Chapter 21
Chapter 48
The breathing tube had come out the day after he woke up and never had he been so grateful to have a scratchy throat. Twilight and the other girls came by every day visit him. Rick could tell they had something on their mind every time they came and he had a pretty good idea what that was. He could also tell they didn’t really want to broach the subject of phony Rick’s attacks and tricks or their, thankfully, brief hatred of him. Instead, they kept the conversations light so as not to stress him out during his rehabilitation. Even Pinkie Pie was refraining from bouncing and shouting.
There was frequent ‘thank you’s from the staff and prominent town leaders, including Mayor Mare. Despite multiple protests on his part, insisting that he did very little to do with the victory of the Elements of Harmony over Queen Chrysalis, they still thanked him. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate their gratitude, it was that it didn’t matter to him as much as the daily visits from the four ponies that mattered most in his life, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity.
When they were hating him, he couldn’t stand it. He was crushed and felt betrayed. Now, they were in his room every day and he didn’t care about what had happened the past few days. His heart had been broken but now it was healed. Rick’s day perked up every time one of them walked in, whether that visit involved smooches or not.
After a couple days of moderate comfort in his private room, he was very, very pleased to see Princess Cadence enter his room. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy lying in his hospital bed, re-reading the Daring Doo books Rainbow Dash kept bringing him, he just couldn’t take another day of that hospital food.
“Good morning, Rick. I hope you are feeling better today.”
“I am feeling infinitely better now that you’re here. You are here to help me right? Oh, please tell me you’re here to use your healing magic on me, please, please, pleeease… ” Rick was half pleading.
Cadence giggled, “well I’m going to try.” Her horn glowed an aqua color and a familiar, warm aura enveloped him and he could feel the pain from different bruises and cuts all over his body fade until they were gone completely. Rick started to pat himself down to make sure he was indeed healed. His smile was growing wider until he checked his horn. It still wasn’t there, not completely at least.
The small nub that was once his source of magic was nowhere near its former glory. Chrysalis’ blast of raw, furious, vengeful magic had been strong enough to breakthrough his barrier in some places and had burned his horn all the way down to the same level as his mane. No one was certain if it would or even could grow back, not the doctors or any of the princesses. Rick had been optimistic up to this point, but when not even Cadence was able to get it to regrow, he had started to lose hope that it ever would.
Cadence saw the concern in his eyes and her own face dropped. “Rick, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be excited about being healed.”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate what you’ve done for me, it’s just… ”
“What, are you worried about your horn,” he lowered his head and nodded slowly. “I see. I can certainly understand why you’d be upset about something like this and I can only imagine it must feel like a part of you has been taken from you but I need you to know we are all here for you.”
“I know that, I do, but like you said, it’s like something’s missing. I mean, it’d be the same as if my hands had been cut off when I was human. That horn allowed me to live my life without missing what I once was.” Cadence stroked his shoulder with a hoof in an effort to comfort him. “You know what upsets me the most? Without that horn, I can’t protect Twilight and Rarity and Fluttershy and… the best I could do right now is be a human shield.” Rick turned his head and stared at the ceiling, he didn’t dare look at her. He knew if he looked into her face, the tears he was barely holding back would flow with no hope of stopping them.
“Are you saying you wish you hadn’t lost your horn?”
“Of course I-“
“Do you remember what happened to cost you your horn?” Rick was in silent contemplation for a moment before he nodded. “You lost your horn fending off an opponent that you really had no hope of defeating so that your friends could collect the only things in Equestria that could. It was an extremely noble act that you should be very proud of. I know Aunt Celestia is, Aunt Luna is and if you didn’t know already, I am too. Hay, Shining Armor won’t stop singing your praises for protecting his little sister. Besides, it may in fact grow back. For now, calm down, rest up, and take care of yourself. For now, if you feel well enough, I will get the doctor to come and re-evaluate you. You’ll be out of here and back into your own home in no time.”
