//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: The Hurricane Express // Story: Newborn Mare // by nanashi_jones //------------------------------// Why is it I keep finding myself sitting on ambulance bumpers? “Sit still,” said the EMT, who was working on my right ear. “Sorry,” I replied. “I still can’t believe you didn’t feel that happen,” May said, from her perch on Rarity’s back. I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Hush now, Sweetie- I mean, May,” Rarity said, nodding to her sister. “It was pretty exciting in there. I, for one, am not surprised that Applejack was so focused that she missed getting shot.” “It’s more a graze, really,” I said. “Sit still,” the EMT said, again. “Sorry.” This was my life now. Lots of bowel-clenching terror immediately followed by sitting on an ambulance bumper while May cracked jokes. At least the bowel-clenching terror didn’t linger once it was all over. When the FBI showed up, Davis was pretty much done. He and his crew threw down their weapons, a bunch of people in tactical gear stormed the compound, and a whole fleet of ambulances showed up to take care of the wounded. Which included me. “You’ll need stitches if you want to avoid a nasty scar, but this should get you to the hospital,” the EMT said. He smoothed a white bandage over the damage. “Thanks,” I said, smiling at him. He smiled back and stood up, striding off in search of somepony else to help. He passed by Stephanie, who was perched on another bumper. She was getting her arm taken care of while she chatted with Alphonse. Erishy sat on a stretcher with a bottle of water, as an EMT set about making a mummy pony out of her. Even Nate and Rarity had shock blankets. Since I didn’t have to sit still any more, I leaned forward and plucked my hat off of May’s head. “Thanks for watching this, squirt,” I said, carefully sliding it back on. “No problem, hayseed,” she said, smirking back at me. “But I can’t keep saving your flank all the time. You need to plan ahead or you’re going to be up to your ears in shit-t-t-” May slapped her hooves over her mouth, eyes locked on Rarity. “Uh- I mean! Uh, trouble! I totally said trouble!” she squeaked, looking nervously at her sister. Rarity chuckled. “It’s alright, sis, you can fucking curse if you want to.” I tried not to laugh at May’s expression. I really did. She just looked like someone had set a firecracker off under her nose. “Rae?” May said, in a not very whispering whisper. “Eeyup?” “Did Rarity just curse?” “Eeyup.” “This blows my mind. Holy freaking crap.” May held her head in her hooves like someone had just slapped her with a two-by-four. “You never heard her close to a deadline, didja?” I teased. “No, she didn’t,” Rarity said, shooting me a look. “A lady tries not to air her… ‘Business Mouth’ around little fillies.” I was about to apologize, call pax, when Rarity’s expression mellowed, and she sighed. “But…” she said, glancing at her reflection in the bumper. “Well, I would be lying if I didn’t say my merge hasn’t provided a new perspective. I will avoid being boorish if I can, but sometimes…” She smirked. “Well, you just have to fucking swear.” I laughed. I definitely was going to get along with new Rarity. “If you merged, is that why you have the eye thing and the streaks in your hair?” May asked, leaning down to re-inspect her sister. “Didja change your name too?” “Ah, yes. The name. I will answer to Rarity still, who wouldn’t- it’s a fabulous name, but…” Rarity scuffed a hoof against the ground, a little pink coloring her cheeks. “If you could call me Raritony, I... would appreciate it.” I smiled. Picking up her hoof, I shook it firmly. “Pleased t’meetcha Raritony. I’m Rae Jay.” Raritony laughed softly and smiled. “A pleasure, Rae Jay.” “But she actually prefers ‘hayseed,’” May said, grinning mischief. I growled at May. She stuck her tongue out at me. “And what about dear Fluttershy?” Raritony asked. “She’s Erishy now,” I said, looking over at her. Erishy was still sitting quietly on the stretcher, head down as she sipped water. More of her was bandages than she wasn’t. Which made… something ugly tighten in my chest. “And she’s gonna need some extra TLC.” “I imagine so,” Raritony said. “Did you see her bruises? Damn ghastly. She’ll need all the support we can give her.” “I’d rather buck the head off whoever did it to her,” I growled. I watched Erishy nod to her EMT, then lift her wing slowly, tentatively. She didn’t deserve to be in this much pain. She was such a sweet pony, and she looked like she got in a fight with a thresher. Meanwhile, I just had a few bumps and a graze. It wasn’t right. “Apple- Rae Jay,” Raritony said, breaking my reverie, her voice soft. “As much as I agree, and trust me, I do… Flutt- Erishy doesn’t need that right now. She needs us to be her friends. Supportive. Present.” As if she heard us, Erishy looked up, and a small smile appeared