//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Equestrian Life // by StapleCactus //------------------------------// How interesting, life is, when, as soon as you think you know what you want, everything changes. I awoke in a hospital. My body felt stiff, as if I hadn't moved it in years. The room was dark and silent. I lay there, waiting for someone to enter. "Did it work?" My voice was raspy. Am I home? There were voices coming from my door. With it shut, I couldn't understand a word. I wet my mouth as best as I could. "Hello?! Who's there?!" Fire assaulted my throat. The voices stopped and the door opened. No. I couldn't believe it. I hadn't gone anywhere! Panacea and a doctor hurried into my room. How is this possible? Did Twilight lie? "Dex! You're awake! Oh, it's been so long, dear." The doctor approached and checked my vitals and pupil dilation. "Marvelous. There seems to be no damage at all! Mr. Dex, with a few weeks of physical therapy, I dare say you could be released." I fought through the pain in my throat. "That's nice, but what happened? I was supposed to be home!" I coughed and Pan trotted up to give me some water. "I'm afraid I don't know that. I'll contact your guardian." The doctor spoke while Pan continued to run non-essential tests. "My what?" "Your guardian, Twilight Sparkle." Oh ho ho... This will be FUN! I get to yell at her AND she has to take care of me? "Sorry I can't stay. The doctor and I need to discuss your condition." Pan and the doctor left, but not before turning on the room's lights. Between using my hands and the bedsheets, I managed to adjust to the light. Then, I listened. ... Nothing. There were no voices anymore. The fact that I even remembered Pan's name had to mean something as well. I wanted answers now, but I was in no condition to move. Two hours later, Twilight came in. Game set! "Twilight! The hell happened?!" I spoke with anger in my voice. She visibly winced. "Dex, I'm so sorry." She said it with such a small voice, I nearly lost my edge. "Sorry? Sorry?! I don't care if you're sorry, tell me what happened!" I drank some water the nurse left me on a side table. "The spell didn't work properly. Did Celestia tell you about harmonic and chaotic magic?" "She said something about them not being compatible... So what? I thought your spell nullified that." "That's just it. Chaotic magic may be stopped or controlled, but not completely. Something happened and I don't know what." "So instead of me returning or dying, it did nothing? You didn't tell me that." "I only told you what was important! You, yourself, said that you don't understand magic so I had to make it simple!" Oh? Blaming me for not understanding an unknown? "Dex, pay attention now. What were you thinking about when I hit you with the spell?" What does that matter? "I don't see how that's relevant." "Everything's relevant, Dex! We are dealing with chaotic magic. Even the smallest detail can throw my own magic off. Now, think!" I did as she told. At first, I thought back to my panic. Then, the spell hit me. Then, blackness. I was floating in a void. What was up or down or left or... time, didn't seem to matter. Somewhere, there were two points of light. I thought about my family, the one on the right got bigger. I thought about Equestria, the left one got bigger. I had all the time I needed to decide now. Would I choose the left or the right? Could the void be lying to me? What if the one I thought of was the one I would forget? I did what I tried before back at the gardens, I felt. Did I feel more towards my family or to the ponies of Equestria? The one on the right got bigger. Which world did I feel I could make something of myself? The one on the left got bigger. Love? Left. Responsible for? Right. Hate? Right. Joy? Left. Sadness? Both. This went on for a long time. Then, I thought of the one thing that is most important. In which world would I feel happy? Light blinded me. Whatever choice I made then, it was decided. Never again would I get the chance to choose again. I chose Equestria. I came out of my trance with Twilight staring at me. There were tears in her eyes. Apparently, I had related what happened. "You chose us? Over your own world?" "I guess so." I looked around the room like I was seeing it for the first time. "I really am happy here. I will miss my family, and grieve for their loss of me, but I can see myself here." "You have made a hard choice, Dex, but I see it is one you thought long and hard to make." Princess Celestia slowly entered the room. The smile on her face felt natural now. "Have you decided what to do next?" What will I do? What WON'T I do? "Princess, I have no plan, but I do have ideas. First," I struggled off the bed and knelt, "Princess Celestia, I swear loyalty to the diarchy of Equestria. Any command, I will obey; any battle, I will join; and any peace, I will uphold." For all her wisdom and knowledge, Princess Celestia was speechless. By the time I forced myself back into the bed, she composed herself. "Dex, I misjudged you more than I thought possible. I accept your oath." She smiled. "But do not think yourself as a soldier of Equestria. You have been through much and I would not ask of you