Chapter 70. The real treasure is the friends we found along the way.
We watched through tinted windows as the traffic jam outside of New York stretched on for miles and miles. Our SUV rolled quickly past it all in the space between the center divider and the left lane, lights blinking to show we were allowed, but I watched all the people sitting in or even getting out of their cars, watching us.
They looked worried. They looked confused. Their world was a finale episode of a dramatic television show, and they knew the stakes were high for them.
We were just a bunch of ponies who never truly lost in our battles with evil or chaos.
But I still held hope that we would triumph, as we always had before.
We passed through a police checkpoint at the border of the city, where they were trying to convince everyone they could, to go somewhere else. Anywhere else than here.
But New York was not the wide open city of fast moving people that I’d heard about. Instead it was a knotted maze with cars that drifted in midair like lazy pegusi, candy-striped buildings, and people who seemed entirely prepared to make themselves as troublesome as possible to eachother.
After a brief stint of yelling at pedestrians that were casually striding across a mid air death trap of a crosswalk, which looked more like a curled ribbon of asphalt than a proper walkway, Stephanie rolled up her window, grip tight on her steering wheel and scowling.
“Great. Discord must’ve gotten to the populace, already,” she groaned as she rubbed her eyes.
“Nah, they’re just being New Yorkers,” RJ said with casual certainly.
Alphonse chuckled as he scrolled through messages on his phone, looking for any new information that would help us get to the hospital despite the bizarre chances to the city.
“So. Element of Honesty, you’re certain that Pinkie and Rainbow will meet us at the hospital?” Stephanie asked, tapping her fingers impatiently on the dash.
“We’re in a crisis,” RJ said with all the confidence in the world. “They’ll be there. Certain.”
She, like the rest of us, was looking out of the window at the strange city passing by.
“And Pinkie,” Alphonse started, as every pony in the car grinned a little, knowing what he was going to ask for the tenth time. “Will get there by hopping on passing cars.”
“Yes,” I nodded. “Rainbow’s a very strong flier, but carrying Pinkie that far would really wear her out. It’s better for Pinkie to… hop.”
I couldn’t help but smile, imagining Pinkie bouncing along the tops of cars, skipping by all the people and traffic with boundless energy.
When I looked up, I saw Al staring out the windshield with a sort of… Stricken incredulous discomfort.
It reminded me a whole lot of Twilight, the first time she’d tried to figure out Pinkie.
“The show didn’t exaggerate her… energy,” Raritony piped in. “Pinkie really is that, well, Pinkie.”
“And you guys deal with all that… how?” Alphonse asked.
RJ shrugged. “The same way we roll with anypony else. It’s just who she is.”
“Yeah, but-”
“No, Al. Really,” Stephanie said with a bit of a smirk as she finally got to be the more knowledgeable person on something during the long drive. “Fan of the show, here. Just… any buts, or qualifiers or anything you’re trying to figure out, just don’t. She’s Pinkie. Just accept that she’s like a Looney Tunes character made real, right here on Earth.”
Alphonse grunted, and went back to his phone. I looked forward to him meeting Pinkie, it’d show him the collision between impossible and funny. I hoped he found some joy in it.
But finally, he received a message that guided us out of the endless mess of tangled roads and into a small channel of streets which were passable, until we reached the Hospital.
Bright white and standing out starkly against the grey river and grey sky behind it. But in front of it, as though trying to push it off into the river, were people. A mob, a mess of a mob which contained every stretch of humanity, from the protestors that held simple posters of ponies with crosses through them, to very personal signs of support.
My eyes caught a sign with Twilight’s Cutie mark on it, two words underneath it. “Keep breathing.”
I could feel tears in my eyes. Raritony was speaking, but I couldn’t hear. Finally I wrenched myself away from the flawed split world outside and met RJ’s questioning eyes.
“Can I have a hug?” I asked, my voice thin.
“Sure, sug,” she responded quickly, scooting over to wrap me up in her embrace.
I tucked my head under my mane, and I breathed slow as we wove through the barricades and finally rolled into a dark parking garage. I felt tension leave me and RJ as the shouting faded away.
The SUV finally stopped and doors quickly opened.
“Okay. I’ll go check on things, and make sure you guys can get in without any trouble,” Stephanie said.
RJ nodded in agreement. “Thanks, sugarcube.”
