It had been at least a week since I'd been admitted to the hospital, and now I felt I was ready to try to walk. I moved my legs off the bed, now having control over my own limbs, and stood up. I walked around my room, and once I'd decided it was safe to walk I left my room. It seemed things had calmed down quite a bit around here, and the doctors and nurses were under less stress. I approached the desk and the unicorn behind it looked at me.
"Can I get some clothes or something?" I asked. The pony didn't seem to be too happy with me.
"I'll give you the clothes you came in wearing, but you can't leave yet. You're still recovering." She said as she stepped out from behind the desk. She went down a hall, leaving me at the desk. I waited for a bit, and she returned, hovering my clothes in front of her. I took them and returned to my room. I changed into my normal clothing and went to the desk unicorn.
"I don't mean to annoy you, but I have a question." I told her. She looked at me, and I felt like she might be annoyed at me. "What room is Twilight Sparkle in?" I asked.
"She's actually only two rooms to the left of yours." She informed me. I left the desk and went past my room and into the room she told me Twilight was in. She was sitting on a hospital bed sleeping. I grabbed a chair and brought it next to Twilight's bed. I sat down and looked at Twilight. She had a scratch on her left cheek, and bandages all over her body. I felt my eyes getting warm, and tears fell down my face at the sight of her in this broken state. I laid my head down on the bed next to her, I felt like I could fall over and die right now.
"I'm so sorry I let this happen...I'm so sorry..." I said as I sobbed into the blanket, my hand on her hoof. I felt her pull me forward, and embrace me tightly.
"It's been a week...why did you wait so long to visit me?" She asked with a bit of worry in her voice.
"I would've been right here by your side if I could've been, but I wasn't even capable of standing." I explained. "But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere." I hugged her again, and closed my eyes, losing myself in the comfort of her body.
"I'm gonna kill her, Twilight." I said as I held the embrace.
"Novy...I--" She started to speak, but I cut her off.
"Twilight, there's nothing you can say to me that will make me change my mind. Princess Celestia already told me that she stood behind me. Besides, I'm going to storm that castle whether I have an army or not." I said with an edge to my voice.
"Novy, I wanted to tell you that I support you." She said calmly. I smiled and hugged her tighter.
"Thanks, Twilight." I said. I stayed with Twilight for a while, maybe an hour, before she fell asleep on the bed again. I was in my chair, and I stood up. I walked out of room and made my way through the hallway, passing rooms as I walked.
"Novy!" I heard a familiar voice calling me, and I turned around. I didn't see anyone, so I walked forward.
"Hello?" I asked the empty hallway.
"Here, in the room!" I heard her again, and walked into the room I heard the voice coming from. I walked in and saw Rainbow Dash on a hospital bed. She was smiling, and seemed happy to see me. I approached the bed, and stood next to her.
"Hi, Rainbow Dash. Feeling okay?" I asked. She looked down and seemed sad.
"Novy...Scoots...She...." Dash started to tear up, and I felt horrible.
"I-I know, Dash." I said sadly. "I'm so sorry."
"All she ever wanted was for me to teach her how to fly...I should've taught her..." Rainbow was sobbing into her hooves. I hugged her, and she continued to sob. I heard someone walk into the room, and I turned to see who it was. Rarity was standing in the doorway, her fur was messy instead of its normal neat straightness. Her mane was unstyled, and sloppy, and her eyes were red and had bags under them.
"Rarity..." I was astonished. She walked past me and over to Rainbow Dash.
"Dash, I know how you're feeling. I've been feeling the same way since that day...but we can't let it tear us down, and put us in the dirt." said Rarity, trying to comfort Dash. I backed up, and left the room, deciding I should go see if Twilight had awoken yet. I walked down the hall, and into Twilight's room. She was still sound asleep, so I walked over to the chair next to the bed, and sat down. I laid my head on the bed, and closed my eyes, allowing sleep to take me over.
I awoke to Twilight saying my name, I opened my eyes and looked at her, she was smiling at me. I straightened my back, it felt really sore, so I twisted it, and it cracked loudly several times. Twilight looked disgusted.
"What did you just do?" she asked curiously.
“I cracked my back, it helps it when I’m sore.” I explained. She looked happy.
“Novy, would you mind going to the library and bringing me some books?” She asked. I smiled as I replied.
“Of course, Twilight, I’ll be back with a bunch of books. Any you want in specific?” I asked.
“No, any books are fine.” She said, as I stood up. I made my way out of the room and left the hospital. I walked through Ponyville, there were ponies all around, there was a group of ponies gathered around a building that was scratched up and beaten, it looked utterly destroyed. At the door to the building where the group of ponies were, there was a large pile of flowers, as well as pictures... The pictures weren’t of just ponies...but mostly fillies and colts…
“You’re the Captain of the Guard, right?” I heard a young voice from behind me. I turned around and saw a filly standing before me, looking up at me with sad eyes. I knelt down to her, as I responded.
“Yes...I am.” Her eyes were red from tears, and sad, much like Rarity had been.
“You were supposed to be here to protect us…” She said as I looked down at the dirt. “Why did my brother die?” The filly’s eyes filled with tears, as did mine.
“I-I wasn’t strong enough to save your brother or any of the other dead ponies...This is all my fault, but I’m going to make this right. I’m going to make the Queen regret hurting your brother.” My heart felt heavy with the guilt I felt over this massacre. I lifted my head as the filly spoke.
“That doesn’t matter, my brother is still dead!” The filly said, tears rolling from her eyes. She turned around and left. I stood up, and walked further through town, ponies would see me and glare. My heart felt as if it were being chipped away at. Eventually, I reached the library, and walked in. It was torn apart, it looked like no one had been in here since the attack. I walked over to the corner where I’d lost my consciousness. I leaned down and picked my sword and it’s sheath. My sword was covered in dry blood, so I sheathed it, and strapped it to my side where it belonged. I picked up books and held them, eventually having a large stack in my arms that towered over my head.
“I think she has enough books now.” I said as I walked out of the library’s now doorless entrance, and made my way back to the hospital. I walked in and went to Twilight’s room. I put the stack of books down on the bed, and handed one to her. She was beaming at the large stack I’d carried back.
“Thanks, Novy, I appreciate this.” She said, smiling at me, but I didn’t return the smile. I sat in my chair, and stared down at the floor. “Novy, what’s wrong?”
“I saw a group of mourners outside a broken up school, they were piling pictures of their colts and fillies and putting flowers on them. There was a young filly who saw me, and asked me why I’d let her brother die.” I said, not looking up. “All the ponies in town blame me for this. I suppose they have good reason, if I hadn’t been here maybe she wouldn’t have attacked.” Twilight looked at me with sad eyes, and put a hoof on me.
“Novy, this isn’t your fault.” She said this, but I didn’t believe her.
“Twilight, I’m not blind, I can see that I only bring trouble, I’m nothing but problems and issues. Stop trying to hide it, you and I both know this town would be better off without me.” I said coldly. She moved her hoof away, and looked down at the bed sheets. I looked up, immediately regretting how I’d acted.
“I-I’m sorry, Twilight.” I said, but she looked away from me.
“Novy...just go back to your room.” She said without looking at me. I stood up, and left, going back to my room. I grabbed a cloth that was laying on the stand next to my bed, and I unsheathed my sword. I sat on my bed as I scrubbed the cloth along the blade. All I could think about was how I’d acted toward Twilight.
“I’m such a dumbass.” I said aloud.