Chapter One: Advent
It was early morning in Canterlot, and Nurse Redheart was awoken by the strands of sunlight that crept into her room through the window shades. She let out a yawn as she stirred sluggishly before rising to her hooves and taking in the same old scenery. The room was quite bland, the only furniture aside from the lone bed being several dressers that were pressed up against the wall, a couple of photos and trinkets dotting each of their tops.
As Redheart started going about her routine of heading to the bathroom to freshen up before truly beginning the day, her attention was drawn to her husband, who rolled over in his sleep before pulling the covers over himself. Chocolate Tail may have been a regal unicorn and gentlecolt, but one thing he wasn't was a sound sleeper, Redheart thought to herself as she continued towards promises of a clean coat and mane, the latter of which soon to be tied in a fresh bun.
One quick cleansing later and Redheart was back to her room, glad to see Chocolate had gotten up by now and was most likely preparing breakfast in the kitchen. She trotted over, reached into one of her dresser drawers and pulled out her signature nursing cap, admiring the emblem identical to her cutie mark on its front before donning the hat. Normally, Redheart wouldn't look so prim and proper on the start of just another average weekend. However, today was most assuredly not the start of just another average weekend.
No, today marked the beginning of her trip all around Equestria, educating up and coming medical students in the art of healing. She was partaking in a program which had just started this year, in which only the most esteemed nurses and doctors in all of the kingdom were chosen for, who would be teaching other ponies about what they have learned through their first-hoof experiences in the field, and she alone would be representing the grand capital city of Canterlot. Though normally a very calm mare, Redheart was giddy with excitement at the thought of fulfilling such an honor, and at the chance to see places like Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Hoofington, and so much more. Sadly, those would all be stops later along the line, and her first destination was the one she had concluded would be the most boring and uneventful.
Ponyville.
The town had once been the talk of the nation, the bustling place where the saviors of the world and wielders of the Elements of Harmony resided. Tales have been told time and time again of the epic adventures they went on, their defeating of Nightmare moon and preventing eternal darkness, the imprisonment of the lord of chaos, Discord, due to their friendship, and many other heroic acts. But, soon after the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle, Equestria entered another messianic age and the protection the Elements granted was no longer needed. The mares who wielded them went their separate ways and Ponyville had slipped back into obscurity once more, nopony bestowing a second glance upon the tiny village. This was the story Redheart has heard all too many times passed among the citizens of Canterlot and has long since grown tired of.
Redheart then began to contemplate how such a small town had enough residents to warrant the existence of a university with its own medical wing, let alone one worthy of her time, and did so until she felt a tap on her shoulder and nearly jumped right out of her skin. She spun around quickly, ready to shout out a cry for help, but uttered a sigh of relief when she realized it was only Chocolate Tail with a concerned look in his eyes.
"My apologies about that, I called for you several times and was a tad bit worried when I found you here, staring off into space. Is something the matter?" was all he said in a nervous tone.
"Hold on, what time is it? I didn't miss my carriage, did I!?" Redheart asked hastily, afraid that her only way to Ponyville was gone. She was already making her way out of the bedroom, headed towards the staircase that lead to the exit of the spire she called home, as Chocolate grasped her tail with his magic aura and pulled her back to him.
"Now, now, no need to be in such a rush, you still have an hour before your appointment. Let us go talk about what has you so bothered over a nice homemade breakfast, shall we?" he told her as the two made their way to the dining room and sat down. The rest of their home was no different than the bedroom, though well off, Redheart and Chocolate were very frugal when it came to decor. "So, what appears to be the problem dear?" Chocolate asked in that tone of his that let Redheart know he genuinely cared.
"It's...I don't know, this whole thing just seems to be...off." Redheart said with a groan, letting her fork drop to her plate and slumping over the table.
"What do mean, are the eggs too overcooked? Is it the pancakes? It's the pancakes, isn't it!" Chocolate said as he closely examined the meal he lay out for Redheart and him.
"No Chocolate, it's not the food, it's this trip I'm going on. The more I think about it, the odder things seem to be." the nurse said, looking for a sign of knowing and understanding in her husband.
He only appeared to be annoyed at this, "Redheart, I've been telling you for the past weeks now that nopony is forcing you to partake in this!" he said as he slammed his hooves on the table. Redheart knew that Chocolate would have preferred it if she just stayed home and continued her nursing career uninterrupted, but she felt obligated to spread all she knew on the subject, and this was the perfect opportunity.
"I'm aware that you don't approve of me leaving for so long, but it's simply a thing I must do, and I'm sorry. Now, can you please confirm that I'm not the only one who thinks it's strange that mixed in with all the hot-spots this program will take me to is a small village that hardly anypony hears from?" she pleaded with Chocolate as he started eating his own food and nodding to her slowly.
