Fluttershy flew through the night, heart pounding out of her chest. Around her lightning fell like rain, and the rain itself drowned out both land and sky, pouring harder than the pegasus had ever seen before.

Rain fell, and water gathered in the forest below Fluttershy. Pools of water overflowed and ran together to join streams. And those streams became rivers and those rivers a flood. Raging water crashed through the forest, threatening to drown and carry away all it touched.

It was a storm to end all other storms, and end the life of any creature caught within it. By all rights Fluttershy should have flown away, run back to her cottage as she yearned to do. But she couldn’t. As much as the fearful part of her shook and begged to flee, she couldn’t.

She was searching.

Fluttershy skimmed across the treetops, eyes darting frantically as she searched the ground. She was outflying the floodwaters as they crashed behind her, but only barely. There was no point in searching the places the flood covered. Anything those waters touched would be dead within moments.

But there! Fluttershy saw what she was looking for. The slightest pale flash among the green and brown of the forest. A small shape running frantically, but too slowly to outrace the flash flood behind it. Yet having found it, Fluttershy realized she was still too slow.

A barrier of tree branches separated her from her quarry, and they were sharp and tightly bunched together. A strong barrier that Fluttershy would never normally try to breach, but taking the time to find a clearing to land in was not an option. And even as she thought it, Fluttershy heard a terrifying roar, the sound of the raging flash flood crashing through the forest. The creature below her shrieked in fear and despair as it saw it couldn’t escape.

Fluttershy hesitated. The tree branches were in her way, and the floodwaters were nearly upon the struggling shape. It was suicide to try. It was suicide. But she had to do it.

Because she had to be brave. Because there was no one to be brave for her anymore.

Fluttershy dove through the canopy and felt her wings tear across the branches. She would have screamed from the rending pain, but she couldn’t spare the breath to speak. She had to move.

The waters of the flash flood crashed through the forest towards the paralyzed mouse. It screamed as the waters engulfed it. But even as the cascading torrent washed over the mouse, a hoof plunged into the water and yanked it out.

The mouse felt itself being dragged upwards, and then it was flying through the air. It screamed again, this time in confusion. Suddenly it was among the tree branches, and the mouse had the presence of mind to grab a twig and hold on for dear life. It looked down, bewildered at its savior.

Fluttershy looked up and smiled at the mouse. The flash flood yanked her off her hooves in the next moment, dragging her across the ground and through the forest as the storm waters raged onwards. The mouse saw Fluttershy’s torn wings flapping uselessly, saw a pair of flailing hooves, a pink mane, and then nothing.

Below the trees, the waters rose and carried all the detritus of the Everfree forest away with them. Sticks, stones, and a half-drowned pegasus washed through the woods until they reached a gaping fissure in the earth. In ancient times it had been a river, but now erosion had transformed it into a deep, long ravine with high walls of stone and dirt.

Fluttershy rushed towards it, carried by the waters, helpless to escape. She saw the maw of the void looming before her, and knew her death.

Oh. Oh well. She had tried. In fact, she had succeeded. But she was no hero. She had done her best, that was all. And now—

The waters pulled at Fluttershy. She felt herself dragged over the edge. In the ravine the waters churned and pounded the rocky walls, pulverizing anything that entered.

Fluttershy's hooves cleared the edge of the cliff. Seconds were passing far too slowly. She watched herself pour over the side of the ravine and looked down. It was dark. So dark. She wanted to close her eyes, but couldn’t. She couldn’t be afraid. She had to see.

So dark. Fluttershy felt herself falling.

And then she stopped.

Something caught Fluttershy’s hoof. It was cold, wet. Fluttershy stopped falling. The water cascaded around her, pounding her body as it sought to drive her downwards. But something pulled at Fluttershy with unearthly strength. Something lifted her upwards and suddenly Fluttershy was back in the light.

The floodwaters still poured around her, racing across the forest in every direction faster than ponies could run. They pounded the trees, felling the lesser oaks and saplings. They washed away boulders and eroded stone. But they washed around Fluttershy and could not drag her away.

Something held her. Something grasped Fluttershy, holding the pegasus and anchoring her in place. It was cold. Wet. Soft?

Fluttershy looked at what held her. She gazed up into my eyes, and smiled.

----

I’m not sure how I returned. One moment I was spirit, less than a ghost, raging against fate. The next, I found myself standing in the forest.

My body was back. It wasn’t ash and dust any longer, but neither was it fully alive. Rather, it was my corpse, unblemished but most certainly dead. Was it magic? I didn’t care. The instant I knew I had returned my body ran, ran through the raging flash flood and towards the pony that needed me.

Fluttershy.

She’s an idiot. No, that’s not nice. But it’s true. Flutters is shy like her name, ultra-scared of everything and anything, but that’s not a bad thing. Sure, it’s kind of annoying at times, but that’s what makes Fluttershy…Fluttershy. She wouldn’t be the Element of Kindness without that gentleness, and I sometimes admire her for it.

