Bursts of inky darkness, unearthly wails and brilliant bolts of magic exploded from where they crashed into one another. The bolts and blows began to slow, with their audience following their quick movements back and forth.
Starlight put her hooves on a snowy peak, panting for breath. "You may be a little more skilled than I gave credit for."
"Good of you... to admit." She smiled though, one of menace and promise. "I'm proud of you."
"Don't patronize me! You're just as tired as I am. Confess it." She drove a hoof into the snow, glaring at Nefertari with building fury.
"Poor little thing. I haven't even begun." She threw out her hands as she grew taller and straighter. The fur of her torso absorbed into her, becoming disturbingly, to Silver, close to a human woman. "I'm not... cruel."
"Yes you are."
She waved a still-furry paw at Starlight. "Guilty. Still, it amuses me. If you can even speak that you've won after ten seconds, I will concede, if only for your persistence." She put one hand to the ground as her legs bent, ready for a sprint. "Ready?"
Starlight swallowed heavily, delaying. It was enough to draw a hearty laugh from Nefertari. "Or you can surrender now. I will compliment your sense. Hmm, maybe I'll even let you remain, but never more than a friend. That's better than nothing..."
"N-No! I can do this. You're just bluffing! A little shapeshifting means nothing." She took a slow breath and focused on Nefertari. "I'm ready."
Before she even knew what struck her, she was crashing down the slope of the narrow peak, banging on rocks and bouncing off of snow drifts. It was like a stray meteor had crashed into her side. She sheathed herself in magic and pulled quickly away from the mountain, lifting up and looking around quickly for Nefertari, but she wasn't there. "Your ten seconds will--" Darkness engulfed her. She heard screaming. It was her friend. How... How did Nefertari get him? He sounded in such horror, her screams joined his. She screamed with such volume that her throat went ragged and sore by the time it passed and she could see again. "You... bitch..."
Nefertari slapped her flank with a laugh. "That's quite literal, is it not? Come, here I am, strike back."
Wheezing through her sore throat, Starlight directed her horn at Nefertari, letting loose a terrific blast of magic. If she was willing to stand still, why waste the chance? Nefertari swatted the blast aside with aggravating casualness. "Is that the best you have?"
Silver threw her wings over the others, a shield springing into being and deflecting the stray bolt with a tremble. Fast whooped with excitement. "They're really going at it!"
Nefer was gone, to appear before Starlight, and behind her, and beside her. She was everywhere, dozens of her, all caught as if in mid flying kick. "Yield?" She didn't wait long enough to get a reply, and slammed into Starlight from an impossibly varied direction. Starlight let out a whimper of a grunt, coughing up blood. Her magic faltered, and she fell a few inches before Nefertari grabbed her by the scruff of the neck. "Say it."
Starlight smiled slowly, that smug look she had mastered, even with sores, open wounds and one swollen eye. "Time's up."
Nefertari blinked slowly, then came for a landing beside the others. She set the injured Starlight down to collapse into the snow. "She can join if she likes. I am many things, but my word is sacred."
Silver lifted Starlight gently in her magic. "Are you alright?"
"No..." Starlight was wheezing for breath, but she was awake.
Spike slowly shook his head. "That was nuts!"
Fast nodded in easy agreement. "That was insane. You'll tell me if you spar again, right?"
Nefertari smiled at Fast. "Of course, dear wife. We should try it ourselves." Her fur returned, and she became more jackal and less human, though even in her usual form she was at least half and half. "I will be much more gentle on you, dear one."
Fast shook her head quickly. "You don't have to hold back, just no crazy magic mind things."
Silver pulled Starlight close enough to cradle the injured unicorn in her arms. "Why are you talking about that right now? Starlight's seriously hurt. We have to get her some help."
Spike pointed down off the hill. "Ponyville hospital's right down there. Let me hop on and I'll show you the way."
Silver lowered long enough for him to mount, then launched herself off the mountain, flying away from Nefertari and Fast.
Nefertari huffed softly. "Already she flies away to be with Starlight."
Fast stuck out her tongue. "You know that isn't fair. She's a big softie, and she needs the help." She flashed a grin at Nefertari. "Nice fight though. Just goes to show, unicorn magic isn't everything."
Nefer raised a brow. "Have you forgotten you are a unicorn?"
Fast shrugged. "I'm a lot of things, if you haven't been keeping score. I haven't gotten anubian down, but I'm going to, mark my words!"
Nefertari reached out and flicked Fast's nose lightly. "If you were not one of my cherished wives, I would take exception to that."
"But I am." She leaned in. "So you have to deal with it."
"I loathe you at times."
"I love you too." Fast put out her hooves, and they came together in a soft kiss.
Silver landed before the hospital and hurried into it, Starlight held in her silvery magic as carefully as she could. "Nurses? Doctors? I have an injured pony."
The nurse behind the counter looked up and her eyes went wide when she realized what Silver had with her. "Put her down, carefully, here." She hurried out and rolled over a gurney.
Starlight grunted as she was set on it. "It's not... that bad."
Redheart raised a brow at Starlight. "Not from the angle I'm standing in. You be quiet and let us take care of you." She grabbed a blanket in her teeth and threw it over Starlight up to her neck. "You're in good hooves." She looked past her to Silver. "Thank you for hurrying her in here so quickly." Just spotting Spike on Silver's back, she tilted her head. "Oh, hello Spike. Where's Princess Twilight?"
