//------------------------------// // Chapter 33: Return // Story: Fiddling with Her Heart // by Kevinltk //------------------------------// True to her word, Octavia had stayed the entire night with Applejack. The two of them had ended up falling asleep, leaning on the side of Apple Bloom’s bed. It was not exactly the most comfortable position, but to Octavia, the company more than made up for it. She was the first one to awake the following morning, and when she had looked down at the still sleeping Applejack beside her, she could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. After their grueling hiatus from each other and the many things that happened the previous night, she half wondered if she had actually dreamt that night. Even though they had put off discussing what had happened in the past, and Apple Bloom was still sick, Octavia was grateful that she and Applejack had at least started to mend the rift that had formed between them. When Apple Bloom woke up and saw Octavia, the filly had practically leapt on her in joy. Applejack shed a few tears of joy to see her little sister back to her chipper self again, even if it was only temporary. For Octavia, seeing the smile on Apple Bloom’s and Applejack’s faces warmed her heart. Even if that was the only thing she could have done, it would have made the trip well worth it. As for Rainbow Dash, Nurse Redheart’s prediction was correct, and the prismatic pegasus was discharged from the hospital after a full day of rest. While she was instructed to take it easy for at least another day or two, she instead integrated herself back into the rotation their other friends had set up to help out at Sweet Apple Acres. Octavia made a note to make sure she thanked Rainbow in her help for bringing her to Ponyville. To the relief of their friends, Octavia was able to convince Applejack to ease up on her vigil over Apple Bloom. Whether it was because they had cleared some of the animosity between the two of them, or that Applejack simply listened to her, she was glad to have Applejack trust her to watch Apple Bloom while she took a quick nap or get a snack. While she was still not eating or sleeping like normal, it was a notable improvement from before. Unfortunately, when things had started to look up, Apple Bloom’s condition deteriorated. A few days later, she developed a fever in addition to her previous ailments. The doctors had started to try out various medicines and antibiotics, but without knowing what they were dealing with, they were all just shots in the dark. With each passing day, Apple Bloom seemed to be getting a little bit worse. As expected, Applejack did not take the turn of events well. It was only because of Octavia’s constant urging and watchful eye that Applejack did not return to a state of complete self neglect. It was also difficult for Octavia to see her friend in such distress, and it was even more frustrating to know that she could not do much else except ease the pain and worries Applejack held. More than once had Applejack broke down into tears and all she could do was just be there for her. It was another day in the hospital as Octavia watched Applejack hover by a sleeping Apple Bloom’s side. With a sigh, she went over to the counter in the room and poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher sitting on it. As she drank the water down, she wondered what lied ahead. Apple Bloom showed no signs of getting better and neither she or Applejack could stay in the hospital indefinitely. While it was not absolutely necessary for Octavia to return to Canterlot, spending all your time in the hospital was not the best way to pay the bills or put food on the table. What worried her the most was Sweet Apple Acres. Despite their friends’ help, the farm’s productivity was lower than usual without Applejack’s guidance. As long as she was worried about Apple Bloom, Applejack was in no condition to be working. She knew that Sweet Apple Acres was a cornerstone for both Ponyville and the rest of the Apple Family, and it would cause a devastating chain of events if the farm went under. Pouring another glass of water, Octavia let out another sigh. Sooner or later, something had to be done before things grew even more dire. “Here, Applejack,” Octavia said as she walked over to her, offering the glass of water. “You barely had anything yet today.” “Um, right… Thanks…” Applejack mumbled, turning to Octavia for a short moment to take the glass and look at her before turning back to Apple Bloom. Even when she was slowly sipping at the drink, her gaze stuck on the filly. A knock on the door prompted Octavia to answer it, revealing Twilight and Spike. “Hello, Octavia. Hello, Applejack,” Twilight greeted gently. “Hey, guys,” Spike said with a wave of his claw. “Twilight, Spike, good to see you,” Octavia replied. “Hey,” Applejack weakly called out, not even turning to greet the new arrivals. “Still no progress on Apple Bloom’s health?” Twilight asked. Octavia shook her head. “Then I might have some good news for you, Applejack.” “Ah’m listenin’,” Applejack answered, even though she still had not turned towards Twilight. “Don’t be mad, but I was really getting worried and wrote to Princess Celestia