Today
Drip. Drip. Drip.
I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't move nor speak. Everything felt so numb and as for why, I don't really know. Was I actually dead? For real this time? Is this the afterlife? I don't even remember what happened, I don't know where I am because it looked like nowhere.
Just what happened, anyway?
Yesterday
''BRADY!'' I heard someone or rather somepony shout but it sounded muffled to my ears. I couldn't see who it was because my vision kept flashing into complete blackness, darker than the night. My chest heaved softly as my breathing got shorter and shorter. Pain ravaged through my entire body, more specifically in my lower body where I had been gutted, more internal organs clearly visible to anyone who dared looked.
Explosions rang everywhere around us, the floor vibrating along with clouds of sand and dust. I felt myself being pulled by someone, taking me further away from the metal shack I had been leaning against. Even though my vision was blurred, I could tell that the figure dragging me by my legs was Billy.
Overhead I could hear engines, soon seeing that they were vertibirds, hovering not far from directly above us. They weren't going fast, but they surely weren't all that keen on letting us go. I felt my legs drop before I heard the familiar blasts of Billy's revolver. I could see him firing at the virtibirds, having little or no effect on them no matter how many shots he fired.
The last thing I heard and saw before blacking out was Billy letting out a bloodcurdling scream as a giant-sized round was blaster through him, completely demolishing half of his body and sending blood everywhere in a thick, gooey mist.
Today
''Quick, we're losing him, get the nurse in here, now! We need more blood!'' I heard an unfamiliar voice yell as I lay on a cold surface, presumably a table. I still couldn't feel much besides pain, and I also could move my hand a little, barely being noticeable. The loss of blood from my body had left me feeling weak.
My not-so-conscious state had already began to slip and after I felt something enter my body, I felt myself calm down before I felt nothing.
Yesterday
''Help me! Applejack! Twilight!'' Rainbow screamed as she held onto me, trying to lift me up but failing miserably. Her friends stopped in their tracks and turned to face her, soon realizing that she was in direct line of fire with the vertibirds. I could only feel like a weight on their backs for being this way. Even though I said I wanted to die and pretty much am doing, Rainbow never left me. She could of left me ages ago, but she chose to stay by my side.
Even now, she stayed with me. Some part of her did still care, after all. I coughed more blood up as I let a weak and small smile appear on my lips. I felt pain run up and down the length of my arm as I weakly reached up and placed my blood-covered hand on her cheek, causing her to look down in slight surprise and sadness as I saw a tear run down her cheek and impact with my chin.
''G-G-G-Go, D-D-Da-s-s-hie...go. L-L-L-Leave me...'' I managed to say through the blood flooding my mouth and throat. She held onto me, holding me close and tight as she rubbed her cheek into my own. In moments, I felt Twilight and Applejack help her raise me so they could place me on their backs. ''You need t-t-to go...p-p-please, Rainbow...'' I said as I looked down at her tearful eyes.
''No! We're not leaving without you! You're gonna be alright, Brady, just hang on!''
More explosions sounded as explosive shells dropped from the vertibirds, creating blasts that nearly knocked the ponies off of their hooves.
''Hang on girls!'' Applejack shouted as they all began to gallop as fast as they could, nearly taking me off of their backs. I saw Twilight's horn light up with a purple glow, causing my body to tingle softly as it engulfed me and the others. I didn't see much else apart from blackness for a while before everything went white and we landed on a surface that felt like something I've never felt before. Instead of feeling like dust and grime, this surface felt plush and soft, being somewhat pleasurable, despite my condition.
Rainbow Dash laid next to me as she placed my hand in her hooves. I had fallen cold long ago, so I doubt my touch to her was all that comfortable. She was still crying and the leather armor that Moira had made for her was torn in several places and coated in blood, making it stick to her body.
I could see her tears, streaming down her cheeks as they burned her eyes, showing no signs of stopping. All I could do is look into her eyes. It was the only thing keeping me awake, just wanting her to know that I still cared, as much as she did. I just laid there, holding on, despite knowing it wasn't going to make a difference. I knew I was going to die and there was nothing that could be done to prevent that. Even if I did make it out of this somehow, I doubt we would be back the way that we were. I knew she was heartbroken and rattled, but she was probably going to want an explanation for what I did.
