//------------------------------// // Sick Days // Story: Direction // by Darth Link 22 //------------------------------// Sweetie was swaying and struggling to keep upright. This wasn’t a good sign. She had voiced her displeasure at being pulled out of bed, but was too weak to do much more than moan, then fall asleep on Rarity’s back. Now they were waiting patiently for the doctor to finish his analysis. “Well, I have some good news,” the stallion said at last. “Yes?” “She’s not a dragon!” “…Ah yes, Twilight told me about you,” she said, shaking her head. “Can you please tell me what’s wrong with my sister?” “It seems to be a simple case of the flu… a rather strong one, though. She’ll need bed rest and plenty of liquids.” “…That’s it? Shouldn’t she be getting some medicine?” The doctor slapped his forehead. “Oh right, medicine! I keep forgetting that part!” “…Look, can I talk to somepony else?” “Young lady, I assure you, I’m an expert on medicine,” the doctor said, pointing to his degree on the wall. There it was, Dr. Malpractice of Stable University. “…Did you… pick that name when you got your cutie mark?” "Oh yes, I thought it sounded cool." He began to write out a prescription. "Now you'll need to give her about a teaspoon of what I'm perscribing every hour... or was it tablespoon? Eh, Nurse Redheart can sort that out.” Rarity, praying the nurse was more competent than the doctor, lifted her sister back onto her back. "Don't worry, I'm taking you straight home, and you can get some sleep." The smaller Unicorn shivered against her sister's back. "I'm scared." "Don't worry, Sweetie, big sister's going to take care of you, everything's going to be just fine." “I feel so… cold…” Sweetie pressed her face into Rarity’s back, wettening her mane with sweat and tears. Rarity felt her heart sink. “Cold? You were burning up this morning…” “I’m sure that’s nothing to worry about,” Malpractice waved a hoof. “Foals usually exaggerate things when they’re that sick. She’ll be fine.” “But look at her!” “Well, is she used to being sick?” “…Well, no.” “See? It’s simply a new experience for her. She’ll be fine with a little rest.” Once again, Celestia and Luna were back in their old home, looking through the catacombs they used to wander. “What exactly are we looking for?’ “When those ponies left us the mirror, they left behind a bundle of other things, remember?” Celestia poked her head in another door, then shut it after seeing another food storage room.. “After I left, I only took the mirror. My mind was… preoccupied.” Luna nodded. “And where did you keep them?” “In a storage room on this level. I know it was down here… I just can’t remember which one.” She opened another door. “Well… this is storage. We might as well start looking.” The two sisters went in different directions. Luna reached a crate, prying the top off with one swift motion. There was nothing but rotten strands of rope and moldy old cloth. “Do you really think that we’ll find anything there we wouldn’t have noticed when we received it? Or that the ponies we employed to archive it would not have?” “I’m not sure, but I need to keep looking. I…” she stopped, wondering if she should really go on. “You’re too worried about Twilight Sparkle, aren’t you?” Celestia stopped searching through her own crate. Then she hung her head. “Twilight’s Creator-knows-where and likely in terrible danger, and I’m here, still living comfortably.” “You call this living comfortably? We’re having to keep thousands of nobles from killing each other.” Despite herself, Celestia couldn’t help but smile. “Perhaps... I just miss the old days, when we were the forefront whenever there was a threat...” “You aren’t the only one. I remember hating it, but now... I suppose I wouldn’t mind staying behind a desk, if there weren’t other ponies on the front lines.” “I know… Twilight being gone… it’s driving me crazy. I know I shouldn’t worry, but…” Before she knew it, Luna had draped her wing over her sister. “You worry because you care. I know nothing I say can change that. But you’ll be doing everything you can for her until she returns. That includes keeping Equestria running smoothly, and perhaps finding where this mirror came from. Maybe you’ll find something, and maybe you won’t, but either way, have faith that she’ll return to you unharmed.” Celestia, who was starting to tear up, nodded. “I will.” Luna sighed with relief that her sister was so agreeable. “Now then, I hope you’ll be content with turning over whatever we find to historians and leaving the work to them. You have a kingdom to run.” “I will, Luna, I promise.” The chariot ride back from Canterlot was a tense affair. “Dashie? Come on, I said