Rainbow Dash was happily resting. She felt warm, cozy... like she was drifting weightless on a cloud. She wanted to curl up into a ball, but for some reason she couldn't. It took more effort to figure out why, and she didn't especially care at the moment, so she just lay there asleep, not even snoring. Sleep... was... paramount, as Rarity would say.

She heard a far off voice:

"Dashie, wake up!"

She groaned in response.

It's not happening.

The voice grew louder, with it a relaxing warm breeze roared in her ears.

"Rainbow Dash, please! Wake up!"

Rainbow heard coughing. It wasn't loud, but it felt nearer than the voice had been.

The Pegasus turned over and opened her eyes.

All around her was this orange glow, relaxing and yellow at the ends. Above her was a shadow with big blue eyes, on its shoulder a tinier shadow with purple eyes. She tried to focus on these two beings above her, and they became more defined. A curly mane, a dainty face... she was sure she looking at Pinkie, but this Pinkie was black.

"Wha... wha?" Was all Rainbow could muster before being hit with a strong urge to cough. She coughed like she'd been smoking for ten years.

"Rainbow Dash!" Exclaimed the black mare above her, giving her a strong hug. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

Even though she was coughing, she hugged the mare back.

"What... happened?"

The black Pinkie pulled away.

"I... saved you, Dashie." A lone tear fell to the ground as Pinkie limply flailed around her left foreleg. "You and Gummy. I jumped out the window with you two and now my leg won't work. It doesn't even hurt!"

Before Dash could ask another question, the pony before her limped out of the way to reveal what had happened. Rainbow Dash was outside in the warm grass about thirty feet away from Pinkie's bakery, the top floor of which was entirely engulfed in bright orange flames. It was the middle of the night, yet all of Ponyville was close enough to see the disaster looked bright as day.

"Oh, no," Dash's face was blank, devastated. "No..."

Rainbow looked up at the burning building. She could only think of Pinkie watching her dreams melt. Pegasai zipped by through the air, many carrying heavy buckets of water. Both mares knew it wasn't going to do any good. It would take something bigger. Ponies bellowed "FIRE!" off in the distance, even though by now most of Ponyville knew what was happening and where it was.

Dash stood up, feeling the dull ache of her wounds previously unnoticed. She looked down at her hooves -- her hair was blackened, singed just like Pinkie's, but her burns seemed superficial at least. Raw to the touch, but superficial.

I could have died. She thought, her mind eerily at peace.

The Pegasus coughed up some more, hacking deeply, clear soupy liquid falling from her mouth. Rainbow felt like she could throw up, but thankfully she didn't... she didn't know whether or not that was more physical or emotional. She felt as though she had done a couple laps around Equestria without a break... she had no energy left to fight the fire with the rest. Dash barely had the energy to stand.

Stiffly and sorely, Dash walked in front of Pinkie and saw the orange reflection in her wide eyes. How odd that she was smiling.

"Pinkie..." Rainbow said, weakly. "I..."

"It's okay, Dashie," Pinkie said, calmly. "Things like Bakeries can be rebuilt. You and Gummy can't. I'd much rather have you forever than this dumb, ol' bakery."

Rainbow reached out with her hooves and placed them gently around Pinkie's shoulders. The mare winced, but accepted the comfort and continued to watch the blaze, too exhausted and pulverized from saving her friends to do much more than keep her head up. She didn't even grimmace as she heard Dash's breath take on a more staccato-like rhythm, feeling the warm sting of tears against her shoulder. Pinkie patted Dash's back... she should have been the one crying, but she was too sad for it to happen.

"Pinkie, is that you?" A familiar voice called out. Both Rainbow and Pinkie looked over. "Pinkie?"

"Yeah, it's me, Twilight," Pinkie said, flatly, motioning with her good hoof. "This is a bit much even for me to know what to do."

Rainbow looked up in time to see Fluttershy flying overhead with a red bucket in her mouth. Word traveled fast.

