I woke up to the feeling of weightlessness.
When I opened my eyes, I was floating in a black void, with a few points of light, like stars, shining at me.
Where am I? I thought.
YOU ARE IN MY REALM, CHILD.
"What the-" I started to say, but I was cut off by the voice again.
I WILL EXPLAIN IN DUE TIME. HOWEVER, THAT TIME IS NOT NOW. I DID NOT EXPECT YOU TO UNLOCK THAT POWER THIS EARLY, AND SO I MUST WARN YOU...DO NOT LOOK INTO THE FUTURE TOO OFTEN.
There was a pause. Thoughts and questions were running through my head. What's happening? Who is this guy? Where am I? What's he talking about?
I SEE THAT YOU STILL WORRY.
Suddenly, I was standing in a grassy field, with the sunrise right in front of me. There was a single apple tree to my right, and a mountain far away on my left. A man was leaning against the tree, staring right at me.
His outfit was surprising, to say the least. And just a little scary.
He was wearing black combat boots, black and white camouflage pants, a plain black t-shirt with a white symbol of a pair of scales on it and a black and white trench coat that looked like the void I was previously in that reached to his calves. On his head was a black cowboy hat with a skull on the front. He had calm greyish blue eyes, and did not seem too overly hostile.
"Um..." I mumbled, not sure of how to start this conversation.
"Mornin'," he said, still leaning on the tree.
"Good morning..." I replied, still unsure of what was going on.
He stood there for a few seconds before asking, "Well? You gonna ask me a question or not?"
I jumped, but a second later said, "Oh, right, um...Who are you?"
"I don't have a name. You can thank me for your food later," he said.
I didn't even mention food...What was he talking about?
"The gold block," he stated, like he was reading my mind.
"It's because I am."
"Wha-!" I was shocked, to say the least. But he interrupted me again before I could continue.
"I would explain it to you, but you simply don't have the time. You're about to wake up. Also, don't breathe too hard when you're right in someone's face unless they're your enemy."
"Wait! I still have questions!" I yelled, but he faded from my sight, just as the landscape did.
Blackness.
Suddenly I felt like I was laying on my back, and the smell of antiseptic and the sounds of a constant tone made themselves known to my senses. I wanted to open my eyes, but the bright lights forced me to keep my eyes closed.
"Ugh..." I groaned as I sat up. Or tried to.
I felt something pulling at my wings, keeping me from rising completely. I could feel something warm dripping from my feathers. I tried to angle myself to see what it was, but someone walked into the room.
"Who's there?" I asked, still unable to see correctly.
"Oh! Um, sorry, I, uh, have to go tell the Princesses that you're awake," the voice said. From what I could tell, the voice belonged to a girl, and she seemed extremely nervous for some reason.
"Wait!" I said.
"Yes?"
"Is there any way you could turn down the lights?"
"Oh! Right," the voice said, footsteps coming closer to me. I felt something pressed into my left hand, and dainty fingers maneuvered my thumb over a round button.
"The lights have three settings besides off, and they are currently on the brightest setting. Each press of the button will dim the lights until they turn off," the voice said. Any trace of her nervousness from before had disappeared as she explained the functions of the remote in my hand.
"I'm sorry, but you can't move the back of your bed right now, due to...due to..." the voice trailed off.
"Due to what?" I asked, confused at this sudden change of tone.
"Nothing! I just, um, have to go! I'll come back in a few minutes with the Princesses!" she said.
Still wondering just what she saw, I pressed the button for the lights two times, and tentatively opened my eyes.
I was greeted by a sterile white ceiling, since I couldn't really see in front of me, somewhat. My chest kept getting in the way.
I sighed and turned my head to the right, and saw an EKG monitor, which was the source of the constant tone. Suddenly wary, I followed the cords coming from the machine.
They were attached to me. I wasn't concerned with where they were attached to, my chest if you must know, but the fact that they were connected.
And I apparently didn't have a heart beat.
"Wha...what..." I started to say.
I would like to say I took this calmly. A few deep breaths and a logical thinking process. Perhaps the machine was malfunctioning or didn't have a good connection. Or maybe their technology wasn't compatible with my new body. Or just maybe they couldn't get through my new skin.
...
Yeah, no. What if you woke up and a machine told you that you didn't have a heart beat?
"WHAT THE-"
At the same time, in another part of the castle...
"Thank you for informing us that Celedon is awake, Nurse Bone Setter," Celestia said, nodding at the nurse. The nurse looked like she was about to say something else, but she was interrupted by an explosion that rocked the castle.
"-CK'S GOING ON?!" rang out from the medical ward.
The two sisters shared a worried glance, before they rushed off to calm Celedon down.