Arriving at her destination, Twilight quickly opens the door to room 138 with her magic. In her eagerness she puts a bit too much force into the spell however, and the door hits the wall of the room with a bang.

"eep" *thump*

Looking around as she enters, she sees Fluttershy gingerly picking herself up off the floor beside Nurse Redheart.

"This is a hospital Princess, not a rodeo," Redheart states sternly, fixing Twilight with an irritated stare. "There is no need for such displays of force."

Twilight's eyes drift over to the area of the wall which the door had impacted, blushing at the sight of several cracks and a faint imprint in the wall along with a sizable dent where the doorknob had once been as the door slowly swings shut, "Oh, uh, sorry."

"Anyway, thank you for your assistance Miss Fluttershy," Redheart addresses the newly standing pegasus, "your input on her wing structure was very useful."

Fluttershy smiles nervously, "I'm just glad I could help."

"So, was there something you wanted, Princess?" Nurse Redheart asks, turning away to double check the machines attached to the unconscious pony beside her.

Twilight blinks in surprise, unused to being given so little thought since she received her title, "Well, I was hoping I could run some tests on your patient for a bit. Just for a bit!" she repeats defensively as Nurse Redheart rounds on her, the nurse's expression leaving little to the imagination as to her opinion of Twilight's request. "At the very least I would like to be able to dispel the rumors that she's a vampony and that the vamponies are attacking."

Annoyance flickers across Redheart's face and she shakes her head, "This pony is badly injured, Princess Twilight; I can't allow you to just start running tests on her like she's a new science project of yours – rumors or not."

"I wasn't planning anything like that," Twilight protests.

Nurse Redheart raises an eyebrow, clearly not believing a word of it.

"I wasn't, really!" Twilight insists, "I was just going to run a magical signature analysis to compare her latent magic to the faint traces of magic I detected on Derpy's bite mark. I Pinkie Promise – cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

Nurse Redheart regards Twilight as she goes through the motions before giving her a curt nod, "Very well. Be quick about it though, she's going into surgery in a few minutes. I wouldn't count on being able to disprove the 'vampony' business either."

Twilight frowns, "What do you mean?"

Nurse Redheart sighs as she walks past Twilight, "You'll see when you look at her teeth, and I need to get ready for the operation. Fluttershy, perhaps you could walk Twilight through what we discussed?"

Not waiting for an answer, Nurse Redheart leaves the room and briskly trots down the hall.

After a brief silence following the nurse's sudden departure, Twilight moves forward, standing beside Fluttershy and next to the bed.

"So Fluttershy," Twilight asks curiously, gesturing at the mare laying on the bed, "what did you and Nurse Redheart find out about her?"

"Well… um… " Fluttershy begins hesitantly, "not a whole lot, really. Nurse Redheart did most of the work, I just checked her wings; both are pretty badly bruised and one of them is fractured in a couple places. One of her forelegs is broken too, and she has several fractured or broken ribs along with some internal injuries. And we think… "

Twilight leans forward, but her friend's voice fades into a faint, indecipherable squeak. Fluttershy looks away nervously as Twilight raises an eyebrow at her.

"Fluttershy… " Twilight prods when the yellow pegasus' eyes continue to avoid her.

Gulping audibly, Fluttershy tries again.

"We think… we think… th-that she's a… a… carnivore," she finishes quietly.

"I-I… what?" Twilight stutters, the thought of a pony eating the dead flesh of what had once been another living creature sending shivers down her spine.

Composing herself, she clarifies her statement, "I mean, what makes you say that?"

"Well… " Fluttershy hesitates, then very carefully leans towards the unconscious mare and gently nudges her mouth open, revealing jaws lined with sharp teeth.

"Oh. Ohhhh. Yep, she's – carnivore, yep." Twilight manages, taking a couple steps back and chuckling nervously.

"And… that's what we know so far," Fluttershy finishes somewhat lamely.

"I… see." Twilight mumbles, still not quite recovered. Closing her eyes, she takes a few deep breaths, pressing her right hoof lightly to her chest and then slowly pushing it away as she exhales. Opening her eyes, she steps towards the sleeping mare again with renewed focus, horn glowing softly.

"Twilight?" questions Fluttershy.

"I almost forgot that I came here to test something," Twilight explains. "Derpy had a bite wound, but it was healed and looked like it had happened days ago. However, I was able to detect a very faint magical signature on it. The magic was too weak to determine anything else, which would normally make identifying the caster rather difficult, but it had a very… unique feel to it compared to normal pony magic. So if the signature from the wound matches her latent magical signature," she gestures at the peacefully sleeping carnivore, "then that would mean she's very likely responsible for whatever is wrong with Derpy. Which would mean we can ask her how to fix it once she wakes up."

"Oh… okay," Fluttershy nods as she takes a few steps back to give Twilight some space.