Stephanie headed off as we started climbing out of the car. I was very very focused on not pulling any of the muscles that were aching. But as I finally stood on solid ground, I heard a very distinctive whistle. A pegasus aerobraking hard.
“Hey! You! Guuuuuuuuys!”
I turned, grinning, just in time to see Dash touch down and skid nearly twenty feet on three hooves to end up standing next to us, and flip her mane with a grin.
Her eyes were a little lighter, less confident, and she had a bandaid on one cheek. Yet she looked like the hero I wished I was. She was inspiring, just standing there in her bomber jacket with a slightly fluffy collar.
“Dash!” RJ called out with a smirk. “Nice jacket. You raid the Top Gun set, or something?”
“You wish you were this cool, Rae Jay,” Markus Dash said with another toss of her mane and all the pride in the world, one hoof brushing nonexistent dirt from the front of the jacket.
They paused, reveling in their rivalry and competitive spirit, before finally they hugged eachother, hard. Their friendship was expressed physically, a sense of strength and power in tension.
“Damn good to see ya, Dash,” RJ said, whisper-soft and urgent.
“Likewise, RJ,” she replied, in the same tone.
“Rainbow! I mean, Dash! Sorry,” I said, shocking myself out my grinning stupor to limp closer to them, Raritony following me and clearly trying not to fuss over me too much.
Dash looked at me like I’d just cussed her out.
“Celestia’s Beard, Shy! What happened to you?” she asked, her tone suddenly soft, worried.
I looked away and hunched my shoulders a little.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” I demurred. “Just a few-”
“Whoo-hoo!”
In a blur of motion, something pink and quick-moving slammed into RJ, tumbling with her across the concrete until finally she landed on her back, with Pinkie standing on top of her.
“Ta-da!” Pinkie crowed from her pony perch, raising one hoof like an acrobat sticking a landing.
She looked…. Just like Pinkie. Well, Pinkie with khaki cargo shorts, a black T-shirt that said “I’m Not Tech Support” and her element around her neck.
“Pinkie, get off!” RJ grunted, wiggling underneath her.
She hopped down, sheeks a bit pink. “Whoops! Sorry about that, RJ! I was going for a two-point landing, and I got an Apple-point landing instead. Oh, look! Everyone’s here! And Shy Shy!”
Pinkie was suddenly right in front of me. Nose inches from mine as she took my hoof in hers.
“It’s good to see you again,” I whispered, looking down at her hooves.
She smiled too, but the smile faded after a moment, that worry showing through.
“You got hurt really bad, didn’t you?” she asked softly, touching my cheek.
“I’ll heal,” I replied quickly, meeting her gaze.
There, in her eyes, I saw a struggle. One she voiced as she frowned.
“I don’t like seeing you hurt,” she said. “But I like seeing you. This is a very confusing feeling. Do you have an energy drink?”
I blinked a few times, the sudden change of topic confusing me.
“Um… no?”
“Drat,” she sighed as though slightly inconvenienced. “I’m gonna take a quick nap then. Say, did you know-”
Then she keeled over onto the ground with a soft whump.
“Is… she dead?” May asked.
I stepped back, wide eyed, as everyone rushed to check on her. It was a little reassuring, really. I wasn’t the center of focus, and I sat there watching everyone meet eachother, Stephanie meeting Dash, and everyone talking for a bit. But I was deep in thought.
Pinkie and Reid were acting as one, but something was hurting them. The moment they got confused, emotional, they passed out. But maybe… Maybe she was just tired, right? It could just be from hopping all the way here.
Or maybe it was because of me… Because she was close to me, something had short circuited in her brain, and she’d passed out.
Maybe, just maybe…. I was looking for any excuse to feel bad.
I sighed, and steadied my breathing as RJ hoisted Pinkie onto her back. She twitched a little and mumbled something, prompting me to come closer, standing just next to RJ so I could be close to Pinkie, brushing her mane out of her eyes.
She was smiling in her sleep, calm.
“Sam’s gotta stay outside,” Stephanie said.
“She can keep me company,” Alphonse offered as he scratched her behind the ear. “Dogs are good.”
Sam seemed quite happy, tail wagging as she looked to RJ.
“You be a good girl for the nice man,” RJ told her.
“Yes!” Sam barked eagerly, with all the energy a doggie could have in it’s body.