All I wanted was to love her again. The only thing that was meant to end love was death, and given the circumstances, it way be true. The only error with that is that me and Rainbow broke up a short while ago, so our love had already stopped. Now my death was like any other.
No matter what, I hope she'll understand everything.
Today
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The sound of a heart monitor met my ears as it echoed softly around the room I was currently occupying. I felt warm, my body feeling just about as comfortable as it's ever been. A breathing pipe had been inserted into one of my nostrils and an oxygen mask over my mouth, my lungs getting a nice supply with every breath.
Despite the pain I could still feel, though thankfully not intense, I felt at ease. I couldn't taste blood anymore, but I did notice that I had a tube connected to my arm that was pumping blood into my body. I still looked pale, yet the atmosphere around me seemed to make me relax. It was clear that I was in a hospital. I had no top or gown on, but I could feel that the trousers I had been wearing were still present. On my chest I could see fresh scars and stitches.
I turned to the side to view what else was in the room besides me, and all that I saw was a window when I looked to my left. Something was off, though. Instead of a war-torn, crime filled land, I saw grass and trees with leaves and light blue skies with birds singing as they flew around. Did I die and end up in heaven? If not, how - My thoughts were paused when I looked in the opposite direction.
I saw Rainbow Dash, laid up in another bed with a tube connected to her hoof. I could see that she wasn't wearing her leather armor anymore, letting me see the rest of her exposed body. I almost forgot how beautiful she looked without it on. In her sleep, I noticed her ear twitch, the same way it did when we slept together in my house in Megaton. I smiled at the sight.
My smile faded, however when I saw the door to the room open and five figures walked in. Rainbow's friends. I didn't move nor speak as they approached Rainbow's bedside. Fluttershy looked as though she had been crying and was currently still doing so as she leaned softly into Twilight's mane. Applejack took off her hat and placed it on the beside table, looking at her friend's sleeping form the entire time.
I had no idea what she was feeling, but her expression was hint enough. Out of all of Rainbow's friends, I took a wild guess at the fact they were pretty close. I wondered about it for a while that I barely noticed Applejack was standing next to me, watching me with glazed over green eyes.
The silence between us was only met with more silence as neither of us spoke. I started to feel uncomfortable but was thankful that a stallion in a white doctor's coat walked in. His mane was brown and his coat was yellow whilst his eyes were a shade of green-blue. His cutie mark was a heart monitor, a line with a pulse displayed on the screen. All of their attention was focused on him as they watched him look back with a clipboard floating in his magic, also the same colour as his eyes.
''Alright, everypony, I've got some bad and some good news. I'll spare the time and just tell you that the good news is that Rainbow Dash is physically okay and completely unharmed.'' He said before flicking briefly through the notes that were attached to the clipboard. He appeared to look a little anxious and the ponies caught on.
''Well?'' Twilight began with a slightly raised brow. ''What about the bad news? How bad is it?'' She asked rather cautiously.
''Rainbow Dash...she's um...she...'' The doctor mumbled, unable to get the words out. Applejack glared at him momentarily.
''Land sake's, Doc, what's wrong?'' She continued to glare.
''She's...p-p-pregnant.''
They all gasped and the pink pony and white unicorn and Fluttershy fainted. Applejack glared at me for a moment while Twilight just stood there with her mouth agape. I couldn't imagine what it felt like to be told something like that after not seeing someone for ages. I couldn't look at them, I just looked anywhere but at them.
''Rainbow's pregnant? Are ya'll sure?'' Applejack asked in hopes that she heard it wrong.
''I'm afraid so, Miss Applejack.'' He said before turning a couple pages back on his clipboard. ''We ran a diagnostic on her and found out that she was pregnant. It doesn't look like she has been for long, but we haven't really got an estimate.'' He looked over at her with a sympathetic look in his eyes. ''I'll just leave you alone to talk this one through. If I could advise you, just be careful when she wakes up, no sudden movements or anything.'' And then he left, leaving the three of us alone. Twilight weakly looked over to me, staring into my eyes. Coming over, I could practically feel her breath on my cheek.
''Do you care to explain?'' Is all she said. I turned away from her for a moment, not being able to bring myself to look her in the eye. I felt so uncomfortable at this point. I removed the oxygen mask from my face and placed it aside before I turned my neck so I was facing her again, letting out a sigh through my nostrils.
