Soul Reaper Pony

Chapter 3: Friends?

Later that day, I wake up to see not the princesses and Twilight standing over me, but the princesses, Twilight, and five other ponies that I thought I may have seen before. My memory was foggy at the time. Probably lost too much blood in my fight, and then carrying Twilight here to Canterlot. And, to top it all off, I was hungry. If I didn’t know any better, I would say this is a *real** body. Now, how is that possible?* I thought to myself, before one of the five new mares, a pink one, started to say something.

“Oh, hello there, Mr.Hero! Thank you for saving our friend Twilight from that big, scary monster thingy in the Everfree forest. If you hadn’t used your magical fighting powers, both of you would have been goners. I mean, I know that it’s your job and all to fight these monsters, but really? Why didn’t you just do the magic crescent thingy in the first place?” she managed in one breath before another mare, this one orange, put a hoof on her muzzle so she would stop talking.

“Ah’m sorry ‘bout that sugarcube. Pinkie Pie is just being… well, Pinkie. And Ah sure do know that she din’t mean a thing ‘bout it,” She tried to explain. Of course, that didn’t stop me from developing a look of sheer horror on my face at the realization that the pink mare knew exactly what happened.

“Uh…” is all I can manage before I cough. I brought my forehoof to my muzzle, and when I was done and looked at my forehoof, I saw blood. Internal bleeding, eh? I thought, That Judchas did a number on me. Must have broken one of my ribs, and punctured one of my lungs. As I was thinking this to myself, all of the other ponies in attendance gasped as they all saw the blood.

“Ah reckon Pinkie wasn’ too far off… again,” the orange one said, first to recover and speak. Twilight, shaking her head to clear her thoughts, rushed over and tried to heal me.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. If I wasn’t there, you could have defeated the Judchas without worrying about me,” she said as she was trying as hard as she could to do what she could to help me recover. Her response to this, and as far as what she said, confirmed the other ponies suspicions about me.

“So, is he really, like, some sort of hero or something?” the light blue mare asked. She looked at Twilight, and then at the princesses and after about twenty seconds of not receiving a response, she yelled, “Helloooo! I’m trying to get some answers here!”

“Oh, yes, well, I might as well tell you girls, seeing as the secret is no longer a secret amongst those here. Luna, could you assist Twilight while I fill in her friends?” Princess Celestia looked to Princess Luna. She only nodded, and moved over to me, to assist with my recovery.

“I’m fine!” I tell both of them. I get up on my hooves, and say this, “Do you really think that wounds like these will stop me? Let me tell you, I can handle it, thank you verrryyy…” I couldn’t understand it. Why wasn’t I recovering like i normally should? I realized then that I did, in fact, have a real body. I stumbled, and fell over, which got everyponys attention. Celestia and Twilight’s friends rush over, to see if I was doing ok. The one called Pinkie Pie wasn’t present at the moment though.

“My gosh, darling, you are definitely not alright,” the white mare said, with traces of concern in her regal voice.

“Yeah, I mean, you almost collapsed buddy,” the blue one interjected.

“Uhm, I don’t think you’re ok,” the yellow one, timid, spoke softly. Nopony else heard her though, as Pinkie Pie showed up again, almost like she materialized out of thin air, and was holding what looked to be a container of makeup in her mouth.

Spitting the container out of her mouth, she said, “Hey, put this on that gash over his eye. It’ll help him heal, because it’s the same stuff from his world.” What she said astounded me, and the blue pony picked it up, opened it, put some on her hoof, and spread it on the gash above my eye. At this point though, I had enough.

“Enough!!,” I roared, making everypony rear back in shock, even the princess’. “Look I don’t know how, but I have an actual body here, and that is the reason why I’m still injured. If I wasn’t in this weak ass body, I wouldn’t be in this situation right now!” I glared at them, and the yellow pony started to tear up, and ran off.

“Well, sorry, dude, we were only trying to help a friend in need!” the blue pony yelled over her shoulder as she flew after the yellow one. Friend? They considered me, an undead killer, their friend?

‘Well, you blew it Jackass. Let’s go home now.’ Reaper told me. She knew how to get under my skin, and did it well.

“Crimson, I know it’s hard for you to adjust, but you aren’t in the Soul Society anymore. Here, we help eachother out of the kindness of our hearts, not because it is our duty. I recommend you apologize, before Rainbow Dash, the blue pony, comes in here to make you suffer for hurting Fluttershy’s feelings. She is the yellow pony.” Celestia said this calmly and walked over to her window to watch the sun as she led it over the horizon to make way for the moon.

‘I think we should just go. It’s no wonder you can’t connect.’ Reaper interjected

‘Shut the hell up. I didn’t ask you,’ was my only retort.

“I have a question,” Pinkie Pie said, now… normal? “How can you two work together and be so mean to each other?” I stared at her with shock.

‘Wait, that pink bitch can hear me?” Reaper questioned. Upon hearing this, Pinkie Pie lunged for my zanpakuto, grabbed it, and glared at it for a moment, before dropping it and returning to her original spot. ‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ was all Reaper said before descending back into my soul.

