Chapter Eleven
The Sky Opens
I was still thinking of them when I got to the main square in Ponyville. “Maybe I should buy my friends some gifts….Just to show them that I care about them too…..”
I visited almost every store in Ponyville that day searching for gifts. Twilights gift was the easiest to buy; I stopped by the Quill and Sofa shop to look for hers, finding what the shop owner called an ‘EverQuill’. He claimed that it could be used forever and not break, while also only needing a dab of ink a day. I also got Spike something, it wasn’t much; a pony sized bed with all of the usual accessories, but I felt he needed something a little bit bigger than what he had. I ordered the bed to be shipped immediately.
For Rarity I got a studded broach that had the letter R intricately inlaid in amethyst. The R was surrounded by opal sheets that gave the little broach a texture that Rarity would have to love. I bought Applejack a special pair of horseshoes that were meant to buck a tree at twice the force with half the damage done to the tree. Any other pony I guessed would have these but Applejack would never allow herself this luxury.
Pinkie Pie was hard to buy for. She was such a party animal, so much that she for sure had everything party related. She was always so….happy. I don’t know if I had a hard time buying for her because she had everything, or because we were polar opposites. I thought back to when I was in high school in my past life. Kids like this were usually hiding something very deep; nothing too bad, just something that isn’t happy. They would usually sort things out but they had days just like everybody else did. So for her I bought an extra fluff-stuffed down blanket. It was baby blue and was absolutely ridiculous in size. When I had the cashier box it for her, I made sure I placed a note between the blankets folds that read “For ‘those’ days.”
I walked into the herb shop looking for Fluttershy’s gift and soon found the perfect item; a whole set of plants and potions dedicated to animal care and well-being. It was surprisingly expensive, costing almost as much as the broach for Rarity, but I didn’t mind. I had the money and didn’t need it anytime soon. Well considering I wasn’t going to need a house if I kept sleeping in a hospital every night….
Rainbow Dash was an obvious buy; A Daring Doo adventure kit, specifically designed for long journeys and strenuous use. It was odd that a book series had sparked such a fuss, enough to make an entire adventure kit? This thing was serious to! It had a shovel, a compass, a pickaxe, climbing gear, a waterproof compass, a fire starter, every book in the series, and the signature hat. I felt satisfied with this purchase, knowing Dash would love it.
With my saddlebags loaded down I decided to head back to Twilights to give the gifts when a slight tugging from inside distracted me. I looked to my side and there stood a medical supply store tucked between two bigger stores. Why did I want to go in there? No pony I knew worked in the medical field, all except one…….
I walked in anyway, not even knowing what to look for. Medical stores here were just like the ones that I can remember; lots of blue and lots of metal. I walked the store until a light purple pony approached me, “Hi, do you need help finding something? You look a little lost Hun.”
I laughed, still looking around “Yea I am not a doctor but I do have a question. Do you have anything that would like…help a nurse out in anyway?”
She put her hoof to her mouth. “Well actually we just got these new yesterday.” She led me to the back of the store, handing me a modified saddlebag.
“It’s a saddlebag modified to carry the essential tools any nurse would need. Its extra convenient an-“
I cut her off. “I’ll take it! Also fill it with the tools please!”
I didn’t know what the hell I was thinking. The pony that had killed my mom and almost me had lied to me and made me hate life…..but I knew I couldn’t hate her. I was still mad, but she needed to know. She needed to know that I would move on and that I am still grateful to her for watching over me. I shook my head walking out of the store.
It was time to give my appreciation.
I had Twilight invite everypony over to her library for some ‘Important news’. Within minutes all six of my friends had shown up. I got up and distributed my gifts to them, all wrapped in a neat box with crazy balloons over them.
“Now what the hay? It sure ain’t my special day! Why the gifts Ethan?” Applejack looked at me confused,
I shrugged, “Well after earlier it showed me that you all cared so much, and I felt like I needed to return the favor is all!” I smiled at Applejack.
My smile was broken by a squeal as Rarity held her broach up in the air victoriously “Oh it’s absolutely wondrous! I can theme so many outfits around this! And what is this? It’s textured! What a lovely touch!”
Next was Rainbow as she flew around the library, proudly sporting her Daring Doo hat, leaving the rest in the box, “I love it! It’s awesome Ethan! It’s like…EVERYTHING Daring Doo related! The books, the gear…..” she paused. “The haaat!!” with hat she took off around the library once more.
I looked to Pinkie, who saw me look at her. We made eye contact and she gave a small smile accompanied with an understanding wink; all before she broke character and started bounding around the room, wearing the blanket like a cape.
