She had a heart attack?! Cookie repeated in her mind. The news completely overwhelmed her with a cold chill slithering into her heart, causing it to thunder against her chest. Never before had she felt the repeated pounding. The feeling that her heart was going to rip from her rib cage. The gasps for air that repeatedly assaulted her lungs for anything that could get her to breathe again.

It was near paralyzing. When the voice over the phone had told her such news, she was stunned. Petrified with the horror that the only pony she had left was going to die and she was powerless to stop it.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been standing with the phone in her hooves, as the news slowly sunk in. A few seconds? A minute? Longer, maybe? She couldn’t tell how much passage of time had moved. The voice repeated itself in Cookie’s ear, asking if she was okay and if she was still there, but she couldn’t hear it. She could only hear the repeated sentence over and over.

She ran out of the house as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn’t even bother hanging up the phone. Not a thought came to her mind about it to turn back and make sure or even to care. Her mind spun in confused, distraught chaos as she rushed past pony after pony, making her way to the supermarket.

Two miles of running non-stop would have caused exhaustion in anypony. And maybe it did her as well. Cookie didn’t know. All she knew was that she had to get to the supermarket.

Peachbottom’s car would still be there. She needed to get to the hospital and she needed to see Peachbottom. As she ran, her mind was clouded with the thought of her Peachbottom, lying in a bed, tubes sticking out of her and machines pumping life into her.

The thought was crippling, almost enough to bring her to her knees. Yet, she still stood and kept running. Peachbottom needed her and she wasn’t going to let her down again. Pushing all her thoughts aside, she pretended that everything would be okay. However, she was uncertain if she believed that or was just lying to herself.

After a long jaunt, filled with a game of ‘Is she dead?/Is she not dead?’, Cookie arrived at the supermarket. She burst inside the supermarket making her way to the guest service area. The mare at the desk gave her a polite smile. “How may I help you today?”

“I need Peachbottom’s keys.”

The mare gave a glance at her, tilting her head and raising her eyebrow. “Cookie?”

“Now!” Cookie snapped.

The mare’s smiling face vanished from her face as she turned to pick up the keys from a safe. Hoofing them over to Cookie, she gave a gentle touch to her hoof. “I hope she gets better.”

Cookie didn’t say a word. Maybe I should have she thought to herself. However, her mind was bloated with thoughts of Peachbottom. Nothing else was visible through it. Darting into the parking lot, she quickly picked up the vehicle. The drive was no less stressful then the run. Every time her mind wandered as she drove, she thought about what Peachbottom had meant to her.

Peachbottom had taken her in when nopony else would. Had stood up for her and fought for her safety and freedom when everypony else would just stand by and let her continue to be tormented. Peachbottom was the greatest pony that ever lived and the very thought of her perishing as more than Cookie could bear. The life she had lead wasn’t always filled with luxuries that other ponies had, but there was a constant. Peachbottom.

No matter what, she was always there. No matter how bad life got. Or any struggles they had to deal with. They made it through it. Together. Unlike that other mare in her life. The one who, at the first sign of trouble, disappeared. Never to be seen again.

She had already been through that already. Never again.

Cookie burst through the hospital doors, dashing towards the front desk. The mare at the counter stood up at the abruptness of Cookie’s appearance. Cookie made her way to the front counter, not realizing that she was glaring straight at the secretary. “I need to see Peachbottom!”

The mare nodded. “Are you a relative?”

“Where is she, damn it?!” Cookie demanded.

The mare raised her eyebrows and gave a firm look at Cookie. “Miss, you need to calm down!”

“What I need is to see Peachbottom!” Cookie shouted, causing the entire room to stare straight in her direction. Not that she notice. Nor cared. All she could think of was Peachbottom and how she needed her.

The mare opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but then another voice interjected itself into the conversation. “I’ll take you to Miss Peachbottom.”

Cookie turned to see an elderly stallion in a long white coat appear before her. She presumed that it was one of the doctors for the facility. Cookie gave a glare towards the secretary before following the doctor through the maze of rooms.

The endless white painted halls seemed to expand forever, as if to keep Cookie away from her goal. She followed the doctor as patiently as she could, but she would have been lying if she didn’t want him to walk a little faster. A growl emerged under her breath as the thought of dashing past him and searching for Peachbottom herself crossed her mind. However, deep down, she knew that would not get her anywhere and she would most likely be kicked out of the hospital, never to see her aunt. So instead, she took a deep breath and tried to exhale as slowly as possible. A feat that was more difficult than any she had previously undertaken.

