"Um...Sandbar? Are...are you sure this is the right place?"

After taking in a deep breath, the young stallion beside her exhaled, giving a slow nod.

"Yeah...this is where we'll find him."

Of all the places the two expected to find themselves on this trip, Canterlot General Hospital was not one of them. But, here they were all the same. They glanced to one another, and it was clear that neither of them really wanted to be here. Yet they knew they had to see this through. So, after affording each other a small but genuine smile, they proceeded onwards. Entering through the front doors, they were greeted by a great deal of activity, doctors and nurses and patients of every variety all involved with one another in one way or another. But Sandbar wasn't thinking about them right now, but rather where they needed to go, and so, after getting his bearings, he started to lead his girlfriend further into the hospital. Ocellus was silent, at least for a little while, but soon, after walking down one hallway in particular, there came a point where she had to say something.

"...Are you going to be okay?"

Sandbar's face was stony, but he answered all the same.

"This needs to happen, Ocellus. It doesn't matter if I'm okay with it."

She knew he was right, but it brought her no joy to hear it. So, they continued down the hall, with Sandbar glancing to the side to read door numbers as they passed by. He counted them all, his eyes narrowing as they drew nearer and nearer to the one they knew was coming. After about five minutes of walking, they found it. And for almost an age, they paused, staring at that static number. Ocellus could feel her friend's discomfort, and she reached over, giving him a warm hoof upon his shoulder. He smiled to her, but it was clear that he was only doing so for her benefit, not his own. Then, he took another deep breath, unleashing a second exhale, before finally looking on with a frown at the door.

"Well...guess this was gonna happen sooner or later."

He reached upwards, pushing the door open, and on the other side the two were greeted with the sight of a nearly empty ward, with many beds ready for whatever patients might need them. However, this place was not completely empty, as one bed near the window had a single occupant. A long unicorn stallion, about Sandbar's age, if a little older. He didn't look to them, instead just staring out of the window right now, but Sandbar was practically seething at the sight of him. Ocellus wanted to comfort him, but she knew he had to make this on his own choice, not hers. And eventually, he moved, with her following. Soon enough, they were close to the aforementioned bed, and it was here that Sandbar finally spoke, albeit with a low tone.

"...Hey."

The unicorn turned, having clearly not been expecting visitors. And as soon as he saw Sandbar, his eyes widened with shock. But then he took on a sterner look, with silence falling between them. A minute passed, then another, and then another, before the unicorn finally uttered something.

"Sandbar."

The young earth pony gave a small nod.

"Comet."

Again, a silence fell, and this time it looked as if the two weren't so willing to break it. Ocellus, who was glancing from one to the other, eventually cleared her throat, before finally deciding to at least ask the obvious question.

"So...how'd you get hurt?"

Comet looked to her, the first time he'd seen her since their unpleasant last encounter. But, rather than the same pure disgust he had before, instead he looked to her with, of all things, thoughtfulness. Slowly, he turned his attention to one of his hind legs, which was encased in a cast, and he frowned.

"I was in the middle of one of my teleportation practices. You know, disappear and then re-appear high up, then teleport again before you hit the ground?"

A dry chuckle escaped him.

"I could usually do that kind of thing with my eyes closed, but..."

He grimaced.

"...but when I went to the ground...the spell didn't happen."

Sandbar looked to him with a reserved expression.

"You lost your magic?"

Comet looked back to him, giving a single nod.

"Just like everyone else."

After a while, the bed-ridden stallion sighed, and he gestured over to Sandbar.

"I hear I have you to thank for getting all that stuff back?"

Sandbar shook his head.

"No...it wasn't just me..."

He turned, gesturing to Ocellus.

"Ocellus was there too."

Then, he looked back to Comet.

"And Yona...and Smolder...and all our friends."

His eyes narrowed.

"All those non-ponies...they saved Equestria."

The meaning behind his words would have been impossible to miss, and yet, for whatever reason, Comet did not look away. He did not try to defend his past actions, or try and say something to refute Sandbar. Instead, he simply nodded.

"Well...I guess that's that then."

Sandbar looked to him with surprise, then a little irritation.

