//------------------------------//
// 15. In the Blink of an Eye 
// Story: One year 
// by PonyFromSpace 
//------------------------------//

At the end of all life, there is death, for without death life is not life. It is existence. 
Many have tried to prevent their own death, but little did they realise that would contradict their very intention.
If you make sure you can never die, you put an end to your own life. Therefore, you kill yourself.

Take a flower and watch it bloom. Is it not beautiful to watch it grow? To watch it bloom? A flower always open misses its magic.
Look at the stars. Which ones are the ones you prefer, those that always stand high above, always taking the same place? Or the ones that shoot past in the blink of an eye? Eyes glisten in the light of those who shine the brightest, no matter how short.

Should death be wanted? No. Death should be acknowledged. Accepted. Without darkness, you cannot see the light. Without death, there is no life.

I would not tell you not to cry or fear. Value life as a shooting star and know it will fade as quick as it came.


15. In the Blink of an Eye.

The trees of Sweet Apple Acres bended over far. The startled farmers galloped around the crooked house, tying up the dangerous trees with large sails. Big Macintosh, the disquieting big brother he was, abandoned the protecting of the home and went into the hazardous orchard. If one of these trees fell down on the crusader clubhouse, his ignorant little sister and her friends could be hurt. The distance was not very long, but a lot could happen in the mere minutes it took to travel there.

It was strange to think this storm was created to fix the problems with the climate and would now destroy everything else. Mac wondered what Rainbow Dash thought about this. The mare was probably the greatest motivator of the weather team. He knew the braggy cerulean pegasus had organised this in the first place. Of course, he also knew Applejack's friend liked to act without thinking. Act without thinking to the point where ponies got hurt. If something happened to Apple Bloom now... Big Mac wasn't sure whether he would ever be able to forgive Rainbow Dash.

Many of the leafless trees made horrible noises. He heard the wood splitting. Months, years of work caring for these trees had made them all precious. It was painful to notice them under such stress. The piles of dying leaves were slowly clearing out of the orchard's lanes, disappearing into the Everfree Forest and the Woodlands, where they would become the problem of the wild world.

Halfway the path, he suddenly met with an unexpected visitor. The pegasus flew abnormally high in the current conditions. Storm carried Sweetie Belle in her forelegs. She did not seem bothered by the tugging wind streams. She had that look. An expression Big Mac recognised. An expression Big Mac had not imagined he would ever see again. A mother's look. Her eyes firm yet emotional. Determined and scared. Big Mac had come to respect that look. When he was left alone with old Granny Smith and a young Applejack and baby Apple Bloom, he knew he had to live up to that look. Seeing that look on Storm's eyes, he was certain she knew what she was doing.

The mare gave him the anxious foal and flew back in the direction she came from. Mac did not question it. He knew Stride's mother from the market and from picking up Apple Bloom at the colt crusader's home. No doubt the lady was here to get the children to safety. There was however, one question lying on the tip of his tongue. Why not get her own child to safety first? After all, a parent would always see to their own kin first... It didn't matter. He would not have been able to ask in the first place. In this weather, only trained pegasi could hear one another.  He, on the other hoof, was barely able to keep his eyes open.

Big Mac held the thankful filly close with his left foreleg and walked her to the house, where Applejack struggled with the resilient sail. Her eyes said one thing: hurry. A large rip formed in the sail and the cowpony was nearly hit by a flying branch. Mac pushed open the door and let go of Sweetie Belle inside the house. The wounded pegasus Apple Bloom, helpful child, had dropped off was sleeping in the couch. His bandaged wing and leg looked to be under quite some strain. The wrinkled visage of Granny Smith looked disapproving. She disliked not being allowed to help out on the basis of the idea she was too old or too weak, or it was too dangerous. Nevertheless, Big Macintosh motioned for her to stay inside and quickly walked out. He closed the rebellious door behind and got back en route to the clubhouse. 

