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/ 1. Rainbow Dashes Loss/ Story: A world without a rainboom/ by Mocha Star/-/

Rainbow Dash was in the final turn of the race to defend Fluttershy's honor and as she lost her balance she ran into a cloud with a light puff. Her opponent charged ahead. "Great job, Rainbow Crash," he called as he passed her for the finish ring.

"Oh no you don't," Rainbow called as she tried to recover. Her wings fluttered and she jumped from the cloud in pursuit of the cocky colt. Flying her fastest proved futile as she just couldn't gather the speed she needed to beat him. Passing the finish ring seconds in the lead he hovered several lengths away waiting for her to finish. Rainbow looked up at him, he was gloating, a massive smirk on his face that she knew would end in her being teased and mocked. "Rainbow Crash! Rainbow Crash! Rainbow Crash! Rainbow Crash!"

Her eyes filling with tears, she flew away with no place in mind she looked down at the earth below her. Her wings leaned and she descended for the first time below the clouds. The ground got closer and closer and for the first time she smelled the nature of earth. It made her smile even though she still wept at her loss. "I can't believe I lost to that punk. If that stupid Fluttershy wasn't such a crummy flier I never woulda lost. I hate her. Hate her. Next time I see her I'm gonna pluck her primaries."

Seeing the tree tops she began to glide over them as several smaller birds joined her in a flock. I see what the appeal is to the ground. It smells nice and there are these critters too. Maybe when I graduate I can guard a huge city and be the best captain in its history and the city will have trees all over with birds. Smiling as her tears dried she took a deep breath and began to glide, the air blowing through her mane as she closed her eyes and turned her face to the sun.

It feels so much warmer here too. And best of all, no jerks calling me Rainbow Crash.

She opened her eyes and began to scan the ground looking at new critters scurrying between bushes and trees across the ground. I'm gonna touch the earth finally. For the first time. It's right there, just go to it. Doing her best to psych herself up her nerves got the best of her and she just couldn't do it, not yet. She found a large tree, large enough for her to land on one of its branches and rest her wings. This isn't so bad. I can see living in one of these things. She joked to herself. I think they're called bees. No, not cheese, um... knees, fleas, deeds, trees? Trees! That's it. And they have leaves. That rhymes, trees leaves. Butches are those green things that those small critters are going into over there. I don't see why they said not to come here 'till we passed the flight test. It's really nice here. I- I think I wanna stay. I still have to live with mommy and daddy but I can play here... Flock flight school, I can fly good enough. Or, maybe not. I think I have to think about this a lot.

Sitting in the tree until she calmed herself completely she began to feel a peace and serenity she had never known. Opening her wings slightly she jumped and landed on the ground. Grass blew around her hooves as she broke the fall with a gust from her wings. So, this is what the earth feels like. I think this green stuff is call glass. Yeah, I remember that. It's so soft and kinda wet, like a raincloud but, not. This is so weird. Falling to her side she expected a light receipt of her body but instead she thudded onto the ground with a shout of pain. As she rolled onto her belly she looked and saw a rock where she landed, then she looked at her side to see a few drops of blood leaving her coat.

Okay, this place is a lot more dangerous than I thought. Maybe I should live here. It's where I belong since all I do is crash, I even crashed onto a rock falling over. Lowering her head she felt the last of her confidence slipping away as she heard a bird cawing nearby. Great, even the birds here are calling me Rainbow Crash. "Shut up, stupid bird," she shouted as she picked up a rock and threw it in the birds direction.

A bird cawed repeatedly in the distance as though to mock her in her fragile state.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed as she jumped to her hooves and ran to the noise. I'll punch that bird right in the-. Stopping suddenly she stared at the sight before her. Fluttershy. She, she fell? Looking up she could barely make out the clouds they were racing from and then down at the broken filly before her. Then the world went dark.

She felt the ground under her and the warm sun on her coat as her eyes fluttered open and focused to see her friend before her. Fluttershy's primary feathers twinged slightly before Rainbow Dashes eyes. Jumping to her hooves again she screamed Fluttershy's name but didn't dare touch her.

Fluttershy was laying on her side but twisted in an unnatural way. All her legs were broken and bones were visible under her skin, a couple bone shards were poking out of her hind legs and her wings were both broken, one of them almost torn off. Blood from her wounds and other places under her body had seeped into the ground and dried under her; matting her coat to the ground as she breathed raspy short breaths in her slumber.

