Tic…tok…tic…tok…tik…tok…
Your room was silent except for the ticking hands of the clock that was mounted just above your bed. You had no physical way of looking at said clock to check the time, but you knew that it was early in the morning due to view of the outside you had through your window.
When you had awoken a few minutes earlier, you’d made the attempt to raise your hand to your face in order to wipe the sleep away, only to find that you arm did not respond to your command. Panic set in for a brief moment before reality reared it’s ugly head like the hideous bastard it was. That panic settled into disappointment as you realized once again that your new circumstances were not just a dream. Something similar had happened when you had first come to this world. It took you a week to come to believe that the new world you inhabited was real.
But this was different. While you were able to adjust and eventually thrive in this new world of magic and talking ponies, this new situation had no up sides whatsoever. Where you once lived an active lifestyle, able to run through White Tail Woods and go for hikes in the nearby mountainside, you were now stuck to a bed. Where you were once fully self sufficient, you are now incapable of even feeding yourself. And to make matters worse, your nose had a burning itch. One you were incapable of scratching.
And now, the true horror of your situation reveals itself. Every time you have an itch on your face, every time your eyes are irritated and you need to scratch, you will be at the mercy of that dirty feeling unless you have someone in the room with you to scratch it for you.
‘Dear God, what did I do to deserve this?’
Just then, there is a knock at you door.
“Come…in…” you call out weakly, not sure if whoever was on the other side of the door could hear you. Regardless, the door swings open and in walked Nurse Red Heart.
“Good morning Anonymous, how are you doing today?” She asked kindly.
“My nose…itches.”
“Oh dear, I can see how that would be a problem. No worries though, I’m here to help!” The nurse trots over to your bedside and uses her hoof to scratch your nose, causing the irritation to disappear in a moment of catharsis. “Better?” She asks.
“Much…thanks,” you reply gratefully.
“Think nothing of it, it is my job after all!”
“To…scratch my…nose?” You make an attempt a joke, but with your stunted speech, you aren’t sure it landed or not. Thankfully the nurse let out a giggle.
“Well, I suppose it could be considered part of my duties. I’m here to help you out after all! How are you feeling by the way?”
Growing increasingly depressed? That was probably a given, but she probably only wanted to know how you were feeling physically. She was a nurse, not a therapist after all.
“I’m not…in pain…just…numb. Wish I could…get up and…move around.” She gave you a sad and sympathetic look.
“I know. I can’t imagine what this must be like for you. But don’t you worry! We’re all here to help you in anyway we can!” You offer her a weak smile of gratitude. “Now you must be hungry! I’ll go fetch you some breakfast! But while you wait, you have a few visitors!”
“W-who?”
“Your friend Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia herself!” Princess Celestia was visiting you? How long had it been since you’d seen her? You couldn’t remember. You weren’t as close to her as you were with the others, but she was always friendly with you when you saw her, enough that you could call her a friend. Still, you were surprised she was able to take the time off of ruling the entire country just to visit you.
‘These ponies…even the Princess of Equestria is willing to drop everything to visit a friend in need.’
In truth, it had always seemed that you getting to live in Equestria was too good to be true. Was your accident some sort of balancing act? You didn’t want to consider that as a possibility.
The nurse opened the door, and allowed Celestia and Twilight to enter.
“I’ll leave you three to talk while I go get Anon’s breakfast,” she bowed to Princess and then trotted out. The two mares walked up to your bedside. Celestia gave you a sad smile, but you could see there was another emotion behind her eyes, one you couldn’t quite place.
“Hey…guys…thanks f-for vis-ting.” You wondered if you were going to speak like this for the rest of your life, or if there was some way to at least recover your ability to speak properly.
“Good morning Anonymous. How are you feeling?” Questioned the Princess.
“Could be better,” you replied.
“Of course. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you, but I want you to know that you don’t have to worry about anything. I’ll see to it that you are taken care of.”
“Are you…sure? I don’t want…to be…a bur-den.” She looked taken aback by that.
“Why on Earth would you think yourself a burden?” She questioned. At that, you stared at the wall ahead of you, as self deprecating thoughts began to build in your head.
“I can’t move…c-can’t walk…can’t work…can’t cont-tr-tribute to…society…in any way. All I can…do is…sit here…what’s the p-p-point? Why…waste re-re-sou-es…on someone…who can’t con-con-tribute back?” Try as you might to resist, tears started flowing down your cheeks. Celestia used the heavenly soft feathers of her wing to elegantly wipe the tears from your face. Your eyes locked, and you could see an unfathomable compassion in her expression.
“I don’t want to hear you talk like that Anon. You ARE NOT a burden. And you are not the only pon-person to be in a situation like this.”
“I’m n-not?” You question.
“No, you are not. Believe it or not, Equestria is not a perfect place. Bad things do happen, and there are some ponies out there who for one reason or another, can’t take care of themselves. The crown takes care of those who can’t aid themselves. Perhaps it would be good for you to meet some of them. I could point you in the right direction.”
“M-maybe….”
“I’ll let you think about it. But I did have a question for you, Anon.”
“W-what?”
“What do you remember about your accident?”
‘Why is she asking that?’ You tried to recall what had happened.
“It…was all…so fast….I was walking…then…I w-was on the ground…looking up…I couldn’t m-m-move. My ears were…r-ringing. Then Rainbow Dash found me….” You were sure she had been told what had happened beyond that point by Twilight. As you looked at them, you saw Twilight was glancing at Celestia with concern, while the Princess seemed to be contemplating something. It got you thinking though, how exactly had you been struck by lightning? It was a clear day out, and the weather in Equestria was regulated by the Pegasi. You were about to ask, when the Princess spoke first.
“I see. Thank you Anon. Me and Twilight have a bit of business to attend to. If you need anything from me, I’m just a letter away.”
“Oh…o-kay…” They were leaving already? You thought she had come to see you. What business was there for her here in Ponyville?
Celestia looked to Twilight, who nodded. They both said their final goodbyes and made their way out of your room, leaving you alone. Alone with your thoughts. As much as you tried to fight the nagging feeling in your head, you couldn’t escape the feeling…that they were hiding something from you.