last night explaining everything,” Twilight confessed. “She just sent back a reply not too long ago. I was hoping she could give me some advice. Instead, she and Princess Luna might have found a way for Apple Bloom to get better.” Applejack finally broke her gaze on Apple Bloom and turned her full attention to Twilight in a flash. “Wait, really?!” she cried out with wide eyes. Twilight nodded. “They know of a specialist that might be able to find out what is wrong with Apple Bloom. The thing is that we have to go to him in Canterlot. They can also arrange for Apple Bloom to be taken care of at the hospital over there which has more equipment and doctors to help her out. They just need your approval before they set things up.” “Are you kiddin’ me?! Of course we’ll go!” Applejack immediately answered. “But we haven’t talked to Granny Smith and Big Mac about this yet,” Twilight pointed out. “This is a big decision. Would they be alright with this?” “Just like me, they would do whatever it takes to see Apple Bloom get better. They trust me to make the right decisions for her, and they can hold down the fort until we get back. The faster we get things movin’, the better.” “Well, if you say so,” Twilight replied before looking down at her assistant. “Spike, could you do the honors?” “Sure thing,” Spike promptly agreed, pulling out a sheet of parchment and a quill. He quickly scrawled out their response on the parchment before rolling it up and sending it away with a plume of emerald flame. “Not quite how I expected I would be returning to Canterlot,” Octavia mused out loud. “What were you expecting?” Twilight asked. Octavia blinked and stared at Twilight. From the way her inquisitive look shifted into a mild blush, Twilight’s question seemed to have been of genuine curiosity instead of one of any ill intent. “Sorry,” Twilight quickly apologized. “You know how I am. I sometimes blurt out questions and like to stick my nose in things.” “No, no, it’s alright,” Octavia assured. “It’s actually a good question. With all that has been going on, I haven’t really thought about it. I just wish I was not going back because Apple Bloom was sick.” Twilight nodded, either satisfied with the answer or sensing that they were getting into a delicate topic. Looking away, a small frown appeared on Octavia’s face. Because of how busy she was watching over Applejack and Apple Bloom, she did not think that far ahead into the future, but Twilight’s question brought up a very good point. What was she going to do after all of this was over? Octavia’s thoughts were interrupted when Spike let out a rather loud belch, revealing another scroll with a puff of green fire. Twilight caught the message in the air and unrolled it to read its contents. “What does it say?” Applejack eagerly asked. “They already begun arranging everything for us and even sent a flying carriage to make sure Apple Bloom will get to Canterlot quickly and safely. It will be here within a few hours,” Twilight answered as she continued to scan the letter. Applejack breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Hopefully, this will finally get Apple Bloom all better.” “I guess for the time being, we should inform everypony else what is happening,” Octavia suggested. Twilight nodded. “Applejack you can stay here with Apple Bloom, but be sure to inform the doctors what’s going on. Octavia, you can go to Sweet Apple Acres and tell Granny Smith and Big Mac. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy should also be there helping out. Spike and I will go look for Pinkie and Rarity.” Octavia and Applejack nodded in agreement with their assignments before Octavia proceeded out of the door with Twilight and Spike. Right as she stepped outside, Octavia glanced back at Applejack who had once again returned to staring at Apple Bloom. Her gaze remained on her friend for a moment longer before she closed the door and left to begin preparations for what was hopefully the road to getting Apple Bloom cured. Octavia went around the hospital room, checking to make sure that nothing was left behind, while Applejack prepared a sleeping Apple Bloom for the flight to Canterlot. Twilight was waiting outside the hospital, keeping an eye out for their ride. Like Applejack said, Granny Smith and Big Mac were understanding of the situation and were more than willing to continue doing their best to keep Sweet Apple Acres running. Before sending Octavia off with a bundle of homemade apple treats for the trip, they expressed their gratitude for all her help, and in return, she promised them that she would continue watching over Applejack and Apple Bloom. The rest of their friends also wished them luck when they were told what was happening. They all were staying in Ponyville to continue helping out at Sweet Apple Acres, leaving Octavia and Twilight as the only ponies who would be accompanying Applejack and Apple Bloom. Even Spike, who was usually by Twilight’s side, was not going. Despite a bit of grumbling, he understood that Twilight could be the liaison between their group and the princesses without his help. He would be a lot more help staying in Ponyville by keeping watch over the library, helping out at Sweet Apple Acres, and