Seeking A Quiet Afternoon

by Tired Old Man

Ch. 2-3: A Mad, Mad Medic

Mender knew today was going to be the worst day of his waking life.

Worse than his horrid childhood. Worse than his army service. Tartarus be damned, today was going to be worse than everything he had experienced in Ponyville thus far.

He knew how bad it was going to be since yesterday afternoon during his rest. He woke up to his stomach flipping roughly twenty times. Something horrific was happening that involved him at that very moment, but he couldn't figure out what. He somehow managed to go back to sleep soon after he woke, but it wasn't a good sleep.

He had woken up to Nurse Redheart taking him his morning meal. Oats, a banana, and lime gelatin with a glass of orange juice. Not exactly fine dining, but Mender had no reason to complain. That would earn him a slap, and he didn't want that.

As Mender ate, he remembered that he had asked Fluttershy to take care of Crunch yesterday afternoon. She seemed very eager to do so, but he guessed that would change as soon as she got near his home. He had hoped everything was alright over there. Crunch wouldn't harm her...would he?

Nah. Mender looked around the room again despite wanting to rest, and his eyes stopped as soon as he saw the same black band resting on the nightstand. Near it was Celle, back in its military knife form. The leather casing and the strap were hanging off a corner of the stand.

He had about an hour to spare before he had to check out of the hospital. He had plenty of time to tolerate Young for a bit. Mender reached over and placed the band around his horn, fixing the mental connection he had with his paranoid friend.

"Young? Are you there?"

More familiar crashing sounds were heard in his head. Hah, that will never get old.

"WHERE in Equestria have you been? I was worried sick!"

"I know you were. Always keeps you on edge, it seems. Miss me that much?"

"No jokes, Mender. What happened?"

Mender was taken back somewhat. Young was absolutely serious...so Mender decided to be serious as well.

'According to Twilight and the Princesses, I guess I was possessed and muttered some odd prophecy that involves me."

"So I wasn't imagining things then."

"What, you heard the voice too?"

"How could I not? I was right there on your horn, you know...in a manner of speaking."

Mender was concerned. He detected hints of fear as Young spoke...and wondered...

"Young, did you recognize that voice?"

A pause came before he responded. "I...think so. It sounded like...like it was my grandfather."

"Old Mindly? How?"

"How should I know?! I haven't heard from him in ages!"

Mender was quite confused. He just assumed that the old stallion died as the record of his experiment in that textbook Twilight showed him stated it occured at least 400 years ago. He hadn't heard of anypony who had lived that long outside of the Princesses.

...but how old was Young then?

"Young, mind if I ask how old you are?"

"Hm? Why do you want to know?"

"Well, something just clicked in my head. Your grandfather's at least 400 years old. If you're his grandson as you claim to be...then how old are you?"

"Mender, Mender, I do hope you don't ask that to any mares on the first date."

Mender groaned. "Shut up and answer the question, Young. Please."

"Hmm...nope. I refuse to answer. As for why, since I know you'll ask that...I've been sworn to secrecy on it by my grandfather the last time I saw him. He told me it was for my protection. This space I live in is for my protection too."

Protection? From what? Now Mender was even more confused...but one last question hit his head at this information.

"Young, if you're under such protection...then why risk that protection on me? Why tell me there's a key out here that will open the door? Why give me that blade in exchange for your grandfather's diary? If I was under such protective measures, I wouldn't gamble said protection on a pony that just moved into your prior home. It doesn't make any sense to me."

A long, awkward silent pause followed before Young gave an answer.

"Mender, do you remember how you met me?"

"I knocked on your door after I learned that it was magical, then you yelled at me."

"Before that. Before you learned about that door, what did you do to it?"

"I...kicked the door out of frustration since I couldn't figure out how to open it." Mender didn't know what Young was driving at here.

"Tell me, did you hear me yelp in fear when you kicked that door?"

"I...did. After I asked Twilight about the door, that yelp...!"

"Precisely. That yelp confirmed for you that a pony was indeed on the other side of that door. It's why you knocked that second time, and sounded so...concerned when we first met."

"I thought I sounded more annoyed when we first met that way."

"You did. Regardless, by the end of that conversation, you agreed to be my ears for the outside world, Mender. It was a request I was sure you would refuse after I told you I wouldn't open the door for you...but you did it anyway. It was at that point that I knew I could trust you."