The doctor turned to her as he continued down the hallway. “I take it somepony has told you what happened.”

Cookie’s heart started to ache as those words reached her ears. It was all she could do not to lash out at him. Or break down and cry. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. Everything she could possibly feel was hitting her. Anger at herself for not forcing Peachbottom in bed. Sadness for Peachbottom’s life and how it had always taken the shit. Fear that she would be all alone once again with nopony to care for her. Disgust that Celestia would allow such a thing.

She gave the doctor a vicious glare that seemed to make him uncomfortable. He gave a look of fright and turned his face away from her. With that, he didn’t say another word, until they arrived at Peachbottom’s room.

The silence was ominous to Cookie. As if it was foreshadowing Peachbottom’s fate. Cookie prayed to Celestia to save her. Surprising, even to herself, disgust was outweighed by desperation. She prayed with all her heart and soul, something that she never normally would do. As far as she was concerned, Celestia either didn’t exist or didn’t care. But if there she was there, she begged her to save the only pony she had left.

Finally, Cookie and the doctor appeared before Peachbottom’s room. The sight broke Cookie’s heart. Peachbottom lied in the hospital bed, a long tube slithering from her nose all the way to a large machine. Another tube went from her foreleg to a heart monitor. The constant noise that exuded from it echoed throughout the room, occasionally breaking the silence. The beeps were sluggish, causing Cookie’s heart to sink into her stomach.

She looked upon the motionless Peachbottom. Her eyes did not open and her body didn’t move. Cookie slowly made her way to Peachbottom’s bed, tears streaming down her face. She kneeled down and took Peachbottom’s hoof in her own. Her face planted itself into the sheets of the bed, letting out a series of whimpers. After letting everything sink in for a moment, she turned towards the doctor. “You can save her, right?” she asked, her sobs interrupting the last part of her sentence.

The doctor looked just off to the right. There was a pause in the air. A fire started in her heart and the silence was the tinder. The longer it went on, the hotter it burned. “You can save her, right?!” Cookie snapped.

The doctor lowered his head and shook it slightly. “I’m sorry.”

Those words caused Cookie to leap from her spot and dart to the doctor. She hadn’t noticed she had risen to her feet and grabbed the doctor by the coat. She hadn’t noticed herself glaring at him until she had finally shouted at him. “What do you mean ‘you’re sorry’?! Save her!”

The doctor expressed a shocked and terrified look on his face. Cookie looked down to see herself grabbing his coat tightly. She released her grip and backed away slowly, feeling stupid for her outburst of anger. “Please, you have to save her…”

The doctor looked her in the eye. “I’m sorry, but we’ve done everything we can.” Cookie sunk to her knees, sobbing as the tears fell down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

The doctor turned back to the doorway, leaving Cookie and Peachbottom alone for their final moments together.

Cookie made her way to Peachbottom’s bedside and held her hoof tightly. Tears were still running down her face, like the river on the mountainside. Nothing she had could stop them. No attempts were even made. She looked at Peachbottom’s face, hoping to see her sweet smile once more, but it was still as pale and as frozen as it had ever been.

“Please… Peachbottom,” she started, her cries breaking up her speech. Leaning in gently, Cookie pecked her on the forehead. “You can’t die. You just can’t.” She whimpered as she placed her face into the sheets once again, her tears staining it. “I can’t lose you.”

Her series of whimpers echoed all around her, overpowering the slow beeping of the of Peachbottom’s heart monitor. The ever growing stains her tears made on the sheets were only rivaled by her ever growing anger at the world. She cursed the world for being so cruel to this wonderful pony, when her only crime was that she cared. She cared about a pony that nopony else seemed to. As she dug her head into the sheet, she cursed Celestia.

She called her foul, despicable names in her blind rage. What kind of damn bucking ‘compassionate’ goddess would let a … Aunt Peachbottom …die, while that ... that abandoning bitch was allowed to live?! What the buck is wrong with this world?!

She wasn’t sure if her mother was alive. Nor did she even care. Somepony needed to be blamed. She begged her mind for an answer, but there was nothing but the constant beeping of the heart monitor. It seemed slower now. Was it her imagination or was it truly getting slower? She thought for a moment that it was just paranoia, but then her paranoia got the better of her. She let out a sob as she closed her eyes.

“I don’t know if anypony can hear me…” she whispered to an unseen deity. Any deity would do. “But… I… will do anything… Anything… just please” She glanced to her aunt’s motionless face. She gently reached out and placed her hoof on her cheek. It was cold. The chilling skin sent a shiver up Cookie’s spine.

