//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Rosewing and the Academy // Story: No One Is Taking My Wings // by Chesterfeather //------------------------------// I'm sorry it had to be like that, but I didn't have a choice. I wasn't going to let him find me again. Not him, not anypony. Even though I escaped, I spent every day in fear. I noticed posters of myself in every town, claiming I was lost. I spent the rest of my childhood alone. Years of my life were squandered traveling from one city to the next, taking food and shelter wherever I could find it. The only light in my life was my special talent: herbalism and medicine. And I knew my skill in potionmaking would be the secret to healing my wings. I spent my free time sneaking books out of libraries, trying to learn everything I could. Someday, I'd reach the answer. With each passing year, I became smarter. Tougher. I felt that if I was going to make it on my own, I had to change my identity. I couldn't be Roseluck any more. I altered my appearance, using illusory elixirs to turn my coat lilac. I kept to myself, never talking to anypony for more than a moment. I was unrecognizable. Not even you could tell, it would seem. Eventually, I ended up in Cloudsdale. Far from my origins, I hoped I could start from the beginning. That's when I adopted the name Rosewing—a new name for a new life. . . . Because I believed, with all my heart, that I would one day learn how to restore my wings. I guess it was my way of burying the past. It wasn't until much later that we would meet again. -------------------- Several Years Later “Mireling, no. Ashflower, no.” Rosewing flipped through the pages of a thick potionmaking text. “Here. Darkrose.” She quickly scrawled a few notes on her pad. “Clears pain, affects emotions . . .” She silently read the next words. Forbidden mixture. A sudden pang of fear overtook Rosewing. She was already trespassing in this academy library, normally reserved for its students. Learning that her research was illegal filled her with alarm. “But I need this. My wings need this,” she murmured to herself. Rosewing stared blankly at the recipe fragment on the page. “I don't have a choice.” A loud voice snapped her out of her stupor. “Hey! I've never seen you before.” A rainbow-maned pegasus quickly flew over to her. “Are you studying for class? What's your name?” Wide-eyed and open-mouthed, Rosewing suddenly recognized the now-teenage pegasus before her but could not risk telling her anything. She held still for a moment, taking a short breath and looking away. “Rosewing,” she lied. “My name is Rosewing.” “That's a nice name. I'm Rainbow Dash! Fastest flier in all of Equestria!” The pony beamed at her. “So, Rosewing, are you new at the academy? I've never seen you in the library before.” Rosewing shrugged. Noticing a small bruise under Rainbow Dash's left eye, she frowned and pointed it out. “What happened to you?” The cyan pegasus softly rubbed her face. “Nothing. Flying accident. You know, it happens.” “I'm sure.” Shifting her eyes about, Rainbow Dash remarked, “So, uh, I like your cutie mark, by the way.” She flew behind Rosewing to get a closer look. The mark, a dark red rose, painted a stark contrast against her lilac body. “So, your special talent is, uh . . .” “Herbalism. I'm skilled in mixing ingredients to make potions. This rose is a key ingredient in a . . . particular type of potion.” “Oh, I see,” said Rainbow Dash. “So you're, like, a mixologist.” Rosewing stifled a laugh. “No, Rainbow. A mixologist makes bar drinks. I make medicine.” “Yeah, of course! I knew that.” Rainbow Dash nervously giggled. “I still don't get your cutie mark, though.” “Then go find somepony else and figure them out instead.” At that, Rainbow Dash cocked her head. She slowly stepped over to Rosewing's table and nudged one of her botany books open. “Actually, I've seen that rose before in class.” Rosewing snapped the book shut, causing Rainbow Dash to wince. “Hooves off my books,” she said sternly. Upon seeing her stunned face, Rosewing added, “Please.” “Okay, okay. Sorry.” Rainbow Dash took an awkward step backward, then suddenly perked up. “Hey, Headmaster Raine is here!” “Headmaster Raine. You mean the headmaster of this academy?” “Well, duh, you should know.” Noticing the headmaster make her way to the table, Rosewing frantically started packing all of her materials into her saddlebag. Just as she reached out to grab her notebook, a hoof came down and held it in place. With a sudden gasp, Rosewing flashed a toothy smile. “Hello, Headmaster!” Her