Not Your Average HiE Story

by Aegis Steelshield

16 Recovery

Waking up hurt. My throat felt like it was on fire, and I was starving. I rolled over, and fell out of my bed. Blinking, I realized I was in a hospital.

"Nurse!" I called out, my voice cracking.

A purple pony darted into the room. It took me a minute to remember her.

"Are you okay?" She asked, trying to help me to my feet.

"Starving, thirsty, and hurting. Passable."

"You... You're hungry?" She seemed confused.

"And thirsty." I reached out to the nightstand, and used it to support my weight. I stopped dead when I saw my arm.

"Well shit."

"You... Seem surprised."

"No one knew that fire could hurt me. Hell, for a while, I didn't know fire could hurt me."

"How did you find out?"

"Dropped my lighter, burnt myself. Water?"

She levitated a cup to me, and I took it. I guzzled it down.

"What's a lighter?"

"It's kinda like a match. You have those, right?"

She nodded, "You said you were hungry?" Her saddlebags glowed purple for a moment, before two apples were lifted out.

I took one, and shoved it in my mouth. She was watching me the whole time.

"Something wrong?" I mumbled through a full mouth.

"I just... Do you know how long you were out?"

"A day, maybe two. Three's pushing it."

"Three weeks, and four days."

I just sorta sat there, looking at her. I shook my head slowly, "You're shitting me."

"I don't know what you mean by that, but I assure you that I'm telling the truth."

I munched on the apple thoughtfully. "I didn't starve?"

"No. I had thought Princess Celestia or Princess Luna had been sustaining you with magic, but if you woke up hungry..." She trails off.

I let out a grunt, "You gonna eat that, or tease me with it?" I point to the other apple. She sighs and tosses it to me.

"Thanks." I take a bite of it.

"So... How did you do it?"

"Do what?" I should stop talking with my mouth full, but dammit, I'm not going to stop eating just to answer some questions.

"You were covered in second and third degree burns when you came in. We pulled you out from beneath a pile of burning rubble. By all means, you should be dead right now."

Thanks for the vote of confidence. "Not sure. How do you do magic?"

"Through complicated formulas and intense training."

Maybe not the best comparison. "The only power I have that I have to..." I threw up my hands, "Activate, is my levitation."

"Really?" She asks in a polite tone. A notepad and pencil float into view, and she scribbles something down. "Can you tell me more?"

I stare at her, before crossing my arms. "No. No I can not."

Her head tilts, "Why not?"

"Because if I'm not dreaming, that means that you pulled me into your universe. I reserve the right to remain silent."

A moment passed, and she lets out a sigh. "Are you really doing this?"

"Doing what?" I ask sweetly.

"Why are you being so difficult? I said I was sorry. I thought we were past this."

"Have you considered that I take great joy in being difficult?" I try to take a step forward, but my leg gives out. Twilight's magic caught me before I hit the ground, and lifted me onto the bed.

"Maybe you should just lay a while."

"Maybe." I let out a grunt.

"So..." She lifted out a thermometer, "Do you mind if I take your temperature?"

I opened up my mouth, and she pressed it against my tongue. After a moment, she pulled it back out.

"I've never taken a human's temperature before, so I don't know what to compare this to."

"I run a higher temp than humans. Another reason I'm not sure if I'm one. I'm usually around one ten. One twenty after a fight."

"One hundred thirty two. Down from last time."

"Might be because I'm healing. Burning up energy, makes sense I'd heat up."

"So you're okay?"

"Hell no. It's hot as fuck in here. I'm sweating, and thirsty. Sooner I heal, the better. Got anymore apples?"

She levitated another out. "Last one."

"I'll make it up to you." I managed between munches, "I might actually answer some questions."

"Do you know how much you can heal?"

"Not really. Didn't seem wise to test it, even ignoring the fact I'm pretty much immune to injury." I glance down to my bandaged body, "Fire notwithstanding."

"Do... Do you know why you haven't starved?"

"Magic?"

She glared at me.

"Well, fuck if I know. I ate regularly at home. Best I can think of is that my stomach heals as it eats itself. Would explain the pain in my gut."

"That... That's disturbing." She shuddered lightly.

I let out a burp.

"And that's disgusting." She sighed.

"So... Did it work?"

Her eyebrow raised.

"I mean, did I save the kid?"

"Dinky? Yes. She was fine, other some minor cuts and bruises. You got her out in time."

"Good. It was a faulty lightning rod."

"How... How do you know?" Her head tilts, "I mean, the fire is still being investigated, and most of the evidence was burnt to ash. The WT grounds the clouds to prevent lightning storms."

"I saw the rod. It was burnt off, and my hair raised when I got close. You ever felt static? Kinda like that, but stronger. Must of gotten hit, and exploded."

"But they ground the clouds. They aren't charged."

"I read in that history book that the Everfree's weather runs on it's own. Winds were pretty high, a charged one might of blown in."

"I've been meaning to ask about that. How do you read so fast?"

I rub the back of my head. "It isn't so much that I'm reading it. I actually just look at each page. Remember when I said I have perfect recall? I just sorta memorize everything, and let it sit in the back of my mind until I need it."

She stared at me for a moment, before saying in a whining voice, "That's not fair."

Comments

[SoralTheSol]

Yeah, twilight would be jelouse of that skill.