//------------------------------// // Revival (13) // Story: Summoned // by BlackWing //------------------------------// Revival Alex took a massive gulp of air. His lungs burned, giving slight relief as the oxygen he craved filled his body. Another gasp, desperately taking massive, and very quick, breaths, trying to get as much oxygen in his system as possible. It was difficult. Then he found out why. A white sheet was covering him. He also found that he wasn't in his bed anymore, he was in some kind of coffin with the top left open. There were flowers all around his half casket, incense burning, and a small indoor pond with waterfall to one side. After he had finally calmed down a bit, he noticed that he was emaciated from not being able to eat well for the past week. His red and purple splotches had faded greatly. He was also wearing what he called his 'Edgeworth suit'. Apparently, hearing about human funeral customs, they put him in formal attire and set a beautiful scene behind him. "Am I, dead?" He felt himself to find that he was very much alive. He was in his summoning room, which had been turned into a funeral room. The circle was still on the floor. They had probably left it there as a memorial. Stumbling as he got out of his coffin, he fell to the floor and coughed a bit. He was still sick, but he had somehow gotten better. During that time, they must have thought he was dead and were set to bury him. "I, need to find somepony. Need to. Help get." He murmured to himself. He crawled to the door, only to have it knock him over as it opened. Celestia and Luna had entered. "It's time for the burial sister." Luna cooed. "He was my first real friend since Starswirl. The others, they're my friends, but they're also my subjects, and I their princess. They'll never be able to get close to me, never be able to be on equal terms. He's the only one who never feared me. He appreciated me for who I am, not just because I'm royalty." Celestia sobbed. "I'd appreciate it a whole lot more if you'd stop talking about me like I'm dead, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd call the doctor." Alex managed to choke out from behind the door. Celestia and Luna went wide eyed when they realized his casket was empty. The carefully moved the door to find that he was sitting behind it, clutching his stomach in pain, but wearing a stupid grin that just about cut his face in half. Immediately, the sun princess dove at him and put her head over her his shoulder. "Alex!" She wept. "You were dead for two days! I......." She trailed off. "I know, *cough* I know, Woona, get's da docta pwease?" At this point, Luna had just been stunned. Alex giving her the 'cute talk' like a foal stumbling over their words snapped her out of it, followed by her teleporting out of the room, then back in with two doctors and four nurses. She did so in about 10 seconds, not explaining anything to them at all. Their jaws literally hit the floors to see Alex not well, but very much alive, and being embraced by Celestia. It took them about a minute or so before they snapped out of it, and another to pry the princess off of him to bring him to his room, which still held the equipment they had been using to sustain him. Machines hummed to life as the heart monitor began to bleep once more with the slightly unsteady rhythm of his pulse. "Alex, I, you were dead. I thought you were gone forever!" Celestia cried. "Nah, you couldn't get rid of me that easily. I heard you all, you know. You and Serenity crying at my bedside, all the others. And Blueblood. He's part of the guard now right?" Alex asked. Celestia just nodded. "Good, I guess when I get better, I'll have to....... help Griswold with the new recruits." "You won't..... um..." Luna looked a little worried. "Kill him? No. Although if he dies from a heart attack, that will hardly be my fault. Oh! Please don't tell him I'm alive, I wanna see the look on his face!" Alex chuckled. One Week Later "Well, this is quite miraculous. We've gotten the tests back, and I have to say, the results are extraordinary!" Fiddle Stick rambled in his usual tone when he was interested in something. "So, not that I'm complaining, but, why aren't I dead?" Alex asked. "Well we're not entirely sure, but given the results, I can say in all likeness that a certain dragon saved your life." The scholar mused. "Out with it Fiddle, just because I'm immortal does not mean I have time to waste." Luna spat. "Oh, of course your highness, silly me. Ah yes, Spike, young Twilight's assistant. Well you see, you had slowly began to bleed out due to your injuries. You needed a blood transfusion. We searched everypony present, and only two matched your blood type. The dragon Spike, and our own Prince Blueblood." The elderly pony explained. "Let me guess, old Blueblood wouldn't give me any, so the little tyke stepped up to the plate?" Alex asked. "That is correct." "Well, I'm almost glad. Knowing my luck, the prince's blood would have poisoned me." Everyone gave a laugh at that. "Although that still doesn't explain why I suddenly came back from the dead." "Well, although the prince's blood would have been a better match as you are both mammals and Spike is reptilian, the results of the test indicate that his draconic blood had an unusual beneficial reaction with your own physiology, overriding your genetic code with his own, creating a hybridization of cellular masses and a near immediate augmentation of your immune system." "Yeah, I