Fear Itselfby GTPGuyChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1The first thing Rainbow Dash noticed when she woke up was the howling wind. She rolled out of her bed and looked out the window, but immediately wished she hadn't. A massive storm was rolling over her cloud house-and with it what seemed to be the entirety of Cloudsdale's weather team. Pegasi floated in and out of Rainbow’s vision as they fought the gigantic storm-but even to the untrained eye of the young filly, it was obvious that the storm was winning. Waves of rain and hail lashed out at the cloud house that the Dash family currently occupied. An intensely bright flash nearly blinded the pegasus, and with a massive rumble the house shook under the intense storm. "Mom? Dad? Anypony here?" Even to herself, Rainbow's small voice sounded pathetic. Sweat began to bead on her forehead, and Rainbow felt her legs shaking. She galloped around the house as fast as her admittedly small legs could carry her. However, despite all her hopes to the contrary, both of Rainbow’s parents were out fighting the storm. Pull it together Dash. They'll be fine. It's just a little storm, nothing they can’t handle... I hope. Trotting towards the door of her house, a massive boom shook the cloud house, and a flash of lightning wreaked havoc with Rainbow's vision. Rainbow’s heart was racing, and almost hyperventilating, Dash opened the door to see one of the worst sights for anypony to see. Three of the pegasi that were fighting the storm had been incapacitated by the fearsome weather and were dropping like rocks toward the earth. Oh Celestia oh no this is not good come back come back dear Celestia please let them be okay. Rainbow Dash, shakily standing on the edge of the porch, craned her neck to try and find her parents. They're going to be fine. They are going to be fine, right? They wouldn’t leave me here all alone if they weren’t going to come back, of course they’ll be fine! As Rainbow Dash would soon find out, standing out on the edge of a cloud during a massive storm has its own hazards-rogue wind for instance. Just a few seconds after Rainbow Dash opened the door, a mighty gust caught one of her undeveloped wings and snapped it open. Rainbow quickly lost her balance, and the wind pushed her off the cloud-home's porch. The bright blue pegasus began to drop like a rock, her undeveloped wings unable to keep her from falling. Icy needles ripped into the cyan coat of the young filly, while a roaring and tumultuous wind snapped at her wings. What Rainbow didn't see was that one of the pegasi in the storm had started diving after her-this one with a brilliant green coat and a dark red mane. Gemini Dash, Rainbow's mother, the second-best flier in all of Equestria (just behind Spectrum Dash, of course), was coming to rescue her little filly. As Gemini chased her daughter, a cone began to form around the desperate pegasus. Of course, not even the sound barrier could keep a panicking mother from her little filly, and in mere seconds Rainbow's mother had reached her target. When Gemini slammed into Rainbow, she immediately began to soothe her daughter. Rolling so that her back was to the ground, Rainbow's mother looked at her daughter with pure love in her eyes and tried to calm the little filly. "Rainbow just look at my eyes my dear. No need to be afraid. Just look at me dear. We’re going to be juuust fi-“ And then they hit the ground. When Rainbow Dash awoke, she was being nuzzled by somepony that most definitely was not her mother, seeing as how this pony had a horn. A unicorn was standing next to her, drenched in sweat and rain, with a frazzled black coat and an ice-blue mane that managed to just barely stay away from the brilliant green eyes, while curling wildly around the rest of the pony’s head. "Hey there little filly. Nice to see that you’re awake, you took a pretty nasty fall… My name's Starlight Treasure, from the Pony Rescue Unit. Did you get caught out in that nasty storm?" Dash nodded. "Can you fly?" Dash shook her head solemnly, a few tears dripping from her rose eyes "Then it might be a few minutes, let me just inform one of my friends." The unicorn's horn shone with a brilliant cobalt light as she sent out a magical message. "Are you feeling all right?" Her head shook violently. "No? What’s wrong?" at Rainbow’s response, a hint of nervousness entered Starlight Treasure’s voice. “I’m pretty new to the whole medical thing, but I’m fairly sure I covered everything I was supposed to. You had a couple cuts and bruises, but I fixed those up from what I could see… What’s the problem?” Dash swallowed nervously. She looked around for a moment, and then, in a quiet whisper "My mom." "Was she here with you?" A short nod. "When did you last see her?" Shrug. "Did she have a bright a red mane and green fur?" Nod. "Well we've got some people helping her right now. Don't you worry little filly." Starlight Treasure reached out to stroke the terrified Rainbow Dash's shoulder, but in a surprisingly quick burst of speed the scrawny pony launched herself backwards. “Hey I’m not here to hurt you. I just wanted to help you.” A surprising amount of venom entered Rainbow’s next statement. “You’re not my mom. I want my mom. Gi-“ Rainbow started to shout. “GIVE ME BACK MY MOM WHERE DID SHE GO I JUST WANT HER BACK!” The young filly was wracked with sobs, tears streaming down her already soaked muzzle. Starlight, who had initially backed away from the angry pegasus, started to nuzzle Rainbow Dash gently. "Shh… Calm down… Oh I wish I just knew how to make you feel better little one…" With a soft thump, a vibrant yellow pegasus landed next to Starlight Treasure. "Hey Star, want me to take it from here? You look like you might be having a little trouble with her. Might be better to let another pegasus take care of this” Starlight Treasure blushed in embarrassment and started to back away. "Yeah