Repercussions

by GaryOak

Chapter IV - The Path to Recovery

Chapter IV
The Path to Recovery
===============

Twilight woke with a start, springing to her hooves and looking around wildly. She stood in the middle of Ponyville, each of its colourful structures ablaze. Twilight set off toward the library at a full gallop. What in the wide wide world of Equestria is going on? I have to get Spike out of here! she thought, her mind racing.

A familiar cloud of purple smog stopped her before she got far. Hushed, eerie laughter reached her ears. Her heart beat much faster than normal. Her horn shimmered, but before she could mount an offensive, the cloud sped in the direction of the library. Twilight's eyes widened. Ignoring the flames raging around her, she redoubled her effort to reach the library. Twilight skidded to a halt near Sugarcube Corner when she saw a cream-coloured filly bolting down the street, the smog giving chase.

“You're too late!” whistled the wind mockingly.

Shouting in alarm, Twilight rushed to help the defenseless filly escape from the oncoming cloud. When she drew near, something that felt like a large iron hand closed firmly around her whole body and flung her forcefully into the wall of a burning house. Twilight crashed through the weakened timber and narrowly avoided being scorched by a nearby patch of flames. Staggering to her hooves, she watched from a distance as the smog surrounded the filly and enveloped her entirely, forcibly choking the life from her body.

“Twist!” cried Twilight, a flaming wooden partition crashing down inches from where she stood.

Twilight leapt out of the building, firing a bright burst of magenta at the cloud. It dissipated, leaving Twist's limp body on the ground. Twilight knelt beside the filly and picked her up tenderly, holding a hoof in front of her muzzle to check for any signs of life. Feeling not so much as the slightest breath of air escaping, she slowly set her down, eyes filling with tears.

The purple smog coalesced high above her. “She was the first of many!” The cloud began to sink, bearing down on Twilight. “You are the only one who has the power to stop me, yet you don't use it...”

Twilight looked up at the cloud, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. “What do you mean? Who are you? Why are you doing this? What are you?”

Her torrent of questions was met only with more of the ethereal laughter. “You can prevent this... Destroy the evil one! It is the only way...”

Twilight wanted to scream, but found her breath being caught in her throat as she felt the cloud permeate her. Struggling, Twilight slowly sank to her knees, her vitality fading fast. The laughter grew steadily louder as it slowly forced the air from her lungs.

“Twilight!” She couldn't tell who this new voice belonged to. “Twilight!” The voice again. Her vision began to blur as she felt herself being shaken by an unseen force. “TWILIGHT!”

Twilight let out a startled gasp as her surroundings melted before her eyes. She looked around and found herself in a Ponyville Hospital bed. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow, and Greyhoof were looking anxiously at her. “W-what happened? Where's the fire?” she mumbled.

Greyhoof sat up in a bed adjacent to Twilight's. Sporting numerous bandages, he looked a few shades paler than usual. “You were screaming about something. The only word we could make out was 'Twist'. Are you okay?”

Twilight winced. “Oh, my head...”

“Don't worry, sugarcube, you're safe.” Applejack tried to comfort Twilight, unable to completely keep her voice from shaking.

Rainbow remained at the foot of the bed. “So, what exactly happened, anyway? We came as soon as we heard.”

Opening her eyes, Twilight tried to clear her mind. “It was... a manticore.”

“Masticore,” corrected Greyhoof.

“It grabbed me,” continued Twilight groggily. “I... I tried to fight, but it stung me. I don't remember anything after that...”

“We followed him down into his lair,” said Applejack, picking up where Twilight left off. “We tried to distract it, buyin' Rarity enough time to free Twi, but she lost her magic somehow.”

“Not exactly,” said Greyhoof, ignoring a sigh from Rainbow. “While I am unsure of the exact properties of its venom, I know it is debilitative to such a degree that using magic is impossible.”

“Anyway, we got poor Twi out, and luckily, all of us made it out alive,” finished Applejack.

“Barely,” said Greyhoof, wincing as he lay back down.

