//------------------------------// // Exploring // Story: HMHS The Hospital Ship of Mystery // by Northguard //------------------------------// The four mares walked through the deserted corridors of the ship. The only sounds that could be heard was the sounds of their hooves against the floor and the faint sound of the engine running. Most of the doors they attempted to open were locked and Twilight couldn’t unlock them with her magic either. Although their attempt to open almost every door they came across didn't go to waste as one door was unlocked and it gently slid open to reveal what looked like a room for the wounded. Like every other room on the ship it was empty, but when Twilight entered the room a strange feeling washed over her. She felt a sudden temperature drop and got the feeling like something had phased through her, although her only reaction was to give a shiver. "Did it suddenly get cold here?" Twilight asked while rubbing her arms. The three other mares looked at each other but gave a shrug while shaking their heads. "I don't feel cold. I feel pretty good actually. What, isn't Flash here to warm you up?" Pinkie said with a mischievous grin. Twilight froze in place as her face turned bright red and her wings stood straight like planks. "Pinkie! That was not an appropriate joke to make right now!" Rarity scolded. "Yeah, you're right. Now the writer may have to add a 'sex tag' to this story. Just because I made that joke." Pinkie said while her smile remained. The rest of the group looked at each other with confused look but shrugged it off as Pinkie being Pinkie. "How's yer wing feelin'?" Applejack asked as she sat beside Rainbow Dash. "Other than the stinging and a few cramps it feels okay." Rainbow Dash answered as she tried to sit up. "Woah there sugarcube. You need to rest." Applejack protested as she gently pushed Rainbow Dash's chest to make her lie down again, but Rainbow Dash was stubborn mare and when she set her mind on something nothing would stop her. "I can't just lie here while the others explore!" Rainbow Dash said as she pushed Applejack's hand away, forced herself up into a seated position and climbed out of bed. "RD wait!" Applejack said as she grabbed Rainbow's arm. "What is it AJ?" Rainbow Dash asked. "If I can't stop you from going, then I'm coming with you." Applejack said as she stood up from the chair, she sat in. Rainbow Dash gave a slight smile as the two left the room. Meanwhile somewhere else on the ship Twilight had broken off from the group and she walked through the corridors alone. The silence made her feel uncomfortable and she couldn't help but feel like something was watching her. All doors she had attempted to open were locked and when Just as she was about to turn around to go back to the group, she heard a low metallic groan coming from behind her. Turning around she saw that a door at the end of the hall had partially opened. She walked down the hall and poked her head through the door to see a luxurious looking hall with a grand staircase leading to the next floor. "Wow, I didn't know that hospital ships would ever have this level of luxury." she said as she looked around. Looking up she saw a beautifully decorated glass roof that let in the sunlight. She began to climb the grand staircase as she continued to look around. Upon reaching the reaching the top she saw a clock on the wall that was embedded into the wooden wall that was carved with two human looking figures "holding" it. The place was so beautifully made that Twilight forgot for a second that she was on a hospital ship. A few minutes later she descended the stairs and made her way to the door she came from, but it was locked. "What the-" Twilight said as she pulled at the handle. "Excuse me, miss?" a voice suddenly sounded behind her. Twilight whipped around to see the still empty room, without any trace of where the voice came from. "Who's there?!" she shouted into the empty room, but no answer came. Suddenly a sharp pain cut through her head, causing her to fall into a seated position while clutching her head. Voices rang through her ears as she began sweating profusely. "The ship must have a captain." After that sentence was registered by Twilight's brain, the voices stopped. Rainbow Dash and Applejack walked through hallway after hallway with nothing interesting to look at. All doors they attempted to open were either locked or barricaded from inside. After what felt like hours, they came to a door that opened to reveal the stern of the ship. Nothing caught their eyes as they walked up a staircase to an open deck with benches lining up in two rows. "Ah think we should take a break Rainbow. Ya still need to rest." Applejack said as she motioned towards a bench. "Aw, come on! I don't want to-" Rainbow cut herself off as a feeling of sleepiness overcame her. "Okay, fine." she said as she and Applejack sat down on one of the many benches there. "Rest." Not long after Rainbow had taken a seat, she was fast asleep with her head resting on Applejack's lap. "Oh Rainbow." was all Applejack could say to the sleeping mare as she looked up at the blue cloudless sky.