Day One
It was three o'clock in the morning, and the doorbell rang. Right on time, thought Rainbow Dash as she stood to answer it. As always. She pulled the door open, and was greeted by the smiling face of Fluttershy.
"Hi," she said softly, stepping into the doorway of Rainbow's abode. It truly was a magnificent place to live, with rainbow streams running down the walls and slanted pillars littered around as if a tornado had bore them out of the royal palace itself and scattered them here. It wasn't a house. It wasn't even a mansion. It was more like an ancient ruin. Cloud-platforms were scattered about, so that only a Pegasus Pony could traverse the landscape. The layout was conceived with a carelessness that would suggest a creator more natural than ponies. Perhaps, shaken together by an earthquake. This was Rainbow Dash.
"Hi Fluttershy," said Rainbow in her usual carrying voice. She turned and flew into the air. Fluttershy followed gingerly. The moonlight bounced off the rivers of pure color, giving the scene an enchanted look. Sparkles of blue, red and yellow flashed across Rainbow's already multicolored hair and body. Glancing around, she said, "Your flying's getting stronger."
"Oh, thank you. I'm feeling much better."
"You know, there's nopony around for miles. You don't have to whisper."
"Oh… okay." On these words, she tried to raise her voice. But it remained stubbornly gentle. Rainbow laughed.
"Right, I forgot for a moment. All you know how to do is whisper!" Oh, Fluttershy. You're hopeless.
They arrived at their destination a little bit later. It was a little cloud platform, with three broken walls, and puffy white ivy running along the floor. There was a chair here, and several cabinets against the walls.
"You're quite an artist. I can't believe you built all this." At this, Rainbow Dash felt a rush of pride, and also affection for the little pink and yellow mare. She does know how to make somepony feel good about herself.
"Thanks, but it's nothing much. I just… you know… let my imagination run wild. It's like living in your own fantasies."
"Well, you certainly have a beautiful imagination." Rainbow blushed, causing her face to turn an odd shade of purple.
"Well… thanks." Fluttershy settled down in the chair, and offered one of her hind legs to Rainbow. She was wearing a cast. Rainbow dug her hooves into the cast, and tore it off. A familiar twinge of revulsion crossed her stomach at the sight of her poor friend's injury, but it passed. Fluttershy had a very large cut running down her leg. It was not bleeding, but it was an ugly shade of red, and contrasted horribly with the smooth yellow coat that covered the rest of her body. Rainbow stood, and began digging through the cabinets on the shelves.
"How are you feeling?" Asked Fluttershy, carefully watching the back of Rainbow's head.
"Me? I'm fine. Just a little tired."
"Oh," she began, and just from the tone of her voice Rainbow could tell she'd made a mistake in telling the truth. "Well, if you don't want to keep doing this, we can stop. I can take care of myself. I don't want you to lose sleep on my account."
"No, honestly Fluttershy, I'm fine. I just meant… I have a lot to do at work. I'm happy to help you."
"Okay. I just want to make sure you're not feeling pressured."
"Pressured by you? Of course not! You can barely exert enough pressure to squish a fly!" Seeing the gloomy look creeping into Fluttershy's eyes, Rainbow realized that she'd chosen a bad example. "Not that I approve of squishing flies, or anything. I like flies."
At that moment, she found what she was looking for. Glad for an excuse to break the awkward silence, she picked up in her mouth and walked back over to the chair. It was a small, brown medicine bottle. Rainbow struggled for a minute to get it open - A difficult feat without opposable thumbs – and poured it over Fluttershy's wound. She was prepared for it, but her heart still shook when Fluttershy let out a little squeak of pain.
"Sorry!" She said. Damn it, Fluttershy, stop being so cute. There's not a creature alive who can hurt you without tearing their soul in half. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm okay."
"Good. Now…" Rainbow stood, and returned to the cabinet. She retrieved a white roll of bandages. Using a conveniently placed pull-tab, Rainbow stuck the beginning of it to Fluttershy's leg, just below the knee. She walked around in circles, holding the bandages in her mouth, covering the wound. She had to wiggle herself underneath the chair in order to accomplish this, but Rainbow Dash was an agile Pegasus, and she did it without flipping Fluttershy over once. Finally, she broke off and admired her work. The bandage was tight and sealed. It was quite professional looking. She had gotten rather good at this after the first month.
