//------------------------------// // C5 feelings of imprisonment // Story: The Equestrian Rider // by Anubis Grimgost //------------------------------// Damian slowly began to calm down and thanks to the soft and soothing voice of the nurse who had stayed with him after the initial panic attack he was now coherent enough to speak with. “Water…. Please.” “Oh here you are dear.” She gave him a glass and filled it with crystal clear water from a large jug, Damian gulped it down as quickly as possible and the nurse frowned. “Could you tell me what happened to you in the X-ray room?” “Um…. I…. Urr…. Sigh* I don’t know….” nurse Butterscotch nodded but wasn’t convinced by his words, she knew he knows more but for one reason or another he didn’t want to say. “Look, what is everyone’s problem with me covering up my genitals?” She went pink in the cheeks and stammered out her words. “Um well firstly it’s everypony.” Damian cut her off with a mocking tone. “Um well firstly it’s everypony, why do you all insist on me saying that? I’m not a pony.” “Um i mean…. You’re right but it’s just how we talk, so please respect it sir.” “Sorry…. I’m just stressed out, please go on.” “T-thank you, so it’s because when a stallion hides there genitals. they either have something wrong with it or are just ashamed of its size…. Is that why you hide it?” Damian noticed that she had worry in her eyes. “No! It’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with it but it’s just a cultural thing.” “A cultural thing? And how do you know it works? Have you used it before?” “It’s culturally unacceptable to let it hang out…. And no but anyway that’s a private matter, none of your business.” “You have to cover up? How do the mares know who’s healthy and ready to mate, how do you pick the fertile mares?” “They get to know you and if you like each other then you take it to the next level….” “What!?!?” The nurse’s loud response made Damian’s ears ring. “Ouch….” “Oh I’m sorry sir…. But that just doesn’t make sense, why would you do that?” “Well because you don’t want to start a family with someone who’s crazy or doesn’t care about you.” She looked at the hospitalised drake as if he just said something outlandish. “What? Did i say something wrong?” “Um sort of…. I mean why wouldn’t your other herd members prevent you from letting anypony that is crazy in?” “What? No, we don’t have herds…. We typically give ourselves to the one we love.” “And what if you love more than one pony?” “Person. And it’s frowned upon but not unheard of…. That’s called cheating and it’s wrong.” “Okay I’m lost? Why?” He gritted his teeth in frustration, this was getting tiring. “Because you are meant to give yourself to the one you love….” “Maybe if you’re a mare but you’re not a mare, you’re a stallion, you have a duty…. Or drake and that’s because the gender ratio is 1 to 6.” “Wha?” “Yep so a healthy drake like yourself is quite a catch, I’m surprised that the dragons of the dragon lands haven’t came looking for you.” “I’m not from there….” “But you’re a dragon?” “…” “Sorry sir. It was rude of me to assume that….” “It’s fine…. Sigh* can I get some fresh air please? I don’t really like being stuck in here.” “Eh I’ll just check if that’s okay but you haven’t forgotten that you can’t walk at the moment, right?” “No I haven’t…. like I’d forgot something so painfully obvious.” Damian laid in his bed motionless, bored and tired from the day and it had only really begun. These ponies were getting on his nerves with their constant correcting of his vocabulary but he found it easer to just adapt and use the native tongue. Even if he thought it was girly and childish, it only got worse when he finally noticed the symbols plastered on everypony’s butts. “They’re called what?!?” Nurse Butterscotch’s ears were pinned to the back of her head as Damian’s mighty roar of disbelief hit her, seeing her reaction he immediately covered his maw and regretted shouting. “Y-yes sir…. That’s what they’re called, cutie marks. Is that a p-problem?” “No! Sorry, it’s just…. Why? I mean why call them that, i can’t imagine the men…. Cough* Stallions appreciate such a de-masculine name?” “Um they actually like the name…. But in other news, I have permission to wheel you around the castle gardens. Trust me, you’ll love the flowers.” He was surprised to see how fast she changed moods, Butterscotch had gone from nervous to gleeful in an instant’s but what