Light blue wings beat against the wind, shaping the air to propel the Pegasus through the darkening sky, mane whipping behind her in match to the rainbow-colored trail left in her wake. Her breath was panting, was eyes watering not from her speeds, but from the guilt that made her keep increasing her speed at a straining rate.

The mares were speeding through the town, trying to avoid the hazards that the townspeople had become in this haze. The trio of foals were casting fearful looks, trying to keep from screaming. . . until the cart AppleJack was driving came across the entranced figure of her own grandmother.

The looks on her friend's faces as she had flown above to route them to a safe path were burned into her mind, flashing any moment she wavered, any moment she started to slow. Onward she pushed herself, the dread and horror of what she had caused making her blood chill.

They'd found the barn- no one there, thank CELESTIA, they were in the clear at last! Rounding up and untethering AppleJack from the wagon, she stopped short of walking into the barn after them. She realized that this plan wouldn't work. That staying hidden here would only get them trapped and the girls into worse danger, without an escape this time either. . . Reasoning hadn't worked, empathy hadn't, running wouldn't, there was nothing she could do to FIX this. . .

"But there's someponies who can," she muttered, squinting her eyes as the cone of white light started to form, before her signature flight maneuver let out a stunning explosion of the visible spectrum of light throughout the sky, moving her faster by bounds than before. Her wings weren't lax, however, and she worked just as hard to lessen the distance between her and-

"You guys stay here! Keep those cookies out of reach and DON'T EAT THEM! I'm sorry I can explain, but I have to go!"

"Where are ya goin'?!

"The only place where i can get HELP!"

The rising spirals atop the architecture of the country's capital city came into her line of sights, and the Pegasus did not slow, her Sonic Rainboom proceeding her from several miles back to clear the airspace.

Canterlot, a place of aristocracy, the elite and sometimes rather snooty, and home of the main rulers of Equestria. Currently, only this last detail mattered to the Element of Loyalty, as she burst through the throneroom's doors, slowed before to navigate through the hallways without causing damage.

Her hooves were shaking as they touched down, her wings o e. Not literally, but they were letting off smoke, and hanging awkwardly, sorely at her sides. Her vision was blurred as everything no longer was smears, dizziness from the drastic burn of energy so rapidly taking its toll.

Her bearings took a minute, a minute too much for her to bear being unable to speak and ask for help. A minute too long where the reality of what lay so far behind her was trapped in. A smooth, cool touch landed upon her shoulder, the contrast giving her body a shock. She finally caught her breath, evening it out so she could try to communicate. Her vision too had begun to return, spotted in some moments, but much more set and outlined.

One such outline of someone besides her brought her back into the moment.

"C-Ce-Celestia!"

She found the energy to try to fly up in response- key word being tried. Cream-colored wings caught her, easing her back to the floor. The Princess's smooth, measured voice helped to calm and refocus her.

"Rainbow Dash. What has brought you here, and to be in such a state? Where are the others?"

A deep breathe in. A deep breath out. Looking into her ruler's understanding eyes. . . Tears were being shed before she could stop them, and words following before she could even begin to care.

And so Rainbow Dash laid out the truth, the pranks and the tricks, how it had gone too far she now knew. How the town had seemed to have gotten sick, and how she was to blame. How she knew only someone as powerful as Celestia and Luna, if available, could help given how Twilight and Spike were victims as well.

She found herself in a comforting embrace from the alicorn, as she shook from her crying, by the time she had gotten to the part about finding the barn. Her voice was hoarse, speech choked from hitched breath.

Exhaustion was a greater foe than Rainbow had anticipated. Facing her guilt, pushing her body beyond her limits, the stress of the consequences her choices had presented nearly everypony she had ever cared about, her whole community-!

It wasn't a wonder that she had passed out.

. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . ..

. . . . .

. . .

Next thing she had known, the wind was rustling through her coat, though much more passively as the bulk of the air was being buffered by what was likely a spell. Lifting her head blearily, she saw the cutiemark of a sun, and knew percisely who sat beside her. Now the feeling of something covering her made sense as well, as one of those elegant wings which had carried the biarch into the air ever Summer Sun Celebration was stretched protectively over her, as thought to make sure the smaller pony wouldn't fall off.

The ride was silent, Rainbow's anxiety nearly palpable with every successive wingbeat of the guards that flew them to Ponyville. And yet the Princess's extended wing seemed to have a counteracting effect of reassurance.

So long as the Princess was here, things could still be fixed. They had to be. There wasn't anything that Celestia couldn't do. (And so started the list she mentally banished from her thoughts of everything she knew for CERTAIN Celestia could, in fact, not do.)

When the chariot slid onto the grassy field outside of the normally bustling town during the day, it was clear the level of desolateness in the very air. Nothing stirred, the wind eerily absent, the light of the night sky obscured by uniformly grey clouds, unrelenting of their hoarding of the starlight. Insisting instead to give off a dull light that would not betray the time it was, nor how long Rainbow had been gone for.

Walking besides Celestia, taking in the scene, a thought went off like firework through her mind, giving her stomach a disorienting yank and planting her hooves in place: What if I took too long, and everypony found the others?

Her demeanor change was not unnoticed. At being asked to reveal what had caused it and doing so, her sight was filled with a flash of white, golden-like magic. For Celestia to teleport the 2 of them directly to the barn- it was a strange, minor comfort to see first-hoof just how serious this was to her mighty ruler as it was to her.

The sight before them was. . . odd. Not what was expected by either mare, that was for certain.

The entire town, scattered about the fields and pathways, looking normal and healthy, if not a mite frantic or confused, depending on what equine caught your eye. The sudden appearance of one of the most powerful deities in all Equestia had a rather predictable effect upon the proceedings that had been going on. However, it was the mobbing Rainbow Dash received that was the remarkable thing.

All her friends, hugging her, talking over one another, apologies and questions and incoherent mumbling from Pinkie as she was likely eating too many marshmallows all at once again. She weakly smiled as she felt Scootaloo's shuddering squeeze, and quietly reassured the foal that their honorary big sister was fine.

Amidst all this, Twilight had pulled away first, not one for too long a group hug, even after all this time. And certainly not after everything that had just happened, what with the prank falling through and the panic at trying to locate the speedy weathermare before things could go farther south.

The all too familiar tone her former teacher sounding with quiet restrain into her ear from behind her all but confirmed that this hope of keeping any incident localized was as good as garbage now.

"We will have much to speak upon with why your friend was in such despair, after you have cleaned up whatever you have set into motion, Twilight. Am I clear?"

A swallow, outwardly the smile maintained. Ah the perks of this practicing being a princess. Saving face.

"Y-Yes m-Ma'am."

Rainbow Dash didn't notice this exchange, feeling such relief at having her friends all around her, having everyone safe and sound. Her eyes watered, but from joy, even though no tears fell. One thing was fro certain that night in her mind: She was never trying prank-food eve N.

AN: A little What-If off of "28 Pranks Later". I've been wondering- why NOT go to Celestia? She seems like the best choice at that point, and something Rainbow might take to be her responsibility to get as it was her prank in the first place. She couldn't bring the cookies as they might fall and "infect" other creatures- remember, Spike and Fluttershy's animals "got sick" too, so too high a risk, and anything carried, pony or object, would just slow her down on a flight needing her best speed for.

I'll leave it up to you to imagine how long it took her to reach Canterlot to get her so worn. And who knows, if there's any interest, maybe a follow-up on that little chat Celestia and Twilight are going to have. . . .

Hope you enjoyed!