Crystal Dreams
Do not own any rights to any characters. Ever. Damn.
Chapter 4
Rainbow Dash couldn't believe her eyes as she took in the looks of the crystal necklace swaying gently in front of her face. Her most prized crystal, that had been a gift from her parents, had changed colors. The tear-shape crystal had always been clear, but now the crystal was midnight blue. She carefully checked the cord to make sure this really was her necklace and not a phony that had been switched by somepony at maybe The Gala, but no, this was most certainly her crystal.
"What in the hay?" Rainbow Dash questioned out loud as she put her necklace back around her neck and tucked the crystal back into her mane, "How does a crystal change color? Think Rainbow. Did Daddy or Mama ever mention anything about the crystal changing?"
Thoughts buzzed through Rainbow Dash's mind as she began to pace. She pulled up as many conversations that she could remember between her parents, but nothing seemed to be able to explain this strange event.
"It can't be because of my mood," Rainbow Dash added as she continued to pace across her bedroom, "I have been in many different moods over my life and the crystal never changed colors then. How is this possible?"
Rainbow Dash tried to ignore the niggling voice in her head that pointed out that maybe this change to her crystal was connected to the strange obsession she suddenly had for the green-eyed stallion she seemed to not be able to get out of her mind since last night. Her thoughts were interrupted when she stumbled over her own hooves. She blinked in surprise and regained her balance. Looking around Rainbow Dash realized that there was absolutely nothing that she could have tripped over. The rainbow-maned mare knew that she was not typically a clumsy pony. Taking stock of herself mentally, Rainbow Dash realized that she ached all over.
"Shouldn't have tried to catch that statue," Rainbow Dash chided herself, "You've gone and overdone it again and I guess the surprise of the crystal changing plus not really getting enough sleep hasn't helped you be too graceful."
Rainbow Dash decided to get ready for the day. Since it was a Sunday and she only had light weather duties to handle, maybe she could do some research at the library. Twilight's library seemed to always have the right book to explain different situations.
"I'm sure there is a book at Twilight's library than can explain this, "Rainbow Dash encouraged herself as she jumped under a rain cloud she set up in her bathroom to shower up, "Just don't want to let Twilight know why I want this information. She will bombard me with embarrassing questions. Nopony can know about this until I know what is going on exactly."
Rainbow Dash went to her kitchen and whipped herself up a light breakfast. It wasn't until sometime later that she caught herself sitting at her dining table, staring out into space thinking of a certain stallion, and realized that she did not have any real appetite since she had only eaten a couple of bites of her meal. She slammed her forehead on the cloud-table a couple of times wishing the table was hard so she could knock these ridiculous thoughts out of her head.
"Grow up!" Rainbow Dash huffed as she repaired her table and then took to the sky to get her job done, "So, you have a crush? Get over it."
Meanwhile, in Cloudsdale another pony was also having an interesting morning on this particular day. Soarin' had woken up from a terrible nights sleep after the disastrous events of The Gala to discover that he had completely missed morning practice. Looking at his alarm clock he realized somepony had turned it off.
"Horse apples!" Soarin' cursed jumping up, bed-head and all, and rushed to the Wonderbolts' training field, "Who would touch my alarm clock? Spitfire is going to kill me, life mate or not!"
When Soarin' arrived at the training field he saw the team doing practice laps above with Spitfire calling out tips from the ground. He rushed over and threw himself in front of her in a crouch.
"I am so sorry!" Soarin' blurted out as he looked up at her startled face and started babbling, "I swear I set the alarm clock last night. I don't know who turned it off. You know I would never skip practice. It would set a bad example for the team. I am so sorry. Please don't kill me!"
"Hush, you goofy-grape," Spitfire said with a gentle smile on her face as the rest of the team chortled above her at his antics, "I turned off your alarm clock."
"What? Why?" questioned a perplexed Soarin' as his life mate attempted to smooth out his wild mane.
"I think you still might be coming down with something," Spitfire reminded him as she helped him up, "You tossed and turned all night long and I thought a little extra sleep would do you some good. You still look really tired."
Once he had regained his hooves, Soarin' realized that he was really tired and that ridiculous feeling of forgetfulness or urgency was still pulling at him. He also felt he couldn't let Spitfire know that last night his dreams were full of rainbows. Pretty rainbows with sparkling colors. Soarin' shook his head hard and stumbled a bit.
"Soarin?" Spitfire asked in concern as she helped steady him, "That's it! You are seeing the team doctor right now."
"I'm fine," Soarin assured even as Spitfire started pushing him towards The Wonderbolts' headquarters where the doctor would be.
"No, you are not," Spitfire said as she turned to the team and gave them the rest of the morning to do light stretches, "You haven't been ever since The Grand Galloping Gala and I want to know why. Don't argue with your life mate!"
"Yes, Ma'am," Soarin' agreed allowing himself to be pony-handled to the doctor.
Soarin' knew Spitfire was worried. She had meant to say "your captain" and he knew it. Her slip in saying "your life mate" in front of the team meant that she was really anxious. If having a physical exam would ease Spitfire's mind then he was fine with this.
