Braveheart: The Untold Stories Episode 4: Legacy of the Creed

by Kombatant Champion

Part 3

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*beep*

“We need to see him!”

“He's too injured. He needs to be alone as not to go into shock.”

“He's not gonna go inta shock. He's too tough fer that.”

“Please! Go back into the waiting room until he has recovered. And get this ugly thing out of my sight.”

“You take that back, you bitch! Let me at her!”

“Hey! Whoa, now! Take it easy, Sparks. Save your energy for when we go back out there.”

*beep*

“Fine.”

*beep*

*beep beep*

“Oh no. We're losing him. I need the defibrillator, stat!”

*beep beep*

“Clear!”

*ZAP*

*beep beep*

“Again! Up the voltage.”

*beep beep beep*

“Clear!”

*ZAP*

*beep beep beep beep*

“One more time! Max voltage!”

*beep beep beep beep beep*

“Clear!”

*ZAP*

I abruptly inhaled and jolted awake. I coughed up blood, and Doctor Redheart held a bowl under my muzzle. Once I had finished, I flopped back down on the hospital bed and stared at the ceiling. I closed my eyes. I felt an oxygen mask get placed over my muzzle. I passed out again.

*beep*

“He's lost too much blood. He needs a transfusion. What's his blood type?”

“We just ran some tests. He's type A positive.”

“Go ask one of his friends if they have they same blood type.”

“Yes ma'am.”

*beep*

“We brought one of his friends. But the only problem is, it's the Changeling. It was the only one with an A positive blood type.

“*sigh* I guess if we have no other option...”

“Sir, please sit down next to the bed. We need to inject a needle into your hoof. Where is your dominant nerve?”

“Left side.”

*beep*

“Needles in place, ready for transfusion.”

*beep*

“Sir, how are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

“Are you feeling lightheaded?”

“No.”

*beep*

“That should be enough.”

*beep*

“Sir, please go back into the waiting room now.”

*beep*

“He's stabilizing.”

“Great work, Doctor. I'm surprised at how well you work under pressure.”

“All those years at medical school were not wasted in the least. Let's give him his rest. I'll check back with him later.”

*door closes*

*beep*

…

I woke up slowly in the darkened hospital room. The heart rate meter still kept a steady pace. As my vision adjusted to the night, I looked around. I saw my Assassin robes hanging on a nearby coat rack, and my hidden blade lying on the bedside table. I tried to sit up, but I got a jolt of pain in my gut, so I laid still. The door opened and the lights turned dimly on. I looked to see Doctor Redheart.

“Hello Braveheart,” she said. “How are you feeling?”

“Well enough,” I mumbled. I turned my head to the ceiling. “Where are the others? My friends?”

“They're in the guest room,” Doctor Redheart said. “But I don't see how you can call that thing a friend?”

“Who? The Changeling?” I quietly asked. “He has a name you know. It's Sparks. He's just as good a friend as anypony else.”

“He's a Changeling,” Redheart argued. “That species is what nearly killed you. We're glad your pony friends brought you in when they did. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made it. You had a significant amount of internal bleeding.” I turned my head and gave Redheart a hard glare.

“Sparks didn't leave me behind,” I growled. “He helped. I could feel his shelled hooves on mine as he helped carry me. Stop insulting him.” I turned away.

“I'll leave you to get some rest,” Redheart said. “Try to sleep.” Redheart turned off the lights and left the room, closing the door behind her. I levitated my hidden blade onto my hoof and fastened the mechanism. I opened and closed the blade several times before taking it off. I put it back on the bedside table. I looked down my body. I had a large bandage around my gut, and it was soaked red with blood. I lay down and closed my eyes to get some sleep.

I woke up to the sound of talking, and it wasn't the surgeons'. My gut started to hurt, and I gave a groan. The talking stopped. I opened my eyes and saw the other Assassins around me. Rainbow Dash had tears in her eyes.

“You're alive,” she cried.

“We're glad you're OK,” Applejack said.

“Ah thought you had died,” Applebloom said.

“Here's your hidden blade,” Sweetie Belle offered, giving me my bracer. I put it on.

“Braveheart?” Sparks asked. “You OK?”

“I guess,” I mumbled. “Everything aches.”

“We have literally no time,” Sparks said. “Chrysalis ordered the continuation of the attack days ago. The only way to stop the attack now is to kill her. There is no other option.”

“Then I need to get out of here,” I said. I tried to sit up, but the pain in my gut returned, and my friends laid me back down.

“Ya need ta heal,” Applebloom said. “Doctor Redheart said so herself.”

