A bright flash illuminated the sky as the large double doors of Ponyville general hospital flew open. The patients young and old turned their heads swiftly to the opening doors as they collided with the walls on either side of the doorframe with a loud thud. Even the multible nurses that were scurrying across the room stopped in their tracks to determine the cause of the disturbance. Rarity the white unicorn stepped nervously into the building. The mare had intended to simply creep inside unnoticed; but in her haste and to her despair she'd used to much magic on the doors. The patients, the nurses and even the sickly foals glared daggers at the unicorn; that was until they saw the condition she was in.
Rarity's bloody wrappings hung loosely at her sides; slidiing across the floor with each step she took. (luckly the mare wasn't leaving a trail behind her; as the blood had long since dried.). She'd been fortunate so far as none of her wounds had reopened; although the unicorn chalked this up to the cautionary slowed pace she'd been using since parting wih Twilight. The once scornful eye of those Rarity passed had soften; and although none of the ponies spoke directly to the bloody mare some were whispering to one another behind her back.
Rarity tilted her head to the ground and began walking sheepishly across the room; trying her hardest to avoid bringing any further attention to herself. Rarity's eyes shifted to the patients she passed. There was Mr. and Mrs. Cake sitting with there two young foals; beside them was Rose who was sighing and rolling her eyes at the unconscious strawberry coated mare with lilies on her flank. Sitting behind Rose was Berry Punch and her younger sickly sister; (Whose name Rarity couldn't recall.).
Rarity sighed; again mentally kicking herself for not taking the letters with her.
The unicorn sighed as her attention was drawn to the large circular desk at the center of the room. Rarity dropped her eyes downward; trying her best to forget the multiple ponies that followed her every more. The mares shook her head slowly wishing more then anything that she (just for moment) was somewhere else. Rarity slowly brought her eyes back up; only to meet the gaze of the white pony sitting at the receptionist desk. While Rarity had never made it a habit of knowing every resident of Ponyville; she did know most of the mares that inhabited the town; (unlike a certain pink party pony whose photographic memory and senses helped her remember every single pony and none pony in Ponyville.) The white mare staring blankly at her was certainly a pony Rarity had never seen before in her life.
Rarity took in a deep breath as she took her final steps forward. The white mare at the desk's face twisted from confusion to disgust then finally finally to a look of anger. It was then that Rarity noticed the the mare was a pegasus and dressed in a nurse outfit; which Rarity saw as odd as she'd never seen a pegasus nurse in Ponyville. Not that a pegasus couldn't be a nurse it was just that most Pegasi in Ponyville chose weather based jobs because their natural talents normally dealt with them being airborne.The more Rarity thought on the subject the more she felt stupid for thinking it; after-all Fluttershy didn't have a weather based job and if anything she was as good a nurse or doctor as any.
"Ma'am...." The pegasus said as she tilted her head to the side.
.
Rarity shook herself slowly; pulling away from her thoughts
"What are you doing out out of your room!!" The nurse snarled.
"Oh...um...i'm..." Rarity said slowly.
"What are you nurses doing over there!!!" The pegasus shouted. "Why are you all just standing around!!!!"
"I'm...not..."Rarity said weakly.
"We have a heavily injured young unicorn out of her room, and you-you're all just standing there!!!" The pegasus continued.
The pegasus groaned to herself as she turned her head to the side.
"Somepony get the head nurse out here....what was her name...Redheart or something..."
"Miss!!" Rarity said loudly.
"I can't believe the ponies here.... if this was..." The Pegasus said under her breath before turning to face Rarity."Oh I'm sorry did you say something."
"I am not a patient here!!"
The pegasus nurse glared at the unicorn.
"Excuse me!"
"I am not a patient here!!" Rarity repeated.
The pegasus scanned Rarity up and down then raised an eyebrow skeptically and scoffed at the unicorn.
"Your bandages say otherwise."
Rarity grimaced to herself.
"Well you see...um...these...are..."
"You came in from the outside right." The Pegasus cut in
"Yes!" Rarity said quickly."Thats right! So as you can se-"
The Pegasus placed a hoof to her face and sighed.
