[}—–{ The Rise and Fall of One R. Dash }–—{]
When whatever holds us up is gone, what stops us from falling?
The last thing she saw was the shimmering sunlight that just barely made it past the barrier of the water that now flowed over her, pushing itself into her lungs and crushing the very life that she had spent every day before living to its fullest. As her lungs struggled to pull in the air that she so desperately needed, she found herself searching through the murky blue that was in every direction for something to grab onto, for something to pull herself out of the clutching gravity that was slowly dragging her to her destruction.
There was nothing.
“Rainbow Dash!” The alarmed voice sounded foreign against the sounds of the flowing water that was still trying to destroy her. “Rainbow Dash, wake up!”
Who’s Rainbow Dash? She shook her head in confusion as the lazy thought drifted through her mind. Is she talking to me?
“Dangit girl, you better git up now!” Her world shook suddenly, as if somepony were shaking a snow globe and she was unfortunate enough to be inside of it. “C’mon, you ain’t the best flyer in Equestria for nothin'!"
Best flyer? Definitely not talking about me then. She would have let out a sardonic laugh if not for the water that was occupying the space in her lungs. I don’t know who I am but I know enough to know that I’m a failure.
“I’ll go get my first aid kit!” An extremely soft voice cut across her self-deprecating thoughts and, even though it was quiet, it too held the same sense of urgency that the others had. “I’ll be back in a moment!”
“No, Fluttershy, that won’t do any good. Even if you do get back in time, you don’t know how to actually treat ponies.” The first voice spoke up again, this time with a tone of resignation. “We just have to wait for the doctors to get here. Spike is a fast runner, he’ll be back with them soon.” Even though the pony was obviously trying to reassure the other, her voice sounded as if she was trying to assure herself as well. “Just please hold on, Rainbow Dash!”
There it is again. That name, Rainbow Dash. The world around her grew even more dark as she felt her strength fading. It was only a matter of time until the water finally succeeded in its life-long goal of drowning her. Who is she? Is she… me?
. . .
“I’m not afraid of anything!” She flicked her mane to the side, posing dramatically for her imagined fans that were practically shouting themselves hoarse. Hehe, hoarse. Rainbow Dash let out a slight laugh before looking to the nearly empty sky where a few chaotic-looking clouds now drifted to and fro. “What’s so hard about bustin’ a few clouds in the sky?”
A lavender mare with a dark blue mane looked over to her and rolled her eyes. "Rainbow Dash," she began, sounding as if she was a schoolteacher scolding one of her eager pupils, “Those are from the Everfree Forest! You can’t know what kind of effects that those clouds will have!”
“Pshaw!” She waved a cyan-colored hoof through the air, dispelling her bookish friend’s worries. “There isn’t any cloud that this pony can’t bust.” With that, she flapped her wings and shot off from the ground. Ignoring the calls for her to stop from down below, she sped further onward, her best cloud-busting hoof in front of her and aimed straight into the center of the cloud that dared to obscure her sky with its presence. Time seemed to slow as she got closer to her target, its white puffs almost quivering with fear as if they knew that their time in Equestria was soon at an end.
A flurry of white puffs of condensed vapor signaled the end of one of the clouds that had made their way over Ponyville from the dark clump of trees that stretched onward for miles. In another second she found herself far away from the now-dissipating cloud that she had effectively decimated. “See? Easy as pie!”
Her pony compatriot was far from reassured as her shouts, though inaudible, purveyed a great sense of being discontented. A flash of purple magic came from where she was standing and lit up the world once more as she teleported into existence on top of one of the roofs of the buildings below. "Rainbow Dash! Get down here right now and stop try—“ Whatever else the mare had been about to say was silenced by the rushing of wind that came from the pegasus darting off after another cloud that had brushed past her.
