It was just supposed to be a prank. He wasn't supposed to get hurt...
Rainbow Dash is widely known for her propensity for pranks. While seeing an unsuspecting Anonymous the human in the outskirts of Ponyville, Rainbow decides to hit him with classic from her arsenal, the ol' lightning stomp prank. It's simply really, she's played it on tons of ponies before.
Rainbow didn't think Anon would get hurt. She didn't think he'd become paralyzed. It was supposed to be a harmless prank!
The ringing in your ears is the first of your senses to return, and it’s the only thing you can focus on. It’s like the warning signs of tinnitus amplified by a thousand. It feels as though a gunshot went off right in front of you and you weren’t able to cover your ears in time. It hurts, it hurts in a way you’ve never felt before.
‘What’s going on?’ You think to yourself. You try to massage your ears with your hands, but you can’t tell if you actually accomplished the task or not. Everything is numb, you can’t feel your fingers clenching or unclenching.
You open your eyes with myodesopsias clouding your vision, as if you had stared into the sun for a brief moment. You try to blink away the fog covering your vision. Again you try to raise your hands to rub your eyes but you don’t see the familiar appendages moving into your line of vision.
‘Why aren’t my arms working?’ You think, becoming more alarmed. Had you slept on them wrong? Were they broken? What happened? You can’t remember anything.
Your vision clears enough to see the color blue. It’s all you can see. Is that the sky? Are you lying down outside? You can’t seem to remember why. Had you been watching the clouds and fallen asleep? As you ask yourself these questions, you see a break in the monochromatic sky as new colors enter your field of vision. Yellow…orange…red…green… that’s all you can make out. You keep blinking away, trying to clear your vision. Eventually you can make out a shape. The colors, you can now see make up the mane of…Rainbow Dash.
That’s right, it’s Rainbow Dash, one of your friends. But what are the two of you doing here? Where you watching her perform some of her aerial tricks? You still can’t remember. You remember yesterday. You also remember the day before that. You even remember waking up today, eating breakfast and then going out to run some errands. But that’s where your memory stops, and hits a blank.
When your vision clears even more, you can see the face of your friend much more clearly. She’s looking down at you with annoyance for some reason. Why? Did you do something wrong?
You try to say her name, but with the ringing in your ears you can’t tell if you were able to say anything coherent. You try to sit up, but your body remains stationary. She’s looking less annoyed now, and more concerned. Your vision shakes as she nudges you with her hoof. You can’t feel the touch, and that’s starting to worry you.
You try to speak again when you smell something odd. You take in a brief sniff and smell something…burning. It smells a little like a chicken breast that’s spent too long in the oven. Judging by Rainbows expression it looks like she can smell it too. She leans her head down and takes a sniff, before leaning back and reaching her hoof down to your chest. You can see your shirt moving into your line of vision as it appears Rainbow Dash is inspecting your bare torso.
‘Why is she doing that?’ When she lowers your shirt back down, she looks horrified, like she’s seen a ghost. That’s not good, that’s not good at all! Apparently something on your chest has caused her great alarm. Are you hurt? Did something happen? You wish you could remember. You try to say something as the Rainbow Dash begins to panic. You can see the worry and anxiety spread from her face to her whole body as she starts prancing from side to side. You think she’s speaking, but again you can only hear the ringing in your ears. You’re starting to panic yourself. You have no idea what’s wrong, only that something is indeed very wrong, apparently with YOU. You’re about to try to speak again, but you don’t get the chance as Rainbow looks down to you and says something you can’t make out. Before you respond, she’s gone, having used her incredible speed to fly away.
‘Wait…don’t go!’ You don’t know if you were able to vocalize that or not. Your heart is starting to race, and you don’t want to be alone right now. You try to think, try to remember what had led to this but you still can’t.
You start thinking to yourself. If you’re so injured, why doesn’t it hurt? Maybe it’s for the same reason you can’t move. It’s not easy to think or make sense of the situation at the moment. All you know is that you’re confused, and possibly injured. You hope it isn’t serious. You hope it can be fixed. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad right? Ponies have magic of course, so there’s nothing they can’t fix right? You’ll be fine, you know you will be.
Then again, Rainbow did look extremely alarmed. But you have known ponies to have just a little less resolution than you when it came to things involving blood, and injury. Things weren’t quite as gruesome here in Equestria as they were back on Earth.
There’s a blur and a gust of wind as Rainbow Dash returns, using her wings to hover above you. There’s a lavender burst of light out of your peripheral vision, and a second later you see that Twilight Sparkle has joined the two of you. Her eyes are trained on you as she looks at you with concern. She seems to be speaking to Rainbow Dash, but you still can’t hear what they’re saying. The conversation seems to get heated as Twilight is apparently laying into Rainbow Dash over something. You aren’t sure what though. Rainbow looks like she’s trying to explain herself, but failing.
‘Man, Twilight looks really angry. Is it because of me? Did I do something? Or are they arguing over me? She looks really angry. Please don’t be angry Twilight. You’re scary when you get angry…’
The unicorn repeats the action of the pegasus and lifts your shirt to examine your bare torso. The two looks horrified, and it looks like she’s screaming at Rainbow Dash now. Rainbow makes no attempt to defend herself verbally. Twilights face softens as she leans over you and says something to you that you can’t hear. Her horn glows and in a burst of light, the two of you appear somewhere else. It looks like you’re indoors now, you can see artificial lights above you.
You’re starting to get light headed now, and dizzy as well. You really want to close your eyes and go to sleep. As your eyes start to close, and your mind drifts off, you can see the faces of more ponies looking down on you with concern.
In the clear blue sky above Ponyville, a single cumulonimbus cloud floated through the sky. If it weren’t for the prismatic mane peeking over, nopony would notice the pegasus using the weather phenomenon to lounge about. Rainbow Dash, atop her cloud bed, looked down at the hustling ponies going about their day below her. A bored expression was cast upon her face. While the flier could be quite lazy, preferring to lounge about instead of working, today the case was quite different. In fact she had the opposite problem. Being the fastest pegasus pony in Equestria, Rainbow Dash was actually able to get her work done so fast that it left her entire day wide open with nothing to do. The cloud busting that would take the average pegasus hours, Dash had completed the task in a manner of minutes, and as such her whole day was now open with no tasks to fill it.
Normally that would be a good thing, but Rainbow knew that her friends were busy, meaning that she herself had very few outlets to relieve her boredom. Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity would all be busy with their jobs, Twilight would have her time consumed with some sort of experiment and or studying, and Fluttershy would be out of town visiting family for the rest of the week.
So then, what was a pegasus pony to do with no outlet to relieve her boredom? She had simply decided to lay on a soft fluffy cloud and pony-watch. But watching ponies go about mundane tasks like shopping or simply sitting around chatting was of little interest to the energetic pegasus.
“So bored!” She complained to herself, rolling onto her back to stare up at the sky.
‘Maybe I should just take a nap. That’s a good way to eat up some time.’ She thought to herself. It was 12:00pm, which from in Rainbow’s opinion of view was the perfect time to take a nap. She was about to close her eyes when a sound caused her ears to twitch. It was the sound of a pony whistling.
Now ponies whistled all the time. But this particular tune was one that only one pony, or rather one CREATURE ever produced. Rainbow turned over and looked down to see none other than Anonymous the human whistling as he strolled down a dirt path leading out of town.
Anonymous was the only one of his kind and had taken to living in a cottage on the outskirts of town. Rainbow had initially been suspicious of the mysterious and lanky creature when he had arrived in Equestria, through utterly bizarre means. According the the human, he had simply ‘woken up here’ a short distance from the Everfree forest.
He had been confused and a little unsettled by suddenly appearing in what he had called ‘Skittle Horse World’. But after learning that there was no clear way home, Rainbow and the other Elements had taken it upon themselves to make the human feel welcome. And they had been genuinely surprised by how well he had managed to acclimate. And at least according to Rainbow Dash, he had one of the best attitudes, and most cheery dispositions in all of Ponyville, surpassed only by Pinkie Pie herself.
He also had a remarkably good sense of humor. He understood a good prank, and could laugh most of Rainbow and Pinkies tricks. He even managed to counter prank them a few times. Rainbow in fact had played a great many pranks on the human, and thought a quick little practical joke on the unsuspecting human would banish her boredom. The two would laugh, and then perhaps if Anon was free, the two of them could hang out. But what could she do? She had no pranking supplies on her, and she couldn’t just pull a whoopee cushion or a joy buzzer out of her mane like Pinkie could.
‘Joy buzzer…’ Rainbow thought to herself. She didn’t have one of those, but she did have a cloud! Clouds where great to use to prank ponies, as Rainbow often demonstrated. A light stomp on the cloud and a harmless bolt of lighting would shoot down at the ground, scaring the unsuspecting target of her prank something fierce! Spike was a frequent target of this prank, and his reaction was always hilarious!
A wicked smirk drew across Rainbow’s muzzle as the idea formed in her head. Quietly she began propelling her cloud across the sky, trailing Anon as he walked. Rainbow never had the opportunity to hit Anon with ‘the thunder strike of shock and awe’ before, but now seemed like the perfect opportunity!
Anon wasn’t walking particularly fast, and herself being such a speedster, it was easy for Rainbow to get into position. Anticipation welled within her as she reared on her hind legs and slammed them down on the cloud.
Krak-boom!
The sound of a soft bolt of thunder rang through the air followed by a scream emanating from Anon.
“Mission accomplished!’ Rainbow thought to herself as she rolled on to her back laughing. She held her sides as she laughed, tears falling from her face.
“Oh man Anon, I really got you good!” She guffawed with her eyes shut. She expected to hear Anon respond with some surprised anger, but when she heard not even a slight response from him, she looked over the cloud, still fighting back her laughter.
Anon was lying on the ground, unmoving.
