Twilight Sparkle awoke deep in the night. She examined her surroundings, trying to make sense of where she was. This was not her bed. This was not her library. A grey-cyan curtain surrounded her on all sides. Dormant monitoring equipment beside the bed she was lying in.
Hospital? Twilight thought. Why am I in a hospital?
“Ahh, my faithful student is awake.” The alabaster alicorn strode through the curtain at the end of Twilight’s room. She moved towards the confused mare, then laid her neck across the small unicorn in an affectionate hug. “I was worried I would have to leave for Day Court before you awoke.”
“Oh, Princess.” Twilight sat up, panicked. “I am sorry, are you running late because of me? Please don’t bother yourself for my benefit.”
“It was only a jest, my dear Twilight.” She gently placed a hoof on Twilight’s chest, easing her back down.
“Do not worry yourself on matters of Court; Luna will take care of it for me for the next few days. She is most excited that I have entrusted her with my daily duties.” Celestia held her hoof to her mouth and hid a light chuckle. “Though I suspect that will change after the first three requests from the nobility; and while it might lack a certain gravitas, I am quite capable of raising the sun from a hospital room.”
“Hospital…” Twilight sat upright, panicking again; with Celestia’s entrance, she’d forgotten where she was. “Why am I in a hospital? Did I get hurt? Are my friends okay? Is anypony hurt?”
“You are fine, Twilight Sparkle. You were just exhausted after the magical surge. Your friends are okay.” The princess smiled.
Twilight was relieved; she could not bear it if her friends were hurt. However, she faltered at the mention of the magical surge, noting with worry that Celestia had not answered her final question. A cold knot formed deep within Twilight’s chest.
“You just need to rest, Twilight. And I am sure the nurse standing right outside the curtains wants to come in and check up on you.”
A cough from outside the curtains told Twilight they were not alone. Nurse Redheart walked through the curtain, a guilty look on her face. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I wasn’t eavesdropping, I was just unsure if I should interrupt or not.”
Celestia nodded as the nurse approached Twilight. She checked her pupils and temperature. “If we can do anything to make you more comfortable, please let us know. The doctor will be in to see you soon, Miss Sparkle,” Nurse Redheart cheerily informed her. “If anything happens, please press this call button and we will come as soon as we can.”
She bowed to Celestia as she was leaving. “Your Majesty.”
“Nurse, if I might impose,” Celestia asked politely, “would you kindly get Miss Sparkle some juice and a small sandwich from the kitchen? She will have expended a good deal of energy, and I think a small meal might help her recoup faster.”
“Yes. Yes, Your Majesty, yes. Of course. Right away.” The nurse dashed out of the room.
“Princess?” Twilight tried to get the diarch’s attention. “What happened? You said I had a magical surge… And you didn’t answer my last question: was anypony hurt?”
The princess shook her head silently. With a deep sigh, she spoke. “Nothing gets past you, my astute protégé… I was hoping to let you rest before we spoke about it.” Celestia’s face fell. “Do you remember… participating… in a stage show?”
Twilight searched her memories of what had happened. She vaguely recalled a stage show. There was a magician, she was performing. Rainbow Dash had gotten up on stage, and was doing a rope trick. No, that’s not right. Applejack was doing a rope trick, when the showmare used the rope to hog-tie her friend. Rainbow Dash had performed some tricks, but the showmare had once again bested one of Twilight’s friends.
Rarity had been next; Twilight had to stifle a laugh as she recalled her friend’s horror when the showmare enchanted her coiffure.
She remembered getting on stage at the encouragement of her friends. After that, there was nothing.
“Sorry, Princess.” Twilight shook her head. “I only remember flashes."
“You do not remember what spell you were trying to cast?”
Twilight shook her head again. She couldn’t remember much from the day.
The nurse returned with a plate of sandwiches, some fruit, and freshly-squeezed orange juice; Celestia motioned for Twilight to eat. She did not feel hungry— her mind was working in overdrive. A simple magical mishap would not be reason enough for the Princess to cancel Day Court.
