Chapters Chapter 1- The Best Night Ever
Today is going to be the best day ever!
I have completed my weather duties for today so that means I have the chance to practice some tricks. My wings slice through the air as I do barrel rolls to perfection, the trick which I have been doing since I could fly. I change direction and fly straight up towards Celestia’s sun before flipping myself so that my body is pointing towards the Earth. I set my wings in position and throw myself forward. As my speed goes higher and higher, my mind races, constantly reminding me that I need to master my Sonic Rainboom since they may ask me to perform it!
The elasticated sound barrier wraps itself snugly around my nose, pressing right up against my cheeks. I straighten my hind legs to ensure that my whole body is at the perfect angle of 40 degrees, everything must be perfect or else I will be flung all the way to Canterlot.
My wings quiver in excitement as the sound barrier suddenly shatters around me; a loud boom fills my ears and shakes every single bone in my body. Glancing behind me I see a rainbow following in my trail, I straighten up and fly across the Everfree Forest before doing a U-turn back towards my home town.
Ghastly Gorge has been illuminated with spotlights as it gradually fills up with more and more excited ponies, but none of them are as excited as me. My five friends are already waiting for me by the entrance, their expressions full of joy and laughter. No pony has dressed up too extravagantly, excluding Rarity of course who is wearing an ensemble which she supposedly ‘threw together last night.’ It looks as if it has had months of planning. Nonetheless, I hate to admit it, but she makes beautiful dresses.
“Hey girls,” I beam at them all as I land carefully beside Fluttershy.
“Hello darling,” Rarity says, “we would like to thank you so much for inviting us to this event!”
A pink pony bounces around me cheerfully. “Yes! Thank you Dashie! I am so excited, are you as excited as I am, I mean I have never been more excited, well maybe that one time when I was like...” Pinkie gasps as if she is in shock and she turns to Twilight Sparkle. “Do you remember, Twilight? Do ya? Do ya? Do ya?”
Twilight stares at Pinkie for a few moments before nodding slowly, cautiously, she doesn’t know where she could end up in this conversation.
“Yes Pinkie, I do remember, anyway...” The purple Unicorn turns to face us all. “Shall we go into the VIP box?”
Applejack speaks up for the first time, “Ah think that we should, Twi.”
As we walk into the makeshift stadium I can hear the cheers of the crowd, and an announcer talking through speakers on the walls either side of us. The front section of the Gorge is clear except for a podium and above us are five perfectly rounded clouds which will be used in the performance tonight. The back section is the area with the quarry eels and high winds which will likely be avoided today.
We take a seat at the edge of the Gorge’s back cliff face, which has a rather large VIP area with complementary drinks and snacks. We are in the perfect place, we are not too high up so that we cannot see the work which they will do within the actual Gorge, however, we are not so low down that we won’t see anything they do above us. Pinkie Pie grabs a cupcake and smothers it with hot sauce before trotting over to sit beside me.
I gaze out into the Gorge as I anticipate the night ahead of us. Once the show is over and the Wonderbolts have finished showering and getting comfortable, they will return to the VIP box to hang out with us. The only reason we’re here is the fact that my friends put together some Bits and bought me these tickets for my birthday last week. Honestly, I am not lying when I say: Best. Birthday. EVER!
“So do you think they’ll have a race tonight?” Twilight inquires as she takes a seat, a glass of Cider in her hoof.
“I doubt it, they may put one in near the end but this is just an Air Gymnastics show, not the Derby...” I sigh in disappointment.
I have always wanted to race a Wonderbolt, would I win? Most likely not, I may be the fastest Pegasus in Equestria, but that is excluding the Wonderbolts without a doubt. I may possibly be able to beat Wave Chill or Misty Fly; however I would never be able to beat Soarin’ or Spitfire. And I most definitely wouldn’t be able to beat Fleetfoot considering that she is the fastest Wonderbolt of them all! Nonetheless, it would be an honour to race them. Maybe I could get a race out of them today?
My friends chatter around me as my mind races with fantasies and dreams. Maybe tonight could be the night, maybe tonight will be my time to shine, maybe...
Pinkie shouting stops me from my train of thought as I try to focus on what she’s saying, “It’s starting! It’s starting!”
Suddenly, Spitfire’s voice echoes through out Ghastly Gorge, causing my heart to pound and my whole body to lean forward.
“Hello Ponyville!” Spitfire yells her voice upbeat and clear. “Are you ready for the show of a lifetime?”
The audience cheers in response.
“Well then, let’s get this started!” She calls out as she flies into view, six other Wonderbolts following behind.
I spot Soarin’ instantly, causing my heart to flutter.
Author's Note
Yay! So this is my new story guys, I am still not too sure about this so give me all the feedback you can, this isn't going to be very long, maybe 5 or 6 chapters? I don't know yet, we will see how it goes!
A Big Accident and A Hero
Chapter 2- A Big Accident and A Hero
The show so far has been amazing, Spitfire’s agility has really come up top today, and Fleetfoot’s speed has allowed them to perform a lot more tricks than normal. I loved Soarin’s nose dive during the second routine, he spiralled down towards the earth at speeds almost as high as the Sonic Rainboom. Soarin’ is known as the power flier of the team, so of course he’d be able to do a trick that advanced. Each Wonderbolt has shown their strengths in the performance, and I assess each and every move in attempt to learn each trick they do.
It is now the second part of the show and it’s Soarin’s solo performance. I have been eagerly awaiting this for the entire night, so once I hear his name being announced, I stand up and cheer louder than I have all night. My friends stare at me for a few moments, but since they know about mine and Soarin’s history, they brush off my outburst and turn back to the show.
Around us, the audience are cheering and stamping their hooves. Soarin’ flies out into the middle of the stadium and floats there until the music begins. Suddenly, he is zooming upwards towards Luna’s moon, and all that we can see of him is the silhouette of his strong body. He brings his form into a ball and allows himself to plummet back down towards the crowd; a few gasps echo the Gorge as he draws closer and closer to us, not even moving a muscle.
Once he is barely a nose away from falling to his death, he straightens out and gives a powerful flap of his wings. He zips past the VIP box, his smoke trail following behind him. He glances back at me and surely enough, he winks at me. I stare back, my mouth left hanging as the wind left in the Pegasus’ trail blows my hair across my face.
I turn to face Applejack, who must have seen what just happened since she was right next to me, and stare at her in shock. “Did he just... Was that at me?”
Applejack smiles slightly, “Eeyup, Ah’m pretty sure it was, Sugarcube.”
My eyes widen as I glance between the ponies around me. “So, I didn’t imagine that?”
“No, Rainbow, you didn’t.” Twilight stands up and walks over to me, placing a hoof around my shoulders. “Well, we wrote to the Wonderbolts HQ when asking for these tickets, and we happened to get a reply from Soarin’. He said he may be able to get them for us, if he happened to know the pony it was for, so we informed him that it was for you.”
I look up at the purple Unicorn, Soarin’ got these tickets for me? Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh.
“He actually remembered me?” I whisper in astonishment.
It’s Rarity’s turn to tell the story, it seems, since she now switched places with Twilight. “Of course he did, darling, he even referred to you as ‘Pie Girl’ and ‘The awesome Pegasus who saved my life.’ Anyway, he said that he felt really guilty about the events which occurred in the Gala, and also at the Royal Wedding, which is why he gave us the VIP tickets to give him an opportunity to hang out with you.”
“Soarin’ remembers me? He knows me?” My wings shoot up in excitement as I jump up and down like a filly in a sweet shop.
I hear a few giggles behind me and glance back to find the five ponies watching me, an amused expression across every one of their faces.
“Thank you guys, so much, this is the best present ever!” I say as I throw myself into a group hug with them.
“Well you better get back to watching the show, you’re missing it!” Twilight reminds me and I instantly run back to my spot.
It seems like the other Wonderbolts have now joined Soarin’ in the Gorge, and they are flying together in an arrow shape across the sky. The two Pegasi at the back of the arrow trail off, spiralling down towards the ground before gliding over the audience who are sitting right at the bottom of the Gorge. Each Wonderbolt follows in suit until only Spitfire is left in the air.
I watch Wave Chill and I realise that something is not right, he is shaking and swaying slightly, his wings look like they’re in pain as they quiver with every flap he forces upon them. Without any warning, he crashes into the far side of the cliff causing a loud bang to echo throughout the Gorge and the whole crowd goes silent, as if waiting for something else to happen. The Gorge may not be a risk for an avalanche, however, with an impact like that the whole thing could come tumbling down and I know every pony is waiting for this to happen.
The air between us all seems tense and time seems to freeze until the ground below us begins to shake as if it’s starting time up again. Urgently, I glance at my friends, who are all pale at this moment. I nudge them and urge them to run back to safety, but none of them move an inch.
The ground is shaking more, and a loud scream fills the Gorge. “Go now!” I yell at my friends and they suddenly all oblige, and not a moment too soon, for the ground below us begins to crumble and the whole Gorge begins to fall apart.
I look around frantically and see rocks falling all around me. Some Pegasi are flying an unconscious Wave Chill to safety as the screams of distressed ponies are all around me. That’s when I spot him. Soarin’. He is flying in attempt to dodge some falling boulders, but I can see that he isn’t going to dodge the one that is falling straight for him.
Without a second thought I fly at him as fast as I can, almost reaching Rainboom speed in an instant. My hooves are wrapped around him as I dodge some more falling boulders, but I’m not exactly watching where I’m going, I’m paying more attention to the falling boulders of death around me.
Soarin’ yells out in fear and he flaps his wings in attempt to save us, but it’s too late, we’ve crashed into a small cave at the bottom of the Gorge. I groan as I fly face first into the back of the cave and I collapse to the floor. Soarin’ has escaped from my grip so he didn’t experience the impact I just did, but he’s floating behind me, watching me with concern.
“Are you okay to fly? We need to get out of here before-“Soarin’ is cut off by a loud rumble as the cave entrance is sealed off with a pile of falling rocks. “Horseapples,” he yells before I fade into unconsciousness.
Author's Note
So this didn't turn out as well as I had planned for it to... I'm sorry if this is moving too fast, also, I don't know how to describe the Wonderbolts performances! Sorry!
Chapter 3- This Isn't Too Bad
It’s so dark. Why is it so dark? Where am I? The last thing I remember is falling into a cave with Soarin’. Maybe I dreamt it. Maybe-
“Dash, Dash, wake up!” A voice whispers and my body shakes.
I groan and open my eyes slowly and painfully, to find Soarin’ sitting beside me, his face centimetres from my own.
“Wh- huh?” I mumble and push myself up to a sitting position. “How long have I been out for?”
