To the moon and back

Silent Step and Mrs. Lollipop waited in the lobby, time passed and Mrs. Lollipop felt worried for Shadow and Luna, "She has been gone an aweful long while sweetie...do you think something went wrong?"

Silent frowned and scratched his head, "Well pumpkin, she's not really used her dream travel spell on a dying pony before. There is a danger to it, for her to leave their mind, she wakes them up. A conscious mind lets her leave but an unconscious one traps her inside, he needs to get up for both their sakes. I'm sure she can get the colt up and going again...it'll just take a while."

As Silent tried to comfort Mrs. Lollipop, a group of nurses walked by, they were having some idle conversation about their Nightmare night dates. One of the nurses kept to herself as the others gossiped, they passed down the intensive care corridors and headed into the record processing department but the one nurse stopped at the ICU. She took a hairpin from her head and bent it, she placed the pin into the lock and fiddled with the door knob till it turned and opened, she entered quickly and closed the door. She looked around and saw only one pony inside on a bed, she approached the bed and inspected the pony. She saw a faint blue glow on his head, she grinned and began to take off the nurse's gown. Underneath she wore a black latex, she tossed the clothes aside and sat on the pony's bed, "Looks like the bitch fell for it, so desperate to save you my love that she jumped into your mind to pull you out...too bad this is her one weakness, I really didn't want to hurt you but the bitch has to die and in so, you must too." She took out a scalpel and got close to Shadow's neck, "Rot in Tarterus Nightmare whore..."

Back inside Shadow's mind, NMM nuzzles Shadow, "Please Shadow, the others and I are waiting." She turned his head and kissed him.

Shadow blushed a bit and looked back down at his picture, "I don't see anything about you loving me...how do I know you are telling the truth?" NMM grabbed his blank picture frame and closed her eyes, Shadow began to see images flash on the frame, "These...these memories aren't mine, who's are they?"

"They are mine...they are all the times I tried to tell you I loved you and the time we spent together...I'm showing you that I love you. I do Shadow so please, come back to me..." she began to cry and Shadow closed his eyes.

"I don't want to see you cry...okay...I'll go back. I love you NMM..." his body began to glow and so did NMM's. The darkness began to brighten and the memories that once dwelled there began to appear, NMM looked at Shadow and smiled before leaving his body.

NMM reappeared in the lobby with Silent Step and Mrs. Lollipop, "I'm back, he is now awake, let's go see him in the ICU." Before turning to leave, she noticed someone in their party was missing, "Mrs. Lollipop...where is Autta?"

Mrs. Lollipop looked at the empty seat next to her and was stunned, "She was here earlier, sound asleep!" She got up and began to call out her name, "Autta! Little Autta! Where are you sweetie?!"

Silent got up, "I'm sure she probably got up to use the restrooms, you ladies go check the mare restroom and I'll check elsewhere." The mares headed down a corridor with markings for the restrooms as Silent began to head down the ICU corridor. He looked around but found it eerily silent till her heard small hoofsteps going into a room, he smiled and followed the noise into a room, "Autta, don't be running off like that- Stop right there Aurora!!" Autta stood next to Silent as he took out a sword as they watched Aurora bring a scalpel up to Shadow's neck.

"Back of old man! Get closer and they both die!" yelled Aurora, she saw Autta and paniced a bit. "Get out of here sweetie! You don't need to see this!"

Autta's eyes teared up, "W-why is mommy holding that knife close to daddy, Mr. Lollipop?"

Silent glared at Aurora, "Put the scalpel down Aurora, your daughter is watching for Goddesses sake! Your personal quarrels with the colt and Luna are not of her concern!"

Aurora gritted her teeth, "Luna has to pay! She ruined my family and is trying to replace me! They have to die!"

NMM, Mrs. Lollipop, and some of the hospital guards entered the room, "You!! Let him go or I swear to my moon I will make your life a true nightmare!" NMM's horn began to glow from her rage.

