Chapter 21: Aftermath
(GGGRRrrroOOwwWWLl)
"Ugh hungry." I said after my stomach woke me up. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at a plain white ceiling.
(Beep...beep...beep)
"Where am I?" I asked myself as I turned my head to the sound of a constant beeping by my bed and found a heart monitor with wires leading to my chest.
"The hospital? Oh yeah, I fought a dragon." I said before I felt something moving by my legs. I tried to sit up but a sharp pain in my left shoulder and quickly stopped moving.
"Ow what the hell was that?" I whispered as I brought a hand to my shoulder and found nothing attached to it. My left arm was gone.
"Well shit." I said with wide eyes as I slowly sat up in the hospital bed. Light from the rising sun crept into the room as my eyes left my shoulder to look around the room. Yep just a simple hospital room with monitoring systems. I looked down at my legs and I couldn't help but smile at what I found. At the foot of the bed was Bramble lying across the bed and right between my legs was a ball of adorableness. Rosy was curled up with Tammy, Alya, and Blake all lightly snoring.
"I hope I didn't worry them too much." I said as I reached down and gently petted her. I looked back up just in time to see Merrin walk into the room with a cup of coffee in her hoof. I could see the dark bags under her eyes as she came into the room and sat down on a chair beside the bed. She must have been really tired because she never noticed that I was sitting up and smiling at her.
"Morning." I whispered so I didn't wake up Rosy.
"(Yawn) morning." She said with a big yawn before sipping her coffee.
"Have you been sleeping ok?" I asked with concern for the tired mare.
"I'm too worried about when Fox will wake up and I haven't been able to sleep. He's been asleep for four days now." She said with a sigh as she looked blankly into her coffee.
"I'm sorry to worry you." I said sadly.
"....Fox?" She asked as she finally looked up at me with wide eyes before she dropped her coffee and jumped in for a hug.
"Ow ow ow Merrin that hurts." I said as I tried to push her back with my good arm, waking Rosy and the others up as well.
"DAD!!" Rosy said as she shot straight to my face for a hug.
"Don't worry sweetheart I'm ok." I said sweetly as I gently plucked her from my face and set her down.
"No your not….(sniffle) you lost your arm." She said with a teary pouty face.
"(Sigh) yeah that cloaked guy blasted it off after I beat Thorn. But I won't let this get me down." I said as the memory flashed in my head before I smiled at Rosy while I scratched her head.
"Besides I can still tickle you with one arm." I said as I started to tickle her sides making her break out into a laughing fit.
"Aw I see you're awake." Said a voice from the door and saw a tan earth pony with a brown mane and wore a white doctor coat with a stethoscope around his neck.
"Hello I'm Doctor Graymare but you can call me Doc Top." He said as he walked into the room holding up a clipboard.
"Hi Doc any word on breakfast? (Ggggrrrooowlll)" I asked before my stomach agreed, making everybody chuckle.
"I'll send Nurse Red Heart in with your breakfast in a couple of minutes but first let me check you over." He said with a smile as he put on his stethoscope.
"So I understand I was asleep for a few days." I said as he checked my heart beat.
"Yep you had a severe case of magic exhaustion, blood loss, burns, and a few broken ribs." He said as he started to poke my ribs gently but I felt no pain.
"That bad but I feel fine other than being sore….and missing an arm." I said as I held my shoulder with my good hand.
"Hmm I believe your enchantments on your armor helped some according to Princess Celestia who was able to heal you further before bringing you here." He said before writing something on his clipboard.
"It looks like your shoulder is healing nicely too. Nurse red heart will change your bandage this afternoon and by the way you look now I say we should be able to release you with a few terms and conditions by tomorrow morning." He said with a smile as he patted my leg before heading out of the room.
"Sweet." I said before I noticed my bag sitting on a table by my bed and picked it up before digging out a few Sweet Apple Acres apples.
"So (munch) can anyone tell me what happened after Thorn was beat because all I remember was a blast taking off my arm.(munch)" I said as I ate my apple. I swear it's like I haven't eaten in a year by how hungry I am.
"Yeah I woke up right before you shot though Thorn. Right after that the cloaked guy blasted off your arm." Merrin said with anger before she lowered her head in sadness.
