The Equestrian Monomyth - Book 2 - Complexs of Disharmony

After my 'fight to the death' with my marefriend, which ended with both of us cuddling, -and several but luckily unsuccesful attempts to leave me sterile-, we arranged to come back to Canterlot, planning to make a short stop in Ponyville first, of course. As Rainbow Dash was still unable to fly, and Storm Chaser wasn't even able to move, Twilight and I are pulling the balloon with just our combined clouds, and we're traveling back taking our time to enjoy the ride, anyway.

Twilight, however, had a somber face all the way, so I couldn't help but ask her:

"Love, what's happening to you? We won! We successfully completed our mission! Why're you so sad?"

She doesn't answered at first, but after some attempts more, she finally confessed: "Damnation, Luna defeated me so easily..."

I laughed. "That's all? Love, I don't see any problem with that! I'm here, remember?" I joyfully pointed myself with my thumb.

"That's exactly the problem! I've trained so hard! It's not fair! Why can't I become as strong as you?! Why can't I get to your level?!" She angrily complained. "I always have to rely on you for all the hard battles! What if someday you get heavily wounded again?! I won't be able to protect youuuu!" She cried, upset. "I gonna have another... you know. I don't want to recall that." She sobbed.

"Yeah. A heart attack..." I mimicked a death stertor, with my tongue out, trying to change the focus of her attention.

"I've told you that I don't want to recall that!" She angrily protested, and I cackled. She looked at me with a frowned smile: "Stop teasing me!" Then she facehoofed "No, wait. I think it was like this." She turned loinside and stiffed her legs straight up and put her tongue out too, playing dead. But she couldn't stay too much in that position without start chuckling: "This is so stupid!" And we both laughed our lungs off. Seems that I succeed.

Then, she jumped to hugging and kissing me, but I covered my crotch, just in case.

Once we had cuddled enough, she asked me in a whisper, very seriously: "Love, are you sure that we can trust her?"

The smile dissapeared from my face, and I looked Luna, who was apparently in deep sleep, along with the other three ponies, in the balloon's basket. "Yeah." I nodded.

Twilight shrugged an eye: "'Yeah'? But 'Yeah' like what? 'Yeah,' she's trying to take you from me too? Or 'Yeah', she'll kill us at the very first chance she has?"

"Damn it, love. I think you're a bit paranoid with this."

"Do you think so? Just look the facts: She betrayed and tried to kill her sister, not once but twice. She allied with that fatso false friend of yours, tried to take over Equestria, tried to execute Fluttershy, killed two guards to escape, and now tried to kill us again... Should I continue the list?" She pointed with a foreleg.

"What's your point, love? What do you want to do... with her?"

"I don't know. I just don't trust her. Alright? So, we'll better keep an eye on her." She hugged me even tighter, and sink her head in my shoulder.

She has a point. So, I think I'll better have a conversation with the former bitch...

Suddenly, my thoughts was interrupted by a strange sky event: It was a tilting sequence of sparks, on the direction of Ponyville. I warned everypony, and cast a perception enhancing spell, coming to see that it looked like a firework display or something, and also a huge Gryphoon platoon taking the air in that direction too. What the..?!

As it was pointless to take Rainbow Dash or Storm Chaser there, we left them in the balloon's basket, along with Shining Armor, who strongly protested, unwilling to be left behind, but somepony had to take care of the wounded. Then, after leaving my pistol to Dashie, as she had some expertise in shooting, Twilight, Luna and me fastly flown to the battle-like mayhem...

With a swift magic casting, Twilight managed to save Trixie just before Daybreaker severed her head.

"What the claw?!" The alicorn cursed, looking to us.

We were perplexed: Two Celestias?! Well, at least we know which the mean one is. At that very moment, the Gryphoon platoon arrived as well:

"Wings, Celestia is down! This is our chance! Attack!" The commander ordered.

"Guards, protect our liege!" Ordered the pony sergeant, and the pegasi guards took the air to battle the gryphoons!

