Princess Celestia was still enjoying the her book when she heard commotion downstairs. Thinking that Twilight had arrived, the white alicorn gently set the book down with it’s cover open. She didn’t have a bookmark but she really wanted to get back to that book later. Ponies were really creative these days. After taking a moment to compose herself, she opened the wooden door and briskly trotted down the hallway. The way this building was designed reminded her of a hotel rather than a town center.
The hallway ran into a stairwell which she descended just as an empty stretcher was being carried out the door. She looked about the room for Twilight. There were Royal Guard scrambling about, a multitude of maps pinned on the wooden side of a unused chalkboard and those who couldn’t find space there were spread across a large table that dominated the room. Lights hung from beams that stretched across the ceiling to support weight of the rest of the building. This room was entirely wooden and bare of the yellow-painted drywall of the upper floor. This room also had a distinctive lack of a certain purple unicorn.
This made Celestia curious as to what would cause this commotion if it wasn’t Twilight. Another stretcher was rushed past Celestia who had been standing at the base of the stairs the whole time. The princess followed the same path that the ponies carrying the stretchers and was shocked. The team assigned to Twilight’s recovery looked like they’d been in tartarus for five seconds. The first of the injured to be carried back on a stretcher was a pegasus, Cloud Cover if she remembers correctly. His injury puzzled her though. It was a small puncture but it was deep judging by the amount of blood on his armor...
This intrigued her. What could have possibly put a hole in armor packed with wards and enhancements designed by none other than herself? Although she wasn’t the one who placed the enchantments and wards on the armor she knew that they were strong. She then saw a few other armor clad ponies sporting black eyes and a few lacerations here and there. What happened?
Celestia then notice Twilight laid across the back of Little Rose, who prefered to be addressed by his rank rather than his name for obvious reasons. Twilight wasn’t banged up like any of her saviors were but she was a sight for sore eyes. Her mane was mildly disheaved and she her fur was matted below her eyes which meant she had been crying. She was wearing a strange parka that had what looked like small squares and rectangles that alternated in various colors of yellow, tan, and beige with hints of brown, white, and black.
She quickly made her way over to her giving her a once over checking for additional injuries and oddities. Finding nothing else she turned her attention to the somewhat muscular stallion carrying her student. He knew he was about to be addressed but he motioned his head at the mare on his back. The princess nodded and they both walked toward the building.
“What happened?” she asked simply.
The LT looked to be thinking over his response before sighing. “I’ll be frank with you... I’m not the stallion to ask because I really couldn’t honestly make sense of anything that happened. The captain will be able to help you.” he replied in a gruff voice.
Celestia saw the sincerity and reminiscent confusion on his face and heard it in his speech. Normally he would have been the target of Shining's rage by talking with her as if she were just any other pony. No matter how many times she’s told everypony she hates the formality, few ponies actually let the information seep into their skull. She respected Little Rose for it. “Would you know where Captain Armour is because I’ve seemed to have misplaced him in this mess.”
“He got hit in the leg by that... thing, so you'll probably find him in the infirmary. I’m heading there anyways. I could take you to him.”
Celestia was a little concerned about the use of the word “thing” but didn’t show it. She played it off with a light smile. “Sure. I’d like that.” They made their way upstairs which prompted the question “why is the infirmary upstairs?” but she didn’t ask. While trotting down the yellow walled hallway, Celestia cast a glance a Twilight who was still away from the conscious world. At this point in time she was feeling many things. In fact, she had no idea what her feelings were doing. None of them had gained an upper hoof yet sticking the princess in a “I don’t know what to feel yet” moment.
The alicorn’s thoughts were cut short when the LT stopped in front of a door to his right. There was no need to open it as it was done already. The room was like a nurses office at school where foals would go when they get sick. It was a boring white and surprisingly had a tiled floor. Looking up she saw it also had a tiled ceiling. It wasn’t important enough for her to give it anymore though even though she never expected to see something like this in this country.
Celestia saw Shining Armour being treated by a unicorn medic. There was a hole in the upper half of his left foreleg and looked to be swollen signifying a possible fracture. It looked to be similar to the injury Private Cloud Cover received. It made her grimace a bit to imagine the pain he was evidently enduring by the look on his face. She felt empathetic for him. Magic could only do so much. The quickest spell to get him back on his hooves was the least pleasant. While it stimulated regeneration of damaged tissue and bone faster than any other, the way it was cast meant that pain buffering spells would counter the healing process. Therefore, he had no choice but to sit out the pain.
Shining Armour’s look of pain turned into one of dagger throwing. She followed his gaze to Twilight’s unconscious form being gently placed on a bed distantly adjacent to the one Shining occupied. Celestia turned back to face the injured unicorn with one of her eyebrows raised. He only huffed in response which further pushed his behavior into the pile of things that didn’t make sense today.
“I thought you’d be a bit more positive about your sister’s recovery.” she stated. The princess’s tone wasn’t pleasant. He cared for his sisters well being so passionately and was absolutely thrilled at the possibility that there was a chance they’ve located her. The change in his demeanor and attitude didn’t sit well with Celestia. “You don’t seem the least bit happy about or feel any kind of positive emotion towards the situation for that matter. May I ask why you seem not to care about her?” she asked which had a hint of a demanding tone within.
“You’re wrong. I do care about her.” he said sounding dejected.
His voice was lower confirming Celestia’s suspicion of anger but was still confused as to why. The fact that he just contradicted his actions with that statement combined with the fact that Twilight just came out of an ordeal and Shining Armour is angry at her after that was getting under the alicorn’s skin. Her erethral mane started flicking sharply in agitation.
“Then I’m obviously missing something. Would you mind explaining it to me?” There was no attempt to hide the growing anger in her voice. She waited for his reply.
Shining Armour however, was unfazed by her tone though he knew what it was. He then looked at her with a flat dejected look. “I do care about my sister. The thing is...” He pointed his good hoof at the purple unicorn across the room without breaking eye contact. “I don’t know who that mare is but that’s not Twilight.”