Gone
Bad news was always a burden, and Nurse Redheart was its bearer.
She could not remember the last time she had been faced with this sort of fear as she walked down the halls. Given Ponyville’s small size, it was not often that she worked with anything worse than broken bones or bad cases of feather-flu. This was completely new territory for her.
She removed her nurse’s cap and whisked away a drop of sweat from her forehead. Rarity’s room was getting closer with every step, and Nurse Redheart braced herself for the worst.
The door was still closed. She crept up to it and pressed her ear against the wood, careful not to make a sound. From inside, she could hear the sound of weeping, intermingled with a series of gasps and sobs.
In an instant, all her nerve went away. She retreated back from the door. How on earth was she supposed to break the news to them now? She could not imagine what effect this would have on the poor unicorn, or on any of them for that matter.
Nurse Redheart stood there, frozen in place. She contemplated, trying to think of ways to tell them that would help soften the blow, but she was met with little success. No matter what she did, the news was going to hit them, and it was going to hit them hard.
Still, there was no way she was going to just barge in and tell them right now, not when they were in such emotionally fragile states. She would have to wait until the right moment, if such a thing even existed.
Or… A thought popped into her head. She recalled that Princess Twilight and Sweetie Belle’s friends had left the two mares alone, and were most likely in the waiting room right now. If she told the Princess first, perhaps the other mare could tell Rarity instead…
No. That was not fair. To transfer her burden onto the Princess’s shoulders, especially after Doctor Scopes had left her with the responsibility… that was not right.
But nonetheless, she still had to tell somepony... it was not like there was any way she could hide it, and after already being physically assaulted once by the unicorn, she was worried about what Rarity would do when she found out…
Swallowing with dread, Nurse Redheart made her decision.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Twilight was the only one left awake. Totally exhausted from the day’s events, Applebloom and Scootaloo slept beside her, curled up on the seat, and Spike, being the baby dragon he was, fell asleep not long afterwards, snoring at Twilight’s hooves and clutching his tail to his chest.
His snoring developed a rhythm, turning into white noise in the alicorn’s ears. She caught herself nodding off a few times, and it was getting harder and harder to stay awake. She often spent late nights reading or studying without much trouble, but there was no book in front of her right now to keep her mind occupied and alert.
She glanced down at Applebloom and Scootaloo, watching their chests rise and fall to the rhythm of Spike’s gentle snores. She was glad that the fillies were able to forget their worries long enough to get some much-needed rest; she hoped dearly, even if only for their sake, that Sweetie Belle would make it. The three fillies were inseparable. And as if that weren’t bad enough, she could only imagine what effect it would have on Rarity, her parents…
In the midst of her musings, Twilight did not even notice that she had fallen asleep. Her head lolled off to the side with her eyes closed, and a strand of drool dribbled from the corner of her mouth.
Somepony prodded her on the shoulder, and she awoke with a jerk. In front of her, Nurse Redheart stood with apprehension, eyeing the sleeping fillies and Spike warily. The nurse covered her mouth in a shushing gesture, and beckoned Twilight to follow her with a wave of her hoof.
Twilight looked to her left and right, easing off the bench as quietly as possible to prevent waking them up, and followed the nurse out of the room. Her stomach twinged; if Nurse Redheart wanted to tell her something in private, away from the fillies, it couldn’t be good.
She followed until they were far enough down the hallway to not be heard, and Nurse Redheart turned around. Twilight’s eyes were wide with concern.
“Yes, Nurse Redheart?”
The other mare gulped, licking her lips. She turned her gaze to the wall. “I have… good news, and bad news, Prin-Twilight.” She rubbed her right foreleg up and down with her left. It took her a few seconds to plan out what she was going to say before starting again. “The good news is that Sweetie Belle is responding well to the antivenom, and w-we are expecting her to make a recovery. She’ll be open to visitors by morning.”
Twilight’s face lit up with delight. Her wings did a tiny flutter with elation, and she exclaimed, “Oh, thank Celestia! That’s the best news I think I’ve ever heard! Oh, thank you thank you thank you!”
In a manner most unfitting of her regal status, she reached over and gave Nurse Redheart a bear hug, pulling her bodily towards herself. The nurse just stood there with shock for a second, but slowly brought a hoof up to hug the young Princess back until Twilight let go of her.
“Oh my gosh, this is such good news! I’m so… Nurse?” Twilight noticed how the nurse’s somber expression had not changed. That was when she remembered that there was another part to this, one Nurse Redheart had not yet told her. She bit her lip. “W-what’s the... bad news?”
Redheart looked up into Twilight’s inquiring eyes. Her left hoof went back to rubbing her right leg, and she almost seemed to wince in pain.
“After Sweetie Belle was bitten, somepony… somepony put a tourniquet on her leg…”
Twilight’s face lit up again, but this time, it was with horror. It was a commonly held myth that a tourniquet would stop the venom from a snakebite from spreading, but this was not true… Right away, her thoughts honed in on Applebloom; she remembered the filly looked different somehow, but until that moment, she had been unable to figure out why. It suddenly occurred to her that the girl’s bow was missing. Her heart sank in her chest as she made the connection.
Nurse Redheart continued. “It had been on her leg for a good while before we could get it off… it was pulled so tightly… and the girl’s leg, it… it became gangrenous from the lack of circulation.” She felt a knot of warm phlegm building up in her throat. “The tissue death became catastrophic, and… I’m so sorry Princess, but…”
Twilight already knew what she was going to say.
“…She’s going to lose her leg.”
Twilight was encountered with an onset of dizziness. She fell back onto her rump, holding her head in one foreleg. “Oh my gosh.”
Nurse Redheart bowed her head low. “Forgive me, Princess.”
“No. No, it’s not your fault,” she said with a shake of her head. “This is terrible… How long will the whole… process… take?”
“The process itself shouldn’t take very long, maybe around an hour or so, but the recovery… that will take much longer. At least until early tomorrow morning. She will not feel a thing, I assure you… I am so sorry.”
