//------------------------------// // Chapter 19 - Breached // Story: Life Between Death // by cierragp //------------------------------// “Miss Spitfire?” The nurse asked. “Yes?” Spitfire answered. “We have determined the cause of your pains.” The nurse’s smile faltered, and her eyes were sad. “Stage three colorectal cancer. Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.” “HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?” Spitfire yelled. Then she remembered. Her father had died of the same cancer. Now the same disease that took her father years ago would take her life. “Is there a cure?” Spitfire asked, not daring to hope. “Well yes, there is a cure.” The nurse said, but her eyes filled with sorrow. “Unfortunately, there is no way for it to be acquired right now.” Her words sank in. No cure. No treatment. She was going to die. She had expected tears to flood out of her eyes the moment the words were spoken. But nothing came out. She merely nodded and the nurse left. Spitfire slumped down in the chair. She wished that it were all just a nightmare. But it was reality. Bitter, cold, and sad reality. “Why?” She croaked out. “Father, I wish I could make you proud, but I’ll be dying before I can…” Her tear filled eyes focused on an image. The image of her father, in full health, flying in the Cloudsdale stadium with the crowds cheering, little Spitfire perched on the shoulder of her mother, holding posters and the medal… But both of the most important ponies in her memories were already gone. Could she even hold on until the end? It seemed unlikely. Could she still assist in the war? That was impossible. Was there anyone who could save her? That was a question that she didn’t want to touch. No matter what, she would put on a brave face for the last of her days. It was her final duty and the biggest thing she could accomplish before her unavoidable death. ~~~ “Soarin?” Spitfire walked in and stifled a laugh at the scene. Before Soarin could notice, she put on her professional face and surveyed the office. The room was filled with scattered papers, coffee stains, and things she didn’t even want to identify. In short, Soarin wasn’t doing a good job at cleaning up. “Yeah? WAIT WHAT?” Soarin looked like as if he had seen a ghost. “I meant to clean it up but…” He gave a sheepish look. Spitfire shook her head. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.” “Like what?” Soarin stepped back a bit. If Spitfire was going to lash out, he could run for the window. “I…I have cancer. It’s terminal.” Spitfire couldn’t help it. She collapsed into a pile and started sobbing uncontrollably. “And I need you to manage everything after I’m gone.” Soarin felt remorse at what he had been thinking earlier. At times he even thought Spitfire was a monster. Yet he could not but help feel sympathy for her. Anyone dying, especially someone who had helped him into achieving everything he could, deserved all the sympathy they could get. He wished he could help her, but he knew it was impossible. Soarin knelt down and tried to look her in the eye. “I know it’s terrible, but please remember that you will always reside in our memories, and you won’t be forgotten. You’ll be remembered as one of the bravest captains that we had ever had.” The words were a reassurance for her. The sobs faded, and she stood up. “Thank you, Soarin. I’m glad that I have a friend like you.” ~~~ Luna listened on. She heard exactly three words: terminal, cancer, gone. Slowly a plan formed into her mind, and she had an idea where she would get her support. A simple contract, her magic spell. She had all the supplies she needed to make her future a certainty. For the first time, she knew that she had a future outside of being forgotten. Celestia’s tyranny was not going to last. She smiled. “Sombra, just remember me, okay?” She hoped that one day she would hear him reply again. A tear dripped down her cheek. She did not know whether it was a tear of happiness or sadness, for her emotions were not clear, even to her. The one thing she knew was that love was an ingredient. ~~~ Rainbow had felt it again this time. She knew what it was. Love. She didn’t want to dwell on it though. It was stupid that she ever thought about liking Soarin. He was something and she was nothing, which automatically ruled love out. She wiped all thoughts from her mind and refocused on the conscription material in front of her. It bored her to death. Row upon row of text blurred from eyes as she fell into a troubled sleep. She dreamed about the land mine that they had accidentally set off. She dreamed of the grasslands that no longer existed. Most of all, she dreamed of the future, not the past. She dreamed of the day she could lie down on spring grass again. She dreamed that every night she would see a sky of stars, and sleep under moonlight. But that would be in the far future, not the foreseeable future. ~~~ Rainbow opened her eyes and saw the murky shade of orange fade from her window. Muttering, she stepped over to the other side of her office and switched on the lights. They didn’t come on. For a moment, she panicked. Then she flicked the switch two more times with the same result. Their power lines had been cut. Which could only have meant a single thing… Eyes widening, Rainbow regained her composure and rushed to alert Spitfire. Spitfire would know what to do. She rushed down the hallway as quietly as she could. She did not need an army trailing behind her. Now that the lights were completely out, the hallway seemed gloomy and almost glowed in a haunting fashion. The walls seemed to lean to a side and the shadows wavered. Rainbow prayed silently and kept on moving. There was just something unnerving about the entire incident.