Humani Victoria

Chapter 16- Arise

"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on."

                                                                                              -John F. Kennedy

Ponyville Community Hospital, Ponyville, Equestria, Wednesday 10th of April, 12:30 am, 2205 AC

The sheets were surprisingly soft although Jason didn't know what he had been expecting. He didn't move as he was currently experiencing a sensation of extreme fragility, as if the slightest movement would shatter him to pieces.

Opening his eyes Jason was met with the sight of a wooden ceiling which was illuminated by the open window to his left. The cleanly smell and soft bed gave clue to him being in a hospital. After staring at the ceiling and contemplating the meaning of life for a few minutes the Human decided that it would probably be more productive to sit up.

Letting out a slight groan Jason sat up, finding that he was sore in places that were not a part of Human anatomy. After some shifting of his pillows and blankets he got himself sat up and was able to survey the rest of the room and it was immediately evident that he had company.

Princess Celestia stared at him from the right side of the room, she was sitting on a chair and if Jason wasn't wrong he could of sworn she had been crying recently. They continued to stare each other down before Celestia broke the silence.

"The doctor said you would make a full recovery, the wounds were... Numerous but superficial and a few day's of applied medicines and rest will have you in full health." She said, Jason nodded and they lapsed into silence yet again before the Human finally thought of something to say.

"What happened to the slaves?" He asked "Did they all make it out okay? And what about Rainbow Dash?"

Celestia nodded "I had my guards gather up the survivors and they are currently being fed, healed, and questioned accordingly. Rainbow Dash is currently being treated in this very hospital and she will recover quickly. Although according to some of the slaves... Not everyone made it out

Jason sighed heavily "I guess it was too much to hope for." The silence didn't have much time to set in as Celestia spoke up again.

"I am... Sorry for what happened Jason, it's my fault." She said "In my neglect I allowed a Diamond Dog mine to operate right under my nose and then lead you on false hope that my realm was safe from such things."

Jason was already shaking his head "None of this is your fault what happened, happened and we cannot change that."

"....Alright, I suppose your right."

"Of course I am, now there's something else you need to know." Jason said, getting Celestia's ears to peek up.

"What is it?"

"Down there.... The lead Dog had a pet of sorts, a large white bat. I think Rainbow Dash called it a 'Dire Bat' when it was killed I saw something imprinted on its neck. Numbers, Human numbers were burned into its skin. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

Celestia sighed "I.... Didn't know that any such creature existed within Equestria, however..." The Alicorn paused as if thinking about her answer "In the past your people utilized many-a strange artificial creatures, whole factories were made to produce and breed them. From what I understand many of these creatures were not only designed to breed like any other animal but to live for hundreds or even thousands of years." Celestia sighed "It seems that ever after all these years the scars of their renditions are still fresh." The Alicorn's head dipped and she stared at the ground.

Jason blinked "Are you... Alright?" He asked causing Celestia to look up in slight surprise.

"Well... Yes, it's just that ever since you arrived the ghosts of the past have been showing their faces. Dreams come to me that my sister cannot guard from and a feel that fear again... That feeling of a large predator hunting me to my inevitable doom."

Jason frowned "Have to told your sister this? Surly you can have a talk about this with her." He offered but Celestia shook her head.

"She suffers as I do, I can see it. But she merely buries her grief under a guise and refuses to discuss such things while I.... I am not so resilient."

The Human raised his eyebrows, a sibling should always bee there. Or at least that was Jason's understanding of the concept. Suddenly he felt bad for the Princess, had thought of his father. Cold and distant, unwilling to shoulder the burdens of young life for his son as a father is suppose to do and he felt a wave of both anger and sadness.

"Well, What about me?" Jason offered, smiling kindly at the Alicorn who in turn just looked at the Human in pure confusion "I mean, I don't claim to understand completely how you feel but I do know that ever since I leaned what happened to my people... Well, it took a lot not to hate you. Heck it's still taking a lot, so I think a nice long conversation would be good for both of us and maybe... Maybe we can work to move away from the past."

