The Wind Beneath My Wings
Imagination Ideas, a blue and white Alicorn with a deep maroon mane sighed. She wasn't looking forward to buying groceries for her father, AJ, and her sister Jade. AJ was a dark blue unicorn with a black mane and teal eyes. Jade was an orange pegasus with purple streaks in her hair; she had light blue eyes. She'd recently had a foreboding feeling of doom plaque her mind.
The Alicorn just chalked it up to her generalized anxiety disorder, though.
Imagination shook her head to try to keep the anxious thoughts at bay. Nothing was wrong, she was okay, and it would stay that way. At least, that is what her therapist told her earlier that week when she brought it up. Imagination put a fictitious smile on her face, pushing away the negative thoughts for the serenity of her family. Oblivious to his daughter's anxieties, AJ gently kissed her forehead and hugged her.
"Take care, my little Princess; I will see you soon. I love you," her dad said.
"I love you too. I will be gone for about an hour," Imagination replied softly.
"Sis, you almost forgot your wallet and saddlebags; it isn't like you need them," Jade sarcastically remarked.
Her sister smiled at her and held Imagination's saddlebags that contained her wallet. She giggled at her sister's forgetfulness. Imagination grasped them in her magic and placed them on her back. She secured them tightly on herself. Imagination smiled back at her sister. Their father finished the shopping list and left it on the counter. Imagination took the opportunity to take the list in her magic and place it in her saddlebags.
Imagination walked out the front door and gently shut the door with her left wing. She flared her wings in preparation for flight. It wasn't long before she was hovering 20 feet above the ground. Imagination took a moment to shut her eyes and enjoy the breeze blowing in her mane.
She flew a few blocks as she tried to relax. She took a deep breath as she felt raindrops hit her back. Imagination let out a frustrated grunt; she had forgotten that the pegasi of Ponyville scheduled a large thunderstorm today.
Imagination opened her eyes to see that the streets of Ponyville were unusually bare. She figured it was due to the poor weather; she couldn't blame anyone for avoiding the rain. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she spotted a suspicious character near Sugarcube Corner. From her distance, she could only make out their vague silhouettes. Imagination had a sense of doom that consumed her.
Imagination shook in terror at the unknown before her. She quickly thought to fly faster and further from the ground to avoid the mysterious ponies. The flight to the Grocery Store didn't last long, as it had gotten interrupted by a pony screaming at her. The unknown pony then used the distraction to shoot her with an arrow.
The arrow lodged itself in Imagination's right wing. Imagination grimaced in agony as she fell to the cement hard, landing on her back. The ominous figure beamed in sick satisfaction and chortled to himself. The last thing Imagination saw before she fell unconscious was his sadistic grin. The figure creeped out of the shadows, revealing a dark red unicorn pony with a black mane. His glowing green eyes stared at the helpless unconscious mare before him.
He dragged the mare in his magical aura into a nearby alleyway. It was a narrow passageway that was very unkempt. The walls of the buildings that formed the alley were dark gray with brown splatters. The ground of the filthy landscape was littered with rotten food and empty cans. Two murky green dumpsters were on this dreary place's right and left corners. The place reeked of rubbish with a faint hint of death. One could only assume it was dried-up blood.
The unicorn rummaged through the grimy green dumpster to the right. The stallion placed the mare next to the dumpster. The unicorn pulled out a decrepit wooden chest with blood splatters strewn across its surface. He withdrew a surgical scalpel and a paralysis potion. The potion temporarily paralyzed its intended targets but didn't halt their vital functions.
The evil stallion got to work on the now helpless mare. He opened the potion bottle, held in his red magic aura that enveloped it. The unicorn forced Imagination's jaws wide open, making the gray liquid slide down her throat. The mare instinctively swallowed it. All he needed to do now was to wait for her to be awake; he wanted her to feel every bit of pain coming her way. He thought that she deserved every ounce of pain that was to soon befall her.
Imagination's eyes started to flutter, and the terrible pony watched her with a sinister smirk. She opened her eyes to realize her surroundings were unfamiliar to her. In her panic, she tried to flee the situation. She attempted to stand up, only to remain still as a statue. She saw the creature before her with malicious intent in her disoriented haze. He held a scalpel toward his prey's throat. He quickly retracted the knife from her throat.
"You monster! What do you want with me?" Imagination muttered.
