The scent of linen and alcohol swirled around Rarity. Ponies and gurneys wooshed past her every couple of minutes. She sank back into her seat. Her eyelids drooped.
A spout of steam thick with the smell of hazelnuts and cream wafted up her nose. Snapping her eyes open, Rarity stared down at at a cup sticking out of a cardboard tray. She glanced away from the coffee and over to the amber-grey pony holding the tray in her mouth.
“Oh, Coco, you really didn’t have to,” Rarity said.
Coco put the tray down on the small table beside Rarity’s seat. “It’s the least I could do. I’m sorry, I didn’t have enough on me for your friends.”
“That’s quite alright, dear.” Rarity smiled and lifted the cup out of the tray. She took a big gulp, letting out a small shudder. With a contented sigh, she looked to Coco again.
“Suri truly found a gem with you,” she said.
Coco blushed deeply. “I’m not really all that good. Suri says I’ve got at least three more years till I can even think about doing full designs.”
“My dear, knowing how to please a customer is just as vital a skill as any design technique.” Rarity watched the foam near the top of the cup swirl around. “So is proper financial management. Are you sure you can handle the return trip and Suri being out of Manehattan for so long?”
“Well…” Coco tucked her chin. “You’re always tight on bits in Manehattan when you’re at my level, even when your boss makes it big.”
The last note in Coco’s voice curdled the coffee in Rarity’s throat. “I see. Well, I could always use an assistant while Suri recovers.”
Coco’s eyes widened. “Oh no, Ms. Rarity! I couldn’t possibly accept that after all you’ve done for Suri!”
Yes, I have done quite a bit to her, haven’t I? Rarity shook her head. “It’s just an option, Coco. I only brought it up since I’m thinking of taking a small break from designing to focus on gem collection and an extra set of hooves could help around the Boutique.”
“Really? But everypony loves your designs,” Coco gasped. “There’s not a designer in Manehattan that doesn’t want the secrets to your weaving techniques alone!”
A chill raced up Rarity’s spine while Coco glanced over at the door near their seats. When Coco turned back, she paled seeing Rarity’s own ghostly complexion.
“Oh no, Ms. Rarity, is something wrong?” she asked.
“No,” Rarity whispered. The pair of shades and that thing’s grin snickered at her. She envisioned blood flowing down white strings. She inhaled deeply and the visions crept to the back of her mind. With a sigh, she sunk into her seat. “It’s nothing. I just don’t do well with adjusting my sleep schedule like this.”
Coco gazed at the window down the hall. The edge of the sun climbed over the horizon, coloring the sky with an array of soft blues and deep purples. A few of dawn’s rays struck the jagged shadow of Canterlot Castle. From the hospital, the thick swarm of pegasi zipping around it appeared like a murder of crows.
Coco turned away from the scene outside and looked to one of the clocks that lined the hall. The hour hand jutted straight to the left. She gulped.
“I don’t think anypony does.”
~~~
A steady beeping rang from the monitor beside Luffy. A deep shadow hung over his eyes and sharpened his features. His sleep was punctuated by wheezy breaths that hissed through his teeth.
Pinkie’s head flopped forward. She jolted back.
Applejack raised an eyebrow at her. “I can handle the rest of the watch on my own.”
“Nuh-uh!” Pinkie shook her head. “I gotta keep the promise!”
“Trust me on this, you ain’t gonna do any better tuckering yourself out.”
Pinkie crossed her hooves and pressed up tightly against her chair. Under Applejack’s stare, she lowered her head. Her mane drooped a bit.
“I have to do something,” she murmured.
“Don’t start thinking like that,” Applejack interjected. “We did everything we could. Now we just gotta keep our promise. It’s… it’s what Mr. Ace wanted.”
Both were quiet for some time after that.
“I don’t know how you do it, Applejack,” Pinkie sniffled. A cracked chuckle escaped her lips. “I get all broken up and I wasn’t even awake. There’s a joke for you.”