“That old trick, come on Anon I wasn’t born yesterday!” She challenged Anon, believing him to be faking unconsciousness. She hopped off of her cloud and elegantly glided down to the ground in front of the human. He was lying on his back, eyes closed. He was completely still except for minor twitching of the strange appendages he called fingers. She had to admit, he was doing a decent job at pretending to be hurt. But he couldn’t fool her!
“Come on Anon, I know you’re faking it! Just get up already, and admit I got you!” She waited. She waited for several moments but was met with no response. Rainbow Dash poked Anon with her hoof. “Come on Anon, get up!” She was getting a little annoyed now.
Anon let out a strange croaking sound that Rainbow had never heard from anypony before. His eyes spastically fluttered open, not immediately meeting hers. But after some blinking, Anons eyes eventually managed to meet Rainbows.
“Ehhbow…sshhshash…” Was that supposed to be her name?
“Come on Anon, jokes over! You got me back okay, now get up and stop fooling around!” She was starting to get worried now. She knew he was just counter pranking her, but he was doing…too good of a job pretending to hurt. He was pretending right? Rainbow used her hoof to nudge Anon again but aside from a few more twitches in his fingers, he remained motionless.
Anon’s mouth opened only to let out a few gasps of air that might have been meant to be words, but they didn’t even come close to sounding like anything comprehensible. Anxiety was starting to grow in Rainbow’s stomach. She was about to chastise Anon again for taking this too far, when the strangest smell assaulted her nostrils.
It smelled like burning coal, but more foul. It smelled like it was wafting off of Anon. Rainbow lowered her head and sniffed, noticing that the smell was indeed stronger. She reared back, not liking the odor. Concerned graced her features as she thought of what could be causing the odor.
‘No way, no no, not possible! Thunderbolts can’t actually hurt anypony!’ But she had to check. Rainbow gripped Anons shirt with her hooves and lifted it up to look at his bare torso. Her eyes widened in shock and fear as she saw what looked to be a large burn mark between Anons neck and right pectoral muscle. It splintered away from the center like a grotesque spider web.
Rainbow could no longer pretend everything was okay. Anon was hurt. He was REALLY hurt! And it was her fault! She didn’t mean for this to happen! It was supposed to be a prank! She didn’t think he’d actually get hurt, lightning bolts were just loud and bright, she herself had felt the sting before and it was only a little worse than being hit by a joy buzzer!
‘I mean his natural magic should have kept him from getting hurt! And the lighting bolt wasn’t supposed to go more than a few meters out of the cloud! It was just supposed to be loud and bright! How did this happen!’ Rainbow thought, her internal panic skyrocketing.
“Anon! Anon can you hear me? Oh crap, I’m so sorry, this was just supposed to- I didn’t mean to! It was just a prank!” Rainbow wasn’t able to keep still. She looked down at Anon. He didn’t appear to be showing any signs of being in pain, which she was surprised to find would have been preferable. He wasn’t moving, the only sign that he was alive was his shallow breathing, and his eyes.
‘His eyes! They didn’t used to do that before did they?’ Rainbow now noticed that Anons eyes were now looking in different directions. The left eye was meeting her gaze, while the right was lazily gazing off to the side.
“Ra…bah….ened…ett,” muttered Anon. It was apparent that he couldn’t even speak. Just what had she done? How could one measly lighting bolt do this much damage? Rainbow wasn’t going to waste time panicking anymore. She needed to get help! The pegasus looked at Anon with great concern.
“Okay, okay, don’t worry Anon, I’m going to get help! You just, uh.. you stay here okay?” ‘Like he has a choice! What have you done you monster!’
Rainbow Dash was going to fix this. She’d get Anon help! The doctors could make this better! They could fix anything! But Twilight, she was the one to go to first! She knew everything about everything! She’d know exactly what to do!
“Don’t worry Anon, I’ll go get help! You’re going to be fine!” And with that, Rainbow was off, flying towards Ponyville as fast as she could with more urgency than she’d ever had before!
“Did you find it yet, Spike?” Twilight Sparkle asked her assistant.
“Not yet, are you sure nopony checked it out?”
“I checked the registry, from what I can tell we should still have it. But it isn’t in the magic reference section like it should be!”
The two were currently searching for a magical reference book that the studious unicorn needed for one of her experiments.
“Maybe you had it in bed with you or down in the basement?” responded the dragon.
“Well maybe, I’ll head downstairs and check-“ but before Twilight could continue, she was interrupted by the hatchling as he waved the coveted item in his grasp.
“Oh here it I found it! It was in the theoretical magic section instead of the reference section!”
“Well how did it get there?” questioned Twilight as she trotted over to her ward and took the book from him with her magic. She opened it and began flipping through the pages.
“One of us must have misfiled it,” reasoned Spike.
“Well it wasn’t me,” said Twilight.
“Well I know it wasn’t me either,” huffed spike with his arms crossed.
“It must have been you, because I know for a fact it couldn’t possibly have been me. A book would never be misfiled under my watch,” retorted Twilight her eyes closed and an air of pride in her voice.
“Oh yeah, maybe you were a little too distracted to notice your mistake,” chided Spike playfully.
“What’s that supposed to mean,” she questioned back.
“We both know that you’ve had your nose practically buried in that romance novel Rarity lent you!” asserted Spike with a smug grin. “Maybe you had your mind on all those kissy bits when you were shelving the books!” Twilights cheeks began to turn red.
“W-that’s preposterous Spike! I’m simply reading that book to expand my horizons. And I’ll have you know that I’m far more interested in the well crafted story of the novel than with any vicarious fixation on the romance between the characters,” twilight responded with dignity.
“Riiight,” Spike responded slyly. The two stared each other down with mock intensity before they both broke into a fit of giggles. After a few moments, Twilight returned her attention to the tome floating in her magical field.
“Well, now I can get back to my research! I’m trying to improve a spell I found in here by editing the spell matrix’s to allow more mana to-“
Before another word could be said, an object slammed into the front door of the Golden Oaks Library with such force that it caused the wooden portal to burst off of it’s hinges and hit the floor with a loud thud. Both residents of the library let out equally high pitched screams of terror, their hearts nearly bursting out of their respective chests.
“Twilight!” It was Rainbow Dash. Normally when Rainbow collided into Twilights door or burst through her windows it was the result of her refusal to slow down enough to take the time to enter the abode properly. But at this time Rainbow seemed to be in a panic. Before Twilight could recover or question the Pegasus, she was upon Twilight, and began speaking at a rapid pace, one that could only be matched by Pinkie Pie herself.
Despite her astute mind, Twilight couldn’t even begin to understand what she’d just been told. The entirety of the situation she now found herself in had occurred in the span of just a few seconds. Her heart rate still had not returned to its normal rate.
“Sweet Celestia Rainbow!” exclaimed the unicorn, taking a step back. “You can’t just barge through my door and start yelling like a crazy pony, you’re going to give me a heart attack!”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” questioned the Rainbow with a flabbergasted expression.
“As a matter of fact I couldn’t make out a single word you were saying! You were talking faster than Pinkie Pie during a sugar rush! Start again, but slower.”
“I messed up Twilight, I messed up bad! I-I was, it was just supposed to be a prank! But then the lightning bolt struck Anon, and at first I thought he was faking it, but then I smelled burning, and there was this big mark on him, and he’s not moving, and I left him out in the field, and I need your help now!”
Twilights pupils shrunk as her head reared back, taking in Rainbows words.
“Lightning…Rainbow, what did you do?!” Twilight asked while shuddering.
“There’s no time Twilight, I need your help now! Just follow me!” With that Rainbow dashed out of the library, leaving Twilight no choice but to chase after her. She quickly turned to Spike who had a look of worry and confusion on his face.
“Spike stay here, I need to see what this is about!” Twilight then sprinted out of the Library as fast as she could. Spike’s wide eyes trained after her as she left. He then trudged up to the doorway and watched as the two became specks in the distance.
“Yeah, um o-okay…”
Twilights mad dash after the pegasus pony brought her past the market to the outskirts of town. She was just past the city line when she saw Rainbow hovering above a prone figure on the ground. Narrowing her eyes she saw what was indeed the form of the only human in Equestria. Having them both in her line of sight, she sparked her horn to life and teleported directly next to the two. She immediately looked at Anon with concern. He wasn’t moving except for a few scant twitches of his fingers. One of his eyes was training far away from the other, and there was indeed a foul smell wafting from him.
“Anon, can you hear me?” She questioned the fallen human. His lips floundered slightly but he did not audibly respond.
“What happened?” She turned to Rainbow Dash. “What did you do Rainbow!” Her tone was now accusatory.
“I-it was just a prank! I just tried to scare him with a little bit of lightning! I do it all the time, and it never hurt anypony!” While Rainbow was explaining this, Twilight lifted Anon’s shirt to examine any possible damage. Upon seeing the grisly wound that had now begun to cause the skin to warp and swell, she fought the urge to vomit and covered the ghastly image back up with the shirt.
“Dear Sweet Celestia…” she muttered quietly. “This is the worst thing I’ve ever….YOU SHOT HIM WITH LIGHTNING!” Twilight turned to Rainbow, now realeasing a righteous fury.
“It wasn’t supposed to actually hit hi-“
“Don’t you remember what I told you and the girls about Anon’s thaumaturgical levels when I did my first evaluation of him!”
“What do thermometers have to do with anything?” Rainbow asked earnestly. Twilight looked at her with a look of pure indignant astonishment.
“I-I don’t have time for this right now! We’ll speak about this later, right now I need to get Anon to the hospital!” Twilight turned and leaned over Anon and looked at him with deep concern. “Anonymous, I don’t know if you can hear me right now, but I’m going to get you to the hospital! You’re going to be okay!”
With that, Twilight ignited her horn and with her magic, teleported both Anon and herself out of the field, leaving Rainbow Dash alone.
