//------------------------------// // Aftermath: Rainbow Dash // Story: Inferno // by DemonBrightSpirit //------------------------------// As consciousness filtered back into her mind, the smell of antiseptic reminded Rainbow Dash that she was in the hospital. Only, aside from some sore wings and a dry throat, she wasn’t in any pain. Raising her head, she was blinded by the bright lights. Rubbing her eyes, she found herself fixated on a little filly before her. That’s right… The fire… She reached out and caressed Scootaloo’s cheek. “I don’t suppose you’ll wake up, now, huh?” Dash softly spoke. Scootaloo didn’t so much as flinch. After several moments, Rainbow sighed as she turned away. How long had she been asleep? How were her friends doing? As much as she wanted to stay here at Scootaloo’s bedside, she just couldn’t. “I’ll be back soon,” she promised the filly as she headed towards the door. Closing the door, she made a beeline for Rarity’s room. The unicorn sisters were still there, but the room was different from what she had left it. The two beds were pressed together, and Rarity held Sweetie Belle in her hooves. They looked like they were sleeping. “Hey,” Rainbow Dash spoke up as she approached.. “Are you two okay?” Sweetie didn’t stir, but Rarity raised her head. Her mane was frayed and her eyes bloodshot. “Shh!” she admonished. “She just got to sleep!” Rainbow shrugged it off with a smile. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” she said with a hushed tone. “Last time I stopped by, neither of you had woken up yet. The doctors were worried, but if you two woke up… Well, that’s great!” Rarity pulled her sister closer to her as she lied back down. “There’s nothing ‘great’ about any of this,” she said, her voice laced with disdain. Rainbow Dash’s smile faded away. “Are you okay? I mean, the doctor said—” “No,” Rarity insisted. Dash’s ears folded down as she took a step back. “What’s wrong? Is it your leg?” Rarity visibly flinched at the mention of her leg. “It-it’s not just that,” she muttered, staying focused on Sweetie Belle. “Our parents, they… passed away.” It took Rainbow a moment before she had the presence of mind to close her mouth, let alone speak. “I-I didn’t know.” Breathing a few heavy breaths, she continued, “I’m sorry. I should have done something!” “You didn’t know,” Rarity whispered, doing her best to chastise Rainbow’s volume. “What could you have possibly done?” Rainbow Dash shook her head, keeping her gaze locked on the polished tiles between her hooves. “I… don't know. B-but there has to have been something! I can’t… I… I’m not helpless!” she asserted, controlling her volume as best she could, but still disturbing Sweetie. “I’m not…” she repeated desperately as tears spilled over. Squeezing her eyes shut, she spun round and took wing, fleeing from the room. Did I really even help anypony? Dash found herself wondering as she wandered the hospital’s halls. Every room she passed seemed to be a different rendition of the same horrible thing. Ponies bandaged up, wearing those masks, and tubes attaching them to machines. They and their loved ones were crying, suffering. This wasn’t even the worst of it. This was the aftermath. The worst of it was last night. Ponies were choked by smoke and burned by the flames, suffering and dying. And where was she? She was at home, comfy cozy in bed, snoring away until it was too late to save everypony. Rainbow’s thoughts came to a dead stop along with her hooves. In the room next to her Pinkie Pie doted on one of the Cake twins. Reflexively, Dash hid out of sight of the doorway. Peeking around the corner, she watched the vapid pink pony. “No, no, Pumpkin. Leave that alone,” Pinkie said, her voice tired and hollow. The foal screamed in protest, but Pinkie didn’t seem to react to the wailing at all. “You have to leave the mask on, for now. Okay?” The only reply she got was more screaming. As much as Rainbow Dash wanted to shuffle off and pretend she’d never come across Pinkie and the Cake twins, she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Sighing, she dragged herself into the room, her head hung low. “H-hey, Pinkie.” Pinkie slowly turned to face Dash, a small, sad smile gracing her muzzle. “Oh, h-hey Dashie.” She tried to sound upbeat, but she just couldn't muster the energy. Her gaze fell away as her attention turned back to the fussy foal. She pulled Pumpkin’s tiny hooves away from the mask on her face. “Shhh, shhh.” Although her smile never left, tears flowed down her cheeks. “Pinkie, I… I don’t know what to say. I know… I screwed up,” Dash said, her throat constricting more with each syllable. “I’m sorry.” Shaking her head a bit, Pinkie drew a hoof across her face, wiping away her tears. “It-it’s not your fault. By the time you got me and the twins to safety… it was probably already too late.” “No!” Rainbow Dash shouted, shaking her head. “It is my fault! Pinkie, I-I didn’t even try! I… I never went back for them…” Pinkie didn't immediately reply, though her smile finally vanished. “Pinkie—” She finally looked at Dash, sending her a wicked glare. She snapped her head away, refusing to so much as look at Rainbow Dash. “Get out.” Her tone was absolutely devoid of compassion. Dash’s ears folded back. