The Deponian slowly cracked his eyes open, flinching from the pain of the bright light bleeding through his eyelids, “Urgh… what happened?” He moaned, rubbing his head as he shakily rose to his feet.
“You woke the stranger.” Gizmo answer from behind his desk, “The Elysian girl. And then you got knocked out.”
“Goal?” Rufus said still trying to process what was going on. The boy then jumped in shock, whipping around to face Gizmo, when he realized whom the doctor was talking about. “Where is she? H-How is she?” He spattered in an array of confusion and worry.
“She’s still a bit confused.” Gizmo replied bluntly, “I think her implant was seriously damaged by the fall.” Gizmo glanced back at the hallway leading to her room before reasserting his eyes back on Rufus. “She is conscious now, but she’s just talking gibberish.” He added in puzzlement.
“Can I… talk to her?” Rufus asked unsure if Gizmo would allow it after a hard time that he gave the doctor earlier.
“Of course.” He said cheerfully but in a clam manner, “She’s lying in hallway 3, room . I took her into medical custody.” He paused for a moment then spoke. “Just don’t stress her out too much.” He said sternly. “First and for most she needs rest now.”
Rufus shrugged. “No problem.” He said coolly. “Thanks, doctor.” Rufus then quickly left the reception desk and pushed open the double doors that headed into the hallway. As he walked through the white corridors, he thought about all the things the two of them would do together. A day dreamy grin crept out from the corners of his mouth; he let out a small giggle. “I bet she can’t wait to see me.” He chuckled slyly. He smiled blissfully as he reached the end of the hall and put his hand on the doorknob of the room. He started to turn the handle, but a passageway caught the corner of his eye.
“Huh? What’s this?” he gazed in puzzlement at the open threshold next to him. Keeping one hand on the knob, he scratched his head and said quietly, “Was that there before?”
Rufus released his grip from the handle and crept up to the doorway. Peeking his head over the frame of the passage he stared down into the hallway, at the end of it was a lone open door with a single window set on the wall beside it. Rufus looked back at Goal’s room, “I’ll check that place out later. First, I should give a visit to Goal. After all,” He said grabbing the handle again, “It’s rude to keep a lady waiting.”
The Deponian twisted the knob and cracked the door open, “Oh, Goooal~!” he said softly, “It’s me! Your saviour!” The boy pushed open the door to find not Goal, but a large marble room with a massive glowing door labeled, ‘Harmony Vault’.
“Goal?” he spoke softly, glancing about the room in confusion. “Hmm, that’s odd. I could’ve sworn Gizmo told me she was in Room E43.” Where was she? Did she get up and walk away? Is she okay? Had he entered the wrong room? Maybe if he went back to Doctor Gizmo, he could help him find Goal.
Rufus double backed out of the room and head back to the lobby. As he neared the end of the corridor, he noticed something was off about the two doors he had entered the hall by, they looked as if they were painted onto the walls.
There was something written on the window of the left door, but it was too far away to make it out. Walking closer to the doors he read the message scribbled on the door.
+Really?!! What the hell man! How are you making something so simple this difficult!?+
“What the?” Rufus tilted his head in confusing, “Did one of the mental patients gets a hold of the markers again?”
*Slam!!!*
Rufus nearly jumped out of his boots as the sound echoed through the corridor. “H-Hello? G-Goal?” he shuddered as he peeked over his shoulder. His eyes darted from door to door; everything seemed to be in order that was except for one thing.
The door in the hallway next to Goal’s room was closed.
Rufus tip-toed up to the ivory colored door, being extremely cautious as to what might be ahead. When he reached it, he found no handle. Rufus held a hand up to the door and hesitantly knocked, “Hello? Goal? Gizmo? Anyone?” He waited for a response, but nothing happened. “Great…” He grumbled turning away from the door, he looked back at the white door and found another message.
+You can’t. This is the 2340513459th by the way, you lout!+
“W-Wait! Was that there? I… that… What’s going on!?”
Rufus turned back to gazed down the hallway, and found that the layout had changed slightly. The doors to the reception desk were gone. In fact, all of the windows and doors had disappeared, however; Goal’s room and its door were still there.
Having no other option, he reentered Goal’s ward. Looking into it, he found that the room had changed too; it was now a regular ward room with a curtain, a bed, and a small desk. He noticed a small clipboard laying on the miniature table with a note scribbled across it.
