn't mean to....." before being cut off by her brother.

" I know little sis...." Big Macintosh returning the hug. Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie join in hugging them both trying to reassure them that it was not there fault. Applejack looking at friends suddenly took notice that Rainbow Dash was missing.

" Where's Rainbow Dash?" Applejack asked regaining some of her composure.

" We haven't seen her today." Twilight answered as the girls look to Applejack.

" We have to find her, She'll need our help her get through this so let's go find her." Applejack said with concerned look. " You coming with us big brother?" she looked back to him for his answer.

" N..nope. I think I'm gonna head to the hospital." Big Macintosh managed to say while fighting the urge to run right away. The girls look at him knowing he cared about Fluttershy a lot and maybe more than them. Twilight smiled at the stallion and thought it would be a good idea for him to go there not only for himself but Spike could use a brotherly figure there for support.

" Spike is there too. Big Macintosh please keep an eye on him. We told him about Fluttershy this morning and he was really upset." Twilight said with a lot of concern in her voice.

Big Mac nodded his head " Sure thing, Twilight." and ran out of the barn and off towards Ponyville.

" Let's get moving girls." Twilight urged looking back to her friends. The others nodded in agreement as they start off toward Rainbow's cloud home.

Soon the friends arrived below the cloud home of Rainbow Dash. The girls looked up at cloud then Twilight shouted " RAINBOW DASH ARE YOU THERE? WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU." but they heard no reply from above. The lavender unicorn shouted again " DASH PLEASE TALK TO US." still no answer from the home.

" What if she's ain't home?" Applejack asked with slight desperation in her voice.

" What if Rainbow Dash is in her house but she doesn't want to answer us?" Rarity promptly argued back. Applejack and Rarity looked to Pinkie to see if she a thought on the problem but the pink earth pony was just staring up to the cloud above them with a focus never seen from the pony before.

Then they turned to Twilight who was thinking out loud " We could find a pegasus in town to help. No no that could take to long and... maybe put that pony in danger if Dash is angry. Maybe we could..." as talking trailed of to silence again while continually rubbing her head with a hoof.  The ponies stood there thinking about ways they could check cloud for their blue pegasus friend.

Minutes past by before Pinkie's face lit up as idea popped into her head like a party cannon had gone off in her mind and she jumped over to the lavender unicorn tackling her to the ground with an desperate look in her eyes. " Twilight use your magic to lift me up there to look in the windows." Pinkie remarked with an wanting look on her face. Applejack and Rarity stared at the each other with a shocked look on their faces. Their pink friends idea was just so simple unlike most of her normal ideas which consisted of complicated plans to complete simple tasks.

Rarity regained her composure and look at the pink pony on top of Twilight and spoke up " It's are only option, darling." trying to be confident that the plan would work.

" I have to agree with Rarity on this one, sugar cube." Applejack said looking at the Twilight in agreement.

" But I don't think I can lift Pinkie that high. What if my magic gives out? Pinkie could seriously get hurt." Twilight replied in fear while looking up to pink pony still standing above her.

" Please Twilight, we have to try..." Pinkie urged as she move face to face with the lavender unicorn " You levitated a Ursa Minor so lifting me should be easy peasy."

Twilight finally gave in to all of the girls hopeful looks " Applejack, Rarity get under Pinkie when I lift her so you will be able to catch her if my magic gives out."

Pinkie Pie quickly scooped up the the lavender unicorn hugging her with all her strength and making her instantly exhale all the air in her lungs from the crushing embrace. " I know you can do Twilight. You are the best in all of Ponyville with magic." she said before noticing her hug had made Twilight a deeper shade of purple from lack of oxygen " Oops...Sorry." she finished as she released the dark purple unicorn.

Twilight gasped as her lungs refill with the precious air her lungs were craving and then between secondary gasps said " It's...Okay...Pinkie..." It took her a minute to full recover from the pink pony's chest crushing hug. Pinkie was standing in between  Applejack and Rarity when the lavender unicorn looked to her friends.

" Ready! and waiting Twi." Applejack stated with confidence then followed by Rarity " Yes, We are prepared now."

