Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Ponies or anything related to it. That belongs to Hasbro or whoever it is that owns it.
The sun was shinning brightly over Ponyville as the group moved through the town. To Twilight it seemed strange seeing it in the sky now that she could recall the events of the night before more clearly. How had it even gotten there? Princess Celestia had been taken before the night had ended, so how could it be that the moon had set hours ago and now the sun had taken its place?
After some consideration she decided not to dwell on the matter. They had bigger concerns right now, she thought, and Applejack immediately sprung to her mind. Her curiosity vanished instantly as the uncertainty of their current situation returned.
She turned to the large orb in the sky once more, its presence seeming to mock their group with its warm rays. How could it be such a beautiful day? After all that had happened, after what they had lost, how could such a crime be allowed? It seemed an insult to her that all of Ponyville seemed to have fallen back to an old routine, and even though she had asked the town to go about their business, deep down she had hoped that they would show just as much concern as she did.
Conversations had been kept to a minimum as the group of friends moved, and now she turned around to look at each one of them. Every face reflected the same desolation, the reality of the situation separating them from each other as each one found comfort in the solitude of their minds. The once indestructible bond that tied them together now felt unstable and weak, and Twilight knew the reason why. One of their own had been hurt, and their special bond in friendship, as in tune as it always was to all of them, now reflected their sobered attitudes.
The building that was Ponyville's general hospital came into view in the distance and Twilight quickly sprang in its direction, the others behind her doing the same.
"Slow down, Twilight," Spike cried, clinging desperately to the purple unicorn as she sped towards the building, but if Twilight heard him she did not comply with his request.
Rainbow Dash galloped ahead of her, the speeding pegasus taking to the air and leading the way past the revolving doors and up to the front desk where a white pony with hearts adorning her waist stood. She touched the ground and turned to the bewildered nurse just as Twilight crashed into her followed by Fluttershy, the two ponies toppling over the cyan-coated pegasus.
"Me next, me next," Pinkie Pie said, jumping onto the pile of ponies as Rarity walked into the hospital and shook her head at her friend's antics.
"Pinkie, this is serious. For all we know Applejack could be hurt very badly."
The pink pony's ears lowered and she frowned. "I was just trying to lighten the mood…"
"It's okay, Pinkie Pie," Rainbow Dash said as Twilight and Fluttershy hurried to get off of her. "You're just trying to help. That's a lot more than someponies are doing."
She glared in Fluttershy's direction as she got up, the other pegasus shrinking back before the gaze.
"Sorry," the yellow pegasus muttered in a quiet voice.
Twilight turned from one pegasus to the other before frowning at Rainbow Dash.
"This isn't Fluttershy's fault, Dash."
"I didn't say it was," Rainbow Dash replied, "but she could have told us that she knew something was wrong with Applejack."
"She didn't want to make us worry."
"And that was going to make Applejack better, right? We could have done something to help."
"If there was anything that we could do Fluttershy would have already tried. You're not the only one who's worried about Applejack."
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. "At least I act like I care. I don't hide things from my friends."
"Stop it, both of you!"
Both pegasus and unicorn turned to Fluttershy, surprised that she had spoken up.
"This is just terrible," the yellow pegasus said. "Friends aren't supposed to argue like this."
"She's right, you guys," Spike said, coming between Twilight and Rainbow Dash. "Applejack wouldn't want us to be fighting each other."
Silence followed his words as both pegasus and unicorn stared at each other. For one moment Twilight saw Rainbow Dash glare at her, the pegasus closing her eyes and clenching her teeth tightly before letting out a deep sigh.
"You're right, Spike," Rainbow Dash said, turning to the purple unicorn. "I'm sorry, Twilight."
"So am I," Twilight replied. "Let's just forget it happened."
Rainbow Dash nodded and then turned hesitantly to Fluttershy. "I owe you an even bigger apology, Fluttershy. I…I shouldn't have said those things."
"Oh, it's quite alright," the yellow pegasus said. "I know you didn't really mean it."
"No, I'm just worried about Applejack, that's all. I wish there was something I could do."
