//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - False Claims // Story: Broken Guardian // by Battlecat //------------------------------// Beep . . . Beep . . . Beep . . . I was welcomed back to consciousness by the incessant beeping of a heart monitor. I tried to take a deep breath and began choking on the tubes stuck in my mouth and nose. My eyes flew opened in a panic but all I could see was blackness. I tried to move but I was strapped down so tightly I couldn’t move. The beeping sound became more erratic as I began to panic but then I heard the sound of somepony galloping in. “Shhh, it’s ok, you’re safe. My name is Nurse Redheart. We’ll get these tubes out of you in just a moment.” I felt a tingling sensation on my face and I cringed for a moment from the unfamiliar telekinesis near my face. I began to cough as the tubes were gently pulled out of my mouth and nose. A moment later I felt a straw floating in front of my mouth. I sipped a few mouthfuls of the liquid ambrosia but gasped with pain as it flowed down my abused, aching throat. I felt the covering being taken off my eyes and I winced at the sudden brightness. When I could finally open my eyes properly I could see the two pony standing next to me. There was a tan unicorn in a lab coat and a white earth pony with pink hair who had to be Nurse Redheart. The doctor stepped over to introduce himself. “My name is Doctor Horse. Do you remember your name?” “Jade Storm,” I replied softly without hesitation. “Where am I?” “You’re in Ponyville Hospital, Jade Storm,” the doctor replied. “What is the last thing you remember?” I paused to think for a moment since I still felt foggy. “I was in Zecora’s hut recovering while she prepared a potion to help me travel here. Some ponies burst in and attacked her . . . somepony kicked me I think.” “At least that is promising,” he said with some satisfaction. “We will have to do more tests but I’m reasonably certain your memory is not damaged.” The doctor’s choice of words worried me and my voice was weak when I asked the obvious question. “What do you mean ‘at least’?” The fur on the back of my neck stood on end as I watched the doctor’s face fall. He looked uncomfortable and refused to look me in the eye. “Well, you see . . . we’re not entirely sure yet. You’ve been unconscious for nearly a month and we haven’t been able to do a proper assessment as a result. Your broken bones and skin abrasions are mostly healed. Miss Zecora has provided an herbal cream that has done wonders for healing your skin where you were burned but your fur might take time to come in properly. Once you’ve gotten your bearings and are able to get out of bed we will do a full functional assessment.” I looked around the hospital ward, noting the equipment and the total lack of decoration. The doctor and nurse were continuing to avoid my gaze while I looked around the room. I was beginning to feel like there was something they weren’t telling me. “A month? Have I had any visitors?” “Zecora and a couple of the mares that brought you in have visited a few times,” Nurse Redheart replied. “Also, a stallion claiming to be your brother stopped in once. The name he gave was Sapphire Star but that’s all the visitors that I’m aware of. Twilight and your brother asked to be notified when you awoke. Would you like us to inform the two of them that you’re awake?” I nodded absently and stared at the ceiling feeling a bit lost. At least Blue had come to see me and I hoped he would be able to come by again soon. It sounded like his disguise was still solid but I knew he would have trouble getting out of Canterlot to visit me without anypony noticing. I was concerned that there was no indication the Royal Guard had even stopped in. The doctor was taking down my vitals while Nurse Redheart smiled sympathetically and hoofed over another bottle of some sort of liquid with a long straw. “Keep sipping these fluids,” she said. “If you keep them down we’ll be able to give you a proper meal to start getting you back to normal. Once the doctor makes sure your bones are completely healed, I’ll be able to get you out of that harness so you can lie down in a more comfortable position.” The doctor and nurse then left the room. I looked over at my left wing that was stretched out, bandaged and immobilized. It felt numb and when I tried to twitch a wingtip, nothing happened. I closed my eyes and fought back a wave of depression. I was scared of what the doctor hadn't told me yet. A few hours later I was resting on my stomach in a much more dignified position with my eyes half closed. I still had an IV in place, but all the other miserable tubes had been removed. My numb wings had been carefully furled by Nurse Redheart and bound in place until a full examination could be done. I wouldn’t have even known they were being touched if I hadn’t watched her fold them up. I hadn’t tried to get up but I would be forced to give in once all the liquids I had consumed worked their way through my body. I was buried under a couple blankets since I couldn’t seem to stay warm. I was giving serious consideration to just trying to doze off when a knock on the door caught my attention. "Are you awake?” a mare asked quietly from the other side of the door. I easily recognized Twilight Sparkle's voice. "Yes, come in." Twilight Sparkle pushed the door open and trotted in. She looked nervous which I suppose made sense considering what had happened. She stopped a short distance away and wouldn’t meet my eyes. I bit back a snide remark about how nopony would look at me and simply waited for her to speak. “Hello,” she said quietly. “I’m glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?” “I’ve been better Miss Sparkle but the doctor says I’m healing.” “Please