Poison Kiss

The next morning, I hear somepony at the door. It's the Wonderbolts! They came! I can't believe they came! I shut the door without saying anything. " Yeehaw! They showed up!" I mutter. I open the door back up to see the wonderbolts' confused faces.

" Ah'm awful sorry for freakin' out. Mah friend is right this way. Follow me." I say.

" We have a surprise for you !" Pinkie Pie says bouncing around her bed.

" What is it! Is it cider? I hope it's cider." Rainbow Dash says.

" Better than cider." Twilight says.

" What can be more awesome than cider?" She says.

" Us!" Spitfire says soaring into her room along with the Wonderbolts. They do all kinds of fancy acrobatics.

" The Wonderbolts? How did you-?" She says getting all choked up.

" We all chipped in and pulled a few strings." Rarity says.

" You guys are the best!" She shouts.

" Wait a sec. You're Rainbow Dash! You're that mare who did the sonic rainboom at the Young Flyer Compition and saved that unicorn with the fairy wings." Soarin says.

" You remember me?" She says.

" Of course we do. We are all so impressed by your talent. When you get better we will give you a free tour to the Wonderbolt headquarters. When you fully recover we'll even let you join us." Spitfire says.

" Oh my god! Best day ever!" She says trying not to lose her cool. A glimmer of hope shines in her face. The doctors were wrong. She will fly again. I know she would.

The wonderbolts do a few cool stunts for her and she watches in amazement. They talk to each other nearly an hour. We defiantly got our money's worth.

" I'm sorry I kicked you, Rarity." Rainbow Dash says.

" It's quite alright, Rainbow Dash. Even though you made me bite my tongue really hard." She says.

" So you ain't mad at us no more?" I ask.

" No, that's all behind us now. You saved my sista Sweetie Bell. I can't stay mad at you. Besides, Spike would vant us all to stay togetha, dahling." Rarity says. Pinkie Pies hooves twitch.

" W-what's happening?" Fluttershy asks ducking for cover.

" I feel some kind of power coming our way." Pinkie Pie says.

" The elements?" Twilight says.

" I don't know." Pinkie Pie says.

" I feel it too." Rainbow Dash says.

" What is it?" I ask.

" Friendship!" Twilight says.

" What should we do?" Fluttershy asks.

"Take Rainbow Dash to the docta to get the surgery." Rarity says.

" Does this mean we're goin' home?" I ask.

"E-yup!" Big Mac says putting his saddle bag on his shoulder. Zecora waves goodbye as we trot down the hill. The Everfree forest is always safer in the daytime. No monsters are usually around. It is a peaceful, quiet trip. No thunder just chirping birds. When we get back to Ponyville we take Rainbow Dash to the hospital.

" I don't want to have surgery. What if I wake up?" Rainbow Dash says.

" You won't. They use the same sleeping spells I use." Twilight says.

" Just relax. You're going to be okay." Fluttershy says.

" Ah better get goin' home now. Granny Smith is probably worried sick 'bout us. Ah'll be back as soon as ah can." I say.

" Before you leave I want you all to know that if I join the Wonderbolts, I promise I'll still spend time with all of you. You won't be replaced." She says. I smile and walk out the door.

Big Mac stares at the ground ad trudges slowly. It's going to be rough for him to break the news about Apple Bloom. I try to keep his mind off of it.

" Zecora's really nice, ain't she." I say.

" E-yup." He says looking away from me.

" She seems to realy like ya." I tease.

" What?" He asks.

" Don't ya think she's pretty? Look how red ya are. You're blushin'" I tease. I nudge him.

" Ah… Ah'm always red." He says.

" Big Macs got a girlfriend." I tease. He makes an embarrassed smile.

" E-nope!" He says.

" Liar." I say prancing ahead of him.

When we get home everypony is sitting on my porch waiting for us to come home. Granny Smith gets up out of her cheer and clomps her hooves on the ground. Mama, Papa, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo do the same.

" Howdy!" I say.

" Thank goodness. You're home!" Mama says.

" What in tarnation took so long?" Pa says.

" Now we can play!" Scootaloo says.

" And find our cutie marks." Sweetie Bell adds.

" Where's Apple Bloom?" Mama asks. Big Mac's eyes water up. He kicks a tree as hard as he could. I put my hoof on weeping Big Mac's shoulder.

" Apple Bloom ain't comin' home." I say. The crusaders innocent smiles fade.

" Mah baby! What happened to mah poor little baby." Mama sobs.

" What happened to her?" Scootaloo asks.

" When is she coming back from the doctors?" Sweetie Bell asks.

" She died… She got hit by a bolt of lightning." I say.

" W-what?" Sweetie Bell asks as her eyes fill with tears.

" That can't happen. It's not fair." Scootaloo cries.

" Life ain't fair sometimes." Big Mac says sitting on the ground with his ears drooped down.

" She didn't even get her cutie mark." Granny Smith says.

" Yes she did. She got it while saving a flock of birds." I say.

" Is everypony else okay?" Scootaloo asks.

" Rainbow Dash got hit by a tree but she's alive. Fluttershy got poisoned from a swamp monster so she's ill… Spike got killed from a potion overdose while trying to turn himself into a pony. Twilight and Pinkie are fine." I say bluntly.

" Is Rarity okay?" Sweetie Bell asks.

" Yeah. Fluttershy saved her from the swamp beast." I say.

" What about her boyfriend?" Sweetie Bell asks.

" He ain't real." I say.

" Whadya mean he ain't real?" Pa asks.

" He ain't the real Tunesong. He's an imposter." I say.

" I miss Apple Bloom." Scootaloo says.

" Ah do too. Apple Bloom wouldn't want yall to be sad cause she's gone. She would want us to be grateful for the good times we all had together." I say.

" It's mah fault." Ma says. " Ah should have been watchin' mah little filly… Now she's dead." She says.

" Ah should have locked the gate." Pa says.

" Ah should have been there sooner." Big Mac says. Their negativity hangs on me like apples on a tree.

" It's nopony's fault." Scootaloo sobs.

" Sometimes bad things just happen to good ponies. Why can't bad things happen to bad ponies, like Diamond Tiara." Sweetie Bell sniffles.

" Ah don't know. Would yall like it if I treat yall to some ice cream." I ask.

" I'm not hungry. Thanks anyway." Scootaloo says.

" I just wanna go home." Sweetie Bell says.

" What happened to you're leg?" Ma asks.

" Spike accidentally slashed me. It don't hurt so bad." I say. I look at the puffy scab forming on my front leg.

" You should rest. Ah'll take the girls home." Pa says.

" Ah took care of the whole house while yall were gone. I watered the plants and everything." Granny Smith says.

" Really? We ain't got no plants in our house." I say.

" Ah watered the plant on the table." She says.

" That's a fake plant." I say.

" It's the thought that counts." Ma says. I guess watering a fake plant is smarter than dwelling about problems and blaming ourselves for the inevitable. I really can't complain because things have been getting better. Fluttershy seems stronger, Rainbow Dash is recovering from her injuries, the typhoon is gone, and the elements have been restored. I guess even the ugliest of storms are followed by a rainbow.