The Cerulean Fallen

Rainbow Dash lay awake on her usual cloud, gazing up at the setting sky. She exhaled, and, for once, was silent. Her rose-colored eyes watched as the moon slowly rose, and she exhaled, leaving a cloud of vapors in the cool night air. She wasn't herself today.
      She rolled off her cloud, falling for moments before she stretched her wings. The cool night's air caught her, and for moments, she hovered, before landing on her yard, the floating home of Equestria's own Rainbow Dash. She gazed at her home, blinking, before hanging her head and slowly trotting inside.
      What was wrong with her? In such a funk, she hadn't flown much that day. She asked if she could have some days off from her job, yet, she had nothing to do. She felt empty, conceited, lost. Food had no taste, day had no shine... Even speed lost it's usual thundering adrenaline.
      She glanced at her bed, but knew she could not sleep. This wasn't the first day she had felt like this- each time she opened her eyes, each time Celestia's beautiful sunlight grazed across Dash's eyelids and softly shook her away, each time.. It got worse. The void inside her was growing- And she felt like she was losing herself within it's darkness.
      She closed her eyes, curling up in a corner. Her wings tucked close, she felt tthe walls around her. She began to sob, softly, so softly she hoped no pony would ever, ever hear. She was ashamed of these tears pouring from her, so ashamed, and yet she knew she couldn't stop them.
      She dropped her head, her mane in her eyes, and wept.

        Dash stumbled from her house the next morning, her legs and wings cramped from having fell asleep in the corner. The light hit her sorrowful eyes hard- She closed them tightly, and shook her head as she waited for her eye's to adjust, pushing away the migraine threatening to overcome her.
        A worried voice piped up. "Rainbow Dash...? Are you okay?"
       Dash winced as she opened her eyes- She didn't realize her body was shaking. Dash opened her eyes, Fluttershy standing in front of her. Dash blinked, staring at her, silent.
       Fluttershy repeated herself. "Rainbow Dash, are you okay?"
        Dash came to her senses. Still seeming out of it, she gave her head a soft nod. "Yeah.. Yeah. I'm fine." Dash forced a smile.
       Fluttershy shifted awkwardly, her voice quiet. "Oh.. Well.. Are you sure? I mean, me and Twilight and the others, we, well... We noticed you haven't been feeling very well..."
       Rainbow Dash frowned, embarassed, tossing her head to the side as she said bluntly. "I'm fine. You crazy ponies worry too much."
        Fluttershy's voice was quieter as she lowered her head, her mane slipping in front of one of her eyes as she kicked softly at the cloud. "Are you sure?... I mean, I'm sure your sure.. But you've been taking days off of work at the Weather Factory... Twilight said you came in looking for a book about coping with depression-"
       "Just leave me alone, Fluttershy!" Dash snapped. Her wings were trembling furiously. "I don't need your worry, or help or pity! I don't need any of you ponies to help! I'm fine!"
        Fluttershy's eyes got wide, and she turned and flew off, crying. Dash watched her, huffing, her eyes narrowed. As her defenses lowered, her eyes widened, and Rainbow Dash dropped to her knees, crying just as she had made her dear friend cry.
        Her wails were loud, and endless. She tucked her head between her front legs, crying uncontrollably. She wanted her friends help so badly.. Why had she turned against one of her best friends so angrily? She longed for their help, their support.. She wanted everything to go back to normal...
       Dash cried for hours, but they only echoed into the silence of another ending day.

     Dash awoke a few days later, once again in her corner. Storms were brewing outside- the weather had been unstable, since she, probably the best cloud clearer, hadn't shown up to work in weeks. She knew the storm would be worse than usual. She didn't care anymore.
      Lightning flashed outside her windows, the world outside dreary and dark. Her eyes watched the storm dance, blinking slowly. She made no attempt to stand. The depression had gotten so bad, she couldn't even get up and try to eat. She felt like even if she wanted to eat, her tight stomach would just make her vomit it back up. It was pointless and stupid.
       Everything was pointless and stupid.
         Dash stared at the ground, feeling tears threatening to escape her eyes again. She didn't even know she could cry anymore. She swore she had cried even more than each drop that poured down on Ponyville. She clenched her jaw, refusing to cry, inhaling sharply.
       After a few minutes, she slowly got up. Each moment seemed slow and painful. Life had no point or meaning. She headed for her front door. She trotted past the mirror, and hesitated, looking into it at the pony thrown back at her.
      She didn't look like herself. Her mane was unbrushed, her wings shaking. Her usually bright eyes were dull and lifeless. Her coat was stained and dirty. She wasn't Rainbow Dash anymore.
    Whoever she was, she didn't like it. She wanted to end it. So she would.
        She started again to the front door, nudging it open and revealing herself to the violent storm outside. She went to the edge of her cloud, inhaling deeply as she looked down below. She was floating high over Sweet Apple Acres. She thought briefly of her friend Apple Jack, and a stinging pain overtook her. She sobbed, squeezing her eyes shut.
      A voice sounded in her head. 'Who's going to care?'
             "They will..." Dash said aloud, though her voice was weak, drowned out in the thunder. "My friends..."
        'Forget them.' It hissed. 'Just do it.'
       Dash looked down, sobbing still, but took a step off her cloud. Her hoof hovered there, before she leaned forward and let herself fall.
         She didn't let out her wings. She didn't try and save herself, or pull up to pull off some spectacular stunt. No.. This was her final stunt. There would be no recovery.
         She felt her body crack as it hit the tops of the zap apple trees. She cried out, feeling her wings snap back and break, as did her ribs. A large branch smacked against her jaw, and she was out.
                         'Is this the end?'
        
