Sigh No More [Ceria]

[Richter]

The unicorn stared judgingly at Richter, not quite believing that he would even bother asking her such a question. It took a moment for her to react, but when she did, it wasn't what Richter had hoped for. With her eyes shut, she shook her head. "My skills aren't for the common folk," she said, spitting out the phrase with some difficulty. It was almost as if the very idea disgusted her. The unicorn used a hoof to fluff her sky blue mane, glancing off to the distance to avoid eye contact with the pegasus before her. Richter took the opportunity to move in closer. Putting on a bit of charm, he continued trying to convince her. "C'mon Dia, she's a really good friend o' mine. And, ah, I believe ya still owes me a favor."

The unicorn glanced back at Richter, not quite remembering what this 'favor' was. Noticing the confusion on her face, Richter shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Da changelins? All dem guards got hurt an' I helped out afta de invasion? Ya promised a favor durin' da chaos." The mare had to digest his words for a minute before a look of defeat swept across her face. "Sounds like something I'd say," she mumbled under her breath. Giving a sigh, she turned back to one of the many massage tables. "You better not tell anyone else about this." Richter gave a little chuckle. The unicorn was always this stubborn, but Richter could always turn her around. With a wide grin, the stallion rushed out of the room, eager to bring Ceria by as quickly as possible.

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He wasn't sure if she'd recognize him with all of that armor on, but he hoped that his memorable grin would give his identity away. The stallion was fortunate enough to borrow one of the smaller carriages used by the guard; it was a one-stallion carriage, so Richter didn't have to ask another one of his buds to help pull the thing. He figured Ceria deserved a formal escort, especially since he wasn't sure how fit she was for flying. It was the middle of the day when Richter left Canterlot for the tiny house on the Apples' land. Quickly, he pulled the carriage along, finding it quite easy to fly even with the extra weight behind him. Well, he didn't go through training for nothing. It would take a while to get all the way to the outskirts of the city, but soon enough Richter found himself approaching Ceria's house.

Richter landed just outside of the little house, giving himself a moment to catch his breath. Though he was unsure if she was even home, he figured her home would be his best shot. Since he didn't want to fuss with the carriage, he simply left himself strapped to it and called out to Ceria from the outside of her house. "Eey, Ceria, ya home?" He attempted to peek into the windows for any movement, but he saw nothing. He certainly hoped he could catch her here; wouldn't want to be flying all around Ponyville with a carriage strapped to his back, would he?

[Ceria]

The past few days had been rather well for Ceria. She managed to do a bit of weather management with the other pegasi, returning to land before she stressed any of the muscles in her wing. Her leg had been doing better as well! Sure, it would give out on her every once in a while, but it wasn't something she couldn't handle. Yet, she still wanted to be up in the skies, flying to and fro her house instead of trotting along day after day. She couldn't wait for the day when she could fly whenever and however she wanted to, just like the old days.

She was at home and Berry in his room taking a nap while she watered the garden in the back. Birds flew in the air, chirping happily all around when somepony's voice broke the calm air. She tried to figure out who would be here, or need her. Not a lot of ponies knew her name, so it had to be someone she knew, even if by a bit. She peaked from around the house to see a guard pegisi pulling a carriage. Richter!

She galloped back into the house and squeaked, "One moment!" as she packed a few things. A blanket, a few clothing items (who knew when she might need them?) and some of her favorite tea bags. In Berry's room, she woke him up, telling him where she would be and why. He only drowsily nodded, told her to have a nice time and went back to sleep. She smiled softly. Oh Berry, she thought.

Out in front, she met up with Richter. It hadn't been too long since she had seen him, but with his uniform on, it was like she didn't even know him and resorted back to her more quiet front.

"H-hi," she greeted him, smiling. "Um...so off to Canterlot, I presume?" she asked. She looked at the carriage curiously. She could fly, but maybe he though her wing was always bad and it hurt often. That was true, when the wound was fresh, but leaving the wing unusable nowadays only happened twice a week. The rest of the time, if she overdid it, it just became painful. She took the gesture as a kindness and took a seat in the carriage with her small satchel of belongings.

