//------------------------------// // Chapter two: Out of the wood // Story: Azure skies // by MissDirection //------------------------------// For the next week all that the six friends could think about was Azure. Rarity kept thinking about the Thestrals torn and tattered mane and tail, and her dirty coat. Fluttershy thought about her injuries, and her complete indifference towards her condition. Applejack fumed about her new friends two families, and how they had abandoned their daughter when she needed them the most. Pinkie could hardly keep her mane from going strait, the sadness of the story kept getting to her. Rainbow Dash seemed to appreciate her wings and her speed more, because now she knew how fast those things could be taken from her. Twilight pondered on what it would be like to lose your only friend. But they had to put the story to the back of their minds as their daily obligations called them away. Azure bushed her way through the bushes at the edges of the forest. As she stumbled onto the soft grass at the outskirts of the small town, she let out a stream of hard scratchy coughs. “Uhg.” she groaned as she began her slow progress into town again. She saw a large cream white building blocking her path and changed her course sluggishly. As she staggered into the town square a small crowd gathered around her. Azure chuckled weakly as she thought of what must be running through their heads. “Hey, what’s up with the dingy bat-pony with the swollen eye?” She knew their thoughts but she couldn’t let them get in her way. She was sick. Very sick. She had to find her friends. She knew they would know what to do. As Azure continued her slow progress she didn’t notice the prismatic Pegasus sitting on a cloud above her. Rainbow Dash looked down from the cloud she was perched upon to see her crippled friend stumbling through ponyville. She cocked her head and flew down in front Azure. “Hey, Azure what’s going on? What happened to your eye?!” Asked Rainbow pointing to the Thestrals slightly oozing puffy eye. “Oh, Rainbow! Thank goodness you’re….. Ahem.” The Thestral broke off to clear her throat, but the small noise turned into a heavy coughing fit. “Um Azure, are you ok?” asked Dash. Azure didn’t answer. Instead she swayed and collapsed, unconscious in front of Rainbow Dash. Twilight and her friends sat in the waiting room of the ponyville hospital. All of them looked worried, but Twilight thought Rarity was pushing it. She lay on her princess couch still pretending to that she was unconscious. Twilight sighed at her friends antics. Everypony else was sitting poker faced on the hard wooden chairs. Even Pinkie pie sat still. Twilight was amazed that the hyper party pony could sit in one place for more than a few seconds.Twilight turned her head to the swinging doors that led to Azure’s room. One of the doors swung open and an earthpony holding a clipboard walked out. Nurse Redheart walked up to the six ponies. Rarity cracked open an eye and sat up, looking at the nurse. “So, what’s wrong with her?” asked Pinkie hopefully, her mane poofing back up a bit. “Well, she’s not in good shape.” Said Redheart. Pinkie’s mane instantly flattened. “Don’t worry though! With what you told us about her background I’m not surprised.” The nurse continued. “But what’s wrong with her?” This time it was Rainbow. Her mane was more messed up than normal from tugging on it and wrapping it around her hoof. “Well aside from her wing injury, she has a raging fever, a swollen eye, and a severe case of dehydration. Like I said she not in good shape.” Finished nurse Redheart. Twilight shook her head. “No, she defiantly isn’t.” Over the course of two weeks Azure’s fever died down and the dehydration was nearly gone. The thin Thestral even managed to put on a few pounds. Her friends made regular visits to the hospital, and when they weren’t there she took pleasure in getting to know the nurses and doctors serving her. Then on the Tuesday of that week the doctor came into her room and showed her his clipboard. “As you see Miss Azure you have made a full recovery, well besides you’re, you know, wings.” Said the doctor, obviously uncomfortable. Azure nodded, she hadn’t ever hoped for the miraculous recovery of her wings. She had lost all hope of that years ago. “Now you are free to go, but I don’t want you to go back to the Everfree forest. It’s not safe there! And there is a very good chance that you would get sick again.” The doctor finished. Azure looked at him, her face only displaying an 8th of the utter shock she was feeling. “B-but I don’t have a house! Where would I live!?” she asked her voice taking on a desperate tone. “Then you could stay with one of your friends, the elements are such nice mares I’m sure at least one of them would offer you a place to stay.” “But…b-but, I……” Azure stuttered her eyes widening even more and her pupils shrinking to tiny black dots in a sea of blue. “I’ve given you my answer and that is final!” The doctor said firmly, as if scolding a small filly. Azure hung her head in defeat. “Oh, and your friends are waiting in the lobby. Now would be the ideal time to ask them.” Continued the doctor. Azure lifted her head and smiled weakly and him. He looked at her and winked. As Azure walked into the lobby she was pretty much slapped in the face by the resounding, “CONGRADULATIONS!” that came her way. Azure smiled at the six mares standing in front of her. “Hi! Well not everything is good news.” Said Azure, her cheery greeting turning into a sad drone. The smiles almost instantly dropped off everypony’s faces, all except Pinkie Pie who was still grinning like a maniac and holding a small blue cake. “W-what’s wrong?” asked a bewildered Fluttershy. “The doctor said that it’s too dangerous to go back to the Everfree! He said that I would have to stay with one of you until I could provide for myself.” Azure said dejectedly. “You can stay with me!” Rainbow Dash instantly volunteered. “Rainbow, I can’t fly.” Said Azure, stating the obvious. “Oh, yeah.” Said Rainbow. Sagging a few feet. “Well we don’t have enough room at the farm.” Said Applejack. “And I can’t speak for the Cakes.” Said Pinkie. “The animals take up most of the room in my cottage, well it’s actually mostly Angel.” Said Fluttershy “And I don’t have enough room in the boutique, and Sweetie Belle stays with me already!” said Rarity. Azure’s heart sank as she began to fear that she wouldn’t find anywhere to stay. Then Twilight’s voice rang out for the back of the crowd. “I can take you! There’s plenty of room at the castle!” Said the lavender alicorn. “Thanks Twi!” Azure said, relief flooding through her.