BiE 57: Cause and Effect.


                                            =BiE 57=


                                            >You sat on your couch with your head in your hands.

                                            >It had all gone so wrong...

                                            >You and the rest of the class had hauled ass back to town, carrying a still bleeding Mous in a magical grip.

                                            >You had run him to the hospital, barreling through a shocked town as you did.

                                            >Being immune to magic had bitten you in the ass here. The doctors were unable to cast any healing spells or close the wound with it, they couldn't even use magic to determine any internal injuries.

                                            >Cheerilee took all the kids back home while Rainbow flew off to an emergency meeting over the Diamond Dogs.

                                            >It was your job to tell Lotus what happened.

                                            >Lotus was quiet for a while before she calmly walked out of the spa, breaking into a mad dash to the hospital once she was outside.

                                            >You caught up with her at the hospital in the room Mous was in.

                                            >Lotus pulled up a seat next to his bed while you just sat in front of him.

                                            >It hurt to see your bro hooked up to all those tubes, barely breathing and needing a machine to keep him alive.


                                            >The door opened and Rainbow fluttered in. She took a look at your face and landed net to you on the couch. "How is he?"

                                            >You sigh and lean back. "He's stable. They stitched up the wound and started pumping him full of blood, but he hasn't woken up yet."

                                            >"How's Lotus?"

                                            >You can still remember her sitting there, silent as the grave. "Quiet. Very quiet. She was still there when I left."

                                            >Rainbow curled up under your arm. "That could have been you..."

                                            >You kiss the top of her head. "But it wasn't." You take in the scent of her mane as you remember how close you came to being just like Mous.

                                            >"What did the meeting decide on?" you ask.

                                            >It's Rainbow's turn to sigh. "They never came to an agreement. Nop0ny could decide if we should fight or run or just stay where we are."

                                            >You can guess what she voted for. "Typical government stuff?" you ask.

                                            >Rainbow dismissively waves a hoof.

                                            >"I don't know, Rainbow..." you say. "Something about this just feels...different."

                                            >"What do you mean, Anon?" she asks, fear creeping into her voice.

                                            >"I don't know...I just think that before this is over, a few more of us might end up like Mous..."

                                            >The two of you sit like that for a long time, taking solace that the both of you were still able to do so.


                                            >Twilight took the next day off to study the possibility of magical Diamond Dogs and Rainbow said she could duck work today, so the two of you went to the hospital after breakfast.

                                            >Mous's room was unchanged. He was still on the bed, having blood pumped into him, with an EKG machine beeping away in the corner.

                                            >Lotus was still sitting in her chair by the bedside. She turned to look at the two of you once you came in. "How is he?" you asked.

                                            >Lotus let out a heavy sigh. "No change. I would expect that he wouldn't let this keep him out, but now..."

                                            >Damn...

                                            >You take a seat in front of the bed with Rainbow. "Has anyp0ny else stopped by?"

                                            >"A few of the kids you two helped save came by before school...they didn't stay long." Lotus said.

                                            >You looked around the room and caught a large get well card on a desk next to Mous's bed. You could see signatures of each of the kids on it.

                                            >Lotus rests her head on the edge of the bed, she looks exhausted. "Lotus, did you sleep here?" you ask.

                                            >Lotus stifles a yawn. "I slept a bit..." she said. "Aloe tried to take me home around midnight, but...I wanted to stay here."

                                            >You look at Mous from across the room. "Come on, Pincushion Man. Don't tell me you're going to let a Diamond Dog take you out..." you say, trying to rouse him awake.

                                            >The room falls silent.

                                            >"...Well maybe you can fuckin' try it next time, see how you turn out."


                                            >You all sit in silence for a moment before you rocket out of your chair. "Mous!?"

                                            >You run to the side of his bed. Mous's eyes crack open "Not so loud..." he groans. "I feel like I'm waking up to the worst hangover of my life..."

                                            >Lotus hauls herself up onto the bed and practically dives into Mous's mouth.

                                            >You turn away until you hear them separate themselves, you hear "Hey pretty pony." whispered as you turn back.

                                            >Lotus curls up on Mous's chest as he turns to you. "Hey, man. Didn't think I'd be waking up. What'd you do?"

                                            >You can't stop smiling. "I got the class to float you back and stop you from bleeding out."

                                            >He reaches his hand up to the bag of blood hanging next to him. "And this?"

                                            >"Enchanted pigs blood."

                                            >Mous leans back. "Well, good thing I'm AB positive..."

                                            >The two of you laugh for a bit, it feels good to be able to do this. "So..." he asks. "Everyp0ny get out okay?"