“Nopony is doing better than anypony else,” Applejack sighed. “It’s not a race. There’s just so much going on right now. I can’t let up while there’s still a job to do.”
“Like when it was Applebuck season?”
Applejack seized up. “This is different. I ain’t going into this alone.”
Reaching up, she picked her hat off her head and placed it on her lap. She stared at it for a moment before looking over at Pinkie again.
“I hate to say it, but I’m glad you and Twi were out when out when it happened,” she sighed. “When a pony sees something like that, they ain’t ever gonna be the same.”
“Applejack, I’m probably the last pony to say this, but sometimes it’s okay to not smile or put on brave face.” Pinkie laid a hoof on Applejack. “It’s as far from a party as it gets, but it’s okay to cry with your friends too.”
Applejack sniffled. She lowered her head till it touched the top of her head. A few spots appeared on the stetson.
A good part of the brim was damp by the time Applejack pulled back and wiped her face. Pinkie held up a tissue. She also gave Applejack a pat on the back.
“Thanks, Pinkie.” Applejack managed to sport a small smile. “I think I needed that.”
“I can handle things here on my own if you need to rest a bit.”
Applejack shook her head. “I still got a job to do. I can rest when it’s somepony else’s watch.”
Pinkie’s tail then jolted up from the ground. Applejack jumped back and watched Pinkie’s tail zigzag like a lightning bolt and then constrict like a boa. Pinkie’s eyes gleamed and a wide smile spread across her face.
“Oki-doki, then I’ve gotta go get all the girls! We’re in for a doozy!”
“Is it Twilight?” Applejack gasped. “Is she up?”
Pinkie’s smile narrowed into a sly grin. “Maybe she can tell you herself.”
Pinkie bounded over to the door and pulled it open.
“Wait,” Applejack called out.
Pinkie twirled her head around. “Yes?”
“You put on a pretty strong face too,” said Applejack.
Pinkie smiled and then skipped out of the room.
~~~
“I’m telling you, it was like something out of the comics we used to read in flight school!” Dash exclaimed.
“Until the instructors confiscated them,” Gilda chuckled.
A fit of coughing seized her. Thumping her bandaged chest with a claw, she leaned back against her mattress. Dash was pressed close to her bedside. Gilda glanced up at the ceiling. One of her talons traced the stitches running down her breast.
“We really did a number on each other,” she said after a moment.
Dash turned her head down. “Tirek messed you up, that’s all.”
“You know that’s not all.” Gilda clenched her beak and glared at Dash. The fire in her eyes lasted a second before she bowed her head. “I thought I was over this… over you. I had my own stuff to deal with back home. All that junk was still at the back of my head though. I’d think about it whenever I saw a balloon or some dumb kids pulled pranks on each other.”
Gilda clenched her bandages.
“Then he made it feel like it was that day all over again.” She shook her head. “No, it was worse. You were laughing. All those ponies were.”
“Gilda…” Dash reached out but Gilda swatted her hoof away.
“I know you’d never do that,” Gilda sighed. “He just must it feel that way.”
The ticking of a clock echoed through the room.
“I should have written,” Dash said. “Every time I thought about it though, I’d think what you’d say or what my friends would say. Maybe if I’d actually talked with you or them we wouldn’t be here.”
Gilda turned her head up to the ceiling. A deep sigh escaped out of her. “I could’ve written too, ya know.”
Dash stretched out a wing in front of her. Feathers and fur blackened. Light bounced off its bladed edges. When Gilda turned her head, blue raced back over the wing and Dashed tucked it back.
“I’m sorry,” Dash muttered.
Gilda corked her head. “Yeah, we’ve both said that already.”
“I mean it, Gilda.” Dash clenched her jaw. “What if things had gone worse? What if I…”
Dash swung her head up and stomped the ground.
“Stupid!” she growled. “This is so stupid!”
Gilda reached up and pressed Dash back to the ground. “Woah, take some breaths, girl.”
“Gah,” Dash moaned. Her head flopped forward. “This isn’t fair. We won.”
