The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the feeling of something cold and slimy all around my body. Some kind of ooze? I thought as I opened my eyes to a nightmare. The world was a blur of purple and I couldn't move. Panic set in as I tried to thrash my hooves and wings, only to find them stuck fast. My muzzle felt heavy, and when I tried to scream, only muffled sounds escaped through the mask that had been placed over my muzzle. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even think of what was being done to me. All I knew was I wanted out. I wanted out now.
I looked around as best I could. The tube was transparent, but the purple goo inside made it difficult to see beyond my own reflection. The room looked like a lab, with machines I had no idea what purpose they served. Ponies wearing lab coats were walking around, paying no attention to me, their eyes focused to clipboards and screens. They had no idea I was conscious. I took a deep breath, or as deep as the mask allowed, and tried to calm down. I had to get out of here. Rainbow Dash is not a pony to be contained, especially not like this.
Something must have alerted them I was awake because, suddenly, one unicorn mare turned to look right at me. Her eyes widened in surprise. I struggled harder, assuming they had the worst planned for me, but the ooze was making it too difficult. The mare kept her eyes on me as she said something to make the other ponies look at me.
A stallion unicorn rushed in front of looking pleased. Despite my fears of what they were doing to me, I returned the look with pure fury. He spoke something to me, but the muffled sounds of his voice made his words unintelligible. He wrote something on his clipboard and showed it to me. It read: "Please remain calm. We are here to help."
My expression didnt change. Help? This is what help looked like now? Trapped in a tube of goo with a mask over my mouth? No, these crazy scientists were experimenting on me, and I was not about to play along. I bucked and squirmed, trying to break free, but it was useless. The ooze was thick and sticky, like tar, holding me in place.
The stallion scribbled something else and held it up to the glass. "You’re here under the orders of Princess Twilight Sparkle. She’s being informed of your awakening as we speak.”
My heart beat faster. Twilight did this to me? This had to be some kind of mistake. Sure, Twilight was a science nut but she would never try experimenting on me. Would she? Why would she? Maybe she was trying to figure out how I was the only pony to make a sonic rainboom? I would have consented to a little poke and prod but not this! Whatever Twilight’s intentions were they were either very good or very bad.
The stallion wrote another note. "It’s essential you remain calm. We hope to have you out shortly.”
Staying calm was easier said than done. I still didn’t quite believe this was Twilight’s doing. I would believe that once I saw her. Until then I wasn’t going to comply with anything this creepy stallion had to say.
The minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity as the scientists buzzed around me, speaking in hushed tones and pointing at screens with numbers and graphs that meant nothing to me. They were too busy to notice the fury bubbling inside of me, turning into a storm ready to break free.
A familiar flash of purple suddenly appeared in the lab's doorway, and I felt immediate relief. Twilight had arrived. She looked very different from how I remembered her. She had grown quite taller and her mane was wavy like Celestia and Luna’s. Still it was most definitely her. It had to be.
Her eyes grew wide when she saw me in the tube, and she rushed over, putting her golden clad hoof on the glass. Our eyes met and I could see tears flowing down her face. I probably would have cried too if it wasn’t for the ooze I was encased in. She looked at the stallion and said something to him. He nodded and immediately the purple ooze started to drain. Soon as it went past my forehooves I immediately lifted my hoof to my face and tore the mask off. I thought for sure my muscles were to feel weak but I was pleasantly surprised to find my reflexes were as fast as they were. Perhaps faster.
With the ooze completely empited I was now free to move, and I did exactly what I wanted to do since I woke up.
I bucked with every ounce of strength I had left, aiming my hooves at the glass separating me from the outside world. The force was tremendous, and the glass cracked under the pressure. Twilight shouted something, but it was too late. I bucked again and the glass shattered, sending shards flying everywhere. The cold air hit me, and for a moment, I felt so happy. I was cold. I was wet. I was free.
I knew Twilight had a lot of explaining to do, but first things first. I had to get out of this lab. I needed to fly. Only, Twilight knew me too well to know what my intentions were as her horn glowed and froze me in her magic.
"Rainbow Dash, please, wait," she pleaded, her voice strained with worry. "I know you must be scared and confused, but you can't leave here just yet. We need to make sure you’re completely healed or you’ll wind up back in the ooze.”
I glared at her, my muscles tense, but she was right. I didn’t know what was going on, but if there was even a chance I’d end up trapped in that stuff again, I’d listen to her. Reluctantly, I allowed myself to be levitated out of the shattered tube and onto the cold, metal floor. The lab coat ponies fluttered around, cleaning up the mess, and I couldn’t help but feel a smug satisfaction at the chaos I’d caused.
Before I knew what she was doing, Twilight wrapped her long legs around me and pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re awake,” she spoke with a deep sadness. “I knew it would only be a matter of time before I could save you.”
