The Hag, the heroes, and a few other things

by Amaranthine Thought

Undying Loyalty 5

Pinkie and Rainbow carried Hag upwards, hurrying toward High Peak, desperation giving them speed.

Hag herself was on the stretcher, and wasn’t moving much. Very little in fact, her breathing shallow and slow.

In her back was a spike. Something made of dark metal, jagged and dug into her. It was stuck fast, and blood slowly seeped from the wound, the metal preventing her from bleeding much.

It hadn’t stopped bleeding either. Whatever was in her prevented her from healing properly for some reason, and neither Pinkie nor Rainbow had any idea what they should do about it. Neither had any medical knowledge, and both had the feeling that helping Hag was going to require magic.

High Peak was their only hope of finding something that could help Hag, even if it was a griffon. Somepony must have some medical experience in the city, and it was with that thought that they climbed.

In their speed and desperation, neither noticed the small group following them. Four rather hurt changelings, and one upset group leader. He hadn’t expected the resistance they had received, but the queen had ordered them to continue following. To observe, and learn more.

---

It was only two day later that Pinkie and Rainbow were waiting in High Peak’s hospital. It wasn’t really meant for ponies, but they had said that they would try.

Both ponies were tired and worn, but concern over Hag kept them going. They were dirty, hadn’t slept at all, and slightly bruised from their flight and fight with the changelings.

Anypony seeing them would think that they had been in a difficult fight. Particularly with Rainbow’s bandages, and the way she winced every now and then; the ice thorn was slowly wearing off.

They were alone as they waited, and when a griffon came from elsewhere, they jumped up.

“How is she!?” Rainbow asked.

“I am Doctor Mending Feathers. Are you relations to Hag?”

“Just good friends.” Pinkie told him. He nodded.

“Follow me.”

He led them to one room, where Hag slept on a bed. She was bandaged, but the spike was still in her.

“Is she doing better?” Pinkie asked, worried.

“We have done our best, but you must understand we are not trained for pony healing. Hag is a rather old mare as well.”

Rainbow glared at Mending. He was being evasive.

“She’ll get better, right?” she asked, glaring still.

“Healing can take a very long time sometimes, and in a few cases things simply cannot heal, as in the case with a lost limb. Hag is remarkably durable and she is a very strong pony.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Well…”

Rainbow growled, but stopped, sensing something off.

“Tell us.”

Both she and Mending looked at Pinkie. Her mane and tail were straight, and any indication of the happy bouncy pink mare was gone. There was a dangerous element to her voice and eyes.

“I…”

“Tell. Us.”

Her statement was less demand more than it was undeniable order, and Mending fidgeted before sighing.

“The metal in Hag has pierced her spinal column and has jabbed a few important internal organs. By some miracle, it hasn’t killed her already, and she is only alive right now because it is preventing her from dying in at least three ways.”

“Hag is… I've seen dragons less hardy. Any pony should have been dead in an instant from that injury. Hag has survived two days without treatment and that sounds like lunacy if I hadn’t seen the proof.”

“In light of that, the prognosis is… bad. We can do nothing without harming her further, and Hag is likely to die in two to three days as her internal systems shut down. There is a chance she will last the week, but…”

“We don’t have the skill or the magic to keep her alive while we remove the shard. There is no time to transport her anywhere that they could either, and trying to fly her can easily make the shard shift and kill her outright.”

“We will contact you when we feel the time is close, but… perhaps you should say your goodbyes now, in case she passes suddenly.”

Rainbow simply stood stock still, and Pinkie looked down, an air of extreme sadness over her.

“But magic?” she asked rather quietly.

“We are griffons. A griffon mage hasn’t been seen for… a very, very long time. Magic is a pony trait I am afraid.”

Pinkie nodded.

Rainbow shook her head. “There has to be something! Something you can do!”

“I just said…”

Rainbow got much closer to him, growling and angry. “Some kind of artifact or special griffon thing! Come on!”

“There is nothing like that, and there never has been.”

Rainbow growled, and if not for Pinkie grabbing onto her hind leg, might have done something she would have regretted. She turned to see Pinkie, and most of her anger was washed away by the sight of her.