''Twilight, I need you to understand if I'm going to tell you this. Can you do that?'' To her nod, I continued. ''Me and Dash used to be together. In fact, not that long before you ended up in my world to find her, we were already broken apart. Things happened between us and never got fixed. I never meant for any of this, all I wanted was for her to be safe...'' I said as I felt tears sting my eyes. I felt as though I should leave out the more disturbing and horrid parts. Most things that have happened to Rainbow had been because of me. The only things I was unaware of was the things that happened to her in the time I had been dead for.
Twilight just stood there, watching me still, her eyes frozen in place. I felt pretty awkward at that stare she was giving me. I hardly even noticed that Applejack was watching me too, tears dripping slowly from her eyes. She had placed her Stetson hat back on and to my surprise, the others were back on their feet again, all watching me.
''B-But...what actually happened? To Rainbow, Ah mean?'' Applejack asked me cautiously. I could already tell that this wasn't going to be easy.
''She...um...she was scared...of me. She was just so traumatized when I saw her again after that time I wasn't around that...I...I...couldn't cope. I was meant to protect her and instead, all I did was betray her trust.'' Great, now I was crying. I knew that because my cheeks were becoming increasingly wet. Who knew talking could be so hard?
''Wait, hang on, you said you weren't around? What do you-''
''I was dead.'' I said pretty bluntly, answering Twilight's question for her even before she asked it. ''I died and was brought back by the Enclave - Those same people who nearly killed me and you.'' Come to think of it, I do kinda wish that I had died. ''They did something to me, tried to get me to kill Rainbow, and I nearly did.'' I wiped my eyes with my arm, removing the tears that were streaming down my face.
They didn't say anything after that. They were at a loss for words upon hearing about what happened in the time Rainbow was missing. To be perfectly and truthfully honest, I wish I wasn't here. I'd rather be back in my grave. Even if they were going to ask anything else, I doubted I'd have time to answer it because a good couple minutes or so after the empty silence began, the nurse came in, telling them that visiting hours were over. They left, leaving me and Rainbow alone once more.
I had no idea what time it was, but it was definitely getting late, my only sense of time being the view of the sun through the window. I couldn't stop looking at Rainbow. I wasn't really that used to seeing her being laid up in a hospital bed, especially after the first night it happened after the night we went to The Brass Lantern. I didn't even know how her body would react to whatever it took in and digested and when I saw her, I knew how easy it could of been for her to die.
She truly was beautiful. I feel like a really lucky guy to of been able to meet her and have her as a part of my life. I think I can fairly saw that since I've met her, many things have changed, and one of those is my heart. I know some bad parts will stay but what will never vanish is how I feel towards her. Without her armor on, I thought she looked gorgeous. How can anyone who has met her not think she was pretty? By my standards, I would call those people crazy.
I still watched her sleeping, her body still pale but moving. Her ear twitched again, earning a soft giggle from me. She rolled over in her sleep so she was facing me, her mane bedraggled and her eyes with light black bags underneath. She coughed softly before she slowly opened her eyes. They flickered a few times before she could muster up the strength to keep them from closing. I couldn't help but smile at her. She smiled back, looking partially glad.
''H-Hey.'' She whispered softly in a weak voice.
''Hey, Dashie. Glad to see you're alright.''
''Me too. You had me worried, I actually thought it was gonna be the end of you.'' She now looked worried, even as she looked at my treated wounds, the scars and stitches. The bad part about it was that I did wish it was the end of me. At least I'd be out of her life so she can get hers back on track.
''How'd you feel?''
''Like Applejack kicked me.'' Rainbow chuckled softly before going into a soft coughing fit. Something surely didn't feel right. Not all that long ago - or at least I think not that long - she was fine, running and acting like herself, but now? Something didn't seem right with her. I didn't know what, but I definitely knew something was up. I felt as though I should of said something, but I decided against it. I should just let her rest.
It put me at ease to know she was alright (well, at least I thought) and she was still in one piece. Maybe if we can get out tomorrow, I can have a chance to talk to her and work something out between us. I did still love her but I knew she didn't have the same feelings towards me anymore due to lack of trust and the fact that I was about a knife's edge in her throat when the Enclave made me hunt her down and try to capture her, dead or alive against my will.
I just hope I can get her to regain that trust for me.