The Quest for the Meaning of an Alicorn

"Come on Golden!" a tall, slender unicorn elegantly mumbled. The mare had a short, wavy mane and tail, and her long horn glowed with a eerie scarlet colour. In the magic's embrace was a needle, empty and waiting to be filled. The unicorn's rump had a needle, identical to the one she was holding, but filled with blood.

Her near anorexic frame had a small medical satchel strapped around it, ivory fur sticking out a bit from the tightness from the saddlebag. "If you ever expect to go back into the fighting ring, you need some blood drawn!" the mare named Roseneedle hissed with frustration.

The needle she was holding midair was jabbing out at a short, gaunt figure with cocoa brown fur and two golden horns for a Cutie Mark. Her reddish-grey mane was given a poor attempt at bangs and the rest draped from her neck onto her shoulders.

Her tail was ironically put into a ponytail, held by a sapphire band which matched the ring on her nostrils. While the brown mare, known to the public eyes as Goldenbull, was trying to scramble over the small wheelie chair the doctor sat upon, Roseneedle finally got to shove the needle into her flank.

Prancing and laughing from the success, Roseneedle nearly dropped the needle while carrying it back to the lab for tests. Meanwhile, the gaunt mare groaned from pain and examined over her body. She wasn't as skinny as everyone said. For the next fight, she still needed to loose around ten pounds to be in the weight limit.

That was her special talent; sparring and fighting. It only took her a few years (and a fight with a bully) to realize this. In a low, somewhat raspy voice, Goldenbull called mockingly for Roseneedle, "Hey! What are you doing in there, having a little 'talk' with Flash? I know you are starved from male attention, but CALM it down!"

The zebra-unicorn hybrid Goldenbull was taunting Roseneedle about turned his head around from the chair he was sitting in outside of the hospital room. "Would you like to say that to my face?" the tall, muscular, Olympian pony prodded. It wasn't his fault he was so critical of the earth pony. He had recently been told that the medals he won in the Pony Olympics were revoked due to him being part zebra.

"It's illegal for a 'wild animal' to compete." is what the note handwritten by Celestia stated. Flashtrot was white pony with a green and aqua spiked mane and a short, zebra-like tail. Aqua stripes covered him along with two olive leaves for a Cutie Mark. A small horn also annointed his forehead. And today was not his day.

"Damn straight I would!" Golden taunted, jumping off the rolling chair into the doorway. Her nosering touched his forehead before she took a few steps back, laughing. Flashtrot's face was entirely blank. "You look SO funny! I wish I cou-"

The mare was cut off by the arrival of Frostfire and Auroraecho. Each had a saddlebag and both had bandaids all over there flanks. Needles.

Both stood with eachother, jovial as ever. Both were very strange to look at, one pony having three horns instead of one and the other being an alicorn. The nurses and patients alike, whom were already weirded out by the group of friends, were glaring down the two strangers who looked odd. The couple trotted to avoid being the center of attention any longer. Flashtrot was still very annoyed with Goldenbull, but she had forgotten all about him and went to her best friend. "Hey there, blank flank." the chocolate coloured mare joked.

Giving a prod with her hoof, she noticed that Aurorawhip wasn't annoyed with  the phrase as before. A strong, smooth tone spoke out from the grey alicorn, "You aren't going to be able to say that after this, you know." An awkward silence fell, the only noise being the rest of the hospital and Frostfire's humming. It used to annoy his friends, but he couldn't help that he was a musician. The blonde stallion's emo swoop of a mane covered the two smaller horns on his head, the large, normal sized one poking about halfway through. His magic was the same as a normal pony's but he just had two extra horns.

The tall, white nurse came cantering back, scarlet hair bouncing with excitement. "Golden, you are healthy enough to come with us! Get the bags, will you? Ohmygoshwegettogoexploring! My boss already gave me days off!" Flashfire used a small spurt of magic from his underdeveloped horn to shock her a bit. "Calm down." the large stallion gruffly stated. Goldenbull gave a nod and tossed the bags onto Flash's back, even though he wasn't prepared. Tripping over himself a bit, the hybrid eventually regained his footing. "Hell, did you pack the entire changeling army in here?" he squeaked out as Aurora used magic to tighten the straps. "Oh shut up, whiny baby." Aurora and Frostfire said in unison. The group gave a weak chuckle a the oddness of the two.

However, the group eventually got out the door of the hospital and into the freezing night. Lights illuminated the streets of an enormous Canterlot, This was their home. Being rich enough, a cart was waiting out for them, both slots empty. "Oh god, again?" Frostfire moaned. The mares laughed. "Oh come on, it's not like we're that heavy." Aurora teased. Flashtrot was in no mood for amusement. His purpose for the trip was not the happiest, unlike his 'friends'.

Eventually, they got hooked up and began to depart down the street, heading for a highway. Frostfire and Flashtrot directed the group through the traffic in the crowded Canterlot Square and got to the highway. "Ugh, no walking anytime." Frostfire moaned as they passed the familiar sign. They picked up a steady trot and began to journey to a set of ruins Roseneedle said 'held vital information'.

Ponyville.

Meanwhile in the Castle of the Princesses, now Queens.

Celestia and Luna lay on a large, royal bed. Pure, hoof-woven red silk blankets coated the goose feather mattress. The sisters, although older, still loved eachother dearly. Both had found husbands and raised a family, But they still needed eachother.

They were playing a game called Truth or Dare and the last dare was for Celestia, known better to the Royals as Tia, to eat grass from the ground as an 'animal'. She refused, as her prejudice towards animals such as bison, zebras, and sheep was too strong. Luna, who was much more open minded, had to come up with a new dare.

"How about...you release the seal on the Cave?"

Celestia gave her a look of contented confusion, "Are you sure? That's too easy. It's hidden anyways, so no common filth could find it."

Luna nodded, "Well, I can't think of anything truly degrading and funny, so why not that?" The navy mare had grown out of her small body and now rivaled Tia in size. However, her older sister could still sense that Luna was tense.

"Are you SURE dear sister? You seem worried." Celestia looked into her sister's eyes. What was bugging her?

"Do it. Chicken."

"Alright, silly filly!" A golden light glowed for a moment, then faded quickly.

"Done."

"You're gonna be busteeeed!" Luna sung out jokingly.

The Queens looked at eachother and laughed. Both, however, were fake.