The plum colored pony floated about in the sky, careless and ignorant of the world beneath it. It merrily tumbled tail over teakettle, (sometimes producing an actual teakettle from its hair just for that purpose,) in the half day, half night sky as its eyes swirled in different directions. Half way through one of its winterpeppers, (or maybe they were called summersaults,) the pony stopped and stared upside down at one of the less beautiful houses she had ever seen.
The house was huge, at least as big as a frog, (or maybe it was a dragon she was thinking of) and it was a dull, sandy tan color. It also had a large white X with hearts around it painted on the side, but some silly pony had tilted the house when they had painted it so the X looked like a plus sign, but then who would paint a big white plus sign on a building?
‘Everypony,’ the purple mare answered herself, although her voice was more of a rubber duck squeak than an actual word. There was something funny about that building. It made her propeller beanie buzz and her eyes stop spinning for a second. It was an ugly building, not quite like the rest of her beautiful world, but there was something about it that made her want to get closer.
As she floated up to the enormous building she stretched out her arms to hug it. Her limps stretched all the way around the cold brick, and she pressed her cheek against its as hard as she could, but whatever she was expecting to happen, didn’t. The pony wrapped its forelegs around the building a few more times and tried to bury her face in the cool tan painted stone as its brain started to burn again. Sugared cumquats began to grow in the corners of her clenched eyes and drop down her face as she blew sorrowful raspberries into the brick.
The raspberries and cumquats slowly turned into sobbing and tears as her forelegs retracted and the harsh memories burned their way into her skull again. She slid down the wall and landed on the roof just above a small terrace on the third floor. Why couldn’t she just forget? Why did she have to keep remembering all the things she didn’t want to?
Her tears stopped as she heard a voice from inside shouting orders.
“I don’t care if the neonatal wing has turned into a Zebrainian jungle, we’ve got foals in there that need attention! Get that pony to the operating room stat! Zecora, how is that potion coming along? This stallion is falling to pieces; I want somepony with a broom and tape in here now!”
Mercy, or the thing that used to be Mercy, perked up her ears as she listened to the voice. It was so strong, so familiar…
------
It was crowded almost to bursting inside the hospital. The examination rooms were all filled by ponies suffering from some strange ailment, such as a sudden disregard for gravity, partial transparency, or the inability to stop singing show tunes. Though one particular room contained only a confused carrot farmer and a utterly devastated looking blond and grey pegasus cradling what appeared to be a banana nut muffin.
The friends and family of these poor ponies crowded against the walls of the medical center’s hallways as they waited for any word of progress; trying to keep a path clear for the nurses and volunteers that were frantically galloping from room to room carrying first aid, buckets, and other supplies. Ordinarily they would have been asked to stay in the waiting room, but it was already more packed down there then it was in the halls.
Chaos seemed to reign inside and out of the medical center. It was raining chocolate milk outside and ponies where spontaneously combusting into confetti on the inside. And yet, throughout all the disorder and panic raging outside the hospital doors, one singular earth pony mare was keeping the staff and patents inside the hospital from giving into the overwhelming fear and worry they all felt creeping down their necks.
“Tenderheart, I need you to take these blankets to the ponies in the east wing. Yes, the ones that keep freezing solid every time they sneeze. Raindancer, have you made any progress with getting those earth ponies off the roof? Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle! I see you two trying to sneak out. I know you’re worried about Appleblooom but I’m sure she’s safe with her family, now please just go back and stay with Cheerilie and the other colts and fillies.”
Nurse Redheart paused for a moment to make sure the two fillies actually did go back to the room before turning her attention back to her staff. The pink maned mare continued to give directions and reassure her patients as she made her rounds through the building. She wanted desperately to join her fellow care givers in helping those poor ponies directly, but she knew she was more helpful like this. Besides, as long as she kept moving she wouldn’t have to think about…
“Serenity!”