"Fluttershy… not that I'm complaining, or anything, but… don't you think it might be time to tell the others?"
"Oh, no! Now is a worse time than when I first got it. Besides, we must be nearly done, so why stop now?"
"Well, I'm not exactly qualified to be doing this. I'm no doctor."
"I'm a doctor. I think that means I'm allowed to give you permission. But… if it's bothering you, then I guess I could find somepony else." Rainbow stared into Fluttershy's eyes. Fluttershy, I'm not sure you appreciate how few people would do this for you.
"No. If you refuse to get real medical help, I'll do it. But I really think you should. I mean, wouldn't somepony take care of your animals while you were at the hospital?"
"Maybe, but they wouldn't be able to handle it. I'm the only one who knows how to prepare Angel Bunny's salad." Hopeless.
"Alright, fine. But I think it would be for your own good."
"I've made my decision. I'm an adult. I can decide things for myself." Surprised at the sudden sternness in her voice, Rainbow backed down.
"Well, I think you're done." I wouldn't know, since I'm not a damn doctor.
"Okay, thanks a lot Rainbow. You're really helping me out."
"Yeah, well… no problem." The two ponies stood, and looked each other in the eyes. In Fluttershy's eyes, Rainbow saw something more than her usual gentle spark. There was a fire in her eyes, which gave an intense context to her otherwise benign smile. Then, Fluttershy turned and flew off, toward the front door. Fluttershy could have just hopped off the platform and flew to the ground from there, but courtesy dictates that one should always use the door to a Pegasus Pony's house. When they got to the door, they said their farewells, and Fluttershy strode out into the night. The last Rainbow saw of her was a flash of pink tail and yellow hoof, before both whipped under the cloud and out of view. Rainbow shut the door.
Day Two
Rainbow awoke the next day at 10 o'clock. Since her shift began reasonably late, she was able to pull off these late-night meetings without too much sleep loss. She woke up to the sound of a ringing doorbell. 10 was earlier than she was used to, and she was less than happy to get up quickly and fly to the door. If that's Fluttershy, I'm gonna punch her lights out, no matter how cute she sounds. She pulled the door open with her teeth. It was not Fluttershy.
"Hi, Rainbow Dash. I haven't seen you in a while." She was a vision of orange and red. Her mane, permanently ruffled from decades of flying, was brilliantly colored. Streaked with various shades of orange, like something you would see on a poisonous frog. However, her build could not have been less frog-like. She was not a small pony, but she seemed to radiate grace. Her smile was confident and knowing, with a hint of the seductive about it, not unlike Rainbow's. Her wings were currently folded at her sides, but they were large and powerful looking. She was truly a magnificent sight, the kind of pony who you couldn't possibly imagine being wrong about anything. She was in her domain, and it was clear that she would be the victor, no matter what the competition. This was Spitfire.
Rainbow Dash stared for several seconds. This sudden appearance of her lifetime idol at her doorstep was too much for her usually capable brain to process. She sputtered for a moment, and then managed a word.
"H-Hi", was all she could say. Hardly appropriate for one of the most well-known and respected ponies in Equestria, but nothing else came to mind.
"May I come in?" Rainbow's thoughts began to chug along again.
"Of course! Uh, come right in." She stood aside, giving the Pegasus Pony a wide berth, as if afraid to sully Spitfire's impressive aura with her own inadequate one. She walked inside, and looked around.
"Quite a place. Do you ever get lost?"
"Well, no. You see, I built it." Genuine surprise filled Spitfire's face. The look didn't suit her. Without her usual winning smile, her face looked odd. Unnatural.
"Did you? I knew that you were a great flyer, but I had no idea that you were a fantastic architect as well. How long did it take?"
"Well, about two weeks. The hardest part was getting the rainbows to flow right. But I did it." Rainbow was making an active effort not to sound full of herself, but it was difficult. She thinks I'm a great flyer!
"Well anyway," she said, walking towards a pillar, "I came here with an offer for you." Rainbow's heart began to beat faster.
