This Nose Knows

by Irrespective


30. - Moving Forward

“Just a moment more, Your Highness,” Doctor Horsenpfeffer admonished while Bean squirmed. “I know it hurts, but I need to scan the deep tissue too.”

Bean nodded, but his teeth remained clenched and he tried to fight back the groans of pain. “I get that this is helpful, but I think it hurt less when I hit the trees. ”

Bean pushed himself a little more into Celestia’s side, and that was enough to silence his fidgeting. Horsenpfeffer grinned a bit with this, and after a moment, her magic cut out.

“So?” Celestia asked with concern in her words and on her face. “How bad is it?”

“My Prince, you are a very lucky pony,” Horsenpfeffer replied while scribbling some notes on a clipboard. “By all accounts, you should be dead a couple of times over, but somehow you managed to make it. Your left rear leg is a mess of broken bone and torn tissue, you’ve fractured five ribs, a lung is collapsed, you have a bad concussion - you’re really lucky you didn’t just split your head open like a coconut, you know - your thoracic sling has been pulled so badly I could almost call it taffy, your spleen is badly bruised, and your liver is just a mess. That doesn’t even cover all the lacerations, cuts, nicks, and deep tissue bruising you’ve got. I’m not going to sugar coat it: you are on thin ice.”

Bean swallowed hard. He hadn’t realized his condition was so dire. “Why don’t I feel any of that, then?”

“Mostly because we’ve been stuffing you full of painkillers, but there may be some spinal damage that’s blocking the signals. I won’t know for sure for a couple of days.

“Now, having gotten all of that out of the way, here’s the good news: you can make a full recovery, in time; but you must not lift a hoof, both figuratively and literally, for at least the next two weeks. I will give the Princess a list of healing magic to run on you a few times a day, and I’ll keep an eye on you too during this time. I am hopeful that Celestia’s alicorn magic will be able to accelerate the healing process, and we’ll bring in some physical therapists when the time is right to work on that leg. But I cannot stress this enough: absolutely no movement.”

Bean shifted a bit, and he felt several stabs radiate from the left side of his chest outwards. “What about when I have to … um, y’know …”

“I’ll make sure you get a bedpan to use, and I can have a nurse put on-call to take care of it when you’re done.”

“Anything else?” Celestia asked.

“Not for the moment. Once Bean has mended a bit, we’ll reevaluate and adjust as needed.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Celestia said with relief. “I am in debt to your service.”

“My pleasure, entirely,” Horsenpfeffer replied with a nod and a smile. “I’ll be right back with that list.”

“Guess I messed myself up pretty good, eh?” Bean said sadly, and Celestia gently wrapped her wing over him.

“Not at all. You were injured by a monster while defending our little ponies. You did not mess up anything.”

“There is just no hope for me.”

“Oh, don’t say such things,” Celestia said with a frown. “There is much hope, and much good you can still accomplish. If you are worried that I am upset with you, please believe me when I tell you I am not. My orders were rash and given out of a desire to protect you, and I did not fully appreciate your desire to help. I could have handled the situation better, and I should have worked with you.”

“No, what happened is my fault,” he groaned while his ribs began to ache. “I should have listened to you.”

“Do not blame yourself, my Bean. Tirek alone is responsible for what has happened. You did what you needed to, and for that I am proud.”

“Thank you,” he said with a hiss of pain.

“Oh, here. Doctor Horsenpfeffer showed me which magic spell would work the best for your pain. Close your eyes, and relax.”

Bean did so, and he felt Celestia’s magic tenderly wrap around him with a gentle tingle. He let out the breath he was holding while he felt his aches fade away, and he was smiling from ear to ear when her magic cut out and his eyes opened.

“Thank you, my love. I feel a lot better now.”

“Good. If those pains come back, just say so and I will be more than happy to ease them away.”

“Well, unless you’re in Day Court, or teaching your class.”

“I have cancelled everything for the next two weeks,” Celestia said firmly, and Bean gave her a confused look.

“You did?”

“Yes. I can’t bear the thought of being away from you for even a moment while you are like this. Luna has agreed to handle Day Court with Wysteria and Trixie’s help, and a substitute teacher has been brought in for my class. The only thing that could tear me from your side is something that threatens the lives of our little ponies.”

