//------------------------------// // Aftermath: Twilight Sparkle // Story: Inferno // by DemonBrightSpirit //------------------------------// Twilight swayed a bit as her eyelids fell low over her eyes. She shook her head before rubbing her face with a hoof. Dinnertime came and went, and Twilight had yet to have more than a moment’s rest. A gilded hoof touched Twilight’s shoulder. She turned to see Princess Cadance giving her a sympathetic look. Twilight struggled to put on a smile. “Yes?” “You’ve done more than enough,” Cadance said. “You really should take time for yourself. You won’t do anypony any good if you’re completely exhausted.” Twilight’s gaze fell away. “I-I can’t just leave everypony.” “All that is left now is to mourn, recover, and rebuild. Right now these ponies need their family and friends more than they need a princess so exhausted she can barely stand. Don’t you have your own friends that need you?” Twilight’s ears folded back as she whimpered. “I just… I can’t bring myself to leave,” she said, looking out over the desolation left by the all-consuming flames. “I couldn’t protect them…” “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Twilight. Even Princess Luna and Princess Celestia weren’t able to avert this catastrophe.” “They weren’t here,” Twilight said, hanging her head. “I was.” Cadance sighed. “What about your friends? Don’t they need you, too?” Twilight averted her gaze. After a moment, she looked back. “Can I trust you to take care of things here?” “Of course,” Cadance said, giving Twilight a reassuring smile. With a resolute nod, Twilight started trotting towards the hospital. “Thank you,” she said as she passed. The moment Twilight set hoof in the hospital, she garnered the attention of the entire lobby. Holding her head high, Twilight reminded herself to stay calm. Walking past the crowd, she made a beeline for the reception desk. “Excuse me,” she said to the nurse behind the desk, “Would it be possible for me to visit a friend?” Receiving a nod and reassurance from the nurse, Twilight smiled and accepted a visitor’s pass. “Can you tell me where Rarity’s room is?” “Third floor, room 312,” the nurse said, pointing Twilight towards the elevator. Giving the nurse her thanks, Twilight hurried into the elevator. She found herself sharing the small box with a stallion and a colt. As she pressed the button for her floor, a tiny hoof tapping on her leg brought her attention to a grey colt with a short, black mane. Twilight gave him her best smile “Yes?” He looked up at Twilight with big, brown eyes. “Are you here to make mommy better?” Twilight’s eyes widened as her smile faded away. Before she could muster a response, the stallion pulled the colt away. “Don’t bother the princess, now.” Twilight shook her head. “No, look…” she said, looking back down at the colt. “I’m not a doctor, somepony I care about is hurt, and I came here to comfort her. That’s why you’re here, too, isn’t it?” The colt just whimpered as he hid behind his father’s legs. “I’m sorry about that, Princess,” the stallion said as he ushered the colt out. Waiting a few moments, Twilight stepped out as well. She sighed as her immaculate posture drooped a bit. Walking by room after room, the same scenes played out. Ponies burned and coughing. Sometimes they were alone, sometimes they were with families and friends by their side. It was a far cry from the scene outside. Out there, there were ponies talking about rebuilding, planning their next steps, and trying to salvage their livelihoods mixed in with the wails of despair. In here, there were exclusively tears and regrets. Finally, she came to room 312. Inside, two hospital beds were pressed together. Rarity was in one, her hind leg in a cast and traction. The other bed was empty. A quick glance around the white, barren room revealed Sweetie Belle sitting with her back in a corner. Her ears drooped down, dragging her head down as well. Twilight licked her lips as the words in her throat refused to be spoken. For lack of another greeting, she raised a hoof, rapping it on the door frame. Rarity’s ears pricked at the sound, drawing her gaze to Twilight. “H-hi,” Twilight said as she slowly stepped into the room. “Sorry I couldn’t be here earlier.” Rarity cast her gaze aside, a small frown accenting her muzzle. “It couldn’t be helped, I’m sure.” Twilight hesitated, her ears folding back. “I… I really am sorry, Rarity. I’ve just been so busy taking care of everything.” When Rarity didn’t respond, she plodded over to her bedside and sat down, reaching a forehoof up to Rarity’s shoulder. “I… heard about your parents. How are you holding up?” Rarity shook her head. “I just… I-I keep going through it over and over in my head. What I could have done. What I should have done.” She sniffled, her eyes repeatedly darting over towards Sweetie Belle. “They didn’t have to die.” “Nopony did,” Twilight replied, placing a hoof on Rarity’s. “There… should have been someway, somehow to have prevented this.” “What am I supposed to do, Twilight?” She shook her head ever so slightly as she fixated again on Sweetie Belle. “I… Sweetie. S-she won’t talk to me. She won’t even look at me!” Twilight looked back at Sweetie. She was still just sitting there in the corner, staring at the floor between her hooves. “She’s hurting, just like you. Everypony grieves in their own way.” Sighing, she withdrew her hoof, staring at it as it returned to the floor. “I’ve been seeing it all day.” She closed her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “Sh-she