that would be great Spitfire. If you could get her back to Cloudsdale it would be fantastic." Spitfire nodded and walked towards Rainbow. "Don’t worry about it Starlight-sorry to say this, but it's rather ingrained in pegasi to trust flesh and blood over magic." “Ah, don't worry about it. Thanks Spitfire. I owe you one.” “Hey, don’t worry about it, just part of the job right? Anyways, time to get this little mare back to Cloudsdale.” The bright little pegasus just shook in fear. Seeing this, Spitfire settled on her hind legs and put her head down on her forehooves. "Hey now… Don't worry about anything; I'm one of the best fliers in Equestria! You'll be completely fine!" A single hoof reached out and brushed Dash's brilliant mane. Rainbow tried to back away from this strange new pegasus, but her retreat ended when her flank slammed into a very stout tree. "C'mon sweetie… Nothing gets better by staying at a disaster." The yellow pegasus started to plead with the cyan filly. “You’ve got to leave here eventually honey… Please don’t make this more difficult than it has to be. There’s nothing left for you here, and I promise that I’ll help you find your parents once we get back up to the city. Deal?” Spitfire held out her leg, and the young Rainbow climbed up onto the pegasi's back, clutching tightly to Spitfire's matted fur. "Well, we’re off now little one! Don’t worry, we’ll be back to Cloudsdale in a jiffy and we can find your parents right quick!” Chapter 2It was appropriate weather for a funeral. A light drizzle fell on the assembled ponies, nothing near as fierce as the storm that had killed the two pegasi that were being honored today. A pair of simple wood coffins stood at the head of the assembly-rivulets of water streamed down their surfaces, much like the tears that fell down the faces of co-workers, friends, and the one family member that was attending. Spitfire, in a flowing black gown that had seen much use in the days following the storm, stood at the back of the somber assembly with a young pegasus alongside her. Rainbow Dash, fidgeting uncomfortably, curled up against Spitfire’s right forehoof. “Do we have to stay here Spitfire? I really don’t want to be here…” Spitfire lowered herself towards the filly, giving Rainbow Dash a fierce hug. “Oh honey I know that this is uncomfortable for you, but this is just something we have to do out of respect. Your parents were very good ponies you know-their memory is something we should honor.” Rainbow Dash’s voice dropped to a whisper. “But none of these people loved my parents. They’re just friends or less. None of these people REALLY care about my parents or me.” “Rainbow that’s not true, many of the people here cared about your parents-hay, your mother was what inspired me to join the PRU.” “Yeah, what a great bunch of help all these people were-they all cared about my parents! But appare-“ Rainbow choked back a sob. “Apparently they didn’t care enough to save them! Great work everypony, thanks!” Spitfire was taken aback by Rainbow’s words. Trying to comfort the young pegasus, she reached towards Rainbow Dash to give her another hug, but her hooves were met with a surprising amount of force from the young filly, pushing Spitfire back. “Come on Dashie… Don’t be like that, we’re here to-” Rainbow Dash vibrated in rage. “Don’t call me that! Only my parents can call me that!” Tears began to leak down Spitfire’s muzzle. “Oh sweetie I’m so sorry.” Again, Spitfire moved closer to Rainbow Dash, but the cyan-colored pepgasus backpedaled away from Spitfire. Rainbow’s rose-tinted eyes were glowing with rage. “Get away from me! I hate you! I hate all of you! You couldn’t care enough to save my parents, so why should you care about me?” And with that parting volley, the rainbow-maned pegasus galloped away from the assembly as fast as she could, disappearing into the dark and rubble-strewn streets of Cloudsdale. Spitfire was shocked by the sudden outburst, and spent several agonizing seconds debating over whether or not she should pursue the distraught filly. Unfortunately, her mind was made up for her when the minister overseeing the funeral announced that they were ready. A dry, magic enhanced voice rumbled over the murmurs of the assembled crowd. “Would all you good mares and colts please be seated, so that we may begin the service?” Spitfire fidgeted, still not able to decide if she should give chase or not-but with almost all the ponies at the service giving her pointed looks, she gave in and sat for a service that would most likely take an agonizing amount of time. ****20 Minutes Later**** Rainbow Dash huddled under a slab of cloud-formerly a table at her parents' favorite park, the place was now an abandoned wreck. Tears streamed freely down her muzzle, and the sound of Rainbow Dash’s sniffles echoed throughout the empty streets. A light wind ruffled the multicolor mane of the young pegasus, while raindrops lightly pattered against her newly-dirty coat. Soon, the energy drain from the emotional rollercoaster and sheer stress that had been exacted on the poor filly overwhelmed the last reserves of her energy, and she slid into a world of memories. Rainbow Dash sat curled under a small table, taking respite from the brilliant sun that was flashing down on Cloudsdale. Gemini Dash gently prodded the young filly playfully with her hooves. On the other side of her, brilliant yellow fur covered the legs of Spectrum Dash-he wielded his hooves with unerring accuracy, managing to find a ticklish spot on his daughter without fail. High-pitched giggles often emerged from under the table that the two elder Dashes sat at, carrying across the colorful park, joining the medley of noises coming from the conversations of other pegasi all throughout the area. After a few minutes of adult conversation, Spectrum swung his head under the table, startling his daughter. “Hey Rainbow, do you want to see Daddy