"I'd be careful with the attitude, worthless excuse of a mare. If you want to live through this, that is. You should know why you are here. I am Midnight, and I have a hatred against all non-royal alicorns. Alicorns think they're better than everyone because they have a unicorn horn and pegasus wings! You shouldn't have ever been alive. You don't deserve the gift of life, you rubbish scum! I hate you and all of your kind, Midnight answered.
Imagination started to cry after the cruel words were uttered. The Alicorn grimaced in pain at her wing shot with an arrow. The arrow had still been lodged in the muscle of her wing. She helplessly stared at her wound while she awaited her fate.
"You will now know what it is like to suffer, you alicorn freak. Celestia made a mistake, making you one. I'd imagine that she'd be the only one to have the power to do so, Midnight snarled.
"It was the only way to save my mother's life when she was pregnant with me. It wasn't her intention to make me an alicorn; it was just a side effect of the spell she used. Are you saying you'd rather have a baby die in the womb and an innocent mare die, rather than I be an alicorn? You are a vile creature Midnight," Imagination said venomously.
"It doesn't matter what you think of me; the place you're going once I am finished with you has no effect on this mortal realm," he declared menacingly.
Imagination was left speechless at what he had said. He was… going… going.. to… end her life? Imagination hoped that her end would at least be quick, with the knowledge that she couldn't escape the ensnarement of her captor. She gulped and braced for the pain ahead of her.
He delivered a swift round of punches throughout her whole body. When the blows connected, it sounded as if someone was tenderizing meat. Midnight manically howled in laughter while the battered Alicorn stood in fear.
The deranged unicorn picked up the scalpel with murderous intent. The stallion wouldn't be merciful enough to give Imagination a brisk end. The unicorn's glowing green eyes fixed themselves on Imagination's wings. The scalpel approached her wings slowly. The predator smirked as he toyed with his prey. A loud crunch could be heard as the unicorn cut through the bone of her wings. Imagination yowled in pain as Midnight tortured her. The once-attached wings fell to the ground with a thud.
Blood gushed out of the wound that was so forceful it sounded like a water fountain spraying water. Imagination screamed once more in a last-ditch effort to possibly save her life before she fainted from the blood loss. Fortunately, Imagination's plea for help was heard by someone. Midnight's unhinged mind only delighted in his victim's misery; all he had to do was slit her throat. He was blocked by a rainbow-maned pegasus as he held the bloodied scalpel in his magical grip, about to take the mare's life. She lifted the comatose mare and flew above him. She had flown in from hanging out with Twilight at her castle.
"What were you doing to this poor mare? I would end you myself if I wasn't holding this mare!" Rainbow shouted at the top of her lungs.
Twilight teleported into the nasty alleyway and saw the horrific scene before her. There was blood everywhere. She saw the recently amputated wings and lost them. She encased Midnight in her magic and froze him in place. In his shock, he dropped the scalpel on the ground.
"Rainbow, I need you to take Imagination to Ponyville General now! She doesn't have much time to wait for medical attention. I'll take care of the criminal," Twilight stated urgently.
"I'm on it, Twilight. I'll bring her in ten seconds flat," Rainbow called back.
Rainbow Dash carried their Imagination in her arms as she flew at speeds so high she broke the sound barrier. As she had promised, she was at Ponyville General in ten seconds. There was a trail of blood that followed her path to the hospital. The receptionist opened the doors to the clinic frantically when she saw the state Imagination was in. Imagination's body was covered in bruises, and her wound hadn't stopped at the force it was bleeding at. The poor mare was in critical condition.
The receptionist checked for a pulse; it was weak. She yelled out for the doctors and nurses to come out to hopefully save her life. Rainbow Dash continued to hold Imagination as she flew into the waiting room. The doctors and nurses rushed out with a gurney. Dr. Greymane levitated her out of the arms of Rainbow and onto the gurney. They hooked her up to some portable monitoring equipment.
"We need O negative blood stat! She is losing a lot of blood! Rush her into the Operating Room for emergency surgery!" Doctor Greymane screamed.
The gurney soon stopped at Operating Room 2. The blood was quickly delivered to the Doctor for a blood transfusion. Dr. Greymane instructed his fellow surgeons to scrub in for surgery and asked the nurses to start a blood transfusion immediately. Nurse Redheart followed the Doctor's orders and started an IV that brought blood to Imagination's body. Dr. Greymane scrubbed along with everyone else.
