My Honour and My Fatherland

Chapter 3: Tragic Stroke

“The ETB has been kept under surveillance by doctors, nurses and/or royal guards, as per the instructions of the two royal sisters. Their task is to make sure the ETB does not lash out; attempt escape or perform any other sort of aggressive or violent action.

During the first night of its stay at Ponyville Central, ETB began screaming, crying and thrashing about violently in its bed. ETB screamed in a language, which sounds similar to Prench. A professional, Prench speaking translator has been called down from Canterlot, and should arrive within a few days.

Doctors attempted to keep ETB in bed until both security and royal guards stationed at the hospital arrived, yet it managed to break the restraints around its wrists, where after it flew out of bed and ran around the room, screaming while pulling at its own mane and trying to block out all sound by holding its paws over its ears. All this was done while it was screaming at the top of its lungs.

The guards eventually managed to subdue the ETB and get it restrained onto the bed, however, it continued to scream and thrash about until a sedative was administered. ETB then slept for the remainder of the night.”

Nurse Redheart reads the report for the fourth time, making sure she has gotten every single minor detail written on the paper memorized and etched within her memory.

ETB, that’s the name the doctors gave the creature: ‘extra-terrestrial-being’. Not the fanciest sounding name, but it would do for now, at least until they find out the creature’s real name.

She looks up for a brief moment to avoid hitting a doctor who’s rushing past her down the white halls of the hospital, likely to get to an operation that needs another hoof.

She has just gotten back from a well-earned, albeit rather short, vacation she’d spent in Las Pegasus, a courtesy gift from the hospital for all her years of hard work and labour.

She hadn’t cared much for that place: it reminds her too much of a hospital with all that was going on at the same time. Ponies were laughing, crying, yelling, moving and thrashing about wildly, either because they won big time in a casino or their marefriend ran off with the hotshot that just won big time in a casino.

It’s safe to say Las Pegasus isn’t her cup of tea.

Now, however, she’s back and it seems she’s come at just the right time: a strange creature has recently come to Ponyville who, according to what she hears from other ponies and reads in the newspaper, took on Princess Twilight Sparkle and all of her friends in a fight that hurt some of them and nearly cost them their lives.

However, after a long, hard fought battle, the princess managed to subdue the creature, hitting it with a blast of concentrated magic in the face before she got it restrained. Then, she could focus on extinguishing the fire that raged in Sugarcube Corner.

The nurse feels a sad expression creep its way onto her face at just imagining seeing everypony’s favourite pastry store burst into flame.

Poor Pinkie Pie, she was almost killed by the creature, and then her home got partly destroyed in a fire caused by her own fireworks that the creature had found and used to attack them.

And now she herself is tasked with watching over this violent beast.

Outside of the room that’s been cleared out for the creature to stay in stands two of the biggest stallions she’s ever laid eyes on: tall, muscular, broad chested, and wearing the standard golden armour of the royal guards of Princess Celestia.

It’s been rather intimidating coming to work and seeing so many of the royal guards stationed outside and inside the hospital. It’s not that they’re rude or in the way of the staff’s work, it’s more that they stand and stare blankly into the air, not blinking or moving at all, like a tree or a rock. It’s unnerving.

All the guards all over the place give the building the appearance of a prison more than a place where ponies came to seek help and healing when hurt.

She shows her identification card to one of the guards, showing off she’s one of the staff members specifically chosen to care for the ETB. The guard nods and uses the magic in his horn to make a yellow aura appear on the lock of the door, followed by a satisfying click.

For a moment, she wonders why the creature is here in Ponyville and not in Canterlot. It seems obvious that it’s where it would be easiest to keep watch over it. According to one of the other nurses who she shared her concerns with, it’s Pinkie Pie who wants the thing to stay in Ponyville Somehow, she managed to convince the princesses to let it stay.

Why she would want that, Redheart has no idea, but it isn’t her place to question her superiors and the orders they get from royalty. With a deep breath and a steeled mind, she pushes open the door with her hoof and peeks inside.

The room is cast in darkness from the blinds being rolled down, but even then, the light coming in from the hall through the door reveals the room. The creature is lying on a hospital bed, which proved far too small, making its feet poke out over the railing of the bed.

Like with its wrists, there are leather straps around its ankles that keeps it securely restrained to the bed.

The hospital didn’t have a patient gown big enough for the creature either, so they’ve had to keep the blanket over its crotch to hide away its, erm, ‘bits’.

