After the incident with the Cutie Mark Crusaders Twilight decided it best that they keep to the schedule. As the trio walked through town Twilight noticed something was different. Ponies whispered and watched them with sympathetic or pitying looks. No doubt word had got out on how bad Rainbow Dash’s brain injury was.

“Twilight if you need anything, let me know.” Carrot Top said as they passed her carrot stand.

“I can give ya a discount on quills if ya’d like.” The sofa and quill clerk added as she walked past. Each pony they walked by offered similar condolences. Each one was like a stab through her heart.

Twilight noticed as they walked through town that Rainbow Dash pressed herself closer and closer up against her side. Upon further investigation Twilight could make out the telltale signs of nervousness radiating off of the pegasus. Her ears were back, her hoof steps were hesitant and her head drooped. Twilight recalled the only time she’s ever seen her friend nervous was at the Best Young Fliers Competition a few years ago. Twilight extended a wing and draped it over Rainbow Dash. This caused the pegasus to stand a little straighter and she nuzzled Twilight affectionately, causing the alicorn to blush.

Spike lead the way to one of the various shops in town. It was a store Twilight herself had never visited but she knew the Cake’s frequented the shop so she decided to try it.

Stepping into the shop caused a little bell to ring announcing their arrival.

“Just a minute!” A sweet chipper voice came from a room behind the counter. Spike coughed impatiently and a mare appeared, and stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing them.

The soft purple mare with the flowing aquamarine mane snapped her jaw closed as soon as she realized she was staring. She of course had heard the rumors that Rainbow Dash had an accident and apparent brain damage. However she wasn’t prepared for this.

“H-How may I help you?” The mare finally stammered out. Twilight had about enough of this from the ponies around town.

“Yes, hello.” Twilight stated bluntly. “My friends and I require some…items. And we would like your assistance.” Twilight walked up to the counter and Spike placed the list on it. “As you can see, we need some supplies.” Twilight pointed to the various items on the list. The mare shopkeeper looked over the list with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes, we have everything here…” The mare then looked to Twilight before her eyes fell on Rainbow Dash. “And I assume this is for her?” She asked. Twilight gritted her teeth at the mare’s obvious comment.

“Yes.” Twilight snapped. The mare held her hooves up defensively.

“If her injury is as bad as they say, you might want to consider getting other things.” The mare came out from behind the counter and lead them down the aisles. Twilight followed and held Dash’s tail close to her so she won’t wonder off and break something.

Spike took a shopping basket and followed the mares. “Yes, you’ll need locks and latches.” The mare pulled a few things off of the shelf, causing Spike to scurry to catch them. Twilight was silent and let the shopkeeper do her job, keeping an eye on Rainbow all the while. “She’s a pegasus correct?” The mare turned to face Twilight and raised an eyebrow.

“Yes…” Twilight was unsure what the shopkeeper meant by that.

“Well she’ll fly soon I’m assuming. Have you thought of buying a leash?” The mare cocked an eyebrow. Twilight was appalled at the thought and knew that Rainbow Dash would simply hate the idea.

“No.” Twilight was growing angry and Spike could tell. He nudged her in the side and she turned her attention to him.

“Give her a break Twilight. She doesn’t know.” Spike whispered, and shrugged the comment the shopkeeper made off like a stray thought. Twilight however, couldn’t let that just rest. The comment played in her head as the shopkeeper kept talking and throwing things in their basket.

In fact her mind was so distracted Twilight didn’t notice that she broke concentration on the magical grip she held on Rainbow Dash. Causing the rapport to fade and disappear. Rainbow Dash however, did notice this. Smiling brightly she still followed Twilight but she took more liberty in looking at everything.

There were beautiful colors that adorned things she’s never seen before. Rainbow Dash was in a sensory overload. While her eyes darted to look at the different plastic contraptions, her eyes fell on what she really wanted. She stopped and stared at it, letting Twilight and the others disappear around an aisle.

It was beautiful, unlike anything she’d ever seen before. To any other pony it was a simple plastic toy that resembled a hot air balloon. To Rainbow Dash it was awesome. She had to have it. The only problem was that it was on a shelf slightly out of her reach. That only made the conquest that much more sweet.

Twilight tried to keep up with the shopkeeper who threw things in the basket that Spike was now struggling to carry. The crash of a row of shelves alerted all three of them to the cyan mare standing proudly with the plastic hot air balloon in her mouth and a huge smile on her face. Scattered around her was a battlefield of merchandise debris.

