Chapter 12: Recovery, nicknames, and a BIG mistake
Whew, that was way too close. Sunset Shimmer and I were nearly Cragadile-chow.
After a Cragadile attacked us in the Everfree Forest, with no help in sight, I didn’t think I would see another day. But thanks to some teamwork, good aim, and luck, Sunset and I “only” got injured a little.
After finding Sunset and me, hurt, near the entrance of the Everfree Forest, Twilight and the others rushed us to Ponyville’s hospital. She’s seen me hurt worse, but the worrywart that is Twilight Sparkle was in “motherly big sister” mode the whole way to the hospital, saying more than once that we'll be okay and that she won't let anything else attack us. Because it was a spell she and Starlight cast that went haywire is the reason I’m in and stuck in Equestria, Twilight feels that if I get hurt here, it’s ultimately her fault. I’ve tried to get her to not think like that, but I guess she can’t help it. Starlight’s like this too, but I think the guilt is stronger in Twilight.
It’s probably one of the reasons why Twi and Starie eventually took the roles of my Equestrian big sisters. Guess those two thought that, if they couldn’t return me to my old world and family, they would try to fill the roles that my two human big sisters had. That, and because we were growing close when it started happening.
And if me being hurt wasn’t enough for Twilight; Sunset, because of her hurt horn, looked to be more injured than she really was. This made Twi (and the others for that matter) more worried about Sunset too.
At the hospital, both Sunset and I were checked and treated for our injuries. Sunset was sore and her body had bruises, but wasn't seriously hurt. I was hurt the worst in my belly, but it wasn’t anything too serious.
Twilight asked the rest of the ex-Shipping Seven if they wanted to come to Equestria to visit Sunset. She used the same journal I write in to “talk” to the girls with to reach them, since Sci-Twi was at that moment holding on to the one magically linked to it. But since Sunset’s injuries were minor and she would be out soon, and Sunset herself assured them she was fine, they chose to stay in their world, but they talked to Sunset in the journals. If somepony saw a second Pinkie Pie, we might have been able to pass it off as “she’s being Pinkie Pie”. But that excuse wouldn’t work for explaining a second Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, etc.
Especially if Sci-Twi wouldn’t be an Alicorn in pony form but a Unicorn. Though she seemed to have “Alicorn” wings when she “ponied up”.
A week later, Sunset was ready to leave the hospital.
I was lying in my hospital bed chatting with Applejack, who stopped by to visit a half-hour ago. She stood halfway between me and the half-open door to the room, but wasn't blocking my view of the doorway. I was reading before she came, so I had a book beside me on my bed. I wasn’t cold, but I still had a white bedsheet covering me.
Applejack and I were debating on if Starlight could hold her own against a Cragadile by herself if she got mad enough. I was thinking Starie might be able to do it, but Ms. Honest Horse had doubts.
“I don’t know, Eric. Sure, Starlight’s powerful, but takin’ on a Cragadile all by herself?”
“Why not? She’s strong enough to travel through time, so why can’t she take a Cragadile?”
“Twilight can travel through time too, but even she had to run from one!” Applejack countered.
“Yeah, but Twi didn’t try to fight it but panicked and ran, right? She even forgot she could teleport!"
I still don’t get how a smart pony like Twilight Sparkle seems to sometimes forget she can teleport during times when it would be really useful. Even she doesn’t know why she didn’t teleport when a Hydra chased after her and the others. I once asked, and Twi told me that she has no idea why using teleportation didn’t cross her mind.
“Well, I got nothin’ to explain why that pony forgot she could teleport, but why do ya think she tried to run?”
“Uh, because Twi panicked so bad she forgot how strong she is?”
Applejack said nothing. She instead did one of her signature moves: she raised an eyebrow.
I got the message, and I facepalmed. “Okay, that’s a dumb reason, but still--”
Before our debate could continue, Sunset peeked her head in the room. “Hey, can I come in?”
Applejack greeted, “Oh, hey, Sunset.”
“And of course you can come in.” I saw that Sunset had the strap of her pack around her, with the pack itself on her side. Her horn was mostly healed and just had a scar on it, so there was no bandage on it. “Since you have your pack, I take it you’re ready to go?”
“Yep.”
“Ha, lucky you. I got another two or so weeks to go.”
“Well, I’ll come back and visit every day, and maybe that’ll make things speed up for you.”
“Yeah. Time always pass by fast when I’m with you.”
Applejack chuckled. “Well, I'm not one for mushy stuff like this and I got chores to do at the farm, so I'm goin’ to go. See ya guys later.”
I said, “Okay, and see you, Applejack.”