It’s no problem for her, though: she’s used to having to wash her patients, so it won’t be that much of a shock to her if and when it comes to that.

Which it likely will during this shift.

Stepping inside, she closes the door gently behind her, being careful to make as little noise as possible, before she walks closer to the bed where the creature lies. She stops when she notices the balloons and three, packaged gifts all wrapped with bright colours and small notes on top of them.

‘Who would send this thing presents?’ Curious, she steps closer and looks over what it says on the notes, squinting her eyes to get a proper look at the text in the dark.

‘To my new friend from Pinkie Pie. Get well soon!’ Is written with bright, pink letters.

Redheart can’t help smiling a bit. To think Pinkie Pie would still wanna be friends with that thing after everything it did. Then again, it is Pinkie Pie. She’d want to befriend an Ursa Major if she could.

She opens the blinds to let some sunlight in, but as she does, a sound from the creature draws her attention towards it.

It seems to still be asleep and is dreaming something: its head makes a few, subtle moves every now and then, followed by a low moan or gasp.

She breathes a sigh of relief yet can’t help wondering a bit about what it could be dreaming about. Maybe Princess Luna will know.

Never mind that, it’s time to get to work. She walks over to the side of the bed, being sure to check the heart monitor it’s hooked up to, seeing if-

“No!”

“What?!” Redheart can’t help but squeal as the creature shouts, making her turn to see it with its eyes still closed, yet a terrified expression has spread across its face.

It’s thrashing its head from side to side, its hands forming fists over and over, its arms pulling at the restraints around its wrists.

“No! No!” It repeats lower this time, sweat forming on its brow while its breath becomes hurried and ragged.

Redheart knows what to do: she’s comforted panicking patients hundreds of times, but this time, this one time, she’s completely frozen like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming train.

On the one hoof, her nurse training is screaming at her to act and wake it up, to make it realize that it’s only a nightmare, that nothing can harm it, that it’s completely safe.

But on the other, her survival instinct is screaming at her to do the opposite, to stay away from this beast, this violent animal, this thing that could break free at any moment and go on a rampage through the hospital, hurting or murdering ponies as it goes.

“NO!” Just then, the creature rears up and screams, its eyes flying open as tears stream down its cheeks.

‘Celestia damn it, do your job, Readheart!’ her mind screams, making her forget all thoughts of self-preservation before she places her hoof on its shoulder.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, shh, it was just a bad dream.” She says in her most soothing and caring tone.

The creature’s eyes dart all over the room, its breath remaining hurried and ragged, the blanket and bed drenched in sweat.

“There, there, nothing to be afraid of.” The creature turns its head to stare at her with eyes that are wide and wild, before it slowly leans back onto the bed, keeping eye contact with her all the while.

“See? You’re fine, it’s alright, no pony’s going to hurt you.” She continues, cooing and petting its shoulder gently.

Its eyes dart upwards to the nurse’s hat she wears, and as if a switch flicked in its mind, it calms down considerably, even gaining a wide, nearly manic smile. Wearing the wide smile, it reaches one of its claws towards her.

She flinches, almost drawing back, but not forgetting her obligations as a nurse, and to prevent spooking the creature or agitating it, she allows its claw to get closer until it connects with her cheek.

It whispers something to itself while it gently pets her cheek, almost like a dog that returns the stick that was thrown moments ago over its head.

He continues to whisper softly, but as she listens it begins to sound more like a song it’s singing to itself, as if hoping the sound of anything other than the sounds in its head will calm it down.

‘No, not it: he.’

* * *

Pinkie Pie is walking down the white halls of the hospital with a string attached to some balloons wrapped around her hoof. On her back stands her alligator Gummy, and on top of his back is a big gift wrapped in blue with a pink ribbon on top.

Besides the ribbon is an envelope, also pink, and encased within is an cyan coloured letter that wishes the creature a good stay at the hospital, but also to get well soon so she can properly welcome him to Ponyville.

She casts a glance out of a window she passes on the way to see a crowd of ponies gathered outside. They’re scared, she knows they are, she heard them whispering on the way here about the creature, how it’s dangerous. This fear has led to anger. Some are holding up signs, either with their magic, their wings, or their mouths while some others have set up a stand where they’re asking for ponies to sign a petition.

She overheard what it was about when she passed by: it’s a petition to get the creature shipped off to Canterlot as soon as possible to get it out of Ponyville.

She shudders a bit: she doesn’t want anyone to be ostracized because of a terrible misunderstanding.

