Chapter 4
The first dredges of the rising sun were just starting to spread up from behind the jagged peaks on the horizon, bathing the eastern sky in soft orange and highlighting every lazily drifting cloud a warm indigo, as the steady promise of a new day fought to break the early-morning haze. On the ground, a delicate layer of morning mist rose and billowed on a gentle, intermittent breeze, sometimes even obscuring the distant purple mountains. It was the kind of morning to take a pony's breath away and render them motionless in silent awe of the early autumn dawn.
A wave of relief washed over Nurse Redheart as daybreak's first light glinted off the waiting room windows. She drew in a deep breath, the beginnings of a sigh, which turned to a loud yawn as she exhaled. It had been a long night. The nurse fought to keep her eyes open, as if some great weight was persistent on dragging them closed. She hated working the night shift. Ponyville Hospital had been quiet, as usual, with nary a single Emergency Room visit to make her life interesting. Nurse Redheart had resigned herself to let the lonely hours slip by with the company of naught but her newest romance novel.
It would all be over soon, she assured herself, slowly blinking as she watched the clock. Sunrise was nearly upon the sleepy hospital and its community, and with it would come Nurse Tender to take over for the day shift. Nurse Redheart's eyes drifted shut. She could already feel her soothing, inviting bed, soft and warm against her coat. With her hooves folded neatly on the reception desk, she yawned once more and laid her head upon them, ready for some well-deserved rest.
Any delusions Nurse Redheart had about getting some shut-eye before the end of her shift, however, came to a screaming, crashing halt in the space of a fraction of a second. Without warning, the sharp sound of a loud crack pierced the morning stillness of the lobby. The nurse's eyes flew open, but not soon enough to register what was happening. In an instant, she hit the floor, thrown backward by a combination of magical whiplash and her own startled jump. Groaning, Nurse Redheart tried to pick herself up. Her ears were ringing, her head throbbing, and her eyes besieged by a swarm of flashing white lights as her vision swam. Her mind, reeling from the sensory onslaught, immediately jumped to the most obvious conclusion. A bolt of lightning must have struck the hospital.
Dazed and confused, the nurse pony managed to reach a front hoof up to her desk, just enough to haul herself back up to a standing position. She was just beginning to question the idea of a lightning strike occurring on such a beautiful morning with only sporadic cloud cover when her vision sharply swam into focus to reveal the lavender face of a very haggard, distressed-looking unicorn, mere inches from her snout. Nurse Redheart nearly started once again before her face settled in recognition. Twilight Sparkle. Now everything made sense.
The exhausted pony shook her head, still trying to rid her ears of their slight ringing, and drew in a deep breath. "Good… good morning, Miss Sparkle. To what do I owe…" Nurse Redheart trailed off as she spoke; realization slowly dawning upon her. Twilight Sparkle did not look normal. Her hair was frazzled, her eyes bloodshot, and her chest was heaving. Something was off, and something was definitely wrong. A twinge of fear worked its way into the nurse's voice. "Wha… has something happened?"
Twilight Sparkle's breaths were still coming in deep, raggedy gasps, and she started swaying from side to side on her hooves. She struggled for a few moments to control her breathing, unable to speak. She coughed, finally catching enough air to choke out a response. "I… long-distance… dual teleportation… I… I never knew… it would take… so much out of me." Her speech was punctuated with deep gasps. She stopped, leaning against the side of the desk to collect herself.
Nurse Redheart just stared at her in confusion, her mind turning the unicorn's words over and over. Long-distance dual teleportation? What did she…. Leaning forward over the edge of the desk, the white pony saw for the first time that Twilight Sparkle was not alone. The sight of Rainbow Dash, limply slumped on the floor gave the nurse a start. With all the skill of a well-trained medicinal mind, her eyes swept across the mare's prone form. Her fur was ruffled, her mane and tail were a mess, her head was cocked to one side, and her eyes were closed loosely. Redheart even thought she saw flecks of something, perhaps blood, on the cyan fur of the pegasus's hind legs, but before she could be sure, her attention was once again snagged.
"Nurse Redheart! I need your help!" Twilight Sparkle, having regained her composure, grabbed Redheart's white hoof in her own, shooting her a pleading look. "Something terrible has happened!"
"Yes… what… what is it?" Nurse Redheart only managed to stammer as she shot gazes between Twilight and the unconscious form of Rainbow Dash, already fearing the worst.
"Somepony took… she was taken… she was…" Twilight Sparkle swallowed, "…raped. She was raped."
