**Note: To minimize confusion, this chapter is now back to its original first person POV. **
I began to stir from my deep sleep as I heard faint muffled voices around me. Uggh… why does everypony have to waken me when I sleep? I thought as I started to waken. I didn’t bother to open my eyes but felt the desire to as I felt a familiar presence approaching me. I tried to open my eyes to see who it could be but it was no use. A few seconds later I felt something lightly rub against my cheek. A warm feeling emanated from it and I knew right at that moment who it was.
I couldn’t help but smile. But a thought came over me. Where am I? What happened? I remember trying to catch Wingsley after he fell off my back during our flight but after I fell to the ground I don’t remember anything else at all.
The voices around me became clearer. As one of them spoke, I knew it could be none other than Rainbow Dash.
“So Doc how long has he been out of his coma?” She asked. “Or better said, how long has he been sleeping?”
Doc? Coma? This didn’t make sense. Am I in a hospital? I thought. I didn’t move as I listened further.
“I’d say… eh about fifteen and a half hours.” A voice said.
“Jeez even I don’t sleep that long!” She said.
Then, I heard what sounded like wings flapping. I felt a presence above me which was most likely Rainbow Dash.
“How can you sleep that long?” She asked.
For the first time ever, I felt her being a little bit of a nuisance. Laying on my right side side made it easier as I raised my left hoof up and lightly touched what I believed was her cheek. “Because I can!” I mumbled. As expected, she jumped back.
I then heard many gasps emanating throughout the room. Using what energy I had left in my body, I slowly moved to sit up. When I did, my head began to spin like a top. After finally gaining my balance, I slowly open my eyes. The light began to hurt them so I raised a hoof to shield them. After they adjusted to the light, I was able to get a look around. It was apparent that I was in a hospital. I turned to my left and saw a heart monitor that beeped at a normal pace. I followed the wires connected to it and found they were attached to my chest. What’s going on? I thought.
Then I heard hoofsteps coming in my direction. I looked up and scanned the faces of the ponies standing on the other end of the room with a surprised look on their faces. The first faces I saw were my parents and my little brother.
“Mom,” I said, “Dad, Leo.” I continued to scan the rest of the ponies and recognized each of them: Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Big Mac. They were all there except… Fluttershy. I lower my head and feel my ears droop down. But then I feel a soft poke at my arm. I look up to see who it was. To my right was Fluttershy. At that moment, I didn’t know which to feel, happy that she’s right there right next to me or dumb for not looking to the other side of me.
For the next several moments, we just stare into each other’s eyes. I smiled and broke the silence, “Fluttershy.” I said softly. She gave a small smile as she rose one of her hooves and rested it on my cheek. Her eyes began to weld with tears as she threw her hooves around me in a tight grip. Although I was surprised on how quick she was, I returned the gesture, holding her in my arms. It was one of those moments that you never want to end. But like all good things, they have to end sometime. We parted our embrace and looked over at our audience who were all smiling. At the corner of my eye, I saw Rainbow mouthing the words ‘kiss her, kiss her, kiss her’ as she hovered above everypony. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Just then an older looking stallion wearing a white lab coat walked up to my left side.
“Well the first thing I planned on doing was to ask you if you knew who these ponies were but I think you know.” He said with a smile. I must’ve given him a confused look for he quickly added, “Oh I’m sorry, where are my manners. I’m Doctor Wingsley. I’ve been checking on you ever since you first arrived here. Might I say you are one lucky young stallion to be alive right now.” He finished off with a sense of seriousness in his voice.
I tried to speak but no words came out. I coughed and began with a cracky voice, “What…happened?”
He seemed surprised when I spoke. “You my dear boy way over exerted yourself. Your friend over there said you collapsed and your heart rate and breathing wouldn’t slow but instead increased. She rushed you here. Your heart even stopped.”
“My… heart stopped?” I asked, now able to speak more clearly.
“I’m afraid so. We tried over several minutes to get it to start beating but failed. You were technically dead for a few minutes before your heart miraculously started beating again. And ever since then, you were in a comatose state until about sixteen hours ago. You woke up but unaware of what was going. You’ve been asleep for a long time.”
I lean back on my bed as all this information sinks in. I actually died?
“I know this is a lot to take in,” Doctor Wingsley began, “but you have an amazing family and group of friends that we’re here for you the entire time.
I think for a moment. “No. They’re not friends. They’re all family.” I look in their direction and all of them are running towards me and hug me all at the same time. Many of them had tears. Even Big Mac. Of all the ponies you’d expect to see them cry, you’d think Big Mac would be the last one to be seen.
Over the next several hours, the group shared their experiences over the past week and a half. When Twilight shared her story, she was in tears throughout half of it. I couldn’t help but cry myself because somehow, I could feel all of their pain.
It wasn’t until visiting hours were over when everypony began heading home. When Pinkie Pie left, it was only my mom, my dad, Leo and Fluttershy. Then I had a thought.
“Hey guys, can I have a few minutes with Fluttershy alone please?”
“Oh of course dear.” My mother answered. She kissed my cheek and led dad and Leo out with her.
I turned over and looked at Fluttershy. The low light in the room made her eyes glow radiantly. To avoid staring, I avert my gaze to the blanket I was wrapped in. I lightly tapped it trying to find something, anything, to talk about. “Soo… we’re finally alone.”
She giggles. “Yeah.” I notice her blushing.
“I know this must’ve been hard on you.” I couldn’t help but feel guilty I made her go through this.
“I’m not going to lie, but it was the hardest thing I’ve been through. But I pulled through. And you did too.” She finished with a smile.
I nodded my head, not meeting her gaze. She slid her hoof into mine.
“You know something Fluttershy?” I ask.
“What?”
“When I was out, the only thing I saw was you. Before I slipped away, I looked at Rainbow and could only think of you. I didn’t know what was going to happen but I wanted you to be by my side the whole time.” I paused and took a deep breath. “I had these dreams. You were in them. No matter where I was in them, you were there next to me. When the doctor said that I died and they tried to bring me back they failed. But a few minutes later, I came back. I think it was love that brought me back. Your love kept me alive Fluttershy.” I pause for a few seconds before continuing. “There’s just one thing I know I have to say.”
“And what is that?” She asks leaning in closer.
I look straight into her eyes. “Fluttershy… I love you.” I could feel my face getting beat red.
She smiled sweetly and softly replied, “I love you too Scion.”
We both leaned closer to each other and closed our eyes. It felt like an eternity but I could feel her face getting closer. At any moment now we’re about to share our…wait, what the buck am I doing?
“Wait!” I said and sat back in my bed. The suddenness of my outburst surprised Fluttershy for her eyes were wide. “I’m sorry I just… I want to wait on it. I want it to be meaningful. And I don’t know about you but having our first kiss here in a hospital room with me hooked up to this monitor isn’t going to be the best memory to look back on.”
She giggles. “You are full of surprises. But you’re right.”
“I know.” I reply, “I try my hardest.”