Twilight heard a loud squeal as Fluttershy rushed to the bed and hugged her gently. “Oh, you poor thing!”

Twilight patted her on the head. “I'll be alright.”

Greyhoof snapped his head toward Twilight, eyes widening. “What happened? Something caused you to scream in your sleep. Do you remember?”

Twilight's eyes locked with Greyhoof's. “It was a dream, nothing more,” she lied. I can't just tell everypony what I really saw; I don't want to scare them unnecessarily, especially since it might be connected to my first nightmare. It has to be because of this venom. That's it. Once I'm cured, I'll never have a dream like this again, she firmly told herself. “The poison is getting to my head – making me see things.”

“It sounded like a heck of a lot more than 'things', Twi,” countered Applejack, her voice full of doubt.

“W-what exactly is a masticore?” Fluttershy asked fearfully.

“Uh, well, it kinda looked like a manticore,” said Applejack, “except bigger, meaner, and tougher. It –”

“They have three mouthes, a blue coat, and a gold mane,” interjected Greyhoof, ignoring an annoyed huff from Applejack. “Living deep underground, masticores hoard platinum found within the rock. They are so rare, in fact, that many believe their existence confined to that of myth.”

“Not something you'd want to be on the wrong side of,” said Applejack.

Crestfallen, Fluttershy stared at the bedsheets. “Maybe if I was there, I could've talked to him and avoided this whole mess...”

“Yeah!” exclaimed Rainbow, flying a lap around the room before landing with her chest puffed out at the foot of the bed. “You were lucky to make it out alive without us pegasi!” She jabbed at the air with her front hooves. “I'd have shown him not to mess with the Dash!”

“I'm afraid not,” Greyhoof said flatly, clambering out of bed and walking toward Rainbow. “Even your speed and agility coupled with... whatever Fluttershy does... would simply have given the masticore more targets of opportunity. Without powerful magic, fighting such a creature would be a useless gesture. Why, even with my full –”

Rainbow stuck her head in front of Greyhoof's, her face inches from his. “What's that supposed to mean, huh?” she challenged. “You just think you're better than everypony else because you're a unicorn! And look where that got you!”

Greyhoof stared into Rainbow's eyes, his own blazing with greater intensity by the second as he prepared a scathing verbal counteroffensive. But before he could utter any rebuttal, Applejack cut in defiantly. “Now look here, RD! I know you and Grey got off to a bit of a rough start, but –”

Rainbow turned to Applejack angrily. “But what?”

“Calm down, Rainbow,” pleaded Applejack. “I know he can be a bit persnickety sometimes, but he saved our lives. He was even willing to sacrifice himself, just to save us.”

Rainbow's planned retort caught in her throat and she took a step back. “I – I didn't know...”

“We really do owe our lives to him,” coughed Twilight, clutching Greyhoof's front hoof with her own.

Greyhoof looked at Twilight for a moment before staring blankly at the ground. “Rainbow, we had our differences earlier today, but I don't want to fight anymore.” Everypony looked at him. “Something happened in that cave. When I arrived, all I wanted was to study, but then I met all of you. There is something about this place. I can't put my hoof on it, but something about Ponyville and its inhabitants fills me with an irrepressible desire to help everypony I can. I felt it clearly right as the masticore was preparing to kill us all.” Lifting his head, Greyhoof turned to each pony in the room individually. “While I've only known most of you for a few hours, it is clear to me that I have acted poorly. I'm sorry.”

As Greyhoof's words faded into the air, an awkward silence permeated the room. Everypony stared blankly at various points of little interest. Only Twilight's gaze rested on something of note: Greyhoof, who didn't notice her attention. Twilight wore a proud smile, nodding at him. I'm actually getting through to him.

The room's only door swung open on well-oiled hinges, granting a white pony wearing a nurse's hat atop her pink mane, which was tied into a neat bun, entrance. “Out of my way, everypony! Quickly!” She carried a tray adorned with a few simple pieces of food and a mug of unknown liquid.

