Ponyville Fire Department

by Rescue Sunstreak

42 - Crisis

Ailan and Thunderlane had flown faster than they had ever pushed before. They covered the mile and a half to Ponyville Mercy in less than two minutes, even with Rescue slung between them in the litter.

As soon as they had him on the ground, doctors and nurses were all over the badly-burned stallion. The stench of burned flesh had Thunderlane hurling his dinner over near a shrub. Ailan had held it together up until that very point, then broke down. He found himself held tight by Thunderlane as he sobbed. It took him no more than a few minutes to recollect himself, and by then, others of the flock were beginning to show up.

It had been a long and very tense wait. Over four hours, in the waiting room that was packed to the walls with fire ponies, friends, and family, Ailan lay on a bench with Pipsqueak as close as could be under his wing, bracketed there with a pink filly shoved to Pip's other side. Few had dry eyes, many were sobbing softly in worry.

He glanced up as Dr. Mercy himself stepped out, appearing tired and very worn. He gestured to Ailan who said softly. “Please, doctor, this—” he gestured around to all of the ponies around them. From the Elements who all looked so downright exhausted, to the fire ponies that were not needed back at the fire scene to make sure it didn’t flare back up.

Nine colts and fillies all still in their day-to-day Explorer uniforms, right down to Kevin who had only woke up about an hour prior and come out of the room they had him in. He was currently sitting pressed up very close to Twilight, who had a wing around the small trembling changeling.

“This is his family, we all need to hear this—”

He was cut off by a noise from outside, a large flash of light, making everyone turn and look, to see Princess Luna herself, escorted by an older mint stallion. Ailan and Pip jumped up, and both hugged the older male tightly.

“Thank you, Princess,” Ailan said, still hugging Rescue’s father.

“Any news?” the big mint stallion asked.

Mercy, all this time, had remained quiet, however he cleared his throat. “Very well, Princess, all—” he looked around.

“It was touch and go, but, we have him stable now. We had to resuscitate him twice, and he is in an isolation ward.”

The white unicorn lowered his ears. “Mr. Sempar, he... is in a coma. I am going to be blunt because there is no way to say this easy.”

All were quiet. Luna’s ears dropped, for that unicorn's tone spoke volumes. Ailan looked up into the doctor's eyes, tugging Pipsqueak closer.

“He has burns over sixty-percent of his body. One lung was collapsed, but we managed to inflate it again. Two of his legs are broken, one in four places,” pausing and lowering his ears. “But, even if he lives through all that...”

Once more, he just could not bring himself to tell this room. He shut his eyes and exhaled deeply, hearing the door open and Redheart come out. She put her hoof to her husband’s shoulder. “They need to know, Mercy.”

He gave a nod and looked up again. Mercy Heart’s eyes found Ailan’s, and he lowered his ears. “I am sorry, but his spine was broken in two places. It’s damage we can not fix. It is far beyond even magical fixes. The truth is, the only reason he is breathing is with a machine. He will never walk again, he may never be able to talk, or even breathe on his own... ever. There is a good chance he may never recover.”

For Ailan, the room went gray, and he fell to his knees, pulling Pip who let out a sob that was gut-wrenching. Only Luna moved over, nudging Rescue’s father to join, wrapping her wings around the three males as best she could.

Luna wanted to break down, for laying in a room was a friend, somepony who she cared for as much as everypony else in this room did. However, Ailan, Pip, Firehook, all of the other ponies there. They needed to see a princess strong, a rock as the big stallion had been in time of need, so she would shed no tear in view of others this day.

Silver started to cry, muttering, “I-it's my fault... it’s all my fault,” but was almost buried by Applebloom suddenly at her side, the other two crusaders crushing in too. Each filly crying but giving support as best they could to the distraught gray earth pony.

It was a long ten or so minutes before Ailan spoke. “C... can I see him?”

The doctor shook his head after a pause. “Not now, not for another twenty-four hours. We have to make sure he remains stable, we can’t risk any infection. The best thing you can all do... is go home, rest, and... pray to what ever you believe in.”

Turning, the white unicorn leaned on Nurse Redheart and walked down the hall to one of the side rooms. He leaned on his wife, and she leaned on him. They both knew the Chief, and seeing him struck low like this was both a physical and emotional drain. It was clear to all still able to watch, just how tired he was now, just how much he, as well as the whole staff, had put in to give the Chief even the tiny chance he had.

Giving a nod, sniffling, he whispered. “He is too stubborn to give up, Pip, I know it,” holding their son closer still.

