Hell Hath no Fury

Tank

My entire body ached and moaned, and seeing as how there was nothing left for me to do but hang in the legs of something flying through the air, I couldn’t ignore the pain.  I moaned in my discomfort, barely any energy left in me to even breathe.  But at the very least, the freezing cold felt nice, seeming to slightly ease away the burning sensation.  My eyes were barely cracked open, in such a way that my eyelids could still water the sad little orbs, and the ringing in my ears were finally beginning to die down.

“Don’t worry little, uh, guy.  I’ll get you somewhere safe!” a voice said into my ears, who the ringing had ever so graciously let me hear above the noise.  Grunting, I let my body start to swing in the air limply.

We seemed to fly for a few minutes, my little dance with pain was playing out.  If I could imagine something interesting enough to occupy my mind, then the pain would fade away, and I could ignore it.  I ran my mind through various scenarios, killing ISIS members, going home, maybe a pretty girl, but nothing could stop the rolling waves of pain that demanded attention.

I felt myself turning down, meaning that we were now flying in that direction.  A pair of doors creaking open let me know that we were headed for a building of sorts, though what it was I couldn’t tell. Oh God, help me!

The air changed from freezing, to somewhat warm.  My stomach dropped as we leveled out, and I was dropped to the floor, rolling to my side, the bag stopping me from going any further.  I opened my eyes a little, and I could see what stood above.  Somehow, I’d managed to keep my rifle in my hands, and in front of me, was a wooden wall that curved away from me.  My steely gaze told me that this was real wood, not the fake shit that poor companies made use of.

Well this is interesting, isn’t it.  If I had to bet, I’m in something of a hospital.  All I need to do is make sure that they don’t use any drugs on me.  I sighed in on myself, cursing for the break of my will earlier, I deserve that pain, don’t forget.  You deserve it.  I growled in pain, forcing myself to stand.  First, I rolled onto my hands and knees, a wheezing sound coming from my lungs.  Not through my lips, unfortunately, but from the oozing wounds of my chest.

Then, using the butt of my rifle as a crutch, I forced myself up to my feet, a painful, “AGH!” leaking from me.  I raised my eyes, expecting an Army nurse or something.  Instead, I saw a white horse, with a pink mane dun up atop her head, wearing a nurse’s cap.  Somehow, that horse seemed to be just as surprised as I was.

The voice from before spoke up again, “Hey nurse Redheart, I need you to help this… whatever it is.”

I turned my head, to see a pegasus.  It had a cyan blue coat, and a rainbow mane, ragged and windblown.  The same went for the tale.  I saw the absence of junk, so I figured that it was a girl.  I almost had the inkling of embarrassment or regret for looking, but the feeling dropped out of mind quickly.

“How the hey?” she started, turning her attention to me.

I wanted to reply, but even if I could, a cry from outside screeched through the still open door.  A new pony, brown coated with a blond mane appeared in the doorway, “A pack of manticores are raiding the town!”

Manticores?  Talking horses, and manticores?  What the fuck is this?  I stumbled to the door like a drunk man, passing a very scared-stupid horse.  Looking out, 6 manticores were roaring, and chasing fleeing horses.  Some had horns, some had wings, others had neither.  They had so many colors that it nearly came to confuse me.  Would have succeeded if I had cared.

I raised my rifle, took shaky aim, and fired.  Three shots landed dead on my target, a manticore that had managed to pin a horse to the ground.  I waited only long enough to see the body recoil off the horse, and lay dead in the snow, which melted under the heat and pressure of blood.  I repeated my process with two others, walking and firing the whole way.  An empty chamber stopped me from killing another.  I pulled the mag out, and fished out a new one, jamming it in.  Before I could pull the bolt back, a scream off to my side spilled through my ears.

