Words drifted up the Immortal Dream's front staircase as Starlight led the way toward the library, the place she remembered Valey and Shinespark being. "That all sounds eventful, alright. I bet the news is spreading pretty fast?" a familiar, sound stone-transmitted voice was saying.
She emerged with Senescey on her heels to see Valey sprawled facedown on the floor, Shinespark sitting at her side and both staring into the glowing crystal. Amber had been called, apparently. "Hey!" she greeted, making her presence known before she intruded too quickly.
"Buh?" Valey lifted her head, trying to swivel her neck to look. "Ow. Hey, Starlight. Senescey?"
Shinespark nodded in a cordial greeting, and Senescey waved awkwardly back. "Hey... Sorry to show up unannounced at your boat, especially if you're trying to beat the pressure? I didn't see it but heard there was an upset and wanted to say congratulations."
"Yeah, that's one way of putting it," Valey groaned. "A whole lotta upset going on from all sides right now. Apparently it was such a bad move for me to try to win that, Wallace let me just so I'd learn a lesson, or something. But that's our problem. What's up?"
"Senescey?" Amber chimed. "Valey, this isn't that mare you were telling me about, is it?"
Senescey approached the sound stone curiously, stretching out her neck toward it. "Hello? This can talk to someone?"
"Long-range sound stone! It works all the way from here to Ironridge. Probably farther, but we haven't tested it. I'm Amber, though. Nice to meet you. You're one of Valey's friends?"
"Nice to meet you," Senescey echoed. "Can you see through this, then? Or just talk?"
"Just talk. No idea how it works, either. We stole them from some charlatans. But it's almost like I can see with everyone's awesome descriptions of the Empire! We're just sitting here talking about Stormhoof and the tournament and maybe relationships later if we're feeling like mare talk. But hey, come and join us!"
Starlight didn't join, instead leaning against a chair a few paces away as Senescey trotted up, noting how Amber was so comfortable with social situations she was automatically leading the conversation dynamic without even being there. It was nice, she decided, having someone else doing the work of giving her an excuse not to talk.
Senescey nodded at the sound stone and settled in, giving Valey a concerned look. "You look heavily injured. I should have expected it from Wallace, but are you alright?"
"Something approaching maybe?" Valey gave a pitiful look, then huffed, adjusting her leg cast and scratching at the bandage around her middle. "Good enough I'll get better, bad enough I'm entitled to complain about it. Had half a healing potion. I kinda wanna conserve those though. But bananas, the worst part is everything that doesn't look broken. Leg hurts? Yeah, I can deal with that. Get chucked on the ground and stepped on or whatever? Ow. My spine feels like someone took a garden hose and stretched it too long, my hips are gonna cramp up so hard the moment I get off them, my head hurts, I probably can't fly... Get the picture?"
Senescey winced with every description until Shinespark cut in, looking abashedly at her hooves. "I tried to help, but... not really my area, you know?"
"If Valey didn't appreciate it anyway, I don't know what to say. Thanks for trying, though," Amber replied. "I'm just imagining how easy it would be to get lost in a place like Stormhoof. The way you make it sound with all the mazelike gates and roads and bridges, it sounds like you spent half your work just finding your way to the colosseum!"
"Heh. Wings, remember?" Valey flexed her good wing. "It's kinda designed to be seen from above. But we've also been living here for like two months by now, and it's just an island. Pretty sure I've explored more than half of it myself, and that's just with my free time."
Senescey was still paying attention to Valey. "I can try to help, if you want?"
Valey blinked at her. "Huh?"
"With your condition." Senescey pointed a hoof, glancing between Shinespark and the sound stone. "I... know some things about muscular and skeletal things, remember."
"...Oh yeah!" Valey brightened. "Oh yeah." Then she drooped. "Sorry. I've, uhh... had a bad experience from exactly the same offer in the past. Got messed up by a monk dude right after I met you the first time. No offense, but, uhh... you know?"
Senescey winced. "Someone used Mistvale arts on you in the past without you realizing it and let you walk away anyway? Wow. That's either a lot nicer than usual or long-term sabotage. You got yourself taken care of somehow?"
"I remember that," Amber added. "You didn't complain too much while we were talking about how tired you were, but afterward..."
Valey nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I got that fixed up. While we were in Izvaldi, I don't remember how but Chauncey somehow found out and had some sort of doc patch me up?" She blinked. "Although, actually, now that I think about it? Bananas, Chauncey is weird and that doc was mega-shady. Honestly, from what I've seen you're way cooler than they were, so sure. If I could trust them, I trust you. Go ahead and do your thing."