most importantly, use his dragonfire mail to easily send messages back and forth between the two groups. Just as Octavia and Applejack finished their preparations, Twilight came in and notified them the carriage had arrived. With a silent nod, Applejack carefully bundled Apple Bloom up in a cocoon of blankets and gently placed the filly onto her back. Octavia flinched slightly and looked at Apple Bloom with concern when she made a few moans from the movement. It was hard to tell if she was conscious or not, and it had gotten to the point where she spent more time sleeping than being awake. The three of them made their way out of the hospital and were greeted by a gilded carriage harnessed to four burly pegasi, donning the golden armor of the royal guard. Octavia was both impressed and thankful that the princesses had put in so much effort to make sure Apple Bloom got to Canterlot safely. While Twilight discussed the specifics of the plan with the guards and Applejack climbed into the carriage with her sister, Octavia found herself hesitating from following her friend inside, feeling a twinge of trepidation from the trip she made a couple of days ago. Her flight with Rainbow was not exactly a pleasant journey, and if she had to be honest, she would admit that the experience had made her wish she would not have to fly again for at least for some time. And yet, here she was, about to take the skies once again. In her head, she shoved her worries aside and rationalized with her still hesitant body. The skies were sunny and clear, and instead of riding on the back of a pegasus, clinging on for dear life, they were being safely seated inside a carriage pulled by a team of pegasi who were likely trained for such a task. Most importantly, she was not going to allow a small, silly fear get in the way of remaining by Applejack and Apple Bloom’s side. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the carriage. On one side of the carriage was Applejack on a cushioned seat with Apple Bloom lying down right next to her. Octavia took a seat straight across from Applejack, and the two of them stared at each other silently. Their gaze was quickly broken when Twilight came in, telling them they were about to take off, and sat down next to Octavia. A minute later, the whole carriage gave a small lurch. Looking through a window, Octavia saw that they were already flying higher than all of Ponyville’s buildings. A few more minutes later, Ponyville was off in the distance as they continued their ascent to Canterlot. Other than a few tidbits of smalltalk, the rest of the flight was spent in silence as the three mares watched over Apple Bloom. When they arrived in Canterlot, the carriage landed in an open area right next to the hospital. After thanking the guards, they immediately rushed into the building and were quickly checked in by the staff once they explained who they were. When a nurse offered to take Apple Bloom, Applejack insisted that she kept on carrying her sister. As they were led through the hospital by a nurse to Apple Bloom’s assigned room, Octavia noticed that unlike the relatively empty halls of Ponyville’s hospital, Canterlot’s hospital was teaming with activity with ponies rushing around and ordering stuff around. While it was more subdued than before, Canterlot was still recovering from the changeling invasion. Octavia let out a small shudder. It was not too long ago that she was in this same building, being treated for the injuries she herself sustained during the attack, and it brought up thoughts of the harrowing memories that revolved around the royal wedding. She noticed that Applejack was a lot more tense than usual as well and wondered if she was experiencing the same thing or was just eager to see what can be done for Apple Bloom. As soon as they arrived at the room and Applejack laid Apple Bloom in the bed, the nurse was joined by a second nurse, and they worked together to take the filly’s vital signs as well as a blood sample. After they were done checking Apple Bloom in, they politely bowed out of the room and mentioned that the doctor would come by after he takes a look at the results of the blood test. “Efficient, aren’t they?” Octavia commented with a small frown. While it was nice that the nurses quickly attended to Apple Bloom, it felt like they were just going through the motions instead of actually taking the time to make sure she was completely cared for. “I think they kind of have to,” said Twilight. “Did you see how busy it was out there? I didn’t realize there were still so many ponies that were being treated from the invasion.” Octavia sighed. “I suppose that is true. It’s the same with the reconstruction efforts.” “Speaking of, how has that been doing?” “It’s doing alright, I suppose. I haven’t paid too much attention, but the place definitely looks much better than it was right after the invasion. Still, there are lots of work going on, and I have no idea when it will all be done.” Twilight nodded. “I have been asking Princess Celestia about it. She does not give me too many details, saying that I should not be worried about it, but I know she and Princess Luna are swamped with work. Not only are they overseeing the repairs, they