One Wing, One Heart

by Manaphy

Log II: Road to Recovery

Losing my left wing, one of the limbs that defined me, was easily the worst moment of my life. That one day where I lost a race to some punk was now ranked second, but even a day as lame as that was paltry to what I just survived—somehow. Sweat poured down my cheeks as I bit my lip. Flying was out of the question, the fact twisting my chest into a knot. The only option I had was trotting.

As for continuing the fight in the Crystal War, I figured I'd be moved away from the barracks and forced into somewhere like Ponyville. This was something to avoid at all costs. Not because of any feelings I had toward such towns, but because I'd probably be leaving behind the ponies who helped me before and during the war.

I'd lose regular contact with the friends I've made there. Lightning Dust, Fleetfoot, and so many others were faces I couldn't abandon.

I couldn't let them down. Yet I also knew that being by their side whenever the going got tough was now just a dream; it was snatched away by that stupid crystal pony and his blast. Part of me just wanted to collapse on the snow and wait for the pain to go away, yet that would just replace it with a much sharper twinge. Everypony knew that heartache was the worst.

I needed to get Fleetfoot back to the barracks. She was still unconscious and needed help.

Help was something I also needed.

A muffled voice echoed into my ear. The voice repeated itself, clearer than before.

"Don't die on me, Rainbow Dash!" Lightning shrieked. "You're not giving up now!" Tears cascaded down Lightning's eyes like a waterfall. Never had I seen her cry; I must've been in a parallel universe by this point. Maybe that was why the world was a blur and much of what I recalled was hazy. It was as likely of an explanation as anything else, my gaping wound and the blood tickling it not helping matters.

If that inferno and rotting stench had been ingrained in my mind, it was likely the same story for Lightning Dust.

The searing aches on my left side seemed to never fade away as though a beast dug into my flesh. I clenched my teeth throughout the journey home, though the rest of the details were shrouded in watercolors. Some white, some gray, and some slight hints of red were all I saw. Other than Lightning's panic, the only other things I heard were some concerned whispers by the other surviving soldiers and the crystal pony asking a ton of questions. I think an agonizing screech escaped his mouth upon realizing what he was involved in.

It was all just indistinct murmurs to me.

My lungs burned like furnaces. However, I knew the destination was in sight upon seeing the gray and white watercolors take the shape of a fortress. The fluttering from flags caught in the breeze confirmed it. Whenever I saw Equestria's fortress for this particular front, christened as Fort Ironclad, I used to always gawk at it with widened eyes while gushing about how cool it looked, the battlements and the trebuchets adding to the spectacle.

I mustered a faint smile and a quick breath. Those early days of blissful ignorance were the best, the days where everypony appreciated the unusual sights and wondered what kinds of adventures we'd set out on. Danger wasn't a foreign concept to us ponies, with the occasional dragon or bugbear problem being a thing. I even joked about 'danger' being my middle name back when I was a filly. But this war against Sombra was a much different beast. The abundance of nightmares reported in the barracks just drove the point further into my head.

At least we were almost home—or as close to what a home was for us.

Lightning tightly wrapped a foreleg around me. She and the two guards with her glanced up at the fortress; I followed suit a few seconds later.

"We're almost there," said Lightning. A forced smile ran across her face, cheeks tautened. "Just a few more steps and we'll fix you up."

Perched atop the fortress was a stallion adorned in purple and gold armor, his blue mane standing out among the red sky that hung overhead. His name was Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. I'd only ever met him once, said meeting before the war when he married Cadance, though he seemed pleasant enough. And while he'd probably seen all kinds of scenes ranging from awesome to appalling, I shivered upon noticing his gaping mouth and pale cheeks.

"Oh, Celestia!" Shining bellowed. "Don't worry, we'll get you in right away!" He frantically waved his hoof, the fortress' front gate creeping open shortly after. Normally, he'd require those approaching the fortress to prove they weren't changeling spies, though I guess my disfigured body and Fleetfoot still being out cold must've been all the proof he needed. Changelings lacked the ability to stick to their forms after an injury and often had trouble copying certain wounds, contrary to popular belief. "Don't just stand there, get moving!"