"...Is that all you have to say? Everything that happened...everything that was said...and that's all you have to say?"

Comet frowned right back.

"Sandbar...what else can I say? The last time we were all together...things ended between us. We made it very clear to each other that we wanted nothing more to do with one another."

His eyes narrowed further.

"I don't even know what you're doing here!"

Sandbar exhaled deeply, and he then looked over to Ocellus.

"I'm here...because Ocellus convinced me to come here."

Again, Comet looked surprised, and he looked over to the small Changeling beside his former friend.

"...Why?"

Ocellus, who had been showing a great deal of discomfort during this entire conversation, finally spoke up, albeit with a tone far quieter than the other two.

"Well...honestly? I've never been happy that things ended between you the way that they did."

She looked to him, and gave a frown of her own.

"You said many terrible things, Comet, and not just to me. You insulted Yona, and Gallus, and Silverstream, and Smolder. You blamed all of us for something we were not responsible for."

Her eyes briefly darted in Sandbar's direction before again settling on the injured stallion.

"You hated us so much that you were even willing to cast aside Sandbar. Your friend."

Here, she paused, taking in a deep breath before letting it all out, if only to try and calm herself.

"But...as hateful and vile as your words were...that doesn't mean I was happy seeing Sandbar's oldest friend leave him. And recent events have shown us..."

Slowly, she again looked to her boyfriend.

"...that ponies we think are too far gone can change."

Comet looked at her, surprised, confused and utterly at a loss on how to respond. He, like many ponies around here, would not really have been aware of the finer details of what happened back at the school, so he likely had no clue as to who she was referring to. Even so, he understood the feeling behind what she'd said, and his expression soon softened. But, in spite of this, he said nothing, and instead just turned to stare out of the window again, just like he'd been doing when they first arrived. They waited for a response, for him to say something, but nothing came. After a while, Sandbar, more than irritated with his former friend, started to turned around.

"Come on, Ocellus...we're wasting our time here."

Ocellus too was disappointed, but she too felt that this had gone as far as it could, and so she also turned. But then, before she began to walk away, she heard something.

"...Ocellus."

She stopped, as did Sandbar, and they looked back to Comet. At first, he didn't look back to them, but he spoke nevertheless.

"...I'm...sorry."

Ocellus stared at him, completely uncertain.

"...What?"

Sighing, Comet finally looked back to her, and though his expression was stern, his words were soft.

"I'm...sorry. Sorry for what I said. To you...and to the others."

Ocellus, naturally, was shocked to hear that, but Sandbar, by contrast, was not so swayed.

"Why are you saying that?"

Comet looked to his childhood colleague.

"It used to be so simple. Ponies were good...and others were bad. Dragons, Changelings, every creature we would find in the world. All of them...bad. At least...that was what always seemed to be the case. But things aren't that simple anymore."

He paused, but only for a moment.

"A pony took my magic. A pony was responsible for me being hurt."

Then, his eyes drifted back to Ocellus.

"A Changeling helped to save us...and a Changeling brought our magic back."

Another pause, and then his frown faded, if only a little.

"I...was wrong. That's...all that needs to be said."

A dry chuckle escaped him.

"Besides...it was you who convinced Sandbar to come and visit me. So...maybe he was right to see something special in you after all."

It was an unexpected turn for the visit, it had to be said. Sandbar looked at Comet and was clearly wrestling with what had just been uttered. After a while, however, he looked over to the unicorn's cast.

"...Have you been told when you'll be getting out?"

Comet shrugged his shoulders.

"Another few days, maybe."

Slowly Sandbar nodded.

"Alright then...I hope you get better."

Comet nodded back.

"Thank you."

Ocellus, seeing this exchange, began to perk up, a smile forming on her lips.

"This...this is great! I'm...I'm so glad the two of you might actually become friends again!"

But, upon hearing that, the softness in Comet's face faded again, and he closed his eyes, giving a quick shake of his head.

"...No, Ocellus. We're not friends. And...we're never going to be friends again."

His eyes opened, and he turned to his fellow pony.

"...Are we, Sandbar?"

Ocellus, her own smile now diminishing, looked to her boyfriend, and found, to her dismay, that he too nodded to what Comet was saying.

