Five days after the debacle in the sewers, Anvil, Astray, and Bubbles were still on guard duty in the Canterlot Royal Hospital. Nopony had objected when they came with official mission orders signed by Contradiction, and the staff offered them cooperation with their patrol schedule. What Anvil eventually worked out was challenging but served as a good training experience. During the day, only two of the three were on shift at Cromach's door. One of the watchers was allowed to rest on a bench nearby while the other one was alert, only waking the resting one up when having to go away for any amount of time. The third member was asleep back at the hotel. After visiting hours, all three members gathered to patrol the entire upper floors of the hospital. They weren't alone, the emergency staff took care of the patients twenty-four seven, but they were a big increase in security.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Scratching and clicking of talons through the empty first floor preceeded a rusty, gold-speckled head of Bubbles peeking from behind a corner. As usual, the building had a compact square layout so often encountered in structures needing to fit limited space of upper Canterlot. The curious mare was simply walking around through the hallways, sometimes secretly peeking into rooms despite being told not to bother sleeping patients.
One floor higher, Astray's hoofsteps echoed through the sterile halls. He was trying to be quiet, but hooves weren't the best for sneaking on polished floor. The satyr looked around for something, and his expression brightened when he saw a pair of glowing vending machines. He'd been sent for some iced coffee by Anvil, and he was sure as hay going to deliver.
Speaking of the minotaur, she was on floor three. Her eyes were closed, but she stood in front of the door to Cromach's room like a gatekeeper - legs spread and mace held in her both arms propped against the floor. Her ears twitched with every sound, though. No matter what might happen, no matter what lower floors held, she was the final boss. Whoever wanted anything with the Silver Sun leader had to go through her. Granted, nothing had happened since they'd arrived, but she wasn't going to relent just on the basis of being bored.
The pitch darkness in the alley behind the Royal Hospital shifted. The movement revealed an average-sized dark green robe which would be completely invisible in the darkness if it weren't for the faint light coming from the lit windows leading to the ground floor hallway. A horn poked through the robe's cowl, revealing the pony moving without making any sound was a unicorn. The figure stopped under a window two heads above it and took a deep breath.
"Stupid guards... making this needlessly difficult," it hissed quietly, "Visiting hours my gaping ass."
The unicorn's telekinesis attempted to slide the window open. The desired access path refused to budge.
"Anti-tampering magical wards?" the figure chuckled, "Well well well..."
After several more seconds of focus, the window slid open without any resistance. Actually, it was a lot of resistance, but the unicorn's telekinesis pushed through the protective spells. The pony looked upwards, contemplating how to get through while not making too much noise by climbing inside. Another deep breath was heard, then a 'whoosh!' like a pegasus using a cloud as a trampoline, and the flailing unicorn flew through the window, barely stopping its moving legs before hitting the floor of the hospital hallway. Few noiseless jumps on the spot later, the unicorn closed the window and listened for any alarms or commotion.
Nothing. The spells had to be only on the main entrances or something.
Looking around for a staircase, the unicorn started walking. Aside from its careful breathing, no noise followed its hoofsteps again. A hypothetical curious observer, before being immediately knocked out, would notice that the figure's hooves weren't in fact touching the floor, but were hovering a small distance above it. Wiping its forehead, the unicorn congratulated itself for avoiding the receptionist guard in the lobby with a clever point of entry, and took the stairs up to the first floor.
Near the top of the staircase, the unicorn froze. A rusty mare with gold speckles all over her coat came from behind the distant corner. Before her head turned towards the staircase, the unicorn backed off several steps and lay down. The intruder thought quickly. There was a vase with flowers on the corner table. All the unicorn had to do was...
Clink!
The vase flew back behind the corner. Bubbles turned her head and went back to investigate the suddenly moved pottery. Not even her ears could catch only the softest whispering of air that followed the unicorn rushing up the stairs and taking the adjacent staircase leading to the second floor. Bubbles only picked the vase up, shrugged, thanked stars for the thing being sturdy and not breaking, gathered the plastic ornamental flowers strewn around, set the entire thing back on the table, and returned to her patrol.
A quiet gasp escaped the unicorn's muzzle after entering the second floor and being faced with a satyr's back. Thankfully, the noise was masked by Astray inserting coins into the clicking and clacking vending machine. Astray pushed a button on the machine's panel, the steel spring behind a glass pane holding the desired beverage turned, and the can fell through the hole under the displayed goods. He put the can under his armpit and started loading a next batch of coins into the slot.
"Soda for me, coffee for Anvil, aaand... a milkshake for Bubbles," he mumbled.
