//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Nightmares 
// Story: On These Broken Wings 
// by NekoFallenOne 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 3: Nightmares 

The wind ruffling the feathers and sending his mane and tail flowing out behind him, as each downward stroke of his wings pushed his body faster, higher, sent a feeling of exhilaration through Sky Shimmer. There was nothing like flying.
Quickly glancing back over his shoulder, he saw a few of the other pegasi slowly slipping further behind, unable to keep up with his speed and maneuverability. The obstacles set out for the entrance exam for Princess Luna's royal guards proving a bit trickier for them. Various loops, hairpin turns and clouds that would suddenly release a target to either attack or avoid floated in the air above Ponyville, the location for this year's test.
This was almost too easy for the grey pegasus, wings beating quickly as he performed a barrel roll around a dark cloud, his wingtips barely touching the surface, causing slight ripples to form. Looking back, he smiled, seeing the almost corkscrew shape he left in his wake.
Nearly two months of intense training had paid off. Sky Shimmer smiled softly to himself, seeing the other pegasi taking the exam fading to small specks in the distance.
Whipping around the tops of buildings, skimming the treetops over the Everfree Forrest, and blasting his way though clouds, he pushed himself farther than he normally could. There was no limits to the speed or agility of which he could fly. The sky was his playground, part of him, and nothing could take it from him.
Suddenly he spotted something ahead, looming dark and angry across the horizon. A huge thunderhead covered the sky as far as he could see. The thick mass devoid of any color other than black, almost as if the sky itself had torn asunder and left nothing but a void, brilliant flashes lit it's interior, each strike blinding. 
Turning his head, Sky Shimmer tried to find a way around the clouds, but there was no escape. He was surrounded by blackness, the sky slowly darkening with each beat of his wings, as it took him closer to the edge of the thunderstorm. A cold, eerie presence could be felt flowing from the storm, full of malevolent intent. In one bright flash of lightning, his mind could almost make out a glowing set of eyes, deep within the storm, staring straight into his very soul.
Looking upwards, hoping he could somehow find a way to fly over the storm, his eyes widened in shock. A brilliant rainbow covered the remaining section of the sky which was not currently filled with dark, angry clouds. Though this was no ordinary rainbow, as it appeared to loop back around upon itself, no beginning nor end. 
Panic began to fill his mind, ears twitching, eyes rolling in an attempt to spot somewhere, anywhere, that would provide refuge from the storm. Looking down at the ground, another shock filled his already overwhelmed mind. 
Where the gently rolling hillsides, apple orchards and buildings that made up Ponyville and it's surrounding area, only dark, jagged rocks could be seen. The rainbow above cast eery shadows along the ground, eliciting visions of claws reaching out towards him.
Closing his eyes shut, he beat his wings as hard as he could, hoping that somehow he would be able to punch through the looming threat of the thundercloud, and escape. Only nothing happened.
Sky Shimmer opened his eyes in shock, as he once more tried to beat his wings, only to feel absolutely nothing. 
Straining his neck, he looked out over his back, and a strangled cry escaped his lips. 
His large, beautiful wings were gone. Replaced with crude and morbid intimidation of real wings. The plumage had been burned off, and the bones were twisted  and blackened.
Without any forward momentum, or even the ability to hover mid-air, gravity swiftly took hold upon the pegasus.
Crying out, Sky Shimmer began to plummet to the awaiting rocks, already slick and glistening with blood.

Sky Shimmer's eyes shot open, a startled cry escaping his lips. Heart racing, he could feel his body covered with a layer of cold sweat. The sheets clinging to his form, twisted around his legs. 
It took his senses a few moments to focus, his eyes staring up at the white ceiling of his hospital room. The steady drone of medical equipment nearby filled his ears, and a slight, metallic taste filled his mouth. He had bitten the inside of a cheek during his nightmare.
Slowly, painfully, he sat up, looking down at the mess he had made of the bedspread, having tossed and turned frantically during the night. And even more so during the dream. Sighing, he slowly laid back down, pulling the sheets back over his bandaged body, wincing at the twinge of pain that shot up from one of his hind legs.
Part of his mind waited for the searing pain from his wings as he lay back, but all he could feel was an absent numbness from his now useless appendages. A few tears escaped and slunk slowly down his cheeks, remembering the ghastly sight and the knowledge that he would never take to the sky again.
He was just closing his eyes, his mind spinning with questions as to what he will do now that the sky was taken from him, how the other pegasi would treat him, and what would be on the menu for lunch, when an odd sound caught his ears.