fly?” The little filly laughed and nodded her head enthusiastically. Seeing Rainbow’s reaction, Spectrum picked her up from under the table and set her down on Gemini’s back, where she nestled up against the brilliant red mane of her mother. Smiling at his little bundle of joy, Spectrum trotted over to the edge of the park before leaping off, his wings stroking powerfully against the air. Gemini’s wings fluttered as her husband showed his power, but managed to stay against her flanks with a bit of self-control. Rainbow, on the other hand, couldn’t contain her excitement and climbed up Gemini’s neck, adjusting herself to lay down on Gemini’s head for a better view. Her father streaked through the sky, leaving a multicolored trail behind him. A happy cheer escaped Rainbow Dash’s muzzle as she saw her father race through the sky. Rainbow fidgeted under the cloud table, her body unable to remain still as she fell into a troubled sleep. The rain had started to come down harder, splashing down in a persistent drumming all around the cyan pegasus. Rainbow dash was resting on Gemini’s neck, her arms wrapped around her mare’s neck. Gemini turned her head around towards her filly, affectionately nuzzling the little pegasus. “Hey Rainbow, daddy’s going to meet us here in a few minutes and then you get to see him fly again-isn’t that exciting?” The filly nodded energetically, a massive smile stretching across her muzzle. After a bit more then a few minutes, Spectrum Dash landed in front of his family, but not in the best of conditions. His fur was slicked back by sweat along his flank, his mane was, quite frankly, a complete mess, and his wing feathers were having a bit of difficulty aligning themselves. As soon as Gemini saw his condition, she slid Rainbow off her back and put her next to a shady tree. "Sorry Rainbow, I just have to talk to your father for a few seconds." Gemini trotted over to where Spectrum had landed (and subsequently sat down), her unhappiness clearly evident, even to Rainbow Dash. Even from many feet away, the filly could hear the argument that her parents were having-snapping at each other, the two ponies were clearly unhappy with each other. Rainbow hid behind the tree in an attempt to keep away from the anger being unleashed by her parents, with a single sob escaping her before she could quell it. The rain continued to pour down around Rainbow, droplets pelting the small pegasus and the area around her. However, the incessant rainfall was unable to awaken the troubled pegasus from her sleep. If anypony was around to notice, they would have seen her tossing and turning against the ruined cloud furniture around her. Unfortunately for the colorful pegasus, nopony saw her-and chances were that even if they did, they wouldn't care enough to investigate. **** Spitfire, on the other hand, was extremely uncomfortable. She had been sitting at the funeral for well over half an hour, and was starting to worry because Rainbow Dash hadn't returned yet. At this point, the funeral had dissolved into those that had known the Dash family giving short, nonsensical speeches about how nice they were, and Spitfire's worry finally defeated her desire to remain. Jumping out of her seat, the fiery pegasus streaked into the sky, searching for the young filly that she had been taking care of for the past few days. She rocketed through the air, eyes tracking back and forth as she looked through the ruins of Cloudsdale for a tiny little pegasus. When Spitfire finally found Rainbow Dash, her heart nearly found its way out of her mouth along with her breakfast. The bright blue fur and brilliant mane stood out against the grey clouds, but the colors also highlighted to lack of movement from the filly. Spitfire's tired wings found a burst of speed from the rush of fear that she experienced, and she descended as quickly as she could towards the motionless pegasus. Scooping the young filly onto her back, Spitfire raced towards the nearest hospital. Chapter 3Rainbow Dash woke up screaming. Her mind ripped free from the tormenting fog of sleep, her memories finally releasing their hold. Terrified, the filly cried out in a hoarse scream that was heard through the entire building. A crowd of doctors and nurses rushed into Rainbow’s room, and were greeted by the sight of the colorful filly sobbing fiercely into her pillow. One of the nurses tried to approach the upset pegasus, but in response Rainbow Dash just pulled her single blanket up over her head. “Ah, nurse, I think we’d better contact her guardian.” The doctor consulted a sheet of paper next to the door. “Miss Rainbow Dash here doesn’t seem like she’ll respond well to strangers. I think it would be better if we informed Miss Spitfire that her charge is awake.” The doctor tapped the sheet with his hoof as he scanned it for relevant information. “You should be able to find Miss Spitfire at... the weather factory.” The nurse stepped out to the room’s balcony, unfurling her spotted tan wings. “I’ll be back as quick as I can doctor.” ****15 Minutes Later**** Spitfire, shaken by the events of the past week, had thrown herself into her work at the cloud factory obsessively. Her work was able to remove some of the pain that seemed to always accompany her-for a time, at least. She could never quite manage to get rid of the pain completely-trying to help Rainbow had taken an enormous toll on her. Thus, the hospital nurse was able to surprise her quite easily. “Uhm, excuse me but are you Spitfire?” Spitfire whirled around with a very good speed considering how worn out she was. "Yes that's me, why?" Then she noticed the white robe of the pegasus standing in front of her "You're from the hospital aren't you? Is something wrong with Rainbow?" Alarm entered her voice as her worries overcame her attempt to be polite. "No ma'am everything is... well, she's awake at least. We've had some trouble getting her to