Bustling past Twilight's friends, Nurse Redheart set the tray down beside Twilight and picked up the mug. “Drink this, dear. It's manticore vaccine,” she said in soothing tones, putting the mug next to Twilight's mouth. Holding a hoof under Twilight's muzzle to steady her, Nurse Redheart gently poured the liquid down Twilight's throat until she had emptied the mug's contents. Twilight spluttered, but swallowed all of the strange fluid.

Redheart dabbed Twilight's forehead with a damp towel before taking a step back and giving her a concerned look. “If you're feeling up to it, please try to use your magic.”

Twilight closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as she attempted to levitate one of the plates on the tray. Concentrating with all her might, she reached deep within her for any scrap of magic she could find, as if she needed to summon enough power to fend off an ursa attack. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and stared at the plate. It hadn't moved an inch. She looked up at Redheart, who solemnly shook her head.

Redheart looked at Twilight apologetically. “I've never seen a case like yours before. In all honesty, I haven't dealt with a case of manticore venom, although this medicine was supposed to –”

“That's because manticores are entirely different creatures,” Greyhoof interjected. “Your unfamiliarity with the properties of masticores is unfortunate. I doubt you will find anything of use in your medical hoofbooks. Case in point: your use of medicine used to cure manticore venom. However, I can't say I'm –”

“What are you doing out of bed?” snapped Nurse Redheart, eyeing his bandages. “You should be laying down and waiting for the plate of grass and flowers that I'm about to bring you, not telling me how to do my job!”

Greyhoof's nostrils flared, expelling a small puff of steam. “That's hardly what I'm doing. I am simply providing knowledge where there is ignorance.”

“Well then, what do you propose?” huffed Redheart indignantly.

“What about Supernaturals?” suggested Twilight. “There's bound to be something in there.”

Redheart give a disapproving humph.

“It's not what you think,” Twilight defended. “It contains hundreds of obscure natural remedies.”

“Natural remedies?” Redheart's voice was dripping with skepticism. “And what of medical science, hmm?”

Greyhoof turned to Redheart, his glare boring a hole into her. “Medical science surely does wonders for ailments contracted from creatures that it does not acknowledge the existence of,” he quipped. “This book sounds like our best chance.”

Taking a moment to steady herself, Redheart silently ground her teeth. “Very well,” she said reluctantly, “but nothing too funny will be administered to my patient on my watch. Got it?”

“Do you want me to go fetch the book, sugarcube?” asked Applejack.

Twilight gave her a sly smile. “I already sent Rainbow to get it.”

Applejack blinked. “When?” she asked.

“While those two were arguing,” said Twilight. Suddenly, the sound of loud rapping came from the door. “That must be her now.”

“I'll get it,” said Greyhoof. An explosion of balloons and confetti nearly knocked him flat on his back when he tried to open the door.

“Watch where you're going, Clumsy McClumserson!” giggled Pinkie as she stepped around a shocked Greyhoof, carrying a massive box on her back.

“Pinkie Pie...” Greyhoof muttered under his breath, scowling as he got back on his hooves.

“What's in the box?” asked Redheart suspiciously as Pinkie set it on the foot of Twilight's bed.

Pinkie popped open the box to reveal a grand white cake. On top of the cake, there was a crude icing drawing of Twilight, Greyhoof, Rarity, and Applejack standing triumphantly on top of a manticore-like creature with X's where its eyes should have been and its tongue comically sticking out. “It's a congratulations-on-beating-the-big-meanie-masticore-and-get-well-soon cake, silly!” she chirped. “Oh, and on my way here I bumped into Rainbow. She was carrying this.” She reached under the cake box and pulled out the book Supernaturals.

“Excellent!” exclaimed Greyhoof, completely ignoring the cake and yanking the book out of Pinkie's grasp. He hastily flipped through its pages until he found what he sought. “Hmmm.” He turned to Nurse Redheart and levitated the book in front of her. “Do you possess any of these ingredients?”

Redheart's brow furrowed as she skimmed the page. “I don't believe so. Are you sure this will work?”

Greyhoof floated the book beside Twilight. “It's the best chance we have. Twilight, do you happen to know where we can obtain these?”