I saw Twilight scribbling down something with her new quill, testing its strength and longevity of the ink. She looked impressed and that was good with me. I looked for Spike, who was already asleep in his new, comfy, large bed. I decided not to wake him and let sleeping dragons lie.
A polite tap from behind caused me to jump and give a small shriek. I turned to see Fluttershy doing the exact same thing I was doing just a few feet behind me. “Umm sorry I scared you it’s just, I really like your gift and all but I can’t take this….it’s just so expensive and I mean”
“Take it, no choice.” I said, jutting my chin up, looking quite smug.
“Oh…fine then…” she smiled and nuzzled me before joining her friends in the library again.
They were all happy, enjoying their new gifts. Twilight was now trying to get the smallest dab on the quill as possible. Applejack was bucking the walls, knocking books off and examining where her hoofs had hit, amazed at the lack of damage. Pinkie was playing ‘roll around like a sausage’ while Fluttershy was going through the vast amount of ingredients before her. And of course Dash was now pretending to be a miner of some sort, pickaxe in one hoof, and compass in the other.
I had given all of the gifts, all but one. I asked Twilight if I could borrow some paper to write on. She handed me a clean piece of parchment and I began to write.
“
Dear Nurse Redheart,
I am very sorry for my harsh words earlier. I wish I could lie and say that’s not how I felt, but sadly it is. I do hope to forgive you very soon and I want you to know….wait….believe it. You are a very dedicated and hardworking pony and you deal with death and tragedy daily. I want to thank you for watching over me all of those years. It must have been hard on you; seeing me every day…knowing why I was there. But I’m glad you endured it. You gave me a start in this world and I will be forever grateful for that. I want to talk sometime soon, maybe even help around the hospital.
I will still be searching for who I really am. And to be honest, something yields me in saying that I will ever find out. But I will try my best! If I’m lucky I might help some other ponies out in the process. Thank you again Nurse Redheart….
Love,
Ethan.
“
It took a lot for me to write love at the end of that letter. I was still mad, but I did love her. She had wanted to be my mother so badly, to have a companion, someone to talk to; anyone. She wanted it so bad that she even lied about me, her, and my father, just so I would stay her son. I wish she would not have done those things but I understand why she did. To be honest I don’t think I ever remember her ever talking about another pony around me…other than me.
I said my goodbyes to the ponies circling the room as I headed out the door. I had to give Nurse Redheart this gift in person. I almost ran all the way to the hospital. I didn’t know why I was running, but I just was. I got to the door and knocked, not wanting to catch Nurse Redheart at a bad time. Then I waited.
I waited several minutes before I decided just to leave this inside the entrance. Nurse Redheart was probably cleaning the rooms or something; she would see it when she returned. I sat the note, neatly folded on top of the saddlebags and went back through the door. I felt better than I had on the way there. I felt like I had made a step in the right direction.
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Nurse Redheart stood at the top of a tall ladder in room 001, a tight noose in her hoof. She sighed and slowly slid it over her neck, crying as she tightened it up. She looked to the sky and mouthed out “Please Celestia, stop me if you must!”
A knock rang out through the hallways of the hospital. “What the…...” she slid the noose off and slowly got down from the ladder, standing at the door to room 001, listening. She heard nothing for awhile, but then she heard hoofsteps trot into the main lobby. She held her breath, what odd pony knocks at a hospital? A light thump hit the floor followed by a few more hoofsteps leaving the main lobby.
Nurse Redheart cautiously opened the door to room 001, looking down the lobby; and in seeing no one tentatively walked to the door. By the door lay the newest model nursing saddlebag, filled with new and expensive looking nursing instruments. A note lay on top. She took the note and opened it slowly.
As she read tears fell on the paper that she held. Not tears of sorrow or loss, but tears of joy; the closest pony she had ever had to a son was willing to move on with her. Just minutes earlier she had hated herself for what she had done; but now…now she felt like it had caused a greater reaction. She hugged the letter close to her and smiled. Looking to the sky she said “Thank you Celestia, dear Luna Thank you!” as she tucked the letter into one of the side pockets on her new saddlebags.
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I walked into the library that looked like it had been put to sleep, hearing only two snoring breaths coming from somewhere else. I smiled to myself, knowing that I had taken a few steps forward today. I lay down on the couch and nestled closely to the corners, closing my eyes and falling peacefully into sleep.
I woke as soon as the sun broke the horizon, sending the birds into a flurry of morning songs that beckoned all of Ponyville awake. I stepped outside into the morning light to see that several ponies had already set up booths to sell produce and other items; it was going to be a beautiful day. I cantered around for a bit, wondering how I could talk to Rainbow Dash when I suddenly felt the air around me shift as the hyper Pegasus landed next to me.
“So what is on the agenda Ethan?”
