Down a sterile white corridor a lone mare sat, head in her hooves. How could she have let this happen? She was supposed to be her guardian. She was supposed to be there for her. She was…
“Miss Rainbow Dash?” A voice echoed distantly, pulling the mare back from the darkness and self-loathing that was slowly enveloping her.
Rainbow’s tired, tear-streaked face rose and faced the stoic one of Nurse Redheart.
“She’s awake if you’d like to see her?”
“W-will she be all right?” the usually cocky Pegasus sniffled.
“She’s by no means out of the woods yet but the surgery was a success. She faces years of both physical and mental rehabilitation but, if it wasn’t for the fact you share the same blood type…” Redheart began.
“You’d be taking me to the morgue right now?” Dash finished with another sniffle.
Redheart simply nodded her head slowly in reply before letting out a sigh and holding out a hoof for Dash to hold.
Dash took it and let the strong earth pony mare pull her to her hooves.
“I never thought I’d see the day Ponyville’s cockiest and most confident pony needed me for emotional support,” Redheart deadpanned.
Dash forced a smile and chuckled as the two mares began walking side by side. “Why Nurse Stoneheart, was that said in jest? Maybe we were wrong about you after all?”
“Stoneheart? Oh very funny,” Redheart forced a chuckle before reverting back to her more serious demeanour. “Now, there are several things I should warn you about before you go in. She’s still extremely groggy from the amount of medication she’s on and…” she paused a moment unsure how to phrase the next part. Sighing once more she decided to simply come out and say it. “Her injuries are some of the worst I’ve had to deal with in all my years as a nurse.”
Rainbow Dash simply turned and gave the nurse an inquisitive look. “You know I’m a Wonderbolt right? I’ve seen a lot of gruesome injuries in my time, how bad…” she stopped mid-sentence as she saw the look on Redheart’s face. “That bad?”
For the second time Nurse Redheart simply nodded in almost slow motion.
Dash wasn’t sure if it was due to the amount of blood she’d had to donate in the past twenty-four hours but she suddenly felt extremely woozy and unsteady on her feet.
“Woah, easy there,” Nurse Redheart stated, reaching out with a forehoof and steadying the Pegasus mare. “Would you like me to go in with you?”
“No,” Dash stated, shaking her head and steadying herself. “Just one of the side effects you informed me about from giving so much blood.”
Redheart rolled her eyes. “I knew donating more than was permitted in any seventy two hour period was a bad idea. We should have just sent that urgent request up to Cloudsdale General. Also, why I am not convinced your sudden lightheadedness is solely from your blood donations?” she added looking across at Rainbow Dash sceptically.
“You knew as well as I did that any delay could have killed her; otherwise you wouldn’t have been willing to risk your job by taking as much as you did,” Dash retorted sharply.
Nurse Redheart turned her head, unable to hold the other mare’s gaze.
“That’s what I thought. I’m doing this alone; I have to.” And with that she shrugged off the other mare’s hoof and marched onward, head held high.
Nurse Redheart followed reluctantly, head lowered in submission.
The rest of the short trip was done in awkward silence until they came to an abrupt stop outside a seemingly ordinary, if not somewhat worn, light brown door.
Rainbow took a deep breath and sighed before slowly reaching out with a hoof and pushing the door open with a click.
“If you need me, I’ll be just outside,” Nurse Redheart said emotionlessly behind her.
“Thanks,” Rainbow muttered under her breath thinking to herself how Ponyville’s longest serving nurse really did suit her Stoneheart nickname.
And then she was inside. In an instant she knew that in spite of all the villains she’d fought to save Equestria, this was going to be her hardest battle yet. Heck, right now she’d take fighting Chrysalis, Tirek, Discord, Nightmare Moon, Lightning Dust and a dozen other evil doers all at once rather than have to be here. But here she was. Pushing the door closed with one of her back hooves she forced herself to stop looking up at the ceiling and redirect her gaze at the teenage Pegasus that lay prone in the hospital bed.
If her stomach hadn’t been practically empty from eating very little over the past twenty four hours, it soon would have been. Scootaloo was wrapped in so many bandages Rainbow could barely see any of her vibrant orange coat underneath, let alone the scars that must now adorn it. Her gaze drifted to the young mare’s hind leg, the right of which was in a heavy plaster cast. The left leg was missing. Rainbow’s gaze drifted to the floor unable to come to terms with just what had happened.
“I’m sorry,” a hoarse whisper followed by a rattling cough brought Rainbow back to her senses.