The ripped sail lay to pieces, hanging from the mad treetops. Applejack had given up on tying up Sweet Apple Acres property and ran past Big Mac. She had always been the faster runner. It was more dangerous to let Apple Bloom stay in the clubhouse than simply hope no tree would crash into the house. Storm appeared again, this time carrying Apple Bloom. A large branch nearly hit the pair. Big Mac ducked when more debris came his direction. Storm motioned for the Applejack and Mac to go back to the house. Applejack shouted something inaudible, but Storm seemed to understand what she meant. The mare flew towards Mac and nodded at the house. The filly in her arms was pale and terrified. Mac ran to the house with the pegasus in his wake. Applejack disappeared into the orchard.





The house was a stressful mess. Thunderlane, still out cold, took up the entire sofa. A grumpy Granny Smith gazed out the window, into the whirlwind of danger and debris. She muttered something about old age. Near the fireplace was Big Mac, who tried to get a fire going. The two fillies sat next to him, repetitively glancing at the door, hoping Applejack would bring in Stride soon. 

Storm was at the door, willing to head out again, but knowing there was nothing more she could do. Applejack was going to get Stride. Even though she would've preffered getting her son herself, following Applejack could only slow things down and mean more risk. As for Scootaloo's disappearance...  Finding Scootaloo in this weather wasn't like finding a needle in a haystack, it was like finding a string of hay in a pile of venomous needles. Even if Storm could easily hold steady in the wind, she was still susceptible to flying branches. Rainbow Dash was more experienced with evasive manoeuvres and surely knew the filly a lot better. Rainbow would find her for sure. Right?

The opening of the door shattered that thought, Rainbow walking inside with an injured Applejack over her shoulder. The pony had long lost her hat in the wind and her mane was completely messed up, the ribbon binding it in a tail completely torn. She had blood on her forehead.
"Need some help here," Dash's raspy voice uttered with concern. She dragged her friend towards the sofa and gracelessly pushed Thunderlane off. The stallion landed with a loud thud and got up with a confused face. Big Mac already appeared with the medical supplies to tend to his sister. Applejack groaned.

"Why is the world purple?" she muttered. Rainbow Dash carefully placed her down on the couch. Thunderlane glared at her.
"What'd you do that for?"
"She needed the sofa more," Rainbow shrugged, a hint of a mischievous grin on her face, teasing her colleague. She quickly deadpanned again and turned to Storm.
"Where's Stride?"
Storm swallowed a chunk, "Applejack was supposed to go get him. Scootaloo?"
Rainbow shook her head, "We can't give up now. Let's go."

They pushed open the door and ran outside. Immediately, dozens of little twigs blew in their faces.
"The CMC clubhouse was ruined when I got there," Rainbow Dash exclaimed, barely audible even for Storm, "A big tree fell on it. No sign of Stride or Scootaloo, only Applejack was there. Not in a good state."
A metal bucket missed Rainbow Dash by a hooflength.
"Wow, not cool!"





Stride could feel the wind trying to lift him from the ground. He dug his hooves as deep in the dirt as he could, bracing himself again with every step. He tried to find the house. After the tree had crushed the little building, he had barely made it out alive. He did not see anypony around, so he guessed he had to get moving by himself if he didn't want to get impaled by a flying broomstick. The problem was, with the wind forcing him to close his eyes and the orchard losing all its landmarks, Stride didn't know how to get back. He tried to follow the paved path, for as far as he could make out a path. 

A large tug at him made him lose balance. He was thrown into a tree. After he got over his dizziness, he managed to make out an orange speck in the air. There was no way... No, Scootaloo couldn't fly and surely the wind wouldn't have pulled her so high. Then again, the orange speck was sitting on a cloud and he knew they had found some places where clouds were reachable from the ground. He saw the cloud moving down in the distance. With nothing else to go on, he decided that would be his best bet.





The two mares desperately searched the orchard. They decided to stick together, in case one of them got hurt.
"Rainbow Dash, this storm is way too strong!" Storm shouted.
"I know," Rainbow replied, "It was never supposed to be this strong."
A twig whipped into her face, leaving a small wound across her eye. The mare ignored it, but her eye was going tearful.
"Can't we stop it," Storm called back, inspecting her companion's eye. 

