//------------------------------// // 35 Waking up // Story: Crushed: The Beginnings // by Silent Wing //------------------------------// The first thing I am able to make out as I slowly begin to wake up is the soft sound of snoring. While I wonder who this could be, I don’t  open my eyes and take a look at the nearby sleeping pony. I simply turn around, so that my back faces whoever that is, only to scream from the sudden pain in my side.   Now fully awake, I open my eyes, planning to take a look at my side and finding out why it hurts so much. However, I don’t even get this far, since what I am seeing in front of me isn’t what I expected. While I now know for certain where I am, I can only wonder why I am in the infirmary of Canterlot Castle? I try to figure out what happened, but I simply am unable to come up with a reasonable explanation. I knew that I had been doing my homework in the park, but after that, there was simply nothing.  However, something else comes to my mind as I continue to hear snoring. Whoever that is, they could have some answers for me, but first, I have to wake the pony in question. Just how the buck was this pony able to sleep through my scream? I look around the room, and turn back onto my back, at least finding out who it is.  Now I only have to wake Mama D, who is sleeping on a nearby chair, which is easier said than done.  I think about how I could possibly achieve this near impossible feat without leaving the bed, but only come up with one way. True, I could either wait till she wakes up on her own or somepony else comes here. But impatient as I am, I get into a sitting position and pick up my pillow, throwing it with as much force as I can muster in her face. It connects with a soft ‘thump,’ but the only thing it does is muffle the sounds coming from her, leaving me without something comfy to rest my head on. Annoyed by my failure I scoot a bit backwards, so that I can lean on the headboard. It may not be the most comfortable position, but it’s at least better than sitting upright all the time, until I get my pillow back.  Around fifteen minutes pass before I hear hoofsteps coming closer, only to be greeted by the sight of a certain greyish blue pegasus mare I hadn’t seen for a long time. “Aunt Cloudy, I am so happy to see you.” I welcome her with a smile, happy to see her for the first time since the Grand Galloping Gala. “Mind retrieving my pillow from her?” I add after a moment of consideration, gesturing to where it landed. Aunt Cloudchaser immediately marches over to the sleeping pegasus, shoving her off the chair and waking her up in the process. While Mama D tries to get her bearings back under control, Cloudchaser begins to yell at her. “What the buck are you thinking? Stealing your daughter's pillow to block out the sun so you can sleep better? Why didn’t you just take one of the other beds Rainbow? I really expected better from you.” “What is going on here?” another pony coming from the small office at the other end of the infirmary asks, not even trying to hide his annoyance. The pony in question is a grey unicorn with orange mane, light blue eyes and is currently wearing a white coat. That in combination with his cutiemark, a needle with some thread attached to it over a scar, clearly identifies him as one of the doctors. “Sorry doc, it won’t happen again.” Aunt Cloudy is the first to answer, while picking my pillow up and giving it back to me.  I readjust my position a bit, glad to have it back before I turn my attention towards our new arrival. “Hey doc, mind telling me why I am here?” “Ah, it’s good to see you awake again, Princess.” He is quick to answer and I can only groan in annoyance, not really liking it when others remind me of my relatively new political status. I may not be able to escape it at formal events, but can’t they at least drop it in informal settings, like now for example. After he introduces himself as Doctor Fine Stitch, informing me of Doctor Horsenpfeffer’s retirement and that he is his successor, he describes to me in short words the seriousness of my injuries. Still, I have the feeling that he left something out. If the injuries on my barrel and my hindleg are the only ones, why are my wings bound to the side and covered completely in bandages. They also feel a bit strange. When I ask him this, he refuses to tell me what happend, and why exactly I am here and not in a regular hospital, saying that somepony else would be more qualified to explain this. Directly after this, he leaves to inform somepony that I woke up. “Hey, where are mom and dad?” I ask both Mama D and Aunt Cloudy, once Doctor Fine Stitch has left, only now realizing that they aren’t around. “Mango is currently on duty, having temporarily been reassigned to Canterlot Castle. My sister on the other hoof will be here pretty soon, I just have to wake her.” Aunt Cloudy replies with a smile before turning towards the exit. “Don’t bother, Luna already did this when she noticed that Wingy was leaving the dream realm.” I hear the voice of my favourite pegasus coming from the room's entrance. I look in said direction and not only do I see mom approaching me, but said princess and her sister, along with my dad.  However, all of them become meaningless when a grey blur slams into me, successfully driving all the air out of my lungs. I react without even thinking as my forehooves press him even closer to me, ignoring all the pain his sudden approach caused me. “Hey, Rumble.” “About time you woke up, Wingy. It is so boring here without you,” he replies sheepishly. I know immediately what he means, after all, of all the pranks we played on other ponies, more than half of it had been my idea. We hold each other for a few more moments before we let go and he makes himself comfortable right next to me. I look at everypony else questioningly, until I can’t hold back my curiosity anymore. “Can you please tell me now what exactly happened? Doctor Fine Stitch refused to tell me anything.” “What do you know about Gabby Gums?” The solar alicorn asks me much to my surprise, and while I don’t have any idea how this could be important, I still answer truthfully. “It’s a pseudonym Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle created, so they can publish their crappy stories without other ponies finding out it’s them. However, they couldn’t fool me and I threatened to tell everypony about that, should they not come out with it on their own accord.” “That explains so much.” Dad replies much to my surprise, his voice full of disgust. They discuss for a moment, who should tell me what happened before they settle on Princess Celestia. Over the course of the next hour I listen attentively, occasionally asking a question when something is unclear to me. One of them is, why I am here and not in the Ponyville Hospital? After all, that would have been the closest hospital to the Everfree Forest. However, that the Griffon ambassador demanded for me to be brought to a much safer place, isn’t the answer I expected.  