hoof still resting on the book, the headmaster leaned forward and peered into Rosewing's eyes. “I know all of my students. You are not one of them, young mare.” Rosewing blinked at the headmaster for a moment, then held her head high. “Oh, naturally. I just transferred here.” “My dear, we do not accept mid-year transfers.” Rosewing bit her lip. She traded glances between the headmaster and all of the textbooks sprawled in front of her. “But, I—” “Hmm, I remember this book.” Headmaster Raine brushed a hoof along the spine of a particularly heavy volume. “Ancient Equestrian Potionmaking. Took me a while to master Starswirl's approximation for use in chromatic augmentation.” “Oh, I've . . . already used it.” Rosewing raised a foreleg and examined her lilac coat. The headmaster softly chuckled. “I can see that. I can also see that you are dedicated to your studies. It's especially charming that you would sneak into my academy's library—a building most of my students tend to ignore.” Rainbow Dash scowled. “Hey, I come here all the time!” Then, muttering under her breath, she added, “. . . maybe 'cause I've been assigned to study here, but . . .” With raised eyebrows, Rosewing perked up, sensing her chance. “Headmaster Raine! Please, allow me to join the academy! I promise I will study hard and make you proud!” Taking a moment to compose herself, the headmaster leaned forward and assumed a firm stance. “Young mare, where do you go to school?” Rosewing said nothing. “Why haven't your parents gotten you enrolled?” Again, Rosewing remained silent. “Young mare, come with me to my office.” -------------------- And that's how I joined the academy. Got my own dorm room and everything. . . . I'm not sure, exactly. I just didn't have answers for her when she asked about my life. My family. My home. I suppose that was enough. I didn't deserve it, though. She just pitied me. . . . I'm not saying I regret it. I don't. I learned a lot at the academy, and it gave me a safe place to live. I just wish I knew what I know now. -------------------- One Week Later Fast at work at the desk in her room, Rosewing scrawled notes while mixing various pulverized ingredients. A beaker, already bubbling with liquid, rested above a small flame. Every so often, she peppered tiny measurements of different powders into the mixture. Her makeshift lab wasn't the most practical option for potionmaking, but it was the only way she could work in secret. “Last ingredient,” she whispered to herself. Gingerly lifting a still-whole darkrose petal with her teeth, she dropped it into the beaker, wincing as the liquid instantly frothed. Allowing her concoction to rest for a few minutes, she took a deep breath and ruminated. She was lucky to be at the academy. Reliable shelter, food accommodations, the best education an Equestrian pegasus could ask for . . . Rosewing had many blessings to count. Regardless, at the moment, she cared for but one: access to rare potion reagents. “Finally, it's done,” she again whispered. She was not one to talk to herself often, but given the darkrose recipe she was able to piece together, even she felt the urge to announce her success. As she approached the now-stable drink, Rosewing noticed herself trembling. Pausing to still her nerves, she took special care to notice the all-too-familiar pain in her wings. She focused on it, saturating her senses with the dull, pulsing sensation that kept her from flying freely. She hoped it would be the last time. With renewed composure, she picked up the glass, studied it for one final moment, then quickly drank the entirety of her darkrose potion in one swift motion. To her surprise, it tasted somewhat pleasant. Her interest quickly shifted as she felt herself turn lightheaded. Finally, she was filled with excitement when she realized she could no longer feel the pain in her wings. “Yes. Yes! It's gone! I did it!” sang Rosewing. She propped her window open and dove right out of her dorm room, unfurling her wings and soaring into the sky. The wind in her mane, the absolute freedom of movement, the sight of everything below her . . . It was a flavor she had tasted only once before as a filly. She savored every second. At last, Rosewing prevailed. -------------------- That was the best day of my life. Now that I think back, it affected me in many ways. I suppose it's fair to say it eventually affected you, too. -------------------- One Week Later “ . . . can be used to solve any number of problems in this form. However, the theorem will not work—” The bell