Even though her eyes were closed, the sunlight was like a flashlight shone directly into her eyes, burning at her eyeballs. Slowly, the magenta eyes opened, the very action hurting the pegasus. Everything was positively killing her, the major points of pain in her right wing, right hind leg, head, left foreleg and face. She could feel the sticky warmth of her own blood, dried in places and running in others as it dripped to the dirt floor beneath her. Her tongue was dry, the action of swallowing paining the downed mare. Her stomach rumbled, demanding nutrients and minerals, begging to be replenished. Her mane and tail were tussled and torn strands littering the ground around her. Bruises coated her body, especially on her unnaturally bent right wing and left foreleg. Her mouth opened and her dry lips cracked slightly, leaking more blood. A harsh wheeze escaped her throat, but no voice came. She tried again and again, but she couldn't find her voice. She was in too much pain to muster any strength, even the movement of her mouth sent twinges along the nerves in her jaw that jolted her brain.
With agonizing slowness, Rainbow Dash turned and looked at her wing. It was bent in the middle, almost bent backwards. The feathers were ruffled and there was a deep gash in it, constantly seeping her precious blood down her feathers and fur. It was obviously broken, badly at that. Her irises looked down her battered body and she shifted her right foreleg off her pounding left one, seeing the bruise spread around her hoof. Both hooves were incredibly bruised, a clear sign she had landed with all of her weight on them, but her left one pained her more than the right. She'd most likely sprained it, judging by the swelling and bruising around her ankle. That was nasty. She craned her neck and looked over her body, seeing bruises covering almost everywhere. Blood constantly dripped into her mouth from her nose and she could feel buts on her bottom lip and the inside of her left cheek that kept oozing blood, spreading the vile taste across her tongue. The bruising was worst on her right wing and back, judging by how bad it was she could form a scenario in her head; She'd landed with all her weight on her front hooves off balance, rolled her left one and flipped over onto her back, which would've crushed and bent her right wing. She could feel a tear in her right ear, most likely the reason she had to blink constantly to get her own blood out of her eyes. When she cleared her vision for the umpteenth time, she could see a deep gash in her right hind leg, raw pink flesh pulsing and showing her blue veins, constantly spreading blood around her cerulean fur.
Rainbow Dash searched her memories, trying to scavenge what had happened. This was the worst crash she'd ever had and it was pretty clear she had a concussion, which explained why the sun seemed to be trying to blind her with searing agony today. All that would resurface form her pool of thoughts was her own two blue hooves crashing through sharp branches that gashed at her pelt. Then her vision was dominated by dirt and everything went black, the rest of her day's activities swallowed in darkness and fuzzed blotches, just beyond her subconscious's grasp. No matter how far she dug, all she could see was pitch black, no award came to her efforts. She stopped trying after a few moments, deciding that it would come back over time.
Time.
How much time did she have left? She was banged up pretty damn bad, that was for sure. She was bleeding badly and her vision wasn't entirely clear either, seeing doubles or blurs. Flying was definitely out of the question, with her wing she'd be lucky to get a centimetre off the ground before pain made her tumble to the ground in a heap and slip into the world of the unconscious. She could tell walking would be a difficult task, but it was worth a shot. With great trouble and intense pain, she curled her legs into her body and rolled a bit, placing weight on her hooves.
Now that she was in a basic position, Rainbow let her legs stop wobbling before slowly straightening herself out. Every muscle, neurone and fibre screamed at her to stop, but determination made her continue despite the horrible burn in every part of her body. She lifted her left forehoof off the ground, letting out a hoarse breath of pain and biting down her bloody lip. She placed it on the ground and took a step, but her leg instantly buckled and she collapsed, twisting to avoid injuring her right wing even more. Her leg was throbbing harder, she'd sprained her hoof for sure. It'd be best to lie on the ground and wait for help to come.
Help.
