The mud wretched and sputtered as he wade through it, his only guide a tiny light in the distance. He hadn't a clue of who he was or why he had come back here, only that this little spark, which sometimes seemed right in front of his face, was the world (he knew it didn't make any sense).
As he pushed forward, the mud deepened, the tunnel narrowed. He knew he'd stop sinking if he stopped, but onward he marched, and just as the light seemed within reach, an invisible hand snatched it away. Something beneath the mud stirred, wrapped around his back leg, and viciously dragged him beneath the surface.
Alpenglow awoke slowly, feeling more dough than pony. He was dully surprised by the feeling underneath him of not the canyon floor, but of a comfortable bed as he looked around the small room, in which he was alone. A breeze brought his head to turn right, where the pearly towers of Canterlot gave a nurturing glance through the window.
The click of an opening door turned him back left, in time to see a charming mare wearing a nurse’s cap enter the room. She wheeled in a cart and gently closed the door behind herself, not noticing Alpenglow as she began rummaging through the contents of one of the cart's shelves. For reasons he couldn’t quite figure, he immediately felt sorry for her. The way she moved was stiff, yet rushed, and the tired frown she wore was an upsetting contrast with her pretty white coat, rosy mane, and sapphire eyes.
The mare quickly found whatever she was looking for and finally turned around, a worn out smile taking her face. "Sorry," she said, "I’ve been running around all morning. How are you feeling?"
"Like a broken toy. But still in one piece, miss, so that’s something."
"Good. You’ve been out for a while. Sleep well?"
He thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"I’m sorry. Twilight said you’ve been through a lot. Alpenglow, is it?"
He nodded. "Where is everypony?"
"They brought you in almost a day ago. I don’t know where they are this minute, but I’m sure they’ll be by sometime. I'm looking after you until then."
"Thank you, Miss…?"
"Redheart. And you’re welcome."
Alpenglow moved to slide off of bed. With surprising speed, Nurse Redheart was at his side and easing him back onto the bed.
"Oh no you don’t! I don't want you walking around until I have someone else take a look," she said, pointing to one of his back legs. "You fell from the top of a cliff, remember?"
"You say that like it’s a problem."
"Now don’t you start. I’ve already had more than enough patients today tell me there was nothing wrong with them. It’s not broken, but you’ve got to give it some time and take it easy for the next few days."
"I don’t have that long to wait."
"You don’t have a choice."
"No. I guess I never did," he said, propping himself against the headboard of the bed.
Nurse Redheart frowned as she considered him. "Hmm… you know, Twilight and her friends warned me you were a little…odd."
"Funny. Did they say anything else?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. Since it’s not every day Princess Twilight fetches me to take care of one pony in the middle of a crisis, I wanted to make sure I knew a bit about you. You know the first thing they said to me, Alpenglow?" He shrugged.
"They said you were a jerk. A hostile, ruthless pony who didn't belong here any more than that monster, Blight." She paused to fiddle with the strange beeping medical equipment by the bed. "Apparently, talking to you was like pulling teeth. I think Twilight’s exact words were ‘stodgy, obsessive, and somber.' And Pinkie? She called you a ‘Debbie Downer.’ You must have made quite the impression to make her say that."
Alpenglow looked back out the window. "I guess. I can’t say they’re far off, though."
She smiled again. "Incidentally, Twilight also said you were one of the bravest and most noble ponies she had ever met, and that you’ve been having some trouble fitting in."
He huffed. "That's putting it lightly."
Reheart sighed as she looked at Alpenglow, her face filled with that quiet, intense compassion common to all good doctors. She pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat down.
"You know, Alpenglow, I wouldn’t be a very good nurse if I couldn’t tell what ponies were feeling, or when the cause of their problems wasn’t in here…," she said, pointing to his leg. "…But up here." She pointed to his head.
"I don't follow."
"I've been around those six ponies long enough to know that they're good ponies. Yes, they need your help, but they care. Anyone in Ponyville will tell you that."
"I’m a semi-educated knight from a thousand years ago whose sworn enemy is an evil plant-pony lich." He paused and cheerlessly added, "I wasn't meant to be here. I was wrong to let the Princess involve them in this."
"Your continuing good health disagrees. I’m surprised you haven’t even bothered to ask yet. Do you know how you got here, or how you survived that fall?" Redheart walked to the cart and opened a large cabinet on the bottom. Inside were Alpenglow’s things. His armor and cape were scraps, sword snapped in half, and his helmet looking like somepony had taken a can opener to it. Finally, Redheart pulled out a barrel's worth of deflated balloons and tossed them in his lap. "Don’t ask me how, but ‘somepony’ filled your bags to the brim with these, along with a way to inflate them. They cushioned your fall when you hit the water and helped stop the rocks from crushing you outright."
"...Obviously."
"I wish I were joking. That's one of the craziest stories I’ve ever heard. But when it comes to Pinkie Pie, we in Ponyville have learned not to question these things."
"You're from Ponyville, then."
She nodded. "And I’m hoping to go back there someday."
"You will, soon."
"Is that a promise?"
"It is." Alpenglow shook his head. "I appreciate what you’re saying, Miss Redheart, but I still don’t think I belong here, with them, with all of you. This world isn't mine."
"You belong wherever you want to. You belong wherever you’re wanted." She stood up. "You’re wanted here and now."
"You’re very wise, Miss Redheart."
She smiled once more. "I try."
He returned the smile. "Yeah, so do I."
Redheart left his things draped over the chair and packed up her cart. "In that case, you keep trying."
He shrugged. "That’s really the only thing I know how to do. I’m not a brilliant doctor like you."
She playfully rolled her eyes. The gesture was considered somewhat rude when he was a colt, but for some reason, seeing ponies do it now made him smile despite himself. "Sorry to leave you, but I have to finish my rounds. It’s been even busier around here since guards from Ponyville started being sent back. Keeping that shield up has worn them so thin, they’re becoming more vulnerable to diseases. And in that camp, they spread like wildfire."
"I'm sure you handle it fine."
Nurse Redheart smiled her thanks as she opened the door and pushed the cart into the hallway. With the door halfway closed, she turned around.
"Do think about what I said, Alpenglow." The door closed behind her, and after a few moments of staring at the towers outside, the stallion took her advice by peacefully drifting to sleep.