Celestia held a hoof to Twilight’s shoulder as the mare started to curl herself into a ball. “Please…” Twilight’s voice wavered. “Please Princess, tell me what happened. What did I do?”
Celestia breathed gently through her nostrils. Letting out a deep sigh, she explained. “Shining Armor has spoken with the local constabulary; we were really hoping you would remember more.” Twilight’s breathing became far more erratic. Her brother, Captain of the Royal Guard, was interviewing witnesses. Celestia stroked one of Twilight’s fetlocks, trying to calm the mare down. “Twilight Sparkle, please calm yourself.”
When Twilight had stopped hyperventilating, Celestia continued. “Several audience members were caught in the surge, but they were returned to normal when you lost consciousness. Some are a little shaken up, but they are physically unharmed. Once the spell had dissipated, the two of you were brought here to the hospital.”
“Who else–”
“The showmare was brought in as well. She is still in critical condition; the doctors are doing what they can for her. In the meantime, Shining Armor is trying to find her next of kin.”
I’ve killed somepony I’ve killed somepony I’ve killed somepony I’ve killed somepony I’ve killed somepony I’ve killed somepony I’ve killed somepony I’ve killed somepony I’ve killed somepony…
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. “Princess, the nurses told me she was awake. May I come in?”
I’ve killed somepony and my brother is here to arrest me I’ve killed somepony and my brother is here to arrest me I’ve killed somepony and my brother is here to arrest me I’ve killed somepony and my brother is here to arrest me…
“Twiley!” Shining Armor crossed the room, and drew his little sister into a hug. “You had us worried, kiddo. We… uhh, Twiley?”
They’ll probably throw me in a dungeon or banish me to the moon or banish me to a dungeon on the moon…
Celestia continued to stroke Twilight’s fetlock. Shining Armor smiled, a knowing look in his eye.
Mom and dad will be so disappointed I’ll never see my friends again…
“There’s only one way to get her out of something like this, Princess.” A grin crossed his muzzle. He moved in close to the hyperventilating mare’s cheek, drawing in a deep breath. Celestia watched as Shining Armor moved in, like he was going to kiss Twilight on her cheek.
**Oh no* I’m not going to be the princess’ student anymo—*
Shining Armor blew a loud raspberry on Twilight’s cheek, the mare blushing and pushing her brother away. “Gross! I told you to never do that…” Twilight paled, looking up at the Princess, who was hiding a chuckle behind her hoof. “Shiney! How could you do that in front of the Princess?”
Twilight pulled the covers of her bed over her head. “If you’re going to arrest me, couldn’t you at least have let me keep my dignity?”
Shining Armor looked to the Princess, who looked to be in a small amount of pain from holding in her laughter, then back to his sister. “If I were going for dignity, I wouldn’t hide under my blanket like a little filly. Now come out, Twiley…” Shining Armor tugged at the sheet. “Nopony is going to arrest you.”
Twilight let the blanket fall; Shining could see the tears in her eyes.
“B-but I killed somepony.”
Shining Armor held his sister again. “You haven’t killed anypony, Twiley. Everything will be okay."
Ж
“… I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians! Anything you can do, I can do better. Any takers? Anyone? Hmm? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived!?”
The orange mare jumped up on the stage, pulling out a lasso and performing several impressive tricks with the rope. The lasso shot out, tying Trixies legs together as she was flipped onto her back. The orange mare finished the insult by stuffing an apple into Trixie’s mouth.
“My my, what boasting,” they chanted. She tried to shrink as the laughter from the audience rang in her ears.
The cyan pegasus jumped on the stage to continue the humiliation. Grabbing the rope between her teeth, the rainbow-maned mare shot to the sky, dragging Trixie screaming behind her. As the pegasus hit the apex of their flight, she let go of the rope, both dropping into a free fall.
