Equestria Undone

The doors to the surgery ward of the hospital burst open, and a Pegasus was brought in on a stretcher, carried by two EUP guards. Doctor ponies in surgical shrub followed closely behind them, a light green Pegasus made, and a white unicorn were side by side with the stretcher. They moved the injured Pegasus from the stretcher to an operating table. The EUP guards took the mares out into the waiting room as the surgeon ponies connected IV tubes, and machinery to the wounded Pegasus named Cedric. The green Pegasus was pacing back, and forth through the waiting room, muttering under her breath. The unicorn was sitting on her haunches by the door, reading a magazine on Arcane Sciences. She was about to turn the page when her friend's muttering finally drew her attention, she looked at her, eyes narrowing in irritation she said "I know you're worried but he will be fine! Now please take a seat, and relax. Sunny May you have to have faith in the ponies here, they're professionals." Sunny May sat down on her haunches, and asked "What if they can't help him, Annie? What if they take his headphones off, what if he can never fly again? Oh, I should have never let him do this, I'm such an idiot!" Annie stood up, went over to Sunny May, and hugged her. She said to her, "Stop it Sis. You're not an idiot, and he would have gone without us anyway, then he would have died. I wouldn't have been here to power his wards, we wouldn't have been able to save him. You know how stubborn that buck is, Sunny" Sunny May had tears in her eyes as she nodded, she hugged her sister back saying, "I know, but I love him so much. Why does he have to scare us like this? Were supposed to get married in a few months, what would I do without him Annie?" Annie was silent for just a moment before responding "I don't know what either of us would do. He's one of my best friends, I can't imagine what it would be like without him. But we have to remain calm, we have to trust the surgeons to do they're jobs" Sunny May sniffled, and looking at the door to the operating room asked, "How can you always stay so calm, I can never keep my head straight but you can" Annie smiled at her sister, then answered "Years of practice, Sunny. Years of practice." They stopped hugging, and Sunny May pulled a small mirror, and makeup sponge from a bag on her left flank with her teeth. She set it down on the small table next to her chair, and looked in the mirror. "Ahhh, I look like a mess!" She used her wings to pick up her sponge, and mascara, she began to adjust her make up. She continued speaking "I need to look my best for when he gets out of surgery." Annie held in a laugh as her sister fussed over her makeup. Come on Sunny, you know he thinks you're gorgeous no matter what you're makeup looks like. She thought. The Pegasus continued fretting over her appearance as the next three hours went by in the waiting room.

After reading the Arcane Sciences magazine, Annie gave the waiting room another look. There were posters of various health issues on the wall along with posters proclaiming. You don't have to join the EUP to be a hero! Join the Equestrian Medical Association today! Under the words was a picture of two mares, and a stallion in doctors garb helping a wounded EUP guard on a random battlefield. Annie looked at the poster, and thought If only I could. Her thinking was interrupted when a unicorn surgeon came out of the operating room, the surgeon was a stallion with a brown mane, and tail. He was covered in blood. Annie, and Sunny May got up, and galloped to him. Before either of them spoke he raised a hoof for silence, when they remained silent he spoke, "Don't worry, he will be just fine. We have supplemented that magic music of yours with healing potions, and pain killers. His wounds are mostly healed, all internal wounds have been healed, and only his right foreleg was broken. He has a black eye, but its clearing up" the mares were smiling, and they hugged clearly relieved, this is when the surgeon put a hoof behind his head, and said slowly, " Yes this is good news but, we couldn't do anything for his wing"