I thought back to yesterday, remembering some of the businesses that I had passed. “Know anything about that gym over behind the Quill and Sofa shop?”
“You mean Chestnuts Knee and Cannon?” she looked confused,
“Yea that place! Well I was thinking if we were going to be going on adventures together that we needed to be in the best shape ever.”
“Yea that’s not a bad idea! I could be like twice as fast as I already am and I could learn to fight other ponies off.” She started flapping her wings excitedly.
“Lets hit it then!”
Then off to Chestnuts Knee and Cannon we went.
We were met at the door by a burly looking pony who was jet black with what looked like shattered glass as a cutie mark. Dash leaned over to me, “He is a bouncer at a lot of clubs here in Equestria, they say he is the best too-“
“Hey, you guys looking to join up? My names Chestnut and I run this place.” he grabbed one of my hooves, shaking it. “Yea you feel a little limp in the muscles; I think you need a tune up if you ask me!”
I couldn’t stop myself from cracking a smile; gym owners were the same here as I remember in my past life. He walked over to Dash, eying her physique.
“You look like a fit enough mare, built for speed and agility no doubt. We have classes that would fit your needs!” He looked to the both of us, “You could even start today if you wanted!”
So we did. That day Rainbow Dash enrolled in the speed and agility courses, rising to the top of the class by the end of the day; not surprisingly. But I wanted to work on strength so I focused on weightlifting with Chestnut. To my surprise I was the only pony lifting in the entire gym.
“Chestnut if you don’t mind me asking…..uh…why am I the only one working with weights?”
He sighed, “Kid, not many ponies value strength anymore. Other than me, no one else even bothers with it. That’s what makes me one of the best bouncers around, I even get hired to bounce the Gala and private events for Princess Celestia.”
I was impressed. This pony worked all by himself and he was no doubt the strongest pony I had seen here yet; he easily lifted twice what I even attempted. He had me doing Hoof-Presses, Curls, Hay-Bails, Saddlebag Runs, and many other pure strength activities.
Finally the workout came to an end with a two mile ‘Rocky-Saddlebag’ which meant I had to run around Ponyville while wearing a saddlebag weighted with rocks. The rocks poked me in the sides and made it hard to breathe and by the end, I was practically walking to the finish line where Rainbow Dash and Chestnut sat talking.
I collapsed, exhausted at the doors to the gym where they waited, “Geez Ethan it only took you all day!” Dash made circles over my head.
“Sh…Shutup….too…tired….” I took the saddlebags off, standing weakly.
Chestnut laughed, throwing the bags over his back with ease, “You did well for day one kid. Stay with me long enough and you will be one of the strongest ponies around, no doubt.” He smiled and hoofed me in the shoulder, sending me staggering. “I’ll see you two next time!” with that he walked through the doors to his gym.
Dash and I walked back to the library, both of us too tired to talk. She put up a big game but she was just as tired as I was truth be told. I took this time to think. I had felt comfortable around Chestnut, he was telling me that I had done a good job and was going to do great in the future. He had even told me that if I stayed with him I would end up okay…. He was the strongest pony in Ponyville, if not Equestria. Even as an older pony he still held figure well and didn’t look any older than me; If not for his gruff voice I would have guessed him only a few years older than me actually.
Dash landed beside me and started to walk, letting her wings lay limp at her side, showing obvious signs of being tired. “Uh…mayybbeee I should stay at Twilights tonight, you know, just to make sure you don’t…..run off?”
I gave Rainbow Dash a weird look, “It’s okay to be tired, that was a really hard work out and you gave it 120%. I’m tired too! It hurts to walk, hell it hurts to move!”
She gave a bad poker face, “Yea if you say so, but I’m not tired! I was just bored of flying is all!”
“Sure you are.”
When we walked into the library we must have looked horrible because Twilight gasped, “What happened to you two?! You look like you got beat up!”
I laughed “Well kinda, we joined Chestnuts Knee and Cannon and today was our first day. It was really hard but we hope that it gets easier don’t we Dash...Dash?”
We both looked over to the couch; Rainbow Dash was already fast asleep, snoring loudly.
“Well uh, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea really. Do you mind if she stays here for the night?” I looked sympathetically at Twilight.
She just smiled and shook her head, “Not a problem, she can stay as long as she needs.”
I walked over to the couch, looking for a space to sleep. Rainbow Dash had sprawled out, covering the majority of the couch. I decided that the floor would be just as good as anyplace right now. “Twilight, thank you; I will try not to crash your place too often.”
She just sighed, “It’s no problem really; stay as long as you like.”
I thanked Twilight and said goodnight to her and Dash, who didn’t even hear a word of what I said, then I rolled over on the rug to look at the ceiling before closing my eyes and falling fast asleep; tired and exhausted.