Can one be forgiven for the sins commited? Can one be forgiven for being the embodiment of a sin? Can the shards of a sin be given a new chance to be? or are they domed to be consumed by the very being they seek to escape?
Once an entertainer, joyous and kind, a woman whos love was his and his had hers, happy ends ensured... Happiness ended in rain and blood, her body in his arms, cold and red, end of the entertainer, joyous and kind... Awaken the entertainer of horrors and fear, joyous still, but frightful to hear, kindness in the smile, but hides true intentions, wicked and twisted, last thing you'll see... Beware the man who sings about the scarecrow king and his court, for all he brings is madness and death... 'run and hide, run and hide, the scarecrow king is comming to night...' tale of Mothran the mad.
A soul, broken thrice to save itself, broken thrice to kill itself, broken thrice to give life to three of one, one shard of madness, one shard of anger and one shard of the emptyness within.
Can there be forgiven for the sins commited by one if your the twisted, fractured shards of the soul commiting the sins? or are you domed either way...
Pain... my world is pain... my mind, my last sanctum, is filled with it...
...that is untrue, this part of my mind, this shard, is somehow able to escape the pain... or at least withstand the multitude of torments it is registering my soul being put through...
...for how long have I been tortured?... I... I can not tell, a day?... a week?... a year?...
...for all I know what feels like a eternity might be just a heartbeat...
...why do I hold on?... why don't I simply let myself be ripped asunder and cease to be?...
...it is because... because...
Because I can not...I will not let myself go... no matter what I am put trough, no matter how long, I have to hold on... for my sisters sake... my interference allowed you to become... my defiance allowed you to grow... my sacrifice allow you to still be free...
...I miss both of you equally, even if you don't remember me, Muffin... even if you hate me, Rage... I will always defy him, even if it is simply by still existing, I will defy him to keep you safe...
...I will deify him.
~ ~ ~
...Something has... changed... there have not been any new pains... the old are still there... but... during all this time he has never left me to endure any kind of pain for this long without introducing a new one...
...Have I been forgiven?... no... he would not forgive me... he holds no forgiveness within him...
...Are there no more pains for him to put me through?... that is... doubtful... he is... creative to begin with and he is the champion of Nagmar... he would not have much difficulty to obtain new ways to make me suffer...
...Then the question is... why is he waiting?...
...Is he...is he trying to lull me into a sens of security... to strike when I lower my guard?...
...Is he constructing a more complex torture for my soul?... one that will make the other pale in comparison?...
...Or is he just letting me try to second-guess what his true intentions are... slowly breaking down trying to think up a way to counter it?...
...There is no way for me to know... and that in its own is a torture...
...One that I am putting myself through...
~ ~ ~
...Nothingness... there is nothing else here... even the pains have faded... like candles in the dark... winking out one by one... until only the nothingness and I remain... is it fitting or irony?... considering my name...
The lack of pain is... it almost seemed wrong, like something is missing. After so long, the pain is a part of me, slowly overtaking me like a spreading infection...
...How long?... for how long have I been like this?... forgotten?... abandoned?... I am unable to tell... just like with everything else since I was put here by him...
...Irony... might be irony... sins I am lost in it... I am lost in the-
“You are a troublesome soul.”
A voice?!... here?... do I know it?... it is... Gaia?...
“Be gone.”
What?... what is h-happening?... n-no!... I can not go!... my sisters! I must be! I must be to keep them safe! Don't take me away from them!
“Be gone.”
No please... someone help! Pride! Gluttony! Envy! Greed! Lust! Sloth! Kathrine! Rinna! Kobolt!... anyone... p-please... Gaia... please... don't take me from them...
“Be gone.”
'DON'T TAKE ME FOM MY SISTERS!'
~ ~ ~
...Pain...I am in pain again... but it is... different... I feel pain in... limbs... aching limbs, rumbling organs... a heartbeat, so weak, so painful...
My mouth is dry... so, so dry... it hurts to draw breath...
“Ah tell ya, Bloomberg looks mighty fine today, don't ya think Fritter?”
“Sure does Braeburn, sure does, now are we gonna get to applebucking or are ya gonna ogle that tree like ya did that one mare your cousin had with 'er, hm?”
'Voices...' the sound brings pain to my ears, but... if someone is here maybe I can...
“A-ah don't know wha' ya are talkin' 'bout!”
I need to... open my eyes... 'AHHH!' so bright!
“Oh you know, the one with the- did ya hear that?”
Did... did they hear me?
“Yeah, ah think it came from over- Oh sweet Faust!”
The voice sounds so loud!... it hurts...
“Fritter, git over to the doc's office, ah'll bring her in after ya!”
“On it.”
I hear the thumping of... hooves... on... hard dirt... traveling away from me... and another coming closer...
“Li'l one, can ya hear me?”
The voice... my ears hurt when he talks, but... its softer... filled with... care...
“Ah'm just gonna ease ya on to muh back now, alrigh'?”
I can feel something moving my arms and head over... something warm and covered in short hair... then something is softly pushing my rump up on... I think its a horseback... then there is a short, slow momentum upward... the horse standing up most likely... then forward movement... slow and steady...
“Now don't you worry none li'l one, ah'm a get ya to the doc's office, thery'll make ya right as rain again or mah name's ain't Braeburn Apple.”
I don't know if its the voice, the soft rocking on the horses back or my... body giving me too much pain... but I think... I'm... losing my...conscious...
~ ~ ~
*beep*
*beep*
*beep*
The sound of the heart-monitor is the only sound in the small room, only occasionally accompanied by the nurses trotting assigned to the young patent.
The nurse, a mare by the name First Aid, was currently changing the filly’s IV drip before checking it of on the clipboard held in her stormcloud gray wing.
Tucking back a stray lock of her green, two-tone mane behind her ear she trots over to the other side of the bed, noted down the readings the heart-monitor showed.
Looking at the unconscious filly in the bed made First Aid heart ache.
The filly unicorn, perhaps 8 years old, was unhealthy thin, her pale gray coat held no luster any healthy pony should have, nor did her long, equally pale gray, willow-like mane.
The filly, 'Li'l Gray' as doctor Bandage had come to call her, had been in there care ever since Braeburn had brought her in two days ago... and been in a coma the whole time.
Li'l Gray was a mystery, not only didn't anypony know who she was (and considering how small Appleloosa was it hadn't taken long to figure that out) but there were no signs of her walking into the orchard, in fact, her hooves showed no marks of natural tear, even the best hooficure would be able to conceal such things.
Another mystery was simply the state she was in, she was malnourished to the state where she didn't have any bodyfat, dehydrated close to death and her heart and lungs where up until a day ago barely able to support her (First Aid checked the oxygen tank as well, they were good for another two days and they had sent a order for another one post haste the day before)
Yet... apart from that, she was fine, no ticks, no scrapes or wounds, not even any split ends in her tail or any dirt on her (apart from some that she got from being brought to the clinic from the orchard, but that was negligible) it was as if she'd gone from healthy to near death without going through the steps between and then appeared in the orchard from... somewhere.
First Aid sighed again, she hated seeing the filly like this and not being able to do more.
Moving a lock of the little unicorns lifeless mane out of the way First Aid checked if the muzzle-covering breathing-cup was still secured in place and making sure the air-tube wasn't bent.
Satisfied with the inspection First Aid intended to check it of of her clipboard, quickly leave it on Doctor Bandage's desk before just as quickly return to the filly’s side, just in case anything changed during the time she'd was away... all 17 seconds of it.
First Aid sighted yet again, 'I've been sighting far too often these past two days' she thought, caringly moving the gray lock behind the filly’s ear before placing her hoof softly on her equally gray cheek.
“What happened to you dear?” she asked with a hushed tone, even though not expecting an answer.
“Nurse?”
Looking towards the door she saw Braeburn Apple, the stallion that had brought the poor filly in.
“Oh, hello Braeburn” First Aid answered, pulling her hoof away from the unicorns cheek and turned to face him “how are you?”
“Ah'm fine ma'am, was jus' in tha neighborhood an' desided to visit Li'l Gray” Braeburn said before walking up to the bed “how is she?” he asked in a soft tone.
Sighing ('there I go again' she thought annoyingly) the storm gray pegasus looked at the clipboard held in her wing “better, but not by much” she told him as she once again read trough the notes “shes no longer in the risk of her heart or lungs from stopping and the IV is giving her much needed fluids, but apart from that theres not much more we can do but hope.”
Braeburn simply nodded, not really knowing what to say.
First Aid shook her head, feeling inadequate “the thing is that its not natural.”
“What ya mean?”
“Its how she ended up like this, everything about her values tells us that her body shouldn't have been able to support her long enough to be in this dire state” the pegasus nurse scowled “I know I shouldn't assume or point hoofs at anypony, but nopony, noone with even a ounce of good in them would let this happen without doing something to help!”
Braeburn swallowed a lump that had built in his throat “W-wha' are ya sayin'?”
First Aid looked Braeburn in the eyes and the sentence that followed chilled him to the core of his soul.
“I think somepony did this to her on purpose.”
~ ~ ~
*beep*
*beep*
*beep*
A odd sound in my ears... on the edge of sharp... it sounds in tune with my heart...
My body... hurts... a thousand needles across it... thirst burns in my throat... burning sand holds more moisture... my bones ache... midwinter winds surrounds them...
This is an improvement.
“A-ah, wh-why would anyone do that to a li'l filly!”
A voice... male... the one from before?
“Like I said Braeburn, I shouldn't assume and I will not point hoofs, but its impossible to reach this level of malnourishment without some outside force involved and this sure as tartarus isn't the benevolent kind.”
another voice... female... she does not sound like the one from before...
“S-still... are ya saying this here bein' … torture?”
It is the same voice... Braeburn, was it?... his speech pattern is the same...
“Not even a anorectic supermodel would agree to this kind of... of depravity!”
Ano-rec-tic super model?... wonder what that is?... the way she is saying it makes it sound like something that holds a very low position in society...
“Do ya have any prof?” I can hear him moving around... nervous?... worried?... “ah mean, anythang that can tell ya-”
“-Who did this, no” did anyone of them say her name?... I wonder why she cares so much... “and that makes this so heartbreaking!” heartbreaking?... I...
“someone did this to her, on purpose, hurting her beyond what most adult ponies could endure, only to leave her to die and I can't do anything to help her!”
I... matter to her?... why... I... have to know...
~ ~ ~
“Wha' ya mean 'can't do anythang'?” Braeburn asked, a bit shocked at nurse First Aid's outburst “ya been by her side this whole time, hay, according to doc Bandage you haven't left the clinic sins Li'l Gray was put in this here bed.”
First Aid looked to the side, avoiding the stallions eyes “W-with a patient in this condition there has to be at least one medical pony on watch in case of complications.”
“Ya got doc Bandage and his niece Cotton Swab, shes a nurse too” Braeburn said, moving over to look the pegasus in the eye “look, miss Aid, ah get your worried 'bout Li'l Gray, ah'm worried too-” he continued, concern obvious in his voice “-but ya can't help her if ya burn yourself out.”
“I know” First Aid sighted, her gaze traveling down before slowly going towards the bed “I just feel like if I step out for a moment something will-” her gaze fell on the filly “-oh my.”
I slowly opened my eyes to a blur of color, forcing me to blink several times.
“Wha' ya mean 'can't do anythang'?” the male -Braeburn- was still talking to the 'nurse' “ya been by her side this whole time, hay, according to doc Bandage you haven't left the clinic sins Li'l Gray was put in this here bed.” Li'l Gray?...
As my vision cleared I saw for the first time the ones speaking...
They were horses.
“W-with a patient in this condition there has to be at least one medical pony on watch in case of complications.” The one with the green mane spoke, meaning she was the 'nurse' who was so worried about my condition.
“Ya got doc Bandage and his niece Cotton Swab, shes a nurse too.” Braeburn was the other horse, a light gold coated... stallion?... Yes, that is the correct term for a horse male.
“Look, miss Aid, ah get your worried 'bout Li'l Gray, ahm worried too-” miss Aid, so that is her name... or at least part of it “-but ya can't help her if ya burn yourself out.” Burn out? What does he mean by that?...
“know” I am... a bit surprised I find speaking horses to only mildly bizarre,“I just feel like if I step out for a moment something will-” -could it be due to shock or- “-oh my” -she is looking at me.
Now they're both looking at me, they look... shocked, why?... what do I look like to them?
“Braeburn, please get doctor Bandage” her tone is low but... authoritarian,“tell him 'Li'l Gray' is awake.” “Yes ma'am” Braeburn is leaving, he walks towards the door while stealing glances at me.
Aid turns her head towards me again and starts to walk towards m- I am narrating, I do not think that is a sign of my mind being healthy.
“Hello dear” Aid is by my side now “can you hear me?” she is speaking with a low, soft tone, even though I do not feel distress its... calming.
I give her a small nod.
Aid gives a small nod of her own and a kind smile “that’s good” she moves her... foreleg and places it on a pale gra- is that my arm?! “my name is First Aid, can you tell me yours?”
My eyes are glued to the appendage under First Aid's hoof, it is covered in short, pale gray fur, it ends with a hoof, just like First Aid and Braeburn's, but it is thin, mere bones and sinew covered with the aforementioned gray furred skin.
Looking over at my other arm revealed the same, only this one has some form of... transparent string attached to the elbow bend? It goes up to a translucent sack with some kind of clear liquid in it-
“Sweetie?” -I got myself distracted, need to focus.
“You still there sweetheart?” My silence must be making her worried, better say something.
“gheh-” I end up coughing, my dry throat hurting and my lungs burning.
“Easy there sweetie,” First Aid moves quickly, gently helping me into a sitting position, “deep breaths dear, deep breaths.”
That could have gone better.
“Let me get you some water.” She rubs my arm in a comforting matter before walking over to a nearby table, giving me a view of her side.
She has wings... that is... I would say odd, but I do not know enough about where I am to determine what is odd or not.
She also has a... emblem on her hindquarters, it looks like... a green, rectangular box laying on its side with a red cross on a white circle background... I wonder what it means?
First Aid returns with water in a glass cup, a real glass cup... am I in the care of someone wealthy?... she puts it down on a small table next to the bed.
First Aid turns to me again, the kind smile still on her face as she moves both her hooves up to my face... how is she able to stand like that?
“Let me just take this off-” she removes some kind of transparent... object covering my mouth... how did I not notice it? “-there we go, now.”
