Repercussions

by Hiver


Chapter 22

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I couldn't help!"

"There, there, you did exactly what you should have," I said gently, comforting the mildly hysterical changeling, "you helped evacuate the villagers, you did exactly what you should have."

"But I'm meant to protect you!" Amber protested, "I couldn't!"

"That's right," I said hugging her closer with one foreleg, "You couldn't, at best you might have gotten in the way," I told her firmly, "when it's something like that, you were completely right to stay away and get other ponies away."

"Bu-"

"No more buts," I told her, "You did good, Amber. You did very good and if anyone, including Skitter or Chrysalis, gives you shit about it, tell me and I'll let them know exactly what I think about that."

She was outright trembling and I held her tighter, focusing on my love for Luna, for Sunset, for my friends. For everypony I knew.

She started to slowly relax so I slowly let go,

"Where is everypony gathered?"

"...Other side of the hill," Amber said quietly, "It seemed safest. Midnight said to take them there."

"Good filly," I told her with a smile, "Lead the way."

By the time we got to the top of the hill, the adrenaline had started to fade and the trek had felt about five thousand kilometers long. The thick snow on the ground didn’t exactly help either. Even worse, the ichor in my coat and mane had starten to harden despite my best attempts to get it off me.

Despite the large group of ponies gathered a couple of hundred meters beneath the other side of the top of the hill, I spotted Midnight, Sunset and Twilight almost instantly. A pair of alicorns kind of stand out and Sunny's colouration isn't exactly subtle either. What worried me more was the medical personnel gathered around Twilight.

I shared a look with Luna, but before we could run down the hill, Celestia beat us both to the punch and spread her wings, taking flight down to join them.

Quite honestly, I had no idea where she got the energy, but she clearly had the right idea so I followed her into the air to land close by but out of the medics way.

"I'm fine!" Twilight protested my infinite relief.

"You're not fine!" the doctor tending to her said before looking at Princess Celestia, "Princess Twilight has a broken leg, a strained wing and a concussion. We have set her leg, but she needs rest!"

"Twilight, please get some rest," Celestia told her.

"I'm. fi-"

"You're not fine!" Sunset said, putting her hoof down, "It's over. Get some rest."

Sparky looked at her before she sighed and lowered her head again, "...Fine."

Celestia then raised her head, "Everypony, the danger is over, but there are still fires burning in the village. Weather ponies, gather your clouds! Put out the flames!"

I had not even thought about that.

...Maybe I had gotten a bump to the head too and not noticed? Or I was simply completely exhausted. To be fair, it was more than possible it was both.

"Lay down," Luna murmured into my ear, "You look like you are about to fall asleep on your hooves."

I shook my head, "If I lay down, I may actually fall asleep. There is too much to do still. And the ground is snowy."

Luna just nodded, "I will assist the weather ponies with the snow, it will help but out what fires remain."

"I'll..." I started to say that I'd help, but maybe flying about wasn't the best idea right now when I felt dead on my hooves, "...I'll see if I can help too," I continued and as she took to the air, I moved over to Midnight, Sunset and Twilight. Celestia was already rallying ponies back to the village.

Midnight looked between us before her ears drooped, "...I am so sorry, everypony."

Twilight shook her head, "It's not your fault, I was sure it was going to work."

"It was noponies fault," I said as I joined them, "Something went wrong, it happened. It also happens that something goes wrong with high energy magic, it goes way wrong, way fast. Everypony lived, there was some property damage, but we'll all be fine."

Midnight shook her head, "No. It's my fault. I did this, if not for me being here we wouldn't be casting the spell and we-we... I wouldn't be stuck here and the table is broken and..." she trailed off and she burst into tears.

Sunset quickly pulled her into a hug as the rest of the elements galloped up the hill towards us.

I slowly sank down onto the blanket next to Twilight as I looked to Midnight before my legs folded beneath me, "Doesn't make it your fault," I told her firmly.

If anything, it's Discord's fault.

"Hey, Sparky," I then said, looking at Twilight, "...Not sure if you should with a concussion," I asked, shooting a questioning glance to the doctor hovering nearby, "But would you mind spelling this goop off me? I tried my best, but my best cleaning spells apparently aren't good enough."

The doctor nodded, "Some light magic is alright, but nothing straining."

Twilight flicked her ears in agreement and her horn lit up, a bright beam of light flowed across me and in its wake, none of the hardening ichor remained.

"Thanks," I said and struggled back up to sit, giving Midnight and Sunset a hug, "Look after Sparky," I whispered to them, "She hit her head, best keep an eye on her."

Best thing right now is to give Midnight something to do.

Getting a nod from Midnight, I pulled back and spread my wings, taking to the air to fly back towards Ponyville.

Tired or not, I had things to do.