Twilight walked up to the cyan-coated pegasus and nudged her affectionately.
"You and me both, Dash. We're all worried, but I know that everything's going to be alright."
Deep down, however, she was not so sure anymore. Tension was growing at an alarming rate between the group of friends and it seemed as though they had temporarily avoided the worst. It didn't really surprise her. Applejack had always been the one in their group that seemed to hold them all together, always ready to encourage the others or offer comfort or a word of advice at a moment's notice. Her previous absence had caused an unnoticed strain on the group of friends, and it surprised Twilight that only she had noticed the small changes in the others as they all rallied together to bring Applejack back. Now, with the impending uncertainty of their friend's condition, things were only bound to get worse.
She had yet to reveal to any of them that she knew the identity of the masked pony, choosing to postpone that conversation until after knowing Applejack's condition. Now, seeing Rainbow Dash's small outburst, she did not know what to expect once the truth of the night before was brought out into the open.
A rasping noise of someone clearing their throat broke her trail of thought, and each of the friends turned to the nurse behind the desk.
"I hate to interrupt, but is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes," Twilight said, moving away from Rainbow Dash. "We came here to see Applejack." Her voice grew weaker as she hesitantly asked, "She is here, isn't she?"
The nurse's eyes widened upon hearing the name. "Applejack? Of course she is."
At once the group of friends began to question her.
"Where is she?"
"Is she okay?"
"Is she hurt?"
"She is fine," the nurse replied. "She seemed to have sustained some injuries but nothing permanent, I believe. She should be up and running in no time."
A small part of Twilight registered the words and she felt herself let go of a breath she had unconsciously been holding. There was nothing to worry about. Applejack was okay.
"Can we please see her?"
The nurse frowned and shook her head. "I'm sorry, girls, but only family is allowed to visit right now."
"They are family, miss, every single one of them."
The easy-going tone caught her ears and Twilight turned to the voice, already knowing who it belonged to. The tall and gentle-manered stallion stood next to another pony whom Twilight recognized as the doctor who had treated Rainbow Dash when she had injured her wing. Both wore the same solemn expression that showed weariness and exhaustion.
"Well," the nurse said, "alright then. Go on ahead, girls."
"Big Machintosh," Twilight said as the group of friends moved closer to the red-coated stallion. "How's Applejack doing?"
She thought she saw the stallion's eyes shift before he turned to the other pony next to him.
"Applejack is resting in her room," the doctor said. "It seemed as though she injured one of her legs last night. We already treated her and left her to get some rest."
Twilight nodded silently while the others cheered. Pinkie Pie grabbed Rainbow Dash's front hooves and proceeded to twirl her friend around crying, "She's going to be okay! She's going to be okay!"
"Yes, that's what we thought at first, too."
The once festive-mood quickly became strained once more as the group of friends turned to one another. Rarity asked, "What do you mean, doctor?"
A hesitant gesture, an unsure look shared between the older brother and the other pony, and Twilight felt her heart sink. Please, she mentally pleaded, no more bad news. I can't take it anymore.
"When she came to Applejack was feeling pain that did not have to do with her injured leg. We had already begun to run tests to make sure nothing else was injured but decided to take broader scans after she woke up."
Not able to handle the suspense, Twilight urged the doctor on.
"And…?"
The other pony turned to Big Machintosh, who closed his eyes and silently nodded.
"Well, as I was just telling the Apples, we found additional damage near where her leg broke. The force of her fall caused a hip fracture. It seems as though somepony intentionally tried to injure her with excessive force."
Trixie,Twilight thought at once. The other unicorn was undoubtedly responsible for the injury. She turned to her other friends, the same shock reflected in each gaze as they stood in silence.
Then Rainbow Dash shook her head and smiled shakily. "But she's going to be fine, right? You can fix it, can't you?"
The doctor turned to her with an annoyed expression. "This isn't a toy we're talking about. It's a living pony. It's not that simple."
Seeing their look of surprise he closed his eyes and regained his composure.