Soarin’ looks at me in concern as he places a hoof across my forehead gently. “Only a few minutes, but you hit your head pretty bad.”
My head begins pounding, as if Soarin’ had just reminded my body that it is supposed to be hurting right now. I groan and put my head in my hooves, I grit my teeth until the pain slowly fades out again.
The cave is damp and barely lit, so all I can see of Soarin’ is an outline and the shine of his Wonderbolt suit. That must be really uncomfortable to wear, and he’s just done a show so it would be soaked with sweat. Not that I mind or anything, but surely he’d freeze in it.
“You should take off your suit before you freeze.” I say as I glance at the Wonderbolt.
Soarin’ chuckles and he gives me his infamous goofy grin through the darkness. “So, you want me to strip down, huh?”
My cheeks heat up at his comment, and I am thankful that the cave is dark because no pony ever makes me blush. Ever. I reach over and give Soarin’ a gentle shove and he replies with a sarcastic “Ow.”
“You know I can hit harder than that,” I mumble, “And you also know what I meant when I said that, so stop being so horrible to me.”
Soarin’ laughs again and I roll my eyes, even though he cannot see. Although we are trapped in this cold, damp cave, I am not too worried. This may sound selfish but I get to spend some time with Soarin’, not the Wonderbolt Soarin’. Just Soarin’.
“So, how long do you think we’ll be stuck in here?” I ask as I shudder unknowingly.
“Probably a few hours, maybe a bit longer. Outside probably looks horrible so they’re going to have to throw a search party looking for a load of ponies, not just us.” Soarin’ sounds distressed, he doesn’t know if his fellow Wonderbolts escaped the falling boulders, and if they did they have probably began to think that Soarin’ has been squashed to oblivion.
“I’m sure they escaped Soar, I saw Spitfire helping some other ponies to safety, and they took Wave Chill out before he could get even more hurt, so he’s okay too.” I move closer to him and put a hoof around his shoulders.
Soarin’ nods and leans into my touch, something which I never expected to happen, I thought he would pull away.
“Thank you for saving me, Dashie. That’s the second time in a row now, and you saved my pie as well!” I can almost hear the smile in Soarin’s voice.
“Well actually, my friends and I have saved the whole of Equestria a few times as well, so I’ve saved you more than twice,” I say jokingly but my voice changes to a serious tone quickly, “But, you’re welcome, I would never forgive myself if I didn’t save you, I could see that you weren’t going to make it.”
Soarin’s grip tightens around me and he pulls me closer. “Well, thank you, really...” He trails off as if he's realised something else, I wait patiently for him to continue. “Wait, you saved Equestria? More than one? When?”
I gaze up at him. “You didn’t know that I’m the Element of Loyalty?” I ask in confusion, “I thought every pony knew.”
“I thought it was just a legend... Wow, so you’re the fastest flier in Equestria and the Element of Loyalty. You’re some Pegasus, Rainbow,” he laughs and I can feel it rumble against my side, giving me a warm feeling in my stomach.
I look up at Soarin’ and do something I have never done before, I giggle. No, this isn’t right. I’m supposed to be Rainbow Dash. The coolest, most awesome Pegasus in all of Equestria, and I just giggled ? That is so lame. In attempt to cover up my lameness, I cough and laugh nervously. I bet that Soarin’ has one of the goofiest smiles in all of Equestria plastered across his face right now. What is wrong with me?
“I’m not the fastest flier, I’m sure Fleetfoot would beat me by a long shot, and so would you,” I say before Soarin’ can comment on the noise that just escaped my mouth.
Luckily, Soarin’ is smart enough to move on without saying anything about it. “No way, you are faster than Fleetfoot, believe me. I tell you what, when we get out of here we’ll race.”
I jump up to my hooves in excitement, ignoring the pain that has now shot through my head. “Really? That is so awesome! I’m totally gonna kick your flank!”
“Well, we’ll see about that. Anyway, after this, we’re bound to have at least a two week break from shows and training, so maybe we can hang out. I’ll teach you a few Wonderbolt tricks if you teach me the technique you use for the Sonic Rainboom?” I laugh in reply to Soarin’s question.
“Sure, I can teach you the Rainboom technique, but I already know most of the Wonderbolts tricks, but maybe you can help me perfect them?” I grin as I flutter my wings excitedly and fly around the cave.
Soarin’ laughs and pulls me back to the ground as I fly over his head. “Okay, it’s a date!”
“Awesome,” I say coolly, hiding that I’m dancing around inside at the fact that I have a date with Soarin’. “So do you have a place to stay? I have a spare bedroom if you don’t.”
“Well, where do you live? Is it away from the town?” He asks, and my heart begins to pound.
Maybe because my house is set off to the side, away from all ponies, he’ll want to stay. My home is the only cloud home in Ponyville, my parents bought it for me on my eighteenth birthday, since they wanted me to get away from Cloudsdale, and I have never been more thankful for it than I am today.
“It’s the only cloud home in Ponyville, you’ve probably seen it on your way in.” I say nonchalantly, pretending it’s no big deal.
Soarin’s smile shines through the cave as he says, “Sure, that’s perfect!”
We sit in silence for a few moments, listening to a quiet dripping noise coming from somewhere in this cave. It is probably pushing onto midnight now, so outside seems to be quiet as well. They will probably start the search parties tomorrow, hopefully.
The cave is beginning to get colder as the night progresses, causing me to begin to shudder uncontrollably. I hear a zipping noise come from my left and then the sound of fabric being pulled at. After that, there is nothing for a few moments, just silence again; all that is heard is the dripping noise and the chattering of my teeth.
I feel a soft wing curve around my shoulders and pull me towards the warm fur of another pony. Glad to have heat, I wrap both my wings around Soarin’ and somehow I end up sitting on his lap. Still, neither of us mention it since it is so cold, and we need to share all the heat we’ve got. So I stay there is the safety of Soarin’s lap, as he cradles me in his wings.
Never have I felt like this for another pony before, never have I felt safe in the wings of another Pegasus. Yet, I am now suddenly feeling all of these things. I am beginning to realise that maybe, just maybe, it’s not good to do everything on my own. I mean, I may be awesome, but it would still be nice to have a special some pony to hold me, and fly beside me, and race with me. Strangely enough, when I think of that special some pony, Soarin’ is the only one who comes to mind.
How is he doing this to me?
Author's Note
Hey guys! So I am really enjoying writing this story! I hope I'm not disappointing you with any of the content!
Chapter 5- A Story of Cutie Marks
Soarin’ has fallen asleep, and he is leaning against the cold wall of the cave. I am trapped in his wings, but I’m not complaining, it’s freezing cold so I’m glad that I have this small inkling of warmth.
I wonder how long we have been trapped in here, I know that it is not daytime yet since there is not even an ounce of light falling through the boulders, blocking us in the cave. However, maybe there is so many that it’s trapping all the light from coming through.
I sigh as I think about my friends, what would they be thinking right now, what if they give up the search party? No, they wouldn’t, especially since Soarin’ is missing too. Surely Twilight has a spell that could help find us as well, we still have hope left. We always do.
Boredom finally takes over and I nudge Soarin’ in the stomach with my hoof. He groans and stirs slightly, before falling into a deeper sleep, but his wings loosen up slightly so I am able to fly out of his embrace.
Silently, I trot over to the cave entrance and try to move some of the smaller rocks. If no pony can find us then we have to get out ourselves. I wrap my hooves firmly around one of the rocks and tug at it, after a few moments of pulling and shaking it comes loose and falls to the floor. However, I realise that I didn’t think this through as well as I thought I had when a pile of rocks come tumbling down on top of me, forcing me down to the ground.
I groan and glance up at the entrance, and find the more stones have covered up our escape route. We must be buried pretty deep. I move slightly in attempt to get out but it’s no good, I’ll need Soarin’s help to get free. I just consider myself lucky that none fell on my head and knocked me out, again. That would have been bad for sure.
Soarin’ mumbles incoherently before I hear him jump up to his hooves in fright. “Dash? Where are you?” I can hear him running around the cave frantically.
There is a low thud followed by a groan which indicates that the big dope must have ran into the wall or something.
“Soarin’, can you help?” My voice breaks slightly, along with my pride.
I can make out Soarin’s silhouette as he gets to his hooves and walks towards me; I hear a low whistle in astonishment,
I sigh in annoyance. “You’re not helping!” I complain, and get a snicker in return from the Wonderbolt.
Rocks clutter around me as Soarin’ moves them away, after a few minutes of bickering, rearranging and squirming, I finally manage to slide out of the death trap. Soarin’ takes my foreleg and helps me to my hooves. We then walk – well more like limp- back to the far end of the cave, where we sit down in silence.
“What time do you think it is?” I whisper out into the darkness.
Soarin’ is silent for a few moments before saying, “Probably almost sunrise, around five, maybe?”
I nod even though he cannot see me, and then everything is silent again.
“So, why don’t you tell me your cutie mark story?” Soarin’ asks.
I thought every pony had heard of my legendary cutie mark tale? That I was the Pegasus who pulled off the Sonic Rainboom at such a young age. Maybe he has heard of the story, but just doesn’t know it was me who pulled it off.
“Okay, make sure you’re sitting comfortably then!” I sit in front of Soarin’ with a smile spread across my face. “But there’s a catch, you have to tell me yours afterwards.”
Soarin’ chuckles, “Deal.”
I lean forward and begin to tell the most awesome story in all of Equestria.
****
“... And when I looked back after I had done the Rainboom, my cutie mark was there. It was the best race to ever go down in history!” I conclude.
During the storytelling I ended up standing up. I am now standing before Soarin’ with my chest stuck out in pride and my head held high.
“So you were the filly to pull of the Sonic Rainboom then? I should have figured it was you,” Soarin’ says and I feel a hoof on my foreleg, pulling me down to sit on my rump.
Knowing that he’s holding to his part of the deal, I lean forward in anticipation as I await the story on how Soarin’ earned his legendary cutie mark.
“Every year in flight school we’d have a ‘special’ visitor come in to give us a lesson or two in techniques and whatever. When I was eight it was announced that a few of the Wonderbolts were coming into our school as the visitors for the year. If you were anything like me, you would understand how ecstatic I was about this, I was so excited that I began to train every evening and every morning.
“The day had finally come when they were teaching us, and I was starstruck. They had taught us some basic moves and tricks which I caught onto easily, no problem at all. At the end of the day Captain Hurricane challenged anyone who was brave enough to a race. I was one of the four who stepped forward.
“The race began and I, surprisingly, was ahead of all my classmates and I was closing in on Hurricane pretty quickly. I knew that I would never beat a Wonderbolt at this age, however I knew that I could come second easily.
