Lost Soul

Awareness slowly returning.

Dull pain in the head.

Smell of the antiseptics.

Eyes opening.

Green ceiling, blue walls. I know this place.

Rainbow Dash woke up completely. She was in the hospital. Did I crash again?

*SNORE*

She looked at the table beside her bed. "Uh... Pinkie?"

Pinkie Pie raised her head from the table and wiped a trail of drool from her mouth. Her eyes only half-opened she turned to Rainbow Dash.

"Hi Dashie." Her head started to lower but after a moment her eyes snapped open and she tackled the cyan pegasus. "DASHIE! You're awake! I was soworriedwhenIsawyouandIwantedtommmhhpmm-" Hoof in Pinkie's mouth stopped the torrent of words.

"Hey Pinkie, slow down and tell me what happened." Then the doors opened and three more ponies entered.

Rarity frowned and picked Pinkie Pie up with her magic placing pink pony on the floor. "Pinkie please give Rainbow Dash some space."

"How 're ya feelin' sugarcube? Ya scared us all." Applejack and Fluttershy trotted to Rainbow's bed.

"My head is killing me, aside from that I feel fine."

Fluttershy sat next to Rainbow Dash. "Um... So Rainbow, could you tell us what happened to you?"

Cyan pegasus shrugged her shoulders. "I was hoping that you could tell me."

"Ya don't remember?" Rainbow shook her head. "Longwing brought ya on his back from the forest."

Rainbow Dash straightened herself and her pupils shrunk as memories rushed to her. "I remember now! We were attacked! We were attacked on our way back here!" She looked at her friends with worry in her eyes. "Where is Longwing? I saw that he took a hit back there. Is he alright?" Her worries deepened as her friends started to look uncomfortable and Pinkie Pie hung her head down. There was silence, Rainbow was looking from face to face until finally Rarity climbed on her bed and sat by her side.

"Rainbow darling..." She took a deep breath. "When Longwing brought you to Ponyville... He was wounded... Badly wounded."

Rainbow was looking at her with her eyes wide. "W-what do you mean badly wounded? How badly?"

White unicorn sighed and put her hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "He was dying. They have been operating him all night. Twilight notified Princess Luna about the situation, she came here with the best Canterloth surgeon to help him but... But they still don't know if he will make it..."

Rainbow's eye was twitching. "I..." She looked at her hooves in disbelieve. "I need to see him... I need to see him now!" She jumped from the bed, almost falling on the floor as her head reminded her recent injury, and sprinted out from the room.

"Rainbow wait!" Rarity yelled and run after her followed by her three friends.

Rainbow Dash sped through the corridors in the direction of the Intensive Care wing. When she finally arrived there she saw Twilight talking to a unicorn wearing white coat.

Twilight's eyes widened. "Rainbow! Thanks Celestia you're allright. Why did you leave your bed? You should be resting now!" Purple unicorn trotted to Rainbow Dash and put her hoof on her shoulder.

"I had to check on Longwing. Girls said that he-" She couldn't finish the sentence and just stared at the two unicorns with her mouth opened.

White unicorn stallion looked at her. "It's not a good idea."

"What? Why?" Pegasus closed to him.

"Patient is in really bad shape. We have done our best to stabilize him but he is still in critical state." Rainbow backed a bit as he continued. "He sustained severe injuries, when they brought him here he barely had enough blood to survive and serious internal damage." He looked in her eyes. "I'm sorry but there is nothing more that we can do. Next hours will be decisive."

Rainbow Dash sat down shaken by his words. She inhaled deeply and spoke. "Please... Just let me see him."

Doctor frowned and looked at Twilight. The rest of her friends joined them but remained silent.

Purple unicorn sighed. "I'll be there doctor. If anything happens I will let you know."

"Alright." He gave Rainbow supporting look and walked away.

Cyan pegasus trotted to door and lifted her hoof, only to stop it inch away from the knob.

"Are you sure you want to this Rainbow?"

Rainbow Dash inhaled and nodded. She opened the door and entered, first things she noticed was heavy smell of antiseptics and beeping of the life support machinery. Then she spotted pony lying on the bed. Most of his body was covered in bandages, several cables and drips were connected to his body and he had a respirator pipe in his mouth.

Rainbow Dash slowly walked to his bed, her eyes wide, she was shaking. No, no, no, no! When she was a step from the bed she sat down on the floor, closing her eyes tightly to stop tears.

Her friends entered the room and stopped behind her. Only Fluttershy came closer and sat next to cyan pegasus hugging her with her wing.

For a few moments Rainbow remained silent, breathing loudly. Finally she calmed down and started to talk quietly.
"As you know, me and Longwing were in Cloudsdale yesterday. Wonderbolts Air Show in Cloudsdale's Stadium. While we were flying back to Ponyville we stumbled upon a former acquaintance of mine, griffon called Gorn. He started threatening me and Longwing got into fight with him." She raised her head an looked at her friends. "I know that Longwing is a strong pegasus but I was certain that he will be beaten to dust." A weak smile appeared on her face. "Well... He proved me wrong. He knocked Gorn out, but wounded his wing in the process and we had to continue our way back on hoof." Her expression darkened. "Then the Timber Wolves came." Silent gasps could be heard in the room. "He tried to send me away... The fight got ugly very quick. I saw Longwing wounded by one of the wolves while the other managed to knock me unconscious. In the last moments before I succumbed I heard his voice booming. He was shouting at the wolves to leave me alone. I could see him, standing between me and the beasts, he looked like he was glowing with his own light. Then everything went dark."

A deep silence followed Rainbow's confession.

"And now... He... He is lying here, barely alive because of me." Her voice started to crack. "I failed." Finally emotions poured out of her.

All present ponies closed in and embraced her. They remained here like that comforting the sobbing pegasus and watching over a friend that was fighting for his life.