Consciousness slowly returns to you gradually in small doses. Your head rolls to the side and you feel a soft pillow lying underneath it. Your eyes open a small fraction and yet you still see only darkness. Confused, you open them even further. You can see small patches of light seeping through something that seemed to be blocking your vision. Were you blindfolded?
You hear the clopping sound of hooves on tile, accompanied by voices. The first voice sounded distinctly masculine.
“It’s not good Miss Sparkle,” says the voice. You want to speak out, but you’re still so tired. You take a calm breath before your eyes close once again.
“Please, just give it to me straight doctor,” Twilights voice is the last thing you hear before you fall back into a dreamless sleep.
When you’re roused from unconsciousness for the second time you hear a number of different voices in mid conversation.
“Ah just can’t believe she’d do somethin’ so reckless!” That voice and familiar country twang belongs to Applejack. She sounds quite angry. From experience you know that an angry Applejack is a scary Applejack.
“I agree darling, but you know I think it just goes to show that this whole ‘pranking’ thing has outstayed it’s welcome! I mean we’re all full grown mares! I think it’s time to put such foalish behavior behind us!” That was Rarity’s voice.
“I…I just can’t believe something like this would h-happen…I mean the number one rule when it comes to pranking is, nopony gets hurt….” That was Pinkies voice, which stands out to you the most. Even in dire times Pinkie Pie is usually able to maintain a cheerful and optimistic demeanor. But with what you just heard, she sounds like a completely different pony. Her voice was so shaky and melancholy that if you didn’t recognize the voice as being hers, you would have thought it had come from a completely different pony. They all sound so sad and upset. Why though? You feel as though it has something to do with you. Where are you right now?
You open your eyes fully and see that you’re staring through some sort of cloth. You try to raise your hand to your face to remove it, but when nothing happens you let out a groan.
“-elp,” you try to ask for help but it comes out a laborious gasp.
“I think he’s awake!” You hear Twilight say. “Applejack, can you go get the doctor?”
“Sure thing Twi,” you hear the farm pony reply as she leaves the room. You hear the sound of multiple sets of hooves approaching you.
“Anon, are you awake?” Questions Twilight.
“Y-yeah,” you reply softly. “I can’t…see…anything…where am I?” you gasp out.
“Oh, you’re in the hospital darling,” says Rarity.
“Yes, and the doctors put bandages over your eyes. We have to leave them there for the time being,” explains Twilight.
“W-why…what…hap-pened?” There’s a moment of uncomfortable silence as you wait for a reply.
“There was…an, there….there was an accident Anon.” A spark of panic shoots through your veins. Twilight sounds so broken. Something terrible has happened, but it happened to YOU. It’s clearly serious as you’ve never seen any of your Ponyville friends sound this sorrowful before.
“Accident?” You manage to get out. “With…me-e?”
“That’s right.…”
“H…how bad?” You wait for a response and receive none for several moments.
“I think that’s it’s best if the doctor explains it to you.” You breath openly through your mouth. You don’t like this, not at all. You try to remember what had led up to this moment. You were in an accident, that you’ve been told. But what happened? You can only recall bits and pieces of lying on the ground, and being found.
“H-w, how long ago?” It’s the most you can get out.
“Y-you’ve been in a coma for almost a week,” explained Twilight.
A week? You’ve been lying on your ass for a week? You obviously have bigger issues at the moment, but you’ve never felt as lazy as you do right now. So much time wasted. But that’s just you. You obviously needed time to recover but you hate wasting time and lazing about. You wonder to yourself when you’ll be able to get back to your normal routine.
Before you can ask anymore questions, you hear two sets of hooves entering the room.
“Ah, I see Mr. Anonymous is awake,” states a masculine voice. You recognize it from earlier from when you were barely conscious. You hear him approach you. “How are you feeling?” He asks.
“Th-thirsty,” you reply.
“Ah, of course, let me,” he is interrupted by Rarity.
“Oh please, allow me!” You hear the sound of magic being used, and your pillow being elevated enough to crane your head. You feel a cool glass being placed to you lips and water pours down you throat. You gulp it down before letting out a refreshed sigh.
“T-thanks,” you say as you are lowered back into a full lying position.
“Oh course, think nothing of it dear.” The doctor then speaks again.
“So, Mr. Anonymous, other than that how are you feeling. Are you in any pain?”
“N…no I…I-I…I don’t….I-I can’t…feel…an-an-any….anything,” you struggle to get out. You hear a few sniffles, and if you listen closely you think you can hear the soft sound of Pinkie crying. “I…I can’t…move….” You hear a few sad gasps.
“Yes, well um…uh first things first,” he says and you can hear the sparkly sound of magic being used. You can feel whatever was covering your eyes being gently removed. When the masking is peeled away, your eyes are overwhelmed by the fluorescent lights above. You reel away with your eyes closed.
“Ah yes, sorry about that,” the doctor apologizes. “Give your eyes a second to adjust.” You do just that, gradually separating your eyelids to let in small portions of light. Eventually you are able to open them all the way, allowing you to stare up towards the ceiling. You attempt to crane your neck in order to make out the ponies in the room.
“Let me help with that,” says the doctor as he uses his magic to hit a button near your bed, causing it to recline upward, raising you into a sitting position. Now finally, you can see all those present in the room. But something was wrong. You were having a horrible case of double vision. Everywhere you looked there where two of everything, with objects overlapping each other. You look at Twilight and see Rarity occupying the same space as her, with them both also being completely separate.
Your eyes felt both relaxed and strained at the same time. Turning your head was nauseating. But though your vision was now split, you were able to focus one at a time on the individuals in the room enough to make out their expressions.
There was the doctor, a brown unicorn stallion with an auburn mane and a pair of glasses wresting on his muzzle. Then there was Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Despite you having just woken up, none of them seemed particularly happy to see you. They all have looks on their faces ranging from anxious to downright miserable.
Twilight and Applejack look the most put together, Twilight giving you a look of worry, while Applejack looked at you with…pity.
You didn’t like that look, you don’t like being pitied.
Rarity was trying to keep a brave face, but you could tell her mask was slipping. And Pinkie…Jesus, she looked the worst of all. You have never seen her this way before. Her bright pink colors were dulled and darkened, her mane and tail were hanging strait down. She looks like she’s just recovered from a bout of crying.
“Now, I’d like to run a quick test with you Anon, if that’s alright,” said the doctor as he used his magic to raise up a small spoon shaped object.
“S-sure,” you reply. The stallion uses his magic and places the testing device a few feet from your face.
“I want you to try to focus your eyes on this right here.”
“O-okay.” You try to align your eyes to focus on one single spot. Though you are able to catch the object in both of your eyes, you are unable to merge the two sets of images into one.
“My…ever-everything is double,” you say. “My eyes…I can’t….”
“I was afraid of that. You’re eyes are experiencing some misalignment from the accident. I want you to follow the paddle as best you can, alright?”
“…kay.” The doctor raises the testing device upwards. You are able to follow it, and then when he lowers it, your eyes still manage to trace its movement. Up, down, left and right. Though you are able to follow the movement accordingly, your eyes remain unaligned and independent of each other.
“Well your eyes still work independently, but the rectus muscles in your right eye have been severely weakened,” said the doctor as he put the testing paddle away. “But fortunately that is something we can work to correct at a later date.”
With the test complete, you let out a shuddering breath and wait for the doctor to tell you what happened to you.
“Well Anon, I think it’s about time we told you what was going on.” You can see the other ponies in the room tense.
“I am not sure how much you remember, but well…you were struck by a bolt of lightning.” Your eyes go wide, and you let out a weak gasp. “You were brought here by Twilight Sparkle, and you were rushed into the emergency room.”
You remember a bright flash of white. Pony faces were looking at you in alarm. Twilight was one of them. She looked so afraid. And why wouldn’t she be, you were struck by lightning after all. But you survived. Perhaps that was a feat to be proud of. But no one back on Earth ever just shrugged off a lightning strike, if they survived at all. But how did this happen? It wasn’t storming out. In fact, you remember the skies being clear as day.
“How…am I…how bad?” You struggle to ask through heavy breaths. The doctor opens his mouth for a brief moment and then exchanges a look with Twilight. Judging by her expression she knows the diagnosis and they are wordlessly deciding who should break the news to you.
“I-I can tell him,” concedes Twilight, who steps up closer to your bed. She looks you in the eye with a solemn expression.
“I’m so sorry Anon, but the damage was severe. A few of the nerves in your spinal column were overloaded and damaged to the point that they are no longer functional.”
You jerk as much as you are physically able to, with your eyes wide as can be.
“I’m sorry Anon, we did all we could,” said the doctor as he stepped up. “But you’ve been paralyzed from the neck down. There might be something we could attempt down the line but as it stands the damage seems to be indefinite.”
“I…I’m paralyzed?” It all hits you hard. Your head is dizzy and on fire, your breathing is erratic. You can feel tears start to flow down your face as the world around you stops turning. Pinkie Pie embraces you in a comforting hug, which is joined by Rarity and Applejack. Twilight remains near the Doctor, staring down at her hooves, forlorn. The doctor appears to be trying to explain something, but you can’t hear him. All you can focus on is the new reality that has been forced upon you.
‘How did this happen? What are the odds of being struck by lightning?’
“Para-al-al…alyze….ed,” you manage to get out. You aren’t sure who’s crying more, Pinkie Pie, Rarity or yourself. You think they’re offering their condolences but you can’t hear them. The world has separated itself from you and all you can focus on is this moment. But then you remember something. Another face staring down at you as you lay on the ground.
“W-where’s…is…Rain-rainbow…Da-ash?” The eyes of Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie went wide, each with looks of concern and apprehension. Twilight glanced between her friends before answering Anon’s question.
“She’s…not here.”