         Rainbow Dash shook her head, drowsy, her eyelids fluttering open. A pair of bright, curious green eyes gazed into hers.
        She screamed, jumping back. She landed on her bed of hay, which flung dust into the air. She lifted her hoof, coughing harshly against it. The pain in her ribs made her cry out. She looked down at her middle, which was wrapped with bandages. She blinked, lifting her head to the pair of eyes.
        "... Big Mac?"
       Big Macintosh, the stallion brother of Apple Jack, watched her. After a moment, he nodded.
      "Eyup."
         "What happend?" She slid off of her bed of hay, but stumbled, falling against him. He leaned against her, keeping her up on her feet, nuzzling the bandages on her head and jaw.
      "Don't talk too much, you'll undo the bandages."
          "But--?"
     "Lay back down." He guided her to her bed again. Dash's eyes stayed glued to him as he lay himself next to her.
        "I was out, trying to harvest a few zap apples... It's the last day for them. We hadn't been able to harvest many this year, because of the storm." His slow, drawling voice hesitated, as he looked at her. "I saw you fall... Watched you from right above me. You landed right on top of my, drenched in blood..." He blinked, watching her. Her eyes were lit up. He nudged her head gingerly with his. "So I carried you here, called a doctor and got you fixed up. They said you'd be okay- Said it was best not to move you, to keep an eye on you. So.. I've been waitin' for a couple of days... I was afraid you wouldn't wake up."
       He stood, and smiled softly. "I'll go get the other ponies. They'll be happy to hear your awake."
           And with that, he trotted out the door of the guest room of Sweet Apple Acres.
     Dash sat there in bed. She felt stunned, and just sat there. Maybe she was dead, and this was all a dream...
         Her friends rushed in. All of them- Twilight, Fluttershy, Apple Jack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity. Big Mac filed in behind them. Confetti filled the air as they cheered and smiled and laughed and cried in relief, hugging and holding their friend Rainbow Dash close.
      "We're so glad your okay!" Twilight smiled, giving her a homemade 'Get Well Soon' card. "We worried about you so much. After Fluttershy came to us crying, we just weren't sure what to do.. Why didn't you tell us, Rainbow Dash?"
        Dash looked down. "I-I'm sorry guys. I just.. I was so prideful. I didn't wanna bother you guys with some lame crying junk... I couldn't... Break it to you. I didn't want to be a bother... and, guys, it just got so bad..."
         Apple Jack came up to Dash, nudging her hoof against her roughly. "That's for not telling us!" Her eyes seemed angry, but were replaced by a smile and a hug. "We're just glad you're okay, R.D."
        Dash's eyes filled with tears, but not of sorrow, but of joy.
      The night was filled with celebration and laughter. Dash felt the warmth of friendship and purpose fill her once again, even as her friends filed out the door late at night. She watched them leave, but turned her head to spot Big Mac coming back into her room.
      "You'll stay here for now... You can't get back up to your house, and Nurse Redheart said it's best not to move you."
        "Oh, thanks Big Mac. That's really cool of you and all."
      Big Mac nodded, and moved to lay beside her again. Dash's face flushed. "What're--"
         He nuzzled his muzzle against her head softly, his lips brushing her forehead. "Just try and sleep, Rainbow Dash. We'll talk tomorrow."
       Dash watched him as he rested there beside her, his head on her body, resting gingerly there. Her eyes studied him as he inhaled slowly, a smile on his face, his fiery mane covering a bit of his bold face...
         Dash smiled, and lay her head down, sighing happily. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.