Stages Of Life

by TheEquestrianWing

Firm Belief

Although the Grand Galloping Gala had officially ended over an hour ago, many of the attendees had lingered in the Castle. They were not required to vacate until Princess Celestia raised the Sun that day, which would be at about 7:00 in the morning. Currently, it was only 2:45.

This particular Gala had been a rather unorthodox one. Due to the actions of some of the younger first-time guests, the ballroom was virtually in shambles.

A number of the guests had already departed, including the majority of the Canterlot Elite. That was hardly surprising, considering their uptight demeanors and rigid views on stability and order.

Some of them would regard this event as downright scandalous and disgraceful. Not Princess Celestia or her son; they thought it was a welcome change of pace. This Gala was far livelier than any previous one in the last century. Some would think of it as a disaster; others would think of it as a thrill.

Of course, there was only one specific thing that the morning after the Gala would be remembered for in the future, and it was not something anypony would ever wish to remember.

Presently, a number of attendees were gathered around the buffet table. Among them was Purple Heart, the Surgeon General and the Equestrian Royalty's personal physician.

Purple Heart was in his late sixties, but he was still just as capable and competent as he had been when he first acquired his medical license. He had been practicing his trade for over forty-five years, and he had been serving Princess Celestia for more than half of that time. In that timeframe, he was said to have performed wonders with medicine. He had even been the one who delivered Prince Bronze Star.

At that moment, Purple Heart was surrounded by a small group of medical students. In his left front hoof, he held a glass of champagne. It was only his second glass since the Gala began. He always drank responsibly, just in case his services were ever required.

He was telling the medical students a story from his early days as a combat medic. He recounted "This is how it happened. We were caught in the crosshairs of that violent skirmish between the loyalists and the insurgents. Saddle Arabia is not a very inviting country, believe me. Anyway, there was this explosion, and when the smoke lifted, the upper half of the Colonel's wing had been all but severed from the lower half. Any normal physician would have declared on the spot that he would never fly again. I made no such premature diagnosis. Right there, right in the middle of that battlefield, using only my first aid kit, I reattached the Colonel's wing. Not only was he able to fly; he went on to become a trainer for the Wonderbolts."

A couple of the medical students whistled in amazement. Several more nodded, impressed. One of the older students cocked her head and uttered skeptically "Did that really happen, sir?"

"Do you believe I would lie about my accomplishments, my dear?" Purple Heart countered.

"I'd like to think not," the mare rejoined, "But forgive me if I think your story sounds a little… implausible."

Purple Heart just smirked, looked further down the buffet table, and called out "Lord Vortex!"

A Pegasus even older than Purple Heart had been standing near the head of the table. When he heard his name, he stopped what he was doing, trotted over to the royal physician, and said "You called for me, Doctor?"

"Yes, my lord," Purple Heart affirmed, "How was your trip from Cloudsdale?"

"Well, my wife finally convinced me to take a carriage this year," Vortex replied, "Travelling by land isn't as exciting as by air, but it has its perks."

"While I have no experience in flying, I'm inclined to agree with your wife," Purple Heart observed, "That method of travel is better for your health."

"I won't argue with you," Vortex conceded, "You're the lifelong M.D., after all."

Purple Heart smiled and nodded his head. Then he muttered "At any rate, remember when we served together in Saddle Arabia?"

"How could I forget?" Lord Vortex debated, "We were instrumental in renewing the alliance between that country and ours. It was certainly a life-changing event. You could even say that we all left a part of ourselves back there."

"Almost literally in your case," Purple Heart wittily commented.

"True," Vortex concurred, "Thankfully, you were there."

"I just told these aspiring students that tale," Purple Heart disclosed, gesturing to the nearby ponies. He then gestured to the pony who had questioned him and stated "This mare doubts its credibility. Care to disprove her?"

"Gladly," the slightly elder stallion said through a grin. He turned so that his left side was facing the doctor and the students. He wore a tuxedo, but two holes had been cut for his wings to poke through. He extended his left wing and stepped closer to the other ponies. Looking closely, they could see a telltale incision mark halfway down the middle of the wing. That was where it had been surgically mended back together.

