//------------------------------// // Support // Story: A Hero Of War (UNEDITED) // by DontWakeTheNeighbour //------------------------------// Dear Princess Celestia. It’s been three days since Rainbow Dash came back to Equestria. I knew that it wasn’t going to be easy, but I didn’t think it was going to be this difficult. Over the past few days she’s been distant, when we see her it’s almost like she’s not in the room with us. It pains me to think of what kind of ungodly torture she went through in that world, her wounds are healing okay but I can see the damage isn’t physical. Whenever she does speak it’s always about someone called Bishop. Who he is she hasn’t clarified but I’m guessing he was someone who she cared for. She’s going to be discharged tomorrow but she’s going to be on 24 hour observation, she’s going to be stuck in her house for quite some time if the doctors get their way. Knowing Rainbow, she’ll probably ignore them and try to fly around Ponyville. At least that’s what I’m hoping, because it means she’ll be back to her old self again. Hoping to hear from you soon. Your loyal student. Twilight Sparkle. ********** As the morning sun rose in the horizon Rainbow Dash was woken up by the faint bleeps of the machine wired up to her. Her eyes fluttered open, the bandages were removed when she left the hospital four days ago but the light still punished her sinuses every time she blinked. She took a moment to look around, her home was left just the way it was when she disappeared, all the furniture was left just as it was, all the pictures of her friends were on the mantel piece, to the left of them was her cherished Wonderbolts poster, signed by her childhood idol, Spitfire. “Never lose faith kid.” She read, smirking slightly as she did. Heaving herself off the bed she could hear her helper in the kitchen, after adjusting to the ground beneath her hooves she started to limp towards the commotion. A few painful steps later she was in her kitchen looking at the busy mare making breakfast. The pearl coloured pony then turned with a bowl in her hooves as she stirred the mixture inside of it, she caught a glimpse of the beaten Pegasus in front of her before she recoiled slightly at the sight. “Oh my! You scared the life out of me.” She nervously chuckled. “Thanks.” Rainbow said blankly before sitting down on the floor. “What are you making?” “Just some pie for supper. Your friend came by this morning and dropped off a basket full of apples for you. Don’t forget your pain killers Dash.” “…. *sigh*” “You know. You should go back to bed, you need your rest.” “I’m fine.” She grumbled. “I just want to walk for a bit." The nurse didn’t argue, she gave a concerned look before turning back to the stove, Rainbow Dash then stumbled towards the front door of her house. The white Pegasus watched as Rainbow Dash slowly made her way towards the door. Before long, Rainbow was staring out the window of her house, watching the world go by. Everypony was happy, going on with their days, Rainbow Dash turned away, walking back to the kitchen where she saw the glass of water and the yellow capsules next to it. Slowly and steadily she lifted a shaky hoof, reaching out for the liquid. “Rainbow!” Bishop’s voice echoed off the walls of her home, the sudden shock caught the Pegasus by surprise. She darted her head to the left and then to the right, nobody was there, she started to shake as a dull throbbing pain began to throttle her senses. Then a sudden flashback knocked her to the ground. “ARGH!!” Her mind became a wash of violent images she saw in that dark and cruel world. Groups of men being mutilated, blown up, burnt, it was all coming back to her, as if she was there again. She could feel the heat from the fires she ran from, the blood of other soldiers coating her body, her wings being pulled to almost being torn off her body. “W-what’s happening to me?!” The sound of screaming started grow louder, the pain was getting stronger and heat was getting hotter, she began to shake uncontrollably, gritting her teeth, Rainbow Dash grabbed her ears, pressing them hard against her head. “S-stop it! ….. Please stop it!” It didn’t stop, it grew worse, the pain was indescribable, her whole body began to spasm as her senses were pushed to their limit. “Stop it!!” She felt herself being bombarded both physically and mentally, each painful blow as powerful and as painful as she remembered. Being beaten, both her body and her mind, she kicked has hard as she could, flailing wildly as gasped deeply. “LEAVE ME ALONE!!” Silence, everything had stopped, no pain no visions, no noises. …. Nothing. Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, she found herself stuck in a black void like she was before, no gravity, no colourful ponies, nothing. She found herself floating in the perfect definition of nothing. “Where am I?!” She sobbed, her mind still burning like nothing she had ever felt before. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t move her hooves, she stayed there, floating in blackness, she began to panic. ‘Am I dead?’ She tried once again to lift her hoof but just like before, her whole body felt like it was made of lead. She laid there, waiting, waiting to wake up, waiting for something to happen, waiting for anything. Just then she caught a glimpse of something in the distance, a light. “W-w-why me?” The light slowly started to grow brighter, Rainbow Dash kept closing her eyes, praying this was just a weird, messed up dream. Her heart began to pound against her chest, her shallow breaths soon turned into large gasps as her body grew cold. As she shivered she could feel herself being pulled closer towards the light, something felt strangely familiar, she could feel her strength returning to her legs, she looked down to see that all the wounds on her body had disappeared. The light grew larger warming her body as she began to reach out to it, the unknown force pulling her was growing stronger as she heard Bishop’s voice echo in her mind. “It’s okay Rainbow. …. You can go home now.” “B-bish?” “Rainbow?” “Bishop! It’s me!! It’s me!!” “Rainbow!” “BISHOP!!” Rainbow Dash reached out with both hooves until they disappeared into the light, suddenly she felt a solid mass in her hooves. Tears pouring from her eyes, she pulled with all her might, feeling whatever she was holding slowly coming closer to her. The blinding light burned her eyes as she squinted, with one last heave she pulled the anonymous object from the white abyss, feeling the pain slowly return. “RAINBOW!!” “Bish” Rainbow Dash began to fall from the light and back into the darkness, still holding something in her hooves, she lifted the heavy item to look at it but her eyes grew heavy and closed before she could see what it was. ******** Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to a festoon of blurred colours in front of her, she grunted as her vision cleared, she could see she was back in the hospital, the persistent beeping from the machine, that same nauseating smell. “W. …. What happened?” Rainbow’s vision cleared, all her friends were stood, looking down on her, once again looking concerned and frightened. Twilight slowly stepped forward resting a hoof on her shoulder. “Are you okay?” “I. Ow. …. I’m fine. What happened?” “Your carer called for help when you fell to the ground started screaming, when we got to you, you were unconscious. We brought you back here just to be safe. You’ve suffered some minor brain trauma. …. You really had us worried for a moment.” Rainbow Dash looked down to see an oxygen mask on her muzzle, the tight elastic straps pressed against the wounds on her bruised face. Wincing she turned to her left, closing her eyes. “It. …. It was just a dream.” She said, with a mixture of relief and disappointment in her voice. “It’s okay now Dash.” Applejack said. “We’re with you now. …. Everything’s going to be okay.” “I’m. …. I’m sorry.” “Sorry?” Applejack said. “What in the hay are you sorry for?” “F-for being such a jerk. …. I’m sorry, I haven’t been myself lately, I’ll tell you guys everything. …. I promise.” “You.” Twilight started on the verge of tears. “It’s okay Dash. …. Anypony who had gone through what you did would be the same. It’s clear you went through a rough time. You don’t need to be sorry for anything, we are your friends no matter what.” Rainbow Dash sighed, feeling that warm sense of comfort she had craved for so long. “Thank you.” Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, then they got wider and wider, the ponies surrounding her could see a look of horror spread across her face, Rainbow Dash began to breath heavily, her chest heaved as her gaze could not be broken. “Rainbow? What’s wrong?!” Applejack said. “What’s wrong?!” Rainbow Dash began to shake Twilight turned around. “NURSE!! …. HELP!!” Rainbow Dash didn’t blink, she didn’t look away for a second, the heart rate monitor went haywire. To her left, on the coffee table next to her bed, was the blue, blood stained book that was Bishop’s journal.