It was almost a full minute before Lyra and Bon Bon snapped from their stupor. Their shock finally gave out and was replaced with concern for their bipedal savior.

The two ponies rushed over and Bon Bon, with her special training, immediately placed her forehooves onto the bleeding wound in the Courier’s stomach. She used her natural strength and applied pressure in an attempt to halt his bleeding.

Lyra, meanwhile, grabbed a series of napkins from the totalled concession stand nearby. While not as skilled as her wife, she knew to apply pressure to the bleeding wound on his left hand.

The napkins were cheap, but they were decent as makeshift gauzes as she tried her best to patch the human up. With the unicorn even constricting his hand in magic to slow his blood flow.

Dinky finally fled from her bush-based hiding spot and rushed over to the commotion as well.

“Oh my Celestia!” the filly shouted in sheer shock; her voice filled with panic. “I-is Six alright?”

“Dinky?” questioned Lyra, before she immediately returned focus to the human’s hand.

She looked at it with a deep sense of curiosity, eyeing up his digits as she did. Such a strange fact, after all this time, this was her first contact with hands.

“Look away, civilian!” Bon Bon said out of instinct, continuing to apply pressure on his stomach wound.

“I- what?” Dinky managed, her face one of bafflement. “Bon Bon, what do you mean by ‘civilian’?”

“Dinky, now’s not the time!” Lyra shot back, hiding her wife's secret.

“Right, sorry!” the filly squeaked, before looking down at the human, her face filled with sorrow. “Jeez, he saved me and now he’s…”

She closed her eyes tight, unable to finish the sentence as she was fighting back tears. She didn’t even know the creature, and here he was, badly hurt all for the safety of her and her friends.

“He’s not dead yet,” growled Bon Bon.

“We need to get proper medics here, stat,” managed Lyra.

“I-I’ll try to go get some!” Dinky shouted, pepping back up as she decided then and there to help the human, as he had her.

However, as she rushed off away from the dam and down the trail, she spotted a large carriage which was being pulled by several armored ponies. Immediately she stopped, staring in awe and shock.

They approached, rushing past the filly as they continued on. The resulting gust of wind by them made Dinky’s mane fly about, before returning to normal once they’d gone by.

Further down the trail, she saw several more ponies approaching, kicking up dust as they arrived. She recognized Applejack and Pinkie Pie among them.

Aside from the former Element Bearers, the filly also noticed several journalists equipped with cameras and fedoras, no doubt here to cover the news-worthy Bugbear incident.

Just behind the reporters was a white carriage, one that had a medical cross on the side. An ambulance! Oh thank Celestia!

Back at the dam, when the guards finally pulled up, they unhitched themselves, with several more well spear toting stallions and mares, all also equipped with regal, golden armor. All in all, there were about a dozen of them, a mixture of earth ponies, unicorns, and a few pegasi overhead.

As they properly surveyed the scene, their typically stoic faces became a mixture of various emotions.

Some were shocked. Others looked a bit disgusted. A few were even awestruck.

All of this was no doubt due to the butchered Bugbear corpse that laid in front of them. Its face twitched slightly as a large hunk of brain matter slid from the gaping hole in its crushed skull.

“By Celestia…” a gruff looking stallion managed. Soon the ambulance carriage pulled up as well and several medics hopped out, before surveying the scene for any injuries.

There was, of course, just the one.

“What in Equestria is that thing?” a medic asked, as she and several guards created a semi-circle around Bon Bon, Lyra, and the Courier.

“He’s the one who saved us and killed that monster!” Lyra shouted quickly. “He’s hurt badly!”

After a moment of processing, one of the doctors, a deep pink unicorn, rushed over, jumping into action immediately.

“I’ve never treated something like this before,” she managed. “We’ll have to load him up and take him back to the hospital. Run a full diagnostic on him.”

“Can’t you do anything to help him now?” growled Bon Bon. “He saved my wife! He deserves something!”

“I can do my best to patch him up,” offered the mare, magically raising a medkit. “Bandage him and apply some anesthetics, but these wounds will need stitches, tools. We’ve gotta get these clothes off and do a full surgery.”

Bon Bon finally nodded and allowed a male earth pony medic to take over.

She stepped back a few paces and sat down, looking at her bloodied hooves. Her face was one of horror. The blood coating her was the same blood that belonged to the creature who’d saved Lyra’s life.

That thought made her want to gag.

Thankfully though, she was calmed when her wife moved over and embraced her. The aquamarine unicorn’s job was now taken by another unicorn, who used her magic to properly bandage Six’s hand, tossing aside the bloodied napkins.

“I…” huffed Bon Bon, unsure of what to say. One of the few times she’d lost her cool.

Lyra shushed her by giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead, further calming her and letting her wife process the day’s events.

The two watched as the human was magically lifted up, held still by the unicorns and brought towards the back of the ambulance carriage for easy transport.

As he was carried along, Applejack had finally arrived, and her eyes widened in shock at the carnage.