But it’s her idiot moments that get me. Even though Fluttershy is the most afraid pony I’ve met in my entire life, she cares for her friends too much, both animal and pony. She would throw herself in front of a passing cart to save a mouse. I mean so would I, but I’d do it because I could grab the mouse and get out of there with seconds to spare. Fluttershy would do it because she loves her friends more than she loves living.

Case in point. Here we have a giant flood. For once it’s not the Ponyville weather team’s fault. The good old Everfree Forest cooked this one up by itself, and the endless rainwater created flooding that was sweeping through the forest. All of that’s fine – Ponyville predicted the storm and canals were dug to deflect the floodwaters before they got anywhere near the town. But the floods caught several animals out unawares and so they were trapped in the storm.

Cue Fluttershy abandoning the safety of her cottage and running out into the forest to save as many as she could. I don’t know what got into her head, but that was a new level of stupid even for Fluttershy. I mean, it was kinda brave, but mostly stupid.

And she would die in that flood. I knew it and so my soul revolted. Against fate, against destiny. Once again I returned. Because the need was great, and because my friend was in danger.

I didn’t fly through the forest, but my legs had wings of their own. The rain was falling too heavily for me to fly in any case – you might not know this but pegasus feathers are normally slightly oily. It keeps out the rain and allows us to fly without being weighed down by water. Trouble is, dead ponies don’t sweat or produce any other kinds of fluids. And more to the point…

I didn’t want to fly. It reminded me of dying.

So I ran, racing through the waters to save my friend from joining me too soon.

I caught her just as she was going over the edge. I threw myself at her and caught her by the hoof. Just in time.

The current was threatening to wash me over the edge too. I stepped back and pulled with all my might. And slowly, step by step, I pulled Fluttershy back up.

The waters were around me. They pulled at me, and I’m sure that they would have washed away even Big Mac if he’d tried to withstand them. But not me.

Fun fact: being dead has several perks. One of them is that you get a lot stronger. Not because being dead means you turn into Bulk Biceps, but because you can use all of your strength. You see, living ponies have a lot of muscle, but they can’t use all of it most of the time. If they pulled or pushed with all their strength they might hurt themselves or break their bones. Dead ponies on the other hand can saw off their limbs and not feel a thing.

In other words, I was a lot stronger now that I was dead. Heck, I was pretty strong in life. I beat Applejack in hoof-wrestling, and she’s one of the strongest ponies in Ponyville. But in death I could walk through a raging flood and not be pushed back.

Not that there wasn’t a cost. There was, but I was willing to pay it. I pulled Fluttershy back from the ravine and held her in place as the flood raged around us. I could have tried to pull her to higher ground, but the floodwaters were only half of the danger that was facing her that night. The other half came from the debris.

Debris. It’s a weird word. What I mean by debris is the really big rocks and sticks that kept smashing into my back as I shielded Fluttershy. They were being carried by the flood and they had enough momentum that anything they hit was either pulverized or destroyed by the impact.

Even small boulders weigh like eighty pounds, right? Toss that at a pony at forty miles per hour and see who walks away. If I’d tried to pull Fluttershy through the flood and even a small rock had struck her, it would have shattered every bone in her body.

So I stood in place and shielded her from the flood and the debris as they washed around me. Stones struck my back. Branches bounced off my wings and jagged pieces of wood cut away my flesh. Good thing I was dead or all that might have hurt. And the waters pulled at me and Fluttershy, with such force that even my body began to break from the strain of resisting.

My hooves cracked. My bones bent and then broke from the strain. I must have torn muscle as well – I heard the terrible crackling of parts of my body failing. But I could feel none of it.

The waters rushed around me for…how long I couldn’t say. But I stood in the face of it, refusing to be washed away. I held Fluttershy, and though I could not feel her body’s heat, I knew she was alive. That was all that mattered. And she clung to me, and what she thought I didn’t know.

No. I saw her look up at me. And met her eyes – once. I knew. And that too was salvation.

----

She knew she was dead. How else could she explain the sight before her eyes?

Fluttershy felt the waters surging around her, felt the cold and pounding rain. But this was part of the illusion, surely. Because despite the realism of the scene, one part of it could not be real. Fluttershy knew she was dead, because why else was the pony she so dearly longed to see by her side?

Time and nature had not ravaged her face. The rotted flesh and broken bone Fluttershy remembered had disappeared, and the hooves that held her were whole and strong. They were cold, though. So cold.

Her wings were whole and unbroken. They cascaded down around Fluttershy even as a hoof held her in place.

Though the waters raged around her, the pegasus didn’t move. Though the raging currents threw splintered trees, jagged stones, and even small boulders against her back, she never faltered. She stood on the edge, holding Fluttershy to her tightly as the water rushed past them to oblivion. And when the storm lessened and the howling winds grew silent, she was still there.

Fluttershy closed her eyes. She was dead. That or she was alive and not dreaming of the one person she had longed to see. Either way, it meant she could rest. Just for a while. Because she was safe. So long as she was here, she knew it.

