Take to the Skies

by DamnToasty

Chapter 8: Visions

What is this place? I was just in the forest, speaking to Applebloom, now… I’m here. I was standing in an abandoned city street. The asphalt littered with broken glass and ash. The tall buildings around me were torn apart, bricks loose, massive craters in the walls. It was like a photo of WWII era England. The air was so thick, filled with dust and the burning remnants of sulfur.

What happened here, where is everybody. I continued to slowly drift down the street of the empty city. Looking all around I saw the same scene of destruction. One thing that surprised me though... was the silence.

How ironic, a place of such carnage, and yet so peaceful. The peace did not last however. A loud sound from the north tore me from my thoughts. Everything around me began to shake and vibrate. Small pieces of the buildings tore from their sides falling to the ground below. I barely managed to dodge a large brick to my left.

The sound… it was like a note from a violin. Smooth, although with a bit of rigidness. The beautiful note suddenly changed to an ear piercing roar. I grasped the sides of my head to drown out the noise. The structures shook even more violently. Larger chunks fell from the sky, exploding on the ground with a flurry of clay and rock. The pain from my head brought me to my knees. My mind was blanching, only managing out a single though from the onslaught. The pain… oh god the pain, please, God, make it stop. Then… there was peace. I almost couldn’t believe it.

Had my prayers been answered? No… something isn't right. I lifted myself up and slowly opened my eyes to see what had transpired… I wish I hadn’t.

It was like… everything was frozen in time. Bricks, wood, papers, everything was just frozen. I seemed to be the only thing even moving. Items floated in mid-air, as if all had simply chosen to stop. I could only stare in awe at the sight before me. Turning my head something caught my eye, a small light in the distance, slowly growing. The sound returned. This time a shockwave came with it. All the remaining windows shattered and glass fell, some managing to cut at me eliciting a small grunt of pain.

The small light was now a massive orb hovering down range above the city. The orb stopped growing and silence once again ensued. The orb just hung there. I had to admit, if anything, it was intimidating. Then, in the blink of an eye, the anomaly imploded with a loud *snap*. That was the last sight I saw before my vision was filled with a blinding light. I pulled my eyelids shut. A loud ringing reverberated in my eardrums. They felt as if they would tear from the brute force. I just wanted this horrible vision to end, to go anywhere but here. I…just…wanted…it…to…stop! That’s when I woke up.

I awoke with a sharp gasp. My torso reflexively flinging into an upright position, but it does not last. A welling pain builds throughout my entire side, causing me to wince as I swiftly lowered myself. Laying back down, still damp with a cold sweat, I start to calm my senses. The pain slowly recedes and my breathing becomes less labored. “Where… where am I?” The place before me was neither the forest nor the devastated city. It looked like… a hospital room. I was currently located on a small white mattress with a paper thin green cover. I noticed my uniform had been stripped, but my under-garments and t-shirt remained. “At least they let me keep my dignity,” I say with no amusement. The room was lit by the sun shining in from the window to my left. As I look over I see a sight that makes my heart melt. There, curled up in a cushioned chair, was the sleeping form of Rainbow Dash. When she isn’t blowing up in your face she’s actually pretty adorable, I thought with a smile. Looking back to myself I become curious of my injuries. Slowly, I lift my t-shit upwards, twinging a bit in pain from unsettling the wound. Under the fabric my sight is met with multiple layers of gauze. Tape outlined the blood stained bandaging holding it in place. “Damn, they patched me up pretty good. I thought I would be in worse shape than this after going one on one with a fucking manticore,” I say with a grin.

A light groan emanates from the corner of the room. Already knowing of the source I look up to the now awake Rainbow Dash. The pegasus reaches up with her fore-hooves, stretching. A small smile graced the tired mare’s lips. Moving back to a sitting position Rainbow lets her eyelids flutter open, revealing her two magenta irises. She blinks a few times, still recovering from the exhausted stupor. Although when she laid her eyes on my conscious form, staring back at her, a bolt of energy seems to shoot through Rainbow Dash as the mare extends her wings and gives them a single flap, sending the pegasus straight at me. Raising my arms in a defensive position I awaited the impact, but it did not come. What did come was a bone- crushing bear hug from Rainbow.