unceremoniously cut off the professor, signaling the class's students to start packing their books and strapping on their saddlebags. “Class! Read chapter 5 on spell-based probability expansions. There will be a quiz! And, Miss Rosewing, stop by my desk.” Rosewing unlatched her saddlebags and cantered up to the front of the class. “Yes, Professor?” “Rosewing, dear, can you tell me what this is?” The professor pointed to a sheet of paper on her desk, laden with a variety of mathematical formulas. Frowning, Rosewing peered at it closely. “Which . . . which one?” “Any of them.” The lilac pegasus stared at the page. Every so often, she opened her mouth to speak, then frowned once more and kept staring. “Sweetheart, it's okay. I just want to understand what you've seen before.” Rosewing took a nervous glance around the room and noticed a few stragglers still packing their things. “I d-don't, um, I don't understand any of this,” she whispered. The professor smiled. “Don't worry. There's another student in the class who is having the same difficulty. I want you two to work together on some practice material outside of class. Okay?” Rosewing swallowed hard, a lump in her throat. “Okay.” “Here.” The professor slid a textbook toward Rosewing. “This introductory textbook covers the basics in the first chapter. You have a free period now, yes?” Rosewing subtly nodded. “Perfect. I've assigned your partner to study during this period. Go meet her at the library. Third floor.” With one final nod and a whispered “thank you,” Rosewing slipped the book into her saddlebag and left the classroom. As she exited the building, she took to the air and headed for the library. Taking a familiar path up to the third floor, she noticed it was mostly empty. A single, rainbow-maned pegasus sat in the corner. Sensing her approach, Rainbow Dash hid her face behind her textbook, but she softened up when she recognized Rosewing. “Oh, whew. It's you.” “Yes. Are you studying Incantative Algorithms?” Rainbow Dash slunk down into her seat. “What? Uh, no, why would I?” Rosewing shook her head. “Relax. I'm here to study, too.” “Oh! Okay. Let's study together.” Rainbow Dash offered her a seat next to her. “I don't get why we have to learn this stuff. We can't even do magic!” Rosewing shrugged, pulling out the professor's book. “It's still related to math.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Never mind. Let's start.” The two worked their way through the first chapter, each one occasionally interrupting the other with questions. Halfway through the practice exercises, Rosewing sighed in relief—solving these problems with a partner, especially a familiar face, made this much easier. “Well, look who we have here!” A voice across the room interrupted their study as a group of mares sauntered over. Rainbow Dash rubbed the bruise underneath her eye, then turned to Rosewing. “I hate these ponies. Look, let's just go someplace else, okay?” She began to stuff materials into her saddlebags, but Rosewing placed her hoof on her shoulder to stop her. “Excuse me,” said Rosewing, standing up from her seat, “can I help you?” The head of the pack of mares smirked. “Yeah. Can you tell me what this is, loser?” She pulled out a familiar sheet of formulas and dangled it in front of Rosewing. “Oh, that's right, you can't!” The group erupted in laughter, prompting Rainbow Dash to resume her packing silently. Rosewing instead narrowed her eyes and stepped right up to the mare. “Yeah. The homework is pretty tough. Maybe you should do it for me.” Stunned for a moment, the mare scoffed. “What? Like I'd do—” Rosewing flared her wings and tore into the mare, tackling her where she stood. As soon as the two hit the floor, she struck out with a quick series of jabs, landing a few good hits across her face. “Stop! Please—” But Rosewing did not stop. She kept laying into her, screaming something unintelligible while raining blows against her face and wings. After a few more brutal seconds, she stood up and craned her neck down toward the beaten mare. “Who's going to do my homework?” she taunted, smirking. “I-I will! I'm sorry! I'll do it!” Satisfied, Rosewing looked at the other ponies. Upon meeting her bloodshot glare, they all scurried in a panic. She then turned to Rainbow Dash, who had finished packing. “I'm going to go, um, study by myself,” she said, hastily throwing on her saddlebags. “B-Bye, Rosewing.” Without another moment's hesitation, Rainbow Dash flew off. The mare on the floor slowly got up and limped away, her wings injured too badly for