Mender had to take a moment to process this. He didn't think about his actions having that strong of an effect on Young. Sure, he thought Young was a bit naive and perhaps a bit too trusting at the time, but after hearing how he explained it from his end...it all seemed to make sense.

"Thanks, Young. Never saw it that way."

"Save the sappy talk for later. Don't you have something to do today besides talk to me, anyway?"

"That I do, Young. I sadly do. You should know what it is about already, so I won't bother repeating it."

"That prophecy? Yep, I'll pick up on any details I missed in time, then."

Satisfied the conversation was over, Mender set the food tray on the nightstand and picked himself up from the bed. His limbs felt a bit stiff, so he stretched a bit and paced in place on the floor to get the blood flowing to his legs. As soon as he did, Mender walked around and grabbed the knife off the stand and placed it in the holder, which he strapped onto himself before he moved for the door.

Mender opened the door, and Nurse Redheart was just outside the doorway wheeling around more medical equipment. With a wave, he let her know he was checking out and bound for Canterlot. She simply nodded and resumed her business. Mender had to stop for a moment and admire her dedication to her job. It's certainly much more than what he's been contributing so far to the hospital...which so far has been nothing. He really hoped that would change after this whole changeling queen business was concluded.

His thoughts continued on the matter as he came to the first floor. There he spotted a blue nurse pony working the front desk. He greeted her with a smile, and let her know that he was leaving. She seemed to giggle as he signed out, and he wondered why.

Mender left through the front doors again to take a deep breath of the afternoon air. So fresh and clean was the scented that he decided to drown himself in it for a moment, closing his eyes as he stepped forward to take in the moment before he left for Canterlot.

He heard a string snap underneath his hoof. His eyes shot open and his brain registered a few words.

Oh no...OH BUCK! He had to move!

Too late. A Party Cannon placed to his left was set off, sending Mender flying into the air in a shower of multicolored confetti.

------------------------Ponyville Train Station----------------------------

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack were all waiting at the train station. The Friendship Express bound for Canterlot had arrived just a few minutes ago. As they waited, Pinkie had set up her cotton candy catching mitt near the platform.

"Pinkie, are you sure your Cannon will get him here in time?" Twilight asked.

"Abso-tuta-lutely, Twilight! My Party Cannons always work!" Pinkie responded, bouncing as she spoke.

"I could've flown him over here, you know," Rainbow Dash piped up. She had been practicing using her wings most of the day, and was almost back up to the wingpower she was at when it was time to move the water reservoir into Cloudsdale.

"But that's not as fun, Dashie!" Pinkie grinned widely.

"Pinkie dear, are you sure Mender sees it that way?" Rarity asked.

"Of course! Mendy said he hated me last time when I used my cannon to get him to his 'Welcome to Ponyville' party, but he didn't seem to mean it since he enjoyed the party anyway!"

"I dunno, sugar cube. He may have enjoyed the party, but I dun think he enjoyed the way he was delivered to it, Pinkie. Ya gotta admit, Mender don't seem like the kind of pony to enjoy your...explosive personality," Applejack added.

"Aw, c'mon girls, don't be a buncha neighsayers!" Pinkie frowned slightly, but her hair and color remained poofy and vibrant pink.

Almost on cue, they heard Mender screaming Pinkie's name as he approached the train station.

The cotton candy mitt did its job as it did last time, catching a very winded Mender whose lungs had emptied from his scream. Heavy breathing was heard from inside the mitt as Pinkie bounced over to greet Mender.

"Hiya Mendy! Enjoy the flight?"

Mender barely registered her voice over his own breathing, but he managed to respond in between breaths.

"Pinkie...I swear to Celestia that one day...I will stuff you in that cannon...and aim it at the Moon."

"Mendy's fine, girls!" Pinkie called out to the others. They collectively released a sigh of relief as Mender freed himself from the cotton candy.

He looked over at the other four, and a question came out instantly.

"Where's Fluttershy?"

"Oh, she should be coming aaaaaaaaaanytime now!" Pinkie responded.

Everypony stopped whatever they were going to say to look at her. She didn't mean-

A high-pitched scream was heard as Fluttershy was flying against her will toward the same catcher mitt that caught Mender.

As soon as she landed and the screaming stopped when Fluttershy realized her impromptu flight had ended, Mender was the first to speak up.