"Fluttershy, I'm so sorry. This is my fault. You started the race and I felt myself bump you but, I didn't know you fell. I thought you were there cheering me on from the start line! I'm so sorry. I have to get help... I HAVE TO GET HELP. HELP HELP HELP! ANYPONY! IS ANYPONY THERE?" Opening her wings she flew up and looked around to see no other ponies nearby. "I have to go home and get help. Please, be okay Fluttershy."

Flying up to the clouds again she was greeted by her classmates that began calling her nickname again as she approached the cloud layer. "Rainbow Crash! Rainbow Crash! Rainbow Crash!"

"Hey Rainbow Crash, nice to see you finally made it back," the cocky colt said.

"There's no time. HELP! HELP!" Rainbow called, her voice breaking, startling the other youth as a teacher came over.

"Okay, what's the deal? Can't stand losing Rainbow Dash?"

"FLUTTERSHY FELL TO THE GROUND! HURRY! FOLLOW ME!" she screamed as she closed her forelegs to her body and fell backwards into the clouds. She opened and began pumping her wings as fast as she could as soon as she was below the cloud to the earth below. Slowing at the canopy she lowered herself to the ground and looked up to see several Pegasi in pursuit.

A couple descended slowly while others were diving expertly fast. Within a few seconds they stopped from the ground mere inches away and surrounded the broken filly pushing Rainbow Dash back and calling out medical terms Rainbow didn't understand. Rainbow stood behind trying to see the action while sobbing.

Rolling Fluttershy onto a litter they carefully, and quickly, flew up to the clouds leaving Rainbow and two other brown bullies behind. The colts looked at her with confusion and fear in their faces until one said a new nickname. "Rainbow Kill." Rainbow gasped and began backing up as the other said it. "Rainbow Kill." Glaring at her they both slowly began chanting her new name. "Rainbow Kill. Rainbow Kill. Rainbow Kill."

With fear and sadness she cried and ran away, wings to her sides and eyes shut. Running and running as fast as her legs would carry her. She finally ran into a tree and fell over, still sobbing as she curled into a fetal position. No pony followed her. No pony called her name, real or other. She listened to the silence and nature around her.

After she was all cried out she got up and began to walk ahead until sunset. As the moon rose in the sky Rainbow looked at the mare in the moon and sighed. "I guess I am Rainbow Crash. Rainbow - Kill. I'm never going back there. I killed my friend. I can't go back to all those voices calling me those names.

Hanging her head as she walked in the moonlight she looked around as it cast its light through the trees. Finally she exited the forest and saw a large tree. Walking around the tree she noticed a broken door hanging from its hinges. She went to the door she opened it, she didn't move as it fell on her. She walked into the tree with the door still on her back and didn't flinch as it fell to the ground behind her. Looking inside she scoffed at the dirty mess in front of her. Broken clock on the wall, torn, ripped, and rotting couch. Damaged furniture decorating the inside and a run of stairs carved out of the tree leading upstairs. This is perfect for me.

Walking slowly to the broken couch she climbed up and laid her head down and coughed as the mold and dust filled her lungs. Refusing to move she began to sob herself to sleep as the air temperature fell.

Six years had passed and she still lived in the dilapidated tree. Ponies in the nearby town of Ponyville knew of her and would trade with the hermit mare of the cottage, often out of pity for the young Pegasusi filly who had grown up before them that never flew and only traded mushrooms or fauna from the edges of the Everfree Forest. Having no friends and no care for them she was often unwashed with a matted mane and dirt and filth across her once beautiful cyan coat which was 'cleaned' when she would walk into town under a rain cloud before trading and returning to her home. Only her hooves showed her original color as they were scrubbed clean by the grass and rocks on the path.

Sharing words only on rare occasions she often would point to what she wanted and offer her trade to the sales ponies, only for food. She would accept hand-outs but rarely smiled. The only creature to visit her was a white bunny she didn't name. The bunny would stay by her as she sat in the darkness of her home and shared her food with him. He was company she liked and he would lay by her side often. If she talked he would listen. That was all she needed; a listening ear while she spoke and a comforting hug while she cried.