communicate. She's a little... upset." "Of course she's upset you idiot! She's lost both her parents!" Spitfire's wings flared out in anger, and the nurse quickly backed away from the angry pegasus. "There's no need to be like that miss, I was just here to inform you that Rainbow Dash woke up, and since you are her current guardian you may visit her." With that, the nurse turned and flew out of the weather factory. Spitfire stood still for slightly less then a second before racing out of the factory herself-in a blaze of speed, she passed the nurse that had brought her the news and flew as quickly as she could towards the hospital. **** Nurse Greenheart tentatively walked into the hospital room with a simple oat sandwich. "Uh, excuse me, Rainbow Dash? There's some food here if you would like" The filly didn't respond-her eyes staring lifelessly into the distance. Greenheart set the tray down to the side of Rainbow Dash's bed and looked at the pegasus sadly. "If you ever want to talk, I'm here honey. You don't have to go through this by yourself." The filly let out an agonizing sigh that was, in the nurse's opinion, much too old sounding for such a young soul. Rainbow Dash began to twist over to face nurse Greenheart, but was startled by the appearance of a brilliant streak of yellow-orange speeding through the sky. In a few short moments, Spitfire had arrived at the room. Only marginally slowing down, the yellow pegasus rushed to Rainbow Dash's side and gave her a fierce hug, almost crushing the young filly. A small group of tears managed to find their way out of Spitfire's eyes and onto Rainbow, and it was nearly a minute before the blue pegasus was released. "Oh Celestia I'm so glad you're okay now Rainbow." Another few tears found their way onto Rainbow Dash. "You HAVE to promise me not to do this again though. You almost killed me Rainbow!" Uncomfortable with the attention being paid to her, Rainbow Dash squirmed under her blanket. "I'm sorry Spitfire I didn't mean to." "It's alright Rainbow just... Don't do it again. I'm not old, but my heart can't take another stress attack like this" Spitfire turned to face the doctor. “Is it alright for Rainbow to leave the hospital now?” “My apologies Miss Spitfire, but we need to keep Rainbow Dash with us for one additional night to make sure there’s no complications. She was stable before she woke up, and we want to make sure that she will stay stable now that she’s awake.” Spitfire sighed, the energy that propelled her to the hospital at top speed quickly deflating. “Fine then. Is it possible that a chair could be placed in the room so that I can stay with her?” “No problem Miss. Nurse Greenheart, if you could please bring a chair?” The Nurse nodded and trotted out of the room. As the nurse exited, a slightly more officious-looking pegasus in the getup of an officer of the Royal Guard poked his head in. "Are you Miss Spitfire? I heard that you were the one that brought Rainbow Dash in to the hospital and I am required to speak with you. Could you please come with me?" Spitfire scowled at the Royal Guard, but grudgingly agreed. "Yeah, all right, I'll be there in a minute." The bold yellow pegasus quickly turned to face Rainbow Dash, giving the troubled young filly a reassuring nuzzle. "I'll be right back Rainbow, don't worry." With that, Spitfire exited the room and followed the Royal Guard away. **** The two pegasi entered a suspiciously empty break-room. When the Royal Guard finally stopped walking, Spitfire immediately snapped at him. "What the HAY is your problem, you Luna-loving dimwit! She just bucking woke up and you decide that you IMMEDIATELY need to converse with the ONLY bucking pony she knows in this place!" The Royal Guard, however, remained stoic in the face of the anger in Spitfire's voice. "My sincerest apologies Miss Spitfire, but it was determined to be better to deliver this... unfortunate... news to you now. Trust me when i say i would rather not do this, to say the least." Spitfire stared at the guard, mute and motionless. "Ah, that is, you're going to have to give Rainbow Dash up to an orphanage. According to Equestrian law, you aren't yet old enough to be her guardian and all of her relatives are dead or incapable of taking care of her." Spitfire was silent for a rather long few seconds as her jaw slowly crept towards the floor. Shaking her head, her wings snapped out aggressively as she realized what the pegasus standing in front of her had just said. "You've got to be BUCKING KIDDING ME!" she screamed, her rage matching her name and mane. "You're going to make a filly that just got hospitalized after trying to attend her bucking parents funeral go to a BUCKING ORPHANAGE? Do you have any inkling of how MONUMENTALLY DUMB that idea is?" The Royal Guard remained motionless, but the threat in his voice was quite clear. "Miss Spitfire, I am aware that this situation is not... being resolved... to your satisfaction, but you will control yourself. I will not hesitate to utilize the authority that I have been granted by Celestia if you refuse to comply. It would, however, be much easier if you would willingly give up Rainbow Dash-and it would probably be better for her as well." A small glob of phlegm found its way out of Spitfire's muzzle at high speed and landed less then a hoofspan away from the armored pegasus standing before her. For his part, the Royal Guard remained immobile, although his anger quickly found its way out. "Miss Spitfire, you will control yourself. I remind you that I have the authority of Princess Celestia at my backing. You cannot overcome the force i can level against you, so it would be better for you to obey without causing conflict." "You can just go ahead and buck yourself. Rainbow deserves better then being stuffed in an orphanage." And with that, Spitfire left the Royal Guard and returned to her young charge's bedside, where she quickly joined the young pegasus in sleep.