Celestia's mouth hung open ever so slightly. She felt... Touched actually, this was the first time in a very long time that anyone had shown any interest in her feelings or offered to help. Even before Nightmare Moon her sister had been distant to such things, so this was a surprise. What surprised her more that such a tender and kind offering was coming from a Human of all things, Celestia tried to remember the last time she witnessed a Human showing any emotion besides anger or hatred and came up blank. This was a first for her.

"You... You would do that?" The Alicorn asked incredulously and Jason nodded.

"We both need it, otherwise we'll just keep on going like this without getting better. I miss my home and you can't let go of a war long since past, so let's just address them and have a talk over some nice hot tea or something." In spite of himself, Jason couldn't help smiling at what he perceived as witty banter coming from him.

With a strange warm feeling in her chest Celestia nodded eagerly "A-alright... But I don't think right now is the best time, this will probably take some time."

Jason nodded "Thought as much, so when would be good for you?"

Celestia though for a second "At the beginning of October there is an annual ball, the Grand Galloping Galla-" Jason snorted and snickered a bit and the Princess looked at him in confusion "What's funny?" She asked, Jason shook his head and gestured for her to go on. With the Human still with an amused smile on his face.

Mentally shrugging Celestia continued "Anyway, I was already planning in inviting Twilight and her friends but I can easily arrange for you to be invited as well. When the party begins to quell I shall have someone bring you to my quarters, we will have the entire night to talk."

The Human nodded "Sounds good, I look forward to it." He said and Celestia nodded before standing up from her chair. "Now, there are things I must attend to and I am sure the girls are just bursting to visit you." The Alicorn looked back down at Jason to see him offering his hand out to her with that grin of his adorning his face.

After staring at the hand for a moment or two Celestia cautiously raised her hoof and placed in the appendage. Jason quickly covered her hoof with his other hand and the Alicorn found herself looking directly into the Human's eyes for the first time, subsequently she found herself admiring the bright silver irises that his eye's sported, eyes that showed no hate or malice like she expected but kindness in its stead.

Jason smiled "Until next we meet, Princess Celestia." He said, before releasing her hoof. The Sun Alicorn simply nodded and walked out of the hospital room in a bit of a daze.

  It would be almost an hour before Celestia realized she had touched what she considered the most dangerous creature in the universe.

                                                                        ~~*~~

It wasn't long after Celestia left that there was a series of knocking on the door. A white Unicorn walked in, her head was adorned with a nurses cap and her Cutie Mark was that of a medical Red Cross.

"Sorry to bother you Mr. Jason." She said kindly "But you have more visitors, should I send them in?" Jason nodded and the nurse disappeared, about two breaths later and the Humans world had become purely Pink fur.

"Jasy!" Pinky Pie exclaimed, squeezing the living hell out of Jason's neck and suffocating his face in her mane.

"Pinkie... Air..." The Human gasped and he felt the mare being pulled off of him. Twilight placed Pinkie Pie on the floor, took on look at Jason. Then jumped on his bed and hugged him tightly around the chest.

"Don't ever do something like that again! You hear me?" She said, squeezing him tighter. Jason nodded through a half-grimace as his ribs were rather sensitive at this point in time.

"Twilight, darling I think your hurting poor Jason here." Rarity quipped from behind the purple Unicorn "Although I trust you are well on the mend, yes?"

The Human nodded "Yeah, after a few days I should be fine. Right now I'm just really sore." he said and Rarity nodded.

"That was quite the fall."

"Fall?!" Pinkie interjected "That was more than a fall! He was all like 'woooo!' And then like 'look out!' And then he was all like 'oh shi-"

"Yes, yes. Quite so Pinkie Pie." Rarity interjected.

"Um... As long as he's okay I don't think it matters." Fluttershy said quietly. Jason looked around at the relieved smiles of the five mares, except one.

