• Published 12th Sep 2014
  • 8,246 Views, 491 Comments

One Last Trick - Cloud Hop



I'm in a hospital bed with tubes coming out of orifices I didn't know I had. Why am I there? Why is Rainbow Dash sitting in the corner? Why is she crying?

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Alone

I awake in the same, empty hospital room I’ve woken up in for the past two weeks. Rainbow Dash is nowhere to be seen, and I am both relieved and disappointed. Relieved, because I still don’t know what to think about the part she played in the accident. Disappointed, because it’s really, really boring lying in bed all day with nopony to talk to.

My mind returns to my uncertain relationship with Rainbow Dash. On one hoof, I badly want to blame her for everything—an experienced flyer should’ve known better! The problem is that I should’ve known better, too. Why didn’t I pull up? What was I thinking? With my short-term memory obliterated, I’ll never know what led to me making that crucial mistake. Maybe I was so smitten with Rainbow Dash that my desire to impress her overrode my common sense. That was… probably exactly what happened, to be honest. I feel myself blushing, despite being alone. They weren’t kidding about love being blind.

This, however, raises a more relevant question: Am I still in love with Rainbow Dash? I can remember meeting her, and thinking she was hot, but that magical moment where I really fell in love with her was lost. Sometime during that fateful night, I realized that I wanted to be with Rainbow Dash for the rest of my life, and I’ve forgotten all of it. The date, the conversation, the kiss. I’ve been reset to day one, except now I’m a completely different pony—one without wings. Rainbow Dash can try her best to relay that night from her perspective, but it feels alien to me, like she is describing a stranger. We’d have to start over from square one. The perfect, storybook ending we both wanted has been torn away from us, a casualty of our own stupid choices.

The hard truth is that I am no longer the pony that fell in love with Rainbow Dash. We had admired each other, we were both driven towards our mutual goal of becoming Wonderbolts. We had connected over our shared love for stunt flying, and now I have no wings. If I were to rekindle our romance, I wouldn’t know where to start. This is uncharted territory, and my knowledge of how things went before won’t help me. Now I’m nothing more than a cripple, a useless weight holding Rainbow Dash back from her dreams. No matter how guilty Rainbow Dash feels, it seems impossible for this to work.

I am shaken from my musings when I realize that it’s past mid-afternoon and Rainbow Dash still hasn’t shown up.

She always shows up.

My morose feelings quickly give way to concern, which gradually turns to alarm as the shadows on the floor grow longer. I remember last night, and how depressed she had been by the end of it, and how I had said nothing. Alarm turns into terror as my overactive imagination starts thinking of all the stupid things Rainbow Dash might have done. With a trembling hoof, I push the nurse call button and try to steady my breathing. Less than a minute later, I hear the doorknob turn, and Nurse Pleasant Heart walks in.

“Is everything alright, Mr. Glider?” She asks, wandering up to examine the various medical instruments I’m still plugged into.

“W-well, sort of,” I stammer, unsure of how to phrase my question. “I was, u-uh, wondering if Rainbow Dash stopped by today? Y’know, maybe when I was asleep, o-or something.”

“Hmmmm...” Pleasant Heart looks concerned. “I don’t actually know, I’ll have to check with the front desk. I’ll be back in a bit, alright?”

I nod and watch her leave. I try to stare out the window in an effort to calm my nerves, but the only thing I can see is the occasional pegasus flying between the buildings, once again reminding me of my missing limbs. I let out a long sigh and return to staring at the floor instead. Being a cripple was terribly boring, I muse. It’s even worse when I’m anxiously waiting for something. I want to get up and fly, but even pacing around would be better. Moving at all would be better. I quickly begin to long for the day I can use my legs again, as that would be infinitely better than being stuck in a bed for the rest of my life.