Sunset echoed, “Bye, Applejack.”
Applejack left the room, and Sunset walked to the side of my bed. But the smile on Sunset’s face turned into a frown. It was definitely strange for her to do it. “Eric? There is something I didn’t say that I should have told you already.”
“What is it?”
“Thank you so much for saving my life in the Everfree Forest. You were so brave against that Cragadile,” Sunset answered and smiled as she said it. That explains the previous frown; it was one of those you might give before you give a big heartfelt thanks, apology, or something like that.
“Thanks, Sunset, but it wasn’t like I did it all by myself.”
Sunset rubbed her cheek in bashful fashion. Of course she’d not want to take any credit for what she did in that forest. “Well, maybe I put some magic in those rocks, but you hit that Cragadile’s eye with them, and while you were hurt.”
“Yeah, but I think you forgot something important, if you really think I deserve that much credit.”
Those big eyes of Sunset’s grew a bit wider and she asked, “What?”
“Who blinded the Cragadile’s eyes when it almost got us the first time and who's first thought was getting me to safety after we were hit? Here’s a hint: she’s a beautiful gold Unicorn.”
Heh, I wasn’t sure if it was the beautiful part, or the fact that I pointed out how she saved us first, or both. But Sunset waved her hoof, her cheeks turned red, and she gave a particularly cute smile. She even looked away, further adding to the bashfulness she was showing. “Well, that little flash of light wasn--”
“Aw, no, don’t you try to be Ms. Modest. If you hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t have made it. So, thank you for saving my life, Sunset Shimmer.”
Sunset turned her head back to me, and the bashfulness seemed to be gone and was replaced with confidence. “Well, you’re welcome, Eric Reed. But, you can thank me with a kiss?”
“I thought you’d never ask. Come here.”
With a big ‘ol smile, Sunset leaned her head forward, and we had us a big kiss.
“I didn’t think it was possible, Eric, but I’m enjoying our kisses more and more.”
“You read my mind, because that’s what I was thinking.”
“And when you’re out of the hospital, maybe we could have a little...make-out session? We haven’t had any of them yet,” Sunset suggested in a very friendly voice, then she lightly bit her lip. This made her smile into a type of smile she had yet to show me: not a happy one, but a seductive one. Hello! Both of her eyelids lowered, further adding to that smile. Hello again!
I felt myself giving a big fat smile. My girlfriend wouldn’t need to talk me into trying her idea. “Hee hee, I can hardly wait.”
After she gave me another kiss as a “preview” -- best preview ever -- Sunset left my journal beside me; she used it to tell Sci-Twi that she was about to go back before she came to my room. After that, she left the hospital to pass through the portal, leaving me alone. This was by far the longest Sunset’s been away from the rest of the ex-Shipping Seven since she met them, so they needed to spend time together.
In the human world, Sunset Shimmer emerged from the portal. Her friends, including Spike, were already informed of her return, so they waited by the portal. They all smiled when Sunset stepped out from the portal.
Twilight greeted, “Welcome back, Sunset.”
“We missed you!” Pinkie sped to and hugged Sunset in a tight hug, forcing a grunt from Sunset.
Despite the tight grip of Pinkie’s hug, Sunset forced a chuckle. “I’ve missed you too, Pinkie.”
Rarity asked, “How do you feel?”
Pinkie released Sunset from her grip. With a bigger smile, Sunset answered, “I’ve never been better.”
“Oh, that’s great. Your injuries have healed well I take it?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yeah, but I’m not talking about how I feel physically.”
Rarity’s lips became a mischievous grin. “Oh, I get it. You love having a boyfriend, huh, Sunset?”
“It’s not only that. Sure Eric and I get along great, but when I’m with him, I feel...special.”
Spike asked, “What do you mean?”
“I never thought of myself as ‘useless’, but Eric was willing to let himself be killed, just so I could make it.” Sunset placed her hands over her heart. “I...I don’t know what to say.”
Applejack commented, “It shows how far ya come, Sunset, that Eric cares that much about ya. He didn’t fall for ya just because he thought yer cute.”
Rainbow said, “And he’s an even better guy than I thought. Maybe I should have went to Equestria and asked him out before you did it, Sunset.”
Twilight pointed out, “Well, Eric might be taken, but there’s always Flash Sentry. He’s a good guy.”
“Well, we’ll see.”
Pinkie suggested, “But, it’s been a week since we have all been together. Let’s go have some fun! Whoo-whoo!”
The friends all agreed, and went on to enjoy the rest of the day together.
