Supremacy

by Doom Trot

Chapter 4: Suspicions and Agony

Hooray! Thought Aqua Grace as she watched Rainbow Dash carry away the direly injured Scootaloo. She came back for her little sister! Aqua smiled at the scene, but paled suddenly, shivering quietly.
Aqua's thoughts were pervaded by the darkest corner of her mind, the one that she tried to keep stowed away. A vile, malevolent snarl sounded, You know they aren't actually sisters, you twit.
Aqua physically whimpered at the voice in her thoughts, replying with, Can't you allow me my wishful thinking, Shift? Is that too much to ask?
The voice cackled slightly, answering, If wishes were fishes, we'd all have a fry. But you wouldn't like that, would you, little teardrop?
Aqua Grace felt a little hurt by the name, thinking, No....and must you really intimidate yourself like this?
The voice harshly answered, You are not me! You and I may share thoughts, but you don't exist! You never have, and never will! Without me, you wouldn't even be able to dream those pathetic frilly dreams that you do.
Aqua Grace sighed, thinking, Okay, Shift. I see what you're getting at. I'm not into the game. Just...let me have control for a bit longer? At least until tonight?
"Shift" seemed to pause, then answered with scorn, ...fine. But, you have to be more focused! You're only allowed to pursue the Element of Loyalty and her bug-eyed sidekick because you're practically invisible!
Aqua Grace rolled her eyes, thinking, Her eyes aren't really-
Yes they are! "Shift" interrupted. Now get back to work!
Aqua Grace frowned, galloping after Rainbow Dash. Yes boss....

Meanwhile, back in Ponyville, the horde of magically manipulated ponies began to break apart, going about their business with careless smiles on their faces. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack, however, stood somberly at Sugarcube Corner, then suddenly glanced every which way, stumbling about in confusion.
"What just happened?" Twilight mumbled, struggling to keep her balance.
"Ah.....Ah don't know." Applejack answered with a shake of the head. "Weren't we....here t' talk with Pinkie?"
Twilight rubbed at her head with a hoof, then nodded slowly. "Yeah...we need to get her to apologize for what she did to Opulent."
Applejack nodded, straightening herself. "Right. Let's see 'f she's here." She took a step toward the entrance of the bakery, only to have Pinkie spontaneously appear from nothing (because she's so good at that) behind them.
"Hi Applejack! Hi Twilight! Did you see that big black dragon flying out of the Everfree Forest? He looked real grumpy! I bet he's-"
Twilight spun around, cutting her off with a stomp and a fiery, "PINKIE!"
Pinkie's smile diminished at Twilight's interruption, but she calmly asked, "Yes, Twilight?"
Applejack, now facing Pinkie Pie as well, scowled at Twilight, causing the unicorn to clear her throat and answer in a more level tone, "Pinkie, we've come here to talk about what you did earlier."
Pinkie's standard "larger than life" smile quickly returned as she said, "Oh, you mean when I went looking for Pound Cake, and got to where my neat detective getup again? It's okay now, because I-"
Applejack, sounding more annoyed that she had intended, cut her off with, "We know, Pinkie. We was there when ya knocked that colt off o' his stand."
Pinkie's giddy expression seemed dampened by Applejack's words, but she responded with her typical high spirited tone, saying, "Oh yeah! Now I remember that...pony." She giggled, sounding somewhat nervous.
Twilight raised an eyebrow, saying, "And I'm sure he remembers you, too, considering how you greeted him."
Pinkie's smile faded as she looked at her hooves, bearing an ashamed look. "I guess he will. That probably wasn't the nicest thing to do."
Twilight and Applejack's looks of scorn softened. Applejack put a hoof to Pinkie's shoulder, saying, "Now, we ain't come here to pummel yer partyin'. We jus' wanna know why ya'd do somethin' like that."
Pinkie glanced up at them, an apologetic smile on her lips. "Well...it's sorta kinda hard to explain."
Twilight chuckled, shaking her head. "It's sort of kind of hard to understand you in any way, Pinkie. Just tell us what was going through your head when you did that."
Pinkie inhaled deeply, sighing a distressed sigh. "Okay. Believe it or not...." She ran a hoof through her mane, its puffy (very cotton candy like) shape returning in the manner of gelatin. "I had this really weird nightmare. And in it, there was this really scary colt, with these freaky golden eyes." She pulled down one of her own eyelids, her exposed eye quivering briefly before she released it, the skin making a curious snapping elastic noise as it met the upper eyelid. "When I saw that unicorn holding Pound Cake with his magic, I guess I just..." She trailed off, a guilty expression on her face as she glanced between Applejack and Twilight.
Twilight smiled lightly, waving a dismissive hoof. "Pinkie, Opulent Majesty had no intention of hurting Pound Cake. The little colt just happened to land at Opulent's hooves, and he kept him from flying off while you caught up."
Pinkie laughed with a tinge of uncertainty, looking sheepish. "Yeah. I guess he was. Now I feel silly for overreacting like that."
Applejack nodded, her tone friendly as she said, "Don't worry yerself none, Pinkie. Ah'm sure, if ya go say yer sorry, that it'll be alright."
