//------------------------------// // 37 - Recovery // Story: Soaring on Little Wings // by tom117z //------------------------------// The beeping of the equipment assaulted the bedridden pegasus’ ears, her one constant companion in the clinically white room. She had no idea how long she’d been confined to the room, but it certainly felt longer than the clock on the wall seemed to suggest. Worse still was that her body ached to the point where it hurt to move from her laying position, her torso largely bandaged to the point of mummification. It didn’t help that everything leading up to that point was a jumbled messy blur. She had vague recollections of waking to extreme pain, as if sharp needles were being forced into her body with the pain originating from her barrel. And then between the pain were the faces of so many unfamiliar ponies in an equally unfamiliar environment. And then everything had returned to the darkness, and she had woken up in the room. When she’d first regained consciousness, she was met with a pegasus in a white doctor’s coat. The stallion had peered at her through his spectacles, before trying to give her an extremely practiced grin. He’d called her ‘Little Wing’, and then said that she’d been unconscious for a few days. After asking a few questions, and then noting some things down on a document of some kind, he had left with assurances that he would return soon and that she was not to move until then. Little Wing hoped he would return soon, she had so many questions. For one thing… who the heck was Little Wing? Of course she’d gathered that it was her name… but why didn’t she remember anything beyond that!? It was like a thick fog in her mind, and whenever she tried to traverse it a swarm of fog creature… things would force her back out again. Not knowing… well, she quickly discovered how much it sucked. Not being able to remember parents, any siblings, or where she even was. Oh, but she could tell you the exact speed needed for a theoretical sonic rainboom. So she had that. And more information like that would pop up whenever she would go looking around in her own head. She could mentally do a few simple sums, recall reading and writing and many other basic skills and pieces of knowledge related to those skills. Likewise, she knew the names of the pony tribes, griffons, dragons and any other species you might be able to find. She could tell you that she lived in a land called Equestria, which was ruled by four alicorns… But the names and faces of those alicorns? Not a chance. It was like she remembered the basic outline of the world around her, and the skills she had somehow attained throughout her life… But she couldn’t for the life of her remember any specific individual she might have known, including herself, or any events that had proceeded her waking in the hospital. It was really weird… and really terrifying. The door opened up almost silently, but Little Wing saw it nevertheless. The doctor from earlier slipped in, adjusting his spectacles as he approached the bed with a clipboard held in his wing. “Ah, Little Wing. How are you feeling?” he asked politely with that practiced smile. Little Wing groaned. “You asked me that earlier.” “And it never hurts to ask again,” the doctor replied. “You are my patient, after all.” “I’m fine,” she responded. “I ache. A lot. But I’m fine.” “I see. Aching is to be expected, it would be worse without the painkillers,” the doctor stated as he flipped through his notes. “But the pain should fade with time, your wounds have healed nicely.” “Wounds? What are you talking about?” “You were grievously injured, I’m afraid,” the stallion informed her. “You had a puncture wound clean through your body, causing both internal and external bleeding. You were teleported straight here from the scene and given emergency surgery.” “Surgery?” “Yes, and you gave us quite the scare once or twice. Princess Twilight had already removed the arrow and was holding the wound shut until we took over for her. From there it was ensuring that none of the shaft had splintered inside your body and removing excess shards of wood, before healing magics were applied to seal it shut before we flushed your system with antibiotics to prevent infection.” The doctor paused in his explanation, biting his lip in through before placing his clipboard down on a table beside the bed. “The fact is, you’re a miracle case,” the doctor told her, examining her in simple disbelief. “And I meant that in every sense of the word.” Little Wing frowned. “What do you mean?” “According to Princess Twilight Sparkle, you were dead. You were not breathing, and your brain was shutting down. No vitals, no signs of life,” he continued, huffing as he reached for an explanation that was beyond him. “All attempts at revival failed… And then you woke up on your accord.” “I’m… not sure I understand,” Little Wing mumbled, staring off away from the doctor and into space. “You said there was an arrow?” “Yes, though the circumstances behind that can come later,” the doctor replied. “For now, however… There is something else that is troubling us about your recovery.” Little Wing knew where