Prickle was being carried, by Redheart, if one wanted to be specific. She was laying along the nurse's back as the town went by at a sedate pace.

Redheart kept a smooth walk as to not jostle her rider. "Hopefully we'll find nothing at all and you can go on home, but better safe than sorry," she assured with a caring smile.

Walking alongside them through the darkening streets were the crusaders. Scootaloo whispered conspiratorially, "What if she did break something?"

Apple Bloom shrugged. "Then ah guess we'll have ta find a doctor, like at the place we're goin'?"

Scootaloo looked a little sheepish. "Oh yeah." In a louder voice she called up to Prickle. "Don't worry! We're with ya every step!"

"Not every step," corrected Redheart. "You girls should head home once we reach the hospital. We don't let friends and family in during treatment. She's in good hooves, I promise."

Prickle put on a brave face. She really hoped nothing was too wrong with her, but how could she know. "I'll be fine," she lied, not feeling certain of the fact. "You all have homework and parents waiting for you."

Apple Bloom thrust a hoof at Prickle as she went. "Ah don't think Applejack'd get mad if I told her the truth, that ah was being loyal to a good friend who got hurt."

Sweetie looked pensive, but broke her silence. "How did the Mauler know Tiny Titan's real name?"

The other girls looked over. Scootaloo blinked. "I didn't even notice that with everything going on. She did say it, didn't she..."

Prickle considered the fur she had seen. It was pink. Not Pinkie Pie pink, off... She didn't recognize it. If it had been Pinkie, that would have been a thousand new questions without answers. Pinkie was known for being odd at times, but flying around and using full on unicorn magic? No...

"Here we are." They had arrived at the hospital. Redheart turned to the girls that had followed with them. "Now go on home. You don't have to stay."

Scootaloo thumped a hoof on the ground. "What kind of fan would I be if I left before we knew for sure?"

Apple Bloom thumped her chest. "What kind of friend would ah be?"

Sweetie smiled wide. "I'm afraid they're not going to be dissuaded."

Redheart let out a long sigh. "And you?" she was looking at Sweetie.

"I... actually should go." Her ears fell. "I'm with Rarity right now and she's probably already nervous that I didn't check in. You two remain here and keep an eye on things, alright?"

Apple Bloom gave a soft laugh as she threw a leg over Sweetie and pulled her tight. "We don't want Rarity blowin' something. Ya go on ahead. If she lets ya, come on back, but it's all good, promise."

Those remaining trotted inside as Sweetie took off in a hurried gallop towards home. Redheart strode past the front desk. "We have a possible deep-tissue bruise, maybe worse, maybe less. What doctor is available for a clear picture of the situation?"

The other nurse, a pinkish mare that Prickle knew as Nurse Sweetheart, pulled over a clipboard and scanned it quickly. "Doctor Horse is in his office."

"Keep these two occupied." Redheart was pointing at the remaining crusaders.

Apple Bloom perked an ear. "What? We ain't no foals. We kin wait." She trotted with Scootaloo at her side and both hopped up into chairs to do just that. "Good luck, P--Titan!"

Redheart strode down the hallway to some stairs and began to ascend them carefully. "Now don't be nervous. Doctor Horse is good at what he does, and he'll have you back in one piece in no time at all. If luck's on our side, you already are and don't need anything more than taking it easy for a day or two."

A silly question came to Prickle as she went. "I never noticed before, but all the nurses have heart in their name."

Redheart swiveled an ear back at Prickle. "That's intentional."

"Did you have another name before you knew you were going to be a nurse."

"I did," she said in a patient tone, still walking. "That's private, I'm afraid, even to amazing little heroes like you."

Prickle mused over what the name could be, and soon they were at a particular door that Redheart clopped a hoof against.

"Doctor? I have a patient in need of examination."

"This is highly irregular." The door swung open and the light brown doctor frowned at the both of them before realizing who Prickle was. "You! The maniac that fled before completing her last treatment."

Redheart frowned in kind. "This is Tiny Titan. She was injured in a fight, in her forelegs. Can you have a look, please?"

Prickle grimaced a little. "I'm sorry if I made you angry."

"Angry?" The doctor backed away to let Redheart come in. "You made the nurses far more upset than I. They thought something might have happened to you until your mother arrived to assure them you were alright. Me? I think you're crazy, and I doubt this is the last time we'll meet if you continue doing what you're doing."

Prickle wasn't sure what she felt as the doctor's horn glowed as a screen floated over. She was a hero, which meant that, yeah... she'd probably get hurt again, but... "It's better I get hurt a little, if it means a lot of other ponies aren't."

The doctor paused. "That's a noble outlook," he finally decided. "If it doesn't get you killed, of course." She held the screen up against Prickle's left foreleg and with a sudden flash, Prickle's bones were visible, and so were Redheart's behind them, as she was still on her back.