Rounding a corner, she spots two royal guards stationed on either side of a door that leads to where the receptionist said the creature is.

She smiles as she approaches, eager to say hello to the creature and attempt to make a new friend. For real this time.

“Hi!” She greets one of the guards whom looks down at her, “Yes, Miss Pinkie Pie?”

“I’m here to visit my friend.” She says with a smile and leans forward, showing off the balloons, Gummy and the gift on his back.

The stallion nods and uses his magic to open up the door. Pinkie smiles, happy that the princesses have allowed her, and her friends, to come see the creature whenever they come knocking.

She eagerly skips inside where she finds Nurse Redheart standing by the bedside. The creature is sitting up straight on the bed, having the bedsheets draped over his crotch with his torso fully exposed.

He is incredibly thin, so much so she can see his rips through his skin. The skin itself is pale, like somepony who hasn’t let the sun get on their body, but his head and face, however, are more of a tannish brown. He’s eating a plate of the famous green glob and purple, square jelly the hospital serves here. He’s swallowing it down like it’s the best meal he’s had in years.

“Oh, Pinkie Pie, hello.” Redheart gives her a tired smile, “Came to see our extraterrestrial visitor?”

“Yup, I wanted to see how he was doing and to bring him a gift to make him feel welcome!” Pinkie beams with a joyous smile.

“That’s so nice of you.” Redheart places a hoof softly on the creature’s lab, making him briefly look up from his meal, “Don’t you agree? Isn’t it nice that Pinkie Pie’s come to visit you?”

He stares at Redheart for a moment before he returns to his meal, making the nurse sigh, “He still hasn’t said a word.”

“Oh,” Some of Pinkie’s elation went out, “so he can’t speak Ponish at all? Only Prench?”

“That’s what the doctors think, and I’m inclined to agree with them. He mostly doesn’t react to anything, except for loud noises like a bomb.”

The moment Redheart says the word ‘bomb’, the creature flies out of bed, the bedsheets flying off in the process and landing on Redheart’s face, before he quickly scampers underneath the bed, not moving a single muscle with only his feet being visible.

Pinkie and Redheart stare wide eyed at the exposed feet, a mixture of shock and confusion on their faces. The creature moves incredibly fast for someone that looks so weak.

The two ponies exchange glances, knowing what the other thinks without words being said. With a nod, they both head around the bed and carefully, slowly edge their heads downwards until they can see underneath the bed.

The creature is holding his hands over his ears, trying to block out all sounds.

“Shh, it’s okay, nopony’s here to hurt you.” Pinkie whispers gently and extends her hoof out to the creature.

After a few moments of silence, the creature raises his head slightly, looking around underneath the bed before he locks eyes on her hoof. He stares at it, confusion clear in his eyes, then slowly wraps his claws around it, making Pinkie’s smile return.

“There ya go, come on.” With a few, gentle pulls she gets him to slowly peak out from underneath the bed. He gazes around the room confused, as if searching for something that should be there, but isn’t.

The nurse and the party pony give the creature all the time he needs. When he finally rises to his shaky feet, Pinkie gasps, blushes and looks away upon seeing his naked behind. Redheart is quick to come around the bed and ease him back onto it, swiftly covering his privates with the bedsheets once more.

Still, he looks around the room in confusion and distrust. Something for him mustn’t be right, something isn’t as it should be.

Nurse Redheart sighs, “The way he reacts to things, it’s like he has trauma.”

“Trauma?” Said Pinkie.

“Yes, he’s traumatized. Something must have happened where he’s from, something that left a deep, psychological scar on him. But I’ve never seen anypony so affected they can’t talk, barely move except for serious shaking, and who reacts to any sudden noise or specific words.”

“Like bo- the b-word?” Pinkie asks to be sure.

“Yes, Pinkie, like the b-word.”

Pinkie thinks for a moment before another question comes to mind, “Wait, shaking? But he’s not shaking now.” Pinkie notes and motions to the still creature.

“Watch this.” Redheart walks in front of the creature and fishes out one of the small chocolate bars she always keeps on her person, “Come here, dear. It’s milk chocolate, the one you like.” Pinkie thinks it’s a bit strange she’s calling on him as if he’s a dog, but doesn’t say anything as the creature’s eyes lock on the chocolate bar.

Slowly, he rises to his feet and starts walking, but as he moves his body sways and his torso keeps rocking back and forth. His legs appear stiff as wood, and he continually blinks while his head begin shaking from side to side like a boat being rocked by a storm on the open seas.

