Chapter 5
Raven sat with her hands in her lap while Celestia wheeled her down the halls of the castle in her wheelchair. After everything was settled and proven that Raven was absolutely not a threat, she was given medication for her heartworm, received a few shots, and had some other minor medical tests done and she was set free. Oh, and there was the walking issue.
The young girl had tried to stand on her own, but immediately fell flat on the floor in front of both Doctor Ray and Celestia. A couple more tests later, no disease or ailment had been found. It was, as Doctor Ray called it, ‘A serious lack of use’. Only Raven knew the answer and she was, by no means, able to inform as to why.
The young chair bound girl sighed heavily from her seat, causing her current driver to catch notice. Coming to a stop in the middle of one of the many halls of the castle, Celestia released the chair and walked around to the front the young filly. Taking a knee, the action caused Raven to look up at the mare. They say that actions speak louder than words, Celestia gave a warm and sincere smile at the girl, which, in turn, caused Raven to smile ever so lightly.
“It’s going to be okay, Raven,” Celestia assured before leaning forward and wrapping both of her sleeveless arms around the child in a warm hug. Leaning back, she nuzzled her cheek for a moment before looking Raven in the eye. “I promise I’ll watch over you!” The child gave her another caring smile. Smiling back, Celestia stood up and went back to pushing the young girl along.
The two strolled through the halls of the castle for several minutes before Celestia came to a stop in front of a single, yet massive looking wooden door. The mare casually opened said door and wheeled the child in before they came to a stop just inside. “You can stay here until I can get something more permanent setup,” Celestia explained. “It’s close enough to my room that I can check up on you if need be.” Raven just looked over her shoulder with a confused expression.
The mare just rolled her eyes. “You.” She pointed at Raven. “Stay… here…” she said slowly while gesturing to the room with an arm. The young girl turned her head to examine the room. It was a rather simple one, in the center, at the back of the room was a massive bed, on the left-hand side sat a large window with a lone desk underneath it and a chair to accompany it, finally, on the right wall, sat alone bookshelf, which was empty.
The young girl gripped the wheels of her chair and slowly started forward. As she strolled along her head moved around as she looked at the few contents of the room. Even then, she couldn’t remember the last she had slept in a bed. The only thing that came up was a hazy mist of figures and shapes. Coming to a stop at the end of the bed, Raven spun her mobile seat around and faced the only other figure in the room.
“Thanks…”
Celestia couldn’t understand the direct word but the meaning and tone was there. It was almost like a ‘pity’ and depressed ‘thank you’. The mare deflated. The mare moved from her spot and walked over to the young child and took a seat on the edge of the massive bed. A lone tear left the child’s eye while she sniffled. Leaning to the side the mare unfurled one of her massive wings and flicked the tear away with her farthest feather, much to Raven’s shock and surprise.
“None of that!” Celestia firmly stated. “I know things are tough right now, but I promise that it will get better!” The child smiled slightly which in turn caused her current caretaker to smile. Reaching over, the mare hugged the child and nuzzled her cheek before rising from her seat and heading towards the door. “Unfortunately, I must return to my duties. You are willing to either stay or some with if you’d like?” the mare explained. Upon reaching the door she opened it and turned back towards Raven.
She just raised an eyebrow. Celestia deflated yet again, sighed, and grabbed her forehead. “Right…” She looked back at the young filly. “Stay?” She pointed at the floor. “Or come?” She pointed at herself.
Raven looked around the room one last time before focusing back on her caretaker. “Come,” she mimicked as best she could while pointing at the mare. Nodding in affirmation, the mares horn started to glow. Reflexively, Raven grabbed onto her seat as she was propelled forward. Glancing over her shoulder, she could pick up the light, golden glow that had encompassed the handles of her seat.
‘Void energy! Here!?’
“Looks like I will have to explain magic here at some point,” Celestia muttered to herself before grabbing the handle of the wheelchair once it was close enough. The pair entered back into the halls of the castle and towards the throne room.
Now that she was out of the simplistic room of the hospital, Raven was finally able to examine her surroundings. She sucked in everything her one eye could see. The walls were massive and made of some kind of stone she could not place, the drapes covering the windows were well tailored and on par with Orokin tapestries. She even examined the occasional guard, dressed up in gold colored armor, carried a spear in one hand and a sword on his left or right hip. She even watched a maid walk by in a frilly little uniform that barely covered what it needed to.
She was so distracted that she didn’t notice when they entered through the massive double doors of the throne room. Her eye widened when she laid it on the massive elevated seat high above the room. As the two approached, Celestia grabbed her tiara, from the table next to her throne, and levitated down and atop her head. Stopping Raven, but continuing onward, Celestia caught a glimpse of Ravens slack jaw and widened eye. She giggled inwardly.
The former was no stranger to monarchy and royalty. The Grineer Queens have had rule for as long as anyone can remember and helping Corpus flagships with infestation outbreaks has exposed her to some very stuck up people. But little did she know that her caretaker was one!
Giggling caused the girl to shake her head quickly and close her mouth. As best as she could, Raven held on hand in front of her stomach and bowed in her seat. In front of her, Celestia -who personally hates bowing ponies- rolled her eyes and walked over and knelt in front of the child. Placing a hand on the child's shoulder, Celestia shook her head. Understanding the gesture, Raven nodded.