“Yes, please do, Cadence, and if you like, I’d like to have you and Shining over for dinner along with the girls of course.”
Cadence smiled at his apparently improved attitude, “we would like that. Rick, thank you.” She turned and walked toward the door. Just before she exited, she asked Rick one more question, “I’m sure the girls would like to see you, should I send them in?”
“I would like that, just give me a minute to calm down a bit. They’re already worried enough about me and I don’t want them to see me like this.” He took a deep breath and stifled a sniffle.
“Alright, I give you a couple minutes then send in the girls and get the doctor for you.”
“Okay and, Cadence, thank you so very much.” Cadence smiled at him and walked out the door.
Once she was out of the room, rick let the few tears he had been holding back finally fall. It wasn’t that he was upset about the possibility of spending the rest of his life as an earth pony, it really was that he felt useless. He truly feared that he would never again be of use to his frie… family. He could still help on the farm but he couldn’t protect them just like he couldn’t protect his last family. That was the thought that was breaking his heart all over again.
“Rick?” Fluttershy’s quiet voice roused him from his thoughts and self-pity. “Oh, Rick, what’s wrong?” She trotted over to the bed and rose up on her hind legs placing her front hooves on the bed next to him.
“…Shy, I’m scared, I'm just so scared,” he looked into her eyes as the tears streaked down his face, “I’m supposed to protect you, and without my magic, how can I do that? *sniff* I got hurt all the time under normal circumstances as a human, how will I fair with a body I’m still not entirely comfortable in?” His chin was quivering, “I’m worried that I’ll lose you all like I lost my wife and daughter. I’ll lose you all because I can’t stop someone who’s trying to hurt you. I mean, I’ve been to Canterlot three times and twice I had to step in to protect one of you. I’m just… so scared.”
Fluttershy climbed up into the bed and sat on her haunches. She wrapped her forelegs around him and drew him in against her barrel. He sobbed into her fur as he hugged her tight.
Fluttershy wrapped her wings around him to shield him from the world around them. “I wish I could say everything will turn out fine, but nopony can tell what the future will bring. For now, all I can do is tell you that I will be here for you and so will everypony else, so just let your tears go and trust in us.”
The very uncharacteristic monologue from Fluttershy was a huge comfort to him. Plus the act of her wrapping her wings around him was like having a security blanket again.
“She’s right, Darling,” Rarity’s voice came from the doorway but he couldn’t raise his head to see her. “You must know that no matter what the future may hold, we will be here for you. I know it must be hard for you to believe, what with recent events and all, but that will never happen again.”
Twilight came next, “that’s right, from now on, we will talk out any issues like the mature ponies we are.”
Rick finally managed to lift his head as Fluttershy opened her wings and look upon the other five mares with bloodshot eyes, “you promise?” The girls all giggled softly and agreed in unison. Rick smiled in relief at them as the doctor walked into the room to check on him one last time.
Chapter 49
Rick was sitting comfortably in his Man-Chair. The soft, leather-like material made him feel at home. While he sat there in his big chair, Twilight and the others were sitting around the living room of his house, Spike was in the kitchen making refreshments for all of them. Rick was trying his best to keep upbeat, but something was weighing heavily on his mind.
“Cadence, I really must thank you for healing me so quickly, it’s too bad about my horn but as you said, I’ll just have to be patient and see what happens.”
“You’re very welcome, it was the least I could do after what you did for Twilight,” Cadence nuzzled the unicorn in question who was sitting next to her.
“Thank you again but right now, the girls and I have something we need to discuss so I must be rude and ask for some privacy. Spike, could you make sure they get settled in alright?” Cadence and Shining Armor seemed to understand and walked toward the door with Spike, Rick was escorting them. He stopped Shining Armor just outside the door, “Shining, can I ask you a huge favor?”
“Of course, just name it.”
“I can’t use magic now and may never be able to again,” Rick’s head was lowered as he spoke; “I need to learn how to protect them all without magic. Can you teach me?”