"Yes, we can perform surgery on Applejack, and the sooner the better. We have unicorn colleagues in Canterlot that can operate on her and insert a plate to reinforce the pelvic bone with minimal risk. We have been unable to contact them as of yet, but rest assured that we will have the operation set for as soon as possible. In the meantime we will continue to administer something to help her with the pain. However, she will be unable to carry on excessive physical activity of any sort once she recovers and will have to be very careful from now on."
Twilight's ears twitched. His words were not making sense. This was Applejack they were talking about, the strongest one among them and the most dependable pony in all of Ponyville. Ignoring the gasps from Rarity and Fluttershy and Big Machintosh's pained expression she turned to the doctor, an incredulous look on her face.
"What are you saying? You make it sound as though she's going to be…well…crippled."
"No, she just barely escaped that scenario," the other pony said with a shake of his head. "She should consider herself lucky. Had her fall been a foot higher she could have risked suffering severe internal bleeding and might not be alive right now."
The casual tone in his voice made Twilight grow cold. How could he speak so calmly about such a terrible thing?
"As it stands she suffered permanent damage that will limit her from now on," he continued. "Any exertion on her part might cause damage that will lead to further complications. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that her apple-bucking days are over."
Twilight heard the words but did not believe. Her mind registered the truth but her heart remained stubborn. A cold feeling spread through her as she stood there, barely listening as the doctor apologized and left to attend to other matters. All of a sudden she felt alone, completely separated form the other girls who stood in just as much shock as she felt.
What condition had she expected Applejack to be in once they saw her? Did she really believe that everything would be fine? What had she really expected to find?
Not this, a small part of her realized. They had suffered trials before, enduring through difficult situations that had tested their resolve, but they had never faced anything like this before. Applejack was hurt and she would never be the same.
Nothing would ever be the same.
She was so lost in thought that she barely registered the arrival of the eldest member of the Apple family. Granny Smith made her way towards the group, her sturdy walker rising slowly into the air before striking the ground and allowing her to wobble a few steps forward.
"It's been quite a long time since I last saw so many sad faces," she said, her hooves shaking uncontrollably as though they threatened to fail her as she drew nearer to the group. "I can tell just by looking at all of you that you all know."
No one asked her what she meant, each of the friends understanding her words instantly. Fluttershy had long since leaned on Big Machintosh, her face hidden between her long mane as shaky sobs poured out of her. The red stallion rested a hoof over her, offering her comfort even as his face became contorted with sadness and pain. Rarity had also stepped closer to Fluttershy, whispering false promises of hope to the pegasus as silent tears streaked down her own face. Pinkie Pie, always so cheerful and full of energy, had gone completely silent, her ears drooping once more as she closed her eyes and lowered her gaze.
"Now none of that, girls," Granny Smith said, her voice lacking its usual vague tone and possessing the stubborn strength that was characteristic of the Apple family. "Applejack is going to need us to believe in her. The Apples take care of their family, that's the way it's always been. As honorary family members I expect each one of you to be strong for her."
She drew nearer to Big Machintosh and offered him a handkerchief. "Give this to the dear, Machintosh, won't you?" she said, patting Fluttershy as she continued to tremble against the red stallion. "I'll be getting back to the farm to look after Applebloom. You can stay here longer if you want to."
Big Machintosh nodded and Granny Smith, her bones creaking with each step, moved towards the hospital entrance. As she left Twilight stared after her, taking in the slow movement and the slight creaking of her body as a look of determination lingered in the older pony's features. Was this what was supposed to happen to Applejack now? Was taking a single step going to be a bigger challenge than anything else she had faced before?
In that instant she understood Granny Smith's words. The older pony might not have possessed her grandchildren's immense strength any longer but in its place remained a wisdom that only came with age. She was aware of her granddaughter's stubborn pride and how difficult it would be for her to accept help, but she also had the unfortunate knowledge of knowing just how hard it would be for Applejack to adjust. She was counting on her friends – her adopted family – to be there for her.
"He's wrong!"