"I just wrote Celestia," Twilight began as she approached. Spike right behind her. "She says in about eight minutes the weather Pegasai will have a storm together that should be big enough to knock this fire out."

"Good," said Rainbow Dash, coughing twice.

"I'm so sorry, girls," Twilight sat in front of Pinkie.

"There's got to be something you can do," Rainbow said to Twilight. "Pull the water tower down with your magic just like you did a year ago when that Ursa Minor came through town."

"Mayor Mare wasn't happy when I did that," Twilight responded, hesitantly. "And the amount of water in one of those things could easily do a lot of collateral damage, plus stamp the bakery flat."

"It won't make a difference if you stamped the bakery flat," said Pinkie while looking at the dirt, her black mane straight.

"Pinkie Pie!" A far-off voice shouted. "Pinkie!"

Pinkie's ears perked up as she looked off down the way with the rest. It was Mr. Cake, the Mrs. right behind him.

She stood up slowly, wincing as she did so. Carrot knew she was hurt first thing, as did Mrs. Cake, and they both went running as she limped in their direction, stumbling along the way.

"We're so glad you're in one piece," said Mrs. Cake. "We thought you had..."

"Don't say it, Cup Cake." Said Mr. Cake, soothingly. "She's going to be fine." He turned to Rainbow Dash. "We're glad to see you're okay, too. Did you save Pinkie, Rainbow?"

"More like she saved me," Dash replied, coughing. "Her forelegs are hurt. She jumped through a window with me and Gummy."

"More like your window," Pinkie added as Mr. Cake examined her foreleg carefully.

"Oh, dear," Mrs. Cake looked up at the burning bakery as Pegasai piled on bucket after bucket of water, hardly making a difference in the flame's height. "At least it's only on the second floor... maybe it'll be easier to rebuild if they can put it out soon."

"We can only hope..." Said Mr. Cake. "Thank goodness for insurance. They'll put you and this place back together again, just like in that old foal's rhyme about the Egg Stallion living in the Egg House."

Pinkie's mane was no longer limp as she looked up at her two mentors with hope in her eye. They looked back with love.

"The Princess has weather Pegasai on the way," Twilight said confidently. "By now it should just be five minutes at the very-"

"Look!" Spike pointed with a claw at the left side of the building.

Beside the bakery, about twenty feet to the left, were other buildings; some under a guise to look like tents, others cloth-covered pillars and small shops. The flames wafted in their direction under the seemingly soft night breeze, magnified into a torrent when it hit the flames. It got closer and closer with each gust, until it was a mere five feet away

"No, no, no!" Twilight shouted, as Spike pulled a quill and piece of parchment from her saddle bags. "Spike, we have to tell the Princess NOW!"

"Already on it!" Spike said, rolling up the paper with a note on it, ready to blow it all the way to the Princess.

Spike blew his green flame on to the paper and the note disintegrated, on its way to rematerialize in the Princess's domain. He looked up anxiously at the fire as Rainbow Dash rose to her hooves yet again.

"I can't let this happen," she said weakly, stretching her wings.

Twilight was the first to object:

"Rainbow, you're no no shape to-"

It was too late. In a sooty, black rainbow blur she was gone.

Rainbow Dash, though wheezing and flying slower than normal through the air, surprisingly had all her facilities. She looked around at the Pegasai flying everywhere for organization -- where were they going to get their buckets? She saw off in the distance where they were coming from and where they were headed. Also off in the distance, she saw a dark cloud becoming more and more dense and thundery as it moved closer and closer to Ponyville. Though she saw flashes she did not hear accompanying the bangs. Rushing at her fastest, she knew it wouldn't make a difference if she helped bring the dark cloud here... like the hospital carts, it could only move so fast, but this time even if she helped it. Too much speed would cause it to fly apart and become a lesser, less effective rainclouds. She decided to help instead with the buckets of water.

