//------------------------------// // Waking Up // Story: Wings of Ascension // by Zontan //------------------------------// Rainbow opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. Icy pain throbbed through her body, but it was strangely muted. Perhaps it was because her head was throbbing and her vision blurry. She tried to track the readouts on her HUD, but her eyes slid off the small letters, unable to focus. That didn’t stop her from seeing the flashing warning icons, and the only letters big enough for her to read: SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY. Rainbow tried to stand, but her legs refused to listen. She looked down, and found herself lying in the grasp of the stadium safety nets. She was still at the race, then. Where were the medics? Surely they had seen her fall. A buzzing assaulted her ears, and Tank floated into view, gesturing with his forelegs in clear agitation. A message appeared on her HUD, but try as she might, she couldn’t focus on it. She shook her head, moving as little as possible, and failed to stand again. Tank sent her another message, and then a needle extended from one leg. Rainbow watched dully as he approached and jabbed it into her neck. She barely felt it. But a moment later, a feeling like electricity raced through her, and she gasped. Her vision sharpened, and the pain that had been fuzzy a moment ago turned acute and piercing. She hissed and closed her eyes, trying to hold back tears. But this time when she tried to stand she managed to struggle to her hooves. When she was able to open her eyes again, she scanned the readouts. She didn’t know what half of them meant, but they all sounded bad. Severed pectoralis major. Apply pressure to the wound. Entering hypovolemic shock. Remain still and seek immediate blood transfusion. Finally, she took the time to read Tank’s message. WE MUST GO, NOW. THEY WILL NOT REMAIN DISTRACTED MUCH LONGER. Rainbow opened her mouth to ask a question, but her body refused to cooperate, and she couldn’t make any sound come out. Instead, she focused on putting one hoof in front of the other, following where Tank led. She slowly scanned the ground and stands below as she walked. The stands seemed strangely empty—had the race ended? No, she could still hear ponies cheering. She felt a trickle of liquid dripping down her side and tried to open her wings, but found she couldn’t. She turned to look at herself, too quickly, much too quickly. When the pain in her head faded, she saw that her entire torso had been wrapped in thick gauze, pinning her wings to her sides. One side was stained a deep red, a trail of blood dripping through her fur where it had soaked all the way through. She felt a sudden rush of nausea well up inside her, and looked away. She couldn’t look at it, couldn’t think about it. She just had to follow Tank, and everything would be okay. After what felt like an eternity, they reached a service door in the side of the arena. Tank gestured to the ID scanner, and Rainbow fumbled for the access card in her hoof. Eventually she popped it out, and Tank took it from her when she almost dropped it to the ground far below. He opened the door for her, and ushered her through. She could feel whatever Tank had given her fading as her legs grew shakier and the pain threatened to overwhelm her. Every step sent a spike of pain through her belly, and she gasped, her breathing fast and shallow. There wasn’t enough air, and the walls were becoming fuzzy again. Eventually, she tried to put weight on one hoof and it refused. She collapsed. WAIT HERE. I WILL GET HELP. She barely made out Tank’s message before her vision swam away from her again. She didn’t know how long she lay there in the dark, unable to move. She wondered if this was what dying felt like, and if Tank would really return at all. Then, suddenly, Fluttershy was standing over her, her face etched with worry. She was saying something, directing a bevy of her critters, but it just sounded like noise. Rainbow smiled softly. Fluttershy was here. Everything would be okay. With that, she drifted away. Rainbow awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room. She sat up slowly, taking in her surroundings. The bed was small, but had a thick, fluffy blanket. There was a small reading desk next to the bed, and an equally small table with a chair nearby. A picture of an unfamiliar earth pony smiled at her from the table, and on the desk sat a metal tray with a glass of water, a cup of pills, and a note. Folded neatly next to them was her visor. Rainbow didn’t bother with the items on the desk, instead looking down at herself. She was no longer wearing her flight suit, and her fur was matted and disheveled. Her torso was still bandaged, but these bandages were neater, not soaked through with blood, and most importantly, not wrapped carelessly over her wings. Her side still ached, but it was a dull throbbing that she could mostly ignore. Satisfied for the moment that she no longer seemed to be dying, Rainbow reached over and grabbed the note. It was written in Fluttershy’s elegant wingwriting. Rainbow, I’m sorry I have to leave you alone, but Redheart says she expects you to sleep for a while longer. I’ll be back soon, but if you wake up before I return, don’t worry. I’ve brought you to some friends of mine, and they fixed you up and are going to help keep you safe. You’re lucky to be alive. I was so worried about you, but the nurse says you’re going to be okay. Don’t do anything reckless or you’ll tear your stitches. And there are pain pills on the desk if you need them. I’ll see you soon.  