Rainbow landed, and stomped, huffing. Then she simply wandered near Hag and sat down, not looking at anypony. Pinkie sat next to Hag, and simply watched her sleeping face.

Mending left, slightly relieved. He was the only one in the hospital with any experience in dealing with ponies . He had been entirely honest; there was nothing they could do for Hag.

He noted the late hour and sighed. It was about time for him to leave and go home, and he supposed that leaving fifteen minutes early wouldn’t make a difference. He had nothing else to do after all.

And just as he got to the entrance, four more ponies entered and he flinched slightly. Then he sighed, and decided that duty came first.

He approached them and asked, “Is something hurt?”

He hesitated, noting that the purple unicorn was in fact, an alicorn. Unheard of in Eaglemount. She looked up at him.

“No, but could you answer a question or two?”

“Most likely…”

“Has anypony named either Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, or Hag, been in High Peak at all?”

Mending thought. He was very unsure why she was asking . An alicorn was… royalty or something, right? From someplace across the sea…

Why was she in a hospital with her… retinue asking about a patient and the other two ponies?

“Can I know why?” he hazarded.

“Two are our friends, and the other is…”

“An acquaintance.” the white unicorn said for her, smiling.

“Yes. That.”

Mending was beginning to think that something was wrong. He made a choice.

“I have only been in the hospital for most of the day. If they have been in High Peak, I don’t know.”

They nodded and left as one, and he watched them go, wondering. Then he shook his head, and would have taken a step forward if he hadn’t spotted something else.

Three fillies, hiding nearby. They waited until the group was gone before sneaking out and heading over.

Mending watched them come, wondering what was going on. Things seemed to have taken a turn for the strange.

“Excuse me sir?” the white unicorn said.

“…Yes?”

“Have ya seen our grandmother?”

“Grandmother…” He thought for a moment before shaking his head. Adults lied, but fillies… well, they wouldn’t lie about things like family. “I might have. What does she look like?”

They perked up.

“Granny is an old earth pony!”

“With silver hair and white fur.”

“An her cutie mark is a big thin, kind like…” the yellow one looked to the others.

“Music?” the pegasus asked more than said.

“She has six broken notes in a line sir.” the unicorn said.

Mending groaned. He didn’t like dealing with upset ponies. Particularity upset fillies.

“I do know her…”

“Where!?”

“Please tell us!”

“An quick, afore they catch us.”

Mending missed that last comment. “Room 105, just down the hall over there. I’ll be right with you, just don’t touch..!”

He watched them speed off and sighed. Then he turned to see the same group of four enter and spread out, checking under tables and chairs while the alicorn came over to him.

“Hello,” she said, “I am Twilight Sparkle, and I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me?”

“…You just recently asked me that.”

She looked confused. “This is the first time I came in here.”

“I am very sure that you and your retinue were just in here, asking about… things.”

Twilight thought for a moment before nodding. She reached into a pouch and produced a sheet of paper which she gave to him.

“Does this help?”

He eyed it, and his eyes widened at the seal. Everyone knew who Celestia was, and it was very potent proof that the alicorn was who she said she was. An important individual.

“My apologies your majesty.”

“Just Twilight, please.”

“I will do my best to help you.”

She nodded happily. “Two of my group have little sisters that have… wandered off I am afraid. They came with us, but ran off when we arrived in High Peak. They are good girls, just a little high spirited sometimes.”

He nodded slowly. “Which two?”

“Applejack, the orange earth pony over there, and Rarity, the white unicorn.”

He looked at them and saw a family resemblance between them and the fillies. Rarity looked a little like Hag, but Applejack was very different. He figured that she must have remarried at some point in time.

“I do have some... bad news for you all then.” he said, preparing himself for their reaction. They gathered before him, curious.

“What is it?” Twilight asked, unsure.

“They are with their grandmother, but she is very, very hurt.” he said, waiting for a cry of ‘no, it can’t be!’ or something similar from Applejack and Rarity.

All four looked horrified, and then unsure. Confused.

“Hurt?” Twilight asked, befuddled.

Mending shrugged and attributed the reaction to a strange form of denial.

