“This is dumb,” my daughter helpfully reminded me. “We all know Rainbow Dash is the fastest flyer in Ponyville. You’re just going to embarrass yourself.”

“I have mako, and wings,” I stated, undeterred.

“This chasm is full of dangers,” Diamond Tiara added.

“That’s more to my advantage than hers,” I asserted, even as I continued my stretching.

“And who even cares? Sure, they edged us out in the Sisterhooves Social. We got 2nd place! Out of 8! We even beat out the Apples, and it’s their farm,” Diamond said.

“Diamond… this isn’t just about some silly contest,” I claimed. “All my life, ponies have taunted me for my poor flying skills, and now for Rainbow Dash of all ponies to mock me for losing a race… one I could have easily won…”

“All whose life?” she questioned pointedly.

I paused a moment, before shaking off the impact of her words. “Diamond, dear, just let my fly a little race. I know Rainbow Dash is fast, but I know I can fly fast enough to make this a good competition, and in the end we’re just going to have a bit of fun and whoever wins will rib the other a bit, and we’ll just be that much closer as friends.”

Diamond nodded, satisfied. “Right. For a moment there I thought you were taking this much too seriously. Now get out there and try!”

She trotted back to the small audience of our friends that had gathered, while I headed for the starting line. When they thought I wouldn’t hear them, Silver Spoon turned to her and spoke the words that revitalized my determination to win. “I still can’t believe you bet against your own mom.”

“Racers, on your marks,” Applejack demanded, and Rainbow and I both spread our wings, coiled to leap into flight. “Get set.” The world dimmed to my perception as the mako flowing through me made my eyes glow brightly. My legs and wings felt uncomfortably warm, making me all that much more eager to move them. “Go!” I barely heard the crack of the rock as we took flight, the rush of wind drowning out anything quieter.

It.
Was.
Amazing.

The rush of wind, the thrill of the competition, pushing myself forward to let less of that rainbow contrail into my vision. I could see why Rainbow Dash revelled in this sort of thing. Cloud could be fast, and Fluttershy could fly, but neither of them could actually fly fast alone.

We came to the first turn, and Rainbow had a slight lead. But she took to the outside, using the extra room for a more gradual turn, making it easier for her to take it at speed. But I was made of tougher stuff, I knew, and took the inside lane, banking more sharply and cutting ahead. There was no way Dash’s wings could handle that strain, but I was full of mako.

I couldn’t see Rainbow any more. I wondered a moment whether I had any sort of contrail at this speed, but I wasn’t about to turn and look. I made a mental note to ask somepony else later. To ask Rainbow Dash.

I caught sight of massive sharp-toothed heads up ahead. Quarray eels. Giant serpentine creatures large enough to swallow a pony whole. They lived in tunnels bored into the walls of the gorge, and rather resembled the more conventional aquatic eels. They were hungry, I could tell, and would try to make a meal of us.

They could try. I knew both of us were too fast for them to actually catch. But, simple minded though they might be, their simple minds were able to predict simple motion patterns, and time their bites accordingly. We’d have to mix it up when we were close, shift direction or speed when it was too late for the eel to compensate but not too late to get out of the way. In short, we had to dodge.

Fluttershy’s knowledge of animals made it that much easier to predict them, to know just what they would do and when. Cloud’s expertise as a soldier made it that much easier to plan a counter, to decide the best maneuver to slip past the enemy. Keeping to one side effectively halved the number of eels I had to deal with, and slipping high or low cut the number further, but I still had to jink past at least a dozen.

When I was past the first batch of eels, I risked a glance back. Rainbow’s contrail perfectly mapped out how she had dodged and weaved, keeping out of the path of most of the caves on her side of the gorge entirely. It was a safer bet, but it had made her path longer and with more direction changes bleeding off her momentum. She looked downright angry at the gap we now had in my favor. I was beating Rainbow Dash, I realized.

I also realized I was losing feathers doing it. Had I been clipped by the eels? I wasn’t certain, but a few of my butter colored feathers drifted free behind me. No time to worry about it, I needed to return my focus to the gorge ahead.

“You aren’t beating me that easily!” Dash yelled, the volume enough to knock loose a few pebbles above. Unfortunately, that knocked loose a few larger rocks, which in turn knocked loose a few small boulders ahead of us.

What should have been a clear straightaway became a dynamic obstacle course. Rocks were even more predictable than eels, but there were so many of them. The smallest bounced off me harmlessly, while I was able to dodge most of the mid-sized ones. A large one, though, left me with a quandary, as it would be quite a turn to get around it, giving Rainbow a chance to close the gap.

