The young pony’s eyes were half-closed, and her breathing was haggard. She was covered in a dismal hospital blanket, trapped by the green walls that had eventually become her home. Sometimes, it was hard to remember what the outside looked like. So she’d try to drag herself over to the window, only succeeding in alerting the nurses and her being placed back into the stiff bed. There were balloons loosely tied around the railings at the foot of her bed. They were slightly deflated. A small smile graced the young mare’s tired face. The chart and the end of her bed had her information.
_______________________
Name: Swan Melody
Age: 17 Equestrian years
Gender: Female
Status: Incurable
_______________________
She didn’t know, of course. Every time she would inquire about the chart, the doctors would stop her. She had always been a cheerful filly, always smiling and laughing. Her eyes closed just a bit further as the door to her room creaked open.
~* Flashback*~
“Petal, come on!”
“But I can’t fly like you!”
A small white pegasus filly with an orange and pale gold mane landed in front of a small pink unicorn with a brown mane and tail. Her tiny wings fluttered before she closed them.
“Petal, you can do it! I know you can!”
The little unicorn sniffles, pale blue eyes filling with tears.
“B-But I can’t… I want to fly like you some day, though!”
The white filly smiled widely, and the rest of the memory faded into darkness.
~* End of flashback *~
A pure white pegasus with a soft pink mane sat in a chair beside the filly’s bed. This mare was the filly’s mother. Her nametag read ‘Bright Dawn’.
“O-Oh, my precious swan…”
Tears began to fall from her mother’s eyes. Her head sank onto the bed beside her daughter’s weak form.
“I-I’m so sorry…”
The filly coughed.
“H-Hey, d-don’t cry mom. I-I’ll get better and then you can take me flying again.”
This only succeeded in making the mare cry harder. The filly’s eyes closed just a bit more, but remained slightly open. She sank into another memory. It felt… warm. Comforting, even. There was a black haze growing ever closer, but she never took any notice.
~* Another flashback *~
Petal was crying. Her pet had run away from home, and she had loved him dearly. The white filly was once again beside her, patting her back with a comforting hoof. The two were hiding beneath the cover of a tree as rain pounded down around them.
“Hey, it’ll be okay! He’ll come back. And if he doesn’t, I’ll go out and bring him back myself!”
The pegasus filly struck a silly pose, making her friend laugh through her tears. Suddenly, the sky darkened. The pegasus filly stood in front of her friend with her wings flared out.
“What happened?!”
There was no response except for a loud clap of thunder and the sudden heat of fire.
“Swan, where did this storm come from?”
“I don’t know! Maybe the weather team let it get away?”
“What’ll we do? Our parents will never find us out here!”
“They won’t have to!”
The pegasus flashed a bright smile at her friend.
“I’ll always be here to protect you.”
~* End of flashback*~
A new pony had entered the room. A bulky gray pegasus with was now sitting next to his wife, stroking her mane with a tender hoof. His hoof was shaking, slightly, but he had to be strong. He couldn’t let the ones he cared for the most see him cry. He set a hoof on his daughter’s side, feeling the faint rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. His already shaggy orange mane was now even more unkempt than usual. The filly spoke up again, but her voice was raspy.
“H-Hey daddy.”
“Hey, Swannie! Daddy’s here! Daddy’s here…”
“Hey daddy?”
“Yes, what is it?”
The filly’s eyes closed a bit more.
~*Flashback*~
The storm was raging around the two young fillies. Green aura had begun to surround the scattered pieces of wood. Slowly, much to the horror of the duo, the debris formed itself into several Timberwolves. The unicorn filly began to cry. She had always been deathly afraid of Timberwoves, ever since she heard about them in a nursery tale when she was a little filly.
“You get away from my friend, you stupid wolves!”
The pegasus filly stamped a hoof on the ground in an effort to seem brave. Inside, she was just as scared as the pony she was trying to protect. One of the Timberwolves stalked forward, its claws razor sharp.
“I said stay away!”
