Dash ran blindly through the maze taking the first turn she saw. She back tracked and ran all different directions looking for any way to proceed. Rainbow Dash poked her head around a tall shrub when a thunder cloud, shooting bolts of rainbow colored lightning, cut across her path.
What the? She thought. The element! "I've got you now, element." She smiled, dashing after it. The element wove through the maze like it knew exactly where to go before stopping and floating up to reveal the mastermind behind all of this.
"Ohm," Discord stretched out over a cloud hung between two trees like a hammock. "I can see why you like these clouds so much. Very Plush." He patted his seat and smiled.
"Get off there and put 'em up! Come on! Let's go!" Dash stood on her hind legs and boxed the air.
"Hey, I'm here to deliver a message." Discord said innocently. He sat up and faced dash putting his clawed hand over his heart.
"I've got a message for you too!" Dash yelled, boxing at the air again.
"Listen closely. This is important." He said seriously. Discord slinked out of the hammock and twisted behind dash as he said, "A weighty choice is yours to make, the right selection or a big mistake. If a wrong choice you choose to pursue, then the foundations of home will crumble without you."
Dash's eyes grew large as Discord snapped his fingers. The element dropped in to her line of sight and began spinning wildly. Within the cloud Rainbow dash began to make out Cloud's Dale. The whole city shook and ponies screamed and flew away as the cloud pillars and buildings began to fall.
"Clouds Dale…crumble…without me?" Dash cried weakly. The image showed the city collapse and fall. "No!" Dash screamed. Wild colors swirled through her eyes as she panicked. Clouds Dale! My home! She thought worriedly as her mind began to fog. I have to get home! But, I have to help the girls! Home…
Discord snapped again and a box popped out of thin air. "That box contains your wings. You can take them and leave the game or you can carry on aimlessly wondering this maze." Discord stroked Dash's cheek. The color drained from her bright blue coat and her mouth hung open in awe at the gift box before her. "Your choice." Discord smiled and backed away as Rainbow dash tore at the gift wrap.
Rainbow Dash looked down from the cloud at the ponies standing in shock as the maze fell around them. Discord was saying something but at this point she didn't care. Rainbow was glad to have her wings back. She flexed them and plopped down on the cloud with a soft fluff. Discord snapped and her friend's missing parts returned with a flash of light. Discord laughed as the ponies began arguing. Dash scoffed. Let them figure it out. Discord had shown her there was no need for the other ponies in Ponyville. As long as she had her wings and could fly and get in to the wonder bolts, who cared what happened to the others? Dash closed her eyes and smiled as she fell asleep. the sun went down startling dash. she blinked and it came up just as fast. almost as if it had never set in the first place. Dash looked down from the cloud and saw twilight yelling as the other four ponies went in their different directions. Dash watched in awe as twilight's color seemed to drain. Dash looked at the other ponies and realized that their color was also muted. everything was the right color, but not the right shade. She looked at her own once stunning blue hooves. They were a sickly looking grey that she hadn't noticed before. She jumped down and landed in front of a mangy looking Rarity.
"Hey," dash started.
"Don't you dare touch my Tom!" she screamed, bucking at the confused rainbow pony.
"Whoa, what's with you?" Dash backed away and flew up, shaking her head. Looking around she spotted Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie?" she landed hesitantly.
:"What here to laugh at me more Dash? Well I won't listen!" Pinkie threw back her hair and galloped away.
What's with everypony? she thought to her self. All of her so called friends acted the same way towards her. She flew up looking for Twilight but as she spotted her the sun went down cutting off her vision.
fine! she thought angerly. Who needs 'em? i'll go home! Dash flew blindly through th night. Not knowing which way she was going, she decided to fly up. i'll get to clouds dale eventually.
"Rainbow Dash. WHere are you going?" a voice startled Dash so much her wings locked up for a second.
"Princess Celestia?" the Alicorn laid on a cloud looking down at the utter chaos going on below.
"Hey why don't you go stop Discord?" Dash asked with accusation thick on her tongue.