Daybreaker looked to Celestia: She'll better take the spell first, so she could take care of the unwanted newcomers with advantage. So, she teleported at her side, and lightened her horn over Celestia's head, to absorb her magical wisdom, as the poison had a mind-breaker side effect too:

"Tell me the sun raising spell!" She ordered to the dizzy Princess.

But she couldn't take her prize, as she had to teleport to avoid a dark blue beam from Luna, who went forward Twilight and me, because we were taking a bit of time to aim, to not to hit Celestia by accident.

"Step away from my sister!" She yelled and rushed with her flaming sword to attack Daybreaker. I told my marefriend: "Take care of Celestia!" and rushed to attack Daybreaker. But this alicorn can defend herself for the front and for behind at the same time! And she was not only fast, but strong as hell! Everytime she hits my magic shield with her pointed tail, it was like an elephant's trunk had stroke me!

Luna wasn't having it easier, as every time her flaming sword clashed with Daybreaker's ones, her sword ended cut in two or three! This alicorn is a beast! And for making everything even worst, she doesn't stop moving, making me unable to hit her with my Hadou-kens, as I figured out that punching or kicking her armored flank probably won't make too much damage to her.

It would be better if I was in the front, to take a clear shot when she got to approach me in an onrush or something!

I was on that plannings, when she surprised me by actually piercing my magic shield with her kunai! It's sharp edge ended just mere milimeters from my eyes!

"Come over here!" She exclaimed, and she dragged me to her, and hit my shield with her hinder legs! God! It was like being hit by a train!

I fell to the ground an rolled several times before I could recover myself, putting my hand in my sore ribs, panting. Jesus Christ! She left me breathless!

And it was all it tooks. Just some seconds off combat, and Luna had her belly pierced from front to back by Daybreaker's enlarged horn. I only had time to teleport her out from Daybreaker's swords reach, so she couldn't slice her in a thousand pieces, minding the countless times Daybreaker swung her swords over her horn, before realizing that Luna wasn't there anymore.

I tried to reach Luna to heal her, but Daybreaker, now free to gather all her attention to me, started to relentlessly attack me, not giving me a second of respite, dragging me away from Luna, trying to pierce me with her horn as well.

While all that was happening, Twilight had already managed to get Celestia back into her senses:

"Your Highness! Are you alright?!"

Celestia looked at her with tired eyes: "Yes, I'm... Twilight, watch out!" She loudly warned.

Twilight looked up and around, realizing that three gryphoons were approaching them, from three different directions! Celestia opened her eyes and muzzle, frightened: This was the end! There was no way that Twilight could repel the three of them on time!

But Twilight proved otherwise. She raised a foreleg and a hinderleg, and shoot a purple beam from each hoof and horn, taking down the three gryphoons at the same time! Another one, picking up a wounded pegasi guard, tried to use her as a hostage, but Twilight teleported a book in his claw, disabling him from hurting the pony, and then she tossed another book directly to the gryphoon's eye, making him to release his prey and to roll around with a long and loud crow's shriek!

Yet another gryphoon, diving from higher in the sky at a ludicrous speed, was coming trying to get her in a kamikaze-like attack, but Twilight, levitating a spear and using it as a baseball bat, made the first equestrian homerun using a gryphoon as a ball!

"Don't worry, Your Highness! I'll protect you with my life!" She exclaimed.

Celestia was astounded: Heavens, Twilight was so amazing! She was so smart, so strong, so brave and resourceful! She has all the traits that a true leader needs! Celestia smiled: Twilight had trained so hard this past six months, trying to put herself at the monkey's level, and she had witnessed how her faithful student had progressed so much in so little time! She would made such a wonderful princess!

When all the gryphoonic menace was over, Twilight happened to see me, still struggling with Daybreaker.

"My love, don't worry! I'm coming!" She cleaned the sweat from her forehead and mounted in a cloud to aid me in the extremely hard battle.