"You were saying?" Purple Heart wryly muttered, turning back to the skeptical student.

"My apologies, Doctor," the mare murmured hastily, gazing away in shame.

"You've done nothing that requires forgiveness, my dear," Purple Heart assured her, "You are right to keep an open mind. After all, everypony tends to exaggerate his or her abilities. But that does not change the fact that everypony – even doctors – can only do so much. We can cure disease, we can heal injuries, and we can achieve breakthroughs in anatomy and medicine, but we cannot save everypony. I repaired Lord Vortex's wing, but if things had been just a little different, I could have had to amputate it instead. I can perform wonders, but I cannot perform miracles. Even in this world of magic and science, miracles do no happen. Remember that, all of you."

The medical students solemnly nodded their heads and mumbled in compliance. Purple Heart could not help but beam in pride.

Just then, he heard a frantic voice shout "Out of the way! Move!"

Purple Heart, Lord Vortex, and the medical students turned in the direction of the disturbance. They saw a copper stallion heading down the corridor. He was galloping at a ceaselessly increasing pace, stopping for nopony. A few ponies yelped and dove aside as he made his way through the crowd.

Copper Hollow came to an abrupt halt when he was at the center of the buffet table. As he struggled to catch his breath, he looked around in all directions. When his eyes caught sight of Purple Heart, he staggered over to the legendary physician. He sputtered "Doctor…"

The medical students swiftly stepped aside so that Copper Hollow did not have to force his way through them. He stopped four feet from Purple Heart and said through labored breaths "Doc… doctor, I… I…"

He coughed violently into his shoulder. He tried to continue talking, but all he could do was gasp for air. Just by looking at the copper stallion, Purple Heart could tell that he was exhausted.

"Calm down, my boy," Purple Heart urged him, "Give yourself a moment. If you don't catch your breath, you're going to hyperventilate."

Copper Hollow lightly nodded his head and starting taking in some deep breaths. After a few seconds, his respiration became a little steadier.

"Somepony get him a glass of water," Lord Vortex proposed.

One of the Unicorn medical students used her magic to summon a tall glass of iced water from the buffet table. She levitated it over to Copper Hollow, who gladly accepted it. He drained half the glass in one gulp. Thirty seconds later, he had regained his breath enough so that he could speak clearly.

"Hey, weren't you with the prince earlier?" Another of the medical students enquired.

"Yes," Copper Hollow confirmed, "I came with him."

"Came with him?" Lord Vortex noted, "Wasn't he already here when you arrived?"

Copper Hollow quickly remembered that nopony was supposed to know that Bronze Star had actually been living in Ponyville for the last eleven months. Only ponies the prince had chosen to trust with that information could know the truth.

"I meant I came by his invitation," the copper stallion quickly corrected himself. He then vigorously shook his head and shouted "That's not important!"

That sudden outburst stunned everypony there. Captain Shining Armor of the Royal Guard had just entered the room. When he heard Copper Hollow shout, he trotted over to him and asked nopony in particular "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine, Captain," Lord Vortex contended.

"No, it's not," Copper Hollow sternly countered. He was grateful that Shining Armor had arrived when he did. He had saved the copper stallion from having to run around again to find him, as well.

Copper Hollow looked from Shining Armor to Purple Heart and told them "Doctor, Captain, I need you to go upstairs to Bronze Star's bedchamber straightaway."

"What for?" Purple Heart

"He was just shot," Copper Hollow straightforwardly informed them.

Shining Armor, Purple Heart, and everypony else would have been taken aback by the bluntness in the copper stallion's voice, had it not been for the content of that statement. Almost all of them looked as though they thought or wished that they had misheard him.

"That's impossible," Shining Armor softly muttered.

"Is it?" Copper Hollow irately countered, "Then would you care to explain to me why he's now lying on the ground of his bedroom and bleeding from three spots in his body?"

"My Celestia…" Lord Vortex muttered quietly, "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Of course, I'm serious!" Copper Hollow impatiently shrieked, "What kind of sick son of a bitch would joke about a thing like this?!"

"Son, if you keep yelling at the top of your voice like this, you're definitely going to hyperventilate," Purple Heart warned him.

