I snap awake like a flash of lightning, like a whip slashing at the air around me. I bolt upright from my apparent lying position. Panic surges through every inch of my body, and I begin panting like I had just run a marathon after breakfast. I put my hands over my face in exasperation, not willing to take a look at my surroundings for fear of the void again.
I feel soft sheets beneath me and a warm blanket to accompany them over me, now ruffled with my sudden movement. The air smells fresh and cool. Nothing like the soot-filled furnace my farmhouse had become. With this in mind, I begin to calm down and control my breathing. It slowly returns to normal. The panic does not leave me, however. For all I know this could be another dream. Another cruel test. But then I hear footsteps and a kind but unfamiliar voice beside me.
“Apple Bloom, miss, you’re awake,” the female voice says, concern evident in her tone. “Are you ok? Your vitals just had a huge spike…” I remove my hands and breathe in and out deeply one last time. I open my eyes and brush my scarlet red hair from my face, then turn to my left to see whoever is speaking.
I let out a small grunt of surprise and do a double-take from the sight. There standing beside the bed I am on, is a middle-aged looking woman. She wears blue scrubs and has a semi-serious attitude about her. A nurse by the look of it. But that isn’t what caught my attention. She has a strange off white tanned skin colour. Black hair. And piercing blue eyes. Nothing like the pascal colored people I know. She is probably the strangest looking person I have ever seen.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry,” She says putting a hand out in apology, “I forget how people from your Verse react to us…” She flashes an apologetic smile and steps forward to offer her hand to shake. I awkwardly take it and do so cautiously.
“Um...who exactly are you?” I say, taking the time to look around the room I’m in. It is a small square room, a bit smaller than my bedroom. It has navy blue walls and a clean white tiled floor. And at the far wall in front of me, there is a large window with a white blind pulled down over it.
The bed I am on appears to be a typical hospital bed. All white and standard. Though it does seem to be far more comfortable than any other hospital bed I have ever been on, which is more than a few do to my...adventurous nature.
“I am Sarah, I am the nurse that was assigned to you,” she says in a friendly tone. And then I realize something, something I should have already.
“Ok...why am I in a hospital, and where am I?” I say lifting the covers off me so I can get up, noticing that I am also wearing a light blue hospital gown. As I attempt to lift myself, pain shoots through me like fire. My legs ache something nasty but I am determined to get up. Sarah moves a few steps over to try and stop me.
“Miss, I don’t think that is such a good idea,” she says with concern again. She lifts a hand and with a swift motion with her pointer finger, swipes downward. This, somehow, causes several blue symbols to float in the air. With a closer look, I can tell that they are my vitals, being displayed by some kind of ..hologram. Just who is this person?
“Your heart rate is still through the roof. You experienced a lot of trauma to the head and legs. Please lay down.” She still sounds friendly, but a bit of steal was added into the mixture. This only makes me more determined.
I stand up despite Sarah’s protests and force myself to walk to the window. I use the wall as a crutch. Each step is agonizing but finally, after a struggle, I make it and look past the blind. And I see nothing but the blackness of space.
I collapse on the floor, utterly surprised and confused. Sarah looking weird was one thing, but being in space was too much.
“I told you not to move…” Sarah says sternly. She comes over and helps me to my feet, she dusts off my gown and helps me back to my bed. I curl up, unsure of what is going on. I just want to go home. Go to my family, my friends. But here I am, in space, in a hospital no less. The rapid flow of events is overwhelming. I lift my head and look Sarah straight in the eye.
“Where. Am. I. I want a straight answer.” I say bluntly, my confusion and fear turning to anger. I want to know what is happening. I want my family back.
Sarah sighs deeply. She looks at me again with a sympathetic look in her eyes, one I don’t really understand.
“You are on the UCS Navigator, on route to Albion.”
“Albion? Where is that? Why are we on a spaceship?”
“Albion is… let’s just say it’s another Planet. The Navigator is transporting you and the other survivors there.” an icy feeling courses through me the moment Sarah says the word ‘survivors’. I think I know the answer, but I ask the question anyway, hoping against hope to be wrong.
“Survivors of what?” I say slowly. Forcing each word out as if they were made of lead. Sarah’s expression changes to one of guilt. For several moments she appears to be grappling with telling me something, but in the end she answers anyway.
“Your planet has been destroyed, Apple Bloom. I’m so sorry.” She can hardly meet my gaze now. The news crushes me like a mountain. I don’t want to believe what she is saying. I can’t. But the evidence around me is so overwhelming that I can’t ignore it. My world is gone. I have so many more questions. But among them one takes full priority.
“Where is my family,” I say quietly. The fight having gone out of me for now.
“Your brother is close by. He’s been around here a lot waiting for you to wake up. Do you want me to get him now?”
My only answer is a nod as I sit up and bring my knees into my chest. Sarah nods back and leaves me alone. I try to keep myself calm in the face of all this bedlam. I try and compress what I know so far to make sense of it all. My planet is gone. I am on a spaceship. And I was knocked unconscious before I was rescued. I wonder how long I was out for. A day? A week? Maybe even a month? Just another question to add to my growing pile.
Minutes pass and finally I hear someone big enter my room. I look over to see my tall orange haired brother walking inside. I let out a little smile at the sight of him. One he does not return, his face is a mixture of sadness and relief. He then lunges forward, and before I can do anything, he has me in a big hug.
“Apple Bloom..I’m so glad you’re ok.” He embraces me tightly for a few moments before slowly letting me go.
“Big Mac...where is everyone else?” I ask, afraid of the answer. Big Mac takes a seat on the edge of the bed. He looks down at the floor. Tears well up in his eyes and begin to flow like a small river down his cheek. I realize that I know the answer to my own question, and feel tears form in my own eyes. But I still have to know for sure.
“Did...Granny make it out?”
“Nope.” Big Mac sobs out. I move out of my position at the back of the bed and move to go sit beside my brother. I huddle in close to him in an embrace. His sadness infects me, and my tears flow freely like his. But I still must know more.
“And Applejack?” I am able to say in between sobs. Big Mac pulls me in for another hug and once again holds me tightly as if he would lose me.
“Nope.” He says after a little while. He lets go of me again and calms himself down. He tries to put on the stoic demeanour he is so famous for but is only partially successful.
“She was able to save both of us. Remember that Apple Bloom, your sister is a hero. Never forget.”
A moment of silence passes and I regain control of myself, And I feel a small hint of anger peak its ugly head once Sarah returns to my room.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell me my family was dead!” I shout, letting in all out. Something within me lashes out and something courses its way through my body, before dissipating as soon as it came. I feel refreshed and stronger than before, the pain gone but my anger is no less satisfied. I stare at Sarah with daggers in my eyes.
She looks taken aback, and more than a little ashamed. But before I can do anything else, Big Mac places a hand on my shoulder.
“She said it would be better coming from me, Apple Bloom. She was only trying to help.”
I contemplate this for a moment and realize that was probably a good idea.
“Sorry...That was outta line mam. You are only doing your job after all..” Sarah sighs again and looks at me apologetically.
“I’m sorry too, there is just so much to explain to you and all of your people. What happened to you was horrible,” Sarah takes a moment to centre herself before continuing “I swear to you that the Light and Universal Congress will do whatever it can to right this wrong.”
For a moment, I forget my sadness. I bury it inside me to process later, it is clear I have other things to worry about now. I silently apologize to Applejack before speaking up again.
“What is the Universal Congress?”