I flipped upside down, flying just under it. Tucking my knees up to my chest, I gave it a mako-powered two-legged shove that Applejack would have been proud of. “What?! No way,” Rainbow objected as she watched. I heard a faint cracking sound, but didn’t spot any new cracks on the boulder. Probably on the far side. Regardless, I rolled back to my normal flying pose and tried to pour on more speed. Dash was closing, taking advantage of the fact that the rock slide had fallen past before she got up to it.

After a couple more turns, the finish line came into view. I still had a slight lead, but I knew the final stretch favored the more seasoned racer. Now was the time to give it all I had. My vision dimmed to where I could barely see as I dug deep into reserves I seldom had use for. My wings pounded, both fast and powerful. An eel snapped at me and I didn’t need to dodge, I was quite simply too fast. I couldn’t hear anything over the wind, could barely see, if Rainbow Dash was close I couldn’t tell, but I knew she would be giving it her all too. The finish line was so close.

And yet, so far away.

I felt, more than heard, a loud and terrible snap and one of my wings started flopping awkwardly. Before I could even think that I needed to compensate, much less how, the unbalance sent me hurtling into a wall, then ping-ponging off of it. The second wing snapped in much the same way, and I hit ground at speed, skipping along the stone like a rock skipping across a lake. I lost count of the impacts, mind too blinded by pain, before I settled into a painful roll that tore off feathers and skin.

When my movement had stopped, the first thing I noticed was that I was just shy of the finish line. I reached out for it, but my arm was just an inch or two too short. The second thing I noticed was Rainbow Dash, coming to a stop right behind me, her mouth moving like she was trying to ask if I was okay, though I couldn’t hear her over my own heartbeat. She’d stopped. She could have easily crossed the line and stepped back, but she’d stopped. It was one of her better moments.

I didn’t notice anything else until I woke in the hospital.

“Easy partner,” Applejack said, the first sound I heard when I regained consciousness with a deep gasp.

“I told you it was dumb,” Diamond Tiara pointed out. “But hopefully my winnings will cover most of the hospital bill. Get well soon, and we might even be in the black.”

I groaned, both at my daughter’s horribly insensitive commentary, and the terrible pain in my wings. I was still junctioned, I realized. I blearily opened my eyes, taking in the collection of ponies around me.

Diamond was sitting on the chair next to the bed, next to a mostly eaten tray of hospital food. On the other side, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle were all gathered. Pinkie Pie was past the end of the bed, grinning hopefully at me.

“I gotta hand it to you, Flutterstrife, you’ve got guts and you’ve got speed. You were really close to beating me before you injured yourself. What even happened out there, anyways?” Rainbow complimented.

“She strained her wings,” a masculine voice mentioned. It was distantly familiar… was it the same doctor that walked in on our little game of truth and dare almost a year ago? If so, had he forgotten? That seemed unlikely. Maybe he didn’t know it was me, well half of me? “It seems she used some form of magical aid to boost her speed and strength, without the obligatory secondary augment of toughening her flesh enough to endure it’s own power. She literally flapped her wings to pieces.” He brought up something vaguely resembling an x-ray scan, showing the awful state of my wing bones.

“This is a rather challenging matter to treat, in part because you’re not a pegasus,” Doctor Horse continued. “If you would simply separate back into your component parts, I could treat Miss Fluttershy in the usual fashion and she should be out in a matter of days. Miss Strife may well be uninjured and merely need to be kept overnight for observation. Very strict observation with no tolerance for inappropriateness, of course.” So much for him forgetting.

“Inappropriateness?” Diamond asked teasingly.

“What happens in Truth or Dare, stays in Truth or Dare,” Rarity explained, which was enough to earn a solemn nod from Diamond. I wondered briefly what secrets she might be hiding from playing the game herself, but wisely realized I did not, in fact, need to know.

“Okay, just… let me focus a moment,” I said. I remembered what it was like with Twilight, both the first time in the restaurant and the times we had tried again for additional practice. And with Rarity, as well, when we finally decided to call it quits. It was simple enough. I just willed my two halves back into separation.

“Any time now, darling,” Rarity inquired after a minute or so.

“Is there something wrong? Maybe you can’t actually separate out while injured,” Twilight speculated.

“Something like that,” I whispered, forcing everypony to hold their breath to listen in. “I’m… too scared.”

Diamond Tiara face-hooved, while the others tried to offer encouragement or sympathy.

“Have you tried… not being scared?” Twilight offered sheepishly.

I smiled appreciatively at the joke as I shook my head. “I’m too afraid of being an injured Fluttershy without Cloud’s courage and strength to help me through it. I’m sorry, I know this makes it harder to treat,” I apologized to the doctor.