Applejack stayed near the doorway, her face hidden in the shadow of her Stetson which was pulled low over her eyes. Jason wondered what was the matter when Rarity's voice interjected into his thoughts.

"Anyway, we really must be going. The Doctor said we only had a few moments before he had to perform some tests and check-ups, come on Twilight. Let's leave Jason to rest."

The lavender Unicorn gave Jason one last squeeze before releasing him. They said there fair wells and made their way out of the room, all except Applejack who lingered behind. The orange mare seemed to consider something before turning towards Jason, here eyes in full view but her expression unreadable.

"I just wanted to say... Thank's for saving my sister." She said. The Human nodded.

"No problem." He said back. Applejack gave him one last look and the she was gone.

With a thank you lost in his throat Jason leaned back and relaxed, hoping that he could maybe fall asleep. Unfortunately for his slumber another round of knocking hit his door.

Man I'm popular. the Human thought as the door swung open. A beige male unicorn with cotton white mane and tail and a band aid as a Cutie Mark walked in and smiled.

"Good morning Mr. Jason, I'm Band Aid. Your doctor." The stallion said, walked to the side of the Human's bed.

"Now if your up to it, I would like to perform a rudimentary check-up."

Jason nodded "Sure, just do whatever."

Band Aid smiled awkwardly "Well you see that's the problem. I am not familiar with your species.... Human's was it?" He asked and Jason nodded "Right, anyway I don't know what is considered to be healthy in Human's so I'll need you to simply tell me as I go." The stallion looked hopefully at Jason "I'll perform a test and tell you the result then in turn you'll inform me wether or not it's a good thing."

Jason nodded again "Sound's good, go ahead."

  Band Aid smiled more genuinely and lifted his stethoscope via his beige-coloured magical grasp and brought it up to Jason's chest.

"Alright so assuming you have a heart, where would that be located?" Band asked as he positioned the ear buds into his ears.

"....right here." The Human said, pointing to the lower left side of his chest. The Unicorn levitated the stethoscope over and listened intently.

"Ahh there we are.... Mmmm, it's slow. Is that normal?"

"How slow?" Jason asked and Band Aid tapped the familiar beat-beat pattern on the bed frame.

The Human nodded "Yeah that's normal, I guess Pony heart beats are faster?"

  The Doctor nodded "Almost doubly so, anyway let's move on." Band Aid replaced his stethoscope with a mouth thermometer.

"Open." He commanded and placed the implement in the Human's mouth. After leaving it in there for a minute or so the Doc pulled it out and checked the red liquid.

"Mmm... ninety-eight-point-six Fahrenhoof, your very hot. Much more than the average Pony  is that normal?"

Jason shrugged "Assuming 'Fahrenhoof' is the same as 'Fahrenheit' then yeah that sounds okay."

"Good, good. Now let's move onto blood pressure." Band Aid said and he magicked over a familiar looking cuff. "Usually we do this with a spell but the Princess explained how that wouldn't work on you." Doc explained "Luckily we had a few of these around for the occasional Earth Pony who's sensitive about magic."  The beige stallion levitated the cuff over and with some directions from Jason, placed it on the Human's upper arm.

"Alright now just relax." Said Band Aid as he pressed a small crystal on the cuff and it began to apply pressure to Jason's arm "Tell me when it begins to hurt." Prompted the Doctor. Less than a minute later and Jason began to fell the pinching sensation of his bloodstream being cut off.

  "Yeah that's beginning to hurt." He said and Band Aid immediately cut the pressure with a quick tap of the crystal. After removing the cuff the Doc lifted it to his horn, light flashed between the Crystal and his horn.

  "One twelve over seventy-two, normal?" He asked and Jason struggled to remember the range of good blood pressure off his age.

  "I think so." Jason said finally "Although it's been a while since I've been taught any of this stuff."

"You were taught medical knowledge?" Band Aid asked with raised eyebrows.

"Sort of, in school Human's lean the basics of how our bodies function. Later on there are optional classes to learn even more but a base knowledge is expected."

