Rainbow wiped the sweat off her forehead. Her body screamed for he to stop but she kept going. She had to.
She needed to stay fit. She had to stay on top. Everyone was counting on her to be the best in the school.

She continued to jog. The sun beat down on her, causing her to sweat alot. Rainbow had been doing this every day. She had been working out every single day. One day she noticed that she was started to get chubby. Then she decided to do something about it.

Being the captain of every sports team in school was a hard job. She had to make sure she was fit enough for each game. She had to be the best, the fastest, the smartest on the field.

Everyone always had their eyes on her. After all, everyone expect her to be the top athlete in school. She couldn't be the top athlete and get chubby. No way. So she did what she does best, work out.

Rainbow's muscles ached and burned, her legs were weak. Weak meant she was weak in general. She had to get stronger. That pushed her on.

Her stomach growled. She hadn't had dinner yet. Rainbow had been at the park all day. She only had water and energy bars and fruit.

Rainbow felt her heart pumping. She had no idea what time it was. She suddenly collapsed to the ground. She sat there panting.

She then looked around for the first that day. She looked at her rubber watch. Her eyes widened.

"Man. It's four in the afternoon".

She had been jogging for over 5 hours. Rainbow slowly and painfully stood up. She unscrewed her water bottle and took a nice long drink.

The cold water, quenched her dry mouth. Rainbow panted looking around. She decides to go home.
-------------------------------

Applejack bit her nails. Rainbow had been at the park all day. When was she coming home??.

Applejack had noticed Rainbow had been acting strange for weeks. The teen had been working out alot more than she usually did. Rainbow barely ate anything heavy, only healthy bars and water and fruit.

Applejack paced the floor. Rainbow had left her phone at home so she had no way to call her. Suddenly she heard the door open. Applejack turned and hurried out of the room. She quickly walked down the hall. She stopped suddenly. Rainbow walked in, drenched in sweat, lookimg absolutely exhausted.

"Rainbow".

Rainbow looked at her. She waved. Applejack walked up to her, taking her arm gently.

"Babe. Have you been at the park all day??".

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah. It was hot outside today. Phew. I need a bath".

"You must be hungry. Ah'll make ya somethin ya eat", Applejack said.

Rainbow shook her head. "Not hungry. Just tired".

Rainbow walked up to the stairs. She quickly ran up them. Applejack stood there for a moment.

"That was weird".
-------------------------------------

"Rainbow??".

Applejack walked around the house, calling for her girlfriend. She hadn't seen Rainbow Dash all afternoon.

The blonde walked to their gym room. Opening the door she saw Rainbow on her treadmill. Applejack walked in. Rainbow looked exhausted.

"Rainbow".

Rainbow looked up at her. She waved.

"Hey".

Applejack walked over to her.

"Rainbow. Get down. Ah need ta talk to ya".

Rainbow shook her head.

"Talk. I need to keep going".

Applejack looked at her like she just spoken gibberish. What??.

"What's up with you??. You're always workin out and you've been plenty of excrcise ta last you month worth of abs and soreness. Ah think you should take take a break fir a few days. It'll do ya some good".

Rainbow chuckled. "Yeah right. You make me laugh".

"Ah mean it", Applejack said seriously. "What's up with you??".

Rainbow didn't reply. She just kept jogging. Applejack reached out and grabbed Rainbow by her waist. Rainbow struggled against her.

"No. Let go!!".

Applejack pulled her off the treadmill and she went into the house. Closing the door, Applejack carried the struggling teen into the living room. Walking over to the couch, she set her down on it. Rainbow sat up and looked up at her.

"Well that was unnecessary".

Applejack placed her hands on her hips.

"Rainbow. Please. You're worrying me".

Rainbow rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Just leave it alone", she said.

"No. Ah won't let this continue. You work out way too much and it ain't healthy".

"You don't understand!!", Rainbow said standing up.

Rainbow staggered a bit. She suddenly fell to the carpet floor. Applejack rushed to he side. Kneeling down, she shook her gently.

"Rainbow??. Can you hear me??. Rainbow!!".

Applejack quickly got her phone out. She dialed 911.

Don't cha dare leave me Rainbow Dash.

In fifteen minutes Rainbow was being rushed to the emergency room. She was connected to oxygen mask and an IV.

When they got there, Rainbow was whisked away. Applejack called the others, in worried tears. The girls broke the speed limit but somehow they didn't get stopped.

The girls hurried into the ER. They met up with Applejack. Rarity pulled Applejack into a hug.