She looked up and forced her trademark cocky smile back across her lips for Scootaloo’s sake. “You should be. Do you know how much blood I had to donate just to keep you from kicking the bucket you idiot?” she chastised with a chuckle trying to lighten the sombre mood that had descended upon the room. “Nurse Redheart was not happy, not happy at all. Furthermore, I don’t take too kindly to Pegasi trying to take my mantle as Rainbow Crash from me.”
Scootaloo managed a small chuckle in reply before more coughs wracked her body. Rainbow was immediately at her bedside trying to force even more tears from forming in her eyes as she looked down at her adoptive daughter. She was failing miserably.
“Anything I can do to help?” Rainbow managed to squeak.
“Not unless you can instantly heal two amputations, a broken leg, multiple internal injuries, some fractured ribs, and a black eye,” Scootaloo grumbled.
Rainbow looked at Scootaloo for a moment a little taken aback. “S-she told you?”
“About what? My injuries? Yeah, not like you can hide the fact you're missing a wing and a leg. Damn, I really did a fucking number on myself, didn’t I?” Scootaloo said sardonically.
Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but let out a snort of amusement. “Language darling. Really, how many times do I have to tell you a lady does not speak in such a manner?” she said in a surprisingly accurate rendition of Rarity.
Scootaloo burst out laughing before she could help herself and instantly regretted it. “Ow,ow,” she said, wincing, trying and failing to clutch her side as pain coursed through her body. As it finally began to subside she shot Rainbow Dash her best death glare. “Not cool mum, not cool.”
Rainbow glowered back. “Just be grateful you're in such a state otherwise I’d totally be tickling you to death right now for that 'mum' comment followed by the biggest lecture and punishment you could ever imagine for this latest stunt you and your friends pulled. It would make Applejack’s punishment for Apple Bloom seem like a holiday in comparison.”
Scootaloo grimaced and gulped nervously, unsure she wanted to know. In the end her curiosity got the better of her. “W-what did she do?”
“Trebled her chores, grounded her for a year and instead of learning potions she’ll be Zecora’s housekeeper for the foreseeable future instead. Oh, and I missed the best part,” Rainbow deadpanned in reply.
Scootaloo gulped once more.
“Applejack has refused to let her take the antidote for an entire moon. She’s stuck with branches and apples growing out of her head for the next moon,” Rainbow Dash explained, barely able to keep a straight face as she did so.
Scootaloo’s eyes went wide in disbelief for a moment before she couldn’t help but break out into another laughing fit. Once again she regretted it immediately. “Ow, ow, stop it, please.” She winced.
“You are hardly in any position to bargain,” Dash stated as she finished sniggering over the image in her head herself. “Now, you know I’m about as good at this serious talking malarkey as Applejack is with lying, so,” she paused and pulled up a chair with one of her wings before settling herself into it, “I can either clap you round the head and give you the stereotypical lecture or you can tell me what happened in your own words.”
Scootaloo looked at her guardian in surprise for a moment before turning her head to look at the ceiling instead. After what felt like an eternity she spoke. “It was only meant to be for a laugh to see what happened when we took it. The plan was to immediately take the antidote afterwards and no one would be any the wiser.”
Rainbow coughed to stop her charge for a moment before saying, “Remind me what was one of the first things I told you about illegal substances?”
Scootaloo sighed, “Many can have adverse side effects relating to brain function.”
“Precisely. And what did I tell you about peer pressure?”
“Never to bend to it and if in doubt, seek you out,” Scootaloo replied monotonously.
“Exactly, lesson learnt squirt?”
“Lesson learnt. Pinkie promise.”
“Good. I’m glad to see that even in your current condition you’ve remembered that. Go on,” Rainbow Dash urged.
“Well after we’d all taken a couple of leaves we waited. Slowly, I noticed my vision getting worse along with a gentle tug on my wings,” Scootaloo explained.
“That’s Poison Joke for you. Is there something else you’d like to admit to?”
Scootaloo tried to look away from her mother’s piercing stare but finally yielded. “Fine, I may have some hard cider, okay? Just a little bit, I promise? Not like it's that big of a deal.”
“I’d scold you right now considering you’re only fourteen but then again I had my first drink when I was thirteen. I hope though you’re realising how bad attempting a sonic rainboom, blind, whilst under the influence of alcohol and Poison Joke was, even if I am sorely impressed you became only the third pony ever to be able to pull one off.”
“Mum,” Scootaloo deadpanned, “I lost a leg and a wing, what do you think? You really are bad at this aren’t you? Or is it just the meds and I’m hallucinating this whole bizarre conversation? My head is pounding right now.”
“No, I’m definitely real, I think?” Dash pinched herself to make sure. “And yes, yes I am really this bad at this type of thing. I mean right now I’m thinking about how you’ll be a hit come Nightmare Night as Pegleg Aloo, the scourge of the Equestrian straits. Does that sound like normal parental behaviour to you?”
