//------------------------------// // Chapter Five: Sanity // Story: Rise of the Razorwing // by ChaosKnightMatthew //------------------------------// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 5: Sanity ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A month had passed since the fight. After Rainbow Dash was taken to the Ponyville hospital, her injuries were too severe to tend to with the supplies there so she was quickly transferred by air to the Canterlot General Hospital that was more advanced than the one in Ponyville in terms of medicine and care. Apple Bloom was also transferred here as well for the same reasons as her own injuries nearly paralyzed her, but had been at this hospital for about five days longer than Rainbow Dash was. During that time the girls couldn't come up and see her as every time they tried the Nurse Ponies there continuously refused her until a month later when she was finally ready for visitors. In the waiting room Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack waited on the Doctor ponies to say how Rainbow Dash was holding up. Applejack’s cuts hadn’t completely healed yet but her bruises were gone, a scar across her cheek where shrapnel from their fight slashed her across the face. Twilight asked if she could help speed up her recovery but Applejack wouldn’t allow it, wanting to keep the reminders of the fight that nearly killed her friend that almost killed her little sister. “Ah do hope Rainbow pulls through...” Applejack said, still regretting what she had done. “Ah couldn't live with myself if I...” “Don't even think it Applejack. You’ve said enough to yourself this week.” Twilight said. Although she was trying to hide her own disappointment over what happened, her worry took over everything else. “Rainbow Dash is one of the toughest ponies I know. This might not be an injured wing, but I believe she will get through this.” “I um...” Fluttershy said, lightly stuttering. “Hope she pulls through too. Same for your sister too Applejack. Has she gotten any better?” “She can move her legs, but it’ll be ah while before she can walk on her own again.” Applejack said, fighting back tears. Rarity went over to comfort her friend, placing a hoof on her back. “So much has happened over the last couple of weeks... I don't want to say it, but could this be something left over by Discord?” Twilight asked the girls. “That mismatch of a pony?” Rarity said with disgust, squinting her eyes. “I do hope not.” “Ah thought his power was gone when he turned back to stone?” Applejack asked. “Isn’t that what the Elements of Harmony was supposed to do?” “It is but… could something aside from Discord really drive a pony to insanity?” Twilight asked the girls, thinking aloud. A Nurse Pony came into the room going towards Applejack who turned to her. “Ah don't need any help!” She angrily snapped at the Nurse Pony, who cowered back in fear for a moment. “I... just wanted to tell you that the operation was a success...” The Nurse Pony meeped out. “Operation...?” Rarity said, looking to the others just as surprised. “How bad were her injuries?” She asked the nurse. “The doctor can tell you more... this way please.” The Nurse Pony said, holding the door open for them. The group walked down the hallway, the earlier Nurse Pony catching up with them to lead them to the right room. Taking a right then two lefts they entered a patient's room. One male Unicorn pony in the room looked up from his clipboard that was lying next to a bound blue Pegasus pony over a bed and eighty percent of her body covered in bandages and saw the first few enter. His cutie mark stood out from his white flank, a hammer and a steel rod crossing each other. His black mane was cut short from the top all the way down, glasses across his face over his dark olive eyes. The white horn on his head illuminated a red aura, supporting his clipboard as it was writing notes down. His accent immediately told everyone he wasn’t from around here, but it was simple enough to understand. “We van't have a varge vroup in vere. Only vour in the voom at a vime vlease.” He said. The girls looked at each other for a moment. “I'll leave.” Rarity said. “I need to find where Sweetie Belle went to anyways. It will be ok Applejack. Don’t worry.” She added as she went to the service desk to start her searching. Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy went in and they saw their friend a little clearer. Applejack grimaced but Fluttershy let out a scared gasp. Above the bed is a sort of sling contrapment made specifically for Pegasus ponies. Rainbow Dash was attached to it. Her torso was covered with bandages in addition to her legs but the sling was attached to the sides of the wrappings supporting most of her weight as she was lying on the bed. The straps were also connected to what looked like metallic feathers where her once beautiful blue wings used to be, also for reducing the weight strain on Rainbow Dash's back. She was asleep but moaning softly from her ordeal, her head on a pillow. “I'm sure you're vondering about her vings?” The male Doctor pony asked, a small smile on his face, beaming with pride. “Indeed!” Fluttershy said, rushing past Twilight and Applejack. The yellow Pegasus just stared at her best friend’s wings, worry and concern lining her face. “Wh- What happened to them...? Her wings…Ah! Sorry!” She asked as she ran a hoof over them for a second. She pulled back quickly hearing a painful squeak from Dash. “Don't do zat.” The doctor said. “I am Doctor Metal Heart, a specialist on graphing metal to flesh for prosthetic purvoses.” He said, bowing a little as he introduced himself. He looked to Rainbow Dash. “Your friend vill make a full recovery but 'er mental state... I am not so sure of.” He said, taking a closer look at the base of the metal feathers and casing where her wing joints appeared to be sealed into. “Those however, are mending just vine. That is vood....” “Why was this done to Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked, getting to the point. “I thought you all were just going to heal her, not change her into… this?” Twilight asked him, clearly angry that her friend looked like she was pieced back together like a puzzle. “Ah ves. While the doctors here and ze other hospital vere able to patch ‘er up, her vings took a severe beating. One vas even dislocated but vith this procedure; her vings will be in vully working order by tomorrow. Everything else beyond that is up to 'er. She vill need to re-train hervelf before she can fly like she has bevore.” He explained while taking down more notes. “At any rate... how did Ms. Dash get like vhis to begin vith?” “Ah um...” Applejack started to explain but was quickly interrupted. “I-“ “Applejack chased away her attacker. Even we don't know who did this...” Fluttershy said suddenly, tears coming to her eyes as she ran a hoof over Dash's face tenderly, not looking up once. Twilight and Applejack looked at each other for a second. Fluttershy never spoke up this loudly for anypony in the past, but it is understandable in this situation. Twilight Sparkle was worried that seeing Rainbow Dash like this was beginning to be too much for the shy pony. Twilight placed a hoof onto Fluttershy's shoulder. “Fluttershy... if this is too much for you right now we can come back later.” Twilight said. “Can I... can I be alone with Rainbow Dash for a moment please?” Fluttershy asked meekly. “If it's ok that is...” Twilight lowered her hoof and looked to Applejack. “Sure you can sugarcube. Ah... need to see how Bloomie is doing.” Applejack said as she turned to leave, a little faster than she wanted to let in on. In truth, it was almost too much for Applejack herself to bear, seeing the damage that she herself had done to someone she had considered one of her best friends. Twilight started to follow, but turned back to Fluttershy at the door. “Please let us know how she's doing later, ok Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy nodded and smiled. Twilight nodded back and went after Applejack, Doctor Metal Heart following behind her to respect Dash's friend's request. Once the door was shut Fluttershy turned back to Dash, walking to the edge of her bed. “Rainbow?” Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash slowly opened her eyes and focused them onto the yellow Pegasus. “We’re alone now. You don’t have to do that you know.” “I guess... I could never fool you huh Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked her following a groan. “How could you do what I heard you've done?” Fluttershy asked, talking in her usual low tone of voice. “I mean…I've never known you to attack anypony before, let alone how Pinkie Pie and Apple Bloom are right now. Even the other girls are hurt from what you did… not as much as I am.” These words coming from Fluttershy directly felt like needles to Rainbow Dash’s heart. “Fluttershy... I didn't mean any of this to happen. I tried to explain to Applejack but...” She motioned to her wings. “Oh... well if you need an ear I can lend mine. If you want me to.” Fluttershy said, sitting down on the floor. A small smile crept onto her lips. In the past she had usually went to Rainbow Dash for advice with problems of her own. She cheered up a little seeing that now instead of Dash listening to her; she can do the same in return. “There's this... dream I've been having for the last few months.” Rainbow Dash said her voice almost emotionless which was unusual for herself. “Each time I'm bound to a standing table and... terrible things