Aurora's eyes widened in surprise, she looked back at Shadow's head and saw the blue glow was gone, "Damn it...I waited too long...no matter. My daughter will hate me sooner than later, time to die Shadow!"

As she tried to slice his neck, NMM shot a magical blast at her hand, the scalpel flew up and drove itself into Aurora's shoulder. She fell back in pain as Silent and the other guards subdued her, they placed a Magic canceling ring on her horn and handcuffed her, Autta cried and NMM picked her up, "It's okay sweetie, she only has a small boo boo. She'll be fine but she will pay for what she has done to your daddy."

As they took Aurora away, Shadow began to wake up, "Hmm? Wha? ...what's going on? Where am I?" Autta, NMM, Mr. and Mrs. Lollipop quickly rushed to his side. "Hey guys...looks like I'm back...owww..."

Autta hugged her dad's arm and cried into it, "I was so scared daddy! Mommy was trying to hurt you but the princess saved you!"

Mr. and Mrs. Lollipop hugged each other as they spoke with Shadow, "Well my boy, looks like you get ta stick around us for a bit longer. Don't want ya ta miss work or your family now do ya?" said Mr. Lollipop. Shadow just looked at him skeptically, he wore Silent's uniform but he was Mr. Lollipop. He noticed Shadow staring and laughed, "Didn't think an old fart like me was Spec Ops did ya?"

Mrs. Lollipop smiled and kissed his cheek, "This old fart just refuses to quit the dang force, I swear one of these days you are gonna break your back as you snap somepony's neck." They chuckled and NMM looked at Shadow.

She approached him and lifted the blanket on him, she saw the bandages and dried blood from the attack and surgery. She began to tear up but Shadow grabbed her hand, "It's alright, I'm awake and recovering now...my love. It's over and only up hill from here."

She smiled and leaned down to kiss him, Autta covered her eyes and the old couple laughed. Autta and Mrs. Lollipop stayed for the rest of the night with Shadow as NMM and Silent left for the castle. Due to the extent of his injuries, Shadow was in the hospital for two months recovering and going through therapy. His wounds were healed quickly due to Luna making special medicinal brews for him, she wanted her beloved to be up and moving soon but Shadow really hated the taste of the brews. Autta visited him a lot with the Lollipops, Shadow didn't want her to miss school so she would leave the hospital to go to school and come back to see him. The hospital staff were surprised to see the princess come to the hospital every night, Luna would come with a basket with homemade dinner and brew while NMM would come with desserts and her diary. She allowed Shadow to read it as she felt it hard for her to say what she felt still but before she would leave she would always say, "I love you, rest my sweet prince." With that and a kiss, she would leave.

After the two months, he was allowed to return home for one month of rest before he was allowed to return to his duites at the castle, when he left the hospital, he was surprised by a large group of papparazi screaming questions at him about his and Luna's relationship. A group of guards helped escort him and Autta home, he was amazed that ponies would be so riled up about their new relationship but he knew that dating a princess would probably rustle up some jimmies. He heard about Aurora's trial and how she was sentenced to 40 years in prison for her crimes, he was saddened that she would do what she did but he shook it off as he felt she deserved it.

During his home recovery month, Autta was out at school and he laid in bed, looking at the ceiling and being bored. "So much damn recovery time...I'm gonna die of boredom, not because of these wounds!" He was about to get up but he soon felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and he laid down, "Damn it! Forgot I'm not supposed to get up quickly..."

"You are rather foolish but...I love that about you," said NMM as she walked into his room. Shadow turned to see her and his cheeks burned bright red by what his marefriend and boss was wearing, she had red lingerie bra and panties on with a garterblet. She smirked and winked at him as she walked towards his bed with a sexy swing in her hips, "All this time in bed isn't good Shadow, we have to make sure you work that body of yours and I'm here to help you do just that." Shadow couldn't look away and NMM crawled onto his bed and on top of him, "Let's get started my prince."