Pinkie looked on with a frown, her mane partly deflated as the two saw the body of the Bugbear in the distance.

But what truly caught their eyes was the unconscious, levitating human.

“Six!” shouted Applejack, trying to rush over, before a medic stallion stepped into her way, blocking her.

“Ma’am you-”

“He’s my friend!” growled back the farm pony.

“Then we can get you transported to the hospital to visit him later, right now, he’s potentially in critical condition!” explained back the stern doctor.

The farmer bit her lip, looking down as she huffed.

Pinkie watched as the human was shut into the back of the ambulance, which was hitched to several pegasi, who began the process of airlifting the patient back to Ponyville hospital.

“Th-that was-” began the party pony, her lip quivering.

“Yes Pinkie… that was Six,” Applejack said with a sigh.

The pink mare’s eyes filled with tears. She hadn’t even gotten to meet her new mysterious super-secret friend who was supposedly a stallion but was actually a weird two-legged thing, and already he was hurt really bad by that mean old Bugbear! Had the beast not been dead a few dozen feet from her, she’d really have given him a piece of her mind.

As it stood, she sniffled, holding back the sadness in an attempt to look on the bright side. He was getting medical help, after all!

Applejack put a hoof on the mare’s back, patting her as the farmer cried on the inside.

“Pinkie, once I find Apple Bloom an’ the girls, we’ll head right on over to the hospital,” managed the farm pony with an assuring tone.

“Don’t you have an order to get done?” sniffled Pinkie.

“Ah ta Tartarus with that order!” said the honest mare. “He’s my friend an’ he’d be there for me! After all he’s done for these folks an’ my family, I owe him that! I know Mac an’ Granny would wanna be with him too!”

Coming up behind the crowd were the Crusaders themselves. The commotion had attracted them back up the trail towards the dam, and before long the three were weaving in between ponies left and right.

“Jeez, what do ya think happened?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Whatever it was, it was something big,” Sweetie pointed out, looking at the surrounding press members. “They’re already reporting on it."

Among the crowd, a certain little unicorn emerged, rushing towards the Crusaders.

“Girls you won’t believe what happened!” she shouted.

“Dinky!” Scootaloo shouted, before she and the other CMC gave the filly a quick hug, which she awkwardly returned.

After a bit, they broke off the hug, and the grayish violet filly began to explain what went down.

As she spoke, each of the Crusaders were filled with shock and awe, though by the time she concluded, they all had worried expressions.

A bit later, Scootaloo began to trail away from the group, who followed after her.

“Where are ya goin’?” Apple Bloom cried out.

“I’ve gotta get to the hospital,” responded the determined pegasus.

“Right now?” Sweetie added. “What about waiting for Rainbow Dash and your aunts to make sure you’re safe?”

“He was there for me; I have to be there for him as soon as I can!” Scootaloo shouted back.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Apple Bloom pointed out.

“I couldn’t do anything to help him!” growled Scootaloo, looking down with a sigh. “The least I can do is be by his side!”

“Ya need to calm down,” the farm filly said softly.

“I am calm!” shouted back the pegasus with narrowed eyes.

Apple Bloom, Dinky, and Sweetie shrunk back at her outburst.

After a moment, Scootaloo’s hardened glare softened into a regretful, saddened one. The others could see tears welling up in her eyes.

“I just… he’s my friend…” was all she could manage as she sat on her haunches, sniffling as the other fillies surrounded her, giving her reassuring pats and hugs.

Soon enough though, a blue, rainbow maned pegasus flew overhead and landed not far away, rushing over as she'd spotted the fillies from above.

“Girls, are you alright?” Rainbow Dash shouted in worry as she galloped towards the fillies.

“It’s Six,” explained Sweetie as Scootaloo continued to allow herself to cry softly.

Dash’s face became one of a grim frown.

“W-well maybe he’s alright!” she offered, gently reaching down to stroke her sister’s purple mane. “He’s big and tough, took a full hit from me like it was nothing! I’m sure he can take some dumb Bugbear, no sweat!”

“He kinda did,” admitted Dinky sheepishly.

However, before the unicorn could explain, a mature, feminine voice sounded out from above, catching her ears.

“Dinky!” it shouted, and the filly looked up to see a quickly approaching gray pegasus.

“Mom!” she shouted, rushing towards where Derpy was going to land.

However, a moment later, her eyes widened.

“Wait mom, slow dow-” she managed, before Derpy slammed down hard, divebombing right into the dirt and faceplanting with a loud thud that kicked up some dust and debris.

Dinky sighed and rushed over, helping her mother up into a sitting position.

Derpy’s eyes rolled in their sockets cartoonishly for a moment, before she shook it off, and then immediately embraced her daughter, giving her a tight hug with her forehooves.

“Oh Dinky, I was so worried after I heard that mean monster was attacking the dam, I flew right over!” shouted the mare, before giving Dinky a few kisses to the forehead.

