Black Sun

As the night dragged on, the full extent of the damage caused by Tantabus' raid became painfully clear. Roughly a thousand ponies had remained trapped in Ponyville during the attack, though many of them had remained safe due to the fighting being largely restricted to the east and south sides of town. Although there were also a lot of ponies injured by debris or the general panic, the majority were walking wounded with only light injuries. The medical teams that had arrived in the aftermath set up a treatment center at Sweet Apple Acres due to it being undamaged in the attack, working on as many ponies as they could. Ponyville Hospital had also been lucky enough to not take any stray hits or be caught up in the fires. It was now being utilised for the more serious injuries, ranging from stitches to emergency surgery. Those involved knew that their work would continue until the daylight hours. A number of medical staff had been with the first wave of evacuations, putting extra pressure on those that remained. In addition, every passing hour was seeing more ponies found or recovered from the wreckage and the longer they were left, the worse their chances.

Rainbow Dash chewed her lip lightly as she ran through all this in her head. It was nearly half past one in the morning and she had been constantly moving for hours, constantly switching between supporting Scootaloo and providing whatever help she could elsewhere. She'd finally been given a few minutes for a much needed breather and had settled down in a waiting room so as not to be in the way. She didn't feel like just sitting and waiting, or checking through the usual slew of magazines. Instead she sat by one of the windows and looked out at what little view there was, wings twitching almost constantly.

Ponyville lay in near total darkness beyond. All but the smallest pockets of fire had been extinguished and most of the smoke had been cleared away by now, leaving only broken buildings in view. Occasionally a pegasus would be illuminated against the stars or the light of a unicorn's horn would be visible, the only signs of life in the desolation. Although the fighting had been in only one area, Tantabus' magic had been unrestrained and collateral damage had likely been spread even beyond Ponyville's boundaries. Even now she could see a pair of ponies rushing toward the hospital, another unconscious body carried between them. She looked down and flexed her wings until the mechanisms whined in strain before bringing them back in. She knew that everypony had done more than everything possible to protect the innocent, but it didn't make it any easier to know that that just wouldn't be enough to help everypony.

Rainbow turned and walked out of the waiting room, unable to keep looking at the damage. It reminded her too much of herself right now. As she moved back into the main hospital, the atmosphere quickly shifted from reserved quiet to chaotic din. Just about every available station in the hospital was still in use due to such severe injuries taking time to work on. She could go anywhere and find herself needed. As it was, she headed to the nearest treatment room and found a indigo unicorn mare working on a light blue pegasus stallion. His left wing was burned and a line of similar burns ran up his shoulder and stopping just beside his left eye, as well as scuffs and bruises down his neck and chest that indicated a crash landing. Rainbow recognised him quickly, the son of a pair of Wonderbolts she had flown with back when the squadron had first been integrated into the Sky Wing.

"Contrail?" She said as she stepped in. The stallion looked up at her voice and managed to supress his pained writhing. He was only seventeen though and his eyes failed to mask the fear he was feeling. He was clearly trying to put a brave face on the situation.

"Rainbow Dash?" He replied through gritted teeth. Despite everything, he managed to get himself under control and let the doctor continue working. "I-I can't believe I'm actually meeting you. Mom and dad always spoke so highly of you."

"Well, Sky and Vapor always said I was the best they'd ever flown with. Even though they were both good enough to be Wonderbolts too," Rainbow stepped in fully and moved next to Contrail, keeping him focused on her and not the pain. "So, what happened to you?"

"I...I don't know," Contrail winced slightly as he was worked on, doing his best to keep his voice level. "We were moving ponies toward town for the evacuation, then Swift Spark called something about an incoming and we were ordered to regroup. Next thing I know I'm flying out of control through a storm of magic, my wing was hit and then..."

"It's okay. Nopony knew that Black Sun would be coming from that direction." Rainbow told him gently.

Contrail stared up at the ceiling as he processed this. Black sun was Tantabus' code word within the EDF, used to keep ponies from finding out what they were really facing. Only a hoofful of those within the army knew the truth of her identity. A few moments a flash of alarm crossed his face and he clutched at Rainbow's front leg.