Twilight did not reply staring down at her own forelegs. She couldn’t imagine what her life would be like if she was missing one, but now, a filly she knew was going to have to face that reality every day.
“Nurse… are you sure that this must be done? Are you absolutely certain that there is no other way?”
Nurse Redheart winced. “Y-yes, we are sure. The gangrene has spread at an alarming rate, and we cannot risk having it spread past her leg. There’s already too much gone… they may be starting the surgery as we speak. I am sorry.” She pressed the hat harder to her chest.
As she was still processing the news, a thought continued to nag at Twilight. She remembered Apple Bloom’s missing hair ribbon, and the desire to test her suspicions became greater and greater until she finally asked, “By any chance, Nurse, did this tourniquet… was it a pink ribbon?”
Nurse Redheart cocked her head. “How did you know that?”
Twilight’s heart sank. She grimaced, saying with a shaky voice, “Because the ribbon belongs to Apple Bloom… Applejack’s little sister.”
Nurse Redheart nodded, closing her eyes. “Yes, I… I figured Applejack was behind it. So many ponies think it’s a good thing to do, but…” She trailed off.
“Yes, it’s a common myth. I’m sure she did it with the best intentions…”
Nurse Redheart breathed out, releasing all the air she had been holding in her lungs.
“Yes. And after everything else she did to save that filly’s life, after everything she did to help… she can never know. She did too much for that girl. I think… I think she deserves better than to know the truth.”
Hearing this, Twilight could already feel the dull ache of betrayal building in her bones. Holding a lifelong secret from one of her best friends was something she never wanted to do, and the very idea of it made her feel sick to her stomach. But what made it even worse was knowing that Nurse Redheart was right. If Applejack ever found out, she knew that the honest farm mare would never forgive herself. The blame would stick with her until the day she died.
“You’re right. We can never tell her.”
Her tone was final, confident, but the words tasted like arsenic on her tongue. Nurse Redheart sighed again, but said nothing.
The hallway lights flickered once, and a faint hum sounded from the ventilation shaft as the air conditioning kicked on. It was enough to fill the void of silence, but only for a moment.
“So…R-Rarity still doesn’t know?” Twilight probed, changing the subject.
Redheart cringed. “No. I have not told her yet. Or Applejack… Princess?” She shrank back, looking fearful. Twilight regarded her with a perplexed expression.
“Yes, Nurse Redheart?” she replied, ignoring the other mare’s reference to her royal title.
“Might I ask… could you please… assist me in telling everypony? I know it is a part of my job, to tell other ponies bad news, and that Doctor Scopes assigned me with the task, but…” She took off her cap, holding it to her chest again. “I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve never had to tell anypony something like this before. We’re not used to these sorts of cases here...”
Seeing how worried Nurse Redheart was, Twilight could not help but feel sympathy for the other mare. Knowing how emotionally vulnerable Rarity was, and how horrible this would be for Applebloom and Scootaloo, Nurse Redheart was faced with a scary prospect.
“Of course, Nurse. I will do my best.”
Nurse Redheart was elated. She tilted her head back with relief. “Th-thank you, Princess. It means a lot, it really does.”
Twilight chuckled despite the seriousness of the conversation. “For goodness sake, I’m years younger than you are, Nurse. You don’t have to call me ‘Princess’ just because I have wings now. Just Twilight, okay?” She requested with a disarming grin. The smile was contagious, and Nurse Redheart was soon grinning right back, a flush of red present on her white cheeks from embarrassment.
“Understood… Twilight.”
The purple alicorn walked up next to her, placing her wing on the Nurse’s shoulders. “Here, you can come back with me to the front and wait with us. I’ll help you when they get here, I promise.”
Her tone sounded jovial and easygoing. It was the best she could do to mask her own fear of what was to come.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Rarity’s tears had long since gone cold, evaporating off of her face until nothing but scarlet, salt-stained streaks were left behind. Applejack held onto her tight, keeping the exhausted unicorn’s body from falling to the mattress in a crumpled heap. Her friend’s breathing felt hot against her shoulder.
“You alright, hon?” Applejack whispered into her ear. Her hoof did not stop its gentle caress through her mane. Rarity’s nose dripped onto her orange fur.
“N-no. No, I’m not. Not until I know Sweetie Belle is safe,” she said with a solemn voice. “I don’t want her to die, Applejack.”
“Ah know, Rare. Ah know.” Applejack nuzzled Rarity’s neck. It was all she could say. “Nopony does.”
Rarity squirmed slightly in her grasp, causing Applejack to loosen her hold on the white unicorn as she readjusted her position, shuffling her hind legs to a more comfortable place on the mattress. Applejack took advantage of the moment to back away from Rarity until she was looking at her face to face.
“Do ya think you’re ready to come with me?” she asked.
A short pause ensued before Rarity reluctantly nodded her head yes.
“Okay, Rare. Here,” She picked up the sheets with her hoof. “Lemme help you get cleaned up a little.”
She brought the sheets up to Rarity’s face, but the other mare took them away from her. “No, no, that’s quite alright. I can do it myself.” She dabbed at her eyes and nose with the corner of the sheet. “Goodness, I must look terrible.”
Applejack chuckled. “You and me both, Rare.” She turned around and hopped off the edge of the bed, feeling a tingle travel through her legs as the circulation came back to her limbs. They had been sitting in the same spot for a long time.
“Okay, Rare. Ah’ll walk with you.” She held up a helping hoof. The white unicorn took it and eased herself down from the bed. When she was side by side with Applejack, she turned around and embraced her again.
“Applejack… You’re the best friend anypony could ever hope to have.” She felt another tear coming, but she whisked it away. “Thank you so much.”
Applejack blushed. “D-Don’t need to thank me. Ah’m just doing what I gotta do.”
“Stop that,” Rarity said with exasperation. “You’re a hero, Applejack. If Sweetie Belle survives, it’s because of you. And if there is anything I can ever do in repayment…”
Applejack rejected the offer outright. “No. Never. Ah’ll never ask you to do that.”