I can do this! This isn’t hard at all! She blinked away tears as she sped towards another unsuspecting victim, the wind ripping at her coat as she picked up more and more velocity. Her trusty cloud-slayer was extended before her and only trembled slightly against the forces that gusted at her. There’s nothing to be afraid o- All conscious thought ended as she struck the cloud, which had been filled with ice pellets that were more than enough to provide a wall to stop a pegasus in her tracks. The last thing she remembered from that day was falling into Twilight’s magical clutches, her hoof twisted at an impossible angle.
I’m not afraid of anything!
Except failure
. . .
She felt like shivering, yet she couldn’t. Am I… afraid? She looked around in the murky blue for an answer but she could only hear the sound of a world underwater. Well? A cyan hoof that she didn’t even remember having lifted to swish through the water, cutting through the bubbles that still idly trailed up from her muzzle despite the fact that she should have lost all of her oxygen long ago. “Why won’t you answer me!?” She screamed out the words, which left her mouth as even bigger bubbles that popped as they floated upwards, sending out her voice in a distorted, mocking way.
But then another voice cut across her own. “Oh Dashie, please don’t be asleep for a long long time like my Auntie Blueberry Pie!” A pair of hooves wrapped around her, though she couldn’t see them nor the pony who was doing it. “Please please please! Somepony as awesome as you deserves to wake up!”
Awesome? She obviously hasn’t met the real Rainbow Dash. She shook her head dejectedly and rolled over in the water, turning away from the voice that haunted her from someplace that not even she could fathom in its fullest: reality. The real Rainbow Dash is just a failure. She drifted in shock for a few moments as a new realization flashed through her mind. It’s kinda strange that a pony who I don’t even know personally shares so much in common with me. Another thought floated up from Celestia-knows where, producing yet another shock that went coursing through her body.
How do I even know who she is?
She wasn’t allowed much time to ponder as another voice cut through the water. “Rainbow Dash!? Oh dear, whatever happened to her, Twilight? How did she get in such a state?” Despite herself, she couldn’t help but dislike the voice almost as soon as she heard it. There was something much too proper about it, which is to say it reminded her of the stuck-up ponies who ruined everypony’s day because they didn’t get their way about some kind of minuscule problem.
Yeah, what happened to me? Her question was left unanswered, however, except with whispers that she strained to hear. Tell me what happened! She flailed about, trying to get closer to the small snippets of words that made their way to her ears. Please! I need to know what happened to me!
There was one voice that wasn’t a whisper, the voice from before. It was filled with a kind of tragic sadness, the kind that somepony only hears when somepony else died. “Oh Dashie…” The hooves returned to their previous place around her waist, this time accompanied with drops of water splashing against her face despite the water that already soaked her to the bone. “Please… you’re too awesome to die.”
. . .
“Ha! I’m awesome!” She flapped her wings lightly to keep her weight off of her broken leg. “Nopony can take a crash like that and come out of it with only a broken leg and some bumps!” She laughed and gently lowered herself to the ground, wincing only slightly as her hoof touched the time-paved dirt of the road. “You coming, Twilight?”
“Yeah, just hold on a second Rainbow!” The studious unicorn turned back to the stallion in a white coat, obviously the doctor who had cared for Rainbow Dash, and spoke for a few more seconds with a growing irritation. Finally she huffed loudly and turned away, trotting back over to the impatiently waiting pony.
“All right, great, you done talking to him?” She flapped her wings again, bringing her hooves just enough off the ground to dart off through the air on a moment’s notice. “We can go now right?” She didn’t even give her friend time to answer before beginning her getaway from the place of extreme boredom that was known to the general populace of Ponyville as the hospital. “K, thanks, By-“ Her words were choked off by a pained grunt as something seized her tail and swiftly spread to the rest of her body, holding her in place however hard she struggled.
“Now Rainbow Dash, before you get all fly-y again, the doctor told me to tell you some things. Things that you should probably listen to, Rainbow.” Her voice went from consoling to annoyed in an instant, the magical field constricting slightly to stop any movement on the pegasus’ part. “Do I have your attention now?” She paused for a moment, as if the pegasus was able to actually give an answer outside of angrily shouting from behind a shut mouth. “Good. Now then, the doctor said that you can’t let yourself get overexerted. And I know how you are, Rainbow.” The unicorn added sternly as the other pony rolled her eyes.