                                            >You reach over and hand him the get well card. "See for yourself."

                                            >A smile tugs at his mouth as he looks over the card. "And the Diamond Dogs?"

                                            >Rainbow speaks up. "We had a big meeting last night, but we couldn't decide on anything. Twilight's trying to figure out how they could use magic right now."

                                            >Mous leans back in his bed and sighs. "You think they might try something?" you ask.

                                            >"Don't know. Don't know this "Dogfather" well enough to guess." he reaches his hand down and strokes Lotus's mane. "Truth be told, I mostly just happy to not be dead."

                                            >You glance at Rainbow and yank your head towards Mous. She nods in agreement. "Well, I think we'll give you to some privacy..." you say as you head out the door.

                                            >They probably need it...


                                            -Pincushion-Man PoV-

                                            -Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hWwMZ8yn_I-

                                            >You sat in your bed.

                                            >Your head was swimming.

                                            >The mare you loved was laying next to you on the bed, curled up into your chest.

                                            >She did a good job hiding it while Anon was here, but you could feel warm drops of liquid seep through your gown.

                                            >"You keep that up, you're going to ruin this lovely smock they gave me."

                                            >Lotus laughs a bit and rubs her face into your chest. "Shut up..."

                                            >You sat there for a while, silently stroking her mane.

                                            >"You mad at me?"

                                            >Lotus strikes her hoof on your chest. Not hard, but enough to get her point across. "I am furious at you. I'm furious that you went off and almost got yourself killed again after what you told me after that cult business..." she pulls herself up to your neck and rests her head on your shoulder. "But I'm happy that you came back."

                                            >You rest your head on hers.

                                            >"Sorry...That I worried you, I mean..."

                                            >Lotus pushed herself into a sitting position on your lap, you groan a bit at the proximity to your stab wound before the pain fades. "And another thing!..." she says.

                                            >She places her forehead on your own. "What's this I hear about you running off to fight only after little Dinky gets mentioned?"

                                            >"I'm grooming your successor."

                                            >Lotus laughs. "You ass..."

                                            >"You love me..."

                                            >Lotus falls back to your shoulder and kisses your neck. "I do...Celestia help me, I do."

                                            >You wrap your arms around Lotus as she moves up to your lips.

                                            >"Love you too."


                                            >The two of you lay there for a while, communicating your relief at seeing one another again in the best way you knew how. You could feel the weight of the last few hours lifting off her shoulders as you did.

                                            >You were brought back to reality as the steady beeping from the machine next to you picked up in speed.

                                            >You break the kiss after who knows how long and lazily look into her eyes.

                                            >"We probably shouldn't have sex in the hospital...That machine will know and I doubt it's good for me."

                                            >Lotus falls onto your good side and rests her head. "Denying me my fun like that...you're lucky you're hurt, mister."

                                            >You settle in as Lotus lets out a yawn.

                                            >"Tired?"

                                            >She stretches out. "Somep0ny kept me at the hospital wracked with worry over him since they brought his bleeding body into town yesterday...

                                            >You close your eyes as the Morphine starts to effect you again.

                                            >"How fitting, I've been pretty tired since they brought my bleeding body into town yesterday..."

                                            >Lotus nuzzles your chest as you wrap her in your arms. "Promise me you'll still be here when I wake up?

                                            >You laugh and kiss the top of her head.

                                            >"Of course I will...Who the hell do you think I am?"

                                            >Lotus giggles. "You're a dork, my big crazy dork."

                                            >You know you should feel touched, but Dammit.

                                            >Did no one else appreciate these quotes like you did?


                                            -Back at the mine-

                                            >They got away.

                                            >A bunch of foals and two hairless monkeys got away after killing almost two dozen of your guards and one of your magisters.

                                            >What's worse, the dogs you had chasing them came running back, shouting about some monster that couldn't die.

                                            >You had to strangle them yourself. This was not what any Dogfather needed, let alone a new one.

                                            >You fiddled with the tag on your neck, it was the only thing you really treasured. A gift from your mother before she died.

                                            >It was from before you died too.

                                            >"Dogfather! Dogfather!" one of your soldiers came running. "What do you want us to do now, Dogfather? The ponies know we're out here!"

                                            >You thought for a minute. You weren't gonna let them come to you, you'd get whacked faster than the last Dogfather if you did that...

                                            >"Tell tha mages ta go inta overtime, get dat portal open as far as it can get." you say.

                                            >The soldier salutes and runs off.

                                            >It was time to get this started...