The minutes inch by at a painfully slow pace. If I didn’t know better I would blame Celestia for slowing the sun down. I feel like a colt again, waiting in agonizing boredom for the school bell to ring and release me from my hell. But here, there was no bell, no certainty, no schedule. Just an endless slog that could drag on for 5 more minutes or 50 more minutes.

“Hello again, Prism Glider!” ...Or 5 more seconds, as Nurse Pleasant Heart trots in at just that moment. “Apparently the front desk received a letter from Rainbow Dash that was to be delivered to you later today, but I guess somepony just misplaced it or… something.” Pleasant Heart giggles. “It can get kind of busy here, you know. Anyway, here’s the note, is there anything else you need?”

I begin shaking my head, before I realize that without wings, or even a working pair of forelegs, reading that note was going to be very difficult. “Uh, could you hold it up for me while I read it?”

“Oh, of course, Mr. Glider. I need to check your medication anyway, we’re hoping to wean you off of some of the opioids soon.”

I nod, and turn my attention to the letter floating in front of me...

Hey Prism Glider!

So, Princess Celestia has called all the Elements to Canterlot, effective immediately. The reason is like, super top secret or something, but I know it has something to do with that assassination attempt on Princess Luna. I think so, anyway.

But yeah, I know this is kind of really awful timing, and I even told Princess Celestia that! Unfortunately Celestia was adamant that we all show up in Canterlot for… reasons, and uh, there may have been a small argument about… things. And I might have called our immortal, all-powerful ruler of everything a “stupid bitch”.

So, long story short, I’m in Canterlot now. I tried to visit you in the morning, after I had finished packing my stuff, but the nurses really didn’t want me to wake you up while you were sleeping. I tried to argue with them—really!—but they wouldn’t budge, so now I’m just writing you a letter.

I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for everything… again. I mean I’ve probably told you I’m sorry like a million times and I know it doesn’t make anything better but before I leave I just have to let you know that I’m really fucking sorry and I’ve never been this sorry in my whole life and I just don’t know what else to say and I’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible and I gotta go now so bye!

— Rainbow Dash

I admit that the part about calling Celestia a “stupid bitch” got a chuckle out of me. Mostly I’m simply relieved there is a reason Rainbow Dash didn’t show up today, and that reason isn’t me or because something happened to her. I’m still bummed that she won’t be showing up again for a week, or however long that “investigation” takes. It’ll probably involve saving Equestria from certain destruction, again.

I ask the nurse to leave the letter on the table next to my bed, and since she’s already here I also ask for some dinner, which ends up being more mediocre hospital food. Munching away on a flower sandwich, I wonder what I’m going to spend my days doing now that Rainbow Dash is off on a mission to save Equestria. To be honest, I’m sick and tired of this hospital room. I just wish something would change. Of course, you know what they say.

Be careful what you wish for.

Author's Note:

This chapter took a long time to write. This isn't because I abandoned it to work on other stories, I simply haven't written anything for almost six months. Only very recently did I get out of my rut and start writing again. I can't make any promises, but if I can get back into writing, maybe this will start updating more regularly again.

In addition, because it's been so long, I am looking for more editors or prereaders. If you'd like to volunteer, leave a comment below.

Editors: Acarcion
Prereaders: nightwalker, Lancerot, MLPDavester

Comments ( 30 )

Oooohhh whats gonna happen :pinkiehappy:
Excellent chapter

Oh boy... this is gonna be interesting...

I'm interested in Editing and/or Pre-reading, if you like. Lemmie know.

know that I’m really fucking sorry and

Hmm... I don't know, but I think leaving as just "really sorry" actually sounds more sincere.

Throwing cusses in the middle subtracts from that. I only do that irl when I'm apologising for something that could be laughed at in retrospect or if it's not genuine. But that's just me.

7516699

Rainbow Dash swears a lot in this universe and her concept of "sincere" isn't very well developed in the first place. She's not used to dealing with situations like this.

Glad to see an update. This one is one of my faves.

