• Published 25th Jun 2013
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Applejack finds a starving colt hiding in her barn, one that knows a lot more about her and her friends than he should.

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Questions for Redheart.

Author's Note:

Okay, it took me longer than it should have given it's length, but the chapter is finally done and we can progress the story some more. I'm nervous about posting this after so long without any activity. But I hope you enjoy it.

Sorry for the extended wait.

"You came to us about two months ago," explained Redheart. "You crashed into our lobby in a maddened craze, attacking several members of staff before Doctor Stable could put a sleeping spell on you."

The stallion, now identified as Scott Reiver, lay quietly as she spoke, having worn himself out struggling against the bed restraints. Nurse Redheart sat at his bedside, a clipboard and pencil in her hooves.

"You were so emaciated that we had not expected you to wake for a little while longer. But it seemes modern magic and medicine are wonderful things," she continued. "However, you are still not well enough to be discharged. Furthermore, as we have no information on your identity I shall be asking you a few questions."

Redheart checked her clipboard as she spoke, reading the stallion's name she mused at how unusual it was, but her main concern was that he shared part of it with Reiver. Given the reports she had been receiving from Cheerilee, it was clear the colt did not hold his father in high regard.

Meanwhile, Scott was trying to read the mare that sat before him. The stallion was still struggling to remember what happened before he woke up in that blasted forest. After getting over the shock of his transformation, his military training had helped him to survive, despite the fearsome creatures that he had barely believed were real. Realistically, he should have left at the first opportunity.

But he was a stubborn man and so he had remained, foraging for food and supplies until a close encounter with a gigantic bear made of stars finally forced him to admit he was out of his depth. It was shortly afterwards he found Reivers car, then….nothing.

If what this nurse pony was saying were true, that he had arrived in some sort of berserk rage attacking everyone in sigh, then it occured immediately after he saw Reivers car. He tried to remember what happened but it was like part of his memory had been erased.

"Any pre-existing medical conditions I need to be aware of?" Redhearts voice cut into his thoughts.

Scott sighed, she reminded him of the army doctors, blunt and all business.

"No," he replied, bluntly.

"Okay," said Redheart, making a few notes. "Would you please tell me what your last address was please.".

"I don't have a fixed address," he replied. "I'm in the armed forces so I don't live anywhere in particular."

“What was your last posting?”

“Afghanistan.”

Redheart raised an eyebrow as she wrote, did he mean Yakyakistan? The Royal Guard had no garrisons up there.

"Any family?"

"My sister lives in France with her husband, while my mother lives in a village in Northumberland. My son lives in Nottingham, he used to live with my ex-wife, but she...died recently."

She noted the place names and decided she would have to check a map, they were similar to places in Equestria, but she couldn't tell if he was disorientated or being serious. Given his state, it could be the former.

"Your son," she began. "Does he have a name?"

"It's Arthur, but he prefers to go by Reiver."

Redheart made a note of that. 'Arthur' wasn't a typical pony name, but it made sense that if he was Reivers father then they would both have unusual titles.

"When was the last time you saw your son?" she asked.

"It was at his mother's funeral, he was giving me a lift home as my car broke down. We had an argument in the car, it got violent and he kicked me out of the vehicle. Next thing I know I'm falling through some sort of...rainbow tunnel. There was a lot of light and colour and I felt like I was being squeezed through a tube. The next thing I know, I’m waking up in that strange forest."

The nurse pony finished her notes, these were going to go in both Reivers file and one she had started for Scott. She didn't understand half of what he had just said, still holding to the idea that he might be disorientated, but it might help her identify his next of kin.

"Okay, I think that's all the information I need for today," she said. "I'll be back later to check on your progress, so I recommend you get some rest."

"Wait!" said Scott, as the nurse got ready to leave. “I’ve got some questions of my own.”

“...Alright,” replied Redheart. “What do you want to know.”

“Where am I?”

“You are in Ponyville, it’s a village near Canterlot.”

Scott internally grimaced, what kind of name was ‘Ponyville.’

“And where is that?”

Redheart hesitated, why would a Royal Guard ask that question?

“...It’s in Equestria, the land of ponies.”

The land of ponies? What sort of children's folly was that? Regardless of it's absurdity, it could wait for now, he’d find out more eventually, hopefully including how he had been turned into a cartoon horse. For now, he just had one more question.

"My son, have you seen him anywhere?"