Chapter 1The first thing Rainbow Dash noticed when she woke up was the howling wind. She rolled out of her bed and looked out the window, but immediately wished she hadn't. A massive storm was rolling over her cloud house-and with it what seemed to be the entirety of Cloudsdale's weather team. Pegasi floated in and out of Rainbow’s vision as they fought the gigantic storm-but even to the untrained eye of the young filly, it was obvious that the storm was winning. Waves of rain and hail lashed out at the cloud house that the Dash family currently occupied. An intensely bright flash nearly blinded the pegasus, and with a massive rumble the house shook under the intense storm. "Mom? Dad? Anypony here?" Even to herself, Rainbow's small voice sounded pathetic. Sweat began to bead on her forehead, and Rainbow felt her legs shaking. She galloped around the house as fast as her admittedly small legs could carry her. However, despite all her hopes to the contrary, both of Rainbow’s parents were out fighting the storm. Pull it together Dash. They'll be fine. It's just a little storm, nothing they can’t handle... I hope. Trotting towards the door of her house, a massive boom shook the cloud house, and a flash of lightning wreaked havoc with Rainbow's vision. Rainbow’s heart was racing, and almost hyperventilating, Dash opened the door to see one of the worst sights for anypony to see. Three of the pegasi that were fighting the storm had been incapacitated by the fearsome weather and were dropping like rocks toward the earth. Oh Celestia oh no this is not good come back come back dear Celestia please let them be okay. Rainbow Dash, shakily standing on the edge of the porch, craned her neck to try and find her parents. They're going to be fine. They are going to be fine, right? They wouldn’t leave me here all alone if they weren’t going to come back, of course they’ll be fine! As Rainbow Dash would soon find out, standing out on the edge of a cloud during a massive storm has its own hazards-rogue wind for instance. Just a few seconds after Rainbow Dash opened the door, a mighty gust caught one of her undeveloped wings and snapped it open. Rainbow quickly lost her balance, and the wind pushed her off the cloud-home's porch. The bright blue pegasus began to drop like a rock, her undeveloped wings unable to keep her from falling. Icy needles ripped into the cyan coat of the young filly, while a roaring and tumultuous wind snapped at her wings. What Rainbow didn't see was that one of the pegasi in the storm had started diving after her-this one with a brilliant green coat and a dark red mane. Gemini Dash, Rainbow's mother, the second-best flier in all of Equestria (just behind Spectrum Dash, of course), was coming to rescue her little filly. As Gemini chased her daughter, a cone began to form around the desperate pegasus. Of course, not even the sound barrier could keep a panicking mother from her little filly, and in mere seconds Rainbow's mother had reached her target. When Gemini slammed into Rainbow, she immediately began to soothe her daughter. Rolling so that her back was to the ground, Rainbow's mother looked at her daughter with pure love in her eyes and tried to calm the little filly. "Rainbow just look at my eyes my dear. No need to be afraid. Just look at me dear. We’re going to be juuust fi-“ And then they hit the ground. When Rainbow Dash awoke, she was being nuzzled by somepony that most definitely was not her mother, seeing as how this pony had a horn. A unicorn was standing next to her, drenched in sweat and rain, with a frazzled black coat and an ice-blue mane that managed to just barely stay away from the brilliant green eyes, while curling wildly around the rest of the pony’s head. "Hey there little filly. Nice to see that you’re awake, you took a pretty nasty fall… My name's Starlight Treasure, from the Pony Rescue Unit. Did you get caught out in that nasty storm?" Dash nodded. "Can you fly?" Dash shook her head solemnly, a few tears dripping from her rose eyes "Then it might be a few minutes, let me just inform one of my friends." The unicorn's horn shone with a brilliant cobalt light as she sent out a magical message. "Are you feeling all right?" Her head shook violently. "No? What’s wrong?" at Rainbow’s response, a hint of nervousness entered Starlight Treasure’s voice. “I’m pretty new to the whole medical thing, but I’m fairly sure I covered everything I was supposed to. You had a couple cuts and bruises, but I fixed those up from what I could see… What’s the problem?” Dash swallowed nervously. She looked around for a moment, and then, in a quiet whisper "My mom." "Was she here with you?" A short nod. "When did you last see her?" Shrug. "Did she have a bright a red mane and green fur?" Nod. "Well we've got some people helping her right now. Don't you worry little filly." Starlight Treasure reached out to stroke the terrified Rainbow Dash's shoulder, but in a surprisingly quick burst of speed the scrawny pony launched herself backwards. “Hey I’m not here to hurt you. I just wanted to help you.” A surprising amount of venom entered Rainbow’s next statement. “You’re not my mom. I want my mom. Gi-“ Rainbow started to shout. “GIVE ME BACK MY MOM WHERE DID SHE GO I JUST WANT HER BACK!” The young filly was wracked with sobs, tears streaming down her already soaked muzzle. Starlight, who had initially backed away from the angry pegasus, started to nuzzle Rainbow Dash gently. "Shh… Calm down… Oh I wish I just knew how to make you feel better little one…" With a soft thump, a vibrant yellow pegasus landed next to Starlight Treasure. "Hey Star, want me to take it from here? You look like you might be having a little trouble with her. Might be better to let another pegasus take care of this” Starlight Treasure blushed in embarrassment and started to back away. "Yeah that would be great Spitfire. If