The Dragon Law

General disclaimer: I do not own MLP, characters or otherwise, it belongs to Hasbro and such. Aside from the occasional original character I own nothing but the love of the show and its fanbase.

The Dragon Law

02.    Bones and Bedrest

    “Ha hahahaha, that’s rich! Hehehehehe,” all I could do was laugh.

    “Umm... Doctor is he alright? I know he looks a sight but for the past few minutes all he has done is laugh at his reflection,” the nurse asked.

    “Heh, well everything seems normal. He has been on quite a bit of medication, magical and drug related, I’m sure its just catching up with him now that he is finally awake...” Doctor Relief replied, “but if he doesn't stop soon I may have to sedate him.”

    Well Isn't that a sight? The doctor had conjured a large mirror with magic, magic is awesome by the way. In the mirror staring back at me was quite a strange sight, even more so knowing that it was me in the reflection, was a very tall figure covered head to toe in bandages and thick cast. The figure was suspended in what could barely be considered a bed, gyroscopic looking metal bars extending around it making it look more like something you would train astronauts in, designed for those in full body casts it appears. Stranger than the bed was the extra limbs sticking out of the body in the cast, two wings stretched wide and a tail four of five feet in length.

     At first I didn’t believe what I saw with my own eyes. Until I realized that the eyes followed in time with mine, eyes that were very familiar to me, except for the draconic slitted pupils. I always had cool blue-grey eyes they had always seemed to change with area, melting into the ambient lighting (Steel-gray in the case of the hospital’s overhead lights). Of all the ailments I suffered lately at least something has improved, I didn’t have my glasses but I could see crystal clear. Being able to see more than just blurry colors more than a foot away was something I haven't been able to do since I was six.

     The face, parts not hidden behind bandages anyways, is clearly reptilian with gray-white scales. The face’s nose and jaw juts out to form an angular, broad snout much like an alligator’s. Crossing my eyes I focused on were my nose would have been, in its place was a lump flatter and longer than I was used to. That snout in the reflection was mine! I am a dragon, awesome!...wait, crap, I can already feel everyone's eyes on me. Maybe Spike didn’t have that problem, but I’m more than two or three times his size. Not to mention that the dragons I've seen on the show have a mean disposition and the pony population would assume that I would as well. But who cares I’m a freakin DRAGON! I couldn’t stop laughing.

    “I’m okay, wooh hehe, I’m fine really. Well as fine as I could be after a near fatal fall, how am I not dead again?” I asked after finally regaining my composure.

    “Well in the past decade there have been marvelous breakthroughs in osteo-reconstructive spells and surgeries, many a pegasi lives have been saved and improved because of this. Actually you don’t know how lucky you are, if this had happened three or four years ago you most certainly would have been bedridden for the rest of your life. Ten years ago you would not have made it. After your next few treatments you will still need time for your body to catch up with the accelerated healing,” the doctor told me.

     “Not to mention getting your bone and scale density back up to normal levels, the augmented healing has left your already malnourished body even more drained, we can only do so much with synthetic crystal,” the nurse added.

     “I don’t know what to say, I want to thank you and everyone else who helped me. I don’t have any way to repay you...actually I don’t even have a way to pay for the medical bill,” I said smiling sheepishly.

    “Bill? I don’t know how they run things on the borderlands but here in Equestria medical care is free, even if you're not a citizen as of yet,” the nurse said a bit harshly but then softened again, “Here when people need help it is given, because of that fact many local business’ often donate funds or services to us. While primarily funded by the Royal Treasury, the many donations we receive do help a great deal. No, you don’t have to worry about anything but getting better. OH, I just realised I never introduced myself. Nurse Maritime Gold at your service. If you need anything Just give a shout, not too loud, this is a hospital after all.”

     “Speaking of introductions,” Dr. Relief started, looking at my medical chart, “we haven’t gotten your name or any other personal information such as allergies, past medical history, or anything else you might deem important enough to get you better, I believe dragons like their privacy so I won't ask for your life's story, anything that would help the healing process will be helpful.” He then sent the nurse off to gather the necessary forms.