"You've been out there right? Have you heard anything about Tempest Shadow? She was still breathing when the medics arrived, I saw it!"

"Stay calm kid, you're gonna hurt yourself more," Rainbow placed a hoof on his good shoulder, holding it until he fully lay down again. The nurse gave her a quick nod of thanks before continuing working. "Far as I know, Tempest is still in surgery. She was in worse shape than you but it's looking like she's gonna make it."

"Oh thank Celestia. I thought I was the only one who'd gotten lucky."

"I'll see if we can get you talking to her when she wakes up, okay? For now, just focus on getting yourself better. I'd hate to see you lose your potential because you injured yourself after the action was done."

"O-okay...Thank you, Captain." Contrail sounded more relaxed as he lay back down, focusing on his breathing as the nurse kept working.

"Dash is fine." Rainbow told him with a smile as she left. As soon as she was out of sight, she stopped and grimaced to herself. Tempest had come out of surgery an hour ago, but Contrail had been the only lucky one. She simply hadn't had the heart to tell him what the surgeons had needed to do to save Tempest's life. What she had needed to sacrifice.

As she moved back through the hospital, her heart sank again at the sights in every hallway. Ponies with varying severities of injuries seemed to be sat or stood everywhere she looked. Taking in what had happened to them, supporting or being comforted by loved ones, or trying to find the same. Even as she kept walking, she was passed by a red unicorn mare, looking at everypony in sight franticly. Out of nowhere she suddenly turned and gripped Rainbow's shoulders, shaking slightly as she stared into her eyes.

"Please tell me you've seen my husband!" She whimpered, shaking even more. Rainbow noticed out of the corner of her eye that her hind right leg was cast up and in a splint. "Teal pegasus, bushy white mane, goes by Troposphere. They told me he was brought here!"

"I-I'm sorry, I haven't." Rainbow told her, ears folding back as she watched the mare take off again as quick as she could with a crippled leg.

She wanted to help look, but she wouldn't even know where to start. The hospital was already starting to become close to capacity. She kept moving, wings twitching sadly as she looked for somewhere where she could be of further help. As she passed by the next surgery room her ears perked at the sound of familiar voices inside.

"Are you sure this is really necessary?" Spike was saying, the fact he sounded so calm catching a bit more of the pegasus' attention.

"We all know how much ya hate the doctor at the best of times an' there ain't no anaesthetic in Equestria strong enough to keep you down," Applejack's voice followed up. "Now hush up, drake, and let Fluttershy concentrate."

Between having her curiosity piqued and a chance to distract herself by helping more, Rainbow had stepped inside before she'd even thought about it. Spike was lying on his front on the surgical table with a bored expression on his face. Applejack was keeping his neck and hands pinned down, Big Mac doing the same for his feet. The reason why was painfully evident. Fluttershy was examining a three-inch wide metal pole that had been impaled into the back of his left shoulder, cracking the scales around it and sticking out roughly half a foot. At a guess, an unfortunate consequence of his efforts to defend Twilight from Tantabus.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, perfect," Fluttershy said once she saw who had come in. "I need disinfectant, strong painkillers, scalpels, hot water, towels and a bonesaw."

"Err, a what?" Spike asked nervously as Rainbow dashed around the room, picking up everything needed.

"It'll be easier to work if I can remove some of the pole first. I'm cutting this out around some pretty sensitive muscles and I can't afford to get it wrong."

"Oh dear." Spike said quietly as he gripped the table, Applejack and Mac both increasing their hold to keep him from squirming.

"Ah ease up, could've been a lot worse." Mac told him, remaining unusually focused on what he was doing. AJ looked over at him sadly for a few moments before focusing on her part as well.

"Worth it for Twi's sake." Spike replied, more to himself than anything.

Fluttershy looked down at him thoughtfully but didn't say anything. Her attention was drawn away as Rainbow Dash arrived at her side, placing down everything she'd gathered on a trolley by the table.

"Need anything else?" Rainbow asked, double checking everything was there.

"We should be alright for now," Fluttershy told her gently, preparing what she needed. "I offered to do this since I'm more familiar with non-pony anatomy, and the doctors really needed a break."

