Minty Image

by mintgreenconspiracy

Chapter 5-3: The magic of modern medicine

"Um Discord?" Fluttershy asked anxiously. "Is... Um... Is this really necessary?" She said, cowering slightly, looking up at Discord sitting in a very expensive looking giant golden sphinx -- and wearing more than his unfair share of gold -- held up by a few dozen stallions.

"That's fine, my dear! I just thought that, if I had to leave the house then, I would bring a grand precession along!" He said, walking down a set of steps in the front of the sphinx. "Ok boys: you can take five!" He said, talking to the stallions, who disappeared into a puff of smoke along with the sphinx and his golden jewelry.

"So... Um... Discord!" Fluttershy said sheepishly. "I'm so glad you could come along!" She said, blushing slightly. "Market days can be really rough sometimes."

Discord smiled enigmatically. "Why certainly! So shall I haves a conversation with Mr. Crates fors you!" He said, resembling a bad rip-off of a bad untouchables movie from the forties.

"No. That'll be ok." The pegasus said, gulping slightly. "So... Um... Discord. I don't mean to be a bother, but when are you going to tell me about whatever it was that caused you to run away... if it's not too much trouble." She said, squeaked slightly -- maybe she was getting a little too eager to ask, but the draconequus had been avoiding the question for days.

"Well, my dear." Discord said, changing to himself, for a second. "That would, indeed be too much trouble. So I would appreciate it if you would butt out." He said harshly, causing the pegasus to start crying.

The lord of chaos sighed ostentatiously -- he would have to deal with the issue sooner or later anyway. "Perhaps, for you." He said, smiling sweetly. "But only you." He said, putting a finger to her muzzle kindly.

Fluttershy puzzled for a second, silently. Why was the draconequus acting so normally all of a sudden? What was so difficult for him to talk about that he had to keep it bottled up? And why was he so uncomfortable about doing so?

The draconequus' eyes darted around for a second, before his face gained a pained anxiety. "That can't be good!" He said, under his breath. Suddenly shrinking seventeen sizes.

A strange pony approached them doing some odd kind of summersault, wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses. "Yo! How's it goin' girl friend!" The white earth pony said, standing on only her front legs, her legs parallel to her barrel, and her head staring out perpendicular to said barrel. Her legs hanging out to the side in a strange fashion. "So. Um. I was wondering if any of you would know the way back to Ponyville!" She said, staring at Fluttershy and Discord with her purple eyes. "You see I kinda got lost somehow on the way to my friend 'Steria's, somehow, and I was hopin' that one of you two might help! Names Sunny by the way!"

Discord's face turned pale, as he quickly turned away, fidgeting with something. "I'm sorry I'm not here right now, could you please leave a message!" He said, as an audible, machine like, beep came from somewhere!

Fluttershy looked on with a funny expression. What kind of name was Sunny? And how is she standing like that, isn't that uncomfortable?

The earth pony with the enormous muzzle looked at her, as if noticing her confusion. "Sorry 'bout that! That's short for Sunny Daze -- see I kind'a like to shorten people's names it's my way of making friends!"

Fluttershy held out her hoof apprehensively to shake it. The white earth pony did a half summersault before landing right in front of the butternut pegasus. "Hello." The pegasus said, gulping slightly. "My name's Fluttershy."

"Great! Nice to meet you 'Shy, mind if I call you 'Shy?" The white earth pony said, shaking her hoof slightly.

"Um... Actually I would prefer if you called me --" The pegasus started, being unable to finish before the white earth pony with the smiling sun cutie mark continued, unabated.

"Great! 'Shy it is!" She said, with a slight giggle, her hoof distorting around the pegasus' hoof as she gave the pegasus a mighty hoofshake. "Sorry 'bout giggling like that! It's just your name reminds me of a pony I know back in Ponyville! 'Cept you look and act way different then she does!" Sunny said, her enthusiasm infectious. "Speaking of which: your friend over there looks familiar for some reason." She said, getting a serious expression. "Do I recognize you from somewhere?" She said, talking to the draconequus.

"Ack nein mächen. Mein name ist Verner fon Discord! Vorld famous rocket zientist! Und I think dat I haf nefer met dü bevore!" Discord said, in a really, really, really, really, atrocious German accent -- while wearing a really ridiculous white wig, and gaudy oversized puffy white mustache from the fake mustache emporium (you know the same place Lord Blueblood goes to shop for his cheesy fake mustaches -- you know for when he's feeling especially villainous.)

Fluttershy chuckled -- what silly joke was that draconequus making this time (that draconequus was always full of them.) "Nah. His name is Discord, and he's a friend of mine, and he's not normally this shy." She said, laughing some more. "Come on Discord!" She said, nudging him slightly with her hoof. "Say hi!"