"The most important thing now is that we stop the wound from bleeding or getting infected," Dr. Greymane barked.
In the meantime, Rainbow Dash was in the waiting room in utter horror. Rainbow Dash quietly cried to herself. The receptionist noticed this and pulled her into a hug. Rainbow Dash sobbed into the receptionist's coat. The dismayed pegasus had been traumatized by what she had just seen. An innocent pony was nearly murdered for unknown reasons. Dash wished for her survival and prayed that she would be okay.
In Canterlot Castle, Twilight furiously entered the main throne room with Midnight still frozen in her magic. Celestia appeared alarmed when Twilight walked in. She glanced over at Twilight and Midnight, who had fresh blood on them. The Princess called her Royal Guards for backup in case the situation escalated.
"There has been an attack on an innocent alicorn in Ponyville. This unicorn was found in an alleyway about to murder her!" Twilight screamed at Princess Celestia.
"There hasn't been an attempted murder in over a thousand years! I need a description of the victim of the attack. I will take care of the monster responsible," Princess Celestia said while she pointed to the shivering unicorn.
Princess Celestia teleported Midnight to the Castle Dungeons to be dealt with later. She had important matters to discuss with Twilight right now. The mare's family needed to be informed of the situation, and she needed to write up a police report.
"Twilight, fear not. I have teleported the beast to the Royal Dungeons while he awaits trial. Now Twilight, to write the paperwork for the proper ponies, I need to know who the victim was," Celestia said.
"Celestia, the mare that got attacked, was an alicorn. She was light blue with white markings on her hooves, ears, horn, and amputated wings. Her mane was maroon with a few curls in it. The pony's cutie mark was obscured by blood, so I couldn't see it," Twilight described.
Celestia gasped in shock when she heard that. She knew the little pony. Her mother was on her deathbed when pregnant with her, so she had to cast a spell to keep both of them alive. The Princess monitored them closely until she was born and deemed healthy.
"I know who she is, Twilight. Her name is Imagination Ideas, and I saved her and her mom from their demise many moons ago. The side effect of my spell was that she became an alicorn, much like you and me. I need you to send a message to her adoptive father in Ponyville; his name is AJ," Princess Celestia replied.
"You can count on me, Celestia; I will be at his home shortly," Twilight said.
Twilight used a spell to locate Imagination's father and teleport there. In a burst of magenta magic, she appeared on his doorstep. The gentle pitter-patter of the rain danced through Twilight's ears in contrast to the thunder that struck the sky. Twilight's coat and mane were quickly soaked by the rain. Twilight knocked at the door and prayed that he was home.
AJ and Jade had been playing a board game while waiting for Imagination to come home. It had been over an hour, and AJ started to grow weary. He stopped the game when he heard a knock at the door. Jade looked at the door, a bit perplexed by the knock. AJ trotted to the door to find a soaked Princess Twilight with a somber expression.
"Hello, Princess Twilight. Is there anything you need? Have you heard from my daughter? It has been around three hours since I last saw her. She was supposed to come home two hours ago," AJ said worriedly.
"That's why I am here, AJ. I regret to inform you that your daughter has been attacked by a mysterious unicorn. Her life is at great risk from the damage the attacker caused her body. My friend Rainbow Dash took her to Ponyville General about two hours ago. I suggest you take your other daughter with her," Twilight said.
Once the news was heard by AJ and Jade, they started to cry. Once the possibility that Imagination could pass away hit them, they became hysterical. Jade ran over to her dad and hugged him tightly. They both sobbed into each other. Twilight rested a reassuring wing on the both of them.
"I will do my best to help you and your family during this difficult time, sir. I can take you and your child to the hospital with a simple teleportation spell. All I would need is your permission to move forward with the spell," Twilight said comfortingly.
The crestfallen father nodded in approval; he held his daughter tighter in his arms. Twilight performed the spell on the two ponies and herself. A few seconds later, they appeared in the waiting room of Ponyville Hospital.
Rainbow was seated in the waiting room on a teal couch. She had long since calmed down. Rainbow walked towards Twilight; they walked out of the hospital together. AJ let go of Jade; he walked to the check-in desk with Jade following behind him. The scared father placed his hooves on the counter.
"Where is my daughter, Imagination?" AJ questioned.
The receptionist replied, "Come in, Mr. AJ, Rainbow Dash brought her here a little over two hours ago. Imagination lost a lot of blood from her injuries."