Slowly opening his eyes once more, ears pivoting to the source of the sound, he scanned the dimly lit hospital room. 
Various machines surrounded the bed, each monitoring his vital signs, wires ran from the boxes, many of which were still attached to his body courtesy of the small round pads. A large window filled one wall, curtains pulled open to provide a wonderful view of darkly rolling hills, while a black sky filled with brilliant stars covered the horizon. Smiling softly, he was still amazed at the beautiful sight, Princess Luna had a wonderful touch when it came to the night sky, not a single cloud marred her work of art.
Across from the bed was a smaller door, slightly ajar, which led to a private bathroom, and beside this was a small wardrobe for storing various personal effects. The wall opposite the window was covered with cabinets and drawers, as well as a door that his mind told him led to the hospital's corridors, being the only other door in the room.
After scanning the room, ears still pivoting in an attempt to locate the noise, his eyes fell upon a small sofa, tucked into a corner beneath the window. Upon this lay another pony, fast asleep. Somepony, most likely a nurse, had thoughtfully draped a blanket across his visitor, leaving only the head and the end of a tail visible.
Though he could not see most of the pony curled beneath the blanket, Sky Shimmer recognized the pure white mane and emerald coat of one of his dearest friends. One of the long forelocks had slipped down during the night, lightly tickling her muzzle, causing Feathersong to lightly sneeze ever so often, providing a source to accompany the sound he had heard before.
A soft smile fell across Sky Shimmer's lips, seeing his friend laying there. Feathersong was an incredibly kind pegasus, soft-spoken, but always willing to help a friend in need. It warmed his heart to see her there, watching over him like this. 
He thought of calling out to her, to let her know that he was alright, but stopped himself before he could utter a word. Her mane, and what could be seen of her tail, seemed disheveled, eyes red-rimmed and puffy, as if she had cried herself to sleep. She appeared completely exhausted, and he would have felt horrible to wake her, thinking it best to let her get some rest. There would be plenty of time to talk come morning.
Closing his eyes, he let himself sink back into the bed, thankful that the nursing staff had chosen a softer bedding for him, and allowed himself to slowly sink back into sleep.
The nightmares did not return, allowing Sky Shimmer to get the rest he needed.

Off in the distance, atop a hillside, one could make out the silhouette of a pony, framed by the majestic glowing disc of the moon. Wings outstretched, head held high, eyes glowing brilliantly, yet with a hint of sadness to them, gazing directly towards the hospital.
“Sleep well, poor Sky Shimmer.” Princess Luna whispered to the wind.
A single tear fell from her eyes, floating off in the wind on a trail of stardust.

Warm sunlight fell through the open window, bathing the small hospital room in it's warm embrace, pushing back the shadows to the far corners where they would wait until nightfall, before once again venturing out to cloak the room in darkness. 
The rays slowly crept up across the bed, inching it's way up the covered form of the pony resting under the covers. Sheets rising and falling in a slow rhythm, deep, even breaths. As they inched higher, the warmth tickled at the nose of the sleeping pegasus, causing a small sneeze. 
Slowly opening his eyes, Sky Shimmer blinked at the bright sunlight, bringing a hoof up to shade his vision, as he awoke, casting his gaze around the room.
The sofa where he had spotted his friend was empty, the blanket neatly folded up and lain back across the plush cushions. Feathersong had awoken much earlier, and slipped out quietly to not wake him. A soft smile crossed Sky Shimmer's lips, making a mental note to thank his friend for watching over him during the night.
A noise outside his door caught his attention, bringing his thoughts back to the present, causing his ears to swivel towards the source. The door was closed, though he thought he could make out the silhouettes of a few ponies through the foggy glass.
Having just awoken from a deep sleep, his ears took a few moments to adjust, the murmur of sound slowly forming into words that he could just make out through the thick glass and wood.
“...but I have to see him....” One voice was nearly shouting. “...I mean.... we have to see him....”
“... do not know if he is awake...” another interrupted the first voice, a heavier, masculine one by the tone. “...or if he wants...”
There was a slight crashing sound, and he could see two of the shadows jump back slightly. It may have been a trick of the lighting, but it almost looked like one of the forms had facehoofed.
“...sorry... did not mean to...” A third voice, slightly higher-pitched than the first, responded.
Shaking his head, stopping suddenly and putting his hooves to his temples as a wave of nausea and dizziness threatened to overtake him, Sky Shimmer smiled. Leaning as far as he could towards the doorway, he opened his mouth and yawned loudly, quite over-exaggerating the sound, followed by a loud coughing. He winced, feeling a burning sensation in his lungs and the pain of stitches threatening to pull.
