//------------------------------// // Good Reasons, Part II // Story: Unicorn Attack! // by milesprower06 //------------------------------// Zipp walked nearly one full pace behind her mother as she made her way through the downtown streets of Zephyr Heights, escorted by Captain Zoom and Corporal Thunder. The pair of royal guards were able to keep most of the onlookers away and about their business, as they both were quite familiar with how much Zipp loathed the attention of Zephyr Heights' citizenry. The four pegasi came to the front entrance of Zephyr Heights General, where the doors slid open and they walked into the brightly lit interior. Zipp had been in here once or twice before, and had never seen it so crowded. Every chair was occupied, and still more sat against the walls as they waited for rooms or even diagnoses. She couldn't help but glance at the admissions board, and see that every single slot on the list was full, and no doubt everypony in the hall was waiting for a room and a doctor. "Your Majesty, how can we help you today?" the receptionist asked. "Oh, you don't have to help us with anything, miss. I'm well aware of how absolutely overwhelmed you all are. We're just here to see how our citizens are recovering. After all, the sooner they're out, the sooner more of those waiting can get help," Haven told her. Zipp noticed a hint of relief on the receptionist's face when she realized that her time and attention wouldn't be required of the hospital's royal visitors. "Then I certainly won't take up any more of your time, Your Majesty. Our outpatient rooms are right down there," the receptionist told her, pointing a hoof towards the hall on the left. Smiling, nodding, and thanking her, Haven made her way down the hall with her eldest daughter following along with their escort. Haven stopped at the first room on the right, and entered. The light pink pegasus was quite surprised at who her visitors were. "Y-Your Majesty! Princess Zipp! To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Good morning, Miss Windy, right?" Haven began. "We're just visiting, seeing how everypony is recovering." Zipp recalled that Windy, like much of Zephyr Heights, was a big fan of Pipp's, and remembered seeing her have a midair collision during their farewell parade a few days ago. "They say I'll be ready to head home in another day or so. I'm also supposed to not attempt to fly again until my left wing heals entirely. The doctor has told me that could take about two weeks. After that... Who knows, hopefully some of us can get some mattresses together on the floor in a gymnasium or something," Windy commented. "We know you're anxious to get back up into the air, but a complete recovery is the most important thing. Have a good day, Windy," Haven told her. With that, Haven and the increasingly quiet Zipp rejoined the guards outside in the hall, and made their way down to the next room, then the next, and the next; each time having a short conversation with the pegasus patient inside. The most common injuries were sprained or broken wings, but sometimes the patient had tucked them in before impact, and then it was a neck injury, or a broken leg. They came to the last room on the left, and when Haven walked in, she stopped, as the pink stallion in the bed was immediately recognized and somepony the royal family had become very familiar with. "Oh, Ruddy, you too?" Haven asked. When Zipp joined her mother in the room, Haven closed the door, leaving Zoom and Thunder outside in the bustling hallway, and giving them a semblance of privacy. Ruddy Sparks was the palace stage manager, and was one of the very, very few ponies who knew every detail of the ruse that Haven and her daughters had pulled on the rest of Zephyr Heights. Thus, he was paid handsomely for his talents, and had been given residence in the palace for his loyalty and trustworthiness. "Your Majesty... So sorry you have to see me like this," Ruddy began, motioning to his bandaged left wing and splinted right leg. "Took a bit of a nasty roll when I collided with the side of a building two days ago. I suppose it's my own fault; years of working with your wires and harnesses made it look easier than it actually is." Zipp felt a pang of guilt upon hearing those words. "It is hardly your fault, Ruddy," Haven replied. "You are hardly the only one in here." The stallion glanced over at Zipp. "I can certainly understand why your mom is keeping up appearances, but how did she drag you along, Princess?" Ruddy asked. "Almost literally," Zipp muttered. "I'm hoping I'm proving a point to her," Haven commented. "What point is that?" Zipp asked. "Sorry you have to see her so snippy, Ruddy. She arrived back at the palace rather irate at my agreement with Maretime Bay's new flight ban. I'm hoping she now understands why that is a good idea," Haven told him. "No offense, Your Majesty, but that's how I've almost always seen her," Ruddy commented, seeing the white pegasus bristle in annoyance at the comment. "Oh come on, Princess. Your mom and sister always had to twist your leg to come to rehearsals." "And now she wants to keep us all grounded because we're having trouble adapting to our new magic. We may as well not have any magic at all," Zipp quipped. "Zephyrina, you have now seen firsthoof how absolutely overwhelmed the hospital staff is with flight injuries. Staff that are very familiar with pegasus anatomy. You think Maretime Bay's doctors know how to treat wing injuries? If their hospitals and clinics began getting filled up with pegasi, we'd most likely have to send some of our medical professionals down there to help, and honestly, that would very likely send this place careening over their breaking point." Zipp didn't reply, as she had nothing to say. "Secondly, the only way we're going to start to curtail these kind of injuries is if we can get some sort of training out there. In her last call to me, Pipp said that you were quite dismissive when she suggested that you hold some lessons, and I would frankly like to know why. I even told Sheriff Hitch that you would be the prime candidate for some basics, and I'd like to know why you so very quickly made a liar out of me." Zipp once again bristled at the accusation. "Maybe because nopony checked with me first?" Zipp replied incredulously. "So magic comes back, and I'm supposed to put my life on hold while I show every other pegasus how to stay in the air?" Haven let out an exasperated sigh as she glanced over at Ruddy. "I am not daft, Zephyrina," Haven began. "I know you've never liked playing Princess, nor having ponies look up to you over false hope... Over a lie. But you, your sister, and your friends have brought magic back. In short, Zephyr Heights now has a very real reason to look up to you now. Now that they can fly, they need a pony, a leader, to show them how." "I don't think your mom is suggesting that you put your life on hold, Princess. After all, your sister reaches so many other ponies every single day through her streams. She could certainly help you figure something out," Ruddy offered. Silence hung in the room for several moments. "I'm not going to tell you to do anything," Haven told her daughter. "Because I know that wouldn't help. You've always gone your own way. Just promise me that you'll think about it. That's all I'm asking." Zipp took a quiet breath, and finally opened her mouth to speak. "Fine, I'll think about it." "You promise?" "I promise, mom."