The mares turned towards the surgeon, Sunny sat on her haunches, and started crying. Annie asked him "You mean there's nothing you can do for it?" The surgeon looked sorry as he answered "I'm afraid not, he'll never fly again. I'm so sorry" Sunny May continued crying, and Annie just stood there. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence the surgeon said "He's stabilized, if you would like to see him you can. He's tired but I think it would do him a world of good" Both mares perked at his words, and rushed to follow, as he led them to Cedric's room. They went through the hospital, and stopped at a room on the third floor. The surgeon said, "Go inside, he's waiting for you" The surgeon left, and they opened the door to go inside. In the room Cedric was lying in a hospital bed, he had many band aids on him but he was smiling. He was connected to an IV, and the stump of his right wing was wrapped in a plaster cast. His foreleg was in a sling, he had his headphones around his neck. He smiled, and said "Sunny! Annie!" Sunny May flew to him, and wrapped him in a tight hug. He moaned a little in pain but Sunny May didn't release him. Annie trotted up to his bed, and hugged him as well, more gently though, she said, "I'm so sorry about you're wing its my fault, if I hadn't cauterized it...." Cedric cut her off, saying "If you hadn't done that I would have bled to death, like you said. Its not your fault" They released him from the hug, and Sunny May said, "I love you so much, Cedric. Don't ever scare me like that again, okay?" Cedric looked at her saying, "I love you too Sunny" then he looked at the stump of his right wing. He moved the stump back, and forth as he inspected it, he sighed"I can't fly anymore, that dragon clipped me. Did the princesses stop him?" Sunny May nodded, saying "Yes they stopped the dragon, and Annie shot him in the face!" Annie blushed, and nodded, Cedric smiled but his eyes betrayed him. Sunny May looked into his eyes, and saw only sadness. Cedric stopped smiling as he looked at her face, a single tear ran down his face. They both hugged him as he cried, no sounds only silent tears of immeasurable sorrow. He stared at the stump of his wing for a few minutes before wiping his face with his right foreleg, he turned to the door as somepony cleared his throat. "Excuse me but you have more visitors, would it be okay to let them in?" The doctor pony asked. Cedric rubbed his eyes, and nodded. The doctor opened the door, and none other then princess Celestia, and princess Luna strode inside.

Both were out of they're battle armor, they also appeared fully healed. Annie, and Sunny May bowed, Cedric was stuck in the bed so he lowered his head. Celestia smiled kindly as she said, "Rise my little ponies, you need not bow." They stopped bowing, and the princesses sat down near the bed, Celestia continued "What you did today was very brave and likely saved all of Equestria. I have to asked though, how did a Pegasus use magic?" Cedric scratched his head and pointed to Annie, who quickly explained "He didn't actually, the spells he appeared to have used were cloak spells, and wards that I placed around him. I was powering them from where Sunny, and I were hiding" Celestia said "Ah, so the music healing, and flaming hair was actually clever spell work on your part. I see" That's a shame. I thought I had something here. Celestia thought. Annie shook her head, then said "No actually that wasn't me. That's just what's special about Cedric." Celestia's hopes were rekindled when she heard this, she turned to Cedric, and asked "May I examine your damaged wing?" Cedric nodded, then stretched out the stump as far as it would go. The princess's horn glowed as she swept it over the stump. Celestia noticed for the first time that the feathers on his wings were different colors. They were the same color as his coat, light blue on half his wing but the half closer to the tips of his wings got gradually darker until they were dark blue.

She pulled her horn away, as she ended the spell then asked "Why does you're mane, and tail catch fire like that?" Cedric shrugged, replying "I really have no idea, when I listen to music it does that if I really like the song or sometimes when I get really, really mad it sparks but it doesn't catch fire unless I am listening to music." Celestia nodded, Luna spoke for the first time asking "Are there any other changes that come with the flaming hair?" Cedric thought for a few seconds before answering "I can fly faster, and much longer when I'm listening to music or I used to I suppose. It also heals me when I get hurt, it varies on the song, and how bad I'm hurt but this is the first time I've ever needed to go to the doctor" Once again Celestia nodded then asked "Why did you fight?"

Cedric looked shocked at the question, he answered "I will be forever loyal to you, and Equestria. It was the right thing to do." That was just the answer Celestia had hoped for, she called into the hall "Okay Twilight, bring him in" A second later Twilight Sparkle trotted in followed by a brown earth pony with a black mane, tail, and an hour glass for a cutie-mark. Celestia said "Cedric, would you allow Doctor Hooves to examine your wing?" Cedric looked a little surprised but nodded. Doctor Hooves went over to the bed and closely examined the damaged wing, he looked at it from every angle, and wrote down things on a piece of paper on the night stand. After twenty minutes he picked up the paper, and pencil, then put them in a pouch on his right flank. He turned and left the room without a word. Celestia, and Luna stood, Celestia spoke "Thank you again for all your help today. I would like to invite to the castle next week for the victory celebration if you would agree to come, that is" Cedric smiled, saying "Of course! Well be there" Celestia nodded, bid them farewell, and left the room. Luna, and Twilight followed closely behind, leaving Cedric, Sunny May, and Annie in deep confusion.