Shinespark watched and Amber listened as Senescey put her hooves on Valey's back, felt for a moment, and frowned. "Feels like you're just all banged up. I can help straighten things and keep it from cramping, but you're still going to need rest more than anything. May I remove this bandage? I'd like to see what's underneath, and will need direct fur contact on your entire spine."
"Yeah, sure. It's itchy anyway. Just make sure we've got a second?" Valey glanced to Shinespark. "You've got medical supplies on here, right?"
"We do," Shinespark confirmed. "I'm not sure how many bandages of that size we'd have to replace it with, but definitely at least one."
Senescey carefully unwrapped the bandage, rolling Valey partway over and pursing her lips at the sight of Valey's belly. "This itches because you used magical healing with the bandage still in place on an open wound and didn't clean it afterward. A gentle bath will help you feel a lot better."
"Yep. I could go for that right now," Valey groaned.
Starlight stepped curiously closer, getting a look for herself. There was a decent amount of dried blood in Valey's fur, and raw, partially-restored skin that reminded her of a week-old scrape formed a crosswise slash across her belly. She folded her ears, imagining it as a fresh wound... and Valey fighting on anyway, taking a second, even harder blow and still going. For a moment, a spike of anger at Wallace coursed through her, but it quickly subsided, leaving just a gentle concern. Valey seemed to be in good hooves, though. She didn't get any impression that Senescey meant her harm.
"...This won't hurt as long as you don't stretch too far the wrong way and don't touch it with anything aggravating," Senescey decided. "Which probably isn't an option if you're fighting in the tournament... but take care of it, okay? I don't even know what's in your cast, but this will either get a lot better or keep bothering you for a long time depending on how you treat it. And stay on your side for now. It'll be more uncomfortable if you're laying on it while I work."
Valey grunted in acknowledgement, and Senescey started working her hooves against Valey's back, humming in concern. After a few seconds, there was a loud crack, and Valey winced heavily, tensing all her legs. "Ow! Bananas, that was... Ow. Something just went back into place..."
"That'll happen a few more times before I'm done," Senescey warned. "You got hit hard. It should start feeling better soon, though."
Valey alternated between wincing and closing her eyes in bliss as Senescey continued her work. "Sooooo," Amber said after a long while. "Who's still left to talk? Sounds like someone's getting a professional massage."
"I'm here," Shinespark volunteered. Starlight nodded, at which she added, "Starlight too. I think?"
"Starlight!" Amber's voice instantly took a step in cheeriness. "I don't get to talk to you often. How've you been?"
Starlight folded her ears. "The same as always. Valey's teaching me how to fight. Apparently we're going to get a lot more public attention now that she did something in the tournament."
"Yeah, she was talking to me about that," Amber consoled. "I've got a surprise I've been working on that might help a lot, though. Trust me on this. It's something you all should really like."
"Okay." Starlight shrugged. She had nothing against Amber, and the mare's energy and enthusiasm were sometimes nice to be around or watch, but she hadn't quite felt like they clicked enough to know how to make small talk with her, and that left her with nothing more to say. Willow, on the other hoof... An idea slowly crossed her head, and she figured nothing important enough was happening not to ask. "Willow isn't there, is she? Could I talk to her?"
Amber paused for a moment. "Yeah, she's, uhh... not actually available right now? Sorry, Starlight. You really got along with her, though, didn't you?"
Starlight winced, feeling like she had been seen right through. Shinespark, though, stepped up by her side. "Come on, Amber," she wheedled. "I know whatever's been going on has been going on for a while, but if it's part of the surprise, Starlight's a kid. Save it for Valey and Maple?"
Amber sounded slightly pained. "Not available as in actually not available. Sorry, Starlight... I'll make it up to you, too, though? It won't be long, I promise."
Valey narrowed her eyes, twitching slightly as Senescey pressed a spot on her back. "Amber, uhh... just so you know, Ironflanks isn't listening right now. So if there's anything we need to break gently to her that you don't trust anyone else not to say... we could hear it now. Or even just Sparky." She closed her eyes. "It's about White Chocolate, isn't it? Her pregnancy?"
"Oh! No, she's fine. At least, she was fine when I last saw her," Amber promised. "No, it's... You'll see soon?"
"If you say so..." Shinespark looked wistfully at the sound stone. "Just stay safe, okay?"
"Don't worry," Amber insisted, voice slightly less-strained than Starlight felt it should be given the tone of the conversation. "I'm staying very safe. And I know it's a subject we've been dancing around more and more lately, but I really think the surprise will be worth it! And when I say soon, I actually mean in about- Woah!"
A burst of noise coupled with a loud splash echoed through the sound stone, and then it transmitted nothing but silence, though the connection remained glowing. Senescey stopped her massage, everyone looking at each other and blinking.