"I'm sorry," Copper Hollow asserted, easing down, "But you shouldn't worry too much about me, Doctor. Prince Bronze Star is the one who needs you. He could be dying!"

Purple Heart nodded his head in agreement. He set his unfinished champagne glass on the buffet table and firmly said "Lead the way."

Copper Hollow then started making his way back to Bronze Star's bedroom. Purple Heart and Shining Armor trotted alongside him. Lord Vortex and all of the medical students decided to follow, as well.

Before they were even out of the room, Copper Hollow looked back at them and remarked "While I'm sure Bronze Star would appreciate your concern, I'm pretty sure he would not wish to be seen by so many people in his present state. So please don't feel compelled to join us."

"No, let them come," Purple Heart suggested, "I gave most of my staff the night off, and aside from that, nearly all of them are probably asleep at this hour. I'm going to need all the help I can get."

"Okay, as you say, Doctor," Copper Hollow conceded.

The group trotted in silence for a little while, and then Shining Armor inquired "How bad was the prince doing when you last saw him?"

"I can't really say," Copper Hollow glumly admitted, "I only got a glimpse of him before I came to find you. Sir Haywood McCrank was tending to him when I left."

After a short pause, he added "In any case, we're going to need some body bags for when we get there."

Shining Armor sharply turned to the copper stallion and demanded "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say that the people who attacked Bronze Star have already paid for it," Copper Hollow proclaimed, "There are at least three corpses up there. Could be as many as six."

"Six?" Shining Armor uttered in surprise and frustration, "And where were the Royal Guard who were supposed to be protecting him?"

Copper Hollow anxiously gazed off to the side, and then he murmured "I should probably wait until we get there to answer that."

…

Princess Celestia had been out in the city since midnight. Most of that time, she had been in the company of six young mares and a baby dragon.

The young mares were known by their friends and neighbors as Applejack the apple farmer, Fluttershy the veterinarian, Pinkie Pie the party planner, Rainbow Dash the weather maker, Rarity the fashion designer, and Twilight Sparkle the magic student. The baby dragon was Spike, Twilight's assistant.

Although the six mares were very different from each other, they formed a close-knit circle of friends. As it happened, Prince Bronze Star was part of that circle. In fact, he was much more than just friends with one of those mares.

For the past two and a-half hours, Celestia had been socializing with Spike and the six mares in one of Canterlot's donut shops. They had talked about a variety of topics, primarily everything that had transpired at the Gala. The evening had started out a grave disappointment to all of them, but in the long run, it had been the most fun and excitement any of them had had in the past year. That was saying something, considering how eventful their lives had been since the last Summer Sun Celebration.

They had even gone so far as to call it the Best Night Ever. Of course, they had made that assessment before the night had actually ended. So they still had time to change it.

At around 2:15, Celestia proposed that they head back to the Castle. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were initially concerned that the other party-goers would still be cross with them for virtually wrecking the ballroom. However, Princess Celestia encouraged her apprentice and her companions that it was safe for them to go back.

At 2:30, the group of seven ponies and one baby dragon arrived at the main entrance of the Castle. The instant they passed through the massive double doors, Pinkie Pie clutched her midsection and let out a light groan. The others noticed and turned to her.

"You doin' okay, Pinkie?" Applejack asked her friend in worry.

"I… I think so," the pink mare stated apprehensively.

Twilight Sparkle knew what was going on. Pinkie Pie had a unique sixth sense known as Pinkie Sense. It involved her ability to predict the future through twitches on her body. Basically, whenever her body spontaneously convulsed in a certain way, it signified that something special was about to occur.

Pinkie Sense may have sounded absurd to some. Twilight Sparkle herself had vehemently tried to disprove its existence. But even she had been unable to deny its validity in the end.

Most of the time, the twitches were relatively harmless and gentle, and often, they forecasted inconsequential or unimportant things. However, every now and then, Pinkie's sense could actually hurt her and predict an imminent tragedy.

This was one of those times. She had felt a sharp stinging sensation in her chest, right where her heart was. That was by far her least favorite twitch. Not only did it bring her the most pain, but it also signified that at that same time, somepony somewhere was in tremendous agony or despair.