Spike waved from atop Silver. "She's off fighting a huge monster."
"The usual?" Redheart nudged the gurney along, moving Starlight towards an available room with Silver and Spike following behind. "I'm surprised I don't see more of her, from the position of your friend here, uh... What was your name, miss?"
"Starlight."
"Pleasure. I'm Nurse Redheart. I'll be taking care of you while you're here. The doctor will be by in a few minutes."
Silver frowned a little. "I've gotten too used to toughing it out myself, or bending magic over backwards just to stand up. Seeing another pony that way..."
Starlight raised a foreleg and began to push up before Silver could hiss at her. "No, stay."
Spike slid down off of Silver. "Even Twilight needed to rest when she was beat up that bad."
She seemed surprised at that. "Twilight? Really?"
Spike waved a claw. "Shoulda seen it. She had a frequent flyer card in here for a while with how she was getting banged around. Rainbow's been laid up more than a few times. You shouldn't get too worried about it."
Silver watched Redheart slip from the room before she nodded at Starlight. "Everypony needs help sometimes." She put a hoof on her chest. "If you plan to pursue me, that means getting me, which means getting somepony who's going to get worried about you." She moved that hoof to starlight's chest. "You stay put, alright? No more hurting yourself." She dropped from the gurney and looked to Spike. "I'm going to fetch us all some drinks, stay here alright?" Salute received, she trotted off.
Starlight looked down at Spike after Silver left. "Did she mean that?"
"Mean what?" Spike hiked a brow.
"That she cares so much."
"Her? Pfft, yeah." Spike rolled her eyes before a smile came to him. "She's about as bad as Twilight."
"Oh..." Starlight settled and looked down.
"What?"
Starlight looked back to him. "I thought she meant something special."
Spike held up his claws. "Hey, I'm the wrong guy to be asking. I only have room for one mare, and she doesn't... I haven't told her yet."
Starlight nodded at him lightly. "I see... Say, Spike? Do you kno--"
Silver trotted back into the room, three cups floating beside her. She offered one to Spike then another to Starlight. "You're already looking better."
The doctor entered in moments after Silver. "Hello." He tilted his head at Silver. "Princess Silver Stars. I don't think we've met."
"Prince, actually." She had the decency to blush a little.
The doctor tilted his head slowly. "I don't mean to be impertinent, but I'm quite certain you are a princess."
Silver let out an uneasy breath. "I am the father of two lovely foals, with two more on the way. Please, Prince. I'm sorry for the confusion."
He shook his head a little before he turned to Starlight. "Miss Starlight? Let's have a look at you." His horn glowed as he put on a stethoscope and listened to Starlight. "I'm Doctor Horse, by the way, you're in good hooves." He pushed her to the side on the wheeling table and pulled over a screen. "Let's have a peek inside." With a sparkle of magic, her insides were made plain to see. "Oh my. You have a few fractures, but not a single complete break. You were quite fortunate indeed!"
Spike whistled softly, and Silver found herself nodding in agreement. "Nefertari did that on purpose, I'd put money on it."
Starlight frowned a moment. "How long will it take to mend?"
Dr. Horse shook his head slowly. "To be on the safe side, we should get you in a full-body cast to keep everything still for a while. If we can avoid aggravating your injuries, they should be better in, hmm, a week?"
Silver took half a step back. Healing rates in Equestria were quite a bit different than Earth, and it still caught her by surprise when it was rubbed in her face.
"An entire week?" Starlight looked upset at it.
Silver smiled. "We'll be here for you."
Starlight sighed. "But they'll keep me here, in this dreadful place."
"Oh, it isn't that bad." He pushed the screen away. "Nurse Redheart's a real sweetie and she'll make sure you have what you need."
Silver tapped her chin. "Can we take her home once she's in a cast?"
He rose a brow. "That's highly irregular. Are you willing to see to her every need? We can't spare any nurses to come to you."
Silver nodded quickly. "Of course we will, right Spike?"
"Huh? Oh! Sure." He gave a thumbs up.
"If you're sure..." Doctor Horse trotted off, taking Starlight with him. They didn't return for several minutes, and when they did, Starlight was in a full body cast that covered everything but her head. She looked mortified, but said nothing. "Here you are. You can return the gurney when she's ready to have the cast off, which should be a week. Best of luck, your majesty."
Silver took gentle hold of the rolling table with her magic. "Thank you. Come on, Spike, let's head home."
All three departed the hospital. The ground outside proved rougher than the tile inside, but the table cooperated, rolling along towards the castle.
"Woah, Silver." Lyra was staring at them with wide eyes. "What'd you do to her?!"
Spike began snickering as Silver flushed. "This wasn't me at all. I'm just making sure she's alright."
Lyra waved it off. "I'm messing with you." Trotting closer to them, she looked over the incapacitated Starlight. "Hey there, I'm Lyra. Pleased to meet you." She offered a hoof.
Starlight rolled her eyes. "I'd accept, if that were an option."
"Oh, right, well nice to meet you anyway, uh, Miss?"
"Starlight."
"Right!" She looked back to Silver. "Looks like you got your hooves full. Good luck!" She trotted off down the road.