A bit of Dash’s mane slipped in front of her face. She heaved her shoulders. “It keeps feeling like we lost.”
“You worried about the Princesses or something?”
“Of course!” Dash yelped. She glanced down. “That not the real thing though… mind if I sit down?”
“There’s a reason rooms have chairs,” said Gilda.
Dash turned and fell into the chairs beside a wall. “I know a lot of ponies got hurt, but this one guy— this jerk— didn’t make it. Barely knew him and his attitude makes your last visit look like a picnic.”
Gilda flinched like she had been hit by a small slap.
“He didn’t deserve that though.” Dash’s voice cracked on the second to last word. “And his brother…”
“Ponies shouldn’t sound like he did.” Dash trembled. “I couldn’t do anything. All this new speed and power and I couldn’t do anything.”
There was a knock at the door. Dash and Gilda spun their heads toward it.
Pinkie poked inside. She drew back seeing Dash’s upset features. “Um, I can come back later.”
Dash swept a leg across her face. “It’s… well, it’s not good, Pinkie, but what is it?”
“I’ve got a bit of a doozy.” A small grin appeared on Pinkie’s face. “I’m pretty sure a certain-new-alicorn-somepony is about to get up.”
Dash’s eyes widened. “Twilight's about to get up!? We need to get the rest of the girls!”
“Already on it!” Pinkie gave Dash a salute. “Applejack seemed okay keeping an eye on Luffy, so I’m off to get Rarity and Spike after you.That just leaves…”
Dash paled. “Fluttershy.”
~~~
Fluttershy’s legs dangled on the edge of the river. The crash of the nearby waterfall and the echo of hammers drifted into her ears. She watched some koi and smaller fish swim through the churning waters. There were yellow ones and silver ones and red ones. Fluttershy twitched.
The grass around her rustled and the water rippled. Fluttershy gritted her teeth and stood up.
Something splashed to her left. She turned and blinked. The morning sun shone brightly off of Jinbei’s scales and the water dripping off of him.
“Ah, Ms. Fluttershy, I was wondering where you were,” he said.
He shook and loosened a small deluge onto the ground. “It’s fortunate you were by this river. I might have had trouble looking for you otherwise.”
“Mr. Jinbei, maybe now isn’t the best time.” Fluttershy looked at the soaked bandages that lined Jinbei’s side. “You really shouldn’t get your wounds wet.”
“If I avoided getting every injury wet I’d be the laughingstock of fishmen.” Jinbei’s eyes sharpened. “I’ve allowed us both time to recover, but now I feel I must have words with you.”
“I really don’t want to talk right now,” Fluttershy huffed.
“And you haven’t wanted to talk with anypony for the past few days either,” Jinbei replied.
Fluttershy tensed up. “Mr. Jinbei, please go away. Now.”
“I thought you might say that.” Jinbei flexed his tail. “How about a nice sparring match then?”
“W-what?” Fluttershy gasped. She turned her head away from him. “No. I… I’m done fighting.”
“Well I suppose I misjudged you then.” Jinbei frowned, allowing his tusk-like teeth to dominate his face. “I took you for a strong caring person, not a weak fo—”
A blackened hoof smashed into Jinbei’s face and knocked him into the shallows of the river. Fluttershy retracted her shaking leg and glared at him with piercing eyes.
“I’m not weak!” she yelled.
“Prove it,” Jinbei spat.
Fluttershy flew at him. Her hoof raced towards Jinbei’s head, but he threw up a leg and parried the blow. Fluttershy snarled and twisted her body through the air. Her other foreleg rocketed at Jinbei, but he blocked that attack too.
“Just leave me alone!” Fluttershy roared while raining blows down on Jinbei. “Why won’t you listen!?”
“Because it will do you no good brooding like this!” Jinbei yelled. “Look at yourself! Even your attacks are a mess!”
Fluttershy glared straight at Jinbei. The blaze in her eyes seized him. Fluttershy shot up and leg and decked Jinbei right on the jaw. He flipped backwards and disappeared under the current.