She flew in the direction they were all coming from, towards the well, passing many Pegasai along the way -- Derpy, Fluttershy, and Thunderlane were all left in a dark blur as Dash wobbled past them, almost as fast as though she were healthy. No pony knew who this black speedster was, but the pony at the end refilling and handing out the buckets didn't argue when he looked into her magenta eyes as she shouted: "Gimme, gimme, gimme!" in an endless loop.

Dash flew up to the fire, threw the water on it, then returned for another. She went back and forth, her bones and burns aching, her wings felt like they could fly apart, but she never gave up, never rested for a moment. These were Pinkie's dream she was fighting for... and even her own, though she knew it was probably too late for that seeing how her room and everything she owned was blackened embers by now.

Yet the flames stayed dangerously close to catching the nearby buildings on fire.

On the ground, Spike clutched his gut. With a single belch a new scroll appeared. He held it high and read it aloud:

Twilight looked at the Cakes and they looked back, then at each other. All three ponies lowered their heads... they knew whatever was coming wasn't going to be good. Spike belched up another scroll and padded away with Twilight in the direction all the Pegasai had been going as Mrs. Cake hugged Pinkie and petted Gummy on her shoulder. They all waited... one big, happy family, looking to the skies. Pinkie was loaded on Mr. Cake's back as they took her to rest an additional twenty feet away, her listless hooves dangling off his back.

Rainbow Dash had not given up. Back and forth... back and forth. Ever inch of her seared and abraded, that did not stop her. The last bucket she had to get herself, the pony would not give it to her. Something about danger... of course there was danger. Voices shouted, some familiar. "Wait! Stop! Please!" Earth ponies and a couple donkeys tried to slow her down, but she knocked them all aside... a few of them falling on their flanks, an older donkey howled in pain. Dash didn't study any of them, she had a job to do. On her way back, close enough to feel the flames, she was grabbed by two Pegasai:

"Stop!" Shouted Derpy, as she and Thunderlane held Dash back.

"I have to get through!" Snarled Dash as Thunderlane's hooves dug into her raw flesh. "Let me go!"

"You have to keep clear!"Thunderlane shouted back as they forced Dash towards the ground. "You'll be killed!"

They both knew something she did not. The entire Fire Brigade did. Rainbow shouted and objected, dropping the bucket and finally collapsing as they got her to the grass. Thunderlane pulled his hooves away from her body and noticed bits of cyan coat and rainbow mane mixed in with the charred black covering.

"Rainbow Dash?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

She nodded, breathing heavily.

"Yeah. It's me."

There was the sound of a lower rumble coming from behind the burning bakery. It grew fast into a roar. Rainbow and the rest of the spectators looked up as a large blue bulging sphere appeared in the sky above the bakery, looking still at first... only for them to realize it was moving at an incredible rate of speed. Four Wonderbolt athletes held a sheet aloft with a quantity of water roughly roughly one quarter that of Ponyville's water supply. In less than ten seconds, they were above the bakery with their giant blue sheet. They released it, but the water did not fall into the flames just yet.

The four athletes began to rapidly fly in a circle, causing the water to remain still in the air as they generated a cyclone, partially smothering the flames below. The water rose higher and higher until it was almost thirty feet above the building, then it began to wane... even the Wonderbolts had their limits. The flames were twenty percent violent than before the Wonderbolts showed up, and now threatening only what was directly above the building (a mere ten feet from roasting Spitfire's barrel). At once the four Pegasus ponies brought their formation to a stop and the water came crashing violently back down; pieces of burnt wood flew from the smoldering bakery, embedding themselves in roofs and crashing through windows. Collateral damage had been done, but it was less than the water tower would have left in its wake. The bottom half of the bakery remained intact; the top half, all that remained were a few beams and Rainbow's precious pillar, now jet black.

Pinkie silently stared at the wreckage with the Cakes as the Wonderbolts flew off. Everypony helping now lowered their heads, happy that it was over with, but unhappy for all the destruction.

