Beep…beep…beep…

Darkness, that was all I knew other than the soft, repeating sound…

Beep…beep…beep…

No light, no feeling, only the ever-present stillness that surrounded me from every side…

Beep…beep…beep…

I didn’t know how long I had been there, or why my mind struggled to remember…something. Something very important…

Beep…beep…beep…

Memories, faces of people I knew, or thought I knew. Images of creatures that I had no name for…

Beep…beep…beep…

Then, from somewhere in the darkness, a single thought managed to penetrate the shadows surrounding me…

Beep…beep…beep…

It was a name, my name, I think, but it was almost like it wasn’t something in my mind…

Beep…beep…beep…

No, it was a sound, a voice, calling to me from somewhere very far away. I tried to follow the voice, to move towards the sound. Towards someone I thought I knew…

Beep…beep…beep…

Sensations began to filter through the darkness as the voice became louder, a soft surface, a warm weight on top of me. I could feel my hands reaching for the voice, my own lips unable to formulate the words my heart so desperately wanted to say…

Beep…beep…beep…

The voice was close now, almost as if it was right in front of me. I could feel my limbs now, my breathing slightly restricted by the warm mass that was on my chest. I could feel a finger twitch while warm drops fell onto my cheeks at odd intervals…

Beep…beep…beep…

I winced as ribbons of pain rolled through my body, my limbs tightening as I grit my teeth and a hiss of agony ripped itself from my mouth. The weight on my chest suddenly moved, the sweet call of my name falling silent while a shocked gasp took its place…

Beep…beep…beep…

My eyes had clenched further shut from the pain, but once the surge of sensation passed, I was able to slowly crack them open. I winced as light burned into my vision, but it was only a temporary discomfort once my eyes adjusted. I turned my head in the direction the weight had shifted to, my blurred sight taking in a mass of purple on my left side. Yet, even through the blurring and fog still enveloping my brain, a single word was able to work its way through and out of my parched throat.

“Twilight?”

I could hear sobbing now, but the glimpses of white I saw amidst the purple told me the creature, no, my herdmate, was smiling at me, even as tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the floor.

“Y-Yes,” her voice hitched as Twilight managed to work the words between her shaking lips, “it’s me. I-I was so w-worried about you, S-Sarah.”

I barely had the strength to do so, but my mind forced my hand to move anyway as I lifted my arm and rubbed Twilight between the ears, ruffling her unkempt mane for a moment before returning my limb to the bed.

Memories of what had happened slowly came back to me, the battle, the necromancers, Lyra and Bon-Bon, “The girls, are they alright?”

Twilight nodded, fresh tears running over her soaked cheeks anew, “You saved them. I don’t know how, and I don’t care. Thank you,” her shoulders shook as she bowed her head to me, “thank you so much for bringing them back alive.”

A smile of my own managed to work its way through the stiffness and sore muscles that seemed to cover my entire body like a second skin, “You would have done the same for me. It was the least I could do.”

Twilight lifted her head and leaned forward, our lips connecting in a soft embrace, filled with every ounce of emotion we could share with each other. Our love, our trust, and our promise to stay together, always.

We separated from each other after several seconds, and I could feel my eyes slowly falling shut again, the last sight I had was of Twilight’s smile and the pure, unadulterated love in her gaze.

Beep…beep…beep…

I found out three days later, after resting and taking time to recover some of my strength, that we had been transported to Canterlot Hospital after I fell unconscious and had been in a coma for the better part of a month. Princess Celestia had come in after news of my awakening had reached her and broke down the events that I had missed.

News of the battle had spread through the countryside like wildfire, and when it became clear that there was no way to hide the truth from the general population, Celestia and the other princesses had no choice but to hold a press conference to share what had happened with the country. To say there had been an uproar would have been the most understated statement in history, and yet, ponies weren’t panicking, at least not nearly as much as Celestia had predicted would happen.

Sure, there had been a few riots that had broken out from panicked ponies in a few major cities, but over all the general reaction to the news seemed to be one of support for the war effort, not fear. Ponies were signing up left and right to join the military, even though enlistment had not even been mentioned in the press conference, and several offices had closed due to the sheer volume of applications that they had been receiving. Thankfully, the coven had not been able to make another attack in the time we had been asleep, so there had not been a need to call upon so many new recruits.

Rosie and Swift had stopped by as well, sharing gentle hugs and little tidbits about their own lives. I was surprised and at the same time not when I found out that Swift had asked for Rosie’s claw in marriage almost immediately after the battle had concluded, the young hen now sporting a gold ring around her left middle claw. I gave them both my most heartfelt congratulations and wished them luck when it came to planning the wedding.