I couldn’t help but smile, as RJ looked for me, for a translation. It was kind of funny, how everypony wanted a translation, some straightforward English series of words for the feelings in an animal’s soul and voice.
Like, I could easily say that Sam had said ‘Fuck Yes, please, he’s petting me right now, and it’s so great, and I’m happy, and I wanna stay, and I’m so happy to have a family’ but would that be accurate? No. It’d be hilarious though.
“She will,” I said, still smiling. “She promises.”
“That’s my girl,” RJ sighed, rubbing her side before turning and stepping closer to the hospital door, shifting Pinkie to make sure she was steady. “Okay, y’all. Let’s do this.”
We entered an elevator, and then a clean white hallway.
Hospitals were familiar to me, not comfortable, but… A place of healing. A place of care.
But I didn’t know what I was going to find in this hospital. Before, I was getting help for somepony, or for an animal, or I knew I would feel better soon. But now…
The quiet and the stern expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, which briefly turned to wonder or hope when they saw us, made me realize that they were relying on us. If we didn’t help Twilight, if we couldn’t save the world, noone could. Back in Equestria, if we failed there was always the hope that if we failed, the princesses or someone else could still help.
Maybe we’d been the last hope this whole time.
All of my theories about how humanity was driven, or how we developed were ultimately unimportant. They were just theories, and results were what mattered.
I leaned a little against RJ, but she carried Pinkie and my slight weight without complaint. She seemed like she would carry us all to the hospital room, if she had to.
There was some groaning from a nearby room, someone in pain. We were in the parts of the hospital where they kept patients in need of intensive care. Twilight was deep in the scariest parts of this place.
Her door had two police officers stationed outside, who checked Stephanie’s credentials, before stepping aside.
“I’ll stay out here,” Stephanie said, voice soft. “I figure you guys…”
It was our time, just for us as a team, as friends. She knew we needed some time, and I deeply appreciated that, the care she showed even as an agent with a mission.
The door was pushed open by one of the officers, and we all walked inside, to see Twilight.
She looked like she was dying, was my first thought. Tubes and wires everywhere, IV lines snaking from her forelegs and neck, and she did not move even a little bit.
“O… Oh my…” I whispered, trying to hold back tears as I looked over the scene.
We were all frozen. How could we not be? Here was our leader, our friend who had gotten us through impossible odds time and time again, and she was just… a broken unicorn laid out on a hospital bed.
I twitched, and forced that movement to become a step, and then another, inching closer and then to the chair next to the bed. It was easy enough to climb up onto it, so I could be closer to her.
Everypony else started moving too, settling in close to Twilight, Rainbow hovering nearby, Raritony and May getting the other chair so they could sit opposite me, while RJ settled Pinkie down on the bench by the window.
After a bit, I spotted Twilight’s hoof, mostly unburdened by medical equipment, and took it up in mine, lifting it to rest against my cheek.
“Oh Twilight…” I sighed, wishing I could tell her to stay strong, and for it to actually matter.
RJ finally climbed up next to me, and I glanced over to the bench where Pinkie lay, smiling a little in her sleep.
But I was thinking about how Twilight had been alone. Utterly alone, her friends so far away and unable to help her. Did she wonder why we weren’t there? Did she call out to us in her last moments, only for noone to answer? I was crying, but silently, tears wetting my chin.
“She looks so fragile,” May whispered.
“I’m sorry,” I said, to Twilight as directly as I could manage. I was louder than I meant to be, but if there was any time for Fluttershy to speak up, it was now. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
RJ’s arm around me helped, as she held me to her side.
“Nothing you could do, sugar,” she said. “We were scattered like seeds in a field.” Her voice was rough, and I wondered if I would see the farmpony cry for the second time since I’d known her.
“Well, we should have done something,” Raritony said, her eyes glassy. “This is no way for Twilight to be. So pale. So… weak.”
We all nodded, we all whispered sad words, but then it was quiet and still again, until May sniffled and spoke.
“I’m sorry I didn’t do my horn exercises,” she blurted out. “I’ll start them again really soon, I promise.”
Raritony hugged her sister, stroking her mane. “It’s okay, dear. I think Twilight will forgive you.”
“I’m sorry I was too busy, last Thursday, for tea,” I added, squeezing Twilight’s hoof tight.
RJ turned to hug me more fully.