"...okay, maybe I can understand using the cannon to get me here, but she's a PEGASUS, Pinkie! Why in Equestria did she need a cannon ride?"

"I had a spare cannon set up at your home just in case you missed the first one! I guess Fluttershy set it off on accident!" Pinkie responded.

"...so you're claiming that was a happy accident that she got shot by your cannon?"

"Yup yup!"

Somewhere in Mender's head, this whole situation made a surprising amount of sense. He would have gone home to say goodbye to Crunch and pick up Fluttershy if she was still there at his home before they headed off to the train station. If she wasn't there, he would have assumed she would be waiting at the station with the other mares, and headed off as soon as he was finished at home.

Pinkie managed to make that entire situation, sans the goodbye to Crunch, go significantly faster with her cannons. Mender smiled. Somewhere in that crazy mare's head was a genius of a mind.

Still, Mender felt something was left unresolved, so he went to get Fluttershy out of the cotton candy glove.

"Hiya Fluttershy. Nice of you to drop in the same way I did."

"Oh...afternoon, Mender," Fluttershy said.

"So...how's Crunch?" Mender asked as he pulled her out of the sweet tangled mess of sugar.

"Oh! He's doing fine, Mender. Very well. He misses you, though."

"I expected as much. Anything happen while you tended to him?"

"Well...um...yes."

"...go on." Fluttershy was hiding something. Normally she isn't this indirect to Mender, and he noticed immediately.

As he urged her on, the other mares gathered around, suddenly curious as well to what Fluttershy was hiding. Applejack was the most concerned out of the group. Fluttershy swallowed as she struggled to find words. With Applejack there, she couldn't lie.

"I...I don't want to say," Fluttershy spoke in almost a whisper.

"Fluttershy, this is MY pet changeling we're talking about here. If something happened, tell us now," Mender bluntly stated. She "eeped" in response...but then she found some words to say after all.

"Whe-when I came by your house, Mender, Crunch was having a nightmare. He...he saw Chrysalis."

Everypony opened their mouths in shock at this news. The changeling queen was making her move already?!

"She claimed she was Crunch's mother...but he seemed to deny it. He then mentioned something about a light that helped him drive the queen away."

"Wait a minute, denied?" Mender asked. He found that very odd. If anything was Crunch's mother, it would most likely be Chrysalis, so what did that even mean?

"Well, I...I think you should hear the rest first," Fluttershy responded.

Mender didn't like this. She was delaying something...but she clearly had more to tell, so he nodded to let her continue.

"After his dream, he was happy to see me," Fluttershy spoke, smiling at last. "He was even so happy he touched his horn to my head."

For a moment, Mender considered making a very ill-thought joke on that statement, but passed. This wasn't the time for jokes anyway.

"That's when he spoke to me."

Everypony opened their mouths again. Pinkie's was still hanging open from the last shocking bit of news, but it seemed to drop even lower.

Again, Mender recovered first. "Spoke? Crunch can talk?!"

"Sort of. He spoke to me through his thoughts when his horn was in contact with my head. We had an interesting conversation, but he was real happy when his nightmare was all over!"

Mender caught that "interesting" word in her statement. That confirmed it for him, she was glossing over something now. Applejack seemed to catch it as well as her eyes narrowed in synchronization with Mender's own eyes.

"Define 'interesting,' Fluttershy."

"Well, he told me about his dream, and how happy he is to be under your care, Mender."

"That's not everything though, is it?" Mender's tone turned accusing, and now both him and Applejack were glaring daggers at Fluttershy while the other mares held confused looks. All but Pinkie, she was still locked into her shocked face.

"It...It..." Fluttershy desperately wanted an out, something to keep her from saying something she knew would anger Mender. But it seemed that her time had run out.

"It...isn't everything," she confessed.

At that very moment, Mender felt his stomach flip. Whatever she was going to say wasn't going to be good. Not at all.

"Mender...Crunch thinks you're his...his mother..."

"What was that, Fluttershy?" Mender faintly heard her say something he wished he heard wrong...but he had to be sure.

"Crunch thinks...that you're his mother."

Silence existed for precisely half a second before everypony but Mender and Fluttershy burst out in laughter.

Fluttershy said nothing, not wanting to embarrass Mender any further.