“I’m fine mom, really!” managed the small unicorn, a blush of embarrassment soon appearing on her face.

With the mother and daughter duo reunited, soon enough Applejack and Pinkie Pie spotted the Crusaders through the crowd, rushing over as well.

“Apple Bloom!” shouted the orange mare, and before long she and her sister embraced tightly.

“Don’t worry Sweetie Belle, I’m sure Rarity will be here as fast as you can say Lickity Split!” assured Pinkie to the small unicorn, trying to cheer her up. Though honestly, it was an attempt to cheer herself up as well.

Sweetie managed a small giggle at the joke, smiling at the thought of seeing her sister.

Back towards the dam proper, Lyra had helped wipe the blood off her wife’s forehooves, and now the two were slowly wading through the growing crowd of ponies.

Before long though, a matronly voice called out.

“Lyra, Bon Bon!” it shouted, and the two soon turned to see Cheerilee rushing through the crowd of guards, medics, paparazzi and onlookers.

“Cheerilee?” managed a surprised Bon Bon.

“Have either of you seen the Cutie Mark Crusaders or Dinky?” shouted the panicked teacher.

“When I ran off with the students, I thought they were behind me but after a head count, I-”

“Already taken care of, teach,” chuckled Lyra, coolly. “We conducted a bit of a rescue mission for any stragglers. They were perfectly safe!”

“Oh thank Celestia,” the purple mare said, giving a deep sigh of relief as she sat on her haunches, sweat rolling off her brow.

As this all happened, numerous reporters were taking pictures of the Bugbear’s corpse. A few of them and other onlookers lost their lunch at the sight of the brutalized monster, some even throwing up over the dam.

It was a grizzly sight most ponies weren’t used to. Still though, the guards swept them back, maintaining order as a large carriage pulled up and they hauled the beast’s corpse into it.

It took about half a dozen earth ponies to lift it, along with help from a few unicorns and pegasi.

Many of them wondered what exactly could’ve done such damage to a fearsome beast like that…

Fucking hell!

The blackness was back!

The inky, ever consuming darkness was starting to piss him off!

Six’s patience had worn thin, and even in his physically battered state, he had the use of both hands, mentally, anyways. With this realization, it obviously wasn’t long before he just began swinging wildly, as if he could somehow punch his way out of the darkness the same way he solved his Bugbear problem.

“I don’t know who the fuck you are, or what this is, but back the fuck off!” he growled out, his voice echoing around him.

A piece of himself burned brightly. Some portion of his mind slowly began to wrestle control of the dream away from something else.

Before long, the darkness actually began receding, as if his punches were actually effective. It cowered back, vanishing away from him to reveal plain, metallic walls and partly rusted grate flooring.

Soon, the darkness fully was repelled back, leaving the Courier alone in a small grayish box-like room. It almost felt familiar, reminded him of the numerous pre-war military installations he’d combed and fought through.

“You know, as much as I am fine with the whole, brutish, caveman-like display of primal power, perhaps a more… thoughtful approach is required,” a voice rang out from behind him.

His eyes widened at its familiarity.

A vaguely British accent? Highly intelligent sounding? Snarky as hell?

It couldn’t be…

The Courier turned and came face to… well, brain with uh… His Brain!

“You’re my Brain!” shouted Six in shock.

“Why are you so surprised?” it just asked back, no doubt it’d roll its eyes if it had any. “It was your idea to put me back in this boney cage, remember?”

“Right but… how can you-”

“Talk? Right well, I do believe that Mentat gel had a bit more of an effect on me than I- er- we thought,” hypothesized his Brain.

“So... you’re like a… split personality?” Six offered.

“Hey now that’s just rude,” huffed his floating Brain with a sigh. “After all we’ve been through, that’s all I am to you?"

“No I didn’t… we’re the same but separate. How does that work?” asked the Courier with a huff.

“You think I know more than you?” his Brain deadpanned.

He sighed, thinking in silence for a few moments.

“You’re my conscious, subconscious, something like that, I guess? Maybe even an early stage of schizophrenia?” he diagnosed himself.

“Took the words right out of my lack-of-mouth,” his Brain replied with a chuckle. “Though if I am part of some mental disorder, I do really hope I’m the worst effect that develops. I’d hate to have others running around up here.”

“Yeah, you and me both…” Six managed, looking around the small box in thought. “But that still doesn’t explain this darkness shit.”

“Ohhh right, see you don’t remember your dreams as well as I do, one of the few things I do know that you don’t,” explained the Brain.

“I… how does that work?” he asked.

“Maybe it’s because I never exactly sleep? At least not in the same way you do. Again, you’re asking YOUR brain here,” pointed out the fleshy organ.

“Right, right…” nodded the Courier.

“See, from as far as I know, something is trying to latch onto our dreams,” explained the Brain.

“Figured that much,” Six replied. “Know what it is?”

“You really need to stop asking me questions,” the Brain sighed back.