are also conducting research on the changelings to prevent something like that from happening again. I must remember to thank them for taking the time to help Apple Bloom.” At the mention of the sick filly’s name, Octavia looked back at Apple Bloom. As expected, Applejack was seated by her side, but she could see that her friend was fidgeting around nervously, and her eyes frequently glanced over at the door. “Are you alright, Applejack?” Octavia asked as she walked up to her. “Just really antsy and nervous, Ah guess. Wish that doctor or whoever the princesses were talkin’ about would get here already,” Applejack responded. “Don’t worry, Applejack,” said Twilight. “The princesses know what they are doing. They would not have gone through so much effort if they didn’t think the specialist would not help..” “Ah know…” Applejack replied, her gaze still fixed on Apple Bloom. “It’s just that Ah have been on pins and needles ever since this all started. Ah really hope that this doctor can cure her. Ah don’t want anythin’ to happen to her.” Octavia sat down next to Applejack and placed a hoof on her shoulder, giving her a soft smile. “Apple Bloom will be alright.” That simple statement caused Applejack to look back at Octavia and after a moment, she returned a subtle smile of her own. “Thanks…” A knock on the door prompted all the ponies to direct their attention to it, and an amber-colored unicorn with a messy, black patch of a mane walked in. He was wearing a clean, white doctor’s coat and a clipboard hovered by his side, held in his magic. “Hello there,” the unicorn greeted. “This is Apple Bloom’s room, correct?” “Yes, it is,” Twilight replied. “Are you the specialist the princesses sent?” The doctor nodded. “My name is Dr. Panacea, and I am actually the head of a small group that researches and develops treatments for rare and obscure diseases.” “Rare and obscure diseases?” Twilight repeated. “Of course, that’s why the Ponyville doctors could not find the problem. Do you know what’s wrong with Apple Bloom?” Dr. Panacea sighed. “Yes, I do. I took a look at her blood samples and—” He stopped and cocked his head, staring past Octavia and Twilight. “Ma’am, are you alright?” Octavia and Twilight turned to see that Applejack was staring at Dr. Panacea. Now that Octavia thought about it, she realized that Applejack had not made a single sound since the doctor entered the room. “Ah… Ah know you,” Applejack quietly uttered. “Oh, you do?” Dr. Panacea replied. “Actually, I should not be too surprised. Our research takes us to many different places around Equestria, so we get to meet many different ponies.” “Do you remember a mare named Sonya Apple in Ponyville?” “Sonya Apple of Ponyville… Sonya Apple…” Dr. Panacea softly repeated to himself, looking up and tapping his chin with a forehoof. “Ah, I remember now,” he said as his face lit up. “That was years ago.” “Yea, it has…” Applejack mumbled. “I suppose that you were close to her,” Dr. Panacea guessed in a soft tone. Applejack bit her lip before answering, “Apple Bloom and Ah are her daughters.” Dr. Panacea immediately grimaced. “Oh dear… my… my deepest apologies. I’m sorry that I could not do anything for her.” “It’s… It’s alright…” Applejack quietly replied, looking down at the floor. “What matters now is that you help Apple Bloom.” Dr. Panacea let out an even bigger sigh as he ran his forehoof through his mane. “Oh boy… This… This makes thing harder. Anyway, like I said earlier, I have found out what’s wrong with Apple Bloom, but…” He let out another sigh. “I’m sorry, but Apple Bloom has Morbiferum.” Octavia’s eyes shot wide open as a chill ran through her entire body. She had heard that name before, and knew all that it entailed. “W-what?” Applejack breathed out, her mouth agape. “D-doctor, surely there must be a mistake,” Octavia said. Dr. Panacea bowed his head apologetically and slowly shook it. “You’re… You’re lyin’,” Applejack weakly accused. “I’m sorry.” “You’re lyin’!” Applejack shouted as tears started to appear in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” Dr. Panacea repeated. “I truly am.” “No! It can’t be!” Applejack cried out. She sank to her haunches, clutching her head as the tears flowed out of her. “No… Not again… How… How could this happen…” “Um, this probably is a bad time, but what is Morbiferum?” Twilight sheepishly asked. “I never heard of it before.” “To put it simply, Morbiferum is a rare disorder that infects the blood, causing them to not function properly,” answered Dr. Panacea. “It takes quite a long time before the symptoms start to show, and even then, it’s hard to detect unless you’re know what you’re looking for.” “What’s going to happen to Apple Bloom?” Twilight asked. “Without her blood doing its job, her body will start shutting down until…” Dr. Panacea sighed. “Well, you get the picture.” Applejack let out a whimper. “And Applejack’s mother… Did she…” Twilight trailed off. “Yea…” Applejack answered instead, barely above a whisper. “Oh… Applejack… I…” Twilight bit her lip. Octavia sighed before turning her attention back to the doctor. “I thought this was a rare disease or something. How did it infect two members of the Apple Family?” “Indeed, it is very unfortunate, but