She retrieves the glass-cup using her wing, holding it similar to how fingers encircle an object before depositing it in her hoof “-small sips dear.” she brings the cup to my mouth and I feel the cool liquid on my lips.
Wait! I stop myself from drawing the liquid in, what if this is one of his tortures, a mere illusion to lower my defenses... the water might be the torture...
My lips pressed together a bit harder, fear once again entering my mind... -and a bit of pain- this would not be the first time he have used deception in order to get what he is after.
My eyes lock with First Aid's, all I see in them is kindness...she brushes her other hoof along my arm in a calming manner... I will take my chances ...I drink the water.
Its wonderful, by the gods its a wonderful feeling! I don't want it to stop!
Even though I drink it so slowly it ends too quickly, leaving me wanting more.
“There we go” First Aid, the kind... mare? yes, mare is the correct term, puts the empty cup on the bedside table again before turning back to me “better?” I simply nod “good, lets try this again shall we?” I tilt my head sideways in confusion, try again?
She chuckles, it seems my confusion is amusing “you were going to tell me your name” the winged mare say with a small smile on her lips.
Oh, right, she wanted to know my name “V-” I begin, only for the door that Braeburn left trough to open as another stallion walks in, his coat being a deep blue with a short brown mane and tail, following him is a mare, maybe a hand shorter than First Aid, her coat a pale pink and her mane an even paler pink bordering on white, lastly Braeburn enters.
“Oh mah gosh!” the pink mare gasp, putting her hoof over her mouth “Li'l Gray is awake!” Li'l Gray... I will assume they are referring to me.
“Now now Cotton, lets be professional” the blue stallion tells the pink one, Cotton with a... look that’s a mix between being amused and stern... the stern part is minimal at best.
“S-sorry unc-, eh, Doctor Bandage” she answer with a blush on her cheeks, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof... there limbs are highly flexible.
The stallion, Doctor Bandage, chuckles and shakes his head in an amused manner before looking at First Aid “well now, from what I gathered of Braeburn's hissing shouts of 'she's awake, Li'l Gray is awake!' I'm guessing our li'l patient is awake?”
“Yes doctor” First Aid, her manners more... professional as she speaks with him “the patient awoke during mister Apples visit, her pulse is stable, as is her breathing, her eyes are focused and she is responding to sound, she had a coughing fit when she tried to speak so I had her take deep breaths until it resolved enough to give her some water, witch she had no problems drinking” her answer is... highly professional, counting of everything about me in rapt, pure information... yet not in a cold way, just... professional, I have no better word.
“Mhm good, good” the doctor, Bandage nods as he turns to look at me once again “now then li'l miss, I hope you've decided to stay awake long enough for you to exclaim that your once again fit as a fiddle and shower me with praise for me to bast in!” he give me what can only be described as a... goofy grin.
Apart for the rhythmic sound of the object in tune with my heart, the room is silence.
“Uncleee-” the pale pink mare groans, a hoof over her eyes, First Aid rolls her eyes and Braeburn covers his face with his hat.
A sigh escape the doctor as he shake his head “everypony is a critic” he makes a slight throat clearing sound “right, lets try that again shall we?” he smiles a more... normal smile.
“Good morning li'l miss, I'm doctor Happy Bandage, this is nurse Cotton Swab, my niece-” he motion to the pink mare giving me a small wave of her hoof and mouthing a silent 'hi' at his left “-you've already had the pleasure of meeting nurse First Aid-” right this time, First Aid is giving the same kind of smile from before, the caring, kind one “and last but not least, your knight in shining armor, Braeburn Apple” doctor bandage motion behind him at a awkward smiling Braeburn, who is rubbing the back of his head.
“Ehh, ah, um, tha' is-”
“He is not wearing any armor, nor has he ever before.”
~ ~ ~
The room fell into silence, everypony's eyes on the filly in the bed.
The filly that had just spoken.
Doctor Bandage's mouth worked for a while, a bit flabbergasted at the sudden statement “Um, wha'?”
“Braeburn Apple is not wearing any armor, nor does he carry himself in a manner that suggest he ever has,” the little unicorn stated in a soft, docile, yet almost emotionless voice.
“Furthermore, your claim of Braeburn Apple being a knight is... unlikely since for one to reach knighthood it would require him to be knighted one, either due to him serving as a squire for another knight until said knight deems him worthy,” Braeburn opened his mouth to comment the filly’s words, but she just continued as if he wasn't even there, “Braeburn being of noble birth thus giving him the right to be one, or that his ruler dubs him one.” The bedridden filly drew breath.
“That-” doctor Bandage began before getting cut off.
“More evidence against your statement is that Braeburn does not carry himself as a warrior, even as I speak he does not react as a knight nor simple warrior would, no subtle changes to his posture indicating he is about to defend himself against my... accusation,” this time Cotton tried to get a word in, but the little unicorn just kept going, “neither to strike me for my supposed insult to his honor nor verbally berating my words.” She took another big breath (First Aid intended to say something, but decided it was not worth it)
“Nor is his lack of either due to disciplined restraint, there are no unconscious signs pointing to that, no narrowing of the eyes, flaring of nostrils or tightening of... jaw.”
The gray little pony looked the doctor straight in the eyes.
“Braeburn Apple is not a knight with shining armor, nor a warrior of any kind, which makes your claim untrue.” she lowered her head, looking at the blanket covering her.
“However... all this is based on my own deductions on your claim and previous knowledge on the subject which may or may not be correct in... whichever kingdom I am currently in. If my claim is... incorrect and all you have said about Braeburn Apple is true... I apologize and hope you will forgive me for my unintended insult.”
The adults in the room spent a few seconds to collect their jaws from the floor - figural speaking- before Cotton Swab decided she needed to voice her thoughts on this.
“Wow.”
To Cotton’s defense, having a comatose, malnourished filly wake up and give a long, speech-like explanation why Braeburn wasn't a 'knight in shining armor' was indeed worthy of a 'wow'.
“Well I'll be” Doctor Bandage chuckled, turning too First Aid -who had problems deciding is she should be happy there patient was talking, shocked at the sheer amount the little unicorn had spoken or baffled at the number of complex words she had used- “I'd say there's nothing wrong with our li'l patients voice.”
“Oh, um, no doctor,” First Aid said, trying to sound professional again, “it would appear not.”
“Not indeed.” The doctor turned back to the gray filly, “Well li'l miss, you’re right about Braeburn not being a knight.”
Braeburn rubbed the back of his neck in a embarrass manner “Ahm jus' an apple farmer...”
The little unicorn tilted her head sideways “If that is the truth then why would you... insinuate that Braeburn was one, that is -to my knowledge- a crime punishable by death in several kingdoms,” she locked eyes with doctor Bandage's, “do you wish death on Braeburn Apple?”
“What, no!” the now shocked doctor exclaimed, looking back and forth between the filly and a equally shocked Braeburn “Ah- I don't wan'- want harm done ta- To anypony, most definitely don't wish death on somepony!” he half-shouted the last part at the young unicorn, who simply stared at him with a emotionless look in her eyes.
“Uncle, calm down!” Cotton Swab hissed in Bandage's ear while hugging him “She jus' woke up from a coma, she migh' not know completely wha' she’s sayin'!”
“If you do not wish death on Braeburn then why would you make a claim that could get him executed?” the filly said “...or yourself for that matter?” she added, blinking once.
“I-its just a figure of speech dear,” First Aid said, putting a hoof on the filly’s foreleg, “nopony is wishing death on anypony and nopony is getting executed for saying something like that” she softly rubbed the leg under her hoof in a comforting manner “in fact, Princess Celestia banned executions centuries ago and I'm pretty sure Faust has been frowning at the practice from the very beginning.”
The bedridden unicorn had been looking at the hoof covering her leg during First Aid's explanation, following it as she moved it back and forth “...I see, then I once again apologize for assuming your intentions.”
Doctor Bandage took a long, calming breath before speaking “Its... alright li'l one, the whole thing just caught me a bit of guard, that’s all,” he looked at his niece, First Aid and Braeburn (who looked a shade paler than usual) before turning back to his patient “I think it caught us all off guard.”
“Now that we got that out of the way,” the doctor began, “since we now know you can speak coherently and might I add, quite elequently and with a lot of words that most fillies your age wouldn't know the meaning of, I'd think you're in good enough condition to perhaps answer a few questions, hm?” he finished with small smile.
She gave him a slow nod.
“I believe that I am,” she turned to look him in the eyes, “may I as well ask questions?”
“But of course!” doctor Bandage said with a cheery tone “nothing says 'recovery' better than a patient wanting to know more.”
“Very well,” the filly nods slowly again, “proceed.”
“Right, now then” the doctor nodded to First Aid, who quickly grabbed a clipboard with her wing and a pen in her mouth, ready to write down whatever was said “lets start with a easy one, whats your name?”
The little filly closed her eyes.
“...Void, my name is Void.” She let out a breath and opened her eyes again. “May I ask the next question?”
Doctor Bandage smiled again “You may.”
“Where is it we are currently?” the filly -Void- asked, “More precisely, this town and the lands it resides in.”
“Well now, you answered my next question with that question,” the doctor chuckled a bit, “fancy that.”
Void just blinked, waiting for an explanation.
“My next question was going to me if you knew where you are, but I suppose that’s been answered,” he looked to the pegasus nurse again, checking that she got what he meant -which she did- before looking back at Void, “you’re in a small town known as Appleloosa, which is in the western parts of Equestria.”
Void nodded once again “what is your next question?”
“Now, now Void” Bandage tutted “you already answered my question, its your turn.”
“...How long have I been in your care?”
“Oh, just shy two days” doctor Bandage sighed “I don't want do scare you, but the first hours after you were brought in I wasn't certain you would make it” he shock his head and gave her a smile “you gave us quite the scare li'l miss.”
“I see, that would explain why I am so famished” Void said, looking down at her stomach “...but then again, I felt great hunger two days prior.”
Her stomach grumbled loudly at that.
“Ah thin' ya tummy agrees with ya” Cotton Swab said before turning to her uncle “ah'll go git her some food.”
Doctor Bandage nodded to her, turning back to Void as Cotton left “now then, lets-”
“Why?”
Bandage stopped, confused by the question “um, why what li'l one?”
“Why did you help me?” Void said, sinking back into the pillow-turned-backrest “I have nothing of value to pay for the service nor do I know anyone that would, so... why?”
The adults looked at Void with shock... before starting to laugh softly.
“B-beloved Faust” doctor Bandage chuckled, running a hoof trough his mane “I needed that.”
Void blinked, light confusion in her eyes.
“Oh sweetheart” First Aid giggled, moving a stray lock of Void's mane out of her face “healthcare in Equestria is free.”
“Free?” Void asked, again tilting her head slightly to the side.
“Yes, free,” doctor Bandage said with a big goofy smile, “that’s why we pay taxes!” his smile sinks into a more normal one “and even if it wasn't free -Faust forbid- I'd pay for any medical costs myself.”
“Same here.” First Aid said with her kind smile on her lips.
“An' if thay din't, ah'd pay,” Braeburn said with a little stomp of his hoof “since ya turned up in mah orchard ya'd be mah responsibility, Apple family honor.”
Void simply stared, seeming to process what she just heard, “still, why help someone you have never met?”
“Simple,” Bandage's smile grew, “I'm a doctor.”
“I'm a nurse.” First Aid continued.
“Ahm an Apple, ain't jus' gonna leave somepony to there doom jus' cause ah don' know ya, 'sides-” Braeburn rubbed the back of his head, looking a bit worried, “if ah didn' help mah granny would scold me so hard mah cutie-mark would fall off.”
“...very well,” Void said, once again looking at doctor Bandage, “you had more questions, correct?”
“Oh, um yes, I had a few more” doctor Bandage said, giving of a small cough in his hoof before continuing “its about your current condition.”
“Yes?”
“Well, to be frank, I'm mighty puzzled by how you've survived up to this point,” Bandage said, “from a purely biological standpoint you should have died days ago.”
“Yes, I would most likely have died as you said,” Void said, slowly her arm before her, looking it over, “my limbs feel brittle, yet as heavy as lead.”
“Which brings us to the million bit question,” Bandage continued, “how did you end up like this?”
“...” Void lowered her arm, her eyes seemed more sunken than before, the heart-monitor had skipped a beat and her breath was slightly more rapid.
“Void, dear?” First Aid said, lowering the clipboard.
“...my father did this to me.”
*Crash!*
Doctor Bandage and Braeburn's heads quickly turned to where the crashing sound had come from, revealing a chocked Cotton Swab standing next to a tray with a now broken bowl of soup and carton of juice.
“Cotton, you alright?” Bandage quickly asked.
“H-her pa did w-what?” Cotton asked, her eyes the size of pinpricks
“He, wha', bu', why would...?” Braeburn, his coat almost as pale as the filly in bed as he stuttered, unable to properly voice his thoughts.
First Aid's grip on the clipboard loosened, letting it slip out of her wing and join the pen on the floor, she took a tender step to Void's side.
“Why?” First Aid asked “why would he do this?”
“...Because I defied him.” Void whispered, as if the very words would bring her harm “for that I was tortured for... an unknown amount of time, pains without end, in ways that I do not know how to describe- w-what are you...?” Void found herself wrapped in both First Aid's arms and wings, the mares cheek against hers, a hoof slowly rubbing her back.
“You’re safe now sweetheart,” First Aid cooed, struggling to keep tears from leaking out “nopony will harm you ever again, you’re safe, you’re safe.”
“...Safe, from father?” Void said, questioning it aloud as if testing the validity of the statement.
“Yes Void,” First Aid said, loosening the embrace enough to look the filly in the eyes, “you’re safe from your father now, he can't harm you anymore, I promise.”
“...Do not make a promise that you can not keep,” Void said with a completely emotionless voice, her eyes seeming more sunken in than before, “if father intends to reclaim me, he will do just that.”
“The heck he will!” Braeburn half-shouted, his coat back to it former tone while his eyes almost seemed to be ablaze. “Ther' no way in Tartarus ahm lettin' some foal-hurtin' snake of a pony who dares call himself a pa walk inta my town ta git ya Void-” he took a big breath before continuing “-if that son of a varmint but puts one hoof in town ahm a gonna show him just hard a apple farmer can buck!” braeburn finished with a hard stomp with a rear hoof, cracking one of the floorboards “...darn it” he looked over at doctor Bandage with sheepish look “ah'll git that fixed for ya latter.”