worried Damian was potentially seeing the princess. In particular, princess Celestia. Although she was nice, she was quick to take points in his overly polite interrogation. But she seemed to wear a fake smile that made him uneasy, princess luna on the other hand seemed more genuine and less practiced in her features. He had nothing against the princesses but who would blame him for being a little bit weary of them, even if they were overly cute. At the end of the day, he was injured and alone in another world…. Maybe even universe or different dimension and who’s to say that these ponies really care about him. Or he could just be in a coma in the hospital with wires and tubes coming out of him, well that’s what he was telling himself as he got his first glimpse of the cartoon coloured world. “what the fffuuck….” “Sorry Damian, did you say something?” “Eh nope…. It’s brighter than bright out here.” “Yep it sure is, that’s thanks to the princess’s sun that she rises every morning.” He slowly turned his head to look at her with a dumbfounded expression. “Wha?!?” ‘Oh no…. Does princess Celestia really have all her subjects believing that she controls the fucking sun?’ As if Butterscotch read his mind and gave him the answers he wasn’t looking for, she cheerfully spoke. “Yep! She controls the sun.” ‘These ponies are fucking crazy, like actually living in la la loopy land crazy.’ “Ha ha hahahahah! Oh wow~ I’m actually dead and been sent to hell, oh dam it must have been my internet history…. Yep that’ll definitely do it.” The poor nurse was now looking at him in concern, she didn’t know if he really had hit his head really hard or if he was just like that, but nonetheless she pushed him around the gardens as he slowly regained his parting sanity. “Mmmmm you’re right…. These gardens are kind of nice.” Although his words seemed a little forced, Butterscotch could feel the sincerity in them. “See, I did say you’d like them.” As she was walking him around the grounds, the bed ridden dragon was receiving odd and curious looks from different groups of ponies. That was until a pair of glaring magenta eyes obscured his vision as a sharp pain exploded all over his chest as all the oxygen was evacuated from his lungs. “Who sent you?! Uh? What do you want with Equestria buddy? Because what ever evil scheme you have cooking in that noggin of yours, I’ll stop you.” As Damian gasps and heaved for air but to no avail, as more of his attacker became visible thanks to a purple aura that surrounds her. He noticed that she was a winged horse…. No, a Pegasus of light blue to cyan coat and hair or mane that would put a pride flag to shame. His vision was slowly becoming blurry from the lack of air in his lungs that just wasn't doing their job? “Wha? Cough* Cough* splat* grrrrr* ahhhh~* Oh….” “Damian?!? No! Um ahh? Okay calm down Butter, just quickly get him to the doctors. They’ll know What to do.” he heard the sound of wheels rattling against an hard surface and panicked yelling in the background, one voice stood out from the rest. “Explain thyself now Rainbow Dash! What happened to sir Damian!” This was the last thing he heard before closing his eyes. But he felt light, weightless as he floated in nothingness. One thing ran through his head and that was the unmistakable voice of the princess of the night, as mad as she sounded. She also sounded hurt, scared even. Beep*, beep*, beep*, Beep*, beep*, beep* “Mmmm no…. Five more minutes.” He reached out and tried to swat at the alarm clock that wasn’t there, instead he was met with a wire that upon falling limp. A loud constant beep rang out jolting him up right. When he opened his eyes he was met with a bunch of doctors and nurses fiddling with equipment of all sorts as they stared back at him in a mixture of shock and relief. The first thing Damian noticed was that it wasn’t all just a horrible dream in a coma, the second was that he was no longer in casts and could move his arms. It may have been a feathery and scaly arms but it didn’t hurt to move. The third thing was nurse Butterscotch and nurse Redcross were the closest to him, their faces tear stained and relieved smiles on their muzzles. “Oh thank Celestia, I was beginning to think you’d never wake Damian.” “Wha?” “Don’t scare us like that you…. Sniffle* I thought you were going to die.” “Huh?” Now it was all their turn to look confused. Redcross slowly began as the Doctors started to