Bean smiled deeply while he felt the love of his wife permeate his heart and spread from there throughout his injured body. “Thank you, my love. I should try to heal quickly then, so you can get back to more important things.”

“My dear Bean,” she said with a nuzzle for him, “there is nothing that is more important to me than you. Equestria will go forward, as will the government of it, but I cannot bear the thought of it going on without you.”


“I hope I can regain the use of my hooves soon,” Bean said while he swallowed his bite of oatmeal. “You should be off telling Lord Fancy Pants that you would be delighted to attend the unveiling of the new metropolitan art exhibit, or even telling a petitioner why concerns over potholes should be taken to their local elected officials. It seems like such a waste of your time to have you here, doing this.”

“I certainly hope you can use your hooves again, too,” Celestia replied, “but do not worry about wasting my time. If it will help you to heal, then this time has been well spent. Besides, this gives me the chance to avoid all that.”

Bean laughed a little before gently taking the next bite, but his demeanor drifted to depressed while he did so. “Celly? How long was I out?”

“It is,” she paused, and her eyes went to the bowl before her in thought. “It is hard to say; I lost track of time while I was searching for you, and even then, we found you clinging to life at the edge of a ravine. You may have been in and out of consciousness during your ordeal. I was actually hoping you could tell me what happened to you.”

“I don’t really remember anything,” Bean replied while he thought. “I mean, anything after I hit the trees.”

“It is possible you were in a state of shock,” Celestia said with another spoonful of oatmeal for him. “I have had soldiers in the past who could not recall the details of a battle they had been in, even though it had been a pitched fight that lasted several hours.”

“I could see that being similar,” he replied. “Who found me?”

“Rainbow Dash did, but quite by accident. We had already searched in the area where you were, but Miss Dash happened to see you while she was flying to another search site. She was bound and determined to find you, and nothing would have stopped her; not even a direct order from me.”

“The Element of Loyalty, without a doubt.” Bean chuckled, and then took the next bite of oatmeal. “How did I get back home?”

Celestia smiled weakly. “That would be my doing. Luna was not very happy when she caught up to me. I teleported you away before she could be apprised of your condition. She has worried a great deal about you, too.”

“Quite the change in attitude from when she first met me,” he quipped.

“My dear Bean, everypony has worried a great deal about you. I have received messages of support and well-wishes from all across Equestria, and once you are better, I am sure there will be a party that will stretch from the Crystal Empire to the Mysterious South. The jubilee will doubtless last for at least two weeks, and your nose will be given quite the workout when you are called upon to judge the innumerable cakes, candies, and treats that will be presented for your enjoyment.”

“That sounds like quite a lot to ask of one lowly yellow prince,” he replied with a smug smile. “I don’t think I can handle that on my own. I may need to petition the Court for some royal assistance.”

Celestia smiled back at him and purred. “I’ll eat all the cake you want me to, but you have to ask nicely. You may even need to provide some … incentives, shall we say?”

“My dear Celestia, I would move the very mountain we reside on if it meant that I could claim the simple privilege of your presence for an hour in my life. You name your price, and I will gladly pay it.”

“I’m sure you would,” she replied in a sultry tone, “but all I ask for now is for you finish your oatmeal. Now open wide!”


Bean gumbled a bit as he tried to get comfortable without moving, and he was finding it really hard to do both. Every little twitch and spasm seemed to aggravate his ribs, and that in turn was making the base of his skull hurt.

He didn’t want to disturb his beloved; she had spent the greater part of the day tending to his every need. He had enjoyed the attention, and the snuggly cuddles they had shared when he didn’t need some kind of treatment, but he felt bad that she had to devote so much time to taking care of things that he should be able to handle on his own. He felt horribly useless whenever she gently fed him, or when she had tenderly brushed his mane and coat - well, maybe that part was pretty nice, and she could definitely coo into his ear about what a pretty pony he was all she wanted - but otherwise he had felt like dead weight.

He was asking far too much of her, and he needed to heal faster so she wouldn’t have to be burdened with him.

Besides that, he needed to make amends for the damage he had caused. The stain glass windows would be one of the hardest things to repair, and he really had no idea how to even go about that. Could he take some sort of job within the palace to earn the bits? Could he even earn that many bits in a lifetime of trying? Each one of them had been hoof crafted and set in the way of the ancients, so there was a very good chance they were priceless.