"I don't think I'm sick," Soarin' thought to himself as Spitfire went to fetch the doctor as he waited in the doctor's office, "But why do I keep thinking of rainbows? I could kind of understand if I was thinking of that little rainbow-maned filly. She sure is a beauty and rivals even my Spitfire, but in her own, unique way. I mean, I am still a stallion that can appreciate a pretty mare, but I would never cheat on my life mate. However, those dreams were all about plain old rainbows, but the rainbows seemed so…sad."
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the team doctor. He leapt gently up on the exam table and allowed himself to be thoroughly checked by the doctor.
"Boring, boring, boring," thought Soarin' automatically doing everything the doctor instructed and allowing himself to be tapped, pinched, and looked at.
Spitfire had been forced to wait outside which had infuriated her judging by her previous yelling and the serious of loud crashes that echoed from behind the door.
"That one sure is appropriately named," Dr. Kindheart chortled as he drew some blood.
"Well, she is worried," Soarin' defended his life mate, "She just…doesn't like it when she has no control over a situation."
"What you actually mean to say is that she hates it when anything happens to you and gets a tiny bit overprotective," Dr. Kindheart commented dryly as an extremely loud crash rattled from outside his door, "She will be paying for those chairs she is breaking."
"Would you please just let her back in?" Soarin' groaned, "You shouldn't have made her leave anyway. Spitfire is already upset enough as it is and she is my bonded. She has every right to be in here."
"Fine," the doctor agreed opening the door to let in the enraged mare outside.
Spitfire stalked in stiffly and gave Dr. Kindheart a look to kill. The kindly doctor couldn't help shivering a bit from the chills that ran up his spine. She quickly went to Soarin's side and was calmed by the smile and nuzzle she received from her life mate.
"Well?" Spitfire demanded of the doctor frostily as Soarin' winked at him from behind her.
"There is nothing physically wrong with Soarin'. I think he may just be mentally exhausted," Dr. Kindheart explained, "I am going to run some tests on the blood I drew just in case, but I am going to put him on a three-day bed rest. No practice."
"What?" Soarin' spluttered, "I'm fine."
"Hush," Spitfire soothed her life mate, "If this is what the doctor orders then this is what will be. You know the Wonderbolts number one rule."
"'If you don't take care of yourself…'" Soarin' began, "'then you may lead your teammates to get hurt because of your carelessness.' I know Spitfire, but bed rest?"
"For me?" Spitfire coaxed lowering her eyelids in question which was a look Soarin' could not refuse.
"Not far, Spitfire," Soarin' smirked, "You used 'the look.'"
"Yep," Spitfire agreed as Soarin' hopped down from the examination table, "So why don't we get you some pie and then back in bed?"
"No thanks," Soarin' said with a yawn preparing to leave the room, "I'll just head back to bed. I'm really not very hungry right now."
Spitfire and Dr. Kindheart stared at one another in shock once Soarin' left. The two both had the same thought, "Soarin' turning down pie?"
"I'll run those blood tests immediately," the doctor began, "Don't worry about those chairs you broke. There on me. I should have realized that you would know if there was anything to be concerned about when it comes to your life mate."
"You'll come and find me with the results?" Spitfire pleaded.
"Of course," Dr. Kindheart assented, "Keep me informed if any new symptoms pop up."
Spitfire nodded and hurried after her Soarin'. She was surprised to find him at the end of the hall talking with Fleetfoot and Rapidfire. She got close enough to hear Soarin's last comment.
"Can you believe it?" Soarin' laughed, "Mental Exhaustion? Me?"
"No, I can't believe it," Rapidfire said as Fleetfoot smiled at Soarin' with relief in her eyes, "With what brains do you have to be exhausted with?"
"Hey!" Soarin' rebutted and then noticed Spitfire's approach.
"Watch yourself," Spitfire warned as she playfully hoof-punched Rapidfire in the shoulder a tad too hard, "He's got more brains than you do."
"Just teasing," Rapidfire amended shaking a calming hoof in Spitfire's direction as he glared at Fleetfoot as she laughed at his predicament, "I'm just glad that it is nothing serious. The team got worried when you dragged Soarin' off to the doc and then we all heard a lot of screaming and loud crashes."
"Tell them that he is fine. Ignore the noises. They were a…misunderstanding," Spitfire ordered as she began to usher her giggling life mate back to their quarters, "I'll be back to practice shortly."
Before Soarin' knew it, he was back in bed all tucked in like a little colt. He grinned up at his beautiful mate.
"I sure would like this better if you were in here with me," Soarin' hinted.
"I'm sure you would," Spitfire remarked with a blush, "But I would really like it if you would get some sleep and then eat something for me."
"Fine," Soarin' agreed as he snuggled down sleepily, "Love ya, Beautiful."
"Love you as well, Big Guy," Spitfire cooed as she stroked her life mate's back as he fell asleep.
Spitfire turned off the lights and quietly left their quarters. As she headed back to The Wonderbolts' practice she still couldn't get over the nagging feeling that Rainbow Dash was still the reason for all of Soarin's strange symptoms.
"If I find that Rainbow Dash is to blame for this, then she and I are going to have some words," Spitfire thought to herself angrily.
To be continued…