Trixie screamed around the apple still stuffed in her mouth. The rainbow-maned pegasus circled Trixie, laughing as they both fell. “They don’t call me Rainbow and Dash for nothin’!”
Trixie watched in horror as she plummeted towards the stage of her vardo. Upon the stage was a white unicorn, watching the falling mare. Her mouth opened impossibly wide, bearing sharp teeth.
“My my, what boasting!” The audience’s mocking laughter continued to ring in Trixie’s ears.
Four boards were torn from the stage. The rear curtain of the stage was pulled off, swirling in the magics of the mare below. It tore into multiple strips, each one shooting up to twist around Trixie.
Her limbs were wrapped with the silk of her old curtain, suspending her inches from the stage. She turned her head towards the sky, the four boards crossed in pairs, holding her like a marionette.
The white mare laughed as she tugged the boards to-and-fro.
“My my, what boasting!”
“You may think you're tough with all of your so-called powers, but there's more to magic than your brutish ways.” Trixie was forced to dance about the stage; with the silk pulling at her arms, she was helpless to resist. “A unicorn needs to be more than just muscle.
“A unicorn needs to have style.” Trixie was forced to curtsy before the crowd.
“A unicorn is not a unicorn without grace and beauty.” The unicorn grinned at Trixie, her razor-sharp teeth gleaming. “Something a waste like you could never have.”
“My my, what boasting!” The audience jeers had risen in cacophony, the faces of every pony bearing the same razor-sharp grins as the white unicorn on stage.
“You will never be the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria.” A purple unicorn stepped on the stage, eyes blazing with the heat of two suns. “You have not even the magic of an insect. You are Great and Pathetic, Trixie Lulamoon. A joke. I will show you what true power is.”
A dark fog surrounded them both, blotting out the sun. The crescendo of the chant had risen, filling her ears. “My my, what boasting! My my, what boasting! My my, what boasting! My my, what boasting! My my, what boasting!”
“Let me show you what true power is, Trixie Lulamoon.”
Trixie tried to cast her counterspell, but the two forces connected. Like a paper boat on a gentle river, Trixie could not withstand the flow of magic when the torrential flood came. It did not wash over her; it crushed her under its weight. It squeezed all air from her lungs; she could not scream. She was drowning. Drowning in more etheric power than she had ever experienced.
“She’s flatlining. Nurse! Prep the paddles, NOW!”
“Ready doctor!”
“Clear!”
An orderly had insisted that he would push the wheelchair, but an overprotective BBBFF would not stand for it, and demanded he do it himself. The nursing staff bowed as Shining Armor and Celestia passed, Shining Armor pushing Twilight along in her wheelchair.
Is this what it’s like being a princess? Twilight suppressed a chuckle. Not quite the royal procession I dreamed of as a filly, I guess.
As soon as they exited the doors of the hospital, Twilight was glad to get back onto her hooves. She stood with Celestia in the courtyard as Shining Armor returned the wheelchair back to the orderlies.
“Your Highness, Twiley; are you ready?”
After a curt nod from Celestia to the guardspony, he took his position in front of her, adopting the stoic expression all guards were known for. He walked ahead of them in silence, Celestia and Twilight talking amongst themselves.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the rest of the accompanying Royal Guard blended amongst the ponies on their route. The princess disliked being escorted by a retinue of guards; she felt it made her unapproachable, where as Captain of the Guard, Shining Armor thought unapproachable was the very thing a Princess should be.
Two ponies having lunch at a café watched the princess intently as she passed, though Shining Armor paid them no heed. Three mares watched them as they passed through the marketplace, one of them haggling with a fruit-monger about the price of a cherry. Four mares were supposedly warding off the advances of five stallions. Six rowdier stallions sitting in the cider garden of an establishment called ‘The Punch Bowl’ leered at the Princess and her ward. Whilst arguing over a hoofball match, their ciders appeared inconspicuously untouched. None of them paid the slightest attention to their fully-armored Captain, just as Shining Armor would not draw attention to them in return.