A soft sigh escaped Fluttershy’s lips. She opened her eyes and looked up, just to see that face. To carve it in her memory for all of time. A single word left her mouth as Fluttershy smiled.

“Dash.”

----

I carry her out of that forest. It is dawn, or slightly before that point. The sky is still dark, but at least it’s quiet. The storm has passed, and the world is in that hushed time that comes afterwards. It is peaceful, and I walk down the road to Ponyville with her on my back.

She’s very light. In truth, I don’t feel Fluttershy’s weight but I know it from personal experience. Fluttershy is almost as light as a feather, and feels as delicate as one. But in her is bravery that far exceeds her mortal frame. I have seen it.

The sun’s rays warm both our bodies as I trot into Ponyville. That’s good for Fluttershy – not so much for me. Very soon I’ll begin to rot again, which means I need to complete my task quickly and depart. It is nearly over already; too bad the hardest part begins now.

You would think the light of day takes away horror. Not in this case.

Ponies look up from their tasks as I approach and scream. They run. Of course they run. They are alive, and the living fear the dead. Probably because we remind them that they will one day join us.

At least this time the confusion and panic is more directed. By the time I near Twilight’s castle she and the other Elements of Harmony have already gathered. I see Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight at the gates to her palace with all of Ponyville hiding behind them. Spike is there too, but he’s hiding behind Twilight.

They all stir when they see I carry Fluttershy on my back. And I guess it’s telling of my friend’s character how each react.

Applejack paces towards me and then stops. She quivers with…what? Rage? No. But distrust and fear in equal parts, certainly. She cares for Fluttershy but me? I can see that in her eyes I am not the friend she buried. I think she hates me. It hurts less than I imagine it would.

Pinkie Pie stares at me. She’s smiling like always, but it’s uncertain. And she doesn’t immediately hug me. I can see Twilight nudging Pinkie back but my friend doesn’t look scared or desperate. Just…lost.

Twilight’s staring at me as if her heart is breaking. Rarity looks into my eyes and I can see hers already has.

Silence.

Twilight clears her throat. Everypony looks at her, but she doesn’t know what to say. Well, if she won’t do anything, I will.

I walk forwards and all the ponies besides my friends retreat. Slowly, carefully, I lower Fluttershy to the ground. In an instant Applejack is here, pulling her away from me. I meet AJ’s eyes and she looks away.

“Is she…?” Twilight looks uncertainly at Applejack.

“Just asleep, ah think.” Applejack listens to Fluttershy breathing and feels at her forehead with one hoof. “Unconscious. Don’t look like anything’s wrong with her.” She glances up at me. “’Course, I can’t tell if magic’s involved.”

Twilight ignores that last bit. She looks at me. “Rainbow Dash. Did—did you save Fluttershy?”

I am silent. My inner self is debating, my mind and soul arguing. I want to nod, to put my wings around my friends and…but no. It would not be wise.

Twilight senses my hesitation. She takes one step forwards and this time I retreat. I’ve made up my mind. But she’s persistent now.

“C-can you understand me? Rainbow?”

I nod. But I don’t speak either. I’m fairly certain that I can. My…reincarnation restored my flesh as well as my wings. But speak?

I can see Rarity in the corner of my vision. She is watching me, and the rest of my friends stare at me, some in horror, others sadness, and one in revulsion and fear. What could I say that would ease their fears? And even if I had words, would I go back? Could I join my friends and pretend everything was the same, living amongst them, having the same adventures?

Loving?

No. Never. Something has changed within me. I can feel it in the core of my being. Whatever confusion gripped me before is gone. I am dead. That certainty is within me, and I know I can’t go back.

So I don’t say anything. Neither do I fly. Instead, I walk. Once more I walk away from them, ignoring Twilight’s questions and my friends begging me to wait. It’s still painful, but easier to do a second time.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the dead should not stay too long among the living.

I wait until I’m a few miles outside of Ponyville before I let myself go. It’s not conscious – I just know that my task here is done, and my spirit departs my body. It falls to dust even as I return to the void. Strange. I still don’t know how I do these things.

A simple task. A life saved. It is so easy, and yet these are the events as I saw them. Death is cold, and I guess I was too. But the living…hurt. I return to Ponyville as a spirit. I see Pinkie Pie standing lost, staring at the empty street where I stood. Rarity is weeping silently as Spike holds her hoof. Applejack stands guard over Fluttershy as the other ponies argue and mill about in panic.

And Twilight? I believe Twilight goes a bit insane.

----

Canterlot Castle, the throne room. Discord and Celestia sat together, drinking tea. It was unexpectedly civil scene, although my guess is that Discord was his usual insufferable self. I say guess, because that was the only glimpse I got before Twilight caught up with my astral form. I’ll say this: when she’s mad she flies fast.

“DISCORD!”

Twilight blasted through a window, shattering glass and the tranquility of the moment in one thunderous burst of magic. Celestia and Discord looked up in shock as Twilight dove at Discord, horn glowing with magic.

“What have you done!?” Twilight screamed at Discord. “Answer me! What did you do!?”

