02-21-2016, 04:54 PM
Chapter 28: Aftermath
----
Waking up in a hospital was certainly better than waking up in that awful castle. Speaking of which...oh right, I smashed his head. It was night out, thankfully. Outside I could hear crickets happily chirping away their nightly songs. A clocked ticked away on the wall opposite me, the walls themselves a pleasant blue color. My body hurt, but not as bad as last time I was conscious. When was the last time I was conscious? I shifted my head slowly to the right, looking at the window, then to the left. My neck hurt and I cringed at the pain somewhat, my fingers twitching on the sterile white hospital blanket. Then I saw Nightmare Rarity, sitting asleep in the chair opposite me. Her backlegs tucked against her, forehooves resting over each other neatly upon which she rested her cheek. Her mane hung down radiantly, though clearly a bit disheveled, but still it twinkled and glinted like the night sky itself.
Her eyes opened after about a minute of me staring at her and immediately becoming alert as whatever form of sleep left her in a flash. Nightmare's hooves quietly touched down to the floor and she approached me, a smile on her lips which I suddenly had the urge to kiss.
"You're awake," she spoke in a relieved voice, though despite her relief I could tell she was still tired.
"Yeah...how long have I-,"
"Two days."
"...Damn," was the only word I could find to properly describe my reaction to that news. I was silent for a moment before piping up again. "What happened...you know...after all that?" My voice cracked slightly from a mixture of curiosity and nervousness, that and I was thirsty, but that could wait.
"Needless to say King Sombra won't be coming back, we all saw to that. And you remember those ponies with the atrocious helmets?"
"The ones with the glowing eyes? Yeah," I nodded, shifting myself into a more upward position.
"As it turns out they were under some form of mind control, the traitors, those who voluntarily sided with Sombra will be spending the rest of their days rotting in prison cells."
I exhaled in relief to know that the battle was over for good. My head plopping back into the pillow and I couldn't help but smile, my eyes noticed...a hole in the wall. Just near the door.
"Ummm...," I pointed to it, "what happened there?"
Nightmare Rarity followed my finger to the wall, when she saw what I was asking about she chuckled lightly before turning back to me.
"A nurse insisted visiting hours were over. I disagreed."
I honestly could help but laugh at that, my ribs ached from it but I didn't care. There was no sense dwelling on it, other than apparently being bashed up I was fine. Still I laughed anyway before a light cough and a sigh escaped me. I held one of her hooves in my hands as she leaned in, our lips meeting in a much needed, long kiss, a hand running the length of a leg to her shoulder. The black fur soft and silky...then my stomach let out a gurgling growl which felt like it might wake up everyone else in the building. Slowly I broke way, casting an annoyed glance at my gut. "Really you do this now?"
Like she'd heard my thoughts Nightmare Rarity smiled at me with a raised brow, a free hoof reaching behind the still white curtain and pulling in a silver cart with a covered tray and a pitcher of crystal clear water adorning it's top. Clearly not hospital food, lucky me. Her horn glowed and lifted the dome cover off, revealing a plate of food which was clearly still warm, I didn't ask how, my mind just jumped to the conclusion of magic. My eyes practically lit up at the sight of a slab meat among the vegetables. She levitated a sharp, gleaming knife and fork and carefully began cutting into the meat first, obviously seeing me eyeing it eagerly.
"Uh, wait...what animal is it?"
"Manticore," she replied without missing a beat, pronging a piece of the fork and gently sent it towards my mouth. Never would have thought meat made out of manticore could be so damn delicious. I chewed it eagerly and swallowed as she had already begun slicing another. I grinned widely as I was fed another, musing over the many things that had occurred in my life as of late.
"So...I meet a unicorn pony from another dimension...fall in love with her...travel to said alternate dimension," I counted each event off on my fingers. "Attend a gala, fight in a war, and now I'm eating a manticore."
Nightmare Rarity chuckled, feeding me another, filling up a glass with the ice cold water, to which I gulped down to more than half empty. Stopping to take a breath, then grew awkward at how greedy I must have looked. I gave her an apologetic glance, but she only smiled back to indicate I had no reason to be ashamed and simply offered me another piece of juicy meat. I continued to eat in silence a bit longer, my stomach finally beginning to feel satisfaction at having real food for the first time in a few days. I noticed how tired she suddenly looked now, like the events of everything that had happened had spontaneously exhausted her.