“I may have a way to speed up your recovery,” Sparks said. “The Changelings' blood is infused with fast tissue growth. It happens when we feed on love. I gave some of my blood to help you recover. Therefore, you should be able to feed on love too. Maybe not as well or as efficiently, but it'll work.”

“I hope so,” I said.

“First, we have to open up that bandage,” Sparks said. He tore off the tape and the gauze. There was a gaping hole in my gut. The edges had turned black and hard, like a Changeling's shell. My friends groaned in disgust.

“Yer gut looks like a Changelin's,” Applebloom said, wincing.

“It's horrific,” Sweetie Belle added.

“Indeed,” Applejack said.

“Maybe it's not so bad,” Rainbow Dash suggested.

“No,” Sparks said. “This has to be done. Sweetie Belle, lock the door and close the hallway window blinds. The iron ones.” Sweetie Belle did as she was instructed. I suddenly felt sick.

“I don't feel so good,” I mumbled. The heart rate meter started speeding up, and I passed out.

“Oh no. Git the Doct'r!”

“I can't open the door! It's jammed. So are these iron window blinds.”

“No, no, NO! Don't leave me, Braveheart. Stay with us! Please!”

“How da these dohickeys work?!”

“I don't know! We don't have these things in the hive!”

*beep beep beep*

*beep beep beep beep*

*beep beep beep beep beep*

*flat-line tone*

…

*beep*

…

*beep*

…

*beep*

…

*beep*

…

*beep*

“His heart's startin' back up!”

“Check the hole!”

*beep*

“It's closed, but...it ain't the same.”

“It still looks Changelin'.”

“That's going to be permanent. The Changeling blood heals Changeling flesh and shell. His gut is going to be forever black and hard.”

“Are there any other side effects?”

“No. But he should recover significantly faster. He'll be back on the field in minutes.”

*beep*

I groaned and woke up. Everypony was watching me with concern.

“Braveheart?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“What?” I mumbled. “How's the hole?”

“Closed,” Sparks said. “Within a few minutes, you should be restored to full health. Here's your blade. Once you can get up, we have to leave. Chrysalis has nearly destroyed Equestria. We have mere hours.”

(listen to this music as you read to the end)

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I sat up and got out of the bed. I pulled the privacy screen in front of me and quickly slipped on my robes and weapons. I stepped into view of the Assassins and grinned. They grinned back and stood at my side, ready to fight. I blew off the jammed door and we dashed out of the underground hospital. When we reached the surface, a horrific sight met my eyes. All of Canterlot was in ruin, and Changeling warriors herded survivors to Chrysalis to face judgment. One Changeling was beating a survivor. I walked up behind the warrior and tapped his shoulder. He turned around and I stabbed my hidden blade into his brain. He fell dead and the survivor ran off. I joined back with the others and we ran to Canterlot Castle. More guards patrolled its border. I issued orders to the Assassins, and they ran off in different directions. I checked with each Assassin to make sure they were in place. Once they were, I stepped into a dark alley and watched as Chrysalis stepped out of the castle to give a speech to her warriors. It was now or never. I slowly walked into the crowd from the back, carefully pushing them out of my way. A Changeling archer spotted me and took aim. A shadow covered him, and he looked up, only to get killed. I kept walking. A guard spotted me and ran over. An arrow wedged itself in his neck and he fell head. Another guard ran toward me and suffered the same fate. I pushed a few more Changelings near the front, and two guards looked my way. I extended my two hidden blades and stabbed them in the chests. The two guards near Chrysalis looked over, and I threw two throwing knives. The knives struck the guards in the hearts, killing them. More guards surrounded me, but I did nothing. Chrysalis looked my way. She stepped off her podium and chuckled.

“Braveheart,” she said. “It is brave of you to stand alone against me. But also quite foolish, Assassin.” A phoenix feather fell in front of my face and I caught it. I looked to the sky and saw Philomena, Celestia's pet phoenix. She gave a screech similar to an eagle's. I looked to the roof of a nearby building and nodded. Arrows suddenly flew through the air, killing every guard around me. The guard directly in front of me managed to stay standing, so I pushed him over. Chrysalis stepped back and ordered two heavily armored Changelings to attack. They charged at me. I drew my sword and killed the first Changeling, then smoothly transitioned into another swing that sliced the second Changeling. The second Changeling ran on for a moment, then stopped and fell to the ground.

“Royal guards!” Chrysalis cried out. I turned my head to see six more heavily armored guards storm out of the castle and stand by Chrysalis. Chrysalis drew her black sword and licked her lips, grinning evilly. I stood, waiting. Applejack, Applebloom, Rainbow Dash, Sweetie Belle, and Sparks walked up next to me. Chrysalis and her guards ran at us, and we charged back. We Assassins jumped in the air, weapons ready to strike.

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