//------------------------------// // Earth Pony // Story: The Final Beat // by rainbowspirals //------------------------------// "Race to the barn? Bet I can beat you easily," exclaimed Rainbow Dash. "With these babies," pointing at her wings, Dash was so proud and ready to take on a challenge. "Oh hay yes," AppleJack narrowed down at Dash, giving a sneaky and competitive wink. "Ready?" "More than I'll ever be," Dash returned the wink and flashed a smile. She got herself in ready position. "Awright. Three, two, one..." "GO!" Yelled Dash, already on her way. They were all the way at Sugarcube Corner, about to head for Sweet Apple Acres. They did this often, racing and being competitive in all things agility. Applejack on her strong hooves, that could carry her anywhere, and Dash on her strong, blue wings filled with power and adrenaline. As Rainbow sat on her bed, emotionless, she could feel tears forming. The nurse sat beside her, comforting her as much as possible. "Honey..." She began. "Don't talk to me," Dash snapped back, almost growling. "I need time alone. Where's Applejack?" She asked angrily. "Why did you tell her to leave?" Continued Dash. "She couldn't be here. Hospital rules. I'm not a fan of that rule specifically, but it's all for the best of the patient," the nurse explained. She fixed her hat, and took a look at the clock. "Lights out soon. We need you to rest," "You see it's funny because..." Rainbow Dash let tears begin streaming down her face, her strength and confidence and pride disappearing, just like her treasured wings. "Those wings were a part of me. And it doesn't seem like you guys even tried to do anything else than...removing...them," she stated. Angry tears were flowing heavily, soaking her covers and herself. "We did, we really did. But you were unconscious. And to make sure you didn't wake up, we had to put you down temporarily also," said the nurse. "But it was just too much. Whatever we would have done, your wings wouldn't be able to hold you...ever again." She announced with a sigh. Dash could see she was trying to help as much as she could, and during the surgery she was probably the one that was questioning every move. But even if, she still had no forgiveness. "I've lost everything," Dash put her hooves to her face, and tried to lie down. Almost instantly, the nurse rushed over to the red square button on the left side of the bed and carefully pressed it. The bed put Dash in a lying position. "Not everything," corrected the nurse. This annoyed Dash. "You know, I was being sarcastic and telling you that my wings were my world and meant so much--" The nurse cut off. "No, I meant, don't you have your marefriend? You seem to care a lot for her." All of the memories of Applejack rushed into Dash's mind uncontrollably, just like wing memories with her. They had so many races, many the day before the Olympics also. They flooded her mind. "I know." "See, I bet she means a lot to you, and you would hate if something happened to her," "Yea...but this is different. My wings made me. They made me get my cutie mark, they made me the topic of Ponyville and Cloudsdale. They're the reason people know me and love me, and hope to see me because of them," Dash admitted. She wiped her covers which were soaked with tears, and turned her wet pillow to the other side to re-wetten it with the salt also. She closed her eyes, and kept breathing. She didn't want to look at her body anymore. The nurse layed a hoof on Dash's bed with sympathy. "I understand. I know it's so difficult. But I know that there are people there that know you and love you not because of your wings," she said. "Do you not get it? I know there probably are. But I'm talking about everything else...I'm taking about the Wonderbolts; my dream. I can't do anything for them anymore. I'm useless. I don't want to work backstage, I don't want to serve them anymore; they don't deserve me. And what happens to my cutie mark? Does it just wilt away or something? My life was dedicated to flying, dedicated! And now I don't even have that. I'm just a boring, old Earth pony," cried Dash. "Please, leave me alone. I want to be alone," "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. But before I go, I have to tell you something," Dash didn't bother opening her eyes. She just lay there, as if life was escaping her body through every breath she made. "You're going to have to have another surgery. We couldn't remove the joint of your wing, as your veins were too close to the actual skin; as you know, wings are very fragile. We had to be very careful. The veins will move away as the skin thickens around that joint, or now stub of bone. You will have this surgery in two days," "Cool, I've stubs now," groaned Dash. The nurse put her head down, and carefully left the room, silently. She filled out paperwork on a board and, holding the tray, exited the emergency room. "You will be escorted to a ward in a few minutes," were her last words of the day. Dash sighed. --- Rainbow Dash fidgeted with the thin tubing connected to her body, making loops and whirling them around. She was looking for a distraction in the ward, however, every single pony present were either sleeping, reading, or talking to their attending nurses. It was almost time for the meal, Dash knew, but she still had no idea what time it was. The only clock in the room was in front of the entrance door to the ward, and a single privacy curtain blocked her view to see it. She refused to leave her bed, no matter how many times she was told by her neighbours to get out for a few minutes and run around. She did not want to run. Some told her to fly, as they recognised her. She was in the general hospital of Cloudsdale, and many colts, mares and fillies were aware that she was the one and only Rainbow Dash, known for her flight skills. However, what they also knew (some of them) is that she painfully almost died in the Olympics. Yay, this is such a fun place, Dash thought. She blew her mane back an forth as another distraction combined with the fidgeting she was also taking a part of. Suddenly, a familiar nurse Dash had seen wandering around the hospital, checking in on patients, stepped inside the room, with a trolley filled with trays and glasses. Dash grunted, and pretended to be sleeping. She felt the pain in her back and particularly where the stubs stabbed her. She could barely turn in the bed, as she was incredibly uncomfortable. She was getting a dose of morphine every 48 hours as the pain was less severe, but she still felt heavily intoxicated at times; taking in no morphine in her life followed by constant doses didn't do well in her immune system. "Meal time, everypony," she announced. To those that were awake, she planted a tray on their bed as they were hospitalised in position. Everypony present was a pegasus, comfortably placed in cloud beds. Dash was a plain Earth pony, although her body told her she was still a pegasus at heart; letting her take steps on the family material. Unfortunately, Dash felt like eventually, this might'nt be the case in a few weeks, and she may not be able to every step onto a cloud in Cloudsdale ever again, unless controlled by a spell. To the ponies that were sleeping, the present nurse placed the trays onto the table beside the bed, followed by a glass of water and possible vitamins, depending what pony it was. Dash received a couple orange vitamins to keep her strong, as well as the food. Pasta? she wondered. Looks more like some weird chum, she debated. Either way, she was quite disgusted. Dash drank a hint of the plain, salty-esque water and dropped the vitamins into her mouth, one by one. Dash accidentally uncovered herself while trying to reach for something at the edge of the bed, revealing her stump-shaped stubs plastering each of her two sides, one on each. She screamed internally and began bawling. She noticed thin stitches edging the top of each, and the colour of the two new body parts were a purple, tinted with bits of red by the seam, with drops of dried blood also bordering them. She wondered why they couldn't at least cover them with bandages, but they didn't look like anything of a needy-of-bandages state, hence answering her own question. Although, her vision was still a soft and glossy haze as she covered herself up once again, and staining the fresh blankets with her wet tears, once again.