The Prince Of The Everfree Forest

My eyes flickered open, trying to adjust to the bright light and the white walls. My whole body felt numb and I couldn't quite muster the strength to move any part of my body.

Did I die, my memory was hazy, all I could remember was the large amount of pain I felt and the cold floor against my bleeding wounds. My head was rested on a pillow and directed upwards towards the boring white celling, so far everything was white. Maybe this was heaven...

A caramel unicorn with brown hair and spectacles slowly crept into my vision. A look of shock growing on his face as he noticed my eyes were open. He then thought it was necessary to begin shinning incredibly bright lights into my eyes.

Forget heaven, this was hell.

“Can you hear me?” he asked, his voice talking very slowly.

“No,” I replied, a frown growing on my face even though I couldn't feel it. He let out a small chuckle, as if it was a response he got a lot.

Turning to a pony out of my vision, he to fell into the void that existed outside my eyesight. “He's awake,”

A hoof touched my own. Using whatever strength I had left to tilt my head sideways I saw Twilight with her hoof over mine. She looked so tired and stressed, black rings looped around her eyes and her eyes themselves were all red and puffed up from crying. She smiled at me and I tried my best to bend my lips into a smile for her.

“Hey... how you doing?” I asked, voice weaker than I thought it was going to be. My words were nearly enough to push her over the edge into tears again.

“I'm glad your ok,” she chocked out, I must have been giving her a really hard time, being in hospital for... however long I'd been in there.

My attention turned to the others in the room surrounding my bed. Head turning to face each one weakly, I recognised them all, but I hadn't met them all yet. All of the elements of harmony were here, the cutie mark crusaders were here to on their sister's backs. All their eyes on me, all filled with sadness.

Poor little Scootaloo, she had her stomach wrapped up in bandages that covered over her wings and she looked like she wasn't doing to well. She looked happy enough sitting on Rainbow with her head resting on her's, her rainbow mane acting as a colourful cushion.

She must of noticed my worried look, “Don't worry Autumn, I alright, you saved me,” she reassured, she was a tough filly, I knew she'd live.

The doctor cleared his throat, bring all attention to him. “Might I say congratulations Prince Autumn, you're the first pony I ever treated with so damage, to be honest I wasn't expecting you to wake up at all,”

I chuckled, unlike everypony else in the room. “I'm a 2000 year old immortal alicorn doctor,  cut me some slack,”

“You may be immortal Autumn, but you're not invincible,” the unmistakeable voice of Princess Celestia commented, turning my head towards the regal voice reveal she was right next to my head, opposite Twilight and her height advantage making me have to look up to her.

“Celestia? Why are you here?”

“I came as soon as I heard you were hospitalize, you may be a alicorn Autumn, but your still one of my little ponies,” She said, her motherly nature showing. I don't know what other ponies hear when she calls us all 'My Little Ponies', but all I hear is her acting the princess of princesses.

“Don't you have a kingdom to rule?”

“Princess Luna is more than capable to rule for a while, and I'm allowed to take a break every once in a while,” she smiled down at me, a glimmer of sadness in her eyes. I turned my attention back to the doctor, who seemed eager to continue lecture me.

“Alicorn or not, this is ridiculous,” he gestured to his clipboard. “Heavily damaged wings, a few torn ligaments, shattered ribs and a fractured skull,” he read directly from the clipboard. Strange, I don't remember my wings getting hit at all.

“Well, that's not so bad...” I sheepishly smiled, to the doctor annoyance.

“I haven't even began to list the injuries from your manticore fight,” he deadpanned. I felt everypony in the room flinch. I bit my lip in embarrassment.

“What's wrong with my wings?” I mumbled, sitting up and looked over my shoulder to see the two of them in heavy casts.

“You have a impressive ability to hurt yourself, your wings appeared fine on the outside however the bones on the inside were crumpled and deformed, probably due to never receiving treatment from an earlier injury,” I began thinking back to when my wings were hurt, the only time my wings were really hurt was when I was first into the forest.

I opened my mouth to talk, but was interrupted by Twilight, “We can probably sit here all day talking about Autumn's injuries-” she frowned a disappointed look at me, “-but how long will it take for him to get better?”

“Well... I don't know for sure, he will be in and out of surgery for many weeks at least, then he will have to go through physiotherapy so he can walk and fly again,” he reported. “And that's just the physical damage, his biology will have to be brought back from the lack of any nutrition or a stable diet, he won't be able to leave the bed and any permanent damage won't be visible until the day his ready to walk,”

Everypony looked down at their hooves, each holding onto a piece of guilt. “I'll leave you now... call me if you need anything,” the doctor dismissed himself. Everypony looked down in silence, slowly going over their guilt in their minds.