sadly, we don’t have too much information on how it is contracted,” Dr. Panacea replied. “I do have a plausible theory though. I would have to check the records, but judging by Apple Bloom’s age and how long ago I saw Sonya Apple, it is possible Sonya Apple had traces of Morbiferum while she was carrying Apple Bloom. When Apple Bloom was born, she probably inherited the traits or a vulnerability to it.” “Th-there’s a cure now, right, doc?” Applejack asked desperately. “It’s been years since the last time, so there has to be something… anything that could help.” “There are several treatments I could give her right now, but all they would do is slow down the progress of the disease,” Dr. Panacea explained. “So… So there’s nothin’ we can do?” Applejack asked with a look of utter despair written clearly on her face. Dr. Panacea brought up a hoof to his chin as he silently sank into deep thought. Other than the occasional hums of thought he made, the room was silent as the three mares all watched him, clinging to the hope that the doctor had a plan. “Actually…” Dr. Panacea murmured before looking back at the other ponies in the room. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to check on some things, but I will be back in a few,” he stated before exiting the room. Octavia sighed. They had started the day with hopes that the change in hospitals would finally end their torment. Instead, those hopes had sunk into a pit of uncertainty and despair. All they could do was wait and see if Dr. Panacea could come up with something that would turn this ordeal around. Hearing the sound of a pony sniffling, Octavia turned around to find that Applejack was barely keeping herself together. She felt her heart sink at the sight. Applejack’s life was shattered when her mother came down with the same disease, and now she was being forced to relive the trauma. “Applejack?” Octavia called out. “Why?” Applejack weakly uttered. “Why does this have to happen to her? Why does this have to happen to me again?” “I… I don’t know,” Octavia said as she sat down by Applejack, gently rubbing her back. “But whatever happens, it will work out in the end. We just have to stay strong.” “But what if there isn’t anything we can do?” Applejack asked through watery eyes. “First my parents, and now this… Apple Bloom is gonna… is gonna…” “Don’t say that, Applejack,” Octavia urged. “Something will come up.” “Octavia’s right,” Twilight affirmed, slowly approaching the two of them. “It seemed like Dr. Panacea had something in mind. We just have to wait a little bit longer.” All Applejack responded with was a barely perceptible nod before she turned her eyes back to her little sister, gently stroking the filly’s mane with her hoof. Octavia and Twilight gave each other a worried look before they too joined the waiting in silence. The wait for Dr. Panacea to return was arduous. Soon after their conversation halted, Twilight resorted to pacing around the room, muttering to herself. Applejack continued to watch over Apple Bloom with a blank gaze as Octavia remained by her side. It was well past ‘a few’, and just as Octavia was wondering if the doctor was ever going to come back, the door opened. “I’m sorry for taking so long,” Dr. Panacea apologized as he stepped into the room, his eyes fixated on the clipboard in front of him with a quill scribbling stuff on it. “There were many calculations and checks I had to go over.” “Did you find something to help Apple Bloom?” Twilight asked. “Yes, there is a special medicine that might work,” Dr. Panacea answered, causing all three of them to look up at him with hopeful looks. “But there is one big problem. It doesn’t officially exist yet.” “What do you mean it doesn’t exist yet?” Octavia asked. “Not too long ago, my group had made a breakthrough in finding a cure for Morbiferum. The trouble is that all that we have done with it are small scale tests in the lab. The treatment definitely shows promise, but we are not completely sure how it would affect an actual pony, let alone if it would work.” “Well, the alternative is a lot worse,” Applejack pointed out. “Just whip up a batch so we can see it cures Apple Bloom.” Dr. Panacea sighed. “That is the other half of the problem. Based on my calculations, she will need to take the medicine for at least a few months, and the ingredients that make up the medicine are not too easy to come by. Not only that, we need special equipment to handle and produce it.” “So in other words, you need a lot of bits,” Octavia dryly stated. “I’m afraid that’s what it comes down to. Please understand that most of our funding comes from the princesses, and they called us to Canterlot because they thought our field of work might aid in the research of the changelings. We received an increase in our stipend for our help, but we already used almost all of it on the changeling research. All of our projects, including the Morbiferum treatment, were put on hold.” “How long would it take to get the treatment ready?” Octavia asked. “Too long,” Dr. Panacea answered with a shake of his head. “My group was only meant to discover and test new medicines and then give our findings to pharmaceutical companies who would do the actual production. Even