Patriots of Equestria, Part 1

Upon his arrival to Ponyville hospital, Hopper was immediately brought into surgery in order for his life to be saved. Although Hopper was a patient, he was still a criminal in the custody of Equestrian law enforcement. Hopper was weak, but his mind was still active and loyal to finding Chrysalis, wherever she was.

"I have come to give the patient an injection," said a female nurse pony to a royal guardspony. "Please let me in."

The guardspony complied and allowed the nurse pony into the room where Hopper was being held in. The captured Changeling looked up weakly as the nurse pony prepared to administer an injection into Hopper's body. Almost immediately, Hopper noticed that this pony wasn't all she was cracked up to be.

"All right," she said, squirting out some fluid to see if it was working properly. "Now this might sting a little. Turn over onto your side."

Doing as he was told, Hopper complied and the nurse pony placed the sharp needle into the area of his back where Starlight hit him with her magic. At first it seemed like it was nothing unusual, then the needle twisted.

"What are you doing?" he cried out, glaring at the nurse pony. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Maybe," replied the nurse pony, her eyes suddenly flashing brightly. "But, it would be too easy for what you did to my friends."

Hopper's eyes widened upon hearing this and realized that this pony was not all that she seemed to be. Before Hopper could say another word, the nurse pony transformed from her current state and into Thorax, who was now seething with fury.

"Thorax," hissed Hopper, weakly. "You dare to show yourself to me, traitor? It is because of you that our way of life has come to an end. Had you not interfered…"

"SILENCE!" cried Thorax, holding Hopper in a magical grip caused by his horns. "Do you even realize or understand what you and your brother have done? Six ponies are dead because of you both."

"Do you think that matters to me?" remarked Hopper, sarcastically to his new leader. "Nothing more than collateral damage as long as those friends of yours are dead!"

This made Thorax even more cross and angry, but he tried desperately to keep his emotions in check. As much as he wanted to kill Hopper right here and now, it would be against his character and everything he stood for.

"My friends are still alive, Hopper," Thorax said sternly. "You've failed at your task, Hopper. Both you and your brother and now, you will soon be begging for mercy when you are tried for your crimes."

To show how angry he was, Thorax tightened his magical grip further on Hopper, almost to a point that Hopper could feel his bones cracking. Nevertheless, while his body was being harmed, his mind was not.

"Oh no, I won't be begging for mercy," laughed Hopper, before turning defiant and angry. "I can see that you have fear of killing me right now, because you are a weak and pathetic Changeling that would never hurt another for the glory of our kingdom. We need to survive by trampling on the rights of ponies and thanks to you, that's all for nothing now because of you!"

"I wouldn't have even wanted to be a part of some sick and twisted plot!" snapped Thorax, throwing Hopper back down onto the bed. "And that will never come to fruition for you, Hopper! For your judgment day is coming and I assure you, you will suffer the consequences of your actions just like General Kuwaga!"

"In case you forgot, traitor," retorted Hopper, who suddenly felt pain all throughout his body. "Our supreme General Kuwaga took the easy way out to avoid the humiliation of being executed by these friends of yours! I aim to take the same route if necessary."

Exasperated by this, Thorax turned his back on Kuwaga and started to make his way towards the door.

"You will never be the leader that our devoted Queen was," cried Hopper, his voice in pain but in defiance. "One day, our leader will return and she will drain all the love out of your precious body and then, retake her rightful place!"

But Thorax didn't listen anymore, he was exhausted at Hopper's tirades and knew that there was a justice system in Equestria that would deal with Hopper.

"My friends will decide what happens to you, Hopper," said Thorax in a low voice. "Don't let me stop your great self-destruction. Die if you want to, you misguided martyr. I wash my hooves of your demolition, so die if you want to, you guilty puppet."

Insulted, Hopper snarled as Thorax assumed his disguise of the nurse pony and left the captured Changeling alone his room. As much as he wanted to kill him right then and there deep down, Thorax was a Changeling who didn't believe in violence solving any problems.

"Killing Hopper would be too easy," he thought to himself as he walked away from Hopper's room. "If he's lucky, he'll be executed after the trial. If not, he will watch his pathetic life rot away in the mirror of a prison cell in Tartarus."

…

Back at Canterlot Hospital, Discord had been fully sedated by the doctors with his thoughts still on the well-being of Fluttershy.

"He shouldn't have gotten out of bed," remarked a doctor pony to Starlight and Sunset. "It's going to take even longer for him to be able to start his recovery process."

"Why not just move him into Fluttershy's room?" suggested Sunset, getting herself a bright idea. "It would certainly make it easier for both of them if necessary."

"I agree with Sunset," added Starlight. "You know he's going to keep wanting to be by her side, doctor."

The doctor considered the matter and then turned around to face Starlight and Sunset.

"Although it is against my better judgment," he said. "I can move him in with Fluttershy if it is going to make everypony feel better."

"Plus, it will give Trixie some much needed space to recover," remarked Starlight, who was holding Trixie's hoof.

"Indeed," muttered the doctor as he left to summon several nurses to haul Discord away. "Indeed."

A few moments later, several nurses came into the room and took Discord away to Fluttershy's hospital room. Now, Starlight, Sunset and Moon Dancer were alone with Trixie, who was still in her coma.

"Trixie, if you can hear me," whispered Starlight, clutching Trixie's hoof into her own. "I know you can fight this, just hang in there."

Soon, Sunset and Moon Dancer joined Starlight in clutching Trixie's hoof tightly. For they were not going to leave her side until she was fully awake from her medically induced coma.

…

At that moment, Instant Justice was just about to walk in and see his son when he was stopped by a guardspony.

"Thorax paid a visit to the Changeling that was captured," whispered the guard. "Apparently, intelligence says that Thorax had the one known as Hopper in a magically induced grip. What do we do?"

"Make his upcoming trial as quickly run as possible," answered Instant Justice. "I want his trial to set an example to all enemies of Equestria that actions such as what happened in Manehattan will not be tolerated in any way. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," answered the guard, saluting Instant Justice before leaving him alone to visit with his son…