Chapter 29 – Shiny and New

Rainbow Dash could tell she was healing. As she floated there, the lights that shined on her stitched up the breaks in her skin and regrew some of the fur that had been burned away during the crash. It didn't hurt, in fact, she knew she was healing because the pain would go away. Previous pains from injuries during practice, and even more recent pains that were there because of the electrical burns were fading to a relaxing feeling. The light green light that held her up and allowed for the light blue lights to shine on her seemed to let her just relax and let the stress melt away, the only thing that hurt now was her injured leg, the one that had been hurting ever since the crash. "You two were lucky." Hulon said as she watched the results come to her console, "Mostly minor injuries and first-degree electrical burns from an attack like that. I was certain you'd have more severe injuries." She then thought of what she had just said, and tried to backtrack a bit, "Not, that I was hoping for more severe injuries…" she began and heard the medical door hiss open as somepony walked in.

"How are the patients, Doctor?" Fluttershy asked.

Hulon turned to her partner, a smile on Fluttershy's face as she walked in and greeted the Hylop, "Better than this conversation…" the young Hylop moaned to herself, then looked up to the yellow pegasus, "Mostly minor injuries, but Rainbow Dash seems to have sustained some trauma to her left superficial digital flexor tendon."

"Oh my!" Fluttershy added in and then turned when Breeze spoke up.

"I have no idea what that is!" he said and turned to Rainbow Dash, "I'm almost certain that she doesn't either."

"She bruised the tendon that helps her move her leg." Hulon said.

"Is it bad?" Rainbow asked from her spot in suspension.

"Nothing we can't heal up, but you might have a small twitch if you don't let it rest." Hulon admitted.

"I can work with that." she said, and once again let the relaxing feeling of the lamps ease her tension.

"With what? The twitch?" the Hylop asked.

"Nope." Rainbow answered calmly, "The resting part."

Breeze watched as his lights finished that last bit of his burns, the fur regrowing right in front of him, and suddenly the green light just set him down seconds after the blue light shut off. He flexed himself all over, testing everything, "How long until she's done?" he asked.

Fluttershy looked up to him, a smile on her face, "I'd give her another twenty minutes." she said, and walked away to a few of her new animals.

"Thanks." he said, and turned to Rainbow Dash, "Promise you'll take their advice?" he said to her.

Rainbow opened one eye to him, an eye that was asking why he was interrupting her nap, "I promise." she said as she smiled, "I mean, we've still got a couple of days until the next race right?"

"What about that new move?" he asked.

"What new move?" Fluttershy asked in response.

"We found out that the Rainbow Trail could shoot fire when she flaps the wings hard enough." he admitted, only to have Fluttershy look to him with a stern look.

"She's going to need rest if she wants to be at a hundred percent." she said and let her look soften, "Besides I'm sure she'll still be able to use it. The new Rainbow Trail is going to be even better than the first."

"What do you mean?" Rainbow asked.

"They just found a new engine for it; they're installing it right now." she admitted.

Blade waved his hooves as he floated there, his wings flapping to keep him aloft in order to keep an eye on the engine as Writch used the crane to get it into place. "You sure it'll fit?" she asked as he had her stop the machine.

"Positive, and it was a good thing we upgraded to seven thrusters instead of five, faster and that's what this machine takes seven connections." he said, as he lined up the connecting cables on the back of the machine.

"Looks like something is inspiring us." Writch said as she once again started to lower the engine carefully.

"I doubt it, but if you Treeopons are superstitious…" Blade said casually and turned his attention to the approaching purple alicorn.

"How is everything looking up there?" Twilight asked.

"Just putting in the last of the support bolts right now." he called back, "Then we just need to fit the hull over top of it."

"Thanks, Lady Kiane came back to check on our progress, and give us the medallion. Too bad Rainbow Dash had to miss the ceremony, but thems the breaks I guess." she told them.

Twilight then turned to the scrapped ship; the old Rainbow Trail that had been burned out due to crashing into the ground. "Fluttershy is planning on giving the old racer to discord as one of his souvenirs." he admitted.

Twilight shuddered, thinking about what Discord would do with a wrecked racer, "Are we sure we want him to have that?" she asked, "I don't even think I'd trust him with a toy racer."