"Yes?" Spitfire spread her wings, and rocketed into the sky. Without her suit, she looked like a firework as she streaked upwards, leaving a trail of orange blur behind her. She peaked, and began to float downwards, touching down lightly on top of the leaning pillar. Rainbow was spellbound.
"Well, let's take a look at how you've been occupying yourself for the last year." Rainbow had to come closer to hear her from her perch. "You've won the best young flyer competition in Cloudsdale, at the same time saving three lives and making a Sonic Rainboom for the second time in your life, and the second time in history. Not to mention you were invited to the Grand Galloping Gala. To do that, you have to be either rich, or in Celestia's inner circle. It's clear you're a rising star in Equestria, and we think you deserve to be recognized for it."
"Yes?" Her voice shook a little as she asked. Never one to contain emotion, Rainbow felt like bursting into tears. Stay cool, Rainbow Dash. You do not want to blow this.
"So here's our proposition: How do you want to come a two week aspiring flyer camp? When people want to join the ranks of the Wonderbolts, they have to have done a few things first. This is one of them. It's sort of like a cross between training and an audition. You'll be given food, shelter, and all sorts of entertainment. There'll be rigorous flying courses every day, but if you can do it, you'll have a much better chance of being considered if you apply for the big position. It's pretty far away, off in the countryside. In order to get there on time, you'd have to leave within six days."
"What?" Rainbow interjected, as her surprise got the better of her. "Six days?"
"Well, yes. This only happens once a year. I'm sorry to come to you on such short notice, but… y'know…" Rainbow didn't bother waiting for her to finish her sentence. Her mind was working fast. If I leave in six days, Fluttershy won't have me to help her. But obviously I can't miss this; it's the chance of a lifetime. I'll just have to find somepony else to do it.
"Well, of course I'll do it!"
"Excellent. We'll send somepony to get you at 12:00 in the town square. You have six days to pack your things and say your goodbyes." Spitfire leapt lightly from the pillar, and touched down next to Rainbow. "See you then." She turned, and walked out. Rainbow shut the door.
Rainbow thought for a long while. Who could I ask? Rarity would be no good. Too squeamish. Applejack would insist on calling the hospital. Pinkie Pie? Ha! It'll be a sad day for Equestria when Pinkie Pie becomes a doctor. How about Twilight? She could use her magic to help uncork the bottles. And I think she'd understand about not wanting to go to the hospital. Okay, it's settled then. I'll ask Twilight.
At that moment, there was another ring of the doorbell. Once again finding her relaxation cut short by an unexpected visitor, Rainbow walked to the door with some annoyance. But when she pulled open the door, another surprise awaited her. It was Twilight, floating in Pinkie's balloon.
"Hi Twilight! What're you doing here?"
"I just wanted to talk to you."
"About what?"
"Well, it's about Fluttershy." This was very surprising news. How weird. I'm thinking about asking Twilight to help take care of Fluttershy, then a few seconds later she shows up asking about it. Well, let's hear what she has to say.
"What about her?"
"I was up late last night reading…" No surprises there. "…when I saw something in the distance out the window. It was Fluttershy." Ah. The game is up. She's been caught. What should I tell her? I guess I'll just play dumb. "It was about 3 in the morning. Naturally, I'm just curious as to where she might want to go at such a late hour. I haven't asked Fluttershy what she was doing, because I didn't want to pry. But I thought you might be able to shed some light on the situation." Rainbow opened her mouth to deny involvement, when a genuine question occurred to her.
"Why'd you go straight to me?"
"Well, I though since you're both pegasi, maybe you would have the best idea. Y'know, maybe something unicorns wouldn't understand." Rainbow surveyed Twilight, sizing her up. Twilight's not stupid; she'll know that I'm lying if I pretend I've got no idea what's going on. I could just ask her now, but… I'll wait. I should ask Fluttershy before I go shouting about what's going on. I'm sure Twilight'll understand when I tell her. Besides, if I pique her curiosity, she'll be more likely to say yes.
"Well, I don't know where she goes." Twilight stared at her piercingly. Yeah, she doesn't buy it. Rainbow stared back into her eyes, willing her to walk away.
"Okay, thanks anyway." Good girl.
After Twilight had floated away, Rainbow began to plan. Okay, first step: Talk to Fluttershy, gain her approval. Step two, find Twilight and ask her. And… that's about it.