[Richter]

It was probably a bit odd seeing a guard smile like that, but that didn't stop Richter. He was genuinely happy to see Ceria again, even though it had only been a day or two since they last spoke. The stallion waited in silence for his friend to emerge from the house. He took note of her condition, which seemed to be perfectly fit for flying, but he wouldn't be taking any chances mid-air. Besides, who wouldn't enjoy a carriage ride into Canterlot? The other ponies would look to the skies and think of the important ponies being escorted to and from the castle. That made Richter feel pretty good about what he was doing, even though the trouble he had gone through to bring her to Canterlot in the first place certainly topped that feeling. Well, it wasn't too much trouble convincing his unicorn friend since his charms helped him out there.

His grin remained as she spoke and climbed into the comfortable seat of the carriage. Richter turned his head to the side so that he could at least keep eye contact with her with one eye. "A'course!" he exclaimed, beginning to turn the carriage back around in the direction he needed to go. "Shouldn't be too longuva ride," he said just before taking off. He paused for a moment, suddenly questioning his judgment. "Is da carriage a bit much? I was thinkin' ya'd prefer a ride instead'a havin' ta go all da way ta Canterlot. But you'll get some attention from da locals, das fo' sure." Even for a pony who was just a little bit shy, admiration by Canterlot residents was at least a big glamorous.

[Ceria]

Attention from the locals? Oh dear, that's not at all what she wanted, but she didn't dare tell him that. "Thanks," she said instead. Though the gesture was still sweet, it didn't fit somepony like her. She could barely handle talking to him when she first met him, but attention for the Canterlot people? The thought terrified her beyond belief.

Ceria tried to calm herself down a bit. It couldn't be all bad, surely. Richter was nice and from Canterlot, so there would be more ponies just like him. For the ride to the big city, she took advantage of it and enjoyed the wind around her and the feeling of being off the ground. She hadn't really been outside of Ponyville too far, so the view was something a bit new to her. She was almost sad when they landed, but not quite. Being in a new place excited her as much as it did the idea of rehabilitation for her wing and leg. Wing, preferably. She would rather fly for the rest of her life.

Stepping out of the carriage, she thanked Richter once more. "Um...but one question: where will I be staying?" Truth be told, she hadn't thought of that until now. If she had to pay for a room, she'd be in a bit of trouble: she hadn't thought to bring any money.

[Richter]

The trip had been rather lengthy and quiet, but Richter was in such a good mood that he barely noticed. It wasn't too long before the two finally arrived in Canterlot, surpassing the town below and landing on castle grounds. As soon as she stepped out, Richter moved quickly to detach himself from the carriage before rushing over to her side. The carriage would be taken care of, so he could simply leave it there while he escorted Ceria to the rehabilitation room. Her question got him thinking; he hadn't exactly thought of a place for her to stay, being so preoccupied with bringing her here in the first place. He had to think a moment, letting out an "Ahh..." as he tried to come up with a place on the spot. Quickly, so she didn't notice that he had no idea where she'd be staying, he gave her something off of the top of his head. "Mah friend Dia in dere's got a bunch'a rooms for her patients. She'll probably have ya stay dere." He recalled how bitter his friend had been when he first approached her about the whole situation. "If dat don't work out," he said, quickly adding another suggestion, "ya can always stay o'er at my place." He gave a shrug, not entirely sure of which she'd prefer.

He wasn't so concerned about her housing situation; Richter was more focused on the fact that Dia didn't like to be kept waiting, especially since she hadn't been so enthusiastic about the whole ordeal. The pegasus turned himself toward the nearest entrance to the castle, a wide cornucopia-shaped structure for approaching and departing pegasi. Richter could see that a few ponies were scattered within, but it wasn't too busy. He motioned his head toward the entrance, waiting for Ceria. "We's better get goin', don't wanna keep Dia waitin'!" The stallion moved toward the entrance, holding his head high and proudly, just like a soldier.

[Ceria]

"That's good," she responded to his answer of her questions. Either was fine with her, though she hated the fact she was mooching off the guard a bit, or his friend Dia. She hated feeling like a bother, but...well, he had offered, right? She wasn't imposing. Then again, she could have thought to pack more of her belongings so she could pay for room and board. "I don't mind either option."

"Okay," she replied when he said that they needed to get a move on. That's practical, she thought to herself, I am here for this, after all. She took one quickened glance back at the carriage he had used to pull her in and then followed him, walking through the entrance. The place was amazing, she gave it that, but the beauty of it was more intimidating than it was pretty to look at.