“Which is what I did. Hurricane was shocked that a Pegasus so young would be that talented, he told me that he was impressed with everything he’d seen from me, especially the race. Then he put a hoof on my shoulder, and whispered in my ear, “You’re talented, kid.” And that’s when I knew that my talent was flying and mastering tricks.” Soarin’ finishes his story and I stare at him in shock.
He raced a Wonderbolt, and almost won? His story is almost as awesome as mine!
“Impressive,” I comment and watch as he sits back down beside me.
“It may be impressive, but I’m pretty sure you would have won,” he says, causing me to look at him in shock.
No pony that age would have beat a Wonderbolt, let alone the Captain of the team! Captain Hurricane was one of the fastest fliers of his time and if Soarin’ had managed to come close second then he’s probably really fast. Still, that doesn’t mean I can’t kick his flank once we get out of here.
I lie down on the cold floor of the cave, my mind still racing with thoughts. “We should probably get some sleep,” I say quietly.
If I was told in advance that this would be the situation I’d find myself in, I would have been afraid. I wouldn’t admit it to any pony, but I would be. I mean, we’re still trapped in here and we could still possibly die, but Soarin’ being here has given me hope, he’s kept me calm without knowing it. I don’t even know how he manages to do that. He makes me feel warm inside, he makes me genuinely smile. I haven’t felt like this in years, I always thought that romance was pointless, stupid and useless. But here I am now, falling for the Pegasus who is trapped in this cave with me. He has made me go completely against what I thought before within the space of a few hours.
I stare into the darkness as I wonder how he has managed to make me feel this way so easily. How is he different to all the other ponies I know?
Author's Note
Whoa, two chapters in one day?!
Chapter 5- Fear
I’m flying over Equestria’s amazing mountains as fast as I can. Soarin’ is beside me, covered by his Wonderbolts suit. When I look back I find that I am wearing the same suit. I’m in the Wonderbolts.
Joy fills me and I fly faster than I ever have before as I break through the sound barrier with ease. The boom shakes the world around us, and the colours of my mane shine around me, across the sky.
Soarin’ cheers from behind me, as he watches my Sonic Rainboom evolve before his emerald eyes. I have never seen anything so beautiful. The rainbow forms behind the mountains which hold Canterlot, and it shines brighter than any rainbow created by Cloudsdale. This is why they call me Rainbow Dash, no pony else can make rainbows as good as I can. Rain begins to drizzle on Soarin’ and I zoom back to my house where we sit underneath a duvet to try and keep warm.
****
Water drips on my face, jolting me awake from my blissful dream. I gaze up at the ceiling to find that it leaking water. It must be raining outside or something. The cave has gotten brighter now so I can finally see. It’s probably around ten in the morning.
I glance over at Soarin’ who is sleeping peacefully beside me. His pale blue face is now covered in dirt, and he has a scratch running down his cheek. Nonetheless, he still looks peaceful. It sends a calming effect throughout the cave.
A stone from the roof of the cave breaks off and falls to the floor, crumbling once it hits the hard surface. I freeze in fear. The water over the years must have eroded the rocks, causing them to be weakened. Which means that it might cave in any minute. I crawl over to the sleeping Soarin’ swiftly, and attempt to wake him up.
“Soar, wake up! Hurry!” I hiss, shaking him violently.
The Wonderbolt sits up immediately, and looks around in confusion. “Huh? What’s up?”
“It’s gonna cave in –“ I am cut off by a loud rumbling noise.
Soarin’ and I push ourselves right back up against the far wall, holding each other in fear. We sit in silence for a few moments, neither of us breathing. A loud crack echoes through the cave, breaking the silence and rocks begin to fall in front of us, barely missing us. I’m shaking unstoppably as the falling roof piles up in front of us, just nanometres away from our hooves. I press myself close to Soarin’, holding back the screams of terror. Soarin’ is breathing quickly, his whole body shaking along with mine as he constantly curses under his breath. Once silence falls, I stare at the debris in front of us, my eyes wide in fear.
“S-Soar?” I whisper, my voice breaking.
Soarin’ doesn’t answer, he just holds me tightly, his body frozen in place. I try to keep my cool as I call his name out again into the sickening silence of the cave.
“Soarin’...” I nudge him; tears begin to form in my eyes so I attempt to blink them away.
I’m Rainbow Dash, for Celestia’s sake! I’m too cool to cry! I can get through any situation whatsoever. I can’t cry, not here, not now, not in front of Soarin’.
That doesn’t stop me though, I look once more at the mountain of rocks before us, putting us further back from the freedom of outside, I look above us and more stones seem to have replaced the ones which now sit in our small cave with us. The tears finally come. I have not cried for years, the last time I cried was probably in flight school when the bullying got really bad which was when I decided to fight back against it all and hide my emotions.
Here I am now, 14 years later, trapped in a cave with Soarin’ the Wonderbolt, possibly about to die. This is when I finally decide to stop hiding it all. Stop hiding the fact that right now, I’m really not okay. The only pony here is Soarin’ and he knows not to mention this to any pony if we ever get out of this mess.
I sob into my hooves violently, my shoulders shaking with the force of it. Soarin’ is sitting beside me, his body still frozen.
****
I’m not sure how much time has passed; the cave is dark now no matter what time it is since there is no way for the light to leak through.
Soarin’ gently places his wing around my shoulder, still not talking. I fall into his chest and continue to cry, hating myself every second for it, but I have lost all hope. It would have been easy to find us when we were near the entrance, but now we are so far away that they would most likely give up searching for us half way in.
The wing begins to soothingly stroke my hair, and slowly I began to stop. I am still scared but I give up crying, falling limp against Soarin’s chest.
“It... It’ll all be okay Dashie,” Soarin’ whispers with a false sense of hope in his voice.
I look up at him, my eyes red and puffy. “I’m scared Soarin’, I’ve never been this scared before.”
“Not even that time you saw me plummeting to my death?” The Wonderbolt grins, but it’s not the normal Goofy Soarin’ smile.
I shake my head. “Not even then, this is worse. Way worse.”
We sit in silence for a while, leaning against each other, using each other as a form of comfort. Soarin’ is the only smidge of sanity I have left; he’s the only thing keeping me in control.
“Are you hungry?” Soarin’ asks out of nowhere.
My stomach answers for me by grumbling loudly in complaint. Heat rushes to my cheeks as I nod.
“Me too, I really want some pie,” he mumbles longingly.
I laugh and look up at him, for a moment I forget everything bad that has just happened.
I begin to ramble on about what we'll do, in attempt to lighten the mood. “When we get out of here, we can go to Applejack’s and get you a pie, okay? Then we can go back to mine and watch a movie, under some blankets –“
“- Then we’ll fall asleep on the soft cloud sofa,” Soarin’ continues on with my story, “without the fear of being crushed to death. When we wake up we’ll go for a race and you’ll most likely kick my flank so bad I end up in Fillydelphia. If you win I’ll give you a tour around the Wonderbolts HQ, and if I win you will buy me enough apple pies to last me a month!”
Rolling my eyes, I give the Pegasus a gentle shove. “Deal, but I’ll end up kicking your flank, don’t you worry about that.”
We laugh for a while, before the heaviness in the air returns, and we gaze ahead at the sickening death trap we have before us.
I take back what I said earlier, this is definitely the worst thing ever.
Author's Note
Hello! So I have been wanting to write this chapter for the past few days, and since I have an art exam all day tomorrow, which I can't study for, I decided to write this!
Chapter 6- No Hope
My normally strong body is now lying limp against Soarin’s pale blue chest. My mouth is dry with thirst and my stomach is gnawing away at itself in attempt to get some nutrition. Time seems to be something which we lost long ago. There is no time.
Soarin’ mumbles incoherently, the only word I can pull out of it is, “Pie.” It’s obvious that he’s hungry too. Perhaps even more so than I am, since I ate during the show and he didn’t.
We have stopped mentioning the fact that we might be saved, since we know that it is very unlikely now. We would have been found by now if they were going to find us at all. They have probably given up all hope themselves. This makes me pity all missing ponies, they may have been so close to being found, but like Soarin’ and I, were given up on when freedom was just at their hooftips.
My eyes drag shut, as if there are weights pulling them closed. Every breath I take seems to take more effort, and now even my own forelegs are too heavy to lift. My head is still pounding from the crash which I encountered right at the beginning of this disaster. Oh, how naive I was back then, thinking that it wasn’t a disaster.
Soarin’ is humming to himself softly, as he rocks our bodies back and forth. I listen in curiosity as I wonder how long we could last. I heard that ponies could survive up to 3 days without water, but since Soarin’ and I are strong, we could possibly last longer. Possibly. Still, which one of us would go first? I would hate to leave Soar all alone, but I would also hate to watch him die. I care about him, a lot, and I don’t think I’d be able to handle it.
My mind is racing with all these scenarios, my heart is pounding, and I’m finding it more and more difficult to breathe by the second.
“Soarin’,” I whisper in fear, “I don’t want to die, I don’t want you to die either, we can’t!”
Soarin’ stops moving back and forth and he goes back to stroking my mane with his wing as he did earlier. He stays silent as he pulls me onto his lap and rests his chin atop my head, still repeating the motion of stroking my mane.
“It’s okay, Dashie,” Soarin’ rasps, “We’ll be okay.”
I end up being cocooned in Soarin’s soft wings, as he returns to rocking back and forth. Normally, I would hate to be like this, I’d feel as if I was being treated like a baby. But, today, it’s nice to have this little comfort, especially with Soarin’. Soarin’. The Pegasus whom I care about so much, I want to have a future with him. I’m not thinking far into the future even, I just want to wake up beside him every day, feel the warmth of his body every night. I want to know that he’s mine.
I want to believe Soarin’ when he says that we’ll be okay, but I know that he’s just trying to make me feel better. I would attempt to smash my way out of here, but I don’t think I’d be able to lift myself off the ground at all. My wings feel as if they have been super glued to my side, and whenever I try to pull them out, they get dragged back into my body by some invisible force.
My vision begins to go blurry, and the world begins to spin, so I give in and finally allow myself to drift off into nothingness.
****
Soarin’ is shivering violently against me; his body is ice cold and clammy. I look up at him in fear as I wrap my wings around him, trying to keep him warm. It’s no use though, there’s nothing I can do to help the poor stallion.
“Soar,” I whisper and stroke his cheek with my hoof, “listen, imagine you’re in the sunshine, flying around or bathing on a cloud, you can feel the warm rays caress your face and your body. It’s your favourite place in all of Equestria, up in the sky, am I right?”
Soarin’ is silent for a few moments, trying to catch his breath enough to speak. “No, it’s not.”
