Hangfire let out a yell to Chryse, before diving, following Hazy as he tried to reach Blue before he slammed into the ground. The clouds were bursting with electricity, but that wasn’t right! It was supposed to be a snow storm! She stayed well away from the front as she caught up with the big orange stallion, both of them in a steep dive before they managed to snag Blue by the hind legs, yanking up and flapping their wings with everything they had; stopping just short of the ground, letting poor Blue settle into the wet grass.
Blue was burned badly, his whole side crisped with a smell of burnt flesh that hit their nostrils. Hazy was gently patting his cheek, trying to get him to wake up, it appeared he was breathing, but very shallowly. They needed help.
Hangfire shot into the sky, seeing Chryse and Cornflower looking around for them, in a yelled conversation, she told them they needed Search and Rescue now! Cornflower following her back down as Chryse took off at top speed for the emergency shack.
The pretty blue mare squeaked in horror, seeing poor Blue’s wingfeathers half gone, his side a ruin. Hangfire could do nothing, except try and keep him comfortable with Hazy till the S&R ponies got there. Cornflowers’ eyes tearing up as she saw her friend hurt so badly, not able to say much except stroke along his burnt wings, trying along with the rest to keep him with them.
Chryse came screaming out of the sky in a slam-landing, all four hooves hitting ground at the same time, taking the shock equally. She was followed by the emergency squad, a medic grabbing for a bag as he set down next to Blue, checking him over, the others getting him ready to be hauled to the hospital ASAP.
A unicorn medic teleported in, put a painkiller spell on him, stopping the groaning that was coming now as he woke up. His breath panted from his nostrils as he still tried not to scream out loud. Blue’s eyelids cracked open, his eyes rolling in their sockets as he tried to get his bearings. Hazy was right by his side, shushing him quietly, holding his hoof in both of his as he tried to reassure his partner.
The medical crew wrapped up as best they could, shunting an IV into the large neck vein , lifting him carefully into the flying stretcher, designed to haul patients by four pegasi, fast and quick. Rolling him flat, they strapped him in and shot into the sky as fast as they could, followed by Hazy. The unicorn blinked back to the med shack in case of any more emergencies, contacting the hospital by spell to inform them of a casualty.
Cornflower had a hoof in her mouth, tears in her eyes as she watched her friend being taken off to hospital. Chryse hugged her warmly, Hangfire could only sit and watch, wondering what in the hay had happened? What in Celestias’ warm sun...had happened?
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“Whoa whoa whoa, you’re blaming US for this?” Hangfire and Chryse looked at the fat pegasus in shock, “The hay do you mean ‘it was our fault!’?”
“Well you buncha idiots were doing the storm line, who else coulda caused the backlash?” He eyed Hangfire for a moment, “And we all know YOU have a problem with lightning usage, so maybe you tried a little test and got someone hurt?”
Chryse grabbed Hangfire’s arm before she could slug the fat jerk, he laughed, seeing the struggle and ignoring it completely. “What? Didn’t tell your fillyfooler friends you got a problem huh?” He gave them another malicious laugh, “Well I’m sure there will be an investigation. ‘Course, we can always see that you mares get cleared ya know? Maybe spend a little time with a certain manager?”
They knew exactly what he meant, Chryse gagged, “Ugh, you’re disgusting, we’ll take the investigation!” She kept a hold of ‘Fire, dragging her away with Cornflower trailing. The voice of their boss in their ears as they slammed out of the shack.
“Offers always open! Sure you’d like a REAL stallion!” The laughter followed them into the night like a rope around their necks.
“Chryse, let go, let’s go to my place, then we’ll get to the hospital, Hazy must be frantic.” Chryse let her arm go as the three stretched their wings, heading for Ponyville and Hangfire’s house. After dropping off their gear they streaked over to the hospital, finding Hazy had turned into a wreck in the waiting room.
The big orange stallion was close to panic as he waited for word of his partner, Blue was the closest he had to family and he couldn’t stand the waiting, the nurses had gently ushered him out of the room with promises to let him know.
Chryse, ‘Flower and ‘Fire grabbed him in a hug as they rushed into the waiting room, setting him down and getting him a bit calmer, before he trashed the whole place.
Cornflower whispered something in his ear, he nodded, “They...said to sit...and wait.. I...I...don’t know...what..to....do.”
