After breakfast, Magenta was busy with just looking out the window as best as she could from her bed. You can't really see much if you're not moving. But every now and then a bird or something would land on the sill and look at her through the glass. Then they would fly away. Sometimes they would also sing a song of some sort. It would make her smile in the midst of all of this pain. She glanced back down at herself, taking note that one of her gashes on her right hoof was closing. It still hurt a ton. But at least it was closing. So....there's that.
Magenta groaned and lifted her hooves up and down, getting out the stiffness. The doctor told her to do that every now and then. So she promised that she would. She was still bummed that she didn't have wings anymore. She at least wanted to see what she looked like with them on. But the doctor said there's only long slits back there now. He was definitely not pulling any punches.
Magenta looked over her shoulder, hoping to see what he was talking about. Unfortunately, she was still wrapped up in a bunch of white gauze, so she couldn't tell. She sighed and let her hooves fall to the side, sending a jolt of pain up her arms.
"When will this...disaster—I think—end?!" She yelled to herself. After a few more seconds of silence, she looked down at the remote sitting next to her and cocked her head to the side. How do you work it again? She clicked the button that had a circle with a line going through the top of it, having the desired effect.
"—and today we have a special guest!" She looked up at the box to see it turned on and displaying what looked like....a room with two ponies in it. One of them was a mare with a long flowing red mane while the other was a stallion that just had a simple stubble.
"Her name? Songbird Serenade!" The show erupted into cheers as a yellow pegasus walked out onto stage with black and yellow hair covering her eyes. How could she see?
Magenta watched it for a little while, intrigued by her story. And she sung very well. Made her want to sing too. Maybe someday she could. Once she was out of this hospital she would, she promised herself. Who knows, maybe she could sing good. She looked left and right, making sure she was alone before she sung a little tune. She gasped, realizing she sounded so girly. But it was a nice type of girly. She did it again, this time a little louder and with much more vibrato. Is that what Songbird called it? When her voice just goes in and out like that? Well either way? She could do it. She stopped and looked back up at the television in wonder. Maybe one day she could make a song, have it go "viral", and become a star. A sensation that ponies everywhere will be inspired by.
Magenta smiled and continued watching the television. She was going to request to listen to the radio later. These electronics could be her source of inspiration.....wait.....how did she know that word? How did she know any of those...oh yeah, Songbird said it and it was obvious what it meant. Oh well.
Applebloom trudged back to the farm with the tools from four nights ago in a wagon, that she was pulling with her teeth. She had to put everything back where she got it from. She needed more muscle for the hard tasks ahead if she was going to help out on the farm all the time. Yeah, she bucked that tree without any strain but that was out of anger. She was full of rage. And is STILL full of rage. She was mad. Mad at herself for getting Scootaloo killed. It was her idea to sling her into the air that resulted in utter embarrassment, her running away, falling in the water and getting hurt by those filters. She sighed as she pulled the wagon into the barn. She would never forgive herself.
Gabby and Babs were indubitably going to be there soon. Gabby lived alone and Babs is usually sent here by family. So there may be some more adults here. Maybe. She probably should've let them know where to meet her. But they'll no doubt meet at the clubhouse or at the farm. Both of them have only met each other once before in the past, during a–what they called–CMC summit. Basically just a big planning meeting that lasted two days. A place where they could all hang out and relax, not to mention plan for the future. She remembered when Scootaloo would say, "Be quiet! We're being cool over here" to any other ponies watching them lay back in beach chairs in the middle of the square. That was a dare by Babs but it had backfired when they all enjoyed it and decided to do that again every year.
She chuckled and shook her head at that memory as she walked into a corner of the barn. She wished they had taken more pictures of them all together. They rarely did it. Only taking photographs of the ponies they helped who had earned their cutie marks. She set the tools and items back where they were before, minus her own things, and stalked towards the door with her head held low. Those were some good times.
"Applebloom?" She glanced up once she walked out the door, seeing her older sister standing there with a worried look on her face. "We need ta' talk."
"Talk then. I have nothin' else goin' on," she responded, walking past her and out to the apple field. Applejack sighed and followed after her.
"Do you really think stoppin' the Cutie Mark Crusadin' you girls been doin' is goin' to solve anything?" Applebloom stopped and turned around with an angry look on her face.
"There is nothin' to solve!" She retorted, making Applejack jump a little."The Cutie Mark Crusaders died the second she did. The second we launched her, she was gone and so was the CMC. It was all my idea. I got angry and I took it out on her and caused her to be embarrassed, run away and fall into the river with no hope of escape. It was all my fault!"