The lord of chaos shook his head vigorously, pretending he was part of a coo-coo-clock display -- which suddenly materialized in the center of town.

"Huh." The earth pony said, shaking her four-color yellow, pink, orange, and purple mane slightly. "I swear I recognize you from somewhere Discord, can't place where though?" She said, getting a really close look at him. For some reason she felt like she was going to get goose bumps, in the end though her nature took over. "In any case --" She started, probably preparing for more small talk, or maybe to suggest a game.

Discord gulped again, using a crayon that he picked up from somewhere to paint the color in his face back in. "You were trying to find you way back to Ponyville right?" He said, quickly interrupting Sunny Daze. "And you want to FIND YOU WAY BACK TO PONYVILLE! RIGHT!?" He said, emphasizing parts of the sentences.

Sunny Daze shook her head. That was right! "Right on! Thanks Discord!" Said the earth pony surfer mare. "So anyways. I was on my way to check on my friend 'Steria." She said, putting her hoof on her muzzle, and getting a thinking pose. "You know, she's been sick since Christmas, so I was going to go and get her some sweets from the Sweet Shop!" She said, bringing a strange rainbow colored piece of cake out of her bag.

Fluttershy looked at it in awe. That looked very odd, what kind of pastry was that? She have to ask Pinkie later, but it definitely looked tasty.

"And then these groady bug ponies attacked, and totally started taking everyone." Sunny said, frowning -- some agitation showing in her face. "So I tried to tell them that being nasty ain't nice! But they ended up taking me too." She said, getting up on only her back hooves, and motioning like she was being carried away by her front hooves. "When suddenly there's like smoke everywhere, and next think I know I'm in the path of the --" She said, contemplating for a second (probably thinking of the train time.) "4:15 train to some place called 'Fillydelphia'. Naturally, of course, I got out of the way for them." She said, giggling -- motioning like she was somersaulting away from 'the train'. "But they still wanted to know what I was doing on the tracks." She said, matter-of-factly. "So I told them I was looking for Ponyville, and they pointed me off this way." She said, pointing at the town. "'Cept I think I must've gone the wrong way as I don't see Ponyville anywhere!" She said, consternation appearing on her face.

Fluttershy looked on with great discomfort. What happened to this unfortunate mare's muzzle? And did she have a heart for a highlight in her eyes? That didn't make any sense! And what was this about their town being attacked by bug ponies, was Chrysalis being a meanie again? And why didn't she think this was Ponyville? She kept asking herself, in her head. In the end, she just had to ask. "Excuse me... Um... Sunny Daze -- " She started asking, apprehensively.

"Just call me Sunny' 'Shy! No reason to get all formal!" She said, with a giggle, doing a summersault. "My friends don't call me by my full name! Especially not my BFF Sparkleworks!"

"Um... Please don't call me 'Shy, my friends call me -- " Fluttershy started, before being interrupted gain.

"No problem 'Shy! You worry too much!" The mare known for having the record on most pony summersaults said, with a giggle -- motioning slightly. "You have to lay back a little!"

Fluttershy sighed, she wasn't going to get through to this mare was she? "So... Um... Sunny. Why do you think this isn't Ponyville?"

Sunny chuckled. "Cause all the buildings are gone. Where's the Cotton Candy Cafe? Or the Celebration Castle, the Twinkle Twirl's Dance Studio, the salon, or the surf shop?" She asked, chuckling some more -- either distracted, or feeling she had wasted enough of that strange pony's time. "Don't worry 'Shy! I'll figure it out yet. See you later." She said, somersaulting into a gallop.

Fluttershy giggled herself. "Please don't call me ''Shy'!" She yelled at the rapidly retreating earth pony, before turning to Discord, who seemed to be swearing bullets -- shaking like a leaf. "You ok Discord!"

"Yes!" Discord lied. "Everything is fine!" He said, suddenly dressed like Mr. Rogers. "It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood!" He said, lying to her face. "So we can go and get those turnips... Or something!" He said, his claw shaking slightly.

Fluttershy started crying. She had had enough of the draconequus sudden dishonesty and all of his newfound secrets! "I thought you were our friend! Why won't you talk to me! Why do you keep lying to me!" She said, starting to gallop away at high speeds. "Don't you trust me!"

Discord sighed. Even if he smoothen things over he would probably be sleeping in the Everfree tonight! To make matters worse he was on the verge of losing the one thing that he 'reformed' for. And he'd certainly lose something far more important than a friendship if he didn't talk. But would he lose it if he did?

********

Rainbow yawned. Another tough night! Could anything put a stop to these blasted nightmares? Not her own dashing nature, not Zecora's magic, not even the spooky jewelry the doctors gave her! She just wanted to know what it all meant. She meant that she had had plenty of dreams in the past but only a few were remembered vividly -- meanwhile she could recall, in great detail, every last dream since Minty's accident with profound clarity. Rainbow sighed, jealously. Minty, meanwhile seemed to unaffected, giggling innocently, and probably still plotting her makeup Christmas -- blissfully unaware of what she or Pinkie had been experiencing.