Nurse Redheart gulped, closing her eyes and nodding in only barely hindered disbelief. Her mouth ran dry. She felt a chill wash over her and shivered involuntarily, her mind drawing a complete blank. She tried to piece together some sort of response, but every idea paled in comparison to such a cold, stark revelation. There was nothing she could say. She knew what to do, however. She always knew what to do. In times like these she often resorted to letting her nursing instincts and training kick in, trying to think as little as possible. Whatever hopes she had been entertaining of finally sinking into her bed after such a mentally exhausting night were now certainly dashed. There was no time for sleep now. More than anything, Nurse Redheart wished she had something to calm the nerves, something to just take away the pain of being responsible for somepony else's life. Nothing, though, is ever so simple.
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High above the Equestrian landscape, the sun had already risen and was bathing Cloudsdale in its golden light. For the numerous pegasi of the city, the rising sun was their signal to wake up and begin preparing for work or school, as it was almost every morning. The Weather Factory hummed with activity as the night shift left, to be replaced by day, and ponies soared in all directions. Some were eager to get home, others just leaving theirs.
Cloud Nine Inn, the oldest and most famous hotel in all of Cloudsdale, basked in the glory of the early-morning light. Inside, some guests were just waking up, ready to head out to explore the city. Others tried to steal a few more precious winks of sleep in their plush, comfortable beds, many still trying to sleep off a long night at the hotel bar.
Sunlight streamed in past the luxurious curtains of a room on one of the Inn's upper floors – floors reserved for only the most esteemed and privileged guests. The waxing light fell across the room in long shafts, cast upon the far wall. The closet door stood ajar and, illuminated by a soft beam, a one-piece, blue flight suit with dazzling golden lightning bolts arcing across the smooth fabric hung limply over the door's top.
A pony lay in the bed, but made no move to get up and close the curtains. She laid still, on her back, her head sunken deep into a pillow as she stared up at the ceiling. Her fiery mane, usually windswept and tossed back in her own carefree style, was matted with sweat and messy from a long night of sleepless tossing and turning. Spitfire's eyes were wide and bloodshot, laced with thin red veins. She was motionless, save for her mouth. Her lips opened and closed, as if they were desperately trying to form words, but no sound issued forth. They only closed on air, forming over and over again the shape of a single word.
"No…no…no…"
"No."
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To Nurse Redheart's credit, she had managed to get the hospital up and running with admirable speed. The sound of her hooves, mixed with the occasional squeak of an ungreased wheel, echoed off the walls as she pushed Rainbow Dash, now strapped to a gurney, down the smooth, clean, tiled hallway. Up ahead, a door swung open, and a caramel-colored unicorn stallion emerged from his office. He yawned as he turned up the hallway, spotting Nurse Redheart and heading straight for her. His white lab coat, half obscuring a heart-monitor cutie mark, rippled as he walked, and concern flashed in his blue eyes. "What do we have, Nurse?"
Nurse Redheart frowned, knowing few details herself. "Shock… trauma… possible rape victim." She nodded curtly, trying to remain business-like and professional.
Doctor Stable frowned. "Oh, dear… I thought I'd seen the last of those…"
Confused, the nurse paused for a moment, allowing the unicorn to fall into step beside her. "What do you mean, Doctor?"
He sighed. "I saw these kinds of cases almost every day when I was working on the staff of Manehattan General. That's part of the reason why I transferred here. I got so sick of all the terrible things ponies did to each other in the city." He shot a quick glance at the gurney and grimaced. "Rainbow Dash… it seems like only yesterday she was in here with that wing injury."
Nurse Redheart sighed and looked down at their patient. "At least you've dealt with it before. This is my first."
"Indeed. It's the first I've seen here, too. Ponyville is usually so quiet on this front. We hardly ever see violent crime." Doctor Stable fell quiet, pondering the situation for a moment. "You are versed on what to do, correct?"
"Yes. I'll administer a rape kit as soon as we get her settled in a room…" She trailed off, a thought striking her. "Do we have an OBGYN on staff?"
"No. We'll have to call one down from Canterlot."
"Canterlot? That may take all day."
"I daresay we have no other choice. Call someone up from foal birthing in the interim."
"Yes, Doctor." The two ponies rounded a corner into an unused room, rolling the gurney next to the hospital bed. Doctor Stable quickly levitated Rainbow Dash into the bed, setting her down gently. She didn't stir.
"Is she asleep, or…"
Nurse Redheart nodded. "Simple sedation spell, administered by her unicorn friend."