you could get her back to Cloudsdale it would be fantastic." Spitfire nodded and walked towards Rainbow. "Don’t worry about it Starlight-sorry to say this, but it's rather ingrained in pegasi to trust flesh and blood over magic." “Ah, don't worry about it. Thanks Spitfire. I owe you one.” “Hey, don’t worry about it, just part of the job right? Anyways, time to get this little mare back to Cloudsdale.” The bright little pegasus just shook in fear. Seeing this, Spitfire settled on her hind legs and put her head down on her forehooves. "Hey now… Don't worry about anything; I'm one of the best fliers in Equestria! You'll be completely fine!" A single hoof reached out and brushed Dash's brilliant mane. Rainbow tried to back away from this strange new pegasus, but her retreat ended when her flank slammed into a very stout tree. "C'mon sweetie… Nothing gets better by staying at a disaster." The yellow pegasus started to plead with the cyan filly. “You’ve got to leave here eventually honey… Please don’t make this more difficult than it has to be. There’s nothing left for you here, and I promise that I’ll help you find your parents once we get back up to the city. Deal?” Spitfire held out her leg, and the young Rainbow climbed up onto the pegasi's back, clutching tightly to Spitfire's matted fur. "Well, we’re off now little one! Don’t worry, we’ll be back to Cloudsdale in a jiffy and we can find your parents right quick!”
Chapter 2It was appropriate weather for a funeral. A light drizzle fell on the assembled ponies, nothing near as fierce as the storm that had killed the two pegasi that were being honored today. A pair of simple wood coffins stood at the head of the assembly-rivulets of water streamed down their surfaces, much like the tears that fell down the faces of co-workers, friends, and the one family member that was attending. Spitfire, in a flowing black gown that had seen much use in the days following the storm, stood at the back of the somber assembly with a young pegasus alongside her. Rainbow Dash, fidgeting uncomfortably, curled up against Spitfire’s right forehoof. “Do we have to stay here Spitfire? I really don’t want to be here…” Spitfire lowered herself towards the filly, giving Rainbow Dash a fierce hug. “Oh honey I know that this is uncomfortable for you, but this is just something we have to do out of respect. Your parents were very good ponies you know-their memory is something we should honor.” Rainbow Dash’s voice dropped to a whisper. “But none of these people loved my parents. They’re just friends or less. None of these people REALLY care about my parents or me.” “Rainbow that’s not true, many of the people here cared about your parents-hay, your mother was what inspired me to join the PRU.” “Yeah, what a great bunch of help all these people were-they all cared about my parents! But appare-“ Rainbow choked back a sob. “Apparently they didn’t care enough to save them! Great work everypony, thanks!” Spitfire was taken aback by Rainbow’s words. Trying to comfort the young pegasus, she reached towards Rainbow Dash to give her another hug, but her hooves were met with a surprising amount of force from the young filly, pushing Spitfire back. “Come on Dashie… Don’t be like that, we’re here to-” Rainbow Dash vibrated in rage. “Don’t call me that! Only my parents can call me that!” Tears began to leak down Spitfire’s muzzle. “Oh sweetie I’m so sorry.” Again, Spitfire moved closer to Rainbow Dash, but the cyan-colored pepgasus backpedaled away from Spitfire. Rainbow’s rose-tinted eyes were glowing with rage. “Get away from me! I hate you! I hate all of you! You couldn’t care enough to save my parents, so why should you care about me?” And with that parting volley, the rainbow-maned pegasus galloped away from the assembly as fast as she could, disappearing into the dark and rubble-strewn streets of Cloudsdale. Spitfire was shocked by the sudden outburst, and spent several agonizing seconds debating over whether or not she should pursue the distraught filly. Unfortunately, her mind was made up for her when the minister overseeing the funeral announced that they were ready. A dry, magic enhanced voice rumbled over the murmurs of the assembled crowd. “Would all you good mares and colts please be seated, so that we may begin the service?” Spitfire fidgeted, still not able to decide if she should give chase or not-but with almost all the ponies at the service giving her pointed looks, she gave in and sat for a service that would most likely take an agonizing amount of time. ****20 Minutes Later**** Rainbow Dash huddled under a slab of cloud-formerly a table at her parents' favorite park, the place was now an abandoned wreck. Tears streamed freely down her muzzle, and the sound of Rainbow Dash’s sniffles echoed throughout the empty streets. A light wind ruffled the multicolor mane of the young pegasus, while raindrops lightly pattered against her newly-dirty coat. Soon, the energy drain from the emotional rollercoaster and sheer stress that had been exacted on the poor filly overwhelmed the last reserves of her energy, and she slid into a world of memories. Rainbow Dash sat curled under a small table, taking respite from the brilliant sun that was flashing down on Cloudsdale. Gemini Dash gently prodded the young filly playfully with her hooves. On the other side of her, brilliant yellow fur covered the legs of Spectrum Dash-he wielded his hooves with unerring accuracy, managing to find a ticklish spot on his daughter without fail. High-pitched giggles often emerged from under the table that the two elder Dashes sat at, carrying across the colorful park, joining the medley of noises coming from the conversations of other pegasi all throughout the area. After a few minutes of adult conversation, Spectrum swung his head under the table, startling his daughter. “Hey Rainbow, do you want to see Daddy fly?” The little filly laughed