//------------------------------// // 292 - Healing Hooves // Story: Lateral Movement // by Alzrius //------------------------------// Ticket Stub felt his thoughts grind to a halt as he tried to figure out what to do. According to what the engineer had just said, one of the princesses was right outside the passenger car’s front door. Simply hearing that had been enough to throw everypony – including Ticket Stub himself – completely for a loop. Despite the fact that they’d all spent the last day figuring out exactly what they were going to do once the train arrived in Canterlot, even making sure to create a troubleshooting team that was supposed to take care of anything unexpected while everypony else went to work, a princess being present was enough to make them all hesitate. How could it not? Not only were the princesses alicorns, commanding powerful magic, but they were also heroes, having guided Equestria through numerous bouts of hardship and disaster. Ticket Stub could practically hear the same thought going through everyone’s mind: should we wait for her to tell us what to do? Surely she’ll have a better plan than what we came up with, right? Or rather, almost everyone. “WHAT ARE YOU GUYS STANDING AROUND FOR?! GET A MOVE ON!” boomed Coal Hopper, causing Ticket Stub and everypony else in the car to jump. Standing up, Coal Hopper frowned severely as she pointed at the groups that they’d designated. “You two! Get flying to the hospital right now!” With a yelp of acknowledgment, the pair of pegasi rushed out the passenger car’s rear door, wings flapping before they’d even cleared the threshold. “And you guys, get back there and help those doctors with their patients!” Nodding, the other ponies quickly rushed out the back, heading for the converted car where the doctors and their patients were. “And you!” Coal Hopper’s final target was the stupefied engineer, still blocking the doorway where the princess’s voice had come from. “Make yourself useful or get outta the way! RIGHT NOW!” Wide-eyed, the engineer nodded and slunk quietly to the side, and Ticket Stub couldn’t help but compare his demeanor to how collected he’d been just a few minutes ago. By contrast, Coal Hopper had been sullen and withdrawn on the trip back, though that wasn’t surprising given what she’d seen in Vanhoover, and yet now she was the one pushing everyone to take action. Just like when we were going to Vanhoover, he remembered. The engineer and the conductor and everyone else weren’t sure what to do when those ponies told us we couldn’t go forward, but Coal Hopper wouldn’t be deterred. It was actually rather impressive how she was able to push through a crisis, he decided. Now if only she was a little bit nicer. An elbow to the ribs interrupted his musings. “What’re you acting so spaced for?” came Coal Hopper’s irritated voice. “There’s a princess waiting! Get a move on!” Despite the fact that maybe fifteen seconds had passed since the engineer had called on him, Ticket Stub felt himself blanch at the idea that he’d kept royalty waiting. “R-right!” Despite the butterflies forming in his stomach, he quickly trotted toward the front of the passenger car, trying to figure out what he’d do once he got there. But the only thing he was able to think about was whether it was Princess Celestia or Princess Luna that had come to meet them. But a half-second later, an alicorn stepped through the doorway and into the train car, revealing that it was neither. Concern written all over her face, Princess Cadance looked between Ticket Stub and Coal Hopper. “Shining Armor told me that this train gave the emergency whistle,” she announced. “And I overheard somepony yelling something about doctors and a hospital.” The statement was very clearly a leading one, and Ticket Stub fumbled a bow, barely managing not to fall over in the process. “Yes, Your Princessness, er…” Feeling his face heating up at the slip, he tried to course-correct. “Your Majesty. We’re bringing several sick ponies-” “Take me to them.” Cadance’s voice was firm without being harsh, and it made Ticket Stub start to nod instantly, pointing behind him. “They’re a few cars back. We’ll have to go outside-” “Your Majesty,” interrupted Coal Hopper, not bothering to bow as she moved next to Ticket Stub. “We sent some ponies ahead to alert the hospital here, and right now the rest of our team is going to help the doctors transport them there. If we stop to let you examine them, it’ll take longer for them to get help.” Alongside her, Ticket Stub’s eyebrows rose, never having heard his traveling companion speak so politely. Even so, he couldn’t help but fold his ears back a little, worried that she’d just insulted the princess. But Cadance didn’t look