+You know what Rufus? I feel bad for yelling at you earlier. Tell you what. Why don’t you get some rest, and I’ll bring you back when I’ve found a better solution. Ok?+
Rufus felt the world swirl around him into a blur of smeared colors. The sight, oddly, wasn’t sickening, if anything it was beautiful and serene, almost hypnotic. The rough adventurer began to feel his eyelids grow heavy. His legs buckled plopping himself face first right onto the infirmary’s bed. And then, almost in an instant, the world went black…
‘I hate to break this to you pal, but to you have to let go…’ a foreign yet somehow familiar voice echoed in the darkness.
A booming crack then snapped around him as the void lit up with a flash like a firework and shaped itself into large dirty orb amidst a starry field. Rufus found himself falling helplessly to the sphere below; the wind whistling past his ears and pressing up against his body, tugging at his coat is it did.
‘Let go.’
The words of the male voice echoed once more in Rufus’s head. Still, he found little choice but to watch the impending ground growing rapidly closer as the voice repeated what it said.
‘Let go… or nothing will thing change…’
There was a loud CRUNCH!!!
Then silence….
So Rufus was ach’n
And thus he was taken
To refuge in a place where he could get some care
In bandage he’ll wallow
Where questions must follow
About the two worlds and how they do fare
Cause when surrounded by ponies!
Claiming his world was just phony!
But in reality it turned out to be true to the end!!
Giving him benefit of the doubt
I mean, he just pass out
Will he befriend them? Well I guess that depends!
(Huzzah!! Guess that depends!!)
Rufus groaned as he lifted his eyelids to an agonizing display of blur and light. His ears were ringing, and every bone in his body was sore. He felt nauseous just from this illful cacophony his senses were producing. As his vision became slightly more tolerable, various blotches of distinct color came through.
“Hey, you alright there pal?” a muffled voice asked, echoing around him as he tried to pin its source. He thought it came from that blue blob hovering in the air over there in the upper left corner.
“Urghh… What happened? Where am I?” the boy moaned as his vision came into full focus.
“Don’t you remember?” The purple pony asked him.
“Remember…? I-I remember trees and Goal-no a ‘thing’ who looked like Goal.” Rufus stuttered, his head was pounding as he was still trying to get a grasp on reality. “GOAL!” He went to get up but the Deponian’s body screamed in protest. “Ouch!”
“Easy now, the doctor said not to stress your body, you’re still badly hurt.” The yellow one said rushing to his side and pushing him gently back down to the pillow.
“But Goal! She’s in the hospital, I have to find her!” Rufus shouted in hysteria, trying to shake off the hooves only to have another batch of pain surge through his body.
“There he goes with that ‘Goal’ pony again...” Applejack said to the rest of the gang.
“Fluttershy, get back behind me.” Twilight said firmly, gesturing her head towards the group positioned at her rear. The shy mare quickly glided over to join the safety of her friends.
The six stood there waiting for the newcomer to settle down. A few minutes past as it just kept muttering to itself about something.
Rainbow Dash bent down to Twilight. The alicorn’s ear twitched as Dash whispered into it, “It’s been three days and he’s still out of it Twilight. Are you sure this guy doesn’t have brain damage or something?”
Twilight gave a small scowl at her friend, and looked back at the bed to find the beast now fully awake and staring her and her friends down. She had to admit the last time she talked to this thing, she was caught up in the heat of the moment, especially when she and the others brought it here after those jarring injuries suddenly appearing all over its body. In hindsight, however; that was probably not the smart nor responsible thing to do at the time. But now, it didn’t matter. The fact was, this thing was here, and it was her duty, as a princess of Equestria, to find out if its intentions were hostile. But first, she need to determine if it was currently capable of harming the ponies of the land.
A moment uncertainty and fear befell Twilight’s mind, but she summoned up her strength and prepared herself for a second chance at first contact.
“Um, E-Excuse me…ah... Rufus, was it?” She said advancing a few inches forward from her previous spot. She was trying to control the quivering of her voice so that ‘Rufus’, as it called itself, wouldn’t think she was afraid of it.
The boy tilted his head and lifted a brow with suspicion as he glared at the young princess before him. “How do you know my name?” Rufus asked slowly and untrusting.
“You told us remember,” Dash replied before Twilight could answer.
“Really?” He responded with a raising of his eyebrow, and a sarcastic sneer.
“Yes, I believe you introduced yourself as the ‘super cool and unbelievably awesome, Rufus’ if I might recall correctly.” Rarity said placing a hoof to her chin and gazing up into space.
“Hmm, that does sound like me.” He mumbled to himself in thought, looking down at to tile briefly. “Okay, so let’s say I did tell you my name. That still doesn’t explain where I am, who you are, or why you’re ponies that can talk.” He said sternly, gazing back at them.