This was Rainbow's favorite time of the day: Time to get moving! Deciding that the door was too far away, Rainbow exited her house via the more direct route, jumping out the window. As she fell, the wind whistled in her ears. It was like a piece of beloved music, familiar and soothing. It did not intrude upon her thoughts, but made her an individual as she thought. These thoughts were hers, and hers alone, just as nobody would appreciate this music as she did. And at this moment, she fully appreciated the situation. I am on the consideration list for the Wonderbolts! I am about to spend two weeks taking lessons from them! However, there are more convenient places to fall into a happy stupor than mid-air, and the joy that was flooding through her nearly killed her as she remembered just in time to spread her wings and avoid collision with the ground. Lucky she was in such a good mood, or this near death experience may have sent her into shock. However, as she lightly touched upon the ground in front of Fluttershy's, she was only amused. Well, you're certainly not going to impress the Wonderbolts with flying like that. Better practice while you still can. She knocked on the door, and waited. Nobody home. Must be in town. So she took to the air once again, scanning the ground below her for a dash of pink, or a little spot of yellow. As it turned out, Fluttershy was currently on her way home. Rainbow found her pink, but the yellow was nowhere to be seen. Right, I forgot. She's wearing dresses now. Rainbow landed a good distance away, and approached on hooves. If I come crashing down from the sky right next to her, she'll have a heart attack. And that certainly won't help her mission to avoid the hospital.
"Hi Fluttershy," she said once she was within speaking distance.
"Hi Rainbow, how are you?"
"I'm fine, thanks. I need to talk to you."
"About what?"
"We've been found out. Twilight saw you flying out last night."
"I know, she told me. She asked where I was going this morning." Really? That's good to know; I'm not the only liar.
"And what did you tell her?"
"I just made something up about getting berries for Angel."
"I see. Well, I had a visit this morning."
"Oh, from whom?"
"Spitfire of the Wonderbolts!" Aware that Fluttershy would have no idea who Spitfire was, she tried to convey with her tone that this was a big deal. Fluttershy got the message.
"Oh, congratulations!"
"I'm invited to a two week stay at a flying camp out in the country. But, I'd have to leave in six days to get there."
"Oh… I see. So what are you going to do?"
"Well, I've done some thinking. I've decided it might be good if Twilight took over my duties."
"Twilight? Are you sure?"
"I don't think she'd turn you in if you asked her not to."
"Well. If you think it'd work, I'll do it. I trust you."
"Good, I'll ask her right now. See ya, Fluttershy!"
"Good-bye."
This exchange having gone better than expected, Rainbow trotted off to Twilight's with renewed confidence. However, upon arriving and knocking on the door, she was greeted only by Spike, who informed her that Twilight was out. The next few minutes Rainbow spent flying above town, searching the streets for her friend. But Twilight was nowhere to be found. Well, I can just ask her tomorrow. I have time. By the time she made it back home, it was twelve o'clock, nearly time to leave for work. She looked at herself in the mirror, decided that her appearance left no room for improvement, and jumped out the door.
A vigorous, but wholly uneventful day of cloud-clearing passed, and when her shift ended at 8 o'clock, she made a beeline for home. As she settled into bed, she prepared herself for the day ahead. All you've got to do is find Twilight. Easy. Goodnight, Rainbow. See you in the morning.
Day Three
Rainbow spent her entire day staking out Twilight's house. She had woken up bright and early – Not too difficult for her; she had a rather erratic sleep schedule – and had been waiting outside the library since 7:00. By the time five hours had passed, and it was midday, Rainbow no longer feared pony hell. She had been entertaining herself by flying around in circles, playing tic-tac-toe with herself – Best out of 71, naturally – and bashing her head against a wall. Several times during the day, other ponies stopped by to see her, including Big Mac, Ditzy Doo and some lime green unicorn she'd never spoken to. Several times she knocked on the door, and she'd even shouted herself hoarse through the keyhole. No response. At one point, Spike made the mistake of setting foot outside. Rainbow pounced on him, and pressed her face against his as she bombarded him with questions (an experience many stallions in Ponyville would have gladly received). Spike was terrified, and hid inside the moment she released him.
