The Washout Program (My Little Pony)

01: New Recruits

Lightning Dust approached the front desk of a hospital as a yellow mare seated there appeared to be shifting through documents that were scrambled amongst the desk. Lacking any patience, Lightning voiced, "Hey, you see me right here don't ya?"

"Oh," the mare perked from the disordered documents. "I'm so sorry, the pony before my shift mixed up the files here somehow. I can't believe she left it like--"

"Don't care," Lightning Dust raised a hoof. "Look, I'm just looking for my crew. A pony told me they’re here because of some accident."

"An accident? I'm so sorry to hear about that." The yellow mare grabbed a clipboard from the desk. "What are their names?"

"They're Short Fuse and Rolling Thunder," Lightning answered.

"Okay," the mare said as she skimmed through the sheets. "Short Fuse and Rolling Thunder are in room 313. They are currently available for visits."

"Good," Lightning said as she proceeded further into the hospital.

The mare looms her head over the desk and voiced, "Wait, don't you want a guide?"

"Don't need it," was all Lightning said as she disappeared from the corner of a hallway.

Lightning rushed her way through the stairs and halls, indifferent to the ponies she rudely passed by. She had a rude awakening this morning when she found her equipment damaged at the training field she had set up. Most of them were of her own design and now she needs to hurry and fix them before they can proceed with their tour across Equestria. Whatever those idiots did, they've completely postponed their tour and are now making things complicated for her; not that she's surprised. Those two have a habit of screwing up in a pain inducing fashion.

"Room 313," Lightning read the label next to the entrance to a room. Not wasting time, she barged into the room, ready to scold her birdbrained crew. But then she paused when she noticed the bandages and plaster cast that layered them on their bed. "The heck happened to you guys!?"

"Can I guess you are Lightning Dust?" A doctor voiced from between Short Fuse and Rolling Thunder's bed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's me," Lightning said. "Now tell me what happened to them?"

"The two were reported to be performing a very dangerous stunt that has given them fairly unique injuries," the doctor answered as he finished wrapping the bandages on Short Fuse.

The small stallion winced when the doctor tightened the bandage. "Hey! Go easy why don't ya!"

"My apologies," the doctor said as Lightning stepped before Short Fuse's bed.

"Alright," Lightning eyed at the Short Fuse. "What did you do?"

"I was just practicing that Phoenix Cannon stunt you showed me," Short defensively said. "I looked pretty easy, so I thought I had it in the bag."

"That stunt has given you second degree burns all over your body and also fractures in your wing bones," the doctor retorted.

"So, what," Short Fuse said. "It was just a small mistake. I'll get it right next time as soon as this heals up."

“Soon is not enough for your recovery,” the doctor said. “You and your friend, Rolling Thunder will need to stay here to recuperate for roughly three months.”

"What," Lightning and Short loudly voiced in unison.

Lightning then perked at the wincing from her other crewmate, Rolling Thunder, who was lightly shifting in her bed.

"What happened to her," Lightning asked. "It can't be that serious, can it?"

"Rolling Thunder had severe frost bites along with fractured wing bones," the doctor answered. "Neither of them are in no condition to leave this hospital."