//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Survivor // by Nightcall //------------------------------// "I wonder what's-" Twilight was cut off by the door opening. Rainbow Dash, Bill and Applejack walked into the hospital room. "Hello, Bill." Fluttershy said meekly as the man went to his seat in the corner. "How's yer wing? They give ya an update when their gonna check on it?" "Yeah, Nurse Redheart came in here and said the doctor will be here in a moment. She said he was tending... a sick patient." Ah hell, please god, not here... Pleases... Bill's mind was filled with fear for this town. If the doctor was tending to someone with the Green Flu, he would have to get his rifle that he stashed at Fluttershy's cottage. "Well, it's probably nothing..." Bill said, all while Rainbow Dash and Applejack were glancing at Bill with concern. "Since that's out of the way... DoyoumindifIthrowyoua'WelcomToPonyville/ThanksForSavingFluttershyParty? OkayBYE!" Pinkie Pie zipped out of the room faster than the eye can see. "...What kind of drugs does she do?" Bill asked while staring at the visible cloud of dust she made as Pinkie left. "We'll never know, darling. Oh, and I must say, your military uniform looks rather... worn." Rarity began. "Of course, it looks good on you, but would you rather get out of them?" "Yeah, that'd be great; have a clothes store in mind?" "Nope. I will make them for you. I'm a tailor." Rarity said while getting up from her seat in the middle of the room. "Ah, well while we wait for the kid to recover, perhaps you could take measurements at your shop." "Yes, that would be a great time killer. Come, let's go, darling." Bill and Rarity stood outside of Carousel Boutique, Rarity's place of work as well as her home. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique! Where everything Chic, Unique, and Magnifique!" Rarity said as they entered the main room. Well, this should be interesting... Bill thought as he and Rarity went to the measuring room. "So, are you going to tell us?" Twilight asked Rainbow and Applejack. The two mares in question looked at each other before Applejack spoke. "Hon, what yer 'bout ta hear might be a bit... disturbin'" "Yeah, and it might sound far fetched, but he was telling the truth..." Dash added as they prepped themselves to tell Twilight. They first told Twilight about Fairfield, about how Bill was from there, then onto the 'Vietnam' war, about how he was on the Special Forces, the Green Berets. Rainbow told Twi about how he served two tours and got a knee full of shrapnel. Then Applejack finished with how Bill was finally getting his knee checked out and his first encounter with a woman infected with the Green Flu, and how he set out to combat the infected. Twilight took the information in; if Rainbow had told the story, Twilight would have thought it was, pardon her language, a crock of shit. But hearing it from Applejack as well was... troubling. ...A virus? That turns them into... into... Twilight lost her words. And Fluttershy, who was listening in on the conversation, was terrified at what she had heard. He fought in a war? He was injured? There was real-life zombies where he was from? Fluttershy felt a wave of emotion come over her. She felt sorry for Bill, for the people he must've lost to the 'Green Flu'. "Well... I guess I'll ask some more later... Well, thanks girls. I gotta head back to the library to check on Spike. See you later." Twilight said as she walked towards the door and out of the room. "... I'm gonna see where Pinkie's at." Dash also left the hospital room. Applejack ran her fingers through Fluttershy's hair and muzzled her. "I'll stay here a while 'til the doc comes in, 'Shy." "O-okay." The two sat quietly in the hospital room, silent from Bill's tragic past before his arrival. Rainbow Dash had just arrived at Sugarcube Corner, and she just entered the sweets shop. "Hi, Mrs. Cake. Where's Pinkie?" "Oh, she went to that DJs house, ah what's her name? Oh! Vinyl Scratch's. It looks like she is setting up a party of sorts." "Okay, thanks." Rainbow walked to the door and made her way to Vinyl's house. Meanwhile... "...and after that, I never saw much a' my dad." Bill finished as he left the fitting room with his new clothes. Instead of his uniform, he wore a plain white long-sleeved button-up shirt with black pants and his boots. He also took a shower. Also, his signature beret sat on top of his head, showing the world his pride of being a former Green Beret. "Well, that's sad. Well, I'll save your uniform, and I'll make a few more sets of clothes for you, Mr. Overbeck." Rarity then approached Bill and shook his hand. "It was a pleasure helping you out. I will see you later, darling." "Thanks, kid. See you 'round." Bill walked out of the boutique and made his way back to the hospital. As he walked down the main street, he was greeted by many of the folks in town. Bill either waved or said 'Hello' and others nodded to him in greeting. Only a small few were wary, but otherwise friendly. "Bill!" Bill looked behind him and saw Fluttershy walking with Applejack. Bill approached the girls. "They let you out?" "Yup. They checked her wing for infection and gave her a bit more blood, and she was cleared." "Doctor X-ray said to keep things slow and don't try to fly for a bit." Fluttershy timidly added as she stood between Bill and Applejack. "Where ya headed?" "Twilights. She texted to look for you for something." "Oh?" Bill asked. "Yeah, come on, it's this way." "Your friend lives here?" "Yep." Applejack replied. "In a frickin' tree? That's a library?" "Yeppers." Applejack replied again. "Hell, ain't that ironic..." Bill muttered as he entered the building. "And what the hell does sh-" "SURPRISE!" "...Well, shit." Bill grumbled.