on her face. She waved. I waved back. I managed to keep tears out of my eyes too. Because I’m so freaking tough and all. Turning away from Erishy, I closed my eyes and looked up. “Sorry, Rares,” I said. “I’m… I look at her and-” I sighed, shaking my head. “I can’t be… supportive right now.” Sure that I wasn’t about to start bawling, I looked back to Raritony and May. “Can y’all keep her company for a spell?” I asked. “I wanna talk to Stephanie. See where we stand on the whole CIA escort thing.” “Of course,” Raritony replied. “I know a little planning and organization helps calm me down. Even if it’s just to set out a dress order. Or... even better- getting a Minecraft team set up!” After staring at Raritony for probably too long, I looked at May. “This happen with me, too?” “Oh yeah,” May said, nodding. “When you talked about Kingdom Hearts, I wanted to check my hearing.” “Right,” I said looking at the space next to Raritony’s head. “Y’all be neighborly, I’m gonna go over here. And deal with Rarity playing Minecraft- I mean, our CIA ride.” Raritony and May giggled, trotting over to Erishy’s stretcher. I made my way to Stephanie and Alphonse. I didn’t quite reach them. Just as I was about to say hi, someone stormed past me to stop in front of Stephanie. He didn’t say anything, he just loomed over her. If it weren’t for the FBI tactical vest, I’d think he was a pissed off DMV employee. Stephanie turned from talking to the EMT who was working on her arm, and her expression cooled several degrees. “Crocker,” she said, her voice carefully neutral. “Chase,” Crocker spat. Alphonse took a breath and muttered something about checking the car. He stepped toward the CIA-mobile, parked nearby, where I could see Sam was watching us intently. I wasn’t so discreet. Stepping forward, I got a better look at this guy. He was tall, for a human, with thinning brown hair, and narrow, intense eyes. The set to his jaw made me think he constantly frowned. Overall, he looked like one of life’s permanently pissed. And he was aiming that pissitude directly at Stephanie. “What. The. Hell,” he snarled. “You were told to check the perimeter, Chase. You were told to hold your position. Where in any of that was storming the fucking compound implied?!” Stephanie didn’t miss a beat. “I was already in the process of entering the site when you contacted me,” she said, her voice controlled, her expression calm. “To back off and do a perimeter would have alerted them to our presence and blown our cover.” “Entering the site? Entering the- You shouldn’t have been that close in the first place!” he roared. “And with your principal no less!” Okay, I did not just finish with one brand of asshole to let another walk all over my friends. “The ‘principal’ volunteered,” I said, standing by Stephanie’s side. “In fact, I insisted.” She twitched, her eyes darting to me, then back to Crocker. He looked even angrier than before, locking his unholy eyefuck on me. Maybe it would’ve hit a nerve a few days ago, but after all I’d been through, it’d take more than some guy with a rage boner to get under my skin. I stared steadily back at him, making it clear I was unimpressed. “My friend was in danger,” I said. “I wasn’t going to sit by and wait. Stephanie felt the same way. You got a problem with that?” “Of course I have a problem with that!” he shot back. “You’re a goddamn civilian! A V.I.P! Do you have any idea what that means?!” “Yeah. Means y’all need me more than I need this noise.” I pointedly ignored him and looked at Stephanie. “Who is this assclown?” Stephanie didn’t entirely manage to smother her laugh. “He’s Bruce Crocker,” she said, gesturing to him. “He’s the one that leads the team that saved our butts. And…” She sighed. “I know he’s right. I should have waited, I definitely shouldn’t have taken you, a civilian V.I.P. into a hostile situation.” Crocker blinked, and he lost some of that heated red in his cheeks. He started to get a superior look to him. “But I also know I’m right,” Stephanie said, glaring up at Crocker. His nostrils flared and his whole face turned practically purple. “Crocker, with all due respect, if you had run this like a typical breach, then you would have had a hostage situation,” Stephanie said, leaning forward. The EMT gently took her arm and moved her back into position so he could keep working. “Just think, a hostage situation with V.I.P.s on the line. How bad could that have gone? Any worse than this? These were amateurs, Crocker. You know what happens with amateurs.” She leaned back. The EMT grabbed her a bit more roughly. Crocker scowled. “Expect me to inform Jacobs-” “Go ahead!” Stephanie snapped. “But you should know I intend on giving him very much the same report when I debrief.” Crocker glared at her. “Don’t be surprised if you end up in Tulsa again, Chase,” he growled. “As far as I’m concerned, ends do not justify the means.” He