//------------------------------// // Flightless (Almost) // Story: Flight // by AG Phenxore //------------------------------// "Qu...et... Ow n Ash!" She couldn't understand the sounds, but she didn't care. The ringing in her ears was disorienting enough, but combined with the pain in her wing, she could hear nothing but her own wails. Gilda, after Fluttershy rushed out, couldn't help herself! The loose wing of Rainbow Dash lay by her side. The gryphon reached out with a claw, almost to see if the injured filly was still alive. Closer the claw came, shaking as it inched near the unusable wing, fear written on Gilda's face as plain as the feathers on her wing. Searing pain, eyes shot open, the restless sleep coming to a terrifying stop. A scream reaches Rainbow's lips as she bolts wide awake, instant tears streaming down her muzzle. She tries to find her limbs, tries to move herself, tries to fly, everything was halted by the pain. Her thoughts spiraled into a dizzy staircase of colors and sounds as her mind screamed, "DANGER!" at her, something was... Rainbow broke into a fit of shrieks as another nauseating spear of pain punctures her wing, a misplaced claw landing on it. The pain becomes too much, and she hurls, stomach spasming. She curls around her injured wing: flying was her life, how could it be hurting her! Slowly, the pain broke her conscience, shock enveloped her mind as the lifeless wing felt as though it were being ripped off. ~~~~~~~ "Mind telling us again what happened, miss Proudfeather?" The doctor said, glancing at a clip board through the glasses balanced on his nose. "Ugh, fine..." Gilda groaned, she had been discussing this same subject for like, an hour now! "Dash was flying when she crashed into our house." "And you didn't bother to find any medical personnel?" "Medical personnel, like..." "Doctors." The Pegasus rolls his eyes at the illiterate gryphon. "Honestly, What do they teach these kids in schools these days?" "Because, I didn't know anything was wrong with her!" Her voice indicating the reason was obvious. "And how did you find out that, Miss Rainbow Dash, indeed had her wing severely hurt?" "Uh, because when she woke up, she was screaming her wing hurt then just passed out again?" Looking over the gryphon with an untrusting eye, he gives the last words on the subject; "Hmm, I'll take your word for it, Miss Proudfeather." "Now, it seems as though Miss Dash's main tendon, that allows her to fold and control her wing in general, in her left wing has snapped right here," Pointing to a spot in a scratchy black and blue x-Ray, the doctor explains; "Since you got her here before she had a chance to move her wing too much, we were able to reattach the tendon without any noticeable future complications." Gilda wriggles uncomfortably as the thoughts of screaming Rainbow Dash return. "As long as she gets enough time to heal that is. Even the slightest of flying sessions, or any kind of activity with that wing, could re-injure her. Such a re-surgery could leave Miss Dash severely handicapped for the rest of her life. But I believe, a friend such as yourself could refrain her from such activities while she heals." The gryphon stares at the medical Pegasus for a moment, taking in the really, really bad information that the doctor just gave her; "So if Dash tries to fly, she might break her wing where you can't fix it?" "In general terms: yes. She must have proper healing time before she should even attempt to fly again.” Gilda, continuing her awe inspired stare, replies; “Whaa… So you… You want me to keep Dash from flying? That’s… That’s like keeping an addict from his addiction! Actually, that’s exactly what it is!” “You misunderstand. See, we won’t force anything on you, but if you want your friend to fly again, then it is ,in fact, up to you to keep Miss Rainbow Dash safe.” ~~~~~~~ Rainbow, humming a gentle tune, had visited the school nurse whenever she was discovered to have the cast wing. A quick call to the hospital cleared her. Everything looked the same: same slouchy homeroom teacher, same desks, same accessories on the walls and all the same students. But it didn’t feel the same. Something felt off. Her head started to ring as she explored the room with blurring vision, searching for the missing feeling. Her eyes landed on the desk that is usually occupied by Fluttershy. She couldn’t understand why that desk bothered her. It wasn’t too uncommon for Fluttershy not to show for class. Even when she was in class, she hardly participated in the group activities, or discussion, but she was never asked to join either. Always trying to attract as little attention as possible. She was cute though, and the timidity and humbleness added to it. She would turn heads, “Who’s that?” could be heard when she entered a room. But due to her shyness and fear of talking to strange ponies, nobody really knew her name. Rainbow Dash had little training when it comes to analyzing her thoughts. Even when her unconscious part of her mind is more or less screaming at her, she doesn’t understand, as she doesn’t now. All that was going on in her brain was, “Why does that desk bother me, why is my head killing me? That song, where did it come from, why is my head ringing?” Thoughts as these and infinitely more were flooding into her brain as the passive part of her mind tries to get the locked memories to the active part. “Miss Dash, is something the matter?” The teacher asks, a look of conspiracy on his face, glasses in hoof. “I’m confused, what?” “Miss Dash, I will have none of your shenanigans to get out of class.” “But I already did. Doc said I was fine as long as I stay off my wing.” Through this small talk in class, the teacher began to suspect something was genuinely wrong. Though Dash frequently tried to get out of class, she never seemed so… Off. “Rainbow Dash, is something wrong? Do you need to see the nurse?” “Nooooooo, I’m fine. Just dizzy, and head hurts ‘s all.” At that, Rainbow waves her hoof in front of her face to show she’s fine, but instead seeing her hoof, she sees a blur. Squinting to see what it is in front of her face, the teacher watching this spectacle, Dash stares at her hoof in confusion. ~~~~~~~ “How you feeling Dash? You look much better than you did this morning. Doc said you had a pretty bad concussion after your fall, a relapse thing. Basically a mess.” Sitting on a couch, looking as cool as an ice cube, was the gryphon. Dash was smiling, humming a gentle tune. “Earlier is such a blur, but I feel okay now. Thanks G.” Only wincing slightly as she extends her wings. Causing Gilda to jump off her seat, sending a startled warning. “Prolly don’t wanna do that Dash! Doc said absolutely no flying until your wing is completely healed.” Strangely, she didn’t really feel like flying. She was still a bit fuzzy, in mind, coat, mane and brain, from just waking up. So, she hadn't noticed her wing until just now. “Oh, uh. When did this happen?” “You don’t remember anything?” Gilda asks shocked. Squinting one eye and poking her tongue out as she tries to recall the previous day. No beef. “Nuh uh. Flashes of yellow and that song that’s stuck in my head mostly. I think I remember someone stealing my stuff? But thats it.” “You were humming that stupid song all morning! Where did you even pick it up? I’ve never heard it before.” “But… Why are you here then?” “Doc also told me to take care of you until you heal, so… I think that means time to get lazy!.” “Oh so I get hurt, and you get slack off days huh?” Rainbow Dash asks suspiciously, raising one eyebrow as she looks accusingly at Gilda. “I wouldn’t call making sure you don’t fly for the next few weeks, ‘slacking off,’ Dash…”