Torture, that was the word Faust could call her stay in the hospital. It was true her wounds were pretty great, but staying in the hospital was just pure torture to her playful mind. Faust's body was still sore from some of the deeper wounds, but she would be fine leaving the hospital, but no her daughters just had to be so overprotective that she wasn't allowed to leave until doctors said it was okay. It was like she was a prisoner she had tried to cast teleportation to escape the room, but Celestia and Luna had warded the room blocking any magic trying to enter or exit after her first escape attempt, with no way out other than walk out the door which was guarded by solar guards during the day and lunar guards during the night. Currently, Faust was spamming through different channels on the tv to pass the time and groaning. A plan was starting to form inside her head to escape her new prison.
"This is so boooriiinggg!!!!" Faust yelled and soon nurse Redheart entered the room.
"Good day miss Faust. How are you holding this fine day." Redheart asked while taking notes from the machines.
"I'm great. All I can do is look at the boring tv shows and lay here. I'm fine miss Redheart can you clear me out pretty please." Faust asked looking at nurse Redheart while giving the biggest puppy eyes possible.
"I'm sorry miss Faust, but princess Celestia gave strict orders to keep you here until you have fully healed and cleared for release by a doctor. That should be all I need for the day. Take care miss Faust" Redheart said as she closed the book after finished writing into it and turned around to leave.
Not able to take it anymore Faust sapped Redheart with her magic placing her into a deep slumber. With little work, Faust managed to transform herself into a spitting image of nurse Redheart and nurse Redheart into her image. Faust took a quick look at herself admiring her spellwork.
"Haven't lost the touch. But all this power returning to my body is hard to keep hidden. Any unicorn worth their spellcraft can probably sense me from miles." Faust spoke to herself while levitating the nurse into bed and placing the blankets over her and attaching the medical equipment to her before leaving the room through the door.
"Ma'am" one of the guards said to disguised Faust who just nodded to them and left towards the exit.
"All too easy. Now to get out of this boring hellhole." Faust thought to herself, but before she even managed to leave the hallway she bumped with Celestia and Luna.
"Ahh... Nurse Redheart, how is our mother." Celestia asked who was carrying some red roses with her and Luna followed closely behind her.
"Oh crap.... please think that the magic aura I'm emitting comes from my room." Faust was thinking at the same time when she bowed and spoke doing her best to mimic Redheart's voice with her magic.
"Princesses, your mom is fine little tired. She was sleeping while I was visiting her." Faust said and got back up.
"Thank you miss Redheart. Now if you excuse us we want to see our mother." Celestia said and walked past disguised Faust with her sister who stared at her a while and then followed Celestia.
Finally free of her newest prison Faust let out a loud cheer of victory. Multiple ponies looked at her as if she had lost her mind and then walked away from her, ignoring her. Just to be safe Faust kept her disguise on not wanting to draw any unwanted attention as she dashed forward trying to get as much as possible distance between her and the hospital. Faust runs through the streets towards Ponyville wanting to see the lonely pegasus filly.
As the two sisters walked past the nurse Luna was deep in thought.
"What is it, Lulu?" Celestia asked as they walked towards their mother's room.
"That easy to see that something bothers me, sister?" Luna asked while smiling at her sister.
"Maybe..." Celestia said and let out a warm laugh.
"It's just that miss Redheart's aura had hints of mothers magic." Luna said
"Well of course. She is taking care of her so it is only natural that some of the mother's magical residue might latch onto her." Celestia said while they both entered their mother's room walking past the guards.
As Redheart said their mother was sleeping on the bed silently and peacefully. Celestia placed the new roses on the flower pedestal while Luna just stood there. Just to be safe Luna wanted to take her own reading of her mother's condition only to be met by a surprise.
"Sister... could you please take the magical reading of mother's life force too. I must be losing my touch." Luna said already suspecting foul play. Celestia looked at her sister but did as she asked her to do. She too noticed that something was missing from her.
"Her energy feels different. It doesn't have any hints of mothers magic at all. Maybe..." Celestia didn't finish her sentence as she cast a dispel spell on Redheart who woke up and transformed back to herself.
"What... Where... Owww... my head." Redheart said placing her hand on her forehead.
"Really mother? Stunning the nurse and taking her form." Celestia said as she cast a pain relief spell on Redheart and left the room with Luna.
"Guards! Spread out and search for a mare who looks like her." Luna said pointing towards Redheart who was still sitting on the bed's edge. Guards just saluted and gave a firm "Yes ma'am" and left.
"Lulu, let's go. The guards need our help to find her." Celestia said and cast a powerful tracking spell. Both of the sisters left the hospital spread their wings and took off into the air to search for the escaped patient.
Faust was walking through the streets of Ponyville as she felt Celestia's tracking magic reach into her magic.
"Seems like they found out I'm not there anymore, but..." With little focus Faust used her magic to manipulate Celestia's search spell and hid from it. Now that she was safe from her eldest tracking spell she walked toward a two-storied building. Its yard was a mess, and the grass was overgrown, but the house was looking good seeing it was protected with magic. Dispelling her disguise she used her magic to search for a certain filly and felt Scootaloo inside the house. Walking to the door she knocked on the door and waited. It took some time but soon Scootalo was standing in front of her and let out a gasp.
"I... Ehhh... Princess, what are you doing here?" Scootaloo asked and took a quick bow.
"No need to bow Scootalo. Just Faust I'm not royalty. May I come in?" Faust asked while giving a warm motherly smile toward the young filly.