Hot breath flared out from Fluttershy’s mouth. She glared at the river with her limbs shaking. Her breathing then slowed. The shaking turned into a tremble. No bubbles were coming up from the water.
“Oh no…”
A tendril or water shot out from where Jinbei had sunk. It lashed out and wrapped around Fluttershy’s legs. Her world spun and then she smashed into the water and the sand of the shallows.
Jinbei loomed over her, his bulky frame eclipsing the sun. Fluttershy whimpered and closed her eyes.
Scales brushed against her sides and wrapped around her torso. She looked down while Jinbei picked her up with his tail. With a grunt, he lurched over to the shore and deposited Fluttershy onto the grass. He snorted and took a seat beside her.
“Ready to talk?”
Fluttershy sniffled and turned her head away from Jinbei. “I’m sorry.”
“For that little spat?” A deep chuckle rose out of Jinbei. “Think nothing of it. At times, fists, er, hooves are sadly the only thing we can turn to.”
Fluttershy said nothing and kept her head turned. Jinbei stared out at the river.
“I’ve fought in many battles,” he sighed. “I have had attacks thrown at me calmly, in rage, and in sadness. I’ve dealt such attacks as well. You’re more a pony of words though, aren’t you, Ms. Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy raised up onto her flanks and stared at the river. “What difference does it make? Nothing I did could save Mr. Ace.”
A small sob rose up her throat.
“A long time ago, I too faced a great loss,” Jinbei said after a moment. “I and my crewmates each held enough power that made us a terror to humans. Yet all that was for nothing the day we lost our captain.”
Jinbei raised his head up. “He and Ace were similar in many regards. Their fierce nature and love for their families drove them to become men of great renown.” Jinbei heaved his shoulders. “Yet each also bore a great weight that boiled in their blood and burned their lives away far too soon.”
“We were like beasts in the days after our captain’s death,” Jinbei continued. “When we weren’t crying, we lashed out. We were weren’t lashing out, we cried. I lost many companions to a rage from which they would never return. I saw that path ahead for myself as well.”
Fluttershy felt a chill before Jinbei turned toward her.
“There was another path too. It was far longer than the other path but at its end lied what had been in my heart from the day I stepped aboard my captain’s ship.”
Fluttershy gulped. “What was it?”
“I think you have an idea.” Jinbei placed a leg on his chest. “For me, it was my companions— my people— basking under the surface’s sun with smiles upon their faces. My blood boiled for many years afterwards, but that dream kept me on the long path. So, Ms. Fluttershy, which way will you go now?”
Fluttershy pressed a hoof up near her heart. Tears flowed down her face.
“I’d like to see how everypony is doing,” she hiccupped.
Jinbei’s eyes went up to the left. Amidst the glow of yellows and oranges in the sky was a spot of blue that was growing closer and gaining definition. A rainbow mane came into view.
“I think they would too.”
~~~
“I bet he never even saw a single bit of treasure,” Spike huffed.
“Spike,” said Shining Armor.
“And he made it sound like his dad was so tough,” Spike continued.
“Spike,” Shining repeated.
“And don’t even get me started on Rarity. She’s the wo—”
“Spike!” Shining shouted.
He coughed and sank back into his bed, resting his cast across his chest. “I appreciate the company, but what would Twilight think if she saw you acting like this?”
Spike crossed his arms and tucked his chin. “Twilight’s not here and who knows when she’ll be up.”
“Well I am.” Shining tightened his jaw. “Spike, I may not have always been there, but I know Twilight didn’t raise a grump.”
Spike lowered his head further. Shining sighed and raised himself up so that he was facing Spike.
“We get a lot of different ponies in the guard. I try and get to know each of them. Some become friends but some also hate my guts. If I had to go through bootcamp again, I’d probably hate the guy yelling in my ears too. Each of them is a comrade though, even if the most time I’ve spent with them was a bed inspection.”