A manticore was running down another horse, this one being much smaller than the other ones I’d seen.  Whereas the horses that I had seen so far had been a little taller than me, but this one actually managed to be shorter.  This one had a yellow coat, a red mane and bow.  Again, I could read the emotion.  This one was scared out of its’ little mind.  I didn’t have any time to stop my instinct, dropping the rifle, and pulling out my Ka-Bar knife.

The little horse passed me, and the manticore ran straight into me.  I pushed through strong paws, burying my knife deep into the things’ chest, and flipped it up over my head, straight to the ground.  I got on top of it, and stabbed again and again.  My adrenaline was running, and the pain had faded away.  Thank you Lord Jesus!- you’ve given me mercy.

I pulled the knife out of the bloody corpse that was the manticore.  My other hand grabbed my rifle as the bloodied blade wiped itself against my pants, and slid into its’ sheath.  The rifle was in my hands now.  I pulled back the bolt, and surveyed my current situation.  There was a noticeable lacking of screams now, and it was easy to see why.  The remaining manticores were now circling me angrily, and somewhat confused.  There was an extra manticore though, one that had probably been just out of sight.

My breathing was shaky and rasping, the adrenaline falling away to a building sense of worry.  I chuckled to myself, You should be fucking terrified and you’re only SLIGHTLY WORRIED?!  A smile had crept to my face, one that really shouldn’t’ve been there.  But hell, it was there.  Why not? You are one crazy son of a bitch ain't you?

Meanwhile, the manticores seemed to be gathering up their courage.  The smallest of the three, growled once, and leapt, claws extended, and jaw opened to bare large, sharp teeth.  A rat-tat-tat later, I was stepping aside for a flying dead manticore.

The other two flinched at the sound, but rebounded by leaping at me at once.  One from the left, which I snapped my rifle to point at, and the other which was now behind me.  My rifle fired again, rat-tat-tat.  I rammed my rifle’s stock backwards to where I knew the manticore would be.  I connected with one paw, forcing the manticore to spin around, the other claw soaring harmlessly over my head.  The manticore landed on its’ paws a few feat away.  I raised my rifle again, and pulled the trigger.  Nothing.  Jammed?!  What the fuck!  Five years of fighting with this rifle, and it chooses to jam now?!  I dropped the rifle, cursing audibly, my hand instantly going for my knife.  To my worried mind, the manticore took notice of this opportunity, and pounced again.  The monster barreled with all of its’ weight.  We rolled once, me coming up top.  I pushed myself up to my knees, which were firmly planted on the chest of the beast.  My knife was out, the shining of the sun against the blade slid from the base all the way to the tip as I raised it up to bring it down.

Sensing what I was doing, the manticore grasped my pack, and threw me off.  I rolled on the ground, my pack slipping off somewhere in my little flight, landing off behind me.  I got myself to my feet again, the manticore already tackling me again, pressing me against the ground.  It took one swipe, which tore from my collar bone, all the way down to my waist.

Thankfully, I didn’t feel it yet.  I thrashed my legs, and my steel toed boot managed to connect with something, seeing as how the manticore’s eyes shrank to tiny little dots, a small squeak creaked out of it’s mouth.  Then, it rolled off of me, whimpering in great pain.  I sat up, my body beginning to catch up with me again, reminding me that I had more wounds than anyone should ever get at once.

But I was on my feet again, my chest heaving, trying to give precious oxygen to my leadened body.  The manticore had grasped something between its’ hind legs, tears streaming down its’ cheeks.  Ah fuck, I just insulted his manhood.  Time to pay, you know you have to.

“Sorry pal.  Come on, get up,” I say, picking him up to his feet, “One free shot.  Come on, I owe it to you.”

I turn my back to him, showing my full intent of fulfilling my word.  SWIPE!  Heat erupted on my back as I was thrown forward a little.  A smile crept on my face, my honor had been preserved.