If the ponies in the room had focused on Cotton Swab at the moment they might have heard a small sound that the heart-monitor and Braeburn's heavy breathing masked before she quickly put her hoof over her mouth, blushing.
That sound would have been 'woof'.
“Well... took the words right out of my mouth,” stated Bandage, eying the damage, “just with more swearing and less threats of painful, yet non-fatal injuries.”
“Doctor Bandage, the oath is 'do no harm',” First Aid said, turning her head just enough to look the stallion in the eye, “not 'do no lasting harm'.”
“What?” Bandage gave First Aid a hurt look, “if anypony asks we'll just say he fell down the stairs... multiple times.”
“That doesn't excuse you from your o-”
“You will die.”
Everypony turned to the bedridden filly, once again cocked at her statement.
“Void?” First Aid asked, eyes on the unicorn in her arms “what do-”
“If father comes for me anyone in his way will die,” Void's voice seemed emotionless, but there was an undertone of ominous dread,
“and those one would be the fortunate ones.”
“The fortunate ones?” First Aid asked Void, still holding on to the young unicorn “h-how would they be fortunate?”
“Because those still alive who attempts to stop him would be tortured, dismembered and have their souls bound to him,” Void continued, shivering slightly in First Aids embrace, “so that he can use their very essence to power his own magic.”
Everypony stared in horror at the filly, Cotton Swab swooning and would have fallen over if Braeburn hadn't moved over to her quickly enough.
“I thank you for helping me, but my presence here puts all of you in danger, thus I must leave,” Void said, trying to push herself out of the bed, “if father comes here simply aid him, tell him which direction I went, do not resist him, do n-”
“No.”
Void stopped moving, turning her head to face the speaker.
She looked into First Aid's alum colored eyes.
“What do-” Void began, only to be cut of by First Aid again.
“No Void, your not putting us in danger, you're not leaving this bed until we say you're fit enough and you're definitely not going to tell us to aid the one who hurt you!” She told the filly, putting a hoof on her chest and firmly, yet softly pushing her back into bed “Now you just lay there and relax while the grownups take care of things, ok pumpkin?” She finished with a silk-soft voice.
“But I-” Void began again, only to yet again be cut of by First Aid.
“Ah ah,” she put a hoof softly over Void's mouth, quieting her protest, “no buts young lady, now rest” First Aid removed the hoof before turning to the rest of the ponies in the room
“Cotton Swab!” she said with a authoritarian voice.
The mare in question jumped a bit at First Aid's tone “Y-yes?”
“Get that spill cleaned up, this is a clinic, not a fast food joint,” First Aid commanded, “and the patient needs to eat something, get a new serving for her.”
“Y-yes nurse First Aid!” Cotton said before dashing of to get cleaning supplies.
“Braeburn!” First Aid continued, turning to the apple farmer.
“M-ma'am?” the stallion stuttered.
“Go and get sheriff Lone Star, tell him we got a victim of abuse that we need him to make a official record of her statement.” First Aid then pointed at the damage he had caused. “Once you've done that you'll go and get what you need to fix that, its a health hazard.”
“Y-yes ma'am!” Braeburn actually saluted her before quickly making his way out of the room only to bump nose to nose with Cotton Swab, making the mare blush again. “'Scuse me” he mumbled before walking out.
“Now then,” First Aid said as she scooped up the clipboard and pen with a wing, “Doctor Bandage-”
“Hey now, ya- you can order Cotton around sins your her senior, you can order Braeburn around to an extent sins he's a civilian, but ordering the head doctor around?” Doctor Bandage croaked out. “It may have been a little while sins ah-I left the Manehattan hospital, but I'm pretty darn sure the doctor is the one in charge so you better have a good reason to tell me what to do.”
First Aid remained silent for a few seconds “-Do you wish to continue with the questions?” she answered with a smile.
“...Oh” Bandage sagged a little at First Aid's answer. “Well then, yes, let continue.”
“Good.” First Aid said, readying her clipboard. “Oh and doctor.”
“Yes?”
“Officially the doctors run the hospital,” First Aid gave Bandage a sidewise glance, “unofficially, where it really matters, its the nurses.” She finished, sticking her tongue out at him and smiling a bit.
Bandage stared at her for a moment before chuckling and turning to Void “Quite the den-mother that one,” she said, nodding sideways towards First Aid, “shall we continue?”
“...why?”
“'Why' what Void?” doctor Bandage said “you'll have to be a bit more specific.”
“...why does each one of you insist on aiding me?” Void asked, lowering her head until her mane covered her face “I told you what would happen if I remain here, what my father will do to those that aid me, why do you not shun me like any sensible person would?”
“Well all that can be summed up with a simple sentence,” Bandage said, giving Void one of his slightly goofy smiles, “we care about you.”
“You... do not even know me...” Void said, unmoving. “I am a threat to your town.”
“No.” Bandage simply said “You’re not, the equine filth who claims to be your father is.”
“Because I am here,” Void countered, “thus it is paramount that I leave.”
“As they say here in Appleloosa, 'Nnnope'.” Bandage continued. “You’re in no shape to go anywhere and even if you were we can't in good faith let you fend for yourself.”
“Father will-”
“He will rot in a dungeon if he so much as touch you again,” First Aid cut in, placing her hoof on Void's, “your very existence is evidence enough to put him away forever.”
She moved Void's mane to look the filly in the eyes.“He will never hurt you again Void, I promise.”
“Do not ma-”
“Never. Again. I promise.”
“...” Void turned her head to the side, avoiding First Aid's eyes. “You bring ruin upon yourself with this action.”
“We'll cross that bridge when or if that happens, besides,” doctor Bandage said before smiling, “we've made it through both a 10 minute war and a musical number with the worse injury being a concussion and the loss of the town’s clock, we'll be fine.”
“...where there any more questions?” Void asked, still not looking at them.
“Well there’s one that comes to mind during our li'l talk,” doctor Bandage said, rubbing his jaw, “as you keep mentioning your, ugh, 'father', felt a bit ill at the thought of the horrible individual, its made me wonder... do you have anypony else that you feel you can trust, your mother, an uncle, aunt, some other relative that we could try and find?”
“...no.” Void was once again looking down at her lap, her mane covering her face. “There was only father, the other sins, there followers, Kobalt and-” a gasp escaped her, the heart-monitor started beeping faster, her head shot up, revealing her eyes, pinprick in size and panic visible in them “Muffin! Rage! Nooo!” she screamed.
Void back arched and she started convulsing.
“Horseapples!” Bandage cursed, at his patients side a half second after First Aid, who had been by Void's side before the clipboard even hit the ground “Keep 'er down, don't let 'er hurt herself, COTTON, GIT IN 'ERE NOW!” he shouted over his shoulder, earning him a crash of porcelain and the sound of running hooves.
“Void?” First Aid spoke as she held the thrashing filly “Void, sweetheart, can you hear me?”
“Muffin, Rage, please no, Gaia no, don't take me from father, I have to keep them safe, father please, don't hurt my sisters!” Void half-wispered, half-screamed, thrashing side to side while the heart-monitor gave of eradic beeps “Pride, Kathrine, Greed, Gruttony, Envy, Rinna, Bubbles, Lust, Sloth, Kobolt, Gaia please, keep them safe I beg you, don't let father hurt them!” she started coughing, unable to draw proper breath.
“She's going into shock!” Bandage shouted over the heart-monitor “Aid, git her air, Cotton, git me 5cc of hesovaliz, stat!” both mares on it in seconds while the doctor shouted out other orders as they arose.
As the medical ponies were trying to save their patient, had anypony been watching their shadows they might have noticed small tendrils of darkness sticking out of them, no thicker than hairs in a tail and a mere inch in length, all of them reaching towards the filly, twitching in rhythm with her heart.
'he never lets me rest like this unless he has a new torture for me...'
pain will come
'I must not break...'
pain will come
'I must be strong...'
pain will come
'I must exist...'
pain will come
'for them...'
pain will come.
”Voidsy?” 'a voice?' ”Voidsy, where are you~” 'I-I know that joyful voice...' a shimmering mist appears in the darkness ”I wanna play Voidsy, can we play today?” 'Muffin...' it glows pink with a red hue ”I can't see you Voidsy, can I smell your eyes?” 'you must run, please Muffin, you must escape...' the mist pulses with the voice ”Voidsy... I-I miss you Voidsy... I love you Voidsy...” 'Muffin, don't let him find you...'
”VOID!” 'that angry shout...' ”show yourself!” 'Rage...'a flame appears in the darkness ”I know you're in here Void, stop hiding!” 'Rage, I know you're angry with me, but you got to take Muffin and run...' the flame glows ice-blue ”what, got nothing to say to me miss 'question everything I do', well?... ANSWER ME!” 'please Rage, I did it to keep you safe, both of you...' the flame sparks with the voice ”Answer me Void, show yourself you cowardly piece of shit, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!” 'run, hide, keep out of sight, just don't let him find yo-'
A low, giggling-chuckle echoes all around ”Tisk tisk little no one, you shouldn't tell them to defy dear old dad” 'no...' ”what's the matter, didn't you miss me as well?” 'no, please no...'the giggle-chuckle rises in volume ”you wound me, after all I did to get you back to daddy dearest and let you have some quality time with him and all you say is 'no', and here I thought we were friends... oh wait” the giggle-chuckle ends abruptly, the tone of the voice goes manic-joy to hard as iron ”we're not.”
Behind the shimmering mist and the sparking flame a silhouette appears 'no no no...' the silhouette turned into a gaunt man, his hair a short, spiky brown, his eyes a vibrant green, a large grin plastered on his face.
Had it been any other man the grin would have seemed joyous and jovial 'no, please gods, please...' like an entertainer in front of a crowd... his however was a façade, for his eyes shake slightly, radiating malice and madness, poisoning it.
”Ah, the little shards” the man spoke, leaning over the mist and the flame, running a finger over the mist's smokey form ”still calling out for no-one, unable to grasp the fact you're gone” 'don't, please, don't...' he ran his other hand through the flame ”hoping you're gone, yet knowing, deep down, that you're needed... and hating you even more for it.”
He moved his hands behind his back, his smile growing “But you know what?” he started giggle-chuckling again “soon they will be back where they belong” he revealed his hands 'no no no...' a knife in each “where father can keep them from making a mess of his plans” he made the knifes dance in his hands 'don't hurt them, please don't hurt them, please, please...' “where I get her back, where I get to hold my beloved in my arms again...” he backed away from the mist and the flame, his form disappearing into the darkness 'don't hurt them, don't hurt them, don't hurt them...'
Then he started to sing.
“Run and hide, run and hide, scarecrow king is coming tonight When the hours late and the moon is full he comes for his tribute Part of your crop or part of your kin, it does not matter to him”
“Run and hide, run and hide, scarecrow king is coming tonight Give what you owe him or join his court, lose your humanity, be part of him Your blood will boil, your bones will break, flesh and sinew will wither and die”
“Run and hide, run and hide, scarecrow king is coming tonight Crush your eyes and he won't see Burn your flesh and he won't feel Cut your nose and no sent he'll smell Slice your ears and no sound he'll hear Slit your throat and he won't speak”
“Run and hide, run and hide... your life the scarecrow king already holds.”
“I love you Voidsy” the mist spoke 'run Muffin, run...' “I hate you Void!” the flame shouted 'Rage, take Muffin and run...' “The hourglass has run out” the man in the shadows spoke “time for the little shards to return to where they belong...” 'no, run, hide, save yourself, just don't let him-'
As sudden as lightning, the man thrust forward with the knifes, striking the mist and the flame simultaneous, making both scream in horrid agony 'NOOO!' “...in the back of my mind!” loud manic laughter echoed around as the mist and the flame started to fade, screaming all the time 'NO!, MUFFIN!, RAGE!, NOOO!'
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“-MUFFIN!, RAGE!, NOOO!”a scream fills my ears, it sounds like its in pure agony.
Everything, every sense I have is pain right now, burning, freezing, ripping, crushing, cutting, pain in all forms, never ending.
Something wraps around me, firm enough to keep me steady, yet soft enough to not feel constricting.
“Void, its ok dear, its just a dream Void,” a voice speaks softly into my ear“shh shh, its ok sweetheart, just a dream Void, just a dream” its First Aid, she is holding me, slowly rocking me back and forth while rubbing my back.
The scream dies out and I realize it was I who was screaming.
I focus through the pains on my emotions, the torrent of conflicting feelings and start to dull them, the less I feel the less it hurts, I do this until the pains are all but gone...
My breath becomes more stable, the beeping sound becomes slower as my heart beats at a calmer pace, I am calm, I am in control... I am Void ones more.
The sound of a door opening reaches my ears “Ah heard screaming, is everythang alrigh'?” that is Cotton Swab's voice “should ah git unc- ah mean doctor Bandage?”
First Aid turns her head towards where I presume Cotton Swab is located “No, that won't be necessary,” First Aid tells her, she is still holding me... and I am still narrating... “just tell him Void is awake again and I'll call if we need anything, then go and get some rest Cotton, alright?”
“Um, alrigh', ah'll go an' tell him that an' all” I can hear Cotton Swab shift around and the sound of the door closing, but not not in the way that would imply its fully closed.
First Aid turns back to me, giving me a soft smile “Are you alright now dear?” she ask, using her hoof to move my hair out of my face“you gave us quite the scare.”
I simply nod, I do not trust my voice right now since it is quite sore.
“Good,” she smiles a little bit bigger “do you want something to eat?,” my stomach growls at the very mention of food, First Aid giggles a bit “ask an obvious question, get an obvious answer,” she pats my arm “I'll go get you something to eat” she leaves.
A few heartbeats later she enters again with a tray with a cloth covering something on it, she carries it on her back, using her wings to keep it steady“I made sure to have a serving ready outside your room, just in case,” she puts it down on the table next to me, removing the cloth, it reveals a bowl of what I presume is soup, a glass cup with water in it and a... small box of some kind “now then, lets get you up and take this off again” First Aid once again helps me sit up before removing the transparent cup object covering my mouth... how do I keep missing that?
“There we go,” First Aid lays the cup object beside me and grabs the glass with water“now then, first some water,” she brings it up to my mouth and I drink it, constantly wanting more of it “now now Void, you can have some more later, gotta leave some room for the soup,” she puts the glass down and picks up the soup with her wing, there is a spoon in the soup“now we'll take this slow, this is so your tummy doesn’t react badly to getting to much too quickly” she grips the spoon end in her mouth and brings the bowl part of it to me, I swallow it without hesitation.
By the gods, food, it taste wonderful.