Pinkie can’t believe what she’s seeing as he takes the chocolate bar, slowly returns to the bed and begins to devour the chocolate after getting it out of its wrapped prison. Like with the hospital food, he gulps it down on a level that impresses even her.

Mmm, maybe sweets can help cheer him up.

Nurse Redheart gets Pinkie out of her fantasy of what sweets would best suit him, “It happens whenever he tries to move, but when he’s sitting still or resting, he’s completely still. It’s like every muscle in his body is trying to move at exactly the same time.”

Pinkie’s worry returns as she looks at the poor thing, when she feels a tuck at her hair in the back of her head, reminding her of the weight on her back, “Oh! Nurse Redheart, can I give him something?” She asks as her smile returns.

“Well, sure, if you don’t mind me seeing what it is first.”

“I don’t.” Pinkie eagerly places the package that has rested on her back onto the floor before she unfurls the ribbon with her mouth, allowing the box to fall apart by itself, revealing the delicious chocolate cake within.

Redheart can’t help but smile at the sight of the cake, particularly when she sees the words ‘Get well soon!’ written in bright, pink frosting.

“Aw, Pinkie Pie, that’s so sweet. I’m sure he’ll love it.” She gives a nod to Pinkie, making the pink mare lift the cake up onto her head and present it to her alien friend who is licking his libs for traces of the former piece of chocolate.

“Here ya go! See? It says, ‘Get well soon!” Pinkie declares and places the cake into his lab, making him stare down at the cake, blinking a couple of times as if to be certain of what he is seeing is real.

He raises a hand and lowers it downwards to the cake, making Redheart react, “Oh, no, dear, here, this should do better.” She smiles and leaves quickly before returning with a plastic fork she gives to him.

He brings a piece of the cake up to his mouth, touching the piece against his libs, before he takes it into his mouth. His eyes light up as chews, “Gâteau, vrai gâteau.” He mutters lowly with renewed vigor in his voice. For the first time, Pinkie sees a small smile emerge on his libs as he really digs in, eagerly swallowing the cake almost as fast as the chocolate.

Redheart looks at Pinkie and decides now is a good opportunity to get something cleared up.

“Pinkie Pie, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah?”

“Why didn’t you want the princesses’ to take him to Canterlot? I mean, they have better facilities there, and Princess Celestia and Luna would be able to keep a direct eye on him. Wouldn’t that have been better?”

Pinkie thinks for a moment, considering how to best formulate her thoughts. She knows it was the right call to keep the creature here but… why? After a few moments of thinking she speaks up.

“When I moved here to Ponyville, it was kinda scary having to get to know a new place where I didn’t know anypony. I quickly found a nice home with the Cakes, and everything was alright for me.

“Then when Twilight Sparkle came to town, she was all alone and didn’t have any friends here. Well, no one except Spike.” She smiles sheepishly before she continues.

“She needed some friends to make her feel welcome before she could settle in. So, I thought, if he was taken to Canterlot,” She places a hoof on the creature’s knee, but he doesn’t react, being too preoccupied with the cake, “he wouldn’t have anypony to look after him, nopony to be his friend. I think, if he was moved, it would be really stressful for him, not just because of the whole moving thing, but also because he wouldn’t have anypony.”

Pinkie Pie looks Redheart in the eyes, a determined smile appearing on her face, “And I’m gonna make sure he has a friend who can comfort him.”

Nurse Redheart nods understandingly, but eventually must take the cake away from the creature in order for him not to overeat, much to his clear chagrin. Pinkie is quick to place a hoof on his shoulder, though, bringing his attention to her.

“Hey,” she tries, “remember me? From Sugarcube Corner?” He cocks his head to the side, staring deep into her big, blue eyes for a moment, before his own grow wide, like he’s had a sudden realization.

“Pinkie…Pie?” He says carefully and quietly, as if worried she would break if he said it wrong or too loudly.

“Yes, yes! Pinkie Pie, that’s me!” She exclaims loudly and rears onto her back legs, but her shouting and sudden movements only makes the creature snap back, yelping in terror, as he curls up on the bed like a baby and holds his hands firmly over his head, whimpering as he does.

Pinkie gasps horrified, “No! I mean, uh, sorry! I didn’t mean to!” However, her apologies fall on deaf ears as the creature begins to rock back and forth, prompting Pinkie to continue to try and apologize before Redheart starts pushing her out.

“Out.”