"Why is my most loyal subject abandoning her friends?" Celestia ashed in her cool tone.
"They're not my friends...not any more." Dash said looking down. She settled on the cloud with the princess and continued. "Since discord got here all we've been doing is fighting. I mean, they've practically shunned me. They don't need me. They're the ones who are unloyal."
"But you took Discord's offer for your wings." She pointed out.
"I-" dash stopped. "I'm not sure why i did. She remembered something about Clouds dale but it was all hazy. everything from that day. Those days? were. She thought suddenly of how all of her friends had snubbed her.
"I'm going back to clouds dale. They don't need me and i don't need them."
"I do hope you know how wrong you are." Celestia said sadly. "You all need each other."
Dash scoffed. "I'm fed up with trying. i'm going to be a wonder bolt some day. That's all i care about. Forget Ponyville. Forget everypony!" dash was getting upset again but she wasn't sure why. "I don't need anypony! Find a new element of harmony!" Dash blinked tears back and dove from the cloud. She heard the whoosh of wings above her but when she looked up Celestia was no where to be seen. Dash slammed through a couple of clouds before landing hard on a low one. She flapped her wings hard but couldn't seem to muster the energy to fly back up. Groaning softly, she laid her head in her hooves and fell asleep.
"Rainbow dash!" Twilight's voice slammed dash out of her nap and the sun assaulted her eyes. she was laying on her back looking right in to the sun. Tucking her hooves under her head and crossing her legs she tried to doze back off but Pinkie's voice cut through her head like a warm knife through butter.
"yeah we will,cause she's right there!"
"Rainbow dash!" Twilight called excitedly.
"Hey guys" She responded with a half hearted wave.
"We've been looking every where for you!" Twilight continued.
"That's nice." Dash said coldly. So what, now they wanted to be her friends? What ever. Anger slowly built causing the ever present swirling in her eyes to become more noticeable. She looked around Clouds dale and smiled. Aah, home sweet home. Dash didn't remember flying home, but she was glad she was there.
"Discord is still on the loose! we need your help to defeat him with your element, Loyalty!"
"Loyalty shmoility!" Dash rolled over looking down at the group. Their color was back and it was irritating. SO now they are all good friends again? they had left her out again. " Haven't you guys seen Ponyville? Its a Disaster! I'm staying here in cloud's dale where everything's awesome." Dash flopped back on to her back. she yawned and stretched. sleep faded her vision and soon she was asleep again.
Dash lay snoozing peacefully when flutter shy suddenly poked at her.
"Umm, i'm just wondering if it's OK if i hold you down against your will for a little bit?"
dash sat up and snorted. "Nice try! Ponyville is your problem, not mine." Dash poked at Flutter shy and grabbed a cloud, using her wings to speed off. Dash flew wildly trying to throw off her persueres. why wont they just leave me alone! dash thought angerly. She looked at apple jack in panic as a rope tightened around her stomach. Suddenly Pinkie Pie and Rarity were hanging off of her at the end of the rope. Dash's wings strained to keep her flying but soon another rope hooked her. No no no no no! dash thought angerly as she was dragged down. as soon as they hit the earth all five ponies surrounded her pulling t the ropes to keep her from flying away.
Dash kicked and bucked as twilight slowly walked towards her. "Let me go! I don't need you guys! Leave me alone!" Dash flinched back as twilight's horn began to glow. She felt the warm glow touch her and suddenly the swirling was replaced by memories of the past year. the warmth seemed to radiate through her. Dash's head spun and ached slightly.
"W- what happened?" she asked. then like a brick the memories of the past few days hit her. "How's pony ville? where are the elements?" she tackled the pony closest to her, apple jack, and asked, "Did we stop discord?"
the girls rushed Rainbow dash, who looked around in panic. they all hugged and giggled happy for their friend's return.
"Maybe it's a little early for a group hug." Twilight said as some buffaloes danced past.
"Well then," dash said stepping up, "Lets go get Discord."