It was supposed to be sunny and warm in Canterlot for the Summer Sun Festival. Instead, rain poured down from the gray sky, as if the heavens themselves were weeping. The icy rain, combined with a chill wind, chased the citizens of Canterlot back into their homes.

In fact, it was intended for that.

Twilight looked out the window of the third floor of the hospital, staring out into the empty street. The rain water spattered against the glass window, blurring her vision. How could this have happened? she thought. She kept going back to that moment, wondering if something could have been differently. But every conclusion she could reach was the same: there was nothing she could have done. She, the Princess of Friendship, who had passed many arduous trials, who had conquered many foes, could have done nothing. The realization made Twilight feel even worse, shame and guilt weighing down on her heart. She had to turn away from the window. The rain spattering on the glass reminded her too strongly of the blood.

Turning, she saw the other occupants of the hospital waiting room. All was silent save for the rain on the window and the clock on the wall ticking away. Spike was next to her, nervously fiddling with his claws as he sat on one of the couches. He looked up at Twilight, his green eyes shining with worry.

"Twilight?" he asked softly, as if afraid that speaking out loud would make his fears a reality. "W-what happens if...if she...?"

"Spike, don't worry," Twilight said, pulling him into a hug in an attempt to reassure him. "It'll be all right."

With his face buried in her chest fur, Spike couldn't see the look of deep worry on Twilight's face. To her left, Twilight saw Flash next to her, his face mirroring her fears. Twilight's other friends were scattered around the room. Rarity had been sitting next to her at the window, and she continued to stare out of it, lost in thought. Pinkie Pie was sprawled across another couch: her mane had gone straight and turned dark pink, signaling that she was in deep distress. Fluttershy was next to her, speaking softly in an attempt to reassure her. It did not seem to be working. Applejack was sitting on the floor next to her, staring down at her hat as she turned it over and over in her hooves. Behind her, Rainbow Dash anxiously paced around and around in a tight circle.

On the other side of the room, Luna sat, her head bowed and her eyes closed. She was whispering indistinctly to herself: Twilight realized that she was praying. Next to her, a white pegasus with blue hair adorned in the dark purple armor of a member of the Lunar Guard sat. He looked like he wanted to try to comfort her, but couldn't think of anything to say.

Twilight then turned her attention to the door at the other side of the room. A pair of double doors stood before her. On the other side of that door, doctors were working frantically. Soon, the doors would open, and a doctor would walk through with news for them all to hear. News that could change everything that they knew.

Twilight both wanted the doors to open, and dreaded their opening, dreaded hearing what might be said. And she wasn't the only one: a black unicorn with white hair, dressed in the armor of a Royal Guard Captain, stared at the doors, his blue eyes unblinking and stoic expression stretched tight over his face.

After about ten minutes, or maybe ten years of silence, the doors opened and a doctor, a unicorn with pale red fur, stepped through. His face was grave: the kind of expression doctors are trained to adopt when they are about to give bad news. Every head in the room turned towards him, everypony bracing themselves for the worst.

"Well?" Luna asked urgently, having looked up as soon as the doors opened.

"She's alive," the doctor said softly. Everypony immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "But it's not good. We've managed to repair most of the damage, but she still lost a lot of blood. The bullet traveled right through her: it punctured one of her lungs and damaged her aorta." He paused. "To be honest, she was extremely lucky. Another inch lower and it would have struck her heart."

"Will she be all right?" Luna asked, her jaw set tight.

The doctor paused, thinking of a way to put this to her. "She's still unconscious," he said slowly. "She should be all right...when she wakes up."

The implied "if" echoed through the room. "I would like to see her," Luna said.

"So would I," Twilight said, hurrying forward.

"Of course," the doctor said, stepping aside and gesturing for them to follow. Luna strode briskly after the doctor, her long strides quick. Twilight fell into step beside her. The walk down the bare, white-washed hallway seemed to stretch forever; it took an eternity to get to her room. The whole time, worried voices swarmed around in Twilight's head. What was going to happen now? Who could've done this? Why? How could she salvage this situation? What if she never...?

They had arrived at the door. Luna paused momentarily, gathering herself, and stepped into the hospital room. Twilight followed, her heart aching at the sight within. The room was bare, the walls a dull blue. A single rain-streaked window opened into the empty street. The only feature of the room was the bed, and the equipment surrounding it, including an IV tree loaded with blood bags and an EKG that let out a slow, steady beeping to measure the heartbeat of the patient. She lay in the bed, her eyes shut, an oxygen mask over her face. Her long mane, which normally shone and flowed as if caught in an invisible wind, was now of a dull sheen and lay limp around her.

"Sister?" Luna whispered, reaching out a hoof. But Princess Celestia did not respond. A painful groan rumbled out of Luna's throat, and she lowered her head, tears falling from her eyes.

Twilight and Luna sat beside of the wounded Princess Celestia, both of them thinking back to how this happened...

Author's Notes:

Trying something a little different this time: starting the story in the middle of the action. I think it works here.

So how'd this happen? See next chapter...