It’s been a week since Sunset got out of the hospital, but with me still in there she was back to visit me. Like she said, she returned to Equestria to visit me every day. We often played board games and other games during her visits. One of them sat on a table near my bed, Equestria’s version of “Battleship”, and I sometimes played it with Twilight, Starlight, or Rainbow during their visits.
However, at this moment, Sunset and I were just talking. She was telling me about a prank the human Rainbow Dash did on the human Applejack. I got a big laugh out of it, and Sunset was laughing too as she was telling me. My belly was healed enough for the laughing to be painless, but I was still lying in my hospital bed.
Wiping the tears from my eyes due to my laughing, I said, “Wow! That is too good! Just wish I could have seen it! Ha ha!”
Sunset wiped her own eyes because she was “crying” from laughter too. “I know, right? Ha ha! When Applejack found out her apple pie tasted awful because of Rainbow’s ‘secret’ ingredient, she chased her halfway across town!”
“Ha! And let me guess: at one point, Rainbow let Applejack get close then turned on the super-speed to escape, with Applejack yelling her head off, right?”
“Yeah! How did you know? Oh, I forgot you know some stuff about us thanks to that ‘cartoon’.”
I explained, “Partly. But I’ve hung out with the Equestrian Rainbow plenty, so I thought the Rainbow in ‘your’ world would do that. Same goes for guessing how Applejack would react to it.”
“Good point. Oh, speaking of that cartoon, there’s something I meant to ask.”
“Sure. Ask away.”
Sunset looked down, lightly tapped the floor with a hoof on one of her forelegs, and lifted her head to me again. “How do others in your world feel about me?”
“Well, out of everyone, or everypony, you’re one of the most popular ones.”
Sunset formed a cute smile and rubbed the back of her head. “I am? You’re not just saying that to make me happy, are you?”
“Nope, I’m not, I promise. I would give a Pinkie Promise if we had a cupcake nearby.”
Sunset giggled, and it was as cute as ever. “If you’d go that far, you must be telling the truth. But you said that ‘Sci-Twi’ is a nickname you and others in your world like calling the Twilight in ‘my’ world. What about nicknames for others?”
“The others? Well, one for Pinkie is 'Ponka', one for Starlight is 'Glimglam' even if I call her 'Starie', and one for Princess Twilight that’s one of my favorites is ‘Bookhorse’.”
“Ha ha, ‘Bookhorse’. That’s funny and she does love reading. Though, why isn’t she called ‘bookpony’?”
“To be honest, I have no idea, but it’s a name that just ‘stuck’. But I do know that, unlike Sci-Twi, who loves her nickname, ‘Bookhorse’ doesn’t like hers.”
“Really? Even if she’s not a ‘horse’ I thought she’d like it.” Sunset took some steps closer to my bed with a shy smile. “Are there any nicknames for me?”
“Nicknames for you, huh? Two I know of are ‘Baconmane’ and ‘Shimmysham’.”
Sunset grimaced and said, “Uh...I’m going to pretend that you didn’t say ‘Baconmane’. But I like ‘Shimmysham.”
I wrote a mental note to never call Sunset Shimmer “Baconmane” again.
“Well, at least you like one of my old world’s names for you. There are probably more nicknames for you that I’m not aware of or can’t remember, but I’ll never know for sure.”
Despite saying what I did in a cheerful tone, Sunset frowned and her ears drooped.
“Sunset? What’s wrong?”
Sunset walked to me and laid the side of her head on my chest. “I wish I had magic strong enough to return you back to your old world, Eric, even for a little while. I still remember how sad you got when Princess Twilight told you that she could never get you back.”
This must be a sign of how close the two of us have gotten. It’s not like Sunset’s never cared that I couldn’t go back to my old world. But with our bond now, I guess it bothers her more than it used to.
I stroked Sunset’s mane and explained, “Well, Sunset, even if you could surpass Alicorns in magic, it likely wouldn’t matter. Twi and Starie are two of the strongest ponies in Equestria, and even together they couldn’t find a way to do it.”
“Maybe, but it’s not right that you can’t go back to the world you were born in. I know you miss it, and I just wish I could do something about it.”
“I know you do. Still, it won’t help either of us if we keep feeling so bad about it, and I can talk to my family at least. I’m even making a life for myself here and I’m proud to call Equestria my home, so it’s not like I’m somewhere I don’t want to be.” I gave Sunset a kiss on her forehead to cheer her up.
After my kiss, Sunset lifted her head and she wore a smile. “Well, if you put it like that, I guess I shouldn’t feel so bad for you if you’re not. Sorry for ruining the mood.”
“It's all right. What you said just further shows how much you care about me, so thanks, Sunset.”
“You’re welcome, Eric.”