She had only explained this specific twitch to two other ponies. One of them was Twilight Sparkle. The other was the very pony whose anguish she was sensing.

Twilight Sparkle hastily approached the pink mare and asked her "What's going on? Do you know what's about to happen? Who's in trouble?"

The last time Pinkie felt that heartache twitch, hundreds of ponies had been involved in a terrible accident. However, that accident had happened in a city that was hundreds of miles from Ponyville. This time, from what Pinkie could tell, her twitch was focused on just one individual, but the origin was extremely close.

"Whoever it is…" Pinkie Pie nervously revealed, "It has to be somepony in this building."

"I believe she is correct," Princess Celestia contended, staring straight in front of her, "I just felt a tremor."

"A what?" Rainbow Dash queried in confusion.

"That's the only way to describe it," Celestia professed, "The stable and peaceful nature of Equestria can be compared to a flat plain. Whenever anything is done that could deeply upset that stability and peace, it is as though an earthquake has struck that otherwise tranquil meadow. As the ruler of Equestria, I can sense the state of this country at all times. Right now… the balance has been disturbed."

"By what?" Fluttershy nervously enquired

"Yes, whatever could have caused that?" Rarity murmured curiously.

Before anypony had a chance to present a hypothesis, Lord Bellerophon appeared before them. He swiftly approached the group of eight and stood directly in front of Princess Celestia. He was evidently shaken by something, but despite his unsettled mindset, he managed to say "Your Highness, I come with… what I can only describe as the worst possible news I will ever have to present to you."

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike were deeply unsettled by that statement. Despite the palomino Pegasus' ominous presentation, Princess Celestia managed to retain her composure and avoid appearing anxious. She calmly asked her chief of staff "What has happened, my lord?"

"It's Prince Bronze Star," Bellerophon apprised her, "He was just attacked."

The six young mares and the baby dragon all reacted differently to that bit of information. Spike fainted, Pinkie Pie loudly gasped, Rainbow Dash covered her mouth, Rarity stared forlornly off to the side, Fluttershy whimpered in fright, Twilight Sparkle whispered "No," and Applejack stumbled a bit.

This time, even Princess Celestia reacted unpleasantly. Celestia's emotional rigidity failed her. Her eyes widened exponentially, her jaw gradually dropped, and she hardly moved as much as an inch for the next minute. It was as though she was in shock.

Bellerophon could only imagine what was going through her mind at that time. The concept of losing one's child would be enough to devastate any loving parent. Even so, he had a job to do, and his duty required him to keep her focused. He uttered softly "Your Highness?"

That seemed to bring her back. Over the next minute, Celestia's facial features returned, and she once again bore her usual tranquil countenance. She said in a hauntingly calm voice "That is not the worst possible news you could ever give me, my lord."

"It's not?" Bellerophon muttered in astonishment.

"No, the absolute worst would be if you were to tell me I no longer have a son," Celestia softly yet emotionlessly debated. She took two steps closer to the palomino Pegasus and asked him worriedly "Do I?"

Bellerophon gently nodded and told her reassuringly "You do."

"Then take me to him," Celestia decisively demanded, "Now."

"Of course, Your Highness," her chief of staff conceded.

Before they went anywhere, Princess Celestia turned to the six mares and the baby dragon and told them "You should all come with us. Bronze Star would want all of you beside him."

They all nodded their heads in agreement. She then focused on one of the mares and added in "Especially you."

That particular mare was surprised to have been singled out in such a way, but she was not about to say anything against the Princess. Especially since she could not deny that claim. If anything, she was honored to have received that distinction.

"Take us to Bronze Star, my lord," Celestia bade Bellerophon, "Take me to my son."

The palomino Pegasus swiftly escorted the eight of them back upstairs. As they trotted, several of them started to think that they had prematurely judged this Gala, and they were reconsidering their stance on it in the overall scheme of things.

Best Night Ever? Perhaps not.

…

Meanwhile, Copper Hollow had just returned to Bronze Star's bedchamber with Purple Heart, Shining Armor, Vortex, and the herd of medical students. To avoid overcrowding, the medical students were instructed to remain out in the corridor.