flight. Now alone in the room, Rosewing's proud grin faded. Her own wings throbbed with familiar pain, and she felt a rush of muddled emotions. She looked down at her own hooves, scuffed by the fight, and cried. -------------------- I couldn't understand what happened right away. I felt this uncontrollable urge to release all of my frustration. It was like a powerful itch inside my head that I couldn't scratch. I eventually realized why. My darkrose potion. It took my pain, but it also seemed to remove any inhibitions related to anger or jealousy. Every so often, my feelings would spike, and I'd lose myself. Then, some time later, the potion would wear off, my pain would return, and I'd realize what I'd done. Do you know how it feels when your own body seems to act on its own, driven by raw emotion? Or how horrifying it is when you don't fight those urges and realize you want it to happen? Do you know how desperate you would have to be to keep doing this to yourself, no matter how it hurt other ponies? I do. -------------------- One Month Later The weak mixture of late moonlight and early sunlight colored the horizon a sickly blue. Under these pallid skies, Rosewing flew silently across campus toward the academy greenhouse. As she landed before its doors, she dug through her saddlebag and pulled out a single vial of liquid, uncorking it and drinking its contents hastily. With each passing day, she noticed her traditional darkrose potion became less effective, forcing her to take it much more often. Her late-night studies suggested the use of alternate ingredients to strengthen its effect, but most of them were particularly rare. Thankfully, the academy's greenhouse grew several of the flowers and herbs she would need. Immediately upon entering, she detected a pair of voices within. Other ponies not worth her time, she ignored them and perused the pots and tables across the greenhouse, picking various plants and stowing them in her saddlebag. “P-Please stop,” called a soft voice from behind. “You're not supposed to take those flowers.” Rosewing turned around. A pale-yellow pegasus mare floated delicately in the air, her face wrinkled with worry. “Ugh. Leave me alone,” she stated firmly. With a nervous sigh, the shy mare turned away at first, but then faced Rosewing once more. “N-No, I can't. Please, you're not supposed to—” Rosewing zipped right up to her face. “You know what? I'm going to do whatever the hay I want. Now get out of here!” From behind, another pony yanked on Rosewing's tail—she spun around to see Rainbow Dash snarling at her. “Leave Fluttershy alone!” Rosewing laughed. “So, the timid little pony has a name. An appropriate one, even.” She turned to Fluttershy. “Get out before I rip the rest of these flowers out and stuff them down your throat.” Bursting into tears, Fluttershy ran away, stumbling once before making it out of the greenhouse. “That's it! I've had enough!” challenged Rainbow Dash. “There's something seriously wrong with you, Rosewing!” “Get a grip, loser. You're just jealous.” With a scoff, Rainbow Dash took an offensive stance. “No way! Ever since you joined the academy, you've been out to make others feel miserable!” She pawed at the floor with a growl. “Why? Tell me why!” Rosewing grinned knowingly. “I'm gonna teach you a little lesson, Rainbow. It's either pick on others, or get picked on yourself. That's how it is.” “That's . . . that's not true—” Rosewing suddenly collapsed to the floor, clutching her head. “H-Hey,” stammered Rainbow Dash. “What's with you?” “It's nothing,” said Rosewing, slowly getting back up. “I'm fine.” She tried stretching her wings, and her familiar pain returned—her latest potion had worn off, restoring her to her senses. “I don't get you, Rosewing.” “There's nothing to get,” she responded. “I'm sorry. Just leave me alone and you'll be fine, okay?” Rainbow Dash cocked her head. “Look, I have to go,” continued Rosewing. “I really am sorry. Sometimes, I just react this way. But if you keep away from me . . .” she trailed off, wincing as her wings fought off another wave of pain. “If you keep away, I can't hurt you.” She limped toward the exit, picking up speed as her body recovered from its last shock. “Hey, wait!” Wings folded at her sides, Rosewing galloped out of the greenhouse, following the cloud trail back to her dorm room. Cautiously, Rainbow Dash followed her, maintaining her distance. Just outside the dorm building, Rosewing looked behind her and spotted the rainbow-maned pegasus. “Stop following me!” she yelled. “I live here too, you