"Applebloom!" Applejack scolded before she pulled her into a hug. "It wasn't your fault. Yes, you caused her to be embarrassed, but falling in the river....it just happened. That's just how things go sometimes. Everything is alright one second and then a giant boulder come in and crushes it all. It is no ones fault, sister."
"Applejack, listen," She muttered as she backed out of her embrace then sighed. "Either way, the CMC is disbanded. The Cutie Marks we have earned are meaningless now. I don't know how, but we'll soon be getting rid of them."
"Aw, buck no!" Applejack exclaimed. "You are not gettin' rid of that cutie mark! Ya' worked too hard for that!"
"And it was all for nothin' Applejack!" She retorted. "We can't make decisions with only two ponies, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders have always been a trio! We can't just break that. And there is no other Crusaders like the originals! The Legends! The Cutie Mark Crusaders who have done what we've done for years do not exist! It's over, Applejack! And there's nothin' you can do to change mah' mind!"
She turned around and headed towards the farmhouse where two ponies and one Griffon were waiting for her. Sweetie Belle, Babs Seed, and Gabby. The two of them were wearing smiles, but instantly lost it the second she approached them. They got here way early. They must've been around. Applejack sighed from behind and watched her walk away before she turned around and went back to bucking.
"Hi, Applebloom!" Gabby greeted, coming over and pulling her into a bone crushing hug. The Filly grunted and decided to let her have her fun. "Your summons sounded urgent so we came over as fast as we could." She let her go and allowed her space.
"Yeah, what's goin' on, cousin?" Babs Seed asked. "And why is your hair so... Gloomy?" Apple Bloom sighed before she waved for them all to follow. She turned around and walked back up the farm, heading towards the entrance. Gabby and Babs shared a look before following after her while Sweetie Belle walked beside her friend.
After a few more minutes they walked out of the entrance and up the road, seemingly headed into town. After awhile, Babs decided to break the silence. "You guys are actin' really weird," she said, glancing between Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. "What happened?"
"And where's Scoots?" Gabby asked.
"We're taking you to her," Sweetie Belle answered quietly. "Be patient." The two new arrivals shared a nervous look once more before plunging back into the quiet atmosphere. Almost reaching the town, the two turned a sudden right and walked up a hill, leading the Griffon and the Manehattanite. Gabby looked at the hill in front of her and took note of the painting.
"Whoa! Did you three do this?" She asked. Babs was also impressed, evident from her expression.
"Us two," Sweetie Belle responded. "Us two did this."
"So... Scootaloo wasn't around?" Babs answered. Sweetie and Apple Bloom shared a glance before Apple Bloom responded.
"She was.... Unavailable. But also the reason we did it." They stopped at the top of the hill and turned around to face them. "You said you wanted to see Scoots?" The two shared a look before nodding. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stepped to the side, revealing the patch of dirt.
"She's right here," Sweetie Belle told them sadly, gesturing to the dirt. "Say what you want, she will listen."
The two stared at the dirt for a second, not totally getting it before it dawned on them.
"No...." Babs whispered. "No, this can't be happening."
"That's what I thought too," Apple Bloom responded, facing the town and taking a seat. "That this can't be happenin'. But we saw the proof. Every foal in town saw the proof. The Princesses themselves all saw the truth and told us. She was sucked into a filter. The only part that remained were her wings."
The two other crusaders were in shock. Trying to process what was going on. "We buried what we had two days ago on this hill and created a memorial," Sweetie Belle informed them. "We have also decided that in light of this situation that the Cutie Mark Crusaders is no more. It's over."
Gabby broke down into tears while Babs just stared at the grave. She can't be gone....she just can't be gone. "She ain't dead."
"Babs, we—"
"She's. Not. Dead." She repeated, cutting off Apple Bloom. "I can feel it, she's not gone. Gravely injured, yeah. But dead, no. Scootaloo's a fighter. And I won't believe she's gone until I see it myself."
Apple Bloom sighed and looked over at Gabby, who was crying into her claws. She had a feeling beforehoof that somepony was going to start an investigation. "Well feel free to go out and look," she said with a wave of her hoof. "If you do find her body, just let us know. But I really doubt she's out there. If she didn't get killed by those filters, then she more than likely drowned. Those channels go for miles and are connected ta' each and every town in Equestria. Not ta' mention her wings are....." She swallowed hard, pushing back the tears. "If she is alive, then she will be hurt. Bad. Probably unrecognizable."
"Or probably not," Babs responded, walking over to her. "Applebloom...just because a pony said she lost her wings—"
"Babs," she interrupted. "That wasn't the only thing. You're missing the dangers of going through a filter. If you survive going through it, you will still be in the water with open wounds. For hours. Those channels are long and go for miles. She would have bled out by now! And would come out the other end... Lifeless. There is absolutely no way she could've survived somethin' like that. If she did, it's a miracle and I encourage you to go and look for her. Go everywhere if you have the know-how, even the Frozen North if you think that'll help. But we both know there's a very small chance of her bein' alive."