"This is why hospitals should always have magic proof walls." She groaned. "So that unicorns don't just teleport accidentally or purposely out of the hospital!!"
"Listen!!" Rarity said as sternly as she could.
The pegasus frowned at the unicorn's raised voice.
"I am not a patient here! I'm not checking myself in here!! I'm JUST here to see my sister!!!"
The pegasus opened her mouth to refute Rarity but quickly shut it. Instead she seemed to be meekly retreating backwards to the side.
Rarity glared at the pegasus for a few seconds then continued.
"I'm here to see my sister Sweetie Belle and just so you know my name is-"
"Miss Rarity?"
Rarity froze in place; as her mind tried to process the voice that called out to her. It didn't take her long to recall the gruff voice of the of the one she'd spoken to through the letter.( Afterall it had only been less then an hour since she had last heard the voice so it wasn't too surprising she remembered it.). Rarity turned her head slowly to find the source of the voice. Her eye stopped as they fixed themselves on the tan stallion standing a few feet behind her.
The Stallion wore a white medical lab coat over his body; which went as far as to cover his flank and cutie mark.(Rarity could only guess the mark was something medical like a stethoscope.). The unicorns eyes drifted to the Stallions sides and found a feathery set of wings sticking out from openings at the sides of the white coat; it wasn't until this that Rarity realised the Doctor was a pegasus. Aside from that the only other thing Rarity could make out from the Doctor was his facial features; (which were an odd combination of the tenderness of a doctor but with the rigidness of a drill instructor.) and that he was two maybe three times older then her.
The Doctor cocked his head gently to the side as though he were studying Rarity.
"My dear..."He said. " Are you alright..."
"Oh yes...I-I had a bit of a fall on my way here but...."Rarity started
The Doctor lowered his eyes.
" A fall did all this."The Doctor said slowly "...and these bandages...how did they..."
Rarity lowered her head to her knees.
"The fall I had..." Rarity said with a sigh. "Reopened a few wounds I suffered a couple of nights ago...I'm ok now though...a little tired...but ok."
The Doctor slowly closed his eyes; as he turned his head away from the young unicorn.
"If i'd have known the condition you were in...I wouldn't have sent that letter to you...today."
Rarity gave The Doctor a half-smile.
"It's ok sir...I'm fine...I used a spell a little while ago to help with the pain and healing...so i should be fine for now."
The Doctor's eyes drifted to the floor
"Your...so young..." The Doctor said gently."...much younger then I thought you would be..."
Rarity tilted her head in confusion.
"I'm sorry...?"
"It's nothing...are you sure your alright..." The Doctor said in a distantly low tone.
"Oh yes...well enough for this..." Rarity said with a weak grin.
"I see..." The Doctor said as he turned to the hallway he'd come from. "Then if you don't mind...would you please follow me..."
Rarity nodded and the two began their treck done the hallway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm sure may have guessed this, but i'm not from Ponyville." The Doctor said as he and Rarity made their way down the hall.
"Oh..." Rarity said weakly.
"I'm from Cloudsdale....I'm sure you saw the chaos at the front."
Rarity nodded her head slowly in agreement.
"Yes I will admit it was alot busier today then I thought it would be."
"There was a problem this morning and...long story short they were severely understaffed..."
"So then they contacted yo-" Rarity started.
"Yes...yes they certainly did."The Doctor said with a sigh. "I even brought a few of my staff as well."
The two turned their heads to one of the many rooms they pasted only to find several nurse clad Pegasi dashing from one end of the room to the next. After a few seconds one of the Pegasi sped out of the room to another room across from it; she was greeted by several of the hospital's normal staff as she made her way inside the new room.
"Um Docto-...." Rarity's eyes widdened in terror
The Mare lowered her eyes in despair; she had never learned the Doctor's name.
The Doctor tilted his head.
"Hmm..."
"Oh...as I was saying...Um..." Rarity paused as she bit down on her lip. ".. .How much further is my sisters room...Doctor..."
Rarity grimaced to herself; she was to embarrassed to ask the Doctor his name at this point.
"Not...too much further..." He said slowly.