call me Twilight. I’m sorry I broke your ribs but I was scared when you pinned Rainbow Dash.” “Rainbow Dash is the pegasus with the multicolored mane?” I asked. When Twilight nodded her confirmation I continued. “I am sorry it came to that but she was recklessly destroying Zecora's home. I wouldn’t be alive now without Zecora's generosity. Please tell me you didn't hurt her." Twilight looked slightly ashamed of herself. "I made a terrible mistake but I've made up for it. Zecora is being treated properly by the residents of Ponyville." "Thank you, I'm glad to hear it," I replied. "What happened after the Summer Sun celebration? Why was nopony out searching?” Twilight looked uncomfortable when she answered, “There was no search since nopony was reported missing after the Summer Sun celebration.” I felt a sinking feeling in my heart and a burst of anger. “You mean nopony from my unit reported me missing after the mess with Nightmare Moon? What about the ponies who were with you? They saw me at the castle! Granted, I was in my uniform at the time but you mean they didn’t say anything when the guard who helped them didn’t come back?” “The guard who protected my friends was awarded a Medal of Bravery from Princess Celestia before he returned to Canterlot with his unit.” My jaw dropped and my mouth opened and closed several times while I tried to find the words. Of all the reasons that could have come up regarding why there was no search, this one threw me right off. Every time I tried to start a sentence it just seemed inadequate. “But I was . . . why did they . . . who . . . How . . . WHY?” I asked with growing frustration as I tried to put a simple question together. “Did the Royal Guard simply forget I existed?” “I contacted my brother as soon as we discovered you were a guard,” she said in a flat tone. "This was what he sent back." I knew her brother was Captain Shining Armor and that worried me. She looked incredibly uncomfortable as she silently levitated a scroll out of her saddlebags and into my hooves. I took it and clumsily unrolled it. Jade Storm – Dishonorable Discharge Jade Storm is hereby found guilty of the following charges as a result of his cowardly actions on the date of the Nightmare Moon incident. Charges: - Desertion - Insubordination - Dereliction of Duty - Abandoning Post - Theft Sentence – Revised The following sentence will be imposed: - Jade Storm will be dishonorably discharged from the Guard. - A fine equal to the value of all missing and damaged equipment will be levied against Jade Storm - Jade Storm will forfeit of all earned wages since joining the guard. - Jade Storm’s name will be struck from the record of the Royal Guard and the Military Academy. - A period of five years to be spent in prison: In light of crippling injuries the sentence has been reduced to no jail time. Signed: Squad Commander: Iron Hammer Captain of the Guard: Shining Armor Attached was a list of twenty ponies that had provided affidavits as evidence. I recognized most of the names as soldiers from my unit. Twilight Sparkle’s name was added at the end of the list, indicating she had delivered the medical assessment. I stared at the document but I couldn’t make sense of it. This was my reward for nearly dying to protect civilians and the Princess? I looked over at Twilight hoping this was an awful joke. Her refusal to meet my eyes told me it wasn't. “You really believe this? I don’t even get to speak in my defense?” I already knew the answer to this question but it was all I could think of to say. “A Royal Guard can be tried and sentenced in absentia if sufficient witnesses are available,” she replied automatically as if reading from a book. “I provided medical evidence so they would commute your prison time. It was the least after Rainbow Dash and I caused you additional injuries at Zecora’s place.” “I didn’t desert my unit!” I choked out through my aching throat. “I flew to the castle in the Everfree Forest and found five ponies on the stairs being threatened by Nightmare Moon’s minions who I then engaged in combat. I was severely injured during the fight and crashed in the canyon by the castle where Zecora later found me.” She gestured her hoof at the scroll I was holding with a skeptical expression on her face. “So you’re telling me everypony on that list is lying in their sworn affidavits? You’re saying that the soldier who was commended for his bravery lied about his heroic actions? That the Captain of the guard can't trust the honesty of twenty royal guards?” “I guess I am.” She was silent for a moment but then she spoke again. “Given that it’s your word against twenty witnesses, the logical conclusion is that you are not telling the truth.” I stared at her for a moment longer trying to figure out what to say. She still refused to look at me and I realized there was nothing I could say. I let the scroll flutter to the floor of the room. My head was starting to spin so I closed my eyes and let my head collapse down on the blanket. “Oh my goodness, are you ok?” Twilight asked. “No. Get out.” “Pardon me?” I didn’t waste the energy to open my eyes while I responded with bitter sorrow. “You heard me Miss Sparkle. Joining the Royal Guard was a dream that I spent years of my life work towards. I could tell you I graduated top of my class and it would be insane for me to throw that away but what's the point? You judged me long before you ever walked through that door and my word is completely worthless in the face of your ‘logical conclusion’. You’ve successfully delivered my reward for doing the right thing so please just leave." There was silence before I heard Twilight’s hoof steps as she walked out of the room without another word. I sat in stunned silence while my mind