“Ok then, let’s continue.”  I spun with inhuman speed, my knife slicing through the air.  I saw, and heard the manticore squirm backwards after the blow.  I had sliced open his right eye, and made a sizable cut down its’ face.  It was howling it’s rage and pain.  Seizing the moment, I charged after the stumbling creature, and rammed my blade straight up under the rib cage, right into where the heart should be.

A gasp escaped the manticore, and I twisted the blade, snarling into the ugly face, dropping it down to the ground like all the other manticores.

“Finally… it’s done.  Time to make repairs.”  I walked back over to my pack, which was now encased in a thin layer of powdered snow.  Squatting, I dusted it off, and opened it up.  My hand slid in, digging around for the Aid Kit.  Finding the square box, I pulled it out.  I rummaged through this too, finding the surgical staples and stapler.  I pulled off my shredded shirt, pinched my separated skin together, pulling them out and together, and started squeezed the stapler, forcing the skin to stay together with a metal staple with a firm click.

“Sweet Celestia!” I heard several voices exclaim in shock.  I looked up, and saw a large gathering of the horses, all of which seemed to be be both horrified and disgusted at the sight of me.  There had to be dozens of them, but 6 seemed to stand out.  Probably due to the fact that they were the closest to me, out in front the large group.

There was a white unicorn with a purple, done up mane that was wearing very… I don’t know, fancy clothing?  Then there was the pegasus from before, and another that had a yellow coat, and a long pink mane.  Then there was an orange horse, with blond hair, freckles, and a leathery looking cowboy hat with a sizeable chunk taken out of the brims’ front.  Then there was a pink horse, with an even pinker mane, if that was possible, that looked very unkempt.  The last was a purple unicorn, with a darker shade of purple mane, with a single pink stripe.

The cyan one stepped towards me, asking, “Are you alright?”

I just stared at her with a deadpan face, which I tried to make to express a “No, duh!  Do I look like I’m alright?”  I don’t know how successful I was, but I made the face, so mission complete.  I moved down the line of the same cut, and stapled again.  A disgusted, “Ugh!” resonated throughout the crowd.

“Come on big guy,” she says putting a hoof on my shoulder, “that looks like it hurts.  Let’s get you back to the hospital.”

Eh, why not?  Probably get better care there than whatever I could do for myself.  I sighed weakly, my wounds oozing a little more.  Standing, I snapped another staple in.  My bag was over my shoulders again, my rifle in hand, knife in sheath.  My mind felt fuzzy from the blood loss, and I fell against her side heavily, almost knocking her over.  I got my arm over her side as a tender wing went over me.

Rainbow Dash

That… that was… I had no idea what that was! I felt a strange mix of awestruck (which I’d never felt before, even from the Wonderbolts!), immense fear of whatever that thunderstick in hands was, and confusion.  I didn’t know what spell that thing in its’... whatevers… had on it, but it was DEADLY.

Then, the weird creature continued to surprise me, by putting itself through even MORE pain than it was already in by stapling metal into its’ chest!  Though, I could kind of understand what it was doing.  The metal bound shut the deep, and wide gash that went across its’ chest.  After I convinced it to come with me, it sagged feebly against my side.  A strange sense of affection fluttered in my chest, as I draped a wing over it, holding it tighter to my side.

Heat was growing on my side where the thing was.  I looked down, and saw that the blood and other liquids (which couldn’t’ve been a good sign) was staining my brilliant blue coat. I’m sure it’ll wash out… eventually.

Now, the creature was hanging off of me, moaning in misery and pain, barely conscious.  The hospital came up quick, and again, we were inside.  “I see that you’re back… oh pony feathers!  What happened to it?”  Redheart asked incredulously.

“Manticores.  Turns out it’s a-”

“Badass.”

Who was that?  I’d never heard that word before.  Sounded cool though! I should use it sometime.

“GURNEY!!” Redheart yelled.  A couple of stallions rushed out in mere seconds, threw him onto it, and rushed him out of sight, Redheart following.  Now I didn’t know what to do with myself.  I bit down on my lip in concern for the creature.  I couldn’t leave without knowing what happened to it!  So, against my better judgement as usual, I trotted after them.