Rainbow smirked, maybe her odd luck from yesterday was still working -- it was, naturally -- and the door was once again, mysteriously unlocked. Unfortunately, this time that fact wasn't going to be too helpful as there were now orderlies stationed at her door to make sure she didn't stray too far from her bed again. Rainbow considered using some very colorful words, but decided against that as it would be not terribly dashing! Instead she just sighed on the inside again -- guessing she wasn't going to be going anywhere. The good news, though, was that she had just enough of that romance novel left to last her until Twilight arrived.

About mid morning, she could hear a clamor outside, as both orderlies hit their plots against the door as they scrambled to quickly bow, for some reason. She wondered what the occasion was.

She peeked out the door, discretely hoping her captors guardians wouldn't notice. Walking down the hall, past her room, was a purple unicorn, with a pink mane, and a three flower symbol pass by. "Cheerilee!" Rainbow said to herself (wondering how she even knew that name -- especially considering that she hadn't seen the unicorn before. Wasn't she thinking about Cheerilee the other day too?)

Her head started to hurt, the magic burst was definitely coming! It just got worse when Star Catcher passed by. Wait a minute! That couldn't be Star Catcher -- for one thing it was a pegasus unicorn, while Star Catcher was a pegasus! Secondly, with the exception of the coat, the pegasus unicorn looked nothing like Star Catcher? She just blushed with embarrassment, upset that she confused the strange new pony with someone else. That is until another magic burst: dash it all!

"Ukulele gaily strums! Bongos keep the beat! Any song we play becomes oh so strong and sweet!" Sung the phantoms in her head. "Music is meant to be -- shared by one and all!" They sang as she started dancing to the phantom beat along with a few of her friends (who were only visible to her.)

"Oh wow! Rainbow Dash! That looks fun..." Minty said, with a giggle -- carried away by her friend's excitement. "Wait! Wait! What are you dancing to?" Minty asked innocently -- beginning to realize that something odd was happening -- all while watching her friend make a fool of herself.

"Dash it all!" Rainbow whined to herself, as the inhibiter started to clear the fog again. "This is another fine time for my magic bursts to act up! I suppose if I had any chance of convincing the orderlies before, I do not now!" She thought to herself. Oh well, maybe she could convince the orderlies to let her see her friend Cheerilee. "Excuse me sirs -- "

"If you don't go back to bed I'll break your -- " The minotaur orderly said, with a gruff tone swallowing the conclusion of that rhyme. "if you don't sleep then I'll -- " He said, stopping short of quoting his father (growling slightly at the training in 'assertiveness' he received since his birth.)

"Understood, darling." Rainbow said, with a sigh -- she guessed she was stuck here again. She waited a few seconds, then decided -- against her better judgment -- to try again. "I am sorry, darlings. But would you mind if I went ahead and left to see my friend! I am very worried about her, darling, and --"

"Don't apologize when you can criticize!" Said the second orderly angrily. "Dang it! I'm quoting dad again!" He groaned to himself.

Rainbow supposed that would be a no! Especially when the orderly picked her up, and returned her to bed himself -- don't worry, he was given the riot act later. It was all very demeaning -- especially when her legs worked just fine, thank you.

The good news is she still had her romance book to read -- which she happily dug into. But after a few minutes she sighed, because it was turning out to be a smidgen racy for her tastes. When was she ever going to be out of here? For that matter when was Minty ever going to get out of here?

She tried to listen to the door, as quietly as she could (so as not to be heard by the orderlies.) At least she still had the goings-on at this hospital to help pass the time. Especially when Twilight went by her room with a toy wand (she had managed to open the door a crack a little earlier while the guards were distracted (when 'someone tried to block they showed them that they rocked! ')

Rainbow looked at the wand twice, it's nature quickly beginning to bore its way into her recollection. No! That was Rarity's wand! She said, beginning to see a scene play out in her mind's eye. "Hang on! It's going to be a bumpy rainbow ride!" The voice echoed in her head. What was with these memories, and was it just her or were they getting worse instead of better! Despite the ugly jewelry she was forced to endure.

Phantom Pinkie giggled mindlessly in her head. "What are you doing under all these clothes?" She asked, as rainbow 'came up from under the pile of cloths.

"Oh, dressing up to get some fun ideas for a dress up party!" She said, giggled to herself vapidly, all the while talking to phantom pinkie. This was all extremely demeaning! And why did she always forget who she was during one of these?

Her roommate sighed. "And I didn't get invited at all!" She said, with a sigh. "Only party I got invited to was the sports party!" She said, uncharacteristically with a whine.