“Why…not?” Wheezed the bed bound human. Twilight was at a loss for words as she wracked her mind trying to find the right thing to say.
“We, uh, just thought it was best that she not be here right now, Anon,” answered Applejack, picking up the slack.
“I don’t…understand.”
“Well, it’s just that with what happened, we uh, thought it would be best if she wasn’t here,” explained Twilight.
“But…I need…to…thank her,” Anon struggled to get out. All the mares went rigid.
“She f-found me…I…would’ve…died if…she didn’t find…me….” Twilight didn’t know what to say. No pony in the room did. They just stared at each other unsure of what to say next.
“So…where is s-she?”
Rainbow Dash sat on the couch of her cloud home staring blankly at the floor, absentmindedly petting her tortoise Tank as he tried to comfort his distressed owner. Though he tried to distract the pegasus from whatever was bothering her, she continued to be trapped in her own thoughts.
“What have I done?” she muttered under her breath as her mind traveled back to the events of a week ago.
After Twilight berated Rainbows ignorance and carelessness, the unicorn teleported both herself and the injured human away to the hospital, leaving Rainbow alone to process everything that had happened.
“I…I’m sorry….” She had said with nopony to hear but herself. She still didn’t understand what had happened. Lightning was supposed to be harmless, but from what Twilight had said, apparently she had indeed explained to Rainbow something to the effect of Anon not having the same magical insulation as a pony, rendering him more vulnerable to lightning based injury than the average Ponyville citizen. And that explanation had flown right over Rainbow Dash’s head.
“Gah!” The prismatic pegasus shouted as she brought her hooves to her face. “Why am I so STUPID!” She cried out. “STUPID STUPID STUPID! You would’ve known better if you just paid attention!” Sobs started to wrack her body as the guilt set in full force. Rainbows head felt as though it were on fire.
‘Am I a bad pony? I didn’t mean to hurt him! It was an accident! I didn’t mean to!’
Rainbow stood in that spot, rooted to the ground. For how long, she didn’t know. It felt like hours had passed as she stewed in her own misery, but in reality it was likely only a few minutes.
‘It doesn’t matter if it was an accident. I hurt Anon. I hurt a friend! I have to make sure he’s okay!’ Resolving herself, Rainbow spread her wings and took flight, heading straight for Ponyville Hospital. She arrived in less than a minute, quickly landing and bursting through the door. She galloped up to the front desk so quickly that she startled the receptionist.
“Ah, good morning mis-“ before the mare could finish, Rainbow cut her off.
“Anon, Anonymous the human, where is he?” Questioned Rainbow urgently. Not being a stranger to the urgency displayed by some ponies in the hospital, the receptionist responded calmly.
“Ah the human, yes I remember seeing him brought in. He was in…quit a severe condition,” she replied grimly. “He was taken to the Emergency Care Center, so he’s likely in being treated as we speak.”
“Is he going to be okay?” The receptionist opened her mouth to reply, but stopped to consider her choice of words. “I know the doctors are going to do everything they can.” That wasn’t good enough for Rainbow but she knew it was the best she was going to get. Noting the pegasus’s distress, the mare behind the desk offered her some sympathy.
“I know it’s scary but don’t worry the doctors know what they’re doing. If you want I can direct you to the ECC waiting area.” Rainbow Dash just nodded silently. “Okay, just head through those doors, and straight down the hall past all the doors and you’ll find it on the left,” instructed the medical pony pointing her hoof strait to her right.
“Thanks,” and with that, Rainbow followed her instructions. Upon reaching the waiting room, Rainbow saw none other than Twilight Sparkle, who was pacing back and forth enough to leave a groove in the tile floor. Rainbow wordlessly approached, the sound of her hoof steps drawing Twilight’s attention. Twilight stopped in her tracks as both mares looked stated into each others eyes. Rainbow looked anxious while Twilight expression was unreadable.
“How…is he going to be okay?” Questioned the pegasus. Twilight paused, closing her eyes to think before she responded.
“They aren’t sure.” Faced with such dreadful uncertainty, Rainbow sat on her haunches and stared at the floor. “What where you thinking Rainbow Dash?”
“I…I didn’t…I wasn’t thinking, okay? I didn’t know it would hurt him! I thought lighting was harmless!”
“After I explained to you and the girls that Anon didn’t have any magic? You know that without magic, lightning would be even more dangerous for ponies than it is for humans?!” Twilight explained in an accusatory tone.
“Yeah, you explained it in all those big egg-head words that you knew I wouldn’t understand!” Retorted Rainbow, her frustration and guilt building up inside her.
“So it’s my fault you nearly killed Anon?” Rainbow reared back as if she’d been slapped in the face.
“I-I didn’t say that Twilight! But I didn’t mean to hurt him, okay! You know that I wouldn’t do that to a friend!” The tension in the air was palpable as the two mares stared each other down with tears in their eyes.
“I know you didn’t mean to, Dash,” responded Twilight as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “But you still did. You were incredibly reckless, and now Anon has to pay the price.” Rainbow opened her mouth to reply, but ultimately decided against it, instead dropping to her stomach, putting her hooves over her eyes.
“I know…I’m so stupid!” Her body became wracked with tears as she finally broke down. She lay on the floor of the hospital waiting room, crying her eyes out as the guilt continued to build.
Despite how angry Twilight was with Rainbow, she couldn’t bare to see a friend in such a state. She made her way over to her friend and sat down next to her, placing of hoof on her wither.
“I know you didn’t mean for this to happen Rainbow. But I can’t mince words with you, Anon is SERIOUSLY injured. But right now we don’t know how bad. The doctors, they aren’t used to dealing with this sort of injury. We won’t know how bad the damage is until after his surgery. Until then, I think you should go home.”
“I can’t do that!” Exclaimed Rainbow as she wiped the tears from her eyes, and lifted herself up. “It may be my fault, but I’m the Element of Loyalty, and I’m not going to leave a friend when he needs me!”
“I understand Rainbow, but there’s nothing you can do right now. And honestly, because of your involvement, I think it’s best that you keep your distance for the time being. I need some time to think about how to handle this.”
“Handle this? I don’t understand.”
“Anon is the only human in Equestria Rainbow Dash. That means that according to the Sentient Non-Pony Administration Bureau, he’s not only considered an endangered species, but he’s also under the diplomatic protection of the crown. Princess Celestia will want to know about this, and I need to think about how to explain everything.”
Anxiety returned in full force for Rainbow as the true gravity of the situation became ever more apparent for her.
“B-but there has to be some way for me to make it up to him! There has to be some way I can make this better!” Twilight put a hoof on Rainbows wither.
“I…I don’t know if that’s possible Rainbow Dash. We don’t even know if he’s going to….” The unicorn looked to the floor, more tears gathering in her eyes. Rainbow felt her heart skip a beat at the implication. “Just go home Rainbow Dash…please….”
Rainbow Dash gave a silent nod, and turned to leave, making her way out of the waiting room. But before she left, she turned back to her friend.
“You’ll…you’ll tell me what happens right? You’ll let me know if he’s okay?”
“Of course Rainbow.” The pegasus nodded, before leaving, making her way out of the hospital. As she stepped into the outdoors, she looked up to the sky above. The sun was shining bright, and the sky was nearly cloudless. But to Rainbow Dash, the day couldn’t have been any darker.
Twilight Sparkle sat her desk, staring at a piece of parchment with her ink quill resting in the bottle of ink to the right of the paper.
‘Dear Princess Celestia,’
These were the only words decorating the otherwise blank would-be letter. Twilight glanced at the dancing shadows cast by the flickering flame of the candle that illuminated the otherwise dark room. It was well into the night and Twilight had made no significant progress in composing the letter she was writing to her mentor. Her rejected drafts lay crumpled and scattered on the floor.
“Dear Princess Celestia,” she said to herself. “I regret to inform you that an accident has occurred leaving Ponyville’s resident human Anonymous permanently paralyzed from the neck down…NO, that’s too formal! Uh, alright, um Dear Princess Celestia, something terrible has happened! Anon has been been permanently paralyzed by one of RAINBOW DASH’S STUPID PRANKS! Ugh, I can’t write that either!”
The unicorn let out a groan of frustration as she rubbed her hooves to her temples. She closed her eyes and glanced up to the ceiling, simply staring at the ceiling above her as she tried to compose her thoughts. Those thoughts eventually led back to the events at the hospital earlier that day.
“So…where is s-she?” Anon asked. It was such a simple question and yet Twilight couldn’t help but wince at the physical struggle Anon seemed to be having just to enunciate the words. Or maybe it was the harsh implications of his apparent memory loss that caused her to physically withdraw. Either way it didn’t seem like he had noticed. Eyes wide she looked to her other three friends. They all shared equally perturbed looks. None of them seemed to know what to say.
“Well, she’s uh…she’s…” started Applejack. Applejack was having an internal debate with herself. The truth was horrible, but Anon had to know didn’t he? She couldn’t lie about something like this. Anon had a right to know the truth!
“Alright, look Anon. The truth is-,” but before she could finish, Twilight intervened.
“Rainbow Dash has some important weather duties to take care of right now! But she’ll be really glad to know you’re alrig-awake!” Twilight corrected herself quickly. Anon wasn’t alright, and she knew that. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Applejack giving her a stern look. Pinkie and Rarity also glanced in her direction, but with worry rather than the accusatory look Applejack directed at her.
“Oh…okay.” He replied. He tried to look Twilight in the eyes but with his new case of ocular misalignment, he was only able to look at her directly with his left eye. He released a shudder and then spoke again. “P-paral-alyzed? You said? Are…you…sure?” This time it was the doctor who answered.
“I’m afraid so Anon. We ran several tests, and unfortunately…they were conclusive.” Upon hearing the conformation, Anon simply stared into the distance with a blank look on his face. He didn’t even blink for what felt like minutes. It was almost as if he was frozen in time. All the ponies in the room looked at him worriedly.