With the gates opened and the order loud and clear, we all trotted into the fortress, though much of it was characterized by the outdoors courtyard and the myriad of colored tents which adorned the snowy fields. Inside and outside were tens of thousands of soldiers, all representing different ranks. Some were in their own specialized units, most of them were part of the Royal Guard, a few were Wonderbolts, and Princess Celestia occupied the fort with us on occasion.

All of the ponies we passed by shared one thing in common, however.

They all gasped and gazed at me.

"Is she going to be okay?" one voice whispered.

"I didn't even know a pony could live like that," another voice said.

"Rainbow Dash can fight through anything," a third voice muttered. "She's the toughest there is."

"But how do you live with—that?"

I gulped. Of all the times my hearing came back, it just had to occur when listening in on everypony's reactions was the last thing on my mind. At least the constant ringing in my ears had subsided, though it was the first victory I didn't feel like celebrating. For some reason, I didn't see a point in celebrating something so minor.

"You can hear me, right?" asked Lightning.

I nodded. "Yeah, I can hear ya," I replied with the slightest of smirks. The world cleared up a little, too, details such as the tents' textures and the uneven snow becoming somewhat sharper. "Though you kinda sound funny."

Lightning exhaled, wiping the top of her forehead. "Thank goodness." She paused for a moment, her grip loosening a little. "Now, I know a certain unicorn who might know what to do from here. She's almost as awesome as I am, but still has a ways to go before coming even close." She feigned a chuckle; chances were that she was attempting to lighten the mood. I couldn't blame her for trying, even though I saw a damaged mare as I peered into her eyes. Everything that happened before was the worst. "Anyway, do you know Trixie?"

I weakly bobbed my head again. The name was familiar, though the details weren't all there.

"Cool. See, she's the best magician in all of Equestria. Sure, she got embarrassed once or twice before, but ever since then, she's becoming stronger and stronger. Heck, I even wager she might be one of the keys to winning the war."

"Sounds like a cool pony to me."

We then took a sharp right, Lightning pulling me along while the others followed close behind. As my wound healed, the sounds of snow being crushed underneath our hooves became vivider. Its roughness and how it sent chills down my spine slowly returned as well. I glanced back at the others. One kept a stern expression while another clenched his teeth looking back at a thin red line following us for a while.

"Cool?" Lightning blurted out, brow raised. "Trust me, she's the best. She claims that she can do anything."

"Maybe she'll give me what I need."

"She will." Lightning nodded confidently.

Soon enough, we screeched to a halt. Standing before a lavish, indigo tent was a blue unicorn. A stylized hat and cape decorating the mare made her impossible to miss, the brown boots she wore on her hind legs appearing perfect for hiking, though even I could tell there wasn't a scratch on them. A radiant grin adorned her face as well.

The mare lifted her hat, horn radiating a bright aura, as she then fired a small spark at a pile of lumber. The lumber had ignited, orange flames now dancing before her and sending a light gray cloud of smoke into the air. Everything felt warmer as well; I tried creeping up to the fireplace, only for my twanging legs to give in and send me face first into the snow.

"I'm fine," I mumbled into the snow. Without a second thought, I pushed myself upright with Fleetfoot still on my back. "Just a bit woozy is all."

"Woozy?" the mare responded. "Trixie has plenty of dazzling displays to keep you awake." Turning around to face me, Trixie donned a slight smirk and tipped her hat. Said expression disappeared in an instant, replaced with a pale one. Her pupils shrunk to the size of pinpricks upon noticing my wound. "Holy—"

"Yeah," Lightning murmured. "We kinda need somepony who's good at magic like you to fix my friend up. Can you—"

"I-I can't just grow back a wing lickety-split!" Hyperventilating, Trixie placed a hoof on her chest as she kept gazing at my wound. The world was a tad cooler the moment her jaw dropped, my heart sinking further down in unison. Should Trixie be as brilliant at all kinds of spells as she claimed, maybe the road to recovery was too steep for climbing. "I'm not even sure if Princess Celestia can!"

"Stay calm, Trixie!" Lightning stretched her foreleg out, brow sagging. "You've done tougher things than this!"

