//------------------------------// // 3 - (Un)Lucky Scars // Story: Scars in the Sky // by Toriandthehorse //------------------------------// “Rainbow?” Soarin’s voice cuts through my thoughts. My breaths are coming in gasps. Only now do I notice that I’d squeezed my eyes shut. I force them open to see Soarin standing next to me. He’s studying me. “What’s going on?” “N-nothing. I’m fine. Let’s go.” I drive the tremor out of my voice. I make to step forward, but Soarin’s wing flashes out in front of me, landing on my chest. He pushes back. I forgot how strong and fast he is. “No. What was that?” He keeps his eyes on my face. Steady and there. My inhale catches. I turn away. “Nothing. Let’s go.” My voice cracks when I say it. Neither of us move. It’s like I’m frozen in place. I can’t open my wings again. I don’t want to be in the air again. I have to open my wings again. I have to be in the air again. My house is so close. I look up, scan the sky. The stars are shining bright today. Probably Luna’s contribution to our welcome back. I remember the night before I left. I had been so fearless, so young and naïve. I should have worried. I should have been afraid. The stars were just as bright now as they were then. Just have to fly up. Nothing big. Just be as fearless as I was that night. I glance at Soarin. His green eyes are still on me. I take a breath. Open my wings. The icy pinpricks of the arctic north stab me again. But I can’t lose it here, not again. It’s just the short distance up. I bite my tongue. Beat my wings. The faint crackle of magic. Burning pain. I can’t do it. Hooves wrap around my shoulders. I flinch, out of instinct. Ponies touching me has never been a good thing – firmed further by the war. But Soarin’s grip is… different. Solid. Comforting. He won’t let me go. Slowly, he lifts off, holding me close the entire time. The sky flashes by as we go up. I squeeze my eyes shut before the memories can start. His warm chest is up against my back, and I wait for him to brush against the scars, but he doesn’t. I can feel him there, but it never hurts. And then we’re at my cloud house. I feel the closest thing to relief as I’ve felt in a while. Finally… home. Soarin sets me down in front of my door. Maybe he expects me to say something; a thank you, or whatever. I won’t. I have to keep a strong wall, just for a bit longer. Can’t show weakness, can’t show weakness, can’t show weakness. Maybe he doesn’t expect me to say anything. He just moves to the door, enters the pin, and swings it open, standing by as to let me through. Inside is dark, I can see from where I stand. There’s just enough light from the moon to illuminate the barely-open windows. Dark enough to send a chill of fear through my bones, but light enough that I can keep it at bay. Stiffly, I walk past Soarin through the door. “WELCOME HOME!” A loud, loud yell crashes through the air. The lights flick on in a flash of light. And not mere seconds later, a POP erupts, blasting Celestia-knows-what into the main room. The flashbacks start immediately. There’s yells mixed with the blasts. But they’re both so loud, nopony can hear what exactly the yells mean. There, there the Captain is. He’s telling us to charge. Why is he telling us to charge? Oh, he’s yelling, yelling so loud. Where am I supposed to listen? Look? What am I supposed to do? I don’t realize it until it happens. There’s a pony behind me. Not one of ours. This one’s cloaked so heavily in black, I can’t even tell if it’s a mare or stallion. It’s got a knife. Captain’s still yelling. I try to look, where is he? The snow is just too thick. So much ice, so much cold… it’s too thick. I can’t see an inch in front of me. The first cut, on my hindquarter. Then another, cutting my tail off. I try to kick, but I can’t. What did they do to me? It must be some sort of spell… And then a cut to my wings. Metal, slicing through muscle and feather. “R-Rainbow Dash?” I come to, to a voice I know well. A voice I had told I didn’t want here. But of course, Pinkie Pie just can’t ever listen. Can’t ever respect. Everything feels wrong. My heart pounds hard, making my inhales and exhales come faster, and faster, and faster. My ears are ringing, from the sounds of magic blowing up, first distant, then nearer, and nearer, and nearer. And my heart is stone cold with fear. Multiple fears. The light is too bright; like the light right before getting blasted out of the air by a unicorn intent on taking a life. They’re going to see me. The scars knotting up around my back, ducking down around my hindquarter. The scars curling across the wings everypony once admired so. The scars not yet healed, burning a way across my face. The torn ear that still leaks blood. And most of all… me. I can’t let them see how broken I am inside. How many emotions are swirling up inside me. That’s right. I see now, they’re all here. Applejack, standing over in the corner. Green eyes studying my motions. As though she knows me so well. Fluttershy, right next to Applejack. She’s trying not to stare at the marring in my face. Rarity’s here, eyes tuned to my flank. Judging me. Even Twilight showed, now beside Rarity. And then Pinkie. With an expression I’ve never seen on her. Disappointment, maybe? Surprise? Definitely not happiness. Anger flares up inside me. How dare they show up in my home, when I deliberately told them, multiple times, that I did not want them here! How dare they pretend going to war and coming home alive was something great enough to be celebrated?! “How. Dare. You.” I spit out, stalking closer to the five mares. I see the glances they exchange, glances they think I’m not sharp enough to pick up on. I see them, alright. “I tell you I don’t want you here. I tell you I want to be alone. And then when I get back after three years of war, instead of respecting what I told you before I left, you’re here, inside my house, giving me the exact opposite of what I want!” I’m yelling at them. “D-Dashie?” Pinkie’s eyes fill with tears. She’s trembling, about to break down. She has no right. “It’s Dash. Rainbow Dash.” I hiss at her. “And I want you all to leave. Now.” None of them move. Am I so easy to disrespect? “I said NOW!” I scream, lifting a hoof and crashing it down onto the floor. The shout faintly echoes through the house. “C’mon, y’all. It’s what she wants.” Applejack tells them, quietly. Head down, hat drawn low. She moves to the door, gesturing all of them through. They’re all silent, avoid meeting my eyes. Fluttershy is the last to leave. She hesitates, and turns. Big blue eyes lift up to meet mine. So liquid, kind, genuine. Eyes I haven’t seen in years. “I’m sorry.” She whispers. Holds my gaze just a second longer. Then squares back to the door, and follows the rest out. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Her words repeat over and over, mixing with the burning fear and memories. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. The tears come fast, before I even have a chance to stop them. Cascading out of me. Tears I didn’t allow myself to cry, even in my worst moments. I can’t stop now. They sting the scars, bringing even more physical pain. The internal pain is unbearable. I sit down onto the carpet, bury my face in my hooves. That’s when familiar hooves appear, wrapping me in their embrace. He doesn’t say anything. Just holds me, as the tears flow, and flow, and flow.