Celestia then happened to watch her badly injured sister, lying loinside in the ground, with her forelegs bent over her chest:

"Little sister! NOOOOO!" She cried, and crawled to reach her.

Daybreaker, despite her lessen sighting, quickly spotted Twilight, and started to attack her with her speed demon tail attack. A cold wave went through all my body, as I imagined my marefriend pierced as a sieve. But, fortunately, as I had sent her to attend Celestia first, she had chance to watch Daybreaker's attack pattern, and being the smart pony she is, she quickly came with a counterstrike:

Twilight condensed a big ice block over her, which she used to block Daybreaker's poisoned kunai, and when it had shattered it enough, she used the ice shards to cover Daybreaker's tail, freezing it and anchoring the alicorn in place, stuck to a small iceberg!

That give me enough respite to back off and cast my Life-Force Powered Dispel Sword, and attack the alicorn. After the fourth or fifth clash, she discovered that I was weakening her, and stopped attacking with the swords, and started to shot me with light beams from her horn instead. Suddenly, she stopped short and looked up, as Twilight was floating over her in another flying cloud, lightening her horn and her four hooves at once, getting ready to launch a Fivefold magic attack on her!

Without hesitation, Daybreaker used her sword to cut her own tail, and teleported just in time before getting hit. But she haven't her tail anymore. Well done, Purple Smart!

Celestia finally managed, with bleeding knees, to reach her agonizing sister:

"Please, don't die, my little sister. Stay with me. Stay with me!" She tried the Life-Force healing spell, but she was still too weakened by the poison's effect, and she couldn't do it.

"What a change... of luck. Huh, sister?" Meekly commented Luna, with a smiling bleeding muzzle, and clearly showing pain in her talking.

"Please, little sister. Don't talk. Save your strenghts. The help is coming already. Don't talk, please." Celestia sobbed, with tearful eyes, raising her sister's head and gently putting it on her forelegs.

"Don't bother... sister. We both know... that this is the end of the road... for me..." Luna whispered.

"No, little sister, no please, don't give up, please. You're the most important pony to me. We are a team. Remember?" Celestia sobbed.

"Yeah... a team... " Luna's eyes rolled, momentarily losing her conciousness. "Sister... there is something... I have always wondered..."

"Yes, little sister?" Asked Celestia, with a soothing smile and voice.

"What did you give... in exchange of our... immortality? You never... told me..."

Celestia smiled again: "Sure I'll tell you. But only if you live."

Luna chuckled: "You and your.. dirty tricks... bucking... old... hag..." And she closed her eyes and stopped breathing.

"Luna? Luna?! LUNAAAAAAA!!" Cried Celestia, saddened to the core of her heart. Then, she cried in despair: "RASCAAAAAAL!! HURRY UP, PLEASEEEEE!!"

To that moment, Twilight and me had managed to stop Daybreaker's initial head-on. She was now heavily panting, alternatively looking each of Twilight and me with wariness, pointing us with her swords, pondering her next move. I was exahusted, and Twilight even more, heavily panting too, wobbling and all sweated, about to fell down from her cloud. This battle couldn't last much longer, or there will be no winners, only dead bodies.

Then, Daybreaker heared Celestia's plead, and smirked: "Give me the sun moving spell, and I'll let them heal your sister!"

"Alright! Alright! Rascal, Twilight, stop fighting at once!" Celestia ordered us, with trembling frightened voice.

Twilight and me looked each other, and she lit out her horn and hooves, and I dispelled my sword. Then, Daybreaker come closer to Celestia: "The spell, if you were so kind, please."

Celestia bent her head a bit, and, lighting her horn, gave the spell to Daybreaker. "There you are..."

"Thank you!" The evil clone mocked.

"Move out!" I told her, and she did. Then, I cast my healing spell on Luna, and her wound regenerated... and I was left exhausted as hell.

"Ohhh! But what we have here? Now, the happy family is going to die all together!" Mocked Daybreaker, twirling her swords. "Master Tarkhan was right: Feelings only weaken a warrior's heart!" And she raised her swords, to finish us all off.