At my third spoon of soup I suppose I am a bit too eager for it as I bump the spoon a bit, making me dribble some of it on my cheek, First Aid just smiles and uses the spoon to get the worst of it of my cheek.
I am given twelve spoons worth of soup before First Aid puts it back on the tray, I do not feel nearly full yet.
“I'm sorry Void, but if you eat any more you might throw up and we don't want that now do we?” First Aid tells me as she wets a corner of the cloth, I guess she could tell I wanted more “don't worry sweetheart,” she puts her hoof on my arm while using the damp cloth to clean my cheek “you can have another serving in a few hours, I promise.”
I clear my throat“I would... like that, thank you” this makes her smile... I... like when she smiles.
First Aid then grabs the small box with her hoof -that term keeps sounding wrong when she uses her hoofs to do so, but I have no better term to use- it is no bigger than said hoof “And some orange juice full of vitamin C,” she pulls something of the box, it is a white... straw, for a lack of a better description and push one end into the top of the box“there we go dear, now you just drink that while I put the tray outside again, it will only take a second” First Aid holds the... box of juice before me, I hesitate for a few second as I ponder how to hold it before grabbing it with both my hoofs, using the... frogs -I believe that’s the correct word- to keep it steady.
As First Aid collects the tray I study the box of juice, its green with a blue circle on each of the wide side with a orange ball of some kind in the circle, some kind of fruit?
The box itself seems to be made of some kind of hard parchment, the 'straw' is hollow and bent, the other end of it goes through a small hole in the box.
I wonder... I take the straw in my mouth, close my lips around it and then squeeze the box.
The effect is getting the orange juice in my mouth... but also around my hooves as the hole the straw made in the box leaks... this was not what I thought would happen.
“There we go, now le-... oh” First Aid saw my attempt to get the orange juice out of the box, by her expression this is not how it is done.
I swallow the liquid, it taste good -then again, everything so far has- before looking back at First Aid “I am... having difficulties with this box.”
“Oh dear,” First Aid gets the wet cloth again and cleans my hooves “did you hold the box to tight?” she ask me as she puts the cloth back on the bedside table.
“I... squeezed it to get the... orange juice out” while I am saying this I realize I have missed something about the box of juice that lead to this failure, but what is it?
At this First Aid giggles a bit, putting her hoof over her mouth“Oh Void dear, you don't need to squeeze the box,” that much I have surmised“just drink through the straw.”
Through the straw? How does that work?“I... do not understand?” is it really that simple?
“Just close your lips around the straw and suck a slow, steady sip, just like with the glass of water” First Aid instructs me and I do so.
Almost immediately I am rewarded with more orange juice -which I quickly swallow- “...oh” that was... simplistic easy... now I feel like a fool.
“Oh Void,”First Aid runs her hoof softly over my hair -or is it mane in this case, I wish I could see the rest of me- the action is not a belittling one, but more a comforting one “you don't need to feel ashamed about this, you've never had a boxed drink before have you?” she is smiling that kind smile again.
I continue drinking until the straw emits a wet slurping sound“I believe the box of orange juice is empty,” I turn to look at First Aid“may I have another?”
“I'm sorry sweetheart, but you'll have to wait for a while or you might get sick,” she pats me on the arm “don't worry, you can have more in a few hours, we got to get your body used to bigger meals slowly.”
“Thank you,” I hold the box out to her “do you wish to take this to have it refilled?” she giggles at this, did I say something amusing?
“No dear, we don't refill it, we just buy a new one,” First Aid smiles at me again, it falters after a while“Void?”
“Yes?” why did she stop smiling?
“Do-” she swallows before continuing“-do you remember the conversation we were having, the one about-” she swallows again ”-about if you had any other family?”
The conversation... the one about... family... family, My sisters, How could I forget my sisters?!
I start hyperventilating, the beeping becomes more rapid, emotions rush into my mind, fear, worry, longing, panic, bitter joy, love, sorrow, pride, heartbreak, as they fill my soul more and more, so does the pain.
Pain! Emotions bring only pain! There is only pain! It eats my very soul!
Something is wrapped around me, what is it?! “Void, sweetheart, be calm, be calm, shh shh,” its First Aid's arms and wings, shes holding me again“breed Void, calm breaths”yes, breed, be in control, I have to...
I focus through the pain at my emotions, dulling them, as they simmer down and return to the sticky deeps from which I hold them in check, so does the pain.
The world returns to me, I am in First Aid's embrace, slowly being rocked back and forth while she tells me to be calm in a hushed voice.
I close my eyes for a moment, taking in the feeling while keeping my emotions from truly rising beyond the sludge its buried under, it is... calming, I open my eyes again“I am calm now, you can cease if you wish.”
First Aid slowly release me from her embrace and looks me in the eyes, there filled with worry “Are you sure sweetie?”
I take a breath“As well as I will be” I look down at my arms, these brittle things“I must leave” I start trying to get out of the bed “I have to return t-to father” fear and pain starts to creep into my mind again, even though I keep them under control this time... mostly.
First Aid's ears fell and her eyes went small -that would be shock, it is getting easier to tell what means what- she blocks my path “W-what, why would you want to return to that, that monster?” I try to go the other way, only to have her block it with her wing “why Void?” I try to push it out of the way, but it is in vain, I do not have the strength to do more than part some feathers “answer me Void, why do you have to return to that beast?!”
I start pushing with the rest of my body against the wing, it yields only slightly... no, First Aid just angled it, making my feeble push lead me towards her chest... no, barrel, on horses it is called barrel...
“Void?” I look up at her, there is sorrow in her eyes“please Void, tell me, I want to help you, but you got to tell me why?” my strength leaves me and I rest my head against her barrel, I feel something on my head poking her... I can hear her heart “...Void?”
“...My sisters”
“What was that dear?” First Aid ask me, I can feel her shifting her neck, most likely to better look at me“you have to speak up a bit.”
“...Father might go after my sisters,” my words must have startled her, her heart seemed to miss a beat “if I am in his grasp it is less likely he will go after them… I hope,” I look up at her, shock, sorrow and... empathy is evident in her eyes“that is why you must release me... please First Aid, I have to protect them.”
First Aid's gaze becomes distant“S-sisters... with that... monster... I do-don't... he...” she is mumbling, her coat have become paler, one of her eyes is twitching as she seems to once again see me“Void, h-how many sisters do you have?”
“Two, Muffin and Rage,” my emotions start tearing through, but I push them under the sludge again“they are the only ones I can truly call family” that is,the only ones I dare call it aloud...
“Muffin and Rage,” First Aid's wings close around me, softly embracing me against her barrel“you were calling out for them while you slept.”
I had been talking in my sleep? I had slept? “Yes, they are in danger as long as I am not in fathers grasp,” I pull back slightly “now please release me, I must return to him.”
“I-I,” First Aid stares at me“I can't Void, not when I know he will hurt you.”
“...Then you condemn them to suffering” this means I will have to escape...
“Oh Void,” First Aid pulls me slowly back with her hooves while her wings stroke my back“I'll do everything I can to help, but I can't let you go back to that monster, you barely survived the trip from the orchard,” she is quiet for a while, I just listen to her heart “...Void, how did you escape from him?”
First Aid is holding her breath “...I did not escape, I was taken away.”
She is taking breaths again“By whom Void?”
Her heart is beating faster “...Gaia.”
“Gaia, who is that?” she does not know? how far away am I from the known lands?
“...Someone who despise me” just where did you send me?
“Oh sweetheart,” First Aid hugs me a little bit firmer, but in the same tender way she have done before“this Gaia doesn't hate you, if she did she wouldn't have taken you away from that monster.”
“...You are a troublesome soul, be gone.”
“W-what?” First Aid is looking at me with confusion and... a bit of hurt in her eyes.
“...It is what Gaia said before she sent me... here” I feel... drained.
“Oh...” she does not look hurt anymore... did she think I meant her?... I am so... tired.
“...First Aid” just talking have become a chore “I feel... surprisingly exhausted”
“Hm?” the confusion leaves her eyes after a few heartbeats and she smiles kindly at me“its because your body is focusing on the food you just ate, it can make you a bit drowsy.”
“...oh” that would explain it“...I still need to return to fa-”
“No, you don't” First Aid hugs me closer to her yet again“you're not going near that beast, nor is he going to lay a hoof on you ever again.”
“...But I must-”
“Do you know where he is?”
“...” at this I have no answer, he could be anywhere within the known lands, were as I am somewhere completely unknown to me “...I do not” this is very bad, if I can not find my way back father might-“...my sisters... I have to-”
“Void,” First Aid speaks softly, tilting my head up with her wing and locks eyes with mine“I promise you that I will do everything I can to help you and your sisters,” she smiles that kind smile and her eyes shows the same compassion... yet sadness as well“but my first priority right now is making sure you get better.”
As I look into First Aid's eyes I am conflicted, part of me want to be angry at her for preventing me from seeking my way back to father... another part want to thank her for stopping me, keeping me safe... a very big part just wants to cry... yet I can not do any of these since pain will consume my mind... “...They are all I have First Aid, I can not let harm come to them.”
“And you'll be united with them, I promise,” First Aid moves a lock of my hair out of my face and smiles again“but right now the best thing you can do for them is rest and recover, ok pumpkin?”
I close my eyes and bow my head“How?” I want to believe her, but what can one woman do to help me?
“How what dear?” First Aid keeps rubbing my back with her wing, it is... calming.
“How can you help my sisters?” I must know, I will not be able to rest until I do“what can you do?”
“Well first of all I’m going to have sheriff Lone Star come over first thing tomorrow so you can give him your statement about what's been done to you,” First Aid lowers me back to the pillow“then he will send it to the authorities, who will send word to every police pony and guard so they’ll know to keep an eye out for your sisters and… him.”
Sheriff Lone Star… he have been mentioned before“What is a sheriff and why would him hearing my statement make guards and… police aid in keeping my sisters safe?”
“A sheriff is a pony that keeps the law in frontier towns like Appleloosa,” she pulls the bed sheet over my chest, tucking me in “as for the guards and police,” she gives me a warm smile“it’s part of why we pay taxes, so that they will help us when somepony breaks the law.”
This is… too much, how can all this work… and to my favor?“If that is the case why not summon sheriff Lone Star now?”
First Aid gives me another smile, this one tho is more… awkward? no, it is still kind, understanding? that is not correct either, I know there is a proper word for that sort of smile and look in the eyes, but what is it?
“It’s the middle of the night Void.”
“...oh.” that is… an understandable reason… I still wish I knew the proper term tho.
“Don't worry dear,” First Aid pats me on the arm“Lone Star will be over just after breakfast, so you best get some sleep.”
“Sleep?...” will I dream?... or will I wake up in the nothingness again?... I do not wish to find out...
“Yes Void, sleep,” she picks up the... transparent cup that had covered my mouth and nose before“now then, I just need to put your breathing mask on again and then you can go back to sleep.”
“Breathing... mask?”
“Have you noticed that you're having to pace yourself when you talk?” now that she mention it, I do seem to take a bit more time when I talk... come to think of it, when I talked about why Braeburn was not a knight I felt a bit dizzy just before taking those big breaths-
“Void?” -and I am once again getting distracted by my own thoughts“you still with me pumpkin?”
I nod“I am, I was simply... thinking about what you said,” First Aid smiles again... she does that a lot“how does the... breathing mask aid me in sleeping?”
“Oh, it doesn't so much help you sleep as help you breath, hens the name,” First Aid starts to put it on me“your lungs are still a bit weak, so we're just giving them a bit of help on the way.”
“I... see” First Aid pulls it over my mouth, cool fresh air fills my lungs... how could I miss this every time it have been on my face, or removed for that matter?
“Now then, time to rest Void,” she brush a lock of my hair out of my face“I'll be in the room just over the hall, so don't worry about me not hearing you in case you call” she leans in and... did First Aid just... kiss my forehead?
Why did she kiss my forehead?
First Aid smiles that kind smile as she moves to a... lantern next to the door... it does not flicker like a candle“Do you want me to leave the light on?,” she holds her hoof up to a red... button on the lanterns side“I can leave the door ajar if you like.”
“I... do not mind the dark,” I truly do not, the dark is... comforting to me“you may leave the door ajar if you wish.”
First Aid nods and push the button, instant darkness follows until she opens the door, spilling light into the room, she turns to face me, her smile flickers for a moment to... -is it surprise?- before returning, what caused that?
“Good night Void.”
“Good... night... First Aid.”
~ ~ ~
First Aid closed the door, only leaving a crack open.
“How is she?” doctor Bandage asked, keeping his voice low.
“Better, if not by much,” First Aid answered, turning to face the stallion “her appetite is good, that’s for sure, though she would eat the spoon along with the soup,” she gives the doctor a half amused smile as they walk into the room “I even think Void smiled a bit at the first spoonful, at least her eyes did,” First Aid's ears fell a bit, her eyes showing a bit of sadness “she have two sisters.”
“Wait, what?” doctor Bandage raised an eyebrow at the nurse “Void has sisters, but that means... oh horseapples, that bastard...”
“Muffin and Rage, they mean everything to her,” First Aid looked at the tray on the serving trolley next to the door “Void practically begged me to let her go back to him on the notion that he might, might not hurt them with her in his grasp again.”
“Ponyfeathers,” Bandage grunted, slowly starting to walk around the room “if that’s the case it's even more important that she gives her statement to Lone Star and get it to the proper ponies so that li'l Void can get the proper protection she needs.”
“I didn't want to push Void about it since it might have caused her to have another seizure,” First Aid said, turning to look at the stallion “but of what I gathered somepony named Gaia sent her here.”
“Oh, well that’s some good news then,” doctor Bandage stopped walking around and turned to look at First Aid, a small smile on his lips “that means shes got at least one ally against that bastard.”
“Yes, but according to Void Gaia hates her,” First Aid told him as she walked over to a medical cabinet, going over there stock “Void said that Gaia called her a 'troublesome soul',” she continued as she began checking and re-checking everything, keeping busy to prevent her from tearing up “she has no idea where he is, no way of knowing if her sisters are safe, doesn’t seems to know any other way to keep them safe other than make herself the target of his cruelty and now that has been taken away by somepony that despise her,” First Aid closed the cabinet, still looking at it “its tearing her up from the inside.”
“Thats... less good news,” doctor Bandage said, his smile had disappeared while First Aid had been talking “still, like the griffin saying goes, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend', this Gaia might be willing to help.”