this was going. “My memories.” The doctor nodded. “Your family reported your failure to recognise them on your revival. And the questions I asked earlier only confirmed it.” Little Wing was doing her best not to shake as she listened to the stallion talk. “Confirm what?” The doctor sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his muzzle. “I’m afraid you have gained a form of amnesia. You know Equestria, the races of this world and so on. But history before today, any history before today, eludes you. Little Wing sniffed, moving an aching hoof to wipe away the tears forming in the corner of her eyes. “You said something about a family…?” Little Wing shakily enquired. “I don’t remember a family. Why… Why can’t I remember!?” “I’m afraid we don’t know, Miss Wing,” the doctor said apologetically. “It could be minor brain damage that occurred before your revival. But since we don’t even know how or why that happened we can only speculate.” “I… I see…” Little Wing muttered, still doing her best to put on a brave face and hold back the tears. “W-what happens now…?” The doctor replaced his spectacles, picking up the clipboard once again. “You’re healing up nicely, though we will want to keep you a few more days for observation. We don’t want that wound opening up again… and we may have a few tests for your mental health.” “But then I can go home, right?” Wherever home was, anyway. “Yes, you can,” he answered with a more genuine smile. “But before then, some ponies have been waiting for you to wake up. If you would like to see them, that is.” “M-my family?” “Yes,” he confirmed. “They know of your… condition. But they want to see you nevertheless. And seeing them might jog a memory or two. You never know.” Little Wing took in a deep breath, but then nodded. The doctor gave his own nod in turn, before retreating out of the hospital room while shutting the door behind him. Once he was gone, Little Wing turned her eyes towards the ceiling, her thoughts in turmoil. That ever-present fog wouldn’t lift no matter how hard she willed it, and the answers remained out of reach. And she felt so alone. The door clicked open again, only this time it wasn’t the doctor who was entering the room. Instead, there were five ponies all of the pegasus variety. Every single one of them stared at Little Wing with wide worried eyes, barely hidden fear seen within them. The door was shut behind them, and gently and silently they all began to surround the bed in a manner that was almost as if they feared one false move would harm the patient on the bed. “…Hey squirt,” the pegasus with the rainbow hair said as she settled down by the bed on Little Wing’s left. “Do you, uh… know who I am?” Regretfully, Little Wing shook her head in denial. The rainbow pony’s ears drooped, anguish crossing her features. However, when she saw Little Wing flinch back into her pillow at her sorrow she tried to plaster a more cheerful expression onto her muzzle… with little success. “Heh, well that’s alright…” she responded with a lie. “I mean, I’m sure you’ll get it in time. I mean how awesome were you back there, saving my flank like that!” “…Huh?” “I… guess I’m getting ahead of myself,” the mare admitted sheepishly. “I’m… your big sister, Rainbow Dash. That there’s our other sister, Scootaloo. Our parents, Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof…” Rainbow Dash then looked towards the grey mare sitting to Little Wing’s right, her face hidden behind her mane with uncontrolled tears dripping down onto the bed. “…And that’s your wife. Misty Gust.” Little Wing’s eyes widened, looking towards Misty with a shocked expression. “…Wife? I… Oh dear, I’m sorry. I don’t remember any of you. I think I knew I was into mares but… I don’t remember…” “It’s okay dear,” Windy Whistles cooed softly. “We understand. It’s not your fault.” “She’s right…” Misty mumbled, before letting out a humourless laugh as her mane parted to reveal bloodshot eyes that clearly hadn’t seen any sleep in several days. “It was that stupid griffon! Oh Little Wing…” “Griffon? What happened? How did I…?” Bow Hothoof growled. “It was that group, the Sovereign Empire. They went after Dashie, but they hit our other little filly instead!” “Your dad wanted to go after them all himself,” Scootaloo remarked with a half-hearted chuckle, before her face fell. “You had us all really worried there, Wing.” “But don’t worry about those feather brained morons,” Rainbow Dash assured. “The Princesses were super peeved that this was allowed to happen, and they upped the ante with dealing with them. Over the past few days joint griffon and pony teams have been raiding their hideouts left right and centre. Heh, you should have seen Spitfire. Nopony messes with us Wonderbolts without consequence!” “Yeah, she’s on the warpath,” Scootaloo added in. “She and Soarin have been with the EUP sent up to the Griffon Empire to deal with this crap.” Little Wing had no idea who Spitfire or Soarin were, but she got the gist of what they were saying. But still… “Ugh…” Little Wing groaned, holding a hoof to her throbbing head. “I… wish I could remember any of you. But I just can’t! It’s all