know!” Rosewing ran inside and retreated to her room, locking the door behind her. Still outside, Rainbow Dash glided to the side of the dorm building, peeking inside Rosewing's window. It was too difficult to see much in the darkness within, but she could hear crying. “Hey,” she spoke softly, tapping on the glass, “let me in. I wanna talk.” Rosewing, lying on all fours in the middle of her room, faced away from the window and casually waved her away. Squinting, Rainbow Dash grimaced and pulled the window open. “Look, I'm not gonna make fun of you or anything, okay?” Not waiting for a response, she slid through the window and landed carefully next to her. Without moving her body, Rosewing turned her neck to look at her old friend. Tears ran down her face. “I can't stand it, Rainbow. It's so hard to live like this.” Rainbow Dash threw her hooves in the air. “Then stop! You don't have to be a bully to everypony.” “I d-don't want to,” she replied between sobs. “I can't control myself.” “Yes, you can! You just—” “No! No, I can't!” Rosewing turned away once more, sinking her face into her hooves. “It's m-my wings,” she whimpered. “I wish you knew the truth, but even you would not believe me.” Rainbow Dash extended her hoof to pull her up. “Try me.” With a long, shuddering sigh, Rosewing took hold and stood back up. “Fine. I'll show you.” She faced Rainbow Dash and fanned out her wings. “Tell me what you see.” “This is silly. I see your . . .” Rainbow Dash trailed off as she inspected her carefully. The inner parts of her wings were deformed. In place of healthy muscle were shriveled masses of sinew, warped and disjointed. Her feeble wings began to tremble—even holding them open proved difficult. After a pensive moment, Rainbow Dash whispered, “I'm so sorry. What happened to them?” Folding her wings with a measure of relief, Rosewing looked into her eyes. “I was born like this, and it's gotten worse every year. There is no cure.” “But, you can fly, right? I've seen you fly.” “Because of this.” Rosewing calmly walked over to a nearby desk drawer and pulled out a vial of dark red liquid. “As long as I keep drinking these all day, I have the strength to fly. It dulls the pain.” Rainbow Dash inspected the potion carefully. “All day? Drugs aren't allowed on campus. Where did you even get this?” “I made it. I made all of these.” She opened the drawer all the way, revealing a set of strangely-colored potions. “They're all a little different. My body gets used to them, so they don't last very long. My latest one worked for only a few minutes. I need to keep mixing new types.” After seeing the array of bottles and flasks within, Rainbow Dash gasped softly. “That's what you were doing at the library when we first met. Researching all this. And this book . . .” She walked up to her desk, eyeing her copy of Ancient Equestrian Potionmaking. Rosewing looked away. “Go ahead. You have a right to know. Page 372.” Rainbow Dash said nothing as she flipped through the pages, picking up haste as she continued. At last, she stopped and silently read. Darkrose A member of the genus Rosa, darkrose keeps thorns which are cleverly folded. Without careful scrutiny, its stems appear smooth. This species is nicknamed “bloodrose” because of the red appearance of its nectar, the striking hue of its petals, and the ease with which its thorns draw blood. Despite its beauty, darkrose has few benevolent and practical uses. Most recipes calling for darkrose invoke powerful illusory or hallucinatory effects. Some experimental procedures use its petals as a strong painkiller. Taken in excess, darkrose has been shown to cause sudden shifts in behavior. Studies suggest . . . Rainbow Dash's eyes wandered from the textbook paragraph to the margins, where hasty scrawling filled all empty space. Combinatorial effects: Dulls pain Causes energy spikes Generates illusions Impairs short-term memory Alters personality . . . Near the bottom of the list, the writing became less intelligible. . . . Compatible ingredients rare Creates dependency Removes inhibitions Waning effect? Officially untested A hoof softly nudged Rainbow Dash away from the book. “You see?” said Rosewing. “Darkrose does nothing good. It hurts. It deceives. And it's the cutie mark nature gave me.” She slowly closed the book and tucked it away. “But my own special talent helped me get it one way or another. So if this is what I get, then this is who I am.” “And when you mix this rose into your potions . . .” Rosewing sank back down to the floor. “Rainbow, these darkrose potions