"Love is just a little word, but its meaning is quite clear – It means you are in my heart, each day throughout the year."
When We Sleep
Chapter 1
"I thought you would hate me."
"Hate you for what?"
"For liking you all this time."
"How could I hate you for that?"
"…."
"Pinkie I've never hated you."
"…You seemed mad at me after you stopped that cobra from squeezing me."
"I was worried about you…I thought you were…"
"…Oh…"
"…"
"…"
"Why did you run away that day, Pinkie?"
"…"
"…"
"I was scared of my feelings I guess. I knew I liked you, but I was afraid of what everypony would think of me."
"…"
"…I'm sorry I scared you."
"You didn't, I-"
"You fought a cobra to save me."
"…I didn't want to lose you, Pinkie. I wasn't gonna let some stupid cobra take my Pinkie Pie away."
"Hehe, well you didn't. You lived up to your rainbooming title."
"How did you know about that anyway? You didn't even seem to care I was the pony that performed it first."
"Everypony knows about you Dashie, even rock farming ponies like me. When you performed the sonic rainboom I was out in the fields, pushing rocks around. I thought I could see a cyan pegasus flying through the sky…and as soon as I could see you through my tears the day we met I knew it was you. It was really nice of you to cheer me up that day, Rainbow Dash."
"…Th-thanks, Pinks."
"What's wrong?"
"…When I cheered you up…all I wanted to do was get back to flying…being bored. I don't know why I stayed or why I even wanted to leave…but I'm glad I didn't."
"Dashie…"
"…."
"…Hey um…the night before the Wonderbolt's party, I saw you talking about me and…I heard how you wanted to hate me. I was just coming to apologise for not eating the cake with you, but you left before I could say anything. Why did you even come and see me at the Cake's that night? Why did you take me there and say my dress looked nice if you didn't want anything to do with me?"
"…"
"…"
"Pinkie I…I tried to hate you. I wanted to and I thought I could just fly it off like it had been nothing, but I couldn't. I kept thinking about you and how sad you'd be if I never showed up…and how sad I would be if I didn't take you….When I said you looked pretty in that dress…I meant it."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Pinkie, are you okay?"
"I thought that dress made you look beautiful too, Dashie."
"Me? Nah, you're the beautiful one. You've got all the right curves and the perfect rump and you smell like strawberries…all the time. It's no wonder I fell for you Pinkie."
"My curves? My rump? What's so great about them? You're so strong and fast and kind. I wanted you to hug me like this a long time ago."
"You like getting hugs from me?"
"Yep, they're my favorite kind of hug."
"…Well…I like getting hugs from you too. Probably the only ones I've ever wanted to get."
"Really? You don't like getting hugs?"
"…They make me feel weird, like I have the flu or something. But with you it's different. It's a good weird when you hug me, and I just feel better."
"…Well, you're the only pony I've ever hugged this much before. I just sort of felt safer with you around to hug all the time; like nothing could hurt me when you were there."
"…"
"…"
"I'll always protect you, Pinkie. I promise."
Rainbow Dash woke up in the morning and rubbed her eyes gently. She felt sheets around her and she was in bed. It wasn't her bed though; she was in a hospital room.
"Wha?" Dash said groggily. Her vision was blurry, but she knew she wasn't alone in the room. She couldn't remember going to sleep here. Dash couldn't really remember anything about yesterday.
"How ya feelin' sugarcube?" A familiar voice asked from the end of her bed. She couldn't see her face, but figured she was looking at her.
"Terrible," The cyan mare answered. "Where am I?"
Dash felt a headache come over her. She held her head in her hooves and laid her head back down on the pillow.
"You had us quite worried darling. We were wondering if you would be alright." Another familiar voice. Why couldn't she remember who they were?
"What do you mean?" Dash asked, as her vision cleared. She could see them now, and she made out Applejack's face. It was twisted in worry. They all were. What's happened?
"You got badly hurt by a dragon." The cowpony replied, a hint of hesitation in her voice. "The doctors are still surprised you're alive."
Rarity nodded lightly. "Rainbow Dash indeed it would seem."
A dragon? Dash shut her eyes as her headache became too much. She saw a vision of a cold night. She was slammed into a cliff, a clawed hand pushing her further into the wall. A pink pony lay unconscious a few hooves away from her.
