Quincy

What was even the point? Going to the hospital, I mean.

Ever since I entered this town, I just experience pain wherever I go.

Was this just to save Mortus? Why did I even come to this damn town? Was it because… I couldn’t escape?

I almost did. But then I met Hailea.

Hailea.

She saved my life. But I couldn’t save her's.

Hailea… I’m sorry.

You deserved better.

Please… Rest in peace, wherever you may be.

I need to go to the hospital.

More walking. I didn't even care about what could be in the fog. I was still thinking about her.

God dammit... Did I have a crush on her? Or do I just feel... Bad?

It doesn't matter anymore.

I need to focus. I need to find Mortus.

Finally. The hospital.

The hospital here was actually quite small. That's because it's in Ponyville, which itself is a relatively small town.

But oddly enough... This place felt familiar.

I went through the front doors of the hospital. It was too dark. The floor had some garbage on it, like old magazines or hospital things, such as gloves or surgical masks. Then I saw another newspaper. I decided to pick it up, and then thought, why am I reading these? Was it to distract myself from what's happening?

Was it to escape this nightmare for a few minutes?

Because, honestly, they're not doing a great job. All I've read about is death and suffering from these newspapers. So... Do I really want to read this?

The title didn't give me much hope.

Ponyville Doctor Commits Suicide

Ponyville doctor was found dead in their own home, hanging from a rope. Hospital staff noticed their disappearance and decided to contact the Royal Guard. “We were shocked,” said the captain of the search team. “First that burning house, that murder, now this... According to the autopsy report of our medical examiner, this doctor died on the same night as the fire, and that murder. We are currently trying to find out if these events are linked in anyway,” said Royal Guard Investigator, Winchester Perdita.

I shook my head. I knew it was a mistake to read this.

I folded up the newspaper, and shoved it into my saddlebags with the other newspapers. Because... Why not?

Suddenly, I heard a scream. I jumped from surprise. It sounds like... Another pony.

I began to run in the hallway of the hospital. Until I reached the end. Now there were two ways to go. The left hallway or the right. I heard the scream again, from the left. So that's where I choose to go.

I tried to open each door that I saw down the hall. Each door was jammed. Then finally, a door opened. When I went inside, I saw a red stallion pegasus laying on his side, in pain.

“H-hey!” I said. “What's w-wrong?” I questioned as I approached him.

He looked up at me, and said, “P-Pain... I need... Medicine...”

I remembered the morphine pills.

He moved his hoof to reveal three deep scars on his chest. From the looks of it, he was attacked by some sort of an animal.

“Oh dear...” I debated on a morphine pill or a health drink, but it looked like he really needed the morphine more. So, I levitated out the bottle of pills and popped it open, and gave him a pill. “H-here... Take this.”

He took it without hesitating.

I closed the pill bottle and shoved it back into my one of my saddlebags. Then I pulled out my med-kit. There were enough bandages. I took out a roll and started wrapping it around his chest. “H-hold still,” I said.

Then he was bandaged up.

“Thanks...” He said, then he sighed.

Silence hit the room. “W-what happened to you?” I asked.

“I... I dunno. Something came at me. It acted like manticore, but... It was scarier. Its flesh was rotting, and it had a knife at the end of its tail... Not as in, he was holding the knife with his tail, but more like, it went through it.” He said. “It used its claws on me, however... Then I came here for help. But... Ponyville was empty. Then I came here for medical supplies.”

“Manticore m-monster?” I questioned. I'm glad I didn't come across those...

“Yeah... Have you encountered one too?” He asked.

“N-no. I've encountered... O-other things,” I said.

“Like what?” He tilted his head.

“I dunno h-how to describe them... Eyeless t-twitching monsters,” I said. “Th-that emit smoke.”

“The fuck,” he said, trying to imagine my horrors.

“D-Do you need help up?” I asked.

“Yeah... That would be nice.” He gave me a small smirk.

I helped him up with a hoof.

Then I really got a better look at him, as he laid in the darkness before. When he stood, I can see that he had green eyes, and orange hair, which almost blended with his red coat. His cutie mark was a pair of headphones.

“Hey, what did you give me?” He asked.

“A m-morphine p-pill.” I answered.

“Oh. Well, that seems to have made it go away,” he said. “I barely even feel a thing now.”

“Yeah. That's w-what it'll do to you.” I smiled lightly.

Now there was awkward silence between us.

“I'm Ace,” Ace said.

“Q-Quincy,” I stuttered.

“Well... It was nice meeting you, Quincy. But I gotta go now.”

“A-alright. Bye. B-be careful,” I said to him. “This place is d-dangerous.”

He nodded, then went to the door. He opened it and left.

What a nice guy... But I need to move on. Find Mortus. Wait-

I ran out of the room. “Hey, w-wait!” I yelled.

Ace was down the hall. He turned around quickly. “Huh?! What?”

“Have you seen a little c-colt around here?” I asked. “His name is M-Mortus...”

He shook his head, which made my heart drop. “Sorry.” Then he went to the exit.

I sighed. Please be alright, Mortus. Or at least your brother.

I turned around. There was a door at the end of the hall, with words “STAIRS” next to it. I went to the door, opened it, and went in. Then I went upstairs, to the next floor.

I went down the hall, trying to open doors as I went along. All of them were jammed.

Then I came across an option. Either keep continuing down the hall, or turn to another hall that was to the right. I looked down the right hallway, and saw a door at the end. But the most fascinating thing about the door, was that there were candles right next to it.

I went to the right hallway. I didn't even try to open the other doors. The candle door was the only door for me right now.

I was in front of the door. It was just like any other door in the hospital. Just with candles. I turned the doorknob with my magic, and opened it.

I went inside.

The room was clean. Light shined through a window. There were metal bars that cut half of the room off from me, along with a door. It was exactly like a prison cell. There was even a bed on the other side of it.

Then I noticed something.

There was a pony on the other side of the bars, looking at me. He sat right next to the bars.

I instantly recognized him. And sat down.

It was Ark. My brother.