The unicorn hesitated. Sneaking behind someone this close was risky enough even with the noise of accepted coins covering the rustling of the robe. On top of it, he might spot a faint reflection in the glass. Any violent approach would also immediately bring anyone here instantly. Plus, the intruder was on a timer, since as soon as Astray was done with his business he would turn around. The unicorn focused, and the spring holding the can of coffee bent. Not by much, but enough to keep the drink from dropping into the hole.
"Oh come on! Stuck?" Astray, like anyone ever in his position, knocked on the glass. Leaning against the machine, he wiggled the entire frame. The can shifted a little, "Ah-hah!"
Smirking, the unicorn finally passed behind the back of Astray violently shaking the entire machine in order to get his drink. The satyr didn't notice a thing. Just one more staircase, and the intruder's goal would be within reach.
The robed unicorn didn't know how much time until Astray would go share the bought drinks, so time was of the essence. Thankfully, there was no one around in both corridors as far as the figure could see. Completely soundless movement was a blessing when moving from the corner stairs, when after reaching the end of the hallway and poking its head around the corner the sight of a standing minotaur greeted the unannounced visitor.
Now, how to go about this?
Anvil stood about halfway down the next hall, right where the unicorn's goal was. There was no way she would leave the spot unless...
...unless she saw a threat and went to eliminate it.
The unicorn hovering an inch above the floor descended, taking few careful steps which, while quiet, were still noticeable within the nighttime corridors. There was no noise from the minotaur. The unicorn peeker from behind the corner...
...only to see Anvil staring right back from the door, raising her warmace.
The minotaur charged.
The unicorn started running, loud hoofsteps echoing through the upper floor. It was faster than Anvil, and reached the staircase down even before she cleared the first corner. Trotting down the first few stairs, the invader reapplied its makeshift way of hovering, returned back up, and rushed down the other hallway just as Anvil's head came barreling from behind the far corner.
Anvil was grinning while running. She heard whoever the visitor was go down the stairs where they would inevitably meet Astray who could at least slow them down enough for Anvil to catch up. Unless the satyr was unconscious or, she scowled, dead. If that was the case, Anvil would very gladly use the biggest advantage of her blunt weapon - causing as much pain as possible while leaving the target alive. Taking pairs of stairs with each bound and leap, she rushed downstairs.
The door to Cromach's private room was now unguarded as the figure let out a deep breath. With its now trademark noiseless movement, the unicorn's telekinesis wrapped around the handle and pushed.
Part one, successful.
***
The door to Cromach's hospital room opened and the visitor slipped inside, quietly shutting it behind her. It was a normal room with the capacity for three ponies, but Crom was the only one there. The unicorn withdrew her hood, revealing the black coat of Contradiction, each differently-coloured eye focusing on the misshapen shadow barely illuminated by the street lamps down outside the window. Connie had managed to clear some time in her schedule to visit Canterlot, but the time was scarce and thus precious. She'd wanted to check up on Crom herself, but unfortunately the hospital staff were dead set on not letting her inside after visiting hours despite her rank and social status.
Which was a strange thing, considering she was a boss of the trio she'd just successfully avoided, now that she thought about it.
The first second she saw the big equine figure standing next to Crom's bed, a lot of things fell into place. She immediately flipped the light switch next to the entrance and her eyes narrowed. The tall, well-built, brown earthpony mare with blonde mane fading to withered grey was someone Connie remembered painfully well. The long, prehensile tail ending with a thin stinger lodged within the unconscious, hopefully, white griffon's side was new, though.
"You!"
"You?"
Both Black Shield and Contradiction called out as the light illuminated both of them. Where Shield was merely surprised, Connie felt the now familiar twinge of uncontrolled berserk coming.
The undead earthpony gave motionless Cromach a final glance and then withdrew her tail from him, leaving a thin trail of blood behind. Then, with uncharacteristic care, her tail wrapped around a bundle of rolled up bandages and shoved it into the wound. It wasn't a big or threatening one. The stinger on the end of Shield's tail narrowed into an extremely thin tip which allowed for penetrating armor as well as doing her current task without seriously harming the subject.
"I thought I killed you in the mansion," Connie was seeing red, but the only reasons why she wasn't charging at Shield straight up were simple. First, the earthpony had Cromach within reach and could likely seriously wound him before Connie's telekinesis could stop it. The other one was that she had willingly stopped what she'd been doing and all the beeping machines around Cromach were showing the griffon's condition as stable.
"Heh," Shield chuckled joylessly, "Unfortunately no, you didn't."
"ANVI-" Connie slammed the door next to her open without looking and opened her mouth.
At least that was what she tried to do.