*knock knock*

Visitors were extremely rare but not unheard of to her home. Another pony leaving me a basket of bread or something The broken door that had graced her back when she first arrived was still there, she had taken a few days to reattach to the frame. I like this door. It's sturdy. She opened it slowly to see a yellow mare missing a wing before her. Her mane was short and pink and she wore a professional dress coat. Looking at the missing wing for a moment but, showing no interest, she looked into the face of the mare before her.

Tears had cleaned part of Rainbows face under her eyes showing a dirty cyan coat."H-hello? Are you Rainbow Dash?" The mare asked with a soft voice. Rainbow didn't respond or show any facial changes to the question. She had given up a name years ago and often forgot her own. "Can, can I come in?" Having a visitor that wanted to actually enter the ruined home did invoke a slight response in her as an eyebrow moved up slightly. Turning Rainbow Dash walked in as the yellow mare saw hints of rainbow colors in the quiet mares dirty tail.

Entering the main room she gasped as she looked at the broken furniture and layers of dirt in the room. Mud was tracked heavily across the floor from the door to the rotting and broken corpse of a couch Rainbow was laying on. Her head resting on an old pillow she had traded for years ago. Dust settled around her as she looked lazily to the mare in front of her. Whatever this mare is donating I hope she just drops it and leaves and doesn't try to talk to me like the others. I only talk to that little bunny.

She lives here? Was Fluttershy's only thought as she looked around and settled her gaze on Rainbow.

"Rainbow Dash, my name is Fluttershy." Rainbow sat up and felt her eyes watering as they had thousands of times before. Taking a deep breath at the thought of this mare being the mare she believed she had killed years ago. All she could do was cough a sobbing noise as she looked at the mare before her in more detail. Pink mane and yellow coat. One of her eyes was white and blinded while the other was aqua colored. Could this be her? No, she died before me in the glass. They took her and disposed of her body when I banished myself. Lowering her head again, Rainbow stayed sitting but looked at the pillow below her. The impression of her head etched into it from hours a day, weeks and months laying on it.

"Rainbow Dash? I remember you. You were my friend. You stood up for me when other ponies were mean to me. That day, the day I fell, the day you vanished; you were fighting for me," Rainbow didn't respond at all, a tear leaving her eye made her eye twitch from dirt entering it as she blinked. "I looked for you after I was released from the hospital but no pony in Cloudsdale had seen you so rumors you had ran to the earth circulated.

Ponies looked for you but after a few months you faded into distant memory to almost everypony except me and your parents." Rainbow looked at Fluttershy still with tears leaving her wincing eyes. "Your parents had another foal. They named her Stream Dash and she looks like you. She's two now. I don't think I should talk about her family anymore, Stay on topic. Us. It took me a long time to find you with my aides. I left Cloudsdale last month to look for you."

"Wh-wh-who are you?" Rainbow finally said, her voice raspy and breaking from years of misuse and abuse from the home she lived in.

"I-I'm Fluttershy. You were my best friend." Rainbow began to sob and closed her eyes, the stinging was a normal sensation to her at this point.

"A-are you a dream? I-I-I can't have this nightmare again. Please, Celestia. Don't make it happen again," Rainbow said as she fell into her pillow, her sobbing stifled.

Walking closer to Rainbow Fluttershy spoke again her voice breaking. "Rainbow, it really is me. I never had any idea you were here and in such a shape. Nopony did. Please, look at me," she asked, almost pleading as she felt her heart breaking at the sight of the once strong filly, now a broken mare before her.

"Fluttershy? Is it, is it really you? You, you didn't die? Because of what I did? Pushing you off the cloud during my race?"

"No, I lived. I always wanted to find you. That's why I left Cloudsdale and began looking for you, even though every pony said I was a fool for trying."

Rainbow raised her head again and wiped her eyes, squeaking as the stinging intensified for a moment, then smiled a little. "Fluttershy? You're real?"

"Yes, and I'm here to see you and help you, if that's okay."

Sitting up again Rainbow moved off the couch and walked over to Fluttershy, stopping just before her and sniffing in her direction. Looking at Fluttershy Rainbows eyes darted across her face, back, wing, legs. Trying to make sure she was real. Raising a foreleg she poked Fluttershy's chest and pulled it back quickly, looking at her hoof in disbelief then smiled. She lunged Fluttershy into a hug as tight as she could as she began to cry. The dirt from her coat smudging Fluttershy's as Fluttershy hugged her back and stroked her back. The scent of months of filth and dirt in Rainbows mane made Fluttershy's nose sting and she scrunched her muzzle. She looks sick and weighs as much as a filly. She's probably sick and doesn't know it.

