I paced back and forth in the waiting room, my wings twitching with nervous energy and my eyes glued to the floor in front of me. Lucky and Mel had been rushed into the emergency room the instant they arrived, leaving the rest of us to wait outside in a nervous mess. Nilak sat against the left wall of the oversized space, his front paws kneading the white tile floor as his eyes remained locked to the double doors, as if trying to see through them and discern Mel’s condition from here.

Ivy and Winx sat together on the right side of the room, Ivy seated on one of the many benches while Winx sat on the floor next to her. I could feel their gazes following me as I paced back and forth in front of the double doors, though thankfully they remained silent. Given how upset I was, I wasn’t sure I could keep my emotions in check if they tried to speak to me.

At some point Black Beauty and Thunder had shown up, though as soon as they entered they fell into a nervous silence with the rest of us. For that I was thankful, for the same reason that Ivy and Winx remained quiet.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the double doors swung open and a doctor stepped into the room. I froze mid-step and turned to face him, hearing the others move up behind me as he removed his surgery mask.

“I have good news, and I have bad news,” he said as his soft green eyes roamed across us. “The good news is that your friend and her dragon are going to live.”

It seemed like ten tons had lifted from the room at his words. I felt my shoulder muscles relax for the first time in hours, and I heard Ivy sigh in relief as she leaned into Winx for support.

A knot formed in my stomach as I turned back to the doctor, noticing the resolved light in his eyes, “What’s the bad news?”

He clenched his jaw and turned his head to the side, “The dragon will be fine. It should only take about a month for her injuries to fully heal. The problem is Ms. Star.”

My heart dropped into my stomach as my blood ran cold, “What happened to her?” My voice shook and I could barely hear myself speaking.

The doctor heaved a great sigh and looked me in the eyes, “The impact with the water appears to have caused a severe head injury. The cracked ribs and her broken left foreleg will heal in time, but even without the anesthetic to keep her under, we have been unable to wake Ms. Star. She seems to be in a comatose state caused by the trauma to her brain. As far as we can tell, she will live, but as to the question of her ever waking, I cannot say.”

“Can’t you use a drug or something to force her out of it?” I asked, taking a hesitant step forward, “Like a stimulant or something?”

He shook his head slowly as he pulled his surgeon’s cap off, revealing a short silver mane , “I’m afraid the risks to her safety would be too great. One slight miscalculation in the dosage, and we could cause her body to go into shock. At minimum it would put great undo stress on her biological systems. At most, well, I think you get the idea.”

“So she’s suck like that,” Ivy murmured as she lifted a hoof to cover her mouth, “until she wakes up on her own?”

The doctor nodded, “Unfortunately all we can do for her now is keep her on I.V. fluids and monitor her vitals. Aside from that, she must recover at her own pace.”

I opened my mouth to ask another question, but the doctor stopped me with a raised hoof, “There is nothing more I can tell you concerning Ms. Star. She and her dragon have been moved to our recovery ward so that other patients can be seen to. You are allowed to visit them, but I wouldn’t recommend anything beyond talking and gentle physical contact. Their bodies are still recovering from surgery.”

I closed my mouth with a click, though Ivy seemed to have one final question. “Are Lucky and Mel in the same place?”

The doctor nodded, “All recovering patients, be they pony or dragon, are housed in the same location to cut down on costs. The dragon should be coming out of her induced unconsciousness before too long, so you’ll be able to interact with her while she’s lucid.” He pointed to the right side of the room, where another set of double doors rested, “Head through those doors and take the first right. The Recovery Ward is the fifth hallway on the left. Ms. Star and her dragon are in the last room on the right side of the hall.”

He stepped in front of me as I made to go around him, “Please be mindful of the other patients. Your friend and her dragon are not the only patients being housed in that section of the ward, so show some restraint concerning your volume.”

We all nodded. “Will do doc,” I said as I walked over to the second set of doors.

The others followed me as we navigated the hospital halls, finally ending in front of a set of double doors. Black Beauty and Thunder had left once they got the news, although their faces showed they weren’t happy about what had happened. I only hoped they wouldn’t worry too much. Meanwhile, on the wall to the right of the doors before us, there was a small plaque inscribed with the words, ‘Lucky Star and her dragon Melinda.’

Everypony seemed to be on baited breath as we stood in front of the doors, and I took a moment to calm my nerves before pushing them open. Nilak and the others followed me in as we filed into the room, though what awaited us was an image I would rather soon forget.
Mel was curled up in the corner of the room, with her head just short of the bed that Lucky was lying on. There were large swaths of surgical bandages wrapped around her body, covering what I assumed to be long lines of stitches and staples. Her breathing was smooth and regular, though I didn’t know how long she would stay like that.