     Oh yeah, they wouldn’t have any kind of information on me would they? Well I can’t tell them the truth, sure they will still fix me up but then what? An Institution? Maybe they would think its just the aftereffects of the treatments, they already think I’m loopy. No, I will have to think of something...amnesia maybe? That could work it was a traumatic experience after all. Nah, thats boring, I’m in a new world with a new (albeit broken) body why not make a new life as well? From what I know from the show ponies don’t have much information on dragons. I guess I could just make up the rest and they would be none the wiser. Then again feeding doctors bad medical advice could end up giving me serious complications...I just stick with the basics then.

     “I would fill the forms out myself but...” I looked down at myself and did my best to shrug through the heavy cast

     “Oh don’t worry about it, nurse Gold and I got it covered...speak of the mare,” the doctor replies amicably as the candycaned-maned pony rushes back into view.

     The medical professionals then began to question me while completing the forms.

     “Name?”

     Name I need a name...hmm new world, new body, new name? Bahamut, naa. Smaug hehe, no. Hehehe how ‘bout Alduin? Screw it I’ll just use my last name everyone at school did anyway, there were too many Matthews to keep track any other way.

     “Law, my name is Law”

     “Race, that’s an easy one, Dragon”

     “Age?”

     “Twenty one”

     “Sex?”

     “No think you I’m good,” I answered smiling, the mare just stared at like me like the fool I was while the doctor did his best to hide his smirk with a hoof covered cough. What? It was the perfect set up.

     “What, it was funny. I’m Male”

     “Okay,” Gold went back to the forms, “Coat coloration, gray”

     “Gray, thats the best you could come up with? It’s sliver-gray, metallic gray, or Platinum even”

     “Okay, shiny gray it is then,” nurse Maritime said with a smile, “Mane color, well spines actually; same shade as scales.

     Between the bandages and cast I couldn't move to see so I took her word on it.

     “Current address, you do have a place to stay don’t you?”

     “Sure don’t,” I said with a big dopey smile, “ah goes where the wind blows. I’ve been bitten by the travel bug and have been moving ever since.” That's not completely untrue, I think when I’m released I will travel for a bit. I mean I’m Equestria for goodness-sakes I have to get out and see what this world has to offer.

     “I know the feeling, when I was a filly my family went sailing all the time. One time we even traded with some of the Zebrican Isles, they have the best potions. But eventually the wanderlust wears off and all you want to do is settle down.” the goldenrod pony had that look of nostalgia in her eyes, but she was quickly brought back to the present and continued the list.

     “An emergency contact and address?”

     “No, I’m new to Equestria and any friend or family I have are a long way away.”

     The nurse gave me a piteous look while the doctor nodded his head in understanding. I just shrugged and waited for them to continue.

     “Okay now on to the medical forms. Any allergies or past medical conditions?”

     “Nope, can’t say that I have ran into anything that gave me an allergic reaction, but when I was five I did have something called Guillain-Barre syndrome. Ever heard of it?” I wonder how many maladies from earth overlap here as well.

     “I can’t say I have, maybe by a different name, what are the symptoms if you can remember,” the doctor and nurse look at me curiously.

     “I can’t remember what causes it and I know it’s pretty rare, something causes the immune system to attack the nervous system. It started with my feet going numb and slowly spread upwards. By the time I got medical attention I was paralyzed from the waist down, I was lucky because my internal organs were going crazy. After a few weeks in care most of the symptoms passed, my legs still get tired and sore easily.” I did the best I could in remembering that time, from what I recall my mother telling me, I was in a medical book for being one of the youngest in the tri-state area to catch it in the past century.

     “It sounds familiar but I would have to do some checking,” doctor Relief was saying while rubbing his chin with a hoof, “do you know how your caretakers had combat the illness?”

     Crap. How do I tell them without revealing the human background?...Oh yeah, land of magical talking ponies.

     “Magic,” I deadpanned with a shrug.

     “Well that wasn't very helpful, but I guess it couldn’t be helped,” nurse Gold exclaimed, “you probably were focused more on getting better than how you got better.” I nodded in Agreement.

     “That’s about it, anything else can be filled out by nurse Gold or I. Best leave you to your rest, like she said earlier if you need anything just holler.”

     The doctor went to leave while nurse Gold started messing with the controls of my bed rotating into a more sleep-comfortable position. Then she turned out the lights and closed the divider, but before it closed completely.

