Twilight Sparkle stood outside her library, she wondered if Fira was home yet, or if she had gone out to play with her new friends, She lit her horn and opened the door, her attention was caught by a piece of paper falling to the ground.
"It must have been taped to the door . . ." Twilight said, examining the paper.
'Dear Princess Sparkle,
When Fira arrived at school today, something went wrong, I will explain everything to you once you read this. We are at Ponyville Hospital, I am with the girls, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. Since your friends are related to them I figure as much they will want to know where their sisters are. Please come as soon as possible, Fira Is terribly ill. -Cheerilee'
Twilight dropped the note with a gasp, and rushed toward the hospital as fast as she could ever imagine running. The ground clicked at her heels, tripping her up as she went, she shook her head, remembering she had wings. She stretched them out like a dove and glided upward, flapping in between each panicked gasp.
Twilight's eyes shimmered in the bright sun overhead. She felt herself launch forward as the Ponyville Hospital seemed to move toward her shattered thoughts. She took a deep breath and muttered a silent prayer to Celestia, that Fira wasn't hurt too badly. She collapsed on the frame of the door, using her magic to open it, she trotted inside, and slammed it behind her. Oh her right was a waiting room, chairs filled with worried ponies, all of which had quivering lips and tangled manes.
"Hello?" Twilight asked, pulling toward the front desk. "Is a pony by the name of 'Fira Adara' in this wing?"
The mare at the desk stared for a moment, bowed her head to Twilight, and beckoned the young lavender mare to follow. The white washed floor reminded Twilight of the palace, so clean and white, it was intimidating. The clattering of the eight hooves on the ceramic tile filled the halls with echoes.
"It's right here, Princess," the nurse whispered, opening the door.
In the bed was lain a little red filly, her eyes shut tightly, and her horn charred. A dark pink mare and three young ponies stood staring worriedly at the occupant of the bed.
"Cheerilee, what happened to her?" Twilight asked, a flood of emotion hitting her like a ton of bricks.
"Well . . . I'm not sure really, she cast a spell, and it was too strong for her, she passed out," Cheerilee guessed.
"What! I . . . why?" Twilight sputtered out.
Scootaloo raised her hoof. "Diamond Tiara was being mean to her, that's why!"
Twilight stepped back. "I never should have sent her to school, I'm a terrible pony, I'm so sorry."
She buried her head in her hooves and cried, before she felt something touch her hoof.
"Twilight, I'm the one who's sorry, I should've been more careful," whispered, the little red filly.
Twilight leapt up, her eyes still streaming. She let out a sigh and looked over Fira for injuries. Fira stood shakily from her spot, and landed on the floor, coughing horribly as she did so.
"Fira, I don't think that's safe, get back in the-" Cheerilee began, but not before the three cutie mark crusaders had leapt by Fira's side. "Twilight Sparkle, the doctor said that you could take her home when you're ready, but she can't be exposed to stressful situations."
"Okay, thank you Cheerliee, you've been a great help, would you mind taking the girls home?"
"Oh, of course Princess, come on Apple Bloom, Sweetie, Scootaloo, you need to go home now."
"But we wanna' stay with Fira," Apple Bloom cried out.
"But Miss Cheerilee, she needs us," Sweetie protested.
Scootaloo stayed quiet for a moment, and glanced back at the little red filly.
"Girls," Cheerliee said firmly.
The three waved goodbye and followed, not wanting to get into trouble with their families. The quiet hoof beats of the four ponies faded into the distance as the door slammed shut. Twilight lifted Fira upwards with her horn, and placed her on her own back, spreading her wings to hold her weight.
"Fira, what happened? Could you please tell me?" Twilight asked, curiosity getting the best of her.
The little filly shook slightly as she told her story, she found herself crying off and on throughout, as Twilight became increasingly guilty for her idiocy. Before the two could even finish recounting today's events, they had reached the door of the little library, pulling it open with her spare hoof, Twilight trotted inside, immediately going up the stairs to her student's bed.
"Fira, I'm so sorry this happened to you, I will never let it happen again, and tomorrow, where going to figure this out, we are going to make you a more stable filly. Okay?"
"Yeah," Fira Adara coughed slightly, rubbing her horn with a free hoof, the burn was pretty bad, but was nothing that a little magic wouldn't fix after a few days or so. "And maybe you could heal my horn tomorrow."
"Of course, goodnight Fira."
Twilight smiled and walked back downstairs. "I can't believe they didn't tell her . . . that's a magical wound, not something I can fix. I need to do something about this . . . where is that dragon, he can help me research," she whispered to herself. "Spike!"
Spike was fast asleep in a corner, his arms crossed, a black covered book was at his feet, it's pages open to one about magical creatures.
"Wha-" Twilight began, looking over the pages, her eyes grew wider and wider as she read, lifting up the book and staring right at something she had completely ignored. "I don't believe it . . . this is the answer!"
Twilight tapped Spike on the shoulder excitedly, he had found something.
"What, what is it?" he mumbled softly.
"Spike! You did it!"
"Did what?"
"You found the missing link, the answer to Fira's magical abilities."
"Wait, what?" Spike groaned and stood up, peering at Twilight curiously.
"Ugh, Spike, you left this book open didn't you?"
"What? No, of course not."
Twilight tilted her head awkwardly and dropped the book back down at his feet. "Well, I'm still going to look into it . . . it's a new lead."
"What is?"
"I'll explain later Spike."