Twilight shook her head. Greyhoof sighed and let the book drop next to her, the page still open to the treatment of masticore venom. Pinkie looked about ready to burst as everypony was ignoring her cake, even Rainbow, who had just returned. Before she could say anything, Fluttershy took a peek at the book and let out a quiet squeak.

“What is it?” Twilight asked her, suddenly concerned.

“I think I've seen those plants before,” said Fluttershy.

Rainbow flared her wings and peered over Fluttershy's head, looking at the open book. “Where?”

“The Everfree Forest...” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Oh, come on! You're not still afraid of the forest, are you?” sighed Rainbow in exasperation.

Fluttershy took a step back and gulped. “Yes.”

Pinkie whipped out a large knife and cut a sizable piece of cake. Dumping the hospital food off one of the plates, she replaced it with the slice of cake and handed it to Fluttershy. “This will make you feel better!”

“There's no time for cake. Twilight's condition could worsen,” pressed Greyhoof, approaching the door.

Pinkie cut off the section of cake that depicted Greyhoof in icing and zipped in front of him, holding the plate between her teeth, smiling broadly. Greyhoof stared into her wide, puppy-dog eyes for a few seconds. Slowly, a smile cracked on his face and he lifted the piece of cake next to his mouth. He took a nibble of the cake and his ears perked up. On the spot, he sat down on his haunches and began to eagerly gobble it.

Everypony laughed as they each took slices and joined him. While they ate, the past day's perils and fatigue seemed to melt away. Even Twilight's spirits were lifted, her predicament presently forgotten. When the lion's share of the cake had vanished, Fluttershy hugged Pinkie appreciatively before closing the box. “I was wondering if I could keep the leftovers,” she asked her aside. “I still haven't found any of the animals, and I was hoping that maybe this delicious cake might help lure them out.”

Pinkie smiled. “Sure! If you need more, just come down to Sugarcube Corner and I'll bake some for free!”

“Say...” said Twilight, licking a few crumbs off her lips, “has anypony seen Rarity?”

“I think she's working on her dresses, or sleepin', given the late hour an' all,” said Applejack.

Rainbow grinned. “Her loss! There ended up being more cake for me!”

Grabbing a quill and parchment, Greyhoof jotted down the ingredients required for the medicine. “So, where in the Everfree Forest do you think we can procure these?” he asked Twilight.

Twilight frowned. “I don't know, but I do think Zecora will be able to help us.”

Greyhoof arched an eyebrow. “Zecora? That's an odd name for a pony.”

“Well, that's because she isn't a pony at all,” said Twilight, “she's a zebra that lives in a tree deep in the forest. She should have just about everything we need.”

Greyhoof's eyes sparked. “A zebra, you say? There shouldn't be many left in Equestria.”

Twilight held a hoof to her muzzle and looked at the ceiling. “Now that you mention it, she is the only zebra I've ever met. Either way, she's friendly, though maybe a little strange at first. A bit of a loner.”

Rolling her eyes, Applejack gave Greyhoof a playful poke in the belly. “I've sure never met anypony like that before!”

Everypony except Greyhoof chuckled. Greyhoof grinned sheepishly. “Come on, let's get going. There's no time to waste.”

Nodding to each other, the five ponies began leaving the room, one by one, until only Applejack and Greyhoof remained. She turned to Twilight and tipped her hat. “We'll be back with the cure before ya know it, sugarcube. I promise.”

Nurse Redheart moved in front of Greyhoof. “Oh no, you aren't going anywhere – not in your condition!”

Greyhoof sighed. “I would be lying if I said I wasn't in a great deal of pain, but that isn't important right now. The wounds have been properly dressed and will heal easily enough. This mission cannot fail, and my magic may be useful in such a dangerous place. Injured or not, I'm going.”

Redheart reluctantly stepped to the side. “Fine, but if you get yourself in more trouble, don't come crying to me!”

Twilight smiled and waved as Applejack left the room, Redheart closing the door behind her. Once they had left the hospital, Applejack, Greyhoof, Pinkie, and Rainbow briskly trotted toward the Everfree Forest. Before long, they had reached the forest's entrance, its wild trees looming over them ominously.