"I couldn't do anything to stop it. I watched you fall and I couldn't move. The cloaked guy popped up after you hit the ground and I tried to get to you but my body wouldn't let me. (Snifle) I had to watch as he reached for your throat." Merrin said with tears rolling down her cheek. I gently reach my hand down to wipe away the tears and bring her head up.
"You help me more than you know Merrin." I said sweetly while looking into her big beautiful eyes.
"But before he could touch you someone stepped in and stopped him. Fox, he looked alot like you." She said, making me stop halfway through a bite of apple.
"What do you mean." I asked with surprise.
"He looked like a Mystic Fox. He had a red mane with ears and a tail like yours and his eyes were just as warm and gently too." She said before something slammed into the window.
"AAHHH (poof) OW SONOFA!!" I yelled as I turned tiny and accidentally hit my shoulder on the bed before glaring at a cyan rainbow pegasus with his face smashed against the window.
"(Poof) dang it Dash. Use the door like a normal pony." I said after I returned to normal. she smiled and flew fast into town while I rubbed my now sore shoulder.
"Ok as I was saying, that guy also stopped the bleeding from your shoulder and moved you over to me. He set you down next to me and said you would be alright. When he said that I could feel he meant it and with you safe my body gave out and I blacked out. I'm so glad you're ok." Merrin said before she hopped up to nuzzle my cheek happily.
"That's when the Princesses showed up." Blake said as he stretched out on my bed.
"How's all the evacuees?" I asked before finishing my apple.
"Quite well actually." Said a sweet motherly voice from the door.
"Good morning Auntie." I said with a smile as she walked up to me.
"Good morning to you too. I'm glad to see you awake." She said as she gave me a gentle nuzzle.
"So how is everything?" I asked as I gave her a hug.
"Thanks to your quick thinking all of the inhabitants of the island evacuated safely. I received a report from Twilight about what happened and sent her and her friends to help as well as a few guards from the palace. After your battle with Thorn I had a meeting with Lord Hugo and Mayor Quake, Lord Hugo and I sent our best construction crews to the island to help rebuild what was destroyed." She said happily as she sat besides my bed.
"That's good. I was worried that the damage would be to much to rebuild." I said with a sigh of relief.
"It will still take a while before all the repairs are finished but we set up some temporary housing for now." She said with a smile that made me kinda suspicious.
"Temporary housing where?" I asked with a raised brow.
"There is now a small stone village just inside the Everfree Forest." She said with a smile.
"Wait you don't mean." I said with wide eyes.
"Yes with the help of my sister and Twilight Sparkle we were able to restore a few of the houses in your ruined village. The houses were originally made of stone blocks that were fairly easy to reassemble." She said with a smile.
"Dude you should have seen it. It was like someone played a demolish video in reverse." Blake said with a smile.
"But don't worry it's only a temporary solution until their true homes are rebuilt unless you say otherwise. Now I must be going now. Oh I will also be bringing a guest to ponyville tomorrow and would like you to be there on my arrival. Farewell dear nephew." She said before giving me a gentle wing hug.
"Thank you for everything aunt Tia. Oh can you tell aunt Luna that I need to talk to her about something important if she wouldn't mind popping into my dream tonight?" I asked with a smile as she raised a brow at my question.
"Is it something I can help with?" She asked with curiosity as I fished another apple from my bag.
"No this is something I'm sure she would want to keep private." I said as I glanced around the room at the four ponies and a cat in the room….wait four ponies?
"Merrin, Rosy, Tia, Pinkie, wait Pinkie when did you get here?" I asked with surprise at the smiling pink poofy pony.
"Silly I've been here the whole time. See you eating my get well soon chocolate strawberry swirl cupcake." She said as she pointed to my hand and I thought I had an apple but nope. I had a chocolate cupcake with pink and brown swirl icing and dark chocolate dipped strawberry on top.
"You know I'm not even going to ask. Thanks Pinkie." I said as I happily took a bite of the sweet treat.
"Hmmm best get the best cupcake I ever had." I said with a smile as Tia chuckled.
"Farwell nephew and I will make sure Luna gets your message." Tia said as she gave a small nod and smile before leaving the room as a white earth pony with light cotton candy pink mane and nurse hat walked in with a tray and silver dome on her back.
"Pinkie pie what have we told you about bringing sweet treats to sick ponies here?" The nurse asked as she set the tray down next to my bed.
"That it would make the smile and feel better and look like it's working." She said as she pointed at me as I took another big bite out of the sweet goodness.