and nodded her head enthusiastically. Seeing Rainbow’s reaction, Spectrum picked her up from under the table and set her down on Gemini’s back, where she nestled up against the brilliant red mane of her mother. Smiling at his little bundle of joy, Spectrum trotted over to the edge of the park before leaping off, his wings stroking powerfully against the air. Gemini’s wings fluttered as her husband showed his power, but managed to stay against her flanks with a bit of self-control. Rainbow, on the other hand, couldn’t contain her excitement and climbed up Gemini’s neck, adjusting herself to lay down on Gemini’s head for a better view. Her father streaked through the sky, leaving a multicolored trail behind him. A happy cheer escaped Rainbow Dash’s muzzle as she saw her father race through the sky. Rainbow fidgeted under the cloud table, her body unable to remain still as she fell into a troubled sleep. The rain had started to come down harder, splashing down in a persistent drumming all around the cyan pegasus. Rainbow dash was resting on Gemini’s neck, her arms wrapped around her mare’s neck. Gemini turned her head around towards her filly, affectionately nuzzling the little pegasus. “Hey Rainbow, daddy’s going to meet us here in a few minutes and then you get to see him fly again-isn’t that exciting?” The filly nodded energetically, a massive smile stretching across her muzzle. After a bit more then a few minutes, Spectrum Dash landed in front of his family, but not in the best of conditions. His fur was slicked back by sweat along his flank, his mane was, quite frankly, a complete mess, and his wing feathers were having a bit of difficulty aligning themselves. As soon as Gemini saw his condition, she slid Rainbow off her back and put her next to a shady tree. "Sorry Rainbow, I just have to talk to your father for a few seconds." Gemini trotted over to where Spectrum had landed (and subsequently sat down), her unhappiness clearly evident, even to Rainbow Dash. Even from many feet away, the filly could hear the argument that her parents were having-snapping at each other, the two ponies were clearly unhappy with each other. Rainbow hid behind the tree in an attempt to keep away from the anger being unleashed by her parents, with a single sob escaping her before she could quell it. The rain continued to pour down around Rainbow, droplets pelting the small pegasus and the area around her. However, the incessant rainfall was unable to awaken the troubled pegasus from her sleep. If anypony was around to notice, they would have seen her tossing and turning against the ruined cloud furniture around her. Unfortunately for the colorful pegasus, nopony saw her-and chances were that even if they did, they wouldn't care enough to investigate. **** Spitfire, on the other hand, was extremely uncomfortable. She had been sitting at the funeral for well over half an hour, and was starting to worry because Rainbow Dash hadn't returned yet. At this point, the funeral had dissolved into those that had known the Dash family giving short, nonsensical speeches about how nice they were, and Spitfire's worry finally defeated her desire to remain. Jumping out of her seat, the fiery pegasus streaked into the sky, searching for the young filly that she had been taking care of for the past few days. She rocketed through the air, eyes tracking back and forth as she looked through the ruins of Cloudsdale for a tiny little pegasus. When Spitfire finally found Rainbow Dash, her heart nearly found its way out of her mouth along with her breakfast. The bright blue fur and brilliant mane stood out against the grey clouds, but the colors also highlighted to lack of movement from the filly. Spitfire's tired wings found a burst of speed from the rush of fear that she experienced, and she descended as quickly as she could towards the motionless pegasus. Scooping the young filly onto her back, Spitfire raced towards the nearest hospital.
Chapter 3Rainbow Dash woke up screaming. Her mind ripped free from the tormenting fog of sleep, her memories finally releasing their hold. Terrified, the filly cried out in a hoarse scream that was heard through the entire building. A crowd of doctors and nurses rushed into Rainbow’s room, and were greeted by the sight of the colorful filly sobbing fiercely into her pillow. One of the nurses tried to approach the upset pegasus, but in response Rainbow Dash just pulled her single blanket up over her head. “Ah, nurse, I think we’d better contact her guardian.” The doctor consulted a sheet of paper next to the door. “Miss Rainbow Dash here doesn’t seem like she’ll respond well to strangers. I think it would be better if we informed Miss Spitfire that her charge is awake.” The doctor tapped the sheet with his hoof as he scanned it for relevant information. “You should be able to find Miss Spitfire at... the weather factory.” The nurse stepped out to the room’s balcony, unfurling her spotted tan wings. “I’ll be back as quick as I can doctor.” ****15 Minutes Later**** Spitfire, shaken by the events of the past week, had thrown herself into her work at the cloud factory obsessively. Her work was able to remove some of the pain that seemed to always accompany her-for a time, at least. She could never quite manage to get rid of the pain completely-trying to help Rainbow had taken an enormous toll on her. Thus, the hospital nurse was able to surprise her quite easily. “Uhm, excuse me but are you Spitfire?” Spitfire whirled around with a very good speed considering how worn out she was. "Yes that's me, why?" Then she noticed the white robe of the pegasus standing in front of her "You're from the hospital aren't you? Is something wrong with Rainbow?" Alarm entered her voice as her worries overcame her attempt to be polite. "No ma'am everything is... well, she's awake at least. We've had some trouble getting her to communicate. She's a little... upset." "Of