//------------------------------// // Perfection // Story: Trapped // by I am not a Dalek //------------------------------// Chapter 13- Perfection I am unable to fall back into the warm hooves of sleep again, for I fear the nightmares it may bring. So, here I am, sitting in the hospital bed as I continue to read the Daring Doo book in attempt to take my mind off things. A knock on the door startles me and causes me to jump in surprise. My heart begins to race when I see the light blue Pegasus hovering in the doorframe. Why do I feel this way? Why is my heart fluttering like this? I try and stop the feeling, but it is no use and, I actually like this feeling. I feel safe. I open my forelegs wide and motion for Soarin’ to come over to me, desperate to feel his fur against mine, the warmth from his body making me feel safe and warm as he makes me forget all the nightmares and fears I have ever had. Soarin’ flies over, a goofy grin across his face, as he wraps his hooves around me. I hold him tight as I bury my face in his mane, holding back the tears that I know are trying to escape. I can’t, I have cried more in the past two days than I have in the past ten years, and it’s embarrassing. We sit there in silence for a few moments. Sweet, blissful silence. Then Soarin’ pulls away reluctantly as he takes a seat on the chair at my bedside. “So did you find Twilight in the end?” I ask Soarin’ in attempt to make small talk. “Yep, very nice house you’ve got there, Miss Dash.” He grins at me, causing me to flush the same colour of my eyes. I glance at him through the corner of my eyes and shoot him a glare. “What about the pie? Did you enjoy it?” The Wonderbolt nods and his face turns nostalgic as he remembers the pie he ate only last night. “It was amazing! The best pie in Equestria.” I laugh at the love he feels towards food, however, I do have to admit that is the same love I feel towards napping, so I can’t really judge him on it. Soarin’ laughs alongside me, his eyes glistening with joy. I am so happy to see him smile again, all that time in the cave we had lost all hope, I thought I’d never see the normal Soarin’ that I love again. A pony walking into the room distracts us both from our laughter, causing us both to look up and find that there is a doctor standing at the end of the bed. I frown slightly since he’s rudely interrupted a perfect moment that I fear will not happen again for a long time. “Miss Dash, we have been monitoring you very closely for the past few days and feel that you are now in a fit state to be discharged from the hospital in a few hours time.” The doctor says as he reads my notes. “We will need to remove your drip and get you to sign the discharge forms, but other than that you will be free to go when you wish.” My mouth drops open in shock and I turn to look at Soarin’. The doctor nods towards him before walking out of the room in silence. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I get to go home!” I grin and bounce up and down in the bed. Soarin’ smiles at my excitement, “Do you want me to tell every pony the good news?” I kiss Soarin’ on the cheek quickly before looking into his emerald eyes. “Yes please, that’d be perfect.” “I’ll meet you outside in an hour then, Dashie!” Soarin’ smiles goofily at me before he hops down off the seat. “Okay, thank you, Soar,” I whisper as he flies out of the room, leaving me alone as I smile to myself like an idiot. I’m free, I’m free, I’m free! I can fly again; I can feel the wind in my mane and my feathers. I have missed that, quite a lot actually. I gaze out of the window as I long to be in the sky again, flying alongside Soarin’. The colt whom I care so much about. **** An hour later and I have finally gone through the whole discharging procedure. It took a good twenty minutes to get through all the forms, then another ten to get all the tubes and wires out of me. I then had to pack the saddle back which Twilight Sparkle left me the other day in case I was discharged. The egghead is always thinking ahead, isn’t she? I trot outside into the fresh air, smiling widely as I feel the wind caress my face. Stretching out my wings, I close my eyes and allow the wind to run through my feathers, shuddering as the sensation causes my whole body to tingle. I am interrupted with a loud cheer and the explosion of a party cannon, and open my eyes to find my fellow Elements of Harmony, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Wonderbolts all standing outside the hospital to welcome me. An orange filly zooms into my forelegs and wraps her hooves around my neck. I stroke her dark purple mane with my hoof as she sobs quietly into my chest. I gently pick her up and rock her calmly. I promised her that I’d be her big sister, and that’s just what I’m going to do. That means I need to comfort her when she needs me too, and when it comes to Scoots, I don’t care how sappy I look because I care about her. “They wouldn’t let me visit you Dash, I thought you’d left me.” Scootaloo whispers sadly. “Hey, squirt, I’d never leave you. You were just a bit too little to come into the part of the hospital that I was staying in,” I say soothingly, “I’ll tell ya what, after school on Monday, Soarin’ and I will give you a flying lesson, okay?” Scootaloo looks up into my eyes and her tears slowly disappear. “Really?” “Really, we need to take it easy and I’ve missed flying with you. I hope you’ve been practising.” I carefully place the filly on the ground again. Scootaloo nods excitedly. “I have, Dash!” She cheers as she runs off towards her friends. I spoke to Soarin’ about my relationship with Scootaloo once or twice during the incident in the cave; he understood and accepted my offer to give her a flight lesson once we were free without a second thought. Pinkie Pie is the next to hug me as she begins to excitedly talk about throwing a party tomorrow and that she missed me. Applejack and Rarity ended up pulling her away just as she began to talk about baking cupcakes with me at some point. I stare at them in confusion then turn to find Spitfire standing before me. “Hey, Rookie,” the Wonderbolts captain grins at me and I salute at her with a smile across my face too. Spitfire continues talking, “So, it’s good to see you out, Dash. Thank you for what you did. Saving Soar and all that. He’s my best friend, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him.” I shake my head. “I don’t know what I’d do either, ma’am. No need to thank me, I would have hated myself for an eternity if I didn’t save the big dope,” I smile slightly to myself as I think about the Pegasus who I cared about enough to risk my life for. Spitfire smiles slightly and steps to the side, I look up to see a nervous Soarin’ standing there, kicking his hoof in the dirt. I cautiously walk over to him and touch his cheek with my hoof. Soarin’ looks up at me, his emerald eyes burning with a passion I’ve never seen before. I gaze at him in wonder as he takes a step closer to me, so close that our bodies are almost touching. “Soar-“I whisper but he cuts me off by placing a single feather over my lips. Soarin’ slowly leans his head in and my heart begins to pound. Am I dreaming? His lips press against mine and the whole world around us goes dark. All that is left is me and him. Our breathing is in sync and our lips move together. My whole body melts inside as I wrap my hooves around his neck, pulling him closer to me, never wanting to let go. Perfect. Everything is perfect.