Rainbow swatted away her caring hoof and pointed at the orchard, claiming they shouldn't let her wounds distract them. It was then Storm realised the pegasus had endured a lot of hits from branches and twigs, to thepoint where she was covered in cuts and bruises. Storm herself didn't seem to be bother by the debris that much, even though she had taken just as many hits, if not more. Perhaps she was less susceptible after all.

"We can't stop the weather and it'll be at least twenty more minutes before it's over," Rainbow Dash answered trying but failing to rise above the treetops.
"Twenty minutes, that's not so long, is it?"
"It's still too long."

The screams were the first thing Stride noticed. He knew he was getting close to where he had last seen the cloud. He had been lucky with how few times he was lifted up or hit by something, but he was pretty sure something had cut his ear. The screaming was most definitely Scootaloo's. His heart jumped up in his chest. Turning around the corner, he could see her cloud floating in circles a short distance above the treetops. She was holding on for dear life.

"Scootaloo!" he shouted. Of course she had gone to a cloud. That was what nearly every pegasus did when sad. Even the flightless ones could usually somewhat steer the thing. He started wondering whether or not he could manipulate clouds, or whether that ability had bailed on him along with his wings. Scootaloo tried to reach for a tree, but didn't quite make it. Noticing him, her eyes went from fear to worry.

"Stride! Get out of here! It's dangerous!"
"I'll get you down!"
Stride ran to the tree nearest to where the cloud was going on its wild repetitious trajectory.
"Don't be silly!" Scootaloo uttered, "You wouldn't be able to even touch the cloud."

The stubborn colt started climbing up the tree, losing his footing multiple times and nearly tumbling down. 
His face stood determined. His left ear was chipped.

"Stride, stop! You're gonna get hurt!"
Her friend reached the top of the tree and was now reaching for the cloud.
"Go back!"
"I can do this!"

Stride jumped. Scootaloo shrieked and thought he would most certainly fall through the cloud.
This was it. His chance to be the hero. The first time in his life something he did actually mattered to him. The first time he felt like he would make a real difference. It didn't matter anymore whether or not he was dying. It didn't matter anymore. All that mattered now, was Scootaloo. All that mattered now- His eyes went wide as the ground came closer. Did his magic not work? Could he not work the weather? He braced himself for the end of the line.

Instead, his forelegs hooked onto the cloud and started dragging it down with his weight. After a second of confusion and hesitation, Scootaloo grabbed him and pulled him onto the slowly lowering platform. His weight, however, wasn't enough. Soon, the cloud starting moving upward again.

"How..." Scootaloo began, but she was interrupted by yet another unexpected move from the foal. He reached for the tree again and held it with his forelegs. Now, with his hind legs on the cloud and his forelegs on the wooden anchor, he started pushing them downward. He grinned.

That's when it all went wrong.
A large tug completely flipped their fluffy vessel. The filly managed to somewhat sften her fall, fluttering her wings in an attempt to overcome gravity. She still came down with a loud clap and a lot of pain, but apart from that she was fine. She watched as the cloud dissolved completely. Her flanks were sore and her wings hurt. She tried to get over her blurred vision and gazed around to find Stride. She did not see him anywhere.

Something hit her in the back of her head. It was a plank, apparently from a broken apple crate. She cried out in pain and frustration. A moaning caught her attention. It came from behind the tree. She ran towards it. There was Stride, half buried in the dirt from his long fall. His hind leg was twisted in a strange way and his planed coat revealed a scar on the left side of his back. His eyes were wide open. 

Scootaloo realised this wasn't just impact damage. The colt was trembling at an alarming speed, grasping for his chest with his left forehoof. Almost as if he was trying to dig into his chest, straight to his heart. A stream of foamy saliva came out of the corner of his mouth. Scootaloo panicked. She had no idea what to do.

"Help!" she screamed, vaguely in the hope somepony could hear her, but mostly because she couldn't do anything else.
"Somepony, please! I need help!"
She looked into Stride's eyes and saw the fear in them. Panic matching hers.
"Heeelp!"
To her surprise and relief, two flying mares appeared in the distance. 
The wind was calming down, go figure, and their talking was clearly audible.