Dash's eyes flew open at the awful sight and she tried to sit up. The cyan mare was met with a tremendous pain in her back and ribs as her body tensed up in agony. She clenched her teeth together tightly and collapsed.
"Easy there Rainbow, you took quite a beating." Applejack soothed as she and the others moved to help Dash settle.
The ponies quickly set her back in bed and rested her head on her pillow. Dash's muscles relaxed, but she had no idea where this pain came from. She didn't feel like this last night, did she?
"Yes, if we hadn't found you when we did…I don't even want to think about what would have happened." Fluttershy whispered finally, shaking her head in concern for the poor mare.
She had been quiet most of the time until Dash tried to move. Fluttershy instincts must have kicked in, the cyan pegasus thought briefly before the pain returned. Dash shook it off and looked at her three friends.
She could remember them at least, but she didn't know quite how she met them except for Fluttershy.
The rest was fuzzy.
"You wouldn't be here surely if it wasn't for Fluttershy. She was the pony that really saved you, until we brought you here. She never left your side; none of us possibly could with you in such a state." Rarity said putting a hoof over the yellow pony's back in admiration.
The shy mare blushed at the unicorn's compliment and looked over at the pegasus in bed. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Dash nodded lightly in response. "What happened that night? How long was I out?" She asked, ignoring the pony's concern.
"You've been asleep for a few days." Applejack answered after a few moments. She looked tense, but happy that she was awake and speaking clearly. "Close to a week. Ah'm not surprised."
Dash's eyes widened in shock, but Rarity spoke before she could say more.
"We came by when we heard that dragon." Rarity huffed indignantly and continued. "He's not very subtle about being around. Or very tidy. He was already gone when we found you though. We're not really sure either."
"You musta taken a blow to the head RD." Applejack stated as an afterthought.
Dash's headache faded and she remembered her vision. The pony was lying motionless, so close to her. Was she my friend too? "What about that other pony? Is she okay?" The cyan mare asked without thinking.
The question came as a bit of a shock to the three and they seemed to ignore it for a moment. Dash just stared at them in silence and waited for one to crack and tell her.
Fluttershy eventually opened her mouth and spoke quietly, not being able to see Dash's stern face anymore. "Oh w-well, we're not quite sure. She hasn't woken up yet, but she's alive."
"Whoever she is, she must have been pretty gutsy to take on a full grown dragon all by herself." Applejack shuddered at the thought of meeting one with a temper like that.
Rarity tossed her mane in response and sighed. "Well, if you ask me she was just being reckless."
The cyan mare stirred again, feeling a lump in her throat for that pony. It was a strange feeling. Dash wondered if she was supposed to know her. But she didn't even know her name. "Where is she? I need to see if she's okay."
"No Rainbow Dash, you have to stay here and rest. Doctor's orders." Fluttershy replied sternly, staring at the pony to lay back.
"Might as well be Fluttershy's orders." Applejack chuckled in amusement to Rarity, who giggled back lightly as the cyan pegasus cooperated.
Dash mumbled in response and leaned back in her seat, crossing her hooves in annoyance.
Fluttershy smiled softly at the victory. Dash always hated how the yellow pegasus could get her to listen to her so easily. It had always been like that, even back at flight school. Same old Fluttershy, Dash thought.
"Now you just stay put until the doctors say you can leave comfortably." Fluttershy continued no longer staring at Dash, but still keeping a stern tone when she spoke.
Rarity nodded and smiled at the cyan mare. "We'll check on our pink pony friend for you."
Dash huffed and rolled over to one side. "Fine, ow!" Ribs, right. She picked herself off of her injured ribs and lay on her back. Still not as good as clouds, she thought.
She remembered another vision. It was a few weeks ago, when she was in the big city. Dash raised an eyebrow in confusion. Manehattan? When was I there? Oh right, my vacation. The vision became blurry, but she could tell she wasn't the only pony in the bed. It was the pink mare from the other night. She was sleeping on the opposite side of the bed from her. What the?
Dash opened her eyes, thinking she would see those three ponies at the end of her bed again. What she saw instead was darkness.
She must have been more tired than she thought. Who was that pink pony, and why was she in my bed? Dash groaned and shook the thought off. "Ugh, just too much cider I think. Better get some sleep."
Dash's eyes closed in agreement and the cyan mare drifted off.