“The average guard serves four years,” Shining continued. “At discharge, I give them their papers. If they performed valiantly, I may offer congratulations. The one thing I always do though is offer them an open door if they ever wish to talk.”
Shining sighed and bent his head.
“Some guards don’t get discharged. Maybe a greenhorn is sent to investigate a disturbance and instead finds a cockarice. You have a fight with a lieutenant over orders one day and the next they disappear in an avalanche. Maybe a training exercise goes wrong and leads cadets into an ursa’s den.”
Spike felt Shining’s glare on him.
“When those things happen, I feel beside myself,” Shining said in a low voice. “I failed. Now I can’t even apologize to those ponies. Or maybe I want to yell at them. Or the ponies that were with them. When I get home on days like those, I don’t even want to talk to Cadence unless it’s to yell at her too. I just end up feeling like a jerk though.”
Spike’s lower lip trembled.
“But then I go to sleep and I wake up the next day.” Shining smiled. “And Cadence is downstairs with a hot cup of coffee for me. I still feel bad, but I know I shouldn’t be mad at Cadence or myself or anypony really. I’m happy I have a wife and friends that care and will listen to me when I’m like that.”
It was quiet in the room for a moment. Shining slid off his bed and treaded over to Spike. A small sniffle escaped from Spike. Shining placed a hoof on his shoulder.
“So Spike, I’m ready to listen whenever you’re ready.”
Spike flung himself onto Shining and buried his head in his chest.
“It’s not fair!” Spike wailed.
“It’s okay, Spike, just let it out,” Shining said while patting Spike’s back.
The door into Shining’s room was slightly ajar. Pinkie pulled her head back and grinned.
“Oh, is Spike okay?” Rarity asked.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Pinkie replied. “He just needs a little extra time. We can get him later.”
“If you say so.” Rarity glanced down. “Maybe it’s for the best. He’s probably still furious with me.”
“Hey there, Rar.” Pinkie draped a leg across Rarity’s neck. “You and Spiky have been good friends. I’m sure you’ll be able to make up!”
Rarity dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. “Thank you, Pinkie. I think I needed to hear that.”
“No problem!” Pinkie chirped. “Now let’s go check on Twilight.”
The two of them trotted down the hall and up the stairs. Rounding a corner on the floor, they came to a hallway identical to the one on the previous floor save for the two guards standing at the opposite end of the hall.
A rapid thud of clops rang from the stairwell. Fluttershy and Dash burst out and nearly ran straight into Rarity and Pinkie.
“Is she up?” Dash gasped.
“Let’s find out!” Pinkie giggled.
The group made its way down the hall. The guards parted and let them into the room.
Twilight’s mane frizzled out over the pillows and a bit of the sheets. The covers near her back shifted around every now and then. The edge of a wing poked out on Twilight’s right. Soft snores accompanied the steady beep of the monitor beside her.
“You sure about this, Pinkie?” asked Dash. “She doesn’t look any different than before.”
“Well, her mane is a different mess.” Rarity shuddered. “Ugh, I can see the tabloids now.”
“Look!” Fluttershy called out.
Twilight’s head had tilted upwards. Her lips moved as if forming words. The monitor’s beeps quickened.
“Omigosh!” Dash darted over to Twilight’s side. “Twilight! Can you hear us?”
Rarity rushed over to Dash. “Be careful, Rainbow Dash!”
“I just wanna make sure Twilight’s okay!” Dash shot back. “Why should I be ca—”
“Wait!” Twilight yelled as she sprung forward.
She twisted around, frenzied eyes taking in the room. Catching her breath, she locked onto everypony. “Girls? What’s…”
She took another breath and sank back to bed. A groan came from beneath her. She peered over the side of the bed to see Dash on the ground clenching her jaw.
“Well, Rarity did warn you.” Pinkie hefted a bag of ice over to Dash. She then turned to Twilight with a smile that her face barely contained. “Now to business!”
Pinkie flew forward as did everypony else and wrapped her in a hug.