I was sorry.” “That doesn’t make everything better!” “It wasn’t so bad…” “You took out that entire table! I’ll bet that one guy is going to limp for life!” “Well, the waiter was acting suspicious. Did you see how much he was sweating…” “That’s because you were shining that bright light in his face! And yelling at him! And shaking him while vowing that you would get the information you needed!” “Hmmm… maybe I did come on too strong…” “You think?” Dash rubbed her head. Taking another deep breath, she spoke. “Pinkie, these ponies aren’t criminals, they’re suspects. You need to cool yourself down, they might not have done anything wrong.” “But you talked that way to Twilight when you met her.” Rainbow Dash actually stopped at that. Then she grimaced. In retrospect, there was no way Twilight could have been a spy, even knowing as little as she did. “Yeah, well, I shouldn’t have. Remember what happened with the MMMM?” Now Pinkie seemed to deflate at that. “Oh yeah. I guess… I guess I got a little too excited…” Rainbow Dash rubbed her head. “Tomorrow I’m getting Applejack to come with me. I don’t care what excuse she gives me, if I have to hogtie her and drag her there, she’s coming.” “I don’t think Applejack would like that…” “I don’t care!” Rainbow Dash’s calm was gone, and she was throwing her forelegs in the air in exasperation. “She can take a day off to come help me! If she needs work done, she can hire help!” “But aren’t the Apples against that? The whole ‘we depend on ourselves’ and…” “And it’s led to nothing but trouble, hasn’t it?” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “Remember Applebuck season? Or the Flim Flam incident? I don’t care what Applejack says, I’m going to send a message to Canterlot tonight. Tomorrow there’s going to be workers at Sweet Apple Acres, and Applejack is coming to Canterlot.” Pinkie shifted. “I don’t know… Applejack can be as stubborn as Cranky.” “Well, she better. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Cranky around lately…” ”Matilda, I’m going out for a walk,” Cranky said. The smile on his face brightened as he opened his front door. He was treated to hundreds of Mirror Pool clones hopping around Ponyville. “Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!” “Run! I mean, fun!” Cranky calmly closed the door. Then, turning on one heel, he walked into his bedroom. “Cranky?” Matilda called. He failed to react. He simply crawled under his bed and assumed the fetal position, his smile never leaving his face. “Eh, I’m sure he’ll turn up.” Nurse Redheart, thankfully, was more competent. After checking the prescription, she rewrote it for the correct amount and dosage. Rarity took her sister home and tucked her in, promising a glass of milk and some soup before she went to sleep. She reached her kitchen and ended up stopping at her refrigerator, seeing a horn written note that wasn’t there this morning. We won tickets for a tour of Manehattan. Take care of your sister until we get back - Mom & Dad Rarity nearly bent her refrigerator door handle in half after reading the note. Sweetie wasn’t home last night and they hardly seemed to care. Despite how unlady like it was, she couldn’t help but growl. Here she was, still a young mare, having to act like a parent because her real parents decided they deserved to live up their retirement, nevermind their children. She opened her fridge and grabbed what she needed. She did her work in silent anger, trying not to think of her parents. Sweetie wasn’t hungry, but Rarity made her eat anyway. Then she gave her another bath. The younger sibling moaned once about it, then stayed silent while Rarity lathered her mane and coat. She was out the moment she hit the pillow. As she dozed, Rarity covered her and kissed her goodnight. She was halfway out the door when she heard it. A faint muttering, coming from her little sister. She approached her, leaning close to hear. “Mu… mom…” It was like another dagger through her heart. She kissed her sister again. “Mother and Father can’t be here, Sweetie. I’m doing the best I can.” Sweetie squirmed under the covers, then seemed to calm down. Rarity gave her one more kiss, then left her to her sleep. Then she headed for the work area. With all the work she missed, it looked to be a long night. Gilda opened the door to her apartment. Her muscles ached and her wings were sore, but wearing heavy armor and patrolling all day did that to anygriffon. She had taken two steps into her home when she realized somepony was already there. “Ah, you’re back…” Trixie said. She was sitting on Gilda’s couch, reading a magazine as if it were her home. “And thank goodness, you Griffons have the most boring