“It all ma fault!” Apple Bloom cried, breaking the silence with her frustrated and guilty tears.

“What makes you think it's your fault?” I attempted to move closer, but she was by the foot of the bed, too far from my reach.

“You warned us, you told us the forest was dangerous but I didn't listen, you only got hurt cus you were protectin' us,” she confessed, Applejack took her off her back and began to comfort her with a hug, which Bloom rejected and struggled against. “Those stupid buckets!”

“Hey, its ok, we're all fine now...” I reassured, she wasn't having any of it.

“No it's not all fine, you're in hospital and Scoots is hurt to!” she gestured to the orange filly, who tried to hide away from all the eyes that fell on her, especially mine.

“No... I'm alright, don't worry about me Autumn,” she assured, making me more curious. I shrugged it off, no point in pushing her, if something was bad then she'd tell me, right?

“Don't blame yourself Bloom, you heard the doctor, I was broken before my mantiacore fight so if anything you did me a favour!” I exclaimed, giving her a small smile.

“I...guess your right,” Bloom said, I knew she wouldn't be able to overcome the sense of guilt, but she would feel better when I get moving again.

A bell rung throughout the hospital, stopping as quickly as it came. Most of the ponies surrounding me knew what that bell meant, but a nurse poked her head through the door to explain it to the rest of us. “Visiting hours are over I'm afraid,”

Ponies gave their farewells and filled out the door, the nurse recommending me to get some rest. As I rested my head back into the pillow, a golden glow enveloped the quilt and began tucking me in. Celestia had stayed seated in her chair, watching over me with her benevolent gaze.

“Princess, I think you have to leave to, hospital's locking up for the night,” I informed, she smiled down at me.

“I have a special arrangement with Doctor Stable, I'm allowed to stay here and keep you company,”

“Stay here, for how long?”

“Until you get better... now rest,”

*****

Time pasted rather quickly, I was under aesthetic for most of the time. Rushing in and out the surgery at least once a week to set my bones back or anything else they needed to do. Celestia stayed there, each time I woke up she would be there. For the first few times I thought she was be gone, to go back to Canterlot and rule over Equestria again. She never did, occasional reading or writing a scroll from Luna or somepony else, but never gone.

Other ponies visited to, Twilight came every week to visit me. She would read me books and share a kiss or elongated hug when Celestia wasn't watching. Always looking happy for me but I could see she was upset.

The crusaders would visit to with their sister's, Scootaloo had to come into the hospital anyway for her medicine and check-ups. She was lucky enough to get away with only a few broken ribs but the poison was nearly enough to kill her, she was a lot smaller than me and a lot younger, her body wasn't as survivable or resilient as mine. Apparently manticore attacks were common, so a antivenin was on hoof to give to both of us, though she was kept in for a few days after the attack just to be safe.

Constantly fading from conscious to unconscious made time go by randomly. Sometimes I would wake up after a few hours or a few days, even weeks would sometimes pass. I had given up asking Celestia each time I awoke, the time didn't matter I guess.

This time I awoke, my brain reactivating before my eyes, I could hear Twilight and Celestia talking. I couldn't hear them but I noticed my name so often. I slowly stirred, fidgeting and turning over slightly towards Twilight's voice.

“You love him, don't you?” Celestia asked in her calm, gentle way. I couldn't hear Twilight's response, but I could feel it. A kiss against my lips was all the answer Celestia needed I guess.

I finally opened my eyes, looking at a blushing Twilight and then to Celestia, she didn't seem upset or disappointed in either of us. A good start.

“I suppose its' obvious really, so what's going to happen now?” I asked, hoping Twilight wasn't going to get in trouble on my behalf.

“That's is not my decision Autumn, its' up to you and Twilight,” she replied. I gave a mental sigh of relief, glad that all the fuss that Twilight went on about at the castle was just her overreacting.

“Right... Right, of course,” I mumbled as I turned back to Twilight with a smile. She moved in for a proper and heartfelt nuzzle with me.

*****

I awoke to the familiar feeling of nothingness, everything feeling rather hazzy and my body was unresponsive. My eyes opened like on routine, the normal sight of Celestia calmly watching over me as I slept.

“Keep resting, your out of your final surgery and need to rest,” she gave her wisdom, re-fluffing my pillow with her magic.

