A New World, A Fresh Start

by drnkntst

Chapter 11

Chapter 28

Rick enjoyed the rest of the walk to the library. It was a nice night, Luna saw to that. The air was crisp and dry. The breeze coming over Sweet Apple Acres gave it a nice scent of apples and the bright moon made the dirt road easy to see. With the day’s events, Rick couldn’t help but see everything in a new light, he would never take his new home for granted again. He breathed deep, smiled and continued his journey.

When he reached the library, the lights upstairs were out and there was a lamp on in the main room. “Did she wait for me?” He ducked inside, but the room was empty. “Hmmm, maybe she just left the light on for me. Wait, where’s my bed?” Rick looked around but could find it. He was about to check upstairs in the loft, but he wasn’t even sure he fit. Besides he didn’t want to wake Twilight and Spike for nothing. “I can sleep on the floor again, it wouldn’t be bad for just one night. Huh, how long has this been open?”

Rick approached the open door that lead to a side room off from the main one. He knelt down and peered in. Rick chuckled to himself, “now what is she doing down here?” Twilight was asleep on the mattress he had been using inside the room. He wasn’t sure why, but the scene was to just too cute to disturb for a reason as silly as answers. Instead, he pulled the covers over her and quietly left the room closing the door behind himself. One night on the floor won’t be so bad.

“…c’mon, Rick. Everypony’s waiting fur ya.” AJ’s voice beckoned from the top of the hill. Rick grinned and climbed up after her.

“Daddy!” Annie ran up to him and threw herself into his arms.

“Hello my angel. What trouble are you getting into?” He threw her up and caught her again, squeezed her and set her back down again.

“I’m not getting into trouble, Daddy,” she yelled over her shoulder, “I’m playing with our friends.

“Yea! We’re having fun! We flew kites and played ball and rolled down the hill and chased butterflies and…!” Pinkie seemed like they would keep going forever if they let her.

“In short, we had a blast!” Rainbow Dash swooped into Rick’s vision.

“Come on over and join us, honey.” Hanna beckoned to Rick. He went to join the group. Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy were already on the blanket and each had a meal in front of them.

“Of course, my beloved.” He sat down on next to his wife to a chorus of giggles from his pony friends.

“Mind if I join you?” Luna had appeared to come from nowhere. She smiled as she approached.

“I can’t possibly see a reason why not, Luna. Are you hungry?” Rick gestured to an empty spot on the blanket.

“Thank you, Rick. Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

“Oh, where are my manners? Annie, c’mon over, someone wants to meet you. Luna, this is my wife, Hanna” He extended an arm toward Hanna. The two shook hooves… hands… they greeted each other. “And this,” Annie had run up and jumped onto her father’s lap, “is my daughter, Annie.”

“You’re pretty. I like your crown, are you a princess? Can I ride you?”

“Annie! It’s rude to just ask to ride a person. Apologize to Princess Luna,” Rick scolded.

Annie drooped, “I’m sorry, Miss Luna.”

Luna, to Rick’s relief, giggled. “Oh, it’s quite alright. She really is precious isn’t she?”

“It’s why I couldn’t bear losing her and her mother.” Rick rubbed Annie’s head. Hanna leaned in and pecked him on the cheek.

“So, if you were dreaming of your family, why are all of your friends here as well?” Luna asked while indicating to Twilight and her friends.

“Why, isn’t that obvious? I had been dreaming of my family since the day I lost them, I couldn’t see a reason to stop dreaming of my family.” He wrapped an arm around his wife and another around his daughter while he smiled at all the ponies.

“I see, so you really do consider these ponies to be part of your family. What you told my sister was not just words or appeasement.” Luna looked around at the large group getting along as if they really were from the same family.

“Now why would you ask that? If you’re here, then you are a creation of my…” Something dawned on Rick, she is a magical princess in charge of the night. “You’re not a creation of my mind are you? You’re really here aren’t you?”

Luna smiled and nodded. “You are correct. Watching over my subjects through the night is my responsibility. I just wanted to make sure you were at peace and that your nightmares no longer plagued you.”

“I see. I don’t know what brought me to this world, but I’m glad it did. I feel… whole again. I can’t possibly express how happy I am to have such great friends and that I have such wonderful princesses going out of their way for my behalf. I don’t ever want to leave this place.”

“I am glad. You are a good, um… pony?”

“Person, Luna, an individual human is a person, a group are people, a male is a man and a female is a woman. I’m still getting used to the colt, stallion, mare and filly thing myself.” The two snickered.