Meanwhile, Mender's brain cracked at the statement. Any attempts to process it failed as the girls continued to laugh as they rolled around on the floor. Mender could feel his blood boiling. His stomach decided to practice a bucking gymnastics routine.

A color redder than Applejack's shiniest red apples graced his face. His teeth were grinding, his eyes filled with unbridled fury. Smoke began to rise from his horn.

Mender was absolutely, undeniably PISSED.

"Fluttershy?" He spoke through his rapidly shrinking teeth as he began to grind them into stubs. The laughter from the girls around him made it clear that they didn't notice how Mender was about to explode in front of them.

She said nothing, and was completely frozen in place. That look in his eyes was very much akin to her own Stare, and her legs and wings gave out beneath her as her eyes remained locked onto his.

"I'm going to give you fifteen seconds. You either use them to run, or give me the best damn explanation of your life as to why my pet thinks I'M HIS MOTHER!" Mender yelled, his fury almost being drowned out by the laughter around him.

Fluttershy panicked, and decided to say the truth as best as she could manage through her stammering.

"He-he denied Chrysalis as his m-mother, Mender! I-I told him that you-you were his mother be-be-because it would have hu-hurt him otherwise!"

"Fluttershy, I can state for a Celestia damned fact that NOTHING could hurt him as much as I want to hurt you right now for this!"

"Mender, it was for hi-his protection!"

"YOU'RE going to need all the damn protection when I'm done with you!"

"That's what she said!" Dash chimed in.

"AAAAAGH!" That was enough to redirect his rage at the other five mares. A sudden surge of heat stopped their laughter as Mender erupted into a column of fire. At that moment, they all felt fear as the pillar of flame pierced the blue sky above.

That fear dissipated as soon as the fire ceased. Mender was covered from head to toe in ash, and he coughed as he inhaled the smoke left in the aftermath, coughing as a result.

This caused a second bout of laughter for group of mares, except Fluttershy, who was still scared out of her wits. He also noted that he heard laughter from another source. Young was laughing too.

"This is-cough-NOT funny!"

"Oh, this is totally funny."

"You shut up or I burn your door."

"And abandon your prophetic quest? I don't think so. I'll just keep laughing until you get home."

"...you are a sick bastard of a pony."

"And you are currently the biggest source of comic relief I've ever heard in years!"

The last thing he heard was more laughter. That's it. That door of his was at least getting a brand new dent in it...or maybe a new coat of paint. Mender made a mental note to ask Young what color he hated the most. He had a feeling that would pay off later.

For now, the other mares finally stopped laughing as they all rose from the floor. A voice over a loudspeaker cut through the giggling Mender was hearing from them as they recovered.

"This is the final call for the Friendship Express bound for Canterlot. I repeat, last call for the Friendship Express bound for Canterlot. All passengers, abooooooooooooard!"

----------------------Friendship Express----------------------

Mender decided to clear his head in a separate train car from the rest of the mares. He wanted to be alone and far, far away from Fluttershy and her giggling companions right now. Twilight understood despite her giggling, and ushered her friends into another car to give Mender whatever peace of mind he could claim.

He still couldn't believe it. He's an apparent mother to his pet. His head was still a wreck, trying to piece together exactly how he was going to properly tell his pet that he was more like an adoptive father. He resolved that the truth would be best to tell him as soon as he was able.

Despite his rage from earlier, Fluttershy mentioned she did it for Crunch's safety...and a small, rational part of him says she should be forgiven for that. That part understood why she did it, and it all seemed to make some semblance of sense.

He stomped that rational part into the dirt and swore various obscenities at it. She would have to make up for this in some way later. He was too mad to figure out how, but later he'd come up with something. He swore to Celestia he would.

At least the train ride was smooth and unusually quiet on the way there. Maybe now was a good time to rest and clear what he could in his head so he could at least be focused by the time they reached Canterlot.

That wasn't going to be the case as he heard more giggling from inside his own car. Oh, this was NOT the sound he wanted to hear right now. He rose from his seat and looked around. Who was making that damn noise?

The car fell silent. He knew then that the giggling indeed came from within the car...but where? It didn't take long to figure out where as he looked underneath the seats in the train car.

There, underneath one of the seats in a corner of the car, sat three fillies with shocked and fearful looks in their eyes.

Oh no. Not those three. This was NOT a good day for him to be around those three. He only prayed those three weren't there to hear that damned motherly crap.