Several moments passed and the endless silence fell upon her. Her ears perked themselves for a response, but there was only silence. Even the heart monitor was dead silent. Cookie could hear the breaking of her own heart. Crackling like a thunderbolt against a mountain, sending shards of what remained of her heart scattering throughout her body.

She looked over to the heart monitor, fearing the absolute worst. Fear crept into her mind and soul. Peachbottom was dead. She was too late. It was all over and she had no pony left.

Those thoughts were distorted when she peered at the heart monitor to discover that the screen was frozen. It had stopped mid beep. Her mind swirled with questions. She had seen some strange stuff in her life, but there was something wrong with the air around her. She looked up to the window and a saw a small bird, stuck in midflight. A feather just off of its body, but refusing to fall from its current position. Even the sun’s rays seemed to be paralyzed by some force.

The door squeaked opened behind her. Was it the doctor? Had he returned to investigate the frozen screen? But… then… what would explain the bird? And the feather? She turned around quickly and spotted a large, overweight pony trot into the room. He was in a lab coat and had the appearance of a doctor, but he wasn’t the same one that brought her here.

Her eyes focused on him as he gave her a sly, almost sinister, smile to her and trotted to the window. His horn started to glow as the window's curtains started to shut. It was only then that Cookie noticed the horn on his head was different than any unicorn horn she had ever seen before. It was curved to resemble a tusk or a sharp blade. It was black, which stood out from his glowing red body.

He turned back to her and gave another one of his unpleasant smiles. A cold shiver slithered up her spine, shaking her entire body. Cookie couldn’t help but stare into those eyes of his. There was one blue eye and a bright yellow eye. There was something unsettling about them. Like they were piercing her skin and looking straight through her. A stinging, burning pain prowled into her heart. Cookie hadn’t sensed such terror from another pony except her own father.

She looked up to him and after gathering every ounce of courage she could muster she finally spoke. “Wh-who are you?” She cursed herself for stuttering. Damn it! Pull yourself, together. It was like Fluttershy had rubbed off on her in their short time together. She attempted to collect herself as she waited for his response. Maybe it was the fact that she was still trying to recover from the news about Peachbottom. The sudden time freeze. This stallion’s eyes. Or a strange combination of everything happening at once.

“I’m the one you asked for,” he replied. His voice was so calm and peaceful. Perhaps, too much so. Almost like he was alluring her. Cookie continued to listen as the stallion gave another one of his disturbing smiles. “I’m somepony who can save her.”

With those words in her mind, all fear and doubt was instantly replaced with hope. The whirlwind in her mind, which had sent her thoughts scattered like a trailer park with a visiting tornado, settling down. She didn’t care who this pony was or how strange he was. It didn’t matter what he did or how he knew she needed him. None of those thoughts seem to cross her mind. All that mattered was that Peachbottom could be saved.

“You can save her?” Cookie finally replied, her mouth hanging open.

The stallion chuckled as if she had said something funny. He glanced upward and tilted his slightly as he raised an eyebrow. “But I’ll need something in return.”

Cookie looked at the bed. Her heart sinking as she diverted her eyes away from the strange stallion. Why am I not surprised? a quiet moan came to her thoughts. Valuables was not something that Peachbottom was known for. And Cookie wasn’t much better off. However, that didn’t mean Cookie wasn’t willing to barter. “We don’t have a lot of money, but…”

The cackling howl of the stallion breached her speech, cutting it like a knife through flesh. Cookie twitched in fear as the sound of his laughter echoed throughout the room. Like a choir of screeches coming at her ears as he continued to laugh. She resisted the urge to cover her ears, drowning out his hyena-like snickers. He slowly approached the bedside. “I don’t want money. I’m looking for… an employee.”

Cookie raised her eyebrow as the price was stated. An employee?

Then without a moment’s hesitation. “Yes, an employee,” the stallion replied. Cookie eyes opened wide as she gazed upon the stallion, who now towered over Aunt Peachbottom. Like a skyscraper versus a helpless ant, Cookie felt the crushing weight of the air above her. “I need somepony to do certain… odd jobs for me. Somepony like you.” He started to reach up to Peachbottom with his hooves.

“Don’t touch her!” she shouted as she moved her body over Peachbottom, as if to barricade him from her. Before she realized she had snapped, she was breathing heavily and tears were streaming down her face once more.

The stallion gave a disapproving frown as he glared into Cookie’s eyes. It was the first time he had frowned when he walked him and it was even more disturbing than his smiles. She had not thought it possible, but her body was shaking even more. Her heart thundered in her ears as she slowly slithered away from Peachbottom’s body. “I’m sorry,” she whimpered. “Just please… save her.”