totally understood that, but um, I don't think Luna did, you mind explaining it in layman... laypony's terms for her?" Luna scowled. "Oh come on, you know I'm joking." She smiled. It's hard to stay mad at someone who was up until recently dead. "His dragon blood took over, altering your DNA. Since dragons are naturally immune to almost all disease, a fact that we discovered after researching it more thoroughly, once your body accepted it, you almost immediately wiped all traces of the bacteria and viruses from your system. Dragons have been a topic of much inquiry, although lacking willing test subjects means that the study of this rare breed is........ non existent." "So basically, that little dragon gave me his blood, and not only did it cure me and bring me back from the dead, but I'm an artificial human dragon hybrid now? Despite being entirely human in form?" "Well, actually, the hybridization is what cured you, but yes." "Well, that's somewhat disturbing, and also AWESOME." Alex proclaimed. "I mean, in human legends, dragon teeth were used to bring the dead back to life, so it's not all that far fetched. By the way, how's Celestia been?" "Sister has, well, first she entered a depression when you became ill, then when you died, she refused to raise the sun and thus forced me to do it, and now she has become, numb. She is so filled with emotions that she does not know which one to display." Luna reported how her sister had been having mood swings. "Okay, so, number one, make Celestia happy. Number two, undying gratitude to Spike, numbers three, four, and five, Makey Celesty HAPPY! Number 6, ruin Blueblood. Then seven, eight, nine, and ten, make the wonderfully amazing princess Celestia the most happy pony in Equestria. Got my list. How long till I'm out of bed?" "Well, I'd like to run a few more tests, but you're fit as a Fiddle Stick." Fiddle Stick laughed. "Although, the fact that your DNA and cell structure has changed, you must report and physiological differences you discover." "Such as?" Alex inquired nervously. "Well, it's likely nothing, but if something does occur, you'll know it when you see it." "Great, next thing you know, I'll wake up fifty feet tall and covered in scales." After recovering some more, although this mostly being his weight and trying to walk again after a about a week in bed, he was finally able to move around freely. "Why hello there my dear Celestia, you are looking fine this morning, as every morning. How are you today?" Alex asked in a chipper mood. "Well, somepony is certainly feeling better. Not one week ago you were dead. I am well, given the circumstances." She replied. "I see, do you think I can drag you away from official business for some more enjoyable official business? You see, I am to assist in the training of your guards today. I've heard that a certain new recruit has been giving Commander Griswold trouble, and I've agreed to help..... deal.... with him." He said with a devilish grin. "Oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world, despite the fact that it's already mine." She smiled back as she walked towards a balcony overlooking the training yard. "Alright you sorry excuses for stallions, Princess Celestia is going to be overlooking our training today, and as such, I'm having the other drill sergeant come in to fix the lot of you." Griswold had learned to use adjectives other than 'maggot' and that yelling didn't really get the point across, courtesy of Alex. Everyone OTHER than Blueblood knew who he was talking about, but none of them let it slip. "Well, look what we have here. It looks like there are a few new recruits in this little herd. Oh? There's only one. He's just so fat I mistook him for two." The guards forced themselves to not laugh, while Blueblood looked at the once dead human and screamed! "Z...Z....ZOMBIE!" "No, not a zombie. If I were a zombie, I'd be trying to eat pony brains, and thus wouldn't be anywhere near you given your lack thereof." Glancing up at the balcony, Celestia stifled a giggle. She clearly heard him with her amazing alicorn senses. "How dare you! Do you know who I am?" He scoffed at the human making a mockery of him. "Indeed I do, you are the newest recruit in Celestia's day guard, which is currently under MY command. Which means that you are a worthless can of worms because I said you are!" He got right in his face. "How are you even alive? You died!" Blueblood was about to cry. "There is a saying where I'm from. One should not speak ill of the dead, lest they climb from their graves seeking venegence." At this, Blueblood fainted. He sprawled out on the ground, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. One of the guards giggled, then had a look of horror on his face at what he had done. "So, you think this is funny do you?" Alex turned to the now sweating guard, who knew how merciless the human was in his training regime. The guard gulped and shook his head no. "Well, that's too bad, because I think it's hilarious! In fact, for the next five minutes, and not a second more, all of you are hereby authorized to laugh and make a mockery of this new recruit. Starting now." What started with a few uneasy 'ha's and giggles broke in to a full out laugh. When the five minutes were up, Alex raised his hand, and the guffaw stopped immediately. "I want you all to know that should this recruit regain his former position, you are all provided job protection and amnesty from your actions here today. Also, you should all be ashamed of yourselves. Is this the face of the Canterlot day guard?" He asked, pointing a the now prone ex-prince. "From now on, you will succeed as a unit, or you will fail as a unit. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. If any of you fails to perform, then the whole group will fail. Help each other to become strong. Keep each other in line. These are the ponies you will be working with for the rest of your lives. Consider them your brothers. And for Celestia's sake, somepony pick Blueblood up, he's a damn embarrassment. The rest of you, 300 crunches. The usual 20 extra for failing like the miserable sods you are." Walking back towards Griswold, he patted the Commander on the back. "He's all yours. I don't think he'll be a problem anymore." "You know, you're scary when you get mad." The gruff pony replied. "So are you. The first time we met, if Celestia hadn't ordered me to not be afraid, I would have soiled myself. The whole not a pony thing makes it easier. I'm pretty sure they all think I'm some blood thirsty monster. Force em to be a team, then tempt them to break apart. Do they betray their squad to make things easier for themselves, or do they stick with the team? You'll know what each and every one of them are made of. I'll see you around ya grizzly bear." "Well, do you think I was too rough on him? I mean, he'll probably be a nervous wreck now." Alex cautiously asked Celestia. "I think you did what needed to be done. He kept going on about how as soon as he got his position back, he was going to fire all of them for making him go through that. Griswold is only 5 years away from retirement, he's got a family to think about. I think Blueblood was getting to even him." "Yeah, he can't really fire me now can he? Being your friend doesn't come with a paycheck or title. It doesn't need one. I'm just glad to be around to make you happy." With that, Alex leaned in and wrapped his arms around her neck, giving her a big hug. Celestia blushed furiously. "Oh my, red seems to suit you well Celly. What have I stumbled upon here?" He smiled a playful smile. Her eyes turned to pinpricks. "Oh relax will you? You know I'm joking. You really ought to lighten up. Perhaps on your day off we could go out on the town, maybe do something fun?" He suggested. "You mean, both of us, go out, into the city? Among other ponies?" She seemed nervous. "Well, yeah. I mean, the element bearers, as well as half of... Ponyville you said? Anyway, they all know about me, and I'm sure word has gotten around about you having a friend who had taken ill. There's really no reason to keep me a secret anymore. Other than that, you should probably go out on the town a bit. Only the best rulers go out among their people. Lets you connect with them easier. Who knows, you might find some more friends." Alex gave an innocent smile. Celestia had spent the past thousand years more or less confined to Canterlot castle. She needed to get back out there. "Well, I'm not so sure." "It's alright, there's no rush. I just want you to think about giving it a shot. Besides, if you've got me as arm candy, what could go wrong? Wait, they don't have tabloids in Equestria do they?" Celestia nodded. "Okay, then I understand your apprehension. LOTS could go wrong. It would be best if we weren't seen alone together. A better way to handle this would be to have Twilight and her friends come along too. Equestria already knows about their relationship to you, so having them there will make things seem ordinary. Then I'd just be an addition to the group instead of the main focus. There will still be a buzz about me, but it'll die down soon enough. If we do it that way, it'll kill a lot of rumors before they even start. I don't think it would do to have Equestria think we were dating. Unless, you know, you WANT that...." She just stood there in shock, unable to think about what to say or do next. "Why Alex, are you coming on to me?" She asked after she got her brain in order. "Nope. You really ought to get your head on straight. I think me dying did a number on your nerves. All the more reason you need to get out more. Oh, and since you brought it up, just because I'm not coming on to you doesn't mean I'd be adverse to the reverse." Alex smiled and gave a wink before heading off the meet Suds for his rounds. Celestia simply stood there, thinking about what Alex had just done. He had cleverly caused her to bring up the possibility of a relationship to save himself the awkwardness of the ordeal, letting him know her feelings without openly asking her and risking rejection. "Well played, you clever devil." She said with a smile. I told you Alex wasn't dead. Dragon blood is some crazy mojo, who knows what the magic juice would do to him? I hope he doesn't start burping fire. Then he made Blueblood soil himself, followed by some clever social engineering to make Celestia ponder her feelings about him. Is he a just a friend who she can talk to without reservation, something that she can't even do with Luna since the Nightmare Moon ordeal, or is it something more? And what of Serenity? She may or may not like him as well. Widget and Flay just find him interesting, and will not be romantic. What about Luna? She wasn't all that depressed that Alex was gone. Am I sensing a little jealously issue? Well, I'm not saying anything at this point. I just went off on a tangent to see where it leads, and I like all the opportunities that are presented by this little twist.