“Mommy!” Rainbow Dash tripped over the toppled shelves and bounded over to Twilight to show her the toy. “Toy!” She had the proudest look on her face that made Twilight’s heart melt, though very briefly. She looked to the shopkeeper and saw her eye twitch.

“I can uh…pay for the damage…” Twilight’s ears fell back nervously. Spike placed Twilight between himself and the shopkeeper for cover.

Instead of blowing up the shopkeeper took a deep breath. Twilight visibly relaxed a bit, Rainbow Dash on the other hand, didn’t read any of this and kept nudging Twilight to get the toy.

“Mommy! Toy!” She persisted. Twilight shot her a glare that made Rainbow’s cyan ears fall flat.

“No.” She whispered harshly, still on edge.

“But Mommy!!!!” Rainbow set the toy down so she could better argue. “I want it!” Twilight rolled her eyes.

“No Rainbow.” Twilight groaned preparing for the worse. Spike kept his green eyes locked on the shopkeeper.

“Well.” The shopkeeper’s voice was sharp like a knife that cut through the air. She toned it down. “Fillies are a hoof-full. Let’s move along. I will clean that later.” The mare kept walking down the aisle. Twilight followed (making sure to keep Rainbow Dash with her) and Spike trailed after them all.

Rainbow Dash picked up the toy in her mouth and followed. Soon enough they were at the register checking out. The mare calculated the price of their purchases (and added a few bits for the repairs needed).

“That will be 34 bits” The mare proceeded to bag the items Twilight bought.

“Mommy!” Rainbow Dash whispered harshly and placed the toy on the counter. “Toy.” She looked to Twilight pleadingly.

“Rainbow, I said no.” Twilight said and reached into her saddlebag to pull out just enough bits.

“But Moooooommmmy!!! Toy!” Rainbow nudged the toy closer to Twilight and gave her the saddest look. However, Twilight was unfazed.

“Rainbow Dash, I said no. Now let’s get home.” Twilight turned tail to leave but before she could make it to the door Rainbow burst into tears. She wailed at the top of her lungs at a volume that put her Timber Wolf impression to shame.

“MOMMY I WAN’ THE TOY!!!!!” She screamed. Spike had to cover his sensitive ears. The shopkeeper shot a glare at Twilight.

Twilight just sighed.

--

They got back to the library just as the sun was starting to set and the rainclouds rolled in. Twilight opened the door with her magic and Rainbow Dash rushed in, the hot air balloon in her mouth and she ran it around the room like it was actually flying.

The weary Spike and Twilight entered next. Twilight shrugged her saddlebags off by the door. Spike’s stomach grumbled audibly. “Uh, I’ll start dinner. Something easy.”

“Soup sounds good.” Twilight sighed and fell with her back on the couch. She threw her arm over her eyes to block out the light of the library. She could feel a massive headache coming on as a result of the day’s events.

Suddenly there was a nudge against her side. Twilight tried to ignore it but it only grew more incessant. She threw her arm off of her face to see the bright magenta eyes staring at her. “What Rainbow?” Twilight moaned.

“Pway?” Rainbow Dash broke out into a smile, her ears perked in excited anticipation. Twilight rolled her eyes.

“No Rainbow. I don’t want to play.” Twilight said sharply and saw Rainbow immediately deflate. Twilight felt a pang of guilt as Rainbow sauntered across the room where her toy was and started “flying” it around by herself.

Twilight got off the couch and picked up the discarded copies of How To Care for Your Foal: The Complete Guide. As well as a new book she got in the library, the newest edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. She grabbed them in her magic and took them back to the couch where she started reading.

“Soup’s on!” Spike called after Twilight had finished the chapter she was reading. She got off the couch and walked toward the kitchen but looked back as Rainbow wasn’t following.

“Rainbow, time to eat.” Twilight tilted her head to the kitchen. Rainbow got up and followed her with her head held low. Twilight shrugged it off and continued to the kitchen where she sat down to the soup.

She absentmindedly encased the spoon in her magic and started eating and didn’t notice that Rainbow did not. Spike cleared his throat. “What?” Twilight asked, looking to the dragon. Spike just nodded across the table to Rainbow Dash who just looked at her soup and fiddled with the toy in her hooves. “Rainbow?” Twilight asked. Rainbow looked up at her in response. “Eat.” She used her magic to nudge the soup closer. Rainbow turned her head away.

Twilight rubbed her temples. Spike silently watched as Twilight took Rainbow’s spoon in her magic and scooped some of the soup onto it and held it out. “Eat.” She ordered. Rainbow Dash looked leeringly at the spoon and then to Twilight but she kept her mouth closed. Twilight let out an over exaggerated sigh.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. This startled Twilight and she dropped the spoon with a clang.