"Rainbow, I'm so glad to see you. I am so glad you're alive too. I had started to lose hope over the past few days without any luck, but, then I found where I landed and that Ponyville was nearby. A few questions led me here. I hope you're not upset I just stopped by." Time passed and shadows crossed behind them as her aides checked on her and the continual crying noises.

Rainbow finally stopped crying after a few minutes but held Fluttershy tightly until her muscles began to cramp. Removing herself from Fluttershy they fought to pull themselves apart from the sticky mess Rainbows fur had become. "Rainbow, can you come with me to my room at the inn to wash up and talk? I would like that a lot. Would you like that?"

"I-I don't talk so good. I-I don't wash," Rainbow said with a very raspy and hoarse voice, then cocked her head to the right and looked at Fluttershy. "What's a 'inn'?"

"Rainbow, you don't know what an inn is? Well. It's a place travelers can spend the night safely."

I like that idea. I like to be safe. It's scary here sometimes. And cold. And sad. "Where is the inn?" Rainbow asked in her best voice, which was still very poor.

"You've lived in Ponyville for all these years and don't know where the inn is?" Shaking her head slowly Rainbow pointed to a worn basket by the door with some flowers and mushrooms in it. "You mean you only go to town to trade? You live here alone? In this rotting tree? What if it collapses on you?" Fluttershy asked with her heart in her throat. Rainbow shrugged and looked at the ceiling. Looking up Fluttershy gasped at the sight of a hole between the floors and a branch sticking through the ceiling. It was broken off and part of it laid by the fireplace but it was easily large enough to have skewered a pony in the room. Fluttershy walked back out the door cautiously. "Rainbow, I need you to come with me sweetie. Okay?"

Rainbow nodded and followed Fluttershy out of the doorway and into the sun. She winced as the daylight hit her eyes. "I-I remember you being a coward. Happened?"

"After I got better I went to school. It was a lot of work but since I couldn't fly I had to do something," she noticed Rainbow wince at the mention of her injury, "I studied psychology and medicine. I found it helpful to me to help ponies that were hurt and sad." Rainbow began to follow Fluttershy down the walkway to her aides, two brown stallions with short military cut manes and large bodies. "These are my aides."

Rainbow Dash froze in her tracks and gasped then gritted her teeth and charged the two. She was very weak and hadn't used her wings for anything useful in months. Rushing into one of them with all her might she fell to the ground. She began coughing and holding back tears as pain in her frail body took hold, pinching muscles and nerves in her legs and joints. The stallions shared a look of concern and pity as one of them picked her up onto his back. The other went beside Fluttershy as they all began to walk back to town with a sobbing Rainbow Dash.

Entering town local ponies watched as they carried the hermit to the inn with curiosity and wonder.

Entering Fluttershy's room Rainbow looked around and perked up a little. She hadn't seen creature comforts for a very long time. "Real bed? Lights? Good smells. Am I in heaven? Have I died finally? Is this my reward for punishing myself?" The stallions looked at each other then Fluttershy with concern. Fluttershy nodded to the bathroom where the Stallions deposited the messy mare in the shower then left as Fluttershy entered. Turning on the warm water Rainbow began to cry again for reasons known only to her damaged psyche. Sitting on the edge of the shower Fluttershy took a scrub brush and tied it to her hoof and, with a bottle of soap, began cleaning Rainbow.

Two hours, three bottles of shampoo and a lot of sweat later; Rainbow was cleaner than she had been since the morning she ran away. "There she is. The most beautiful mare in Equestria has reemerged from her cocoon. How do you feel?"

Rainbow looked at her coat and smiled. Taking a deep breath in feeling the warm humid air fill her lungs she coughed very roughly spitting dirty phlegm into the drain several times.

"Getting cleaned inside and out? That's great. You're going to be better in no time." Rainbow looked at Fluttershy with a little joy and reverence at her kind words. Smiling back at Rainbow Fluttershy let out a sigh. She's almost insane and her body is in terrible shape. Malnutrition and sores, cuts and scars too. She's been through Tartarus and lived. She doesn't even have a cutie mark yet. I've only heard of a few cases of ponies not having one. This'll go in my dissertation.