But right when she sliced her swords against us, Luna stepped up and blocked her attack with her flaming sword: "No while there's still life in these bones..." She clenched her teeth.

Daybreaker smirked: "But what have this pony of stubbornness?! She has just died and now she wants to die again! What a bad wing I would be, if I don't please her. Do I?"

"I think you forgot something, horseshit."

Daybreaker's eye opened wide, and she quickly looked back, to see Pinkie standing in her hinderlegs, cleaning the small strand of blood on her muzzle with a foreleg. Then, she put both forelegs near her solar plexus: "Now I have you where I wanted to... Hadou-ken!"

And Daybreaker was launched faraway, but she recovered in mid-air, and, realizing that she was the only one left, as the rest of gryphoons had been defeated, she escaped flying.

"Come back here and fight, bucking coward!" Pinkie angrily screamed to the alicorn.

Luna gave us a last tired look, smiled, and passed out. And Celestia. And Twilight. And me...

"I can't believe this..." Complained Shining Armor. "They left me behind. What am I, a Royal Guard Captain, or a bucking nurse?"

"At least you're on hoof, unicorn. I was left behind like an useless garbage sack." Protested Storm Chaser.

"And me, the fastest and most awesome pony in Equestria, was left with the most pitiable stallions in the world!" Protested Rainbow Dash as well.

Both stallions angrily looked at her: "Shut up!" They said at the same time.

"I'm not shutting up! Shining Armor, how could you ask Pinkie to shot Gus again?! If you were so interested in Cadance, why haven't you tried to come back with her?"

"I've tried, but she keeps avoiding me! And she can fly and I can't!"

"Then learn to! Your sister did!"

Shining Armor didn't answered.

"Do you wanna know what do I really think? That you still believe that you're not worthy for her." Assured Rainbow Dash.

Shining Armor looked at her, perplexed.

"Yeah. Twilight told me the tale." Explained Rainbow Dash. "And I'm tired of watching you making Pinkie suffer. She's really into you. You know?"

Shining Armor lowered his head, doubtful.

"So, if you're the gentlecolt that you affirm you are, I suggest you to stop lying to Pinkie. That'll break her heart, but it'll be better for her than to pass everyday, thinking that she's gonna lose you at the next. Make your mind, Shinny!"

"Hmpft. Speaking about lies and broken hearts, are we?" Replied Storm Chaser. "I was really into you, do you know?" He told with a despaired tone to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash looked at him, perplexed too: "Hey, weren't you the pony that didn't want to flirt anymore?"

"Yeah. As if you had any choice." Storm Chaser replied, smiling, and the three of them laughed their lungs off.

"Sorry, Stormy. I didn't mind that you were so deep into me, and I played with your feelings like a heartless bitch. Sorry." Rainbow Dash apologized.

Storm Chaser shrugged the eyes. "Apology accepted, but... I still have the doubt... Why the monkey and you keep using that word... 'bitch'? That's not the female of the dog?"

"Yep. But it means that somemare is mean, too."

"Ohh..."

"Then, about your feelings... wanna give it another try?" Rainbow Dash proposed to the pegasi stallion.

Storm Chaser smiled: "Can I bring along a date who's not a bitch?"

Rainbow Dash chuckled: "You're a fast learner, stud!"

When the balloon finally landed at Ponyville, near the hospital, Pinkie joyfully came galloping to greet her coltfriend:

"Shinny, my love! You are alright! I'm so glad you're back! I was so-so worried!"

She hugged him and kissed him in the muzzle so passionately that let him trembling and all bristled, like he had received an electric shock.

"You're not gonna believe what just happened! I fought the clone of Celestia, that no-good horseshit of Daybreaker, and gave her a taste of my Pinkie Power! Can you believe it?! Can you?! Now I'm as strong as Twilight...!" She gave a happy little jump.

"Well, maybe not that strong." She facehoofed with a pensive expression, looking upside.

Then, she happily waved her hoof "But I'm stronger than before, that's for sure...!"