"Don't worry Dashie."
Who?
"I'll be right back…"
Wait! Where are you going?
"Everything's gonna be alright okay?"
Why do you sound so sad?
"…Promise."
It was late in the afternoon when Dash woke.
She sat up in a cold sweat and her wings were tensed in pain. She hadn't noticed they hurt the night before. She looked around the dull white room and grumbled irritably.
Boring, she thought quickly. She wanted to be back in the bed with the pink mare. Not with her, that is, just by herself in that comfy bed. She didn't even know her, but she could remember what the bed felt like with her in it. The room was covered in bright colors; colors she could see quite clearly, but not the pink pony.
Dash sighed. The cyan pony wondered if her friends had checked up on the pink earth pony for her. If they had come back and she was asleep. "They said she was fine, so I have nothing to worry about. When I'm all better I can go see her and ask her what happened myself."
With that settled Dash shuffled in her bed and waited for her lunch to arrive. The rest of day went by quite quickly. Fluttershy stopped by with her lunch and they ate together.
Neither of them mentioned the pink mare. Instead they talked about what Fluttershy had been doing since Dash's injury. How she hadn't managed to control that little bunny any more than the day she found him.
They talked about Dash's experiences in the hospital as well, as the timid pony had many questions to her injuries.
When they finished and Fluttershy said her good-byes, leaving Rainbow Dash alone again in her bed, she wondered why she had been to her house at all that day to see that bunny. She couldn't recall much of how they had met or what she was doing when they bumped into one another. Still, she felt comforted just to have the yellow mare next to her.
She had her animals to look after though, so she had to get back and make sure they were alright. Dash had told her to go and that she would be fine.
As the days passed and her friends kept returning to see her, sometimes alone and other times together, Dash began to feel better. She could stretch her wings with little trouble, something both her and her doctors were glad to see.
Soon she was walking around the hospital and testing her flight abilities when nopony was looking, against Fluttershy's orders. Her bruises seemed to have healed nicely, she almost forgot about how she got them and about the other pony at all.
On the day the doctors allowed her to leave, Dash thanked them and walked proudly out into the waiting room. Her friends were all there, including Rarity's sibling it seemed and an orange pegasus filly. The cyan mare recognised her immediately, but she still head her head up when they all gathered around her with words of concern escaping their lips.
All she did was nod in reply. She told them she had broken a record for healing time. She was the quickest they'd seen from the condition she was in. Two weeks had passed to heal her sprained wings, crushed back, and three cracked ribs.
She said the doctors were amazed and Dash laughed it off, saying it was because of her toughness. She was just happy to be out of that cramped space and able to fly again. Dash hated being stuck on the ground. She wouldn't last for longer in one place like that. She would go crazy.
The orange filly was ecstatic to see the cyan mare, and just listened wide eyed as Dash told them of her experience in the hospital room. She couldn't stay perfectly still though and hopped lightly in place once her story became about her speedy recovery.
When she was done Dash grabbed the little pony in a noogie and gave her a hug after. She smirked as the filly fought back her hoof, "Hey, squirt. Long-time no see. I didn't know you moved to Ponyville."
"Oh yeah." Scootaloo replied, trying to sound cool. "We moved here a few months ago from Cloudsdale. Why did you think I stopped coming to be foalsat by you?"
Applejack turned to Rarity with a raised eyebrow. "Rainbow Dash? Foalsitting? Never thought Ah'd hear that from anypony."
Dash shrugged, ignoring the orange mare's comment. "I just thought you were busy. It's nice to see you again though, Scoots. I missed ya." The cyan pegasus ruffled Scootaloo's mane and smiled kindly at her.
Scootaloo didn't know what to say. She just smiled back widely at her hero and let the others speak to her.
"It's good ta have ya back RD. I was real worried about ya'll." Applejack spoke, tipping her Stetson slightly at the pegasus as she talked.
Dash huffed in amusement. "You kidding? No way I was gonna be in a bed for the rest of my life, let alone another day," She could remember her relationship with the orange pony was alright, but for some reason she felt threatened by Applejack. A competition based friendship that Dash was immediately determined to participate in. She didn't know why. "I've got training to do for the Wonderbolts."
Dash recalled something about the Wonderbolts, but she couldn't remember what it was about. Maybe they were coming to Ponyville or something. Why can't I remember what happened? Why can't I remember that pink pony's name?
