Comfortably Numb

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes.

She struggled to realise where she was at first. It looked like Sweet Apple Acres, but it couldn’t be. She remembered feeling completely numb, not being able to move, falling through the dark, wind and rain towards the ground. Here it was sunny, and a gentle breeze blew through the orchard, not a horrendous thrashing storm. It was very eerie. Rainbow Dash looked around, to see if there was anything of significance in her surroundings. There was an apple cart a few metres away, and that was it. But it felt strange, almost like she had been here before. The strangest thing is that she couldn’t move, even though she was standing up. She could look around, but nothing more. It was just like her hooves were stuck to the ground. Rainbow could suddenly hear the steady, rhythmic sound of hooves approaching from a distance. She could hear voices too, both of which sounded very familiar. They were coming from around the corner, but she couldn’t see who it was; there were too many trees in the way. The sound of hooves and the voices became progressively louder, until she could make out exactly what they were saying.

“Have…have you ever been in love?” one of the voices said.

There was a short silence.

“Well” said the other. “Yes, I guess I have, and I am in love with somepony now…but I don’t think they know that I do…”

Another short silence.

“Why, is there somepony you like?” the other continued.

“Well, uh, I guess you could say that” the first replied.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to talk about it, Dashie” said the other.

Dashie.

And just like that, it hit her.

It was them.

Rainbow Dash didn’t quite understand it, but somehow it was happening. It was Pinkie Pie and…herself. It was her former self, and Pinkie Pie, after Applejack had asked them to help on the farm. But how? What was going on? It couldn’t be real…could it? Rainbow Dash shook her head, attempting to stop asking herself confusing questions. It didn’t matter now. What mattered now was that two mares were going to turn the corner and see a second Rainbow Dash. But she couldn’t do anything about it. She just had to stand there and hope for the best. She closed her eyes, waiting for the sudden gasp or shout from the approaching ponies, but none came. Rainbow Dash opened her eyes again, not knowing what to expect. She saw her past self taking off, and Pinkie Pie running after her with baskets on her back. Had they not seen her? Was she invisible?

Suddenly, a bright flash of light made Rainbow Dash look away, shielding herself from the blinding glow. She slowly turned her head back towards the light source, which had now gone. But standing in its place, was Princess Luna.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't make a sound.

“Greetings, my child.” Luna said softly. “I know you must have many questions, but I cannot answer them. I know you must be very confused, but you must be able to trust me.”

Rainbow Dash nodded her head.

“Good. Now listen to me very carefully.” Luna said. “Tonight, you were supposed to die. The lightning that struck you temporarily stopped your body functioning, and the fall would have been fatal. But I have chosen to spare you, for you have not lived your life as fully as you should.”

The image of Sweet Apple Acres distorted and flickered, and the scene changed, where Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were rolling around in the grass, kissing and stroking one another.

“You have only just found true love” Luna said. “For the first time in your life, you have set your fears and anxieties aside, to be with the pony you loved. Pinkie Pie is a very special pony. If you wish to remain in love, you must commit to her, be there for her when she needs you the most, and don’t neglect her.”

The scene changed again, where Pinkie Pie was kneeling over Rainbow Dash’s body, sobbing in the wind and the rain in the night.

A tear escaped Rainbow Dash’s eye and rolled down her cheek at the scene in front of her. Rainbow Dash tried to speak. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Rainbow could hear Pinkie sobbing. She could hear Pinkie’s desperate cries of her name. She could hear Pinkie’s pleads. Rainbow Dash wanted to call out. She wanted to scream, to yell, anything to let Pinkie know that she was here, and she was alive. But she couldn’t. All she could do was watch.

“The thing that saddened me the most was watching her cry over your body when you fell to the ground. She loved you too, no doubt. This is a moment where she needs you the most, will you be there for her?” Princess Luna finished, looking at Rainbow Dash for her answer.

Rainbow Dash nodded.

Luna retreated backwards, the world began to spin, and everything went black.

“Rainbow Dash…” cried a voice.

It was Pinkie.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. She couldn’t see much, her vision was too blurred. All she knew was that she was lying on the ground.

“Dashie!?” cried the voice again.

“Pinkie…I’m here” Rainbow whimpered.

Rainbow Dash felt the pink pony wrap her hooves around her, and squeezed tight.

“Oh Dashie…I thought I’d lost you…” Pinkie cried.

“No way…” Rainbow said, stifling a chuckle. “Takes more than a little storm to take me out…” She paused for a moment. “Pinkie, where are you? I can’t see you…”

“I’m right here, silly” Pinkie said, kissing Rainbow Dash passionately on the lips. “Can’t you see me?”

“I can’t…I can’t see much…just darkness…and an outline…that might be you… but everything is so blurred…” Rainbow said.

Pinkie Pie sniffed. “Can you move?” she asked.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t move. She was completely numb all over, apart from her head and neck.

“No…I can’t…I’m can’t feel anything…my entire body feels numb…” she said sadly.

Pinkie Pie began to cry again. “We have to get you to hospital…”

Pinkie stood up.

“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!” she bellowed. “ANYPONY! PLEASE! WE NEED HELP!”

Rainbow Dash felt the world slowly slipping away, she struggled to stay conscious, trying to focus on the sound of Pinkie’s voice.

“Pinkie…stop…I’ll be fine…” Rainbow Dash said, closing her eyes.

Pinkie Pie dropped back to the floor where Rainbow Dash lay.

“No no no, Dashie, wake up, you’ve got to stay with me!” Pinkie cried.

“As long as you’re here Pinkie, I’ll be comfortable…I’ll be back to my old self in no time…” Rainbow trailed off.

“No, Dashie, please, wake up, stay with me!” Pinkie cried again.

The sound of rapid hooves became louder and louder.