"C'mon, let's get you a real meal," Rainbows ears perked up and she smiled widely at the thought of a real meal, her stomach growling loudly for a few seconds. She only had a meal when ponies would donate her a basket on her doorstep. "Hey, you smiled. That's great progress. Let's get out of here and get some food in you. I want a sandwich, would you like one too?" Rainbow nodded enthusiastically, "then would you be okay to go with me to the hospital to look at your injuries?" Rainbow shook her head, then nodded. Then look confused.

"I will go. After food."

Three sandwiches, a bowl of soup, four glasses of juice and a bite of a napkin later; Rainbow fell asleep at the table, snoring loudly. Fluttershy paid the bill and one of the stallions picked her up. The locals smiled at the scene, Fluttershy had told them Rainbow Dash was the hermit and she was going to get better. With a distended belly Rainbow Dash woke up in a hospital bed smiling with another burp. "Rainbow Dash hasn't eaten that much in years. Where is bunny? I want to see bunny and tell him about food. Good food, thank you," Rainbow said with a smile looking at Fluttershy.

Talking in third person, imaginary friend bunny. This is going to take a lot but, I'll do my best to let her know it's all going to be okay. "So, Rainbow Dash. The doctors looked you over and healed your injuries the best they could. You have to take these pills and vitamins to build up your strength. You're very malnourished and it'll take a few days but, you should be flying in no time." Rainbow stopped smiling and shifted in her bed.

"I don't fly anymore."

"I-I don't understand, you love to fly."

"No, not since then. Flying hurts friends." Fluttershy didn't know what to say so she placed a hoof on Rainbow's bed and smiled. This is going to be interesting.

"We can't let her go back to that tree in the shape she and the tree are in. It's a death trap and she will die in there. Doctor, is there any place she can stay in town here while she recovers?" Fluttershy asked. She was in a small conference room with three local doctors and a psychologist.

"We have many places and ponies she can stay with but, we have to know the details of her life while she was a hermit," the psychologist said.

"We have an idea of her medical history from the scans I took. She is relatively healthy, save for what we had to cure and heal, and she will recover nutritionally soon as well."

"However," another doctor added, "Her wings have atrophied and it looks like one of the bones have fused with another, resulting in her being unable to fully extend her right wing at this time, also her voice is permanently damaged from the environment she was living in."

"If she wants to fly again we'll need to break the bone and reset it. We can't do that without consent, usually. However, in this case if you're willing to take guardianship, you will have legal authority over her care."

"You'll be given a house to rent, at full price, for as long as you need it," the psychologist finished, giving her a skeptical look.

Smiling Fluttershy nodded. "Money is no object to my family and I have a bachelor's degree in psychology. Helping her will count towards my masters and I can use her treatment results in my thesis to the medical academy. Not only that, she and I are both the results of a traumatic injuries caused by the other. While I am damaged physically she took the emotional and mental factor. I believe I may be the only one that can help her."

The psychologist stared at her for a moment. "Miss Fluttershy, you have our blessing to attempt rehabilitation. We will be watching you and your progress. If you show signs of failure we will commit her to Broadhoof mental asylum for treatment."

"But, that's outside Manehatten."

"You're very knowledgeable it seems." Fluttershy scoffed at the snipe comment.

"I will succeed and when I do I'd appreciate an apology." Smirking at Fluttershy the doctors and psychologist nodded to her.

"Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy called as she entered her room at the inn. Rainbow Dash was laying on the bed on her stomach with her head on a pillow she had taken from a nearby chair. She looks like she did on that couch in the tree. Are you ready to go to your new home with me? I can't wait to show you your room."

Rainbow crawled to the edge of the bed and placed her forelegs on the floor and smiled. "My own room? Made from clouds?"

"No. It's an earth pony's house I will be renting. Are you ready? I don't want to rush you."

Standing on all four legs now Rainbow puffed her chest. "I'm ready for my own room. Is it in tree?"

"No, I'm sorry. It's a regular cottage in town."

"Oh. Okay." Rainbow followed Fluttershy out of the inn and opened it. "I get a home!" she called out to the town in front of her.