“Also, you can’t let yourself get hurt like that again, or your hoof might not set properly the next time.” The blank look that the cyan pegasus directed towards her made Twilight sigh a sigh that many other teachers like her had sighed in their careers as teachers. “Your hoof will be broken for good if you hurt yourself again.” She nodded to herself in a self-satisfied way when the glint of defiance in the rainbow-maned pony’s eyes turned to something more along the lines of terror. “Well, that’s all he told me. You’re free to go.” The magical field dropped from around the pegasus, who then stretched out her wings in midair in the way that only pegasi would ever know how to do.
“OkaythanksTwilightBye!” Her sentence smashed into one word as she darted away from the unicorn, eager to catch the wind between her feathers again. After a few minutes of intense speed, Rainbow found herself in a remote field far outside of Ponyville. This spot looks okay. She came in for a landing, coming in the way she would have normally landed. However, she completely forgot about her wounded hoof, although the jolt of pain that came from it hitting the ground at full speed served as a perfect reminder. Unable to control her landing anymore due to the pain that had seized control of her muscles, Rainbow found herself spinning out and crashing into the ground. Hard.
Everything was silent for a moment, the rustling grasses being the only exception, until the sound of soft sobs permeated the air.
I’m awesome!
I’m hurt…
. . .
“Please Rainbow…”
“C’mer Pinkie, Ah think ya’ll be needin’ a hug right about now.” As fresh sobs burst out from somewhere, the water that surrounded her began to froth and bubble. “It’s all right, Sugercube. Dash’ll come through. She jus’ needs to get over the shock is all.” Another round of sobs met these words, creating even more waves of unrest in the water that was still pressing down ever-so-lightly on her life. “Hey, Twilight, any idea when that’ll be?”
“I… I don’t know.” She wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug the pony who was speaking, the latter’s voice sounding as if she had been through Tartarus and back. “She should have snapped out of it by now…”
Snapped out of what?
. . .
“I’m there for my friends!” She picked herself off of the tear-sodden ground, rubbing her hooves against her puffy eyes. “I shouldn’t be out here all by myself; I should be back in Ponyville with the rest of my friends! After all, they’re probably worrying about me.” She hated how her own voice sounded. She hated sounding like she needed somepony’s help; hated sounding like she needed something to hold onto and keep herself up with.
Her weary wings only just lifted her into the sky as she began her journey back towards Ponyville. “I’m comin’ guys, don’t worry.” After a few minutes of silent travel, which she spent bracing herself for the inevitable worry-bomb that she had left behind, she could see the cheerfully walled buildings that were the trademark of Ponyville. “Hey!” She raised her voice to a shout, wincing at how loud she sounded compared to the relative quiet that seemed to always hang over the village, except of course whenever there was a crisis occurring. “I’m home!”
“Omigosh Rainbow Dash!” The first thing that greeted her was a ball of pink pony and mane hair, which rammed into her full speed in what could barely pass for a hug and to some colts pass for a hoofball tackle. “I was soooooo worried!” The exuberantly shouted word so was accented further by Pinkie’s even more exuberantly given hug. “I’m so glad you’re back!”
“Yeah, sorry for worrying you.” As soon as Pinkie pulled away, she took in a deep breath to allow for oxygen to reach her screaming lungs. “You know that I’m always there for my friends.”
“I do! I do know that!” Pinkie Pie darted forward to steal yet another hug. “But I was just sooooo worried that you wouldn’t come back!” Another near-suffocation-for-a-few-seconds later, Rainbow found herself following Pinkie into town, though the former would consider it to be the other way around, with the latter prattling on about what kind of party she should throw for the newly returned Rainbow Dash. “Ooooh! Do you wanna help me set up your party, Dashie?”
“Huh?” She shook her head out of the metaphorical clouds that she had it in. “Oh, yeah, of course Pinkie!”