Then, she stopped short and looked down, regretful "Ow... sorry, love, I had no time to prepare your welcome back party..."

Then, she regained her happy look: "But don't worry, as soon as the Princesses recovers, I'll make the biggest and longest party of all times! All together! And just for you!"

She joyfully stood on her hinderlegs and opened her forelegs, featuring another of her extra-wide smiles, and then she hugged Shining Armor again, rubbing her head to his neck, with closed eyes and a face of so much happiness, that the stallion just didn't have the heart to tell her goodbye...

A nurse and two stretcher-bearer stallions came to the balloon basket, and the nurse complained: "Oh no. More wounded! As if we hadn't enough already!"

Rainbow Dash bumped: "I'm not wounded...! I mean, not too wounded."

The nurse, after checking that Storm Chaser was safe in the stretcher, looked to her: "But you still need to be seen by a specialist. Come to the hospital, young pegasi."

"No!" Rainbow Dash protested. "It's just a sprain!"

While Rainbow Dash was walking up to the doctor's office, she could hear the nurses gossiping among them:

"Those bucking gryphoons! I never have seen any of them before! How they could get here so easily?!" Said somepony.

"They must have a guide, I tell you!" Replied another one.

Rainbow Dash looked down. That's right. They must have a guide. Somegryphoon that had been to Ponyville at least once, and knew how to get to the town. Then, she took a glance on the side of the hospital where the wounded gryphoons were being attended. Then, she stopped short. No, no, no. It can't be. Her eyes must be tricking her...

Rainbow Dash trotted to one of the litters and stuttered: "G-G-G-Gilda! You-you brought them here? How-how-how-how could you?!"

The above-mentioned gryphoon looked at the pony with narrow eyes: "'How could I?'" She asked in a sarcastic tone. "And are you still asking that? Are you stupid? You changed me for that pink mare dweeb! You ponies are nothing but dishonorable traitors! I can't be more happier to see your kingdom in shambles, you false friend!"

Rainbow Dash angrily clenched the teeth: "And I can't be more happier that you've got what you deserved, you bucking bitch!"

"Just wait, puny pony, just wait. When our almighty Empire crush your pitiful kingdom down, I'll gryphoonally tear your wings off, and I'll eat them and I'll make you watch!" Gilda angrily threatened Rainbow Dash.

"I'm gonna kill you, bitch!" Angrily exclaimed Rainbow Dash, out of herself, and it tooks several ponies to held her back: "Let me kill her!"

"Teddy bear? Are you alright? Teddy bear?" Fluttershy's soothing voice was the first thing I could sense after recovering conciousness.

"Flutters...? Twilight! Is she Ok?!"

"Yeah, she's fine. She's still fainted, but her vitals are good." Fluttershy smiled, relieved.

"And Celestia and Luna?"

"Luna is recovering well..." Fluttershy smile dissapeared from her face.

"And Celestia?!" I asked, very concerned. "How's she?! Please tell me, Flutters!"

"She... she's not so good. The doctors were unable to take the poison from her body, and she's very ill."

"Damn!" I cursed, and sat in the bed. "I'm gonna heal her right away."

"No, Teddy bear! She told me that's very risky!" Fluttershy raised her hooves, scared.

I chuckled. "Flutters, 'Risky', is my nickname."

I walked the hospital up to Celestia's bed, and cast, once again, my Life-Force healing spell, but she didn't get well. This was some new kind of poison, a magical one, resistant to any treatment, but it's antidote. And the 'Horseshit' of Daybreaker was the only one who had it...

However, my treatment give her some strenght back, and she opened the eyes: "Rascal? You're alright... thanks to the ancestors... How's everypony? Are they alright?" She asked, breathing with difficulty.

I smiled, with, tearful eyes, petting her mane: "Yes, Your Highness, all of them are recovering well."

"Thanks to the heavens..." She closed the eyes, relieved. Then, she opened them again. "And Twilight? Is she awake already?"