Rarity paused for a second; then resumed her pace; suddenly a shrap pain spread down her side. Rarity gasped from the sudden burst of pain and nearly lost her balance in the process.The Doctor turned sharply to the mare grabbing her before she could fall.
"What happened!" The Doctor said quickly
-----
"Theres one last thing I should tell you Rarity...about the spell." Twilight's voice said at the back of Rarity's mind.
"Whats that?" Rarity asked
"Theres one other reason the Celestial healing spell isn't used too often."
"And that would be?"
"Despite it's name...the spell just doesn't last very long...." Twilight continued.
"How long...does it last...?"
"I-i...really don't know... it varies...i don't think it's ever lasted more then an hour though."
"I see..."
"That's why I've been so hesitant...all and all theirs no real benefit from the spell...all it does is cause alot of pain and very little actual healing..." Twilight paused as her head dropped down. "For that fact alone I really don't want to teach it to you ."
"But Twilight dear....you said...."
"I know thats why I'm teaching it to you....but I really don't think you should use it..."
"I'll take my chances..."
------
Rarity tilted her head to the Doctor; whose face was twisted in concern.
"Are you ok?" The Doctor asked as he helped Rarity to a wall.
"I'm fine...i think the spell i used...just wore off..." Rarity said with a weak smile.
"Are you in pain do you need somethin-" The Doctor said Quickly
"No..no..I-I'm fine...the pain..I thin- I mean is bearable enough for me to continue...." Rarity said as she pushed herself from the wall.
"Are you sure...well let me at least change your bandages..." The Doctor said turning his head to one of the rooms.
"It's fine for now...I just want to see my sister...besides..." Rarity said panting a little.
"...A...friends of mine is personally looking after me...I was planning on letting her treat me when this whole affair is over with."
The Doctor nodded with a frown plastered across his face. He shook his head slowly then pointed forward.
"We'll continue... but if the pain gets worse..." The Doctor said timidly.
Rarity nodded to the Doctor then closed her eyes and smiled; finally she would see her sister.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The pristine air of the hospital finally reach Rarity nose as she and the Doctor made their way down the hall. The pleasant atmosphere of the hospital always made the mare frown in disappointment as she never had a chance to appreciate it; after all it wasn't the first time she'd been dragged down to the hospital because of Sweetie belle. Ever since the three had formed their little group (the Cutie mark crusaders) ; Sweetie belle and to a lesser extent her friends had been visiting the hospital a lot more often. The wounds they suffered varied from simple cuts and bruises to broken bones.
There was the time Scootaloo had broken her right fore leg and one of her wing while attempting a trick on her scooter. Then there was the time Apple bloom had broken a rib;(How she had done this during a pillow fight was anyponies guess.). Rarity groaned when she thought of the time Sweetie belle had cracked her horn trying to break a boulder; simply because her friends told her it was possible. Rarity sighed to herself when she thought of all the stupid thing the three had done in their pursuit of there cutie marks.
The mare shook head as a smile spread across her face.
"Stupid little fillies."
Rarity chuckled to herself as her excitement increased with each step. At this point she didn't know whether she was going to give Sweetie Belle a bear hug or strangle her for making the mare worry so much.
"We're here..." A voice said.
Rarity shook her head; breaking herself free of her thoughts.
The door crept open as the Doctor stepped inside with Rarity following close behind.
Rarity blinked a few times as the bright lights of the room flashed in her eye; when her vision returned she could finally see the room; but it wasn't what she was expecting. The first thing she noticed was the sudden temperature drop upon stepping inside the brightly lit room; it was ten maybe even twenty degrees colder inside the room then how it had been outside in the hallway. Aside from the sudden chill; and the size of the it being larger then she had expected; there really wasn't much inside the room. There was a few shrouded exam room tables at the center of the room; (they had wheels so they may have been gurneys but the unicorn wasn't sure.). What did catch her eye was the three or four file cabinets arranged along the wall; side by side at the back of the room. What made the steel colored and framed cabinets stand out were their tremendous size; they were maybe three time wider and larger then then any file cabinet she'd ever heard of. It was true; she was in a hospital, and while hospitals were known to have many different documents and other patients related things to file it still baffled her as to why the cabinets were so big. For some unknown reason Rarity shuttered as she continued her examination of the over sized cabinets.