***
After about ten minutes of doing nothing but listen to Celestia talk with a shorter, horned one of her kind and do paperwork, Raven casually wheeled herself through the halls of the castle. With the full intention of stating her boredom, she set off into the castle with no intention in mind, just exploration. She rolled along, taking in the sights. She was so distracted that she failed to notice that a lone broom lying on the floor in front of her.
“Shit!”
The broom -simple as it may be- locked up the front wheels of the chair, causing the rider to fall forward and flat on her face. Grumbling, Raven propped herself up with her hands and looked back at the obstruction. “Well great… Just. F-ing.... Great.” She turned her head forward and sighed. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen…” Dragging her sorry carcass across the hard floor she pulled herself back over to the front of her chair. Placing a hand on the seat she attempted to pull herself up…
Only to have the chair roll away.
Falling flat on the floor again she grumbled angrily. “Went from being a highly-advanced space ninja… to a helpless child…” Crawling back towards her chair, she did her best to climb back onto it.
Each attempt was a massive failure as the chair continued to roll away from her. While she worked, she became so preoccupied that she failed to notice someone approaching from her rear. “Damn it!” she muttered after failing with her latest attempt. “Hey! What the-!?”
The young girl was suddenly lifted into the air by some strange force. Unable to look back, she let the mysterious force help her towards and back into her wheelchair. She was turned and dropped unceremoniously into her seat. Finally, able to turn her head fully, she watched as one of those little maids approached her from behind.
The mare was younger, late teens to early twenties. She, like the rest of the species, was covered in fur, light blue to be correct. She had a long blonde mane and tail, light blue eyes to match her coat and that little maids outfit. The mare also had a few sweat beads dripping from her forehead.
“You… are heavier… than you look!” she said before bending over and placing her hands on her knees. Obviously tired, Raven just watched.
“Uh… Thank you?” Raven said dumbly.
“I… boy I’m out of shape… is a thank you!” the mare said between breaths as she slowly died on her on hooves. “My name is Bubbles,” she further said while standing up and holding out her hand to shake. Taking the hand, Raven shook it.
“Bubbles?” she asked, mostly for clarification purposes. All other words came out strange to her, but names, she was oddly enough able to decipher. The mare just smile and nodded as the pair released their grips.
“And you?”
The human made a guess. “Raven.”
Bubbles nodded and placed her hands on her hips. “Raven… I like it!” Turning her head, she looked around the empty hallway, examining her location. “Well… I better get back to work. It was nice to meet you Raven!” Bubbles parted with a wave and turning in the opposite direction. She didn’t make it far before she heard Raven say something unintelligible to her. “Yes?” the mare asked while turning back to the wheelchair bound child.
“Celestia,” Raven asked.
“What about her?” Bubbles question.
“Celestia,” Raven repeated. She couldn’t believe that all she could say we're names. Then again, she didn’t expect to wake up to walking equine like humanoids recently either. Bubbles raised a confused eyebrow. The girl just rolled her eyes. She pointed at the mare in front of her, then back at one of the handles on her chair. To finish her mock game of charades, she put her hands together in a pleading motion.
***
The doors to the throne roomed opened, causing Celestia to raise her head from her latest batch of paperwork. She immediately rose from her seat when she watched Raven being rolled into the large room by one of her many maids. Placing the paperwork aside she strolled down from her seat and towards the pair.
“I hope she didn’t cause you any trouble?” the princess asked upon reaching the bottom of the steps.
“Not at all your majesty,” the maid replied, stopping the chair and standing next to it. “She fell out of her chair and needed help getting back in.” That caused Celestia to feel a bit concerned, but didn’t show any outward emotion. She was grateful, actually.
“Thank you, Miss?”
“Bubbles… your majesty,” the mare replied with a bow.
“Bubbles,” the princess repeated while racking her brain for a name. “My apologies, but were you just hired on? Your name does not sound familiar to me.” Celestia made it one of her many missions to know every name of her little ponies that work in her home.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the mare replied while standing straight again. “I just started working last week. And… it is quite the honor…” the last part of the statement caused the blue mare to blush lightly. The solar mare just smiled and looked down at Raven. Placing a hand on the strange child, the filly looked up and smiled herself.
“Bubbles,” Celestia addressed before looking up at the mare again. “I need somepony to look after and help Raven. Unfortunately, I cannot watch over her while court is in session and her therapist will want to be with her during the day.”
The smaller mare tilted her head. “What are you asking, your majesty?” She had a feeling, but her uneasiness and confusion were setting the little mare on edge. a nervous feeling welled up in her chest. Bubbles was nervous enough as it is by talking to the highest and most prestigious boss ever!
“I need somepony nice and patient enough to help her with her physical therapy. She also needs linguistic help if she is to be staying here in the castle for the foreseeable future,” the mare further explained.
"I was wondering why she kept using hand signals,” the maid replied while placing a hand to her chin and looking to the ceiling in thought. Made sense now. She didn’t speak Equestrian.
“Would you be willing to do it?” Celestia asked politely with a smile. The little maid lowered her arm and gave her princess and boss her utmost attention. “You would be promoted to a higher-level maid and you would receive and appropriate pay increase as well.”
“Deal!” The maid immediately clamped her hands around her muzzle at the outburst, her cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment. “Eh-hehe…” she cleared her throat and put on her most professional look. “It would be an honor, your majesty!” she thanked with a bow.
“Thank you, Bubbles,” the elder mare thanked while Bubbles rose back up. “You would be doing me a massive favor.”
The little mare smiled happily and saluted like one of the Royal Guard. “I won’t let you down!”