Flight of The Avali: Season One

Twelve hours later:

Due to the nature of her procedure, Dash had to go a full twelve hours without food. It was… difficult for her to say the least.

Applejack found it funny that she was actually listening to a doctor for once, but she refrained from torturing Dash. As much as she wanted to eat in front of her, Einuli was adamant on Dash being in a separate room while they ate. But now AJ had been sitting with Dash, keeping her company while Einuli readied everything for her surgery.

“Alright! You should be clear now.” Einuli finally re-entered the room the two had been staying in- his room.

“Great! How long should the surgery take… I heard I have to be concious during bra-” Dash nearly swatted his hand away as he injected something into her neck. “Hey! W-aaarnn…” She immediately fell tired. “What… diiii… id… yy-ou…”

“Don’t worry…” Einuli said gently guiding her to lay back. “Just sleep…” He lightly nuzzled her, climbing up on the bed to curl up against her as he tried to guide her into sleep.

“Y… yeah… Sl… sleeeep…” Dash’s eyes fluttered shut as she passed out completely.

“E-Einuli, what did yah put in her?” Applejack asked quietly.

“It’s a high grade anesthetic, it’ll shut down all her nerve endings until the counter agent is injected. It has about- based off your solar schedule at least- a 36 hour lifespan before she re-awakens.” Einuli explained. “The surgery won’t take twelve hours, more along the lines of four or five.” He slowly picked Dash up, managing to actually carry her with little effort. Applejack followed close behind him.

“Actually, could you wait here? I’ll come get you the moment I’m done.” Einuli said.

Applejack was quiet for a moment, “Alright… just…”

“If anything happens, I’ll let you know right away. It’d just be less stressful if someone else wasn’t breathing down my back while I work… I’m already doing a great job of stressing myself out.” He tried to joke.

“Just take care of her…”

“I will. I won’t lose another friend…” Einuli carried Dash’s unconscious body to the teleporter.

Six hours later:

Before Einuli went to Applejack after the operation he had cleaned both himself and Dash off, bandaging her up and making sure she’d be left with no scars. The nanites now in her body would slowly work on making sure that she healed up internally. He had put her down in one of the infirmary beds to rest, a steady IV drip mixing both more nanites and the counter agent into her bloodstream. She’d be sensitive when she woke up in thirty hours, but she wouldn’t be in pain.

He re-entered his tree-house, finding Applejack passed out on the couch. He sighed quietly and picked her up, gently carrying her to his bed where he tucked her in. He couldn’t even attempt to sleep, having a constant watch on Dash’s vitals to make sure nothing happened.

It was several minutes before Applejack awoke, now wondering how she’d ended up in Einuli’s bed. Though she was quick to think he just carried her there after he found her asleep.

She got up and walked out into the main room, finding Einuli pacing back and forth.

“How’d it go?” Applejack asked.

Einuli wasn’t startled in the slightest, having heard her get up. “Wonderfully! There weren’t any complications, and her body appears to be accepting all of the augments. Just… keeping a constant vigil on her vitals.” He said, turning to her.

“Would yah like a bit of company?” AJ asked.

“I’d love some.” He nodded. She came out and sat down on the couch again, Einuli joining her within moments.

“Ah noticed somethin, the way yah treated Dash right before she went under… that wasn’t just friendly.” AJ commented. “Ah don’t think any doctor in Equestria would get away with nuzzlin a patient as they passed out.”

Einuli glanced down.

“And then, there was yah breakin down in her wings when yah were with her… yes, she did tell us all about that when she said she was takin the translator.” She added.

He visibly cringed.

“Ah ain’t accusin you of anythin, or even sayin you had bad intentions for her… it’s just… she brings something up in yah, don’t she?”

“Memories.” Einuli said quietly. “Of my pack… of… my family…” AJ wrapped her arm around him.

“I’d… be lying if I said they didn’t consume almost all of my thoughts… They were everything to me… my family, my life… I had even… well fallen in love with one of them. At least, looking back now I can say that.” He sighed. “It’s just… Dash… e-everything about her… racing me… swooping down to scare off all those ponies… just being so friendly and nonchalant with me…” He shivered, nearly shaking the couch in the process. “S… she really reminded me of one of my closest pack mates… a-and when she put her wing around me… feeling her feathers… I just broke down. I couldn’t think… I couldn’t breathe… I felt like I-I was home again… Like I wasn’t all alone out here.” He mumbled. “A-and hearing her… n-nearly demand to have me augment her… j-just so she could understand me all the time, th-that made the pain so much worse…” He was starting to cry again. “I t-tried to save h-” His words cut off and it turned to chirping as he started to violently shake.

Applejack knew instantly what had caused Dash to make her choice. Seeing this… she’d never seen any living thing in so much emotional pain. It made her wonder just how… strong, he truly was. To survive like this… to struggle everyday with memories that haunted him.

She was snapped back to him when he said something she could understand, “I couldn’t save her! I-I TRIED!” He was nearly wailing now. “WHY… WHY WAS I THE ONLY ONE TO SURVIVE?” He seemed to physically be in pain, as though he screeching and wailing was hurting him in some way.

Applejack did the only sensible thing and pulled him in close, burying his face in her shoulder. His wailing became much quieter, and now her shoulder was steadily being soaked. His screeches had died down after several minutes, he was just left shaking.

“Einuli?” AJ asked.

“Y… yeah?” He said weakly.

“If it hurts that badly to continue…”

Einuli pulled back and shook his head, “No… no… I… I need to tell someone…”

AJ paused, “Then wait ta tell me until Dash is awake, alright? She deserves ta hear it too.”

“Yeah… She does.” Einuli nodded, pressing back up against AJ for a few moments.

“How long until she’s guaranteed to be stable?” AJ asked.

“A good two or three hours.” Einuli said.

“Then let's wait together, shall we?” Applejack asked.

“Thank you.” Einuli smiled.