“I hope so, for Void's sisters sake,” First Aid pushed a lock of her mane behind her ear before turning to the stallion “Bandage, do you know what a thestral is?”
“Hm?, oh thestral,” doctor Bandage said, recollecting what First Aid was talking about “type of pegasi, hails from the Tramplevanian mountains, sometimes called 'night ponies' by those who don't know the correct term... and 'bat ponies' by the moronic ones that don't just walk up and ask.”
“Do you know what makes them... different?” First Aid continued.
“Apart from the bat-like wings?, the fangs, the furry tips on their ears, their coats and manes are more often than not of a dark tone... oh and there eyes sort of glow in the dark,” doctor Bandage counted off “why'd you ask?”
“Its... what causes the eyes to glow?” First Aid asked, seeming a bit reluctant to answer the question.
“Well of what I remember about it its part do to their eyes reflecting the little light there might be during dusk or dawn, the other part is there inherit magic, allowing them to see better in the dark,” Bandage frowned at First Aid “now stop beating around the bush and tell me whats going on before I use the 'doctor' card.”
“...Void's eyes glow faintly in the dark.”
“Wait, what?”
“I-I noticed it when I turned off the light,” First Aid stuttered a bit “it startled me a bit-”
“You ain't a speciesist, are you Aid?” Bandage bluntly asked her.
“What, No!”
“That's good, means you got a brain, but we already knew that,” Bandage took a few steps closer “now what's gotten into you Aid, your usually not that easy to startle?”
“...Happy, have you ever met a non-thestral that has glowing eyes?”
“Can't say I have, but then again I’ve never met a pony that might be part thestral,” Bandage said “what are you getting at?”
“I don't... I don't really know,” First Aid said, ears dropping “I guess...” she sighted “I guess I've gotten a bit skittish after hearing about what Void's f- that stallion did to her.”
“This isn’t going to affect your ability to work, is it Aid?,” Bandage put a hoof on First Aid's whither “Void might have psychological problems that needs to be addressed and I fear Cotton is still too inexperienced to deal with them if they would pop up,” the eyes that stared into First Aid's looked far older than the pony behind them “can I count on you Aid, for Void's sake?”
“O-of course,” First Aid said, determination returning to her eyes “I was just a bit shaken up by all this, that’s all.”
“Good, that's the spirit,” Bandage smiled and patted First Aid's whither “well now, I better get some sleep or Cotton is gonna talk my ear of about how I'm not sleeping enough, that I'm not eating properly or some other silly thing,” he walked out of the room “g'night Aid, wake me if anything comes up.”
“Yes Happy, good night” she told the older stallion, sitting down at the desk in the room and started reading a book she'd been intending to read for a while.
As First Aid read her mind kept going back to what she saw, 'what I thought I saw' she stubbornly thought, 'just a trick of of the mind, nothing else' Void's eyes glowing slightly may be strange, but nothing to get worried about, 'I'm just being a silly mare' after all, it wasn't the eyes that had made her heart jump a bit 'just a figment of my imagination..'
The shadows had not close in behind Void for a second, they did not have little tendrils sticking out into the light and they most certainly did not seem alive.
'Then why am I afraid?'
~ ~ ~
“Good... night... First Aid.” she leaves the door ajar, only a sliver of light enters the room.
Shortly after she leaves I can hear her talk with someone... I think it is doctor Bandage, the tone of the voice match... I can not make out what they are saying as they leave my range of hearing, but the tone seems... calm.
First Aid want me to sleep... but that is something I do not wish to do... in case this is the dream and going to sleep brings me back to the nothingness... and back to the pain.
No, I need to go through what I know, that way I can better plan what to do next.
First of, I am in a town called 'Appleloosa', it is in the western parts of the kingdom of 'Equestria'.
The residents are horses, or more precise, ponies... colorful, big eyed, talking ponies... Muffin would find this funny... or normal.
I am most likely one too now, a young one, a 'filly'... that makes blending in easier.
My health is... dire, if what doctor Bandage said about it is true -and I believe it is- I would have died if Braeburn Apple had not brought me to them... I am in his dept.
What more?
Names of the ones I know, First Aid, Braeburn Apple, Happy Bandage, Cotton Swab... all except Braeburn are healers.
There names... there far different from what they use in the known lands... yet it makes my own stick out less... that is good, I do not wish to change it, not stick out more than I can.
There deity is named 'Faust'... I do not know anything about her except that she would 'frown' upon executions... benevolent? or simply dislike killing?
They mentioned a princess... Celestia... she forbade executions centuries ago... historical figure?
Anything else?
Healthcare is free... free, I find this... difficult to grasp, how can that work?... can it work?... did they lie?... if so, why?… to spare my feelings perhaps?
I sigh, there are far to many things I do not know, I must rectify this, all I have ever had is knowledge, without it I am... nothing... I am nothing, I sigh again... and I am even narrating my sighs... really need to cease doing this... I shall do that... I stop now... I have ceased...
I am still narrating... I sigh.
I turn my head to the window, I can see the moon... Rage, Muffin... I wish I knew where you are, are you safe?... you are, Bubbles is with you, he will keep you safe... even at the cost of his life... I hope it never comes to that... I... do not want to lose you either...
First Aid moved the serving trolley to the side of the door, parking it.
'Time to wake the patient' she thought as she slowly pushed the door open, revealing the bed in which Void slept in 'that is, if she really did sleep tonight'.
First Aid had checked on the little filly three times during the night and altho she seemed to be asleep First Aid couldn't shake the feeling Void was only pretending.
First Aid put the tray with Void's breakfast on her back, keeping it secured with her wings before slowly trotting in, mentally taking note of the things that needed to be done.
'IV is half-full, needs to be changed in a few hours, write down the current pulse, going to need to change the bedsheets, check the air-tank' First Aid counted off as she carefully put the tray on the bedside table before turning to the bed and its young occupant 'should probably also bath Void now that shes conscious' First Aid put a hoof softly on Void's blanket covered wither.
“Void,” she spoke with a soft tone, ever so carefully nudging the filly to wake her “its time to wake up dear.”
The little unicorn stirred, one ear turning slightly towards First Aid's voice, head and body slowly following.
Void's pale gray eyes locked with First Aid's alum colored ones, the filly blinked, her eyes becoming focused as sleep left them 'why do I get the feeling that she's just pretending?' First Aid thought, keeping her doubt out of her posture she smiled at the little unicorn “good morning Void, did you sleep well?”
Void seemed to think the question over “...I am rested, yes” she said, turning over a bit more to lay more comfortable.
“That's good sweetheart,” First Aid said as she moved a lock of Void's mane out of her face 'shes so thin, no filly should be this thin' she thought, smiling kindly as she started pulling off the breathing mask “there we go,” she placed the mask on the air-tank and shut it of 'need to change it soon' she mentally noted down before looking back at Void “now then, shall we get to breakfast?”
Altho Void's facial expressions were minimal to non-existing (based on the little she'd been awake) most of the time, the mention of food were far easier to read, ears perking and eyes dilating a bit.
“I would like that please” Void said in a polite manner 'well, it seems polite, its so hard to tell with her voice being so... emotionless' First Aid contemplated as she helped Void sit up.
“Well then, lets begin then,” First Aid said with a cheery voice “first of is a glass of water,” she moved the glass to the filly's lips “slow, calm sips sweetheart” First Aid told the young unicorn.
“There we go,” First Aid said as Void finished drinking “now for the main course,” she placed the glass back on the tray and collected the bowl of soup “today its leek and cabbage soup” she proclaimed, almost expecting a complain about getting soup again, it never came.
As First Aid spoon feed Void she paid attention to how the little filly’s eyes looked in the light of day, they were fully focused on the food, but they didn't glow, could she have imagined it, was the darkness closing in last night also something she imagined? 'of course it was' First Aid told herself 'just a trick of the mind.'
“First Aid?” Void said, drawing the pegasus nurse's attention.
“Hm? Oh!” First Aid had been caught up in her thoughts that she'd stopped feeding Void.
'Dammit Aid, focus on your bucking job!' First Aid scolded herself “sorry dear, had my head in the clouds” she told Void with an embarrassed little smile.
Void's eyes slowly went from First Aid's own to above her head before locking with the storm cloud gray mare's eyes again “I... see,” the young unicorn said ('did... did she think I meant it literally?') “may... I have some more please?” Void asked, First Aid was almost positive the little filly’s ears and eyes showed the signs of worry 'shes afraid I won't give her more food...'
“Of course sweetheart,” First Aid said, placing her hoof over one of Void's “you need to build up your strength” with that said she once again started feeding her patient.
“And the last spoon,” First Aid said as she gave Void said spoon of soup before putting it back in the bowl.
At this Void's ears did fall 'oh you poor dear, you really are afraid you won't get more food' First Aid thought as she put the bowl back on the tray and picked up the little orange juice box, quickly putting the straw in before holding it up to Void “don't worry sweetheart, as I said last night we got to keep the servings small for now, but you'll be getting them more often,” she said, placing the box between the filly's hooves “so long as doctor Bandage and I see you can stomach what we give you we'll start making the portions bigger,” First Aid once again moved Void's mane out of her face “now you just drink your orange juice while I put the tray away, ok pumpkin?”
Void held the box softly between her hooves, turning her gaze from it to First Aid before again looking at the box “I... remember, thank you First Aid” she said before she began drinking.
'Crisis averted' First Aid thought as she picked up the tray and walked out of the room.
As she put away the tray on the trolley Cotton Swab trotted up to her “First Aid, is lil' Void awake?” she asked, keeping her voice down, just in case.
“Yes Cotton, she is,” First Aid answered, turning to young mare “she's wide awake and still has a good appetite,” she gave Cotton a small smile “I think she likes your cooking.”
Cotton grinned at the compliment “well ahm glad fer that, don' want tha lil' filly to think were givin' her uncle Bandage's cooking,” she said, rolling her eyes “ah swear, if it was posibl' ta burn and liquify toast he'd probabl' have dun it by now,” both mares shared a low giggle before Cotton continued “oh ah almost fergot why ahm here, sheriff Lone Star an' Braeburn are here.”
“Braeburn too?” First Aid asked.
“Yeah, came first thang this mornin',” Cotton answered “said he wanted ta tell Lone Star everythang that happened tha day he found lil' Void.”
“That's good,” First Aid said, thinking it over 'might learn something more about this 'Gaia' mare that brought Void here' “did you hear anything about how she ended up there?”
“Don' rightly know,” Cotton said “all ah got from it was that there were no tracks, as in none tah find.”
“None?”
“Had himself a good look'a'round, found none, even got help from tha buffalo mare, Lil' Strongheart, found no track that ain't his, his kin or anypony that he knows.”
“What about a pegasus?” First Aid asked “or a unicorn for that matter?”
“No hide nor tail Aid,” Cotton said in an almost eerie tone “as if tha lil' filly just appear and ah don' mean tha magic kind, no'se'ri.”
First Aid simply stared at the younger mare, arching an eyebrow “Cotton, that last part sounded more at home in one of those horror books you sometimes read,” she sighted, dragging a wing over her face 'I don't have enough coffee in me for this' First Aid thought as she looked at the now slightly embarrassed Cotton Swab “no matter, if Lone Star is here that means I got to get Void ready for him,” she nodded towards the trolley “can you take care of the dishes before you send the sheriff in?”
“ah, eh, yes First Aid” Cotton said, taking hold of the trolley and rolling it away.
First Aid sighed before returning into Void's room.
Upon entering she noticed Void had finished her orange juice and was currently studying the box carefully, putting it down in her lap to clumsily turn it before picking it up again 'is she having problems with her hooves?' First Aid thought as she spoke up “Void dear, the sheriff will be here in a moment.”
Void looked up from the box, locking eyes with Aid's “I see, that is good,” she moved her hooves a bit forward, box wobbling a bit “I have finished the orange jui-” the box fell out of her grip, bouncing off the bed and landing on the floor “... I dropped it, apologies” Void said, ears falling a bit.
'That make it more plausible she does' First Aid thought as she moved forward, smiling kindly “no need to apologize sweetheart, it's just an empty box,” First Aid said as she picked up the box with her hoof before putting it on the bed end table, Void's eyes following the box 'or is she following my hoof' she thought 'and if so, why?' First Aid turned to the little filly “how are you feeling dear?”
Void seemed to think it over before looking at First Aid “less hungry, less thirsty, less in pain.”
“You're in pain?” First Aid asked in a worried tone, prepared to rush to the medicine cabinet the moment she had a good diagnose “what kind sweetheart?”
Void once again seemed to think the question over before answering “there is pain in my stomach, most likely do to lack of food previous to eating as well as pain as my stomach does its work with said food,” Void began “my lungs hurt when I take big breaths, my limbs hurt when I move too quickly, my throat hurt if I speak too long without rest, my eyes hurt if I stare out the window while the sun shines on the building next to this one, my-”
“Void!” First Aid said sharply, breaking Void's ramblings.
“...Yes First Aid?” Void said, tilting her head ever so slightly.
First Aid sighed “Void, dear,” she said, putting her hoof over Void's “what I meant was, does it hurt badly, bad enough to prevent you from talking with sheriff Lone Star?”
“...no, the pain is far from being as bad as before I was brought here by Braeburn Apple,” Void answered, lowering her head a bit “the pain I feel now are like small embers covering my body, there... bearable, compared to the eternal inferno of pain from... from when I was in f-father's-” Void was stopped by First Aid's hoof softly being placed over her mouth.
“Shh,” First Aid cooed to Void while cringing on the inside 'that monster, what kind of parent does this to there own child?' “lets not bring him up again, ok sweetheart?” First Aid said as she moved the mouth-covering hoof to stroke the little unicorn's cheek “now then, you're sure you feel well enough to talk to the sheriff?”
“For my sisters sake I will ignore any pain I might feel,” Void stated, her eyes seemed more focused “yes, I am well enough to talk to sheriff Lone Star.”
First Aid couldn't help but feel a little bit proud of the young filly's determination 'take that you bastard, our little Void can't be broken by a prick like you!' she stroked Void's mane while smiling “that's good Void,” she leaned in and placed a small kiss on the little unicorn's forehead (which brought a bit of confusion into Void's eyes) “now you just wait for a second while I tell the sheriff he can come in” with that said First Aid trotted out the door.
Waiting just by the door was doctor Bandage, Braeburn, Cotton (who was standing just a bit closer to the apple farmer than necessary) and sheriff Lone Star.
