Prologue: Broken Wing
It's hard to believe that everything could go so wrong in just a few years. It all started with the Changeling invasion of Canterlot during the wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.
Oh its not that they weren't stopped, the element bearers behaved admirably in that regard and managed to stop them and Chrysalis. But at a great cost, Cadance was killed in the invasion. As the nation mourned, her husband to be Shining Armor vanished without any explanation.
But even with the death of a Princess, life in Equestria went on as it had before the invasion. At least until something new happened, something nopony had expected, the return of the Crystal Empire and its ruler King Sombra.
The element bearers tried to fight them, but they all vanished, either dead, imprisoned, or worse. And from there Sombra's slave army started its march on Equestria, decimating the unprepared Equestrian army and from there it kept going south towards Equestria proper.
It wasn't until the battle of Manehattan when the Manehattan Militia pushed them back that Equestria had its first victory. I was there, it wasn't a fun experience, we lost a lot of good ponies.
Then there was what happened to Cloudsdale... the dragon Cyrus attacked it, I lost my parents and many of the ponies I knew growing up. It was a nightmare, I couldn't believe it, but we just kept on fighting, Equestria wasn't going to fall as long as we stood against Sombra's forces.
Since then we've been brought into the main Equestrian military, its taken some getting used to, but I've gotten used to it. Since then I've been assigned to the defense of Fillydelphia, Sombra's forces are starting to get close to there.
Oh, you want to know who I am? I'm Commander Rainbow Dash, and this is my story.
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"Commander Dash reporting for duty," I said with a crisp salute as I reported in to my new Commanding Officer, a yellow-orange Pegasus mare with a fiery mane named Spitfire.
"Commander Rainbow Dash, you lead the militia during the battle of Manehattan?" Spitfire asked as she lowered her sunglasses to look at me closer. "I expected you to be a little older with your reputation."
"Yes ma'am, that was me," I said, I had taken over command of the militia after the death of my predecessor. "General Storm sent me to help with the defense of Fillydelphia, ma'am."
"I see, well things aren't exactly going well here," Spitfire said. "Sombra's army is encroaching on the city from the north, but we haven't been able to get any intel from our outpost in the city. I need a Pegasus that can fly fast to get that intel, it could make or break our efforts in Fillydelphia."
"I can do that ma'am, I'm one of the best fliers in Equestria," I said confidently, it was true at least and I was glad to get a chance to help out.
"Alright Commander Dash, you're new here but I'll give you a chance," Spitfire said. "You need to either make it to the Army Outpost in the city center or find one of the courier foals they sent, if one of them is still alive. We need that intel if we're going to defeat Sombra's forces here, do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am," I said with a nod, I frowned a little at the mention of foal couriers. Since the war had gotten bad, fillies and colts were being recruited into the military for smaller roles like couriers, the problem was that was often just as dangerous as fighting. "I won't let you down."
"Make sure that you don't, Commander, dismissed," Spitfire said and I walked out of the room.
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After I got ready and packed my bags with supplies, I started to make my way into the city itself. I just had to hope that I'd be able to get in and out without much problem. I was a little worried actually, the outpost had sent couriers already but something had to have happened to them in the city.
As I flew overhead, I spotted a few scouts wearing the armor of Sombra's forces but by the time they knew I was there I had already gone past.
I wasn't kidding when I said I was fast.
That's when I heard it, the sound of a filly screaming. I stopped and looked around, that's when I saw them. There were a pair of Sombra's soldiers and they were holding an orange Pegasus filly with a purple mane and tail.
I kicked into overdrive at that and flew towards them, slamming into one of the guards and sending him flying into the wall. I turned to the other one and drew my enchanted knife, slashing at the soldier who let out a scream as it cut through it.
That's when an arrow flew past my head and I looked up to see a Pegasus holding a bow and arrow looking down at me. I got the filly into cover before flying up and I kicked at the Pegasus, hard as it drew another arrow, this one was enchanted to explode and it went flying into a building.
I managed to take out the Pony, but I heard a sound and turned to see part of the building crumbling from the explosion. And part of the rubble was falling right towards the filly's hiding spot.
I went into overdrive, this filly wasn't going to die on my watch, I went in for a dive and grabbed the filly just as the debris came crashing down. I felt a sharp pain in my wing, but I ignored it, coming in for a stop as I held the small filly in my forelegs as she cried in fear.
"Calm down, its okay..." I said softly as I tried to calm down the filly. "You're going to be okay."
"Wh-what about you?" The filly asked, I blinked and looked back realizing what had happened, the falling debris had taken my wing clean off. "Your wing..."
"Its okay kiddo, I'll be fine," I said with a smile as I tried to sound more sure than I really felt. "I'm Commander Rainbow Dash, what's your name?"
"Scootaloo," the filly said, that was kind of a weird name. "I'm from Cloudsdale, ot at least I was..."