He tried to play it cool as best he could. A twitching eye betrayed that notion as he spoke.

"Well, hello Crusaders. Care to explain why you're hiding on this train?"

All three of them stumbled over their words for a moment as they got out from their hiding spot.

"Uh, we're-" "-tryin to be-" "-Cutie Mark Crusader Train Conductors?" All three weakly smiled.

That was the most painful lie he had heard them tell. Ever.

"...Right, let's just cut to the chase. I know you three aren't here for something as boring as that. You're Crusaders that threatened my life twice now as it is! Why did you follow me?"

"Well, we...kinda overheard about you being a mother to a changeling and-"

"I'm just going to stop you three RIGHT...THERE." Celestia dammit, they did overhear that whole conversation. It took whatever was left of Mender's rationality to keep himself from blowing up that train car...and he managed to...barely.

"Yes, I own one, he's harmless, and if you even THINK that this motherly crap is true, you're all out of your minds. I do NOT want to hear any more about this for the rest of the train ride, understand?"

The three fillies quickly nodded in response. They did not want to anger Mender any more than how he was now.

"That's not th' only reason we're on this train, though," Apple Bloom added.

Suddenly, Mender's anger had defused itself. "It's not?"

"Well, we also wanted to help you with whatever you're doing in Canterlot," Sweetie Belle spoke.

"What in Equestria for?! You three have been nothing but trouble for me and-"

"Mender...we still feel bad for what we did to you. Both times we nearly hurt you real bad, and we want to make it up to you somehow," Scootaloo said.

Oh no. No no no. Mender didn't care how bad these fillies felt for almost killing him. The only thing he saw worse than the Crusaders trying to kill him were the Crusaders trying to help him.

"No way that's happening. As soon as this train reaches Canterlot, you three stay here and go right on back to Ponyville. I've already got a mind-numbing headache from everything that's happened today, and the last thing I need is to keep my eyes on you three while I'm here."

"But Mender, we promise we won't get you hurt this time!" Scootaloo rebutted.

"I don't care if I get hurt, I still have to watch over you three if you plan on sticking around! I don't want that to happen, so-"

The train passed through Luna's blue barrier at that moment. Mender could feel the cold energy as he passed through it. The fillies seem to have felt the same, as all three shivered slightly as they passed through it.

"What the, a barrier?!" Mender yelled.

This was enough noise to grab the attention of the six mares in the next car. Mender soon saw a stetson bobbing and coming over from the adjacent car. Applejack was coming to check things out.

Mender considered the situation. He was in a train car with the Crusaders in plain sight, uninvited little guests on a train ride not meant for them to take towards a very safeguarded location. They got on this train because they wanted to make up their antics to him by being helpful in the worst way possible. This was going to look all kinds of awkward, and Mender would be right in the middle of it.

As Applejack opened the door and saw the fillies in front of him, a thought passed through his mind.

All that information would have to come out in front of that lie detecting pony, and somehow he could feel that she would blame him for this as much as she would blame the fillies for following him.

Could this Celestia forsaken day get any worse?!

-------------------Mender's Home--------------------

Crunch awoke to the sound of something bashing against the front door.

Intruders breaking in?! He was going to have none of that while Mama Mender was away!

He ran down the stairwell just as the door was bashed in, and Crunch shriveled up in fear as he rounded the corner. There, standing in the doorway, were two changelings like the ones from his dream.

The last thing Crunch remembered was them smiling. Then a loud buzzing noise filled his ears as the changelings pinned him to the ground.

Author's Note:

Hiya folks! Old Man here.

Yeesh, Mender's had a rough day, and he hasn't even left the train!

Dumb question he asked, though. Of course it's going to get worse! It ALWAYS gets worse whenever someone thinks that!

I kinda feel bad for him though. He's got so much on his head right now I'm wondering why it didn't explo-

Oh right, it already did earlier. Hee hee, Mama Mender.

...I have a feeling I'm marked for death now. Excuse me while I prep a safe room for the next intermission.

Comments

[Aquanova]

Well... Shit. Crunch was captured by his own, the cutie mark crusaders are tagging along go fight chrysalis, and mender's rage is already barely in check. The hell would chrysalis bother grabbing crunch for anyways?
Well this had a decent amount of problems for the future introduced, and turned out to be pretty good at giving something to look forward to in the near future.
Anyway you enjoy making that safe house now.