Twilight groaned in her head. Her face formed a scowl as she looked back at the others. She was sure she had made this clear to them. She was supposed to greet ‘Rufus’ first, and then, if she deemed it was safe, they could talk to it.
‘I mean, with all curiosity aside, they should know full well how dangerous this could be if this thing has any magic!’ She thought to herself as she angrily gazed at the five.
After her sneer serving as a silent reminder to the five friends about the plan, the alicorn shook her head and quickly recomposed herself to carry out that task at hoof.
“I was about to get to that.” Twilight replied, taking another trot closer to the thing in the bed, but still keeping a safe distance away so that she could have time to react if it were to attack. “You see, you’re in Ponyville hospital.”
“Ponyville?” Rufus’s eyelids fell halfway, giving a bored yet sly expression as gazed at them. “Yeah, real creative there. Who named you’re town. A two year old girl?” He said chuckling under breath.
Twilight and the rest decided to ignore the creature’s comment figuring that lashing back at it was not the smart thing to do. “I’m not surprised that you don’t remember. You were in pretty bad shape when we took you to the hospital after you passed out in the Everfree Forest.” she continued as she took an additional yet hesitant short step toward Rufus. She kept a friendly smile on as neared the bed. “You’ve been out for twelve days and barely been conscious these last three, you see, when you arrived you were in critical condition.” Rufus looked down lost in thought.
‘Here we go…’ While he wasn’t looking, Twilight quickly lit her horn up and started to search for any potential magic.
Rufus was still confused as to what was going on, the last thing he could remember was that he was looking for Goal in the…. Where was he again? A hospice? Or was it a hot tub? He… he couldn’t remember. Reality then rushed back to him, and Rufus realized that he must’ve been dreaming about finding her. Memories soon following, flooding his head with images of past events. The fall off the high boat, the forest of real living trees, the monster, the castle, the Goal-like pony whom these creatures referred to as Hopeful Spirits. He slowly being to remember it all.
“That’s right. This isn’t Deponia. It’s…” He stop to think of what they called this place. Ponacrodia? No that wasn’t it. Equalterria? Nah. Then the word finally came to him, “This is Equestria!”
“That’s right, Equestria, or, if you’re going by world, Equuis.” The winged unicorn replied with an indifferent nod of her head, finishing the spell and cutting off her magic just seconds before he looked up.
‘Success!’ She shouted joyfully in her head. After determining that he was incapable of using magic of any kind, she preceded on with the plan. “I know that I already told you this, but my name’s Twilight Sparkle,” The mare said, putting a hoof to her chest and directing another soft smile to him. She then turned and held a hoof out to the rest of the group, “and they are-”
“Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and…” Rufus turned to the butter colored pony and tried to recall her name, and much like the name of the place, it came to him. “Fluttershy.” He finished.
“So, you remember our names…” Twilight replied. Rufus gave a faint nod as the pain from his injuries was still gnawing at him every time he moved.
“Sooo,” Rufus said scanning the room. “Where’s Goa-I mean Hope?”
“Hope? She had to go back to Canterlot. She said she wanted to stay with you till you woke up but, her assistant told her they had to go.” Twilight answered, looking back at the group and nodding with a wink.
Rufus let out sigh and took a moment to think calmly to himself. However; that moment was quickly ruined when a mass of pink sprouted up from behind the bed, and hunch over to greet his face. “Hi there! I’m Pinkie Pie! But you already knew that! I’ve been up for the past fifteen days trying to figure out what kind of welcoming party I should throw you! But I couldn’t think anything! I was freaking out saying to myself, ‘Pinkie, this new pony is depending on you to welcome him to your world! So, you better get this right!’ By the way are you a ‘him’? Because that would be really silly if the invitations I handout said ‘come welcome ‘him’’ when actually you’re a ‘her’. Where was I? Oh, yeah! The party! So I was planning your welcome party, but I didn’t know how to do it! I mean, you came from another world!! Right? What if I did something that would be considered a big no-no, back home! So then I got the greatest super-duper-rific idea ever! What if I asked YOU about what kind of parties are back in Deponia! I mean, I already wanted to hear about those parties your world throws, and I need help figuring out what I should do to make your party the besteady bestest party that the best party can be!”
Rufus felt his brain explode half-way through her block of words. “So, then about those parties…” the overly hyper mare replied, vastly slower than her previous speech.
Mustering all the scrapes of reason man had left he spat out, “P-Par…ties?” He was on the verge of having a heart attack as he pressed his head back against the pillow to give him a few inches of breathing room.
“Yeah, your parties! What are they like?” She asked, bending in further with a beaming smile that surpassed even that of Porta Fisco’s therapeutic rope salesman.