I’m there for my friends!
I need help
. . .
She swished her hooves through the water, trying desperately to reach the ponies in the outside world. Words left her mouth in the form of bubbles despite the water’s intent to end her life, to silence her. “Please! Tell me what I need to snap out of!” The water grew darker as her struggles continued, the sounds and colors all dimming as she grew weaker and weaker. “Please! Tell me!”
The water around her began to condense and press in, silencing her flurries and pushing her into a nearly immobile state. It rushed in through her nose and mouth, pouring into her lungs and finally taking control of her body. Please… tell me…
. . .
“I’m always willing to lend a hoof, Pinkie.” She smiled at her friend who had just released her from what seemed to be the fifth hug in a row. “Especially for my friends!”
“Thank you soooooo much for helping me, Rainbow Dash!” The sixth two-hoof hug nearly crushed the air out of her body as well as her wings, which she was barely able to move out of the way in time to avoid having them destroyed. “Now, come back tomorrow and we’ll throw you a super duper fantabulous party!”
She was just about to point out the fact that her friend had said it nearly ten times since they’ve been together, only to stop and simply smile. “Heh, yeah, I’ll do that, Pinkie.” They both stood there for a few awkward moments before she decided to speak up again. “Well, I kinda have to go do some things.”
“Okay Dashie! Come back tomorrow!” She turned away and looked over her shoulder to see the pink party pony dart back into her house. Finally free from the social obligation of her friends, she let a sigh bubble up and escape from her mouth.
“Yeah… see you tomorrow Pinkie. If I even feel like getting up.”
I’m always willing to lend a hoof!
Why don’t they see
help
. . .
A splash drew her out of the blackness, shattering the calm, victorious shell of murky blue that the water had become. What? She found herself looking at the source of the noise, which took the form of a hoof reaching down to her. It was a soft shade of lavender and waving frantically.
“Rainbow Dash! Let us help you!” The voice of Twilight Sparkle broke through the barrier of the liquid.
Another splash, set off by a white hoof this time. “Rainbow Dash, whyever would you think we couldn’t assist you in your problems?”
Yet another splash was caused by an orange hoof. “Dangit girl, nopony is an island!”
A yellow hoof was the next to arrive. “Um, I would just like to say that I’m always willing to talk, if that’s okay.”
The last hoof, a bright pink shade, reached all the way down and grabbed her by the chest. “Come on, Dashie, that’s no way to be when you’re with your friends!” Then, one by one, each of the hooves reached down to grab some part of her, whether it be her own hooves, her tail or even her mane. Once all six had latched hold, their sharp tugs soon began pulling her towards the surface where the world outside shimmered with the waves. Closer and closer she came to the boundary until she finally passed through it.
And opened her eyes.
Around her stood each of her friends, staring worriedly at her from each of their spots in the semi-circle that they had formed around her when she fell down. They all held some kind of pity in their eyes as well, occasionally glancing down at the letter in her hooves and shaking their heads. She lifted it and read the first line again, tears welling up in the eyes that had brought to her mind the words she never thought that she’d ever read. Wonderbolt’s Rejection Report.
A hoof reached out and touched her shoulder softly before pulling away, followed almost immediately by four others in turn. “It’s… it’s okay girls.” She managed a wavering smile as she looked up at each of her friends. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got you guys after all, right?”
“Definitely!” Pinkie Pie bounced forward, eagerly smiling with the prospect that had suddenly sparked into her mind. “You know what this calls for? A “Rainbow-Dash-Didn’t-Get-In-But-We-Still-Think-She-Is-Amazing” party!” With that, the pink party pony jumped away in search of her party canon to begin the decorating in the way only Pinkie could ever accomplish.
Rainbow Dash smiled and shook her head. “Pinkie Pie, you are so random.”
. . .
Author's Note
Special thanks to all of my prereaders! There are too many to list but you know who you are!
Another special thanks to Gaiascope for letting me use his AMAZING artwork!