“Twilight!” Celestia exclaimed. Her horn glowed, and the falling rain of glass shards bounced off a golden shield of magic. “What are you doing?”

“It’s Discord! He’s done something!” Twilight advanced on Discord, horn raised and spell ready to cast. For once Discord looked bewildered, tea cup still held in his bear claw.

“Is…this a joke?” He asked. “I’m all for pranking the prankster Twilight, but this isn’t very fun—erp!”

Discord shut up fast as Twilight raised her horn to eye level. As a spirit I could sense the magnitude of magical power concentrated in her horn. Chaos god Discord might be, but even he flinched at the look in Twilight’s eye.

“Don’t lie.” Twilight said. “Don’t—! Just stop it! Stop it now!”

“Twilight!” Celestia was on her hooves. She pushed Twilight back from Discord. “Stop this! Whatever you think Discord has done, this is unacceptable!”

“Unacceptable?” Twilight barked a short laugh. Her eyes were wide and staring. She was close to unhinged as I’ve ever seen her. “You think so? Really, Princess Celestia? You call bringing back my friend from the dead ‘unacceptable’?”

“What?” Celestia blinked in surprise. “What are you talking about, Twilight?”

“That’s what I want to know.” Discord looked at Twilight. “Just what is it I’ve done?”

“You—” Twilight’s hoof shook with rage as she pointed at Discord. “Don’t pretend! You did this! Rainbow Dash came back from the dead again, and it’s your fault! Who else could have done it?”

“What?” Celestia and Discord both stared at Twilight. “You mean—”

The door burst open and the Royal Canterlot Guard rushed in, ten burly ponies looking for the cause of the commotion. Too late and too slow. They stopped when they saw Twilight.

Celestia waved her guards down. “Twilight, you’re not making any sense,” she told her pupil. “Please, sit. Explain everything.”

“Yes, and how is this my fault exactly?” Discord flinched as Twilight glared at him again. He spread his hands out imploringly. “Please Twilight. I haven’t done anything…well, I haven’t done anything bad for quite some time. I haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about. Did something happen to Rainbow Dash’s…body?”

Twilight gritted her teeth and looked from Celestia back to Discord. She ignored the proffered chair.

“Rainbow Dash’s body,” she said through clenched teeth, “has been walking around Ponyville. That’s what’s wrong.”

“What?” There was no acting in the shock written across both Celestia and Discord’s faces.

“You mean she’s alive?” Celestia asked, “Or when you say her body—”

Twilight stomped her hoof. “No! Rainbow Dash is dead! I know she’s dead! I mean her literal body was walking around Ponyville! I saw it with my own two eyes! She came back from the dead!”

Discord and Celestia exchanged a look.

“Don’t look at me like I’m crazy!” Twilight screamed at them. “I saw it! Everypony in Ponyville saw it! Rainbow Dash dug herself up and I touched her rotting corpse! And then I blasted her to bits and she came back again!”

The Canterlot Royal Guard wasn’t trained for situations like this. The guard ponies hesitated, and then went to surround Twilight. Maybe they thought she was mad, but they weren’t complete idiots. When she turned around to face them they froze in their tracks.

“Rainbow Dash? Coming back from the grave?” Celestia’s face was troubled. She looked like she didn’t believe her own ears – and who could blame her? – but one look at Twilight’s face seemed to convince her. “And you think Discord had something to do with it?”

“He’s the only being who could do something like that.” Twilight pointed an accusing hoof at Discord. “Only he’d be so twisted to play a prank like that. Admit it!” She shouted at Discord. “You did this!”

Discord spoke uncharacteristically soberly, addressing Twilight directly.

“Believe me, Twilight. I have and will do many things that you might not like, but this is not one of them. I may like to play pranks and jokes, but I would never do anything to jeopardize my friendship with Fluttershy.”

“Liar!” Twilight advanced on Discord as the two guard ponies tried desperately to hold her back. “It must be you! You’re the only one who could do something like this!”

“Twilight.” Celestia intervened, stepping between her pupil and the god of chaos. “I understand you are upset, but I don’t believe Discord had anything to do with this. He has remained in Saddle Arabia these last few weeks and only recently stopped by the palace. Moreover, even Discord has no power over death.”

“But then how did Rainbow Dash return?” Twilight turned her grief-stricken eyes to her mentor and teacher. Tears started falling from her eyes as anger turned to sadness. “She-she came back. Twice! Once to…to visit I think. And then she saved Fluttershy.”

“Which is a good thing,” Discord said. “Although I must have words with Fluttershy about risking her own neck. But I say kudos to Dash for saving her friend’s life, dead or not. Wouldn’t you?”

Twilight glared at Discord through her tears. “That’s not the point. Dash is d-dead. She should be resting in peace, not coming back as some kind of…of zombie pony! Why this happening!?”

“Perhaps the bond that connected you as the Elements of Harmony allowed Rainbow Dash to return,” Discord suggested. “It’s done all kinds of weird stuff before, why not bring back the dead as well?”

Celestia shook her head. “Death is a natural part of life, Discord. You can’t bring back the dead and call that harmony.”

