As the little filly's breath calmed and her eyes closed, the wind I had confined in my lungs escaped in a ragged manner.
I felt weak. Curiously I felt even weaker than when I gave up my whole might.
I looked up and caught the worried and indecisive looks of my guard and donned a calming smile. I soothed their troubled minds as well as I could and then sent some of them off on certain errands.
As I slowly stood up it was neither with ease nor elegance. I actually felt more like a newborn foal than an immortal goddess of the sun. My faithful little ponies rushed to my side to support me and I gratefully accepted and sent a little smile their way.
After I was secure on my legs once more I made my way towards the next entrance to the castle, albeit at a relatively slow pace; the little filly still held to my chest with my still strong wings.
After entering and navigating the castle and its corridors I eventually reached the infirmary in the northern wing. I was greeted by the prepared nurses and doctors who immediately tried to guide me to one of the examination cots, but I quickly dissuaded them as I laid the filly onto it. Following my request for a thorough and expansive examination I sat down in one of the nearby chairs and watched the medical staff do their job.
A few minutes later — I was meditating and trying to determine if my doing had caused any unintented consequences to my being — I was distracted by a hug'n'nuzzle from my sister. She showered me in scolding and expressions of worry. As well as questions.
I answered them as well I could and watched her expressions turn from surprise to consternation, horror and finally fearful contemplation.
Before she could ask further questions, I told her of my findings during my meditation.
I brushed away her tears and drew her into a hug, rocking back and forth while whispering reasuring words to stifle her dry sobs and calm her sorrow.
Though I would be lying if I said I did not feal fear and sadness...
...I definitley felt no regret.
At first, there was nothing.
Everything was black.
Or white.
I couldn't really tell.
Then I was there. And it hurt. I like to read books. In one of those, a character was really uncomfortable in a scary place and he used a really gross description of the itchy feeling he had. I think it's more appropriate for my situation because being eaten by worms wriggling through your flesh while your skin feels like glimmering ash beeing blown away by the wind can only be really painful.
I think I screamed.
Then I noticed that I could see. Though the details of what I saw changed rapidly. Differing in color, texture and things like that. Sometimes things flowed into each other or stopped being there or were replaced by nothing but colorful outlines looking like neon signs.
I don't think I stopped screaming.
Suddenly the things I saw stopped changing and I felt like being enveloped in a thick comforter in front of a blazing hearth, keeping me safe from a cold that threatened to freeze time.
I think I stopped screaming. My throat felt sore.
I felt tears streaming down my face as I pressed myself into the blanket.
I felt the powerful but soft pumping of a beating heart and voluminous lungs.
Ba-Wum
Ba-Wum
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Ba-Wum