"Yeah, we all do," Applejack admitted.

"Okay. I'll see if anypony else needs help right now. Call for me if you need me." Rainbow told them as she cleaned her hooves off before heading out. The last thing ponies needed right now was her tracking something nasty she might have touched through the rest of the hospital.

As she kept walking, her thoughts drifted back to the events of earlier for what felt like the thousandth time. So many ponies she knew had suffered and died tonight, for a battle none of them understood. Some of her closest friends included. As soon as she had arrived at the hospital earlier, her first action had been to attempt to see Pinkie Pie. Instead she had been met by closed doors as the surgeons on duty at the time had battled to save her friend's life. Apple Bloom had been there before her, and every time she had passed that spot since, waiting alone. How many other ponies were going through the same as her and the unicorn from earlier, not knowing if they would ever see their nearest and dearest, or even just their friends, ever again?

Despite her concerns, the further she went the less it seemed ponies needed her support right now. The doctors, medics and volunteers currently working seemed to have a handle on the situation and she had steadily drifted toward the recovery wards where everypony was either recovering from treatment or had found somepony else to support them. Although many of them were still in rough shape, the fact that they were still standing strong was enough for her to breathe a little easier. There was one pony she still wasn't sure she could say that about though: Twilight. She hadn't seen her since breaking off to comfort Scootaloo back in town. All she knew was that she had been treated for relatively light injuries and exhaustion earlier.

As Rainbow entered the recovery wards, her ears twitched at the sound of somepony breaking down in tears nearby. She quickly followed them into a side hallway to the sight of Quick Fix, curled up on a chair and clutching his tail in his hooves. Peace Walker was sat next to him, hoof on his head as she watched with concern. It was clear even at a glance that he was deep in the throes of a breakdown and Rainbow could easily guess why. She slowly walked over and watched, seeing his whole body shudder as he choked back another round of tears.

"What happened?" She asked as she approached. Asking if he was okay would just be insulting.

"The same thing that's happened to all of us." Peace told her quietly, rubbing Quick's head gently.

"I told her I'd save her," Quick whimpered, lifting his head slightly to take in Rainbow's presence through bloodshot eyes. "There was still light in her eyes...The filly wasn't breathing though. I-I had to try with her, I had time to help the mare after. By the time I'd stabilized her though...I could have done more, I know I could!"

"You were an untrained medic being thrown into the worst situation imaginable," Peace told him, her voice becoming surprisingly soft. "The fact you saved somepony's life shows how much you'd learned on your own, how capable you were."

"Or that I was an idiot with ideas out of my league," He replied quickly, burying his face in his tail again. "I couldn't save that mare. I couldn't save my home or, or Jacob...I had to mess up their searches by being brought here..."

"Maybe we should have someone take a look at you." Rainbow suggested. To her surprise, Quick glared at her.

"I'm not injured, and the doctors have far higher priorities than me. Seriously guys, I can fucking deal with this!" He snapped, though his voice was shaking more with every word.

Rainbow frowned slightly at that. While the part about priorities was not strictly untrue, she also knew the early signs of psychological trauma when she saw them. Something like that was beyond her ability though, so she discreetly signalled to Peace to find somepony he could talk to as soon as she could. She gave a small, solemn nod in reply and kept supporting Quick while Rainbow moved on.

The actual atmosphere in the recovery wards, while still agitated, was far more relaxed. Ponies that didn't have friends or family with them had come together for support and others were doing their best to comfort the most shaken. The sounds of guitar music and singing drifted through the halls, coming from a rec room partway through. Sweetie Belle and Deep Note had set up an area inside for fillies and colts that hadn't been able to reunite with their parents yet and were putting their musical talents to use, giving them something to focus on other than the disaster that had unfolded around them. The thought, and the music, brought a small smile to Dash's face as she kept moving. Even in the bleakest of moments, there was always somepony finding some small spark. Finding ways to help others keep going on.