Discord shrugged. “It’s just a thought. But how else would you explain it? A bunch of ponies clapping? A few magic tears and pixie dust?”

“I don’t know.” Celestia looked troubled. “In all the years I’ve lived, no pony has ever managed to cheat death. Even Starswirl, the greatest wizard of his time never dared to try such a feat. The closest example I can think of is Sombra, but even though he managed to preserve his life for many centuries longer than was normal, he began a withered husk, a shadow rather than pony. Rainbow Dash has returned twice now, is that correct?”

Twilight nodded, hiccupping as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Then she has done what Sombra could never achieve. He could merely cling to life, but Rainbow Dash brought herself back and created a body to house her soul. If you weren’t so certain I wouldn’t believe it were possible.”

“I know. I know, but I saw it with my own eyes.” Twilight mumbled. “She came back with Fluttershy on her back. But she didn’t say anything. She just put Fluttershy down and left.”

“So she saved Fluttershy’s life?” Celestia asked. “That doesn’t sound like a prank. It sounds like…well, like Rainbow Dash. And if Discord says he had nothing to do with it—”

“I did not,” Discord said. He placed one hand over his heart. “I swear it by my friendship with Fluttershy.”

“—Then I can only believe it was Rainbow Dash who came back of her own will,” Celestia said. “Twilight. Discord had nothing to do with it.”

There was a pause. Celestia walked over and put one wing around the smaller alicorn. Discord awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. Twilight’s eyes eventually ran out of tears.

“I—I’m sorry Discord,” Twilight mumbled. “I just thought that you…”

“Think nothing of it.” Discord waved Twilight’s words away. “What’s a little suspicion between friends? Besides, I suppose I do deserve a little scrutiny for my past…antics. But you have my word that I haven’t done anything. This time.”

Twilight nodded. “Princess Celestia…” She began and stopped.

“Go back to your friends and rest, Twilight.” Celestia advised her kindly. “I understand this has been very hard on you. If Rainbow Dash should return again, try to talk to her. Otherwise all we can do is rest and make peace with that has happened.”

Twilight nodded again. “Thank you,” she whispered. Slowly, she turned and began walking out of the throne room.

With my otherworldy hearing I can hear Celestia mutter to Discord.

“You didn’t do anything, did you?”

And even more quietly, his response. “Would you like me to try?”

“No.”

Twilight leaves, escorted by the royal guard. Celestia and Discord watch her go, troubled expressions on their faces. No pony sees me, no pony knows I am watching. And that is fine. I am dead, after all.

Celestia and Discord confer, and Discord leaves. I go with Twilight back to Ponyville, and witness see my other friends comforting her. They help Twilight get through her pain, and she in turn helps them.

My heart aches at not being there. But it is a lesser ache, truly. It doesn’t hurt as much. I have made peace with my death. I am content to wait and leave the pain of living to the living.

So Twilight recovers.

And time passes.

Oh, it’s easy enough to say. But if I were alive, I think I would have viewed the passing years far differently. You see, when you’re dead, time kinda loses all meaning.

Years and days lost their significance in my mind. One to me as the same as the other, insofar as that I cared little of what went on in the world. I could easily ignore the events of the world, the changing of the seasons, the daily necessities of eating, sleeping, and so on. I was dead. It all was dust to me. The only thing that could attract my attention in the world was one thing, and it was that which brought me back time and time again.

My friends.

They anchored me to this plane of existence. They and their fates alone were all that mattered to me as I floated in the void between life and death. Mistake me not; it isn’t that I’m particularly strong-willed, or that I had any special gifts that allowed me to thwart death itself. It’s just that I’m loyal, and I don’t abandon my friends.

Yes, simply that. After all this time, I can think of no other reason why I remained. I’ve seen ponies with wills made of iron – heck, I even met a minotaur once that was named Iron Will. I’ve seen brave heroes like Daring Doo, and witnessed feats of bravery that made mockery of my most courageous moments. Yet all of these individuals, no matter how cunning, how strong of heart, how wise or how daring eventually must die.

But loyalty is a strange thing. Many think they understand it, but few truly do. Loyalty isn’t just standing by a friend, although that is the heart of it. Loyalty is also being close to those you love, but not so close that you take away from who they are. Loyalty is watching, waiting for when you are needed. Loyalty is patience, and loyalty is trust.

And so even as my friends lived and wept and grew, I waited. I observed their lives, and through them I lived in my own small way. There are precious little tales of my mark on Equestria through the years, but my friend’s stories I could tell forever. So, rather than bore you with the silence of my empty existence as I watched over the other Elements of Harmony, let me tell you brief snippets of their lives.

----

I never did find out what that table in Twilight’s castle did. With my death, it and the Elements of Harmony were lost, it seemed. Perhaps that was the first start of the troubles, but it was a subtle thing, and didn’t weigh too heavily on my mind, let alone that of the living. They were far more preoccupied with the immediate concerns of repairing the loss my death had caused in their lives, and now, dealing with the reality of my return.

