The cafeteria was bustling with noise, students chatting and laughing as they ate their lunch. The smell of various foods mixed in the air, but you weren’t really paying attention to any of it. You had been awake for far too long, and the exhaustion had finally caught up with you. You sat down at an empty table, still feeling the weight of your tiredness. Without much thought, your head dropped onto the cool surface of the table, and you closed your eyes, drifting off.

Rainbow Dash, tray in hand, noticed you from across the room. Normally, she would have ignored someone sleeping during lunch, but there was something about the way you just collapsed onto the table that piqued her curiosity. She set her tray down on a nearby seat and walked over to where you were slumped.

—"Hey, you okay?" Her voice was gentle, not the usual teasing tone that she reserved for her friends. She didn’t expect an answer at first, but when you didn’t stir, she nudged your shoulder with her hand.

—“Uh, hello?” she said again, leaning in slightly. You mumbled something incoherent, clearly too tired to process anything happening around you.

Rainbow stood there for a second, unsure of what to do. She wasn’t the type to hover over someone, but seeing you like this made her pause. After a few seconds, she rolled her eyes and sighed.

—“Fine,” she muttered under her breath. “You’re hopeless.”

Instead of walking away, she reached for the tray of food on the nearby table. She grabbed an apple, taking a bite as she thought about what to do. She glanced at you again, wondering if you’d actually wake up anytime soon.

She leaned over, gently placing the apple next to your hand.

—“There. Eat it when you wake up, sleepyhead,” she said, shaking her head with a small smirk.