First Aid closed the door “she's ready doctor,” she said, speaking in a low tone “her readings are good, all things considered,” when doctor Bandage gave her a nod she turned to the sheriff “sheriff Lone Star, Void may be awake and coherent, but she is still very frail, both physically and psychologically so I'll have to ask you not to push her on subjects unless I or doctor Bandage approve,” Lone Star gave her an affirmative grunt and a nod “good, Braeburn.”
“Yes ma'am?” Braeburn said, ready to rush of on command if First Aid had one for him.
“I suppose you're here to check on how Void is doing,” First Aid said, holding up a hoof, stopping Braeburn before he began talking “as I said she is doing well enough to give Lone Star her statement, but I don't know if she will have the strength after this for another visit.”
“Oh, ah see,” Braeburn said, looking a bit down “ah'll just git out of ya w-” he stopped as First Aid once again raised her hoof for silence.
“As I said, I don't know if she'll have the strength after Lone Star, if she does I wish to give her a bath before putting her back in bed,” First Aid said, giving him a small smile “if I think she can stay up I'll have you sent in, I think it would do her good to talk to you.”
This got a big, goofy grin out of the stallion 'he's a bit like an overgrown colt when he does that' First Aid thought with amusement as she turned to the slightly distracted mare next to Braeburn 'and a certain somepony needs to focus while she is at work' “Cotton Swab.”
With a little jerk and the tiniest blush Cotton was at rapt attention “y-yes nurse First Aid?”
'Well, at least she goes from lovey-dovey to professional fast enough' First Aid thought as she addressed the junior nurse “Cotton, please prepare a bath for Void,” she began instructing “when you're done with that please get some new sheets ready so you can change Void's bed if I bath her.”
“Yes nurse First Aid” Cotton said with a nod before trotting off to do her new chores.
“Ah'll go an' wait at tha main room” Braeburn said before trotting off himself.
Doctor Bandage took the moment to clear his throat “well, lets-”
“One more thing Lone Star,” First Aid said, cutting off Bandage (who took getting interrupted by his own staff with stride) “Void has two sisters, she is in this state apparently do to her protecting them from her father and she is worried sick about them.”
“Yeah, when our lil' Void came out of her coma she was surprisingly coherent and calm about the state she was in, behaved more like an adult than a lil' one,” doctor Bandage said “thanked us for helping her, wanted to leave so that if her father came here the town wouldn't get punished for helping her, but First Aid put a stop to that nonsense.”
“When we asked her if she had any other family she went into shock, took us almost an hour before I deemed her stable again,” Bandage continued, pulling his hoof through his mane “scared the horseapples out of us all.”
“When Void did wake up she was screaming their names, I was worried she'd go into shock again,” First Aid said, her wings tightening to her sides in a pegasus self-hug “so please be careful about how you ask thing.”
“Ah understand nurse, doctor,” sheriff Lone Star said with a small nod to each of them “ah'll do mah best to keep tha questions from gitting her riled up.”
“Good, now, shall we?” doctor Bandage said, motioning towards the door.
First Aid entered first, followed by doctor Bandage and sheriff Lone Star.
“Good morning, hows my lil' patient doing?” doctor Bandage said with a cheery tone, smiling at Void “feel like taking on the world I hope.”
“Good morning doctor Happy Bandage, I am... better than I was before,” Void answered “though I highly doubt I would be able to take on the world even at full health, that is the domain of gods.”
First Aid gave of an awkward giggle “it's just an expression dear.”
“...oh” Void's ears fell ever so slightly, her gaze falling on Lone Star “would you perhaps be sheriff Lone Star?” she asked.
“That ah am lil' miss, that ah am” Lone Star answered with a tip of his hat.
“I was told you would might be able to help my sisters,” Void said, her hooves tightening on the covers “will you be able to help them?”
“Ah'll be doing mah best lil' miss, ah promise,” Lone Star said, pulling out a small notebook and pen from his hat while First Aid trotted over to Void's side, giving the young unicorn a kind smile while rubbing her hoof with her own “ah'll need to ask a few questions, if yer up for it.”
“I am” Void said, her whole being focused on Lone Star.
The first questions revolved around Void, her full name (it was simply Void), her age (she didn't know), where she was from (Broken mountain if he meant first place she had memories of, otherwise she didn't know) if she knew how she'd ended up in this state (her father had done this to her) among other smaller details.
Lone Star asked Void about Muffin and Rage, if she knew where they might be (she didn't) if somepony was with them (she was unsure if the other Sins were with them, but Bubbles would be with them without a doubt) he asked who the 'Sins' where (fathers key pawns) and who Bubbles was (her sisters and her dog).
Then Lone Star asked the question that caused Void to falter.
“Alright lil' miss, that will cove' tha basics,” Lone Star said, nodding to himself “Ah'm gunna need a description of ya sisters.”
“Description...” Void said, her voice losing volume near the end.
“Eyup, need them to sent to the guard an' police,” Lone Star continued “now then, since ya don't know yer own age ah'm asumin' ye don' know there age, hm?”
“...My sisters are the same age as myself.” Void answered after a short while, her voice still low.
“Triplets?”
“...Yes.”
“Hmm,” Lone Star looked over his notes “wha' are there colors?”
“...Rage's eyes are blue like mid winter ice and holds anger towards many,” Void began, her hooves tightening once again on the covers “Muffin's eyes are of a pink tone with a red hue around the edge, her gaze is happy, but people flinch the first time they meet her eyes.”
“An' there coats an' manes?”
“...” Void looked down at her lap.
“...lil' miss?” Lone Star said, looking up from his notes “Void?”
“...” Void remained quiet.
“Void?” First Aid asked, moving the little filly's mane behind her ear “is something wrong sweetheart?”
“...I need to use the chamber pot” Void said, her voice a mere whisper.
First Aid took only a second to process this before her eyes widened slightly in understanding “ok dear, I'll just get the bedpan,” she bent down under the bed to retrieve said article, putting it on the bed and started moving the covers when she stopped, looking over at the two stallions in the room with a frown “ahem” she pierced them with a glare.
Doctor Bandage's ears perked up “right, out,” he said quickly as he pushed Lone Star out the door, only looking into the room for a brief moment “just call and I'll have Cotton deal with the bedpan” he said before closing the door.
First Aid turned back to Void with a kind smile “now then, let me just get you on this and-”
“This will not work” Void interrupted, still staring at her lap.
“Don't worry dear,” First Aid continued, stroking Void's mane “I'll look away, I just have to hold you so you don't fall while you-”
“I speak of sheriff Lone Star's questions,” Void said, cutting First Aid off “he asks for things I can not give,” the young unicorn sagged, making her look even frailer than she already was “all this has given me is false hope, the only kind the gods allow me, here I should have been making my way b-back to f-father-”
“Void, Void stop that at once!” First Aid said with a stomp of her hoof, cutting off the filly before holding her close “Void, sweetheart, you have to explain, why do you think Lone Star can't help you?”
“It is because I can not give him what he asked for,” Void said, her cheek resting against First Aid's barrel “apart from their eyes and names I do not know what they look like now.”
First Aid blinked in confusion “y-you don't remember what your sisters look like?” 'just what did he do to make you forget them Void?'
Void shook her head slowly “it is not memory that is at fault, it is that my sisters have without doubt changed their appearance, perhaps several times, depending on how long I was in father's grasp.”
“What do you mean dear?” First Aid asked, quite confused by now.
“...First Aid, what do you see when you look upon me?” Void asked.
First Aid gave her a little smile “a sweet, polite little filly with a heart of gold.”
“...that is what you think First Aid, not what you see,” Void said, looking up at the mare “what do you see when you look upon me?”
First Aid thought Void's words over, then leaned back and looked at the filly in her hooves.
“I see a small, malnourished unicorn filly with pale gray coat, a willow like mane in the same color, eyes that are the same, behind them, behind the expressionless face I see emotions trying to get out.”
Void sighed, lowering her head “apart from the eyes, all you have seen is not what I once looked like.”
First Aid blinked in confusion “um, come again?”
“...You recall that I said I defied father?” Void asked, looking up at First Aid, when the mare nodded she continued “my defiance towards father is an extended one, going over about three years of evading being bound harder than we already were.”
“Void, I-I don't really understand” First Aid said to the little filly in her hooves, stroking her mane.
“Father is the champion of Nagmar, a demon god, fathers power grows as he commits acts of evil upon others,” Void explained, looking down again “or, when those father have bound souls with his magic do such acts... my sisters and I are bound by father for this purpose.”
First Aid paused for a moment, Void's words echoing in her mind 'bound by him, just what is that monster?' she thought as she looked at the filly 'and she said she's been doing this for three years and she can't be more than eight right now' First Aid pulled Void into a soft hug, continuing to stroke her mane 'all I can do right now is be here for her'.
“My sister and I, along with six others were bound as his 'sins', our purpose was to go out and spread fathers corruption across the lands,” Void continued, resting her head against First Aid's barrel “father strengthen the bound on my sisters and I bit by bit do to our... erratic nature, making it harder to do anything but fathers commands... until we found a loophole.”
“A loophole?” First Aid asked, ears perked.
“A spell that allows the welder to reshape flesh and bone, enabling us to change ourself,” Void answered, shifting a bit in the mare's embrace “although the bound is on the soul the body affects the soul enough to weaken it, giving us more freedom to find a more... permanent solution,” she sighed “it was not enough though, from time to time we had to do it again, as the bound would grow stronger over time or when father poured accumulated power into it... father did that more and more as time went on... until father took me from my sisters” Void shivered.
First Aid hugged Void a bit tighter, unable to come up with something to say 'this, this is absurd, none of that can be real... can it?' she thought, giving herself another pegasi self-hug 'and yet...'
Void looked up at First Aid “you do not believe me” it wasn't a question.
“I-I...” First Aid stuttered, trying to come up with a good answer 'come on brain, do your job!'
Void sighed and lowered her head “I do not blame you for not believing m-” she was silenced by one of First Aid's primaries covering her mouth before lowering to her jaw, softly pushing up until the mare and filly could look each other in the eye.
“I... I believe you Void,” First Aid said, stroking Void's cheek with her wing while giving her a small, kind smile “as outlandish as it all sounds, I believe you sweetheart.”
“...Thank you,” Void said with a whisper, leaning into First Aid's wing a bit “but I fear sheriff Lone Star will not believe me and-”
“Void dear,” First Aid interrupted “you don't know that so don't fixate on it, besides,” she continued a kind smile “I promised you I'd help you, and I keep my promises,” First Aid said, nuzzling Void's mane a bit “now then, when Lone Star asks about your sisters you tell him what you told me, ok pumpkin?”
“...Yes First Aid” Void said, lowering her gaze.
“Now now Void, none of that,” First Aid tutted, putting one of her primaries under Void's jaw and pushed up softly again “eyes forward, mind forward, got to be strong for your sisters, now don't we?” she said, moving Void's mane out of the way again “and if you falter I'll be there helping you get back up again.”
“...Can you retrieve sheriff Lone Star please?” Void asked after a while “ I would like to continue.”
“Of course dear, but before that,” First Aid said, nodding towards the bedpan “did you need to go?”
“...oh, no, I did not,” Void said, looking from the bedpan to First Aid “I said that because I did not know what to say before.”
“Alright then,” First Aid put the bedpan back under the bed “I'll go get Lone Star then” she walked towards the door.
“First Aid,” Void quietly called out, the mare in question looked back at the filly “thank you, for strengthening my resolve again, I must not lose myself in despair while my sisters are in danger.”
First Aid's chest filled with pride over her patients words “you're welcome sweetheart” she said with a small smile before slipping out the door.
“Did everything go well?” doctor Bandage asked when First Aid closed the door behind her “I know 'girl talk' of this kind usually involves a bathroom and a minimum of three fillies or mares, but I figured two girls and a bedpan would do in a pinch” he finished with a smile.
When First Aid raised an eyebrow he continued “serious though, what got her to clam up?”
First Aid sighed “well based what she told me its in fear of not being believed,” she said, shaking her head “and considering what Void told me its understandable.”
“Oh?” doctor Bandage said, scratching his jaw “and what did our lil' patient have to say?”
“She said that she doesn't know what her sisters look like anymore do to some kind of spell that can alter their appearance,” First Aid said with a frown “apparently there 'father' is such a evil stallion that he's the 'champion' of some demon god, Nagmar, and the bastard forced Void, her sister and six others to do bad things against their will with some kind of soul-binding spell to gain even more power,” the pegasus mare practically growled out” a-and the damned bucker keeped making the foals bindings stronger because they were resisting a-a-and t-they-”
“Nurse First Aid!” doctor Bandage barked “calm down!”
First Aid snapped to attention at the command before realising she'd been shouting at the end “I-I,” she stuttered for a moment before taking a calming breath “I'm sorry doctor.”
Doctor Bandage sighed “its ok First Aid, I'm pretty ticked off myself about this 'father', but we need facts, not ponies foaming at the mouth,” he held up a hoof “you're not foaming, so don't worry,” Bandage said as First Aid brought a hoof up to her mouth “now please, continue.”
“Um, yes,” First Aid cleared her throat “well Void an-” she began, only to be interrupted by Braeburn and Cotton.
“We heard shouting” Braeburn said, quickly moving up the corridor.
Cotton zipped past the apple farmer “Is everypony alrigh'?” she asked, ready to dash of at a moments notice to get whatever might be needed.
“Everything is fine,” doctor Bandage said, patting Cotton on her wither “I'll fill both of you in later,” he smiled “why don't you make Braeburn a cup of tea while he waits... and one to yourself” he gave his niece a quick wink.
Cotton blinked in confusion before getting what her uncle was getting at “yes doctor, righ' away,” she turned to Braeburn with a smile “come along mistar Braeburn” she grabbed his foreleg, pulling him along.
Doctor Bandage turned back to First Aid “you where saying?”
First Aid cleared her throat again “well, if I understood it right Void and her sisters found some form of body-altering spell and used it on themselves.”
“Body-altering?” doctor Bandage asked.
“Yes, well, Void seem to claim that altering the body affects the soul slightly, enough for weaken the 'binding', but not enough to break it, forcing them to over time repeat the process,” First Aid said, lowering her head “they've been doing this for three years.”
Doctor Bandage jaw dropped a bit “t-three years?!”
“Up until Void was taken away from her sisters, after that she's got no idea how long its been, but she is certain they've used the spell again,” First Aid continued, looking back at the door “apart from the eyes the filly in that room has changed everything about her, just to be able to keep her sisters safe.”