tastes.” “Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?” In response to this, Trixie put the magazine down and got to her hooves. “Nothing much, I just thought you might like to hear my offer…” Gilda went forward, but hit an invisible wall. As she stepped back, rubbing her beak, the door behind her closed, locking in place. “Forgive Trixie, but after that last encounter she’s not taking any chances. I wouldn’t bother calling for help, either…” “Who are you?” “Haven’t you heard? I’m the Great and Powerful Trixie!” “Never heard of you, get out!” “Aw, you’re not even going to hit Trixie out?” She tilted her head in a coy pose. “You broke into my house, you crazy…” Suddenly Gilda felt her beak being forced shut. “I’m sorry, but that squawking was giving Trixie a headache. Now then, Trixie has come to offer you the chance for revenge.” Gilda actually arched an eyebrow at this. “Whut?” Trixie actually released Gilda’s beak to allow her to talk again. “Revenge against Rainbow Dash.” “…Why?” Trixie was shocked at that answer. “Why? She abandoned you! Don’t you want to make her pay for her disloyalty?” “I don’t care.” Gilda’s voice waivered a bit. Just the slightest bit. “I really don’t care if Rainbow Dash decided she’d rather hang out with those ponies than me. She’s not worth my time.” Trixie was silent for a moment. “Is that your final answer?” “What are you, deaf? Yes!” Trixie was silent for a few more moments. Then, she lit up her horn. A ball of dark energy formed in front of her, which quickly formed itself into a black coin bearing Trixie’s cutie mark. “When you change your mind, and it is a question of when, simply clutch the coin and say your name. Trixie will be with you shortly afterward.” She lowered the coin onto the nearby kitchen counter. “And don’t try telling anyone Trixie was here. Don’t think she doesn’t have her ways of keeping her eyes on you.” With that, Trixie lit up her horn again. With a flash of dark energy, she was gone. Gilda sat there for a good five minutes, making sure she was gone. Then she grabbed the coin, opened her door, and gave it a toss. Being a good throw, it sailed far out of sight. This is why it came as a surprise when she turned and saw the coin still sitting on her counter. She felt her heart race at this. She had been planning to run and tell the police about what happened. Not because she cared about Rainbow Dash, she told herself, but because Trixie could be a threat to her personally. But… this coin… was this how Trixie was going to keep an eye on her? Finally, she picked up the coin again and dropped it in a silverware drawer. She needed to think about what to do.” Celestia had found it. Laying across the crate in front of them was what the ponies had left behind. A simple bronze amulet featuring a rainbow… the Rainbow of Light, likely… an old book, written in a language older than old Equestrian, and a sketch of a strange creature. It looked like a human, though the proportions were off. It was too short, and it had the longest, whitest beard they had ever seen on anyone. “We had the scholars look this over,” Luna pointed out. “The book was never translated. What makes you think it can be translated now?” “We’ve had advancements in understanding the time before the three tribes since you left. Maybe it will be enough.” “I surely hope so,” Luna nodded. Her eyes glanced over the sketch. “I presume you still think this is the Moochick?” Celestia nodded. “It has to be. The legends describe him as looking vaguely human-like.” Both sisters still found looking at the sketch surreal. This was supposedly the same being that gifted the Rainbow of Light onto Megan, and the one who built Paradise Estates. To see him looking so… plain, was baffling. Still… “The legends say he was immortal. Do you suppose that’s true?” “Perhaps… but it hardly matters. I doubt he’d show up now, and we can’t spare any resources looking for him.” “Then let’s get this back to the castle. If our historians find something, maybe it will lead to something that can help Twilight Sparkle.” Lightning Dust had been reading through the newspaper when Trixie teleported in. She looked up just long enough to lift her eyebrow. “Well? Where is she?” “She said no,” said Trixie, unconcerned. She simply trotted to the fridge to fetch a drink. It seemed with the Amulet, a few hypnosis spells were enough for a night’s stay in a hotel, provided it was far enough out of the way. “Then what are we going to do? You said we needed something to match the Earth Pony.” “Indeed we do, but the griffon was only my first choice. It won’t be too hard to find a thug or two to take her place. Believe we, we’ll be ready to move soon enough.”