“But I- “

“OUT!” She snaps at Pinkie and closes the door in her face.

Pinkie’s mood shatters and she drops her haunches onto the floor, her head lowers and her hair goes straight. Beyond the door she can hear how Redheart tries to calm the creature down, desperation in her voice and calming coos sounding from her. All goes quiet after a while, and the only sound heard is that of hospital staff trotting past in the halls.

“It’s normal.” She hears the guard to her right say, making her look up at him in confusion.

“What?”

“It’s normal it reacts like that. The creature doesn’t like loud noises. Completely flips out because of them.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” The guard responds, followed quickly by Nurse Redheart opening the door and sticking her head out, a tired expression on her face.

“Is he okay?” Pinkie asks as worry washes over her. Has she lost her chance of making friends with him?

“He’s…no, he isn’t, he needs some time to calm down.” Redheart explains, making Pinkie’s hair straighten further. Upon seeing this, Redheart exits the room, closing the door behind her, before she places a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, dear, I’m sure you can come back and see him soon enough. In the meantime, why don’t you go check on Applejack? She got quite the shock and could use a friend like you close by.”

Pinkie smiles at Redheart’s words while her thoughts go to Applejack. She’d barely seen her countrypony friend for a while. She’s mostly been working day and night bucking apples, probably trying to get her mind off the creature and what it almost did.

“Okay, Nurse Redheart, I’ll be sure to get her the tastiest apple cupcake I can make!”

Redheart can’t help but chuckle a bit, “Yes, dear, you go ahead and do that.” She casts her head down the hall towards the exit of the hospital, “Now git.”

With her smile returning and Gummy on her back, Pinkie skips and hops down the hall while Redheart sighs and once more enters the room of Ponyville’s alien visitor.

* * *

Pinkie means well, Redheart knows she does, but sometimes the party pony can be too much of a hoofful. Redheart pours some soap intended for the body onto a sponge before she gently drags it across the back of the creature, making him shiver a bit as the sponge touches his naked skin.

After some time, she’d managed to calm him down, followed by a bath. It hadn’t been easy getting him into the tub, especially when his loincloth fell and she saw…well, ‘him’. It wasn’t anything new to her, though, as helping to wash patients was part of the job.

The water washes over him, cleaning away the sweat he’s accumulated from all his thrashing about, yet he continues to shiver, even as the warm water fills the room with steam.

As she washes him, she can’t help thinking about all those ponies outside the hospital, ponies who want him gone, ponies who are afraid of him.

‘If only they could see you, you poor thing. See how much you’re suffering.’ A sad expression crosses her face as she continues scrubbing him, eventually finishing off by soaping up his hair. He doesn’t protest, barely moves. In fact, it seems he actually enjoys it while he hums a little, happy tune to himself.

* * *

“Ah’m not so sure this is a good idea, Pinkie Pie.” Applejack muses as she walks besides the hopping, pink pony who leads her through the streets of Ponyville, the afternoon sun baking on them while it lowers to soon make way for the moon.

“Don’t worry your pretty little country head about it, AJ, I’m sure once you get properly introduced to him, you’ll see how much he needs friends.” Pinkie says with a happy voice as she bounces along, eager to show her farmer friend how her alien friend really is.

“Pinkie, do Ah need ta remind ya what it almost did?” Applejack spoke in a darker tone, her head slightly lowered towards the dirt road while her hat was pulled further down her head to shield her face from the afternoon sun.

Pinkie stops bouncing at that and stands still, resulting in AJ stopping her walk as well, turning her gaze to the pink pony with confusion.

“I know, AJ, but… You’ve got to believe me when I say he isn’t dangerous, just…afraid.” She’s looking at her hooves as she speaks, her curly hair covering her eyes before she looks up at Applejack, who stands with an unconvinced expression.

“Afraid? That thing, afraid!?” Applejack tries to control her outburst, but she still manages to draw some heads from ponies passing by.

“Yes.” Pinkie says simply, but continues before Applejack can speak again, “I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense after what happened, but I really, truly believe that he didn’t mean anything bad by it. He was just trying to defend himself.”

“Defend hisself, sure, after he almost did ya in inside Sugarcube Corner.” Applejack snarks and continues the way towards Ponyville Hospital in a brisk trot, leaving Pinkie to stand dumbfounded.

“But… he wants to be friends.” She whispers before she follows after AJ, eventually arriving at the hospital where the crowd outside demanding that the creature be removed from Ponyville has grown ever so much.