The stallion gave a smile of pure satisfaction as his horn started to glow. As Cookie watched the stallion’s horn glow a bright red aura, her eyes sight was soon consumed by the light. And then by darkness.

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The sound of the intercom came over her as she slowly started to come back to reality. Cookie rubbed her eyes as if attempting to rid herself of the weariness she suddenly had. She didn’t remember falling asleep. Was it all a dream?

She looked around to see the hospital. It wasn’t Peachbottom room. It was some kind of waiting room. Her body was stretched across a bench. Glancing upward, a mare and a colt sat. The mare in a wheelchair. A few feet away a stallion sitting alone, tapping on his phone. Perhaps he was trying to distract himself.

It looked like any other hospital waiting room. And yet, to Cookie, something was off. Placing her hoof on her head, giving a strained grunt, her mind began to dig through whatever early memories it could pull. Only brief images came to her mind. The strange stallion trotting into the room with a smile. Their brief conversation and then… Nothing.

After that, it was all a blur. She only awoke in darkness. Her body couldn’t have possibly moved out of Peachbottom’s room without her noticing. Could it? And even if it didn’t, why would she leave? Cookie wanted to be with Peachbottom. Nothing else matter. So why was she here? She searched her mind for answers, but none came.

The leather seat squeaked underneath her as she readjusted her hind legs just off the side of the sofa. Just as she rose from her seat, a pink pony with a long purple mane appeared in front of her. Cookie attempted to move past her, but she blocked her path, by following her to the side.

Cookie glared at the mare. “Excuse me,” she snapped.

“I’m sorry to cause you grief, my little Cookie,” the mare said as their eyes met. “But we need to talk.”

Cookie’s eyes widened a bit as her mind started to question who this pony was and why she was there. I’ve seen this pony before. But where? As if her mind hadn’t dragged enough through itself trying to find answers, now it was trying to figure out where she had seen this mare. Finally, like a brick wall, it had hit her. “You’re that pony from the police station in Las Pegasus!”

Cookie took a step back in defense. Or at least, so she tried to convince herself.

The mare took a step forward, “Don’t be afraid, Cookie.”

Cookie squinted towards her opposite. “Who are buck are you? How do you know my name?”

The mare gave a sly smile. “Because it’s me. Your mother.”

Cookie’s mouth almost dropped to the floor. Her eyes shot themselves widen open as she continued to examine the pony in front of her. She search the deepest bowels of her mind and found the image she had been looking for. The image of protection she once had as a little girl. The image of a pink unicorn who would protect her from him. That image was staring straight at her. And like air in a balloon, it caused her to burst.

“You bitch!” Cookie shouted. The whole room turned towards Cookie and Sapphire. Her heavy breathing exited her lungs rapidly. The inhales and exhales were only outrun by her heart. It was like a powerful engine had been revved in her soul, roaring and sputtering smoke.

For 20 years, this moment had haunted her wildest fantasies. The words she would say. Foul insults that would make Celestia shake her head in shame. Even physical assault was not far from her imagination. How she dreamed of causing the same pain that this mare had caused her for years. And now that it was here, her mind was a blur. She blurted out whatever came to mind first. “How bucking dare you come back after all these years?! How bucking dare you?! Who the buck do you think you are?!”

Sapphire took a deep breath and held out her hoof. “I know you’re upset-“

“Upset?! You left me!” Cookie leaned in Sapphire’s face, her eyes intensifying with hate. The word ‘upset’ was not even close to descripting how she felt. If she had a gun on her person, she surely would have emptied it and then some. “You left me! You left me alone! Why?! FOR WHAT?!”

Sapphire moved her hoof to Cookie’s shoulder, but Cookie quickly swatted it away. Cookie wasn’t sure how much force she unleashed, but it was apparently enough to force Sapphire to grasp her hoof and rub it gently. Sapphire shook her head as she took a step back. “Cookie, I’m sorry I left you. I had no choice.”

Cookie scoffed as she shook her head. “Is that why you came by?” she snapped. “To apologize?” Shaking her head, a smile appeared on her face as if it was supposed to be taken as a joke. “Really?” She nodded as the look of rage appeared on her face. “Buck load of good that does me now! After all these bucking years, you expect me to just say ‘Oh, no big’!”

“I just want… a relationship with my daughter,” Sapphire explained. “Is that so wrong?”