Trixie shivered and her teeth clattered. "B-but her wing! How can any of us—"

Touching her forehead, Trixie then closed her eyes and sighed, falling onto the snow below with a sickening thud. Snow jumped out of the way at the moment of impact, some of it touching my hooves and specks extinguishing the fireplace Trixie had lit. I winced for a second, then glanced back to Lightning with a puzzled expression.

"She just fainted," said Lightning as a matter of fact. "Don't worry, she'll come to."

Sure enough, as I glanced back at Trixie, she groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Perhaps classifying her as the strongest unicorn who ever lived may have been an exaggeration. If she couldn't stomach what happened to me, I doubt she'd be prepared for the front lines. Then again, her spells may have been top notch for all I knew.

Trixie stood up on all fours and adjusted her hat. "Sorry, I was just—" she crossed her forelegs and blushed "—just stunned that happened to you." Shifting her eyes toward Lightning, she donned a faint smile. "Lightning Dust, I'm glad to see you unharmed, but I worry about your friends. What in the world happened?"

"The mission ended up in a fight," Lightning explained. "We were kicking flank until—well—one of Sombra's soldiers struck something and set off an explosion." She pursed her lips; her wings twitched. "I almost died, as did the rest of us here. Sadly, not everypony made it out in one piece." A sigh left her mouth as she donned a downcast expression. "We managed to capture one of the crystal ponies for interrogation."

"Interrogation?" the crystal pony blurted out. His breathing picked up. "What good is somepony who doesn't know anything?"

Scowling, Lightning shot a glare at the crystal ponies, the two making eye contact. "We'll get to you, mister." She cleared her throat before bringing her focus back to Trixie. "As I was saying, we need your help in fixing up Rainbow Dash over here. As for the mare on her back, she'll regain consciousness soon enough."

Trixie arched an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious." Lightning trudged closer to Trixie until their muzzles were inches apart. "You're the Great and Powerful Trixie, remember? You can do anything!"

"Being a magician and being a doctor are two different things." Trixie crossed her forelegs, head hung low. "If I could, I'd help your friends in a heartbeat. However, despite the wealth of magical knowledge I have, there's nothing I can do." She sighed, my heart sinking in unison. I was expecting to be informed that I'd be stuck like this forever. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," I muttered unconsciously. "You did nothing wrong."

"I know." Another sigh left Trixie's lips. In a flash, she turned her attention back to Lightning and peered into her soul. "However, you do know that Nurse Redheart is stationed here, right? Did you seriously forget something so important, something that could mean the difference between life and death?"

"She is?" Lightning blurted out, head tilted.

If I had the strength, I'd have slapped some sense across Lightning's cheek. I always knew she had plenty of other activities on her mind, most of them related to flying or training, though how anypony stationed in the barracks could've forgotten such a vital detail was beyond me. I subtly rolled my eyes.

As for Nurse Redheart, I knew she was somewhere in the barracks. I could've requested seeing her from the start, of course, though with the world still somewhat blurry and my mind constantly switching from what was in front of me to my twanging wound and back, remembering such a detail became a bit tough for me as well. The blood loss might've been to blame. Lightning hadn't earned any slack from me this time.

Though a scowling Trixie obliged.

"You should've brought her over to Nurse Redheart," Trixie whispered. Her cheeks flushed, eyes widened. "Just because Trixie says she can do practically anything doesn't mean she can." Humility from Trixie, at least from what Lightning alluded to when she said the mare could do anything, seemed a bit odd. I had expected some boasting from her until she realized she couldn't fix me up, then end up asking Redheart to do the rest.

"Okay, maybe that was a better idea in hindsight," Lightning continued. "But you said you could do anything."

Shrugging, Trixie took a quick breath. "Well, I guess Trixie has her limits, too."

"The Trixie I know doesn't have limits."

Trixie grasped onto Lightning's shoulder and glared into her eyes, brow ruffled. "Do you want to help your friend or not?"

Lightning quickly nodded.

"Good. Then go send her over to Redheart—who's a few tents to the right away and has a clinic established outside of hers—then go and give your friends the treatment they truly need, okay?"

Gulping down what looked like a pebble, Lightning bobbed her head once again, cheeks tautened.

"That's more like it." Trixie released her grip with Lightning scuttling away from her in a flash. "Don't waste another second, Lightning Dust."