Rainbow limped in Pinkie's direction.

"What'd ya say, Pinkie?" The Pegasus said, trying to sound less destroyed than she felt. "Hospital?"

"I think you both could benefit from a trip there, if not just to get checked out," said Mrs. Cake, brushing Pinkie's frizzy mane, seeing a bit of color appearing beneath the black.

Pinkie nodded in reply.

"I hurt all over now," she said. "Major owies."

"Yeah, me too."

Dash looked up at the blackened bakery and sighed:

"I'm so sorry, Pinkie."

"I think they'll be able to rebuild it in about six to eight months," said Mr. Cake. "I'm no expert, but we've had a couple fires in our early days before we took Pinkie in... they're no fun, but since everypony's alive, it'll just take time. I'll look everything over once the damage is assessed and our machines have been cleared out. Hopefully most of it will still work."

"That's optimistic," said Twilight, looking at her two friends with concern. "I'll visit you both tomorrow afternoon if you're still there... along with Scootaloo."

"I think I just need a shower," said Rainbow, looking at her coat as she chucked.

"And I think a shower might take some of your skin off!" Laughed Twilight. "Please... I don't want to have to worry about you."

"You won't need to." Dash said, kneeling in the grass. "I just need a moment. Twilight, could you get me and Pinkie an emergency cart?"

"Sure thing, Rainbow."

Twilight walked off to get the attention of some ponies in white uniforms who were talking to ponies in orange unicorns (presumably some Ponyville Emergency Cart Operators talking with the Fire Brigade) as the rest continued to look at the bakery. Earlier it had been roaring, huge flames spiraling out from its top and windows. Now it was silent, small and black. Rainbow shook her head.

They heard a sound coming from the building -- a long, sort of deep creak one might associate with a new building just settling in. They paused, waiting to hear it finally stop. Though it only lasted five seconds, those five seconds were very telling.

Now it was silent again.

There was a loud, sudden crash at the top of the bakery, causing all ponies nearby to jump or shriek. No pony knew what had happened, but Dash did. She saw her pillar disappear into the bottom floor. It wasn't over yet.

Following the crash there came a louder, greater pop, piercing the air. Another fiery explosion erupted as her pillar crashed through to the basement, this one at least was contained and suffocated by the tight quarters and cooking supplies in the air. The remaining bakery collapsed in on itself as, of all things, popcorn rained down from the heavens above to the ground all around. The walls remained, but Mr. Cake knew from the sound and the flash there was no more bakery inside. He looked at Pinkie and smiled grimly.

"Is it going to catch fire again?" She asked innocently, leaning against Mrs. Cake for support as the Emergency Cart operators approached.

"No, Pinkie," he said, calmly as Mrs. Cake took Gummy from her back. "Everything's going to be just fine. I promise."

"Oh, goodie."

Pinkie looked up into the sky as she was laid out on a gurney. Her hair was blackened and sooty, but her eyes were still blue and pure. She closed them as she was picked up... she was in worse shape than Dash, but they'd both survive. She wanted this all to be a dream very badly; she was too upset to fall asleep, and even though she was all about having fun... Pinkie Pie only seldomly diluted herself. This was bad, but everything would be okay. Mr. Cake had promised her, after all.

Rainbow Dash was loaded on a gurney next. She had earned her rest, but she knew half of that was her fault. Her eyes were wide, she wanted to cry... but she was too tired to. Sleep came for her a bit after she was loaded into the cart, well before she made it to the hospital. It was going to be a long night for both ponies all the same.

These word's echoed through the pony's minds.

Under local anesthesia, Pinkie shut her eyes and allowed the doctors to work on her. It was a nightmare she tuned out, as she did many unpleasant experiences. She had quite a few first and second-degree burns on her side, particularly her left flank, but they were cleaned with ease. It required some scrubbing, but she didn't feel a thing. Her shoulder had been dislocated in the fall, not as badly as Rainbow Dash's had been after her accident just a couple weeks before, so it was easily popped back into place. All in all, after she was cleaned, Pinkie just needed a mane cut.

