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Falling Backwards

by Tofu-Monstrosity

Chapter 4

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Things didn’t go according to plan. Twilight hated it when things didn’t go according to plan. It happened when they were getting ready to leave when Twilight heard the newspaper hit her door. She had decided earlier that Rainbow Dash would stay home with Spike as she ran out and did errands. She wouldn’t be gone too long and she trusted the purple dragon. So Twilight stepped outside to get the Ponyville Gazette and closed the front door behind her. From the opposite side of the door she heard a screaming, crashing and a loud thump of something hitting the door.

Weary of what just happened, Twilight slowly opened the door to find a bookshelf knocked over, Spike standing dumbfounded and Rainbow Dash, sprawled out on the floor in front of the door. She seemed to be a bit dazed from the impact she had made but hopped onto her hooves as soon as she saw Twilight had returned.

“Mommy!” She nearly knocked Twilight over from her full frontal assault of an attempted hug.

“You were gone for like…10 seconds...” Spike came out of his stupor.

“So leaving her here while I run errands is now out of the question.” Twilight responded, prying the pegasus off of her. Spike nodded.

“Leaving her anywhere without you is probably out of the question.” Spike surmised. Twilight sighed as her plans were now altered.

“We’ll have to take her with us then.”

--

For Rainbow’s own pride, Twilight tried to sneak out of the library. That plan failed as the library is near the center of town and by now every pony in Ponyville knew that Rainbow had another accident. So it came as no surprise to Twilight when ponies started coming up to them to ask if she was all right.

“How are you doing?” Bon Bon was the first to approach the trio of Twilight, Spike and Rainbow Dash. She had directed the question at Rainbow but the mare was completely absorbed in her surroundings. Other ponies chatted and meandered past. There were birds singing and smells of food being sold at the market. She started walking that way, following the various stimuli.

Twilight ignited her magic and grabbed her tail, pulling her back to them. “She’s…adjusting…” Twilight responded. Bon Bon slowly nodded, watching the pegasus act as if she wasn’t there.

“Mommy! No!” Rainbow furiously pawed at the dirt trying to get away. Bon Bon was shocked to say the least. Twilight blushed furiously while Bon Bon’s look of surprise faded into one of sympathy. Twilight still held captive the squirming pegasus and attempted to calm her down.

“It’s really that bad?” Bon Bon looked at Spike who nodded in return; clutching the list Twilight gave him tighter in his claws.

“If you need any help let me know.” Bon Bon pitied Rainbow Dash and walked away. She was no doubt going to tell her marefriend all about this. Twilight gritted her teeth together, annoyed at the mare’s reaction. Sympathy was something Rainbow Dash would never accept and it hurt Twilight to think that somepony wanted to pity her.

She decided to take the long way to Fluttershy’s cottage. It would easily take an extra 10 minutes but it avoided any more questions from concerned citizens. Twilight lead them as they passed over the bridge that lead out of Ponyville and towards the edge of town. Suddenly Rainbow Dash plopped down to the ground.

“No more.” She whined. “Tired.”

“We’ve only been walking for a few minutes!” Twilight rolled her eyes. Rainbow Dash was never one for going on hoof as she much preferred the skies.

“Nooooooo” Rainbow Dash whined and rolled onto her back, ever stubborn.

“Get up.” Twilight put a hoof to her forehead; she couldn't believe she was doing this. “We need to get moving.” Surely rationalizing the situation would make Rainbow see things her way. It didn’t.

“Carry me!” Rainbow whined, flailing her hooves in the air.

“That’s nonsense! No Rainbow, I’m not going to carry you!” Twilight rebutted. After the words left her mouth she regretted it. As Rainbow’s eyes started tearing up and her lip quivered.

“Uh, you might want to let her win this one.” Spike observed, hiding behind Twilight for protective cover from the upcoming explosion of tears he was expecting.

“Why would I do that?” Twilight asked right before screaming cries that could rival a wendigo cut her off. “Ok!” She yelled over the cries coming from Rainbow. “We’ll do it your way.”

--

Twilight was lucky that pegasi are extremely lightweight or else she would’ve broken her back by now. Rainbow Dash draped herself over Twilight like a cape with her head placed on Twilight’s enjoying the ride.

Finally they made their way across the bridge and to Fluttershy’s cottage at the edge of the Everfree Forest. Twilight raised a weary hoof and knocked on the door.