are riddled with side effects. I can't find a stable formula. Sometimes they make me feel angry or jealous. At best, I'm confident, maybe arrogant. At worst, I get violent. My emotions change with each potion.” Rainbow Dash shivered lightly. She felt conflicted, unsure of how to react. “This is wrong. You can't keep doing this. It's hurting others!” Exhaling loudly, Rosewing unfurled a single wing and pointed at it. “I don't have a choice, Rainbow! I can't live without my wings. How would you feel if you could never fly again, starting right now?” Rainbow Dash shot her a horrified look. “I would . . . I wouldn't be able to handle it.” She paused for a moment as a tear trickled down her cheek. “I wouldn't be able to live with myself.” “Then, you see why.” Rosewing suddenly moved right up to her, staring deeply. “Don't tell the others. Please. I've never shown my wings to anypony. I can't have them know!” “I-I won't. But, I don't get it. Why are you telling me all this?” Rosewing froze. After a moment's hesitation, she replied. “You're the only pony that would understand. You're just so lucky, you know.” Her voice began to crack. “You have beautiful, strong wings, Rainbow. And everypony loves you. You have so many friends. My wings . . . what I have can't be considered wings. And I have nopony in my life.” Rainbow Dash quickly embraced her, holding her tightly. “Don't say things like that! I'll be your friend, Rosewing. Together we can figure something out.” “It's too hard,” she cried, burying her face in Rainbow Dash's mane. “I can't do this alone anymore.” “You don't have to. I'll help you.” Rosewing sobbed freely. “Are you s-sure? You won't ab-abandon me?” Rainbow Dash wrapped her wings around her and shushed her softly. “Never. I promise.” -------------------- I used to think I was the victim, but I made a lot of bad decisions at the academy. Worst of all, I dragged you into it. . . . No, I didn't mean it like that. If it wasn't for you, I'm not sure I would have made it. I just wish you didn't have to suffer because of my shortcomings. Most of all, I wish I had the courage to tell you who I really was. Things grew dire in the coming months. I became increasingly resistant to my potions and had to continue mixing different kinds of medicine, but the rare materials I needed were proving difficult to find. Regardless, I wasn't about to give up. In my search for a few of the more valuable herbs required, I learned of an apothecary at the outskirts of Cloudsdale. Run by a single pharmacist, the store was advertised as home to any kind of alchemical reagent. I did not expect that to be so literal. -------------------- One Week Later “Hello? Is anypony there?” An earth pony with a surgical mask calmly walked up to the counter, giving Rosewing a curious look. “You'll have to excuse me,” he spoke softly, “I was just wrapping up some . . . administrative work. Now, what can I do for you, miss?” She placed a sheet of paper on the counter. “The following materials, please.” The masked pharmacist scanned the list carefully. “You must be quite passionate about medicine, young mare. Some of these are quite rare and potent.” Walking over to a nearby cabinet, he began to retrieve her order. Raising an eyebrow, Rosewing remarked, “It's odd to see an earth pony in Cloudsdale.” “Indeed,” said the pharmacist as he placed a vial on the counter and returned to the cabinet. “For various reasons, I am . . . unable to find work down below.” Pausing for a moment, he studied her wings. “Are you all right, dear? You're carrying your wings quite awkwardly for a pegasus.” “I'm just fine.” “And your coat seems to lack a certain natural sheen.” Rosewing grumbled. “Please, if you would. I'd like to hurry home.” “Of course,” said the pharmacist, nodding. “Now, I will need your name to fill this order.” “Rosewing.” With smiling eyes, he motioned toward the back room. “Very well, Rosewing. Follow me to the storeroom.” She entered without hesitation and was immediately stunned by the sight. A seemingly endless array of shelves lined each wall, filled with reagents of all kinds. From the mundane to the arcane, the pharmacist's stores were as advertised. “Incredible!” she said, beaming. “You keep intact Mireling? Oh, you even have Ripweave mushrooms; those are nearly impossible to find!” “Oh, yes,” said the pharmacist. “In my many years, I've been able to gather many valuable ingredients.” “You even keep Heart's Desire. That takes an entire year—” “. . . an entire year to bloom, yes.” The pharmacist walked into the room and quietly