Rarity smiled inwardly. She knew Applejack would turn her down, but she had every intention to repay her anyway. She did not know when the day would come, but the first chance she got, she would take it.
“I know, I know. But you are a hero. Don’t doubt that, please.”
Applejack rolled her eyes, but her lips parted into a wide grin. “Alright. Whatever you say, Rare.” She took her by the hoof, leading Rarity to the door. “Come on.”
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
All it took was an especially loud snore from the sleeping baby dragon to jolt Scootaloo awake.
The pegasus filly’s eyes panned around the room. She could see it was still dark outside, and that Applebloom had fallen asleep right next to her. Her ears perked up and angled themselves in the direction of Spike’s snoring, which was getting louder by the second, and she popped her head up to get a closer look. The sound of a log being sawn in half greeted her ears each time he stretched his mouth open to take in a breath. She sighed with irritation and plopped the side of her head back down onto the cushioned seat. There were many downsides to being a light sleeper. She had no idea how Twilight could possibly put up with sleeping with him every night…
Her head popped back up, looking at the vacant space on her left. There was an indentation in the seat from where Twilight had been sitting, but she was gone. Scootaloo stared at the dent on the cushion, confirming that she wasn’t crazy and that Twilight had indeed been there, before she stood up on the seat.
Applebloom was a light sleeper herself, and the sound of Scootaloo’s stirring was enough to wake her up. She noticed Scootaloo was about to jump down onto the floor, and she reached a groggy hoof over to her, touching her on the leg. Scootaloo whirled around, inhaling sharply.
“Whaa! Oh, it’s you…” She said in a low voice. Applebloom pushed herself up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“Scoot… what’re you doin’?” She yawned. Her eyes were half closed. Scootaloo stepped aside, cocking her head at the spot on the seat where Twilight had been before.
“Twilight’s gone. I’m gonna go see where she is.” Her statement was very matter-of-fact. Applebloom looked at the indicated spot, and sure enough, what Scootaloo said was true. Nonetheless, she pushed herself up and grabbed hold of Scootaloo’s tail with her mouth just as the filly was about to leave.
“Scoot, wrait!” She said under her breath, her friend’s tail in her mouth. “Twiright said ta stay hewer!”
Scootaloo groaned. “Sheesh, since when did you become such a goody-pony? I’m just going down the hall, relax.”
Applebloom spat Scootaloo’s tail out of her mouth. “Nah, it ain’t a good idea… we might already be in trouble for leavin’ earlier…”
Scootaloo shrugged it off. “I’m the one who’s gonna check it out, not you. You don’t have to worry about it.”
But—but…” Applebloom stuttered, but when she thought about it, it made sense. She pouted in defeat. “Fine. Ah still don’t think ya should… ugh, whatever. But only check down the hall, okay? Ah don’t want ya to get in trouble…”
Scootaloo smirked. “Nah, don’t worry ‘bout me.” She gave her a sheepish smile. “This one’s all on me.”
She jumped down, but just as she was about to go, she froze. “Do you hear that? Is somepony coming?”
Applebloom listened along with Scootaloo, and sure enough, somepony was approaching down the hallway. “Yeah I hear it, too… I think she’s coming back.”
As soon as her suspicions were affirmed, Scootaloo abandoned ship and jumped back onto the seat. She laid back down, curling up in the same place she had been before.
“Shh, pretend you’re asleep!” She advised her friend with a harsh whisper. Applebloom followed along, laying back down and shut her eyes, trying to relax every muscle in her body to give the convincing impression that she was asleep.
They could hear not one, but two ponies coming into the room, the overlapping of hoofsteps on the hard tiles giving them a clear indication. Applebloom took a peek through a pair of fluttering eyelashes, but she couldn’t see anypony directly in front of her. She closed them again.
They were almost right next to them, and neither filly moved a muscle. In all honesty, Applebloom didn’t really know why she was pretending to be asleep in the first place. She almost wanted to jump up and shout “Surprise!” but she held her breath, forcing herself not to take another peek.
A wave of cool air suddenly wafted over her head, tickling the tips of her ears.
“Y’all didn’t tell me you found my hat.”
Applebloom instantly dropped her façade. She and Scootaloo opened their eyes.
Applejack and Rarity stood right there, watching them both with amused grins. Applejack was fanning Applebloom with the bill of her cowboy hat. “Ah found this beauty under the bench.” She messed up Applebloom’s mane with her other hoof playfully. “Y’all should’ve told me ya found it!”
Applebloom simpered at her older sister. “Yeah, I guess it just kinda fell under the bench somehow. My bad, sis.”
Applejack shook her head with good humor. “Eh, I’m just playin’ with ya. But,” her voice was stern now, “Ah can usually tell when somepony’s fakin’ being asleep. Especially you. Don’t think Ah don’t ever know,” she teased her little sister.
Applebloom called back a memory from the week before, when her sister had checked up on her to see if she was really asleep after she tried to stay up all night reading a Daring Do book. She’d been faking it then, too…
“Heheh… yeah.” Applebloom laughed nervously. Applejack gave her a knowing grin.
“Water under the bridge, sis.” She gave her one last pat on the head. She was about to say something more when Rarity jabbed her on the foreleg.
“Shh, quiet… I don’t think Spikey’s faking it…”
Her word of warning came in too late. Spike’s snoring stopped abruptly, and he showed off his reptilian fangs in a gaping yawn, stretching out his arms as he came awake. Applejack cringed.
“Oops… sorry.” Her ears fell back on her head. Rarity found herself mesmerized for a moment by Spike’s razor sharp incisors, teeth she knew could crack hard gemstones with little effort, before he closed his mouth again.
“Uhh… what’s going on…?” He drawled in a manner that suggested he was still half-asleep, smacking his lips. When his eyes opened, Rarity, Applejack, and the two fillies were looking right back at him.
“Oh… oh! I, um…” He forgot his grogginess instantly, shaking himself like a dog before getting to his feet. He scratched the back of his scaly neck with his claws. “H-hey, guys. Hey, Rarity…”
Rarity laughed inwardly at the fact he had singled her out of the group. “Hello, Spike. Sorry we woke you. Some of us weren’t so… considerate.” She looked over at Applejack. The farm pony gave her a sheepish smile.