They manage to make it through the crowd with some trouble, finding themselves in the reception hall where some royal guards are standing by, watching the crowd and keeping an eye out for any and all trouble.

Pinkie scans the personnel, looking for a very certain, white mare.

Where could she be? Hmm.

After a few moments of searching, she spots the mare in question, Nurse Redheart, coming out of the hall and into the reception room to talk with the receptionist about something or other.

Grinning widely, Pinkie hops and skips over to the nurse, waiting a brief moment for her to finish speaking with the receptionist, before she lights up as Redheart turns and faces her.

Redheart gets a bit of a shock, exclaiming a small, surprised yelp before she breathes a relieved sigh, “Oh, Pinkie, it’s just you. Did you go see Applejack?”

“Sure did!” Pinkie beams, “I also brought her along to meet our new friend.” She points a hoof straight at Applejack who comes up besides Pinkie. She raises her head and gives a small, slightly uncomfortable smile to Redheart, “Howdy.”

Redheart’s expression goes from a smiling one full of encouragement to worry and disapproval, “Pinkie, I don’t think it’s such a good idea.”

“I’m sure everything’ll be fine once AJ gets introduced to him. And once she’s made friends with him, then everypony will see that he’s actually nice!” Pinkie’s joy and confidence in her own plan practically shines like the sun.

However, both Applejack and Nurse Redheart’s expressions clearly show their skepticism, “Are you okay with this, dear?” Redheart asks the farmer who nods, “Yeah, Ah just need this done so Ah can satisfy Pinkie and git on home ta the farm.”

Redheart seems unconvinced, “Applejack, are you sure? He almost killed you last time you interacted with him, I wouldn’t want you or him to relapse and try to harm each other.”

“Listen, nurse, Ah appreciate the concern, but Ah’m certain ah won’t ‘relapse’, but if that critter tries anythin’ Ah’ma introduce him to my two back hooves.” She finishes off with a nod and a confident look, but Redheart’s trained nurse eye can clearly see that beneath her tough exterior, Applejack is nervous and still very afraid.

She’s about to protest further when Applejack speaks up, “So, am Ah gonna meet this thing again, or are we gonna stay here ‘n argue?” There was a slight edge to her voice, an edge Redheart was ready to match, when a scream suddenly resonates throughout the entire hospital, shaking the ponies to their very core.

Redheart gains a shocked expression and takes off down the hall, followed by several other nurses, doctors and royal guards.

Pinkie recognizes the room they’re headed for: it’s the creature’s.

“Come on, Applejack!” Pinkie runs, followed by Applejack, down the hall until they arrive at the room where the door stands wide open, the usual guards on either side of the room now inside where the screaming continues.

Pinkie pokes her head inside, her jaw dropping in horror at the scene before her: the creature is being held down by several guards, while doctors appear to be trying to inject him with a syringe full of what must be sleep medicine.

The nurses are assisting the guards in trying to keep the creature down, but he’s refusing their attempts, thrashing about and screaming at the top of his lungs, moving his front legs this way and that to avoid the syringe.

Most of all, his face is contorted into an expression of pure horror while tears stream down his cheeks. His eyes are darting all over the room, looking at the guards, doctors and nurses before they make contact with hers.

Pinkie’s heart drops at the sight, and she quickly flies in, trying to push past the guards and doctors, only to be pushed back by all the movement.

“Stop! Can’t you see he’s terrified!” Her words, however, fall on deaf ears. She isn’t willing to stop, though, and she quickly dives back in to get to her friend, leaving Applejack to observe the struggle unfolding before her.

Why is her friend so concerned for that thing? Could it really be it was just scared? Like she is? Can it really be a friend?

Eventually, the syringe hits its mark, and the creature slowly begins to calm down, emitting a few whimpers and wheezes, allowing the staff to take a step back and breathe a sigh of relief.

Redheart turns to Pinkie, about to berate her for trying to interrupt the hospital staff’s work, but upon seeing the distraught face the pink pony wears, she sighs and brings a hoof to her face, “Pinkie,” She speaks in a low voice, making Pinkie look at her while her hair starts to deflate.

“Don’t. Ever. Do that again, understand? Don’t ever try to stop hospital stuff from doing their work, okay?”

“But, I- “

“I know you wanna help him but preventing us from sedating him won’t do any good. What if he hurts himself while he’s in a fit of hysteria?”

Pinkie lowers her head while Applejack slowly walks closer, constantly keeping her eyes on the creature.

