The Broken One

I opened my eyes to find myself lying in my own bed with a bandage wrapped around my head. I didn’t have a shirt on so it was easy to see the burns on my chest that had been slathered with healing ointment. The sound of running water met my ears and I turned to the open door and saw steam coming out of the door. Pain shot through my body as I tried to sit up, drawing a groan of pain from me.

I heard the shower curtain open and the water turn off before hoof steps echoed from the bathroom. A dripping wet vampony popped her head out of the doorway and rushed to my side when she saw I was awake. Drops of water were flung into my face when she slid to a stop beside me.

“Are you okay”, she asked anxiously. “Can I get you anything?”

“We’re not married yet”, I smirked but grimaced when a jolt of pain raced through me.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t take care of you”, she replied as she put her front hooves on the bed.

“If you wanna take care of me then help me to the bathroom”, I groaned as I threw my legs over the edge of the bed.

She pressed up against me to support me as I shakily stepped to the bathroom. While I relieved the pressure in my bladder my fiancé ran a hot bath for me. As soon as I flushed I felt hooves helping me get undressed and I thankfully accepted her help. When I was fully nude she hopped in the tub making a little splash and stood there to help me into the tub.

I sank into the steaming water up to my neck and sighed in relief as the heat soaked into my stiff muscles. My eyes slid closed as Shadow nuzzled my neck lovingly and I groaned out loud when I heard hoof steps in my bedroom.

“Jackson, are you decent”, mom called from out of sight.

“No”, I called back. “Shadow is giving me a bath right now. What’s up?”

“I can come back later”, mom offered.

In answer I struggled out of the tub and wrapped a towel around my waist before I stepped from the bathroom. My head spun for a second and I shot out a hand to grab the doorframe. When the dizziness passed I opened my eyes and looked at my mom.

“I’ll never get used to those eyes”, she muttered to herself before shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I came to tell you that the repairs to Castle Everfree were completed a few days ago and the three of you can move in as soon as your burns heal.”

“Why wait”, I asked.

I began flooding my body with healing magic but a scream of torment ripped from my lungs as fire raged in my brain. I dropped to the floor in agony and didn’t even try to stop the pained tears that flowed from my eyes.

“Jackson” Shadow cried and leapt to my side. “Help him, your Highness!”

“I can’t”, she said as tears slipped from her eyes. “I have no clue what happened to his magic!”

The pain eased up enough for me to get to my feet and limp back to the bathroom. A gasp behind me caused me to turn around. I spotted the golden trail leading from where I fell to where I stood. I looked down at myself and saw blood leaking from the burns on my chest.

“What the fuck”, I groaned.

“Oh damn”, Shadow blurt out.

“What”, I asked as I looked around the room.

“I bet Discord messed with your magic”, she said quietly. “We were gone for two months, so it’s possible.”

“Discord”, mom hissed. “That no good, filthy, treacherous snake of a bastard foal!”

“Well, guess I gotta heal the old fashioned way”, I sighed as I made my way to the tub.

Mom and Shadow followed me into the bathroom but the elder of the two ponies turned her head away as I dropped the towel and slipped into the tub. I watched my mom’s actions and mannerisms and thought of an idea. I snapped my fingers and soapy bubbles began floating up to the surface of the water to obscure my stallion parts.

“That was rather… chaotic”, mom said quietly as she eyed me.

“Well, if you’d rather stare at my twig and berries-“

“That’s quite alright”, mom interrupted quickly.

“Good”, I said tiredly. “Hey, is Cindra still in lockup?”

“She is still in protective custody, yes”, my mother said evenly.

“Would you mind sending a guard to retrieve her and bring her here”, I asked my mother.

“I’ll do it”, Shadow nodded and turned to the door.

“Thanks, babe”, I sighed as I sank lower in the tub.

“Babe”, my fiancé asked.

“Yeah”, I replied as I looked at her. “What did you need?”

