A Fallen Star

                                CHAPTER ONE: DOWN FOR THE COUNT

I was flying higher and freer than ever before. And I would have been free to, if I wasn’t late. The wind felt good on my face. Wind, it’s one of the few things in this world that can actually make me smile. I’m generally not a happy pony. Anyways, back to the whole “late” thing. The other wonderbolts had called a surprise practice session far back in the Everfree forest and I forgot. Again. The only thought that went through my mind was “Why me?” as I zoomed only a few feet above the tops of the trees, trying to find the clearing that Soarin’ had described so well to me. He said I would recognize it because the rest of them would be there. Smart aleck. I reached a mountain and turned around, I didn’t think they’d have it around that.

I scanned the forest below me but something happened. Nothing I can remember but it happened. I felt an intense pain in my head and then I was falling, more pain surged through me as I hit the ground and all went black. But it didn’t go quiet. I could hear everything around me, every sound the forest had to offer, but I couldn’t see or move. I didn’t know how long I lay there, I could hardly think as the pain burned through my body. Then something else happened, but this time, I didn’t mind it. Not that there was much I could do anyways. I felt something. Weightless. The ground disappeared from beneath me, replaced by something soft and warm. I heard a grunt, and again felt the wind that signified I was moving. Then, the sound disappeared; the sensation of it all disappeared. I still don’t know if I passed out or if I just can’t remember. Either way it remains the same. It was all gone, but this, this bliss only lasted seconds compared to the time I had been laying on the ground.

I tried to open my eyes, I was awake, but I still felt no control over my body. Something had happened. My life was now out of my hands, and yet I still felt comfortable. A comforting heat licked one side of me, and I was on something that felt soft like down. I let out a breath, as it was the only thing I seemed to be able to do.  It seemed like such a scumbag move for the universe to take my control away from everything except my lungs.

Something touched me. My head. Again it was soft and warm, just like everything else that surrounded me. Then I heard a noise. “Shhh.” At least the universe gave me comfort. But somehow it managed to blend this soft paradise with the utmost feeling of unrest.  I held my breath, begging to pass out again. I wanted to dream of flying if I couldn’t actually do it. Next best thing right? You’re wrong. I passed out, but the dreams haunted me. Nightmares. I flew threw dark and cloudy skies, the clouds whipped out tendrils of lightning, trying to strike me down. I wasn’t flying anywhere in particular, my world was dark except for the bright purple lights writhing down to ensnare me in death. Occasionally an obstacle would appear in front of me, a large boulder or a tree. Sometimes even a house. The scariest part was, there was no wind, nothing to tell me that I was moving forward. And I couldn’t stop flying. I’m not sure I was, for all I know the rest of the world could have been coming at me. Then, my eyes opened.

It was dark, except for a fire, crackling underneath the mantle in front of me. I couldn’t move. I could only blink. Whatever hit my head did a spectacular job because my body was taking one hell of a time fixing itself. My wonderbolt uniform was gone and I wondered why it had been taken off. However, I just lay and stared at the fire until the sun rose and the room grew bright.

It was rustic. The room again, was comforting. Nothing but the couch I lay on and a small wooden lampstand next to a coffee table. There were green carpets with intricate designs on them adorning the floor. Then I felt that familiar soft warmness on my head. A pony entered my field of view. She was yellow with a pink mane, but that’s all I could make out, as her face was very close to mine. “You’re awake?” She sounded astonished. I almost wanted to gag. I didn’t like playing the patient because it was never my style. In fact, this was probably my first injury in years. I felt like saying No duh dipshit. But control of my mouth still seemed foreign to me. Instead let out a sharp breath, indicating that I recognized she was there. “Can you move?”

Another stupid question. If I could’ve I would’ve. She seemed a bit slow. I just blinked at her. “Okay, well, just know that I’m here.” She removed the hoof from my forehead and sat down behind me on the couch, making it very hard for me to get a good look at her.

Time passed. The yellow pony, who I had now figured out was a pegasus came to check on me regularly, often putting that hoof on my forehead or whispering comforting things. I would feel a lot safer if I knew where the hell I was. I guessed maybe a couple of days passed before I had come up with possible theories. One. I had been kidnapped. Forcefully abducted and drugged by some crazed fan. Two. I had been injured, but it seemed unlikely, as I couldn’t remember hitting anything. This pony was obviously taking care of me for some reason, but she had failed to introduce herself.

On what I guessed was the fourth day, I woke up with something different. Pain. Physical pain. My forelegs ached and I tried to move them, but it hurt too much. All I could do was wiggle a hoof, but it was something. The mysterious yellow pony saw me trying to move, and surprise surprise, she did nothing but get crazy excited and shout words of encouragement. I felt too weak. That’s not something I was used too. Weakness, so this is what it was. The only good parts of the day was when the meals came. I was fed like a foal, which was somewhat humiliating, but I was so starved every day I didn’t care. The only thing that bothered me was, I couldn’t taste the food. I could feel it along with the cold water she’d given me by tilting my head back, but couldn’t taste anything. I decided not to worry, since it had never helped me before.

I didn’t really know how long it was, but I guessed a week before I’d gained control of my mouth. Opening and closing it my lips stuck together, dry from the week of being unable to actually lick them. “Hey.” It was the first thing I bothered trying to say, but it came out as a raspy whisper. My larynx felt like I had inhaled a packet of needles that had gotten stuck there. “Hey!” I tried it louder and my voice cracked, making a loud squeal. Something fell upstairs, making a loud bang before the pegasus landed in front of me once again.

“What was that?” As if she didn’t know what talking was.

“I…” Again my voice failed me. “Water…”

She buzzed off, but back before I could attempt to say anything more with a cup of water between her fore hooves. Again my head was tilted back and the water poured slowly between my open lips. I swallowed a few gulps before closing my mouth to signify “No more.”

“Name?”  I tried the important word this time.

“My name. Oh I never gave it to you? I’m uh… Fluttershy.” She whispered this, just like everything else she said. “Your name?”

“Fire…” I summoned what remained of my will to get out two words. “Fire Streak.”