• Published 29th Jan 2016
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The Last Cutie Mark Crusader - Jatheus



Equestria is at war. The land is plagued by an unending horde of timberwolves that pour out of the Everfree Forest. Cities have fallen, and it seems everypony is powerless to end the slaughter. Scootaloo was one of the first to enlist...

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29 - Trail, Part 1 of 10

Cloud Blazer hadn't realized that he’d drifted to sleep until he awoke. It was the most fulfilling rest he could remember having had in his entire life. For the first time in what seemed an eternity, nothing hurt. It was as if he were wrapped in a thick warm blanket on a cool autumn day. Waking from his sweet slumber wasn't jarring either. He drifted to consciousness very much as he had left it. He wasn't initially certain what had happened, but upon looking about his hospital room, it was readily apparent that time had passed.

Pixyglitter was still there, but she had fallen asleep in the empty bed on the other side of the room. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were gone. Most telling, light was streaming into the window from outside. His stomach growling was the first harbinger of the pains he would be feeling throughout his body. The dull aches, throbs, and sometimes sharp pains came back slowly at first, and then they were almost all he could think about, as usual.

Hoof steps came up the hallway, and Nurse Redheart entered the room moments later. Cloud Blazer was sure he saw a smile flit across her face when she saw Pixyglitter in the other bed, but it was gone in a flash. She was all business. Finding a blanket in one of the cabinets, she spread it over the sleeping mare before coming over to Cloud Blazer's bed.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked with a hint of good humor.

"I slept.”

"Oh?" she said nonchalantly as she took up his chart. "I see you hadn't been for several days. Did you dream?"

"No... I mean, I don't remember if I did. I feel more rested than I have in weeks."

"That's good," she said just as his stomach growled loudly. "How's your appetite?"

"Not enough food to satisfy it," he smiled, trying to be light-hearted.

"Rationing has us all eating less than we're used to," she replied flatly.

The tone made Cloud Blazer wonder whether she was annoyed by his comment. That wouldn’t be too surprising. She probably got complaints about the food from patients a hundred times a day. He’d have to remember to be a little more thoughtful how he joked about it.

"Are you ready for your PT?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied through gritted teeth.

Dread immediately replaced the stallion’s remaining warm feelings. Physical therapy was rather painful with all of the damage that had been done to his body. Sitting still hurt enough; stretching and moving in general was brutal, and he had no desire to go through it each day. However, they had already informed him that it was absolutely necessary at this phase of his recovery. If he didn't keep working, at least as much as he could to keep moving, that he may permanently lose much of his physical range of motion. He found it difficult to care about this at first, given that he'd already lost his wings. In time, he came to realize that it would only be worse if he didn't cooperate. Not flying would be bad enough, but that was no reason to cripple himself so that he couldn't walk either.

As gently as she was able, Nurse Redheart loaded Cloud Blazer into a wheelchair, sharp pains bolting through his body all the while. She pushed him out of the room and down the hall to the elevator. The strange dreams that he and Pixyglitter had been having were foremost on his thoughts. It served as his primary distraction whenever he did physical therapy. There were several stretches that they did, delicately testing the limits of his ability to move. Walking was difficult, and that was one time he especially tried to keep his mind otherwise occupied.

What could they have meant? Princess Twilight’s castle seemed frequently featured, and there was something locked in the dungeon. In the waking world, there wasn't a dungeon in the castle, and even if there were, nothing he’d ever seen there took more than one key to unlock. Why would it take five keys to open the door?

"Well done!" Doctor Horse cheered.

This somewhat startled Cloud Blazer and brought him back to the moment. He was pleased to discover that he was walking at nearly a normal pace for the first time since he'd fallen. The pain, now that he was focusing on it, was strong, but it felt a little more dull than usual. A new feeling seemed to surge through Cloud Blazer, beginning at his heart and shooting through his extremities. He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it was warm and empowering.

"I still don't understand it, but I have to admit, that Zecora knows her medicine," Doctor Horse shook his head. "I think you're about ready to take longer walks."

"Longer?" Cloud Blazer asked, hopeful but uncertain.

"Yes. Your bones are mending remarkably, and you're past the point where you are likely to get infection from any of your wounds," the doctor said thoughtfully. "It is nothing short of miraculous that you're standing here at all."

Cloud Blazer couldn't help but smile. However, there was an emptiness inside over the loss of his wings, not to mention the disastrous turn his relationship with Scootaloo had taken. It was as if a hole had been punched in his heart, a hole that couldn’t be filled. It often threatened to swallow every ounce of joy he knew. The stallion battled daily to maintain a positive attitude.

"We can't really send any of the staff with you, but if you can get one of your friends to accompany you, I don't see any reason why you can't go for a walk around Ponyville."

The warm feeling spread through Cloud Blazer again. He hadn't realized just how trapped in the hospital he'd been feeling until that moment.

"Just don't overdo it," the doctor cautioned. "Also, be sure to take a wheelchair, just in case, but you can start by walking back to your room.“

Joy began pulsing through Cloud Blazer as he made for the hallway. With every painful burst, that happiness followed behind, growing stronger with each step. This made the walk back up to his room much more bearable. He was pleasantly surprised to find Sweetie Belle talking with Pixyglitter when he arrived. Nurse Redheart left him at the door.

"You're walking!" Sweetie Belle squeaked when she saw him.

"Well, I have to get back to running somehow," he replied with a fiendish grin. He puffed for breath, “I thought walking was a natural, step, in that direction.”

She made a face at him, apparently only somewhat amused at his humor, "Har, har.”

Cloud Blazer detected a scent in the room just then that caused his stomach to growl again.

"I smell zap-apples," he said hopefully as his mouth began to water.

"Wow, Cloud Blazer," Pixyglitter said. "You've got quite a sense of smell."

"I almost forgot," Sweetie Belle said as she produced a zap apple from her bag.

Cloud Blazer got back up onto his bed with a small amount of pain from the usual places and took the fruit from his friend. He looked at it for a few moments, letting his eyes devour the majesty of the tasty morsel. When he sank his teeth into the flesh of it, the juicy sweetness made him shiver as the flavors danced on his tongue.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get more than one for each of you."

"You're kidding, right? You are the best, Sweetie Belle," he said with another mouthful of apple impeding his speech.

She shook her head at him and smiled.

"You sound like like a pig when you eat; you know that?” Pixyglitter’s nose wrinkled in disgust.

He took another bite, slaking his hunger for the moment. He made the effort to swallow the apple before speaking.

"The doctor has cleared me to go for walks outside the hospital."

"Really? That's great!" Sweetie Belle chimed, almost dancing in place from excitement. "Where do you want to go?"

"I was thinking about taking a stroll. Maybe I can make it to Sweet Apple Acres. I keep hearing about all the damage and work to fix it up. I'd like to see it for myself. What do you say, Pixyglitter, are you up for a walk?"

There was a mixture of hope and fear at what he might see, but the need to get outside was far greater than any hesitation he felt.

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