“Haha, very funny,” Scootaloo deadpanned unamused at Dash’s attempt at a joke.
“Or you can spend Nightmare Night grounded like Apple Bloom most certainly will be and not get any candy?” Dash replied with a smug smile.
Scootaloo glowered at her guardian. “Sometimes I really hate being adopted by Ponyville’s prankster queen.”
“Oh, it’ll be a blast, I can assure you,” Dash cackled.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes before deciding to ask the inevitable question that was plaguing her mind. “Mother,” she said seriously, “Aren’t you mad at me?”
Dash immediately stopped cackling and looked at her daughter. Never in the two years since officially adopting her had she ever properly called her that. Scootaloo had swiftly realised Dash hated the 'M' word and thus used it to her advantage to tease and annoy her. After gradually getting over her initial shock, Dash responded.
“How did it feel?”
“Pardon?” Scootaloo replied somewhat confused by the question.
“Let me phrase that differently. If I had been in your hooves I would have acted the same even if it meant serious injury. A Pegasus is born to fly no matter what, even if it costs us our lives. How can I truly punish you when, not only would I have made the same choices as you but, it is also in our blood to act in such a manner. So, how did it feel to finally be able to fly?” Dash asked for the second time.
Despite her current predicament, Scootaloo grinned like an insane loon.
“That good huh?”
Scootaloo nodded in reply. “I’ve never felt so alive. I just couldn’t help myself. I knew I shouldn’t but I just felt so powerful.”
“That would have been the adrenaline kicking in. There’s a reason we Pegasi are called bird brains. Our wings produce excess adrenaline that for many of us, well, let's just say we act first and think later. You haven’t had that issue up to now due to your genetic condition restricting their size. Still, a sonic rainboom, damn that must have been some surge of adrenaline!” Rainbow reached out and ruffled Scootaloo’s mane with pride despite knowing just how much she hated it.
“Gah, stop it,” Scootaloo growled, unable to stop Rainbow in her current condition.
“Make me,” Rainbow teased, sticking out her tongue at Scootaloo.
She promptly received a whack across the back of her head.
“Youch,” she cried, turning to see Nurse Redheart standing behind her. The mare had crept in whilst she’d been talking to Scootaloo.
“Although I’m glad to see the patient awake and looking so perky, I will not allow you to get away with abusing her in such a manner or to praise her for such reckless behaviour that nearly cost her her life,” the nurse stated coldly.
“Pfft, can’t have been that bad, it’s not like she’s in a full body wing and hoof cast,” Rainbow teased, only to earn another smack over the head. “Youch, would you stop doing that.”
“Only when I’ve finally knocked some sense into you,” Nurse Redheart scolded. “Your supposed to be her guardian. Anyway, I came to inform you that it is time for Scootaloo to get some more rest. And you need to go home and get some sleep too.”
“Oh no, I’m not going anywhere,” Rainbow Dash replied stubbornly only to find her legs suddenly taken out from underneath her. Before she knew what had happened she found her legs hogtied and her wings bound to her side.
Nurse Redheart gave a sharp whistle and the door opened to reveal Applejack.
“She’s all yours.”
“Thanks Sugarcube. Jeez Scoots you really did do a number on yourself, didn’t you? Anyway, here’s a pie for you fresh from the oven and some apple juice to wash it down with.” Applejack placed them down on the table next to Scootaloo’s bed. “We’ll be back to see you first thing in the morning,” she added, lifting Rainbow Dash onto her back.
“Wait, at least give her the photo?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, still getting over being trussed up like a rodeo calf.
“Seriously? All this time yakking and you didn’t give it to her?” Applejack huffed reaching over her shoulder with a forehoof and pulling said photo from behind Dash’s right ear. “Here Scoots. Pinkie got a photo of it. I won’t lie, it was incredible, possibly the best I’ve ever seen.” She placed the photo upright on the table next to Scootaloo's bed for the Pegasus to look at.
“Hey!” Dash exclaimed once more.
“Sorry darling but it's the truth and even you admitted that yourself,” Applejack replied with a smirk.
Rainbow Dash had started to go red in the face. “Don’t tell her that; she’ll be using that against me for moons!”
“More like years,” Scootaloo replied as she stared at the photo and the tiny speck in the middle of the explosion of colour. It hadn't been a dream, she had really done it. She had finally managed to fly and not only that, she had performed the near impossible! Even in spite of her injuries, it had totally been worth it . As Dash had said, a Pegasi would happily give their life to fly even just the once. Slowly her eye lids drooped as a broad smile crossed her lips and sleep overtook her.