"Is she ALIVE?" AJ cried.
"Yes, she is, but first, you must understand that she was in critical condition before she got here. We had to give her a blood transfusion to prevent her from bleeding out," the receptionist said.
"Can I see her?" AJ said while sobbing.
"We did everything possible, but her wings were cut clean off when she arrived. I am so sorry," the receptionist uttered.
Jade's face fell with sorrow because of her sister's permanent disability. The receptionist guided the two into Imagination's room. Harsh medical lights illuminated the bright space, and Imagination's body looked frail. The wingless Alicorn had an oxygen mask on her muzzle to assist her lungs; she also had an IV that rehydrated her body. The mare had been connected to various machines that monitored her heart and lungs. Jade looked at her sister in dismay.
Imagination's back was bandaged up where her wings had once been. The only signs of life from the mare were the ragged movement of her chest and the beeping of the machines. AJ's ears flattened against his head at the sight of his wounded daughter. He trailed behind his distraught daughter, Jade. Jade slowly approached Imagination's bedside as if the sudden movement would kill her. Once AJ had reached the bed, he took Imagination's hoof and held it gently.
The room was engulfed in a cloud of despair and disillusionment towards her state. They could only hope that Imagination would make it out of this alive. Imagination's hoof tightened against her father's hoof. Imagination's eyes snapped open to be met with the warm embrace of her father and sister.
AJ and Jade cried in relief, knowing that her chances of survival had increased now that she had woken up. Jade placed a tender kiss on her sister's forehead; her tears fell on Imagination's oxygen mask. AJ smiled at his weakened daughter and gave her a soft hug.
"Can someone tell me what happened? Why am I in a hospital? Why can't I feel my wings?" Imagination inquired with worry. It was clear to them that she had no memory of what had happened that day.
"I am so sorry, sis, but you no longer have wings. Someone attacked you in an alleyway and ripped your wings off," Jade whispered.
"What? My wings?? Now I will never be able to fly again!" Imagination screamed in shock.
Doctor Greymane heard a pony's scream and decided to see what was the matter. He followed the sound to Imagination's room, which he had saved a while ago. Doctor Greymane smiled when he realized she was awake. He paged Nurse Redheart to assist him with his patient's care.
The Doctor walked closer to the bedside and looked at her vitals. It was a miracle that the pony who had been on death's door mere hours ago, heart and lungs, recovered so quickly. The Doctor assumed the quick recovery was due to her alicorn DNA. Remarkably, Imagination's vital values were where healthy ponies were.
Nurse Redheart went into the room and unplugged Imagination from the oxygen mask. She placed the oxygen mask on a medical cart to be cleaned later. Nurse Redheart checked the IV bag to find it was empty. Happy at the news, the Nurse took the needle out of her right foreleg and bandaged the area.
"I apologize, Miss Imagination, but we could not save your wings. With some healing spells to speed your recovery, you can go home. If there are no compilations, you will be released in two weeks. I hear that prosthetic wings are currently in development, and with luck, you can fly again," Dr. Greymane said.
"Wait.. there is a possibility I could regain my flight someday?" Imagination asked.
"Yes, but it won't be for a few years at least," Dr. Greymane clarified.
"It means that there is still hope that my sister can fly with me again," Jade cried out.
"So, is it all good news, Doc? Is there anything we should know outside of what we already know? I want to ensure my baby girl is okay," AJ said.
"All of the news I have regarding your daughter's condition is good; if you exclude amputation. Remarkably, her body was able to stabilize so rapidly. Your bruises should heal in a few days. Make sure you get plenty of rest, Imagination," Doctor Greymane said.
Imagination nodded at her Doctor's advice. She took a moment to hug the two ponies that loved her more than anything. Her grip on them was feeble, but her heart remained strong. AJ and Jade hugged her tenderly so as not to hurt Imagination. Imagination let out happy tears, grateful to be alive; her family thought the same.
Two Weeks Later…
"Imagination, take it easy for a little while, okay? No strenuous activity for the next four to six months, and change your bandages daily. Come back if you have any new or worsening pain. And with that, you are ready to go home," Nurse Redheart said as she pushed Imagination out of the hospital in a wheelchair.
What awaited Imagination was her family that stood outside the hospital with balloons. Imagination walked out of the wheelchair and hugged them tightly. She knew that she could overcome anything with her family by her side. Love would get her and her family through any challenge they faced.