“Uh… good… I guess?” he said trying to avoid eye contact with the pink beast.
Pinkie’s face scrunched up and she gave a look of confusion and disappointment. “Good?” she repeated, “Just, good?” Rufus gave an uh-huh as confirmation. “Well that’s odd. I thought ponies as super-duper special as you, would throw parties that are even more super-duper special.” She said leaping from the back of the bed to a spot on the floor next to Twilight. “Oh well,” She shrugged, “I guess ya can’t blame a pony for being different.”
Rufus kept staring blankly at the area Pinkie’s face was just a few minutes ago. 'H-How did she do that?' He asked himself. A word from Twilight snapped him out of his puzzled trance, “So, Rufus… Why don’t you tell us about your world?” She said pulling out her notebook and quill with what Rufus assumed was magic.
“Or how you saved it!” The tomboyish pegasus shouted.
“I’d like to hear about the wildlife and the plants, if you don’t mind.” A soft voice said to as it returned to the right side of the bed.
“Don’t forget about the food!” The cowpony added with a smile.
“I’m for one particularly distraught about the fashion that you have over there. Please don’t tell me that ‘this’ is what is considerable acceptable to ware in public.” The white unicorn said holding out a patched-up version of the Cletus clothes in her magic.
“Girls, girls… Please. You’re smothering me.” Rufus said. The group shot each other odd looks. “I’ll tell you.” The six gathered around him, oddly the purple one being the one to be waaaaay to close to his comfort zone and not the pink.
“It’s… Garbage!” He announced them. The six mares stepped back and gave each other bewildered looks again.
“Garbage?” Twilight repeated back with furrowed brow.
“Uh-huh.” The boy nodded.
“Seriously dear,” Rarity frowned, her violet mane shifted as she tilted her head, “even if the fashion is atrocious there, the world can’t possibly be that bad.” Her eyes fell back onto the folded clothing and she bit her lower lip. “C-Can it?” The mare asked him in a shaken voice.
“It can and it is.” He said bluntly.
Fluttershy flew gracefully over the bed to join the others once more. “Oh my! Why is it so bad there?” she said, hovering inches off the tile and pressing her forelegs against her chest.
“Is it that the tensions of international relations grew way too stressed, thus causing a global war involving highly dangerous weapons of mass destruction to be used against each side, thereby basically destroying all the established governments and turning the world into a barren wasteland full of anarchy in which one must fend for themselves?!”
Rufus and the five others stared silently at Pinkie Pie for a moment. The room’s attention was then directed back to Rufus with the six of them awaiting his answer.
“N…No… that’s not even close…” Rufus finally spoke up. The six ponies let out a sigh of relief in unison. “Deponia’s literally made of garbage.”
“WHAT!!??” The whole room gasped. Twilight nearly dropped her quill and notebook when their guest said that. “T-That’s… That’s… IMPOSSIBLE!!!” She exclaimed as her upper body recoiled in disbelief. “If your world really was made entirely out of trash, then the emissions from the waste would make the air to toxic to breath! Not to mention the effect it would have on the atmosphere and the growth of deadly bacterial and viral diseases!!” She announced aloud, though mostly to herself. “No! ...NO! A world like that is simply uninhabitable!!” Twilight retorted, stamping her hoof down for emphasis.
“You poor thing, how could you ever live in such a place like that?” Fluttershy cooed sympathetically as she softly hugged the man, causing him to slightly flinch in pain.
Twilight pointed a hoof at Fluttershy. “I already told you! He can’t-!”
“He lived in Gar…bage…?” Rarity cut in immediately, eye and ear twitching.
“What?” Twilight asked cocking her head to the side.
“H-He lived in Garbage!” She repeated in shock. Twilight shook her head. “Rarity,” the alicorn said, “he’s lying. There’s no way that’s possible-.”
“Hey! It is too! And we don’t just live in garbage, we make everything from it too.” Rufus exclaimed.
“HE WORE GARBAGE!!!!???” Rarity face was a mix of horror and disbelief. “T-This outfit!! I t-touched it!” Rarity leaped back with a shriek as a thought struck her. “I-I HAD IT IN MY MOUTH!” She screamed in terror, clasping her head with a hoof on each side. The mare squealed some more, her feet scampering up and down in placed as she cried out in terror. Then the unicorn bolted out of the room screeching, “SOAP! I NEED SOAP!!!!” as she ran down the hallways of building.
The six silently kept their eyes fixed on the doorway for a moment, till Dash spoke up, “Great, look what you did!”
“Me!?” Rufus said taking aback by the mare’s accusation, “What did I do?”
