Shellshock

Date: 10/2/2013

Time: 1415 Hours (4:02 pm)

Location: Ponyville General Hospital

Omnipresent POV

The doors of the hospital burst open as the EMTs caried the dark blue thestral. From there on, everything moved in a blur. The nurses and doctors quickly got Echo on a stretcher and ran him to the critical injuries ward.  Ember, Fuse and Status Breaker tried to follow him but were booted out while Echo was being prepared for surgery. In the mean time,  Specter and Shadow Fang were giving information to the staff. As the group waited to hear about their squadmate,  Fuse was shaking in anger, Specter was sharpening his daggers, and Shadow had the 1,000 yard stare. Ember remembered the black box that Echo have her. Upon opening it, tears started rolling down her cheeks again as she saw the amulet.

Word spread quickly across the town, alerting everypony of the events at Sugarcube Corner and Echo's heroic actions. Soon, everypony in Ponyville knew what he had done, and that he saved Pinkie's life.

XxX

Name: Echo

Rank: -

Date: 9/04/1993

Time: 2300 Hours (11:00 pm)

Location: Rook Isles, Silver's Savages Hangout/Recruitment Center

I can hear the music playing faintly through the rusted, beaten up, galvanized steel "walls" (term used loosely since the material was used for other things). The dimly lit room reeked of blood and alcohol.

I can't cop out now. We need the money, I tell to myself.

My legs are shaking. I can feel every set of eyes in the room watching me, judging me. I can hear the murmurs from the other members.

'Fresh meat' and 'live bait' seems to be the favorite term for the new ponies.

I walk up to the old, wooden table with hundreds of stab marks in it. A large knife protruding from the wood. The pony seated behind the table was the leader of the Savages : Silver Slash.

He was a silver bat pony with purple eyes and a black mane. He had a large scar starting at the top of his right brow, over his eye and ending somewhere at the neck. The 46 year old militia leader donned a dusty woodland camo jacket with a tan bandanna tied around his forehead.

He started at me for a good 5 minutes. His eyes boring holes through me as I stared back.

"So you think you can just drag your sorry ass in here like you own the place?" He asks in a rough tone. I know he's trying to rattle me, to shake my confidence, but I know better.

"No sir," I reply, "I only want to take care of my family."

I pack as much respect as I can into this but stood up straight and proud.

"So you think you can be a Savage huh?" His eyes scrutinized me. Practically dissecting me to see if I have any balls.

"Put you hooves on the table," he orders.

I comply. Even though I don't know what he's going to do, I have to prove myself.

As soon as I put my hooves on the table, he gave me another order.

"Look at me. Square in the eyes boy."

I do just that.

I wasn't expecting him to take the knife and stab the table between my hooves without looking. To tell ya the truth, I almost cried and pissed myself on the spot. But I just kept looking at him. Dead in the face.

"Alright, your in," he says with a hint of respect, "welcome to Silver's Savages."

At that, the whole room cheered and toasted their newest member.

I made it.

XxX

Date: 10/23/2013

Time: 1700 Hours (5:00 pm)

Location: Ponyville General Hospital

Omnipresent POV

It had been three weeks since the incident.  Echo had slipped into a coma and had yet to awake from it. Every day, the situation looked more and more hopeless.

Ember has been practically living in his room, always going to work and then returning everyday, hoping that he would wake up. She never took off the phoenix amulet he gave her before he blacked out.

The Mane 6 all came by and offered their condolences to Ember and apologies to Echo.

The members of the 1st Infantry Unit, Carbon, Pyro, Highwind, and Rift all took shifts in guarding Echo's room, ensuring that nopony tries to pull any funny business.

By the end of the 22nd day, Fuse's temper boiled over

“The boy's been like this for three weeks now!” he laid into the doctor. “Fix him! Now!”

“Please sir,” said Doctor Stable in a calm, controlled voice. “I need you to calm down. We are doing everything that we can for him."

They turned their attention to Echo. He was hooked up to life support, I.V. tubes, sensors and brainwave monitors. Ember was cuddled next to him on the bed. Tears were pouring down her face.

Fuse could hear every word as she lay next to the young bat pony, waiting for him to wake up.

“It’s all my fault,” she moaned as she cried once again, "I shouldn't have left you."

Upon hearing this, Fuse steps in.

"Hey now, don't talk like that. E's a tough kid. It'll take more then a few punks ta take him out," he reassured her as he stroked her shoulder.

"I know, it's just... He's been asleep for so long," She says as she brushed a hoof over his cheek.

What they didn't see was Echo's slowly peeked open. His head was pounding and his body felt weak.

Guh, How long was I out? Where am I? Was that Ember?

His eyes closed again.

"I'm scared Fuse. I just don't wanna lose him."

"He's a great kid. I mean we could never get through to him, but you? He must think highly of you. He never let anypony close like that."

She started to blush.

Just as she composed herself the Mane 6, the rest of the 2nd Infantry Unit and Vinyl entered the room.

“Howdy y’all,” Applejack said sincerely. “How’s tha big guy doin?”

“Don’t know. But at least he's been doing better,” sighed Fuse as Vinyl nuzzled him.

During the Echo has been in his coma, the units reconciled with the Mane 6.

“Well, that’s good I reckon,” she said reaching in her saddle bag. “Ah know that the doctor food is rather nasty, so I brought you one of Granny Smith’s world famous apple pies!” she said pulling out a warm pie out of her bag.