I sighed, Cloudsdale had been destroyed by a dragon that was allied with King Sombra. I had lost both my parents in that attack, and I couldn't imagine going through that at Scootaloo's age. My heart went out to the small Pegasus that I held in my arms, I wanted to help her, but I really wasn't sure how.
"Come on, let me get bandaged up then we'll go to base, I'll make sure you're safe," I said with a smile and the filly looked up at me with her purple eyes and then smiled back.
Somehow we both knew that she'd be okay.
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I don't remember the trek back to the forward camp too well, all I remember is approaching with Scootaloo on my back. I don't know what it was about this filly, but I felt like I should make sure she got back safely.
After that, the whole world went black and I fell into a dreamless sleep.
When I finally came to I found myself in a hospital bed, Scootaloo was seated in a chair next to my bed fast asleep. I smiled a little, at least she was okay. I leaned back and looked up at the ceiling, my wing ached, but when I looked it was still missing.
"You're awake!" An excited voice said and I looked over to see Scootaloo looking at me before getting up and running out. "Doctor, she's awake!"
I blinked and looked at the door as the doctor came in and looked me over and checked my vitals.
"How are you feeling?" He asked as he finished up.
"My wing hurts," I said and shook my head. "Is that supposed to happen? I mean, its not even there anymore."
"Its called a phantom pain, you'll probably experience them every so often," the doctor said, Scootaloo looked at me worriedly. "Don't worry little filly, she'll be just fine."
"Are you okay, Scootaloo?" I asked, looking at the filly.
"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks to you," Scootaloo said with a smile before frowning. "I'm sorry about your wing... its all my fault."
"No Scootaloo, its not your fault," I said as I ruffled the filly's mane. "I can live without a wing, I just couldn't let anything happen to a filly."
She gives me a smile and climbs up on the bed next to me giving me a gentle hug. I smiled down at the filly, she seemed like a good kid, it was too bad that she had to fight for Equestria... but we had all been pushed to extremes by now.
I just had to hope that she'd be okay.
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A few days passed, Scootaloo only left my side when the Doctors needed to check me out. We had talked a lot, I had learned that she had lost her parents when Cloudsdale was attacked, and had joined to help the war effort not long afterwards.
I wished that there was something I could to to help her.
"Commander Dash, there's somepony here to see you," the Doctor said as he entered.
"Send them in," I said as Scootaloo looked curiously at us. The door opened and several ponies dressed in the golden armor of the Royal Guard, my eyes went wide at that, it meant that whoever it was, was very important.
I was surprised when Princess Celestia herself came in, Scootaloo was clearly as surprised but she gets up and bows along with the doctor.
"Your majesty," I said with a respectful bow of my head. "I wasn't expecting you to visit."
"Commander Dash, you have done a lot to help Equestria in these trying times," Celestia said in a kind voice. "So, there's something I want to do to repay you for all of Equestria."
"You're going to heal her wing?" Scootaloo asked excitedly, I frowned, that was kind of a stretch I had to admit even if it would be nice.
"I am sorry little one, but that is beyond even my ability," Celestia said. "But I brought along two ponies that are willing to help you."
I looked at her strangely for a moment but before I could question it two stallions entered the room. They were dressed in neatly pressed buttoned up blue and white shirts and hats, with yellowish fur and a red and white mane and tail, they looked almost identical except one of them had a mustache.
"Greetings Commander Dash, I'm Flim and this is my brother Flam," the clean shaven stallion said with a smile.
"Together we are the Flim Flam Brothers," Flam said with a smile. "And we're here to help you out on request from Princess Celestia."
I blinked a little at that, I had heard of these Ponies sure, they were the heads of the Steelpony Corporation, which specialized in robotics and cybernetics for the war effort.
"We're working with the government on a new project called Project Rebirth," Flim said. "Its going to help ponies who lost limbs in the war, and we want you to be the first Pony to benefit from it."
"Wow, thank you," I said surprised, I honestly hadn't expected that at all, but it was quite the offer, Scootaloo blinked a little and smiled.
"That's awesome!" Scootaloo said. "You'll be able to help Rainbow Dash fly again?"
"Why of course my dear, Steelpony only has the best cybernetics in all of Equestria," Flam said with a smile. "We have all the equipment here if you're ready."
I thought about it for a long moment, if I did this then I'd be able to fly like any other Pegasi. I had to do this, I had a lot of work to do still, and this was my best chance to do it.
"Okay, I'll do it," I said with a nod.
"Excellent, we'll get right to work!" Flim said and the two Unicorn stallions started working.
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When I first lost my wing, I thought my career in the military was over, but Flim and Flam really helped me out. Heck Celestia even had it covered so I didn't even have to pay for it, I really am grateful to them for helping me out.
Scootaloo, she's a good filly really, I don't know if there's anything I can do to help her, but I want to if I can. I'm going to do the best I can to do so, she deserves it after everything she's been through.
The war with King Sombra still has a long way to go, but maybe, just maybe, we'll survive this somehow.
At least I hope we will.