“You okay Nonny?” Asked Pinkie Pie, taking as step closer to him. His glazed over look ended when a small breathy ‘heh’ escaped his lips. Then a very small chuckle followed.
“You…kn-ow…th-th-they sa-ay…you have…a one in…a million cha-ance of…being…st-struck…by light-ni-ni-ning. Lu-cky…me…right? It’s…too bad…I’m no-ot a …betting man, eh?” He managed to get out.
Anon was not a stranger to jokes at his own expense. He was always trying to find the humor in things. But right now not even Pinkie Pie was laughing. It looked like Anon was about to say something else, Applejack spoke up.
“Hey listen Anon, me an Twilight gotta step into the hall real quick. We’ll be right back!” Said Applejack as she used her hoof to direct Twilight into the hallway.
“Oh…kay…” he replied weakly.
As soon as the two mares where in the hall and out of earshot, Applejack gave her friend a serious look.
“You ain’t plannin’ on telling him about what Rainbow Dash did, are ya?” Twilight grimaced in response.
“Not YET,” she replied.
“Twilight Sparkle, don’t ya think Anon deserves the honest truth about what happened to him! That one of his friends flat out attacked him!” Applejack raised her voice but managed to keep it quiet enough so that no one else would be able to hear.
“She wasn’t trying to attack him Applejack!” Twilight replied.
“Oh yeah, what would you call what she did?” Twilight closed her eyes and took in a breath.
“A very, very, incredulously, monumentally, thoughtless, vapid and STUPID…mistake. She didn’t know this would happen.”
“Twi, I may not be the smartest pony in town, but even I know better than to do what she did! She had to have known what would happen when she did somethin’ like that to a critter that ain’t got any magic!”
“She didn’t know that Anon didn’t have any magic,” replied Twilight as calmly as she could.
“How could she not have known? We were all there when you explained it!”
“She…she didn’t understand what I explained,” said Twilight, her face now morphing into one of guilt.
“Well of course she didn’t, that filly’s got her head in the clouds even when she’s standin’ on the soil! If she’d just paid attention for once in her damned life, this wouldn’t have happened!”
“I…I should have explained it in simpler terms,” admitted Twilight. “I got too excited about the discovery I’d made, I explained things like I was at a science conference and not just in front of my friends!”
“Twilight, don’t put the blame on yourself, Rainbow’s what done it! Why are you so keen on defending her?”
“I…I’m not trying to excuse what she did. I’m angry too Applejack. Anon’s our friend, but Rainbow Dash is still our friend too, right?” Applejack didn’t respond, instead looking down to the side.
“Right?” Twilight asked again, softly. Applejack didn’t look her in the eye.
“I…ah’m gonna go down to the food court an get some apple juice. Anon must be right thirsty right now.” And with that, Applejack cantered past Twilight. The unicorn watched as Applejack left. She was about to call out to her friend but decided against it. She stood there for what felt like an eternity, before she ultimately decided to return to the others.
Twilight reminisced on the days earlier events. She felt like everything was falling apart. Twilight felt like her world had been turned upside down, and she wasn’t even really a victim in this situation! Anon was the one who had been hurt. But…all of her friends were now affected.
Twilight decided she couldn’t wait anymore. She needed Princess Celestia’s advice, and she needed someone to talk to about her feelings. Using her magic, she dipped her quill in its ink pot, and began to pen her letter.
Dear princess Celestia,
I need your help I don’t know what to do! Last week Anon was struck by lighting bolt! Rainbow Dash struck a bolt of lightning out at him as a prank, not fully realizing the difference between him and a pony! As a result he’s now paralyzed from the neck down! Now all of our friends are mad at her, and I am too, but I don’t know if this is something we can move past, and I don’t know what to do! I need your help! Please write me back as soon as you can!
“Hey listen Anon, me an Twilight gotta step into the hall real quick. We’ll be right back!” Said Applejack as she used her hoof to direct Twilight into the hallway.
“Oh…kay…” you replied weakly as you watch the two mares leave your room. Pinkie Pie and Rarity both glanced their way as the doctor cantered up to address you.
“Well Mr. Anonymous, I know this is a lot to take in. Do you have any questions you would like to ask me?” You had a lot of questions. How did you get hit by lighting on a day you remember having clear skies? Was there really no way for you to recover from this? They had magic in Equestria! Unicorns could teleport, but they couldn’t fix nerve damage? What sense did that make? Would you even be able to pay the medical bills? How were you supposed to earn a living if you were bed bound? Was someone going to have to take care of you from now on? Had you lost all semblance of your independence?
“W-wha…t…happens…n-now?” You croaked. The doctor looked to the side mournfully before looking you in the eye.
“Well, we need to keep you in the hospital for another week to make sure you’re stable. After that, well it’s customary to have you released into the care of a next of kin. But seeing as you don’t have any…well, my recommendation would to have you cared for at the Ponyville Retirement Home. It’s the only facility in town that can provide you with 24/7 care.”
You felt like screaming in absolute terror! But with the injuries now wearing you down all you managed was a wide eyed gasp. You had visited family in nursing homes back on Earth. You’d seen the way those old people lived in those places, if you could call it living. You’d be stuck in a room only slightly less depressing than the one you found yourself in now. It was only slightly better than being trapped in a mental hospital. You’d be a prisoner, with absolutely no means of escape. It’s not like you’d be able to run away, would it? And you wouldn’t be there for the waning twilight years of your life. You were still relatively young. You could be there for decades upon decades! Anxiety and looming dream began building in your body.
“Oh no, absolutely not!” Interjected Rarity. The building dread drained as quickly as it built, replaced by hope. You looked at her in surprise, as did the doctor. “Anon I know I speak for all of us girls when I say that we will NOT allow you to just waste away in some nursing home surrounded by nothing but…old ponies,” she shivered. “With their fading complexions and wrinkly skin! Each time you see them you’re reminded of the inevitable decline of your own youth! The years you’ll never get back! The-the gray MANES! Grey manes everywhere with not a single drop of color!” Rarity reared back, holding her front hooves to her face with wide eyes. You wanted to chuckle at her dramatics as a wave of relief flowed over you.
‘Same old Rarity,’ you thought. But you were grateful. You weren’t sure exactly what her solution was, but you were glad you had your friends to help you through what was now going to be the most arduous time in your life.
“Yeah! Nonny you don’t have to worry about a thing!” Chirped Pinky with some renewed pep. “We can take care of you! It’ll be fun!” A smile came to your face. As much as you could manage anyway.
“Miss Belle, Miss Pie, Anonymous is going to be completely immobile. He’ll need somepony to help him eat, help him bathe, use the bathroom-“ explained the doctor but his words faded away as you became acutely focused on your own thoughts.
‘Dear God,’ you think to yourself. ‘I won’t even be able to use the bathroom on my own? Would they take me to the bathroom and place me on the toilet when I need to go? No that wouldn’t be practical…I’d need a catheter, maybe even a diaper!’
The loss of your independence in such an extreme fashion made you start to feel claustrophobic. And it just wouldn’t be uncomfortable, it would be HUMILIATING! Just the thought of needing someone to help you with your bathroom needs or to strip you down and bathe you! Was this really what was awaiting you? For the rest of your life? Maybe you’ll get used to it. Maybe it won’t take too long… but still, right now you are filled with anxiety and the sense of claustrophobia rises. You’re just lying in a bed right now, but just the thought of these inevitable situations makes you almost feel like they’re already happening. You didn’t want to live like that!
The beeping of the heart monitor that connected to your wrist started to increase it’s frequency, drawing all attention in the room to you. Just then, the door to your room opened, and Twilight burst through, alarmed.
“What’s going on, I heard an increased ECG BPM indicating cardiovascular distress!” Pinkie came up to you and put a hoof on you to comfort you, while the doctor ran up to the monitor to inspect it.
“What’s wrong? Anonymous, are you alright?” All eyes were on you. You took in as deep of a breath as you could, trying to calm yourself.
“S-sorry,” you wheezed out. “Just got…a li-little…w-worried….” Everyone calmed down, and looked at you sympathetically.
“I understand. Well, I can’t truly understand what you’re going through, but know that all these sudden changes can make you feel like the world is ending,” said the doctor.
‘Not THE world…just…mine,’ you think to yourself.
“W-what did I miss?” Asked Twilight as she approached your bed.
“We were just explaining to Anon that we’ll be here to support him in every way we can!” Announced Rarity boldly.
“Yeah, we’re not gonna let you just sit around, bored out of your mind for the rest of your life! We’re going to be there for you and make you’re life is just as amazing as it ever was!” Proclaimed Pinkie Pie. It was wishfully optimistic, but you couldn’t be more grateful for the sentiment. Maybe things wouldn’t be all that bad after all?
“R-really?” You questioned.
“That’s right,” said Twilight as she stepped up to your bed. “Anon, I know things are going to be hard, but we’re going to do everything we can to support you!” You smiled as tears dripped from your eyes. But you were still concerned over a few things.
“But…what about….work? My job…where…will I live? How will I…I…I pay-“
“You don’t have to worry about a thing Anon!” Proclaimed Twilight. “Listen Anon, we have a week to figure things out! And I promise that we will have everything ready by the time you’re released from the hospital!”
“P-pinkie…promise?” You asked, lifting the corner of your mouth in a half smile.
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Promised Twilight as she went through the motions. Pinkie gave her a serious look, which quickly morphed into a happy one. You smiled as well.
“T-thanks you guys…I…I don’t…know what…I’d do…without you!” You’d never had friends as dedicated and caring as the ones you’d made in Equestria. Things might be looking down now, but as long as you have your friends by your side, there would always be something to hold on to!
Princess Celestia looked down at the letter resting on her desk. She had read it and re-read it six times over, but she was still as baffled as she had been upon her first reading. She was in absolute disbelief. Taking in a deep breath through her nostrils she levitated a blank piece of parchment onto her desk, dipped her quill and began to write.
