Team Superstars: Regain The Strength

”Th-thunder and Zoom reporting for duty! Your highness!” She called out, saluting.

Haven grew slightly concerned as she looked at Zoom. Noticing dark marks under her eyes as she tiredly looked ahead. Glider, the purple guard that was accompanied her as she woke up and ate breakfast looked over with concerned. She was one of the newest guard and wasn’t too familiar with Zoom. But she had overheard about the incident where she fainted. She was actually surprised she had come to duty. She wasn’t looking too good, judging by the marks under her eyes.

”Oh, Zoom! Thunder!” Haven exclaimed. Eating pancakes. The chief cooked them but she put the topping on herself. Nothing like decorating your pancakes however you wanted. Blue berries, raspberries, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and honey. Yum! “How did you sleep.”

”Nothing to be worried about, your majesty!” Zoom exclaimed, looking over at Thunder. Hoping he wasn’t gonna tell her about what she hid last night. “Please don’t tell her” she begged in her mind. “We guards will be there when the attack happens.”

“Well…” Thunder said glancing at Zoom. Knowing she wouldn't like this. But it was for her own good. “I’m not so sure. But I get the feeling she’s having nightmares from the incident…”

He told her! He just had to Tell her! Zoom felt betrayed as he spoke up! Haven’s the queen! Why would she have to waste her energy on worrying about a guard like her? She’s meant to be tough and always ready. That’s how it is.

”What!?” Haven exclaimed, having hoped once she was out of that nightmare, she’d sleep well. But maybe that was too much to hope for. “What has this thief done to her!? What kind of nightmares is she having!? We might need to get a therapist!” Suddenly Zoom was struck by a large amount of stress and fear as the queen reacted. Just her mentioning the nightmare made her think. It was then like her mind started picturing blood in the room as she looked down. A scream entered her mind when she blinked. The same one from the nightmare. Her expression did not go unnoticed.

”Zoom?” Thunder questioned.

“I-I need to go to the loo, your majesty!”

”Dismissed…” Haven said with concern. Watching her hurry into tue nearest bathroom.

She could feel her heart beat start moving rapidly as he spoke. ”Not bow. Please not now…” She whispered after slamming the door. Resting against the sink as she closed her eyes and tried to breath in and out slowly. Focusing on her breathing. Seeing dark visions of her nightmare, whimpering as sweat came down. The blood, the screams. The destruction. Every single bit flashed though her mind as tears formed in her eyes as she stared at the roof. Whimpering as she closed them again. Then gasping in panic as she opened her eyes, feeling like she was choking.

She gagged as she looked towards the ground, then slowly looked at her shaking hooves. Remembering the blood on them in the nightmare, tears rolling down her face she she started to feel sick. The visions were not stopping whenever she closed here yes. The dead bodies all staring at her. Panting and whimpering as she tried her method of calming down again.

She felt like she was dying and this was the end of it. She hated everything about this, she was a weak, pathetic pony. Sat up, leaning against the sink, soon just sobbing into her hooves. The tears kept coming nonstop. She kept on going, just laying there. Scared of everything that was going to happen.

”Can’t let this happen…” She whimpered, head in her hooves. “I have to keep them safe!” She begged for the pictures to stop. “P-please.” Her mouth started to get dry, her breathing was heavy and she could hardly move. “I am not enough! I have to get better!” She told herself, “The queen is in danger!”

Unknown to her, Thunder had opened the bathroom door slightly for a peek, he watched with a with a sad look, seeing her like this. He soon stepped out of the way, for the palace cleaner to come in. Who pushed her cleaning trolley through the door and closed it after her, Zoom having gotten herself to stand up in time as she glared at her, looking ill. “Nice to see you awake.”

”I was doing nothing but freshening up.” Zoom bluntly spat. “See you later, Clumsy.” She said before leaving, glad she didn't see her panic attack, or that’s what she thought. As she exited the bathroom a shiver went down her spine when her name was called.

