//------------------------------// // At the Hospital // Story: The Harvest Moon // by Mr. Grimm //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle couldn’t have looked more crestfallen as she walked down the muddy streets of Ponyville. She had no idea how she was going to help Rarity now. The filly thought of her sister brooding miserably over the entanglement of her hair. It made her feel even more depressed. “Hey Sweetie Belle!” Sweetie Belle looked up to see Scootaloo trotting towards her. “Unusual weather we’re having.” “Yeah,” sighed Sweetie Belle, “I guess so.” Scootaloo’s happy demeanor changed as she heard the melancholy tone in Sweetie Belle’s voice. “What’s wrong?” “Well,” began the unicorn, “Rarity’s having hair issues, and I can’t find anyone to help her.” Scootaloo couldn’t help but smile a little bit. “Isn’t she always having hair issues?” “Not like this,” replied Sweetie Belle, “I honestly thought she’d gone off the deep end.” Again, Scootaloo smiled. “So you could say, she’s wigging out?” She stopped smiling when she saw the look Sweetie Belle gave her. “This is serious,” said the unicorn, “She needs help from Twilight, and Twilight’s busy with Rainbow Dash.” The moment the Pegasus’s name was uttered, Scootaloo became keenly interested. “What’s she doing with Rainbow Dash?” “Didn’t you hear? She crashed into the post office this morning.” Scootaloo’s eyes went wide in disbelief. “Sweet Celestia!” cried the filly, “Is she alright?” “I hope so,” said Sweetie Belle, “They had to carry her away.” Already the filly could see from the look on Scootaloo’s face that Rainbow Dash had become her top priority. “I gotta go see if she’s okay,” said the orange Pegasus, “I’ll catch up with you later!” Sweetie Belle sighed as her friend raced down the street towards the hospital. She turned to continue back to the boutique. She suddenly ran headfirst into a bony knee. The Filly looked up to see a dark furred pony standing before her. “Good Forenoon,” he said. “H-hello,” Sweetie Belle said as she tried to refrain from cringing at the sight of his yellow grin. “I just happened to overhear ye had a problem,” said the pony. “Oh,” said Sweetie Belle, “I guess I do, but…” She looked down to avoid the creature’s gaze, but instinctively backed away as she saw his hooves. The pony, however, did not seem to notice her reaction. “What manner o’ problem might this be?” he asked, “Perhaps I could lend a hoof.” Sweetie Belle glanced around for a way out. She had always been told not to talk to strangers, but seeing as most ponies in Ponyville knew each other, she’d never actually encountered one. “I don’t think so,” she said, “It’s kinda personal.” “I see,” said the pony, “Well I just thought I’d offer.” As he passed by Sweetie Belle, she felt a chill go up her spine. Scootaloo burst into the hospital as though she were being chased by a manticore. She dodged around a nurse pushing a patient in a wheelchair as she slid in front of the front desk. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?!” cried the filly. The nurse behind the counter gave her an apprehensive look. “Room 12-b. Why-” “Thank you!” cried the Pegasus as she rushed down the hallway. “I told you I’m fine!” cried Rainbow Dash as she pushed away the doctor’s hoof. The Pegasus lay in a bed, with Twilight and Spike sitting in chairs nearby. Spike was amusing himself by playing with the tongue depressors. “Have you checked her ulna yet?” asked Twilight as she leafed through the medical text book she had taken from the shelf. “I’m trying to,” muttered Dr. Quack, “She’s not the most cooperative pony, you know.” “You know I’m right here, don’t you?” Dash sighed in annoyance. But in the end, she let the doctor look at her forearm. He gave it a small squeeze. “It’s not broken,” said Quack, “So far you don’t seem too banged up except for a lump on your head.” Dash’s face became dark with anger. “I told you it’s because of that stupid bird,” she growled. “Dash-” began Twilight. “It hit me with a pot!” Dash said insistently, “I swear to Celestia it did!” “Why would a bird hit you?” asked Twilight as she turned to the textbook’s section on psychology. “I dunno,” grunted Dash as Quack shined a light in her eyes. Quack let out a quizzical hmm as he shone the light in Dash’s ear. “Did you do anything to aggravate the bird?” Twilight asked as she looked up from the section of the pony stages of development. “No. It aggravated me!” Dash answered as she shifted uncomfortably in her bed, “It buzzed me and knocked me into a cloud.” “Uh-huh,” Twilight said as she turned a page, “And did it remind you of anything?” Dash raised an eyebrow. “What would it remind me of?” “Perchance, a parental conflict or some kind of unresolved business at work?” Dash narrowed her eyes at the purple unicorn. “Would you knock it off?!” she huffed, “It really happened! I’m not crazy!” “I have a question,” said Spike as he raised a claw, “What in the world would a bird be doing with a pot anyway?” Dash shot him a glare, and he became quiet. “Well,” said Quack as he began to write on his clipboard, “Aside from a few bruises, I can’t find anything physically wrong with you. Just watch yourself for the next few days.” As he opened the door to exit, a small orange shape suddenly burst into the room and almost knocked him over. “Rainbow Dash!” cried Scootaloo as she stopped right beside the Pegasus, “Are you okay?! Are you okay?!” For a moment no one knew how to react to the panicked filly. “Uh…yeah?” Dash muttered as she watched Scootaloo jump up and down. The filly let out a gracious sigh of relief. “Good,” she said as she wrapped her arms around her hero. Dash seemed unsure of what to make of the gesture. “Scootaloo,” Twilight said as she closed her textbook, “Aren’t you supposed to be helping setting up the festival?” Scootaloo looked over at the unicorn and grinned sheepishly. “Well, I was, but then I ran into Sweetie Belle. She was all like, down in the dumps ’cause Rarity’s having a breakdown.” Upon hearing this, Spike suddenly dropped the tongue depressor he was playing with. “Rarity’s in trouble?” he cried as he jumped from his chair, “Where? Where is she?” “Wait a minute,” said Twilight, “Sweetie Belle? I completely forgot about her! That must be what she wanted to see us about!”