“Ok, we’re here. Will you get off now?” Twilight asked the lump of blue fur residing on her back.

“No.” Came the lump’s reply. Twilight sighed heavily.

“Twilight, you need to loosen up.” Spike giggled a bit at the scene. Just as Twilight turned to face him to give him a lecture on how she was “loose enough” the door opened and Fluttershy greeted them.

“Hi Twilight, Spike, Rainbow.” She smiled at each one of them, though she was a bit hesitant when it came to Rainbow Dash. She had to admit; she did wonder why Rainbow was on Twilight’s back. She didn’t question it and just stepped aside and let the three in. Rainbow Dash dislodged herself from Twilight’s back and looked around curiously at the animals.

“Hi Fluttershy,” Twilight managed to breathe out as the weight of Rainbow was off of her back. “I just have a favor to ask you.” She asked as Fluttershy kept an eye on her critters. It was known that Rainbow Dash and animals never really meshed well. Especially after the whole “cutie mark switcheroo” incident the animals didn’t like her either.

But Fluttershy watched as a squirrel ran up Rainbow Dash’s leg and onto her back and made a nest in her messy mane. Rainbow giggled as a butterfly landed on her nose. Dash had to go cross-eyed to look at it.

“Yes, what can I help you with?” Fluttershy responded, very enamored with the way her animals were treating their guest.

“Well, since Rainbow Dash will be living with me for the time being, I was wondering if you could take care of Tank for awhile.” Twilight informed and Fluttershy turned her attention back to her alicorn friend. Twilight’s words gave her hope for Rainbow Dash’s recovery.

“Of course I will. I’d be happy to pick him up later today.” Fluttershy smiled.

“Oh good,” Twilight looked relieved. But her attention was quickly drawn to her charge, who now fancied herself to curl up on the sleeping bear in the corner of the room. “Rainbow, no!” Twilight grabbed Rainbow Dash in her magical grip once more and pulled her back to her side.

“Mommy! No!” Rainbow whined, watching the squirrel scurry away from her.

“You can’t do that!” Twilight barked. Rainbow Dash looked hurt and whimpered.

Fluttershy decided another approach would be more suitable. “Hey Dashie,” Fluttershy used the old nickname she had as a filly. Rainbow looked to the canary mare with her ears perked. “Do you want a cookie?” She asked and immediately Rainbow Dash’s face lit up at the prospect.

“Yeah!” She bounced on her hooves and Twilight released her magic and watched as Rainbow Dash followed Fluttershy to the kitchen. Twilight looked at Spike. How did Fluttershy make it look so easy? She wrinkled her forehead in thought before following the two.

Rainbow Dash ate the cookie furiously as if it was going to walk away any second. She had crumbs all over her face and still some in her mouth when she asked: “More?” Fluttershy giggled a bit and gave her another cookie that she ate with the same ferocity.

Twilight glanced at the clock and saw precious minutes lost. “It’s time we get going.” Twilight had a schedule to keep if she wanted to get everything done today. “C’mon Rainbow.” Twilight turned to leave but stopped when she didn’t hear the pegasus following her. She turned back around to see Rainbow Dash begging for another cookie. “Rainbow, let’s go.” Twilight ordered.

“Dashie, you should go with Mommy, I’ll see you again.” Fluttershy spoke kindly and Rainbow Dash nodded and trotted up to Twilight grinning brightly. Ok, she really needs to learn how to do that. Maybe Fluttershy’s way with animals also worked on ponies too? Twilight will have to research that. “I’ll go to her house later today and get Tank and a few other things she’ll want.” Fluttershy smiled.

“Thanks Fluttershy.” Twilight smiled, assuming she meant some Wonderbolt memorabilia. While Twilight stopped to talk to Fluttershy, Spike followed Rainbow Dash in her quest to go look at the chickens. Leaving the two mares alone in the doorway. Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around her friend’s neck.

“Thank you for doing this Twilight.” Fluttershy whispered and Twilight was taken aback at first. She wasn’t sure what Fluttershy meant by that.

“Uh, no problem?” Twilight was confused and pulled away from the hug and smiled. Fluttershy’s teal eyes wondered over to her chicken pen.