"Please don't mind Pinkie Nurse, she just wants me to feel better and this cupcake is definitely helping my stomach be happy." I said as I popped the last piece of deliciousness into my mouth making the pink pony giggle.
"Fine then I guess you don't want this tomato soup and grilled cheese then." She said with a smirk as she lifted the dome to reveal a steaming bowl of soup and golden brown cheese sandwich making my stomach growl.
"Now hold on a second my stomach would like to protest." I said as I stopped her from taking the tray away.
"That's what I thought. Now if you all would please leave the room so I can check on your shoulder and replace the bandages I would really much appreciate it." The nurse said as she pulled a cart with supplies into the room.
"I have to get back home anyway. I have to go over a few things with Quake while he's here. That reminds me can you look over these contracts when you get a minute." Merrin said as she pulled a folder from he mane and set it on the bed.
"Sure but what for?" I asked as I opened it.
"It is a trade agreement from Quake and Lord Hugo." She said with a smile as Blake jumped onto her back.
"Awesome I'll look these over in a bit." I said as I set the folder off to the side before Rosy jumped on my chest for a hug.
"I have to go to school. I promised Miss Cheerilee I would be in after you woke up." Rosy said as I returned the hug.
"Alright sweetheart. Be good and study hard." I said before giving her a kiss on the forehead making her giggle.
"Come on Tammy let's get to school. Bye dad." She said before giving me one final Squeeze with Tammy joining in the embrace before they both zipped out the door followed by Merrin, Blake, and Bramble leaving a smiling Pinkie and Alya how was snuggled up around my neck.
"Miss Pie that means you too." The nurse said as she glared at the happy pinke mare.
"Okie dokie lokie." Pinkie said before dashing out of the room leaving a pink cloud behind making me chuckle and the nurse sigh.
"Alright Mr. Lilly let's get you checked out." The nurse said with a smile.
"Please call me Fox Miss?" I asked when I realized I never got her name.
"Oh right I'm sorry I'm Nurse Redheart." She said as she grabbed a roll of bandages from her cart.
"Well I'm in your care Miss Redheart." I said as I lifted my good arm so she could remove the bandages.
"Alright then let's get these off of you." She said as she started to unwrap me.
"Hmm you seem to heal remarkably fast." She said as the last of the bandages fell off.
"What do you mean?" I asked as I looked down at my blank shoulder.
"Well when you were brought in the wound was still fresh but was healing. We were told that the Princesses were able to heal it well enough but with that kind of injury it would take months to fully heal and it would definitely leave a scar. But besides looking a bit pink and sore to the touch it looks like you never had an arm." Redheart said as she gently rubbed some ointment on my shoulder before starting to rewrap my shoulder.
"(Munch) well that's good I guess. I'll just chock it up to magic. This is a good sandwich by the way." I said as I took another bit of the cheesy goodness.
"How can you be so calm after losing an arm? I've seen many ponies lose a leg and it took them months to recover physically and mentally." Redheart asked with a raised brow, making me stop eating to think of my reply.
"Don't get me wrong I'm furious on the inside and I will find the guy who did this but it wouldn't do any good to sit around and mope about it. I still have one good arm and my magic so I'm not helpless. What's done is done and all I can do is move forward." I said with a smile before I finished my soup as Redheart tied the bandages.
"Wow that sounded less corny in my head haha." I said with a chuckle.
"Just a little." She said with a playful smirk as she took my now empty bowl and placed it on her cart.
"Now just get some rest and I'll be back to check on you in a few hours and if you need anything just press the nurse call button by the bed." She said as she pointed to a small red button next to me before walking out of the room.
"Well Alya it looks like it's just me and you for a while." I said to my pink feathered cuddly scarf as I scratched her head.
(Gggrrrrooooowwwwwwlll)
"Jeez why am I still hungry. Oh wait a minute I have some rice I cooked the other day in my bag and some tuna. I'm so glad my bag keeps everything the same as it went in." I said as I put my bag in my lap and pulled out everything I needed.
"Lets see I need my cutting board, knife, rice, tuna, soy sauce, and wasabi." I said as I set everything on my cutting board and then I realized something.
"This is going to be a pain with one hand. Oh I got it, trying to form rice for sushi would be hard right now so how about a tuna rice bowl." I said as I pulled a bowl and chopsticks from the bag before filling it up with rice.