“Sorry! Damn it, rough day,” said the Courier, rubbing his neck.

“I know. I was there,” said the Brain with a chortle. “Regardless, while we don’t know what it is, I’d say we can force it out with enough concentration. That’s how I made this cozy little box of ours; I don’t think it can reach us here.”

“Think it’s evil?” Six asked.

“Maybe? Did drop a moon on us, after all,” sighed the Brain. “Then again, that could be some type of warning.”

“We did always read a bit deeply into those tribal vision quests,” nodded the Courier. “Think it’s literal?”

“If the moon drops on top of us, then we’re not even going to remotely worry. Nothing we could do to stop that,” shrugged the Brain.

“Might give us some peace and quiet at least,” sighed the Courier, before summoning a fresh Fancy Lads’ cake into his palm.

He snacked it down through his mask while pondering as his Brain looked on in annoyance despite its lack of eyes.

“Hey no fair, I don’t have a mouth,” huffed the ridgy organ.

“Why don’t you, we’re in a dream?” he just asked back.

“I…” the Brain stopped, before suddenly a large split formed on it, and it popped open, revealing a row of sharp teeth and a long, fleshy tongue which waggled about.

“That is fucking horrifying,” Six said casually, before tossing what was left of the Snack Cake into his Brain’s new mouth.

The mouth snapped itself shut and the Brain returned to normal.

“Agreed… felt a bit, tingly? Strange,” mused his Brain. “Tasted like sand mixed with sugar, blegh, as worse as we remember.”

“Tell me about it,” sighed the Courier.

The two stood (or floated, in the Brain’s case) in silence for a moment inside of the lucid dream.

“So, any plans for when we wake up?” Six asked.

“You tell me. You’re the boss, after all,” the Brain said.

“Well, you’re only useful while we’re asleep-”

“Hey, watch it! I am still the one that’s responsible for controlling your body!” the Brain defended.

“Right, right, sorry, but you get what I mean,” Six pointed out.

“Of course I do!” the Brain huffed. “And since I’m you, I’m too prideful to accept it!”

“Maybe next time I go to sleep, you can help summon another box like this. Maybe we can try and study the thing in my dreams, see what exactly it is,” Six explained.

“Don’t need to say it verbally, but I am in agreement,” the Brain chortled.

“Hey saying it helps me- us think!” Six retorted.

“Right,” nodded the floating Brain. “Well, from here on in, you worry about the breathing and the urinating and those other ghastly bodily functions, and I will worry about making sure our mind isn’t invaded by some shadowy dream demon.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Six nodded back.

“Oh and one more thing,” the Brain added.

“Yeah?” asked the body in question.

“When you wake up… For the love of God… TAKE A BATH!” roared back his brain, a flurry of soap and water surrounding the two.

Soon the suds were drowned out with brightness, Six being pulled from the dream as it enveloped him.

The Courier’s left hand swatted outwards, knocking aside a plastic tub filled with soapy water that a unicorn nurse was carrying. It clattered to the floor, sending suds all across the tiles.

Six growled as he sat up, finding himself in a hospital bed, surrounded by half a dozen medical ponies. A unicorn stallion’s eyes widened as he backed up, his white-maned assistant backed up right beside him as well.

“Doctor Horse, I thought you said it was out cold!” shouted the nurse.

“I did, Redheart!” he responded in shock as he and a few other members of the hospital staff watched as the creature stood up, forcing itself out of bed.

Six grunted as he did, nearly slipping on the soapy, water-slickened floor before he caught himself with his good arm. The human looked down at his limp right arm, and grunted, in annoyance.

“Anyone got a sling?” he asked, looking at the stunned staff.

Nopony said anything.

“Well don’t all answer at once!” he snarked back, grabbing his bed sheet before he began doing his best to tie it into a makeshift sling. The process was a bitch given his one working arm.

“I-I can get you a sling!” Nurse Redheart piped up.

He turned to look at her, and she cringed back in horror at the cold, red eyes staring her down.

“Alright, just sling, that’s all I need,” Six huffed.

Doctor Horse leaned in and whispered into her ear.

“And get some sedatives as well-” he managed before he was cut off.

“Hey hey hey! I heard that shit!” Six said, pointing an accusatory finger and snapping his left hand at the doctor.

Doctor Horse only shrunk back in shock.

“Now listen… this is a hospital, right?” Six pointed out, getting a few of the staff to nod.

He nodded back, drawing from his memory of the numerous Pre-War medicine and doctor’s manuals he’d read as he continued.

“Alright, good… that means as a patient, I have a right to refuse service, alright? You assholes can’t just fucking sedate me and force me into a situation I do not consent to!” Six pointed out.

They looked at him, before looking amongst themselves.

“He is right…” agreed a stallion.

“Yes, and I’m in my right mind too!” said the human, still pointing as he looked amongst the doctors for any wrong moves. Didn’t need one charging him with a needle.

“Are you sure sir?” asked Redheart, her tone soft and… caring?

