The Acknowledgement
Chapter 2: The Acknowledgment
There were... some nights where I stay awake, longer than I should have, just to watch the moon underneath my favorite maple tree. Some nights were spent simply walking idly around my village. Some nights were spent drinking saké either alone or with my comrades, from our samurai to our shinobi. I do not know why, but the dusk resonates more with me than the dawn. Perhaps it is the quiet nature of the night or the peaceful atmosphere it brings. I longed for it. I yearned that peace to a fault. But then, I had this dream. A dream where I found a talking mare, rather, she found me. By the worry she gave me, I can assume that she found me in such a dreadful state.
It turns out, it wasn't a dream as I lay awake in such a weird room. The same room I saw the mares. The ever chirping or buzzing noise of whatever animal trapped inside the white and black box is still awake to irritate me. This time, I also noticed some clear rope attached to my... hooves. It was dripping water, much like how water drips from caves. I shuddered at the thought as I remembered living in a cave for quite some time. Regardless, it was limiting my movement. As I moved my arm, I noticed that my blood quickly went up this clear rope. Not knowing what it does, I yanked it out of my body. Were they here to gather my blood? The looks of worry that they gave me, that those horses gave me, contradicted that thought. In life, I was always a scholar, known for having a cool head in battle. Assuming such thoughts would be the death of me, if I wasn't truly dead in the first place. Water poured from the clear rope as I successfully removed it from my arm.
I looked around the room to see, well, a room filled to the brim with whatever Western furniture decorating it. Probably from the Dutch. A large wooden cabinet with delicate and ornate shapes. A lamp by my side along with a small cabinet, the roof seemed to be made of stone. The floor was shining as the moon's light shone through the glass windows. I miss the tatami mats that Akane and I bought together for our humble house. Deciding to observe more, I hopped off the bed, stumbling ever so casually as I forgot the nature of what I am. A quadruped, a horse meant for mounting and transportation. As I hopped off, though, the strange chirping from the box turned into a noise that most rodents make, a flat noise piercing my ears. It continued on and on and on until there was silence. I decided to pay it no mind as I began to learn how to walk. Front hoof in, back hoof out. A slow process but a definitely fun one. As I did this, however, I began to remember the training that I had done with my father years ago. The footwork I had to go through to learn the basics of kenjutsu helped me somewhat understand the way of walking.
A few more tries and walking became somewhat second nature to me. I still had to manually raise and lower my hooves in order to walk, which was uncomfortable and lanky at times. Living my life tending to my family's horses also helped me understand how to walk. With this achievement, I decided to roam around the room. It hurts a bit but I managed.
The room was... surprisingly small. I found my old yukata neatly folded in the table. It, too, surprised me as it was as if it has never gone into battle. No tears, no rips, not even holes where the arrows pierced. It was, to say the least, brand new. I wore it as I remembered my current condition. Being stark naked may be normal for the horses, but not for me. I find my old yukata... surprisingly comfortable in this form. Having a grip was by far the most unnatural thing I noticed. I had hooves, yet I can feel my fingers. It was still a weak grip though, but I guess it is simply because of me being tired. Well, at least it made it easier to put on my yukata. I find it terrible that my kiseru was missing though, but it wasn't much of a loss.
Lastly, my uchigatana, leaning on the wall. From what I can recall, it broke and shattered after the grueling fight I had been. The saya had been flung away, never to be seen again. And yet, here it was. I sat in front of it as I pondered. "Was this an act of the gods, or is this the trickery of yokai?" Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a white horse with a pink mane donned in a bun. She had some sort of hat with a red cross, hearts ever present on the edges.
"Okay sweetie, it's time to... eat?" She said as she walked inside with some sort of tray. Her misty blue eyes gazed upon me as I sat there, dumbfounded by it all. "W-w-what are you doing?! You're supposed to be in bed!" She said as she rushed to my side, gently placing her hoof on my side in order to get me up. I again, made some... horse worry about my well-being. And so, I did what any man would do in this situation. I bowed and apologized as I did the dogeza.
Nurse Redheart is a busy mare. So busy, in fact, that she was simply sitting in the receptionist's desk. Perhaps she wasn't busy at the moment, but nevertheless, her job requires a great attention to details. She sighed and leaned back on her chair. Ponyville really wasn't a place where a lot of injuries happen, especially not like what the poor colt that Applejack brought has gone through. Sure, there were pegasi that would break their wings or earth ponies breaking a few bones, but they weren't as serious as an arrow deep within the body or a gaping wound through the chest. Being worried for the dear was an understatement.
It didn't help one bit that Applejack does not know what really happened, so it would be up to the foal services and the staff of the hospital to properly deduce what or who it was that did this. "Oh, I just hope he wakes up," she said as she glanced at the clock. It was 7:47 p.m. It had been over 11 hours since the colt woke up, only for him to go back to bed, much to her chagrin. She sighed as she shook her head. She was about to leave the desk when a buzzing can be heard. It was a buzz from a button to summon nurses to the patient's room. She checked which room requires assistance, only to be shocked at what she saw. Room 207, the room where the injured colt lay. He's awake, it seems. Probably scared or hungry! She quickly dashed towards the kitchen, managing to get the standard hospital meal ready with the help of the chefs. The colt needed her, and quickly she realized that maybe going for his dinner first wasn't the right choice.
She could only hope that the colt wouldn't be too mad at her, or wouldn't be too upset.
Steeling her nerves at the door of her patient, she quickly inhaled and opened the door. "Okay sweetie, it's time to... eat?" She said as she walked inside with the standard hospital meal, only to find the colt staring at her. He wasn't supposed to be out of bed with those injuries! "W-w-what are you doing?! You're supposed to be in bed!" She said as she rushed to his side, no longer bothering to grab the trolley. She was scared and worried about the colt as he shuddered and gritted his teeth to the pain. Looking around, she now noticed that the IV drip bag was empty and the floor underneath it was wet. She also noticed that the heart monitor was turned off due to being in a power saving mode (as there was no colt for it to be attached to).