" Okay.... Pinkie... here we go." Twilight fearfully choked out as her horn began to glow. Pinkie began to glow with Twilight's magic and slowly started rising off the ground. As the pink pony raised higher into the sky with desperate and determined face looking up at the cloud above, Twilight began to sweat and dig her hooves into the ground  for better support. Applejack and Rarity kept glancing between the sweating lavender unicorn and pink pony float up above them. As higher and higher Pinkie rose until she was at the opening for the first floor window of the cloud home.

Pinkie Pie looked through the window into the room eagerly scanning for any sign for Rainbow Dash but she could not find her friend anywhere inside. She yelled back down to the others " She's not in this room. Higher...Twilight, I need to look in her bedroom."

Back on the ground Applejack and Rarity look at Twilight " Come on Twilight, just a little bit more." they cheered.

Twilight strained with all her strength to raise Pinkie higher. Pinkie slowly began to get closer to the second floor window. Her head finally made just above the window ledge " I can see in the window now." she yelled down to the others. She quickly scanned the room before yelling again " She not here either." Pinkie cried out " Ahhhh..." as she suddenly fell a few feet in the air before being slowed down by Twilight's magic. As Pinkie descended she noticed that the ground was coming up to her faster than she was comfortable with " Applejack! Rarity! catch me!" Just a few feet above Applejack and Rarity, Twilight's magic gives out finally causing Pinkie to fall with a thud on top of the other two ponies.

" Sorry....girls...." Twilight said straining to stand and covered in sweat from the demanding amount of magic she had used but quickly collapsing to the ground from exhaustion.

The girls got up from the ground and rushed to the side of exhausted unicorn. " You okay Twilight?" Applejack asked trying to help Twilight up.

" What do we do now?" Rarity asked as she also helped Twilight to her hooves.

" She's not there. We have to find her." Pinkie quickly demanded as she stomped her front hooves.

" Calm down Pinkie Pie" Applejack replied in a firm tone " I'm sure we'll find her."

Twilight began to stammer out " Well...if she isn't...home or...at our houses...then where...could she...have gone to?"

The three ponies started to get concern about Rainbow Dash and started thinking where else she might have went after leaving the hospital yesterday. " I do not think she would fly all the way back to Cloudsdale and leave Fluttershy here." Rarity stated with confidence.

" Well maybe she went back to the hospital this morning." Applejack said knowing the bond between the two pegasi.

" Nope... Me and Rarity have already been there this morning when we checked to see if we could visit Fluttershy." Pinkie replied with sullen tone and her hair losing some of its poofyness at her own answer.

They thought about other places Dash might have went but ignored them for various reason in their heads. The silence went on for several minutes before Applejack said " There a good chance she might be at Fluttershy's home. Those two have been close ever since they came to town."

" Put Twilight on my back..." Applejack commanded as Twilight looked like the she was going to pass out any minute. Rarity and Pinkie Pie lifted the drained lavender unicorn onto Applejack's back making her looking like an over sized lavender saddle bag on the orange pony. " Let's get moving! We need to hurry to Fluttershy's house." The ponies gave each other a quick glance before they rushed off towards the little cottage of their friend with the knowledge that they might find Rainbow Dash there.

Rainbow Dash cracked open one eye to find the sun shining through the window and something brushing against her side making her irritated that something brought her back to this world. She opened her sore eyes and laid there looking at the picture beside her head on the pillow momentarily forgetting the reason for her being awake . I always looked out for her ever since the day we met in flight school. I did my best to watch out for her and protect her from harm. I failed her. I was a hero that couldn't even save her best friend from an stupid accident. she mentality punished herself before she felt a soft warm fur rubbing against her side.

If one of those stupid animals woke me up I am going... Dash thought with her anger boiling up and about to explode. She snapped her head and looked at the source of the warmth I am going to pound whatever animal... and spotted the little white rabbit being held against the side of chest by her hoof that was now expertly wrapped in a white bandage. She suddenly felt horrible I-I-It's Angel...He must have...bandaged my hoof... her vision was becoming a blur A-Angel is so much like...Fluttershy. she thought wiping her eyes with wing so she wouldn't disturb the sleeping rabbit.