“I'm surprised your still here, I was thinking you wouldn't have the patiences to wait here for the past month,”

“I guess patiences comes to all alicorns naturally,” she replied in her gentle tone.

“Don't talk to me about patience princess,”

“I know you had to wait a long time, but its' all over now, once you leave this hospital you'll be brand new,”

“Brand new?” I frowned, “We both know that's a lie, I still have the responsibilities and the memories, 2000 years my be a long time for mortals but for us it isn't all that long,”

“It was the only thing I could do Autumn, I was hoping you'd understand that, for the safety of the Equestrian population I had to lock you away,”

“From what I heard the kingdom had some rough times without me anyway, you'd had tyrannical kings, gods returning to bring chaos to the lands and even your own sister was possessed by a demon,” I summoned the strength to lean in closer to her sitting position, “Imagine how much easier it would have been if you had my magic by your side, shame you locked it in a forest and threw away the key,”

“If you want an apology, then I'm sorry, but I did what I thought was right and I still believe it was the best I could have done at the time,” she looked me dead in the eyes whist saying that, she could be intimidating when she wanted to be. I moved back to my pillow, no point pushing her about something that was way back in the past.

“You still haven't told me why you're waiting here,”

“I was alone for 1000 years, the only alicorn who was immortal, I watch entire generations of ponies passing by and could do nothing to save them,” she looked down to her hooves, her voice choking back tears. “Then I saw you, a pony I knew from so long ago when he was a foal and now a fully grown stallion, it was good to see a pony I knew still alive,”

She had a point, I guess I never got attached to anything in the forest, but she must of. Other students and other friends, all gone now...

“Fair enough...

*****

I awoke once again, this time with both Twilight and Celestia watching over me. Twilight looked a little more rested than normal and had a relieved grin across her face. “Hey, do you know what its' time for?” she asked.

“No...”

“The doctor given the all clear to start your physiotherapy! You'll be walking soon,” she cheered, just how long had passed with me going in and out of consciousness and surgery?

“Good, when do I start?”

“If your up to it, then we can start now! Just have to wait for the doctor to come back,”

Soon enough, the doctor came back like she said. After running through several final checks and medical guff, I was gentle taken from my bed and onto the floor. With medical braces and supports holding me up we just tried to get me to stand on my own four hooves. First a little wobbly, though Twilight let me lean on her until I regained my balance so eventually I was able to stand and support myself.

“You did it Autumn, you'll be able to walk really soon, I'm sure of it,”

*****

I was always eager to see what was on the other side of the door. I saw it every time I woke up, always closed and the only way in and out of the room.

My first goal was to get there and back, maybe take a peak out to just for curiosity’s sake. One hoof, two hoof, next hoof, last hoof, repeat. Those were the simple steps to walking that everypony followed without realising it, so simple yet for me so hard to follow.

As I struggled to get away from the safety of my bedside, Celestia watched me try and try again. Then for the first time I saw since I got here, she rose from her chair and stood next to me.

“Take it slow, I'll be here to catch you if you fall,” then she put one hoof in front of her as if she was slowly walking. I followed her example, putting my hoof in front of myself like she did. She moved her opposite hindleg forward, I mirrored her action.

After what felt like hours (Though was probably just a few long minutes) I reached my goal. With a faint flicker of my horn, the door opened up. Leaning against the door frame I took a peak outside my room. It was just a long hallway with other door like mine scattered, disappointed I tried to walk backwards out the doorway and was quickly reminded that my hooves weren't working like they should.

The ever vigilant Celestia caught me and spun me around in her magic. Letting me walk back to the bed. I shook my head.

“I don't want to go back,”

“You have to go back,”

“Not yet, direct me over there,” I gestured over to the square window. She understood and spun me to face the window, then with slow steps walked me to it.

“Thank you...” I took a look out of the window. It was sunset, or sunrise, I couldn't tell. Everything looked like it did before, only the leaves were browning and falling. It was autumn time, my favourite time of year. Off in the distance was the town that I still hadn't gone into yet, those houses and ponies were always too far away from me.

“You'll be out soon enough, you've made good progress considering your injuries and state a few months ago,” Celestia reassured.

“I shouldn't be in here anyway. I'm a prince, I should be better than this. Who'd ever seen you or Luna in hospital?”

“You expect too much of yourself, royalty or not, your still just one pony,”

“I'll get better, I get out of this place soon,” I vowed, sucking in the final glance at the sun before retreating back into the dark room. I was going to get better, as Celestia said I'll be out soon enough, but it was up to me to decide when 'soon enough' was.

And it was going to be closer than she thought.