“Nah, no big deal. I’m used to Twilight waking me up in the middle of the night all the time when she’s studying…” Spike glanced over at where Twilight had been sitting next to him, only to see that she wasn’t there. He raised his eyebrows. “Speaking of Twilight… where did she go? Is she behind you?” He stood up on tiptoe to get a better look.
“Yeah, I don’t know where she went. You were snoring so loud you woke me up, and when I looked around, Twilight was gone.” Scootaloo was speaking now. “She just kinda disappeared.”
Applejack pursed her lips in thought. “Hold on there, Scoot. Are you sure Twilight didn’t tell y’all anything? That’s not like her to just leave you guys alone like that…”
“Sorry, everypony. I was… otherwise occupied.”
They all whirled around at the sound of Twilight’s voice. Their friend stood in the mouth of the hallway, with Nurse Redheart by her side. The alicorn cleared her throat.
“Ahem, eh… Sorry, Applejack. I know I probably shouldn’t have left them all alone again, but this was important.” She gestured to Nurse Redheart with a cock of her head.
Everybody’s eyes gravitated toward the nurse. Rarity’s stomach did a somersault.
“Oh my goodness… Sweetie Belle…?” she squeaked. Her legs shivered as she approached the nurse. They both nodded.
“Yes…” Nurse Redheart gulped. Everypony’s eyes were glued on her, awaiting the final verdict that would determine Sweetie Belle’s fate. “I am very glad to inform you all that Sweetie Belle’s condition is stabilizing. She has responded well to the antivenom we have administered so far. We are expecting her to recover by tomorrow morning.”
No sooner had these words left her mouth than the entire room gave a collective exhale of joyous relief. Applejack’s hat had only been on her head for a moment before she took it right back off, pressing it to her heart as a gesture of the utmost thanks, and Applebloom and Scootaloo’s eyes filled with happy tears. Behind them, Spike’s face was plastered with a toothy grin.
But their reactions paled in comparison to Rarity’s. With a loud cry of euphoria, the unicorn ran forward and smothered Nurse Redheart in a tremendous bear hug. She nearly lifted the shocked nurse off the ground in her excitement.
“Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank Celestia! Thank you thank you thank you…” She swung the nurse bodily from side to side. Nurse Redheart was powerless to resist, letting Rarity toss her this way and that with her front hooves immobilized in the other mare’s grasp. When Rarity finally let go, she sat down on the floor, breathing heavily and beaming at Nurse Redheart with an expression of pure joy.
But despite delivering the wonderful news, the nurse had hardly cracked a smile. Neither had Twilight. In fact, both of their faces were turned away, as if ashamed to look her, or any of them, in the eye.
Something was not right. In the matter of only a few seconds, all of her former exuberance washed away. Her hope-filled eyes slowly lost their radiance.
“Nurse… Twilight, what’s wrong?”
Nurse Redheart exchanged glances with Twilight. The purple alicorn gave the other mare a single nod, and with a deep breath, began to speak.
“Rarity… Sweetie Belle’s… she is going to recover, but… it’s not going to be a full recovery—”
“What is it? What’s the matter with Sweetie?” Rarity snapped at her, rising with apprehension to her hooves. “What do you mean, ‘not a full recovery’?”
Twilight was about to answer when Nurse Redheart held a hoof to her mouth.
“Rarity, please listen. Sweetie Belle is still going to be the same filly as she was before, but… there’s no other way I can say this, miss…”
“Say what? What are you talking about?” Rarity raised her voice. Nurse Redheart flinched, but she stood her ground.
“The leg that was bitten… it developed gangrene, and… I don't know how else to say this, but... she’s not going to be able to keep it.”
Every muscle in the nurse’s body tensed up. The statement was uncompromising, unwavering. Absolute.
The hat fell from Applejack’s grasp. Stunned speechlessness prevailed until the fillies started to cry.
“No.” Rarity breathed out the word. “No. That’s not… there’s, there has to be something else.” Her fur stood on end as a chill settled onto her like frost.
“The procedure is already occurring as we speak… she’ll die if this does not happen. I wish there was another way, but… I offer my sincerest apologies, miss.”
“No. No.” Images were conjured in her mind of her sister lying on a table, with a doctor standing over her unresponsive body, saw in hoof…
Her eyes rolled back into her head as the world spun around her. She slumped back onto the floor, trying to rid herself of the images that were flooding her imagination, but to no avail.
“It’s not… no. No.” Her chest rose and fell with hysterical breaths.
The saw placed against flesh, sliding back and forth…
She gagged. Somebody cried for a bucket.
Back and forth…
Uncontrollable shivering wracked her entire body. She cowered in a ball on the floor, head hidden in her forelegs.
The grinding of serrated metal against bone…
She retched. Somepony tugged on her mane, lifting her head. She felt the rim of a bucket being placed under her chin.
Blade coated red with blood, grinding against bone, back and forth…
She heaved.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Twilight ignored the awful sounds reverberating around the walls of the metal pail as she held Rarity’s head up with her magic. She placed a comforting wing around the unicorn’s back, rubbing it up and down while Nurse Redheart held onto the bucket.
There was very little for Rarity’s stomach to get rid of, but she continued to heave until absolutely nothing was left. Applejack had taken a hold of the girls and Spike, giving every effort to comfort them while her friend coughed and sputtered a few meters away. The fillies cried softly into Applejack’s chest while Spike watched the scene before him with horrified fascination.
Rarity heaved one last time. It was dry; there was nothing left for her to purge. Saliva leaking into the bucket, she rested the underside of her chin on the rim. Soft breathing echoed off of the pail’s hard metal surface.
Twilight ran a hoof over the top of Rarity’s head like she was petting a dog. Rarity was motionless save the nearly imperceptible expansion of her ribcage as she breathed. If Twilight let go of the unicorn’s mane, there would be nothing stopping her head from falling in. Rarity was spent.