“Well, tell me about your favourite place then!” I say, in attempt to keep him awake and talking.
“I-It’s in your arms, my favourite place is in your arms,” he stutters over his words since his teeth are chattering.
I stare at him in shock for a few moments, this is his favourite place too? Maybe it’s just because he’s dehydrated.
“Why is it your favourite place, Soar, tell me why?” I whisper, holding his face in my hooves, urging him to stay awake.
Soarin’ blinks a few times before focusing his gaze on me. “Because you’re amazing, you understand me, you see me as...”
Soarin’ groans in pain before continuing, “You see me as just Soarin’, not Wonderbolt Soarin’.”
“What else? Keep talking, stay awake.” I press, shaking him a little when his eyes droop shut.
Soarin’ groans, “Dashie, let me sleep, please.”
Tears fill my eyes as I watch him close his emerald eyes again. “Please, Soar, you can’t sleep, not yet!”
Soarin’ weakly wipes away my tears with the tip of his wing. “Hey, I’m not going anywhere, Dash.” His voice sounds more awake than before, his tone soft and sweet.
“But if you sleep you might leave!” I hold onto him tightly, praying for help to come, soon.
We can hang on, but not for long. At this rate Soar will go before me. I can’t do this, I can’t.
Soarin’ smiles at me, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s okay, I will wake up, I promise. You aren’t getting rid of me that easily.”
I sit in silence for a few more moments before nodding, if his breathing changes even a little bit, I will wake him up instantly to ensure that he’s okay.
Soarin’ closes his eyes again, and this time I let him, but watch him closely. I’m not letting him get away from me, he can’t leave me. He promised.
“Princess Celestia, or Luna depending on the time, I beg you, if you can hear us please save us, please.” I sob into the darkness, but know that it’s no use.
No pony is coming.
Author's Note
Hey guys! Two chapters in one day! YAY!
Chapter 7- A Dream of Hope
The forest is dark and cold, as I stumble aimlessly looking for an escape. The wind growls round me as the damp air sticks to my fur. There is a flash of light and a dark Alicorn figure flies towards me, making me stop in my tracks.
“Princess?” I ask in confusion as I bow towards the Princess of the Night.
Princess Luna looks at me, a sad smile upon her face, “Hello, Rainbow Dash. Your friends are looking for you.”
I then realise that this is a dream, and this is my chance to get Soarin’ and I out of here alive.
“Tell them I’m trapped in a cave, dig through the pile of the rocks at the back of the Gorge! They’ll find me there!” I say urgently, finally getting some hope.
The Princess looks at me for a few moments. “I will try, and we will come find you.”
The image begins to shake slightly, but I call out, causing the Princess to pause.
“The Wonderbolts, are they okay?” I ask, for Soarin’s sake.
Luna nods. “All but one. Soarin’ has gone missing, every pony is devastated, and they were beginning to give up hope on finding you both.”
“Soarin’s with me, I saved him from a falling boulder but we ended up trapped in here. Tell every pony he’s okay, but not for long. Neither of us will be okay for long...” I whisper painfully, hating to admit the truth.
I go on to say more, but the image of the dream begins to fade, causing everything to shatter around me. The last thing I hear before I am brought back to reality is Princess Luna calling out.
“Hold on, dear Rainbow Dash, for we are coming.”
****
Soarin’ is lying beside me, his emerald eyes wide open which is a relief. We stay silent for few moments, just gazing at each other through the darkness.
“We’re gonna be okay, Soar,” I whisper confidently.
Soarin’ watches me for a few moments, before nodding in agreement, a goofy smile cracking across his face.
“I’m really thirsty, though. I have never felt this thirsty before.” I admit as my throat begins to burn in pain.
Soarin’ licks his lips with a dry tongue, as if to prove a point. “I know, it’s horrible, the moment I get out of here I am going to
I laugh quietly before moving closer to him, in attempt to keep warm, and simply to have a bit of comfort.
“Then you can come back to my place, right?” I look at him, my eyes full of hope.
Soarin’ nods weakly. “Yeah, and I’ll kick your flank in that race.”
I laugh quietly, “As if, just you watch Mr Wonderbolt, I’m gonna kick your rump so hard you end up in Fillydelphia.”
“Do you have any pets?” Soarin’ asks randomly, most likely trying to keep this mood up.
“Yeah, yeah I do,” I sigh longingly as I remember my tortoise, probably worried sick about me. “His name is Tank and he’s a tortoise.”
Soarin’ stares at me, an expression of pure shock plastered across his face. “You’re kidding right? One of the slowest animals in Equestria is the fastest Pegasi’s pet?”
“Hey,” I say defensively, “Tank saved my life when I was trapped in an avalanche. Actually, it happened at the far end of the Gorge...” I stop suddenly, my mouth forms the shape of an “O” as I realise that I have very bad luck here.
Soarin’ chuckles slightly, “Wow, so you really do bring the bad luck around here, what did you do to the place to make it hate you so much?”
“Shut up, Soar,” I mutter bitterly.
The cave is silent for a few moments before laughter starts to dance around me. I squint at Soarin’ through the darkness, trying to figure out what he finds so funny.
“This whole situation is funny, when you think about it.” The Wonderbolt continues to laugh so hard that tears begin to fill his eyes.
“Not really,” I deadpan, not understanding why Soarin’ is finding our death funny.
“Really, so we get trapped in here together, I mean what are the chances of that, I mean we have both been longing to hang out so much, and now the opportunity is here!” The Pegasus grins, “And did I mention that we’re trapped? It’s hilarious.”
After a few minutes of staring at Soarin’, I begin to laugh too. It’s one of those hysterical ‘We’re-Screwed-And-Don’t-Know-Why-We’re-Laughing’ kind of laughs. It was a laugh that came from my belly, and brought tears to my eyes. It was a good laugh, it made me believe that maybe, just maybe, we’d have a bit of hope.
During the laughing fit both Soarin’ and I just had, we managed to wriggle closer to each other so our bodies were touching. I reach out into the darkness and wrap a hoof around his shoulder, before placing a kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you, Soar,” I whisper into his ear before I pull away. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”
Soarin’ smiles and pulls me into him. “Well, I’d probably be crushed if it wasn’t for you.”
Images of Soarin’ being smashed under one of the falling boulders sends shudders down my spine, and I realise that things could be a whole lot worse. Well, kind of. I mean, yeah we’re about to die, but Soarin’ could have already been dead. We still have hope, it may be a small smidge of hope, but it’s still there. Even though my throat is burning, and my vision is going blurry, and my body is weaker than ever, I know that we’re going to be saved. I just know it.
Author's Note
Okay, yay, new chapter! I know it's a bit short but one didn't really have a lot happening and I didn't want to drag it out into some painfully long chapter!
Interlude- Joining Forces (Edited)
Interlude- Joining Forces (Edited)
Interlude- Joining Forces
The five Elements of Harmony watch their sixth member fly into the avalanche of boulders, her rainbow tail darts furiously between the falling death traps, towards the Pegasus whom she cares so much about.
The five girls stand safely away as the Element of Loyalty grabs Soarin’ the Wonderbolt, saving his life. Sighs of relief are heard from each of the girls, but they are soon enough replaced with horror when they see that their friend and the Wonderbolt, are both gone.
****
Spitfire zooms over to her fallen teammate to find that he, fortunately, escaped with just a gash on the forehead. She looks behind her at the fallen debris within the Gorge, and realises that since the Wonderbolts had technically caused this disaster, they have to help with the search parties. Hopefully there are not too many missing ponies, and hopefully there aren’t any who are too close to her heart.
The captain blows the shrill whistle to call all of her crew to stand before her, as she does a headcount. She finds that one member is missing, the one with the goofy smile, the one who loves pie, her best friend. Soarin’.
“Where’s Soarin’?” She shouts urgently, knowing that she jinxed herself.
Behind the Wonderbolts, pounding hoofsteps are heard, and they all turn to find five ponies running towards them. Spitfire recognises them all, and she places the purple unicorn with the name Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Celestia. She recounts again and again, and realises that the one and only Rainbow Dash is missing.
Twilight steps towards the Captain with fear evident in her eyes. “Rainbow Dash flew in and saved Soarin’ from being crushed, but we don’t know if they got out alive or not, there was too much happening, I couldn’t see what happened!”
“If he’s with Dash then he’ll be fine,” Misty says reassuringly.
“Yes, but if they’re trapped they won’t have a supply of food or water and will last three days, tops.” Twilight Sparkle says, tears beginning to form in her eyes.
Pinkie Pie is sitting back slightly, her mane deflated and hanging limp around her face. Rarity is sitting beside Pinkie, attempting to get some sort of reaction from her at all, but gets no luck. Fluttershy and Applejack are hugging each other as they cry hysterically.
As for the Wonderbolts, they are all standing quietly, the pain evident in their eyes but not in their military stance. Ponies around them have begun to disperse and return home after experiencing such a traumatic event. Police ponies and ambulances have arrived to assist those with missing friends or families, or help those who are hurt. Overall, the atmosphere of the Gorge is just depressing.
Spitfire looks out into the Gorge, which is being barely lit by the moon. “Okay,can you point in the vague direction you saw them flying?” She looks over at Twilight, who seems to be the only one out of her friends in a fit state to talk.
She lifts a purple hoof and points it towards the back of the Gorge shakily. Spitfire takes a mental note of the area before lifting off the ground.
The Wonderbolts captain flies over the Gorge, taking mental snapshots from each angle, figuring out every possible place they could be. Spitfire tried to keep her cool, but all she could think about was the fact that her best friend and future rookie were trapped on the brink of death.
****
The Soarin’- Rainbow Dash search party was waiting patiently at the edge of the gorge, each looking nervously down the cliff which now had Celestia knows how much debris, and possibly even bodies.
Spitfire steps forward, taking control of the situation. “Right, Fleetfoot and Misty you will search the back section there, make sure you keep digging through rocks, they may be far in so don’t give up after a few noses.” She turns to Rapid Fire and a bandaged up Wave Chill. “You two will search on the far left. I will search on the far right side with Twilight here. The rest of
So the search party begins. Ponies from all of Ponyville are searching desperately for missing ponies. A few bodies are found, none are living.
Morale is low throughout the Gorge as the night turns to morning and the morning turns to afternoon and the afternoon turns to night, completing the day cycle. More and more bodies are found, but none are those belonging to Rainbow and Soarin’. Spitfire reluctantly calls it a night, informing everyone that tomorrow will be the same routine as today was, but this time we must find them since time is running out.