"Yes, ma'am."

Lightning motioned a hoof toward me and the others, then trotted ahead toward where Nurse Redheart was waiting. Few ponies were outside of their tents at this time, especially with the sky lit a dark orange and the moon looming over the horizon. Of those who were outside, many of their eyes followed our hoofsteps, some of them even glued to when we had our little chat with Trixie. Others kept their gazes fixed to fireplaces or meals, however. My stomach purred and tickled as I stared at one group's loaf of bread.

Despite what felt like bugs crawling on my sore skin and the slushy snow slowing us down, we managed to arrive at what was Redheart's tent a minute or two later. The flag fluttering on the flagpole had her cutie mark emblazoned on it; Redheart herself had drawers filled with what I assumed to be medical supplies within her opened up tent, not to mention how there was plenty of room for beds and other medical equipment. I saw a few ponies already reclining on the beds, light blue blankets wrapping them like a cocoon. It'd be awesome to have somewhere to rest for even a few minutes. Napping was always cool, but it was a dream come true after what I went through.

Lightning crept up to Redheart, the latter's white coat and apron somehow spotless.

"Can I help you?" asked Redheart. She turned around to face Lightning and the two made eye contact. "Is there—" she then noticed my missing wing, her mouth agape. "Oh, dear. This isn't good." Her cheeks turned pale, teeth clacking like maracas. I gulped in return. "We need to cauterize the wound immediately."

"Can you help my friend, too?" I asked. Fleetfoot was somehow still unconscious, my back aching as she still perched motionlessly on it. "She's also hurt."

"That goes without saying." Redheart opened up one of the shelves, procuring a pack of medical tools. Rushing over to a bucket of water, she meticulously cleaned the instruments and squinted at them, likely checking for anything that wasn't devoid of dirt or germs. "But she'll live, even if she's out cold for a while." Placing the medical tools on a table, she moved them over to one of the empty beds, then frantically waved at me. "You need attention right now. The wound will become infected if we wait just a little longer."

I nodded. Lightning then hoisted Fleetfoot onto her back for me; the twinges throughout my muscles somehow vanishing in an instant. As comforting as the relieved tension was, my heart was thrashing to where even the brightest, most positive occurrences would've been blips on my radar. It wasn't lame; it only brought back whatever tension was lost the moment I thought about it again.

Crawling my way to the bed, I gently sat down on the cushions before lying down, my head making contact with the pillow. It was far from the most comfortable bed I touched, the springs and the mattress coupled together more fitting for a smooth boulder than a cushion, but it was almost as awesome as sleeping on a cloud. Fleetfoot was placed onto the bed next to me, her eyes still closed. Everypony else shifted their attention to my wound, Redheart's scrunched muzzle further lowering my spirits.

"Rainbow Dash, we may have to send you—"

"I'm not leaving," I said without a second thought. Cringing, I nudged closer to Redheart. "My friends and all of Equestria need me. I can't let them down."

Redheart sighed. "That's not exactly what I meant, but if you insist." She rubbed her muzzle and hummed for a moment. "You'll be stuck in the barracks for at least a week or two, probably more. However, once we fix you up and perform the necessary tests, you should be back in action if that's what you truly desire. You'll be okay for most training and drills, however."

It wasn't what I desired. Such a claim was miles from the truth.

I wished for the war to end like almost everypony else. At the same time, loyalty urged me to keep fighting until the end.

"Just do it as fast as possible," I ordered, brow sagging a little. "And one more thing."

"What is it?"

I clenched my teeth. Stupid questions weren't foreign to me, if I must confess. As a filly and even at my current age, I always blathered on about the most ridiculous of concepts. Asking if the mythical Sonic Rainboom was real, whatever happened to that Nightmare Moon, whether being a Wonderbolt was simple, and if the war would be a piece of cake were among my more embarrassing questions. Some earned kind answers, others were given laughs instead.

This next question, the dumbest of them all, would likely fall into the laughter category. But I had to ask. I'd keep thinking about it if I didn't.

"Nurse Redheart, can you possibly give me a fake wing?"

I winced.

No laughter came.

Instead, Redheart donned the slightest of smirks. A raised eyebrow was my only response to that.