The realization smacked her like the tree she'd crashed into; Did anypony know she was out here? Sweat started dripping from beneath her mane, into her open wounds and stinging but she hardly noticed. She couldn't remember telling anypony where she was going, she couldn't even remember where she saw. She was surrounded by pine trees, that was all she could tell. She couldn't remember a forest that was just pine trees, she had no idea if she was close to Ponyville or if she was miles away, in the middle of nowhere. Judging by the fact the only thing she could hear was the screeching of eagles, birdsong and the occasional rustle of a squirrel or bunny. Everything was glaringly bright, she swore she could see eyes peering at her through the leaves of the trees and bushes, waiting until it was the perfect moment to pounce with claws, fangs and hooked beaks, set to tear into her flesh and feast on her blood and muscle tissue. She felt herself quickly fearing her hallucinations, the tricks of light and the mirages that poisoned her vision.
Rainbow Dash searched her memories frantically, begging for something to give her a clue. This was scaring her, if nopony knew she was out here then.... She didn't even want to think about it. But the thought that she hadn't told anypony wasn't the most terrifying. The scariest part was that she couldn't remember, so she had no idea what her fate would turn out to be. It'd be so much easier to remember if she had told somepony or if she hadn't, then she'd have to accept her fate, whether it be certain death or escaping the cold clutches of heaven and hell when somepony came to her rescue. But now, now she only had the horrible burning in her body and the desperate churning as she searched her mind for a sliver or scratch of what she had done that day. But all she could see was her forehooves slamming into prickled branches, the ends clawing at her fur and feathers before everything was blot out by dirt, an intense jab of pain in her back and right wing before everything went dark. Hot tears formed in her magenta eyes and trailed down her face, sticking to her fur, spiked with drying blood. She had nothing to distract her from the pain, her rumbling stomach and her parched mouth. This wasn't the way she wanted to go! Thirst and hunger would take her within three days, she could bleed out by nightfall, freeze to death during her slumber or be picked apart by hungry predators. None of these options appealed to her, all of them seemed painful and messy, unlike the death she had pictured where she quietly went in her sleep from old age. But alas, death could not be predicted and fate's cruel hoof would not budge.
The pegasus opened her mouth and tried to scream, but her vocal cords protested and all that came out was a harsh gasp, grating across her throat like the coarse dirt she was lying on. Again and again she tried, but eventually she stopped because it began to scratch at her raw throat and pain her. That just made more tears fall from her face, liquid agony as they seeped their salty droplets into her open wounds. She needed water, she needed food and she needed something to take the pain away. Right now, death seemed like a good option to make her suffering stop, but she knew she shouldn't give up on her life. With walking and flying out of the option, she knew she wouldn't be able to honestly move. This made food and water much harder to obtain. She looked at the blood pooled around her head and bit her lip, looking at the red fluid. The metallic smell hit her nostrils and she gulp, turning her mouth closer and hesitantly dipping her tongue into it.
The taste was horrible, salty and coppery and it refused to leave her mouth, even after she swallowed. She retched, but managed to keep from vomiting, that wouldn't be a good idea as she needed to keep all food in her stomach. She took a few more laps, deciding that it was the only way to quench her thirst before turning away, struggling to hold her vomit in. She looked around and saw nothing but trees, no exits or anything. She'd landed in a tiny clearing and was very exposed to predators if they came along. The screeching of an occasional eagle suddenly seemed more frequent in her ears, the rustles in the forest suddenly sounded like claws hitting needles and her paranoia returned, gnawing at her subconscious.
Sweltering heat.
Rustling needles.
Screeching birds.
Everything seemed lethal to her. Time was a deadly force, her seconds seeping away like the blood from her wounds. How long had she been here? It seemed like hours, but a quick glance to the sun showed it had only been around an hour and a half. But how long had she been unconscious? There was no telling how much time had passed while she'd been in her fainted state, no clock and no way to have seen the sun. It could've been minutes, it could've been days, she would never know. Nothing to do but lay there in suffering, Rainbow Dash felt the minutes go by like hours. She could see insects scuttling across the ground, some dashed closer and drank her blood from the ground. But none dared touch her body, no they waited, seemingly innocent for the coldness to take hold of her before they sank their tiny fangs and sharp little feet into her flesh. Flies buzzed around her ears and she flicked them away irritably, all too aware that they could smell her blood and impending death. A shudder passed through her body and she tucked her legs into her body, not even able to whimper. Her eyes closed tightly and she trembled in the middle of the sweltering heat, genuinely scared of what would happen to her. As time went by she didn't move, her muscles starting to seize up and she fell into an uneasy and light sleep, twitching feebly.