“Okay crew, into the center! Half of us will dig through the pile of debris at the back wall, since that is where they were seen last, maybe there was a little cave in the side where they found shelter. The rest of you will continue the search as we did today. We have to do this guys, it is important-“ Spitfire is cut off by a baby dragon stumbling into the clearing, calling out Twilight’s name.
The dragon pauses for a moment and looks as if he’s about to be sick, before he belches a green flame, producing a neatly rolled scroll next to Twilight’s hooves.
Twilight levitates the scroll, her face sunken with sadness. “Thank you, Spike.” She whispers and begins to read out the message in the scroll:
“My Dearest student Twilight,
“We have been made aware that Rainbow Dash has gone missing in the terrible accident in the Ghastly Gorge. Luna and I would like to send our condolences. However, I do have some good news for you. As you may be aware, Princess Luna has the ability to walk through ponies dreams as long as the pony is asleep.
“Fortunately, Rainbow Dash was asleep, and she spoke to Luna through her dreams no less than half an hour ago. She told her that she is stuck in a cave at the far end of the Gorge, and she has Soarin’ with her. They are both supposedly ‘fine’ but they will not be for long.
“I wish you the best of luck Twilight Sparkle, don’t give up the search. “ Twilight finishes reading out the scroll, leaving silence throughout the group of ponies.
They all gaze out towards the far end of the Gorge where their friends are trapped and dying. A small trickle of hope fills each of them as they now know where exactly they need to search, and also they know that their friends are actually still alive.
“Okay every pony.This is good news, we can't give up hope yet, we will find them!” Spitfire yells out confidently, receiving a cheer from each of the ponies around her, including one from the normally timid Fluttershy.
The search party breaks apart as each member goes to their designated spot, before they start, they discuss allowing one person to take a thirty minute break so that no pony passes out from lack of energy. Once all is agreed, the search party begins their search again, this time more enthusiastic and hopeful.
Down below, trapped in a dark cave is Soarin’ and Rainbow Dash, who are hanging on to their last thread of life holding on with all they’ve got, hopeful that they will be found. Soon.
Author's Note
Hey guys! Sorry for the chapter spam! I just had to write this! This isn't actually a chapter, it's just like a small break between two parts of the story, hence the name Interlude. I also wanted to give a bit of look on the outside world, so here it is!
Chapter 8- Almost Leaving
Sleep is dragging me deeper and deeper into the void of darkness, but I must keep fighting it, if I stop I will be trapped in darkness forever.
Beside me, Soarin’ is groaning in pain, although I hate hearing him like this, I am also thankful to know that he is still alive. I can’t lose him, not yet. We’re going to get through this, I know we are.
Every square inch of my body is cold, ice cold. It stings as if there is a monster biting icicles into me. It burns as well, I am so cold that I have begun to feel warm, better. That’s better. Soon we will be free, I would be free even sooner if I just let go now. Maybe I should just... Let... Go...
****
The world around me is sweet and warm; the sky is a cotton candy pink as the white clouds dance across it gracefully. I look around in confusion as I realise that I am on a cloud myself, the softness of it envelopes my body, keeping me safe.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it Dashie?” A voice beside me causes me to jump, snapping me out of my trance.
I turn towards the source of the familiar voice, my eyes widen in shock to find Soarin’ lying beside me, a sad smile sitting across his face.
“What’s going on? Where are we?” I whisper in fear.
Soarin’ shrugs and stares up into the sky. “I’m not too sure, I don’t know if you’re dreaming or drifting away from me Dashie, you won’t wake up when I call you.”
“B-but...” I frown in utter confusion. “How are you talking to me?”
“Maybe you’re making it up as you go along. I don’t know why we’re here Dashie; I just want you to wake up.” Soarin’s voice is strained and I wince at the pain he’s in.
I look at him and slowly lift my hoof towards his light blue cheek, I reach out to touch him but the world around me shudders and shakes, warping around my touch. I gasp and pull my hoof back in shock. This really isn’t real.
“I’m afraid to wake up, Soar. It’s so beautiful here,” I whisper and look around at the perfect clouds and the cotton soft grass sitting peacefully below our cloud.
“But I need you Dashie, I really need you here.” He pleads, reaching out to touch me before pulling his hoof back when he remembers that we cannot touch.
I frown and look at the stallion beside me. “But maybe I’m just imagining that you need me. What if I wake up and you don’t want to hang out with me after all of this.”
Why am I freaking out about this? I never normally care when a stallion never wants to see me again. But Soarin’ is different. I have been with many stallions before in my life, but Soar is the only one who has understood me. I know that I am not actually with him, but he’s amazing to have even as a friend. If he doesn’t want that after all this, I don’t know what I’d do.
“Just have a little trust, Dashie, please...” he whispers and looks deep into my eyes with his brilliant emerald ones. “Just wake up, for me.”
I look around me once more, and look at Soarin’ before nodding slightly.
The world around me ruptures and everything fades to black.
****
“Dash, Come on. Wake up,” Soarin’s voice whispers hoarsely.
Wincing as the world begins to focus around me again, I look up at the silhouette of the Wonderbolt leaning over me.
“Hey, I’m here, I’m okay.” I try to comfort the Pegasus who is now sobbing over me.
Wrapping my wings around his shoulders, I pull Soarin’ down so his warm body is lying slightly across my chest and I begin to stroke his mane repeating the same words over and over again: “I’m okay, we’re gonna be okay, I’m here.”
Soarin’ continues to sob and I pull him closer, wishing I could do something more but I feel helpless. I stroke his mane as his sobs begin to die down slightly and he tightens his grip around me. We lie there in silence for a few moments, Soarin’s body lying over mine, our wings around each other.
“Sorry about that,” Soarin’ whispers sheepishly, clearly embarrassed with how he acted.
“Shh, it’s okay, I’m sorry for doing that to you.” I continue to hold Soarin’ close to me, so close that I can feel his heartbeat over mine, so close that the heat from his body is radiating into mine.
Soarin’ goes to roll off of me, but I tighten my grip around him before whispering, “Not yet, don’t go yet.”
Soarin’ stops moving then and we just lay in silence for a few moments. Sweet, blissful silence.
“What happened, Dash?” Soarin’ murmurs, his breath hot on my shoulder.
I shudder slightly at the sensation of it before going on to answer. “I was drifting, I was about to let go...” I pause, contemplating whether or not I should go on. “But you were there, and told me not to let go. You told me to wake up, so I did.”
Soarin’ shifts so he is sitting upright against the wall of the cave, I can barely see him but I it seems as if he is holding his hoof out towards me, so I crawl over to him, my body still weak from hunger. It seems as if when I do not have Soarin’s touch, I am not distracted from the pain, but when he is close by it seems to dull down a bit.
“How long more do you think we can last, Soar?” I croak as I settle down against his soft coat.
I wince as I press myself up against him. “They’ll find us, I know they will.”
As if our prayers were being answered, in the distance we hear the rustling of rocks coming closer and closer towards us.
“Oh my gosh!” I rasp in joy.
Fleetfoot’s voice comes into the cave, although it is very muffled. It’s as if she is standing at the other side of the Gorge.
“Soarin’? Dash? Are you around here?”
More rocks move, but Fleetfoot probably hasn’t even reached the original entrance yet, she’s going to give up before she reaches us.
“We’re in here!” I try and yell, but my voice breaks slightly.
Soarin’ stares at the pile of debris through the darkness. “Fleet! Help!” His voice comes through slightly louder, but it sounds as if it hurts an awful lot.
“Wait, Spit! I heard something!” Fleetfoot calls out, and more rocks begin to move.
Spitfire’s voice seems to appear out of nowhere, her voice is strained and more tense than usual. “This isn’t another false alarm is it Fleet?”
I swallow thin air in attempt to dampen my mouth before calling out again, “Spitfire, We’re here.” My voice screeches painfully, I know that it isn’t loud enough; it is coming out as barely more than a whisper.
“Soar, I can’t...” I swallow some more air, but I’m gaining nothing from it.
Soarin’ gently touches my cheek with his hoof, telling me that it’s okay without needing to utter a word.
“I don’t know Fleet,” Spitfire sighs sadly, “I think it’s another false alarm. I’m sorry. We should try somewhere else.”
Tears fill my eyes as I scream as loud as I possibly can. My voice is burning and my body feels weak, but I keep going, I keep going until my voice gives out completely and my body falls limp against Soarin’.
Tears continuously stream down my pain stricken face, as I wait and see if we’ve been heard, I pray and pray. Soarin’ and I are both silent, barely breathing as we wait. This is our last chance to get out, if they leave now we will never be found.
“They’re in here!” Spitfire yells out, “Call the air ambulance, now!”
Everything seems to be moving faster now, the rocks fall quicker as they grow louder and louder. More ponies voices fill the air around us as I cling on tightly to Soarin’, my heart pounding harder than ever.
“Don’t leave me, please,” I whisper to Soarin’ through the darkness.
“I won’t. I promise,” he replies.
Suddenly, a bright patch fills the cave and I squint into this strange bright light. Daylight. Spitfire’s face appears in the gap along with my friends as they continue to tear through the rocks that are trapping us from the outside world. I hear a few gasps of shock as ponies see the state which we were in and I wonder if we really look that bad?
As I cling onto Soarin’, I allow myself to finally drift off, knowing that we will both be okay.
Author's Note
So this story is drawing to a close, probably 3 more chapters left, but I am pretty sure there is going to be a sequel to this, which I will make sure is ready to be upload almost immediately after this one is completed!
Chapter 9- Trapped in a Hospital
The sterile smell of the hospital wakes me up from the darkness. I blink away the heaviness in my eyes as I try to adjust to the sudden brightness. I lift my foreleg slightly to find that it has many tubes sticking out from it, and I have a cannula attached to my nose, tickling my nostrils as oxygen flows down into my throat.
“S-Soarin’?” I whisper, my voice breaking.
Twilight Sparkle appears out of nowhere and walks over to my side. “Hey Rainbow, how are you feeling?”
“Where is Soarin’? I have to see him!” I say urgently, I am not concerned for my wellbeing, only for his.
“He is in the other room, you can’t see him yet.” Twilight smiles sadly and puts a purple hoof over mine.
My chest tightens in fear as I realise that he may be in a very bad state. “Why not? I need to see him, why can’t I see him?” I try and throw out my wings, but they have been strapped to my sides with a cloth strap which has been wrapped tightly around my body.
My eyes widen in shock as I stare at Twilight, why did they strap my wings down in the same way they would to a mad pony? I begin to thrash about more in panic. What’s happening to me? What are they going to do?
“Calm down, Dash. You don’t want them to put you under again!” She whispers urgently, and I realise that I have had an
“Can you get Spitfire for me?” I whisper, staying as calm as possible.