There didn't seem to be anypony needing help in this area. Just as she was getting ready to move on she passed by a waiting room with the lights extinguished. That was odd, there weren't any power problems in the hospital and she could swear she could see something moving inside. She stepped inside and flipped the lights on with a wing, freezing as she saw who it was. The figure inside was Twilight, pacing slightly in front of a window. Her left cheek had been covered in a gauze patch and her right shoulder was bandaged up while the marks across the rest of her body sported the signs of applied healing magic. It seemed her body was more durable than the local architecture.

"Twilight...?" Rainbow said as she stepped inside, realising her friend wasn't taking her eyes off the view of Ponyville outside. It felt eerily similar to her own movements earlier. "How're you doing?"

"Aura..." Twilight replied, not looking back. Rainbow stopped and looked at her in confusion.

"Wha-"

"Spring Spirit," Twilight continued flatly. "Night Shade. Ice Crasher. Canter Zoom. Indigo Zap. Troposphere. Swift Spark. Phalanx. Strawberry Sunrise. Light Trick. Quillstroke. Sea Swirl. Firelock. Chain Link. Cheerilee. Silverflanks. Cozy Glow. Two Step. Derpy. Archer. Greengrass. None of them are going to see the dawn...Because of me."

Rainbow's heart sank as she realised what she was talking about. Still, right now her friend needed support more than anything. She stepped forward and waited until Twilight stopped to put a wing around her, watching as she took a moment to register it.

"Because of Tantabus," She told her firmly, placing a hoof on the alicorn's good shoulder. "Because of you, that list is many times shorter than it would have been."

"And the ones who've had their lives changes by their injuries, or might not wake up at all," Twilight just kept staring forward, sounding like she hadn't heard her. "Diamond Tiara. Contrail. Silverspeed. Tempest Shadow. Octavia. Pinkie Pie...Those are just the ponies I know about...I can't let this happen again."

Rainbow looked over at Twilight and shifted a little closer to her. She'd seen this before, supressed but fixated despair. It just meant she and the others would have to step up their game and find a safe outlet for it, before Twilight did something she'd regret.

"We estimate roughly eighty-seven percent of Ponyville's inhabitants were able to avoid the fighting. Unfortunately, at least two hundred civilians have been killed or seriously injured so far. The second emergency unit suffered a fifteen percent casualty rate and the sixth support unit has been rendered combat ineffective. SAR is still underway and a final tally of damage and casualties will be conducted at dawn."

Princess Luna nodded as she took in Aurora's report. Princess Celestia had been doing her best to keep directing support toward Ponyville in the aftermath of the attack, but she was less used to the night than her sister and had since drifted into a fitful sleep. Luna had taken up her authority as EDF Supreme Commander to direct further rescue efforts for Ponyville in the meantime. Despite her weakness from being without Tantabus, she felt more like her old self when doing her part to help.

"Nothing else can be deployed at this hour, but I shall send word for the ninth and fourteenth protector units to be sent to Ponyville in the morning. Their strength will be needed for immediate repairs and aid." She replied, looking down in thought.

"There's also the matter of Twilight," Aurora added, suddenly very interested in the remaining stained glass windows of the throne room. "I know she wanted to make sure everypony made it out of this, but that just wasn't going to be possible under the circumstances. Based on what mom was willing to tell me about what happened after the Starlight incident, I think she's going to do something drastic to try and stop Tantabus before anypony else gets hurt. We have to bring her round before that."

Luna nodded, memories of dozens of sleepless days returning to the surface, all spent attempting to help Twilight through her depression. There was a very real possibly of that happening again, or worse. Before she could think of a response though, the doors of the throne room were thrown open and a light blue, pink maned pegasus mare wearing the sash of the EDF Logistics unit rushed in. Both Luna and Aurora turned to the newcomer while Celestia awoke with a start, quickly trying to shift to a more dignified position on her throne.

"Officer Whistler?" Luna said as the mare approached, her tone hinting she didn't appreciate the interruption.

"Apologies, your highnesses," Wind Whistler replied as she stopped and dropped into a bow before the three ponies. "But EDF Command has received a critical message from the Crystal Guards!"

Aurora looked aghast, having a painfully good idea of what he was about to hear. Whistler's words only confirmed it.

"The Crystal Empire is under attack as we speak. Target confirmed as ID 'Black Sun'."