The pegasus filly dove at the Timberwolf, her front hooves outstretched. She was swatted aside as easily as if she were a mere fly. She hit a nearby tree and was still. The unicorn filly shrieked. She was no good with magic, and even if she was, she was too afraid to even cast a simple spell. The Timberwolf lunged forward, raking its claws through her eyes, making her vision go dark. She shrieked once again, and heard a loud thump. Her friend had woken up and flung herself onto her assailant, trying to hurt it with blows from her small hooves. She hovered above the pack of feral wooden wolves and shakily landed in front of her friend. The young unicorn could only see darkness. She whimpered in fear.
“S-Swan, I can’t see!”
“I know, I’m sorry. I wasn’t awake to protect you. I’m going to get us both out of here, okay?”
“O-Okay… But please hurry, my eyes hurt really bad!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please get up on my back so I can get us both back to Ponyville!”
Without waiting for a response, the young pegasus took her blinded friend and took off into the air.
*Later in the same flashback*
The unicorn could feel the flight getting bumpier and bumpier with each passing second. Blood had crusted upon her face now, but the rain was helping it wash off.
“Swan? A-Are you okay?”
Her friend’s voice was weak when she replied.
“I-I’m fine.”
The unicorn furrowed her brows stubbornly.
“No you’re not. I’m your best friend and I know when something is wrong.”
“Heh… Maybe those Timberwolves hurt me more than I thought.”
Suddenly, the unicorn felt her stomach fly up to her throat as she began to feel herself descending at an alarming pace.
“SWAN! SWAN, PLEASE TELL ME YOU’RE OKAY!”
They both fell into a pool of ice cold water. After being stunned for several heartbeats, the unicorn had recovered enough to use magic to feel her way around. She grasped at her friend and dragged her upwards. Or at least, where she thought was upwards. They both broke the surface, gasping for air.The unicorn filly dragged her friend to the shore. She coughed up water before opening up her mouth to yell.
“SOMEPONY! ANYPONY! HEEEEELP!”
There was the sound of rushing hoofsteps, and then more yelling. The unicorn felt tired. So very tired. She felt herself being lifted up onto something soft before falling asleep.
*Later, same flashback*
The unicorn’s head swam. Her body hurt, but she could hear voices.
“We can’t save her eyes---Doc, no, we ca---“
“The pegasus---very ill---immediate attention---“
The unicorn sat bolt upright in her bed, still surrounded by darkness.
“W-What happened to Swan?”
“Are you her friend? She’s in the bed next to you. You’re okay to go, but… We might need to keep your friend here for a while.”
She smiled brightly, blissfully unaware of the expressions that were on the doctors’ faces.
“Really? Can I come visit?”
“Maybe not right now. You can say goodbye to her before we go to give her the medicine she needs, alright?”
“Okay…”
She could hear the shuffling of blankets, and a soft groan. Soon, she felt a small hoof grasp her own.
“H-Hey, Swan.”
Her friend’s hoof seemed so frail. What had happened to her?
“Hiya, Petal. Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m okay. Everything is dark, but I’m going to get used to it. That doctors said that I should say goodbye before you go to get your medicine.”
Tears welled up in her unseeing eyes.
“Goodbye, Petal.”
“Goodbye, Swan. I’ll come to see you soon.”
And suddenly, the hoof was gone.
“Wait!”
The hoof found its way to hers again.
“What is it?”
“Promise we’ll always be friends?”
“Of course Petal. I promise.”
~* End of flashback, years in the future*~
A sickly white pegasus lay in a hospital bed. Her parents are beside her, crying loudly, not even trying to hide it anymore.
“H-Hey daddy? Mommy?”
The filly’s voice was barely a whisper.
“Make sure Petal gets my eyes. I want her to be able to see the outside, even if I can’t. And… and tell her I’m sorry.”
A single tear fell down the filly’s face.
“O-Oh, and one last thing.”
Her mother stroked her cheek gently.
“What is it, dear?”
“I-I love you mommy. I love you, daddy.”
*BEEPBEEPBEEP*
*BEEPBEEP*
*BEEP*
*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*