//------------------------------// // Waiting // Story: Breaking the Ice // by Trouble Cleft //------------------------------// Fear That feeling was pulsing through Rainbow Dash's veins. It was running through her mind. As she waited for the results, the past hour played like a movie in her head. Rainbow Dash was in her element. Soaring through the sky at record-breaking speeds. She was on her way to meet her friends at Sugarcube Corner. All was well until she heard that scream that chilled her bones colder than the frosty air she was flying through. She looked down to see an orange blur disappearing into the depths of the lake, with Sweetie Belle and Applebloom screaming at the edge. She dove down, slicing through the air at the speed of sound, no, faster than that, she flew at the speed of light. She did not slow down as she hit the icy water. She kept her eyes fixated on Scootaloo's sinking body, as she watched the little fillies eyes close. She ignored the icy cold water that was freezing her insides. She swam down deeper, deeper, into the depths of the lake, until she could grab Scootaloo. With a huge flap of her wings, she pushed against the water and shot up like a rocket. When she reached the surface, she took a big gasp for air before nodding at Applebloom and Sweetie Belle to follow her as she took of towards Ponyville hospital. She flew as fast as she could, ignoring the water starting to freeze on her wings. Within less than thirty seconds, she barged through the hospital doors. "Somepony! Help! This filly just fell into a lake! Immediately two nurses came out with a stretcher and gestured for Rainbow Dash to put Scootaloo on it. She did as she was told and then sat down on a chair. "Miss?" the nurse said, "Your wings are completely coated in ice. Can you please come with me so I can help you?" Rainbow Dash looked at her wings and only then realized how bad of a condition they were in. They were fully coated in a thick layer of ice and when she tried to flap them, all she got was a numb feeling in her sides. The only thing that was preventing the ice from coating her upper back was the heat from the hospital. She got up slowly, dragging her hooves against the ground as she walked through the stark white corridors. The nurses cleaned her off and bandaged her wings, but the normally confident young pegasus did not complain. She filled out her treatment paperwork with a dull expression on her face before sitting down in the same chair as before. She had not moved since. All she wanted to hear was what had happened and if Scootaloo was going to be okay. She didn't even care that the nurses said that she couldn't fly for two days. She just sat there, stoically staring at her hooves. "Um...Rainbow Dash?" She looked up. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were standing in front of her, both wearing sad expressions on their faces. "Uh...We wanted ta tell ya tha' we're really sorry that Scootaloo fell in the lake. It...It t'was mah fault tha' it happened." Applebloom said with tears in her eyes, "Ah was the one who said tha' we should have a snowball fight down bah th' meadow." The young filly looked down at her hooves, her teardrops falling on the floor. Applebloom felt a hoof on her face and she glanced upwards. Rainbow Dash stared deep into her eyes, with a passion like no other. "Applebloom," said Rainbow Dash, "You are one smart filly, but I don't ever wan't you to blame yourself for an accident you didn't cause. Ya hear me?" Applebloom nodded with big sorrowful eyes. "Now, can you tell me what happened?" she asked. Applebloom took a long deep breath before replying. "Earlier today Ah saw Scootaloo in th' market and Ah asked her if she wanted ta have a snowball fight. She said yes so we went and got Sweetie Belle and then we went down to th' meadow. Scootaloo got th' area of the meadow bah the lake and when Sweetie and me started ta pelt her wit' snowballs, she backed up onto th' lake. The ice must have been too thin and, well...y'all know the rest." Applebloom looked back down at her hooves. Rainbow Dash knew how hard this must be for Applebloom, so she swept up her and Sweetie Belle into a warm hug. They sat there for a minute, not moving, just hoping that their friend was alright. Their embrace was interrupted by Nurse Redheart, who was holding a clip board and had a grim expression. The three quickly untangled themselves and looked at her expectantly. "I am very sorry to say this," she said sympathetically, "but Scootaloo is in a deep coma. If you wish to see her, she is in room seven on the second floor." Rainbow Dash's heart split into thousands of tiny shards. She sprinted up the stairs to the second floor. She raced down the hall to room seven. She skidded to a halt outside the door. How could this happen! she thought angrily to herself. She doesn't deserve this to happen to her! This shouldn't of happened! Agghh! I should have gone after her yesterday in the meadow! This is all my fault She quietly opened the door, and peeked inside. From where she stood, she could only see a half drawn curtain and the end of a bed. She slowly walked into the room, her eyes shut in fear of what she would see when they were opened. She took a deep breath and let herself look. The small limp body was placed on the pillows so it looked like Scootaloo was sleeping. Her tiny wings were folded up against her sides, and her mane was in it's usual messy stated. Her forelimbs and chest were covered in monitors and she had a tube going in her nose. Rainbow stood there an blinked, not sure how to react, the only sound being the ever constant beeping coming from the heart monitor. She blinked one last time before falling foreword to bury her face into Scootaloo's mane. She sobbed into the purple silkiness, creating enough water to fill a well. She sat there and sobbed until after dark, after it was to late to fly back home. She stayed their all night, not caring that she was hungry and tired, just wanting Scootaloo to be okay.