Pinkie pursed her lips, but still smiled tersely. Her eyes seemed to nervously wander for a moment before she mumbled, "Okay, but, do I have to?"
Twilight and Applejack both blinked at her question, asking in unison, "What?"
Pinkie squirmed under their questioning gazes, saying, "I, uh, don't want to talk to him. Is there a problem with that?"
Twilight put a hoof to her chin, eyeing Pinkie with suspicion. "Pinkie, you love to meet new ponies...I know you got spooked by him, but there's nothing wrong with Opulent Majesty."
Pinkie paused, then shook her head, quipping, "My Pinkie Sense begs to differ..."
Twilight scoffed, about to speak when Applejack worriedly asked, "Yer Pinkie Sense is actin' up 'round 'im?"
Pinkie nodded, casting a smug grin at Twilight.
Twilight groaned in annoyance as she pointed an accusing hoof at Pinkie Pie, saying, "Pinkie, I don't care if you have predicted things to come with those weird spasms. There's no way your Sense can tell you that something is wrong with Opulent."
Pinkie shifted her jaw, considering what to say, then shrugged, responding, "The Pinkie Sense doesn't lie, Twilight. And it hasn't been wrong yet."
Applejack nodded, putting a hoof to Twilight's shoulder. "She's right, Twi. We've got a problem on our hooves 'f Pinkie doesn't feel right 'bout 'im."
Twilight shot Pinkie a quick glare, then politely brushed off Applejack's hoof. "I know what she says is true. She hasn't been wrong, as of yet. But, there's still no scientific evidence to support-"
Applejack and Pinkie both gave Twilight accusing glares, causing her to halt and glance between them. She wore a defensive expression, but offered, "Well, I don't have total faith in the Pinkie Sense. No matter what she's done to prove that she can predict the future," She paused, looking thoughtful as she eyed Pinkie, "or, that her body can somehow predict the future, I still can't fully believe in something that can't be scientifically measured and analyzed."
Pinkie sputtered, saying, "That's kinda flip-floppey, Twilight. After we saved Fluttershy from that nasty hydra, you said you believed in my Pinkie Sense, even if you couldn't be all scientifical in understanding it." She giggled, pointing a hoof to the now pouting unicorn. "You know, after that whole flaming mane thing. That was pretty cool."
Twilight furrowed her brow, weighing her responses, when Applejack suddenly approached her with, "Ya ain't no fickle pony, Twi. Ah reckon that ya don't jus' change yer mind on a whim." She raised an eyebrow, asking, "So, why are ya changin' yer mind now?"
Twilight looked taken aback by the question, shouting, "I'm not fickle! I'm just saying that the Pinkie Sense might not be the most dependable warning system."
Applejack and Pinkie exchanged glances, suspicious of Twilight's outburst. Applejack, looking a bit snide, asked, "So, ya don't have total faith 'n Pinkie's Pinkie Sense?"
Twilight breathed a sigh, shaking her head in annoyance. Pinkie, however, blinked rapidly for a moment, then glanced to her tail, which was suddenly trembling and twitching uncontrollably. Twilight saw this and nervously glanced about, then spotted a stallion pulling an empty cart nearby. She turned to it, and with a glowing horn and flare of magic, she pulled free the cart and levitated it just above the three of them. She kept a worried eye turned to the skies, but became more puzzled than fearful when she heard laughter from her two friends. She turned to them, scowling somewhat, then asked, "What's so funny?"
Applejack cleared her throat, pointing to the airborne cart that acted as their umbrella with a grin. Twilight glanced up, then said, "So what? If something is going to fall, then we should-"
"Oops!" Shouted Pinkie, her tail halting its spasm. "False alarm!" Her tail dropped and hung limp, showing no signs of the spastic warning signal that foretold of falling objects. Twilight glared at Pinkie, who wore a completely innocent smile on her expression.
Applejack glanced up at the cart, then pointed to the stallion who had been towing it, who was now standing next to Twilight, a look of confusion and anger on his face. Twilight giggled, gently setting the cart where she had originally taken it from, then pouted as she turned her attention back to Applejack.
The farm filly adjusted her hat, clicking her tongue. "Twi, yer smart. Yer one o' the smartest ponies ah know. Even with that said, it's kinda stupid to think ya could get a lie past me." She put a gentle hoof to Twilight's shoulder, then set her iron gaze deeper as she looked into Twilight's eyes. "So why are ya really chastisin' Pinkie and defendin' Opulent Majesty like ya are?"
Twilight's lips pursed as she thought of an answer. She became noticeably more nervous under Applejack's gaze, but managed to mumble, "What are you talking about? I'm not defending him..."
Applejack furrowed her eyebrows, lowering her hoof. "Sugar cube, 'f ya ain't gonna be honest with me, then at least be honest with yerself. Ya ain't really mad with Pinkie Pie. So, why are ya chewin' 'er out?"
Twilight seemed to sag as she lowered her head, breathing a defeated sigh. "Okay, you got me Applejack. I am being a little unreasonable with this. I guess...I'm just getting a bit defensive."