The Head Nurse turned her head sharply as she heard her name being called. Two mares, one a mint green unicorn, the other a cream colored earth pony with a curling blue and pink mane, were fighting their way towards her.
“Bon Bon! Lyra!” The Head Nurse called back anxiously, her calm façade momentarily. Scolding herself, Redheart quickly regained her composure as the two approached.
“Serenity, we-” Bon Bon began, but Redheart put up her hoof to silence her.
“Follow me,” she said simply, and led the two mares away, continuing to issue directions and comfort the scared as needed. It wasn’t long before they reached their destination; the third floor terrace, the only part of the building that was still vacant of ponies. Not bothering to open the blinds, the head nurse instead opened the sliding glass door and stepped through them. The other two did the same and when Redheart finally closed the door behind Lyra, cutting them off both visually and auditory from the ponies in side, the pony that had been holding the entire hospital together fell to pieces.
“Did you find her?” she asked frantically, reaching up to grab Bob Bon by the shoulders, “Where is she? Is she okay?”
“Serenity, calm down,” the blue and pink maned earth pony replied, reaching out and steadying the hysterical mare. “Please, we looked all over Ponyville but we couldn’t find her anywhere. ..I’m sorry.”
“What about her house, did you look there?”
“We checked there first, Seri,” Lyra replied stepping between the two earth ponies. “We followed the directions you gave us to the letter, but everything’s all topsy turvy now and all we could find were a few enormous houses of cards. We looked everywhere, but there was no sign of her anywhere.”
The unicorn’s eyes were sympathetic and sincere, but they did nothing to calm the panic and fear in Redheart’s chest. The earth pony turned away and learned against railing overlooking the new chaos capital of Equestria. Lyra cautiously followed her and wrapped her forelegs around the trembling mare.
“Come on Seri, you gott’a pull yourself together. Just because we don’t know where she is doesn’t mean she’s in trouble. Knowing her she’s probably busy helping some stragglers who are still lost out there. I’m sure she’s fine.”
Her words did little to help the poor mare as she began to sob into the unicorn’s shoulder. Sighing, Lyra reached up and began to rub the ivory earth pony’s back as she cried. Eventually the Head Nurse managed to regain her self control and pulled away from the mint colored pony whipping her eyes.
“Sorry,” she choked out. Then she cleared her throat and took a deep, calming breath. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right, Lyra,” Redheart agreed, striating her back and whipping her expression clean again. “There’s no reason to lose my head over her yet. There are still plenty of ponies who need me right now. Thank you both for your help, now if you’ll excuse me I better get back to my-”
“Hold it,” the unicorn countered, stopping the white mare before she could so much as stand. “Acting like there’s nothing wrong isn’t going to help you either. You’ve been working nonstop for hours, at least take a break before you go back in there.”
“But I…”
“You should listen to your cousin, Serenity,” Bon Bon chimed in. “I know things are maybe complete chaos right now, but you look ready to drop on you hooves. Just take a breather and try to relax a bit first.”
The white earth pony looked between both of them helplessly before caving in with a sigh. “Fine, let me finish my round and I’ll take a quick fifteen minutes in the break room.”
“Why don’t you just get some fresh air out here and let us finish your round?” Lyra offered hopefully, but the ivory mare just smiled softly and shook her head.
“A Nurse shouldn’t leave her job half finished. Even though that’s what I just did…” she admitted shamefacedly.
“Nopony’s going to blame you for that,” her unicorn cousin assured her, as she pulled the Head Nurse to her feat. “Or for taking a twenty minute break instead,” she added, giving Redheart a meaningful look.
The earth pony gave a dry chuckle as Bon Bon pulled open the door for them. “Maybe if I get my best nurse back I’ll think about it,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. Lyra sighed back in response at her cousin’s stubbornness.
As the three mares went back inside the building, none of them noticed the green, paddle like propeller peeking over the roof above them, slowly turning as if processing everything its owner had just over heard.