tried to process what had just happened. Then I heard somepony come back into my room. “How are you feeling?” asked Doctor Horse. “Terrible,” I replied. “Tell me how bad my injuries really are.” “Well as I said, we still need to do a functional -” “Don’t give me any crap,” I interrupted. “You know something you’re not telling me.” The doctor was silent for a moment before he let out an irritated sigh. “Fine, if you insist. The damage to your wings is severe and I have my doubts you'll ever fly again. The worst case scenario is your nerves may be damaged enough to leave your wings completely paralyzed. Even if you do regain function, your magic reserves have not begun to recover which may adversely impact your ability to manipulate the weather.” Crippled. That's what the document was talking about. “Thank you,” I replied tersely. “How soon before I can leave?” “We’ll have you back on your hooves tomorrow. Since your injuries are mostly healed and assuming there aren’t any complications once you're up, you’ll be able to leave in three or four days. There isn't much we can do for your magical injuries here but I'll make some arrangements for therapy." I nodded and closed my eyes while he left the room again. My face was calm but inside was a storm of emotions. I felt like I had been stabbed in the chest and my wings felt like lead weights against my body. I buried my face in the mattress and blankets and finally broke. I started to cry, using the blankets to muffle my sobs. I think I was still crying when I finally fell asleep. “Greeny! Wake up lazy bones.” There was only one pony who ever called me Greeny. I opened my eyes and found a wall of blue fur standing in front of me. I lifted my head to look into the worried face of my brother. Well, at least the face he wore when we visited in public. Currently, he looked like a unicorn with blue fur and a black mane. His cutie mark was a generic gold star and he was wearing the amulet that contained the disguise enchantment around his neck. “Hi Blue,” I replied, using his nickname rather than the name he used while in disguise. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get here,” he said sadly as he took my hoof in his. “You have your duties to attend to Blue; you know I’ve always accepted that. I'm glad you're here now.” “I was horrified when I heard the news,” he replied. “What happened to you? Please don't be afraid to tell me the truth. I’ve heard some awful things from the guard and I swear I won’t think less of you if they’re true.” I silently prayed to Celestia. If my brother didn’t believe me, I wouldn’t have anypony left to turn to. So I told him everything that had happened at the Summer Sun Celebration from the train ride into Ponyville. I told him every detail I could recall until I was knocked out at Zecora’s home in the forest. When I finished, I stared at the mattress fearing what he would say. “I believe you, Jade,” he said firmly. “I knew the story had to be garbage as soon as I heard it. There's not anything in this world that would convince you to abandon your duty.” “Not even to earn your father’s love,” I replied. Blue winced. “I hate what that tribalist monster did to our family before he died. You didn’t deserve what he did to you and I'm sorry I couldn’t do anything to stop him.” “You did what you could,” I countered. “You made sure I had a roof over my head when everypony else in your family wanted me gone. In spite of his best efforts, you stayed strong and kept your principles. Even if you don’t get to show your best face very often, I know the truth.” He sighed. “You kept me grounded when our father tried to push my nose to the sky. Come on, how is it you’re cheering me up when you’re the one who’s in the hospital with a tarnished reputation?” “He was never my father Blue and comforting you is all I can do,” I said sadly. “I have so little else to give now.” “Your friendship is possibly the greatest gift you could ever give me Greeny,” he replied. “I’ll do everything I can to help you. Do you need any bits to take care of things?” “I’d better not Blue,” I said. “They might decide to reinstate my jail time if they don’t think I’m suffering. I'll do my best to work through this myself first.” “You’re not going to lie down and just accept this, are you? That doesn’t sound like the Jade Storm I grew up with.” “I don’t know Blue, this is worse than when we were foals. Look at the discharge papers on the table there. Twenty of my so-called brothers in arms closed ranks and lied under oath. I can’t even comprehend what I did to deserve this level of betrayal. Now it’s my word against all of them. Even if by some miracle I can get my name cleared I can’t return to the royal guard. How could I ever trust them with my life?” I felt his magic squeeze my hooves gently. "You are right of course. I did look into case law before I came here. Since this was approved by the Captain of the Guard, it can only be overturned by him or one of the Princesses. Even then, you will need one or more witnesses to support your version of events to even have a chance at a hearing.” “I know. Thank you for believing in me Blue.” “You’ve never lied or taken advantage of me as long as I’ve known you,” he said with a chuckle. “I practically had to force you to take the tuition money for the academy. What are you going to do now?” “I honestly have no idea,” I said bitterly. “I think I'll have to stay here in Ponyville for now but it depends whether Twilight has poisoned the town against me.” “Twilight Sparkle?” he asked incredulously. “Why in Equestria would she do that to you?” “She delivered the sentence to me," I replied indicating the letter on the table. "I told her the truth but she didn’t believe me. If I hadn't been