There was something unsettling about the room; something Rarity just couldn't put a hoof on.
The perplexed mare twisted her head in confusion; Rarity just couldn't figure out the purpose of the room. It could have been a file room of some sort but that didn't seem likely as she doubted there would be need of medical tables in a file room; (and the fact that was so cold made it even more unlikely.). If it was a room to store documents then what purpose would it serve for the Doctor to take her there. It didn't look like an office of any sort either; there were no chairs, no desk, nothing and she very much doubted they were meant to sit on the medical tables. At this point there was only one thing the unicorn knew for certain.
No matter how she looked at it; the room just wasn't meant for a patient; and that scared Rarity more then anything.
"Um...excuse me...sir..." The mare said as she slowly turned away from the cabinets. "...I don't understan-..."
Rarity stopped herself when she found the Doctor was no longer beside her; instead he was making his way across the room. The Doctor stopped beside the shrouded table at the center; he sighed to himself then turned to face Rarity. He motioned his head for Rarity to come to him but the unicorn paused. There was something wrong she could tell; there was something about the Doctor's eyes she didn't like. The sound of Rarity's heavy hoofsteps only matched the pounding of her heart in her ears as she drew closer to the Doctor. The Doctor took in a deep breath; turned then lowered his head to the table. Rarity followed him with her eyes as he reached for the the shroud.
The Doctor gently tugged at the sheet; pulling it forward to about a quarter of the length of the table. The unicorn stared in confusion at small bundle of hair sprawled out from under the sheet. The unicorns eye's tilted downward; her mind raced as she tried to process what what she was staring at. For a few second she had no answer; then suddenly her eyes opened wide; the hair no the fur; she knew exactly what it was now.
"A tail." Rarity thought slowly.
Rarity blinked a few times as she stared at the multi colored scruffy tail. For some reason It was damp; as thought it had been washed recently but was dried in haste; leaving it still mostly still wet. The more she stared at the tail the more familiar it seem to her. There was something about the colors; they seem so familiar so...Rarity paused; her eyes widened in fear; her face slowly dropped and her throat went dry.
"Li-ligh-light pur-purple.....da-dark pink...."
The pale faced mare turned sharply as her eyes shifted back to the file cabinets; no not cabinet she knew that now; she knew what there were. Rarity's breathing intensified as torrents of sweat dripped down her fore head. The unicorn's eyes darted from from one end of the room to the next; her body trembled violently as she finally realised were she was.
"A room at the back of the hospital....twenty degrees colder then any other....shrouded tables at it's center.....and iron boxes large enough to fit full grow-...OH CELESTIA....."
Rarity Turned back to the Doctor; whose mouth motioned as though he were about to speak. Rarity didn't let him; her horn sparked; the shroud flew from the table and landed gently to the ground. The unicorn's face went even paler then before; her heart's pace slowed to a crawl as she looked on in horror at the white creature sprawled out motionlessly across the table. Her body much like her tail was damp; there was even a small trail of water dripping down the side of the table. The small creature's mouth lay open but nothing came out; Rarity took in several heavy breaths as she waited for the tiny thing's chest to rise and fall; to move in some way. She waited and waited but to her horror the thing wasn't breathing. Rarity placed a hoof to her mouth; shaking her head slowly. No not a thing, not an unknown creature that she could just pass off as nothing; It was a filly and not just any filly; it was her sister.
It was Sweetie Belle laying lifelessly across the table. .
"...Swe-Swee...." Rarity said slowly as tears slowly began to form at the sides of her eyes.
"I'm sorry...so sorry...I..." The Doctor choked out
The mare stumbled; her eyes fluttered as she fell backward. The room began to spin as the light slowly faded away. After a few second she saw nothing; nothing but darkness.
~Autor's note~
Sadly this is only the tip of the iceberg. If their are any grammar mistakes or spelling errors please let me know; and as always thank you for reading.
~Oh Sweetie Belle what have I done~