"Now to cut the tuna." I said as I started to slice the tuna. Having a good sharp knife really helps especially if you can't hold your meat. After slicing all I needed I pulled out a smaller bowl for Alya and sliced her some bite size pieces for her to enjoy.
"Here you go Alya some nice fresh tuna for you." I said as I put the bowl down next to mine and picked up my chopsticks.
"Thank you for the food." I said before we dug in.
"Mmmm this tuna is great. What do you think?" I asked Alya while she had her head down in the bowl as ate with vigor.
"Don't eat too fast or you'll get hiccups." I said with a chuckle before getting back to my own food. By the time I had my fill I had finished off four bowls full.
"Oh that hit the spot." I said before I put everything back in my bag and laid back on my bed with a happy chubby Alya curled up on my chest.
"Coo." Alya cooed as she snuggled against my chest as I gently scratched her head.
"(Yawn) how about a little nap to help our full bellies?" I asked but only got a light snore as a response. I smiled as I looked at my sleeping snake before leaning my head back on my pillow and with one final yawn I fell asleep.
"Shhh alright girls we need to be quiet so we don't wake him up." Said a whispering voice that sounded familiar.
"Aw he looks so cute with Alya on his chest." Said another softer voice.
"Come on y'all we need to get this stuff in before he wakes up." Said a voice with a country twang.
"Almost done, I just need to get a few more things hung up." Said a voice above me.
"This room definitely needs some more color. Just white is just so...plain." Said an articulate whisper. As I slowly began to wake up I started to recognize the voices.
"Hehe I'm a party ninja." Said the unmistakable bubbly voice of Pinkie Pie.
(Yawn)
"Shh dad's waking up." Rosy said before everything got quiet. This could only be one thing. I slowly opened my eyes to find a dark room before I could say anything, the lights came on.
"SURPRISE!!!" Came a shout all around me. As my eyes adjusted I could see all my friends smiling faces. Rosy, Merrin, and Blake were standing closest to the bed and standing around the foot of the bed was Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie pie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy all smiling at me. As I looked around the room I was surprised to see ocean blue and Emerald green streamers hung across the ceiling, balloons tied to the corners of the bed, flowers have been placed all over the room and a banner that read 'WELCOME HOME FOX' hung over the door…(BOOM) and now glitter and confetti rained down on me.
"Pinkie darling I thought we decided not to use your party cannon in this small room." Rarity said as she shook some confetti from her mane.
"Aw it was just my mini cannon." Pinkie said happily as she held up a tiny pink circus cannon in her hoof.
"Well this is definitely a surprise." I said with a smile as I sat up with Alya climbing to my shoulder and Rosy fluttered to my lap.
"Rainbow Dash saw that you had woken up and came to tell us. We were going to wait until you got home but Pinkie couldn't wait." Twilight said with a smile before Pinkie popped up beside me.
"I thought a super duper surprise party would help you feel better." Pinkie said as pulled a whole tray of multi-color cupcakes from her mane. I swear I'll never understand how they could do that without getting any hair on them.
"Pinkie if you keep giving me these awesome delicious cupcakes you'll make me fat." I said as I happily took a chocolate cupcake from the tray.
"Don't worry big guy I can help you work off that fat no problem." Rainbow said proudly as she flew above my bed. I noticed Fluttershy looking sad at my blank shoulder.
"You ok Fluttershy?" I asked sweetly, making the yellow pegasus jump a little.
"I'm sorry to stare but will you be alright?" She asked in a whisper while everyone looked at me sadly except for Pinkie who was currently eating her fourth cupcake.
"Girls I'll be alright I promise. It will take some time to get used to it. Yes my arm is gone but I'm still here and I still have all of you with me. So don't be sad I'm your friend Fox Lilly even without an arm plus I can still use my magic." I said as I picked up a cupcake with my magic and gave it to Fluttershy.
"Well if you ever need any help we'll be there for you." She said with a small smile as the others nodded.
"Great. Now how's everything been going while I was gone?" I asked before taking a large bite out of my cupcake and Rosy fluttered to my lap with her own banana split cupcake. We sat talking and laughing for a good while. Applejack had her family reunion the day after I left and kinda got to control because she wanted it to be better than last year but she found out the most important part of the reunion is being with your family. Then a few days later she saved Spike from some timberwolves. Spike said he had a life debt and ended up bugging her enough to put on a fake rescue so he would stop but that backfired when a real timberwolf showed up and it all worked out in the end though. I'll have to talk with Twiggles later about that. Nothing else happened until a horde of Abyissians showed up and now I'm back.