"It's alright darling. I'm sure she'll be just fine".

"What happened??", Fluttershy asked.

Applejack turned and looked at her.
She shrugged.

"Rainbow's been actin strange lately. She's been exercisin alot. Too much if ya ask me. She's either doing crazy numbers of pushups and sit ups or runnin at the park. It's crazy".

Applejack sighed, running her hands through her hair.

"Ah don't know what's wrong with her. She won't tell me. B'fore she collapsed, she said you don't understand. Ah don't know what that means".

Twilight placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"We'll get to the bottom of this. All I know is that when she gets home, she's staying in bed for a few days and resting. You said she's been exercising alot. She's putting her body under alot of stress".

"Hey!!".

The girls looked up. They some of the teens from the some of the sports teams from school hurrying over to them.

"What are you guys doin here??", Applejack asked.

Soarin, th second in command from the baseball team looked at her.

"Spitfire saw an ambulance outside your house and Rainbow on a stretcher. We called the rest of the team here. What happened??".

Applejack sighed.

"Rainbow has been workin out like crazy lately. She is always in the gym or our running. She had this to exercise and eat fruits and energy bars snd drink only water. I just recently realized it. She collapsed today after she ah had ta pull her off a treadmill. She refused to stop fir a second".

"I think I know what's going on", Spitfire spoke up. She looked at some of her teammates from the track team.

"I won't say anything because I could be wrong. I'm gunna made that girl talk. We need to know what's going in with our friend and captain".

"Excuse me??".

Everyone stopped and turned around. A doctor stood there.

"Are you all here for Rainbow Dash??".

They all nodded.

"She's awake now. But she's asking for Applejack".

Applejack walked up to him.

"That'll be me".

She turned and looked at the others.

"Wait out here".

Applejack followed the doctor into a room. She saw Rainbow sitting in bed. She was hooked up to an IV. Applejack thanked the doctor and walked over to the bed.

"How do you feel??", she asked.

Rainbow looked at her.

"Tired".

Applejack reached and took her hand.

"Rainbow. You scared me so badly. Ah thought you were gunna die fir a second. You collapsed and ah had no idea what ta think. Ah only knew ta call an ambulance. So, here ya are. Now, why??".

Rainbow looked at her lap.

"Why what??".

Applejack crossed her arms.

"Why do constantly exercise and push your body past yir breakin' point. Why do this to yirself??".

Rainbow sighed. "You don't understand", she said.

"I have to do this!!. You don't understand the stress of being captain of all the sports teams!!".

Applejack was silent. Rainbow crossed her arms.

"My teams need be to be a great athlete and be at my tip top shape. The whole school is always counting on me to win every game and score every perfect goal and break the record. I have to be perfect and to do that I have workout as much as possible. I can't have a stomach. I can't. I-I just can't have that. I can't be the captain of every sports team in school and have a pudgy stomach".

Rainbow made a sick face.

"I can't even think about it".

She looked at Applejack.

"I just can't. I need to do this. Everyone's counting on me to be perfect and........ I feel like I have to be. Only an athlete can understand the pressure of having people count on you to be the best at all times. I can't dissapoint everyone. I just can't. I have to be skinny, toned up, strong. Perfect. I have to".

Rainbow mumbled to herself.

Applejack stared at her for a moment. She touched her arm.

"No Rainbow. You don't have ta be perfect. Noone's perfect".

Rainbow looked at her.

"You know what I meant. I have to be the best. The fastest. Agile. Smartest on the field. The one with the game set plan. The captain. My teams look to me for every move we make. If I'm not the best shape I can be, then how can they follow my lead. I can't let them down. I can't".

Rainbow looked at her knees, shaking her head.

"Rainbow. That's crazy".

Rainbow looked up at Applejack. The blonde took her hand.

"Rainbow. You don't have ta be perfect. You're already an amazing player. You could never let em down. You're a great leader Rainbow. Ah get it. The stress from the expectations is alot ta handle. You just cracked under pressure. That's fine. But how ya relieve that stress is either good or bad".

Rainbow shrugged. "I'm fine Applejack".

"No, you're not. Babe, listen ta me".

Rainbow looked her in the eyes.

"Ah can't lose you Rainbow".

Applejack shook her head. "Ah can't. And don't say ah won't because if you continue like this then one day you'll kill yirself from over exertion. Too much exercise an not enough food can hurt cha badly Rainbow. Please, try ta understand that what chur doin ain't healthy. Ah'm not saying stop exercisin. Ah'm saying stop over exercisin. Don't over do it".