“Just this way.” he said, and led them to Hag’s room.

He opened the door and stepped inside, Rainbow having joined Pinkie next to Hag’s bed. Scootaloo was holding onto her, crying, and the other two were sitting next to Pinkie, sobbing.

The group seemed to be having a hard time knowing what to do or say. Then Twilight approach slowly, and asked, “…Pinkie?”

She looked at Twilight with great sadness. She sniffled, tried to give a smile, and stood up, facing the group.

“H, Hey guys…” she managed, her voice tight. “I… I’m… I’m not… dead…” she teared up a little at the last and looked at Hag again.

Twilight was caught. She was overjoyed at having Pinkie back, but Pinkie was devastated. So was Rainbow. Both ponies were hurt and upset and she didn’t know why.

Or more accurately, it was obviously because of Hag, but why were they so upset over Hag? Twilight didn’t want to see her dead, but she was a stranger. A problem, right?

Fluttershy hugged Pinkie, and Applejack went to Applebloom who grabbed onto her leg, still sobbing.

Rarity looked unsure, and Sweetie went to her before looking up with tears in her eyes.

“I don’t… want it to… to be like this…” she whimpered, before grabbing Rarity’s leg and crying harder. Rarity looked to Twilight.

“Darling… what is going on?”

“I… Rainbow?”

“I don’t want to talk right now.” she said, her voice very different from her normal tone, not looking at anypony.

Pinkie abruptly started, and whirled back to Twilight.

“Twilight! You can save her!”

“I can do what?”

“You can teleport Hag to Canterlot!” Pinkie yelled. Rainbow hesitated before gasping and looking over, her eyes red with crying, but both ponies filling with hope.

“Unicorn doctors!” Rainbow said.

Pinkie nodded. “Twilight please, please, please, help her.”

Twilight hesitated before looking at Hag. She saw the bloody bandages, saw the spike and hesitated.

“I… girls, I can’t.”

Pinkie stared, but Rainbow yelled, “Why not!?”

“Hag is…”

Rainbow interrupted her, stomping closer. “I don’t care what Hag is! She is hurt and dying, and you are the only one who can do something about it!”

“Rainbow, I…”

“Just because Hag messed up doesn’t mean you get to make that choice! She did bad things, but she is trying to fix them! Make them better! Like my wings.”

“Your wings?”

“I got them pretty bad. And Hag is the one fixing them.”

Twilight hesitated. “Rainbow, just listen to me…”

“Help her!”

“LISTEN TO ME!” Twilight screamed, making everypony stop and look at her. “Just. Listen for a half minute, O.K!?”

She waited for a second and then nodded, relaxing again.

“Right. Now, under normal circumstance, I would transport Hag, and I know that the doctors at Canterlot could save her, most likely anyway. But I can’t, and they can’t.”

“Can we ask why?” Rarity said, speaking softly and carefully.

“That shard is anti-magic. I can’t even so much as touch her, and her own magic has been disrupted by it. So long as it is in her, I can’t teleport her, and the moment it is removed, the resultant magical forces will kill Hag instantly. The chaos as her system tries to right itself would tear her apart, and possibly anypony nearby.”

“I am not doing this because of anything I think about Hag. Do we all understand now?”

They all nodded slowly, and Pinkie gave a tiny sob. Rainbow looked away, and resumed sitting in her spot.

“…Sorry Twi. I’m just…”

“I know Rainbow. I know. You can tell me all about it later. We have…” she looked over at Mending, “How long is visitor’s hours?”

“Well… They actually ended a half hour ago, but I can spare another if they need it.” he said.

“Thank you.” Twilight said. And then she sat next to her friends, and all of them sat, some in tears, some trying to comfort the others. Hag slept peacefully, her breathing slow, unknowing of the world around her.

And a short while later, the ponies left together, and the hospital closed. Night fell and the moon rose as they went to a hotel, and slowly, Pinkie and Rainbow began relating the tale of Hag to the rest of the group, still upset over her impending demise.

And unknown to all of them, griffons left their homes in the dead of night, and went to the castle in High Peak. They did so quietly, carefully, flying through the darkness until slipping inside the light within.