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Instead, she just turned around and plodded out. She’d barely made it into the hall before she could no longer hold her tears back. Taking wing, she rushed back to Scootaloo’s room. Slamming the door behind her, she broke down completely. She flopped her front half onto Scootaloo’s bed, cradling her head in her hooves as her sobs descended into wails. The sound of a door and hoofsteps stirred Dash from a dreamless slumber. She sat up, her eyes bleary and the fur around her eyes matted. Standing before her was a chocolate, earth pony. She wasn’t dressed as a nurse or a doctor, though she had a pair of glasses and a clipboard in hoof. She pulled a quill from her short, green mane. “Excuse me, miss. Would you happen to be Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow rubbed her face. “Y-yeah. Who’re you?” “Oh! Silly me. I’m Keen Quill. I represent the hospital’s legal department.” Rainbow Dash blinked. “Then… what do you need me for?” “I’ve heard that you were the one to identify Scootaloo here, and that you’ve you been at her bedside pretty much ever since.” She looked over at Scootaloo. “To that end, we’ve got a bit of a problem with this filly.” In an instant, Dash was alert and doting on Scootaloo. “Wh-what!? She’s okay, right!?” Keen scratched her head a bit. “I’m not really a doctor. This is more of a legal issue. Perhaps I should explain. You see, the orphanage where she was staying burned to the ground, and those in charge… Well, they, uh, they perished trying to get everypony out.” Dash grimaced. “O-oh?” She nodded. “It doesn’t look like there will be another orphanage here in Ponyville for some time, so we’ve been trying to get all those that survived transferred to other orphanages. To that end, Las Pegasus has an orphanage that has already agreed to accept Scootaloo.” Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Y-you’re going to send her away?” “She’s scheduled to be transferred later this week,” Keen said. “However, we have run into a bit of a legal SNAFU. You see, all the orphanage’s files were lost in the fire. We were forced to cancel a couple of transfers because some ponies claimed to be adopting those foals. Without any files, they’re having to start the whole adoption process over, but the Mayor has agreed to give temporary custody to any ponies who say they are in the adoption process.” “I don’t…” Rainbow muttered, shaking her head. “I wasn’t—” “Perhaps I should be more clear.” Keen interrupted Dash. “The files were all lost in the fire. We are permitted to give custody to anypony who so much as says that they were in the adoption process.” “So, if I say that I’m adopting her…” Dash kept her gaze fixed on the motionless filly, running a hoof through her mane. “We would have to give you temporary custody, instead of transferring her to Las Pegasus,” Keen said. Dash nodded. “And… if I said no?” Keen sighed. “She would be transferred. It’s as simple as that.” She shook her head. “I know this is a lot to put on somepony without any notice, but this is really the only option to keep her here. Still, it’s your choice to make.” “If she went to Las Pegasus for a while, then she would come back when the new orphanage is done and everything’s settled down, right?” Dash asked, finally looking up at her. “No.” Keen shook her head again. “Once she’s transferred, she’ll stay there until she is formally adopted or old enough to take care of herself.” Rainbow bit her lip as she looked down at Scootaloo. “Can… can I have some time?” “I’m sorry. I need to know right away. In all honesty, I was just supposed to come here to get a yes or no answer,” Keen replied, hanging her head a bit. “I know a decision like this is huge—and you can still say ‘no’—but this is the only way she stays in Ponyville.” Dash took a deep breath in, then let it out. “I’ll do it,” she said with a resolute nod. Keen smiled. “I’ll get the paperwork together.” She scribbled fervently on her clipboard before stowing her quill back behind her ear. “It’ll be a few hours. Will you still be here?” “Yeah,” Dash muttered, her gazing once more drawn to the motionless filly. “I’ll come find you when I’ve gotten everything ready,” she said, turning back towards the door. Rainbow never looked away from Scootaloo. She barely even registered the sound of the door closing. She shook her head as she stroked the filly’s mane. “I can’t do this…”