"No...we're not."

Ocellus was completely bewildered by this. She looked from one to the other, trying to wrap her head over what had just happened, and her stuttering tone only added to that feeling.

"But...but...but...Comet said he was sorry! Things...things can be better between you now...right?"

One look at Comet's face, and the flicker of emotion in his eyes, made it abundantly clear that he wanted to believe Ocellus' words. He wanted that scenario to indeed be what was happening, or what was going to happen. And as he looked to Sandbar, though neither said anything on it, it was obvious to him that he too felt that way. However, in this quiet moment, one inescapable fact lingered, hovering over all of them and bringing down everything.

"Ocellus...some friendships...can't be fixed," Comet muttered.

Ocellus looked to him, but said nothing as he carried on.

"What I did...what I said...that was more than what any friend should ever do to another. A dagger through Sandbar's heart."

Sandbar winced, but he stood his ground all the same, watching as his former friend continued.

"This bridge? It burned down a long time ago...and I'm the one who set it alight."

Slowly, he shook his head.

"There was never any coming back from this. Not for me."

Ocellus was dismayed, and she turned to Sandbar, who, to her further sadness, nodded in agreement with the injured unicorn. Ocellus' ears started to droop, her hopes of some kind of reconciliation between these two now as broken as Comet's leg.

"...Oh."

It was an uncomfortable moment, but, to the surprise of both Ocellus and Sandbar, Comet actually started to laugh. Granted, it was more of a dry and empty chuckle, but it was something.

"But you know...if nothing else...I'm glad. If he and I never see each other again...I'd rather things between us end like this, instead of...well...last time."

Sandbar, in spite of everything, in spite of all he wished to say to the one he had known for so long, actually cracked a smile albeit one that was more of a smirk.

"That much, Comet...I think we can agree on."

The two smiled to one another, perhaps the last time they would ever do so. But then, after a time, Comet's smile faded, and he looked down to his cast.

"I think visiting hours will be ending soon. You two should make yourselves scarce."

Sandbar nodded, looking over to his girlfriend.

"Ocellus?"

The Changeling female nodded, and while she was clearly disappointed, she knew this was as good as things were ever going to be, and she allowed herself to accept it, giving Sandbar a quick nod before starting to make her way out. Sandbar followed, but, before he left the ward in earnest, he paused, looking back to his old friend.

"...Comet?"

Comet looked back to him.

"Yeah?"

After just a moment, Sandbar smirked.

"Try not to do any more teleportation stunts after this, okay? I always told you you'd get hurt one day."

Comet blinked, then frowned.

"...Really? An 'I told you so', Sandbar?"

Sandbar shrugged.

"Hey, it's my last ever chance, so no way am I gonna miss it!"

Comet rolled his eyes, then used his magic to levitate a nearby pillow and throw it at Sandbar. Thankfully, the latter had already closed the door behind him, and now it was just him and Ocellus outside in the hall together. Sandbar looked to his girlfriend, who seemed somewhat dejected, and listened well as she finally spoke to him.

"Sandbar...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to come here. I hoped you two would be friends again, but..."

Then, she stopped, feeling Sandbar's hoof under her chin, guiding her face upwards so as to be looking him in the eye. He smiled to her, then spoke softly.

"Ocellus...if it wasn't for you, I would have only ever remembered Comet as something painful. Something that made me angry. Now, because of you...I think I can actually move past that."

Ocellus blinked, and watched as he kept speaking.

"He and I may never be friends again...but we're not enemies. And that...that matters."

His smile widened.

"...So thank you."

He leaned closer, giving her a quick but tender kiss on her lips. Ocellus was taken aback, but blushed and eased into the kiss soon afterwards. As the two finally parted, Ocellus too smiled.

"I'm...glad I could help."

Sandbar nodded.

"So...what do you want to do now?"

Hearing that, Ocellus looed rather stumped.

"I...was actually hoping you'd have a suggestion."

Sandbar chuckled.

"Well...maybe it's best if we head on home. I don't know about you, but I could do with some R and R after this."

Giggling, Ocellus leaned forward and gave him another kiss, this time on he cheek.

"You and me both, sweetie."

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