“Ya got Rarity all worked up over that fancy shmancy trash suit of yours!” Applejack grumpily replied, waving a hoof toward the door.
“Not you to Applejack.” Twilight murmured, lowering her head and shaking it with a sigh.
“No I didn’t-!” Rufus was cut off by a scream. “OH DEAR CELESTIA IT’S FOLLOWING ME!!!” A voice cried out from the hall, realizing the clothing was still in its magic’s grasp.
The five ponies looked back and glared angrily at him. “Okay,” Rufus said gazing annoyingly up at the ceiling, “So maybe I said something wrong, but how was I supposed to know she was a germaphobe?” He gave a humph and glared back at them. “Besides,” Rufus said coolly, “That outfit wasn’t made from garbage.”
Rainbow Dash hovered up to him. “And you didn’t tell her this why?” she asked emphasizing the ‘WHY’ part with a twist of her hoof.
Twilight stamped, “That’s because his world was never made of garb-”
“Must’ve slipped my mind.” Rufus stated. Rainbow and Applejack all rolled their eyes. Pinkie Pie jumped up, placing herself between him the others. “So, does this mean that I should throw you a party made entirely out of trash!?” She asked, bouncing up and down eagerly.
“OH MY GOSH, IS NO PONY LISTENING TO A WORD I SAY!?” Twilight hollered in rage.
“WHAT? NO! I hate junk!” Rufus gagged in disgust, ignoring the disgruntled mare, “That’s the whole reason I decided to leave Deponia!”
“Oh! Well then I’ll throw you two parties! One for welcoming you to Equuis and another for succeeding in leaving Deponia!” The mare stopped for a moment and rubbed her chin. “What kinda cake you want?” Pinkie asked eyeing the boy and keeping her hoof on her chin.
“I don’t care, as long as it’s awesome and not garbage related. In fact, just make the whole party like that.” Rufus replied bluntly.
“Okie dokie lokie! Rainbow Dash,” She said. The cyan pegasus looked down at her, “I’m gonna need you help for cake picking. Oh, and party planning, if that’s alright with you.”
“Um… Okay?” The pony responded, raising a brow.
The pink one let out a giggle, hopped over to the door, and glanced back, “Well, gotta go! I’ve got lotsa work ahead of me if I’m gonna get your parties ready! See ya later alligators!” and with that the bubbly mare bounced out the room.
“That Pinkie. Always thinkin’ ‘bout her parties.” The cowpony said softly with a smile and a roll of the eyes. “So anyway,” Applejack said trying to get things back on track, “If your world is nothin’ but junk, then what do ya eat?”
“Food.”
“Well, ah, yeah. I knew that, but,” The orange pony replied looking away and rubbing her neck, “I meant what kinda food do ya eat? Like apples. Ya eat apples?”
“Apples?” Rufus whispered to himself in deep thought, “Oh yeah! Apples! Uh, those are those brown things with black mold spots on them, right?” he replied quizzically.
“Seriously Twilight, is it still too late to say that he has brain damage?” Dash whispered to Twilight.
“H-How it tarnation could anypony eat that?!” Applejack uttered in nausea.
“OH COME… ON!!” Everyone finally directed their attention back towards Twilight. Trotting up to the bed, the mare faced back towards the group and stopped her hoof, “Can’t you girls see that he’s lying through his teeth!?” Just then, Rarity came running past the room, “THEY’RE IN MY MANE!! THEY’RE IN MY MANE!!! THEY’RE IN MY MAAANE!!!!!”
Nurse Redheart, who witnessed the whole thing, walked into the room. “Is everything okay in here?” She asked worriedly, “This mad mare just came running out of your room screaming for some soap, and the next thing I knew, she was bolting out of the restroom yelling about something being infested with cockroaches and fleas.”
“OooH, that explains so much!” Rufus said slowly in realization and relief.
Redheart eyed the unusual patient with concern, “Anyways…” See said glancing back at the others, “I just wanted to know if everything’s alright.”
“Everything’s fine nurse Redheart.” Twilight Sparkle assured her.
“Yeah, we were just talking about the big guy’s world.” Dash stated, pointing a hoof in Rufus’s direction.
Redheart smiled and trotted up to them. “Are you now?” She said, “I’m a bit curious myself, never seeing anything like him that is. What kind of world did you say you came from?” She finished with a tilt of her head at Rufus.
“Don’t bother Miss. Redheart.” Twilight said catching the mare’s attention, “He won’t tell us.”
The white earth pony gave a sadden look. “Why not?”
“I don’t know, we asked him and all he said was that his world was made entirely from garbage!”