~~~~~
She couldn't speak.
She couldn't move.
She could only stare in horror as the thing advanced on her. It was rotten, putrid and discolored the air around it. No fur remained, just the horrible sickly green and grey flesh. Bones were visible where patches of skin had fallen. Only on eye remained, but it was dry and shrivelled with small holes shot through it. Only few wisps of mane and tail remained, straggly and long, filthy and unkept. The shuffling corpse faced her, a sad look on its terrible face. It opened its mouth to speak, but the small tear only let out a horrible gurgle. Two wings flared, featherless with only bones and they fell clean off, ripping through the dry skin. The few strands of mane fell to the floor, the corpse's skin fell off and only the battered bones remained before crumpling to the ground.
Then she saw the colors of the few strands. Red, orange and blue were all that remained, faint and filthy, but they were recognizable. That horrible creature had been herself, a rotten sack of flesh and bones, long since dead. All the pain of her injuries overcame her and she crumpled to the floor. From the dirt, she could see patches moving and writhing and suddenly rotten hooves burst from the ground, staining it with rotten flesh and in some cases blood. The ground around her started to fall away from the dirt, her small circle dry as a bone and she struggled, pushing herself to her hooves despite the pain, fear and desperate adrenaline dumping fuel onto her blood. She took a weak leap, but something grabbed her back leg and dragged her back, slamming her into the ground. She gripped the edge of her little patch desperately, feeling the thing tug on her leg. She looked back and saw another corpse, this one merely a skeleton with tiny squares of green skin sticking to the bones. The bottom jaw no longer remained and the teeth that had survived were rotten and eaten through by cavities. As she watched a fresher body rose from the ground, shot through with holes in its sagging skin and a worm hanging from its empty left eye socket. Bony hooves rose up and grabbed her other leg and as the corpses pulled, her grip faltered and she was dragged down, more hooves clasping her flanks and sides as they dragged her down to hell. As she fell into the writhing mass of the living dead, she gripped the edge of the dirt with her hoof, desperate to keep away from this horrible end. Some of the remains fell apart, so old that they couldn't use any strength. But those that hadn't been buried just pulled harder, hooves slipping on the sweat from her coat before they fell back, back to their own graves.
Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief, still hanging onto the now still patch of dirt. She looked up and struggled to pull herself up, gritting her teeth against the pain in her sprained hoof. She pulled herself up somewhat, digging into the dirt with her elbows as she flailed her back legs, trying to find a hoofhold in the slippery dirt. She was just moments from safety, eyes shining with light that hadn't been there before, bursting with new energy.
Then something grabbed her right hind leg.
The thing was wet and slippery, sticking to her leg with some sort of liquid. Her hooves dug into the ground as it started dragging her back, but all it took was a sharp tug and she was dragged from her moment of safety with a harsh wheeze, not even a shriek escaping her mouth. She was whisked past many bones and insects that latched onto her, eating into her flesh. She struggled in vain, trying to cling to the mud but being sucked down, deeper into the pit. When she looked down, she could see something thick and black wrapped around her ankle, but that wasn't what scared her.
She had neither fur nor flesh left on her legs, stomach or anywhere. She was a skeleton, her internal organs falling out now that they were no longer held in by skin. Her hairs fell in patches around her and she looked at her own dead hooves.
Then the insects burrowed into her eyes and she saw nor thought no more.
~~~~~
The howl of a Timberwolf woke Rainbow from her nightmare. She was gasping for breath eyes wide with horror of what her mind had just forced her to see. She looked around wildly, expecting to see dead bodies rising from their graves to drag her to Hell, but she could only see darkness.
Night had fallen.
The freezing cold temperature took hold of her and she shivered, no way of sheltering herself from the cold. She couldn't roll onto her right side to use her left wing to cover herself and her right wing was useless, she would have to tough it out. Her legs curled further into herself and she trembled harder, feeling the coldness of her own legs press against her belly. If this cold didn't kill her, thirst surely would. She could've lapped from her own blood more, but the puddle had dried and was now a stain on the forest floor. Her ravenous hunger was almost unbearable, her stomach crying in pain as it begged for nourishment. She looked around at the bugs and an idea came to mind. One of her forelegs moved slightly and she waited for something to come closer. Not many moments passed before a curious ladybug ventured closer, shell twitching as it prepared to fly in case of danger.