A resounding clop echoed through the narrow hall, catching the group's attention as they all turned to Rainbow Dash. Rarity's eyes had gone wide as she turned to the pegasus, continuing to pet a shaking Fluttershy as she sobbed onto the red stallion. Ignoring her Rainbow Dash turned to the others in silent defiance.
"He's wrong about Applejack. She's going to be fine."
Yet as she spoke Twilight could see her hooves begin to shake and she instinctively moved close to her friend just as the pegasus broke down. Rainbow Dash leaned onto Twilight, her whole body seeming to spasm out of control. They remained like that for a while, the purple unicorn remaining silent and sensing her friend's anger, frustration, and sadness escape her in silent sobs. Her voice was craked as she spoke once more.
"It's my fault," she cried out in a choked voice. "She stayed behind to help me. I had to go and be a hero and she got hurt. Why did she have to get hurt, Twilight?"
The purple unicorn remained silent as she nudged the other pony, providing her friend a small amount of comfort as the pegasus continued to shake against her. This was all she could do, and it pained her to admit it. It wasn't fair to accuse anyone and she would never even think of blaming Rainbow Dash for what had happened. All she could do was try to help her friend, even if all it amounted to was offering the other a shoulder to cry on.
"It's not your fault, Dash," Twilight whispered after some time had passed, nudging her friend affectionately. "Never think it is. But we need to be strong for Applejack. She needs us right now."
Eventually the words sank in, and the pegasus' sobs grew lighter until they ceased. Moving away from the purple unicorn, she took a steadying breath, nodding in agreement and remaining silent as her gaze rested on the floor.
Twilight nudged her one more time and turned away. Wiping against her eyes and feeling wetness she found her voice and called to the others.
"Come on, girls. Let's go see Applejack."
. . .
"Tell me what troubles you."
The voice had come as a surprise, and as Trixie paced in Princess Celestia's private chambers she suddenly turned to the object floating a few feet away from her.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, trying her best and failing to make her features seem indifferent. "There's nothing troubling me."
"You lie," the mask said, and Trixie flinched as though the words had caused her pain. "It is pointless to hide anything from me. I can read your thoughts completely now, and even if you won't admit it to yourself you cannot fool me."
The blue unicorn turned away from the mask, biting the words that rested on her mind. She would not give it the answer it wanted to hear.
"What, then? Tell me what's on my mind."
"Simple. You do not trust me."
A slight pause. "That's not true."
"Yet it is," the mask said, hovering closer to her, its wide and empty eyes seeming to pierce into her. "You have not been the same ever since you had your talk with the princess. You have let her words fester in your heart and cloud your judgment. You must not allow her to control you."
The words caused her to turn around, her eyes narrowing as her gaze fell over the floating object. All of a sudden every single word she had ever held back from it now threatened to rush out of her.
"What about you, then? It's wrong for me to think of what she said but it's perfectly fine to follow your every order? Is that what you're saying?"
"I have granted you all that you desired. Your magic is stronger than ever before, and your vengeance is all but guaranteed. What has come from listening to the princess? Confusion and doubt is all that she has given you."
It did not slip by her that the mask never denied her claims. Thinking quickly, pushing the worst of her anger back, she shook her head.
"And yet she is right," she said, resuming her pacing as the mask stared after her. "What am I going to do? Everything has gotten out of control. I only wanted to get even with Twilight Sparkle, to show her that she's not as great as she think she is."
"Only?" It surprised her how jovial the mask's tone seemed. "You can lie to yourself if it will ease your fears, Trixie, but I know better. You wanted much more than to get even. Your heart was dark with thoughts of revenge even before I came to you. That has not changed. You are driven now only by your vengeance, and I can help you obtain it."
"And what will happen then?"
That had been one of the things she had wondered about the most. What would happen after she succeeded in triumphing over Twilight Sparkle? Before she had believed that she could continue on to become the very star she knew she was meant to be. Now, after all that had happened, her dreams seemed less possible by the second.
The mask remained silent, and Trixie pressed on.
"You say you can help me get even with Twilight Sparkle. After that is done what will become of me? I can't keep the princesses locked up forever but if I let them go it will be all over for me. I'm doomed no matter what I do."