Never scare me like that again. - Fluttershy Rainbow smiled as she read the letter, before putting it back on the desk and reaching over to grab her visor. She still didn’t know where she was, but if Fluttershy trusted whoever had fixed her up, that was good enough for her. For now, at least she could check the news. Surely ponies would be talking about her, right? An alert flashed across her vision as she tried to access the net: Access Denied. “The hell?” she muttered, but got the same response when she tried again. Nor would it let her access her email, or her phone. “Stupid piece of—” she cursed, digging through the settings. “Parental controls my flank, I’m a grown pony—” She paused as she saw the authorization. “TANK!” she growled. “You let me use my own damn visor! I know you can hear me!” THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. YOU ARE A FUGITIVE. LOGGING IN TO ANY OF YOUR ACCOUNTS COULD ALERT THE AUTHORITIES TO YOUR ACTIVITY AND LEAD THEM TO YOUR CURRENT LOCATION. FOR NOW, YOU MUST REMAIN OFFLINE AND OUT OF CONTACT. “Bullshit!” Rainbow growled. “I can’t just drop out of life! At least let me tell my boss I’m hurt, I can’t afford to get written up again.” THAT WILL NOT BE NECESSARY. Rainbow paused, suddenly apprehensive. “...because you already told him?” she asked hopefully. NO. YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN TERMINATED FROM YOUR POSITION.  Helpfully, a screenshot of the email in question was attached to the message. Rainbow skimmed it. “Wait, you can read my mail but I can’t? That’s not fair!” I CAN DO SO SAFELY, FOR NOW. MY ACTIONS ARE NOT YET LINKED TO YOURS. IF I AM CAREFUL, NO ONE WILL BE MONITORING ME FOR SOME TIME. Rainbow groaned and lay back in bed. “Great. So now what? No prize money, no job… is that it?” She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears. “I suppose I can’t go home, either. Am I fucked? Just because I wanted to race?” THERE ARE MANY AVENUES TO PURSUE TO ADDRESS YOUR CURRENT STATUS. I AM EXPLORING OPTIONS. I WILL ADVISE YOU WHEN I HAVE A MORE CONCRETE PLAN OF ACTION. Rainbow growled under her breath. “What, because I’m too stupid to figure it out on my own? You’re a familiar, not my mom.” I MEANT NO OFFENSE. I AM SIMPLY TRYING TO ADVISE YOU TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. “So tell me now! I’m not going to go flying off after the first idea you have! I have some control.” VERY WELL. THE CLEANEST OPTION WOULD BE TO GET YOUR CHARGES DROPPED. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO COULD ACCOMPLISH THIS, INCLUDING THE CAPTAIN OF THE WONDERBOLTS, THE CAPTAIN OF THE POLICE, THE CROWN PRINCE, AND SEVERAL OTHER HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS. I HAVE NOT YET DETERMINED WHICH IS MOST BENEFICIAL TO APPROACH, IF ANY.  ANOTHER OPTION IS TO MAKE PUNISHING YOU MORE TROUBLE THAN IT IS WORTH. YOUR DISPLAY WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE WONDERBOLTS, AND BY EXTENSION, THE GOVERNMENT. IT ALSO GAINED YOU MANY FANS. IF MAKING AN EXAMPLE OF YOU WOULD CAUSE MORE UNREST THAN IT WOULD PREVENT, THE EFFORT TO APPREHEND YOU MAY QUIETLY VANISH.  FINALLY, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE MOST EFFICIENT METHOD MAY BE TO SIMPLY TURN YOURSELF IN. WITH THE PROPER LEVERAGE AND THE RIGHT ALLIES, YOU MAY GET ONLY A SLAP ON THE CANNON - COMMUNITY SERVICE, OR A SMALL FINE. Rainbow nodded slowly as she read. “Okay. Alright. When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound so bad,” she admitted, allowing herself a deep breath. “I guess… uh, let me know when you’ve figured out more? Sorry for snapping at you.” IT IS FINE. YOU ARE UNDER EXCESSIVE STRESS. Rainbow spent the next few hours rereading the Daring Do books already on her visor. There wasn’t much else to do, after all. She was interrupted when the door opened and a pure white mare walked in. She had a light pink mane, and the only other color was the red cross tattooed on her shoulder, clearly marking her as a medical pony. Both her forelegs were metal, but painted to match her coat so they didn’t stand out. She also had an ocular implant, a somewhat rare sight in earth ponies. She stopped as she saw Rainbow sitting up, smiling. “Oh, you’re awake. That’s great news. How do you feel?” Rainbow dismissed the book and gave the smallest of shrugs. “Eh, I’m alright. The pain isn’t too bad. Are you Redheart?” “Oh! Yes. My apologies for not introducing myself.” The nurse walked up to the bed, her mechanical eye already focused on Rainbow’s bandages. “Let’s check your stitches, shall we?” Rainbow nodded, turning over as the nurse instructed so Redheart could remove the bandages. As they fell away, she got her first look at the gash in her side, and shuddered. Even stitched up it was an ugly, jagged thing that ran most of the length of her body. “How long until I’m better?” she asked quietly. The nurse didn’t answer immediately, her hooves pressing lightly to Rainbow’s side. “Looks good,” she announced. “No tearing. Let me get you a fresh set of bandages.” She pulled a new roll of gauze from under the desk. Rainbow was about to speak again when Redheart beat her to it. “I expect to be able to remove the stitches in about a week. You should refrain from any strenuous activity before then, but I expect you’ll be fine to be up and about tomorrow. Just be careful, and if you experience any sudden pain or nausea, let somepony know.” She pulled back, and a brief frown passed over