Love and War

Chapter 7

Hospital 9:00am

I slowly opened my eyes and was met with a searing brightness.  I quickly shut my eyes again. I then started to slowly open them, letting my eyes adjust to the bright light.  After a few minutes, I had my eyes fully open and could clearly see around the room.  After quickly looking around the room, I noticed that Celestia was nowhere to be seen.  I tried to sit up and felt a rush of pain in my side.  Though the pain was intense, I managed to sit up all the way and prop my back against the headboard of the bed. With my right hoof, I pulled off the covers to examine the extent of my wounds.  I was met with the sight of slightly bloody bandages wrapped around my body.  I stared at the bandages for a few minutes, my mind recalling the events that let to my injuries.  Then, looking towards the door, I attempted to step out of bed.

“All right.  You can do this Thorn.  This is nothing compared to what you have been through,” I said, moving slowly towards the edge of the bed.  After I placed my left hoof on the ground I began to follow suit with my right hoof, but felt myself starting to fall.  I hit the ground with tremendous force, knocking the wind out of me.  I also had a severe pain erupting through my entire body.

“God damn it. Fuck,” I yelled, as the door instantly opened and a nurse stood in front of me?

“Oh my goodness.  Sir, are you all right?” she asked, running towards me and offering assistance.  She helped me up with her hoof and attempted to help me back into bed.  After standing up though, I tried to move towards the door but was quickly stopped.

“Sir I'm sorry, but you must get back to bed.  You need to rest,” She gently said.  I looked at her and put on a small smile.

“I'm good.  I’ve had much worst,” I said, hobbling towards the door.  The nurse stood in place, shocked that I would respond in such a way.

“But sir, you need your rest,” She exclaimed, as I stopped moving and turned towards her.

“I will rest when I'm dead.  In the meantime, I have other things I must attend too,” I said, walking out the door and down the hallway of the hospital.

An hour Later

“I finally... made it...” I said, exhausted from the long walk around the castle.  I started to pant as I forced open the door.  A moment later I began to walk through the partially empty mess hall and slowly made my way towards the food.  While walking through the area, I noticed that the ponies that occupied the mess hall stared at me without uttering a sound.  I continued to slowly and painfully make my way towards the food until I reached the counter that held all the different foods for the guards.  I reached up for a plate, but quickly retreated my hoof, a severe shock of pain filling my body.

“Haha, how about a little help there,” I heard a familiar voice ask.  As I turned my head, I noticed that my friend Frost was standing next to me, a smile plastered on his face.  I let out a few weak chuckles before nodding my head.  Frost slowly grabbed an assortment of food and piled the plate as high as it could be.  We then headed for a table near the back of the mess hall.  As I sat down, I saw the plate of food slide in front of me with Frost sitting across the table.  I took a fresh muffin that was on top of the pile of food and quickly ate it.

“You have no idea, how wonderful this tastes.” I said, shoving the rest of the muffin into my mouth.  Frost let out a hearty chuckle and soon recomposed himself.

“Glad to hear it.  So anyway, care to tell me what’s been going on?” he asked.  I looked up from my plate of food with a look of confusion on my face.  After swallowing the food I had in my mouth, I responded.

“What do you mean, what’s been going on with me?” I asked, while Frost’s attitude somewhat changed.  He was now slightly annoyed but smiled anyway.

“I mean, what is up with you and Celestia?” he asked more forcibly, but before I could answer I started to choke on a piece of bread I was eating.  I started to cough and after a few seconds, managed to get the bread all the way down to my stomach.

“Don’t do that Frost.  Making me choke while I'm recovering.  My side hurts like a bitch now,” I said, rubbing my side, trying to sooth it from the force of the coughing I just did.  Frost smiled again.

“You never answered my question Thorn.  What’s up with you and Celestia?” he asked again.  I stared at him for a few moments before shaking my head.

“I... I don’t know what you are talking about Frost,” I nervously said, trying to sound as innocent as I could.  This only caused a smirk to appear across Frost’s face.