“It’s okay,” Twilight cooed. “Just relax, Rarity. You're okay.”
Nurse Redheart looked away from the bottom of the bucket, holding it under Rarity’s head just in case. Once a minute had passed, she put her head next to Rarity’s ear.
“Do you think it’s okay if I take away the bucket, now?” she asked with a low voice. The other mare did not respond for quite some time, but eventually, her head bobbed up and down in a silent yes.
“Do you think you can sit up?”
Another nod. Nurse Redheart pulled the bucket away, holding it tight in her hooves and setting it with great care a little ways away. With Twilight’s help, Rarity was able to sit up on the floor, albeit with her head hung low. She took slow, steady breaths, eyes closed like she was asleep.
“I’m going to go wash this. Just stay where you are.” Nurse Redheart instructed despite the fact that Rarity did not seem like she was going anywhere anytime soon. She grabbed the handle of the bucket in her mouth and walked away, careful not to let it swing from side to side.
The only sound left in the room was the occasional sob from Applebloom and Scootaloo. Applejack was just as shocked by the news as they were, but she buried her feelings deep within, whispering comforting words to them both. But no matter what she said, she knew, and they knew, that Cutie Mark Crusading would never be the same again.
Twilight moved closer to Rarity, taking a better look at her face. The white unicorn’s eyes had not opened, and if she had not seen her awake only moments ago, she would have supposed her to be asleep. Her wing wrapped all the way around the exhausted mare’s back.
“I’m so sorry, Rarity. I… I wish there was something else, but… Sweetie Belle is… she’s going to be the same pony she was before. I can’t imagine how hard this is going to be, to adjust to something so awful, but… she’s… I’m sorry. I’m probably just making things worse,” she gave up with a small moan of frustration. She cursed her inability to form the right words...
But Rarity, in the faintest of voices, refuted her.
“No.”
Twilight’s ears, which had fallen back on her head, perked right back up. "Uh... no, what?"
“No. You… You’re right,” Rarity said in a hoarse voice. She coughed, hacking up leftover acid which was sticking to the back of her throat. “Sweetie Belle… she’s still my little sister. You’re right, Twilight. And now…” She took in more air in her lungs, steeling herself. “…she’s going to need me now more than ever. And this time, I swear… I’m going to be there for her. Every step of the way, I’m going to be there, if that’s what it takes.”
Twilight found herself looking at Rarity face to face. The other mare’s eyes were dry, the tears evaporated by the fire of determination which blazed underneath.
“And even though this is going to happen…she’s going to live. She’s getting a second chance. I’m getting a second chance. And… I’m not going to waste it.”
From the other side of the room, Applejack was smiling.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The last of the rainclouds rolled away long ago, and the darkest part of the night was coming to an end as the first rays of sunlight tinted the eastern horizon a pinkish hue. The birds sang the first of their welcoming songs from the treetops, picking up in tempo and volume as the sun climbed higher and higher over Equestria.
Rarity watched as the night turned to day from her place against the wall. On the bench across from her, Applejack laid with Applebloom under her foreleg, fast asleep. Scootaloo had taken a place next to Spike in slumber, and even Twilight had not been able to resist the allure of rest, passing out at her side.
But not her. Anticipation and anxiety made closing her eyes a futile effort. The white unicorn’s focus drifted all around the room, and while her body was still, her mind was on edge. She rehearsed what she was going to say to her little sister, trying to form the right words in her brain, but nothing seemed to suffice.
The clip-clop of hooves on linoleum tile. Somepony was coming. Her focus became riveted to the open hall.
A stallion entered. He was wearing a pair of round spectacles and a white lab coat over his gamboge fur. He also wore a stethoscope around his neck, which, Rarity noticed, was identical to the one adorning his flank. He looked around the room.
“Err…ahem.” He cleared his throat. It had the desired effect, and within moments, Rarity could see everyone’s eyes beginning to twitch and flicker as they came awake. The stallion smiled.
“I apologize for having to wake you. I realize you must have had quite the long night,” he said. Twilight’s head, which had been resting on her chest, jerked up as she became aware of somepony talking in the room, and Applejack nudged her sister along with Scootaloo and Spike to get them up.
“Are you…” Rarity inhaled sharply with realization. The orange stallion nodded.
“Yes, I am Doctor Scopes. I’ve been the one working on Sweetie Belle for the last day, and…” He adjusted his spectacles as he looked at her. “Correct me if I am wrong, but are you her sister? I see the family resemblance…”
Rarity nodded emphatically. “Yes, yes, I am. How is she doing?” she questioned him with great impatience, sitting on the edge of her seat. Everypony else, now awake, followed suit, until all eyes were on the Doctor. He removed his spectacles.
“Ah, yes. That is why I am here, after all.” He took a cloth from out of the pocket in his lab coat, polishing his spectacles. “I am pleased to say that Sweetie Belle is remarkable stable, considering the circumstances of her arrival here, but…” He placed his spectacles back on his snout, his face making a pained expression. “… as you know, she has just undergone a process that is quite taxing on the body. As such, she is not quite back to normal yet, but seeing as she has gone through numerous hours of rest since the end of the procedure… I think it is a good idea for her to see familiar faces when she awakes.”
Rarity’s heart leapt into her neck. At last, the moment she had been waiting for all this time had come.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
So why was she so afraid?
She and all the others traversed the hallways behind Doctor Scopes. Applejack had to hold her sister and Scootaloo back to prevent them from rocketing ahead out of excitement from seeing their friend again.
They walked past the very same room she had been in with Applejack, continuing far down the hallway. Rarity’s trepidation increased with every second that passed, but she nonetheless pressed on ahead of the rest.
Doctor Scopes brought them to the end of the hall and turned right. For a brief moment, he was lost to sight, but when she rounded the corner, he was standing beside one of the room doors a few steps away.
“This is the one,” he said. She froze, causing Twilight to nearly walk into her. Right here, on the other side of this door. This was it.