"Yes, I am, Your Highness. I'm here." Said my marefriend, appearing from I don't know where.

"Twilight... my faithful student..." Said Celestia, with tired but relieved voice. "I want to ask you a favor."

"Yes, Your Highness. Whatever, whatever you ask." Twilight assured, smiling and with tearful eyes.

"Twilight... if I... if I don't make it... I want you to..." And she magically took out her crown, and put it in front of Twilight.

"No, Your Highness, no, please, no. Don't do this to me, please. You can't die. You can't! I'm not ready for this! I'm not!" Cried Twilight.

"My faithful student... you don't need to be ready... I wasn't ready when I was crowned... you've proven that you're worthy... and that's all I need."

"No, no, no, Your Highness, no! I still have too much to learn! Too much to see and hear! I'll never be so great ruler as you are! Please, Your Highness, don't give up hope! We'll find the antidote, and we'll put you back in hoof! Right, love?" Twilight looked to me with a desperate look.

"Of course!" I confidently assured. "We'll pursue that Daybreaker bitch until the end of the world, if we have to!"

Celestia shooked the head: "No, my faithful subjects... You're the strongest ones... and the only ones that can... protect my ponies... If you leave... they'll been left defenseless... And I can't allow that..."

"That's so untrue!" Affirmed Pinkie, trotting up to us, as she was standing guard to protect the princesses. "I'm perfectly capable to manage that horseshit of Daybreaker! I had her, until those idiot fillies... came!" She angrily complained, looking to the room's entrace.

Celestia frowned: "I said 'No'."

Twilight raised a foreleg, and I raised a finger, at the same time, to complain about it, but Celestia interrupted us: "And that means 'No'."

Twilight and me, at the same time, lowered our members and heads, sad and defeated.

Celestia smiled. "And that's my last lesson: To know your own limits... is to know your true strenght... Rascal... please take care of my litte sister... She'll be needing a strong-willed one... to keep her in the good path... and... my faithful student... please take care of my kingdom... It's in your hooves now... Princess Twilight Sparkle..." And she closed the eyes and passed out.

"Your Highness? Your Highness?! Is she...?!" Twilight asked me with crying face and voice.

I quickly put a hand on her chest: "No, she's alive. But her vitals are too weak. I don't know how long..." I couldn't continue speaking. A nut in my throath impeded me to.

"But she's gonna get well, right?" Pinkie asked, concerned.

"Yes, yes! Of course!" Twilight and me said at the same time, forcing a smile.

"Ow. What a relief." Pinkie bought it, and then, she doubtfully looked to my marefriend: "Twilight... then, does this means... that you're a princess now?"

When I got out from the princesses's room, I was still so shocked by the previous event, that I had to sit on a nearby bench. Twilight hopped to my lap, and hugged me, with tearful eyes:

"Love, what are we gonna do now?" She sobbed. "We can't let her die. We can't go looking for the antidote. And now that bucking Daybreaker have control over the sun and the moon. If the gryphoons declare war to us, how are we supposed to defeat her...? Oh, my love, I don't know what to dooooo." She sunk her head in my shoulder, crying.

I have to admit it: Nothing of this will have happened if I never had shown up. But now wasn't the time for regrets. It was the time to take responsibility and to overcome the odds!

"Love, let's go home. There's something we need to discuss. In private." I told her.

When we were in our way out, we happened to see Trixie among the patients. She saw us too and greeted us from her bed: "Wow, Twilight! You're back in hoof already! You two are really something!"

"Trixie!" Twilight sadly smiled to her. "You made it, you managed to escape from the gryphoons!"

"Yeah. I can't thank you enough for saving me... Hummm... monkey... they told me that you can cure practically anything..." Said Trixie, sinking her head, a bit embarrased. "And I might have... some kind of... thing..."

I smiled and put my hand on her chest, discovering that she had the same illness than my marefriend, six months ago.

"Hey, I know this. This is the same cardiac disease you had, love."