Rainbow Dash looked at her friend, being shocked out of her burst. "Huh what? Minty darling? Whatever do you mean?" She asked, suddenly wondering if her friend knew what she was talking about.

"Well you got together with all four of your new friends --Cheerilee, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Toola-Roola -- and didn't invite Wysteria, Sunny Dazy, or anyone -- even me! I was really sad." She said, sobbing quietly. "Were you guys that angry that I messed up Christmas? I'm sorry Rainbow! I'll do better next year!"

Rainbow looked at her cross-eyed. "But Minty, darling. You didn't mess up Christmas until this year! Remember!?" She said to her friend -- who's words made no sense. And yet why did her words ring with such truth?

********

"So what's got you so happy?" Spike said, shooting a glare to his mother/sister figure. "You finally got that 'huge crystally tree thing' that that weird Pinkie was talking about?" Spike said sarcastically, chuckling to himself the whole time.

"She said that she knew she could count on me!" Twilight replied ecstatically, sounding more like an exuberant schoolgirl then the princess of friendship. "Do you know what this means?" Twilight said, getting eye to eye with 'her number one assistant', and pressing her hooves against his lips.

"You did a good job?" Spike replied, his voice deadpan.

"No! It means I impressed her! And now she'll give me even more tasks." Twilight replied, falling back into her overeager student mode. "Even more importantly: I discovered something about Equestrian history that even Celestia didn't know!" She said, with literal stars in her eyes.

"Whoopty doo!" Spike said, rolling his eyes. "You're a regular Daring Doo." He said, deadpan. "So 'Daring', you going to help me sort these books?"

Twilight smiled, always glad to see her number one assistant living up to the title and getting interested in the library. Lord knows it was just about all she had besides a seemingly pointless symbolic title (not that she didn't like the title, just that she felt like she could only be described the term fifth wheel princess.)

A slow knocking could be heard at the door.

Twilight sighed patiently -- did anypony bother to read her open sign? "Hey Spike?" Twilight asked, trotting over to the door. "First that other Rainbow the other day, now somepony else. Do you think we need to get a new open sign?" Twilight said, beginning to turn the handle with her magic. "Maybe see if I can enchant it to light up." She said, tilting her head in a thinking pose. "You can come in. It's open." She said, before she turned her head to see the princess standing before her.

"Princess!" Twilight said in horror, quickly bowing deeply. Starting to stammer violently.

"Sorry about that!" Twilight said, blushing with embarrassment. She always expected the most of herself, even under normal circumstances -- but this was her personal teacher, and one of the god princesses of Equestria no less! This made it all the much more difficult -- and sometimes she just plain forgot that that were equals -- let alone that the princess preferred informalities out of court. "So princess, I thought you had returned to Canterlot? Didn't you say Kibitz was going to give you trouble?"

Celestia smiled like a doting mother. "Can't I meet with my fellow princess of Equestria once in a while and have tea or something?" She asked, her smile showing the signs of a smirk in the corners (the princess just wanted a break, or maybe the whole day off -- Luna could handle the hordes of angry nobles demanding handouts for at least as long as it took for her to have some tea.)

"But doesn't the princess have --?" Spike started asking before being shushed by her sister, who had a very earnest expression on her face.

"Quick Spike! Get the tea set! " Twilight said, with earnestness. "And the Platina Grey tea out!" Twilight barked, galloping over to the kitchen as quickly as her legs could take her.

Celestia rolled her eyes, and giggled slightly. "Oh Twilight! Is this really necessary?" She asked herself, with a smile. "Twilight!" She said, snapping her ex-student out of her panic. "Relax! Just sit for a minute! Let young Spike handle it -- I'm sure he can!" She said, winking at the young drake -- who nodded and winked in return.

Twilight nodded (unaware of the signal sent between teacher and number one assistant), holding her chest for a minute while relaxing. "Sorry Princess." She said, bringing the tea makings that she had already gathered to the table. "So what brings you here?" She asked, nervously -- biting her lip slightly.

"Well first of all Twilight." She said, pouring some of the mixture into the cup and taking a sip. "I thought I would congratulate you on the progress you've made, not just as a princess, but as a pony!" She said, thinking for a second. "I mean not many ponies can came up with new magic!" She said, smiling to her former student proudly (of all of her students Twilight had been, by far, the most successful.)

"Thank you." Twilight said, with a blush. "But it was your idea to give me Star Swirl's unfinished spell. I mean: I couldn't have done it without your gentle nudge!"

Celestia stopped, obvious confusion showing on her face. "Unfinished spell? I didn't give her any unfinished spells!" She thought to herself. "Didn't she discover new magic all on her own! How else could she get to astral plane to ascend?" Celestia thought to herself anxiously -- all the while putting on her poker face. "Why, of course, my faithful student! You are most welcome! But do you mind if I ask to see the book? You know to.... um.... check your answers!"