For the first time since the day began, I smiled.

"Silver Spanner and Moondancer should help with that," said Redheart. "I'll also help with getting it attached and working."

"Thank you," I replied.

"You're welcome." Redheart paused for a moment, then glanced down at the counter of tools. "First, we'll have to put you to sleep for a bit. The operation will take some time, both the cauterizing and attaching the prosthetic wing. However, when it's all said and done, you'll be your old self again." She nodded confidently. "I promise."

"That's a relief. Not being able to fly would be lame." Lame was an understatement. Damaging would've been a more apt word.

"Just take this pill and we'll be good to go, okay?"

Redheart gave me a small, yellow capsule and a small cup of water to go with it. My throat was drier than a desert and I was parched, so the water was more than welcome. The pill was also a welcome addition, it being the first step toward reclaiming my abilities again. I knew it'd take time to get used to the new wing. But if I had survived this long, any challenge seemed possible.

I took the pill and downed the water in ten seconds.

A minute later, the world became hazy once more.

I closed my eyes.

Everything around me turned a pitch black, all of my senses shutting down to where I thought I floated in the midst of space.

At last, I fell asleep.

---

Waking up was the easiest part of the whole ordeal, at least in my opinion. My eyes were a bit crusty from the hours of sleep I must've gotten, yet despite the tightness in my muscles after snoozing for so long, the aches throughout my left side had subsided. It was as though I was my old self again, which was awesome enough to warrant a slight smirk as I returned to the real world.

Everything was composed of indistinct watercolors again, though such a reaction was expected. Yawning, my vision cleared up enough to where I could see four ponies looming over me. The first was Lightning, the confident grin she loved donning across her face once more. Fleetfoot was also there, still wearing her flight uniform and smiling brightly alongside everypony else. I returned the favor just by noticing her violet eyes. My heart became warmer than an oven.

And with them were two ponies I hadn't met before. One was a brown unicorn mare, her white mane somewhat dirty; the other mare with her was a pale yellow, her large glasses, thick eyebrows, and mane tied up into a distinct knot grabbing hold of my attention most of all when I stared at her. They were Silver Spanner and Moondancer respectively.

"Looks like Dashie finally woke up," Lightning teased, her smile growing. "Glad to see you up again."

"Don't call me Dashie," I murmured without hesitating. A faint chuckle left my lips with everypony else joining in a second later. Stretching my forelegs, I tried pushing myself upright, only for Silver Spanner to end up dashing toward me and placing a hoof on my shoulder. I locked eyes with her, then raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Try not to get out of bed just yet," said Silver Spanner. She pursed her lips. "We need to run a few precautionary tests before you can trot freely."

I nodded. While part of me wished I could groan while blathering on about how I'm fully healed, I knew it was for the best. Silver Spanner, Moondancer, and Redheart as well were fully aware as to what kind of treatment I needed. Eagerly leaping out of the bed as though it was a trampoline and ruining what must've been a complex surgery was to be avoided.

"We'll need to record some data while you're in bed before testing your motor skills," said Moondancer as a matter of fact. Procuring a small, rectangular instrument with her magic, she brought it over toward me. I grabbed onto its smooth surface a second later, fiddling it with my hooves. "This will take your temperature. As for the other test we need to perform, we're going to manually check your heart rate and see if it's normal."

I bit my lip. "And what if it isn't?"

"We'll keep you in here for a little longer and perform the necessary treatments."

Moondancer placed her hoof atop my chest and closed her eyes while I inserted the thermometer into my mouth. Soon after, I shut my eyes as well. A silent minute passed by, the thermometer's vibrating breaking the quietness that filled the tent. Upon both of us blinking in response, Moondancer gently pulled the instrument away from me and examined the reading. A soft smile ran across her face. The mere sight was enough for my eyes to glow.

"Temperature and heart rate are normal," Moondancer announced. She glanced back at me. "Can you get up for me, please?"

I nodded and obliged, rolling off of the bed and landing on all fours. Something poked my coat for a second. Perhaps it was the blunt edge of one of the tools used in the surgery. However, as I glanced over to my left, my eyes caught what appeared to be a mesh of blades all seemingly sewn together in a wing-shaped pattern. The metallic surface was faded, though devoid of any dirt and free of dents. But as I gawked at the strange sculpture, it moved on its own. I quivered, teeth clenched.