“Now, be careful not to startle her,” he instructed them. “The anesthesia is wearing off fast, but she is most likely still asleep. I’ll be right behind you all.”
He opened the door. Mustering up all her courage, Rarity walked in.
A line of identically shaped oscillations traveled across the screen of a heartbeat monitor which beeped a steady rhythm at the side of the bed. A nurse pony stood at the front side of the room, tending to an IV bag which was emplaced in Sweetie’s remaining foreleg. Upon seeing the visitors, she gave them a tiny smile in greeting, moving out of the way.
But Rarity noticed none of this. The only thing she saw in front of her was her sister Sweetie Belle, lying under the covers in the center of the bed. To Rarity, her face, with her eyes and mouth closed in peaceful sleep, seemed to radiate its own light. But as her eyes traveled down her sister’s body, she saw it. At the spot below her neck, where her right foreleg was supposed to be, there was nothing left but a tiny, bandaged stump. At the sight, the very warmth of her blood seemed stowed away.
The rest of her companions walked into the room after her. Applebloom and Scootaloo wore excited grins, but as soon as their friend’s injury came into view, their grins disappeared.
“A-Applejack… is that…” Applebloom whispered to her big sister, pointing her hoof at Sweetie Belle’s bandaged stump. Applejack confirmed her sister’s suspicions with a single, curt nod. The little yellow filly covered her mouth in shock.
“Oh my gosh…” she said into her hoof. Scootaloo, who was standing right next to her, could no longer bear to look at it, turning her face away.
In less than a minute, Sweetie Belle’s eyes could be seen moving underneath her closed lids, and the filly’s face twitched. Rarity’s legs trembled from both elation and fear, moving to the left side of the bed and standing so that she was next to Sweetie Belle’s face, on the opposite side of her missing limb. The rest of them stayed behind, even the Doctor, giving the two sisters some room out of respect.
The unicorn filly’s eyes flickered once, twice, and then opened.
For a few moments, she only stared straight up at the ceiling. Nothing in the room made a sound except for the steady beep of the heart monitor on the other side of the room.
“Sweetie…” Rarity dared to whisper to the little filly on the bed. Sweetie Belle’s pupils dilated with the familiar voice, and her head rolled over to look her big sister for the first time.
“Hey, Sweetie? It’s me. It’s Rarity.” She said with tenderness dripping from her voice. Sweetie Belle looked confused for a second, but her mouth opened in a ghost of a smile.
“Rarity?” she squeaked. The elder unicorn nodded happily.
“Yes, Sweetie.”
The corners of Sweetie Belle's lips stretched out into a smile. Her tired eyes sparked to life.
“H-hey, Rarity,” she said, closing her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. Rarity smiled right back at her, feeling unable to contain the excitement that was surging through her.
“Hey, Sweetie. H-how are you feeling, darling?” she asked, petting Sweetie Belle's foreleg with a hoof.
The filly’s smile faded slightly. She closed her eyes, turning away from her older sister. “Not… not very good,” she croaked. “Really… woozy.”
Hearing this, Rarity reached over and touched Sweetie Belle on the forehead, checking for fever. There was none. Satisfied, she ran the hoof over her sister’s cheek.
“Don’t worry about that. That’s just the anesthesia wearing off, darling. You’ll feel better soon.”
Sweetie Belle’s eyes shot back open. She looked at her sister, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Ane…what’s that?” She asked in a daze. Rarity could not help but chuckle at her sister’s childlike innocence.
“Well, it’s… it’s what they give to ponies during surgery…”
Without warning, Rarity stopped speaking. She realized, too late, what she had revealed. She felt like a sledgehammer had knocked all of the air from her lungs.
Sweetie Belle’s innocent eyes gazed up at her with worry and befuddlement. “Sur…Surgery?”
Everypony in the room could only stare at them in horrified silence. Rarity nodded her head, biting her lip until she could taste blood.
“Yes. S-surgery for…for…” She tried to come up with something, anything that would delay the devastating revelation, but to no avail. As a last defense against the inevitable, she closed her mouth and stopped speaking.
Only for one moment, Rarity’s eyes traveled down the filly’s body to glance at her severed leg. Before she could correct her mistake, Sweetie Belle followed her big sister’s gaze until it had settled upon that same spot on the bed. The spot where her leg was supposed to be, but wasn’t.
Sweetie fixed it with a blank stare.
“R-Rar-ity…” she stuttered. The space between each pulse on the monitor screen went from long to short. “Wh-what… where’s…”
Rarity’s heart felt like it was going to burst in her chest. The harlequin eyes of her baby sister expanded with terror as she saw the bandages. There was no hiding the truth, now.
"I know, Sweetie, I know..."
“Rarity…” Sweetie's voice cracked, as if pleading for help. The filly’s eyes darted around, and her head rocked back and forth as she frantically searched the bed. Rarity clasped a hoof over Sweetie's remaining leg.
“Yes, Sweetie. I’m here. Rarity’s here...” She was holding back tears, trying to remain strong for her sister. “I’m here.”
“It’s… It’s gone…” Sweetie Belle shivered. “It’s gone, Rarity…”
Rarity grasped her hoof tighter. “I know… Oh Sweetie…” she whimpered, “I’m so sorry, Sweetie. I’m so sorry…”
“It’s gone,” the filly cried again, on the verge of hysteria. The monitor beeped rapidly. “I-It’s gone! R-Rarity!”
It was in this moment, when the cries of shock and despair reached her ears, that Rarity realized something… there was nothing left she could say. The apologies she rehearsed, the words she had meant to say, all of it… it no longer mattered. There were no words that could take her sister’s pain away.
So she did the only thing left she could do. Reaching over the side of the bed, she locked her hooves around her sister’s quivering form, hugging the filly's broken body for all she was worth.
“It’s okay, Sweetie. Rarity’s here, Rarity’s got you.” She used one hoof to cradle her sister’s head like she was holding a mewling newborn foal. “Rarity’s got you.”
And I’ll never leave you again.