course she's upset you idiot! She's lost both her parents!" Spitfire's wings flared out in anger, and the nurse quickly backed away from the angry pegasus. "There's no need to be like that miss, I was just here to inform you that Rainbow Dash woke up, and since you are her current guardian you may visit her." With that, the nurse turned and flew out of the weather factory. Spitfire stood still for slightly less then a second before racing out of the factory herself-in a blaze of speed, she passed the nurse that had brought her the news and flew as quickly as she could towards the hospital. **** Nurse Greenheart tentatively walked into the hospital room with a simple oat sandwich. "Uh, excuse me, Rainbow Dash? There's some food here if you would like" The filly didn't respond-her eyes staring lifelessly into the distance. Greenheart set the tray down to the side of Rainbow Dash's bed and looked at the pegasus sadly. "If you ever want to talk, I'm here honey. You don't have to go through this by yourself." The filly let out an agonizing sigh that was, in the nurse's opinion, much too old sounding for such a young soul. Rainbow Dash began to twist over to face nurse Greenheart, but was startled by the appearance of a brilliant streak of yellow-orange speeding through the sky. In a few short moments, Spitfire had arrived at the room. Only marginally slowing down, the yellow pegasus rushed to Rainbow Dash's side and gave her a fierce hug, almost crushing the young filly. A small group of tears managed to find their way out of Spitfire's eyes and onto Rainbow, and it was nearly a minute before the blue pegasus was released. "Oh Celestia I'm so glad you're okay now Rainbow." Another few tears found their way onto Rainbow Dash. "You HAVE to promise me not to do this again though. You almost killed me Rainbow!" Uncomfortable with the attention being paid to her, Rainbow Dash squirmed under her blanket. "I'm sorry Spitfire I didn't mean to." "It's alright Rainbow just... Don't do it again. I'm not old, but my heart can't take another stress attack like this" Spitfire turned to face the doctor. “Is it alright for Rainbow to leave the hospital now?” “My apologies Miss Spitfire, but we need to keep Rainbow Dash with us for one additional night to make sure there’s no complications. She was stable before she woke up, and we want to make sure that she will stay stable now that she’s awake.” Spitfire sighed, the energy that propelled her to the hospital at top speed quickly deflating. “Fine then. Is it possible that a chair could be placed in the room so that I can stay with her?” “No problem Miss. Nurse Greenheart, if you could please bring a chair?” The Nurse nodded and trotted out of the room. As the nurse exited, a slightly more officious-looking pegasus in the getup of an officer of the Royal Guard poked his head in. "Are you Miss Spitfire? I heard that you were the one that brought Rainbow Dash in to the hospital and I am required to speak with you. Could you please come with me?" Spitfire scowled at the Royal Guard, but grudgingly agreed. "Yeah, all right, I'll be there in a minute." The bold yellow pegasus quickly turned to face Rainbow Dash, giving the troubled young filly a reassuring nuzzle. "I'll be right back Rainbow, don't worry." With that, Spitfire exited the room and followed the Royal Guard away. **** The two pegasi entered a suspiciously empty break-room. When the Royal Guard finally stopped walking, Spitfire immediately snapped at him. "What the HAY is your problem, you Luna-loving dimwit! She just bucking woke up and you decide that you IMMEDIATELY need to converse with the ONLY bucking pony she knows in this place!" The Royal Guard, however, remained stoic in the face of the anger in Spitfire's voice. "My sincerest apologies Miss Spitfire, but it was determined to be better to deliver this... unfortunate... news to you now. Trust me when i say i would rather not do this, to say the least." Spitfire stared at the guard, mute and motionless. "Ah, that is, you're going to have to give Rainbow Dash up to an orphanage. According to Equestrian law, you aren't yet old enough to be her guardian and all of her relatives are dead or incapable of taking care of her." Spitfire was silent for a rather long few seconds as her jaw slowly crept towards the floor. Shaking her head, her wings snapped out aggressively as she realized what the pegasus standing in front of her had just said. "You've got to be BUCKING KIDDING ME!" she screamed, her rage matching her name and mane. "You're going to make a filly that just got hospitalized after trying to attend her bucking parents funeral go to a BUCKING ORPHANAGE? Do you have any inkling of how MONUMENTALLY DUMB that idea is?" The Royal Guard remained motionless, but the threat in his voice was quite clear. "Miss Spitfire, I am aware that this situation is not... being resolved... to your satisfaction, but you will control yourself. I will not hesitate to utilize the authority that I have been granted by Celestia if you refuse to comply. It would, however, be much easier if you would willingly give up Rainbow Dash-and it would probably be better for her as well." A small glob of phlegm found its way out of Spitfire's muzzle at high speed and landed less then a hoofspan away from the armored pegasus standing before her. For his part, the Royal Guard remained immobile, although his anger quickly found its way out. "Miss Spitfire, you will control yourself. I remind you that I have the authority of Princess Celestia at my backing. You cannot overcome the force i can level against you, so it would be better for you to obey without causing conflict." "You can just go ahead and buck yourself. Rainbow deserves better then being stuffed in an orphanage." And with that, Spitfire left the Royal Guard and returned to her young charge's bedside, where she quickly joined the young pegasus in sleep.