And then the damage to Ponyville. He knew the brave citizens of that town needed to be reimbursed for the damages that their homes and businesses had suffered during Tirek’s attack, but how could he do that? Was there some sort of emergency fund that existed for when a disaster like Tirek happened, or were the ponies of Ponyville forced to rely on their own private insurance?

“Bean?” Celestia’s voice drifted to him in the darkness, and those perfect magenta eyes focused in on him like a barn owl. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry if I woke you up.”

“Are you in pain?”

“A little bit, but it’s just a dull ache.”

Bean let out a small moan of pleasure when Celestia began nipping in his mane. “You need to relax, my love. You can not heal if you are like this.”

“I just have too many thoughts running through my head, and it’s difficult to ignore them.”

“Will you share them with me?” she whispered.

“They’re just a lot of worried thoughts, like how are the windows going to be replaced, and how much will it cost?”

“That is something you do not need to worry about. The cost of the windows pales in comparison to the cost of your life.”

Bean felt a little wave of happiness flow over him. “And I’m worried about the citizens of Ponyville, too. There was a lot of damage, I’m sure.”

“Not as much as you would expect,” Celestia replied while she moved to nip and nuzzle down his neck. “And the cost to repair the town will be covered. Do not worry about that.”

Bean giggled when Celestia kissed that ticklish spot on his neck, but then he winced when his movements sent some needles of pain into his rear hips. Celestia instantly stopped, gasped slightly, and then gave him a long and passionate kiss.

“This is going to be difficult for both of us, isn’t it?” she said when they came up for air.

“I’m afraid so,” he said with begrudging sadness. “And to think, I could have avoided it all if I had just listened to you.”

“Don’t worry about that, my love. What has been has been, and it does no good to dwell upon it. Both you and I should now be concerned with your healing, and with our life together.”

“But I put you through so much agony. You must have been so distraught over what happened, and even more so when you couldn’t find me.”

“I was, but none of that matters to me now,” Celestia replied softly. “What I care about is that you’re here with me, that you are whole, and that we get you back to where you need to be. If you keep pressing the issue, I will be forced to tell you again that I am proud of you, and I am proud of what you’ve done. Your willingness to sacrifice everything you have - down to your very life - shows how noble and true you really are. Never be ashamed for that.”

Bean smiled a bit. “Thanks. It might take me awhile to believe all that, but I appreciate it.”

Celestia smiled back at him, and he felt some goosebumps of delight as her wing began to trace delicate lines along his back. He felt grateful for her forgiveness, and in that serene environment, he vowed to never do anything that would make her worry about him again. Any instruction she gave would be followed to the letter, any advice would be cherished and acted upon immediately, and any guidance would be heeded without question. His heart still ached for what he’d put her through, and he never wanted her to experience that anguish again.

He loved her far too much to ever hurt her like that again.

He winced a bit when Celestia withdrew her wing and began massaging his back gently with her hooves, but the pain was short and the relief he felt as she gingerly worked on the knots in his muscles was well worth it. Everything was so calm, so peaceful. He was home, in his own bed, with his cherished wife and her infinite love.

He couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.

Bean let out a long breath while he relaxed, but then he frowned. Though he was in his own room, the fringe edges of it seemed to be slightly out of focus, and the area that he could see through the open doors of the balcony seemed to be blurry for some odd reason.

“Celly?” he gently called out. “I think there’s something wrong with my eyes.”

“What?” Her hooves retreated, and she moved around to lay in front of him. “Let me see; open your eyes wide. What is wrong?”

“The edges of the room and what I can see of outside is blurry.”

Celestia glanced towards the balcony and frowned. “Strange. It must be something related to your concussion. As far as I can see, the edges of the room look fine.

Bean blinked a few times, and sure enough, everything was in focus again. “Huh, I think you’re right. Everything is fine now.”

“You need to sleep, my dear Bean,” Celestia said soothingly, and Bean yawned while the magic of her horn illuminated the room.

“Are you going to cast a sleeping spell on me?” he mumbled with a smile, and he gave a small hum of delight when she kissed his nose.

“I am, but do not worry my love.” She smiled back at him. “Everything will be just perfect.”

“With you, I know it will be.” Bean’s eyelids grew heavy, and he sighed as he allowed the image of Celestia’s loving green eyes to softly carry him into slumber.


Far away, on a cold throne of heartless gold

in the darkness of night

all alone

Celestia wept.