Greyhoof fell into step behind Applejack and Rainbow, who took point. “So tell me, which way to this zebra's house?”

Applejack set a pace that was a little more brisk than Fluttershy would've liked. “We should get there if we follow this here path.”

“Good. With any luck, we should have Twilight cured by morning.” Greyhoof purposefully stopped, letting Fluttershy, who was at the back, catch up to him. “Why are you afraid of the forest, anyway?”

“Don't you know? Monsters live here!” Fluttershy gasped.

Rainbow took flight and hovered over the two of them. “Of course he wouldn't know! He's only been in Ponyville for a couple of days.” She laughed brashly. “Monsters, schmonsters. Who cares? If that cockatrice tries to attack us, you can just stare him down no problem! I'm sure we can handle anything the forest can throw at us.” Rainbow flew next to Greyhoof. “Oh, and by the way, don't touch the blue plants.”

“A cockatrice lives here?” Greyhoof raised his eyebrows. “Poison Joke I am familiar with, but a cockatrice is a different matter entirely. I did presume that some monsters inhabited it, but not to that degree.”

“Didn't you hear what I said?” Rainbow flew higher into the air and did a somersault. “All Fluttershy has to do is stare it down and we'll be fine! She's done it before.”

Greyhoof gave Fluttershy an intrigued look. “That's reassuring. Many monsters are handled easily enough, as I've read about how to deal with them. The vast majority are well within my power, but magic will do me no good if I'm petrified.”

“Yeah, I'm sure you can deal with monsters easy,” quipped Rainbow. “It's not like you're covered head to hoof in bandages or anything.”

“Masticores hardly fall under the category of 'vast majority',” muttered Greyhoof sullenly.

Despite the reassuring nature of their conversation, the ponies consolidated and formed a tight group, with the exception of Rainbow, who flew overhead. To their relief, the forest seemed quite devoid of life, hostile or otherwise. Once they had gotten over the intimidating nature of the forest's dark canopy, they actually began to enjoy themselves as they made their way deeper into it.

“There it is!” said Rainbow with elation some minutes later, pointing in the distance.

When the ponies rounded another bend in the trail, they could see what Rainbow did from her vantage point in the air. Zecora's house stood before them. Greyhoof approached the door and knocked loudly. No answer. He peered in through the window. There were certainly signs of life, although the house appeared deserted. The pot in the middle of the house was boiling, and there were various books, herbs, and assorted utensils scattered about the place.

Greyhoof frowned. “She's not home. Strange, given the time of night.”

“Oh no, what do we do?” Fluttershy hung her head low enough for her mane to touch the ground.

“We wait for her to come back, silly!” Pinkie began drawing a network of strange lines in the ground. “And I've got the perfect game just for times like these! Gimme a few seconds to finish drawing the board and I'll explain how we play!”

Rainbow landed next to Greyhoof, who held the list of ingredients. “Hey, Greyhoof, gimme that list and tell me what those plants look like, and I can fly around the area to see if I can find any before Zecora gets back.”

“I like it. Maybe I can help too,” Applejack added.

Greyhoof shook his head. “No. We're doing this my way.” He cleared his throat authoritatively. “If she's not home, there's nothing from stopping us from breaking in and taking what we need.” He ground his hoof in the middle of Pinkie's elabourate dirt diagram.

Rainbow's jaw fell open. “You're not gonna –”

Greyhoof's eyes glittered dangerously as he glared at Rainbow. “Yes, Rainbow Dash, I am. A few herbs will hardly set this zebra back. Besides – if she knew the situation, she'd understand. It's for the greater good and you know it.” Greyhoof walked up to the door, his horn and the handle shimmering light blue.

Landing in front of him, Rainbow stood on her hind legs and spread her front legs wide, blocking his progress. “Oh no. You're not just gonna break into her home like that! We'll find the plants somewhere else. Now apologize to Pinkie for stepping on her... whatever that was, you big jerk!”