"I... Yeah sure miss Faust." Scootaloo said and guided Faust inside the house. The inside of the house was in good shape no dust anywhere and all the furniture were protected by magic. Once they were in the living room they took a seat. Scootaloo looked nervous and didn't know what to say, but Faust started the conservation.
"Was this your parent's home?" Faust asked carefully.
"It is! They are still out there somewhere I know it!" Scootaloo answered with a hint of anger mixed with sadness while a small teardrop formed in her eye.
"Scootaloo... I know. After you visited me I used my magic to see what was wrong with you. I was worried about the pain and sadness in you... It was the same that I felt during my first years in the void. A filly of your age shouldn't go through this without support." Faust said giving a motherly smile to Scootaloo.
"I... No! Mom and dad are just busy. That's why there haven't been any letters. Yes that's it they are busy!" Scootaloo answered her wall starting to crumble under the weight of her emotions as her eyes started to moist.
"Scootaloo... Have you ever heard of the five stages of grief?" Faust asked as she got up from her seat.
"I'm... Not... Griefing!" Scootaloo said and turned away.
"Aren't you? The way I see it you are currently advancing to stage two, anger." Faust said and walked to Scootaloo and just hugged her letting her warmth and love flow while holding the young filly. Scootaloo's dam finally crumbled down and she let her tears free. After a moment of sadness, Scootaloo spoke up in a weak voice.
"Mom and dad they... they haven't sent any letters in six months. There should be one every month explaining where they are and what they are doing like they normally do." Scootaloo said and took a letter from her pocket.
"This was the last letter I received from them." Scootaloo said and handed it to Faust.
How's my sweet baby girl doing? We are having a wonderful time exploring these old ruins in the mountains far north. We found many old artifacts that we can't place in any know ancient cultures. Snap Shutter says they feel wrong and I have felt it too. One of the artifacts pulses some dark purple energy and we have no idea how is it possible. They have been here for thousands of years maybe more so any traces of magical energy should be long gone. We should be returning to Manehattan in a couple of weeks and from there maybe a quick visit to Ponyville.
Stay safe, do your homework and listen to what your aunties tell you
Love! Mom and Dad
After reading the letter Faust's fur stands up. An ancient relic that pulses with dark purple energy. There are not many relics of that kind and not one of them is good. There is a chance Scootaloo's parents are indeed alive, but they are in terrible danger. She couldn't say that they might be alive if there was a chance that they have been used as sacrifices.
"Scootaloo... You need to let go. I can't say what kind of experience you have with your parents but hold onto those memories the good and the bad ones. And you are more than welcome to visit me if you need someone to talk to." Faust said and handed the letter back to the filly.
"I can't... I know they are somewhere." Scootaloo said with a firm voice all of her sadness washed away. Faust was impressed by this. She did plan to visit and look around if this indeed was what she feared it is.
"If you are so sure. Just remember what I said." Faust said and gave a quick hug to the filly.
"I... I think I needed someone to talk to. So thank you, princess." Scootaloo said and returned the hug.
"I'm sorry Scootaloo, but I need to go. I have a couple of places I need to still visit today." Faust said and left for the door.
Once she opened the door, Celestia, Luna, and a couple of royal guards were standing there.
"Hello mother how have you been this fine day." Luna said with an annoyed voice.
"Oh... Hi Luna I have been fine. How did you find me I blocked..." Faust said but didn't get to finish her sentence
"Blocked my magic, but not Luna's magic. So now we are here to escort you back to the hospital you still need time to recover. So will you come with us freely?" Celestia asked. In hurry, Faust had completely forgotten her other daughter.
"Yes... Recover... Hold on just a moment please." Faust said and slammed the door close in front of her daughters and locked it with her magic. She tried to teleport out of the house but felt the same magical block that was in her hospital room.
"Mom! Get out now! We don't want to make a bigger scene out of this!" Celestia yelled.
Scootaloo came from the living room to see what was going on.
"Princess Faust, what's going on?" Scootaloo asked.
"Scootaloo you wouldn't know a way out of here?" Faust asked as the blocked door started to move clearly showing Celestia's magic trying to get through it.
"Well I made an escape tunnel in my room. Come I'll show you" Scootaloo said with a playful smile and dashed towards her room as Faust followed her.
As they exited the tunnel to the backyard of the house Faust was in a hurry and didn't remember to watch around her as she felt someone jumping on her back and sliding a ring to her horn.
"Huzzah! The hunt is over." Luna said as she got up and held her mother's hands behind her back.
"Luna! No! Not again! I'm going to die of boredom in the hospital!" Faust said and heard the armor-clanging noises as Celestia and the royal guard arrived.
"Sometimes I wonder who is the more mature one of us mother." Celestia said and placed magical impression cuffs on her hands.
"Hey! Not fair I already have a horn ring blocking my magic." Faust said clearly disappointed that Celestia had already blocked another of her escape attempts.
"Sorry mother, but knowing you I won't take any risks anymore. It's clear you don't care about your health so we must look after your safety." Celestia said and gave a playful smile to her mother.
"Guards escort us back to the hospital. Our mother needs to return to her room." Luna said as the guards formed around them and they started to move towards the hospital. Celestia already knew that this will make some sort of scene and the press would eat from it and probably invent lots of lies or other crap that some magazines liked to do. It's not an everyday event that two princesses escort the third one in chains back to the hospital since she won't care about her own health.