her face, quickly banished. “As for when you’ll make a full recovery… on that front, I have some bad news.” Her implant flickered, and a file transmission request appeared in Rainbow’s vision. When she opened it, she saw a see-through image of her own body. The tear in her flight muscle was impossible to miss. “Your pectoral was torn,” Redheart said quietly. “In time, it will heal, but there will be severe scarring. With physical therapy, I’m fairly confident you will regain your flight capabilities, but you will never be as strong a flier as you once were. I’m sorry.” Rainbow froze, staring. “Never?” she whispered. “I’m… I’m not going to get better?” Redheart shook her head vehemently. “You will get better,” she insisted. “You will fly again, I assure you.” “But not like before,” Rainbow repeated dully. “You’re saying I… I won’t be able to race anymore.” “I’m sorry,” the nurse repeated quietly. Rainbow was silent for a long moment, before her expression hardened. “No. I don’t believe that.” Redheart opened her mouth to speak again, but Rainbow cut her off. “You’ve never seen me before. I’m the best. I’m not going to just quit.” Redheart hesitated. Finally, she simply said, “I hope you’re right.” She gave Rainbow a nod, before stepping away. “I’ll be back to check on you again tomorrow. And I’ll let Miss Pie know you’re awake.” With that, she turned and left. It wasn’t long before there was a knock at the door. Rainbow looked up just in time to see a pony enter. She was bright pink from her mane to her hooves, and lacked any augments at all. There was a ring of multicolored balloons tattooed around each foreleg, just above her hooves. Curiously, they were drawn upside-down, rising towards the floor. Otherwise, her only adornment was a comm bracelet around one pastern. She stepped right up to the bed, looking Rainbow over. “Hey,” she said gently. “Feeling better?” Rainbow nodded. “Yeah. Are you Fluttershy’s friend?” The pink pony nodded. “Yep, that’s me. Pinkie Pie, at your service.” “I’m Rainbow. Rainbow Dash.” “I know.” Pinkie smiled. “How much do you remember? You were pretty out of it when Fluttershy brought you in.” Rainbow hesitated. “Uh… not much. Tank helped me get out, but I’m not sure how. And I don’t remember anything afterwards.” She paused for a moment, before adding, “What happened? How did I get hurt?” Pinkie laughed softly. “Isn’t that the million bit question.” She pressed a few buttons on her comm bracelet, and several videos appeared in midair, each showing Rainbow from a different angle. Rainbow watched as she reached the Wonderbolts formation, a brief expression of pure joy flashing across her recorded face. Then the formation scattered and for a brief moment she lost sight of herself. And then all the videos went black. “Hey, what gives?” Rainbow protested. Pinkie shook her head. “That’s all there is. At least, as far as the news is concerned. Every station in the city was watching you, as soon as they figured out what was going on. You were big! Exciting! Mysterious! And then, right before you got hurt, everypony switched to something else. Two minutes later, they were talking about the race like you never existed.” Rainbow let out a low growl. “That’s bullshit! No way that happened by accident.” “Yep. Fortunately for us, there were more than just official feeds watching you.” Pinkie pulled up another video. In slow motion, the flurry of feathers resolved itself. The Rainbow in the video was confused and wobbly, trying to adjust. And then she watched as Spitfire slid past, her metal wing slicing through Rainbow’s side like paper. She watched herself fall, side already stained red. Pinkie turned the video off, and then reached out one hoof to rest on Rainbow’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I know you admired them. Fluttershy said you talked about them all the time—” “Fuck that!” Rainbow growled. “I’m gonna kill her. I’m gonna tear off her stupid metal wings and feed them to her. She knew. She knew how important racing is to me and— and she—” Rainbow gasped, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe, a jolt of pain lancing through her side. Angrily, she wiped the tears from her eyes, but didn’t try to finish her sentence. Pinkie nodded. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, her voice almost a whisper. “I know how hard it can be, to lose faith in your idols.” She looked away for a moment, composing herself before she returned her gaze to Rainbow. Now it sported an almost manic, devious grin. “That’s why it’s a good thing you’re here. We can help you. Well, really, we can help each other.” Rainbow looked up, her expression suddenly suspicious. “We’re trying to change things, Rainbow. We’re trying to make the world a better place, for everypony. We’ve got earth ponies tired of fighting and working for the unicorn elite, and pegasi tired of just being tools. But… well, most ponies are too scared or complacent to really do anything. They aren’t willing to fight.” She pointed at Rainbow. “But then you come along. You broke into their arena, and you proved you were better than them. And they attacked you for it. You’re a symbol, Rainbow Dash. Ponies all over the world are rooting for you. They’re afraid you’re dead, and they want justice.” Rainbow hesitated, unsure. Pinkie paused, and pulled back slightly. “Don’t worry. Just get some rest. We’re gonna fix your wing, and get back at everypony who hurt you.” She turned to leave, looking back with one hoof on the door. “Welcome to the revolution, Rainbow.”