After Twilight’s…moment with Discord in Canterlot, many things changed for my friend. Celestia and Luna decided that in light of the burdens Twilight had so recently undergone, it would be best if she were taken under their wings. Arrangements were made to have her study in Canterlot once more under Celestia, learning the ways of being a Princess just as she had once learned magic. They informed Twilight of their decision in person the next day.

She didn’t take it well.

I mean, what did they expect? I love Twilight, and I respect her even for her eggheadedness, but let’s be real here. She might be able to pull off the ‘wise princess’ act around strangers for a little bit, but Twilight’s got a temper, and she can get moody. When she thought she had forgotten to send a weekly letter to Princess Celestia on time, she nearly destroyed Ponyville with a want-it-need-it spell and an old doll.

Good times.

But yeah, Twilight took the news about being shipped off to Canterlot about as well as she had reacted to my death. It was probably because she would have been separated from the rest of her friends, and let’s just say that having a friend die on you doesn’t make you any more inclined to abandon your other friends. Quite the opposite, in fact.

There was a fight. And I mean a fight. Literally flying spells, exploding buildings and half of the Canterlot Royal Guard put in the hospital.

It ended with a stalemate. When all was said and done, Luna and Celestia couldn’t force Twilight do come with them, and neither was smacking her on the head and carrying her off an option. The truth of it is that if Twilight didn’t want to do something, it was impossible to make her do it without taking her prisoner and sealing her magic.

So they left. The next day Twilight told everyone that she wasn't going anywhere, and that she would administrate (her words, not mine) over Ponyville and the surrounding region. And if anypony doubted her words, all they had to do was look at the giant holes in her castle to know Twilight was serious.

Dead serious. See what I did there? I’ve got tons of jokes like that.

Anyways.

Now, for most of my friends life carried on as usual. Pinkie Pie soon regained her usual cheer, even if it wasn’t ever the same as it had been. Rarity made dresses, hundreds of them as she threw herself back into her work. You could even say that Twilight was the same, although she focused more on her role as Princess, and less on the friendship aspect of things as time went by. But two ponies changed dramatically during the days after my return.

Applejack and Fluttershy. In many ways, they were the two ponies I was closest to. Of course, I was close to Rarity but that was in…other ways. Intimate ways, and not the ways of a friend. But Applejack? I was always hanging out with her, competing in friendly (and occasionally not-so friendly) rivalry. She was a pal, and I think my death hit her hard.

But it was more than that. Did I mention Applejack lost her folks? Yeah. She never really talked about it, but I’d grown up in Ponyville all my life. The absence of the two Apple parents was pretty obvious, and though Applejack had grown up fine without them, how could anypony be fine without their folks?

Applejack. Responsible Applejack. She carried the entire farm on her shoulders, sometimes. Both Applejack and Big Mac had to be adults ahead of their time, and that can’t have been easy. It left a scar on Applejack’s heart, one that made her extra-protective of Applebloom, and even closer to their friends and family.

And maybe she would have been fine with that. Maybe her life wouldn’t be that different from any other pony, and indeed Applejack was a great pony, looked up to by all in Ponyville. Heck, even I admired her sometimes. But when I came back, I think it broke Applejack a bit. You see, I came back from the dead. Her parents didn’t.

That shattered her, at least in part. That’s the problem with tough ponies like Applejack. Oh, they’ll break like anyone else, but when they break, they don’t shatter into pieces like Rarity or Twilight.

No, they crack and then grow at odd angles around the fractures in their hearts.

…Maybe that analogy got away from me. What I’m trying to say is that Applejack snapped. But she snapped quietly. And in truth, we didn’t see the effect of that until far later. Let’s just say that in the days after my second returning Applejack was silent, moody, withdrawn. It was Fluttershy who truly stood out and captured everyone’s attention.

She applied for the Wonderbolts. Yes, you heard me right. Meek Fluttershy, timid Fluttershy, Fluttershy who wouldn’t harm a butterfly even if it was a mutant butterfly trying to suck her eyeballs out her face, applied to be a Wonderbolt.

If I were alive I would have laughed myself out of the sky. Since I was dead I didn’t laugh, and neither did my friends.

Is it weird to say that a pony can change in the course of a few days more than they’ve changed in the course of their entire life? I mean, I think it started the day I died in point of actual fact, but still. The Fluttershy I rescued was different from the pony that had fainted at the sight of me, and the Fluttershy that flew to Cloudsdale to become a Wonderbolt was more different still.

She was braver. That was the only word I had for it. Not less frightened; when she flew off to Cloudsdale she was shaking so bad she nearly hit Twilight’s palace. And when Spitfire shouted at Fluttershy that she didn’t need another Rainbow Dash, I think Fluttershy might actually have…

Let’s just say it’s a good think clouds can absorb all kinds of liquid. I kinda feel bad for the ponies below Cloudsdale sometimes, but it all comes out as water in the end.