Pinkie Pie imagined herself outside of the bakery in the soft grass, unharmed with just her gator Gummy by her side. She could practically smell the burning horse hair that was Rainbow Dash. She could have -- and would have -- escaped unharmed if it weren't for Rainbow. It was Rainbow Dash's window she had broken out with Scootaloo's helmet, Rainbow Dash's window she had used to escape. She couldn't imagine leaving Dash to burn, though... finding her skull the next morning in the rubble, if it even still existed. After all Rainbow Dash had done for her and her friends, she owed it to her... since Dash was asleep, it wouldn't have hurt, but that's not why she saved her. She had no regrets as she laid there, at four in the morning, having her skin picked free of debris.

Rainbow Dash laid down on the table, shaking with both anxiety and pain. Dr. Stable came in and opened up a drawer full of tools:

"Now, I'm going to give you a couple shots of Lidocaine," he said calmly, yet matter-of-factly. "That should dull the pain while we clean your burns and cuts."

He held up the needle and flicked it a few times, turning to the Pegasus.

"No." She replied, almost in a whisper, not looking up.

"Rainbow Dash," Dr. Stable said, firmly. "This is really going to hurt without some type of pain-killer. You have both ash and wood chips embedded in your burns. You are burned all over both sides of your body. We need to scrub and sanitize them or else you could develop an infection!"

Rainbow looked up at him. Even through her blackened fur he could still see her bruised, tired eyes:

"Do what you gotta do, Doc, but don't give me any of that numby-novacaine stuff."

Dr. Stable looked at his assistant, Nurse Redheart. She returned a look as flabbergasted as he felt.

"May I ask why?"

"Simple," Dash replied. "You didn't give Scootaloo any."

"Rainbow..." Dr. Stable sighed. "We didn't have a choice."

"Don't give me any, doc. If she had to go through it, so do I."

For one brief instance, Dr. Stable was taken out of his professional composure. He was brought back into it fairly quickly, shaking his head.

"A-hem. Alright, if that's what you wish. You may change your mind at any time." He turned to Nurse Redheart. "Nurse? Please get a sanitary stick for Rainbow Dash to bite down on. I almost can't... in good conscience do this."

"I'll be okay."

The nurse still left for a few minutes as Doctor Stable got out a few anti-septic chemicals and tools -- gauze, medical tweezers, nylon scrubbies, and rubbing alcohol. She returned with a white, dense plastic stick. Rainbow Dash took one look and shook her head.

For the second time in just a few short weeks, Doctor Stable again had to detach himself while treating a pony. This one he knew from the few times he'd seen her that she was made of sterner stuff. He focused on cleaning her wounds, gently, pulling larger splinters and ash from her nastier burns, covering them up with protective bandages after gently cleaning them his gauze. He seldom had to use the scrubby, and it hurt more than she imagined, but Rainbow Dash only gritted her teeth and pounded the table. She shut her eyes and tried to imagine herself in the air, but all she felt was the raw sting of her burns being treated.

It was over before the sun rose. Both ponies were wheeled to separate rooms, bandaged up but not in awful shape. Their prognosis was good.

Doctor Stable's work was far from over with, however. Other patients needed treatment -- everything from minor burns to a broken leg. Many had arrived from the fire as well. One had a nasty injury inflicted by a hysterical black mare barging through over a bucket. No pony had seen this mare before or since in Ponyville, except a handful that never stepped forth... little did they know who that pony was. In the chaos and calamity Dash had dodged a bullet. Derpy Hooves, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Thunderlane, Pinkie Pie, and the Cakes could have easily destroyed her... but they kept silent.

In hours everything was settled and everypony was resting. Most ponies would be discharged in a few days at the very most. However, it was far from over.