Twilight sat in her castle’s library, flipping through another spellbook. The sun was shining in through the windows, she had a plate of daisy sandwiches before her, and beside her was a tall glass of chocolate milk. Any other day this was the perfect setup for a long, perfectly quiet reading and study session, one of her favorite things.
But this was not any other day.
She was looking for a helpful spell, something to save Scootaloo, but didn’t find what she was looking for. Groaning she slammed her book shut and tossed it aside, picking up another one. Opening it up she began to pour over the details written in it.
“Twilight, shouldn’t we be at the hospital?” Spike asked picking the book up off the floor and setting it on a pile of other books she discarded. “Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo need our support.”
“Scootaloo probably isn't in any condition to benefit from our support, and the others can help Rainbow without me.” She told him without looking up from her book. She picked up her glass and took a big drink of her chocolate milk.
“I thought you said healing spells took to years to learn.” Spike pointed out while getting comfy on a couch until she tossed that book aside too.
Twilight groaned when he made that point. Ponies attended four years of university and four years of medical school just to learn medical techniques, anatomy, and medicine. Some unicorns attended yet another four years at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns to master healing spells and more advanced knowledge. To think in the space of a few hours she could learn more than the surgeons did in at least twelve years was foolish.
She sighed and put her head in her hooves, feeling a headache coming on. Reading through several spellbooks for a miracle cure for the filly was a futile endeavor and she knew it. If there was a magic cure-all, they would teach it on day one and save the time of both the students and the instructors. “I did, and I’m not going to be able to help Scootaloo in time.” Twilight admitted.
“So why were you studying at all?” Spike asked.
Twilight sighed again and didn’t look up. "I want to be able to at least say I tried instead of just being emotional support.”
“So shouldn’t we get to the hospital and be there for Rainbow Dash now?” Spike asked, getting up from the couch to go.
"Yes. We're going now."
Luna’s carriage set down outside the hospital, and she hastily stepped out. “Excellent work. Dr. Palliate, assist Scootaloo at once.” The older unicorn nodded and entered the hospital, heading into the surgical wing.
As soon as she entered the hospital herself she saw Rainbow Dash being held by Big Macintosh, the pegasus trembling in his forelegs. The lunar princess made her presence known and put a hoof on the pegasus’s shoulder. “My sympathies Rainbow Dash, I too worry for Scootaloo. But know I have journeyed from Canterlot to help her, bringing my own personal physician to aid in her recovery.”
She looked at the other pony present, the stallion giving her a silent nod to acknowledge her. He continually rubbed Rainbow’s back with one of his strong hooves while the other foreleg held her close.
“I’m scared, princess Luna. I’m scared Scootaloo won’t pull through this. Scared I’ll lose her.” At her admission of fear, she felt the stallion hug her closer, the pressure on her body a soothing comfort. “We have such hopes and dreams that we want to achieve together. I mean I have dreams of my own too, but I mean we, ugh!” She gave a noise of frustration at being unable to put her thoughts into words.
“You want her to live through this so she can achieve her own dreams and you can both pursue your shared ones.” Big Macintosh summed up, looking down at her.
“Yeah."
“Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll make a recovery.” Pinkie Pie’s voice came from the reception desk as her head poked up. She bounced over the counter to join her friends. “I’m so sure I’m already planning a celebration party!” She said bouncing in place.
“That’s the spirit.” Applejack’s voice came from the entrance. The four ponies to see her, Apple Bloom, Fluttershy, and Twilight. Spike was present as well, riding on Twilight's back.
Rainbow smiled at her friends and gently pulled out of Big Mac’s embrace. “Hey girls, and Spike, thanks for coming. Anypony know where Rarity is?”
“She had a modeling gig in Canterlot. I sent her a letter about what’s going on here, she should be on her way.” Spike answered, getting down from Twilight.
“Hello Luna, it's good to see you.” Twilight greeted.
“Likewise, but I wish I was here on a happier errand.”
Nightmare Moon felt a strange mix of glee and anger within Luna’s mind. These five ponies and their absent comrade delayed a plan a thousand years in the making and trapped her within Luna's mind.
In addition to her anger, she felt happy to be here. Somewhere in this hospital was her ticket to becoming physical again, and the more hurt that filly was the better. She was prepared to save Scootaloo, and make her her new host. She just needed a way out.
Then again there was always the chance Scootaloo could die before Nightmare Moon got to her. If that happened it’d be a setback, but all she'd have to do is wait for another opportunity to present itself. It might take years, even decades, but she’d waited a thousand years already what was a few more.