"Sure!" Twilight said with a eager smile, walking over to a locked box that she kept in the corner. "Give me a minute to unlock the box, and get the book out." She said, fidgeting with the lock on the box, as knocking could, once again, be heard on the door. Twilight sighed. "Spike, could you get that for me?" She asked, giving up her magic for a second and resorting to stomping on the lock with her hoof. "I'm a little busy here!"

"Certainly." Spike said helpfully. "Though I doubt it's --" He said, staring hopelessly at the pony at the door. "Rarity!... You are looking beautiful today!" He said, floating slightly as he hovered behind his crush.

"Why thank you, Spike!" Rarity said politely. "Do you know where Twilight is?" She asked, looking around zealously at the shelves around her.

"Sure!" He said, in a spacey voice, pointing at Twilight mindlessly. "She's over there! Can I get you anything? Like maybe a --"

"No, Spike! That will be fine." Rarity said politely, again, walking past the smitten dragon. "I'm terribly sorry to disturb you and .... the princess." She said, gulping slightly -- even now she sometimes had trouble being around the living legend without getting uncomfortable. "But -- " She said, steeling her resolve. "But I need those books, that you borrowed, back, Twilight! I need them for ..." She said, trying to come up with a convincing lie. "Um... Important fashion research!" She said -- trying very hard to not tell Spike or Twilight that she really wanted them for her date that night with a terribly eligible stallion from house Ivy.

"Sorry Rarity." Twilight apologized, pulling the book out of the box. "But Rainbow Dash is still holding on to it. If you want, you can go down to the hospital and see her, maybe they'll let you in before visiting hours, if it's so important!"

"And I shall!" Rarity said, with zeal. "I mean, what would that tomboy need with --? Oh that's right! That other Rainbow Dash!" She said, with a blush. "So ... what brings you here today, princess?"

Celestia continued to hold onto her poker face. "Well I was just asking to take a look at that spell I had Twilight finish last year!" She said, with an innocent smile. "I mean I want to double-check her answers ... You know to make sure she did a good job!" Celesta said, lying unconvincingly -- for a change.

"Oh yes, quite!" Rarity said, with a smile. "The one that made her an alicorn princess." She said, tilting her head in recollection. "I felt bad losing the only other unicorn in our group. But, I suppose, it was for the best. You can't imaging the dreadful problems she was having with shedding! And ghastly headaches! But what brought it up just now?" She asked, curious to know what could be going through the all-wise princess' head.

"Oh, no reason." Celestia said, hiding a smirk, and an eye roll. "Just wanted to see if I could use the spell for other purposes." She lied as Twilight began to walk over with the book. "You know like ... um... to create another Sombra! Or something!" She said, as Twilight exclaimed in the other room. "Thank goodness Twilight this was getting uncomfortable!"

"Here it is!" Twilight said, with a smile, showing the book to her teacher. Eagerly awaiting her former teacher's praise.

"The Swirlnomicom!" The princess exclaimed in pure horror. Twilight and Rarity both looked at the princess with puzzled expressions. Celestia gulped, and opened her muzzle again. "I mean, that's the book I gave you! I'm just so glad to see it." She said, hoping that Twilight's normal fan girl mindset would block her from realizing the truth. "So... um... do you mind if I see the spell?" She asked, with a smile that screamed 'give me the book!'

"Certainly!" Twilight said, dutifully opening the book to the page with last year's spell. "And I even left your note in the page!" She squeaked passionately. Giggling giddily -- didn't Celestia look soooo impressed!

"This is an amazingly bad forgery!" Celestia said to herself, under her breath. "What made Twilight even think I wrote this?" She said to herself, turning to Twilight, and started to scan the page. "Yeah -- she's right! It's definitely 'asking her to complete the spell', but which spell?" She asked herself, quietly -- scanning over the page.

She only needed to get halfway through the spell, though, before she knew exactly which spell it was (and she wished she didn't.) "THE UNICORN DEATH SPELL!!!" She squealed in pure terror. "WHERE DID YOU GET THIS SPELL AND THIS BOOK TWILIGHT?" Celestia shouted at her student violently, looking like she had just seen a team up between Nightmare Moon, Sombra, Tirek, and the Flim Flam Brothers.

The princess quickly recovered, though. And spoke again. "I mean..." She said, trying to come up with a lie. "I should be honest with you." She said, using the patented Cutie Mark Crusader Pout. "I came to remind you that it's almost time for your ... um... yearly physical." She said, hoping both Twilight and Rarity would buy it. "I mean it would be horrible if one of the princesses of Equestria became sick!"

Twilight smiled, obliviously. "Of course!" She said, whipping out a scroll and a quill from somewhere. "I'll schedule an appointment with the doctors as soon as I can."

