Broken 4th Rule

Chapter 2: The Hospital and The Escape

The fourth rule was broken. No. Not just broken; it was broken, burned to ashes, the ashes fed to pigs, the pigs fed to wolves and then the wolves blown up!

Brody was deep in thought, which was normally good. I was somewhere between panic attack and cardiac arrest, so his silence wasn't helping.

“I mean see what happens when we talk about things we agreed not to!” I shouted at Brody. He flashed me a look of and made the ‘quite down hand motion to me. taking a deep breath I continued with a more quiet tone. “Listen man, a little input would be nice, because I'm kind of freaking out over here! I mean, if I am this princess chick then no way, in hell, am I going to let that armor guy mount me. No way in hell! I'll be this world's first murderer before that happens.”

"OK, first off let me see your flank," Broady said flatly.

"What?" I eyed him a little suspiciously. Naughty images of bad love scenes flashed in my head. "Dude, if this thing turning rated R then you're the first..."

"Hey, get your mind out of the gutter! First of all, Cadence's cutie mark…”

“Cutie mark? That sounds a little… girly, man.”

“Didn’t make up the name. The flank tattoo, is a crystal heart with gold accents. Well, if you have it or not might give me an idea what we're dealing with."

I removed the blanket and showed Brody my flank, I shut my eyes. "I can't look, give me the news."

"It's blank!" Broady exclaimed. "That's useful to know."

"Why?" I asked.

"Well Tony man, you don't have to worried about being mounted by Shining Armor," He said matter of factly. "But there's a multitude of pony universes out there and you being a blank flank crosses many out. Kind of hoping some of the more grim ones are crossed out as well."

“Like what?” I raised an eyebrow.

“You name it, Cupcake’s, Rainbow Factory,” He paused and gave a shiver.

"Not going to ask,” I reassured him. “So, anything that could help us now?" I asked.

"I don't know..."

We heard a knock on the door and froze. Another knock came from the door, followed by a voice from the other end. "Hello?" A muffled voice asked.

Before we could answer the door opened up. An elderly unicorn came in, he was extremely wrinkly and had a long white beard, white tail and a mane-less head. "Aha, good. You’re both awake." The unicorn said with a smile. "I'm Dr. Feather Heart, do not worry I am a doctor. What I did saved your lives. Especially when normal medical science says you were beyond repair. It was my technique that not only saved your life, but it fully restored you."

"Ah, thanks?" I said to him puzzled.

He looked at me puzzled for a moment. "Oh, yes, yes. I guess you want to know how you got here, but I can not oblige because I’m not even sure how you got here. But we are just outside of a town known as Baltimare."

"Yes, doctor thank you for helping us," Brody said "But how bad were we, I mean..."

"Ah, yes you were nothing but two badly burned corpses. I was able to scan your memories from a few hours back and find a viable image," He said to us calmly. "May I add that you’re a lovely bride." He looked at me then to Brody. "Quite a fierce looking dragon. Well, where ever you both were, there were a lot of hairless monkeys." He said with a smile.

Neither of us knew what to say. Nothing seemed right. The doctor took that to mean something good.

"Well, I can't wait to show this technique off at the Canterlot Medical Symposium. Think of all the good could be done with this technique. All the lives that could be saved, all the ponies that would be helped. All the suffering that can be avoid..." The Doctor finished with a smile and a tear in his eyes. He paused for a second. "Ah yes, your names, what are your names"

Thinking fast I said: "I'm Thrashion, Thrashion Riverside," I pointed at Brody. "And that's Spooky Patchwork." Brody looked at me a little annoyed, but nodded in agreement.

"We shall see you again. Until then," He clapped his hooves, and lunch was brought in for us. "Enjoy your lunch." As he left the room, a blue Pegasus nurse, with a light green mane and tail with an old fashion nurse cap brought our lunches.

She smiled at me and gave me a lustful wink. "Here's some food for you and your friend sweetie." She walked away showing me a sexy swing to her walk. I made a cheshire cat grin at her.

“Still got it with the ladies... even though I am one.”

"Even here..." Brody breathed. "Even here you're a chick magnet." He shook his scaly head in disbelief.

"What can I say?" I replied, still smiling.

“Nothing, and give it a rest.”

When they all left we opened our trays, I had a sandwich and a glass of water. I examined the sandwich; it was full of flowers. Brody had a cup of water, with a cup of meal worms and buttered toast.

"Daffodil and daisy sandwich," Brody explained. "It's like a PB&J here." I watched him swallow the meal worms.

"You expect me to eat this?" I asked, wincing.

"You need food still, and you are a pony now." He said before starting on the toast.

"Good point," I satiated and started to eat. "Not bad for what it is."

"Told yah."

I stopped chewing and looked at him. "We're screwed aren't we?"

"Yeah, I couldn't coach you on what to say to him while he was in the room. In the future I think we should... You remember that signing class from college?"

"Yeah! Easy elective my ass! But, yeah I remember some basic stuff."

"That's what you said, not me. I'll use that to coach you in the future. I think we should start calling ourselves by those new names too, I mean even when it's just you and me so we can get use to them."