He finished and said, "Dear, you, I and everypony else all know that Ponyville may not be the most relevant of towns, but you wouldn't be going there if there weren't ponies in need of help."
"Help" was an odd way of putting it considering that this was the stallion who thought that the whole affair was pointless, but it struck a chord in Nurse Redheart and she truly knew that the skills she had to offer were invaluable tools and were capable of saving lives.
"Fiiine, I'll go, I'll go, but I still have my suspicions." Redheart admitted, wishing she could just skip to the teaching large classrooms and sightseeing parts. However, if she could grant even the smallest bunch of ponies the ability to heal others, she would go out of her way to do so. Even if it meant visiting the most dull place in all of Equestria.
The rest of breakfast passed by fast for the two ponies, who made casual small talk over the meal with each other to pass the time before Redheart's departure. Soon after, Chocolate Tail was busy washing the dishes in the kitchen while Redheart sat in the living room, staring out a window at the ponies moving about in the streets below. Then, as she looked directly downwards, she noticed a carriage at the base of the tower she lived in, with two ponies waiting at the front of it, occasionally glancing upwards. She realized that they must of been her ride and she quickly ran to Chocolate, giving him a peck on the cheek and saying good-bye before rushing to grab her packed saddlebags near the exit. With saddlebags and cap equipped, Redheart was ready to go when Chocolate stepped into the hallway and quickly asked "Sweetheart, are you really certain you want to do this?"
Hadn't they just gotten done with this discussion? Of course she was sure about this! But...then again...
"No honey, I'm not absolutely sure about this." was what Redheart told him, and they both knew it to be the truth. However, neither of them would let this spoil the moment, and they gave each other one last hug before Redheart rushed out the door and made her descent.
Redheart quickly darted down the stairs, hoping that the ponies below weren't too impatient, and nearly feel over as she burst through the door and into the outside world. She was relieved to see them still waiting there, albeit looking a little impatient, and started walking over to take a seat, eying their carriage along the way. It wasn't anything special, but it definitely didn't look like it was made specifically for hauling around ponies. It actually looked more like a vehicle used to transport goods, and Redheart was sure of this when she notice the slogan on the side of it, "Cake Family Delivery Service"
Why she was being picked up by food delivery ponies baffled Redheart, but she reluctantly took a set in the carriage as one of the pullers began speaking to her.
"Well, I'll be damned, it's Nurse Redheart in the flesh and blood! I see you haven't aged a bit." the pegasus stallion said to her in the tone one would use when speaking to an old friend. But why though? Redheart hadn't known this pony, and she never forgot the face of a friend or patient alike.
"I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met before. Who might you be?" Redheart asked the pony who now had a hurt look on his face.
"Never...met...before? What the hell do you mean we've never met before!? Can you believe this Pumpkin, she can't remember us!" the clearly pissed stallion said as he turned to the mare standing beside him, who could've been his twin judging by their appearances and how they both seemed to be a lot younger than Redheart.
"Celestia dammit Pound, will you calm down!? Redheart has been delivering and nursing foals since before you and I were born, she can't remember everypony!"
The ponies continued to bicker with each other as Redheart sat there, wondering how they both knew so much about her and what the odds were that they'd be the ones driving her around. But then, she remembered how they didn't seem to transport ponies for a living, and realized that they must have liked her enough to take the job of doing so. So why didn't she remember them, the ponies who were going out of their way to help her, the ponies she has clearly hurt by not knowing?
"Listen, I'm awfully sorry that I don't recall you both, but you still have a job to do and I'm on a schedule." she regretfully informed the duo, who stopped arguing to listen and now simply looked sad.
"Sorry sis, guess a mare becomes some hotshot and forgets all about the little ponies." Pound said as the two began silently trotting off towards Ponyville. Redheart assumed they would be taking the path to the drawbridge that lead out of Canterlot, but they were going in a completely different direction. The one that lead to a point directly facing Ponyville and much of southern Equestria. A point where various pieces of aircraft were usually docked above a massive expanse of nothingness, but was now unoccupied at the moment aside from herself and the Cakes. Normally this would be okay, Redheart had ridden in the air upon several occasions in the past, but then something struck her. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that only Pound was a pegasus, and his now confirmed sister Pumpkin was a unicorn!
The revelation that these two ponies were about to demolish her and themselves because she forgot two patients from the past hit Redheart like a ton of bricks as the siblings simply kept on going forward, unwavering. She then realized that simply sitting there like an idiot wasn't going to stop them, and she began screaming for them to turn around, to stop, to do anything but this! However, the ponies looked back at Redheart and actually started chuckling as they picked up the pace towards the rapidly nearing edge.