Celestia frowned, steadfastly. "No I think it would be best if my personal physician saw you tomorrow because ... Only he knows the ins and outs of... um... alicorn physiology." She lied unconvincingly.

"Ok!" Twilight exclaimed obliviously. "I'll start over on a new scroll then." She said, walking into the next room to get another scroll.

"Ok!" Rarity said, frowning. "You can trick Twilight, but not me! What's this about a 'unicorn death spell'? And why are you so afraid of it?"

Celestia sighed, this was generosity and she needed to know. "Sit down Rarity, this is going to be hard to explain." She said, as Twilight walked into the room. "Twilight? Could you get me some things from the quills and sofa's store?" She said, hoping to send Twilight off on an errand. "It's very important that I get them, and I'm very busy!"

"Of course!" Twilight beamed, rushing out the door -- not asking what the 'things' were.

"You were saying?" Rarity asked, making sure the princess didn't renege on her promise.

Celestia sighed. "It's forbidden magic that raises the caster's magic five thousand fold." She said, using her horn to beam the image into the room. "Remember last year when your sister couldn't even make her horn light up?" She asked, waiting for Rarity to respond.

"Of course!" Rarity said, with recollection. "The poor thing couldn't even light up her horn. Mother, Father and I were worried sick!"

"Well if she had chanted these words." Celestia said, as an illusionary felt Sweetie Belle began to read words out of a book. "She would have become more powerful than me." She said, as the image was suddenly dressed like Star Swirl, moving whole planets with a wave of her hoof.

"Splendid!" Rarity responded, imagining the possibilities. "So why don't we -- " She started asking, wondering why they didn't teach it, only to come to a realization. "Wait a minute! Why is it forbidden then?"

Celestia grimaced, sighing noticeably. "When the spell begins to fail..." She said, her horn glowing to a scene of the felt Sweetie Belle exploding into confetti.

"Oh!" Rarity said, with a grimace, eating the terror she suddenly felt. "Isn't there something we can do?" She asked, worried for her friend.

Celestia shrugged. "I don't know." Celestia said, frowning noticeably -- what had her student done to deserve this? First an attempted kidnapping by her angry ex-student, then a crown napping by another angry ex-student, now the Uncorn Death Spell! Was it her? Was she the one bewitching Twilight with bad luck? Or had she just abandoned Twilight like ... -- "I don't even know why it would cause her to ascend. All of my other students that got their hooves on this spell... Well.... They turned into confetti." Celestia said, using a euphemism. "Let's wait until my doctor has looked at her."

Rarity frowned. "I should tell the darling. She needs to know!" Rarity said, starting to walk out the door, before being held tight by the princess' magic.

"No!" Celestia commanded. "I don't want Twilight to worry needlessly! We'll keep this matter to ourselves! At least until my private physician has had a chance to examine her!" She said, watching Rarity open her mouth to protest. "I'm serious Rarity! I order you not to tell Twilight!" She commanded again, on the verge of using the Royal Canterlot Voice.

"Why?" Rarity asked, taken back at the princess' sudden boorish behavior. "Wouldn't we want Twilight to know?"

The princess sighed. She didn't know if she would have an answer to that question.

********

The rest of the week for Rainbow wasn't much better, first some horrible pony decided to try to hurt Pinkie, Minty, and her (well, there was a stronger word for what they tried to do, but Rainbow perished to use the word.)

And no sooner then she had awoken, then, to make matters worse, she had heard that that horrible pony did something to little Rarity, and she was now forced to endure gaudy pegasus wings to perpetually clash with her regal unicorn horn -- it just wasn't natural!) Finally to her great consternation --

The old doctor turned to the nurse. "So have I finally lost my mind, or do your readings say what mine do?" The doctor asked, scrapping his hoof against the ground slightly. "I mean I tested her thoroughly just over two weeks ago, and her bones were powder! She should have been buried six feet under (Celestia's not King Richard's) days ago!"

The nurse shrugged. "Doctor Stethoscope checked too, but it looks like we were all wrong!" She said, with a very pleased smile. "Either that or the zebra's 'ooga-booga' medicine did the trick!"

If the doctor could have, he literally would have shot daggers out of his eyes. He turned to the nurse violently, taking a lecturing tone. "I DON'T DO WRONG!"

The nurse shrugged nonchalantly -- as if to say 'and maybe this time you did'.

"And the witch doctor's medicine won't work because she doesn't have the proper university training! In fact, I'm not sure why Celestia hasn't sent her to jail!" The doctor said, venting steam at his being (temporally) bested by a folk medicine expert.

"Why would that be?" Minty asked, innocently. "Her medicine tastes like pepper mint! And she's really nice!... Hey! I should get her something for Christmas too!"