7517360

STDs don't exist in Equestria :derpytongue2:

Glad to see this updated

love being blind.

If live is bind, why is lingerie so popular? </philosoraptor>

Short, but interesting chapter, nicely done man! :yay:

Keep it up man!

Also, off-topic, but I'm seeing an add for a dating site, that says Date a Brony, and its a picture of Pinkie Pie kissing Applejack...
:trollestia:
Well den

an experienced flyer should’ve know better!
an experienced flyer should know better!
an experienced flyer should’ve known better!

Other than that I spotted no issues.

I simply haven't written anything for almost six months. Only very recently did I get out of my rut and start writing again. I can't make any promises, but if I can get back into writing,

Man do I know this feel. I've been stuck in something similar for a while Even tried loosening up my standards on an OC insert, slice of life, make it up as I go, series. Nothing. Here's to hoping we both get the writing juices flowing again soon.
Can't wait to see what Prism Glider makes of things. Stay classy, mate, and as always: Never Stop Writing.

I enjoy this a lot. It is somewhat similar to something that happened to an OC of mine, although she lost her wings while very young and found a way around that, making it part of her talent, meaning most wouldn't be able to replicate it.

7517582 there is a big difference between lust and love. One will fade like straw in a fire, the other can last for a life time.

Hey Cloud Hop! I'd gladly be an editor or pre-reader, whichever one you want or both! I'm happy to help!!

I don't like swearing, but it is weaved into Rainbow Dash's character in this story. I believe that the Fornication Under the Census of the King abbreviation was very natural feeling in the letter.

Why hello there, welcome back! Good to see you writing again.
So, assassination attempt at Luna. Why would anyone ever want to do that? There are some real idiots out there. Oh well.
Heh, Dash calling Celestia a stupid bitch. I can see that happening, with how hot-headed Rainbow is.

And those last words. Weird stuff is about to happen, isn't it?

great chapter. now i must wait patiently for another :derpytongue2:

I may have to keep rereading this to keep the quality of one of my stories up. The inner thoughts are really great and the emotions are rolling thickly off the page. It should help me keep from over simplifying or over telling, since I'm not using prereaders for mine.

oh my im super glad you still around :D this story is great and i really look forward to next chapters, hope you are doing okay too cloud :pinkiehappy:

Nooooooo. This story can't die. It means so much to me. I read it almost two years ago, and I finally came back to see it updated. I was so happy, but it's still not complete. I read this story at a very specific time, and I started using PrismGlider as my username on everything because of it. It just hit me very hard and I will always remember it. Please, I can't wait to see it completed, but I hate to beg for it.

Glad to see this story is back, it's interesting the way it's going and in character, for Dash at least, good job.

Interesting story so far. Please continue.

I hope this story is continued soon. I used to enjoy reading this when it first came out. :twilightsmile:

Awwwww two years since the last update! This is like top story material 100%. I wanted to cry! So well written. :raritycry:

I remember reading this chapter by chapter as they first came out. The journey from barely knowing anything about Prism Glider and how we got from point A to point B was really an absolutely beautiful, if tear-jerking experience.

I just reread everything, and I'll admit I did actually tear up from the amount of emotions that seem never ending in this. I even knew how everything went and it still hit me as hard as when I first read. In fact, I dare say the second time was even more beautifully emotional then the first, as it allowed me to really linger on each action and thought of the characters.

Though I would hope to see this continued, even if this really has ended here, it was still an indescribable journey. Thank you for that much, Cloud Hop.

Is there any chance you will come back to this story sometime?
It is really good...

Why do great stories always stop updating right as we get to the end?

10059751

I actually wrote the ending already, but there's a fair bit between here and the end and I got stuck trying to figure out what it should be and then I got a job.

What will probably end up happening is the intended romantic arc here will get hugely compressed just so I can get to the end part and finish it, because otherwise it'll never get finished.

10061163
Im just happy to hear its still being worked on.

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