“Thank you thank you thank you thank you…” The onslaught of grateful remarks continued to pour out of Rainbow’s lips. Her ‘attack’ was cut short however by my gasping voice.

“Rainbow…can’t…breath!” Silencing herself, Rainbow Dash removes my limp form as it is plopped back down onto the bed. Looking at the mare she smiles sheepishly while rubbing the back of her neck with one of her legs. How is that even possible? Wait, that is not important right now!

“S-sorry that was pretty uncool,” Rainbow says nervously.

“It’s fine, really. Although I must ask what brought on that kind of reaction,” I ask with a curious look.

“Well It’s just that *sigh* Scoots... she means a lot to me. She is like a sister, and when I heard she was in danger I just… lost it. I thought I lost her, but you… saved her. You risked your life to save those fillies, ponies you didn’t even know. That’s really cool in my book.” I give a warm smile at that, and pull her back into the embrace. She seems surprised at first but eventually gives in.

“It’s okay Rainbow. I can understand your concern for her. Actually, now that I think about it, where is the little squirt?” Pulling away from the hug she begins to answer.

“She’s actually in the room next to yours. The others are probably still over the- OH, I need to go tell the others you’re awake. Wait one sec alright?” The mare has already jumped off the bed and flown out the door by the time she had finished. I could only laugh a bit at her antics.

“*sigh* is that girl is always in that big a hurry? Huh, kind of reminds me of me back in my academy days.” I chuckle a bit more before Rainbow slowly trots back into the room with excited eyes. Hmm, wonder what’s going on?

“Hey Rodger… you got a special visitor.” Giving her a confused expression I shifted a bit in my bed.

“Special visitor, who do you mean?”

“You’ll see…”

“Okaaay... I guess?” Alright, now I’m curious.

“Good, now let me just-” Rainbow couldn’t finish her sentence as a rapid pink blur came speeding in from the doorway…heading straight for me. Oh shit.

“Oh my Celestia, I’m so happy you’re okay now I can throw you a ‘We’re happy you’re okay party AND Welcome to Ponyville party.’ Isn’t that super-duper fantastic! Oh, and sorry for shooting you with my party cannon I thought you were some kind of meanie monster and what was that shiny thing in your hand it looked super-duper cool and you can run really fast!” Pinkie Pie blurted out in her normal rate.

I swear… is this pony on crack or something? Pinkie Pie sat atop my mattress wearing a physically impossible smile. She looked like she was about to continue before being scolded by a very flustered Twilight.

“Pinkie, get off of Rodger he’s very injured!” Pinkie’s smile never wavers as she removes herself from the mattress. “Sorry about that, Rodger. Pinkie can be a bit… ecstatic at times.”

“Oh really, I haven’t noticed,” I say with a bit of a grin.

“Hehe, yea well she really lives up to her element.”

“What do you mean element?”

“Oh, I’ll explain that later. For now I think there is somepony who wants to meet you.” I am guessing she is referring to the ‘special visitor’ Rainbow Dash briefly mentioned.

“Yea, Rainbow said there was some special visitor. Is she a friend of yours or something?”

“I guess you could say that, she’s my mentor. I do actually have some other friends I want you to meet, but I think they’re still tending to the fillies in the other room.”

“Oh okay, well she’s your teacher huh. Well, whoever she is she sure did a hell of a job.” Twilight blushes a bit before an elegant voice enters the room.

“Why thank you, but I must say Twilight is, as you put it, ‘one hell of a student.’ Am I correct?” I turn my head to the door to find the source of the beautiful tone. I am slightly taken back by what I see. There, at the door, was a white… pegacorn or unisus…thing, I don’t know. A regal crown and neckwear lay upon her body, two large wings at her sides. Atop her head was a long sharp horn. The mare stared at me with the same look of confusion mixed with surprise that I was sporting. Only one thought was going through my mind.

“Whoa, you’re big.”