"Is that them," she heard Storm's voice in the distance, at which the fastest pony in Equestria raced towards them with a Rainbow trail. The look on her face went from joy to terror when the colt came into view.
"No no no," Rainbow exclaimed, landing near Stride's trembling body and writhing through her mane. 

Storm landed near them, immediately going into action. She seemed to know how to massage Stride's chest in the right way to make it stop. He no longer trembled. His hoof stopped clawing at his chest. The colt's eyes closed and the foam stopped coming.
"We need to get him to the hospital," the mother's voice cracked. Her eyes were all teared up.

Rainbow Dash lay the colt on her back. The storm had come to an end and now she had the ability to roam freely, so she went straight towards the hospital. Scootaloo looked at them move away at large speed. Storm lifted her on her back, "I feel you'll want to come too," the mare said. Scootaloo nodded.





It took a long time before they were allowed to enter the room. It was mostly silent in the hallway of the hospital, apart from the occasional injured pony passing by. The storm had claimed its victims, luckily not as many as Storm had initially feared. Rainbow Dash held her adopted sister close. The child was crying. Despite the urge to try and console her, Storm knew she better leave Scootaloo be for now. The doctor had given Rainbow Dash an eye patch. One of those white cushions taped to your head with a bandage. Her eye would most likely take some time to heal. 

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Applejack appeared in the hallway. Applejack had to be checked for a concussion, but appeared to be fine. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hugged their fellow crusader, who had now stopped crying. She did however still look a bit down.

Directly after Scootaloo had explained what had happened to her friends, nurse Redheart came trotting towards them. 
She turned to Storm, who listened attentively.

"He has a few minor fractures in his forelegs," the mare started. Storm nodded and motioned for her to go on.
"His hind leg is broken. He did suffer a heart attack, but he is in no immediate danger."
Storm nodded again, a blank expression on her face. 
If only Burst weren't on duty right now. She preferred handling the medical info together.
"His second left shoulder is snapped and his wing bone splintered."

The ears of everypony in the room flopped up.
"He is currently unconscious and will probably be so for a while. I suggest he stays in the hospital for a few more weeks and then he needs a month of rest at home. I disadvise school. You can visit him tomorrow."
The mare turned tail when Storm didn't appear to have any more questions. She trotted back to Stride's room to make sure he was comfortable.

"Second shoulder?" Scootaloo said, "But Stride doesn't have wings!"
Apple Bloom shook her head and turned toward Scootaloo, "He could walk on clouds, Scootaloo."
The filly frowned, not understanding, "How did he do that?"
Storm gave her a sad motherly smile, "He's a pegasus, Scootaloo."
"But... No wings," Applejack muttered, still a bit dozy after the fiasco.
Rainbow Dash sighed deeply, "Were they removed? His wings?"
"Yes, they were."

Rainbow lowered her head between her hooves, as if trying to get rid of a painful memory.
"But... Why?" Scootaloo now asked, "Why would somepony's wings be removed?"
Rainbow leaned backwards and gave her a depressed look, "Sometimes wings start growing inward and have to be surgically removed, or they will kill the pegasus."
She turned her look towards Storm compassionately, "It happens most when tribes cross."
Storm nodded confirming. 

It was silent for minutes. Nopony felt like getting up and walking away. The chairs they sat on held them like magnets. Scootaloo turned to look towards the ceiling.
"Why did he go after me?" she thought aloud. She felt Apple Bloom lay a hoof on her shoulder.
"Scoots, do you know the last thing he said when you ran out?"
Scootaloo turned her head, her ears flopping down.
"He said he didn't want to be my special somepony."

She didn't care so many ponies were sitting around her anymore. She wasn't embarassed anymore. She was hurt. Of course, she would never grudge him for not liking her. After all, the first time they had met, she had crashed into him with a scooter. That only made her surprise greater when Apple Bloom spoke again.

"He called out after you. He didn't say he liked you. He said he loved you."
It felt like a huge weight was lifted off her heart. Scootaloo's ears perked up as she frowned in confusion.
"But... Then why..."

