Celestia hated hospitals and doctors’ offices. True, she loved them for the work they did, healing the sick and injured. But she was an Immortal, Magic solidified into a solid consciousness. She did not get ‘sick’, and if she were injured enough to need a hospital, well, let’s just say that there would be bigger problems to worry about.
Celestia hated hospitals and doctors’ offices. Because if she was in one, it meant that a part of her family was being ripped away from her too early.
She hurried down the too white, too bright, halls. She longed to run, to fly, but she is still their Princess, and must not let them see her worried. Even if she could, the halls were too small for somepony her size to fly. Still, she went as fast as she could, not waiting for a Guard Escort after hearing the news.
As she came closer, she heard two ponies arguing. One had the calmness of a doctor or nurse, but the other was scared and desperate.
“Please, you don’t have to let me in,” the scared one begged. “Just tell me what’s happening!”
Celestia rounded the corner into a, thankfully empty, waiting room, and saw the ponies. The one was definitely a nurse, since he had the uniform. The other was one of her Guard, though his helmet was tossed somewhere, letting her see a stallion probably no more than seventeen, with a white coat and several blues in his mane. There was only one Guard who would still be white and blue without the armor’s Galmour.
“Sir, please, I can’t-“ the Nurse stopped when he looked over his head. “P-Princess Celestia!”
The nurse bowed his head. The Guard whirled around to stand at attention, only now seeming to notice his missing helmet.
“Nurse,” Celestia addressed, “It would be helpful if you could please fetch someone who can tell me what’s going on.”
“But he-“ the Nurse began glancing to the Guard.
“It’s alright,” she said. “I’ll talk to him. Please hurry.”
With that, the Nurse nodded and swiftly walked through the doors. The Guard did not relax his stance.
“I’m not surprised to see you here, Shining Armor,” she said. “Though I am sure your superior officer will find a stray helmet somewhere in the palace.”
“Yes, Princess,” he replied shortly.
“You ran over as soon as you heard, didn’t you?” she asked.
“Teleported,” he said.
“I’ll explain the situation to Captain Fortress,” she sighed. “After all, your relationship isn’t exactly known to the public yet.”
“Y-you know about that?” he asked, his stance relaxing slightly.
“Cadence has told me,” she nodded. “She kept it to just the family, because we know what it’s like to have reporters hounding even rumored lovers.”
He only gave a nervous chuckle.
“When I talk to Fortress,” Celestia continued. “I’m telling her that you’re taking the rest of today and the next few off. Don’t try to argue. No matter the outcome, you’ll need it.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Shining nodded.
“You are off duty,” she reminded. “There is no need to add my title after each sentence. Though should anyone else ask, you are the Guard escorting me. They won’t ask you to leave.”
“Thank you again,” he said. “Do you have any idea what happened?”
“No,” she replied. “I stopped hearing the Guard after he said ‘accident’ and ‘hospital’. I’ll have to apologize to him for jumping off the balcony to fly here. How did you find out?”
“Gleaming Lance,” he answered. “He’s one of the few who know about us. He was nearby when it happened. I don’t think he was on the scene, but he was close enough.”
“Ah,” she sighed, remembering the name ‘Gleaming Lance’.
They did not have time to talk more, as a doctor walked out to them. She was a Unicorn, and she looked tired. It wasn’t a tired from a lack of sleep. No, this mare had used all of her magic. She knew what that meant. This doctor was using Healing Spells. That wasn’t a good sign.
“Princess,” the doctor bowed, stumbling slightly.
“You may sit if you need to,” Celestia said. “Just please, tell us what happened.”
“Thank you,” she said, sitting in one of the many chairs. “From what I’ve been told from the ambulance crew, the three were in a carriage when is slipped on the icy roads.”
“Oh stars,” Shining barely whispered.
“The only ones hurt were the three and the driver,” she said. “The driver was lucky. His harness broke and flung him away, leaving him with only a few broken bones and a concussion. The three inside were- stars, do you want everything, or a summary?”
“Everything would be best,” Celestia said, with a glance for Shining’s approval. “At two thousand, I think I can handle this.”
“If you’re sure,” the doctor said. “The carriage flipped and rolled, breaking itself and the ponies inside. Princess Philharmonca was dead before the ambulance arrived, a broken hunk of wood through the chest.”
Celestia heard Shining’s breath catch. She was sure her own had as well, but she had two thousand years to practice keeping a handle on things.
“Both Prince Dancing Light and Princess Cadence were close behind,” she said. “Breaks, bruises, cuts, and another piece of wood in Cadence’s side. Cadence has been unconscious, but Dancing is going inbetween awake and not.”
Shouldn’t he be asleep for surgery?” she asked.
