We were walking to the "starting positions" to get ready to see which one took longer, the train or flying. However, I was not in favor of it.
"Please just ride the train." I begged.
"Oh come on John, I'll be fine! I stretched out my wings before we got here!" She did a little flip in the air, "I'm ready to fly all the way to Cloudsdale! Ready for me to start?"
"What's Cloudsdale?" I asked. She sighed.
"I'll tell you when I beat you to Canterlot, see you there!" She then took off rather quickly.
"I'll just use my vortex manipulator to take myself there whenever she is close enough." I said when she was out of hearing radius. I decided to get on the train so that I could keep a better eye on her. So I climbed the train and sat on top. I kept a close eye on her. However, after about an hour, I saw that she was having trouble, then she started falling and screaming. Then I started to run to her, but then she fell into the river, so I teleported myself to the side of the river. She moaned a bit, but I saw that her forehead was bleeding once more, and her left wing was crushed, along with her front right hoof.I was terrified, I was confused, I had seen entire civilizations destroyed by a group of metal ponys, entire planets demolished by only one ship. I was horrified, but right now, I felt something, more. I was terrified of losing her. I just shouted. "CANDY! CANDY WAKE UP!!" Then I picked her up, and flew her to the hospital, I even damaged a one of my wings from the speed and weight. Then I put her a hospital bed and put a doctor in there. After about an hour the doctor who took care of Candy came out and said that she'd be fine.
"And never do that again."
"I'll try not to!" I said. Then I went in to see Candy. She was fast asleep, mumbling a bit.
"No...no don't do it...don't." She then rolled over and tossed her bandaged hoof over the edge of the bed.
"Nightmares again, this is not good." I said. Then i sat down and transported my mothers music box to me, and started to play it. "Hopefully this will help." I said. After a bit the music box stopped and I left to go sit in the waiting room, although after a couple minutes Candy came out, limping. "Candy! Are you okay?! Are the bandages..." I asked. I looked up and saw that she was smiling.
"Thank you." she said, "Thank you so much John. No pony would ever do this for me if they knew I was..." I smiled back and said.
"Well then call me Mr. No-pony!" She giggled.
"Well, Mr. No-pony, wanna join me for a milkshake?" After that I started to laugh a bit and she did as well. As she was taking me to the milkshake place I was wondering why I was so terrified when she was injured. I had never been that scared before. But why would That be different. I've been scared before, but not in the same way. I felt like there was more to it than just a fear, I felt as thought it had to do with her. I couldn't tell though. So I decided to do some research after a while. But there was still things to do. After we got milkshakes we left for Canterlot using the train. So I decided to ask some questions about this place.
"So, what's Canterlot?" I asked.
` "it's basically the capitol of Equestria, Princess Celestia rules there with her little sister Princess Luna. Here," she then handed me a book, "read this! It has everything you need to know about Canterlot."
"I don't like to read about things that I can find out for myself, books don't always get the right stuff. Sometimes they do though." I said
"Well trust me, this one does. If I were you, I'd read it." She said.
"I'm ok." I said.
"Alright then, OW!" She yelped as she stiffened up, she then looked down at her bandaged hoof and sighed, "They're permanent..."
"How?" I asked.
"Remember how I said if I get injured badly enough they don't go away." she sighed once more.
"Oh, I'm sorry." I said sadly.
"It's fine...it was my own fault for being too sure of myself."
"I should've tried to stop you." I said.
"It wasn't your fault at all. I took off before you had a chance to stop me."
"Heh heh heh." Candy smiled as the train stopped. We got off near the castle and started in.
"When we get in we might be greeted by a princess." Candy said in Sunburst's form.
"Why does Equestria need a princess?" I asked.
"Equestria actually has three princesses, and all of their talents are things Equestria can't live without!" Candy explained.
"Oh, that seems a bit excessive." I said.
"Well Princess Celestia raises the sun, Princess Luna raises the moon, and Princess Cadence is the crystal princess who helps spread love throughout Equestria!" Candy explained, "Equestria can't survive without them!"
"Why can't it survive without the cadence pony. I didn't have any love for five years, and I was perfectly fine!" I said, confused on why there was such a thing.
"I'll explain later, we're here!" She pointed up to the castle doors, they opened and a Blue pony with a flowing blue mane, wings and a horn was standing in the doorway!
"Sunburst you're very late. WHAT HAPPENED?!" She looked shocked as she saw her niece in bandages, I decided to explain.
"She fell out of the sky on the way here, so I had to take her to the hospital. She should be alright." I explained.
"Oh why thank you for helping her! If your parents would be alright with it you're welcome to come to the grand galloping gala tomorrow." She said.
"I can go, but, what's a Grand Galloping Gala? If I might ask." I asked.
"I'll have Sunburst explain that, if you want to stay in the castle tonight." Luna offered, before I could answer Candy did it for me.
"Yes he does Aunty Luna!" "Luna" Giggled a bit after hearing that.
"Sounds like somepony wants you to stay." She smiled as she motioned inside.
"Aunt?" I asked Candy.
"Sunburst's aunt is Luna, just roll with it." she whispered. "We're going to bed, goodnight Aunty Luna!" she said to Luna.
"Goodnight you two!" She said as she flew off.
"I'm guessing that I'll be staying in your room?" I asked.
"My room has two bunk beds, one of them is for Starburst, Luna's daughter. You sleep in one of the bunks!"
"I'm good with the floor." I said.
"Okay then, well here it is." She pointed to the door we were next to, when she opened it we were greeted by a filly who looks like Sunburst, only with a dark blue coat and a darker blue mane.
"Hey Candy!" She said, putting down her book, "What happened?!" She said, with a similar expression as Luna.
"Wait, how does she know that you are Candy?" I asked worried.
"Sunburst and I used to be friends when she was alive," she took a deep breath, "she told Starburst about me and the three of us hung out every once and a while. She knows it's me." She then turned back into her natural bat pony form.
"Oh, well that sums it up." I said.
"Well at least I can be around Starburst as myself!"
"Um, hello...I asked what happened!" Starburst said.
"Uuuuh...dumb flying accident. The bandages are permanent."Candy explained.
"You don't seem that patient." I said. A little upset about the sass.
"Uh, I was just playing with her...that's how we joke around right Candy!" Starburst said.
"Right! Now I'm going to bed if you don't mind!" Candy laughed with Starburst as she limped into the bathroom.
"Time for my job as a guard, heh heh." I said.
"Huh?" Starburst seemed confused.
"A little thing I did for Candy." I said.
"But there are guards all over the place here! Get some sleep silly." Starburst hen snuggled up under her covers and fell asleep rather quickly. Candy then limped out and got in her own bunk.
"Goodnight John." She then fell asleep herself.
"Now is the perfect time for some exploration!" I said quietly.