Twilight’s eyes slowly fluttered open, blinded for a few seconds from the intense sunlight that shot through the window to her right. As her vision adjusted, she pushed herself slightly off the bed, feeling a sharp pain in her right chest. Quickly, she stopped her movement, ending up in a sitting position as her eyes scanned across the room.
Every other pony was still sound asleep in their beds, bandages wrapped around Pinkie’s hoof and some were present on the other ponies as well. It was obvious that they had a lot of wounds to recover from, and not just physical ones as well.
“Morning, Twilight Sparkle.” A deep voice echoed through the room as Twilight turned towards the door. Milov stood firm and upright, pushing in a tray of fresh treats and hot drinks.
“M-morning, Milov,” Twilight greeted.
Milov raised his talons, wrapping it lightly around the handle of a tea-filled cup and passing it over to the unicorn. “Careful, it’s hot.”
Twilight nodded before levitating the cup to her mouth, recoiling back a bit at the temperature of the liquid. Milov chuckled softly, pouring tea into the other four cups.
“I told you.”
Twilight’s mouth grew into an embarrassed smile, sipping more of the tea.
“H-how are my friends?”
As if on cue, the rest of the ponies had started to stir. All of them groaning slowly as they shifted in their beds.
“Why don’t you ask them?” Milov answered with a kind smile, passing every other pony a cup of tea.
Twilight’s eyebrows furrowed as she scanned her eyes to each bed.
Fluttershy... Applejack... Pinkie... Rarity and... Twilight’s eyes shot open wide.
“Milov!” Twilight shouted. “Where’s Rainb-”
Twilight’s shouting was quickly cut short as Milov’s talons forced her muzzle shut.
“Rainbow Dash is currently in intensive care, please keep your volume down. Lest you want all of us to get discovered. Clear?”
Twilight answered with several hard nods.
“Good.” Milov’s talons released Twilight from their grip as he passed a plate of treats to each pony.
“I need to see Rainbow now!” Fluttershy demanded.
“Ah do too, Doc!” Applejack agreed.
“We need to make sure Dashie is okay!” Pinkie added.
“Absolutely,” Rarity concurred.
“I understand all of your concerns and you will get to see your friend. However, as for now, please just eat and drink up. You’ve all been starved and you’re gonna need as much health as you all can get.”
“B-but Rainbow...,” Fluttershy’s eyes started to well with tears as she spoke. Pinkie wasted no time, zipping over to her friend and giving her a tight hug.
“It’ll be okay, Flutters! Dashie’s strong! She’ll hold on! Now eat up!” Pinkie lifted a biscuit towards Fluttershy’s mouth.
“Twilight Sparkle, I do have to ask though... What in Gryphus are you five—”
“Six. There are six of us,” Applejack firmly stated.
“Six of you doing here!?” Milov questioned.
“We... It’s a secret,” Twilight responded.
Milov reached over to the now empty plates of each pony, taking them back and placing them on the tray. With a tired sigh, he asked, “it’s about the war, isn’t it?”
All of them had a shocked expression on their faces. “How did you—”
“The King has been promoting it. Telling us how its the only way left and how... how we have to get ready for the worse to come.”
Eerie silence filled the room. “King Trela is a smart man and not so easily swayed. He especially will not tolerate any ponies in his kingdom, much less meet with them.”
“Then how can we get an audience?” Twilight asked.
Everypony spotted a smile on Milov’s face. Not just a smile but a... smirk. A cunning expression they had never seen before, and were quite worried about what it meant.
“When you have rested enough, come to the ward at the end of the hallway to the right. That’s Rainbow’s ward. I shall see you all there.”
Milov walked out of the ward, leaving a thick atmosphere in the room as the other ponies stared at each other. They were silent, but they’re gazes were not.
Everypony stood outside of Rainbow’s ward, staring at the pegasus through a glass window. Rainbow was wrapped up tightly in bandages. Syringes and wires ran throughout her body. It was clear she wasn’t conscious and they weren’t even sure if she was alive. The longer everypony stared, the more they felt their hearts fall apart. Fluttershy was the first to lose her composure, diving her tearing eyes into Pinkie’s coat. Her sobs weren’t muffled or hidden. She had nothing left to hide. Applejack followed quickly, tilting her hat down over her face to cover up her obvious tears as they flowed down her face onto the flow below.
Rarity lifted a hoof up to her eye, lightly flicking away a tear. Pinkie simply stared down at the floor, hugging Fluttershy tightly, knowing that she was the only solace for the pegasus. Twilight, too, took a deep breath, her composure on the verge of shattering.
“We’re doing everything in our power to save her, but that’s no promise that we can.”
“I... I understand,” Twilight answered with a heavy heart, her breaths short and stuttered.
“Now, are you all up to continue your journey?”
Fluttershy pushed herself off of Pinkie’s coat before nodding.
“We’ll do this for Dash.”
“This King has caused nothing but pain. And that General. Both are nothing but ruffians.”
“Ah’ll kill them griffons that did this to Rainbow!”
“And the only party I’ll show them is the party of pain!”
“Milov, we’re ready,” Twilight confirmed with the others.
“Good. Now follow me.” Milov walked away slowly, the others following close.
He went deeper and deeper into the doctors, taking several turns before stopping outside a small room with a sign hanging on the door. The sign had the words “WORK IN PROGRESS” written crudely with red ink on it.
Milov pushed open the door slowly, revealing a much younger gryphon sitting in front of a small work bench, the sound of screws being tightened resonated throughout the room.
“Dovan, we have guests,” Milov spoke to the young gryphon. The gryphon immediately swung around in his small chair.
“H-huh!? Milov, you brought ponies!? Are you crazy!?”
“Dovan. Relax. They’re here to help.”
“Help? In what?”
“....The war.”
Dovan’s frown quickly morphed into a smile.
“Are you sure they can be trusted, Milov?”
“With all my heart, Dovan. I promise they can be trusted.”
“But can we trust you?” Twilight spoke up, staring at the gryphon.
“Well now, we’ll just have to see, won’t we?” The gryphon replied, swinging back around in his chair to return to his tinkering.
“Dovan here can be a little... spontaneous, but I promise you he is one of the most intelligent gryphons you will ever find.”
“Whoa now,” Dovan didn’t bat an eyelid, picking up a smaller wrench with his tail. “Was that a compliment?”
“Well, don’t get used to it,” Milov teased, getting a laugh from both as he walked out of the door, leaving the five ponies standing slightly confused in the room.
“W-well then... let’s introduce ourselves! My name is Twilight Sparkle!”
Dovan didn’t say a word.
“A-and Ah’m Applejack!”
He didn’t budge.
“And I’m Pinkie Pie!”
Not a mutter.
“Dovan!” Twilight shouted, stomping her hoof. “We’re trying to introduce ourselves here! The least you could do is to acknowledge us! I mean, if we’re trying to get an audience with the king and you won’t—”
“You want an audience with the king?” Dovan finally spoke up, an unseen grin on his face.
“Y-yes,” Fluttershy was the first to answer.
“Well then, if you want an audience with the king.” Dovan spun around in his chair, revealing a small silver pencil-like device in his talon. “The king has to be your audience first.”
With a press of the button, the device whirled to life. Spinning and clicking rapidly in many places before stopping. Twilight stared at the device, noticing no change in shape despite all the movement.
“Now,” Dovan continued. “Let the show... begin.”