Dear Twilight,
I’m on my way. When I arrive, I want to hear everything.
It was the morning hours in Ponyville, with the sun slowly rising into the sky. Ponyville was starting to come to life, with the adults starting their work days, while the children filed into the schoolhouse. Shops like Sugar Cube Corner and Rarity’s Boutique were opening their doors to the public. The Golden Oaks Library however was a different story. There was a ‘we’re closed’ sign hanging from the door barring access.
Inside Twilight sat at the kitchen table, a cup of steaming hot tea resting in front of her. The unicorn used her magic to raise the calming beverage to her lips and took a sip as her eyes stared vacantly ahead of her. She was internally wracked with anxiety but was doing her best to maintain her composure. She was absolutely dreading the impending meeting with her mentor, Princess Celestia. Unpleasant thoughts raced around in her head.
‘What’s she going to do when I explain everything to her? How mad will she be at Rainbow Dash? Is she going to send her to jail? Or worse, send her to Tartarus! Or will she brush this all aside? After all, Rainbow is an Element of Harmony! We can’t just replace her can we? But that wouldn’t be fair to Anon!’
Twilight took another deep drink from her cup of tea. It was supposed to remedy her anxious tendencies to a degree, but it could only do so much, and this situation would make anyone a nervous wreck. For her credit, Twilight seemed handling it well on the outside, but on the inside she was freaking out!
‘What about Anon? Is there anything she can do to fix his injuries? She is the most powerful magic user in all of Equestria? Surely she might know some spell that could repair the damage, right? But if she can’t then…it really would be hopeless wouldn’t it?’
Twilight was so focused on her thoughts that she barely noticed the padding sound of her assistants feet as he walked into the room.
“Morning Twilight! I’ll get started on breakfast!” Said the young drake enthusiastically. Twilight didn’t reply, she just stared ahead. Time flew by for her, and before she knew it, a plate of toast and a bowl of oats where placed in front of her. Spike took his seat adjacent to her and dug into his own food.
While munching, Spike noticed the thousand yard stare of his caretaker and waved his claw in front her face.
“Yo, earth to Twi!” He called, trying to get her attention. When that didn’t work, he snapped his claws in front of her face a few times, which seemed to do the trick.
“Oh, sorry Spike, I was just…thinking….” She replied.
“What about?” He questioned raising a spoon of cereal into his mouth. Twilight glanced at her assistant before forcing a smile.
“I was thinking…thinking that it’s been too long since you’ve had a day to yourself! Why don’t you take the day away from the library and do something you enjoy! See a movie or something!” Twilight did her best to appear casual as she levitated a small bag of bits onto the table, in front of Spike.
“Wow, really? What’s the occasion?” Questioned the youngling as he picked up the bag.
“Oh you know, you work so hard around here, and I….”
‘I don’t appreciate you enough…you’re always doing whatever I tell you to with a smile on your face…you really should be enjoying your childhood.’
“I don’t let you know that enough. You deserve a day off every now and then. So you have the whole day for yourself!”
“Wow, thanks Twilight!” The dragon scarfed down the remainder of his breakfast, and gave Twilight a quick hug, before darting out the door, leaving Twilight alone. The strained smile on her face fell, and her head hung low.
The truth was Twilight did not want Spike to be present when the Princess and her had their conversation about the recent events that had plagued her mind. Spike knew a little about what had happened, but Twilight had kept the more sordid details from him in order to protect him.
But in that, she did realize that Spike really did deserve time to himself. He spent far too much time working for a child his age. What if something were to happen to him too? What regrets would he have? If he were bed bound like Anon, would he only have memories of organizing her books, and dusting her shelves? She didn’t want that for him. She was HIS caretaker, and he was more than just her assistant!
But those were concerns she could afford to postpone to a later date. She stared up to the clock that hung on her wall. It read 9:24am. The Princess would arrive soon. Twilight had to make herself presentable. She finished her breakfast as fast as she could, before levitating her dishes into the sink. She then placed another kettle of tea on the burner and made her way upstairs to brush her teeth and comb her mane.
Only a few minutes after she had finished, she heard a resounding knock at her front door. Her heart skipped a beat. It was the time she had been dreading. Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“One moment!” She called out. She made her way down the stairs to the front of the library, and used her magic to open the door. Standing in front of the doorway, nearly glowing from the reflected sunlight was the Princess of the Sun; Celestia.
“Princess!” Greeted Twilight as she lowered her head in a bow. Celestia looked down at her apprentice with a warm, but sad smile.
“You really don’t need to bow every time you see me Twilight,” she gently chided. Twilight bolted up with a sheepish smile on her face.
“Right, sorry!” She apologized while rubbing the back of her head.
“Think nothing of it,” replied Celestia with a smile. The smile turned to a grimace with what she said next.
“Though I wish I was here on a social call and not something as dire as what you explained to me in your letter.”
“So do I,” lamented Twilight. She stepped aside and gestured for Celestia to enter her abode. The Princess ducked under the doorway and made her way inside. Twilight used her magic to shut the door behind her, and guided her mentor to a small coffee table with two floor cushions set across from each other. “Give me a moment, and I’ll bring us some tea!”
“Of course,” replied Celestia. The lavender unicorn trotted into her kitchen and a few moments later, returned with a tea pot and two cups in her magical grasp. She set everything on the table and poured two cups of tea. “Thank you Twilight.”
“You’re welcome Princess.” Each pony took a sip of their tea. Celestia lowered her cup and gave her student a serious look.
“Alright Twilight, we can’t postpone this conversation as much as I’m sure we’d both like to. Tell me what happened…please.” Twilight took a deep breath, and then recounted the story.
“I was here at the library looking for a book I needed for my magical research, when Rainbow Dash burst through my door. She was in a complete panic! She said she had ‘pranked’ Anon with a lightning bolt. She’s always pulling pranks on pony’s in town, and that’s one of her favorites, especially during Nightmare Night. Nopony ever got hurt from it before…except for now.”
Celestia simply looked at Twilight, even faced and listened to the story.
“She led me to the outskirts of town, where I saw Anon lying on the ground. He…he was just lying there…not moving…just slightly twitching…and the smell…the smell was….” Twilights eyes were now tearing up as she tried to recount the horrific scene she had witnessed. Celestia placed a hoof on her wither, and the two made eye contact.
“Take your time if you need it Twilight.” She offered a motherly smile to her student, and Twilight nodded, wiping her eyes with her hoof.
“He was burned Celestia. There was this horrible smell coming off of him! I knew it was bad….I asked Rainbow what would make her think this was a good idea! She told me she had no idea it would hurt him like this, when I had explained to her and the others that Anon didn’t have any magical defenses!” Twilight was yelling now. “But she didn’t get it, because I was using science terms instead of explaining it in layman’s terms! And now because of Rainbow Dash’s ignorance, and my failure to explain Anons situation properly, Anon’s lying in a hospital bed, unable to move, and his life is probably RUINED ALL BECAUSE OF US!”
Twilight felt a surge of energy travel up her spine as the anger and grief built. She felt like she was about to explode when she felt her mentor embrace her. He looked up with tears in her eyes to see Celestia looking down at her with an understanding and sympathetic expression.
“Twilight listen to me. This was NOT your fault. Nopony put Anonymous in danger except for Rainbow Dash. You are not to blame Twilight,” explained Celestia.
“B-but if I had just explained better-“
“I understand Twilight. But the recklessness of this situation was not on your part. It was on Rainbow Dash’s.” Twilight sniffled.
“I know Rainbow Dash would never hurt a friend on purpose, Princess! She didn’t realize what would happen!”
“I believe you Twilight. But that doesn’t change the fact that she has seriously injured some pony, and there needs to be consequences,” she stated firmly.
“W-what are you going to do to her?” Asked Twilight fearfully. Celestia closed her eyes in contemplation.
“I haven’t decided yet. First, I want to speak to Anon, then Rainbow Dash. I will make my decision then.”
“I understand,” said Twilight as the two disengaged their hug, and stood.
“Come, let us make our way to the hospital.”
“Of course Princess.” The two made their way to the door, before Twilight spoke up.
“Wait, Princess, there was one thing I forgot to mention!” Celestia turned to face her student.
“And that would be?”
“Well, you see…the thing is…” Twilight scuffled the floor with her hoof nervously. “Anon doesn’t know what Rainbow Dash did. He thinks she saved his life….” Celestia’s expression turned intensely serious as she looked at her student.
Your room was silent except for the ticking hands of the clock that was mounted just above your bed. You had no physical way of looking at said clock to check the time, but you knew that it was early in the morning due to view of the outside you had through your window.
When you had awoken a few minutes earlier, you’d made the attempt to raise your hand to your face in order to wipe the sleep away, only to find that you arm did not respond to your command. Panic set in for a brief moment before reality reared it’s ugly head like the hideous bastard it was. That panic settled into disappointment as you realized once again that your new circumstances were not just a dream. Something similar had happened when you had first come to this world. It took you a week to come to believe that the new world you inhabited was real.
But this was different. While you were able to adjust and eventually thrive in this new world of magic and talking ponies, this new situation had no up sides whatsoever. Where you once lived an active lifestyle, able to run through White Tail Woods and go for hikes in the nearby mountainside, you were now stuck to a bed. Where you were once fully self sufficient, you are now incapable of even feeding yourself. And to make matters worse, your nose had a burning itch. One you were incapable of scratching.
And now, the true horror of your situation reveals itself. Every time you have an itch on your face, every time your eyes are irritated and you need to scratch, you will be at the mercy of that dirty feeling unless you have someone in the room with you to scratch it for you.
‘Dear God, what did I do to deserve this?’
Just then, there is a knock at you door.