"You should go home and get some rest," I gently encouraged after finishing off some of the vegetables, reaching out and brushing a stray lock of her mane. Nightmare Rarity gave a small smile in return, setting the utensils down when I indicated I was full.
"Not without you," she replied, the dome covering the plate once more and the cart was quietly rolled back behind the curtain. "Which should hopefully be tomorrow."
"Hopefully," I echoed, feeling tired myself now, the food settling and the sensation of peace lingering pleasantly in the room itself taking full effect. Getting an idea I began scooting over on the bed as much as I could, flipping up the blanket and patting the bed itself. "If you're going to stay here then I'm not letting you sleep in a chair."
Slowly she eased herself in, wincing slightly. Noting my concern she quickly spoke. "It's nothing really, armor or not being smashed through a wall takes its toll."
My eyes narrowed at that, becoming all the more glad Sombra was dead. Gently she drew me back into the present a caress of her hoof to my cheek, prompting me to lay down with her and I drew the blanket over us. The bed was small so it required us to have our bodies close together, not that either of us had minded. If anything it had been hard to sleep without her. Careful to avoid touching her sore shoulder I pulled her close, my head beneath her chin like before, her legs drawing me in further.
"I missed you," Nightmare whispered, statement piercing the silence. I gave her a light but reassuring squeeze.
"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," I lifted my head to look her in the eyes with my response. I needed to. A hoof brushed my messy hair, it was slow and deliberate, as if to further reassure herself that I was truly here. I realized it was the first time she'd in a long while that she had faced the possibility of loss. Loss had followed me like a specter my entire life, but the fear of this loss and the pain of it's possibility had weighed greatly on me. I ran my hand down her side, feeling the soft fur and kissed her. Her lips warm and soft as she returned my gesture of love and affirmation.
When we pulled away I never looked away, I let her gaze at me as long as she needed, a word never spoken. Only when she closed her eyes did I close mine. Contentment easing me into slumber with the one I loved in my arms once more.
----
Waking up in a hospital was certainly better than waking up in that awful castle. Speaking of which...oh right, I smashed his head. It was night out, thankfully. Outside I could hear crickets happily chirping away their nightly songs. A clocked ticked away on the wall opposite me, the walls themselves a pleasant blue color. My body hurt, but not as bad as last time I was conscious. When was the last time I was conscious? I shifted my head slowly to the right, looking at the window, then to the left. My neck hurt and I cringed at the pain somewhat, my fingers twitching on the sterile white hospital blanket. Then I saw Nightmare Rarity, sitting asleep in the chair opposite me. Her backlegs tucked against her, forehooves resting over each other neatly upon which she rested her cheek. Her mane hung down radiantly, though clearly a bit disheveled, but still it twinkled and glinted like the night sky itself.
Her eyes opened after about a minute of me staring at her and immediately becoming alert as whatever form of sleep left her in a flash. Nightmare's hooves quietly touched down to the floor and she approached me, a smile on her lips which I suddenly had the urge to kiss.
"You're awake," she spoke in a relieved voice, though despite her relief I could tell she was still tired.
"Yeah...how long have I-,"
"Two days."
"...Damn," was the only word I could find to properly describe my reaction to that news. I was silent for a moment before piping up again. "What happened...you know...after all that?" My voice cracked slightly from a mixture of curiosity and nervousness, that and I was thirsty, but that could wait.
"Needless to say King Sombra won't be coming back, we all saw to that. And you remember those ponies with the atrocious helmets?"
"The ones with the glowing eyes? Yeah," I nodded, shifting myself into a more upward position.
"As it turns out they were under some form of mind control, the traitors, those who voluntarily sided with Sombra will be spending the rest of their days rotting in prison cells."
I exhaled in relief to know that the battle was over for good. My head plopping back into the pillow and I couldn't help but smile, my eyes noticed...a hole in the wall. Just near the door.
"Ummm...," I pointed to it, "what happened there?"
Nightmare Rarity followed my finger to the wall, when she saw what I was asking about she chuckled lightly before turning back to me.