There is another discussion at the end of her tale, when I ask what exactly they wrote about me, which Luna wins. “You can’t withhold the truth from her. If we don’t tell her now, she will just look for answers of her own, and it would be much better for her if she has ponies around that she trusts, rather than being alone at that time.” What she said made me wonder just how bad it is, and suddenly I am not so sure anymore if I really want to know the truth. Unaware of my inner struggles, Princess Celestia summons a single piece of parchment, hoofing it over to me. I am quick to recognize it as a newspaper clipping and what is written there makes me break out into tears. “I really thought they were my friends, just how could they do this.” I ask myself between sobs. I didn't even finish this sentence, when I get swooped up in yet another hug. I press my face deeply into the soft coat of my mother, currently unwilling to face the cruel world I am living in, crying myself to sleep. When I wake up again, I am still pressed to her barrel, with one of her wings covering most of my body. "Better now?" She asks me in her angelic voice. Still, I really don't want to answer that question right now, unsure if I could give an honest reply. Just too overwhelming are my feelings right now. I raise my head a little and look around, wondering where everypony went. "Can we please get out of here?" I ask mommy, unwilling to stay a moment longer in the place where I learned about the disgusting actions from those I called friends. "Are you sure about this Wingy?" "Yes, I really don’t like being here," I reply, my voice full of determination. "Maybe we could just go to my room here?" I offer her, doubting that Doctor Fine Stitch would appreciate it, if I leave the castle entirely and go home. "If you mean I carry you there while you give me directions, then yes. And don't give me that nonsense that you could walk there on your own. Your leg isn't fully healed yet and until then, don't you even think about walking further than from your bed to the bathroom unsupervised," she says, making it very clear to me what is allowed and what isn't. While I don't like it, I don't even think about protesting. After all, she probably got those instructions from Doctor Fine Stitch. True, I could simply ignore them, but going against the instructions from a doctor seldom ends well. Sometimes it makes the situation even worse. "Fine." I reply slightly annoyed before she lifts me on her back and carries me out of the infirmary, past a shocked nurse, who's complaints fall on death ears. I am unsure for a brief moment what the shortest way to my room could be, since I never had to travel between these two locations before. However, I am quick to remember the way and it doesn’t take long for us to arrive at our destination. "That certainly isn't what I thought your room would look like." Mommy states the obvious once she opened the door and was able to take a good look into it. "Yes, sometimes I ask myself if it was a good idea to let Cadence decorate it." I voice my own thoughts out loud, while once more taking a good look at the large room, which could almost pass as an apartment. While the floor is made out of the same marble used in the rest of the castle, this is where the similarities end. The walls are painted in a bright pink and white curtains adorn the large window, with a large white desk under it.  In a corner of the room stands a white bed, with a small nightstand next to it. While the sheet is white, the pillows and the covers are a slightly darker pink than the walls. A bit to it’s left is a white vanity table, while on the other wall you only find two doors. One of them leads to a large bathroom, while the other leads into a walk-in closet. “Well, she certainly did a good job.” While saying this, she carries me the few meters to the bed and places me carefully on top of it. “How are my wings really doing?” I ask her as she is about to leave, so I could get a bit more rest before dinner. While they told me that I injured my wings in the fight with the Manticore, they put a lot of effort into avoiding any details. “They are fine now. Why don’t we take a look at them, shall we?” I know immediately that something is up, that they didn’t tell me about it because it was really bad, but if that’s true, how could they possibly be fine now? I think about it for a moment, but now with my curiosity fully awake, I just can’t say no. I get up and let her unwrap the bandages only to gasp in shock at the sight of the leathery wings adoring my sides. “How? Why?” Is all I am able to say, wondering why Luna decided to go ahead with the transformation now. After all, she was the one telling me that it would be too dangerous for several years. “I think that this is something Luna can answer better. For now, I just want you to get a bit more rest and we can answer all your questions later.”  “Okay, but can you please stay?” I reply pleadingly, not wanting to be alone right now. Not after everything I learned today. Instead of replying verbally she lays down on the bed. I also lay down again, scooting as close as possible to her before she pulls the covers over us. Now feeling much more comfortable, sleep comes easily to me.