“Every second we waste puts Twilight in more danger. There's no knowing if masticore venom will become lethal if left in her system for too long – or worse, prevent her from using magic ever again.” Greyhoof's horn shimmered. “No. There is a time for morality, but this is not it. We have a life to save, and I will not stand idly and let you put her at risk. Get out of my way before I make you.”

“Hold on a second!” shouted Applejack. “I understand how you're feelin', Grey, but Rainbow's right. We can't just break and enter like this.”

Greyhoof's eyes burned as he turned to glare at Applejack. “I've never truly had friends. Even before I moved away from home, the only ponies my age were those that came and went as they withdrew books, nothing more. Twilight... she's the closest thing I've ever had to a friend.” He kicked the ground savagely. “I won't let her be taken away from me. Not now.” Greyhoof turned back to Rainbow once again. “Now, out of my way.”

Rainbow ground her teeth. “Make me!”

“If you insist.” Greyhoof's horn glowed light blue, which encapsulated Rainbow and flung her unceremoniously to the ground a few feet from where she had previously stood.

“Horseapples,” Rainbow spat, looking up at Greyhoof as he worked on the door's lock.

“Hey, what'd you do to RD?” demanded Applejack, adopting an aggressive stance.

“What I had to. She's fine.” Within seconds, the door to Zecora's house flew open and Greyhoof stormed inside. “Zebras...” he muttered half-disgustedly, wrinkling his nose. As he began rummaging through the cabinets for the necessary ingredients, Greyhoof's eyes narrowed when he noticed that he was the only pony inside. “Well? What's everypony waiting for? Get off your flanks and help me!”

“Oh, I'll help you, alright!” came Rainbow's voice from outside.

Before Greyhoof could turn around, Rainbow hurtled through the open doorway, crashing into him headfirst, sending him smashing into the cabinets he'd been examining. Trying to collect himself, he gingerly rubbed his flank as he got up, staring daggers at Rainbow. No sooner had he gotten back on his hooves than Rainbow shoved him back down.

“Please stop this!” cried Fluttershy.

“C'mon, Rainbow, enough is enough!” shouted Applejack. “He ain't worth it. Besides, no need to be messin' up poor Zecora's hut. Again.”

“Fine,” humphed Rainbow, turning around and flicking Greyhoof in the muzzle with her tail before flying outside.

Cursing to himself, Greyhoof swatted a metal pan that landed beside him, sending it skipping across the hut. Giving a resentful glance outside, he trudged over to the bookshelves to begin his search.

“I'll have no part in this!” Applejack called into the house. “If you wanna break in, don't expect me to help.”

Pinkie zipped in while Rainbow and Applejack remained adamant about not entering. Fluttershy nervously poked her head in for half a second before ducking back out and standing outside. In mere moments, the house looked as if a small hurricane had swept through it, but in spite of Greyhoof's frantic search, he came up empty-hoofed.

“Where in Equestria are those herbs?” he cursed.

“Right here!” chirped Pinkie brightly, dropping a small bag full of plants in front of Greyhoof.

Sticking his head inside the bag, Greyhoof looked up at Pinkie in astonishment. “That's... all of them. How did you...”

“Don't ask,” Rainbow said, still outside. “Now let's get out of here before Zecora catches you two. I can't believe you helped him, Pinkie!”

Pinkie bounced out of the house, the bag on her back. “Well, Greyhoof already broke in, and he is kind of right about helping out poor Twilight.”

“'Kind of' ain't it, Pinkie.” Applejack glared at Greyhoof. “That don't make it any more right. Stealin' is never the answer.”

“We should've just waited for her to come back, or gathered the herbs ourselves,” said Fluttershy, her tone stern. “That fight was... scary.”

“Scary for him, maybe,” quipped Rainbow.

“I'd be more worried about Zecora if I was you,” Applejack added flatly. “She dang well won't be too thrilled when she sees her hut in the state y'all left it in..” She held up a hoof to stifle Rainbow's forthcoming retort. “I ain't saying it's all your fault, Rainbow, but it takes two to tango.”