blames me. Me.” Failing to suppress a sob, she swiped at her eyes. “Don’t you understand? It’s my fault our parents are dead! I was right there and I didn’t save them.” Twilight was on her hooves in an instant. “Rarity, you couldn’t save them,” Twilight replied, pressing a hoof to Rarity’s jaw to coax her to make eye contact. “I’m a princess with alicorn magic, and I couldn’t save anypony.” She then turned her gaze and Rarity’s to Sweetie Belle. “You did one better than I did.” When Twilight let go, Rarity looked back at her.. “How could something like this have happened?” she asked, her voice cracking. Twilight licked her lips, her eyes tracing both to Sweetie Belle and to the open door. Her muzzle moved next to Rarity’s ear. “We’re not saying anything because we’re not one-hundred percent sure, but we think that somepony did this on purpose,” she said, keeping her voice low enough that Sweetie Belle wouldn’t hear. “Wh-what?” Rarity hissed. She thrashed around in her bed, nearly coming out of her traction. “Who?” She grabbed Twilight’s shoulders. “Who did this?” Twilight pulled the hooves away. “Calm down,” she said in an authoritative tone. Glancing around again, she pulled her attention back to Rarity. “We don’t even know if there really is a somepony, or even if it is just one pony.” “What kind of monster would do this?” Rarity asked as tears sprang anew. Twilight shook her head. “We’ve faced evil wanting power, chaos, revenge… you name it, but I’ve never seen anything like this.” She nibbled her lip a moment before sighing. “I… I don’t like admitting it, but I-I really don’t know what to do in a situation like this. I just-I’m trying to do everything I can and I don’t… I don’t know what to do.” A pair of white hooves snaked around Twilight’s neck, pulling her into a hug. “Thank you,” she said, burying her face in Twilight’s shoulder. Cradling Rarity’s head with one hoof, Twilight draped a wing over her. “I wish I could do more.” As draining as this entire day had been, it didn’t hold a candle to visiting Rarity. After leaving Rarity’s hospital room, Twilight seriously considered just leaving and going home. She couldn’t imagine relaxing in a situation like this, but as it stood, she was dead on her hooves. A soft bed, a pillow, and two seconds were all she would need to slip into blissful nothingness. But no. She had other friends, and they were hurting. Abandoning them in their hour of need was simply out of the question. And so she found herself standing outside another hospital room. Instead of her friend being in a bed, this time, she was at the bedside. Pinkie was sitting next to Pound Cake’s bed. She was just staring at the foal. “Pinkie?” Twilight said, knocking on the door frame. Pinkie didn’t move. She didn’t even blink. “Pinkie, I-I came to see how everypony was holding up.” Still, nothing. With a small sigh, Twilight stepped in and slowly approached Pinkie. “I… heard about the Cakes. Are you okay?” “Mr. Cake’s brother lives in Manehattan,” Pinkie replied in an almost mechanical manner. “He says they can take the twins in. They’ll be here in the morning.” “You don’t want them to go?” Twilight asked. Pinkie shook her head just a bit. “It’s good they’ll have a place to go… They’ll stay together.” Twilight gingerly placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Are you sad about what happened to the Cakes?” Pinkie finally turned to Twilight, tears dripping down her cheeks. “Why does it hurt to smile?” Twilight wrapped her up in a hug. She felt Pinkie shudder as she began to cry. Gingerly, Twilight rubbed Pinkie’s back. “Shh… Shh…” “I just… I-I don’t know what to do Twilight,” Pinkie said, sniffling and hugging Twilight tight. “They said I could come live with them, but I don’t want to leave Ponyville. B-but I don’t want to stay here, either!” Pulling Pinkie back, Twilight looked her in the eye. “If you need a place to stay, you know your friends will make room for you. And the rock farm isn’t far from Ponyville either.” Pinkie shook her head a bit. “I don’t know if I want to stay in Ponyville.” Twilight blinked. “What?” Pinkie sat down, keeping her gaze locked on the floor. “Everypony is hurting, and I can’t… I can’t even cheer myself up. How am I supposed to make anypony else happy? I don’t… want to be here surrounded by all this sadness.” Touching a hoof to Pinkie’s chin, Twilight guided her gaze to look her in the eye. “Pinkie, running away isn’t going to help. I could understand you wanting to be there for the twins, but leaving here just to get away from the pain and suffering… Your friends need you right now. You’re needed here, now more than ever. You understand that, right?” Pinkie shook her head. “I just… I-I don’t want be here,” she said to Twilight as she looked away. “I’ve never felt this way before.” Sitting beside Pinkie, Twilight draped a wing over her. “I can’t really tell you what decision to make, but I can tell you that, if you run away now, I’m sure you’ll regret it.” Pinkie wrapped her hooves around Twilight, hugging her tight. “I don’t know what to do. It hurts, and I hate thinking about it, and I was mean to Rainbow Dash. I-I’m starting to think I won’t be happy again,” she said, sobbing. “I’m scared.” Returning the hug, Twilight resumed the mantra of comforting sounds as she rubbed Pinkie’s back. This continued for several minutes until Pinkie finally calmed down, slipping into a fitful sleep. The poor thing must’ve been up since the middle of last night. Flagging down a nurse, Twilight got a blanket and pillow. She