“But, let’s move on. You said that once a misunderstanding made Pinkie bake thirty cakes for someone who only wanted three, right?”
Sunset’s smile grew bigger and became fully cheered up. “Oh, yeah! Then Pinkie lost it when she learned some were thrown away.”
“Oh, no! Ha ha! Someone threw away Pinkie Pie’s cakes? How bad did that girl lose it?”
“Ha! Oh, Eric, when Pinkie found out, she…”
We would talk about more stories, laughing at them, for a while before Sunset left. Somehow, it felt like we became even closer. It also felt like something was...different.
Another week later, and now a month after Sunset and I became a couple, I recovered and left the hospital.
I was taking a jog throughout Ponyville. In our journal, Sunset told me she had a ton of homework, so she wouldn’t be able to visit today. But, when she could come, we were finally going to have that “make-out session”. I couldn’t wait for it!
But while still jogging, on a bench by a tree, I spotted a pony that I haven’t seen in a while.
She was a light-green Pegasus. She had a dark-red mane, which split and ran down the sides of her face, down to the level of her chest, and each half ended in a curl. It always reminded me of Fluttershy’s mane whenever I saw it. Her Cutie Mark was of three blue hearts.
Who was this mare? She was the same mare I tried to ask out about six weeks ago. Diane Heart.
Her head was down. I wondered about leaving Diane alone, but then thought that maybe I could do something to help. I didn’t forget that she thought I looked odd, which hurt. But since I only learned it from eavesdropping, it was my own fault, so I couldn’t get or stay mad about it. Plus, she wasn’t a “mean” or “bad” pony anyway.
“Hey, Diane? Is something wrong?”
Diane lifted her head to me, and her face wore a frown. Her green eyes were watery. “Oh, hi, Eric. And yes, something’s wrong, but I don’t want to trouble you.”
“No, it’s no trouble, and maybe I can help.”
“Well, I don’t know if you can help, but I might feel better if I talk about it.”
I sat beside Diane on the bench. “Okay. What’s wrong?”
Diane told me that a day ago, she lost a blue gem that belonged to her younger sister that passed away six months ago. It was the only thing left of her that Diane had. She searched all of Ponyville for it, but couldn’t find it, and it tugged on my heartstrings. I talked to Diane for a bit, and she eventually felt a bit better.
“You know, Eric? You are a really good guy.”
I rubbed my head. I couldn’t resist feeling a bit bashful. “T-Thanks. I try.”
“In fact, when you asked me out, maybe I should have said ‘yes’.”
“Oh, well, I’m flattered, but--”
Diane looked me in the eyes. Or at least it felt like she started to, since her head was already facing me. “Maybe it's not too late. Would you still like to go out with me?”
My heart skipped a beat. Now that I was off the market, Diane wanted to go on a date with me! I admit, she’s as cute as ever, but I couldn’t get any ideas. It would crush poor Sunset’s heart! “Oh, uh, I’m sorry, Diane, but I have a girlfriend now, Sunset Shimmer.”
“Sunset Shimmer? Oh, is she the Unicorn that asked me out ‘for you’? I thought you two were just friends?”
“We were just friends back then, but we started dating a month ago.”
Diane frowned, and it felt bad turning her down. “Well, I can tell you really like her. But you sure you don’t want to at least think about it?”
Uh-oh. This is where I should’ve hightailed out of there. But like an idiot, I stayed on the bench and answered, “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
“Well, since you liked me first, maybe this could help you change your mind?”
Oh, this was getting out of hand! Diane leaned her head forward and actually kissed me. On the lips! Yeah, when I wanted her to do this, she was thinking I looked weird! Guess she doesn’t now.
I was so stunned by her moving into me, and then by her soft lips, I failed to immediately pull away from this mare like I should have. It wasn’t till half a second passed before I did. This was not right, and I was already feeling ashamed that I didn’t take off already. I was horrified of how Sunset would have felt if she saw this, and thought I was...cheating on her.
But before I could say something or leave, from behind, I heard a gasp. Then a whimper. I knew who the gasp and whimper belonged to, and my heart sank.
I spun around to where the sound came from, and the Unicorn standing there had one of the most heartbroken frowns ever. Tears poured from her eyes.
Yep, she was Sunset Shimmer, my girlfriend. Guess she found the time to come to Equestria despite that “ton" of homework.
Oh, buck.
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Really Diane, really?
Diane Heart: surprise antagonist.
I still don't fully trust her. I think she may be working for Tom now.
This is late, but I think that that equal sign should be a hyphen.
stroked (?)
11254459
Thanks for addressing those typos, and I fixed them.
Better late than never, right?