For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt some sensation, other than being completely numb. A feeling of slight awareness washed through every limb of my body, before I wished that it hadn’t. Throbbing pain was all I felt now, and a small amount of pressure on my front left hoof. My back right leg felt stiff and was throbbing with pain almost as bad as my ribs, which were definitely the source of the highest amount of pain. This was not how I imagined death to be. I had imagined peace, no more pain or suffering, but I guess this was as good as it was going to get. I wonder, could I move in death? I tried to move the one hoof that had no pain, but I could not force it to budge even a millimetre. Well I guess an eternity of lying still in the dark was better than an eternal punishment. It was beginning to peeve me slightly that I was now aware of myself, but not able to move, nor even open my eyes.
Time slowly passed and the sensation coming over my body, shifted once again as I felt my muscles begin to gain some energy, as if some invisible source was supplying me with the means to move. I now began to hear things, voices to be precise, and I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. I could also hear an annoying high pitched beeping, that sounded every second or so. Where the hell was I? The voices died away now, getting further away. The pain I felt all over my body subsided slightly, but the slight pressure on my hoof remained the same. I tried once again to relieve the pressure by moving my hoof, but all I managed was a tiny twitch. To my surprise the pressure removed itself for a brief moment, before returning once more. I then took the next logical step forward and tried to find out where I was. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt as if they were glued shut. Putting a lot more effort into this attempt, a small slit of bright light appeared, and stunned my system momentarily. The slit of light continued to grow wider, but everything was extremely blurry. The pressure on my hoof immediately disappeared and the sound of hooves galloping away echoed around wherever I was. After what seemed like a huge struggle my eyes were finally open, but everything was still a complete blur. Slowly but surely my surroundings came into focus, and I laid my eyes on a pure white door and matching wall.
I still could not move, and my body was completely engulfed in a throbbing pain as my eyes scanned the room, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Hoofsteps approached the door at a rapid pace before it opened and a blue Pegasus entered, followed by an almost matching blue unicorn and brown pony with a white coat on. A little more energy now coursed through my veins and I felt myself able to move my head slightly to watch the ponies approach me. The brown one shone a bright light in my eyes which caused an instinctual blink, before he wrote something down on a clipboard he held in his hoof. I was extremely confused now as to where I was and before long the brown pony looked me dead in the eyes and began to speak.
“Can you understand me?” He spoke softly and I gave a weak nod with what little energy I could muster. He wrote something else down on the clipboard before holding his pen out in front of my eyes.
“Please follow the pen with your eyes if you can” He proceeded to move the pen from left to right and I followed it as best I could. Once again he began to write on the paper and he spoke to me again.
“Can you remember anything?” I shook my head slightly and he continued with a brief explanation, “You were severely injured fighting some changelings and apparently a griffon, you are in the Canterlot Infirmary. These two ponies brought you here.” I looked to the unicorn first who smiled at me and I couldn’t say I recognized him, before turning to the Pegasus and drawing the same conclusion.
“Do you remember your name?” The brown pony asked and, again, I shook my head, drawing concerned looks from the Pegasus and unicorn. “I only have one more check to do, can you try and speak for me please?” the pony added while taking yet more notes. “Just something simple, like hello will suffice” I opened my mouth and began to strain to make any noise at all.
“H…He..Hell..o” I managed to say quietly, my throat was as dry as a desert, and I found it difficult to even draw breath. The unicorn and Pegasus exchanged yet another slightly apprehensive look before the doctor continued in a hushed voice, alerting me that I was probably not meant to hear what he was saying.
“Well I think he will be fine, his memory should return over the next few days as there is very little sign of brain damage. You may talk to him and hopefully something will cause a spark that will make him recollect something. But it seems like you all have nothing to worry about” The Pegasus let out a relived sigh at this and she slowly walked over to the bed.
“Hey Robbie, do you remember us?” She asked me slowly giving me a sympathetic look. I shook my head and answered with a quiet “No” before she looked away dejectedly. By now my throat was burning for some source of refreshment and I managed to get my voice together to utter a single word.
“W-Water” I said with the hoarse tint to my voice giving away my need for a drink more than anything. The unicorn quickly disappeared and returned shortly, with a glass of water and a straw. The glass levitated beside my mouth and he helped position the straw between my lips as I took a large gulp.
“T-Thank you” I said after quenching my thirst and my mind returned to remembering the ponies that were taking such care to make sure I was alright. The Pegasus was the most striking to me; her mane was multi-coloured and her coat a light blue. This seemed familiar, but I had no idea of where I knew her from. The unicorn, on the other hoof, was even less familiar to me. I sighed and gave up with straining my brain too much. My head was too sore for that.