"Well I'm takin' that chance. I'm not givin' up on Scoots and neither should you," she responded. Then turned to Gabby who was still shedding silent tears and walked over to her. "Gabby?"
The Griffon turned to her and sniffled. "Y-Yeah, I know. You want me to help you find her," she responded, wiping her eyes with a claw. "I will. Whether she's alive or not, we will find her."
The two main crusaders shared a glance before sighing.
"Fine," Sweetie Belle agreed. "Fine, if....if you think you can find her, we're not going to stop you. The first place to begin would be the Channel in the Everfree Forest." She pointed a hoof behind her at the gloomy landmark in the distance. "We haven't actually been in there yet."
"Well we're goin' in. You're welcome to join us if you want startin' tomorrow mornin'." Babs walked over to the grave and sighed with sad but determined eyes. "Scoots...we're goin' to find you and bring you back, ya' got that? You're alive, I can feel it. So Gabby and I are goin' investigatin'. We'll find you. No matter how long it takes, we're goin' to find you. We love you, Scootaloo." She turned around and walked back to the Griffon, who was waiting for her, and jumped on her back. "Let's go." Gabby took off into the air, sending a gust of wind onto the two other Crusaders.
The two watched them fly away, soaring towards the forest. "What's stoppin' us from joinin' 'em?" Applebloom asked.
Sweetie sighed and shook her head. "Nothing. We're just....depressed. But you know what? They're right. The only evidence we have that Scootaloo is...you know, were her wings. But she could still in fact be alive."
"I wouldn't place my bits on that," Applebloom muttered. "But I see your point. She could be and she could not be......we just have to be strong and search. Scoots wouldn't want us to sit around and not take action. We're goin' after her." The two shared a look before they smiled. The first smile they had since hearing the news.
"Right now?" Sweetie Belle asked. Applebloom grabbed her hoof and gave it a firm squeeze.
"Go and pack your things. I have a feelin' we won't be livin' in Ponyville anymore."
"What about our—"
"They ain't gonna stop us from searchin'. We need to learn more about this. We ain't givin' up on Scoots just yet. Now go and make up a note or somethin' and I'll do the same. Don't forget to bring whatever you think we might need." The two ran off the hill and went to their respective homes to grab their things. As well as some bits for some items they might need for the long future ahead. Hopefully all of this won't be a lost cause. Hopefully. One more final crusade.
Magenta was humming a little tune by the time the doctor got back, having got a melody? Yeah, a melody in her head. It was a good tune. Or what she thought was good.
"Hey, there," Sore Health greeted, walking in with her nurse. She was pushing in another cart with food on it. The doctor was once again holding a clipboard in his magic, but she also had a feeling that this clipboard held something up there important. And not just for her health.
"So, we have some news for you. We've decided that due to your extensive wounds we're going to keep you in here for a month. Now don't worry, this will be your home until we can find you one. But if and when we do, it will more than likely be a foster or an orphanage. A foster home is where a pony is granted to take care of you until you're ready to go on your own. And an orphanage is where foals such as yourself are kept if their parents are gone or unable to take care of them. You don't really see it everyday, but there are some foals who don't have parents. We're hoping we can find yours."
Magenta glanced up at her nurse who was busy checking her...vitals by her bedside, whatever that is. "So.....I probably won't be going back to...wherever I came from?" Magenta asked.
"Unless we find your parents in the span of a month, you'll more than likely be staying in Manehattan."
"So I'll be in this room for a month?"
"Oh no, you can go out. Just let a nurse know by pressing the remote so we can assist you."
"Is your head hurting sweetie?" Nurse Goldhoof asked her. Magenta shook her head and the nurse wrote some things down. "Okay. Well here's your lunch."
She grabbed the table behind her piled with food before she thought of something. "Have you used the bathroom yet?"
Magenta shook her head. "Do you have to go?" She nodded. "Okay let me help you up." Nurse Goldhoof set down her things and quickly trotted over to the other side of the bed. She used her wings to flip the covers off the patient and pushed some plastic steps from the corner next to the bed. "Roll onto your stomach, Magenta."
She did as asked before she pushed herself up into a standing position on shaky hooves. It hurt. It hurt a lot. She grunted in response. "Take it one step at a time," the doctor told her, coming over to assist. Magenta put one hoof out and grimaced at the sensation. It was like a bolt of lightning shot up her leg. She did the same with her rear hoof. Same sensation. After a few more seconds, she made it to the steps.