Twilight focuses and touches her horn to the sleeping mare. After several seconds, and several purple pulses from her horn, she breaks contact and ends the spell with a sigh, "Well, it was definitely her."

As if they had been waiting for her to finish, Nurse Redheart re-enters the room with two of her peers as soon as the words leave Twilight's mouth. Seeing Twilight and Fluttershy are still in the room, the trio of nurses quickly shoo them out, reappearing moments later with the hospital bed between them as they wheel it off towards the hospital's operating theater.

Twilight and Fluttershy watch them vanish around a corner before Twilight stretches, letting loose a giant yawn as sleepiness threatens to overtake the excitement of the last half hour.

"Aaand that's my cue to go back to sleep," Twilight remarks, looking over at Fluttershy as her friend stifles a yawn of her own. "Something tells me that tomorrow is going to be a looooong day."

"Me too," Fluttershy responds, smiling sleepily. The pair of mares walk side by side as they make their way out of the hospital, their path's diverging once outside to head their separate ways home.

As soon as she enters her tree house, Twilight begins trudging up the stairs towards her bed, however, when she reaches the top of the stairs a stray thought drifts into her mind, I should probably write to Princess Celestia about what's happened.

Annoyed, she attempts to swat at the thought to force it to go away and let her get to bed, but to no avail.

"Ughhh… " she groans, as she returns to the first floor. Picking up a quill and dipping it into a nearby inkwell, the bleary-eyed purple alicorn pauses, staring blankly at the parchment in front of her.

How does one tell the Princess of the Sun that there's a probably carnivorous – and possibly vampiric – injured pony staying at the local hospital?

Twilight blinks.

Well, I could just say that…

"Dear Princess Celestia… " Twilight mutters as she begins to write.

There was an attack tonight. It did not involve any changelings. Possibly found a new tribe of ponies. Seems to be carnivorous, possibly vampiric. Currently unconscious in the hospital. Tired. Will send more information tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Princess Twilight Sparkle

There, done.

Twilight stretches and yawns, nearly succumbing to sleep where she stands, but she steadies herself.

"SPIKE!!"

A loud thump comes from upstairs, followed by the clicking of claws on wood as an annoyed and very sleepy dragon toddles down the stairs.

"What now, Twilight?" the drake asks grumpily.

Twilight levitates the scroll over to him, "I need you to send this to… " she pauses as a yawn interrupts her, "to Princess Celestia".

Spike grumbles, but takes the scroll hovering in front of him and sends it off with his signature green flame. Not waiting for Twilight to think of something else for him to do, he stumbles back up the stairs and slumps onto his bed once more. Twilight follows on his heels, quickly slipping beneath her blankets and into the welcoming dreamscape.

A swirl of green fire briefly illuminates the dim sleeping quarters of the solar princess, the flash of green light reflecting off the various decorations and ornaments that adorn Celestia's chamber. Then as quickly as it had appeared, it vanishes, leaving behind a scroll which promptly falls onto the sleeping form below it. The figure takes no notice for a long moment before shifting with a groan. Taking it in her magic, Princess Celestia opens one eye groggily and examines the scroll floating in front of her.

Why in the name of me is Twilight sending a scroll at night? I really need to teach Spike how to send these to Luna too…

A yawn punctuates her thoughts and she shifts her head, the motion allowing her to focus her other eye on the rolled up parchment.

I suppose I could just hoof this off to Luna myself tonight. She has been grumbling about not being able to take part in all the crazy events that have occurred the last few years… and she could really use some more hooves-on experience with her subjects still.

As she continues to eye the scroll however, curiosity begins worming its way into her mind.

Well… at the very least it couldn't hurt to take a peek…

And thus begins a great battle within Celestia's mind. The Shamans of Sleep urge her to let it go and continue her slumber, while the Warriors of Curiosity demand she take a look at what could have motivated Twilight to send her a letter this late at night. The battle rages for several minutes as Celestia lays looking at the unopened piece of parchment, neither side able to win out. Then on the 10th minute out of the fog of war rises the Prophet of Patience and he says unto the masses below: 'Let us sleep, for we have great faith in Twilight Sparkle. She shall overcome any challenge that may confront her, and so we may rest for now'. The Warriors, unable to rebuke the truth spoken to them, slowly lower their voices and surrender to the Sleep.

I'll let Twilight handle it for now. Celestia decides, laying the scroll on her nightstand, She's grown so much the last few years, I trust she can handle any issues that arise.

With that finally decided, she lays back down and returns to her rest.
.
.
.
Several hours later, the covers ripple as Celestia moves, arching her back in a luxurious stretch after a good night's sleep. Pushing her sheets aside, she stands and stretches again before approaching her balcony. Focusing the solar magicks granted to her by birthright, she tenderly begins to bring up the sun as she feels Luna gently lowering the moon. As the last light of the moon fades from the sky, the first rays of the sun fall onto the waking world. Celestia pauses and basks in the warmth, savoring it.