“Now don’t give me any of that Thorn.  I saw how the Princess reacted to your injuries.  She was balling her eyes out like she was watching somepony she loved get tortured to death,” Frost said, a small blush with a shocked expression adorned my face.

“That’s what I thought,” He said, taking a sip of his cider that he had gotten.  He then licked his lips and sighed in relief, the beverage refreshing him.

“That’s some really good cider,” He said, before locking eyes with me again.

“Anyway, where were we?  Ah yes, the princess.  So tell me Thorn, are you and the Princess, a thing?” he asked.  My face burst crimson red while Frost laughed at my reaction.

“Haha, just as I thought.  You and Celestia are a thing.  I knew it,” He said, prideful and full of mirth.  I quickly shot a hoof to his mouth, but regretted it as pain, once again, filtered throughout my entire body, causing me to flinch and release.

“Don’t say that aloud Frost,” I scolded him, still in pain from my previous movements.  I looked around the room and noticed that nopony had overheard us.  I let out a sigh of relief before turning back to Frost.

“Ok Frost.  Listen closely, because I'm not going to repeat myself.  Yes, I'm dating Celestia.  Yes her sister already knows.  No, I'm not sure if the other guards know.  Yes, they made an exception to the rule.  And finally, no, you cannot tell anypony else.  When the time comes, I will tell them or the Princesses will.” I finished my spiel and looked up at a smiling Frost.

“I promise I wont tell anypony,” He said, laughing to himself.

“Good, now help me eat some of this food you fat ass.  I don’t want to become fat like you,” I remarked as Frost just laughed more before taking a piece of bread in his hoof and eating it.

Six Hours Later

I come around a corner and began to walk straight down the long corridor.  My pace was slow, due to my injuries, but I kept going.  After a few minutes walk, I reached a large red oak door with spiral designs on it.  I smiled to myself as I gave the door a few knocks.  A minute or so passed without a sound from the other side.  I knocked on the door a few more times.

“I'm sorry, but please come back later.  I am very busy at the moment.” I could hear Celestia call from the other side of the door.  I laughed to myself and knocked on the door again.

“Please come back later, I am very busy.” A slightly more agitated Celestia announced from behind the door.  I laughed again and knocked one more time.  I then heard the sound of heavy hoofsteps coming towards the door.  The door swung open a few seconds later to reveal an annoyed Celestia.

“I said, please...” she paused, looking at me and then grew silent.  I smiled to her and gave a small bow.  I lifted my head to notice that Celestia was still standing in silence, staring at me.  I smiled and began to speak.

“Hello Princess.  I have a delivery for a very special somepony,” I said, looking at Celestia at eye level.

“Th... Thorn... You should be in the hospital... resting,” Celestia remarked.  I continued to smile and began to levitate a red rose that I gently placed behind Celestia’s right ear.  She stared at me and then at the rose behind her ear before blushing a crimson red.  I laughed for a short time, making a rather cheesy comment.

“Your face is now as red as that rose.  Though you were always more beautiful in my opinion,” I said, grinning at my own cheesy comment.  Celestia stuck her head out into the corridor I was in and noticed that nopony was there.  She then smiled devilishly as I felt myself being levitated into the room.

“Whoa,” I said before Celestia closed the door behind me.  She set me gently down on a full body pillow she had been lying on.  As I looked around, I noticed that there was an open book in front of it.

“Hmm, she must have been reading,” I thought to myself, but was interrupted by Celestia rubbing her face against mine.  I turned slightly red in the face and looked at Celestia, who had a caring look in her eyes.  She gently planted a kiss on my lips, and I returned her passion.  After a minute we released as she lay down next to me.  I let out a slight yawn as Celestia began to read her book again.  I gently placed my head on the pillow and closed my eyes.  Celestia averted her eyes from the book and stared at me for a minute or so.  She leaned down and kissed my forehead, before whispering something into my ear.

“I love you Thorn,” She softly spoke, sending shivers down my spine.  Though this was slightly painful, I smiled and whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

“I love you too Celestia,” I warmly spoke as I started to feel sleep take over me.  With one final sigh, I fell into a deep sleep, lying next to mare I loved with a smile on my face.