The doctor smiled. "Well, no broken bones that I can see, we can rule that out. Let's have a look at the other side." He trot around Redheart and with a bright flash, confirmed that no bones appeared to be broken. He set the screen aside and sat beside Redheart. "This may hurt a little." The glow of his magic wrapped around Prickle's right foreleg and began to gently touch and feel at the area. She winced as he worked and he seemed to take notice of when she winced or made little noises of pain.

"You definitely have some bruising. I would put you in a bed to rest, but I doubt you'd stay there." Prickle opened her mouth to object, only to have the doctor's hoof casually inserted, silencing her. "It's alright. This isn't too serious. Just take it easy. I'd like to put you on a cart, if you're willing?"

A cart?! Prickle blinked at the very idea of it. "What would that look like?"

Redheart moved for the examination table and carefully slid Prickle onto it. "You stay here and I'll get one. Foreleg, obviously?" The doctor nodded, and off she trotted.

Doctor Horse looked over Prickle's costumed form. "You know, it was her that forbade us from taking this off of you. That was against regulations, but she was adamant. Is your 'secret identity' more important than your health?"

Prickle sat up slowly. It hurt to push up on her forehooves, but not too badly to sit up. "Thank you, for letting me have my secret."

"You're very welcome, little filly, but if you're hurt too badly, we're going to have to peel you free of that. Your safety rates higher than your privacy."

The door swung open. Redheart was back, pushing an odd cart along with her. "Let's get you onto this. It will help you keep pressure off your legs."

Prickle didn't like the look of it, but hardly had time to voice that. She was plucked up by Doctor Horse's magic carefully and moved over to it. Her forelegs were strapped into place with big padded lashes that kept her secured.

Redheart nodded. "There you are. You can move with your hindlegs."

Prickle grimaced, unsure it would work well, but she was willing to try. She walked with her hindlegs and her body slid along. The cart wheeled along beneath her. It felt a little like she was scooting on her belly, without rubbing against her fur. Still, she was moving, and her legs weren't being hurt... "That other ponies are going to make fun of me..." She looked silly, or so she had decided.

Redheart gave a knowing smile. "Let's go see what your friends think. Thank you, Doctor." She dipped her head and escorted Prickle out into the hallway and out of the doctor's way. "The hardest part will be stairs. You should avoid them when possible." She led the way to the elevator. "Fortunately, we have this." She waved inside. "After you."

Prickle walked along in her new, awkward, way. Even the quiet murmur of the rolling wheel bothered her a little. Still... it was to make her better, right? "Oh, um... tell the doctor I said thank you."

"I will dear." She pushed the big button for the lobby.

Soon they were emerging.

Two fillies looked up at the ding of the elevator's arrival. They both bounced up as one and raced over.

Redheart smiled at that. She had a feeling her patient would be in good hooves. "Thank you both for being patient. Here she is, even better than before."

Prickle's nose scrunched. "I'm not sure about better... Hello." She took an uncertain step forward. "I'm... going to need some help."

Scootaloo snapped a sharp salute. "You can count on us!"

Apple Bloom bobbed. "Look, Ah know ya feel funny, but we done got hurt before. Heck, there was that time, around Hearth's Warming."

Scootaloo blushed bright. "Let's not go over that!"

Prickle was curious. "Can you tell me, please? I'd feel better."

Scootaloo huffed. "It's a long story, but we can skip to the worst part." She reached out and tapped the wagon. "I had one of these, and casts on my hindlegs to go with." She looked up at Redheart. "How long does she have to have it?"

"There's no permanent damage that we could see. She just needs to keep pressure off of them and she should be right as rain in no time. Maybe a week?"

Apple Bloom bobbed her head. "That ain't so bad. We done worse before." She tapped a wheel. "And that's what we're tellin' Cheerilee."

"Huh?"

"Well, we can't tell her you were having a superhero fight, now kin we?"

That made sense... "So we were doing something silly and stupid and got what fillies get when they're silly and stupid."

"That's about the size of it." Apple Bloom gave a firm nod. "Hay, I reckon we just say we challenged you to show off how strong ya were. Everyone knows that, no secrets there."

Prickle's ears went down. "T-they do?" She had tried so hard to be subtle! Wait... "Why weren't they scared of me, or making fun of me, if they knew how... weird I was?"

Scootaloo leaned in. "You're sharing a town with the fastest pegasus everywhere, and Pinkie Pie. You have competition for being amazing. You're a friend, why should anyone make fun of you?" She turned for the exit. "We'll help her get home. Thanks again, Nurse Redheart!"

Author's Notes:

That went well, I think?

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