"Wow, exactly how extensive is Human education?" Band Aid asked with interest.

"Well, at least where I lived, you were required to attend thirteen years of school with another four to five years of advanced education in college if you want a half-decent job."

"..Th-thirteen years? Celestia.... What do they teach you in all that time?" Band Aid asked, his mouth agape.

Jason opened his mouth to answer honestly, then he thought he should spice it up a little bit.

"Everything." He said solidly "From how to write a poem to inspire through the ages to the origin of the Universe itself."

Band Aid was dumfounded "Wow, Pony education seems minuscule compared to yours... Maybe a revision of the system is in order." The Doctor shook his head as if to clear it "Anyway, that's all for now. I should get to recording the readings just in case you decide to fall from the sky again." Band Aid raised an eyebrow at the Human "You aren't are you?" He said accusingly.

Jason raised his hands defensively "Hey, one time is enough for me."

  The Doctor chuckled "Yes I would think so, now do you-" the stallion was interrupted by a knock at the door and the nurse from before poked her head in.

"Sorry to interrupt Doctor but our patient here has another visitor and she was very... Insistent on seeing him."

"No bother, I just finished. But this is your last visitor Mr. Jason, you need your rest."

"Aww, come on I feel perfectly fine!" Jason protested but was shut up by Band Aid's death glare.

"I'm a Doctor, I know what's best." He said in very scary voice before blinking and smiling yet again. "Anyway, send her in. I'll just step out and leave you alone." Band Aid and the nurse disappeared out the door. It was not a minute when it slammed open again to reveal a very distraught-looking Roseluck.

"Uh... Hello." Jason said intelligently and the mare wasted no tine in sprinting to him, jumping onto the bed and hugging the Human around the chest in the way that crushed bones.

"Hgh... Good to see you to Roseluck." Jason gasped.

"I was so worried!" The flower mare exclaimed "I heard what happened and I saw all those a Ponies with cuts, bruises, and... And ohhhhh!" Roseluck squeezed Jason's oh-so-delicate ribs into oblivion.

"Ugh... Sorry... Rosy... But.... Could you let go of my ribs?" In an instant Roseluck released Jason from her embrace.

"Sorry!" She said "I'm just... Glad your okay." The mare looked away and Jason smiled warmly.

"So am I." He said and Roseluck looked back at his smiling face, her own lips tilting up in spite of herself.

"So...um, how long are you going to be here?" She asked, her eyes shifting away again.

"Probably only a few days, I wouldn't put it past a week."

"That's good, I'm glad your okay." Roseluck seemed to be extremely interested in her hooves "So uh... After your allowed to leave here do you want to... Um, get dinner sometime?" A tint of red touched the mare' scream coloured cheeks.

  Jason smiled warmly, not actually catching onto the meaning behind the request "Sure, I'd love to." And Roseluck instantly brightened visibly.

"That's great!" She exclaimed, smiling widely "Anyway, I need to go. I left Daisy and Lily in charge... Again and I need to get back there"

Roseluck smiled bashfully "I guess I'll see you soon then?" She said and the Human nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be here... Lying down... Doing nothing." Jason said in an exaggerated amount of despair in his voice that drew a giggle from Roseluck. The mare gave the Human one last tender hug before dashing out the door with her cheeks yet again tinged with red.

Once out of the hospital Roseluck breathed in a deep calming breath and smiled before trotting merrily down the street and the short distance to her flower shop. The bell tingled joyously and Roseluck called out.

"Daisy! Lily! I'm back!" Almost instantly the two sisters popped their heads out from different row.

"Rosy!" Lily exclaimed "Where in Equestria did you run off to?" the worry was clear in her sisters voice and Roseluck felt a bit guilty. When one of their customers had casually mentioned having seen the resident Human being transported with haste to the hospital, Roseluck had left with only a vague reference to where she was going and had told her sisters to watch the store.

"I'm sorry but I had to see if Jason was okay, luckily he was and he even agreed to have dinner with me some time!" The last part was said with a sort of giddiness that caused Daisy and Lily to exchanged glances.