“Come…in…” you call out weakly, not sure if whoever was on the other side of the door could hear you. Regardless, the door swings open and in walked Nurse Red Heart.
“Good morning Anonymous, how are you doing today?” She asked kindly.
“My nose…itches.”
“Oh dear, I can see how that would be a problem. No worries though, I’m here to help!” The nurse trots over to your bedside and uses her hoof to scratch your nose, causing the irritation to disappear in a moment of catharsis. “Better?” She asks.
“Much…thanks,” you reply gratefully.
“Think nothing of it, it is my job after all!”
“To…scratch my…nose?” You make an attempt a joke, but with your stunted speech, you aren’t sure it landed or not. Thankfully the nurse let out a giggle.
“Well, I suppose it could be considered part of my duties. I’m here to help you out after all! How are you feeling by the way?”
Growing increasingly depressed? That was probably a given, but she probably only wanted to know how you were feeling physically. She was a nurse, not a therapist after all.
“I’m not…in pain…just…numb. Wish I could…get up and…move around.” She gave you a sad and sympathetic look.
“I know. I can’t imagine what this must be like for you. But don’t you worry! We’re all here to help you in anyway we can!” You offer her a weak smile of gratitude. “Now you must be hungry! I’ll go fetch you some breakfast! But while you wait, you have a few visitors!”
“W-who?”
“Your friend Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia herself!” Princess Celestia was visiting you? How long had it been since you’d seen her? You couldn’t remember. You weren’t as close to her as you were with the others, but she was always friendly with you when you saw her, enough that you could call her a friend. Still, you were surprised she was able to take the time off of ruling the entire country just to visit you.
‘These ponies…even the Princess of Equestria is willing to drop everything to visit a friend in need.’
In truth, it had always seemed that you getting to live in Equestria was too good to be true. Was your accident some sort of balancing act? You didn’t want to consider that as a possibility.
The nurse opened the door, and allowed Celestia and Twilight to enter.
“I’ll leave you three to talk while I go get Anon’s breakfast,” she bowed to Princess and then trotted out. The two mares walked up to your bedside. Celestia gave you a sad smile, but you could see there was another emotion behind her eyes, one you couldn’t quite place.
“Hey…guys…thanks f-for vis-ting.” You wondered if you were going to speak like this for the rest of your life, or if there was some way to at least recover your ability to speak properly.
“Good morning Anonymous. How are you feeling?” Questioned the Princess.
“Could be better,” you replied.
“Of course. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you, but I want you to know that you don’t have to worry about anything. I’ll see to it that you are taken care of.”
“Are you…sure? I don’t want…to be…a bur-den.” She looked taken aback by that.
“Why on Earth would you think yourself a burden?” She questioned. At that, you stared at the wall ahead of you, as self deprecating thoughts began to build in your head.
“I can’t move…c-can’t walk…can’t work…can’t cont-tr-tribute to…society…in any way. All I can…do is…sit here…what’s the p-p-point? Why…waste re-re-sou-es…on someone…who can’t con-con-tribute back?” Try as you might to resist, tears started flowing down your cheeks. Celestia used the heavenly soft feathers of her wing to elegantly wipe the tears from your face. Your eyes locked, and you could see an unfathomable compassion in her expression.
“I don’t want to hear you talk like that Anon. You ARE NOT a burden. And you are not the only pon-person to be in a situation like this.”
“I’m n-not?” You question.
“No, you are not. Believe it or not, Equestria is not a perfect place. Bad things do happen, and there are some ponies out there who for one reason or another, can’t take care of themselves. The crown takes care of those who can’t aid themselves. Perhaps it would be good for you to meet some of them. I could point you in the right direction.”
“M-maybe….”
“I’ll let you think about it. But I did have a question for you, Anon.”
“W-what?”
“What do you remember about your accident?”
‘Why is she asking that?’ You tried to recall what had happened.
“It…was all…so fast….I was walking…then…I w-was on the ground…looking up…I couldn’t m-m-move. My ears were…r-ringing. Then Rainbow Dash found me….” You were sure she had been told what had happened beyond that point by Twilight. As you looked at them, you saw Twilight was glancing at Celestia with concern, while the Princess seemed to be contemplating something. It got you thinking though, how exactly had you been struck by lightning? It was a clear day out, and the weather in Equestria was regulated by the Pegasi. You were about to ask, when the Princess spoke first.
“I see. Thank you Anon. Me and Twilight have a bit of business to attend to. If you need anything from me, I’m just a letter away.”
“Oh…o-kay…” They were leaving already? You thought she had come to see you. What business was there for her here in Ponyville?
Celestia looked to Twilight, who nodded. They both said their final goodbyes and made their way out of your room, leaving you alone. Alone with your thoughts. As much as you tried to fight the nagging feeling in your head, you couldn’t escape the feeling…that they were hiding something from you.
The door shut behind Twilight, leaving her alone in the hallway with her teacher. Wordlessly, the Princess began making her way down the hall, leaving Twilight to stand there apprehensively. After a moment of contemplation, Twilight galloped ahead to close the distance. Once she was trotting next to her mentor, Twilight turned to ask her a question.
“Um, Princess? Why didn’t you tell Anon what happened to him?” Celestia stopped in her tracks and turned to face her apprentice.
“Because Twilight, right now Anon is in a very fragile state, both physically and mentally. I think it’s best we give him time to acclimate to his new way of life before we add any unnecessary stressors.” She turned away and stared straight ahead. “Besides, the responsibility for admitting to the truth of the matter lies with another.” She then started walking down the hall with Twilight in tow.
“Now Twilight, have you ever learned the cloud walking spell? I believe it’s time we spoke with Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash lay on her couch attempting to distract herself from the tormenting thoughts that raced around in her head. She attempted to lose herself in a Daring Doo novel, but try as she might, she couldn’t escape the burning fire of guilt that burned in the back of her mind. She focused as hard as she could on the words in front of her, trying to lose herself in the story.
Daring Doo gave a mighty and desperate flap from her wings, launching herself into the air just as the Chimera pounced. It’s paw just grazed her tail, severing several stray strands of hair. They floated down to the ground as she rocketed into the air. She landed with a heavy breath on a drifting cloud.
‘Just like the cloud you used to ATTACK ANON YOU MONSTER!’
She tried to shake the thoughts from her head and returned her focus to the book in front of her.
Daring surveyed the land around her. There was a forest of trees as far as she could see. She pulled out a compass from her saddle bag and watched as the little red needle pointed north.
“If I”m going to get the Talisman back to the Temple of Techomet before sundown, I need to hurry! But I can’t be reckless either!”
‘Reckless like you Rainbow Dash!’ Rainbow slammed the book shut and placed it beside her. She let out a deep sigh as she ran her hoof through her mane. ‘I have to talk to him. I need to tell him that I’m sorry, and hope he’ll forgive me.’
Just as she stood up from her couch, there was a stern knock at her door. So unexpected was it that her heart skipped a beat and she let out a surprised yelp.
‘Who could that be?’ She wasn’t expecting anypony. She made her way to her foyer, and opened the door. Her eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks as she saw the impending form of none other than Princess Celestia standing on her doorstep. Rainbow’s mouth stood open as she struggled to find any words address her monarch.
“Good evening Rainbow Dash,” greeted Celestia in a formal tone. “May we come in?” Rainbow’s eyes darted past the princess to see her friend Twilight standing behind her, eyes downcast. Returning her gaze to Celestia, Rainbow gulped, and nodded. She knew what this was about.
“Y-yes. Come in.” Rainbow held the door open for the two ponies as they entered her home. Celestia held her head high, while Twilight was sunk low with an uncertain look on her face. Rainbow led them into her living room, and offered her guests seats on a few of her chairs. When everyone was settled, Celestia broke the tense silence.
“Would it be correct of me to assume that you know why we’re here?” She asked. Rainbow nodded.
“Is he okay?” Rainbow asked.
“That would depend on your definition of okay,” replied Celestia.
“W-what do you mean?” Rainbow questioned, nearly as quiet as Fluttershy.
“Well, he’s alive, thank the maker. However the quality of that life has been hampered to put it lightly.” Rainbow could only look on, dreading the news the princess was delivering. “According to the doctors, the lighting bolt that you launched at him overloaded and destroyed several key nerve endings in his spinal column. Anonymous is now paralyzed from the neck down.”
“P-p-paralzyed?!” Screeched Rainbow Dash. Of all the horrible news she believed she would be prepared to hear, this caught her completely off guard. She couldn’t have imagined such a simple prank could do so much harm! “H-how…I…I….”
“Do you understand the severity of the situation Rainbow Dash?”questioned the Princess. “Imagine losing your wings. To no longer be able to look down at Ponyville as you pass by overhead. To lose the freedom to soar through the sky. As bad as that is, the situation Anon now finds himself in is incomprehensibly worse. I hope you realize that.”
Rainbow did realize that. She couldn’t even imagine what that would be like. The guilt wracked every part of her body and she felt worse in this moment than she ever had in her entire life.
“I…I didn’t mean too….” Twilight was about to speak up and attempt to offer some comforting words to her friend, but Celestia was faster.
“I understand that Rainbow Dash. I know this was an act of negligence not malice. I don’t think you are a bad pony. You are the Element of Loyalty after all. However I cannot simply allow something like this to go unpunished. That wouldn’t be fair to Anon now would it?”
Rainbow couldn’t meet the Alicorn's eyes, instead staring wide eyed down at the cloud floor. She slowly and delicately shook her head in the negative.
“I’m glad you agree. Now Rainbow Dash I’ve thought about this, and decided that the method of punishment must first and foremost deprive you of the ability to do further harm.”
‘Is she going to send me to jail…or Tartarus!’ Sweat started to bead down Rainbow’s forehead as she anticipated what was coming.
“From this day forward,” stated Celestia. “I am personally revoking your Weather Handlers License, and fining you five hundred bits. I am also barring you from joining the Wonder Bolts.”
