//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: First Aid For The Wings and The Heart  
// Story: Sciros 
// by Sapphire Rose 12 
//------------------------------//

  Rainbow Dash carefully wrapped the bandages around Soarin's wing.

"Thank you," Soarin said.

"Thank you," Rainbow Dash said. "If you hadn't been there, we would've been doomed for sure."

The others had gone home and it was just Rainbow Dash and Soarin.

Rainbow Dash was a lot more calm than she had been. She seemed to have gained compassion which was something Soarin hadn't seen in this version of Rainbow Dash before. 

Rainbow Dash sprayed some form of ointment on his wing. It stung and Soarin winced at the pain. 

"Why did you do that?" Rainbow Dash asked, finishing wrapping the bandage.

"It felt like the right thing to do," Soarin said.

"You saved our lives," Rainbow Dash said. "I can't believe you did that. Nopony ever does anything like that for us."

"Why not?" Soarin asked.

"It's a cruel world out there. Everypony looks out for themselves and only themselves. There's no time for friends, enjoyment, interests..."

"Well, I'll look out for you," Soarin said. "I'll protect you physically... and emotionally if you need me to."

Rainbow Dash smiled at the kind stallion. "That would be nice." 

"You know? Like... first-aid for the heart," Soarin said.

"There's nothing you can do for mine," Rainbow Dash claimed.

"What caused your heart to get so... broken?" Soarin asked her.

Rainbow Dash hesitated. "Can you keep it a secret? I don't want anypony to know I'm really weaker than I seem."

"Of course," Soarin replied.

"When I was little, I loved to fly. But, I didn't know how to fend off the Batalings and the Plunderseeds which are the creatures that have aerial ability. One day, I was attacked by a Plunderseed. Its scaly wings and long forked tongue brushed up against my own wings. It felt warm and slimy. I screamed for help. My parents answered my pleas. But... the Plunderseed was too strong for them and it..." Rainbow Dash's eyes welled up with tears. She felt like she couldn't continue.

"It... got rid of them?" Soarin asked. He didn't want to say the word "death" in fear of making Rainbow Dash even more upset. 

Rainbow Dash nodded. "So, I went to live with my grandparents, but they were incapable of taking care of me at all. So, I learned how to fight and care for myself as a filly. When I grew up, I went to live on my own. I lived in Ponyville which was the safest town in all of Sciros... but wasn't that safe at all. I met the rest of the girls, but we didn't get along. Twilight obviously only cares about reading, so it kind of got the rest of us riled up and into a major fight that was the cost of ever being friends. I met a little filly named Scootaloo and her two best friends. Scootaloo seemed to   look up to me more than she loved to ride her scooter. But, one day there was a Darkling attack... and it got rid of Scootaloo and her two best friends. It was hard. I mean, Scootaloo felt like a sister to me now that both of my parents were dead. And her two friends were very fun as well. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Fortunately, my experience allowed me to survive the Darkling attack. It hurts, Soarin. I don't let anypony see because I don't want them to see me as weak, but it just... hurts."

Soarin stared at Rainbow Dash for a long time. "You're not weak," he told her.

Rainbow Dash looked at him. 

"Everypony has a trial that hurts them and holds them back," Soarin said. "That doesn't make them weak. It makes them stronger. When you face that trial and get past it, your mind and your heart will be stronger for the next challenge."

"I guess you're right," Rainbow Dash said, a smile creeping across her face. 

"It will all be okay," Soarin assured. "I know it."

Rainbow Dash looked at Soarin and smiled. 

He felt his heart flutter the way it always did when Rainbow Dash smiled. He loved to see her so happy. 

"Come on," Soarin said. "Thanks for caring for me."

"No," Rainbow Dash replied. "Thank you for caring for me."




They arrived outside and met their friends again.

"That was some wound," Applejack said. "Are you alright, Soarin?"

Soarin nodded. "We're fine."

"That was some crazy fight back there," Twilight said. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't know," Soarin replied. "It just... feels like the right thing to do."

"Well, we thank you greatly for that," Twilight said.

"You're welcome," Soarin said.

"Come on, let's get going," Twilight said. "There's bound to be another attack and we should find somewhere to go."