I was beginning to feel more energy fill my body, and I could now move my forelegs freely, but I left my right one where it was, as it was almost too sore to move without good cause. I had been told that; my name was Robbie, the Pegasus to my left was Rainbowdash, but she insisted that I call her Rainbow, and the unicorn was Matt, my roommate from back in Ponyville. They tried their hardest to keep conversation going, but with someone who could barely string a decent sentence together, it was a difficult task. Rainbow kept my good hoof cupped in both of hers most of the time, unless I needed it to have a drink, and Matt sat on a chair to my right mostly trying to bring up topics of conversation. I had taken the time to inspect myself in the past small while; my ribs were badly bruised and when I had asked Rainbow about them she said I had broken a few, my right rear leg was firmly in a cast and I presumed I had broken it rather badly from the size and weight of it, and finally my head and face were slightly swollen, although not too badly. Mostly just bruising left, which the doctor said would fade away in a week or two.
The stress of the day was beginning to get to me now; there was a lot to take in and my mind was exhausted from the swarm of information. My eyes grew heavy and slowly I began to drift off to sleep even though I had only just woken up a few hours prior. My mind went blank once more and all view of the hospital disappeared.
&&&&
“Please Rainbow, just do this for me. I’m not asking anything too much of you, only that you stay safe, and I will see you soon.”
“Promise me, that if things get too bad you will try and get out of here, please…”
“Now please, go.”
&&&&
I awoke with a start, my heart racing and sweat rolling down my forehead. I let out a sigh and reached over for my glass of water. What an odd dream, it almost felt real, like I had actually been there. The cyan Pegasus looking so worried, so scared. I sighed heavily once more; it was not much later than when I had fallen asleep and Rainbow had obviously drifted off for a nap in the chair beside the bed. Matt, however, was nowhere to be seen, and I found myself wondering where he had gone, slightly missing the company and also I would have liked to have told him about my dream, but I guess that would have to wait. I slumped into my pillows and I couldn’t help but notice a strange feeling that the dream had something to do with how I wound up in here. Hoofsteps in the doorway alerted me that I was no longer alone though, as Matt trotted into the room with an apple in his hoof.
“Good to see you’re awake again” He said cheerily as he trotted across the room to take a seat once again. “What’s up?” He said before taking a bite of his apple and giving me a concerned look. My confusion at the dream must have been apparent, but I didn’t mind and I casually explained my dream to him before his eyes lit up with excitement.
“You remember something?” He asked me with a little joy in his voice as he quickly roused Rainbow to tell her the news and she almost seemed ecstatic. She held my hoof once more and I couldn’t help but give a slightly weak smile. Although it was only a small snippet of a memory, I guess it seemed like a victory in their eyes. But it was not to last long as I was still tired and the sudden awakening had only been due to the dream. Once more, I fell asleep, a little happier than I had been last time.
When I awoke next it was dark. Rainbow and Matt were nowhere to be seen, and I found myself feeling rather lonely as I lay in my darkened room, unable to move. I looked around my bed and located a button to call the doctor through. I was informed by the nurse that answered the call that the doctor’s shift had ended, and asked if she could assist me with anything. I asked first for the light to be turned on, and I realised I was extremely hungry. She gave me a kind smile, and said she would return shortly with something light for me to eat. I thanked her as she left, and I couldn’t help but feel a little better that I was getting some food, and who knows maybe it would help to clear my head slightly. She returned after a small while, with a bowl of tomato soup for me to eat and she assisted me with eating it, as my hooves were still not accustomed to holding small objects, like spoons, yet.
After I was done eating, the nurse kindly cleared away the bowl and tray before returning with a book for me to read while I was awake, and I thanked her for her kindness at this awkward hour before she left me in peace. I opened the book and began my attempts to decipher the words on the first page, but before long I gave up on reading and began to feel sleepy again. I could not understand why I needed to sleep so much, but I had a feeling that it had something to do with my head injuries. So once again I drifted off to sleep and allowed myself to relax completely.
&&&&
For a brief moment I felt like I was falling, but as quickly as the sensation came, it was gone, leaving me standing in a field somewhere. Rainbow was calling me from the sky and I stretched my wings to go and fly beside her, and surprisingly felt no pain as I took to the air and flew alongside her. We played some aerial games and had a lot of fun together before settling down on a cloud to watch the sunset. She curled into me, and I wrapped my foreleg around her as we sat for a while enjoying the company. It felt right being with her like this and then as quickly as all of this happened, I was falling again; Rainbow now becoming a distant and beautiful speck as I fell into the void of darkness that was now engulfing me.