"Take it easy on these, okay?" Nurse Goldhoof warned. Magenta nodded quickly before she took her fist step on something hard ever since being admitted. She whimpered at the feeling. It hurt worse than the bed, probably because it was so hard. She put her other hoof right beside it, having the same reaction. Then she moved her rear hooves right behind it, feeling the same affect.
"Okay, try to walk down the steps now," the doctor instructed. She took it one hoof at a time, having gotten to the floor in three minutes since she had to take a bunch of breaks. Turning slowly, she began to walk towards the bathroom.
"You're doing great, Magenta," her nurse said. Her legs got a little wobbly from so much exertion, but she pressed on. Not only to seem strong....but because she really had to go. Like bad. Finally, after four minutes of slow walking, she managed to cross the room and get to the bathroom. The nurse gave her a pat on the head while she walked in. "I'll be right outside if you need me, okay?" Magenta sat down and nodded before the nurse closed the door, allowing her to have her space and privacy.
After she was done sighing in relief and relieving herself, the nurse opened the door and allowed her to get back out. There was a handle at the bottom of the door for Magenta, but she didn't feel like lifting her hoof that much right now. She was huffing and puffing from the pain she had endured just to walk to the bathroom. She sighed and began the journey back to the bed.
"You're probably wondering why we can't just carry you," Nurse Goldhoof said, causing Magenta's ear to twitch. She nodded in interest. Why weren't they doing that? "Well, this is part of your physical therapy. The more you move, the more your body will adapt and adjust to your situation."
"Wha...what's adapt?" She wheezed, breathless.
"It's when you figure out solutions to your problem and use them during that time. So if I was sick, I adapt by using soap, having tissue nearby, and eating healthy foods to help me get better." Magenta nodded in understanding before she went back to her walking. Man, this hurt a lot. Eventually, after six minutes, she made it to the steps.
"Okay, it's over," the doctor congratulated her before he helped lift her onto the bed with his magic. He laid her on her back and helped her get comfortable, laughing at her confused face. "I didn't let you get on the steps because it would reopen your wounds. You have some gashes on your knees and ankles as well. We don't want your bones being exposed and having to restart the healing."
"Okay....okay," she breathed out.
"Remember, if you want to go somewhere on this floor, please let us know," Nurse Goldhoof told her with a smile. "You're not the only special little filly on this floor, you know." She reached up with her hoof and lightly bopped the filly on her nose. "Boop."
Magenta cocked her head to the side before she let out a small giggle. Then strained to lift her own. Seeing this, the nurse put her muzzle closer, allowing her to do her own. Magenta stopped her hoof right above it before she let it drop onto her muzzle carefully. "Boop," she responded. The nurse chuckled and ruffled her head.
"You are too adorable," she whispered. "Are you hungry? Tired?"
"I am a little tired," she responded, her eyelids drooping.
"Okay. We'll let you get some sleep and check up on you every few minutes, okay?" Magenta nodded before she closed her eyes, almost immediately snoring.
"Wow, that must've taken a lot out of her," Doctor Soft Hooves whispered from the side. He saw the whole spectacle. "It's impressive how you've already formed a bond with her."
"To be honest, I've never felt this way around other children like I do around her," she whispered back without taking her eyes off of her. "There's just something special about her."
"I'll say. Earlier, I heard her sing." She looked at him in confusion. "I was walking by to go and check on another patient when I heard her making some noises. So I stopped, thinking that she was maybe groaning in pain. But it was her humming. And singing. It was beautiful. Really beautiful."
Goldhoof looked back down to her and smiled. "Either way, she's a truly special little filly. She should not be alive with all these gashes and wounds on her. Yet, here she is. Let's leave her to rest." The two tiphoofed out of the room, and silently shut the door behind them.
"Nurse Goldhoof, Nurse Goldhoof!" A filly called from behind her. Her wings shot open in surprise before she whirled around to the white little pegasus behind her in a light blue gown.
"Yes, Bright Snow, what is it?" She asked with a smile. "Is something wrong?"
"Who's that?" She pointed to the room they just came out of.
"It's a new patient, dear. She's sleeping right now."
"Can I meet her sometime? Huh? Huh? Can I?" She asked excitedly, her bright blue eyes wide in excitement. The nurse sighed. This one was such a handful.
"Maybe later. She's really exhausted right now and needs to heal. Just like you. You can't fly with two shattered wings, dear."
"Awwweeee!" She whined, throwing her head back. She was only eight years old and loved meeting new friends. Sadly, she lost both of her parents in an accident that involved a falling balcony on one of the buildings downtown. So she was going to have to go into an orphanage. These two fillies will probably end up going to the same one if it came to that point. It just might.