Chapter Eight: Reuniting
Come on Twilight! You can do this girl..
By: BroSteve (Steven Rodriquez)
The rancid smell of burnt flesh and hair hung heavily throughout the small hospital room. The orange light from the burning wooden door flickered brightly, stirring Twilight from her unconscious state. Twilight rose, shakily from the cold tiled floors to see the charred remains of the splicer pony that had tried so desperately to kill her. The sight made her cringe.. then feel sick to her stomach.
I did that.. I mean.. I needed too.. right..?
As she was starting to adjust to the smell, and regain her composure she suddenly remembered. Iron! She thought as she immediately began to panic again, her chest feeling heavy. Horrible images of her previous nightmare replaying in her head as she held the dying stallion in her hooves. She shook off the thought and quickly bucked the charred corpse out of the way, sending it and the still flaming door out into the hallway. She was grateful for the small amount of light that emanated from it. She quickly began to race down the hallway haphazardly. In her frantic state she tripped over the shredded body of another pony, or at least she thought it was. She landed flat on her face as she winced at the pain. She tried her best to hold back the tears, surprised she had any left in her.
Come on Twilight! You can do this girl.. we need to get to Iron! Keep it together!
A look of determination grew on her face as she rose again. She shook herself off and darted down the hallway, following it as the path veered left. Once around the corner she saw a glowing neon sign that simply stated 'Intensive Care Unit.' She felt a chill run down her spine as she realized the air grow colder and the fires light not reaching. The only light was the glow of the florescence down the hall. She quickly gathered her courage and began to slowly move toward the ICU.
As she approached the large glass doors, riddled with spiderweb cracks, they opened automatically. She stepped inside the nearly pitch black room only to have another spotlight spring to life and shine down upon her. A security door quickly fell from behind her, locking her in.
Pop! Bzzt!
"The GRRREAT Dok iz heeRREEEEE!" Doctor Skitz menacing tone played over the speaker once more followed by stiffled laughter. "The EYE SEE YOU hmmm purple MARE?! I MAY HAVE TO COME DOWN AND.. AND.. VISIT!" his words were followed by wild cackling as the speakers abruptly cut off. Twilight gritted her teeth as the lights turned on in the ICU.
Iron stood confused at the bottom of the staircase then turned his attention back to the task at hand, finding Twilight. He raced up the decrepit steps and swung open the door in front of him revealing a dimly lit cafeteria. The P.O.N.Y now strapped to his forehoof beeped slightly as two red dots appeared. No sooner the ear piercing scream they had become so accustomed to ripped through the still air as two splicer ponies quickly turned to face him. Iron wasted no time pulling out his pistol and firing about four shots toward the two splicers, two bullets connected with the splicer to the right, quickly tearing part of his head off as he dropped lifelessly. The other two missed their target and the metal twang echoed through the cafeteria as they collided with a metal table. The splicer leaped forward raising it's clawed hoof and slashing at Iron's face. Luckily he easily avoided, turned and gave a nice hard kick to the splicers side, cracking it's ribs and sending him flying. It screeched as it lay on the ground in pain before another gunshot rung out through the air silencing him.
"God damn splicers.."
He quickly made his way out of the rundown eating area and into another hallway, coincidentally down the hallway was a glowing neon sign with the words "Intensive Care Unit' humming over a glass door.
Pop! Bzzt!
It was then he heard Skitz speak over the intercom and address the purple mare he had been looking for. Suddenly his ears perked up and he immediately rushed toward the glass door. He quickly kicked through and jumped just as soon as the metal door slammed shut behind him, just missing the earth pony. His jump lead him directly into a puddle of cold, sticky blood. The feeling of it matting against his coat made him sick. He got up quickly, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling and shouted out to Twilight.
"Twilight!!"
The purple mares head spun around as he heard Iron's voice call out. "Iron!" She quickly turned tail and ran in the direction she heard him. Finally the two came back into view as they lept into each others hooves and held on tightly. They didn't even speak, only sharing their embrace happily. Twilight nuzzles herself into Iron's chest as she heard his heartbeat. The rhythmic thumping of his heart calmed her and almost made her forget the Celestia forsaken place she ended up in. After their embrace they looked at each other as their cheeks flushed and both of the ponies smiled to one another.