Never one to give up easily, Rainbow persevered. She even decided to call work and take the day off in order to make sure she'd catch Twilight if she came out. But to no avail; by the time the sun was beginning to set, she'd spent the entire day outside Twilight's house for nothing. Alright then, Miss I-Have-Better-Things-To-Do-Than-See-My-Friends. I guess I'll have to ask somepony else. I suppose Rarity would be the next best. I'll ask her tomorrow. As she flew back home, she remembered that tonight Fluttershy would be over again. Good, it'll be nice to see her. She set her alarm, and got back into bed once again, only slightly deterred. Pity I couldn't get Twilight. But it's okay, I still have time. It'll all be fine.
Day Four
Rarity. I need to find Rarity. This was the first thing that popped into Rainbow's head as she woke up the next morning. She leapt out of bed, as was soaring toward the door before she had fully woken up. Although she had assuaged the doubts of her conscious mind, her body was still no fully convinced. As she moved, she felt alert, on edge, and every beat of her heart sent this mantra pulsing throughout her body: You are running out of time. She lived and breathed this idea, as if it had altered her noticeably, but she couldn't quite pin down how. It was like a second heart, changing the flow of her blood without her knowing it. Although she thought, and her specific actions were performed because of these thoughts, her being was given power by something much more whole and natural: An idea.
Out the door, through the air, and directly toward Carousel Boutique. Come on, no time to waste. Rainbow Dash walked up to the door, and knocked. Seemingly in response, a yell of surprise came from the second floor, unmistakably Rarity. A moment later, a purple aura of magic surrounded the doorknob. It twisted, and then the door opened.
Rarity shouted, "Come iiiiinnnn!", back to her usual musical voice. Rainbow strode in, and looked around. Rarity was nowhere to be seen. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique. How may I be of service?"
"Uh, Rarity? It's me, Rainbow Dash."
"Rainbow! Lovely to see you."
"Oh, do you see me? Because I don't see you."
"Ah, touché! I am upstairs at the moment, but if you want to talk with me, I'm sure we can just continue in this manner."
"Well, I'd really rather come up and see you. It's not the sort of thing I want to shout about."
"Oh… well, yes! Of course, come right up!" Rainbow proceeded up the stairs, curious as to what Rarity could be doing. Upon laying eyes on the unicorn, she only half received an answer. Rarity was sitting on the floor, leaning against her bedroom door. The keyhole was stuffed with some kind of fabric, as were the holes around the edges of the door. There was a magazine at her side, and an empty plate.
"Why hello, Rainbow!"
"Hi Rarity. Um… what are you doing?"
"Oh, well, you see… a squirrel has gotten into my boutique. It's trapped in this room. I'm holding the door shut so it can't get out."
"Have you called the exterminators?"
"Yes, they're on their way. Until they arrive, I'm just sitting here."
"Oh. Well, if…"
Wham! The noise of something very heavy falling sounded throughout the house. The door on which Rarity was leaning shook on its hinges. Rarity jumped, but remained in place.
"What…", asked Rainbow, panting from the unexpected shock, "was that?"
"It must have been trying to get out."
"That must be a gigantic squirrel! Are you sure you don't need help?"
"No, no, I'll be fine. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Oh…" Rainbow wanted to keep talking about the squirrel, but she decided Rarity had the situation well in hand. "I wanted to ask you if you would be interested in doing me a favor."
"Would it involve leaving this house?"
"Well, yes, it would, but not today."
"When?"
"Tomorrow."
"Then no can do, darling. I'm sorry, but I'm going to be very busy for a while."
"Oh." This was a problem. I really hope Applejack can do it. "Well, okay. Thanks anyway."
"Oh, no trouble at all. Hope it turns out well!" You and me both, dah-ling.
"I'm sure it will. And I hope you take care of your squirrel. Bye!"
And so Rainbow departed, now on her way to Applejack's barn. Panic was beginning to squirm inside Rainbow's stomach. Two down, two to go. Dear Celestia, I hope I don't have to ask Pinkie. In fact, it may be safer if I just don't ask her at all. If Applejack can't do it, then Fluttershy's just going to have to tough it out and let somepony else supervise her bunnies. She landed next to the barn door, and knocked, hoping as hard as she could.
"Who is it?" Big Mac's deep, slow, thoughtful, easily identifiable voice came out.