&&&&
My eyes slowly opened, and I was greeted by bright sunshine beaming through the windows of the hospital room which I now occupied. I had half expected to see Rainbow and Matt waiting patiently for me to wake up, but then I realised it was probably too early for them to come around. Slowly, I propped myself up and stretched slightly, before a twinge of pain from my ribs reminded me that it wasn’t a very good idea. I let out a few swears under my breath and quickly gulped down some of the juice that had been placed on the bedside table last night before I noticed the doctor enter the room.
“Well good morning Robbie, how are you feeling today?” He asked me while glancing at his clipboard.
“A little confused, apparently I remembered something, and I think I may have remembered something else” I replied, still slightly groggy from just waking. He seemed pleased and asked what I had remembered and I told him all about the dream from yesterday, and explained my dream from which I had just awoken. He casually replied that I would probably be best speaking to Rainbow herself about that certain dream before telling me he would check back in later and continuing with his rounds. I sighed and prepared myself for a boring day in bed. Soon enough, a nurse appeared with some breakfast for me, and after eating my mood seemed to have improved. Rainbow showed up at about nine, but Matt had other things to attend to so it looked like it was just me and her today.
“Hey Rainbow,” I said after a short while of chat, causing her to look over. “I had a dream about you last night, but I’m not sure if it was a memory.” Her eyes lit up slightly at this remark and moved her chair closer to the bed in anticipation. I explained the dream to her, making sure to include all of the details.
“Well, actually that is a memory,” She said after I had explained everything, “I gave you flying lessons one day, and we were beginning to become quite… close at that point, and after we were done flying for the day we curled up on a cloud and watched the sunset together.” She looked almost giddy, I was beginning to remember things and she was obviously ecstatic at this. I decided that even though I couldn’t remember much, to begin to ask Rainbow some questions to fill in the blanks in my mind. She seemed more than happy to provide answers, and before long she took my hoof in hers, and I began to ask about my injuries. I couldn’t help but feel a little spark of electricity jolt from my hoof, through my body, and I began to feel as if this was almost right, that she was here beside me for a reason. I pushed this thought aside for the time being and we kept discussing my life in Ponyville, and how I had met her. The conversation eventually reached the first day we had truly spent together as my lunch arrived, and Rainbow offered to help me to eat and free up the nurse to go about her other duties.
The lunch was filling and I was less than impressed with the quality of the food, but then again, I couldn’t complain as it was for my own good that I ate. The nurse promptly returned to clear away the dishes and the conversation once again turned back to filling in the blanks. We had a few laughs at the events back in Ponyville that had led up to our relationship, and I was beginning to form cloudy memories from where there had once been nothing. Slowly but surely I was beginning to remember this mare that sat beside my bed, and my roommate Matt. But the conversation finally reached the gala. It was tough watching the cyan mare tearfully explain what had happened that night which led up to me being here. I was beginning to understand now, and I also understood why I had made that decision. I could almost remember everything that had gone through my head at the moment the decision was made. I had needed to make sure her and her friends got away safely, and I had left Matt in charge of that, a promise which he had obviously up kept.
The unicorn in question walked through the door at that moment, accompanied by a purple unicorn who I could now remember as Twilight Sparkle, Matt’s boss and marefriend. I greeted them both as they drew up chairs to have a chat, and I asked them to expand on what Rainbow had been telling me. Her hoof still encased mine as Matt slowly began to explain my work and the couple of days before Rainbow and I had met, and I was cheered up massively hearing of our dinners with Ditzy and the little walks around town we had taken. He also went into more detail surrounding the night where I had made the decision to keep my friends and marefriend safe. I was reminded of the brief moment, trapped in the dusty old house, where I had asked my best friend and roommate to keep them all safe. I could see his face now, one of disbelief and understanding at the same time. The cyan Pegasus had cried out in such horror, begging me to leave with her, but I hadn’t taken any notice. My mind had been set and I wasn’t going to endanger them, one pony hurt was better than all of them. My memory was definitely returning now, and the last few moments of consciousness flashed before my eyes.
“I.. can remember what happened after you all fled now.” I said in a shaky voice, the image of the fierce fight now darting before my eyes. “I charged, straight at the small amount of changelings able to fit through the doorway, before I collided with the first. I began to swing my hooves like a madpony, knocking a few more down, before I finally took a hit. It was a heavy one, from my right, It knocked me off my hooves. There was then a loud crash” I explained tearing up slightly from what came next. Looking around the group, the expressions were a mixture of horror and curiosity.