“Sorry I crashed into the meteorology section,” Dash said, sniffling. “It won’t happen again. I promise. But…” She wiped fiercely at her eyes. “You gotta wake up. Or I won’t make any promises for biographies.”
But of course, Twilight didn’t move or speak, she was just still.
“We miss you,” Raritony said, her voice whisper-soft. “Please come back to us.”
Those words seemed to actually stir something in us though, a soothing warmth working its way through my chest, my element glowing a little as was everyone else’s.
I couldn’t help but smile along with everypony else as our elements lit up in unison, Pinkie giggling in her sleep as her pink light joined ours.
“We’re all still connected,” RJ said with the confidence I wish I had. “She’ll find her way.”
“She better,” Pinkie yawned and sat up, stretching herself and cracking her neck. “I still owe her a party. Hey everypony, what’s--” she paused, locking eyes on Twilight. “Oh. Oh yeah.”
She slid down to the floor and trotted over, before rearing up to stand braced against the foot of the bed, frowning.
“Yeah. That’s… pretty bad. Wow. Oof. Right in the feels.”
I shifted, trying to see how I could get down. Pinkie didn’t have a pony to hug her, and that seemed wrong at the moment. But RJ hopped down instead, stopping me.
“Hey, Pinkie. Trade?” she said.
She blinked at me, before smiling a little and slipping up onto the chair next to me, so I could put an arm around her and a wing too for good measure. I met RJ’s eyes and smiled, wishing I could thank her without feeling like it’d be awkward.
But Pinkie’s smile faded as she looked at Twilight closer up.
“She has too many tubes going into her,” she said nervously. “Like, how did they fit them all?”
“Carefully,” RJ said in monotone.
I tried not to giggle.
“Well, duh, but…” Pinkie sighed, shaking her head. “Nope. I got nothin’. Hey Shy Shy.” She nuzzled me. “We having a rave?”
She nuzzled me. Had Pinkie ever nuzzled me before? I couldn’t remember. It’s one of those pony actions like a hug, that ponies do a lot without thinking about it. But was it different now? Was it the same but just I was overthinking it? What if I was overthinking everything that everypony did, was I going to be some kind of Super-Fluttershy, even more reclusive and confused than before?
I managed to mumble a “huh?” through my confusion.
She tapped her element, still glowing pink. “We’re all glowy. Why isn’t Twilight glowy?”
Raritony was the first one to spot the tiara sitting on a nearby table.
“Well. It couldn’t make things any fucking worse,” she said with a shrug.
Her horn lit up and the tiara was surrounded in magic.
“New color of magic, huh, Rares?” Dash said with a smile, as Raritony floated the tiara over to Twilight. “I dig it.”
Raritony smiled at Dash as she settled the tiara on Twilight’s head. When it didn’t light up like ours, I flinched. Everypony else kept on a brave face though.
“Well… she looks better than she did before,” May ventured, after a few minutes.
“Yeah,” I agreed softly.
Pinkie sighed, frowning. “This really stinks,” she said, her eyes narrowed. “This wouldn’t have happened if we’d woken up in the show.”
RJ snorted, her smile not quite as genuine as it could have been. “Yeah?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “How ya figure that?”
“Weeeeee-EEE-eeell,” Pinkie said. “Our humans would’ve merged with us and we’d have been like, ‘Whoa, new friend in the head!’ rather than blaaaagh pony arms how do? Then, we’d have a morning of shenanigans while we talked about iPods, and cars, and Belgium! Then, Twilight would’ve explained what’s going on, and we’d figure out a way to get the people out of our heads who didn’t want to be ponies, and those who wanted to could stay.”
“And we’d learn a lesson, and there’d be friends,” I said, smiling through my tears at Twilight.
“Instead, there’s just…” Pinkie gestured at Twilight, still beeping, and breathing thanks only to mechanical assistance.
“Real life sucks,” Dash said, flatly.
We all nodded.
“Well then,” RJ said, smirking defiantly. “I guess we’ll… just have to bring a little more of Equestria here.”
She tilted her head back, flashing a great ‘everything’ll be alright’ grin. “We got the necklaces. Maybe we can try showing ‘real life’ a little pony magic.”
I smiled, looking back to Twilight and remembering the first time I’d watched her on the TV. That magic that felt more powerful and real than anything else I’d felt in my life as Erica.