"It's Rainbow Dash. I want to talk to Applejack." Rainbow could make out whispers coming from behind the door, and it swung open.
"Applejack!" The room was surprisingly crowded, but Rainbow's eyes leapt directly onto Applejack. She was lying in the center of the room, and she was in a sorry state. Covered with bruises, a cast on one leg and bleeding in quite a few places. "What happened?"
"I can't tell you."
"She hasn't told any of us," said Big Mac. At this, Rainbow looked around. In this small room were Applejack, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Applebloom, and surprisingly, Fluttershy.
"Oh, hi Fluttershy."
"Hi. Somepony told me that Applejack was hurt, and I rushed over here." At a questioning glance from Applejack, she added, "The news has been spreading rather fast."
"But Applejack!" exclaimed Rainbow, her previous mission forgotten, "you have to tell us what happened! That looks serious."
"I ain't saying nothing. I made a promise."
"To whom?"
"I can't tell you that either."
"Applejack," said Big Mac. "You need to go to the hospital."
"No, really Big Mac, I don't have to. I'll be fine."
"You have to."
"I can still work! I'm still as good an apple-bucker as ever!"
"You really should go, Applejack," piped up Fluttershy. Rainbow glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. She returned the glance, her face showing only concern.
"I'm calling the hospital right now." Big Mac's voice was final. Applejack knew better than to argue. I wonder if Fluttershy will. Rainbow gave Fluttershy a stare, trying to catch her eye. Once their eyes met, Rainbow gave a nod toward the door. They walked out together.
"Twilight can't do it, Rarity can't do it, Applejack can't do it, Pinkie definitely can't do it; I don't know what to tell you. We're out of options."
"So you really can't get any of them?" Rainbow stared in to Fluttershy's face. She really didn't want to disappoint her, but…
"Fine. I'll give it one more day. If I can find Twilight tomorrow, I'll ask her. But if I can't, you're going to the hospital."
"Alright. Whatever it takes."
"Besides, now you'll have Applejack for company."
"Yes, I suppose that will be nice. Thank you very much Rainbow."
"It's nothing. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Good bye!"
The rest of the day was spent eating, and half-heartedly glancing at Twilight's house to see if she had gone out. Nothing. She was more relaxed, now that she was sure Fluttershy wouldn't burst into tears when she had to go, but she still was not pleased with the way it had turned out. She hadn't done her job. She hated losing.
Sleep came easily that night.
Day Five
For the fourth day in a row, Rainbow Dash didn't go to work. She was the top cloud-clearing Pegasus, and she knew that the mail ponies would be held up because of her absence, but she didn't really care. Friends are more important. I'm the element of loyalty, and I will put Fluttershy first. Rainbow proceeded out the door, and flew down to town. I'm going to give Twilight one more chance. Let's hope I can find her.
However, finding her turned out not to be the problem. Rainbow had just touched down outside her front door, when it slammed open, sending her flying. Ouch! What I wouldn't give for Pinkie Sense, sometimes. As Rainbow staggered to her feet, she caught a glimpse of a purple blur speeding away from her.
"Twilight!" Rainbow shot into the air, calling Twilight's name. "Twilight, wait!"
But she either couldn't hear her or didn't care. Rainbow was an incredibly fast flyer, but Twilight had a good head start, and by the time she reached the town square, Twilight had disappeared into the crowd. Cursing, Rainbow landed in the square and began looking around, but it was hopeless. She was nowhere to be found. Oh well. I tried.
Rainbow bent her knees, and shot into the sky.
"Rainbow! Rainbow Dash, wait!" She heard a voice calling her name. Confused, she hovered in midair, scanning the street below her. She found Rarity, waving to her desperately from outside Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow floated downwards, and landed next to her.
"Hey Rarity, what's up?"
"Rainbow!" Rarity was acting very odd. She looked panicky, which was not very interesting in and of itself – Rarity was usually a very panicky pony. However, in addition to panicking, she also looked horribly, sickeningly afraid. "What's been going on?"
"What do you mean?" asked a perplexed Rainbow Dash.
"The clouds! They're not being cleared properly!"
"Well, I've been taking the week off. Why do you care…"
"Why have you taken the week off!" Rarity was almost shouting now.
