Healing Wounds

by Downunda Thunda

You've got a friend in me

It was a nice, clear day in Ponyville. All the ponies were going about their business, and all the pegasi were soaring through the sky… All of them, except one. Rainbow Dash looks longingly from the front door of Sugarcube Corner up at the skies, watching all the other pegasi flying, before turning to look at the two stumps on her back. Where her wings were once attached to. She lets a single tear fall down her cheek before going inside and putting her work apron on.

“Hey Rainbow! Ready for work?” Pinkie Pie asked over enthusiastically.

“Oh, hey Pinks… Yeah.” She puts on a soft smile, but Pinkie saw right through it and saw that Rainbow was feeling depressed.

“Why so glum?” Pinkie said, toning it down from her usual bubbly self, much to Rainbow’s relief.

“Days like today, I used to love to fly. I’d be up there with all the other Pegasi, fling in and around clouds, not a care in the world… I just… miss it.” said Rainbow, a hint of longing in her voice.

“Aww, well, I’ll teach you everything about being an Earth Pony if you want!” Pinkie said, her usual smile springing back onto her face.

“What’s to teach? Earth Ponies aren’t really special…” Her eyes shrink as she realizes how insulting that could come off as. “Uh, no offence.”

“None taken...I guess,” Pinkie said, a little unsure. “but I’m sure somepony will come in and change things for you.”

At that moment, the bell above the door jingles, as a pony walked in, while Pinkie went back into the kitchen to help the Cakes with the baking.

“Hi! Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner!” Rainbow said with as much of a smile as she could muster, as an orange pony with a curly brown mane walked up to the counter.

“Hey… I know you” The pony says to Rainbow Dash.

“You… you do?” Rainbow replies.

“Yeah.. How could I forget that mane.” The pony’s eyes are lit up with admiration. “You’re an awesome flyer.”

“I was an awesome flyer..” Rainbow turns and shows the stumps on her sides.

The mare then realized what she said, “Oh… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“It’s okay.. You didn’t know… Is there anything I can get you?” Rainbow said, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“Yes, I’d like a bag of chocolate muffins to go.” The mare says brightly.

“Alright.” Rainbow Dash gets what she ordered and passes it over the counter. “That’ll be 5 bits.”

The mare turned to her saddlebags to get her bits when Rainbow came back and saw a scar on the mare’s back. When she turned back to face Rainbow, she saw the shocked reaction on Dash’s face, “Are you alright?” the mare asked.

“Uhh… yeah.” Rainbow Dash shakes her head. “Forgive me for prying… But… How did you get that scar?”

“Oh...um...I...I actually have a scar on both sides, like you, I used to be a pegasus,” she stated calmly as she paid.

“Y… you did?” Said Rainbow, slightly surprised, sweeping the coins off the counter into the cash register.

“Yeah…” The orange pony looks slightly to the floor as she remembers her story.

“Oh.. I’m sorry for asking this…. But, uh… H-how?...”

The mare looked up and surprisingly didn’t look offended or shy about it, “It’s okay, I understand that you’re curious...though, I will tell you...having your wings removed at the age of 6...it kind of scars you. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about what happened. I had a Mom who was dating this stallion and let’s just say...I wasn’t his favorite. He pushed me, he insulted me and sometimes...he hit me. He did all this behind my mother’s back, I tried to tell her but she didn’t believe me.”

“Oh.. I- I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have asked.” said Rainbow, her voice heavy with regret.

“It’s okay, I’m sort of over it. I help pegasus ponies who are going through the same thing with my story. I’m sort of a motivational speaker on the side. But, my wings were rendered useless because one day, he went a little too far and...well...I crashed into the wall of my bedroom back first which broke both of my wings. I was then rushed to the hospital where they had to amputate my wings because the bone broke to the point where they couldn’t be fixed. After I was released from the hospital, I was removed from my mother’s custody and placed with an adoptive family.”

Rainbow Dash just stands there silently behind the counter, letting her story sink in.

“You see, at first, I was really sad about losing my wings. Because I hadn’t even learned to fly yet, but as I grew older, I kept telling myself that it wasn’t my fault that it happened and that I need to think positive. But, my family didn’t really understand me and kinda limited me because of my...you know...they wouldn’t let me do anything on my own, they got on me for finding a way to walk on a cloud again and it made me fall back into depression. But then, I found a way to express my feelings.”

“Wow... “ Was all Rainbow could say. She looked up to the mare in front of her with admiration… before she noticed there had been quite a line gathering behind her while they had talked.

“Sorry if I’m holding everypony up, but before I go...I need to tell you this...I know what you’re going through and I know it hurts now but I know you’ll find a way to get past it and find a way to be the amazing athlete you are. I know because the Rainbow Dash I know doesn’t give up, no matter how tough life is.” Rainbow smiled softly at that, feeling somewhat reassured.

“Well, I’d better get going, my date is going to want these muffins warm.” She giggled lightly

The pony turned to leave, but then Rainbow realized she never got the mare’s name.

“Wait!” Rainbow called after her. “I never got to ask your name.”

“Oh, it’s Brush Stroke! And if you need to talk to somepony, give me a call.” Brush then pulled out a piece of paper from her saddlebag, and wrote down her number, and handed it to Rainbow.

“I will, thank you.” Said Rainbow, feeling better than she had that morning.

Brush then smiled with a small nod and left.

Author's Note:

This was written as a colabaration with Brush Stroke, thank you so much to her for helping me with this story.

Torn from the sky was my first story that I actually published here to fimfiction.net, and it's something I've always wanted to go back to, but I never really knew what I was going to do for a sequel.

I hope you guys all enjoy this story. Please give me feedback, and anything we could do to improve the story.