---

A few hours of sleep later, Ailan had stayed in the waiting room along with the Elements, Bon Bon, and Lyra. Firehook had taken Pip home, Ailan had talked Sterling’s wife to go with Silver. Sterling himself was resting and would recover, the leg burns light, they would heal with magic in a few days. Others had gone home to sleep or help clean up from the fire, spelling others to give them time to hear the news.

Just as the sun was rising up, the moon setting in the distance. Luna’s head snapped up, she could feel great magic coming. Suddenly, with a loud pop, a tall pink alicorn mare appeared. She looked frazzled, tired, and rather maniac all at once. She didn’t even give Luna a greeting, she just blurted out. “Get Aunt Celestia here, now.”

Taken aback for a moment, Luna frowned. “We do not think—”

Cadence stomped her hoof, the same kind of look in her eyes Twilight had when she would panic. “Now!”

Never had Luna seen her niece so, well, wild. She gave a nod. “Okay.”

---

Ailan was a bit confused. Here he sat in a private room, the four ruling princesses, all of the Elements of Harmony, and Rescue’s father, were here. Pip and Diamond too sat in the room, they had become almost angry when Twilight had tried to get them to stay out.

With a short temper for the moment, Firehook spoke out. “What is all this about?”

Cadence looked around then said in a softer and calmer tone than she had for the last hour. “I came as fast as I could. A... little birdie told me what happened."

Discord, suddenly, was perched on Celestia’s shoulder, shapeshifted to appear like a little like a bird. “You rang?”

Many jaws tightened, however, no one said a thing out loud. Cadence spoke. “There is a way to help him.”

Luna lowered her ears. “Dearest niece, even with our power, we could not heal the damage to his spine or the lack of air to his brain.”

Luna had broken down a few hours previous, her eyes a bit puffy and bloodshot still. Celestia had held her sister throughout it, making sure she would be okay.

Celestia oddly stayed silent, watching and listening. Twilight looked rather confused, back and forth at everypony there. Cadence, however, sat up a bit more and spoke again.

“That is not true, there is one way…” she hesitated, then said in a very soft voice. “Soulbinding.”

Celestia’s eyes shot open. “No!” she blurted out. “That is forbidden magic. You should not even know what that is!”

Cadence spun on her aunt and stomped her hoof. “I am the Princess of Love! Did you think the powers that be would not show me the most powerful of love's spells? I am well aware of it and what it can do if done wrong!”

Luna was about to step in and join her sisters objection, however, a small voice cut them all off. Twilight, her tone very quiet as she had been crying quite a lot.

“Soulbinding, explain it to us all,” looking to her former mentor. “Please, Celestia, at least let us hear what it is.”

Giving a huff in an exhale, Celestia gave Cadence a deep glare. She nodded, but then a golden magic glowed along her horn, and the walls lit up with the same glow. “The room is sound sealed. No one outside this room will ever hear of this,” she said, looking around with a deadly serious look. “No pony out of this room can ever learn of this.”

She looked around with a stern look, a frown deeper than ever at Discord. “All of you will swear an oath to Equestria right now. Pinkie promise that you will never speak of what you are about to learn.”

They all looked around at each other, Discord slid off the alabaster alicorn's shoulder and returned to his normal form. Taking up a spot near Fluttershy, he locked eyes with Celestia, never a more serious look to the Lord of Chaos had she seen.

“Celestia, I invoke the right to take the Oath of Sacramentum,” at that, the alabaster alicorn gave a soft gasp. “Discord, I do not…”

Cutting her off, he lifted his lion paw up and spoke. “I... Discord, the Lord of Chaos, hereby swear I will never speak of this, to anyone outside this room, that all in hearing this, are bound by my word and deed. Tell the last of us have passed the divide,” then he did the Pinkie promise motions.

A strangeness fell, and white sparks shot between his antler and horn and back a few times. They leaped and touched every pony in the room, flying from ear to ear. It harmed no one, but it was clear something was going on. When it returned to Discord, he looked around, and lowered his ears.

“I have taken the oath for all of you, by the great powers. If one of you breaks the trust, it will be I that pays the price for it.”

Looking to the now-shocked day and night princesses, then to Ailan who looked rather confused by it all, Discord gave a soft smile.

“Consider it proof... that I have changed.”

Twilight spoke as she looked up. “Oh, Discord, you did not have to, you should not risk so much for us” knowing full well what the oath meant and just what Discord, her friend, had done.

He gave a little nod. “Yes, Twilight, I did. If only to make up for the damage I did in the past, I will stand before law’s judgement in place of any of you,” looking over at the other alicorn.

Celestia gave a nod as Luna offered a tiny smile.

