It was a flash. An instantaneous memory. She saw herself, in the hospital room that had been her prison after the terrible crash into the Everfree that had shattered both her wings and her dreams of ever getting into the Wonderbolts, as the doctors had insisted that the damage to all her wing-bones was irreparable.

She watched herself receive the news, for as soon as she was conscious and able to understand the doctors' words they had told her. They had felt that she had the right to know, despite how much pain it would cause her. But she didn't react by bawling like a foal. She had kept a straight face, and when the doctor said that she would in all likelihood never fly again without magical assistance (the flight equivalent of a wheelchair), she had replied, "Okay. Anything else?" The doctors had solemnly said no, and left the room. Only after she was alone with her closest friend, Fluttershy, did she start to cry. Her cries weren't loud. They were near-silent, though the tears were enough to cry a literal river, or perhaps several clouds' worth of rain. And Fluttershy, the kind friend she was, just held her.

"Rainbow Dash?" asked a very familiar voice, "Rainbow, are you listening?"

"Oh. Sorry Twi. I'm here. Just spacing out a bit... What's up?"

"The better question would be 'what isn't up', and the answer would be you."

"I know... I know... I just... I don't wanna do flight therapy, Twi. I don't like being handicapped."

Twilight looked annoyed at first, then sympathetic, then contemplative, and then finally she looked back to Rainbow and smiled. "Here. Rainbow. Fly with me. We'll sit on that cloud up there."

"Fine... but, um... y'know..." she gestured vaguely in the direction of her wings, barely held closed despite the fact that this should be their natural state. The muscles had just been so badly damaged.

"I know, Rainbow. I'll assist you." Her horn began to glow a violet-magenta shade, and temporarily Rainbow's wings worked even half as well as they used to. She beat them and they lifted her from the ground, but she couldn't enjoy being airborne anymore. It was just a painful reminder of what had once been.

The two friends made their way to the cloud. Twilight was fairly slow normally, but she slowed up some more to wait for Rainbow (who felt horrible and detested that she was the one slowing someone else up when she'd spent the majority of her life having the opposite happen). When they arrived, Twilight settled down and made room for her friend. Her horn stopped glowing. Rainbow had more than enough magic still to keep her aloft on a cloud. Rainbow let her wings hang limply at her sides, something she wasn't used to doing even when she was at her worst after a strenuous workout. But though it felt weird it was still better than trying to keep them upright.

"What did you want to say, Twi?"

"Oh, nothing terribly important."

"They why'd you drag me up here?"

"Well, I have something to tell you. I was doing some reading earlier today... Rainbow don't roll your eyes like that... I found a piece of complex magic that might be interesting to you. It allows an alicorn to give some of their magic, of any variety, to any other pony they wish. Since alicorns get their supernaturally long lifespans from a set of magically-activated rapidly replenishing enzymes that restore cells to a previous, healthier state, an alicorn can transfer some of those cells - magically of course, it wouldn't work with standard instruments such as the variety you'd use to draw blood or administer intravenous medicines, that's already been tried under Celestia's sanction - to an injured pony in order to replenish their injury. Basically, I'd be giving up some of my alicorn-ness to heal you."

"How in Equestria is that not important?! That would... that could... give me back my flight... I could do a rainboom again..."

"Hold it, Rainbow. It's not that simple. If it were, trust me, I would have done it already. The spell is crazy complex, and in addition, it requires a password that only Celestia knows. And since she's been gone the past four months..."

"Oh. But she's getting back tomorrow..."

"Which is what I was going to ask. Would you be willing to go with me to Canterlot so we can talk to Princess Celestia? I can't make any promises, or guarantees, or even a strong probability that this will work. It's a slim chance at best. But it is your only hope, at risk of sounding like a storybook hero's guide."

"Then I accept! What kinda dolt do you take me for, Twi? If there's even a chance of getting my flight back, I'm in!"

The next chapter will be posted in ten minutes.