//------------------------------//
// The Outro (Epilogue) 
// Story: Sky Pilot 
// by chief maximus 
//------------------------------//

"Captain Andrews, can you hear me?"

I tried to open my eyes, but they were taped shut. I raised a hand but felt another push it back down. "Woah, take it easy, sir." 

Soon after, I got the bandages taken off my eyes and realized I was in a hospital.

"Sir, do you remember what happened? How you got here?"

I shook my head. My mouth was so dry I couldn't say a word. The nurse brought me some water, and I was able to talk again.

The doctor stepped beside my bed. "You were in a training accident. Your aircraft took a very hard landing. You've been in a coma for two weeks." 

I recalled everything from before I woke up. I remember living just like I had normally, but most unusually, I remembered her. I remembered the cartoon that brought me back. 

But, as soon as I realized I was back in the real world, I had a sad realization. She was gone. She was as she was before. Rainbow Dash was now no more than one of a cast of six in a children's show. Why my subconscious decided she was the best thing to lead me out of a coma, I'll never understand. 

I ended up having a few broken ribs and a pretty nasty concussion. I was in the hospital a while longer before I was released. I didn't have to go into work for a few weeks while I recovered back at the homestead, but to be honest, it was strange coming back to an empty house. Before, it had always been empty. Just me and Boris. I looked at my couch and felt a pain in my heart. There was no little blue horse curled up on it. 

Upstairs, my spare bedroom was empty, save for the deflated air mattress, not a single blue hair or feather anywhere near it. 

After my visitors and well-wishers had left, I sat alone in my living room. I could think of nothing better to do, so I went to my movie collection that had gathered a considerable amount of dust since my accident. As I was scanning through the volumes, I came across The Shining. 

I smiled, remembering Rainbow's reactions to it.

Even recalling the time spent with her was kind of depressing. I pulled the case out of the rack, and saw a note scribbled on it in marker.

'That kid is still fucking creepy.'

I sat back on the couch, still holding the cover. I turned on the TV, and found Netflix. I found a show I hadn't watched in quite a while, and flipped it on, starting with the very first episode. Rainbow was just as I remembered her. 

I glanced back at the blu-ray case and smiled.

Maybe I am crazy.

But maybe that's okay.