The nurse mare hesitated again before speaking.

"I don't know, could you describe him for me?"

Scott paused, realising that Reiver might have been altered as well.

"...Forget it, I'm not sure I could recognise him anymore."

“Very well, if you need anything, just use the nurse call by the bed.”

With that, Redheart left the stallions room and headed to her office. Dodging doctors and patients alike, she quickly trotted down the corridor until she has reached a glass fronted door with her name imprinted upon it. Entering the sparsely furnished room, she settled behind her desk and pulled out Reivers file from a drawer, before adding her newly acquired information.

This stallion was odd, almost as odd as Reiver. Although unlike the foal, he had volunteered some specific information she could use to help identify him. However, the place names were odd and his story of a rainbow tunnel had raised a red flag for her, she would have to make sure he didn't have any head injuries they had missed in the initial examination.

In the meantime, she had another task to perform. Gathering up the file and putting it into her saddlebags, she retrieved a sample kit from a cupboard, if she got some of Reivers saliva she could use it to help figure out if the stallion was his biological father. It might help solve the mystery of the colts origin, but she was also going to have to talk to the Apples about this development. If the test came back positive, it could throw up all sorts of legal issues.

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It hadn't taken long for Reiver and the Cutie Mark Crusaders to return to Sweet Apple Acres following their discovery of the notice. They were now seated in the kitchen of the farmhouse with the adult Apples, who were very extremely at the news.

"Well, don't that just take the last apple in the bushel!" exclaimed Applejack, pacing the tiled floor.

"Eeyup," added Big Mac from his seat at the table.

“Been long enough, bout time we got another one,” finished Granny Smith.

"Excuse me," said Reiver, "I get that a Storm of Magic is bad, but what exactly is it?"

"Well young un," replied Granny. "A Storm of Magic is kind of like a tornado, except, instead of wind, you've got wild magic swirling and spinning in an uncontrollable rainbow, firing off lightning and power faster than a unicorn baby's first magic flares! You never know what might happen, except untold levels of destruction."

"Eeyup," concurred Big Mac. "Pa told me about the storm that hit Ponyville when he was young, it caused serious damage to the town."

"It did more than that," replied the Apple matriarch. "The whole dang town was nearly wiped off the map, Sweet Apple Acres was the only place left standing, if it weren't for the Apple family's stubbornness then Ponyville might not have been rebuilt."

At the mention of a rainbow tornado, Reivers attention was peaked as it matched what had brought him to Equestria. He would have to look into it as soon as possible.

"But that was when this place was only a frontier trading station," said Applejack. "Buildings weren't exactly permanent so re-building was easy. Now the towns so built up..."

She trailed off, but all present knew what she was thinking.

"So...what do we do?" asked Apple Bloom.

"We go to this meeting ya'll mentioned," she replied. "Find out what Twilight's got in mind, that girl knows enough about magic to have something. In the meantime, we need to start preparing the farm."

“Darn tooting," replied Granny Smith. "This farm has withstood parasprites, vampire fruit bats and even Discord himself! It withstood one Storm of Magic and by hootenanny it will do so again!”

Like a drill sergeant marshalling her troops, the elderly mare barked her orders to each of them in turn.

"Applejack, you'll get out into the fields and buck as many trees as you can, we need to get those apples harvested! Ponies will be hungry and we are going to provide as much as we can!"

"Yes Ma'am," she replied, giving a mock salute.

"Big Mac, ya'll get all the heavy tools shifted into the cellar, we've got enough danger on the way and I'll be darned if a flying set of shears is added to that!"

"Eeyup!"

"Apple Bloom, you and your friends start nailing down anything that could get blown away, I want this place locked down tighter than an apple cellar during a worm blight!"

"You can count on us!" replied the enthusiastic filly.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders hammer and nailers, YAY!"

"Fall out! We'll head out to the town meeting later and see what Twilight has to say!"

As the ponies dispersed, Reiver found himself hanging back.

"Umm, Granny Smith," he said. "What should I do?"

The elderly mare smirked.

"Didn't you hear me young'un. You're with Apple Bloom, you're friends aren't you?"

"Come on Reiver," called out the filly. "We need to get some tools."

The colt looked to the farmhouse door, where Apple Bloom waited expectantly, then back to Granny Smith, before his face broke into a wide smile and he ran after the Crusader.

The old mare chuckled.

"He's a sweet colt, he'd make a great Apple thats for sure."