"No problem, Spooky, man," I agreed with him.

"Why man. Why did you choose Spooky?"

I grinned at him. "All I could think of?"

"Thanks, Thrashion," Spooky replied with a snarl.

We finished our lunch in peace and quiet, though in retrospect we should have been planning. But seriously; it's been crazy already. The door opened again, and it was Doctor Feather Heart, but he wasn't alone. Behind him was a set of white ponies with blue streaked manes and tails in gold armor with blue jewelry on it.

"Guard ponies," Spooky hissed. "We’re screwed!"

"They are right here my good fellows, the good Ms. is no stronger than a foal right now but the dragon? I don't know how strong he is."

"Is he dangerous?" One guard asked.

"Hey! Hey no way in hell is he dangerous, we've been friends for years," I answered.

The guards looked at each other then back at us. "Very well, we were told to bring you," The guard pointed at me. "To Canterlot Castle, one more was not authorized."

"Well, it won't hurt. If they've been friend for years," The second guard added with a shrug. "Come."

The Pegasus nurse came back with a wheel chair. "Come along sweetie, I'll give you a push to the carriage." I smiled back at her. She gave me a seductive wink back.

As we went down on the old fashioned elevator we stopped at the next floor I was surprised what I saw... Bright, welcoming, comforting, and nicely decorated. I was seriously amazed at the hospital as we were lead through the complex. There were garden courtyards on every other floor and common / waiting rooms for family and friends. I was a lot like what you find like in the most modern hospital in our world.

I noticed Spooky stop he twisted his left and then right. "Did you hear that?" He asked. We all stopped and waited for a moment looking for what he was talking about, but nothing came.

"Hear what? I didn’t hear anything." One guard said.

"What do you think you heard?" The second asked him.

"Flapping? Roaring? But it's coming closer, whatever it is." Spooky said.

"Dragons have better hearing than ponies." The nurse commented.

It was funny because when Spooky was a human he had problems hearing. "When you think it’s due?"

"I don't know but..." Before he could finish, something smashed through the ceiling. When the dust finally settled, a monster was before us. It had the head of a lion with the wings of a bat and the tail of a scorpion. Its paws and coat color were a golden-brown. The body was more gorilla like, as it pounded its way forward, smashing into anything that got in it's way.

"Manticore!" One of the guards yelled.

"Get the civilians out of here!" The second guard yelled. "Call in reinforcements!"

The nurse and Doctor Feather Heart quickly backed up and started to lead us and other away from the rampaging manticore. "Down the stairs. Everyone evacuate this floor immediately, help carry any patient that can't get down themselves!" Doctor Feather Heart ordered. The unicorns and regular ponies went to other stairwells and pegasi dove out the windows. The patients were being helped out in any way.

"Lean on me sweetie, I'll help you." The Pegasus nurse told me. I got out of the wheel chair, the nurse allowed me to lean against her.

We made our way to the stairs in a slowly when a beam of energy whizzed past us and destroyed the stairwell that’s when here it coming towards. "Can manticores do that?!" I shouted out.

"None that I've known," The nurse started. "But truthfully you never know. I mean, your friend is a type of dragon I’ve never seen before."

The manticore had muscled it's way past the guards and was now barreling towards us letting out a fearsome roar as it charged. Spooky turned towards the manticore, blades extended from his forearms. "Get Thrashion out of here! I can hold it off!" I watched him charge the manticore, quickly stopping the swinging scorpion tail and parried with a bladed forearm. He landed a fist to his lion face and the two guards joined in the battle.

Cool, I bet that Brody... No, wait Spooky, liking to deal damage instead of taking it. I thought to myself. He never got to be a hero back home he always played it safe but now. Get him, buddy! was my final thought.

The nurse obliged to Spooky’s command and started leading me toward one of the courtyards. "We'll have to glide down. I'll help you but you have to spread your wings for me."

“On the first date,” Bad, bad. No time for laughing.

We were soon out on the court yard and we both stood out on the edge. "OK, sweetie now feel those muscles on your back and lift them up." I did as she said and my new wings opened. Surprisingly, why? "How's that?" I asked.

"Perfect," She lifted her own wings and wrapped a fore arm around my neck. "Now overlap your wing with mine." I followed her orders again. "Now for a leap of faith, sweetie."

We leaped off the edge of the building, I felt the wind beneath my wings and we were caught it. The nurse aimed and steered us safely to the ground. We were quickly surrounded by other attendants and nurses. I was lead to other patients and my nurse went to check on the other patients, leaving me in a wheelchair. Spooky still hadn't come back out, and I was starting getting worried about him, which was strange for me. It was usually the other way around, he usually was worried about something or other; it was in his nature. My Cheshire cat grin was gone as I was watching the evacuation. More guards were showing up, pegasi and unicorns, I was beginning to get a little annoyed.

I let out an aggravated groan. "Well, this sucks donkey..."

"Hey!" A donkey behind me yelled.

I turned around. "Ah, sorry." I muttered sheepishly.