The nurse pony jumped slightly. “Garbage!” she stuttered. “Bu-But that’s impossible!” The mare replied shaking her head in disbelief.
The alicorn lifted herself in the air. “Finally somepony who believes me!” She shouted in a joyful relief with her hooves held high.
Redheart put a hoof to her chin and thought hard about something. “Though that would explain his test results…” she utter under her breath.
The lavender mare’s wings and head dropped to the ground. “You’ve got to be kidding me…” Twilight let out an ugh and trotted over to a corner of the room.
“Can we see them?” asked Fluttershy staring at the mumbling twicorn in laying in the corner.
“I’m afraid not. Unless your friend here is willing to sign some documents regarding patient confidentiality.” She stated firmly but not harshly.
“Oh, well forget that! I can barely move as it is!” The Deponian scoffed.
“Yeah, but fillin’ out some paper wouldn’t harm ya.” Applejack said casually.
“But, how do I know she’s not some con-artist trying to steal my identity?” He sneered accusingly at the nurse. Redheart stared awkwardly off into space, as the three, excluding twilight, gazed at her perplexedly.
“Oh, for crying out loud!” Twilight shouted, grabbing the attention of the room yet again. The mare got up from her spot in the corner and walked up to the nurse, “Nurse Redheart, as princess, I request this pony’s medical documents.” She said stretching her wings out like Celestia would.
Redheart gave a bow, “Yes, of course your highness. I’ll get Doctor Stable to bring you them at once.” She said. The nurse pony then got up and stepped out of the room to fetch the doctor.
“Ehehehe, Let’s see how your little lies hold up against medical proof.” She said sinisterly, rubbing her front hooves together.
“Hey, didn’t know you were a princess!” Rufus exclaimed excitedly. “So? Where’s your castle?” He asked eagerly.
“I live in a tree.” She said bluntly.
“…….Wow, you are the worst princess I’ve ever met.” He replied.
“Hey!” Her three friends shouted.
“No, no.” Twilight said nonchalantly, “He’s right. That is pretty pathetic.”
Just then Doctor Stable and nurse Redheart came in. “You wanted to see these Princess Sparkle?” the goldenrod unicorn said as he offered the folder to her. Twilight gratefully took the medical file out of his hold.
“Yes, thank you Doctor.” Twilight said with a nod as she cracked open the folder. “Now let’s see,” she smirked, flipping through the papers. “Blood poisoning?” The mare said oddly, scrunching her nose up.
“Eh, yes.” Stable replied pushing his glasses up, “When he arrived he had a very severe case of it, possibly the worst I’ve ever seen.”
“So did you treat it?” Fluttershy asked hovering up the stallion with concern.
Stable nodded, “Yes, we’ve treated all his ailments, and I’m proud to say he now has a clean bill of health.” He let out a chuckle, “Though I have to tell you, this hospital never had a patient with so many medical problems before. It was amazing that he could even be alive!”
“Well, that just goes to show how amazing I am!” Rufus smirked proudly.
“Ya can say that again.” Applejack nodded with a smile. Rainbow Dash then flew down next to Rufus, leaned in, and held a hoof up to his ear.
“So, you’ve got to tell me, how did you save Deponia?” She whispered with an excited smile. Rufus grinned, “Patience… a good story must be told at the right time my feathered friend.” he whispered back into Dash’s ear.
“Speaking of Bill…” Applejack said, “How much is this here checkup gonna cost?”
“Well uh...” Stable shifted his eyes around the room nervously as he pulled the medical bill out.
Twilight took the bill. “Applejack, I’m sure whatever it is I can pay for it, and if not, the princess would gladlyHOOLLLY COOOW!!!!” She screamed in hysteria upon looking at the bill. The three others crowded around her letting out a gasp as their eye fell on to the total.
“Wow… that’s a LOT of zeros” Dash deadpan.
“That there’s worth more than Carrot Top’s an’ mah family’s farm combined!” The orange pony stuttered.
“T-There’s no way Princess Celestia will pay for this!!” Twilight’s eye twitched, “At least not without meeting him first!” all of the guests looked back at the room’s patient.
“What?” he ask blankly. The lavender mare rushed up to him.
“Rufus, you have no insurance, no assets, and no money. You can’t be discharged, unless your bill is paid.” She said levitating the receipt in front of him.
“So? Pay it then.” The boy replied.
Twilight bit her lip. With a look of distress and uncertainty written across her face, she replied, “Well that the thing, the only pony who can, is the Princess.”
“You’re the Princess right? So, I fail to see the problem here.” Rufus responded vexingly.