His chest is raising and lowering quickly, but it begins to calm down as the sedatives work their magic.

She gets so close she can hear its ragged, drawn out breathing, as well as see the small shakes and quivers its body makes on occasion.

“Hey,” She’s not entirely sure why she spoke up, maybe because Pinkie desperately wants her to give it a chance and see that it’s not so bad. Maybe she wants to believe her in some way. Or maybe, she just wants to see for herself that this thing isn’t worth fearing.

The creature doesn’t respond, though, merely keeps staring out into the air in an empty, almost lifeless manner, with eyes blank and emotionless.

“Hey, Ah’m talkin’ to ya.” Applejack’s about to poke the creature’s shoulder, but a guard quickly places his hoof above her own, lowering it and giving her a critical eye, “Don’t touch it, it doesn’t like being touched.”

She lowers her hoof and turns back to the creature, letting her gaze travel over it for a few moments. It seems so vulnerable, almost pathetic, as it lies there and tries to breathe. Was this thing really so dangerous? Could Pinkie be right? Was it just trying to defend itself from what it thought was the danger?

“P-Pinkie Pie?”

Everypony stops what they’re doing and look straight at the creature, who’s got his eyes trailed on Pinkie Pie. A single tear is falling down her cheek, but her sadness is replaced with the shock of hearing her name.

The creature slowly raises its claw towards her, making the pink pony walk up to him, placing her hoof in his claw thing. He gently squeezes her hand, warming it slightly. He stares into her eyes, trying to speak or formulate words, but it’s like the words are getting stuck in his throat, unable to be said.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, I’m here. No one’s gonna hurt you, I promise.” She puts on her most friendly and genuine smile. The creature continues to stare into her eyes, his libs still moving and trying to form words.

“J-J-Jean.” The creature suddenly whispers, making everypony trail their ears to pick up the smallest sounds.

“What? What did you say?” Pinkie leans in a bit, trying to hear again what he said.

“J-Jean.” He says again with one hand weakly motioning to himself. Pinkie can’t help but let her smile widen as the realization dawns on her.

“Well, hello there, Jean, I’m Pinkie Pie, it’s really nice to meet you.” Jean seems to want to say more, mumble something in Prench most like, when suddenly a new royal guard comes bursting into the room.

“Everypony come quick! The mob’s becoming unruly outside!” He blurts out and runs out of the room, followed quickly by the other guards and doctors. One of the guards stand by the door, holding up his key and waiting for the remaining ponies to come out before he locks the door.

“Oh no! They want the creature gone!” Redheart follows after, with Applejack following as well before she stops in the door and looks over her shoulder to see her friend still holding her hoof in the creature’s claw.

“Come on, Pinkie! We gotta calm those ponies down!” Pinkie looks at her friend before back at the creature, giving him a gentle smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”

Pinkie runs out of the room closing the door behind her while the guard locks it with his key. She leaves so fast she doesn’t her Jean’s last words, “No… don’t go…”

The group arrive just outside the entrance where the mob has gathered. Several other royal guards and hospital staff are keeping the unruly ponies at bay.

“Get it outta here!” One stallion shouts, followed by a mare exclaiming, “It’s a danger to our foals!” The crowd seems to have grown to roughly 30 ponies, not the biggest but enough to be a danger if they get inside the hospital.

“Ponies, please! The creature isn’t a danger! It’s here because it needs help!” Redheart tries to reason, but her reasoning falls on deaf ears.

“After what that thing did?!” Another stallion shouts, “It almost succeeded in burning down Sugarcube Corner and tried to kill Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends! How could you ever want to defend that vile thing!”

“Jean.” Pinkie says and glares at the stallion, making him look with confusion back, “What you say?”

“His name is Jean!” She yells, making the crowd fall silent, “And he’s a living, breathing, not a thing as you call him!”

“But, Pinkie Pie,” A purple mare from the crowd starts, “it tried to hurt you: why would you defend it?”

Pinkie steels her gaze and stands as tall as her frame allows, gathering up all her courage, “Because he’s scared and vulnerable and in need of a friend! And anyone in need of a friend doesn’t need to look any further than Pinkie Pie! I know what it’s like to be scared and alone, and there’s no way in Tartarus I’m gonna let anyone hurt him. Anyone!”

The crowd’s now gone completely silent, taking in her words and almost cowering before her gaze, when suddenly Applejack steps up besides Pinkie.