“Zoom!” Cried Thunder with a very concerned expression on hus face. “A-are you sure you’re okay?”

”I’m fine?” Zoom said, raising a brow, trying to hide her actual feelings. “Just had to go- you know?”

”Have a-“ He gulped and whispered. “Have a break down?” He asked.

”What!?” Zoom exclaimed, starting to feel sweaty as her heart skipped a beat. How’d he know that!? “W-what makes you think that, Thunder?!”

”Your expression right now.” He said, gesturing at her shocked expression. Plus- I kinda stood at the door.”

”Thunder!” She scolded. “That’s rude!”

”Not when you are in this situation!” He argued back with concern. “At least o don’t think so?”

”W-well- Whatever happened in there, stays in there! Let’s get back to duty!” She shouted at him before marching back down the hall.

“Y-yeas!” He agreed and scurried after. Soon speaking once again. “What were you not going to let happen? Keep us safe from what?” He asked, hoping it wasn’t related to the nightmares and the griffon, even if it was obvious.

”The attack-“

”Zoom! I told you! You can't fight h-“

”I c- I must!!” She scoffed, knowing she needed to be good enough for the attack, be strong to defend everypony. “Now hush!”

”But- But-“

‘\”Thunder!”

He gulped, not wanting to make her any more upset, he nodded and decided to tell the queen in private, if she needed to know. Zoom needed help and the queen cared tor her guards. He followed her back in where the queen had just finished her breakfast, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and got up.

During her break Zoom sat in the guard’s garden, near a large pond where ducks roamed. Ducky, a white guard with a teal mane and tail and yellow feathers, liked to take care of the ducks and the pond, she was like their mother! She raised and helped injured ducks during her free time and let them roam the garden, which they chose as home. it would be relaxing if it weren't for the scary screams and thoughts entering Zoom’s mind as she had flashbacks of the situation just flashing through her mind. She didn’t know if it was Haven, Thunder or her own, she didn’t remember screaming herself. She just remembered the burning feeling in her body like she was being cooked alive, or had burning oil poured all over her.

She looked down at her hooves as her heart raced in her chest, she then spotted her reflection in the pond, looking like she was in pain. Well, the flashbacks did hurt, because it reminded her of the pain she felt.

“Should have been strong enough!” She shouted, scolding herself and grumbling. She just wanted to shout, “I am supposed to guard the palace! But I couldn’t even do that one thing! Now I’m nothing but useless! No magic, no energy, continuous nightmares! Because I failed! I-“ She she took a breather, her voice cracking. “I failed to protect the kingdom and now we are under threat, b-because I couldn’t stop her!” She cried out, her ears instantly perking up at the sound of hoofteps, her heart started raving hoping whoever it was didn’t hear her.

“Zephyr?” Autumn’s voice said softly behind her.

“Autumn!” Zoom quickly went into a guard composure as she stood up. “You should be on duty. Also, please don’t call me Zephyr, it’s either Zoom or Zephyrwing if you don’t want to say a simple four letter word.” She corrected.

Autumn gave her a blank stare and paused, lifting a hoof as she spoke. “Sorry, heard a few other guards call you that, but actually, I’m on break too. I heard you had another panic attack.”

Upon this revelation her blood went cold and her heart skipped a beat, wondering how on earth she knew. “Who told you!?” She cried out, wings flared, feeling like her privacy was intruded. Did Thunder tell her? If so, she would want to give him a piece of her mind later, he had no right to share her private breakdowns to the other ponies like that!

”Can’t say.” She shrugged before speaking, “Also, I heard your screaming just then., i think that’s an indicator”

Zoom’s ears and wings went flat as she flopped on her rump. She had no idea anypony was around her while she was scolding herself “Y-you did? How much?” She asked, deeply hoping it was just a word or two that she could brush off, or make up some sort of story on why she said it, like some sort of phone call or talking to a duck, no, she’s not stupid, she doesn’t talk to ducks, no pony would fall to that.