Lucky was a different story. She lay on the bed in what I assumed to be a light blue patient’s smock, leaving her forelegs and neck open to the air. Her left leg was hooked up to several machines, and there was a thin I.V. drip connected to a vein just above her hoof. Her head was bandaged from her eyebrows up, and what parts of her mane escaped the bandages hung limply over her shoulders and onto her chest. Her eyes were closed, and aside from the pale color of her fur, she looked like she was simply asleep. However, we all knew that this was no ordinary sleep, and could turn out to be one she never awoke from.

I slowly walked up to the bed, cupping her cheek in my right hoof as I leaned over her. Nilak had moved over to watch Mel, and I heard him softly trying to speak with her in their minds. I tuned him out so he could have some privacy, my focus solely on Lucky’s still features. A traitorous tear slipped from my eye, and I quickly wiped it away before anypony could see it. I pulled my hoof back as Ivy stepped up next to me, with Winx looking over our shoulders at Lucky.

She looks so peaceful like that, Winx said softly as she rested her head by Lucky’s hooves. It’s like she could wake up and start cracking jokes at any moment.

I heard Ivy sniff as she held Lucky’s hoof in her own, “She’ll pull out of it. We’ve never gotten into a situation that we couldn’t overcome. She’ll wake up soon.” I barely heard the whispered words that followed, “She has to.”

I saw Nilak nudge Mel’s neck with his snout, come on Mel. Please wake up. I can’t finish my mission alone after finding you. He lay down and rested his head on top of her neck, I love you.

I tried to hold back my tears as Winx and Ivy began openly sobbing, though our heartbreaking moment was cut short by a very tired voice in our heads.

You could have at least let me sleep a little longer, Mel said with a groan as she opened her eyes. My head hurts enough as it is without you four making it worse.

Nilak smiled widely as she lifted up her head, rubbing his snout against hers as a deep purring emanated from their chests.
Nilak smiled as he pulled back to meet her gaze, don’t ever scare me like that again. I lost you once. I don’t plan on losing you again.

She smirked slightly as she placed a paw on top of his, I don’t plan on it. All at once, her nose twitched twice, and her eyes snapped to Lucky as her body stiffened, what happened to Lucky?

All eyes fell on Lucky as Nilak pressed the side of his head against Mel’s.

“The impact with the water caused swelling in her brain,” I said softly. “They’ve done all they can to heal her wounds, but even without drugs to keep her under, they can’t wake Lucky up.”

Silence fell over the room like a blanket, and Mel began to shake her head from side to side, her eyes locked onto Lucky, no. No. Oh please Goddess no! She buried her head in the base of Nilak’s neck as her body shook with sobs, I should have been there to protect her! I should have been able to save her! Nilak tried to say something over the mind link, but she interrupted him, no! Don’t you dare say this isn’t my fault! She may have forgotten my armor, but I was the one who allowed her to stay in that depressed state! I should have forced her to put it on me! I should have been faster in the attack! I could have …could have…

She couldn’t finish, and simply fell into uncontrollable sobbing as Nilak made soft shushing noises. He looked to us for help, but in all honesty, I thought there wasn’t really anything we could say to her. The sad truth was, she was right. Even though Lucky’s bad mood had affected Mel, she should have still done everything in her power to protect Lucky. By not forcing Lucky to put her armor on, Mel had failed to do her duty as Lucky’s guardian, regardless of whether she chose the role or not.

Just as Nilak was my guardian and Winx acted on Ivy’s behalf, Mel had made an unspoken oath to protect Lucky during our mission. Besides that unspoken oath, we had also made a pact, as a team and as friends, to work together and protect one another. In failing to protect Lucky and herself, Mel had broken that promise.

We sat there for a few moments, letting Mel cry herself out. It took longer than I expected, but given our situation there wasn’t really anything I could say. Mel moved over so she could rest her head next to Lucky on the bed, and Nilak pressed his side against hers for moral support.

What are we doing to do now? She asked as she stared at Lucky. Without Lucky I can’t race, and without me racing how can the Freedom Fighters continue on to the Draconic Heaven?

“I’ve heard of race teams removing members from their rosters due to injury,” Ivy said softly as she rubbed Winx’s neck with one hoof. “It’s rare, but it does happen from time to time.”