He opened the doors to the Golden Oaks Library and ushered the two inside.
“Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”
The three watched as the small dragon turned tail and fled up the stairs.
“Spike?” Twilight called up the stairs, a slight hint of hurt in her voice. “Spike? What’s the matter?”
“You can’t take it back!” came the little dragon’s muffled shout. “Don’t come up here!”
Celestia nodded as Twilight looked back at her mentor imploringly. The only thing holding back Shining Armor’s laughter was the obvious look of distress on his little sister’s face.
Twilight slowly ascended the stairs. Scanning the room for her dragon friend, she noticed a quivering lump underneath the blankets of her bed.
She reached a shaking hoof towards him. “Spike?” she asked, with a terrified lump in her throat. “Oh, Spike. What have I done?” She crawled on to the bed, the form under the blankets ceased its shivering. She stifled a sob, and drew the still-covered dragon into her forearms. Tears dripped from her muzzle onto the blanket but were quickly absorbed into the fibres.
“Spike, I am so sorry,” she sobbed, pulling the dragon close. “Whatever I did, I am sorry. If I could take it back, I would. Please, don’t hate me.”
“No! You can’t take it back, I haven’t even shown Rarity yet!” Spike wailed.
Silence pervaded the atmosphere for several seconds, as Twilight sat up and composed herself. She breathed deeply, attempting to calm herself.
“Spike, please remove the blanket,” she instructed him, her voice cool.
The dragon slowly extricated himself from the covers, as Twilight burst into laughter, pulling the baby dragon back into a hug. “Oh, Spike! I thought I’d hurt you,” she exclaimed, through bursts of giggles. “I must admit, that is one impressive beard. I think it even puts Starswirl’s to shame.”
The baby dragon instantly stopped his squirming and beamed. The beard was nearly as long as he was tall, stopping mere inches before dragging on the ground. Stroking a claw through the thick black hair that adorned his face, he asked, “Do you think Rarity will like it? I was thinking of going to Barber Joe’s to get it trimmed, maybe even ask him how he gets his mustache to curl up like he does.”
“Stallions either use beeswax, or failing that, ear wax can be used in a pinch,” Twilight answered as she levitated Spike onto her back whilst he made gagging sounds. “Come on, let’s not keep the Princess waiting.”
Twilight descended the stairs when a commotion outside the door caught their attention.
“Hey, gorgeous.” A stallion’s slurred speech could be heard through the door. “Why don’ you come ‘n have some fun wi’ me an my boys?”
“Excuse me, Princess, Twiley.” Shining Armor strode across the room and opened the door. Despite his protestations, Twilight joined him as Spike left for the kitchen.
A single silver stallion with a stained shirt had his forearm wrapped around a small grey pegasus mare with a golden mane. “Come on, darl’, come have a drink wit’ us!”
“What is going on here?” Shining Armor growled. The small pegasus pulled herself from under the stallion’s grasp, and stumbled towards Shining Armor. He managed to catch her before she tripped. “Are you okay, ma’am?”
“Letter for Miss Twilight Sparkle,” the mare sniffled as she put her nose in the mailbag she carried. She pulled out an envelope, ready to pass to Twilight.
“Here, let me get that.” Shining Armor grasped the envelope in his aura, lingering as he passed it to his sister. “Thank you ma’am. I’ll have a talk with this lout and make sure he doesn’t bother you again.”
The mailmare smiled, then walked away with a slightly awkward gait. Shining Armor watched as she took to the air and clumsily flew towards her next destination.
“Twiley, why don’t you go in and chat with the Prin–”
“Oh don’t give me that rubbish, Shiney. Don’t think I didn’t see your aura change when you scanned the envelope.” Twilight scoffed, glaring at her brother. “You really think somepony is going to send me something dangerous?” She laughed at the notion.
“It’s a possibility,” Shining Armor answered sternly. “I am not going to take chances.”
Twilight turned away from her brother, taking the letter and joining the Princess again.
