“Ow… Ow… Ow…”
“Lightning! Are you all right?”
“I’m fine… Damn, I feel so… weak…”
“Here, let me help you up. You really have to be more careful, Lightning! You’re still recovering. The doctors said to—“
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll be careful.”
“Lightning… please. I don’t want you hurting yourself. I… I don’t want to lose you ag-again…”
“…Lyra? You’re not going to start crying, are you?”
“…”
“Hey, sis. Don’t cry. Please. I’ll be careful, okay? I won’t go hurting myself. Promise.”
“Sorry… Sorry… I’m… Lightning, I’m so scared.”
“…”
“It’s just… I came so close to losing you. You were asleep for so long… Seeing you like that… Wondering if you would ever wake up… I can’t go through that again, Dusty. I can’t. I don’t know what I’d do if…”
“…Don’t worry, Lyra. A little fall won’t stop me. I’ll be careful. Now, come on! The outside world awaits! I’ve been stuck in that bed for so long my wings are killing me!”
“Oh, Dusty… All right, all right, sheesh. We’ll get out soon enough, but we need to take it slowly, okay?”
“Whatev—”
“…”
“Um… Got it. Slowly. Small steps. Okay.”
“That’s right. Now lean on me, so that you won’t fall again… There, that’s not so hard, right?”
“Sure, Lyra.”
“All right, not too far now…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Here, let me get the door for you real quick… and a couple more steps… and there! The outside world. Ta-da!”
“Oh…”
“Dusty? Something wrong?”
“…No. No, it’s just… I didn’t think being outside would feel so… good. Like breaking free from a cage.”
“I bet it does, Lightning.”
“Oh, the Sun… that breeze… so nice… I wish I could just stretch my wings… and fly…”
“Light—“
“But not yet. See, Lyra? I got this! I can fly once I’m feeling better. No need to rush, right?”
“…That’s right, Dusty. That’s right.”
“Um… hey, could you help me over to that bench? It’s a nice day, and…”
“You want to take some time to enjoy it, huh?”
“Heh, yeah.”
“Okay then. But not too long! You have a therapy session in an hour.”
“…Don’t remind me.”
“Okay… Just lean on me again…”
“…”
“…Almost there…”
“…”
“All right, easy now… there we go.”
“Ah…”
“You okay there, Dusty?”
“…Yeah. Just… Just a little sore, is all.”
“Oh! Do you want me to get a doctor or nurse or something?”
“No! Please, no. I’ve had enough with them. I just need to… rest for a bit, that’s all.”
“Well, sis, if you say so…”
“…Sure is a nice day, though, huh?”
“It sure is.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…Hey, Lyra. Listen. I can’t put this off any longer. I need to say this now, okay?”
“…Okay.”
“Right… I just… I just wanted to say that I’m… I’m sorry. For everything.”
“…”
“I… I bucked up so bad this time, sis. So bad. I can’t even… Nothing I’ve done before compares.”
“…”
“I … I hurt so many ponies… Rainbow Dash… her friends… myself…”
“…”
“You…”
“…”
“Damn… I just… I feel so bucking stupid, Lyra. So selfish. I don’t even know… How could I make up for what I’ve done, sis? How? I messed up so bad and now… I… I have n-nothing left. I lost it all. E-Everything. No m-money… No f-friends… No f-f-future… I banked it all on becoming a Wonderbolt—and I was so sure I could it, too—but I b-blew it. I blew it, and n-now I have no-nothing. I’m… I’m so, so worthless.”
“…Lightning Dust, look at me. Look at me, and believe me when I say that that’s not true. Not in the least. You’re not worthless. You haven’t lost everything. Yes, you made a huge mistake, and you and I know that better than anypony else… But you haven’t lost everything. You still have me. You still have your sister.”
“Y-You… don’t h-hate m-me?”
“Lightning, I’ve said it once before, right before you left, and I’ll say it again: I could never hate my baby sister. Never.”
“I…”
“I promised, Lightning. I promised that I would always love you and take care of you. And I will never go back on that promise.”
“…Lyra… Oh, L-Lyra! I’m… I’m so s-sorry!”
“There, there… Just… Just let it out… You don’t have to bottle it up, Dusty. Not anymore.”
“…I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
“…I know, Dusty. I know. I’m sorry, too.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…S-sis?”
“…Yeah?”
“…S-so… d-do you… f-forgive me?”
“…Do you even have to ask? Of course I do.”
“…Oh… Th-Thank you. Thank you so m-much… L-Love you, sis…”
“…I love you too, Dusty.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…You know… I still don’t know what I’m going to do after I get out of the hospital. Gonna need a place to stay, at least until I can fly again… get a new job… make up for what I did at the Academy… damn... this sucks…”
“Well… You can stay at my house for a while… We’ll figure everything else out later. Don’t worry, we’ll get through this together, okay?”
“…Okay.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…It really is a beautiful day, though.”
“…Yeah. It really is.”
“…”
“…”
“…Hey, Lyra?”
“Hmm?
“Could I ask for a favor? Just a small one?”
“Anything, Dusty. What is it?”
“Well, I’ve been getting sick of the mushy hospital food they give me, so… um… next time you visit… could you, ah…”
“…Yes?”
“Could you… bring me some stardust ice cream?”
“…With extra sprinkles and cloud topping?”
“…Please?”
“Heh heh, of course, Dusty! Anything for my sister.”
“Awesome! You’re the best, Lyra!”