“You all must understand what Discord has done. If you were to break your silence, you don’t harm yourself, you harm him. He has sworn an oath to the ancient powers, and he will take the punishment should any of you slip.”

All in the room looked at each other and back around. Applejack reached up and took her hat off, holding it over her chest.

"That there was a right stand up thing to do partner. Ah may not ah said it before, but, am right proud to call you a friend"

Discord gave a slight nod, even as the butter yellow pegasus next to him brushed his leg with her hoof. To have the element of honesty tell you that, was high praise.

Celestia now looked over to Cadence, who appeared upset with what had just transpired, but this was not simple magic nor an idea to be taken lightly.

“Thank you, Discord,” Cadence said softly.

The pink alicorn huffed, then glanced over at Twilight. “Soulbind, is a spell so deep, so filled with ancient magic. It can heal nearly any wound. It can, in some rare cases, reverse the very act of death itself... but, it comes with a price. A very heavy price.”

She sat down and closed her eyes, continuing. “It was Sombra who discovered it, he wished to find a way to prolong himself and his beloved. However, he fell to the darkness and the spell’s use corrupted him,” taking a breath. “The spell... can heal Chief Sunstreak,” her head turned and she looked at Ailan, who now had hope in his eyes.

Celestia spoke now. “But it costs, Ailan, my little pony. It would forever bond your soul to his. His pain would be yours, your pain would be his. There is no undoing it, and there is no going back.”

Twilight's eyes were wide, not with wonder, but with the weight of just what the spell did as she listened. No one else dare speak.

Luna continued where her sister left off. “It means, once it is done, thou are linked forever more. When one of thou passes on to the Elysium, so will the other moments later.”

It was Applejack who spoke up. “So, yer sayin'... If he does this, when one dies, well, so does the other?”

Cadence gave a nod picking up again from Luna’s point. “Yes. It also requires a little bit of life energy from all who love him. Not a lot, it will, however, shorten the life of all involved by a year or two. This is the demand of the universe for allowing a spell that delays Thanatos’ call.”

Twilight looked around, everyone else kind of absorbing the ideas put forth. She looked at her fellow princesses, then at her friends. Lastly, she peered at the heartbroken stallion and the little foal at his hooves. The purple alicorn stepped forward one pace, and looked at the pegasus in the eyes.

“If you wish this, Ailan, I will gladly give to it.”

The five all looked back and forth and stepped forward a step. It was oddly Rarity that spoke for them almost by some unwritten rule.

“I think I speak for all of us, to say, we will give all we can.”

Luna glanced to her sister. She saw the nod and gave a light smile.

“Thou has our help and our power too.”

Cadence looked over at the stallion she had only met a bit ago in person. “Love can do more than you will ever understand. There is enough in this room to give me strength for eons. I will lead the spell, if you will let me and you wish it.”

Pip glanced over at the pink filly next to him, then when she nodded, he looked up at his father standing over him still.

“If it will help, dad, if it means I—we—don’t have to lose him. Then, Diamond and I offer everything we can, and then some.”

Last was Firehook, who had stayed quiet. He spoke in a soft voice.

“Ailan, my son loves you, you love him. This is a huge weight to carry for both of you. If an old stallion's words can help, I will gladly give up a few years, for a chance to see you and he together and him get a chance at a long life.”

Ailan was quiet, just looking around before he said in a tiny voice that was threatening to crack.

“I need time... I need to think, please. This is a high price to ask. I understand you all are willing, but is the risk of many worth the life of one, even if I love him with all my heart?”
Ailan headed for the door he paused at it. Looking back at the little paint colt.

“Pip, you and Diamond mind the girls for right now. I need to take a walk.”

No one said a thing as he walked out the door and off.

Twilight turned to her friends. “Would you all let me speak with the other princesses alone, please?”

Applejack nodded and helped herd out the two foals and Rescue’s father. Twilight however stopped Discord as he walked out with Fluttershy.

“Stay, please.”

Twilight turned and looked at the others. Her ears laid back as she asked. “There is more, I can see it, a question that was not asked,” she took a soft breath. “And... if it fails?”
It was Discord who spoke, in a tone just like the day Twilight had asked him for an answer to a painful question.

“Then, my dear Twilight, they will both have their souls ripped asunder. They will become lichs just as Sombra was. All the love, the compassion, the very fabric that makes them what they are will be turned to hate and dark magic. It will mean we, all of us in this room, will have no choice... but to destroy them.”

Not one in the room could look anywhere but each other. Even the youngest of the princesses understood now, the seriousness of this spell and why it was forbidden.

Comments

[kitten_girl86]

Wow.... just... wow....

[GeodesicDragon]

Holy...

I'm speechless.