upset. In fact, a small smile made its way across her lips. “It’s alright. I think I can help.” “Alright, then we’ll see you guys at the hospital!” With a firm nod at Funshine, Slip ‘n’ Slide, and Granola Bar, Fencer turned and set off at a gallop, Hopscotch at her side. Ahead of her were the eight sick ponies that they’d been sharing a car with for the last three days, carried on mattresses that were being treated as makeshift stretchers by members of the railway crew. Fencer kept her eyes focused on the ponies being carried, silently counting them to make sure that they were all there, despite not having taken her eyes off of them for an instant. This was too important to be anything less than one hundred ten percent certain, she knew. Not when Lex had entrusted her and her friends with the fate of all Equestria. The train ride to Canterlot had been rough, but compared to what they had gone through during Vanhoover’s fall, neither Fencer nor her friends had found it unduly difficult to deal with. They’d slept in shifts, making sure that there were always at least two of them awake in case any of the patients suddenly expired and became a ghoul. They’d also helped out the doctors as needed, assisting them with various minor tasks while they watched over their charges. Even the relatively modest provisions hadn’t been a problem; compared to the weeks they’d spent scavenging for food, none of them had found a reason to complain about their current fare. Unfortunately, the patients – to say nothing of their doctors – hadn’t fared quite so well. Whether it was discomfort brought on by how the train would sway on the tracks and make them all shift whenever it took a turn, or because they were getting worse, several of the injured ponies were prone to moaning or whimpering at even the slightest disturbance. But those hadn’t been the ones that had worried the doctors the most, explaining that it was the patients who weren’t responsive that were a greater concern. The medical ponies themselves were only marginally better, clearly aware of what would happen if worse came to worst. Fencer had observed one of the doctors taking each of the sick ponies’ pulse every five minutes for what had to have been six or seven hours straight, clearly unnerved that one of them would expire and become a flesh-eating monstrosity when he wasn’t looking. Slip ‘n’ Slide had also reported that another of the doctors had been “joking” about jumping from the train when it had slowed down to take another curve. Fortunately, the doctor in question hadn’t been a pegasus, and Slip had been able to talk him down, saying that the “punchline” would not only be serious injury, but Lex being told about it afterward. No other jokes had been floated after that. Now that they’d finally arrived, the doctors had practically collapsed with relief. Funshine, Slip, and Granola Bar were going to carry them to the hospital so that they could brief their colleagues as to what had happened, while Fencer and Hopscotch stayed with the patients being taken to the hospital, just to be safe. After all, thought Fencer, the worst possible time for one of them to die and turn into a ghoul would be right now, when we’re in the middle of Canterlot and surrounded by ponies who don’t have any idea what they’d be in for if that happened. The idea was horrif- “Everypony stop!” The voice that cried out wasn’t one that Fencer knew, but as its owner exited the passenger car up ahead of them, followed by the remaining rail crew, her eyes widened as she saw who it was. “Princess Cadance?!” she blurted, recognizing the pink alicorn from the pictures of her recent wedding that had run in the local newspaper. The event had captured all of Equestria’s attention for weeks, and that was before the wedding itself had been attacked by changelings. But that’s not important right now, Fencer knew, feeling her sense of alarm spike as the railway crew in front of her slowed to a halt, glancing at each other in confusion. We need to keep moving! “Princess Cadance!” she called. “I’m sorry, but we have to get these ponies to a hospital! They’re all-” “I know,” replied Cadance, walking toward them sedately. “I heard from the ponies in the front car.” She nodded towards the ponies being carried. “Let me see them.” Hesitating just for a moment, the railway crew lowered the sick ponies to the ground as gingerly as they could before stepping back, allowing Princess Cadance to approach them. The sight made Fencer bite her lip. Beside her, she heard Hopscotch swallow nervously. “Should we do something?” asked the smaller mare. Fencer didn’t answer, just watching as Cadance knelt down by the sick pony closest to her, a middle-aged unicorn stallion. He was pale and