“You are a good person,” she giggled again, “and good people should not be allowed to suffer. As long as you keep the promise you made to me, then I will do everything in my power to make sure you have a place here in Equestria.” Luna reached out and placed a hoof on Rick’s shoulder, “and now I believe it is time for you to return to your family.”

“What do you…” Rick didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence before the field of ponies and humans faded and the library came into view. Rick sat up slowly and looked around. “Ah, that’s what you mean.” He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Wait, when did this pillow get here?”

Chapter 29

Rick walked into the kitchen and found Spike cooking breakfast, it smelled good. “Morning, Spike, is Twilight up yet?”

“Yeah, she’s upstairs fixing her hair. She fell asleep downstairs in that room she had me clean out yesterday. Hey, I heard about what happened yesterday at the palace. I’m glad Princess Celestia allowed you to stay after all.”

“Me too, Spike. I really like it here and I don’t know what I would do if I had to leave. I don’t want to lose my pony friends and I definitely don’t want say goodbye to the coolest dragon ever.” Rick rubbed Spike’s head, the scales weren’t nearly as abrasive as he thought they would be.

“There you are.” Both occupants of the kitchen turned to see Twilight coming downstairs. “I was worried you got lost or something.” She trotted to the kitchen grinning.

“Well, when the princess of the night wants to talk, you listen.” Rick smirked.

“Princess of th… Luna spoke to you last night?” Twilight’s shock was apparent.

“Twice. As I was leaving AJ’s farm, she approached me and we talked as I walked back to town. Then, last night as I slept, she came in my dream.”

“Oh, no. I’ll talk to her. I know how important your privacy is to you and…”

“Twilight, it’s okay. I appreciate your concern, but that old dream is gone. I was happy to share the dream I had last night.”

“Oh, I see. I’m glad.” Twilight actually looked hurt. “Uh-oh.”

“Stop. I am not playing favorites. She surprised me. In fact, I thought she was just a figment of my imagination at first.” Rick had knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulders. “I will tell you all about it, if you like, you can even see for yourself tonight.” This seemed to perk her up a bit.

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to tell me anything you don’t want to. Your dreams are your own business.” She grinned up at him.

“Well this dream is your business too, you were there.”

Twilight looked confused and a little uncomfortable. “What do you mean? Rick, tell me.” Now she was starting to looked scared.

“All six of you were there. So were my wife and daughter,” Rick stood up and walked out of the kitchen into the library. “It was a picnic in a beautiful field. Pinkie, AJ and Rainbow were playing with Annie, my daughter. You were with Fluttershy and Rarity. The three of you were with Hanna, my wife. It was fantastic, my whole family enjoying time together in the sunshine. Luna had come to check on me, that’s all.”

Twilight seemed to accept this. “Rick, that’s wonderful. I’m glad you had such a pleasant night. I’m sorry I took your bed though.”

“I was a little confused about that. Why were you in that room on my bed?” Rick asked as he sat on the floor against the wall.

“That was actually meant to be a surprise. Spike had cleaned the store room and I moved the bed in there. I wanted you to have a room for yourself and I was going to show you when you got back.” Twilight walked over to the room she had mentioned and opened the door.

Rick rolled to his knees, the room wasn’t far enough to warrant standing just to duck down again. He crawled over to the room and went inside. For such a small room, it seemed pretty roomy. “You did this for me? Twilight, Thank you so very much, you too, Spike.” He reached out and hugged Twilight and Spike who had followed them in.

“Like you said, we are family now. You needed to have a place for yourself and I had room, so I thought…”

“You are too kind, Twilight.” Rick slowly stood, making sure he had head clearance, he did. “Do you mind if I make a couple changes?”

“Rick, it’s your room. Do what you want with it.”

“Thank you again. I will try to get something today. First thing on my list if a trip to AJ’s to fix her fence then I should have the rest of the day. You can come along if you like of course.”

“No, thank you. I think I would like to stay here and do some studying done.” She smiled over her shoulder as she exited the room.

“Well, if you’re sure. What about you, Spike? I could use the extra set of hands.” Rick looked down at the little dragon.

“Twilight?” Spike looked pleadingly at the unicorn.

She giggled, “yes, Spike. Go enjoy yourself.”

“Alright! I could use some guy time.” Rick and Twilight both laughed. Today was shaping out to be a good day.

Comments

[AuthorGenesis]

I'm not really sure how I feel about our human protagonist swiftly changing his 'family' from pony to human. It just feels like the transition happens too quickly. It also feels like he's dishonoring the memory of his wife and daughter, by choosing the ponies as his 'family.' It doesn't feel like he struggled too much about that, it almost feels like he's discarded his own humanity. Just wanted to bring that to your attention.

Peace,

AuthorGenesis

[damnaion]

11# hummm