The alicorn shook her head, placing he forehooves onto a vacant spot of the bed as she calmly spoke, “No, I’m a princess in training, I was just promoted not too long ago. I’ve barely have a year under my saddle.” Rufus raised a brow and stared at her with both boredom and uncaring indifference. “I can request for your medical records, but other than that, the most I can do is write a formal letter protesting the hospital’s refusal to discharge.”
“So… I’m stuck here. That’s what’s you’re saying.”
“’fraid so sugarcube.” Applejack frowned. The deponian let out an irritated sigh as he slunk down into his bed.
“That is unless, you meet the Princess.” Twilight added. Rufus glanced over at the twicorn with a tentative gaze.
“You mean the princess that’s not you, but some other princess whose higher up, right?” all of the ponies nodded.
“That’s right, the highest authority in the land, Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria.” Twilight Sparkle replied pertinently and respectfully.
“Really?” Rufus gasped.
“Um, co-ruler actually, her sister and her rule the land together.” The mare added with a weak grin tugging at the corners of her lips.
“Wow, Princess Celestia the ruler of Equestria, huh? Sounds kinda catchy.” He stated. Rufus then felt the wait of the words sink in. He had never met a ruler before.
“Yes, I suppose it is.” Twilight said glancing down at the bed sheets her hooves rested on. “But more importantly, you’re going to have to be on your best behavior for her if you’re even going to have horseshoe’s hope of paying this bill off. She may be nice to all of us ponies, but I don’t know how she’ll be around you.” The mare redirected her eyes to the Deponian. “So, pleeease.” She said leaning in, “Will you be good for her?”
“Don’t worry about it Sparky.” Rufus smiled, “I’ll be a perfect gentleman for your queen.”
“Princess.” Twilight corrected.
"Whatever."
Twilight sighed as she plopped backwards and returned her hooves to the floor. Turning to the others she said, “I think we’re done here for today. Doctor if you’ll be so kind as to duplicate the records of Mr. Rufus for me. Then I and my friends will be on our way.”
“Certainly Princess.” He and started out the door when Twilight stopped him.
“Oh, and Doctor.” The unicorn glanced back at her with a puzzled look.
“Yes Princess?” he asked.
“I prefer Miss. Sparkle if you don’t mind.”
Stable gave a chuckle. “Of course, my apologies Miss. Sparkle.” He replied with a weak smile as he left the room.
“Come on girls, we’d better let Rufus rest, we all have a big day coming up.” Twilight said.
“Oh come on Twilight!” Dash begged. “I still haven’t heard how he saved his world yet!’
“Or what kind of wildlife and plant life he has there.” The timed pony replied. She turned her head toward the man and asked, “You do have those right?”
“Yep! Sure do!” Rufus answered happily. The yellow pegasus smiled softly back at him. He loved the attention. The fact that some of them wished to stay to here and hear about him, his awe-inspiring feats, and the wonders he saw filled his pride beyond compare. It had made him almost forget about Goal. How was she doing anyway? Oh well, guess it doesn’t matter. Cletus was perfectly capable of keeping her happy; he was practically the closest thing Rufus had to a brother after all, albeit being a pessimistic snob. The purple pony’s voice broke the boy’s train of thought. “Come on girls, let’s go.” The Dash gave groan as the four departed the room with the nurse. Redheart closed the door.
Then the room went silent…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Twilight exited the building with the medical documents and her friends, they friends noticed the sun was setting. It was obviously far past visiting hours. The mare wondered why they let her and her friends stay for so long though she already knew the reason. She let out a sigh as the four of them took off toward Ponyville.
“It’s sad isn’t it?” Fluttershy utter softly as they walked down dirt path.
Applejack looked back at the timed pony as they continued down the road. “What’s that sugarcube?”
“I was just saying how sad it is that he came from a world of garbage.” She said following her friends closely behind. Twilight stopped in her tracks and pointed a hoof at Fluttershy.
“Fluttershy!” She said harshly, the tone of her voice made the mare shrink back into her mane, “How many times do I have to say this, a world made entirely out of garbage is impossible!!” Twilight stamped.
“Is that really so far-fetch there sugarcube?” Applejack questioned her friend.
“Yes!! Yes it is!!” Twilight scoffed.
“Then what about his smell?” Dash defended.
“Or how dirty he was?” Fluttershy added.
Twilight shook her head in defiance. “So? He was running about in the forest! You get dirty doing that. As for the smell, that just means he doesn’t have good hygiene. That’s what happens when you don’t shower; you end up smelling like waste buckets.”