I followed them down a few hallways, through a few doors, and into a surgery room.  The creature was laying on it’s back on the table, doctors looking over the barely moving thing.  “Well, let’s get started.” a masked doctor said, “Redheart, please administer the tranquilizer.”

“Offf currr, ohher.” Redheart said through a mouth clenching a large needle filled with a green liquid.

But when she went to inject the thing, an arm sprang up, and grabbed her jaw.  The creature’s head was now straining to stay up against the slab of a table, “No……. sleepers.”  It had been so quiet, that I had almost missed what it said. This thing is full of surprises!  If it survives, I think that it’s going to be loads of fun to be with!

The head thudded back down loudly, but the hand stayed on her jaw until she backed away.  Flying as quietly as possible, I made my way above them all.  Redheart and the doctors didn’t like anyone watching them while they worked, but I really couldn’t help myself.  I needed to know what happened to the strange creature.

The doctors sighed, and got to work, first on it’s leg, while the creature somehow managed to continue stapling shut the gashes.  But once it sealed shut the cuts, it stopped moving, letting the stapler clatter to the ground.  It seemed strong enough, but once the doctors started digging into the fleshy, bloody wounds, it started to twitch, which slowly built into shuddering uncontrollably.  The tendons on its’ neck were now painfully visible from strain.  While the creature had turned sickly pale, the face was not only contorted in pain, but was now also going red, then blue, and finally rested on purple.

Come on, breathe!  I thought.  It really needed to breathe.  “AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! FUCK-DAMN IT!” It screamed.  It sucked in a few breaths, and started screaming loud wails of pain.  My heart seized.  I’d never seen anything in such agony!  The creature ripped a cloth out of its’ remaining clothing, wadded it up, and stuffed it inside it’s mouth, muffling the cries.  Tears were flowing without restraint down its’ cheeks, as it grasped the table with both the legs and its’, oh buck it.  I’m calling them hooves until I know what the hey they’re supposed to be called, forehooves, bracing itself against the table.

The doctors were very hesitant to continue, but they carried on anyways.  I didn’t understand almost any of what they were doing, but needless to say, it was just plain vile!  Flesh was parted, muscles quivered, and blood was spilled.  How the heck is it even still alive!?  Much less conscious to scream?

But it got even worse.  They moved up to the chest.  But to properly get at the holes, they had to open him up.  They spread his skin, and pried open the rib cage.  I had to stop myself from barfing at the sight.  I’d never seen organs before, especially not ones that were constantly beating.  Large moving sacs of varying colors leaking out blood and sickly fluids streaming out of holes that even an idiot could figure out wasn’t supposed to be happening.  I looked to the face of the creature.  The eyes were bulging, almost out of their sockets, the nose flaring, veins and arteries popping everywhere, and the poor things’ helmet had fallen off.  Oh sweet Celestia!  I can’t keep watching this! I didn’t care how much noise I made, I couldn’t stand it!

Once I was outside the operating room, I barfed all over the floor.  I couldn’t stop myself until after what felt like hours of dry heaving, and then I could breathe.  And I realized that I had been crying, HARD.  I turned back to the door.  I peeked through, and the creature was grey.  It was still breathing, but the skin was grey, glistening with sweat.  The skin had gone taut, the body was shuddering weakly.  One eye, the eyelid slightly closed, rolled in its’ socket, down to me.

My skin crawled.  There was a smile, a very, very tired smile on the lips.  The doctors were leaning against the walls, so tired that they looked almost as dead as the creature, which really DID look dead.

I creeped in, my eyes locked on those black, and bloodshot eyes.  I was by its’ side, and I held the right forehoof in mine.  I felt my eyes watering again, as the eyes tracked me.  Slowly, ever so slowly, they fell shut.