"Well it's nice to see you're alright. I must say you looked in pain while you were unconscious in bed." Rarity said as her little sister shuffled her hooves against the dirt.
Fluttershy stepped forward softly and caught Dash's attention. She hesitated at first not knowing what to say to her, but Fluttershy eventually found her courage and cleared her throat gently.
"Are your wings better Rainbow Dash? Are you sure you should be out flying so quickly after your injury?" The timid pegasus asked, concern etched in her face.
Dash waved a dismissive hoof and turned to head for her things. "Nah, I should be fine. You know me; I don't let anything keep me grounded."
The ponies nodded and chuckled in amusement at the pony's statement. Dash left to her room to see if she missed anything. She felt like she was forgetting something important.
Her bed was neat and tidy, and ready for its next patient. The room was still as bland as it had been when she was here. It reminded her of something she had lost when the dragon attacked. She couldn't remember how she lost it or what it was, but it just seemed like it should be with her now.
She gave up trying to figure it out eventually and felt an incredible need to fly. The rainbow-maned pony sighed at the thought of finally getting that wish and turned around, meeting a huge pair of cyan eyes.
"Hi!" The pony attached to the eyes chirped happily.
The cyan mare jumped back startled, her personal space being invaded by this new pony. "Ahh! What the?" Dash yelled and braced herself on all fours before she fell back onto the floor.
"Wow! You're up early. Is it time for you to leave already? I didn't get a chance to say hi yet." The pink pony said completely oblivious to Dash's panic. She put a hoof to her chin and scrunched her snout in sudden thought, "Oh wait, I did just now hehe. Well, better late than never I guess." The mare giggled and muffled it with her hoof.
"What the hay is that supposed to mean? For that matter, who are you and what are you doing in my room?" Ex-room, she thought suddenly. But that wasn't the point. This pony had snuck up on her and she wanted to know why.
The earth mare only giggled more and sat her rump down, her innocent eyes still smiling cheerfully at Dash. The pegasus noticed her heart wasn't beating as heavily as it had when she stared back into those bright eyes, waiting for her to answer. "Sorry, my name's Pinkie Pie. I was just comin' to check up on ya before you had to leave. When I woke up and asked about you the doctors said you were all better, so I thought I'd come and throw you a 'getting all better' party to celebrate."
The bouncy pony was practically hopping in her seat, but Dash still picked up a subtle sadness to the pink pony's eyes when she said she was leaving. Wait, pink?
Dash's eyes widened in realisation and she gestured to the sitting mare with a forehoof. "You were that pony that was with me the night the dragon-"
"Yep, I was there." Pinkie responded rapidly, interrupting the mare in her speech. "I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out; who I was at least."
The pony shuffled in her seat on the floor, her rump falling asleep most likely, and tilted her head in the cutest way a pony could. Hold on, cute? No way! Still, she is kind of- Dash blinked those thoughts away as Pinkie cleared her throat.
"By the way, you haven't told me your name yet."
Dash raised an eyebrow in confusion at the mare's question. My name? Mine, oh! "Oh, sorry. It's Rainbow Dash."
Pinkie gasped and nearly tackled Dash to the ground in a hug when she heard that, fortunately for the cyan mare the end of the bed caught her before that could happen. "Oh my gosh, really! That is awesome. You did the sonic rainboom right? Who am I kidding? Of course you did!"
As the pony chatted on, all Rainbow Dash could do was blink back at her. Was this pony real? Maybe she got hit on the head again. Maybe this was just a dream. Maybe. Dash pinched herself quickly. Ow! Nope, it's not a dream.
With that matter settled Dash shook off her pink pony induced daze and muffled Pinkie's speech with a forehoof. It seemed like the appropriate thing to do, to Dash. Familiar. "Whoa there. You know, I've kinda got somewhere to be right now. So if you're gonna keep talking could we at least walk and talk?"
Pinkie attempted to respond to the pegasus' question, but all that came out was, "Mmf hmf mm mmp hmph."
At hearing her voice sound like that, the mare's face rearranged itself into a look of confusion and bafflement. It took Dash a moment before she realised she was the cause of that. "Oh, oops. My bad." The cyan mare removed her hoof from the pony's muzzle and trotted easily out the hospital room door. The pink pony's shocked expression made Dash grin softly as she strolled down the hall.