Applejack smiled, asking gently, "Twi, is that because..." Twilight's answer was immediate as she gave Applejack a pleading look, her cheeks rosy. Applejack nodded, turning to Pinkie. "Well, it don't matter none. So, Pinkie, considerin' yer Pinkie Sense, ah'm gonna guess that ya aren't that willin' to apologize t' Opulent."
Pinkie stared in puzzlement at Twilight for a brief moment, then smiled apologetically at Applejack. "Well, I'm sorry, but I think it would be best if I stayed away from him."
Twilight rolled her eyes, still itching to protest further, but Applejack shrugged, nodding respectfully. "Alright. Twilight and ah will go an' apologize fer ya. In the meantime, try not to go buckin' anymore strangers." She winked at Pinkie, drawing a giggle from her, then turned to trot away. Twilight gave Pinkie one more annoyed glance, then followed behind Applejack. Well, Applejack is certainly herself. Honest and decisive, as always. But what's wrong with Pinkie? She never declines the opportunity to meet new ponies. And she definitely never bucks strange ponies without valid reason.....This can't just be Pinkie being Pinkie. There's something else going on here. Twilight's mind wandered as she glanced back to Pinkie, who was now merrily bouncing away.

Rarity trailed her gaze on a spool of teal fabric, studying the cloth with a perplexed expression. I wonder, she thought, if basic fabrics could be made into something more dazzling? Rarity's horn glowed as she levitated closer a stretch of the fabric, as if studying it would reveal the answer. "Well, if it remains this malleable after a 'transmutation,'" she seemed to linger on the word, as if the concept of transmuting matter wasn't possible, despite Silver's earlier demonstration, "then perhaps it can function as a unique fabric all its own." Rarity ran a hoof across the teal cloth, then smiled, wrapping it around its spool. She trotted away, then quickly returned with a saddlebag. She randomly selected a few spools of fabric, then packed them away. She put a hoof to her chin as she closed the bag, however, and considered bringing along anything else she would care to see turned to solid silver. "Jewelry? Decor? Hmm..." She thought aloud. "Perhaps....oh! Silly me." She searched about for a moment, then added a good sum of bits to her pack. "Can't expect him to offer his magical services without proper payment." She glanced about, then nodded, satisfied with the materials she had chosen to be transmuted into silver. Rarity trotted downstairs, a spring in her step as she exited the Carousel Boutique. She hummed as she began toward the location she had last seen the embassy's carriage.

"Who's this stallion?" Whispered Sweetie Belle, cautiously peering through her concealing shrubbery. "And why is he here, at our tree house?"
Applebloom glared at the silver-gray unicorn who stood there, admiring the base of operations for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Whoe'er he is, he needs to find 'imself somewhere else to be gawkin'."
Silver Gleam smiled thoughtfully as he examined the tree house, circling it with something of a reverent gait. He laughed lightly to himself, then stopped once more, trailing his gaze on the rooftop.
Sweetie Belle frowned, whispering in an annoyed tone, "What do we do? Just wait for him to leave?"
Applebloom glanced from Sweetie back to Silver, then answered, "Ah don't reckon we can do much else. Unless....ya think the two o' us could take 'im?"
Sweetie Belle shot Applebloom a disbelieving look, saying, "Are you crazy? Look at him! He'd tear us to pieces!"
Applebloom gave a frustrated grunt, saying, "Ah was only askin'."
"She's right to be apprehensive, young filly." Silver chimed, his focus still trailed on the tree house.
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom both shrieked in surprise, withdrawing into their respective cover. Sweetie, although frightened, managed to timidly ask, "Have you known we were here the whole time?"
Silver gave an amused chuckle, nodding slowly. "Let's just say you two won't earn your cutie marks for stealth. Of that, I'm sure."
Applebloom shot from her cover, landing out in the open in a defensive stance. "How do ya know about the Cutie Mark Crusaders?! Are ya spyin' on us?!"
Silver Gleam sighed, laughing once more, then turned to Applebloom, raising an eyebrow. "Cutie Mark Crusaders? I know not a thing about such an order. I only noticed two ambitious little fillies with no symbol upon their flanks."
Applebloom seemed to relax slightly, but held her glare as she eyed Silver. Sweetie Belle, however, looked to Silver with more curiosity than spite as she stepped from her hiding spot. The young unicorn blinked slightly as she glanced to Silver's own cutie mark, then asked, "Where'd you get yours?"
Applebloom spun to face Sweetie Belle, snapping, "Sweetie! Don't be askin' 'im questions! Ah'm doin' the questionin'!"
Silver gestured to his flank with a hoof, unperturbed by Applebloom's disapproval, then answered, "The story is a unique one. An anticlimactic one, but unique nonetheless." Sweetie Belle, also ignoring Applebloom, stepped around her friend, listening intently. Silver cleared his throat, saying, "When I was a little younger than the two of you, my two best friends and I were....wishful thinkers. We sought to brave the most perilous and adventurous of ordeals, to throw ourselves headlong into danger, and, ultimately, we sought to unveil what we were all destined for."