Not only that, but she felt completely lost. Unlike Ponyville, where she had grown up at and knew ever nook and cranny. Here, she felt totally alienated. "I'll follow," she told him.


ooc; sorry Dx feel free to do whatever to move the rp along

[Richter]

Casual conversation followed as the two made their way through the various corridors of the castle. Since this particular section housed the armory and royal guard ponies' quarters, there were many other guards busily moving about. It didn't take long for Richter to find the rehabilitation ward; the long hallway contained dozens of private rooms, some with the doors shut for privacy, while the others remained wide open so one could peek inside. Richter led Ceria down the hallway toward the last few rooms. Approaching one of the doors, Richter eyed the plaque beside door that read "Diamond Heart, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation". Giving a grin, the stallion gave a step into the office, knocking on the open door as he did so. The unicorn, sitting at her desk and frantically scribbling something on her paper, didn't even bother looking up. "Come in," she mumbled, not allowing her magic to pause with her writing.

Keeping his smile, the stallion strolled right up to the mare's desk, leaning on it with one hoof. He leaned in closer to the mare, startling her a bit when he spoke. "You ah, wanted ta meet wit' us?" Though he remained casual, it still spooked Diamond Heart, forcing her to drop her pencil. When she glanced up to Richter's cheesy smile, she simply rolled her eyes. She would have made a sarcastic comment right there, but being a respectful pony, she didn't want to give her new patient a bad impression. She turned to the side to glance around Richter. "So, you're Ceria?" she asked the pegasus. The mare emerged from behind her desk and walked over to the mare, holding out a hoof. She offered a smile. "Diamond Heart. Richter's told me so much about you." She gave a sly grin toward Richter, who glared in return. He was slightly embarrassed as to what she was implying, but he did a good job at not showing it. Attention back on Ceria, Diamond Heart made a quick assessment. "Care to explain how you hurt your wing there?"

[Ceria]

"Y-yes, Ma'am," Ceria responded instinctively. She couldn't help but notice how pretty Diamond Heart was, while she was just a disabled pegasus with an odd talent and simply styled. Everyone here looked so fancy with such luxuries, but while she compared herself, she began to think about Richter. While everyone else seemed to be on the high end of the spectrum of the social class, Richter acted and talked like he wasn't. It was odd, but somehow comforting.

And who wouldn't blush when someone blatantly told you that someone talked about you. A lot. She could feel her face heat up, but she refused to let her put aside the fact she came here for help. "I had a bad fall through the woods and it got cut up, as well as this hoof," she explained, also lifting up her hoof to show which one it was. There was a faint scar from where it had happened as well as on her wing, though the scar was a bit more prominent.

"Is...is there anything you can do?" she asked, the worry in her voice obvious.

[Richter]

Richter was practically on edge, waiting to hear Dia's answer. He truly thought that she'd be able to help Ceria, and he'd feel really bad if he had brought here for nothing. He watched curiously as the unicorn moved closer to Ceria, taking the injured hoof into her own. Placing her right hoof over the scar, Dia's horn began to glow ever so slightly; she was quickly examining the internal structures of her injured hoof. Everything seemed to be okay for the most part. The wound was healing as it should have been, and by her calculations, the scar should be able to disappear without leaving a mark. The mare remained silent as she moved on to examine Ceria's wing, performing the same examination while taking extra care. She noticed that the wing had been injured a bit more severely than the hoof, though it had practically healed on its own as well. "You probably injured some of the nerves and muscle in your wing," she said at last. "That would explain why it has been unresponsive at times. Nothing that a bit of therapy cannot fix."

Richter breathed a sigh of relief. She'd be okay! The stallion felt good about himself for coming up with the idea. Dia began to usher the two to the door just to the left of her desk. The stallion rushed to the door and opened it, holding it for the two mares before he entered it himself. The room that the three entered was huge; the ceiling itself was high enough for the pegasi to fly in without feeling closed in by walls. The room was so large that Richter's jaw had dropped just looking around. Dia moved past the two and over to one of the various stations set up around the room. The station had basic essentials for a patient getting a checkup: stethoscope, scale, and various other things. In the drawers, wrap bandages were neatly sorted. On top of these drawers was a basic cushion which a pony could lay upon. It was large enough for anypony to stretch themselves out on. Dia patted the cushion, eyes on Ceria. "Care to lay on your stomach for me? Wings out, please." She offered a smile.