Sweetie’s sobs turned to wails in her embrace. Rarity wrapped herself protectively around her baby sister, rocking her back and forth. She could not hear her friend’s cries behind her, nor could she hear the incessant beeping of the heartbeat monitor. To her, nothing else existed but the weeping filly in her grasp.
“Rarity,” Sweetie cried out for help. “Rarity…”
Rarity ran her face through Sweetie’s mane. "I'm not going anywhere, Sweetie. I promise. Shh..." She kissed the top of her head. “I've got you. I promise, Sweetie, I promise. I’m not going to leave you.”
Never.
Something pressed against the back of her neck. She turned her head.
Sweetie Belle, with her remaining leg, was clinging onto Rarity’s neck, returning her big sister’s embrace.
Rarity broke. Her cries became indistinguishable with Sweetie’s as the two sisters clung to one another on the hospital bed. Rarity gasped out one last thing into her sister’s ear before sobs rendered her unable to speak.
“I love you... Sweetie, I—love you.”
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Dammit, once again the feels got to me. Well done and congrats on completing this story. Can we get a Spike-centric story?
Was almost expecting an explanation for scootaloos behavior
3072283
Future story, perhaps?
3072288 works for me
God damn, did I love this story.
You're one of the best writers that I've seen when it comes to showing emotion through words. Besides the praise, I feel like there should be some kind of epilogue to show the repercussions of Sweetie having to live with losing a leg.
3072288 Sweet Celestia, make it happen
pssst....sequel
I'd love to see a little epilogue about Sweetie running with the crusaders with them, or even Rarity making her a new leg. It'd finish the story off perfectly in my view.
P.S THE FEELS!!!
This TOTALLY needs an epilogue.
I half-expected Redheart to jump out and yell "April Foal's!" when they were all sleeping in the room, and then say she was kidding and Sweetie Belle was really okay and back at Carousel Boutique. But it didn't happen
Loved the story. Sequel. Epilogue. SOMETHING.
Poor Sweetie Belle... I could... barely restrain a sob.
My God... That was just... There really aren't words..,
You did an AMAZING job with this story! I mean, the way you got inside everypony's heads felt so natural, so real. The way Sweetie Belle tried to help, the broken dresses, the terror of the snake bite... It just all felt so real. That's the kind of writing I aspire to do.
I have to give you kudos on the ending there. Taking her leg... That's just... So horrific... Part of me wants to call you a monster for doing it. She's an innocent little pony, this sort of thing isn't supposed to happen to her!! Yet it carries a harsh truth that most of us (thankfully) never have to face. Bad things are going to happen, and they don't always need to. Making it Applejack's fault just hits us so much harder. She did everything to save Sweetie Belle, but her own mistake crippled the filly for life. It's just...
I don't usually leave reviews anymore, even for a good story. It's something I've been meaning to change. This story is just over the top perfect in so many ways. Good job, and I can't wait to read more of you!
Congratulations. This story has good enough grammar to be added to the Good Grammar Directory, a comprehensive directory of grammatically correct stories on FIMFiction.
Damn, this was just.... beautiful.
nnnffghh The whole incident, the turnout, I just. Feels. Feels everywhere.
But yeah, you left the Scootaloo plot thread untied.
The feels.... man the feels....
That was a great story and I don't know what else to say. So I will post a cute sweetie belle picture.
fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/334/3/a/sweetie_belle_and_her_milkshake__3_by_rhubarb_leaf-d5mma74.png
A well done story, but I was kind of expecting an epilogue at the least, to show us how Sweetie adapted to no leg. Still a fav and like though.
3072283 Eh, If I had to take a guess, it's probably because she was in the hospital for her wings, and they told her everything was going to be alright, and then it turned out she could never fly.
I'm mixed on this ending.
On the one hand, I do love the idea. Sweetie Belle losing her leg is a very unexpected and gut wrenching turn, and really adds some real punch to the story that Rarity's actions have unfair permanent consequences. That right there is real tragedy, and it works wonders on that level.
However, I take real issue with the story ending where it does. I really hope there will be a sequel, because this ending laves too much unexplored. when something like this happens, we need to see how the characters are going to deal with it in the long run, otherwise it feels cheap and manipulative. Worst of all, Sweetie Belle's pain is horribly underplayed, and I felt like we should have seen more of her reaction. She is the victim, yet we mostly see Rarity's reaction and not hers beyond the initial shock, which really hurt the story for me.
I also feel like there should be a sequel because of all of the loose ends, mostly regarding Sweetie Belles' troubles, Scootaloo's behavior and Appleblooms mistake. Heck, all of those could make a strong story on their own.
so hard to not cry
Dat ending...
. What a story though. Sad to see it end but really good none the less. You should really do a sequel about the aftermath and Sweeties new life without a limb.
i will never get over the intitial shock of that but i am one of those people who write stories of their own inside the imagination. thanks for the ispiration and the sadness and hoof covers bruises better be just as great
and what inspired this?
and why is this so violent?
I did shed a few man-tears while reading the story. It's very well written, probably being one of the best stories I've read at least in a long time.
GAH! ok I'm glad that's over with, I had to alternate reading this and watching Animaniacs just to avoid crying.
So this story was labeled as a "Slice of Life". Wouldn't it be more accurate to call it a "Slice of Sweetie"?
oops, shit, how'd i fuck this up. I posted a comment on the wrong story. Sorry bout that.
;_;
Don't get down on your work so hard, this story gave more tears then any I have ever read on this site. Rarity's confession to AJ, and the entire last chapter. My god I feel like I might never be happy again. It has been said that the true goal of any artist is to invoke emotions through their work, and in that way you passed in spades. I haven't been so depressed by a story in ages, and it's always a nice feeling. The emotional connection we can feel towards fantasy characters, merely through words on a screen.
You are a credit to the writers of this fandom, and don't you ever forget that!
-Lumino
three tears....you made me shed three tears, I salute you
This was really good. I came here since the fic Hoof Covered Marks was an indirect sequel and I hate reading fics out of order. I'm glad I gave this fic a go. I can't wait to see how Scoots fic ties into this and how this impacts Sweets in the fics to come. I really hope this becomes a series since it has a lot of promise.