Sweetie Belle beamed at his recollection, but Applebloom only raised a suspicious eyebrow as the two of them stepped closer. Sweetie, gesturing to Applebloom, said, "That's what the Cutie Mark Crusaders are! We go on crusades, looking for our special talents!"
Silver chuckled, putting a hoof to his black bearded chin. "Adorable. And I assume that the friend you were searching for was a fellow 'crusader.'"
Sweetie nodded, glancing past Silver to look at the tree house. "Oh yeah! You didn't happen to see an orange pegasus leave here, did you?"
Silver shook his head, still smiling while he answered, "I'm afraid not. I haven't the slightest idea where your friend has gone."
Sweetie frowned, stamping a hoof in frustration. "Scootaloo, where did you go?"
Applebloom glanced to Sweetie, then turned her suspicious gaze back to Silver, asking, "Why are ya here, anyway?"
Silver rubbed the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. "Oh, no reason. I was just taking a stroll, and happened to stumble upon this place." He lowered his hoof, nodding to Applebloom. "Apologies if I'm trespassing, ma'am."
Applebloom blinked, then laughed awkwardly, waving away Silver's apology. "No harm done. Ah was just a bit worried, 's all."
Silver turned back to the tree house, smiling with a wistful look about him. "That's good. I only stopped here because.....well, it's been a while since I've strolled down memory lane. This place reminded me of days gone by..." Silver sighed, turning away and trotting off. "Well, I suppose I best be on my way. Good luck, young crusaders, in both finding your friend and finding your cutie marks."
Sweetie Belle dashed into the path of the stallion, stopping him in his tracks. "Wait! We, uh, never got your name."
Silver put a hoof to his forehead, mumbling, "Oh, how impolite of me. Starting a conversation with two foals and not bothering to introduce myself." He dropped his hoof, smiling apologetically. "My name is Silver Gleam. A pleasure to meet you, Miss...?" He extended a hoof, awaiting Sweetie's response.
Sweetie Belle accepted the hoof, grinning brightly as she said, "I'm Sweetie Belle! And that's one of my best friends, Applebloom." Silver glanced to the earth pony, Applebloom only waved shyly at the unicorn. He nodded as he looked back at Sweetie Belle, stepping around the filly. "Good day, young Miss Belle. May your crusades be fruitful."
Sweetie Belle watched as he trotted out of sight, then turned to Applebloom, saying, "Well, no Scootaloo, but this Silver Gleam seems pretty nice."
Applebloom put a hoof to her chin, her expression thoughtful. "Ah guess....but don't it seem a little suspicious that he would jus' wander on o'er to our tree house?"
Sweetie shrugged, glancing in the direction Silver had gone. "A little. He doesn't seem like a pony that means us any harm, though."
Applebloom gave Sweetie a skeptic look, reasoning, "Don't ya remember that lecture Miss Cherilee gave us on 'stranger danger?' She said don't talk t' strange ponies that we don't know, or our parents don't know."
Sweetie rolled her eyes, muttering, "You need to lighten up, Applebloom. How does she expect us to learn how to be grown up if we're not allowed to talk to any grown ups?"
Applebloom shook her head, answering, "It's not grown ups she warned us about. She said to stay away from strangers, and this Silver Gleam character don't seem all that normal t' me."
Sweetie Belle harrumphed at Applebloom's reasoning, turning and trotting back toward town. "I didn't see anything wrong with him. Just a friendly old stallion that stopped and took a look at our tree house."
Applebloom trailed behind her, mulling over Sweetie's opinion. It don't matter if he's a good pony 'r not. All ah know is that ah don't like 'im. Better keep mah eyes peeled, in case we meet 'im again.
Sweetie, however, gasped, then took off toward Silver. "He never finished his story about how he got his cutie mark!"
Applebloom rolled her eyes, breaking into a run to catch the wayward unicorn.

"What? What do you mean they aren't here?" Rarity asked the receptionist, her tone becoming impatient.
"Like I said, ma'am. The two of them hurried to check in, brought up their luggage, then left. Haven't seen them since." The receptionist muttered, examining a hoof with a bored expression.
"But, I was told I could find them here!" Rarity pouted, glancing to her saddlebag. "Did they say when they were going to be back?"
The receptionist sniffed, levitating a file to meet her hoof. As she began filing, she dully answered, "Nope. They checked in, stored their things, and left. Not a word of where they were headed or when they'd be back."
Rarity shifted her jaw, glancing about the reception desk. She gave a frustrated groan, asking, "So you have no idea when they'll be back?"
The receptionist gave Rarity a brief glance, then returned her focus to her hoof, breathing an exasperated sigh. "Lady, you need to have some patience. I'm sure they'll be back soon enough."
Rarity pouted, whimpering, "But I want my silver now...." She cleared her throat, quickly adding, "B-because I am very busy, and do not have time to wait around!"
The receptionist rolled her eyes, grumbling, "You think that's my problem? You need to see them so badly, go find them yourself."
Rarity scowled, shaking her hoof as she shouted, "Well, I can't very well find them if I don't know where they were headed, now can I?"