But how can we go on without our whole team? Winx asked. It would be like trying to fly with only one wing. It would only work for so long, and not very well at that.

Nilak and Mel shared a worried glance, and Ivy let out a defeated sigh as she knelt beside the bed.

I wracked my brain for a way to reassure the team, and I flared my wings in realization as a memory from school hit me. “Times shall test thee, young hero, and shall create many challenges in your path. Thy greatest strength, and thy only hope, shall cometh from the fire of a hero’s heart, and be forged in the bonds of friendship. So sayeth I, Starswirl.”

Everypony looked at me like I had gone crazy. “What do you mean by that?” Ivy asked.

I smiled as I met their gazes, “Those were words from a ballad that was sung hundreds of years ago. It speaks of how a warrior becomes a hero, and how they must follow certain codes in order to stay upon the path of good.” I looked from one puzzled gaze to the next, “Don’t you see? If we let our grief and pain over Lucky’s condition blind us, then we won’t have a chance in ever making it to the Draconic Heaven. But, if we choose to stand as one, to fight on in the hopes of Lucky waking up to our victories, then don’t we owe it to her to do our best? Don’t we owe it to ourselves to make her proud?”

I felt a sense of pride as everypony’s eyes lit up with determination.

Yeah! We should make sure Lucky wakes up with lots of wins to celebrate! Winx said as she bounced slightly on her paws, we need to be strong for her while she’s like this.

Nilak met Mel’s gaze and they nodded in unison. I’ll stay here with Lucky, she glanced at Lucky’s still form with a sorrowful light in her eyes, I owe her that much after what happened.

And I will do everything in my power to protect us all in the coming races, Nilak said with determination, on that I give you all my solemn oath.

I smiled, “Do you guys remember our oath to one another? The one we made when we first started on this venture?”

They nodded in unison, and Nilak held out his paw, placing it gently on Lucky’s non-wired leg, one cannot stand,

The rest of our group smiled as we recited our team pact. Mel placed her left paw on top of Nilak’s, smiling at him as she softly added, but two can support each other,

Winx didn’t need to be told twice. She placed her left paw on top of theirs, her frills fully erect as she said, and three will never be broken.

I reached over and placed my left hoof on top of theirs, gripping the bedside to keep from falling on top of Lucky, “United we stand,”

Ivy placed hers on top of mine to mine, “united we fall,”

Everypony joined together to recite the last line, “dragons and ponies, fighting for all.”

The familiar flash of energy accompanied our vow, and I felt the magic in my heart strengthen slightly as the power binding us dissipated.

We all leaned back, and Nilak gave me as knowing look, so we plan on continuing to race? Even with Lucky in a coma and Mel stuck at her side?

I nodded, “We can’t afford to let our mission fail because something bad happened to one of our members. Sure I’m upset, but that doesn’t mean we can let our mission fail because of that fact.” I placed my hoof over my heart, and I locked gazes with everypony before I spoke, “I plan on seeing this through to the end, and I can’t do that without your help. So, are you still a part of the Freedom Fighters, or have we gone soft from seeing one of our own getting hurt?”

Everypony shook their heads as one, and I smiled as I felt a fire being lit in my chest, “Then let’s get out there and show those other racers what we’re made of!”

“Yeah!” Everypony cried as we turned and marched out of the room, leaving Mel at Lucky’s side as we exited the hospital.

Once Lucky was safe to move, she’d be relocated to the Racer Headquarters in Firebrand, so right now we had to focus on staying on top of the leaderboard, or else her sacrifice would have been in vain.

We came out of the building and met the bright sunlight of dawn, a brilliant yellow glow that seemed to herald a new beginning, and the start of another race. We formed up as a team, and flew to the racetrack, ready to take another crack at the Seaside Speedway. Like it or not, we were down one member, so from now on we had to work extra hard.

Author's Notes:

Hello to all of you out there in book land!! It's me, your favorites batpony author her with another chapter for your viewing pleasure. I realized that the last one ended on a pretty bad cliffhanger, so I wanted to get this one up as soon as possible. Please don't kill me, there won't be anypony left to take care of my limited edition MLP comic books. Oh, wait, *pushed them under the bed and closes the door* you didn't see that.

Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter and have the itch to see what happens next. I'll bet I can guess what's on your mind. Is Lucky going to wake up? Is Mel going to be out of the team when it comes to the final battle? What of the Blood Claw, will they continue to target the team now that they've claimed a victim? All will be revealed in future chapters, and only I know the truth about what lies in store for our heroes.

I'm such a tease.

See you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.