"Oh, I hope he wakes up soon," whispers Fluttershy.

"The doctors are doing everything they can", assures Stunner as he kisses her cheek, "He's gonna be fine."

Slowly, Echo’s eyes started to open again. It felt like fifty pound weights were tied to his eyelids. But he wanted to see he again.

Ember

Most of the voices were faded but he was able to make out who was in the room. He took a deep breath and pried his eyes open.

Fuse was the first to notice, as he bellowed at the top of his lungs before giving the young thestral a bone crushing bear hug. “E! HOLY SHIT YOU’RE OKAY!” he cried out in relief.

“Nice to see you too, sir,” Echo said weakly. “Ya know, you’re kinda crushing me.”

“Oh, sorry!” he said, quickly letting go of him.

Echo looked around him, seeing all his team and the mane 6 around him. But more importantly, Ember

It gave him a good warm feeling inside to know that so many ponies were worried about him, even if the six mares really didn’t. Shadow Fang debriefed him to get him caught up with what happened during the three weeks he was out. How he almost died, how Stunner worked on him before the ambulance came, how he was in a coma for the three weeks and how Ember never left his side.  That last one made him think.  Why would she stay by his side the whole time? It was only their first date. She couldn't have feelings for him this quickly. He quickly abandoned this thought. She probably just felt bad or something.

“So Stun saved my life huh? Guess I owe you a 6 pack.”

“Don’t sweat it man, just doing my job. We're just glad your okay,” Stunner said.

Echo's attention shifted to the Mane 6.

"What are y'all doing here. I thought you guys hated me," he said in a slightly defensive tone.

Twilight stepped forward an addressed him.

"Echo, we're so, so sorry for what we did. We should've learned from the Zecora incident that we should never judge a pony by their looks."

Echo was surprised by this. He never though, that in a million years, that anypony would accept him.

"We're super-duper sorry E", said Pinkie in a sad voice

"Indeed darling," agreed Rarity, "our behavior was rather uncouth."

"Ditto," Rainbow added in a shamed look.

"I'm really sorry about my behavior partner," added Applejack.

"Guys, it's alright. Shit happens. I get it. I just accept it and moved on." Echo said with a small smile.

His attention drifts off to Ember.

"Hey guys," Echo said as everypony looks at him.

"Do ya think me and Ember here can speak in private for a few?"

"Sure, I got you back kid", said Fuse, "Alright, y'all heard him. Let's give these two some privacy."

As everypony left the room, Echo saw Fuse shoot him a wink.

Ember and Echo just looked at each other for what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes before she broke the ice.

"Hey," she said with a small smile.

"Hey," he replied back.

"Ya know you really scared everyone," she says as she trots over to him.

"I heard. Hopefully that's the last time I would ever have to do that again," he says with a slight chuckle as her smile dropped.

"Something wrong?” he asked.

“Just remembered something I had to do.”

“What?”

The mare then punched him in the face.

"That was for scaring us!" she yelled

“I guess I deserved-” He started to say until she grabbed him by the back of the neck, and pulled him into a kiss

“That was for coming back.” She said with a smile.

His mind short circuited for a second before it caught back up with him.

He then looked back at her an asked, “So is that how you really feel about me?” he asked.

This was it. She knew this was her chance to finally tell him her true feelings. She took it.

She took a few deep breaths before telling him.

"Echo... I always had a crush on you since the day you first got here," she said in a nervous tone.

He stayed quiet. Letting her finish.

"When I heard of how other ponies treated you, I always stood up to them. Even if they just ignored me," she continues, "I've always loved you Echo."

Echo couldn't believe his ears, “What?”

“I said I love you.”

Echo's heart may have just exploded right there.  He wasn’t sure he just heard her correctly; it was so unbelievable he had to make sure. “Are…are you sure?” he gulped.

Ember crawled over him as she closed the small gap between herself and Echo. She stretched her front hooves around his neck. Her face was just a few inches away from his as she laid down over him. She batted her eyes and gave him a sexy little grin.

“Will this answer your question?” she cooed, as she closed the gap, placing a kiss on his lips.

Echo knew his heart exploded that time. A rush of passion took over his body as he kissed her back. The heart beat sensor beeping at a hundred miles an hour.

As the two lovers parted from their kiss, staring deeply into each other’s eyes. Ember's glowed as the moon reflected in them through the window. They looked at each other for what seemed like forever.

She spoke up first, breaking the silence with her gentle, love struck voice.

“Blue really is a nice color.”

Echo grinned. “You think?” he said in his playful tone, checking out his body.

“Of course, you made me see that,” she smiled, nuzzling Echo.

Slowly, the nuzzle evolved into another kiss.  This one was more passionate, as the two locked themselves in another embrace, the adrenaline coursing through their bodies. Echo felt a little push on his mouth, something wet. He gladly parted his lips as she stuck her sweet tasting tongue into his mouth. Soon, he had his tongue in her mouth. She let out a moan of pleasure as the kiss became more and more passionate. The two were so busy, they didn’t even notice the setting sun dipped below the horizon as Luna's night washed out the day.

“Most beautiful night ever,” Ember said, as she looking up to the sky through the window.

Echo smiled.

“Most beautiful mare ever.”

Ember turned her head back to her stallion. He had that sincere, heart melting smile that she loved. She dove back into his mouth as the star light up the night.

“I love you Ember,” he said between kisses.

“I love you too, Echo.”