Shadows in the dark

Chapter 24

Nurse Hale, having spent an entire day giving the guards present in the Crystal Empire check-ups, was just cleaning up her stuff for the night when she heard a soft groan behind her. Her ears perked up and she snapped her head over her shoulders to see Flash Sentry regaining consciousness.

"Good Celestia of the sun." she whispered before she quickly went over. "Flash Sentry! Can you hear me?"

"N-nurse?" the young stallion murmured as he opened his eyes for the first time in three months. His vision was nothing but a blur. Nurse Hale was nothing but a large blur of cherry red mixed with cream. Flash Sentry started to panic slightly. "I-I can't see. Why can't I see?!"

"Calm down, Flash!" Nurse Hale said gently, but firmly as she gripped his hoof. "You've been in a coma for three months. It'll take a while for you vision to settle.

"T-three months? It only feels like seconds..." The pegasus relaxed in his bed and sighed. Nurse Hale chuckled softly and gently stroked his slightly lengthened mane.

"You just wait right here and I'll let the others know you're awake."

"Ok..." Flash Sentry closed his eyes and relaxed as he regained all of his senses. He began to recognize the strange scent of oils and other medicines of the medical bay. He heard some guards talking just outside his window. Standing across the street from the building. Slowly he regained his memory of what happened previous to his coma. His eyes suddenly snapped open while his ears perked up in alarm. He shot up in bed and frantically tossed the blanket aside.

Nurse Hale stopped and turned to see what Flash was doing and was alarmed when she saw him attempting to get out of bed. "Flash Sentry!" she gasped as she quickly ran over to push him back in bed. "You just woke up! Your body won't be able to handle you walking."

"You don't understand!" he cried. "I have to see Commander Wind Dancer immediately! It's very crucial that he knows about it!"

"Just stay here and I'll get him for you." Hale said sternly as she finally managed to hold the pegasus down. "Don't do anything funny. I'm not afraid to use a sedative on you if I have to."

"Yes, ma'am." Flash Sentry sighed. This wasn't like him, normally. But he must tell his commander what happened. The images of that day played back like a silent film. And to think it's only been three months. He soon broke into tears when he remembered seeing Twilight. Snuggled up by Sombra's side and looking perfectly happy. He choked and gagged a bit on his tears. His heart racing the harder he cried as his tears hit the white bed sheets like rain.

...

Apple Bloom woke up to the sound of whimpering beside her. The filly fluttered her eyes open tiredly and looked around her room to find Winona, the family dog, looking out the window whimpering. Pawing at the glass gently and nervously.

"Winona?" Apple Bloom yawned as she crawled out of bed and trotted over to the anxious dog slowly. "Is something wrong? Do you need to go potty?" she asked. The dog merely whimpered in reply and continued to paw at the glass. Her eyes fixed at the mountains beyond. Apple Bloom looked in that direction and blinked curiously. "I don't see anything wrong" she said.

The both of them then jumped when they heard a crash downstairs. Winona's ears perked up in alarm and she immediately ran out of the room and went downstairs. "Winona!" Apple Bloom called quietly before going after the dog. "Winona! No! We need to wake up Applejack or Big Macintosh!" When she reached the bottom of the steps, however, she screamed at what she found.

Laying on the floor in a puddle of her own blood, was Granny Smith. A knife taken from the kitchen sticking out of her chest. Winona was whimpering and gently nudging the old mare in an attempt to "wake her up" before sitting by her side and letting out a mournful howl.