Shining Armor was alarmed when he saw the bodies of Stone Cracker and Hammer Shaft. When he saw Blade Bearer's corpse, he was outraged. He angrily snapped "Who would dare do this to a member of the Royal Guard?"

"That'd be me," Haywood McCrank nonchalantly replied. He was still cradling Bronze Star in his front legs. The prince was as unresponsive and motionless as he had been fifteen minutes ago, but he was still conscious. Purple Heart trotted over to Bronze Star and knelt next to him to examine him. Sir Haywood released his grip on the gold stallion and backed up a bit so the Surgeon General could work, but he stayed close by.

"Explain yourself, Sir Haywood," Shining Armor sharply commanded him.

Copper Hollow quickly came to the indigo stallion's defense. He stood between Haywood McCrank and Shining Armor, and he proclaimed "You should be thanking Sir Haywood, Captain. He did your job for you."

"What?" Shining Armor queried in perplexity.

"Blade Bearer was a traitor," Copper Hollow elaborated, "For that, he met a traitor's death."

"You mean he's the one who did this?" Vortex presumed.

"If by 'this,' you mean what happened to Stone Cracker, Hammer Shaft, and Bronze Star, then yes, Lord Vortex," Noble Edict professed, "He didn't do anything on this side of the room, though."

She, Dapple Rhomb, and Rough Rider had just managed to extract the knife that was pinning Verse A. Till's right front hoof to the table near the balcony. The glaucous stallion had already lost enough blood that he would remain unconscious for at least the next few hours. However, from what they could tell, there was nothing to indicate that he would die in the near future. At least that was what they hoped.

"And who's to blame for that?" Lord Vortex asked, gesturing to the bodies of Cashew Lane, Billow Health, and Verse A. Till.

"That would be Bronze Star himself," Rough Rider revealed, "These three came for him right before Blade Bearer."

"Luckily, he managed to hold them off," Dapple Rhomb explicated.

"Are they all dead, too?" Shining Armor queried.

"This one isn't," Noble Edict declared, gesturing to the stallion she and the two spouses were supporting.

"Isn't that Sir Verse A. Till?" Lord Vortex noted in interest.

"Yes," Copper Hollow drily affirmed, "Somehow, he's involved in this fiasco, as well."

Purple Heart had not spoken a word since he had entered the room. He had inspected Bronze Star's wounds in total silence. He was about to make a prognosis, but there was one more thing he needed to check first.

"Your Highness, can you hear me?" the Surgeon General asked the prince. He gazed into his eyes and spoke softly "Blink twice if you can understand."

Although Bronze Star was struggling just to stay awake, he managed to close his eyelids two times in rapid succession. Purple Heart let out a sigh of relief and announced "He's still all there. But we have to work quickly. He's suffered a number of internal injuries."

He looked over at the medical students crowded by the door, and he enquired "How many of you know how to prepare a surgical unit?"

About a third of the students raised one of their front hooves. That was fewer than the Surgeon General had expected, but it was still plenty.

"Okay," Purple Heart acknowledged, "Those of you who raised your hooves, I need you to go to the hospital wing and get one ready. The rest of you, go there anyway and bring back seven gurneys."

"We'll do as you ask, Doctor," the skeptical mare from earlier pronounced, "But there is a… complication. None of us has ever been to the hospital wing."

"Lord Vortex knows the way," Purple Heart muttered. He turned to the elderly Pegasus and requested "Can you lead them there, my lord?"

"Absolutely," the ex-Colonel responded. He trotted back out into the hall and beckoned the medical students to follow him, saying "Come this way."

As the sounds of the group's hoofsteps faded down the hallway, Purple Heart looked back down at Bronze Star. He leaned down to his ear and whispered to him "Hang in there, Your Highness. You're in good hooves."

Normally, Bronze Star would have taken Purple Heart's word without question. However, he had just been double-crossed by four ponies he had believed to be his allies. So he was not in a very trusting mood. Even so, he still wanted to believe the Surgeon General's words. Purple Heart had brought him into this world, after all. The prince hoped he could rely on him to keep him in it, as well.

Comments

[Samellan]

Still unused that chapters in this story are so short in comparison to first one...