so cloudy… I’m sorry.” “Don’t be sorry, please,” Misty begged, gently reaching out and holding onto her wife as carefully as she could. “We’re here… We still love you, even if you don’t know it. We’re here…” Tears were now freely flowing down Little Wing’s face, and in truth there wasn’t a pony in that room who didn’t. “I wish I could remember…” Rainbow gave her little sister a small smile. “Well, why don’t we tell you just how awesome you are?” Cloudsdale Hospital, Reception Area The reception area seemed to be only mildly busy that afternoon, though the presence of the large lavender alicorn was certainly of note. She stood regally by the entrance, her eyes glued on the passage leading to the ward where her friend was seeing to her fallen sister. Regret tinged her eyes, regret that she couldn’t do more for one of her subjects when it was needed… Twilight then spotted a pegasus with a rainbow mane come trudging down the corridor and into the reception area. She spotted the Princess of Friendship, immediately trotting slowly in her direction. “Rainbow…?” Twilight gently called out, her ethereal mane dimming with her mood. “How is she?” “Yeah, uh… better,” Rainbow Dash replied, setting down on her haunches just in front of the alicorn. “She still doesn’t remember, but she should be out of here soon. We hope.” “Well, that’s good to hear,” Twilight replied with a small, albeit hesitant, smile. “How did your talk go?” “…Hard,” Rainbow admitted, before groaning loudly. “This sucks, Twi. We told her as much about herself as we could, but we may as well have been reading her Rarity’s stupid biography. She doesn’t remember any of it.” “So the information might as well be fiction to her,” Twilight mused. “I’m sorry, Rainbow.” Rainbow Dash huffed. “Yeah, well… She’s still my little sister. And I know she’ll get better! We’ll just have to place her on medical leave or something from the Wonderbolts until then, but then she’ll be back up there with us!” “Rainbow…” “WHAT!?” Twilight didn’t flinch back from the snap, being patient with her distraught friend. “I do hope for the best outcome, but you must know there is a chance she will never recover fully. The mind is… unpredictable. Whether it be Starswirl or myself, nopony who has ever studied the mind has ever been able to fully understand it.” “Ugh, at least we got the guys who did this to her,” Rainbow growled, before her expression turned into something a little more… thoughtful. “Wait, you studied brains and stuff?” “The mind,” Twilight corrected. “How it works, the formation of memories… and how it’s the seat for our consciousness. But as I said, nopony has been able to understand it fully.” “But… you have studied it…” Rainbow Dash mused as an idea popped into her head. “Twilight, is there any way…” “No,” Twilight immediately dismissed. “Absolutely not!” “Oh come on!” Rainbow Dash protested with a stomp of her hoof. “You could help her!” “Or break her mind entirely!” Twilight retorted. “Mind magic is extremely dangerous and shouldn’t be used ever.” “Princess Luna is always doing dream stuff!” “That’s different, she only interacts with a pony’s outer most thoughts as they sleep!” Twilight pointed out. “You’re asking me to go routing around in her mind for lost memories of her entire life! The mind is unpredictable, in trying to force memories up I could scramble them! One wrong turn in her subconscious and I could cause irreparable damage!” “That… sounds bad.” “It is bad!” Twilight stressed. “A Little Wing who can’t remember faces is better than a Little Wing who is brain dead! There are so many things that could go wrong I could make the mother of all checklists!” “Look, I’m not saying we actually do it right now or anything…” Rainbow Dash rebuffed. “But if there’s a chance… Well, should we ask Little Wing? What if she wants to take the risk?” Twilight spluttered. “But… I…” “Twilight! Your weird princess magic could save my sister! I know it’s dangerous, and if she doesn’t want to then I would never force it on her! But if she does…” Twilight eyes twitched, and every fibre of her being screamed that this was a bad idea. But Rainbow Dash was her friend, and she wasn’t without a point… “Rainbow, you… GAH! Fine, but only if she says yes and understands the risks and only if you give me time to prepare and figure out ways to do this as safely as possible!” Relief showed on Rainbow’s face, and she let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “Thanks Twi. If it was anypony else but you, I wouldn’t even ask. But you’re an alicorn, the freaking Element of Magic and the biggest egghead I know!” “Thanks,” the Princess deadpanned. “Point is, you’re the only horn head I would ever trust doing something like this,” Rainbow Dash continued. “So please, help her…” “If this was anypony but me doing this, you’d be in trouble,” Twilight responded, before tapping her chin with a hoof. “Well, maybe Luna or- Ah, I’ll begin some risk assessments. But let’s wait until she’s out of the hospital before we approach her with this.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Got it. And Twilight… thanks.” Twilight smiled. “You’re welcome, Rainbow.”