"What?" Twilight asked, concerned. "Where did you get that, Trix?"

"At... at the Gryphoon Empire... soon after arriving there... Why?"

I healed her and looked to my marefriend.

"This is not a disease. This is a poisoning..." I pointed Trixie.

Twilight looked to Trixie, doubtful: "And how did you managed to survive this long, Trix? That poisoning is deadly!"

Trixie facehoofed: "Well, the gryphoon doctor gave me a medicine..."

"A medicine?! You brought some sample with you?!" Hopefully asked Twilight, interrupting her.

"Yeah. An entire rack of it. Why?" Asked Trixie, dumbfounded.

Twilight widely and happily opened her eyes and muzzle, like everytime she comes out with something...

Hiding behind some barrels, nearby the hospital, the CMC were sadly and regretfully looking each other:

"Girls..." Finally Applebloom spoke, with sobbing voice. "Maybe it's time... (sniff) to disband... this despicable group... (sniff) of ours..."

"What?" Asked Sweetie Belle, with tearful eyes. "Nooo! Then, we'll never get our cutie maaaaaaarks!" She cried.

"We'll be a losers for foreeeeeveeeeer!" Cried Scootaloo too.

And the three of them started to cry, holding each together.

They were at that pitiful display, when Cherilee happened to hear them and to find them there: "Girls! But where were you?! I got tired of looking for you everywhere! You had me so worried! Come on, we have to go to a safe place. No complaints, come on." She pushed them with her forelegs, forcing them to start walking.

When Applejack opened the eyes, she was surprised by seeing Fluttershy around, wearing a nurse cap, attending patients in the crowded hospital's main hall.

"Flutters?" She meekly asked.

"AJ!" Fluttershy happily trotted to her. "You're awake! Thanks to Celestia! You had me so worried!"

Applejack looked to Fluttershy's head: "Ya now work in the hospital? How lon' Ah was out? A year?"

Fluttershy giggled: "Of course not! I'm helping with the patients, because the staff was overwhelmed with so much wounded ponies and gryphoons in the battle. Even the princesses are being attended here. It's a madness."

"There was a battle?!" Applejack was surprised. "An' mah family?! An' mah little sister?!!" She asked, concerned and scared.

"Oh... they're... fine. All of them evacuated on time." Fluttershy figured out that Applejack doesn't needs to know about her little sister's 'incident' with Pinkie and the CMC. At least not for now.

Then, Applejack remembered Pinkie:

"An' Pinkie?! What happened to her?! Is she ok?!"

"Oh. You're not going to believe it, but Pinkie fought like a goddess! She forced that evil clone of Princess Celestia to ran away! Who would have thought that?" Fluttershy explained, smiling.

"Ow. An' Rarity?"

"She's here, helping in the hospital too."

Suddenly, the metallic sound of a medic implement falling to the floor and a scared gasp was heard:

"Oh no! I cut a vein by mistake! I can't stop the bleeding!" Yelled a nurse, scared, trying to stop the bleeding pony with a piece of bandage.

Fluttershy trotted there and quickly raised her forelegs and healed the wound. The other ponies, earth ones all of them, looked to her, amazed:

"How did you do that? You can do magic without a horn?! Amazing! Then the rumors were true!"

Fluttershy giggled, blushing a bit: "Oh, my. It's not a big deal, really. I can teach you if you want." She proposed them.

"Yes, yes, sure!" The other ponies happily nodded.

"Well, all you have to do is to focus it right. Gather the magic into your solar plexus and..." Started to explain Fluttershy.

Applejack looked down: Everypony was helping somehow. Twilight and Rainbow Dash went on Luna's capture. Rarity and Fluttershy have found a place in the health care line. Even Pinkie have proven herself useful, defending Ponyville like the best! And what was she doing? Nothing. Nothing at all. Wounded in a bed, being a burden to everypony else. Then, she rolled to a side of the bed. "An' Ah'm here, like the stupid useless Ah'm. Ah didn't helped at all!" Her eyes started to shed tears.