Some things never change, she thinks fondly. The feeling does not last long however, as a mental itch makes itself known. The feeling of something forgotten, something important…

Ah, right, the scroll.

Returning to the castle interior, Celestia sits back on her bed, pops open the scroll, and skims the words within, freezing on one in particular: vampiric.

Oh no.

Wasting no time, she leaps from her bed… and flops onto the granite floor with an undignified yelp as she slips on a rogue blanket that had followed her a few feet out of bed. After incinerating the offending sheet with a frustrated thought, she rises to her hooves and vanishes in a flash of white light.

Nurse Redheart takes one last look at the medical machines in the room, their steady, periodic beeps indicating a successful surgery and a stable patient.

My patient…

Her eyes wander back to the mare, a thousand questions making themselves known before she silences them with an annoyed snort.

She is my patient and it's my job to help her get better. Full stop. End of story. To get distracted by pointless questions and random gossip is unprofessional.

With a satisfied nod, she turns to leave, but pauses after only a single step towards the door, her ears flicking towards it as she hears shouting from the lobby followed by a faint tremor. She nervously eyes the walls, but the tremor quickly dissipates and the building ceases moving. Instead the tremors are followed by the loud, echoing hoofsteps of somepony galloping down the hallway.

And now there are crazies breaking into the hospital. Wonderful.

She takes another step towards the door, intending to lock it, but before she can take a second step it's consumed by a golden aura and slams open – deepening the previous impression left by Twilight. Redheart flinches at the force used on the door, then goes slack-jawed as a white Alicorn strides in.

"Stand aside nurse," Princess Celestia commands. Redheart's body automatically begins to comply, however the shock wears off as she raises a hoof to move out of the way, her mental faculties restarting and returning control of her muscles. Hesitating, she looks at Celestia again and breaks into a cold sweat – the normally kind eyes of her daytime ruler now instead glaring down at her like miniature suns while pure white lightning arcs from various points along the length of Celestia's horn and across her mane. Fear shoots through Redheart's body and she stands frozen, the aura of raw power and control radiating from Celestia battling with her sudden realization of what Celestia intends to do.

She's going to kill my patient!

Ignoring every instinct screaming at her to run and hide in the deepest, darkest place she can find; Nurse Redheart instead stiffly moves sideways to more fully place herself between Celestia and the helpless pony behind her.

"No."

Celestia's eyes widen in surprise, the terrible aura fading somewhat before returning anew – now tainted by anger as well.

"Very well," Celestia replies coldly, lifting Redheart bodily with her magic.

"I won't let you kill her!" Nurse Redheart shouts as she flails helplessly in the grasp of her Princess's magic.

"I'm not going to kill her," Celestia answers as she sidesteps the floating nurse, a strange calmness permeating her voice. "She's already dead."

Her horn flares even brighter, the tip shining like a fragment of the sun itself as she prepares to vaporize the pony before her.

"No she's not!" The floating nurse yells while desperately pointing at one of the machines, "Look!"

Celestia's eyes briefly flick to where Nurse Redheart is pointing, after a moment returning her focus to the bed before her. She hesitates. Then looks back at the machine. With her focus ever so slightly broken, she now hears a sound over the hum and crackle of her magic…

...*beep*........*beep*.........*beep*........*beep*...

Her eyes widen as she recognizes the heart monitor, and what the sound means. Celestia allows her magic to fade as she takes her real first look at the dark colored pony. The overpowering aura vanishes. The arcing lightning ceases. Nurse Redheart stops floating.

*thump*

And promptly falls to the floor in a jumble of hooves, quickly staggering upright and focusing a venomous glare at the invading Princess.

"I am truly sorry about this," Celestia apologizes. "Twilight sent a short letter last night about what had happened, and I acted without fully understanding the situation."

Nurse Redheart continues to glare at Celestia and takes a deep breath, "GET OUT!!!"

Princess Celestia takes several steps back, stunned.

The two regard each other for several seconds, neither moving a muscle until Nurse Redheart starts to sway slightly as the magnitude of what had just happened finally sinks in, Oh sweet merciful Celestia! I just defied the Princess! I just yelled at her! I-I-

Giggling like a madmare, the world begins to spin as the weight of her actions, as well as their imagined consequences, bear down on her. Nurse Redheart slumps to the floor as her mind gives out, reality fading away into sweet oblivion. Celestia, unsure how to respond, simply watches the nurse's quick descent into madness. A silence follows, during which the abused door decides to give way and fall to the floor with a bang.

After taking a moment to gather herself, Celestia observes the scene around her, One heavily damaged wall, one destroyed door, one nurse driven crazy, and one unknown pony who slept through the whole thing.

She sighs, I think I've caused enough damage for the time being.

Celestia slowly backs out of the room, trying to be as quiet and non-destructive as possible. Once outside she turns and, gathering as much of her royal grace and poise as she can, quickly strides towards the reception area, possible ways of calming the rest of the terrified staff crowding her mind.