//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Apple of Twi's Eye // by Willow Arqueiro //------------------------------// Chapter 7- Back to Reality Tension mounting yet? "Oh Macintosh, of course I will..." "Oi! Nurse! She's ah coming to!" bellowed a deep bass with worry, a pair of strong red fore hoofs gripped a smaller, lavender, hoof.  The worry in the red stallion's voice was way too obvious, not that he cared although the orange mare back in the waiting room would beg to differ.  "Don't worry, Big Macintosh. This is expected and encouraged, she should be up and about in a few days," a soft mare's voice quietly reassured the work stallion.  The lavender mare that had been laying quietly on the bed was now stirring and trying to force her eyes open.  And her eyelids felt glued shut.  It hurt to even move, pain rocketed through her temples like lightning as the unicorn mare shifted her eyelids.  She forced her eyelids to crack open and groaned in pain as blades of white light stabbed through her eyes and straight through her skull leaving a dull throbbing headache behind. But at least she could see now.  And hear.  All she could see was a giant white blur, at the moment, although a crimson smudge was right beside her.  It came to her attention that she was laying down on crisp white sheets and delicate medical machines beeps softly on the opposite of the red blob.  "Here, this should help with the drowsiness," said the gentle mare again. Twilight didn't even feel the small prick in her free fore leg as the Nurse administered the drug before the Nurse walked out to give them some privacy.  Whatever it was, it acted fast. The lavender mare's visions sharpened suddenly, enough to make the mare shake her head as she took in her surroundings again.  Small room.  Sterile white.  Medical machines.  I'm in a hospital, this hit Twilight like a freight train as her brain thought up, verified, threw away, and created more possibilities on why she was here. Her shifting eyes landed on what used to be the red blob, having her vision sharpened immediately made Big Macintosh recognizable.  Balloons floated to the ceiling and the small shelves were over flowing with flowers and cards to the point that they had started accumulating on the ground.  The sight of the strong work stallion comforted her slightly but not by much, "Where am I?" she asked first off. The stallion's slight smile wavered a tad but came back, just as comforting as before, "Ya're in Ponyville's Top Hospital. Just stay calm and relax, ya need tah heal."  Twilight closed her eyes with a content grin on her face at his answer, she laid her bed back down on the pillow.  Before her head even settled on the fluffy pillow, the eyes snapped right back open.  "Macintosh, what am I doing here." she ground the words out as she realized nopony had yet to offer a reason.  "Ya're not well, get some rest and we'll talk again soon," his smile grew a little more confident as he nodded comfortingly.  She cocked her head to the side in confusion, "Than what happened?" "Uh... Ya had an accident, yeah, that's it," Macintosh wouldn't meet her eyes.  "What. Happened." Short choppy words.  Macintosh's smile faltered, "Ya don't remember?" Now he was worried again.  "No, all I remember is us going to Canterlot, checking into the Library, barely exploring before you distracted me and then blew me away by proposing," Twilight looked down at the fore hoof Macintosh was holding, seeing the silver band, "And I believe I said yes," she said with a nod to the wedding band.  The red stallion's face paled, "Twi, that's not what happened at all..." he took a hoof away and started waving to get the Nurse's attention.  "Then what in good. Hell. Did. Happen?"  Big Macintosh wouldn't look at her as he tried to call the Nurse, he caught the glare out of the corner of his eye and looked back at her. Bluntly put, she was pissed.  "Like I said, you had an accident..." Twilight narrowed her eyes at the skirting stallion, "What day is it?" "..." "Well?" she tried prompting.  "You've been out for a few days..." he said in a small voice.  "Out, out how?" now she was panicking a bit.  "Um, Twi, you.... Uh... Were in a Coma." Silence reigned in the small room as Twilight's brain failed to compute this knowledge.  "Start. Talking." ()()()()()() ~~~ Obviously before comatose Twilight ~~~ "Sssire, we've collected ssome, interesting, reportss from the Ssscouts." "Hmm, what is it?" "We have located the Archmage, the anti detection ssshield is faltering around her." "Just the Archmage?" "Yesss, but we assssume the other Elemental Demonsss are with her." "Perfect, initiate a Phassse One, ssomething sssubtle. Hmm, make it damaging as well though." "Yesss ssire, right away." Deep within the Everfree Forest, something primal stirred Multiple primal things. ()()()()()()