Shield's tail stretched, spearing the lock of the door that had managed to open just few inches, and slamming it shut and stuck. The blinding speed made Connie shut up mid-call and jump aside while turning an unused bed over for cover. Connie hoped that Anvil's blind running around the hospital was over and she heard the noise.
As soon as her telekinetic grip rattled the not budging door, Black Shield pounced. Connie, however, unlike an ex-Royal Guard such as Shield had plenty of real combat experience and the opening attempt was just a bait. A blade of telekinetic energy, so effective last time the two had met, hit Shield's unnatural tail, turning the earthpony's jump into an involuntary spin. The tail didn't get cut in two, though.
Shield landed on all fours, quickly recovering and turning to Connie...
...only to recieve an entire steel bedframe moving at the speed with which a normal unicorn pitches a small ball in her face. She had only a fraction of a second to brace for impact before the heavy construction slammed into the wall next to the window leading outside along with her.
Not that she was hurt, though.
Connie's eyes bulged as completely untouched Shield rose from the room's wreckage, pushing the bed effortlessly away. The expression of surprise turned into one of horror when Shield's foreleg pushed against a steel bar of the frame and bent it with the creak of metal straining against unstoppable force and losing. The air around Connie's horn twisted and wobbled.
"Uh uh uh..." Shield waved her hoof, nodding towards Cromach still lying on a bed in the non-demolished part of the room.
Connie's gaze darted to the griffon, noticing Shield's tail wrapped around his neck. The damn thing could stretch so easily while being tough enough to withstand a sharp swing. There was no doubt in Connie's mind that someone as strong as Shield could snap an unconscious griffon's neck very easily.
"Just between the two of us," Contradiction growled, "If you hurt him any more I will personally scour the darkest rancid pits of Tartarus to find you and show you the meaning of pain."
"I'm pissing myself already," Shield raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by the threat, "How about you try that again on somepony who hasn't had their nerves numbed to nothing after being enslaved to serve for eternity?"
"I know you can feel pain, or something close enough. I saw your face back in the mansion when the big spell hit. Let the griffon go or I promise you I'll find a unicorn who knows how to treat undead and rend your soul into pieces over and over. And since you can't die, I won't ever let it end."
Shield scowled. Did the dumb bitch think she was doing this willingly? On the other hoof, the temporary stalemate was just what she needed. She was under no orders to endanger the griffon nor anyone in the vicinity unless directly threatened. However, the unicorn looked barely in control of her rage which meant the griffon was someone close to her. That complicated things, since Shield wouldn't harm anyone without her body forcing her to. Contradiction was unknowingly signing Cromach's fate herself. Shield needed to calm her down to prevent disaster. She needed to talk. She needed to bluff the spell controlling her to share at least some meaningful information which would help her resolve the situation without killing anyone.
"Alright, mare," Shield hissed, "I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, but I have no reason nor desire to hurt the griffon unless you make me. I know I'm not in a position for you to trust me, but I used to be a Royal Guard before this happened to me. I can't tell you much more because the spell controlling me doesn't allow it. So, if you stop choking on your angry spit and let me go, nothing bad is going to happen."
"Why are you here? Why did you stab him? Who are you?" Connie's icy questions gave Shield several precious seconds to think, "The correct answers might be your chance to breathe one more hour."
Shield growled to herself in frustration. She knew Connie had no reason to trust her, but COME ON! She was being the nice mare here, sort of.
"My name is Black Shield, and it's completely irrelevant at this point. I'm here for a sample of his blood. Before you ask, I have no clue why. I'm just following orders because, honestly, I don't really have a choice. You, on the other hoof, do. The magic controlling me will force me to do a thing you don't want to happen," she tilted her head to Cromach while not letting Connie out of her sight, "if I encounter resistance. If you just let me go, I'm out in a second and your griffon buddy here only loses a small amount of blood. Think of it as a donation to the needy."
"You are involved in the theft of extremely valuable magical antiques. You are not leaving as long as I have something to say about it. Oh, and by the way," Connie smiled like a shark, then her horn flared, "one day I'm going to fuck the everliving soul out of 'my griffon buddy' here. I kinda need him in one piece for that."
"You stupid-" Shield stopped, realizing in shock that her tail was getting unwrapped from the griffon's neck. How damn powerful the unicorn before her was?
No matter, she still needed to focus which Shield had to use to her advantage before ending up with no other option than killing innocents outright. Pouncing, she cleared the entire room and crushed Connie against the wall. Punching the dazed unicorn in the muzzle, she picked her up in her forelegs and slammed her on the floor. Then her world blurred and the crack she heard came from her back hitting the wall on the other end of the room again.
