//------------------------------// // The Stakes are Heightened // Story: Free to Fly // by I am not a Dalek //------------------------------// Chapter 6- The Stakes are Heightened The screams are beating all around me; the screams are burning through my ears. A constant knocking at the door is the only thing that reminds me of reality, reminds me that there is more than just the screams. But they won’t stop, please make them stop. My cheek is pressed against the cold marble floor of the bathroom; my breath is hot against the tiles. I cannot escape this labyrinth of torture, it is as if I am trapped forever, suffering for an eternity. Soarin’s voice fills the bathroom, bringing tears to my eyes. “Dash, come on and let me in.” Rocking back and forth, I mutter under my breath, “Make it stop, please, leave me alone.” “Alright, sugar cube, Ah’m gonna kick the door in, make sure ya’ll are back far enough, ya hear?” Applejack’s voice joins Soarin’s calls. “No, we can’t, she may not move back,” Soarin’ says urgently. “I agree with Soar on this one, AJ,” Twilight’s voice enters the bathroom. I continue to lie on the floor, sobbing as I listen to their conversation in attempt to cover the screams. “Dashie,” Soarin’ says softly. “Please, come out. Listen, I’m scared too. We can help each other out, right? Remember what you said in the hospital, Dashie? We need each other.” Gasping for air, I look up at the door. “Make it stop, Soar, please!” Soarin’ is silent for a moment before he speaks, “Make what stop, Dashie?” “The screams, make them stop, they won’t stop, they never stop,” I sob in fear; my head is pounding from the constant screams echoing through my mind. Hoofsteps walk away from the door then suddenly I can hear Spitfire yell: “Alright every pony, we’ve all been through very traumatic events the past few days, can you please be kind enough to leave us alone for the next few days?” After a few moments, they finally begin to dim down slightly, returning to the dull throbbing in the back of my mind. “Is that better, Dash?” Spitfire asks gently through the door. Although they are not as loud as they were a few moments ago, they are still there, viciously gnawing at the back of mind. Still, I don’t want them to think any differently of me, so I follow my mother’s advice which was always to put a brave face on, even if I was shivering in my horseshoes. Slowly, cautiously, I reach up and unlock the door, before sliding back against the wall, shielding myself for what is to come next. My friends rush in the moment they hear the door unlock, but they keep their space. The only pony that walks towards me is Soarin’, who silently scoops me up under his wing and holds me close. I push my pain back into its mental bottle and force a smile upon my face. “Sorry every pony, I’m fine now, just a couple of flashbacks.” I laugh uneasily, “But, it’s all okay now!” Every pony shares worried glances between them before they all nod slightly; partly accepting that what I’m saying is true. Slowly, every pony begins to file out of the small bathroom, back into the main part of the library. I go to follow on, but Soarin’ holds me back. “Dash, I know you aren’t okay,” Soarin’ states the moment we’re alone. I’m silent for a few moments, contemplating whether or not to let out all the pain I feel and show him how weak I really am. “I’m fine, just a few flashbacks, you know?” I laugh nervously. Soarin’ looks at me intently. “Remember, we’ve both been through the same things, Dashie. I know how bad the flashbacks can be, but I can see that you’re getting them a whole lot worse. Let me help, please.” Sighing, I look up at the Wonderbolt. “Fine, but can we just make the rest of the day with the others good, I don’t want to ruin your time with your friends anymore than I have already.” Soarin’ kisses my mane softly. “You haven’t ruined it. But we should get back to them.” We walk out into the main part of the library together, side by side. Every pony is sat together in a circle around the room, as Pinkie Pie tells some random story. “... And I said, ‘No way, I can’t eat that tomato, it’s full of onions.’” Pinkie finishes off, leaving the room-including the ponies who were listening from the beginning- sitting in confusion. Soarin’ and I share a glance before shrugging it off and accepting that it’s just Pinkie being Pinkie. “So, Rainbow, do you want to have a race with us?” Spitfire says. Fleetfoot, Wave Chill and Rapidfire all step forward and I look at them in shock. “It’ll be embarrassing when you all lose though, I hope you know that.” The four challenging Wonderbolts share an amused look before looking at Soarin’, who is chuckling behind me. “What are you laughing at, dork?” Spitfire shoots a glare at Soarin’. Soarin’ is now lying on the floor, laughing uncontrollably. “Sorry, but she’s right, she’ll probably kick your flanks.” Fleetfoot steps forward, her green eyes full of confidence. “Oh really? Well I’m the fastest on the team, so if she won against you it doesn’t mean she’ll beat me.” “What do I get when I win?” I raise an eyebrow at the Wonderbolt captain. Around us, my friends have gathered as they listen to the challenge being set forth. Applejack is looking at me with concern, I know she is wondering about my wellbeing, but once I get into the race I can push the screams out of my mind. Anyway, they are only ringing softly in the back of my mind now, so I have gotten used to them pretty quickly. Spitfire laughs, “If you win, you will get a whole week to hang out with us in Wonderbolts HQ and we will allow you to perform with us in one show in 6 months time-” Spitfire pauses, smiling at the grin which is growing across my face. “-depending on how well you do we may consider allowing you to skip your next training course at the academy and go straight to the entrance exam.” My eyes widen in excitement. “What about if one of you guys win?” “You have to wait another year before you return to the Wonderbolts Academy for your second training course, which means you will have to miss this year’s entrance exam to get into the team.” Rapidfire steps forward, a smirk forming across his lips. Soarin’ suddenly stops laughing. “That’s not fair, we all know that she’s the best Pegasi for the team, the rest of the candidates this year were useless! Excluding Lightening Dust, who was too careless for the team.” Spitfire is now frowning as she realise what the stakes of this race is. “I agree with Soar, but...” She trails off, leaving the ‘but’ hanging in the air. Wave Chill steps forward, speaking for the first time. “But, we all know how deals work in the Wonderbolts, once it’s put forward there is no taking it back, no matter what the consequence is. It’s been tradition long before even we were around and you know it Soarin’.” Soarin' begins to argue back, begging Spitfire to change the rules just this once. "I can't, Soar, I may be the Captain, but it's tradition," Spitfire says sadly. I stand frozen between the bickering Wonderbolts; my whole dream has been put on the line here. If I lose this race I will have to wait a whole year until I can continue my Wonderbolts training, which means that there is a chance there will be an even better pony for the job next time round. However, if I win this race, I can perform with them and learn some trademark ‘Bolts tricks. I can show them what I’m really made of and skip my next week of training at the Academy which means that I can possibly be in the Wonderbolts by the end of this year. Stepping forward, I take in a deep breath and yell, “Quiet!” The whole room stops and stares at me. “I’ll do the race, but I have one rule. Just because you don’t like the stakes that have been put up. You will not cheat; you will all perform to the best of your ability. I want a fair race, and if I do win I want to know that I won fair and square. Deal?” The four Wonderbolts nod in unison, agreeing to the rules that I have just put forward. “Okay, deal. Let’s take this outside then,” Spitfire says as she walks forward, obviously annoyed at Rapidfire. Slowly, I follow every pony outside. I can’t let my fears stop me. If the screams get too much for me to handle then I’ve blown my dream. One traumatic event can’t stop me from achieving my greatest dreams, can it? I sure hope not.