"What if... the Dark Side is like one giant ice cream cone surrounding the Vanilla Zone which is why we have such a hard time breaking free?!"
"Pinkie—"
"AND... without her harmonic friends nearby, Dashie starts to lose it in the whosit? I mean, I'd go crazy and start dreaming up big baddies too!"
"Twilight, admit it. Pinkie might have an oxymoronic way of describing her theories—but it's a lot simpler than... brrrrr... the actual, literal Discord having r-returned!"
"Rarity, if Rainbow Dash said it and Applejack confirms it—"
"But Applejack only knows what Rainbow Dash experiences."
"Yer sayin' she ain't experiencin' reality?"
"No, Applejack, what I'm trying to say is that it's all a matter of perspective. I agree with Pinkie insomuch that whatever's happening to our friend—and to us—is merely a component of dwelling on the Dark Side! But to actually claim something so horrible as... as D-Discord returning..."
"Just because it's terrible dun mean it ain't true, Rarity."
"Applejack—"
"Truth hurts more than we want it to. I'd say we treat this like it's the worst case scenario. We accept what Rainbow Dash has declared about Discord and then we focus on what needs to be done about it!"
"B-but what can we do about it? If Discord's really b-back, then we're in m-more danger than we can even pretend to imagine!"
"We're not in danger, Fluttershy."
"But Twi! We couldn't reach Dashie when she needed us the most! That's poopy news! It's like the Defcon One of Poopy news!"
"What in the hay is a 'Defcon?'"
"Definitely Enigmatic, Freaky, Calamitous, And Nasty!"
"The word 'and' doesn't start with an 'o.'"
"Then you think of something, Twilight!!! Golly-gee-gummy-gunk! It's a little hard to break the forth wall when it starts to break back against you!"
"I-I-I don't even think I can ever g-go back to the Vanilla Zone after today..."
"But we have to, Fluttershy! Otherwise we'll never recharge! We can never help Rainbow Dash!"
"Hrmmm... ya reckon we should keep ourselves from goin' back into that bright'n'shiny place? See how long we can manage?"
"I... shudder to think of what that might do to us, Applejack. Unless you, Twilight, think it wouldn't be harmful to us or Rainbow."
"I... I-I can't say for certain. All evidence seems to suggest that it would be a detriment to our connection to Rainbow Dash to never, ever go back to that place."
"Then maybe we can go there for only a short spell? Feel it out? Like a quick power nap?"
"After what happened last time, I don't think we can afford to experiment much... as much as I'd love to."
"Duaaaaaaah! We can take turnsies! Rotate our filly fuzzy sleeping schedules around the clock!"
"That's... actually a good idea, darling."
"Make it so that one of us is always guardin' Rainbow Dash? Like a loyal pup? Shucks, sign me up!"
"And after all that's happened, she could really use our help. I mean... have you ever seen her so... so t-terribly distraught?"
"Can't say that I have."
"Nope."
"Uh uh!"
"You've known her longest, Fluttershy. How about you?"
"I... I-I can't remember. Rainbow Dash has always been the strong one. All the way through Rohbredden—as we watched her surpass obstacle after obstacle—she only served to reinforce the courageous, resilient image I've had of her. But seeing her utterly collapse like that..."
"Mmmmmm... makes you wonder exactly what p-poor Dashie went through right after we all went kablooey."
"Good heavens... I shudder to think! And now the weight of Discord has fallen back on her shoulders!"
"Yeah... ... ... ..."
"... ... ... ...what if it really is true? What if our beloved Rainbow is... is actually tethered to him like we are to her?"
"Then it's our job to give her support! We carry her spirit on our shoulders like she's carried us! After all, we're in this together!"
"Of course..."
"Absolutely!"
"Yeah!"
"Boy howdy!"
"After all she's been through, we deserve no less! First thing she wakes up, I suggest we all gather around and tell her how we're going to plan to deal with this threat—"
"I'm awake, egghead," Rainbow Dash droned from where she laid curled up under starlight. "You can tell me now."
"Eeep!" Twilight Sparkle jolted in place. She and the other ghostly mares pivoted to face Rainbow Dash.
Stirring, Rainbow Dash rubbed the gritty remains of tears from her eyelids and squinted at the group. "I'm totally sorry for freaking out like I did before..."
"Oh Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy floated forward with ears folded.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, darling," Rarity said.
"Darn tootin'!" Applejack nodded. "If I was in yer place, no doubt I'd be caterwalin' somethin' fierce as well!"
Rainbow Dash merely stared at Applejack. She stared and she stared...
"Okay. Maybe not. Heh..." Applejack tilted her hat back. "But... you gotsta admit... that's an awful lot to digest in one evenin'—"
"Mrmmfff..." Rainbow Dash stirred some more, rubbing her eyes. "I don't really want to talk about it. Not right now."
"But Rainbow Dash!" Twilight glided forward with an anxious expression. "This is very serious! We have to deal with this as soon as—"
Pinkie rested a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. The party mare shook her head, then spoke to Rainbow in a calm, melodic voice. "Don't let us interrupt your shuteye, Dashie. Cruddy crud or not—you still need to rest for the trek ahead."
"Grnnngh... sleep... how..." Rainbow's tired eyes darted around. "How long have I been sleeping?"
"Not long enough," Fluttershy said. "Trust us."
"Ungh..."
"Uhm... erm..." Twilight cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Rainbow. Pinkie's right. You really could use the rest right now."
"Where's the Herald?"
"Don't worry. They're safe—"
"If they're safe, then you can tell me where they are," Rainbow said with a sudden frown. "Well? How 'bout it?"
Rarity sighed, then looked aside. "Fluttershy, darling?"
"Flynn's guarding Seraphimus at the moment," the pegasus said. "Logan and Kepler are scouting."
"Uh huhhhh..." Rainbow Dash blinked. "And what about Wildcard? Ariel?"
Fluttershy merely smiled.
"Flutters...?"
"Look for yourself, darling," Rarity said.
Rainbow didn't have to look far. She tilted her head to the right and nearly bumped into Wildcard's beak. The griffin slept, perched in an upright position directly in front of Rainbow—his back to the twilight. In the midst of his slumber, the Desperado somehow continued clutching Bard's staff with his one good talon.
Rainbow looked to the left... and got a muzzle full of gray fuzz. Ariel was spooning her from behind, enveloping the petite pegasus' body with a protective hug. She was also asleep.
It was like waking up in a warm cocoon of comraderie. Rainbow Dash instantly lost the nerve to move any further.
"Well... uh..." Rainbow gulped. "...I guess I'm getting some more sleep."
Twilight stifled a breathy giggle. "Looks like it."
"Have... have they been here long?"
"All night long, Rainbow," Fluttershy said. "Wildcard insisted on guarding you all night. And Ariel..."
Rainbow's eyes briefly crossed Applejack's gaze. "Yeah..." She lowered her head as she rested in her friends' close proximity. "Yeah, I get it."
"They believe in ya, Rainbow," Applejack said. "And so do we."
"Mmmmm..." Rainbow exhaled softly. "I guess... g-guess I'm pretty lucky, aren't I?"
Twilight nodded. "All things considered."
"Right..." Exhaustion set in once again, and Rainbow closed her eyes. "Good enough."
She snuggled under Ariel's arms... and was fast asleep as her friends looked on.