“I used to wonder what friendship could be…” I began, singing a little off key but thank goodness I had a better voice as Fluttershy than I had as Erica.
Pinkie took my hoof and continued the song, her voice absolutely impeccable.
“Till you all shared it’s magic with me!”
Dash and RJ linked hooves, forming more of a circle around Twilight’s bed.
“Big adventure,” Dash said, chuckling.
“Tons of fun!” Pinkie added eagerly.
Raritony smiled brightly, hooking a hoof in Dash’s. “A beautiful heart.”
Everyone looked at RJ together. “Faithful and strong,” she added in a gentle sing-song.
“Sharing kindness,” I sang, remembering Angel bunny in the intro to the song, absolutely demolishing a carrot.
“It’s an easy feat!” May crowed.
She wrapped a hoof around Raritony’s, then touched her hoof to Twilight’s. The whole room lit up in purple, so blinding that I closed my eyes and turned away, but I didn’t break my grip on Twilight or on Pinkie until finally it faded.
Dash was pointing at Twilight and I was stunned to finally see Twilight’s element lighting up, just as bright as ours, though it was emitting a low hum that reminded me of, of all things, a microwave.
Then there was a horrible wheezing gagging sound. We all paused, taken aback, until Twilight opened her eyes and made it again.
“She’s awake!” I said, shocked, as Twilight looked around at us all, and then gagged a third time.
“She’s intubated!” RJ shouted, and I nearly smacked myself with my hoof at how obvious that was.
“On it!” Raritony said, magic enveloping the tube in Twilight’s mouth.
“Wait- Rares! We should call the-- or we can just let you do it,” RJ said, sounding a little defeated as she watched the tube pull free.
Twilight tilted forward, half sitting up and retched, a bit of spit landing on her chest but otherwise she seemed of as she shuddered and laid back down, breathing on her own. Alive.
“Twilight?” Pinkie said, leaning close.
Twilight wheezed in, then out. She smiled. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse and rough, but clear.
“And magic... makes it... all complete,” she said.
We were all grinning, tears in all of our eyes and I was hugging Pinkie so tight.
Rainbow wiped her eyes and looked down at RJ.
“I can’t believe that worked!” she said. “That was the corniest thing I’ve ever done in my life!”
We all giggled for a bit before finally we quieted as Twilight looked around at us all.
“Hey guys,” she said, sounding exhausted. “Am I... in a hospital?”
“Yeah,” RJ said, taking her hoof. “You got hurt. Bad.”
“Hurt? She got shot in the head!” Dash said.
I flinched, and frowned at Dash.
“Mar-kus Dash,” I hissed.
Twilight’s eyes widened. A hoof drifted to her head and she gingerly touched it, wincing. “Wow,” she said. “I’m not… And I’m alive?”
“Yes. Yes you are, darling,” Raritony said, rubbing her shoulder.
Twilight nodded. “Well… guess that explains the headache, huh?”
We chuckled slightly. Twilight smiled a little more. “No, seriously, can somepony get me some aspirin? I have the worst headache,” she said.
We all laughed at once. Like something out of a cartoon.
“Okay, not joking guys,” Twilight said. “I really need ibuprofen or something.”
Pinkie ran off to get a doctor.
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Nice to see this back.
9889319
Is also actually finished even if... it made some controversial changes to things.
Unlucky Seven is unfortunately not gonna be finished any time soon, but at least is just a single story.
D'awws
glad to have read it.
SO, so happy to see you active again! I really missed the interactions I had in this group, and seeing a new chapter brings it all back!
10256202
I know a lotta hateful Christians I know not every one is like that but it's just personal experience
3884568
10261248
omg this story is not dead squueee my last time comment on here was in 2014 and i was going thought all my unfinished story on here squeee i cant what to re-read this awesome story and see it to live once aging lol
keep you the awesome work and have a great Drepy Day
Slowly but surely is still commendable progress.
Something something "People focus on how far they still have to go that they don't see how far they've come."
10569175
Some day. SOME DAY I will finish this.
10570732
Darn tootin' you will. YOU GO PONE
10620547
I guessed she was evil by this quote in chapter 51.
My instincts went to suspicion level 7/20 after reading this after forgetting the context until I doubted myself.
'Axemurder' password got me up to 8/20.
In hindsight, that was probably changeling stuff.