The receptionist's file moved back and forth at a noticeably faster pace as she growled lightly, grumbling, "Once again, not my problem..."
Rarity furiously stamped a hoof on the counter, shouting, "It most certainly is your problem! If you can't be a decent receptionist, then your ignorance is your own fault!"
The receptionist, her file now a blur across her hoof, turned a flustered glare to Rarity. "Excuse me?"
Rarity nodded in a very matter-of-fact manner, then returned the mare's scowl with her own. "Indubitably! If you can't be bothered to ask where your guests are planning to go to, or at the very least learn of how long they'll be gone, then the blame can be pinned on you, completely and entirely!"
The receptionist's eyebrow twitched slightly as her file halted suddenly, the hoof it had been filing now rather unsightly. "It's not in my job description to keep tabs on all the guests, lady."
Rarity brushed back her mane, placing her front hooves on the counter. "If not a component of your job, then it should at least be your duty as a friendly resident of Ponyville to care about other ponies. Is it really so difficult to ask a few new ponies how long they'll be leaving their room full of luggage unattended? Is it really-"
Rarity paused, however, when the receptionist's file snapped in half, the mare blinking furiously. "Lady. I know you must love, love, love harassing ponies that don't have anything to do with your 'problems,' but I've been having a bad morning. And your relentless drivel is making my bad mood worse. So," she levitated up a key, setting it on the counter, "you go investigate their room, find out where they've gone to, and follow them, while I stay here, calming myself down enough to not pop a blood vessel. Sound good?"
Rarity stared warily at the key for a moment, then smiled at the receptionist, plucking it off the counter with her own magic. "I suppose it can't hurt to take a quick peek. Thank you." She proceeded to the stairs, her earlier pep restored.
The receptionist nodded, leaning back in her chair. "Don't mention it." She breathed a relieved sigh and sat, motionless, for a brief moment. After that brief moment, she put a hoof to her chin. "I wonder if I'll get fired for that....meh. If I do, I don't care. I shouldn't have to deal with crazy mares like her, anyway."

"Hmm. Fortunately, there appears to be no severe breakage. However, the joints may require substantial time to heal properly." Observed a doctoring stallion as he examined a group of x-rays. "And as for those burns, they should heal up with time and a little ointment. However, there will be a little scarring." Scootaloo's expression remained neutral as the doctor explained everything, from the long term effects of the dislocation, to the severity of the burns on her face. The casts her legs had been wrapped up in were suspended rather awkwardly as Scootaloo lay in her hospital bed, but she didn't say a word of how uncomfortable it was. She didn't like that she couldn't see out of her left eye because of the tight, itchy bandages she wore, but she didn't complain. After all, she had to look tough for Rainbow Dash, who was worriedly conversing with the doctor at this point.
"What do you mean I should refrain from calling her parents?" The doctor asked, glancing to Scootaloo, who only rubbed at her bandages.
"I don't know how else to put this," Rainbow Dash answered, "but I kind of doubt they'll even care."
"What? That can't be right." He lightly stamped his hoof twice in succession. "They're her parents!"
Rainbow Dash frowned, leaning closer to the doctor as she whispered, "Actually, she's....in foster care. And the couple she's with right now....um....they're not the most caring."
The doctor glanced to Scootaloo once more, then sighed, giving Rainbow Dash a sorrowful look. "And she doesn't have any other family I could contact? No other ponies to inform?"
Rainbow shook her head, answering, "None. None at all."
The doctor frowned, running a hoof through his mane. "Sheesh. Poor kid. Does she even have a home to return to after she's done resting here?"
Rainbow Dash cast Scootaloo a pitying look, much to the filly's confusion, then answered, "She has a house.....but not a home."
The doctor clicked his tongue as he turned to exit, but was halted as Scootaloo caught his attention with, "Hey, doc!"
The doctor walked over to her bedside, asking, "Yes?"
Scootaloo gestured to her suspended legs, asking, "How long am I going to be stuck here?"
The doctor examined the casts, humming a long note as he thought. "I estimate....about four to five weeks for this kind of damage."
Scootaloo pouted at his answer, but nodded, saying, "Alright. Any way I can get out of here sooner?"
The doctor furrowed his brow in thought, answering, "It's probably best that you don't walk on those legs while they're healing, but we might have some means to accommodate you. However, no leaving this room for two weeks. That's the bare minimum."
Scootaloo nodded, smiling ever so slightly. "Understood. Thanks, doc."
The doctor offered, "No problem, kid. You just rest up." He turned, walking to the exit.
Scootaloo blinked rapidly for a moment, then stopped him with, "Hey, doc!"
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow as the doctor halted and returned to Scootaloo's bedside once more. Sounding a bit confused, he asked, "Need something else?"
Scootaloo gestured to her suspended legs once more, asking, "How long am I going to be stuck here?"
The doctor eyed her, perplexed, answering, "Like I said, four to five weeks."
Scootaloo looked a bit embarrassed as she mumbled, "Oh, sorry, I guess I didn't hear you the first time. Any way I can get out of here sooner?"