“Who could that be?” Twilight asked and got up to answer the door. There stood Fluttershy with a cardboard box sitting on her back. “Oh Fluttershy! I forgot you were stopping by. Come in!” Twilight stepped aside to let her friend in. As the timid mare entered a flash of lightning followed her from the approaching storm.

“I just came by to drop a few things off,” Fluttershy spoke and shrugged the box to the floor. "And to tell you Tank is safely with me."

“Thanks.” Twilight peered into the box that was labeled on the side in terrible (but familiar) mouth writing: “stuff”. She shifted through the contents and found a few things she expected. The crown from the best young fliers competition, a signed Wonderbolts poster, a photo of all of her friends, and her favorite copy of Daring Do were in there. As Twilight took further inspection she noticed a few things she didn’t recognize. An old picture of a rainbow-maned filly and two older ponies, a pink mare and a lavender stallion with a mane similar to the filly’s stared back at her. Twilight assumed those were her parents Rainbow Dash never spoke of. Finally there was a blanket, it looked old and worn, and its pastel yellow was faded considerably. “What is this?” Twilight asked Fluttershy. The latter mare just bit her lip. Twilight could tell that the shy mare was hiding something.

“I-I’m sorry Twilight I should get going.” Fluttershy said with haste, looking anywhere but at the mare in front of her. Twilight raised an eyebrow at her friend’s odd behavior. “Goodnight.” She curtly nodded and left the library into the night. She flew low to the ground, the roll of thunder guiding her.

Twilight reentered the kitchen to find Rainbow Dash still had not touched her soup. “Ok, let’s try this again.” Twilight encased the spoon in her magic and held it out to Rainbow Dash. Putting his empty bowl away, Spike watched as Twilight nearly forced the soup down Rainbow’s throat. Every time Rainbow Dash would turn her head away. Spike found it amusing and stifled a giggle. Twilight glared at him. “You think you can do it better?” She asked.

Spike walked over and spoon in his claw. “Dash, the hot air balloon needs to land! Where will it land?” He asked her. He whizzed the spoon around the air and made a zooming noise. Rainbow Dash giggled and opened her mouth and Spike was able to land the soup-filled spoon in her mouth. Twilight ate her own meal as Spike fed Rainbow Dash.

Soon Rainbow Dash finished her bowl of soup. “How did you do that?” Twilight asked Spike. He shrugged.

“I learned it from raising Peewee.” Spike said like it was no big deal. Twilight levitated the empty dishes to the sink.

“Well, it’s getting late. Time for bed.” Twilight instructed pulling the chair out for Rainbow Dash.

“No. Don’t wanna go to bed. Wanna play.” Rainbow Dash stayed firmly in her chair. Twilight groaned. This was getting impossible.

“No. It’s bedtime.” Twilight ordered. In all honesty, Twilight just wanted Rainbow to get to bed so she could finally relax. She felt the headache coming back.

“No bedtime!” Rainbow protested, looking away from Twilight. Twilight ground her teeth, irritated. She alit her magic and grabbed Rainbow Dash and pulled her out of the chair. With the squirming and struggling pegasus in tow she went up into the spare bedroom and tucked her in bed.

“Now, you’ll stay there.” Twilight grumbled and turned to walk out of the room.

“But Mommy…” Rainbow started to say as Twilight whipped her head around to face her.

“What?” She snapped. Rainbow shrunk in her presence.

“Where’s blanket?” She asked innocently. With that question Twilight’s anger dissipated. She remembered the box that Fluttershy dropped off earlier. She recalled seeing the old dirty blanket inside.

“Oh.” Twilight broke away from her thoughts and looked back at Rainbow Dash who had a pleading look on her face. “I’ll go get it…” She left the room and trotted downstairs to where the tattered box was sitting by the door. She found the blanket and brought it upstairs with her magic. She reentered the room and found Rainbow Dash still in bed waiting for her patiently. “This?” Twilight held up the blanket and Rainbow Dash’s face lit up.

“Yeah!” She held her hooves out and Twilight floated the blanket to her.

“Goodnight Rainbow.” Twilight stated and blew out the candle, filling the room with darkness.

“‘Night Mommy.” Rainbow Dash responded before Twilight closed the door to the room.

Author's Notes:

I'm sorry for the late update. Personal issues delayed the publication of this chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to update more regularly now. I do read all of the comments posted here and I promise that all questions will be answered.