"Uh... Roseluck." Daisy said cautiously "Me and Lily have been talking and... Maybe you shouldn't be spending so much time with Jason."

Rosy looked astonished "What? Why not?"

Lily spoke this time "W-well think about it, you hardly know anything about him. Where he comes from or why he's even in Equestria, I mean I heard that his species is very rare and one hasn't been seen in a really long time."

Roseluck's eye's lit up "That's one of the great things about him, he's so mysterious that I want to know more! And even if you forget that he's so sweet and polite in just makes you want to smile and never stop."

Lily stepped forward "But he's not even a Pony." She said in a slightly hushed voice.

"So?"

  "So, you can't... I mean Ponies shouldn't be with.. Non Ponies..." Lilly's voice trailed off at the angry look that Roseluck was giving her.

  "How could you say something like that?!" She demanded "There are a lot of Ponies who live, love, and even mate with other species!"

  "Yes but Jason is... I don't know, it's like I have this instinct that's telling me he's dangerous. Please Rosy, I only want to protect you."

  "I understand that Lil but your worrying over nothing, I... I really like Jason and I want to get to know him better. You need to just key me handle it and then ask yourself why you distrust him, is is because of who he is? or what he is?"

Lily looked down in shame and Daisy didn't look too proud either.

"Sorry." They chorused.

"It's alright." Roseluck said with a smile "Now come on, we have flowers to care for."

                                                                      ~~*~~

Dusk had fallen and Jason was lying down in his bed, unsuccessfully attempting to fall asleep. Sighing quietly the Human adjusted his position in an attempt to entice slumber but his efforts were for nothing.

Instead Jason decided to listen to the sounds of the hospital as night fell. He heard the faint coughing of a patient somewhere and occasionally muffled voices would echo down the halls, a nurse walked down the hall. Her hoofbeats quieted as to not disturb the slumbering patients.

The hoofbeats stopped outside of Jason's room and the door creaked open.

Probably just checking up on me The Human thought but he second guessed himself as the door closed again and the quiet hoofbeats approached Jason's bed.

Then a familiar yet hushed voice called out "Jason?" The Human in question sat up immediately and replied.

"Rainbow Dash?" He asked and the colourful Pegasus stepped into the moonlight that was now streaming through Jason's window. Rainbow's right wing was bandaged as well as her left foreleg but otherwise she appeared to be unharmed.

"Hey, hotshot." She said, smiling weakly. "I snuck out of my room to see you, I hand to make sure you were alright."

"I am." Jason says "But are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm a bit banged up but it's nothing I can't handle. Once the cheering began I just followed everypony else out of the cave and back to our friends." Rainbow paused "I... I wanted to say... Thanks, for being there for me. I know I wasn't exactly handling it well down there, it's just.... I've never been really comfortable underground."

Jason nodded "I understand and it's okay, I'm just glad everyone made it out okay."

Rainbow's ears perked up "Really? Everypony got out?" The Human viably flinched as he remembered some of the more gruesome deaths of the slaves.

"As far as I know, yes." Jason lied, not wanting to put the Pegasus through anything more.

"That's great! Anyway, I can't be here long. If the nurses catch me out of bed again they'll keep me in here for months."

Jason raised an eyebrow "Again?" And Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head in slight embarrassment

"Hehe... Yeah, let's just say I'm not one for hospital beds.." This drew a chuckle from Jason.

"You should probably head back then, we can talk more after we're both released." He said and Rainbow nodded, she turned to leave but a though seemed to occur to her. Rainbow Dash seemed to debate with herself for a moment before turning around again, trotting up to Jason and planting a soft kiss on his cheek. And then she was gone.

Jason touched his cheek on the spot where Rainbow Dash had kissed, suddenly he felt very tired and decided he would dwell on such things on another day. Lying back down Jason was asleep once his head hit the pillow, his dreams awaiting him with stories of victory and warnings of the future.