straightened and I got the impression if he had a tie, he’d have straightened it, too. “And you trampled all over this with very, very questionable means.” “Noted,” Stephanie said, her tone clipped. “Is that all?” He turned his nose up and frowned impressively. Wheeling around, he started to storm off, but was brought up short when he nearly ran into Nate. And a little pink filly in Nate’s arms. “And will someone get these people out of here!” Crocker yelled to no one in particular. “They’re trampling all over my goddamn scene!” I blew a raspberry at his retreating back. “Nice guy. Want me to dent his car?” I asked Stephanie, raising Bucky McGillicuddy. She laughed. “Tempting as that would be, no. He’s good people. He’s just…” She sighed, shaking her head. “He doesn’t like cowboys,” she said, smiling crookedly at me. “Now, what’s not to like about a cowboy?” I asked. “I could think of a few things,” Alphonse said, stepping back up. He whistled in appreciation. “Wow. You survived Hurricane Crocker. I’ve heard stories about him.” Raritony and May came over at a quick trot. “Rae Jay, dear? Are you alright? May, Erishy, and I heard that ghastly man yelling clear across the way.” “I’m fine. We’re fine,” I said, waving my hoof placatingly. “He was just lookin’ to blow off some steam.” “That was Hurricane Crocker,” Alphonse said. “He doesn’t blow off steam, he blows over agents.” “Most agents,” Stephanie said, winking at me. “I had good backup.” “Hope you have good back-up when all this is over,” Alphonse replied. “He’s gonna make a biiiiiiig stink when he sends in his report.” Stephanie sighed, rubbing at her eyes with her free hand. “One crisis at a time, Al. Okay?” “Well, how about an easy crisis?” I asked. “Like, are you two still our agents?” “Yeah!” May piped up. “I like riding on Al’s shoulder. I need to know if I have to give up the dream of doing it again.” Alphonse snorted. Stephanie blinked at me. With a show of theatrical confusion, she turned to Alphonse. “Did I miss something?” she asked. “Did we get reassigned while I was getting bandaged up?” Alphonse laughed in earnest. “I haven’t gotten any new orders,” he said, smiling, easing his hands into his pockets. “And last I heard, we’re supposed to watch after you and any other Element that comes along.” “Seriously?” I said. “Even though you’re looking at three Elements and a little sister?” Sam barked. “And my dog?” I added. Alphonse and Stephanie snorted. “Sorry, RJ, you’re stuck with us,” Stephanie said, smirking. “Well ain’t that a thing… Put ‘er there, y’all,” I said, raising a forehoof. Confused, Alphonse and Stephanie offered their hands. I reared up and thumped them each. “That’s about the pony equivalent of a ‘low five,’” I explained, winking. Alphonse’s shook his head, laughing again, but Stephanie looked a bit giddy as she stared at her hand. I think she was about to squeal. “You’re going to kill that poor girl,” Raritony murmured in my ear. The EMT finished wrapping Stephanie’s arm. “Alright,” she said, breaking Stephanie out of her reverie. “It was just a graze, but try and take it easy.” “That was a lot of blood for a graze,” Alphonse commented, as Stephanie rolled down her sleeve carefully. “A really serious graze then,” the EMT said. “If you’ll excuse me?” “Thanks,” Stephanie said, getting up and sliding on her jacket. “We good to roll?” “I still need stitches for this thing,” I said, gently touching my ear. “And Rares and I have already decided we’re staying with Shy.” “Does that mean ambulance ride?” Alphonse asked. “I can follow y’all if need be.” Stephanie was quiet for a bit, and made a face. “I can’t hear myself think,” she grumbled, eyes on the bustling activity around us. With all the people shouting, and the ambulances coming and going, it was one hay of a hoe down. “How about the car?” Raritony asked, pointing at the CIA-mobile. “It should be plenty quiet enough to plan our next move.” Alphonse smiled. “I like a woman who plans in a car,” he said. “You like any woman who wants to get in your car,” Stephanie snarked, as Raritony beamed. “But, a good idea is a good idea. C’mon. Let’s go hash this out.” We gathered ourselves up and headed for the CIA-mobile. “WAIT!” an anguished voice shrieked. Two steps from the car, we froze, and turned as one. Erishy rose ungainly to her hooves. Her face was pale and sweating as she staggered off the stretcher. She took her first unsteady step, and her wings flared slightly to catch her balance. Eyes wide, her gasp was loud enough for me to hear it from across the field. Then, she bit her lip and kept moving, tears already leaving tracks on her face. “Wait!” she cried. I watched in horror as a patch of red bloomed on the bandage around her barrel. She wobbled forward, lurching sideways with each step. But she pressed on toward us, moving at her painfully slow pace. “Don’t leave me!” she sobbed. “Please don’t!”