Applejack galloped through Ponyville as fast as she could. She paid no attention to the townsponies around her, many of whom were shocked and concerned at the sight of the bandaged colt on her back. She did not stop until she reached the hospital and burst through the emergency room doors, skidding to a halt at the reception desk.

The nurse at the desk immediately understood before Applejack could say anything. She pressed a button on the intercom. “We have a bandaged and unconscious unicorn colt at the emergency entrance!” she announced, “Bloodied bandage indicative of head trauma! Send nurses and a gurney stat!” She grabbed a notepad and turned to Applejack. “Cause of injury?”

“He teleported ‘imself and passed out.”

The reception nurse wrote down on the notepad at a speed Applejack had no idea was possible for an earth pony. “How long ago?”

“A few minutes. We patched ‘im up and Ah brought ‘im here as soon as it happened.”

“Good. Has he shown any signs of consciousness since?”

“Nope.”

A set of double doors on the left opened and several nurses entered with a gurney. “Don’t worry, ma’am,” said one, a pegasus stallion, “We’ve got him.” They lifted Ben off Applejack’s back and set him on the gurney. The receptionist tore the note from her notepad and gave it to a nurse. The medical team proceeded to wheel Ben off to treatment, the double doors closing behind them.

For a brief moment, Applejack did not move. She did not speak. The only sound she made was her own breathing. Would Ben be alright? She looked down at her hooves. She had gotten blood on them from dressing Ben’s wound. Most of it had come off during the run, but a little still clung to her. Ben would be fine, right? Right?

“Ma’am?”

Applejack felt a hoof on her wither. It was the receptionist. “Yeah?” asked the farm mare.

“I was asking if you’d like to sit down,” the receptionist answered.

Sit down? She had no way of knowing if somepony was going to live or die and she was asked to sit down? How could she possibly sit down when a life was on the line? No, she thought, she had to know what Ben’s chances were. She had to talk to somepony. Somepony who knew what would happen if a colt tried teleporting. Somepony who knew a great deal about magic. Somepony she knew.

Applejack turned and ran out of the hospital. She had to talk to Twilight.

It did not take long for Applejack to reach the Golden Oaks Library. Her worry for Ben’s well-being lent itself to frantic knocking on the front door.

“I’m coming!” called Spike from inside. He opened the door. “Oh. Hi, Applejack.”

“Is Twilight home? Ah gotta talk to ‘er right now!”

Spike understood the clear urgency in Applejack’s voice and quickly ushered her inside. “She’s up in her room reading,” he said.

“Thanks, Spike,” she acknowledged. With that, she bounded up the stairs.

Applejack reached Twilight’s room and flung the door open. “Twilight!” she called.

The mare in question was reading at a nearby table. She jumped at the sudden noise. “Applejack?” she asked, “What is it?”

“It’s Ben! He tried teleportin’ and musta messed up cause he was out cold and bleedin’ from his head as soon as he did it!”

“He WHAT?” Twilight shrieked. “And he was bleeding? You’re positive?” Her tone and the look on her face were nothing short of horrified. Not a good sign, thought Applejack.

“Sure as the day is long, Ah swear there was blood! Me and Big Mac bandaged ‘im and Ah took ‘im to the hospital. He hasn’t woke up yet.”

Twilight began pacing around the room. “Oh, no! This is bad! This is very, very bad!”

“Is he gonna be alright?” asked Applejack, fearing the worst.

“I don’t know,” Twilight answered, “When a unicorn uses too much magical energy, they become physically exhausted and typically pass out, but if they cast a spell without having enough magical energy, then the spell has to draw from another source to compensate.”

“What source?”

Twilight inhaled sharply through her teeth, as if she were afraid to say it. “Life energy. In Ben’s case, his teleport spell used his own blood to power it.”

Applejack immediately understood her friend’s horror, for she now felt it as well. “Do ya think he’ll pull through?” she asked, dreading the answer.

“I don’t know,” said Twilight, “It’s definitely possible, especially when he’s being given some of the best medical treatment in Equestria. Ponyville has one of the best hospitals, after all.”

Applejack nodded, grasping that small bit of reassurance as if her own life depended on it. If anypony could nurse Ben back to health, it was the doctors and nurses of Ponyville General. “Ah’d better go check on ‘im.”

“I’ll come with you.”

Applejack made no objection, glad that Twilight was with her. There was always the possibility of bad news from the hospital staff and she would possibly need somepony there with her in case that happened.

The two mares went into the emergency entrance, the atmosphere of which had calmed in Applejack’s absence.

The receptionist recognized the farm mare. “Hello again,” she greeted, “You left in a hurry.”

“Sorry about that,” said Applejack, “Ah had tell mah friend what happened.”

“Are either of you family to this colt?”

“Ah’m his foster mother.” This was true, but it felt strange to say. Ben was the same age as a colt and she had taken him in as a foster child, but he was considered an adult in his world. Given how Ben had been behaving, Applejack found herself wondering what the average adult human was like.

“I see,” said the receptionist, “Well, an official diagnosis hasn’t come through yet. I’m afraid you’ll have to take a seat.”

“How long before we know?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know. These things vary from patient to patient, but I’m positive your little colt will be just fine.”

Applejack wanted to protest that Ben wasn’t her colt, but bit it back. She had admitted to being his foster mother and the reception nurse was only trying to reassure her. She moved to a nearby chair and sat down. Twilight sat beside her.

Applejack didn’t know how long they waited, but eventually Doctor Graymane stepped through the doors. The two friends rose to greet him.

The good doctor looked rather haggard, which Applejack took to mean that thing were bleak. “Ladies,” he greeted with stoic professionalism, “You’re both here about Ben, I assume.”

“Well, she is,” said Twilight, “I’m just here for emotional support.”

“Twilight told me ‘bout what might’a happened ta Ben when he teleported,” said Applejack, getting straight to the point. “Is he gonna pull through?”

Doctor Graymane’s face gave nothing away. “I believe so.”

Applejack’s relief was more visible than sunlight as a smile formed on her face. Now she just had to talk to the idiot about almost killing himself and scaring everypony half to death. “Well, can we see ‘im?”

“Yes, but there’s something you need to know. No unicorn that age has enough power to successfully teleport without draining themselves completely and drawing from life energy to complete the spell, as Miss Sparkle has already told you. Ben, unfortunately, doesn’t even have the same amount of magical energy as his peers, likely from lack of use. As a result, the spell fed off more of his blood than it would’ve a normal colt’s. That’s why he was bleeding so much.”

Applejack’s smile vanished. “But ya said he’d pull through.”

“Eventually, with proper medical attention, he will.”

“What do ya mean ‘eventually?’ Is he gonna be alright or ain’t he?”

“He will be, but the sheer strain the teleport spell put on his body has caused it to effectively shut down. He’s now in a coma. I can’t say for certain when he’ll wake up.”

Author's Note

I honestly didn’t think this would come out so soon after the previous one. Inspiration is weird like that.

For the record, I’m not putting Ben in a coma just so he can conveniently wake up ten moons later in time for the portal to open. That would be cheating.

There won’t be a new chapter until 2022. I’m taking a short break. With that, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.