sweating as Cadance approached, shivering despite the warm air. “P-Princess…” he intoned weakly. “Shhh, don’t try to talk,” she rebuked gently. “I’m going to use a healing spell on you.” With no further preamble, her horn lit up, and she lowered her head as she touched the tip of it to the stallion’s chest. “Does that help?” “I…no…” The unicorn shook his head slightly, even that small motion making him grimace. “I don’t feel any different.” Cadance frowned at that, her brows furrowing in anxiety. “Let me try a different one.” Again her horn glowed, and this time she concentrated for several seconds before leaning down to touch it to the stallion. “How about now?” “A little bit,” he murmured. “Not very much.” Fencer took a step forward then. “Your Majesty, the wizard we were with had healing magic too, and he couldn’t help these ponies. Their condition is serious enough that they need to be taken to a hospital right away.” “I want to try one more thing.” Fencer couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Princess!” But Cadance was already kneeling down, not looking at her as she responded. “My husband is on his way here with the Royal Guard. The best thing to do right now is wait for them to arrive and let them transport everypony to the hospital. In the meantime, I’m going to ask Lashtada for help.” Fencer’s eyes widened at that, and she glanced at Hopscotch, who looked equally surprised…and worried. “Lashtada” had been a name that Pillowcase had called when they’d beaten and robbed him, and she’d heard later that same name in conjunction with his wife, Comfy Cozy, as well. Apparently it was their “goddess,” sort of like with Lex and the Night Mare, but that was all Fencer knew. The fact that Princess Cadance was using that name sent a chill down her spine now, not liking the implications… Still kneeling by the stallion she’d tried to treat, Cadance closed her eyes and bowed her head, looking as if she were prostrating herself before someone. Fencer waited for her horn to start glowing, but this time no aura appeared around it. Instead, Cadance suddenly lifted her head, her eyes snapping open, and the white light emanating from them was bright enough that her pupils and irises couldn’t be seen. Fencer heard herself gasp, the sound being echoed by everypony around her, and she was only dimly aware that Funshine, Slip ‘n’ Slide, and Granola Bar had caught up to her, along with the doctors they’d been supporting, all gawking at the sight in front of them. Her eyes still glowing pure white, Cadance rose to her hooves, her wings spreading majestically. “Lashtada,” she breathed softly. “Please, let your love renew this pony.” As she spoke, she reached out and gently, almost tenderly, touched her hoof to the stallion’s chest, who gasped as it made contact. A moment later Cadance withdrew her hoof, letting out a heavy breath as she placed it back on the ground, folding her wings as she closed her eyes. When she opened them a second later they were back to normal, her pupils and purple irises visible again and directed down at the pony in front of her, smiling. “How do you feel?” “I…I feel great,” he said slowly, the surprise audible in his voice. Slowly he sat up, his hooves gingerly feeling over his body. “No headache, no dizziness, no nausea…I…I can’t believe it!” He climbed to his hooves, looking up at the princess with an expression of wonder. “Thank you.” But Cadance shook her head, smiling. “It wasn’t me. Lashtada, the goddess of love, is the one who healed you. I just helped out a bit. Now, let’s take care of the others.” She was already moving to the next of the sick ponies as she spoke, kneeling down beside them and closing her eyes again. Again, the spectacle repeated itself, and again a pony that looked like they were fighting for their life was up and about, turning cartwheels in joy. The same thing happened with the next pony she treated. And the next. And in barely a minute, all of the sick ponies that they’d brought to Canterlot were healed, each of them looking like the very picture of health. It was enough to make everypony erupt into cheers, whooping and prancing in joy. All except for Fencer, who was still in shock at what she’d just witnessed. I don’t believe it. Lex sent those ponies here because his magic couldn’t help them, and she was able to completely restore them all in just a few seconds? It was enough to leave her completely flummoxed, trying to make sense of what she’d just witnessed. But a few seconds later a voice rang out from behind them, loud enough to make itself heard over the celebrating. “PRINCESS!” Everypony turned, and Fencer’s surprise reached new heights at who she saw. There, with tears spilling down her cheeks, was Cozy.