He snorted. “Well, at least it will be interesting. That magical boosting I mentioned still seems to be in your system, though it’s not as thoroughly saturated into your wings as the rest of you. In fact, what I detect in the wings seems almost… residual.”

“It’s the Mako energy that Cloud was filled with,” I explained. It was weird how this junctioning thing left me speaking of myself in the third person for much needed clarity. “I guess, since Cloud doesn’t have wings, my wings haven’t gotten the same exposure. Um… it actually does make me a lot tougher than usual, but maybe that hasn’t affected the wings yet?”

“Well, it does seem to be enough to interfere with my medical magic,” Doctor Horse said. “You may just need to stay here for a few weeks, or even months.”

“I… understand,” I said, not really understanding. I knew what the words meant, but not how to keep my responsibilities met.

“Don’t worry about yer daughter, none,” Applejack said. “She’s more’n welcome to stay at Sweet Apple Acres until yer ready to come home to her.”

“Thanks, but no thanks, Applejack,” Diamond said. “I’ll be staying with Silver Spoon and her family. And of course coming here during visiting hours each day.” Applejack looked to take the rejection in stride.

“If there’s anything you need, darling, don’t hesitate to ask,” Rarity offered.

“A hospital gown shaped for a human?” I asked. “Well, a human with wings that is, if it’s no trouble…”

“No trouble at all, darling!” she assured. “At least the gowns here match the drapes… that’s something, right?” I suspected she was being overwhelmed by the urge to redecorate the hospital.

“Also, could somepony look after Angel and the others at my cottage?” I inquired.

“Of course, Fluttersh-... Strife,” Twilight offered, awkwardly. “Can I just get a list of what needs to be done for them?”

I started listing off my daily chores for her, making ample use of the extra-long scroll she was so fond of using for checklists.

Nanaki approached, looking concerned as he stepped into the room. “You’re awake now? Good. I was quite worried.”

“I am… I was wondering where you were?” I replied, as the ponies made room for him to approach.

“I was getting some sleep… I watched over you all night, but once your other friends arrived I excused myself,” he explained. “I healed you with my materia as much as I could, but as you know it doesn’t help much with broken bones.”

I nodded. I knew all too well from working with Shinra the limits of materia-based healing. There were some things that Cure just couldn’t cure. “I was just telling Twilight all the things Fluttershy normally takes care of. I’m sure she’ll need to delegate some of it.”

“It’s almost the end of visiting hours,” Nanaki said. “I’ve gotten permission to stay overnight, since I’m your, as they put it, ‘special somepony’. But the rest of our friends will need to take their leave soon. Besides, they have their own chores and yours to keep up on.”

“Oh! Before we go, we have some presents for you,” Twilight offered.

“Really? Thanks…” I tried to sit up a bit more, but that wasn’t happening.

“I baked you a cake!” Pinkie Pie said, before deploying a cake the size of a wedding cake but more neutrally decorated. “Each layer is a different flavor! Umm… Nanaki can help serve it up to you.”

“I remembered how dull and uncomfortable the hospital’s pillows could be, so I made you these,” Rarity said, her horn lifting and showing a trio of decorated pillows with embroidered messages encouraging me to get well soon. She deftly tucked them behind me, and worked with me to maneuver them into a comfortable spot.

“I umm… well, I wanted to get you some of that fish you like so much, but I didn’t want it to go bad, so I’ll, uh… be right back,” Rainbow Dash excused before zipping out of the hospital, earning a yell from the Doctor as she passed by.

“I brought you a book,” said the librarian, as she floated a novel out of her saddlebag. It showed a pegasus for some reason swinging on a vine through a jungle, with various ne’er-do-wells behind her. “Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone” proclaimed the title. “I thought with all the time you’ll be spending in here, you’d want something to read. When you finish, I’ll be happy to bring you the next one, or something different.”

“Thanks, all of you,” I said.

“Don’t forget me,” Rainbow said as she zipped back into the room, offering me a plate of freshly cooked fish over rice. When she saw Twilight’s gift she scoffed a bit, commenting quietly. “Of course the egg-head would bring you a book.”

“And it was very thoughtful, as was your gift Dash,” I said before taking my first bite.

“Listen, Cloud, I’m sorry this happened to you. You pushed yourself really hard to beat me, and I really respect that, but… win or lose, I just wish you hadn’t gotten hurt,” Rainbow said. “If there’s anything I can do to help you feel better, just ask.” She leaned in close. “Except, of course, what got us in trouble here last time… that’ll have to wait.”

I blushed, which seemed to be enough to get Doctor Horse’s ire up. “Visiting hours over, everypony out!”