Her words left me dumbfounded. Save me? What was she talking about? "What do you mean? How did I end up here in the first place? And since when are you so tall?”
Twilight took a deep breath and released me from her embrace, her eyes still filled with unshed tears. "It's a long story, Dash," she said gently. "But we need to get you cleaned up and checked out first."
There was no way that was happening. “No, Twilight. I need to know now. Why did you do this to me?” I demanded.
Twilight’s gaze fell to the floor and she sighed heavily. “Alright, I’ll explain.” She then looked up and ordered the scientists to give us the room. There were some protests but Twilight wasn’t in the mood for arguments. She had a stern look in her eyes that was as commanding as any Royal Decree. The lab coats nodded and began to file out of the room, giving us privacy.
Once we were alone, Twilight asked, “What’s the last thing you remember?”
The question hit me like a punch to the gut. What was the last thing? I closed my eyes and searched my fuzzy memory. “I was… I was…” the sudden rush of images made me dizzy. “I was in the hospital? I was sick with something, wasn’t I?”
Twilight nodded solemnly. "Yes, you were. But that was a very long time ago."
Just how long was she talking about? Days? Weeks? Months? I had to know. "How long, Twilight?"
Her eyes searched mine, as if she was looking for a way to soften the blow. "Rainbow Dash... you may not remember it all right now but you were dying. No doctor was sure how or why. Your body just began shutting down. There was nothing anypony could do. But I couldn’t just let you die. I knew one day there would be a way to save you. I just needed time and being an alicorn I had the time. That ooze you were in was keeping you in stasis while me and my scientists worked on a cure. Until finally we seemingly found it. The fact that you woke up on your own means your body is completely healthy.”
I noticed Twilight still hadn’t answered my question. She was avoiding it. “Twilight. How long was I in that pod?”
Her expression grew even more solemn. She swallowed before speaking, “Rainbow Dash, you were in stasis for... nearly 200 years. 197 to be exact.”
The number hit me like a meteor. One hundred ninety seven years? That couldn’t be right. I couldn’t have been asleep for that long. The world outside couldn’t possibly be the same. But the look in her eyes told me it was true. I was a relic of a bygone era.
My eyes began to well up with tears at the thought of what else had to be gone. “So all of our friends?”
Twilight took another deep breath. “They're all gone, Rainbow Dash. It's just you and me now."
The revelation was too much to process. Two hundred years? All my friends, my life, everything I knew and loved, gone? It was as if the wind had been knocked out of me. I stumbled back, my legs feeling wobbly I fell to my flank. I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks, mixing with the sticky ooze that still clung to my fur.
“Even Scootaloo?” I stupidly asked. I knew the answer. I just wanted to be wrong.
Twilight nodded, and the tears that had been threatening to fall from her eyes finally did. “Everyone, Dash. They all lived their lives, and eventually, they all passed on. The world is so different now, but I promise I’ll be here for you, to guide you through it all. You’ll have a normal life in no time.”
But I didn’t want her guidance. I didn’t want a new world. All I wanted was my old life back, my friends, my family. The anger that had been simmering since I woke up boiled over. I pushed Twilight away. “You had no right to do this to me!” I yelled. “You had no right to keep me stuffed underground for nearly two centuries! You should have let me die!”
Twilight's eyes went wide and she took a step back, visibly shaking. “Rainbow Dash, please, you don’t understand. I did it for you. I didn’t want to stand by and watch you die! I just didn’t think it would take this long!”
I couldn’t hold back my anger anymore. “Did our friends agree with you?” I exclaimed, pushing myself to my hooves. “Did they all believe this is what I would have wanted?”
Twilight looked down, her voice quivering. “They all agreed. Until fifteen years have passed they all decided we had to let you go. At the time I reluctantly agreed, too. But as I came down here to shut off the pod, something inside of me just couldn’t do it. I knew I could find a way to save you. I knew I had to try. And so, I continued my research in secret. I studied every medical book, every scroll, and conducted every experiment I could think of.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Twilight had gone against everyone, including our own friends, to keep me alive. It was selfish of me to be angry at her for it. But the pain was too much to ignore. My whole world had been torn away from me. “What did you tell the others?”
Twilight couldn’t face me as she answered. “I gave them an empty casket. They needed the closure.”
The room spun around me, and I could feel the weight of her words sinking into my soul. An empty casket. My friends had grieved for me, moved on with their lives, thinking I was gone forever. The betrayal I felt was replaced by an overwhelming sense of loss. I didn’t know what to do with these emotions. So I did the only thing I could think of. I ran. I ran through the doors I saw the scientists leave through and kept on running. Twilight called after me but I didn’t stop. I quickly found an emergency exit, bolted through it, and took off into the night sky.
My first thought was to go home, but then just remembered I had no home to go to. All I had now was the sky.
Author's Note
For those wondering I’m not the original owner of this account. I was given access to it so I can’t answer any questions about deleted stories