Twilight opens her mouth in protest but once she sees the dark look I’m giving her she immediately runs out the door obediently. I realise now how weak my body actually is: my head feels light and dizzy. I figure that I’m probably on a hay load of drugs.
After a few moments, the captain of the Wonderbolts walks in alone, a small smile across her lips.
“Hello, Rainbow Dash. I heard you wanted to see me?” The Pegasus sits down beside my bed.
I look at her for a few moments, trying to decide which question I should ask first. “How is he?”
“He’s doing better than you, actually. He’s off all of the drips and oxygen now.” Spitfire scans my face with concern in her orange eyes.
“Then why can’t I see him?” I frown in confusion. If Soarin’ is doing well then he must be fit enough to come and see me.
Spitfire looks at me with sadness in her eyes. “Well, you’re only allowed one visitor at a time, Dash. The doctors also think that seeing Soarin’ this soon after the experience would be too traumatic for you.”
“Please, Spit. You have to let me see him!” I beg the Wonderbolt sitting beside me.
Spitfire is silent for a few moments; she stands up and begins trotting around the room as she thinks.
“I disagree with what the doctors want, Dash. Soar wants to see you too, pretty badly as a matter of fact. But, I can’t do anything about it, I may be the captain of the Wonderbolts, but in here I’m just another pony,” She sighs sadly and my heart drops.
“But, I want to see him. I need to, Spit,” I wiggle around slightly and wince as the cloth rubs against my feathers, pulling them back. I groan in pain as I feel one of my feathers being pulled out.
Spitfire stands up instantly. “What’s wrong, Dash?”
“The- The cloth is pulling out my feathers... It’s too ti-“ I groan in pain again. “-Tight.”
Spitfire reaches behind me and pushes a red button above my head, instantly a doctor rushes into the room. “What’s the problem?” He asks urgently.
“The restraint is hurting her, take it off!” Spitfire orders in a powerful voice.
My eyes begin to drift shut again as the pain drags me under and the doctor hesitates. “But she may try to escape again.”
“I don’t care about that! The wings are the most sensitive part of a Pegasi, especially one who flies as much as she does. If you don’t take that off she will never fly again. So take it off. Now!” Spitfire’s voice grows louder and louder, and by now she is eyeball to eyeball with the doctor.
She must have scared him since I can feel myself being released; my wings instantly stretch out as the cloth is pulled away, they flex in attempt to take the pain away. I sigh in relief. The doctor walks out of the room, muttering under his breath about how he let a visitor take control over the situation. I glance up at Spitfire who is now carefully examining my wings.
I look down at my body and see that there is a red mark running around my ribcage where the cloth was pressing down on.
“Thank you,” I say quietly as she moves around to look at my other wing.
Spitfire smiles at me, “It’s okay, Rainbow. Hopefully they’ll let you see Soar soon. Just don’t try anything funny or you’ll never get out of here.”
I sigh and nod in defeat. “Can you at least see what you can do? I really want to see him.”
“I will try, Dash. Your wings are fine, just rest them and stretch them out a bit. I need to go back to Soar now since other people want to see you too, do you want me to pass on a message?” Spitfire begins to head over to the door.
“Wait, do you have any parchment?” I ask as an idea pops into my head.
Spitfire reaches into her saddlebag and pulls out a piece of parchment and a quill before passing them over to me. I smile as I take them in my mouth before I begin to write a letter to Soarin’.
Hey Soar,
What’s this? The one and only totally cool Rainbow Dash is writing a letter to some pony other than Celestia? Yes. Just remember, if you mention this to any pony, any pony at all, I will hunt you down and skin you alive.
Anyway, apparently they think I’m too weak to have more than one visitor at a time, and they think it’d be too traumatic to see you after what we’ve just been through. Do they know who I am? I’m Rainbow Dash, the Pegasus who can get through anything! I’m not weak, they’re underestimating me.
It would be nice if I could get to see you, I want to talk and hangout with you for a while without the fear of dying looming over our heads. Don’t you agree?
In the morning if they say that I’m not allowed to see you again I am going to storm out of this room, they had to untie my wings because it was pulling my feathers. It hurt so much I felt like I was going to black out. You know how sensitive wings are, the doctor who put on the restraint obviously didn’t.
We can use Spitfire as our own personal mailmare at this moment though, you can be the one to beg her to do it though, she’s your captain!
By the way, can you see if you can get some pony to sneak in a Daring Doo book to me? I doubt the doctors will let me have one because it’s too ‘traumatic’ and I need to ‘rest’. But it gets so lonely in here, you’re lucky; you can have more than one visitor. I’m pretty sure that they have a set time limit for my visitors too. It sucks. I have only seen Twilight and Spitfire though, I think they’ve had to knock me out a few times.
So, Soarin’, I hope you’re doing well, I shall speak to you soon!
The one and only,
Rainbow Dash. X
I roll the parchment up and pass it back to Spitfire. “Can you give that to him, please?”
Spitfire smiles and takes the roll in her mouth before waving and trotting out of the room. I sigh sadly as I look out the window into the bright, sunny Ponyville day.
The door swings open and the loud cry of Pinkie fills the room, and she pushes in her party cannon along with her.
I groan internally, today is going to be a long day.
Author's Note
Hey guys! Okay this author's not has to be quick because I really should be in bed XD Whoops!
Chapter 10- Escape Attempt
Pinkie Pie has been here for a long hour, babbling on about some new recipes that she’s been trying out.
After the agonisingly long talk with the pink party pony, there is a knock at the door, which indicates that her time is up. I sigh in relief as Pinkie jumps up from her seat (which she only just settled down in- she had been bouncing around the room in excitement for the most part of this visit.) and she bounces out of the room.
“Bye, Dashie!” She calls back cheerfully as she disappears down the hall.
I shake my head and look up to find Spitfire hovering by the door with a roll of parchment in her mouth. My heart lifts as she trots towards me and I realise that the letter is from Soarin’.
“So,” The Wonderbolt’s captain says as she floats over to me. “I take it I’m going to be your personal mailmare?”
“Yes Ma’am, if that’s okay with you, Ma’am.” I instantly reply with the military formalities that had been drilled into us at the Wonderbolt’s Academy, in hope to get on Spitfire’s good side.
Spitfire laughs, a laugh that is so warm that it fills every corner of the room causing me to relax slightly.
“Of course it’s okay, Rookie.” She rolls her eyes. “Soar would kill me if I didn’t anyway.”
I sigh with relief as Spitfire passes me the letter, it smells slightly of apple pies, I smile slightly as I open it up.
“You have ten minutes then visiting hours will be over, your other friends want to apologise, they all wish to see you but there’s not enough time,” Spitfire frowns as she watches me read the letter in my hooves.
“Tell them I said it’s fine, there’s always tomorrow,” I say absentmindedly as I put all my attention towards the letter.
Hey Dash,
I know, it sucks. I have been asking if I can go to see you every ten minutes, but they still refuse. It has gotten to the point where they answer me before I even have a chance to ask the question, I have asked that many times. They also refuse to tell me of your wellbeing, they just say that you’re stable, that’s all I have been told so I’m relying on every pony else to tell me what’s going on.
I’m in a ward with a few other ponies who were injured in the accident so I don’t have as much privacy as you do, still, I know how lonely you are. At least I can have as many visitors as I want... When we get out of here we definitely must spend some more time together. How does that race sound to you?
Before you ask, Spit said I can have a month’s leave since I need to recover. If you don’t mind, can I stay with you? Obviously I’d sleep on the couch. Obviously.
I have heard talk about me being discharged tomorrow, so hopefully that means I will be free to see you!
Anyway, see you soon Dash.
Soarin’ X
PS. I won’t tell anyone about your letter writing, I don’t want to risk my flank. I may be a dope but I’m not that stupid.
PPS. Twilight Sparkle said that she was going to get you the Daring Doo book for tomorrow.
I laugh softly at his reply before taking a piece of parchment and scrawling a quick reply across it, knowing that I only have a few minutes left before the hospital kicks Spitfire out.
Hey Soar,
I don’t have long to reply since there is only five minutes until visiting times are over. But, of course you can stay with me you big dope. I have a spare room so there is no need for a couch.
It is very lonely, so I do hope that I get out of here soon, have you heard anything about my discharge yet? Or at least when I’ll get moved into an open ward?
I look forward to racing you, you best be prepared to get your flank kicked in that race as I leave you behind coughing in my rainbow dust.
Thank you for asking about the book! I am bored out of my mind here, but I do admit, I feel quite weak, don’t tell any pony I said that though, I will never get out of here otherwise. But I’m pretty sure I’m being fed through a drip, either that or they’re starving me.
Dash X
I roll up the parchment and pass it over to Spitfire. She smiles and turns to leave but a thought crosses my mind and I have to know the answer.
“Spitfire?” I ask warily.
The Wonderbolt turns around and looks at me in question.
“Are Wonderbolts allowed to date?” I flush as the words leave my lips. Spitfire laughs.
“Of course, as long as they’re able to put up with the constant travel and hardly seeing each other then it’s fine. It also can’t affect your performance, if it does then you either have to leave the Wonderbolts or leave the relationship. It is allowed though. Why?” She looks at me with a smirk across her lips, causing me to flush even more.
“No reason,” I say nonchalantly, “So it must be easier to date a fellow Wonderbolt then?” I whisper, a hint of sadness enters my voice.
Spitfire shakes her head. “Unless a new ‘Bolt joins then there isn’t really any relationships between us, we’ve been together so long we’re all like family...” She pauses, “Hypothetically, though, it does work better if you’re both a part of the team.”
All hope drains out of me and I wonder why I feel so upset, it’s not like I was asking for myself, I was just curious since I had heard rumours that they aren’t allowed to date. Still, it hurts when I realise that I have no chance with Soarin’ at all. Why does it matter anyway? It doesn’t.
Spitfire smiles sadly at me before quietly walking out of the room leaving me alone in the cold silence.
I sit there for a few moments before muttering to myself: “Now I’m going to try harder than ever to get into the team.” Before drifting off to sleep.
****
A rustling sound wakes me up in a shock, and I look around in panic thinking that the roof is going to cave in. I sigh in relief when I find that I’m in the hospital and the sun is shining proudly through the window.
A doctor is reading through my notes, full concentration plastered across his face.
“Can I see Soarin’ yet?” I ask the doctor, causing him to jump in shock.
He looks up at me in silence before shaking his head, “You’re still not in a fit state.”
“But I’m allowed other visitors, why can’t I see him! He’s the only one who understands what I went through!” I say, my breathing growing heavier.
“I’m sorry, Miss Dash, but it’d be too traumatic for you.” He goes back to reading his notes as if the conversation never happened.