She sighed and shook her head as she looked at the wet floor. She'll have to call a janitor for that. She was about to when she noticed that the colt was... kneeling? No, his hind legs were tucked in on his flank. Were his hind legs broken? She was about to pick up the colt from that position, only for the colt to speak. "I apologize for such actions, but I would like to know where I am, if you wouldn't mind?" The colt said as he bowed his head down while kneeling. "Uh, no problem but... aren't you a bit, you know, uncomfortable in that position sweetie?" The colt, much to her confusion, simply shook his head. "Where I have come from, this is of utmost proper etiquette. I have needlessly worried you so I humbly ask for your forgiveness, madame."
Not knowing how to respond, she simply nodded. "Oh, uh, very well! You are forgiven, but can you... stop bowing and, well, stop doing that?" The colt immediately rose his head as he stared at her once more. She was... intrigued, to say the least. At least he has some manners. Such beautiful light brown eyes, yet, it speaks of so much pain. Those eyes do not belong to a colt! "Ehem, uh, do you mind telling me your name?"
The colt nodded as he looked at her. "I am Akamine Ryoto, of the once proud Akamine clan. I thank thee for healing my wounds." She stopped and pondered on what she had just heard. "What the heck kind of name was Acka Meene Rioto?" She turned to look at the colt as she dismissed those thoughts. "My name is Redheart, a nurse in the Ponyville Hospital... That's where you are staying currently, sweetie."
He hummed to himself as he slowly got up. "Very well, thank you once more for your kindness Lady Redheart of the Ponyville Hospital." As he did so, he walked towards the door. Was he really serious? "Wait, you can't leave yet!" The colt then turned to the now frantic nurse. "And why not? I have no money to pay for such services, and as such, I would only hinder you and your comrades." He really was serious. "W-well, we haven't really got your diagnostics. Can you please stay here until further notice?" The colt was smart, surprisingly well-mannered, and had shown no emotion to what has happened. Did he forget how he was injured?
The colt then smiled at her as he bowed once more. "Of course, Lady Redheart. I am in your debt." He then walked towards the window as he simply stared at the moon. "Though, I do wish to meet with the orange mare, if that is alright?" She sighed as she looked at the colt, who was now sitting at the edges of the window. "I'll ask the doctor if she can visit. They were really worried, you know?" The colt then frowned. "It is because of me that they became frantic, and for that, I wish to apologize." Nurse Redheart couldn't really understand but she had a desire to hug the self-deprecating colt. She did so as she hugged the colt for a few seconds. "It isn't your fault, sweetie. Come, you must feel hungry."
The colt nodded as he followed the nurse. She asked him to sit at the bed as she turned on the lights. Looking back, she now noticed that the colt was wearing clothes. Was that the reason why he got up? The nerve! Making her panic like that. She'll also have to ask for the janitor to clean up the water from the IV drip. As she gave him his meal, he began to put his hooves together as he mumbled something. He looked at the plate, a salad in front of him and some juice, and then back to her. "I've been meaning to ask about the white and black box upon my bedside, for I believe I have harmed the creature inside."
"What?" It was all that Nurse Redheart could say.
"The box with the chirping. Perhaps I have scared the creature, and for that I apologize." The colt said as he pointed at what was beside him. Nurse Redheart then looked at where he was pointing at. "The heart monitor? You didn't do anything wrong, sweetie. It just... turned off automatically due to you, well, not being connected to it." The colt nodded, fascination in his eyes. She giggled a bit at his curiosity. Her giggling stopped when he wasn't eating. "What's wrong? Are you ok?" The colt simply shook his head. "I am alright, but I fear my grip isn't strong enough for me to hold such a heavy object." Knowing what this meant, she picked up the fork as she stabbed the lettuce with it. She gently fed the colt until the plate was empty. "Thank you, Lady Redheart." She blushed a bit. The colt was too well-mannered. "No need to call me lady, sweetie. Just Nurse Redheart would do." He nodded as he glanced at the window once more.
"I'll come back in a while, I need to contact the doctor and the janitor. Stay here, okay?" The colt, once again nodded as he tried to pick up the glass. Not being able to pick it up, he simply waited for Nurse Redheart to return. He sighed, plopping back into the floor as he sat at the edge of the window once again. It was more comfortable, for him, at least. With nothing much to do, he paced back and forth in the room. He would have continued had he not noticed a book within his bedside lantern. It had a strange picture, a tan colored winged horse surrounded by lava, with a hooded figure holding a scepter. Piqued, he decided to read it, only, he can't read it. He can understand them, yet he couldn't read their language. He pondered as he sat at the bed, only for the door to open once more, this time with an old stallion holding a stick with white bristles. He then glanced at Nurse Redheart with a frown.
Worried by this, Nurse Redheart quickly went to his side. "Are you okay?" He shook his head. "If possible, Nurse Redheart, I also require a scholar to teach me how to read." Baffled by this, she simply stared at the young colt in front of her. "What?"
He really was a long way from home.
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I really like the story, thanks for the chapters. I have a question, what era is Ryoto from? Since he mentions the Nanban, that little doubt arose.
This is getting good. Ryoto is gonna be in for a wild ride
11480050
To answer your question, Ryoto, surprisingly, is at the start of the Edo period, or more specifically, he "perished" at the start of the Edo period, around 1604-ish. I hope that helps 
Thank you for liking!
11480234
Oh most definitely! Thank you for liking my story!
11480328
No prob. Samurai's and Ronin and those types of warriors are always a plus in my book