Soarin's Life

Intro

  An aged Spitfire and Rainbow Dash sit in a hospital room with an equally aged Soarin. The life support machine, the only thing

currently keeping Soarin alive in his elderly times, just beeped.

Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...

It was the only noise that kept the room housing the three sorrowing Wonderbolts from falling into complete tragic silence. It was the only noise letting two of the three, Rainbow and Spitfire,  know their fellow Wonderbolt was still alive. They were for the most part silent, looking over to each other for support once in a while. Soon enough, Soarin couldn't take the pang of sorrow he was causing.

   He had thought long about this, had hours of time actually. Sitting in this lonely room, only thinking. He thought about his life. He thought about his life after death. He even thought about his past. But most importantly, he thought about how sitting in this hospital sapping money from his two best friends wasn't saving anything. And with that, he made his decision.

   "Just let me go," Soarin spoke up weakly, breaking the silence that consumed them. Rainbow looked over at him confused for a second.

   "What? W-What do you mean 'let you go' Soarin," Rainbow said back to him, she was afraid this would happen, Soarin always tried to be a hero. What scard her even more is that if he was serious enough Spitfire would, she is the kind of pony who likes to honor wishes. No matter how hard they may be. She found this out the hard way, when Spitfire pulled the plug on Fleetfoot those five years ago.

   Rapidfire had retired from the Wonderbolts before any of this, his age and a disease had gotten to him. He couldn't fly nearly at all anymore. He suffered from a rare genetically passed down bone disease. Leaving only the three left after Fleetfoot's passing away. There were way more Wonderbolts then just them but those five got together the best as a group, they were the oldest ever living Wonderbolts team, they were slowly fading. Even if you didn't see Fleetfoot or Rapidfire with the other three that much. If they were here at this moment... Things would be a lot more comforting. The most famous Wonderbolts team in the world, and they sat, one dead... one dying... one retired and still suffering... and two waiting for their time...

   Soarin looked over at Rainbow Dash, he didn't want any sorrow, he wanted it to be over with quickly. It didn't feel right to him. Sitting here taking up their bits on a hospital bill as they watch him suffer. He didn't care how much he suffered. He cared about them caring how much he suffered. He wouldn't stand around and let them get anymore emotionally scarred then they were. Not this time. Not like with Fleet.

   "Don't Rainbow, you know what I mean, pull the plug." He said with a look of sadness in his eyes.

   "What! No! But I- we can't ju-" Rainbow stuttered until Soarin cut her off.

   "No, I am sick of lying around here taking up your bits because you guys want a miracle. My age has gotten to me and my heart is failing... No more false hope..." He said with as much pride he could muster from the situation. "Spitfire please, if I die I don't want to die wasting someone's bits on my medical care while I waste away, you two still have lives to live, mares live longer than S-stallions," He said looking over at her in sorrow. She looked back at him, a hint of painful nostalgia from Fleetfoot's accident hit her, she fought back her tears and looked at him strongly, like a leader. Spitfire also had a logical grasp on the situation, she saw what he meant, what he was trying to say.

   "Y-yes... Soarin... I guess we have no choice but to pull the plug for your sake," As she finished tears began to flow freely from her face. She hated sounding so up right about it, like she had no emotion or she was just putting down a dog more than a living pony, but she needed to stay strong for them. She was their leader. "I'm so sorry Soarin, you deserve more. I will g-go talk to them about this. You were a good recruit when you came along," She tried to comfort herself by complimenting him, and assuring it was the right thing to do. But after Fleetfoot, it didn't help.

   "What? It's just that simple? He asks and you just immediately agree without hesitation? Do you even feel bad about this!" Rainbow said with sudden frustration at Spitfires thick headed leadership. Rainbows words stung but Spitfire ignored them. "Don't ignore me. You can't do it Spitfire! He is going to make it! He has to! H-he is a Wonderbolt..." Rainbow said pleadingly. Her tears now also flowing freely as well.

   "Rainbow look at him... He is suffering, this isn't a wing sprain or an injury or even a disease. This is his age. His heart is failing because of it, and you can't heal age..." She finally spoke up to the fellow Wonderbolt. "We have to...We aren't Wonderbolts anymore, we sold out long ago... We are just along for the rest of the show, occasionally doing a trick or stunt to wow the crowd. How long has it been since we even last raced? " She said, the pain seeping in. Rainbow, the strong mare she was, only sat there crying next to Soarin. The room went silent for a bit.

   "I'm sorry Rainbow..." Soarin said depressed. She looked over at him and finally fully broke down.

   "I-I know you a-are! I j-just don't want to go along for the -rrest of the ride without you b-beside us! First Fleetfoot, now this..." She said wrapping her forelegs around him, crying into his mane as he returned the embrace. Spitfire couldn't take it anymore, she left the room while they were in embrace, to have them pull the plug. To make the suffering stop. To make the pain in her heart go away knowing the suffering would stop.

   Spitfire came back in with a doctor and a nurse, as she sat back down the doctor looked over at her.

   "Are you sure you want to go through with this." He said calmly.

   "Y-yes..." She said, tears obviously stained her coat. In her absence she had finally broken down fully as well.

   "And you? Mr...Soarin?"  He said with sympathy for all three.

   "...Yes, let's get this over with already." Soarin said strong.

   "Alright, I wish it was something less simple than just this but, pull the plug..." he said with a gesture towards the nurse. She nodded and turned off the machine keeping Soarin alive, slowly unhooking it. They had been through this procedure so many times the effect it had on them was dramatically decreased. As soon as the machine was off Soarin felt himself slipping away so fastly... So much faster than expected. He looked over at Rainbow, the once strong and independent mare now reduced to a blubbering mess over the slow losing of a loved friend. He felt sorry for her, he really didn't want this, but he knew that the hospital would do everything to milk the rest of his lifespan for their bits, and he wanted the best for Rainbow and Spitfire..., Spitfire, he looked over at her to see her try to stand strongly and hold it together. Once a leader, always a leader...

"Dash, Spit, I-" He was cut off by a sudden flash of his vision as he slowly faded away. Soon he started to see something... It was a vision..., no it was a memory! In the sudden wake if realization the memory started to reveal itself so fast that soon he-