I glare daggers at him. “No. Let me see him!” I yell, tears filling my eyes.
Why am I crying? I hardly ever cry, although, these are partly angry tears. Nonetheless, I am still crying which is unusual.
The doctor yells in shock and a group of ponies run into the room, I realise that they’re a few of the Wonderbolts. My vision goes blurry as I kick away the arms trying to hold me back, voices are muffled and my ears are ringing. Everything moves so fast, I don’t know what is going on; all I know is that I’m stumbling towards the exit, my mind set straight on getting out of here.
Without knowing how I ended up like this, I am on the floor with Wave Chill and Rapid pinning me down. Spitfire is sitting beside me, talking to me urgently, and trying to sooth me. I don’t listen to her, I can’t. I continue to sob violently, unable to stop. My breathing grows quicker and quicker as I sob.
“Dash, listen to me, it’s going to be okay, just relax,” Spitfire says to me. “Some pony get her other friends, now!”
Misty Fly runs out of the room and returns with Fluttershy, her face is soft and sweet, as always.
“Dash, I need you to relax for me. You’re going to be okay.” Fluttershy soothes and the doctor steps forward with a needle in his hoof.
I squirm under the two Pegasi’s firm grip, yelling at the doctor, telling him to get away from me.
“Rainbow, it’s going to be okay, he’s just going to make you sleep until you feel better okay?” Fluttershy strokes my mane gently and I look up at her with tears in my eyes.
I just want Soarin’, is that too much to ask? He’s the only pony who understands my constant fear of darkness, when the doctor puts me under I will be in darkness again. If Soarin’ was here he’d be able to tell them to stop, that it’s only going to hurt me.
Still, I listen to my old friend and stop squirming, allowing the doctor to stick the needle in my foreleg. I whimper in fear slightly as the darkness pulls me under, trapping me there.
Author's Note
Hey guys!
Realisation
Chapter 11- Realisation
Soarin’s name escapes my lips as I push myself out of the darkness to find that it is just after sunrise. The cannula is still in my nose, sending bursts of oxygen down into my throat. The drip is uncomfortably sticking out of my foreleg, pumping Celestia knows what fluids into my body.
I sigh and lean my head back on the pillow, listening to the tick, tick, tick of a clock in an unknown location within my room. I begin to play a game in which I attempt to locate this clock by only using my ears. It’s nowhere to be found.
A nurse who looks fairly nice bustles into the room pushing a trolley along with her. “Good morning, deary. I brought you in some breakfast,” she says sweetly and I stare at her in confusion.
“I’m allowed to eat now?” I ask, praying that it isn’t some mistake.
The nurse smiles and pushes my table over to me, placing a delicious looking dandelion sandwich in front of me. My stomach rumbles in reply as I quickly pick it up and take a huge bite into it, shuddering in delight as the solid food travels down my throat. I have never been so happy to eat in my life.
Since this nurse seems like a good pony, I decide to ask her the most important question in Equestria: “Can you bring Soarin’ in to me, please?” I ask sweetly, deciding to play the nice card for a change.
“I don’t see why not, sweetie!” The nurse smiles before rushing out of the room again, humming a sweet tune as she leaves. Once she has gotten quite a distance away, I am left alone in my silent joy.
Maybe she doesn’t know that I can’t see him? It doesn’t matter now, he’s still coming! I am not going to say anything to the nurse to ruin my chances of seeing him. Maybe she has gone to confirm it with another doctor, a doctor who knows the situation. Or maybe they all agreed that it’d only be fair to let me see him after such a traumatic event. I stare at the door intently, waiting for the light blue Pegasus with the dark blue mane to walk in, with his goofy smile plastered across his face.
After about five minutes of waiting, I give up and accept that he was probably told that he can’t come. Either that or he was discharged and he left to go back to Cloudsdale. I immediately push the thought from my mind and continue to hope for him to walk in.
****
A knock at the door snaps me instantly out of my daydream in which I was soaring through the sky with Soarin’ as we raced, but in the end we decided to just fly side by side, not really caring about winning or losing. I wouldn’t do that for just any pony.
“Hey Dash,” a familiar voice fills the room, “Sorry I took so long, I had to go through all the discharge forms and whatnot.”
There he is, with his goofy smile and a saddle bag hanging across his back as he hovers by the doorframe.
“Come and sit down, Soar, I won’t be going anywhere.” I pat the chair which has been pushed by my bedside, and the Wonderbolt flies over slowly.
Soarin’ gently kisses my forehead before he sits down beside me, staring into my eyes with his stunning emerald ones. He takes my hoof in his and holds it tightly as if everything depends on it, and right now it feels like it does. It feels as if his grip is what’s stopping everything from crashing and burning around me. His touch alone sends waves of warmth through my body, in fact, I feel better than I have in days.
“So, it’s been a while,” Soarin’ whispers, a smile playing at his lips.
I nod. “It has been. It’s been really hard too; no pony understands what we’ve just been through. The doctors think that if I don’t see you I won’t get traumatised. But in reality, if I don’t see you I end up freaking out more. I needed you Soar, so bad.” I whisper frantically, tears fill my eyes and I quickly attempt to blink them back before Soarin’ see’s them.
Of course, he’s been looking at me ever since he entered the room so he is obviously going to spot them. He, ever so gently, brushes away my tears with the tip of his hoof.
“What happened to the amazing Rainbow Dash who never cries, you’ve cried twice around me in the past two days, am I doing something wrong?” The Pegasus smirks.
I glare at him for a few moments before allowing a smile to spread across my face. “No, you happened to give me feelings. But I swear to Celestia, if you dare tell any pony that I’m soft, I will tan your hide and kick you to Trottingham and back.
Soarin’ laughs somewhat nervously before nodding. “Capiche,” he replies, smartly. “Wait, I gave you feelings? How?”
I flush slightly. “Well you helped me stay calm throughout the whole thing. You made me realise that I don’t always have to hide my emotions because sometimes it’s better to let it all out. You let me show you how I felt without judging me or saying anything about it,” I whisper, still hiding one thing.
I will never be able to tell him that the main way he gave me feelings was causing me to see him like I have with no other stallion before. I have never felt this way about any pony before, and it has opened my eyes. I’m still not too sure if I like the way this is all going, but I’m going to go along with it. I’m going to listen to my heart for once.
Quite frankly, I don’t understand what emotions I am feeling, I have this warm fuzzy feeling whenever I think about him and my stomach flutters whenever I see him.
One simple word enters my head, leaving me in shock: Love.
Love? I have never loved before; this is a new feeling to me. I have had coltfriends before, but I never truly liked them.
Maybe it is love, it could be. I wouldn’t know since I have never experienced it.
No, it can’t be. I always told myself that I would never love, my training always comes first. Love is too soft and sappy for the awesome Rainbow Dash. Still, when I think about it now, I actually would put Soarin’ before my training without a second thought. In fact, I’d risk my life for him without even thinking, I showed that at the night of the avalanche. Could I actually be falling in love? It’s so strange, it’s scary. This is completely new territory for me, I could completely mess this all up.
Soarin’ is clapping his hooves in front of my face and I realise that I must have zoned out for a good few minutes. “Equestria to Dash? Is any pony in there?”
“Yeah, sorry. I was thinking,” I smile at him as if nothing is bothering me.
“Rainbow Dash is thinking?” He grins goofily, “Wow, you really are an egghead! Seriously though, what were you thinking about, I could almost hear the gears grinding.”
I look up at him and smile sadly. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it, you’ll probably find out soon enough.”
“Okay then...” Soarin’ looks at me with worry evident in his eyes. “I need to go and tell Spitfire that I’ve been discharged then I’ll be back, okay? I also want to give your other friends a chance to see you.”
I nod as he swiftly kisses my forehead again and flies out of the room, waving goodbye as he leaves. He glances back at me so quickly that it’s barely noticeable, but I can tell the he, too, is thinking about a lot.
I’m not sure what to do, I can’t exactly tell him how I feel. I’m not even sure of it myself, am I? No, I am. I’m sure of it. I’m not sure how I know or why this has happened to me, but I know that it’s true.
I know that I’m falling in love with Soarin’, and I’m surprisingly not so scared anymore.
Author's Note
Yay guys! They finally got to see each other!
Chapter 12- Nightmares
After a long day of seeing my friends and having a chance to talk to each and every one of them, I feel utterly exhausted. I had received gifts from each of my friends and reluctantly accepted them.
Twilight brought me the next Daring Doo book in the series, Applejack brought me some apple pie, Fluttershy brought some really nice flowers, Rarity brought me a new pair of customised goggles for when I get the chance to fly, and Pinkie Pie brought me a box of cupcakes (obviously).
The last pony to visit me is Soarin’; he quietly knocks on the door before walking in to find me already half asleep.
I attempt to keep my eyes open as he sits beside me, taking my hoof in his. Soarin’ smiles his goofy smile at me, causing me to melt from the inside out.
“Hey Dash, so I heard some good news,” Soar whispers as he brushes my mane out of my eyes.
My face tints rose as I look up at him. “What good news is that?”
“You may be discharged tomorrow,” he grins at me.
I look up at him with shock in my eyes, how does he know this? Is it the truth?
“Really?” I whisper in pure excitement, my heart pounding within my chest.
Soarin’ nods. “But, um, Dash...” He trails off awkwardly, looking down at his hooves.
“What’s up, Soar?” I watch him as I wait patiently for him to continue.
“Well, I have nowhere to stay and you know how you said I could stay with you, but you’re here so I don’t know where to go and-“ I cut him off by gently putting a hoof over his lips.
“You can stay at my house, Soar, I trust you not to steal anything,” I grin at the Pegasus beside me. “Do you know where it is?”
Soarin’ shakes his head, but I can see that he has relaxed slightly now that he knows he has a place to stay. “I don’t, I mean I’ve seen it before but I don’t know how to get there.”
“Okay, well go and find Twilight Sparkle, she will show you where it is. Also, take home this,” I pass him the pie which Applejack gave me. “I have no food at home and I know how much you love apple pie.”
Soarin’s emerald eyes light up in joy as he puts the apple pie in his saddle bag. “Thank you so much, Dashie!” He grins as if he’s a foal in a sweetshop.
I give him a look of amusement as he bounces up and down happily. “Also, it’s made by the same pony from the Gala. You know Applejack, don’t you?”
Soarin’ gasps and flutters his wings in excitement. “Really? You’ve given me the best pie in Equestria? I can’t wait to eat it
“Go on then, you should find Twilight Sparkle and go back to mine, there’s a key hidden under the doormat,” I smile as the Pegasus kisses my forehead before zooming out of the room.