The blades still moved freely. They behaved much like a wing would.

I scanned the mesh from its tip all the way down.

A gasp escaped my mouth upon noticing what was on the other end.

"Is this—"

"Your new wing," said Silver Spanner. "It took me a while to clean up the design and make sure everything functioned as it should, but the results are quite fascinating." Spanner pressed her hooves together, eyes glued to my prosthetic limb. "This new wing has similar aerodynamic qualities to your old one, but with this being the Crystal War and all, I sharpened some of the edges in the original design so that it could double as a weapon. Don't worry, you won't cut or hurt anypony by accident. You need to swing it just right for it to work as a weapon." Spanner rubbed the back of her neck. "It's kinda complicated, but you'll get the hang of it soon enough."

"It's—" I twitched my intact wing, then did the same for the prosthetic wing "—kinda odd. Not the coolest thing out there, but whatever keeps me in the fight." I cracked a smirk. If it was just like having my usual wing back, this chunk of metal wouldn't be such a major nuisance after all. Not the best looking thing, but it'd suffice. "Okay, I'll also admit it does kinda make me look like a dork."

"Are you kidding?" Lightning blurted out as she stormed toward me to get a better look. "That wing is so awesome!"

"Maybe so." Soft chuckles left my lips. "It won't look so weird after a while, I guess. At least it's not something totally lame."

"Knowing you, I don't think you'd even take something you found lame," said Fleetfoot. "But the good news is that you're going to be just fine."

"I'm glad you're okay, too." My heart warmed up. Making my way up to Fleetfoot, I wrapped my forelegs around her in a cozy embrace, my friend doing the same for me. Our forelegs were like scarves for each other in a way, the suit she wore tickling me. A moment later, we released each other from our hugs. The smiles we wore were brighter and wider than ever. "Seeing you here—" I struggled to form the words, my vision wet and blurry for a second "—makes me so happy."

Fleetfoot sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Same here, Rainbow Dash."

"Rainbow Dash?" Redheart's voice called out. "Fleetfoot?" She entered the tent with a bag of supplies, placing them on the floor whilst refusing to divert her attention from me. It was rather disconcerting, especially with the tautened cheeks and the stern expression across her face, but a meek wave was what I gave in return. "Looks like you're ready to move out from the looks of things. I'm relieved everything is going better than expected."

"I am?" I asked, leaning closer to Redheart.

"Sort of. See, you're not ready to return to combat yet, and it's the same story for Fleetfoot." She made her way toward both of us. "While both of you can move about on your own throughout the barracks as you please, we ask that you avoid throwing yourself into the line of fire too soon. We need to be absolutely certain you're ready again when the time comes. That included drills and such."

Fleetfoot and I nodded together.

"Also, Captain Spitfire has requested to see both of you atop Watchtower Eight. The stairway to the top floor is a bit steep, but I know you two can manage." She patted our shoulders and grinned. "Don't want to keep the captain waiting too long, you know."

"We know," Fleetfoot and I responded.

"And ask if she's willing to give Lightning Dust a promotion," said Lightning, winking at us.

I snickered, blushing. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

Nodding and waving, Fleetfoot and I then departed the tent with our heads held high. There was a faint glimmer of hope nestled in my chest, and if Fleetfoot's soft smile was anything to go by, she felt the same as well. The horizon was now lit a shining orange as the sun slowly rose. The snow still rested atop the earth, though some of it had melted away and revealed small patches of green and brown. Not many ponies were out and about, faint snores reaching my ears, but part of me wished they joined us in witnessing such a dazzling display.

"Ready to see Spitfire?" asked Fleetfoot.

I bobbed my head again. "Ready," I said.

We trotted to the left in unison, chills coursing up our legs as we traversed across the slushy snow. As we passed by some of the tents, my ears twitched upon picking up a few muffled voices. Trixie's voice was among those I heard, cheering about how Fleetfoot and I were okay with one of her friends joining her afterwards. It brought a smile to my face. Even if friendship as a magic seemed kind of outdated after all we've been through, it still tickled and warmed the heart like nothing else.