“I heard Rainbow scream through, begging to be let go of and I couldn’t let anything happen to her” I continued with tears now brimming my eyes while I exchanged a look with the cyan mare. “The cries were the motivation I needed to climb to my hooves and I decided the best way to improve my odds, was to take on the griffon before trying to fend off the changelings. It was to no avail though. The griffon grabbed me by my back leg and threw me to the floor, which I guess explains the broken leg.” It was now a battle keeping tears from flowing from my eyes, but one which I inevitably lost as the first of many began to meander its way down my cheek.
“I couldn’t stand after that, I just lay there in agony, flailing my hooves trying to defend myself while the swarm descended upon me. The last thing I remember is a hoof making contact with my head, and then it’s all blank.” My unrestrained eyes had now opened the floodgates, as I could no longer hold back the worst of my tears and I broke down. I felt Rainbow’s hoof squeeze mine ever so slightly tighter and with that, I managed to compose myself a little more. The events of the day had tired me out slightly, and I definitely needed a nap before dinner now. Rainbow told me to go ahead and that she would be there when I woke up. So with the reassurance of seeing Rainbow once more, I closed my eyes and drifted away to sleep.
&&&&
This dream was different, I found myself unable to move, almost unable to breathe. The changeling swarm was now pounding on me, hooves colliding with flesh and bone. I was silently begging for them to stop, silently screaming in pain but found myself unable to utter a single gasp or cry for help. A deafening boom from somewhere close by brought an end to my suffering quickly though, and all I could feel was the relief from having to no longer deal with any of this pain. My breathing became laboured as I lay in the dust, trying to keep myself conscious and alive, if only for Rainbow, but it was futile. A black shroud came over me and I slowly began to pass out.
“Rainbow!” The voice was familiar, almost comforting, although I couldn’t quite place a hoof on who’s voice it was.
“He’s alive! Rainbow get through here now!” The voice called out again, this time to be answered with the sound of hurried hooves. I felt the cold ground disappear from under me, and it was replaced with the warmth of a pony. He took off galloping through the streets, avoiding debris and ruins in the wake of the assault. Managing to open my eye slightly, I could see the blue unicorn was exhausted, but kept galloping all the same. A loose piece of debris then came into contact with his head knocking him down, and once again I was greeted with the cold floor and a fresh pain as I landed heavily on the street. I watched through blurry eyes, as the unicorn tried to stand and failed, but it didn’t slow him down one bit. Grabbing my hoof he began to drag me towards the large building in the distance. The pain was excruciating, but it was over quickly as I slowly passed out once more.
&&&&
I awoke with a start, and promptly gasped in pain as my ribs cried out in rebellion against sitting up so quickly. I lay down and laid a hoof on my ribs, as if that would soothe them slightly. Rainbow was by my side almost immediately, and was frantically asking what was wrong. I decided not to tell her about my dream, this time it was one for Matt to hear. Rainbow and Twilight were more than happy to leave us alone for a little while so I could speak to him and I thanked them as they left to get some food. I explained the dream that I had, and didn’t wait for him to clarify that it was a memory because I already knew that it was.
“You carried me here, even though you were exhausted and injured. I really do owe you one Matt, Thank you” I managed to say, earning a smile from Matt which I could tell meant “Don’t worry about it” but I felt more gratitude was in order, after all, he had saved my life. After what had seemed like an eternity of thanking him, he finally stopped being modest and accepted my thanks and I felt a little better knowing that he knew how grateful I was. It wasn’t long until Twilight and Rainbow returned and my mood had increased dramatically since the morning. The rest of the day was spent talking and although my memory wasn’t fully recovered, I felt like I knew these ponies again, and that was a start at least.
Visiting hours drew to a close almost too soon, and the three had to depart. Twilight and Matt had plans for tomorrow so I said I would see them soon, and they took their leave. Rainbow hung around for an extra few moments, and she tenderly, avoiding putting pressure on my ribs, hugged me goodbye, the electricity now shooting through my body once more. I was rather shocked when she pressed her lips against mine, considering my face was still slightly swollen, and I must have looked a mess. But without thinking my eyes closed and I returned the kiss, wishing that the moment would never end. As with all great moments though, it was over far too quickly. She blushed, obviously pleased that I now had some recollection of who she was, and what she meant to me. Just as she was walking out of the door I called out to her.
“Rainbow!” She turned and faced me once more, “I love you” I almost whispered bashfully. She blushed again and smiled.
“I love you too.” and with that, she departed. I felt a mixture of emotions, ranging from ecstatic happiness, to just plain excitement to get out of the hospital to spend time with her. But the doctor had informed me that I still had another couple of weeks at the least to wait before I would be allowed to leave, depending on my recovery. With the thought of getting out of hospital giving me something to look forward to, I drifted off to sleep for the night. I could feel my mind at rest, knowing that I had a lot to look forward to.