Evidently, even though I had been told all three of us were awake and on the road to recovery, Lyra and Bon-Bon were still being kept under close observation in another section of the hospital, given the unusual circumstances of their health. I had asked if I could go and see them but had been politely and firmly denied the request by not only hospital staff, but Celestia as well. Given what had happened to them, and the unknown effects that could come about from their resurrection, it had been deemed essential to keep us apart until the testing on the mares was concluded. Both for their safety as well as mine.

And so, I rested, slept far too much, and did my best not to climb the walls while my body recovered from the stress I had put it under. The food was standard hospital fare, terrible and tasteless, and with limited options for entertainment I was forced to endure hours of boredom, even with the books Twilight was so gracious to bring me from her castle to help pass the time.

It was a whole week after I had initially woken up that the girls were finally cleared for me to see them, and it was with both joy and embarrassment that I had the staff wheel me to their rooms in a wheelchair designed for a minotaur. I would have happily walked there, but my legs were still so weak that I wasn’t steady enough to walk just yet. My strength had been coming back slowly, but it was still not at a point that I could move about on my own.

The doors to the recovery ward closed behind us as the nurse pushed me through the halls with her magic, Twilight trotting beside me until we came up to a set of double doors marked with warning labels and restricted access locks. Twilight used her magic to light up a rune on the side of the door, and with the heavy Thunk of locks disengaging, the heavy entryway swung open to reveal a space not unlike the recovery room I had just left.

Wires were attached to both mares’ barrels in several places, and IVs were inserted into their forelegs in the event they were required. Two beds were resting against the far wall and both girls were sitting up with big pillows supporting them from behind. Lyra saw us entering and lit up with a huge smile, her head spinning around to face Bon-Bon as we approached.

“Hey! Bonnie! Twilight and Sarah are here!” The aquamarine mare could barely keep still while our other herdmate’s head rolled over to face our direction.

Her face was much more withdrawn, but her mouth still formed a soft smile as she met our gazes, “Hurray, we’re saved. Now we can bust out of this cell they call a hospital room.”

That got a giggle out of all three of us, the nurse walking back through the doors before closing them behind her. The locks re-engaged but I didn’t care at the moment, the only thing I cared about being the two mares in front of me.

“So, uh,” I rubbed the back of my head with a hand, “I guess I wanted to apologize to you both, for everything. I should never have left you unprotected and because of me you almost ended up dying.” I forced my gaze to hold theirs as I spoke, even as shivers ran up and down my spine, “I was so focused on everything else that I forgot what was most important to me, and it nearly cost you two your lives in the process.” I bowed my head, “Can you ever forgive me?”

“Well,” I glanced up at Lyra as she turned her head towards Bon-Bon, “I don’t know about Bonnie, but after all the crazy stuff that happened, I don’t really remember what we were upset about. All I can remember is waking up here in the hospital, but the events leading up to you saving us are kind of a blur.”

Bon-Bon nodded, “Me too. I guess as silly as it sounds, there isn’t anything to forgive, given we have no idea if there was even a real reason for us to be upset in the first place.” She turned towards me and smiled, even though it was clear the effort was draining for her, “For what it’s worth, I forgive you for whatever you did, and thank you for saving our lives. I only remember one thing from my time under the control of those whorses, and I’d just as soon forget it ever happened.”

I nodded, relief flowing through me as I returned their smiles, “Well then, welcome back to the land of the living.” I wheeled myself around Lyra’s bed and leaned over to give Bon-Bon a kiss, shifting over to do the same to Lyra before pulling them both into a weak hug, “I’m so happy you’re safe. I don’t know what I’d do if anything had happened to either of you.”

Lyra hugged me back as Twilight climbed onto her bed to join the embrace, “Us too, Sarah. Us too.”

We stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence and taking in the scents of our herdmates. I felt their breathing and heard their hearts beating strong in their chests, and I vowed that I would never let anything happen to them again, no matter what surprises came our way.

I had no idea the shock that was in store for us, or the changes to our lives the revelation would bring.

Author's Note

Salutations my good readers, and welcome back to a story that has been loooooooooooooong overdue for an update. I am pleased to say that while a little on the shorter side, this chapter has reawakened a spark that I have not felt in ages. This begins the third and final act of this book, but don't worry about it ending too soon, I've got a lot more in store before we let Sarah and Co. off the hook. I wholeheartedly welcome back returning readers who were so patient to wait this long, as well as any new readers who may be seeing this book for the first time. Please, comment below your thoughts or ideas, or be free to snark for the horrendous delay, either one is perfectly fine with me.

Thank you all so much for your support, and I plan to update again soon once the craziness of working through Black Friday has come and gone. Happy Thanksgiving and a happy holidays to all!!

Hope to see you all soon, either in the towel section below or in the next chapter once it becomes available.

Welcome back, and I'll see you next time,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.