Soon enough, I arrived at the entrance to Watchtower Eight with Fleetfoot, looking up at the tower's top. There was a mare standing atop it, her fiery mane glowing as light shone behind it. She fiddled with the goggles in her hooves, lips pursed from what I could tell, and shot a quick glance at us. It was indeed Captain Spitfire, one of the more unique leaders of the battle against Sombra. Her strategies alongside other ponies' ideas kept us in the fight, so different kinds of thinking were okay by me.

"What do you think she has to say?" asked Fleetfoot.

"Probably some protocol stuff," I replied. I cracked a slight smile and then chuckled for a moment. "Nothing awesome or anything, but I know she'll be glad to see us again."

"Same here." Fleetfoot crossed her forelegs. "I'm just a bit anxious about what the future holds."

Without wasting a second, I gently patted Fleetfoot's back. "We're all worried to some degree. Both Lightning Dust and I are concerned about what will happen next. Heck, while we were heading back to the barracks, I saw Lightning Dust cry for what had to be the first time in ages." I placed a hoof to my chest. "I know we bicker at each other and don't seem to get along that much, but it's moments like that—" I took a quick breath "—that make me glad to have her as a friend."

"And it's this bond that will keep us going." Fleetfoot nodded. "Okay, let's not waste any time."

I pushed the wooden door to the watchtower open. Harsh creaks split my ears, though the noise subsided soon enough. Entering the tower, we began ascending the staircase, counting the different doorways and storage rooms along the way. The whole trip was dimly lit, the occasional openings providing enough light to see where we were going. My hooves ached a tad as well. I'd have flown there normally, Fleetfoot likely thinking of the same thing, though I needed to get used to my new wing first before doing anything stupid.

After a few uneventful minutes, we reached the top floor, Spitfire standing outside and gazing at the sunrise. Fleetfoot was panting by the time we arrived and searing twinges covered my leg muscles. My throat tightened a little, unsure of what Spitfire's words would be. She was certainly aware of our condition and who we were; I hoped she let us continue fighting for our home and our friends, even if for a small role.

"You can both come closer," said Spitfire, motioning a hoof toward us. "I heard your hoofsteps and saw you entering the tower, so I know it's you."

We nodded in unison and did as instructed, making our way up to Spitfire and standing next to her.

"It's not often we get a glimpse of the sun rising," Spitfire continued. "Most of the time, everything is shrouded in clouds or ominously covered in a red tint. But today—today feels normal for once." Her lips curled into a faint smile. "It kind of gives you a feeling that one day, even if it takes everything we have, the world will be peaceful once more. I think we all take nature's usual course for granted, but seeing this after everything we've been through, you—you begin to realize nature's true beauty." She paused for a moment. "You know what I mean, right?"

"I do," I responded while nodding. "I had a similar feeling when I left the tents."

"Then I guess it's something we can all fight for."

Cocking my head, a bemused expression was painted across my face. "That reminds me, what do we do from here? Can we still take part in the fight?"

"Yeah, I was wondering that, too," said Fleetfoot.

Spitfire turned around and faced us with a soft expression. Seeing her addressing us in such a manner was rather disconcerting, especially since our drills with her mostly consisted of shouting and agonizing exercises. Spitfire wanted us to reach the best we could, even if we struggled from time to time, and as she wrapped Fleetfoot and me into a warm hug, I realized there was much more to Spitfire than just a drill sergeant and a captain.

She was a pony.

She was just like me and everypony else in some manner.

And that was totally awesome.

"I-I'm so glad to see you're okay," Spitfire murmured, clearly fighting the tears away. Upon releasing us from her warm embrace, she rubbed her eyes and sniffled. "S-sorry for the unprofessional character." She feigned a snicker. "I'm just so delighted to see you both standing before me with smiles on your faces."

"Same here, ma'am," I said.

"Ditto," Fleetfoot added.

"Anyway, you're probably wondering why I called you up here." Spitfire paused for a second. "I'm well aware of your desires to continue fighting by our side, an admirable feeling. With that being said, I do have a few plans for both of you moving forward. Things will continue as they usually do soon enough, but since flying might be dangerous for both of you while you're still recovering, I've talked with General Limestone Pie about temporarily adding you to the Forty-Eighth Division Corps."

