Chapter 22
Seated next to the Princess, Rainbow didn’t let the now exiled royal intimidate her.
“We are here to discuss the current condition of the Equestrian Army, and what you do not know about your kind, benevolent ruler.” Luna gestured impatiently at Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash.
“Does she always talk like that?” Rainbow whispered.
“You see, every pony is selfish, whether they like it or not. Their own needs are of more importance than another pony’s needs.” Luna’s expression depicted only nonchalance, but Rainbow could she tears welling up. “My sister loved Sombra, but alas, he did not love her back.”
“Wait, Celestia had a crush on that weirdo?” Scootaloo whispered, stifling giggles. Rainbow nearly snorted but held back.
“You may call him a freak, weirdo, or whatever, but you do not know him. What is written in history is by the victors, or say the victor here. Celestia.” Luna glared at Scootaloo, promptly shutting any sound coming out of her. “He wasn’t born that way. Life made him that way. Celestia’s version of the tale is much different from the truth. You can obscure details and warp the truth without lying.”
Rainbow wanted to believe her, but she sensed that the Lunar Princess was certainly hiding something. “And what is it that you haven’t told us?” She asked.
Luna stiffened. “You do not need to know.”
Scootaloo blinked. “But I would like to know!” She pouted.
Rainbow wanted to slap her own face. This was not the time to be acting childish.
Luna’s gaze softened, but only slightly. “I am planning a rebellion.” It was not what she was thinking, but it would certainly divert attention.
“WHAT?!” Both Rainbow and Scootaloo were shocked.
What kind of plan was that? It was stupid, dangerous, and deadly.
“I am planning a rebellion.” Luna said, as calm as before, repeating the same words. “I am not the only one unhappy. In fact, it is not just me. I already have an army.” She was lying, and she knew it. She had supporters, but not even half an army. “I think you will not be happy under Celestia’s rule. She stirred up this entire war to get rid of enough ponies as to not having the population pose a threat to her. She is not the one immortal. I am.” Luna’s fury had returned. “She turns them into monsters, and maybe you’ll be next.”
With that, she left.
Rainbow was frightened. The prospect of what Luna had spoken about did nothing for her nerves. She reassured herself; that will not happen.
Scootaloo didn’t think too much. She simply left.
But if what if Luna had spoken the truth? Was there any truth at this point?
~~~
How stupid could ponies be? She was stupid, Luna was stupid, and stupid Lightning Dust thought she could end the war. Fat chance.
Stupid as she was, lying down on a hospital gurney without being able to move and cooking up some grand scheme of things. After the entire year of taking shit from Sombra, she was sure she had enough of this so-called war. The prospect had even excited her in the beginning.
She would laugh heartily and mockingly at anypony who said that the war was exciting. It was just an endless cycle of things – blood, death, heartbreak.
But yes, after the war maybe she could love Soarin. After all, wasn’t that her goal to be with him? If only that she could love freely.
The gurney stopped moving. She stopped feeling the bumps and cracks in the ground as the two nurses rushed her to the room without going over the official unofficial speed limit.
Then she was put into the corner, had the medicine going into her through a plastic tube, and the nurses left without a word.
Rainbow was trying again to think of some fun, grand scheme of things that she was so good at a few months ago. Just a few months ago.
But the only thing right now was to stop the painful flow of tears coming from her eyes. All the she had lost was finally catching up. Friends, love, loyalties…the list went on. God knew where it ended. Was it even worth it?
Nothing was worth it, and looking around only reaffirmed her point. Broken, bruised ponies. They had too many in the tiny room.
By no means was the room tiny, but the sheer amount of equipment and ponies and gurneys and beds, as well as the strong, pungent odor of bleach, she wondered how much of the room was actually free.
And soon she saw Soarin looking at her. To her, the sad ironic thing about him right now was the near entirety of his right side being bandaged, but his left wing was equally mangled.
She wondered what stupid sombraminion had done that.
Quietly, Soarin slipped out of the hospital bed, tiptoed and limped around the broken, the dying, and most likely dead that surrounded her.
And soon, he sat down next to the gurney she was situated on, and awkwardly balanced himself.
“The doctors have said that none of us here are expected to live long.” And he was probably right. He was suffering badly, and she was practically being held together by stitches.
“But I want to tell you, if I won’t get the chance again.” He leaned in closer, and held her only hoof that wasn’t bandaged with thick, white gauze and stiffened.
“I want to tell you that I love you. I loved you all this time, but I don’t think you ever knew.” He whispered the last few words softly, and leaned against the metal gurney.
She was too tired to speak, but she did managed a few words. “I loved you…too.”
~~~
Dying was a prospect she had never considered. Ever.
But Soarin’s words made the stupid misconception worse. She wanted to live on now, but how much of a chance she had?
Three bad hooves, a metal wing, skin and fur scraped off everywhere – weapons would do that to a pony –, shattered bones… she would consider herself very lucky to be able to function as a normal pony.
But Soarin’s little confession probably reached further than he realized. He did care for her after all. It wasn’t the end she feared. Scootaloo and Lightning Dust – or maybe not – were not the only ones who cared about her.
The next day, he slipped out after the nurses turned off the lights and the rest of the patients were sleeping. He limped heavily and unsteadily back, and he held a small batch of wild flowers.
Red, blue, violet…small flowers tied together with a piece of tape. He sat down, and placed them in her hoof. They were clamped firmly in hers, and she lifted the hoof up – albeit painfully, and brought them to her nose.
She sighed happily. They still smelled of smoke, but beneath the chemicals there were sure to be the fragrance. And when she searched enough, she found what she was looking for.
“I could die now and be content.” Noticing the look on Soarin’s face, she quickly added the next part. “but I guess there aren’t so many things to be achieved through death. I would only be content, not happy.”
“I would rather you alive and miserable.” He smiles sadly. “Because an embrace with a corpse would be quite weird. Frankly, I would be a necrophile.”
And it was the first laugh neither of them had in ages.