He paused for a second at that. Didn’t hear that tone much where he was from.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “All I want, alright, is a sling, and… about half an hour of rest, and then I, Courier Six, who is fully in my right mind, will discharge myself from the hospital… uh, Ponyville Hospital?”

She nodded back, her face unsure at his requests, but turning to leave regardless.

“And a glass of water,” he quickly added, his voice cracking dryly as he licked his lips beneath his helmet.

Redheart nodded again, leaving the room.

Six was now alone with Doctor Horse and a few other staff members. The human looked around and pointed at the wall with his good hand after a moment.

“This wall… it’s solid brick, right?” he asked, looking at the unicorn stallion.

“What?” Doctor Horse asked back in shock.

“It’s brick. Sturdy and solid, right?” he asked.

“Y-yeah…?” Horse responded, now really hoping Redheart would get the sedatives.

“Alright, good,” Six said, walking over to the wall.

Everypony watched on in complete shock as he slammed his dislocated shoulder into it, causing a loud CRACK to echo out. Six grunted in pain and effort as he twisted his upper arm, several more strained noises came out from his joint before finally a loud POP silenced them all.

His pained groans stopped, and he stood up straighter. Six tested the arm by moving it left and right, letting it swing about as if he were walking. He then rotated his arm freely now, even being able to lift it up and down. Soon, he laughed to himself.

“Still a piece of cake, after all this time!” he chuckled.

“Sir, did you just…” Horse managed, stammering as he adjusted his glasses, “you just popped your arm back into its socket?”

“Not the first time,” Six just said casually, looking down at his still broken forearm.

His Power First was still stuck on his hand, with the staff not having had the time to remove it. Even still, he could feel his wrist was broken, no doubt snapped at an unnatural angle inside the weapon.

He didn’t fuck with it for the time being, and instead just took a moment to sit in a nearby chair. Typically it’d be one reserved for visitors, but Six scooted it backwards into a corner, staring down the still stunned staff.

He made sure nothing could approach him from behind, and then nodded to himself as he looked at the mixture of multicolored pony doctors and nurses.

“You guys get paid more the longer you stare?” Six quipped.

Some looked away, others shrunk back, a few blinked in surprise.

“With big ass bear-wasp things, sea serpents, magic, and all that other weird shit, I’m damn-near normal,” the human affirmed. Well, physically, anyways. Mentally… different story.

They were silent, but slowly, realizing that their patent didn't need them, a few of the staff turned and left the room, unsure expressions on their faces. After one of the nurses wiped up the spilled soapy water with a towel, she too left.

Doctor Horse was the last one now. He stood there awkwardly, a bit annoyed with himself he hadn’t been the first to leave and pinned this strange monster on some other staff member. Still, he shakily stood, gulping in nervousness as he did.

“Your name’s Doctor Horse?” Six asked.

“Y-yeah?” the stallion nodded.

“Isn’t that ironic, you being a pony and all?” the Courier pointed out, raising a finger coated with dry blood towards the doctor.

“I-it’s just a familial name,” the pony explained.

Six let out a singular “heh” and nothing else.

After a bit longer, he broke eye contact, slowly turning his head to examine the now empty room.

“Anyone else hurt?” Six asked, still looking at the shelves and cabinets, examining the various medical supplies adorning them.

“I… to my knowledge an on-site medic examined those two mares that were at the dam. Only found a few scrapes and bruises,” explained the doctor, his tone trying to be professional, but cracking slightly. “I recall they even requested a visit with you while you recovered.”

“Kids?” Six asked simply.

“No physical damage to any of the foals,” answered the doc. “It was a miracle.”

“How long was I out?” Six asked, nodding to himself.

“Roughly three hours,” the stallion replied quickly, sweat on his brow as if he was being interrogated. “We didn’t even have time to give you any stitches before you woke up.”

The human nodded again, before looking down at his left hand. He raised it, pointing his palm at the doctor, who shrunk back, as if the Courier could somehow grab him from across the room.

“Don’t need them,” Six said with a proud tone.

The doctor slowly stepped over and adjusted his glasses once more, his eyes narrowing as he examined the human’s hand.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” the doctor said, not seeing anything but his blood and dirt-caked gloves.

Six huffed and then rubbed his palm harshly against his pants, wiping off the grime. After a bit, he pulled his relatively clean hand up, showing it to the stallion.

“No fresh blood, see?” the Courier pointed out.

“H-... how is that-”

“I'm part lizard,” snarked the human.

The stallion cringed back in response.

“I’m fucking with ya, doc,” the human chuckled. “I just heal quicker than other guys.”

Doctor Horse just nodded.

“Jesus, I swear you guys can’t take a joke,” Six snarked further.

Soon enough, Redheart walked in with a sling on her back and a glass of water carried in a tray in her mouth.

“That sanitary?” the human said, making her roll her eyes as he took the glass.