The doctor looked to Rainbow Dash, who only gave an absent shrug, then looked back to Scootaloo with a concerned expression. "Dear, are you perhaps suffering from short term memory loss?"
Scootaloo blinked at the question, sheepishly answering, "Yeah. Have I...already asked you how long I'll be here?"
The doctor nodded, turning and rushing out into the hall. "I'll be right back. I've got a specialist for this."
Rainbow and Scootaloo both watched him go, Scootaloo frowning as she muttered, "Ah, he left already. I had a question for him."
Rainbow Dash shook her head, mumbling, "Oh, have you got it bad."
Scootaloo scoffed, shouting, "Don't I know it!" She angrily gestured to her suspended legs. "I need to know how long I'm gonna be cooped up here!"
Rainbow Dash sighed, putting a hoof to her forehead.

Rarity glanced about as she faced one of the two rooms that the embassy was currently renting. She spotted nopony else in the halls, so she decided to use her key and take a quick look inside. I wonder why she would just give me this key. Maybe she just needed a way of getting me out of her mane? Rarity pondered this as she inserted the key. She stared at it for a moment, then exhaled nervously as she magically turned it. She pressed at the handle with her hoof, the door opening with a quiet click and creek of hinges. She stepped inside, gingerly shutting the door behind her. Piled high on each bed was a large cluster of assorted bags, cases, and other unpacked luggage items. She glanced between them, considering where to start her search, then randomly selected a large saddlebag and carefully opened it with her magic. She sifted through the contents, finding a good number of scarves, blankets, and winter hats. "Why so much gear for the cold? Ponyville is never cold enough that all of these would be necessary, especially this time of year...." She replaced everything, repacking it flawlessly. She repeated the process, finding nothing particularly out of the ordinary, then sighed, placing everything where she had found it without a trace. "Well....no clues." She put a hoof to her chin, when suddenly her eye was caught by a small lock box. She studied it for a moment, then levitated it to examine it more closely. She hummed a note in thought, then squinted at the lock as her horn glowed brighter. The blue aura that surrounded the box now brilliantly glowed from within the mechanism, the components shifting about as Rarity worked her magic (no pun intended). After a brief minute, the keyhole twisted, and the box opened with a click. Rarity giggled gleefully as she peered inside, but frowned at what she'd found. Resting in the padded interior was, what appeared to be, a basic lump of coal. She removed the coal from the box, staring blankly at it as it hovered. Rarity was honestly more intrigued by the elegantly stitched pads within the container than the item that had rested on them. She studied the rock, puzzled, then set it back in the box, closing it and replacing it exactly as she'd found it. "Why keep a lump of coal in a strong box? For that matter, why keep a lump of coal as a travel item at all?" She scanned the pile of luggage once more, magically shifting the items to find anything interesting. Finding nothing, she turned to the other pile, finding there to be a great number of briefcases and other unconventional containers. She picked up a case at random, then spotted another keyhole locking it. Smiling when she spotted this, she focused her magic once more, only for the mechanism to make a crackling noise and belch a small stream of blue sparks. Puzzled, Rarity attempted to magically pick the lock again, only to be met with the same result. "Has he somehow....magic-proofed these cases?" She asked herself, setting the case back where she had found it. She rifled through the rest of the items, finding many of them to be similarly protected. With a frustrated grunt, she rearranged everything as she'd found it, then exited the room. She locked the door, then paused as she allowed the key to hover. She considered what would be best for it, then hastily deposited the key in her saddlebag. "Surely, they won't miss one little spare." She reasoned, trotting back down the hall.

Arriving at the inn at which the embassy was staying, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack stepped inside.
Applejack first approached the counter, saying to the receptionist, "We're here t' see the New Unicornia ambassadors."
The receptionist ground her hooves together, saying through clenched teeth, "They aren't here at the moment. Please, come back later."
Applejack and Twilight both gave the receptionist confused looks, but they turned to depart all the same. "Alright. Not a problem." Applejack said. She paused however, when a gleam of white could be spotted out of the corner of her eye. Twilight turned her attention as well, smiling as she dashed over to Rarity.
"Hey Rarity!" Twilight greeted her. "What are you up to?"
Applejack joined Twilight's side, greeting the white unicorn with a nod. Rarity returned the nod, then answered Twilight's question with, "I was here to speak with Silver Gleam, but it would seem he, along with his fellow ambassadors, aren't here."
Applejack gestured to the reception desk, saying, "Ya couldn't have jus' asked that there reception mare if they was here 'r not, like we did?"
Rarity rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "If you haven't noticed, that mare is a bit....unfriendly today."
The receptionist shot a glare at Rarity as she shuddered, her eyes twitching. Twilight glanced to the receptionist with concern, but quickly turned her attention back to Rarity. "I can see what you mean. We'd better not stick around, in that case."
Rarity was already beginning toward the door. "Agreed." The three of them stepped outside, aimlessly wandering the streets.
"Well, shoot. We ain't ne'er gonna get that apology to Opulent Majesty, what with them up and disappearing like they do!" Applejack shouted, drawing an agreeing nod from Twilight.