"Right, Miss Sparkle… Where is she?"
"In the waiting room. I've told her to stay there and fill in Tender when she arrives."
"That's good. Celestia knows we're short-hooved as it is." Doctor Stable's gaze shifted about the room. "Is she a flight risk?"
"Excuse me?"
"A flight risk. When she wakes up and realizes she's in a hospital, is there much risk of her trying to escape?"
"I… I don't know…"
"If her friend put a sedation spell on her, it must be because she was protesting coming to the hospital. Either that or Miss Sparkle anticipated protest and used the spell as a preemptive measure. Either way, there's a good chance she doesn't want to be here, and if that's the case, she won't be happy waking up to find herself in the hospital."
"What should we do, just strap her into the bed?"
"I fear that, in addition to waking up disoriented and in an unfamiliar room, being bound in place will merely serve to confuse and scare her even more."
"How do we prevent her from fleeing if we don't restrain her?"
"Yes, that's the question, isn't it?"
"We could stay here until she wakes, and you could use magic to keep her here."
Doctor Stable shook his head. "I do hope you understand that, unless I can get one of the mares from foal birthing up to assist you, you'll be conducting this operation on your own."
Nurse Redheart stared at him quietly for a few seconds before breaking the silence. "And why might that be?"
"A little thing experience in Manehattan has taught me. If she was indeed raped, then the last thing she'll want to see when she wakes up will be another stallion."
"Well, I… I never thought of that." She paused, tapping a hoof on her chin. "What if I brought Twilight Sparkle in here? She could use her magic in case it's needed, and it might be good for Miss Dash to have a friendly face around when she comes to."
Doctor Stable paused, then nodded. "Good idea. I'll see to it. Do you need anything else?"
"No, I believe I'm set."
"Good. Please administer the kit, and see if she needs any other immediate treatment." He stopped for a moment and gave a loud sigh. "You know… I've always hated doing these cases. I went into medicine to help ponies, not to see them hurt by others." And with a shake of his head, he turned and left.
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Twilight Sparkle cast a worried glance, what she felt must have been her latest of several hundred, towards the double doors where her friend had long since disappeared. She sighed. Nurse Tender had long since came and went, stopping by to assume her shift, only to find Twilight waiting for her. It had only taken a few moments to explain the situation to her, and then she had rushed off to take care of her work. The doctor in residence had stopped by a few minutes later the inform her that they had begun testing and treatment, that Rainbow Dash was still out cold, and that her help would be greatly appreciated whenever her friend decided to come to. Then, he too had moved on to take care of business of his own, leaving Twilight alone once again.
Twilight settled even further into her seat on the couch, her face half-obscured behind her folded fore legs. Her conversation with Princess Celestia had not been more than a few hours ago. Yet now that the sun had risen, Twilight felt like it was already a day past. Her thoughts kept wandering back to her friend. She knew the sedation spell she had given her was not supposed to last very long, and she wondered when her pegasus friend would wake. She kept expecting to see somepony coming to get her, to tell her they needed her help, but every time she looked back at the doors, there was nopony in sight.
Twilight yawned loudly. After all the stress and worry she had experienced over the last night, she had somehow managed to stay awake long past her normal waking hours, even considering her most intense of study sessions. She only vaguely remembered waking up the previous morning, now nearly a full day ago, she realized, and thinking that the coming day would be just another normal one. But then Rainbow Dash had excitedly told her she had been accepted by the Wonderbolts, and then… well, then everything else had happened. The adrenaline was finally starting to wear off, and the unicorn found herself more tired than she could remember being for a long time. Twilight shifted onto her side, laying her head on a hoof. Try as she might, she just could not get comfortable on the lumpy, unforgiving waiting room couch.
Her attention was grabbed from the small crack in the ceiling she had been studying in intricate detail when the front doors opened. She craned her head back, half expecting to see another patient headed for the ER. Instead, a tall, muscular unicorn stallion, flanked by two similarly-built earth ponies, strode in. The first one, with a coat as tan as wet sand, a dark brown jacket and a matching fedora perched atop a sweeping mane of ash-grey, swept his gaze around the room, before his hard-set grey eyes settled upon her. "Miss… Twilight Sparkle? I presume?"
Twilight rolled off the couch and onto her hooves, shaking her head in a vain attempt to control her wild mess of a mane. "Yes, that's me." She glanced back up at him and shivered under his steely gaze.
