//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: A New Face // Story: A Light in the Darkness // by Silentpegasus //------------------------------// Chapter 3. A New Face. The pegasus found himself in a dream. He was in a swamp like forest, with the sound of frogs, insects and other animals around him. As he squinted through the dense fog, a voice called out to him. “Fear not young one, death does not claim you today.” Suddenly the pegasus felt a wave of pain coarse through his body. He collapsed to the ground in agony, he got to his hooves just in time for a second wave to hit him. The stallion then had the sudden feeling of falling. His eyes shot open for him to see a unicorn in a white over coat staring down at him with a worried look in his eye. “We’ve got a pulse! Nurse stabilize him!” the unicorn said as he looked over to a white mare. “Yes sir! C’mon kid hang in there!” she said as she looked down at the injured pegasus. The last thing he remembers is the nurse fastening a rubber breathing apparatus to his snout and then all fades to black. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The pegasus woke up in a hospital room. The sun was pouring through the massive window on his right, he figured that it was about eight o’clock in the morning. the room it self was a standard issue hospital room, he’s been in plenty to know what they look like. He can even tell by the smell. *Sniff, Sniff* “Great, nothing like waking up to the smell of bloody gauze and antiseptic.” he said with a sarcastic tone. “What happened last night?” he said as he rubbed his head with his front hoof. As he tried too, he felt a wave of pain wash over him, as he looked down at his chest he saw that his entire mid section was covered with bandages. He then remembered what transpired the last time he was conscious. “Oh, thats right the manticore thing. Hope that cyan pony made out okay. What was her name? Rainbow Bash? No...Rainbow Crash? No, but that’s a little funny.... Rainbow Dash? Yeah that’s it Rainbow Dash!” he said out loud. Ugh!! Not again!! I have got to stop talking to myself!! he thought as he face hoofed. He then saw that the door opened and a cream colored unicorn with a black mane and a needle for a cutie mark came into the room. The pony was sporting a white lab coat, the pony was staring at him with a surprised look on his face. “Your already awake?” he said in surprise. “Apparently. Who are you?” he asked the doctor. “My name is Dr. Syringe and you are one very lucky stallion.” he said as he examined the pegasus’s chart. “Not many ponies can go head to head with a fully grown manticore and live to tell the tale.” “I guess so. How long have I been here?” he asked as he looked around the room. “About three days, honestly you should have been out cold for at least a week.” “THREE DAYS!! SERIOUSLY??” he yelled in surprise. “Shhh!..You’ll wake the other patient.” He said as he pointed to the bed next to you. As the pegasus looked over he saw that the other patient was the orange filly that Rainbow had carried off first. “How is she?” he asked the doctor. “She arrived just in time, thanks to you and Rainbow Dash.” he said as he put down his chart. “That’s a relief.” he said as he let out a sigh. The doctor began making his way towards the door. “I have to go check on my other patients, but I’ll be back by this afternoon to check on you. In the mean time I will alert Ms. Dash, down in the lobby that you are awake.” “Wait. She’s here?” “Yes, she hasn’t left the hospital since you were admitted.” he said as he left the room and closed the door behind him. The pegasus decided to lay back down and try to collect his thoughts. She stayed here for three days and nights? Why? Probably wanted to check on the filly. His mind began to relax and he decided that it didn’t matter. As he tried to get back to sleep his hospital door burst open revealing a very worried and sleep deprived pegasus mare standing in the door way. “YOU’RE ALIVE!!” Rainbow yelled as she took flight and practically tackled him into a hug. He screams out in a little pain “Oh my gosh I’m sorry!” she said with a worried look on her face. “Yeah, I’m alive. Not sure why I wouldn’t be.” he said as he rubbed the back of his head. “Dude, you took on a fully grown manticore. By yourself no less and saved Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom at the same time.” she said with an amazed look on her face. “And you, uh..sort of saved my life too.” Rainbow said ash she started to blush. Okay now that time I KNOW she blushed. “What do ya mean ‘sort of’? he said with a smug grin on his face. “Fine! You totally saved my sorry flank back there! Happy?” Rainbow said as she got an annoyed look on her face. She’s kinda cute when she’s annoyed.....Wait what? Shut up brain! “It’s fine Rainbow.” he said putting his hoof up and giving her a light chuckle. Rainbow’s ears shot up at the sound of her name. “How do you know my name?” she asked as she raised an eye brow. “You told me three days ago, remember? In the cave.” “Oh yeah, what’s your name again?” she asked in an embarrassing tone. “It’s Sky Blazer. You can call me Sky, Blaze or what ever.” Sky Blazer said. “Okay, Sky thank...” Rainbow had just let out the longest and possibly the most adorable yawn Sky had ever heard. “Awwe, is little Rainbow tired?” Sky said while putting on his best baby sounding voice. “Shut Up! I’ve been up for three days and those couches in the lobby don’t have much support.” she said as she cracked her back. “Hey do you mind I I crash here for a while? I really need some sleep.” she said as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. “Um....okay.” Sky said as he was trying to hide his own blush from the mare. Rainbow then pulled over one of the chairs from the table and planted it next to Sky. “Thanks. G’night” Rainbow said as she laid her head down to rest at the foot of his bed. Within seconds she was out. As Sky did the same and as he drifted off to sleep, he couldn’t help but think that this mare was a bit cute. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Ahem, hope I’m not interrupting anything.” the doctor said as he looked down at Sky with a grin on his face. As Sky Blazer and Rainbow Dash woke up they realized that the cyan mare had moved from her sleeping position from laying her head on the bed, too wrapping her hooves around him and lying next to him. “Gah!” Rainbow said as she jumped out of the bed in embarrassment. “Sorry doc, I guess I just dozed off for a while.” she said with a blush on her face. Sky glanced at the clock and realized that it read five o’clock in the afternoon. Rainbow saw the clock and realized that she had slept for over nine hours. “Looks like it’s almost supper time.” Sky said as he rubbed his head with his hoof. “Yes, I was going to check on you earlier but I didn’t want to disturb you two.” he said with a smug grin on his face. “Listen doc it’s not like that...we weren’t.....ya know what I’m saying right?” Rainbow said with a look of embarrassment on her face. Daaww how cute, she’s blushing..Damn it brain SHUT THE BUCK UP! “Quite right.” the doctor said with a hint of sarcasm. Sky then looked over to the bed next to him and saw it was empty. “Hey Doctor, what happened to the filly that was in the bed next to me?” “Ms. Scootaloo was released today around noon. She wanted to thank you but I told her you both needed your rest.” Rainbow’s jaw hit the floor realizing that her number one fan/stalker saw her asleep with a random pony. “OH NO! I GOTTA GO! See tomorrow Sky.” Rainbow said as she leaped out of the window and literally made tracks in the sky. Sky Blazer and the doctor just stood there taking in what just happened. “Anyway....I’m here to see how the wounds healed and to check your wing.” he said as a nurse stepped into the room balancing a tray of fresh bandages on her back. “Glad to see you’re awake, I’m nurse Red Heart by the way.” she said with a smile on her face. Sky Blazer looked at the two with a smile on his face. “Thank you, both of you. Without you two we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.” “It’s our job to help ponies in need.” the doctor said with a reassuring smile. “Alright enough chit chat. Mr. Blaze hold still.” the nurse said as she removed the bandages, after she did she and the doctor both jumped back in surprise. “What?” Sky Blazer asked. He looked down to see a huge scar where the manticore had poisoned him. “Remarkable, It’s completely healed and only after three days. Lets check his wing.” the doctor said as his horn started to undo the bandages around his right wing. Once the bandages were off the doctors horn began to glow and a horizontal line scanned the appendage. “Not a single fracture. It’s as though it was never broken at all!” the doctor exclaimed. Both the nurse and doctor started to eye Blaze with an odd look almost as if he wasn’t a pony at all. “So am I free to go?” Blaze asked as he started to scratch the back of his mane. “I suppose theres no reason to keep you here, but I want to keep you over night for observation. Just to be sure there’ aren’t any problems. Is that alright by you?” the doctor said as he marked the progress down on the chart. “Sure, it’s not like I have any where to stay at the moment.” Blaze said with a small grin. “Alright then I’ll discharge you tomorrow morning.” nurse Red heart said as she left the room. “Hey doctor.” “Yes?” “Where are my things? I had a coat and saddle bag on me when I came in didn’t I?” “Ah, yes your coat and bags are in the closet over there. But Ms. Dash did say that the pocket holding your bits was ripped open and was lost in the Everfree Forest.” “The Everfree Forest?” Sky blazer said as he raised an eyebrow. “Where Rainbow Dash found you. It is well known for being dangerous.” “Great no bits. WAIT WHAT ABOUT A NECKLACE? THERE WAS A NECKLACE IN ONE OF MY COAT POCKETS!!” “Hmm.. let me see.” the doctor moved over to the closet and retrieved his things. He levitated the coat and bag. “This them?” “Yes, now please give them to me. Just don’t touch it!” Sky Blazer said in a pleading voice. “Alright, calm down.” the doctor said as he levitated his possessions to his patient. “Thank you doctor. Sorry for snapping at you like that. It’s just that these things are really important to me.” he said as he took the necklace out of the coat pocket, he breathed a sigh of relief and put it around his neck. “It’s alright. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night Mr. Blazer” the doctor said as he exited the room. “Good night doctor.” As the door closed Sky Blazer looked down at his possessions. As he pondered his next move he wondered how he was going to get the supplies he needed to complete his journey.