Redhearts pleas for forgiveness and mercy went unheard as the carriage picked up more and more speed, quickly approaching the ledge. Then, all three of them went over, and Redhearts protests' were now reduced to the whimpers of a broken mare as she realized she would be crushed any second now. Any second now. Redheart opened her clenched eyes as she wondered why she wasn't a pile of mush by now and was astounded by what she saw.
Pound was flapping his wings at a brisk pace as Pumpkin wrapped herself and the carriage in her telekinesis as they all slowly levitated towards the path to Ponyville below! Redheart has only seen pegasi and unicorns with abilities like this a few times before, and the look on her face made that clear to the fairly exhausted ponies who had just touched down and were catching their breath.
"So...impressed?" Pound said, panting furiously.
"Impressed? You two were about to destroy all of us!" Redheart said with clear shock and anger.
"Redheart, though...your reaction was...priceless, you were never in any...oh sweet Celestia and Luna...any real danger" Pumpkin barely got out, in even worst shape than Pound. It didn't look like either of them would be using their wings or horn for a long while after exerting themselves like that.
"Besides...it was my idea, so don't you go blaming Pumpkin for putting up with her bone-headed brother!" the stallion said in defense of his sister, both of which were just already about ready to get going again, though there was no way either could achieve more than a slow walk. Redheart never really was big on jokes and this was no exception, so she just kicked back and tried to enjoy the ride as the duo continued onward again, chortling at her expense. She wanted nothing more than to just get this over with already.
* * *
Though the outing from Canterlot to Ponyville was relatively short, Nurse Redheart found a way to focus on nothing but how dull it was. After getting sick and tired of the endless green and hilly landscape with trees scatted about now and then, Nurse Redheart started looking over the contents of her saddlebags to make sure she didn't forget anything. Everything she packed in it was there, three health drinks, a first aid kit, and an ampoule, filled with the most powerful regeneration potion known to ponykind that was just invented recently by yours truly, which now that she thought about it explained why she had they privilege to be in this program in the first place. The healing properties of the health drinks and first aid kit were nothing compared to what lie within the small vial that would leave a pony as healthy as they could ever hope to be after being consumed. Redheart wasn't too sure how familiar the students at the university in Ponyville were with your standard medical supplies, but the ampoule would definitely be a treat for them to see. Aside from the supplies she packed to show the students was a map of Ponyville and a flashlight to find her way to the motel she'd be staying at after leaving the school late at night.
After checking over her inventory several times, Redheart had an idea that would speed up the rest of the trip. She dug out two of the health drinks and handed them to the still fatigued ponies pulling the carriage, who wearily drank them after looking over the neigh-illegible labels on them. Redheart bore a smirk as she saw the two of them perk up, now rejuvenated as they broke into a run toward the town which couldn't be that far away.
As Nurse Redheart sat there, enjoying the wind blowing through her mane, she noticed the quaint village sitting not too far from the bottom of the hill they just reached the summit of. She looked at it from afar and noticed the few houses and places of bluishness scattered outside the main part of town, which was bordered by a river that cut them off from each other. As she took notice of the bridge they'd be crossing and the infamous Everfree Forest on the far side of town, Redheart realized that something was off. Ever since they had started nearing the town, the sun was getting blotted out to the point where the entire sky was covered by a thick layer of clouds. Redheart assumed that town was just sleeping in and hadn't gotten to work clearing them, and she was sure of this when she didn't notice any ponies walking in the streets of the village.
Still...something wasn't quite right here. Redheart pointed all of this out to the Cakes who now looked quite worried, and they started talking to each other in serious voices as they sped up even faster to figure out what was going on. Redheart was now as nervous as ever as she looked around frantically at the buildings, now clearly in view, which all appeared to be closed up tight. This was all so strange. It was if the entire town had jus-
"PUMPKIN, LOOK OUT!" Redheart heard Pound shout as the vehicle began swerving off the road they were on. Her attention was now on what was going on in front of her, and she noticed that a quite large pony was standing in the middle of the path, not even flinching as he stood facing the visitors rapidly approaching him. The only thing that let Redheart know that it was a male were his bare hooves and build, where his head would normally be visible was the oddest headgear she had ever seen on a pony, a red pyramid that left only his impressively long horn exposed.
Redheart couldn't help but be afraid of this pony, who she grimly noted had a sinister blade at his side with an unnecessary and unusable wooden handle for him, but didn't have too long to fear as the carriage crashed into a tree at the side of the road, causing her to be tossed out the front and smack her head into the hard earth as she went into a deep, blissful sleep.