Through Luna she saw Nurse Redheart exit the surgical wing and focused, but Redheart's sullen expression told her it’d be good news for her.
“Is Scootaloo okay?!” Rainbow Dash immediately asked, but Redheart could only shake her head in response.
“You’ll all want to sit down for this one.” When nobody moved she continued regardless. "Scootaloo is far from alright. That poor foal has sustained several devastating injuries.”
At her news the Apples winced, Luna looked shocked, Pinkie’s mane deflated, Spike fell to the ground, all while Fluttershy gasped and put a hoof to her mouth. Rainbow Dash felt her legs grow weak and fall out from under her. The only pony who had some composure was Twilight.
“How devastating?” Twilight hesitantly asked, bracing herself for the bad news that was to come.
Redheart looked uncomfortable, which Twilight knew was a bad sign. “She has six broken ribs, one of which punctured a lung, another hit her spleen which resulted in heavy internal bleeding."
Twilight winced. A punctured lung was bad, but a punctured spleen? Up to a third of a body’s red blood cells were stored in it, and damage to the spleen could result in it needing to be removed. Following the loss of the spleen, a pony suffered an acute decline in their athletic ability.
Redheart continued. “Her back left femur was broken in two places, while her right one was severely fractured.”
Luna was slowly pulling herself together. She was getting over the initial shock and news but saw a look on Redheart’s face that meant she was withholding information. This made her stomach sink with worry and her heart fill with dread. “What don’t we know?” She asked, having a feeling she would regret asking. She heard a sound like sniffling coming from the nurse.
Redheart took a deep breath. “Those weren’t the worst of her injuries. The worst ones, well, they’re permanent.”
“Hold on, permanent? As in forever and ever and ever?” Pinkie asked rubbing the back of her head, a grimace on her face. “Like, they’ll never go away?”
“I’m afraid so. Her left wing was mangled beyond our ability to reconstruct, even with magic. We couldn’t save it. But the very worst of all I’m afraid is that her back was broken.” Redheart’s voice was wavering throughout her speech, and at the last injury, she sounded very upset.
Rainbow Dash’s anger evaporated the second she heard Scootaloo had lost a wing. Her legs gave out and she fell to the ground, only faintly aware of her surroundings, her mind zoning out. She imagined the energetic orange filly who dreamed of flying high above the clouds, grounded forever.
She wanted to sob, she wanted to be angry at the Apple family, she wanted to demand to know where Scootaloo was, but none of these took root, leaving her frozen. Rainbow felt tears in her eyes as memories of Scootaloo flashed through her mind. Her racing through Ponyville doing tricks on her scooter and doing all sorts of crazy activities for a cutie mark, and it pained the pegasus to no end that these were impossible for her now.
“Hold on.” Fluttershy’s soft, quiet voice had a quiver in it. “There’s nothing you can do for her?”
"I'm sorry, I really am, but even magic can't undo her injuries. All it was able to do was to prevent her from dying already." The nurse informed them. This seemed to snap Applejack to attention.
“Hold up, already? What do you mean already?!” She demanded with small pupils and wide eyes.
Her response was a sigh. “Look, the accident was bad and she's in critical condition. Despite the speed you brought her here with, Luna’s physician pitching in, and our best efforts, I’m doubtful of her chances.”
“What do you mean?” Big Macintosh knew it was a dumb question in the back of his mind but he was in a state of sheer disbelief. He had a hard time wrapping his head around the situation. He knew she’d be hurt but he never imagined it'd be this bleak.
He felt a small object clinging to him with the force of a timberwolf’s jaw. He didn’t need to look down to know it was Apple Bloom. He immediately wrapped his forelimbs around her and held her close, gently nuzzling the top of her head.
“While we’re doing everything in our power to save her, you should all prepare for the very likely outcome that we can’t.”
That news was the killing blow for Luna’s self-restraint. She started crying, and darted into the restroom.
She used her magic to turn the sink on and splashed her face, the cold water helping to shock her back to focus.
Nightmare Moon couldn’t be more excited. Any one of those injuries was dire on its own but all together spelled doom for anypony. While the doctors had no hope of healing her, she knew she could. But first, she needed to escape, and to escape she needed to weaken Luna.
Luna just needed some added stress and grief, something to give her a headache perhaps or make her sleepless. The opportunity to do so presented itself when she entered the bathroom. It’d take a bit of energy, but it was worth it. Focusing, she made her image appear in place of Luna’s. As soon as the princess looked up she flinched, making a quick, sharp noise of surprise.
“Hello, Luna.” Nightmare Moon greeted with a fanged smile.