“Well, I guess I’ll apologize,” I muttered, under my breath. “Not like you ponies did anything wrong. Just took me by surprise is all.”

“Oh, that’s ok,” Fluttershy said, returning to the room. “We shouldn’t have rushed you like that.”

“Now wait a minute, why are you apologizing Fluttershy? He should be grateful that we actually care!” Rainbow Dash interjected.

“Ah do have to agree wit’ Rainbow on that one. Rarity?” The orange mare looked at the white one with a look of speculation.

“I agree as well, Applejack. What about you, Twilight?” Rarity said.

“I think he had every right to do what he did,” Twilight said without hesitation. “And before you girls disagree, I’ll tell you why. You see, Crimson Tide was originally born in Equestria, but died and went to a different world. But, that was fourteen-hundred years ago, and to him, five-hundred. As far as I’m aware, he has only had social interaction with his master, twelve “Captains” and a single messenger, all training him for this moment in his life. He never has had any real friends, nor has he had any positive interaction that would lead to friendship. In a way, he is like me, but with more pain,” she lectured her friends. I did not see Twilight coming to my rescue like that. It was heartfelt.

“My gosh, I din’t know, sugar,” Applejack said, a look of guilt on her face. I looked at everypony else, and they all looked guilty.

“No, it’s fine. I shouldn’t have yelled like that. It was rude of me… if you all really want to look after me, I guess it’s fine. I guess I can deal with the invasion of my personal space for a little while.” I said, feeling guilty, which I was something I never felt before then. It was foreign to me at the time.

“Well, darling, I should think that one or two caretakers is all that is needed,” Rarity said, continuing with, “And I believe the princesses should be good enough in this case. Come along, girls, we should get some rest. We have a train to catch in the morning.” With that, all the mares but Twilight went to leave the room. “Coming, darling?” Rarity asked her over her shoulder.

“I would like to stay with Crimson, if he is ok with it?” the last part being a question directed at me.

“Sure, why not,” I answered. Bluntly. Twilight’s eyes sparkled a bit and she looked to Princess Celestia, who had watched the entire ordeal unfold with Princess Luna at her side.

“We have chambers for Lord Crimson ready, actually. And, judging by how long he has been standing, I think we got the worst of his injuries,” Princess Celestia said. I was surprised to hear her say Lord Crimson, though. It was something only the messenger called me. “And, if I recall, the room is where you used to stay, Twilight.”

“Oh, really?” Twilight asked with an exasperated look on her face. “I thought that those rooms were occupied. Well, it will work. I know how to get there from here, Crimson. Follow me, please?”

We wandered for what seemed like hours. She didn’t say much, and I wasn’t one for talking in the first place. We reached our destination, and opening her door with magic, we entered the room. It was a fair sized room. A bed large enough for three ponies was on the far wall, to our right, and to the left, a desk.

“Well, here we are,” Twilight lightly announced. “I hope you don’t mind the mess. I didn’t clean before I left to live in Ponyville.” Mess? It looked immaculate, from what i could tell. I didn’t say anything, because I had nothing to say. I set my zanpakuto down near the desk, and head for the foot of the bed.

“What in Celestia are you doing?” Twilight asked with a curious look on her face.

“Going to sleep. On the floor. As I am used to doing,” I reply. I get another curious look from her, and with a flash of purple light. I was on the bed. “Uh, what are you doing?”

“Well, seeing as you are here, you might as well get used to sleeping in beds,” she commanded, “and I will not take no for an answer. There is plenty of space for the both of us and besides… I’m a little scared…

“So you want me to sleep in the bed with you? Doesn’t that seem a little strange?”

“Maybe, but I do not think that is the important thing here” This struck me as odd. Wait, she want’s me to sleep with her, in *her** bed? I may be dense at times, but I think she has got the hots for me, which I cannot understand, seeing as she just met me.*

*Thou dost not have to, warrior of Soul Society land. It is something called love, and if thou wishes, we would be honored to teach thou of it,* Princess Luna tells me.

*No, I think I will do just fine. Eventually, she’ll tire of me, and this will all come to past,* I tell the princess.

*Do not be sure, for we have seen Twilight’s wishes, and thou would be surprised at them as well as we were,* she finishes, leaving me with a choice to make.

“Well, if that will make you more comfortable, than I will not stop you,” I tell Twilight. She smiled, and hopped into the bed. She laid down, and invited me to do the same. So, with a heavy inward sigh, I laid down next to her, facing away. Much to my surprise, she decided to get close and hold me from behind.

“Don’t worry. Next time, I won’t be in your way,” she whispered, sleepily, into my ear. And with that, she fell asleep. I didn’t know what she meant by next time, but I did know this; although every fiber of my being screamed at me to move away from her, I held my position. I didn’t know why at the time, but it felt as though I… belonged in Twilights arms. And with that thought in my mind, I fell asleep.