Ignoring the others, Greyhoof wordlessly followed Pinkie out of the house, closing and re-locking the door behind him. They began their journey back to Ponyville at a brisk pace, with Greyhoof earnestly leading. Greyhoof's actions had left a bitter taste in Rainbow's mouth. Several times, she resisted the urge to physically lash out at him again. As they neared the forest's edge, the first traces of sun began creeping over the horizon. To her surprise, she found Greyhoof waving her over.

Rainbow flew over to Greyhoof and fell into step beside him. “What do you want?” she demanded.

“Look, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry.” Greyhoof's words caught Rainbow completely by surprise. “You were right about earlier. What I did was wrong. I let my concern for Twilight cloud my judgment. I should never have lashed out at you. As often as I try to let it on, I am far from perfect. I know we've had our differences in the past, but now I beg for your forgiveness.” Greyhoof barely managed to choke these last few words out.

Before Rainbow could offer a reply, Greyhoof plowed on. “I know I took away a bonding moment between you and Scootaloo. I know I broke in someone else's home and stole from it like a common criminal. But please... know that everything I've done was with everypony's best interests at heart.”

A heavy silence followed Greyhoof's words. The only sounds were the hoofsteps on the forest floor. Nearly a full minute later, Rainbow finally found words. “I know,” she said at last. “But you know what? That doesn't make it okay. Somepony needs to teach you a lesson, and a hard lesson at that.”

“But I –”

Rainbow hovered above Greyhoof, glaring at him. “No, no buts! You used magic to toss me around, like I was beneath you! Well, that's downright unacceptable! Nopony does that to me, especially not big-horned jerks like you! Look, I know why you did what you did, but you should've just taken a step back and listened to me! Of course I want to do what's best for Twilight, but no, you went ahead and did as you pleased, like my opinion didn't matter to you!”

Greyhoof avoided Rainbow's stare. When the tongue-lashing subsided, he held out a forehoof in a gesture of peace. “Can – can we be friends?”

Rainbow swatted the hoof away angrily. “No!” Before Greyhoof could further implore her, she zoomed off in the direction of the hospital.

Clenching his teeth, Greyhoof stomped the ground, sending a small cloud of loose foliage and dirt flying before resuming the trudge toward the forest's edge and rejoining the others.

“What was that about?” asked Applejack.

Greyhoof ambled past, barely acknowledging her. “Nothing.”

When they reached the end of the tree line, Fluttershy ground to a halt. “That was quiet and pleasant. Well, mostly... too quiet and pleasant, for the forest. The animals from Everfree... are they in hiding as well?” A sudden worried tone permeated Fluttershy's voice.

“Wait, you still haven't found those animals?” Greyhoof asked her in astonishment.

Fluttershy looked chagrined. “No...”

Greyhoof pointed away from Ponyville. “I think it's best that you go, then. Get some rest.”

“But – Twilight –” Fluttershy protested.

Shaking his head, Greyhoof gave Fluttershy a gentle smile. “No, we can take it from here. We're clear of the forest and we've got what we came for. Twilight will be fine. I promise.”

At first, Fluttershy trotted slowly away from the group, but after a few seconds, she took flight, flapping off into the distance. Pinkie waved goodbye and started bouncing happily in the direction of Sugarcube Corner, the opposite way from the hospital.

“And where are you goin'?” Applejack called after her.

Pinkie looked back but retained her present course. “I've got something to do, silly! What's the use of getting over potentially fatal poison if there's no sugary stuff to eat afterward?” Applejack couldn't help but laugh as Pinkie's silhouette faded on the horizon.

* * *

“Are you absolutely sure this will work?” asked Redheart skeptically. She looked disapprovingly at the pouch of herbs Greyhoof and the others had obtained, along with a list of instructions on how to prepare them.

“No, but it's the best shot we've got,” answered Greyhoof.

Redheart reluctantly accepted the pouch and the sheet of parchment and bustled out of the room, leaving Twilight alone with Greyhoof, Applejack, and Rainbow. The sound of the closing door brought Twilight out of her light slumber.