“He keeps refusing,” she said, shaking her head. “The Unicorn from the Ambulance said he refused the Healing Spell, telling him to use it on Cadence instead. He’s told every Unicorn Doctor that tries to heal him to put Cadence first. Normally, I would have told him to shut it so we could save both of them, but-“
“He ordered you as Prince, didn’t he?” she asked, though it wasn’t really a question.
“He did,” the doctor nodded. “We’ve told him that Cadence is stable enough to have normal doctors, but he keeps refusing. Even if he wasn’t, we used up as much magic as we could on Cadence.”
“Stars, he’s an idiot,” She said, swallowing the need to sob.
“Princess?” the doctor asked.
“I-I override his refusal,” she said, calling up her authority. “It may be too late, but do what you can.”
“I-If you need more magic, I’m willing to offer,” Shining said, though his voice shook.
“Shining are you sure?” Celestia asked.
“As much as you need,” he said.
“Alright,” she agreed. “Take some of mine as well.”
“Princess, you shouldn’t-“ the doctor began.
“I will give what I can,” she reaffirmed. “Just do it quickly.”
“Alright,” she said.
All three horns began glowing. Celestia knew that while she was an Immortal being made of Magic, she could only transfer so much to a Unicorn without overloading her, especially as Shining was giving a lot as well.
She caught Shining as his horn flickered out. She barely had to remind the doctor to hurry, as the magic nearly overloading her reminded her enough. Setting Shining in a chair to recover a bit, she began pacing.
She wanted to be in there. She knew she was not all-powerful, she knew that even she had limits on what she could use. If she used her magic to save everyone she’d ever wanted to save, she would have burnt out centuries ago. Even if she could save everyone from the brink of death, two thousand years had shown her that it was never permanent. Death was a part of life. She’d accepted that nineteen hundred years ago. She can’t save everyone. Stars, she can’t save her family from themselves, how could she ever save someone from death?
She wasn’t sure how long it was before someone came back to them. It was long enough for Shining to recover enough to pace back and forth with her. They sent the same doctor, maybe to give a familiar face. Still, her expression said enough.
“I-I’m sorry, Princess,” the doctor said. “Even with what you two gave, Prince Dancing Light is gone.”
Celestia closed her eyes and turned her head, barely managing to keep hold. Shining was not as good at that, letting out a strangled sob.
“And Cadence?” Celestia asked.
“Stable, but asleep for now,” the doctor said. “Even with the healing spells, she’ll have to be here a while. But once she wakes up I can let visitors in. Usually it’s only immediate family, but-“
She didn’t have to say anything more. Shining managed to pull himself together a bit. At least enough to not be a complete mess.
“Prince Dancing Light said a few things, before he died,” the doctor said. “He seemed pretty coherent for the most part. He wanted to give a goodbye to his daughter, but I’ll have to wait until she’s awake.”
“What did he say?” Celestia asked.
Instead of answering, the doctor turned to Shining.
“You are Shining Armor, correct?” the doctor asked. “I heard the Princess call you ‘Shining’ when I was here earlier.”
“Yeah,” Shining nodded, trembling in what could happen.
“He said ‘Take care of Cadence for me’,” she said. “It doesn’t take a doctorate to guess what he meant by that, but don’t worry, I’m not the type to alert the media.”
It was almost a joke. Not enough to laugh, but enough to acknowledge the kindness in it.
“For Princess Celestia,” the doctor continued, turning toward her. “He said ‘They forgive you, and they forgive their family’. I don’t know what that means.”
“I do,” Celestia said, her resolve fading quick. “I’m sure you have other patients to attend to.”
“Call one of us if you need anything,” she said. “Even if it’s a need to talk.”
“Thank you,” she said.
The doctor was barely out the door when Celestia let her tears fall. She would not wail and sob here. No, that was for later, alone with a soundproofing spell.
“You’re allowed to cry,” Shining said, not stopping his own tears.
“Many a pony think I’m not,” she said.
It was only a half joke. She was their Princess. She needed to be strong, even if she knew that it would all come crashing down in just a few years.
“You’re still a pony,” Shining insisted. “I don’t know what that message for you meant, but if you want to cry, you can.”
She could feel the ‘mask’ cracking as he talked. In a sense, she wasn’t exactly a pony. But she was still a being with feelings, who makes mistakes. She’s a pony, and she isn’t perfect. She was not the goddess some ponies thought she was. Maybe if she remembered that more often, she wouldn’t make as many mistakes.
Celestia allowed a sob to choke out. Shining wasn’t the best at comfort, but he knew some of what she was feeling. Every time she tried to pull herself together, he reminded her that she was allowed to feel. She was allowed to say goodbye.
Author's Note
This might've been some kind of venting. IDK.