closed the door behind him. A few odd items caught Rosewing's eye in the corner. Curious, she stepped further in, turning wide-eyed as she identified what she found. A bottle filled with unicorn horns. Bundles of pegasus wing feathers. A glass case of organs floating in a bright green liquid. Two large jars, each holding a preserved pony head: one mare, one stallion. “What . . . what is this?” she whispered. The sound of the back door locking caused her to turn around. The pharmacist took slow, careful steps toward Rosewing. Then, with narrowed eyes, he pushed her against the wall and held her tightly. “I was so close, you worthless runt. I had my own little pegasus filly . . . no more parents . . . a rare disease . . . ready to experiment on. You cost me my grant with that little stunt you pulled. My study depended on you and your freak wings!” Rosewing gasped. “Zealheart!” The pharmacist removed his mask and chortled. “How could you—” Zealheart sharply slapped Rosewing across the face. “Shut up! I lost my license when you ran off because I was responsible! I'm no longer a doctor, thanks to you.” “S-So you can't operate on me anymore! Just let me go!” He laughed. “Oh, no. No, no, no. I'm going to finish what I started, one way or another.” He roughly pinned a wing underneath his hoof, pressing down with all his weight while eyeing Rosewing with a cockeyed glare. “I'll begin the procedure by tearing your wings off with my own bare hooves. This may hurt a bit, sweetheart.” “No, stop! Rainbow! Somepony—” Pressing a forehoof onto her lips to silence her, Zealheart released her wing and gently stroked her cheek with a twisted smile. “My poor, little patient. I have no anesthetic left. I suppose I'll have to improvise.” Rosewing tried to twist away, but she was unable to move. No matter how she flailed her legs, Zealheart kept her pinned. She looked on in horror as he raised his hoof over her head. “It's a shame, really. After I'm done with you, I can't let you live. But, worry not, little pegasus.” Zealheart glanced at the two preserved pony heads. “I will put your body to good use in the name of science.” “No!” Rosewing flapped her wings violently, brushing them against the shelves on the wall and knocking down an assortment of bottles. As they shattered on the floor, Zealheart flinched—and Rosewing took the opportunity to push him back and slither away. Scrambling to her legs, she ran for the nearby window. Just as she leaped for its opening, Zealheart vaulted forward and took hold of her rear legs. By instinct, she flapped her wings once again and glided right through the window, Zealheart in tow. Floating outside over cloudless skies, Rosewing strained to keep aloft as Zealheart hung onto her. Through searing, blinding agony, she desperately tried to break his hold. “Get . . . get off!” she cried. Wordlessly, he reached upward and sank his teeth into her right wing. Now screaming in pain, Rosewing lost control and spiraled toward the ground. As the two of them fell, she shut her eyes tightly. Zealheart looked down at the approaching earth and let loose a sadistic laugh, releasing her wing. “You're going to die, you crippled, flightless pegasus. The same way your parents did!” “No!” she called out. “I can . . . still . . . fly!” With her final word, Rosewing released a guttural shriek and bucked her hind legs, striking Zealheart directly in his chest and knocking him away. She managed to regain control of her flight and hover still, long enough to see Zealheart plummet. Her body shivered as she heard a dull thud. With a stony glare, she spat toward the ground. -------------------- That was the end of my nightmare. I had nothing to fear any longer. But, even though Zealheart was gone, my childhood life would never return. I came back to my hometown to find my childhood house occupied by another family. I tried to learn more about my parents, perhaps visit their graves, but their records had mysteriously vanished. That damn Zealheart. Death was too good for him. . . . I'm fine, now. Don't worry. I've since found a new home in Ponyville. I'm starting over. I'll be moving there in a few days. Look, if I didn't say so before, I'm sorry. You've done so much for me. You're even here now, and it means so much. Well, time's up. I wish we could talk more, but I have to go in. . . . I know, but I don't have a choice. It's too late for regular treatment, and I can't live like this forever. At least I can carry on without pain once they're gone. You'll still come down and visit me after it's done, right?