“What!” Rainbow screeched. She wasn’t sure if this was better or worse than jail! Celestia just took away her life long dream! And without her weather handlers license, she would’t be able to do her job! “F-for how long?” She questioned.
“Indefinitely,” replied Celestia. Rainbow almost couldn’t breath!
“B-but my job! I can’t do it without my license!”
“Then I suppose you will need to find a new one.”
“B-b-but…” Rainbow stuttered as she started to shake.
“But nothing Rainbow Dash. I hope you realize how merciful I am being right now. Trust me, your punishment could be a lot worse.” Rainbow knew this was true. All things considered, she’d gotten off easy. But still, how could she react to this situation with anything but dread? She knew she deserved this, knew it was her own negligence that brought this situation upon her, and she knew that thanks to her someone else was in an even worse situation. But still, she couldn’t help but mourn her own loss in addition to all she’d done.
“But…my house…” Rainbow weakly gestured around her.
“I will allow you to perform shaping work on your cloud house on the condition that you never, ever under any circumstances discharge another lighting bolt. But that is the ONLY exception and all other uses of your weather magic will result in imprisonment. Do you understand me Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow shuddered and gulped, not able to look her in the eye.
“Y-yes Princess….”
“Very good,” replied Celestia as she stood. She began making their way to the front of the house with Twilight in tow. Rainbow followed after them at a much slower pace. “And one more thing,” stated Celestia as she reached the doorway.
“Y-yes?”
“Anon is currently unaware that you are the one who hurt him. In fact, he believes you saved him from some random accident. I expect you to tell him the truth about what you have done. But not until he’s had time to acclimate. He is in a very fragile state right now and I think it’s best we allow him some recovery time before telling him that it was a trusted friend who paralyzed him. Until then, I would advise you to keep your distance. Twilight will keep me informed of his state of being, and I will decide when you will be allowed to see him.”
“He…thinks I SAVED him?” Muttered Rainbow.
“Yes. I’m sure you see the issue with this. I’d advise you to spend your time thinking up a proper apology. Until then, good day Miss Dash.” The Princes walked through the door, followed by Twilight, who offered her friend a sympathetic glance before the two departed. The door slammed shut, leaving Rainbow alone. Completely alone, with nothing but her thoughts.
“My life is over!” Cried Anon. He lay in his hospital bed, surrounded by his closest horse friends. “Pull the plug on me doc, I want to be un-alive now!”
“You aren’t on life support,” replied Mr. Doctor Man (Horse).
“Then put me on life support, and then take me off it!”
“That wouldn’t do anything,” said the doctor, deadpan.
“Why are you so negative?” Questioned Anon.
“There there Anon,” comforted Celestia. “Don’t be so glum chum, you can still live a rich and fulfilling life!”
“No! If the comments have taught me anything it’s that this is a fate worse than death! Now load me into a cannon and launch me in to a volcano, I want to go out in style!” Twilight was about to open her bitch mouth when the door to Anon’s room was kicked open by none other than Elon Musk(c) himself! He somersaulted into the room, and every pony there clapped.
“It’s your lucky day today Anon!” Announced the fabulous billionaire as he did the Macarena. “The FDA says I can start putting stuff in peoples brains! You want to test out my new Neuralink?”
“Will I be able to walk again?” Asked Anon seductively (because why not?)
“Probably!” Replied Elon as he brought it around town at the speed of sound. “Just sign this 400 page document waiving the rights to sue in the case of; death, immolation, super paralysis, blindness, retardation, brain worms, loss of taste, loss of smell, the inability to see the color blue, schizophrenia, autism, internal bleeding, Marfan syndrome, veganism, becoming a Taylor Swift fan, and or becoming a member of Gen Alpha.”
“Anon, are you sure this is a good idea?” Questioned Twilight. “Not that Elon Musk isn’t the most trustworthy person on Earth, but this doesn’t sound safe.”
“Shut your bitch mouth Twilight, I want to kick Rainbow Dash to death and moonwalk on her grave!”
“Excellent choice!” Screamed Elon, so loud that his eyes started to bleed. He stuck a dick shaped pen in Anon’s mouth, and allowed him to sign the paperwork. Once it was done, Elon swallowed the paperwork whole.
“So, what now?” Asked Anon. Elon pulled out his Neuralink thing, and a large wooden mallet. He placed the Neuralink thing onto Anon’s skull, and slammed the hammer down like the hammer of Thor. The thunder of his vengeance echoed through the corridors like the gust of a thousand winds. Elon stepped back and examined his work with pride.
“How do you feel Anon?” Questioned Fluttershy. Anon blinked once…twice…then his head exploded, covering everyone in the room with blood and brain matter.
“Well shit…” said Elon. “Guess it’s back to the drawing board.”
“Elon!” Cried Celestia with tears in her eyes. “Do you not see that your reckless abandon has taken a life on this day!” Elon gently placed a hand on her wither and looked her in her oversized eyes.
A magic glow enveloped the spoon full of apple sauce as it floated towards your face. You opened you mouth apathetically, allowing it to glide in. You wrapped your lips around the utensil and sucked down the food. You then reopened your mouth, allowing the magically aloft spoon to be removed.
“Well, that looks like the last of it!” Chirped the nurse happily as she levitated the spoon back onto the dining tray. As demeaning as it was, she did treat you like an adult during the whole affair. If she had said something along the lines of “here comes the airplane” you don’t know how you’d react. Of course they don’t have airplanes in Equestria, but you’re sure they have their own cultural equivalent.
As the nurse cleaned up, you rotated your head to gaze out the window at the bright summer morning that lay outside.
“You must be excited to finally be discharged today, huh Anon?” Questioned the nurse. You gave a soft nod.
“Yeah,” you replied. In truth, you weren’t sure what difference it made. A change of scenery, sure, but that was the only thing that would change for you.
If the nurse picked up on your melancholy, she didn’t draw attention to it. She placed the remains of you your breakfast feeding onto a trolley, and looked you over.
“Well your friends should be here soon to escort you home. If you need anything, I’ll be just down the hall, so all you need to do is shout, and I’ll be here in a jiffy!”
“Thank-s,” you respond as she left, with you still staring out the window. In the distance, you could spy pegasi flying through the air. In the past you had envied the way they were able to traverse the sky with ease. The unfettered freedom to travel where they wanted, not being restrained by gravity. Now though, you’d give anything in the world just to be able to move your legs.
You don’t know how long you stared out the window, absorbed in your thoughts. You didn’t even notice the multiple hoof steps approach until they were right next to your bedside.
“Hey Anon, how are you feeling?” You were brought out of your rumination and turned your head to see Twilight standing in front of you. Behind her were Fluttershy and Applejack, along with the nurse who had been attending to you earlier.
“Hey…guys,” you replied. You tried to force a smile for them, but you weren’t sure if you were able to succeed or not. “I’m…alright.”
“You ready to get outa here I reckon?” Questioned Applejack. You nodded. At the very least, you’d be able to appreciate the fresh air and the warmth of the sun on the little portion of your skin you could still feel.
“You gonna…c-carry me?” You questioned.
“Not exactly,” replied Twilight, as she stepped aside to reveal a wheelchair that you hadn’t previously noticed. It looked to be custom made. It had an elongated back and a form fitting head rest, and it had a raised leg rest. It reminded you of the type of chair that Steven Hawking rode around in, only it was more elegantly designed. Instead of steel, the metal seemed to be colored like copper or gold. The wheel spokes were studded with gemstones, clearly Rarity had offered her artistic touch to the design. However you knew the practicality of it’s construction came from Twilight. Your eyes widened when you saw the chair.
“We made this for you. We didn’t think a pony chair would suit you very well,” said Twilight. You felt a sad but grateful smile come to your face. These ponies…even at the worst of times, they knew just the right thing to do and say. There wasn’t a single one of them who you couldn’t count on to be there for you when times were tough.
“T-thanks g-guys…it’s perf-fect.” Twilight used her magic to carefully raise you off of your hospital bed, and placed you on the chair. As you were seated, your arms where placed over your thighs, and your head was placed securely on the headrest. Your neck was comfortable pressing against soft, form fitting padding. You were reclined back into a position of relaxation. You had to fight back tears of appreciation. With a sniff, you smiled gratefully.
“Ready to go?” Questioned Twilight. You nodded.
All eyes were on you as your friends wheeled you through town. The first few minutes of the journey from the hospital were refreshing. The breeze and sunlight on your face refreshed you in a way you’d never thought possible in the past.
‘It’s amazing the things you take for granted,’ you thought. But as you got further into town, the looks of pity became apparent. Some ponies looked at you with shock, some even stopped and stared. You didn’t like that. The pity they were giving you with their expressions cut into you like razor blades. Your friends must have noticed, because they increased their pace, pushing you along faster as Applejack and Fluttershy cast discouraging looks at the gawkers. Soon enough, you saw the Golden Oaks Library over the horizon.
“Aren’t we…g-going h-home?” You questioned.
“You can stay with me for a few days, while we figure everything out,” said Twilight. Great, now you were imposing onto Twilight and Spike.
“T-that’s not…are you s-sure?” You questioned.
“Really Anon,” countered Applejack. “Y’all don’t need to worry none. Friends stick by each other through thick and thin! You’d do the same for us, wouldn’t ya?”
“Y-yeah,” you replied. You would wouldn’t you? You always thought you’d have the courage and integrity to stand by a friend during a time as troublesome as this. Though now, you’d have no way to prove it. It’s not like you could be of any help to anyone any more. You were now permanently affixed to one side of the situation. As you neared the library, Fluttershy galloped forward and opened the door for you with her wing. Twilight thanked her, and rolled you into the library.
‘And so begins my role as a burden to all my friends,’ you thought. You only hoped you could minimize that burden.