“No! Dashie you do not chase the chickens!” She raced over and pulled the smaller pegasus out of the chicken pen. Twilight looked on in amazement. She knew Fluttershy had to deal with various animals of different sizes but she didn’t know that she could pick up a full-grown pegasus mare. Albeit, Rainbow was lightweight and smaller than most it still shocked her as Fluttershy had Rainbow in her fore hooves and was flapping her wings to get the two out of the chicken pen. What shocked her more was the fact that even though Rainbow was thrashing about, Fluttershy still had a good grip on her. Fluttershy then set Rainbow down and landed herself.

Rainbow Dash, never one for not getting her way, ran back to the chicken pen. This time Twilight grabbed her tail with a magic rapport.

“We’ll be going now, thank you Fluttershy.” Twilight struggled with the pegasus on the other end of her magic. Fluttershy smiled and went back into her cottage.

“What was that?” Spike asked, as confused as Twilight about Fluttershy’s display of strength.

“To be honest. I don’t know.” Twilight explained the best way she could before straightening up and getting back to her list. “Well, we still have a few more things to do. Spike, the list please!” Spike unfolded the scroll he had been holding and they started walking. Twilight kept the magical grip on Rainbow’s tail to keep her in check as they made their way back to Ponyville.

“Right. Next we need to get door locks, safety gate, door latches…” Spike looked up from the list. “Twilight do you think all of this is really necessary?” Spike asked.

“It is what the book says to get so we will get it.” Twilight curtly responded. Spike sighed and continued reading the list.

“Ok, get plastic dishes, bed rail, and spray bottle.” Spike finished.

“That sounds right.” Twilight smiled at her superb list-making skills. However, her silent pat on the back shattered as she heard the unmistakable sound of tiny wings flapping as hard as they could and the wheels of a scooter pulling a wagon. “Oh no…” Twilight’s face went completely pale. She wasn’t ready for this.

The scooter came to an abrupt halt as it appeared on the path where Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Spike were. The three fillies on it held a determination in their faces that they usually had when they had another harebrained scheme to get their cutie marks.

Scootaloo smiled brightly and took her helmet off to reveal her messy mane underneath. “Hi Rainbow!” She smiled at her idol. Rainbow Dash, hearing her name, turned from the gaze she held on bird in the tree nearby to the little filly. She looked at her with the same expression she had earlier in the day upon seeing her friends at the hospital. “How are you feeling?” Scootaloo stepped closer to Rainbow Dash, noticing the wrappings around her midsection to keep her wings in place.

Twilight saw both Sweetie Belle and Applebloom’s ears fall flat. She assumed that Rarity and Applejack had explained the brain damage to some extent to them. Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat. Her mouth was as dry as the San Palomino Desert.

“Well, uh Rainbow Dash is…her injuries were…” Twilight didn’t know how to put this lightly to the little filly. She took a deep breath and decided to just tell her. “Scootaloo, her injuries - ” Twilight was cut off as Rainbow Dash learned a new word.

“Scootawoo?” the name rolled off of Rainbow Dash’s tongue and she cocked her head to the side, processing the word. She then broke out into a huge smile. “Scootawoo!” She bounced on her hooves in excitement and pride. “Mommy! Scootawoo!” She looked at Twilight, hoping she’d be proud too. Twilight only felt her stomach drop as she saw Scootaloo’s face fall and her world shatter.

“Dash…?” She asked, tears forming in her eyes. Twilight shouldn’t be the one to explain this to the filly it should be her parents.

“Scootaloo,” Twilight started to say. “Rainbow Dash’s injuries were very bad.”

“Ah think we should go home…” Applebloom interjected. Scootaloo was silent. Quiet tears streamed down her face. Twilight bit her bottom lip, unsure what to do.

“What’s going on?” Scootaloo raised her voice. This took Twilight, Spike and Rainbow all by surprise, the latter falling to her flank. “She can’t be like this! She can’t!” Scootaloo’s tears became more frequent as she started to lose control of her emotions. Seeing another filly cry made Rainbow Dash want to cry too and her lip quivered. Twilight’s ears fell flat against her head in defeat.

“Scootaloo…” Twilight started but the orange filly wanted nothing to do with her or Rainbow Dash right now. She turned tail and doubled back down the path. Twilight looked stunned and was speechless as she watched helplessly as the orange filly ran away.

“Scootawoo?” Rainbow Dash looked equally as stunned and saddened at the loss of a new friend.

“We’ll go find her.” Sweetie Belle said to Twilight who only nodded and the two fillies walked the scooter back into town.

Next Chapter: Chapter 5 Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 5 Minutes
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