”All of it.” Autumn said, looking and sounding more concerned as she spoke, making it less likely for her to let it past. “I was here to pick some blackberries and heard you.”

”So what?” Zoom scoffed. “It’s none of your business anyway, it’s my business to stay strong for everypony’s sake.”

”You really sounded like you were hurting. What has been bothering you?”

”Unimportant details, Autumn.” Zoom said, looking away slightly. “I mean, you heard it, wasn’t that enough?”

”It’s not healthy to bottle up your emotions like this. Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?’ Asked Autumn, seeing her glum expression. It took where a few minutes before she looked at her and sighed, ears flat.

“I never felt so hopeless…” Zoom admitted, ears down and tears in her eyes. “I felt the same way during the Dark Matter mission months back. B-but that always ended in victory, but this was nothing but a failure. I stopped a cloud from killing everypony, b-but I couldn’t stop a griffon.” She then shouted. “I couldn’t stop a simple griffon!”

”That was armed with such powerful tools and a dinosaur you were not prepared for!” Autumn exclaimed, like she was defending Zoom from, well, herself. “You are not weak, you are not a useless guard! You jumped in to protect the queen at the sight of danger, didn’t you!? I doubt that is considered useless!” Her voice cracked as if she was going to cry. “You did something brave, you went to protect the queen at the sight of danger! You kept protecting her even when it looked scary! How is any of that useless, that is brave and courageous to me!”

”Not enough” Zoom said, looking a little bedazzled to be the one being scolded, she was usually the one scolding the other guards. Usually being Thunder or Autumn, but she did have to scold Ducky a few times when she tracked mud into the palace from the pond, or a time she had to scold a guard for hurting her while playing rough with another guard, claiming it was practice. But now here she was, being scolded for believing she wasn't good enough.

“You did everything you could.” Autumn added. “What more could you have done?”

“I-I I don’t know.” Zoom admitted, feeling like a pathetic royal guard. “I guess I really did try my hardest and still failed…”

“Trying your hardest is the important thing, isn’t it?” She asked the paused. “How are the nightmares?”

Zoom could feel her heart racing and feel her stomach churn as she closed her eyes, getting a flashback and hearing a scream. But she took some deep breathes in and out and focused on other things. “Y-you won’t take a lie, will you?”

”Bluey, no!”

Zoom groaned and sighed, partly from the nickname, she didn’t want to be called the same name as a cartoon dog meant for babies! She glanced at her, deciding to scold her later, she wasn’t some seven year old who can’t even spell, or freaks out about turning on a tap too much. “It’s horrible… I feel useless and can’t do anything in each and every single one…” She said, not wanting to say much about it and staying quiet. After a long pause as them both just sitting there, she said a little more, reluctant, but also feeling like she just wanted to vent out. “I’m just stuck there, unable to do a thing while I saw was the destruction of the palace and assassination of the queen and everyone else…” She paused. “There was too much-“ She said, stopping when her voice cracked like she was about to cry, her heart was racing now. Upset at Autumn for getting her to say what she said, but also upset at herself for wanting to. But to be honest, she felt somewhat safe with telling Autumn, what harm could she do after all? The queen already knew of the situation she was in, but not knowing of the traumatic sounds and images she was receiving.

Autumn looked at her, not knowing what to say and not wanting to force her to say anymore. She didn’t want to make her feel worse. , “I don’t understand what you are going through, but I hope it ends soon.” She said before giving her a hug, she looked at her for a few minutes before hugging her back. Autumn was known to be the caring one of the guard, she wouldn’t hurt a spider! But she would tackle another pony if needed, just wasn’t a fan of hurting any living things. “I just want you to be okay…”

”Me too…” Zoom sighed, squeezing her heard, she wasn’t the hug type, but it felt kind of nice and comforting in a way. She could feel herself start to breath normally and calm down as she just took deep breathes in and out.