Bonus Scene Three: With a Vengeance

Crystal Tower

“Make a hole! We’ve got a live one!” the paramedic shouted as he rushed down the hall, a body on the gurney he was pushing.

The numerous other rescue ponies flattened themselves against the wall as the paramedic rushed by. A few looked hopefully at the body, thinking perhaps it was one of their missing loved ones.

A few other medical ponies peeled off from the group and began galloping next to the paramedic pushing the gurney.

“What do we have?” one medic asked the one pushing the gurney.

“Unicorn, female. Three GSWs to the chest!” the one pushing the gurney rattled off.

They pushed the gurney out through the double doors at the front of the Tower and made a beeline for one of the dozen or so medical carriages that had been parked outside. They opened the carriage and hauled the gurney and its passenger inside. They began hooking their patient up to the equipment while one of the ponies pulled surgical equipment from a cupboard.

“What do you think, Doc?” an orderly asked the doctor that had been waiting in the carriage. “Any hope?”

The doctor’s horn lit up and a light blue aura surrounded the chest of the pony on the gurney.

“Maybe.” the doctor said. “But we have to move fast.”

One of the orderlies nodded and used a pair of surgical scissors to cut open the front of the unconscious unicorn’s shirt…

*******

Base of Crystal Tower

12:00 Midnight

Bleeding Heart stood vigil over the patient. The surgery had seemed to be successful, but the unicorn had remained unconscious. Bleeding Heart could be called a romantic in that the earth pony believed in Hearth’s Warming miracles. She was hopeful that the pony would pull through.

Suddenly the mare stirred. She groaned softly and her eyelids fluttered. She looked around with bleary eyes, trying to sit up. Bleeding Heart was up in an instant, gently pressed the mare back down to the gurney.

“Easy there dear, easy there. Don’t go moving just yet.”

The unicorn mare groaned in an irritable fashion but obediently laid back down.

“There you go. Nice and easy. You’ve had a rough night.”

The mare snorted.

Bleeding Heart blushed. “Yeah, understatement, I know.” the earth pony reached for the radio on the counter and the unicorn eyed her suspiciously. “I have to check in.” she explained, “Let them know you’re awake.”

The mare looked less than happy.

“Don’t worry, the Guard will wait until tomorrow to ask you anything.”

The mare sighed and laid her head back down on the pillow.

“If you want anything, just let me know, okay?”

The mare nodded.

Bleeding Heart smiled and made herself spoke into her radio, relaying the news of the unicorn’s awakening. The report took less than a minute and Bleeding Heart was soon watching the mare again as she laid on the gurney, eyes firmly closed.

“Water.” the mare croaked after a time. Her voice carried a slight accent.

Bleeding Heart nodded and pulled a small paper cup from a cupboard, filling it with water from a jug inside another. The unicorn took the offered cup and drank slowly. She sighed contently and handed back the cup.

There was a silence as the mare laid herself back down, quiet once more. The mare broke the silence after a time with a question.

“What is your name?”

Bleeding Heart blinked in surprise. A patient had never asked for her name before.

“I’m Bleeding Heart. You?”

The mare propped herself up on one hoof and extended the other.

“Masque Espion.”

Bleeding Heart took the hoof and gave it a gentle shake. “Nice to meet you.”

The unicorn cracked a smile. “Nice to meet you, as well.”

*******

Hearth’s Warming

The carriage where a nurse named Bleeding Heart had been watching a patient that had been taken out of the Tower had been discovered to have vanished in the morning. There was no indication as to where the earth pony had gone, but it had been noted that a number of anti-pain pills and other medical equipment had disappeared with her. On a stranger note, the patient that she had been watching over has vanished as well.

In the flurry of activity following the hostage situation on Hearth’s Warming Eve, the disappearance had been chalked up to a mistake by a tired filer. It was likely the nurse had simply moved to a different carriage or the number of the carriage had been written down wrong.

No further inquiries were made.

Author's Notes:

What do you want?!

A sequel!

Too bad! You're getting Alternate endings!