Shining Armor approached and rested a hoof on Rick’s shoulder, “it would be my privilege to train you. Besides, I can’t have my little sister be without her protector, now can I?”
Rick looked up and smiled, “thank you.”
“Oh, and if you hurt her, you’ll be the one needing a protector,” Shining thrusted a hoof into Rick’s barrel which, despite his superior size, managed to rock Rick on his hooves.
“Understood,” Rick stuck his own hoof out and Shining bumped it before he turned to join his wife on their way to the library where Twilight was letting them stay while in town. Rick watched them walk away for a while and then went back inside with a heavy weight on his mind. There was going to be an unpleasant conversation ahead.
He walked back into the living room where the six Elemental Bearers were waiting and watching; he sat down on his big chair and took a deep breath. “We need to talk about what happened.”
The girls knew it was coming, but that didn’t mean they wanted to bring it up. They had all accused him of doing some horrible thing, except for Pinkie Pie but that may be simply because he hadn’t seen that day.
Rick had been accused of going around with another mare, since Equestria still practiced herding, that wouldn’t have been too bad, except that brining another member into the herd is supposed to be a group decision and the mare in question just happened to be Derpy who was often confused enough without romance being brought into it. That had hurt him, but not as much as the other thing.
Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash all believed that he, who had risked his own hide more than a few times for the sake of others, had insulted the three Cutie Mark Crusaders and their attempt to find their own special talents. Worse, that he would destroy their clubhouse and not even care that the girls were still inside. They had all made it out unscathed and for that, Rick was grateful.
Not only did those three believe that, but Fluttershy didn’t defend him. Applejack had knocked the stuffing out of him. Rainbow had expressed a desire to do the same. Both Rarity and Twilight didn’t even give him a chance to say anything in his defense. He brought all of this to their attention and none denied any of it, they simply hung their heads in shame of their mistrust and the actions taken in anger.
“…to be honest, I can’t really say I’m angry. I know that if Annie had come to me and said that some person, even if they were a closely trusted blood relative, had done anything that could have hurt her, I would have flown off the handle too.” There was a look of hope on their collective faces as they looked upon his face. “I just want to know, do you trust me? Is their one among you who doesn’t?” There was no response aside from a few sniffles. “If any of you think that I even could do anything to hurt any of you, then you obviously don’t know me. I still want to consider all of you family in one way or another, but if you don’t trust me, then… I just don’t know. I guess what I’m saying is, if you want out then all you have to do is leave… no hard feelings.”
He stood from his chair, “it’s been a long day and I’m exhausted. I’m going to bed; I’ll see whoever’s left in the morning. Goodnight.”
He barely managed to hold back his emotions as he finished talking and turned for the stairs. He closed the door with barley a click of the latch. As he slowly climbed into his bed, the sound of the front door opening and closing came wafting into the room. Rick drifted off to sleep on his tear soaked pillow wondering who it was that left.
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That's the reaction that I wanted to see. While they might have been angry at him for all those things doesn't mean that they can ignore him or beat him up. And the front door opening and closing doesn't mean alot you know. It might be someone that walks inside instead of outside.
3183838 Well... I know what it means. I'm working on having Rick find out right now.
That was a hart rending seen. lets see what tomorrow will bring. I do hope he will git his horn back with his magic. If he does? he can strain thin his rezolve to learn all he can do with defensive and offensive Magic. I do hope to see, more of this story soon.
Dragonfox
Spike had to go home you know.
3186459 He had left with Shining and Cadence
One question: Chrysalis stupid over powered abilities
were gained by Shining Armour's love. Since she no longer has access to that ,and her hive is starving, how is it she was still so powerful. 
Under normal circumstances, she should be no more powerful than any other half-breed pegacorn.
21# och
That's more like it! It was especially Epic Fail on the part of the Elements of Honesty and of Loyalty.
Then again, apparently they are now entering the show season where they all had gone adrift from their elements and had to be nudged back on target. I cant wait to see if their protector will have to deal with missing princesses and crazy vines next...