"She looks over ponies of all kinds, right?" I asked.

Spitfire nodded. "Correct. While you two are on the road to recovery, we'll have you joining in Limestone's training regimen for a little bit, maybe a week or two. If things are going well, we'll bring you back to the Wonderbolts' training regimen and continue as usual. We all figured it'd be the safest plan moving forward. Does that sound fair to you?"

"It sure does! Sounds cool to me!"

Fleetfoot bobbed her head, smiling. "Anything to continue helping the cause is fine by me," she said.

"Excellent." Spitfire's grin widened. "Get plenty of rest for today. You'll begin Limestone's training with the others in that unit starting tomorrow. And let me know how it goes, too. I've always been kind of curious about how she handles things. Learning from others can be useful, after all."

"Yep," I said.

"Who knows, maybe in another time, I'd be learning lessons from one or both of you." Rubbing the back of her neck, Spitfire donned a sheepish smile. "Anyway, feel free to chat with me whenever I'm not training with the other Wonderbolts. We'd all love to keep you company. Now, keep on doing the best you can, okay?"

Fleetfoot and I saluted Spitfire. "Yes, ma'am!" we orated together.

And so began the next chapter of my life.

One day, we'd rise together and bring peace back to this once joyful land.

So what if Sombra infamously claimed destiny was on his side? We had hope, heart, and friendship on our side. While it sounds kind of corny, all kinds of allies were welcomed.

Comments

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Whoo! New chapter!
Also 1st!

[Manaphy]

6705108 Yep! I hope you find the chapter enjoyable.

[rainbowPOOTIS]

Dis is good. Very good.

[Manaphy]

6705122 Thanks for the compliment and for checking out the new chapter. I appreciate it and am glad you're enjoying it so far!

[ShadowStrike11]

So that wing works as both a flight tool and a weapon. That sounds pretty awesome!

[Manaphy]

6705142 Yeah, when I looked at the design for Rainbow Dash's prosthetic wing, the idea kind of took form in my head. And since she's fighting in a war, such features might prove useful in the heat of battle. Anyway, thank you for taking a look at the new chapter. I highly appreciate it!

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

I did enjoy it, and nice touch with the wing as a CC weapon, it makes sense, as she's pretty much vulnerable without having both wings functioning, and now she has a way to defend herself if she gets in a sticky situation

[Dlaf rferg]

Log III: The Pie Drills

[Manaphy]

6705802 I do like the sound of that. That also reminds me of "Over a Barrel" and how the ponies battled the buffalo by throwing pies. Maybe Limestone Pie has drills related to that if she feels like changing things around a bit.

Silliness aside, thank you for taking a look at the new chapter. I highly appreciate it!

[Dlaf rferg]

6705809 Really, it was no problem. If anything I should be thanking you for making this!
I really hope you continue working on this, and hope to see more chapters soon. Also, they could be pies, but I feel that wouldn't fit into the story very well. Maybe, if you decide to call it "Log III: The Pie Drills", each Pie could have a different kind of training or training method. Keep up the good work!

[Manaphy]

6705874 They'll be using more conventional weapons and forms of combat akin to what happened in the first chapter throughout the entirety of the story. As for the training exercises Limestone will have the ponies perform, I do have a few ideas in terms of the next chapter. It should be quite fun to work on. And thank you for the compliment as well. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.

[CloudG45]

pre00.deviantart.net/ed63/th/pre/i/2015/333/4/d/__mlp__crystal_war_dash___by_rarityforever-d9igszy.png
Whenever I see her, I always think of him.
blogs-images.forbes.com/insertcoin/files/2015/09/punished-snake.jpg

[Manaphy]

6706792 It does help that they're both awesome characters. Speaking of which, I really do need to play Metal Gear Solid V one day. It has been on my to do list for some time now.

Anyway, thank you for checking out the most recent chapter. I appreciate it!

[CloudG45]

6706803 No prob! And just wait. When you start playing it, it will suck you in. The story will get choppy at times, but be filled in later down the road.

Thing to mention as well: The Infinity Bandana makes a return.