"Well… it was because I wanted to talk to Twilight, and she wouldn't come out of her house. Rarity, what's going on?"
"Twilight! She's doomed us all!"
"Rarity, what are you…" But Rarity was galloping away. Rainbow stared after her, her mouth hanging open. What in Pony Hell was that about? Probably just dramatic Rarity being dramatic. But there was something unsettling about the way she had behaved. Something disturbing. Rarity may be dramatic, but something was clearly terrifying her. Well, there's nothing you can do about it now, Rainbow. Just put it out of your mind.
The rest of the day was spent in relative peace. She could usually be found hanging around the town square, keeping an eye out for Twilight in between errands. For the last couple of days, eating had taken a backseat to Fluttershy's dilemma, so it was very pleasant for her to spend some time just sitting at a restaurant, thinking. Rainbow was not generally the sit-and-think type, but with not much else to do, she was beginning to appreciate its merits. She had hardly thought at all about packing for the flying camp. There's a lot I haven't thought about. Maybe I'll take tomorrow off as well, make it a round week of vacation. I could use the time to prepare.
And so the day passed. Once it was getting a little bit later, Rainbow decided to head over to Fluttershy's house, and tell her how things had turned a brief journey, she landed outside, and knocked on the door. Fluttershy answered.
"Oh, hello Rainbow."
"Hi, Fluttershy," she began, and getting straight to the point, continued, "I couldn't get Twilight."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Come in." Rainbow strode into the house, looking around for a place to sit. Her eyes found a staircase, a clock, a rather interesting blue sculpture, and then a couch. Sitting down, she forged onward, focusing on the point she had flown here to discuss.
"So, since nopony can take care of you, you're going to go to a hospital, right?"
"Well… I don't know…"
"Come on, Fluttershy! We agreed on this. I have to go to this flying camp. You're going to the hospital."
"It's just… I'd really rather not."
"Look, I'm sorry, but it has to be this way. This is a once in a lifetime chance for me."
"But…"
"No buts! I've enjoyed these secret meetings. I really do enjoy spending the night with you. But I need a break. Even if I didn't have to leave, I need a break."
"So... is that it then? It's over?"
"Yes. It's over. I'm going to tell the others."
"What? No, you can't!"
"I think we should. There's been enough secrecy."
"But... if I tell them, don't you think they might be mad? We've kept it secret for so long."
"Don't worry, I promise they won't be mad."
"But... but... I still don't want them to know. I just don't feel comfortable with it."
"Come on, Fluttershy!" Rainbow was nearly shouting in frustration now. "I know you're doing it out of love, but it's gone far enough. I'm going to tell them right now."
"No! I... I mean, can you please just wait a little bit? A few hours? Pretty please?"
"Fine, a few hours. That's it!" What did she expect? If you're going to the hospital, don't you think the others would wonder where you'd gone anyway? You really should give them some credit. Annoyed, Rainbow stood and walked briskly to the exit. Pushing the door open, she walked out into the yard, and pushed off into the sky. Another journey, and she found herself in her bed.
Well, the good news is, it's done. This whole Fluttershy drama is over. Now, maybe I can just relax a little bit. And she drifted off to sleep, feeling stressed, tired, annoyed, but nonetheless happy.
Day Six
Rainbow woke up, called work, and jumped out the window. This was becoming a standard morning for her, something very few people can say. But she wasn't rushing anywhere. She didn't have an urgent agenda to which to adhere. She just had to get breakfast. Perfect.
She landed in the town square, which was not yet packed with ponies, and which was occupied by only a few morning joggers, some early commuters, and…
"Rarity!" Rainbow yelled her name, and she turned around. Rainbow trotted up to her. Maybe now I can find out what happened yesterday. But the closer she got, the more apparent it was that something was wrong. It was her eyes. Rarity was not crying, but her eyes were… deep. There was a kind of sorrow in them that cannot appear in the eyes of content people. Behind her eyes, there was a kind of natural power, something to which Rainbow could relate. But you could get lost in those eyes, in the depths of their utter despair.
"Rarity…" Rainbow didn't know what to say to her. "What's happened? What's going on?" Nobody could mistake this for drama. Whatever she's about to say, it's going to be big.
"Pinkie's gone."