reattach the wires to him. “D-Damian you’ve been in a coma for 5 and a half months…. Your body’s mostly healed but the Doctors were getting worried, how are you feeling?” “I-I don’t know…. How am I supposed to feel?” “Does anything hurt or feel uncomfortable?” “No…. I feel okay?” His words done very little to convince them that he was fine but they weren’t going to force it out of him, the last thing they needed was Damian getting stressed. “Um actually…. My chest feels sore but other than that, I’m good.” “That’s a relief to hear…. But you have a visitor, would you like to see them or rest a little more before seeing anypony?” Doctor Doodle had a tired smile. “Um I’d like to rest please, I…. I don’t want to speak to anyone yet.” “Very well sir.” Then all but two ponies left his room, Redcross and Butterscotch were still in there, fussing over the wires and equipment. “Damian, is it easer to breathe now?” “Um…. Y-yeah, how?” “I adjusted your oxygen tank silly.” “Oh…. Oh yeah I’ve got pipes in my nostrils.” “Anyway Butterscotch, I should stay here and tend to him. You go and get some rest, you’ve been pulling all nighters for the past few weeks.” “No. I’m fine I swear and don’t give me that look. You were doing the same last month.” “Sigh* it’s not a competition now, I’ll care for him whilst you catch up on some sleep.” “…fine…. But only because I’m exhausted.” “Bye.” “See you later Redcross.” “Good bye…. Butter.” “Eep um yeah eh good bye Damian, I’m glad you’re okay….” Butterscotch had visually turned a few shades redder and swished her tail as she left. “T-cough* Thank you.” “Oh my, smooth talker are we.” “Wha?” “Don’t wha Me, I saw what you did. You had her blushing, not even been awake for 30 minutes and you’re already trying to get spoiled.” “Wait spoiled? Sorry, you lost me.” “Mmmmmyeah sure cutie, now get some rest.” Nurse Redcross turned to smirk at him but when she looked at him, Damian was a light shade of red. “Awwwww I guess it doesn’t matter if it’s a stallion or a drake, they all blush the same heheheheh~.” Damian decided to flip over in defiance and threw the cover over himself, all whilst huffing and puffing. Redcross just rolled her eyes and got back to work with a smile. A few hours later, he wakes up to fine that it’s night and a sleeping Redcross at his bed side. Upon getting a closer look he noticed that she had very human features and was quite attractive but as soon as those thoughts came he banished them. With his newly regained mobility he tried to quietly slip out of bed, once he was on the floor Damian tried to stand but his body felt weak. That’s when he realised that he had the wires still attached to him and he couldn’t go anywhere without alerting the doctors or waking Redcross. ‘This is actually just a glorified prison cell.’ This is when he decided to throw it all to the wall and tore the wires off, then making his way to the window on shaky limbs. A loud beep rang out and jolted Redcross from her slumber, she in her panicked state frantically looked for the missing drake only to turn around and find him at the window. She admired his aesthetically pleasing figure before she noticed his shaking. She turned off the heart monitor and approached him, thinking he was cold, she pulled him against her chest fluff. The door opened but upon reading the room, Doodle left without a word. “Sorry for waking you…. I just needed some fresh air….” “That’s okay, do you want a blanket?” “No I’m not cold….” “You’re not? Why are you shaking?” “Probably because I’m sore or haven’t walked for 6 or 8 months….” “Are you feeling okay, like mentally?” “Yea…. No. No I’m not okay Red, I’m just not…. I hate being inside, I want my family back, I want my friends, home and old life back. I need my bike….” Tears running down his muzzle and Redcross just pulled him tighter and allowed him to reminisce about his old life, this went on for hours before Damian talked himself to sleep. Redcross gently laid him down and went to get a blanket to put over him but when she came back she found that he had rolled over and was now exposed. Her cheeks went red as she felt her hindquarters heat up, she snapped herself out of it and threw the blanket over him. Covering his lower half but she couldn’t help but grow a little curious and decided to take a look. But as she was about to take a peek of his family jewels, a creak from the window made her jump and take a few steps back.