It never had a chance.
With a quick flick of her hoof, she swiped it closer, her own force tearing one of its transparent wings. The little thing buzzed desperately, but its efforts were in vain as a very hesitant pegasus lifted it with a hoof and popped it in her mouth, alive. She nearly threw up with the sensation of little prickly legs crawling across her tongue, but with a quick chomp she stopped the feeling and swallowed, gagging at the bitter taste of insect blood. It wasn't too bad, it did barely anything to quench her hunger but it would have to do, at least now she had some sort of food, no matter how vile she felt about eating it. If she ever got back to Ponyville, Fluttershy would most likely giver a strict scolding about eating her little insect friends. Ignoring her thoughts screaming at her to stop, Rainbow Dash waited for anything to come near her and ate them swiftly, trying not to throw up if the flavor stayed in her mouth. She only hate five little critters before fear made them scuttle away, but it took a little edge off her hunger and she lay there, watching them keep their distance.
Insects were fascinating really. Once you looked at them with new eyes, more specifically eyes that made them look like deadly predators, they seemed pretty interesting. They marched on with a purpose, some with scraps of leaves and some carrying larger dead insects, prizes from their hunts. Ants marched on in groups, circling their smaller and weaker members in a defensive cluster. Fireflies flew through the air, little lights twinkling the the stars in the sky. Grasshoppers hopped around and crickets chirped their songs, flowing into her ears as she listened quietly. She'd never appreciated nature enough, but now as she lay on her own grave she could marvel at the full beauty of it all. Everything was in perfect harmony around her, a scene of perfect serenity that was undisturbed by construction and stomping hooves. It was beautiful, that's what it was. Absolutely beautiful.
Awe entered the gaze of the fallen pegasus and she rolled onto her back, careful of her wing and eventually stopping in a position that kept her from resting on the broken appendage. She just stared into the sky and tears pooled into her eyes. She was going to die here, there was no hope of escaping. In this ethereal picture, Rainbow Dash would sink into the cold slumber, never to wake again. If anypony found her, she would be decaying, eaten by insects and frozen in place, never to move again for all eternity. Tears ran down her cheeks again, it just wasn't fair! She tried to scream, but no sound escaped her mouth as she cried.
Underneath the canopy of stars, the best flier to come out of Cloudsdale cried herself to sleep.
~~~~~
Something prodded Rainbow's shoulder and she groggily opened her eyes. The sky was a lovely blend of purple, pink, orange and deep blue, showing the golden disc steadily rising into the sky. On the other side of the sky the moon was slipping below the horizon, banished by the rising sun. Warmth creeped in tiny tendrils over the cold mare's body as she looked around before turning her eyes up and seeing six familiar faces.
Twilight Sparkle.
Applejack.
Rarity.
Pinkie Pie.
Fluttershy.
Princess Luna.
All of them looked at her with tearful expressions, saltwater running down their faces as they looked at her broken form. Fluttershy's gentle hoof gingerly ran across one of Rainbow's many gashes, spreading the blood around her fur. She lowered her graceful little head and looked at it in shock, inspecting each wound with a careful eye.
Rainbow Dash smiled softly. They had found her, she was saved! She would be taken to Ponyville Hospital to be treated and would soar free again, free of injuries and agony. She looked at them with appreciative eyes. Her mouth opened but no words came out, no sound resinated from her vocal cords. But that was alright, soon she would find her voice and she would be able to recount her tale, spinning a few exaggerations into her tale of woe and leaving out any gruesome for the fillies and colts but going into full swing from the adults. She would look upon the world with new eye and she would love life all the more, never to take anything for granted again. She smiled as Twilight looked into her eyes and smiled in joy, tears running down her face as she placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash's chest to check her heartbeat.
It would all be ok.
~~~~~
Outside of Rainbow Dash's hallucination, the six Timberwolves stared down at their prey with hungry luminescent green eyes.