This fic reminded me of a moment in my life. It was Christmas and I was outside. I heard sirens and there were ambulances pulling up in my driveway. My dad was carrying my brother an there was blood dripping off of my dad. Later on they told me he had his thumb cut off because of the bones. Miraculously it grew back even though I thought it was natural. They told me it wasn't. His new thumb is half as big as his old one and I don't think it will ever grow. Aw memories
even though it was horrible. I can't help but smile.
Now, as you know, I said I had not read this when I started going through Hoof Covers Bruises. The reason being, I believe it was incomplete at the time I read Black Eye, so I left it alone for later. When I did take a gander, I scanned the comments, like an idiot, and learned of Sweetie Belle's fate long before I read the first word. That and the gore tag pretty much erased the interest I had in reading this.
You already know why I did decide to read, so I won't repeat the reasoning here, but now that it's all been digested... I dunno, man. Maybe it's my habit of getting emotionally invested in a sad/tragedy-fic, even one like this where I knew of the loss of limb beforehand, but this was just so hard to read. Painful. It's like watching an old movie or cartoon that you've seen before, just wishing events would play out differently to avoid a terrible conclusion you don't want to sit through again. You ended it the way you did for a reason, of course. Maybe the way you struck a chord with me simply means it was a well-written tragedy? I dunno, but the fact that Sweetie Belle didn't need to lose her leg if Applejack didn't put the tourniquet on is just maddening. Honestly, I don't blame Rarity for the way things turned out. I blame Applejack
I mean, I enjoyed reading this, but it nevertheless left a terribly sour taste in my mouth now that things have had time to digest. Tragedy, indeed, for a young filly to have this happen to her. I'm not going to dictate how your stories should play out and have both Applejack and Sweetie Belle come to the realization down the road of -why- the limb had to be removed (and subsequently have Sweetie forgiving Applejack for doing what she felt was the best thing to save Sweetie's life, and, y'know, Applejack eventually forgiving herself), but it's something I'll be hoping for, anyways.
Reading this has not dismantled my interest in your story-canon, but goddamn, it was powerful. I just hope we can learn in Hoof Covers Bruise that Sweetie is at least able to manage to get around on her own. Or, better yet, get some automail on that filly!
Chapter 6.
Quote:
This is when the watery eyes turned to man-tears. Good job.
*Loses all composure*
b...b....but swee..swee..
*Curls up in a ball crying, his normal muffin tossing behavior
gone*
Its too sad!!
*He sobs, gently dropping muffins on the floor as he cries*
I suffered.... so much feels from this..............
I think that ruined my day
Just a warning, but you're not allowed to have pics in the description thus the "approved" Twily one needs to go else you might get a warning by a mod. I had to do the same too with two of my fics. A shame with this adorable pic. :/
Sad bittersweet ending. Lovely story regardless.
Twilight needs to rig up an enchanted prosthetic now.
Oh boy,.. where to even start? You have accomplished what has on;y been done twice in my life, brought me to tears over a story. And given that fact, it's a damn good story.
Okay, the characterization is spot on. The plot is believe-able, and then and isn't the cliché "She wakes up and everything's fine" or "she tragically dies". It's a perfect ending.
You sir, are an inspiration to me.
Thank you.
*Looks at description*
Well, this looks interesting...
*Reads story*
imageshack.us/a/img37/6272/br.gif
Truly great!
To the author of this amazing story.
This was one of the greatest fanfictions I have ever read. It was so amazing, heartwarming, depressing, caressing, and so SO much more. You obviously have a talent for this, and I'm deeply surprised it only has 150 or so likes when it should have 1000.
This story made me feel so much. It drew feeling out of me, which not many do. Anger. Sadness. Glee. Humor. Let me explain why. What you wrote was so so spot on, it angered me. I mean mostly with Scootaloo and Applebloom, who's best friend could be dying in the other room. And all the adults do is lie and tell them to, "Stay put." Which is exactly what they would do if this really happened. Because adults are assholes. Sadness? Well, implied. Obviously. I could really feel their emotions as they ran into the prospect of losing their own friend. Humor and glee is also obvious. But what got to me so much was your ending. I almost wanted Sweetie belle to die. Because It proves that almost everything is too perfect, and that's not how it works in life. The bittersweet ending showed this well enough, and that you were not too afraid to deviate from the norm.
Everyone was perfectly in character and I can't find many flaws other than a few odd sentence structures.
9.8/10 would read again.
There will most certainly be a short few scenes involving an event like this in my ponyfic.
-
"As personal Operator to Celestia and the Royal Family, I can wholeheartedly assure you, (grieving pony's name, probably a parent or sibling), that when I track down the little bitch that did this to her, I will do terrible, demonic things to him. Rest assured that he will never see the light of day again, once I put him in my special hole."
-
Oh yes. That will definitely be going in.
3897689
Cool.
3892873
I am glad you enjoyed it. I gotta say that I feel like this is probably my best story, despite the fact that I wrote this when I wasn't as good of a writer. I'm glad the ending came through for you, and again, I thank you for giving this story such high praise. It means a lot.
This story is insanely cute, and sad at the same time, brilliant story my friend.
This is a great example of why character trumps plot. The story was extremely predictable, down to the extent of Sweeties injuries, but it was so well written, and the characters so well portrayed that i was enormously engaged.
It felt like the world was bigger than the fic, with Scoots ofd behaviour, and many other smaller details. I do sort of wish I'd seen what would have happened if AJs mistake became known. Morbid, i know, but I'm a lover of tragedy.
Great, great story <3
Oh. My. God. I swear, this is one of the best sad stories I have read on this site. So flawlessly written. I congratulate you on that Arwhale.
I LOVED this story, for some reason.
I remember reading this on fanfiction and adding it to my favorites there. I am more than glad to do so again here.
This is one of the best sad stories I have read in MLP fiction.
I read only this chapter out of the whole story.
And even then, I cried hard and long
TAKE MY LIKES, YOU CRUEL PERSON!