“Hey, that’s not very nice!” a pink pony shouted, popping out from a nearby bush with a basket of berries hanging from her head.
“Ah, Pinkie. I think she’s comperin’ him ta the garbage pony.” Applejack said to the pink mare.
“Oh! In that case! Never mind!” The mare replied hopping out of the bush and down the path ahead of them; the basket bouncing and swaying from the hook of her mane as she faded out of view.
“Anyways,” Dash said rolling her eyes at the wild Pinkie encounter, “If he wasn’t from a junk world Twilight, then how do you explain that bug infested suit Rarity was flipping out about?”
“Simple, he doesn’t wash his clothes.” Twilight said plainly.
“What ‘bout his health? Ya don’t just get all that sickness from not washin’ your coat, ya know? Ya gotta be livin’ in a gutter for that ta happen Twi.” The orange pony stated.
Twilight’s eyes widened. Her friend was right. Sparkle quickly pulled out the documents from her saddlebags and started to rummaged through them: Tetanus, Herpes, ulcers and toxins of various kinds, liver poisoning, blood poisoning, not to mention the bone, skin, and several other cancers both known and unknown that were successfully purged from his body. Twilight bit her lip as she read through the first couple of pages briefly, realizing that these were just the tip of the iceberg.
“O-Okay,” She said looking up from the file, “I will admit that some of the stuff here is a tad excessive for a pony of bad habits.” She glanced back down at the records. Her eyes fell upon the list of contents found in his stomach fluid when it had been pumped: sludge, shrapnel, rust, an undigested piece of what was believed to be a plastic bag, and so on. “Oh, who am I kidding?” Twilight sighed in defeat, “His health record is way too terrible!! Even for a pony with no hygiene!” She put away the documents and looked up at the three ponies, “Still that doesn’t explain how he could survive a place like that.” She added.
The farm pony shook her head. “I don’t know Twi, He was tough enough ta survive his surgery.” Applejack replied in a ponderous manner.
“Yeah Twilight, the doctors didn’t have the right blood. Remember?” Dash stated as she swooped up to the alicorn.
“That’s right! They had ta make some.” The orange added.
“Remember when he was first checked in? Doctor Stable said that he wasn’t going to make it. But we just came back from talking to him.” The butter pony softly pointed out.
"If he could survive through that, then couldn't he be tough enough to live in garbage?" Dash finished.
“But that has nothing to do with surviving a land of garbage.” The princess replied, "A simple toxin could easy kill any creature regardless how strong they may seem."
Silence befell the group. A couple seconds passed before somepony spoke up. “It’s getting late…” Applejack said gazing at the glowing orb nearly touching the horizon.
“Oh, my gosh! Your right!” Dash said looking at Ponyville clock tower, “I better get going! I’ve got early weather duty tomorrow, and ten seconds or not, Mayor Mare’s gonna chew my hoof off if I’m late to the job again. Sorry, got to go! See Ya!” Rainbow Dash zipped off towards her house eager to get to bed.
“Well, Twi,” Applejack said softly, “I don’t know if he’s tellin’ the truth or not. But the one thing I do know is that that kinda health ain’t natural, and bein' able ta live with that an' all is even less natural. Ya should think ‘bout that before accusin’ him of lyin’ ta ya.” The cowpony waved a hoof over at Fluttershy, “Come on Fluttershy; I’ll walk ya home.”
“Oh, thank you Applejack.” The yellow mare looked back at Twilight, “Good night Twilight.” She said as she fluttered off with her orange friend, leaving Twilight all alone.
The young princess stood there for a minute with nothing but her thoughts to talk to. She was sure that he had been lying to them, even with the recent ailments that were discovered in his body. Then again… she had been wrong before; a particular incident involving a twitching pink tale was one that she had not forgotten either because of how ludicrous it all was or how painful it had been to experience.
Twilight stared down at her notebook. She found it was full even though she never recalled writing a word. It appeared that she had subconsciously written everything down about Deponia. The words of Doctor Stable echoed in her head after she thought about what Applejack just said.
'It was amazing that he could even be alive...'
The alicorn pulled out the file again and skimmed it over. At first glance, nothing of worth was suitable for challenging her view. However, her attention was then caught by a particular set of details found in the footnotes of the documents.
According to what they said, Rufus seemed to exhibit a potentially extreme immunity to bacterial, viral, and fungal based pathogens. To add to that he was also highly resistant to toxins. Twilight stared at the notes of Rufus’s file for a while, thinking to herself.
“A world of garbage, huh?” She whispered quietly to herself. Looking up from the folder and out at the sunset she uttered, “Perhaps that’s not so far-fetch after all.”