"This is the path you have chosen, Trixie. You must now follow it to the end."
She stopped her pacing once more, turning to the mask in shock. Was that really the best answer it could provide? Even if she did not release Princess Celestia and her sister there was always the chance that one or both of them could manage to break free from their prisons. Once that happened there would be nothing she could do to stop them. Was she simply working on borrowed time now until that happened?
She pushed the thoughts away, focusing on the mask.
"And what if I don't want to follow this path? What if I just want to put an end to it?"
She waited for the mask to reply but when it did not speak she scoffed. This game was quickly getting old to her, and amidst the fear and confusion that continuously haunted her she began to feel her anger spread through her, overpowering the other emotions that rested over her. The mask was quickly wearing out its welcome, and she was growing more intolerant to its secrecy by the minute. The more she thought about it the more she was regretting agreeing to accept its help. More bad than good had come out of it, and now she faced a clouded future that had seemed more favorable before she had set off on her journey.
Silence remained in the room as the mask hovered in place.
"You must push aside your concerns if you are to succeed in your endeavor, Trixie. All that you desire is yours for the taking just so long as you believe it is. Let me guide you and you will see."
Trixie moved away from the mask and silently nodded, putting an end to the conversation. She heard the superficial tone, the empty words, and realized it was the same one she had always heard from it. Before the mask's promise would have seemed too good to be true, and she would have accepted it instantly. Now she had begun to see things differently, and she kicked herself for not noticing sooner.
"I'll go and check on the element in the forest," she said, not turning around to address the mask. "I need to make sure that Twilight Sparkle does not interfere with my plans."
The mask moved closer to her. "Then let us be on our way."
Sliding it over her face, careful to keep her mind focused on the task at hand, Trixie closed her eyes and allowed herself to be taken away from the room and towards where she wanted to go.
. . .
The door creaked slightly as it was opened and the group of friends stepped into the room. All was silent within, the sound of the door closing behind them breaking through the muted veil before all was quiet once more. Light shone into the room from an open window, the beams of light stretching over the room's two beds and making the small white room expand until it seemed larger than it really was.
Applejack lay on the bed closest to the window, her eyes glued unblinkingly to the world outside. She had made no notion of awareness when the group entered the room and Twilight frowned as her gaze remained locked on the windowsill. She shared a look with the others, moving closer to the bed and opening her mouth to speak before the bed-ridden pony's voice broke through the silence.
"Howdy, girls."
A hollow tone carried the words. The eyes that had lingered on the window fell on the group of friends and she offered them a weak smile.
"I'm glad to see ya'll are doin' fine."
"Hey, Applejack," Twilight said. She paused, realizing how pointless it was to ask, and said, "How are you feeling?"
Applejack shifted on the bed, cringing with pain as she slowly sat up and letting out a deep sigh once she was done moving. "I'd be lyin' if I said I'd felt worse, even with all the work them doctors have been doin'." Spotting the group's dejected atmosphere she said, "I guess ya'll heard, then?"
"The doctor just told us," Fluttershy replied, her voice low as she spoke. Her eyes bulged suddenly as she leaned forward and said, "Is there anything we can do to make you feel better?"
"No, I don't need any favors right now, Fluttershy, but it's mighty kind of you to ask."
But the yellow pegasus, unable to stand still, moved to the small table next to the bed.
"I'll get you some water. Here you go."
Applejack hesitated, then relented and took the drink, downing the water in one swing.
"Thanks, Fluttershy."
The pegasus offered her a smile and stepped beside Twilight. Applejack returned the smile rather forcefully before letting out a shaky laugh.
"I guess I'd better get used to lyin' down in bed. I don't recon I'll be doin' much saddlin' up from now on, no siree, just lyin' down in bed all day waitin' for the cows to come home."
She laughed again, an empty laugh that rung in the silent room, and Twilight felt her heart go cold listening to it. It didn't suit Applejack, and hidden underneath its fainted jolliness she could hear a hurt friend crying out in frustration while daring any of them to pity her. She recalled Granny Smith's request, imploring them to help Applejack however they could, but she could think of no words to say that would help her friend.
