//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Rejuvenation  
// Story: Memories: A Soarin Dash Tail: Part 1: The only friend is a dead one. 
// by Soarin Blaze 
//------------------------------//

I knew I could never return to Cloudsdale; my failure had permanently marked me a spot on the roster to go next in the Rainbow Factory, so I made a visit to Ponyville. I had seen anyplace outside of Cloudsdale; it was my home, my sanction of pain. I attempted to gather information of the town my trying to talk to any passing pony, but the result was always the same. Each pony showed a passing glance at me, ignoring my words, pleading for answers. I knew I wasn’t going to be helped, so I was forced to hide. I was taking shelter in an empty garbage can on the side of the road. I knew that I was made to not be loved and cared for, and it took up until that point to truly let the thought sink in. I was walking in and about still being ignored by other ponies as I continued to ask each passing pony. Now finally giving up on the hunt for assistance, I glanced up and saw a rainbow mane filly beginning to race two other colts in the clouds above. I knew in my mind that the Rainbow mane filly didn’t stand a chance, so I turned my head down yet again looking for food amongst the group, which I could enjoy. Suddenly, I heard it, BOOM; the thundering boom of an explosion shattered the silence of the sky in a grand detonation as I turned up to look at the sky. I was nervous to see what caused to deafening bang. I was astonished at what I saw, a massive rainbow disk cloud covering the sky. It covered the entire sky as the cloud reached further and further out. 
“I thought that the Sonic Rainboom was an old mare’s tale.” I thought to myself, but the image before me proved so otherwise in a grand fashion. I don’t know why, but simply gazing at the Rainboom forced a smile on my face. I was never happier in my life, seeing that Sonic Rainboom changed my mind about everything, knowing something that used to simply be only a story, now a reality. I soon forgot about my dearest friend as all dark memories vanished from my subconscious. I left the town and headed to a nearby park, the entire area being vacant of life. It seemed odd how the entire park was vacant, nothing seemed amiss at all. Suddenly, I looked up to see a solid black cloud approaching me in the distance. I saw solid white streaks coming from the dark mass. I never knew what lightning sounded like or what it looks like, but I learned right at that moment. It began pouring right above me, I became almost instantly drenched, now soaking wet and freezing. I knew I would get the Feather Flu if I was exposed to the rain for too long, but I saw there was no way to protect me. Suddenly, I saw a lonesome bench off in the distance, the only structure in the entire park, now the only way of protection for me. I ran as fast as I could in the pouring rain, the freezing raindrops pounding on my face. I took shelter under the bench, now shivering and exhausted.
“I want my Mommy and Daddy.” I cried to myself. Then, a sudden bolt of blinding light struck the ground with a deafening boom no more than twenty feet away from me. I had never been so terrified in my entire life. Adrenaline charged in my veins once again; I jumped out and tried to fly as far away as my wings would carry me. Suddenly, a bright flash engulfed my vision, blinding me for only a second. My entire body was suddenly struck numb as my ears began ringing and all I saw was a solid light. I fell down and crashed on the hard surface of the earth. The pain of the fall followed by the pain of the bolt struck me simultaneously; sending me into a reeling fit on anguish and agony. The pain eventually became too much for me, slowly fading my vision to nothingness. I thought it was the end for me, my short life now cut to an electrifying conclusion. My vision eventually began to return, only bringing forth a distant light intensifying as it grew brighter, eventually to a blinding brightness. Suddenly, I heard a heartbeat monitor amongst the void, followed by a voice echoing throughout my mind.
“He’s waking up.” The voice spoke, from an unknown direction. I wasn’t sure if I should’ve been terrified, or relieved. The voice seemed one relief; as if obtaining good news. 
“Whose voice was that?” I thought to myself as my voiced bounced about in my head. 
“You’ve been out cold a couple of days now;” The voice responded immediately, as if it heard my thoughts trough my subconscious. “Here, let me remove those bandages” the voice spoke again, this time with a touching sensation on my hoof, but with no visual to match it to; as if only my ears recognized the feeling. When I soon opened my eyes, I was greeted to blinding, godly light, forcing me to close my eyes again, sending me back into the void of my mind. 
“Whoa careful now; don’t want to blind yourself.”  He said to me, now turning the light away from my face. I still couldn’t manage to put a face to the voice, the blinding light blocking all vision. 
“You got a visitor.” The voice said, still unable to see from the light. 
“Who would want to visit a loser like me?” I thought to myself, unable to believe anypony in Equestria would ever dignify them to visit a pony such as myself. I opened my eyes to see the same filly I saw the day before, the same that created the beautiful painting that graced the sky a few days before. She now looked right in my eyes, my vision still hazy. 
“I Hope you feel better.” She said to me, leaning forward and kissing me on the cheek. My face instantly turned solid red as she left the room without another word. I felt my cheek with my hoof, trying to embrace the first sign of affection I had ever felt in my life.
“What is this tingly feeling in my stomach?” I looked down at my stomach, expecting to see an abnormality of any sort; but nothing displayed itself. I looked back at the door to see it was empty, now hoping she would return. I wasn’t able to explain my feelings for her, despite only meeting her only five minutes before. I knew at that moment I was in love with her, but it was the last time I had ever seen her.