if we did not have to assist with the changelings, it would take at least another year for us to make the cure viable for public use. No company would accept having any part of an untested and possible unsafe product. I can buy some time for Apple Bloom with some other methods, but that would only last about three months.” “So that’s why you need the money,” Twilight remarked. “You want to produce the cure yourself so that you can bypass regulations and not waste time waiting for somepony else to do it.” “A crude method, but it’s the only option we have to get Apple Bloom treated in time,” Dr. Panacea affirmed. “How much?” Applejack asked. “Keep in mind that this will be very expensive, and since we have not been able to properly test it, we are not sure that it will work.” “How much?” Applejack asked again a bit louder. Dr. Panacea turned his clipboard around, revealing a stack of papers. The sheet on top had a list of items on one side and a column of numbers on the other. Looking closely at the paper with Twilight and Applejack, Octavia saw that the majority of the list were either items with long, complicated names or procedures that she never heard of before. She could barely make heads or tails on what she was looking at. Based on her companions’ reactions, she could tell that Applejack was faring no better, and even Twilight’s expansive knowledge was having very limited success in deciphering it. The only part that was clear made the color drain out of her face. “Is… is that really how much it’s going to cost?” Octavia asked with widened eyes, pointing to a huge number at the bottom of the page. “Sadly, it is,” Dr. Panacea replied. “I checked it over multiple times, trying to find ways to reduce the cost, and this is the best I can come up with. While it is not necessary to have the full amount right away, we do need a majority of it to start the treatment.” “Ah… Ah can’t afford that… None of us could…” Applejack muttered. “It’s the only viable option we have. I’ll try to dig up as much as I can to help, but if you want to try this plan out, I’m afraid that you’ll have to come up with the rest.” “But… But…” Applejack stammered before letting out a growl. “You… You’re just tryin’ to rob us blind!” “Applejack!” Twilight cried out. “Calm down!” “Quiet, Twilight! This crook only wants our money! He doesn’t care if an innocent filly dies!” Applejack spat out, slowly advancing on the doctor with an angry glare. “Applejack, I assure you that is not the case,” Dr. Panacea said as he backed away from the seething mare. “I want to help Apple Bloom as well, but unfortunately, the best I can do requires a lot of resources.” Just as Applejack took another step towards the doctor, Octavia placed herself between the two of them. “Octavia, move,” Applejack huffed. “No, Applejack,” Octavia replied. “This isn’t you. You’re not thinking clearly and are lashing out at others.” “But Apple Bloom is goin’ to die if we don’t do somethin’!” Applejack cried out. “And blaming Dr. Panacea won’t solve anything. He’s the only one who can help Apple Bloom, and he really is doing all that he can to help her.” “But he—” “Please, Applejack don’t do something you’ll regret. Apple Bloom would not like seeing you like this. I don’t like seeing you like this.” “Ah… Ah…” Applejack closed her eyes and let out a big sigh, her rage dissipating. “You’re right… Ah just want to protect Apple Bloom, and it really hurts to know that there might be somethin’ that could save her, only to hear it’s out of our reach.” “Anything is possible, Applejack,” Octavia assured. “We’ll find a way to raise the money.” “Okay,” Applejack quietly agreed. “Sorry, doc.” “It’s alright,” Dr. Panacea replied. “I understand that this is very hard on you, and I wish I had a better solution.” “Yea, me too,” Applejack said before dragging herself back to Apple Bloom’s side. The other three ponies let out a sigh of relief before Twilight spoke up, “Dr. Panacea, it’s getting late, and I think after all that has happened, we really need some rest.” Dr. Panacea nodded. “A good idea. If there is anything that I can do to help, please feel free to call me.” “Thank you, Doctor,” Octavia replied as she and Twilight saw him out. “Well, I guess I should get going as well,” Twilight remarked after the doctor left. “My parents are letting me stay with them, and I don’t want them to worry about me being late. Are you going back to your place?” Octavia shook her head. “I’m staying right here by Applejack’s side.” Twilight smiled and nodded. “I should have known. I’ll see you tomorrow.” After Twilight left, Octavia made her way back to her friend. The orange mare made no motion when Octavia sat down next to her, and the two of them allowed time to pass as they quietly watched Apple Bloom. “Do you really think Apple Bloom will be alright?” Applejack suddenly asked after a few moments. “Of course she will,” Octavia replied. “And what makes you say that?” “Because I’ll make sure of it.” Applejack turned to look at her for a moment before directing her attention back to Apple Bloom. No further conversation was made, and eventually the two of them turned in for the night. Tomorrow was another day, and the start of a race against time.