“I was asking why you called me a baby”, she said in an odd tone of voice.

“I wasn’t calling you a baby”, I explained. “Babe is a term of endearment, much like sweetie, darling, sweetheart, things like that. Would it help if I called you ‘Mein liebsche’ instead?”

“That sounds vulgar”, my mother said quietly.

“I don’t know where it came from”, I laughed, “but it means ‘my love’ so yeah.”

“You can call me whatever you want”, Shadow smiled. “You’re my fiancé so you can call me fliphopper for all I care.”

She walked from the room, flicking her tail and giving me a rather nice view. My mother chuckled and shook her head at our antics. She slowly eased to the doorway and peeked out, returning with a satisfied smile.

“You have a wonderful fiancé, son”, my mom smiled. “She hasn’t left your side since you passed out.”

“I still owe Shining for that one.”

“He has been punished”, mom frowned for a moment before her smile returned. “Anyways, when can I expect grandfoals?”

“Mom, no”, I groaned. “For starters, we aren’t even married yet.”

“That can be arranged”, she grinned at me.

“I don’t think we can have foals or whatever they would be”, I replied.

“The unicorns at the college could find out”, she replied with a smaller grin.

“I’m not sure if a vampony can even get pregnant.”

“It may be possible”, she said with a small smile.

“Okay, fine”, I groaned. “Would you be willing to arrange a meeting with the unicorns?”

“I’ll contact them first thing in the morning”, mom smiled widely and turned to the door but paused with a repentant look on her face. “Jackson, I’m sorry for everything that happened.”

“It’s not your fault, mom”, I replied quietly.

“Perhaps”, she absently sighed before telling me she loved me and left the bathroom.

I sat in the still steaming water and pondered the things that had happened to me since I had arrived in Equestria. Most of it seemed like some kind of weird dream but at the same time it felt normal. The sound of my bedroom door opening drew my attention back to the real world. My fiancé led Cindra into the bathroom and jumped out of the way as the changeling squealed happily and launched herself at me with an ear splitting shriek of ‘MASTER’.

“Holy shit”, I shouted as Cindra landed on me in the tub.

“Cindra”, Shadow shouted, “you need to be careful with Jackson!”

The changeling looked at me bashfully but her eyes grew wide and she scurried to the other side of the tub when she noticed the golden tint to the water.

“Master, you’re bleeding”, she cried in alarm.

I nodded and held my arms out to her, motioning for her to come to me.

“No”, she uttered shaking her head. “I made you bleed, master.”

“No you didn’t”, I sighed and reached over to pull her to me. “I did that.”

“But you’re hurt”, she argued as she slowly allowed herself to be pulled against my chest.

Her ears drooped against her head in contentment as her eyes slowly slid closed. I stroked the back of her neck and leaned back against the edge of the tub, closing my own eyes. Sloshing water let me know Shadow had joined us, and this fact was validated by a vampony body pressed against my ribs.

Time passed slowly as Cindra’s breathing slowed and my own cognitive functions were dulled by the hot water. Before long I began to doze off as well.

“Jackson”, Shadow eventually shouted, rousing me from my nap.

I jolted and looked around the bathroom. My vision cleared as I saw Shadow dunk her head under water. She popped back up seconds later holding a sputtering and coughing Cindra. The two mares glared at me for a second before first Cindra then Shadow starts to giggle.

“Trying to be a seahorse”, Shadow asked as she nudged the changeling. “It works better when you transform."

Whatever reply Cindra was about to make was cut off by the sharp crack of teleportation. I turned toward the sound and barely caught a scroll of parchment before it fell in the tub. I cocked an eyebrow as I broke the dark blue wax seal.

Prince Jackson,
We have an urgent matter we must discuss with you. Please come to our chambers at your earliest convenience.
Princess Luna.

I glanced at the two mares as they splashed each other playfully. Another piece of parchment popped out of thin air and fluttered to the floor.

Come alone.

“Well, fuck.”