“Pinkie Pie!” yelled a voice. “Ah heard yer hollerin, what’s goin on? Are y’all alright?”

“Applejack! Dashie needs help now!” Pinkie yelled, tears streaming down her face.

“Oh mah gosh, Rainbow Dash!” Applejack gasped.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and looked up, and then everything went black.

Rainbow Dash woke up. She slowly opened her eyes, but closed them again quickly. It was very bright. She prepared herself, and opened her eyes, blinking repeatedly to adjust to the lighting of the room. She was in a hospital bed, the same one she was in when she crashed and broke her wing some time ago. She remembered the hospital well. She looked to her right. At some point, she obviously had visitors. On the bedside table there was a box of her favourite chocolates with a label “from Rarity”, and a get well soon card which read “from Fluttershy” and had a picture of the wonderbolts on the front. On the left, was a clipboard on a small table, and a heart rate monitor, with wires leading away from it. She followed them, and they all ended up on her very own chest, which didn’t surprise her.

Rainbow Dash tried moving her hind legs, her left, and then her right. Same with wings, and hooves. All seemed to be responding properly. She wondered if anyone was around.

“Hello?” she called, announcing her presence.

A light brown coloured unicorn appeared at the door, in a white lab coat that doctors usually wear. He walked in, swiftly, and stopped at the side of the bed.

“Well hello there, Miss Rainbow Dash, glad to see you’re awake! You gave us quite a scare you kow, you’ve been unconscious for 7 days now” the doctor said, examining the clipboard on the bedside table. “Luckily, that time allowed your body to heal after you were struck by lightning. You’re a very tough pegasus, surviving that” he said, smiling.

“7 days? That long? Where are all my friends?” she asked.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get the nurse to give them a call” the doctor said, waving his hoof to another pony, who promptly walked out of the room. “Well, all seems to be in order” he said, setting the clipboard down on the table. “When your friends arrive, you are free to go.”

“Really?” Rainbow asked in surprise.

“Of course” he said, walking to the door. “Speak of the devil, here they are now! I’ll leave you lot to it, shall I?” he said, and then disappeared down the corridor.

Pinkie Pie bounded in first, leaping on top of Rainbow Dash and giving her a huge hug.

“Dashie! I’m so glad you’re okay!” she said happily.

Rainbow Dash laughed. “Aww Pinkie, I missed you too” she said, kissing Pinkie on the cheek. “How did you not get hurt when I dropped you and fell?”

“Oh that” Pinkie said, giggling. “I landed in a tree!”

Rainbow Dash laughed. Pinkie could survive anything.

Pinkie jumped off the bed, to reveal Twilight and Fluttershy coming through the door.

“Oh hey Rainbow Dash” Twilight said. “I’m glad you’re okay after what happened on the farm, that must have been terrifying!”

“Oh yes” Fluttershy said. “Not everypony gets struck by lightning and makes a full recovery. And as for you and Pinkie Pie, you should feel proud of yourself. I’m glad you decided to tell everypony, that takes a lot of courage.”

“Yeah, good on you Rainbow Dash” Twilight said with a smile.

Rainbow Dash blushed. “Wait, how do you know about that?”

“Oh, I think we’ll let Applejack explain that” Twilight replied.

Rarity and Applejack entered, walking around to the other side of Rainbow Dash’s bed, opposite Fluttershy and Twlight.

“Well ah suppose y’all wonderin how everypony knows about you an’ Pinkie Pie being in love and all that?” said Applejack.

“Yeah, how do they all know?” Rainbow asked. “Wait, your leg? I thought it was broken?”

“Well, the truth is, it was all part of Rarity’s plan” Applejack said.

“What?” Rainbow Dash said, turning to Rarity. “What plan? How did you know about me and Pinkie?”

“Oh don’t be silly darling, I’ve seen the way you gaze at each other behind your backs, it’s the look only a lover would give!” Rarity cooed.

Applejack nodded her head. “Yah, and Rarity told me an’ everypony else her plan, and they all liked the idea, so that’s when we invited you to mah farm to do some apple buckin’. We knew you two wouldn’t last long without one of ya confessin’ your love, an’ when Big Mac came back an’ told me that you two lovebirds were rollin’ around in the grass together, we knew the plan had worked. Ah was only actin’ like ah had a broken leg just so it made the plan believable, the plaster cast was a fake.” Applejack said.

Rainbow Dash was shocked. This was all a plan?

“I could have been killed!” Rainbow yelled angrily.

Applejack hung her head. “Ah know, that wasn’t part of the plan, we thought you’d be back at the farm before the storm hit” she said. “Ah’m sorry.”

Rainbow Dash’s rage quickly died inside her. She couldn’t stay mad at them, they were the reason she and Pinkie were together.

“Yes, I’m sorry too dear, I had no idea you could have been hurt” Rarity said apologetically.

“I…thanks guys…I guess I never could have told Pinkie I loved her without you…even if I could have been fried by lightning” Rainbow said, chuckling. “Thanks for the chocolates, too” she said.

“Pinkie told me they were your favourite, it was the least I could do.” Rarity said, smiling.

“Well ah guess we better leave you two lovebirds alone” Applejack said as they started towards the door. “We’ll see y’all later.”

“Goodbye, and thanks for the card Fluttershy” Rainbow Dash said happily.

“Oh, that’s alright” Fluttershy said smiling.

They walked out, leaving only Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie left in the room.

“What say you and me go to Sugarcube corner and get something to eat?!” Pinkie asked as she gave Rainbow Dash a kiss.

“Sounds good Pinkie” Rainbow said with a smile.

And with that, they walked out of the hospital together, hooves around each other’s shoulders.

“I love you, Dashie.”

“I love you too, Pinkie.”