The nurse rolled her eyes -- at both of them. "It's a mystery doctor!" She said, with a pleased smile. "In any case, I'll let you make the case doctor." She turned to the mint pony. "And wasn't this Christmas a few weeks ago?"

Minty started to open her mouth, but the doctor put his hoof in front of her face to stop her. He sighed, and turned to the mint green disaster. "Let me guess: make up Christmas?" He said, to eager nodding from the green pony. "I should have guessed." He said under his breath. "In any case, you are in luck ms. Minty." The doctor said, coaxing his smile out of hiding. "It looks like your bones have healed miraculously, and I believe it's safe enough to release you today -- so long as you keep those wounds clean, and don't do anything strenuous!"

"Do you hear that, Rainbow Dash!" Minty said, with glee. "We'll be going back to Ponyville soon!" She tried to shake the doctors hoof only to find that he hadn't removed the casts yet. "Oops...! Well once you've taken these casts off anyways!" She said, with a smile.

The doctor simply shook his head. "In any case, I'll be getting hold of your pink friend to see if she can pick you up. Hopefully she has found accommodations for the two of you until I can release Rainbow Dash!"

The gears in Minty's head stopped cold. "Wait... What do you mean 'until I can release Rainbow Dash'? Weren't you waiting on me to get better to release us?"

The doctor sighed and shook his head sadly. "No. Unfortunately Rainbow Dash has her own problems that must be addressed before she can be released into her own recognizance." He said, with a frown. "And those problems are getting worse not better."

"What do you mean doctor? Did I break Rainbow Dash too!" Minty said, starting to sob quietly. "I didn't mean to! I swear!"

"No! You didn't break her! But her condition does baffle medical science -- an earth pony with magic bursts! How can that even happen? And furthermore her condition has steadily worsened, while yours has quickly improved! Celestia knows if she was a unicorn we would have been forced to perform a keratotomy, but how can one justify the removal of all four of a pony's legs?" He looked down, feeling inadequate again.

Rainbow sighed. This all sounded very bad, and very ugly. And why did that horrible word 'kerat...' -- Oh! She couldn't even think it -- scare her so much?

Minty, though, stood up for her friend. "If Rainbow's not going anywhere! Then I'm not going anywhere!" She said, with defiance. "I won't mess anything else up! And I won't leave her behind!"

The doctor only sighed. "Minty! Minty! Minty! The hospital is for sick ponies, and you are not sick! Allowing you to stay needlessly could expose you to some very bad diseases! Nope... Won't do!" He turned his head to the nurse. "Nurse, could you fetch ms..." He said, looking at a clipboard he had left on one of the counters when he entered. "Pinkie Pie, and tell her that her friend Minty is ready to be picked up?"

"Which one?" The nurse asked, in confusion. "You mean the puffy one that holds all the parties in town? Right?"

The doctor thought for a second. "Yes... Wait... No!!!!" He swallowed a growl and a scream. "Just get both! It's time Ms. Minty was going!" He said, ushering the nurse out of the room.

********

The doctor had had Pinkie drop by the same day to pick her friend up. And she ended up having to stay with Twilight (the poor soul, the bookworm didn't even know what she was getting herself into.) Because the cakes didn't have room for another (that and Twilight's Pinkie had been temporarily been banished to another room, after yelling at her Pinkie because some stallion -- Pukie Pulse, or Cheesie Toast or something -- took a shining after her, and Twilight's Pinkie was none too happy about that.)

So just like that Rainbow was alone again -- this felt like it wasn't just happenstance, it felt like a curse! And due to the incident that Minty, Pinkie, and her had had a few days back they doubled the number of orderlies that were watching her room. And she was just begging to get out, especially as she, once again, ran out of reading materials. Maybe if she asked really, really, really nicely, the orderlies would let her step out for a minute.

"Excuse me, darlings." Rainbow said, politely, trying the door. "I have been terribly stir crazy, and I was wondering, darlings, if it would be ok for me to step out for just a minute?" She asked as politely as she could. To no response. "Darlings?" She asked cautiously, trying the handle as the door slowly creaked open.

Standing before her was that strange pegasus again -- the one with that Time Turner's symbol. He looked much the same as he did before, his hair still grey and balding in front, and still long and wispy in back. His coat still graying. Rainbow Dash sighed -- why did she still think she recognized hem -- maybe this time she could confront this strange pony! "Darling, I apologize if I sound too up front, but what brings you here?"

The pegasus only smiled enigmatically, walking into the room.

Rainbow slowly backed off anxiously.

********

"Some days..." Twilight lamented to herself. She'd been training the young foal, and her mentor for only a couple of weeks in the use of magic, and, though she loved the responsibility, some days she just hated being 'Twilight Sparkle: Teacher for a Day'!