there, I'd be hard pressed to believe it when faced with twenty sworn statements. She didn't look thrilled to be talking to a pony she saw as a worthless coward. I’ll be surprised if I’m not asked to leave town as soon as I leave the hospital.” “I don’t believe she would do something so petty,” he replied. “I’ve had my issues with Celestia's lax attitude towards the behavior of her personal students but Twilight is a good pony from everything I've seen. I believe she lives here in Ponyville now along with the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony.” “So she did find them,” I murmured. “Yes. They purified Nightmare Moon and released Celestia’s sister. Her name is Luna.” I felt a sudden flash of fury. “SERIOUSLY!?” I yelled. “They put a crown on that monster that crippled me?” Blue put a calming hoof on my shoulder. “She’s not a monster now, Jade.” “I’ll believe it when I see it,” I snorted. “Her minions or manifestations are the reason I’m here now.” “Don’t judge her until you meet her,” Blue replied. “I’m sorry that I need to get back to Canterlot. I wish I didn’t have to leave you alone since I don’t know when I’ll be able to visit again. You sure you don’t want any help?” I pulled him into a hug. “I’ll figure things out. You have responsibilities Blue and I’m glad you found the time to come see me.” “Someday I hope I can finally acknowledge who you are to me without this awful disguise,” he said while hugging back. “You know how to find me if you need help. Good luck Greeny. Love you.” “Love you too, Blue.” He trotted to the door and waved his hoof once more before disappearing. The door glowed gold from his magic as it quietly swung closed. I was left alone with my thoughts again. Without a real witness, there was no way to confirm my version of events. Truth be told, there were actually five mares that could confirm the truth about what happened that night. The problem was they were all friends with Twilight. To say I felt despair would be an understatement. Blue was the last pony that came to visit during my stay in the hospital. Twilight didn’t return and nopony else came by either. Over the next three days, the doctor’s worries were confirmed. My wings just flopped uselessly onto the ground without something to support them. I couldn’t even muster muscle control to fold them up. I think the only reason the doctor didn’t amputate them was because they were healthy and healing on the outside. It left me a fleeting hope that if my magic healed they might to as well. The worst feeling was when a pegasus brought in a small cloud. My hoof went right through it like it wasn't even there, nailing home the simple fact that I really was crippled. To top it off, I felt weak and lethargic, thanks to days being bedridden. Even though I was healed, my body still ached from inactivity and from my residual injuries. The worst was healed up but I was going to be in pain for a long time while my body recovered. As if that wasn't enough, another letter arrived from the Royal Guard the night before I checked out of the hospital. The doctor brought it in and I struggled to unroll it with my hooves. Without my wings, even turning the pages of my books was going to be a struggle. It never occurred to me how much I depended on my wings for day to day life. Jade Storm: Owing to the damage and missing pieces of gear from your issued kit all personal items present in your locker, military saddlebags and dormitory room are being held as collateral. They will be released when the full costs of the damage and missing items are paid. If the money or a payment plan is not forthcoming within a period of six months, these items will be sold to cover the costs. There was a list of the damaged and missing armor pieces along with a price indicating the amount I owed. I nearly choked when I read the total debt. I wouldn’t have earned that many bits working a year in the guard. I scanned the list of the things being held as collateral and counted off every item that I could call my own from my only formal suit to my saddlebag. Even my books were on the list. The worst part was, they had my two favorite Daring Do novels. The fact that they were signed books from the first print runs of the first two novels was only a bonus in my eyes. They were special to me because they had been gifts from Blue. Now I had six months before they would be gone forever. They really have taken nearly everything. My health, my honor and every item I value. When I was discharged the next day I left the hospital as quickly as I could. I was embarrassed but relieved to discover Blue had left enough bits to pay my hospital bill. The last thing I needed was another debt hanging over my head. The doctor had given me a prescription for some powerful painkillers, cream for my burns and referral to a physical therapist that could possibly help with my wings. I took the prescriptions politely and without comment. There was no point in telling the doctor I wouldn’t be able to afford any of those things. I didn’t even have enough bits to buy an apple. Once I got outside I took a deep breath and looked down at Ponyville. The picturesque town still looked lovely but it seemed to be cast under a growing shadow. I looked up at the sky when the sun began to disappear. The local weather team appeared to be preparing a major storm based on the appearance of the clouds they were gathering. From their progress, I probably had another hour or two before the skies would open. My body was still aching from the residual injuries and walking was going to be difficult until got back in shape. I pulled Zecora’s cloak in tightly around myself and began to limp towards town. I didn’t have much time to find shelter for the upcoming stormy night.