for some time. Rest now; I have duties to perform." With a quick show of magic, she blinked out of the room. There was a moment of silence before Twilight spoke up. "That was brave of you Dex. I do not think she will command you often, but now you are duty-bound to do anything she says." "I know, but it was the only way to finally gain complete trust from her." "If you think so..." Twilight looked at me nervously. "Dex, I have to know. Why were you in a hurry?" "With getting hit with your, oh so helpful, spell?" She glared at me, but nodded. "Haha, relax Twi’. I know it wasn't your fault, but I just love messing with you. Well, what do you know about comas?" It turned out that she knew quite a bit about comas; I barely had to explain anything. Basically, coma patients are believed to hear and some are recorded to have memory loss. I told her that, with Discord's magic being involved, conversations and objects were superimposed over my dream state. When I heard my family saying goodbye, I realized they were going to induce death. "But, why would your family do that?" Her ears were laid back and her voice was wavy. "My family and I had a discussion a long time back. We all agreed that if we were going to be in a vegetable-like state, or if we had no chance of waking up from a coma, that we would want to be freed." "That's horrible! There's al-" "Twilight, no. In my world, after a few months, the chances of waking up are slim. It doesn't help matters that the family of the patient is constantly charged room and board." "Oh no. Charged for something like that? I don't think I can imagine it." "It doesn't matter now. We are getting off topic here. That's what was happening and that's why I was in a hurry. I wanted to wake up before it was too late." "Right. I don't like it, but thank you for telling me." She turned away to walk about before perking up at something. "Dex, what was that you said about dreaming? Do you still think this is fake?" "I really don't know anymore, Twilight. If it was a dream, it should've been over as soon as they injected me." "Oh...Dex..." "What?" "This is real, don't doubt that any longer. I felt your connection snap in the middle of the spell. There is no way back or to communicate." Oh... well, isn't that convenient? "So what happens next?" "Now, you rest mister. It's time Twilight went home as well." Pan reentered the room. "Ugh, fine. I managed to get up and kneel before the princess, when can I leave?" Both girls giggled. "Dex, I'm going to go. Don't rush it, all right?" At my nod, Twilight departed. At least she had the decency to walk out. I spent a week in that hospital. I refused to stay after I could walk without stumbling into things. I told them I would continue my therapy on my own, where I could do what I wanted. The only place I had to go was the small room in the castle, but Celestia caught me walking the halls. "Dex! You were released already?" "Yes, princess. I was just on my way to my room." "Your room? That isn't your room anymore." What? "So I gotta find my own place now?" Shouldn't be too hard. I'm sure someone will let me stay the night. She held a hoof up to her mouth to avoid laughing. "No, my dear knight. I have a better room for you. Come with me." Knight? She led me to a room not far from her own. It had something to do with ‘keeping a close eye on the chaos I released’, she said. I wasn't too sure. "Here you are Dex. Oh, and your sword is waiting inside as well." My sword? Oh! My sword! "Thank you very much princess.Your kindness is immense." "It was my pleasure. Now, I will let you get settled in. I would like to speak with you in the throne room in two hours." I nodded to Celestia and entered my new room. It was grand. It was everything I wanted in a castle bedroom and more. There was a king sized bed with dark red oak ends and deep ruby covers facing the door. Matching end tables sat on either side of the bed with large candles set upon them. An armoire, with my sword leaning against it, was on the right and a dresser, that was longer than any had a right to be, was on the right. A massive throw rug took up most of the floor with a chandelier hanging above it. I had plenty of space to add furniture or practice. I took some time to get acquainted with everything before heading towards the throne room. Guards no longer watched my every move. Now, they nodded and went along their way. I had that change of attitude and the princess's earlier words on my brain when I finally reached those great hulking doors denoting what lay beyond. I nodded to the guards and, when the doors were opened, I was met by the sight of many ponies standing on either side of a wide red carpet. They watched as I headed down the soft cloth to Celestia and Luna's thrones. I knelt before my new leaders. "Dex, of planet Earth, on behalf of Luna and myself, I grant you citizenry of Equestria." I felt warmth spread through me; I could finally look Celestia in the eyes. They were breathtaking. "Upon your oath, heard by me and witnessed by Twilight Sparkle, I deem you a Knight of the Solar Guard." She stepped towards me and laid her horn on either side of my head. "May you serve loyally and righteously in all that you do."