It quickly became obvious that the little one (who hilariously shared the name of Twilight's prissy friend) would be very magical someday -- especially after her boon -- that was assuming that Twilight could keep her focus on the task at hoof -- so far it took a miracle (and some very creative teaching methods) for her to even teach the filly how to feel her own native magic.

And then to make matters worse little Rarity's new magic tended to activate dangerously (for everyone) at the most inopportune of times. But the good news was that once the filly learned a trick she would pick it up with passion -- she could tell by the fact she could see a bright pink light radiating from across town on most nights (Twilight was currently working on levitation, a unicorn's most basic spell.)

Her mentor, meanwhile, was a source of endless consternation. It wasn't that the mare was stupid or anything (she was just almost as smart as Twilight was, but not quite), and the problem certainly didn't seem to be a lack of desire to learn or a lack of concentration (she seemed to be as earnest about learning as anypony), it was just that she seemed clueless on how how to cast magic without a wand. And after all these weeks the best she managed to get was sparks (out of the horn that adorned the head of a full grown mare.) And Twilight could tell the mare's confidence was shaken.

Twilight sighed, she'd figure out a way to get through to the two of them eventually (maybe Pinkie was right about that rap, ignoring the fact that it wasn't the Unicorn Magic Rap, but instead was the Wonderbolt's Rap instead.)

So she decided today, after training the two, to take a break and bring that alternate Rainbow Dash some more books on high fashion that she had brought in from the royal Canterlot library (she knew the 'fashion pony of Ponyville' was short on them, and it was one of the few perks she had as 'the fifth wheel princess'.)

"Now which room was it?" Twilight asked herself, looking at the door numbers -- waiting for her memory to kick in. After tilting her head in thought for a second it came to her. "That's right room twelve." She exclaimed, trotting off to the room her Rainbow Dash had held for a few days a while back. "I think it should be right over here." She said pointing her hoof down a hallway. "I hope Rainbow Dash will like these books on the history of -- " She started saying, before gasping in horror.

She had expected to see four minotaur orderlies eagerly standing guard over the room. Instead she found four sleeping minotaur orderlies.

"Wake up!" She shouted commandingly a few times, finally shaking one of the minotaurs fiercely, in desperation -- trying to get their attention, but they seemed to be out cold.

"Not good! Not good! NOT GOOD!" She shouted to herself, looking around in terror, and stomping violently. "I have to get the doctors..." She said, thinking for a second. The problem with that plan was that this situation demanded immediate action, and even if she did act immediately, she might already be out of time. She weighted her options carefully for a second, before recklessly deciding to run into the room horn blazing. Upon further contemplation (and upon flying into the room at full gallop) she considered that she could be galloping into a trap, but the good news of her decidedly Rainbow Dashian decision was that there was no one that could take an alicorn princess in battle -- at least not anyone that would likely be using any kind of tact or secrecy (let's face it Sombra, Nightmare Mood, The Dazzlings, Sunset Shimmer -- oops she was good now --, Tirek, and even Chrysalis would probably have destroyed the hospital by now, and that assassin earlier simply got lucky -- and let's not forget Discord would probably have the place floating upside down spewing out hot cocoa or something.)

The scene was as pretty much as bad as she imagined, Rainbow was standing in the room, with a blank expression, and her eyes were a solid radioactive neon green color. Hovering over her was an odd looking pegasus with some kind of odd device in his muzzle and, what appeared to be, Time Turner's cutie mark. Twilight guessed that whatever happened to Rainbow Dash was probably caused by said device (but she would have to run some tests to be sure.)

"THOU SHOULST STAYEST AWAY FROM HER!" Twilight commanded fiercely. She smiled, and winked slightly. "Wow! I'm getting really good at the Royal Canterlot voice! In fact, I've been practicing it since my battle with Tirek. How'd I do?" She asked of the pony.

He simply shrugged, turning to Twilight nonchalantly -- the object in his muzzle beginning to glow. "I'm terribly sorry princess but I think it's better if you forget! --" He said, the object glowing more brightly. "I mean it's for both your and the lady's safety. I certainly hope you don't mind." He continued, as the device began to turn and whir.

"Doctor! Please stop!" Rainbow shouted, pleadingly. "She's a friend! Just let her watch! Whatever is wrong with me she can hear too!" She shouted to the pegasus. "I trust her to keep whatever secret it is that I'm holding!

The doctor shook his head soundly, continuing to power up the device. "Now this will cause a temporary headache and permanent memory loss. Let me know if you have any constipation, migraines, or your head explodes!" He said, with as much humor as he was capable of mustering.

"Please! I beg you!" Rainbow shouted. "Don't do this!"

He sighed loudly. "You'll wish you hadn't begged." He said, under his breath putting one hoof on the princess wither and pointing the device at Rainbow Dash's head. "Very well!" He said, as Twilight only had time to gasp.