"I can't believe you girls made a timberwolf puppet hahaha. If y'all wanted a timberwolf you should have called me. I'm kinda their leader in a way." I said with a laugh before Rosy started a round of yawns through the group. I looked out the window at the setting sun.
"Well y'all i need to get home. Granny will have my hide if I'm late for supper." Applejack said as she headed for the door.
"Yeah I got weather patrol in the morning." Rainbow said as she stretched her wings.
"I have to get Angel bunny ready for bed." Fluttershy said as she stood next to Applejack by the door.
"Yes and I have work that must be finished by tomorrow afternoon." Rarity said as she hopped off her couch and made it disappear.
"Aw but I'm not tired ye-zzzzzzzzz." Pinkie said before falling on her back fast asleep.
"I guess I'll drop her off on my way home." Twilight said as she picked up the dozing pink pony in her magic.
"Thank you girls for coming. I really appreciate it." I said with a smile before getting a round of goodbyes as they all left.
"Oh wait I almost forgot." Twilight said as she dropped Pinkie on the floor and somehow that didn't wake her before she made a scroll appear and floated it to me.
"Whats this?" I asked as I took the scroll.
"It's the treasure map you wanted me to translate and I'm happy to say with a little bit of Celestia's help I was able to." Twilight said with big hopeful eyes.
"Well then it looks like there is an adventure in the near future. I take it you want to tag along." I said with a raised brow and smirk.
"Please?" She asked with a big puppy dog look.
"Well yeah your coming. Who knows what we'll find." I said as I unrolled the map and found that she had written all the translation of the symbols at the side of the map.
"YES!! Who knows what we'll find there. Oh I hope there's some books in there." She said, making me chuckle as I rolled back up the map.
"I'll let you know when I start to plan the treasure hunt but first Merrin and I have somewhere we need to go." I said as I smiled at the now confused dragon pony.
"We do?" Merrin asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Yep. Before Thorns soul faded he told me to bring you to his homeland of Mount Ember and that someone there could help you with your curse." I said with a warm smile before Twilight stepped back over to the bed.
"Wait, you're cursed?" She asked with concern.
"Yes. Not too long ago Thorn attacked my village. I tried to fight him but I never stood a chance and he knew that. He easily beat me and then he cursed me to be part dragon. If it wasn't for this pendant Fox made for me I would look half dragon." She said as she looked sweetly down at her pendant.
"Is it enchanted?" Twilight asked with surprise.
"Yeah. It has the True Self Enchantment place on it. It allows the wearer to change their looks to what they see themselves as and once that look is set the wearer will look like that until the pendant is removed." I said as I scratched Rosy who was in my lap fast sleep with Tammy and Alya by her side.
"Wow, I'll have to study more on enchantments. (Yawn) I better get home before Spike starts to worry." She said with a big yawn before picking up Pinkie and headed for the door. With one final goodnight she left leaving just me, Merrin and a sleeping Rosy.
"I hope somepony their really can help me." Merrin said hopefully as she placed a hoof on the pendant.
"I'm sure they can. (Yawn) now let's get some sleep, it's going to be a long day tomorrow once I get released." I said as I scooted over in the bed before lifting her up with my magic and placed the now blushing mare beside me.
"What are you doing?" Merrin asked as she tried to hide her blush with the blanket.
"Getting comfy." I said before gently moving Rosy and the critters to my side and leaned against Merrin.
"Goodnight Merrin." I said as the smell of fresh wild flowers helps me to fall asleep.
"Goodnight to you too Fox." She said as she used her wing to move hair out of my face before draping in over my chest and resting her head on my shoulder and falling asleep with a soft smile.
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"He certainly looks happy." Said a marble white dragon with crystal blue eyes as she landed next to a dark red fox on a cloud high above ponyville.
"That he does." The fox said as he looked down at the hospital.
"Do you think he will be ready when the time comes?" She asked with a smile.
"You saw the battle too." He said with some concern.
"Yes and he has my gratitude but I believe it is too early to tell but he seems to have found some true friends that will help him." She said as she watched a group of mares leave the hospital.
"Yeah." He said proudly as the moon began to rise.