//------------------------------// // Hope // Story: A Hero Of War (UNEDITED) // by DontWakeTheNeighbour //------------------------------// The bombing never seemed to end, the torture never stopped. The fires kept burning as the soldiers screams echoed in ones ears. Rainbow Dash never left Bishop’s side during the aftermath, him and hundreds more were sent to hospital and hundreds more were killed on the battlefield. Rainbow Dash had to endure the horrific sights of seeing dozens of men screaming away their last breaths before their eyes blinked for the last time. Seeing the floor flooded with blood as she flew beside her wounded hero when he was carried and transported to the nearest hospital. She spent hours waiting, waiting, not knowing if Bishop was alive or dead, waiting outside the hospital, looking through all the windows for him. She never recalled feeling so helpless in her life, there was nothing she could do to help, to ease the pain. All she wanted was to know if Bishop was going to at least survive from this endeavour; it wasn’t long before she got an answer. After flying through the window she sat by his side, looking at the forest of tubes sticking out of his body, his chest slowly raising up and down, the only sign that he was clinging onto his frail life. Looking at his possessions on the end table, Rainbow Dash was trying to hold onto her tears as she saw two nurses walk into the room. Rainbow quickly jumped off the bed and hid underneath it as the women walked up to Bishop. “Okay. …. Patient 34. …. Blood pressure stable, deep lacerations, internal bleeding.” “How long do you think he’s got?” “…. A few hours. Till midnight if he’s lucky.” “Send the telegram?” “ …. I heard he has nobody to send one to.” “…. *Sigh* …. What a waste.” Dash watched as the two nurses kept walking, she walked out from under the bed, not wanting to be kicked out, she was essentially an alien to them and she didn’t want to have to waste time explaining everything again. She just wanted to be alone. “…. Bish.” Rainbow Dash sniffed leaning over him. “…. David. *Sniff* …. Can you hear me?” There was no response. “Come on. …. *Sniff* You can do it right? …. I know you can. …. Your stronger than this. Y-your stronger than t-this.” Rainbow rested her head on his hand, hoping that something, anything would happen, she hung on the hope that the hospital could do something to help him but it was made painfully clear that there was nothing that they could do. “You can be. …. D-dying. …. You’re the strongest person I know. …. *Sob* Just 2 hours ago. *Sob* …. You said you were going to take me bowling!” Rainbow Dash all of a sudden felt overwhelmed with emotion, on the verge of tears she gritted her teeth before flying out the window as fast as she could. Keeping her eyes closed she flapped her wings furiously as she flew through the air, ignoring how fast she was really going. Flashback of when they first met, when they laughed together and when they fought together in this world on made her even more infuriated. Suddenly she felt a resistance against her hooves, opening her eyes she saw the world zooming by. As she tried to slow down she lost her balance, making her stumble, as she adjusted her flight she caught another glimpse of Pearl Harbor as it was still burning, everything from buildings to aircraft destroyed. Curious she flew down, looking at the carnage before she touched down. Looking around she saw injured soldiers being pulled from the debris, some alive, some barely and others not. She slowly began to walk around the warzone, looking at what was once a ‘secure’ place. Suddenly she stumbled across one of the metal birds which had crashed during the attack. Looking at the wreckage she saw the machine guns the Japanese logo and the trail of blood where the pilot must have been dragged from the plane. Rainbow Dash then remembered seeing Bishop as he stood on the prowl of the sinking ship, aiming his gun at a pilot, staring death in the eyes before firing his gun. And now a brave soldier like him was now reduced to nothing but a mutilated heap and all because he fought for what he stood for. He fought back despite the odds, not caring is his life was taken for the sake of hundreds and this is the reward he gets. “It’s. …. It’s not fair.” Rainbow sat on the ground, staring into the symbol as she could feel her emotions taking over. Seeing the sergeant being thrown back by the explosion’ being thrown onto the ground like he was nobody else but another soldier that got in the way. “IT’S NOT FAIR!!” Dash mustered all the strength in her legs to kick the steel hull of the plane, denting it before she continued to attach the metal wreckage. Screaming in anguish, she blindly bucked anything she could get her hooves on, her body being driven by nothing but pure unadulterated hate. Suddenly she missed a target, making her fall to the floor in a heap. She laid there, staring into the sky, she looked at the stripy flag, still burning as it proudly flapped in the wind. Suddenly she caught a glimpse of something, a little light in the corner of her eye. As she righted herself she saw it was coming from a large pile a rocks; probably two stories high. She trotted over, her will slowly diminishing as she looked at the glow, she then saw a familiar shape, as she used her winds to pick herself off the ground she saw that it was Bishop’s medal of honour. Grabbing the gold with her teeth, she yanked it from the rock before flying back down to the ground. She held the medal in her hooves, looking at the details of it, how it was barely damaged, Dash all of a sudden felt something, almost as if Bishop was standing next to her, knowing it wasn’t true she didn’t turn around to confirm it, she sat down, still staring at the medal. Then a thought crept into her head as she lifted her wing, seeing her element still inside the base of her feather a glimmer of hope fluttered in her heart. “The elements of harmony.” “Hey!!” Dash snapped her head, seeing a group of soldiers running towards her, as quickly as she could she took off into the air. Without looking back she one again flew as fast as her wings would allow. Staring into the distance, she memorised her route, she focused on her destination, she poised herself as she knew that she was running out of time. “Take Bishop to Equestria. Use Elements of harmony, Bishop lives.” She said out loud, making a note to herself as she began to push against the resistance of nature holding her back. Feeling the familiar rush she felt at the young flyers competition, she pushed as hard as she could, feeling the air rush across her wings as her speed increased. Feeling tear flying from her eyes, she gritted her teeth, giving one last push. *BOOM!* She did it. She smashed through that barrier, she watched as the sky was filled with the spectrum of different colours. As much as she always marvelled at the sight of a sonic rainboom she created she simply did not have the time to do it. In almost an instant she saw the hospital in the distance, coming rapidly closer, she sprawled her wings open, trying to slow down but she was going too fast. Both her wings were bent to breaking point as she tried to slow down, as the strain became too much she let both her wings go limp before she began to plummet towards the ground. She saw her target, she closed her eyes, bracing for the impact. *CRASH!!* Rainbow Dash smashed through the thick glass before rolling onto the floor, sliding across the room before crashing into a cabinet. She didn’t waste time in getting back up. She sprinted around the ward, momentarily lost before she saw the sergeant, still lying there. Unfurling her wings, she grabbed her element, holding it in front of her as she flew onto the chair next to the bed. As she held the element in her hooves, she could feel the energy slowly build as she activated it. Looking at Bishop, she smiled leaning forward to see his chest was still moving. Now was the time. Placing the element in Bishop’s hand, she also held onto it with her hooves, a sudden burst of energy sent a small shockwave through the room. A small blast of lighting struck the ceiling as Rainbow Dash could see small items being lifted into the air slowly. She made sure the sergeant was holding the element as she heard the wards door open; as she turned she saw a group of doctors and nurses staring at the sight in awe. The room began to light up in a blue glow as they were both lifted into the air. Rainbow Dash all of a sudden felt cold as looked down at Bishop, a sudden light began to shine on her hooves, she then all of a sudden felt an excruciating pain burn in her sinuses. The doctor and nurses opened the door before recoiling in horror at the sight of a cyan creature floating in the air surrounded by a ball of pure energy, with a white glow blooming from its eyes. Dash screamed, desperately holding onto her element before she felt the freezing cold light consume her body and her vision blur as it darkned.