Rubbing her eyes, Twilight looked around the room and perked up when she spotted her three friends. “Was Zecora able to help you out?” she asked anxiously.

Greyhoof coughed. “Well, yes and no...”

Twilight angled her head slightly, as if the masticore poison was making her delirious and she had misheard him. “What?”

“He means Zecora wasn't home and he up and pillaged the place. The varmint even picked a fight with RD,” Applejack informed her dryly. “I told him it wasn't right, but he went and did it anyhow. I'll have you know I took no part in it, not one bit.”

Twilight covered her mouth. “Greyhoof, how could you?”

Greyhoof closed his eyes and flinched in shame. “I know, it was wrong. What other choice did I have, Twilight? Masticores are so rare that there is little knowledge of their venom's properties. You know this as well as I. I couldn't just risk letting you lose your magic forever, or worse, your life.”

“I suppose you're right...” Twilight slumped back, “but make sure you apologize to Zecora! And Rainbow, for that matter! We can't have her think that somepony wants to vandalize her home!” Twilight took on a firm tone. “And don't ever let me catch you doing anything like this again.”

Rainbow jabbed Greyhoof none too gently in one of his bandaged areas, prompting a yelp from him. “Don't worry, Twilight, I'll make sure he apologizes. You can take that to the bank.”

The door swung open to reveal Redheart carrying a mug full of foul-smelling glop. “Remedy coming through!” she announced, hurrying to the bedside.

Twilight took a whiff of the medicine and blanched. “I have to drink – that?” It looked like she was about to be sick from the smell alone.

“Every drop,” said Redheart sternly. “Bottoms up!”

Twilight grimaced as she drained the mug's contents. When she finished, she knocked the mug onto the floor and began gagging loudly. Turning away from Redheart, Twilight nearly yelped in surprise when she saw a broadly grinning Pinkie Pie sitting next to the other side of the bed, another sizable box on her back.

“Pinkie? What? How?” mumbled Twilight, thinking that the strange liquid was making her see things.

“I came in while you were drinking that yucky icky stuff!” said Pinkie in a sing-song voice, deploying the box on the bed.

“So that's what set you off in such a hurry?” laughed Applejack.

Pinkie beamed at Applejack. “You betcha! Sorry these aren't quite as super-special as the cake, but I think they're alright considering the short notice.”

When Twilight peered inside, she saw a plethora of differently shaped chocolate treats. Some bore a resemblance to Greyhoof, others looked like Twilight, while more of them had a similar appearance to her other friends. Pinkie gestured warmly at the box. Needing no further prompt, Twilight dug in, making at least a dozen of the delectable treats disappear in a matter of seconds.

“Feeling better?” Pinkie asked eagerly.

Gritting her teeth, Twilight once again tried to call upon her magic. The smallest, most minute spark fizzled from her horn. It only lasted about a split second, but Twilight let out a delighted cheer. “It worked! It worked!”

Twilight began to get out of bed, but the firm hoof of Redheart held her in place. “You're far from cured yet, dear,” she said soothingly. “One more night here, then you're free to go, assuming you're magically fit once more.”

Nodding, Twilight settled back into a laying position and realized just how tired she was. The medicine expunging the venom from her body quickly replaced the temporary surge of energy she had experienced from the sugar in Pinkie's treats. Twilight turned on her side and closed her eyes, rapidly drifting off to sleep.

“Off!” Redheart waved a hoof at the three other ponies in the room. “These two need rest, and plenty of it. You can see her in the morning, and, with luck, escort her out of the hospital.”

Applejack and Rainbow allowed themselves to be ushered out of the room by Redheart. Greyhoof clambered on to an adjacent bed and curled up on top of it, his cloak serving the same purpose as the bedsheets. “Sleep well,” he whispered, closing his eyes and smiling affectionately at Twilight.

Comments

[Mister Slick]

Wait a second, if the forest is devoid of life, does that mean all the trees are dead? Or is it just devoid of all animal life?

[Biker_Dash]

Rereading this story (cause it's that damn good) and I just thought of whom I would have voice act Greyhoof. Ed Harris.