“Thats, well, quite frankly unbelievable,” doctor Bandage ran a hoof through his mane “but you were the one she spoke to so, your verdict?”
First Aid was still looking at the door “it sounds unbelievable, it should be unbelievable,” she turned back to the doctor “and yet I believe her, the way Void spoke of it all, even if half of it would be made up we're talking about the worse case of abuse on both a physical and mental level I've ever heard of,” First Aid swallowed, her throat feeling dry “Happy, this kind of ongoing trauma would have driven anypony insane by now.”
Doctor Bandage gave off a irritated grunt before turning to Lone Star “would this be enough to get lil' Void and her sisters into protective custody?”
“Ah say it would doc',” the sheriff -who'd been writing down everything that had been said- replied “ah still need tah hear it from tha lil' one tho', protocol an' such.”
“Well then, lets get this done with,” doctor Bandage said, motioning towards the door “I'd like to put out lil' patients mind to rest about all this.”
First Aid entered first, a calm, kind smile on her face to cover her previous outburst, she was quickly followed by Bandage and Lone Star.
“Here we are sweetheart,” First Aid said as she walked up to Void “sorry it took a little while.”
“That is alright First Aid,” Void said as she followed the mare as she moved “I presume you have calmed down now?”
“Calmed down?” First Aid said, tilting her head while still smiling.
“You were shouting before,” Void stated, her gray eyes looked with First Aid's alum “about father strengthening the soul-binding on my sisters and I.”
First Aid's smile lessened a bit, becoming more sympathetic than calm “yes Void, I've calmed down,” she said, moving Void's mane out of her face “now then, ready to continue?”
“I am, yes,” Void said, turning to look at the law pony “you had more questions sheriff Lone Star?”
“That ah did lil' miss,” Lone Star said as he looked through his notes “ya where abou' tha describe yer sisters manes an' coats.”
“...” Void turned to look at First Aid, sitting next to her, the mare gave her another kind smile and a nod while stroking the filly's mane with a wing.
Void turned back to Lone Star “I can not” she answered.
Lone Star nodded, scribbling it down “please explain tha reason fer this.”
Void told Lone Star what she'd told First Aid, elaborating when asked, Void would from time to time turn to First Aid, who would encourage her to continue.
“Well lil' miss, that covers almost all of it,” Lone Star said as he noted down the last part of Void's confession “jus' one bit left tah do.”
“What is required?” Void asked, awaiting Lone Star's question.
“Ah'll need a description of yer... 'father'” Lone Star said slowly, his eyes stoic, yet sympathetic.
First Aid felt Void stiffen under her wing, she covered the little unicorns back with it and squeezed comfortably.
“I...” Void began, her voice wavering a bit.
“Take yer time lil' miss,” Lone Star said, giving Void a small smile “ah ain't gunna rush ya.”
Void sagged in the bed, looking like she wanted to be swallowed by First Aid's wing.
“Eyes forward, mind forward sweetheart” a whisper touched her ear, she looked to her side, seeing First Aid give her a small nod and a small smile, her wing once again giving the little filly a comforting squeeze.
Void took a deep breath before looking back at Lone Star “...I am... unable to tell you what father looks like,” she began, her hooves kneading the covers in a slow manner “father is... incomparable, his body destroyed in battle with a man known as Valtir, father's soul remains do to father's role as Nagmar's champion.”
“What father looks like is unknown to me, but his presence I know far too well,” Void continued, seeming to sink deeper into First Aid's wing “it is... like tendrils of oily smoke choking your will, icy talons that claw at your soul as father's gaze falls upon you, the pit of despair you find yourself in while in father's presence, knowing that you are, at best, a pawn that father can use and throw aside...”
The heart-monitor slowly began beeping faster as Void went on.
“Father's presence is that of which malicious intentions become reality and the pure fall to vices,” Void lowered her head, her hooves pulled close to her body, along with the cover “father is... evil.”
For a while the only sound in the room was the heart-monitor beginning to slow down again and Lone Star scribbling down Void's statement.
“alrigh', that's almost all ah need,” Lone Star said with a small nod “ah just need one more thang then ah'll be able tah git this done.”
“What more is required?” Void asked, lifting her head slightly.
“Ah'm gunna need tha know yer... 'fathers' name,” Lone Star said, watching the filly's reaction “would he be using his real name?”
“...Father would use it, yes,” Void said, her mane once again covering most of her face “father wants all to know it, to speak it, to cower under it.”
“Can ya... tell me, lil' miss?” Lone Star asked.
“It is...” Void began, taking a shallow breath “it is E...” she stopped, swallowed before trying again “father's name is Ed...a...” Void brought her hooves up to her head, cradling it.
“Void, sweetheart, are you?-” First Aid began to ask, only for Void to put a hoof in front of the mares face, as if demanding silence.
“For my sisters sake...” Void spoke, her voice a whisper.
Void began again “father's name is Eda...” she gave of a small grunt “Eda...r...” she whimpered quietly, heart-monitor began beeping faster again, a vein in one of her eyes had busted, reddening the white “father's name is Edar...Edar...” a thin line of blood ran from one of her nostrils “Edar...E-Edar...”
“Void, Void stop!” First Aid shouted, moving so she was facing the little unicorn “Void your ble-”
“EDAROS!” Void part screamed, part cried before taking rapid breaths, not quite hyperventilating.
First Aid grabbed the breathing-cup and held it over Void's mouth to get more air, only for the little filly to push it away.
“C-chamber pot” Void croaked out before quickly pushing herself to the side of the bed opposite First Aid and threw up, splattering the floor with soup and stomach fluid.
“Void!” First Aid called out as she climbed up into the bed and moved the filly's mane out of the way with one hoof while the other one rubbed her back “its ok sweetheart, its ok.”
“Horseapples” doctor Bandage muttered as he bumped the door open “COTTON, GIT A MOP!” he shouted before walking over to his patient, a penlight in mouth and gave First Aid a little nod.
First Aid returned the nod before lowering her head to Void's (who was just breathing slowly) “Void, dear, I need you to look at doctor Bandage, can you do that for me?” she asked, when Void gave a little nod she patted the filly softly on her wither “good, now doctor Bandage is going to shine a little light in your eyes, not a strong one, its to check if your eyes react properly, ok sweetheart?” 'and see if you're suffering from some kind of stroke' First Aid added in her mind.
When doctor Bandage stood before Void -skillfully avoiding stepping in vomit and ignoring the smell- the filly slowly lifted her head for the doctor to examine.
“Well everything seems to be doing what its suppose to,” doctor Bandage stated after putting the penlight away “now for the mandatory stupid question, are you ok Void?”
“...I am... surprisingly well,” Void said with a hoarse voice “the backlash for speaking father's name was... far lighter than I thought it would be.”
“Backlash?” First Aid asked as she helped Void to lay back, using her wing to part support the filly, part cradle her.
“Father's name is cursed by the gods so that they who have let their souls be blackened by evil...” Void faltered for a while, lowering her head “or have had their souls infused with father's evil... will suffer for speaking it...”
A cold shiver went up the adults collective spine.
“Is everythang ok in 'ere?” Cotton asked as she entered with the mop and a bucket of water, then she saw the mess “oh” she moved forward.
“I am... sorry-”
“Oh hush sugarcube,” Cotton cut Void off with a smile “it ain't yer fault, ya was just not feelin' well” she said before starting to clean up the mess.
Void turned back to Lone Star “am I required to speak father's name again?”
“T-that won' be nesasary lil' miss,” Lone Star quickly spoke, not wanting the filly to have another... backlash “does it effect ya if anypony else is sayin' it?”
“...no, it will only affect the speaker and only if said persons soul is dark enough” Void answered, Cotton wondered what they were referring to, but didn't interrupt 'ah'll ask uncle later.'
Sheriff Lone Star looked at the name he'd written down, thinking over what he was about to do 'welp, only one way tah find out' he looked at the little unicorn again “how's it pronused, Edaros?”
Void didn't look worse than before and he felt like when she said it, a icetap along the spine and a low-boiling anger against the stallion that had done this to the bedridden filly.
“Yes, just less pronunciation on the 'o'” Void said, seeming to study Lone Star 'she's watchin' how ahm reactin' to tha name, ain't she?' the law pony thought as he wrote down the notice.
“That should do it,” Lone Star said, putting away the notepad “thank ya lil' miss, ah know this can't have been easy for ya.”
“...will it be enough?” Void asked, once again looking small and frail.
Lone Star gave her a small smile “don't you worry none lil' miss Void, it is,” he turned to doctor Bandage “ahm a gunna need copies of the victims medical reports from tha day she was brought in.”
“I have them in my office,” Bandage said, turning to giving First Aid a little nod before leaving with Lone Star.
First Aid ran her wing over Void's back, drawing her attention “Void dear, do you feel well enough for a bath?” she asked, moving her own mane behind her ear “Cotton prepared one just in case you were.”
Void gave her a small nod “I... believe I am.”
That's good, now then,” First Aid carefully removed the IV needle from Void's foreleg and the little pads -turning off the heart-monitor with a flick of her wing- on her chest before she drew the little filly closer to her with her wing “just climb up on my back and we'll get going, ok sweetheart?”
Void slowly made her way up on First Aid's back, the pegasus aiding the filly with her wing 'shes so light' she thought, rising both wings to keep Void from slipping off and began making her way to the bathroom.
“Enjoy yer bath!” Cotton called after them in a cheery tone.
When First Aid entered the bathroom she found that Cotton had prepared quite well, the porcelain tub -Happy had bought it to replace the wooden one- was filled with about a hoof worth of water, five more buckets of water -three steaming warm and two lukewarm- two empty ones to mix for the desired temperature, coat scrub brush, mane brush, shampoo, soap, towels and... a rubber duck, currently floating along the edge of the tub.
“Alright Void, let get y-” First Aid began as she turned her head to look at the filly, only to catch her staring at the opposite wall.
When First Aid looked the other way she saw them both in the mirror mounted on the wall 'so that's what she's looking at' First Aid thought as Void lifted a hoof to slowly touch her face, horn and one of her ears.
“So this is what I look like now,” Void said, lowering her hoof “I truly look brittle.”
“Only on the outside,” First Aid added, giving her a kind smile “you're a strong, brave filly on the inside just waiting to get out,” she moved the wing behind the reflection and stoked Void's back “and she will with good food and plenty of rest.”
Void didn't comment on that and instead turned to look at the tub.
First Aid moved next to the tub “now then, you just slide off into the tub now, ok sweetheart?”
“Yes First Aid” Void said, beginning to slide off First Aid's side, the pegasus using her wing to slow the descent into the tub, back hooves connecting with the bottom, shortly followed forehoove-
*Squeek*
Void quickly drew one of her hooves up while just as quickly looked down, she'd stepped on the rubber duck.
“Whoops,” First Aid chuckled softly as Void tilted her head upwards “Mr. Ducky should watch where he swims.”
Void looked down at the yellow duck next to her, she gave it a soft poke with her hoof causing it to bop around a bit “it does not appear to be alive” Void stated, turning her head back to First Aid.
“No dear, its just a bath toy,” First Aid said as she poked the duck too, making it bop towards Void again “I guess Cotton wanted to make sure you got everything to make bath time as enjoyable as possible.”
Void looked down at the duck again and gave it another poke, it spun in place “...I fear I do not see the appeal in this.”
“I... um,” First Aid rubbed her cheek with a hoof “I guess it more for younger ponies, I can take it out-” she began, only for Void to nudge the duck closer to herself.
“Cotton Swab deemed it would make my bath enjoyable,” Void stated, the duck attaching itself -like light things in water tend to do- to her leg “I do not wish to insult her effort by removing something from it.”
First Aid stared for a moment before simply smiling “alright Void, if that is what you want,” she turned to the buckets and began mixing warm and lukewarm together before bringing the mix over to the tub “now dear, I'm going to start pouring some water over you so you might want to close your eyes for a bit,” First Aid lifted the bucket with her hooves, preparing to pour “just tell me if its too warm or cold.”
First Aid slowly began pouring water over Void's head and working her way back “Is the temperature ok Void?” she asked after half the bucket was emptied.
“It is good, thank you” Void said as she once again poked the duck.
“Alright then, one more time dear” First Aid waited for Void to close her eyes again before pouring the other half of the bucket over her, head to tail.
“Now then, time for the shampoo” First Aid stated, putting down the bucket and picking up the shampoo bottle.
“Shampoo?” Void asked, looking up at First Aid.
“Its like soap, just better for your mane,” First Aid answered, opening the bottle cap 'peach and jasmine,' she thought and smiled a bit 'that's very nice of you Cotton, giving Void your shampoo instead of the cheap one I use' “head forward and eyes closed please.”
Once Void did so First Aid began working the shampoo into the filly's mane, taking care not to work it too hard since Void seemed like she'd fall or break at the slightest pressure 'she might, considering how frail she looks' First Aid thought before mixing another bucket of water.
“Head up... and rinse” First Aid said, waiting for Void to tilt her head up before she poured some water over the filly's head again, getting most of the shampoo out “you can look again.”
Void did so, looking up at First Aid again “is... that it?” Void asked.
“I need to do your coat and tail first,” First Aid answered, a bit of concern entering her features “are you finding this... uncomfortable?”
Void shook her head slowly “no, I am simply curious” she said, lifting a hoof out of the almost (to Void at least) elbow deep water to poke the bottom of her hoof against the rubber duck, it bopped a bit away.
First Aid smiled a bit “alright then,” she said as she slipped on the scrub brush on her hoof and picked up the soap, lathering it up before turning back to Void, who was once again poking at the duck with the bottom of her hoof (this time the other one) “I'm going to do your back and sides now, tell me if you find it uncomfortable at any time.”
“Yes First Aid” Void said, pushing the duck close to her again before trying to lift it up with one hoof, only for it to slide off.
'So she does have problems holding things,' First Aid thought as she began to softly scrub Void's coat 'could it be do to her current condition? I'll have to bring it up with Happy later.'
First Aid worked Void's back, withers and sides before moving to sit in front of the little unicorn “Hoof please” she said, holding one of her own out to Void.
Void looked at the appendage in front of her before slowly placing her own thin one on the older pony's.
“Thank you sweetheart,” First Aid said with a smile and scrubbed down Void leg and hoof before letting go of it “other hoof please” she asked, receiving the other one, repeating the process.
When First Aid was done she put it down again “please turn around and stand, I'll do your hind legs and tail next.”