“Welcome back, Twilight!” they all cheered.
“I take it I’ve been out a bit then,” Twilight chuckled. “I guess I’ve delayed celebrations.”
The girls broke away from Twilight and glanced down.
“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked. One of her hooves pulled back and scratched at her back. “I mean aside from me nearly skewering Dash?”
“Ib wathnth yoth horth,” Dash lisped.
“Um, can somepony translate? And where’s Applejack?” Twilight’s pupils shrank. “Oh my gosh, what about the Princesses? Or Blackbeard? O—”
Pinkie shoved a muffin into Twilight’s mouth. “First things first. Breakfast. Second, how are you feeling?”
Twilight swallowed the muffin in a big gulp and gasped for air. “A little warning next time, please. Besides, I feel fine. Aside from this itch. It’s not bedsores, is it?”
“It’s a bit more than that, dear.” Rarity encased Twilight’s hooves with her magic and pulled them down. “You might want to take some deep breaths.”
“What is it?” Twilight’s head jerked backward before anypony could stop her. At the same time, her wings raced upward. “Is it a sca—”
A wing uppercut Twilight and she flailed backwards.
“Firth time I theen somepony do thath to themselphes,” Dash chuckled.
Twilight shook her head and bolted upright. Her magic took hold of the covers and shot them across the room. Her pupils shrank at the sight of wings stretching out of her back and flapping in every direction.
“W-what!?” she screamed. The wings rocketed back to her sides and hugged her back. A trembling hoof reached up and brushed against some feathers. “I’m…”
“A super-duper alicorn now?” Pinkie exclaimed.
“Pinkie!” Rarity and Fluttershy yelled. They both drew close to Twilight.
“Believe me, dear, we were quite shocked too,” said Rarity.
“But Rainbow Dash and I can help teach you about wings,” Fluttershy squeaked. “I mean, when you’re ready… if you want to.”
“That’s nice. I just…” Twilight glanced backwards. “I can’t even believe it.”
“I have pictures as proof!” Pinkie waved her polaroids around.
“I think I’m gonna lie down.” Twilight flopped back onto her pillow. She squirmed around for a moment with her wings twitching at her side. With a sigh, she managed to lean back.
“Okay.” She pressed a hoof up to her head. It flinched back to her side upon contact with a slightly sharper and elongated horn. Twilight took another breath. “Need to focus. Applejack. Where?”
“Floor below us keeping watch on Luffy,” Pinkie chirped. “Oh and Spike, Cadance, and Shining Armor plus everypony that got turned into a nasty monster by Tirek are okay too.”
“And the Princesses?”
Pinkie bent her head low.
“We’re still looking for them,” Rarity said. “The sun and moon have been going up and down though… just a little off schedule.”
“Oh…” Twilight frowned and her wings bristled. “I’m sure we’ll find them. I mean, if they have time to raise and lower the sun and moon, that must mean they won, right?”
Rarity’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t thought of that. I suppose that takes care of one matter. I do hope the guard find them soon though. Poor Cadence has been working herself to the bone.”
“I can probably help her out now.” Twilight grinned. “You don’t become a princess’s personal student without picking up some bureaucratic know-how.”
Pinkie’s left ear flopped down and her right foreleg curled backwards.
“I’m guessing there’s a lot of other stuff I need to catch up on too,” said Twilight. “But I’m sure i—”
Pinkie rammed into Twilight and tackled her off the bed. The floor beside them then exploded, sending the bed flying at Rarity, Fluttershy, and Dash. Dash’s wing slashed through the air and the freshly cleaved halves of the bed crashed to the girls’ sides.
A groan came from near the fresh hole. Applejack lay splayed across floor covered in hoof imprints.
Luffy tittered nearby. A bit of blood dripped through his bandages and onto the floor. A wild look had seized his eyes. His whole body shook from his clenched teeth to his rigid tail. It thrashed around like an agitated viper, whipping against his bare flanks.
“Where’s Ace!?” he rasped. “Tell me!”