Applejack looked at each one of them, and when they all remained silent she continued.
"Working on the farm was fun, you know?" Her voice began to tremble as she laughed once more, her accent becoming more pronounced as her eyes moved from one friend to the next. When they fell over Twilight the purple unicorn felt her body stiffen, gazing unblinkingly back into the other pony's emerald eyes. "I thought I was meant to do it forever. I even got my cutie mark after I came back home. And now look at me! I can't move without feeling a creak in my body. I'm no better than Granny Smith." There was a pause as her eyes became sullen and she took a raspy breath, her voice barely a whisper as she continued. "What am I supposed to do now?"
Say something, Twilight, the purple unicorn's mind all but screamed. She needs you. She needs all of you. Say something!
But the right words never came and Twilight stared at her broken friend knowing how she felt. If something happened and she could no longer be Princess Celestia's student she didn't know what she would do. It would be devastating to say the least, and thinking of having to adjust without such an important aspect of her life was more than she could bear. She was quick to dismiss the thought. Not only did it make her feel worse for Applejack but it also brought her concerns regarding the princess rushing to the surface.
A tense silence spread through the room as the group of friends turned to one another, not sure of what to say. Applejack noticed this and let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry, everypony," she said, her voice growing stronger as she closed her eyes. "I'm just complaining here when I know it ain't your fault. I'm glad that no one else got hurt, really."
"Nothing but my pride," Rainbow Dash said. Her eyes were still puffy but her voice remained steady as she spoke. "I've met storm clouds tougher than that pony and I still had to eat dirt." She walked up to the bed, stood on her hind legs, and hugged the bed-ridden pony. "You're going to be alright, Applejack. I know it."
Applejack offered her friend a weak smile. "Thanks for the support, partner. I really hope you're right. Maybe Princess Celestia knows something that might help," she added with a laugh, but when no one else joined in she stopped. "What'd I say?" she asked the room at large, turning from one friend to another before her eyes widened. "Don't tell me…"
"She's gone," Rarity said, "Princess Luna, too. Twilight said they were taken by that mysterious pony from last night."
The purple unicorn felt the attention shift to her, felt the eyes of all her friends fall on her, and fought not to shrink back. All of a sudden she felt anxious of the conversation that was to come. Rainbow Dash had already called Fluttershy out for keeping things from them, even if it was just for a while. What would she say about her keeping something just as important from all of them for as long a she did?
And what about Applejack? She was hurt and would probably feel the injuries she had obtained the night before for the rest of her life, all because Trixie had been dead set on getting her revenge. That made the other unicorn's actions her responsibility. Would Applejack hate her when she found out?
"That masked pony," Applejack said, gaining everyone's attention. "Call me crazy for apples, but I'm positive I've heard her voice somewhere before."
No, Twilight thought. Not yet. Please don't let them ask yet.
The uncertainty she had felt before had returned, and with it came the fear of just what the others would say. She knew she could not remain silent and yet she was dreading the moment when she would have to reveal the truth, not only involving the mysterious pony's identity, but the loss of the Elements of Harmony and the cryptic final words that Trixie had offered regarding Ponyville's fate.
For a moment she thought that the strain of the current situation had begun to take its toll on her and the never-ending stream of bad news had become too much for her to handle. A faint tugging in the back of her mind made itself present to her, pulling her attention away from the group of friends and providing her with a means of escape. She felt its pull and succumbed to it at once, not knowing what it was but desperate for time to sort things out.
Her eyes closed of their own accord and she felt the presence of her friends fade away as her mind began to wander.
Author's Note: The last chapter was posted immediately after "Hearts and Hooves Day" aired, and now this next chapter has come following the end of the second season. And what a finale it was! Sadly, it also means that there will be no more new episodes for now. To all the people who have enjoyed this story and wish for an update, I promise to do my best to update further chapters on a regular basis. Thank you for taking the time to read the story, and I hope you look forward to the next chapter!