Scars in the Sky

by Toriandthehorse

4 - Left A Scar

The tears come fast, before I even have a chance to stop them. Cascading out of me. Tears I didn’t allow myself to cry, even in my worst moments. I can’t stop now. They sting the scars, bringing even more physical pain. The internal pain is unbearable. I sit down onto the carpet, bury my face in my hooves.

That’s when familiar hooves appear, wrapping me in their embrace. He doesn’t say anything. Just holds me, as the tears flow, and flow, and flow.

---

When I open my eyes, the sun is shining brightly. It immediately hurts – I haven’t seen much of such a sun in a long time. As I adjust, I can see I’m not in the foyer anymore. Instead, I’m in an upstairs room - my bedroom.

I’m lying on my bed, I note. It’s… a strange feeling, to be on something so soft after years and years of sleeping in trenches on sometimes nothing more than a heap of dirt. I already feel restless, mere seconds after waking. Surely there’s something I have to train for; surely there’s something I have to win… or else.

As I start to get up, the stiffness returns. My wings ache so – particularly the left. The soles of my hooves are chapped and worn. When I go to step onto the floor, even such a cloud stings. I hold my inhale a moment, letting the pain settle.

Then I walk to the door, and step out into the hall. My Wonderbolt items greet me as the first thing I see, as I make my way along. Awards clutter the walls, always blue – the color of a champion. Photos where the whole team is sweat-streaked, but with such joy in laughing eyes. There’s the newspaper clippings, of when I broke this record, or that record. Even more photos. I reach out and tenderly stroke one of me flying, Soarin watching with obvious pride. It used to be my favorite, I remember. I think I still see why.

I shake my head. They were good times, but they’re old times. Now, I’m just a pegasus, broken from years of war born from hate and fighting.

“Dash?” A voice calls softly. Soarin. Has he been here all night? Did he think I couldn’t be trusted to be alone? I hear hoofsteps, trotting up the stairs. He should fly up. He should appreciate flying. I turn away from my walls when he appears at the top. I notice his mane isn’t as perfectly styled – several strands are loose. His coat is slightly disheveled, and his eyes look… raw. Had he been… crying? Because of me? I don’t want him to cry because of me. “How’d you sleep?” His tone is so gentle. The kind of tone I haven’t heard in so, so long.

I shrug, avoid meeting those piercing green eyes, so incredible. Somehow… I feel as though I’ll break down, drown, in that intelligent pool of green.

“Right.” He whispers, looking down. I hear him clear his throat, quietly, as though he doesn’t want me to hear. Part of me laughs so hard at that, every single time ponies do this. Everypony believes they can hide something from a war pony. They believe that we’re made ignorant, and, well, dumb from war. What they don’t realize is that it’s quite the opposite. A war pony picks up on everything. We read body language like a book. If anything, war makes us sharper. It just… comes at such a large price…

“Breakfast is on the table, if you want it…” Soarin’s voice trails off. I’m not hungry. My stomach feels as though I’ve eaten nothing but sharp, sharp rocks. But he looks so… hopeful. I think he needs me to come with him.

“Sure. Thanks.” I can do something for somepony else. Again.

---

A meeting was in progress in the elegant Castle of Friendship.

“R-Rainbow D-D-Dash didn’t l-like my PARTY!” Pinkie Pie sobbed. Fluttershy patiently handed her another tissue, gently rubbing her friend’s quivering back rhythmically. Then taking the newly drenched tissue and adding it to the growing pile.

“And did you glimpse the poor dear’s coat?” Rarity shuddered, pinching her eyes shut as though to wipe away all memory of the images.

“We have to do something to help her.” Twilight declared, tone firm. Her magic flicked through the pages of The Outsider’s Guide to War, How We Deal, War Minds, and The Truth about Emotions rapidly, eyes scanning each word carefully. She kept an ear turned toward the others, listening only half-heartedly.

“Y’all, maybe Dash just doesn’t want to be helped. Maybe she doesn’t need to be helped.” Applejack joined in, twiddling her hooves uncomfortably. She slouched against the wall, hat drawn low as to hide her eyes.

“Why would you say that?” Twilight scoffed. She didn’t look up from the books she was skimming.

“Well… she just got back from war. Who knows what ran through her mind when Pinkie’s cannon went off!” Applejack answered. “That was an attempt to ‘help’ and look how it ended!” Pinkie looked up, eyes wet and bottom lip trembling.

“I-I made her…” The party pony dropped to a tear-clogged whisper. “Sad?” When nopony answered, a fresh round of loud sobbing erupted. Fluttershy only sighed and passed over yet another fresh tissue.

“Well, think about it. Probably sounded some like what must’ve been out on the fields, aye?” Applejack pointed out, sitting up. This time Twilight looked up, even cutting her magic. Pinkie paused the waterworks, big eyes widening to bigger.

“Applejack! Y-You’re… right!” She gasped. “Oh no… my party did the exact opposite of what I wanted it to!” Fluttershy moved in closer, armed with a tissue. But Pinkie’s eyes narrowed, immediately void of any tears. “Not now, my little Flutters. Now…” A grim, determined smile spread across the pink mare. She pushed aside the pile of soggy tissues, jumping to her feet. “Now is the time… to make Rainbow… un-sad!”

With a very rapid propelling of her hind feet, Pinkie dashed off in a pink blur.

“That wasn’t mah point.” Applejack muttered.

---

I thought I could choke down something. But… after just one bite of Soarin’s rich apple pie… I just can’t. It’s too sweet; too rich. I don’t want to be rude, but all I can do is pick at it.

We stay in silence. Soarin’s eating, staring blankly at his plate. I cut the small slices into even smaller slices.

“You don’t like it?” He asks, gesturing to my own plate. I look away, taking a breath before I snap at him too. I have to keep it together. Have to keep it together, together, together.

“It’s good.” I say, simply. Which… is true. I would have devoured such a pie. Before I left for the war. Wordlessly, he pulls my plate toward him. With a small smile, he gets up and hooks a mug with his wing, filling it with water and then setting it to heat. Once it’s hot, he sets the rainbow-streaked mug down in front of me.

Before I have the chance to say anything, a very soft knocking sounds from the door.

Comments

[Ninjadeadbeard]

Oh Pinkie... don’t do it.

[THERDSTORYWHISPERER]

Oh no Pinkie Pie, please don't make it worse for my favorite pony!

[Toriandthehorse]

9897258
Hehehe....

[Ccleecia]

Uh-oh I really hope Pinkie Pie knows what she's doing, otherwise she will only make things worse for Rainbow Dash to recover from that terrible war. But she'll get better in time my little pony's. In time with baby steps my pony's. Baby steps.

[Toriandthehorse]

9898782
Yes... all in good time.
Thanks for reading!

[Ccleecia]

9899189
Your welcome my Friend.