“What part of low-key did you not understand, Private?” Shining Armor glowered at the stallion before him.
“Sorry, Sir.” The stallion cowered much lower than necessary, keeping up the act for any bystanders. “Had to act fast, Sir. She dove pretty fast for the library, had to improvise.”
“Very well. It was a good intercept, and it did alert me that something was up,” Shining Armor’s voice was harsh, but the private could hear the compliment despite the tone. “Though next time, if you are pretending to be drunk, I suggest you use a little cider to stain your shirt. You don’t smell… drunk. Tell the others to rotate, your position has drawn too much attention.”
“Sir, yes sir.” He answered quietly.
Shining Armor stomped his hoof on the ground and spoke loud enough for other ponies to hear. “Get out of here and sober up, you lout! I don’t want to see you harassing anypony again, got it?” Shining Armor closed the door and returned to the table.
Ж
“It just seems silly, Princess.” Twilight gave her brother a look as she set the get-well card on the table. “Nopony would try to hurt you while you’re here.”
“I’m sorry to put you through this, my faithful student,” the Princess answered, drinking her thoroughly-inspected tea from a thoroughly-inspected cup. “Some of the citizens of Ponyville were… less than happy… about what happened at the show. Shining Armor is only looking out for you.”
“For me?”
Celestia nodded. “Until he deems it safe, Shining Armor will be remaining here in Ponyville. He would not entrust your safety to any other, and I tend to agree.”
“Until it’s safe?” Twilight laughed nervously. “It’s Ponyville, how unsafe could it be?”
Celestia and Shining Armor silently exchanged glances.
“How unsafe could it be?” she repeated nervously. When no answer was forthcoming, she looked pleadingly to her mentor. “Princess?”
“There could be hostile reactions in response to your surge,” Shining Armor explained. “We need to make sure nopony acts upon their fears.”
“Why would anypony fear me? That’s just silly.” Twilight shook her head with an exasperated laugh. “I mean, I get along with everypony here in Ponyville; they’ve all been very welcoming.”
Celestia nodded to Shining Armor. “Show her the note, Captain.”
Shining Armor paused, as if to question the Princess’ request, then conceded. Pulling a sheet of paper from under his armor, he levitated the note to his sister. Twilight unfolded the sheet, revealing a single line.
Go back to Canterlot, freak! You don’t belong here!
“T-This is a joke right?” The note wavered in Twilight’s magical grip. Celestia placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, and the note fell to the floor as Twilight’s aura vanished. “Right?”
Tears dripped down her muzzle as her ears flattened against her head.
“Right?” she whispered, eyes imploring her mentor.
“My dearest Twilight Sparkle, could I protect you from such realities I would.” Celestia spread a wing and pulled the small unicorn into an embrace. She did not pull away as tears dampened her fur. Seeing the pained look on Shining Armor’s face, Celestia ordered, “At ease, Captain.”
Shining Armor pulled his little sister into a hug as Celestia let go. “Don’t worry, Twiley. I won’t let anypony hurt you.”
“Somepony wants to hurt Twilight?” Spike dropped the platter of sandwiches he was carrying from the kitchen, tripping over his ridiculously long beard as he ran towards her. “Why would anypony want to hurt Twilight?” Twilight gently grasped him in her magic aura, and lifted him into a hug.
Ж
Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike stood out in front of Golden Oaks Library as the Princess boarded her chariot.
“I am sorry I must leave so soon, my Faithful Student. Just remember, I am only a letter away.” Celestia turned to Shining Armor, a stern look in her eyes. “Captain Shining Armor, I am entrusting the safety of my student to your care. You will protect her as you would myself or my sister. Should any threaten her…”
“I will take up the sword for her.” Shining Armor responded.
“And should the need arise…” Celestia continued.
“I will lay down my life for her.” Shining Armor saluted.
“By the Sun and the Moon, I hold you to your oath, Captain Armor.”
With no more than a nod from the Princess, the pegasi pulling the carriage took to the air.