Ice cubes clinked about inside, and he looked down at the water with an almost stunned pause. The pony sat aside the tray, freeing up her mouth as she looked on at the human.

“What? I didn’t spit in it,” Nurse Redheart said, attempting to line up with her patient’s sense of humor. Something she’d done many times in the past due to her bedside mannera.

“That’s ice,” Six said in surprise.

“Yes?” she asked, confused. “We are not going to give you warm water… unless that’s what you wanted?”

The Courier just turned away, moving up his helmet and then downing back the glass of water. The two watched in surprise as he chugged it, and then slurped down the ice cubes, crunching them in his mouth as he re-adjusted his helmet before they could get a good look at the visible portions of his face.

“Nice,” he huffed, putting the empty glass back on the tray.

“Fantastic, now just stand up and I can-”

He cut her off.

“I’m putting the sling on,” he said simply.

“I-I am the medical professional here, sir!” the nurse said back, holding her ground.

“And I as the patient can choose who does and does not service me,” he shot back. “There’s only one doctor I’d let patch me up, and he’s not here right now!”

“For your own safety I really must insist-”

“I am aware of the risks and I wish to proceed,” he said sternly.

“Even if you are aware, I can’t just-”

“Give me the damn sling,” huffed the Courier, his hand outstretched.

She glared at him in silence, but after a few moments of him not backing down, she grabbed the sling with her mouth and handed it to him.

“Much obliged,” he hissed, as he put it around his neck, adjusting his broken arm to fit into it.

“That model is specifically for dragons, I hope it’s comfortable,” she offered.

“Of fucking course there’s dragons here,” he just said back, making her confused.

After a moment, Redheart took the tray and the glass and walked out, leaving the Courier and the doctor alone again.

“I assume you’d like some time alone to rest?” asked the stallion.

“No, I want you to stand there and look at me bug-eyed all day,” snarked the human.

The doctor just nodded and trotted out of the room, taking the hint. Not that he needed much convincing.

“Hey wait!” the Courier shouted.

The doctor sighed, giving a frown before he turned back into the room.

“Yes, sir?” he said, trying to remain cordial.

“You got any tools?” Six asked, looking at his Power Fist.

“Uh, what?” the doc managed.

“Like… screwdrivers, pliers, you know?” Six said, still examining his busted weapon.

“Sir this is a hospital,” the stallion replied.

“A hospital with no tools to use in case something breaks down?” shot back the human.

“Y-you’re a patient, sir,” said the doctor, swallowing a lump in his throat, nervously due to the humans insistance on asking for potentially sharp objects. “For your safety and the safety of the staff-”

“Fuck, just forget it,” growled the human, waving off the doctor.

“Is there anything els-”

“I’m fine,” he interrupted.

The stallion nodded and then quickly trotted out of the room, fully this time.

Six just looked down, fiddling his fingers around the broken gauntlet. He pulled his hand back, hissing as he jostled the Power Fist a bit too hard, causing a sharp pain in his wrist.

“Fuck,” he grunted to himself, before continuing his examination.

He felt a little woozy from the blood loss, but other than that, he was working his way back up to tip-top shape.

He just wished he’d brought an extra Stimpak.

Half an hour later, almost everypony was currently huddled in the front waiting room of Ponyville Hospital.

Rarity had joined up with her group of friends. Apple Bloom had been sent back to the farm to inform the others what had happened, cutting down the CMC to just two members. Dinky and Derpy sat in the waiting chairs off to the side, and even Bon Bon and Lyra were seated on a bench just outside the hospital.

Bon Bon wore a pair of sunglasses and a fake mustache. Lyra for her part was sitting casually, in an almost human manner, though she watched the front doors with bated breath.

Back inside, Rarity had Sweetie locked in a near death-grip bear hug.

“Oh my goodness, you poor thing, I’m so, so sorry that mean monster frightened you so!” Rarity said. Her tone was a bit dramatic, but genuine worry for her sister filled her voice.

“You’re doing more damage than the Bugbear!” managed Sweetie, before the older unicorn let her go.

“I’m terribly sorry!” Rarity managed with a sniffle. “It’s just that the thought of you getting hurt, or worse makes me want to…”

“I’m fine!” said the filly. “Lyra and Bon Bon saved me before anything bad could happen!”

“Everypony's fine... except Six,” said Applejack with a huff.

“Hey, he’s gonna make it!” Scootaloo sniffled from a chair nearby, before getting a pat on the back from Rainbow Dash.

“Of course he is, squirt!” assured the older mare.

“Ya’ll didn’t see him,” Applejack pointed out. “I ain’t tryna’ worry ya, but he was hurt real bad... there was alotta blood.”

“Goodness, he could be in there for a few hours then!” Rarity exclaimed.

“Well I’m not moving an inch until he gets better!” Scootaloo proclaimed, crossing her forehooves.

“Scootaloo!” a deep, feminine voice called as the little filly heard the front doors of the hospital open.

“Are you alright my dear?” another, Aussie-accented one called.