A large sigh from Storm prompted her to stop. The mare showed a broken smile.
"Of course he would do something like that," Storm talked to herself, "Just so typically Stride." She turned her gaze towards Scootaloo. The pain in the mother's eyes was visible and Scootaloo felt the weight return to her chest. Bad news was coming.
"When Stride's wings were removed, something went wrong," Storm explained.
"W- What went wrong?" the filly asked, knowing the answer wouldn't be pretty.
"What was left of his wings kept growing inwards. The doctors- they couldn't-"

The mare's voice sounded like she was about to break. Rainbow Dash, who sat in between her and Scootaloo, wrapped an arm around the sad mare and did her best to console her.
"They couldn't make it stop. They couldn't help him and- and now, he's-"
She now sounded like she was crying rather than speaking.
"He's dying."

It felt like the weight on Scootaloo's chest crushed it completely. She couldn't accept this. For months, she had been wondering whether or not Stride liked her. She had been thinking of what house they could live in, what kind of cutie marks they would get together, what kind of life they would have together... What kind of future they would have together. Then she had been turned down. She had been heartbroken, seeing everything fall into an abyss of despair. She had run, she had run like she did from everything. She had run from being a blank flank. She had run from being flightless. She had run from Stride. Now, now he had caught up with her. Now he had stopped her from running , all the while giving her yet another thing to run from.

Applejack stood up and tapped her sister's shoulder.
"Come on, Apple Bloom. Mac'll be worried sick thinkin' Mah head's goop."

The two walked out, Apple Bloom giving Scootaloo a regretful glance. A silent way of saying we'll talk later, promise. Sweetie Belle was the next to leave, knowing both Rarity and their parents would be looking for her. 

Rainbow Dash looked down on Scootaloo, who was frowning in disbelief. The cerulean weather pony was also not untouched by the revelation, but managed to stay stoic. Storm gazed out the window silently. Instead of prompting her adoptive sister to leave with her, Rainbow Dash grabbed her for a tight hug. Holding the child close, she turned her look towards Storm.
"Would you, perhaps, uh- How about we head to my place and I get us some coffee? It's been a rough day."





The sight before Stride's eyes was familiar. Large orbs of light danced through the Dreamscape, along with many little screens of the past. Stride reached out for one of them. He saw his mother smile down at him. She picked him up from his cradle and gently rocked him back and forth. Stride could feel her warmth around him. A calming warmth. Soothing. He stared at the picture. It was so simple. So normal. So everyday. It wouldn't let him go. No, he didn't want to go. Suddenly, a deep sadness overwhelmed him. He hardly felt he deserved it.

"She loves you very much," a voice sounded behind him.
It did not take him long to recognise who's voice it was. He kept his gaze locked on the memory.
"I know," he said, bitterness in his voice.
Luna walked closer. She stopped next to him, her eyes also turned to the screen.
"Then why are you so sad about it?"

Stride turned to look at his visitor. The screen disappeared in a short flash of light. The princess turned her head towards him, looking straight into his eyes. He could feel it. She was ancient. Older than his house. Older than Ponyville. Older than Manehattan. But despite that age, that wisdom, she still looked young. She still sounded young. She still acted young. She still had the emotions of a young mare. It felt strange. He was a boy, struggling to grow up in time before the inescapable caught up with him. He wanted to experience the comings of adulthood, age. Yet here before him stood a mare with centuries behind her tail, who never seemed to have given up on a young mind. Granted, she wasn't childish or immature, but she had this aura. An aura of a pony who had so much more to learn, alongside the aura of a pony with so much to teach. Stride frowned at the idea he knew her so well after only having met twice. Perhaps it was her alicorn persona. The princess gave him a reassuring smile.

"Will you answer my question? If you know she loves you that much, then why are you sad about it?" Luna asked again. Stride bit his lip in thought.
"Because I don't deserve it."
The mare shook her head, "Now now, Stride. I thought I had told you this already?"
"I don't value myself, I know," Stride groaned, "But maybe I'm right to do so."
"What for?"

Stride was starting to feel angry. Not with princess Luna, but with himself. The surroundings changed around him. he barely noticed.
"I am their only child," Stride said, "And I'm already taking that away from them."