Pinkie was quickly hopping up next to her and matching her stride with bounces. It didn't really seem to bother Dash though. It seemed natural for this pony to do such a thing. "Sorry, I did get a little carried away, didn't I?"
The pink mare seemed a tad embarrassed when she admitted that. Just a little, Dash thought. She sort of liked it. "It's alright. I'm used to it and all."
The two ponies continued silently down the hallway and reached the exit of the hospital. Dash took a few steps outside and felt the breeze through her mane again. It had been a while since she felt like this. Dash spun around when she didn't hear Pinkie's bouncing behind her.
Before she could ask what was wrong though the pink pony rolled her hoof about on the cobbled hospital floor. "Well, um, I'll see ya later okay?" She said quietly, smiling softly at the confused pegasus.
Dash raised an eyebrow at the mare and tilted her head to the side. "Later? What do you mean? Don't you want to get out of here as quickly as possible too?"
Pinkie nodded in response and seemed a little happier. "Oh yes, definitely…but I can't yet."
Can't? Does she mean?
The earth pony shrugged, no longer holding a smile on her face. "I'm not allowed yet. I'm actually not even supposed to be walking yet. Not for a few more days."
"What?" Dash breathed in disbelief. She remembered when her friends said she was still unconscious when she was awake. How long had it taken for her? "Then why are you?"
Pinkie smiled softly at the cyan mare. "I wanted to see you go."
Dash felt warm suddenly. A little too warm and yet, it was okay. She could tell that sentence held a deeper meaning, but Dash couldn't place what it was. She briefly wondered why she hadn't felt like this the whole time.
"O-oh well, I'm sure it won't take too long before you can leave too. Then we might bump into each other again." The pegasus smiled awkwardly at the pony standing at the doorway and felt like she was betraying her. But that was impossible. How can I feel bad about somepony I just met? What about those nights?
"Will you come see me again?" Pinkie asked quietly, shaking Dash from her stupor. There was no need to ask. She heard what the pink pony said; Dash just didn't know how to respond.
She suddenly felt wary of Pinkie Pie, like she was somehow dangerous. But her eyes told her a different story. "Well, uh, I do have training…for the Wonderbolts…" Dash began, shifting her eyes to anything but Pinkie's now broken expression.
"Oh." The pink pony replied, hanging her head. Her curly locks seemed to sag along with her expression, and Dash couldn't stand to see her that way.
"But maybe, after…" Dash paused. But it wasn't because she was thinking of what to say, because she knew exactly what to say. It was just a matter of being tackled swiftly to the dirt before she could say it that made any difference. All she managed instead was, "Ooph!"
"Oh thank you Rainbow Dash! Thank you! You know what? I'm gonna come up with a nickname for you while I wait for you to come back. Ooh, how about Dashie? That sounds pretty good. Darn it, now I have nothing to do until you get back to see me and- ow ow ow!"
Pinkie's long winded speech was interrupted again, but not by Dash's hoof this time. She held her stomach tightly and groaned in pain. The cyan mare lifted the small pony up and cradled her gently in her hooves. "What? What's wrong? Is it your injury? We need to get you back inside fast!"
Dash stiffened her expression as she picked Pinkie up, careful as she could be and zoomed into the doctor's office. "I've got an injured pony here, she's already checked in. Pinkie Pie, can you show me where her room is? She's in pain."
Dash was rushed into the hallway with the pink mare in hoof and sat Pinkie back in her bed. Doctors came running in shortly after and a nurse pony urged the cyan pegasus to leave for them to help her.
She agreed grudgingly and left. Dash dwelled outside the hospital room for a moment, still unable to accept what had happened. Pinkie was happy and bouncy a few minutes ago and now she was being looked after by doctor ponies.
What did it matter anyway? She barely knew her. It wasn't like it was her fault Pinkie was hurt. She was just another pony that liked her for her flight skills, nothing more.
Dash shook those annoying thoughts from her mind in exchange for some flying and then maybe a nap for good measure. That always cheered her up.
The cyan pegasus spread her wings as she made it outside for the second time that day and took off into the open air, free and not limited by the ground anymore. Dash looked back only once at the hospital as she remembered something Pinkie had said to her. Dashie?
But what was she free from?