Laying back on the bed, he turned to see the doorknob turning, the door slowly being pushed open. The head of the doctor he had talked to the day previous poked in through the opening. Spotting Sky Shimmer laying in bed, awake, he smiled. “Um, Sky Shimmer. Sorry about the racket. There are, uh, two ponies out here who have been demanding to see you.”
Cocking his head to the side, Sky Shimmer shot the doctor a confused look.
“Well, ah, one has been demanding to see you, and the other appears to be in complete distress, and says that she will not be able to calm down until she has seen you.” The doctor added, quickly peeking back over his shoulder at the two shadows hovering on the other side of the thick glass.
Sky Shimmer yawned and stretched, once again wincing at the action, feeling the tender skin around his wounds pull slightly. Looking back at the doctor, he smiled and nodded. “It is alright, doctor...” he stopped, suddenly realizing that he had no idea of the name of the doctor who had saved his life. Blushing slightly, he cocked his head to the side. “Actually, I do not even know your name...”
Blinking, the doctor gave him a confused look himself. Suddenly it dawned on him that on their previous exchange, he had completely forgotten to introduce himself. “It's Helpinghoof.” he responded, nodding at his patient, before adding. “Oh, and those two nurses were Nurse Redheart and her assistant, Clear Joy.” Giving a slight wink, he smirked. “Clear Joy was the one who got you the water. After that, she was blushing for hours!”
This brought a small chuckle from Sky Shimmer, glad that even in his position, he was able to make another pony happy.
“Hey, what's happening?” A voice called out from behind Helpinghoof, one that seemed vaguely familiar to Sky Shimmer. “Can we go in or not?”
Helpinghoof turned to look behind him once more, before turning back to face his patient. “Um, is it alright if these two come in to see you? If they cause you any discomfort, I can get some nurses to see them out...”
Shaking his head, much slower this time, Sky Shimmer waved a hoof. “It's alright, you can let them in.”
As his words were leaving his lips, the door burst open fully, slamming back against the nearby cabinet. Doctor Helpinghoof's white coat fluttered around him, as a pony darted past him and into the room. 
Blinking from the sound of the crashing door, Sky Shimmer pulled his gaze from a slightly stunned doctor, to the visitor now standing, make that hovering, inside his room. 
His eyes widened in surprise. Hovering a few feet from the side of his hospital bed, was a cyan pegasus, her windswept mane and tail literally a rainbow of colours. Sky Shimmer's mind quickly tried to process what he was seeing, as he looked up from the rainbow tail, to the crimson eyes of the pegasus hovering beside him.
“So, um. How are you doing?” Rainbow Dash asked, scratching at the back of her mane nervously.
Sky Shimmer was at a loss for words. His mind still stumbling, trying to find some reason why Rainbow Dash, one of the heroes of Equestria, and the fastest, most agile and awesome pegasus, would be hovering at his hospital bedside. Opening his mouth, he tried to speak. “Uh... R-rainbow D-dash?”
Smiling, Dash did a quick flip in the air, brushing her hoof against her chest. “The one and only!”
“Wh-what are you doing here?” he asked, mind still slow at proccessing.
“Duh. To see how you are doing!” she replied, looking down at him. Her smile and bright eyes began to soften, turning slowly into a frown and sorrowful gaze. “Especially after what happened to you...”
Sky Shimmer cocked an eyebrow at the cyan mare, puzzled as to this sudden change. “After my accident?” Shaking his head slowly, he added. “I am surprised that somepony like you would want to visit a nobody like me. Did not even think you would know who I was.”
Rainbow Dash blinked, a look of pain mixed with guilt crossing her expression. Slowly she landed, walking up to the bedside. The sudden change in her demeanor made Sky Shimmer pause, curious as to why.
“Well...” Looking downwards, the mare appeared to be fighting a mental battle of sorts, lips moving as if arguing with herself about something. Slowly looking up, Sky Shimmer was shocked to see that her eyes were wet, the beginning of tears forming at the corners. 
With a shaky voice, Rainbow Dash continued. “It was... partly my fault.”
“Partly your fault...” Sky Shimmer repeated, unsure as to what to make of this. He turned back towards the door, as he heard another set of hooves on the tile floor of his room. A grey pegasus mare, mane and tail a soft yellow, had made her way into the room. Her whole body shook, the sounds of sobs echoing in the small room. Coming to a stop on the other side of his bed, her face tilted up towards him, tears freely flowing from her amber eyes.
“I am...also... to blame...” Derpy Hooves cried out. Throwing her forehooves onto his bed, burying her head into them as she sobbed.