The pegasus’ eyes widened in shock, and she turned in her chair, craning her neck towards the voice

“Auntie Lofty! Auntie Holiday!” shouted the filly, jumping up and practically catapulting herself at her two adoptive mothers.

They both caught her in an embrace, their faces filled with worry.

“We came the second we heard the attack, but the folks at the dam told us you all had left for the hospital,” explained Lofty.

“Oh, uh, sorry,” the pegasus managed sheepishly.

“It’s alright dear, we needed the workout,” Holiday chuckled.

“I still wonder though, why are you here, exactly?” asked Lofty.

“It’s my friend!” Scoots squeaked. “He got hurt real bad fighting off the Bugbear!”

“Your friend was the one who fought that beast?” Holiday asked. “I thought he was some weird monster or something, that’s what the press said.”

“Hah, wellll…” Scootaloo managed. “You remember the sisterly camping trip?”

“Yeah?” Lofty asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It might’ve went a bit differently than I said,” admitted the pegasus sheepishly.

As Scoots gave her aunts the real story, Dinky was rubbing her hooves along her mother’s back, keeping the pegasus mare calm.

“Oh goodness, oh goodness, oh goodness.” Derpy whispered to herself.

“There, there, mom, I’m sure he’s gonna be alright,” assured the young unicorn, herself unsure of her own words.

“But you said he’s hurt really bad,” squeaked the mailmare. “What if my new friend is dead a day after I meet him! Oh, it’s my fault!”

“You didn’t do anything wrong mom, honest!” Dinky assured. “Everything went right this time!”

Derpy just squeaked sadly and hugged her daughter close as she forced back tears.

It was another half hour of the group waiting with bated breaths, talking amongst themselves, and hoping that eventually the doctors would come out with some good news.

Their voices were a symphony of whispers and uncertainties. Some were sniffling, and other, tougher mares like Rainbow Dash and Applejack remained stoic.

However, one muffled voice rang out from behind a pair of double doors, silencing them all.

“No, I do not want anything to eat!” it was deep, masculine, and crass.

Everypony’s ears perked up before the doors were shoved wide open, two figures coming into view.

One was an earth pony, the other… well, wasn’t a pony at all of course!

“I cannot just let you walk on out there like you’re better! Your wrist is still broken!” shouted Nurse Redheart. “And I heard your stomach grumbling.”

“Yes, you can and no, you didn’t!” shouted back the human.

“Why are you being such a bullheaded imbecile!?!” growled back the stern nurse, obviously taking her job very seriously but having her patience tested by the annoyed human.

“Because I’m FINE!” was the retort shouted into her face.

She glared back in silence.

He stared back for a moment, and she found herself no longer afraid of his glowing red lenses.

After a few more seconds, he spoke, his voice having softened from one of a pissed off annoyance to one of exasperation and tiredness.

“I’m not just some little pansy who needs a doctor’s visit because he got a whittle booboo,” he explained, before pointing to his wrist, still in place in the sling.

“This? This shit? This shit isn’t nothing to me,” he said, his tone serious, before he then pulled aside his duster, revealing the inch-wide hole in his armor. “And this isn’t worth a damn either!”

Finally, he turned away from the mare, his vision blurring a bit from blood loss, and he stumbled, having to brace himself against the door frame.

Nurse Redheart didn’t say a word, just smirked up at him.

“Just a little woozy… that’s all!” he growled back, shaking off the blurriness in his vision as he’d done many, many times before.

When the swirl of colors came into focus, he stared out at over a dozen ponies, most familiar, and a few not. Many of their faces were stunned upon seeing him, and amongst the stunned faces, Rainbow Dash, and a pair of unfamiliar mares near Scootaloo were giving him the side-eye, no doubt for his outburst of swears.

“Jesus fuck, what the hell is this? Some sort of parade?” balked the Courier. “You guys must have nothing else going on.”

“I, wh- We were waitin’ for YOU!” Applejack snapped back.

“Well… here I am,” he said, holding out his one good arm to his side, as if he was showing himself off.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Dinky shouted in shock, hopping up from her chair and trotting over. “You got slashed around and stabbed by that thing! How can you just get up and walk it off!?!”

“What, that buggy prick?” he huffed, playing it off cooly. “Fucking please, I’ve fought off snack cakes that were more of a threat than that bastard.”

“Alright that is not an excuse for such coarse language in front of children and ladies!” Rarity huffed, plugging Sweetie’s ears.

“Fuck it, I’m too tired to self-censor right now,” he said, waving off the fashionista for the time.

She scoffed at his rudeness.

“Also, Applejack, you should be back at the farm, packing up the order and whatever, right?” he said, pointing at her as he pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes.

“I was here because yer my friend and I was worried for ya!” she huffed back.

“You should be worrying about the important stuff,” he said, pointing at her, his hand still clutching the beat-to-hell cancer stick pack. “Like your family, finances, whatever. Something that actually matters.”