are done to me.” “Terrible... things?” Fluttershy said, cocking her head to the side. She was alert and attentive. “Yeah... cutting me and pulling my insides out... that sort of thing.” Rainbow Dash said, grimacing a little. “It felt so real each time it happened, I’ve never got much sleep, even now I don’t.” “Ouch...” Fluttershy said, winced a little herself from the thought. “The worst thing is that it's Pinkie Pie in the dreams that are doing it to me. Each and every night she's doing that to me... even now she still haunts me.” Rainbow Dash said. She tried to sit up a little but her strength hasn't returned yet and so she went back down onto the bed. Her bracing wires connected to become tight for just a moment, causing her metal wings to vibrate a little. The action made her yelp in pain, her nerves not completely healed yet. The wings themselves made a light chime, almost like they were hollow. “Don't try to move Dashie...” Fluttershy said, standing up and ready to assist if needed. “Your wings aren't completely healed yet... but what is that on them?” She asked, concerned. “The doctor said with the damage done to them I might not ever fly again. These metal wings are to protect what's left of my normal ones. Or so I heard…” Rainbow said, turning her head and looking back at them. “If anything, I'm going to try and fly with these if I can. I have to admit that black mane doctor; he keeps changing what he says a lot.” “Well... at least you are recovering.” Fluttershy said, placing her hoof softly on her head. “You know... Pinkie Pie would never hurt anypony.” Rainbow Dash sat her head back onto the pillow once more. “Have you thought to talk with her about it?” “I tried to.” Rainbow Dash said, although it came out like a groan. “Right then and there the dream surfaced during the daytime. She had the same cupcake that she fed me in the dream. I really thought it was about to come true but my own fear got the best of me… I don't know if there is any other pony I can trust now...” Rainbow Dash said, her eyes half open. “Why do you say that?” Fluttershy responded, lowering her hoof. “The last dream I had... The last of those 'sessions' Applejack, Rarity and Twilight were there with Pinkie Pie. She kept the same name Pinkamena for some reason. Why I didn't know but I was being cut into again and... The other three...” Rainbow Dash grimaced. “They charged in and started eating me.” She said this with complete disgust. “All I could do was lay there. At first I had managed to bite at 'Pinkamena' holding the blade, but they got me again while she was binding me up. I was even a floating head until my eyes were gone. I really thought I was dead until a few hours ago when I finally woke up.” “That does sound intense.” Fluttershy said. She leaned closer to nuzzle Rainbow Dash's cheek seeing she couldn't really hug her. “Things will be alright. If I can I’ll make sure that evil pony doesn’t get to you again. You just rest up and get better ok?” Fluttershy moved back, but Rainbow Dash's eyes were wide in fear, irises shrank to small dots as her fear began to surface again. At 'rest up' another flash of pink where yellow and purple should be crossed her vision. In place of Fluttershy was Pinkamena but she had a worried look to her face. “Rainbow Dash, are you alright??” Fluttershy asked, although it echoed in her ears, seeming to mix with another that sounded like Pinkie Pie. Dash began to shake in terror. Was she in another dream? Dash couldn't truly tell the difference this time and just lay there, shivering while staring at ‘Pinkamena’. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears and it was getting more and more erratic. “Doctor! Doctor!” ‘Pinkamena’ ran out of the room. Rainbow Dash’s gaze followed her until she left. She looked straight ahead and then closed her eyes tight, a high pitched ringing running though her ears as she cowered in fear, feeling tears run down her cheeks. Her vision blinded with a pinkish red hue from her body tensing up. A rush of hoof-steps now mixed in with the ringing and after a moment her body began to relax. Soon she was asleep once more. Next to her, Twilight, Fluttershy and a Nurse Pony with a strawberry-white striped mane stood next to her. “She should be fine now.” The Nurse pony said. “Doctor Metal Heart said to give her this sedative if she starts having another ‘episode’.” “Episode?” Twilight asked. “How often does this happen?” Fluttershy went over to the other side of the bed, leaning down and placing one hoof next to Rainbow’s. “Not as often now. I cannot say any more than that I’m afraid.” The Nurse pony said as she left the room. “Rainbow… what happened to you…?” Twilight said lowly, the last sound heard for a while the faint click of the door closing. Chapter 5 END