"Well, I still think it should be Pinkie apologizing to him." Twilight mumbled, earning her an annoyed glance from Applejack.
Rarity, however, added, "Pinkie's actions were absolutely outrageous! She should march up to that poor colt and apologize for behaving so violently! She never hurts ponies, and loves to greet Ponyville's newcomers! I can't fathom why she would have hurt him like that."
Twilight gained a smug smile as she said, "Well, at least somepony agrees with me. Pinkie did something stupid and foalish, and should have to answer for it."
Applejack rolled her eyes, but didn't press the matter. Instead, she rolled her neck, giving a tired sigh. "Where 'n tarnation could they be, anyway?"
Twilight thought for a moment, then opened her mouth to speak, but froze before she could utter a word. She blinked, then stared into the distance with a dire expression. "Not again..." She whispered, then sped off toward the hospital. Applejack and Rarity exchanged confused glances, then took off as well, keeping pace with Twilight.
"What's the matter?" Applejack asked, glancing forward and back to Twilight several times.
"Don't worry Scootaloo!" Twilight shouted, her horn glowing. "I'm on my way!"
"Scootaloo?" Panted Rarity, struggling to stay beside the frantic lavender mare. "What...what's wrong with....Scoot-" In a flash of violet light, the trio disappeared.

Now halfway back to the inn, the procession of ambassadors halted suddenly when Patsy Craft gasped in horror, falling to her knees. She panted heavily as Opulent Majesty turned to her. As was his nature, he responded to her sudden distress with his absolute favorite of all responses. Scorn.
"Oh, what pitiful creature has gone and died to spur you into another of these 'episodes?'" He asked, his tone more annoyed than curious.
Patsy scowled at him, drawing in a frustrated breath as she got back on her hooves, still noticeably shaken. "I know you don't have a soul, Opulent, but can't you take death a bit more seriously? I was monitoring an entity that displayed a flurry of vehement emotions, but when she suddenly gave out..." She shuddered, furiously shaking her head. "Imagine that one of your legs disappeared while you were running a race. That's a good analog to my connection being severed by death."
Opulent scoffed, tossing his head, causing his verdant mane to lazily swing to one side and fall back into its semi-unkempt style. "I don't run races, Patsy. Although, I do recall one I hosted bearing some similarity to your analogy. If I remember correctly, a misplaced landmine took a leg clean off of one of the earth pony racers." He grinned slightly, chuckling a slow, malicious laugh. "Now who would put a land mine on a race track?"
Patsy glared at the darkly smug Opulent, always uncomfortable when he reminisced on his violent entertainment. "Yeah, if you had a soul, you'd have been damned a thousand times over."
Opulent's expression became more serious as he returned her glare, responding in a level tone, "Perhaps. Or, perhaps there would be nothing after death. No divine prize or punishment for me, or anypony for that matter." He brushed aside his mane with a hoof, turning forward again. "I'd think that somepony as intelligent as you would understand that damnation is hardly a realistic fate."
Patsy, now recovered from her lapse, trotted behind Opulent, glaring at him spitefully, her sights particularly set on his Magic cutie mark. And I would think someone as privileged as you wouldn't believe that the world owes you everything. You're too pompous for your own good, Opulent. She said nothing of these thoughts, however, and said instead, "Silver, what are your thoughts on afterlife?"
She waited for a response, but stopped once more after she received none. She glanced behind her, and found that Silver Gleam was nowhere to be seen. "Silver?" She asked the empty space, turning around to investigate. Opulent stopped as well, glancing around to see if Silver was still nearby.
"Well, look at that." Opulent said with a good touch of boredom. "Silver is as good as Aqua Grace at disappearing. Our team is just so unorganized."
Patsy worriedly scanned the area, saying, "I don't care about Aqua. She'll find her way back to us with some tidbit of useful information. But I never know what Silver does when he just wanders off like this."
Opulent smiled deviously, slowly shaking his head as he mused, "I'll give you three guesses."
Patsy, paying no heed to his wise crack, turned a serious face to Opulent, asking, "You've analyzed Silver's PKE signature before, right?"
Opulent rolled his eyes, answering, "His transmutations reek of it. I couldn't ignore the PKE signature if I tried."
Patsy stomped a hoof, saying, "And you have that one tracking spell, right?"
Opulent nodded, saying, "Tracking isn't exactly the word I would use for it. It functions more like....radar. I designate a familiar source of PKE, send a pulse of magic to reverberate off of other unicorns, and I find just the individual I've been searching for."
Patsy frowned, saying, "Alright then. Track Silver and find out where he is."
Opulent put a hoof to his chest, asking, as if offended, "What am I? A blood hound?"
Patsy smirked, answering, "No. As you put it, you're more akin to a blood bat. Now get screeching, batsy."
Opulent gave her an animal-like hiss, then cleared his throat, sharply saying, "Silver is a responsible colt. He'll find his way back. I'm sure that whatever he's doing is a constructive use of his time." And a bloody waste of mine.
Patsy pouted, her horn now glowing slightly. "Opulent, do you really want to do this the hard way?"