She just gave him a confused face, raising an eyebrow as her annoyance and anger melted away. She looked at him, as if she were trying to gauge if he’d just told the truth. Or rather, what he considered the truth anyways.

Given her element, she quickly realized he did.

“Ya-... ya do matter-”

“Save the sentimental shit, please,” he growled, cutting her off. “I just wanna get to my camp, smoke a stogie, and get some rest.”

“You can rest from here!” Rainbow pointed out.

“Can’t smoke in a hospital, numbskull,” he countered. “I’m not a monster.”

As the argument continued, Pinkie Pie was examining the human, giving him a look up and down from afar. Shockingly enough, she wasn’t jumping with excitement at him just yet. She was subdued, letting him speak first.

She could tell something deep down inside him had put him into a permanent bad mood, almost like Cranky, but perhaps even worse, shockingly enough.

While she didn’t say anything, mentally she was trying to think up ways to make him smile. Even someone as grumpy as him deserved happiness, after all!

“Where’s your camp, we can get your stuff and bring it back,” offered Dash.

“Everfree Forest,” he said casually.

“What!?!” she shouted back, her mouth open and her eyes wide.

“What?” he shrugged back.

“Alright, there is no way you’re going to the Everfree Forest on your own with a broken wrist!” she huffed.

“Why, you wanna come?” Six asked.

“I…” she looked at him. “Well, I guess?”

“You do whatever you want,” he pointed at her with his cigarette clutching hand. “I’m doing what Papa Six wants.”

“Papa Six?” Scootaloo asked, her former worry having turned to elation and now to a bit of confusion mixed with elation.

“Stole it from a Great guy,” Six answered casually.

“Sounds a little lame” she said teasingly.

“Hey, hey, don’t tempt me, feather-ball,” he pointed to her now. “I fought off a bear-wasp today, an orange chicken isn’t gonna be any skin off my back.”

Scoots just laughed, leaving Holiday and Lofty looking at each other in confusion from the whole interraction.

“Now does anyone else have anything they wanna say?” the Courier asked, looking around and motioning with his good hand for any of the crowd to speak. “Any more arguments in your systems?”

Silence from the colorful crowd.

“Great to have you back, Six,” Rainbow Dash stated simply after a few seconds of silence. She wasn’t fully smiling, but she did give a small smirk.

“Sister… I was never gone,” he said, adjusting his duster.

She just rolled her eyes at that. After a moment, the Courier went to leave, but was stopped by Redheart tugging at his duster. He huffed and turned.

“I need your signature, sir,” she said, holding up a clipboard with a forehoof.

“Ah fuck me,” he growled at having to use his non-writing hand to sign.

When he got outside, Lyra and Bon Bon still sat on the nearby bench across the street.

Not only that, but a small crowd had actually formed, and as Six opened the door, there was a flurry of reactions.

Some ponies cowered back, a couple of them leaving as soon as they saw him.

Others examined him with curiosity, some with fear.

A small few though, they trampled their hooves as if they were clapping.

A few more even cheered, Lyra being one of them, much to Bon Bon's embarrassment.

“You people need more free time,” huffed the human in response. “None of you even know me!”

Nopony heard him over the trampling and the cheers.

“They don’t know you… but they know whatcha did for ‘em,” Applejack pointed out with a smirk. “Puttin’ down that Bugbear an’ all.”

“It was just in my way,” he retorted.

“Yeah, your way which wasn’t even remotely blocked by a certain little unicorn,” Dinky smirked, standing at his feet along with Scootaloo.

“You’re making me regret not letting it crush you,” he huffed to the unicorn.

She just giggled back.

“Ya might wanna stick around,” Applejack said with a knowing smirk. “I’m sure Starlight, Fluttershy, and a few more ponies would wanna meet ya!”

“Tell them to go…” he paused himself, looking down at Scoots and Dinky, “...suck eggs, I don’t know. I’m going home.”

“Wait Six, you gotta visit me and my aunts sometime!” Scootaloo squeaked, though Holiday and Lofty looked a bit unsure at the idea.

“Yeah and me and mom too!” Dinky shouted excitedly, with Derpy actually nodding excitedly at the prospect.

“Alright take it slow you little bundles of annoyance,” he huffed. “I’ve gotta go unbreak my arm first.”

“And I’m coming with!” Rainbow Dash said, hovering beside him.

“Whatever,” he scoffed. “Try not to slow me down.”

“Oh you are just the master of getting under a pony’s skin,” she snorted, like that of an annoyed horse.

“I do that to more than just ponies,” Six said, before he began to walk past the crowd and towards the forest.

While Scoots wanted to follow, she didn’t want to leave her aunts, and thus watched as her two heroes walked on.

Six just lit up a cigarette as he went, soon huffing it down as Rainbow swatted away the smoke with a disgusted face.

Author's Note

Thus concludes "Act 2" or maybe "Act 1.5" perhaps! Haha! I hope you all enjoyed this longer-than-typical chapter!