“That didn’t seemed to stop you from walking out on me!” Cookie shouted. “20 bucking years! No calls! No mail! Bucking nothing!” Cookie pointed her hoof to Sapphire. “You can take your relationship and you can shove it up your –!”

“Miss Cookie?” a voice came from behind her. Cookie turned around fast, quickly forgetting about her mother. She noted the nurse stepping up from behind her. “Miss Peachbottom is waking up. She is asking to see you.”

With that, Cookie’s mind went into a paradise. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. He saved her. He saved her Aunt Peachbottom. She was alive and she was safe. Nothing else mattered. It was all she could do not to cry in joy.

However, something stopped her. Sapphire. No. Not in front of her. She doesn’t get to see me like this. Gathering what strength and control she had, she turned to her mother with a sly smile. “Stay away from me,” she hissed. “and my real mother.”

Cookie turned away and followed the nurse to Aunt Peachbottom’s room, not even bothering to take note of her mother’s reaction. Whatever it was, it was not important to her. And neither was she.

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Cookie rushed into the hospital room and was instantly greeted by a pair of bright green eyes connected to a pale gold face. The face gave her a smile as she set her eyes on her. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

Cookie burst into tears as she made her way to Peachbottom’s side wrapping her hooves around her. Sobs conquered her speaking ability. No matter what she wanted to say, as she opened her mouth, sobs echoed from her mouth.

Peachbottom wrapped one of her hooves around Cookie and placed her other on top of her head. There was a moment of silence as Cookie felt like a little filly again. Woken up from a nightmare that had nearly taken away everything she held dear, only to find her Aunt Peachbottom to comfort her.

The sound of hoof steps came from behind them, causing Cookie to turn her head. She saw the doctor that had brought her to the room, stepping in with a smile on his face. “How is our patient today?”

Peachbottom gave a smile. “I’m feeling as fit as a fiddle with a new set of strings.”

The doctor gave a short chuckle. “I’m glad.” He turned his head toward Cookie. “Your aunt must have a heart of steel.” His horn started to glow as he moved a clipboard to his face. “By all accounts, she should have been dead. It’s a miracle that she’s alive.”

Cookie tried to conjure a smile, but found that it was more difficult that she thought. “What happened?”

The doctor put his hoof on his chin. “That’s the odd thing. We aren’t really sure. One day she’s on the brink, the next she’s perfectly fine.”

Peachbottom shook her head and started to giggle. “Doc, you’re starting to depress me. I’m as ready to run as a newborn foal!”

The doctor gave another chuckle. “I’m sure you are, Miss, but we’d like to keep you here for a couple of days.” Cookie couldn’t help but glare at the doctor. All she wanted to do was take Aunt Peachbottom away from the hospital and forget this ever happened.

Fortunately, the doctor didn’t seem to notice. “We just want to make sure you’re going to be alright.”

Peachbottom gave a surrendering sigh and smiled. “Alright.”

Cookie lowered her head in defeat and turned back towards Peachbottom. “And I’m staying here. I’m not leaving you again.”

The doctor exited the room without saying another word.

Peachbottom put her hoof on Cookie’s shoulder. “It must have been hard for you, seeing me like this.”

Cookie’s eyes started to water again as she hugged Peachbottom tightly. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

A thought then entered her mind. If the doctor didn’t know how she survived, how did she survive? She then searched the deepest portions of her mind in an effort to remember and then it hit her. That pony who had come to her aid and promised to save Aunt Peachbottom. He must have used some sort of unicorn magic to save her. Did unicorns have that kind of power? If they did, why were ponies dying of heart attacks all the time?

She shook her head in an attempt to ignore those questions, but they would not leave her mind. The only thing that overshadowed those questions was the one that slithered into her mind only a moment later. What the buck does he want in return?

He had mentioned an employee. An employee for what? He didn’t explained what, nor did she care at the time. She just wanted him to save her aunt. But now that she was safe and alive, she began to wonder what kind of job she would be doing and when he would come to collect. She wished she had asked him, but in her blind grief, she dismissed it.

“Is something wrong, dear?” Peachbottom’s voice brought her back to reality. Cookie eyes met with Peachbottom as she gave a smile.

“Nothing, Aunt Peachbottom.” She placed her hoof on her Peachbottom’s shoulder. “Nothing at all,” she repeated to herself as she looked out the window, wondering just how long it would be before she would be called to serve her new boss. She had a feeling that whatever job it was, it would go against everything she now stood for.

Author's Notes:

Featured on the Feature Box on August 25th... Yeah, kind of surprised me too.