Rainbow sighed. "I......... I don't know. It's my stress reliever. Whenever I'm stressed out, I workout to get my mind off of it. It helps. So I don't think I can stop".

"Rainbow".

The two girls turned and saw the others standing there. Rainbow looked down at her lap.

"What are they doing here??", she whispered to Applejack.

"Worried about cha".

"Rainbow Dash", Spitfire said. Her and Soarin walked up to the bed. Applejack backed up.

Spitfire sat on the bed slowly.

"Rainbow. This is insane. You can't do this to yirself".

Rainbow was silent. She shrugged.

"Why didn't you talk to someone??", Spitfire asked. "You coulda talked to Applejack or one of us".

"I didn't want to bother anyone with my problems", Rainbow said quietly.

Spitfire looked at her sadly.

"Rainbow. You don't have to be perfect for anybody. Have you seen yourself in a mirror. It's amazing. I wish I had the body you have. You have a six pack dude. That's body goals right there".

Rainbow looked up at her.

"You're amazing. I love your energy and even though it drives us all crazy sometimes, it makes us feel good. You always make us laugh and have fun while practicing. You're the best team captain ever".

Soarin nodded. "Agree. You my friend are the best in the school and it shocks me that you think you'd dissapoint us. You could never let us down. Ever. You're not only our captain, but our friend. You always make we put our heal in front of a game. Now, it's time we do the same. Now, we don't say this enough..... or ever. But thank you Rainbow".

Rainbow looked surprised.

"Thank you for encouraging us to be the best we can be and being a true friend and a team councilor for us when we need someone to talk to. You make sure we stay in check and healthy. But we're also sorry".

Spitfire and the other teammates nodded.

"Yeah", Fleetfoot said. "We didn't realize just how much pressure you were carrying. We would've put a stop to this long ago if we had known about this sooner. We're sorry for not noticing right away".

Rainbow shook her head. "It's not your fault. I didn't tell you. I'm sorry for not telling you about my problem. I just feel like everyone's counting on me".

Spitfire shook her head.

"Noone is expecting you to be perfect. Noone is perfect. So, please. Stop thus.
Spitfire placed a hand on Rainbow's.

"We all love you. We can't have our captain in the hospital. Now, me and the team will make sure you stay out of a few games until you're back team normal. You need to rest for a while. Applejack here said that you've been exercising everyday. That's pretty excessive. Now. You're hot, with a set body and you're the best sports player in school. So please. Stop this and go back to the Rainbow we know. We don't want cha ta get sick...... or die".

Rainbow sighed. She nodded.

"You really meant all of that??".

The group nodded.

"Yeah", Applejack said walking up to her.

"We do. So, ah just sighed ya out. We're going home an yir sleepin. Tomorrow, you're stayin in bed. Spitfire an Soarin will watch out for ya in school. They'll keep an eye on ya ta make sure ya don't over do yir training or exercise, okay??".

Rainbow nodded. "If it makes you feel better, yeah. I'm good with that"..
--------------------------

Rainbow laid down on her bed. She sighed.

Her whole body hurt. She mentally groaned.

"This feels nice".

Applejack pulled the blanket up.

"Good ta hear that. Now just rest. Sleep Sleep as long as ya want tomorrow. We'll stay home from school".

Rainbow nodded. Applejack turned the light off and got into bed with her. She looked at Rainbow Dash.

"Ah was worried about cha all this time. Ah'm just glad you're okay".

Applejack kissed her forehead.

"Just remember, you're the best in our school already. Can't do any better than that".

Rainbow smiled. "I guess not".

Applejack wrapped an arm around her waist. Rainbow hissed in pain.

"What??", Applejack asked suddenly.

Rainbow let out a groan.

"Sore muscles".

Applejack nodded. She held Rainbow gently. Rainbow curled up slightly. She sighed.

"I'm sorry. For everything".

Applejack looked at her in the dark. She kissed her head.

"Don't be. Wasn't your fault. We all know that so don't worry about that. Just rest".

Rainbow closed her eyes. She was so exhausted. Applejack listened to her breathing even out. Soon Rainbow was asleep. Applejack sighed.

"What am ah gunna do with ya Rainbow??", she asked the sleeping girl.

Applejack laid her head down and closed her eyes. She held Rainbow securely in her arms. She smiled, knowing Rainbow was gunna be okay.

Let me know what cha think :)