"Little harsh for the Princess of Friendship." Blade said with his best smile.

Twilight could hear the sarcasm in his voice, so she decided to play along, "Would you trust him with a legit space ship?" she asked, and could see the moment when the realization hit him.

Instantly an image came to his mind, an image of a bunch of Discords having a race using nothing but racers. "I'll talk to Fluttershy." he said and finished tightening the last of the fastening bolts.

"Excuse me." they all heard Rarity ask, and turned to the white unicorn, "But I was wondering if it might be possible for me to design the paint for this new racer, I enjoyed the first one, but I have been thinking of new designs and I think I may have one that would blow the competition away, as it were."

"Are you sure Rarity?" Twilight asked, "Are you finished with the parts?"

"Dahling we've had all day to make our garage ready, our shelves are stocked and ready with nothing but the best. And we would like our racer to reflect that would we not? I have just the designs to make it a dazzling racer." Rarity said.

"It doesn't require gems does it?" Blade asked.

Rarity chuckled a bit and flatly said, "No." then told them frankly, "I've been studying those magazines of Pilit's and I've been able to really admire the beauty of some of those racers. Really it's like making a dress for a machine."

"Not really, but I'm listening." Writch said as she lowered the hull into place.

"I think I have the perfect design for the Rainbow Trail Mk.2. A design that will boldly tell the entire system who we are, and they can't just knock us down, because we will rise even stronger than before." she said, her confidence and ferocity growing as she spoke.

"Ok, let's take a look at some of those designs." Blade said as he finished fastening the hull to the frame. Writch moved the crane out of the way, and the three of them came down to look at a few papers Rarity had in her magic.

"I actually have a few for you to look at." the white mare said and unrolled the papers.

"No." Writch said the moment she looked at it.

"But I haven't even explained it yet!" Rarity said in surprise.

"Don't care, don't like it. NEXT!" the Treeopon said.

"Next for what?" Tusks asked as he overheard them.

"Rarity's showing us designs for the Rainbow Trail Mk.2." Blade explained, and the male Treeopon came up and basically had the same reaction as Writch, just with no words.

"Fine." the mare grumbled and took the paper from the stack.

"That's not bad." Tusks said.

"I don't know…maybe?" Writch said.

"It definitely would look good as a dress." Twilight said, and used her own magic to take the picture.

"Wait a moment." Writch said and grabbed the third picture.

"That…might actually work." Tusks said and smiled.

Rainbow Dash finally came from her room, the pain in her leg finally gone, and with the rest of the day to sleep and heal her leg, she was finally beginning to feel better. She yawned as she made her way to the bay, a very interesting sight waiting for her, Breeze stood there with a surprised expression on his face, "Wha…" she groaned as she walked up to him, "What's going on?" she asked and looked to where he was gawking. The Rainbow Trail Mk.2 sat there, the last bits of paint being placed as Rarity and Twilight finished up the last of it. It looked very similar to before. The top was cyan blue to match Rainbow Dash's coat, and the bottom white with the three hover-plates. The cyan flowed all the way back to the thrusters, covering most of the body, but this time, she saw a rainbow, one that started small, reaching from the nose of the ship and flowed like a river along the side, under the wings and spread out to the back of the ship, almost as if it were trying to trail behind the ship as it would fly.

"And…finished!" Rarity called out and turned to look at the rest of the crew, a bit of red paint on her cheek, "What do you think?"

"She looks mighty purdy in her new skin." Applejack said, "Looks great."

"Oh, she's more than just a pretty face." Twilight said, and looked to Rainbow Dash, "Once we get to the new location, Rainbow Dash should take her out for a spin."

"Twilight, dahling. The paint still needs to dry." Rarity reminded her friend.

"Huh?" the pegasus asked.

"Just take it easy at first, ok?" Blade asked.

"Well, I'm still healing from the injury, Doctor's orders, but Ok. I'll take her out of the garage." Rainbow said and smiled.

Rarity chuckled a bit, "You mean, just as soon as the paint dries, right?" she asked and was rewarded with a nod from Rainbow Dash.

"Good." Tusks said, catching everypony's attention, right before he placed the medallion into the garage wall right next to the first one, the light once again erupted from outside, and once the rumbling stopped, everypony got ready to check out their new grounds.