Truth In The Shadows

CHAPTER THREE:

QUESTIONS

   Mirage spent the entire night without sleep, he tried a few times after the night shift started to sneek out but the doctors were serious about keeping their patients safe until they were free to go. This is ridiculous. He thought to himself. He looked out the window and saw that Celestia had begon to rise the sun wich filled him with both joy and horror. He would be able to check out soon but if those mares showed up it would mean a very slim chance of getting away, easily anyway.

   The sun was now shining through the window and the door opened to reviel the nurse with a notepad levitating in her magic. "Okay, Mirage." She said in a cheerfull voice. "We would like to do one more check up on you to make sure you're recovering well and..."

   "You don't need to do that." Mirage interrupted while sitting up. "I've always been a fast healer and I would like to get out of this hell hall." He started to hop off the bed when the nurse ran up and placed a hoof on his chest to stop him. He looked down at her hoof then back up at her with an annoyed sigh. "look" He huffed. "...it's not that I don't appreciate what you're doing for me, I just need to get back to... my home. Everpony will be missing me."

   "And you are more then welcome to leave when we have made sure you're doing well." She countered. Mirage rolled his eyes. Damn, these ponies are persistent. He thought to himself.

   The nurse did a full check up on Mirage, checking his blood pressure, his bones and other areas that he found uncomfortable, all the while she was taking notes on her pad. When she was done she looked at him shocked and confused.

   "I check out, right?" He asked, a hint of impatients in his voice. She looked up at him, a questioning look on her face.

   "Y-yes." She said finally.

   "I told you 'I'm a fast healer'."

   "Yes, but..." She looked down at the pad. "...you've healed quite remarkably in just the few hours that you've been her, more so the any I've ever seen."

   "Let's just say, I have a gift with magic." He said. "Now, can I please get the hell outa here?" She looked up at him and stared at him for a minute before she finaly answered.

   "Yes, everything checks out. Just be sure to sighn out at the front desk before you leave." Mirage nodded his head once and startd for the door.

   At the front desk, the doctor hoofed him a pad and told him to fill in his John Hoofcock, wich he did reluctantly before giving the pad back using his magic. Great, now to get outa here before...

   "Mirage!" He huffed a heavy sigh as he let his eyelids close.

...she shows up. He turned around to find Valentine hopping torward him, Lyra by her side. Valentine wrapped her hooves around Mirage's neck making him wince with the pain that remained in his back. She let him go and stept back with an apologetic smile.

   "I hope you just came to say goodbye, because I'm leaving." He started to trott around them but was stopped by Lyra's hoof. He looked at Lyra, who was glaring at him accusingly. "What? Is it something I said?"

   "You're rude, you know that?" Lyra spat.

   "I'm sorry, but I don't spend much time with others and I need to go." He started for the door again only to be stopped by Lyra again.

   "What's your hurry?" She asked sharply. "Why don't you answere a few questions first." The last bit was more of a statement then a question. Mirage looked around to see some ponies watching them, he gave another sigh and looked back at the mares.

   "You couldn't have picked a better spot make this move?" He asked.

   "My sister was attacked by an Ursa yesterday and you save her with only a few broken bones!" She spat. He shushed her as he pushed the two toward the door with his magic, the crowd watching as they disappeared out of the hospital.

   Mirage lead them to a quiet spot behind a house a good distance away from the hospital, he released his magical hold over them and Lyra stared daggers at him while Valentine was jumping with excitement.

   "That was so cool!" Valentine chirped. "I've never been moved by magic like that before!" Mirage found her cheerfull nature rather unusual as he turned his gaze back to the older mare.

   "Is she always like this?" He asked.

   "Are you always this much of a jerk?" She countered.

   "Hey! I don't live in a town like you do."

   "Then where do you live? And how are you able o fight an Ursa and live to tell the tale?"

   "I'm very good with magic and I grew up in the forest for years." Lyra eyed him up and down, he looked quiet young to have lived in the Everfree Forest for years unless he was born there.

   "What, were you born in the forest?" She asked.

   "I'm older then I look, let's just leave it at that." He replied. Lyra opened her mouth to protest but was cut off.

   "Sissie, leave him alone!" Valentine said. They both lookd at her.

   "Sweety, don't you realise how serious this is?" Lyra asked. "This guy fought off an Ursa and is still walking. Nopony can stand against and Ursa."

   "Lyra" Came another voice from behind. They all turned to see Bon Bon glaring at Lyra. "...don't you remember that time when Spark chased away that Ursa that came to town a few years ago?"

   "Spark?" Mirage asked. "You mean, Spark Storn ths Storm Bringer?" Lyra and Bon Bon looked at him in shock.

   "You know Spark?" Bon Bon asked.

   "Only by what I have heard in the forest." He answered. They stared at him expectantly. "Look, I've seen things you couldn't imagine. When you've been in the Everfree as long as I have, you..."

   "And just how long have yu been in tue Everfree?" Lyra interrupted.

   "Damn it, I've had a rough twenty-four hours here, I would appreciate it if you eased up off my back about my life."

   "Only twenty-four hours?" Lyra asked. "And how about the -years- you've lived in the forest?" Mirage sighed as e rolled his eyes toward the heavens.

   "Oh my Celestia! If you realy want to know why I live in the forest, it's because I ran away!" Lyra, Bon Bon and even cheerful Valentine stared at him questioningly. "Jusging by the looks on your faces, you want to know why I ran away. Well, that's personal and I'll thank you to leave it at that!" Lyra opened her mouth but Mirage silanced her with his magic, making it look like she had a zipper on her lips. "Will you just let it go already? I'm tired, I'm sore and I want to get outa here."

   "Can we at least thank you properly for saving Valentine?" Bon Bon asked. "She's found a new hero and she wanted nothing more then to thank you for saving her life yesterday." Mirage looked at the pink pegasus who gave him the biggest puppy dog eyes she could master. He felt his lip twitch at this, it was one of the cutest things he had ever seen.

   "Fine." He sighed. Valentine jumped with joy onto Mirage, wrapping her for hooves around his neck maing him grunt with pain. "But you've got to stop doing that!" He spat through gritted teeth.