They were in the maternity ward of the Manehattan hospital. Stride turned his head away from the sight of his mother talking to the doctor. She held a little foal Stride in her forelegs. Burst stood next to her, a distraught expression on his face. Behind the doctor was a large picture of Storm's womb. The doctor motioned towards it, but everything was mute. At first, Stride wondered why. Then he noticed his foal head was covered with a blanket. His confusion was short. He realised his thoughts would change the dream, so he just continued speaking to Luna, trying to ignore the scenery.

"They took me here to enjoy life. Not to have to worry about school or social issues."
They were outside in the fields of Sweet Apple Acres, in the bare land that was being readied by Big Mac for the planting of new trees.
"The first thing I did when I came here was go to school and get into trouble with bullies. I tore up the only thing I ever did well-"
They were in his room, the flipped desk laying in a pile of shreds from what used to be a music sheet. Water came running underneath the door. Traces of foam and soap were visible in the thin stream.
"- and soon after, I nearly drowned myself."

The scenery was blown away by a fierce wind, but Stride stood in the middle of it all without enduring any effect. Luna stood before him, looking straight at him.
"Now I tried to play the hero and just got myself hurt again. Now I hurt mom again. And I hurt Scootaloo. I always hurt everypony. I don't deserve for them to love me."

Luna kneeled down before him and lifted up his head with her forehoof. Tears streamed down his face.
"Then tell me, Stride, if you aren't worth loving, why do they? Because they're fools? Because they're blind? No Stride. You are a good person. You are a good friend and you have made your parents proud in so many ways."
"But... I've been so bad to them..."
Luna raised above him. Her flowing mane glittered starlight.
"Do you really think a bad pony would realise that?"
Stride pondered on that, then shook his head, "Well... No, not really." His face contorted into a confused expression. 

The princess gladly reached him her left front hoof.
"Waltz with me."
"Huh?"
Luna winked at him as if she knew something he didn't.
"Let me show you how to dance. I sense you'll be needing it soon enough."

A bit doubtful, Stride accepted her hoof and let her drag him into a long peaceful waltz across the Dreamscape. They waltzed through the nothingness, on pure starlight. Memories around him starting to form a large blend of blackness and white light. Stride forgot all his worries. The little colt even forgot about the princess' presence as slowly but surely, he descended into a dreamless slumber.





Pain was the first thing. Pain was also the most recognisable thing. Stride decided to ignore the pain. How long had he been out? He wasn't sure. He had been under deep. He blinked in the bright light of the sun, shining through the window into the white room. He felt something strange on his left ear. He soon realised it didn't just hurt, but a piece was missing. A small chip out of it. He groaned. 

What he had not expected, was for somepony to respond to the groan. Immediately, he felt his ribcage being crushed by a way too firm hug. Looking down at whoever was assaulting him, he saw it was Scootaloo clinging onto him. She had dried up tear stains under her eyes nd looked like she hadn't slept very well. In the corner of the room, mom was sitting on a chair. She smiled at him. A relieved smile. She didn't get up however, as she did not want to disturb this moment with Scootaloo.

"How long have I been out," he asked, his voice raspy and his throat sore.
"One day, honey," Storm said.
One day. Scootaloo probably knew what was going on by now, but he felt he had to check.
"Scootaloo, the reason I said I couldn't be your special somepony-" Her hoof blocked his lips. She gave him a mad grin.
"I love you too."

Stride didn't really know what to say. To hear her say she like liked him waas one thing. To hear her say she loved him was entirely different. He decided it best to tell her what was playing his mind.
"But I will be gone soon."
"I know. I still love you. I still don't want to give up on you," Scootaloo replied. She almost sounded as if she was trying to convince herself.
Stride lay a hoof on her shoulder, "I'll be gone in the blink of an eye."

The filly turned to look straight at him and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, tears well up in them, "You're still here." She jumped around his neck. Her chin was on his shoulder, her body so very close. He could feel her trembling more than he was. She broke the hug and held his shoulders so she could get a good look at him, "Besides, that stupid face of yours just has to be eternal."
During those weeks, she barely left the side of his bed.