But regardless of her fears which were unchanged, the way Fluttershy dealt with them was different. Even in the face of Spitfire’s fury – something even I wasn’t totally immune to by the way – Fluttershy stood straight and asked to join. Even when Spitfire gave her the toughest initiation test any pegasus has gone through, Fluttershy remained strong. That was what won her admission. That, and her willpower. I mean, I know Spitfire was just trying to scare Fluttershy away, but that test was downright insane. I probably would have failed it. I thought Soarin would swallow his mane when Spitfire told Fluttershy what the test would be:

A blindfolded nose-dive all the way to the ground.

It’s a game pegasus play. Griffons too – me and Gilda tried it at flight camp. It’s simple, really. All you do is close your eyes, or in this case have them blindfolded, and dive straight down from cloud level. The winner is the flier who dives closest to the ground, and the loser is the one who breaks off first.

Or hits the ground.

Pegasi have died from playing it. Not many, and in truth the actual death count is probably less than ten in the last millennia. No pony wants to hit the ground – it’s hardwired so far in our brains that even the bravest of us peel off several thousand feet from the ground. Needless to say, I held a pretty good record and I still broke off eight thousand feet from the ground each time.

But this was Spitfire’s test, and in truth, her way of getting rid of Fluttershy. She wasn’t trying to be mean—

Well, I guess she was being mean. Classic Spitfire. But she was doing it because she really thought Fluttershy was trying to take my place out of guilt or temporary insanity. I mean, Fluttershy? Pinkie Pie would have made a better Wonderbolt and she can’t even fly. Except with trampolines.

But to everypony’s surprise, Fluttershy accepted the test. She probably knew it was a setup. Being a Wonderbolt isn’t just about bravery, it needs skill and teamwork and all kinds of other attributes. Plus, this test didn’t have a set margin for passing. Regardless of where Fluttershy stopped her dive, Spitfire could just say that she wasn’t brave enough and fail her.

That’s what Spitfire thought, at any rate. So did everypony else.

Fluttershy took the test right outside Spitfire’s office, with nearly half of Cloudsdale watching. I’d bet the crowd was already giving Fluttershy a heart attack, but I really felt for her when she put on the blindfold.

No pegasus likes to be blindfolded. We can’t see what we’ll fly into, but then I also remembered how Fluttershy got her Cutie Mark. She’d nearly fallen to her death until a cloud of the strongest butterflies in the world had caught her.

I wanted to intervene. I wanted to come back, but at the same time, I still had no control over my coming and going. Though my non-existent heart was aching for Fluttershy, I believed she’d chicken out and fly back to Ponyville along with everypony else. I never dreamed she’d actually be in danger.

I can still remember the scene. Do you have memories that burn in your mind forever? Moments you know are part of history? That’s this scene for me.

----

Soarin ties the knot around Fluttershy’s blindfold and steps back. I can see my friend shaking in her hooves, practically vibrating with fear. Everypony else sees it too, but there aren’t any jeers. Who’d laugh at an Element of Harmony now? No, there’s lots of pity and maybe a bit of annoyance at Fluttershy’s foolishness, but that’s all.

Spitfire walks over to Fluttershy and taps her on the shoulder. I’ve seen Fluttershy jump higher, but only once. She gives Fluttershy one more chance to back out, and I expect Fluttershy to break down and cry, or run.

She doesn’t.

It’s a blur of motion. Fluttershy must have been psyching herself up this entire time, because she dives through the clouds beneath her hooves so fast that it catches all of us off-guard. She’s quick. Maybe her wingpower was never good in public settings, but I’d have placed bets on her beating Thunderlane in this moment.

Fluttershy dives down, straight down like a rock. Spitfire and Soarin fly with her, watching her plummet. Even now, Spitfire isn’t concerned, and neither am I. Both of us think that Fluttershy will turn away at any moment, yank off the blindfold rather than face that dark, dizzying drop into the abyss.

She doesn’t.

Cloudsdale is high up. We’re not in the stratosphere, but we still generally hover in the upper troposphere. For the laypony, that’s around 45,000 feet give or take weather conditions. Let’s call it an even 50,000 on most days.

Fluttershy’s diving, faster than I’ve ever seen her. Still, she’s not as fast as me, and even Spitfire can’t break the sonic barrier. That’s roughly 1100 feet per second. But Fluttershy was still going wicked fast, and straight down meant she was accelerating with every moment. I’d clock her at going 700 feet per second, closing onto 800.

Fifty thousand divided by eight hundred. What am I, an egghead? It adds up to around sixty second. In short, one minute of what feels like diving into nothingness, just knowing the ground is somewhere beneath you.

Most ponies can last twenty seconds. Fillies and colts pull out before they even hit fifteen. At my best I could fly for forty seconds before the fear grabbed me.

Fluttershy flew for sixty seconds without even flinching.

Spitfire realized she wasn’t going to break off when Fluttershy was nearly ten thousand feet from the ground. In my mind she darts around Fluttershy, shouting at the pegasus to ‘pull up now!’ Fluttershy ignores her.