Rainbow Dash gently remove her covered hoof from around the rabbit and slowly slid off the bed trying not to wake him then stepped back from the bed when she felt something crunch under hind leg. Her focus turn the sound of breaking glass under her hoof when she notices the broke picture frame, shattered glass, and blood soaked picture then events of last night flood back causing her to sit down against the side of the bed. She wished that she would have just kept sleeping forever and forget all about this life without out Fluttershy but It was true she was gone now. The pegasus covered her face with her hooves as tears trickled down her cheeks.

After a hour silent weeping and trying to block out the painful images of the dead friend in her head before voices coming from outside the cottage grabbed her attention. She quickly recognized the familiar voice as her friends and rushed over to the bedroom door shut and lock it then set against the door for good measure. I don't want to talk to them and I defiantly don't want to be seen like this. She thought while listening to the voices outside and cursing the peaceful silent of the out way home.

Outside the little cottage's front door, Twilight climbed off Applejack's back " Thank you for carrying me while I recovered from earlier."

" Not a problem at all, Twi." Applejack replied as Pinkie Pie open the door to the cottage and hearing hoof steps then a door closing from up stairs.

" Rainbow Dash must be here! I just heard hoof steps and a door close." announced Pinkie before galloping into the and rushing up stairs.

Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight trotted inside looking for their Pinkie and Rainbow Dash but both were not in the living room of the home. " Pinkie... where did you go?...Rainbow Dash are you here? " asked the white unicorn with concern.

" Come on Dash. Talk to us. We want to help ya." Applejack called out in a very concerned voice.

Pinkie suddenly appear at the top of the stairs to the second floor " I think she is up here. Fluttershy's bedroom door is locked and I hear Dashie crying on the other side." she exclaimed as she kept glancing back to the door just behind her.

The ponies galloped up the stair with their hearts racing  when they came to the door they could hear soft weeping just on the other side. Twilight lightly tapped on the door with her hoof. " Rainbow Dash...let us in please...we are here to help you through this." said the lavender unicorn giving a glance to Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie.

" Rainbow just open the door so we make sure you are alright. Then we can go check on Fluttershy." Rarity pleaded.

" Fluttershy is dead! I don't deserve to..." cried the cyan pegasus before being cut off by Applejack.

" Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy is alive and is recovering at the hospital. Ya would've known this if ya wouldn't just stormed out of the lobby like..." Applejack yelled as she heard a click from the door just before it flew open and she tackled down the stairs by a furious pegasus.

The two ponies tumbled down the stairs until the pair landed at the bottom with Rainbow Dash standing over the orange pony. Dash glared down at the farm pony with a burning rage in her eyes. " You call yourself the element of honesty! When you just lied to one of your friends about Fluttershy..." the rage in her eyes disappearing while being replaced with mix of happiness and guilt " being...alive..." her words trailed off as she saw Applejack laying there with a loving smile across her muzzle and a single tear in the corner of her eyes as she gave a slow nod of her head. " I-I'm...s-sorry...A.J...I..." Dash sobbed as she collapsed on top of the orange mare.

" It's okay Dash, let it all out." Applejack spoke softly causing Rainbow Dash's emotional dam to burst. She's alive...She' alive... Rainbow Dash cheered in her mind with a sense of relief washing over her. The pegasus started to cry uncontrollably as Applejack gently rubbed the back of her crying friend with a hoof. " It's alright Fluttershy is alive and at the hospital. So why don't we go see if she can have a visit from her friends." Applejack said soothingly as she stopped rubbing the pegasus' back and lightly raised dash's chin with her hoof while wiping away the tears running down the pegasus cheeks with her other hoof.

Rainbow Dash sniffled and nodded her head as Rarity, Twilight, Pinkie came trotting down stairs. Rarity and Twilight helped the pegasus to her hooves then Pinkie hugged her while Applejack got to her hooves. " Rainbow Dash, let's all go to check on Fluttershy." Twilight said with a warm smile at her friends.