Opulent glared at her horn, snapping, "I could do any number of vicious things to you for this kind of nonsense, Patsy!"
She shrugged, her horn's electric blue light intensifying. "You could. But you won't. If you're under my command, there's nothing you can do. And I can effectively make you forget why you would possibly want to hurt poor little me." She put a hoof to her chest, tilting her head and innocently batting her eyelashes.
Opulent gave a half groan, half sigh, then activated his own magic, causing Patsy to shut off her own magic and smile appreciatively. "Do I really have to foalsit the entire team on every single mission?" He mumbled, more to himself than to Patsy.
Patsy giggled, holding her head a bit higher as she said, "Hit the nail on the head there."
Opulent growled, then pointed his horn skyward. It glowed its emerald green glow for a moment, then a small wave of the aura burst from the tip, quickly dissipating as it spread. Opulent paused for a moment, then looked in a seemingly random direction. "That way. He's gone that way."
Patsy nodded, beginning to canter in the direction she'd been pointed, but she froze for a moment, a dire expression on her face. She blinked, then looked sickened, lowering her head and groaning quietly.
Opulent walked past her, asking in a richly indifferent tone, "What's wrong this time?"
Patsy panted for a moment, then looked up, staring in a different direction. In the direction of her gaze lay the hospital. "The little one is in pain.....terrible, terrible pain."
Opulent continued forward, grumbling, "Even if your magic connects you to the emotions and sensations of other ponies, you are far too empathetic, Patsy Craft."
Patsy said nothing in retort, instead choosing to continue towards Silver Gleam. This...this is something far worse than conventional Magic Poisoning. The poor foal....she doesn't deserve this. Nothing this cruel.

"Doctor! Doctor, what's happening?!" A nurse shouted as she joined Rainbow Dash in restraining the violently convulsing Scootaloo. Even two adult mares struggled to keep Scootaloo bound as she thrashed and flailed, shrieking in pain as her limbs collided with anything nearby. The doctor, in a panic, only did the same as the two mares, seizing one of the filly's legs, attempting to keep her from throwing herself off the bed or striking anypony that came near. Scootaloo craned her neck, bits of foam oozing from the corners of her lips, then very distinctly shouted, "Make it stop!" Rainbow Dash, motioning for the doctor to take hold of the limbs she had been holding down, flew to the door, jetting out into the hall.
"Twilight! Twilight, you have to get here now!" She shouted as she burst through the main exit of the hospital. Surely enough, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Applejack all materialized at a full sprint, running through the doors. Rainbow Dash joined them, speeding back into Scootaloo's room. When she arrived, she found the young pegasus tearing at the holds on her hooves, thin streams of blood running from her nostrils as she flailed her head about.
"Rainbow! T-Twilight! Somepony! Help!" Scootaloo half yelled, half screeched. Rainbow nearly cringed at the bestial screeches of torment that erupted from the young pegasus, but Twilight Sparkle had now arrived, her horn glowing as she ran at Scootaloo. The unicorn savior touched her horn to Scootaloo's forehead, and the filly's frightening fit came to an end. She drew in a few breaths through gasps, then opened her eyes. For a moment, the whites of the young filly's eyes glowed an ever so slight violet. The light quickly faded, however, as she looked about the room, seeing that everypony was staring at her with fear.
"What....what....what happened? And why do my legs hurt so badly..." She looked to her injured legs, finding the casts to still be intact, but Scootaloo couldn't help but pant shallowly, sounding ready to cry. She was in excruciating pain, and all she could remember from the last five minutes was that something had overpowered the rest of her thoughts. She tried to fight it, but this ended more negatively than she had expected. It had thrown her into a violent seizure, and now she felt like bursting into tears again. Partly because of the pain, partly because she had just had a seizure in front of her hero.
Twilight Sparkle squinted as she studied Scootaloo's ragged features, mumbling, "I'm so sorry, Scootaloo....I never would have guessed-"
Scootaloo held up one of her good hooves, cutting her off with, "Please, Twilight....just....leave it alone. If I'm not meant to make it through this, then I'm not going to. I have to be strong on my own."
Every one of the onlookers seemed to become that much closer to tears. Except for Aqua Grace, who was watching through the window without anypony noticing. She wasn't closer to tears. She was already there. It's just so sad! She gets injured by that nasty dragon! Then she suffers from that dreadful Magic Poisoning... Aqua Grace's tears flowed quietly, nopony catching wind of her.
Oh, suck it up, teardrop! Screamed "Shift" within Aqua's mind. She's not the first to suffer by our hooves, or the hooves of our teammates. Nor will she be the last.
Why, Shift? Why must the innocent suffer? What have they done to deserve this? Aqua pleaded to her other self.
It is our charge, weakling. And besides. They don't deserve what they haven't earned. Until they've all suffered as much I have, they won't have earned the luxurious lives they have here. "Shift's" words struck at Aqua's heart, but she made no further protest as she stood there, watching this young pegasus wipe the foam and blood from her face while her idol stared solemnly at her, along with the rest of the sorrowful ponies.