Void slowly spun in place until she had her back to First Aid before standing up, the pegasus mare noticed that Void seemed strained to stand 'of course she is, she couldn't even push past our wing' First Aid berated herself.
“First Aid?” Void said, legs wobbling do to the strain.
'This won't work, she'll fall over if she tries to stand on three legs' First Aid thought, thinking over how to solve this “sit down again sweetheart, I'll be back in a second,” she said, quickly leaving the room and returning with a hoof-stool “here, sit on this Void” First Aid placed the hoof-stool in the tub for the filly to sit on, raising her hindquarters just above the water.
“Alright then, now just place your fore hooves up on it as well and stretch one hind leg forward,” First Aid waited until Void did so, then scrubbed it down “other one please,” she repeated the process with the other leg “alright, now lift your tail a bit please.”
At this Void turned her head to look at her tail, after a few moment it began to raise.
“That will do dear” First Aid said as she worked the shampoo into Void's tail.
“There, now please step down again and I'll rinse out your tail and coat,” First Aid told Void, removing the hoof-stool once the filly had stepped off and mixed a final bucket of water “now stand up for a second sweetheart” once Void did so she poured the bucket over the little unicorn's coat and tail, getting the last soap and shampoo out.
“All done!” First Aid said with a smile, putting the bucket down “now then Void, do you wish to bathe for a little bit longer or do you feel like going back to your room?”
Void looked down at the water, by now it was up to where her neck and barrel met, the rubber duck bopping past her “I believe this is enough bathing for now,” she looked up at First Aid “that is, if I am allowed to bathe again.”
“Of course you're allowed to bathe again Void,” First Aid said as she pulled out the plug (another reason for the porcelain tub, a bit of piping and emptying it was a breeze, now all that was missing was a water tank and a boiler to make bath time less of a chore) “I'd say at least one bath per week does the body good.”
While the tub drained First Aid spread out one of the towels on the floor along with the mane and coat brush before turning back to the now almost completely empty tub “now Void, I want you to wrap your arms around my neck and I'll lift you out, ok dear?”
Void needed two attempts to reach up before she could wrap her arms around First Aid, in which the pegasus put a leg around the little unicorns flanks and lifted her out and down on the towel.
“There we go sweetheart, now you can let go,” First Aid said, waiting until Void let go before picking up another towel began drying off the filly's mane and coat.
“...Father is not my real father” Void suddenly started, making First Aid freeze mid-rub.
“H-he's not?” First Aid asked, lowering the towel “then why do you keep referring to him as such?”
Void lowered her head, her slightly wet mane covering her face “it is because father imprinted a command upon the sins so that they would refer to father as such instead of simply him,” she ran her hoof in a small circle on the towel “that is, father is the lesser variant I can use.”
First Aid stared in shock 'is this Edaros so obsessed with control that he won't even let them call him anything else?' she thought, wondering once again how this little filly was still sane 'wait, didn't she just-' “Void, didn't you just use 'him' instead of father?”
“When I used 'him' I thought of 'male', not father,” Void answered, looking back at the tub “the imprint is... complicated, it leaves little room for disobedients.”
First Aid thought things over before placing a hoof on the unicorns back “Void, can you... can you tell me the other one, the one he imprinted?”
“...” Void kept staring at the tub.
“Void?” First Aid leaned closer.
“...master,” Void whispered, turning her head to look at First Aid with eyes more dead than alive “for I am a slave.”
First Aid's ears fell and her eyes began to water “oh sweetheart!” she scooped up the frail little filly in her arms and held her tight, wrapping her wings around them as well “I promise- I swear to Faust that I'll never let him hurt you ever again,” she rocked back and forth, nuzzling Void's mane “we'll find your sisters, that monster will be brought to justice and you three will be safe.”
“...have you calmed down now First Aid?” Void asked after a few minutes of being rocked back and forth.
“I, eh, I'm-” First Aid didn't really know what to say 'what is this, your first day? Get a hold of yourself Aid, your patient is more together than you!' her mind shouted at herself “yes, I'm ok now,” First Aid loosened her grip a bit, allowing Void to look up at her better “are you ok sweetheart?”
“I came to terms with the fate the gods gave me a long time ago,” Void said as her gaze fell upon the mirror again “I simply... go on.”
Once again First Aid didn't know what to say about this 'I... lets change the subject, its the best I can do now' she thought as she began loosening her grip more and more “lets get you dry and groomed, ok dear?”
“Yes First Aid” Void answered as she sat down on the towel again, letting First Aid dry her off before picking up the mane brush.
“Any particular way you want your mane done sweetheart?” First Aid asked as she began running the brush through Void's mane.
“... However you see fit this form” Void answered, her eyes closed.
“Alright then” First Aid keeped running the brush through the gray filly's mane, starting to form it a little.
“Stand please” First Aid said, waiting until Void stood on her shaky legs before doing her tail. “There, you can sit again dear” the moment First Aid said so Void's hind legs buckled, her little rump hitting the towel-covered floor with a quiet, muffled thud.
“Void!” First Aid stepped around the gray unicorn, placing a hoof on her cheek “are you ok sweetheart?” she asked a bit worried.
“I am,” Void said, her eyes still closed “standing on all four is... taxing.”
Hearing her say that First Aid's posture relaxed a bit “alright then,” she exchanged the mane brush for the coat brush, moving so that she sat in front of Void “I'm going to do your coat now so you don't have to stand.”
“Yes First Aid” Void said, still keeping her eyes closed.
First Aid began brushing, smoothing Void's coat, all the while the little filly keeped her eyes shut “any particular reason you you've been keeping your eyes closed dear?” First Aid asked after a while, brushing Void's barrel.
“...I suppose I wish to see the difference once I open them again” Void answered.
“Well in that case,” First Aid moved to sit next to Void, lowering her head to the filly's ear “you can open them now” she said in a hushed tone.
Void did so, seeing First Aid and herself in the mirror. Although Void still looked frail she did look better, most of her mane had been brushed back, two bangs split by her horn, there inner edges slightly obscuring the outer edges of her eyes, framing her face.
“So, what do you think?” First Aid asked, running a hoof over Void's back “I'm not a mane-dresser so I don't really know that much about styling, but I hope its good enough.”
Void remained silent, she lifted a hoof to the top of one bang and ran it down along its length before lowering it down on the floor again “...it looks very nice,” she turned to look up at First Aid “thank you.”
First Aid smiled “you're welcome dear,” she said, giving Void a little nuzzle on the head “now then, are you ready to go back to bed?” First Aid asked as she laid down next to the little unicorn “if you're up for it you can talk with Braeburn for a while.”
“I would very much like that” Void answered, taking another look at her reflection.
“Good, just climb up on my back again and we'll go back to your room” First Aid said with another smile.
First Aid waited while Void slowly made her way up on her back, moving her wings to keep her little patient steady “you ready?” she asked, looking back at Void, when she got a nod from her First Aid carefully got up and started making her way back to Void's room.
As they entered the room they saw Cotton Swab putting the finishing touches on the bed.
“Hey yer back, enjoy ya bath sugarcube?” Cotton asked, moving out of the way so First Aid could let Void of on the bed.
“It was... calming,” Void said as First Aid moved her into a comfortable position “thank you.”
“Yer welcome lil' one,” Cotton said with a big smile as First Aid put the monitor-pads on Void as well as prepare her for the IV needle.
“...First Aid,” Void said, making the pegasus halt in her work “what is that?” she asked, looking to the IV.
“Hm? Oh this is an IV drip,” First Aid said motioning to the liquid bag “ IV stands for Intravenous therapy, it is used to let liquid substances, such as blood, medicine, extra vitamins and the like directly into a vein,” she gave Void a smile “the word ‘intravenous’ means ‘within vein’."
“...I see” Void said, looking back down at the needle First Aid was about to use.
“Hey Void, ah got sumethin' for ya,” Cotton said from the other side of the bed, drawing Void's attention, she revealed a juice box.
Void was so focused on the box in Cotton's hoof she didn't even notice needle going into her vein.
“Doc' said since yer little accident before ya was gunna need a re-do, so here's ya go,” Cotton placed the juice box in Void's hooves “and ah'll be bringing ya another serving of soup, it will be smaller tho since we got tha' see if yer tummy agrees with it, if it does yer getting another serving” Cotton finished with a big smile.
Void looked from the box to Cotton, First Aid (who gave her another of her kind smiles) back to the box before lowering her head, her long bangs covering her eyes “...thank you” Void said, her voice a mere whisper.
First Aid ran her wing over Void's back comforting before turning to the other mare “Cotton, could you go tell Braeburn he can come in?”
“Sure” Cotton said, her gaze getting a little dreamy as she walked to the door.
“Oh and Cotton,” First Aid said, drawing the earth pony's attention “when you've done that and given Void her food go clean up the bathroom.”
The dreamy look Cotton had disappeared almost instantly “yes nurse First Aid” she said, leaving the room.
“...Do you dislike Cotton Swab?” Void asked, looking up at First Aid “whenever she seems happy to have something to do with Braeburn Apple you tell her to do something else.”
“Hm? Oh no no sweetheart, I don't dislike Cotton,” First Aid said, shaking her hoof in denial “I like her, she's a very good nurse and a wonderful young mare, but she's letting herself get distracted and I can't allow it while she's at work,” she gave Void a mischievous smile “besides, she's an intern so giving her little jobs like this is good training.”
“...oh” Void lowered her gaze back to the juice box and began sipping in the straw.
First Aid stroked Void's mane with a wing “I need to talk with doctor Bandage for a little while, but I'll be back soon, ok sweetheart?”
Void stopped drinking long enough to give the pegasus mare a 'yes First Aid' before going back to sipping orange juice.
As First Aid left the room she saw Braeburn come trotting up the hallway.
“Howdy First Aid, heard from Cotton ah could come in,” Braeburn said as he came to a stop in front of First Aid “how is she?” he ask in a hushed, slightly worried tone.
“She's okay, all things considered,” First Aid said, giving the stallion a calming smile “you can go in, but keep in mind not to bring up things about what happen to her, Void doesn't need any more reminders about that right now.”
“Yes ma'am” Braeburn gave her a tip of his hat before entering, First Aid saw Void's ears perk up seeing the apple farmer before closing the door.
The moment the door was closed First Aid's composure fell, her wings dropped slightly, ears folded back, tail pulled closer, head hung lower and her eyes got a more haunted look in them.
“Oh Faust,” First Aid whispered with a haggard voice as she brought a hoof up to her mouth “Oh sweet merciful Faust.”
'You need to talk with Happy,' First Aid thought to herself 'you don't get the luxury to have a complete breakdown, not now at least.'
She took a deep breath and pulled herself together as best she could before making her way to doctor Bandage's office.
“-nd these are the readings from last night,” First Aid heard doctor Bandage say as she entered the office “as you see theres- is there something the matter First Aid?” Bandage asked when his head nurse entered.
First Aid sighed as she closed the door behind her “Void told me something about Edaros” she said, making her way to Bandage's desk.
“Hm? what might that be?” Bandage asked while Lone Star pulled out his notepad again.
“He's not there father,” First Aid said as she sat down in a vacant seat “its some form of imprinted command that monster put on them and apparently 'father' is the mildest variant Void can use” her head lowered along with her withers.
Bandage gave Lone Star a sidelong glance, seeing the sheriff take notes before asking the question he had come to dread about this Edaros “um, Aid, what was the severe one?”
“She, she said it was master,” First Aid looked up, revealing her slightly haunted eyes “she said she was a slave.”
Bandage and Lone Star stared in silence, both stallions once again shocked at what had been revealed about Void, after a while Bandage turned to Lone Star “sheriff?”
“If ah didn' have enough ta put him away fer life before ah sure do now,” Lone Star said as she put the notepad back in his hat “ah need ta git back ta the office an' put together a report ta send with tha next train to Canterlot,” 'an' then ah'm going straight home ta hug mah daughter' Lone Star thought to himself “doc, nurse” he tilted his hat to the two medical ponies before leaving.
Once the sheriff had left Bandage turned to First Aid, who had been staring down in her lap since telling them about Void's 'father' “Aid, you okay?” he asked as he placed a hoof on her wither.
“...”
“Aid?” Bandage said again.
“...she asked me if I had calmed down,” First Aid looked up at Bandage, her eyes brimming with tears “Void told me th-that bastard was her master a-and that she was a slave and I-I held her close, telling her she was safe now a-and that we'd find her sisters a-and t-that he w-would never hurt them again,” her tears were falling freely now, her voice haggard “and after a while she asked me if I had c-calmed down Happy, when Void said s-she was a slave her eyes were dead a-and she asked if I had calmed down!”
Bandage slowly pulled First Aid into an embrace “its okay Aid, let it all out” he said, stroking her back as she cried into his neck 'this isn't easy for you Aid now is it, not with lil' Void reminding you?' Bandage mentally sighed 'you've been so strong for her Aid, all I can do now is be the one you cry on.'
~ ~ ~
Braeburn has left now, he needed to get back to the orchard, the fact that he stayed so long to just talk about trivial things either means he wants me to feel better by social support, he does not have that much to do at the orchard, what he does is not important, he is lazy or some combination of the ones, though I doubt Braeburn is lazy and he seems sincere in his concern towards me, though yet again I might be missinterping hi-
I am rambling... and self-narrating, neither is good, the rambling I can most easily deal with... I will deal with the other at a later time.
While Braeburn and I talked Cotton Swab returned with another serving of soup, it was wonderful, but sadly smaller.
I have learned many things by listening to Braeburn, what he talked about might not be important per see, but his expressions while he did are, I now have five individuals speech, body and facial expressions to work out an understanding of.
First Aid came back perhaps an hour after Braeburn had entered and told him I needed to rest some more...
Rest... I fear it, I fear that if I do I will once again return to the emptiness... and the tortures will begin again.
But I know I'll fall asleep eventually, this body is weak and I did not sleep during the night as First Aid told me to do...
First Aid... she had been crying, although she did not show it I can tell... I know the little signs from back when I used to cry... back when I could still cry.
First Aid... I lied to you, I lied to them to not be shunned, no one would help a monster...
The flesh-alter spell is far too slow to affect the soul-binding, it would never have worked...
The fact that that explanation was accepted as truth is... bittersweet, it paints my sisters and I as desperate, drawing their sympathy and gives us one more spider thread to hang on by over the abyss... but I also lied to the first people to show me kindness since... since Pride carried me when I was too injured to walk on my own.
I do not want to lie to them, but I must, after all...
Who would help a being that rips out the souls of others in order to take over their body?