"A nurse insisted visiting hours were over. I disagreed."
I honestly could help but laugh at that, my ribs ached from it but I didn't care. There was no sense dwelling on it, other than apparently being bashed up I was fine. Still I laughed anyway before a light cough and a sigh escaped me. I held one of her hooves in my hands as she leaned in, our lips meeting in a much needed, long kiss, a hand running the length of a leg to her shoulder. The black fur soft and silky...then my stomach let out a gurgling growl which felt like it might wake up everyone else in the building. Slowly I broke way, casting an annoyed glance at my gut. "Really you do this now?"
Like she'd heard my thoughts Nightmare Rarity smiled at me with a raised brow, a free hoof reaching behind the still white curtain and pulling in a silver cart with a covered tray and a pitcher of crystal clear water adorning it's top. Clearly not hospital food, lucky me. Her horn glowed and lifted the dome cover off, revealing a plate of food which was clearly still warm, I didn't ask how, my mind just jumped to the conclusion of magic. My eyes practically lit up at the sight of a slab meat among the vegetables. She levitated a sharp, gleaming knife and fork and carefully began cutting into the meat first, obviously seeing me eyeing it eagerly.
"Uh, wait...what animal is it?"
"Manticore," she replied without missing a beat, pronging a piece of the fork and gently sent it towards my mouth. Never would have thought meat made out of manticore could be so damn delicious. I chewed it eagerly and swallowed as she had already begun slicing another. I grinned widely as I was fed another, musing over the many things that had occurred in my life as of late.
"So...I meet a unicorn pony from another dimension...fall in love with her...travel to said alternate dimension," I counted each event off on my fingers. "Attend a gala, fight in a war, and now I'm eating a manticore."
Nightmare Rarity chuckled, feeding me another, filling up a glass with the ice cold water, to which I gulped down to more than half empty. Stopping to take a breath, then grew awkward at how greedy I must have looked. I gave her an apologetic glance, but she only smiled back to indicate I had no reason to be ashamed and simply offered me another piece of juicy meat. I continued to eat in silence a bit longer, my stomach finally beginning to feel satisfaction at having real food for the first time in a few days. I noticed how tired she suddenly looked now, like the events of everything that had happened had spontaneously exhausted her.
"You should go home and get some rest," I gently encouraged after finishing off some of the vegetables, reaching out and brushing a stray lock of her mane. Nightmare Rarity gave a small smile in return, setting the utensils down when I indicated I was full.
"Not without you," she replied, the dome covering the plate once more and the cart was quietly rolled back behind the curtain. "Which should hopefully be tomorrow."
"Hopefully," I echoed, feeling tired myself now, the food settling and the sensation of peace lingering pleasantly in the room itself taking full effect. Getting an idea I began scooting over on the bed as much as I could, flipping up the blanket and patting the bed itself. "If you're going to stay here then I'm not letting you sleep in a chair."
Slowly she eased herself in, wincing slightly. Noting my concern she quickly spoke. "It's nothing really, armor or not being smashed through a wall takes its toll."
My eyes narrowed at that, becoming all the more glad Sombra was dead. Gently she drew me back into the present a caress of her hoof to my cheek, prompting me to lay down with her and I drew the blanket over us. The bed was small so it required us to have our bodies close together, not that either of us had minded. If anything it had been hard to sleep without her. Careful to avoid touching her sore shoulder I pulled her close, my head beneath her chin like before, her legs drawing me in further.
"I missed you," Nightmare whispered, statement piercing the silence. I gave her a light but reassuring squeeze.
"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," I lifted my head to look her in the eyes with my response. I needed to. A hoof brushed my messy hair, it was slow and deliberate, as if to further reassure herself that I was truly here. I realized it was the first time she'd in a long while that she had faced the possibility of loss. Loss had followed me like a specter my entire life, but the fear of this loss and the pain of it's possibility had weighed greatly on me. I ran my hand down her side, feeling the soft fur and kissed her. Her lips warm and soft as she returned my gesture of love and affirmation.
When we pulled away I never looked away, I let her gaze at me as long as she needed, a word never spoken. Only when she closed her eyes did I close mine. Contentment easing me into slumber with the one I loved in my arms once more.