Swift Wanderings

I awoke to a rustling in the tent.

That’s an odd sound.

I heaved upwards, only to nearly pass out. I was forced to use by ruined leg to push my saddle bags in front of the tent door. It wasn’t enough to keep anything out, but it was instinctive. I cried out as my leg screamed in pain from usage, making the injury worse.

Maybe I should just let it in. Die quickly.

I heard mumbling after my scream was finished. It knew I was injured, ready to pounce. I flinched as my tent was ripped open, but then strong hooves slipped under me, and dragged me out of my tent. I shivered as I breathed the cool night air.

I heard voices above me.

“Is she okay?”

“Who is she?”

“Miss?” A hoof poked my side. “What is your name?”

I looked up at the stallion who’d rescued me. “I’m Swift,” I managed, before passing out.

***

When I woke up, it was late evening. I was resting in a military-style cot, a thick blanket over top of me. A white earth pony mare with a red cross as a cutie mark was sitting in the corner, reading a magazine, clearly waiting for something to do.

I shifted, and attempted to sit up. My head throbbed, so I dropped it back onto my pillow. The nurse, alerted by the noise, trotted over. “Good evening.” She greeted me.

“Where am I?” I rasped, my dry throat making it difficult to speak.

“You’re in the Ponyville Hospital.” She said.

“How-” I coughed. “How’d I get here?”

“The Wonderbolts Search-and-Rescue division found you passed out at the bottom of a steep gulch. You were running a fever of a hundred and eight, so you needed emergency care right away.

“You’ve also got a concussion, and second-degree burns all along your right side. Honestly, I thought that you were going to die when they brought you in.”

I was taken aback. “Oh.”

“You’re going to have to stay here for another week. That should be enough for you to be safe enough to go home.”

I felt my ears burn. “Umm . . .“

Her ears drooped, and her cheeks colored.

“You’re a traveler . . .right . . .anypony that you could live with for like . . . the next three months?”

“Three months!?”

“If you aren’t fully healed before you go adventuring again, you will have a relapse, and spend even longer recovering.” She stated firmly.

“uhm . . . if I give you an address, can you contact the pony living there?” I asked.

“That should be fine.” The nurse said. She whipped out a small pad and looked at me expectantly.

“Uhm . . . 408 Lilac Lane, Manehattan, Equestria, zip code 64533. Her name is Artful Joy, but she goes by Joy, and she runs the art shop underneath the Istallion restaurant in the same place.”

“Joy, art shop, Istallion restaurant, got it!” She smiled. “That was nice and easy. Now, any dietary issues I should know about?”

“I’m allergic to anything involving Poison Joke, She rolled her eyes at that, but I didn’t want to take any chances. I hated that stuff. “I’m omnivorous, although I can live on a vegetarian diet.” I studied her face carefully for any kind of reaction. Ponies usually flipped out when they discovered that I could eat meat.

The nurse just shrugged, even if a bit surprised. “I think that we have some fish in stock, the local manticore hasn’t been around recently.”

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. “There’s a manticore here?”

“Yes, he’s quite nice.” She shrugged. “He visits the local animal caretaker, Fluttershy, for tea every Wednesday.”

I decided that now was not a time to question this town.

***

Four days after sending the letter about Swift to the Wonderbolts H.Q., Joy received another letter. It was very official looking, and had been given to her personally by a cross-eyed mailpony.

It read:

Dear Artful Joy,

Swift Traveling is currently a resident of Ponyville Hospital due to numerous injuries. None are life-threatening, but she will be unable to resume her rover lifestyle for three months after she is discharged.

Ms. Swift listed you as a primary contact. If you are willing and able to care for her for the three months that she will be unable to live on her own, please reply immediately, and come to Ponyville on September the 18th, and pick her up.

If you are unable or unwilling to care for her, please reply immediately.

Sincerely,

Nurse Redheart

***

My time in the hospital passed by quickly. I spent most of it dozing, trying to sleep off my fever. Whenever I was awake, I read, trying to pass the time.

Before I knew it, a week had passed by. There was a knocking at my door.

“Who is it?” I called.

“It’s me!” A cheerful, happy voice answered.

Joy! I reached for my bedside table. My hat was there, having been repaired by the town’s local tailor. She’d refused any payment, which I was grateful for.

“Come in!”

The door flew open. In bounced a turquoise hurricane. My best friend Joy was very tall, approaching Princess Luna in height. She had a vibrant purple mane and tail-tuft. Her eyes were golden, with slit pupils, and cream-colored horns jutted from just above the base of her ears. She had a long snout, with two sharp fangs protruding from her upper lip to just below her chin, and a scaly yellow underbelly reaching from her lower jaw to the tip of her tail.

Her forelegs were draconic, each ending in four very sharp claws. Her hind legs were pony-esqu, although she lacked a cutie mark. Her thin-rimmed glasses glimmered in the harsh hospital light as her draconic tail lashed from side to side. It was about half again as long as her body.

She had enormous bat-like wings. When fully stretched out, her wingspan was about twenty feet, and she always got envious looks from pegasi when walking down the street.

She was also currently using that large wingspan to bring me into a very undignified hug. “Swift!” She said excitedly.

I buried my face in her thick fur. “Joy.” I murmured.

The End... for now.