"... and that's how's done. All what you need to do now is to practice." Fluttershy ended her magic lecture and returned to Applejack's bed, finding it empty: "AJ? Where are you? Hey, anypony has seen AJ?"

Applejack was slowly limping away from the hospital with a stumbling pace, when Fluttershy flown up to her: "AJ! Where do you think you're going?! You're still in recovering! Let's go back to the hospital, now!" She angrily told the cowpony.

"Please let me go, Flutters. Ah'm sure there's somepony tha needs tha bed more than me." Applejack refused. And next to that, her trembling legs failed and she fell to the ground.

"See?! You're too weak, AJ! You have to go back...!" Fluttershy started to scold her.

"Ah already know tha Ah'm weak! Weak an' useless! Ah don't deserve to be an elemeeeeeent! Ah don't deserve to liiiiiiive!" Applejack cried in despair, interrupting Fluttershy.

Frowning, Fluttershy trotted in front of Applejack and slapped her in the cheek. The earth pony stopped crying and stared the pegasi, astonished. "Don't you dare to say such thing again, AJ, or we are going to be in trouble. Do you hear me?" Fluttershy scolded her.

Applejack nodded, rubbing her sore cheek, amazed by the soft pegasi's sudden self-confidence.

"Now, stop with this foolishness and go back to your bed, at once." Concluded Fluttershy, pointing to the hospital with a foreleg.

It was long past time to night, and the sun, as obvious, was still in it's zenith, as both Princesses were disabled. Cadance arrived to Ponyville, along with a strong protective squad and supplies, as it looks that the Princesses could be staying in the town's hospital for some time, as moving them could be risky for their lives.

"How's Celestia health? Is she gotten any better?" Cadance quickly asked to the doctor in charge.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but she's getting worse everytime. Luna, on the other hoof, is satisfactorily recovering...!" Started to joyfully comment the doctor.

"That's enough! I don't care a mane about that odious mare!" Cadance angrily interrupted him. "She can die already, as far I'm concerned!"

The doctor scrunched his mouth and shut up.

Then Cadance mumbled for herself:

"Why the life is so unfair? Why the good ones fall while the mean ones arise without trouble?"

Then, to make it even worse, Pinkie Pie made another of her ever unexpexted appearings:

"Hi! Good evening-night-morning-whatever it is, Your Highness! Coming to see the Princesses? I'm standing guard on their room, day and... day!" She featured another of her inexplicably wide smiles. "Anything mean nearby is gonna taste my Pinkie Power!" She happily assured.

Cadance observerd her scowling, and with a side twitching lip.

"How dare you, you filthy thief...?" She finally could spoke.

Pinkie shrugged an eye: "Hey, you were the pony that bucked him out. I just picked him up. If you had loved him so much, you hadn't left him dropped around like garbage!" She angrily scolded her.

Now Cadance was red of anger: "Shut up, you stupid mare! You stole my stallion! You took advantage of his kindness and generosity! You took him from me!!" She pointed herself with a foreleg.

"Then, why you keep avoiding me, Cadance?" Shining Armor's voice sounded behind her.

Cadance turned around in a flash, with stiffed legs. "Shining Armor... I..."

"Shinny, my love!" Quickly jumped Pinkie. "This mean mare is insulting your marefriend! Say something to her!" She pointed Cadance.

Cadance jumped as well: "No! I'm not insulting her! Shining Armor, my love, please forgive me! I only was blinded by my grudge! Forgive me, forgive me, please! I can't live without you! Forgive me, I beg you!" She assured with tearful eyes, sitting in her haunches and praying with her forelegs.

Shinning Armor looked to her with a blank stare.

Pinkie trembled. Her worst fear was going to become true. Now, her beloved stallion will jump back into Cadance's hooves, and she'll be left behind. Pinkie scrunched her mouth. Her mane and tail deflated. Tears filled her eyes. She turned around to gallop away, to return back to Celestia's room, to take a pillow and cover her head with it, to not to hear her death sentence...