"I'm Detective Bright Star." He paused to pull out a black card, adorned with a five-pointed star, from his chest pocket. Identical stars adorned the matching blue jackets and caps of his companions. "This is Officer Cuff Link," he nodded behind him towards a silvery earth pony with a jet-black mane, before nodding to his other side, where a pony of deep, dull orange with a windswept golden mane stood, "and Officer Copper of the Equestrian Royal Police. We'd like to have a moment of your time, if you will."
Twilight Sparkle immediately nodded in understanding, her apprehension slackening. "Oh, Celestia sent you, didn't she?"
"That would be correct, Ma'am. We are to oversee the investigation and provide protection to key witnesses in the case. I understand you are the leading attorney?"
"Yes. Yes, I am."
"Please excuse me for being presumptuous, but as it would appear that you are currently not otherwise occupied, would you mind if we had a moment of your time?"
"Of course not. How can I be of assistance?"
"Well, we were briefed on the situation before leaving Canterlot, however, our briefing was, understandably… brief. In order to get my investigation off the ground, I would appreciate it greatly if you were to provide me with all the facts of the case."
Twilight Sparkle brightened considerably. "Oh, yes. Well… hm… I don't… I don't know many facts myself right now, but… I suppose it's best to start from the beginning." She looked up, one eyebrow raised questioningly. Detective Bright Star nodded his approval. "Right. It all started yesterday afternoon. It was a slow day at the library, and I was taking some time to clean up around some of the less-used shelves…"
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The feather duster was hovering in a shimmering purple aura of magical energy, quickly twitching back and forth as it kicked clouds of dust up off the old shelves, taking layers away from the spines of well-worn books. Twilight Sparkle smiled as she surveyed her work. These time-honored classics had spent far too long out of the limelight. She was glad to give them a little sprucing up. Maybe now they might garner some more interest from the library's patrons, few and far-between they may be.
She continued down the row of shelves, her meticulous eye not missing a single spot of dust as she went. She paused at the end of the row to wipe her brow, satisfied with a morning well-spent. Maybe, now that they were all cleaned, she might get around to reading a few of them herself later.
"Hey, Twilight." She turned in surprise, smiling to see her number-one assistant standing behind her, a tall glass of lemonade clutched in his claw. Spike grinned at her. "I thought you might be thirsty."
Twilight eagerly levitated the drink to her lips, taking a long sip before setting it down, smacking her lips. "Thanks Spike; that sure hits the spot."
"No problem, Twilight, I…"
No sooner had he begun to speak when the front door burst open with a loud noise, and somepony else streaked into the room. Spike dove for cover and Twilight jumped, startled at first, but then brightened as she realized who it was. "Hey, Rainbow Dash!" She beckoned the pegasus down to her. "Come for the latest Daring Do book? I have it right in the back if you want it."
Rainbow Dash shook her head, grinning widely as she set herself down on the floor, folding her wings neatly at her sides. "Nope! Don't have time for that, Twilight! I have big news!"
"Oh! Did Rarity get that job in Canterlot?"
"Twilight… do you think I'd be the one telling you about that if it happened?"
"Hmm… no… Wait, has Applejack started on her-"
Rainbow Dash groaned, cutting her unicorn friend off. "Come on, Twilight! Something important, something concerning me!"
Twilight Sparkle pursed her lips, deep in thought. "Let me guess..," she spoke slowly, catching on by now but finding it quite fun to drag the discussion out as long as possible, "does it have something to do with those… Wonderbolts?" Rainbow Dash nodded vigorously. "Something to do with you and the Wonderbolts?"
At this point, Rainbow Dash could no longer contain her enthusiasm. With one powerful kick off the ground, she flew up into the air, doing several backflips and screaming something incoherent. Twilight staggered backward, smiling gently at her friend's display. Rainbow Dash finally swooped down, racing over to hover right above Twilight. The unicorn arched her neck to see her. "I had a tryout with the Wonderbolts this morning! And they accepted me! I'm gonna be a Wonderbolt!" She flew several laps around the library before finally settling down, coming to a stop, beaming, just in front of Twilight.
"Congratulations, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight flashed a smile and jumped over, throwing her fore legs around the other's neck in a friendly hug. "All that hard work really paid off, huh?"
Rainbow Dash nodded, returning a half-squeeze before pulling herself away and back into the air, a light blush spreading across her cheeks. "Yeah, I know, totally!" Her voice cracked as she spoke, trying to maintain her hover in her highly excited state.
Twilight just chuckled. "Congratulations, Rainbow. We'll have to celebrate tonight! I bet Pinkie will throw her biggest party yet!"
