//------------------------------//
// Intermission I 
// Story: Night and Day's Youth 
// by Excellen 
//------------------------------//

An earth pony at the Ponyville hospital lay slumped over the welcoming desk, her cheek resting on her hooves. The emptiness and quiet of the hospital at night was extremely boring. Most of the patients were asleep, and a very small staff worked the night shift. She had thought that working at a hospital would be exciting. She had quickly found out different. She wished something, anything would happen. 

Almost as if an answer to her wishes, a bright golden orb had appeared right outside the hospital. The orb then exploded into light, blinding the nurse. She quickly squinted her eyes shut, and held a hoof in front of her face to block out the light. After the light receded, she walked outside where she had seen the orb originate. Looking down, she saw two small alicorn fillies, both asleep.

Wait, alicorns?

But that means...

Quickly carrying them inside, she spoke into the intercom urgently.

“We have two fillies who were just transported here by magic! I do not know if they are injured or not!” 

A voice responded,  “I'll be down immediately!”

She walked back over to the two fillies. She noticed the white one had red stains on her coat. Making a close inspection, she realized it was blood. If these two fillies were who she thought they were, what could have happened to them?

She looked through the front window at the royal castle, standing tall and slicing at the night sky. Bright lights shone through all of the windows in the castle. The light suddenly intensified, making the castle seem like a beacon. The light then pierced through the clouds, a pillar of light seen from hundreds of miles away. The pillar grew wider, encasing the entire castle. The pillar then erupted into fire, and she could feel its heat from inside the hospital. Unable to tear her eyes away from the endeavor, she watched as the pillar then exploded, destroying the castle and everything near it. She clamped her hooves over her ears, trying to black the deafening sound of the blast. Seconds later she saw a shock-wave incoming, and quickly shielded the two children from it. When it hit, it shattered the windows, and flung her into the wall. A sharp pain shot up her shoulder, causing her to wince when she landed on the floor. 

The doctor came running down the stairs, and gasped at the scene before him. Two alicorn fillies, one covered in blood, lay before him. He quickly scooped them both up and shouted at the nurse laying on the floor, 

“Are you going to be okay for a little bit?”

“Yes, I’ll manage, now go!”

With that the doctor ran up the stairs, the two fillies sitting on his back.

The nurse limped over to one of the waiting room couches, and laid down on it. Feeling sleep quickly overcoming her, she mumbled to herself,
“I got what I asked for eh?”

Her eyelids closed, and she slept.