For a moment, some in the crowd look relieved, thinking Applejack will surely agree with their point of view, but she looks at them with shame and disappointment, “What happened to y’all? Y’all used ta be the friendliest bunch o’ ponies one could ever meet. Now look at ya. You’re lettin’ ya fears drive ya towards wantin’ to harm a critter scared fer his life. If anythin’ y’all are doin’ exactly as he did by tryin’ ta get rid o’ somethin’ y’all are afraid of, and that ain’t no way ta go around it. Y’all should be just as ashamed as Jean.”

Mares and stallions all look shamefully at the ground, the mob mentality fading away and giving way to reason as both Applejack and Pinkie Pie’s words register.

Pinkie can’t help but smile at her farmer friend, whom smiles in return. Pinkie is about to say a heartfelt thanks and throw her arms around AJ’s neck, when they hear a loud, terrified scream, “PINKIE PIE!!!”followed by a loud thud.

* * *

Jean leans back on the bed, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. Whatever they injected him with has made him incredibly tired, but he tries not to sleep. He doesn’t want to.

“Come back… please,” He mumbles, trying to find the strength to sit up more, yet he’s too weak. Accepting his fate, he fully relaxes, yet the noises from outside won’t stop, the noise, that piercing, ear piercing noise.

He groans, the noises shattering the small piece of mind he had for a moment. He tries to raise his hands to his ears to block out the noises, but the restraints keep his hands firmly in place.

His body begins to shake again as he desperately tries to move his arms, yet the weakness in him forbids him from doing so. His breath becomes more ragged as the noises become distorted, twisting and shifting in character, until they sound like something else, something familiar and horrifying.

He closes his eyes and grimaces, trying to block out the noises coming from beyond the walls, the loud shouting, shouting, screaming.

It doesn’t help. In fact, it makes it worse.

With his eyes closed, the screaming becomes so much clearer, the screaming of a thousand voices going silent, only to quickly be replaced by another thousand, and another thousand, and another thousand.

He rocks his head back and forth, trying to block out the noises, the shouting, the screaming, the screaming! He tries to scream in return, to make any other noise be heard than the screaming outside, but it’s no use, he’s too weak to scream.

He begins to thrash around again, pulling as hard as he can, making a weak and pathetic attempt to pull himself free.

Suddenly, the restraint around one of his wrists flies open, letting his hand come flying up to his right ear, trying to block out the sound.

It takes him a moment to realize his hand is free, and he looks at it in confusion before down at the restraining leather. It must have gotten loose during the struggle earlier, and this last bit of thrashing seems to have been enough.

Even in his weakened state, he manages to undo the restraint on the other wrist, allowing him to finally use his hands to block his ears from the invading noises. It helps a bit, muffling the sound just a little bit.

However, the images accompanying the screams start flooding back, making him quiver and rock back and forth on the bed. He whimpers, tears threatening to spill forth, but after some moments he notices something.

The screaming from outside. It stopped.

He looks towards the window, confusion and curiosity replacing his fear. He manages to find the strength to force himself out of the bed, letting the covers fall down around his legs. It’s a bit cold, but not nearly as cold as he’s experienced before, and that was with clothes on.

He staggers over to the window, fumbling a bit with the hinges before managing to open it up and sliding it open. The gentle spring breeze rushes into the room, allowing him to breathe in fresh untainted air.

Libs quivering and eyes wide with confusion, he takes a look at the outside world. He can see green trees, a small village, a big mountain in the background. It seems… serene… serene and untrue, unreal, like something that couldn’t exist, shouldn’t exist, can’t exist… or maybe it’s him that shouldn’t exist.

His eyes eventually come upon a crowd of multiple colours, all standing outside this beige coloured building. They must be the noise makers, the screamers, the ones that bring back images he’s trying to forget.

His head shakes a bit along while his libs quiver, and he leans a bit out of the window to get a better look at the assorted mob.

He spots something pink in front of the crowd… no, wait, not something, someone. That pink horse is down there, talking to the others with the orange one besides it. What was her name. She told him her name.

It's…

“Pinkie Pie,” He manages to say just before he loses his grip on the windowsill, his weight working against him and making him slip out of the window.

The world seems to slowdown as he falls headfirst towards the green grass below, his arms flailing in a desperate attempt to break his fall when he inevitably hits the ground.

He uses the last bit of the strength in his lungs to let out a scream, the scream he’d been holding in for so long, a scream for help, before he hits the ground with a heavy thud, sending his world back into darkness.

“PINKIE PIE!!!”

End of chapter 3: Tragic Stroke