She’s not an idiot. She’s not an egghead either, but all pegasi have great depth perception. We know how fast we fly, and we can gauge how far away things are. Fluttershy was listening to her inner self tell her how far away she was from the ground, and she was determined to get as near to it as possible in order to pass Spitfire’s test.

Eight thousand feet. Both Spitfire and Soaring start yelling at Fluttershy now. They tell her she’s passed the test, but she continues dropping. Is it that she can’t hear them? I can feel the urgency in me building, but how can I come back to life on such short notice?

Six thousand feet. Fluttershy is in a cold dive, and Soarin can barely keep up with her. I’m can feel fear even in the void. Breaking out a dive takes a few seconds, and it’s harder and harder the faster you travel. But still she’s flying straight down, ignoring Spitfire who’s shouting in her ear.

Four thousand feet. Spitfire tries to knock her aside, but Fluttershy can’t be budged. It’s all about momentum. Like how I stopped the parade floats, Fluttershy’s now moving so fast that Spitfire can’t even shift her course. And she’s still heading down as fast as she can.

Two thousand feet. Spitfire is screaming at Fluttershy to stop. In my deathly state I’m watching everything, sensing the event unfold with helpless horror. I can see Fluttershy as she falls, but I am right beside her at the same time, watching the ground approach impossibly fast.

One thousand feet. In a last-ditch attempt Spitfire slams into Fluttershy with all her strength but can’t shake her.

Eight hundred feet. Spitfire has to break off or slam into the ground herself. I can see her crying as she breaks away.

Six hundred feet. Fluttershy’s face is set, but I can see her hooves still shaking. She knows she’s close. And she’s still flying.

Four hundred. Fluttershy’s wings twitch. She begins to break out of the dive. Too slow. I can see she’s moving too fast, but there’s nothing I can do.

Two hundred. She’s slowing down, but not quickly enough. The ground is still approaching at dizzying speed, hard enough to shatter all her bones if she hits.

One hundred feet. Fluttershy’s wings snap open, fighting against the wind to slow her fall. It’s not working. She’s falling, falling.

Eighty feet.

Sixty feet.

Forty feet.

Thirty feet.

Twenty feet.

Ten feet.

At six feet five inches in the air, Fluttershy finally comes to a stop. Her wings are quivering, nearly wrecked with the force of stopping her plummet. But she stops. She’s done it.

She’s alive.

And my soul remains saved.

----

A lot happened after that. I’ll spare you the obvious, boring parts. Spitfire came flying down, screaming at Fluttershy but I bet it was mostly in relief. She probably expected to find another dead Element of Harmony and that would have given any pony nightmares. Mind you, she definitely deserves her name. I’ve never heard anypony shout as many insults at Fluttershy as she did, and all without swearing.

Sorta odd, that. I mean I can think of a lot of bad words but Spitfire’s never used any of them, even at her angriest. Maybe she just keeps a clean mouth in case fillies and colts are nearby.

It took both Soarin and Spitfire to help Fluttershy back up to Cloudsdale. Her feathers were a mess, and while she could glide, there wouldn’t be much flapping in her future for a while. But regardless, once Fluttershy got up there every pony was cheering so loud they could hear it from the ground.

Turns out doing a nosedive fifty thousand feet to the ground while blindfolded gets you a lot of respect among fliers. Who knew?

I kid. But that little stunt of Fluttershy’s put her on the map. Not that there’s a map with Cloudsdale on it since it’s a roaming city but…you know what? I’ll get back to the point.

Fluttershy broke every record in Equestrian history that day. The closest any other pony got to the ground was about four hundred years back, and they stopped at about a hundred feet. Plus, I’m sure they hadn’t been going nearly as fast as Fluttershy. It might not have been Rainboom-level amazing for most ponies, but among pegasi Fluttershy was now one cool cat.

Even though she’s a pony. You know what I meant.

Anyways, did Spitfire make Fluttershy a Wonderbolt on the spot? Of course not. Rules are rules, and Fluttershy had just busted her wings in that dive. She yelled at Fluttershy some more and told her to come back for the written exam in a month’s time, and if she passed that, she’d be part of the Wonderbolt Reserves, possibly a Wonderbolt if she stuck with it.

I don’t think any pony doubted she would.

That was the start. The start of something…I can’t describe it. I was never more proud of Fluttershy in those moments, never more exasperated and fearful for her. And I was dead. It takes a lot to phase a dead pony.

But once again, if that were all I the drama in life, things might have been very quiet in Equestria. True, I had come back from the dead not once, but twice now, but the lives of my friends and I were never what you’d call boring. I daresay Equestria might have learned to live with one pony returning from the dead now and then to lend her friends a helping hoof.

After all, I was Rainbow Dash! I was a hero of Equestria many times over, and the most awesome and fastest pony the world has ever seen. Not to pat myself on the back or anything. But if there was one pony who’d be cool enough to come back from the grave, wouldn’t it be me?

Equestria could have lived with that. I’m awesome, and that excuses all kinds of stuff. Ponies might have feared me, but they would have gotten used to my coming and going. They could get used to me coming back to life now and then.

Other ponies not staying dead was a different matter entirely.