Hangfire wing-hugged him gently, “It’s alright, that crew got there fast, they were good Hazy, he’ll be okay. He’s got to be, Blue’s a strong pony, he’ll make it.”
Hazy could do nothing but nod, his tears rolling down the orange cheeks to splash on the floor. “His...wing was...getting....alot stronger....too! He...was so...happy! He was...born...that...way....you know..”
Chryse nodded, “We know Hazy, we’re the flying misfits.” She got a chuckle out of the big stallion, “He told us all about it.”
The big stallion just nodded and sat there, twisting his hooves in front of him.
Cornflower leaned against him, whispering in his ear, giving him a warm hug as they all sat there waiting for the doctor.
Who finally came in an hour later, after everyone else were nervous wrecks.
“Anyone here named Hazy?” He got a nod and points from everyone, coming over to speak quietly with the group.
“He’ll be fine, he took a bad hit, more than ponies are supposed to. We managed to save his wing, he won’t be flying for a few months, but he should recover with work and physical therapy. You’ve got a comfortable place for him at home? Where he can work it out?”
Hangfire spoke up, “He’ll be staying with me, got a big house, Hazy and all of us will take care of him.”
The doctor nodded, “He’ll need time, but he should be okay, he’s very very lucky. I’m sorry you can’t see him right now, we’ve got him knocked out till the repairs take. Magic can only do so much, then it’s up to the body itself.”
They all nodded and thanked the doctor, grabbing Hazy and almost dragging him out as he protested. They reminded him he needed sleep and something to eat, starving himself over this wouldn’t do him or Blue any good. He just nodded and went home with them, Hangfire and Cornflower put him to bed, letting him rest with some hot tea, while they gathered in the kitchen.
Hangfire made some coffee as they sat there, thinking about Blue when it hit her, “Hey, I saw someone in the cloud front just before the lightning hit.”
Chryse raised an eyebrow, “You sure about that?”
“Positive, I thought it might’ve been a mirage, but now, I’m not so sure.”
Chryse’s face got an angry look, “Why do I think that jerk Manager had something to do with this?”
Cornflower nodded silently as Hangfire added, “You know, I could swear he was getting his laughs about Blue getting hurt, I really could. This is too much, why would anyone want to hurt poor Blue?”
Chryse stared into her cup, “Cause he’s a ‘puller’.
“Pardon me?”
“It’s a vulgar term used by ponies who don’t like stallions who like other stallions, it means..”
“I got it, that’s gross.”
“That’s what Hazy and Blue put up with, and I’ve heard that Manager use the term in passing sometimes, took me a while to get the nerve to ask Hazy ‘bout it. He was fine telling me, but that fat plot used it not a few times referring to them.”
Hangfire couldn’t believe this, it was Ponyville! Known throughout the land for acceptance and the great ponies here!
Chryse saw her face and nodded, “There’s always a few bad apples ‘Fire, you know that. The roster on the wall before we left? It also appears we’re getting another of Fast Lane’s friends on the crew, one I’ve never seen before, but he’s got Blue’s slot till he gets better.”
“You know Chryse, I didn’t even know we had a night crew till I was put on it. Now, ponies are on it that have nothing to do with the weather, Blue gets hurt, and there’s an immediate replacement? We need to get into that managers office and find out what’s going on.”
Cornflower squeaked a bit, nodding, she’d gotten into the habit when she wanted attention but didn’t want to talk, she looked slyly at Hangfire and Chrysanthemum, pulling out from her bags a ring of strange tools, looking like little hooks..
“CORNFLOWER! Where did you get those!” Chryse was stunned, her little sister? Lockpicks!
Poor Cornflower blushed under her deep blue coat, leaning in and having a whispered conversation with her sister, Hangfire leaned in trying to hear as well..” I remember that..yeah.. You WHAT? With WHO? Did you put it BACK?” Cornflower nodded and kept going. “Wait wait, is that why.. “ Cornflower nodded again, “So you’re saying.....” Much more whispering, then it stopped, Chryse was looking pole-axed as she turned to her sister, giving her the 'You are in SO much trouble’ look, “We’re going to have a long, long talk sister mine..”
Cornflower gave another sorrowful squeak, before smiling again, lifting the ring of tools up. Hangfire leaned over and hoofbumped her, sticking her tongue out at Chryse, “She’s got skills.”
Chryse facehoofed, sighing a bit, “Well thanks to the career criminal sister of mine, we have a way.” She looked at them both, “Now, here’s what we do....”