set Pinkie down out of the way at the foot of Pound Cake’s bed, slipping the pillow under her head and draping the blanket over her. She took the time to check the twins over before plodding back out into the hallway. Her own eyelids drooped and her hooves dragged. She’d gone days without sleep before, but a lack of sleep combined with physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion was nearly too much, even for a princess. Part of her wanted her to continue her rounds, but her body just cried out for rest. Blinking her bleary eyes, Twilight scanned the signs. She could come back tomorrow. If she kept this us, she’d be in a hospital bed, too. Finding the sign to the nearest exit, her pace picked up just a bit. Twilight made it about halfway to her staircase of freedom before a splash of color caught her eye. Stopping dead in her tracks, she turned toward yet another hospital room. This one held a rainbow maned pegasus sitting in front of a hospital bed. “Rainbow Dash?” Twilight said, prompting the pegasus to look up. “Twilight? Oh, uh, hey,” Dash muttered, her tone anything but enthusiastic. As Twilight approached, she identified the pony in the bed as Scootaloo. “How is she doing?” Dash sighed, her eyes trailing over to rest on the filly’s face. “She still hasn’t woken up, yet.” Twilight grabbed the chart. She had to blink a time or two to get the words to come into focus. “This… doesn’t look too good.” Chancing a glance up as she replaced the chart, she saw that Rainbow was still fixated on the filly. “H-how about you? How are you holding up?” Rainbow licked her lips before looking back up at Twilight. “I… I adopted her,” she said. Staring blankly a moment, Twilight shook her head. “S-sorry, I’m really tired,” she said with a bit of a laugh. “I thought you just said that you adopted her.” “I had to,” Rainbow replied, looking back down at Scootaloo. “The orphanage here is totally gone. They were going to ship her off to Los Pegasus.” Twilight shook her head again. “N-no, it takes months, sometimes years for somepony to adopt. You can’t just… Overnight.” “She said the orphanage lost all its papers,” Dash said. “All I had to do was say I was in the process of adopting her. I did, and I signed some papers. She said that everything should be finalized within a week.” “That’s incredibly reckless!” Twilight replied. “We didn’t have much of a choice,” a new voice said. Twilight spun around to see a brown earth pony. “Wha-who are you?” “I’m Keen Quill, and I’m the pony tasked with handling Scootaloo’s adoption. I know the situation isn’t ideal, but we have no records and no other way of resolving things.” Leaning over the bed, she handed Rainbow Dash a folder. “You’ll need to retain these files. Her birth certificate and other records will be released to you as soon as everything is finalized.” Rainbow just stared at the folder. “Y-yeah, okay.” “You-you cannot do this,” Twilight said, levelling a glare at Keen. “Rainbow Dash is in no position to be adopting a filly!” “I assure you that she will be properly and fully assessed just as soon as things calm down,” Keen said. “But right now we have a figurative mountain of red tape to plow through. The mayor herself has given the all clear to take whatever shortcuts necessary to get everypony taken care of.” Twilight turned back to Dash. “Rainbow Dash, you know this isn’t a good idea.” “Sending her off to Los Pegasus isn’t a good idea,” Dash retorted. “All of her friends are here. This is the only town she’s ever known. She… she can’t even fly, Twilight.” “You’re making a mistake.” “Letting them take her away, that’s a bigger mistake.” Twilight turned just in time to see Keen Quill making a stealthy exit. “Wait!” A flash of purple, and Twilight appeared in the doorway, blocking Keen’s escape. “Please, there must be something you can do. I don’t want Scootaloo to be sent away any more than anypony else, but this…” “The wheels are already in motion,” Keen said, stepping around Twilight. “It’s out of my hooves. The only one who has any say at all is Rainbow Dash.” After Keen left, Twilight turned back to Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow…” Dash just shook her head. “I have to.” “Why you? Why not somepony else?” Twilight replied. “There isn’t anypony else.” Twilight averted her gaze, shaking her head. “This is a mistake.” Dash sighed, looking back at Scootaloo. “I know.” Rubbing the side of her head, Twilight sighed. “I… I’ll think of something,” she said. Rainbow gave her a small smile. “Thanks.” Stumbling underneath the starlit sky, Twilight finally made it home. “I’m back,” she called out as stepped inside the library. In a flash, Spike rushed down the steps. “Twilight! I was getting worried.” Twilight gave him a weary smile. “Sorry, Spike. This whole mess has had me swamped.” A quick glance showed the library to be immaculately clean. “Thanks for taking care of things here.” “I heard… what happened. How is everypony taking it?” Twilight shook her head. “Bad. I mean, Applejack and Fluttershy seem to be handling everything okay, but the rest…” She rubbed her head as she groaned. “I’m going back to the hospital tomorrow. Why don’t you come with me?” “Are you okay?” Blinking, Twilight tried to give a reassuring smile, only to succeed in a grimace. “I’m tired, Spike. Why don’t we talk in the morning?” Not waiting for a response, she trudged by Spike and towards the stairs. “But… I’ve been waiting all day…” Spike muttered, his voice too low to be heard over Twilight’s hooves stumbling up the stairs.