Unfortunately for Connie, her desperate blast of power lobbed Shield right back to Cromach. Shield was running out of semi-peaceful ways out, so she opted for the hostage one. Dragging Cromach out of the bed by his neck with her tail once again, she dangled his unresponsive form in the air.
"You're making it really difficult not to do anything to him!"
Nopony, not Shield nor Connie herself could have ever guessed how big of a mistake that would be.
Connie snapped. Her higher brain functions shut down. The boiling telekinetic power inside her was now free of any worries, concerns about justice and collateral damage, and mercy. The primal beast now in front of Shield knew and desired only two things - to protect...
...and to destroy.
Shield's tail got unwrapped by Connie in an instant. She felt the undead muscles of her body strain in vain against gargantuan pressure ripping her protective changeling queen belly plate away from her skin. Holes in her whole body appeared as if invisible spears pierced her with little to no resistance. A shock she felt deep in her soul relayed to her that some of the telekinetic shots grazed the crystal core keeping her alive.
Blood oozing from her, strands of flesh and hair stripped from her barrel making it look raw, tail partially ripped away from her behind, and looking like swiss cheese, Shield opted for her final solution. With the little remaining control she had of her tail, she stabbed Cromach's chest. The blow wasn't extremely strong, it couldn't be anymore, but blood quickly started flowing in its wake.
Shield was hoping Connie would rush to help the griffon and leave her alone.
She was wrong.
Connie's planned tactical combat thoughts turned to complete mess. Before, her killer and protective instincts used her skill and experience in the best way to protect Cromach and kill Black Shield. Now even those devolved into - save love, remove obstacles.
The speed with which Shield left the room through the window wasn't possible to catch with normal eyes. She was big, the window wasn't. If left alone, Shield could have carefully crawled through. Moved like lightning, however, her body and the concrete walls had a disagreement. Like an enormous soft peg fitting into a small square hole, Shield's legs snapped, flesh was sheared off, her entire body went U-shaped as it was squeezed through in a matter of a milisecond. Nothing Shield's destroyed form could do prevented her from falling down three floors on the flagstones of the alley below.
Anvil's mace shattered the room's stuck door, scattering bits of wood everywhere including at the wide-eyed crying mare without the barest grasp on reality. Scanning the demolished room and coming to the conclusion that no other pony was present, the minotaur asked:
"Contradiction?" she asked.
"Help, keep," Connie muttered.
"What's going on?" Astray took his first step into the room-
"Useless, discard."
-before being flung back into the hospital hallway.
Bubbles peeked inside.
"Unhelpful, discard."
She braced her claws against the irresistible force grabbing her barrel and dragging her away to gasping and groaning Astray. The grinding sound of stone floor being scarred by her forelegs digging deep into it was torturing.
Anvil stared. She had seen hunters back home, alone and shattered after being hunted down by polar bears or packs of frostwolves before being saved. She had seen them revert to their inner cornered beast when faced with mind-shattering fear. That was why she knew what was going on after spotting groaning and bleeding Cromach lying nearby. The various tubes she was now used to seeing sticking out of his body were ripped out, but the only more serious wounds were one stab in his chest and a smaller, barely bleeding one in his side. Connie, while bruised and bleeding from her muzzle, was not afraid for herself.
"Alright, bandages," the minotaur mumbled to herself. Nothing looked life-threatening so it needed just some basic first aid. She turned her head around in case a pack of gauze was lying somewhere close. She knew Connie was allowing her to stay, but that could change with her first step towards the wounded griffon.
RIIIIIIIIIIP! CRACK!
Straps of torn bed sheet hovered in front of her in a second...
...along with several broken pieces of the steel bed frame.
"Alright, I'm just going to cover the wound, that's all," Anvil said nervously while walking past Connie and kneeling by Cromach. There was enough of the shredded cloth to cover both bigger wounds. After that, she picked Cromach up and felt steel grasp of telekinesis wrapping around her, "Just putting him on the bed. The only one you didn't break."
The grasp faded.
"What's all the commotion, patients are trying to slee-" a scowling unicorn doctor trotted through the door-
"Didn't stop zombie, useless."
-before repeating Astray's flying maneuver.
Anvil knew that slapping Connie until she snapped out of it would be the correct thing to do. Anvil also knew that with her arms torn off and possibly crushed into small bloody lumps she would have serious trouble eating for the rest of her life. With that in mind, she opted for the less perfect choice of simply putting her hands on Connie's shoulders and shaking her.
"He's fine. It was just a fleshwound that looked way worse than it was," she said in a low, comforting voice, "Sir Cromach will be okay."