I stare after him for a few moments before I’m absolutely sure that he’s gone. I can’t believe that I managed to get out of this thing alive. I mean, yeah I’m the strongest Pegasus in Equestria, but no pony would have been able to hold on for long if they were stuck in there like that. I’m lucky Soarin’ was there, without him I would have given up so easily.
I carefully pick up the Daring Doo book which Twilight gave me, and begin to read the first paragraph. Daring Doo is trapped in a cave, each exit guarded by Manticores. I laugh at the irony and continue to read.
****
I awaken to find that it is cold and dark all around me. There is a quiet drip, drip, drip noise on my left indicating that I am not in the hospital anymore. Maybe it was all a dream, being in the hospital, being saved.
I look around, confused as to where I am, and then I realise: I’m back in the cave, I never escaped.
“Soarin’?” I whisper into the darkness, trying to find the Pegasus who was trapped in here with me.
A groan comes from the pile of debris and I stumble towards it in fear. “Soar? Are you okay?” I say urgently, praying and praying that he’ll be okay.
I dig through the mess and carefully drag his body out into a flat surface so he’s more comfortable.
“I-I’m sorry, Dash, I can’t hold on.” His voice wavers and tears fill my eyes.
I take his hoof in mine and tears poor down my cheeks. “No, Soar, you have to hold on! You can’t leave me! Don’t leave me!” I sob violently, holding onto his hoof tighter.
Soarin’ shakes his head sadly. “I can’t, Dash. I’m sorry. I- I-“ he gasps for air as he tries to hold on, but through the darkness I see his chest slowly deflate and never rise again.
He looks as if he’s sleeping as I gently use my hooves to close his eyes. His body is still warm to touch so I rest my head on his chest, trying to listen to the heartbeat which is not there. All I hear is silence.
Why did he have to leave me, why did he do this to me? I’m all alone, and I’m scared. I, the amazing Rainbow Dash, am scared. No pony would ever have thought that this would happen. It really shows something when I am scared.
I continue to whisper Soarin’s name into his lifeless body, begging him to come back, begging him not to leave me. But he’s gone, he’s never coming back. What was he going to say to me? I don’t even know. I never got to tell him how I felt about him.
A rumble fills the cave and I look up at the ceiling to find that it is shuddering. I close my eyes and hold onto Soarin’, and accept that now is my time to go.
Falling rocks fall on top of me and pain jolts through me, a pain which I have never experienced before. Then, everything goes black.
****
My eyes shoot open and I sit upright in the bed, pulling down the drip which is beside my bed. Shaking in fear, I look around in confusion to find that I fell asleep whilst I was reading the Daring Doo novel. The room is beginning to get bright as the sun rises over the horizon. Was that entire nightmare a lie then? I do not know.
Did Soarin’ really survive? I scan the room to find a piece of parchment beside my bed. A letter from Soarin’. My breathing relaxes slightly and I swiftly wipe away my tears. It was all a dream, thankfully.
Still, that was the first nightmare I’ve had since I was a filly and I have a feeling there's many more to come.
Author's Note
Hey guys, one more chapter after that. I shouldn't really be writing at the moment since I have a French exam tomorrow, whoops...
Chapter 13- Perfection
I am unable to fall back into the warm hooves of sleep again, for I fear the nightmares it may bring. So, here I am, sitting in the hospital bed as I continue to read the Daring Doo book in attempt to take my mind off things.
A knock on the door startles me and causes me to jump in surprise. My heart begins to race when I see the light blue Pegasus hovering in the doorframe. Why do I feel this way? Why is my heart fluttering like this? I try and stop the feeling, but it is no use and, I actually like this feeling. I feel safe.
I open my forelegs wide and motion for Soarin’ to come over to me, desperate to feel his fur against mine, the warmth from his body making me feel safe and warm as he makes me forget all the nightmares and fears I have ever had.
We sit there in silence for a few moments. Sweet, blissful silence. Then Soarin’ pulls away reluctantly as he takes a seat on the chair at my bedside.
“So did you find Twilight in the end?” I ask Soarin’ in attempt to make small talk.
“Yep, very nice house you’ve got there, Miss Dash.” He grins at me, causing me to flush the same colour of my eyes.
I glance at him through the corner of my eyes and shoot him a glare. “What about the pie? Did you enjoy it?”
The Wonderbolt nods and his face turns nostalgic as he remembers the pie he ate only last night. “It was amazing! The best pie in Equestria.”
I laugh at the love he feels towards food, however, I do have to admit that is the same love I feel towards napping, so I can’t really judge him on it. Soarin’ laughs alongside me, his eyes glistening with joy. I am so happy to see him smile again, all that time in the cave we had lost all hope, I thought I’d never see the normal Soarin’ that I love again.
A pony walking into the room distracts us both from our laughter, causing us both to look up and find that there is a doctor standing at the end of the bed. I frown slightly since he’s rudely interrupted a perfect moment that I fear will not happen again for a long time.
“Miss Dash, we have been monitoring you very closely for the past few days and feel that you are now in a fit state to be discharged from the hospital in a few hours time.” The doctor says as he reads my notes. “We will need to remove your drip and get you to sign the discharge forms, but other than that you will be free to go when you wish.”
My mouth drops open in shock and I turn to look at Soarin’. The doctor nods towards him before walking out of the room in silence.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I get to go home!” I grin and bounce up and down in the bed.
Soarin’ smiles at my excitement, “Do you want me to tell every pony the good news?”
I kiss Soarin’ on the cheek quickly before looking into his emerald eyes. “Yes please, that’d be perfect.”
“I’ll meet you outside in an hour then, Dashie!” Soarin’ smiles goofily at me before he hops down off the seat.
“Okay, thank you, Soar,” I whisper as he flies out of the room, leaving me alone as I smile to myself like an idiot.
I’m free, I’m free, I’m free! I can fly again; I can feel the wind in my mane and my feathers. I have missed that, quite a lot actually.
I gaze out of the window as I long to be in the sky again, flying alongside Soarin’. The colt whom I care so much about.
****
An hour later and I have finally gone through the whole discharging procedure. It took a good twenty minutes to get through all the forms, then another ten to get all the tubes and wires out of me. I then had to pack the saddle back which Twilight Sparkle left me the other day in case I was discharged. The egghead is always thinking ahead, isn’t she?
I trot outside into the fresh air, smiling widely as I feel the wind caress my face. Stretching out my wings, I close my eyes and allow the wind to run through my feathers, shuddering as the sensation causes my whole body to tingle.
I am interrupted with a loud cheer and the explosion of a party cannon, and open my eyes to find my fellow Elements of Harmony, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Wonderbolts all standing outside the hospital to welcome me.
An orange filly zooms into my forelegs and wraps her hooves around my neck. I stroke her dark purple mane with my hoof as she sobs quietly into my chest. I gently pick her up and rock her calmly. I promised her that I’d be her big sister, and that’s just what I’m going to do. That means I need to comfort her when she needs me too, and when it comes to Scoots, I don’t care how sappy I look because I care about her.
“They wouldn’t let me visit you Dash, I thought you’d left me.” Scootaloo whispers sadly.
“Hey, squirt, I’d never leave you. You were just a bit too little to come into the part of the hospital that I was staying in,” I say soothingly, “I’ll tell ya what, after school on Monday, Soarin’ and I will give you a flying lesson, okay?”
Scootaloo looks up into my eyes and her tears slowly disappear. “Really?”
“Really, we need to take it easy and I’ve missed flying with you. I hope you’ve been practising.” I carefully place the filly on the ground again.
Scootaloo nods excitedly. “I have, Dash!” She cheers as she runs off towards her friends.
I spoke to Soarin’ about my relationship with Scootaloo once or twice during the incident in the cave; he understood and accepted my offer to give her a flight lesson once we were free without a second thought.
Pinkie Pie is the next to hug me as she begins to excitedly talk about throwing a party tomorrow and that she missed me. Applejack and Rarity ended up pulling her away just as she began to talk about baking cupcakes with me at some point. I stare at them in confusion then turn to find Spitfire standing before me.
“Hey, Rookie,” the Wonderbolts captain grins at me and I salute at her with a smile across my face too. Spitfire continues talking, “So, it’s good to see you out, Dash. Thank you for what you did. Saving Soar and all that. He’s my best friend, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know what I’d do either, ma’am. No need to thank me, I would have hated myself for an eternity if I didn’t save the big dope,” I smile slightly to myself as I think about the Pegasus who I cared about enough to risk my life for.
Spitfire smiles slightly and steps to the side, I look up to see a nervous Soarin’ standing there, kicking his hoof in the dirt.
I cautiously walk over to him and touch his cheek with my hoof. Soarin’ looks up at me, his emerald eyes burning with a
“Soar-“I whisper but he cuts me off by placing a single feather over my lips.
Soarin’ slowly leans his head in and my heart begins to pound. Am I dreaming?
His lips press against mine and the whole world around us goes dark. All that is left is me and him. Our breathing is in sync and our lips move together. My whole body melts inside as I wrap my hooves around his neck, pulling him closer to me, never wanting to let go.
Perfect. Everything is perfect.
Author's Note
So, this is it. The final chapter of Trapped!Here is a link to Free to Fly! it should hopefully be up soon!
Prologue
Prologue
The cyan weather Pegasus thought that it would be a regular day in Ponyville. The only thing extraordinary about that day was the fact that the Wonderbolts were coming to town for an air show. Nonetheless, she had no clue whatsoever about the events her near future held.
It was a regular Tuesday morning with a regular routine. Rainbow Dash awoke at nine AM on the dot and she rolled lazily out of bed before trotting over to the day’s weather rota, which was stuck up on her wall. It was scheduled to be a bright and sunny day, so all she had to do was clear a few clouds.
A smile spread across the Pegasi’s face as she realised that she’d have enough time to practice a few tricks, hopefully this time she will actually gain the attention of her idols instead of failing epically. Her smile faltered when she remembered the Grand Galloping Gala and quite a bit of the Royal Wedding, although she grabbed the attention of the beautiful Soarin’, and was honoured with a dance from him, he was soon enough pulled away by the paparazzi, leaving the disappointed Rainbow Dash alone on the dance floor.
“It will not happen again,” she declared, determination was evident in her eyes. “I will spend time with Soarin’ and I will also get to show off my skills!”
Rainbow Dash flew out of her extravagant cloud home, into the skies of Ponyville, as she fantasised about all her dreams coming true.
Little did the Pegasus know, this Wonderbolts air show was about to change her life for sure, just not in the way she had hoped for.
Author's Note
Okay guys so this was a random idea I had and I'm not really sure what route its going to end up taking! I am very excited about this but it will probably stay as a side story, with Replacing Scootaloo as my main one at the moment!