     “I know what it is like to travel alone, if you need someone to talk to just ask, okay?” she said with a smile.

     I replied with a nod and a smile of my own. I heard the clip-clop of hooves then the sound of a door closing. I suddenly began to feel exhausted and decided to try to go to sleep.

--Decidet ad Ponticum--

     What, where am I? Looking around all I see is red and black. The ground glassy looking in some places, sharp and craggily in others reflects the light of not only the red tinted, ash filled sky but also the red hot glow of the liquid stone rivers that flow slowly by. If I didn’t know any better i would say I was in Oblivion...wait, a few minutes ago wasn't I in Equestria. Well damn. For all I could know I might just be on that damned plane. If anyone expects me to fight demons, alligatorheads, tricarathings, or those damnable spider ladies *cring* damn spiders they will be sorely mistaken. Oh but those imps, heh, I’ll punt the little bastards into the nearest lava flow if they so much as think of tossing a fireball my way. I was suddenly torn from my thoughts by a shout from behind.

    “LAW NO!”

    Turning I see two ponies, okay so I’m not in Oblivion thats good to know, about a dozen yards away. The ponies in question are staring down a small lava pool, I try to call out but my voice catches in my throat. I try and try again but no sound escapes, well damn. I then began to make my way over to them but every step was like moving through syrup, what the hell is wrong, why am I moving so slow? Looking back to the ponies I seem to have gotten about half way before something In the lava starts to bubble to the surface.

    Climbing out of the lava was a figure about twice the size of the ponies, stands on two legs, and has a tail and wings, huh, it's a young dragon. After shaking most of the lava off he holds out what appears to be a basketball sized black rock. One of the ponies, a unicorn, lifts a pile of cloth to the dragon, cloths it seems. After donning a red jacket and matching hat the other pony, a pegasus, points with a hoof to a cave and the three began to walk in that direction.

Mr. Law your times up!

     Hearing that voice I turn to see nothing but two large emerald eyes staring down at me.

--decidet ad album--

    “Mr. Law? Are you okay?”

    I was panting and was covered in a cold sweat. Looking around I found myself back in the hospital bed-rig-thing. The red and white maned yellow earth pony from the other day was rotating my bed into a comfortable propped-up position, nurse sea-something Gold. She gave me a concerned smile.

    “I said it's time to wake up, I brought breakfast,”

     The mare took a step out of my vision and came back with With a tray of food, it doesn't matter what dimension you are from hospital food is hospital food... It wasn’t that bad I guess. A bit of scrambled eggs, fruits, toast, and of course jello. How does that work, must be cornstarch or some other thickener than collagen. After getting over the humiliation of having to be spoon fed. After she picks up a spoon and start to feed me, how do you hold a spoon with a hoof?

     “Are you okay, you looked a bit shaken when I came in and woke you.”

     “Yeah I’m fine, I guess I had a nightmare. I can’t remember much just a bunch of fire and big green eyes.”

     “I’m sorry to hear that, I’ve heard that sometimes the spells used to numb pain when used continuously can cause vivid dreams. That combined the medication you have been on the almost two weeks would most definitely cause some strange nightmares. I will see about getting that adjusted for you. Oh that reminds me when you finish your breakfast in an hour your doctors will be here to start your final rounds of treatments.”

     “Thanks,” I replied between bites, “what kind of treatment have I been receiving anyway?”

    “Oh well first there was a some surgery to repair some internal bleeding, then checked for nerve damage along the spine and set as many of your bones as we could. After you left the ICU we started using Spells to quicken the healing process of your vital areas ending with your extremities.”

    When I finished I thanked her and she asked if I needed anything then left. I guess I have about an hour of waiting to do... at least Rainbow dash could move, this is going to be terrible.

[Noteses]

I’m sorry it took so long for me to finally get this chapter out. Between losing my job, leaving college, moving out a roommate, and finding a new job life has been busy. But that is the past, I have some fresh (not original, original is hard...) ideas I think will help make this story. I still have that problem with grammar and structure as most of you will can see. I don’t want to bug you guys to proofread or edit for me (I don't want to be a bother) but any criticism is appreciated.

-Bahamut guide you-