"Yeah, about that…" Rainbow Dash scratched behind her head, looking guilty. "I don't think I can make it. The Wonderbolts invited be to spend the evening with them at a hotel in Cloudsdale and I really, REALLY want to go!"
Twilight frowned momentarily, but smiled again in almost an instant. "No problem, Rainbow. We'll just have your party when you get back. You go have fun!"
"Thanks, Twi." Rainbow grinned again, "I gotta go, I still have to tell Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy, then I gotta high-tail it back to Cloudsdale! Seeya!" With no further formalities, she flipped over and shot out of the room, leaving the door to bang closed in her wake.
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"I didn't see her again until last night, when we set up a surprise party for her. That was when she-"
"Miss Sparkle?" Twilight was thrust out of her reverie by a voice. Both she and the detective and his officers, who had been listening patiently and intently, turned at the sudden noise. Nurse Tender, wide-eyed and looking flustered, had stuck her head through the double doors. She stared right at Twilight. "Miss Sparkle, sorry to bother you, but she's waking up. We are in need of your assistance."
"She's waking… oh no." Twilight Sparkle's face immediately fell. "Detective, please excuse me, my friend needs me."
Detective Bright Star nodded. "Right. Go right ahead. Copper?"
The golden-maned police colt looked up at the mention of his name. The detective nodded at him. "Yes, Suh."
All at once, Twilight Sparkle took off towards Nurse Tender and the doors, Officer Copper close behind her. All three of them set off down the hallway, Twilight setting a quick pace that the officer easily matched. Nurse Tender looked up in surprise at their guest. "Um… Officer? I'm terribly sorry, but we're not allowing stallions to see the patient at the moment."
The auburn pony nodded, but did not slow his trot. "Uh'm sorry, Ma'am, but Uh've been instructed to stand guard at the victim's door."
Twilight's head swam. Patient? Victim? She found herself blinking away tears. It almost hurt to hear Rainbow Dash, her friend, being discussed in such an aloof manner. No. No. She couldn't cry. Not now. No. She had to be strong. She had to be strong for Rainbow Dash.
They rounded a bend and Nurse Tender indicated a door. All three ponies slowed to a slow trot. Officer Copper stopped himself shy of the door, taking up a position just by the wall and nodded curtly to the two mares. Nurse Tender thrust the door open and Twilight quickly ducked inside. Nurse Redheart looked up and, upon seeing Twilight, sighed in relief. "Oh, good. You're here. She's just coming to now. We may need your help. Tender, please go find Doctor Stable, tell him she's coming around."
"Yes, Nurse." Tender nodded to her superior and left the room. The door shut quietly behind her. Twilight turned to watch Rainbow Dash. The pegasus was stirring, the sheets rustled as she rolled around beneath them. She let out a moan, a low, broken groan that seemed to shake the hospital room. Twilight cringed at the noise. Suddenly, she stopped struggling. Twilight Sparkle watched as Rainbow Dash's eyes blinked open and then snapped tightly shut once more before flying open for a final time. The pegasus recoiled into her pillows as her eyes, deep-set and full of fear, darted around the room, struggling to make sense of unfamiliar surroundings.
When she spoke, her voice was cracked worse than Twilight could ever remember. "Where… where am I?"
Nurse Redheart cleared her throat. "You're at the hospital, Miss Rainbow Dash. You've been admitted after…"
"Hospital!" The cyan mare croaked, her eyes wide and unsteady. "Wha… what… why? No!" Rainbow Dash jerked underneath the sheets, flinging them to the foot of the bed. She rolled over, clutching a pillow to her chest and trying as hard as possible to disappear into the wall. Her eyes flew about the room, settling first on Nurse Redheart, then on Twilight. "No… why… why?"
"Now, now, please calm down, Miss Dash." Nurse Redheart spoke in a surprisingly soothing voice. From her place near the door, Twilight could see Rainbow Dash's tension settle slightly. "We're here to help you. We mean you no harm. You're here for your own good."
The pegasus's breath came in ragged gasps. She swallowed hard and gasped, as if she could not get enough oxygen, but slowly, she nodded, the bright fluorescent lights twinkling in her moist eyes. Relieved, Twilight let out a deep breath. She had not been looking forward to holding her friend down against her will. She approached the bed, Rainbow Dash's gaze locked upon her. Twilight tried to put forth her best possible smile, but it even felt woefully inadequate. She let it fade. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. I'm so sorry. This should never… ever happen to anypony, but you don't have to be alone in this. Please, let us help you. I'm your friend. I want to be here… for you."